I told you I'd be blogging very soon.

Now after reading Ryan's and Ant's blogs respectively, I've kinda gathered a few ideas on what to write about in mine. I'll admit that last blog really ate it, but that's because of the whole slow computer thing. Now that I've rebooted, it's all good. But I mean really, let's face it, my blogs have been pretty lame for the last month. Hopefully I can hit on something that will get ppl thinking but at the same time won't offend ppl. That's perfect!

I'll talk about how to accomplish that later on. Just some things I have to get out of the way first.

As some of you have probably read, Ryan recently said that he's given up on getting friends together for games. I think, actually I know that a huge part of that has to do with me and my dislike for Splinter Cell 2. For those of you who don't know, me and Ryan are always trying to play some kind of online game together. The only problem was that secretly I hated Splinter Cell 2, and he hated Frozen Throne, which so happened to be our favorite games to play. What a pickle we're in...

Anyhow, what happened recently was that again we ran into the problem of me trying to get him to play my game, while he did the same. Ultimately we played Frozen Throne due to the circumstances, and I could tell it wasn't fun. Then when he asked me to play SC2, I decided to finally spill the beans. I pretty much said that I hated SC2, then he said that he hated FT (which was actually a big surprise to me ironically). With that said I played my game with whoever was online, and he played his, and that was that.

I hope he's not pissed about the whole encounter back then. Personally I see it as a relief, considering that I got him to play a game that he hated so much and had no fun with, and he did the same with me. Though it may suck that we can't enjoy the same game, it's still better we aren't forced to patronize the other person. And so ultimately I think it really worked out for the best. I think it became another one of those differences that just has to happen and that has to be. Like him liking Hockey and me liking Basketball.

Anyhow that was a really long winded story for such a small point. And while I was typing the whole thing, my modem decided to go psycho and start flashing red (meaning not being connected to the internet), just to fuck me up and go back to normal. Shaw Cable bastards....

Ok so that was the idea of what to write I got from Ryan. Now to put into use about what I got from Ant's blog.

As promised, I'm gonna write about writing an interesting blog. It may be kinda interesting or kinda boring, depending on how you see it.

I think what truly defines an interesting blog is the way you express your point of view about some kind of issue. I mean, let's face it, everyone has gone to your page to see your opinion about something, so why not give it?

I think these are the kinds of blogs that Ryan or Ant tend to write. Where it will get you thinking about if you agree with what you're reading, or if you're totally opposed to it. With that though comes the risk of the whole technique: stepping on other ppl's toes.

Now I tend to see this happen many times over, where 95% of it is completely unintentional, but still harmful. The problem is that when you're stating you're opinion, of course you are going to speak in confidence about what you believe in. But there's that difference between saying what you think, and telling ppl what to think or as I like to call the "No Tolerance" blog. It's the kind of blog that shouts "I'm right, I'm right, Just STFU bastards, you've got nothing on me!" Now this is great and dandy for when you're talking about something not so significant like pet peeves or anything like that, but once you start getting into religion or culture and beliefs, that's when you run into trouble.

This is the point where the blog becomes not just a means of entertainment any more, but instead it almost becomes an infringement on other ppl's beliefs. And if these ppl hold these beliefs as a high priority, you bet you're gonna get a HUUUUGE pot of shit stirring about one little matter. That's the point where it becomes do or die. I'll explain..

The blogger feels the obligation to defend what he/she has to say because that's what they wrote on their personal blog, and they're supposed to write about how they feel in the first place. While at the same time, the offended feels an obligation to take a stand for what they believe in. They are almost at the point where if they let this contracdictory belief slide, then they'll be seen as not being as confident in their beliefs as they once were. So it becomes two ppl ignorantly butting heads until either one surrenders (which is not likely), or one goes over the line and brings something completely personal and that has nothing to do with the argument into the fray. Either way, the friendship becomes permanently scarred after the confrontation.

That's why I tend to avoid those kinds of arguments or blogs. It's not that I don't have any beliefs and values I don't completely believe in, but it's that I don't think anyone has the right to tell anyone else what to think or how to think something is, no questions asked. People who do that are just down right ignorant, and miss out in a huge spectrum of ways to look at things. Frankly I feel sorry for those people.

Anyway, yet again, long winded, but it felt good to write it. More blogs to come soon. I'll have to describe how Vanessa's BBQ went, next blog..