My dream: The un-gym

I went rollerskating this weekend, which I did last spring as well. It was so fun, and despite the sore muscles and bruises that resulted from a spectacular ass-over-teakettle spill I took, it was super fun. The only complication was that there were three birthday parties going on, and the place was teeming with kids of varying levels of comfort with or interest in the concept of rollerskating. So it was a bit like playing a real-life version of Frogger or Paperboy at times, which made things a bit nerve-wracking for those of us who aren't super skilled and have a higher center of gravity than the average eight-year-old.

The degree of fun I had while working up a sweat made me think, though, how awesome it would be if I could do this as a regular form of exercise. And that led me to think even bigger, and create in my mind a dream place to work out, which I'm calling "The Un-Gym."

The Un-Gym is based on the idea that adults are more likely to get fit if it's actually fun to do, and targeted at those who aren't comfortable with or interested in team sports. So here's the kind of stuff you'll find there instead:

1. Roller skating (grown-ups only, great '70s and '80s music, black lighting, and disco ball required)
2. Trapeze lessons
3. Playground equipment for grownups (adult-sized monkey bars, slides, swings, etc.)
4. Trampolines
5. Rock climbing
6. Anything else that's fun and non-competitive

Also, while memberships would be a cost-effective option for those who want to frequent the gym regularly, there would also be punch cards and individual day rates for those who just want to go once in awhile.

Finally, there would be a snack bar with food that's both healthy and fun. Smoothies with funky straws, whole wheat pizzas with star-shaped pepperoni, that sort of thing.

What would your dream fitness facility look like? Would something like the Un-Gym appeal to you?

Farewell, Game Boy Advance

It's little surprise that amidst the Nintendo 3DS launch comes news that GameStop will soon cease buying and selling Game Boy Advance systems and games.

The venerable platform had a fantastic run, producing a host of quality games, and its offerings were backward compatible with the first versions of the original Nintendo DS. I still have two GBA games in my collection: "Final Fantasy: Dawn of Souls" and the first "WarioWare, Inc." game. So long as I keep my original Nintendo DS system, I'll be keeping these great titles.

But if you're looking to sell off any GBA games still littering your drawers, now is the time to do so. GameStop will stop buying the GBA systems and games sometime in April. So act now, less all you're left with is the option to turn your GBA games into USB drives. Not that that's a bad thing, mind you.

The more things change…

One of things I most enjoyed about going through the old Starlog magazines I bought last year was reviewing the "time capsule" they offered. Along those lines comes this 23-year-old video highlighting a California comic convention. Some of the highlights?

1:52 – Stan Lee talking about rediscovering his old works and oh-so-humbly describing them as "sensational"

3:30 – Clips from some old Marvel animated shows, including one that shows Captain America's apparent bikini-clad sidekick

5:35 – A dealer noting that Wolverine would soon be getting his own series

5:42 – The television reporter noting that Marvel Comics #1 — which now costs more than $300,000 — being priced at $20,000

6:30 – The same reporter somewhat misfiring over his description of the X-Men as "a gang of mutants"

7:05 – Two anchors bantering about comics, with one man obviously exaggerating when he says he reads them "all the time"

The video is worth a watch and a chuckle if you've got a few minutes to spare.

Video games as art

Longtime readers know I enjoy visiting the Smithsonian museums. They're full of fun and enlightening exhibits that audiences of all ages and backgrounds can easily access and understand.

So it was with great joy that I learned the Smithsonian's American Art Museum is developing an exhibition titled The Art of Video Games. Opening in March 2012, the exhibition explores the evolution of the medium, its creative use of technology and its striking visuals. And perhaps best of all? You get to vote on which games are highlighted!

You've got until April 7 to vote on the games the museum should include in the exhibit. The automated voting system forces some incredibly difficult choices, but I applaud the Smithsonian for so engaging the public. I can't wait to see the voting results, which will be posted online in May, and the final exhibit.

'Hey, listen!'

This is perhaps the best fan video for "The Legend of Zelda" that I've ever seen. Enjoy!

Stay strong, Japan

In the weeks following Japan's earthquake and tsunami, I've been glued to NHK World. Their sensitive, attentive reporting of the nation's ongoing suffering has been as compelling as it is informative. The reporting makes it clear that it will take years for many areas to recover — and every bit of help is needed.

Fortunately, help is coming in many forms. Everything from a LivingSocial deal that raised $2.3 million to an encouraging song from Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi is making a difference. If you can, I encourage you to make a difference, too, either through fiscal aid or building awareness.

Enjoy the song from Sakaguchi below, then consider how you can best help Japan stay strong. Thank you.

[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]

Best thing I ate in Austin

Forgive me if I'm not diving into the "meat" of the conferences I've attended...truth be told, I'm still processing it all. And dwelling on the surface stuff is more fun, anyway.

Picture source: Flightpath

So Freshbooks had these great parties (yes, plural) during SXSW. One of the key features of the party was an ice cream sandwich bar. You selected your cookie and your ice cream, and the staff immediately made you an ice cream sandwich with that combination.

These were not just any cookies and ice creams, though. The cookie flavors ranged from oatmeal raisin to chocolate chip to solid chocolate to ginger to snickerdoodle. The ice creams ranged from chocolate and vanilla to dirty mint chip (my fave), Mexican chocolate, and candied bacon (!).

I tried the chocolate cookie combined with the dirty mint chip ice cream (called "dirty" because there were shreds of fresh mint leaves in it) as well as a ginger cookie combined with Mexican chocolate. Though they were very messy to eat (the glorious 80-degree weather made them a bit of a mess in short order), they were amazing and delicious.

Kudos to Freshbooks for an amazing party with amazing food!

Conference swag roundup

I just got back from South By Southwest Interactive and the Nonprofit Technology Conference. They were both amazing and full of educational fun. Here's a roundup of the best swag I got!

I found this shirt in The Beacon Lounge.
Sure, it's a logo, but it's a really CUTE logo.

Circus Mashimus, like last year, had awesome
shirts. The only downside is that, unlike last
year, the backs are covered in logos. Oh well.
Free is free!

Claimed this one at The Internet is Serious Business party,
sponsored by the Cheezburger Network.

I got this tee for free when I bought a tee from Glennz.
Love, love, love their shirts.

Also acquired at The Internet is Serious Business party.

Disney had this awesome TRON exhibit and gave away
TRON frisbees that light up. Josh was all a-squee when I
brought it home.

This was in everybody's bags at NTC.
Dan Heath was our keynote speaker, and he
was amazing, so I can't wait to read it!

iMis gave out these awesome pedometers at NTC. Nicest
free pedometer I've ever seen.

Blackbaud gave out these really-not-Twitter birds.

Capcom gave out these awesome Okami
Nintendo 3DS styluses. Again, Josh was
a-squee.

A tiny level and measuring tape in one? Cool!

This keychain hides a screen cleaning cloth!

There was a school bus passing out free
copies of this book, which I coincidentally
had just finished reading on the plane.
It's awesome - highly recommended.

Kotaku, GoNintendo and more love StreetPass DC

StreetPass DC is getting some great press in the days leading up to the Nintendo 3DS launch!

Check out the very positive coverage and support StreetPass DC got this weekend from Kotaku, GoNintendo and the Nintendo 3DS Blog! The posts came the same weekend that StreetPass DC launched a Facebook ad campaign. I'm so excited for the first meetup April 9!

This would've been helpful when I was playing D&D.

Super Mario All-Stars is back in stores!

You see that? That's our copy of "Super Mario All-Stars." If you want a copy, too, you should go shopping today.

Nintendo reprinted the game, which first hit stores in December, after it became notoriously difficult to find. My fruitless attempt to track down a copy in late January was exemplary of how quickly the game had become scarce. I'm glad that Nintendo recognized the continuing hunger for the game and was so quick to release a second printing.

But this second — and final — printing is not unlimited. So if you're looking to score a copy of "Super Mario All-Stars," which includes enhanced versions of the first three Mario games and one bonus game, get it soon. Because once they're gone, they're truly gone.

Tron 2.5: Flynn Lives

In advance of the April 5 home video release of "Tron: Legacy," this apparent DVD extra has leaked to the web. The 10-minute segment nicely resurrects a character from the original film and sets the stage for a third film.



I'd almost go so far as to say this segment does a better job at plot advancement and lore enhancement than "Tron: Legacy." What do you think?

SXSW in illustrated form

There's a wealth of information presented each year at SXSW, but it's tough to stay abreast of it all. That's why you should check out Ogilvy Notes.

Chock full of visual panel summaries, like the one above for "Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better," Ogilvy Notes offers easy-to-read summaries of several SXSW keynotes and presentations. Hit up the link for a growing resource that includes illustrations from such panels as "Collaboration Over Competition," "Be Heard: How To Innovate At Big Companies" and many more.

Hats off to the folks behind Ogilvy Notes for this awesome resource!

Annie got to try the Nintendo 3DS

I'm always jealous of Annie's annual pilgrimages to SXSW, but this year I'm particularly envious. That's because she got to try the Nintendo 3DS on Sunday.

She called me while she was playing the handheld system, which hits U.S. stores March 27, and spoke very highly of the experience. Annie was playing "Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition," which is the game I'm most tempted to purchase when I buy the system. She said the 3D effect, while somewhat temperamental, is convincing and easy on the eyes. The effect isn't like watching a 3D movie, where things seem to come toward you, but rather like looking through a window. Overall? She told me (and Twitter) the system gets a thumbs up. "Way up," she said.

At one point during our conversation, Annie handed her phone to a nearby Capcom employee so I could ask some specific questions about "Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition." I learned more about the game's very cool StreetPass mode, including how the collectible figures obtained in that mode have specific stats and levels, and how there are some reasonable limits on the mode's functionality so that two people can't keep walking past each other every few minutes to quickly unlock all content. The employee also affirmed some details I read in Nintendo Power about how friendly the fighting game is for casual players.

The conversation left me very jazzed about the game — and Annie's favorable experience with the system made me even more eager to try and buy. I can't wait until I get my hands on the system!

Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Japan

Our thoughts and prayers today are with the people of Japan and other areas affected by the earthquake and ensuing tsunami. The images being broadcast by NHK World, which is based in Tokyo, are terrifying, mind boggling and heartbreaking.

The 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck with such force that it swayed the iconic Tokyo Tower, bending its topmost antenna. We were in the tower during our November trip to Japan.

For all the latest information, you would do well to view the English version of NHK World, read the English version of the Daily Yomiuri newspaper, or follow the tweets of Steve Herman, a Voice of America correspondent covering Japan.

Again, our sincerest hopes for a smooth and speedy recovery are with the people of Japan and other areas affected by today's earthquake and tsunami. Should you wish to donate to an emergency relief fund, we would suggest you consider GlobalGiving.

Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down: Randomness Edition

I have so many starred items in Google Reader right now it's insane. So in the interest in passing along these many items as quickly as possible, there is no theme this week. Only randomness.

Thumbs Up to Playing Hardcore: Nintendo, which fought an unending and losing battle against piracy on the Nintendo DS, isn't fooling around with the Nintendo 3DS. The new system can apparently sense if you're playing a pirated or copied game. If it does, it will shut down and never restart. Take that, ya scurvy dogs!

Thumbs Down to Greedy Publishers: In case you haven't heard, the greedy nitwits over at HarperCollins are now telling libraries that once an eBook has been checked out 26 times, it must be repurchased. This arbitrary and unrealistic approach is hitting libraries at a time when they can least afford it.

Thumbs Up to Filled Gaps: In my review of "Tron: Legacy," I noted the film had skipped over a time period that sounded incredibly intriguing. Disney is now going back and filling in that gap with the "Tron: Uprising" television show. I'll be curious to see how this turns out.

Thumbs Down to Schizophrenic Sony: Just days after Sony dropped the price of its PlayStation Portable system, it cut the cost of the more streamlined PSP Go. At least it did for a couple days. Whether that price drop was a mistake or the result of some marketing intern's tomfoolery, Sony has since restored the PSP Go to full price. Boo.

Thumbs Up to Gym 101: Because far too many people still need this gym primer three months following New Year's resolution time, I'd recommend everyone who even occasionally hits the gym read this etiquette guide. It also gives some very positive and practical suggestions on how to get started for people who've never set foot inside a fitness center.

Thumbs Down to Stupid Mistakes: Across the pond, parents are up in arms over an upcoming Nintendo Wii game from Ubisoft called "We Dare." In short: The game is intended for mature audiences and features minigames that encourage kissing, stripping and the like. The problem? The ratings board for Europe, PEGI, labeled it for ages 12 and up because nothing explicit is shown within the game. Bad move, PEGI.

Thumbs Up to Ceaseless Tinkering: I've come to accept that George Lucas will never stop tinkering with the Star Wars films. So I welcome his newest reworking of the movies, tossing them into the 3D arena. If it works, great! If not, well, it'll be no worse than that new dance number in "Return of the Jedi."

Thumbs Down to Predictable Storytelling: I think highly of the medium, but comic books have a tendency to paint by numbers during each Big Event. Keep this far too accurate checklist in mind this summer when you're trying to predict what will happen next in Marvel's Fear Itself or DC's Flashpoint.

Thumbs Up to Boba's Accordion: I knew that Boba Fett was a good bounty hunter, but who knew he was musically inclined?

SXSW party list

This isn't comprehensive, but here's a list of links to RSVP for a bunch of parties at South by Southwest.

FRIDAY (March 11)
SapientNitro's Opening Night Pre-Party at SXSW - Live Band/DJ
Social Media Nonprofit Friends Meetup
SXSW 2011: Happy Hour sponsored by @Razorfish
Girls in Tech SXSWi 2011 Meet-Up
Salsa Labs Austin Open House
SXSW Interactive ‘Appy Hour’ Party Presented by BestBuzz

SATURDAY (March 12)
Townholler + BeerSphere SXSWi 2011
SxSW Nonprofit Meet-up
The Barbarian Group & StumbleUpon present: T.O.S. Violation!
Silicon Prairie Party Presented by Hollrback
SXSW Interactive Opening Party by Frog Design
WordPress Party at SXSW 2011
The Internet is Serious Business SXSW Party
Ning presents... Mogwee Live @ The Mohawk (Official SXSW Opening Night After Party)

SUNDAY (March 13)
See The World with Gowalla: Featuring Matt & Kim
Mashable House SXSWi 2011
Tech Cocktail SXSW Presented by LiveShare from Cooliris
Celebrate the Art of Organizing with Salsa - Happy Hour

MONDAY (March 14)
Groupon Presents: Free Hangover Brunch for the Freely Hungover
GSD&M + Google Present: The Industry Party (7 p.m., GSD&M, 828 W 6th St., show your SXSW badge for entry or RSVP to sxswparty@gsdm.com.)

Mattress shopping: The saga continues

Thanks to everyone's awesome advice, Josh and I felt knowledgeable and ready for the big day Saturday.

Our plan was to go to Rockville and not buy anything until we'd tried several mattresses at a few different stores.

First stop was Sleepy's, which, as it turned out, was the best possible place to start our search.

Our salesperson had us do a diagnostic test by lying on a special bed that measured our weight, skeletal structure, pressure points, etc. to determine the ideal mattress firmness for each of us. As it turns out, we both require a fairly soft bed (Josh needs something slightly firmer, I require something slightly softer). Our salesperson then guided us toward several different beds in the store, giving us plenty of time to try them out. He wasn't pushy at all, and he took plenty of time to answer questions and educate us on the differences between each kind of bed. He highly recommended a Dr. Breus model, one of a series of mattresses designed by a sleep doctor. After trying several options, it was our favorite of the bunch, by far. We told him we needed to get some lunch, but we'd probably be back. He told us if we brought him our lunch receipt, he'd deduct the cost of our lunch from the price of our mattress (smart salesmanship!). Plus, that day they were having a home show in Richmond with a special deal we could take advantage of - for the price of the bed, we'd also get the frame, two pillows and a hypoallergenic mattress case. We were tempted, but decided to move on.

Our second stop was Mattress Discounters. This was the low point of our experience. The salesperson was way too intense and tried to rush us to a decision. When we explained what we didn't like about a mattress, he tried to explain why we were wrong, instead of taking our feedback and steering us toward another option. When we told him we were going to check out another store, because the guide we read said you should try a few stores when you go mattress shopping, he said, "Whoever wrote that should be fired." "You want to fire Consumer Reports?" I replied. I ended up having to make up an excuse to get us out of there because he was bullying us too much.

Finally, we ended up at Bloomingdale's. Our salesperson, Alona, was relaxed and friendly, patiently waiting while we tried each of the mattresses she pointed us to. We fell in love with an Aireloom model, which was available for about 65% off the list price. We felt confident in buying it, because Bloomingdale's has an insane guarantee. If you're unhappy with the mattress within 6 months of buying it, they'll buy it back for 90% of what you paid. If you're unhappy within 5 years, they will buy it back for 50% of what you paid.  So with that peace of mind, we sealed the deal. The only downside is that the mattress won't be delivered until Saturday...which is why this entry is titled "The saga continues" as opposed to "The conclusion."

Thanks again to everyone for your ideas and feedback. It served us well, and we feel confident we spent an adequate amount of time and made the right decision. We can't wait for our new bed to be delivered!

Memo to Hollywood: Don't make G.I. Joe 2

To: Paramount Pictures
From: Joshua Lynsen
Re: G.I. Joe 2

In recent weeks, it has become increasingly clear that the planned sequel to "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" cannot succeed commercially. For this reason, I strongly advise you to pull the plug on the movie and cut your losses.

News that Jon Chu would direct the untitled sequel was received about as well as raccoons at Metro stations. Choosing the director of "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never" to helm the project seemed to succeed only in making detractors of the first G.I. Joe movie wish that director Stephen Sommers would return. I doubt that was the buzz you wanted to generate.

That development was quickly followed by reports that Joseph Gordon Levitt (Cobra Commander) and Sienna Miller (Baroness) were unlikely to return for the sequel. In the days that followed, Ms. Miller expressed clear regret at having participated in "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra;" Rachel Nichols (Scarlett) publicly revealed she'd been booted from the sequel after being promised a role in it; and news surfaced that only Duke, Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow would return for G.I. Joe 2.

That the first movie performed as well as it did at the box office was because fans and general audiences were willing to set aside a host of negative reviews and sample the franchise's first live-action rendition. But because moviegoers are increasingly selective in their outings, subscribe to the "fool me once" mentality and cannot help but see the chaos associated with this project, that good fortune cannot and will not be repeated.

Terminate the project now, before the investment becomes too significant to easily write off, and save yourself from the inevitable critical and commercial black eye this project will draw. Thank you for your time and attention.

Memo to Shout! Factory: Put these MST3K episodes on DVD

I was initially excited when Shout! Factory acquired the DVD rights to Mystery Science Theater 3000, but I have to say...so far, their DVD collections have been decidedly "meh" in terms of episode selection. (Packaging and extras, however, have been awesome. I love my busts of Crow and Tom Servo!)

For me, the real heyday of MST3K consisted of seasons 3-5, but with the exception of the forthcoming Gamera set, thus far I haven't seen a lot of the episodes I would deem to be "classic" be included in the Shout! Factory releases. (The few from those seasons that have been released are, unfortunately, forgettable.) I'm also annoyed that the episodes continue to be packaged in 4-episode bundles, when I'd much rather cherry-pick which episodes I want to have on DVD.

So I decided to compile a list of the movies that, thus far, haven't been released on DVD but should be. I've excluded the Gamera movies because it looks like they will be coming to DVD soon.

309 - The Amazing Colossal Man
310 - Fugitive Alien
313 - Earth vs. the Spider
314 - Mighty Jack
318 - Star Force: Fugitive Alien II
322 - Master Ninja I
323 - Castle of Fu Manchu
405 - Being From Another Planet
418 - Attack of the the Eye Creatures
420 - The Human Duplicators
422 - The Day the Earth Froze
502 - Hercules
510 - The Painted Hills
524 - 12 to the Moon

What are you favorite MST3K episodes?

Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down: End of the World Edition

No, it's not really the end of the world. We have to wait another another 22 months for that, apparently. But that hasn't stopped people from writing about or planning for it.

Thumbs Up to Sobering Cinema: This newly unearthed, declassified Air Force video about global nuclear annihilation is an interesting (and sobering) watch. It's apparently the only military training video to ever address the subject of nuclear war despite our nation's history of — how can I put this delicately? — carrying a big stick.

Thumbs Down to Extreme Measures: I completely understand why New York City's plans to counter terrorist attacks or widespread epidemics could result in extreme measures such as quarantines, warrantless searches and animal slaughter. But that doesn't mean I have to like it.

Thumbs Up to Creative Writing: In case you missed it, a recently re-published short story by Arthur C. Clarke ended the universe in 31 words. Well, the story didn't actually end the universe, but you know what I mean.

Thumbs Down to Logic Holes: Much of what you learned about black holes from "The Black Hole" is wrong. Recent articles note that we don't know if they actually spin, that some things do escape their grasp, and the roaring forces of nature are not always monsters. Go figure. Hollywood got it wrong.

Thumbs Up to Neverending Stories: Twenty years after The Nothing destroyed Fantastia in "The Neverending Story," we've got another look at the guys who bullied Bastian, the hero. How are they doing? See for yourself.

Girl Talk rocks my socks

A coworker recently introduced me to the music of Girl Talk, which is not only awesome, it's available for whatever price you want to pay online (even if that's nothing at all).

Girl Talk's music is comprised of epic mashups. Each track features maybe a dozen or so songs, but they blend seamlessly into one incredibly danceable mix. I'm talking about mixing "Heaven is a Place on Earth" with Black Box, "Layla," "Haterz Everywhere," Flo Rida, Crystal Waters, "Our House," LL Cool J, Kylie Minogue, "Bust a Move," Usher, The Temptations, Trick Daddy and 2 Live Crew...and that's just a sampling of what's involved in ONE SONG off the newest album. Craziness.

You can listen to samples and get an idea of what I'm talking about on the latest album's page or you can listen to the music from the widget below.

(Note that the tracks he mixes are the uncensored versions of the songs, so there's some NSFW language.)



To download the albums for whatever price you set, go to Illegal Art.

Does the PSP price drop interest anybody?

Across the years that I've tracked the video game industry, it's been interesting to watch how news of system price drops is eagerly devoured. Every time the price of the PlayStation 2, Xbox 360 or Nintendo Wii fell, news leaked early and crowds rejoiced.

So it struck me as odd last week when news that the PlayStation Portable (or PSP) was dropping its price by $40 to $130 elicited merely a collective "meh." Granted, the system is nearly six years old and mere months away from replacement, but there was so little interest in the price cut news that you'd think the system came packaged with some infectious disease. In violation of informal tradition, there was no news leak from someone sharing the Best Buy ad early with Kotaku. In fact, the gaming news website said nothing until Sony issued a formal press release announcing the price change — and barely invested four sentences in the story. The story itself drew a meager six comments, to boot. Ouch.

Because new portable systems from Sony and Nintendo are hitting stores sooner rather than later, I can understand why many gamers are relatively uninterested in the PSP price drop. (There's just a handful of PSP games that ever caught my eye, and none of them were titles I found irresistible.) Still, the price cut does make the system an increasingly attractive option for gamers on the go working with a tight budget.

But perhaps the Nintendo DS line already has the market locked up. Or maybe buyers don't want to invest in an option that will so soon become obsolete. It just makes me wonder if the PSP price drop interests anybody.

Mattress shopping, also known as gyahhhh...

Josh and I have been putting this off for awhile. Our mattress is roughly 13 years old, it's got a dent in the middle, and we often wake up sore. It is time to replace it.

At the same time, I'm terrified of mattress shopping. I've never done it before, I know it's a huge time investment, and I see so many possible things going wrong. What if something feels good in the store but then doesn't work out? What if we can't agree on a mattress we both like? What if we overspend?

I'm not looking forward to it, but after waking up sore yet again after a rough night of tossing and turning, I figured we couldn't put it off any longer. So we're going out this weekend to buy a new mattress, box spring, and probably a new bed frame.

So I beg you, our faithful readers - do you have any advice to make this process less painful? Lessons learned, brands to try/avoid, etc.? I'm all ears.