A Penny's Worth of Thoughts: The chimes that bind

 Here's one that you may not even think about: why does some music seem to divide those that hear it?  It seems common when meeting new people, either in real life or online, that at some point the question of favorite tunes comes up, and even more common that people will either be specifically for or against certain types.

This is especially odd for me, giving that anyone who's been around me long enough knows exactly the kind of music I prefer: video game soundtrack.  I've had more than a few encounters over the years where someone has walked up to me at work, phone drawn, sometimes with music already playing, and been asked only for them to receive a headshake and a "You probably won't have it", with the occasional "Try me" and "Oh..." following depending on their adamancy.

The simple observation is that, for many, music is their escape, for others a tone setter, and for me, well, it's more of the cherry on an ice cream cone.  I've always said I like the music to tell it's own story, as an explanation for my lack of lyricals.  I can listen to Arata Iiyoshi's "Sky Tower" or Jeremy Soule's "March through Norrhart" and feel like I can immediately visualize what is occuring.  Granted, I have played their games of origin, which I can't say hasn't skewed it slightly.

And, in truth, it's not that I don't have any lyrical songs in my library, it's just that they are a very small part of it in comparison, though usually with a similar source.  Jon Licht's "Honor for All", Asja Kadric's "Fear not this Night", and Breaking Benjamin's "Blow Me Away" from hearing the non-lyric versions as I played Dishonored, Guild Wars 2, and Halo 2 for example.  But, their meanings are different than say someone going the other direction.

That's where I think things get cloudy for people when talking of music.  Like many things, origin can play a big factor in how they view or even hear it.  Sure, as a pokemon person, I am well aware of the "Pokemon Theme Song", but, means I was always more into the games than the show, the "Pokemon Red/Blue Opening Theme", which I should add you can hear in almost any of the other opening themes, carries significantly more weight for me than even that iconic song.

How to bridge the gap between origins honestly begins with acknowledging there is a gap in the first place, as well as knowing that some of them might be in less friendly places than others.  Beyond that?  I would compare it to a roguelike game, where everything after the start changes every playthrough.  Knowing whether you succeed or fail is impossible to tell until you start through the dungeon.  The real question is how long you think you'll keep playing until you decide to stop.

Just a Penny's Worth of Thoughts, for those with an ear to the sky.

A Penny's Worth of Thoughts: Nostalgia

 With my ten year highschool reunion, I've found myself revisiting a perspective I haven't seen in some time, an old practice ground if you will.  The observer in the crowd.

It may soumd strange at first; have I not been an observer with each post I've made before.  The difference?  This time I'm a silent member of the crowd, rather than the observer outside of it.  I call it a practice groumd because I feel I can honestly say that school is where I developed my observation and perspective abilities, though I doubt they even suspected.  They might not even have realized it last night even.

And, it's an interesting perspective to talk over: one of missing information more often than not, as I kept jumping between and different points at various times.  Could I tell you why there was excitement over bloodtypes O and A?  No.  What of the outcome of a misadventure involving a gas line?  No, though if I heard correctly that one may still in progress.  And what of the spouses, who come from classes of 200+, being explained why this is a big deal for our class of sub-100?  I detected some confusion lingering, but that one I feel is more on the difference of perspective between the two.

The thing is, sometimes having all the information is unecessary, or perhaps even detrimental.  I know enough to know that some of the jabs at each other were just callbacks to years past, if not always received that way.  Enough to know some of the small, bickering asides are likely to reach their conclusion either later in the night or perhaps this morning, when one or both sides are more sober than they were.  And don't ask me how the conversation moved from Call of Duty to Donkey Kong 64, but by golly, I knew Chunky Kong was the name they were searching for about the coconut bazooka.

It's something I think people misunderstand, living in an age where knowledge is at our fingertips.  It's the pox of curiosity that we ask more questions simply be receiving an answer.  Some are satisfied with just that, others have to delve down the rabbit hole, sometimes a decent way.  But, a surprisingly common truth: the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Also, in the off chance they read this or it gets shared on the reunion page, the cupcake was absolutely delicious.

Just a penny's worth of thoughts, for those nostalgic for the old days.

A Penny's Worth of Thoughts: Solitude

Seems a strange topic, doesn't it?  Solitude can mean different things to different people, just like anything else, sure.  For some, it's something to yearn for, somewhere to escape from day to day troubles.  Others may choose to define it more as a punishment of choices, an ending effect that causes loneliness.  But then, why speak of solitude where I usually talk of bringing people together?  Contradictory in a sense, but I feel like there's more to it than the first impressions.

My impression of solitude was always less of the where and, in some cases, the who.  The what is what peaks my interest.  The peace or the chaos, depending on who you ask.  And, perhaps, that the ones who feel dread are simply misplacing where their "true" solitude lies.  That it doesn't have to mean alone.

Have you ever had those certain someones that just being around eases you? Perhaps a group of them?  Who's to say that that, in itself, isn't a form of solitude?  Or even a particular activity or focus, perhaps even location?  I'd be willing to bet answering those questions has you seeing the grey, whether your own or someone else's.

The question then becomes what to do with the knowledge.  Do you help a buddy break through an invisible wall, or do you decide that, maybe, just maybe, aligning with dragons doesn't seem so bad?  One-size fits all is always a little big or small for someone, after all.

It's a bit like playing a board game.  Everyone is looking for the same goal, but may have to take a different path to get to it.  Some find it easier through competition, others cooperation.  But it's always the same goal.

Sometimes you just have to realize that some of us are playing a different game.

Just a penny's worth of thoughts, for those comfortable enough to read them.

A Penny's Worth of Thoughts: The Value of Another

I know what some of you are thinking, especially after reading that subtitle, either from the camp of "Yea, we got another one" or "Oh boy, here we go again".  But, here's the thing, in keeping with the neutrality that is "A Penny's Worth of Thoughts", anyone who has read before knows that that's not what I'm going for.  In fact, if I had to say my impressions, it's the extremes on both sides causing the polarity.  In this case, there's actually a bunch of grey area in the middle, just that calling it out will often just put one in the crossfire.

So, why then?  Why paint that target, when I clearly know it will happen?  Because, as I've stated before in a number of my other posts, the neutral ground is a path to resolution, and I know, even as I read that myself, even that statement can cause problems.  Doesn't make it more or less true, however, despite the extremes either way.

I've often been asked, sometimes even criticized for, why I do so much with video games.  The answer surprisingly fits here as well: outside of the extremes, the rules of games are clearly defined in what is and is not possible.  You can start up a game, so long as it is neither already broken or with intention to break, and understand how to play, if with some tutorials.  Plus, the rules of the games, in their own worlds, often make sense, if with that stretch of the so called "game logic".

This similarity is why I write today.  Just as with games, the rules are defined until you get to the extremes, and it is the blurriness of the extremes that we see spun everywhere today.  Yes, there are peaceful protests.  Yes, there are violent officials.  But, to both, there are also the violent riots and the officers who simply want to make it home at the end of the day.  This is why I feel like my neutral ground is so important, a haven, if you will, for those getting painted, whether rightly or wrongly, as being one side or the other.

Because for as much as people say this either is or isn't about color, both of the extremes seem to be seeing an awful lot of red.

Just a penny's worth of thoughts, lost in the chaos.

A Penny's Worth of Thoughts: Difference of Meaning

You hear so much these days of arguments over two interpretations of words.  Some being twisted to suit a certain perspective, others in ignorance or confusion of what the meaning actually is.  Yet, you can still find that both of those meanings can be correct, even in a general sense.

Take, for example, allergies.  If you ask most people what allergies are, the responses will typically be one of two: either they are a seasonal or context based annoyance to a person, usually of the nasal variety, or they will be potentially life threatening if not caught early enough, usually through consumption.  Does that make the seasonal sufferers pity the severe ones, or in the reverse, the severe sufferers wish they could trade off their allergens for the less threatening variety?  It's possible, though it tends to vary person to person.

The point here is that, although the word itself has multiple meanings, each meaning is held at it's equivalent value, usually after the person either specifies or explains their severity.  Why is it, then, that it is more difficult for people to agree on other such variable words?  My thought: because the meaning each side agrees with is based on their perspective of the subject, where it can be more difficult to explain why that is it's meaning due to what I would call an experience gap.  That the meaning that we understand is based more on what we are familiar with, and it is the context, or lack thereof, that throws us off.

I've had some of my own experience on this as of late, from seeing people put quotes around the word essential, as if to demean it to either themselves or to others, to me almost mentally doing it to a phrase, wait time, as I sat on the phone to a DES line seeking answers on an unemployment question, usually after a few minute average extends into hours.  In fact, some of you may have even expected me to do it just then, despite it being grammatically correct either way, if with some word change.

The sad part is, the only way I could see resolving this particular puzzle is to suggest being more open minded to the alternatives, which for many is not an easy task.  I find it perhaps even more of a puzzle to find a middle ground otherwise, as it is an issue that, outside of certain groups potentially, is rarely seen, even rarer discussed.  But it can be done.

Just ask any number of leaders you can come across in Guild Wars 2 why they use the shorthand for crowd control, or CC, as a way of requesting more damage per second, or DPS, on a single boss enemy when in squads or groups.

Just a penny's worth of thoughts, for those who can see the meaning of it.

A Penny's Worth of Thoughts: Crazy World

Things have gotten out of hand here recently, haven't they?  This pandemic has definitely shown how critically opposite point of views can get, even in regards toward attaining the same goal.  There are areas where hearing one of the approaches can have you thinking "Yeah, that could work" while the other can bring out the "Wait, what?" out of you.  There are even varying degrees of each: me, personally, align with the self-isolation, partly because it's an easy thing on my part, usually playing games online with my buddies and all, and partly because, knowing my condition is classified as an auto-immune disorder, it may be the wisest idea for me.  That being said, there is a difference between preparing for the storm and personally emptying shelves of supplies that I may need for a yet uncertain amount of time.

The flipside of that, however, which I think is becoming more prevalent as time goes on is the cabin fever effect showing it's potency, though not without it's own reasons.  Many of those individuals are in positions that know that things will stack against waiting it out over time.  Goods and services are still in use, perhaps even more so now than before, and they have a fear of the reserve supply of each also running it's course.  On this side, I also agree.  I'm eager to return to work, if for nothing more than extra stability.  And so, once again, I find myself standing neutral in a field of polar opposites.

There are arguments to be made for each, as always.  Arguments that you can see or hear through news outlets or social media.  Arguments searching for a one-size-fits-all solution, despite the fact that there has rarely ever been one.  Certain people are better suited for some than others, and the, I would say almost off-hand, parts for the others aren't always the best of options either, as there are just some things that can't be handled from home, just as there are things that can be surprising or overlooked, even with an excess of caution.

In a way, it kind of reminds me of any one of a collection of collectable card games.  The deckbuilding being representative of our knowledge of what to expect, usually with minor additions or a side board for our cautionary stance.  But one thing remains the same, we never truly know what will be on the other side of the table, sometimes not even when enough cards have been played for a reasonable prediction, as there could always be trade outs or tweaks made to what we assume it to be.  But, you can always tell an opponent's familiarity with the game, usually by either their lack of or over-preparedness.  Still, even when we think we know what will happen, one surprise turn can completely turn it around, and that is something I know many think about, with the generally held stance being that there's only so much preparation you can do before the game begins.  The rest you have to do as it plays out.

Otherwise, in attempt to make sure we have all the pieces, all we succeed in doing is running our deck dry.

Just a penny's worth of thoughts, for those willing to draw on it.

A Penny's Worth of Thoughts: Challenging One's Self

Here's an interesting thought: Why do some people make things harder on themselves?  Sure, some will say it's for the thrill of the challenge, but it's also possible to go so far that you give up because it becomes too hard.  You may think there's a fine line between the two, only to be surprised at just how much grey area there is between them.

Consider the last time you asked yourself how much more you could take or even simply stated that you couldn't anymore.  Did it continue or stop?  What motivated you one way or the other?  Was that motivation worth it in the end?  Simple questions to ask, much harder to answer, wouldn't you agree?  Perhaps it was a time you told yourself "Never again" only to do it once more without realizing it.

It can also be humbling, thinking on past goals that were never attained for one reason or another.  The challenges within challenges we've set for ourselves over the years.  At what point was that one criteria, that one extra challenge too much?  And yet the progress we had made, perhaps been blind to in some circumstances, meant little if we couldn't answer that challenge.

This one I have personal experience with.  For most of this past year, I had attained a Pokemon Organizer Basic license, which basically allowed me the ability to host officially sanctioned Pokemon tournaments.  Anyone who knows me could tell you that this was a big deal for me, yet for the entire year I had it, I never once used it.  I thought about it, sure, who wouldn't, but no plans ever came to fruition.

It wasn't that I thought I'd be a bad host.  I've helped many people learn the game over the years, whether it be the TCG or the video games, though it may have required a different approach, as I've usually not been one to force people to play the standard format.  No, the thought that bugged me was the hot shot challenger, the eventuality that someone who cares more about winning and losing than I do would come to one of my events, and within the span of one game try to convince everyone that following me could be hindering them.  Because to me, the game has never been about wins or losses, but bringing groups of friends together, occasionally bull-shitting each other along the way.

Sure, it's hard to argue that it'd be nice one day to go to a Pokemon World Championship event just to say I went.  But to actually be able to compete at that level?  I don't think I'm anywhere close to the experience some of those players bring to the table, honestly because I don't think I could bring myself to care so much about the wins and losses.  Every game has a lesson to learn, especially when helping others learn it.  Sometimes it can mean holding of on your combo long enough to gauge someone's true strength and skill.  To help them see their own value.  The hardest skill to master can be how to lose a winning game.

Just a penny's worth of thoughts, for those motivated to read them.

A Penny's Worth of Thoughts: Unto the Breach

Let me start off by saying that no matter how I've thought about this, there has always been bits that part of my thoughts go, "Yep, that's going to upset some people."  I even thought about not giving my own personal thoughts on these controversial divides the "Penny's Worth of Thoughts" tag, as I have tried to keep it as much of a neutral ground as I could.  But, that reasoning also doubles back on me: I like the neutral ground as a way of offering communication with a variety of different perspectives, yet how can I truly claim that if I'm fearful of bringing my own to the table.  So, I sit here ready to type in hopes that I can show some faith in my own neutral ground, and maybe a bit of perspective of what I keep to myself as I continue on with this series.

Let's start with what could very well be the big thing of this entire post: Yes, I support President Trump.  Yes, I know that he has rubbed people the wrong way, and in that regard, I can agree that there could perhaps be more tact in some of what he says or does.  However, I think his approach to the president's seat with the business mindset has had some positives in one way or another.  I also realize that not everyone has had the same experiences.  Truth be told, there are probably a few things I'm not aware of, both on the positive and negative sides, as politics is not something I stray into, sometimes even actively avoiding--and as an aside, I've sat rereading just what I had up to this point, not to figure out what to add, but thinking of all the potential comments punching holes into just this one paragraph, for more than a few minutes now.  Believe me, you all would have great questions and statements that I have no answers for.  I even just typed this much just to appease my neutral mentality, further raising my own self-doubts on the rest of this post.

Shifting on, before I reread for the tenth time, as I'm already starting to come to the conclusion that I suck at picking sides.  The next main one involves religion, as you'd be surprised how frequently I get asked of my faith.  My response is usually, as is my trend, of my neutral stance, but I'd like to take this to elaborate.  The closest identifier I've ever come across is the one of agnostic, being someone who believes what I can prove, though it's less in the regard of being unable to prove any deity, and more in the line of, with our current understandings, such proof is beyond our grasp.  I grew up Methodist Christian, which is where some of my mannerisms stem from.  My neutral stance came about with the simple realization that many religious stories have more similarities than most realize, just told from a different perspective from one another, making it difficult for me to wholly agree or disagree with any.

With the two major ones out of the way--and yes, I know there's probably just as many holes in my religious view as my political--most of the rest are either less controversial, or at the very least, less mentioned.  Starting with the one my recently abuzz with the recent Super Bowl: No, I do not have a sports team I root for.  You'd have better odds of finding a legit 6IV, choice natured Shiny Pokemon with no masuda, charm, chain, or IV breeding than to find me rooting for a sports team--and for those not fluent in Pokemon nerd: one in a million has better odds than what I just described.  LGTBQ group, or non-binary, which ever you guys are going by these days, I'll just start by saying that in my reasoning, male and female are done deal as far as genders, as far as sexuality, you guys do you, just leave me out of it.

I think that's just about it.  I'm sure I've probably got a half dozen or more talks or comments coming my way, so it's probably time to retreat into my Yoshi Egg after posting this.  I will say actually typing it out was much shorter than my thoughts had me expecting it to be... though some chunks probably got cut as I started.  Hell, even getting this far, I'm still tempted to hit that X in the corner, stop myself from following Pandora's path.  And yes, I know, I really am bad at picking sides, but a neutral zone has to be open to all sides, even it's own.

Just a penny's worth of thoughts, for those who don't hate me for reading them.

A Penny's Worth of Thoughts: Kind Hearted Memories

I'll be completely honest in saying that the post I was considering before this was intended to be a follow-up of my previous one, just that the more I kept thinking over it, and finding it just didn't seem to have the message I was intending, I've decided it needs more thought first.  Unlike this one, which I practically had the full idea for within a few hours of playing a demo for an upcoming remake last Thursday.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX.  A remaster of PMD: Red/Blue Rescue Team.  And, man, the memories.  Some of you may not know this, but it was with those games that I first had a presence within any Pokemon communities online, on the old Nintendo forums, and thinking back on those memories, I felt like there may be some refreshing stories, and lessons, to tell.

One of the bonuses of the PMD games, and one that, while inaccessible in the demo, the menu shows is keeping true to the originals, was the ability to use passcodes given from person to person in order to rescue, or be rescued, in game by a fellow player.  I couldn't even tell you anymore how many I at least tried to help, as at the time there were more experienced rescuers.  But, one thing I recall very clearly, is the warming feeling of either typing or seeing those rescued codes with the tag "No reward necessary".  I think there was at least four or five of us that took on those missions just to help others have better experiences with the games, and it was a sense of community that so often gets overlooked anymore.

It's easy to fall into traps of discouragement.  Someone's first try in any competitive scene is often met with judgement of choice or being barraged with the supposed helpful tips or suggestions that forget to account for the lack of skill or knowledge one may have.  Some may even get discouraged at the losses themselves, not aware of the experience they are intended to gain.  Yet, with PMD, the scene was cooperative, with really the only competitive side being races to the bottom of the ninety-nine floor dungeons.  Hell, I even knew of some who used the rescuer system as a way to trade in-game items that were hard to find.

People get so wrapped up in competing with each other, even when there's nothing to compete over.  I feel it can almost be a detriment, forcing our own focus on one path and away from another.  But how to implement those more cooperative paths, that's the real trick of it all, and of course the solutions vary problem to problem.  But I feel the best place to start is in absence of the competition, perhaps in search of those who would honestly say "No reward necessary" to any help they can provide.

If any of you should find yourselves down on your luck on your own mystery dungeon adventures, Team FlameSquad is always ready to lend a hand, if able.

Just a penny's worth of thoughts, for those who decide to read them.