How do I manage it? The right shoulder button on my Nintendo DSi is messed up, barely registering unless I press hard. This is my third DS to develop this problem, from the fat original to the Lite and now the nifty DSi. It's either something I'm doing wrong when I play or the way I'm carrying it in the pocket of my cargo pants all day, because Kristofer has been using the same DS for a few years and he's never mentioned any problems.

I've only had it a few months, so it's still under warranty. I'll FedEx it to Nintendo tomorrow and should have it back in plenty of time to hit the beach. Looks like Crimson Gem Saga is going to get a workout after all.

I think I'll check into buying a case for it, something that keeps pressure off the buttons while I'm walking around.

Update: Sweet baby Jeebus, I love the Internet. There's a low-tech fix familiar to anyone who has ever owned an NES: Blow on the button (or use compressed air). Dust gets in and blocks the contact, so you blow on it like an old NES cartridge and clear it out. The button works now. I wish I'd been smart enough to use Google before I paid to have the last one repaired.

Can't wait for this movie. /drool

I'm not happy with Obama's refusal to investigate Bush-era war crimes, and I'm even less happy with his moves to embrace the "indefinite detainment" policy for suspected terrorists. I didn't expect him to one-up Bush by experimenting with the idea of detaining prisoners even after they've been acquitted.

There probably comes a point when I stop saying "He's still better than McCain," although Sarah Palin's presence on that ticket means he's still got a long way to go before he exhausts my aggravation.

I bought Crimson Gem Saga for the PSP and then ended up getting addicted to Final Fantasy Tactics A2 on the DS. I wish the latter had hooked me a few days earlier; I could've saved $30. It'll still be waiting when I burn out on this one, at least.

The Tactics job system keeps me grinding merrily along. I've got a Beastmaster who subs White Mage, a Monk, and a Dragoon in my main party. That covers most of my FFXI jobs right there. I also have a Red Mage who'll also be leveling Summoner as soon as I get it unlocked.

True Blood Season 1 promo.

I ordered the first disc of True Blood from NetFlix, since I needed something to wash out the taste of Twilight's brand of emo vampire in loooooove. I've only watched the first episode so far, but I've bumped the rest of the season to the top of the queue.

I have a free movie pass and toyed with riding out to the mall to see Year One, but I think the DVD and new issue of Rolling Stone may be more entertaining. It's not so much the vampires themselves that intrigue me, but more like how they're integrated into society.

The bit that intrigued me most is the idea of a black market specializing in vampire blood. There are two redneck idiots who jump a vampire and start draining him dry to sell off the "V juice." It's not hard to imagine a vamp getting picked clean if he wandered into certain areas of West Virginia, so I have no problem believing something like that would actually happen.

It's probably too much to hope there are werewolves. They exist in the novels on which the series is based, but I don't know if they've been carried over.

One of the actors is from West Virginia. There was a story on the wire about him the other day, and I almost ran it in the newspaper. It was more of a feature and not exactly breaking news, so I can still run it this week if I can escape the idiot drumbeat of Michael Jackson coverage.

Update...

My resolve broke after the second episode. Fuck Amazon, because the way it ended had me pulling on my shoes so I could head to the mall and buy the season at FYE. I called ahead and they didn't have any in stock, although the salesdude told me it's a big seller and they expect to have more on Wednesday. Guess I'll just wait for Netflix, then.

Sarah Palin is resigning. Wow. Don't let the door hit you on the way out, mighty moose hunter.

One of my jobs at the newspaper is getting photographs ready for print. Thankfully, it's just a matter of color correction and not full-speed-ahead manipulation like changing the composition of the shots or anything. Still, I couldn't help but enjoy this site our photographer pointed me to: Photoshop Disasters.

This has to be my favorite so far. It may be "Butterick" magazine, but it's hard to tell with her head in the way. Maybe it's about sodomy.

Someone used the "Crysis" level editor to make a video for "It's Raining Men." The results are more disturbing than the song deserves.