Can the Super Mario Bros. save the Princess from the hands of Donkey Kong?  It’s a real life video game that takes place up and down the Las Vegas Strip!  You can bet the tourist cameras are rolling and we get viral video gold!   This hilarious video was uploaded last December by the Youtube group known as Bangakang.  They have some pretty outrageous videos online, including jumping into the world’s biggest pile of leaves and creating a slip-n-slide with 52 gallons of chocolate syrup.  The last one sounds like a blast! Costumed characters are becoming all the rage in New York, Los Angeles, and on the Las Vegas Strip.  Usually, the performer (some of those dressing up don’t technically qualify as performers) will pose for pictures and interact with tourists for a small tip.  Just be warned: some of these guys can get hostile if you don’t tip.  One dirt bag was recently arrested in New York City for dressing up as Elmo and hurling racist slurs as tourists – all while having a criminal background.  Yeah, that worked out well… Super Mario and Donkey Kong made their video game debuts in arcades in 1981.  Mario was forced to climb a series of ladders to rescue the Princess being held by the large ape above.  Donkey Kong would get several sequels and Mario would be paired with his brother Luigi for their first sequel, Mario Bros, where they had to battle creatures in the sewers of New York.  Later, they would move into the Mushroom Kingdom to again save the Princess from the evil King Koopa.  Super Mario Bros. is one of the best and highest selling video games of all time. Costumes for Mario and Luigi are sold online and at Halloween...

Hey Guys, Shockingly I’m feeling more awake than I have all week, which is a good thing, b/c we’re shooting Oh Merry Beaver! all weekend, and today is pretty much my last chance to finish my big work project, organize next Monday’s and Tuesday’s Fierce and Nerdy, and basically do everything that I need to do for my Belgium trip outside of packing. Sadly, I keep on forgetting that it’s Halloween. But just because I’m insane, doesn’t mean that you should go without. Here’s your weekly procrastination: 1. According to NPR’s best non-weekend program, Day to Day (Cali represent!), just about every brunette with a pair of glasses is dressing up as Sarah Palin for Halloween this year. Check out their slideshow of listener pictures here. 2. And according to my Statcounter, last week’s flash games link was rather popular, so here’s one more game courtesy of CH. Click here for the ghoulish (so Halloween-appropriate) game, “Five Minutes to Kill (Yourself),” courtesy of Adult Swim. 3. I heard this Ezra Furman and the Harpoons song, “Take Off Your Sunglasses” on the radio this morning, and fell in instant love, despite their heavy use of the (much despised by me) harmonica. Take a listen and let me know what you think: 4. If your Halloween Date says “Let’s just hang out at my apartment and watch a movie tonight,” blame the economy. Apparently people are cutting back on dating costs. Read the full story here. 5. Did your college make the list of “Top 100 Most Expensive Colleges?” My undergrad, Smith College, is at #78 and my grad school, Carnegie Mellon University is at #11!!! Wow, no wonder I’m going to be paying off my student loans until I’m 60. See the full list here, and let me...