Today my dog did something amazing. I was playing some online poker (Texas Hold ‘Em), taking my break from writing, when I got pocket Kings. Right off the bat, even before the flop, the pot was up to 1500. The turn gave me nothing, and my tough opponent matched my remaining funds. I had pocket Kings, great cards, but nothing on the table, and I was facing an all-in loss. I folded. The River came, and my third King laughed in my face. My opponent’s hand: three of a kind, Fives. Argh! I fell to my knees and cursed the gods for this horrible fate.

In the midst of my agony, my dog had bridged the gap between the couches we were sitting on, and began licking my face. She stood there, fore and hind legs on two separate couches, letting me nuzzle up against her shoulder. What better a thing could a loving companion do at that moment?

Let me explain something that will elaborate on this situation. My beautiful pup is not what one might call a “cuddler.” She definitely expresses her love and joy every time I enter the room after being gone — I have the scratches on my arms to prove it — but when it comes to being physically close, she will let you know that is not for her. During every hug or kiss she is frantically trying her hardest to move away. That is why what happened next surprised me even more.

While I was sitting there, still in amazement from her merging-the-couch-and-cuddling maneuver, she walked over, jumped on my couch and laid down with her head nestled against my chest.

Shock is not a word adequate enough to remotely describe what I was experiencing at that moment. So, I simply lowered my arm and petted her as she slept on my stomach.

It made me realize then that even though she may not express it in the classical ways that I may expect or want, my dog really does love me; and she will be there when I need her most. So think back to when you were last in distress around your dog, and see if you can remember how she or he reacted. Odds are, if the reaction was in a way that does not seem lovable, it is just because she (or he), like some humans, is simply just not the kiss-and-cuddle type. Deep down, though, the heart is in the right place.

As sexist as it sounds, the dog is still man’s best friend.

With the presidential election drawing near, every medium has been drowned in campaign ads. One cannot turn on the television or tune in the radio without hearing about John McCain or Barack Obama. But what is the most irritating about this flood of campaign ads is the fact that they are predominantly attacks.

Where choosing the leader of our nation was once about what stance each candidate held on certain issues, it is now about finding out who is the worst person. Recent ads have been from each party bashing not only the ideals of each other, but their personal lives as well.

One can concede that “the People” should know of any extreme problems or bad choices in a presidential candidate’s past; but this is not the unbiased professionalism one might expect from a governmental race. It is a shooting gallery — a playground where kids pick on one another.

Is this truly the image we Americans want to give off for the rest of the world? That we are so petty that we only care about who can bad-mouth the best when considering our next president? It would not be shocking to discover our neighbors around the world are not surprised. With our foreign relations being such as they are, who would not expect us to choose the biggest bully to represent us?

The candidates are talking about the right people, just their approach is all wrong. The appropriate way to have a civilized campaign (and we do pride ourselves on being civilized) would be to address opponents’ pros and cons (without ignoring the pros) and then describe your own. Eighth graders can do it when writing a research paper, so why cannot our presidential candidates as well?

Of course, ridiculing political opponents is nothing new to this nation. It dates back to the time of our nation’s founding, with John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Sure, there were also slaves and a lack of women’s rights then, too. But we have made certain the world sees that we have evolved in these areas, so why cannot we also evolve in presidential elections? Although they are undoubtedly crucial, are not those other issues simply in vain if we cannot resolve our differences and grow up here? Presidents are supposed to represent the citizens of the United States, and be a role model for all endeavors within that nation. So what does it say when the only means for campaigning for office is to throw away all decency and dignity in pursuit of bringing your opponents to their knees kicking and screaming?

Then again, as historical analysts will unfortunately say, what could be more American than that?

In a good percentage of the twentieth century, a youth’s common pastime was spent playing catch, or running downs on a field that was only imagined as professional, or walking down to the local pond or lake for a dip. There were games of tag, cops and robbers (cliché I know, but still played), and anything else physically active to assuage the pent-up energy of youth. In the last few decades, however, all of that began to change.

The last few decades of the twentieth century were an age of personal technological revolution. The once slow and bulky goliaths known as computers were beginning to get smaller and faster. The world of simple entertainment could be easily attained.

For Personal Computer (P.C.) gaming, I can still recall the old Apple computer (pre-Apple crash), and games that consisted of nothing more than low-resolution pixels the size of bricks moving from one side the screen to the other at a low rate of speed (you had a lot of time to line up your paddle in old Pong — that is, if you could get it there). This entertainment was fun for a short period of time, but needless to say, it got boring. The allure of the outdoors still held its luster.

Then came games like the popular Police Quest and (the less popular) Space Quest, which worked off the same principles, but had a slightly higher resolution (smaller blocks of color) and moved considerably faster.

For those of us who are console gamers, the one that started it all was the Atari. Sure the Magnavox Odyssey was technically the first, but the real one that introduced console gaming was Atari’s Pong. Every kid in the United States wanted one. The Atari had games that are still emblazoned in the halls of fame even today. But, like its computer counterpart, it suffered from similar drawbacks. At first it was pricy, but as time carried on, it became more affordable, especially compared to the price of a personal computer in the dawn of its time. This, and the fact that you could easily just hook a console up to the television by going through a little converter box, caused console gaming to explode, leaving its cousin in the dust for some time.

The drawbacks of the Atari were beginning to see their last days when the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) came out in the United States, and games like Super Mario Bros. became available. The console world evolved even more with the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), or Super Nintendo for short, and Sega Genesis. Over a short span of just three decades, since the Magnavox Odyssey, consoles have leapt ahead from large blocky pixels that moved at a rate that made the tortoise feel fast, to extremely high resolutions and seamless movement.

Computer gaming managed to stay afloat in the 1990s with iconic games like Half-life and Starcraft and Warcraft. In recent years, however, with the aid of improving technology for computers, P.C. gaming has taken a stride forward with the much-anticipated release of new chapters in the legacies of the old titles, with graphics that would make any console gamer drool. Titles such as Half-life 2 and World of Warcraft appeal to the loyal gamers of the originals, as well as dazzle new gamers with their breakthrough technologies that heighten the gameplay experience. This new age of P.C. games has recruited such a massive audience base around the world that it has revitalized the P.C. gaming community.

Regardless of the method of conveyance for the games, all gamers face a sad truth. In the early years of the twenty-first century, with newer games with better technologies coming out seemingly every week, more and more people, especially the young, are becoming addicted to gaming. Usually the introduction is made by a friend, at which point the game or games are played for extended periods of time. This is the starter dose, the hook. Then the urge to play arises even when the friend is not available. Why not just get it? a little voice in your head says coolly. It will only be this one game. But after time, meaning countless hours and days of your life you will never get back, the game gets boring. When you know where everything is and you have done it all a hundred times, the game cannot even be stood to play again, not once more. The urge, however, remains. And before you know it, you are off browsing the gaming isle at your local Best Buy once a week. Before long, you have forgotten your family members’ names, grown hair in places you did not know existed, and the last time you showered it was winter.

Although its humor is sometimes questionable, the points “South Park,” the animated television show, make are valid — especially in their World of Warcraft episode. For those not acquainted with new-age pop comedy animations (can it be considered pop?), the episode to which I refer deals with the main characters, a group of grade school friends with the vocabulary of forty-year-olds, start playing the hit game, World of Warcraft. The kids in the show soon cease going to school, playing outside, going to the bathroom in the actual bathroom, and even bathing; which lead to them all growing heavily obese, having major dermatological issues, and effectively becoming brain dead.

Even though it is poking fun at extreme stereotypes, it makes a valid point. There has been a radical shift in the way the youth of the U.S. play. Most of the physical exercise obtained by physical play has been replaced by the solitary motion of button-clicking (and the occasional yell at noobs in the microphone). Instead of scoring runs and running from the pretend cop, kids are fighting elves and orcs in epic battles, all without moving except to scratch that itch on their bums.

One thing that is a pro, and an extreme one at that, is that people who game are using their imaginations — a thing that many gamer enthusiasts say is worth the lack of physical activity. Whereas the older generations are obsessed with sports and the physical might, one could argue that the newer generations are obsessed with using their cognitive might. The argument has always been which is better.

The gap between these two divides is beginning to close, though, with systems like the Nintendo Wii, which offer physical exertion while playing video games. Using new technology, the Wii forces the gamer to actually move the controller when playing games like tennis, baseball, and golf. A game about boxing builds up quite the sweat when you actually have to land the punches and dodge those of your opponents yourself. The system even has out an addition called the Wii Fit, which is all about physical workouts. It even uses a pad that you stand on to measure where in your feet your weight is placed, making sure you are exercising correctly. A game being an exercise with such a mass market appeal is revolutionary.

Hopefully with systems like the Wii popping up, bridging the gap between video gamer and work-out buff, the next generation will not have to choose which to obsess over — they can do both in perfect harmony. Only a gamer with a gym membership could have dreamed that one up.

Waking up in the morning, grabbing that first cup of freshly brewed coffee, and going outside to have the first nicotine fix of the day is a shared routine by most smokers. In fact, it is commonly seen as the best. The majority of smokers in the United States agree that that first puff of the day is the greatest part of the day. This smoker concurs. Although the lungs are still trying to clear up some room from yesterday’s smoke for air, that first cigarette at the dawn of day is a necessity. It is the equivalence of relieving the bladder that has sat all night. That first fix of the day relaxes any tension and worry about the day ahead. All becomes right with a little puff. That is, until the urge comes back. Tensions rise, worries cloud your thoughts, you find your fingers running along your lips, reminding you of what must be done. This response is cyclical, and continues the rest of the day until you pass out between fix intervals.

For 46.6 million Americans who smoke each year, this is their curse. Yes, it is their fault that they still smoke, but absolute blame cannot be bestowed on them. At some point in their lives something other than the cigarette itself convinced them to smoke. For some, it is a habit derived from constantly being around legal guardians who did it when they were young. For others, it could be pressure from others in a social network to look “cool,” or idolizing an actor or public figure who smokes, or even a simple instance of misguided curiosity. But for whatever reason, the sad truth is that no matter how easy it was to start, it is exponentially more difficult to quit. And until you have had to go through it, do not attempt to think you know how easy or hard it is.

Sure, there are many choices out there for smokers to choose from in way of kicking the habit. There is the gum, which introduces nicotine at a lower dose, and without many of the harmful additives present in a traditional cigarette. Those are notoriously disgusting in taste, deterring many smokers from quitting. However, some companies like Nicorette are now offering gum coated in multiple flavors to help with the taste. The gum is dangerous, though, because without weaning off the nicotine by chewing less progressively or less often, some people will simply chew beginning quantities of it, effectively replacing one habit for another, still remaining dependent on the nicotine fix. Also, someone can ingest extremely high amounts of the gum that can lead to medical complications.

Another tool for quitting that is well known is the nicotine patch, which contains levels of nicotine that is taken in through the skin. One perk of the nicotine patch is that it is able to be applied under garments, and without any obvious indication of its presence, such as chewing or inhaling. This is a popular demand from quitting smokers because there is the need in some to hide the fact that it is there. Like the gum, however, the patches have some of the same pitfalls. Since they do administer nicotine into the bloodstream, they can simply be used as a substitute for cigarettes, rather than fully weaning off the drug. Although healthier than smoking, this is no final solution, for the dependency commonly remains. Additionally, just as with the gum, too high an amount of patches can be applied, causing severe medical problems. Think of Nick Naylor in Thank You for Smoking.

Yet another form of quitting is a plastic cigarette, which is a plastic device that looks like a cigarette, has replaceable nicotine capsules, and is inhaled, somewhat reminiscent of smoking a traditional cigarette. Two great perks to this method is that it enacts the same physical motions as smoking a cigarette, helping kick the physical habit, which can be just as hard as quitting the nicotine addiction; and since it is inhaled, it is extremely hard to ingest enough to cause severe medical complications. The amount would have to be equivalent to the number of traditional cigarettes needed to cause the complications. Additionally, an added bonus is that the nicotine inhaled does not contain many of the malicious additives in many traditional cigarettes. The one downside that makes this method unpopular is that smokers commonly report feeling foolish smoking a piece of plastic, and do not want to be ridiculed by fellow smokers.

And, of course, there is the “cold turkey” way, also known as “cold feet.” This means simply the cessation of ingesting any nicotine at all. Whereas the other methods involve reduced amounts over a progression of time, this method stops “cold” all nicotine ingestion. It is unquestionably the most difficult way to quit, as the need for both the fix and the physical habit is still present. This is the most popular, and also the most unsuccessful method. It takes a very determined individual with a strong will (not well known with smokers) to effectively use this method. The upside is that there are no substitutions for the nicotine being used, so there is little chance for simply trading it for dependence on another source of nicotine. There is, however, a very high chance that the individual will replace the physical habit of smoking with another physical activity. Some of the most common include chewing gum (non-nicotine), toothpicks, or fingernails; drinking coffee; eating; drinking alcoholic beverages; etc. Unfortunately, eating is a common replacement for smoking, especially since nicotine is an appetite suppressor. The individual and others around him/her must be on the lookout for heightened appetites and increased eating habits.

For this smoker, “cold turkey” was the method of choice. It was, and still is extremely difficult. No matter which method you choose, the desire to smoke will never fully go away for good. It will return periodically. But the key to quitting and staying off it is to keep active. And that certainly does not strictly mean exercise, although that is a good deterrent. Simply keeping busy throughout the day keeps the mind preoccupied with things other than it would if you sat on the couch watching television all day. But of course there will be those moments of downtime. Whether it is taking a break and watching the news, seeing a movie with a special someone, blogging endlessly, or going out with the buds for a night on the town, the urge to smoke will rear its ugly head and tell you, “Just one.” There is no avoiding it; this will happen from time to time. Just remember that the key is keeping busy, and having the will to, as cliché as it is, say no to that demonic little voice in your head in the form of a cigarette. Take it from this ex-smoker, with perseverance and determination, anyone can stop smoking. And in the meantime, the house can get cleaned.

The much-anticipated pop-sensation by Christopher Nolan is finally out. It hit screens late last week and raked in a whopping $155 million, shattering the previous weekend record of $151 million held by Spider-Man 3. Seeing the film, audiences can tell why. It takes a wide turn from its prequel, Batman Begins, breaking away from Christian Bale’s handsome-yet-smart Bruce Wayne/Batman’s “criminals aren’t complicated” ideology; and introducing a new kind of criminal — one with no rules. Heath Ledger’s role as the infamous Joker, his pièce de résistance, is bone-chilling. With absolutely no regard for human life, an insane appetite for destruction, and a twisted need for a never-ending cat-and-mouse chase with his nemesis, Ledger’s Joker soars to a whole new level of complexity beyond Jack Nicholson’s classic version, and paves the way for a whole new class of villain.

Christopher and Jonathan Nolan’s screenplay portrays a Batman who faces obstacles never before imagined. He is burdened with a plethora of problems that push both his physical prowess and mental capacity to extremes, creating a conflicted hero who must make decisions that will lead inevitably to the deaths of certain people. He faces classic situations of those inflicted with the hero-complex, such as the choice between saving a personal love or serving the greater good, balancing two personas, and whether to confront it all and potentially become a villain himself, or keep his sanity and principles.

Certain events force the public into action, deciding whether or not they can keep their complacency in having Batman solve all of their problems. Especially with a rising district attorney who promises peace and seems to be able to deliver it, they must determine if Gotham is big enough for two heroes. There is even a touching scene that shows criminals’ lighter side, when some of Gotham’s worst must decide if being stripped of some of their rights has made them less than human, or more so, in a scene that is reminiscent of a predicament in the Saw movie series.

Overall, Christopher Nolan and his brother Jonathan’s vision of one of America’s most popular hero’s confrontation of his dark side in determining his values and principles sets an iconic social statement to all that through hard times hard decisions must be made, but the true question is how far can one go before the cause is lost along with his humanity?

(photograph compliments of Warner Bro. Pictures)