In Defense of the Gamers

You probably have heard about Ragnarok, DotA, Generals or Flyff. One way or another, these things are being looked down upon by a lot of people because of the way it poisons the minds of students. Yeah, we hate gamers and we view them as no-good individuals because they are always locked to a keyboard and marveling in their own little (violent?) worlds.

Actually, gaming has a lot of benefits. In fact, it may even be a viable alternative to formal education! Just kidding. However, seriously, it can reap major benefits. Let’s start.

It’s Still a Game

Competition fuels gamers. Just like how dean’s -listers vie for the Valedictorian award and those dance sport varsity members. The goal is always to outwit the enemy, to destroy his laid-out plans and to come up with the best position in the game possible. There’s even bargaining of items and tactic reading! Dedicated gamers are equipped with the competitive spirit, something that’s not very encouraged as aggressively in schools. (Hey, that’s the reason why we have more employees than entrepreneurs. Shh.)

Skill is King

Simply put, skill is the most important asset in gaming. The rules of the game are learned, familiarized and most of all mastered. One can’t possibly let themselves invest time and efforts in the game if it doesn’t come with a ladderized goal. Basically, the stages get harder and harder and your enemy also gets better and better. So, one has to really keep up.

Moreover, the variety of games available also improves the skill of faster learning for the gamer. I remember how my gamer classmates in high school know more than ten different games in different natures and master at least 3 of those games. According to them, gaming improved the way they learn and master new things, and again, that’s probably something that our educational system should develop further.

Camaraderie Improvement

Most people who like spending time in the Internet are often regarded as people who may not have very good social skills because they’re hiding behind a monitor. In gaming, people (virtual or real) get to team up with each other and they work out a strategy. It still has the basics of a real-life team like accountability for the team mate and matching of skills.

Also, studies show that the people who “game-up” in the virtual world most likely end up real friends. They are the ones who see each other frequently in Internet Cafes. So after they play, they end up talking. Although they just talk about the game at the start, as the ball gets rolling, eventually they’ll become comfortable with each other. Remember that frequency in exposure brings normalcy, which brings ease.

I just think that gamers should not be perceived as “lazy” at all. Or dumb. I know a gamer who is a Mindanao Champion in debate. I know a lot of gamers who belong to their honors classes. Excess is bad, and that’s a known fact. However, it doesn’t only apply to gaming. If you like dancing or painting and if you spend a lot of time on those things and forget your studies then that’s just as bad.

So that’s it for gamers (and their parents). I mean, I think anyone would pick gaming over drugs any day, won’t he? You may email me your views through live_out_loud@ymail.com.

from www.mindanaotimes.com.ph written by Bitch Varsity coach

Dear Varsity, (Nov 10, 2008)

Today is Monday. As usual, it is very hectic. I had to choose between three different lunch offers. (Sucks to be perfect, ain't it?)

Anyway, I can't wait to get out of school, own a laptop, and earn endless kaching. The more I write, the more I realize that I should have taken college waaaaaay later. Oh well. At least I met a lot of cuties along the way, and learned about, erm, synthetic division(?)

My friends and I in the Young Writers Guild (under the umbrella of the Davao Writers Guild) will be organizing a poetry-reading event prolly this December at MTS. Just drop a line if you wanna come. =) Ta ta! Gotta get back to my to-do list!

♥

One Lucky Bitch!

Come to think of it, in this lifetime, I was able to experience/hear about (because they actually happend):

*The Philippine Centennial--which was uber fun. Suddenly the flag was cool. Haha.

*The Millenium--which was silly, because everyone thought it would be the end of the world.

*The First Female Bishop in the Developing World--which broke the glass ceiling for a lot of women who shone in the Church.

*The First African-American US President--which was supposed to signal the triumph of the minorities in US. But no, Proposition 8 also won. =(

*The L Word--controversial. realistic. hot.

*Kris Aquino--Now I can easily connect with a Filipino stranger. Everybody hates(if not "dislikes") her.


Wow. Ain't I one lucky bitch? =)

Cheating in a Rush

There are days when we are rushing to get out of the door and so we throw a lot of things in our body, praying that it will all turn out to be fashionably acceptable and erm, decent.
Actually, there are ways when we can cheat looking made-up when the truth is, wardrobe management is an alien idea to us.

1. Match your shoes with your bag. Have a fashionable bag and shoes in the same color by your side whenever you're in a hurry. If your bag matches your shoes, you will instantly look made up. It won't matter if your jeans are green and your shirt is purple. If your bag and shoes are both red, you'll look fine. I advise that the color of the shoes and the bag be neutral so they're sure to tone down whatever mayhem you got in our outfit going.

2. Wear a cool hat. This is most useful when you're having a bad hair day or if you forgot to tweeze your brows. It makes for a brave fashion statement and oftentimes, girls look awfully cute in them. It is also useful if you are not so confident about your choice in footwear or bottoms since a hat will drive the attention towards your face.

3. Go monochrome. The easiest way to steer clear of being a fashion disaster is to go monochrome. One color only. Zip. Nada. This way, it wouldn't matter if a tank top goes well with a skirt or jeans or shorts. As long as they're the same color, they're designed to "belong to family". At least you won't have to think which patterns match.

4. Back to basic. Have a ready stash of white tees, black tees, denim jeans and everyday shoes which are clean. They help in putting up a decent outfit during days when you've been ambushed by your friends for an instant shopping day or an on-the-spot date-me technique. It's also easier to experiment with accents (a big flower clip, a colorful scarf, gypsy necklaces, etc.) when you're wearing neutral-looking clothes.

I made this article for me. I dunno why I always fall under the waking-up-too-late-30-mins-left-to-leave-home spell. =)

Boys Like Girls

*was published in Edge

Trends have always amused me. Trends have the power to change the mindset of an individual and in fact, redirect his goals/priorities. There are trends which I’ve embraced (e.g. the pixie haircut, skinny jeans, bangs) and trends which I resist no matter how strong their influences are (e.g. one-length bangs, ipod video, emo). Basically, when I evaluate a trend, it’s goes beyond LOOKING GOOD ON ME but its impact on how I feel, and how I behave in light of that trend. Hair straightening is by far the strongest trend I’ve resisted. My hair is unruly at times and I hate it when it flies away (wow, fly-away is a verb?). However, I didn’t want to erase the “life” it has on days when it curls inward..and it’s really adorable.

But I gave in, eventually.

Okay, I’m losing myself in this hair discussion. Let’s get back to trends. In this post, I will be discussing AND EVALUATING fashion trends which are shared by both sexes. So let’s start.

CHECKERED/PLAID SHORTS

These shorts usually look good on women, especially those which are designed like Bermuda shorts or those which are uber short, they ought to consider exposing your, um, Bermuda Triangle. Women who wear these shorts are tagged as cool or chic. Men, on the other hand, when they wear this trend, they are automatically tagged as metrosexual (or approaching queer radius). Sad. I know a lot of guys, usually mocha-skinned, who look good enough to eat when wearing plaid.

CHUCK TAYLORS

Or also widely held as “Chucks”. Hands down to this trend. This is, by far, the most timeless trend that boys and girls should embrace alike. In fact, if you look at your pictures growing up, you would see yourself somewhere fun and wearing Chucks. It’s simple, classic and most of all, versatile. You can wear it with shorts, skirts, jeans, cropped pants and even dresses!

BRIGHT-COLORED JEANS

If you’re born with the XY chromosome, steer clear from this trend if you don’t wanna be called GAY. I’ve always regarded bright-colored jeans as eyesores. Primarily because when a group of girls wear bright –colored jeans and huddle together, they look like a bilao of Good-Morning kakanin. BCJ(bright-colored jeans) look good on women, especially those with fair complexion, but they shouldn’t be overdone by wearing equally bright tops. (Ever heard of early warning devices?) Regarding men wearing bright-colored jeans, this trend is too delicate that men who want to wear this must really be widely known as straight. (You know what I mean.) It sucks right? However, there’s a proper way of wearing this trend. Pair it with a neutral-colored shirt and accessories. This way, you look more like a person, not like Christmas gone wrong.

PINK!

I’m so glad that men who wear pink nowadays are not anymore regarded as gay. I’ve read somewhere that before the 1940s, pink was a really “manly” color until capitalism struck. Pink and baby blue was hailed by media as the official his-and-hers baby colors, thereby imposing gender-exclusive expectations on colors. Until now, pink and baby blue are still his-and-hers colors; however, pink has become more dynamic. I remember when pink was so cool because it was so girly. That, guys who don’t usually wear pink challenge their machismo by wearing pink. And when they do wear pink and still maintain their usual “manly” selves, it was a form of achievement. Amen!

Find Unique Gifts

Make someone smile in a very special way.

If you have a multiply account, kindly add up www.giftsdavao.multiply.com. If you don't have a multiply account, kindly check it anyway.

It is a Davao-based home business and they are selling unique gift items for reasonable prices. =)

Why Great Love Stories Happen in College (Part 2)

A Wider Market

College is our social debut. We become exposed to different circles, mostly circles which feed our interests. If you study in a university, there are numerous clubs where you can entrench in. Moreover, there’s the everyday cycle of meeting A LOT of people at the same age bracket as yours. There’s the presence of irregular students, friends of friends, and even young and available professors! Basically, one gains a statistical advantage in the opening of a wider prospect pool for that one great love.

Perfect Timing

The normal college age bracket is 16-23 years old. If you examine this bracket, this is the point of your life when you have to be definitive of the decisions that you make about your life. It is the transitionary phase from dependence to independence. When we find significant others within this age bracket, we tend to align our futures with them. In effect, our love stories become as definitive as our chosen careers.

Say, when we have a lover at our junior year, we plan our senior year with that person factored in and when we reach senior year, we leave school in line with the plans of this lover. This is one of the reasons why a lot of couples who ended up in the altar met during college. Notice also that when married couples are asked where they met, when they answer “college”, people tend to understand why and don’t bother asking other questions.

College Celebrates YOU!

Remember when you were in high school you viewed college as a freer arena? Well it’s true. In college you can choose your schedule, wear-as-you-wish your clothes, your hair and your accessories. College offers avenues where you can practice AND exhibit your skills (speech, dance, music, literary, etc.). College also trains you to become what profession you intend to take. All of these things define you as a person. And college, as an institution, celebrates the heart of every person.

When YOU are being celebrated for being YOU, you become more confident about who you are. You tend to be at your best, and you are willing to showcase your being. When you are at your best, you are easy to love. When two “bests” find each other and cherish each other, anybody can bet they can last forever…or at least half of it. LOL.

Have you found your own great love story? Go to college and tell me about it. live_out_loud@ymail.com