Missing E3

For those that don't know, E3 was this week. Although I was supposed to attend, I opted not to (hopefully to pursue an honest vacation instead).

Unfortunately, that means I don't have much to report on the show and announcements made there. Thankfully, there's Engadget's coverage roundup.

(I'll do some pimping of the show's announcements, time willing, this next week.)

Jennifer Garner kicks ass -- "Alias" has become a pain in one

I have a list of lines that a TV show can cross indicating the show has jumped the shark. One of those lines is when previews for episodes of the show constantly report that a lead character will face the most important decision of their life.

(We, of course, expect everyone on a show like 24 to undergo such changes every week. I like to joke that 24 will never cross the “a very special episode” line.)

This last season of Alias previews routinely state things like “saving the world might cost Sydney the man she loves”.

Alias creator, J.J. Abrams, had indicated that this season would return to what originally made Alias popular--Ms. Garner kicking serious ass and lots of intrigue. I (and obviously lots of other people) we pulled in by the first few seasons of Alias. Part of the drama of the early episodes was driven by the duality of Sydney's professional life--thinking she was working for good while doing the bidding of evil.

This season has Ron Rifkin reprising his original(very evil and conniving) role of Arvin Sloane, directing the life of our heroine, driven by his own agenda. Good move Abrams. However, Sydney's life is also routinely turned upside down by:

• Her mother (who supposedly died last season)
• Her aunt (who continues to play with Syndney and Nadia's life from prison)
• Her dad (who she has a love/hate relationship with)
• Vaughn (does a girl like Sydney really have time for a love life anyway?)
• Stupid plot twists like two years of amnesia and her eggs being harvested against her will

Not so smooth, Abrams.

I have 6 episodes of this season's Alias stacked up on the TiVo. I'll never get to them--Alias is now off the radar. (And we have a new category for KJR--“Off the Radar.”)

About KillJoy's Radar

Note: The following is being posted to the About KJR page on KillJoy's Radar. I'm adding an actual post with the same content for those that follow the radar via RSS instead of visiting the site.

Who is KillJoy?

“KillJoy” is the nickname I use when playing computer games. I thought it fitting to use it instead of my real name for a site like this.

What is KillJoy's Radar?

Most people that know me also know that I'm a big gadget, technology, and entertainment geek. Many friends and aquiantences routinely seek out my advice on computer tech, cellphones, stereos, and other geeky stuff. One day, while lamenting about the amount of useless email I was getting--of the "Look at this cool site I found," "Here's a funny joke," and "This lady is walking across America for [insert cause here]...show your support by sending this email to everyone you know" variety.

I suddenly realized that two emails I had recently sent to friends fit into the useless category, making me just as guilty of spamming friends. I decided to pour my “check this out” energy into an online repository where folks could come and browse at their own leisure instead of dealing with multiple emails from me.

So, in short, KillJoy's Radar is my attempt to bring things I feel are cool, noteworthy, or otherwise interesting to a select group of friends (and the general public that happens across the site). It is not meant to be a typical “blog”, filled with personal opinion, lengthy prose, and deep content. However, I have found it difficult to refrain from posting personal opinions from time to time.

What can I expect to find on KJR?

My original plan was to cover gadgets and gaming mostly. I found myself wanting to tell friends about the cool findings on sites like EnGadget and in magazines like Maximum PC, with some upcoming computer gaming news. However, as of late I haven't had the energy or time to boil down the usual content. As a result I post things that I found entertaining while relaxing in my spare time. (Mostly online stuff.)

That said, I hope to return to the designated mission of KJR in the near future (but won't promise not to point out other assorted silly stuff from time to time).

Those that know me personally know that I have written a bunch of technology and gaming books. However, I find writing in journal and/or reporting style tough to do--and really admire folks that can write well in either style. I also tend to just jot down thoughts as they come to me, without much editing. As such, my posts can be an English professor's nightmare. Bear with me--this is the only apology I'll offer.

I don't want to stop by every day to look for new content. How can I keep up on the happenings at KJR?

There are two basic ways to keep up with KJR content:

1. Subscribe to the RSS feed. This feed is updated as I post and can be aggregated with your other feeds.
2. Subscribe to the weekly update. I keep this option around for the non-RSS savvy crowd. Every Friday morning a short synopsis of the last week's post is emailed to your preferred email account--you can read the synopsis and decide whether to visit the site for the full post or not.

I want to talk back to KJ. What can I do?

There are a few ways to talk back to KJ or the radar.

1. Use the comment feature. Comment links appear at the end of each post--click the link and add a comment if you want to say something about a particular post. I do read all postings, but see #2 for reaching me directly.
2. Send me an email. I can be reached via the link in this item or from the link on most KJR pages.

Paris Hilton Parody - "One Lucky Fan"

Courtesy of Atom Films.

April Gilbert does an excellent impression of Ms. Hilton, methinks. (“Like when I found out they hacked into my sidekick and I was, like, 'Someone stabbed Nicole?'”)

Priceless. Go waste a few hours at Atom, would'ja?

Geek Fantasies (.com)

Looks like a parody, simple but kinda amusing.

From the site:

Have you ever fantasized about a room full of sexy college coeds sweating over a match of Strip-Counterstrike; or perhaps you long to see young, bikini-clad sweethearts slaving away with soldering irons, installing mod-chips in their home consoles?

Well, now that you mention it...yeah!

The Whizzinator now^ht available near you

Here's a few keywords to start off this post:

• life-like
• prosthetic
• penis
• for passing drug tests

Um, yeah.

<opinion> Hey drug users, how about taking responsibility for your habit--stop it or avoid touchy things like, uh, jobs and/or parole--instead of trying to skirt the system?</opinion> And Whizzinator, Inc (or whatever your company name happens to be), what were you thinking?

(Yeah I know the last few posts were devoid of graphics, but I just can't bring myself to post some here...)

Next-gen Consoles

Seems redundant that every next gaming console gets dubbed Next Gen. Yeah, I do know the definition of “next generation”--but have been using the expression since the Sega Genesis debuted.

Xbox 360

Rumors abound for the last few months, all coming to a head tonight (last night by the time you read this, May 12th) on MTV. The special, MTV Presents Xbox: The Next Generation, will be hosted by Elijah Wood and feature performances by The Killers.
Thursday, May 12, at 9:30 p.m.

Playstation 3

(At least Sony's name makes sense!)

Under pressure from all the Xbox hubbub, Sony has made a few announcements regarding their next console. In one their CFO, Takao Yuhara, was quoted as saying that the console could come out late this year (2005).

The Dave Chappelle No-Show

Seems that Dave Chappelle has been MIA for several weeks and Entertainment Weekly has reported that he has checked into a mental facility in South Africa.

I'm not a huge fan, but enjoy a lot of his schtick and know several people who are (big fans). His Comedy Central show has been put on hiatus until further notice.

Get well Dave, we miss ya.

Revenge of the Sith, Indeed

An article from The Globe and Mail reports that “one” report estimates that worker absenteeism could cost businesses as much as $627-million over the Thursday and Friday opening of Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith (opens May 19th).

The Geek Squad site has a “May 19th Excuse Note” form you can download and use for the occasion.

I'm curious to see if George makes good on this one--especially given the crappy nature of Episodes I and II. However, I will be at work on the 19th and 20th, if only to avoid the costume-wearing, line-quoting, mob of fanatics that may^h^h^hwill ensue.

"The Child That Smelt Funny"

It's a little long, but has a good message and made me laugh.

The Child That Smelt Funny

It made me remember a lot of things that were censored/banned because of TV:

• The word “fire” striken from Beavis' vocabulary
• Lots of stuff in broadcasting and other arenas due to Janet's Superbowl “wardrobe malfunction”
• Video games thanks to incidents like Columbine (though I have a bone to pick with Rockstar Games GTA series--methinks it pushes the envelope a bit too far)

What did I miss? What do you remember? Supply them in the comments...

Luke Perry Fecal Matter (Out of Stock)

I'm often asked how I find this kind of stuff. To be honest, I really don't know.

The Internet is a wonderful place, with a ton of useful information. Of course, it's also a breeding ground for total freaks.

Take Celebrity Skin for example, where you can buy skin cells, fecal matter, and bacteria straight from celebrities. (Yeah, it's not real, but who puts this kind of crap [pun, get it?] on the Web?)

Personally, I can't wait for the Web to be monitored by the same folks that censor TV content. (Kidding.)