December 2008 Archives

I got this thing so I would have a fun, interesting way to exercise. I don't jog; going to the gym is fine, but can be tedious; walkies are great, but when the weather sucks I find it easy to not go out. Et cetera.

I discovered that I am not alone in my Wii-ness. According to CNet, the Wii is schooling game consoles sold by Microsoft and Sony. Nintendo, the company that first leveraged the home console video gaming market Magnavox and Atari mastered thus injecting new life into what had been a dying industry, reigns supreme.

According to a release sent out by the online retail giant Friday, the Nintendo Wii and all its accessories dominated video game sales during the holiday shopping rush and not one mention was made of Sony's Playstation 3 or Microsoft's Xbox 360.

"Nintendo Wii dominated the top sellers in video games and hardware, including the Wii console, the Wii remote controller and the Wii nunchuk controller," the release reports.

I was clever and crafty. I bought the Wii console before Christmas so I could put games and accessories for it on my Christmas list. Rechargeable batteries, spare controllers, and the game Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Dance Party 2 made their ways to spots beneath my tree this year.

Yay!

So who needs a stinky old PS3 with Blu-Ray© anyway?

PS3 Vs Wii commercial

So many people like to do those chirpy year end newsletter things where they talk about how wonderful the past year was. What do you do if the past year wasn't really great? How do you sum it up?

"This year we did not murder our children. Um ... that's about it. Hope 2009 turns out better than 2008!"

Yeah. So. I think I'll just revisit some of my past poasts instead.

January: I got flashed, but nothing ever came of it.

February: Peeps were excited about my Happyness. Twelve comments! I think most of them were my own.

March: Oatmeal is the world's strongest super glue.

April: I found myself technologically bloggesquely challenged.

May: The great Spring hunt is on!

June: Spending money is a great way to exercise.

July: Clothing optional

August: Proper grammar, punctuation and spelling is just so Nineties, don't you agree?

September: It's Arts & Crafts time, boys and girls!

October: Skool Pitchur

November: Uncharacteristically, I get a bit cranky about phone calls.

December: It's raining, it's pouring, the dogs think I'm boring

Bacon. Or Ancho and Chipotle. Or ginger, wasabi and black sesame seeds. Or hickory smoked almonds and gray sea salt.

And chocolate. Each of the above, with chocolate.

Who knew?

These guys apparently do, and, thankfully, so does a peep at my company who introduced me to these odd delicacies.

I'd share, but I'm afraid I ate all of mine. If you get some, you'll share with me, though. Right?

Ummm, Paula, maybe you shouldn't serve teh flying choccie pig during your holiday festivities.

It's chilly and overcast outside and earlier this morning I said to myself, "Self, you should have tomato soup 'n a grill cheese sammich for lunch, is what you should have." Myself agreed enthusiastically.

Some time between that conversation and now, my brain disconnected itself and went on holiday.

As a result, I find myself finishing up the remnants of a heat'n'eat -- a Smart Ones© something something beef with asparagus. Tasty enough, but not 'mater soup with grill cheese sammich.

<sigh>

Maybe for supper, then.

I guess I am. I've been playing with Wii Fit -- my son and I are in a sort of competition.

For those who do not know what a "Wii Fit" is -- or even what a Wii (pronounced "wee") might be -- lissen up. First: get out of that cave. Now. Second: Wii is a game console by game maker Nintendo. It differs from other game consoles (such as Sony Playstations 1, 2, or 3, GameCube, XBox, or, for you geezers, Atari) in that the device you use as a controller is wireless, you grip it in your hand, and interact with the game by aiming it at the television screen (or whatever you use to display the game) and moving it. So games like bowling, tennis, and boxing are naturals for it. It enables the player to mimic the moves he'd make if he were really playing that sport. While gripping the controller tightly (with a wrist strap, just in case you accidentally let go), you swing your hand in an underhand toss as you might a bowling ball and watch the ball on the screen roll down the alley. You can put some spin on the ball by flicking your wrist. You can throw a fast ball or a slow one, depending on your swing. The controller has feedback, too. It rumbles, buzzes, and makes sounds that go with the game, depending on what you do.

You create a Mii -- an avatar that represents you in the game.

So Wii Fit is a fitness game. For this, you need to purchase a different controller -- a balance board you stand on. It senses the weight you're placing on it at different points, calculating your center of gravity, and you can engage in a variety of games and exercises and have it "correct" your stance. You earn points by how well you perform the activities while maintaining a steady center of gravity. The more you use it, theoretically, the stronger your abdominal muscles get enabling you to have correct posture and strong "core" muscles.

So I totally school my son at the various yoga poses (nearly -- I am not so steady on one legged poses), but he's got me beat when it comes to jackknifes, push-ups, and other more physically intense activities.

I like the rhythm step aerobic activity, and the hula hoops. I also like the rhythm boxing. It's a fun way to exercise.

Anyway, you can share your Mii with other game consoles. The Wii is capable of connecting to the Internet -- over a Wii-fi connection, or directly wired to your router. If you have a Wii, and want to play with my Mii, send me your console # and I'll add you to my Wiidress book.