I want to thank Big O and Dukes for having me on their show tonight, it was really fun! They reminded me of DJs I used to know from Radio 104 in Hartford (before it became a hip hop station) when I used to intern there. We talked about gaming and gadgets, and I hope they have me back on again sometime!

Also today I had my first live television appearance on KRON4 in the Bay Area. I discussed some of CNET’s top holiday picks from our Holiday Gift Guide. I was nervous, but I think it went ok! When they send me the DVD, I’ll post the clip. Stupid hair kept getting in my eyes, though.

Time to go out for a beer! It’s been quite a day.

Went camping again this weekend, down to Big Sur this time. It was Naomi’s 25th birthday, so the crew all drove down for a weekend of seeing Bonnie Prince Billy and sitting by the campfire. I think I’m going to start collecting real camping gear and making it a hobby. It’s just so nice to get away from the city and unplug for a weekend. Anyone have any recommendations for camping places on the West Coast?

Anyway, a lot happened last week that I didn’t post about. I got to play with the Wii, the new Crave vodcast came out (much better than the first episode) and “Vampire Secrets” aired on the History Channel. Remember, when I was a virgin in a sack? Good times!

James Kim and I are hosting the new Crave video podcast (http://crave.cnet.com) and the first episode is up in iTunes. Here’s the iTunes link. If you’re not an iTunes fan, you can see it on the site here.

This first episode was definitely all about figuring how we wanted the show be, and so the next one will be a lot better (improved set, as well). Hope you like it!

Do you want to come to CES? Hang out with the CNET crew and cover some cool stuff? We’re having a contest so you can!

To enter:
Send us a video of your best, most engaging technology reporter impression. All submissions must be received by 4:59 p.m. PT on October 31, 2006. All submitted videos will be eligible to win. Read the contest rules for complete details.

The prize:
Winning Crew members will be flown to Las Vegas, where they will stay for four nights at the luxurious Treasure Island hotel during CES, and each winner and a guest will also receive an all-access badge to CES. During the show, winners will create a video and photo blog covering their favorite products from the CES floor. CNET will post those blogs on the Backstage Crew section of ces.cnet.com.

More info here.
We want to see your submissions!