Spring has finally really sprung in Montreal. Surf season is just around the corner. The antediluvian snowbanks are shrinking to mere ice-age scale... AND... I've taken the bike out for the first time. Woohoo...
This is always one of the best times of the year for me. Don't know why. Call it casting off the shackles of winter... Self-imposed shackles really, but whatever. I went for about 2h15 yesterday. A surprisingly comfortable ride. Felt strong. Felt fit. Felt altogether unlike myself :). AND, surprise of all surprises, I was NOT the victim of perpetual headwind-itis. This is the phenomenon where no matter how far you ride, no matter what circular/out-and-back/whatever route you take, the wind seems to be in your face. Incredible! Yesterday... headwinds only on the way home. Not so bad. I'll be going out again today. Maybe a short run in there...
What this means is less time for writing. Actually, that's not technically true. I'll just have to plan my time better... GYm/pool in the early morning... writing in mid-morn until the day warms up... riding in the afternoon... p'raps more wordsmithing in the eve. Yeah THAT'S it... a regimen!
Of course, we all know what's going to happen. While in the winter I had the entire day to waste and procrastinate and stay away from the keyboard, now I'll actually have an excuse, and less total time to account for in the end. YAY!
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Monday, April 7, 2008
Violence Abounds... So Do Idiots.
Wow... What's it been? Almost two weeks I think. Thankfully, I get no traffic on this thing, so no complaints.
I've sent out feelers in the industry... Maybe its time to get back in a studio. One in particular I'm hoping to hear from. 'Twould be quite the thrill to work on this project in question (which I won't name).
Anyway, I ran across this interesting article (op-ed piece) by Mr. Stephen King no less, about the ongoing debate on violence in videogames...
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20188502,00.html
Some great points... most of which I've been espousing for years.
The major problem is that videogames (all consoles, PC, genre, type, you name it) are still seen as something for the kiddies, and only the kiddies, at least by a majority of people... and that majority are what we would call non-gamers. Those of us in the industry are so surrounded by the culture, that we fail to realize that games are still not what you would call 'mainstream'. That's a failing on our part. The failing on their part is not doing their research.
Games are certainly not just for kids anymore. Consider the price, the subject matter, and the fact that more and more of the population have grown up gaming.
Violence has a place in games... Well, as much as it has a place in anything... film, literature, newscasts... life. Just as much as sex, or drugs, or whatever we do, does...
Don't get me wrong... I am NOT a proponent of violence in games (sex is a different story ;). BUT I'm not an opponent either. If parents (read politicians) want to cast blame they should look in their own backyards. The ratings system is there for a reason. Use it.
... and as far as the rebuttal of 'But kids can get a hold of it despite the ratings sytem' goes... Maybe you should be keeping a better eye out on your kids... Or better yet, actually talk to them about games, reality, etc... Maybe then they won't turn out as stupid as you are. After all don't we all want our kids to turn out better than ourselves?
I've sent out feelers in the industry... Maybe its time to get back in a studio. One in particular I'm hoping to hear from. 'Twould be quite the thrill to work on this project in question (which I won't name).
Anyway, I ran across this interesting article (op-ed piece) by Mr. Stephen King no less, about the ongoing debate on violence in videogames...
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20188502,00.html
Some great points... most of which I've been espousing for years.
The major problem is that videogames (all consoles, PC, genre, type, you name it) are still seen as something for the kiddies, and only the kiddies, at least by a majority of people... and that majority are what we would call non-gamers. Those of us in the industry are so surrounded by the culture, that we fail to realize that games are still not what you would call 'mainstream'. That's a failing on our part. The failing on their part is not doing their research.
Games are certainly not just for kids anymore. Consider the price, the subject matter, and the fact that more and more of the population have grown up gaming.
Violence has a place in games... Well, as much as it has a place in anything... film, literature, newscasts... life. Just as much as sex, or drugs, or whatever we do, does...
Don't get me wrong... I am NOT a proponent of violence in games (sex is a different story ;). BUT I'm not an opponent either. If parents (read politicians) want to cast blame they should look in their own backyards. The ratings system is there for a reason. Use it.
... and as far as the rebuttal of 'But kids can get a hold of it despite the ratings sytem' goes... Maybe you should be keeping a better eye out on your kids... Or better yet, actually talk to them about games, reality, etc... Maybe then they won't turn out as stupid as you are. After all don't we all want our kids to turn out better than ourselves?
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