Cranial Gunk

Like talking to teenagers about sex, not enough conversation happens between elementary/middle school students and their adult counterparts (teachers and parents) about video games. If the questions are asked the responses are finite “Nos.” (I don’t think I need to tell you how well abstinence works as birth control.)

At my local library kids stand three or four deep, peering over shoulders. Their peers have reserved time on library computers to do exactly what they do on their DSs. Initially, I saw this as a problem because they weren’t using the library machines on the terms I understood: searching the web for links to information and informational sources, composing papers, building tables, etc.

It stopped being a problem when I realized, my terms were written on the limitations of the library computers of my generation: green, angular text on black screens, the groans, clicks, and whirs of the 20th Century progress.

This recent awakening made missing Thursday’s New York Comic Con (NYCC) panel on National Gaming Day particularly disappointing for me. I made the decision to stay in on the first day of NYCC 2011 to nurse a cold.

I did make it Friday, however, for a full day in the exhibit hall(s) – including a special side trip to the New York Anime Fest (NYAF) exhibit hall and stage.  I had completely missed the Anime Fest last year. Regrettably, I only fared a little better this year. The challenge for the NYAF is retaining its unique identity and audience in the shadow of the slightly older, much larger, and more pop culturally accessible NYCC (everyone knows the Avengers, not everyone knows Naruto).

This year Chevy and Animal Planet had booths at the NYCC. Next year, will JAL and Toho have booths at the NYAF?

The NYCC felt better organized and laid out this year. There were rumors that this one was even larger than the last one. I hadn’t realized just how large the Javits Center was until Sunday when my children and I spent a bulk of our day in the North Pavilion for Kids Day at the NYCC. 

The NYCC with the kids means shorter days for me and addressing more basic needs like packing a lunch, snacks, and water. My kids were with me all three “official” days of the NYCC. One day, I was unprepared and spent $3 on a limp tasteless hot dog from a cart outside the Javits Center.  I also had to make the decision to skip Saturday’s Avengers panel. It was an easy decision and my kids were eager to stay but I could tell by the droop in their lids that it would have been too much. Even if they would have stayed awake through the wait, I doubt they would’ve been able to sit still through the panel.

Last year, I definitely attended more panels and screenings (with and without my kids). Over a year since we cancelled our cable subscription, some of the panels like the Haven panel, while inspiring interest, didn’t have the same draw as meandering through the North Pavilion to see what was going in terms of Beyblades (my kids’ latest obsession) and Nerf shooters.

But it’s not just about the latest and greatest. This year’s NYCC was also a reunion of sorts. A chance to chat and catch up with the people at Amazing Society and Gazillion about Superhero Squad online (heroup.com). Last year, they showered my kids with gifts and special Superhero Squad playing cards to celebrate the launch their site, an online MMO directed at young audiences.

They were just as nice and generous this year. Heroup.com (online) and Little Big Planet (PS3) are the only two games where I let my children interact online with others. The former has become my children’s favorite game. Before the end of the year, we will commit and by subscriptions to the game.

Hamlet was my introduction to the Danes; Him and Danny Kaye prancing around a Hollywood set as Hans Christian Andersen.

According to the Gallup World Poll Denmark is the “happiest place on earth.”  Forbes says this is because “good times probably have more to do with the size of your wallet…” and quotes the developer of the happiness poll at Gallup:

“The Scandinavian countries do really well,” says Jim Harter, a chief scientist at Gallup, which developed the poll. “One theory why is that they have their basic needs taken care of to a higher degree than other countries. When we look at all the data, those basic needs explain the relationship between income and well-being.”

Forbes goes on to say:

The Gallup researchers found evidence of what many have long suspected: money does buy happiness–at least a certain kind of it. In a related report, they studied the reasons why countries with high gross domestic products won out for well-being, and found an association between life satisfaction and income.

Alexander Kjerulf, author of Happy Hour is 9 to 5, believes there is a difference between “happiness” and “satisfaction.” And I agree.

In his TEDx Copenhagen presentation he defines “job happiness” as how you feel about your job and “job satisfaction” as what you think about your job. The difference being the former is something you look forward to and enjoy, while the latter is something that satiates your needs (e.g. good salary, good health plan, decent work environment, etc.)

In life, Alexander says the keys to happiness are a good romantic relationship – He says men in good romantic relationships live 6% longer (women, 2%) than lonely guys – close friends (not the 200 plus acquaintances on Facebook), meaningful work – He says this means you’re doing something you enjoy and find meaning in (it’s not necessarily being CEO or making six-figures) – and success – this is sort of a “chicken or the egg” conundrum because according to Alexander you need happiness for success but you can’t have success without happiness.

Penelope Trunk (one of my favorite bloggers and the reason I started blogging) says we overemphasize happiness and that she would prefer an interesting life to a happy one.

She says the difference is:

people who are happy do not look for a lot of choices, according to Barry Schwartz, in his book, The Paradox of Choice. People who want to have an interesting life are always looking for more choices and better choices, and they make decisions for their life based on maximizing choices.

While I agree with Alexander on the distinction between happiness and satisfaction, I agree more with Penelope when it comes to choosing happiness; Maybe the choice is first whether you want a happy life or an interesting life and then choosing how you will achieve it.

Penelope says too many choices makes a person unhappy because they would eventually want to “trade up” or “maximize/optimize” on whatever they decided/chose. She says that’s why New Yorkers report themselves to be unhappy because they always want the next best thing.

I’m biased. I grew up in New York (Queens to be exact). I hated it in high school. Moved away from it for college – and stayed away until after graduation when a poor economy brought me back. Now I can’t imagine life anywhere else.

What Penelope says about the type of person who thrives in New York makes sense. She says they are maximizers (people who are always looking to trade up to the “next best thing”), strive to be at the top of their field, and prefer an interesting life to a happy one.

While I don’t believe my life is unhappy, there is more I would like to do. But isn’t that everyone? Isn’t everyone in the perpetual pursuit of happiness? As I get older, I learn to appreciate the “small moments” – the quiet moments – a “good day.” However, this doesn’t mean I have become complacent despite appearances.