Wee parachutists
February 01, 2008 // Link
Heavy snowfall today, like wee parachutists. If tiny crystalline aliens ever invade, how much shoveling would we do before we realized?
Shoveling playlist
February 01, 2008 // Link
I just spent more time making a “shoveling playlist” in iTunes than the time I’ll spend actually shoveling. Time well spent, methinks.
Airport Dancing
February 01, 2008 // Link
rrring...
rrring...
“Hello?”
“Hey, want to come dance with me in Porter Airport?”
I have the best dance partner ever.
I recognize those flakes
February 02, 2008 // Link
Didn’t I shovel this same snow yesterday? I’m feeling a serious lack of accomplishment.
Planning the morning
February 03, 2008 // Link
So many possibilities: Podcast? Web design? Writing? Screw it, I’m playing a Nancy Drew game.
(Don’t judge me, I’m happy.)
Can I tell it to roll over?
February 04, 2008 // Link
My car has started snoring when it idles. How strange.
Okay, I think I’m done with the snow.
February 04, 2008 // Link
You can take it away now.
Gripped by gadget lust
February 05, 2008 // Link
I need a new gadget. Nothing in particular in mind—just a general “new toy” urge. I intend to give in to it readily.
Passive Activities and Active Passtimes
February 06, 2008 // Link
As someone who engages in the activity of playing video games, it would be hypocritical of me to judge you for believing that video games are an engaging activity. But I’m probably going to judge you anyway. It’s just my way.
Sometimes I’ll ask my nephew what he did on a given day and he’ll go on at length about a video game. He’ll tell me how he beat his best time on a race track, or slew some many-tentacled bugaboo, or defended the Earth against aliens (or defended aliens against the Earth, depending on the flittering political affiliations of an 11 year old).
And I don’t judge him for spending his day in these ephemeral pursuits because I’ve been a video game kid since way back when I was still a kid and they were still called video games. Of course, when I was a kid video games were made out of rocks and wooly mammoth bones, but we were happy.
Even so, when my nephew tells me he defeated some Boss to acquire the Golden Ring of Whatchamacallit, I’ll sometimes think: “No, you didn’t.” The fact is, the activity of playing video games isn’t actually an activity at all. That’s the big lie of video games: the illusion of activity. You aren’t really racing cars, slaying dextrous bugaboos, or defending (or attacking) Earth. You aren’t exploring new lands. You aren’t playing hockey. You aren’t using your shotgun to defend people against zombies. You aren’t even playing. Not really.
What you are doing is sitting down, staring at flashing lights and wiggling your thumbs on command. Go you.
I’m not saying that’s necessarily a bad thing. I like video games, too. A lot. I’m probably playing them right now while you’re reading this. But I still judge you a little bit because I imagine you play them more than I do. Also, as I wrote earlier, I tend toward hypocrisy. I prefer to think it’s part of my charm.
So what’s the difference between video games and, say, reading a book? With reading, aren’t we really just sitting still and turning pages? We don’t really explore new lands or fend off zombies while reading a book. Well, not unless we are extremely good multitaskers.
It’s true that when we read a book we aren’t doing much in real life, or IRL as the internet kids would say. (Handy tips for old people: IRL = “In Real Life”; WTF = “Where’s The Food”; OMG = “Odin’s Manly Goats”; LOL = Something about your mother.) But nonetheless I think there’s a difference between the kind of nothing we’re doing when we read and the kind of nothing we’re doing when we play video games. It’s an active nothing versus a passive nothing. This is probably the most Zen I have ever sounded in my life. If I wasn’t writing this in boxer shorts I’d be indistinguishable from a wizened and serene monk. Well, a wizened and serene monk with a Mac Pro and a penchant for point-and-click adventure games. But still, wizened and serene, you know?
Anyway, my highly Zen point is that with books we are actively engaged in a way we aren’t with video games. That may seem counter intuitive considering the adrenaline rush that games can give us. I know it’s akin to the old cliche that hearing something on the radio is more active than watching it on television, reading something in a book is more active than hearing it on radio, and doing something tonight while surrounded by paparazzi is more active than seeing yourself in the tabloids tomorrow. But just because something is an old cliche doesn’t mean it’s not true. Paris Hilton is an old cliche and she’s real, much to my eternal disappointment.
[aside]
Why oh why do I even know who she is? I hate the thought that part of my brain is still being used up to retain knowledge of her existence. If I don’t have room left to learn Spanish because of her, I’m going to be so mad.
[end of aside]
Video games, particularly the twitch-and-shoot kind, are remarkably passive activities for ones that involve such an increase in heart rate. I wonder what kind of effect that has on us? Do we feel less need to do other activities because, at least chemically, we feel we’ve already accomplished so much? (“I think I’ll write the Great Canadian Novel ... but then again, I’ve already claimed a foreign land in the name of the Empire today. Maybe I’ll just have a nap instead.”)
But I suppose the same thing is said every time a generation embraces some newfangled medium. It was the same with the player pianos. It was the same with the talkies. It’ll be the same when my nephew’s kids inject virtual reality simulations directly into their brains. With each paradigm shift, the older generation looks upon the younger and weeps for the loss of so-called real entertainment, real relationships, real communication, real culture, real sex, real food, real reality...
As for me, I’m not all that worried about us. We’re having fun, and that’s gotta count for something. Doesn’t it? And the Golden Ring of Whatchamacallit is kinda swell. Besides, it would seem that it takes a very long time for our brains to atrophy.
So I continue not judging my nephew (and, sometimes, not you either) for prostrating before the console game gods, but I also can see that I’m right on the cusp of telling you meddlesome kids with your jazz music and loose morals to stay off my lawn.
And get a haircut!
Hamster cheek pouches
February 07, 2008 // Link
Last night: long discussion with Natalie about the pros and cons of hamster cheek pouches. My rockstar lifestyle continues.
Slow talker tech support
February 08, 2008 // Link
I hate giving tech support to slow talkers; they slow down & I speed up to compensate. Today’s call cut short by sonic boom at 58 min mark.
Empty inbox
February 08, 2008 // Link
An empty email inbox is a joyous thing. OK, sure, I just deleted an entire 180+ message backlog unread, but the joy is real.
Dance dance dance
February 09, 2008 // Link
Home and happily tired from hours of Ballroom/Latin dancing...followed by another couple of hours of Salsa. Oh my feet.
A gecko, you know?
February 09, 2008 // Link
I don’t really want to own a gecko, but sometimes I wish I could borrow one.
Phantom Compass
February 10, 2008 // Link
Tony Walsh is a highly swell fellow, and he’s started up a game production company called Phantom Compass.
I have to admit though, the name Phantom Compass name makes me want to start up a business called Golden Menace just to be his nemesis.
Good times here, good times there
February 10, 2008 // Link
Three hours of dance classes with the most awesomest dance partner ever, then a remote-date with my Alberta gal. Today shall be fun: it has been decreed.
Empty inbox redux
February 11, 2008 // Link
The best thing about deleting email en masse last week is the PURE JOY of an empty inbox first thing Monday morning. Bliss!
Put on a sweater
February 11, 2008 // Link
Why doesn’t Toronto have the thermostat set higher? Brrrr!
Internal monologue
February 12, 2008 // Link
I can fool some of myself all of the time, and all of myself some of the time. You, on the other hand, I have totally bamboozled.
Churnalism
February 15, 2008 // Link
Liking the term “churnalism” for non-researched news of the reprint-the-press-release kind. Added to my vocab.
Shoes? Sure!
February 16, 2008 // Link
Actually happy to tag along while Nat gets new dance shoes today. Exactly when did I become this guy?
Pick door #3
February 17, 2008 // Link
Should have recorded a podcast today (or last week, or last month, etc.) but I’ve been... busy? distracted? lazy?
Everybody Salsa
February 17, 2008 // Link
Salsa dancing at El Rancho tonight. Beginner lesson at 7, dancing at 8. Come join the fun!
Wisdom from my dance partner
February 20, 2008 // Link
“The closer you are, the closer you get.”
Moon dancing
February 20, 2008 // Link
Bundling up to dance under a blood red moon tonight.
(Parking lot on Dupont just East of Christie if you want to join us.)
Big brekky
February 22, 2008 // Link
Full Victorian style breakfast, just to see if I can pull it off.
Update: Turns out, I can.
Half full
February 22, 2008 // Link
All week plan after plan has fallen through, and yet I’m in a terrific mood. Dig the self-fulfilling prophecy of optimism.
GarageGulp
February 26, 2008 // Link
Scowling at GarageBand for EATING the first podcast I’ve recorded in ages. Fume fume fume. But also kinda laughing.
Will try again tomorrow...
Smashing success?
February 28, 2008 // Link
“NASA to smash a spacecraft into moon”
Isn’t smashing the lowest of the low bars for failure?
What’s the new “worst case” scenario? Earth orbit black hole?
Jah
February 29, 2008 // Link
I simply cannot pronounce MSN’s app without a rastifarian accent: “Microsoft Messenjah!”