Alright, I admit that the headline there was really to get your attention. Truth is, we all fail at something on a pretty consistent basis. It's as inevitable as death and taxes so you might as well stop pretending it's ever going to stop and start trying to figure out ways to minimize!
While I have never been a real proponent of making a bunch of New Year's Resolutions, I do tend to be in a constant state of self-evaluation and re-evaluation (just ask my wife!). Chances are that pretty much all of us spend some amount of time taking a look at ourselves, wondering how to lose 20 more pounds or wanting to keep a cleaner house or figuring out how to make more money. Take a minute and be brutally honest, are you setting yourself up for success when you do this or are you planning grand schemes in your head that deep down you know you are never going to attain? To answer that question, answer this one. Have you ever made these types of comments to yourself and/or your loved ones:
"I'm going to ____________."
"I want ____________."
"I need to _____________."
Fill in the blanks. It could be anything really. Stopping addictions, losing weight, less stress...you know all of the common ones. I submit that when you make the kinds of statements I listed, you are not setting yourself up to accomplish anything at all.
To succeed where so many have failed, you have to plan. Have you ever heard the saying "Fail to plan, plan to fail"? Me saying "I need to get myself into better shape" isn't a plan. It's more of a long-term goal. To get into better shape, I need a plan. Great plans are always made up of smaller and more easily attainable goals. So if my overall goal is to get in shape, then I need to have smaller goals that, joined together, help me accomplish my larger goal. For instance, I might say that step one is to commit to a 3-day per week exercise plan. I might also say that I'm going to cut out sodas or dessert every other day. That can all fit into a goal to lose 20 pounds. From there, I might move onto slightly larger things like running a 10 mile race in an hour. Could be anyything really. The point is to spend time thinking about my overall goal, how I can break it into manageable pieces, and then coming up with a plan of attack.
So now you have a plan. If you are like 99% of us, you have made countless plans. Many of them were probably sound, yet you still failed. Why is that? In a word...Accountability. Even the most easily attained goals or plans can fail quickly if you aren't accountable to someone other than yourself. Let's face it...we can rationalize ourselves to death. What you need is a person you can trust. Someone you can lay out your plans and goals for that will lovingly (key word!) keep you on track. We all need someone to keep us going when we don't feel like it. Someone to encourage us when things get rough and praise us when we do well.
Whether you make New Year's Resolutions or just generally have things you want to accomplish, if you find a trusted person to be accountable to and then make a plan with goals that you know you can accomplish, you will find that your degree of success will rise. I wish you luck and a very Happy New Year!
12.30.2005
12.27.2005
Monday Will Never Be The Same
Monday Night Football has been a staple on ABC for a long, long time. It's been aired on a free network for that entire time. That's all about to change. ABC broadcasted it's last (for now) MNF game last night. MNF will now move over to ESPN. If you want a free prime-time football game, you will have to tune into NBC to watch Sunday Night Football from here on out, as that broadcast moves over from ESPN.
I'm a little sad about this. Not because there are 12 people somewhere in the USA that don't have satellite or cable. No, sad because it's the end of an institution that I grew up watching. Over the past few seasons, MNF's ratings have been sub-par but they surely won't improve just because it switches networks. No, the ratings are down because the games are bad. The games are bad because that schedule is set before the season begins and in these days of parity across the NFL, you have no idea which teams will succeed and which will fail (usually). Until the NFL wakes up and sets those games no more than a couple of weeks in advance, I fear that they games (and thus, the ratings) will continue to plummet.
Growing up, I would be glued to the TV each Monday. The games seemed to always be exciting...you could count on a great finish. Even games that weren't very competitive were made fun by the assortment of commentators that got to share time in the booth. From Cosell to Gifford to Meredith to Michaels to Madden, you were guaranteed to see and hear things on Monday night to keep you smiling or drop your jaw open, saying "Wow!". I was there when Marino and the Dolphins upset the '85 Bears. I was there when the training staff had to pratically take Kellen Winslow off the field on a stretcher after a big win over Miami in which almost 100 combined points were scored. I was there when Brett Favre threw for almost 400 yards and 4 touchdowns the same week that he lost his father (and I shed a tear listening to him talk about it too). I was there when Dorsett went 99 yards for a touchdown against the Vikings. You get the point...so many memories over so many years.
I know there will still be a game on Monday night. But it won't be the same. I'm sorry...as good as Mike Patrick is, Joe Theismann and Paul MacGuire are more than bad enough to make it a terrible broadcast. The broadcast team combined with the continued league parity probably means that my days of watching MNF are mostly over. Sure, I'll watch if it's a really good matchup or if my Cowboys are playing...but who really wants to tune into a game between two bad teams who were out of playoff contention when training camp started? My time is worth more than that.
I invite you to share your memories of MNF...and we can even call them the "good old days" if you want! Let me know what you remember most, what you liked, what you didn't like. How do you feel about the move to ESPN?
I'm a little sad about this. Not because there are 12 people somewhere in the USA that don't have satellite or cable. No, sad because it's the end of an institution that I grew up watching. Over the past few seasons, MNF's ratings have been sub-par but they surely won't improve just because it switches networks. No, the ratings are down because the games are bad. The games are bad because that schedule is set before the season begins and in these days of parity across the NFL, you have no idea which teams will succeed and which will fail (usually). Until the NFL wakes up and sets those games no more than a couple of weeks in advance, I fear that they games (and thus, the ratings) will continue to plummet.
Growing up, I would be glued to the TV each Monday. The games seemed to always be exciting...you could count on a great finish. Even games that weren't very competitive were made fun by the assortment of commentators that got to share time in the booth. From Cosell to Gifford to Meredith to Michaels to Madden, you were guaranteed to see and hear things on Monday night to keep you smiling or drop your jaw open, saying "Wow!". I was there when Marino and the Dolphins upset the '85 Bears. I was there when the training staff had to pratically take Kellen Winslow off the field on a stretcher after a big win over Miami in which almost 100 combined points were scored. I was there when Brett Favre threw for almost 400 yards and 4 touchdowns the same week that he lost his father (and I shed a tear listening to him talk about it too). I was there when Dorsett went 99 yards for a touchdown against the Vikings. You get the point...so many memories over so many years.
I know there will still be a game on Monday night. But it won't be the same. I'm sorry...as good as Mike Patrick is, Joe Theismann and Paul MacGuire are more than bad enough to make it a terrible broadcast. The broadcast team combined with the continued league parity probably means that my days of watching MNF are mostly over. Sure, I'll watch if it's a really good matchup or if my Cowboys are playing...but who really wants to tune into a game between two bad teams who were out of playoff contention when training camp started? My time is worth more than that.
I invite you to share your memories of MNF...and we can even call them the "good old days" if you want! Let me know what you remember most, what you liked, what you didn't like. How do you feel about the move to ESPN?
12.20.2005
A Retro Gaming Buffet That Warms The Soul
Sitting on the couch with my daughter curled up in my lap one evening last week, a commercial came on TV. Understand, we are Tivo happy at my house and commercials are a rare thing unless I'm watching a ball game. This commercial comes on the TV, and it's a series of small clips from my gaming past. You know...Galaga, Virtua Fighter, Joust, etc. Playing in the background this whole time is the Bee Gees' Stayin' Alive (don't EVEN snicker, you know you secretly sing along to the Bee Gees too!). Fellow fans of retro gaming, I give you
www.gametap.com
I don't know who the people are that thought this up, but I wish it had been me. You will be hard pressed to find a more complete collection of gaming history anywhere else. I believe the current collection is over 300 games, including the original Pong! They have games from pretty much every system that preceeded the first Playstation, along with arcade, DOS, and Windows games. It's all put together with a very smooth interface that's easy to navigate. Total retro gaming bliss I tell you!
So anyway, back to my story. I'm sitting there with my daughter and the commercial ends by telling us it's Gametap and she looks up at me and says "Daddy, we have to get that!". Agreed, princess. Agreed.
There are literally so many games on there that you could spend an entire day, never play the same game twice, and you'd probably skip lunch and dinner and just chow that bag of Wavy Lays before going straight to bed...at 3 AM. It all runs very smoothly, most of the games load quickly, and if they don't the interface gives you the opportunity to load in the background while you play something else.
You get at two week free trial and then it's $15 a month. You get 7 total accounts and can install on multiple computers. If you ever played an arcade or early console game that you loved, you should check it out. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Merry Christmas to me!!!
www.gametap.com
I don't know who the people are that thought this up, but I wish it had been me. You will be hard pressed to find a more complete collection of gaming history anywhere else. I believe the current collection is over 300 games, including the original Pong! They have games from pretty much every system that preceeded the first Playstation, along with arcade, DOS, and Windows games. It's all put together with a very smooth interface that's easy to navigate. Total retro gaming bliss I tell you!
So anyway, back to my story. I'm sitting there with my daughter and the commercial ends by telling us it's Gametap and she looks up at me and says "Daddy, we have to get that!". Agreed, princess. Agreed.
There are literally so many games on there that you could spend an entire day, never play the same game twice, and you'd probably skip lunch and dinner and just chow that bag of Wavy Lays before going straight to bed...at 3 AM. It all runs very smoothly, most of the games load quickly, and if they don't the interface gives you the opportunity to load in the background while you play something else.
You get at two week free trial and then it's $15 a month. You get 7 total accounts and can install on multiple computers. If you ever played an arcade or early console game that you loved, you should check it out. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Merry Christmas to me!!!
12.16.2005
Quicktakes, Issue 1
There are times when I don't really have what I feel is enough to make a full column about any one subject, but enough to write something about several different ones. Today is just such a day, so I give you the first ever Quicktakes...enjoy!
Have You Gone To Parris?
There is a revolution underway in college basketball. It hasn't gotten an abundance of attention just yet, but it's coming. The Parris twins have the potential to be to women's college basketball what Micheal Jordan was to the NBA. They are both talented, very well spoken, humble young ladies. They were raised right. Courtney is 6'4" and is built like and moves like Shaq. Ashley is 6'1", thinner but also extremely athletic. Together, they are putting up about 65% of OU's point and over half of the team's rebounds...and they are true freshmen. Next year, the team gets Hakeem Olajuwon's daughter who promises more of the same. Yes, a revolution is coming...if you get the chance, make sure you check it out.
McNabb the Goat
I still don't understand it. Donovan McNabb was heralded as a new generation QB coming out of Syracuse. He was black and could run AND throw. What a concept! In his early years in the NFL with the Eagles, he ran much more than he does today and was great at it. But the fans and media complained that he needed to develop more as a passer. So he did. Now, he's an accomplished drop back passer who can still scramble when needed, and those exact same people have decided that he needs to run more. Understand, these people are complaining because the Eagles haven't won a Super Bowl. You know, all they've done is go to four straight NFC Championship games and one Super Bowl...and they couldn't have done without both of McNabb's abilities. To the fans and media in Philly, I warn you now to shut your holes before your QB decides to go find work elsewhere and you learn the hard way just how good he is.
King of the Box Office????
What is it these days that when we set out to make a blockbuster movie...it somehow has to end up being 3 hours long? The story I'm hearing on King Kong is that it has really good action (and sometimes too much of it) and is well made, but that there are obvious parts of it that could, and should, have been cut out to shorten the film. Was Peter Jackson trying to outdo his work from the Lord of the Ring films? Is there some unwritten rule in Hollywood these days that a blockbuster must break the 3 hour mark? Are they trying to give us more film for our dollar? I'm sure we will go check it out, but here is betting that Narnia is twice the film for less than 3 hours of your movie watching time.
The Best Show on TV
It isn't my favorite show, it isn't the most entertaining, it doesn't have the most action...it isn't the best at any one particular thing. So how is it that Extreme Makeover Home Edition gets my vote for the best show on TV? Because it's big corporations going above and beyond to help people in need. If you aren't familiar with it, here's what happens:
Families everywhere send in tapes to ABC, who has teamed up with Sears and with homebuilders all over the country to build new houses for these families. Often on the show there will be a single parent who's spouse has passed away, families who have special needs (handicaps, diseases), they renovated a camp for special needs kids once (and the owner's house). The team comes in, meets the family, and finds out more about their situation. The family then goes on vacation while the team demolishes the old house and builds a brand new one. They will also go above and beyond by getting the community and, sometimes, celebrities involved to help raise money for a cause. The builders will pitch in and give the family money to pay their utilities or send the kids to college. Sure, the network wouldn't do this if it didn't make them money, but they are helping people who need help and it's refreshing to see something like this on TV. Something you actually don't mind watching with your kids. Something that serves to remind that there are far more good people in the world than bad.
That's all I have for now...have a great weekend everybody. Be careful out there if you brave the stores to finish up your Xmas shopping!
Have You Gone To Parris?
There is a revolution underway in college basketball. It hasn't gotten an abundance of attention just yet, but it's coming. The Parris twins have the potential to be to women's college basketball what Micheal Jordan was to the NBA. They are both talented, very well spoken, humble young ladies. They were raised right. Courtney is 6'4" and is built like and moves like Shaq. Ashley is 6'1", thinner but also extremely athletic. Together, they are putting up about 65% of OU's point and over half of the team's rebounds...and they are true freshmen. Next year, the team gets Hakeem Olajuwon's daughter who promises more of the same. Yes, a revolution is coming...if you get the chance, make sure you check it out.
McNabb the Goat
I still don't understand it. Donovan McNabb was heralded as a new generation QB coming out of Syracuse. He was black and could run AND throw. What a concept! In his early years in the NFL with the Eagles, he ran much more than he does today and was great at it. But the fans and media complained that he needed to develop more as a passer. So he did. Now, he's an accomplished drop back passer who can still scramble when needed, and those exact same people have decided that he needs to run more. Understand, these people are complaining because the Eagles haven't won a Super Bowl. You know, all they've done is go to four straight NFC Championship games and one Super Bowl...and they couldn't have done without both of McNabb's abilities. To the fans and media in Philly, I warn you now to shut your holes before your QB decides to go find work elsewhere and you learn the hard way just how good he is.
King of the Box Office????
What is it these days that when we set out to make a blockbuster movie...it somehow has to end up being 3 hours long? The story I'm hearing on King Kong is that it has really good action (and sometimes too much of it) and is well made, but that there are obvious parts of it that could, and should, have been cut out to shorten the film. Was Peter Jackson trying to outdo his work from the Lord of the Ring films? Is there some unwritten rule in Hollywood these days that a blockbuster must break the 3 hour mark? Are they trying to give us more film for our dollar? I'm sure we will go check it out, but here is betting that Narnia is twice the film for less than 3 hours of your movie watching time.
The Best Show on TV
It isn't my favorite show, it isn't the most entertaining, it doesn't have the most action...it isn't the best at any one particular thing. So how is it that Extreme Makeover Home Edition gets my vote for the best show on TV? Because it's big corporations going above and beyond to help people in need. If you aren't familiar with it, here's what happens:
Families everywhere send in tapes to ABC, who has teamed up with Sears and with homebuilders all over the country to build new houses for these families. Often on the show there will be a single parent who's spouse has passed away, families who have special needs (handicaps, diseases), they renovated a camp for special needs kids once (and the owner's house). The team comes in, meets the family, and finds out more about their situation. The family then goes on vacation while the team demolishes the old house and builds a brand new one. They will also go above and beyond by getting the community and, sometimes, celebrities involved to help raise money for a cause. The builders will pitch in and give the family money to pay their utilities or send the kids to college. Sure, the network wouldn't do this if it didn't make them money, but they are helping people who need help and it's refreshing to see something like this on TV. Something you actually don't mind watching with your kids. Something that serves to remind that there are far more good people in the world than bad.
That's all I have for now...have a great weekend everybody. Be careful out there if you brave the stores to finish up your Xmas shopping!
12.13.2005
The Stress Of It All
As we move ever closer to Christmas, it's nearly impossible for each and every one of us not to feel the stresses that go along with it. So many things to get done, so many people to think about, so many places to try and be...and seemingly all at the same time. Throw a little family stress on top of it and you have nothing less than the king of all stress banana splits with a generous helping of tired and a couple of smatterings of guilt right up on top.
The biggest of all of these can be, and I am betting usually is, financial stress. Sure, we get through it by kidding ourselves that we can just "do what needs to be done right now" and then worry about it later. Those credit card bills will still be there in January, right? We are prompted at every turn...advertising, peer pressure, kid pressure, perceived pressure...to spend generously and have a jolly old month of December. Those ads never show you the poor saps sitting around their home office opening those bills they decided to not worry about, do they?
BAH!
Enough is enough I say. Time to put the foot down. By learning the key phrases "No thank you", "We really can't afford it this year", and "Sorry, we already have plans" and combining that with the mindset that you absolutely will NOT be able to succeed to keeping everyone happy who thinks they are depending on you for that, you will find that there is plenty of room to reduce your stress level and have a more enjoyable holiday season.
Finances have you all bound up? Simple. Tell your friends and family the truth...you really can't afford to get them gifts this year. Two different parts of your family planning events at the same time? No way someone doesn't come out of that pissed. Your only recourse is to attempt to get one to reschedule. Barring that, you are seeing one when they want to see you and the other when you can. You can't fix it for everybody, so why stress out over it?
Not that I'm advocating we all become Scrooges. I'm simply suggesting that you remember to take time out for yourself and your family over the holidays...give yourselves a chance to recharge. Also remember to do something, anything, to help those less fortunate. After all, it's Jesus' birthday and that's what he wants his gift to be every year. Be as festive as you want to be, go to parties, buy gifts. Just remember to do all that with a bit of conservatism in mind.
I'm sure I'll say this again between now and then, but I hope that you are well and that life is good as you read this. I hope you and your family have a blessed holiday season, that you manage to get through without anti-stress medication, that you receive much and give more, and that you do it all safely.
Merry Christmas and God bless!
The biggest of all of these can be, and I am betting usually is, financial stress. Sure, we get through it by kidding ourselves that we can just "do what needs to be done right now" and then worry about it later. Those credit card bills will still be there in January, right? We are prompted at every turn...advertising, peer pressure, kid pressure, perceived pressure...to spend generously and have a jolly old month of December. Those ads never show you the poor saps sitting around their home office opening those bills they decided to not worry about, do they?
BAH!
Enough is enough I say. Time to put the foot down. By learning the key phrases "No thank you", "We really can't afford it this year", and "Sorry, we already have plans" and combining that with the mindset that you absolutely will NOT be able to succeed to keeping everyone happy who thinks they are depending on you for that, you will find that there is plenty of room to reduce your stress level and have a more enjoyable holiday season.
Finances have you all bound up? Simple. Tell your friends and family the truth...you really can't afford to get them gifts this year. Two different parts of your family planning events at the same time? No way someone doesn't come out of that pissed. Your only recourse is to attempt to get one to reschedule. Barring that, you are seeing one when they want to see you and the other when you can. You can't fix it for everybody, so why stress out over it?
Not that I'm advocating we all become Scrooges. I'm simply suggesting that you remember to take time out for yourself and your family over the holidays...give yourselves a chance to recharge. Also remember to do something, anything, to help those less fortunate. After all, it's Jesus' birthday and that's what he wants his gift to be every year. Be as festive as you want to be, go to parties, buy gifts. Just remember to do all that with a bit of conservatism in mind.
I'm sure I'll say this again between now and then, but I hope that you are well and that life is good as you read this. I hope you and your family have a blessed holiday season, that you manage to get through without anti-stress medication, that you receive much and give more, and that you do it all safely.
Merry Christmas and God bless!
12.12.2005
My Tribute To Richard...
I was very saddened to hear of Richard Pryor's death over the weekend. People like him, Eddie Murphy, Robin Williams, and Bill Cosby are why I value humor so much today.
Richard Pryor was like all of us. He made many mistakes in his life. He eventually hit bottom when he basically set himself on fire, and then managed to turn his life around from there. I'll miss him terribly as I'm sure many others will. There will never be another like him.
What I remember most about Richard was his no holds barred, in your face approach to his comedy. He was always funny and pretty much always in a very straight-forward manner. I probably started watching him at too young an age, because he taught me words I didn't know existed! Richard Pryor Live On The Sunset Strip is, to this day, one of my favorite comedy routines of all time. Another thing that stands out for me is how influencial he was with other comedians. Eddie Murphy doing an imitation of Richard Pryor giving him advice on how to handle Bill Cosby (who was upset about Eddie's language) was so spot on that you never had a doubt the conversation took place! If you've ever seen a movie Richard and Eddie Murphy, Gene Wilder, or Jackie Gleason did together, you have missed out. Sure, they weren't great movies...Roger Ebert wouldn't dare give them the "thumbs up", but I would still laugh just as hard to go home and watch them today as the first time I saw them. The Toy is one of my all-time favorites.
In the new age of political correctness and everyone generally trying their best to not piss anyone off, thinking of Richard Pryor takes me back to a time when you could say what you mean and mean what you say...and if you were being funny about it, there wasn't a second thought about it. I dare say you won't see comedy like that again anytime soon, if ever. So if you've never had the chance to check out any of his work and you need a laugh someday, do yourself a favor and go rent some of it, grab yourself a drink and bag of popcorn, sit back, and laugh your butt off!
Richard Pryor was like all of us. He made many mistakes in his life. He eventually hit bottom when he basically set himself on fire, and then managed to turn his life around from there. I'll miss him terribly as I'm sure many others will. There will never be another like him.
What I remember most about Richard was his no holds barred, in your face approach to his comedy. He was always funny and pretty much always in a very straight-forward manner. I probably started watching him at too young an age, because he taught me words I didn't know existed! Richard Pryor Live On The Sunset Strip is, to this day, one of my favorite comedy routines of all time. Another thing that stands out for me is how influencial he was with other comedians. Eddie Murphy doing an imitation of Richard Pryor giving him advice on how to handle Bill Cosby (who was upset about Eddie's language) was so spot on that you never had a doubt the conversation took place! If you've ever seen a movie Richard and Eddie Murphy, Gene Wilder, or Jackie Gleason did together, you have missed out. Sure, they weren't great movies...Roger Ebert wouldn't dare give them the "thumbs up", but I would still laugh just as hard to go home and watch them today as the first time I saw them. The Toy is one of my all-time favorites.
In the new age of political correctness and everyone generally trying their best to not piss anyone off, thinking of Richard Pryor takes me back to a time when you could say what you mean and mean what you say...and if you were being funny about it, there wasn't a second thought about it. I dare say you won't see comedy like that again anytime soon, if ever. So if you've never had the chance to check out any of his work and you need a laugh someday, do yourself a favor and go rent some of it, grab yourself a drink and bag of popcorn, sit back, and laugh your butt off!
12.10.2005
Giving Life Meaning
Watching a several week old episode of 60 Minutes this morning, my wife and I came across a story about U2, the rock band. I've always been a big fan of the band and of their open display of their faith in their music and in their actions. But even I didn't realize the depth of Bono's committment to his faith.
You can read the transcript of the story at http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/11/17/60minutes/main1053542.shtml. There should also be a section on the right side of the page for video where you can watch it. The piece is called "Making The Music".
We are given a simple sounding yet quite difficult mission in life. By whatever name you call your God, the message is the same...Love one another. That's it. Should be easy, right? So why is it so hard sometimes?
Because it's more involved than simply telling someone you love them. You have to show it. Your actions must speak louder than any words you might utter. They are rock musicians through and through, but the thing they've done is given meaning to their existence. They make a difference.
Their past experiences (growing up in war savaged Ireland) led them to music and their music made them famous. Their fame has allowed them to travel avenues and open doors that would be difficult for us normal people to open. Where most famous people will simply state their idealisms and leave it to others to do something about it, U2 has decided to set an example for the rest of us to follow. They don't get lost in their politics. They make their politics work for their causes. Bono has helped get medications to over 200,000 people in Africa that have AIDS. He managed not only to meet with the G8 leaders this year but got them to forgive the debts of many third world contries, allowing those countries instead to beginning building an infrastructure that can educate and improve the lives of it's citizens. They have taken that simple yet complex life mission...love one another...and turned it into their life's work. Their music preaches that mission, they even have a section of their concerts dedicated to uniting religions of the world (you have to watch the video to truly appreciate that). They didn't get stuck in their idealisms. Instead, they set attainable goals and go about changing the things they have the power to change.
So how you can you fulfill your mission? What are the things that you can do to make the world a better place? The trick is to do life by feel. When you feel compelled to help someone or send a charity money, when you feel strongly about something...that's your calling! Don't ignore it. Don't brush it off, say that you are just too busy to help, and leave it for someone else to do. Most of us are never going to be able to affect the large scale change that people like Bono and U2 can, but there are things we can do. Find an organization in your community that helps those in need and donate your time and/or your money. Be there for the people in your life when they need a hand or an ear.
Sometimes it's the simplest of things...a smile, a hug, a kind word, a few extra bucks donated to your local food bank...these are the things that you can do. They don't take much of your time or really much of your money, but they do give meaning to your life.
You can read the transcript of the story at http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/11/17/60minutes/main1053542.shtml. There should also be a section on the right side of the page for video where you can watch it. The piece is called "Making The Music".
We are given a simple sounding yet quite difficult mission in life. By whatever name you call your God, the message is the same...Love one another. That's it. Should be easy, right? So why is it so hard sometimes?
Because it's more involved than simply telling someone you love them. You have to show it. Your actions must speak louder than any words you might utter. They are rock musicians through and through, but the thing they've done is given meaning to their existence. They make a difference.
Their past experiences (growing up in war savaged Ireland) led them to music and their music made them famous. Their fame has allowed them to travel avenues and open doors that would be difficult for us normal people to open. Where most famous people will simply state their idealisms and leave it to others to do something about it, U2 has decided to set an example for the rest of us to follow. They don't get lost in their politics. They make their politics work for their causes. Bono has helped get medications to over 200,000 people in Africa that have AIDS. He managed not only to meet with the G8 leaders this year but got them to forgive the debts of many third world contries, allowing those countries instead to beginning building an infrastructure that can educate and improve the lives of it's citizens. They have taken that simple yet complex life mission...love one another...and turned it into their life's work. Their music preaches that mission, they even have a section of their concerts dedicated to uniting religions of the world (you have to watch the video to truly appreciate that). They didn't get stuck in their idealisms. Instead, they set attainable goals and go about changing the things they have the power to change.
So how you can you fulfill your mission? What are the things that you can do to make the world a better place? The trick is to do life by feel. When you feel compelled to help someone or send a charity money, when you feel strongly about something...that's your calling! Don't ignore it. Don't brush it off, say that you are just too busy to help, and leave it for someone else to do. Most of us are never going to be able to affect the large scale change that people like Bono and U2 can, but there are things we can do. Find an organization in your community that helps those in need and donate your time and/or your money. Be there for the people in your life when they need a hand or an ear.
Sometimes it's the simplest of things...a smile, a hug, a kind word, a few extra bucks donated to your local food bank...these are the things that you can do. They don't take much of your time or really much of your money, but they do give meaning to your life.
12.09.2005
Reminiscence
Let's take a walk back through the "good old days" of gaming, shall we? How many of you out there remember your first video game love affair? C'mon! Let's see a show of hands.
Yeah, that's what I'm talking about. How could you ever forget it? Just like a real life first love, it's nearly impossible to forget the first time you became enamored with a video game to the exclusion of all else. Your hands sweat, you can't stop thinking about it, and all you want to do is get back to that oh-so-happy place and enjoy yourself. Oh sure, you may have dabbled around elsewhere, but in the end you came running back to the one you loved.
Then something happened. You had settled nicely into this relationship and had pretty well mastered it's intricacies when something incredible happened. You found your attentions being drawn away from your love and towards the latest and greatest...the new sexy model. It had things your first love didn't, held your attention in ways you had forgotten it could be held. Then you noticed another, and another. Soon you found yourself dabbling in anything that caught your eye. It was an arcade orgy that never stopped...not that you would have wanted it to!
That was all fine and good for a while, but then you got a little older and maybe, just maybe, a wee bit wiser. You decided that the party life wasn't for you anymore. You were ready to settle down and take one of these lovely ladies home. You wanted stability, security, something you didn't have to feed money all the time for it to keep you happy.
So you found one you liked and you brought it home to Mom and Dad. They were maybe not as happy about it as you were, but they accepted the new relationship none the less. You had truly found your happy place. There was never a dull moment and your new love was happy enough for you to spend all of your time at home. You had found true happiness!
But wait...one relationship just wasn't going to be good enough. After all, there were other choices and they all had desirable attributes. Plus, everyone else had more than one...so why not you? So you delved in and got into as many different relationships as possible. Noone seemed to mind. You had finally reached true nirvana.
It turned into a never ending progression, it just kept getting better. With every new thing that came along, it was sweeter looking and did things the others just couldn't do. So now as you have attained true adulthood, you still manage to lose yourself in the moment and continually get to experience that feeling of puppy love that you thought you had lost long ago.
For me, my first true love was Asteriods. I would be a rich man had I saved all of those quarters (or even half of them!) for a rainy day. I played it non-stop...dropped every spare bit of money I had into it. Then I found Galaga. Then the Atari 2600 was introduced and I had to have one to play at home. No more quarters! I still remember the heartbreak when I was told I wasn't getting Ms. Pac-Man on the 2600 for my birthday. I saved my money and bought it myself at the ripe old age of 11. It was the first in a long line of purchases.
I moved from there into a nice Sega Genesis and then on to the first Nintendo. I dabbled with the Sega CD system. I've owned virtually every game console ever produced until the Xbox was introduced. I bought my Xbox for the sole reason that it had a hard drive in it. I was picking out a couple of games and a guy shopping at Best Buy (I still maintain he was an angel sent from heaven) strongly encouraged me to buy Halo. I didn't do it.
Now that you've recovered from that shock...it was a temporary setback. My neice brought her copy over shortly thereafter and following an 8 hour coop campaign session, I was hooked. I then got my very good friend Jeff (Pro356 for those of you in the Senior Citizens) to get a box and Halo and he and his wife proceeded to play Zan and I over XBConnect nearly nightly for almost a year.
Then Halo2 hit, I found the Senior Citizens clan and have never looked back. I cannot fathom cheating on Bill Gates and ever getting a Playstation. I don't have my 360 yet, but will. I will be playing Halo3 at launch. I have found my home. I have found my family with the SC's, and I can't imagine being anywhere else.
What I want from you all is to share your memories here. What was your first love? What was the journey like that brought you to where you are today? Isn't reminiscing wonderful?
Yeah, that's what I'm talking about. How could you ever forget it? Just like a real life first love, it's nearly impossible to forget the first time you became enamored with a video game to the exclusion of all else. Your hands sweat, you can't stop thinking about it, and all you want to do is get back to that oh-so-happy place and enjoy yourself. Oh sure, you may have dabbled around elsewhere, but in the end you came running back to the one you loved.
Then something happened. You had settled nicely into this relationship and had pretty well mastered it's intricacies when something incredible happened. You found your attentions being drawn away from your love and towards the latest and greatest...the new sexy model. It had things your first love didn't, held your attention in ways you had forgotten it could be held. Then you noticed another, and another. Soon you found yourself dabbling in anything that caught your eye. It was an arcade orgy that never stopped...not that you would have wanted it to!
That was all fine and good for a while, but then you got a little older and maybe, just maybe, a wee bit wiser. You decided that the party life wasn't for you anymore. You were ready to settle down and take one of these lovely ladies home. You wanted stability, security, something you didn't have to feed money all the time for it to keep you happy.
So you found one you liked and you brought it home to Mom and Dad. They were maybe not as happy about it as you were, but they accepted the new relationship none the less. You had truly found your happy place. There was never a dull moment and your new love was happy enough for you to spend all of your time at home. You had found true happiness!
But wait...one relationship just wasn't going to be good enough. After all, there were other choices and they all had desirable attributes. Plus, everyone else had more than one...so why not you? So you delved in and got into as many different relationships as possible. Noone seemed to mind. You had finally reached true nirvana.
It turned into a never ending progression, it just kept getting better. With every new thing that came along, it was sweeter looking and did things the others just couldn't do. So now as you have attained true adulthood, you still manage to lose yourself in the moment and continually get to experience that feeling of puppy love that you thought you had lost long ago.
For me, my first true love was Asteriods. I would be a rich man had I saved all of those quarters (or even half of them!) for a rainy day. I played it non-stop...dropped every spare bit of money I had into it. Then I found Galaga. Then the Atari 2600 was introduced and I had to have one to play at home. No more quarters! I still remember the heartbreak when I was told I wasn't getting Ms. Pac-Man on the 2600 for my birthday. I saved my money and bought it myself at the ripe old age of 11. It was the first in a long line of purchases.
I moved from there into a nice Sega Genesis and then on to the first Nintendo. I dabbled with the Sega CD system. I've owned virtually every game console ever produced until the Xbox was introduced. I bought my Xbox for the sole reason that it had a hard drive in it. I was picking out a couple of games and a guy shopping at Best Buy (I still maintain he was an angel sent from heaven) strongly encouraged me to buy Halo. I didn't do it.
Now that you've recovered from that shock...it was a temporary setback. My neice brought her copy over shortly thereafter and following an 8 hour coop campaign session, I was hooked. I then got my very good friend Jeff (Pro356 for those of you in the Senior Citizens) to get a box and Halo and he and his wife proceeded to play Zan and I over XBConnect nearly nightly for almost a year.
Then Halo2 hit, I found the Senior Citizens clan and have never looked back. I cannot fathom cheating on Bill Gates and ever getting a Playstation. I don't have my 360 yet, but will. I will be playing Halo3 at launch. I have found my home. I have found my family with the SC's, and I can't imagine being anywhere else.
What I want from you all is to share your memories here. What was your first love? What was the journey like that brought you to where you are today? Isn't reminiscing wonderful?
12.08.2005
Shhhhhh...The Spartans Are Sleeping!
As we roll right up to the end of 2005 and the beginning of 2006, I can't help but notice that things are extremely quiet on the Halo2 front these days. Clan participation across the board seems to be down and MM games seem to be taking longer to start because it is taking longer to put together a room full of players. Why is that? Several reasons all help to contribute to the Great Halo Slowdown Of '05...let's take a look at it.
- It's the holiday season. Activity seemed to by spiking again back on November 9th of this year. The one year anniversary brought people back to Halo goodness who hadn't played for a while. But after that, as Thanksgiving rolled around and we are now smack in the middle of the Christmas rush, people just have less time available to play. I myself have gone from a minimum of 4 to 5 nights a week down to about 2. Christmas parties, family functions, the EOY work crunch, school activities for our kids...it quickly adds up to far less leisure time than we'd like to have.
- The Xbox 360 launch. As with any new console, the launch of the 360 has definitely torn some of Halo's slightly less hardcore players away. If you are lucky enough to have gotten the new system (see Q's posts on that subject), you have no doubt been experiencing all kinds of new goodness that has further dwindled your amount of time for Halo.
- It's an old game now. Let's face facts. For a game to continue to be the most popular and often played game out there for over a year is something special. It just doesn't happen that often. Halo2 has been going strong since launch. There are simply going to be a section of players who...*gasp*...just get bored with it.
All of these things have contributed to the slowdown, I don't think there is any disputing it. So the thing to ponder...the question that can only be answered by Father Time is this:
"Is Halo2's dominance really coming to an end or is the slowdown merely a temporary setback due to the circumstances outlined above?"
I don't believe that it's ever going to be as popular as it was. I don't see how it can be. People get bored. They want something new. They turn their attentions elsewhere. That said, I anticipate that the turn of the new year will bring a resurgence in playtime. The holidays will pass, those same people who got bored with Halo and are right now playing Call of Duty or PGR3 will get bored with those and pick the Master Chief back up for another spin. Then, as soon as Bungie lets the worst kept secret EVER out of the bag and announces Halo3, even more people will pick the game back up and get interested again. We may never see the record number of games played that Bungie has reported in the past, but I don't think any of us hardcore folks are going to have trouble finding a room to join anytime soon.
12.07.2005
The Great Farce
Listening to my local sports talk station this morning, I heard a discussion about the Heisman trophy and specifically about some of the votes that have already been tallied. The jist of the talk on the air was about some pretty questionable votes. After hearing more about some of the voters, where they are from, and how they voted, I couldn't help but write about it.
The Heisman Trophy is the second biggest joke in college football. Second only to the BCS.
The Heisman is coveted as the top individual trophy in college football and is supposed to be awarded to "the outstanding college football player in the United States". Now, I'm no English major or anything but I didn't see the words "offensive player" or "quarterback" in that sentence. Did you? The award should go to the best overall player, but the only way a defensive player even gets consideration is if he returns kicks and/or plays offense too. Sure, people will shrug that off and say that there are many awards for individual players that are given by position. That is entirely correct, except these people conveniently forget that there is an award for running backs and multiple awards for quarterbacks.
So the question is...when did the Heisman become an award for offensive skill positions and why do they still advertise it as the award for the most outstanding player?
Now, about those questionable votes. These merely add to the deception of the Heisman. Did you know that there are over 900 voters and that there is no process for restricting their vote? They can literally put anyone on their ballot that they choose. They don't have to vote for first, second, and third either. I did my research at a site called http://www.stiffarmtrophy.com where they actually do the unthinkable and contact as many voters as possible to track the race for the trophy. They are very good at what they do.
Reviewing their results, you will find that pretty much all of the past Heisman winners from USC have voted solely for USC players. Lindell White is on most of them. Dwayne Jarrett is on some. You won't find Vince Young on ANY of them. Now, if you truly voting your conscience...and completely removing my argument that defensive players should be considered...how in the world can you NOT include Vince Young as one of the three best players in college football this year? In order to help insure that your guy takes the trophy, that's how. All of the USC guys I mentioned have Bush first and Young is nowhere to be found.
But it doesn't begin and end with those guys. One of my very own guys...a true Sooner has done something similar. Billy Sims has voted Vince Young first and not voted for anyone else. For me, this is no better than what the USC guys have done. It doesn't stop there. You'll see quite a few extremely questionable votes in that list. Guys getting voted on that really have no business in a discussion about the "most outstanding player".
What ought to be a celebration of the best in college football has turned into a narrowly focused look at the two or three offensive skill position players from some of the powerhouse programs in the NCAA. Outrageously biased voting by past winners and media members who vote only for the guys in their region have further diluted the greatness of what should be the best trophy in college football.
The Heisman Trophy is the second biggest joke in college football. Second only to the BCS.
The Heisman is coveted as the top individual trophy in college football and is supposed to be awarded to "the outstanding college football player in the United States". Now, I'm no English major or anything but I didn't see the words "offensive player" or "quarterback" in that sentence. Did you? The award should go to the best overall player, but the only way a defensive player even gets consideration is if he returns kicks and/or plays offense too. Sure, people will shrug that off and say that there are many awards for individual players that are given by position. That is entirely correct, except these people conveniently forget that there is an award for running backs and multiple awards for quarterbacks.
So the question is...when did the Heisman become an award for offensive skill positions and why do they still advertise it as the award for the most outstanding player?
Now, about those questionable votes. These merely add to the deception of the Heisman. Did you know that there are over 900 voters and that there is no process for restricting their vote? They can literally put anyone on their ballot that they choose. They don't have to vote for first, second, and third either. I did my research at a site called http://www.stiffarmtrophy.com where they actually do the unthinkable and contact as many voters as possible to track the race for the trophy. They are very good at what they do.
Reviewing their results, you will find that pretty much all of the past Heisman winners from USC have voted solely for USC players. Lindell White is on most of them. Dwayne Jarrett is on some. You won't find Vince Young on ANY of them. Now, if you truly voting your conscience...and completely removing my argument that defensive players should be considered...how in the world can you NOT include Vince Young as one of the three best players in college football this year? In order to help insure that your guy takes the trophy, that's how. All of the USC guys I mentioned have Bush first and Young is nowhere to be found.
But it doesn't begin and end with those guys. One of my very own guys...a true Sooner has done something similar. Billy Sims has voted Vince Young first and not voted for anyone else. For me, this is no better than what the USC guys have done. It doesn't stop there. You'll see quite a few extremely questionable votes in that list. Guys getting voted on that really have no business in a discussion about the "most outstanding player".
What ought to be a celebration of the best in college football has turned into a narrowly focused look at the two or three offensive skill position players from some of the powerhouse programs in the NCAA. Outrageously biased voting by past winners and media members who vote only for the guys in their region have further diluted the greatness of what should be the best trophy in college football.
12.06.2005
Saying Hello
A good friend of mine has recently started posting here, and it got me to thinking that maybe I have some things to say as well. So, with every post my sincere thanks go to my good friend Q!
What exactly are Arthritic Articulations you ask? The title stems from my Xbox Live Gamertag...WildGSZR. I'm frequently (and, I hope, affectionately) called GSZR, or geezer if you like. I stumbled on that nickname purely by accident. It happens to be the first letters of my families' first names. I was asked early on how old I was since I had GSZR in my online name, and it's stuck. So Arthritic Articulations is my way of being funny about being a "geezer".
Now that isn't to say that I'll always be funny when I post here. I mean life happens fast and it just isn't always very funny, right? But hopefully you'll smile aplenty and maybe, just maybe, I'll manage to give you something to think about while I'm at it. Being a geezer, my mind will surely wander from subject to subject, but among my favorite topics are family, gaming, sports, and faith. I'm sure I'll deviate from these when the events of the world compel me to speak about them, but mostly it's those topics for me.
Until next time...
What exactly are Arthritic Articulations you ask? The title stems from my Xbox Live Gamertag...WildGSZR. I'm frequently (and, I hope, affectionately) called GSZR, or geezer if you like. I stumbled on that nickname purely by accident. It happens to be the first letters of my families' first names. I was asked early on how old I was since I had GSZR in my online name, and it's stuck. So Arthritic Articulations is my way of being funny about being a "geezer".
Now that isn't to say that I'll always be funny when I post here. I mean life happens fast and it just isn't always very funny, right? But hopefully you'll smile aplenty and maybe, just maybe, I'll manage to give you something to think about while I'm at it. Being a geezer, my mind will surely wander from subject to subject, but among my favorite topics are family, gaming, sports, and faith. I'm sure I'll deviate from these when the events of the world compel me to speak about them, but mostly it's those topics for me.
Until next time...
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