SNAAAAAAAAAAAAAKE!

At some point today, the sun went down. My cat ate it's food and I think it rained. People were in my house, but they're gone now. I know these things through pure observation; it's dark and wet outside, the lights are on and the cat's bowl is empty. But I haven't seen anyone or noticed anything, so engrossed was I with my work. The whole day is spent and I'm suddenly very cold and hungry.

I've done much the same lost in a video game, but I find painting or any digital work (website in this case) to be absolutely engrossing, to the point where I realise that I've had the same cd on repeat all day. I've heard this track maybe ten, twelve times. It's DJ Shadow though so I can still get into it.

The fruits of my labor:

Love to Play: USA

Now to send the emails out before monday morning rolls around to America! First maybe a pizza to celebrate another victory over sloth. I'm going to buy a camera in the next couple of days after consulting with a bar full of film graduates. No, it wasn't really a coincidence, it's precisely why I was there. Running low on money, but getting everything done and lined up. Called a friend of mine who will be in LA and is rooming with me during Comic Con, he's super excited and his determination revived my flagging spirits. In all the planning I nearly forgot how insanely fun every moment is going to be. Originally Comic Con was my entire reason for going! Could be a friend in San Fran at the start of August too.

Now before you go saying that I've been so pre-occupied with this documentary that I've forgotten what gaming is all about, I blew my entire weekend in a marathon Warhammer Online session that was both epic and probably the most fun I've had on a computer. They revised their City Seige, what is supposed to be jewel in the end-game-content crown and now it finally sparkles as the best experience the game has to offer. Ridiculously fun! I was thinking of taking a break to play some other games like Lost Planet 2, BlazBlue and the Dragon Age expansion (after I finally got into the game), but with no job I can no longer justify buying them or anything but food and electricity.

Gonna check out League of Legends on the advice of a friend from Warhammer who I will be meeting in California in a couple of months. He promised to take me to Medieval Times! That in itself will be worth the $2k air fare.

Well my thought for today was a bit about gaming culture. I'm on the cusp of proving my hypothesis based on community reaction to my website and appeal for aid and I'm thinking good and hard about whether that culture really does engender a sense of community. I know I certainly feel it. The people who attend PAX each year look like they do, but is that enough to say that it does? If I hear someone drop the reference "You spoony bard!" and our eyes meet for a moment does my smile appear knowing or bizarrely unwelcome? Can we celebrate that bond, or must we be discreet? Are you more likely to trust someone, or at least to feel a connection if they have shared the same virtual experiences as you? One way or another, I think I'll be too afraid to check my inbox this week for fear of that knowledge.