Long Walks And Blistered Feet

Awhile ago, Krissy and I went for a walk; I think it was at Flanders' or something. We were almost certainly trespassing, but I think the statute of limitations has expired, so we should be safe now.


There were sheep, pigs, chickens, donkeys, and, of course, these two beauties. You might not notice it at first, but there is actually a second horse in the foreground-- see its mane? Yeah, he's about to take a lunging horse to the face.

You ever have something bop you in the nose? You know how you instinctively cringe and your eyes tear up? Imagine if instead of a stick tapping your nose you had this monstrosity coming at you instead.

As I remember it, it was kind of intense, but the horses seemed fine. In fact, they were rather playful afterwards. I seem to remember them rolling around on the ground afterwards, which was kind of funny.

We haven't been on any long long walks in awhile, but the walks definitely are filled with happy memories.

They are the reasons why I think we're getting married-- mischievous walks that maybe, just maybe, were a few miles too long.

Doughnuts: Perhaps The Most Delicious Food On Earth. Perhaps.

There is something uniquely magical about doughnuts. I don't get doughnuts often, since they're not exactly the healthiest thing for you, but any time I wander my way into a Dunkin' Donuts, I am drawn to Boston Creme.

I've long wanted to make my own, for many reasons, but mainly because doughnuts are absolutely friggin' delicious. Also, I think doughnuts runs in every New Englanders veins, much like that of maple syrup in that of those in Vermont. No wonder Bernie Sanders is so awesome.

For Christmas, I received Flour, which is the eponymous cookbook put out by the restaurant (Flour, obviously).




In the cookbook was a recipe for doughnuts. Aside from eclairs, this is the recipe I felt I needed to make as soon as possible. Unfortunately, I lacked a few important items. First, I had no round cutters, which is kind of important when you're making doughnuts which are, you know, round. And as for eclairs, I also did not have any kind of piping tools. Now, I have both, so I am certainly looking forward to making some eclairs, like, now.



Making doughnuts is surprisingly easy, though it does require a few things.

First, you are going to need ingredients, obviously. These are all standard baking stuffs, so I wouldn't worry too much. Flour, butter, milk, eggs, and the like. If you bake, you most certainly have what you need.

As far as tools, you'll need a way to roll out dough. Either a French rolling pin or a standard. I like the aesthetics of a french pin, but I make do with a regular old rolling pin.

You'll also be needing a way to cut the doughnuts. You can either use round cookie cutters, or a special doughnut cutter. Personally, I'm happy with my round cookie cutters. They come in various sizes from about 3/4 of an inch to three-and-a-half inches. I like that they are multipurpose, whereas doughnut cutters really only serve to, well, cut out doughnuts. The choice is yours.

Since doughnuts are fried (yes, there are also baked cake doughnuts, but those are different), you're going to need a way to fry them. You can either use a deep fryer, if you have one, or a heavy pot.

The benefits to a fryer, is temperature control. Since they have a temperature dial on them, you can maintain a regular temperature. But, the downside is that you may not be able to fit as many doughnuts in. I could fit only two at best in mine.

Heavy stock pots, like Le Creuset, Staub, or Lodge will also work fabulously. Obviously these are expensive, but they can be used for so many different things. Besides, they look good. Fryers aren't exact;y the most beautiful kitchen artifacts. This method, is a bit trickier, though since you have no temperature dials. You can use an oil/candy thermometer, or throw in a dash of flour into the oil. When it sizzles, your oil is ready.



The nice thing about making your own goodies is that you know what goes into them, and that you don't have to waste anything. The "holes" can become little munchkins or donettes. Even the scraps can be recycled into new dough for new doughnuts. There wasn't a single scrap of dough that went to waste. which was nice. I ended up with nine doughnuts, and countless doughnut holes, which are a good snack. The nice thing about the doughnut holes is that they tend to turn themselves over when the other half needs to be fried. Not many foods cook themselves. How awesome are doughnuts?



We made some doughnuts plain, some were coated with sugar, and some were coated with cinnamon sugar-- probably one of the tastiest combinations you can imagine.



The recipe takes about two days. The first day is just making the dough. This takes maybe ten to fifteen minutes. Wrapping up the dough to let it rest and retard overnight is all you have to do afterwards. The next day, you just take the dough out, cut out the doughnuts, and let it rest for a couple hours in a warm spot. Next, you get to frying, doing each side for two to three minutes. Doughnut holes may take a bit less time.



Recipe for Doughnuts, from Flour, very ever-so-slightly altered. (By the way, this cookbook is awesome, I can't recommend it enough)

Ingredients:
2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast (or 1 package)
2/3 cup milk, at room temperature. I used skim since it's all we had.
3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour. I like King Arthur Flour
1 1/3 cup sugar (1/3 for the recipe, 1 cup for the coating)
2 tsp kosher salt (If using table salt, use half this amount since it is finer.)
3 eggs (large)
7 tablespoons of butter, at room temperature, cut into eight or so pieces.
Canola Oil (for frying, you'll need enough to fill your pot/fryer with 3 inches of oil. Think half-gallon)

Directions:

- In a stand mixer (or a hand mixer), combine the milk and yeast, stirring briefly, letting it stand for a minute to dissolve.

- Add the flour, 1/3 cup sugar, salt, and eggs and mix on low speed for about a minute (or until the dough comes together).

- Continue mixing on low speed for another two to three minutes to develop the dough further, and begin adding the hunks of butter one or two at a time until the butter is fully incorporated, and the dough is soft and cohesive. This should take about five minutes or so.

- Remove the dough from the bowl (a spatula or dough scraper works well) and wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least six hours, though overnight works well if you are doing this at night.

Day 2

- Lightly flour a baking sheet or two, and flour your work surface well. You don't want the dough sticking to your counter, right?

- Roll the dough out until it is 1/2 inch thick. This will be about a square foot, but if yours is more rectangular shaped than square, don't feel so bad.

- Using your doughnut cutters, cut out the doughnuts and place them on the baking sheet. Make sure the holes are close to the center. I don't think asymmetrical doughnuts qualify as modern art. Also, feel free to experiment with different sized cutters for smaller or larger doughnuts. When you run out of space to cut doughnuts, roll it back into a somewhat singular form and recut. You'll probably be able to get another doughnut or so out of the scraps. Or you could throw those scraps away, but think of the starving children when you do it, you bastard.

- Cover your doughnuts with plastic wrap (loosely, but so no air gets in) and place them in a warm area to rise for two to three hours. They should double in size and be slightly springy to the touch. Think poufy.

- After this agonizing wait, line a tray, baking sheet, or in my case a pizza pan with paper towels. Unless you like oily doughnuts, then by all means...

- Fill your fryer according to its directions, or a heavy saucepan to a depth of three inches and heat on medium-high heat. You want the oil at 350 degrees, so if you have a candy thermometer now is a good time to use it, just be careful. If you do not have a thermometer, toss a few flecks of flour into the oil. If it sizzles like a little boy doing a jig at a wedding, your oil is ready.

- Slowly place the doughnuts into the oil, one or two at a time. Fry each side for two to three minutes until brown (flipping carefully after the first side finishes).

- Don't dump anything into hot oil. You really don't want to burn yourself. You want to enjoy the doughnuts, right? Also, don't crowd the doughnuts, they won't fry as well, and we want these suckers perfect, don't we?

- Using a slotted spoon, or a wire mesh-like spoon thing, slowly extract the doughnuts from the oil and place them on the paper towels. I'd avoid using plastic utensils, since they could very possibly melt, and plastic doughnuts, while tantalizing, do not say "yummy" to me. I used metal tongs, since we don't have a slotted spoon or anything.

- While you wait for this magic to happen, fill a bowl with the one cup of sugar, or cinnamon sugar, or anything else you want to coat them with.

- Once cool enough to handle, toss the doughnuts in the sugar, cinnamon sugar, etc until coated to your liking. Some may like the completely embedded in sugar look, while other may prefer a light dusting, so coat to taste. I find that the munchkin doughnut holes are a good test for this.

- Set the coated doughnuts to cool on the paper towels for half an hour or so. You don't want to eat them when they are overly hot or when they are slightly doughy, so just be patient. Don't worry, it's worth it.

- If you are impatient, feel free to snack on some munchkins while you fry up the rest of the doughnuts. These seem to take less time to cool.

- Enjoy!


For the record, you want the oil at 350 Degrees Fahrenheit

winnie the pooh

There's some magic in listening to a child tell a story. Children are untouched by the world in that their naiveté is a gift.

Children aren't afraid of sounding ridiculous or uncool, because they don't know what it means to be lame. They aren't afraid of how they are perceived the way the rest of us do, and that is beautiful.

First of all, this girl is adorable. I'm guessing she is French, and little kids with accents always sound adorable (even German!). She has wide eyes, and a cute little cropped haircut reminiscent of Krissy's.

Second, I'm not very familiar with Winnie-the-Pooh, I never attached myself to the story the way some people do, so some of my observations may be incorrect; if they are, pardon me.

I don't think the story has bats in it, but maybe it should. Bats are a natural part of the "circle of life" and they would cut down on the rodent population. That would mean more carrots for rabbit, no?

The way she says crocodiles, hippos, and giraffes is just too much, I'm sorry.

Oddly enough, she mentions poor, homeless animals, and putting them in jail. This is actually something we did, and something that The New Deal did away with. Unfortunately, the way poverty is rising among the elderly lately, that past may not be such a distant reality.

Part of the fun of listening to children tell stories is how linear they are. I don't mean they lack depth, because that's not true. What I mean is, they will just talk, and improvise. Like how Tigger found the monkeys, then he wanted strawberries, then there was a fight, and apparently Aslan was there with a helmet and a sword. People should really have children wrote movie scripts, I'd definitely go see a movie written by a child.

Midway through the video, something is telling me this is about Schnappi das kleiner crokodil.

An Old Poem I Wrote

A Breath of Spring

Whereby you’re gone, a summer’s sigh;

When will this break become undone.

This day, so soon, I hope to come;

Another time to see you nigh.

A star struck visit here or there,

Could never satiate this burdened heart.

You’ll be my center, my twilight mare;

This awkward path—no longer dark.

This waking love had never shone;

A parenthesis ne’er stands alone.

—Dennis Maksymiw

I wrote this while I was in college for some random required class. Well, it wasn't a class per se. It was this weird required mini class they had all freshman do. We'd get into groups, talk, get to know each other, and have these mini assignments. For the life of me I can't remember anything from it except the room it was in and that one person wanted to be an astronomy major, but wasn't. (I went to an engineering school).

I remember that this poem got entered into a poetry book. I don't think it's special though because I feel like they invited a lot of poems in. They tried to get me to go to Florida and get some award or trophy thing, too. It seemed scammy, though, like the Who's Who of American College Students thing where you pay $60 and they send you a book with your picture, and the pictures of 5,000 other kids in it. Needless to say I didn't go, but I did let them use my poem. It was fun, though.

For a long time my poem was viewable on the internet on poetry.com, or something. Unfortunately, the website was bought out by some big company and it's no longer there. But I found it in my e-mail and I thought it'd be fun to post and share it. I like it, it's kind of funny, but sweet. If I recall, I wrote it fairly quickly, and I was quite pleased that I was able to use the word parenthesis.

In high school, my freshman year, I had a project for English class. I remember I wrote a bunch of poems (I wrote a lot back in the day), and I remember designing the whole thing in Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro. I really would like to find that one day because I have a feeling it was atrociously designed. I didn't know what I was doing, and it would be really funny to see. More importantly though I'd like to see the poems. If I were to find them in my mom's house, it would be like finding a treasure. I think I may know where they are, but I don't know where anything is anymore because my mom moved.

It would just be fun to see them, though.

Oh, and I got an A.

The Unnecessarily Difficult Process Of Opting Out Of Junk Mail

I've gotten six calls in the last 24 hours from the same number. Apparently, it's about an auto loan. I don't need an auto loan, I already have one; it came with the car. In fact, my loan is pretty good, I think, at less than 4%. I also get offers in the mail for auto loans, and part of my statement has a giant ad for auto loans.

Needless to say, I was not going to stand for this. Ordinarily, I really don't like phones. I feel silly talking into an inanimate object. Also, I don't like the uncertainty that phone conversations offer. In person conversations are infinitely better. Or online, because for some reason, I don't mind that so much.

Normally, I would not have called to cancel this type of nonsense because of this whole me versus the phone thing, but I noticed that the number I can call did not include talking to a human. I like that. When I received my credit card, it required me calling and talking to someone. I really did not like this. In fact, I almost didn't do it, and went without the card. It turns out, the helpful woman on the other line was a very pleasant Chinese woman whose name I did not catch because I could not decipher a damn thing she said. As a matter of fact, she repeatedly referred to me as Miss Dennis. Over and over again. Actually, Miss Dennis is about the only thing I understood in the whole conversation. Anytime I was asked a question I would just say no. Well, the first time, I actually said I couldn't understand her, and it sounded like she enrolled me in something, so after that I said no to everything.

Fun Fact: I just received another phone call from that very same number I mentioned earlier. Only this time, the country code was included.

Anyway, I phoned the number to opt out of any and all information sharing from my credit card company; I really don't require them to share anything. Not having to talk to a person was only a bonus. However, it was one of those "Say yes" type deals, which are a beast all their own. Anyway, I called them up, and upon getting to the opting out part, the voice machine seemed very chipper, although he was a bit long-winded. I guess that's what happens when you employ robots.

Upon finally finishing his spiel, the voice machine on the other end of the line asked me to say "next" to stay as-is or say "opt out" to, well, opt out. So I muttered "Opt Out". Apparently, he did not hear me, because he repeated himself. Oh, brother. The second time, however, he must have gotten the message, because his response was an unequivocal, and heart-breaking sounding Okay. Seriously, the recording sounded pretty disappointed in me, and sad to lose another person who doesn't want their info shared, but I kept on. I wasn't about to let a mere machine make me feel bad. I then opted out of everything, with much excitement!

Then, they needed to verify my answers, you know, in case I changed my mind. Maybe they were hoping the machine would get to me. "Oh, no, maybe I should let them share my info! Bollocks!" So they read the same information over again, about sharing information and that if I changed my mind to say "Next" then, nothing. No way to verify, just "hey, want to share your information, yeah?" Long pause. Very long in fact, probably ten seconds, which in phone time may as well be a decade. This continued for each of the five categories.

But I triumphed.

Snow...And Dorks

We got a lot of snow. Again. Apparently, we got 30" or so, and after shoveling it and walking in it, I'm going to have to agree. Walking through the snow, it went above my knees, and shoveling the snow, there were definitely some areas that had a really large amount of snow. But that's okay. I like snow. I like shoveling snow. I just don't like the small talk that goes along with it.

"A lot of snow, huh?" No, actually, It seems like more of a dusting to me, and the blood in the Saw franchise is more akin to a pin prick than anything more substantial. Of course there's a lot of snow. You can literally see the snow. You can see the piles of snow reaching five, six feet high. It's pretty fucking obvious there's a lot of snow out there, so saying something stupid like "We got a lot of snow, huh?" doesn't really say "conversation" to me. If that sounds harsh, I'm not sorry.

Of course, none of these photos are from this storm, these are from last weeks, when we got around a foot of snow. We're dorks and wanted to play in the snow. Me, being a really big dork, I decided to set up my strobe in our room to take some pictures. I was just kind of hoping to take some pictures that didn't totally suck. By that time, it's basically pitch black, and I figured having a nice, bright light source should make for some magical moments. Actually, I just wanted to take pictures of the snow. And I was going to take what I could get. Fortunately, it kind of worked out.

I really like the picture above. You can see the flash blowing out the window, and how much it lit up the yard. Krissy is running back to the house, probably t fetch some snow or something. I really like the nice, hard rim light around her hat. And the warmth of the lamp, while a bit jarring, adds a nice warm feeling to the photo. Winter is cold, the photos are cold, but I think that small touches of warm colors like that make them stand out a bit more. Ideally, I could have had a bit more warm tones in there, but oh well. For a snapshot, I really like it.

This is me. I'm probably getting ready to pick up some snow, or clapping my hands together, because that's how I roll. I like the light on my back, it has a very soft feel despite the light source being very hard. I found that the white snow everywhere was very forgiving, which was awesome, because the light meandered its way to places it otherwise would not have.

I got a gift card for the Gap, and I got that sweatshirt with it. Gap is ridiculously expensive considering the low quality of their clothing. I think the retail for that sweatshirt was around $70. Already some thread was coming undone and needed to be repaired. Also, it's not very thick. I really don't see how they could value it at that price. I think I paid around $30 for it, and even that is asking a lot. If it was my money, I would have left.

This is me throwing snow in the air. You can't see my face, obviously, but it's me, trust me, I ought to know.

Here's me again, I like the rim light here too. It has a weird holy kind of feel to it, which to me is peaceful. But I can see how someone would look at this and think it's kind of creepy. Ideally, I'd have had another light to light the front of me, but lights and water do not mix. I'd rather not obliterate my nice strobes, thank you very much.

Krissy took this one (and the others, except for the first one). I like it. It's a bit out of focus, but there's just something about it that I like. Also, my autofocus wasn't working at all for some reason. I attribute it to the cold, or the snow, so focusing was kind of a pain in the ass, considering how dark it was.

This is Krissy. I have to be pretty selective in what photos I show, and I think this one passed through her filter because you cannot really see her face. I love this picture though. She is smiling, and her hat is like, perfectly centered in the frame, and it really pops, color wise. The rim light around it only serves to accentuate it even more. And there's a little bit of overlap from it on her (camera side) shoulder, which I adore. 

This is from the first snowstorm, on the 26th (Boxing Day). I took this almost as an afterthought at the last minute before heading inside. I just wanted to take a picture of the snow falling, and I like how it turned out. It's nothing spectacular, but I like the ambiance of it. The photo is very wintry, which is what it is intended to portray.

Here is the same storm, as seen from the front door. These are steps which have been pretty much leveled off in snow. I think this storm was around 8-12 inches. This was the first experiment with the strobe, too. It was very awkward, and involved a boom (which we decided not to use) and Krissy, the most beautiful light stand ever. I only took a few photos, because I felt bad for her holding my light, and I didn't want to go traipsing through the snow.

The color in this one is weird, but I posted it anyway. This is what's nice about snow being white, the light bounces everywhere. This is below the window, so it might not have been lit up otherwise. I like it. It's a nice snapshot of the Christmas storm.

Bakerella has nothing on these. The red velvet recipe made for a delicious cake that, when combines with the frosting, created the richest, most amazing sweet ever. The frosting basically tasted like cheesecake, so when you bite in, you get a cakey texture, with the chocolate, that gives way to...cheesecake. They were quite decadent, but really yummy.

Obviously my technique for coating them could use some work, though I prefer things to look a little sloppy sometimes. Sure, sometimes perfection looks delicious and tasty, but it kind of makes you not want to eat it. With these, they're a bit messy and sloppy, so no one feels bad about messing up the perfect exteriors. They are more inviting. They say, "Eat me. I'm delicious. You know you want to."

Marshmallows. This time around, they were really sticky. And they worked their way all the way up the attachments. It actually was pretty amusing to watch. Of course, they were delicious. Peppermint marshmallows, yummy. Too bad everyone had to wait a week to eat them due to the snow, though.

My attempt at a chocolate confection. I don't like dark chocolate, but I actually kinda liked it. Salt makes chocolate better. Always. (Actually, it makes everything better, but chocolate especially). The picture looks like a turd, though, which makes it kind of funny.

This is what we all look like after Christmas, and getting snowed in. If only the oven wasn't obliterated and falling apart (literally), I could maybe make some goodies to go along with the bread I made last night. (Note: using the broiler to bake bread because the heating coil on the bottom fell apart is not the best method to bake bread, but it kind of works, if you're patient and pay attention.)

Looking Back: I Am/Was A Snarky Bastard (Old School Papers)

I just discovered a couple of old papers I wrote in college. It's actually kind of fun reading them. It's like looking back and seeing a slice of what I was thinking about at a particular time (even if I was forced to consider thinking it).

And, wow, was I sarcastic. I mean, in high school me and two friends did decide to each come up with five words to make the others use in a paper in Political Science class, after all. (I remember olfactory being one of the words Tim Mierzejewski picked. I also remember I won, because I used all ten of their words.)

Here are some excerpts:

Another fault in Kilbourne’s argument is in declaring that this woman was beaten and given a black eye.  In modern society, where appearance plays an enormous role in how people perceive others, makeup creates an alter ego that can constantly be changed—usually to make a person look prettier, though not always—not a repercussion of a man’s anger and frustration.

This is from a paper I wrote in response to a woman who wrote about how advertisements exploit women and children. I was clearly not amused. And kind of a smart ass. Oh, and I'm pretty certain part of why I was so annoyed in my paper, is because the class was all girls, the professor was a woman, and this was written by a feminist. Someone had to give a differing opinion. That someone was, apparently, me. This is how I began my paper:

Jean Kilbourne is a vehement feminist; that must be said.  Despite her instinctive drive to defend women from the cruelty of everyday life, she poses a clouded argument in “Two Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt:”

That has a bit of a bit to it, if I may say so. In a way, I think  it is kind of ballsy. Later, I wrote:

Jean Kilbourne contends that advertising is, by her definition, pornographic.  Although advertisers exploit women in their advertisements, Kilbourne’s ardently feministic viewpoint undermines her argument because she presents a one-sidedly biased argument that fails to recognize that women and children are not the only victims of advertising

The point I was making in my paper at the time is that while women may be exploited in advertising (and children, too), advertising as a currency is exploitative. Men are not exempt from this exploitation, and when people choose to be models, they volunteer for said exploitation. Is it actually exploitation if you volunteer? That was my argument. And that the author is a crazy feminist.

Kilbourne then focuses her attention on Victoria’s Secret, a company that constantly undergoes scrutiny for their televised fashion shows by writing that Victoria’s Secret lingerie “will make women irresistible” (42a).  To defend her claim, Kilbourne references a court case in which a woman accused a man of rape but the jury acquitted him.  I am not a criminal justice expert, but I’m sure that the jury’s decision was not based upon the fact that the woman wore Victoria’s Secret underwear.

=)

Ironically, Kilbourne contradicts herself later on in her article when addressing an advertisement in which a woman objectifies a man by saying that he has “nice buns” and that these advertisements are “often funny” (43b).

After this, I mention that a man doing the same to a woman in public could be sued for sexual harassment.

Unfortunately, society functions in this manner; men must always be conscious of the fact that women hold much more power than their delicate forms present—Kilbourne, however, seems to ignore this fact...

And my favorite part:

Clearly, Kilbourne makes many assumptions that cannot be validated; in fact, many are wrong and tendentious.  To defend her claim, Kilbourne writes about the kinds of toys that boys “play with” such as action figures with oversized breasts.  Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t girls the ones who play with dolls with enormous breasts?  In fact, Barbie now has a whole slew of friends with oversized breasts matching hers.  When I was little, I played with GI-Joe’s, little green army men, wrestling men (and not those silicone-injected female “wrestlers” that wrestle in matches to see who can undress the other first), and a multitude of other masculine, non big-breasted, toys.

Score points for "tendentious," that is one awesome word. And, yes, I totally wrote that whole thing in a paper. Because I am awesome.

I think this is a pretty strong point:

Kilbourne utilizes an eclectic array of advertisements, however, one can’t be sure exactly how old some of these advertisements are and since culture incessantly evolves, an advertisement only a few years old may actually be culturally archaic

Next up is a paper I wrote about violence in video games. I was the only person in my class who thought violence in the media didn't contribute to violence in people. Some of my arguments, in hindsight, weren't the greatest, but my basic thesis and opinions hold. Violent people don't evolve from violent media and entertainment. They are, at their core, disturbed people who, for whatever reasons, take out their aggression on others and don't get help. I use an example from a game developed by the Army and Navy and their statements saying they don't train our military with video games, et cetera. Here are some part I found enjoyable:

But does playing Super Mario make me want to go to Italy?  Perhaps the programmers have found some way to implant subliminal messages into video games, which would explain my sudden urge to become a plumber and to outfit myself in ridiculously bright red overalls while doing so.  Maybe I should start talking like him, too: “It’s a me, Mario!”

 Yup, in a paper. A research paper, if I'm not mistaken. Oh, and for bonus nerd points, I quoted Final Fantasy VII in my paper. Yes, I was (and am) really that big of a nerd.

The mere thought of this is ludicrous because simulating violence neither desensitizes children to violence, not manifests them into a cold-hearted killer.

I think I am wrong there, I think the constant violence surrounding us in the news, video games, television, movies, play, etc does desensitize kids. But, I'm not certain what effect that has on society as a whole, and I believe it still is dependent upon the individual. I've spent my entire life playing violent games, watching violent shows and movies, and I have not once hit anybody or gotten into a fight (despite people trying several times, I might add.) For the record, I don't think I'm desensitized, because I am intelligent, and I can see what violence does to people, to towns. I see how it can tear a community apart and create rifts that turn into wars. Violence begets violence; the real kind, though, not the fantastical kind.

A little fear will control the minds of the common people.  Fear is what I consider the most powerful asset to the government and other people of authority.  Socrates said it best: Question Authority

That's the quote from Final Fantasy VII. The Socrates quote is care of my western civilization teacher, Mr. Steponaitis. I don't remember being so anti-government at the time, but it's kind of true. Fear drives everything. Fear drives the news (on the left and the right, Fox is just far more prominent than any liberal publications). Fear drives politics. We've built many of our beliefs upon this debilitating fear, too. I don't like it.

The sad truth is that the video game industry is being wrongfully pursued, and persecuted by lawmakers; video games do not cause violent behavior—unless of course teenagers run amuck swinging video game controllers at random people—but that would never happen, just as I will never transform into an Italian plumber in red overalls.

A couple really awesome visuals in there, if I do say so myself. Also, look at me bringing the red overalls reference back!

Imagine you are located in unfamiliar, hostile territory; also, you are surrounded by terrorists and have but a small group of allies at your side.  Every polygonal piece of scenery brims with the utmost detail and you are overcome with a feeling of euphoria as you tremble with fear because, for just a moment, you believe you are actually on the front lines in the Middle East.  The name of the game is America’s Army, not as gruesome as Saving Private Ryan, but war is not exactly pretty either.

I approve!

In addition, we routinely made trips to the arcade, where I was able to witness who plays games; astoundingly, children are not the only ones that play games (imagine that).

I sound like kind of an ass with the parentheses there, but sarcasm does means "to tear the flesh."

Oh! And remember that Political Science paper I mentioned earlier? I'm pretty sure another word Tim had on his list for us to use was "Parenthesis" as on, just one parenthesis, not two parentheses. I honestly don't remember how I used that in my paper. I think I used a lot of methaphors.

As I have written, I am a gamer, and have been all my life, so this is a very personal subject to me.  I am not a violent person whatsoever.  When I play a game and win, I do not revel in the thought that I slaughtered hundreds (if not more) of creatures; I revel in the fact that I have won—or if I lost, to have, at the very least, put up a good fight.  In this fashion, gaming is more about the hunt than the result.  Winning the game is all well and nice, but the more cunning one is, the more fun gaming becomes.  If this depiction of millions of triangles can cause such a stir, why then are books not banned?  In my opinion, someone who has to visualize the grotesqueness is in much worse of a state than when the maimed bodies are already presented for you.  What about movies?  Should movies not undergo the same rigorous scrutiny?

I think this sums up my feelings on the subject fairly well.

Studies have shown that Video games cannot be linked to violence, and that keeping children from the human nature of violence and aggression will stump the evolutionary growth of our posterity.  Video games may give people a natural high, or temporarily upset people if they lose, but people get upset when they lose their house keys, that does not mean on Monday when they go to work that they are going to take it out on about a dozen coworkers in the form of a sawed-off shotgun.  What does the game industry have to prove to Joseph Liebermen and the countless other conservative, anti gaming lawmakers?  Is there some sort of middle ground where all can be at peace?  Honestly, I would say the chances are about the same as me developing an Italian accent, grabbing a plunger and strapping on those overalls.

That's how I ended my paper. Yes, with a Mario reference, the way all papers ought to end.

There are a great many papers I wrote that I wish I could go back and read. I'm really glad I was able to find these two to look back on and share some excerpts here. I hope you enjoyed it at least a little.

It's The Little Things...

It's Christmastime, so it's time to reflect on the past year. Personally, I'd rather reflect on the happy things than the sad ones. So, what are the seemingly little things in life that make you happy? We all have those small, innocuous events of daily life that snap us out of our stupors, what's yours? Is it the first time you light up the Christmas lights on your tree or in your home. Is it setting a certain ornament on your tree, or lighting the last candle on your menorah? Maybe, for you, your happy feelings don't necessarily come from a holiday tradition, but from something simpler.

For me, it's ice. I don't actually like ice, necessarily. Most of the time, ice merely waters down a drink and ruins it, in a sense. No, when I say ice, I mean a specific ice. The ice that makes me stop and smile is crushed ice; specifically, crushed ice in water.

I don't really enjoy drinking excessively cold drinks. Truth be told, I don't even really like drinking water (though, I drink it because I need to). But I love filling up a cup with crushed ice and a little water. I love listening to the ice as it cracks, which can from time to time be more pronounced than others. I love that with crushed ice, the water fuses the individual pieces together, forming a giant iceberg-like island of icy goodness floating amid the water.

I love breathing into the cup, seeing my breath as it gets trapped between the floating mass of ice and my face. I like to think of it as it's own small island, harboring perhaps its own breed of Lilliputians. (By the way, can you believe the travesty they're turning Gulliver's Travels into?). Sometimes, I just let the ice sit there, wobbling about in the water, for these reasons. I don't like to think of the melting away of their island homes. I don't like to think of me drinking their water, their homes. I don't like to think of them as being trapped, or like they are my playthings. No, because by then, I think they're gone, just like we will one day, when the sun explodes engulfing Earth in its wake. I certainly hope that when that day comes, no one is left; just like those little ice-bound Lilliputians.

How About Some Music?

I think now would be an appropriate time for some music. Now is a good time for something a bit happier.




You can buy the song here from Amazon.

The song is Do Wah Diddy Diddy by Manfred Mann. It's actually a cover, though, originally recorded by The Exciters, which is an interesting name for a band. At least their motives are clear. I like this song, though; it's very upbeat and happy. And everyone knows it.

Here are the lyrics. If they are incorrect, don't blame me; blame those lyrics sites that the record companies are always trying to shut down.

There she was just a-walkin' down the street, singin' "Do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do"
Snappin' her fingers and shufflin' her feet, singin' "Do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do"
She looked good (looked good), she looked fine (looked fine)
She looked good, she looked fine and I nearly lost my mind

Before I knew it she was walkin' next to me, singin' "Do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do"
Holdin' my hand just as natural as can be, singin' "Do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do"
We walked on (walked on) to my door (my door)
We walked on to my door, then we kissed a little more

Whoa-oh, I knew we was falling in love
Yes I did, and so I told her all the things I'd been dreamin' of

Now we're together nearly every single day, singin' "Do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do"
A-we're so happy and that's how we're gonna stay, singin' "Do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do"
Well I'm hers (I'm hers), she's mine (she's mine)
I'm hers, she's mine, wedding bells are gonna chime

Whoa-oh, I knew we was falling in love
Yes I did, and so I told her all the things I'd been dreamin' of

Now we're together nearly every single day, singin' "Do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do"
A-we're so happy and that's how we're gonna stay, singin' "Do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do"
Well I'm hers (I'm hers), she's mine (she's mine)
I'm hers, she's mine, wedding bells are gonna chime

Whoa-oh-oh-oh, oh yeah
Do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do, we'll sing it
Do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do, oh yeah, oh, oh yeah
Do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do