I'm especially ready this year too because I've been more or less cut off from 360, PS3, and their online services for the past couple of months. I nabbed an LG 23" HDTV/Monitor on deal the other day, though, so I'm headed back. During my hiatus I gained an appreciation for how much Live in particular has become part of my social environment. Without it to kick on, see what people were up to, say hi, and grab a quick game of something together with them I've felt a real sense of removal.

I can't really say the same for PSN. Okay, that's probably partly due to the simple timing of everyone having gotten on Live first and it becoming the default but you can't use that to explain it all away still. For all the things the PS3 does (everything, right?) Sony still lacks the online community structure to challenge Live. Whether Home can continue to evolve and morph into something that stands without needing to be the PS3 online community too I don't know. But I do know that as a Live competitor it's not the answer.

The relatively slow pre-Holiday news today:

• TF2 'War' Update Live, Soldiers Victorious!
• Final Fantasy 8 along with Gran Turismo 5 and MGS Peace Walker demos hit PlayStation Network
• Heavy Rain preorders get first Chronicle free
• Trials HD add-on DLC 'Big Pack' details and trailer

Sounds like there's plenty of potential things going on here but whatever the circumstances it's odd to hear of a man found guilty of indecent exposure while in his own home

Who knows whether the marketing types are making any real money on Twitter. It can at least cost you, if you're an athlete at least. As Bucks rookie Brandon Jennings learned when he got hit with a $7500 fine for tweeting during game time