Stupidly Addicting Games (That are Stupid)

Have you ever managed to find one of those games that you play just once, on a whim or because someone said you should try it, thinking it was a really dumb game you would never play again, only to find that you couldn't stop playing it? You play it day after day after day, always trying to do better, to out-do yourself and your friends. You keep telling yourself it's such a dumb game and a waste of time, but you keep going back. Sound familiar?

No, I'm not talking about World of Warcraft. I still haven't tried that game and intend not to, because of it's addictive powers. Instead, I am referring to a game known as Robot Unicorn Attack. Perhaps you've heard of it before, maybe not. I was actually introduced to it through a friend of mine.

if you ever start playing the game, or even just look at it, yes, it is a silly looking game. You run through a level as a unicorn, a level full of rainbows and fairies and purple grass and stars, accompanied by really cheesy music. Yet it's so addicting, trying to out-do yourself from that last time. You earn points as you go, smashing through star blocks and collecting fairies (for anyone interested, there is a version called Robot Unicorn Attack Heavy Metal that is much less . . . yeah).

There are many such games like this out there, and they really are addicting. They do nothing but eat up your time and give you nothing really in return. You can always make an argument for improved hand-eye coordination, but really, it's just a waste of time. And some people really enjoy that.

The Opinion of Blogs

Some people like to sit around all day and ask questions of each other, and often of themselves. They find it a fun way to pass the time, or at the very least, a way to keep from going insane. Understandable. In this modern world of interactivity, downloadable movies and songs, fast cars, and video games, there’s still nothing better than sitting around and asking questions of the universe, which so often seem to go unanswered.

One question that I have seen passed around amongst this milling crowd is the one that in its most basic form asks: “why do blogs even exist? What is the point of a blog? If I really want to know what someone says, I’ll go ask them. They don’t need to put their opinion out for the world to hear without being asked.” Sometimes I just laugh.

Really, first off, one might say that the person asking that questions just wrote a blog, without actually posting it online. “But why would that be a blog? I hate blogs and would never make a blog in my life.” Sorry, you just did. How? Blogs are generally opinions. Anyone can create a blog these days, and the majority of them are simply people putting up their opinions on various things. Whether it be on movies, books, politicians, the weather, or their girlfriend’s mom, blogging is all about opinions. Well, at least in the private sector. Commercial blogging is a different topic by itself, which I’ll get to in a minute. So by creating a blog and putting it up online, I’m making my opinion available to people to be heard. Some would argue, “why bother, if I want your opinion, I’ll ask for it.” All I can say to that is, “shhh, when I want your opinion, I’ll come ask for it.” And that’s why your opinion is a blog, just not on the computer.

So what about this commercial aspect to blogging? What’s that all about? Well, if you step back and take a look at it (keeping in mind that blogging tends to involve a lot of opinion), you can see why it would be a useful tool. A blog about a new product, raving about how good it is and why you shouldn’t just by one of them, but three, plus five more to give to your family for Christmas. What do we have here? An advertisement. Nothing new. Ads have been around for decades, informing the general public why the Jones’s are so much better off in their new home with new clothes, new car, new power tools, new leisure equipment, and new everything else. Or why you should vote for Politician A over Politician Z. This is why this company’s products are inferior to ours, which you should purchase in large quantities. Company blogs, designed to sell you products or ideas – opinions. Honestly, you get down to the core of it, it’s all more opinions. This is why product A is so much better. This is why the Jones’s are much better off than you. This is why blah, that is why blah, blah blah blah. Advertising is about giving an opinion of a product and getting someone to believe it, so blogging, which is about expressing opinions, fits right into the category for commercial companies. It’s rather entertaining sometimes to see how people completely miss a blog and think it is something else entirely. Just be sure to check out what it is you’re reading, and you may be surprised to find that it’s just another blog in the sea of blogs.

But what about blogs that aren’t trying to sell you anything, that aren’t just another Joe ranting about how Politician D messed up the world and should be shot, but really are a group trying to get information out, trying to report the news, or something good like that. That’s a fairly unbiased thing, right? Well, it might be unbiased, to be sure, but it’s still got opinion at the core of it. Why are they putting up that specific bit of news? Why did they present it the way they did, with the angle or slant they did (almost everything has a slant/perspective to it, sometimes it’s just really well hidden)? Why is it important for you to listen to this specific person or group, and why is what they have to say on the matter more important than someone else’s? Why did they feel they had to put up this bit of information where you could find it? Opinion. That is what drives the blog, even in the news sector. Even in the unbiased sector. Opinion underlies everything that is out there in the blogging world.

The history of the blog is rather funny, actually. People think that blogging is a new thing, only recently come along with the invention of the Internet. Well, if you look at what blogging really is, you’ll find that really, it’s nothing new at all. Remember the Opinion section of the newspapers? You know, that bundle of paper you use to have thrown at your mailbox by a teenager on a bike, printed in tiny black-and-white print and giant full-page ads for things you’d never imagine needing in your life? That was the dinosaur of the blog. Opinions were given in the ideas of which stories to publish, how they were presented, the Opinions section of the paper, and even the Letters to the Editor section. Opinions were expressed consistently throughout the entire paper.

The blog is nothing new, the expression of opinion, the life-blood of the blog, is nothing new to today’s realm. It is simply a new method of presenting opinions to the world, making them even more accessible to a larger audience, at virtually no cost to those putting forth their ideas and opinions. So the next time you hear someone complaining about how blogs are annoying or that they are something that are useless or pointless, ask them to consider keeping their blog to themselves.

Sometimes I Wonder

Sometimes I simply sit and wonder,

Staring off into the sky.

What mysteries await me there,

What secrets does it hide?

I often find myself

Treading down life's lonely road.

Yet tis the path I choose to walk,

Despite the the silence there.

My mind has seen the past behind,

And wonders at the future ahead.

Dreams and hope are present there,

But so little certain is.

I sit and marvel at what I can see,

And dream of what is blind.

I seek for that which I hope,

And wait for time to bring to me.

Sometimes I simply sit and wonder,

Dreaming of what might be,

Knowing of how it can be,

But waiting simply for my time to see.

Memories

Today I was over in the Manwaring Center (MC), waiting to meet some people. While I was sitting there, reviewing what I wanted to do this semester in the Sunday School, I stopped and looked around where I was. I was sitting in the outer-most area of the Crossroads, the new-ish cafeteria here at BYU-Idaho. It's a nice place, to be sure, lots of hard work has gone into it. But while I was looking around, seeing the new stuff and the construction still on-going, memories of years back began to flood my mind.

About three years ago, before the construction began, the MC looked a lot different. Instead of the Crossroads, it housed the Galley. What is now a construction area used to be the Bookstore and Nordic Landing (though while I was gone, it was all the Nordic landing, the Bookstore having moved). Part of the current Crossroads used to be the East Ballroom. The passage to the west side of the building, with it's old red tile, it's staircase, West Ballroom, and classrooms have all vanished behind the wall of construction. What used to be an area I was familiar with is now still so foreign to me. So different.

And with the memories of the old MC came the memories of people past. Of the people I used to spend my time with, those whom I associated with. So many years ago. What different lives we now lead. Many have moved on, most married. All have graduated, with the exception of those who were on missions around the same time as each other. Even those of us have begun to wander different ways, finding new people to associate with. Most of those who are left from those early years are busy with classes and work, and a good number with boyfriends/girlfriends. It's strange to watch, even while it is exciting.

Memories are funny things. They seem to strike right when you least expect them, in the most innocent of circumstances, and can have such different effects on you. For me, today, it was a trip back down memory lane, a moment filled with nostalgia as I remembered those whom I used to spend my time with, in the places we used to frequent, and how they are all gone. I thought about where they are now, what little I know about the present. Thoughts about how even I have changed ranged through my mind as I thought about what I now spend my time doing and who I spend it with. Life is very different now from what it once was. Not better, not worse, just different.

The one thing that must be kept in mind about memories is that they shouldn't rule us, no matter how strong they are, how cherished they are, or how hurtful they are. Memories are just that, memories. They are not the present, they are not the future, and they are only a part of us, not the whole of us. Sometimes that's what we struggle with the most, because many of the memories we have are wonderful ones, but it is a part of life that we must learn to accept and continue on despite, or because of them.

A Start

So, as I have been going through life, I've learned one thing: we are perpetually starting new things.

I know that I personally seem to have a more difficult time with completing things if I'm not terribly interested in them, but I can start lots of things. I start this, I start that, but then something else comes along that I find interesting, so I start that and leave the old project behind.

Sometimes I have to pause and wonder why it is that we are always starting new things and yet we so often leave so many things unfinished. It's true, not everyone leaves things unfinished, and not everyone enjoys starting new things all the time. I know several people who don't like starting new things. But in general, we are always starting something new.

My guess, and it's probably a well-known thing, is just that it's hard to hold people's attention spans. Everyone has a different span of time which they can easily pay attention to something. It's when that runs out that it becomes hard to continue on with whatever the project was before. It begins to require hard work and constant effort to complete. Some people are really good at pushing themselves to finish their projects, and some people are not so good at it.

There are many different directions one could take this idea, and the ideas that spring from it. A perfect example. I like this new idea here, so rather than finishing my exploration of the previous thought, I'm going to go chasing this one and see where it goes. Just like I'm doing now. Just like I've done several times already.

Where does all this come from in the first place? Well, it's a new semester at college. A new start. New people, new classes, (some) new instructors, new assignments, new callings (soon to come, hopefully), and many other new things. Sure, there are plenty of old things. But this is one case where I think making a new start is a good thing. Some things should be left alone once they are finished. But that's a thought for another day.

The Oasis of Location

You ever notice how a specific place can become something different, something special? Sometimes, even an oasis from the rest of the world? Each place in our lives has meaning, something different about it. And I don't meant different places in the world, though that can work too. Even places only as different as your bed to your living room couch to your backyard. Each is associated with different things, each different from the other.

People often advocate for staying away from your bed for studying, because your mind subconsciously associates bed with sleeping. Or at least should. If you spend too much time studying on your bed, you may find that you can't sleep on your bed easily. Same if you sleep a lot on your bed, you may find that you can't study well there without becoming sleepy. Each place becomes associated with different things, separate. Each is a specific type of "oasis," so to speak, from the rest of the world around it. Need some sleep? Go to your bed "oasis." Food? Off to the kitchen "oasis." There is an oasis of some sort or another for ever activity.

However, this can sometimes even be a problem. What happens, for instance, when you've long ago associated a specific location with a certain activity, but as the years pass, your interest in said activity wanes? When you go back to that location, that activity is what dominated you there, and that is what your interest there is. It becomes hard to do anything else in that location, because all your mind turns to is what you used to do there. Had a favorite spot on the couch where you used to watch TV, but now want to use it to read? Well, that might explain why your mind is constantly thinking about whatever TV shows might be on while you're sitting there, no matter how engrossing the book. The force of habit and association is a very strong one.

Every location in our lives is an "oasis" of some sort, but each can be a pitfall, too. It all depends on what we make it. Associations occur, so we should be cautious in our lives about what things we associate with certain activities. Sometimes it happens intentionally, sometimes purely by accident, and sometimes we don't even realized it's happened until we go back. You will find, though, that those associations do occur. So choose them well and make them good!

Faded Promises

Have you ever made a promise, forgotten about it, and then years later are reminded of it? Or a promise that someone made to you?

I had that happen to me today. I was up in our attic, looking for a book, when I found a box of old letters. Really old, from the summer of 2007. I began sifting through them, and found some from an old friend of mine with whom I've fallen out of contact. Of all the letters I happened to pick up and read, it was the one in which there was a promise of working to uphold our friendship.

Now I can't deny that my friend didn't try. There was plenty of effort put into our friendship, and it lasted for a good long time. However, life made its inevitable play and we have moved our separate ways. It simply struck me as ironic, that promise. A promise made with hope and determination, but one that time has proved to be rather empty.

I don't blame my friend for our distancing. In fact, I still count my friend as a friend of mine. Time has just pushed us different directions.

We each make promises each and every day. It truly is interesting to see just how few we are actually able to keep as the years move on. We make our promises, well-intended and full of determination and desire, but as the years wear on, we find that we are either unable or no longer wish to keep that promise made some time before. Perhaps, with this new thought in my mind, I'll be a little slower to make promises that I may not be able to keep simply because of the passage of time.

Personality Wars

Does it ever seem to you as though there are almost two of you? Two people, living in your body? I don't mean in the sense of a mental disorder, but somedays I really believe that in a way, there are indeed two of each of us, both within our own body. Our carnal side, and our spiritual side.

Coming from a religious perspective, we are comprised of two parts - a physical body, and a spirit. Each has its different tendencies and desires, goals and aspirations. Each has different strengths and weaknesses. Together, they make an incredible team. It's getting them to always work together that is the hard part.

In my life, I've found that it often seems to be battle of one side verses the other. The carnal verses the spiritual, each fighting for control. When one side eventually wins, the other side won't be banished, only subjugated. It's a war for control of ourselves. Who do we allow to become our ruler? Our carnal nature, seeking the next thrill, thinking of pleasure and the short-term? Or perhaps our spiritual side, seeking our long-term happiness and success, endeavoring to make ourselves and the world better. Whom do we support?
So much depends on which side we feed. I ever love the story of the two wolves, battling inside of us. The one is good, the other bad. The one that wins is the one we feed. Our carnal side is easy to follow and feed - it pretty much knows exactly what to go for and how to get it. Our spiritual side takes work and effort. It is harder, but it allows us more freedom. The choice is ours.

What's in a thought?

Thoughts. Something so powerful as to have controlled human desire for millenia. Something so dangerous that people have killed over it. Something so simple as to take very little work. Something so incredible as to have created masterpieces.

We all think. We all have thoughts, and those thoughts shape who we are and what we become. What thoughts we allow to play in our head determine our actual play. What we think eventually becomes who we are.

It's such a simple concept really, but perhaps because it is so simple, people are afraid of it. They run from it. They fear it. Or perhaps they fear the responsibility for their thoughts. Who really wants to take credit for a base and lewd thought? Yet we are so often eager to take credit for our noble or inventive thoughts. Our thoughts are powerful.

Thoughts have been the cause of the rise and fall of many peoples, nations, groups, and ideals. We continue to have thoughts each and ever day. Even deciding not to think is a thought. Who we are and will become is shaped by our thoughts, be they clean and good and pure, or vile and base and destructive. Who do we want to be? What do we think about? Want to get to know someone? Learn what they think about, and you will learn them.

The Power of Words

Oh the wonderful power of words. Or, on the other hand, the destructive power of words. Or even just the simple power of humor of words. Words are everywhere, in everything. It's how we communicate. It's how we think. It's almost even how we feel. Yet one can easily wonder, what makes a word so powerful? What is a word, but a coherent jumble of squiggles on a piece of paper (or a computer screen, in this case)? What gives these "random" markings meaning?
Simply - we do.
We as people are always looking for meaning in things. What is something worth if it has no meaning? We attach meaning to almost everything around us. Our car, our house, our dog, our lawnmower, our family, our friends, even our hair (especially our hair, it would seem). Words are no different. They become something that we attach meaning to. However, words have a strong distinction from everything else. While our hair may mean a lot to us individually, someone else may not find the same meaning in your hair. But words share a common meaning. Generally. When I tell someone to "stop," that person (again, generally, because there are ALWAYS exceptions) understands that I want them to cease whatever they are doing. When I say "bus," an imagine of a large vehicle designed to transport large numbers of people quickly appears in our minds (and most often it is yellow in color, strange). Our words have meaning.
By giving words meaning, we also give them power. The oft-quoted phrase "the pen is mightier than the sword" might be said to apply quite well here. How many a person, strong in stature and powerful, has been easily crushed by a single word? How many young children on the playground have withdrawn into themselves at the teasing words of another? How many fights and deaths have resulted from the utterance of a simple phrase? How many persons have cheered and thrown themselves with unheard-of courage into the face of danger following the words of one person? There are countless examples of the power that words possess, both positive and negative. But it is imperative that we remember that words only have power through their meaning, and their meaning comes from what we give it. If I claim that "spunnnchis" is a word, who is to say I am wrong? If I attach meaning to that collection of letters, it becomes a word. And given time, that word can grow in power to mean something beyond what I give it today. Don't believe me that the creation of a new word can have lasting effects? Go look up the book "Frindle" and see for yourself.
I do understand that this is definitely not a new topic or thought. This simply came from a pattern of thoughts from a friend correcting me on my use of the word "y'alls," which is technically incorrect (for all concerned, the correct use is "y'all," as it is already plural, and therefore adding an "s" to the end would make it a double plural, which I don't believe exists). From one simple word came a lot of thought and thinking, which is only partially expressed here. So what meaning do you give your words? What power do you grant them? And how carefully do you choose what you say? You never know what one word might do.