Gaming to escape (duh!)

Recently I've come to the sad realization that I play games way too much.  While it's been obvious for a long time, it's not something that Ive wanted to let myself admit to.  It's like finally coming to grips with your crack addiction or trying to pry your lips off of a bottle that has become entirely too comfortable in your hand.  And it wasn't family or friends that made me see the light, it was actually one single game that has eating away at me for over a year.  Not surprisingly, this game is World of Warcraft.

If you've kept up on my blog, you'll know that I've been going through some trying times over the past year or so.  Actually, it would be safe to say that the past couple years have been fairly rough for me personally.  Finally, I'm starting to feel a bit like myself again, and I'm displeased with how much WoW I play, and how much real life I pass on actually living just so I can have one of my characters learn a new spell or grab a rare drop off of some monster.  Now, I don't consider it all a loss of time, as I've met some folks and made some friends that I might not have if I hadn't given the free trial of WoW that I got a shot.  A few people in my guild have become a daily fixture in my life, and I think that they are harder to walk away from than the game itself.  Some of these friends have been there for the darkest period of my adult life, and others have helped me get past that period and given support when I didn't have anyone in "real life" doing it in the same way.  I don't think that any of the people in my guild will realize how important they were to me over the past few months (year?) nor will they ever know how much they helped.  If any of you guys read my blog, I thank you from my heart.  You guys and gals rock.

The anonymity of the internet allows you to be more honest and open than you might be able to be with those in your daily life.  I was able to tell my tale and have people reply without influence from other people involved in my daily drama.  I could lend an ear to others when they needed to vent, and it made us fairly close without really having to go through much together to get there.   I think the same sort of closeness occurs in Halo clans and the like, but I really think that WoW (and possibly other MMO's, as I haven't tried any others), but I think that competition and testosterone get in the way of letting it happen as quickly and completely.  Alas, as usual, I'm starting to stray...

Escape is an obvious reason to game.  It's interesting to me though that it's something that I do with my male friends as a casual activity.  Some people watch TV to turn off the brain, some people have poker nights to get the boys together, yet others watch sports almost as a religious experience.  I am a gamer.  When I get home, I fire up 2o2p, see what's going on, log in to WoW, and set my mind on neutral.  It's how I relax, it's what I enjoy and I don't see that changing in the immediate future a huge amount.

So, if I don't have my mind set to give up gaming, wtf is the point of this post?  While I don't see myself dropping my WoW account (now at least), I do see myself focusing more on things that are important to me in "rl".  I want to work on my photography, I want to work on my writing, I want to see more of this world than that of the one Blizzard has seduced me with.  I want to reconnect with my XBL friends, as a few of them were around to help me get by as well, even though I was off exploring and losing myself in Azeroth.  Most importantly, I want to focus on taking care of myself, which I've made claims to do, but never followed through on.  I hope to be a new man (slightly smaller in size) when the LAN comes, and I plan on being in Chicago if I can afford to go

Posted by Agonizing_Gas @ 5:01 am EDT | Permalink | 4 Comments

iPhone

Just announced today was Apple's iPhone. I had recently been waiting to buy a video iPod until after Mac World to see what was announced, and I'm glad I did. I will now hold out for the sweetest phone on the planet. I'm a bit sad that it won't be out until June, but I don't really mind the wait. Gives me time to save up. If you haven't seen the phone (and the features), it's a must-see for any technology fan. I'll not spoil your fun by listing the specs here, but it's damn cool. Works with both the Mac and PC.  Don't cheat yourself and just look at the pic, read the specs and watch the quicktime demos.  You'll be waiting in line behind me this summer to buy one.

The worst part of the iPhone is that it's partnered with Cingular, whom I have had bad experiences with. In order to use the phone, I'd have to swallow some pride and give the carrier another chance. I suppose I'm a big enough man to forget the past, so long as I get to hold and use that sweet piece of technology.

iPhone ftw!

Posted by Agonizing_Gas @ 1:59 am EDT | Permalink | 2 Comments

Area fucktard gives up gaming

While this is old, I said in my last post that I wanted to repost these stories in my blog. I could bookmark them in the forums, but I'm kinda proud of them. They took some time to write, and I've since been trying to write a finale. With other shit going on in my life, it hasn't been the biggest priority, but now it's something I can once again put my creative focus on. Right after I get some sleep....

Lexington, NE - In a move that left adult gamers stunned, 13 year-old Timmy Smith has given up gaming. "I was such a jerk," he explained. "I didn't see how annoying and disrespectful I was. You know what they say, hind sight is 20 something."

Last week, Smith's gaming career reached it's climax, chalking up 36 kills in an online game of Halo 2's Team Training Assault. He marveled at his own skill. "I pwned you bitches," he said in the post game carnage report. "You're all a bunch of n00Bs and I pwned you. You guys must suck, 'cause I got 36 kills. I had, like, 50 medals too, you bunch of fags. Even my teammates sucked my balls. If it weren't for me, you niggers would have lost. I even sang "Cherry Pie" the whole friggin' time, and I still pwned you."

The trash talking continued even after everyone else had left the room. That's when Smith realized he had a problem. "I couldn't believe that they didn't want to hear about how skilled I am, or hang out with me in a party. I tried to send them friend requests, but they all declined 'em. I started to get angry with the fact that they wouldn't stay and take what they deserved. Maybe it was all the team kills. That's when I started to realize that I might have a problem."

Smith's parents, Gary and Linda, also sensed that their son might have a problem. "I'd wake up in the middle of the night to go to the can, and I'd hear Timmy swearing and singing at people that he was playing with online," Mr. Smith said. "At least I think he was playing with others online. Anyway, I'd check in on him, and he'd tell me that everything was fine, and that he was just making some new friends."

"I don't know what could ever have done this to our sweet little boy," Mrs. Smith said. "Ever since he got on that Xbox Now or whatever you call it, I've been so worried about him. Not only because of what I hear coming from his mouth, but because you never know what kind of creepy old men might be out there trying to seduce our child. I mean, just look at Michael Jackson. I thought he was gay, but into kids? That's sick!"

"What really brought things to a head, was when he started using his smack talk at the kitchen table," Mr. Smith explained. "We don't have a dining room, so our table's in the kitchen. Anyway, Timmy started saying stuff like "Pass the taters, bitch," and "Gimme some desert, or I'll no-scope your ass." We don't really know what that means, but we're a little uncomfortable with it."

"I'm such a fucktard," Smith said with tears swelling in his eyes. "If only I'd have known what an intolerable pile of shit I'd become. No one on my friends list likes me any more, and I'm really not that good. I cheated my way up to a 37 before the reset, but now I'm stuck at 18. I'm the n00B, I'm the one that sucks."

Smith went on to say that he's giving up video games, and taking up sports. "I just want to be a part of something where ego's never get in the way. What a better place than a team sports environment?"

Posted by Agonizing_Gas @ 4:56 am EDT | Permalink | 4 Comments

Been a while

So, I've been MIA on the whole blogging thing for a while.  It's my first Christmas without my wife, which is just plain weird.  In November I went to OK and got my things.  Seeing my wife reinstated my feelings for her, but too much time has gone by, too much has changed for us both.  She has a lawyer working on divorce papers, so I guess I'll be seeing those sooner or later, and it'll be nice just to have some closure on an issue that I've been whining about for about 9 months or so.  I worry about her more than myself, and I just want her to be happy because she doesn't ever seem to be any more.  I feel responsible and helpless at the same time, but I know it's up to her to make herself happy, just as I need to do that for me.

Since moving to CA, I have gotten a job that I really enjoy (selling computers for a manufacturer that encourages you to think different).  I'm surrounded by great people, sel a product that I use and enjoy, and meet new people every day.  I think this job is the first thing that has really been part of a turn in luck for me.   I like the company, the products and the people, something I haven't had in a job for a very long time.  I just hope that I'm able to make enough to pay for my apartment, car and other bills and still have enough to put away to one day get out of here.  I'm not a big fan of CA.  But it'll do for now.

Been playing WoW a bit lately.  Being a single guy, I can do that as much as I like I suppose.  I've got a character that I want to get to 60 before the expansion comes out next month, but I don't know that I'll make it.  I have games on my 360 that I want to play, GoW, Viva Pinata, and RB6: Vegas.  The Halo 3 commercial and VidDoc both make me excited for the upcoming game that will tear me away from WoW.  At least for a while....

I'm planning on copying and pasting the Timmy stories here in my blog, as I think that I'll be writing the last installation in the near future.  And even if I never get around to it, I think I'd just like to have them in my blog.  I'd like to do more writing in general (news & reviews, stories and even some poetry, I haven't written the last in a few years) but I keep putting it off.  I was thinking posting my stories into my blog might give me the kick-start that I need.  Or it might just put 2 more entries into my blog.  Either way I win....

Posted by Agonizing_Gas @ 3:14 pm EDT | Permalink | 7 Comments

Working on your swing

For years sex (and the events leading up to the act) have been associated with baseball. The whole "getting to first base"" or "scoring" thing has been in use for a very long time, and it's a tired comparison to a sport that has over the years lost some of its magic. To be honest, I learned about the bases as early as middle school (though I was a naive youngster that would have loved to get a base hit, not knowing that others my age were hitting doubles or better somewhat regularly, a fact that still disturbs me to this day), but never really talked about the reference myself. Not being much of a baseball fan, I just kind of thought about it for what it was, not a clever way to tie sex into a sport analogy.

While I never caught on with the baseball I could see sex being easily portayed by a full round of golf. For instance, the term "Hole in one" speaks for itself. Getting more general, golf covers the full cycle, from dating to being married. I'll explain.

Before a round of golf, you have to make a reservation at the course that you want to play at, similar to making a reservation for that important first dinner out. As you get ready, you hope that you do well, remember to take everything you need, and don't fuck up too badly. You're hoping to have some fun, and if you get the ball in the hole, so much the better. In the back of your mind, you think about trying not to drink too much (you might have to drive home later after all), and you hope you have enough money on your debit card to cover the greens fees. The goal: Get in the hole with the fewest number of strokes. Once you get to the course, you're slightly nervous, kind of excited, and anxious to take your first swing. Some folks warm up a little with some putting, which is another metaphor that speaks for itself.

After warming up a little, maybe cracking your first beer or having a drink at the bar, you're ready to tee off and get started. Like your shots at flirting and testing her sexual interest, you're anxious to get out there and see how you're going to do. If you're not a season golfer, you can take your frist swing and completely miss. The ball is right there, laughing at you from the tee as your club whisks by, not even disturbing the grass. Gotta keep your head down, stay focused. If this happens, you're hoping you're not in a large group, as its the kind of thing that your friends will never let you live down. In this event, the test is on, seeing how you recover and how your next swing follows through. The rest of the first hole is just finding more out about your limits and generally getting a feel for the course. Sometimes you're hitting straight down the fairway, indicating it's an easy day (or night) ahead of you, while other times you're hitting out of bounds (and not making any sort of connection). In some cases, you lose your balls, and you might as well just pack up your club and go home.

After the first hole, you're starting to feel more relxed. The initial tee is out of the way, you've swung your club around a few times, and you finally got into the hole. Might not have been in the number of strokes you had hoped for, but the end result is the same. Speaking of strokes, par could be compared with the number of dates you might beed to go one before you hit the sack with your partner (ie, I think this girl you're seeing is about a par 5, and I bet $10 that you can't get an eagle).

As the day (date or relationship) wears on, and the beer maid comes by on her beer-filled cart a few times, you care a little less about the number of strokes it takes to finish a hole. Sure, you'd still like the hole in one to have bragging rights, but you've resigned youself to the fact that this isn't the day that it's going to happen. As a matter of fact, you don't think it'll ever happen, but the dream is still there. Besides, a friend-of-a-friend got one, so you know it's possible.  On top of that, regardless of how you really do, all your pas will only hear about what a rock star you are.

Other references can be made to golf, just using the terms of the game. For example, having your lie in the rough. Or being on the fringe. Of course clubs and balls and holes (those were my only three jokes through this whole blog entry). Watar hazards (a girl taking your date to the bathroom because they have something to talk about), sand traps (saying something stupid and bringing yhour progress to a grinding holt, where it's going to take swing after swing after swing to get out of the mess you've made)...

The comparisons are endless. I challenge you to come up with your own comparisons to golf and post them here in the comments of this blog entry. I'm sure there are some priceless ones that I have missed, but the important thing is to get the word out. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go work on my short game.

Posted by Agonizing_Gas @ 2:03 pm EDT | Permalink | 4 Comments