BOOM

[slemslempike]

If you were to say to me "Clare, do you want to do a phd?", I would be rather affronted at the question, and reply "of course! Have I not self-funded a year of study, do I not need this qualification for my chosen career path, do I not get slightly high in a Bookerish way from finding things out and putting things together in my mind, do I not love the accoutrements of doctoral study like inter-library loans and making wanky notes in the margins of articles, have I not been beavering away at my panel work?"

And then you might say "right, so why, in the last week, have you installed Commander Keen 1, Commander Keen 2, Duke Nukem 1, Duke Nukem 2, the shareware version of Doom, Doom II, and Final Doom onto your laptop when you should be writing busily, and by the way only losers cheat when they suck too much to complete the level on their own?"

And I would say "did that man just say Margaret Thatcher had died?" and while you were looking eagerly at said man, I would turn and run away as fast as I could, so that when the disappointment descended and you looked back at me to find out what kind of a monster would raise your hopes only to dash them so cruelly, all you would see would be a wheezing girl bent double about three metres away.

Comments

[girlofprey.livejournal.com]

You are great.

Also, computer games can clearly ONLY BE OF HELP to PhD on the study of fun.

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

The best thing about the fun thing is that almost anything can be justified as field work. Oh yes.

I am so bad at computer games that it is, in fact, funny. I downloaded the latest wolfenstein and then gave it up only a few levels in because it was too difficult and I couldn't get the cheats to work. I play to win! I get to blow things up and murder people, not the other way round!

[girlofprey.livejournal.com]

Two words, baby: God Mode.

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

I like playing where I can get hit a bit and then I can pretend I'm actually AWESOME, but then power up if it gets a bit much. Doom I played so much when I was younger that I don't need it so much. Mostly.

[girlofprey.livejournal.com]

I'm just hopelessly impatient. It's like:

::Ten minutes playing::
ME: Next bit now.
::Ten minutes playing Next Bit::
ME: Next bit now.
::Gets killed for the third time is as many minutes::
ME: Oh, for God's sake! ::God Modes::

Probably this does not foster my problem-solving abilities like games should.

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

I am also a bit pathetic because sometimes the enemies really really scare me and I have to switch away and claw at my chest a bit.

[gralyn.livejournal.com]

Wolfenstein is scary! Even old, old Wolfenstein when the door creaks open and you have inch forward because you don't know if there is anyone in the room, and then suddenly someone is shooting at you - terrifying!

[sam-t.livejournal.com]

I was just reading this and imagining it (I haven't played Wolfenstein but various people have described playing old Wolfenstein on their own in a house and scaring themselves silly), and I'd just got up to "...and then suddenly..." when someone came up behind me and sighed noisily and I nearly jumped straight through my monitor.

I don't think I need to go and get that coffee now...

[gralyn.livejournal.com]

Hee hee! It's nice to know that other people find Wolfenstein scary too!

[glitterboy1.livejournal.com]

You're probably a little mad. But very funny. *goes off, giggling*

:-)

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

The madness is probably exacerbated by the red mist that has descended because if you blow up the oil drums, any nearby monsters/soldiers turn into a sort of fricasse. Also I keep losing and having to restart the game, because I never ever remember to save.

[glitterboy1.livejournal.com]

Aaargh, that used to infuriate me, too: oh I'm doing fine, no need to save....BOOM. I think it was not least that sort of frustration that eventually stopped me playing games.

[tornyourdress.livejournal.com]

Hee.

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

Is tragic indictment of modern youth!

[sam-t.livejournal.com]

I love your posts. I really shouldn't be pleased when you forget your keys or imagine people asking accusing PhD questions, but you write about them so well. I am too busy giggling to feel guilty.

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Thinking up how to write about them makes it easier when I am a complete fool, so I'm glad it works.

[ex-humanfema327.livejournal.com]

Sneaky escape trick!

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

And so useful - who wouldn't look to see if Thatcher was dead?

PS Tattoo pic plz!

[ex-humanfema327.livejournal.com]

tattoo?? i can get you a tatu pic?

[ex-humanfema327.livejournal.com]

agh that! shit, sorry i havent been home much. i will be home this weekend on my own and for infinity, i will do it then. erk!
i did send it the first time, you do believe me dont you?

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

Yes, of course! It probably got caught in my spam thing because of the attachment, but I've sorted them now.

[sabethea.livejournal.com]

you are, in fact, fantastic.