Add up the hours spent on games and movies... It's gotta scare you.
IMHO get out and live a bit more... life does not come from a CRT.
No offense boozo, but that attitude really kind of annoys me. I added up the hours. At 2 hrs a film, that's 160 hours on movies. At 10 hours a game, that's 200 hours non-social gaming. At 5 hours a book, that's 240 hours reading. Out of a year that's 8,760 hours long. I mean, what the hell. I don't compulsively keep track of more social or otherwise "meaningful" stuff, because it doesn't come with convenient titles. Grrrr. One's free time is one's own to decide how to spend. Movies, Games, and Books are all interesting and rewarding and thought-provoking in their own way.
This is a bit of a sore subject with me at the moment; Mo too look aghast at my video game play, though I think she has an inflated view of how much I actually play. Plus, I think there really are neat philisophical/microcosm aspects to gaming that non-gamers or stupid gamers don't get.
(and you wanna talk about time suckers? How about work? Or sleep? For pete's sake.)
You point a possibly rewarding train of thought, about how its good to think about spend one hours, and maybe consider certain activities over others, but really this rubbed me the wrong way.
anyone who suggests Italo Calvino and Milan Kundera (and frickin' Monkeyball) are less rewarding than any random social event is a goose. I mean, frat parties are social. AND SO WAS WATCHING ROGER DODGER.
also, I created and edited an intranet for a year when I first moved to Waltham. And boy, could it not have been less interesting.
I'm with ya Kirk, the hours spent working and sleeping depress me, however fun activities like movies, games, and books, well that is what makes life worthwhile anymore.
Sorry if I "touched a nerve" there Kirk. My comment was not made to be mean-spirited, but as advice to someone younger than I, standing at a very uncomfortable fork in the road.
I reckon you've probably caught it from too many angles already... it's like hearing "eat your spinach".
I am operating from a very different perspective than you, being 25 years further down that road... many of my 'old geek' colleagues echo the same feelings I have... why the ^*&# did we waste so time on bloody trivial 'time-burners'?
Most of us at this point in life would dearly like to have most of those "wasted" hours back. (note: wasted encompasses far more than video games)
The comment by anonymous "...movies, games, and books, well that is what makes life worthwhile..." speaks volumes about the nature of "our times". By god, why not DO something about it! Perhaps more than ever before, the future of the world is hanging in the balance... get alive, get out there, get involved or the wackos are gonna blow the place up.
Kirk, It would be interesting to reprise this exchange 25 years from now... hopefully, I'll still be around to do it.
Dear boozo,
I have read both of your comments, and I fail to see any coherence. Your arguments seem to be "<media of various forms> are a waste of time" and "I'm older than you".
And the lack of coherence shines dutifully through in the second to last paragraph - '...speaks volumes about the nature of "our times". By god, why not DO something about it!' Do something about *what*? That statement was about as relevant as a bag of bees. We're talking about life-in-general here, not politics (praise Ahura-Mazda).
And this argumentum ad antiquitatem thing your doing isn't really working, either. I know I'm no wiser than many who are younger than me, and it's kinda silly to think otherwise.
Just my eight cents.
Love,
jm
Um, that should be "you're" in the last paragraph.
You can read a book in five hours? Holy cats!
I know what you mean about getting out there and experiencing life. My favorite pasttime is driving around after dark with a shotgun in a pickup truck looking for non-whites. Nothing makes a man feel more alive than a good ol' fashioned lynching.
I hope you're picking up the sarcasm, because I'm laying it on pretty thick. The point, and it's been made before, is that if someone likes doing something, and isn't hurting anyone, don't be a dick.
If 25 years from now, he regrets time spent on activity x, it's probably because he'll realize that activities y and z were more worthwhile, and it really doesn't matter what the details of those activities are.
MUMM-RA THE EVERLIVING HAS DECIDED TO SPEND ETERNITY PLAYING VIDEO GAMES AND ORDERING IN UNTIL THIS PLAGUE OF HUMANS AND ANTHROPOMORPHIC FURRY PEOPLE IS WIPED FROM THIS EARTH!!! PERISH IN TIME SUCKERS!
chacha--well, it depends on the book. If I'm going full steam, maybe I'll get a page a minute, which covers a 300 page book in 5 hours.
I realize I said pretty much everything I need to say about this top in the mortality guide, the page "Time to Waste", http://kisrael.com/mortal/wasting.html
Responses to various folks (respectfully)
jm... not sure about the lack of coherence in my comments. Here they are simplified and extended.
1) First, my completely unsolicited advice to Kirk:
"Life doesn't exist in a CRT. Don't spend too much time staring at one. Life is out there in the real world."
I'm not sure what I could say to clarify that further. If Kirk chooses to take offense and/or ignore me, that's his business. I simply commented... no offense was intended.
Topic 2
Argumentum Antiquateum:
You wrote "I know I'm no wiser than many who are younger than me, and it's kinda silly to think otherwise."
Hmmm... assuming you're 20 something (?)... do you view yourself (typically) no wiser than a 5 or 10 year old? On my part, I'd guess that the actions/motivations/mistakes of a young child are really quite transparent to you. You understand what they are "up to" because you've been there/done that.
You've got that particular t-shirt.

When I offered my advice, it's based on the fact that I've got a closet full of t-shirts that you guys (probably) don't have yet.
Will my t-shirt (advice) fit you? Dunno. My personal guess is later on in life you will discover that it does.
While age and experience are no guarantee of great wisdom.... they sure as hell don't hurt either.
Don't diss somebody when they offer advice based on experience, the only other way you ever learn is by getting the pain directly.
3) Topic 3
"Why don't you do something? ...like WHAT? We're talking about life here...
Hmm.. that's exactly my point. If what makes a person's life worthwhile (or perhaps the appropriate word is tolerable) is "movies, video games and books" then... well... I guess I'm left somewhat saddened. That particular statement affects me deeply.
There is no mention of involvement, helping my friends, teaching children in the library, no picking up litter in the park, no volunteering at the SPCA, no working to save XXX whatever (fill in blanks)? Life with no passion, just passing tolerable?
I guess I'm genuinely puzzled that you would not understand what I'm trying to say when I offer up the advice "DO SOMETHING" (rather than live a life like that.)
Comment to King Fresca...
"if someone likes doing something, and isn't hurting anyone, don't be a dick"...
Hmmm... that is, in general, a statement of my libertarian philosophy.
If one wishes to spend their life lying drunk on a park bench, well, so be it. Have the resources to shoot heroin every day? Heck, be my guest. Eat bon-bons and read comic books? Why not? Keep your mouth shut and go your own way.
But there is a flaw with this. It is contingent on not giving a shit about other people.
Cigarettes kill you? Hell yes? Should I care if you smoke... well... I guess not.
I made my comment because even though I don't know him other than through this web page, I've read and followed Kirk's writings.
Truth is I actually give a shit about Kirk. I actually give a shit about all of you.
Sometimes if you actually give a damn you say things that other folks don't really want to hear.
I hope Kirk (and all of you)understand that.
Best wishes to all of you.
Boozo, I am puzzled by your need to have the Last Word. You make a lot of noise about how you've put your advice out there because you care, it's up to Kirk and anyone else to take it if they please, live and let live, etc. That being said, there's a whole lot of dead horse being needlessly bludgeoned.
Other people disagree with you -- well, dissent and unique convictions are right up there with SPCA and XXX-saving, in my brief and useless 27 years' experience. Personally, I disagree with at least half of what you've said, but I don't see how it matters. You've given Kirk your advice. I've given him mine. Embrace your hard-earned wisdom and trust in your words, if you are able, to resonate on their own, without wearing out your soapbox. You might need it again soon!