I think I've averaged about 4 hours of Gears of War a day since I bought it, and that's just multiplayer. The game is fucking sweet, and if you need someone to play with look for MaximusThrax. If I'm on, I'm game. However, I've got an unrelated and funny story to post about today...
I overslept on Monday. By an hour and a half. Fortunately, I still had time to make it to my Quantum Mechanics class, so I'm waiting for the bus and my TA walks up. Turns out he takes the same bus as I do to get to school, he just goes later than I do. So, we get on the bus and run in to another guy from the class - so it's like a fucking Quantum Mechanical party on the Big Blue Bus, with wavefunctions collapsing to eigenstates left and right - when my TA asks this other guy (We'll call him Frank) what he's reading. At this point, I've never spoken to Frank.
Frank: "The Bible. Have you read it?"
I begin to pretend I can't hear what they're talking about.
TA: "Yeah, some of it. I took a class on it a while back."
Frank: "Well, what did you think?"
TA: "I thought it was a good story..."
Frank: (Pointing out a passage) "Read this"
And it continues like that for a while, with Frank selecting passages for TA to read, and the TA attempting to escape conversion and steer the conversation to not-Jesus, and failing, until we get to school. TA excuses himself to get something from his office, leaving me to read the exact same passages until class starts.
After class, Frank asks me if I'd like to talk. Not being a moron, I can guess what he wants to talk about - it's not like there's been much variation so far. Also, I'm more or less a total stranger, so we're probably not going to catch up on old times. Anyway, I tell him that though he is unlikely to be successful in his endeavor, I would be happy to hear what he has to say. Which turns out to be very little, we spend the next hour with him pointing out selections for me to read (all of which say "If you don't blindly accept god you're fucked") and Frank seeming more and more confused when this fails to convert me. I attempt to get some kind of conversation going, first a discussion about religion and my problems with it, because I'm hoping he'll try to explain why I'm wrong, or why he's right; and then about videogames because I'm bored and Gears of War is a lot more important than god, as far as I'm concerned, because Gears isn't something I see as an obstacle to human progress. Anyway, my attempts are unsuccessful, as are his, and though he appears at points to verge on tears, presumably due to his failure to save me, he keeps it together long enough to blurt out "I have to go."
"Ok" I say. "It was nice talking to you , and have a good day. See you tomorrow!"
But, he does not leave. He stares at me for about a minute, intently, then leaves. I am creeped out.
Ok, that was long, especially since it was all set up. I'll try to make the rest short and sweet.
The following day, Tuesday, TA is giving a discussion on the Angular Momentum Operator - really tedious math type crap - and about 20 minutes in, Frank stands up and walks to the front of the class.
And starts talking about Jesus.
TA is understandably pissed. Not only is this guy ignoring him, giving his own talk on a completely different subject, but this is a state school, and Frank is trying to convert us. In class. And my TA is the person responsible for all of us. Anyway, TA instructs Frank to sit down, to stop, that this isn't the place, etc. for several minutes, with members of the class joining in as time goes on, but Frank ignores everyone and goes on with his "presentation," which is really just him standing up there and softly muttering something about Jesus about every thirty seconds. I shit you not, this guy couldn't convert an agnostic with a sucking chest wound. In fact, the only point I can remember him making was when TA says "What you've got to say isn't more important than what all these people are here for" to which Frank wisely responded "Yes it is."
The TA leaves, and returns with Campus Police. If this seems harsh, well, he did warn Frank he was going to do it if he didn't sit down, and I got the feeling it was policy anyhow. Frank, however, used the TA's absence to collect his things and get the fuck out of dodge. Class went on, though nobody really paid attention after that.
I wonder if I'll see Frank tomorrow.
I overslept on Monday. By an hour and a half. Fortunately, I still had time to make it to my Quantum Mechanics class, so I'm waiting for the bus and my TA walks up. Turns out he takes the same bus as I do to get to school, he just goes later than I do. So, we get on the bus and run in to another guy from the class - so it's like a fucking Quantum Mechanical party on the Big Blue Bus, with wavefunctions collapsing to eigenstates left and right - when my TA asks this other guy (We'll call him Frank) what he's reading. At this point, I've never spoken to Frank.
Frank: "The Bible. Have you read it?"
I begin to pretend I can't hear what they're talking about.
TA: "Yeah, some of it. I took a class on it a while back."
Frank: "Well, what did you think?"
TA: "I thought it was a good story..."
Frank: (Pointing out a passage) "Read this"
And it continues like that for a while, with Frank selecting passages for TA to read, and the TA attempting to escape conversion and steer the conversation to not-Jesus, and failing, until we get to school. TA excuses himself to get something from his office, leaving me to read the exact same passages until class starts.
After class, Frank asks me if I'd like to talk. Not being a moron, I can guess what he wants to talk about - it's not like there's been much variation so far. Also, I'm more or less a total stranger, so we're probably not going to catch up on old times. Anyway, I tell him that though he is unlikely to be successful in his endeavor, I would be happy to hear what he has to say. Which turns out to be very little, we spend the next hour with him pointing out selections for me to read (all of which say "If you don't blindly accept god you're fucked") and Frank seeming more and more confused when this fails to convert me. I attempt to get some kind of conversation going, first a discussion about religion and my problems with it, because I'm hoping he'll try to explain why I'm wrong, or why he's right; and then about videogames because I'm bored and Gears of War is a lot more important than god, as far as I'm concerned, because Gears isn't something I see as an obstacle to human progress. Anyway, my attempts are unsuccessful, as are his, and though he appears at points to verge on tears, presumably due to his failure to save me, he keeps it together long enough to blurt out "I have to go."
"Ok" I say. "It was nice talking to you , and have a good day. See you tomorrow!"
But, he does not leave. He stares at me for about a minute, intently, then leaves. I am creeped out.
Ok, that was long, especially since it was all set up. I'll try to make the rest short and sweet.
The following day, Tuesday, TA is giving a discussion on the Angular Momentum Operator - really tedious math type crap - and about 20 minutes in, Frank stands up and walks to the front of the class.
And starts talking about Jesus.
TA is understandably pissed. Not only is this guy ignoring him, giving his own talk on a completely different subject, but this is a state school, and Frank is trying to convert us. In class. And my TA is the person responsible for all of us. Anyway, TA instructs Frank to sit down, to stop, that this isn't the place, etc. for several minutes, with members of the class joining in as time goes on, but Frank ignores everyone and goes on with his "presentation," which is really just him standing up there and softly muttering something about Jesus about every thirty seconds. I shit you not, this guy couldn't convert an agnostic with a sucking chest wound. In fact, the only point I can remember him making was when TA says "What you've got to say isn't more important than what all these people are here for" to which Frank wisely responded "Yes it is."
The TA leaves, and returns with Campus Police. If this seems harsh, well, he did warn Frank he was going to do it if he didn't sit down, and I got the feeling it was policy anyhow. Frank, however, used the TA's absence to collect his things and get the fuck out of dodge. Class went on, though nobody really paid attention after that.
I wonder if I'll see Frank tomorrow.
VIEW 14 of 14 COMMENTS
scopitone:
Hey, fagel! Where were you this weekend?!
scopitone:
Later tonight-Gears.