BLATHER REVIEW

Time To Come Clean

Perhaps some of you have noticed that I haven't posted here in nearly a week now. There is a reason for this, and I've been struggling with myself to decide whether or not to reveal it.

Oh sure, I could blame it on the slow news days that usually accompany the dog days of August, but there really is a lot of news out there.
White Glenn, the Emporer, Rachel, and all the various news sites have oodles of interesting stories every day about what's happening in Iraq, France, Israel, California, North Korea, Alabama, etc. Stories that I am usually interested in for all sorts of reasons, but that, for the past week, I've been unable to care enough about to even read them, much less write about them.

The problem is that I've been distracted. I can surf the blogosphere and visit all the usual stomping grounds -- even leave a comment here and there -- but after a short time I hear a voice calling me away.
I can open my Munuvian login page and prepare to leave a new entry, but after staring at the screen for a few minutes I realize that I have no stamina to type the first word. There is something else that I'd rather be doing; something that gives me pleasure, yet makes me docile, unambitious and oblivious to the enjoyment I get from blogging.

You see, my mind has turned to mush. I've been afraid to admit to this shame, but I think I owe it to all of ye who've clicked here with certain expectations, however modest, that I've been unable to fullfill the past six days.

The truth is: I am an addict.
Yep, that's right, folks. I have become addicted to Tripeaks, and I need help to break the stranglehold that that insidious little Windows card game has on my central nervous system.

I mean, it's not like Jeezball or Tetris where you play the game and then it's over. (After playing one of those for 20 minutes -- and succeeding or failing to break into the top scores -- the idea to beginning another game immediately is unthinkable.)
No, Tripeaks is a short game - takes all of about about 2 minutes - and the score, measured in $$$, is cumulative. Finish a game and your score went up, or down. So click on "deal" again, what're you afraid of? It's only another 2-minute game...

The first games are free of any meaningful progress, so go ahead, try it. You can walk away any time.
But, it's a trap, and after a while you'll be hooked. You wont notice it happening to you, 'til one day you realize that you just spent ten minutes creating some makeshift graph-paper in order to track your progress.
By then it's too late. You've surrended your afternoon to seeing if you can get from $6782 to $7000. Tommorrow you'll try for $7500. Then what; $8000? $12000? $3647265284000?

The. game. does. not. end.

So, take my advice; if you're gonna play a Windows computer game, play Tetris. Or Jeezball. Or Pipedream, even. Those are reasonably harmless recreational games (and Chips Challenge, as you may have heard, actually has some medicinal value).
But, be warned, no matter how harmless those three little card-pyramids may appear, they mask a true evil that lies within. Please, pleeeeeze, don't make the mistake that I made.

Just say no to Tripeaks!

My rehab is going well. The temptation is still strong, but I haven't played in several hours, and I'm determined to see this through and come out a happier and healthier blogger. I've even managed to clean the bathroom, do two loads of laundry and get dinner in the oven!
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna pop open a cold one and go visit my favorite blogs!

Posted by Tuning Spork at August 31, 2003 04:12 PM