Profession of Hatred

Just thought that I should put into writing a truth that has defined my existence since forever:

I hate clothes shopping.

Clothes are, in of themselves, alright...and I will stoop so far as to admit that it's fun to find something that I feel comfortable in or that I think looks good on me.  But, shopping for them is pain. Pain. Whenever I find myself in need of some new clothing, be it a new pair of jeans to replace an old and ratty pair, or a new dress shirt to wear in the place of one that lost a fight with a bowl of spaghetti, the process of shopping for my new article of clothing is inevitably about twenty times longer than it should be.  If that weren't bad enough, this ridiculously long process rarely results in my obtaining all the items I need.  Therefore, it is loathed by yours truly.

For example, looking for a shirt usually goes something like this:

1. Found a shirt in the style I was looking for...but all the colors left are in garish hues such as lime green and hot pink.
2. Hey, here's some properly colored shirts...but the styles make them look like they were designed by a drunken clothing artist who was also on crack at the time. 
3. Oh look, here are some shirts that are exactly what I was looking for, with good style and color...but they're all XL, XXL, XXXL, or XXXXXXXXXL.
4. Gasp...I'll never find what I was looking for...HEY!! I think this one will work!!! (reads price) SIXTY BUCKS FOR A LOUSY T-SHIRT?!?!
5. All hope is lost, I'll never...whoa...WHOA. THIS SHIRT. THIS SHIRT IS THE RIGHT STYLE AND COLOR...IT'S A MEDIUM...AND IT'S ON SALE FOR A RESPECTABLE PRICE!!!!!
6. Better go try this on just to make sure (does so).  Well, whaddya know...this shirt is baggier/tighter than a medium should be, and it fits in an awkward way that makes me look (fill in the blank with an adjective of your choice that has the general idea of "stupid")

Of course, I'm posting this because I went clothes shopping today. It wasn't as bad as it usually is, because this time Andrew and my dad put in requests for clothes.  Thus, I got Andrew and my dad a combined total of about $120 worth in clothes, and only $18 for myself.  Why?  Well, part of it was that I wasn't the one paying for the clothes, so the money had nothing really to do with it (though all their clothes were for really good prices, being on sale and/or clearance).  No, the real reason I got them so much is they're bigger than me...so all those way-too-big shirts are just right on them! :D

So yes, when clothes shopping is productive, I don't mind it as much.  But the fact still remains, clothes shopping bears the mark of my hatred.

Thoughts...

My mind is swimming with thoughts that want to be written down.

Unfortunately, I have neither the time nor the will to write all of them, at least not yet, so you'll have to settle for a paltry few.

1) w00t!!!! UMass Lowell accepted me and gave me the Commonwealth Scholarship, which covers all tuition and fees and even pays an allowance of up to 2000 bucks to cover living and commuting expenses. I seriously doubt I'm going anywhere else for my higher education after the Lord provided this.

2)I need to learn how to stop procrastinating. Shoulda had my license by now. Should learn how to get homework assigned earlier than a day before it's due done, would make life much easier.

3)Need to get homework done earlier so I can make it out to Karate more. Made it last Wednesday because there was no prayer meeting, but that's been my last time. Not good. I'll never get my black belt at this rate. Grrrr, but I WILL, even if it wasn't as soon as I hoped.

4)I need to practice kaatas more. Last Wednesday was a great refresher for Cat 3, so at least that's nice and fresh in my head. Unfortunately, Cat 1 and 2 are rusty, Circle of the Tiger lacks the energy and confidence I could do it with (peaked before my third-degree brown belt test, heehee), and I'm not adding in the little details of the Pinans that come as you advance. And Statue of the Crane? Heh, I remember the beginning, and I'll remember the whole thing after seeing it one more time, but right now, even practicing it is impossible. Grrrrr-sigh<----(combo of frustration and determination mixed into one exclamation of remorse) In my defense, kaatas were forgotten during the period of time with college applications and summer job e-mailing and school exams and whatnot.

Did I ever mention that I did get that job working in Boston with a doctor doing research on osteoporosis cures? And that it pays absolutely zip, while requiring that I get my rear end over to Boston whilst shelling out dough for fuel for said journey? Thus creating a situation where I lose money but gain experience and education, thus making said money-draining job worthwhile? Considering the fact it will land me a similar, paying job in the future, and help me get accepted into medical school? 'Cause if I forgot to mention all that, I just mentioned it now.

5)I love it when people ask me if I'm counting down the days until I graduate. My response? I'm in no rush to grow up. Reaction to said response varies. Old 'n' crusty middle-aged people seem to think that's smart, young 'n' green people either feel the same way or think I'm crazy. Usually they think I'm crazy.

6)Need to learn how to sleep. Seriously. I stink at it. I get into sleep habits way too easily and can't break out of them no matter how tired I am. Should probably start thinking of hitting the sack soon, but I'm not even on the verge of sleepiness....

7)I need to learn how to stop thinking and start doing. Too often I plan or dream or imagine, but don't follow through. Not the way to get through life, I venture to say.

8)I should review the definition of "A paltry few". Eight thoughts just doesn't quite seem too paltry to me, though I do have much more stashed in the ol' noggin that are just itching to be expressed in writing. Look for a few more posts, each on a bigger thought.

Excused Absence?

It seems like half my posts are apologies for not posting.

Well, I apologize for that, but this post is an apology as well.

So, I apologize. Not that I'm alone in my misdeeds. (*cough*ericjohnchristineaaron*cough*)

If you were wondering what's kept me away from the oh-so-beloved blogging community, I'll take the time now to expound upon them. If you weren't, it doesn't matter because I'm gonna expound upon them anyway.


Excuse #1: Biohazardous Basement

No, this excuse is not a joke. Our basement apparently contains high levels of radioactive, cancer-causing radon gas (Ra on the periodic table--heh, haven't forgotten my Chemistry lessons yet). When we bought this house, the owners told us that when they did the radon test, the results came back fine, but then when other people did the same test, they got results that showed the presence of dangerous levels of said radon gas. Well, we were more concerned about getting the house than worrying about conflicting results, so we overlooked it. So we bought the house, put the computers in the basement, and didn't pay much thought to it (at least I didn't--I hear that my parents wanted to test it right away but never got around to it). Well, a week or two ago, my mom decides she wants to check up on the radon, considering we were never sure about it. And guess what. High levels of radon gas. More than a year after we buy the house, and play computer down in the basement, we find out it's unhealthy. Great. However, from what I understand, a year isn't enough to pose a serious health threat. It's not good, but it doesn't mean I'm getting cancer now. And yes, I'm in the basement right now typing this, although my mom doesn't like it now that we know. She's been stopping me from going down as much as she can. Thus, blogging has been non-existent.


Excuse #2--Illness

What would a list of excuses be without the classic, "I was sick."?

It's true. I started what I thought was just a bad cold two Wednesday's ago, which got worse before it almost disappeared on Saturday. Then it got worse again. In fact, it became strep throat. So until last Thursday, I was sicker than I've been in a while. Which stunk, considering it was a school vacation. My sickness led me to invest more time playing on my Nintendo Wii, which leads me to my next excuse.


Excuse #3--Conflict of Interest

I know, I know. What could possibly be more important than blogging?

Well, sorry, but I know one thing, at least, that is.

I recently got back into playing the latest installment of what I consider the greatest video game series of all time. For some, The Legend of Zelda may mean nothing to you, but those who have played it will agree that it is an awesome, awesome game. I mean, it's awesome. Listen, I've played plenty of video games, many of them considered great games by almost everyone. Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, however, has got to be one of the best. I know, it has a kinda girlie name. But trust me, it's definitely worth playing. Heh, it's worth buying a Gamecube or Wii to play this game, seriously. Even if you don't play/like video games, you'll like this one. My mom and my sisters want me to tell them when I play, because they consider it to be like watching a movie, only this one has an uncertain outcome, and the main character is figuring it out as they go along.

Y'know, I think I might as well add some beefiness to this post, considering my long absence.

"What makes the game so good? And why would I like it if I don't like video games?", you may well ask.

What makes this game so good is hard to put simply. It's something that needs to be experienced for one to fully understand and appreciate why it's so good. But I think the fundamental aspect of its goodness is its ability to make the player feel as if they're Link, the main character of the series. Not only do you feel as if you are the main character, but the depth of the gameplay immerses you in the video-game world of Hyrule.

How does this game accomplish more than what many video games, books, and movies do?

Hard to say. Maybe it's the storyline? Maybe it's because of the satisfaction you get of actually being the hero? Being a hero who's always doing good, squashing evil, and doing it all in a noble fashion? Maybe it's just that I like that kind of storyline, like being the hero, like doing good and squashing evil in a noble fashion.

Not sure, to be honest with you. I have a feeling, though, it's the little details that do it. The fact that everyone in the game calls you by the name you put in as your own. The freedom you have to do little side-quests in between the challenging dungeons (large...um, I dunno how to put this...levels, I guess, filled with little puzzles and traps before you get to the "boss", a huge, hard-to-beat enemy at the end). The way that even the most insignificant character you meet in town has a personality that is evident despite the fact that none of the conversations have any voice, it's all written in a text box.

Lemme sidetrack a bit to explain that last point. Actually, I'll just give an example. You walk into Castle Town, the largest town in the game, and, after talking with a few random passer-by, hear about this tent on the eastern thoroughfare with something new. The people you talk to don't seem to know what it is, though some seem a litrle suspicious. You decide to check it out, and upon finding the tent, walk in. A brief cinematic plays, in which you walk into the dark tent to be greeted by a slick-looking guy in a robin-hood like costume with a gameshow-host smile under a spotlight. With dramatic gestures and enthusiastic expressions on his face, he explains that this is a game, which, although it costs money to play, promises amazing prizes for the winner. After you have the rules explained to you and you pay the fee, the man wishes you good luck, but you catch a little snicker after his well-wishing (This probably isn't making sense to you, considering I said that there isn't any talking. Let me give you an example of what you'd see in the text box.)
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Thank you, good sir! The game begins as soon as you enter the cage! Good luck!......Heh heh heh......

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That little snicker gives you a little hint about what the guy is like. You realize that the suspicions entertained by the others you talked to are confirmed when you step into the cage and see the huge amount of glowing orbs you have to collect before the 30 second time limit runs out. You try, and fail. The man's condolences are also tinged with snickering. Now, this begins to get personal. You wanna teach this jerk a lesson! You're not gonna let him just take your money without a struggle! He thinks he's made an impossible game, but you know better. You have a special piece of equipment earned in one of the dungeons that'll help you in the game, but it still will take a significant amount of skill to beat. You try again, this time collecting all the orbs in the time limit. A bunch of ditsy little onlooking girls squeal. You exit the cage and talk with the man. The distraught look on his face is very satisfying. I'll go do another text box example for this one.

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What??? How??? Impossible......
....Well, it seems we have a new star! Here's your prize, good sir!

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(He hands you a quiver with a greater capacity than the one you have, a very useful prize, actually. He continues...)

_____________________________________________________

Since you've done so well, I'm sure you won't mind if we construct a new setup especially for you! It'll take a little while to complete, but you must come and try it out when it's finished!

.....I will GET you for this...

___________________________________________________________


And thus, you walk away happily with your prize, which is all the more satisfying for having foiled the game owner's scheme.

Keep in mind, this is only a little side "quest"-like thing you can do optionally, it's not actually part of the storyline. Anyway, that should give you a taste of how the little details add to the appeal of the game.

I guess that maybe this game isn't the kind of game that a non-gamer would easily enjoy playing. I can almost guarantee, though, that if the person is patient, and likes to read books or watch movies, they would at least enjoy watching. In my opinion, this video game's story has an advantage over stories in movies, and even some books. Instead of just being an onlooker, you actually have to be the one solving the puzzles, fighting the bad guys, figuring out what to do next. It's a whole new level of immersion. And personally, I like being immersed in a story.

Final note: If you like The Lord of the Rings, chances are you'll like Twilight Princess.

Okay folks, that post took me a collective two hours to put together (lol, I've been working on it over two days so it isn't as bad as it sounds).

Hope that makes up for my silence, and covers me if I am silent for a little while longer.

Team Fortress 2

Most of you have probably never heard of Team Fortress, much less played it. The original TF is a bit outdated by now, but the idea is one of the most fundamentally sound for multiplayer. The idea is a lot like Capture the Flag, you try to run into the enemy's base and steal their flag/top secret whatever-it-is. TF added a little twist however. You could choose to be one of a few different specialists. An engineer built defensive turrets to guard the flag, the heavy-weapons guy mowed down whole battalions with his giant gun, the medic healed injured team members, the spy could disguise himself to look like one of the enemy players, and so on. It was, in short, such a good idea many started using the same priniciples for their games.

Now, the makers are coming out with Team Fortress 2.

I have to admit, I was a little doubtful as to whether or not it was possible to remake a game like that. Then I saw the trailer.

I am SO buying this game once it comes out.

If you would like to see what convinced me, first watch this trailer to get an idea of what the different professions do (the engineer builds robot guns even though the trailer doesn't show that too much). Then, if you'd like a laugh, watch the interview with the Heavy Weapons Guy, the Soldier, and, my personal favorite, the Engineer. If you wanna see even more, check out this gameplay trailer (this one's the prime mover in my want to get the game, be warned: it's pretty violent). Trust me when I say these links are worth your while, I've seen them like fifty times and I still enjoy watching them (maybe I have a slightly sadistic sense of humor? O.o).

If you haven't played the original, you may not be convinced that this game is gonna be awesome. But as for me, I can't wait.

To Game or Not to Game?

I apologize for this random ranting that will ensue. It stems from a lack of a more interesting post. (read "Reminiscence of a Departed Friend if you haven't already, that'll be sure to be interesting)

We've all heard it before. "Video games are a menace to society! They turn our kids into lazy, unsociable, underachieving nerds who don't know how to interact with people when all they do is sit in front of a screen all day!" (yes I know it isn't worded like that, but that's what they imply!)

Well, I beg to difer.

It's true, video games give lotsa people a reason not to be healthily active. That much I will admit, although the Nintendo Wii helps that problem a bit.

But, video games prevent people from learning people skills? Garbage.

Whoever thought that one up isn't up to par with technology these days. Most of the popular games out there have something to do with playing online with other people. People you've never met, people you have to work with and organize if you want to win whatever it is you're doing. People who you have to communicate with if any of these goals are to be accomplished. Of course, some games require more interaction with those around you than others. A free-for-all deathmatch won't have much communication, everyone is just trying to ensure that their own head isn't the one blown off whilst they attempt to blow more heads off than the other guy. Not much talking required, other than the occasional accusation of cheating, the exclamation of annoyance at having one's head blown off fifty times in a row, or the exclamation of glee at having blown someone's head off fifty times in a row. But, may I remind you, this is limited to the free-for-all. Team fights are a different story, with organization neccessary for defeating the other team. Team deathmatches require only a little more communication than free-for-all's, capture the flag rounds require more, capturing and holding certain areas (king-of-the-hill) even more.

Then we get to MMORPGs (Massive Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Games), such as Guild Wars.
Part of these games is singleplayer, where the only actual human being playing is you. Obviously not much communication there. But a lot of the game requires the help of other players. In order to finish a cooperative mission, everyone has to communicate freely and often, and obey orders from the designated leader. You can't do your own thing if you want to make it. Some try, and they're not respected much. The missions alone teach you people skills and leadership, the knowledge when to follow orders and the experience to know when to take charge. If you know what to do, you're not gonna just follow what the leader thinks you should do, you lead the leader to show them what needs to be done. The missions are only a very small example. The real human interaction comes with the guilds.

In Guild Wars, you have the option to join a group of other players, called, as the name implies, a "guild". The guild can have a hall where they meet, a cape distinguishing its members from the rest of the hoi poloi, and a leader and officers who can help members with missions and quests they're having trouble with. Now, being a member, there isn't too much neccessary of you. You're free to join any guild that will accept you, you can leave that guild anytime you want, and you can get free help from the higher-ups trying to keep their guild large. It's a member's world out there. The real people skills comes with being an officer, and even more with being the leader.

Let me give a personal Guild Wars example.

John started his own guild. Of course he was the leader, I joined readily, got promoted to officer, and then i kinda just was there, not doing much and not requiring much. The guild grew, gained experienced members, and everything was goin' great. Then, after the 3rd Guild Wars came out and people completed it, many in our guild began to get bored with Guild Wars, John included. And, in all fairness, I can't blame any of them, there's only so much you can do in the game, I'm starting to get bored of it myself. Anyway, what with the leader not being around much to lead and the officers not being around much to recruit and the members wanting a more active guild, we lost a bunch of people. Our guild shrank from about 30 people to 20. Then to 15. Then 12. Finally, I, the dormant officer who was pretty much useless up to that point, woke up. We're gonna dissappear! So, I began recruiting. After I had recruited one or two, I realized I was gonna need help. So I offered an incentive to the members: bring me 5 people to recruit, and I'll promote you to officer. And whaddya know? They found people to recruit! And so some got promoted and some left and some stayed and we gained a few faithful members and we lost a few useful members, but we grew. Up to over 30 people. I felt I could relax a bit and just focus on my own GW character. But then, some officers who didn't feel like recruiting didn't, some members who wanted more left because our guild was going nowhere fast, and in short, we shrunk. Back to the painful proccess of rebuilding again. Offering incentives, starting activities in the guild, forming an alliance with other guilds, we slowly gained people's interest and grew again. Back to over 30 members.

And why, you might ask, am I wasting your time with a boring record of a video game you haven't a clue about?

Because, through all this, I learned some important business management skills. If you want people to accomplish anything, provide incentives. Keep growing, otherwise you'll shrink. Make sure to appoint trustworthy mangers who will obey you. Know what your customers want. Advertise. An apple a day keeps the doctor away (just making sure you're paying attention).

I learned this from a VIDEO GAME. And, actually, I know how to apply them to everday life. I could go on and on mentioning friends I've made, things I've learned from those people, oppurtunities to share the Gospel with those people, and so on. But, I think you get the idea.

Video games don't prevent people from learning people skills. They teach them.