Mondays

I'm not really sure why Mondays get such a bad rap most of the time. I understand that going back the grind of working is what kills it for most people, but you would think that the alternative of not having any money would have squelched that one pretty quickly. I think I'll blame the government again.
Either way, I've had a pretty good Monday. I woke up at a good time, showered, got spiffed up, and actually ate breakfast for once. After completing that terrible ordeal, I threw my sister in the car (not literally, at least as far as you are concerned), and took her to drivers ed along with a hitchhiker we found in Maroa. I went job-hunting, stopped at Richland to do some more hunting, and had a chance to chat with a good friend of mine for a bit. I picked up my sister (again, not literally), along with the hitchhiker, who for some strange reason wanted to go to drivers ed as well, and took them to Maroa, where the hitchhiker got tossed out of the window so we could make it home on time.
And that brings me to now. I sit in my chair, writing this post as I wait impatiently for my girlfriend to appear on my doorstep so we can write some music.
I like Mondays.

On a random note, the hitchhiker looked a lot like my girlfriend's sister. Go figure.

Sickness

Irony is a funny thing. Seriously. It really is. So are things that come out of ones mouth when one has a fever, but that's a story for another time.
So back to irony. Heres what happened. This entire week, I've been watching my sick siblings while the others went to camp. All week, I've escaped getting ill. And now comes the other half of the story. My girlfriend left for Ohio last weekend, and she was getting back today. All was well. Kids got better two days ago. Then last night, i started to feel like crud. I checked my temp, and discovered i was running a 100.3 degree fever. I somehow managed to come down with whatever the kids had AFTER they had it, and RIGHT before my girlfriend came home. Impeccable timing, eh?

Granted, fevers can make you say and do funny things...

Choir

I went somewhere interesting today. Three of my sisters took part in Millikin's Summer Sings camp, which had a jazz theme this particular year. At this point, you are probably wondering what was so interesting about that. Funnily enough, it was all the stuff that went on AROUND that which made it so interesting. See, Mom left early this morning to take the girls up to camp so they could practice, leaving me with the two youngest, who had just gotten over their virus. A good friend (and mother to my girlfriend), was going to pick us up at 10, as her daughters had ALSO gone up with Mom to the camp. Well, lets just say that watching two small children outside while waiting for someone is actually worse than the worst i had experienced thus far...which is just WAITING for someone. So i learned something new today. Anyway, so we were picked up about a quarter hour after the time we were supposed to be, and finally left for Decatur. After that, the normal hoo-hah went on with the camp, till i met with J2, a good friend of mine. We had been planning to head over to my place after the camp to game and work on a character for a Fantasy Hero RPG we have been playing. As we were discussing it though, it turned out that Doc (the woman who drove us up) needed help to get a window air conditioner unit from a person in Decatur. That being said, J2 and I followed her in his truck to go retrieve this air conditioner unit. After we picked it up, we were taken to McDonalds as payment for our muscles. Then we began the trek home. We dropped off the air conditioner unit at Doc's, then went to my place, where we gamed and hung out.

I love choir.

Gaming

What makes gaming so popular? Why separates them from their movie counterparts? Why don't people learn how to sword fight and kill people in real life, rather than on a screen? These are the deep questions of video gaming, and one that i think a lot of non-gamers ask. In this post, i will try to enlighten the masses to the reasons behind video games, what makes them so popular, and why i dont kill people in real life (that often) ;)

Firstly, what makes gaming unique as opposed to a movie? Strangely enough, it comes down to thinking and involvement. Instead of sitting inactive on a couch being fed a story, in a game, you ARE the story. YOU make things happen. YOU are the central point of the plot. And because of that, you are responsible for making the story unfold. It creates a sense of involvement and belonging. At the same time, it becomes more of an investment. With a movie, all you invest is time, whereas in a game, you put in a whole lot more. It involves thinking, good reflexes, the ability to make snap decisions, and perception. If the definition of entertainment for you involves you doing nothing, then games are not for you, because they are all about involvement. This involvement generates a certain kind of intensity that one just can't grasp from a film. And this is why people play RPGs and FPSs as much as they do.

Secondly, why do people play games instead of learning the skills for themselves? Why are they shooting things with their thumbs on a screen instead of other young adults? Why are they swinging swords at orcs when they could be chopping up monsters that live around us (clowns, hamsters, barbie dolls, etc.)? Sadly, our government does not allow this, and the atmosphere in which most people live saddles them with a lot of angst and aggression that has to be outlet-ed in a safe manner (according to government standards). So yeah, its the governments fault. 'Nuff said.

So the question is, why are games so popular? I think the entire thing boils down to choice and camaraderie. Games give the you the ability to make decisions, for good or ill, that have consequences, just like real life. And they allow you to interact with others in ways that normally are not possible. It is the one time in life when you are allowed to shoot someone you hate...over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over.....and over and over....and over...

Granted, i play them for the intellectual stimuli, but thats a story for another time.

Don't Freak Out.

Breathe deeply. Count to 10. Wiggle your ears.
My blog has changed, and its rather apparent. There are a number of reasons for that, the foremost being that fact that things in my life are a whole lot different from what they used to be. *I'm* different from what I used to be. That being said, there are going to be a number of changes in my blog as well.
And yes, that DOES mean that I am going to resume posting. Its something that I really need to be doing, and got in the bad habit of NOT doing. Here goes me in my attempt to eliminate that bad habit. Go me.
As per content, well, its gonna be anything. Well, okay, so maybe not EVERYTHING, but skies the limit here, and I hope you enjoy :)

I will post my first OFFICIAL post (ie - one with actual content) tomorrow. If not, its because I'm dead.