Technophobia
What has technology done for me?
Well, for one—
It's made me unnecessarily happy,
But I'm very grateful for it.
I mean, my whole life has followed me on the computer,
Transposed to a screen—
The human condition to me, my experience,
Resides more inside a TV than the world
Outside
My window.
When I was a little kid,
I never played any sports and I never had any interest in them
Until I played Madden 2007
With a few of my friends.
I was already an adult at this point,
But, for a moment,
I returned to that feeling,
That kind of feeling that makes me nostalgic now,
And I enjoyed myself,
Learning something new for the first time.
I think it had such an impact on me because
I didn't go outside much when I was younger.
I probably had a vitamin D deficiency.
But what could I do?
After I was twelve or something,
All the kids were playing Pokemon,
Trading the cards under the table
Sort of like the way that pizza place
I once worked for
Traded illegal Mexican cooks
(no racial offense, of course—
Those were the good people
At the job) .
Like a junkie, I couldn't help, but engage in the same elicit activities.
I couldn't help being hooked, even after half my friends stopped
Caring about what holofoils they could collect at the comic book store.
Man, those kids never even played the game though.
I played.
I loved it.
I mean, I played the card game and the video game.
I was raised on video games, after all.
Super Mario was like a second father to me.
I beat SMB1 when I was three years old.
Three years old, I tell you.
Before kindergarten,
My biggest concern was
Pursuing the highest score
Available to my abilities—
Which quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly blasted past my parents,
As if I was an Excite Bike moving too steadily for the looping 8-bit images
To catch up—
In things such as Centipede
Or Tetris—
Or all the games that were in that rare,
Import Japanese Famicom cartridge
My family somehow acquired
(It had over 300 games
And an English convertor
And I played it
Every, every day) .
I didn't really go outside.
I didn't really spend a lot of time with other kids,
But it wasn't a problem.
I liked cartoons too.
I deified the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,
Made a shrine for them in my room—
It resembled a Hindu temple, in a way,
With all my personified
Animal figurines.
Similar to Zen Buddhists,
Who use a wide-array of terminology
(Something I'm now incorporating…
Words such as satori) ,
I picked up their lexicon,
And used words like cowabunga
On a regular basis.
Maybe that's why I didn't have many friends.
I still play video games.
I still watch cartoons.
Not on television though—
I have them set up as files in my computer.
Nowadays, I have friends, but I feel like half of them have
A similar functionality as the games.
I talk to them through the internet,
Interacting through the depression
Of buttons,
Interfacing through the clicks
On a keyboard
When I don't often see their face.
Sometimes I share my thoughts, so people
Can click on the blue-text link that says
‘Like' underneath it,
And, sometimes, I don't even respond to the comments
Because I was misinterpreted—
Sarcasm doesn't translate, I suppose,
Especially when I type acronyms like ‘YOLO; '
I hope people realize I only type it
Because others type it
And, because, so many others type it,
I find it as annoying
As the people that are complaining to me
Do… So why do they complain to me?
(I thought the stupid hipsters liked irony—
I know a lot of stupid hipsters…
You can tell a stupid hipster
Because a stupid hipster
Will label who they are
As a hipster…
And they try to wear clothes
That remind me of Where's Waldo,
Except, man,
These kids are too easy to find) .
The more exposed to people I am,
The more I complain about them,
And I'm always connected now,
So I guess it makes me feel more
Isolated.
I just wish sometimes
That we didn't have to plug our minds in
To get them to function,
That we didn't have Google
To type in the thoughts
We keep forgetting,
Recovering them for a moment or two
Before the white space of a screen
Washes over,
Wiping the trivia back to the bottom
Of a search engine's ocean
Of information.
I'm too obsessed with scatological observations,
Wondering what people think
So I can justify my own thoughts
And get to know people
I don't think I ever wanted to know.
Sometimes I want to be left alone
Or left in the mystery that used to shroud
The people I talked to.
I didn't know what they were thinking back then.
I didn't know and I was trying to figure it out.
Now that I DO know,
I'm not sure it's useful.
I mean,
I'm always going over all these useless facts,
And I'm curious if people realize
That nobody really cares what anybody else says,
That we're all fame-starved miscreants,
Thirsting for narcissism
Because it leads to hedonism,
And, man, all anybody wants nowadays
Is to blow their money and look cool doing it.
Technology shows me this,
But I'd rather it show me another Madden 2007,
So that I could appreciate the games people play
OR the games they watch—
My entire life I've appreciated games,
Even if they kept me away from socialization
(Perhaps a good thing)
And kept me indoors,
Though now I also appreciate
The sun.
What has technology done for me?
Well, for one—
It gave me a childhood.
Well, for two—
It gave me adulthood,
And an understanding I never wanted in the first place.
poem by Tim Stensloff
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Related quotes
Intimate Gaming
Sports we played
Music bands we made
It was all bonding
But through those schooling years
Was anything more innocent
And more intimate
Then the video games we played
Street fighter, mortal kombat
Ice hockey, soccer, shoot-em ups
They all made an appearance
As we bought new sneakers
Changed our hair
Talked
Ate
Argued
High-fived
All with a game controller in hand
A coke by our side
They were the days of less worry
Thoughts only of
Games, slurpees and new sneakers
And a new school year to dread
Of new friends and girls
Of detention and fights
That time has now gone
Though the games still remain
More advanced
The fun has gone
poem by James Dylan
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Played On
People of a certain mentality,
Have a commonness with each other...
And they play games.
The more they believe they are in demand,
They do this...
And the game remains the same.
They make promises they never keep.
They wish to make others wait...
While they deceive another,
Who is not aware they cheat.
And doing this preserving an innocence believed.
As they juggle several relationships,
Until their spouses find this out...
And from them they leave!
People of a certain mentality,
Have a commonness with each other...
And they play games.
Stupid ones!
But they don't know they are played on them,
Everyday!
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
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The one game we all play
The one game we all play
We play games
To show our valour
And mainly to win
We do not mind going for coaching
If we feel we do not have the
Required strength to win
We play games
Either as a team or individual
The attempt is to demonstrate
That we are better talented
Than the team or member
Against whom we play
Nations enthuse people to play games
So that they add pride
Some games are played with
Gadgets and protective accessories
We have spectators to watch
The way we play
We have umpires and referees
Who ensure rules of the games
Are strictly adhered
And it is all a fair play
We play games indoor or outdoor
We play games in daylight
Or under artificial illumination
We score while playing
And the score achieved by a team or individual
In a specific time
Decides the winner
We telecast the games
We comment on the strengths and weaknesses
Of a team or individual
We conduct national and international
Tournaments to declare a team or individual
As champion
Irrespective of skills, race, gender
We all play a game
Which is played mainly to lose
It is an individual game
With no specific rules
With no umpire
With no spectator
With no commentator
With no TV coverage
With no scores
With no trophies
With no victory stands
With no top scorer
With no “player of the match”
But we play
Most of us like to play this game
Indoor and in closed doors
Decency and civilized ways
Do not allow this game being played in the open
There is no season for this game
It can be played any part of the day
And any part of the year
Summer, winter, monsoon seasons
Have no bearing on this game
The one requirement in this game is
Complete transparency and intimacy
Rules for this game
Vary from individual to individual
Rules also get refined
With the experience of the players
There are no restrictions to employ
Any method as both the players
Are determined to be the loser
Duration of play depends again
On the individuals
The game ends
Most often to the satisfaction
Of the both the players
In other games players declare
That they are retiring from playing
There is no retirement in this game
As players advance in age
They understand it is more a mind game
Outcome of this game
Are further more players
You guessed it right
It is the game of love
poem by Bashyam Narayanan
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The video game culture was an important thing to keep alive in the film because we're in a new era right now. The idea that kids can play video games like Grand Theft Auto or any video game is amazing. The video games are one step before a whole other virtual universe.
quote by Vin Diesel
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Columbine Cradle
Mommy loses her cool, when I stay home from school.
Don’t point your toy gun at people” is what I hear,
I reply “I have to point my gun at people playing in
this video game, mommy dear”.
From the sounds of this,
it looks like mommy is not sincere.
Why it all starts at home, how we leave are children alone.
Alone to watch violent video games,
and then wonder why they act insane,
if you take away their toy guns that same day.
Now there is kids bringing guns to school,
pretending to shoot them to make themselves look cool.
It seems these children have not developed “empathy”
that they live in a world of “me and me”.
So, they grow up to be teens,
Having seen everything that could possibly be mean.
Having been desensitized, they don’t think to realize,
That they are like robots going along with the crowd
The crowd that was fed all of these video games,
While mommy claims she will go insane,
if they don’t find something to do,
so she doesn’t lose her cool.
Written by Christina Sunrise on June 6,2011
www.christinasunrise.com www.purplepoems.com
poem by Christina Sunrise
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I think video games are a great kind of entertainment. They have replaced a lot of games people normally play with their friends and neighbours, like Monopoly.
Michael Jackson
I didn't get to say goodbye
I didn't get to tell you that I love you
I didn't even tell you how I feel
You left in a hurry
Without a sound
With no clues
I have to ask why
Why did you have to leave me
Why didn't you tell me how you feel
I don't understand
Why you left
Is it because the God wanted you
But I am selfish I won't share you
Not even with God
You were my hero
My idol
My star
You had my heart
And when you died
You took my heart with you
But that's okay
Because I know I will soon
Be with you
Then I can have my heart back
You are in heaven
Away from all this distruction
But I must ask
Why didn't you take me
Then I could of truly told you everything
You are older than I am
But I still love you
You made mistakes
But so have I
I didn't want us to be together
But I want us to be able to tell each other anything
I wanted us to become Great friends
But now you are gone
Gone to heaven
Is that the best thing
If so for who
You left millions of people
Heartbroken and sad
Gone to heaven
Must be good for you
No distruction
No evil
All good
I didn't say goodbye
And that is killing me
I didn't say all the things I wanted to
That's tearing me apart
I am going to miss you
But as you leave
Another comes
Maybe he wil be like you
But I would have died for you
I am crying my heart and soul out for you
Praying you know that I loved you
You changed millions of poeple's lives
Including myself
You made me believe
I can too feel the music
The beat is within my heart
Closing my eyes
Picturing you here
Is not the same
Of having you here
With all of us
You left behind
Your family
friends
fans
me
Would you have come back to us all
Or would you wait for us
Until our time comes
But now it's time for us to let you go
People will never forget
How you changed everything
We will miss you forever
But now it's time to say goodbye
So goodbye Michael Jackson
poem by Makayla Straight
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Games Two Can Play
I just looked to see the sun outside
It's shining so bright
A sun the clouds can't hide
Do you remember the time that you hear me say
I like to play games that two can play
Ah ha ha ha haaa
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Whoa whoa whoa
Oh oh oh oh
No more
The juke box daddies been blowin' my mind
I ain't goin' nowhere I got lots of time
I'm fat as a cow oh how'd I ever get this way
I like to play games that two can play
Ah ha ha ha haaa
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Whoa whoa whoa
Oh oh oh oh
No more
In the morning people are so happy
And that's the time when I'm a mister bussinessman
Later on I really get to goin' yeah
I get my motor runnin'
I get my legs to movin'
It's just no good unless two can play
Ah ha haaaa
I was layin' on my back
Relaxin' in the night
I played my radio
It was out of sight
Joe South was singing
"Games People Play"
And I like to play games that two can play
Ah ha ha ha haaa
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Whoa whoa whoa
Oh oh oh oh
Yeah-e-eah
Ah ha ha ha haaa
song performed by by Beach Boys
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Your Move
Your move!
It's time to duel and there's no backing down
The heart of the cards is where magic is found
We've played this game before, but never this quite this way
Its like an all out war with monsters that obey
Yu-Gi-Oh!
He's the King of Games
Yu-Gi-Oh!
King of Games
Your move!
Nowhere to turn now the traps have been set
Play that one last surprise, hey it ain't over yet
They've got the upper hand, but that won't last for long
It's time to take a stand and show 'em that youre strong
Yu-Gi-Oh!
He's the King of Games!
Yu-Gi-Oh!
Hey!
Egyptian secrets are revived
Ancient powers have survived
When wrong from right's not black and white
Friends will help to win the fight
Solve the Puzzle's mystery
Unlock a hero's destiny
Now alter egos, no one knows
Side by side they fight their foes
It's time to duel!
These dual identities, they struggle for control
Two personalites inhabiting one soul
It's not a match you're in, it's much more like a brawl
The only way to win, you've got to risk it all
Your move!
It's time to duel and there's no backing down
The heart of the cards is where magic is found
We've played this game before, but never this quite this way
Its like an all out war with monsters that obey
Yu-Gi-Oh!
He's the King of Games
Yu-Gi-Oh!
Hey!
Yu-Gi-Oh!
He's the King of Games
Yu-Gi-Oh!
(Yu-Gi-Oh!)
Yu-Gi-Oh!
He's the King of Games
Yu-Gi-Oh!
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yu-Gi-Oh!
He's the King of Games
Yu-Gi-Oh!
Your move!
song performed by by Yu-Gi-Oh
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I Have This Philosophy
As a child I had threatened to run away.
In fact...
It was either the fourth or the fifth time,
When I made that anoouncement...
To come to realize,
No one was paying me any attention at all.
And on one of those occasions,
My mother told me to take out the garbage...
Before I went anywhere!
She really didn't understand the severity of the moment.
I was all of ten years old and extremely serious.
I was trying to make this point...
I was going to be missed!
My niece, Shayla, did the same thing.
But she came back home to say to her parents,
She had a need for her checkbook and had forgotten it.
Like me...
She has excellent penmanhip.
AND she doesn't play.
Or has time for nonsense.
She's all business and serious.
'Go Shayla.
I'm so glad you discovered adulthood! '
We both had lots to learn about life.
Especially the part of life that one learns...
DO NOT BITE THE HAND THAT FEEDS,
Anythng connected to your survival.
Including those who give lucrative allowances...
To afford our checkbooks...to forget!
I love my niece.
As young people,
We begin to test those independent waters...
Early.
Many of us were forced to.
But as we grow...
Those 'come-and-find-me' games,
Are a bit childish, tired and very old.
And when one plays them over fourty...
Something should connect in their minds,
They play these games alone.
I have this philosophy about life...
If you can not teach a grown cat hygiene,
And if an adult runs into hiding...
In fear of reprisals for something wrong they've done.
Only to seek, ultimately, a pat on the back.
To be stroked like a missing cat when they return....
That person is in need more than 'a' lesson to learn.
That litter box needs to be put outside of the house for good.
'What does that mean? '
I did not say it was a 'good' philosophy...
To be quickly understood.
Some philosophies have to sit and marinate,
Longer than some.
I said I 'have' this philosophy about life.
You figure it out!
It has to be lived to enable it to make sense.
And stop looking at me like that!
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
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Those Same Games Played
Game players become hooked,
Until mesmerized...
To the playing of a game,
That remains the same unchanged.
It's much like the learning children do,
Of the letters in the alphabet.
Each letter is assigned something fixed,
And simplistic that sticks in their heads.
Once a game is remembered,
It doesn't matter who plays it.
But those who have chosen,
These games to play are not aware...
The testing of them occured long before,
They were born to realize...
Those same games played were always there!
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
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I always enjoyed playing ball, and it didn't matter to me whether I played with white kids or black. I never understood why an issue was made of who I played with, and I never felt comfortable, when I grew up, telling other people how to act.
quote by Willie Mays
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I played mostly games like Asteroids and Pac-Man. Today, when I go into an arcade, the games are much more difficult and complex. I don't think I could even play some of the video games that are out there today.
quote by Brandi Chastain
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Vicious Games
I never knew
How much I loved you
I never knew
How much I cared
So I played
Vicious games, vicious games
With different names, different names
Vicious games, vicious games
With different names, different names
I was afraid
To go under
Afraid to see
When I closed my eyes
Vicious games, vicious games
With different names, different names
Vicious games, vicious games
With different names, different names
I never knew
How much I loved you
I never knew
How much I care
I just played
Vicious games, vicious games
With different names, different names
Vicious games, vicious games
With different names, different names
Now that youre gone
And you have left me
I had to learn
I had to learn how much it hurts
To play those vicious games
Vicious games, vicious games
Different names, different names
Vicious games, vicious games
Different names, different names
Vicious games, vicious games
Different names, different names
Vicious games, vicious games
Different names, different names
song performed by by Yello
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Vicious Games
I never knew
How much I loved you
I never knew
How much I cared
So I played
Vicious games, vicious games
With different names, different names
Vicious games, vicious games
With different names, different names
I was afraid
To go under
Afraid to see
When I closed my eyes
Vicious games, vicious games
With different names, different names
Vicious games, vicious games
With different names, different names
I never knew
How much I loved you
I never knew
How much I care
I just played
Vicious games, vicious games
With different names, different names
Vicious games, vicious games
With different names, different names
Now that youre gone
And you have left me
I had to learn
I had to learn how much it hurts
To play those vicious games
Vicious games, vicious games
Different names, different names
Vicious games, vicious games
Different names, different names
Vicious games, vicious games
Different names, different names
Vicious games, vicious games
Different names, different names
song performed by by Yello
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Techno World
What ever happened to the good old days
neighbors talk, kids playing outside
no cable TV, no reality TV
days made of leisure and fun almost gone
the world of techno took it down
ipads, iphone, cells, video games
they have taken over our lives
no more face to face talks
the phone call go to texting
play time is video game time
where did we go wrong
I 'll take the good old days
people were more open and friendly
techno made the world more deadly
no one pays attention
all round people are looking at the techno
texting and driving going to kill someone
give me the old phones and the fence talks like
the good old days
kids playing outdoor
block partying on the street
antennas on the roofs
boom boxes for the music
everyone paying attention
techno killed the real world
poem by Michael Peterson
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Growing up #2
I never talk much about my Dad
Because, when I do I get very sad
I can't give my dad much credit
Dad didn't raise us, mom did it
Oh please don't get me wrong
I loved him, he used to sing songs
But dad could be mean with his words
I know, because I always heard
I heard him talk to mom, like she was a dog
And when he wanted his kids, it was to kill a hog
He would take us to his mothers
And they would sit and talk about others
They talked mean about mom and her kids
Like he didn't help bring us into this world, but he did
Don't get me wrong, I loved him, because he was my dad
But he always put his mother in front of my mom, and that was sad
Dad took us to his mothers one day
And we were sent out to play
While my dad set at her table and ate banana pudding
kids wasn't allowed to eat, mom got mad, because her kids couldn't
So mom came out and set with her kids
When dad got done, the fight was on, and she did
It was months before mom would go back over there
Heck it was months, before we went any where
The eight kids that mom and dad had
It was all left up to my mom, and that is so sad
If I had A gold award, I would ask my mom to stand up
Because dad didn't help us grow up
This gold statue, Is awarded to my mom
For raising five girls and three sons
poem by Frieda Lumpkins
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Technology
Technology is our future.
That's what they all say.
But I think our future
is getting in our way.
We, as humans
are becoming robotic.
So much so
that it seems idiotic.
We rely on machines
to tell us what to do.
If the computers are down
no one has a clue.
The kids play with joysticks
held tightly in their hand,
mowing people down
as fast as they can.
DVD video games
are all the rage now.
Kids don't skip rope anymore.
They've forgotten how.
Every day another gadget
is every kid's dream.
Just flick the tube on.
There's the advertising scheme.
Now what we have happening
I'm sure we all can see
is the technological giants
created a false reality.
Just sit and watch closely
that most kids we see today
don't know about simplicity
when it comes to play.
They long for it, I know.
For that's how we are made.
We've instincts for being human,
not robots on parade.
We cannot stop technology.
It's gone too far for that.
But progress must be sensible
and not replace humans to be an automate.
poem by Edwina Reizer
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I played football for a team called the East Dragons on the east side of town. We only had six regular season games. And six games I played tail back and I had 18 touchdowns in six games. That's when I knew I had some athletic ability.
quote by LeBron James
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Games People Play
(Joe South)
Oh the games people play now
Every night and every day now
Never meaning what they say now
Never saying what they mean
Oh they whine away the hours
In their ivory towers
Til they're covered up with flowers
In the back of a black limousine
La la la mmm da da da
La la la mmm da da dee
I'm talkin' 'bout you and me
And the games people play
Oh they make one another cry
Break their hearts and they say good-bye
Cross their heart and they hope to die
That the other was to blame
Neither one will ever give in
So they gaze at an eight by ten
Thinkin' 'bout the way it might have been
And it's a dirty rotten shame
La la la mmm da da da
La la la mmm da da dee
I'm talkin' 'bout you and me
And the games people play
Oh they teach how to meditate
Read your horoscope and teach you faith
The furthermore the hell with hate
Come on and get on board
Look around and tell me what you see
What's a-happenin' to you and to me
God grant me the serenity
To just remember who I am
La la la mmm da da da
La la la mmm da da dee
I'm talkin' 'bout you and me
And the games people play
song performed by by Dolly Parton
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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