I'm a bit of a crotchety old fart. Well maybe 33 isn't that old, but I have seen a thing or two. I've traveled to different countries, and I've seen somethings I probably would have been better off not seeing. The time I was slumming on Khan Sao Road in Bangkok is a good example of seeing something I probably would be a better person for having not seen it in the first place.

I remember it vividly being a hot nasty Thai day. I was sitting out on the porch of my hostel drinking a beer. Right next to me some Brit gets the piss taken out of him by a Thai girl who stabbed him in the face with a fork. I can still see that damn fork sticking out of the side of the Brit's face. Since he essentially was trying to rip the girl off for "services rendered" he probably deserved it. This of course doesn't have much to do with why I like browser games except for the fact I stood up walked inside and went to check on my CN nation.

Seemed like a good idea at the time as I sure as hell wasn't going to get involved in the scene out on the back stoop.

Here is a short list of why I like browser games:

1) They inspire young people..

What the hell are you yapping about now Firestorm?

Well look at it from my crotchety old point of view shall we? When I was young we got our inspiration from 80's metal bands. Look at my generation now and you'll see how that did not end well. Kids these days don't have that many venues that I would call useful for expressing themselves and molding their personalities.

Look at the average age of the gamers in CN and you'll see a high percentage of youngin's up on these forums. They are forming alliances, brokering treaties, shooping flags, and fighting wars.

Look folks when I was young we used to consider throwing dirt at each other good damn fun. Yall have come a long ways.

2) They provide a mechanism for learning social skills and expressing arguments coherently.

I'm sorry but schools these days are probably the worst place to learn social skills. I'm an educator and I know just how worthless the American school system happens to be. They don't provide the focus for developing applicable social skills. As an American it makes me cry when I see the youth of America being turned into a bunch of mindless 'can't we all just get along' spouting zombies.

Do I give a damn if young men and women are having arguements? Hell yes! I want them to argue about everything. I want them to feel free to express their thoughts openly. I want them to be willing to challenge their elders with those pesky things called facts, but at the same time I want them to learn to do so intelligently and respectfully.

Take a trip over to the boiler room and you'll see that in action. Well most of the time.. it really is a work in progress.

3) Browser games are free.

This one is a no brainer for a cheapskate like me.

4) Browser games allow people to play out roles without getting hurt. Look my friends.. We all saw how Saddam ended up so really we don't want to turn ourselves into a regional tyrant who gets his jollies gassing his own people. Using browser games for this sort of megalomania ensures that the leadership of the Continuum won't be collectively rounded up and shot.

Though I for some reason get the amusing image of Moo and Dilber plotting to blow up the chemistry lab over a nice hand of pokemon.

That's my ten cents.