Random Ramblings

Hi all. Annie here, after a long hiatus.

Randomness to follow. It's late and I apologize in advance for spelling, grammar errors.

1. Poe
IS WORKING ON A NEW ALBUM! GLEE!

2. Wii
Rocks. Can't wait to try a more substantial game on it, though we've enjoyed Play and Sports.

3. Harry Potter: Order of the Phoenix movie
Really well done. For me, it's a close second to Goblet of Fire for favorite HP film; for Josh, it triumphs over Prisoner of Azkaban as his new favorite. My former coworker Larry described it aptly as "Batmanesque." Very dark. But very good.

4. Harry Potter: Deathly Hallows book
I've finished it; Josh hasn't. No spoilers here, but suffice to say it is awesome and satisfying. I literally laughed and cried a LOT over the last third of the book. Emotional ROLLERCOASTER. Once Josh has finished we'll probably do a hidden post analyzing it for those who have also finished it, and link to it from the blog for those who want to read it.

5. Those wacky youngsters
At an event this weekend, I had postcards for people to fill out with an advocacy "promise." I asked them to address the postcards to themselves so I could mail them to them after the event. What struck me as very odd was the number of people - mostly those under 18 - who struggled with the concept of addressing a postcard to themselves. Most didn't include their name in the address; several put stuff on the wrong lines; and one teen had to ask a parent for assistance. It struck me that the written letter or the mailed bill payment is truly becoming a thing of the past. Will the upcoming generation of adults never need to send actual post to somebody? I can see all bills being paid electronically and all correspondence happening by phone and e-mail, but what about packages? Hmm.

6. Disturbing
What does it mean when you dream about hanging out with Amy Winehouse and find her to be a perfectly pleasant and balanced person???

7. Congrats
To my childhood friend Kristine, who is expecting! I now officially feel old.

8. Things I'm digging right now

• Harry Potter. In general.


• Sarah Barelleis' album Little Voice


• Demetri Martin (Check out his "Demetri Martin. Person." special on Comedy Central. Absolute riot.)


• My new Charlie Unicorn shirt


• Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me (especially their recent jokes on the Harry Potter ending: "I just loved the part where Harry wakes up in bed next to Suzanne Pleshette.")


• Crocheting


• Alt.NPR Press Start podcast, especially their recent dispatches from E3


• Amy is the Next Food Network Star! Huzzah!


• Ricky Gervais's Extras on DVD


• Did I mention POE is working on a NEW ALBUM???

9. Where are Josh's articles from the past 6 weeks or so?
I've been sick/away and haven't had time to post 'em. I'll get around to it.

And now, off to bed. Goodnight, everybody!

Here-a Wii go!

Thanks to someone who goes by the username speedy1961, I have finally found and purchased a Nintendo Wii. And I must say, despite my earlier reluctance, I couldn't be happier.

Even in the little time I've logged with the machine since buying it yesterday at Circuit City, I can honestly say that Nintendo has done a remarkable job with the console. It's a fantastically accessible machine that makes gaming fun and casual, unlike its rivals, the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

I've gotten a huge kick out of the included Wii Sports game -- an unexpected joy, to be sure, as I owned no sports game before it -- and plan to purchase soon a second controller so Annie can join the fun. Once she's done reading "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows," that is.

I'll likely talk more about my new toy in the days and weeks ahead, but for the time being, I just wanted to brag. I got it, I love it, and you need it.

Wii rocks.

A cheer, a tear

It is with mixed emotions this week that I bid adieu to Shinders, the premier newsstand and comic book retailer in the Twin Cities. The corporation collapsed after 91 years in business.

Shinders was my first source for comic books, collectibles and card games when I lived in suburban Minneapolis. At its height, Shinders had more than one dozen stores scattered across Minneapolis and St. Paul. It was an impressive operation, and one of which that many competing stores were envious.

But the chain, while a fine resource for the old and obscure, also was somewhat cold and impersonal. Not to mention expensive. It was the first to mark prices up and the last to cut them down. Unless you wanted to play their game -- as I did by selling my Death of Superman issue back to them for $20 one month after publication -- you often found yourself at the short end of the stick. Such is why the chain was widely known by the nickname Swindlers.

Yet as ironic as it is that Shinders was undone by monetary mismanagement, it pains me to see this Minnesota institution shuttered. There are plenty of Mom and Pop comic shops to fill the gap, but for better or worse, we may never again see a Goliath the likes of Shinders.

I suppose, Shinders, I will simply say to you what was said to Superman back in 1992. Rest in peace.

Not sure how it happened, but...

...Josh and I got hooked on a reality TV competition program.

Similar to our mutual enjoyment of Ace of Cakes, which I love as I love the Food Network in general, and which Josh loves for the "extreme" aspect (baking + power tools = awesome), The Next Food Network Star has captivated us both. We've followed it faithfully the past few weeks, and both passionately cried foul when flamboyant, fun-to-watch Paul was eliminated by the judges over the Emeril-clone (an liar, as we discovered last night) JAG. We also cried foul when one team on the Iron Chef challenge had an obscure type of fish as their secret ingredient, while the other team got oh-so-easy chicken.

And now the show is down to its final two contestants, and America gets to vote between them. It's a tough call.

On the one hand, Amy is polished and professional, and knows a lot about food. She would lend a slightly more mellow presence to the Food Network, which I think would be pleasant. However, her food, described as "gourmet next door," is kind of hoity-toity.

Rory, on the other hand, is energetic and makes really easy, delicious-looking, Tex-Mex food. However, she lacks the polish and professionalism a few more years' experience might provide her. And having watched as much Food Network as I have, I do have to say that the network has enough hyper women for now. Between Paula Dean, Rachel Ray, and Sandra Lee, I think that market is saturated.

Our favorite remains the previously-eliminated Paul, but Josh and I ended up voting for Amy. She just comes off as someone we'd rather spend time watching. Watching Rory is exhausting!

Anyone else out there watch the show and vote? Who did you vote for and why?

Obstinate gamers = Dime a dozen

The rabid gamers at NeoGAF yesterday took the Washington Post to task for declaring Nintendo the star of E3, the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo.

Mike Musgrove, who regularly writes about technology and video games for the Post, apparently was out of line when he wrote that Nintendo is "the company that others are trying to catch." His proof? A sound, fiscal argument:

"Neither Microsoft nor Sony is making money in the game industry, since both are selling their consoles at below cost in their attempt to boost interest. Nintendo, meanwhile, which introduced the $249 Wii six months ago, can barely keep up with demand for the profitable product."

In short, the Wii is popular, profitable and pioneering. The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3? None of the above.

But gamers are nothing if not obstinate. And the NeoGAF population fired back at the Washington Post with -- at the time of this writing -- 23 pages of rebuttals. Among the highlights:

"Mainstream press doesn't know anything about gaming," said someone who goes by the user name Woo-Fu. "What they do know is money. They can read Nintendo's Powerpoint slides and see the $$$."

(Point of order: Look up Mike's past articles. He knows gaming.)

"Hahahaha," said Epiphyte. "We're through the looking glass here. Up is down, left is right, Nintendo's conference beat down all comers."

(Point of order: Since Mike's article was published, most other major media outlets covering E3 have agreed with his assessment.)

"Plus, all these newspaper writers are older white guys that probably aren't gamers themselves," said GavinGT. "Therefore, any company pitching to the non-gamer is going to get their attention."

(Point of order: Have you ever been inside a newsroom, GavinGT?)

Not all of the users, however, fundamentally misunderstood the situation. One user sobered the NeoGAF crowd with the following:

"That's the reality, though," said CoolTrick. "People outside of the generic hardcore gaming male just don't care about Generic First Person Shooter #47437934. Wii Fit was the most interesting thing to come out of the E3 press conferences, especially to the masses."

So true. So very, very true.

The video game landscape has changed radically in the last year, leaping beyond darkened basements and landing squarely in the living room. It's something that all people -- at all ages -- can now enjoy. No longer must people juggle 13 buttons to begin play. Now they can simply swing a controller like a baseball bat to hit a home run.

Hardcore gamers would do well not to belittle such a development. Instead, they should embrace it. For it will lead to a more interesting and exciting tomorrow. And if Nintendo rather than Sony or Microsoft leads the way, so be it.

Naysayers, get over yourself.

RIP GBA

Annie and I have been having problems with our two aging Game Boy Advance SP units since last year. We've done what we could to keep these portable game players alive, but it looks like they've finally died.

Both units, which had their specially designed rechargeable batteries replaced in December, now refuse to charge, effectively killing the machine. The batteries, which came from Nintendo and are by no means inexpensive, are supposed to last for years. They lasted less than six months.

I wrote to Nintendo about the problem, and I suspect they'll tell me that the problem is either (1) that the two batteries are bad and should be replaced, or (2) that the two machines are faulty and need to be repaired. The first option would cost me $30 and the second option would cost $110 because the warranties for both units, of course, have long since expired.

Truth be told, I'm disinclined to repair these units because I already spent $35 in December to buy the replacement batteries. To spend even more money on the units at this point is approaching Albert Einstein's definition of insanity: "Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

I'm more inclined to craft some other solution, perhaps like the crazy contraption shown above, to raise these units from the dead.

Such silliness aside, Nintendo's timing couldn't have been worse. These units died just as I was seriously considering buying a Nintendo Wii. But if one Nintendo product dies six months into its life, what's to say another won't?

Movin' on up

Window Media LLC, owners of the Washington Blade, have confirmed the Blade's offices will soon move to the National Press Building in downtown Washington, D.C.

The historic building, which opened its doors in August 1927, is home to dozens of domestic and international news bureaus. It is located about two blocks from the White House lawn and is easily accessible by Metro.

No move date has been set, but the transition is expected to occur sometime in late 2007 or early 2008. The new office space is larger than the Blade's existing office space along U Street so as to accommodate future staff hirings.

More information regarding the move will be posted here when available.

Open mouth, extract foot

I just saw "Transformers," and I'm happy to report that Michael Bay does not hate me or my childhood memories.

The film, which I feared would be a cataclysmic failure that ruined a 23-year-old franchise, was remarkably good. I truly enjoyed it as the summery extravaganza flick it was intended to be, and hereby recommend it to others. I found it to be the best movie of this type since Independence Day hit theaters back in 1996.

I was particularly impressed by this film's story and script. Writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman nailed this adaptation, bringing the concept of Robots in Disguise into the 21st century with impressive creativity. They also humanized the story in ways that make this movie something more than a two-hour toy commercial.

Michael Bay does get a bit carried away in the film's final reel, throwing far more chaos on screen than is necessary, resulting in several sequences that can only be described as messy. The film also is overbearingly militant -- almost to a "Rah, rah, Army!" extreme -- something I hope is toned down for the promised sequel.

Yet on the whole, this is a great film. It's not the film I would have made, but it's a great film. So thank you, Michael Bay. Thank you for a job well done.

"Sweets and joy...and joyness..."

I recently rediscovered a favorite cookie of mine from childhood - chocolate covered graham crackers. Mom used to keep them in the freezer and they were always sooo good on a hot summer day. (Or any other time of year, for that matter.)

Josh and I have been eating them like mad. It's like someone infused each cookie with pure joy. So I decided I might as well relabel the cookie bag appropriately.