Fun with #OkCupid: A dude in the OKC corral (My Revelation on Drinking and Dating)

<editorsnote> Nerds, meet my buddy Kenny. We e-met through OKC and although we've never gone out on a date, he was inspired by my documentation of my online search for love, that he wanted to come on board and provide male insight into OKC. So here you go ... and now we're here ... HIT IT KENNY!!</editorsnote>

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @KennethArthurS

My latest revelation in life has come very late, but that doesn't mean that it's too late.  I mean, revelations don't come to you in the beginning, they come to you somewhere in the middle.  When a revelation comes to you in the "beginning" that's not a revelation, that's just preparation.

I had a revelation and last night and maybe it would have been nice to have thought of this ten years ago, but there is still plenty of time to apply this to my life going forward and I am excited to see the results.  I honestly don't feel like a lot people will be able to relate to this and I can already picture some of you judging me for it, but I don't care because I have already had a revelation about people judging you: It doesn't matter and you shouldn't give it 1% of your attention or energy.

Judge away.

Last night I went out with some friends.  It was $2.50 margarita Wednesdays at Barragon's in Echo Park and I wanted to join in on what my friend called: "Wednesday Buck Buck."  (Buck as in "Buck Wild" but in this case we would actually be going double that... "Buck Buck Wild.")

The name alone had sold me that I wanted to join in on the festivities.  I want to be a part of Wednesday Buck Buck!  The only problem is that it's Wednesday.  And it's in Echo Park.  And that's not close to my house.  And I have to be at work by 8 AM.  What to do?  

I had two choices in front of me: Go Buck Buck and force myself to wake up at 5:30 AM to beat traffic and get ready for work or dial it down two notches, simply go "Wednesday Bu Bu," and drive home.  I opted to just dial it down a notch, keep it cool, keep my wits so that I could drive home in time to get a couple hours of z's and head off to work.

It was a revelation.

Some of you are probably saying "I don't see what the big deal is?" but this is where the part comes that you judge me for.  I don't go half-ass on drinking.  EVER.  I went to Washington State University and that means something.  Maybe its a reputation that some alumni don't like, but people that go to school there go hard in the paint.  They go h.a.m.  That shit cray.  They whistle while they twerk.  We back dat azz up.  

Sorry, I got distracted for a minute.  But seriously, we drink.  There's nothing else to do there, it's a small town in Eastern Washington and the entire population of the town is basically 20,000 college students and seven teachers.

There are two movie theaters.  The closest town is Moscow, Idaho and it might as well be the more famous Moscow in Russia, which is probably more prosperous.  So we drink and we drink and we drink til we sleep and that habit has been with me ever since.

Some people would say I was an alcoholic but I went two years without drinking after I graduated and it wasn't a conscious choice, I was just in a relationship and I never felt the need to.  You could probably call me some kind of alcoholic though based on how I drink, but I don't know.  And I don't care.  But all I know was that last night felt different.

I drank my margaritas in moderation and I took it slow.  I enjoyed conversations, talked with friends, laughed, broke up fights, and had a good time.  Most of all though, I noticed the behavior of women towards me and that was weird.

It was weird because they were flirtatious and I was holding conversations and I sort of felt like I had this new control.  Not because they were drunk, because they weren't, but because I wasn't drunk.  I was simply myself but with a little kick.  I was like a Bud Light Lime.

For the first time since... maybe ever... I was in control of myself while I was out drinking with my friends and I absolutely loved it.  I leaned over to my friend, a guy that I know has already mastered the technique of drinking in moderation and told him about the revelation I was having at just that moment and he simply said, "Oh yeah.  I've had that revelation and it's fucking amazing."

Last night I had to control my drinking because I had to drive home at the end of the night but from now on I am going to control my drinking because I want to.  I am going to take control of my drinking because it's going to help me take control of my life.  I am going to control my drinking and maybe make less an ass of myself in front of the ladies at the bar and maybe next time get a phone number and not text terrible messages at 3 AM.

I want to mark this moment, May 5th 2012, as the day that I start the "experiment" known as "Kenny's Controlled Drinking" and I will relay my results back as they come.

Wish me luck!

I mean, wish me buck buck!

#thatisall

Want some more from Kenny? Follow him on twitter over yonder!

and don't forget to check out his blog!! <----- good shit!

#NerdsUnite: Confessions of a videogame journalist

<editorsnote> Nerds, meet my buddy John. We started talking on the twitter not too long ago, and then he reached out and asked if he could write for us regarding his journey through the nerdy realm. I was all DUDDEEE!! That's so raaaddd!! And now, here we are. Like right now, in real time, this is happening. Pretty cool huh? HIT IT JOHN!!! </editorsnote>

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's John Sollitto

There’s something about the phrase “Character creation” in a game’s description that makes our eyes go wild with joy and possibility. I mean, who doesn’t love putting a virtual version of themselves into a game and slaying a dragon or buying a huge house and throwing crazy parties in it?

The evolution of character creation was slow. Of course it started out in those pen and paper games we all love, and when PC gaming and console gaming came around, well there was just nothing stopping us. And it’s not just games where you fight hordes of monsters or save princesses.

I bought Fight Night Champions the other day. Why? Cause I like boxing and I like beating people up, that’s why. Don’t judge me. But I bought it and I was looking through the game modes and found out that you could create a little boxer dude and have him go through a career in boxing, fighting made up boxers and real ones. How could I resist?

So I made digital John Sollitto, seen here:

And off I went. Really the big thing about making a character for me is that level of immersion. It’s letting you do all those things you’ve always wanted to do but never could, to fully escape reality. It’s why people read books, or watch movies, except you’re inside of it and your decisions influence the outcome. It’s your tale.

Sports games do this all the time now and thankfully so because I am crap at some of the games in real life but by god can I catch ANYTHING in Madden or score six hat-tricks in a string of hockey games.

Of course you get people who are like, “Why don’t you go out and ACTUALLY play soccer?” Why don’t I do that? Because I’m terrible at it and I want to play in the FIFA World Cup one day and if I spend $60 I can go there in a second and be amazing and win, as opposed to training my whole life and maybe getting there.

Is it so wrong to live out a dream in digital form? Can’t we just escape reality and turn our volume up on max and watch ourselves score goal after goal in glorious succession to the roar of the crowd? Or what about seeing ourselves climb to the top of a mountain and defeat a dragon?

I literally jumped up and down in my house when I defeated Wladimir Klitschko in Fight Night. The dude is a MONSTER. He had like 7 inches and 20 pounds on me and I KO’d him with a straight crack to the face! IT WAS AWESOME. I mean look at him! He’s crazy looking! He’s like the non-blonde Ivan Drago.

What I’m trying to say is that video games offer us just as much of an escape as other forms of art and literature. Games are glorious and I honestly don’t know what I’d do without the little digital Johns running around in the video game universe saving worlds and winning title matches. They’re fun, what else is there to say?

I think the industry has finally realized that immersing the player in the game creates a level of investment that you honestly can’t replicate. It’s ingenious, it’s incredible, and I applaud game devs.

However, the more this happens the better the immersion has to be because if people feel cheated with a character they’ve created and feel that their level of freedom is cut off, then creating a character can backfire. We’re seeing that now with the Mass Effect debacle.

My favorite is when they tell you that the player has “INFINITE LEVELS OF CUSTOMIZATION” and what they really mean is “You can change the character’s clothes and weapons! And choose their skills! But you have to be the same character because that’s our story.” There’s nothing wrong with this, but there is misleading market speech when you say “character customization.” That phrase comes with so much expectation now that there should be more specificity to diffuse potentially disgruntled customers.

I’m so excited to see what the future of the industry brings, especially with so many cameras and facial technology coming to the front. We’re about to see a lot of our own faces in games, and not just the best recreations we can do. THE FUTURE IS NOW!

#nerdsunite

Want more from John? Click here to follow him on the twitter!

#NerdsUnite: The journey is the destination

<editorsnote> Nerds, meet my buddy Ali. She and I bonded on Facebook a few years back over our love of everything Pete Cashmore. ::SIGH:: so dreamy. She is here today to talk to you all about her new adventure which included quitting her job and hitting the road. Pretty rad right?  I only have one more thing left to say ... HIT IT ALI!!! </editorsnote>

We’re in Spain!  The border change was a bit of an anti-climax.  I didn’t know what to expect but had the passports ready just in case and well…there wasn’t even a sign!  I literally looked at the Sat Nav and saw that ‘Rue’ had become ‘Calle’ and so we must be in Spain.  The weather here is so much better, the sun is almost always shining and we’re spending our days by the sea.  We’ve seen some spectacular sunsets and fallen asleep to the sounds of the ocean.  It really has given us those special moments we were looking for.

It’s not all been plain sailing though.  Today as we went to leave Bilbao, one of our favourite cities, the van wouldn’t start.  If we managed to get it to judder into life it would cut out the instant the foot left the accelerator.  We tried and we tried but no joy so we gave in and called the breakdown company.  Rain started to pour from the sky as we watched the van get towed away and I just felt heart broken.  What if this was the end?  What if the van couldn’t be fixed?  It’s old, maybe we pushed it too far.  I couldn’t help but cry.

We trekked into town with the belongings we could carry and settled down on a park bench.  The amazing thing about living in a campervan is that your home is wherever you want it to be from one day to the next.  The awful thing is that when it’s towed away you’re homeless. 

We sat in the park for hours on a rainy humid day, feeling miserable and terrified that this may signal the end of our amazing adventure.  After what seemed like an eternity the breakdown cover company confirmed it was just a broken seal in the fuel pipe and the van should be in full working order by tomorrow.  In the mean time we were to be put up in a fancy 4 star hotel.  So I sit here on a real bed, using the free wifi after a glorious shower wearing a crisp white towel with the world’s biggest grin on my face.  When life throws you lemons, grab some tequila and have yourself a party!

#thatisall

click here to follow Ali on twitter!

#NerdsUnite: Around the world with @HeatherReusz

<editorsnote> Nerds, meet my buddy Heather. She's a nerd who is currently living in Japan by way of Chicago. Yep, talk about a culture shock. She's here today to talk about her life, love (which she is currently balancing long distance) and all things nerd. I only have one more thing left to say ... HIT IT HEATHER!!!</editorsnote>

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @HeatherReusz

I’ve had a crazy couple of weeks! This past week and a half has been Golden Week which is basically Japanese spring break. I knew that this was my last break before leaving Japan so I wanted to fit in as much sight-seeing and random adventures as possible. I knew exactly where I wanted to go too, Kyoto. As the old capital of Japan, there a ton of shrines and important historical sites in the area as well as some super cool nearby cities like Nara, home to the biggest Buddha statue in Japan, Osaka, with super amazing terrible for you food, and Hiroshima, which was a historical must-see for me. I won’t tell you all of the details but suffice to say it was an amazing trip that I thoroughly enjoyed.

I will share with you my favorite day of the trip though. It all started with a sudden change of plans. I was going to spend the day seeing the Golden Pavilion and Kiyomizu temple. However, that morning was cloudy. I wanted to be able to see the Golden Pavilion in sunlight to get the full effect so I hopped on a different train last minute to a temple called Fushimi Inari. Some of you other hardcore Japan nerds may know this temple as the one with thousands of tori gates in a row. It’s featured in plenty of animes where the main character runs through the winding tunnels of crimson gates. It was definitely on the top of my list of places to see in Kyoto. Once I got there, I started reading the guide book and stopped dead in my tracks. The gates all lead up to the top of a mountain. Cool. Except that I was nowhere near dressed or prepared to handle a two and a half mile hike up a mountain. I’ve gotten really into Japanese fashion. Anyplace where it is socially acceptable and encouraged for you to wear a black mini skirt with knee high socks, heels, and an oversized shirt is totally awesome in my opinion. So there I was staring at the gates up the mountain with my heels on and no water. I decided it was just time to put my big girl pants on, suck it up, and do it. I didn’t come across the country to NOT do this hike.

It was well worth it. There are no words that can describe how beautiful and peaceful it was on the path. When the sunlight hit the tori gates in just the right way, they shimmered. I swear I can understand why some people say it’s a path that can lead to inner enlightenment and peace.That’s not to say it was easy though! It was very hot. I huffed and puffed my way up taking frequent breaks. My legs ached for days but it was all worth it.

After my exhausting hike, it was only about 1 o’clock so I couldn’t very well call it a day. I took the train back, napping the whole way, to get to one of Kyoto’s most famous temples: Kiyomizu. It’s mainly notable for the fact that the whole thing was built off the side of a cliff using no nails in the construction. It also has a famous spring that people from all over Japan flock to drink from. Taking a drink for this spring supposedly grants you a wish if you wish and pray hard enough while drinking.

I was totally surprised by the size of the main temple off of the cliff. It was almost unbelievable that this thing was standing and stable let alone that no nails or anything like that was used in the construction.

There was a long line to get to the spring but I waited patiently to get my wish granted. The water from the spring is pumped into three overhead rivers. It comes down almost like a waterfall next to a platform. When it’s your turn to drink, you have to take this metal cup attached to a long bamboo pole to catch the water and then drink what you got out of your hands. I was surprised by how strong the water flow was. I almost lost my grip on the cup. Then there was the difficulty of trying to fish it back onto the platform without hitting anyone else. I got about three handfuls of water in my cup. Hopefully my wish will come true after all that.

After my fun afternoon at Kiyomizu, I headed towards a nearby shopping district: Gion. Gion is most famous for how well preserved it is. The shops and restaurants are very reminiscent of Kyoto in its heyday as the capital. The reason I was really interested in going though was because that’s one of the only places in modern Japan where you can catch a rare glimpse of geisha. I’ve been fascinated by the geisha culture and profession for many years now. Before you even ask the question, geisha are not prostitutes. That’s a myth that was really reinforced in post war Japan when prostitutes would dress in gaudy kimonos and paint their faces white to attract foreigners who came looking for “geisha”. A true geisha is a living piece of art. Literally, that’s what geisha translates to. They are trained in all traditional arts from dance to tea ceremony to conversation. They are the perfect hostess. It takes a lot to become a true geisha. It is a very respected and revered profession.

In the modern world though, it is slowly becoming less prominent. I knew the odds were against me to have a geisha spotting but I patiently strolled to streets seeing if I could catch a glimpse of one heading to an engagement. Lucky as I was, not only did I see one but two. They were hurrying along the street to get to their destination. A couple of people approached and asked for pictures but they continued on ignoring them. I thought I would give it a shot as well. I approached and tried my best in my stumbling and broken Japanese to ask them for a photo while bowing just to show how passionate about this I was. They got a kick out of it and said sure. So to these two lovely ladies: Thank you for making my life!!!

#nerdsunite

click here to follow Heather on Twitter!

Fun with #OkCupid: A dude in the OKC corral (the dating slump)

<editorsnote> Nerds, meet my buddy Kenny. We e-met through OKC and although we've never gone out on a date, he was inspired by my documentation of my online search for love, that he wanted to come on board and provide male insight into OKC. So here you go ... and now we're here ... HIT IT KENNY!!</editorsnote>

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @casetines

I’m all out of love, I’m so lost without you, I’m sitting at home, alone on a Friday.

Oh, hi.  I didn’t see you there.  Come on in and have a seat, I’ve made Bagel Bites.  I’m so glad you made it.  Look how far we’ve come, my baby.  No, WAIT, COME BACK!  Sorry, I won’t do that again.  I swear…  by the moons and the stars in the sky.

Seriously, L-O-L-J-K, K?  I want to have a chat.  Please stick around for awhile.

The reason that I invited you over here was because I’m in a slump.  Yeah, that’s right.  A dating slump.  I don’t know what to do but maybe we could talk it out.  How’d I get into this slump?  Well, ever since January when I had a trio of dates that went varying levels of nowhere, I can’t buy a good date.  And trust me, I’ve tried.  The escort service was like “No. Stop calling.  We no want your business.” 

The last girl I went out with invited me over to her place and then rejected me when I tried to make a move.  I’m still trying to remove the dagger from my heart on that one, but it’s stuck in there like the sword in the stone.  The girl before that was great up until the moment she told me that she didn’t see a romantic relationship in our future.  Oh, the girl before that?  She was awesome!  I wonder what ever happened to her, since she stopped returning my texts.

What’s a guy to do?  Get back on the horse?  Oh yeah, that wasn’t a problem.  I did get right back on the horse.  It’s not like K-Steins was about to give up, ya dig?  I kept moving, kept shaking, kept the booty quaking.  At least I tried and I tried to try.  What happened?  Not a single response.

It’s like the K-Man was throwing bait in the water over and over again and kept catching tuna cans.  I cannot eat a tuna can, I am not a goat.  Maybe I should convert to Goattism. 

However, as a current non-Goat, a man must figure out what to do when his dating life has hit the skids.  He must realize that not only does one ride the horse (or the goat, or a goat riding a horse flying on the wings of an eagle) but that man cannot ride horse if man does not mount horse.  I’ve been flailing and jumping trying to get on the horse as if I am Peter Dinklage, but I can’t give up just because I failed.  Eventually I’ll get onto the horse and mount the horse.  The horse may not ride, but with enough trying I will have success.

It’s like anything else in life; hard work breeds success.  Nothing comes for free.

It’s like Martha Washington once said: “Gotta get that.  Gotta get that.  Gotta get that BOOM BOOM BOOM!”

Been awhile since you’ve had a good date?  Don’t worry, they will come.  It’s like they say, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take…

Wait, that doesn’t really make any sense.  How can you miss something you don’t take?  Doesn’t seem fair.  How about this: You will never have sex again if you never have sex again.  You miss 100% of the girls or guys you don’t date.  You can’t find love if you’re lookin’ for a porcupine sitting on a tuffet.  (That last one is something I just imagined Paula Deen saying.)

Don’t fret pets and I won’t fret either.  Slumps happen but you have to break out of a slump, it won’t happen on it’s own.  You’re a baby raptor, trying to break out of it’s little baby shell so get out there and attack some people.  Wait, that doesn’t sound right.  I mean in the metaphorical sense of a raptor attacking it’s prey, but like, instead of that I mean knocking boots and stuff.

Does that make more sense?

Thanks for listening.  Thanks for sharing.  I don’t know what I’d do without you.  Seriously.  How do I live without you?  I want to know.  How do I breathe without you?  By sucking in and out air?  Not good enough.  Must suck love. 

Wait….

#thatisall

Want some more from Kenny? Follow him on twitter over yonder!

and don't forget to check out his blog!! <----- good shit!