With the Xbox 360 taking the world by storm back in 2005 some have said the original Xbox is all but dead.  However, if rumors are true Gamestop may be putting the nail in the coffin. 

Pictures of the above Gamestop poster are circulating around the internet and state that effective February 9th, 2009, the company will stop accepting original Xbox games, systems and accessories for trade-in. Although the Gamestop corporate office will not verify this information this Nerdgirl reporter was able to get a confirmation on this from her local Gamestop store.

What does this mean for you?  If you want to sell you Xbox, games, or accessories to Gamestop for store credit you are going to have to do it before the February 9th deadline.  There is no word on how long you will be able to purchase used Xbox systems and games at your local Gamestop.  Hopefully, we still have plenty of time to go to the used Xbox bin and grab some $10.00 games. 

According to the Top Global Markets Report the video game with the highest sales in 2008 was Grand Theft Auto 1V which sold 6,293,000 units.  Considering that this game was not released until late April and has yet to be release in Japan this is a big win for Rockstar. The game has received a lot of negative press due to the violent and sexual material in the game yet this has not hindered the games success.

Nintendo had a big year with three big sellers Super Smash Brothers Brawl sold 5,433,00 units, Mario Kart Wii sold 4,697,000 and the Wii Fit sold 3,604,000 units. Guitar Hero III rounds out the top five with 3,475,000 units sold.  These numbers show just how drastically the video game industry has changed over the past couple of years. Casual games are the big money makers and new demographics are the industries biggest customers. This is accentuated by the fact that three of the top five (Mario Kart Wii, Guitar Hero, and Wii Fit) are all packaged with game controllers that are non-traditional.

The video game industry is ending 2008 with a bang with over 23,502,000 units sold for just the top five games in the U.S., U.K., and Japan.

I'm given many books and products to review. I'm not swimming in them, but at this point, I've had my share of emails from publicists and delightful packages of goodies sent my way. Yet nothing could prepare me for the email I received from Quest Books asking me to review "Politics and the Occult: The Left, the Right, and the Radically Unseen' by Gary Lachman. That's right music fans, Gary Lachman, also known as Gary Valentine, bassist for the to die for band Blondie. What was this emotion I was experiencing? Could it be giddiness? Yes, I'm embarrassed to say, I was "as happy as a school girl".

It took awhile to get into the book. Not because it wasn't engaging, but because I kept sitting there thinking to myself, I'm one person removed from Gary Valentine! How cool am I? Once I finally pushed past the girlish giggles and congratulatory pats on my back, I came to a startling and delightful realization. Lachman has got game. (For the record, I have very little game, just enough to recognize the fact that Lachman has it.) "Politics and the Occult" isn't pop culture fluff, and it's not a rehashing of the ever popular Hitler and the occult genre, it's a fascinating, thoroughly researched, and entertainingly presented look at the subtle influence that occult movements have on societies.

In fact, Lachman himself says in the introduction, "So as not to disappoint a reader who is expecting a different sort of book, I should point out what this book isn't about, a practice most publishers frown on, but which I feel may be appropriate here. It isn't, for example, an expose of secret societies whose occult machinations are behind the political movements of today. Nor is it a rummaging through the occult closets of famous politicians in order to uncover some hermetic skeletons. (That Ronald Reagan, for example, employed an astrologer may be an interesting bit of gossip, but it tells us little about the nature of occult politics. Likewise, the fact that Aleister Crowley, probably the most famous magician of modern times, wrote pro-German propaganda during World War I tells us more about Crowley than it does about politics.) It's also not about any conspiracy to infiltrate earthly governments involving UFOs, although it is true that in 1960, aliens took an interest in US politics and backed a candidate for the presidency. I've also not focused on occult politics in the sense of the politics of special interest groups, for instance, how neo-pagans fit into contemporary society or the relationship between wicca and some forms of contemporary feminism. These and no doubt other, equally deserving elements are missing from my study, and I look forward to being enlightened about them by interested readers."

What's left, you may be asking? Lots. A few favorites of mine were the discussion of the link between spiritualism and the women's rights movement that includes an introduction to Victoria Woodhull, an interesting section about Jung culminating with the his time as "Agent 488" helping the Office of Strategic Services by making psychological assessments of Nazi leaders, and a mind blowing look at the occult movements at work during the French Revolution.

Personally, I plan on reading this book again. This time with a notebook and pen at my side to make note of all the people I want to learn more about and the many books that I'm now chomping at the bit to read. Add to that I now feel compelled to read all the other books Lachman has written that I just learned about, and well, I'm never going to have time to read all those "Hellblazer" comics that are sitting by my sofa.

*** This story originally appeared on Rebecca's website  http://www.themagicalbuffet.com/.

Everyone knows that Georgia is known for its peaches.  While traveling through Southern Georgia in the winter I was expecting to see a lot of closed peach stands.  However, to my surprise I did not see very many.  What I did find was signs for pecans and stands selling the nut and everything you can imagine containing this treat.  As it turns out Georgia leads the nation in pecan production and there are tons of farming stands that sell pecans.   At one of these fun stands I was able to get a recipe for the best pecan pie you will ever taste.  I wish that I could send each of you a taste of this yummy dessert but since I can't I will give you the recipe so you can make it on your own. 

Here is the recipe for any baking enthusiasts who want to try it out.

Southern Pecan Pie:

Ingredients:

3 eggs

2/3 cup sugar

1 cup dark corn syrup

1/3 cup melted butter or margarine

1 cup pecan halves

1 9-inch unbaked pastry shell

Directions:

Heat your oven to 350

Beat eggs thoroughly with sugar, dash of salt, corn syrup and melted butter - add pecans.  Pour into unbaked pastry shell.  Bake in moderate oven.  50 minutes or till knife inserted halfway between outside and center of filling comes out clean.  Cool.

Happy Baking!

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when someone says Daytona Beach?  Often words such as; spring break, NASCAR, and motorcycles come to mind.  None of these would be incorrect associations by any means.  Daytona was once the hot spot for crazy spring breakers, is the home of NASCAR's Daytona 500, and Biketoberfest which attracts over 175,000 motorcycle enthusiasts.  The town is full of attractions catering to these crowds from the Richard Petty Driving Experience to Harley Davidson specialty shops.  Then of course there is always the beautiful weather and the even more stunning beaches.  On my way down to spend a relaxing weekend in the sun I wondered "What will there be to do for a nerd like me (Besides reading my latest novel under a huge umbrella by the beach)?"

As it turns out Daytona Beach is full of Nerd friendly activities.  Daytona has many historical attractions and tours as well as many art, science, and history museums.  One of the most interesting of these attractions is the Museum of Arts & Sciences (MOAS).  MOAS is the primary art, history, and science museum in Central Florida. The museum itself sits on a beautiful 90 acre preserve and as you drive down the long entrance you are immediately engulfed in palms and marshes.  Once inside the museum you find an extremely well kept facility with friendly volunteers eager to help you find what you are looking for.  Cost of admission is $12.50 however, if you are a teacher you can get in for free and military pay half price.

The museum has over 30,000 objects on a large variety of topics so there is definitely something for everyone.   MOAS has the most complete giant sloth skeleton in North America and the largest collection of Cuban art on display outside of Cuba.  One of my favorite collections is the Chapman Root's lifetime collection of Americana.  This includes items from their bottling plant, vending machines, transport items and even two private rail cars.  One of my favorite items was a small R2D2 made out of a Coke can.  There are several other interesting exhibits covering all types of art and Florida History. They also have exhibits that are only at the museum for a limited amount of time. 

I was extremely lucky to be there while the JoAnn Winspur Collection of Barbie Dolls was on display.  The collection was revealed on November 28, 2008 and will be on display until April 5th, 2009 to celebrate Barbie's 50th Birthday!  Anyone who is a fan of Barbie could spend hours looking at this extensive collection which includes over 400 dolls including the first Barbie introduced in 1959.  The highlight of the exhibit includes 9 Barbie Dolls adorned in custom coutoure designed by Bob Mackie.  Also, large scale vintage play sets including Barbie Goes to College suround Barbie and many of her friends.  I was most captivated by the changing styles throughout the years and how the american time line is reflected in the life of Barbie.

Last but certainly not least you must check out the Planetarium.  There are three different shows presented each day and they are included with the price of admission.  The presentations are all extremely interesting and informative however, "Tonight's Sky" is the most enchanting.  This program shows you the sky as it will look that night.  The host demonstrates how to find the stars, planets, and unusual sights of the night.  When your day is over grab a Mai Tai sit on the beach and use what you learned to find Aries, The Big Dipper, and Venus.