Let me be the first to say, I'm a fan of video games. I like to sit down in front of the television with nothing but a controller in my hand and the will to survive after a long day of work. There is something primally satisfying about mercilessly slaughtering virtual characters with no real-world consequences. It can work out a lot of aggression and competitiveness. Collecting virtual objects in a make-believe world satisfies the hoarder in me as well. (Seriously, I never get rid of anything if I have enough inventory space, which is definitely the case with my favorite game, Kingdom of Loathing. Google that shit!)
I do, however, have one HUGE pet peeve associated with video games: They are sometimes TOO FUN.
"But Brandy, what ever can you possibly mean? How can something be TOO fun?!" you ask. Well, I'll tell you via a hypothetical situational experiment.
Let's say you're a guy, and you have a relatively attractive girlfriend. You are playing a game, such as World of Warcraft, or Fallout, or Rift, or Team Fortress, or some other MMO/RPG or XBox, or PS3 game, or whatever gaming platform you prefer. Your relatively attractive girlfriend propositions you for a romp. Your game does not have a 'pause' feature.
What do you do?
If you're most men past the age of puberty, you'll likely abandon your game (at least for the moment) to take advantage of your girlfriend's unusually generous mood. Regardless of how much you like that game, sex will pretty much always win out in the end.
Unless, of course, you're my boyfriend. Now, I'd like to think that I'm relatively attractive, and my boyfriend is constantly telling me how pretty I am. I'm not trying to call myself a 10 or anything, but I've never before had a problem getting a guy in bed, especially once we've started dating.
My boyfriend, however, will continue playing whatever game he's currently interested in, usually World of Warcraft. Last night, it was Monster Hunter Tri for the Wii. And usually, he claims that he doesn't even like the Wii! But, it's a new game that we just bought yesterday, so he wanted to see if it was any good. (We also bought Spyro: Eternal Night, but that's a shit game for twats. I mean, seriously, what the hell? They changed EVERYTHING! But I'll talk more about that later.)
The only reason I can think of that he would rather play a game than have sex with me (because, and I'm going to toot my own horn for a second, I'm pretty good in the sack) is that is that he is addicted, because it's TOO FUN. It's SO FUN that he simply CANNOT stop playing for any reason other than the basic necessities of living (eat, pee, sleep, and, occasionally, work).
"And what's the big deal? It's just a little sex you're not getting. Grow a pair and get over it!" you say. Well, this is where it gets a little more complicated.
It's not just my sex life that's suffering from his addiction. His pit bull, Loki (sweetest dog ever, seriously a gigantic, toothsome teddy bear), has epilepsy, and suffers from near-constant seizures. It's manageable now that he's on phenobarbital, a medication that completely suppresses his seizures. The medicine needs to be administered every 8-12 hours, or the levels of phenobarbital in Loki's system will drop below the amount needed to stop the seizures. The levels can drop in as little as 2 days, if doses are missed.
Why is this relevant? When my boyfriend is playing WoW or Monster Hunter or what have you, he often forgets his responsibilities, one of which is giving Loki his medication. And if Loki misses two (or more) doses, he will begin having seizures again. And trust me, that's not something that anyone wants to see happen. It's sad, and he pees everywhere. This doesn't seem to concern the boyfriend at all when he's playing his games. If I'm there, I'll usually step up and do it, but I can't be there 24/7.
Also, his bedroom is a complete disaster area. In fact, it got so bad a few days ago, there were actually ANTS crawling around his room and bathroom. Which are both on the SECOND FLOOR. He'll just put his dirty dishes, or open bags of chips, down on either the floor or his desk, and leave them there for DAYS. And I'm the one that ended up having to kill and clean up the ants, because he was too busy playing WoW to do it himself.
So yes, it is indeed possible for a game to be TOO fun, and there's a fine line between recreation and addiction. There are COUNTLESS news stories of people ignoring responsibilities (including their BABIES) in favor of playing a video game.* If you or someone you love is showing signs of video game addiction, you need to take DRASTIC action. Break the game disk. Hack into their on-line game account and delete all their equipment, and the entire character if possible. They may get mad now, but they'll thank you for it in the long run.
* See links below.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/mar/05/korean-girl-starved-online-game
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/14/mother-obsessed-with-comp_n_715879.html
Showing posts with label responsibility. Show all posts
Showing posts with label responsibility. Show all posts
Monday, July 11, 2011
Responsibility
How To Avoid Being Late For Things: A List of Ways YOU Can Ensure Timely Arrivals
We're all guilty of it from time to time (some, more often than others). We show up a few (or several) minutes / hours late for an appointment / picking up a friend / a gig, whatever. Or, sometimes, we don't show up at all, because we forgot / fell asleep / had an emergency / got sick / are lazy. While it might sometimes not be our fault, it still happens.
So, I've comprised a handy-dandy list (along with some insider tips!) of ways you can ensure that you will always arrive in a timely manner.
1.) Remember that you said you would be at Place X, at Time Y.
You'd be surprised at how difficult this is for some (or most) people. Some tips for improving your memory:
~ Write it down. Studies have shown that writing things down improves your memory considerably.
~ Say it aloud to yourself a few times. See 'write it down'.
~ Smoke less weed. FACT: On average, the less weed you smoke, the better your memory will be!
2.) Set a reminder alarm for 5-15 minutes before you need to leave.
This way, even if you yourself forget about it completely, you'll still be able to make it. Alarm mechanisms:
~ Alarm clock
~ Phone alarm
~ Onlinealarmclock.com
~ The 'set reminder time' option on your cable company's guide menu
~ Hotel Wake-Up Call
3.) Pay attention to your text messages and phone calls.
In this day and age, it's almost unheard of to not have a cell phone if you're over the age of 15. So, it's likely that the person you are picking up / owner of the club you're playing a gig in / friend you're meeting / your boss will call or text you either before or right on the time that you are supposed to arrive. What you can do to make sure you receive these messages:
~ Turn your ringer volume up
~ Keep your phone at a reachable distance
~ If turning up the ringer volume is not an option, keep it on vibrate and keep it on your lap (^_O) / in your pocket / in your hand
4.) Stay awake, at least until the specified time.
It's a pretty simple concept; if you know you need to be somewhere, it would be in your best interest not to fall asleep, thus sleeping through your appointment / meeting / pick-up time / gig. If you set a reminder alarm, outlined in Item 2, this does not apply to you. Tips for keeping yourself awake:
~ Drink some caffeine. FACT: Drinking caffeine causes your blood vessels to widen, allowing more oxygen-rich blood to flow through your body and up to your brain, increasing your alertness.
~ Smoke less weed. FACT: Marijuana releases dopamine and serotonin in your brain, producing a feeling of euphoria. It also introduces carbon monoxide and benzene into your system, both of which are poisons, with the side effect of extreme drowsiness. On average, the less weed you smoke, the less tired you will feel!
~ Watch T.V. or keep the radio on. FACT: Loud noises usually prevent you from falling asleep.
~ Have someone repeatedly spritz you in the face with cold water.
~ Ask someone to slap or pinch you every time you look like you're going to doze off.
~ Exercise! FACT: Exercise releases endorphins (much like marijuana, but legal!), and gets your blood flowing quickly (much like caffeine, but healthy!), keeping your energy levels up. Also, it keeps you fit and healthy!
5.) Avoid distractions.
If you're like me, you're easily distracted by things like entertaining programming or shiny objects. These things can either throw off your sense of time completely, or keep your attention so thoroughly that you think, "Oh, just one more minute..." over and over again until you've missed whatever you were supposed to do entirely. Again, if you set a reminder alarm, this doesn't NECESSARILY apply to you, unless of course you ignore that alarm. If you know this about yourself, take some steps to avoid being distracted:
~ Don't start watching one of your favorite television shows. Chances are it'll be on again later, or you can watch it online.
~ Don't start playing a video game. Most of the time, they are just too fun and you won't want to stop on time.
~ Employ a friend to keep you on track by slapping you repeatedly in the face. This will usually ensure that you don't have any attention left to bestow upon something terribly distracting.
~ Don't stay on the phone for too long. Let Mom know that Mr. McMittens getting his big-boy shots is FASCINATING, and you'd love to hear more about that LATER.
Finally, it is considered common courtesy to let someone know if you will be unable to show up to your appointment / meeting / pick-up / gig. Unless you or they do not have a phone, or you are otherwise completely unable to contact them, it's as simple as sending a quick "Sorry, can't make it" message. You can send this message as early as you like, even HOURS before. You can even send it if you think you'll be able to make it. That way, if you do show up, it'll be a pleasant surprise.
We're all guilty of it from time to time (some, more often than others). We show up a few (or several) minutes / hours late for an appointment / picking up a friend / a gig, whatever. Or, sometimes, we don't show up at all, because we forgot / fell asleep / had an emergency / got sick / are lazy. While it might sometimes not be our fault, it still happens.
So, I've comprised a handy-dandy list (along with some insider tips!) of ways you can ensure that you will always arrive in a timely manner.
1.) Remember that you said you would be at Place X, at Time Y.
You'd be surprised at how difficult this is for some (or most) people. Some tips for improving your memory:
~ Write it down. Studies have shown that writing things down improves your memory considerably.
~ Say it aloud to yourself a few times. See 'write it down'.
~ Smoke less weed. FACT: On average, the less weed you smoke, the better your memory will be!
2.) Set a reminder alarm for 5-15 minutes before you need to leave.
This way, even if you yourself forget about it completely, you'll still be able to make it. Alarm mechanisms:
~ Alarm clock
~ Phone alarm
~ Onlinealarmclock.com
~ The 'set reminder time' option on your cable company's guide menu
~ Hotel Wake-Up Call
3.) Pay attention to your text messages and phone calls.
In this day and age, it's almost unheard of to not have a cell phone if you're over the age of 15. So, it's likely that the person you are picking up / owner of the club you're playing a gig in / friend you're meeting / your boss will call or text you either before or right on the time that you are supposed to arrive. What you can do to make sure you receive these messages:
~ Turn your ringer volume up
~ Keep your phone at a reachable distance
~ If turning up the ringer volume is not an option, keep it on vibrate and keep it on your lap (^_O) / in your pocket / in your hand
4.) Stay awake, at least until the specified time.
It's a pretty simple concept; if you know you need to be somewhere, it would be in your best interest not to fall asleep, thus sleeping through your appointment / meeting / pick-up time / gig. If you set a reminder alarm, outlined in Item 2, this does not apply to you. Tips for keeping yourself awake:
~ Drink some caffeine. FACT: Drinking caffeine causes your blood vessels to widen, allowing more oxygen-rich blood to flow through your body and up to your brain, increasing your alertness.
~ Smoke less weed. FACT: Marijuana releases dopamine and serotonin in your brain, producing a feeling of euphoria. It also introduces carbon monoxide and benzene into your system, both of which are poisons, with the side effect of extreme drowsiness. On average, the less weed you smoke, the less tired you will feel!
~ Watch T.V. or keep the radio on. FACT: Loud noises usually prevent you from falling asleep.
~ Have someone repeatedly spritz you in the face with cold water.
~ Ask someone to slap or pinch you every time you look like you're going to doze off.
~ Exercise! FACT: Exercise releases endorphins (much like marijuana, but legal!), and gets your blood flowing quickly (much like caffeine, but healthy!), keeping your energy levels up. Also, it keeps you fit and healthy!
5.) Avoid distractions.
If you're like me, you're easily distracted by things like entertaining programming or shiny objects. These things can either throw off your sense of time completely, or keep your attention so thoroughly that you think, "Oh, just one more minute..." over and over again until you've missed whatever you were supposed to do entirely. Again, if you set a reminder alarm, this doesn't NECESSARILY apply to you, unless of course you ignore that alarm. If you know this about yourself, take some steps to avoid being distracted:
~ Don't start watching one of your favorite television shows. Chances are it'll be on again later, or you can watch it online.
~ Don't start playing a video game. Most of the time, they are just too fun and you won't want to stop on time.
~ Employ a friend to keep you on track by slapping you repeatedly in the face. This will usually ensure that you don't have any attention left to bestow upon something terribly distracting.
~ Don't stay on the phone for too long. Let Mom know that Mr. McMittens getting his big-boy shots is FASCINATING, and you'd love to hear more about that LATER.
Finally, it is considered common courtesy to let someone know if you will be unable to show up to your appointment / meeting / pick-up / gig. Unless you or they do not have a phone, or you are otherwise completely unable to contact them, it's as simple as sending a quick "Sorry, can't make it" message. You can send this message as early as you like, even HOURS before. You can even send it if you think you'll be able to make it. That way, if you do show up, it'll be a pleasant surprise.
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