Video Game Legislation

I try to keep my own personal views about politics out of this blog, at least, I think I do, but now, well... I am sick and tired of politicians trying to tell me that video game violence is harmfull. I have played video games for the bulk of my life. including numerous violent ones. I know numerous people who have also played violent games for the bulk of their lives, yet not one of them is a maniac. Not one of them is a psychopathic killer out to rape and plunder the world. Almost all of them are mild mannered... at least, while not plaing the drug of choice. Yet legislators, people who have no history with video games, people who have fealonies against their names, try to tell me that that their five minute study means something more than twenty years of observation? And that, these ethical people with such fealonies, try to tell me what is good and righteous? My response is to hell with them. The only negative impact interactive entertainment has on normal people is the area of social well being, and that impact is the same for people who read too much, or people who watch too many movies. Nay, the movies are worse because at least the books and the games inspire the mind to action. To the politicians, I say keep your noses out of my hobbies and get back to figuring out new ways to rob the people blind. Or better yet, just leave office. We, the people, like having pay checks. At least, most of us do.

Ya... that was a long rant.

Anyway, I wrote up my schedule for my classes in the fall semester. I'll be taking largely morning classes, with the exception of my World Lit class, which will be a night class. I'll be taking World Lit, Calc 3, Intercultural Humanaties, and Europian History 1. My work schedule will become hectic because of that schedule, but since my father will have the station opened by then, maybe I'll be able to pick up some night hours there. Or maybe some weekend hours. Otherwise, I'll be looking at about 15 hours a week for work.

Speaking of work, I had my performance review. It was pretty good review, at least, I think it was. The only place I could use improvement was Job Knowledage, and considering the ever changing field of computers, the fact I'm an intern, and the fact that my manager got the same place marked off on his review, I'm not going to worry about it. Ok, I will, but not too much. I would have gotten the Exceeds Expectations mark for interpersonal skills (something the HR manager said she gives only to about 3 or 4 % of people) if I knocked more often on my manager's door before entering his office. I tend to enter his office a lot, and sometimes while he's on the phone. 99% of the time it's ok, but there is always that one percent. Still, I usually knock on his door when he closes it.

.Been taking care of the mail and scanning for the mail girl. She's on some sort of summer vacation/retreat thing for the week. I don't really enjoy her job, probably due to the fact it's more of a clerical/orginizational routine. I am not an orginized person. I enjoy recieving numerous different challanges. I enjoy doing different things all the time. I enjoy creating. I enjoy those type of things. I find a steady job with no unknowns monotonus. Of course, I would despise a job that had all unknowns, where the field was completely reinventing itself, where the standards changed on a daily basis. The two things I like about my jon is that I rarely do the same job twice in one week, and that since it's largely tech help, I deal with people. Both of those things do have their respective downsides, but they're much better than other options.

That's waaaay too much talk about my job...

Last Saturday, my sisters left for their three week stay in Germany. It's part of a forien exchange program thing. If one were to recall, I believe I mentioned having the exchange students at our house back in October. Now, it's my sisters' turn to be over there. With out them here, the house has become unnaturally quiet. It now feels desloate, devoid of life. Kind of lonely with out them here. Still, I'm going to need to get use to it.

Since I've been reading Sci-fi a lot, its kind of reminded me of one of my favorite games. It's the only shareware software that I felt storngly enough to purchase. I like it for two reasons. The first is the openess of the game. You can do almost anything in the game, including conquoring star sytems. The second is that there is 6 different story lines in the game. Six. And each time through you can only do one. Replayability is the best thing this game offers. The game is Escape Velocity: Nova. You can find it here. And before you tell me it's like Freelancer, well, this game (and its predecessors) came out waaay before that crappy knock off did, they have a better story line, and it doesn't have some obtrusive "level requirment" thing about it. If it wasn't for the fact that I switched computers three years ago, I'd still have the orginal, paid version (they won't send me another code for the game because I switched emails... stupid Austrialian company). Still, it's agood game to look into. I'd recommend giving it a try. All things considered, I'm still half tempted to purchase it again...

Anyway, I think I've wasted enough of your time tonight. ~Night.