After three years of on-again, off-again posting at my local free blog, I'm officially hanging it up. I'm not retiring, though, I'm fulfilling another one of my goals/dreams: to run my own website!
Through the generosity of my friend Jason at the Sports Gaming Nation, I'm now running a website named Middle Aged Gamer. The content will be similar to what I've posted here over the years, but with more of a focus on gaming, and hopefully with a little more depth.
It's been a great ride at "The Gut," and I'm happy to turnover the keys to Kellie. The Gut is hers to do with what she wishes. Whatever that is, I'll still be tuned in...
Kevin
Monday, January 14, 2008
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Fears, Phobias and a Little More Freud...
What do you fear?
What is fear?
According to my favorite site OneLook.com, it is defined as “an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight).”
After reading all the responses, it’s crystal clear that what scares the hell out of us more than anything is loss of loved ones. Not surprising. No one listed or seemed to consider their own mortality. The only one that came close was fear of drowning. I know how powerful the ocean is. I remember being in Hawaii when a wave took me in and out several times before I finally made it to shore. The water no sooner tossed me back to the sand than it just as swiftly carried me back out with a powerful grip my flailing arms and legs could not fight. Only when the ocean itself decided to calm, could I ride the wave back to the safety of the sandy beach.
Many of our fears such as fear of spiders, high places, bridges, mice, etc., fall under the phobia category as well.
So what’s a phobia? Once again, from OneLook.com - “an anxiety disorder characterized by extreme and irrational fear of simple things or social situations.”
(I’d hardly classify a silverfish as “simple thing” but I digress!)
Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “There is nothing to fear but fear itself.”
(I’m betting he never got trapped in an elevator with a spider the size of his shoe!)
My neighbor once got trapped in an elevator when going to see her doctor. She had also taken her water pill. Yes, there is a specific phobia for that too. It’s called “urophobia!” Hey, I don’t make this stuff up!
Me, I’m a “germophobe!” Ask anyone. If you’re sick, you better stay clear of me. I carry a bottle of antibacterial spritz in my purse. I have a bottle of Purell on my desk.
I wipe of the shopping cart and usually have a barrier between my hand and any door handle.
One of my co-workers hates driving when it’s icy outside. Since the real fear here is that driving on ice could result in a dangerous situation, it would likely falls under “fear of having an accident” or dystychiphobia.
My friend CC was afraid, while riding a rollercoaster, that the contents of her stomach might reveal itself. Can you guess that phobia? Aeronausiphobia!
Another friend nearly sold their home due to the “infestation of mice” (I think there were 2 in the entire house)! She’s a “murophobe!’ (Murophobia – fear of mice and rats).
For a couple of us, anxiety seemed to peek whenever we discovered a police vehicle behind us! Even if you are going the speed limit, traveling with children, wearing your seat belt, and doing absolutely nothing but acting like a conscientious driver, seeing the police car in your rear view mirror induced a little panic. Could it be fear of authority figures? Or are we so jaded that all we can think is that this officer needs to meet his ticket quota?
Some other wild fears included being buried alive, getting locked in a trunk and annual reviews at work. I happen to love annual reviews – my boss usually dreads mine more than I do! Maybe I’m just getting better and wearing them down!
Now this is one I hadn’t thought of in many, many moons. Do you remember the “trust game?” It’s where you fall backwards and pray to God the person will catch you. I am definitely a person who has “trust issues” so I can absolutely relate to this one.
Big thanks to all my friends for their contributions to this blog.
Here are a few additional phobias that were either mentioned or just plain interesting!
Arachnophobia – Fear of spiders
Aeroacrophobia - Fear of open high places
Agoraphobia - Fear of open spaces or of being in crowded, public places like markets. Fear of leaving a safe place. Fear of crowds.
Cleisiophobia - Fear of being locked in an enclosed place
Dentophobia - Fear of dentist
Elurophobia - Fear of cats
Entomophobia - Fear of insects
Gephydrophobia - Fear of crossing bridges
Glossophobia - Fear of speaking in public or of trying to speak
Hemophobia - Fear of blood
Katagelophobia - Fear of ridicule
Nyctophobia - Fear of the dark or of the night.
Ochlophobia - Fear of crowds or mobs.
Ornithophobia - Fear of birds
Paraskavedekatriaphobia - Fear of Friday the 13th
Pentheraphobia - Fear of mother-in-law
And finally, according to Psychoanalyst Freud, phobias are a defense against anxiety produced by repressed impulses. Anxiety is moved to an object or situation and then becomes the phobic stimulus. In order to not deal with the repressed conflict, the person tries to avoid the object or situation. (Source: http://web4health.info/en/answers/anx-phobias-general.htm)
Here’s hoping we all conquer at least one of our fears!
What is fear?
According to my favorite site OneLook.com, it is defined as “an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight).”
After reading all the responses, it’s crystal clear that what scares the hell out of us more than anything is loss of loved ones. Not surprising. No one listed or seemed to consider their own mortality. The only one that came close was fear of drowning. I know how powerful the ocean is. I remember being in Hawaii when a wave took me in and out several times before I finally made it to shore. The water no sooner tossed me back to the sand than it just as swiftly carried me back out with a powerful grip my flailing arms and legs could not fight. Only when the ocean itself decided to calm, could I ride the wave back to the safety of the sandy beach.
Many of our fears such as fear of spiders, high places, bridges, mice, etc., fall under the phobia category as well.
So what’s a phobia? Once again, from OneLook.com - “an anxiety disorder characterized by extreme and irrational fear of simple things or social situations.”
(I’d hardly classify a silverfish as “simple thing” but I digress!)
Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “There is nothing to fear but fear itself.”
(I’m betting he never got trapped in an elevator with a spider the size of his shoe!)
My neighbor once got trapped in an elevator when going to see her doctor. She had also taken her water pill. Yes, there is a specific phobia for that too. It’s called “urophobia!” Hey, I don’t make this stuff up!
Me, I’m a “germophobe!” Ask anyone. If you’re sick, you better stay clear of me. I carry a bottle of antibacterial spritz in my purse. I have a bottle of Purell on my desk.
I wipe of the shopping cart and usually have a barrier between my hand and any door handle.
One of my co-workers hates driving when it’s icy outside. Since the real fear here is that driving on ice could result in a dangerous situation, it would likely falls under “fear of having an accident” or dystychiphobia.
My friend CC was afraid, while riding a rollercoaster, that the contents of her stomach might reveal itself. Can you guess that phobia? Aeronausiphobia!
Another friend nearly sold their home due to the “infestation of mice” (I think there were 2 in the entire house)! She’s a “murophobe!’ (Murophobia – fear of mice and rats).
For a couple of us, anxiety seemed to peek whenever we discovered a police vehicle behind us! Even if you are going the speed limit, traveling with children, wearing your seat belt, and doing absolutely nothing but acting like a conscientious driver, seeing the police car in your rear view mirror induced a little panic. Could it be fear of authority figures? Or are we so jaded that all we can think is that this officer needs to meet his ticket quota?
Some other wild fears included being buried alive, getting locked in a trunk and annual reviews at work. I happen to love annual reviews – my boss usually dreads mine more than I do! Maybe I’m just getting better and wearing them down!
Now this is one I hadn’t thought of in many, many moons. Do you remember the “trust game?” It’s where you fall backwards and pray to God the person will catch you. I am definitely a person who has “trust issues” so I can absolutely relate to this one.
Big thanks to all my friends for their contributions to this blog.
Here are a few additional phobias that were either mentioned or just plain interesting!
Arachnophobia – Fear of spiders
Aeroacrophobia - Fear of open high places
Agoraphobia - Fear of open spaces or of being in crowded, public places like markets. Fear of leaving a safe place. Fear of crowds.
Cleisiophobia - Fear of being locked in an enclosed place
Dentophobia - Fear of dentist
Elurophobia - Fear of cats
Entomophobia - Fear of insects
Gephydrophobia - Fear of crossing bridges
Glossophobia - Fear of speaking in public or of trying to speak
Hemophobia - Fear of blood
Katagelophobia - Fear of ridicule
Nyctophobia - Fear of the dark or of the night.
Ochlophobia - Fear of crowds or mobs.
Ornithophobia - Fear of birds
Paraskavedekatriaphobia - Fear of Friday the 13th
Pentheraphobia - Fear of mother-in-law
And finally, according to Psychoanalyst Freud, phobias are a defense against anxiety produced by repressed impulses. Anxiety is moved to an object or situation and then becomes the phobic stimulus. In order to not deal with the repressed conflict, the person tries to avoid the object or situation. (Source: http://web4health.info/en/answers/anx-phobias-general.htm)
Here’s hoping we all conquer at least one of our fears!
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Godzilla Review Posted
The short of it: stay far, far, away. Here are the details.
Bill, my editor, mentioned that they might be trying some new things at Gameshark this year. It sounds like they want more features and other "extra" type stuff, and less of the standard reviews. He mentioned something about all of us using our "industry contacts" to come up with some ideas. Uh, suddenly I feel even farther out of the loop than before. Some of the guys and gals on staff are true freelancers, and they can provide exactly what Bill is looking for. I just write filler for the crappy games! I'm wondering what kind of role I'll have in the future... Hmm...
If I can't contribute there anymore, I'll look back with no regrets. I've had a great ride. I'd like to still be a part of it, but we'll see if I fit in. If not, I'll just move on to something else.
Bill, my editor, mentioned that they might be trying some new things at Gameshark this year. It sounds like they want more features and other "extra" type stuff, and less of the standard reviews. He mentioned something about all of us using our "industry contacts" to come up with some ideas. Uh, suddenly I feel even farther out of the loop than before. Some of the guys and gals on staff are true freelancers, and they can provide exactly what Bill is looking for. I just write filler for the crappy games! I'm wondering what kind of role I'll have in the future... Hmm...
If I can't contribute there anymore, I'll look back with no regrets. I've had a great ride. I'd like to still be a part of it, but we'll see if I fit in. If not, I'll just move on to something else.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Gift Wrapped
Ohio State absolutely gift-wrapped that game for LSU last night. Ridiculous penalties, untimely turnovers, and the lack of players "making plays" doomed Ohio State to its second straight loss. All of the talking heads will call this a blowout, and stroke themselves over the supposed SEC domination (see: Forde, Pat), but ultimately, Ohio State lost because they made too many dumb mistakes, which is uncharacteristic of a Tressel team. I've also yet to hear a talking head identify the true turning point in this game, when sure-handed Brian Robiskie dropped a touchdown pass that would've given OSU a 17-10 lead. LSU subsequently blocked the field goal, and momentum officially swung their way. If OSU stems the tide with that touchdown, they stay in the game, period.
Despite all of that, they still had their chances. My gut aches for Austin Spitler, who somehow missed the ball on that attempted punt block on 4th and 23, which resulted in LSU getting the ball back and scoring to just about put it out of reach. Had he made that block, or avoided contact, it's 24-10 early in the third, with OSU having a chance to gain the momentum back yet again.
As Coach Cooper used to say, "If 'if's' and 'but's' were candy and nuts, it'd be Christmas every day." The bottom line is that LSU won the game. I tip my cap to them. But this year was nothing like last year's debacle. Ohio State was in this game, and could've won it, if they just executed a little better at crucial times. I've said all year that OSU is a year away from being a great team, anyway. And, depending on who stays, we could very well see them in the title game next year, much to the chagrin of all of the talking heads out there. I don't feel ashamed or embarrassed for them at all, unlike last year. And, how could I complain, given that OSU has been to 3 championship games in the last 6 years? At least they're in the arena. Coach Tressel will figure out how to get them over the hump again.
Now, is it March yet?!
Despite all of that, they still had their chances. My gut aches for Austin Spitler, who somehow missed the ball on that attempted punt block on 4th and 23, which resulted in LSU getting the ball back and scoring to just about put it out of reach. Had he made that block, or avoided contact, it's 24-10 early in the third, with OSU having a chance to gain the momentum back yet again.
As Coach Cooper used to say, "If 'if's' and 'but's' were candy and nuts, it'd be Christmas every day." The bottom line is that LSU won the game. I tip my cap to them. But this year was nothing like last year's debacle. Ohio State was in this game, and could've won it, if they just executed a little better at crucial times. I've said all year that OSU is a year away from being a great team, anyway. And, depending on who stays, we could very well see them in the title game next year, much to the chagrin of all of the talking heads out there. I don't feel ashamed or embarrassed for them at all, unlike last year. And, how could I complain, given that OSU has been to 3 championship games in the last 6 years? At least they're in the arena. Coach Tressel will figure out how to get them over the hump again.
Now, is it March yet?!
Wii Are Family!
There's no doubt that the Nintendo Wii has been the big hit among the Christmas gifts. Everyone has played it, including my parents and my wife's parents, and universally they've all enjoyed it very much. What makes it so enticing is that the action on the screen truly feels like an extension of the movements you're performing with the remote, at least for most games that we've played. It's brilliant in its simplicity. It's the ultimate party game machine. And, it just feels family-friendly.
I've been gaming since I was about 7 years old, starting with the Atari 2600. Growing up, I played on the 2600, a Commodore 64, and a Tandy 1000, and I can count on one hand the number of times my mom played a video game with me. After playing Wii Sports with the kids, my mom is honestly thinking about buying one for her house, since she had so much fun with it (Dad did, too). After I told her how much it cost, she said "That's it? I was afraid it was going to be $400-$500!" No, mom, that's the other gaming machine…
Nintendo has out-foxed its competition, and struck a chord with just about everyone, based on the simplest of concepts: it's just darn fun!
I've been gaming since I was about 7 years old, starting with the Atari 2600. Growing up, I played on the 2600, a Commodore 64, and a Tandy 1000, and I can count on one hand the number of times my mom played a video game with me. After playing Wii Sports with the kids, my mom is honestly thinking about buying one for her house, since she had so much fun with it (Dad did, too). After I told her how much it cost, she said "That's it? I was afraid it was going to be $400-$500!" No, mom, that's the other gaming machine…
Nintendo has out-foxed its competition, and struck a chord with just about everyone, based on the simplest of concepts: it's just darn fun!
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