When a bonus isn't a bonus

Riddle me this, Batman: When is a bonus not a bonus? When the end result is no bonus.

I was excited to learn this week that GameStop is offering an additional 50 percent credit on all traded-in games. While rearranging our media shelves, Annie and I recently found 13 games no longer worth keeping. But what to do with them? Surely this opportunity would serve us well! Surely this opportunity would make GameStop's trade-in values better than what Amazon offers every day! Surely we could do no wrong! Of course, I should know by now that nothing in this life is a sure thing.

The 13 older games I took to GameStop netted us $40.72 in store credit, barely topping the $40 that Amazon would have given me for the same games sans promotion. I was flabbergasted that GameStop's trade-in values have fallen so much that it took this unprecedented offer for them to compete with Amazon. Had the bonus not been in effect, GameStop would have given me just $27.15 for these games.

So this really wasn't a bonus, was it, GameStop? This was a lesson. We should take our business elsewhere.

"Lifestyle change" update

Earlier this week I told you about my commuting woes, and how I'm attempting to rearrange my life to fix them. Here's how things have shaken out.

On Monday, the day I wrote the post, I got up at my usual time but did my workout before I went in at 10, then I left work at 7. The commute in was the same as ever - about 30 minutes - but the commute home through the rain took about an hour. (People out here freak out over any kind of precipitation...rain results in an "OMG, strange water falls from the sky" attitude that always mucks things up.)

But then, Tuesday and Wednesday, I did the same thing, and my commutes home were about 30 minutes each. Success! Not only that, but a colleague informed me about traffic.com, a website that analyzes current traffic incidents and shows you the fastest route at that time. Genius! I still have trouble believing cutting through Georgetown (which I've never seen in an uncongested state, since the roads are so narrow) would ever be an efficient way to get home, but still...it's a handy resource for quickly finding alternate routes when the Beltway is crazy.

The morning workouts have been going better than I anticipated. Not my best workouts ever, but so far I haven't felt sick during them, which is more than I expected.

So generally things are going OK. One week is not yet a statistically significant sample, but I think it's still safe to say things are looking up.

Best Buy, worst policy

Earlier this month, I noted that Best Buy was on notice because it decided to erase 140 points from my Reward Zone account.

After posting that rant, I e-mailed the chain and told them what I told you: that the loss of these points greatly irritated and confused me. In response, a member of the customer care team reinstated my lost points "as a one time customer courtesy," but cautioned that future points "will be forfeited" in accordance with their Reward Zone Point Annualization policy. And, you know, I should have realized all this because it "was explained in the rules of Reward Zone when you activated your account." Actually, no, but I've got better things to do than argue the finer points of customer reward program philosophy with Jennifer.

Because my points were reinstated, I'll continue shopping at Best Buy for now. But my trips to the chain likely will end after I earn my next reward certificate. I'd rather do my electronics shopping online than play this silly game.

Social media is dressing up AND dressing down

[Note: This is my latest blog post for Small Act! It originally published yesterday.]

It's official: social networking is coming into the office, but it has a date after work.

Last week, two very interesting pieces of news came to light. First off, it was announced that Microsoft Outlook 2010 was going to include features that allow you to interact with Facebook and Twitter. Secondly, a recent study shows that people are more frequently using their mobile devices to do social networking than their desktop machines.

My mind reels from the implications of these two pieces of news...

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Can't miss 'Canabalt'

I gave up Flash games about the same time I gave up Long Island iced teas and eating $1 frozen dinners for lunch.

But just like those $2 drink specials in Winona, sometimes an offer comes along that you can't refuse. Such is the case with "Canabalt," the new Flash game that plays like an 8-bit platformer on speed. The hero in this simple run-and-jump game makes Sonic the Hedgehog look like a slowpoke.

You can play "Canabalt" online for free in either normal or mega renditions. The controls are simple enough: Press X or C to jump and the game takes care of the rest. The only question is how far can you make it before you fall?

I blame the river.

Last week was my first full week commuting to my new job, which is in McLean, Va. Week one was mostly spent working at home in light of Snowpocalypse...which was a weird way to start a new job, to say the least.

But last week started fine. On Monday, it took me about 30 minutes to get to work and about 45 minutes to get home. Not too shabby, I thought...still less time than I was spending getting to and from KaBOOM! each day. I began to feel somewhat smug.

And then I realized Monday was a federal holiday. And then came Tuesday. I've always wondered what the Beltway would look like as a parking lot, and now I have firsthand knowledge.

My route, for what it's worth (pictured on the right), is 16 miles from start to finish. Oddly, the mornings aren't bad at all, even post-federal-holiday...it still takes roughly 30 minutes to get to work, which I think is fine. Totally dealable. It's the evenings...where my commutes have been anywhere from an hour to a whopping two hours. I'm burning through gas like crazy and truly feeling like "part of the problem."

Why take the Beltway, you may ask? Because there aren't really any other options to get from point A to point B in this case, largely due to the Potomac River. There are very few places to cross on the west side of the city, and they all get jammed. My alternative routes would involve going through the heart of the city and would, in all likelihood, take even longer. And public transit doesn't go near my new workplace, either (and even if it did...it would still take at least an hour to get there).

So this week I'm going to attempt to beat the system, but it involves a significant lifestyle change on my part. To change my work schedule from 9-6 to 10-7 (which will put me there when most of my coworkers are there anyway, and hopefully put me outside of rush hour in the evenings), I'm going to have to shift my workouts to the mornings. To most of you this may sound like no big deal, but trust me when I say this is going to be DIFFICULT. For one thing, my body is used to having at least a couple of meals in it before I hit the elliptical trainer or the strength training regimen I've mapped out for myself...and I tend to get a bit lightheaded if I work out too early in the day. It's going to take me awhile to get my body used to this. For another thing, our apartment's gym is much busier in the mornings than in the evenings, and when there are only three elliptical machines to begin with, it's going to become a bit of a competition.

So please cross your fingers for me as I try and juggle my life into something that will, I hope, lead to more sanity and less gritting of my teeth. Here goes nothing.

Ring of truth

It's a little known fact that I did an internship at Jostens during my college years. The experience can best be described as "mixed," but I'm happy to see they've let down their hair a bit. This new ring for the graduating gamer is all manner of awesome.

Thanks to GoNintendo for highlighting it.

Sky Mall Kitties - Kitties of the air!

This absolutely tickled me. Enjoy.

Nintendo World, here I come!

It's been called a gaming paradise. Later this month, I'm calling it my hangout.

I'll be back in New York City the last weekend in February for another work function. And despite my last excruciatingly painful trip to the Big Apple, I'm looking forward to the trip. Why? The topics to be discussed are important, the connections to be made are vital, and the free day to be enjoyed is exciting. It'll allow me — the unabashed Nintendo fanboy that I am — to visit the Nintendo World Store! I can feel my wallet getting lighter just thinking about this excursion…

I'm already doing some window shopping online in advance of the trip. I'm jazzed to play the several Wii and DS games you're allowed to try, already ogling the exclusive merchandise the store stocks and eager to see the many classic products on display under glass. I will, as the shirts say, know my roots.

Are you jealous? *wink*

Social media: Mission critical

[Note: This is my first blog post for Small Act! It originally published on Tuesday.]

If your nonprofit continues to ignore social media, your website (and maybe your organization) could become irrelevant in less than a year.

Why? Simply put, social media is the main way people are finding content on the web now. According to a recent San Francisco Chronicle article, Facebook has outstripped Google as the main traffic source for big sites like MSN and Yahoo!.

What does this mean for you and your organization? With people relying on their friends to recommend websites and articles, rather than going out and searching for them independently, it's more important than ever that you have a comprehensive, strategic plan for how your organization works with social media as a part of your overall communications, marketing, and web strategy...

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Christmas in February?

I don't buy many action figures, but the annual Toy Fair show still captivates me. Why? Because it never fails to impress.

But this year's big surprise was a doozy. Finally delivering a figure it advertised decades ago, Hasbro is making available the fabled rocket-firing Boba Fett. This mail-away offer, presented in connection with the 30th anniversary of "The Empire Strikes Back," was outlined in Hasbro's press slideshow and print materials. You can see the actual figure, which closely resembles the original Boba Fett figure, here. The main difference between the figure first proposed three decades ago and the one available later this year is the elongated "missile." While some naysayers might chide Hasbro for taking the extra step to avoid shipping a choking hazard, I applaud the company for giving longtime "Star Wars" fans this special treat in addition to their newest Boba Fett figure, which is pretty darn sweet.

And those figures aren't the only nicknacks I'm tempted to buy this year. The recently announced Hallmark ornaments for this year include miniature Boba Fett and Han Solo in carbonite decorations. I think they'd look great on the tiny tree Annie and I use in our apartment each December.

Some other winning concepts unveiled at this year's Toy Fair were new figures based on the enjoyable "G.I. Joe: Resolute" cartoon, some retro-styled figures based on the "Venture Bros." series, and two impressive Transformer sets that reimagine classic gestalts Superion and Bruticus for the current toyline. There also are some pretty slick toys based on the upcoming "Transformers: War for Cybertron" video game.

Finally, I'd be remiss not to mention the Boba Fett helmet and blaster that are releasing exactly 26 years too late for 6-year-old Josh to enjoy. Alas. It's good to know, though, that other boys will have fun playing bounty hunter.

I hate my Blackberry Flip.

T-Mobile has generally been good to me. I've been a loyal customer since they were Voicestream back in 2000. But lately, I'm liking them - or, specifically, the phone I'm saddled with until my 2-year contract runs out - less.

Last year around this time, my Motorola Razr was dying, and I needed a smartphone to take to tech conferences. I really wanted the G1, but it was too large, and it looked like the G2 (what ended up being the Google MyTouch) was just around the corner. I couldn't afford to wait, though...my phone rebooted itself about 6 times a day. So I picked what I thought was the best option at the time - the Blackberry Flip. I liked the flip design, because I was a notorious accidental-dialer in the days before I had a flip phone. I liked that it was small and easy to fit in my pocket, and looked like a phone instead of a tiny computer. Plus, bonus - it was only $50 if I did a 2-year upgrade on my contract. But man, have I regretted the purchase. Here's why:

The operating system sucks.
First off, the Blackberry operating system is set up in completely counterintuitive ways. If you want to, say, remove an application, you have to go through Settings -> Options -> Advanced Options -> Applications. If I want to make the little red light stop blinking whenever I get a new email, I don't do that under the settings within the email program itself. I have to go to Profiles -> Advanced -> Normal (or whatever) and then edit that particular email account from the list. Worse, the defaults are set up to be full-fledged ringtones when I get texts or emails or whatever...and even worse than that, for some reason my custom setup has a habit of randomly reverting back to default every couple of months for no reason. Where in the past I've been able to figure out how to adjust the settings on my phone pretty easily, now I have to Google every problem I have to see which obscure submenu it's buried under.

It's slow.
The only thing that works quickly on this phone is the email, which, admittedly, is what it's built to handle. I have few problems with the email client. But the apps and web browsing are painfully slow. It's not on the 3G network, so I don't know if that would help (I doubt that would help my Texas Hold 'Em game run faster, but it may help with UberTwitter and Facebook, for example).

Apps are developed as an afterthought, and are rarely worth their salt.
There aren't a ton of useful apps for the Blackberry, largely because it's seen as a business phone and not a "fun" phone. I think developers see it as a "oh, maybe we should make an app for the Blackberry, but only after we make one for the iPhone, the Droid, and the Pre." The Facebook app in particular suuuuucks. My biggest beef with it is that the only way it'll connect to your Facebook messages (which is mainly what I want it for) is if you have your Facebook account set up to email you whenever you get a message. This is lame in two ways. First, when I go back online to my email, I always have all these unread Facebook messages sitting in my inbox (even though I've actually opened them on my phone)...and I can't filter them into a folder because otherwise the app won't tell me if I have new messages. Secondly, if I read a Facebook message on my computer, it still shows as unread on my phone, so I have to do this regular dance of marking things as read on my phone after I've read them on the computer. And did I mention the app is slow?

The predictive text is unforgiving.
There are two letters on each key to keep the phone nice and slim, which wouldn't be a problem if the predictive text weren't so unforgiving and odd. For instance, I type the word "he" and it always defaults to "ge" for some reason. I always have to backspace and retype it. If I type a word and it chooses the wrong one (which is all-too-frequent), it is a struggle to convince it to choose another word that involves a lot of backspacing and retyping, and switching to the multitap method is cumbersome when you're mid-text-message. The Razr handled this much better.

The camera sucks.
Honestly, I've taken maybe five decent photos with this camera. Almost every picture turns out blurry. My Razr had a better camera than this thing.

It's glitchy as hell.
Oh, the errors! For one thing, it's routinely convinced I have unread messages when I do not. There are always two phantom messages shown by the indicator that DO NOT EXIST. When I called T-Mobile about the problem, they said it was a "known outage" (whatever that means) and that it would resolve itself. Two months later, it hasn't.

I also have persistent issues with the SIM card not being recognized, even though I got a brand-new SIM card when I got the phone and replaced it after a week of SIM errors. Now I'm getting them again - usually in the middle of a call, which requires me to pop out the battery, wait a minute, then pop it back in and reboot - a process that takes a solid 5 minutes (did I mention it's slow)? The scenario in which this usually happens is that I'm walking home from Metro, at night, talking to my mom, and suddenly the call drops and I get a SIM card error, which means I can't call her back until I do this battery-pop-out-and-wait-five-minutes business. So my poor mother is wondering if I've been mugged or something.

T-Mobile has a policy where you can return your new phone within a couple of weeks of purchase...but I didn't start having problems with it or realizing all its flaws until I'd had it for a few months (about the same time the Google MyTouch came out). When I called and explained all the problems I was having and asked them very nicely if I could upgrade my phone to the Google MyTouch, they sweetly explained to me that of course I could, for about $500, since I wasn't up for a contract renewal for another year and a half. (My husband, who got a MyTouch when his contract was up, paid about $150.) They were kind enough to allow me to get a new SIM card for free when mine was malfunctioning (a new SIM card normally costs $20, they informed me), but I had to make a special trip into the store to get it, and as I said...I'm still having SIM card problems, which leads me to believe the phone is at fault.

You'd think that if a customer was having THIS MANY ISSUES with their phone, and has been a loyal customer for 10 years, T-Mobile might cut you some slack and at least let you upgrade for the "contract renewal" price. But their hard line on this issue, along with the increased frequency of dropped calls both Josh and I have been having, have really soured my impression of them as a company. It's a shame, because they have some of the best-priced plans in the industry (and some of the best coverage). But selling me a lemon of a phone and then charging me an arm and a leg to upgrade...that's just bad service.

UPDATE: It's like the thing KNEW I was going to post this. Last night, I got totally fed up with the Facebook app and decided to uninstall it. And then, like magic, I lost all my contacts, because Facebook syncs with your contacts list. GAH! So I called tech support, and they were able to restore about half of my contacts - the ones saved on the SIM card. But they had no idea how to restore my contacts that were connected with the Facebook app, and said it was outside their purview. So then I asked about the SIM card errors, and they started to guide me through updating the software, but since I didn't have the phone link cable with me we were unable to do anything with that either. ARGH!

Back with a vengeance

It seems the rumors of HeroClix's death have been greatly exaggerated.

The game I once championed and thought gone is reasserting itself as fiercely as freshly powered Green Lanterns. The figure here of Hal Jordan comes from the upcoming Blackest Night starter set, which ties into the massively successful DC Comics storyline. That marks the game's big May release. Before that? The Brave and The Bold, a fresh set that introduces many neat concepts like "alter egos," hits stores in April.

The greatest surprise, though, is the Watchmen set slated for release this summer. Based on last year's film, this boxed set includes 25 figures and will be released alongside a Dr. Manhattan colossal figure that stands 14 inches tall. This ingenious move should reignite the interest of many lapsed players. Imagine the fun of pitting the Watchmen characters against the Charlton Comics characters that inspired them. Nite Owl outmaneuvering Blue Beetle? Rorschach punching The Question? Yes, please!

Having previously sold my HeroClix figures, I won't be joining this battle, but I wish WizKids/NECA the best in this endeavor. Trying to bounce back from near defeat is something to which I can relate.

Life Without Internet: Annie's Rebuttal

Yesterday, Josh posted his thoughts on what life would be like if the Internet were suddenly taken away. Seeing as I make my living by working with websites and social media, I have...well, let's call it a DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.

First off, I'll address the privacy concerns. Yes, once you put yourself online, you lose some degree of privacy. And yes, even by setting up who-can-see-what filters on Facebook, that's not a 100% guarantee that it won't be archived and findable in some distant future, or reposted by a friend in the near future. But you know what? Nobody is forcing you to put anything online that you're not comfortable doing so. If you go by the rule that you don't post anything you don't want the world to see, then you're generally OK. For example, we made a very conscious choice not to blog anonymously when we started this blog, because we didn't want to have to worry about "OMG, what if my boss/parents see this?" Having everything we post tied to our real names keeps us aware that it is findable by anyone. And if you're worried about people reposting your "private" stuff on Facebook, sure, that can happen, but people can share and gossip about things you say and do in real life, too. (You'd think a journalist would be well aware of that fact.)

As for context, you create your own context online. Sure, some ex-boyfriend may post a page of naked pictures of you, and that ends up being your first Google search result. But you know what? If you're concerned about what others think about you, your job is then to make sure you put so much great stuff about yourself online that this lame attempt to sully your name gets buried on page 12 of the Google search. You control your own story. Start a blog under your real name. Have a presence on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and post great stuff others feel compelled to share.

And attention span? Let's face it, television killed that sucker long ago. For the Sesame Street generation, a lengthy attention span is a thing of the past, and I'm not sure that's an entirely a bad thing. Being able to multitask and juggle several items in your head at a time is an asset in today's workforce. The Internet is not to blame, but it is a crucial resource for learning about things quickly. Let's say you're asked to give a presentation on String Theory and its implications for your hardware store. No longer do you need to haul your butt over to the library, search through a physical card catalog, and pull tons of books off the shelf in hopes that you'll find one that speaks your language and makes the connections you need it to. Now, the information you need is just a few keystrokes away. And Wikipedia has taught us that crowdsourcing can actually improve the accuracy of that information.

As for friends, I feel like I know a lot more about my friends thanks to the Internet and social networking. Even when people post the mundane stuff ("I love pizza rolls!"), it's like a tiny window into their everyday life you don't normally get to see, and the next time you see that person, you have one more thing you can talk about. But where the Internet really shines is in keeping up networking connections. If I meet someone at BlogWorld, it's unlikely I'm going to call them every few months just to keep my name in their heads and see how they're doing. I don't have the time, and goodness knows they're probably too busy to talk to me anyway. But through Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, not only can I get to know them better, but they can see what I'm up to and keep me top-of-mind for future opportunities.

Not only that, the ability to spread information virally through those networking connections is vital. We're now aware of and care about things happening on the other side of the globe in a way we didn't used to be, because mainstream media filtered what they thought we ought to care about. When protests were happening in Iran over the election results, for example, those people posted what was happening on Twitter, giving regular citizens a view into what they were going through. And people responded all over the globe, working to raise awareness in a way that no non-profit or word-of-mouth campaign ever could. When the earthquake occurred in Haiti, people knew about it right away and responded in record numbers to help. And a colleague of mine successfully leveraged the tongue-in-cheek banter surrounding the iPad's launch to raise over $2,000 for girls in Uganda to be able to continue to go to school (the connection? They tend to drop out when they hit puberty because they don't have access to sanitary supplies).

Sure, there are bad things about the Internet. There are bad things about the telephone, too (especially my stupid Blackberry, but that's another post entirely). Like any tool, it's about how you use it that makes the difference. And the Internet has the power to improve and expand your social connections, teach you more than you ever dreamed about almost any subject matter, and connect you to a global community. You can't put a price tag on that...and our world would definitely be worse off without it.

Life without Internet?

The massive blizzards that recently swept through Washington — leaving many homes cold and powerless in their wake — got me thinking. What if the world suddenly and irrevocably lost the Internet?

An unimaginable horror for many, I'm sure, the web's disappearance would fundamentally alter our society. No longer would we be able to instantly and at our convenience communicate with family, friends and coworkers. A bulk of the world's commerce would be halted. The flow of information would revert to such a state that younger citizens would find the world practically unrecognizable. Striking the world of e-mail, Facebook, Amazon, iTunes, Google, Netflix and more would be like flipping back the calendar two decades.

And you know what? It might not be a bad idea. I'm no luddite, but I grow less and less comfortable with what The Web has done to society in general and my generation in particular.

Privacy? It's basically an obsolete concept. Even if you lock The Public out of your Facebook and Twitter pages, as I do, there's nothing preventing someone with access from reposting things I post. And these fences and firewalls that are erected can all too easily fall prey to some overzealous hacker or programming hiccup. Nothing is secure. Nothing. I'm honestly surprised I've not yet experienced some snafu with my online banking.

Context? Too many people are no longer interested. That video of you drunk in college cavorting around the frat house that someone laughingly posted to their blog two years ago will come back to bite you when you run for Congress. That bitterly phrased tweet you sent while fuming about your boyfriend's infidelity will be cached and archived for everyone to see for years to come. And even though we've all said and done things we've regretted, nobody will be interested in an explanation. They'll be too busy laughing. Or passing judgement.

Attention? Forget about lengthening its span. Blogs — blogs! — are epic presentations compared to the exchange of ideas on social networks. If you can't say it now in 140 characters, it's evidently not worth saying. The path to world peace has to be short enough to retweet or nobody will read it.

Friends? Ask yourself this: How many do you truly have? My account on Facebook says I've got 77. Annie's account says she has 200 more. But are these people truly your friend? How many of these friends are people you merely know in passing? When's the last time you spoke to some of these friends on the phone? If you had a bad day, how many of these friends would even bother to ask, "What happened?" I don't know the answers to those questions, of course. But what frightens me is that I don't think you know the answers, either.

The mighty Internet has brought us many great things. It's pushed us technologically toward advances that we hadn't imagined 10 years ago. It's revolutionized the free market system. And it's made knowledge about anything just a few clicks away.

But make no mistake. It's also made the world a colder, less personal and less forgiving place. Too many of my peers are now stuck before a screen from sunup to sundown and beyond. Too much of our time is spent shoveling intimate life details onto — or scrambling to take them off of — our many feeds. Too few meaningful ideas are exchanged and conversations are had as we instead lavishly praise those who rightly agree with us or tear asunder those who dare upset us.

As you might have surmised, this rant has been long in the coming. And now that it's been posted, who knows where it will go or how it might some day be used against me. But should it be thusly used, so be it. You'll only prove me right.

Life without Internet might be better.

Learning my lesson

I really enjoyed the DC Comics weekly series "52" when it was first published in 2006. And because it was such a good read, I wasn't too angry to see it later collected in noticeably cheaper paperback volumes.

I was angry enough, though, that I made mental note of what happened and pledged to save some good money the next time DC Comics published a weekly series I wanted to buy. That's why I've waited to read "Wednesday Comics," the celebrated series that took its cues from newspaper serials of old. It's a fantastic concept and I've enjoyed what I've seen of the series. But I had a sneaking suspicion that waiting to buy it would save me more than a few dollars. I was right.

Amazon recently posted their pre-order page for the hardcover "Wednesday Comics" collection. What once cost $48 in single issue format now costs $32 as one volume. Plus, the hardcover collection sports better paper stock and extra material. It's obvious which option is the better deal.

Now I just need to find enough spare change to place the order…

Little reason to visit 'Death Star'

You might recall that I recently and enthusiastically jumped back on the "Star Wars" bandwagon with the purchase of four novels. One novel later, though, I'm starting to question the wisdom of my purchase.

I chose to first read "Death Star" by Michael Reaves and Steve Perry, the story behind the infamous space station's creation. I had hoped the book would help ease me back into the "Star Wars" universe by offering a story based on something familiar to me. And the book generally served that purpose. But it didn't achieve much else. Overriding problems with story structure and character development precluded me from truly enjoying "Death Star."

Written less like a fully developed novel and more like a series of loosely intertwined short stories, "Death Star" tells the stories of several enlistees and civilians who come to work on the station. The paths of some characters, such as Death Star Gunner Tenn Graneet and escaped convict Ratua, push the story forward nicely. But other purportedly central characters, such as Chief Librarian Atour Riten and architect Teela Kaarz, are painfully extraneous and serve little purpose. The novel would have done better to focus on fewer characters — and use major players such as Darth Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin more sparingly.

Another misstep the book makes is failing to follow through on its back-cover promise to discuss the Death Star "from inception to completion." I learned more about the station's history by reading its Wookieepedia entry than this book, which focused on the waning days of its construction and its first missions. Perhaps the only new pieces of information the book added to my understanding were (admittedly good) explanations for the exhaust port's placement and the Death Star gunner's many "stand by" delays at the end of Episode IV.

But four pages of "aha!" do not make up for 400 pages of "meh." By writing better individual and overlapping tales, Reaves and Perry could have produced a greater novel. As it is, though, there's little reason to visit this "Death Star."

Best Buy for the loss?

We've got an opposite day encore today at Think Lynsen. Awesome is lame, Martin Scorsese is Michael Bay, and Best Buy is once again on notice.





The cyclical love/hate relationship we have with the chain took a turn for the worse this week when we found that its Reward Zone program erased 140 points — that's $140 worth of purchases — due to some "annual point expiration." The point loss was fairly minor in the scheme of things. It was about halfway to $5 in store credit. But the decision to scrap these points greatly irritated and confused me. Is not the point of establishing a customer reward program to encourage customers to return? Why then would you actively discourage customers to return by nullifying points they've earned?

Honestly, there's little reason for us to keep shopping at Best Buy without the Reward Zone incentive. Video game and DVD prices generally are much better at Amazon. And for reasons beyond our control, we're certainly not going to be shopping for an HDTV or Blu-ray player anytime soon.

I can't help but wonder: Have you ever had a customer reward program backfire like this? How did it affect your shopping habbits? And how would you respond to what happened to us?

Comcast for the win?

It's opposite day today at Think Lynsen. Down is up, cold is hot, and Comcast is getting some praise.

I'm giving the cable company that many people love to hate a pat on the back because as part of the nation's digital TV switchover, Comcast is letting us have a free digital converter box. At first, I wasn't thrilled to add yet another box to our shelves, but my frown turned upside down once I realized the device granted us access to On Demand.

The service, which offers loads of free content, helped pass the time nicely during the weekend blizzard. It let me watch the first episodes of "Caprica," the new "Battlestar Galactica" prequel; a pretty good "Dr. Who" show; and an installment of "Iron Chef America." (Who knew people could get so worked up over figs?) I also noticed it offered episodes of "Survivors," a show my friend Rob tells me I must see. The free movie lineup was admittedly far less impressive, with "Sweeny Todd" representing the best offering among a lineup that featured "Robocop 3," "Species II" and "Swim Fan." Still, the free TV offerings made the device hookup worth the effort.

I look forward to enjoying this content — and more — during the two years Comcast lets us use for free the digital converter box. Thanks, Cable Guys, for hooking us up.

Less than meets the eye

There are two kinds of Transformers fans. There're the kind that know and love the American material — and there're the kind that additionally know and love the Japanese material.

That latter breed is given to talk about such odd things as "Headmasters" and "Masterforce." The words "Victory" and "Zone" also hold special meaning for the group. Why? These are the four classic seasons of "Transformers" shows to air only in Japan. The seasons, which picked up where the American series ended, at first resemble the 1980s show you know. But the seasons get progressively weirder, eventually becoming nigh unrecognizable. Trust me. I've seen "Zone." It looks more like a "Voltron" reject than anything from the "Transformers" universe.

Many hardcore fans consider these seasons the Holy Grail of "Transformers" animation. The seasons were never officially released in America and are tough to find unless you know where to look. But there's good reason for that. The seasons are so dissimilar in tone and style to the show American audiences remember that I doubt they'd go over well.

Fans of these obscure seasons were nonetheless whipped into a frenzy last week after Brian Ward of Shout Factory wondered aloud if he should pursue securing an official DVD release of the shows for America. As you might imagine, there was a small but loud chorus of affirmation.

I wonder, though, whether Shout Factory can turn a profit on this endeavor. There's no good English audio track available for these shows — just a very bad voiceover that was done by hobbyists years ago. Discarding that awful translation and resorting to subtitles would be the only realistic way to go, but how well would such a product be received by anyone other than the hardest of hardcore fans? I question whether Shout Factory could convince stores to stock these incredibly obscure items. That would leave only direct sales to consumers via Shout Factory's web site. Could that approach move enough copies to recoup the mighty costs of licensing, film restoration, translation, subtitling and adding special features? Maybe, but I doubt it.

As cool as it would be to see "Headmasters" finally available on DVD in America, the realist in me has to acknowledge the whole project is probably cost prohibitive.

Back from the dead

Did you know that despite my passion for Nintendo products, my favorite game is not a video game?

That honor goes to "Betrayal at House on the Hill," a board game Avalon Hill published in 2004. If you're unfamiliar with the deliciously creepy game, you might be interested in this demo. Criminally underappreciated when it first released for $40, the game has since achieved such reputation that copies still in good condition command ridiculously inflated prices. The love that we and our friends have for the game has been matched only by the sadness that "Betrayal at House on the Hill" long ago fell out of print.

But the game is soon to prove a lesson that its monsters often illustrate: Sometimes things come back from the dead.

Bruce Glassco, the game's creator, has revealed a second edition of the game is in the works and set to publish this fall. Annie and I were fortunate enough to meet Bruce, who's seated at Annie's left in the picture here, a few years ago at PrezCon in Virginia. At that time, Bruce told us he was developing an expansion set for the game that would offer new rooms for players to explore and more scenarios for them to enact. Sadly, that expansion set was not published, but it looks like the ideas are now being rolled into the game's second edition.

I'm thrilled that Bruce is getting another chance to share his game — and that gamers everywhere will again have the chance to enjoy this fantastic diversion!

"Pirates for Hispaniola" event to benefit Haiti

Want to help Haiti? Love pirates (or at least booze and great music)? This event looks AWESOME. It starts at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 6.

Join Calico Jenny, Letter of Marque, Long John Skivee, Captain Fletcher T. Moone, Pirates for Sail, Scales and Crosstones, the Ship's Company Chanteymen, Jonathan Strum, Son of Strum/Gael in the Harbor, the Vagabonds, and more for a benefit for the victims of the Haitian earthquake. Piratz Tavern will be offering drink specials and donating a portion of the proceeds of those sales to the cause. Suggested donation of $10 minimum. Cash or check donations only. All donations to go to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund and are tax deductible. Make checks payable to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund.

Piratz Tavern is located in Silver Spring, Md. and is Metro-accessible and full of win (and great food, and great drinks). Learn more about the event and RSVP on Facebook.

Stand-up comedy recommendations on Netflix

Sometimes, we just can't commit to a full-length movie. But one hidden treasure we've discovered in the Netflix "Watch It Now" section is a whole host of excellent stand-up routines. As of right now* here's some of what you can find that we recommend:

EDDIE IZZARD
Circle
Dress to Kill
Definite Article

JIM GAFFIGAN
Beyond the Pale

GABRIEL IGLESIAS
Hot and Fluffy

*Recently we discovered that Netflix cycles certain titles out of the "Watch It Now" section. So, depending on when you're reading this blog post, these titles may no longer be available. In other words, watch it now.

Fenwick Beer & Wine Review

At first I thought it was weird that a liquor store opened up in this tiny house in downtown Silver Spring, but now I kind of wish all liquor stores were set up in such a cozy, friendly environment. Walking into Fenwick Beer and Wine, you feel immediately comfortable, partly because you're instantly greeted by Suman Shrestha, the friendly man who owns the business with his wife Cathy. You'll also see a dazzling array of microbrew and imported beers, most of which I've never heard of (though not being a beer aficionado, my opinion doesn't count for much). The wine selection is small compared to your typical grocery-store-sized liquor store, but carefully curated by the owners to ensure a balance of high quality and reasonable prices. Give them an idea of what you like and they'll happily guide you to a good selection.

One of the things I like best about the place is that they take requests for items to stock. I requested Strongbow hard cider, which I've had trouble finding in stores, and they got it in within a week. They also have weekly wine tastings and have started selling local artisan cheeses.

All in all, a really nice store with a nice atmosphere and quality customer service. If you live in Silver Spring, go check it out!

OMG I've been piratized

This happened last week, but in the flurry of getting my ducks in a row for my departure from KaBOOM!, I neglected to post it here.

In recognition of my two-year anniversary with KaBOOM!, I had my caricature done. I get a framed version of it, and a copy of it will be permanently shellacked to the wall of one of our conference rooms along with drawings of all the other staff who have worked there two years or more.



The outfit (minus the hat, which I had the artist add for that extra pirate flair) is based on one I actually own, which makes this image even more special to me. The bird on the shoulder represents my management of the KaBOOM! Twitter account. Josh loves that it looks terrified, like it's clinging to my shoulder for dear life.

It looks like you have a sword

Thanks to GoNintendo for the laugh.

Noooooo!!!

That scream you heard this weekend was housands of Star Wars game fans suddenly crying out in frustration.

The company behind the most recent versions of Star Wars card, miniature and role playing games, Wizards of the Coast, announced late last week that it was dropping the license. What the company called a "tough decision" was attributed to "the economic downturn."

I never purchased any Star Wars products from Wizards of the Coast, but that doesn't mean I don't feel for the fans. I remember when a similar rug was pulled out from under me in 2001, the year that Lucasfilm left Decipher to start a new card game with Wizards of the Coast. As someone who had played Decipher's Star Wars Customizable Card Game for six years, I felt no shortage of anger and betrayal. I was angry that my game — my game! — was coming to an end. And I felt betrayed because it seemed like Lucasfilm was snubbing the investment I'd made. I dare say a great many Wizards of the Coast customers feel the same way this week.

Yes, I eventually sold all my cards, but that had more to do with my moving away from my gaming group than any exasperation in the license debacle. Nine years later, I look back fondly upon the game and the many good times I had playing it with friends. There are even times when I wish I still had a couple decks, just to give the game another go.

I understand what fans of these newly discontinued Star Wars games are feeling, but I encourage them to make no hasty decisions. Dumping your collection on eBay might not be the best option. The game you've played and enjoyed need not be any less fun today than it was a week ago. If you need any proof of that, sit down and teach me to play. I'm happy to learn.

These games will not die so long as you care to share them with friends old and new.

Hogsmeade...I want to go to there

Pardon me, I just need to scrape my jaw off the floor...

I just learned about the Universal Studios replica of Hogsmeade from the Harry Potter books (opening this spring). I was skeptical at first, but then I saw these videos and OMG I WANT TO GO.

From a replica of Ollivander's Shop (where you can actually have the "wand chooses you" experience...though I wonder how they'll handle that when there's more than one person in the shop at a time) to an interactive ride through Hogwarts itself, this sounds like a really awesome vacation destination for any Harry Potter fan. Check out these videos...the first is about Ollivander's, and the second is an overview of the park in its entirety.