man. England didn't feel like a holiday, it felt like home. its really surreal to be back in America now, like i'm stuck in a very bland expansive waiting room of life, reading People magazines and sitting next to corpulent whiteys trying to mask their coughs as if they meant to wheeze through the chorus of Kenny Roger's the Gambler.

I'm really grateful to Newgrounds for encouraging their UK following by making London an annual meet. With no convention(al) reason to visit there yearly, it really shows how much fun the regulars just keep having. and how far an excuse to get pissing drunk will invite people. but if you're a younger user, dont let that alienate you. i ditched early but otherwise the main day of the meet (on any meet that i've been to really) has always been pretty good to being open for any age. For the london meets, it means a day beginning at the London Eye and the Namco Arcade, and takes off from there. But i'm a crusty old-fashioned lot. i sit hunched in corners in dark rooms at dark tables, smiling uncharacteristically bright on the inside. I was privileged enough to run with the high-rolling crew of HappyHarry(Barry Cartridge) and Oney(Christine McSqueill) and since i've got to start the obligatory name dropping anyway, here's a beefy(well, for me) list of everyone i personally minced words with:

Luis (benevolent meet organizer and drink-giverer)
Sean Kiely (member of oney's Untouchables, otherwise known as Satan)
Jack (somebody give me a profile link if he's got one, otherwise known as other guy from oney's other friends otherwise too good for newgrounds)
Gapmunky(in posession of fine ass sister and her fine ass tattoos)
Wonchop (a man who needs no parenthetical introduction)
Ockeroid (business blazer and iphone at the ready)
Chazz (enjoys long walks by spanish pirate galleons)
TheRealAnimator(designated TomFulp bodydouble)
Tom of the SFB (method behind the madness)

the meet was lovely. some people go to talk business and projects, others to talk about the latest phallic frontpage collab, and still others to just sit/sip back and soak in the logo tees. if you have any desire to hit the places NG goes to and any kind of voyeuristic tendency to peer at basement dwellers in actual sunlight - do it. i can't stress it enough. without the userbase frantically clicking on those sidebar ads, NG wouldn't be able to do any of this. the least you can do is head to these gatherings and rub their faces in it.
i may write more specifically about what i did in london, or elsewhere i visited in england and the manner of TOP SECRET NEWGROUNDS PROJECTS i've started since then with other vastly more interesting parties on NG. but there's a cat on my arm right now..
she's happy.
and it hurts.
cya guize. cheers.