TRUNK STAMP!

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Yeah, I Didn't Think So...

There Aren't Enough Boos In The World...

...to properly shame this man.

Brittany - 1, Nintendo - 0

I rarely get upset when something is wrong on the internet. There are some people who refuse to let it go. They can't look the other way.. they must make their opinion known. I am definitely not one of those people. So, when I came across a paragraph on NintendoWifi.com I was more than happy to just ignore it.

Here is the jist of what happened. Ian and I have been looking for games to play on DS; specifically games that we can play together online. We went to the site to see exactly which ones have that capability. On the site, it lists Mario & Sonic - At the Olympic Games . This is the what the paragraph said:

What Can You Do Online? Dash, smash, fence and flip your way to victory! Aim for the gold as you compete against up to three other players online. Compete as your favorite characters and choose from eight olympic-style events.

The second sentence is really what drove home the point that, yes, you can play online with up to three other players. We got really excited and planned to go get the game right away. Turns out... online play is not possible. Apparently, the only thing you can really do is post your scores online and see how you measure. Yeah, lame. I don't know why exactly but it pissed me off. So I wrote Nintendo... and I got this little jewel of a response sent to me:

Hello,
I can appreciate your concerns regarding Mario and Sonic at the Olympics. However, that game was developed and published by Sega, which means they will be best suited to provide the help you require. To get their contact information, go to the following web address and click on the company name: http://www.nintendo.com/corp/licensees.jsp

Ooooh I couldn't let this one go. You have something so blatantly wrong on your site and you tell me to go talk to Sega about it???? OH HELL NO. I wrote again. Here is the next awesome response I got:

Hello,
I can understand your frustration and after a little more research I think I see where the confusion comes from. On the game information on www.nintendo.com, I found the following statement: Single Match, Circuit, and Mission modes; unlockable stages; up to 4 players via wireless connection The key word, of course, is wireless. Wireless connection is a system-to-system, multiple players in the same room connection where a Wi-Fi connection means going online to play other players all over the world. We have been very consistent about this difference in wording since Nintendo DS first went online as the DS uses a wireless connection to play multiplayer without going online. I'm sorry if you felt misled, but the information is an accurate description of the game's functions.

Thanks for that one genius but I stated MANY times in my emails that it was not Nintendo.com I had an issue with... It was NintendoWifi.com; a site that you go to, to find out which games have online functionality. So, not wanting to let it go like so many before me, I wrote again... and finally I got this unexpected response:

Hello Brittany,
I am sorry to hear of your disappointment with this game. I would like to look into your concerns further. Please reply to this message with your phone number and a convenient time to call you.

Well... pfft.. that's more like it! Surprise, surprise... the very next day I had a phone call from Bruce Riedl at Nintendo of America Inc. He told me the one thing I wanted to hear out of all of this... I was right. The website is completely wrong. The game definitely does not have the capability to play online with three other players. The website will be changed immediately. /sigh sweet release... Bruce said that he would be willing to refund the full purchase price of the game or swap the game out for one of the other Nintendo titles of my choosing. I told him I would think about it and he gave me his call back number. After discussing with Ian, we decided to keep the game... it could be fun to play on our visits... So, I returned Bruce's call and left him a message saying thanks, we are going to keep the game but the point was really just to get the website changed. And it was...

It's not completely changed... but at least it doesn't insinuate as much that you can play online with other people. A little while after I left my message, Bruce left me one saying that he still wanted to thank me for bringing this to Nintendo's attention. I will now be getting a copy of Super Smash Bros. Brawl Official Strategy Guide. It's making me want to get a Wii.

So, alls well that ends well. I am officially included in the Internet Think I Know It All Club. I'm really just happy it was changed.
Anyway, it's the weekend. For some reason I miss Ian more than ever on the weekends. The weekends are probably how it is when I visit... we go to the movies... look at bunnehs... eat out... /sigh I will keep dreaming... and working towards that.

Nerdy Post

Gamesradar.com had a Week of Hate and they posted videos on different consoles... This one is about Nintendo. Hilarious if you game.

Awesome top ten list on David Letterman... 10 Reasons to watch the new season of Battlestar Galatica!

"Insider" Information

Staff Profile: Brittany Hensley

• Birthplace: Thousand Oaks, CA born and raised...
  
• Current residence: Newbury Park, CA
• Family (spouse, children): My boyfriend who currently lives in Canada
• Favorite movie: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind & Stranger Than Fiction (I can’t decide!)
• Favorite food: Spinach & Bruschetta
• Personal mantra: I’m a kitten... you’re a kitten... I’m a kitten.... you’re a kitten. (It’s amazingly helpful to think of everyone as kittens.)
• Favorite Amgen memory: Getting the ‘blue’ badge
• When I’m not working, you could find me…: Traveling to Canada, in World of Warcraft, Amgym or the nearest place with rain.

Tense, Oh So Tense

I really need a bunneh massage.

Hey look, I caught the elusive Ian species on camera.

Welcome Back

Another "Try Not To Jump Off A Building" Day. The leaving each other part has gotten somewhat easier.. and by easier I mean I don't cry as much... Now I just have this overwhelming sadness. It is very hard to bounce back after a visit. Everything seems so pointless. The best way to visualize that feeling is when I was there, Ian and I sat in the hot tub beneath a full moon. On my drive home, I could clearly see it again... but it already started to change and a piece of the top was missing. That's exactly how I felt. A piece of me is missing.

Before my trip, I was questioning what I am doing. I didn't see any forward progress. All I saw was me leading a half life of work and home and back again. I desperately needed to see an end point. I know it's going to take some time for us to be together full time. It was my decision to enter into this though. After my trip... I see progress... I see the good possibility that all this grief will end in a few years. Just like the December trip... I saw what life would be like if it was a reality. So, it made me decide that I wanted that reality... now it's about executing it.

I am being extremely careful about the decisions I make. I made a big mistake in moving to Florida but it helped me learn from actions. I am 100% sure that I am not in the same situation I was in 2006. Moving or not moving would be based purely on the fact that it is what I want to do. Not because it's my only out I see at the time. I am sure that everyone around me thinks this is just Round 2... but they're not in my head. I am becoming indifferent to what people around me think... Just like my seasonal depression. It's not about wanting it to rain all the time. It's not only about having sunny days 90% of my life. I am genuinely depressed during the summer time. It sounds silly to most people who LOVE those days. They think I am joking when I say how much I hate it. But it's how I honestly feel. I would definitely move cities based on that fact alone. I am learning that the only perspective that matters - whether right or wrong - is your own. If it makes me happy... isn't it always right?

And so the day continues... I will have to drudge through the rest of the time until the next trip. As I have said before, nothing is as good as when I am with Ian. I am comfortable... and happy... I can be geeky... I can be sarcastic... I can be sad... I can be me. The rest of my life is not enough time with him... I will always want more.

A More Perfect Union

It's a good speech. No one can doubt that he has charisma... but the fact that he address both black and white anger in the same speech is out of the ordinary. He talks about bitterness in the black community but also in the white. He is honest about how his speech can be misinterpreted and twisted. He condemns Wright's comments but I think that part gets lost in his overall point. Either way, I think he is the best option that we have so far... He is intelligent and so far... he seems to be on the side of honest politics...

Wednesday = Friday

I am off until Tuesday.... and it feels so good. Anyway, I will support a ban on perfume in the work place. It seems everyone today took out their biggest bottle of old lady perfume and doused themselves in it. Needless to say I am working with a big headache. Why would a woman want to walk around giving people headaches? If you're 5 offices away and I can smell you... THAT'S A BAD THING.


My brain is officially fried. I'm finding strange enjoyment in websites like Will It Blend - yes, I've watched a bunch of the videos. Or in ready a blow by blow account of one of the best movies ever... Over The Top. Who knew Christina Aguilera was so religious? She hung a picture of The Last Supper in her baby's nursery. Crazy. I want to go to the Blizzard Worldwide Invitational 2008... Mainly for the exclusive In Game Pet. Oh and Ian found a subtle tip to Battlestar Galactica on the Arena Tournament page. Boomer beats Apollo. Interesting sports news - Red Sox Threaten To Boycott Trip To Japan and Broncos Sign Champ Bailey's Younger Brother. Who names their kid Boss??? I wonder if he is any good as the versatile cornerback.

In other news, The Receiving End of Sirens is breaking up. They posted on their Myspace (uggggh...) and they might continue making music but probably with other bands. It is sad... yes... but their new stuff wasn't like their old stuff.. and of course I'm partial to their old stuff.

Well Said.

Catching Up

Very interesting Seahawks news... Seahawks Sign RB Jones; Alexander Wants To Know What's Up

Good news about the drug my team supports -- FDA: Amgen Blood Drug Is Effective But Has Risks

If only this was really possible... Vermont towns vote to arrest Bush and Cheney

I'm sorry but I might want this -- DS Gets More Silly Baby Sims and maybe this one too... Babysitting, Now Without Getting Paid. So... I fit into this profile. Stuff We Already Know About Female Gamers: Now In A Study! Except I don't play The Sims. Just WoW. And DS. Shut up.

After reviewing the different gaming news sites... it makes me think about one of my favorite songs... The best part is the "gang signs" he throws during his performance. Enjoy.

After my trip, I think I will be somewhat back to normal. My job has tripled the amount of work I have. But I'll survive.

Oh Hey It's March

Seriously, where did January and February go??? Anyway, work is flooded with stuff... and between that and going to the gym... financial planning and all around future planning... I've been busy. Never too busy for a bunneh though...

15 Days (Quinze Jours)

Love Like This

I only know that
I am better where you are
I only know that
I am better where you are
I only know that I belong where you are

<3

Hey look... Real Life Rubber Duckies... Awesome.