A post to Robert Bowling's Blog has further follow-up on the uproar over the absence of a dedicated server for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. He lists several areas they feel will benefit from their new approach: Matchmaking & Smoother Gameplay, Playlists and Private Matches, Party System and Friendslist, and Cheat / Hack Free Games. On that last topic, he seems to believe IWnet will eliminate aim-bots and such: "The biggest benefit of using IWnet by far is the fact that you don’t have to worry about joining a server full of aim-bots, wallhacks, or cheaters. Or relying on the server admin of the server to constantly be monitoring, banning, and policing it. Modern Warfare 2 on PC allows us to control the quality of the game much more than ever before as well as utilizing the VAC (Valve-Anti-Cheat) system to keep games clean of hackers and cheaters." Also, there's an interview with Bowling on IGN that discusses the game, but none of the recent controversy.

The Tropico 3 Website announces that the island dictator sequel is now available in North American stores, saying: "Be sure to vote El Presidente - or else ..." The game is also available via digital distribution from Direct2Drive, Impulse, and Steam.

VG247 has a confirmation from Realtime Worlds that APB is now in closed beta testing, following reports from users who claim to have received their invites. Word is: "We are still in the very early stages beta testing."

Perfect World Entertainment announces they are now accepting preorders for Torchlight, Runic Games' upcoming action/RPG. Preordering the game will put you in the running for a signed game poster: "Along with being one of the first to download the game for US$19.99 on October 27, preorders will be entered to win limited edition Torchlight posters signed by Runic Games’ CEO, Max Schaefer and co-founder, Erich Schaefer. The Schaefer brothers are best known for co-founding Blizzard North and for their work on bringing Diablo and Diablo II to life."

The Epic Games Forums have the release of a new version 0.36 patch for Renegade X to update this Unreal Tournament III modification based on the Command & Conquer universe. Word is: "This patch is developed for version 0.35 of the Renegade X open beta, and is intended to fix a handful of technical issues and balance fixes to improve the gameplay experience. Check out the changelist HERE We reverted the main menus back to UT3's menus for the time being so don't panic when you see the UT3 menus!" Thanks Ant via Planet Command & Conquer.

Project Perfect Mod Forums announce the release of the "Red October" demo for Invasion Confirmed, a modification that adds units from the Red Alert series to Command & Conquer Generals: Zero Hour. They also offer a set of maps for use with the mod, as well as a hotfiix "to fix a fatal error that causes mismatches when the AA Gun fires." Thanks Ant via Command and Conquer DEN.

There's a Metal Drift trailer on Gamerglotze.de that was taken as part of a German-language preview of the imminent futuristic vehicular combat game from Black Jacket Studios. The clip is titled "Random Gameplay," based on what it displays.

• Assassin's Creed: Director's Cut Edition on Steam. Save 75%.
• Champions Online on Steam. Price reduced by $10.00.
• East India Company on GamersGate. Save 52%.
• JoWooD Games on GOG.com. Save 30%.
• Light of Altair on Direct2Drive. Only $5.00.
  
  Still on sale (previously reported)
   
• Alganon on Direct2Drive. Preorder and get beta access and in-game items.
• Borderlands on Direct2Drive. Save 10% on preorders.
• Borderlands on Steam. Save 10% on pre-purchase of the game or the four-pack.
• Crazy Machines series on Steam. Save 25%.
• Cricket Revolution on Steam. Save 10% on pre-purchases.
• Dark Salvation on the Mangled Eye Studios Website. Only $9.99 or $19.99 for the disc version.
• Eufloria on Steam. Save 25% on pre-purchases until October 20.
• Eufloria on Direct2Drive. Save 25% on preorders.
• Gratuitous Space Battles on Impulse. Save 13% on preorders.
• Ground Control Pack on GOG.com. Save 30%.
• Hollywood Pictures II on GamersGate. Save 50%.
• Metal Drift on Steam. Save 20% on pre-purchase and get beta access.
• Nemesis of the Roman Empire on Impulse. Save 33%.
• Painkiller: Resurrection on Steam. Save 10% on pre-purchases and get PK: Black and PK: Overdose free.
• SFI Mission 4-Pack on the Strategy First Website. Four games for $19.99.
• Spiderweb Software Store. All games 10% off through October.
• Team Fortress 2 on Best Buy and FRYS.com. Only $9.99. Thanks Johnny.
• THQ Classic FPS Bundle on Impulse. Save 25%.
• Torchlight on Steam. Save 10% on pre-purchases.
• Tropico 3 Pre-purchase on Steam. Save 10%.
• Warlords Battlecry III on Impulse. Save 33%.
• Wolfenstein on Amazon. Save 41%.
• World of Goo on 2D Boy Website. Name your own price.
• X-Com Complete Pack on GamersGate. Save 40%.

Edge Online has the list of the 20 top-selling PC games for the month of September according to NPD. You can head over for the full list along with changes from last month, and here's the top 10:

1. Aion - NCsoft.
2. The Sims 3- Electronic Arts.
3. Champions Online - Atari.
4. World Of Warcraft: Wrath Of The Lich King - Blizzard.
5. Aion Collector's Edition - NCsoft.
6. Mumbo Jumbo Assortment - Mumbo Jumbo.
7. The Sims 2 Double Deluxe - Electronic Arts.
8. World Of Warcraft: Battle Chest - Blizzard.
9. Reel Deal Slots Treasures Of The Far East - Phantom EFX.
10. World Of Warcraft - Blizzard.

• Direct2Drive BioWare Fly-Away Sweepstakes.

• Microsoft Tests Rewards Program For Xbox Live.
• Japan Gets New "Value" Elite Xbox 360 Bundle.
• Microsoft: 'Most People Think Xbox 360 Games Look Better'.
• "Fallujah" Developer Getting Ready to Release Wii Game Based on Marine Simulator. Thanks GamePolitics.
• Is this the end for Ratchet & Clank?
• Miyamoto talks Wii and future of gaming.
• Collision Studios and Virtual Play Games Announce City Builder.
• Uncharted 2: Critics Blinded by Beauty?
• Altec Lansing Launches Speaker for Rock Band, Guitar Hero, and DJ Hero.
• ‘Grand Theft Auto 4′ Record Goes To Gamer In India.

• Piracy May Force Q-Games To Abandon PSP Plans. Thanks Mike Martinez.
• Experts Question the Future of Netbook PCs.
• Barnes & Noble puts Android on an e-reader with the Nook.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Magic Mouse, iMacs, Mac minis lead Tuesday Apple update bomb.
• Windows 7 on multicore- How much faster?
• GPUs- the next frontier in film.
• NVIDIA Developer Talks Openly About Linux Support on [Phoronix].
• Red hat share price passes Microsoft's. Thanks Ant.
• Tru2way plug-and-play digital cable support still AWOL.
• MySQL founder says Oracle should let go of MySQL.
• US high-tech trade deficit improves, still long way to go.
• X Prize thins field for $10M, 100MPG green car award.
• Inside Ben Heck's magic kingdom.

• Keeping Point-and-Click Adventures Alive. Thanks Ant…
• Adrian Askarieh Interview on GameDaily discusses movie plans for Just Cause, Kane & Lynch, and the Hitman sequel, which may get a new star. Thanks Joystiq…

Link of the Day: Coffee PC = Computer + Coffeemaker. Thanks Ant.

R.I.P.: Joseph Wiseman, James Bond’s Dr. No, Dies at 91 (registration required). Thanks Neutronbeam.

EA announces that FIFA Soccer 10 is now available in North American stores. Here's a bit:

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) announced that FIFA Soccer 10 from EA SPORTS™ is available in stores throughout North America beginning today for the PLAYSTATION®3, Xbox 360®, Wii™, PC, PlayStation®2, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable), Nintendo DS™ and mobile.

FIFA Soccer 10 launched Oct. 1 across Europe with record-breaking success, selling 1.7 million copies at European retail in the first week to become the fastest selling sports game ever and EA’s biggest European launch in history. FIFA Soccer 10 has also launched to widespread critical acclaim. It is presently the highest rated sports videogame ever* on PLAYSTATION®3 and Xbox 360® with review scores of 91 on both platforms.

North American packaging of FIFA Soccer 10 features Major League Soccer stars Cuauhtémoc Blanco of Chicago Fire and Sacha Kljestan of Chivas USA and Chelsea’s world-class attacking midfielder Frank Lampard on the cover.

Paradox Interactive announces that Elven Legacy: Ranger is now available from "all major digital distribution platforms," offering the first of three planned expansions for Elven Legacy, 1C:Ino-Co's strategy game. The announcement includes a link to the release trailer, word that the game itself is on sale for 50% off with the purchase of the add-on, and the following feature list:

• 16 new campaign missions
• Two new main heroes; the ranger Cornelius and Captain Lutius
• Brand new artifacts and spells
• New tactical skills for the main hero, including the ability to modify his attack before he strikes

Hi-Rez Studios announces Global Agenda pricing details, explaining the content that will be present in the retail box of the MMOTPS, and the benefits of choosing the option of a premium monthly subscription. Pricing in USD for subscriptions is $12.99 per month, $11.49/mo for 3 months, and $9.99/mo for 6 months. There's a pricing FAQ on the topic, and here's the overview:

"Throughout our Beta process, our fans, players and reviewers have consistently told us that Global Agenda’s combat system is exceptionally fun and that they would love to play it as a multiplayer shooter" said Todd Harris, Executive Producer. "This single-purchase, non-subscription model will enable players to fully experience Global Agenda’s award-winning persistent shooter gameplay."

"At the same time, many players are seeking a deeper experience, and want to engage in large-scale campaigns between player-created groups over limited territory and resources. These players can opt for the Conquest subscription plan which includes our persistent AvA world domination gameplay, and other features typically associated with MMOs."

Direct2Drive announces their ten bestselling titles for the week of October 4-10:

1. World in Conflict Gold Edition (D2D Turns 5)
2. Company of Heroes Gold (D2D Turns 5)
3. Supreme Commander Gold (D2D Turns 5)
4. Operation Flashpoint Dragon Rising
5. Fallen Earth
6. Aion
7. Cities XL Limited Edition
8. Dragon Age: Origins Digital Deluxe Edition (Pre-order)
9. Battlestations: Pacific (D2D Turns 5)
10. BioShock (D2D Turns 5)

PAX East announces that tickets for Pax East 2010 in Boston in March, 2010 are now for sale. Registration for the event began back in April, but apparently tickets were not being sold at that time. Word is: "The three-day pre-registration cost is $45. This is a $10 discount from the at-the-door price. This is all-access for all events, concerts, parties, panels and freeplay areas. Only 'sealed deck' tournaments, which require new physical product in order to be played, have an additional fee."

Infinity Ward Responds To PC Fanboys' Dedicated Server Woes on GameInformer.com has more follow-up to complaints that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will not include a dedicated server (thanks Bob Bob). Here's a bit of what they learned from Infinity Ward's Jason West and Vince Zampella:

"We're just prioritizing the player experience above the modders and the tuners," says West. He points toward the mounting feedback IW has received from PC fans of Modern Warfare who couldn't find a decent server to play on between all of the cheaters, the insular communities, and huge skill level disparities that the original game's community fractured into. "We thought maybe it would be cool if the fans could play the game," he laughs.

IW says that gameplay concerns for the majority of MW2 players are the overriding reasons for the decision. Zampella downplays the obvious piracy prevention angle (IW has cited numbers of people online playing illegal copies of Modern Warfare up to 60 percent). "The Steam stuff helps with the piracy. I don't know that the matchmaking stuff does," he notes. West takes a shot at the motives behind some of the outrage, noting that there's money to made by selling dedicated servers and adspace on them: "It's a little dubious. Some of the people complaining are complaining with their pocketbook."

NCsoft announces Halloween events in all of their MMOGs. These include planned events in Aion, Guild Wars, City of Heroes, Lineage, Lineage II, and Exteel, with the City of Heroes event, "Triumph over the New Deadly Halloween Apocalypse," getting underway today.

Konami Announces Rocket Knight For XBLA, PSN and Steam is the official announcement for Rocket Knight, the side-scrolling sequel first revealed earlier this month via a 1UP preview. The game will be released via digital distribution next year, and here's a description of what to expect:

In Rocket Knight, players take on the role of a fiery opossum named Sparkster who returns home to the Kingdom of Zephyrus after 15 years to find it in shambles. Using wits and a trusty rocket pack, players must steer clear and overcome a hostile wolf army looming to take the lives of the Zephyrus people. A 2.5D action adventure title, Rocket Knight brings expansive new worlds, each with massive platform levels and a rocket flying level. As players navigate through the challenges, their rocket pack can be used to ricochet off walls, launch Sparkster through obstacles and enemies in his way, and rocket drill through weak walls to create new passageways. Along with burst projectiles that shoot from Sparkster's sword to attack distant foes, a burst vortex can also be created from players' rocket pack to repel enemy bombs back at them. If all else fails, players can use Sparkster's prehensile tail to hang from and slide down rails in order to avoid danger. With timed levels and leaderboards, dedicated players will also be able to show off their high scores and fastest times online.

The Wolfenstein Website announces the release of a new patch for Wolfenstein to update the latest installment in the supernatural World War II shooter series to version 1.11 (thanks Merrick). The 45 MB download is available on the Wolfenstein Media Page and mirrored on AtomicGamer, FileFront, Gamer's Hell, and The Patches Scrolls. Word is:

The 1.11 patch fixes these items in the single player campaign.

     • Fixed issue resulting in user receiving gamex86.dll error
     • Fixed issue that caused crashes when users broke numerous breakable objects during a Single Player Campaign
     • Fixed issue that corrupted a save file after restarting a mission
     • Updated the Wolf2.exe with a SecuROM fix that prevented users from launching the executable properly

Old save games will still work with the new patch.

Be sure to have already upgraded to version 1.1 before installing the new patch.

Installation is easy. Simply download the installer and double click to run the file.

The A2K Clan Website has a direct message response they received from Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling saying that he's making sure the powers-that-be at his company see the outcry and petitions over the lack of dedicated server support in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (thanks Computer and Video Games). Word is: "Definitely made a big wave, and the response will not be ignored. I'll ensure everyone at IW sees the petitions and responses [sic] to it."

Remedy Entertainment has re-released Death Rally for free, offering their violent top-down racing game first released in 1996 updated to work properly under Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7. The 42 MB download is available on their Death Rally Page and it is mirrored on AtomicGamer, Filefront, and Strategy Informer, and there's a forum to discuss the game. This is accompanied by a short Q&A about the release where Remedy's Markus Mäki suggests that they may revisit this franchise, which makes sense since they recently filed a new Death Rally trademark. Markus says: "If there's sufficient interest in the game, more carnage in the form of Death Rally can be considered! But for now Remedy's team is 100% focused on Alan Wake." Here's a description of the game:

Death Rally is an addictive top-down racing game where defensive driving means annihilating your opponents. You'll become ravenous for the power and glory that comes with being the best at Death Rally, but first you must pay your dues. Put the pedal to the metal and smash, blast and obliterate the competition, to earn the chance to face the undefeated master, "The Adversary." Win Races, make deals with loan sharks and mob bosses to get the cash you need to build the ultimate battle racing machine. Remember, no trick is too dirty in your savage quest for the checkered flag. And keep the pedal to the metal!

Dev Defends Modern Warfare 2 Length on IGN hears from Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling about the length of the campaign in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, which they speculate is not likely to be longer than the approximately six hour campaign in the first Modern Warfare, in spite of the game's premium pricing (thanks Ralph). Bowling tells them: "We try and focus on the experience we're trying to deliver, and we really let the story dictate how long the game is." When asked about the criticism of the length of the first Modern Warfare, Bowling says: "We never go into development saying 'We're going to make a 20 hour game because people want a 20 hour game' – we want to deliver an intense experience where you walk away and go 'wow, I want to play more'."

Rock, Paper, Shotgun follows up on the World of Goo sale that's currently underway allowing customers to pick their own price for 2dboy's platformer. They analyze "interesting," "significant," and even "fascinating" data on the prices gamers chose to pay (besides the over 16,000 who paid a penny), including 352 who chose the occasion of this sale to pay full price. Perhaps most striking is that 10% of the customers who gave a reason for their purchase said they were now purchasing the game after having previously pirated it. In all the game has sold about 57,000 copies during the sale for over $100,000, and 2dboy is making a note here, "huge success."

Game devs speak out on Valve, Steam and conflict of interest on Ars Technica follows-up on comments by Randy Pitchford that Valve's Steam service represents a potential conflict of interest. The responses they receive from developers both small and large almost uniformly agree that this could be a concern, but no one actually seems to be steamed up about it, as they all seem very satisfied with the experience. Audiosurf developer Dylan Fitterer speculates Pitchford's comments may have been to drum up publicity for the release of Borderlands.

Cliffski’s Blog - Are you a potato or a rock band?
In fact, it would seem weird to feel that way about music. And this is how people feel about GOOD, ORIGINAL games. Generic Match-3 games are potatoes, and they will inevitably get sold for the price of spuds. But decent games (look at the premium pricing for COD:MW 2) and original games can charge what they think they are truly worth. They are rock bands. The existence of other bands is irrelevant. There is only one Manowar and there is only one Little Big Planet.

Try to make less potato-like games.

Futurelooks - Seven Video Games that Shaped Mainstream Society.
Most people recognize that mainstream society has a direct effect on the video game industry. It is largely because of the popularity of The Dark Knight movie that people got interested in the Batman: Arkham Asylum video game. However, the reverse is also just as true. Gaming culture has come to infiltrate our daily lives, entering into arenas that aren’t directly related to video games at all.

Kotaku - I Kept Playing — The Costs Of My Gaming Addiction. Thanks Mike Martinez.
If I wasn't asleep or at work, I was playing EverQuest. The former was becoming a rarity. I would go into work, and I would still hear the sounds of EverQuest orcs in my head. All I had to do was close my eyes and I was speeding through the Greater Faydark zone, killing pixies and turning in quest items.

In January of 2001, a man with a tow truck came to my place of employment and took my car away. I had fallen behind on payments without realizing it, and Nissan had decided they wanted my Sentra back. My first thought as I watched the tow truck drive away was how many hours walking to and from work would take from my EverQuest time.

• Win an NVIDIA ION-powered Desktop.
• Last call for 30 Under 30 nominations.
• Music and games industry unite at GameCity Squared.
• Win a HIS Radeon HD 4830 Graphics Card on eTeknix.com.

• Gratuitous Space Battles on Games32.

• 2K Games and Gearbox Software Release Borderlands.
• THQ Unleashes Marvel Super Hero Squad to All Major Retail Outlets Nationwide.
• It’s Your World Now with WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010.
• ASTRO BOY: THE VIDEO GAME Rockets onto Store Shelves across North America Today.
• Xbox 360 Games on Demand- Army of Two, Midnight Club- LA and Sonic Unleashed.
• The Beatles Rock Band: Abbey Road on Xbox LIVE.
• Rock Band: Queen on Xbox LIVE.
• The Secret Saturdays: Beasts of the 5TH Sun available in North America.
• EA Dazzles Girls With the Release of CHARM GIRLS CLUB Games.
• Black Wii coming next month.
• Super SFIV out March 23.
• Sony declines to comment on Killzone 3.
• Darksiders arrives with the new year.
• Nintendo profits under threat?
• PS3 and 360 Price Cut Excitement Wore Off Quicker Than Anticipated - EEDAR.
• SCEA’s Jack Tretton Welcomes All To “The Playstation Nation”.
• A video intro to Panzer General: Allied Assault.
• Kid goes hating on Brutal Legend. Thanks Kxmode. W-T-H-C-K?

• ROCK BAND Now Available on App Store.
• Rockstar Games Announces Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars Now Available for the PSP.

• AMD Announces Several New Athlon II Processors.
• Dell Interview with Mr. Phil Bryant and Adamo XPS Sneak Peak on t-break.
• Microsoft Windows 7 arrives early.
• Windows 7 Arrives This Week- What You Need To Know.
• Windows 7 - Part 3- User Interface on HEXUS.net.
• The 50 Best (and Worst) Moments in Windows History.

• Net neutrality pitting Web giants against state AGs, mayors.
• Important Notice- MSN Encarta to be Discontinued. Thanks Kxmode.
• SeaMonkey 2.0 Release Candidate 2. Thanks Ant.
• Thunderbird Calendars Nightmare in Windows or Ubuntu. Thanks Ant via Linux Today.
• Dubit Virtual World Platform allows rapid development of Flash virtual worlds via its GML.

• U.S. Spies Buy Stake in Firm That Monitors Blogs, Tweets. Thanks [H]ard-OCP.
• FREE 1 Year License IObit Security 360 PRO (Anti-Spymare, Malware, etc...). Thanks Ant.
• Google Voice Mails Found In Public Search Engine.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Research Paper Offers Cues for Game Legislation Advocates.
• Public Knowledge Points Out MPAA's Lies On Why It Wants To Break Your TV.
• 2 settle lawsuits over Dungeons & Dragons handbook. Thanks Slashdot.
• Software Pirates in China Beat Microsoft to the Punch (registration required). Thanks Mike Martinez.
• Security flubs cost ChoicePoint additional $275,000.

• Batman: Arkham Asylum & PhysX on [H]ard-OCP.
• Blood Bowl on Gameplanet.
• Borderlands on AtomicGamer, Eurogamer, GameTrailers, IGN, MTV Multiplayer, Rock, Paper, Shotgun, and Shacknews.
• Fallen Earth on Rock, Paper, Shotgun.
• Lucidity on Big Download.
• Machinarium on Ars Technica and Destructoid.
• Risen on Crispy Gamer.
• Tropico 3 on Bite My Review and Hooked Gamers.

• AMD Athlon II X2 245 CPU on RBMODs.
• AMD Athlon II X3 435 CPU on Guru3D and PCSTATS.com.
• AMD Athlon II X3 435 & Athlon II X2 240e CPUs on Overclockers Club.
• Antec TruePower 750W PSU on XSReviews.co.uk.
• ASRock P55 Deluxe Motherboard on X-bit labs.
• ASUS P7P55D EVO P55 LGA1156 Motherboard on Benchmark Reviews.
• ATI Radeon HD 5770 Graphics Card on GamesLatest.
• Corsair TX950 950W PSU on johnnyGURU.
• Dell Studio One Touchscreen Windows 7 PC on PC Perspective.
• ECS A785GM-M Motherboard on PureOC.
• Evercool Buffalo CPU Cooler on Hardware Secrets.
• GIGABYTE MA785GMT-UD2H Motherboard on Bjorn3D.com.
• Logitech Notebook Kit MK605 on I4U News.
• Novatech Xplora E16 Home Laptop Video on eTeknix.com.
• NVIDIA GeForce GT 220 Graphics Card under Linux on [Phoronix].
• OCZ Z-Drive m84 PCI-Express SSD on HotHardware.
• PC Power & Cooling Silencer 910 PSU on PC Perspective.
• PowerColor HD 5750 Graphics Card on Neoseeker.
• Samsung SyncMaster P2370HD 23" HDTV Monitor on TrustedReviews.
• Seasonic S12D 850W PSU on ThinkComputers.org.
• Thermalright Ultra Extreme 120 Revision B & C Coolers on [H]ard-OCP.
• Ultra X4 600W & 1050W PSUs on OCIA.net.
• Ultra X4 850W PSU on Hardware Secrets and Overclockers Online.
• Ultra X4 1200W PSU on OverclockersHQ.com.
• ViewSonic FuHzion VX2268wm 3D Monitor on X-bit labs.
• XFX Radeon HD 4890 1GB Graphics Card on Legit Reviews.

• Bellevue's new $4m video-game center was practically too big…
• Fun Theory Project remakes bottle deposits into an arcade game…
• Zynga Sows Sweet Seeds…
• Bollywood Mashup on MW2 Dedicated Servers (thanks Ralph) and of course the inevitable (thanks GG)…

I don't know what it is, I have been suffering with a touch of laryngitis for about a week now. I keep expecting this to surface as a cold or something like that, but it's just remained a minor rasp in my throat. I have an appointment with the Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor Friday to follow-up on my acid reflux, so if it still persists by then I can ask about it. Perhaps it's related to my LPRD, but it doesn't seem likely, since I never had this happen before it was being treated. Oh well, I guess I won't be singing any Queen in Rock Band today.

Raspy Links:	Thanks Ant and Mike Martinez.
Play:	Runic Quest. Vector Conflict: The Siege. Colour My World.
Links:	21 Awful Tattoos and What They Say About You. Thanks Digg.
Science:	Scientists announce planet bounty. Moscow's Mayor Hatches Plot to Stop Snowfall in Capital. Thanks brother19. Using Human “Wetware” to Control Robots.
Images:	Game Halloween 2009.
Media:	Pixar Lamp intro parody. Heavy Metal Pussy Cats. Amazing guitar trick.
Follow-ups:	New rocket engine could make trips to Mars realistic. Thanks Slashdot.
The Funnies:	Ctrl+Alt+Del. Thanks Kxmode. UserFriendly.