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1) What’s “Second Life”?
2) Idol – Sucked in. But for other motives. It’s something I can talk to my 16-year-old daughter about.
3) TV? Isn’t the Yankee game on?
4) “World of Warcraft”?
5) GTD, I have the book. I, however, use a newer system called “P.A.D.S.” – “Portable Analog Document System” ™. Ahem, it’s just a pad.
6) “You can have $30,000 or choose another briefcase.” It’d be a very short show if I was on it.
7) eBay for out of print books. And last year’s golf equipment at 1/3 the price.
8) “Twitter”?
9) Do I even have a blog anymore?

I won’t touch Second Life with a stick- from what I’ve managed to gather about it, it’s 5% ‘alternate reality’, and 95% ‘cyber with bad graphics’. Folks I’ve spoken to about it say that the sex content is so overwhelming it may as well be called ‘Sexond Life’. It’s user-generated bad prn.

As for the others, I’m pretty much with you, other than World of Warcraft. Gotta admit I’m a regular on that one. It’s actually been a good way to keep expenses down some- instead of spending too much money on my stupidly expensive hobbies like flying sailplanes, shooting competitive shotgun, or running field trials with dogs, I can spend $12 a month to dork around in a pretty compelling computer game with friends.

Actually the part about WoW (and Everquest, which I played before this) that really amazes me is how you can get 20-50 people around the world to work as a team with a precision that defies explanation to accomplish things. Such a feat outside of the gaming world is simply unheard of.

Oh, if you really want to kill some time, go to nbc.com and watch all the back episodes of ‘Heroes’. You get started on this one, you’ll hate yourself.

Jim, I realize there are people who need to find something in common with 16 year old girls, or find a good deal on used recreational gear … but I am thankfully not one of them. And, yes, you do still have a blog. In fact, you need to post something to push this down the page below the fold.

Have I mentioned that with my new MondoMonitor, the “fold” is now about 1100 pixels? So make it a long post.

Todd, it never ceases to amaze me who the WoW addicts are. Usually not who you would expect. And as for “Heroes,” I watched the first six-eight episodes, but when the TV networks decided to put every show I like on in a two hour span of Monday night, some lost. “Heroes” was one of them.

So, they’re all online now, hmmm … nope, gotta go back to work.

Second Life – I have an account; I think I’ve spent a grand total of about an hour there. Couldn’t find the sex, though – I may have to go back and look some more.

World of Warcraft – So far I’ve managed to avoid that time-sucking vortex…ahem, game, but only because every time I have the spare cash to buy an account, real life keeps jumping up and clamoring for attention. Someday, though…

TV, in general – except for local news and The Tudors on Showtime (which isn’t as good as it should be, but the costuming is gorgeous), I’ve watched almost no TV in the past 6 months. The rest of my family seems to be hooked on all things CSI, but not me.

eBay – no money, no bid…

As for organization, can’t do any of that right now – faire season starts this weekend (Oklahoma Renaissance Festival, in Muskogee, for those in the area – I perform with Queen’s Gambit, a Celtic music group).

eBay as a time-vortex?

Are you referring to buying or selling?

“Are you referring to buying or selling?”

Yes.

The Dukes of Hazzard car sold for nearly $10 million the other day. On eBay.

On the Sopranos, Uncle Junior is in the “nervous hospital,” autographing photos for the orderlies to sell. On eBay.

On Gene Simmons’ “reality show,” he blows his nose, then rather than throw the tissue away, he hands it to someone offscreen and says one word … “eBay.”

I rest my case.

While I’m sure that I could find a recording of Paris Hilton’s bathroom noises on eBay, I manage to avoid all those temptations and use it to get rid of old electronic equipment. You never know when you’ll need that old 386 in event of nuclear war, but sometimes you have to bite the bullet and get rid of it, or buy a larger house. I also use it to sell overruns from my business during slowtimes. Not that those positives don’t make it “not a vortex”...

Other vortexes I have been sucked into: The Sopranos, Oz, Deadwood and Rome. Luckily (I guess) those vortexes have nearly all left me stranded. (Although I have Deadwood archived for a future time of desperation and anquish, nuclear war, etc.)

Games? WOW? I never understood them. Count me lucky.

Presidential elections. “I won’t get fooled again” (and I didn’t even vote for the Chimp)

Religion. I won’t even get fooled the first time. No religious vortex for me, unless maybe if they bring back the real old time religions, Zeus, Hera, Ares, etc.

TV? There are a lot of vortexes I can avoid by using the parental control thingee to keep anything Fox out of the house.