And Now for Something Completely Different...and Awesome!!

From time to time, I keep my mouth shut on certain matters out of...well, several reasons. Disgust, annoyance, apathy, distraction...any of a litany of responses, and that's why I've had nothing much to say about "Gamergate." The whole thing is just thinly-veiled misogyny from impotent man-children overreacting to a non-existent attack on the medium they grew up with. The thing is...We all did. Video games are a part of the culture that resonated with people across the board, not just the guys you grew up with. And while I could spiral into a tangent about the fetishization of the geek girl as a corollary, that's just a symptom of a problem that I don't even feel like addressing.

The very existence of this sock-puppet makes the case that you are, folks.

So why am I writing this? Because I feel like there hasn't been nearly enough focus on the positive things that the gaming community at large can do and is continuing to do in the wake of what is truly insipid and dishonest bullshit. And one in particular is taking place within days of my typing these words!

Story time!! A couple of weeks ago, I had the wild hair up my ass to throw a small get-together for friends to finally get a chance to play Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. As the only person in my immediate circle of friends to finish the game, I wanted to share that experience with them. So, I proposed a day that we would devote to running through the entire game from start to finish. And these people were up for it!! I set up a Facebook event, sent invites, and we were good to go. Then, as I was about to go watch the season premiere of The Walking Dead with some of these fine people like apparently EVERYONE IN AMERICA, I watched a video on Youtube with an ad before it. Ordinarily, this would be annoying...but this was different. I don't even remember the actual word selection, but the idea spoke to me immediately!

Extra Life began in 2008 when a small group of gamers pooled their resources in an effort to make a difference in a little girl's life. Those efforts expanded within a year's time as they went on to raise money for a Children's Miracle Network Hospital in their area, over $300,000 to be exact, by playing video games for 24 hours to raise awareness and sponsorship. Since then, that group has expanded into a worldwide community of like-minded individuals as thousands of gamers, over 100 websites, and donors across the globe have joined in to help or show their support for CMN Hospitals near and far. To date, Extra Life has raised over $10 million in the aid of ailing children and their families. The best part...these efforts are still growing. That's where my friends and I come in!

When I learned about this, my interest was instantly piqued. That little get-together with a handful of friends suddenly became an opportunity to do something great, so that's what we're doing!

Never has my use of this image been as inspired...

The importance of the cause truly speaks for itself! By taking part in Extra Life, we have a chance to help kids dealing with injuries, cancer, cystic fibrosis, and every other ailment in between. I've always been of the mentality that if you can lend a helping hand, then there's no reason why you shouldn't. So, we formed "Team TNT" and started planning and restructuring. I owe my friends EVERYTHING for their endless support (especially you, JJ--check out his blog if you haven't already!!), and we're not only set to stream, but we've raised some money and a little awareness along the way!

You can find out more by following the links to Extra Life I've peppered this post with (holy shit, that sentence...). If you're interested in our efforts specifically, you can find us here:

http://www.extra-life.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.team&teamID=18946

There is no set amount that you have to give. If you've only got $5 to spare, that $5 still goes a long way. And you can always share the information about Extra Life and their efforts!

I'll post the link to the stream here on the day of the event. Until then...?

...I'm aping OSW's sign-off.