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hooper101
Learned Scribe
USA
117 Posts |
 Posted - 01 Nov 2005 : 20:21:02
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Most of us here are gamers. I am doing research on the gaming community. I was wondering if you gamers felt that gaming had helped or hindered your education and whether you felt that gaming carried with it a negative stigma?
I am working on a masters in Education research and these are a couple of questions I have. I just thought that maybe I could get some data here. Please share your experiences. For example I was kicked out of my high school library for playin D&D during lunch.
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Die, die, die ,die, die, why won't you just die you silly dragon! |
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hooper101
Learned Scribe
USA
117 Posts |
Posted - 01 Nov 2005 : 21:35:22
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| Any reply would be helpful, this is just for my own interest. |
Die, die, die ,die, die, why won't you just die you silly dragon! |
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Thysl
Seeker
USA
64 Posts |
Posted - 01 Nov 2005 : 21:47:17
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I'd have ot say that gaming helps and hinders my education: It helps in that I am constantly meeting cerebral, well spoken people who share my interest in gaming. Because they are intelligent and conscious of the world around them they edify me, and I edify them. Conversations with my fellow gamers run the gamut of gaming rig-a-marole to metaphysics to real physics to social science to philosophy... you get the idea. Additionally many of the greatest friends and confidants of my life I met through gaming, for this I can say I have truly been blessed.
How gaming has hindered my education is simple: I would rather work on my campaign then work on school stuff; I said we where smart, I never said anything about discipline  . In all seriousness, though gaming is a real time-eater, I have rarely had hard schedule conflicts with school or work.
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There are as many nights as days, and the one is just as long as the other in the year's course. Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word 'happy' would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness.
--Carl Jung |
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hooper101
Learned Scribe
USA
117 Posts |
Posted - 01 Nov 2005 : 22:11:04
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| Thank you for your candid reply. |
Die, die, die ,die, die, why won't you just die you silly dragon! |
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Dungeon Moron
Acolyte
41 Posts |
Posted - 01 Nov 2005 : 23:04:15
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Well actually, I have had many benefits due to gaming in my education.
As a somebody with a different language than English, the all english games were a terrific way to immprove my English. Heck I even studied English for a short while because I was so attuned with the language.
Secondly, I am confident that gaming and especially D&D has added in my mathmetics skills and my overall skills to comprehend and analayze (complex) situations. As a DM or as a player you are constantly working with your mind to figure a solution for some problem or have to calculate several different mathmetical formulas for your character.
Gaming keeps you sharp and your head clear.
You'll just have to try and find a way to not spend all of your schooltime in gaming and get some grades instead 
I run from a family of teachers and I have put in that if I were to become a teacher (poor students) i would instate gaming as a method to teach. It is my opinion that motivation and understanding are 2 of the most important factors in school.
If a student isn't motivated, you can try what you can, but he will just not remember what he was taught. If he doesn't understand what is being taught, he will have a hard time learning it by heart.
Gaming is a splendid way to motivate people (especially children).
Wouldn't it be the coolest if they let you play D&D at school, in the meanwhile teaching you some subtle subjects in some sort of epic educational campaign ?
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hooper101
Learned Scribe
USA
117 Posts |
Posted - 01 Nov 2005 : 23:17:32
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| What an idea, I had the same idea. I could run an English class where we read the novel then played the campaign and then talked about plot line and why the characters differed. Then I could have the students write. I would go for that over the current status. |
Die, die, die ,die, die, why won't you just die you silly dragon! |
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Crennen FaerieBane
Master of Realmslore
USA
1378 Posts |
Posted - 02 Nov 2005 : 00:26:58
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Gaming has had a tremendous influence on my life. I have to honestly say it helped me through the Army. 
As for education - I believe gaming taught me both analytical skills and a flourish for the English language with which I was able to use rarer words that helped more easily define what I was trying to convey.
I agree that in high school, I didn't speak much about my hobby of gaming. It was really in the Army and then throughout my college days, and even at where I work now, that I now speak of it openly and proudly. I believe with the advent of video games/LOTR, there has been an open atmosphere created. We also can thank the many players of Magic: The Gathering - for that game transcended the stigma with the most flourish.
C-Fb |
Still rockin' the Fey'ri style. |
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Dhomal
Senior Scribe
USA
565 Posts |
Posted - 02 Nov 2005 : 04:41:48
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Hello-
Well - you can add me to the 'positive' side of the list for the most part.
I KNOW that gaming has Directly influenced my language abilities - and the words I choose to use. Oftentimes in normal conversation I will lob in a '$10 word' only to have the people not necessarilly know what I'm talking about - or even if they do - leave them wondering what MY story is/ Now - I'd dont use these words in an attempt to elicit said reactions - I just feel that certain circumstances lend themselves to different words sometimes.
I would also have to credit my parents - for encouraging me to read - and reading to me - at an early age. Dating back to my pre-gaming life - I also seemed to be a 'junior professor' of the English language (* though at times its spelling eludes me*).
My love of the English language also moves in other ways - as my favorite comedian is arguably the most english-savvy of them all - George Carlin. He 'taught' me to listen to what is said - and what is meant by what has been said - whether or not it is what was intended.
I also have a tendancy to see both sides of an argument fairly easilly - which I credit in at least part - to gaming - having to look at situations and use deductive reasoning - or 'second-guess' a clever DM. :)
I of course would have to agree - that I would Much rather work on gaming =related things than work on schoolwork. That being said - I will comment now that while I did relatively fine in High School (HS) - College just did not work out for me. I was bright enough early enough in school that I did not have homework to take home - having judiciously spent time at school doing it. Later on in HS - this tactic did not work - as I did not have any 'study hall' classes to work on homework. ANd of course - gaming had been discovered by that time - so any time I could was spent more on reading novels or sourcebooks etc. College was even worse - and I did not end up completing a degree. I sometimes look back and wish I had worked a bit harder - but I am OK with where I am now - and greatly enjoy my job! Speaking of said job - I work in a bookstore - where I can use my vocabulary and book-knowledge to good use. That - and with the time I have been in this line of work - even without a degree - I have ascended to a managerial level inside the company - which not only is rewarding in and of itself - it further lets me 'feed the habit' as it were.
So - I guess that I could be one for both positive and negative - but I thouroughly consider it a positive influence. (*We did not even discuss the social-outcast status in HS - and the Wonderful escapism that gaming aforded me.*) I dont think that I would change much if I knew the future - other than possibly trying to knuckle-down a bit more with the schoolwork.
If y ou have any additional questions - feel free to ask - I'm more than willing to share! :)
Dhomal |
I am collecting the D&D Minis. I would be more than willing to trade with people. You can send me a PM here with your email listed - and I can send you my minis list. Thanks!
Successfully traded with Xysma! |
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Matthus
Senior Scribe
Germany
393 Posts |
Posted - 02 Nov 2005 : 12:55:45
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Well a lot was said already: english language,language abilty for example.
I always ranked gaming very high on my priority list and once lost my girl friend for it. (But maybe this was for other reasons too )
I would enjoy gaming some more, but if you will have family, you'll see that this takes most of your time. If you have to tell so much "good-night-storys" as I do, roleplaying will help a lot. Even if my son is only 3 years old, he already loves the latest gaming news |
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Kianna
Learned Scribe
USA
155 Posts |
Posted - 02 Nov 2005 : 14:01:47
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I think as you get older and have more responsibilities in life then the time you have for gaming gets less and less. I see this happeneing even now and Crennen and I do our best to keep gaming in our lives. When we moved in together we even decided on the D&D bookshelf being in the diningroom and not in some back room hidden away from the public eye. This means that 1) we are always walking around with a book or the books are always strew around our living room and 2) we do not have room for a dining table. :)
The down side I think will always be the stigma. Non-gamers just don't "get it" and will always look down on you no matter how well you present your arguments for RPG's (builing vocabulary, social skills, etc.).
The plus side is you are part of an elite group and you never know who in your office used to play D&D and once you find out you have a conversational piece that almost always brings a hint of nostalgia.
Now, I also don't feel that every gamer has an increased intelligence or increased social skills because of D&D. I have many a night sat next to the one guy who stinks due to a lack of personal hygene, who still lives with his mommy, who lives and breathes gaming and you just know that in 30 years.....he will still stink, still live at home, and still be a worthless member of society. I do not feel that gaming makes the person but rather that the person makes the game. |
Huzzah! |
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hooper101
Learned Scribe
USA
117 Posts |
Posted - 02 Nov 2005 : 15:58:33
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| You all have given me some great insights, some of which I had considered but did not want to taint the outcome of my questioning. I thank everyone who has posted so far and plead that you keep the responses coming even if you have weighed in already as more info will only help me. I am considering this as a research topic for a masters and all your help is and will be appreciated. |
Die, die, die ,die, die, why won't you just die you silly dragon! |
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Brother Ezra
Learned Scribe
USA
268 Posts |
Posted - 06 Nov 2005 : 05:18:59
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I'd have to say that gaming has had a far more positive effect on my life. It has improved my writing skills (ever since I started DMing many years ago, I have always written summaries for my gaming sessions as an aid for my players and myself; this got me to write more and become better at it). My vocabulary has been introduced to words that I may not have ever known: glamer, phylactlery, brazier, sconce, ballista, and several others come to mind.
Gaming has sparked my interest in history. In trying to create a realistic medieval world, I plunged into reading several books about the time period, learning about feudalism, the structure and function of nobility, the role and power of the church, city life in a medieval urban area, etc.
I'd hope that my abilities as a story-teller have improved over the years as well. Learning to create suspense, intrigue, mystery, excitement, and how to introduce elements of a story at the proper time in order to increase the above feelings has all grown out of learning how to be a DM.
My organizational skills have improved somewhat as a result of running a campaign. With all of the information I needed for my campaigns, I had to force myself to organize it into a useable, functional way so as to have it accessible and available when needed. This trickled down into my real-world life and allowed me to improve my organizational skills both at work and at home.
The negative impacts of gaming are few and mostly negligible. Growing up in the '80's I had to occasionally deflect the perception of the game as Satanic, but not very often. My parents were indulgent of my hobby and must have just been glad that I wasn't hanging out on a street corner late on a Saturday night. I still have to contend with the "nerdy" stereotype associated with gamers. And, at 38 years old, I still occasionally get funny looks from people when I tell them that I still play Dungeons & Dragons. They're surprised when I tell them that a large demographic of players falls into the 30-40 year old age bracket. |
"Suffering is the touchstone of all spiritual growth."
-St. Sollars the Twice-Martyred |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11829 Posts |
Posted - 06 Nov 2005 : 21:23:01
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How has gaming affected my life?
Well, when I was in college in 1989, I said "why do I need to learn computers". Then someone gave me an old XT machine that had a word processing program (called Wordstar). The only reason that this PC ever got turned on was so that I could type up my characters and write gaming history... at first... then one of the gold box D&D games came out. Granted it played slow on the machine, but I learned how to install programs as a result.
Later I got into working with images and scanners so that I coud make dressed up PC character sheets with pictures of what I thought my character would look like (this after my father was impressed at my willingness to sit at a computer for hours that he bought me a 386 with 2MB of RAM).
I then discovered programming and wrote some very basic randomizing programs to create magic shops, random npc spellbooks, etc... this got me to start down the path of computer science at my school, because truth be told I didn't truly understand why I was in electrical engineering other than the fact that I was very good at math.
I then picked up a job selling computers at Office Depot. I lost my first fiance/girlfriend around this time too. My school went by the wayside as I tried to find my purpose again, but I found jobs with Unisys replacing basic computer components at offices. A year later I took a job at a bank monitoring their network. I worked several shifts overnight, and with the free time that that allowed I worked on gaming. On my days off, I and a co-worker got involved in the SCA (after breaking my wrist doing something else, I kind of lost interest there, but I did my share of making armor and fighting).
Its ten years later. I'm still at that bank, but now I'm a network operations analyst. I make very good money and I've built my own house in the countryside. While at the bank, I've formed another gaming group. There's no doubt that fantasy "gaming" (whether its D&D, DAoC, Everquest2, warcraft, the SCA, books that we've all read, etc....) has strongly affected my life. I also believe that its affected my life in a very good way.... had I not learned PC's as a result of gaming, I would not be in the position I'm in today.
Phillip aka Sleyvas
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Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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hooper101
Learned Scribe
USA
117 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2005 : 17:36:13
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| Wow, thank you all! Please keep it coming! |
Die, die, die ,die, die, why won't you just die you silly dragon! |
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hooper101
Learned Scribe
USA
117 Posts |
Posted - 15 Nov 2005 : 18:18:43
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| I find that my gaming has helped me tremendously with my reading speed and technical reading skill. I also find that most gamers are unable to explain things in simple terms for non-gamers. What do you find? |
Die, die, die ,die, die, why won't you just die you silly dragon! |
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hooper101
Learned Scribe
USA
117 Posts |
Posted - 29 Nov 2005 : 19:07:20
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| Would any of you feel that a gaming based curriculim would have led you to greater success in school? |
Die, die, die ,die, die, why won't you just die you silly dragon! |
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Vangelor
Learned Scribe
USA
183 Posts |
Posted - 29 Nov 2005 : 19:53:21
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quote:
Originally posted by hooper101
I was wondering if you gamers felt that gaming had helped or hindered your education and whether you felt that gaming carried with it a negative stigma?
I would say it helped, as I can, to this day, reliably distinguish between a glaive and a voulge, for instance.
Gaming also affected the course of my education by helping bring about a change of schools. The goon squad at my initial junior / senior high school, who would mock me, and pick me up by the ears and so on in 7th grade, were members of the Wargames Club. There were other evils that led me to change to the Arts-oriented magnet school instead, but the greeting I got from the older gamers was part of it.
As far as stigma goes, yes, it is a negative one. Fantasy is perceived as escapist, and the legend of students dying in steam-tunnels at some college where they were playing that dangerous fantasy game got an early start. Religious extremists have always looked on D&D as a tool of the Antichrist, as well.
quote:
Would any of you feel that a gaming based curriculim would have led you to greater success in school?
Given the gamers at my first school, I would have to say no.
quote:
I find that my gaming has helped me tremendously with my reading speed and technical reading skill. I also find that most gamers are unable to explain things in simple terms for non-gamers. What do you find?
Hard to say. I have always read well. Also, I pride myself upon explaining complex ideas simply whether the other person is a gamer or not. I would say that being able to interpret complex game rules probably helps develop confidence with other complex ideas. |
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Icewolf
Learned Scribe
USA
214 Posts |
Posted - 30 Nov 2005 : 00:07:17
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I have to say that gaming has been the most positive influence for my life. My parents got divorced while I was still young. After things settled down, my brothers and I ended up with my dad, who sent us to a babysitter while he was at work.
The babysitter happened to be a gamer. I learned the game (At the time, they played 2nd ed) As a result of playing, I learned to think outside the box, solving problems without resorting to force. As I learned how to think, my grades started rising, and I felt smarter.
When I moved to a new location, I couldn't find any gamers, and as a result, my gaming life went on hiatus. For a few years, I felt as though something was missing (and, indeed, it was!). My grades started slipping, and I began to become apathetic towards, well, pretty much everything.
Until one night, after eating out at a restaurant with Dad, I decided to walk my meal off at my local Borders. While there, I met a couple who were talking about a game they were getting ready to start. I, in a desperate lunge to get gaming back in my life, decided to do a little more than mind my own business. I invited myself into the conversation, at which point, I was invited to the game.
When I got there, I found out that there were like 20 people who gamed there one a regular basis. Getting to know them, my people skills improved. (Bonus to Charisma? ) I am still friends with the vast majority of them, and still game with them very often. (As in 2-3 times a week!)
All in all, aside from the occasional religious fanatic from an old church of mine emailing me to 'save my soul', I can't really say I've been hit by any negative side effects of gaming (Except, of course, the withdrawal I went through when I couldn't get any groups together...)
And, I would definitely go BACK to school if they started offering a gaming curriculum. If nothing else, I would become a full-time Teacher's Aide.
Hope this helped. |
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Khaa
Seeker
USA
80 Posts |
Posted - 30 Nov 2005 : 13:07:50
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| I'd have to say that it helps and hinders my education. Being also one who has been booted from the library. It helps in various educational skills such as mathematics, English and the like, but has anyone ever been doing a boring task and your minds wander to the last session or what to do at the next one. Or, If your like me, you got your character sheet handy to doodle on or mess around with. Sometimes I catch myself creating encounters, dungeons and other things. |
Ever want another forum? Well try out www.icewinddale.com |
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hooper101
Learned Scribe
USA
117 Posts |
Posted - 30 Nov 2005 : 19:04:22
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| Yes I also find myself somewhat distracted at points. But I also find my focus is greater because I can force myself to wade through complex rules and the like! |
Die, die, die ,die, die, why won't you just die you silly dragon! |
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Hoondatha
Great Reader
USA
2449 Posts |
Posted - 30 Nov 2005 : 19:27:09
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Hmm. This is an interesting discussion. I might have to find a way to incorporate some of the ideas here into paper I'm putting off writing (I was the one behind the History of Candlekeep thread, and I may yet start another thread if I find holes in my research).
For me, role playing has helped me find friends, which is something a socially-shy person like me often has trouble doing. It's done this since middle school, and I'm now a master's student.
I'm not sure if it helped my education beyond that, however. I've always been smart and a voracious reader. We never really played at school (Magic, yes, but not D&D). And I think a classroom LARP would be extremely hit-and-miss. If you could get the kids to buy in, and find a way to reach out to the whole group (meaning us shy people in the back), then it could work great. Or you could get some CE thugs and everything breaks down. It's an interesting thought, though. |
Doggedly converting 3e back to what D&D should be...
Sigh... And now 4e as well. |
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hooper101
Learned Scribe
USA
117 Posts |
Posted - 30 Nov 2005 : 20:20:34
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| Hoondatha if you do start a related thread let me know! This is a pilot for actual research in education. |
Die, die, die ,die, die, why won't you just die you silly dragon! |
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Mazrim_Taim
Learned Scribe
341 Posts |
Posted - 01 Dec 2005 : 09:05:36
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There are all the things everyone else has said...better grasp of the english language, better social skills, etc. But the main effect D&D has had on me was well, I have to admit, I was a jerk throughout most of my Junior High/High School life. But it wasn't until I started talking about D&D with a friend in Music class, and then went over to his house to play with him and his friends, that I started to look at myself a little bit closer. I really didn't like who I was. So quite abruptly I ditched all my old friends, and started doing what I liked, what seemed fun to me, instead of just doing what everyone else wanted me to do.
Gaming is fun, and I think that life is too damn short to worry about what everyone else thinks. Us gamers all know the benefits that it provides us. The non-gamers who are so set against D&D, whether because they think it's satanic, or they stereotype the kind of people who play it, don't understand these things. Maybe they never will, but I think there are a lot of people who are just like I was. They just have to get past all the negative walls other people have thrown over the hobby like I did.
Edited for content.
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And if the PCs DO win their ways through all the liches to Larloch, “he” will almost certainly be just another lich (loaded with explosive spells) set up as a decoy, with dozens of hidden liches waiting to pounce on any surviving PCs who ‘celebrate’ after they take Larloch down. As the REAL Larloch watches (magical scrying) from afar. Myself, as DM, I’d be wondering: “Such a glorious game, so many opportunities laid out before your PCs to devote your time to, and THIS fixation is the best you can come up with? Are you SURE you’re adventurers?” -Ed Greenwood
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Edited by - Wooly Rupert on 01 Dec 2005 11:32:36 |
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scererar
Master of Realmslore
USA
1618 Posts |
Posted - 04 Dec 2005 : 05:13:27
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| I would have to say that it has had an impact on me the same as the rest, and CFB nice to see other PS Army around here. I rememeber many cold nights of relentless guard duty, trying to stay awake after working all day. thinking of different campaign ideas, kept me awake and not thinking of the cold, especially January in Korea. |
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A little personal information
