If there’s anything “good” about being sick, it’s that when your brain isn’t working properly enough for real work, there are usually enough functioning neurons to play a bit of the ol’ Xbox. I was given a copy of Mass Effect when I attended Mobius 2007 back in November, but I never got around to playing it until this weekend. What a fun game! It’s got the perfect mix of role-playing and action, something that attracted me to Bioware’s other RPG/action game, Jade Empire (I sure hope they’re working on a sequel). I’ve barely dipped my toe into the waters of Mass Effect, but I enjoyed the few hours I spent playing it a great deal - especially once I looked at the manual and figured out how to swap weapons. I also played, and purchased, the Xbox Live arcade game Battlestar Galactica - also insanely fun (but hard!). Pretty much anything that says “Battlestar Galactica” gets my dollars because I’m such a huge fan of the show. Maybe this year I’ll actually break the 2000 point barrier on my Xbox gamerscore!

Whenever I need a laugh, I turn to Miss Teen South Carolina and her stirring response about “US Americans” and map reading. This clip never fails to give me a chuckle!

Some of the comedic responses, like Miss Teen South Carolina calling 911, are almost as funny.