Monopoly: Barack Obama Edition squeezes all the fun and challenges
of The Obama Administration into one board game! Stage
vigorous debates with other players over valuable Health Care Reform or Bank Bailouts!
Click on the image for the full size version.
H/T Harrison Keeley
H/T the illustrious Tom Peeling.
Sony just announced the release of their new "slim" PS3 with 120GB harddrive, less energy use and less space use.A recent look through Sky Mall magazine confirmed that there are things you see in Sky Mall that no one in the world owns. Or would buy, if given the choice. Some examples:
"This motorized replica of the headstrong little "droid" from the iconic Star Wars films responds to over 40 voice commands, navigates rooms and hallways."
Buying a plastic one too cheap for you? Buy one that can creep out your friends. Thanksgiving dinner? Try the "launch lightsaber" command so you can carve the turkey a bit more cleanly.
"This clear acrylic dome opens a window to the world that helps satisfy a pet's natural curiousity while maintaining safety and security."
Don't make your dog go through the trouble of looking under the fence! Now he can look through the porthole to see if the neighbors are cooking beef, have another dog over, are skinny-dipping, etc. If my neighbor had one of these, I might move.
Lawn Aerator Sandals- "Aerating your lawn is as easy as taking a walk. Aerating your lawn revitalizes hard, compacted soil, and helps prevent thatch buildup, but lawn services charge a mint for this service."
I've never even heard of an "aerator." But I tell you what, it looks like those are the meanest soccer spikes I've ever seen. C'mon try to stop my dribble, these babies'll cut right through your gastrocnemius.
"Dispense paper towels with a wave of your hand! No more wasted paper towels! The Towel-Matic's sensor-activated control dispenses one sheet, two sheets or the new half-sheet with just a wave of your hand."
Think of how much work you save waving your hand in front of a paper towel rather than ripping it! And I like the "new half sheet" part. No one has ever thought of using a half sheet of paper towel. Truly ground-breaking.
"Our new Relax 'N Nap Pillow relieves tension on neck, back and shoulders and the patented "air portal" ventilation system allows you to rest face down in comfort while breathing fresh clean air."
Sleeping on a regular pillow? Pmph. You're not getting "fresh clean air." You need that air portal. Could you imagine seeing someone sleeping on one of those things? I think I would laugh in their face. And maybe slap them in the face.
"Patented E-Z Chord device attaches to any guitar in just 5 minutes and gives you instant success. E-Z Chord replaces difficult finger moves with just four numberred buttons."
In college, you don't have to be the guy who can't get a date anymore. Just slap this thing on there.Why actually learn how to play guitar when you could learn to fake it with an odd device on the top. Remember those hard guitar chords like "G" or "C"? No problem. Just press the buttons.
Is using a regular money clip not nerdy enough for you? This will complete a pocket-protector ensemble. You can whip it out of your backpocket, pretending the guy behind the counter isn't a hotdog vendor but Killer Croc or Two-Face. I suggest getting the chrome plated. You don't want the stainless steel to rust from the rain. You know, from when you're out there fighting crime.
"With his characteristically big feet, our over two-foot-tall Garden Yeti will have guests doing a double-take as they admire your creative gardening style!"
Guests will be doing a double take, but it won't be because you have "creative gardening style." Make sure none of your guests have guns they might shoot it, thinking they wandered into the Planet of the Apes.
Let me start by saying that there is nothing wrong with either of the other two systems. But here are my reasons for this statement.
(1) The Playstation 2 is still the most popular video game system. Recent tech news indicates that Playstation 2 won the video game wars of 2008-2009. What? That thing is nine years old! The Playstation 2 is still benefiting from the same phenomenon, that, frankly, is killing blue-ray movies. The advent of blue-ray has made DVDs even cheaper. And Playstation 2 operates with DVDs. Sony has either been ingenious or downright stupid by releasing a large majority of their new games both on Playstation 2 and Playstation 3. So when both versions are available, you suddenly have a completely awesome $40 PS 3 game also available for $20 on PS 2...
The most popular game console -- based on minutes spent playing during the course of the month -- is none of the current consoles but rather Sony's venerable PlayStation 2. That's a real testament to the phenomenal staying power of the little black system, with 21.6 percent of all gaming minutes during the month spent playing it.
(3) The Playstation 3 has the capability to everything and more on the Wii and Xbox. What does the Wii have going for it? Not graphics. Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 are far superior. It's ease of play. You can use a Wii-mote and feel like your doing something natural. None of this messing around trying to learn a controller. Controllers suck. Remember the N64 controller? Bleh. The Playstation 3 has always had motion-sensor capability but has never taken advantage of it. And in recent news, Sony has designed a "wand" that they will be releasing in 2010 to go head-to-head with Nintendo.
(4) Convergence Culture is the future. Come on folks, we know that discs aren't the future. Direct internet-to-console downloads are the future. At least, according to Jenkins. All three systems allow you to download things from varying degress onto your harddrive. Skins for your desktop, patches for games, extra levels, old Castlevania games from the original Nintendo. On my PS3, not only can I download Street Fighter 2 and the most recent episode of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," but I can go online and check my email, watch YouTube and Hulu. I don't have a DVD player or a Blue-ray player or a cd player in my house. I have a Playstation 3 and it does more than all three.
For those of you not similarly addicted, here's a brief summary (is that possible?) from Wikipedia:
LOST is an American serial drama television series. It follows the lives of plane crash survivors on a mysterious tropical island, after a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney, Australia and Los Angeles, United States crashes somewhere in the South Pacific. Each episode typically features a primary storyline on the island as well as a secondary storyline from another point in a character's life, though other time-related plot devices change this formula in later episodes. The pilot episode was first broadcast on September 22, 2004, and since then five full seasons have aired.
Now LOST did shed some viewers in the process (in the five seasons, they've gone from 16 million viewers to 11 million). LOST is essentially a niche show on a broadcast channel, yet it has managed to be relatively successful both by critics and viewers. How has it done that? I have no clue. But I have some ideas about why the show still matters:
(1) The writers of LOST, unlike most other broadcast shows, have decided to reward obsessive compulsive viewers like me, while leaving causal viewers in the dust. Some studies have shown that though LOST doesn't have the best ratings during the broadcast hour, it does fabulous online. It's one of the highest recorded shows on DVR, frequently tops iTunes for downloads and tops hulu in views as well. So despite the moves other shows have taken to become more procedural on broadcast, LOST has maintained it's serial nature.
"Procedurals offer the basics of storytelling that people want to
hear," says "Criminal Minds' " Bernero. "It's very Arthurian and basic
to human experience. People like to think that, while they can be
scared and pull the blanket up around them, there are heroes out there
who will save the day. It's very comforting, and that's why there will
always be a huge market for cop shows: People need to know there are
heroes."
I'm not sure all viewers want that. Certainly not those in the younger generation who watch online. Serial shows play to the strengths of the online medium. "What did that smoke monster look like? Lets rewind and look again." And there's a reason LOST has been successful online. It has heroes whocontinue to be heroic despite hefty character development.
(3) LOST knows how to play the current television game. In the aftermath of ER, the idea that any show will command a majority of the viewership is pretty clearly dead.The current game is how to get people excited about your show online, but preferably watching during the actual airing. This is easier on some channels than others. Gossip Girl can afford to be serial because on the CW, the timeslot only requires them to nail down 1-2 million viewers. FOX, NBC, ABC, and CBS still want to be top dogs. But LOST will be remembered for being able to stick it out with the big networks while being able to stay true to a storyline. Not every serial in the same scenario has been able to (Heroes, I'm talking about at you. How did serial-killer Sylar end up a donut munching cop for half a season?) (4) The writing is still spot on. A lot of shows have jumped the shark long before this point. It takes a great writer to keep a serial going this long and this well.
 GopherLink! Who would have thought? The day is here! Get Super Nintendo character magnets and bag tags here. |
