A Whole New World

Recently, I lost my dear friend Andras to an online game called World of Warcraft. The effects are remarkable really--last night, instead of choosing to stay for another beer, he decided to go home because he had to meet other gamers online in the game at a particular time. He keeps referring to himself as a mage (which I've come to find out is a magician character within the game). He's in a class in which this game is the textbook and classroom. Today he sends me this which is actually very funny (beware, it's the whole episode):

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But, as usual, in 20 minutes, Trey Parker and Matt Stone have been able to capture and cartoonically (that's right...I completely made that word up) editorialize all of the possible social "issues" that this (and other online games) pose for...well, civilization. I have not been a South Park fan in the past, only because it often steps too far over my line of decency and good taste (and this offering is no exception) but I couldn't not put this here. It's so right on in terms of explaining how seemingly "normal" people get caught up in a virtual world.

Just beware...if you hear Worlds of Warcraft" issuing forth from the mouths of loved ones, halt everything and fight like hell to get them back to reality. Otherwise, you might be living forever with a mage...and I don't think that's a good thing.