The above question is one most people recognize as a conversation filler or a casual conversation food. It is mostly used between friends who are very familiar and talk often with each other. A more formal version of it does exist in the form of, "What are you working on?" usually used to ask what new projects or goals this person is working on at that point in life. Also exists "What have you been up to?" used between acquaintances who have not met for a long time. Out of the three, guess which one I don't want to hear from a random stranger.
Correct answer is obviously in the title: "Hey, what are you up to?" or "what are you doing?" Why? Because to be perfectly, completely honest... I do not have any interest in holding meaningless conversation with strangers. Holding meaningless conversation is reserved for those people whose company I enjoy. Meaningless conversation is held when you wish to have social contact with someone but lack real conversation material to initiate a conversation with them.
It's almost like one of those random parents who come and talk to you about their kid and what they're doing and how they're coming along this path called life... You don't care. Same goes for me when someone comes up to me and starts talking to me about what they did in some game or another or how the day's going for them... etc. etc. Why would I be interested in such things? I know I'm coming off really bitchy right now but when people come and talk to me about their day I need to have a connection with the person to really feel interested in it. I'm sorry, I really don't have an interest that you went 7/3/10 with Katarina last game and I don't really care for how your day's been so far either. Just the same as if I had turned around and said much the same stuff to you randomly expecting you to give an answer.
The only reason anyone would give two shits about what I've done or what's been going on in my life is because I put up a handful of videos online and have developed a persona for viewers to get familiar with. Note that the familiarity does not go the other way too. I can't feel the same familiarity with the viewer. Therefore, don't talk to me unless you have REAL conversation. One that actually requires my participation. Just saying hi? That's fine.
Friday, 24 June 2011
Tuesday, 21 June 2011
I Can Do Anything Better Than You
NO YOU CAN'T! YES I CAN!! This video just made me smile haha. The acting, especially of the woman is pretty awesome. Unfortunately embedding has been disabled for that video or I would have put it on the page.
"Nice vid, but what's the point?" you very well may ask. Well, "I can do anything better than you," has stricken me as the appropriate attitude for the majority of the YouTube idiots these days. Don't read that as "YouTube idiots" but as "YouTube's idiots." I'm not calling YouTube people all idiots but rather targeting the group within YouTube which can suitably be called... idiots.
This topic stems mostly from the problem that I've been having with the Fallout 3 LP but other LPs, both mine and others', as well. There always has to be that stupid person who HAS to point out everything you did wrong and tell you just how it should be done and/or how they did the deed with so much more prowess than you. To you I say, good job. Good job. You're better than me at this game. Great gods all mighty, good job. Now take your harping ass and get the fuck out of here.
My LPs are (so far) blind. That means that I can miss stuff, that means I can get lost, that means that I will not pull off everything in the game to utmost perfection. If that is SUCH a huge deal to you then respectfully get the fuck out and don't come back. Now, there may be some people who will tell me these people were merely just trying to help (probably because what I complain of hits a bit close to what they themselves do, which is give advice on how to best play the game at every opportunity). Let me point out however that there is a huge difference between the person who tells me how much I suck at a game and the person who tells me a bit more about how the game works. Sometimes I get pissed at both but the latter is acceptable.
The line between the two sometimes gets a little hazy though which is probably why the formerly mentioned latter would defend themselves against my railings here. But I'm getting really really tired of people pointing out things that I do "wrong." And sometimes, looking in retrospect, I will agree with them that I did something or other "wrong." My problem is that they feel such a need to point it out... even when I put text on the screen clearly aimed at telling them that I am aware of the error.
Such as in my recent Fallout 3 video where I completely miss the entrance to Rivet City (being that you have to speak into an intercom) and since these videos go up far after being recorded of course I know already where the entrance is. However, in the video I get a little off track and start doing other things which leads to me finding Rivet City's entrance in the next video. So being aware that people may be compelled to throw tomatoes with the sticky-note "you speak to the intercom, you idiot" attached to it, I added a text box on the screen (not annotation so annotations being turned off couldn't even be an issue) clearly stating that I know now where the intercom is and that the rest of the video is wandering around and that NEXT video I will have discovered it. But noooo, I STILL get stupid comments and messages telling me about how to get in. Really? You MISSED it? The text took up 3/4 of the screen and was displayed VERY shortly after me being all confused about how to get in. Really? Either 1) you're really stupid or 2) you felt so compelled to prove your knowledge of the game that the MOMENT that you saw me falter you had to pause the video and post a comment.
And THAT is where today's blog title comes from. I feel like people tell me a lot of the tips because they feel this need to show how much they know about the game. How much better they are at it. Now before I get carried away in rage, let me add that this does not include people who sincerely were trying to help by offering tips with something I was REALLY struggling with or something that I asked a question about. Obviously I wanted or needed help there and whatever, I'm fine with that. But when it's CLEAR that I've figured it out, when it's CLEAR that I'm getting by just fucking FINE thank you by myself... in THAT case, I really really really fucking hate people who point out shit to me.
Sometimes well-intentioned people annoy me as well. That just can't be helped. Sometimes they think I need help with something and I disagree. Sometimes they think I haven't figured it out yet and I already have. Shit like that will happen. Fine. I'll still be annoyed but I won't hate the person for it. But those god damned know-it-alls who just feel the need to let everyone know how great they are at a game. Good job. You'll get far in life.
"Nice vid, but what's the point?" you very well may ask. Well, "I can do anything better than you," has stricken me as the appropriate attitude for the majority of the YouTube idiots these days. Don't read that as "YouTube idiots" but as "YouTube's idiots." I'm not calling YouTube people all idiots but rather targeting the group within YouTube which can suitably be called... idiots.
This topic stems mostly from the problem that I've been having with the Fallout 3 LP but other LPs, both mine and others', as well. There always has to be that stupid person who HAS to point out everything you did wrong and tell you just how it should be done and/or how they did the deed with so much more prowess than you. To you I say, good job. Good job. You're better than me at this game. Great gods all mighty, good job. Now take your harping ass and get the fuck out of here.
My LPs are (so far) blind. That means that I can miss stuff, that means I can get lost, that means that I will not pull off everything in the game to utmost perfection. If that is SUCH a huge deal to you then respectfully get the fuck out and don't come back. Now, there may be some people who will tell me these people were merely just trying to help (probably because what I complain of hits a bit close to what they themselves do, which is give advice on how to best play the game at every opportunity). Let me point out however that there is a huge difference between the person who tells me how much I suck at a game and the person who tells me a bit more about how the game works. Sometimes I get pissed at both but the latter is acceptable.
The line between the two sometimes gets a little hazy though which is probably why the formerly mentioned latter would defend themselves against my railings here. But I'm getting really really tired of people pointing out things that I do "wrong." And sometimes, looking in retrospect, I will agree with them that I did something or other "wrong." My problem is that they feel such a need to point it out... even when I put text on the screen clearly aimed at telling them that I am aware of the error.
Such as in my recent Fallout 3 video where I completely miss the entrance to Rivet City (being that you have to speak into an intercom) and since these videos go up far after being recorded of course I know already where the entrance is. However, in the video I get a little off track and start doing other things which leads to me finding Rivet City's entrance in the next video. So being aware that people may be compelled to throw tomatoes with the sticky-note "you speak to the intercom, you idiot" attached to it, I added a text box on the screen (not annotation so annotations being turned off couldn't even be an issue) clearly stating that I know now where the intercom is and that the rest of the video is wandering around and that NEXT video I will have discovered it. But noooo, I STILL get stupid comments and messages telling me about how to get in. Really? You MISSED it? The text took up 3/4 of the screen and was displayed VERY shortly after me being all confused about how to get in. Really? Either 1) you're really stupid or 2) you felt so compelled to prove your knowledge of the game that the MOMENT that you saw me falter you had to pause the video and post a comment.
And THAT is where today's blog title comes from. I feel like people tell me a lot of the tips because they feel this need to show how much they know about the game. How much better they are at it. Now before I get carried away in rage, let me add that this does not include people who sincerely were trying to help by offering tips with something I was REALLY struggling with or something that I asked a question about. Obviously I wanted or needed help there and whatever, I'm fine with that. But when it's CLEAR that I've figured it out, when it's CLEAR that I'm getting by just fucking FINE thank you by myself... in THAT case, I really really really fucking hate people who point out shit to me.
Sometimes well-intentioned people annoy me as well. That just can't be helped. Sometimes they think I need help with something and I disagree. Sometimes they think I haven't figured it out yet and I already have. Shit like that will happen. Fine. I'll still be annoyed but I won't hate the person for it. But those god damned know-it-alls who just feel the need to let everyone know how great they are at a game. Good job. You'll get far in life.
Saturday, 11 June 2011
I Don't Have A Title For This Post.
Been a while, hasn't it? For once this is just going to be an update post not a topic post. Been pretty busy since my last post. I got my university residence application and deposit in. There was some issue and I got stuck in the system regarding the application and since I had to actually submit the application before sending the deposit–and the deposit being due in 7 days–I got a little panicked to say the least. Who knew how long I'd be stuck in the system for? And even just transferring the money. If it so happened that I ended up having to send it right before the weekend, that'd be 5 business days PLUS the weekend that my deposit would have to make it there, making a neat one week time limit in which I could completely miss the deposit deadline. So yes, I was a bit stressed about that. Luckily I got through the system in time and the deposit went through just fine and I made the due date with 4 days to spare.
Then there was the whole thing about planning my trip to Philly. Yes, I am going down there to visit Kevin once again. Have a lot of things to do there. Got that all planned out and okayed with my parents which actually took a lot longer than "since last post." My relationship with my parents is so weird and awkward and it's always a tip toeing affair.
This made some more work for me though: Americans, did you know that your immigrations is so paranoid that a person whose passport is within 6 months of the expiration date may be denied entry into your country? Yeah... Even Canadians, your friendly northern neighbours (actually, we're planning an attack on your government. Be prepared to be liberated and annexed). Well my passport expires this December 20th and the trip is to be July 20 so... yeah. Had to go get my passport renewed. But I was 15 last time I had the passport made and they require you to have been at least 16 the last time you made your passport in order to just renew. So instead of renewing I had to apply for a new one basically. They say it'll be here on July 7th. Let's hope it really makes it here by then (my dad expressed concern that it may be late because Canada Post is on strike... but some of them are still operational so hopefully it'll be alright. Besides, 7th - 20th is a long time).
And then something that's really been keeping me busy but in a good way: Fallout 3. Since I'm leaving for Philly on July 20th and won't be back until August 18th, I'm really starting to worry whether I can get this LP done before I go off to university on September 3rd. I know I still have quite a while left but you guys know my usual speed of playing things. It doesn't help that I seem to be taking forever to do just about anything in that game. I'm recording way ahead of my uploading so while Part 17 is going up right now as I type this, I have up to Part 34 actually processed and ready to upload as well as probably up to around Part 42 that is still in raw unprocessed video form. Yeah, I have THAT many videos recorded but I've still barely made any progress on the main quest of that game. I haven't even gotten to Rivet City yet. I've met Three Dog and I'm currently trying to get the dish for him from the Museum of Technology or whatever it was. Can't believe I have so many videos yet so little done. It's Moira's fault. I keep doing her research quests. Bad Moira! Bad! But that really is what I like about this game I suppose: just having so much to do. People having their individual stories and lives. It's a very interesting game. I really would be 100% in love with it if not for the crazy crashing problems. Anyways, should head off now, it's 2:30 AM! Jeez. Gooooood night.
Then there was the whole thing about planning my trip to Philly. Yes, I am going down there to visit Kevin once again. Have a lot of things to do there. Got that all planned out and okayed with my parents which actually took a lot longer than "since last post." My relationship with my parents is so weird and awkward and it's always a tip toeing affair.
This made some more work for me though: Americans, did you know that your immigrations is so paranoid that a person whose passport is within 6 months of the expiration date may be denied entry into your country? Yeah... Even Canadians, your friendly northern neighbours (actually, we're planning an attack on your government. Be prepared to be liberated and annexed). Well my passport expires this December 20th and the trip is to be July 20 so... yeah. Had to go get my passport renewed. But I was 15 last time I had the passport made and they require you to have been at least 16 the last time you made your passport in order to just renew. So instead of renewing I had to apply for a new one basically. They say it'll be here on July 7th. Let's hope it really makes it here by then (my dad expressed concern that it may be late because Canada Post is on strike... but some of them are still operational so hopefully it'll be alright. Besides, 7th - 20th is a long time).
And then something that's really been keeping me busy but in a good way: Fallout 3. Since I'm leaving for Philly on July 20th and won't be back until August 18th, I'm really starting to worry whether I can get this LP done before I go off to university on September 3rd. I know I still have quite a while left but you guys know my usual speed of playing things. It doesn't help that I seem to be taking forever to do just about anything in that game. I'm recording way ahead of my uploading so while Part 17 is going up right now as I type this, I have up to Part 34 actually processed and ready to upload as well as probably up to around Part 42 that is still in raw unprocessed video form. Yeah, I have THAT many videos recorded but I've still barely made any progress on the main quest of that game. I haven't even gotten to Rivet City yet. I've met Three Dog and I'm currently trying to get the dish for him from the Museum of Technology or whatever it was. Can't believe I have so many videos yet so little done. It's Moira's fault. I keep doing her research quests. Bad Moira! Bad! But that really is what I like about this game I suppose: just having so much to do. People having their individual stories and lives. It's a very interesting game. I really would be 100% in love with it if not for the crazy crashing problems. Anyways, should head off now, it's 2:30 AM! Jeez. Gooooood night.
Friday, 3 June 2011
Are You Happy?
So my mother has recently acquired this CD from a church friend of hers (my mother is the only religious person in my family) which features this Korean priest talking on various subjects. She likes to listen to it in the car so I get to listen to parts of it too whether I like it or not. One particular subject caught my attention. Happiness. But not just happiness, nor happiness for just anyone: happiness for South Koreans.
Now most of my audience probably isn't Korean but what the heck, a little cultural education never hurt anyone. The priest talked about the happiness level of Koreans and how it was ranked the lowest out of the developed countries. I looked it up online and he did, in fact, speak the truth. The OECD as well as Yonsei University (one of the top universities in South Korea) did surveys to find that Koreans were severely unhappy compared to their quality of life. Why? Culture. Stupid culture, perhaps. I always thought so.
So the priest talked about how Koreans ALL strive to get their children into the University of Seoul. Out of all those people, 1% of those people actually get into UoS. That MAY seem like a harshly small number but remember how small a country South Korea is. That means EVERY student in S. Korea has a higher percentage of being able to afford to go to UoS (and because it is Korea's best university, everyone who can WILL go there) unlike a huge country like U.S.A. where some smart people couldn't get to Harvard if they wished simply because of distance, travel costs, and family. Also remember that S. Korean culture is VASTLY different from this here western culture. A lot of people who are average smarts are content with that. They'll just go to an average university and they're perfectly fine with that. That's all they ever really reached for and that's all anyone ever expected them to reach for. In Korea, even if you're stupid as shit you TRY to get into UoS. You study your ass off. Which means that a higher percentage of the Korean population is trying to get into ONE school which inversely means a higher percentage of applications must be turned down.
Now that explaining that number of "1%" is over let's get into the problems this causes. Why did the priest bring this school and its 1% admission rate up in the discussion? Because this is the center focus of it all. Studying. I know, I know. How very typical. Asians. Studying. But I don't think a lot of western people realize how much grief this causes us Asians. I feel like a lot of western people see this as something inherent in all Asians and therefore must be something that comes easy for us. No. It's not. Asians have stupid people just like you westerners. Asians have people who suck at studying, Asians have people who just don't GET IT. But that doesn't change the expectations for anyone. The expectations of greatness, intelligence, high achievement, good job after university is STILL there. no matter who you are.
Most Korean children don't have much of a childhood. They're dropped into the studying pressure environment very early. They study study study. For what? To get into UoS. Their parents apply tons of pressure so that they may some day get into UoS. I bet your idea of studying doesn't even come close to what these kids do day in, day out. When my cousin was 14 he went to school 2 hours early to study there before class. After school he'd quickly grab something to eat from a street food vendor (these people make their living off of busy students) and go straight to tutoring. Afterward, he'd come home for dinner maybe get an hour or so of free time. Then he's out again, off to the library to study there. He comes home after midnight and goes straight to sleep... Then his day starts again, just like the one before. Is it a wonder that these people are unhappy? Where do you even find a moment to even crack a joke in the midst of all that?
Then reality crashes down. Only 1% of students get into UoS. Parents are disappointed in you. You're disappointed in yourself. All that studying you did, all that you've accomplished is nothing in anyone's eyes. You didn't get in. You only get scorn from your parents, nagging from them that you should have studied more. So off you go to the second or third, fourth, maybe fifth choice of university. Now this is where I find it so stupid. In Korea University is a lot easier than high school. Backwards. I know. This ALWAYS infuriated me because in my eyes it was SUCH a waste of your childhood. You're never going to get your childhood back. Yet you spent all that time being so focused on studying. Then when the system finally gives you a bit of a break you now have other things to worry about. Like a job and paying bills, and taking care of yourself.
Now you get into your job and you don't get a break. You can't get sick. You can't take vacations. You can't slack off. Why? Because South Korea is over populated. Also the education rate in Korea is very very high. That means that you are NEVER irreplaceable. In fact there are always a ton of people who are willing to step forward and take your job. If you show your boss that you don't do work as well as some other people do, you're gone. After all, if there's someone who can do the job better at no extra cost... why would anyone keep you? So you work work work your ass off to secure your place. Then beware when you get old. The younger generation is coming in and if you don't have anything to show for your years of experiences, a little youngster is going to take your place.
So you see, Koreans never get a peace of mind. There's always something snapping at their heels. They HAVE to keep moving. Without peace of mind there is no happiness.
Luckily, I escaped this. My parents decided to immigrate to Canada in 1998. At school I was just starting to be treated more and more harshly... then I got on a plane and came here where school was basically colouring and raising butterflies. I still experienced some of pressure, my parents still acting Korean and what not, but the environment was a huge huge difference. I am grateful that I got to experience true childhood and not this madness the Korean children go through.
Now most of my audience probably isn't Korean but what the heck, a little cultural education never hurt anyone. The priest talked about the happiness level of Koreans and how it was ranked the lowest out of the developed countries. I looked it up online and he did, in fact, speak the truth. The OECD as well as Yonsei University (one of the top universities in South Korea) did surveys to find that Koreans were severely unhappy compared to their quality of life. Why? Culture. Stupid culture, perhaps. I always thought so.
So the priest talked about how Koreans ALL strive to get their children into the University of Seoul. Out of all those people, 1% of those people actually get into UoS. That MAY seem like a harshly small number but remember how small a country South Korea is. That means EVERY student in S. Korea has a higher percentage of being able to afford to go to UoS (and because it is Korea's best university, everyone who can WILL go there) unlike a huge country like U.S.A. where some smart people couldn't get to Harvard if they wished simply because of distance, travel costs, and family. Also remember that S. Korean culture is VASTLY different from this here western culture. A lot of people who are average smarts are content with that. They'll just go to an average university and they're perfectly fine with that. That's all they ever really reached for and that's all anyone ever expected them to reach for. In Korea, even if you're stupid as shit you TRY to get into UoS. You study your ass off. Which means that a higher percentage of the Korean population is trying to get into ONE school which inversely means a higher percentage of applications must be turned down.
Now that explaining that number of "1%" is over let's get into the problems this causes. Why did the priest bring this school and its 1% admission rate up in the discussion? Because this is the center focus of it all. Studying. I know, I know. How very typical. Asians. Studying. But I don't think a lot of western people realize how much grief this causes us Asians. I feel like a lot of western people see this as something inherent in all Asians and therefore must be something that comes easy for us. No. It's not. Asians have stupid people just like you westerners. Asians have people who suck at studying, Asians have people who just don't GET IT. But that doesn't change the expectations for anyone. The expectations of greatness, intelligence, high achievement, good job after university is STILL there. no matter who you are.
Most Korean children don't have much of a childhood. They're dropped into the studying pressure environment very early. They study study study. For what? To get into UoS. Their parents apply tons of pressure so that they may some day get into UoS. I bet your idea of studying doesn't even come close to what these kids do day in, day out. When my cousin was 14 he went to school 2 hours early to study there before class. After school he'd quickly grab something to eat from a street food vendor (these people make their living off of busy students) and go straight to tutoring. Afterward, he'd come home for dinner maybe get an hour or so of free time. Then he's out again, off to the library to study there. He comes home after midnight and goes straight to sleep... Then his day starts again, just like the one before. Is it a wonder that these people are unhappy? Where do you even find a moment to even crack a joke in the midst of all that?
Then reality crashes down. Only 1% of students get into UoS. Parents are disappointed in you. You're disappointed in yourself. All that studying you did, all that you've accomplished is nothing in anyone's eyes. You didn't get in. You only get scorn from your parents, nagging from them that you should have studied more. So off you go to the second or third, fourth, maybe fifth choice of university. Now this is where I find it so stupid. In Korea University is a lot easier than high school. Backwards. I know. This ALWAYS infuriated me because in my eyes it was SUCH a waste of your childhood. You're never going to get your childhood back. Yet you spent all that time being so focused on studying. Then when the system finally gives you a bit of a break you now have other things to worry about. Like a job and paying bills, and taking care of yourself.
Now you get into your job and you don't get a break. You can't get sick. You can't take vacations. You can't slack off. Why? Because South Korea is over populated. Also the education rate in Korea is very very high. That means that you are NEVER irreplaceable. In fact there are always a ton of people who are willing to step forward and take your job. If you show your boss that you don't do work as well as some other people do, you're gone. After all, if there's someone who can do the job better at no extra cost... why would anyone keep you? So you work work work your ass off to secure your place. Then beware when you get old. The younger generation is coming in and if you don't have anything to show for your years of experiences, a little youngster is going to take your place.
So you see, Koreans never get a peace of mind. There's always something snapping at their heels. They HAVE to keep moving. Without peace of mind there is no happiness.
Luckily, I escaped this. My parents decided to immigrate to Canada in 1998. At school I was just starting to be treated more and more harshly... then I got on a plane and came here where school was basically colouring and raising butterflies. I still experienced some of pressure, my parents still acting Korean and what not, but the environment was a huge huge difference. I am grateful that I got to experience true childhood and not this madness the Korean children go through.
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