So...A Waste Of Time?

 Earlier this week, I asked my teenage son if I could check out his Switch. He agreed, and after several moments of not knowing how to use the thing, I finally got it working. It's an impressive console (and this model isn't even the good one...). It reminded me just how advanced video games have become.

I thought of my father--my kids find it hard to believe that my father was born before the invention of a television. I'll bet my grandkids will find it equally hard to believe that their grandfather was born before the invention of video games. Pong was invented in 1972...I turned seven that year. My father was three when Philo Farnsworth transmitted his first signal.

Whether you like video games or not, you cannot argue that they are incredible in the artistry, the creativity, the technical marvels that they are. When games went from the arcades to the home, I was a little old for their target market. I played games on the Super NES, but never graduated beyond that--hence, my inability to quickly master the Switch. And I'm okay with that. Not playing video games has saved me a lot of money...

But, has it saved me a lot of time?

I know people who say they never watch TV, or they don't have a TV in their homes. When we ask if they watch a TV shows or movies they answer that they do, but they watch them on their computers. To me, it's the same thing, with our without an actual television set. Some people will look at video game players and think it's all a waste of time. Yet, they find enjoyment in reading, painting miniatures, or knitting. Point is, those things bring them joy. I know playing games brings the players joy, too. I suppose it can be said, too much of anything--video games or knitting--isn't good.

As I played with the Switch, I was impressed, but I don't believe I'm going to get one of my own. I have a few games I play on my phone and that seems to satisfy me. I don't know if I can justify picking up something else. 

The more I learn about modern video games, the more impressed I am. They are literally works of art. Even though I don't play them very much, they're no less amazing, and the industry less than fifty years old. I wonder what things we'll see in the next half century.

Ah, Slow Mo...But Do We Need Slo-Mo Selfies?

I LOVE the slow motion video function on my phone. My phone is about five years old, but I don't care. I don't use it as much as I could or should, but when I do shoot a video using the slow motion function, I am mesmerized when I play them back and watch what I saw slowed down.

I don't think I'm alone in this, either.

Lately, we've been inundated with ads from the good people at Apple showcasing their latest iPhone feature--the slow motion selfie. But, do we really need this technology? Does our civilization--arguably, the most advanced in the history of mankind--have use for this new function?

Time will tell. 

I do like the ads--don't get me wrong. And, if I'm not mistaken, one of the actors in these ads is a Utahn, Frank Gerrish (I apologize if I'm wrong...). Except, when you do a stop-motion shot of those slo-mos, let's just say, some of those pauses may not be the most flattering.

The other day the snowplow came down the street, and it hit me--why not video this in slow motion?

And so I did.

And so, like me, you can be mesmerized by its awesomeness, too.

Attending A Graduation...Well, Kind Of

Last week my son graduated with, what he's thinking, is the first of possibly several college degrees. And because life is not something you can always count on, I was unable to attend. I would have much preferred sitting on the hard benches on Temple Square watching the festivities unfold, than what I was really doing...in the E.R. getting an I.V. That's a story for another time.

Since I couldn't go, we tried using all that fancy technology to do the next best thing...my wife FaceTimed the ceremony while I was at home. Since we've never done this before, we weren't sure if it would even work.

Turns out it didn't work very well at all.

We thought maybe I could see my son on the big monitors, but there was no way for me to see anything. I did hear them call out his name. 

After, my son had me pose for a picture, then he took a picture holding up his phone with a picture of me in it so I could be included in family photos. That was nice of him. He's thoughtful like that.

I didn't attend the graduation, and plans to include me only worked marginally at best, but I felt I was a part of it and I was proud of what my son had done and his excitement over graduating was infectious. He's planning on continuing his higher education at another school. I don't know all his plans--I don't know if even he does. It's an exciting time to be alive, to be young with options. And on a spring Friday morning, I was a part of that excitement, too.

Well...kind of.