The eternal dilemma of the slightly geeky

I have some work to do, but that should be done fairly early. Then there's the eternal dilemma – work on my own sites,spend time with the family, or play Xbox…

More specifically, play Call of Duty 2: Modern Warfare.

It's been a long time since a game has kept me hooked so much – even despite the problem of people cheating, lobbies failing, and the fact that anyone with a connection in a decent civilised country has a huge advantage over players in the rural UK, where dial-up and outside lavatories are still talked about with fond memories.

And it's all down to the fact my friends are all equally hooked. In a self-fulfilling prophecy, the fact they're all still playing it every night means I want to hang out and play. And the fact I'm amongst the friends playing it every night achieves the same effect on each of my friends.

Essentially we're all bad influences on each other…