Smallish Post

For the Strength of Youth is a powerful set of guidelines for teenagers of the LDS faith.  It's teachings are simple enough that they can be followed, while at the same time being complex enough to require faith and trust.  I believe it truly captures the ideas behind being a parent, where there are guidelines given that can't always be explained are understood, yet the importance is there nonetheless.  While this pamphlet was written specifically for those of the LDS faith, I believe that the precepts offered within it could be positively applied to any teenager.  The reason for this is that the book helps teenagers to embrace their current opportunities in life and to not rush into the future.  This is done by counseling dating ages, appropriate swimwear, and movies ratings to be avoided.  For the Strength of Youth can empower our teenagers to do that which is right.

Role Playing Games Smallish Post

We look at athletes who have spent thousands of hours perfecting their art and pay them millions of dollars.  We share a national and societal pride in these men and women who have developed and fine-tuned their skills to a professional level.  I believe that excelling in an MMORPG should be viewed as an equivalent achievement.  Not everyone is born with the height to excel in basketball, or the potential weight to excel in sumo-wrestling, and not everyone is born with the cognitive ability to master a MMORPG.  However, as a society, we often ridicule these "gamer" professionals while we are willing to pay great sums of money to watch their Michael Jordan counterparts play different "games".  I believe that society as a whole has trouble understanding the reality required to master the virtual world.  If a line for excessive gaming must be drawn, we may need to remember that sports are simply games as well.  When is too much MMO gaming?  When is too much basketball?