ZoomZoomin'

Unfortunately, this sounds like it isn't a modern remake of Interstate '76...they might do better going that route.

I'm still waiting for a track machine like this that costs in the range of a small car. I'm still wondering can't the motorcycle companies offer something like this. Take those nice 600/650/700cc mills and put four wheels around it rather than two.

Yes, I know the answer is that with the fact that something like this couldn't be street-legal and makes the market too small for them to consider mass production, but damnit, I want something fun to take to the track...safer than getting a motorcycle, but not as expensive as kitting out a car for track use (which still won't be quite as fun). Karting is the nearest thing, but you're generally stuck to karting tracks. A guy can dream...

That video requires the backstory.

"A man tasked with virtually killing everything and everyone cracks under the challenge. This is a chronicle of his descent into madness..."

I've actually wanted these games for awhile, but I never eat at Burger King...at least not since college. *sigh* So it's a question of whether choking down a Whopper rather than some In N' Out is worth the cause and if I can find a BK that will sell all 3 in one shot rather than adhering to the 1-per-meal stipulation.

Actually, I'd say the 360 has come the closest to the "entertainment" hub concept. Best of all, it does it through extendability rather than having it all built in. The two biggest highlights :

Media Center Extender
HD DVD

You're forced to buy neither, but using both can be of great benefit to anyone concerned or looking for that kind of functionality "on the cheap." Unfortunately, each has two big drawbacks...

Media Center Extenders don't support some of the popular video formats except via klugdy (although quite well-done in some cases) on-the-fly transcoding solutions. Also, the video playback codecs just don't seem to be updated at all anymore (such as how the new dashboard WMV support is better than the extender's...lame). Also, the MCEx doesn't support visualizations for music. They're adding some of these capabilities to the dashboard, but the interface blows hard in comparison.

The HD-DVD player could potentially have a problem with no HDMI out if/when content providers decided to start shipping product with content protection enabled. However, it's really nice because it's a dedicated *optional* add-on that also puts no wear and requires no/few extra parts in the core unit.

With XBL, the potential/base already exists for a pretty good social networking system too.

Wow...cookie odor deemed as insensitive. Restaurants and bakeries are some real bastards.

Going to save up to buy a Cayman and not drive it much?

I personally didn't find the article completely out of place myself, but I can see how it would be seen as such by some readers...along with viewing public transportation as a necessary (and hopefully avoidable) evil.

For a normal routine using public transportation, you have to endure (even assuming a timely, clean, and well-maintained public transit system)...

1) Being stuck in the confines of a vehicle full of strangers with a varying level (or lack) of personal space and comfort

2) Limited options/ease when making or changing plans (especially when it comes to any operation hour restrictions)

3) Definitely no enjoyment of a potentially nice drive to/from a destination...sometimes the best part of a day/night for an enthusiast.

4) Limitations on cargo/carrying capacity...no more grocery shopping at Costco

5) ...all while not necessarily getting to your destination any quicker depending on the commute.

Not that there aren't plenty of people in the world who must use or choose to use public transportation and I'm sure there's no intent to put them down. However, there are plenty of people (probably a lot of the site's readership) who would happily prefer to deal with the costs/problems of car ownership and consider public transportation as a last resort if it were a reasonable option.

Small, oddly-shaped (square, no contours), slippery controller + arm swinging = recipe for potential damage.

Frankly, I can think up plenty of reasons I wouldn't let a lot of my friends or other people near my entertainment center while playing with my Wii (I soooo wish I could stop saying the name, it still sounds terrible). The thought still makes me nervous, but fortunately most are non-gamers or have been too busy to come over and check it out.

I'm an on-the-couch "wrist player" whenever possible, but I can see friends trying to do the full motion activities and getting a little too excited or being a little clumsy on occasion. Even just watch the simple backhand that O'Brien does near the beginning of the segment. If the remote slipped, I'd wager that it would have a decent amount of force at the peak of his arm movement. That's a reasonable amount of force/movement I could expect from a normal adult person, nevermind someone younger. Not to mention the "subtle" method can often be a real pain in the wrists.

I'm got the opposite problem. I've rooted for Ferrari for years, but can't stand Kimi and had to stop cheering on Barichello for going to a team like Honda.

Now, I think I'll primarily root for Kubica and Speed to do well (assuming Speed is back), with Massa and Hamilton as my favorites to win. Then I can only hope the McLaren treats Alonso as well as it treated Raikkonen.

"Cut off your nose, despite your face.

Posted at 11:13AM on Dec 6th 2006 by Atilac"


...I *think* you mean "Cut off your nose to spite your face."

I never had any serious problem with the SPEED presentations of F1 (yes, the pronunciations do sometimes suck). However, the CBS broadcasts practically made my ears bleed since they had an "F1 for Dummies" level of commentary (and yes, I'm also a Daly hater...he was TERRIBLE). What I wish I could get (but won't) is F1 in HD. Plus, from what I understand, the local director controls the FIA world feed that goes out. So nothing indicates FOX would/could have their own camera equipment present or would get the various individual camera feeds, so you probably shouldn't expect any editing changes.

I find it amazing that there could be many people who would get their feelings hurt when watching F1 because the manufacturers try to be secretive about their tech or this obsession of wanting to be knee deep in the drivers' lives. I'll never quite understand the American obsession with the non-career-related personal lives of public figures beyond the information relevant to their public job. C'mon...

Now the final follow up question is: when will WRC return to SPEED?! I'm trying to remember if they even brodcast the Isle of Mann TT this year. They dropped so much Euro racing after the FOX acquisition of Speedvision. They also (mostly) dropped non-auto racing like offshore boat racing, but I found some of it on at odd (super early) hours during the season.