CHARISMATIC MEGAFAUNA

By Quiconque

New Toy Obsession

It�s no secret that I enjoy playing The Sims 2. But sometimes even I need a break. A new distraction. Something else to dream about, to plot and scheme about. (This is the Summer of Sloth II, after all. And don�t you dare mention that dissertation I�m supposed to be writing!) Well, thanks to Ashyknees (who got me out to Brooklyn and to a mutual friend�s home where she snooped around his Playstation collection), I have discovered the glorious fun that is Katamari Damacy.

Consider this picture:

What�s going on here? Who is that guy? Why is he so huge? The guy is the King of the Cosmos. He is a bit fey and often quite nasty. On a whim, he knocked the stars out of the sky. The onus of fixing the King�s mistake falls upon the tiny shoulders of his son, the Prince:

He has to go to Earth and gather up stuff using a sticky ball called the katamari. The katamari gets bigger as it gathers more stuff, allowing it to gather bigger and bigger stuff. If the katamari is big enough, dear old dad will turn it into a star or a constellation. If not, dad will make some catty comments and send the Prince home in tears.

This is a tiny katamari. See the chewing gum and lipstick? With enough skill, the Prince will soon be able to roll over people, cows, and even buildings. I must say, it is great fun to roll over people, especially students. (Their screams of �What�s happening?!� are very entertaining.)

One caution: continued play can result in nausea and headaches. So, I do not recommend it to those of you with delicate stomachs.

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DIARYRINGS

READING: Prince Caspian by C. S. Lewis

WATCHING: My katamari rolling over the countryside. Look out!