[AGL] X-box?

[Michael Eisenstadt]

Standing in line for Harry Potter?

Talk about decorticating the brain.

Mike

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Wayne Johnson" <cadaobh at shentel.net>
To: "survivors' reminiscences about Austin Ghetto Daze in the 60s" 
<austin-ghetto-list at pairlist.net>
Sent: Tuesday, November 22, 2005 11:33 AM
Subject: Re: [AGL] X-box?


> Honor and I talked with a local teacher whilst standing in line the other 
> night for Harry Potter.  Part of this (sad) conversation was the 
> revelation that his (high school level) kids....can not take notes, can 
> not follow an "oral" argument and can only take notes if they are 
> "bulletized" a la Power Point.  He assigns this horrid situation to a 
> (young) lifetime of ......game playing.
>
> I would argue that the Japanese are re-fighting WW2 and they are winning. 
> What could be more subtle than undermining American education by gradually 
> de-corticating our children?  Ok. It  IS a really good thing for the 
> Military that there are kids who are truly skilled at "computer warfare."
>
> What a great century to look forward to, eh?  Mindless, GOP robot-kids, 
> endlessly acquiring and killing "targets" (read: Iranians, Iraqi, 
> Russians, Bulgarians, Canadians, whatever) while they sip methadrine laced 
> Jolt and consume endless mountains of cheap pizza.   Even Orwell never 
> conjured up a fantasy as totally dismal as this.
>
> Oh, I have a great idea:  Let us raise taxes, encourage truly smart people 
> to enter the teaching profession, make Education the number One Priority, 
> raise our "standards" to those as high as, say, Nigeria or Kenya and NOT 
> become the Argentina/Guatamala of the 21st Century.  Er.  Outside of 
> bunkers in West VA and Colorado, that is.
>
> cheers.
>
> wgJ
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Michael Eisenstadt" <michaele at hotpop.com>
> To: "survivors' reminiscences about Austin Ghetto Daze in the 60s" 
> <austin-ghetto-list at pairlist.net>
> Sent: Tuesday, November 22, 2005 12:08 PM
> Subject: Re: [AGL] X-box?
>
>
>> Wayne wrote:
>>
>>> What is an X-box and why do people "have" to have one?
>>
>> It is a kind of computer optimized for playing games,
>> using a handheld device to direct the action. Like
>> the lost teenagers in a game arcade feeding quarters
>> into the games except you do it at home, saving lots
>> of quarters. But you have to buy the box and the
>> software for the various games.
>>
>> I am doing a version of this at home with Flight
>> Simulation. I assembled a computer for this. Pricey!
>> Luckily the software was only $10. The difference is less
>> noise, unless I turn up the audio which supplies engine
>> noise and instructions over the "radio" from the control
>> tower. More realism than fighting ogres. About the same
>> degree of virtual realism as playing pimps and 'ho's in
>> the 'hood.
>>
>> At this point I am flying and crashing the Cessna. It
>> will take years to learn how to fly an airliner.
>>
>> Mike
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: Wayne Johnson
>> To: survivors' reminiscences about Austin Ghetto Daze in the 60s
>> Cc: Remembrances of Austin Ghetto
>> Sent: Tuesday, November 22, 2005 8:46 AM
>> Subject: [AGL] X-box?
>>
>>
>> What is an X-box and why do people "have" to have one?
>>
>> wgJ
>