Most pundits are calling Sony’s Playstation 3 dead in the water. The argument makes sense, in a superficial sort of way. The Wii costs only $250 and the Xbox 360 Arcade costs “only” $200. So people are buying both of those platforms in massive quantities. But it’s the quotes around the Arcade’s 200 dollars where the logic of the argument falls apart.

Sure, Microsoft’s Arcade can be found for $199.99 nearly everywhere. But it lacks a hard drive and a Live account. A 60gb drive with a 3 month Live starter kits costs about $100. Of course you’ll need more than three months of Live, so that’s an additional $36 per year.

So in reality, that “$199” Arcade is really about $336. For one year and three months, then you’ll pay another $36 again. But let’s stick with the $336 price for now.

I know what you’re thinking, that still makes the Arcade about $84 less than the $400 Playstation 3. So the Arcade is still a great value, right?

It all depends on how much you love movies and your favorite shows in true 1080p High Definition. You probably know that the Playstation 3 includes a Blu-ray player, but did you know that it’s considered the best Blu-ray player on the market. It is the standard against which all other Blu-ray players are judged.

Did you also know that the Playstation 3 can run Linux so you can fully surf the web right from your big screen TV?

Did you also know the Playstation 3 automatically upconverts regular DVDs to a near HD experience?

And you can buy all of that for only an additional $84 bucks.

I know there are some Xbox fanboys that are going to argue in the comments that the “Xbox Rulez” and that there are great games exclusive to the Xbox 360. But you know what, those types of fanboys will not be buying the Arcade version. Those guys (and gals) will be buying a higher end version. So this posting has nothing to do with fanboys. Heck, even the Playstation 3 fanboys will not be buying the $400 version.

So this posting is not about what platform is the “best.” That’s completely subjective and is something you’ll have to determine yourself. This posting is for people who want value for their living room experience. And between the Playstation 3 and the Arcade, I think Sony wins this round.

Mike Connell was responsible for the alternative email and communications systems used by the White House, the GWB43.com accounts used by Rove and others.

The Akron Beacon Journal is reporting that Mike Connell’s private plane went down in Lake Township, Ohio tonight, that Connell was killed and was the only person aboard. There are no reports of anyone on the ground being hurt, though the plane crashed in a residential neighborhood.

Connell is a familiar name to readers of The BRAD BLOG as a key witness in the King-Lincoln v. Blackwell lawsuit regarding fraud in the 2004 Presidential Election in Ohio. That recently revived, long-standing lawsuit led to Connell’s deposition on November 3, 2008, the day before the general election. According to plaintiff’s lead attorney Cliff Arnebeck in July, a tipster had warned that Connell had been threatened by Karl Rove, as The BRAD BLOG reported at the time, in an attempt to intimidate him into “taking the fall” for Ohio election fraud not long after the motion to lift the stay in that case.

In late September, the judge in the case agreed to lift the stay, and in late October he compelled Connell to give a deposition to plaintiff attorneys on the Monday before the Tuesday general election.

Connell had been served with a subpoena to appear in the federal court room in Ohio at the same College Park, MD airport where he reportedly left from last night on his final solo flight.

Cleaning House? Or am I just a Conspiracy Theorist. You know what they say about lying down with dogs… Interesting timing regardless.

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On Point News – 12/20/08:

For five months, the Bourne family of Warwick, R.I., allegedly had an unwelcome intruder in their home –- the hardcore porn programming of the Playboy Channel. Now they are suing their cable provider for trespassing on their property.

The law of trespass has been used to combat computer viruses and spam e-mail, but the Bournes’ suit against Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) appears to ignore what distinguishes their case –- they could have avoided any exposure to “sexually explicit hardcore pornography” by simply not viewing the Playboy Channel.

The “unauthorized transmissions” into the Bournes’ home allegedly began in March. The family did not subscribe to the Playboy Channel and, the complaint says, repeatedly notified Verizon of “the harm that was being caused.”

“The Defendant, Verizon, continually broadcast and transmitted sexually explicit hardcore pornography into the premises after it had received notice of the prior unauthorized entries,” Robert Bourne, his wife and two children allege.

The suit also includes claims for negligence, nuisance and invasion of privacy, alleging that Verizon failed to maintain “reasonable and proper control over its equipment” and unreasonably intruded on the plaintiffs’ “right to physical solitude or seclusion.”

Incredible deal found at the Milton, Ontario, Canada Walmart by correspondent Chris Engler.