Musings OFF the Battlefield: "Why Does My Elbow Hurt?", a "BOOM SALAD CONTEST!" and so much more ...

For the past week, I have been unable to play because of the dreaded … GAMER’S ELBOW, otherwise known as ‘tennis elbow’ (not sure why tennis players get all of the credit, there’s a lot more of us than them. Still, I digress). 

Tennis had NOTHING to do with it.

The pic says it all. That’s me and a BIG BAG OF ICE wrapped tightly around my arm with an old ACE bandage (* see below).

What we are looking at, if you didn’t know, is called a Repeated Motion Injury, or more specifically, tendonitis, and it is DIRECTLY related to EXCESSIVE GAMING.

For me, EXCESSIVE GAMING means sessions that last several hours with NUMEROUS BREAKS IN BETWEEN. 

I think the longest ticket game I EVER played was 1400. That’s like a half an hour straight. I ALWAYS quit after games that last that long and take a break, and not just because of my elbow. Chances are, I have to use the rest room and maybe get some water, run some errands, whatever.

Yet, still I got it and man, did I get it good, hurt something terrible.

I couldn’t play, I couldn’t write, I couldn’t write about playing, I couldn’t even use my computer really. I couldn’t do anything that required a typical motion frequently performed by my right arm. In other words, I couldn’t use my arm for anything but simple tasks, holding a book for instance, not a heavy book mind you.

It was during this CONVALESCENCE that I realized something: I had sustained injury overusing a product and yet I had no idea, other than pain, what the word “overuse” really meant. Moreover, the industry responsible for manufacturing the overused product seem to be silent about the matter.

Why? The Gaming Industry must know about Repeated Motion Injury and its association with excessive use of their product, but for some reason, they don’t feel obligated to warn us, THE PEOPLE WHO BUY THEIR PRODUCTS, about its dangers, or provide recommendations on how to avoid injury.

That there’s what we call a problem with CONSUMER ETHICS.

“CONSUMER WHA…?”

“Consumer Ethics.” It is part of an economic theory I agree with that suggests THE CONSUMER IS THE TOP OF THE FOOD CHAIN in a capitalist society, thus rendering it more of a CONSUMERIST economy (eat that Mr. Greenspan).

“That sounds UTOPIAN.”

Yeah, I know, but it shouldn’t. The CONSUMER has ALWAYS had the power in a free-market economy BECAUSE they make the choice of whether they are going to buy A or B product. You, the GAMER, ARE THE CONSUMER to the gaming industry. They owe their livelihoods to you and me. If we stop buying their products, eventually they go away and NEVER come back.

Chosen for Extinction by the Consumer.

That’s how powerful the consumer is to the world economy and yet most of us, especially in gaming, don’t realize it.

WE DON’T HAVE A VOICE.

THERE IS NO ONE WHO TRULY REPRESENTS THE GAMER.

Who do you call when you have a problem with your system? Customer Support.

How’s that working out for you?

Let’s just admit it out loud together, CUSTOMER SUPPORT IS NOT HELP, it is a hindrance. It’s designed that way from top to bottom. They don’t even give you their full names anymore.

Technical support for the gaming world has become a BLACK BOX to the consumer, and that, to put it bluntly, is insane.

The only way to right the ship is for gamer’s to ORGANIZE and form a political lobby. Trust me when I say the Gaming Industry has a POLITICAL LOBBY, and they DON’T SPEAK FOR US.

“Sounds like a hassle … “

Well it is, if you’re TWELVE, and what about those gaming brethren of ours that are just kids? Their parents are more than likely OBLIVIOUS to the types of injuries they can sustain from over play.

Who speaks for them?

“I dunno Flores … I still think the gamer holds some responsibility for playing too much.”

And I agree, but even CIGARETTES have a warning label required by law.

If BIG TOBACCO has to do it, why not BIG GAMING?

BOOM SALAD CONTEST!!!!!

If you recall in my last post I promised an update on Sony. Well, that ain’t gonna happen because I am still working on it. Suffice to say that the data they collected, which includes PSN information, appears to have VANISHED. No one knows where it is or how to get at it. The Adventure continues.

I do however have a CONTEST of sorts.

I am moving my blog to my new website: BOOMSALAD.COM. I actually BOUGHT the domain boomsalad.com...hehe.

“Nice name, dumb idea, what about the contest?”

Yes. Well. I thought there might be some creative souls out there who would like to render me a logo for BOOM SALAD that I could use as the title of my new website. Of course, the winner would be acknowledged as the creator AND would win this:

I know the photo quality sucks but what do want from me? My arm hurts.

An ORIGINAL somewhat dusty copy of LUCAS ARTS X-WING SIMULATOR ca. 1992. INCLUDING the LUCASARTS NEWSLETTER, "THE ADVENTURER."

“Dude … cool, but you really are MIDDLE AGED aren’t you?”

Yes, I am.

Create a jpg or gif that you think accurately represents the idea of BOOM SALAD and I will pick the best of the lot. Send your suggestions to, INFO@BOOMSALAD.COM and I will post the name of the winner in a month.

Next post will HOPEFULLY be about gaming and not my sore arm. 

In the meantime, come find me so I can vent my frustration with an MP7 on your worthless body at PSN>JOHNDAVIDFLORES.

*DISCLAIMER: The closest thing I come to being a registered physician is that I took a college class on first aid and received my certification after passing a test. In other words, I am not the one to diagnose or prescribe remedies to any trauma you have sustained while playing. What I have suggested up above are proven and authentic medical remedies that I did not invent but are widely prescribed online by reputable medical sources.