Let's say you have a kid with you, and it really wants chocolate but rarely (or never) can have it because its parent won't let it. You give said kid a chocolate bar. Instead of eating it slowly, enjoying the taste, the kid will inhale the chocolate and it'll be gone before you know it. The kid just wants that chocolate so bad, that when it can finally have it, the kid just gorges itself whenever it can, because it'll never know the next time it can have chocolate.
Now replace 'kid' with '17 year old' and 'chocolate' with alcohol or drugs. It's the exact same thing, especially in the USA. People aren't legally allowed to have any kinds of drugs, and no alcohol until 21. So when the opportunity arises for this kid to have alcohol or some weed, the drink or smoke as much as they can, because who knows if they'll get to have any more any time soon. With the rules in place, it makes it hard for kids to get any kind of drugs, so they have to put themselves into danger by going out of their way to get the drugs, usually with fake ID's or going into a seedy part of town to buy stuff. Obviously some people have older friends to buy alcohol or a trustworthy dealer that lives close to them, but it's still a very large risk - one that usually makes obtaining and consuming the drug much more intense because deep inside you know you're sticking it to the man.
This is way more prominent in American culture since the rules on drugs are the strictest. Although many European countries have some similar issues, it's never as bad. The main reason I think of? It's because kids in those countries have access to alcohol much easier, so they don't see it as something really special. It's just there. It can make a party more fun sure, but you don't need it, and if you do you surely don't need a lot. If America wanted it's college binge culture to die down, they're going to have to lighten up on the rules, and make it seem like it's not such a secret and awful thing, because that just makes kids want to do it more for the sake of rebelling.
Since I'm living in the Netherlands for now, I've noticed this so much more. Dutch college students version of a party is nothing like an American college student ideal of a party. The Dutch might go out to a few bars, get a drink or two, then go to a club or a coffeeshop, or just relax somewhere with friends and have a good laugh. It's much more relaxed and safe than a bunch of kids in a frat house doing keg stands slamming back as many shots as they can before the cops arrive.
I do see the other side of the argument though. The rules are there to keep kids safe, especially since heavy drinking before 20 can damage a growing brain. But the combination of the risk factor that makes illegal drinking exciting and the lack of a whole lot of education on safe drinking, kids in the states will just binge drink for the sake of binge drinking. The main education about drugs is THEY'RE BAD DON'T DO THEM!!!! There's nothing about experimentation, nothing about how to stay safe if you decide to consume it. Obviously things like heroin or cocaine is far worse and don't do those drugs is the only way to go, but when it comes to weed or alcohol people really need to loosen up. They're not that bad for you given you don't take 15 shots in a night or smoke a whole gram of weed by yourself.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Saturday, August 28, 2010
»02 (nintendo)
If you're a fan of video games, you have more than likely, at some point in your life, owned a Nintendo system or played a Nintendo game. Whether it's the original Gameboy or a Wii, or Donkey Kong in your local arcade, I'm sure there were a handful of games that you enjoyed, even if it was just a little something to pass the time. And more likely then not, you get those systems or play those games as a kid. And things you've done and enjoyed as a kid, you probably remember more fondly, and they bring up those warm fuzzy feelings that you don't normally think about from day to day.
For me, I have a really strong tie to the Zelda series. As a kid, playing Ocarina of Time was probably the most amazing, intense experience of my tiny life. Between me, my brother, and sometimes my cousins (if the N64 was at our grandma's house), we'd have to figure out these crazy puzzles, play through odd side quests, beat seemingly impossible bosses, and at the end of the day, become heroes. The atmosphere, the gameplay, the music - all of it was absolutely amazing and so well done. I was 8 or 9 back then, and now, years later, Ocarina of Time still brings out those young, fantastical emotions in me. And growing up, every Zelda game was a must have. Windwaker, Oracle of Ages & Seasons, we even went back and played the earlier Zelda games and enjoyed them. Even Twilight Princess was a must have, amazing game. Everytime I hear a tune from Zelda or see the art, it just brings me back to these great childhood memories and that sense of another adventure waiting to happen.
Mario is often the same way. Although the games are extremely fun, they don't have as much of the cool atmosphere as Zelda, but are still classics in their own right. That's what everyone loves about them. I mean really, who HASN'T played at least a little bit of a Mario game? And even people who haven't still can recognize the characters and the music. It's truly incredible.
And when you think about it, it's no wonder that Nintendo is by far the most successful, famous, and important video game company in the world. Nintendo games are like Disney films - they're easy for kids to latch onto and play, but there's enough that you can only catch when you're older so you never really grow out of them. The big difference though is that when Nintendo comes out with a new real Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Donkey Kong, or whatever sequel - it's a big deal! The old fans will pick up the game, curious to see how their favorite character will start off a new adventure, and new players will pick it up in hopes of a fun game.
I mean, what better way to keep people fans of Nintendo for life than making their games easy for kids to get into so they can enjoy them and tie so many good memories to? Kids who got hooked on Legend of Zelda when it came out for the NES or SNES probably got it for their kids when it came out for the N64 or the Gamecube, and their kids probably enjoyed those games just as much as their parents did. And then those kids got older, bought the game for the Wii, and you know what? When Nintendo's next system comes out, and their next Legend of Zelda game comes out for that system, those kids who played Ocarina of Time or Windwaker will be looking for toys for their kids. And you know what they'll say? They'll see the new Zelda game and think "Oh! I loved this as a kid - I bet my kid will too!" And bam! The cycle continues!
It's perfect marketing. Mario games do this just as easily if not better, as well as several other Nintendo series. So why people scratch their head and wonder "My god! Why does Nintendo make so many damn Mario games!?" now you'll know why.
Honestly, has no one else figured this out? Sure other game companies have series that have several sequels, but none of them can compare to the power of Nintendo. Plus, a lot of the series that come out a lot are sports games or war shooters. Those just can't catch on as well because anyone can do sports, and war shooters are EVERYWHERE. Without some of that fantasy element, as well as some reoccurring characters, it just does not hold up as a long standing series.
So yeah. Moral of the story: Nintendo will probably never die. Sell out? Maybe. So far they seem to be going down that route a little bit - but as long as there are still people who smile at the sound of the 8bit beeps of Mario or the orchestra resounding to finding the dungeon map inside the Deku tree, Nintendo will still make money, and will keep making games.
For me, I have a really strong tie to the Zelda series. As a kid, playing Ocarina of Time was probably the most amazing, intense experience of my tiny life. Between me, my brother, and sometimes my cousins (if the N64 was at our grandma's house), we'd have to figure out these crazy puzzles, play through odd side quests, beat seemingly impossible bosses, and at the end of the day, become heroes. The atmosphere, the gameplay, the music - all of it was absolutely amazing and so well done. I was 8 or 9 back then, and now, years later, Ocarina of Time still brings out those young, fantastical emotions in me. And growing up, every Zelda game was a must have. Windwaker, Oracle of Ages & Seasons, we even went back and played the earlier Zelda games and enjoyed them. Even Twilight Princess was a must have, amazing game. Everytime I hear a tune from Zelda or see the art, it just brings me back to these great childhood memories and that sense of another adventure waiting to happen.
Mario is often the same way. Although the games are extremely fun, they don't have as much of the cool atmosphere as Zelda, but are still classics in their own right. That's what everyone loves about them. I mean really, who HASN'T played at least a little bit of a Mario game? And even people who haven't still can recognize the characters and the music. It's truly incredible.
And when you think about it, it's no wonder that Nintendo is by far the most successful, famous, and important video game company in the world. Nintendo games are like Disney films - they're easy for kids to latch onto and play, but there's enough that you can only catch when you're older so you never really grow out of them. The big difference though is that when Nintendo comes out with a new real Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Donkey Kong, or whatever sequel - it's a big deal! The old fans will pick up the game, curious to see how their favorite character will start off a new adventure, and new players will pick it up in hopes of a fun game.
I mean, what better way to keep people fans of Nintendo for life than making their games easy for kids to get into so they can enjoy them and tie so many good memories to? Kids who got hooked on Legend of Zelda when it came out for the NES or SNES probably got it for their kids when it came out for the N64 or the Gamecube, and their kids probably enjoyed those games just as much as their parents did. And then those kids got older, bought the game for the Wii, and you know what? When Nintendo's next system comes out, and their next Legend of Zelda game comes out for that system, those kids who played Ocarina of Time or Windwaker will be looking for toys for their kids. And you know what they'll say? They'll see the new Zelda game and think "Oh! I loved this as a kid - I bet my kid will too!" And bam! The cycle continues!
It's perfect marketing. Mario games do this just as easily if not better, as well as several other Nintendo series. So why people scratch their head and wonder "My god! Why does Nintendo make so many damn Mario games!?" now you'll know why.
Honestly, has no one else figured this out? Sure other game companies have series that have several sequels, but none of them can compare to the power of Nintendo. Plus, a lot of the series that come out a lot are sports games or war shooters. Those just can't catch on as well because anyone can do sports, and war shooters are EVERYWHERE. Without some of that fantasy element, as well as some reoccurring characters, it just does not hold up as a long standing series.
So yeah. Moral of the story: Nintendo will probably never die. Sell out? Maybe. So far they seem to be going down that route a little bit - but as long as there are still people who smile at the sound of the 8bit beeps of Mario or the orchestra resounding to finding the dungeon map inside the Deku tree, Nintendo will still make money, and will keep making games.
Friday, August 27, 2010
»01 (parenting)
In every family with more than one kid, there's a certain feeling you can always get so you know which one is the oldest, which the youngest. Despite physical looks, you can usually guess right because of how they hold themselves, talk, or act with others. Obviously this isn't always true - but if you think about how the eldest child acts compared to the youngest, you're probably like 'oh yeah! that's a good point!'
If there are only two kids in a family, this tends to be less obvious especially if they're close in age. Factors such as age difference and number of siblings always effect the intensity of the following statements, so bare that in mind.
The oldest kid is almost always acts mean to the younger ones, but does it in a loving fashion. They'll always be there for the others when they need them, and even the most lazy older siblings can have some shred of reliability or responsibility in them. It's for one easy reason - parents always want the older kids to look after the younger ones. So the oldest kid in a family is almost like a third parent - especially if there are a lot of siblings or younger kids around. It's like learning how to be a parent right off the bat. I've noticed this in myself - out of my 9 first cousins and all of my parents friend's kids, I'm the oldest. I'm the one who has to make sure everyone is being good/safe and report to the adults if something happens, etc.
Because of this, younger kids are generally pampered, having no real sense of responsibility because there are always the older ones doing the more important stuff. Most likely they're considered the baby of the family and become pretty spoiled. They do whatever they want, have more free reign. It's true that they often get told "Act like your older siblings!" but the chances of this working lessens as they get older and don't see their siblings as role models anymore. Obviously, the more kids that are older than them, the more these traits show up. My youngest cousins are just the most annoying things i can't even.
In a nutshell: the older kids tend to know how to deal with those younger then them, use their power, and be responsible, for the most part, because they're expected to at a young age. On the other hand, younger kids tend to act spoiled, and want to rebel against everything since they don't feel like they're responsible for anything
Now, what happens when these kids become adults? Most likely, they get married and have kids.
Here's the thing though: Those kids who were the older siblings? They'll do just fine. They've got experience from handling their younger siblings, and they'll realizing with their kids it's pretty much the same deal.
The younger ones though? They'll end up treating their kids like their parents treated them - by spoiling them and acting all nice because they never had the experience of watching over family like that. They'll have almost no control over their kids, plus people who are the youngest siblings also tend to be selfish. There's nothing wrong with them being this way either - when you're young, you get new things and get to keep them, so you don't have to worry about sharing and stuff. If anything, their older siblings have to share and be nice to them. So you know what? When they're adults with kids, they'll still be selfish, putting themselves before their kids in a lot of instances. Generally, from what I've seen, kids who get ignored go to crazy extremes for attention. Particularly ignoring all rules, because that gets you noticed the easiest. It's never nice to be yelled at, but it's better than nothing.
So this is why I think if you're the youngest sibling in your family, especially out of 3 or 4 kids or the youngest in a group (like cousins) that is together a lot, you probably should not have kids. They'll most likely end up being awful because you're really unprepared to be a parent.
Obviously, there are ways to be a better parent like courses or whatever the fuck but still - there's only so much one can do to overcome your own nature. I realized a lot of this hanging out with my aunt, whose the youngest of the kids between my dad, other aunt, and uncle. She's the youngest of the four, and her two kids are the youngest out of all of my cousins. They're really bratty and tend to be spoiled because my aunt is too nice to them and so is my grandma&grandpa who babysit them a lot. They're totally annoying to deal with for pretty much all the reasons I've listed. And from what I can tell, this happens a lot in families. The youngest is pretty much carefree, where the rest of the siblings have all kinds of shit to deal with that they probably don't want to deal with, but do so anyway. It really changes a person when it's so much different.
Also, people who are the only child tend to get a mix of this - they're spoiled for being the only one, but can also get responsibility for doing chores and stuff around the house. I think only children are more likely to differ based on nature, because nurture for these kids is the same most of the time.
So yeah. Moral of the story: if you think you've been rather spoiled & you're the youngest? Do everyone (especially yourself) a favor and skip having kids.
If there are only two kids in a family, this tends to be less obvious especially if they're close in age. Factors such as age difference and number of siblings always effect the intensity of the following statements, so bare that in mind.
The oldest kid is almost always acts mean to the younger ones, but does it in a loving fashion. They'll always be there for the others when they need them, and even the most lazy older siblings can have some shred of reliability or responsibility in them. It's for one easy reason - parents always want the older kids to look after the younger ones. So the oldest kid in a family is almost like a third parent - especially if there are a lot of siblings or younger kids around. It's like learning how to be a parent right off the bat. I've noticed this in myself - out of my 9 first cousins and all of my parents friend's kids, I'm the oldest. I'm the one who has to make sure everyone is being good/safe and report to the adults if something happens, etc.
Because of this, younger kids are generally pampered, having no real sense of responsibility because there are always the older ones doing the more important stuff. Most likely they're considered the baby of the family and become pretty spoiled. They do whatever they want, have more free reign. It's true that they often get told "Act like your older siblings!" but the chances of this working lessens as they get older and don't see their siblings as role models anymore. Obviously, the more kids that are older than them, the more these traits show up. My youngest cousins are just the most annoying things i can't even.
In a nutshell: the older kids tend to know how to deal with those younger then them, use their power, and be responsible, for the most part, because they're expected to at a young age. On the other hand, younger kids tend to act spoiled, and want to rebel against everything since they don't feel like they're responsible for anything
Now, what happens when these kids become adults? Most likely, they get married and have kids.
Here's the thing though: Those kids who were the older siblings? They'll do just fine. They've got experience from handling their younger siblings, and they'll realizing with their kids it's pretty much the same deal.
The younger ones though? They'll end up treating their kids like their parents treated them - by spoiling them and acting all nice because they never had the experience of watching over family like that. They'll have almost no control over their kids, plus people who are the youngest siblings also tend to be selfish. There's nothing wrong with them being this way either - when you're young, you get new things and get to keep them, so you don't have to worry about sharing and stuff. If anything, their older siblings have to share and be nice to them. So you know what? When they're adults with kids, they'll still be selfish, putting themselves before their kids in a lot of instances. Generally, from what I've seen, kids who get ignored go to crazy extremes for attention. Particularly ignoring all rules, because that gets you noticed the easiest. It's never nice to be yelled at, but it's better than nothing.
So this is why I think if you're the youngest sibling in your family, especially out of 3 or 4 kids or the youngest in a group (like cousins) that is together a lot, you probably should not have kids. They'll most likely end up being awful because you're really unprepared to be a parent.
Obviously, there are ways to be a better parent like courses or whatever the fuck but still - there's only so much one can do to overcome your own nature. I realized a lot of this hanging out with my aunt, whose the youngest of the kids between my dad, other aunt, and uncle. She's the youngest of the four, and her two kids are the youngest out of all of my cousins. They're really bratty and tend to be spoiled because my aunt is too nice to them and so is my grandma&grandpa who babysit them a lot. They're totally annoying to deal with for pretty much all the reasons I've listed. And from what I can tell, this happens a lot in families. The youngest is pretty much carefree, where the rest of the siblings have all kinds of shit to deal with that they probably don't want to deal with, but do so anyway. It really changes a person when it's so much different.
Also, people who are the only child tend to get a mix of this - they're spoiled for being the only one, but can also get responsibility for doing chores and stuff around the house. I think only children are more likely to differ based on nature, because nurture for these kids is the same most of the time.
So yeah. Moral of the story: if you think you've been rather spoiled & you're the youngest? Do everyone (especially yourself) a favor and skip having kids.
»00 (a post about nothing really important)
This is Pel, and I have started a blog, like so many other people on the internet. Will anyone read this? Doubt it. But then again, I don't care.
Basically, I get a lot of ideas in my head. Shit I just want to spill out. Not creative ideas like original characters and plots, but ideas about the world - politics, day to day life, the environment, those kinds of things.
So this is what this blog is for. Just to ramble on about what I want to talk about, those long-winded ideas that pop into your head when you shower or when you're sitting in an exceptionally boring class or meeting.
And if you don't like it? Then move right along, because I don't want to hear you bitching.
Basically, I get a lot of ideas in my head. Shit I just want to spill out. Not creative ideas like original characters and plots, but ideas about the world - politics, day to day life, the environment, those kinds of things.
So this is what this blog is for. Just to ramble on about what I want to talk about, those long-winded ideas that pop into your head when you shower or when you're sitting in an exceptionally boring class or meeting.
And if you don't like it? Then move right along, because I don't want to hear you bitching.
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