MMS Friends

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Xbox 360 a Hit for Me

I just got back from my lunch hour (OK, three hours) where I went to my co-worker Tim's house and played the first game out of the box on his Xbox 360. He waited in line since 5 pm yesterday at the Best Buy in Lynnwood, WA to get it. He purchased the premium system, an extra controller and Madden 2006 plus Call of Duty 2. Best Buy opened it's doors at 9am. By the time he got home, showered and started hooking it up, I had crashed the doors with a couple Subway sandwiches. He had just gotten it all hooked up, we ate, then played the first game on the machine.

We chose Madden 2006. I, of course, picked the Oakland Raiders, he took the Seahawks. After falling behind 21-7, I git Moss in the end zone on a stop & Go route to pull with 7 at 21-14. I recovered a fumbled kickoff in the end zone to tie it up at 21 all right after half time. I decided now was the right time for an onside kick, which I successfully recovered. Shortly thereafter I took the lead on a bomb to Jerry Porter.

After exchanging a couple scores, the Hawks scored what appeared to be the game tieing TD with 35 seconds to go. But with the score 35-34 by buddy decided to go for two since I hadn't stopped Alexander all game. I chos ethe right gap and stuffed SA for a loss. Game over. Well, not quite. He returned the favor by recovering an onside kick of his own. After a quick strike and an incomplete pass, there was time for one more play. Darrell Jackson broke free on a slant route and appeared to be going the distance. I caught him from behind and drug him down at the three with two seconds to go on the clock. Too bad for my buddy he had already used his timeouts. Game Over. Raiders win 35-34.

The game itself was phenomenal. You could see the sweat on the players faces. The graphics were so incredible it was like watching a real football game. Of course, playing on a 55 inch plasma HDTV didn't make things any worse.

Great system/great game.

SI.Com's Annual Sports Turkey's Of The Year

See the explanations here

15. Victor Conte
14. MArcus Camby/Latrell Sprewell
13. John Chaney
12. Mark Reed Downs Jr. (tee ball coach who offered player $25 to bean autistic kid so he couldn't play)
11. Don Fehr
10. Fisher DeBerry
9. Kurt Busch
8. Manny Ramirez
7. Drew Rosenhaus
6. Kenny Rogers (not the singer)
5. Onterrio Smith (think "the Whizinator)
4. The Vikings
3. The Two Panthers Cheerleaders (yes, those two)
2. Rafael Palmiero (how could he NOT be #1)
1. Terrell Owens (Oh yeah, that's how).

Monday, November 21, 2005

If Your Going to Steal Your Mom's Video Camera...

Remember to remove the tape inside the camera before you sell it.

Home Sex Tape Was Inside Mom's Video Camera Stolen, Sold By Teen Daughter
POSTED: 10:51 am PST November 21, 2005
PETERBOROUGH, Ontario -- A central Ontario teenager sold more than her mother's video camera for 200 dollars.
She didn't know a home video of her mother and her mother's boyfriend engaged in an intimate act was in the camera.
A court in Peterborough heard the mother learned the camera was missing a year ago when the boyfriend called and complained the tape was being shown around town.
The daughter, now 19, admitted she'd taken the camera from her mother's bedroom closet and sold it to a friend.
The mother called police and her daughter was charged with theft.
The daughter pleaded guilty yesterday to charges of theft, failing to attend court and two counts of breach of probation.
Lawyer Robert Beninger says his client didn't know the tape was in the camera.
The case is to return to court in January for a pre-sentence report.

360 generation start tomorrow

Gamers geared-up for Xbox 360 launch day

Microsoft hopes to sell 3 million of the Xbox 360 consoles worldwide within 90 days of its launch.

SEATTLE, Washington (AP) -- It's late November and gamers, it's cold outside.
But a little winter chill won't stop video game lovers from lining up at stores throughout the nation in hopes of being among the first to score Microsoft Corp.'s brand new Xbox 360 when it is released Tuesday.

The question is: will the wait pay off, or do the Xbox faithful risk going home empty-handed?
Here's the good news: Retailers including Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Best Buy Co., Circuit City Stores Inc. and Target Corp. say they plan to have consoles available at all locations on Tuesday.

What's more, retailers say they expect to get more consoles weekly leading up to Christmas, so people who don't get consoles immediately need not despair.

Here's the bad news: Most retailers won't say how many they'll have on launch day -- for competitive reasons -- and some locations could sell out quickly.

"There's a lot of excitement for this product," said Best Buy spokesman Jay Musolf. "Come early."

Microsoft has said it plans to sell 3 million of the new $399.99 Xbox 360 consoles worldwide within 90 days of its launch. The company said it is producing Xboxes as fast as it can. But it has conceded that an ambitious plan to launch the console worldwide within a few weeks -- rather than staggering releases over months and months, as is typical -- will mean fewer consoles initially in North America.

A slimmed-down version without a detachable hard drive and wireless controller will sell for $299.99.

Apart from its high-definition graphics and gaming aptitude, the device offers users other capabilities: the ability to listen to music, view photos, watch DVDs and play electronic puzzle and card games.

"The supply problems are there in as much as the demand is unbelievable," said Peter Moore, a corporate vice president in charge of marketing for the Xbox.

But he denied production problems and dismissed "conspiracy theories," including that the company is purposefully bottlenecking supply to intensify interest. "None of those are true whatsoever," he said.

Best Buy plans to open some stores at midnight for elaborate launch events, and all of the company's stores -- including those that sold consoles at midnight -- will open at 9 a.m. with consoles available.

Wal-Mart also is planning to sell consoles beginning at midnight, but only at stores that are already open 24 hours. Circuit City, Costco and Target say they will begin selling the consoles when their stores open for business at the regular time Tuesday.

Circuit City spokeswoman Amanda Tate said the retailer plans to hand out vouchers on a first-come, first-serve basis and will put a "sold out" sign up so people don't waste their time waiting. She said not to expect too many consoles at each store on launch day.

"I would like to say hundreds, but in actuality it's dozens," she said.

Costco Wholesale Corp. will have consoles available at some stores, but doesn't expect elaborate launch events like those planned at some Best Buy locations. Rick DeLie, Costco's vice president for toys, said he's hoping that consumers just stumble happily upon them. "We're a treasure hunt," DeLie said. "Do we want people lining up outside our doors? No."

Amazon.com Inc. is sold out of Xbox 360s, but company spokeswoman Tracy Ogden said the online retailer expects to be able to get consoles to those who pre-ordered them relatively quickly. Ogden would not say when the company planned to again begin taking orders.
GameStop and EB Games, both units of GameStop Corp., plan to open hundreds of stores at midnight to welcome the console -- but don't show up expecting to get one. The company is only handing out actual consoles to customers who pre-ordered months ago, and spokesman Chris Olivera said even some people who pre-ordered more recently may not see a console until early January. The company hopes to sell games and other add-ons at the midnight event.

For everyone else, Olivera is recommending that perhaps they consider another system, like the first Xbox or rival Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 2, will do.

Microsoft's Moore said most people who want a Xbox 360 immediately probably already have other consoles, so he's not worried about losing business to older machines.

As for those who might be left empty-handed on launch day, he said: "The only thing I can tell those folks is that supply will continue to come in, and ultimately demand, I'm sure, will start to slow down a little."

Thursday, November 17, 2005

10 Worst Toys for 2005

For the 32nd year, a Cambridge, Mass.,-based nonprofit organization has released its list of "Ten Worst Toys" just in time for the holiday shopping season.

The 2005 list includes a "Lord of the Rings" crossbow set and a Star Wars Energy Beam Blaster. WATCH warns that the Blaster toy has canisters that can explode. WATCH says the arrows in the crossbow set can travel at too high a velocity. A Fisher Price baby doll, the group cautions, has a bottle with a removable cap that could cause a choking hazard for young children.

For a complete list, click here

Wal-Mart Friendly Film

Theres all this talk about a film circulating which is bashing Wal-Mart. To be fair, here is the other side of the story.

http://www.heraldnet.com/stories/05/11/17/100loc_awalside001.cfm

Second Wal-Mart film gives other side of story
By Eric FettersHerald Writer
The movie about Wal-Mart that is currently being shown around Snohomish County isn't the only new documentary that focuses on the world's largest retailer.
"Why Wal-Mart Works: And Why That Drives Some People C-r-a-z-y," which gives a more positive view of Wal-Mart, also was released this month.
Produced, directed and financed by brothers Ron and Robert Galloway, it looks at how Wal-Mart grew to become America's biggest company and its positive effect on workers.
"If you don't have a college degree and you're unskilled labor, you have a much better chance of moving up in Wal-Mart than you do in most other companies," Ron Galloway said in a telephone interview.
He said for many critics, Wal-Mart serves as a symbol of rapid changes in the economy and suburban sprawl. However, both of those would still be present without Wal-Mart, Galloway said.
And despite negative publicity, the retailer keeps attracting shoppers. "They're so big, they can't be all bad," he said.
The movie cost the independent filmmaking brothers $85,000 to produce, Ron Galloway said. They received no financial assistance from Wal-Mart.
Though the film is available on retail shelves, "Ironically enough, Wal-Mart's not carrying it," he said.

Tuesday, November 15, 2005

Jennifer Aniston GQ Magazine's "Man of the Year"

NEW YORK -- GQ magazine's Man of the Year is a woman.
Jennifer Aniston earned the honor because the magazine said she showed a lot of poise, grace and good humor during her breakup with Brad Pitt this year. The acting couple's divorce was granted last month after four years of marriage.
She may be Man of the Year, but Aniston shows she's all woman by posing topless on the cover and in some of the photos inside the magazine. She discreetly shows nothing.

From the "what are they thinking" department?

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. -- A California woman said she still plans to marry the man who shot her and then held her hostage in his family's garage for six days.

Tina Marie Stebbins revealed her intentions in a letter released as her boyfriend, Christian Leroy Lindblad, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for shooting her in June 2002.

Monday, November 14, 2005

Xbox 360 Commercials

Two Xbox 360 commercials.

Here's one

and here's the other