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<generator>Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/</generator><item><title><![CDATA[Mario Kart symbols appear on bike lanes in Portland, Ore.]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/24/mario-kart-symbols-appear-on-bike-lanes-in-portland-ore/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/24/mario-kart-symbols-appear-on-bike-lanes-in-portland-ore/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/24/mario-kart-symbols-appear-on-bike-lanes-in-portland-ore/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/category/weird-but-true/" rel="tag">Weird But True</a>, <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/category/opinions/" rel="tag">Opinions</a>, <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/category/new-in-pop-culture/" rel="tag">New In Pop Culture</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/24/mario-kart-symbols-appear-on-bike-lanes-in-portland-ore/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2010/08/starpaintedbikelane2.jpg" alt="" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">Some wily vandal in Portland, Oregon has painted <a href="http://joystiq.com/tag/mario-kart"><em>Mario Kart</em></a> symbols into the pavement there on one of the city's bike lanes. You can <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Y36624rrjU&amp;feature=player_embedded">see them in action in this video</a> (also embedded after the break). Unfortunately, the bananas, star and speed arrows don't actually confer the same powers they do in the game, but we did smirk to see that all of the bikers do faithfully avoid the banana peel, and hit the rest of the symbols head on.<br />
<br />
You can even wring some unintentional hilarity from the dry-as-a-Dry Bones explanation of what each powerup does by the KATU anchor. That's right, <a href="http://www.katu.com/about/people/anchors/3517361.html">Carl Click</a>! You might have read that script just fine, but admit it: You don't know a Red Shell from a Blooper.</div><p><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/24/mario-kart-symbols-appear-on-bike-lanes-in-portland-ore/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Mario Kart symbols appear on bike lanes in Portland, Ore.</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/24/mario-kart-symbols-appear-on-bike-lanes-in-portland-ore/">Mario Kart symbols appear on bike lanes in Portland, Ore.</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Tue, 24 Aug 2010 05:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/24/mario-kart-symbols-appear-on-bike-lanes-in-portland-ore/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/19605157/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/24/mario-kart-symbols-appear-on-bike-lanes-in-portland-ore/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>banana-peel</category><category>blooper</category><category>dry-bones</category><category>ds</category><category>funny</category><category>humor</category><category>mario-kart</category><category>Mario-Kart-Wii</category><category>nintendo</category><category>oregon</category><category>portland</category><category>red-shell</category><category>symbols</category><category>wii</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Mike Schramm]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 24 Aug 2010 05:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Jail guard busted for incriminating City of Heroes forum posts]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/10/jail-guard-busted-for-incriminating-city-of-heroes-forum-posts/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/10/jail-guard-busted-for-incriminating-city-of-heroes-forum-posts/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/10/jail-guard-busted-for-incriminating-city-of-heroes-forum-posts/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<a href="http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=118911391052032000"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" align="right" alt=""  src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2007/09/bshock-electro-225.jpg" /></a>Not all villains wear the proper attire. Take 30-year old David B. Thompson, for example, who posts on the <em>City of Heroes</em> message boards as Trafalgar (and has since changed his name to Deadwalk). In real life, Thompson is a corrections officer from Portland, Oregon with a penchant for using his taser, perhaps an unnecessarily excessive amount, and bragging about it online during work hours.<br /><br />Thompson is currently being investigated after a fellow message board member tipped off <a href="http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=118911391052032000">the Portland Tribune</a> for some disturbing messages, such as <a href="http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&amp;Board=pvppwnz&amp;Number=9023810&amp;Searchpage=2&amp;Main=9023433&amp;Words=Trafalgar&amp;topic=&amp;Search=true#Post9023810">this one</a> from August 25: "<font class="post">I don't know about that. I crushed a dude's eye socket from repeatedly punching him in it, then I charged him with menacing and harassment (of me) he took a plea to get away from me."</font><br /><br />Also of concern is the amount of posting, which might average 13 posts per shift. In one 24-hour period in particular, Thompson posted 64 times across across 13 threads, according to the Tribune.<br /><br />[Thanks, Bill]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/10/jail-guard-busted-for-incriminating-city-of-heroes-forum-posts/">Jail guard busted for incriminating City of Heroes forum posts</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Mon, 10 Sep 2007 19:25:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=118911391052032000>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/10/jail-guard-busted-for-incriminating-city-of-heroes-forum-posts/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/986028/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/10/jail-guard-busted-for-incriminating-city-of-heroes-forum-posts/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>cityofheroes</category><category>oregon</category><category>portland</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Ross Miller]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 10 Sep 2007 19:25:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Oregon attempts game bill because Timmy broke Mary's arm]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/10/oregon-attempts-game-bill-because-timmy-broke-marys-arm/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/10/oregon-attempts-game-bill-because-timmy-broke-marys-arm/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/10/oregon-attempts-game-bill-because-timmy-broke-marys-arm/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/category/culture/" rel="tag">Culture</a>, <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/category/politics/" rel="tag">Politics</a></p><a href="http://gamepolitics.com/2007/04/10/oregon-legislature-considers-video-game-bill/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" align="right" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2007/04/oregontrail.jpg" alt="" /></a>GamePolitics <a href="http://gamepolitics.com/2007/04/10/oregon-legislature-considers-video-game-bill/">reports</a> the Oregon House of Reps. is trying to blaze new trails by introducing a law making it unlawful to sell "ultra-violent" video games to people of the great state under 18 years of age. The bill was introduced by Rep. Arnie Roblan (D) and has no provision on what punishment would be given for those breaking the law, it also grants exception for parents who choose to purchase the game for their child. So, what's the point of this thing again?<br /><br />Anyway, best part of the bill is the <a href="http://landru.leg.state.or.us/07reg/measures/hb3500.dir/hb3511.intro.html">definition</a> of "ultra-violent." The bill states, "'Ultra-violent video game' means a video game depicting serious injury to human beings in a manner that is especially heinous, atrocious or cruel." So, killing an alien, smearing its blood all over your avatar and then eating its entrails would be fine -- it's not a "human." That's quite speciesist, I hope the great state of Oregon has an excuse set up when the aliens arrive.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/10/oregon-attempts-game-bill-because-timmy-broke-marys-arm/">Oregon attempts game bill because Timmy broke Mary's arm</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Tue, 10 Apr 2007 08:55:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://gamepolitics.com/2007/04/10/oregon-legislature-considers-video-game-bill/>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/10/oregon-attempts-game-bill-because-timmy-broke-marys-arm/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/870899/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/10/oregon-attempts-game-bill-because-timmy-broke-marys-arm/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>death</category><category>game bill</category><category>kill</category><category>murder</category><category>oregon</category><category>oregon trail</category><category>ultra-violent</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Alexander Sliwinski]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 10 Apr 2007 08:55:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Blame the games defense fails in Oregon]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/06/blame-the-games-defense-fails-in-oregon/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/06/blame-the-games-defense-fails-in-oregon/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/06/blame-the-games-defense-fails-in-oregon/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/category/culture/" rel="tag">Culture</a></p><a href="http://www.oregonnews.com/article/20070302/REGIONALNEWS/70302018"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" align="right" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2007/03/devilmademedoit.jpg" /></a>Note for future lawyers: "The games made me do it" defense isn't going to work. Patrick Morris, 19, was found guilty in the 2006 shotgun murder death of a 15-year-old boy and <a href="http://www.oregonnews.com/article/20070302/REGIONALNEWS/70302018">sentenced</a> to life in prison.<br /><br />Morris' mother, Irma Espitia, said she tried to connect with her son but, "He would just go into his room and play those video games." Morris' attorney defended his client with the video game defense, also adding a history of emotional and behavioral disorders -- oh, and use of mind-altering <strike>Mario</strike> mushrooms. Prosecutors said the drugs and emotional disorders were probably a greater influence on Morris' disturbing behavior and decision to murder than the video games.<br /><br />See also: <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/22/the-other-side-of-a-disturbed-teens-tale/">The other side of a disturbed teens tale</a><br /><br />[Via <a href="http://gamepolitics.com/2007/03/06/video-games-made-me-do-it-defense-fails-in-oregon-murder-trial/">GamePolitics</a>]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/06/blame-the-games-defense-fails-in-oregon/">Blame the games defense fails in Oregon</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Tue, 06 Mar 2007 19:26:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.oregonnews.com/article/20070302/REGIONALNEWS/70302018>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/06/blame-the-games-defense-fails-in-oregon/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/847044/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/06/blame-the-games-defense-fails-in-oregon/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>conviction</category><category>games made me do it</category><category>murder</category><category>oregon</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Alexander Sliwinski]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 06 Mar 2007 19:26:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Public transportation and GTA: Vice City Stories]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/04/public-transportation-and-gta-vice-city-stories/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/04/public-transportation-and-gta-vice-city-stories/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/04/public-transportation-and-gta-vice-city-stories/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/category/culture/" rel="tag">Culture</a>, <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/category/psp/" rel="tag">Sony PSP</a>, <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/category/business/" rel="tag">Business</a></p><a href="http://gamepolitics.com/2006/12/03/sunday-editorial-roundup-journalist-examines-portland-gta-ad-controversy/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" align="right" alt="" id="vimage_1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2006/12/gtavcs1205.jpg" /></a>GamePolitics has a <a href="http://gamepolitics.com/2006/12/03/sunday-editorial-roundup-journalist-examines-portland-gta-ad-controversy/">roundup</a> of the Portland, Oregon public transportation system <a href="http://gamepolitics.com/2006/11/25/gta-ads-pulled-from-portland-oregon-transit-system/">removing</a> <em>GTA: Vice City Stories</em> advertisements. They've also <a href="http://www.masstransitmag.com/article/article.jsp?id=1952&amp;siteSection=3">linked</a> to <em>The Oregonian's</em> columnist Jerry Boone's editorial about how <em>GTA</em> might cause a small percentage of gamers to go on "stealing, killing and raping binges." At the end Boone says the transit system lost $71,250 removing the ads, but the value of a cop's life is "priceless." Boone is right, a small percentage of gamers might kill cops, because it <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/03/north-carolina-deputy-kills-suspected-ps3-thief-and-his-dog/">never happens the other way around</a>. Wonder how much the life of a dead unarmed kid and his bullet filled dog are worth? <br /><br />On the other coast, the head of Boston's public transportation system told the politicians to go take a long walk off a short Boston pier. The GTA ads are <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/24/the-political-game-banned-in-boston/">staying</a> up. The outrage in Boston was pretty <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/24/boston-herald-created-gta-controversy-politicians-followed/">faux</a> and created by the local tabloid paper <em>The Boston Herald</em>. Maybe <em>The Oregonian</em> made the whole crisis up to sell papers like <em>The Boston Herald</em> did. Sadly, the Portland public transportation directors have no spines and blew over like a house of cards to "media issue of the week" pressure.<br /><br />Meanwhile, in England ... GTA: Vice City Stories is <a href="http://kotaku.com/gaming/vice-city-stories/uk-not-scared-of-vice-city-stories-218853.php">advertised</a> on a double-decker bus.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/04/public-transportation-and-gta-vice-city-stories/">Public transportation and GTA: Vice City Stories</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Mon, 04 Dec 2006 22:55:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://gamepolitics.com/2006/12/03/sunday-editorial-roundup-journalist-examines-portland-gta-ad-controversy/>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/04/public-transportation-and-gta-vice-city-stories/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/712787/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/04/public-transportation-and-gta-vice-city-stories/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>boston</category><category>game politics</category><category>gta</category><category>oregon</category><category>politics</category><category>PSP</category><category>vice city stories</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Alexander Sliwinski]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 04 Dec 2006 22:55:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Video games curbing violence in Oregon prisons]]></title><link>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/03/16/video-games-curbing-violence-in-oregon-prisons/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.joystiq.com/2006/03/16/video-games-curbing-violence-in-oregon-prisons/</guid><comments>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/03/16/video-games-curbing-violence-in-oregon-prisons/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/category/culture/" rel="tag">Culture</a></p><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/tech/gaming/2006-03-14-prison-arcade_x.htm"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1"align="right" src="http://www.joystiq.com/media/2006/03/hands_on_bars.jpg" alt="behind bars" /></a>The Oregon prisonsystem has been experimenting with a new item in its non-cash incentive program, video games. Inmates earn the right topurchase a $35 gaming console, pre-loaded with 50 titles, after 18 months of good behavior. In the case of Kodi Dodgin,the games have helped him to stay out of trouble for almost two years-Dodgin had been placed in disciplinarysegregation seven times prior to his good behavior efforts. Dodgin's game of choice? <em>Star Ally</em>.<br /><br/>"You get all these weapons and you've got to beat the four boss men," Dodgin told <em>The AssociatedPress</em>. "You kill your enemies. They let off these bubbles sometimes. You collect their bubbles, and you getall these weapons." <em>Hmmm</em>, he sure sounds excited about all 'dem weapons...<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.joystiq.com"><img src="http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Joystiq" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2006/03/16/video-games-curbing-violence-in-oregon-prisons/">Video games curbing violence in Oregon prisons</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.joystiq.com">Joystiq</a> on Thu, 16 Mar 2006 11:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.usatoday.com/tech/gaming/2006-03-14-prison-arcade_x.htm>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2006/03/16/video-games-curbing-violence-in-oregon-prisons/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/forward/600013/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2006/03/16/video-games-curbing-violence-in-oregon-prisons/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>Oregon</category><category>Star Ally</category><category>StarAlly</category><category>Umatilla</category><category>wo Rivers Correctional Institution</category><category>WoRiversCorrectionalInstitution</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[James Ransom-Wiley]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 16 Mar 2006 11:30:00 EST</pubDate></item></channel></rss>