Category: Daily Prompt

A-Z Challenge – J

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J stands for “Jyama” (じゃま)

I was thinking of a word that starts with J that we say often in my family and the Japanese word “Jyama” (sounds like Jah-mah) came into my mind. And it would usually be followed by an exclamation point because it’s usually said to someone when they are in the way. If you say it to someone with a bit of feeling behind it, it can mean, “Get out of my way!”

I normally hear “Jyama!” from my wife when I am bothering her in the kitchen, trying to steal food that she is making, or if I am getting something out of the fridge while she needs to get in there too. 😜

Anyways, that’s a quick Japanese lesson for today. My Japanese comprehension is not so great, but I do know when my wife wants me to get the heck out of her way!

A-Z Challenge – I

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I stands for “Ice”

Here’s a non-interesting fact about me: I rarely put ice in my water. My body tends to get cold very easily and drinking cold water makes it unbearable. I cannot sit still when I am cold like that, so whenever I have water, I skip the ice. In fact, I prefer drinking water that is room temperature, which I feel just goes down easier and hydrates me more quickly. I am not sure there are health benefits to drinking warmer water, but some of the theories are interesting! And I think, in a small way, reducing the demand on ice saves on energy and resources.

The only time I will drink ice-water is if it is served to me at a restaurant or if I need to cool down on a hot summer day, but other than that, room-temperature is best!

A-Z Challenge – H

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H is for “Humanism”

What is Humanism?

An outlook or system of thought attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters. Humanist beliefs stress the potential value and goodness of human beings, emphasize common human needs, and seek solely rational ways of solving human problems.

and

Humanism is a democratic and ethical life stance, which affirms that human beings have the right and responsibility to give meaning and shape to their own lives. It stands for the building of a more humane society through an ethic based on human and other natural values in the spirit of reason and free inquiry through human capabilities. It is not theistic, and it does not accept supernatural views of reality.

This is pretty much where I am, and where I have always been. I think it’s a healthy place to be.

 

A-Z Challenge – G

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G is for “Gaming”

This post has been a long time coming – about a year! I don’t play many video or computer games, but I do have a few that I like to play. Torchlight 2 is my go-to game on the PC. I’ve always liked fantasy-type games, ever since I was in elementary school and played Dungeons & Dragons with my friends. That was such a fun time! I was really into the game, but then when I was in 7th grade or so, I became more interested in girls than games!

But then video games and computers became popular and I played a lot of sword and sorcery-type role-playing games, even official ones using the Dungeons & Dragons name. Torchlight and its sequel, Torchlight 2, are games of this genre, but they are less puzzle-solving and more stat-building. I play on normal or easy mode because I don’t like the stress of my characters dying often. I just like to breeze through the game, exploring new areas, and learning new skills and Torchlight 2 is the perfect game for that. I highly recommend it, especially because it is relatively cheap on Steam. I think I bought it on sale for $10, but it is regularly only $20.

Below is a screenshot of one of the characters I play as. I took this screenshot when she was very low-level so there isn’t any real fancy gear. But I think all the characters looks so cool… the artwork in the game is really vibrant and sometimes funny too! It’s kind of cartoony and doesn’t have any realistic gore, although bashing monsters is a lot of fun. It’s a perfect, low-stress game for pure entertainment. Go play!

Torchlight 2 Outlander
Torchlight 2 Outlander

A-Z Challenge – F

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F is for “Fanatic”

My favorite sport is baseball, and growing up in the Los Angeles area, my favorite team was and still is the Dodgers. I’ve followed them, but I was never a fanatic. But a few years ago, I would listen to a game, and then get really angry when they lost. I would stress out over it when I was falling asleep even! Then, I got so disappointed in them when they got eliminated from the playoffs that I swore off baseball, and all sports. It was sort of in jest, but sort of serious. I really don’t understand how I could have that kind of emotional reaction to a team that I have no control over. It’s really weird!

But I didn’t want to feel that disappointment again, so I decided that I wouldn’t follow sports at all. I think that lasted a year or so, and then a change happened in me. I know it had something to do with when Koa started playing Little League baseball. During the first season, I would get so tense during the games, especially when the team made errors. I would get so nervous, that I didn’t even want to watch the game! I know, right? It was just like when I would watch the Dodgers!

The next season, I noticed that the kids, even if they lost, still had smiles on their faces and high-fived the other team after the game. Even though deep down I knew that winning wasn’t the most important thing about playing the game, I somehow lost sight of that. But seeing the joy on the kids’ faces made me realize that it was I who had the problem. My emotions were ridiculous! Once I realized that, my whole world (well, at least my sports world) changed. I now enjoy watching my son play the game and don’t mind the errors or strikeouts anymore. I make sure not to criticize him during the ride home after the game. I admit, I sometimes have the urge to say something, but that feeling is now minuscule compared to how it was during the first season. In fact, it’s so distant that I can see it far away… and laugh at it. What a great feeling!

The MLB season has just started, and I am watching a lot of the games. I think it will be a great season, not because I think the Dodgers will do well or win the World Series, but it will be a great season because I will enjoy the games without having the stressed-out mindset of a “fanatic”.