Like many PC gamers, I’ve been eagerly awaiting the release of Star Trek Online. The anticipation of the rush of commanding my own starship in a fast-paced battle really grabbed me. Will you choose the Federation or the Klingon Empire?

I bought the game the first day and created a Federation Male Vulcan Tactical Officer. And actually, you can’t even create a Klingon character until you reach level 5 with your Federation toon. Starting out in the game is a little lame because you begin with ground missions. The ground portion of Star Trek Online is basically a poorly designed first-person shooter (FPS). While the graphics look great the gameplay is not very exciting and you have very limited weapons and attacks.

Once you’re in space though, things improve quite a bit.

I’ve heard from a lot of players that they expected more from the character creator than Cryptic currently offers in STO. I wasn’t expecting the same depth of character creation as Champions Online because I don’t really care to choose the color of the accent on my belt and the exact curve of my character’s lower back. Seriously. I’m far more concerned with logging in to play a great game…not a Sims-like character designer.

Star Trek Online has five ranks:

• Ensign
• Lieutenant
• Lt. Commander
• Commander
• Captain
• Admiral

Leveling up! I’ve been a little surprised at how slow level progression is. Each of the 5 ranks has 10 levels. For example, in the pictures below my character is a Lieutenant Rank 8. To make it to Lt. Commander I have to hit Lieutenant Rank 10, then I’m promoted. The nice thing about this though, is that you gain skill points with each mission you complete and even pick up a few while you’re doing a mission. You grow more progressively rather than at set points like more traditional RPGs like World of Warcraft.

Want to get promoted faster and learn detailed strategies? Take a look at the Star Trek Online Mastery Guide.

• Leveling Guide
• Career Buide
• Professions
• Traits, Skills, Ships and more!

When it comes to character class (known as Officer Class), you are basically limited to three – Tactical, Engineering and Science Officer. Tactical is focused on combat, Engineering on ship/ground abilities and survivability, and Science is more a support class with healing and enemy debuffs.

The learning curve for this game is very shallow, it’s a simple one to figure out. Space combat, while fun, is not particularly challenging. Simply keep your ship flying around, mind your deflector shields, and pound your enemies shields till they drop and you can use a special attack to finish them. Then repeat.

The most boring missions are the exploration missions. Fly long distances doing nothing along the way, scan an anomaly then go to the next one.

Also, at what point is a game considered massively multiplayer? Because for most instanced missions, Cryptic has decided that 5-players max is MMO scale. So far, I haven’t heard of any boss fights either. Maybe I’m not far enough yet. But that seems like a serious problem for people who like raid-style challenges.

Star Trek Online, great in concept, is only average at best. Cryptic Studios hasn’t impressed me with any of their MMOs and it’s a bit sad that they got the Star Trek franchise. Outside of World of Warcraft, I have yet to find an MMO that has grabbed and held my attention. But I have high hopes for Star Wars: The Old Republic.

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The pictures in the gallery above are screenshots of Star Trek Online from my computer. I hope you enjoy them!

Like all film genres, there are some movies that tower over others for their innovation, amazing storyline, or strong characters. Anime is no exception. Based on my own opinion and some informal surveying on RhymeTorrents and Kumoricon I’ve come up with a great collection of the best anime films.

My goal with asking for others opinion was to try to find the cream of the crop and develop a definitive list. With most film genres, or just in general, there are classic movies that have broad appeal such as – The Godfather, Gone With The Wind, Citizen Kane, Casablanca and Titanic. These are considered among the best films ever made (Maybe add Avatar now too?). I was a little surprised at the lack of consensus among anime fans as to what would constitute the 10 best anime movies.

But I have to admit, it is difficult to pick 10 from among all the great films and series available. Anime has a plethora of quality stories, awe-inspiring graphics and stomach-cramping comedies. From the genre these films have been selected by myself as the greatest. These are the films I would recommend to a friend who is new to the genre.

Top 10 Best Anime Movies of All-Time

1. Akira – Made in 1988, Akira is based on the ever popular manga series. The film is set in the futuristic, post-war city of Neo-Tokyo. Kaneda, the protagonist, is a bike gang leader. Tetsuo, one of Kaneda’s gang members crashes into a boy, who mysteriously remains unhurt and then simply vanishes. Tetsuo becomes part of a secret military project dealing with supernatural powers. Tetsuo unlocks his powers which leads to death and destruction.
2. Spirited Away – Touching and sad. Hayao Miyazaki is the writer and director of this slightly depressing but ultimately very good film. Heading down the wrong path can lead to some weird stuff happening. That’s the fate of Chihiro in Spirited Away. The film draws parallels to post-WWII Japan.
3. Ghost in the Shell – It is the year 2029, where cyber-augmented humans live in a virtual world. While it recalls themes from The Matrix, it’s quite different. The ultimate secret agent can travel the information highway without limit and has no phyisical presence. It is a future dominated by super computers and cybernetic technology. “A female cyborg cop and her partner hunt a mysterious and powerful hacker called the Puppet Master.” – via IMDB.com
4. Neon Genesis Evangelion – Who wouldn’t want to be a robot-pilot as a teenager? Heck, I’d still want to be a robot-pilot! Unknown beings called Angels attack Earth in 2015 and only a handful of EVA pilots are capable of stopping them.
5. Serial Experiments Lain – The virtual world is called “The Wired” and a little girl named Lain becomes involved in a series of strange events. Using an old computer, Lain is able to speak with her friend (recently deceased via suicide). But she’s not dead, she just didn’t need her body anymore!
6. Rurouni Kenshin – Set in Mejii-era Japan, a wandering young swordsman comes across a struggling dojo and becomes friends with the instructor. A master of the deadly sword style – Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu, Kenshin dedicates his life to protecting others as retribution for the lives he took during the revolution.
7. Vampire Hunter D – A young woman named Doris is bitten by a vampire. Naturally in such cases, you hire a vampire hunter to remedy the situation. The hunter known as D, is the best there is. His mission is to hunt down and destroy Count Magnus Lee, who bit Doris. “Artistically, Vampire Hunter D is a beautiful movie.” – via AnimeNewsNetwork.com
8. FLCL – A strange women named Haruko rides in on a Vespa, brandishing a large buzzsaw-equipped guitar. This soon brings a little bit of drama to 12-year old Naota who is otherwise a normal school kid. “Honestly when I first watched FLCL I really wondered what the hell I had gotten myself into. It was just so different to anything I had seen before…” says Sam from WilkoJunior.
9. Astroboy – This is a great series for all ages. “Astro Boy is the classic anime story of a permanently youthful robot boy modeled after the son of a research scientist, Dr. Tenma.” – via Anime.com
10. Oh My Goddess – This is a love story. Yes, a love story. The film is about the relationship between Morisato Keiichi, a normal college student, and a goddess name Belldandy. Keiichi makes a wish for a woman like her to stay with him forever since he has relationship issues. This unfortunately gets misinterpreted and Belldandy thinks he wants her to stay with him forever. She grants the wish and is committed to Keiichi forever! “Oh My Goddess! is one of the love comedy classics of anime, and deservedly so.” – via AnimeWorld.com

I would also like to highlight some comments made by Karl Olson, also known as Ultraklystron. He’s a huge anime fan (anime maven?) and he writes for ToonZone where he is “the head moderator at the Anime Forum here at TZ, and he’s a reporter for TZ as well. And he produces the podcast as well contributes to it.”

Here are some highlights from his post on RhymeTorrents:

On Akira: “The first push towards art-film aesthetics entering into anime. Opened the door for works like Perfect Blue, Angel’s Egg, Ghost in the Shell and pretty much any other intelligent, bizarre, fringe anime to be made.”
On Astroboy: “Launched the anime industry and even gave it legs internationally. The whole industry arguably owe it’s existence to this show, but it’s influence on content (or rather lack their of as of late,) is why it’s in second place.” (Second place on Karl’s list.)
On Evangelion: “Changed anime story structure and marketing as we know it. Not only do moe and tsundere series have roots in Eva, but most existentialist series do as well. Eva may itself owe a debt to Ideon, but Eva made the point stick. Shoot, Nadesico, which satirized a lot of the elements of Eva, inadvertently launched the lolicon trend via Ruri Hoshino. IE: Eva is so influential, it’s parodies have influence.”

Self-described as alternative, experimental rock, The Morning Birds surprise with a mellow acoustic sound that sets a relaxed mood. When I listen to Inspiration Point, I can imagine myself sitting in an underground lounge enjoying some Crown Royal and chatting with my sweetheart while the band plays.

Despite only being a year old, The Morning Birds have great chemistry on the album. The vocalists, Sam and Jen, compliment each other well and their real world chemistry carries over into the music too. The two “met about a year prior at a mutual friends b-day party and began dating.”

But things didn’t start out easy. A little drama played into the creation of The Morning Birds. Sam was working on a solo album “New Dawn”, which Jenn augmented with some writing and music practice. The couple “decided to go out on an east coast tour, under Samuel Markus & the Only Ones” and work on new material. On their return trip they got into a car accident!

“Instead of moving to the mountains as planned, [we] had to hole up in Jenn’s home town, Torrance, to get back on [our] feet,” they recall.

While in Torrance, Jenn introduced Sam to Eric who is a drummer. “After playing with Eric a couple times, it magically came together, and [we] decided to form a new band, The Morning Birds!”

The band has traveled all over the United States and in Canada as well. They’re primarily based out of Los Angeles and have performed at The House of Blues on Sunset, Molly Molones, and the Hotel Cafe.

The Morning Birds have a unique style that is hard to categorize, which is one of their strongest features. I like the exclusive blend of tones and layered vocals they use.

When asked about their influences they told me, “Many things have influenced our style. We try not to be influenced by other music, but our past interests in folk, hip hop, classic rock, and classical definitely come through!”

As far as lyrical content, their inspiration is life experiences and their spiritual connection. “We have recently moved out to the woods, for seclusion and to be influenced by the rhythms of nature, to finish recording our second album, “The Quickening” – which should be out by April this next year [2010].”

Inspiration Point is a great debut album, even for a trio of experienced musicians. It’s one of those few albums you can listen to straight through without any songs grating on your patience. I really enjoyed listening to The Morning Birds!

Enjoy their music? Follow them on Twitter here!

A blog award show for personal finance blogs is in the works and leading this endeavor is Flexo from Consumerism Commentary (One of my Top 20 Personal Finance Blogs). The awards are meant to showcase the best of the personal finance blogosphere.

It’ll be tough to narrow down the field and vote on winners. But it’s going to be really fun to see who wins. Important: Nominations will begin Monday, December 21, 2009 and will continue through January. There will even be prize money (possibly more?) for category winners.

The Plutus Awards will feature categories such as “Best Savings Account,” “Best Money Management Software,” and so forth. The Plutus 2.0 Awards are an extension of awards into blogs and social media. These awards will feature categories such as “Best New Blog,” “Best Investing Blog,” “Blog of the Year,” and so forth. [More About Plutus Awards]

When you think of Northwest rock, most people think grunge or something along those lines. Well, these guys from Kelso, Washington are hittin’ the airwaves with funky, powerpop rock that is well worth listening to. The SEACATS are a nerdy blend of alt rock with plenty of radio friendly tracks.

Their 6-track self-titled EP, offers up riffs and synths with equal vigor. Overall, the album is energetic but track 6 slows things down a bit. Although it’s slower, Paint (track 6) does not disappoint with its long storytelling feel, angry guitars and happy chimes. Fun, fun music!

Though some of the vocals sound young, the quality of the musicianship is well developed. With a positive feel and party time tunes I can see these guys rockin’ shows and iPods from coast to coast.

“People seem to think we’re a 90’s throwback band. Could be worse I guess.” – SEACATS.

Click the image below to download their self-titled EP for Free!

“Up tempo guitar chords, and bratty vocals just make me want to curl up with a bowl of POP’s and watch Nickelodeon cartoons when they were at their best“. Read more of the review of the SEACATS by Kris Foster.

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I’ve heard lots of guys say they like a woman who can eat… Really?

Anyway, have you ever thought a zombie was, maybe, a little sexy? If not, you might consider the possibility when you see My Zombie Pinup. These lovely, flesh munchers not only want you…they will go great on the wall of your office!

Why? ‘Cause My Zombie Pinup is a wall calendar. Plus, you can get great swag like t-shirts and hoodies.

My Zombie Pinup is an homage to the classic pin up. With several of the shots directly references some of our favorite works by the master of the pinup Gil Elvgren. [More Inspiration]

The photos, as you can see above, are top notch. The background settings are flawless and the models look great. In fact, some of them are downright creepy! The contrast of sexy pinup and bloody zombie is intriguing and creates a unique appeal.

If you haven’t picked up a 2010 wall calendar, you should consider My Zombie Pinup. I mean, where else will you see girl-on-girl zombie action?

Thank you to Shalaco, co-founder of My Zombie Pinup, for bringing the site to my attention and talking with me via email.

Champions Online, made by the same folks who created City of Heroes, is essentially an MMO version of the same thing. Heroes with powers run around and kill people. Typical MMO fare. However, the content is relatively shallow, the powers aren’t that interesting and you have to stick to established builds to do well in combat. There’s an archenemy system that is supposed to challenge you but other than that there aren’t many truly unique aspects of this game.

One thing you’ll notice right off the bat, after installation, is the drawn out super-in-depth character creation. You can customize your character with a wide array of features. The sad thing is that the rest of the game doesn’t seem to have the same level of detail put into it.

Leveling is a linear progression of quests. Basically, questing is the only way to level a character. Not that it’s a bad way to level. But Champions doesn’t offer much…the quests aren’t interesting and didn’t pull me into the lore of the game. Although Cryptic Studio is working to improve group quests, there isn’t much group content at this point.

Champions Online will not pose a major threat to other MMOs. It’s simply not that good.

I gave it a go. But the game didn’t turn out to be worth the monthly subscription. I won’t be playing CO anymore and will approach Cryptic Studios games with a bit more caution.

I’m holding out hope that Star Trek and Star Wars: The Old Republic will turn out to be much better.

Other Reviews of Champions Online:

• MMOCrunch says, “It’s extremely casual and alt friendly, but is hamstrung by a lack of group content early on.”
• For The Lore thinks that “This is the next step in the evolution of hero MMO’s. It is a good game but it is very clearly built upon the shoulders of City of Heroes.”
• EuroGamer covers it pretty well here: “Cryptic’s superhero MMO serves a huge heap of wish-fulfilment to you before you’ve even started playing, ladles yet more onto your plate after barely an hour, and then lets it all go cold and you hungry for half the game’s length. It has hundreds of missions, but somehow they’re barely enough to sustain a single play-through, and they’re stretched out over a handful of over-extended locations. It doles out character progression in terms that are hard to understand or notice; it constantly showers you in meaningless items, but rations exciting new skills with mind-numbing parsimony.”

Punt. Pass. Play! Rules of the League is the fantasy sports comedy web series.

Rules of the League

We meet Joel Ballard, a clean-cut athletic looking guy, shortly after he becomes unemployed. The now former-journalist has lots of free time and Joel wants to relaunch his sports blog. Problem #1: his press pass was revoked. The blog also reignites an interest in the fantasy sports league he started in college.

Joel has help though…well, sort of. Wallace is the goofy best friend that lends a hand to Joel in getting his blog, and the fantasy league, on track. They’re an odd team but it works. Except when Wallace gets caught watching porn while babysitting Joel’s baby. That’s just not right.

The characters are approached with a mix of high school and adult humor that entertained me through the first 5 episodes (all there is to-date). Each episode is offered in HD and has an intriguing cast of characters like Teri Bradshaw, the blog’s gossip queen.

This show is worth keeping an eye on. Rules of the League has a lot of potential.

See the Tubefilter’s review of Rules of the League here.

After publishing 10 wildly popular books on marketing including Purple Cow and Permission Marketing, Seth Godin has unleashed his latest creation – Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us.

Tribes by Seth Godin

What you’ll find inked on the 147 pages of Tribes, is a general outline about how to build your own loyal following and the motivation to follow through. Tribes is a short, punchy tome that is easy to blaze through but will likely draw you back for re-reads.

One of my favorite quotes from Seth is, “The easiest thing is to react. The second easiest thing is to respond. But the hardest thing is to initiate.”

The quote ties into one of the key points – you need to overcome fear and gain a following through action.

Some of Godin’s main points:

• We’re not just marketers – we’re all leaders!
• We get stuck when we embrace a factory mindset. Think tribe!
• Enable and enhance communication among tribe members.
• Develop a common goal to inspire a passionate response.
• Create change through action.

I found the section on micromovements on page 102 extremely helpful. Godin lays out the key elements of igniting a micromovement with five things to do and six principles. I plan on using these elements to grow this blog! After reading this section, I was able to see how these five actions and six principles have been applied successfully by celebrities and business people.

Tribes is easily digested thanks to Godin’s direct writing style. It’s also far more entertaining to read than most business books. There are case studies to illustrate points and insightful quotes to mix things up. You may be surprised to find a lack of to-do lists and hold-your-hand exercises. That’s because you have to do the work of becoming a leader yourself.

Every tribe is different. Every leader is different. The very nature of leadership is that you’re not doing what’s been done before. If you were, you’d be following, not leading.

Tribes Book Image by raaphorst

Interviews & Reviews:

• TED Interview with Tribes Author Seth Godin.
• DreamGrow Interviews Seth Godin.
• Consider Tribes from a Woman’s Perspective at Woman Tribune.

Who Is Seth Godin?

Seth is the Founder and CEO of Squidoo.com, a social networking site. He is also the author of nearly a dozen books including Purple Cow, The Dip and Permission Marketing.