Apologies to my housemates - kinda

It has been noted by my housemates that during my week without Xbox I was not completely Xbox-less. I did 'play' Call of Duty 4 - 2 somewhat but since it is described by its designers as a cinematic experience rather than a game I feel I am slightly excused. My housemates would disagree but that would be their problem.

I'd also make apologies about other things but that's not really what I'm going to write about. Today I'm going to write concerning...world peace. Yes, world peace. And why I disagree with it. Not as an ideal, but as a concept.

You really think world peace is achievable in the next hundred years? Think about for it a second; every single nationalistic and patriotic tendency put to rest, every prejudice forgotten and discarded and rivalries and feuds ended for the greater good? Doesn't sound very human, does it?

This is because, at heart, I don't think people want to be at peace. Everyone likes a challenge - those who don't I'm going to generalize into either the category 'liar' or 'afraid of failure', neither of which I accept as a good reason to deny a challenge.

Without challenge, we wouldn't better ourselves - what would be the point? What would we need to improve if there were no challenges? The only life-form that has no real challenges in its existence is plants and trees, and even then I'd argue that a chainsaw might warrant some rather interesting selective evolution on behalf of the Earth's vegetation.

But what about the fuel crisis? Fossil fuel shortage? The O-zone layer? Extinction of other species? The solving of the mysteries of life?

I would say people would be more inclined to find an answer if there was some competitive reward to it - who finds the answer first. And whoever finds that answer, or whichever nation, will then play that advantage against the others, trading extortionately for will become an invaluable and necessary resource. Why have peace when you can be better than someone, right? Or everyone else.

Admittedly, that's not a very nice way to look at humanity but it's historically accurate. Did the U.S. share its discovery of fusion with the world to help deal with power shortages? Did the British Empire share its steam engine designs with the world? Was not gunpowder first traded extortionately before others could find its secret? Did Rome spread civilization peaceably to its neighbouring nations?

No, no, no and no. Because if you have an advantage, you use it. Otherwise it's not really an advantage. I'm pretty sure whoever invented the wheel covered in in canvas or animal skins to hide its secrets from others before letting the cat out of the bag when he died.

People argue that people don't share advantages with everyone because then others will use it against the creators. Shock horror. If, say, Kazakhstan perfected solar power and refused to share the technology with the U.S. or Europe, it would be for just political reasons - admittedly, we'd probably go in and do war until we got it but the those wily Kazaks might tear down the facilities and burn the evidence so we get nothing. They wouldn't share it because they'd fear to have it used against them and I'm pretty sure America would well do in one of its crusades for oil.

As soon as the second monkey found out how to use a club, he killed the first because it was the only other one who knew the secret. The secret of the club was a distinct advantage over other monkeys, and the best monkey got all the food and girl monkeys. So why share if you don't have to?

Yes, I'm judging, Yes, harshly and without a view to religion or other such humane elements of humanity. Doesn't change the fact that in the predominant number of examples I'm, sadly, right.

I'd be upset but since I'm not too bothered about world peace etc right now then I can hardly get too emotionally involved. I'm not bothered because right now in my house there's no hot water and a host of other more immediately applicable, albeit selfish, concerns.

But if I didn't care about me, I wouldn't be human right? No, I don't think I'm better or more deserving than other people. I just can't help them right now and going to the trouble of finding a way to do so would mean I'd compromise my position in a capitalist society built around the one and self-service. Sad but true. I'd hate the world but lucky for me I'm in quite a good position to cogitate on these things - and if you cared about personally saving the world you wouldn't be reading internet blogs when you're bored, would you, Adrian?

Your name's probably not Adrian but it was worth a shot for the chance someone named Adrian might fall off their desk chair in shock and then go change the world for the better. See, I'm doing my part; are you?

Life Goes On

So my week without Xbox comes to a close. It wasn't that big a sacrifice, as it turns out; I had plenty of fun and got some work done. But I didn't go out that much more, I didn't crave it's sweet radiated rapture and I didn't get any additionally work done - less, probably, but for unrelated reasons.

From this I can pretty much be safe in saying I'm not addicted to it, I just enjoy it. What I have done is watch a lot more films, which is worse for my mental and intellectual health I'm sure. This is not a slur on films in general, just on the ones I watched.

Apart from Starship Troopers, which is epic, and the Chinese films the others were not that fantastic. During Jennifer's Body I actually found myself wanting to turn it off because I was so uninvolved, and a couple of the others were just annoying - I almost shouted at the screen because of their lack of feasibility.

I very nearly gave up what remains of my soul by voluntarily watching Twilight, but my hand got leprosy when I touched the DVD. Taking this to be a bad sign, I didn't watch the film. The morning afterward my hand was fine.

I was also invited to see New Moon. That person may not know it yet, but we're no longer friends - it's official, I de-added on Facebook. Yeah, that shit got real...

So, moving swiftly away from silly films about adolescent vampires and desperate, necrophiliac teenage girls, I believe that Xbox is a healthy divergence away from other anti-boredom activities, like watching terrible films. So problem solved.

I also discovered that the apple juice I drink has as much sugar per hundred mill as a can of coke. Yes, I may have run out of things to do once. But at least my teeth will thank me.

Nearly done...

So the week is nearly up...I've lost 2 pounds of weight and gone to the gym far more than I am used to. Depressingly, this has only put me off going more often.

While technically I have used the Xbox, it was only for films and dvds. I found I have a good number of Jackie Chan films, most of which I've revisited, and have come to the conclusion that this is not a bad thing. While not having deep, insightful or philosophical messages, they are very entertaining. I think that this is, in part, because they were fun to make and the actors enjoyed doing so.

I get this idea for no real reason, no documentary proof, so really it's just an opinion but I like to think these films, and all entertaining films too, were not a chore to create and shoot, but something fun and enjoyable. I personally find anything I do that is fun will be fun to watch.

Sex is an exception, mostly. 'Mostly' because I think watching Megan Fox and Elisha Cuthbert have sex would be great fun.

Yes, I just lowered the tone but hey, this is an internet blog; what did you expect? High quality and insightful dialogue? Life changing soliloquies? Decency? That's not what the Internet's for, sorry.

I may be dead tomorrow, not because of lack of Xbox, but Twilight exposure; my housemate found a way to trick me into watching it. So I might have to find a way out of watching it.

Girls being love sick over walking corpses was never my thing. Chinese theatre, now at least that's entertianing.

The Xboxless Experiment; Proposal

After another long, summer escape I am back at university - in England now, rather than the U.S. My summer was full of fun, drink and debauchery which all occurred on a budget, seeing as how the world decided to laugh at my attempts to get a job. I'm back at uni now, however, and my government has seen fit to supply me with monies so I am enjoying it.

There are some days during the week where, due to holes in my timetable a drunk lorry driver could get through, I have nothing to do. Yes, reading, studying, working etc could all take up these days but since my timetable is pretty sparse anyway I get all those done pretty quickly. I still have no job - thanks, world - so that can't do it either. I tried sleeping through the day, but I hate the idea of a six day week because I'd only be shortchanging myself.

All in all, this means I'm spending an undue amount of time trying to find things to do or, failing that, playing Xbox. While not necessarily a bad thing, I want to make sure I'm not addicted. So I'm giving it up.

For a week. I know that sounds half arsed and a cop out, but there's very little to do where I live during the day - so little to do it may well be called nothing as the council have just about achieved their dream of removing all day time recreational activities for students from the city.

I hope to, in this Xboxless week, learn to cook, tidy my room, solve world hunger and cure cancer. I believe my goals are feasible enough to counteract the seriousness of my abstinence from console gaming. If, after a week, I think I can go longer I will start taking sponsorship money.

As a warning, this blog is going to become a bit of a diary detailing my success/failure and retelling my attempts to find alternate entertainment in my city. Since I don't think many people read this, no one should mind. If you do, get in touch and I'll make it a little more interesting. Probably by robbing a bank. Or marrying Elisha Cuthbert.

The Iceland Conspiracy.

Yes, I'm finally home. Back in Blightie. Returned to the Land of Eng. And to be honest, I kind of miss America.

Don't get me wrong, I'm damn happy to be back. I just miss the friends I made out in Happygunland. I also miss the girls who want to know me just because I'm English. I also miss not having to worry about a job, sleeping in and having any kind of idea what time it is when I wake up.

Jet lag has struck with vengeance after my long sojourn from flying and what I believe is 11a.m. is in fact 4p.m. Yes, that's the time difference and should be expected but if I go to sleep at 1a.m. my body clock shouldn't conspire to keep me asleep for well over twelve hours. Unless it hates me.

My flights back weren't plagued by misfortune, as I had feared they might. No inhumanly gross co-passengers and no delays. Just lots of security checks. Lots and lots and lots of them. Mainly in Iceland, believe it or not; apparently the recent rise in terrorism has the Icelandic authorities incredibly concerned. On the face of it, there's nothing in Iceland worth terrorizing - maybe cows and grass, but there are easier places to find those things.

No, instead I have come to the conclusion that there must be some great treasure or artifact of power hidden in the Icelandic wilds. The cross Jesus was crucified on maybe? Or the Holy Grail...A quantum computer laboratory? Or even a doomsday device the likes of which only Marvel Comics has come close to imagining?

Or there's just an unbalanced amount of paranoia in Iceland - never before have they needed it, and suddenly now they've received centuries worth of concentrated, industrial grade paranoia all at once. Hence the four security checks I went through, manned by stony-faced cops, some armed. All within the same terminal.

Off the plane - checkpoint. Upstairs - checkpoint. A second, in-terminal, passport control - checkpoint. To get to the separated area where my gate was - checkpoint. And again before I got on my second plane. I don't know many people who can change identity at will that fast. Perhaps they had a shapeshifting immigrant through recently or something. Who knows.

So now my summer plan is to unearth the possible-secret of Iceland. Depending on what I find, I'll share it with the world. If it's a lifetime's supply of peanut butter...don't get your hopes up.