Zelda might know.

So President Obama has 10 million research dollars on hand to find out if there is a link between video games and violence. I'm not completely convinced that this is a good idea. This is 10 million dollars of easy money. "Is there a link between video games and violence?" is a really ... really extremely broad and easy question to ask. It can be answered so many ways.  Are you ready for anecdotal evidence? I'm just going to write and I do not cite my sources, you dig. Here we go.

The Playstation 2 is the most successful console to date. There are 100-150 million of them out there in the world and estimates that one out of every 3 houses in America have a Playstation 3.  Alright. STOP! First link. 1 in 3 chance anybody committing a crime in America has a PS2. What about the PS3, Xbox or 360? What about Nintendo? Are they off the hook too? Do I need to remind you that people kill each other or themselves over video games? Links galore to video games and death.  Books have been written on the topic. Should I just memorize whatever argument the author made argument? Where my ten million dollars?

100% Bullshit.  There's no more a link between video games and violence than there is between eating shrimp and being gay. The best argument I've heard is that video games are tutorials on murder. First of all anybody old enough to be playing a video game will violence in it is probably old enough to be aware of the concept of murder. If they haven't figured out that blunt objects, knives and guns double as murder weapons then they are crazy and the type of person who shouldn't be doing anything that feeds their insanity. The same kid that plays Grand Theft Auto before shooting up a school... probably would have found other more creative ways to daydream before shooting up a school if the game did not exist. Grand Theft Auto does not predate school shootings. School shootings pre-date video game violence. 1989 some dude in Quebec shot up the place. You gonna pin that one on Super Mario? Or maybe that was some opening scene from Double Dragon type shiznit.

Parents who buy games for their children are part of the problem. Retails want to sell games.  If a parent is buying a game, I'd bet they just don't ask questions.  It's none of their concern to question the sensibilities of a consenting adult. They have no business questioning a parent buying Dead Space 2 for their 8 year old son. That is their right and freedom. They chose to misinform themselves that video games are toys.

Studies have been done. Researchers take kids who never play video games and kids who do, monitor them over the span of a few days or weeks while they play video games then take the games away... and then irritate them. The ones who never played video games seemed more aggressive afterwards as the studies will show.  Other studies have shown that when you become addicted to something, you may become more violent when you don't have it. The second study doesn't matter if you just want to prove that there is a link between video games and violence.

The only link between video games and violence is still trying to save Zelda. But for real. Stop trying to blame anything other than the people. Sometimes they are crazy, sometimes they are assholes.  Whatever the reason, the blame is solely on the individual.  Games are just the excuse.

Jaded Gamer

Fifty shades of grey hair

       I can't take it anymore. It's getting to the point of making me angry. Seeing women talk about what they hate about their looks to advertise something to "fix" it. There's this facial thingy ad that starts with different women talking about what they hate about their skin and of course they complain about their wrinkles. I'll be the first to admit, when I went to the hair dresser and she pointed out I had greys coming in, I completely flipped my shit! It was embarrassing to say the least. I have never reacted like that to someone I just met and who just made an honest observation. Her telling me I had grey hair was like telling me I'm getting old, i'll never get hired for an acting gig again and no one will find me attractive. Is this what a lot of women think??? As soon as I left the hair dressers I was completely distraught. Mostly because I had grey hairs but also because I have never lost it on a stranger like that before. Now don't think I called her a bitch and screamed at her-no no... I'm way too passive to do that. I mostly just acted like she told me I was a hideous person who should live under a bridge. Yeah, I'm mature like that.
      After I calmed down and realized how ridiculous I was acting, the embarrassment kicked in. I started seeing how even me, the least vain person (seriously, I wore overals till I was 20) could be so crippled by something so real and natural as aging. Honestly, unless you're Benjamin Button everyone ages. Some better than others, but it doesn't matter. It happens. That's life. I feel insulted but mostly concerned at how often women are bombarded by advertisements on how they need to hide their age. The creams, clothes, hair, it just never stops. I get it... I need to cover my flaws, diet and cover my imperfect body with your expensive clothes - I get it. Thanks. Let's move onto reality please...
      I'm sure it doesn't help you either reading another woman complain about the media. I'm sure a lot of us are sick of it. Is it me or does it feel like a lot of stupid stuff out there is bought by women? As a woman, this concerns me. I feel like we're failing and we need to stop the stupid cycle from passing onto generations before it gets way out of hand like it already is. I mean, Fifty Shades of Grey and Twilight are waaaaaay more popular than they should be... My reaction to some ads are to be insulted because I wonder, how stupid or insecure do you think I am that I have to buy this?
      Anywho, that's my 'I am woman hear me cluck' article. You're welcome.

<3 Tarangela

guns don't kill people... bullets do STUPID!

       Here we go again!! The big debate on guns. Do people kill or do guns kill or does mental illness kill? Or do sharks kill? I don't know, I'm not a psychologist or a marine biologist. I'm not even American so what do I know about guns... I've only seen a gun on a police officer. I really don't understand the obsession that some Americans have about their guns. Does it make you feel powerful? Is it an extension of your small dick? I really don't get it so please if you do, leave a comment and explain to me why you go gaga over your gun.
      It's really simple. If we get extreme here, I'm talking devil horning your fingers extreme... we get rid of guns... then what? What's the worst that could happen? The absolute worst!! More stabbings? Not as many cool movies? Hmm... when you put it that way, that is a bummer... fuck it, guns for all!! I really do love the irony that some people think the solution to mass shootings is MORE GUNS!! That's like telling a fatty that the solution to them losing weight is going to McDonalds. Or to solve our bad education system is to take away books. Or like telling a be a necrophiliac the solution to their problem is to work in a morgue - you know, to keep them safe... really?!
       There are so many issues dealing with the whole mass shooting craze that it's not just guns that need to be addressed, but how people ignore mental illness and just ignore everything in general. It seems like people are falling further and further from logic that it's pointless to even tell them to look before crossing the street because they'll just argue it's not their job and they have the right to cross whenever they want. Of course once they get hit by a car people wonder why and then make the same arguments and it's just a vicious cycle and I feel like I'm losing my point... oh well, not my problem; you're not reading properly.
        The other issue is the media. What happens a lot of the time is the media makes the killer this monster and makes him famous to killing 'x' amount and how he did it, etc. Unfortunately, what this does is it inspires future killers to want to top him. People want to be remembered when they die, so if you're going out a loser, you may as well be a remembered loser. It's sick and messed up but then again that's the reasoning with people that want to kill children to be famous.
       Another hypothetical, what if the media didn't mention the man's name or revealed his face? They just focused on the heroic people and praised the work of the those who saved lives? If something isn't working, then fix it. Why use the same mentality? Insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results. Who really here has mental illness? OOOOH I mind fucked you! (Pun intended)


<3 Tarangela