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My anti-violence standards put on the self for the moment, I have fallen in love with World Of Warcraft.

I've been seriously playing video games since 1981 or so, computer games since 1985 or so, and MMORPG games since 1997 or so. I have never experienced such an exceptional gaming environment.

Now, World Of Warcraft (or WoW) is very "fantasy," very Dungeons And Dragons. So it may not be for you. It's mildly complicated, and there's a lot to learn. This isn't Tetris - which, although a great game, is relatively simple to learn. WoW, on the other hand, is an immersive experience, as though you landed on another planet where they luckily speak your native tongue. Think of all the things you'd have to learn: How do I navigate this new planet, how do I know where I am, how do I buy things, what's dangerous, where are the safe areas, etc.

But if you're cool with all that, there has never been, for me, such a near-perfect gaming experience. If it were any more real, it would probably be a little too frightening for me to play. Watching a pack of hyeanas kill me is a little easier to swallow if they are clearly computer-drawn (and purple). If this game were photo-realistic (which games will be in 10 years), I wouldn't have the courage to play it.

So I've been playing for a bit now, maybe for the past 8-10 months. I have created different characters, but I'm now playing a character that I want to play for a while, to see how far I can go.

For now, my character is going solo, with the attempt being for me to get to as high a level as possible and earn as much gold as possible while remaining solo. My next character will concentrate on quests and will probably join a guild. But this one, a paladin, which is essentially a cross between a cleric and a fighter, is going solo. This enables me to really learn the game, as it forces me to stay on my toes at all times, and to see the tough part of the game.

And, for those of you still awake, my character is Zootallures (I always try to name them after Zappa concepts), a level 37 paladin, who is a Miner (level 248) and a Jewelcrafter (level 184). I also have in pocket, after buying some decent armor and some Jade to increase my Jewelcrafting faster), about 615 Gold. So, I got that goin' for me.

Also, I finally reached the Badlands and fought my way to the Kargath bat handler, enabling that flight path. This was a huge victory for me to do it solo.

Ok, I can hear you clicking onto other websites, so I'll leave you be. But consider this: On this date, New Jersey was the first state to ratify the Bill Of Rights.