The card reader that's in my computer died...a few months ago, and I just haven't gotten 'round to replacing it yet. I've been relying on this external card reader; it's slow, and, being small and not in my computer, easily lost.

I found it, though. Then, I spent half an hour getting several months of pictures off my camera....

Then, there was the unfortunate discovery that the recent server restructuring left me unable to import things from my special Gallery upload folder, which meant a quick trip to customer service, where I found out that my guesses on where I should point Gallery's 'permissions' were correct...except something was getting in the way. So, FTP, and undoing and redoing the file permissions on that folder, and...finally, it works.

So there's new stuff in the Digicam Originals 2009 folder over there, and I can finally post about the presents.

Chips, fudge, cookies.

Including pumpkin cookies, which apparently attempted an escape somewhere along the way.

While arranging everything so we could get the traditional video for mom, Zombi decided that it'd be most helpful to get under the sofa cover.

Two new batteries for the Wii charging station mom got us last year. The old batteries were flaking out -- not holding a charge for very long. And one of the contacts was starting to look a little more corroded. They were used; I can't blame mom for that, though, because I'd have probably gotten them used, too, if I could find them.

Two Wii Classic Controllers, for the Virtual Console games I might someday get if I ever acquire Wii Points. One of these was actually Gremlin's gift.

I kinda hope that, eventually, Nintendo release some VC games on a disc or something, the way Microsoft has.

Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, for the DS. A game that probably would've been responsible for the delays in posting this if two new games from Gamefly hadn't shown up with the presents...and I haven't even touched one of them, yet. I'll talk about that in another post, though....

Yes. A cordless electric kettle. I asked for it. I wanted one. Because, well, tea. If you can't understand that, that's not my problem....

Also, it's not really your annual non-denominational Family Gathering and Gift Giving day if you don't get at least one useful kitchen item. This might be the first time in the history of ever that the useful kitchen item got used immediately, though.

Artificial black roses. Really, that's the only way to get them.

Then there's this. This thing that I asked for, and didn't expect to get, because, really, who expects their parents to track down a newly released DK book? But here it is. Prehistoric Life. The cover also says The Definitive Visual History of Life on Earth.

If you've ever seen a DK book, you know they mean it.

The last half of the video I sent to mom was of me sitting there, leafing through the book, trying to pronounce interesting new names and basking in the glow of CG-enhanced educational materials.

The rest of the night [or, really, the next six hours] were spent on the sofa with Gremlin, drinking tea and going through the book. And lamenting the fact that the book, having come out this year, is already outdated. And the fact that DK have not yet released a comprehensive guide to the cephalopoda.

Seriously, DK. Get on it. Take some time off from your visual guides to Star Wars and your level one stuf about mammals and print up a gigantic, glossy, adultish type book that encouraging parents can get their bright, adult-minded children to inspire them toward careers in teuthology. One that covers the extinct stuff, too.

While we're on the subject of squids, this is what I decided to do with the flowers, since I...don't really have anywhere else to put them right now. I think it looks kinda nice with the mushroom cloud poster behind it.

I'm not kidding. It's all in this article.

If your kids play interactive video games, like the Nintendo Wii, be on the lookout. The Mid-Missouri Internet Crimes Task Force is warning of predators using games like, "Animal Crossing- City Folk," to target kids.

Really? How come the only link between Animal Crossing and pedophiles I can find on the internet is people talking about this article? Must be those devious pedophiles again.

Of course, I didn't really look very hard.

Using the game you create a character and create your own town and house. When hooked up to the internet you can talk to anyone across the country. Kids playing the game have no control over what other players might be saying. For example, the character we ran across could be the man in California police are warning about.

I don't believe you.

No. Really. I don't believe you. I don't believe that you actually got a Wii, and a copy of this game, and sat down to play it.

If you had, you'd know that you don't so much 'create' your own town as 'name it' and answer a few questions which affect the somewhat random layout. You don't go in and say 'Museum goes here, store goes here, and my house goes here.'

And you don't create your own house. You pick one of four houses already built. You can furnish your own house, but that's something entirely else.

But that's just me being picky. Not so picky? And the reason I don't believe you? The fact that I doubt you found anyone willing to trade friend codes with you. You probably don't even know what a fucking 'friend code' is. You probably think Agent S, Frobert, Pekoe, and Static are all actually people who just happen to be online and playing every time you turn the machine on. They're not. And Kid Cat is not the man they identified in California.

"There is no reason an adult should have this game," says Andy Anderson, Mid-Missouri Internet Crimes Task Force.

Anderson says adults playing "animal crossing" and similar games are likely doing it for the wrong reasons.

'Fun' is the wrong reason. Of course.

You probably have told your kids never to talk to strangers, but when playing, the heart of the game is building relationships with the animals in your town as well as other players. To really reach the next level, the game urges you to exchange letters, gifts, and favors.

The 'heart' of the game is actually completing your catalogue. Technically. And you're not actually expected to exchange letters with 'strangers' -- you really can't, because of the friend code system. You're supposed to build relationships with the townsfolk. That's what the favours are all about. You get in good with them, send them letters and presents [and maybe get some foreign fruit back from them], do things for them -- find them a fish they ask for, or give them a piece of furniture that falls into the category they express an interest in. Eventually, they'll give you a picture of themselves. Or, they did, in Animal Crossing: Wild World. I haven't really been playing City Folk as much as I should.

Anderson says it is going to take parents paying attention to keep this problem from exploding.

Something's exploded. And it's because people were paying attention....

"The equipment is real expensive and we cannot afford to buy all of the systems and do not have the resources either to examine all of the possibilities," Anderson explains.

...and this is why you're so painfully wrong. Please do not speak about things when you haven't researched them even a little bit.

Right now, we only know of the three Missouri children who have been contacted. Anderson says this is not something to be paranoid about, but to be aware.

This warning includes any web-based game that allows instant messaging or voice-over IP.

And, again, I don't believe this. I don't think the kids were playing Animal Crossing. I think this might be as much bullshit as the 'Scary Pedophiles on your DS' thing. I think this is more about getting attention than warning parents.

Why? Because, out of the three current systems, the Wii is the most parental-control friendly. Now, I could be dead fucking wrong, since I don't, in fact, own a PS3, but, compared to the Xbox 360's online system [which, again, I have little understanding of], the Wii is locked down pretty tight.

In order to invite someone over to your town [or go over to their town], you both have to have exchanged friend codes. And, in Animal Crossing on the Wii, there's a voice chat option, which uses the Wii Speak -- a room-wide microphone that, I assume, plays the voice of the other person over the speakers of your entertainment system. Which makes it kinda obvious if your kiddies are talking to adults -- unless you're a completely fucking oblivious parent.

...and even an oblivious parent would be able to figure out the Wii Messageboard, where the times spent playing games is posted in a fairly obvious way.

And, speaking of oblivious, have we just not noticed the rating? E. For everyone. Not 'ec', for 'early childhood'. We're not talking about The Koala Brothers: Outback Adventure, or Bob the Builder Can-Do Zoo, or even Freddi Fish ABCs Under the Sea here. Or is Viva Pinata off-limits to adults, too? And the Katamari series? And the Lego Star Wars/Indy/Batman type games? When Lego Harry Potter comes out, are we going to have to create a new rating? K-Tw, Kids to Tweens Only?

Is this some sort of ploy to create a Berlin Wall of Games Ratings? Kids on one side, People Who Qualify to Play M Rated Games on the other?

Okay, that came out all wrong. I'm not calling this a conspiracy or anything, but I gotta wonder if maybe that's what some non-gaming adults are thinking. "Well, videogames are for kids. But we've got these M rated ones that obviously aren't. So maybe we need to make a distinction, and keep adults from playing the ones for kids. Because videogames are for kids."

Here's some news for you: You're wrong. Videogames are not 'just for kids'. They haven't been in a very long time -- pretty much since I was a kid. Perhaps you'd know this, if you bothered to spend more time with your own kids. My mom made time to play games with me -- I'm sure you can do the same. I recommend Lego Star Wars, because you'll at least be playing co-op when your kid pwns you.

Oh, and, in case you need me to spell it out for you? Playing Animal Crossing is not a sign of undesirable, undiscovered proclivities if you happen to be over the age of majority. Not even if you're male.

I mean, seriously. Why the fuck is my Wii telling me that I'm out of fucking credits, and that I should put more coins in? There's no place for that. I don't like it at all.

It got me to go back to Umbrella Chronicles, though, which is fun, right up until you get stuck in one of those single-player missions. Apparently, the game's idea of fair is Wesker vs. Everyfuckingthing. All at once.

...and I'd like to know why Wesker can get hurt. And has a health bar. And why the other infected things keep attacking him. Shouldn't they ignore him like they ignore eachother?

Don't mind me. I'm just annoyed and bitter, because they hid a very special mission after a very impossible mission. And, if I ever get enough stars together to really upgrade the weapons enough, I might try to unlock it.

Or, I might just sit here and replay an easier mission until Gremlin wakes up. Because co-op is even more fun.

Edit: this was supposed to be posted before I went to bed this morning, but it didn't. Some sort of internal server error got in my way, and I didn't notice. Oops.

I'm...mildly disappointed, in that it's just, y'know, Wild World. With a city. But...I guess it's not all bad. Because, yes, it's Wild World with a city, but...it's on the Wii. And it's kinda fun for that. And it's got some really, really nice new options.

For example, you no longer have to go into your pockets [or briefcase, or whatever] to equip whatever, uh, equipment you want to use. You can use the little d-pad crosshairs thingy [left and right] to cycle through them, and pressing down unequips them. That saves some time.

The 'moving van' thing works nicely, too. I was able to import myself and my catalogue to the Wii with no trouble at all. And, hey, I'm still there on the DS, too. Yay.

There's an in-game camera, and...probably a bunch of stuff I haven't seen yet, since I just got it, and haven't had enough time to discover anything. Also, I decided to quit for the night, because things get annoying after Nook's store closes.