Twentysomethings reflect on election, the war, poker and blogs

PITTSBURGH In 2004, twenty-somethings couldn't ignore the election, and worried the next call-up or casualty from Iraq would be someone they knew.

But they also had distractions: Poker and some of the best video games in years. Looking back on the year, most twenty-somethings immediately mention last month's election, with voter registrations at clubs, celebrity endorsements and fashion statements such as "Vote or Die." They kept up to date with Web logs, or "blogs," tracking the latest from Iraq and the presidential campaigns. Even when relaxing, they didn't go far from the television or computer. A resurgence in poker and other card games was fueled in part by programs like E-S-P-N's "The World Series of Poker" and new online gaming opportunities. The hotly anticipated "Halo 2" and other new video games hooked even casual gamers on the X-Box or Playstation 2. Twenty-seven-year-old Keith Stockdale in Pittsburgh calls video games "the new form of T-V." Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.