Albums I'm listening to

Videogames and Learning

It has always made me upset to hear critics unjustly bash video games. Some of what I am talking about is the recent controversy of games causing violence in our society, or how they are just bad for kids to be playing in general. These arguments could maybe be used to support cases of individuals who abuse these resources, but to condemn video games as a whole is simply ridiculous. Some of my most intelligent friends have been playing games their entire lives. My brothers and I, who have turned out okay for the most part, have been playing them for years, and I can say with confidence we have not been negatively impacted by them. If anything video games can be an invaluable resource for learning. Positive learning! If you have any interest in this idea I highly recommend this blog post-

How Minecraft taught my 9-year-old son with Asperger’s to read and write

"In the game world he is confident, he dares to try things and, above all, he feels good and competent."

"My son has learned how to use YouTube, Google and Wikipedia as a natural way to look for information that can be applied in the game. He has also started to produce and publish his own videos on YouTube, teaching others about the game."

Not all videogames are linear experiences where you are mindlessly running around and shooting things. Most games out there I would call works of art. There are also some that really make you think. These are the kinds of games I like to play. One of my favorite games is called Braid. It's a puzzle game that lets you manipulate time to overcome obstacles. The visuals and music are sublime, and it's super rewarding to solve the challenging puzzles.



Another game very similar to Braid is Limbo. This game creates a dark, creepy atmosphere that goes along perfectly with the challenging puzzles. Throw in complex, open-ended conclusions to the stories of both these games, and they still have me thinking years later.



I think video games provide a level of interaction and engagement that is hard to match. What the Mother and her son from the blog post accomplished using games like Minecraft, Braid, and Limbo prove that games can be a great source for learning.

We are infinite

This weekend I read "The Perks of Being a Wallflower". My expectations were pretty high going in, especially after seeing all the critical praise it received and hearing positive feedback from friends who read it. Now after reading it for myself I can say it was even better than I had hoped. What a wonderful book this was. I wish I could have read it in high school. It's a coming of age story of the high school freshman Charlie who is struggling with a lot of issues that don't simply appear on the surface. It is unique in how it is written and also how it doesn't shy away from uncomfortable but relevant topics. No matter what your high school experience was like I bet there is some situation or character that you could relate to. Probably not to the full extremity, but at least part of it. For me there was a lot about Charlie that I had an easy time relating with. That's not to say I had a similar high school experience to Charlie. My problems were not even remotely close to as bad as what he deals with, and thankfully so. But for as different as our experiences were, he was still the easiest character for me to relate to. This book made me love Charlie and want nothing but the best for him. Maybe that is partly why I can't stop thinking about it and already want to read it again.What Stephen Chbosky has written feels very genuine to say the least. If you have not read this book I would highly recommend doing so. In my opinion, it is no exaggeration to call this a modern classic.

Here are just some of my favorite quotes from the book.

"we accept the love we think we deserve." -Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower

"And in that moment, I swear we were infinite." -Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower

"I am very interested and fascinated how everyone loves each other, but no one really likes each other." -Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower

"So, I guess we are who we are for alot of reasons. And maybe we'll never know most of them. But even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there. We can still do things. And we can try to feel okay about them." -Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower

 



 

Babel

Album of the year for the 2013 Grammy awards goes to Mumford and Sons' Babel. They got it right. I couldn't be happier for this band right now. In my opinion this album is perfect, regardless if it had won or not. I will sleep peacefully tonight.

Sunday Afternoon

With a prediction of 10 to 15 inches of snow, gusting winds, and four exams next week this is what the rest of my afternoon will consist of. This semester has already been brutally hard and there isn't any signs of it getting easier. Makes it hard to have a life! My study break will come when the Grammys are on. I normally don't care for this ceremony because a lot of the times it rewards bad music. This year it has a chance to get it right with my bands The Black Keys and Mumford and Sons being nominated for numerous awards. When looking at the competition they should have the best shot at winning (they better win anyways)! I'm predicting that Frank Ocean will clean house tonight with the most awards, including best new artist. I also firmly believe that The Black Keys should and will win record of the year for "Lonely Boy". The biggest award however will come when my all-time favorite band Mumford and Sons take home the album of the year award for "Babel". Get it right Grammys!



One of the greatest music videos ever made.


Song from their new album.