In theory, I love England. I stayed over there for a whole summer in my early teens (1993) and I loved the countryside, the manners, the fact that people actually know how to line up instead of tumbling over each other to be first, the history, and the quiet attention to one's own education. I'm currently on a Bill Bryson kick, and reading his musings on his adopted country have kind of made me homesick for a place that isn't home. My wife and I will be going to France last week (we won the trip, so it wasn't by choice), and we were seriously tempted to spend a day or two of the trip in England instead. I loved how temperate English people seemed to be in demeanor.

That said, a lot of people seem to think the English are degenerates from what they used to be, even if that term may be a bit too extreme. England used to be one of the pinnacles of civilizations and humanity (even if the same attitudes weren't fully experienced in the colonies), and even if certain figures were "bad," they were still impressive people who stayed to the course and let adversity roll off them like water off a duck's back. They sought all there was to know and often with a selfless devotion. I think this is best summed up in the depiction of the English POWs in Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five--they have managed to live a relatively clean and pleasant life even in captivity, never letter their spirits falter while the Americans were in self-made squalor and hopelessness. Some of this is an ideal, to be sure, but it wasn't far off from the truth. Old-style Englishmen were the very definition of Men. Now, as someone else has said, a lot of people tend to think they're overly effeminate if not outright gay.

A friend of mine from Germany recently moved to England and found it "dirty and nasty" with everyone being rude and he couldn't wait to leave despite my encouragements. He said the kids placed no value on bettering themselves, complained a lot (apparently worse than Americans in both regards in his view), and the men basically walked around vomiting all over the place because they were so drunk. Another friend said that they've lost much of their old spirit by questioning too many of the things that made them great. They now refuse to take a real stand on anything, he said. Two of the most recent important influences in my life (grad school professors) were English, though, and they break from what my friends say and our closer to what I remember of the English. To be fair, though, both DID have bad teeth. Heh.

We have fish and chips here in Chicago, but, well, it's usually found in pubs that have either an English or Irish flavor. It's been a while since I've actually been to England, but if someone were to offer me a good job there, even with all those (very likely exaggerated) things I've heard, I'd move to England in a heartbeat and I probably wouldn't look back.

Back in the 1980s it might have been okay to say games were just for kids, but I think we've really moved on from that. That generation, my generation, has now grown up and makes a large share of the gaming market and games have been made accordingly. The way things are going, I think it will be perfectly fine for me to be playing games when I'm 60.

As long as all that stays true, no, I don't think you can outgrow Gamespot. You might get another interest and "move on," but I don't think "outgrow" is the right expression anymore.

Edit: I'm 30, just an FYI. I'm also married. While my wife doesn't play games, she does enjoy watching me play them while she makes jewelry beside me on the couch. No plans for kids yet (after three years), but I think gaming would actually help me get closer to a child.

Leif (Properly pronounced "layf"--"layv" if you want to be technical.)

Origin: Norse

It roughly means "Beloved Heir"

7:30 Wake up, shower

8:00-8:45 Take train (el) to work

9:00-5:30ish Work, work (lunch is whenever I feel like it)

5:45-6:30 Take train (el) home.

6:50-8:30 Park/Outdoors or Netflix time.

8:00 Dinner

8:30-12:00 Video games or reading.

12:00 Sleep

I did give GiantBomb a shot, but the community comparatively sucks in my experience. GameSpot has a really, really strong community, and I don't think that's going anywhere anytime soon. As long as that's here I'll be here.

Since the "game" is all about the story, I think it's easily Heavy Rain. That'd be enjoyable just to watch on YouTube.

It works, on occasion--Beowulf, for example, was a MUCH different movie in an IMAX 3D setting that it was in a normal theater--but I don't even remember anything about the 3D version of Avatar I saw. I just remember the show as though I'd watched it normally.

I don't smoke cigarettes at all (although my wife does--generally about twice per day on her drives to work and home), but I am rather big on smoking pipes. I stopped into Iwan Ries here in Chicago one day--one of the last true pipe shops in America--and I was instantly hooked. It's a nice, relaxing way to end the day in the park or something and a side benefit is that it always attracts fascination. I only smoke about three times a week, though.

I do enjoy a good cigar every now and then, but that's only about once a month.

Not so much haven't played as haven't finished.

Games I need to finish:

Killzone 2

Heavy Rain

Dead Space

Brutal Legend

Ratchet and Clank: Crack in Time

Heavenly Sword