For many years, my wife and I have considered ourselves to be karaoke rock stars.
Pre-child, we'd often be sitting on the couch on a random Friday night
and suddenly spontaneously decide that we needed to do some singing. The two of
us would head up to NYC's Koreatown, get a private room, and
belt out songs to one another. Many times, we'd leave the karaoke room
only to be greeted by the sun rising over the East River.
About 5-6 years ago, we noticed that the young kids weren't into
karaoke anymore. They were into Dance Dance Revolution, a video arcade
game played on a metal dance pad with four arrow panels. These panels
are pressed using the player's feet, in response to arrows that appear
on the screen. The arrows are synchronized to the general rhythm or
beat of a chosen song, and success is dependent on the player's ability
to time and position his or her steps accordingly.
The wife and I used to cruise around the arcade rooms in Los Angeles
just to watch these kids drop their amazing moves, popping and locking to the
rhythms of the music. Since we were too old to publicly dance in front of a bunch of teenagers, we ended up getting a home version for the Sony PlayStation.
We'd lay the gaming mat on the living room floor and, after 15 minutes,
would be sweating in a total lather!
Apparently, educators around the country have realized the aerobic
benefits of the game and are using it to motivate today's increasingly
obese youth to get in shape. This week, West Virginia (which has the worst
childhood obesity problem in the United States) announced that they are
planning on putting the video game in EVERY one of its public schools. Early research in the state indicates that it has already put a halt to the rising weight gain!
Personally, I've always believed that schools don't spend enough
time teaching kids what they really need to learn. But maybe the kids
aren't that motivated because they're just biding time in class until
they can get their grubby hands on a Snickers bar. While West Virginia ignores the fact that their students are some of the most poorly educated in the nation, I guess the least they can do is ensure that their children become healthier.
Whatever.
All I know is that when the schools start putting Galaga in the curriculum, I'll really be fucking psyched!
About MetroDad
I'm a French-named, speed-reading, former public policy analyst now trapped in the body of a Asian-American fashion executive. I've ridden elephants in Sri Lanka, imbibed snake venom in China, skiied the Italian Dolomites, eaten barbecue in Pakistan, travelled to every state except North Dakota, visited 28 out of 32 major league ballparks, worshipped at the altar of Graceland 5 times and have shut down most of the nightclubs in Paris. That being said, I still get lost every time I go through the Lincoln Tunnel.
It's safe to say that we'd probably get along if you can truly appreciate the real beauty in...a good Peking duck, Sunday's NYT crossword, nice manners, Scrabble, Law & Order, spontaneous travel, Otoro, Jim Jarmusch, Tabasco sauce, Morrissey, Haruki Murakami, Peets coffee, Radiohead, listening to baseball games on the radio, Thievery Corporation, X-Men comics, fresh powder, Southern BBQ, Christopher Hitchens, bloomin' onions, mid-century design, the warmth of a good scotch, a great day spent fishing where you didn't catch a damn thing...
On a related note, I'd like to believe that I probably have absolutely nothing in common with another human being who really loves any of the following: pro bass fishing on tv, NASCAR, low carb Cabernet, Kathey Griffin, Microsoft, the Olsens, Applebees, Jessica Simpson, romance novels, tofu bacon, Pamela Anderson, ballet, "Survivor" or HUMMERs. Similarly, I could also never be friends with someone who mixes up "they're", "there", and "their". I will give you a smidge of credit if you know the difference between "if" and "whether". But if you leave any participles dangling, we're breaking up.
In conclusion, let me just say...
Lex clavatoris designati rescindenda est.
(The Designater Hitter Rule has got to go)
