My Severed Reality

As most of you know, I've been in Florida for the last year-ish, going to Florida Tech. I've met a lot of really amazing people, and learned a great deal about myself. I also learned a great deal about how fucked up our "education" system is, notably past high school. To make a very long story short, I've grown to hate the school I attended, not for the people, not for the education, but for the way they run the "institute".

I suppose I should have seen it coming, really.

To illustrate the way this school is run, I'm going to present two cases, both completely true, but with names removed for privacy.

Student A is a high-GPA student with a peaceful demeanor and the seeming incapability to intentionally bring harm to anyone or anything. After one of his scholarships failed to renew, due to circumstances outside his control, he was put $3,000 in debt to the school. The school kicked him out with two weeks remaining in the semester, and banned him from the school grounds, stating that any attempt to return would result in an arrest being made.

Student B is, quite literally, a 0.0 GPA student. He attended few classes his first semester, and even fewer his second. He was caught selling weed to an undercover, and his dorm was raided. Finding large amounts of weed in his room, the police arrested him and a judge set his bail at $160,000. His mom promptly flew here, bailed him out, bought him an apartment off-campus, and is now fighting the arrest. The school, knowing without a shadow of a doubt that he has no interest in a higher education, has allowed him to finish this semester and continue his tenure next semester as well, so long as he is only on campus for classes.

The person who wanted, needed, and deserved an education is being deprived of one, where the one who can pay for the schooling in full (despite showing no interest in it whatsoever) is wasting it. I can't believe that this is what the world has come to- the Almighty Currency. Never has this glaring fact been so apparent to me. I've known it for a long time, but I never imagined it spread as far and as densely as it has.

Right now, the school is becoming so overwhelmingly costly that my parents can't afford the interest on my loans for my first year. It's that bad. My merit scholarship is up for review, and without that the bulk of my financial aid is gone. Essentially, if my merit scholarship doesn't renew, I can't go back. If I can't find $18,000 in scholarships in the next three months, I can't go back. If any part of a delicate situation slips, falls through, breaks, whatever- I can't go back.

The problem is, I'm not sure I want to go back. The school has driven off many of the people that I care about, mostly for money. My best friend at the school is leaving because she hates how much like a high school the place is. A lot of the people there seem to be a soulless fucking shell of a human being, following blindly their high school habits and becoming the pathetic "Animal House" stereotype. The genuine people, the ones that wanted a quality education, the ones with personalities beyond "get laid, party 'til you puke, and do it all over again tomorrow" are leaving. And why?

The Almighty Currency.

This should be the part where I talk about how we could improve the system, or boycott it, or rally against it, or fight for reform, or something else. I'm not so self-absorbed to think that I can make a difference on the scale I want to, so I'm not even going to bother.

So to you, my FIT friends, I will miss all of you, but I'm not coming back next semester, or ever. I doubt I'll ever set foot in Melbourne again if I don't have to. To my closest friend from FIT (you know who you are), I will miss you more than words can describe. It's been an honor to know you all, but I can't foresee a means of me coming back to that hellhole. I can't bring myself to do it.

4/20 Hypocrisy

[Unedited]

Right. So, today, as most anyone with a high school education knows, is the unofficial stoner holiday, 4/20. I'm not gonna get into my own use, nor will I talk about how it should be legalized. Pardon the pun, but those are arguments with no need of re-hashing. No, I'd rather like to rant about how fucking annoying people are about this day.

So, let's get started with the obvious- there are going to be people out there who do not want to smoke marijuana. That's a given with most anything- vegans, the "straightedge" movement, and people who refuse to shop at Wal-Mart are all pretty common examples. It's not for everyone. Again, that should be painfully obvious- despite the all-too-common argument against decriminalization, everyone in the world isn't going to blaze before work or take a bong rip before walking down the aisle if weed is legalized. There will always be people who, for whatever reason, do not like marijuana.

There. That's taken care of. Now, down to business.

I've noticed that, in the days leading up to (and including) April 20th, more 4/20 related statuses have been popping up on Facebook, tweets about it are rampant, and bloggers/news outlets are jumping on the pot hype. The annoyance isn't with dissenters; I'm comfortable with people standing up and saying "No, I don't really want to smoke. It's not my thing." My problem is when every other update on Facebook is "______ liked "I Will Not Be Smoking Pot On April 20th - 4/20" or "________ all this 420 shiiiat is super annoying. please refrain from talking about how much weed you're smoking today, no one carrreeees."

I get it. You don't think smoking weed is cool. Fine. But when, out of my 222 friends, exactly one stoner posted, where at least 15 non-smokers did things like what I mentioned above, I feel a bit of hypocrisy. The lone smoker posted, early in the day, this exact message: "happy 420 everyone be safe and don't let PD get you".

Happy 420. Be safe. Don't do something stupid and get caught. That's his entire message. Nothing about how much weed he was going to smoke, nothing about the parties going on, nothing about legalization. He was presented with a current reality- one where smokers are persecuted and prosecuted-, and reminded fellow smokers to be careful, and to not attract unnecessary attention. THAT'S FUCKING IT.

Everyone else that popped up in my News Feed was talking about how they'll never smoke marijuana, how 4/20 is a bullshit holiday, how stoners are worthless jobless lowlifes, etc. Right. I could list off the countless list of celebrities, businessmen, and so forth that smoke, but that too has been overdone. Everyone knows Steve Jobs and Bill Gates smoked. They just refuse to accept that, in time, marijuana will overcome the negative stigma it has accrued from political agendas and corporate lobbying and be legalized.

Until then, it appears that every self-righteous asshole with an opinion is going to loudly proclaim how proud they are about not smoking and judging those of us who do. To you, the judgmental asshats for which this post was written, I should kindly ask you to refrain from bashing those who live a different lifestyle than you, when no harm befalls anyone directly because of their lifestyle. I would, but I know you will simply leave flame-bait comments or try to argue things I've specifically said are not the topic of this note.

So, instead, I will kindly tell all of you to SHUT THE FUCK UP. I don't go around screaming about how I'm Atheist on Christmas and Easter, so do me a favor and stop being so fucking self-absorbed for a second and let us have our day.

Peace, in whatever form it may find you in.

-Andrew

I Think It's Time for a New Post on Here

I haven't slept well these last few nights. As a result, I've had a lot of thinking time. So, in my darkened room, I sit, covered in blankets, legs crossed, music playing, and going over the last 6 years of my life. In that time, I think I've come to a very important- and very depressing- conclusion: I don't want to be happy.

Looking back over the last 6 years, one thing rose to prominence. I realized that, in lieu of allowing myself to be happy for an extended time, I subconsciously sabotage almost everything that could make me content. From relationships to events to achievements, I never allow myself to be happy. I initially rejected metal as banal, bland, and worthless, and if you know me you know that that my discovery of metal is the turning point in my life. It changed who I am and will stay with me until I die.

I've asked myself "Why?" many times over the last few nights, and have yet to come up with a solution. Hopefully one will come soon, because I don't think my body can take another night of fitful and shallow sleep.

Idiocracy Is Right (But Not Why You Think It Is)

XKCD, one of my favorite webcomics, ran one about a month ago called "Idiocracy" after the movie. Basically, it "shows" that the movie is laughably incorrect, in that the general populous is not getting dumber; rather, the standard for "intelligent" is getting higher, dragging the "mediocre" benchmark up with it. While many of these comics are delightfully insightful, witty, or otherwise engaging, this one got me thinking, and I have my rebuttal.

Quite simply, you are correct; the standard for intelligence has gone up- quite drastically, in fact. Someone I know put it thusly; "2000 years ago, you were a fucking genius if you could read or write". The average intelligence hasn't gone up or down, but rather the perceived brilliance of individuals has become more obvious. The problem with the argument is that the requirement for average intelligence has gone up. For example, 2000 years ago, reading and writing was a skill reserved for (usually) royalty, the rich, and those who showed a great aptitude. Now, it's taught to everyone in free, public schools. Driving a car would have made Aristotle shit bricks; hell, the EXISTENCE of mechanical transport would have blown his mind.

So when someone doesn't understand why a retail worker can't materialize a Wii console out of thin air, I can see why people leap to the conclusion that people are "getting dumber". I think the real problem is a lack of good parenting. I'm a retail monkey, so I see all of it. I've seen parents buying kids candy every time they ask for it, and the ones who tell them no. I see kids that are free to run around the store, doing as they please, and I see the byproducts of this- the teens who, later in life, go around the store and knock things over, steal, hit all the "Help" buttons throughout the store, and the like.

I think parents, who often lack in "common sense" themselves, pass this inconsiderate nature onto their kids twofold. That might be the single biggest factor in the "people are getting dumber" thought movement. It makes sense, really- in the movie, the dumb people breed indiscriminately while people of intelligence wait until they are in good financial position, but wait so long that one or both become infertile. Such is the case in my scenario- social stigmas prevent intelligence from breeding. Abortion's negative stigma forces many to keep babies fathered from rape, accidents, or "that one time in Cancun". Sexual education in the nation is less effective than "pulling out", as most of the "education" is abstinence only, which has been show to be completely ineffective against teenage hormones.

In short, we as a people are not doing enough to keep people from becoming the dystopian drones that Idiocracy depicts; it will not be from lack of intelligence, but rather the wasting of it.

Your Proudest Gamer Moment

An article on Gamespy recently caught my attention, and started bringing up memories of many years past. The article was about the proudest moments in gaming- those achievements that, while on paper seem rather mediocre, for those that know are badges of honor. Beating Guitar Hero II on Expert? Good. Beating "Jordan" on Expert? Better. Beating the entire game, 5-starring everything, and FC-ing the main setlist? That's a sight to see.

I saw a lot of comments from gamers relating their proudest moments. I started thinking, and I the first one that came to mind was a night to be envied on the COD4 servers. Knifing my way up from a 60-point deficit, against numerous 55's, many of them prestiged many times over, I managed to get a last-second, luck-would-have-it, once-in-a-lifetime double kill. As I knifed my way to 120, I saw a sniper lying behind a truck, face the other direction. I wanted this one to be one for the ages, so i cooked my last frag as long as I dared and bounced it off his skull. I pops as he starts to stands, and the match ends. For a short time, I was the target- the guy to go after.

Then, working later that day, I started thinking about other times an achievement in a game had ever made me proud to sit on my ass and play games. I remembered outracing my gearhead brother in Gran Turismo 3 the first night we had our first PS2. I remembered, at a LAN party, being so frustrated by a player named "Hitler" that I changed my name to "Anne Frank" and gunning for him the entire match. Seeing "Anne Frank killed Hitler" was so epic, the entire LAN went AFK for a few seconds from the sheer force of laughter.

I thought long and hard, and I finally remember my single most favorite gaming moment. I was 6 years old at the time. I had spent a good 2 hours walking with my family at one Disney park or another- I don't rightly remember which- and we stopped in to get some lunch. I ate quickly, and saw a 4-seat cluster of a Mech-game sitting in the corner. As I looked on, a kid stormed out of the booth. He looked to be about 16, so I decided I'd take a turn. I hopped in quietly, dropped in my quarters, and joined the match. Much like my COD4 story above, I quickly began an utter domination the likes of which I could never replicate in that genre of game. When the match ended, I heard banging, grunts, and sighs of disappointment from the other three booths. Pissed and wanting to see what asshole had just dominated them, they pulled back the curtain to find 6-year old me, grinning like an idiot, not even realizing how badly I had beaten them. After watching three teens' jaws drop in rapid succession, I walked away with my family, still smiling ear to ear.

So I'd like to know from you, the readers; What's your favorite gaming moment? What made you stand up and want to proclaim your badassery to all you can see? What moment of self-accomplishment cements your place in the Halls of Gaming? What's your story?

Pokemon, and a format change

Alright, so for some time now I've been writing for Defenders of the Hate, a metal-themed blog. Since redundancy is a pet peeve of mine (as is the phrase "pet peeve", oddly) I've decided to make this blog a bit more personal-though oriented, like our friends over at Negative Zen and Eye of the Ages. That said...

I love Pokemon. Inside, I'm an obsessive-compulsive 6-year old who's just "Gotta' Catch 'Em All!". I'm not the rabid Pokefan who buys game systems based on having a Pokemon game in their library, nor am I the one who knows all 493 by heart and sleeps next to a giant plush Pikachu (even though I totally have one).

I recently began playing them again, and I will go on record as saying they are one of the best game series' ever created. Based on a typical set of criteria for any game-review site, they were legendary for their time. The visuals were simple at first, and never strayed too far from that. The "helicopter-style" top down view is iconic, and provides a simple interface for all ages. The plot is simple- become the best Pokemon Trainer in the world. The world is expansive, even by some console standards of the time. With each successive generation, new Pokemon were added, new challenges, new worlds, and new ways to interact with the world.

But what I always wished for was a console-based Pokemon game. The logic is profoundly simple- do exactly what you did with the GBC/GBA/DS versions, only on a much more grand scale. Pokemon Stadium was a promising start, but that didn't quite cut it. Think about the possibilities! Full-animation 3-d battles, real-time action, and no more 4-move caps for all pokemon. The previous versions have shown that a 20-30 hour STORY mode is possible on a cartridge; imagine what a DVD or a Blu-Ray could do. Next gen graphics show Blaziken actually kick the shit out of a Graveller, instead of just moving toward him menacingly. No more "harware limitations"; go balls out and give fans what they want.

And that opens up another question, one that recently sprung up in the wake of World of Warcraft's domitation of online gaming: why not make a Pokemon MMO? The money to be made there is impossibly large. Pokemon seems like the perfect base for this- the story is about becoming the best in the world, so prove it! Fight people from all over the world! The possiblities are insane! So why haven't they done it?

Because they have fallen into the "Sports Game Redundancy Loop". Essentially, they update the roster (Pokedex) and add a few new features (Secret Base, tag-team fights), and sell it as a unique game. You've just cut the cost of production by half (using code from a prior game as a base) and made a killing from fans who want to see what new Pokemon they can catch.

Will we ever see a console RPG or an MMO from the Pokemon Universe? Possibly. If either project gets a green-light, the fans will go ape-shit for it, because it could represent a new era for Pokemon games. No more hadheld battles; nay, a 1080p bout between a team of Pokemon would be the proper way to see two trainer compete. The likelyhood? Slim, because the update method is almost fool-proof. If you have a formula, just keep adding minor, inconsequential details to it and make millions.

But a guy can always hope, right?
No, no he can't, because there's no TM for hope.

inFamous- a Sucker Punch Production

Haven't been on here in a long time... Sorry 'bout that. I've been busy plugging away over at Defenders, and haven't really thought about this blog in some time. Oh well, here goes- what has been consuming my time over the last 4-5 days? inFamous, a game by cult favorite developers Sucker Punch.

For those unfamiliar with Sucker Punch, they have a very small library of games, so I don't blame you. They made the surprisingly awesome Sly Cooper series, a trilogy about a raccoon descending from a line of raccoon thieves- the first game is all about getting back your family's book of thieving secrets, the aptly titled Thievius Raccoonus. A childish premise, but quirky and entertaining no less. SP has been inactive until recently, when they declared the development of inFamous, a superhero game in the same vein as Fable, in that you get to choose between good and evil based on what actions you chose throughout the game.

You are Cole MacGrath, a bike messenger in Empire City. After unwittingly delivering a bomb to the heart of the Historic District of Empire City, you wake up with superpowers based around electricity. Starting out, you can survive large falls (in essence, you can't die from jumping off a building), shoot bolts of lightning from your hand, cause a "Shockwave" (a concussive blast that can flip cars and send people flying) and draining electricity from any source of power- a lamp post, parked cars, or one of the power lines that litter the city. Eventually, you learn how to snipe (Precision), grind on power lines and railroad tracks (Induction Grind) and, my personal favorite, fire massive rockets of electricity that cause spalsh damage, plus an extra spalsh if the guys happens to blow up. Many more are unlockable, from offensive to defensive, and each carries it's own role in the game.

I am a man impressed by details, and one that stuck out is that they explained everything. EVERYTHING. Cole can climb buildings like Spiderman. Why? He was into "urban exploration" before the blast. He can also jump over cars, climb just about anything in the city, and sprint for miles without stopping. They provided a semi-logical explanation for his powers, and even made getting new powers a plausible experience. The city's power grid is almost entirely out, and by re-connecting high-voltage underground transformers (by hand) your powers increase from the sheer force of energy flowing through you.

Plot: 10
The story is excellent, in my opinion. Betrayal, love, time-travel- all your basic plot-points are covered. The story is told through short cuts scenes and scripted gameplay, a'la Half-Life. Appropriately, the cut scenes are more like a comic panel than movies (in most cases) and are well drawn. It has enough twists that you may not see these things coming. Also, the plot goes one of two ways, depending on the path you choose (Good or Evil).

Graphics: 10
Solid graphics, without the ridiculous amount of bloom found in EVERY GAME nowadays. Even for a 720p game it still looks great. Cole actually changes appearance depending on the path chosen, and noticeably too. The lightning powers are awesome to look at, and the explosions are nice as well.

Sound: 9
Good to see they didn't sell-out and put T.I. as the sole soundtrack. Very atmospheric, changes with the circumstances, and never overbearing. The voice-acting is good (not notable, but sufficient). Essentially, the standard you've come to expect with next-gen consoles.

Mechanics: 8
Don't get me wrong; on the whole, the game plays smoothly. There are just a few points around each district that glitch horribly. For example, you lose the ability to walk in any direction but off a building, or you might find that walking through certain walls is not a problem for the Human Lightbulb. It's more of a nuisance than anything, but otherwise the game is superb. The aiming is great, the platforming is great, just the random glitches.

Atmosphere: 10
Do I feel like a superhero when playing this- kind of. Does Cole seems to be aware of his surroundings? Yes. Are people in the city aware of Cole? Yes. Does this feel like a city where a superhero might be needed? Yes. Problem solved.

Overall Experience: 9
Worth the $60, but not without flaws. A must have for current PS3 owners, but not a reason to buy the system itself.