It's never a slow news day when you can find a picture of Master Chief in a letterman Jacket. PWN or Die features a hilarious gallery of images starring Halo's marquee super-soldier, Master Chief. Usually we recognize the Master Chief from his aggressive "Earth saving" escapades, but these "Senior Yearbook images" show us the UNSC powerhouse has a softer side too. If you've dreamt of Sears Family Portrait style images of the Chief, your prayers have been answered. Or your worst nightmares have come true ... either way, check it out.

Craigslist provides another bit of strange, gaming-related news, this time with EDP Casting sending out a casting call for Punch-Out!! lookalikes. The post is looking for New York natives to fill the boxing gloves of Piston Honda, King Hippo, Great Tiger and, of course, Little Mac. The listing doesn't specify what the casting call is for but we'd like to dream the entire classic NES title would be put to music and run on Broadway -- with the help of Andrew Lloyd Webber, of course.

If you think you've got the chops to jump into Mac's pink sweatsuit, make sure to take note that EDP is looking for someone with "real fire" in their eyes. So, you really have to want the part ... or at least undergo some experimental surgery.

[Via GoNintendo]

Sure, it isn't as hilarious -- or nearly as creepy -- as Left 4 Bed, but this video packs one helluva beat. Compiled from audio ripped from our current zombie-fueled obsession, Francis Hates Left 4 Dead cycles through the many things that rub Francis the wrong way. Vans, small towns, boats ... everything in Left 4 Dead drives him mad! His only saving grace? Vests. Beautiful, beautiful vests.

You like Halo ... and at least have a mild interest in Sonic related items, do you not? Well, Hawty McBloggy has you covered with this video that mashes classic Sonic tunes with Halo 3.

When the video began to make its way around the office, we all experienced the same things in the following order: 1) eye-roll at the idea of more Sonic; 2) mild interest due to Halo content; 3) half-smile when we heard the music; 4) embarrassment at how wrong our preconceptions were upon watching it all; 5) a strong desire to show it to everyone we knew. Welcome to the last step. Check it out after the jump. Tell your friends.

[via Bungie]

A user on CNN's iReport blog shared an image that could send shivers down your spine. When their two children wouldn't behave while playing the original Xbox, the husband of iReport user Kingfry of Mechanicsville, Virginia, punished the pair by nailing the system to a tree in the backyard. Honestly, we wouldn't be surprised if the Xbox was still functional -- that thing was a beast. Well if that is the case, and since that tree seems fairly tall, may we suggest a wireless internet adapter?

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Glenn Beck, host of CNN's The Glenn Beck Program, has added his name to the list of concerned citizens against the violence and sexual content found in Grand Theft Auto IV. In a recent interview with Dr. Cheryl Olson, co-author of Grand Theft Childhood, Beck lashed out with indifference toward gaming and then proceeded to 'dis' bloggers.

"I will tell you that all these video gamers ... they're bloggers, as well as video gamers - they're writing all kinds of stuff about me [that] I'm the enemy now of video gamers. I could care less about video games. Video game bloggers? They're losers ..."

For someone who could care less about gaming he sure does have his share of opinions on the subject. Watch as Beck wastes Dr. Olson's time by ranting about his personal life as an internet joke when he realizes the good doctor wouldn't be able to add to his sound-byte reel of uninformed gaming hatred.

Our favorite part? Beck cashing in on the Grand Theft Auto IV hatred for ratings and advertising dollars and then proceed to accuse the 'game industry' of giving GTAIV an M-Rating purely for monetary reasons. Say it with us now. Irony.

We've all made our share of mistakes while playing Halo 3. Hitting X to drop a trip mine killing your entire squad in a Warthog instead of reloading, running into a battle without grenades or forgetting to reload before you jump into a battle situation are just a few stupid mistakes we've all made from time-to-time. Today's video just might take the cake as the worst mistake we've seen. In fact, the suicide in the video above is so ridiculous the Elite even starts to laugh as he gasps for his last breath. Set up or not, this is one of the funnier Halo 3 based suicides we've ever seen ... or heard!

[Via Digg]

A theoretical physicist named "Gordon" called up the conspiracy wonks at Coast to Coast AM to tell 'em all about a mysterious government agent – a "G-Man" if you will – that he keeps seeing around. We don't want to spoil too much so hit up the audio embedded after the break and kids, take notes. This is how you do a crank call. Now if only "Alyx" would call Dr. Cooper Lawrence's show and ask what's up with that strong but silent boy she knows.

[Thanks, Colin]

We all knew Tom Cruise was a little loony with all this Scientology stuff, but we don't think anyone knew just quite how crazy he'd become until a leaked video featuring Cruise explaining the awe-inspiring power only Scientologists possess.

However, some people don't know that a new religion has sprung up in the wake of the Scientology controversy - PS3ology. Taking a page out of Cruise's book is DJWheat from Epileptic Gaming. Many of you may sit there with a confused expression on your face, but make sure you watch the Cruise video first, because only then will you really appreciate the great parody.

Just remember, it's a privilege to call yourself a PS3ologist.

As upset as we were by Time's flubbing of us this year – a blogger can get used to seeing a horribly disfigured reflection of his own face in the cover of one of the nation's most prestigous newsweeklies y'know – the selection of Russian president Vladimir Putin as the magazine's Person of the Year (POTY) left us a little underwhelmed.

Lucky for us, the folks at Something Awful remedied our apathy with a tall serving of Photoshop phakery, planting all sorts of video game icons on the magazine's cover. Mario and Master Chief are great and all, but our favorite is BioShock's Andrew Ryan. It was not impossible to choose a video game character as Time's Person of the Year ... it was impossible to choose anyone else.

Selecting a video for this week's spotlight was somewhat difficult ... because we managed to stumble across some of the weirdest videos we've seen in a while. Take a moment to think about the magnitude of that statement. Around here, we spend all day immersed in the fruits of Miyamoto's brain (and other Nintendo goodness), and yet these videos were extra weird.

Hit the jump for the full array. And yes, we know there are even weirder videos out there. Please don't supply links; we're not sure our bruised brains could take it just now!

Ever zoned out playing Mario Kart, only to find yourself driving down an interstate some time later, eager to bypass your fellow motorists with the aid of a few well placed turtle shells? Yeah, us neither, but we can totally imagine it and we imagine a similar sentiment contributed to the creation of Invisible Harleys: A Mario Kart Parody by UCSB students Michael Figge and Jess Rigel, part of a short film contest sponsored by Harley Davidson. Keep a close eye peeled for non-canonical weapons like the Giant Magnet™ and Super Hammer™ ... what, Chomps not good enough?

[Via Wii Fanboy]

We're not sure how this emergency call went out, but we imagine it sounded something like this:

"Hello, Police. What's your emergency?"

"It's my neighbor. There's a gunman in his house!"

"Please calm down. Describe the situation to us, sir."

"Well ... it's not really a gunman, per se. It's definitely a gunwoman."

"There's an armed woman in your neighbor's house?"

"Yes. She's definitely got a gun and ... an enormous chest. Really, those things look fake."

After receiving the call from HQ, armed police raided the home of one Mr. David Williams who had brought the most definitely fake dummy home from work to unload on eBay, where some lonely sap would bid on true love. Instead of sheepishly apologizing for the mistaken identity, police brought Mr. Williams downtown where he languished in a cell for thirteen hours. No word on what he told his cell-mates he was in for.

[Thanks, Dan G.]

What is it with people demanding new gen consoles at gunpoint? A Blockbuster video in the UK was recently robbed. A young man held up the two female store clerks at gunpoint, demanding that they give him a Playstation 3. Upon informing him that they didn't stock the console, he settled for an Xbox 360 instead. He also swiped several Xbox 360 games on the way out as well as money from the register. No one was injured, though it took the police 20 minutes to arrive because they were directed to the wrong Blockbuster.

Frankly, we probably would have asked for a Wii. Seriously, those things are hard to find.

[Thanks, slimbloke]

If this were anything but a Wii shirt, we might make some crack about objectifying women or stereotyping, or any number of -isms, because we're against badness in general. But we have to forgive this one, because frankly, the joke was begging to be made, and Nerdy Shirts gets a gold star for simplicity in presentation. Besides, a well-used dose of humor makes almost anything okay, as all of our favorite comedians have proved time and time again. Of course, not everyone will feel that way -- so feel free to let us know if you think this take on the Mii phenomenon is over the line.

[Thanks, Mike!]