NiniaPimp Magazine

The Buzzillions team generally stands back and lets the consumer do the talking. But from time to time we’d like to share our experiences in working with the thousands and thousands of consumers writing reviews everyday.

I researched the purchase of a Kindle for a long time. I couldn’t decide whether or not it was worth buying a dedicated e-reader. Boy am I glad I made this purchase. The downside to Amazon’s online selling of Kindle 3 is that the customers don’t get to see it in person. It is much better in person. This may sound stupid, but when I got my new Kindle, I thought there was a stuck-on overlay on the screen containing a diagram of the unit’s buttons, etc. I actually tried to peel it off. Doh! The e-ink on this unit is THAT good. I didn’t realize that I was staring at the actual display. I also didn’t realize that no power is required until the display changes. (thus the great battery life) I do a lot of reading, but was facing the prospect of reading less or buying large type books because of my variable and deteriorating eyesight. The new Kindle has been a godsend. Now, I can decide the size of type I need depending on my level of fatigue among other things. The weight and ergonomics are very good. For someone, like me, with neuropathy in his hands, it is extremely easy to manage and enjoyable to own. To me, it is easier to read than print books. The ease of navigation is great as is the speed. The battery life, so far, has been extraordinary. It easily connected to our home Wi-Fi, which by design does not broadcast an SSID. It downloads books so fast that I almost thought they were not completely received. I did not buy the 3G version because of the price difference and the fact that there is no coverage where I live. If you are not constantly traveling, I don’t see the need to spend the extra bucks, but that is a matter of personal choice. For those who have no Wi-Fi at home, remember that you can always download the material to your computer and transfer it via USB. Just today I was watching an interview with Tony Blair on TV. He was talking about his new book, which sounded interesting. I picked up the Kindle and downloaded a free sample before the interview was over. I have only read the preface so far, but will probably buy the book. Now THAT is a great way to buy a book! I haven’t used online browsing extensively yet, but find it reasonable for what the device is. This is primarily a book reader, not a laptop or notebook. They are great for what they do, but can’t match the e-ink display, or the light weight. For those of you worrying about the wait for the new Kindle, let me end with, “It is worth the wait” This new Kindle is all about the quality of experience. There are many format choices for electronic reading. If you want the best experience, go with the Kindle.

Kindle is our #1 bestselling item for two years running. It’s also the most-wished-for, most-gifted, and has the most 5-star reviews of any product on Amazon. Now it’s even better.
All-New, High-Contrast E Ink Screen – 50% better contrast with latest E Ink Pearl technology
Read in Bright Sunlight – No glare
New and Improved Fonts – New crisper, darker fonts
New Sleek Design – 21% smaller body while keeping the same 6″ size reading area
17% Lighter – Only 8.7 ounces, weighs less than a paperback
Battery Life of Up to Two Months – A single charge lasts up to two months with wireless off
Double the Storage – Up to 3,500 books
Books in 60 Seconds – Download books anytime, anywhere
Free 3G Wireless – No monthly payments, no annual contracts
Built-In Wi-Fi – In addition to the 3G wireless, you can connect to Wi-Fi hotspots
20% Faster Page Turns – Seamless reading
Enhanced PDF Reader – With dictionary lookup, notes, and highlights
New WebKit-Based Browser – Browse the web over Wi-Fi (experimental)
Special Offers – Special offers and sponsored screensavers display on the Kindle screensaver and on the bottom of the home screen—they don’t interrupt reading

Afro-Squad’s Classy Lady
Amateur Web Goddess, Oasis

Oasis, how are you doing tonight?
Today’s the day after Christmas and we had a full day yesterday. I’m recovering :) Sitting on the couch with the laptop, answering some email and watching my Patriots on Monday Night Football.

So where do you live now-a-days?
We’re in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. We spend most of our time here, with trips once a month or so out to Las Vegas, Phoenix or Southern California. We usually also take a couple big trips a year – in the winter to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, and in the summer we try to alternate and
visit new places. This summer we’re going to try to do a big trip up the east coast from Miami to Boston.

Can you describe and average work day to us? When do you get up, what do you do in your spare time, how do you prepare for work?
I think my average day is actually pretty mundane. I don’t have a regular job, which is pretty nice, so my schedule is pretty flexible but I do try to stick to a regular schedule just to make sure I get some work done. I usually get up about 8:00 and take my dog for a three mile walk. Then, as I eat breakfast I go through the email that’d come through overnight. I’ll usually spend about an hour answering the most pressing emails. Depending on the day, I’ll edit pictures for an update to my main website, cum2oasis.com, or for one of our other sites (we also run a strickly party site, realorgyparties, a stricktly interracial site, oasiswentblack, and a couple sites for friends of ours like kinkykacey.com). I try to get an update on one of our sites every day, and my main site at least three times a week.

Do you follow the news at all? If so, what do you think about our troops overseas?
I go through phases. Right now, I’m off the news (I decided I was spending way too much time reading cnn.com in the mornings). I most definitely support our troops – I have a couple good friends in Iraq right now and my brother was in the military for a good number of years (he was over for the
first war). I don’t particularly support the war, and I don’t care much for Bush…

Is there anything you would like to say to those troops?
Just to be careful and come back safe. Hopefully sooner rather than later.

We recently e-mailed Jenna Jameson and she told us she was working a business deal with Mike Tyson. What would you think about doing a scene with Iron Mike?
No thanks. He’s not my type. (well, from what I know about him anyway). I actually prefer your average guy to your body-builder or celebrity. Give me a cute computer geek any day :)

We also do a lot of interviews with professional wrestlers. Have you ever been a wrestling fan?
No. professional wrestling is too much of a soap opera for me :)

What has been your favorite video to film?
Our videos aren’t really “professional” … so its not really like filming. we’re out having a good time, and we just happen to have a video camera running. There are very few of our scenes that are scripted at all… and I have to say that the ones that are scripted are my least favorite. Lucky for me that we’re so spontaneous!!

What has been your favorite party?
Again, its very hard to pick just one!! We did a party in New Orleans a few years ago at one of my favorite bars and had about 150 people there, including 30 or so other webgirls. That was a blast…

Who have been your favorite people to work with?
I don’t really work with professional pOrn stars. Probably as close as I could get would be a couple scenes I did with Rodney Moore. I really dig him because he shoots gonzo and is a lot of fun. I’ve shot a whole lot with cathy from cathyscraving.com… not only is she a lot of fun to work with, but she’s also one of my favorite people on the planet.

Is there anyone you don’t like working with?
The great thing about what I do is that I don’t shoot with anyone I don’t like :) I only do what i want to do and when i want to do it. Because I’m not shooting, I’m having fun. If i meet up with someone with the intention of shooting with him/her, and then don’t like them, then I don’t shoot.

I’ve read a lot of reviews and fan blogs, and it seems that you have a huge following. Is there anything you would like to say to your fans?
Come on out and party sometime!!

Do some people get jealous of your success? What do your neighbors think of your career?
My neighbors gave me a little bit of crap after our last big party because too many people were parked in our cul-de-sac, but other than that we haven’t had any problems here in Havasu. Pretty much everyone in town knows who we are and what we do. But no one really cares, which is one of the reasons we’ve lived here for the last five years. we still have a “wild west” attitude where people tend to stay out of other people’s business.

What do you think of Afro-Squad.com?
Oh, I LOVE it :)

Have you checked out our Pimp of the Year pictures?
Who do you think should be Afro-Squad’s 2007 Pimp of the Year?
Snoop for sure! I need to get my dog to grow his hair like that :)

Can you tell us about the “win a date” with Oasis contest?
Its a chance for regular guys out there, my fans (haha), to shoot with me if they’re interested. they need to read my rules and fill out my stud application (at http://cum2oasis.com/stud.htm), and then if I like what they have to say, and their pic, and they can come to where I’m at, they get the chance to come out and have dinner, and most likely even more!

So where do you see yourself in 10 years? Will you be entertaining male fans in front of the screen when you hit 30?
Oh, I’ve already hit 30. working on the big 3-5 now! who knows what I’ll be doing in 10 years. If we’re still having fun with the site, then we’ll still be doing the site. What we do is all about having a good time.

We get to see a lot of the “dirty” Oasis, but can you tell us a little bit about your sweeter side? Do you cry at sad movies, volunteer, or give money to charity?
We did a benefit here in town to raise money for all the pets displaced by hurricane Katrina. We raised $1,500 for the best friends animal society and their rescue efforts. not a whole lot of money, but it was our first time doing something like that and we’ve already committed to make it an annual event to raise money for animal shelters and rescue programs…

Are you a different person when you back home with the family, or are you always the same person we see on the DVDs?
I’ll tell you a story. About six years ago I was driving my sister home from Christmas dinner at my grandmother’s. i don’t know exactly what we were talking about, but I told her about our lifestyle and the website. I expected her to be shocked … but all she said was “oh, I’m not surprised”. I don’t talk sex or parties or p0rn with my family, but my personality doesn’t change.

Before I let you go, do you have any questions for the guys at Afro-Squad?
How do I get to be a Afro-Squad??? :)

A Afro-Squad just represents the stuff that guys love. Since guys already love you, consider yourself an honorary Afro-Squad. Well thanks for the interview. I wish you the best of luck in life.

D-Ray 3000 (Don Crisis) Interview D-Ray 3000, Don Crisis
Exclusive Interview

All of the combat in The 3rd Birthday involves guns, but this isn’t a shooter. With most weapons, you can lock on to targets automatically, so defeating enemies is often a matter of holding down the lock-on button and then pressing or tapping the fire button. The trick isn’t hitting them so much as it is staying alive long enough to do enough damage to kill them. It’s not just the many nasty, tentacled varieties of Twisted and other creatures you encounter that make surviving tricky; it’s also the rigid controls. You move Aya in third person, and her casual jogging speed doesn’t befit the life-and-death situations in which she finds herself, nor is it sufficient for dodging enemy projectiles and keeping you away from danger. Taking cover behind barricades shields you from some attacks and slowly restores your health, but most attacks destroy these barricades quickly, so you can’t rely on cover for long. Aya can perform quick dodge rolls, though performing three in a row leaves her winded and vulnerable to attack. Controlling a character whose slow, limited movements make her extremely vulnerable often thwarts the thrills the gameplay is striving to provide.

The ability to leap from soldier to soldier is Aya’s saving grace, and it’s essential to survival. Aya can transfer instantly from body to body, so the death of the soldier you possess doesn’t necessarily spell death for you. You can use soldiers up and abandon their husks in the final moments of their lives, provided there’s another fighter on the field. Hopping around from person to person and from position to position is a fun and flashy mechanic that gives the combat a distinctive feel. This ability also has an offensive component: If you sustain an assault on an enemy for a period of time, a triangle icon will indicate that you can perform an overdive attack, sending your psyche inside it for an instant and doing significant damage. You can more effectively create openings for overdive attacks by directing any nearby soldiers to concentrate their fire at your target for a brief period. To trigger this coordinated assault, which the game calls crossfire, you need to lock on to an enemy without firing for a short while as a gauge fills. Attacking enemies fills up another gauge that, when full, enables you to enter a state called liberation. In liberation, Aya’s movements are blindingly swift, and true to the state’s name, it makes for a liberating departure from her normally stiff actions. Unfortunately, this state is so short lived that you barely have time to enjoy it before Aya returns to normal.

6304662NoneAnother typical day on the New York City subway.

The 3rd Birthday sometimes succeeds at generating a great deal of tension. In one battle, for instance, the enemy onslaught seems overwhelming and circumstances seem hopeless. Your desperate attempts to survive are exciting, and the tension that builds up is ultimately released in an immensely satisfying way when an armored vehicle arrives, enabling you to take control of its gunner and turn the tide, making short work of the creatures that just shortly before were slaughtering soldiers left and right. It’s an exhilarating moment. But often, the tension can boil over into full-blown frustration. For instance, in most situations, a steady stream of reinforcements means that even if the soldier you’re currently occupying is in bad shape, surviving long enough will let you leap to another, brand new body with full health (though surviving that long is often easier said than done). But one difficult battle in a location where reinforcements can’t reach you can become infuriating. The monsters you face, like many you encounter throughout the game, have a good deal of health that your attacks slowly chip away. They also have attacks that can wipe out all your health with a few hits, and your stiff movements make attempting to evade some of those attacks a frustrating endeavor. You might repeatedly find yourself nearing victory only to fail and then be faced with the prospect of starting the long, slow process of fighting them all over again. This battle, and others like it, highlight the limitations of Aya’s movement and can drain all the momentum from the game. Success in these situations brings with it a sense of relief in knowing that a painful step of your journey is over, rather than a rewarding sense of victory.

As you advance from mission to mission, you earn experience and level up, increasing Aya’s health and the power of her overdive attack. Additionally, frequent use of a specific type of weapon–handguns, assault rifles, or shotguns, for instance–gives you access to better weapons and weapon components of that type. You can purchase and equip components that improve a weapon’s accuracy and capacity, as well as choose between ammo that does more damage but triggers overdive attack opportunities less frequently and ammo with the opposite characteristics. You also collect items called OE chips, which you can equip to grant Aya various benefits, such as increased defense and stronger crossfire attacks. These customization options aren’t very deep or involving, but tinkering with Aya’s weapons and attributes makes for a pleasant little diversion between missions.

Most of what you find on the protective gear menu sure doesn’t look very protective.

Like its protagonist, The 3rd Birthday is beautiful and troubled, flawed and fascinating and frustrating. In addition, it’s short; the irritating difficulty of some sections means that its six episodes may take a while to complete, but that issue aside, the adventure is roughly five hours long. Cheat codes that unlock as you finish the game and accomplish certain tasks let you replay the game with enhanced abilities, though this certainly isn’t enough of an incentive to complete the game the whopping 10 times you’d need to unlock one of the cheat codes. The 3rd Birthday has an intriguing story with an annoying heroine and unusual gameplay that makes for an occasionally thrilling experience, which is often undermined by stiff controls and frustrating difficulty. Some will find enduring the flaws a tolerable price to pay to experience Aya Brea’s strange journey, but she has some serious growing up to do before her next birthday rolls around.

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   It’s probably not a good idea to keep a body in the house, even if you aren’t bothered by the rats and other assorted filth that might pile up.

   But Uncle Sam, who may not care much about housekeeping, gets real interested when he discovers that Social Security payments are still going to a dead person.

   So Gail Andrews, 62, of Fort Myers has pleaded not guilty to Social Security fraud after the government accused her of intentionally concealing her mother’s death for 14 months, news-press.com reports. She says she hid the death because she was afraid she’d lose the house she has lived in for 35 years. The government wants its $52,308.70 back.

By Susan Thurston, Times Staff Writer

In Print: Thursday, February 17, 2011

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The Tyrannosaurus rex is scary, the Dilophosaurus is annoying, and the Brachiosaurus, well, it’s just huge. The prehistoric past meets the present in DinoQuest, a new dinosaur exhibit at Lowry Park Zoo. The outdoor exhibit opened last week and runs through May 1. It stars 20 animated dinosaurs that look, move and roar like their Jurassic counterparts. Here is what to expect.

Susan Thurston, Times staff writer

What is it about?

DinoQuest centers around the story that dinosaurs — for unexplained reasons — have returned to a futuristic city, terrorizing the citizens and causing everyone to flee. Visitors enter the city through a dark and smoke-filled portal like something out of a Hollywood movie set. The city is eerily calm except for the paleontological museum, where dinosaurs have busted through the front door, leaving chards of glass and enraging a large T. rex skeleton. Visitors escape through a second portal, stepping back in time when dinosaurs roamed the forests.

What are the highlights?

The 20 animatronic dinosaurs look and sound real, with moving eyes, mouths and bodies. The Brachiosaurus stretches 18 feet tall. The Dilophosaurus sprays water on unsuspecting visitors. The zoo created the outdoor exhibit area from scratch using mostly unused space near the Garden of Love. The dinosaurs were leased from Billings Productions of Texas, which provides life-sized dinosaurs to zoos, museums and theme parks. After the exhibit ends, the space will be transformed into Zoo Boo and Wild Wonderland.

What’s particularly noteworthy?

Though Disney-like in appearance, DinoQuest also seeks to educate. Signs by each dinosaur give the name, dimensions, characteristics and pronunciation. (Try saying Massospondylus fast three times.) Each dinosaur is compared to a modern-day equivalent at the zoo. For example, the Elaphrosaurus is like an emu, a bipedal runner, in Wallaroo Station. Visitors wanting more information about the dinosaurs can also text or scan a QR code with their iPhone.

. Is DinoQuest scary?

For the littles ones, yes. The dinosaurs are big and loud and almost too lifelike for toddlers and preschoolers. Even though your children love watching Dino Dan on TV, they might shriek when one of these dinosaurs roars in their face. On opening day, several kids ages 4 and under covered their ears or eyes. A few even cried. That said, if kids can get through the roaring T. rex skeleton near the entrance, they’ll probably do fine through the rest of it. Parents of real timid tots might want to consider avoiding the “meat-eating loop” of carnivores. The zoo smartly opted to put the scariest dinos in one area obscured behind a wall. Overall, if your child is afraid of the animated dinos at T-Rex Café at Downtown Disney, they will probably shudder at these.

Is it worth it?

Yes. Even if you skip the meat-eaters, the $4 per person charge plus regular zoo admission seems reasonable. Beyond the dinosaur forest and Shop-O-Saurus Gift Shop, there’s a huge inflatable Velocity Raptor Slide, a small fossil pit, a T. rex robot that kids can control and castings of dinosaur fossils. You can get better fossils digging at Dinosaur World in Plant City but you won’t find more lifelike prehistoric creatures. Parents not sure about going can always mull it over while visiting the rest of the zoo. Tickets are available at the exhibit entrance.

What else?

DinoQuest is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and during Dino Nites from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. most Fridays and Saturdays through April 30. Dino Nites are $9.95 per person and include free zoo rides. Zoo members are free. Dino Discovery Club passes are $15 per person for unlimited day and Dino Nites admission. Dinosaur parties and sleepovers are also available.

If you go DinoQuest runs through May 1 at the Lowry Park Zoo, 1101 W Sligh Ave., Tampa. Admission is $4 per person plus zoo admission or zoo pass membership. Regular zoo admission is $23.95 for adults, $21.95 for seniors and $18.95 for children ages 3 to 11. lowryparkzoo.com; (813) 935-8552.

[Last modified: Feb 15, 2011 07:57 PM]

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By Susan Thurston, Times Staff Writer

In Print: Friday, February 11, 2011

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The Tyrannosaurus rex is scary, the dilophosaurus is annoying, and the brachiosaurus, well, it’s just huge. The prehistoric past meets the present in DinoQuest, a new dinosaur exhibit at Lowry Park Zoo. The exhibit opened Wednesday and runs through May 1. It stars 20 animated dinosaurs that look, move and roar like their Jurassic counterparts. Here’s what to expect. — Susan Thurston sthurston@tampabay.com

What is it about? DinoQuest centers around the story that dinosaurs have returned to a futuristic city, terrorizing the citizens, who all flee. Visitors enter the city through a dark and smoke-filled portal like something out of a Hollywood movie set. The city is eerily calm except for the paleontological museum, where dinosaurs have busted through the front door, leaving shards of glass and enraging a large T. rex skeleton. Visitors escape through a second portal, stepping back in time when dinosaurs roamed the earth.

What are the highlights? The brachiosaurus stretches 18 feet tall. The dilophosaurus sprays water on unsuspecting visitors. The zoo created the outdoor exhibit area from scratch using mostly unused space near the Garden of Love. The dinosaurs were leased from Billings Productions of Texas, which provides life-size dinosaurs to zoos, museums and theme parks. After the exhibit ends, the space will be transformed into Zoo Boo and Wild Wonderland.

What’s particularly noteworthy? Signs by each dinosaur give the name, dimensions, characteristics and pronunciation. (Try saying massospondylus fast three times.) Each dinosaur is compared to a modern-day equivalent at the zoo. For example, the elaphrosaurus is like an emu, a bipedal runner, in Wallaroo Station. Visitors wanting more information can also text or scan a QR code with their iPhone.

Is DinoQuest scary? For the little ones, yes. The dinosaurs are big and loud and almost too lifelike for toddlers and preschoolers. Just because your child loves watching Dino Dan on TV, they might shriek when one of them roars in their face. On opening day, several kids ages 4 and younger covered their ears or eyes. A few even cried. That said, if kids can get through the roaring T. rex skeleton near the entrance, they’ll probably do fine through the rest of it. Parents of real timid tots might want to consider avoiding the “meat-eating loop” of carnivores. The zoo smartly opted to put the scariest dinos in one area obscured behind a wall.

Is it worth it? Yes. Even if you skip the meat-eaters, the $4 per person charge plus regular zoo admission seems reasonable. Beyond the dinosaur forest and Shop-O-Saurus Gift Shop, there’s a huge inflatable Velocity Raptor Slide, a small fossil pit, a T. rex robot that kids can control and castings of dinosaur fossils. You can get better fossil digging at Dinosaur World in Plant City but you won’t find more lifelike prehistoric creatures. Parents not sure about going can always mull it over while visiting the rest of the zoo. Tickets are available at the exhibit entrance.

What else? DinoQuest is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and during Dino Nites from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. most Fridays and Saturdays through April 30. Dino Nites are $9.95 per person and include free zoo rides. Zoo members are free. Dino Discovery Club passes are $15 per person for unlimited day and Dino Nites admission. Parties and sleepovers are available.

A roarin’ good time

DinoQuest runs through May 1 at the Lowry Park Zoo, 1101 W Sligh Ave., Tampa. Admission is $4 per person plus zoo admission or zoo pass membership. Regular zoo admission is $23.95 for adults, $21.95 for seniors and $18.95 for children ages 3 to 11. lowryparkzoo.com; (813) 935-8552.

[Last modified: Feb 10, 2011 03:36 PM]

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Copyright 2011 St. Petersburg Times

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