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XBOX announced awhile back that they were going to be implementing avatars for XBOX Live users.  These avatars look strikingly similar to Nintendo’s “Mii” system that is used for characters on the Nintendo Wii.  Well after performing the update on my XBOX 360 last night they walk you through the process which is almost identical to making a Mii on your Nintendo Wii.  As you can see, that is what I came up with.  (Tell me that is not a Chandler shirt!) The cool thing is, they are promising to add more clothes, facial expressions, and accessories for your avatar in the future.  I hope so, because the only thing about the Miis that I found lacking, was the lack of options.  Overall the new dashboard is great, the new addition of being able to stream my Netflix movies via my Xbox 360 is amazing, and I hope Sony is taking notice, because this blows anything out of the water that they have to offer currently. -C

Garfield Christmas

After getting asked several times by friends and family, I had to update my Amazon Christmas wish lists.  I love these lists because not only is it helpful for people who wish to obtain gifts for me, but it also helps me keep track of what I don’t have when I am out to purchase something for myself. Once I obtain something, I delete it from the list.  Anyways I have two lists this year.  One is my Christmas Wish List for Friends which is generally lower dollar items like CDs and DVDs and another Christmas Wishlist for Parents & Family for the higher dollar items (videogames, etc.) Feel free to browse if you are curious! -C

Well I have been waiting for an accurate map of the electoral college, I apologize for the delay. So lets see how close I was! Here is the actual results on the left, and my predictions on the right:

Final Electoral Map Results

Looks like the only one I got wrong was Indiana!  Oh Indiana, how you surprised me, but it was close!  The other close races of North Carolina and Missouri I predicted correctly.  Now Nebraska apparently has one vote going to Obama, which I did not expect, but the state as a whole is still McCain for the majority.  Anyways, I hope to play this game next year!  This will probably be the last political post for awhile, lets get back to the fun stuff shall we? -C

Seriously. Everyone needs to vote. Here are the common things I hear about NOT voting:

-”My Vote Doesn’t Count”
-”Candidate X is going to win, so why bother.”
-”The elections are rigged, so what’s the point?”

You need to vote. It’s your American right. People in other countries would LOVE to have this right. I don’t care who you vote for, but I am endorsing voting in 2008. Let your voice be heard! If everyone didn’t vote, what would happen? If no one believed in the system then what? Monarchy? Anarchy? So go vote. Do it for yourself, so you can say “Yeah, I voted in 2008″ if not, do it for the good of your country. -C

Everyone has their own predictions, and kind of like a Fantasy Sports draft, I have created my own electoral map over at website for the LA Times.  The nice part about theirs is that you can embed it into your blog as you see below:

Now as hopeful I would like to be that Obama wins North Dakota, Montana, and Georgia for an upset in those states (Since it is currently a tight race.) I think this map is pretty accurate. I am going to also bite and say that Obama doesn’t win Indiana or Missouri, but takes other swing states like Florida, Colorado, Nevada, and Pennsylvania. I will make comparisons with my map and the actual map when the data is available. Take note that if Obama pulls out early wins in PA, OH, VA, & NC, I think he pretty much has this election in the bag. But as the 2000 and 2004 elections have proved, it ain’t over until it’s over. -C

Straight from a the fivethirtyeight.com site I reviewed earlier, here are in order the most likely situations that McCain could come out with a possible win. Take a look:

So as you can see, McCain would have to win both Ohio, and Florida, two states that he is currently trailing in.  Also he is currently trailing in Colorado, another state that would be a McCain necessity. There are some other McCain-Win models over at fivethirtyeight.com -C

Just a quick shout out to the 2008 Philadelphia Phillies, who I did see play this year, only once, but still a great time. Let me say this may be just what this city needed. In a time of economic downturn, and crime and murder rates soaring to an all time high, hopefully this historical win can help bring the city closer together, and restore the name of Philadelphia, “The City of Brotherly Love.” -C

This is hilarious.  I haven’t seen Bill Cosby be this funny since the Cosby show.  I hope everyone agrees that he still has it, and that he truly is a comedic genius for all time. -C

I have been completely sick for about a week, but I am feeling much better this week.  I have some great stuff for you, so don’t go anywhere! -C

FiveThirtyEight.com Prediction of the Current Presidential Election

         If you don’t know what the magic number of 538 means, you are about to find out. 538 is the total number of electoral votes in the electoral college. Each Presidential candidate needs 270 votes to win the presidential race. There is a website called FiveThirtyEight.com that has some great charts, graphs, and polls to inform voters of the current standing of the race to the White House. The best thing about the site is it is non-partisan meaning that it is not bias against one candidate. All polls are received and analyzed, and checked for bias. If a poll is by a new group or is bias, that particular poll does not go into account for the mathematical calculation of the graphs, charts, and predictions.
         From the chart you see here it is the current prediction of the Presidential race. The lighter the color, the more likely the state is split. So if you see a light blue state such as Indiana, it means that Obama is leading, but not by very much, as well as with McCain and a light red state such as North Dakota. In addition it gives many odds on different results of this year’s election, as well as numerous other stats for Senate and other important races. I encourage everyone to check it out, and read their FAQ if you have any questions. -C