Metrosexual with a hint of geekness…and very moody!!
South Park by Moi
Metrosexual with a hint of geekness…and very moody!!
Conservatism Vs. Liberalism
Many people label themselves as “conservative” and “liberal” these days; yet, some of them really don’t quite understand their meanings. For example, a person may stat that he or she is a “Liberal” but they fail to state in which perspective. It is very necessary that you stress out the details of your label; otherwise, people might assume several things and thoughts about your lifestyle that do not have any true basis. Here are the three divisions or “schools” that those two labels fall into:
• Culturally Conservative
Culturally conservative individuals usually take pride in their heritage and define what is normal and what is abnormal based on the adapted social norms that the society grew up with, and base the people on how they “stick” to these norms. These individuals usually preserve the culture and heritage and make sure that these norms are passed on to the next generations. For example, if your parents consider that the marriage ceremony must not be mixed and you agree on that, it means that both you and your family are culturally conservative when it comes to this issue (do not mix up culture and religion; although they might seem very interactive).
• Culturally Liberal
Obliviously, a culturally liberal person mirrors the conservative in many aspects. They do not degrade their heritage and traditions but sometimes they feel these traditions don’t have to be a necessity in their lives or they are “old-fashion” and “retarded” to the 21st century. For example, a culturally liberal person (who is Japanese) does not feel the urge to force his guests to take off their shoes before stepping inside the house. Again, do not mix up culture and religion since there are many traditions that might seem related to a specific religion…yet, they are not.
• Religiously Conservative
It’s no brainier really to define conservatisms when it comes to religion. Religious conservatives make sure to preserve the teachings of some particular religion, sometimes by proclaiming the value of those teachings to their lives; and usually are resistant to all changes that they might encounter with their religion. For example, a conservative individual might see that talking with the opposite sex is an absolute sin and there’s no good will come out from it, or they make sure that they stick to their “koshers”. However, it is important to understand that conservative individuals are happy when they construct their lives around their religion and do not feel they are being forced. However, these days, they are facing a serious backlash…as some people consider them “retarded” from the 21st century…which is quite wrong as everybody are entitled to their opinions.
• Religiously Liberal
Although you might think that religiously liberals are the enemies of their own religion…they are not actually. They usually label themselves based on their religion, but sometimes, they don’t consider every single base of their religion as an absolute; or sometimes they agree on certain, primary aspects but don’t take all the secondary aspects seriously. For example, in Judaism, you have the “reformed Jews”, in Christianity, they call themselves “reformists or “protestants” and recently there has been a take about progressive Islam and its implications to liberals. So for example, a liberal in any of those religions do not feel the necessity to marry someone with one’s same religion.
Politics
• Politically Conservative
If you understand the previous schools then you can easily define conservatism in politics. People who take pride in their governments and consider every single aspect that their governments and authorities issue is “ideal” or “correct” are politically conservative. For example, democrats in the USA usually call themselves “conservative” because they see what President Bush says is correct and there’s no mistakes in sending their troops to Iraq and etc.
• Politically Liberal
As democrats are conservatives, republicans are liberals…in America that is. Liberals don’t usually agree with everything their governments or authorities come up with and they feel the urge to alter these issues. They usually “fight” their governments and consider their ideology would be the best for the society. Try to think about the last election that was held in Kuwait, and think, who did you consider the best candidate...
What About “Moderate” and “Apathetic” Individuals?
Some people consider these labels are BS and hate to label themselves with all those fancy terms. For example, moderate individuals might be conservative in one area and then liberal in other; for example, a person might be conservative in drinking alcohol but very liberal in talking with the opposite sex…and so on. Apathetic individuals on the other hand, don't really care and don’t really constrain themselves with ideology; they just go with the flow. For example, a person who does not take voting really seriously is considered politically apathetic.
An Honorary Post: The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time
In honor of the release of the next Zelda game this Sunday on The Nintendo Wii, this post is dedicated to all the precious memories of it’s true prequel: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time that released on The Nintendo64 7 years ago (Yes, I was 14 years old when I tried Ocarina of Time). Now you might ask: Why honor a game? Sure, I agree that honoring a game is a bit geeky; however, Ocarina of Time is not an ordinary game. It is by far (known from all critics and gamers) the best game ever created. Period.
The Achievements of Ocarina of Time
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**Reviews**
• Famitsu Magazine [40 of 40] First perfect score ever awarded since its publication
• IGN.com [10 of 10] First perfect score awarded by the website since its creation
• Gamespot [10 of 10] first perfect score awarded by the website since its creation
• Electronic Gaming Monthly Magazine [10 of 10] Platinum Award
• Edge Magazine [10 of 10]
• Nintendo Power Magazine [10 of 10] Game of the Year 1998
**Awards**
• 2nd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards including:
1. Game of the Year
2. Outstanding Achievement in Interactive Design
3. Outstanding Achievement in Software Engineering
4. Console Game of the Year
5. Console Adventure Game of the Year
6. Console RPG of the Year
• 5 Awards by BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts)
• IGN's "Top 100 Games of All Time."/Reader's Picks
My Top 10 Moments of Ocarina of Time
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10. Confronting King Dodongo
Just after couple of hours (or maybe more) exploring the lava-hot Dodongo Cavern, Link (the hero of the game) ventures deeper into the 2nd dungeon as he finally has his hands on the key to the Boss Chamber. However, just as Link goes inside, he get dropped down to the bottom of the cavern…safely….but not for long, as King Dodongo sees Link as an appetizer for his next meal. Even though this boss is larger than life, defeating him is quite easy. All you have to do is to throw a bomb as he prepares to breathe fire by opening his mouth, when succeed, the boss swallows the bomb and falls unconscious from the impact of the explosion in his stomach. Now, all you have to do is slash your sword at him and he’s history.
“What? Isn’t finishing a game is supposed to be the greatest moment in a game?” Well yeah, but the story is different in most Zelda games. Because completing the game means that exploring the land of Hyrule has finally come to end, and this is the last thing a Zelda gamer would want. In fact, most Zelda gamers refuse to accept the ending and start to relive the experience all over again…and what they find is a whole new experiences because Ocarina of Time never gets old. Never I tell you...NEVER!
This is one of the most exciting and breathtaking moments in Ocarina of Time…and it happens after the first 10 minutes or so from booting the game. Meeting the Great Deku Tree is also the moment when the story of the game starts to unwrap, and you get to know why the Great Tree has summoned you. Just after the conversation, the Tree opens its mouth revealing the first dungeon for you to explore. Breathtaking!
While riding back home with a golden copy of Ocarina of Time, all I wanted to do is boot the game, and quickly create a game file and just have a taste of Zelda’s heaven. Surprisingly, that wasn’t the case when I booted the game for the first time. I got totally mesmerized by the title screen, seeing Adult Link riding his trusty horse Epona, and exploring Hyrule is a cheer joy by itself. It just a small preview (and quite a teaser actually) of what to expect from this epic game, and the journey you are about to embark.
The final battle with Ganon (or Ganondorf) is truly epic. In the first half of the battle, Link loses his sword and you have to rely on other melee weapons in order to do some damage; however, that wasn’t an easy task as you constantly running out of magic from shooting the Light Arrow (and losing arrows in the process as well). Just after delivering a good amount of damage, Link finally (with Zelda’s aid) strikes Ganon on the head and sends him to the Sacred Realm for good.
It’s in the title so it’s no brainier that playing the instrument is an experience that you will never forget. When you get the ocarina, it doesn’t do very much really until you unlock its potential by learning songs and melodies from other people as you travel. Then, the ocarina will be the most essential tool in the game as you turn day to night, summon the rain, and even warping you to other locations you have previously visited by playing certian songs.
The Temple of Time silently rests on the eastern district of the bustling, noisy Hyrule Market, and probably everyone who played the game was taken over by the design and the size of this Temple. My jaw dropped out of amazement of the cheer detail, and the view of Death Mountain on the horizon was certainly thrilling. However, the biggest surprise is when you return to this location 7 years, and witness how horrible this beautiful place has been turned on. It is the very first thing you see when you exit the temple after seven years of slumber. Shocking!
Just when you think your journey is over and return all the Scared Stones to the Temple of Time, Link is forced to “sleep” in the Temple of Time for seven years. Link (and also the player) was shocked on how he has grown and how his face, voice, and body have changed over the past 7 years. This might look shallow at first, but it is actually a very deep experience like no other. When adult, Link will gain the access to many tools that he couldn’t have used when he a kid, also, Link gets to witness the changes that has become to the land of Hyrule by visitng all the previous places and meeting all his friends who have forgotten about him in the last 7 years. Finally, Link will be able to switch back and forth and changing the future by altering the past. Genius!
By far, this is the most difficult and most tedious temple you encounter in the Ocarina of Time. Link will have to manipulate the water level back and forth to gain access to the dungeon’s many different chambers. Equipped with Iron Boots (so he can walk underwater) and the Blue Tunic (so he can breathe underwater), the players had to use all their skills and patience to conquer this temple for good. However, the best surprise of the temple is confronting Dark Link in one of the temple’s chamber. Yup, you have to battle against a dark version of Link and the most annoying thing is not only he predicts your moves but also mimics your exact sword strikes, forcing Link to switch to another melee weapon he might have in his inventory.
OH MY GOD! The first moment I stepped to the Hyrule Field for the first time was a moment that will be hard to forget. I honestly had Goosebumps all over my body; I mean the giant scope of Hyrule Field is remarkable, and walking through the field is thrilling, as you start to trace Hyrule Castle in distance, and Lon Lon Ranch along the way. The hardest thing is that you get tempted to explore the whole land and visit the many places Hyrule Field connects but you wouldn't since you have some business to do in Hyrule Castle first. And as you are making your way to the castle, the sun slowly sinks and before you reach the castle, the night arrives along with an army of monsters that can only attack you at midnight. However, the scope of the field is not shallow, in fact, Hyrule Field possess many secrets that challenges the players to uncover and discover…seriously, my best moment in Ocarina of Time…hands down.
Embrace The Twilight Princess This Sunday
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Wii & Women
Why it has become so hard to convince our girlfriends, mothers, or even our grandmothers to pick up a videogame controller and invite them to our world of gaming that they don't seem to appreciate that much. Mind you, that there are many female gamers out there but their voices haven't reached the gaming public or the gaming industry. However, this news seems to bother Nintendo as well. Nintendo slowly started to capitalize the female market by releasing titles such as Nintendogs and Brain Age, on their current handheld phenomenon the Nintendo DS. Now, they want to make the same thing with their next-gen console The Wii. Are they going to succeed?
It's no shock that much fewer women play video games than men. So from a business standpoint, it makes sense that Nintendo would want to expand their sales into that new market. But whether the Wii and its PR are doing something "good" for the state of gaming equality, that's a whole other story.
On the one hand, it's refreshing to see a major player like Nintendo thinking about women -- not just in terms of one game, but a whole console, and with it a slew of "non-girly" titles. It's also encouraging to see female players linked with innovation, something the video game industry, as a whole needs desperately. Women have finally made it onto the larger marketing map. But there is something unsettling in the way Nintendo has been pushing the Wii for women. It's not that a new design will knock down the social barriers to entry, but that the system is so intuitive, so simple, it will knock down barriers of ability. As if women, like young children and the elderly (another target audience who has the right to be upset), were incapable of playing traditional games.
Now, here’s the wacky thought: the Wii isn't being given to women. It's being given to men to give to women. In some sort of crazy, gender-based, gaming colonialism, Nintendo's new system isn't being marketed toward women themselves, but to their sons, boyfriends, and fathers. Women, like other family members, are only then invited to play along.
Does marketing "easy" gameplay to women hold water? Maybe, maybe not. What's certain though is that, even as Nintendo looks toward its female market, they still consider women as secondary gamers. How many more generations of consoles will it take before women get to hold the controls?
All The Verses
As usual, I was having a little time on my hand, so I thought I would spend some time with youtube’s search engine and type different keywords; hoping might find something exciting. And I did. I happened to stumble upon a bit old video clip of Marwan Khoury’s song called “All the verses (Kel Al Qasayed).” I used to listen to this song a lot but I’ve never seen the video clip until now. The video reminded me of another one he made (and luckily I found it on youtube too) called “Take me with you (Kodni Maak)”, another favorite sing of mine.
I wound up “googling” this guy up (stop laughing) and found he has an official website, at least 3 fan-made websites, and an article about him on CNN.com, in which they called him (The Prince of Romance)…and I happened to agree too. You might want to know that he writes his own lyrics and composes his songs; in fact, according to my cousin, other Arabic singers will “kill” just to get him write and compose a song for them. Cool! Too bad I didn’t find any video clips from his latest album “Palace of Compassion (Qaser Al Shouq)”, in which it released on Christmas Break last year when I happened to be in Kuwait (and yes I paid 5KD to get his “original” album). Anyway, I’ll leave you with the “All the verses’ video clip in the mean time.
PS: Is it me or did he lose some weight in his latest album cover?
In Your Pants
Although my blog isn't quite interesting as the lovely Jewaira's when it comes to these kind of stuff, but I do have knowledge when it comes to sex health (sex health is different from sex addiction which is a sickness). For example, I regularly read almost every topic and column in Men's Health magazine's section on "Sex Health", sex studies, and also, I often visit Anna David's (a sex columnist) blog and website (that doesn't make me a pervert but I think these info will come quite handy in the future). Which leads to me to my next point.
There's a show called "Attack Of The Show" in which it discuses all things related to entertainment and "techy" stuff, including a segment called "In Your Pants". In this segment, the co-host Olivia Munn has a discussion with the sex columnist/specialist Anna David. Now, I understand when Anna talks very openly about sex because that's really her job, but Olivia (the co-host) tends to reveal too much information about her sexual intimacies with the guys she goes out with...making her a little bit...well..."sluty". I mean do I really need to know that she usually fakes her orgasms and doesn’t know if 6-inchs is big or not. Check the videos if you don’t believe me (which they are quite hilarious btw).
Hitched For The Second Time
Last night I decided to watch the movie “Hitch” for the second time on TV since I enjoyed the movie so much in my first. However, in my second trial, I realized why I fell in love with this movie, simply because it presents life expectation on love in a much realistic way from the simplest principle (i.e. Why do we fall in love?) to the most complicated principle that people have a hard time to maintain (i.e. How can I keep my love for that person going?). I picked three memorable quotes from the movie and I would like to analyze them with you all. Please share your thoughts about these manners and principles, surely, you have totally different opinions than the ones I presented here. Note that I’m not bashing the female perspective here, but I’m just explaining my point of view to you…just as you always do.
Never lie, steal, cheat, or drink. But if you must lie, lie in the arms of the one you love. If you must steal, steal away from bad company. If you must cheat, cheat death. And if you must drink, drink in the moments that take your breath away.
I decided to choose this one as the first one because it is so realistic to real life, yet people don’t realize that at all. One of the things that women complain about men is they tend “not to tell the truth” in every single moment they share together, neglecting the fact that what the man is trying to do is to keep her happy, protect her from harm, and shielding her from any negative thoughts that might arouse in her mind. Simply because, men HATE arguments or debates in interpersonal relationships (sure, they like to debate in politics and in sports) but in terms of relationships they try to avoid them because they NEVER win. Seriously, girls, how many times have you believed your man’s words or at least consider his point of view…I will guess very seldom (or in the other hand, some women are so gullible that they believe the obvious, harmful lies). Back to the quote, the “cheating death” line is a good one, because if we are really in love with our partners than we have to survive and enjoy our lives as much possible, so they can enjoy the life with us too.
So how does it happen, great love? Nobody knows... but what I can tell you is that it happens in the blink of an eye. One moment you're enjoying your life, and the next you're wondering how you ever lived without them.
This is so true. One of things that I notice when I explore female blogs is that they always complain that the right guy hasn’t showed up yet, or they don’t know what to do to get the right guy in. Honey, if you always think like that…then you will never find true love. Simply because true love is always unexpected and you don't really know when it is going to hit you. But when in does, you will know, simply because you will start “enjoy life even more” and you will want to maintain that love for the rest of your life and “wonder how you ever lived without him.” I’m not saying that you jus have tot lay there and wait for the man to swoop you from your feet, because, we all know that will never happen; however, you need to make efforts for that love to exist…and I mean realistic efforts, away from the false hope syndrome that most women get trapped into.
I'm a guy. Since when do we get anything right the first time?
Exactly, men aren’t as perfect as women when it comes to relationships (although this might not be always the case). Women tend to be perfectionists when it comes to relationships, thus, any mistake the man might commit, a catastrophic explosion results. So, some women lack patience with their partners; they expect their men to behave like noble princes and be able to maintain their happiness all the time. Well, sorry to break the news for you hun, but princes also make mistakes (you will be surprised how many times that it takes for the fairytales prince to get the job right via trial-and-error). Thus, if you want to maintain that love, then, you will have to see your man in every single step…just like your baby.
NOTE
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Make sure to read Adorra's comment below as she points well-addressed thoughts.
Fears & Rituals
After going through 2 chapters (Anxiety and Stress chapters) preparing for my psychopathology on Monday, I started to get mentally sick already. Although, I came across this very interesting yet very twisted case study. Can you figure out the disorder this guy had?
Gary was a 26-year-old Caucasian carpenter who sought treatment for “terrible thoughts” about “perverse” sexual images that he “could not shake off.” These thoughts, which occurred nearly constantly throughout the day, were tormenting images of incest with his family members, particularly his mother. Gary realized that these intrusive thoughts were senseless and excessive, and he suffered extremes feelings of shame because of them. He tried to suppress his thoughts with numerous rituals, such as tensing all his muscles or walking in a certain way. His greatest fear was that he would become aroused by his sexual thoughts about his mother, and he developed extensive avoidance behavior. At first, he only avoided his mother, but in time he avoided all women and any activity that might be enjoyable to him and therefore arousing. Gary reported that he avoided all activities that elect the feeling of pleasure…even if they weren’t sexual. Gary also described contamination fears and cleaning rituals, reporting that he avoided public restrooms, and spent over 90 minutes a day washing his hands; but these contamination fears were not nearly as troubling to him as the sexual obsessions and related compulsions. He was convinced that his intrusive thoughts meant he was a bad person, and he would never have peace of mind as long as he had these intrusive thoughts.
So what kind of disorder does Gary had? It should be self-explanatory with all the keywords that were presented in the case study.
Women = Problems?
I know this might look sexist but it's so funny that I had to share it with you all.
What do you think?
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