The Rambler's rambles

The epic third novel in this gargantuan series delivers on its title. It's bloody and brutal with many characters dying over the politics of this realm. I think this book in particular exemplifies how brutally honest and ruthless Westeros really is as events like the Red Wedding and the death of Oberyn Martell give this sense that Westeros is a turbulent and cruel place to live in. This novel also progresses extremely quickly with new events happening all the time to ensure readers will have the same feeling of wanting to learn more about one character but forced to see through the perspective of other characters (see Daenerys, Jon, Arya, Tyrion). Martin gives another great work unto us that illustrates the world even more and progressing the plot. I also noticed that politics weren't as big of a thing as in the second book which meant that this book focused more on social issues and events occurring in a specific area. Like I said before, this novel is brutal and I like ho...

The idea of objectivity and subjectivity always gets confused. There was an age where people actually believed everything there was to know about the world could be found using observable facts or raw evidence. Bias is in everything, however, and all of us see the world in a uniquely different way. Bias can't be gotten rid of entirely though many do try to avoid bias in their tone. Objectivity is impossible yet we have this fantastical notion that one can actually be completely adherent to the facts and the facts alone. Every single sentence has a bias. If one person says a statement, then another person in the world will have a different opinion. Even what I'm saying could be irrelevant to your opinion. In this way everyone can't avoid having bias in their lives. Bias is what makes us human. We can't get rid of our emotion from what we are observing and that tints our vision to see what we want to see. In a sense, even the most innocuous of phrases can be another o...

One thing we value above all else in America is our individuality. Individuality speaks to us above all else because we want the feeling of being distinct. We want to feel as though we are a separate entity that has its own purpose in life. We can feel this detachment from the rest of society by placing our personality as something that divides the regular people from us. There is an air of superiority that comes about this since we feel as though we are better than others because of some certain aspect of our personality that we identify ourselves as. Individuality is something that is exclusive to western culture. America is especially noted for this idea because of the idea of "rugged individualism" in this "land of opportunity." The idea of becoming who we want to be based on our skills and the determination to strive for certain skills makes us feel as though we are unique. Eastern culture doesn't have this idea since the emphasis is more on community a...

Frequently, we tend to blur the lines between the reality and fiction. We employ lies to cover up what we don't want others to know. We tell ourselves that lies are for our own benefit yet sometimes telling a lie that feels as though it should be good feels so wrong. A hollow feeling creeps through you and you worry that someone will find out. Lies construe a facade for people by portraying one in a different light. People will think that that person has a different personality which makes it all the more traumatizing when the lies are found out. Lies are manipulative, creative, and powerful while staying with the truth seems like a narrow path filled with consequences. The only true way for someone else to believe a lie is to believe in the lie yourself. Relinquish the truth and accept the lie as the only possible situation that happened. Obviously, this is a very hard thing to do yet juggling the two scenarios makes it too easy to telegraph how you've twisted the truth. T...

I hear many complaining about how many franchises tend to use the same system every time throughout the years. Critics criticize the same mechanics that are used for Zelda or other franchises that have used the same ideas over and over. People tend to disregard the simplicity found in a typical Mario game that uses the same formula as its 80's counterpart. They wish for something new out of the series that is innovative and intuitive. Nintendo franchises are most frequently blamed for this affliction despite new editions displaying new mechanics. The thing is, it's this repetitiveness that attracts the nostalgic gamers. The head behind these old franchises realize that they have money rolling in for giving fans what they want. They make each game distinctive to attract a broad audience to satisfy many gamer's experience as well. Today, games are marketed for casual gamers so franchises must find a balance between the devote fans and the casual fans so as to attract the m...