Hilary Clinton and The Sanctioning of Video Games With Sex and Violence

video Games are becoming increasingly more sexual in nature and more and more violent each year. This has prompted Ratings on video games and many groups to decry the Industry. We have many lobby groups now gaining power in Washington DC and around the nation to put a stop to violence and sex in video games.

When we see Hilary Clinton call for a sanctioning of video Games and asks the FTC Federal Trade Commission to investigate makers of the Xboxs latest games, I understand the reasoning and the knee jerk reaction to the issue and how politicians follow the polls and how she might get some brownie points from the Christian right side of things, looking like the Good Gal and that makes sense for her politically.

Yet, it would seem better for the free market to make better and more moral games and defeat the negative by selling more games or in another venue like the Television. But to do so the gamming companies need to be sure that the political groups who decry sex and violence will buy their products. Will they or have these groups worked so hard to attack the video gamming industry that the Industry itself is now closing its door to these groups?

Is the Industry dividing between good games and sexy violent ones? Will each sector continue under different platforms, such as xbox, TV, Eyebud iPod or Sony PS? In the end if the money is pouring in for the action genre then the consumer has voted against these Mothers Against Sexy violence in video Games and if the consumer wants the nicer venue, then they will vote for a more politically correct or Christian right Home Schooling Venue. This is an issue in 2006.

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Microsoft Xbox 360 vs Nintendo Wii

The microsoft Xbox 360 and the nintendo Wii have been at odds with each other. There are various differences as well as similarities. These consoles came out on the market at around the same time. It is usually easier to find an Xbox 360 than a nintendo Wii. Each gaming system is particularly geared to the individuals who favor them. There are some causal players, while there are others who belong to the more hard-core gaming generation. Although the nintendo Wii shares a similar consumer base as the Xbox, their styles are nevertheless somewhat different. Their costs also differ by about $100-$150. The Wii machine boasts a unique technology, while the Xbox has a more typical controller system.

The Xbox is a high-end machine. It contains state-of-the-art graphics with new revolutions and hard-drive compatibility. This system is designed to play HD-dvd movies and have online capabilities. Those who enjoy extensive and intense game play may enjoy the Xbox more than the nintendo Wii. There are plenty of games to choose from, and availability is huge; a person could walk into any store and will be much more likely to walk out with a microsoft Xbox 320 than a Wii console. Nevertheless, problems have arisen for this system as well. For instance, hardware conflicts are obvious during internet and gaming play time. Games must be saved with a hard drive or a flash memory card. These pieces of equipment only come with advanced systems. The core machine is the console, which does not come with any saving equipment or AV cables, although a person could purchase a wireless controller or an Xbox live membership at additional cost. A core system will run at retail for around $300. The advanced version of this console comes with additional equipment. For around $400, you will receive, in addition to the previously mentioned gear, a 20GB detachable hard-drive, a wireless controller, an Xbox live headset, an internet cable, and high-definition AV cables. The Xbox is for the hard-core gamer who would like to spend the extra cash on a machine that has major graphics and online excitement.

The nintendo Wii system costs much less than the advanced Xbox console. This machine comes stocked with the console, a sensor bar, a Wii stand, one Wii remote, one Nunchuk controller, and even a game. For $250, a person can purchase this item, go home, and play right away. Nothing else has to be bought before this system can be enjoyed. However, because this console is very popular, it is difficult to locate without paying ridiculous prices from an online auction house. In addition, game selection is limited. However, around forty new titles will hit the stands over the summer. The nintendo Wii creators promise that more availability will be coming soon as well. This machine has internet capabilities; however, a person cannot play any games through the internet as of yet. There is an option to purchase older nintendo system games online and download them directly to the Wii system. A person can use the remote for most games, but some downloadable games require a Game Cube controller. Not only can a person play downloaded and Wii games, but they can also play their Game Cube titles as well. This system is for the laid-back gamer who enjoys playing with his family and friends without the need for internet capabilities. The quality of the graphics is not the greatest, but for a fun environment, the nintendo Wii takes the cake.

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Why Do We Have to Practice Being Spiritual?

Have you ever wondered why we those of us on a spiritual path are told to have a "practice"? Imagine if we all joined a spiritual team and got together every day for practice. What would we do? Would we run prayer sprints? Would we stretch our beliefs? Would we scrimmage different religions? Truth be told, practice is just as important to becoming a spiritual person as it is to becoming a great soccer player, swimmer or baseball player.

A spiritual practice is much like an athletic practice except the focus lies on becoming more spiritual more open to spiritual experiences, to connecting with our Higher Self or God, to tapping into the flow of Divine Energy rather than on becoming a better athlete. Just as the physical athlete must stretch and strengthen his muscles, spiritual athletes must stretch and strengthen their ability to quiet their minds, open to their spiritual nature, sense the part of themselves that is connected to the Divine, and experience a unity with All That Is. While some people have a spiritual or mystical experience without trying, the vast majority of people must exert effort daily to get just a little bit closer to feeling even a vague sense of something that might be called "spiritual."

What Does Spiritual Practice Look Like?

So, just like our friends who are in search of the ultimate peak physical experience, we spiritual seekers are forced to practice, practice, practice so we might actually have a peak spiritual experience. What does that practice really look like? For some, it involves daily prayer sessions. For others, it means meditating every day. For others, it might mean doing good deeds for others. And for yet others, it means performing God's commandments, walking in nature, having a conversation with the Divine, journaling, using Tarot cards or a pendulum, or gazing at the ocean. No matter what practice they choose, it almost always involves doing whatever it is they do at least once a day.

Why Is The Repetition So Important?

Why does spiritual practice have to happen so often? The answer comes down to habit formation. When our spiritual practice becomes a habit, we can relax and allow it to be part of who we are and what we do. It becomes part of our life. In addition, when we can do what we do without thinking because it is a habit we allow in something other than our thoughts about what we are doing. What we are doing takes no thought. And when we don't have to think about what we are doing, we open our minds to focus upon something else. We open our experience to something else. We stop doing and start being. And since our being stems from the Divine Being, we begin moving closer to unity with the Divine. We move closer to having a spiritual experience.

Additionally, when we form a habit an action that requires little or no thought to accomplish we can then take what might seem empty, rote action and instill it with meaning. We can think about why we are doing that action what symbolism it has or what significance it holds for us personally and the empty action becomes full of meaning or meaning-full. If we also infuse that action with faith and belief, we fill that action with spirit, and it becomes spirit-full.

What To Do When Practice Feels Like A Struggle

I've struggled with having a spiritual practice. Often I'm too tired to get up early enough or to stay up late enough to spend time meditating and praying. Or I simply don't have the time for journaling, going inward, or going to a religious service.

For those of us too busy for a lengthy spiritual practice, I recommend small spiritual practices. Try 10 minute of prayer or meditation in the morning. Or light a candle and burn some incense when you get up and offer a prayer of gratitude. Just before you begin your work day, light a candle on your desk, quiet your mind, and ask that your work be karma yoga holy work. Or set your wrist watch to sound an alarm once an hour; when it rings, stop for even 30 seconds and clear your mind and allow yourself to be in the moment since God is in the moment.

Make these, or other short simple actions, your spiritual practices. You'll find your day and your life significantly enriched, and the experience will motivate you to find time for longer spiritual practices. Or you, if you like these short practice periods, you can add in more of them: a five minute meditation during your lunch break, a 10 minute journaling time before bed or a blessing before and after meals. In this way, your day will become one spiritual practice after another.

making Your Whole Day a Spiritual Practice

The ultimate goal of a spiritual practice revolves around having your whole day (week, month, year, life) feel like a spiritual practice or, at least, like an extension of your spiritual practice. I believe that is the idea behind the enormous number of mitzvot, or commandments, Jews are asked to remember and to act upon each day. If you try to observe even five or 10 of them each day, you find that your actions are tied into a spiritual practice on an almost constant basis. You praise God for your body working correctly when you awake. You offer gratitude for a multitude of events each morning. You bless the food you eat, acknowledging that it comes form a Higher Source. You raise your hands after washing them and ask that they be used in God's service. As you go to sleep at night, you ask that your transgressions and those of others be forgiven. Mitzvot are actually connectors; each time one commandment is performed, it connects the person to a Higher Source. The action reminds them of God.

If you can't find time every day for spiritual practice, commit to having a practice every week. For Jews and even for non-Jews I recommend taking on the Friday night Sabbath candle lighting as a spiritual practice. Along with this, try giving yourself a sanctuary in time 24 hours that are sacred, a real Sabbath. You can then build on this by developing a daily hour of spiritual practice when you do something you feel represents a spiritual practice.

To a great extent, spiritual practice involves remembering God on a minute-by-minute basis. When we remember our Divine Source we allow ourselves to be aware of that Source. And when we are aware of Divinity, we can experience it. Without a spiritual practice, we go through each day or each week without awareness of God, and the lack of awareness makes it almost impossibly for us to experience anything other than our own physical reality let alone our own spirit or the Spirit of the Universe.

Nina Amir, an acclaimed journalist, motivational speaker and Kabbalistic conscious creation coach, currently is writing Setting a Place for God, A Womans Guide to Creating sacred space and Inviting the Divine to Dwell Within It. She also is the author of a booklet, called Abracadabra! The Kabbalah of conscious creation. For information on Amirs books, teleseminars and classes, visit http://www.purespiritcreations.com or call 408-353-1943.

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