It’s what I imagined it was. I haven’t gotten that far into it right now as I’ve been quite busy with work and home life. But still. Just playing the character creation and tutorial storyline to the game was quite amazing. The choices I made effected things around me. And the story immersed me right into the game from the very start.
I’m currently at the normal “Fallout” beginning of the game. If you’ve played the first 2, you know what I mean. It’s when that big round door2 has just closed behind you and you’re out in the rad-filled world. But before that I started to feel for the characters in the game. Not just my own, but those that he grew up around. That’s a sure sign of great authors. And when a great literary piece can be experienced, rather than just read, I think that makes it even better.
Oh, and I got my first chance at V.A.T.S. It’s the “turn-based” aspect to the game. You hit the “V” on your keyboard3 and you get this neat little green aiming system. You pick a few body parts while the game is paused, hit the “E” key to tell V.A.T.S. you’re done picking, and the slow motion starts up. Your shots come slowly out of your gun4 and the huge cockroach goes >splat<. It was quite cool.
Now, I will say this game is not meant for children. It’s mature for a reason. So, parents, be careful about buying this for your kids. I know I would not let my daughter play it or even watch me playing it. But for the older gamer, the storyline looks likes it’s going to be great5 and the graphics look quite awesome. So I’ll be playing this one for a long time to come. After all, it was created by Bethesda, and their games are always epic in length.
Ok. The Splenda thing is cool. Johnson and Johnson may own like half the companies out there, and people may think they’re the “devil,” but you have to admit they have some pretty cool healthcare products. I mean Splenda is a dieters dream.1 It gives you sweet stuff without calories and carbs. So it’s also great for diabetics. And now they have this flavored water stuff that comes in lemon and raspberry. Gotta love it.2
But then you have those other two. One is a quick shower and shave thing and the other is a stress reliever. They are both geared towards women. Why? What about us guys who want our own quick shower and shave. I’d love to be able to wash my hair, bathe my body, and shave my face using the same stuff from the same bottle. I think any guy would. But no. They have to market it to ladies. Well, I’m going to try it anyway. So nyah!
And that stress reliever. Sheesh. I work at a middle school. I could use a little stress relief myself. And no, I don’t mean the kids. The kids are awesome compared to other schools I have had the, um, pleasure to work in.
The same thing happens with some books. The Uglies series is a great young adult series with action and sci-fi. But it’s marketed to girls. I have no idea why. Boys would love it to. But since it’s called “Uglies,” and has a picture of a girl on the front, guys shy away from it.
Well, here is the feminine side of me saying just because you may be a guy doesn’t mean you have to stick to only guy stuff. We’re allowed our guilty pleasures just as much as women. And other than the xBoxes, PS3s, and Guitar Heroes of the world, I see nothing wrong with using some stress relief after a quick shave in the shower to make myself feel better.
So those environmental minded people over at J & J better watch out. I might start a trend and have guys buying products geared towards women more often. Then they’ll have to make even more of it, and maybe change some packaging.3
(The following was in response to a discussion question at my University’s forums.)
Some of my favorite quotes can be used to describe the “perfect” teacher.1
“The mind is a terrible thing to close.” - Saphrym
Yeah. I said that one. It’s a play on the old slogan of the mind is a terrible thing to waste. But it means that we should always keep an open mind. And that goes double or even triple for teachers.
“If you capture kids’ hearts, you have their heads. If you don’t capture their hearts, you have no business messing with their heads.” - Menville Flippen
Teaching is not just about spitting out information for students to learn. Teachers are role models whether we want to be or not. Students will come to us for advice. They will want us to understand them as people. If a teacher doesn’t want that part of teaching, they should probably pick a different career.
“Know your students.”
I have no idea who said that, but it is the foundation of teaching. How can you possibly provide the best education for a student without knowing about that student? Sure, a mediocre education can be provided to just about anyone, but the best education can only be provided when the teacher knows how to teach each individual student. That requires knowledge of the student.
Those are the 3 quotes I live my life and professional life by. Of course, I’ve recently added another one to that:
“Risk more than others think is safe. Care more than others think is wise. Dream more than others think is practical. Expect more than others think is possible.” - Claude Bissell
It may be a common cadet quote, but I think it fits the teacher profession quite well too. Don’t you?
Although there is no such thing as a perfect teacher because there’s always more to learn. [«]
Risk more than others think is safe. Care more than others think is wise. Dream more than others think is practical. Expect more than others think is possible.
I know this because I recently purchased a plaque for my wife that had that saying on it. Figured it would be a great decoration on her desk. She’s now a special education teacher. So I thought the quote was quite appropriate when I saw it. That last part is especially important: “Expect more than others think is possible.”
Isn’t that what we should do as teachers? We should always expect the best from our students. And when I say that, I don’t mean they should always get 100s on their tests. What I mean is we should always expect them to do THEIR best. And we should always push them to do better. This means EVERY student. We should never give up on our students. We should never say, “Well, he’s got [insert disorder here] so he’ll never be able to [insert activity or goal here].” There are students with disabilities that have surpassed any expectations that were put on them because people believed in them and expected the best from them. What about those people without arms who paint beautiful paintings with their feet? What about the blind people who can navigate a room better than most sighted people? What about deaf people who can see things we never could see?
Students can and will meet our expectations with the right tools and dedication. So if we set those expectations low, then can we be surprised when they meet them and go no further? And those labels should have absolutely no bearing on us expecting their best. None. Nada. Zip.
Ok. If you’ve got an iPhone1 or iPod Touch, you’ve really got to try this game. I’ve played the computer versions but it’s never been something for me to stick with them. But, the concept of playing the game every once in a while to check on your villagers and how they are doing is perfect for mobile gaming.
I bought this game yesterday and have played it for about 10 minutes at a time in various locations. For instance, while waiting for High School Musical 3 to start2, I checked on my villagers to see how well they were building the school in their village. I also got some more research started and played a few mini games to get their progress going a little faster. All of this within a 6 or 7 minute stretch while sitting in the middle of the theater.
Mobile games are great for those few minutes here and there lifestyles. And this game lets you play something very similar to the Sims in concept any place you want. Since I have my iPhone everywhere I go, this is a great game to have. It’s definitely worth the pittance3 I paid for it. My rule is I must get at least one hour per $5.00 I spend on a game. Well, with all of the time I’ve put into this game and will put into this game, I’ll definitely get my money’s worth.
You’ve definitely got to play it if you’re a fan of the Sims and like easy to pick up and quick to play games. Check it out here:
This is Saphrym the gamer speaking. I used to be nuts about Spore. Still am. It’s a great game to me. Although the new 100 part expansion coming out is bugging me because it’s going to be $20.00 and considering the cost of bite size pieces of software1, I think it’s way overpriced. Should be around $10.00 at most.
But now Fallout 3 is coming out. If you know me, you know I’m easily bored. I constantly change games and have never really played many games all the way through. I’ve been screamed at for not finishing KoToR3. I’ve never finished leveling a character in an MMO as far as they can go.4 But I have completed exactly 3 games since graphical RPGs have come out. Those 3 are: Mass Effect, Fallout, and Fallout 2. So, Fallout 3 excites me. And the fact that it will be an open world done by Bethesda excites me even more.
Check out this trailer for it. It definitely shows the 50s retro style from the original 2 games that I fell in love with. Oh, and did you notice the 3 games I finished were not fantasy based games. And the only MMO I fully leveled in was a Sci-Fi? Hmmm. Sorry. Got off track. Back to the trailer that also shows the great graphics:5
like the $0.99 apps for the iPhone or the cheap WiiWare games [«]
Ok. Nothing fantastic. I know. I haven’t lost the last few pounds to make my 100 lb. weight loss goal just yet. Nothing spectacular has happened in my diet. I haven’t made any breakthroughs because I just haven’t been focusing on it right now1. I’ve been focusing on my students who I will no longer be teaching next week, and that saddens me2.
But I have kept the weight off. Considering it’s been over a year since this diet started, I think it’s actually a great thing that I’ve lost 90 pounds and kept it off. It’s gone. It’s not coming back. And I’m not going to let it.
So, no. I haven’t lost any more weight. But I’ve done something that is just as tough. I’ve kept it off. I’ve kept 90 pounds of weight away from me. And I’m quite proud of that.
Seriously. It does. I’m only substituting for them right now because their teacher had a baby, but she will be back next week. I’m going to miss my kids. I’ve had them for over 2 months, so yes, I claim them as mine right now. [«]
This was a response of mine on a university forum. I thought I’d share:
It is impossible for any test to measure personality perfect. This is why there are general terms for people. The problem with people trying to figure out who they are on their own is some people don’t know where to start. Some people have no idea. And just the act of taking the personality tests can get a person thinking about how they feel and what they would do in certain circumstances. So, in that case, the test results are not the important part. And again, the act of reading the result and finding a little of yourself within it helps you think more and more about who you are. In no way should a personality test results be deemed perfect. It’s impossible 1. But the act of taking it and reflecting on the results helps a person to become more aware of who they are.
Also, a personality test is sometimes false because we don’t answer truthfully or don’t realize some of the things we do. I used to use a program called Dr. Shrink with my friends. It was just a fun thing to do. It was very accurate in many cases though. But my rule was that at least 2 other people who knew you had to agree on the answers given. If nothing else, the results were more reflective of how other people see you, and that can be an enlightening journey all by itself.
Finally, I will end by saying that for a person to truly love another individual, they must love themselves first. Not in the egotistical way. Self-esteem is very important in my own opinion2. But I agree that self understanding is even more so. Both lead to a fuller life.
I really do believe that personality tests can help someone to understand themselves better. But not necessarily the test itself. It’s the journey, not the destination.3
Ever read “Lord of the Flies?” Well, in that book the boys find a conch shell. They make a rule that only the person who has the conch can talk during a meeting.
So I decided to try it in my class. I bought a very soft ball. It kind of looks like a big golf ball but it squishes down flat on the table.1 You could hit someone and it wouldn’t hurt. Actually, this one could probably even be played with inside a house easily.2 My point is, the ball is safe. A sponge ball would work well too. You, know, like those orange ones that Nerf put out.
Now, what I do is I make all the students be quiet. Only the person with the ball can talk. So I throw it to the students I want to answer questions and such. A good side benefit of this particular method of classroom management is the fact that I also throw it to random people who might not have their hands up. What this does is makes the students pay attention to me so they don’t get hit with the ball without notice. So, now the students are paying attention, they’re having fun, and they’re answering questions. It’s hard to beat that as a classroom management tool.
I know this because I like to flatten it and watch it grow again. I know. I’m easily amused. [«]
Of course outside is even better on sunny days. And no need for outdoor furniture covers to protect them form the ball either. [«]
Great site, very inspirational, I hope that one day I am able to become self disciplined and turn down the foods that I should not eat. Definitely something worth reading if you are interested in loosing weight, or would like some tips. — Peter Foti
