A pox on all [the developers'] houses!
I'm rather disappointed that the Dead or Alive series decided to replace the counter button with the "free" (read: block), basically turning the countering system into a slightly more advanced version of the guard impact system from Soulcalibur mixed in. I've only played DOA++ (in which the counter button didn't block, but otherwise was the same) and DOA4, so I don't know when this was implemented, but now the system doesn't seem quite as novel. On the other hand, the controller's penchant for reading the wrong directions probably necessitated the addition of a block button. DOA4 doesn't have an option for putting the free button on the controller bumpers, which means switching between DOA4 and SCS3 is rather difficult - I keep on trying to block with the wrong controls.

I also upgraded to FireFox 2.0 recently after finding my 1.5 version wasn't autoupdating properly - must say I'm rather disappointed with that as well. For some reason, even though I've expressly set the program to open up new links in new windows, it still opens them in tabs (I prefer windowing far more than tabbing). For some reason, when I right-click selected text on a number of different pages (Ars Technica in particular), this huge menu comes up - it's so big I actually have to scroll through the menu to find what I want. It seems to treat the text as text, an image, and a separate frame as well, so there are actually three menus in the one that opens - must be some HTML thing that FireFox treats differently now, since the old version never did that. Makes copying out text somewhat time-consuming. Also, the downloading process was changed - FireFox now uses a temp file instead of writing to the final destination directly. Not really sure of the benefit, but all I know is since Firefox tends to slow down a lot when creating files for download, particularly if it's been open for a while, finishing downloads also slows down my machine, whereas with the older one it only happened when starting a download. It's still preferable to the IE way of doing things, but still annoying.

An interesting article I read recently:
Getting fit with video games. Rather amusing, particularly some of the geeky references. Ben makes a good point about why a lot of people don't work out publically - (subconscious) shyness about exercising in front of other people. I know that applies to me - fortunately, martial arts don't really fall under that category, so I have a backup I can rely on. While nothing replaces getting outdoors for exercise, I think some of games are probably just as beneficial as some workout routines offered at exercise clubs (and cheaper, to boot).

Speaking of martial arts, I recently started studying Taekwondo at Lockheed - the club there dates back thirty years and studies a "very old and rare" school - Han Moo Kwan. Whether or not it truly has the lineage it claims to have is debatable, but it ultimately doesn't matter, since I've been looking for a class from which to learn some striking basics - the eskrima club I joined last year didn't focus as much on technique as application.
One thing I've found sort of interesting was their basic punching technique. The basic motions haven't changed from other TKD styles I've seen (or any Eastern martial art, for that matter), but the Han Moo Kwan distinction is that the shoulders don't move at all. In the other arts I've seen/studied, typically the shoulders move just a little bit (perhaps not purposely), but there's no emphasis on not moving them. The instructors here like the final strike to end with an elbow bent more significantly than the other styles I've studied, so the actual range of the punch is quite short.
The attack stance is also pretty different from the Japanese styles I've studied - one leg to the side (about a shoulder's width), a little to the back, and completely locked, both feet pointing forward. It took me forever to get that straightened out since I'm used to the Japanese hanmei stance (feet at right angles, heels on a straight line to the opponent), but I think it actually helps me with the Muay Thai stance I learned back in the day that I couldn't figure out (the feet positioning is the same, though the application is different and there's no locked leg). It seems like the idea of the stance is to duplicate the grounding of the horse stance (which the style practices for basic punching, of course) but with a little extra mobility. The mobility requires learning to move in a completely different manner from what I'm used to - the motion requires keeping the feet on the ground (which I can do), but moving them in straight lines forward as if on rails (which I can't). 'Course, I've only been doing this a few weeks, so that'll obviously change - I've already gotten a lot better at it than I was a week ago, though my hips might argue otherwise.

The requisite links:

Interesting downloading study - too bad I no longer have access to the Stanford proxy, so I can't read the source article. I'd be interested to know exactly from what methodologies the conclusion was derived.
Ryu vs. Scorpion. A Street Fighter versus Mortal Kombat video, obviously, but I think it was scripted entirely in MUGEN (well, the UMK3 version of MUGEN). What I find most impressive is the versatility of the author in using Scorpion's very limited spriteset (the Ryu sprites come from one of the later Capcom Versus titles, I think, which added a ton of animations). Akuma/Gouki should have used his Raging Demon at the end, though =O)
100 (not really) best free video games. More of a dump link for me, but there are some rather interesting shooters in there. And speaking of shooters...
Pure shooting insanity. This is why I love and hate shooters.
Wolfenstein 3D on a TI-83. Yes, the title says Doom, but that's obviously Wolfenstein. Obviously.
Hand Star Wars. Those crazy Japanese folks. Quite amazing, actually.
Industry + Wiimote = ? I need a Wii now so I can start building my army of remote-controlled tennis-playing robotic hamsters.