Sleep position reveals personality

Courtesy of BBC News...

If you want an insight into somebody's true personality, then try to catch a glimpse of the way they sleep.

Scientists believe the position in which a person goes to sleep provides an important clue about the kind of person they are.

Josh and I vacillate between "the foetus" (or fetus) and "the yearner." Which means...

The Foetus: Those who curl up in the foetus position are described as tough on the outside but sensitive at heart. They may be shy when they first meet somebody, but soon relax. This is the most common sleeping position, adopted by 41% of the 1,000 people who took part in the survey. More than twice as many women as men tend to adopt this position.

The yearner: People who sleep on their side with both arms out in front are said to have an open nature, but can be suspicious, cynical. They are slow to make up their minds, but once they have taken a decision, they are unlikely ever to change it.

I'm unsure this is accurate...just like astrology or Tarot or palmistry, some things fit but others don't. What do you think?

And what does your sleep position say about you? Post it in the comments.

Last chance to respond to the clothes survey!

We all know what happens. It's Friday, you're bored, you're coming off a rough week, and you really feel like critiquing somebody's wardrobe.

Well, you can do just that. Clothes Survey 2: Electric Boogaloo will be live until about midday Saturday, and then it goes bye-bye.

So don't hesitate - vote today!

Buy a cookbook to help a child attend the next presidential inauguration!

A kid after my own heart.

Some of you may remember when I made a cookbook two Christmases ago and had it printed up to make gifts for friends and family. (Didn't get a copy? Download it here.)

Well, now there's a new game in town. Her name is Déja Nell, she's 11 years old (and the daughter of my coworker, Cindy), and she's made her own cookbook to sell as a fundraiser so she can -- get this -- see the inauguration of the 44th president of the United States, up close and personal.

A mere $15 will get you a copy of Déja’s Delights, which contains 150 recipes (that's 10 recipes to the dollar, folks), one of which, I'm told, is for chocolate-COVERED s'mores. Yum.

This is all part of the Junior Presidential Youth Inaugural Conference, a unique, week-long leadership development program that invites students —- based on scholastic merit and leadership contributions —- to interact with today's leaders.

To learn more, check out Déja's letter (pdf). To order a copy of Déja’s Delights, print and fill out this coupon (pdf), write out a check for $15, and send it to:

Cindy Nell
KaBOOM!
4455 Connecticut Ave. NW Suite B100
Washington, DC 20008

Hurry -- the deadline is May 31.

Marching band + choreographer who loves video games = 10x the awesome

This is truly awesome and inspired. Watch all the way to the end for a nice payoff.

I want this shirt.

Epic article

So I know we've totally slacked on posting Josh's articles since, oh, November...but I wanted to be sure and post this one, because it's possibly the longest article Josh has ever written, and though he's too humble to admit it on the blog, he's darn proud of it. His editor even gave him a magazine-style intro.

What happened to marriage in Maryland?
Gay activists in Maryland had high hopes for this legislative session. Marriage rights seemed, for the first time, within reach. But the session ended last week with only token pro-gay measures approved. Joshua Lynsen talks to the key players to find out what went wrong.

I'm told it even got discussed on the radio.

Go, husband! Journalism powers...activate! Power of...investigative reporter!

Boys rocking out to Avril Lavigne - delicious.

Special thanks to the videographer, my Local Bavarde.

My new favorite keyboard shortcut

Wrestling with an emailed press release today that loved making use of ALL CAPS, I finally broke down and looked online for a way to quickly change all caps to, well, not all caps. And I found it!

So if you ever want to convert text in ALL CAPS to something readable in Microsoft Word, here's what you do:

1. Select the target text, hold down SHIFT and press F3. This will change all the caps to lower case.
2. If you hold SHIFT and press F3 again, the first letter of each sentence will be capitalized.
3. Another SHIFT-F3 will return everything to all caps.

It's like magic! And saved me a lot of time rekeying stuff.

(This tip is thanks to PC Don, the "senior computer tutor," I'm ashamed to say.)

On disappointment, ambivalence

It was just announced that my 10 year high school reunion will be held July 19...two weeks after CONvergence.

Which means I won't be able to go. Can't exactly afford two plane trips in one month (plus, I think I'll have used up my accrued vacation at that point).

I'm not sure exactly how to feel about this. On one hand, I'm disappointed I won't be able to show off my awesome husband and talk about my cool job in D.C. to those I haven't seen in years. (Ah, the dream of every picked-on nerd: coming back to brag about their successes years later.) On the other hand, if history is any indicator, school-related events that are built up to be a big deal usually end in disappointment (i.e. every dance I ever went to). In fact, I can't actually think of a single major high school event I came away from glad I attended.

So it could end up being a complete waste of time and money even if I do go...but there's part of me that would like to find out rather than assume.

So I find myself ambivalent.

On the plus side, at least I'm connecting with some long-lost high school pals on Facebook...and the nice thing about that is, I don't have to connect with the people I'm not interested in seeing (of whom there are many).

"Remember my story, Plug -- I'm suing the government over some bad meat."

Amusing webcomic

(Sorry it's so tiny; click the image to see the full size version.) Thanks to Mark for showing me this!

Hey, I DO like olive oil and lattes...

The divine Ms. M pointed me toward this fascinating article in the New York Times on microtargeting. Check it out.

IF there’s butter and white wine in your refrigerator and Fig Newtons in the cookie jar, you’re likely to vote for Hillary Clinton. Prefer olive oil, Bear Naked granola and a latte to go? You probably like Barack Obama, too.

Supporters of Barack Obama prefer Bear Naked cereal. Hillary Clinton’s fans like GoLean. For John McCain’s supporters, Fiber One is favored.

And if you’re leaning toward John McCain, it’s all about kicking back with a bourbon and a stuffed crust pizza while you watch the Democrats fight it out next week in Pennsylvania.

If what we eat says a lot about who we are, it also says something about how we might vote.

Although precincts and polls are being parsed, the political advisers to the presidential candidates are also looking closely at consumer behavior, including how people eat, as a way to scavenge for votes. The practice is called microtargeting, as much political discipline as buzzword. The idea is that in the brand-driven United States, what we buy and how we spend our free time is a good predictor of our politics.

...

“Knowing that your base drinks gin doesn’t give you a clear idea on how to communicate with them effectively on issues,” he said. “But if you take it a level deeper and say, are there psychological drivers that will help understand the values behind the behavior, you can speak to those values and persuade voters.”

Read the full article

Where did all the girl geeks go?

From eWEEK...my earlier post about the Sony video game scholarship seems very pertinent...

While women hold 51 percent of professional jobs in the United States, they make up only 26 percent of the IT work force, according to the National Center for Women & Information Technology. Furthermore, fewer women worked in IT in 2008 than in 2000.

But the loss of women in the technology field begins long before they reach the professional level. The proportion of CS (computer science) bachelor's degrees awarded to women has fallen from 36 to 21 percent between 1983 and 2006.

...

"If we don't have women at the design table, then the technology is not all that it could be. They might do it a little differently due to their different life experiences and it would be an innovation advantage. Are we inventing all that we could be inventing? I don't think so," Sanders said.

Some suggest that a fixation in the technology and computer-related fields on creating video games, especially those in the kill-them-before-they-kill-you genre, has also pushed girls away.

"I hear the video game hypothesis a lot from other professors, because these violent games appeal to stereotypically male interests," said Block, who said he has seen this interest firsthand.

Full article is here.

P.S. I've been trying to send Utterz to the blog, but it's ceased to push my Utterz to the blog since we upgraded. I'm working with Utterz's tech support to fix it. Stay tuned.

It's here! Clothes Survey 2: Electric Boogaloo!

Hot off the presses, it's Clothes Survey 2: Electric Boogaloo!

You can take the survey here. We'll take responses until April 25.

But first, Josh's intro:

1. I am not a model. I don't even play one on TV. My expressions run the gamut, though, for your amusement. Just remember to grade the clothes and not me.

2. The anonymity that this survey allows should not be taken as free license to be cruel. Be honest. Tell me what to ditch and why it doesn't work. But also please try to be contructive and give me some shopping suggestions.

3. You will see here my entire wardrobe (sans workout attire, duplicate jeans and formal suits). So bear in mind that if you don't see it, I don't have it. If there's something obvious missing, let me know, because it's not obvious to me.

4. If variety is the spice of life, I might need a new spice rack. You'll notice many items are remarkably similar and vary only in color. Let me know what you think about that.

5. Note that this survey is broken into three parts. There's a link at the end of each part to guide you forward.

That being said, have fun, kittens!

Muppets make me smile.

Coming soon! Clothes Survey 2: Electric Boogaloo!

Josh has been toying with this idea for awhile, and now he's ready.

In the coming days, watch the blog for a fun feature we like to call Clothes Survey 2: Electric Boogaloo!

For those who missed the first clothes survey, you can see all the action here (and yes, I know the header images are broken in the results page -- not sure where they went):

Original post
Results
Commentary on the results

That survey, though somewhat terrifying to do, really helped me whip my wardrobe into shape. Now it's Josh's turn.

So be prepared to give your anonymous opinions of Josh's wardrobe!

Think Lynsen: New! Improved! With fresh pine scent!

Can you smell the pine? Mmmm.

Think Lynsen has upgraded!

We've applied Blogger's new layout options to offer you improved service.

In order to do this, though, we had to pack the bags and move. So you will now find us at a new, super-swanky address: http://blog.thinklynsen.com. Please update your bookmarks. (We have a redirect going from the old site to the new, which should help in the interim.)

And as with any move, we had to do a lot of housecleaning first. We went through all the old posts and updated the internal links. Sadly for you email subscribers, this means your Monday email is extremely long, containing all the old blog posts we updated in the process, and for that I apologize. I can't figure out how to turn off Feedburner's desperate need to send all UPDATED posts in addition to all NEW posts.

But the payoff for the hours of labor and the goofed-up email is worth it.

1. First, you'll notice the added functionality of being able to navigate backward to previous posts at the bottom of each page. HUZZAH!
2. Next, you'll see our new, dynamic archives on the right side of the page, which let you see, at a glance, all the post titles from a given month, or an entire month's worth of entries on one page.
3. You'll also notice the font is smaller and overall look n' feel have been improved.
4. We've added a description for the blog: "Follow the joys and trevails of a couple of DINKs from Minnesota exploring their new home of Washington, D.C." It's our first stab at describing this little labor o' love, so if you have a better idea for how to do so, please post it in the comments.

Sadly, a few bad things happened in the transition too.

1. Some images have had 10 to 20 pixels cut off their right sides for some reason. Since it's a minor problem and I don't know how to fix it, I'm letting it go.
2. It's possible some links may have broken. If you find a broken link, please note it in the comments section of that post.
3. We can no longer rotate the header graphic each day. Boo! But hopefully that header graphic will be improved in the next few months...stay tuned.

So that's it! Let us know what you think!

Check out our Muxtape

Feelin' Good

Songs for when you're feeling on top of the world!

Annie loves froggies!

Mobile post sent by alynsen using Utterz.  Replies.

Frog exhibit at National Geographic Museum

I am in heaven!

Mobile post sent by alynsen using Utterz. Replies.

Random thoughts from this week

I've been messing around with Twitter lately. Haven't decided if I'm loving it or not. But it has given me a venue to jot down random thoughts (in 140 characters or less) during the week for a few lucky friends to see. Here are a few from this week:

4/12/08 11:10 a.m.: "We just heard Canada geese flying overhead. The hell?!

4/10/08 1:17 p.m.: "Josh + Annie = 9 years together today!"

4/10/08 6:41 p.m.: "I'm working out and watching Emeril make waffles. Now I really want waffles."

4/10/08 6:42 p.m.: "And I can't decide if that Meatloaf cell phone ad is creepy or hysterically ironic."

4/9/08 10:57 a.m.: "Thank god in heaven, we have a confirmed, locked-in hotel room for CONvergence."

4/8/08 5:30 p.m.: "Attention Brain Age guy: I do not want to draw your stupid pictures. I just want to play sodoku!"

I think Josh and I will also be trying out Utterz on the blog soon, to see if it will work for CONvergence. It's a utility that lets you live blog photos, video, text, and audio -- from your cell phone. So before too long, we may be posting multimedia blog updates...from the WORLD instead of from our apartment. Amazing! Twitter lets you do that with text, but I think I want something more robust to link into the blog. Stay tuned.

Battlestar Galactica gets back on track

Last night we caught the first two episodes of the fourth season of Battlestar Galactica. And I gotta say, though I've been disappointed before after this feeling, I think the show is getting back on track and playing its strengths again. (Maybe it's because they know this is their final season.)

Things I loved (Warning: spoilers to follow - highlight blank sections of text to read them):

1. We're finally seeing Cylons again! Season 3 floundered aimlessly with no Cylons in sight for waaaay too long. And let's face it, they're the best reason to watch the show. Too much inter-human drama gets boring fast. The Cylon civil war that started at the end of episode 2 really has me excited for this season.
2. Starbuck's back! And even more dramatically, she spent most of the first two episodes emoting like crazy. Girl can throw a hysterical fit like it's nobody's business, and her character really gets to shine in the new story arc where she's convinced she knows the way to Earth and the fleet, by following the president's orders, is going the wrong way. Especially intriguing to watch is Adama's vacillation as the woman he loves and the woman he loves like a daughter are pitted against each other. Who will he trust?
3. The final 4 out of 5 are floundering fantastically. It's fascinating to watch, and I keep seeing parallels to the gay rights movement as these seemingly ordinary folks struggle with staying in the closet.
4. Laura Roslin is becoming interesting to watch. And highly suspect. Signs are starting to point to her being the 5th and final Cylon. She's acting very strangely. (And looks like she had a LOT of Botox before this season started. Is it just me?)
5. Gaius Baltar is having new and interesting hallucinations. Fittingly, this egomaniac has started hallucinating conversations with himself. What the deuce? This can only end in awesome.

So we'll see where this season goes. I'm hoping all this points to a series renaissance akin to season 7 of Buffy, where they knew it was their last shot and they had to pull out all the stops. The biggest bad guy, the strongest and most defined plot arc since early in the series' run, and characters busting out of their conventions...this could be good. Here's hoping!

Remember the Milk

Do you forget stuff? Like, a lot?

Check out Remember the Milk, a site where you can create task lists, and even set reminders for those tasks to be sent to your instant messenger, mobile phone, e-mail, Google calendar, etc.

And like all great things on the Internet, it's free.

I HEART "indexed"

Apparently I'm the last one on Earth to discover the blog "indexed," which is full of awesome. Some choice entries:

See also: Papyrus

(Special bonus: Thanks to Hummely for pointing me toward the joy that is http://www.bancomicsans.com/!)

Arrg, that hurt

Dang!

The Emperor's New Suit Was Expensive

Pirate Ducky rants about webcomics with too much plot

Why is it so many webcomics feel the need to go all plot-driven now and again?

I don't think I'm the only pirate in the seven seas who reads webcomics just for the simple joy of a morning chuckle while consuming my hearty breakfast.

The following are things that will instantly stop me from reading a webcomic, sometimes for weeks at a time, sometimes altogether:

1. Time travel and crossover plots (Real Life, knock it off)
2. Romantic plots meant to develop a character or characters (Shortpacked! does this way too often)
3. The appearance of a new and annoying character (PVP is the worst offender in this category)
4. Plots that end up dragging out a one-note joke for waaaay too long (all of the above are offenders)
5. Generally, any plots that last for more than three strips.

Rule #1 of webcomics: They should be funny. There are lots of comics out there that manage to be consistently funny without resorting to drama, inserting obnoxious characters, or stretching out one-note jokes over several strips.

Rule #2 of webcomics: They should be accessible to everyone, even people reading for the first time.

Plots tend to defy both these rules. Therefore, plots in webcomics are evil.

Pirate Ducky continues to steadfastly watch over Annie's computer monitor at work. Yarrr!

The rogue demon hunter warns city council of possible zombie attacks

Actual news from an actual newspaper, ladies and gentlemen...I assume this was an April Fool's Day prank, but if it was, the best part is that the reporter had no idea how to write about it.

It started as insightful and articulate, especially compared to most public-comment hokum.

Georgia transplant Wesley Wyndham-Price calmly stood before the City Council, cautioning members about downtown's derelict emergency-preparedness plan. City elders are "insouciantly" unaware of risks to City Creek Center, he warned.

Wyndham-Price even paused to joke that Georgia's saltwater taffy is better than Utah's. "I hope that is not an ad hominem," he shrugged.

Then he got specific and all reason helicoptered into the ether.

City Creek needs an emergency-preparedness plan, he demanded, against zombies.

"Zombies are fierce," he said as a crammed council chamber laughed nervously. "They are going to catch us in there."

Wyndham-Price admitted he never has seen a zombie attack but is sure one is coming. And shoppers could be sitting ducks in a sky bridge.

Read the full article

Tech support humor

Customer: "I want to download the Internet. Do I need a bigger hard disk?"

Download the Internet here

CONvergence: Panel goodness

Just announced are the CONvergence panels! Some of these really look exciting. A few of my favorites (the full and vast list is here):

Make Your Own Voodoo Doll
You know you want to...muah ha ha! We provide most of the material, you provide the nemesis.

Facepainting and Hairbraiding
Get something fun and geeky on your face while getting your hair braided. (Ed. note: Dude, I am SO THERE.)

Women and Gaming
Yes we play them! Why don't the game companies realize that they write for an audience that includes women? There's more out there than Cooking Mama and the Imagine series, after all...

Are You Ready to Rock?
Rhythm-based games like Guitar Hero, Rock Band, Elite Beat Agents, and others have become very popular in the last few years. Is there still room for classics like DDR? Where do you see this trend going in the future and is there any crossover with wanting to learn real-life instruments?

Final Smash!
Super Smash Bros. Brawl was released four months ago. Is it still in your Wii or is it collecting dust? Where is this franchise headed and were any mascots left out? Bring your online friends codes to share!

Is There Anything You'd Like to Pre-Order Today?
GameStop. The bane of many gamers' existence. Why do you keep coming back? Have you taken your business elsewhere or online? With trade-in margins decreasing every year, is the EDGE card worth it? Are there any alternatives or game-swap forums that work?

I Can Has Fluidic Beverage?
Come and share your favorite drinking games. Hopefully you have a room at the hotel and don't have to drive home.

Web Comics
What are some of your favorite web-comics? How long have you been reading them? Share your favorites and discover some new ones.

Previously... in the Whedon-verse
Buffy, Angel, and Firefly have gotten a new lease on life in a comic book medium. Come and discuss the recent Firefly mini-series, Buffy Season Eight, and Angel Season Six.

Drum Jam
Join us for an hour of free-style drumming.

GLBT Comic Characters
Northstar is no longer the only gay in the village. We've got Hulkling, Wiccan, Batwoman, and many others. Discuss your faves and speculate which other characters still need to come out?

Crafty Geek Meet Up
Knit, sew, scrapbook, bead, or just sit and chat about your favorite projects. Learn a little about the local MISFITS crafty club while you're at it!

Prop Building
Prop-builder and physical effects artist Christian Colquhoun's projects have included Galaxy Quest, Van Helsing, and Firefly. Come and learn about the art of prop design and construction.

Geek Speed Dating
Join in as we put an unique spin on this modern phenomenon. How many three minute dates can you fit into an hour? (Ed. note: I won't be going to this, but I find it amusing it's there.)

How to Take Over the World!
Join some super-villain panelists and learn the proper way to take over the world. We'll explain our plan in detail to you and entertain suggestions (but not if you're a tied-up superhero - we're smarter than that!)

Puppetry!
From MST3K to the Muppet Show, Farscape to Captain Scarlet, The Dark Crystal to Yoda, there have been a number of series and movies that used puppets as characters. Discuss your favorites and learn about current puppet-related shows. (featuring Trace Beaulieu!)

Geek Swap Meet
Bring your old geek items you no longer want and trade for things you do. Sure you'll be filling your old space with new (to you) items, but isn't that half the fun?

How to Write a Novel in 10 Steps…
Is it possible to boil down the writing process into ten easy steps or less? Let's find out!

Hogwarts Graduation!
The seventh (and as of this writing) final novel in the Harry Potter saga has been out for about a year, but there is still plenty to talk about!

Philip Pullman - The Anti-Narnia
Discuss the "His Dark Materials" trilogy and Lyra's Oxford novella. What are Pullman's plans for "The Book of Dust" and other entries in this universe?

Current State of A.I.
How far off is SkyNet? Do we need to start worrying about the Internets taking over? What are some positive advances in artificial intelligence development?

Movie Pet-Peeves
Are there any movie cliches that you just can't stand? Things that make you want to leave the theatre or scream in disgust? Come share your movie pet-peeves.

MST3K: The Local Legacy
Join first-time CONvergence Guest of Honor Trace Beaulieu as he discusses the local origins of MST3K and his involvement as the diabolical Dr. Forrester and original voice of Crow T. Robot, as well as his work behind the scenes on the show.

Smackdown Panel
Cereal Mascot Smackdown - Many will enter but only one will win. Watch out for that Captain Crunch - he's sneaky and vicious and cuts the roof of your mouth!

The Match Game
Following the Smackdown panel, join a crazy group as we recreate this 1970's classic gameshow. Please note: the panel will most likely be starting late and running later than normal as well.

Killer B's Improv Movie Show
Returning for its second year, the Killer B's Improv Movie Show will give new life to those crappy B-movies of yesteryear. In front of your eyes, our team of experts will create brand-new dialogue (and a whole new Theremin score!) for some of the worst film clips ever placed on celluloid. The catch? They've never seen the movies before! It's a movie and live improv comedy at the same time.

Pirate Ducky Reviews Captain Dan & the Scurvy Crew: Authentic Pirate Hip Hop

Among the booty I amassed this past winter solstice was, let's just say, a UNIQUE CD called Authentic Pirate Hip Hop by Captain Dan & the Scurvy Crew. While it is not nearly as good as the sweet, delicious candy that is the Pirates for Sail CD, it certainly has its merits and can definitely be classified in the "entertaining" category.

Captain Dan pulls no punches: this hip hop is the real deal. From commanding all his "real swashbucklers" to "throw their hooks in the air" (and yes, wave them like they just don't care) to his no-nonsense stance that he is THE Captain of the Seven Seas, Captain Dan struts his stuff vocally and "piratizes" the typical hip hop subject matter of partying, drugs, and easy women. The result is both hilariously satirical and, amazingly, listenable. (Particularly that "throw your hooks in the air" riff.)

So if ye be likin' the pirates, and/or need a gag gift for someone who does, this CD definitely fits the bill.

Pirate Ducky is the guardian of Annie's computer monitor at work, where he steadfastly keeps the scalliwags away.

Acting out of character

I did something extremely out-of-character for me last night...I attended a professional sporting event.

I'll preface this by saying it was with two friends who are likewise not obsessed with sports, who didn't even know who the mascot of the local team was, let alone who the local team was playing. We went because the tickets were cheap. Our seats were one row from the very back, and we had a great time.

But man, have pro sports events changed. Attending a hockey game at the Verizon Center is sort of like being dropped into the middle of a really wacky anime or a Japanese game show. At any given MOMENT, suddenly there were sirens, bright, flashing lights everywhere, and the crowd going wild. To an untrained observer like myself, these moments happened completely randomly and without provocation. And whoever runs this wacky sound-and-lights extravaganza obviously has a crush on Will Farrell, because at least three times during the evening his visage from various films graced the big screen.

Some thoughts I jotted down during the course of the evening...

Our team just scored and they're playing a scene from "Old School"on the big screen...I don't understand sports.

Second goal warrants a clip of the SNL cheerleaders. And lots of bright shiny lights.

Other team scores: Scene of John Belushi smashing a guitar in "Animal House" accompanied by a funeral march.

Some guy's stick just broke, so he left it on the ice and is now playing defense with his feet! These guys stop for NOTHING.

Goal 3: Dance sequence from "Napoleon Dynamite." This just keeps getting weirder.

Hockey suddenly becomes hilarious when you imagine it as a sentient puck's desperate attempts to be free from the big mean stick wielders.

Regarding the last note, I don't know how that idea popped into my head, but after I told my companions, we started doing a voiceover for the puck as it was flung about -- "Help meeeee! Ohhh the pain!" It was extremely amusing and helped pass the final few minutes of the game, when our team had already obviously won 4-1.

Also, during one of the breaks between periods we got to see a way-too-long "Cribs" type show on the big screen featuring some of the players. It was downright sad. Four of them live together in a condo or something, and this condo has seen better days. They had a sofa whose stuffing had clearly died years ago, a fridge full of beer and green Jell-O (?), aaaaaand that was about it. Very, very weird. I thought pro athletes were paid fat sacks of cash money so they, um, didn't need to have roommates or live in crappy condos?

Anyway around it, it seems I have a lot to learn about sports.

Sony offers scholarships to improve portrayal of women in video games

OK, all you female programmers I know (which is all, um, none of you)...start your MacBook Pros.

According to Kotaku there's a new scholarship competition for anyone who wants to work in the video games industry and help improve the portrayal of women in games. Check it out. The stats are particularly interesting.

The GIRL Game Design Competition scholarship is only open to current students of any The Art Institute schools and will reward one winner up to $10,000 towards tuition for his or her education at The Art Institute school at which he or she is currently enrolled. The winner will also receive a paid internship of up to ten weeks at one of the Sony Online Entertainment studios (located in Austin, Denver, San Diego and Seattle; room, board, transportation and living expenses not included).

To enter you need to complete an application and submit three pieces of concept art, a 500 word essay decribing the art, another 500 word essay describing why you want to work in the video games industry, how you could improve the image of women within video games and how your improvements could facilitate the creation of games that more women will play.

...

The SOE G.I.R.L competition was created in response to survey findings that focused on women in the field of video games. The survey interviewed female students currently enrolled in Game Art & Design, Visual & Game Programming and Visual Effects & Motion Graphics programs at The Art Institutes schools. The SOE-sponsored survey revealed that:
—61% of students surveyed believe male dominance in the industry is a deterrent to women pursuing a career in gaming
—42% of those surveyed would like to see women portrayed as leaders in video games
—35% of the students surveyed want to create more games that are fun and interesting for women to play
—31% of those surveyed want to become involved in gaming because more women need to represent the industry

According to the Entertainment Software Association, thirty-eight percent of all game players are women. In fact, women over the age of 18 represent a significantly greater portion of the game-playing population (31%) than boys age 17 or younger (20%).

I have to say, as a female who is a casual gamer, I'm not so much bothered by the dominance of war and battle-driven games in the marketplace as I am by the dearth of the kind of games I want to play and the lack of good female protagonists in said games. (Are you listening, you LucasArts punks who stopped making Monkey Island games for no good reason? And you, Ubisoft, who released the amazing Beyond Good and Evil with absolutely no marketing plan, so it tanked despite having both a supercool heroine AND amazing reviews? Yes, I am looking Directly At You.) In the last few years, I can count on one hand (OK, two if you count different iterations of Guitar Hero) the number of games that have intrigued me to the point where I would buy them with my own money. Honestly, I've spent more hours replaying Final Fantasy X-2, a fantastic game with great RPG gameplay and three - count 'em - THREE female protagonists than I have on any other game.

The one thing that's given me hope is the Wii. Nintendo is offering games on the Wii that pretty much everybody can enjoy (well, except my friend Jon, who is totally creeped out by WarioWare: Smooth Moves...but this comes from a guy who enjoys playing Arkham Horror, go figure). I really hope one of the most innovative and fun games in recent years, Katamari Damacy, will eventually work its way to the Wii.

But I'm not saying that the only games I (or women in general) like are light and fluffy. The game that brought me back into video gaming as an adult was Metal Gear Solid (big props to The Ogre, AKA Matt, for that one). And more recently, I thoroughly enjoyed the first two-thirds of Indigo Prophecy, which was a unique game that put you in the shoes of both a murderer and the detectives investigating the crime. What you did as either had impacts on the other, and it was a fascinating concept that needs to be built upon in future games. (The reason I only enjoyed the first two-thirds is that after that point, the plot spun completely into the Land of Ridiculous, whereupon your enemies were revealed to be Satanic cultists, the Illuminati, AND - get this - robot aliens.)

Anyway, this is kind of a rambling rant, but I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm glad this scholarship is available and supported by a big corporate giant like Sony. I hope someone out there will make good use out of this scholarship and come up with some creative ways to improve the way women are portrayed in games and make more games that women -- and I -- like to play. (Like long-overdue sequels to Escape from Monkey Island, Grim Fandango, Final Fantasy X-2...)

IGN makes REALLY convincing Zelda movie trailer as April Fool's joke

But I gotta say...there's no way to make the reveal of that green, goofy hat look epic.

Why buy expensive toys?

This clip emphasizes the universal truth: babies are entertained by ANYTHING. And it is HILARIOUS.