Is this the real life? Byw mew breuddwyd

Having started promisingly with 3 posts in one week, my blog-writing motivation petered out quite quickly. Originally, I'd intended to regale my faithful readers (all one and a half of them) with a witty-yet-insightful analysis of the New Hampshire primary results. Alas, that opportunity is dead and gone, so you'll have to wait for the next round.

Strange really that despite having almost nothing to do, it just seemed like too much effort to engage my brain and write a few paragraphs on here. Instead, I fear I must confess, the chance to build my own virtual kingdom (on the computer game Civilization 3) seemed both more interesting and, tragically, important. Despite having spent a considerable amount of my life playing these games, I still only have a nebulous idea of why I, and several million other people, have such an interest in these games, often to the detriment of real life.

The two main attractions, I venture to guess, is that computer games are a) more interesting than real life and b) provide an escape from it. Let's face it, securing bridges around the Normandy beaches with the 101st airborne is not something any of us is going to experience in real life, nor is commanding a Roman legion. All well and good. Unfortunately, it can easily become the case that these simulated scenarios become more than simply a source of entertainment, but also become more exciting than ordinary, mundane real life. I know this from experience (yes, sa-a-ad). Another worrying trait that I've noticed personally, which I'd imagine is widely true, is the use of the reload button when things go wrong. Unlike one's frail existence in real life, he who controls the game has an almost god-like immortality which is somehow reassuring. I also don't think there's an easier way to forget the worries of 'out there' than through concentrating on beating the computer on the hardest level. For example, when trying to formulate a difficult paragraph in an essay, who hasn't reached for the minesweeper icon instead of actually engaging one's brain?

I suppose that those are my paltry excuses for neglecting this blog (and many other things really). As we all know, computer games, like fiction books, are merely artificial realities. At the end of the day, no one will remember who the greatest ever space invaders player was (trust me, I've just googled it). Time therefore to carpe diem and actually do something with one's life. In my case, at least, I'm always aware that my adventures in virtual-land are mere fantasies. And yet it is so often the case that retreating into that warm, safe world is so much easier than confronting reality, engaging one's brain, and putting in a bit of effort. Sigh!

Perhaps to that end, you may be interested to know that I've just put in an offer for a house which, if it goes through, will put me thousands of pounds in the red. Solitaire anyone?