We’re joined again by Christmas TV Companion author Joanna Wilson, this time to discuss sci-fi Christmas specials. We listen to Bwana’s response to our honor of naming a GWC news section after him, which inspires some gaming discussion, like what it means to be a gamer and our take on the new XBL dashboard. Donnie Iris and the Cruisers serenade our audience with another awesome Christmas tune. And we run down the week in geek including the Prometheus, Lost Girl, and Three Inches trailers, new Spartacus, floating cities of the future. Also: We call out some awesome GWCers who tweeted us during recording. Happy holidays, everyone.
Great show as always. Just want to chime in on Lost Girl.
It’s not a new show, it has already aired two seasons and has been renewed for a third. It is an awesome show that I highly recomend. The characters are very likeable but also very real. The main character has had a tough life and she will sometimes do things that seem morally wrong but fits her character and her background. Her sidekick Kenzi reminds me a lot of Claudia from Warehouse 13. She isn’t a tech geek but she is very street smart and very funny and cute. Everybody on the show are incredibly hot. And like Sanctuary the writers are very creative when it comes to including all kinds of different creatures and super powers. It’s not just your standard werewolves, vampires and fairies, but creatures based on all kinds of myths and folklore.
It will fit right in on Syfy but just a bit darker and edgier than anything they are airing now.
Merry Christmas GWC
Fun show, I’m about midway through and hoping that the Srar Wars Holiday Special will get brought up with [FONT=arial]Joanna Wilson.
Regarding tradition: Yep Sean, you were correct that the Saint Nikolaus originates from Anatolia aka. todays Turkey.
And the boots tradition in Germany that Audra mention. The kids put their boots outside the house-door at the evening of the 5th of December and normally get something small (like an appetizer before Christmas) from the Nikolaus (but only if they were good). Otherwise the Krampus with his twig will beat you up. He is like the Bad Santa in Futurama.
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More infos: http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/2010/krampus-the-darker-side-of-christmas/
For anyone that wants Bwana’s Top (n=10) list, I typed out what I heard below. While entertaining to listen to, I wholeheartedly disagree with it. My response shall be forthcoming hence-with.
The Top (n=10) Reasons To Give Video Games You Don’t Really Care For During Holiday Seasons
#10) Fun and happiness
#9) Growth potential
#8) Enhanced self image
#7) Improved social communication skills
#6) Physical and mental health
#5) Problem solving
#4) Transferable life lessons
#3) Enhanced sex appeal: Males only
#2) Enhanced sex appeal: Females only
#1) Notable accomplishment and skills sets
~Shooter Out (for now)
Great cast. I post this for Sean and our shared love of Redheads 
Happy New Years folks!
Transcript of Bwana’s segment during this podcast:
The content of this segment does in fact represent the views of the sponsor, Bwana, of the Bwana Sponsored Video Game Report.
This is offered here as a public service announcement.
The top ten reasons to give video games to people you don’t really care for during holiday seasons.
Reason number ten: Fun and Happiness
Video games go out of date and style very quickly and help to show that the giver really doesn’t care about your long term happiness. Ever hear a gamer say ‘I almost made it and then…?” Well, that’s because playing a video game is a special kind of fun. It’s like mental masturbation without the orgasm.
Reason number nine: Growth Potential
Video games given with cheat codes help to reduce curiosity and perseverance in individuals causing them to always expect help and simple answers to business and life problems setting them up for frustration and depression from puberty till death.
Reason number eight: Enhanced Self Image
Video games associated with the newest console system should always be given. That way if the recipient does not possess that system they will feel inadequate and out of date. Plus they are now required to exchange the gift during the holiday gift exchange season causing needless distress and anxiety. Note: if the recipient actually has the most current game system all other reasons still apply.
Reason number seven: Improved Social Communication Skills
Discussing topics such as video game strategies tips and tricks to a group of people that don’t have or want the same video game that you have almost guarantees group acceptance to say nothing about one’s ability to monopolize after party discussions. Did you hear the guy explain how he rescued the naked big eyed large breasted princess by killing the dragon with the finger nail file found in the bottom of the bag of gold captured from the giant guarding the passage way door at the base of the magic mountain? Wow honey we need to ask him over for dinner.
Reason number six: Physical And Mental Health
It is common knowledge and obvious to the most casual observer that anything that encourages sitting for hours in a darkened room staring at a bright moving light source is good for you. Couple that with culinary urges for gallons of Dr Pepper, chocolate covered anything and salt licks and you get dream level cardio vascular health in a gaming box. Plus if the user happens to be a laptop user with a laptop on their lap you get the added benefit of heat and electromagnetic energy bathing your reproductive organs for hours at a time. Most recently the link between video gaming and good health has been substantiated by Dr. Horrible in his controversial book Dealing With Children That Are Successful where he recommends the use of health packs, life serums, rejuvenating waters, health bubbles and hot flashes for the reduction of depression in parents of children who just make shit up.
Reason number five: Problem Solving
Constantly retracing your steps, moving through the same hallway you just walked through twenty more times, feeling up inanimate objects, walls, nooks and crannies for secret buttons and treasure is nothing short of a roadmap for success in a huge number of everyday real life scenarios like finding your lost car keys.
Reason number four: Transferable Life Lessons
With concepts such as save early and often allowing one to do it again after they die the next time, video games are especially targeted at those who have ever uttered the words or phrase “Oh I can do that!” or “Wouldn’t that be great?” These are lessons that encourage life enrichening and fulfilling hobbies and experiences like bungee jumping, swimming with sharks and killer whales, extreme dirt bike hill climbing, rattle snake round ups and para-jumping off cliffs.
Reason number three: Enhanced Sex Appeal, Males Only
Mature, intelligent, good looking, successful women love a man dressed in gaming costume when going out on dates, to the theater, shopping or just out for a quick dinner. It helps them relax knowing they are being judged in some part by who they are with.
Reason two: Enhanced Sex Appeal, Females Only
Actually dressing in thigh high leather boots, leather bra and matching thong, wearing elbow length white silk gloves, studded choke collar topped with a diamond encrusted diadem and carrying a whip will get you dates. Men love their fantasies and are in fact stupid enough to believe them capable of coming true. Realizing most video games are designed and developed by men given as gifts to women they should actually have two prominent warnings attached. If you really enjoy playing this game, avoid high expectations in romantic relationships and do not use a mirror when preparing for a fun date with a gaming fellow.
Reason number one: Notable Accomplishments And Skill Sets
It is difficult to conceive of a work resume or a life summary that doesn’t include a video game reference. I beat the game in only seventy-eight hours and twenty-three minutes bespeaks of so many attributes: willingness to absolutely waste time; a finely honed sense of accomplishment like graduating from the third to the fourth grade in only two years; the ability to work in mixed groups with vampires, werewolves, witches, metamorphic beings. How better to say I can avoid any responsibility for more than three days at a stretch. The phrase “You drive, I’ll shoot” depicts not only leadership qualities but the ability to delegate responsibility as well as a demonstration of mature task management skills. Having enough health to make it to the end of the level highlights one’s resources management skills and having enough treasure to buy the naked slave girl is an indicator of fiscal responsibility and financial discipline. A video game reference on your resume reads like you are on the fast track to executive management.
Yup, in summary these ten reasons say it all. Ethics. Personal and professional development. Relationships. Accomplished video gamers have it all. The only quote I can think of that comes to mind is: “Impressive, most impressive.” So give a video game to someone you love today.
This has been a public service announcement by Bwana of the Bwana Sponsored Video Game Report and remember if you receive a video game as a gift this holiday season take the shortcut to level five, consider re-gifting.
Mr. Bwana,
As a recently returned video gamer I appreciate your video gamer sponsored segment on the Galactic Watercooler podcast. Your sponsorship has enabled me to explore the most entertaining video games available to me spanning the more than two decades since I last gamed, regardless of console or system.
In fact, I believe that negates your reason number 10, “Fun and Happiness.” I’ve been playing Final Fantasy I, Final Fantasy II and Final Fantasy III all on my iPhone 4S purchased in late October 2011. These games were released starting in 1990 and have been adapted over the years to multiple systems including the PlayStation, Gameboy and iOS among many others. These games are enjoying to both new gamer plays (like myself) and replays through additional console systems and platforms. Yes, some games may go out of date and style but the truly good ones are timeless and will enjoy gamer play for years to come.
I also found issue with your reason number nine, “Growth Potential.” While on principle your reason seems sound, often success in business, politics and war depend on finding the shortcut or easy way to dominate the competition or enemy. In World War II the American use of the broken Japanese JN-15 code allowed the Americans to achieve victory at Midway and turn the tide of the war in the Pacific Theater. In business Henry Ford’s evolutionary production model allowed the United States to enjoy dominance in automobile production worldwide for well over half the 20th century and John Kennedy’s use of the evolutionary televised political debate spurred his victory in the 1960 presidential election.
As for reason number eight, video gamers as a whole enjoy adapting to the newest gaming system. And perhaps the delayed gratification of saving up for the new system will only add more enjoyment to the video game once the newer system is acquired. In the meantime gamers always seem to have a favorite existing video game in their arsenal that they will enjoy and perhaps some less favorite video games that they could trade in for a percentage of a newer console at establishments such as Best Buy or GameStop.
I’ll admit I lost you on reason number seven after you mentioned “naked big eyed large breasted princess.” What was your point again? And can you discuss in more detail the “naked big eyed large breasted princess” with me the next time I’m in town. I’d enjoy that.
I’m not sure if you are aware of my particular line of work Mr Bwana, but sitting for hours in a darkened room staring at a bright moving (or stationary) light source actually leads to rather large successes as you may have noted on Sunday May 1, 2011. Also, my place of employment mandates gym time for a certain class of employees that are among the fittest in the world and allows gym time for all other classes of employees. If you’d like to learn more please find me in person the next time I’m in town. Additionally your example of information included in Dr. Horrible’s book centered around the health and well being of parents of children that lie, not parents of video gamers or video gamers themselves.
Mr. Bwana, I’m not sure if you’ve ever done any criminal investigation work, military or national intelligence work, fire investigation work, home inspection work, infrastructure inspection work, or difficult medical diagnoses work, but retracing evidence can lead to large successes in those lines of work. Also, who hasn’t lost their car keys or their wallet? These are indeed important life skills that can even save marriages and prevent future criminal activities or military actions.
I’m not sure if you’ve ever heard of NASA Mr. Bwana, but astronauts are often put in simulated training environments repeatedly to reduce or eliminate mistakes in high risk operations like repairing Hubble or landing the Shuttle. Military and airline pilots also spend months in simulators throughout their careers doing the same scenarios repeatedly to ensure a firm grasp of emergency simulations. Not to mention the American military has a history of rehearsing operations at least since World War II. Computer infrastructure and software engineers often simulate the crap out of new configurations before deployment. This type of repeated training as seen in video games is extremely appropriate in real life in my opinion.
Dressing up in costumes is not a video gaming innovation Mr. Bwana. In fact, masked balls have been occurring since the 18th century. In fact, these events in the 18th century were secluded to those of considerable means. Video game “cosplay” often occurs, but not exclusively, at large multimillion dollar conventions and the video game industry itself is a very large and healthy part of the world economy. Football video games are routinely used to play out simulated games and help set gambling odds. At the very least I will submit to you that video gamers are like any other slice of society. There are good apples and bad apples, but just because you dress up in your favorite video game cosplay does not mean you are sexually undesirable. Vin Diesel is a good example to refute your argument in reasons number three and two.
Finally Mr. Bwana there is your reason number one. I have seen my share of successful individuals that are obsessed with any outside activity. You name it, there is a successful man with that obsession. Cars with Jay Leno, golf with thousands…fishing…wood working…scrapbooking…and the list goes on. Just because a person devotes a lot of time to a video game does not mean they are not successful.
Finally Mr. Bwana I’m confused. The title of your segment was “The Top Ten Reasons To Give Video Games To People You Don’t Really Care For During Holiday Seasons” and you proceed with a list of ten reasons stating why video games make a lousy gift (which I have at least mostly if not in totality refuted). However in your summary you state “So give a video game to someone you love today.” Did you think all those reasons you gave were actually good and someone you love deserves a video game as a gift or were you contradicting yourself because you don’t believe that getting a video game as a gift is all that bad?
Again Mr. Bwana I appreciate your support to GWC by sponsoring the Video Game News segment. I look forward to the segment every week and look forward to your continued involvement in the podcast.
Sincerely,
Shooter
PS – My Father and I both like the movie Hatari and have used the Bwana term affectionately for over 25 years. My compliments to Sean’s name choice for you.
I have never wanted to hug a GWCer for a well written smackdown more than today! <fist bump> Dude that is the complete win!
Pure Brilliance
I’ve had to steer carefully around redheads in RL. They can convince me to do damn near anything. Dangerous, and if they happen to have green eyes I’m in deep $h1t.
Regarding the 3 inches tv show - There is a good audio book series called ‘Playing for Keeps’ by Mur Lafferty. It is about a group of third wavers (basically the C team of superheroes) and the adventures that they get up to. It is really good and it ties in well with the premise that Sean was describing.
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