A Saga of Mild Madness

Well, hot damn. It's been two fucking months since I've been on LJ. How time flies when you aren't frittering away your time on live journal posts. And when you spend every waking moment not spent working or eating playing on your new computer. But, anyhow.

Goddamn, I miss you guys. It's only been three weeks or so for most of you and I already feel the loss. In the spirit of this, I'm planning a Pixar movie marathon this thursday or friday here at my house. Hows that sound, huh? Fun, huh? I sure think so.

Anyhow, a brief update on the goings on of Derek. It'll be brief because there's not much to tell. Mostly I've worked, played oblivion, watched TV, and read books. I spent a weekend in the Twin Cities visiting my sister and seeing the sights. The sights mostly comprised the insides of various Barnes and Noble stores as well as a Gamestop and a Bestbuy. However, I did find time in there to tour the Minniapolis public library (the biggest library I've ever seen) and to stroll through St. Paul's Cathedral. I gotta say, them Catholics sure know how to build a church. And that was the highlight of my summer thus far. Other than that, I've read some H.P. Lovecraft, got a D.S. lite, and... saw Cars. That was a good movie right there.

Anyhow's. Pixar party. my house. Sometime later this week.

Good to be back.

I twisted my ankle pretty badly last week as many of you now know, and it still hurts like crazy. I'm going to a doctor on Friday to see if they can offer some insight into the cause of said pain.

Anyhow, here is my second to last column for the TR. It's about Food Stamps, so feel free to not read it (even I thought it was boring.)

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Yes, I realize that it's hypocritical for me to be calling for measures to help combat obesity. Shut up.

I had the best conversation I've ever had with my little brother friday night. It began as a discussion of the meaning and message of Evangelion (which everyone should watch) and snowballed into a two hour chat over philosophy, psychology, relationships, my hopes and dreams for him, etc. etc. I don't know that I've ever been this honest with him before, and it warmed my heart and made me feel like a fantastic brother.

Behold, a column of mine own invention.Read it, enjoy it, bolster my ego with praise for it!

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On a side note, I love my new monitor completely, accept for the pesky dead pixel in the upper-lower-right-hand sector.

I feel like I've sold my soul to Kwik Star. These long hours are beginning to verge on soul crushing, and we're due to lose ANOTHER employee next week still with no one lined up to replace them. So, for those of you counting, that's 4 down, 0 up. And now that I've decided to invest in a new computer, i'm stuck, because I need the cashflow. Oh, and because my boss forgot to give me tomorrow off and left on vacation with no one around to sort this out, I don't get to go to the quizbowl competetion tomorrow. No, I rather get to stay home and work an 8 hour shift. Huzzah! I hate my job. On a related note; this has been the shittiest Spring Break of my life.

By the psychological rollercoaster ride that is Neon Genesis Evangelion. I don't care if you don't like anime or don't regularly watch anime, watch THIS anime. It's deep. Very deep. It's mineshaft deep. It's oil-well deep. It's Pacific Trench deep. And at the bottom of that deep, deep, deep, deep-ness is a gem of depressing, yet uplifting meaning. Watch it. Or I will make you watch it.

A fun story about my place of work.

Working where I do, I see a lot of maimed factory and farm workers missing various numbers and combinations of fingers, not to mention regular (well, not so regular) people missing any variety of limbs. Well, lastnight, I saw one man who really took the cake. This man came up to my register with a case of Bud Lite in hand. Except, he had no hands. This man, who I had just seen carry a case (which is a rather large and heavy box) of beer to my register by the handles in the side, had no hands. He had zero hands. This handless man then proceeded to return to the cooler case and once again, return with a heavy, handled item, this time a gallon of milk. He then produced a check book and wrote me a check with his non-hands. He then cleanly tore the check out and handed it to me, and upon investigation, I discovered that the man's handwriting was better than mine! This strange and impressive man then went on to take his gallon of milk and heavy case of beer out to a car and drive away, leaving me stunned, disturbed, and more than a little impressed.

That same night I also sold beer to the same somewhat disgruntled looking black man no fewer than three times in a two and half hour period.

I love my job.

Yes. About time to do an update. For no real reason I guess. I've don't really know what to do these days. I feel like maybe some of the stress has been lifted off my shoulders, but I still have homework to do, and the next Physics quiz will rape me badly. I had hoped to get an A in that class this semester, but... Same for AP English. Hopefully my senior english paper will pull through. But, whatever. Right now, my biggest concern is Mock Trial. I am not prepared at all and that really needs to be remedied.

Anyhow, on the movie front, Crash won Best Film, so hurray for that. Equilirbrium and The Machinist both turned out to be very good moveies (for very different reasons. Capote was a decent film, but really was just an excuse to watch Hoffman do some amazing acting. Otherwise, nothing terribly interesting to report.

I did, however, beat ICO on friday. That was a very good experience. Excellent game, excellent story, and excellent ending. It was short, which kinda bummed me out, but on the whole, it was a wonderful game. Now, if SOEJ would just fuse the best elements of ICO and Shadow of the Collossus, I seriously believe we would have a Zelda killer on our hands.

I would post this weeks column, but it isn't done, and even when it is finished, it's going to be a piece of crap not worth displayin to the public.

Pretty lame update, huh? Well, whatever.

Greed:	High
Gluttony:	Medium
Wrath:	High
Sloth:	Very High
Envy:	High
Lust:	Medium
Pride:	High

Take the Seven Deadly Sins Quiz

A sinner walks amongst you...

Just thought I'd post them here so you guys could see them.

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ATTENTION FILM CLUB MEMBERS:

This Saturday at 7:00pm, I will be hosting a viewing of Crash at my house. I was going to distrub notes again, but well, forgot. Anyhow, spread the word and come if you can. Also, if at all possible, we'll be trying to film our Oscar picks tomorrow for BNN.

I recently rediscovered my love of the Queens of the Stone Age. Especially the stuff on their second CD. It brought back the wonderful memories of sophmore year. Ah, sophmore year. I discovered Firefly and spent the spring playing Unreal Tournament 2004 and Battlefield 1942 while being mesmerized by QotSA. And I was still doing comics back then... sigh. I never should have stopped. And Frau Martin was still teaching! Yes, those were the good days indeed. Mmmm... join me in my nostalgia!

This week's column. It's about House File 2104, so it's a very personal column for me. Enjoy!



On Jan. 24, 2006, certain members of the Iowa Legislature introduced a bill, House File 2104, which marks our state as one of the many that have jumped on the anti-video game bandwagon. Just like a bill introduced and passed in Illinois last year, this bill has earned my ire for its frivolous flouting of the First Amendment and uninformed (not to mention largely unnecessary) attempt to lump video games in with such things as tobacco, alcohol, and pornography as things so harmful and indecent that they should be kept from children.

So what specifically is this bill trying to do that I think is so bad? Well according to the bill itself it is, “An Act prohibiting the sale or rental of violent or sexually explicit video games to minors and providing for civil and criminal penalties.” This in short, means that if the bill was passed, it would be illegal for stores to sell what the bill defines as “violent or sexually explicit” games to minors, with a penalty of a $500 fine on the retailer and making the offense of simple misdemeanor (which could, theoretically, be punished by probation or jail time.)

So, what’s so wrong with that, you ask? Well, for starters, it’s unconstitutional, just like all the other laws that have tried to legally censor video games. A similar, though much harsher, law was passed in Illinois last year with the active and vocal backing of that state’s Governor, Rod Blagojevich. However, the law was immediately challenged by the Entertainment Software Association, or ESA, and other groups who accused the law of being unconstitutional. And, in early December last year, Judge Matthew Kennelly agreed with these groups and struck down the Illinois law as a violation of the First Amendment.
Kennelly stated in his findings, “Video games are generally designed to entertain players and viewers, but they can also inform and advocate viewpoints. They are therefore considered protected expression under the First Amendment.”

In addition to this Kennelly put to the test the claims that violent video games increase aggressive behavior. After being presented evidence to support this claim, found that they were unconvincing and at best proved that violent video games could make a person slightly more aggressive and then only for a very short time after playing, which, I might add, could also be said about watching (or playing) a game of football. Similar rulings are expected in a case brought against a similar law signed into law in California at the end of 2005.

So, beyond being unconstitutional, what else is wrong with this HF 2104? The bill stipulates that all video game retailers mark all video games currently rated Mature or Adult Only by the Entertainment Software Rating Board, or ESRB, with a large number 18 and that employees must conduct ID checks if those purchasing these games appear to be minors. This policy would do nothing but cause confusion among buyers and cost game retailers time and money that would be better spent educating the public. While the new policy works along with the ratings of the ESRB, which are the industry standard in the United States (most US retailers won’t carry games that haven’t been rated by the ESRB), it also conflicts with it. According to the ESRB, only games rated Adult Only are rated for those 18 and older. (It is worth mentioning that most retailers refuse to carry games rated Adult Only and have in the past refused to carry games with what some considered pornographic content, even when the were only rated Mature.) However, this new law would make games rated Mature, which are rated for those 17 and older, restricted to all minors as well. As HF 2104 contains no suggestions on how to explain this disparity, costumers would be faced with two conflicting rules in the case of Mature rated games.

However, the biggest issue at hand here, is the message that this bill sends about how its authors want society to view video games. There’s no getting away from the fact that an attempt to ban the sale of any item be it book, video game, or intoxicating substance, sends a clear message that the powers-that-be regard said item as being somehow evil, immoral, or destructive. To date, there has been absolutely no conclusive evidence proving that violent video games have any kind of significant, lasting affect on the temperament of the average adult or child. Nor is there any kind of legal precedent that proves such to be the case. Bills and laws designed around such an assumption are ill-informed, reactionary responses to the sensationalizing of the video game controversy by the media and many prominent politicians and activists.

Now, I am not disputing that there are games out there that young children shouldn’t be playing. M-rated games like the Grand Theft Auto series or violent games like Resident Evil 4, are not the sort of things any parent wants to see their child spending their time playing. But, this is not an issue for the government to decide. It is the parent’s place to raise their children, and determining what kind of games their child plays is a relatively simple part of parenting.

Representative Janet Petersen, the author of HF 2104 has said that parents are looking for a tool to help them deal with today’s technology. Well, such a tool already exists. Video games are subject to one of the most comprehensive and best explained rating systems to be found in any media industry today. All a parent has to do is look at the lower left-hand corner and back of any game case and they will be able to learn just what kind of content they can expect from this game.

However, I know that many people don’t take the time to read what’s right in front of them. So, I believe that it would be a much more effective use of our state’s time and money to enact a program to help educate the public about the ESRB rating system and what the different ratings mean. Considering that FTC studies have shown that parents are involved in more than 80 percent of situations in which a minor attempts to purchase a video game, I feel that educating parents would be much more effective than simply slapping a big 18 on the game case.

Still, there is hope that this bill will never be signed into law. Many within the Iowa Legislature, including House Majority Leader Chuck Gipp recognize the bill as the frivolous piece of legislation that it is. After all, the evidence speaks for itself. Just like laws that tried to ban the sale of movies and music to minors, laws seeking to do the same to video games have consistently been found unconstitutional. There is no conclusive proof that violent games make people violent. So, before the Iowa legislature decides that they want to send the message that Iowa has condemned this budding new entertainment medium as something to be mentioned in the same breath as pornography, I suggest that they review the facts, and realize that this not a fight worth fighting.

I just finished SotC tonight (after just about 2 and a half months of off and on play) and I gotta say, it was incredible. The final battle was EPIC. And I mean just that. In total I believe it took me upwards of three hours to beat the final Collosus. Never before has a boss battle been so intense. I've never felt so driven to succeede. And it was all worht it. The ending of the game is like something straight out of a Miyazaki film. It touched me the way no game has since my multi-month affair with Ocarina of Time when I was 11. A true masterpiece.

This working 22 hours in three days thing is really taking it out of me. I am so freaking tired tonight. And now I'm going to be working 24 hours next week. The good news is that it'll be spread out all through the week, but still... Derek wasn't built to take this kind of workload. He needs downtime. *sigh* I really should talk with my Manager about it, but I know we're understaffed and most of my co-workers don't have very flexible schedules. Oh well. At least I'm making a lot of money...

On a related note...

Working with depressed, overworked 40-somethings,doting grand-parents, and the barely high school educated really is no fun at all.

***********POSSIBLY IN BAD TASTE WARNING***************

Do I objectify all women by viewing pornography, or is it simply the models themselves that have been objectified of their own volition?

...The Escapist. and trever. But this isn't about trever. That's for another day. Anyhow. The Escapist. Gaming Journalism at it's finest. I highly suggest it to all those that don't already read it. http://www.escapistmagazine.com/

...my next column that is running this sunday. You don't have to read it, but I crave attention, praise, and approval like they were some kind of chocolate covered, nuget and caramel filled confection. And this is the final draft, so if you find errors or shit, feel free to rip on me and be secure in the knowledge that they were my fuck-ups and cannot be so easily laid on the TR.


THE INTERNET, FUCKING AWESOME, OR FUCKING DANGEROUS?
The Internet. Probably one of, if not the, most significant creations of the last two decades. Most of us today can’t go through life without at least some interaction with the Internet. We shop online, we talk online, we find entertainment online, etc., etc. More than any other invention in recent history, the Internet has irrevocably changed the way humans communicate and conduct business with each other. But, have all of these changes been for the better?
Never before in history has an invention brought people together like the Internet has. It’s made communication between foreign countries a breeze and changed the way that we carry on correspondences with people. With email and instant messaging you can be instantly connected to anyone in the world. The Internet has also given people an unprecedented ability to come together with those that share similar views and interests as them. Online chat rooms and message boards provide people with almost limitless access to those things that interest them, and people who share their interests.
On top of that, the Internet has changed the way we share information. It has given new freedom to authors, poets, musicians, and other artists, giving them the ability to share their work with the world without having to become traditionally “famous”. The rise of the phenomenon of blogging, effectively keeping a public journal on the internet, has revolutionized the area of investigative journalism, giving private citizens the power to bring what they know to the masses without having to go through the possibly biased middleman of a publisher or other news outlet.
However, there is a dark side to the Internet. Just as the Internet has the power to bring people together, it also has an incredible power to isolate. If you have a decent Internet connection these days you hardly ever need to leave the house. Anything you could ever need can easily be bought online and shipped to your house. Groceries, furniture, clothing, medications; all of these are available for purchase online. In addition to this, the advent of chat rooms, email, and instant messaging can easily lead to people living their social lives solely through a keyboard and a computer screen.
The Internet also holds tremendous danger to those with addictive personalities. In recent years medical science has begun to recognize the existence of Internet addiction, where a person compulsively fritters away the hours online. This addiction can be general or be the result of online gambling, excessive dependency upon the Internet for socialization, or an addiction to online games. The problem has been compared with that of compulsive gamblers and has been shown to have many of the same effects.
The other significant problem with the Internet is content. Due to the nearly unlimited ability people have to post content on the Internet, it has become a sort of haven for the unsavory. Online casinos and gambling sites give gamblers a way around their local gambling laws and effectively put a casino in every home with an Internet connection. Hate groups and terrorists use the Internet to spread their messages of hatred and to recruit new members into their organizations. And countless pornography sites litter the Internet to such an extent that stumbling upon it in one form or another is a real risk.
So what is there to be done about this? Should we place huge restrictions on what type of information can be placed and accessed online? Should we start policing the Internet? Should we set stringent standards on how much time people are allowed to be online in a given day or week?
That would certainly be the easy answer. But, it is most definitely not the best answer. If we are to continue living in a free and progressive society, then we must learn to live with the Internet and deal with its flaws on an individual level. Increasing social awareness of the dangers of Internet addiction and the formation of outreach programs to help those affected by Internet addiction in all its forms is definitely a step forward. As for the unsavory content of the Internet, it simply is not possible to do away with it completely without trampling on the rights of those putting it online. And, since the Internet is an international entity it would be impossible for any one nation to impose truly comprehensive restrictions. So, we must instead learn to exercise discretion and use things like Internet filters to prevent ourselves and our children from stumbling onto things we’d rather not see.
There is no easy way to deal with the Internet. To simply do away with it would be to do away with one of the most amazing inventions in human history. However, left unchecked, the growth of the Internet could easily lead to social breakdown. Instead we must learn how to grow as a society along with the Internet. We should recognize the potential of the Internet and do our best to foster it’s positive aspects, rather than focus on controlling the negative. The Internet has nearly infinite potential to help bring the peoples of the world together and help foster a more prosperous and peaceful world community. Let’s not quash this potential before it has a chance to be realized.

As many of you may know by know, our Iowa Legislature has seen the introduction of a truly diabolical bill. HF 2104, which seeks to legally restrict the sale of video games to minors. Now, some may say,"Well Derek, you no longer are a minor, why should this bother you?" Well, put simply, because it is Unconstitutional. And ineffectual. And a big fuckin' waste of our State governments time. And sadly, I've discovered that my own Representative, Mark Smith (some of you may know him quite well...)was in fact one of the sponsors of this bill, which, I might add, was plagarized from a Bill passed in California last year. Expect me to bitch about this Bill for a long time to come.

You may all want to kind of careful with Kevin tomorrow. Randy and I raped him rather severaly tonight after we watch Amelie. He was pretty sore when he left, so yeah. Be gentle to him. Sympathy would be a plus. Cause wow. We raped him hard.