Not so Farfetch'd of an Idea Anymore

     Before I chose a team and explain to you how little I have played Pokemon Go, I want to take a moment to look at how far we've gotten. There haven't been many games of this magnitude before, which take GPS and GIS to such a level (Obviously Eli mentioned one). However the game is still new, and there are glitches once in a while.
     I have not encountered many glitches however, and so I would like to say that the game is very well developed. Personally, all of the teams have their perks. If you wish to side with the more powerful teams, then players should choose Mystic or Valor. I chose Valor for the sake of choosing a team. However, those who want a challenge should join Instinct because of its relatively low strength. Instinct is also a good option because there are not many yellow gyms. As the Geek has said before, the joke is that the gyms turning yellow is a glitch. In all honesty I say Instinct is for hardcore players, because it so difficult to rise to the top, but most people say that's team valor.
     In reality there is no difference between the teams, it is just hype. So even though I chose Valor, I gotta say I am neutral in terms of teams. This game was made to be addicting, and I abstain from playing so that I have time to do other things. So right now I don't really play as much anymore.
Overall, Pokemon Go is a great game for those who are interested. I can recommend it to people who have some free time on their hands.

Mystic-fying topic

Hey guys! So, the beginning of this debate is what do we think about the game. Despite all of the hate it has received as of late for a multitude of reasons, I love the game, even with my extremely limited data plan. I mean, I share a gig with a data hog. Now, the reason I love it is because, that, although people think it is taking away from the social aspect of life, it isn't. It is getting millions of hopeless nerds like me away from the great indoors, and out walking, talking to people. Even if its about Pokemon. It is not the game's fault that people trespass on private property, find things that would otherwise be hidden, or drive while playing. It is not the fault of the game that Pokemon show up while people are lying down. It isn't rape. It is not the games fault it was unprepared for all the people. There are only 2 things that are the fault of the game. That we don't have a good Pokemon tracker, and that glitch where the gyms turn yellow. (Just kidding, in my area Mystic and Instinct are brothers against Valor).
That brings us on to teams, I picked Mystic as soon as I made level 5, before the sway went towards it, and without being influenced by the Goldilocks effect of it being placed in the middle, the color, or any friends. I picked because of my idealism. I am an intellectual and somewhat introverted person who has always used evolution to my advantage, and goes about life with planning and strategy. That is team Mystics ideals, and I will defend that as the goal of the team for all time.

Trust your Instinct

Hey Guys,
So, to address the matter at hand. I have been a Pokemon fan since the games came out. I also played Ingress, Niantic's first AR game, for three years before Pokemon Go came out. So naturally I knew the day it came out that the game I had been waiting for since the initial announcement(1.5 years before) had come out, and I have been playing it constantly since then. Everyone is giving it a hard time for the servers and crashes, but as any new game, there are bugs that will be fixed. This is coupled with the HUGE load the first day. There were 50,000 downloads on Android when I got the app the first day it came out. That is why the servers were down more often. Now, they haven't crashed in 20 hours, and have 99.64% up-time in the last 24 hours. Id say that's a huge improvement over the first day.
Then there is the game itself. I love the game, because, like Ingress it give me a reason to get outside and off of the computer. I have met everyone from 5 year olds to 60 year olds playing this game, and almost everyone has been friendly, and willing to talk. There is some nice competition, with nothing too extreme.(of course there are always the one who take it too far.)
On to the matter of teams. Unless you are living under a Snorlax, you know that there are three teams in the game, Valor, Instinct, and Mystic. Once you  reach level five, you can choose a team and battle against other teams for control of gyms. There are numerous team stereotypes, some of them holding true (though not to the extreme extent). Basic rundown is, Valor and Mystic are highly competitive, both with a easy competition with Instinct. Valor is filled with the people who work the hardest, sometime until 1 or 2 in the morning. Mystic are the smart ones who over-analyze the game, and Instinct is filled with people who don't care about super competitive (I just made a new word). All of these stereotypes hold somewhat true, but not to the extent of the memes.
 I personally like instinct. I made it to twenty on that team, and there are less of us, which leads to a nice challenge. I'm one of the strongest in my area for my team, so I get a lot of the gyms to myself. I think Spark is the best leader, especially the way the memes portray him. I have no life outside of games, working and this blog though, so I may have a biased opinion to begin with. Thanks for reading, feel free to comment your views.
-Eli

Lets GO! Get a Life

Hey Guys,
Since Wolter was too lazy to post a topic this week, I have decided to post for him. This is one of the most controversial issues facing america today. Pokemon Go. There are two parts to this, taking a break from the super serious issues. First, what is your view on the game. Second which team. We will not hate on you (even if you chose valor). I look forward to the discussion.

What is with the Gendermandering?

     Hey guys, sorry for the late post, I was a little busy this week. During this topic I would like to say that gender-based partitioning in the workplace or any other professional setting is absurd. If a woman can do the same work as a man, then they should get the same pays, opportunities, and benefits. As Eli has mentioned, in general (I am not saying in all cases) women are physically weaker than men, but if they can do jobs that require physical labor just as well as men, then I say they should be able participate. This goes for any field whether it be physically or mentally demanding
     As for gender based stereotypes, I feel that it is up to each individual person to figure out what they want. In a relationship for example, it should be up to the couple what roles they assign each other. If the man wishes to shoulder the responsibility of asking the woman out, or paying the bills, as tradition goes, then that is their choice. If the woman wants to do it, then by all means I don't think it should be discouraged. What I am trying to get at is that it is up to each individual to figure out what they want socially. Of course it will not be as easy as I make it out to be. After all, people have assigned gender roles since ancient times when the hunting was partitioned for men, and gathering berries was assigned to women. Some people may have a difficult time breaking from it. 

Roleing over the competition.

Hey guys. I personally think that gender roles, despite the evolutionary advantage they gave our species in the past, have come to a point where they are no longer needed. However, we can not ditch completely the fact that the 2 genders are different. We must accept those differences as we accept the inconsistencies between 2 people. However, in this movement for the rights of women, things are being warped. There are groups out there trying to make women "more equal if you will" with people fighting that men are nothing but misogynistic pigs, and that they should be treated poorly because of their gender, and the wrongs that our ancestors have committed. Just the same as no Caucasian should be punished, or treated worse, because of the slavery that their ancestors put in place or because of the racism that some still hold today, no man should be treated poorly because of the actions of men throughout history. I agree with equality coming into place, but true equality, with the females taking the pains, as well as the pleasures, that society has laid out for men, and vice versa. If a girl hits a guy, he should be allowed to retaliate in kind, without shame for hitting a girl. Females should be taught to ask males out on dates, and maybe even pay some of the time, instead of waiting for people to come along bearing promises of free dinner all the time, and even rejecting that from time to time. If people of both genders asked each other out, and paid based on their incomes, codes of values, and every other possible variable, than the world would be more equal. I also believe that this one change would be the first step to taking gender roles to absolute ambiguity. True equality is what I strive for in any circumstance, and hate when things are unfair. However, fighting too hard for equality can often make people lose sight of what equality is. Take the police brutality case that has been going on for a while, just because some police officers get out of line, get hungry on power, or are just racist jerks, even the good officers of the law are getting a bad rap. People hate police officers now based on what a few of their kind did in the absence of values. Equality must be had by all, and if some members of a certain group or their ancestors before them believe(d) otherwise, than the group as a whole should not be treated any worse. Otherwise, we all stoop down to the level of the people that we hate. It is not easy to accept everyone despite all of the difference, but with some hard work, we can destroy stereotyping, as well as unequal treatment across the boar. See ya and allons-y

I was on a role typing this.

Hey Guys,
        First off I want to say that I got a new keyboard, so if I have typos, just read what I meant it to say. This is a topic that I can't really make my mind up on. I think that some Gender roles have their place. Like the example Geek used in the prompt, of men hitting women. I think that a man should never hit a woman except for cases of self defense. Men naturally are bigger and stronger, which puts us in the situation of having to exercise self control in order to avoid seriously hurting the woman in question (as always this is just most cases, not necessarily all of them). Not saying that a woman couldn't hold her own in a fight, she is just at a disadvantage. (Although I'm a pacifist and really don't think anyone should be hitting anyone.) I do think that when it comes to dating men do have a large responsibility, although this will vary from relationship to relationship. Some men enjoy buying things for their significant other, myself included, so we don't see it as a responsibility but a right, and some women don't want or need the men to care for them that way, and are happy and willing to pick up the tab. Everyone in a relationship should be respectful to the other person, and show that how they will.
        I think gender roles in the work environment are stupid. Unless it is a job that a woman physically could not do, in which case then they shouldn't get the job, but then men who are physically unable to do the job should not be able to get that job either. (for example fire rescue, you need a larger build and more muscles to be able to do some of the things that they do, however if a woman is physically capable of performing at the level required, let her do  it I say.) However, in fields like business and science, women should be able to get the same jobs at the same wages men do. I also think that the societal norm of the stay at home mom/wife should not be there either. I know plenty of families where the mom works and the father is perfectly capable of caring for the kids and cleaning the house. I also know some people who enjoy that kind of work, as opposed to a regular office job. All in all, I think some gender roles have their place, but it depends on the person (or people) in question and the situation.
-Eli

Controversial Issues Gender Role Out

Hey guys. As it seems, my buddy Eli is always doing the most controversial issues. I am gonna stop that temporarily with an issue that plagues our nation today. Gender roles!!! Wolter actually gave me this idea with a statement he said in a video call. I bet he won't be able to guess what it is, as it set a long path of thought going that ended here. Anyhow, with the role of feminism taking it's place here in our society, women are getting more and more rights. However, many of them do not want some of the basic responsibilities of being truly equal. Inter-gender fights (hitting a girl) are not accepted. Asking people out is still the role of the man, as is paying for most things resulting from it. There are many more things of this type that are big issues as of late. Discuss them all is my idea. How equal should we be? Should there be gender roles at all? If so or not, how does this relate to the issues mentioned before? What other issues are under this category? Having opened such a can of worms see ya and allons-y.

Trumpin' Yall

Hey guys, I want to start by apologizing for not coming back on time. I had some stuff blow up in my personal life and, I should be back now. As a person who has grown up in both an upper class american home and a low to middle class american home simultaneously, I could say that I am relatively purple.(Specially since I have always lived in a swing state). I can say, hopefully without offending anyone too bad, that the Republican, Democratic, and Libertarian candidates suck. So, even the biggest 3rd party candidate would not be a good choice. Honestly, I think that if the Tea Party had decided to do something this year, they might have had a chance. Either way though, that is not what voting for a 3rd party this year is about. It is not to get that person in office, it is to send a message, a smack to the face, with the help of whoever gets in office being horrible, that it is time to shed the ways of bipartisanship, and allow other parties to have a shot at success for the good of a country. It is to show our american citizens that a 3rd party vote is not wasted. We just need enough people to do this next year, so that our beautiful country can be truly great again. See ya and allons-y.

A Comical and almost Hillaryious Election

     I have to say that there are many negative things to say about both the Republicans and the Democrats this year, more so than previous elections. I have to say there hasn't been an election with such polarised ideals in a while, which is one of the reasons many agree with this. I have to agree with Eli on this one here, because both candidates have simply gone beyond crazy into the comical and funny area. I have to say that if Obama was somehow able to run for a third term along with these two candidates, I would vote for him instead. However, since the two major parties have become more and more polarized, the time for a third party is ripe. A majority of Americans don't have just republican or democratic ideals, they are in a neutral middle ground. If a third party with sufficient support were to rise in this middle ground, then we may have a serious contender.
     In this election I don't think it will happen, because just as Eli said, voting for a third party is basically throwing your vote away at this point in time. Nobody really knows the third parties as well. Still, if we start voting for third parties in this election, and the candidates in the next election are just as idealistic, then I believe we should all look to a party that can serve as a middle ground. Keep in mind this will only work if the next election is as crazy as this one. This one was too sudden for third parties to take advantage, but if they keep their eyes peeled, then a third party may be able to snatch the victory.
     I say that we vote for a third party, whichever one suits you, and show the candidates that if they are not going to take this seriously, then neither are we. 

Lets throw a Third Party

Hey guys,
I know most people view voting for a third party candidate as wasting your vote. However, I think this election year, if enough people do vote third party, then it can send a message to the current political system that we don't want anymore of their self-interested politicians. I think that the entire government system in america needs fixing (totally different topic). However if one of the two front runners have to win my choice would be Trump. Before all the hate speech starts, let me explain why. I don't approve of Trump or any of his ideals, especially those involving segregation of minorities. However, I do think that his ideas are so far-fetched that he will have a hard time getting congress to do anything about it. He and Congress will just cancel each other out, causing four years of very little progress. When I think about Hillary, and how she only thinks to complete her own agenda, and her party agenda, she could do a lot of damage by getting elected, because Congress would more likely to agree with her.
-Eli

I elect to start a debate

        Hey guys,

This is the first actual post for a while, so I figured I would chose an easy topic to start. What are your views on the election. Please feel free to comment, and since this is naturally a more controversial, please know that none of us will judge you for your posts/comments, and feel free to join the discussion.

-Eli

Back in Backish white

Hey everyone, sorry for making you guys wait all summer. We are getting back into the swing of things, done with vacations and whatnot, so I am happy to inform the word, nay, the entire Internet that we are going to start posting again. One of us will post a discussion question Sunday nights, and the others will respond to it. As always, feel free to chime in with your thoughts.
-Eli