Invalid characterset or character set not supported Bandwagon Joinup: (2005-)2009: The Year(s) in Review





Bandwagon Joinup: (2005-)2009: The Year(s) in Review
February 03, 2010

2005-2006: Wrote no reviews.

2007: Staggered back with 3 reviews.

2008: 10 reviews!

2009: Hands and arms wrecked, back to 3 reviews

April: Aztec - Apple II

I was extremely pleased with this and suggested in the RoT(day? week?) topic it was RoT worthy. In retrospect this seems charmless and gauche of me, but also true to my bloodyminded willpower and ego when I think I've done good work. I think I'm in a healthier place re: this stuff than I was back at gamefaqs (well, not surprising, I've aged 9 years, I'd hope my resolution of my self-insight has only improved, since I work on it), where I probably displayed blobs of weird passive aggression and false modesty.

May: Resident Evil - GameCube

One of my best ever I think, as I expressed a lot that I had been thinking about for a long time, and I spent more time writing this, revisiting it and carefully moving individual words around than for any other review I've ever written. It is very precise. It won 'Pretentious Bastards', and in truth of course I don't think it is pretentious, but it is not a traditional review.

June: Kukulcan - Apple II

After all the gnashing of teeth, a peaceful retreat to practical reviewing with an adventure game from my youth. I'd tweak this review a little right now but this is the end of the typing for today.

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wolfqueen001 wolfqueen001 - February 04, 2010 (12:40 PM)
What'd you do to your hands/arms again that messed them up so bad?
bloomer bloomer - February 04, 2010 (05:31 PM)
I developed RSI. First bout in 2002, recover to functional within 3 weeks. Then I changed how I was typing and sitting. I still had the occasional small bout. At the end of 2008 I had a big bout that lasted 3 months. Then halfway through the year I had the worst bout ever from which I still have not recovered.

I haven't played a videogame since Jan 09. I have to ration my typing and most things I would like to do are on hold or go extremely slowly. For instance I am currently trying to do some drawings, and I get about half a drawing done every 4 days to a week, cos I have to keep stopping. RSI can be a real life wrecker.
wolfqueen001 wolfqueen001 - February 04, 2010 (07:57 PM)
Ah, yikes. That sounds really rough. How'd you develop the RSI in the first place, though? It sounds like it happened out of more than just gaming and typing too much. (If that's too personal or something, then I understand and apologize for asking. I'm just curious).

Anyway, I really hope you can recover from this soon. It definitely doesn't sound fun at all.
bloomer bloomer - February 05, 2010 (02:55 AM)
Thanks for the good wishes.

I think it's good to talk about this as it is a thing that could happen to many people. I had gamed, typed and played piano vigorously since I was 5. When I was 25 I had a data entry job part time. That really jumped up the typing level and was the first time I experienced the RSI. I remember playing Star Wars Phantom Menace on the PS1 around the time, and this incredible, deadening pain coming on. So it's been a problem ever since.

If I had to rank the activities that contribute and affect me from strongest to least, it would be: typing, videogaming, mousing, pianoing. Drawing is a recent addition.

I never had any conscious typing habits or thought about taking breaks til I was 25. I had to try to type more equally (in my self taught way I was very dominant in the right hand). 25 is also when it's considered you start to lose fitness generally, 1% per year. Also I'm very skinny, a classic ectomorph. I've rarely felt really comfortable sitting on chairs at any time in my adult life. I have a touch of scoliosis. So all these things, plus the amount and intensity and method of all the activities I have described, has been too much for my body. I'm not sure it will ever be 100% right again, but I just hope it will be enough to do what I want to do. My rheumatologist has recommended I take up swimming regularly to just build more body strength in a low impact way.
wolfqueen001 wolfqueen001 - February 05, 2010 (05:41 PM)
Geez... That just sounds terrible. But I'm glad you're talking about it anyhow because I think you're right; it's definitely something people should watch out for. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if I develop something like that down the road from all the typing I do.

Anyway, as before, I really hope that clears up as soon as possible and that you can continue to enjoy doing what you're doing despite all this.

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