According to BBC, Russia has a new weapon that will be displayed at a World War II victory parade on May 9 of this year (2015). This new weapon is one of great force and goes by the name Armata T-14. The Armata T-14 is one armament among many in the parade. Housing an unmanned turret and a 125mm smooth-bore cannon that has the potential to fire guided projectiles. This new tank is set to see action in 2020 with approximately 2,300 units in service to start with. The T-14 is in the parade that will celebrate the 70 year anniversary of Nazi Germany's defeat in 1945. However, those who aided Russia, the UK, the United States, and France, will not be present. Even though Russia's former allies may be absent at the spectacle, there will be 15,000 Russian soldiers, 1,300 foreign troops, 200 armored, and 150 combat aircraft. My biggest fear is the implementation of this tank against Ukrainian and American troops in Ukraine if the conflict should continue for too long. As the United States did send 300 troops to aid and train Ukrainian forces against pro-Russian forces, it is only a matter of time before we get fully involved in the war. Due to this possibility of entering the conflict, I fear that Russia will begin the use of the T-14 tanks and due to their great technological advancements in weaponry will cause great casualties of American lives.
An American soldier (rear) on a training scenario with a
Ukrainian soldier (front).
According to ViceNews, China's Communist government has begun a very similar situation to Stalin's infamous purges. In an attempt to "end corruption" in China, Xi Jinping had arrested and detained numerous political officials, soldiers, and state television broadcasters. Xi Jinping had begun this anti-corruption movement in 2012, but unlike various other attempts in the past, Jinping's refused to slow even a little. The movement is still continuing and China's president has claimed that he will remove all "tigers and flies." This means that he will not only eliminate the large accounts of corruption that takes place (the tigers), but also the small time and petty corruption that occurs almost everyday (the flies). As many individual's colleagues disappear around them, fear accumulates among the low-ranking officials. However, there is also a perception that Jinping may be purging China to protect his own political power. Also, these purges are more than simple anti-corruption movements. Numerous forms of torture are used on suspects. One such form of torture included forcing feces and urine down the throats of suspected corrupt individuals. Suspects could also be forced to leave the country entirely for weeks or months with possible beatings involved. China's "rehabilitation through labor" system has also managed to be used to torture suspects. This purging is not restricted to the country of China. Xi Jinping has requested for the extradition of approximately 1,000 corrupt Chinese political officials from America. As of yet, America has not obliged their request. As Xi Jinping's reign continues over the Communist government in China, the purges of "corrupt" officials will only continue.
Freddie Gray being arrested after falling on the ground and
breaking his vertebrae.
According to Al Jazeera, the death of Freddie Gray has caused much more than sadness for the family of Mr. Gray. Riots have broken out in the streets and people have looted or burned stores. Police patrol cars lay burning in the streets with their windows smashed in. All of this is occurring because one man had received spinal injuries during a foot chase with police. After being taken into custody due to making eye contact with police and running, the man, by the name Freddie Gray, passed away three days later. Of course, many people took this as just another instance of "police brutality." However, had they taken a few seconds to analyze the video, they would have realized that Gray most likely received his injuries when he fell and hit the curb, directly in line with his spine. Really, the only mistake the police made was carrying the suspect to the back of their patrol van instead of calling for an ambulance, as he was injured. After the funeral, protesters began looting and rioting. The protesters even went so far as to attack officers with flaming garbage cans. Thirty-four protesters were arrested at that instance and more continue to be arrested for rioting. Due to the shear stupidity of destroying the property these citizens use everyday, Obama made a speech, condemning their actions. He stated that the rioters "should be treated like criminals." Calling the actions of the criminals "senseless violence and destruction." For once, I can say that I agree with the president, as Gray had nothing to do with the others that were rioting, yet they still destroy cars, buildings, and lives. The foolishness of their actions is bound to land them in one of two places, a prison or a grave.
According to Al Jazeera, the state of Tennessee has passed a law that would allow the carry of handguns into any park in the state. These locations include playgrounds and sports fields. While this law would greatly increase the protection of all attending the park, of course there is great opposition. One of the greatest forces of opposition is the ever present "Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America," or MDA for short. The spokeswoman for the Tennessee chapter of MDA complained about the fact that many people's children go to those parks and she does not want to see firearms around her children. What she does not realize is that the more law-abiding citizens that are present at said park with firearms, the less likelihood of a criminal even attempting to attack someone in that park out of fear of being shot in the process. MDA also has made many other attacks on firearm owners and future purchasers. The women of MDA seem to believe that universal background checks would work. Quite obviously they have not done their research. The state of New York already has background checks for private sales in place, but yet it still has a much greater crime rate than other states without background checks on private sales. Many other states with universal background checks also have a much greater crime rate than states without the universal background checks. Plus, their idiotic video called "Not Allowed" does nothing to further their goal. If anything, it furthers open-carriers' and pro-gunners' statements. In the video, grocery store workers tell customers what they cannot have inside the store. In the middle of the video, an open-carrier walks in with an AR-15 slung across his back. He calmly buys his groceries, pays, and leaves. At first glance, people may find this video off-putting and think, "How can a store allow this?" However, if someone should spend some time and analyze the video, they would realize that the MDA's message was not correct. Let me prove my point by asking a few questions. Was anyone hurt because he had carried an AR-15? Did he threaten anyone? Does he in any way, shape, or form cause damage? The answer to all three questions is "No." A man had simply walked into a store like any other individual and bought some groceries. Just because he wishes to protect himself, which may make a few anti-gunners uncomfortable, that does not give someone the right to take away his Second Amendment right. Last time I checked, the Constitution did not have an amendment that gives people the right to "feel good" wherever they go. Not to mention, MDA has actually managed to pass some rules in various stores. One such restaurant was "Jack in the Box." After not allowing firearms in their restaurants, they were robbed at gunpoint three times within two weeks. Seem like a coincidence to you, well it is not. The criminals had no obstacles in their way, so they could freely rob the restaurant, but had someone had a firearm, then those criminals would have been stopped and the two workers that were injured would have sustained no injuries. With all this extreme anti-gun action being taken, it would make sense that the founder of MDA would refuse firearms altogether, but that is simply not the case. The founder of MDA, Shannon Watts, was found at a range in Texas. Watts may attack all firearm-owners, but like Dianne Feinstein, hypocrisy must be in all anti-gunners natures. Watts even went so far as to yell, "Can’t I have just a few hours peace and quiet to enjoy myself? I come out here to relax, not to be pestered!" when approached. This statement proves two things, Watts is an active shooter, going to the range on numerous occasions, and that firearms are not killing machines, but instead tools that most people use to relax and to have some fun. There will forever be a fight against pro-gunners and anti-gunners, but hopefully, in the near future, people will begin to realize that firearms do in fact save lives, not just take them.
According to ViceNews, the small South American country of Peru is facing a great threat to society. This threat is nothing new and it comes in the form of a green leaf that is turned into a white powder everyone knows as cocaine. Many of the poor farmers grow the coca plant to supply money to support their families and raise money to send their children to school. Their actions, however "heartwarming" and "sweet," are still illegal and therefore the government provides police action against the farmers and cultivators. The police force destroys entire coca fields and maceration pits in as short a time as 15 minutes. The Peruvian Police are not some terrible and evil force, as they do explain of legal alternatives to coca plants, such as cacao or coffee plants. Most of the time, the farmers are cooperative and accept their wrong-doings, allowing for the eradication of the fields, but there are times when the farmers will become hostile. In these instances, the police will use force to defend themselves, including teargas and any other means to make sure that they leave alive. However, there is one location where the government has not attempted to eradicate the coca plantations. This extremely hostile location is known as the VRAEM. The VRAEM is a location in Peru that has survived entirely on the cultivation of coca. Due to the great fear of starting a massive conflict, the government of Peru has decided to hold off on eradicating the coca plants of the VRAEM. However, the government has stated that, should the current crop substitution program fail in the VRAEM, troop would be sent to the area to eradicate the illegal plant from the soil. Many of Peru's cocaine farmers have begun turning to a new form of illegal activity: gold-mining. This illegal gold-mining operation has no regulations and often leads to great harm to the individual, due to the concentrations of mercury and other harmful substances. The war against drugs around the world will forever continue, but every little bit that is done to combat such harmful substances is a step in the right direction.
This is the final part in a five part weekly series. If you have not read part 1, part 2, part 3, or part 4, click on the respective number of which part you wish to read.
The coveted trophy of the
League of Legends: World Championship
According to Vice, the Seoul World Cup Stadium is home to the "League of Legends: World Championship." The Seoul World Cup Stadium is the largest stadium in South Korea and can hold up to 66,806 people. At the League of Legends: World Championship, approximately 40,000 fans were screaming for their preferred team while cosplay teams displayed their amazing costumes that may have taken weeks, months, maybe even a year to create. All this happens while two teams battle it out in the world of League of Legends. The year Vice's documentary was shot, the two teams were Samsung White from Korea and Star Horn Royal Club from Hong Kong. Now, everyone may come for the actual gaming event, but that does not begin until late at night to obtain the full effect of the light from the screens. Due to this fact, the Stadium provides entertainment while the fans wait for the gamers to play. One such entertainment option that is commonly found at all eSports events is the amazing cosplay. At the League of Legends: World Championship, numerous cosplay teams find themselves on the opposite ends of cameras. Spiral Cats and CSL are just two of such cosplay teams that found themselves waving to fans and posing for pictures. CSL had a massive cosplay in their arsenal, however, due to the shear absurdity of size, the costume had fallen apart in front of everyone. Besides the cosplayers and professional gamers, there are other notable characters that have collected their own sizable amount of fame, such as "Cow Guy." Cow Guy is an individual who goes to eSports events dressed in a cow patterned suit and cow hat. There was also the leader of Cloud 9, who was still just as off-putting as he was the last time Vice reporters attempted to talk to him. ESports "swag" was still being thrown into the crown, similar to past eSports events, but this event had most of it and it was thrown much more frequently. The opening ceremony of the event was like no other. Korean drum ceremonies, an extremely excitable announcer, and a performance by the American band "Imagine Dragons" all created a massive celebration that all started before the gamers even started playing. However, after all the shenanigans were over, the competition for one million dollars began. After an intense competition, the home country, South Korea, ended up keeping their title and raising the trophy above their heads in victory. However, they did not get to go home and go to sleep after their four hour endeavor, as they still needed to speak with the press. At the press junket, Matt Shea, the reporter for Vice, decided to ask the one question that no one seemed to be asking the actual gamers, "Do you guys consider yourselves to be professional computer gamers or athletes?" Out of the five on the team, only one stated that he did not believe he was an athlete. All the rest of his teammates gave some sort of answer that said they believed they were athletes at some level. No matter what these people may consider themselves, the League of Legends: World Championship not only brought 40,000 viewers in a stadium, but also 27 million live online viewers. That number is greater than the NBA Finals. Just think, a year or two ago, these young individuals would be called nerds, but now they are called athletes and have millions of dollars to their name. At the rate which eSports continues to grow, the possibility of games being played at the Olympics is a very real one. Do not just take my word for it; one of the leading figures in the International eSports Federation, Alex Lim, stated, "The possibility that e-sports may be played at the Olympics one day is realistic." The United States has already recognized professional gamers as athletes, so it is only a matter of time until other countries join in and video games are competed right alongside the high jump in the Olympics. While I personally cannot find myself calling a gamer an athlete, there is no denying their fame throughout the world and the impact that gaming has on people's lives.
According to BBC, scientists have been testing mice with developing dementia with various drugs. After a long period of time, they believe that they have finally found one drug that halts the growth of nutrients that create the "plaques and tangles" on the brain, ultimately causing memory loss. The scientists found a terrifying truth in their research, however. It turns out that microglia, the brain's very own "body guards" against infection, can mutate to become especially great at breaking down arginine. Arginine is the amino acid that is necessary across the brain, but the microglia begin to make the number of arginine molecules deplete, causing individuals to develop the first stage of dementia. The scientists had begun to target the enzymes that were attacking the arginine. This showed great results, as the mice tested upon showed less symptoms of the mental illness. However, the research also showed that once the arginine was broken down, even supplements could not fix the problem, as they would just be broken down too. The only hope was that more original arginine would not be broken down any further. This new development has created a great hope for the many people who will most likely develop the illness. This is not the only way to prevent dementia, though. Oddly enough, a study showed that, during a person's midlife, that being overweight can actually decrease your chances of developing dementia and Alzheimer's. The study also showed that those with a body mass index, or BMI, of less that 20 kg/m2 had a 34 percent higher chance of developing Alzheimer's and dementia, while people with a BMI of 40 or above had a 29 percent decreased chance of obtaining the disease. While this may be true, I do not recommend becoming obese just to avoid dementia, as their are numerous other health problems that come with obesity. I just hope and pray that dementia and Alzheimer's research will develop a cure of some sort soon. I know what it is like to take care of someone with late Alzheimer's disease and my sympathy goes out to anyone doing the same. Let us hope that this new drug is the one to end the fight.
According to Vice News, many of the individuals in the Nigerian Army have found themselves in a war against the Jihadist organization known as Boko Haram. While Boko Haram gained international infamy after they kidnapped 219 schoolgirls. This action provoked many people across the globe to use the #BringBackOurGirls in order to stop the actions of the terror organization. However, this did very little to stop later attacks, as many should know, a piece of paper will not stop someone, but bullets will. The Nigerian Army realized this, so they began to assemble in order to quell Boko Haram's forces. Boko Haram had originated in the predominantly Muslim Northern Nigeria, where Muhammad Yusuf had murdered his family and friends. Yusuf's followers had done the same, as well. This had led to the beginnings of Boko Haram in Nigeria. However, Yusuf was killed and his next in line became leader of the terrorist organization. His name is Abubakar Shekau. Once Shekau became leader, violence peaked to an all time high. While many radical terror groups fight for religious purposes, Boko Haram will kill all those who do not support their end goals, Christian and Islamic alike. Almost all of the Nigerians who have come in contact with those in Boko Haram call them devils. These "devils" use numerous tactics to kill populations of individuals, some of which include car bombings, wave attacks, and executions. After one large attack, the president of Nigeria had implemented more soldiers and the use of private military contractors, which is a common practice in Africa. Many formerly abandoned buildings have become supply points for the Nigerian military. Many of the Nigerian Army's supplies come from Russian and Chinese suppliers. Many of their Russian and Chinese tanks and aircrafts are used against Boko Haram forces in events such as IED trails and bombing raids on Boko Haram strongholds. However, even with all of these successful attacks and protection of numerous cities, there is still a fear that the Nigerian Army is losing the war against the Jihadist organization. Due to the underfunding and undertraining of the Army, Boko Haram has managed to take the upper hand in various situations. I personally hope for nothing more than to see Boko Haram fall. Boko Haram is a plague on this earth and must be dealt with as quickly and efficiently as possible.
According to USAtoday, Hillary Clinton has announced her launch for the 2016 presidential race. She created a short video to win the hearts of "everyday" Americans and claimed she would "strengthen the economy." Wow, it is not like Americans have heard that one before. She tries to build people up by saying "Americans have fought their way back from tough economic times, but the deck is still stacked in favor of those at the top." How easily we forget that she is one of those people who is at the top. Do people really think she is going to get rid of her fortune by helping "the little guy?" Lest we forget, she promised jobs for upstate NY when she was senator, but just the opposite happened. How can a woman that failed to keep her promise, actually completing the exact opposite action as wished, provide careers for an entire country? If the saying "history is bound to repeat itself" is true, then her presidency would strike doom for jobs across this great country. Republican candidates have begun pointing out Hillary Clinton's mistakes to the masses. Now, while Democrats would most likely state that this is a terrible and evil thing to do, but Mrs. Clinton has a very long list of terrible and evil things that she has done. Besides the things I have previously mentioned, there is not a single doubt in my mind that Hillary Clinton would attempt to reinstate the 1994 Clinton Assault Weapons Ban. For those who are either too young to know what the ban did or just did not care before this moment, the basic idea of the Clinton Assault Weapons Ban is that all "assault weapons" would be required to have no more than a 10-round magazine, no bayonet lug, a collapsible stock would need to be pinned in place, and flash-hiders were required to be pinned and welded to the end of the barrel. For any anti-gunner, this may seem like the ultimate gun control bill. However, for anyone who is sane, they would realize that this is just another nonsensical gun control bill that limits the law-abiding citizens ability to defend him or herself. Limiting a magazine's capacity just allows the criminals to shoot at the citizens more because a criminal is not going to use 10-round magazines, they are going to stick with 30-round ones. Plus, what is no bayonet lug going to do, stop all of those drive-by bayonetings? All a criminal needs to do is duct tape a knife onto the end of a rifle or just carry one on their side. That kind of negates the whole ban. Pinning a stock in place has no effect on the firearm's ability to shoot, so that is just idiotic gun legislature. A flash-hider being welded in place does not stop a firearm from being shot either. All that does is not allow someone to put on a different, more preferable flash-hider or muzzle brake. All the Clinton Assault Weapon Ban did was ban cosmetic features of "assault weapons" and limit the magazine capacity, which in effect limited the law-abiding citizens' ability to protect themselves from criminals. I am sure that many anti-gunners will disagree with me, but the truth is that once the ban ended in 2004, the murder rate dropped 3.6% nationwide. Hillary Clinton has made numerous mistakes in the past and is sure to make many more is she elected into presidency. Please follow me and do not vote for her if she becomes a presidential candidate. She has no place in the White House and she will surely run this country into the ground.
This is exactly what was done wrong by the Clintons in 1994 and
what Hilary Clinton would most likely attempt to reintroduce.
If you own one of these... do not turn it in! That is just a win
for the anti-gunners.
According to FoxNews, numerous Congressional Democrats have teamed up to destroy America's great Second Amendment. The liberal schemers decided that they would create the Support Assault Firearm Elimination and Education of our Streets Act. The creation of the Act is led by Representative Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut. DeLauro had stated, very incorrectly might I add, "Assault weapons are not about hunting, or even self-defense. There is no reason on earth, other than to kill as many people as possible in as short a time as possible, that anyone needs a gun designed for a battlefield." Not only are the firearms that she wishes to ban and have turned in for a 2,000 dollar tax credit not true assault rifles, but for sake of argument, let us say they are, many people have hunted with AR-15s, AR-10s, VEPRs, AK platform rifles, etc. To finally get the facts correct, true assault weapons are firearms with a selective fire capability (meaning it can shoot in both semi-automatic and fully-automatic with a flip of a safety lever). However, after the tragic Sandy Hook shooting, many anti-gun Congressmen and women decided to attack "assault weapons," due to the fact that Adam Lanza had used Bushmaster AR-15 to murder 26 individuals, 20 of them being children. Anti-gunners felt that had the "evil gun" not been there to be fired by Lanza, then those who were killed would still be alive. However, this is sadly not the truth. You cannot stop crazy, and that is just what Lanza was, crazy. Unfortunately, he would have figured out a way to harm, if not kill, those people who were at the school. DeLauro's attempt to get law abiding citizens to turn in their firearms just to receive 2,000 dollars will leave them unprotected and is the biggest act of idiocy I have seen in quite a while. I would be greatly surprised if any red-blooded, pro-gun American will not see that this Act is just more backdoor gun control and I would be even more surprised if they turn in their firearms.
If you have not read part 1 or part 2 of this five part weekly series, click here or here, respectively.
According to Vice, eSports is not limited to Asian countries, such as South Korea and Japan. While those countries may have the largest population of competitive gamers, London has been able to make their way onto the scene. English players, such as KSI on YouTube, have amassed fortunes from playing games like FIFA and posting videos on the internet. Now, just posting videos will not make someone rich and famous, as KSI said, "It's more about personality." This philosophy has caused him to become a 21 year old millionaire who lives in a penthouse, drives an orange Lamborghini, owns numerous shoes with gold on them, and is getting a Jacuzzi airlifted, by helicopter, to the top floor of his house. All the while, he does not consider himself to be a professional gamer; just some guy who makes videos that people watch. While he may not consider himself a professional gamer, there is a team, known as Fnatic, that is London's, if not all of Europe's, biggest chance at becoming famous in the world of eSports. Created by Sam Mathews, the team has procured 1.4 million fans on Facebook from just around 200,000 the previous year and a half. The group does not only play games, however. Sam Mathews considers himself a "party guy," so the team is also known for their parties they throw with their fans on the top of roofs. The team and their massive fan base had gone to Gamescom in Germany to participate in a competitive gaming competition. Almost all of the crowd was cheering for Fnatic, however, they did not manage to pull the win. Sam Mathews was not terribly upset by the loss though, as he saw the bigger picture. With the number of viewers of eSports events reaching the millions, he knows that more money from sponsors will come, meaning more matches and more fame, leading to more money, which will lead to more matches and fame, and the cycle just continues round and round. As eSports continues to grow, more and more people will find themselves with their pockets lined with more money than they know what to do with. Who knows, maybe professional gaming is a better career avenue than people originally thought.
Open carry done right. They are not waving the firearm around,
instead, they are just going about their day as if it is not there.
According to Al Jazeera, there are individuals that carry firearms out in the open. This act is known as "open carry." Open carry participants generally carry handguns in holsters outside of their waistbands; however, there are those who carry rifles and shotguns on their backs. One such open carrier by the name of Ed Levine said, "I would say [I'm] pretty much armed 24/7." That is how most open carriers are; they carry every day. Levine even carries inside his home, as he believes "...as I sit in this home, someone could kick in the door. I'd have probably five seconds of warning from my alarm system going off. You never know when that's going to happen. So you always kind of have to be at the ready." There had been a large acknowledgement of open carry in 2009, which caused all the advocates for this style of carry wish to change that atmosphere and attitudes toward firearms in the public eye. Open carry had created even more attention after the tragic Sandy Hook shooting. However, this had caused more people to realize that there was validity to the open carriers' argument. More and more people had joined in on the open carry movement. Many open carriers also wish for the truly constitutional "Constitutional Carry." Constitutional Carry is the act of being allowed to open carry without a permit. Constitutional Carry is called "Constitutional" due to the fact that the Constitution itself never explicitly stated that firearms needed a permit to be carried. Many open carriers not only carry firearms, but audio recorders as well. Due to the major push against firearms, numerous open carriers are targeted by law enforcement and anti-gunners. This has resulted in the use of the audio recorders to fight against harassment, as Judy Rudek said, "If things go sideways or I have any confrontation, the recorder's memory will be more accurate than my own." Many also carry knives and flashlights, along with spare magazines. Some have even been seen carrying non-lethal options such as pepper spray, stun guns, and/or less-than-lethal bullets. However, while open carry is a great action, there are those who disprove of open carry and call it "gun bullying." I will be the first to admit, there are many firearm advocates that act in an idiotic manner, but this is no different than any other human being, especially anti-gunners. Many of those against firearms, such as the members of "Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America," have claimed that open carriers only wish to intimidate and strike fear into others. However, this is completely not true. Many people jump on the belief of Professor Brad Bushman's writings on the "weapons effect." He wrote that "In our brains, weapons are closely linked to aggression and violence. Numerous studies have shown the mere presence of guns can increase aggressive behavior. So it’s not unreasonable to want guns to not be displayed." This statement is just not true however, as I was in a class where a Detective was teaching us about his career of detective work. While he was doing just this thing, he was carrying a holstered Gen4 full size Glock (this is fully legal, of course, as he is in a law enforcement career). During his stay, nobody had increased aggression or hostility, instead, they listened attentively. Really the only person who was paying attention to the firearm was me, and that was because I was trying to figure out if the Glock was a Gen3 or Gen4. After that, I sat and listened attentively to his presentation. Open carry is an act that I will participate in when I finally have the legal ability to, as I completely agree with the act. I hope more people begin to realize the validity and soundness of open carriers' arguments and are not blinded by the idiots of the community who decide to perform in the most controversial way.
If you have not read part 1 to this five part weekly series, click here.
A very well made American cosplay.
According to Vice, those who are too "old" or not "good enough" to participate in the actual games themselves have the opportunity to still have their part in the eSports world. Many of eSport's commentators are such individuals. These commentators are known as "shoutcasters." Shoutcasters are energetic and sometimes equally as famous as the players themselves. One such place where shoutcasters perform and gamers play at the same time is "NICEGAMETV." Many games are streamed live, which allows viewers to comment in real time. Of course, as most people are immature in this world, it only gets worse on the internet, especially on gaming videos. One gamer who does a similar video style is Peeve Peeverson on YouTube. His live streams may not be as large as NICEGAMETV's, but nevertheless, it's the same concept. Matt Shea (Vice's reporter on the eSports story) was even given the chance to be a shoutcaster for a game of "League of Legends." Of course, he did not do as well as the professional shoutcasters, but that is to be expected. However, Shea did learn that NICEGAMETV does not only provide commentators for games, but also training for up and coming gamers. One such gamer admitted to playing for approximately 88 hours a week. Aside from eating, sleeping, and showering, he does nothing except play games. The gamer has no backup plan if he does not obtain a career in the gaming industry. This individual is just one of the approximate 2 million people affected by "internet addiction." In 2011, the "Cinderella Act" had placed internet addiction under the same class as drugs and alcohol addiction. The act had also banned all individuals under the age of 16 from playing computer games once the clock struck midnight. The ban did not run off of an honor system, as the individuals' National Identity Numbers were used to automatically sign the player off from the game, rendering them unable to play said game. This act had created extreme controversy. Even a Gaming Congressman got involved by dressing up as a League of Legends character to gain solidarity with South Korea's gamers that had been affected by the Cinderella Act. However, his actions may have been just to obtain more votes. On the other hand, there are those who believe that internet addiction is just like any other addiction, so therefore it can be treated. Internet rehabilitation centers that are funded by the government have popped up around South Korea's cities, such as the Gangnam Eulji Hospital in Seoul. Such treatment of "game addiction" involve brain scanning with electrodes, virtual reality therapy, and a magnetic brain pulse. Even with such extreme measures taken to stop gaming, there is still a great number of people who continue to play games professionally, as well as addictively, and where there are games, there is the wonderful world of cosplay. Cosplay can be just as competitive as the eSports themselves, as many cosplayers compete in competitions for large amounts of money. While American cosplayers generally joke around and have fun with cosplay, Korea takes it much more seriously. One cosplay team, on the outskirts of Seoul, is one such group that takes things very seriously. Their characters are one-to-one with the game. They may even light up if the costume requires that extra "wow factor." Their parents are not necessarily proud of them. They believe their children are acting as small kids, wearing costumes and the like. However, the group continues to do it, as well as most likely making large amounts of money in the process. Cosplay is not limited to Korea and Japan either, as the act has spread to London and America. However, it was started in Japan, so therefore both Japan and Korea are generally better at it, but at least the Western countries are beginning to pick up on some fun activities for other cultures. Who knows, America has cosplay, maybe eSports will come next.
