Have you ever wanted to know what a random person is thinking deep, deep down? Do you want to know people's dirty little secrets? Do you ever wish you could spy on people while they're confessing at church? If so, you're a sick person, but hey, me too. My friend, this is why Group Hug was created.
Group Hug was the original anonymous confession site when I found it about five years ago, and it's still going strong today. It's surprising, the enormous amount of people that actually use the site for confessions. Every once in a while there are some that you know are totally fake, or the person's just messing around, but those just add spice to the mixture. Often times, the confessions are hilarious, poignant, and/or deep. Then again, sometimes you'll find racist, hateful, and awful confessions. However, thanks to the internet, you can read it without worry, completely detached from the situation! You can browse the newest confessions, read random confessions, or confess something yourself, and you used to be able to moderate confessions, I.e. read them before anyone else and choose whether they're awesome enough to go on the site, but I don't think you can do that anymore.
Group Hug is bigger than just laughing at some kid who says he wishes he would get shot and live just so he could have a cool story to tell. Each confession acts as a looking glass, through the lens lies another point of view, another life, another story to tell. People have found inspiration in the pages of this site. There was even a book published, featuring many of the best (however they qualify that) confessions. The real point is, though, that if you start reading this site, you probably won't stop before a few hours have passed. Or maybe that's just me.
5/7
9.30.2008
9.25.2008
The Cool Kids - The Bake Sale EP
Ladies and Gentlemen, meet the newest hip hop superduo - The Cool Kids, two kids from Chicago, Antoine "Mikey Rocks" Reed and Evan "Chuck Inglish" Ingersoll. Once upon a time, Mikey called Chuck about purchasing a beat he'd made, and they ended up recording for a few hours. Thus, the Cool Kids came to be. And thank God they did, cause these guys have a refreshing new take on hip hop.
Chuck's beats have a very signature style to them. The majority of them are slow, minimalist beats, often with clips of people talking looped to match the beat. The Cool Kids use vocals for instruments a lot, actually; the beat for the first song, "What Up Man" is made from onomatopoeia, a clip of a guy saying 'bass' for the bass drum and so on. It sounds pretty good and it's a cool concept, but it can get a little distracting, listening to two tracks of vocals at once. When rapping, they have a relaxed style with a noticeably natural flow and an unbelievable way with words. Indeed, the lyrics are the focal point of the album, as the Bake Sale EP has universally great lyrics. My favorite moment on the album comes right in the first song (What Up Man):
"That ice cream truck just left, if you run you can catch but it's out cause I got the last one. But I got a box of cones that I'm willing to sell, I'll sell the ice cream too, two scoops for a bill, I could bulid a sandcastle without bringing a pail and go catfish fishin' and come up with a whale."
The Bake Sale EP is full of clever and witty lines like those that will leave you smiling, and likely thinking about them while the rest of the song plays out, forcing you to rewind to get the rest of it. Another great thing about the Cool Kids is that they don't take what they're doing too seriously. They don't rap about serious things, really, they rap about everyday life, keeping it fun and enjoyable. Not that this is music for kids, or anything. For example, take this line from A Little Bit Cooler, a song in which they muse about how people will do anything if somebody "cool" does it: "I'm in the crib saturday night with my sega - that's right - playing a game of that street fighter."
One thing I noticed about the Bake Sale EP is that a bunch of the songs sound the same, the beats are very alike. In fact, I was trying to find a song with some lyrics I remembered and I couldn't, even after having heard the album about five times. Another place they're sometimes lacking is in the choruses. Sometimes they seem out of place and detract a little bit from the song, and the verses are what stays with you. But overall, The Bake Sale EP is an unbelievable first somewhat serious effort by this Chicago duo. They have a full length album slated for sometime this year, too, so watch out for that. I think I'll let the guys sum up their album with a line from "Mikey Rocks" - "I don't use bad grammar so please excuse this, I'm just tryin' to let rappers know who I is."
6/7
Chuck's beats have a very signature style to them. The majority of them are slow, minimalist beats, often with clips of people talking looped to match the beat. The Cool Kids use vocals for instruments a lot, actually; the beat for the first song, "What Up Man" is made from onomatopoeia, a clip of a guy saying 'bass' for the bass drum and so on. It sounds pretty good and it's a cool concept, but it can get a little distracting, listening to two tracks of vocals at once. When rapping, they have a relaxed style with a noticeably natural flow and an unbelievable way with words. Indeed, the lyrics are the focal point of the album, as the Bake Sale EP has universally great lyrics. My favorite moment on the album comes right in the first song (What Up Man):
"That ice cream truck just left, if you run you can catch but it's out cause I got the last one. But I got a box of cones that I'm willing to sell, I'll sell the ice cream too, two scoops for a bill, I could bulid a sandcastle without bringing a pail and go catfish fishin' and come up with a whale."
The Bake Sale EP is full of clever and witty lines like those that will leave you smiling, and likely thinking about them while the rest of the song plays out, forcing you to rewind to get the rest of it. Another great thing about the Cool Kids is that they don't take what they're doing too seriously. They don't rap about serious things, really, they rap about everyday life, keeping it fun and enjoyable. Not that this is music for kids, or anything. For example, take this line from A Little Bit Cooler, a song in which they muse about how people will do anything if somebody "cool" does it: "I'm in the crib saturday night with my sega - that's right - playing a game of that street fighter."
One thing I noticed about the Bake Sale EP is that a bunch of the songs sound the same, the beats are very alike. In fact, I was trying to find a song with some lyrics I remembered and I couldn't, even after having heard the album about five times. Another place they're sometimes lacking is in the choruses. Sometimes they seem out of place and detract a little bit from the song, and the verses are what stays with you. But overall, The Bake Sale EP is an unbelievable first somewhat serious effort by this Chicago duo. They have a full length album slated for sometime this year, too, so watch out for that. I think I'll let the guys sum up their album with a line from "Mikey Rocks" - "I don't use bad grammar so please excuse this, I'm just tryin' to let rappers know who I is."
6/7
9.23.2008
Miicharacters.com
Now that Microsoft's pursuing their little 'avatar' endeavor, I've been jonesing. Jonesing for some Mii. I recently read an interview where a Microsoft higher-up was asked why Microsoft's product unveilings are usually more of a reaction to something else somebody has already done than an original announcement. I'm not trying to make a point with that statement or anything. I just thought it was funny and true.
If you have ever messed with the Mii channel on your Wii, you obviously know how fun the Mii editor can be. You can make famous people, make yourself, or make unbelievably retarded looking people. Yes, friends, the Mii channel has no moral bounds, take advantage! Uh, anyway, almost as fun as actually making a wild and crazy Mii is looking at Miis that other people have made. And the best part is you don't even have to have a Wii to do it. All you have to do is shuffle on over to the ever-fantastic Miicharacters.com website, and all your cartoon-y little dreams will come true.
Miicharacters.com serves a variety of purposes. First, it acts as a server on which you can upload your Mii, or any Mii you've made. While this will take a slight bit of technical finesse, it's a cool feature to be accessed, and it's totally free. Second, you can browse the shit out of Miicharacters.com. Some people out there are seriously good at making Miis look like people. Like, anyone. The site makes it incredibly easy for you to browse by offering a sidebar with categories such as Latest, Stars, Movies, TV, Music, Sports, History, Toons, Games, Politics, Miscellaneous, and Mii Artists, and I think that list covers basically everybody. Once a category is clicked, it brings up an enormous list of Miis that fit that category. If you're browsing and you find a Mii that you can't live without, all you have to do is click their link, and you get a complete, detailed list of instructions on exactly how to make said Mii. It couldn't be easier. The home page displays "featured Miis" and selections from a random category. Like for example, I just found an unbelievable Seth Rogen Mii (here if you wanna check it out). Now I can have my favorite stoner right on my very own Wii! I can make him do things I'll never see him do in real life, like play tennis or compete in Olympic games!
Even if you don't have a Wii, just browsing through the different categories is fun and often hilarious. Miicharacters.com Even if you find a character you like, but don't think the Mii looks particularly like him/her, you can click the "find friends" button to show different iterations of the Mii made by different people. They don't have every celebrity from every movie or show ever, so not everyone will be 100% satisfied, but the amount they do have is staggering, and it's only (quickly) growing bigger. So really, when you're looking at/for Miis, there's no alternative to Miicharacters.com.
6/7
If you have ever messed with the Mii channel on your Wii, you obviously know how fun the Mii editor can be. You can make famous people, make yourself, or make unbelievably retarded looking people. Yes, friends, the Mii channel has no moral bounds, take advantage! Uh, anyway, almost as fun as actually making a wild and crazy Mii is looking at Miis that other people have made. And the best part is you don't even have to have a Wii to do it. All you have to do is shuffle on over to the ever-fantastic Miicharacters.com website, and all your cartoon-y little dreams will come true.
Miicharacters.com serves a variety of purposes. First, it acts as a server on which you can upload your Mii, or any Mii you've made. While this will take a slight bit of technical finesse, it's a cool feature to be accessed, and it's totally free. Second, you can browse the shit out of Miicharacters.com. Some people out there are seriously good at making Miis look like people. Like, anyone. The site makes it incredibly easy for you to browse by offering a sidebar with categories such as Latest, Stars, Movies, TV, Music, Sports, History, Toons, Games, Politics, Miscellaneous, and Mii Artists, and I think that list covers basically everybody. Once a category is clicked, it brings up an enormous list of Miis that fit that category. If you're browsing and you find a Mii that you can't live without, all you have to do is click their link, and you get a complete, detailed list of instructions on exactly how to make said Mii. It couldn't be easier. The home page displays "featured Miis" and selections from a random category. Like for example, I just found an unbelievable Seth Rogen Mii (here if you wanna check it out). Now I can have my favorite stoner right on my very own Wii! I can make him do things I'll never see him do in real life, like play tennis or compete in Olympic games!
Even if you don't have a Wii, just browsing through the different categories is fun and often hilarious. Miicharacters.com Even if you find a character you like, but don't think the Mii looks particularly like him/her, you can click the "find friends" button to show different iterations of the Mii made by different people. They don't have every celebrity from every movie or show ever, so not everyone will be 100% satisfied, but the amount they do have is staggering, and it's only (quickly) growing bigger. So really, when you're looking at/for Miis, there's no alternative to Miicharacters.com.
6/7
9.19.2008
Special K Chocolatey Delight
Sometimes, there's nothing better than a good bowl of cereal. Doesn't matter what meal, either. Also, there are about a million different brands/flavors of cereal, so it's not exactly like it's hard to find something you like. AND cereal's pretty cheap! Especially when you buy it in bulk from Sam's Club, though they usually only have off-brand cereals, but hey, cereal is cereal. So basically, I like cereal.
As I've been growing older, I've been getting more and more into healthy cereal, rather than pouring myself a Fruit Loops + Trix hybrid bowl, I'll grab some Smart Start or Kashi. The crazy part is, sometimes that stuff is actually good. I'd encourage you to go ahead and eat some.
Today, though, I found something new to me. It was Special K - Chocolatey Delight. Sure, you've got your Cinnamon flavored healthy cereals, fruit is a fan-favorite, and oftentimes you'll see honey pop its sweet head in there somewhere, but chocolate + healthy cereal I have not seen. Though, whether it's actually real chocolate or not remained to be seen. And see I did. With my mouth.
The cereal is composed of "crunchy rice and wheat flakes with chocolatey pieces". The flakes vastly outnumber the chocolatey pieces, but who's counting, right? (Me, dammit.) The rice/wheat flakes are crunchy and fresh-tasting, but the chocolate is a bit waxy and fake. It barely even tastes like chocolate. The chocolate isn't really bad, it's just... different.
On a positive note, if you eat the chocolate WITH the flakes, as is intended, the cereal works. It becomes some sort of weird mix that tastes a bit like a warped version of Cocoa Pebbles. But I don't think Fred Flintstone has anything to worry about just yet.
Another funky thing about this cereal is the fact that when you pour it in milk, there are little black specks all throughout your cereal. Bearing in mind that they're little chunks of fake chocolate, I still had visions of little ants and bugs swimming in my 2%. However, if you're a cereal fan, and you're actually in it for healthy cereal, Special K's Chocolatey Delight might push your buttons the right way. If you don't care about healthy cereal, it's probably better to just get Cocoa Pebbles.
4/7
As I've been growing older, I've been getting more and more into healthy cereal, rather than pouring myself a Fruit Loops + Trix hybrid bowl, I'll grab some Smart Start or Kashi. The crazy part is, sometimes that stuff is actually good. I'd encourage you to go ahead and eat some.
Today, though, I found something new to me. It was Special K - Chocolatey Delight. Sure, you've got your Cinnamon flavored healthy cereals, fruit is a fan-favorite, and oftentimes you'll see honey pop its sweet head in there somewhere, but chocolate + healthy cereal I have not seen. Though, whether it's actually real chocolate or not remained to be seen. And see I did. With my mouth.
The cereal is composed of "crunchy rice and wheat flakes with chocolatey pieces". The flakes vastly outnumber the chocolatey pieces, but who's counting, right? (Me, dammit.) The rice/wheat flakes are crunchy and fresh-tasting, but the chocolate is a bit waxy and fake. It barely even tastes like chocolate. The chocolate isn't really bad, it's just... different.
On a positive note, if you eat the chocolate WITH the flakes, as is intended, the cereal works. It becomes some sort of weird mix that tastes a bit like a warped version of Cocoa Pebbles. But I don't think Fred Flintstone has anything to worry about just yet.
Another funky thing about this cereal is the fact that when you pour it in milk, there are little black specks all throughout your cereal. Bearing in mind that they're little chunks of fake chocolate, I still had visions of little ants and bugs swimming in my 2%. However, if you're a cereal fan, and you're actually in it for healthy cereal, Special K's Chocolatey Delight might push your buttons the right way. If you don't care about healthy cereal, it's probably better to just get Cocoa Pebbles.
4/7
9.18.2008
Kings of Leon - Only By the Night
The raspy voice with the Southern drawl is probably what catches you first about Kings of Leon; it's certainly surprising upon first listen. But it's part of what makes this band so damn awesome and unique. I first hopped on the Kings of Leon bandwagon when Aha Shake Heartbreak came out. Caleb Followill's voice aside, I liked the way they used their dual guitars in "King of the Rodeo", the latin feel that runs alongside "Slow Night, So Long", and the simple, radio-friendly catchiness of "Taper Jean Girl". I often go back to that album nowadays and it's still as good as ever.
Then, Kings of Leon put out "Because of the Times". It was received relatively well by the public, but I didn't like it much. It didn't have the same playful, happy feel to it. Aside from being named after a ministers' conference that the band often attended as kids, Caleb Followill said that he thinks an album does good or bad "because of the times." I'd have to agree, I think. If "Because of the Times" came out before "Aha Shake Heartbreak", it probably would've made both albums seem even better. Anyway, after a disappointing followup to Aha Shake... I'd lost my faith in the good ol' boys in Kings of Leon. However, I really do have to say that they've brought their music back full force with their new album, "Only By the Night".
The album starts off with a fantastic opener in "Closer", a haunting, reverb-y tune that stays with you after you hear it, followed by "Crawl", a rolling song over-ridden by a fuzzy bassline. The third song is the highlight of the album, "Sex On Fire". I have no desire to know the story behind this phrase, but it doesn't change the fact that the song is unbelievably catchy. The verses have a vibe reminiscent of The Police, and the chorus is big (though lyrically short) and memorable. It's basically the "Taper Jean Girl" of "Only By the Night". After "Sex On Fire" comes "Use Somebody", which is much more pop-flavored than what we're used to hearing from Kings of Leon, but the Southern tinge and Caleb's crooning will win you over on this song. That, and it feels very simple and honest. "Manhattan" starts out with a classic Kings of Leon style guitar riff matched with classic Kings of Leon style lyrics. "Revelry" finds Caleb lamenting about a past relationship, admitting that it's his fault it ended, proclaiming that "the time we shared, it was precious to me / all the while I was dreaming of revelry." "17" and "Notion" are two shorter songs that are somewhat repetitive, lyrically and musically, and these two, while average songs, almost seem to be an intermission. The last few songs bring the album back to where it should be, starting with "I Want You", another song about young love and the experiences it endows one with; speaking of endowment, there's a particularly graphic few lines in this song, see if you can find 'em, shouldn't be very hard (no pun intended). "Be Somebody" has drum-driven, tribal-esque verses that give way to a softer hitting chorus. The album's final song, "Cold Desert", is a personal song in which Caleb talks about the various experiences that can leave one jaded, tired of life. The song begins to fade out then comes back in for another minute or so, almost like the album isn't done with you yet, the band needs you to stick around for just a little bit more catharsis.
While this album brings an exceedingly solid set of songs to the table, the stronger songs are at the immediate beginning and end, with interest taking a slight dip in the middle of the album. Within a few songs, I knew I'd be listening to this album for a while. I'm very happy to say that Kings of Leon have returned to form and released an album that almost rivals "Aha Shake". "Only By the Night" finds the band taking a page from the My Morning Jacket playbook, amping up the deep background guitars and vocals, dripping with reverb and echo. This album is more full of cacophony, cleaner, dirtier, and more mysterious than anything these southerners have done before, and it's much appreciated.
6/7
Then, Kings of Leon put out "Because of the Times". It was received relatively well by the public, but I didn't like it much. It didn't have the same playful, happy feel to it. Aside from being named after a ministers' conference that the band often attended as kids, Caleb Followill said that he thinks an album does good or bad "because of the times." I'd have to agree, I think. If "Because of the Times" came out before "Aha Shake Heartbreak", it probably would've made both albums seem even better. Anyway, after a disappointing followup to Aha Shake... I'd lost my faith in the good ol' boys in Kings of Leon. However, I really do have to say that they've brought their music back full force with their new album, "Only By the Night".
The album starts off with a fantastic opener in "Closer", a haunting, reverb-y tune that stays with you after you hear it, followed by "Crawl", a rolling song over-ridden by a fuzzy bassline. The third song is the highlight of the album, "Sex On Fire". I have no desire to know the story behind this phrase, but it doesn't change the fact that the song is unbelievably catchy. The verses have a vibe reminiscent of The Police, and the chorus is big (though lyrically short) and memorable. It's basically the "Taper Jean Girl" of "Only By the Night". After "Sex On Fire" comes "Use Somebody", which is much more pop-flavored than what we're used to hearing from Kings of Leon, but the Southern tinge and Caleb's crooning will win you over on this song. That, and it feels very simple and honest. "Manhattan" starts out with a classic Kings of Leon style guitar riff matched with classic Kings of Leon style lyrics. "Revelry" finds Caleb lamenting about a past relationship, admitting that it's his fault it ended, proclaiming that "the time we shared, it was precious to me / all the while I was dreaming of revelry." "17" and "Notion" are two shorter songs that are somewhat repetitive, lyrically and musically, and these two, while average songs, almost seem to be an intermission. The last few songs bring the album back to where it should be, starting with "I Want You", another song about young love and the experiences it endows one with; speaking of endowment, there's a particularly graphic few lines in this song, see if you can find 'em, shouldn't be very hard (no pun intended). "Be Somebody" has drum-driven, tribal-esque verses that give way to a softer hitting chorus. The album's final song, "Cold Desert", is a personal song in which Caleb talks about the various experiences that can leave one jaded, tired of life. The song begins to fade out then comes back in for another minute or so, almost like the album isn't done with you yet, the band needs you to stick around for just a little bit more catharsis.
While this album brings an exceedingly solid set of songs to the table, the stronger songs are at the immediate beginning and end, with interest taking a slight dip in the middle of the album. Within a few songs, I knew I'd be listening to this album for a while. I'm very happy to say that Kings of Leon have returned to form and released an album that almost rivals "Aha Shake". "Only By the Night" finds the band taking a page from the My Morning Jacket playbook, amping up the deep background guitars and vocals, dripping with reverb and echo. This album is more full of cacophony, cleaner, dirtier, and more mysterious than anything these southerners have done before, and it's much appreciated.
6/7
9.12.2008
Noah and the Whale - Peaceful The World Lays Me Down
After looking at their album art, I couldn't help but wonder whether or not the members of Noah and the Whale were Wes Anderson fans, due to how strikingly similar their it is to the art for Anderson's movies. Unsurprisingly, I found that the band's name was taken from a Wes Anderson-involved project, entitled "The Squid and the Whale", a movie written by Noah Baumbach and Wes Anderson - hence Noah and the Whale. That's where the similarities end, though.
Noah and the Whale's debut album, Peaceful The World Lays Me Down, is a good first effort, but the album falls slightly short in the end. The band plays their own mix of indie-folk and anti-folk, conjuring up a wide range of instruments and sounds to compliment them. The album has an organic feel that also touches on bluegrass, country, and fun, if that was a genre of music. Boasting the "song of the summer" (perhaps self-proclaimed?) with the song "5 Years Time", the band's fame grew until their song became one of the cliché soundtracks for a car commercial, which is totally a sign of success. While "5 Years Time" is a great, fun song, it's not entirely fair to base the band's sound around it, because not all of the songs, in fact almost none of them, are as fun and catchy as "5 Years Time." They're not bad, they're just not as catchy or cool.
Noah and the Whale employs a good variety of instruments, successfully making this album sound "pretty". This is due to the piano, xylophone/vibraphone, strings, ukulele, accordion and horns used throughout the album. I don't want to turn any guys off to this album, but it's definitely not the most masculine. The theme of the whole album seems to be "love", as it's specifically, directly, and repeatedly mentioned in just about every song. Not necessarily a bad thing, though!
The most memorable and recognizable part of Noah and the Whale is the lead singer's (Charlie Fink) voice. While it's cool that it's really recognizable and stuff, it's also kind of bad, because it makes the songs sound less fresh and more alike than they should. I like the guy's voice, though. Most songs have dual-layered vocals, Charlie Fink singing with a female. The unique mix of genuine indie music and the prettiness and the added feminine touch puts this album in a strange but enjoyable genre.
While the entire album isn't as catchy and fantastic as their breakout track, "5 Years Time", it's worth at least one listen through, and if you don't find a few songs on it that you'll want to keep listening to, I'd be surprised. If you liked any of the songs from the Juno soundtrack, you'll probably dig this album. It's not universally catchy and some songs fall a bit flat, but Noah and the Whale has created a genre that's mostly their own, and assembled a decent group of songs for your listening pleasure.
4/7
Noah and the Whale's debut album, Peaceful The World Lays Me Down, is a good first effort, but the album falls slightly short in the end. The band plays their own mix of indie-folk and anti-folk, conjuring up a wide range of instruments and sounds to compliment them. The album has an organic feel that also touches on bluegrass, country, and fun, if that was a genre of music. Boasting the "song of the summer" (perhaps self-proclaimed?) with the song "5 Years Time", the band's fame grew until their song became one of the cliché soundtracks for a car commercial, which is totally a sign of success. While "5 Years Time" is a great, fun song, it's not entirely fair to base the band's sound around it, because not all of the songs, in fact almost none of them, are as fun and catchy as "5 Years Time." They're not bad, they're just not as catchy or cool.
Noah and the Whale employs a good variety of instruments, successfully making this album sound "pretty". This is due to the piano, xylophone/vibraphone, strings, ukulele, accordion and horns used throughout the album. I don't want to turn any guys off to this album, but it's definitely not the most masculine. The theme of the whole album seems to be "love", as it's specifically, directly, and repeatedly mentioned in just about every song. Not necessarily a bad thing, though!
The most memorable and recognizable part of Noah and the Whale is the lead singer's (Charlie Fink) voice. While it's cool that it's really recognizable and stuff, it's also kind of bad, because it makes the songs sound less fresh and more alike than they should. I like the guy's voice, though. Most songs have dual-layered vocals, Charlie Fink singing with a female. The unique mix of genuine indie music and the prettiness and the added feminine touch puts this album in a strange but enjoyable genre.
While the entire album isn't as catchy and fantastic as their breakout track, "5 Years Time", it's worth at least one listen through, and if you don't find a few songs on it that you'll want to keep listening to, I'd be surprised. If you liked any of the songs from the Juno soundtrack, you'll probably dig this album. It's not universally catchy and some songs fall a bit flat, but Noah and the Whale has created a genre that's mostly their own, and assembled a decent group of songs for your listening pleasure.
4/7
9.10.2008
Volcanic Taco
Have you ever wanted something from Taco Bell that's actually hot? I'm not talking about temperature (that'd be asking way too much of them), I mean something that's got some kick, makes the oral area tingle. Something that has good spice like that, but also a good taste. Well friends, our time is here. The Volcanic Taco from Taco Bell is quite satisfying.
First of all, the shell is RED. Yeah, sometimes at like Moe's or some place like that you've gotten a red tortilla chip or two, but the whole taco shell is red. I think it's safe to say that it's almost universally enjoyable to eat good food in an abnormal color. Actually, typing that out made me realize that it's probably just me. But anyway, as well having a red shell (which would be a great advantage in Mario Kart), the Volcanic Taco is also endowed with what makes it stand apart from a normal taco: the spicy cheese sauce. I've had tacos with nacho cheese sauce before, but this is spicy cheese taken to a whole new level. As I said before, it's not family-friendly spicy. It's not gonna leave your eyes watering for half an hour, but it's a bit hotter than... probably anything I've had from a fast food place. And it actually tastes cheesy, so I was satisfied.
All in all, there's very little that makes the Volcanic Taco stand out from their normal tacos. The spicy cheese sauce is the kicker, though. It makes an increasingly average food more interesting, which is never a bad thing. If you're not a fan of Taco Bell in general, this definitely won't covert you, and it's by no means filling (I immediately wanted like four more), but I enjoyed it.
5/7
First of all, the shell is RED. Yeah, sometimes at like Moe's or some place like that you've gotten a red tortilla chip or two, but the whole taco shell is red. I think it's safe to say that it's almost universally enjoyable to eat good food in an abnormal color. Actually, typing that out made me realize that it's probably just me. But anyway, as well having a red shell (which would be a great advantage in Mario Kart), the Volcanic Taco is also endowed with what makes it stand apart from a normal taco: the spicy cheese sauce. I've had tacos with nacho cheese sauce before, but this is spicy cheese taken to a whole new level. As I said before, it's not family-friendly spicy. It's not gonna leave your eyes watering for half an hour, but it's a bit hotter than... probably anything I've had from a fast food place. And it actually tastes cheesy, so I was satisfied.
All in all, there's very little that makes the Volcanic Taco stand out from their normal tacos. The spicy cheese sauce is the kicker, though. It makes an increasingly average food more interesting, which is never a bad thing. If you're not a fan of Taco Bell in general, this definitely won't covert you, and it's by no means filling (I immediately wanted like four more), but I enjoyed it.
5/7
iTunes 8
I'm sure there are still quite a few non-iTunes users out there, and that's not a bad thing. Some people just don't dig it; for a long time I didn't. Now, though, I honestly think it's the best media player. For me, at least. With Apple releasing the newest iteration of it yesterday at their "Lets Rock" event, there was a lot to look forward to. I was expecting a full-fledged update, it being iTunes 8, not iTunes 7.8. If its given a new, single-digit number, it had better be quite an update. How does it fare?
For the most part, it's same thing. I'm honestly quite surprised at how little has been changed from the previous release (7.7.1) to iTunes 8. The main interface is literally exactly the same. The only difference aesthetically is the new grid view, which I have to admit is amazing. Grid view is a fantastic alternative for cover flow; in fact, it's almost a perfect middle-man between list view and cover flow. Grid view sorts albums, artists, genres, and composers as tiles in a... well, grid. While browsing albums, artists, and composers, album art is displayed. Browsing genres displays the cool little pictures Apple made instead of album art for each genre. One of the reasons grid view is really cool is that it makes iTunes darker. The background in grid view is dark gray, and the scrollbar turns to shades of gray, too. Not only that, but it enhances browsing as well, by letting you control iTunes predominantly with the keyboard, instead of with a mouse/trackpad. It's very reminiscent of controlling finder in column view, which I find particularly pleasant. You can change the size of each tile in grid view from very small to very large, a large range that is sure to please anybody. In short, grid view makes using iTunes more fun.
Another new feature in iTunes 8 is the "Genius" feature. It has two functions: first, to get you to buy songs from the iTunes store; second, it's a playlist maker. The first function turns on a Genius sidebar. It'll show you songs that are like the song you're currently listening to that you can buy from the iTunes store. Or, you could hit the Genius button while listening to a song, which will create a playlist of similar songs from your library. This feature also appears on new iPods. The Genius button and sidebar are both great little enhancers to a tired application, and also serve to make iTunes more enjoyable to use.
The last new upgrade is the new iTunes visualizer, which used to be Flight 404's Magnetosphere visualizer. While the new visualizer is undeniably entertaining, fascinating, and "trippy" (nice one, Kevin Rose), a detailed look at it reveals that it's slightly lacking in variety. There are a noticeable, set number of different animations that the new visualizer is able to produce. Sure, with the color difference, the variety is boosted a bit, but with this visualizer you will definitely recognize some repeated patterns, and that's just if you watch like fifteen songs. This is a problem that happened pretty much never with the previous visualizer, but fortunately Apple seems to have predicted that and has included all of the old visualizers ("classic", "lathe", "jelly", and "stix"). Though it's slightly limited, the new visualizer is seriously impressive and fun to watch.
While I'm still disappointed that it looks the same besides grid view, iTunes 8 is a worthwhile and refreshing update to an aging (but remarkably encompassing and functional) entity. Amongst the aforementioned updates, the information "get info" or "properties" fields for songs are Each user has his/her favorite period of iTunes, but iTunes 8 is likely to be a new favorite for probably a majority of fans.
6/7
For the most part, it's same thing. I'm honestly quite surprised at how little has been changed from the previous release (7.7.1) to iTunes 8. The main interface is literally exactly the same. The only difference aesthetically is the new grid view, which I have to admit is amazing. Grid view is a fantastic alternative for cover flow; in fact, it's almost a perfect middle-man between list view and cover flow. Grid view sorts albums, artists, genres, and composers as tiles in a... well, grid. While browsing albums, artists, and composers, album art is displayed. Browsing genres displays the cool little pictures Apple made instead of album art for each genre. One of the reasons grid view is really cool is that it makes iTunes darker. The background in grid view is dark gray, and the scrollbar turns to shades of gray, too. Not only that, but it enhances browsing as well, by letting you control iTunes predominantly with the keyboard, instead of with a mouse/trackpad. It's very reminiscent of controlling finder in column view, which I find particularly pleasant. You can change the size of each tile in grid view from very small to very large, a large range that is sure to please anybody. In short, grid view makes using iTunes more fun.
Another new feature in iTunes 8 is the "Genius" feature. It has two functions: first, to get you to buy songs from the iTunes store; second, it's a playlist maker. The first function turns on a Genius sidebar. It'll show you songs that are like the song you're currently listening to that you can buy from the iTunes store. Or, you could hit the Genius button while listening to a song, which will create a playlist of similar songs from your library. This feature also appears on new iPods. The Genius button and sidebar are both great little enhancers to a tired application, and also serve to make iTunes more enjoyable to use.
The last new upgrade is the new iTunes visualizer, which used to be Flight 404's Magnetosphere visualizer. While the new visualizer is undeniably entertaining, fascinating, and "trippy" (nice one, Kevin Rose), a detailed look at it reveals that it's slightly lacking in variety. There are a noticeable, set number of different animations that the new visualizer is able to produce. Sure, with the color difference, the variety is boosted a bit, but with this visualizer you will definitely recognize some repeated patterns, and that's just if you watch like fifteen songs. This is a problem that happened pretty much never with the previous visualizer, but fortunately Apple seems to have predicted that and has included all of the old visualizers ("classic", "lathe", "jelly", and "stix"). Though it's slightly limited, the new visualizer is seriously impressive and fun to watch.
While I'm still disappointed that it looks the same besides grid view, iTunes 8 is a worthwhile and refreshing update to an aging (but remarkably encompassing and functional) entity. Amongst the aforementioned updates, the information "get info" or "properties" fields for songs are Each user has his/her favorite period of iTunes, but iTunes 8 is likely to be a new favorite for probably a majority of fans.
6/7
9.06.2008
Spore Creatures (DS)
I'm sure most of you know by now that the version of Spore released on the Nintendo DS is not the full version. And for those of you that didn't know, where've you been? While the full-fledged version of Spore follows your creature through all the phases of evolution, from single-celled fella to spacefaring explorer, Spore Creatures, the DS version, focuses primarily on the creature phase of the game, meaning that you're a somewhat evolved, capable little creature, and it's up to you to work your way toward different types of body parts by socializing with and defeating the different creatures you meet along the way. Spore Creatures also has an innate plot, unlike its "massively single-player online" brother, which is rather open-ended. So
Upon starting the game, we're informed that an alien is spreading an infection that is mutating the different creatures that inhabit this particular galaxy. His target is a planet named Tapti, but you are the snag in his plan, one little spore creature that won't go down so easily. You see yourself bust out of your egg in the ocean and immediately get ashore, surprised that you've survived this far. Two of you made it out alive, and together you make a "protection pact," to ensure that you both stay alive, but wouldn't ya know it, your little buddy gets abducted by a spaceship. So basically the whole plot of the game is to amongst various side goals, save your friend, Little Oogie.
In order to do this, you have to interact with the other creatures you meet along the way. Some of them will like you; these are the ones you cuddle and dance with in an effort to get them to fully trust you, at which point they'll follow you into battle, or let you use their nest. Nests are the areas you go to change your character around. Like I said earlier, you gain various body parts from all the creatures you encounter, through accomplishing side missions, killing things, and making friends. Once in a nest, all you have to do is tap yourself, then tap the egg icon that pops up, and you'll be in edit mode. It's a far cry from what the full PC game's creature editor can do, but I think it's safe to say that this version of the editor is definitely full and unique enough to provide some laughs, as well as a satisfactory RPG feel to the game. You can mess around with your creature's eyes, mouth, arms, body, legs, tail, and... back shingles? You can change your creature's color or add a texture to it, too. Luckily for me, there's an undo button. Comes in handy when you accidentally hit the trash can and toss away your whole creature. As you level up, you get more body points, which allows you to use more and more body parts. As you progress, you'll find a good variety of parts for each specific category. Some parts come equipped with what the game calls bio-powers, which give you the ability to do special actions, like shoot fire or heal yourself in battle. As well as bio-powers, some body parts allow you to do stuff that you normally can't do, like swim in deep water, walk on thorns and ice, etc. Normally, walking on these surfaces would very quickly deplete one's health, but with the right parts equipped, it will slowly drain your energy, rather than killing you within a few seconds.
The aforementioned health and energy bars work just like they do in most other RPGs; you get hit, you lose health. Your energy is for those nifty bio-powers. The higher your level (raised by socializing, fighting, and doing missions), the more health and energy you get. Fighting is one of the aspects of the game I didn't enjoy as much as I could've. When it comes down to it, the fighting system in Spore Creatures is extremely simplistic; slash your way to a victory, hoping the parts you've attached to yourself make you stronger than the other creature(s). A vertical slash is a slower, more powerful hit, and a horizontal slash is faster but a bit weaker. You can heal yourself with bio-powers, but there's only so much that can do. You really just have to slash as much as possible and hope for the best. However, you'll find that dying doesn't make much of a difference in this game, as you'll come back immediately in the nearest nest you've used, with slightly less health and energy. Make sure to make note of the fact that you aren't limited to one part per category, for example, it's usually good to have two mouths on, one that eats meat and one that eats fruit, otherwise it gets annoying to only be able to eat one type of food. Then again, there are mouths that eat both types of food. But remember that it is possible to have more than one of a body part, and is often-times advantageous.
Speaking of food, your metabolism will make a big difference in the game. Your metabolism is altered by the different mouths you put on. If you have a high metabolism, the things you eat will count for more health and energy. Low metabolism, the opposite. This is something you should take advantage of, because once you level up a lot and your total health is a few hundred points, eating stuff that raises your health about twenty points at a time starts to get annoying.
As far as the nests go, the developers of this game have included an incredibly convenient way of dealing with them. They've included a "burrow" button, which will take you back to your last used nest. Not only that, but if you hit it again after you're done customizing in the nest, you'll go back to exactly where you were when you first hit it. Like I said, incredibly convenient.
Socializing to make friends is the opposite of fighting with them, but it often leads to the same outcome. Whether you kill or befriend a creature, you're probably going to get one of their body parts, and if you kill/befriend enough of them, you can use their nest. The game has a cool way of adapting to your dark desires too, if you choose to just kill everyone. If you start killing a group that was friendly toward you, they'll fight back, and it changes your goals and the dialogue to reflect the fact that, oh well, they're mad at you now, might as well kill the rest of 'em anyway. If you decide to socialize with them, it can be fun. There are two ways to socialize with creatures, both brought on by calling to them: first, smiley faces will float up from the creature you called to, at which point you're supposed to drag them down and basically pet the creature with them; second, a flower will float up, and you drag it on top of the creature to start the dancing mini-game. It's a rhythm game, there are flowers across the screen, and from the bottom-middle of the screen, little glowing balls shoot out. You have to tap them with the stylus when they get to the middle of the flower. This is a deceptive little game, as it starts out as easy as possible, but eventually, it can get so hard you have no idea what to do. It doesn't get that hard till very late in the game, but rest assured, it does. And that's one thing that I found to be universal in this game; it's sort of a hard game, ostensibly disguised as a kids game. As cartoony and easy as it looks, it does present some challenging parts, especially if you don't know how to set up your character to fight.
You can walk with the D-Pad (or the A, B, X, and Y buttons if you're a leftie), but most of the control is done with the stylus, and you can use it to walk if you so choose. To get things done, you tap them. Tap a tree to shake it to get the fruit down, tap a creature to fight with it, have it follow you, or stop following you, tap an infected nest to cure it once you've befriended or killed all the inhabitants. The walking system is hard to use and annoying at certain points because of the 2D graphical nature of the characters, but it's a minor issue. Also, sometimes the stylus is a bit inaccurate, which I think is due to the game, not the DS itself because I re-calibrated my touch screen and continued having the issue. It's not that big of a deal, though.
The characters are 2D while the background and background objects are 3D, so it's kinda like a more basic Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword graphical configuration. And I think it was the most logical type of animation for this game, but every so often you come across a specific type of creature, or body part, that just does not render well in 2D; you can't tell what it is and it just looks like a jumbled mess. Also a minor issue, but it may pull you out of the Spore world a bit once in a while.
As you move from area to area, you have to do missions along the way. Missions can be simple, like race a creature from one area to another, or they can be complex, like when you're timed to break gigantic boulders in a certain order in a volcano whose pressure is rapidly rising. Sometimes if you fail the mission, you'll have to advance without completing it, while other times you can go back and redo it. The game contains some nifty little cutscenes after completing some of these missions.
I think if Spore Creatures has taught me anything, it's that you should cuddle and dance with as many people as possible; it might just get them on your side in a fight one day. I have to admit, I thoroughly enjoyed this version of Spore. Though it's not nearly as expansive as its older sibling, I found this game to be satisfying and full in many ways. The adventure in the game is the perfect length, slightly long for a DS game, but in general a very solid, 12-level experience. I've gotta admit, this game feels a lot like a Pokémon game. Even the Sporepedia, your method of keeping track and finding info on the creatures you've encountered, severely reminds me of the Pokédex, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It definitely has a few downsides, it's inaccurate sometimes, walking can be difficult in a few situations because of your 2D-ness, a couple characters don't translate well to 2D, and I absolutely loved how the final boss just sat there and told me his weakness. That was great. Overall, though, I thought this game was fantastic, and I would totally play through it again. And maybe once after that, too. Don't pass this by because it looks like a kids game.
6/7
Upon starting the game, we're informed that an alien is spreading an infection that is mutating the different creatures that inhabit this particular galaxy. His target is a planet named Tapti, but you are the snag in his plan, one little spore creature that won't go down so easily. You see yourself bust out of your egg in the ocean and immediately get ashore, surprised that you've survived this far. Two of you made it out alive, and together you make a "protection pact," to ensure that you both stay alive, but wouldn't ya know it, your little buddy gets abducted by a spaceship. So basically the whole plot of the game is to amongst various side goals, save your friend, Little Oogie.
In order to do this, you have to interact with the other creatures you meet along the way. Some of them will like you; these are the ones you cuddle and dance with in an effort to get them to fully trust you, at which point they'll follow you into battle, or let you use their nest. Nests are the areas you go to change your character around. Like I said earlier, you gain various body parts from all the creatures you encounter, through accomplishing side missions, killing things, and making friends. Once in a nest, all you have to do is tap yourself, then tap the egg icon that pops up, and you'll be in edit mode. It's a far cry from what the full PC game's creature editor can do, but I think it's safe to say that this version of the editor is definitely full and unique enough to provide some laughs, as well as a satisfactory RPG feel to the game. You can mess around with your creature's eyes, mouth, arms, body, legs, tail, and... back shingles? You can change your creature's color or add a texture to it, too. Luckily for me, there's an undo button. Comes in handy when you accidentally hit the trash can and toss away your whole creature. As you level up, you get more body points, which allows you to use more and more body parts. As you progress, you'll find a good variety of parts for each specific category. Some parts come equipped with what the game calls bio-powers, which give you the ability to do special actions, like shoot fire or heal yourself in battle. As well as bio-powers, some body parts allow you to do stuff that you normally can't do, like swim in deep water, walk on thorns and ice, etc. Normally, walking on these surfaces would very quickly deplete one's health, but with the right parts equipped, it will slowly drain your energy, rather than killing you within a few seconds.
The aforementioned health and energy bars work just like they do in most other RPGs; you get hit, you lose health. Your energy is for those nifty bio-powers. The higher your level (raised by socializing, fighting, and doing missions), the more health and energy you get. Fighting is one of the aspects of the game I didn't enjoy as much as I could've. When it comes down to it, the fighting system in Spore Creatures is extremely simplistic; slash your way to a victory, hoping the parts you've attached to yourself make you stronger than the other creature(s). A vertical slash is a slower, more powerful hit, and a horizontal slash is faster but a bit weaker. You can heal yourself with bio-powers, but there's only so much that can do. You really just have to slash as much as possible and hope for the best. However, you'll find that dying doesn't make much of a difference in this game, as you'll come back immediately in the nearest nest you've used, with slightly less health and energy. Make sure to make note of the fact that you aren't limited to one part per category, for example, it's usually good to have two mouths on, one that eats meat and one that eats fruit, otherwise it gets annoying to only be able to eat one type of food. Then again, there are mouths that eat both types of food. But remember that it is possible to have more than one of a body part, and is often-times advantageous.
Speaking of food, your metabolism will make a big difference in the game. Your metabolism is altered by the different mouths you put on. If you have a high metabolism, the things you eat will count for more health and energy. Low metabolism, the opposite. This is something you should take advantage of, because once you level up a lot and your total health is a few hundred points, eating stuff that raises your health about twenty points at a time starts to get annoying.
As far as the nests go, the developers of this game have included an incredibly convenient way of dealing with them. They've included a "burrow" button, which will take you back to your last used nest. Not only that, but if you hit it again after you're done customizing in the nest, you'll go back to exactly where you were when you first hit it. Like I said, incredibly convenient.
Socializing to make friends is the opposite of fighting with them, but it often leads to the same outcome. Whether you kill or befriend a creature, you're probably going to get one of their body parts, and if you kill/befriend enough of them, you can use their nest. The game has a cool way of adapting to your dark desires too, if you choose to just kill everyone. If you start killing a group that was friendly toward you, they'll fight back, and it changes your goals and the dialogue to reflect the fact that, oh well, they're mad at you now, might as well kill the rest of 'em anyway. If you decide to socialize with them, it can be fun. There are two ways to socialize with creatures, both brought on by calling to them: first, smiley faces will float up from the creature you called to, at which point you're supposed to drag them down and basically pet the creature with them; second, a flower will float up, and you drag it on top of the creature to start the dancing mini-game. It's a rhythm game, there are flowers across the screen, and from the bottom-middle of the screen, little glowing balls shoot out. You have to tap them with the stylus when they get to the middle of the flower. This is a deceptive little game, as it starts out as easy as possible, but eventually, it can get so hard you have no idea what to do. It doesn't get that hard till very late in the game, but rest assured, it does. And that's one thing that I found to be universal in this game; it's sort of a hard game, ostensibly disguised as a kids game. As cartoony and easy as it looks, it does present some challenging parts, especially if you don't know how to set up your character to fight.
You can walk with the D-Pad (or the A, B, X, and Y buttons if you're a leftie), but most of the control is done with the stylus, and you can use it to walk if you so choose. To get things done, you tap them. Tap a tree to shake it to get the fruit down, tap a creature to fight with it, have it follow you, or stop following you, tap an infected nest to cure it once you've befriended or killed all the inhabitants. The walking system is hard to use and annoying at certain points because of the 2D graphical nature of the characters, but it's a minor issue. Also, sometimes the stylus is a bit inaccurate, which I think is due to the game, not the DS itself because I re-calibrated my touch screen and continued having the issue. It's not that big of a deal, though.
The characters are 2D while the background and background objects are 3D, so it's kinda like a more basic Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword graphical configuration. And I think it was the most logical type of animation for this game, but every so often you come across a specific type of creature, or body part, that just does not render well in 2D; you can't tell what it is and it just looks like a jumbled mess. Also a minor issue, but it may pull you out of the Spore world a bit once in a while.
As you move from area to area, you have to do missions along the way. Missions can be simple, like race a creature from one area to another, or they can be complex, like when you're timed to break gigantic boulders in a certain order in a volcano whose pressure is rapidly rising. Sometimes if you fail the mission, you'll have to advance without completing it, while other times you can go back and redo it. The game contains some nifty little cutscenes after completing some of these missions.
I think if Spore Creatures has taught me anything, it's that you should cuddle and dance with as many people as possible; it might just get them on your side in a fight one day. I have to admit, I thoroughly enjoyed this version of Spore. Though it's not nearly as expansive as its older sibling, I found this game to be satisfying and full in many ways. The adventure in the game is the perfect length, slightly long for a DS game, but in general a very solid, 12-level experience. I've gotta admit, this game feels a lot like a Pokémon game. Even the Sporepedia, your method of keeping track and finding info on the creatures you've encountered, severely reminds me of the Pokédex, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It definitely has a few downsides, it's inaccurate sometimes, walking can be difficult in a few situations because of your 2D-ness, a couple characters don't translate well to 2D, and I absolutely loved how the final boss just sat there and told me his weakness. That was great. Overall, though, I thought this game was fantastic, and I would totally play through it again. And maybe once after that, too. Don't pass this by because it looks like a kids game.
6/7
9.04.2008
Vampire Weekend - Self-Titled
After getting sick to death of hearing glowing praise on assorted blogs (mostly Stereogum - you'd think they paid them or something), I finally decided to check out the much revered Vampire Weekend. Listening through their self-titled debut album, I couldn't find much to grab onto. A second time through it, I understood it a bit better, but it didn't do much to bring me closer to actually liking them.
Vampire Weekend is composed (get it? composed, like music? cause they're in a band? little pun for ya.) of four guys from Brooklyn. The band's name is taken from an amateur film that their lead singer, Ezra Koenig, made when he was younger. Apparently it was just him fighting vampires to protect his virginity. A humorous notion. Important to note about this band is their African influences, as well as classical music influences, both of which shine through in many of their songs. All in all, it makes for a very strange blend of styles.
The music has a sort of slinky feel at times, if that makes any sense. There's a good variety of musical styles on this album; "A-Punk" sounds like Assorted Jellybeans on downers; "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" (voted one of the best songs of 2007 by Rolling Stone) definitely reflects the African influences; M79 is one of the better songs, providing one of the more classical-inspired tracks on the album. "Campus" is a new-wavey piece that asks a question most of us have asked ourselves in our time, "How am I supposed to pretent / I never want to see you again?" "I Stand Corrected" uses synth-strings and Strokes-esque drums to help Ezra admit he was wrong: "You've been double checking on my facts / And I admit I have been lax."
If there's one thing positive I can say about this band, it's that they definitely have personality. In fact, every song is basically dripping with it. The band has interesting ideas about how to use their instruments, as they often come through in unconventional ways. At certain points, the instruments in the band all seem to be at odds with each other, playing seemingly contradictory parts, but Vampire Weekend manages to make them work. The classical influence is very apparent on many songs, a harpsichord often playing parts that sound like they're straight out of a Wes Anderson film. The guitar is isn't really used in any traditional way; it's more of a melodic, driving force in most songs, which often leaves the song sounding empty, due to lack of a rhythm guitar. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it does take some getting used to.
Maybe that's what it is about this band that has eluded me so far: they're an extremely acquired taste, unless you wanna join the ranks of the Stereogum commenters and let us know how much you get it and how awesome you are for liking them. This band does seemingly succumb to Fall Out Boy syndrome. You know, like three years ago when you couldn't go anywhere without people ranting about how great FOB is, and their fans would ostracize you if you didn't absolutely love them. One of the commenters on Stereogum put it well, I think, when he said that this band's hype is more about their image than how good their music is. Throw around some unorthodox influences like Congolese soukous music, refer to your band as "Upper West Side Soweto" (an African town), and before you know it, you're an indie kid's (or blog's) wet dream. A few songs have some catchy parts, some funny and clever lyrics, but for some reason this music doesn't do much for me. That's the strange thing; I know their music isn't really bad, most of the songs are good in their own right, but I can't get into it for reasons unknown.
I guess it would be fair to say that Vampire Weekend is the USA's version of the Arctic Monkeys; some people think they're totally overrated, some people think they're undoubtedly the next big thing. I think I find myself leaning more toward the overrated side, but a part of me gets why people like the band so much. Like I said before, they definitely have personality, and nowadays, that can potentially carry you pretty far. "Oxford Comma" is bound to be a hipster anthem for years to come, so you better just get used to hearing it now.
4/7
Vampire Weekend is composed (get it? composed, like music? cause they're in a band? little pun for ya.) of four guys from Brooklyn. The band's name is taken from an amateur film that their lead singer, Ezra Koenig, made when he was younger. Apparently it was just him fighting vampires to protect his virginity. A humorous notion. Important to note about this band is their African influences, as well as classical music influences, both of which shine through in many of their songs. All in all, it makes for a very strange blend of styles.
The music has a sort of slinky feel at times, if that makes any sense. There's a good variety of musical styles on this album; "A-Punk" sounds like Assorted Jellybeans on downers; "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" (voted one of the best songs of 2007 by Rolling Stone) definitely reflects the African influences; M79 is one of the better songs, providing one of the more classical-inspired tracks on the album. "Campus" is a new-wavey piece that asks a question most of us have asked ourselves in our time, "How am I supposed to pretent / I never want to see you again?" "I Stand Corrected" uses synth-strings and Strokes-esque drums to help Ezra admit he was wrong: "You've been double checking on my facts / And I admit I have been lax."
If there's one thing positive I can say about this band, it's that they definitely have personality. In fact, every song is basically dripping with it. The band has interesting ideas about how to use their instruments, as they often come through in unconventional ways. At certain points, the instruments in the band all seem to be at odds with each other, playing seemingly contradictory parts, but Vampire Weekend manages to make them work. The classical influence is very apparent on many songs, a harpsichord often playing parts that sound like they're straight out of a Wes Anderson film. The guitar is isn't really used in any traditional way; it's more of a melodic, driving force in most songs, which often leaves the song sounding empty, due to lack of a rhythm guitar. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it does take some getting used to.
Maybe that's what it is about this band that has eluded me so far: they're an extremely acquired taste, unless you wanna join the ranks of the Stereogum commenters and let us know how much you get it and how awesome you are for liking them. This band does seemingly succumb to Fall Out Boy syndrome. You know, like three years ago when you couldn't go anywhere without people ranting about how great FOB is, and their fans would ostracize you if you didn't absolutely love them. One of the commenters on Stereogum put it well, I think, when he said that this band's hype is more about their image than how good their music is. Throw around some unorthodox influences like Congolese soukous music, refer to your band as "Upper West Side Soweto" (an African town), and before you know it, you're an indie kid's (or blog's) wet dream. A few songs have some catchy parts, some funny and clever lyrics, but for some reason this music doesn't do much for me. That's the strange thing; I know their music isn't really bad, most of the songs are good in their own right, but I can't get into it for reasons unknown.
I guess it would be fair to say that Vampire Weekend is the USA's version of the Arctic Monkeys; some people think they're totally overrated, some people think they're undoubtedly the next big thing. I think I find myself leaning more toward the overrated side, but a part of me gets why people like the band so much. Like I said before, they definitely have personality, and nowadays, that can potentially carry you pretty far. "Oxford Comma" is bound to be a hipster anthem for years to come, so you better just get used to hearing it now.
4/7
9.03.2008
Google Chrome beta
Everybody's been talking about Google's new browser, Chrome, for the past few days. I was disappointed to find out it was Windows-only so far, but access to a PC isn't exactly sparse. So I downloaded the beta version of Chrome, and I was pleasantly surprised. Chrome is not only the fastest, most efficient browser for Windows, it's innovative and makes browsing your favorite websites even better.
The first thing I noticed about Chrome is the interface. For the most part the interface is fantastic, but it has its downsides too. I can't get over how Windows XP-ish the tab bar of the browser looks; it's Windows blue and looks like something that would've been native to XP. Blech. Another thing that irked me a bit was that the tab bar is above the browser controls (back, forward, refresh, etc.). I know Google is trying to make Chrome new and different from other browsers, but I really can't see how this would increase productivity or comfort. However, putting that out of my mind, the rest of the interface is minimalist and efficient. Google stated that they wanted the browser to do its job and "get out of your way" while browsing the net, and I'm not sure they could've done a better job at it. They've perfectly crafted a browser interface that is a mix between full-screen browsing and normal browsing, allowing you to keep the address bar and controls, but pretty much nothing else. Viewing sites in Chrome lets you see far more of the page than any other browser, unless it's in full screen mode. When downloading something, a downloads bar spans the screen at the bottom of the browser, which tells you how much of the file has been downloaded. You can right click the download for options, and when the download is done, click the X on the side to remove the bar. Other options like preferences are on-screen in the form of graphics, the preferences option being the magnifying glass.
Another thing Google wanted to do with Chrome was improve speed -- not just browsing speed, but the speed of the application itself. In this regard, they have completely succeeded. On a computer with Windows XP with nothing running, I clicked Firefox, and three seconds later clicked Chrome. Guess which popped up first. It was indeed Chrome, a full four seconds faster than Firefox, and that was AFTER opening Firefox first. Alright, that's pretty awesome, but did they increase browsing speed? The short answer is yes. And the long answer is also pretty much yes. With nothing but Chrome running, webpages loaded unbelievably fast. I'm talking faster than any browser I've used on Mac or Windows. With even one program running, though, the speed dramatically slows down. Though the change is dramatic, I found that Chrome still loaded pages faster than Firefox with apps open. So Chrome definitely delivers as far as speed goes.
Although Chrome is currently only a beta, I would use it before any other "full" browser were I to switch back to Windows. That's saying a lot. As good as Chrome is in beta, one can only imagine what will come with the full release. It's not the prettiest browser, but like I said before, that's not what Google was going for. Chrome is the perfect browser if you disregard what it looks like, if you're a person who uses a browser to specifically BROWSE, or if you like a minimalist interface. I can only wait patiently for Chrome for Mac, and only time will tell whether it'll trump Safari as my browser of choice, but honestly, after using Chrome beta (for Windows, nonetheless), I wouldn't be too surprised.
6/7
The first thing I noticed about Chrome is the interface. For the most part the interface is fantastic, but it has its downsides too. I can't get over how Windows XP-ish the tab bar of the browser looks; it's Windows blue and looks like something that would've been native to XP. Blech. Another thing that irked me a bit was that the tab bar is above the browser controls (back, forward, refresh, etc.). I know Google is trying to make Chrome new and different from other browsers, but I really can't see how this would increase productivity or comfort. However, putting that out of my mind, the rest of the interface is minimalist and efficient. Google stated that they wanted the browser to do its job and "get out of your way" while browsing the net, and I'm not sure they could've done a better job at it. They've perfectly crafted a browser interface that is a mix between full-screen browsing and normal browsing, allowing you to keep the address bar and controls, but pretty much nothing else. Viewing sites in Chrome lets you see far more of the page than any other browser, unless it's in full screen mode. When downloading something, a downloads bar spans the screen at the bottom of the browser, which tells you how much of the file has been downloaded. You can right click the download for options, and when the download is done, click the X on the side to remove the bar. Other options like preferences are on-screen in the form of graphics, the preferences option being the magnifying glass.
Another thing Google wanted to do with Chrome was improve speed -- not just browsing speed, but the speed of the application itself. In this regard, they have completely succeeded. On a computer with Windows XP with nothing running, I clicked Firefox, and three seconds later clicked Chrome. Guess which popped up first. It was indeed Chrome, a full four seconds faster than Firefox, and that was AFTER opening Firefox first. Alright, that's pretty awesome, but did they increase browsing speed? The short answer is yes. And the long answer is also pretty much yes. With nothing but Chrome running, webpages loaded unbelievably fast. I'm talking faster than any browser I've used on Mac or Windows. With even one program running, though, the speed dramatically slows down. Though the change is dramatic, I found that Chrome still loaded pages faster than Firefox with apps open. So Chrome definitely delivers as far as speed goes.
Although Chrome is currently only a beta, I would use it before any other "full" browser were I to switch back to Windows. That's saying a lot. As good as Chrome is in beta, one can only imagine what will come with the full release. It's not the prettiest browser, but like I said before, that's not what Google was going for. Chrome is the perfect browser if you disregard what it looks like, if you're a person who uses a browser to specifically BROWSE, or if you like a minimalist interface. I can only wait patiently for Chrome for Mac, and only time will tell whether it'll trump Safari as my browser of choice, but honestly, after using Chrome beta (for Windows, nonetheless), I wouldn't be too surprised.
6/7
9.02.2008
Dream Pinball 3D (DS)
Pinball is one area of gaming that I've spent most of my life ignoring, for whatever reasons. A few games of pinball at my local GameWorks, though, and my outlook changed forever. Not only is it super fun, but if you're good enough at it, you get free games! FREE! You don't get that with your Ski-Ball or your Virtua Fighter.
As I believe every man, woman, and child should never be without a Nintendo DS, I was browsing new DS games and one in particular piqued my interest: Dream Pinball 3D. If pinball is as good on a DS as on a real life, I might have found a way to bring the joys of GameWorks into my own home, and it'll always be free! So I checked it out, and for the most part, I ended up satisfied.
Being a relative noob to pinball, the features that this game offered were more than enough to satiate my pinball desire. However, I feel that most pinball fans, the old and the new, can appreciate what the game brings to the portable pinball table. Dream Pinball 3D is by no means the most advanced, challenging, exciting version of the game you're likely to play, but as a game you can grab any time and start tiltin' tables, it will definitely suffice.
There are three different modes in Dream Pinball 3D: Classic Mode, Mission Mode, and Wireless Multi-Player. Classic mode is just what it says, a good ol' game of pinball. Try to rack up as many points as possible using your 6 allotted balls and all the secrets of the various tables (I'll get to them in a second). Mission mode has five different objectives: Multi-Ball, Extra Ball, Super Combo, 10x Multiplier, and First Mode. You can play Classic mode and Mission mode on any of the six themed tables. "Knight Tournament" is a medieval-style table, particularly filled with armor and horses and knights, as one would probably expect. The "Monster" theme is a cool one, it's filled with portrayals of the creatures and beasts of yesteryear, like Dracula, Frankenstein, the Werewolf, etc. "Dino War" is exactly what it sounds like, but then again, I guess they all kinda are. "Dino War" is definitely a bit more bland than the previous two. "Spinning Rotors" consists of planes, helicopters, and paratroopers, with a stereotypical Pilot's voice for an announcer. "Aquatic" is an ocean-inspired table, with a diving theme, and ocean life sound effects. The last theme is "Amber Moon", which is chock full of goblins and witches and such. It actually looks like the creators just threw the contents of a fantasy novel onto a pinball table.
Each theme has its own sound effects and soundtrack, as well as individual narrator. These things usually enhance the pinball gameplay, except for the themes which have annoying sound effects, which is basically all of them, but specifically "Aquatic" and "Monsters". Often times the sound effects conflict with the soundtrack music, which can get quite frustrating while you're trying to concentrate. Each game you play, no matter what theme/gametype, has multiple difficulties, but they don't really make any difference; your score just goes up in smaller increments as you turn the difficulty up. But the fact that the developers have included all of these features is what matters. It may not be perfect, and you might have to turn down the volume sometimes, but Dream Pinball 3D is enough pinball for 75% of pinballers out there.
5/7
As I believe every man, woman, and child should never be without a Nintendo DS, I was browsing new DS games and one in particular piqued my interest: Dream Pinball 3D. If pinball is as good on a DS as on a real life, I might have found a way to bring the joys of GameWorks into my own home, and it'll always be free! So I checked it out, and for the most part, I ended up satisfied.
Being a relative noob to pinball, the features that this game offered were more than enough to satiate my pinball desire. However, I feel that most pinball fans, the old and the new, can appreciate what the game brings to the portable pinball table. Dream Pinball 3D is by no means the most advanced, challenging, exciting version of the game you're likely to play, but as a game you can grab any time and start tiltin' tables, it will definitely suffice.
There are three different modes in Dream Pinball 3D: Classic Mode, Mission Mode, and Wireless Multi-Player. Classic mode is just what it says, a good ol' game of pinball. Try to rack up as many points as possible using your 6 allotted balls and all the secrets of the various tables (I'll get to them in a second). Mission mode has five different objectives: Multi-Ball, Extra Ball, Super Combo, 10x Multiplier, and First Mode. You can play Classic mode and Mission mode on any of the six themed tables. "Knight Tournament" is a medieval-style table, particularly filled with armor and horses and knights, as one would probably expect. The "Monster" theme is a cool one, it's filled with portrayals of the creatures and beasts of yesteryear, like Dracula, Frankenstein, the Werewolf, etc. "Dino War" is exactly what it sounds like, but then again, I guess they all kinda are. "Dino War" is definitely a bit more bland than the previous two. "Spinning Rotors" consists of planes, helicopters, and paratroopers, with a stereotypical Pilot's voice for an announcer. "Aquatic" is an ocean-inspired table, with a diving theme, and ocean life sound effects. The last theme is "Amber Moon", which is chock full of goblins and witches and such. It actually looks like the creators just threw the contents of a fantasy novel onto a pinball table.
Each theme has its own sound effects and soundtrack, as well as individual narrator. These things usually enhance the pinball gameplay, except for the themes which have annoying sound effects, which is basically all of them, but specifically "Aquatic" and "Monsters". Often times the sound effects conflict with the soundtrack music, which can get quite frustrating while you're trying to concentrate. Each game you play, no matter what theme/gametype, has multiple difficulties, but they don't really make any difference; your score just goes up in smaller increments as you turn the difficulty up. But the fact that the developers have included all of these features is what matters. It may not be perfect, and you might have to turn down the volume sometimes, but Dream Pinball 3D is enough pinball for 75% of pinballers out there.
5/7
The Big Lebowski
The Big Lebowski is a film about crime, corruption, and Creedence. Starring Jeff Bridges as "The Dude," aka Jeffrey Lebowski, he is thrown through an absurdly funny series of events, all sparked by a man urinating on his rug. Which normally wouldn't be that big of a deal, but, that rug really tied the room together, man.
The Dude is quite a laid back fella. Known for lightin' up a roach or two from time to time, drinking White Russians, and most importantly, being an avid bowler, one wouldn't normally expect a guy of this caliber to go on a journey through the various underworlds of Los Angeles, and that's part of the reason this movie is hilarious and amazing. Joined by Walter Sobchak (John Goodman), a Vietnam Vet who seems to see everything through the eyes of war, and Donny (Steve Buscemi), a simple man who loved bowling, the ridiculous happenings that these men go through will leave you in tears.
Like I said before, everything that happens in this movie is due to The Dude's favorite rug being peed on by somebody who thinks he's a rich man, a man that owes people money "all over town." The Dude then goes to find the rich man, who is also named Jeffrey Lebowski (thereby fulfilling the role of the "Big Lebowski"), for compensation. After an entertaining conversation, which can be summed up with the phrase "the bums will always lose!", The Dude goes home, but only after meeting The Big Lebowski's wife, Bunny. A while later he's summoned by Brandt (Philip Seymour Hoffman), Jeffrey Lebowski's male-servant. It is explained to The Dude that Bunny has been kidnapped, and the big Lebowski wants The Dude to make the money handoff. So he agrees for some reason, and decides to bring Walter with him. Walter proceeds to ruin the deal by throwing the kidnappers his dirty undies, "the whites", if you will. Without giving away too much, before the whole mess is over The Dude has to deal with a corrupt porn mogul, nihilists, Jeffrey Lebowski's hyper-feminist daughter (Julianne Moore), and so much more.
The Big Lebowski didn't do too great at the box office, but it's since grown into one of the most beloved cult films of all time, with DVD sales far exceeding what it made in theaters. Hell, there's even an annual party held in honor of The Big Lebowski, called Lebowski Fest. Though the original is held in the same city every year, other cities have adopted it and have their own festivals, too. Also, the creators of the festival encourage us to hold our own little Lebowski Fests, so feel free to go all out. Information about Lebowski Fest can be found here. This movie has spawned many catchphrases, some of which you've probably heard: "Fuck it, dude. Let's go bowling," or the classic "Shut the fuck up, Donny!" That's just naming a few. True Lebowski fans will consider pretty much any line in that movie a catchphrase. I would give this movie a 19 out of 7 if it was possible, so I'd definitely say you should check it out. But even if you don't, If you take anything from this review, make it the comforting, applicable words of The Stranger, a cowboy-narrator played by Sam Elliott: "The Dude abides."
1000/7
The Dude is quite a laid back fella. Known for lightin' up a roach or two from time to time, drinking White Russians, and most importantly, being an avid bowler, one wouldn't normally expect a guy of this caliber to go on a journey through the various underworlds of Los Angeles, and that's part of the reason this movie is hilarious and amazing. Joined by Walter Sobchak (John Goodman), a Vietnam Vet who seems to see everything through the eyes of war, and Donny (Steve Buscemi), a simple man who loved bowling, the ridiculous happenings that these men go through will leave you in tears.
Like I said before, everything that happens in this movie is due to The Dude's favorite rug being peed on by somebody who thinks he's a rich man, a man that owes people money "all over town." The Dude then goes to find the rich man, who is also named Jeffrey Lebowski (thereby fulfilling the role of the "Big Lebowski"), for compensation. After an entertaining conversation, which can be summed up with the phrase "the bums will always lose!", The Dude goes home, but only after meeting The Big Lebowski's wife, Bunny. A while later he's summoned by Brandt (Philip Seymour Hoffman), Jeffrey Lebowski's male-servant. It is explained to The Dude that Bunny has been kidnapped, and the big Lebowski wants The Dude to make the money handoff. So he agrees for some reason, and decides to bring Walter with him. Walter proceeds to ruin the deal by throwing the kidnappers his dirty undies, "the whites", if you will. Without giving away too much, before the whole mess is over The Dude has to deal with a corrupt porn mogul, nihilists, Jeffrey Lebowski's hyper-feminist daughter (Julianne Moore), and so much more.
The Big Lebowski didn't do too great at the box office, but it's since grown into one of the most beloved cult films of all time, with DVD sales far exceeding what it made in theaters. Hell, there's even an annual party held in honor of The Big Lebowski, called Lebowski Fest. Though the original is held in the same city every year, other cities have adopted it and have their own festivals, too. Also, the creators of the festival encourage us to hold our own little Lebowski Fests, so feel free to go all out. Information about Lebowski Fest can be found here. This movie has spawned many catchphrases, some of which you've probably heard: "Fuck it, dude. Let's go bowling," or the classic "Shut the fuck up, Donny!" That's just naming a few. True Lebowski fans will consider pretty much any line in that movie a catchphrase. I would give this movie a 19 out of 7 if it was possible, so I'd definitely say you should check it out. But even if you don't, If you take anything from this review, make it the comforting, applicable words of The Stranger, a cowboy-narrator played by Sam Elliott: "The Dude abides."
1000/7
9.01.2008
Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! (S03E05)
Tim and Eric season 3 episode 5 starts with an ad for a new energy drink, called "Turbo Fuel Maximum Energy Soda!" According to them, all you have to do is 1. Suck, 2. Swallow, and 3. Release, accompanied by some long-haired guy pouring excessive amounts of drink into his mouth, swallowing, and regurgitating it back up on the Release step. After that pleasant demonstration, we find that the usual intro of Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job is replaced by a severely trendier, mainstream version of the show, starring Tim (Heckler) and Derrick (Whippler), their lamer, tamer, super-bro alter-egos. They give us a sneak peak of what's to come, and off we go.
The first sketch is an intentionally terrible one, consisting of Jim and Derrick arguing about the $20 that Derrick owes Jim. First, Derrick says he thought Jim said Bunny instead of money, and some dude in a bunny suit hops out of a telephone booth. Then he thinks he says Honey, and that bunny turns into a bee, suckin' down his own product, followed by Jim declaring "Yo, this is whack." We then see a montage of Jim and Derrick striking poses while the words "Comedy, LOL, Sketch, Funny, HaHa, and Random" are superimposed on the screen. After all that, Jim and Derrick return to the screen to let us know that "Yo, you got sketched!"
Following this, Jim takes us on a "World-Class Tour" of one of his favorite bong shops, letting us know that he might even pick one up for himself. He questions the Latina employee about bong sizes, and "how much you can use" in the small ones, and after some serious delineation, Jim buys a clear bong with a frog on it for himself, and a small blue bong for Derrick, as well as picking up some Turbo Fuel for the chug contest later in the show. Jim walks out and informs us that "You've been bonged! Time to party." and walks away.
Back in Jim and Derrick headquarters, they argue a bit about who is gonna win the chug contest, and inform us to text "DerrickWhippleIsGonnaWinTheChug8452" to 8910255550199 if you think Derrick is gonna win, or send "JimHecklerIsTheWinnerOfTheChugContestForSure5672" if you are of the belief that Jim will win it.
Guest-star time! We're taken to a concert where a guy is holding his girlfriend, dancing, while his friend comes up yelling "Tony!" holding two Turbo-Fuels. Surprise! The guy is none other than John Mayer. Tony responds, "I can't man, my hands are all tied up." The announcer asks "Don't you wish you could spoon your girlfriend, AND be cool with your bros?" He informs us that we can, now thanks to the GF Spooner from Stinko, a set of prosthetic arms with which to hold your girlfriend! We see "Tony" spooning his girl and drinking a Turbo-Fuel at the same time, as well as hitting a pipe. Wow, that GF Spooner sure helps!
Next, Derrick Whipple takes us skating at the Turbo-Fuel Maximum Energy Soda Skatepark. He watches the skaters pull some sick moves, like the "Crete Shred" and the "Parents Suck!" as well as doing some of his own tricks, like the "Tripple Whipple" and "Solid Bros." After telling us that this clip was brought to us by a Turbo Mini, Derrick informs us that "You've just been boarded."
Next we find Jim and Derrick In The Zone with Elisha Cuthbert, where they display a bunch of idiocy in questioning Elisha Cuthbert for like 45 seconds in an entirely unproductive interview. Then, it's time for the Vista Fresh Mobile Viral Clip of the Week! In this parody of David Liebe Hart, Bradley Needlehead sings a song with a puppet about how crazy and unusual he is.
That's not the whole episode, but I figure the more I say here, the less funny it is if you actually see it. This week's episode is one to check out, as it was definitely funnier than most so far this season. The whole episode pretty much parodies white guys with an extreme sports edge to them. John Mayer is a great guest star in his little part, and Elisha Cuthbert is... Elisha Cuthbert.
6/7
The first sketch is an intentionally terrible one, consisting of Jim and Derrick arguing about the $20 that Derrick owes Jim. First, Derrick says he thought Jim said Bunny instead of money, and some dude in a bunny suit hops out of a telephone booth. Then he thinks he says Honey, and that bunny turns into a bee, suckin' down his own product, followed by Jim declaring "Yo, this is whack." We then see a montage of Jim and Derrick striking poses while the words "Comedy, LOL, Sketch, Funny, HaHa, and Random" are superimposed on the screen. After all that, Jim and Derrick return to the screen to let us know that "Yo, you got sketched!"
Following this, Jim takes us on a "World-Class Tour" of one of his favorite bong shops, letting us know that he might even pick one up for himself. He questions the Latina employee about bong sizes, and "how much you can use" in the small ones, and after some serious delineation, Jim buys a clear bong with a frog on it for himself, and a small blue bong for Derrick, as well as picking up some Turbo Fuel for the chug contest later in the show. Jim walks out and informs us that "You've been bonged! Time to party." and walks away.
Back in Jim and Derrick headquarters, they argue a bit about who is gonna win the chug contest, and inform us to text "DerrickWhippleIsGonnaWinTheChug8452" to 8910255550199 if you think Derrick is gonna win, or send "JimHecklerIsTheWinnerOfTheChugContestForSure5672" if you are of the belief that Jim will win it.
Guest-star time! We're taken to a concert where a guy is holding his girlfriend, dancing, while his friend comes up yelling "Tony!" holding two Turbo-Fuels. Surprise! The guy is none other than John Mayer. Tony responds, "I can't man, my hands are all tied up." The announcer asks "Don't you wish you could spoon your girlfriend, AND be cool with your bros?" He informs us that we can, now thanks to the GF Spooner from Stinko, a set of prosthetic arms with which to hold your girlfriend! We see "Tony" spooning his girl and drinking a Turbo-Fuel at the same time, as well as hitting a pipe. Wow, that GF Spooner sure helps!
Next, Derrick Whipple takes us skating at the Turbo-Fuel Maximum Energy Soda Skatepark. He watches the skaters pull some sick moves, like the "Crete Shred" and the "Parents Suck!" as well as doing some of his own tricks, like the "Tripple Whipple" and "Solid Bros." After telling us that this clip was brought to us by a Turbo Mini, Derrick informs us that "You've just been boarded."
Next we find Jim and Derrick In The Zone with Elisha Cuthbert, where they display a bunch of idiocy in questioning Elisha Cuthbert for like 45 seconds in an entirely unproductive interview. Then, it's time for the Vista Fresh Mobile Viral Clip of the Week! In this parody of David Liebe Hart, Bradley Needlehead sings a song with a puppet about how crazy and unusual he is.
That's not the whole episode, but I figure the more I say here, the less funny it is if you actually see it. This week's episode is one to check out, as it was definitely funnier than most so far this season. The whole episode pretty much parodies white guys with an extreme sports edge to them. John Mayer is a great guest star in his little part, and Elisha Cuthbert is... Elisha Cuthbert.
6/7
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