Tim Danger and the BG Crew 2011

(Before people get mad, let me remind you I already know I am a big dude, so I can say what I want.)

So check this out…

Ashley Kauffman and her friends were super stoked to get free front row tickets to see this ultra realistic show about real talent and hard work called “American Idol???.

You know that show right? It’s all about helping struggling real musicians earn their way to their big break by hard work and songwriting (I’m being a satirical ass).

Anyway… Ashley gets stopped by the staff and is told she is “too big, too heavy??? to be in the front row and she was banished to the back row. Then when she tried to make her way to the 2nd row… she was stopped again and told she couldn’t be with the “skinny girls??? and her spot was taken by two “super skinny girls??? in little dresses.

Ashley wants an apology from the show. She wants everyone to know how she was treated.

Congratulations Ashley. Welcome to Hollywood, reality TV and all that jazz. You are the weakest link…. So what… you were selected to not be on camera because of your size. You’re a fan of the show, did you ever see any uglies up front? No… did you think this time was going to be different?

Let me let you in on a little secret…

American Idol= pop music. Pop music= Popular Music. Popular Music = spoon-fed crap.

Did you for a second think that the show that is just a popularity contest and not a real singing contest and in no way scientific was going to let you taint their image by being in the front row? I dont know how to break it to you kid, but the entertainment industry that you love to follow is filled with this impossible standards regular people have been fighting for years, just because you have always been on the other side (the home audience) and have never experienced the rules and cut throat policies they have is really not Idol’s problem.

The thing is, you probably won’t hear a response from them because IDOL knows this will blow over. They are a multi million dollar machine that cranks out pre made rock stars and they have weathered way bigger controversies than this one.

We can’t blame IDOL, we have only ourselves to blame. I had a simliar situation in the ninties in South Padre Island when we went to the taping of MTV’s spring break. They said our mohawks and tattoos were not what MTV wanted to portray (but if we had shitty jock tribal tattoos that would be ok) So we scaled the wall anyway, I think some obscure one hit wonder was playing I don’t know… But you see it all the time… I mean look at any reality show, you never see the Bachelor picking a big one, or most magazines will have incredibly petite women plastered all over them.

And before people start calling me mean or insensitive.. let me let you in on a little secret. I’m not a small man. Nope… I’m a beer swilling, steak eating, carb loadin’ son of a bitch and I love it. I am a large man, and I have become comfortable in the ogre’s body that the big guy upstairs saw it a laughing joke I should be with. And that’s fine, because I know, if I wanted to, I would diet, or make some drastic change and do it if I thought that would be something I wanted. But I don’t. I am not a member of the blue ribbon committee. I like to be reminded of my faults because the world is a cruel cold dark place, and none of us are sheltered forever.

I don’t play pop music. I play real music. I don’t have pop fans. I have real fans. Being comfortable with my size has let me do ok in life, and in affairs in the heart. I don’t get every girl, but I do good, and the one I really like, well I’ll win her over with my boyish charm (aka awful disposition for life). The thing is, we punch our weight (ohh bad pun) we do what we can, and we dont petition to demand to be let into some club that won’t have us. Screw that club. We start our own and go for it.

That’s reality. Welcome to the real world toots. Now shake it off and go live life.

[Source]

Sorry ladies, you won't wrangle Star Wars away from us!

Recently I came across this article through one of my facebook friends…

It’s basically about this book this chick wrote saying that most men live in “pre-adulthood” in their twenties, not really settling down, with their love of “Star Wars” and childish mannerisms… leaving many single women to wonder where all “the good men” have gone.

I guess what surprises me the most is the writer’s claim that since most young adult males have found “distractions” for growing up like video games and nights out with the boys… we aren’t in a hurry to grow up, and that since we aren’t “growing up” we aren’t the “best parts” of manhood.

Seriously?

Unlike the writer in this article… I won’t belittle you dear readers by generalizing one gender over another. I can only speak for myself and my friends. But since I’m commited to this, let me attack this thing in numbered “points”

1. Don’t talk trash about Star Wars (the article did it twice) It isn’t a movie for kids, it’s a movie for everyone, and it changed movie making and imagination for generations of kids to come. It’s a tale of good versus evil and is enjoyed by creators, writers, and cool people all over the world… I’m sorry if your unsatisfied ovaries can’t handle that nugget, but I know plenty of gals who also love the holy trilogy and well… that’s rude lady.

2. She states “a guy’s idea of a perfect night is a hang around the PlayStation with his bandmates, or a trip to Vegas with his college friends….” Yeah no kidding… It’s called balancing life out hon… He can’t be with you 24/7 we call that crazytown. And the guy only wants to live in Crazytown if he has to. (That’s about the time you pressure him for marriage) Truth is… you drag him to places he doesn’t want to go.. you make him wear that sweater, and he does it for you because well… you’re pretty, you cook better, and you’re pretty. But he can’t be with you all the time. He has these pesky things called friends, and see men as a whole usually keep their friends from childood (studies show more women change out friends after puberty, go figure) Truth is… wouldn’t you like to go to vegas with your friends and leave the sheltered life ? Yeah. we thought so double standard.

3. Hollywood started this. They made Slacker movies.. this is true. But if its one thing we learned from movies… it’s not real and an exaggerated view on life. Yes “40 year old virgin” was funny, but truthfully their wasn’t one cool geeky nerd in the audience who didn’t secretly want that collection of action figures. “Knocked up” featured a bumbling “hero” who stumbled through the movie… but honestly… it doesn’t just end with single dudes. They make our dads look stupid too… look at Homer Simpson, Peter Griffin, and even Al Bundy… Hollywood seems big on making all men look stupid. We put up with it. Why? Because it’s the norm. Maybe… but let’s not blame this on young single people, Homer has been married for over 20 years now.

4. I find it hilarious that the writer makes the claim that with women’s rise to success… we have deteriorated. Here’s a news flash… America is becoming dumber in public schools with standardized testing. More people get their love advice from Cosmo than from a trusted advisor, and most people can’t even tell you who the vice president is… It’s a societal problem honeybunch… Men have just gotten stupider with everyone else.

5. I also find it funny how in the video of this article, the writer says that men do play a role… “financial”.

Look man.. here’s the rub. Who is to say that marriage, kids, and a career is everything? I don’t. And while I’m certain that may not qualify myself to score Ms. Ivy League I’m ok with that. Truth is… I will spend time playing video games with my band, I will go on trips with my boys (comic conventions mostly) and we will have a blast. I will also spend time with my lady, and if she is the right kind of lady whe will want to adventure with me. The thing is, I don’t see why being complacent is the “right thing to do.” I don’t want a boring job. Dear God no. I like my Star Wars stuff. I like reading comic books, it’s an escape. I love video games. I don’t see why “manning up” means being boring.

To be fair… I also like girls who like the same thing…

And maybe that’s their problem. Maybe instead of looking for us in bars, concerts, parties (you know fun places you like to go to) Maybe you should find the person you’re looking for where he will be found. Like Conservative singles websites or volunteer centers… Cause you sure as hell won’t find people like us there. But let’s be honest.. most girls (Cosmo told us) are looking to hook up with Mr. Bad Guy anyway.. So why are people surprised when he doesn’t change.

“Women marry men hoping they will change. Men marry women hoping they wont.”

You know, I have to hand it to modern television. It’s come a long way. Particularly in the realm of science fiction. You have almost anything Joss Whedon creates which becomes well written, thought out and executed (and ultimately cancelled) you have various shows like “Lost” and others which captures the imagination and keeps you guessing. Yes… it seems like anything from Aliens to space to horror-ish stuff has had a pretty successful life with TV the last ten years or so… except for one genre…

Superheroes.

TV just cant get them right. The closest they came was to the first season of “Heroes” and that’s really only because they weren’t super heroes, they were regular people being hunted by a really bad villain. But with the exception of some well done cartoons, live action superhero shows… well… they suck.

Case in point: 2 recent shows to hit the last year…

#1 No Ordinary Family. Ugh. This show looked stupid to begin with. I don’t know why I bothered to tune in. This is obviously drivel that is spewed out to the masses because of the success of “family super hero programs” like the Fantastic Four movies, The Incredibles, etc. The synopsis? Take a family (wow) that is on the verge of being dysfunctional (you dont say) and give them super powers. But… we use the same old tired sitcom family setup… You know… bumbling overweight dad who is a little dumb but has a heart of gold… his wife who is too hot for him, so it really shows off his nice guy personality, and two teenagers who don’t care for their parents or each other. See… at least “The Incredibles” was animated and I could watch for that… this well, it offers nothing.

#2 THE CAPE. The Cape is the newest awful show to hit the airwaves. At first I got excited because I heard Summer Glau was going to be in it. Then I realized after watching the trailer… that not even the beautiful Summer could save this. The Cape centers around a cop who is framed and believed dead. He adopts the role as a fictional comic book super hero to avenge himself and prove to his son that “one person can make a difference.” In truth if one person could make a difference, I wish one executive would have actually gone to a comic book store and read ONE freakin comic book to know that this is absolute crap. The show looks like it’s a 90′s WB sci fi show (You know what I’m talking about) and the script is wooden and the plot lame… (get this kids… his cape is made of *snicker* spider silk… and is stronger than Kevlar…hahahaha). The Cape lives in a world where bad guys are just evil.And I guess that would be fine if I was reading a comic book in the fifties. But folks a strange thing has happened the last 60 years of comic books… They became well written and fans became smarter….

People arent evil just to be evil. They dont fight wars because they are bad guys, the fight wars because they believe they are right. A villain has reasons for being a villain. Not because he just wants to be a bad guy. A super hero probably wouldnt want his family in on the business… these are all things we have to think about before we sign our names on a show that everyone sees.

I know I’m being a jerk, but honestly, I didn’t get into comics because it was trendy, I was reading these when being a nerd wasn’t chic. You got uninvited to a party if you talked about spiderman in my day… So it’s weird to see people only celebrate nerd culture when it’s popular to do so. As a result we will continue to see half ass produced TV shows given to the masses.

Chew on that space boy.

Great Odin's raven!

He may be the God of thunder… but he needs a new agent.
Marvel was really excited to release a picture for their upcoming THOR movie… which for the fist time showed Thor, Odin, and Loki in full costume. So when I clicked to look on it… I got… well…. this picture.

Don’t get me wrong… this looks fine… if I was going to see a movie called “X-men” (which by the way sucked) and I’m only tolerating it because The X-men are little more than a boy band of Superhero teams, and don’t try to sugarcoat it either… they guest in more comics than Jay-Z does songs two years ago. The movie always looked a little cheesy. I always just blamed the fact that Marvel sold their rights away to another movie house and that’s why X-men looked like… well… crap. I mean, I guess if I liked my superheroes in generic sportcycle leather hugging outfits with no personality it would be fine… but c’mon man… I READ comics… I’m not Joe Dumbass. (Right now Wolverine fans are fluffing up their muttonchops to write me a bunch of hate mail… feel free suckers..)

So where was I? Oh right… so now Marvel comes and puts out Iron Man.. which was amazing.. and it looks like things are going ok. Then they put out The Incredible Hulk… which was a little lacking, but still not too bad… then they put out Iron Man 2 which was like that girl in high school… just a big tease, all hype and no follow through. So Marvel has slowly been letting me down….

Then THIS picture comes out. And instead of a cool movie about a Thunder God living among mortals… I have visions of… Well Odin with a golden eyepatch (that better be real bling.. he’s freakin Odin) and a suit of armor that looks… plastic.

Sure it’s only a picture. I know I may be overreacting, but c’mon… you can’t tell me from this picture alone, this looks to be on par with Iron Man.

Harvey Pekar (70) was found dead in his home early Monday morning. An autopsy will later conclude the cause of death.

Harvey Pekar was an award winning comic book writer who celebrated the working class everyman. He is most known for his autobiographical comic book series “American Splendor” (which he started after becoming friends with comic artist Robert Crumb, who became the first artist to illustrate American Splendor) as well as his book length autobiographical “Our Cancer Year” which he wrote with his wife after being diagnosed with lymphatic cancer in 1990. In addition to being a cancer survivor, he was also diagnosed with high blood pressure, asthma, and depression which fueled his art but made often made his life painful.

He has worked on numerous projects, and has received critical acclaim for his achievements including The American Book Award in 1987 for his American Splendor anthology and the Harvey Award in 1995 for “Our Cancer Year”.

There was also a film made about his life also titled “American Splendor” which came out in 2003 featuring Paul Giamatti as Pekar, the film also had great reviews and response and earned a renewed interest in Pekar’s work.

He often saw the funny parts in boring everyday life, things that most people do not write about. He will be missed.

Earlier in the week, we brought you the story about up and coming pro gamer Thirstee321 (Jake) being in the running for WCG’s Ultimate Gamer competition. We’re pretty stoked when we get to talk to gamers doing big things and trying to break the mold. So imagine our surprise when we check our email a day or two later and find contact info for another potential WCG gamer contestant Dana (aka JforJade). Dana is the most deadly type of gamer. She’s cute, girly, young, and can kick your ass. She’s been in 40 + local and national tournaments but we really dig her because she has a motorcycle and thinks tattoos are hot… Want more info on Dana? Here you go.

REMEMBER…. The voting is Monday the 17 through Sunday the 23rd. You can vote (once per hour per device) at www.wcgultimategamer.com.

Don't let the looks fool you... Dana's more than likely able to kick your butt in MW2

1. Let’s start with the basics… When did you first get into video games?
I have always been surrounded by gaming, since I grew up with 5 older brothers it was a common “must have” in my house hold. I know alot of gamers say, “I have been gaming since I could hold a controller in my hand”, which I think is a little ridiculous. I consider when I truly started gaming was over 9 years ago, since the PC versions of Command & Conquer and Wolfenstien, but I truly got involved in to competitive gaming and it became a part of my life style was about 7 years ago. I was 12 years old at the time and it was the release of Xbox Live for the original Xbox console. So, shortly after Xbox Live and all of its attributes consumed my life.

2. At what point did you discover, you could kick every body’s butt and decide to compete?
I first realized I was actually good at video games when I started playing Rainbow Six and Rainbow Six: Black Arrow and my competitive edge sky rocketed. Since then I went on the play Counter Strike, Star Wars, Dead or Alive, and then ultimately I became an avid Halo gamer. My first ever tournament was for Halo 2 in 2005 and since then I have been addicted.

3. You are the youngest out of the 3 competitors.. do you think your age is an advantage or a crutch?
I consider my age to be somewhat of an advantage. It has been proven that younger generation gamers have developed better awareness through the rise of competitive gaming. I personally don’t consider my age to effect me at all, I’m young with a free spirit and free opinion.

4. You signed your email Team Foxy… I take it that’s the female gaming organization correct? How did you become involved with them, and why is it important that you do?
Team Foxy was started in May 2008 by 4 female gamers who competed at tournaments together, shortly after one of their teammates left the team and they needed a substitute for their next competition, which so happened to be me. Once I got involved with Team Foxy many other girl gamers became interested in our cause and start making teams of their own to represent our name, so ultimately we formed an organization. We are strictly a competitive female organization, that is comprised of some of the best female gamers from multiple games and platforms. We pride ourselves in being the best at what we do in what ever game we compete in. I also carry this cause on my shoulders because I am main leader of Team Foxy Gaming and I help manage the organizations divisions, recruiting, video blogs, and more.

5. We here at BusyGamer are all for equality… so what do you say… your team of foxy gamers versus our team of drunken non foxy idiots in a mega tournament consisting of Pong, Uno, and potato sack racing?
Its on!!!!!! I will rally the Foxy troops for the ultimate Pong, Uno and Potato sack CHALLENGE! Go!

6. Do you ever make your friends in a fighting game just so you can beat them up? Or is that just a BusyGamer thing?
Hahahaha, in all honesty if I was pissed off enough I would definitely force them to play me, because it would be better than me actually beating them up!

7. How often do you train? Is there a method? Some tournaments and competitions throw you for a loop, do you think your prepared to handle a game you haven’t prepared for?
When I am not working my daily routine consist of working out, cleaning, and any thing else I need to get done till around 5:00pm, then from 5:00pm till about 3:00 or 4:00am I focus on gaming. I do have a method for when I practice or train for whatever game I choose to focus on for the night. When I get online I warm up by doing customs, Free for All, or facing off against the computer (CPU). After that I get my team on, look for scrims, or find a challenger, then play a few games. Once my matches or scrims are over I talk about improvements with the team or review game play. I have NEVER been face with a competition I was not prepare for and if it was the case, I never fail at any game that is put in front of me.

She had us at "Dr. Pepper"...

8.Do you think other players misjudge you because of your gender?
Allllll the time. There have been several times in multiple games when male gamers are talking shit and on a good day I usually laugh and agree with them, just because it usually pisses them off more. But shortly after playing them, I usually receive an apology message for the trash talk and then I request to add me as a friend. Which sadly….is Declined!

9. What’s your favorite game to play?
My favorite would be Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 just because the games setup and functions are amazing and the online tournament play is amazing. Halo 3 on the other hand is the game I play most regularly, mainly because that is where the money is and because I know my skills are most useful on that game. Other top games would be: Super Street Fighter 4, Dead or Alive, Guitar Hero, DJ Hero, BlazBlue, Need for Speed: Carbon.

10. How did you trying out for this come about?
I have many friends in high and low places…. hahaha! Actually, I ended up meeting Prod1gy through an organization called: Empire Arcadia and in Call of Duty 4, my boyfriend and I came across a previous cast member from Season 1, Dante who is now a very good friend of us both. After the debut of the show, I contacted Dante and asked if he thought I would be good for the show he reassured me and pushed me to take part in the Season 2 auditions in Atlanta.

I would also like to give a shout out to: Triggers Down, Charisma+2, Team Foxy Gaming, Empire Arcadia, Busy Gamer, Blast Magainze, Gamestop, Gunnar Optiks, GameBattles, Halo3forums, WCG, Dynaflex Gyro’s, Influential Gaming, My fans, My Family, Friends, and the MLG community for supporting and voting for me for WCG Ultimate Gamer Seas

Follow Thirstee321 on his Twitter @Thirstee321!

Last week, we brought you a little bit of info about Jake … in pro gaming circles, the force of nature known as Thirstee321. We told you guys to stick around until Monday for his big announcement, and the time has come.

Thirstee321 is in the running to be picked as the final contestant in WCG’s Ultimate Gamer (Season 2) But it will take everyone’s help to do so. The contest is done through online voting, and you can vote once PER HOUR to cast your vote.

The voting is Monday the 17 through Sunday the 23rd. You can vote (once per hour per device) at http://www.wcgultimategamer.com

If you want to know more about Jake.. feel free to watch his audition video on the site, or his announcement teaser video we posted here… Orrrrr, you can check out this interview I did with him right now… (Cause that’s how we roll)

So lets talk about video games. What’s the first game you remember playing and thinking… “man I’m better than everybody”.
Wow this is a tough one! There are alot of games that came to mind when thinking about this question! Playing Mario Kart 64 with my dad and brothers while gambling on each race for money was intense, but after thinking for a while I would probably have to say Halo: Combat Evolved. The Christmas of the year that Xbox came out I asked for aPS2 and my friend John asked for an Xbox. I had no idea how much fun Halo was going to be or I never would have asked for a PS2. After playing with him I decided to use the rest of my Christmas money to go buy an xbox. From that point out it was non stop system link parties every day after school. I think at that very point is where I attained my competitiveness in gaming!

You mention the term “multi- genre” gaming. Tell us why it’s important to have that skill versus having a specialty.
Well for me, being a multi- genre gamer is important because I hate to lose! Haha! I come from a very competitive family where absolutely everything we do turns into a game to see who will win. From gambling in Mario Kart, to screaming at each other around Christmas time about a game of Balderdash (board game), it is always a competition! I like getting to a point in each game to where I can beat about 90% of the people I come up against, and then move on to my next challenge. I feel limiting myself to one specific game is hindering my capabilities in ALL games.

Being into multiple genres (I knew a girl like that in college) what would you consider to be an achilles heel?
Haha, I’m not sure how I should take that, but its funny none the less!!! I get asked this quite often, and honestly I hate answering it for the simple fact that I don’t like to admit that I have a weakness lol. If there is one genre I don’t really care for, I would have to say fighting. Fighting games require spending a great amount of time learning each character and what they can actually do. However, I’m always up for a challenge, so if someone asks I like to be somewhat prepared. My approach in fighting games is to get relatively good with one character and then move on, leaving me with the inability to anticipate moves that I had no clue were even in the game.

How often do you train? Is there a set training schedule? Do you say I’m gonna work on this console today or only side scrolling old school games today?
I don’t like to think of gaming as training. I feel that when gaming for fun turns into training, it becomes work. This kind of goes hand and hand with why I don’t like to specialize in one specific game. However, I do play ALOTTTT of games! My schedule for gaming is kind of based around my schooling and my personal life. I’m currently a full time student enrolled at Kent State University and have a girlfriend who enjoys spending time with me. I don’t like to have to give up anything in my life for gaming, but I will NEVER give up gaming for my personal life! This results in a lot of restless nights gaming until 6 am after all the homework is done and my girlfriend is asleep, haha! I would have to say I play about 50-60 hours a week and play just about whatever I am in the mood for. I just love being a gamer!

Besides gaming, are there any other things you like to do with your spare time?
Haha, if get the chance at some spare time I absolutely love to watch movies! A good comedy always brightens my day! I also enjoy spending time with my girlfriend, going for a late night drive with the windows down listening to some music, playing ultimate frisbee, working out, or hanging out with my dogs!

Has gaming ever interfered with your personal life?
Gaming has never really been a problem with my personal life, which I am greatly thankful for! My girlfriend is really understanding about how much I love gaming and I’m excited to say a lot of the time she’s right there next to me kicking ass just as well! She’s quite the Call of Duty Modern Warefare 2 player! Just this morning she went 26 kills and 2 deaths while being 1 kill away from her nuke!

Do you like other games to besides video games?
I happen to enjoy most games that I come across! One game that I particularly like is Corn Hole. Within the last couple years it has gotten really big here in Ohio. I’m not sure if it is as popular everywhere else, but if you don’t know what it is, I suggest that you check it out because it is a lot of fun!

You should know I’m undefeated in air hockey. Repeat UNDEFEATED. I once won the company (Busygamer) in Seattle after a drunken game, only to lose it in Dallas TX after another drunken game of Ms. Pacman. I’ll repeat that I am undefeated. Soooo. feel like trying your luck?
Hahaha! I am going to respect your confidence and not talk trash until we duke it out. Like I said though, I’m always up for a challenge, so I accept! I will warn you though, I am a gamer with extreme hand/eye coordination and I’m no slouch in air hockey myself, so be prepared lol.

Tell me about countdown 321.
Countdown321 is the gaming organization I am with, comprised of some of the best gamers I know! There are two specific gamers with us that are pretty well known. WCG Ultimate Gamer’s 1st place winner Mark Smith (mmmApplesauce321) and 3rd place winner Jamal Nickens (Zophar321). Jamal has also won other major competitions such asScrew Attack’s Iron Man of Gaming tournament and the hit television show Life to the Power of X. We are all extremely devoted in what we do and have a passion for gaming like no other! Our website is devoted to bringing competitive gaming to the local gamer. However, we also do charity events, gaming reviews, and have an ever expanding forum that we hope continues to grow as well as it has been. Head on over to http://www.countdown321.net and check out all the cool stuff we have going on and sign up for our forums while your at it.

If we threw our own gaming competition where you had to drink every hour and compete. Would you participate?
Oh my gosh, that would certainly spice things up a notch, hahaha! I think a competition like that sounds hilarious and extremely fun! If you actually did have a competition like that I would feel completely left out if I wasn’t there! Count me in!

We love a good story here at Busygamer. Nothing gets us revved up to cheer on fellow gamers like an up and coming gamer starting from the ground up trying to make a lot of waves.

Meet Jake Pfister, or Thirstee321 as he is known in his gamer circles. Thirstee321 is setting himself up to take a stab at being one of the Nation’s top up and coming gamers. This multi genre gamer has a big take no prisoners attitude and is ready to take this to the next level with a little Busygamer love at the same time. What’s the announcement? I guess we’re all going to find out Monday…

One thing is for certain… watching this announcement teaser video… spells woe to some upcoming opponents.

Follow up with more about Thirstee321 here at Countdown321.net!

By far, one of the best shots in the film.

So like most fan boys, I was pretty rearing to go to see the new Iron Man movie. Now don’t get me wrong, even though I am a cynical jerk and really bash a lot of the movies I watch… I was actually looking foward to seeing Iron Man 2. The first one was better than I expected, and I really wanted to see the bar raised for this one.

If the bar was raised… someone forgot to tell Marvel because they made a movie that reminds me of that girl in the tourist bar you always see. All hype… no follow through. You know the type, just out to score free drinks. In this sense.. the free drink is a 13 dollar movie ticket, and we all got taken for a ride.

Now don’t get me wrong. The movie is visually stunning. (Like said girl in a bar). It’s pretty to look at, there are scenes that are kind of cool if they lasted long enough. It’s just well… I think I saw more of Tony OUT of the suit than in it. They tried to tackle this plot of Tony Stark dying, but we didn’t care, we wanted some action. The story was a bastardized version of the comic (will we ever learn Marvel… it didn’t go down like that) and we comic fans have to put up with it so Joe Dumbass who never read a comic in his life can approve it…

That’s just it Marvel movie studio… if I NEVER read a comic book before, I guess I’d be impressed (ahem.. wanted anyone?)

On the cool though, Scarlett Johansson’s fine Tom Waits’ lovin’ self was damn gorgeous. They could have casted better, but at least she was something to look at.

SPOILER ALERT:
(more…)

We love games. We love all types of ‘em. Video games, table top games, dice games, games of chance, trading card games, RPG’s, drinking games… and one day we’ll get that game of Gamette strip poker to happen. (Hey guys gotta have goals right?)

One thing that had been catching our eyes lately is the newer market of “Geo??? tag gaming. It’s been relatively new the past year of so with mobile phone applications getting more sophisticated and such. The two forerunners being Foursquare and Gowalla.

To tell the truth, I never really wanted to try it to begin with. While it did seem vaguely interesting, I was hesitant of the social networking aspect of it. While we here at BG are big on social networking… I’m also hesitant to be the D-bag who sends you flowers for your facebook garden or wants you to answer questions about me. With that aspect, the foursquare users just seemed to kinda fit that bill. (I know I can imagine all the hate mail now)

So SXSW came to town this past few weeks in Austin Texas (Home of the proud Busygamer crew) and we also learned via web buzz that Gowalla is actually developed in Austin Texas made it’s debut around SXSW LAST year and had tons of local SXSW inspired trips and locations to visit. I actually happened to be rolling into the festival for my own devious personal reasons not business related, so in the tradition of trying out new apps on roadtrips (which I have somehow become accustomed to doing) I decided to try it out.

First off, the premise of geo gaming is pretty simple. You use your mobile device to “Tag??? where you are. This is done by the simple action of “checking in???. The purpose is really a neat way to share the places you are going with friends. Of course, where the social aspect comes in, is that at certain places you can find “hidden??? virtual items from place to place. Maybe a pint in a random bar, or a fish in a pond. These items get added to your profile, you can collect them, or swap them for other items people leave behind, or you can drop them in a spot others have not yet done so and become a “founder??? of the spot. You also have the option of creating a spot for the first time if you are at a location no one on Gowalla has ever been before.

The purpose of all this? Collecting Pins man. You can get pins for all sorts of things, from visiting a certain number of spots, to creating or founding a certain number of spots, or even visiting a lot of bars or coffee shops (the bar pin should be no problem for us).

In addition to the pins, the people of Gowalla have put together series of trips you can take. (Being founded in Austin, there are some neat ones.) SXSW visitors were in luck as there were a number of SXSW “trips??? you can take by visiting all the locations on the list. Gowalla had SWSW music, interactive, film and even keynote trips you could take. In addition to the specific SXSW trips they also had there BBQ Bonanza (oh the arteries are hardening now) and the Austin Bar Hop (which we will be gathering a group of Austinites in the near future to come along with us to complete!)

Besides the trips that are featured, it looks like the website also lets you make your own trips as well.

The most interesting thing about this app game is the slick interface. For a Busygamer who is always on the road and out of the office living life, it has become a neat way to “check in??? to somewhere new, grab a hidden item (some which can be traded for actual goods IRL), and move on filling my casual gaming needs while I work on being a traveling man. It’s also handy because it lets you decide which check ins or pictures you want to post on twitter or facebook to avoid the “annoying guy who is always asking for help on mafia wars in FB??? syndrome.

Because Gowalla is a world wide application, I cant wait to visit other cities to see the spots others have created and also making my own blazing a path where others have not been (already got a “founded??? and “commissioned??? pin thank ya very much). The app really makes you want to check a city out, as we were sitting around auditorium shores waiting for a concert to begin, looking for the time capsule and fountain we knew were nearby.

So far… Gowalla looks like a winner to us, and we’re pretty serious about that Austin barhop trip. If you are in the Austin area… keep a look out for us to advertise it in the coming weeks and you can come along. It’s kinda like getting a boyscout badge except that not all of us will make it back alive.

Gowalla is available FREE to download on the iPhone, Android, BlackBerry and Palm phones. Sign up and read more info at www.gowalla.com.