If you're one of the people who bought Crackdown just to access the Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta, you're not alone. And by now, you're probably aware that Xbox Live and Bungie are experiencing some "technical difficulties" that aren't allowing you to download it. So instead of sitting there waiting for the grey text to turn blue on your Crackdown menu, why not try this list of 10 things to pass the time while you wait? 

10: Download all the free content in XBLA

There's lot of free stuff in there! In addition to actually cool stuff (like Aegis Wing), you can fill your hard drive with COMPLETELY useless stuff like a free episode of Rob and Big (ok.. I'll admit it, I actually TiVo the show). You've got nothing but time on your hands!

9: Pop in all your old Xbox games to download compatibility updates

I'm sure there are some original Xbox games gathering dust in your collection that you haven't looked at since you stopped using your original Xbox (which is probably gathering dust in the same corner). Now is as good a time as any to put them in so your 360 can download any compatibility patches it needs to play those games. Who cares if you never want to play those games again, anyway. We're trying to kill time here, people!

8: Clean out your Friends List

All of us have people on our Friends list what we put on there a long time ago, haven't seen them sign in forever, and don't even remember who they are. Quit hoping that they will magically sign in and msg you with tomorrow's lucky lottery numbers. Their accounts are probably long since expired. It's time to move on.

7: Choose a new XBL Avatar.

Seriously. The one you've got now is so last week, dude. Pick a new one.

6: Explore some of the stuff in your Xbox 360 dashboard you've never messed with.

There's pages of stuff in there, and most of us never mess with it because when our game loads it whisks us away from the dashboard and forget that it's even there. Maybe you've never noticed the subtle animated background before? Or that differe sections are different colors? Oh, you have? Fine! Just trying to help!

5: Recharge/replace all the batteries in your controller(s).

Unless you're one of the three people who actually uses the play and charge (who sits that close to their Xbox anyway?), the batteries in your controllers are probably not fresh. Drop by the Shizak (that's what the cool people call Radio Shack. Oh, it's not? Fine. That's what I call Radio Shack) and grab a big ol' pack of AAs. Or plug in your rechargable battery pack and let them regen. When you're getting free frags from other players when their controller batteries go "tango uniform" on them in the middle of Team Slayer, you'll thank me.

4: Read the Halo Book Series

For the Halo hard-core, there's a great series of books written by Eric Nylund (and with the blessing and coordination of Bungie and Microsoft) that cover a wide span of Halo lore. All the way from "Fall of Reach" to "Ghosts of Onyx." They're not massively huge books, and they are real page turners.

3: Get some compressed air and blow our your fan ports.

It's surprising how many people neglect their poor Xboxes. I bet you've never even taken a slightly damp soft cloth and wiped away the dust, have you? Tsk, tsk. How about getting some compressed air and blowing out the fan vents? Make sure the unit is turned off before you do. And when you're done, turn the can upside down and spray it on a friend. Trust me. It's almost as good as a sniper headshot.

2: Time yourself in campaign mode on Halo and Halo 2.

You probably played campaign mode once in each game, and have never looked back, opting for nothing but multiplayer. But playing multi Halo 2 right now seems empty, knowing that you could be just moments away from the Beta starting to work for you. Instead, give yourself a quick brush-up in Halo history and polish up your Warthog skillz with some Legendary time in H1 and H2.

1: Just like you've been doing since 5AM PDT this morning, keep starting at the greyed out item in your Crackdown menu, trying to press it every 3-5 seconds.

Even though I've been trying to help you out with some useful tips to help make the time pass more quickly, I know that most of you are going to completely ignore me and just keep trying to access that greyed out option in your Crackdown menu, hoping it's gonna turn blue. I wish I could tell you that the Beta is no big deal, and that you should just go about your day and check back tomorrow. But I would be lying to you. Halo 3 rocks hard, and I've been playing it solid since the beta opened up. Jealous? You should be. It's REALLY that good. But don't hate the playa, paya. Hate the game. Wait - the game is Halo 3, so you can't hate it.

Fine. Hate ME. I'm going back in to play.