Games and Gaming #38 - All Grandma's Fault

My son was born during the absolutely perfect year to be born a boy. He saw the first season of Barney as well as the first (and best) season of Power Rangers, he was exactly the same age as Andy when "Toy Story" came out, and he celebrated his 11th birthday the same year as Harry did when Hagrid brought him that smooshed cake in the shack by the sea. He's also grown up with Nintendo as part of his life as much as Barbie was a part of mine. Up until recently, he's owned every Nintendo system ever made, and let me tell you, this was no easy task considering that every time we thought we had caught up to the latest/greatest game, Christmas would arrive touting the NEWEST hard-to-find system. I told myself that the plus side was that he was familiarizing himself with technology, learning unbelievable hand-eye coordination....and, he was usually the envy of all his less-indulged friends. (Gotta blame Grandma on this one - she spoiled him!) Another benefit was that we played almost every night as a family. I have fond memories of taking my turn at navigating Mario around all those obstacles to save the Princess. Usually, I sucked big-time and my child would look sadly at me and say, "Don't worry, Mommy. I'll help you get through that hard part next time." I'm not sure if he was learning compassion....or pity. Probably the latter. In later years, we'd compete against each other in various games: Crash Bandicoot, Super Smash Brothers, Clay Fighter, DragonBall Z and my favorite -- the only game I had a chance of winning -- Diddy Kong Racing. Actually, that's not true. I NEVER had a chance, although he always led me to believe that I did. He'd even let me have the controller with the rumble pack so I'd have more fun. Just when I thought I had him beat, he'd drop an oil slick in front of me or a soap bubble to suspend my car in the air until he could zoom past me. But his favorite trick was to be ahead of me by at least a lap, wait for me at the finish line and then calmly fire a missile at me right before I could taste sweet victory. This elicited a Homer Simpson response from me, "Aaarrghhh!! Why you little....!!!" which sent my son into hysterical laughter followed by an apologetic kiss and, "Let's go again! This time, try harder, okay?" *sigh* Ah....good times.

Now, when I'm asked to consider putting a console gaming system into the library, I can't help but think about those times. From what I know about kids, I'm sure they'll have a great time and perhaps that's our ultimate goal, especially for kids whose childhoods have been less fortunate than my son's. I do believe that he learned a lot from playing these games, not the least of which were the skills that kept him on par with his peers. No small advantage nowadays. All you have to do is visit the nostalgic game site and see how far we've come. The miniscule chance I had all those years ago of winning is all but gone now. I'm waiting for Guitar Hero X: Carpal Tunnel Edition. Maybe then, I'd have a chance. Probably not. At age eighteen, my son drives himself to work and school now and what free time he has, he spends with his girlfriend. He's shown little interest in a Nintendo Wii and the games he owns now are mostly Playstation2's. But occasionally, when we're at Best Buy or a store where a system is set up, I see his eyes light up and his fingers begin to twitch. Like most men, he will always love his toys. I half expect him to toss me a controller and say, "Let's go again. I bet I can beat you, Mom." And of course, he would.

Worst Snack Idea EVER

Okay parents....what could possibly go wrong here???

Games and Gaming #37 - Do You Want That in Book Form?

"DO games belong in a library?" A co-worker has been dogging me about this question for weeks. And....since I wrote the iHCPL module post asking this very question, you would think I'd have the answer. Or at least...an opinion. The truth is, I'm not sure.

To know the answer would be to presume our beloved library has a static function and I don't believe this premise to be true. Like all organizations that exist to serve the public, part of our job is to evolve -- as people's needs evolve. I don't for a minute believe, as some gloomily predict, that books will become obsolete. People come into the library all the time and tell me that while they never read as children, they've come to enjoy reading as they've grown older and are not in so much of a rush. Perhaps the kids who avoid books now will someday "come around." Or, maybe they won't. But there will always be people, I think, who will find a kind of true satisfaction in the written word that they can't find elsewhere.

I do agree that games hone certain skills and do increase technical expertise, especially with computers. I'm just not sure if the idea of luring kids into the library with games...or candy or anything else...will nudge the reluctant reader to see the light any faster. Yes, I've read the articles and yes, I've seen the statistics but I've also watched a generation of kids (my own included) who've grown up on fast food, high-speed connections and instant messaging, who can't sit still long enough to finish reading a sentence, let alone possess the requisite skills to compose one. Games are quick(er) entertainment (usually) and provide that immediate gratification sought by so many. Maybe games do have a place in the library but not for the reasons some people are inferring. Maybe games provide the outlet for a different kind of customer need that has nothing to do with reading and therefore, deserve a place here. For that matter, what do expensive, caffeine-saturated beverages have to do with books? I'll leave that question for the inquisitive mind of my curious co-worker.

Amazon Not Calm

Recently in the news...is this picture of an Amazon rain forest tribe who (until this picture was taken) has, supposedly, never had contact with "civilized" humans before. Here, tribe members are seen shooting arrows at the airplane taking the photo. National Geographic, who verifies the authenticity of the existence of the tribe, apparently has never seen THIS photo which may prove prior contact:

Games and Gaming #36: Runescape Rocks!

In the MMORPG world of Runescape, walk tall and carry a 2-handed Rune sword. Yes, size does matter.

Okay, I sheepishly admit that this is a game that I have some experience in. A few years ago, when RS first became popular, my son and all of his friends were deeply involved in this online game. I joined in - at his request - to see what the big deal was (as parents of teenagers are supposed to do) and also to find an activity we could do together. If you have a teen, you know that as they age between 12 and 15 years, you become increasingly invisible to them. In an effort to counteract this phenomenon -- and in the interest of my son's on-line safety --I signed up and jumped in. (Did you buy that excuse? he he)

To my great surprise, I found it very addictive. The first time you play, you go through the tutorial where you select how you're going to look (hair, skin color, clothing, gender) and pick your character name. Your character is then deposited in the training village of Runescape where you learn how to talk to the embedded characters who train you to do things like make fire, bread, how to fish, etc. For example, if you want to eat (and you need to in order to keep up your strength when you fight), you can fish for food. But since you can't eat fish raw, you need to learn to make fire. And fire requires chopping down a tree for wood, then using your tinderbox to ignite the wood....to cook your fish. There's a learning curve here as most of the fish you cook will burn when you first try it. As you "learn," your skills improve. All your skill levels are viewable to you as you progress. The same improvement method follows for other skills, including fighting. As you travel around the RS world, your "strength/attack level" is viewable to other characters who can decide whether or not they can beat you in battle. My character, Stellaluna, has a strength/attack level of 56. You can also acquire armor, which protects you and ups your level and eventually, buy (or trade) for better and stronger armor or other strength building items like amulets or potions. I chose not to battle other players - only embedded creatures and characters - but that's an option for the more aggressive player. On holidays like Christmas and Halloween, the RS folks used to (don't know if they still do) leave free treats for players, like Santa hats and monster masks. If you're lucky to get one, they trade for big money - which can lead to better armor and weapons. Yes, I have them and no, you can't have one.

Finally, traveling around Runescape is a social experience. Most people are nice but sometimes they're rude and downright ugly. You never know whether you're talking to a twelve-year old or a forty-six year old so caution is strongly advised. There are abuse safeguards in place but sometimes people push the limits. Keep in mind that "HottieGirl21" may actually be ten-year old home-alone Tiffany in Kansas City or "AltarBoy13" could really be...Chris "To Catch A Predator" Hansen doing an upcoming special for NBC starring ...YOU. I've seen unexpected generosity and friendliness as well as some really creepy behavior that made me exit the game in disgust. Yeeccch. Overall, though, there's an anonymity to it all that's intriguing if not appealing, so long as you don't spend more time playing Runescape than you do living in the real world.

Blonde in the Library

Sorry if this offends but it was too funny not to post!

He he he he

Games and Gaming #35: Rice...Again?

My first reaction to hearing about games in the library was dubious at best. I know all about the research but having worked in a public school library for four years (not to mention being a parent for almost 19 years), I'm also very familiar with kids and their "motivations." My personal belief is that kids who love books....will come to the library. If these same kids also love games or need to use the computers in the library for games, then they will also avail themselves of what the library offers in addition to the computers. Kids who refuse to open a book, but get excited over computer games and gaming will use the computers, or attend the game parties....and leave. JMHO ("just my humble opinion," to you noobs!) I mean...I go to Lowes or Home Depot for gardening supplies but I have ZERO interest in shower O-Rings or two-by-fours. Just because there's a sale on mulch does not mean that I will be tempted to develop an interest in socket wrenches.

Free Rice and Sudoku? Could there BE a more appropriate challenge for Secret Asian Girl? Sudoku is fun if it doesn't drive you crazy but I usually get frustrated early. I already knew about Free Rice and have played before. I love word games and I was ALL over this one like white on.......uh, well....rice. Duh.

Sweet Trek

Check out this "Trek Cake" from Food Network's Ace of Cakes pastry guru Duff Goldman. I think he got the bridge of the Enterprise down to the most logical detail. And I hear that the cake itself is out-of-this-world!

What Secret Asian Girl Needs for Mother's Day

I think it's pretty much a given that this Nokia Buddha Phone would be perfect for Secret Asian Girl. I mean, c'mon...look at it. Gilded cover, "jade" buttons, dragon whisker detailing! Wonder what the ring tone selections are. Hopefully, not the "Oriental Jingle" played every time Hop Sing entered the set on Bonanza. I'm hoping for "Kung Fu Fighting" by Carl Douglas.

A "little bit frightening" is right....Hiyaaaaaah!!

Maps #34: There and Back Again

Geocoding one of my favorite restaurants, "The Hobbit Cafe," is a whole lot simpler than "Cross over the brown river Baranduin...and pass over the Bridge of Stonebows...to the land between the river and the Far Downs." Just go to the website http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/ and type in their street address. The coordinates listed were N29°44.01606, W095°24.8781, which I typed in to the google maps site to view a satellite picture of the restaurant. If you haven't visited The Hobbit Cafe (nee The Hobbit Hole) in awhile, this is a cool way to find their new location and get your Gandalf sandwich fix....along with one of their famous fruit smoothies!

Geocaching. Wow. Had NO idea this underground (get it? he he) group even existed. Like any other social network, though, it seems like a terrific way for people with similar interests to get together. I made an account, searched by zip code and found this:

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=c102aafe-5819-4151-978c-5e5cb4994800 which was posted by a "Granny Smiley/Eureka1." Granny...I guess that's not too scary. The info makes reference to Muggles lurking around and a place where "people with badges fuel up." I'm thinking it's a doughnut shop or gas station. Maybe the cache is some beef jerky or a Big Gulp. Yikes. I'm not sure if this activity is for me but I have to admit, it sounds like fun. I guess I'm happier holed up in the Shire with my sprout sandwich and a good book.

Maps #33: Real Friends Help You Move

You know what they say, "Only a real friend will offer to help you move." Well, now, thanks to online sites like Apartments.com the process is so much easier and you probably need a lot less "real friends." I looked at a few of the other sites listed and they all seemed fairly comparable. If you type in a zip code and site radius, along with the amenities you're looking for, you can easily see what's available. Floor plans, prices and nearby schools are also only a click away. You can also find the closest Starbuck's or the nearest veterinarian if you desire. There's also a menu of links to moving resources if you need to find movers, packing materials and phone numbers of whom to call to get the best cable package.

For the second activity, I selected the Lodge at Copperfield from my initial search. After I recovered from my initial shock at how much apartment living costs, I checked out the amenities. It looks like a great place to live: quick access to a major freeway and medical facilities, diverse restaurant establishments, and the Cypress-Fairbanks school district as well as the Lone Star College System. Fairly close to several great public libraries too!

Maps #32: Life In The Global Village

As our world continues to shrink, our fears multiply exponentially. What seemed distant and so removed before - terrorism, disaster, pandemics - are now a heartbeat away. If you've ever read "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston (talk about a wake-up call and don't eat anything an hour before reading it), you'd be shocked to know that a deadly microbe which can wipe out an African village in a day can be in your kid's school within hours via a plane trip carried within an unsuspecting host. Without overstating the obvious, terrorism is also in our backyard. Is family travel overseas no longer a viable option for Americans? This website http://www.wikimapia.org/ provides ways to explore world travel options if you're planning a trip anywhere on the planet. But is it safe to go there? As an old news junkie (from my days working in television news), I'm fascinated by what's going on in the world - good and bad. Sometimes it's disheartening to know that peace is such a rare commodity in our world but I believe that sticking your head in the sand is no way to exist, nor is it any way to raise or educate children. This website, http://www.globalincidentmap.com/home.php gives you a global thumbnail sketch of acts of global terrorism on a daily basis. I winced when I launched the site and was admittedly reluctant about taking in the info. But ignoring what is painful does not make it go away. We're fortunate that innovative technology provides us with important and valuable information -- which, however distasteful, is essential in order to take steps towards the solution. Peace out.

Maps #31: Where In The World Is Secret Asian Girl?

Google Map making was a lot of fun! It's fairly user friendly and would come in handy if planning a trip or itinerary for a visiting friend. I used it to map all the places I've been in my 47 years on Earth. I love to travel but don't get to go as much as I'd like to. Check out my map!


View Larger Map

Spring Cleaning #30: P:, S:, Z: Shut Up and Drive!

It's good to know there are so many places to store info at work. No more "In" and "Out" boxes on your desk (if you're lucky enough to have a desk), now there's a place to keep important info on the computer. Just remember what is "share-able" and what is not and save to the appropriate drive. Clean up your mess when you're done. I keep work documents (time sheet, copies of volunteer reports) on my "Z" drive for future reference but that's about it. According to the iHCPL blog, I'll delete old files after two years. Nothing personal -- keep that at home. Good mantra for all employees, in my opinion. Vroom vroom.