Hi from London! My first great act was to join a Eurovision party, and here’s my comprehensive wrap-up of the strange, glorious song contest that most Americans don’t understand, featuring my friends Ste Curran on how the event is “the single high point” in these performers’ career, and Laurie Penny on “the British allergy to taking anything at all seriously.”

You’ve just got to check it out. One of the contestants is basically a Castlevania character. As a contrast to my sentimental Eurovision writeup, have Warren Ellis’ snarky tweets. I can’t say I didn’t laugh a little.

The Setup is a really cool site that profiles individuals who depend on technology and tools to do their work, and examines their relationship to the stuff they use. I was interviewed recently there, and I talked about my lightweight setup (you might be surprised), my preference for impermanent tools, and my nostalgia for heavy old physical tech.

In my newest Gamasutra editorial, my imagination was piqued by Valve’s detailed Steam Trading Cards, achievements system that has not only the expected digital cheerleading — but collecting, crafting, trading, leveling and social status elements. It’s practically a whole other game unto itself. Is that a good thing, do you think?

London’s lovely so far. I’ve been playing board games with my housemates and our friends (last night was a police game involving donut tokens). Near us is a McDonalds that currently has some kind of “Tastes of America” promotional period where each couple weeks there is a burger themed around a different region of the States.

The “Taste of Arizona” burger had nacho chips and pepperoni on it. You know, just like Arizona traditionally does. Hee hee.