Way back in the day, R helped pay for school – and beer – by working on a technical help desk for a large oil company. He introduced me to the term PEBCAK: problem exists between chair and keyboard.

That term was never more palpable than in a new series of web videos, The Website is Down.

I came upon the two shorts currently available to watch thanks to a Tweet from Felicia Day.

They really make fun of salespeople who don’t really know how to use the computer. There is plenty of snark left over for the help desk, too.

I think the Chipmunks-style audio, with voices that have been sped up, will become tedious after a while, but other than that minor criticism, The Website is Down is funny stuff.

Just published over at Cinema Spy is my thoughts on the series finale of Battlestar Galactica.

There were some elegant moments as the writers attempted to provide some answers and conclusions. Overall, very satisfying.

I’ve done some other writing and interview over at Cinema Spy recently that I haven’t posted about, so here’s a look at what’s appeared there in the past couple of months:

• Getting some ‘Leverage’ about the new series from John Rogers

• An interview with Jeffrey Donovan from Burn Notice

• An interview with Tricia Helfer from Battlestar Galactica and Burn Notice

• An interview with Gabrielle Anwar from Burn Notice

EDIT
Forgot to mention my review of Watchmen.

In the latest issue of the Georgia Straight is my article rounding up some of the latest game applications created for Apple’s iPhone and iTouch devices.

Since I filed this piece there have been – literally – hundreds more released. Drop7 is a great puzzle game and I haven’t had time to try out Metal Gear Solid Touch, but I’ll do another round-up later in the year.

Until then, here’s a sampling of what’s available in the game category at the App Store.

The most exciting advancement in gaming last year came with the launch of the iTunes App Store and the release of new models and software updates for the iPhone and the iPod Touch. Now, thousands of games are available to download and play on both of these mobile devices.

Here’s a poster design for the movie adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are, coming this fall.

If you don’t know the book, don’t even talk to me. It’s only the best book ever written.

Directed by Spike Jonze, the script was written by Dave Eggers.

Holy shit. Screw Watchmen. This is the movie to drool over.

See stills from the movie at the project’s IMDB page.

In the “Technology” section of today’s Globe & Mail is my article looking at alternative financing models for video game development. If you’ve got an extra $2 million lying around, now is a great time to put it to use.

With investors battening the hatches and video-game developers shuttering their doors, times are turbulent for game makers. But even as the economy spins downward, some are seeing an opportunity to break away from the traditional funding model – and build more self-reliant game companies in the process.