The Games We Play... On Facebook

“Attention: A rare and elusive turtle has appeared on your friend’s island, hurry to be the first to adopt this cute little guy!”

You have probably seen this message, or at least something like it. Maybe it was a lonely pink cow that had lost its way, or it could have been an invite to join the mob. Regardless, if you have a Facebook account, you are aware of these games.

A survey of 50 individuals with a Facebook account revealed that all had tried at least one Facebook game. Thirty of them had well-established “farms,” and 20 had achieved at least a “125k Medal” in the game Bejeweled Blitz.

So what? Most people enjoy playing games. One might argue that it is part of human nature. The problem comes when games become more important than real-life responsibilities. Take the popular game “Farmville,” for instance.

“Procrastination through cultivation,” is the term used to describe the obsession my friends have with this game. Of the 30 individuals who said they had a “well-established farm,” 25 admitted to playing the game in lieu of doing homework. Ten of those said that maintaining their “farms” had at least once resulted in a negative real world consequence.

“I use my computer to write papers and do homework. The Internet is always there and it isn’t uncommon for me to put off the responsibilities of school in order to harvest my crops,” Stephanie Samuels said.

Forty-eight of those interviewed cited avoidance of homework or to-do list items as a reason they play online. “It is so easy to do, if you have a connection [to the Internet] you’re set,” said Ashley Nosam. “Who wouldn’t play?”

Good question. From the evidence of many casual conversations, as well as my own research for this article, I am forced to admit that most people do play. Like many of you, one of the things I do every morning is log on to my Facebook account. I maintain several pages, and, to be fair, Facebook is a great way to get information that may be important to my day ahead. For the most part, I find the services and features of the site to be helpful and entertaining.

Do I play any Facebook games? I have tried a few, but they are not my cup of tea. Do I think Facebook games are wrong? No. Do I think they can be a waste of time? Most definitely!

Play for entertainment.
Play to defrag from a stressful day.
Just don’t let your real life be negatively affected.
By these games we play.

At a glance:
Who: Facebook users
What: Facebook Games
Why: For entertainment or to avoid homework

ESPN 3D: Sports that hit you in the face, virtually.

If 2009 was the year of touch, 2010 is shaping up to be the year of 3D. With new breakthroughs in 3D technology, 3D media looks to become the next "big thing." At the forefront of this new movement is the sports news company ESPN. They announced Monday the creation of the industry's first 3D network, ESPN 3D. The plan is to produce at least 85 live broadcasts in 2010-11. The first of these is scheduled for June 11. It will be a FIFA World Cup Soccer match between South Africa and Mexico. According to the ESPN website, this will be the first of a possible 25 matches that will be broadcast in this new form.

To quote the ESPN news release,
"In addition to the World Cup opener, ESPN will produce up to 25 total World Cup matches, as well as the Summer X Games, college basketball, and college football, including the BCS National Championship game in Glendale, Ariz., January 10, 2011. ESPN has been testing ESPN 3D for more than two years, and produced USC's 18-15 win over Ohio State in 3D for select theaters back in September. This network launch will certainly drive the early adoption of 3D TV sets, while combining "great content with new technology to enhance the fan's viewing experience," according to ESPN President, George Bodenheimer."

An obvious question concerning this new way of viewing our media is "So what?" Aside from the "cool" factor, the possibilities for this kind of technology are exciting. While sports will be first, other subjects and networks will likely be soon follow. Can you imagine watching the Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch" in 3D? Better bring your Dramamine.

Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=4796555

On Obama winning the Nobel Peace prize

I would like to tip my hat to those who recognize that Obama's win of the Nobel Peace prize is at the least premature. Two weeks in office is in no way an adequate measure for an award as prestigious as this one is supposed to be. It is refreshing to see people of all walks recognizing this. I wish that everyone, regardless of political affiliation, could show the same intelligence and insight. Judge a person on his accomplishments, not the promise of accomplishments. In other words, judge a person on "Yes we did" rather than "Yes we can."

Cascade Collegiate Soccer League rebuilding relationships

What: Rebuilding the reputation of the Cascade Collegiate Soccer League
Who: Art Mota, Vice President of the CCSL, coach of the LBCC soccer club

Linn-Benton Community College's soccer coach hopes to rebuild league relationships with referees.

Art Mota, who is the vice president of the newly reorganized Cascade Collegiate Soccer League, and the coach for LBCC's soccer club, says the league was reformed over the summer and is working to reestablish itself after developing a bad reputation.

"It's like we have swine flue; they won't come near us," said Mota.

The main transgressions that the officials were upset with included the improper handling of red-carded players, non-payment for matches officiated, and rescheduling of matches without communicating those changes to the officials.

Currently the teams in the league are responsible for getting their own officials to cover matches.

"The plan is to affiliate with the Oregon Adult Soccer Association during the winter break from play," said Mota. "That, along with the addition of a designated coordinator for officials, will help a lot."

Foot of snow keeps soccer sidelined

Who: LBCC Soccer Club
What: Opening match vs. COCC snowed out
When: Next match Saturday, Oct. 10, @ noon vs. UofO
Where: Soccer field just west of Albany campus football field
Extra: COCC match rescheduled for the weekend of Oct. 17

Linn-Benton Community College’s soccer club found their first match stymied by snow fall.

The match, which was to be played against Central Oregon Community College on Sunday, October 4, in Bend, was canceled after a short attempt to clear the field.

The match was rescheduled for the weekend of October 17. CCOC, who will be in town for a match with OSU, will play LBCC at the Albany campus.

Sundays match was to be the first time an LBCC soccer club played in a league sanctioned match.

The club’s first match will now be this Saturday, Oct 10, versus the University of Oregon.

The match will take place at noon on the soccer field just west of the Activities Center and track on the Albany campus.

For more information or to offer sponsorship contact coach Art Mota at 541-917-4467

Flash rave a flash in the pan

Confusion was the theme as roughly 300 Oregon State students attempted -not once-but twice to flash rave on the Oregon State University Campus Thursday evening, October 1st.

At 8:45pm, students began gathering outside the OSU library anticipating that the library was to be the location of the flash rave. Word then spread that the location had been changed to the parking lot south of Reser Stadium. The large group assembled outside the library then paraded through campus to Reser Stadium, growing in size as people unaware of the event were informed and joined the growing throng.

Once the group reached the parking lot, the fact that it was not the location quickly became evident. Without any direction from organizer Sam Smith, who could not be reached for comment, the mob decided to go back to the library. As the students filed into the library chanting “OOOO….SSSS….UUUU….Oregon State Fight Fight Fight!” there was a sense that not all was lost and that the flash rave would succeed.

After 20 minutes, someone finally produced a c.d. player and after a search for a CD, students finally got to dance a little before the crowd dispersed— due to sheer boredom more than anything else.

All in all, it was a fun event. There is much room for improvement should an event like this occur again.

Check out video for the event HERE!