Are you a fan of room escape games? How about room escape games you do by yourself and can possibly die if you screw up? Good! Then Indigo Studios Seven Doors is your game!

As you probably guessed by now, Seven Doors is an interaction adventure game where you are blindly thrown into 7 different rooms and have to figure out how to get out with little or no clues. Each room has everything you need in it to solve the puzzles and get to the next room, but it an’t easy.

Each room in Seven Doors has a different theme and objective and the room name kinda sorta gives you a hint on what you have to do to get out. You just have to look around and find things in the room to use, and all items are used automatically when they are needed so you don’t have to do too much “try this item on this thing” messing around. Sometimes there are no items to be used and you just have to figure out how to get out by trial and error. The puzzles range from hard to “uh?” and like I said there are no hints or help, you are totally on your own. But with enough wandering, messing with things, and pure dumb luck you can figure out what you have to do. Oh and did I mention you can die? Because you can…and you will…a lot.

You use the directional or WASD buttons to move — and you can jump too — and pick things up with. You move the camera, which is first person, around with the mouse. Possibly the most annoying part of Seven Doors is the movement. It’s clunky if you don’t have a good graphics card and while holding items is not an issue since the character will hold it till you hit the mouse button to drop it but it can be tricky to try to place an object where it needs to go. You get used to it but still it can make a challenge a bit more challenging.

One thing Seven Doors Does well is make you feel isolated and alone. There is no music or sounds, cept for the occasional screaming from the character, unless it’s part of the puzzle which gives you even more of a feeling of being alone and lost. It is not explained in the beginning why you are there either and especially whether or not or not you are a willing participant. All you know is that each room will “test one of your strengths.” Whatever that means (insert suspicious eye emoji.)

Seven Doors Is challenging, scary, gives you a sense of isolation, and fun! The controls are wonky and can add some unnecessary challenge to the game but like I said you get used to it. It’s especially fun if you’ve ever done a room escape and thought “you know I totally want to try this on my own!” You know, without the risk of never escaping and possible death. So I give it 4 outta 5 baby dragons!

So if I haven’t scared you off yet you can pick up this game for yourself at the steam store Steam for only $6.99. But don’t say I didn’t warn you!

In the last month, Chicago’s record-breaking violence has managed to get equal coverage along with the Coronavirus. The sheer number of shootings and killings have been mind-boggling but the attention-grabbing stories have been the number of babies, toddlers, and young teens that have been shot down. Providing some gruesome heart-grabbing television and newspaper headlines, not only in the Chicago area but all across the Country.

By most estimates, a full one-third of Chicago’s homicides are unintended targets. Gang shooters are letting go at half-court and into vehicles and parks and gatherings with very little or no thought about the innocence who are among the victims, a list that is growing more day after day. The feverish push to control territories and the lucrative drug trade has set off gang wars that have reduced City leaders to babbling and knee jerk excuses that have finally been noticed by the mainstream press. Mayor Lightfoot has received very little criticism for her failed strategies to take control of the out of control mayhem in her city.

If we look back at Rahm Emanuel’s 8 years as mayor, the press constantly held his feet to the fire for his violence control strategies. Karen Lewis, the President of the Chicago Teachers Union even went as far as calling him “Mayor MURDER.” Imagine what she would nail Lightfoot with today “Mayor Murder Incorporated” would probably fit nicely. This morning the Chicago Tribune in a scathing editorial stated Mayor Lightfoots efforts to control violence have been inadequate (myself I would have added GROSSLY)  AND GOVERNOR J.B. PRITZKER AS A CANDIDATE, PROMISED TO ADDRESS CRIME THROUGH A SPECIAL AGENCY, BUT ONLY CREATED MORE BUREAUCRACY.  There it finally happened! holding politicians accountable.

Last week after another weekend of unprecedented slaughter,  Chicago’s Top Cop announced a new attempt to take on the gangs. Don’t believe for one minute he didn’t get the wink and nod from the Mayor, it has her written all over it.  See the headline below.  Chicago’s new specialized unit will consist of officers who will be deployed in neighborhoods to participate in community service projects, such as ATTENDING PRAYER CIRCLES, PEACE, AND NEIGHBORHOOD CLEAN UP EFFORTS.

This from a guy whose goal was to keep Chicago’s murders in 2020 at 300. We are now at 386 and are on pace for over 700 if the current trend continues. Imagine if we applied this strategy to NERO playing the fiddle while Rome burned. Chicago’s cops will be praying and cleaning up the neighborhoods while Chicago’s citizens are shooting and killing and being killed. Those cops in those prayer circles had better pray hard while they are there because they are going to need all the help they can get.

What’s happening right now to a once-proud great City, indeed once called “The City of Big Shoulders” is it’s being tested like no other time in its great history. How will its leaders respond? I’m going to quote two Kennedys, both U.S. Senators, one who is deceased of course and needs very little introduction, the late Bobby Kennedy and brother of President Kennedy, the other a very little known Senator serving today in the U.S Senate from Louisiana. Back when Bobby Kennedy was the Attorney General of the United States he quoted a phrase that is still used today. EVERY SOCIETY GETS THE KIND OF CRIMINAL IT DESERVES: WHAT IS EQUALLY TRUE IS THAT EVERY COMMUNITY  GETS THE TYPE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT IT INSISTS ON.” Every politician in the State, and most especially Chicago should contemplate those words. Which is it going to be, both for the criminal it deserves and the Law enforcement it insists on?

A few days ago Senator John Kennedy from Louisiana told a nationwide audience that “CHICAGO IS THE LARGEST OUTDOOR SHOOTING RANGE IN AMERICA”. Who the hell is going to argue with that? He further stated” TO KILL A CHILD YOU MUST BE A NIHILIST GOON WITH NO VALUES WHATSOEVER. BUT THAT IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DEFUND THE POLICE, WHEN WE REFUSE TO FIX OUR SCHOOLS, AND WE UNDERMINE THE FAMILY UNIT.” In my opinion, Chicago needs help. Chicago needs federal help. Chicago needs federal agents to work with Chicago’s cops. Chicago needs Federal Charges, Federal Courts, Judges, and Federal Sentencing. Prayer circles, cleaning up neighborhoods, and delivering food to the needy may have a future at another time. It’s time to listen to the two Kennedys. Both have quotes worth listening too. Politics aside, how many more will be slaughtered before a leader emerges and gets it?

There’s no debate! Nobody should have named anything after Steven Douglas.

Let’s start the wrecking crew working by renaming Douglas Park to…what else but Douglass Park, after Frederick Douglass.

Note to D. Trump:  The late Frederick Douglas

You are already keeping a pandemic journal of sorts. Take a look at your 2020 calendar.

Starting in March, mine is a pattern of large Xs wiping my schedule clean of Book Club, friends coming over for dinner, visit to Botanic Garden, and ten other things, all cancelled.

By April it was Zoom calls instead: weekly Family Dinner call, storytelling event, epic 25-person family call, and more.

May brought the unusual – a Zoom seminar about Sandhill Cranes coming through, a Zoom call with a favorite old friend I rarely actually talk to, checking in.

By June, I had stopped crossing things out – it was routine now to have no expectations – and I was getting a little tired of Zoom.

Now in July, I look ahead and see the hopes recorded there that cannot come true – the visit from old friends that would have ended today now postponed until next year, the trip to Iowa for 2 weeks of writing classes replaced by a virtual weekend writing workshop, the annual 4^th of July Siblingfest at a lake house replaced by a Zoom call. Not the same, to say the least.

How else would you like to keep track of this startling and devastating time? Here are some writing prompts to choose from if you care to record your experience for yourself, or for future generations. (Imagine the delight of a descendant who comes across your 2020 Pandemic Journal in a few decades.):

How did it first hit you that this disease would take us over?

What has been your hardest adjustment? Your easiest?

What are your best coping strategies?

What is your work life like right now?

Who have you lived with? What has that been like?

Who have you not been able to see?

What has changed in our country due to the pandemic? For the good? For the bad?

Describe your emotional journey.

What have you learned about yourself?

What has this experience taught you; what do you know now that you didn’t before?

How has this changed you?

How much or how little do you feel at risk from the virus? When and where do you feel the most vulnerable?

Who is your favorite expert on the virus? Your favorite leader?

What is the greatest loss you have experienced due to the pandemic?

What has kept you going?

Do you think this will be a turning point for you? How will you be different?

What will be your greatest pleasure when we can finally be free of restrictions?

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Give it a try. We may be quick to forget.

Check out the most recent Ms Crankypants posts for a record of her thoughts as the pandemic came over us. And please subscribe if you’d like to keep up!

Photo by Pixabay

As I see it, western culture is all about telling other people what “I” have going on. It goes without saying that social media is all about this – which can be great fun, but it’s very self-obsessed and its good purposes can be tainted by a culture that puts the self in front of others at such a rate that the sense of self for the individual is almost destroyed – because it’s not balanced by caring about other people.

And focus on the self is often the downfall of society – I’ll bet you can easily see this if you think back on history.

These past few months have taught me to listen, not just how to get other people to see my point of view.

Look at comments by many people these days on the most hot-button issues – it’s frequently the desire to tell “MY” perspective. There really is no listening to anyone else and choosing instead to give another person (or group of people) time and attention to figure out what that person or group is ACTUALLY saying. Just focusing on them – not on ourselves – to LISTEN and HEAR, instead of giving knee-jerk reactions that doesn’t take into account another person’s point of view.

So what does listening mean as far as what I’m writing here? Well, this could refer to so many things right now – anything from mask-wearing to not mask-wearing – (which to me is pretty simple – just follow the guidelines as posted to keep other people safe – I don’t LIKE masks, but if it can help out I will do it) – to racism – which exists because some folks don’t know a basic human rule – treat people the way you’d want to be treated and anything less is not acceptable. This is at the root of racism, and it’s such a simple rule to follow.

And somehow, usually without meaning to, one person’s story of racism and the trouble they have experienced ends up morphing into someone else’s personal struggle – when the one person who first spoke was just asking to be listened to and understood.

The listening and sitting in the uncomfortable emotion someone else is experiencing is so hard for us. We always seek to make someone else or ourselves “feel better” right away – and while there’s no time like the present to take action for the better, short-term actions don’t provide long-term relief. Sitting in that uncomfortable emotion for a while is the meaningful impact of long-term solutions.

For example, many people have heard stories of racism and have turned it into their own guilt stories for simply being a certain skin color – and I mean, white people – mostly women from what I see – feeling badly about the treatment of black people and carrying guilt within for the treatment of others. But then, the story of pain – inadvertently – turns into a white story of pain instead of a black story of pain.

You see how that jump doesn’t really work even though the initial reaction of guilt is something I do understand. It’s just not a productive emotion.

It’s a sticky wicket, though. As a white person, the message was loud and clear that remaining silent meant that you were not supportive of fighting racism. Saying too much could turn your message into something about oneself.

I really hesitated writing a blog post, because I wanted to see how things unfolded, how I processed my own emotions, etc., before I “took pen to paper,” so to speak.

Here are some things that I have considered and am passing on to my teens:

The most important thing you can do is to listen to others. Don’t start sharing YOUR experiences – just listen. This goes for anyone, but the racial tensions of the past few months have showed us that there has been an undercurrent of tension for a lot of black folks that many of us white folks were simply unaware of. We didn’t experience it as white folks, and now the floodgates have opened. Proactively try to understand other people’s experiences to help yourself become a better person.

Don’t assume you know a person’s story. One thing I have seen as I have been reading numerous stories is white people assuming they know a black person’s experience. Honestly, a lot of white folks THINK they are helping – but let someone who knows tell you THEIR experience. While many groups are now speaking for black people, I have learned to be VERY COGNIZANT that everyone’s experience is different, and no one likes to have their experience told to them: “Your life must be very hard being black, and I feel so badly you’ve endured that.” Nope. Condescending. We don’t know another person’s experience – let them tell you at appropriate times what their lives have been like, if they want to.

Saying “I don’t see color” isn’t a statement of accepting a person’s humanity; it’s dismissive of who they are. Sure, every person wants to be treated like a human being (shocker!) with dignity and respect. To be recognized as a human being, regardless of skin color, gender, etc. So that’s a given. But, it’s also appropriate to recognize that folks have differences – race, belief system, etc., are all important attributes of the individual and it’s fine to both recognize AND celebrate those differences. I read one person say to not look at America as a “melting pot” where we all combine into one non-unique entity but instead as a “salad bowl,” which combines many different elements together while allowing those elements to stay true to who they are.

Being willing to see other perspectives. Just because you always thought of something a certain way doesn’t mean you can’t revaluate your thinking to see another perspective. Being open-minded is called – you guessed it – an “Open Mindset” as opposed to a “Fixed Mindset” where thinking is rigid and limiting. Have an open mind is the basis for positive changes and improvements inside and outside of the self.

I also saw a post where a young black woman made a sweeping negative comment about all white people, and another person posting told her she was racist for making an overall negative comment. Another person posting said no, it’s not possible for a black person to make a racist comment against a white person.

Not true. Racism – in whatever form – can be used by anyone to form a negative opinion of another group of people without cause.

Even if the comment appears to be “positive” about a group of people and their intelligence, athleticism, business savvy, etc., or whatever stereotype you’re using, whenever you reduce a person to not being an individual, you can dehumanize them.

It’s a sticky wicket for sure. The show “Modern Family” has really walked that line a lot, but the reason it works for that show is that the individuals making the stereotypical statements are a part of that group – whether it’s age, race, gender or other stereotypes, the characters in the show can say outrageously funny things because we – and the characters are in on the joke. It’s humor that humanizes instead of dehumanizes.

Another point is that while racism can go “both ways,” oppression does not. Black people have never oppressed white people. I can see how the shadow of slavery, along with being kept out of doing things that help you to move up financially in the world – education, home loans, business loans, etc., creates a cycle of resentment, mental health issues and repeated problematic behaviors for some folks.

And this is worth repeating: the snippets you get on the news and what you read are also individual stories – and if that writer or speaker is speaking of their own experiences or drawing their own conclusions you can learn from that individual, but not everyone’s experiences or opinions are the same, and it’s important to remember to honor that.

Human beings are complex – we cannot simplify our thoughts, experiences, beliefs, actions and behaviors into neat little compartments. As a favorite priest of mine used to say “Life is messy, and we need to manage it as it is, not as we would like it to be.”

While it may seem easier for people to process their thoughts and opinions by compartmentalizing, it’s an injustice to do so – we should bear in mind that we need to listen, and listen well.

It is the search for common ground and experiences that will make our interactions with each other meaningful. When I say common ground, I’m referring to basic human emotional requirements such as feeling a sense of purpose, feeling valued for who we are, being treated fairly, becoming productive individuals, leaving a legacy, etc.

I’m sorry our world has had to suffer so much. Truly though, this is nothing new. The human condition is partly figuring out how to manage suffering, how to make things better, how to move ahead. For as destructive and vicious as humans are, we are also creative, intelligent, loving and pragmatic.

In my heart, I believe most people are very good. Most want to see others and themselves succeed. Let’s see MORE of this kind of behavior in our world – and let’s hope our media outlets cover it. We need to be inspired by our world’s stories – not just beaten down by negativity.

Recently the Dalai Lama was quoted regarding eliminating the “we and they” concept and becoming more open to developing “the oneness of human beings.”

How beautiful. How not so hard for the individual to start with these basic ideas.

Namaste.

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As you might have figured, the Great Taste of the Midwest in Madison, WI, will not be taking place this August. The event’s organizers, the Madison Homebrewers and Tasters Guild, will be hosting a “Backyard Taste,” to make up some of the funds being raised for their local charity beneficiaries. They are taking pre-orders for a Steelys stainless steel pint cup at $20 each. The fundraiser will go forward if 1,000 pre-orders are received. The process will also involve local site pickups to be determined. Pre-order at this link.

Regrettably, some of the beer establishments that have re-opened under Phase IV of the “Reopen Illinois” plan have had to close, albeit temporarily, when one of their employees tested positive for exposure to COVID-19. This has happened on Saturday at the Werk Force Brewing tap room and Chicago Brew Werks in Plainfield. The employee had last worked there on July 5, and reported feeling ill afterward. Werk Force is closed while the rest of their employees get tested, and will reopen when they can. Sovereign in Plainfield is facing a similar situation.

Monday, July 13

Tuesday, July 14

Wednesday, July 15

Thursday, July 16