Social Platypus

Culture Reflection The meaning and origin of 7 idioms that are used every day By Josiah Sapp Idioms are a part of our everyday lives. We say them without giving them a second thought and they roll off the tongue (there’s an example of one!). Sayings play a big part in our day to day speech enhancing the way we communicate to others. If you’re trying to get a point across, an idiom can be the most effective way of letting somebody know what it is you’re describing. I have two reasons for these monthly culture reflections; first, I think it’s important to look into the mirror of our culture to try and understand where we come from in order to better where we’re going. Second, I want to create better conversations with those that you interact with. Idioms come and go without hesitation but hopefully this list will give you something interesting to talk about next time you throw an idiom out there. If you’re wanting any more information about a particular idiom, make sure you c

Opinion Youtubers and Twitch streamers make the best video game advertisers. By Josiah Sapp     The best advertisements are the ones where you believe the people trying to sell you something. You can always tell something is off when someone doesn’t believe in the product that they’re selling. This is why I think old infomercials and door to door salesmen are so easy to dismiss. They lack passion and belief in a product or service. Video game commercials have typically been very vivid and over the top. Created by older generations trying to appeal to what they think kids like. You can see this in the early ads for systems like the Playstation and Nintendo 64 . Today’s advertisers are more subvert and more entertaining to watch. You’re probably already subscribed to them.     Gaming on YouTube and Twitch has taken off in the past few years. People have made a full time living off of making videos about games and playing games live. Millions of pe

Opinion Video game exclusives: A relic of the past that’s losing its value. By Josiah Sapp     In the early nineties, there was a famous dispute between Nintendo and Sega. Nintendo had an iron grip on the gaming industry and Sega wanted to be the ones to rival them first and take them down. This is known as the console wars and it’s effects can still be felt today. During the “wars”, both companies had a champion for their cause. A mascot that would represent them to the masses. Nintendo had the loveable Italian plumber Mario and Sega had the fast paced, edgy Sonic the hedgehog. Both companies screamed from the mountaintops “You can only play this character on our console!” Thus pitting customers against one another forcing them to choose one gaming console or other. This is where exclusivity began and gaming companies are still trying persuade use with the same argument today.  Sony vs. Nintendo vs. Microsoft     The word “exclusive” means to be