First thing's first: Sorry for being AWOL. Work is a censor bypass.

Second thing's second: We're recording on Saturday, natch. Episode 186. Which reminds me, I should update the RSS feed so that you all can access the latest episode (185) of the podcast. We have a topic: What do you remember, or at least, what are your fondest or perhaps worst memories from the consoles launches you've experienced--not necessarily just launch day, but the first few weeks or months of ownership of said systems? If you were too young to buy your own consoles for some of their launches, what were your memories when you were first given consoles as a gift?

Back when I was in grade school, this would have included memories of the SNES. The console launches I got to experience on my own, due to my own disposable income, were in college--Gameboy Advance (my first real one), Gamecube, PSP, et cetera. My actual thoughts--as well as those of Pete's and Al's--will have to wait until the podcast records ;)

Third thing's third: If you're a Boston local, go hit up the ImprovBoston Rock Band night. ImprovBoston is located in Cambridge--Google Maps or Bing Maps it; it's easy to get to. Right by Central Square. I've been staying longer in Massachusetts due to work, so I drove out to Boston to meet up with Pete and his girlfriend Dez and hit up my first ImprovBoston night. It was absolute mayhem. Instead of focusing on playing Rock Band, it focuses more on the performance and costumes--hell, the place provides a plethora of shirts, wigs, hats, headband animal ears, and what have you. A panel of judges arbitrarily grades you on your amusement factor and you might win prizes if you're lucky. The winning group from last night's session consisted of four dudes who dressed up as Japan's own Hard Gay-- shiny leather and all. They put on quite the riot act, interfering with--or rather, enhancing--everyone else's acts with absurd mockery and balls-out entertainment. Definitely not for those squeamish towards the sight of shiny male butt-cheeks.

I've been on this insane 4am to noon shift at work, which is insane purely because I'm totally not used to it. We went live with our system implementation and had to support the first month of it hands-on, so I was tasked with staffing and managing our "war room"--a small conference room where all shifts gather, pick up the phones and call users, take feedback, et cetera. It's thrown my sleep cycle and my energy levels way off track, and I find myself falling asleep not ten minutes into a nightcap session of DS'ing or PSP'ing. I've been playing Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey, and with its turn-based nature and slightly monotonous dungeon design, this game is definitely one that will put you to sleep if you're fatigued. (Not in the sense that it's a boring game, of course; it's just that there's a very specific cadence to it, kind of like the rhythmic hacking of a Lego Star Wars game, that will make your eyelids flutter if you're already a bit tired.)

In any case, Episode 185 is up, I'm updating the RSS feed, and you should be able to get it from the site (www.trigames.net) in about 5 minutes after I post the news post.

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter at @MrCHUPON, Al at @DRedMage, and Pete at @Ryvvn.

And please--keep sending us email to our mailbag: mailbag [at] trigames [dot] net!