RED ALERT! RED ALERT!

FIRE ALARM!

WARNING!

DO NOT PASS!

ALL YOUR BASED ARE BELONG TO US (oh, you dont know half of it, people)

Today's news about our Terms of Use agreement changes might be startling, but I think that if you look back in 2-3 months from now, you'll appreciate what we're doing. Stay tuned for more news in the coming hours.

Over the past 3-4 weeks I've been back in my cooking and baking momentum. It's been quite fun to try new recipes. However, this weekend I wasted some time to experiment. Like, wrapping additional carrots and leek in bacon I had leftover. They didn't come out that bad because I used beef broth on the bottom of the pan, but they weren't the most amazing thing ever. Other things I experimented with was chocolate pancakes, Turkish Kebabs, and Turkish potato salad, which came out amazing. I figured I'd ask if you had any recipes you enjoy cooking in general (not just for the holidays).

Lets first explain what I typically do when it comes to cooking meals. I'll take Saturday morning and consider what menus I'll be making for the following week. I'll figure out my shopping list and by the afternoon I've got everything to cook on that Sunday. When Sunday comes around I begin the 3 to sometimes 6 hour cooking marathon (depends if I'm freezing lots of stuff). I'll juggle multiple recipes via a alow-cooking, soup in the pot, baking and more. I'll freeze stuff for later in the week or for the weeks ahead. When I have done this, I've saved money and also had more time during the week nights to play my favorite games.

Figured I'd start with a cheapy but goodie recipe for those who don't really know how to cook outside toast and mac and cheese in a box. When you can just throw some ingredients in a a pot and let it do the work for you, it can allow you to work on another recipe or jump in to play your games!

First, make sure you have a slow cooker. If you want to experiment for the first time ever, try the 14.99-16.99 dollar varieties of slow cookers (like a 1.5 quart found at Walgreens). Next, check out this lady's slow cooker taco soup recipe. I've put some notes on what I changed to the recipe to make it the way I like it. I've changed this recipe to be HALF of her recipe to make it easier if you have a 1.5 slow cooker. I have two of them! However, you can store your leftover ingredients to make it again or to make another meal (who doesn't eat corn or beans for their side dishes anyways?)

Taco Soup for a 1.5 Slow Cooker

1/2 pound ground beef (I acctually use ground turkey to make it light in texture)
1/2 red onion chopped (I always use yellow onions, so it's not as potent as red onions get - actually any recipe that asks for a full onion, I always go half of that request to bring out other flavors. So, you could do a quarter of a onion instead or go for about 3 green onions)
1/2 can corn-undrained
1/2 can black beans-undrained
1/2 can kidney beans-undrained (kidney beans remind me of Horse pills so I added pinto instead!)
1 cans chopped tomatoes with chiles ( if you dont have Rotel w/green chiles in it, just drop in 1 can diced tomatoes)
1/2 can 15oz can tomato sauce (by now you'll notice it hitting the rim a bit, so just add as much as you cwithout it overfloowing)
1/2 envelope taco seasoning

The tomato sauce in this recipe mixed with the taco seasoning makes it taste like enchilada soup, so if you want more of a taco soup style don't add the tomato sauce.

Garnishes: sour cream, green onions, and/or cheese goes well on top.

Newbie slow-cooker notes: Make sure you brown your meat before putting it in the slow cooker, and cook on high until you understand the slow cooker process. This avoids having bacteria sit in your other ingredients.

Anyways, I'll be sure to share the Turkish kebabs recipe and other varieties I've made for years now, but I'd like to see if any of you enjoy cooking or you have some favorite recipes, first!

Synthia and Frank are the two staff members who have it out for things that are creepy and spooky. Their favorite time of the year is Halloween. Can you believe that Frank has his own lights with ghosts and skeletons on them? He happened to help us dress up last year's cabin for the Terror on the Spot episode last year. The cabin was definitely spooky at night time but tho ghost and skeletons lights actually helped keep things lit up. Synthia on the other hand wanted to spook you all out with things to do on GameSpot. We had even more items on the list, but we had to reduce the amount of activities, and settled with these:

- Pumpkin Carving (submit early and you might get featured On the Spot)
- Fuse Story Telling (eek, people are putting me in the story right now!)
- Spookiest Villain Blog Activity
- Spice up your Union for Halloween
- Video challenge of the week handing out Final Fantasy figures!

"Why did you moderate me, GameSpot?" That question has been asked so many times, it can be its own meme. So, why do people get surprised about being moderated on the site? If I had to guess, it's because many other websites don't have the rules we have. Should we change this? Should there be different rule sets in each forum? Does this help you when you interact in the forums? We'd like to know what you think.

The Terms of Use agreement is so hefty that we understand it can be a tiring task to read it. So, if something has been bothering you about the Terms of Use agreement (and it's nothing related to legalities) I invite you to drop by this moderation questionnaire.

UPDATE: Thanks for participating in the survey!

Okay, revitalizing my PC gaming does sound like shampoo, but I checked my PC games collection just now and it's been severely neglected. I can only think of two reasons 1) evening and weekend college courses from 2007-2010 and 2) need to upgrade computer.

Today I'm looking to revitalize my love for PC Gaming. I'd like to upgrade my machine in the next few weeks but in the meantime I'm sure there's some older games I can play on this PC.

Let me clarify what I'm normally attracted to:

- I tend to play these genres on the PC the most: RTS and FPS.
- I only play an MMO if it has shooter mechanics. For an example, Star Wars Galaxies caught my attention because I could run around with a gun. From being a creature handler there, that caused me to enjoy playing as a hunter in World of Warcraft. So, I can't say I'm a huge fan of every MMO...
- I mainly play multiplayer mode on the PC, so multiplayer or co-op will likely keep me hooked. I did enjoy Portal 2's singleplayer though!
- I'm not really into Starcraft, which is odd because I love sci-fi and enjoy RTS games.
- I already have plans to catch up on the Command & Conquer series, I just need to buy them.

Other games I have on my play list include:
- Finish Half-Life 2 and the episodes /facepalm
- FallOut 2 (hey! I was in college during evenings and weekends so I couldn't invest in the game when it came out!)
- Gary's Mod is something that I didn't exactly understand how to play, aside from changing stuff around. Got some newb tips?
- Red Orchestra 2, but I need to play Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45
- World of Tanks is another game that's been highly recommended, so I'll check that one out this weekend.
- I still want to give Age of Empires Online a shot, because I'm a fan of the series.
- League of Legends skills MUST be fine-tuned. I'm decent, but I'd like to become.... almost goddess-like. /wishful thinking
- Also need to finish the Back to the Future's last two episodes!
- Shogun 2 total war - recommended by Twistedface

The list above will keep me busy, but, I've got lots of games on Steam that I've never tried either. Some of them look to be single player, but I can experiment. Instead of installing them and finding out that they aren't good, I welcome your feedback! Here the ones I planned to check out because I already own them.

- Darkest of Days
- Disciples II: Gallean's Return/Rise of the Elves
- Doom Rails
- Dracula: Origin
- East India Company series
- Elven Legacy
- Helldorado
- Imperium Romanum
- Jamestown
- Loki
- Magesty
- The Ship
- UFO Afterlife
- Zombie Driver (actually I already installed this one and it keeps crashing. I've only seen the intro and it looks like it's fun)

Let me know if you have some other PC games I should check out!

With over 100 Sync episodes in, the daily show has been canceled. Much has happened since the show began mid-April. I learned a lot about what it was like to host, produce, travel to amazing events, but also how you all felt when I did some crazy stuff, like wear a pink cap, a wig that looked like a headcrab, a wonderwoman or Sith costume, making silly gestures that Homer Rabara made me do, sang a lullaby about zombies, and you know, trying to make sure you all had a good laugh but also a source of information for the day.

We also had the pleasure to see Chris and Sophia take a shot at hosting the show. Although the show has continued to be the best daily show we've ever had on GameSpot, it was time for closure. Here's the last episode.

I'd like to give a big thanks to the people who made Sync all that was. First and foremost, YOU! And.. with so much effort, input, and production time, a big shoutout goes to Homer Rabara, Ryan Mac Donald, Ricardo Torres, Benito Gonzales, Brendan Sinclair, Thomas Magrino, Justin Porter, Matt Gravish, Charles Harrington, Synthia Weires, Joy Tallent, Dan Mihoerck, Takeshi Hiraoka, and Wernher Goff. Also, can't forget a big thanks to Chris Watters and Sophia Tong for covering me during the times I was at an event. Yes, that does mean I never had one episode of Sync I missed unless it was some how associated to traveling or being at an event. I was ridiculously dedicated to bring you a daily Sync! :)

Next up, I'd like to answer some of your questions that you've asked, or what you'll likely ask. I'll continue to update the blog with any others I come across via Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, GameSpot private messages, or on the GameSpot Sync page.

Why didn't you tell us when you found out?
Well, I was in shock that a show like this, with or without me as the host, would go away. It was a successful show and it would have continued to grow. We don't cancel amazing content like this, but I only found out the reason by other staff yesterday.

Why didn't you have an episode yesterday?
After realizing the show was being cancelled I can't say that I was in a good mood. I didn't want to give you all a depressing episode. But, I also wanted to give you all something for it being the last episode, too. So, I checked around to see what I could give away on the show.

Why do you think it was canceled?
Well, I've talked to numerous people, so here's the gist of what I've heard. The show was successful. Many of you loved it; GameSpot U.S. video team loved producing it; and all of this showed. We all loved GameSpot Sync, but Start/Select airs in the mornings. If they break the hottest news before the U.S. daily show, GameSpot Sync ends up having duplicate/recycled content. So, instead of having two daily shows, Start/Select won because they had the news first thing in the morning. Sure, S/S doesn't seem to get that much attention compared to GameSpot Sync, but it can only get better with all of your feedback. GameSpot Sync got better and better because you told us what you wanted. I'm sure the UK team have lots to do to get Start/Select to become the "primary daily show". and with talent like Guy Cocker and Seb Ford involved, I know it will happen!

Are you sure it wasn't because you were the host?
I wasn't the best host of all time, but I was new to this kind of role. Starting the show in April. I got better with each episode of Sync. So, while I might be GameSpot home-grown (wasn't hired outside GameSpot to be a host), if this was only about me the show would have been hosted by Chris Watters.

But, I don't get (dislike) British humor.
Yeah, I don't get the humor most of the time either, but that's because I'm an All-American girl. I do encourage you to ask questions and provide feedback in the video comments, daily. If you end up feeling like an outsider, it's not because they're trying to make you feel that way. They just need your feedback to help them attract a broader audience. For an example, here are some examples of what I've asked Justin Calvert when I didn't get a Start/Select episode: What the hell is a Zing? (sounds like a pastry or something a wizard would say after zapping someone with their wand) Why are they wasting time talking about a voice-over that's on the show? They spoke so fast during 01:22 through 01:30, what were they saying? So, post questions and feedback. I'm pretty sure the team in U.K. will respond to your comments.

Does this mean you've been demoted?
I was never promoted to begin with. I've always been your community manager, and will remain so. Sure, people called me a host of the show but I never was given a penny for being one. You could think about this role as a type of internship. For the hours in the morning I set aside to produce Sync with Homer Rabara and crew, I had to work on the weekends to catch up on my days off. However, I learned so much, so I guess that was reward enough. And, I obviously have many of you to thank as you all helped me grow into the host I am today.

What will you be working on going forward?
Well, I have to say, I'll be doing what I normally did on the weekends to catch up on my real responsibiltioes as your community manager. I took GameSpot Sync on as an experiment to help the U.S. video team fulfill their daily show needs, which you might recall in my blog last April. Gamespot is known to have home-grown personalities. You remember how the old and new GameSpot staff grew into their host and co-host roles right? We never hired a person who was "already a host". Well, I'll continue to help out with video content, and work towards bringing you a better GameSpot community.

Does that mean you won't be seen on camera any more?
We've got lots of new stuff cooking, as I mentioned on the last episode of Sync. You'll definitely see me around. :D

If you got any other questions, ask away and I'll see if I can find someone to answer your question.

Thanks for taking the journey with me during the weekdays! It was definitely an amazing experience. :)

What happens when you ask me which faction I fall under for a platform or service? Do I have loyalty to a specific one? Not! fascinating!

A week ago I asked you all to impress me for a chance at a pre-order of SWToR! I have selected the winner, so without further ado' check out how -Saigo- impressed me with his blog entitled, "The Fall of Padawan Robinson" also starring Maxwell and Synthia!

Excerpt for the curious.

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"Jedi McGee!" Jody screamed in rage causing more than a few heads to turn, "What in the name of Korriban's seven moons do you think you're doing!"

"Why hello Jody," the man responded with a grin both entertained and amused, "Maybe a Jedi's forbidden to love…but that doesn't mean a man can't dream."

"That's bold of you to say!" Jody retorted, obviously unimpressed.

"Come now Jody," Jedi McGee laughed, "It's not every day a Padawan has the nerve to call out a full-fledged Knight. I'm impressed. If your skills in combat can compare with your nerve in conversation—you'd be a formidable foe indeed." He winked, smirked a smile that threatened to break into full-scale laughter, and ran a hand through his impeccably cropped hair. "I like you, but don't go pushing your luck."

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Hey everyone,

That title is to get your attention, and now that I have it, let's get to "teh" serious internets business.

We are serious when we've been talking about changes for you. I know you've heard it all before, and then you heard it again all before, but you really are the ones that can help by giving us feedback.

First, I highly suggest seeing what Boubou has to say in his Fuse updates. He's been talking all over the map about stuff he wants done with Fuse alone, and you've SEEN IT HAPPEN. He also talks about big changes on the community side, and those WILL ALSO HAPPEN. Oh, did I mention he's fantastic at games, so you might get your feelings hurt if you play him? Watch out!

Second, Soapbox woes? There is stuff happening for it, but if you really want to help us about it, we need more ideas. We don't want it to be the same ole' thing. We want it to be a GRAND CONCERT of your content. And, well, right now it's not cutting it. Tell us what you'd like to see when you see the Soapbox and do it quick! (you can post here too)

Other? That Feedback button is on nearly every page on the site for a reason. USE IT. Staff respond to your requests more than ever before. Forget other venues about your feedback, post there. You can also back up each others ideas, which is my favorite part of your feedback. To see you all come together, making us all one big happy family.

GameSpot is yours. For those of you who continue to wish upon a star, start saying you're the star and tell us us what you want.. with all of your help, you're about to make your dreams come true.

Hello followers!

I'm such a SWTOR believer, that I'll pick up a pre-order of the Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ for one of my blog followers! But.... you're going to have to impress me in a variety of ways.

1. How much do you know about the Star Wars Universe. Read the books or comics involving Star Wars: The Old Republic? Briefly explain some books or comics I should pick up to get prepared for the release of the game.

2. If you played Star Wars Galaxies at some point (during the good or bad days), you should know a bit about what SWTOR might offer in comparison. Tell me why you think SWTOR will out do SWG!

3. Writers or Artists, share something SWTOR related that's on the creative side of things! This can be a video of your favorite details about SWTOR, maybe a compariison of features/graphics of SWG/SWTOR, creative art of the different races/classes? A photo of you in SWTOR inspired clothes? Writers could get away with a poem, interesting statement, etc here, too!

I'm a gamer, so impress me with your visuals and words!

You can submit via the comment here, PM, or email community @ gamespot (no-spaces); You can definitely upload what you have on GS or a 3rd party website (youtube, flickr, etc) for question 3 too.

Note: I'll give you all a week to get your creativity on.