Forever Single?

There comes a time when you begin to wonder, 'How long can one go on?'. It's like that guy at the ice cream parlour who makes your scoop bigger and bigger, filling up the whole cup, or cone, till it cannot hold any more. Yet, a second scoop is always refused. Is it too expensive? Will they not work together? No, it's neither.

Some are just content with one. And that's the problem, complacence raises its ugly head yet again. It's been years. It's time to move on. Why can't it just become better for everyone? How long can someone keep dragging the ancient idea, blowing into it and scraping out a little more each time to make just that little bit larger? There comes a time and a place when you have to stop and start over. There will be an all-new one, something more powerful and engaging than ever before. And it won't be one, it will be two, or three or even four.

The KTM 390 Duke has shown that while twins were promised, here we are with yet another single. When will it stop? Harley-Davidson has had twins for over a century now. If the Americans can make something like that 100 years ago, why can't we? Is a little cost holding us back? The market is there for those who dare to venture. No one wants to stay single forever!

Move Along

Move along.. Nothing to see here...

*bzzt*

Dream Big

Been a while I haven't been here, and for good reason. A transformation has occurred. I see things differently. Yet, there is something that hasn't changed. The dream. Yes, there's a big dream and several little dreams. Not so little, mind you, just some not as important as the big one.

That being said, belief in dreams is indeed a statement. Those who say they don't come true, haven't really set milestones or believed strongly. The way has to be the right one. Or s it may seem, cos it's not always easy to tell. In fact, it almost always isn't. Anyone would want to head to a glitzy life in Europe. But if you have no choice but to go to South Africa, you must. But while South Africa is a great place to be, it really isn't where you want to be. So you must gather up every ounce of courage and step out. Step out to the journey which lies ahead that will take you to where you want, nay, need to be. And that means crossing the toughest, most demanding circumstances. You will even have to battle for life, because giving it all up will seem like an option when you're in the middle of the desert and think that everything's done. Just when you think it is though, you may just hitch upon a camel ride; one which takes you through the tough times and into less dry pastures. Maybe they were once green, who knows? Your journey must continue though. Take those steps, they are what will take you to the place from your dreams. You must go on.

Through the hot sands and colourful desert town, and the ever so rare oasis, you come across a glimmer of hope - a sign - which tells you you're close. You must now take everything you've got and give it your best. Tread lightly, but tread forward nonetheless. Morocco. The gateway to Europe. And there you stand: wiser, stronger and more determined than ever.

No dream is too small or too large, it is only that which you choose to achieve, and that which you consider too unimportant to pursue, thus leading to complacence and the place you never wanted to be for the rest of your life.

I wanted a Royal Enfield motorcycle. I wanted to ride through the snow. I wanted to drive a big V8. I wanted to ride a Harley-Davidson. I wanted to ride along the Indian coast-line on a big V-twin cruiser.

I got my Enfield. I rode through the snow. I drove two big V8s, I rode a big V-twin Harley-Davidson along the Indian coast-line. And now I'm looking forward to more small ones and that big one. Next!

View From The Clouds

Forget the whole 'behind every cloud is a silver lining" thing. Let's face it, the sun is always shining. It doesn't stop shining at night; the world turns its back to it. And you wouldn't have dark clouds if the sun were facing them. Clouds don't have a tailor sew on shiny linings to each of them. No,they're special those linings and if you spot a good one, it stays in your memory for a while.

So what when you have your own clouds to deal with. All that heat getting to you, sucking the life from you and then having to deal with evaporation is no easy task. But then again, when in the air, you see how beautiful it can look. That's just it. Those dark clouds can be protectors. As I type that I see flashes of the Silver Surfer and it makes me smile. There is no Galactus or other aliens to worry about. They don't want our world, not like this. We have our own problems to deal with right here. But snapping back to reality, it would be fair to recognise these clouds as inevitable parts of our being. They're just some more things we have to deal with until we get clear skies. Clear skies don't always mean the sun will shine. Half the time, you have to take in the beauty of the moon and other little suns from afar taking care of their own little handful of planets others call home.

What we see, what we touch and what we imagine are far too limited to perceive what the universe has to offer. Open up. Embrace how tiny we are to the universe, yet how much we can be to some people and how much of a change you can make.

The End of the Beginning

There comes a time, always. It must, lest you fail to survive. It comes quietly, suddenly. You walk ahead; half-expecting each step to be the last before you stop; regroup with your thoughts, hopes and ambitions; rest; and a new day has come.

Realisation that life is passing by has been the most important. All those inspirational thoughts, life goes by reading those too. It's all a facade. Time. The concept creates a whole new set of emotions to go with your already back-breaking burden. Forget about time. Do what you must. Do what makes you happy. Then, when you least expect it, when the last candle of hope is about to burn away into a shapeless pile of hardening heat; there's that knock. A knock so clear you know there's a package for you; what you signed up for ages ago when you thought you had found yourself. Those thoughts fade too, of course; and with them your belief starts to die. It doesn't ever really go away. It's a cool down. Like when you die in a video game only to respawn a few seconds later. But it's always there. It doesn't go anywhere. And then you realise what that feeling was; being saved; ending a new beginning before it began to change you.

This is what you were meant to do. At least, it's all you can do with what you have. Now to create some more of me and pile it on. Oh yes!

A New Chance

Another new year is upon us and like the ones before; we promise ourselves and others to do something different or change what we're doing, or pretty much just aim to be a little better. There's nothing wrong with a little wishful thinking. Yet, there are some who do more than that. Be among those few who dare to do what they foresaw themselves doing. It's not too difficult to take the first step once you know where you want to be and how you want to be. The trouble is, many of us need to collect our thoughts, guts, feelings and our soul and put them all together in order to take what we can and make that first step. It's never always easy.

Everyone wants to turn over a new leaf. It's not that hard. It's as simple as turning over a leaf on the road. Start small. Appreciate the little things. Realise that these little things can make a big difference. Once you get past that, every little action seems substantial and you know that it will make a difference. Not everyone will respond the way you expect; do it anyway. Someone will come along and respond like you had originally hoped and that gives you the reason you need to try again with a hundred more.

The turn of this new year has seen many events take place. Some of extreme magnitude, but if that's what it takes to get the ball rolling, so be it. Some people die to live, while some die so others can truly live. There is always hope. There is always will. And when united, they can battle ignorance and win.

Here I am, hoping for a better tomorrow. Happy New Year!

Violent Video Games?

Video games have been around for decades and include a plethora of game types and platforms. However, they have come under the scanner for potentially creating violent responses in children and teenagers. But how many have actually considered the base of this argument? How much of it is actually true?

Almost all video games are a competition or are based on meeting a time crunch. They are about which player can score more points than the other or who can finish the game in the least amount of time. That is how their creators intended them to be. They were made to enhance the players skills and improve upon other abilities simultaneously. Video games push players to use their mental and physical capabilities to beat the machine, or each other, in a battle of time and skill management. In all classic video games, the game challenges the player's timing, reflex, tact and strategy - and builds their ability to perform under pressure; usually a time crunch or deadline of some sort.

In player vs. player games, the outcome of the game is decided by who responds sooner and acts in the most appropriate way to attack, defend or counter-attack as to gain an advantage. Some players adopt a tactical and calculated approach, while many other find a moves that the easiest to perform and begin a continuous barrage of attack which undoubtedly always leads to their downfall.

Strategy games were created with the aim to invoke a player's planning and evasive tendencies. They sharpen your mind and reduce decision making time while improving reaction time.

The point argued is that such games are violent. They aren't! Children don't play video games from the day they are born. They learn, they see, they listen and absorb what they can from around them. This is what makes up the world surrounding their existence. When the child grows enough to handle a game controller; they act upon what they've absorbed and their inner self is presented on screen in plain sight. Parents should let the child choose what sort of games he or she wants to play. They need to pay attention or even partake in the game with their child or children. This will let them gauge what the child is focused on. Do they pick competitive racing or fighting games? Or do they choose a strategy game which involves team work and dependence on the performance of others in times of need. If so, are they focused on the goal at hand or on destroying everything in sight?

Here, it is the parents who are responsible and need to  realize their child's or children's thought patterns and counter actions thereof. Failure to note the difference is what qualifies as ignorance in upbringing. It's the little things that make a big difference later on.

A game is played how the player chooses to play it. An angry child will prefer a game with guns so he or she can shoot at everything to glory deriving pleasure from dissipating their anger among virtual beings. Games like Contra or Quake are mission oriented. They provide you an arsenal to attack and defend yourself but the game is ultimately based on accomplishing a goal - complete the level as soon as you can with minimum fuss. Here, the player can choose to evade game opponents and stealthily complete levels taking down enemies only when they stand in their way. The game can be played several different ways. The player decides how they want to go about it. It's more than a game; it's a gauge of discipline and choice.

Not to stereotype any players or games, but some games actually let you gauge what sort of person the player is. Arkanoid, Tetris and even Pinball tend to be played by those looking to exceed their own limitations -  those who push themselves to be better than they used to be. Similarly, Super Mario Brothers or games of such genre show a curiosity, a perseverance within the player to reach their goal, their prize. Some may even consider people to be addicts. However, there's a fine line between being committed to oneself to see a goal through within a reasonable amount of time and being addicted.

Then there are the games created later by those you could safely say are in need of a psychological consult or even mental help. "Shoot as many as you can" or "shoot as much as you can" are simply not rules. They seem easy enough at first but then you realize that they are mindless violence oriented games with a single track to follow. What's more; they don't last because of that aspect. They don't bring anything else to the table or offer anything else to benefit the player. They certainly don't engage players beyond a single parameter. This is the major difference between those sort of games and games like Call Of Duty or Commandos. These are hot sellers because they actively involve the player and strengthen several skill sets which are basically required to survive. They inculcate responsibility, strategy, planning, tact, team work and sacrifice. They require quick thinking and decision making and utilize considerable reserves of the players memory. They engage the mind and body of the player in ways that few other games can.

Thus, it's wrong to blame video games for the violent tendencies of children. Video games are merely an outlet which lets you see what a child would do given the power and abilities that video games offer in a virtual world. Of course, this does not translate literally to their actions in the real world but there are some who cannot process the difference. There are some who will have certain feelings triggered by events in the real world which cause them to react upon the real world as they would in the game.

As for violent video games; they don't exist! The ones that are simply focus on a singular path of violence never make it to the mainstream. There is always a choice and there are those who choose.