Gaming is free

Long gone are the video arcades in shopping malls and on High Street. Even as a kid, my addiction was not to video games, but a lot of quarters were spent on pinball.

Last night, a new establishment finally opened in Columbus, The 16 Bit Bar and Arcade is a classic video gamers cave of treasures. Many of the classic games, from Asteroids to Donkey Kong to Space Invaders are there, with free play, provided you drink.



There are also pinball machines, for fifty cents a play as the owners do not own those machines. It's an interesting place of nostalgia that will interest people of a certain age and others. We went early, and during the Ohio State football game to avoid the crowds and the space we had did not disappoint. While there were people there, and the game was on, there was no real wait for any of the games we wanted to play.



I hope they make it, the upkeep on these games, some of which are over thirty years old, is going to be difficult and their main source of income is only from beverages as there is no kitchen on premises. So do make purchases when you are there.



They're located at 254 South 4th Street, right by Dirty Franks.

Addicted to sports

Last night at open mic I read a sports poem that was filled with a ton of references to losses I have experienced as a viewer. I freely admit to watching little television, but sports, I watch. Often. It probably is a crappy poem, but it made me feel better while writing it and putting it out there.



Later in the night, during a break, I was part of a quartet poets who were talking about video games. Well two of them were, the other guy and I just kind of looked at each other and nodded along.

I'm not a gamer. I have enough addictions to know how to avoid this one. But one of the poets was talking about a gaming experienced he had. He was riding a horse and having wonderful adventures with the horse and was going home to his virtual wife and kid. Coming down the mountain he heard a roar. It was a bear, and it suddenly killed his horse. The poet was in tears.

And that is what my poem was about.