rbm001's blog

According to Jane McGonigal, a game can be anything from something like the ancient game Mancala, to the latest Halo game on the XBOX.  Games are fun because they offer a escape from reality.  They are also fun because they offer competitiveness and also they offer companionship.  Nothing is funner than joining a group of friends in a game like Call of Duty and running up a huge match winning streak.  Everybody wants to be the best and that is where gaming can be really fun.  There are some really hardcore gamers that play all the time to be the best.  Games are also a great way to relieve stress because they have nothing to do with real life.  A lot of people that work nine to five jobs come home and play games until they go to bed because it offers a release from their everyday life.  There are also a lot of people that don’t really care about real life because they spend most of their time playing video games.  These are the “hardcore” gamers and they are usually very good at whatever they are playing.

Many people like to play mobile games on their phone.  Angry Birds has become a very popular game because it is a very simple game that you fling birds into evil pigs.  This game has grown into having lots of Angry Birds memorabilia.  The cool thing about mobile games like this one is that all different age groups can play.  Kids as young as 2 years old can play just as easily as someone who is 70 years old.

Video games have been a big part of my life growing up.  My best friend in junior high was a game called Runescape.  Runescape is a MMORPG that is browser based and also free.  However, the free version gave you only about 25% of the whole game.  For that reason, I bought the members game for only about five dollars a month.  Playing this game is really a love-hate relationship because it is very monotonous but I also made quite a few friends while playing.  I played a little during high school and I almost wish I still played because I knew the game so much.

The main reason I quit playing was because I got an XBOX 360, along with XBOX Live.  This opened up a whole new world of gaming.  I started playing games like Call of Duty, NCAA Football, and Fallout.  Unfortunately I am kind of a perfectionist when it comes to XBOX gaming because I like to get all of the achievements for a game.  I have completed most games that I’ve played and always try to play to get every achievement.  I am also a very violent gamer, meaning if I get angry at the game I may throw something, but I’ve learned to control that by yelling instead of throwing stuff.

I usually play video games about 2 hours a day, sometimes more and sometimes less.  I really enjoy the online gaming aspect of video games.  I used to play Age of Empires 2 and I would always play online because it was the funnest experience that I have ever had while gaming.  Most of the online players for that game were very, very good.  Players would create their own games where special units would keep spawning out of the castles so games would last for hours upon hours.

I also played a game called Guild Wars.  This is a game that I wish I still played but most people have moved on from this game and are waiting for Guild Wars 2 which is supposed to be released this year.  I can’t wait for this game to come out because I will be getting it and playing it a lot.

I think that I am a gamer because I love to play video games, especially online games.  I really enjoy the MMO games because you can join friends as well as fight against other people.  These games really give you the best sense of companionship in video games.  This is probably the funnest aspect of the game for me.

Hello this is a blog post about the numerous ways your can survive a zombie apocalypse.  There are many ways to go about this.  First thing that you’re going to need is a weapon obviously.  Secondly, you’re going to need a place to defend such as a house, barn, or castle.  Thirdly, you may need some form of transportation to get food and whatnot.

First and most important is the weapon.  Now, preferably this is going to be a gun.  Sub machines guns are the best for mobility and they are also fully automatic.  If you can get your hands on one of these puppies that would be a great idea.  However, this is not even close to your best option when it comes to taking zombies down.  That would be either a shotgun or the light machine gun.  A shotgun is great for when you are in close quarters with zombies crawling all over.  A simple shot will kill most zombies unless they are extremely strong.  Many types of shotguns are available as well, including the pump action and the semi auto.  The pump action shotgun will take a little more time to fire repeated shots because of the “pump” you have to do in between the two shots.  That’s why the semi auto is such a better option.  Would you rather be able to fire off two quick shots instead of having to pump inbetween?  Of course you would.  What if you miss?  That could be the difference between dying that day and starting civilization off again somewhere else.

That brings us to possibly the best option for taking down zombies in large amounts, the light machine gun.  These come in many different types but typically you will be able to shoot off 150 rounds in a row without reloading.  This is great if you are looking out a window with many zombies running at you.  However, it may be a little overkill with just one zombie. If you would prefer to take out multiple zombies with one, high explosive round, I would recommend the RPG or bazooka.  Also known as the Rocket Propelled Grenade, this little guy is best known for taking out helicopters and tanks.  However, a zombie can’t drive a tank and it would be downright scary if it could.  If you fire one of these grenades into a large group of zombies you’re going to take out quite a few.  This will definitely help if your friends have a some small arms and can then pick them off one by one.  You should never waste a RPG round on a small group of zombies.  That is just a terrible waste of ammunition and money.  (Wait you don’t need money anymore)

The next thing you’re going to want to think of is a place to call your home.  This place will be defended at all times and must never be overrun because one this is overrun, you’re going to have to find a place that is much less familiar than your home base.  You are going to want many higher up windows, so you can get the vantage point on the zombies from up top.  A very important part of warfare is who has the high ground because it is much easier to fire down on somebody than to fire up at them.  This is especially true with zombies.  A zombie is going to be much, much easier to fire at if you have the high ground. (They will also be a lot less intimidating as well!)  As always, escape routes are a must.  If you began to get overran, you better find yourself a way out.  A great way to get out is a trapdoor that leads to outside.  The zombies will be very confused when you pull up that door and disappear.  This is will give you ample time to get out and escape, and hopefully you will have an escape vehicle.  An escape vehicle is not necessary, but it will play in an important role in your zombie apocalypse experience nonetheless.

If you have no vehicle and limited supply of ammo, you are for sure screwed.  There is literally no way around getting out of the zombies hands.  Eventually they will overrun you because they simply don’t get tired.  You on the other hand will get very tired running away from shrieking zombies.  Unless you are running to place with more ammo, you will get eaten.  That is a FACT.  So make sure you have at least some sort of vehicle, you can even have a bike, I don’t really care.  Just as long as you aren’t trying to run away.

If you happen to have a car, make sure the trunk is filled with nothing but extra fuel and ammo.  Valuable space cannot be taken up something such as food or water.  Food and water will need to be put in the back seat.  If there are people back there put it on their laps and just be sure it doesn’t get in the way of their aiming.  As far as type of car goes, obviously you’re going to probably want an SUV.  These things will destroy any zombie in their path and take care of any space issue.  In reality, a hummer will probably be your best bet.

Whatever you do, do NOT try to take your care through the car wash.  This was evidenced in the movie The Crazies when they went through the car wash that was inhabited by zombies.  Three people went in and two people came out.  Is that what you want to happen to you?  Didn’t think so.

In conclusion, I have given you just a glimpse of how to survive when the zombies attack.  There are many rules to follow but sometimes you just have to improvise to win.  And believe me, in this game, winning is living.  And living is fun when you get to gun down zombies all day.

The religion of Islam is best represented by its pilgrimage.  I believe it is much more represented than the other religions of the world.  It is one of the only ones that takes many days and it’s pilgrims must take a certain path.  The thing that separates it from other religions is that you must complete the pilgrimage because it is a requirement of the Islam religion.  Mecca is the most important part of Islam and there is currently a waiting list to get into the holy site.

The journey to Mecca is a life-long goal of all Muslims and they are frantically trying to get in.  Once they are there, it is a process that takes awhile to complete.  There is a ton of walking and running and people have even been trampled while running back and forth between the two hills.  A Muslim’s life becomes complete when they finally finish this journey.  It is certainly a milestone that all Muslims would love to complete.

I chose to come to Morningside because it was close to home and because I could play baseball.  I think that being so close to home has helped me because I can still see my family when I want and my mom can still do my laundry.  That is a big help because then I don’t need to spend money to do laundry.  The other big reason to come to Morningside was to play baseball.  I have enjoyed baseball a lot this fall and it is really fun.  I like the camaraderie on the baseball team and with other kids in the dorm.

Morningside being a liberal arts school really didn’t have much to do with me coming here.  It seems like most schools were liberal arts schools.  If i wouldn’t  have gone to Morningside, I would have ended up at a big university like Iowa.  That was actually my second choice and it a really close call between the two.  It turns out i’m a die-hard Hawkeye fan which sometimes isn’t good.  A liberal arts school really didn’t impact my decision in coming here at all.

Today in Intro to Religion we mimicked the hajj, the pilgrimage for Muslims to the holy city of Mecca.  First, they would would wash their feet and hands before they enter the Mosque.  The second step in the pilgrimage is the walking around counter clockwise of the kaaba.  This must be done 7 times.  After this, the third step is to run back and forth from two hills seven times.  This symbols the search that Hajer, Abraham’s wife did when she looked for water for her son.  The next step is to stand and reflect on the mortality of the inner self for nearly an entire day.  Stoning the devil is the next step in the pilgrimage to Mecca.  Pilgrims gather pebbles and toss them at the three pillars to signify their defiance of the devil.  Then, the pilgrims must walk counter clockwise around the kaaba seven more times.  The final step is the sacrificing of the lamb by a qualified butcher.

It seems to me that there are more Jewish holidays than there are Christian Holidays.  The Jewish calender begins on this date actually, Roch Hashanah, which is the Jewish new year.  The normal new year is not until Jan. 1.  The next major holiday is Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.  Atonement is the reconciliation of God.  Next, we have Shavu’oth, the Festival of Weeks.  The next is Sukkoth, the Festival of Booths.  The next, and most known is Hanukah, which is the celebration of Independence.  This is the most known Jewish holiday by far.  It is referenced in many movies and books and every Jew looks forward to this.  The final holiday is the Passover, which is the remembrance of Exodus.  Moses led the Jews out of the holy land and they remember this and have feasts to celebrate.

This is one of the better books I have read in awhile.  It involves the author (Kevin Roose) who was attending Brown University, and transferring to the evangelical college Liberty.  He goes from a very comfortable situation to an entirely new one at Liberty.  Liberty forces you into the religious ways no matter what.  His only religious affiliation when he arrives is Quaker, and even then he barely practices it.  He didn’t except to start praying and actually make friendships with a lot of Liberty students in his dorm.  He even started dating some Liberty girls even though he couldn’t even kiss them.  He made some really good friendships while at Liberty which he didn’t expect at all.  The whole Liberty experience made him really think twice about religion and it almost converted him.  He struggled most with the fact that he was mostly lying to every person there.  He felt really bad about that and it deeply hurt a relationship of his.  The other thing that really bothered him, at least at first, was the gay jokes that everybody made at Liberty.  He had many gay friends at Brown and at Liberty being gay was a huge sin.  At first he couldn’t deal with all the jokes but he eventually got over it  by the end of the semester.

Pilgrimage is an interesting thing.  There are different ways people do pilgrimage to different parts of the world.  People sometimes make pilgrimages and they won’t even know it.  Most pilgrimages are for religious purposes to see the main part of their religion and to get in touch with their religion.  There are two types, descriptive and analytical.  People will continue to make pilgrimages all over the world and they always want to see the main thing in their religion.

My dream job would be a marketing manager at a big company.  I would hope this company is in a large city in the midwest because that is where I would like to live.  A marketing manager would help the company decided what they need and also help with the pricing strategies of the company.  Another big thing that they do is that they estimate the demand for new products.  I want my dream job to be in a skyscraper with the best technology available.

I would have to graduate from Morningside with a degree in Business Administration with an emphasis on Marketing.  I also plan to minor in Computer Science to diversify my skills.  After Morningside, I would have to get my masters in Marketing and I plan on going far away because I want to see the world.  Then, it’s all about applying for jobs and hoping I land the right one!

I do agree with Alex Watters that you should be networking in your first year.  There is no better time to start, and you’re better off because you then have more time to network.  You don’t want to start too late because a lot of your friends are made in your freshman or sophomore years.  Networking will help you a lot more in the real world because then you have connections with other people that you wouldn’t normally have.  It could help you get a job that you wouldn’t normally get as well.