Tag: art

The Secret Life of a World of Warcraft Gamer

This is a new documentary that has just dropped on Netflix. Mats Steen, a Norwegian gamer, died of a degenerative muscular disease at the age of 25. His parents mourned what they thought had been a lonely and isolated life when they started receiving messages from online friends around the world after posting a message about his death on his blog.

The secret life of the young World of Warcraft gamer is vividly reimagined using the actual conversations he had from the game where he role-played a character called Ibelin. The game was his sanctuary where he was free from his disability and felt that he could relate to people on an equal footing.

At his funeral, his father relates how his parent’s greatest sorrow was that he would never know love, never have friendships, or make a difference in another person’s life. But they were wrong, he had found a way through his own resourcefulness.

What follows is the story of his alternate life in this virtual told in his own words and by those who knew him. It is a life of ups and downs, with the black cloud of him physically getting weaker in the background.

I’m giving this documentary, a tale of success against adversity five stars and strongly recommend you watch it.

Galway Girls Part 20

Once I had quenched my thirst and filled my stomach, thoughts turned to what we would do next. Sean said that he had to head back to work but that myself and Ronan should have a walk around the town.

“Yeah, that would be a good idea Paul,” Ronan interjected, “I’d like to wait another hour or two to make sure I’m under the limit.”

I nodded in agreement.

Sean headed off and we made our way through the bustling city. Galway is a mixture of the old and the new with the sound of music coming from the many buskers on the streets that are pedestrianized.

We pass over the mighty Corrib. It has a fast flow and I pause and admire its rapids. The sweet smell of the sea entered my nostrils.

But all the time my mind kept drifting back to the previous night. The thought of her on top of me, her soft breasts. Then Ronan snapped me back to reality pointing out we were close to where we’d been the previous night.

After a while, we stopped to have a coffee in one of the many coffee shops that dotted the place. They are mostly small and quaint, with smiling staff.

As Ronan went to the counter, I finally opened the note that had been left for me that morning –

Message me Leslie Xxx 087-65XXXXX

Now, what should my first message be?

Wheelchair Wars Part 3 (5)

It entranced him. The sheer scale of the human empire and all the different career opportunities in the army. So, he joined the Imperial Fleet and longed for war. At first, he thought that it would never happen, that all the battles were happening on the far edges of the Empire.

“But Trachtus five changed everything for me Timothy. Did you hear what happened there?”

“No, I didn’t,” Timothy replied, listening intently.

“A hole opened in the warp just outside the planet. The voices of chaos swayed the people and the 41st quadrant army against the Emperor. They were quickly reinforced by chaos marines. Such an abomination could not be allowed to stand.

We were sent to take back the planet. It was a very bloody experience, the resistance was fierce and durable. I lost so many good friends. I didn’t really understand war till then. Ninety percent of the population were against us.

As you will appreciate they all had to die. It was not something I had ever envisioned, killing women and children. other soldiers didn’t bother me. But it was the Emperor’s will.

I never hoped for war again because now I truly understood what it meant.”

Timothy noted the ominous tone in his voice.