Monday, January 15, 2007
9:50 a.m.

My arms and shoulders hurt today. The Wii has taken over my body and soul. Saturday I played at John’s while doing laundry. After 6+ hours, my laundry was FINALLY done and I was better at Wii tennis and golf, as well as Rayman Raving Rabbids. Thank you, John, for an awesome time with your Wii (and the use of your laundry facility). However, I was still bitter about missing Second Saturday with Melanie, et al. The irritation of having so much laundry to do, in addition to the ridiculously low temperatures, sent me into hibernation. Seriously, could it BE ANY COLDER without snowing? I thought I’d lose a leg over the weekend, or at least a toe.

On the subject of the Wii, they are still practically impossible to obtain. I don’t know if it’s a conspiracy, or the recall of their controllers, but WHAT THE FUCK IS THE HOLDUP? It’s a video game console, not an atomic bomb. I don’t remember having such trouble getting a Gameboy or Super Nintendo. Until that magical date when they are re-released, I will be waiting, and ranting.

Furthermore, we have what I believe to be our first Wii casualty. In Sacramento, no less. A 28-year-old woman died of water intoxication while trying to compete in a radio station contest to win a Wii for her children. The contest was aptly named, “Hold Your Wee for a Wii.” What kind of capitalistic society do we live in that drives people to push the limits of their health for a video game console? What kind of capitalistic society do we live in that manipulates the demand for a product by completely limiting the supply? Ugh, people are so retarded. This doesn’t negate my desire to own a Wii as well, however. I’m not denying that I’m a hypocrite. See the article below:

Woman drinks so much water she dies

SACRAMENTO, California (AP) — A woman who competed in a radio station’s contest to see how much water she could drink without going to the bathroom died of water intoxication, the coroner’s office said Saturday.

Jennifer Strange, 28, was found dead Friday in her suburban Rancho Cordova home hours after taking part in the “Hold Your Wee for a Wii” contest in which KDND 107.9 promised a Nintendo Wii video game system for the winner.

“She said to one of our supervisors that she was on her way home and her head was hurting her real bad,” said Laura Rios, one of Strange’s co-workers at Radiological Associates of Sacramento. “She was crying, and that was the last that anyone had heard from her.”

It was not immediately known how much water Strange consumed.

A preliminary investigation found evidence “consistent with a water intoxication death,” said assistant Coroner Ed Smith.

John Geary, vice president and marketing manager for Entercom Sacramento, the station’s owner, said station personnel were stunned when they heard of Strange’s death.

“We are awaiting information that will help explain how this tragic event occurred,” he said.

Initially, contestants were handed 8-ounce bottles of water to drink every 15 minutes.

“They were small little half-pint bottles, so we thought it was going to be easy,” said fellow contestant James Ybarra of Woodland. “They told us if you don’t feel like you can do this, don’t put your health at risk.”

Ybarra said he quit after drinking five bottles. “My bladder couldn’t handle it anymore,” he added.

After he quit, he said, the remaining contestants, including Strange, were given even bigger bottles to drink.

“I was talking to her and she was a nice lady,” Ybarra said. “She was telling me about her family and her three kids and how she was doing it for her kids.”

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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On a more positive note, another highlight of the wiikend was seeing Stephen Malkmus at Harlow’s last night, after THREE YEARS of waiting, and bitterly lamenting the abrupt denial of his show the last time I tried to see him. Yep, still bitter. But I’m grateful to have seen him at last. It was a great show, and he played almost all of my favorite songs. There was a string of new songs played that haven’t been released. It’s really difficult for me to listen to new songs live, if I’m anticipating hearing the ones I know. I stood there, trying not to think about my purse strap digging into my shoulder (weighed down by newly-purchased concert merchandise) or how long I’d been standing. I stared at the giant hulk in front of me and wondered why he had a weird black speck on his ear, and why the girl on my right kept staring my way. I was so tempted to tell her to cut it out, but I’m not a fighter and she would kick my pathetic ass. I know my limitations. Finally, after like 200 new songs, they returned to older ones. I didn’t get home till almost 1am, and work is not where I want to be right now. But it was all worth it. I can cross this off my “Things to Do Before I Turn 30″ list.