Loosey Goosey

FPS games have an option to increase or decrease the controller sensitivity. What this does is make it so that, with a lower sensitivity, mouse movements (sorry, console folk!) move the camera much slower while higher sensitivity makes the camera dart around with even the smallest flicker. Last night, I learned that our heads have a movement sensitivity that's increased when you consume alcohol.

Friday night's game plan was to have fun at Cross Club, a multi-floored klub where you can sit down, chill, and drink or you can work the dance floor, shake it about (as dear old Garth does). Clubs have never been a place I'd like to attend, nor do I care much for drinking. I realize now that there are certain groups of people whose disgusting and childish personalities made me associate such activities with them. So why go to a place where such people flock to?

You go because the people you do end up with are not like them and are more sensible. They can have fun in a way that doesn't require complete loss of consciousness. You're safe with them, you can have fun with them. It's for that reason that I drank last night and stepped onto a dance floor. Part of it was, why not? Another was knowing that it isn't a character flaw. It's quite prejudiced, I know, even though I've always thought to each their own and would totally respect whatever choices one might want to take. See, I didn't really know. Now I do.

I can't finish a beer fast enough to let it affect me. The taste of the alcohol is just too much for me, so I'll finish it over a period of an hour. With that in mind, I asked my friends to recommend a stronger drink that I could finish in a reasonable amount of time. The first one was a screwdriver: orange juice and vodka. Considering how much I love orange juice, this went very well; I could barely taste the vodka and the orange juice had a nice taste to it.

But I felt nothing. So I went back to the bar and ordered a rum and coke. I asked for a chocolate chip muffin as well because my stomach was crying out for food - again, safety. After this drink, I finally felt it. I was tipsy. My sensitivity went up and my head felt like it would roll around of its own accord. I rather liked it.

At this point, I joined the others on the dance floor and just swayed to one side, then another, put my arms in some form and just had a good time. Then the tipsiness started to wear off.

Three of us ordered shots of whiskey. First, cheers; second, down the hatch. I won't lie: some spilled over my chin but I did end up with most of it in me. I got the feeling back and yet again had fun. The others could see I was very much tipsy, so they told me not to have another drink and I didn't. Safety.

We eventually called it a night and went home. My first time at a club, my first time drinking any alcoholic beverage other than beer, and my first time entering a looser state of consciousness. All while in Prague. What more could I ask for?

I did wonder about one small detail at the club. Whenever anyone spoke on the dance floor - even in the seated section by the bar - their voices were higher pitched. I wasn't sure if it was the music affecting us and then I wondered...could there be helium pumping through this room? Was the room's atmospheric composition turning us into Frank Booth's? Could be. I can't complain, though.

I've always wanted to try helium.