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[pmcd9]

I happened to find myself in the comics store a couple of days ago helping my 13 year old nephew choose a graphic novel. There were at least 25 kids, they appeared to be mostly late teen, early 20somethings, playing D&D. Except none of them were actually playing D&D. There seemed to be 3 different games going on. Two of them were Fantasy games in the D&D vein, but I can't recall the name and the 3rd group was playing My Little Pony.

100% dudes. I had been led to believe that women were starting to pick up on nerd culture. That doesn't seem to be the case in Humble Texas.

[theinevitable]

Yeah, a lot of people switched away from D&D and now play other games because 4th edition was really different and controversial. The internet and other advances have led to the rise of cheap or free alternatives. The new edition is awesome, though.

There were two girls playing at this shop-- one who was the most mature person there, and one who was being a total twit. Actually everyone there was acting completely horrible. All arguing with each other, getting derailed in non-game-related discussions, and actively sabotaging each other to be "funny."
I have read some stuff online that basically said that young kids are the most fun to play with (with adults helping them with the mechanics), adults are second, teens are a distant third. Too awkward to have fun with their imaginations like the kids, not mature enough to focus like adults. Worst of every world. I'm sure I would have been the same way if I had played at that age. I was even more of a loser-- a wannabe d&d nerd who couldn't find people to play with.

[wombat]

and the 3rd group was playing My Little Pony.

100% dudes.

I assume there has to be some mistake here.

[wombat]

I have read some stuff online that basically said that young kids are the most fun to play with (with adults helping them with the mechanics), adults are second, teens are a distant third. Too awkward to have fun with their imaginations like the kids, not mature enough to focus like adults. Worst of every world.

Isn't this true of everything in life?

[Carlos del Vaca]

"where do you even hear of any of these weird old bands?"

I get this sometimes too. I had this awful ongoing argument with an otherwise intelligent college friend who believed that if music is popular (in the Top 40 sense), by definition it must be good.

[wombat]

I think it's fair to say that if music is in the Top 40, it is good at something. The question is whether you think "appealing to a huge number of people" is the important thing to be good at.

[theinevitable]

Meanwhile, the "where do you learn about music" roommate is a library science student who only likes recent bestsellers. She gave me her copy of Confederacy of Dunces, which some relative had given her, because she said it looks too weird and she knows she won't like it. She is also mad that she has to take a class about the Dewey Decimal System and other classifying systems. You know, the activity that as far as I know is literally all librarians do.

Someone who isn't me needs to ask this woman "why do you want to work in a library?"

[pmcd9]

I get this sometimes too. I had this awful ongoing argument with an otherwise intelligent college friend who believed that if music is popular (in the Top 40 sense), by definition it must be good.

I have a Facebook friend who post a lot about music. Just yesterday I unfollowed him because he is so snobbish. He has great taste in what he likes, but hates anything that has mass appeal. So he's basically the polar opposite of your friend.

[theinevitable]

I have realized after a few more discussions that this woman is the type of person that I have the hardest time understanding-- people who don't put effort into learning about the things they like. Want to make pasta? Follow the directions on the box, add sauce from a jar. Want Asian food? Go to the Chinese restaurant down the street. Want to listen to music? Whatever is on the radio. Want a bike? Find the cheapest bike on craigslist. I don't get it. When we got here she was totally amazed that I had already looked up where the grocery store is, how to get to NYC on the train, etc. She is clearly a smart person, just not... curious?

I am hoping that at some point I am going to find out about that one thing she really geeks out about. I do not know how to relate to... non-geeks. Maybe this can be a learning experience. I am trying not to judge but I just don't get it.

[wombat]

True, and many people are like that all their lives, but I also think sometimes it is an effect of youth. When I first started teaching I was always amazed at how passive most college students were, until I realized, they may look like adults but they are really young. They aren't used to having to run their lives for themselves. If all this person has ever done is study the right answers for tests, eat what her parents cooked for her, and ride the bike they bought for her, it might take her a while to figure out how to engage with the world on her own.

[theinevitable]

Yeah, I hope this is not a person's whole life, because that makes me feel a sad/snobby feeling that is a pretty bad combination.

Today I walked around the Metropolitan Museum of Art and confirmed my suspicion that art peaked with the Egyptians and has been mostly downhill since then. Really, Romans, you had to just keep making those orange vases? You encountered all the AWESOME art from Egypt and Babylon and decided to just keep making vases and mosaics? Some of the statues are cool, I'll give you that. There was also come really cool stuff in the American wing-- John Singer Sargent had some paintings that stopped me in my tracks. Sometimes I worry that I like what I'm "supposed" to like, so breezing through the European wing felt refreshingly adolescent and dismissive.

Then I went to a concert. It said "6pm to Midnight." In my dumb lil brain that meant the first band would go on at 6, so I got there at 6. And then sat at a corner table by myself until the band I wanted to see came on... at 10:30pm. Watched them for half an hour, then ran and caught the train home so I wouldn't have to catch the 1am train.

Pretty much everything I do in New York makes me feel like a kid. I find myself just watching people walk by and grinning. Hey, at least I don't stand in the middle of the sidewalk and look up.

[wombat]

I think you may be exaggerating how bad the history of art has been since then, but what you said on Twitter was pretty good.

Speaking of things that Inev might like, did I ever remember to ask if you know this podcast?
http://99percentinvisible.org/

[theinevitable]

Yes, I love that podcast. It is really the best.

I think the Egyptian stuff is so incredible. Something about hieroglyphics and relief carvings just does it for me.

I'm looking at my class schedule, and it's like they calibrated it to only offer classes during meal times. Everything is either 11-2pm, or 6-9pm. What gives?? This is a recipe for inev only eating granola bars or late-night cheeseburgers.

PS: cooking for one is hard. I keep having to throw out leftovers that I've eaten too many days in a row that are getting gross/old. Making my roommates and the nice girl I met from my program pulled pork tacos as a First Day of School dinner tomorrow, hopefully everyone will pig out and eat most of it.

[Carlos del Vaca]

True, and many people are like that all their lives, but I also think sometimes it is an effect of youth. When I first started teaching I was always amazed at how passive most college students were, until I realized, they may look like adults but they are really young.

I noticed this a few years ago with some new college hires we had at work. When asked to introduce themselves a at a team meeting, it was "Hi, I'm Dan, I went to Florida State... and that's pretty much it I guess." Really? You can't come up with one freaking interesting thing about yourself to possibly help people get to know you?

[theinevitable]

Don't worry, most graduates of my alma mater would have talked your ear off about all their hobbies and accomplishments. Or at least, that's what they did when they were asked to introduce themselves in classes.

Despite playing one online, I am not a person who goes on at length to groups of people I don't know. I prefer to corner my victims individually before telling them about every bite of my most recent meal.