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Barnes and Noble Nook

2010-02-09T18:16:00.005-05:00

E-readers never really caught my attention until... well I guess they still haven't really caught my attention. That iPad thingamajigger, though, looks promising. Regardless, Josh put his faith in Barnes and Noble and went with the Nook. Here's his review.

Reviewer
Josh
Categories
Electronics

Reviewed by Josh Rees

** EXTENDED TITLE **

The e-reader world was shaken up when Barnes and Noble introduced the Nook, and being in the market for an e-reader, I decided to check it out. The flier I was looking at in Barnes and Noble is really what got me; it was the exact size and shape of a nook, and showed a crazy full color touchscreen display at the bottom of the device. At $259, it was the same price as the Kindle, and cheaper than some of Sony's eBook readers, but with that gorgeous color touchscreen to display the book jackets amongst other things, and with a bit more research, I was sold.

I actually bought it shortly before Christmas, somewhere around the 16th. After I bought it, I was disappointed to find out that it was back-ordered until February 1st, even though it actually came out at the end of November. Surprisingly, the Nook came a few days before the first, so that was nice.

When I got it, it came in a 12x9" brown cardboard box. After opening it up, I was surprised to find that there was no padding or protection for the device. However, I came to find out it was held securely in place with a pretty unique little system; the Nook box is laid out on a slab of cardboard and under a connected sheet of plastic. The plastic is loose enough to slip the Nook box in and after you've done so, you fold down the edges, which connect together and pull the plastic tight enough to hold it in place. Once you get to the actual packaging, it reveals a very sleek design that actually looks like they put some thought into it, with the Nook on full display. In fact, the box that it comes in is made to double as a carrying case for the Nook, as it's made of very heavy plastic and has a stand built in.

I inspected the device to see where the power button was, and once I found it on top, it took about a minute to start up. Within a minute or two, my Nook had already downloaded three books from Barnes and Noble, a pleasant little surprise. The Nook is a pleasure to hold. It's lightweight at about 3/4 of a lb., and the shape of the device fits in your hands perfectly. The main screen is e-ink based, like the Kindle and the Sony Reader, and can display black and white pictures in superb quality detail. Reading on the Nook is exactly like reading magazine paper, because it has a slight shine to it. The touchscreen is capacitive and supports swipe motions, and serves as a sort of control panel for the Nook. It also has a Micro USB port, as well as a MicroSD slot that can accommodate up to 16 gigabytes of memory.

The software was intriguing, but didn't run as smoothly as it should've. When you tap a button on the touchscreen, it takes a second or two for the touchscreen menu to change, and then takes another two seconds for the e-ink screen to reconfigure that next page. The operating system is slightly laggy and just doesn't perform at the level you'd expect it to, especially when you consider how little the device actually has to do. The latest firmware update sped things up decently, but it's still not where it should be.
br> The Nook supports three different formats: .ePub, .pdf, and .pdb. It has a speaker, but only supports .mp3 files. Supported image files are .jpeg, .gif, .png, and .bmp. It doesn't support Office files, .lit, .txt, .azw (Amazon), or .lrx (Sony eReader). The Nook is compatible with Mac and Windows, and acts as an external hard drive. At this point, you can drag and drop files, and if you have eBooks from Barnes and Noble, you can put them all on the Nook. You can access the files in 'My Library', which is on the home menu on the touchscreen. You can read the text in three different fonts and five sizes. If you change these settings while reading, it takes about ten seconds to reload the text, which is too long. You also can't resize the text on a .pdf file, so whether or not they're readable depends on the individual file. Sometimes the Nook just can't read certain .pdfs, too. There are left and right buttons on both sides of the device, so you can flip through the pages however you want. Shopping is simple - just click the shop button on the touchscreen and you're at the Barnes and Noble e-reader bookstore. There you'll find a variety of categories to browse, and you can also search (with a full qwerty keyboard). I have searched for a book, bought it, and been reading it within a minute, so that's how simple it can be if your account is set up correctly. This is why it's important to register your Nook when you get it. It also gets free AT&T 3G.

Thanks to the most recent firmware update, most of the little complaints I had are gone. The system is still slightly sluggish, which is a shame. Scrolling on the touch screen isn't smooth yet, and the swipe controls feel a bit hesitant. The battery life is great. If you're constantly reading, you'll get about five solid days. It needs better .pdf support for sure, but I guess that's one way to discourage the reading of free books. One accessory that it should really ship with is a cleaning cloth, like some Apple products have, because if I'm paying $259 for this thing, I wanna keep it in good condition. The only way to get one currently is to buy the screen protector, which ended up being too small for the actual screen, and not worth the cost. I know I can't rightfully complain about the lack of backlighting on the screen since no e-reader has one yet, but why is that? Couldn't they just use the backlighting technology we've had for years on basic digital watches? Last, it's too easy to turn the Nook off when you're trying to wake it up.

If you really want to learn how to use the Nook, do the Take A Tour demo, because that is all you get in the way of a manual, and the OS can be slightly confusing if you don't. There are some cool ways to spice up your Nook, too. These skins, for example, are some of the most detailed and awesome I've seen for any device, wrapping completely around the Nook. Certain ones even come with a download link for a wallpaper that matches, or rather continues, the skin. You can also get a variety of high quality wallpapers and screensavers from Nook Look. With an Android based OS, people have gotten the Nook to run some apps, and even a browser, so an App store might be in the future for Nook users, as well as perhaps a way to "jailbreak" it to run third party apps. Overall, the Nook is a fabulous device with some flaws. I've gone through three firmware updates since getting mine, and I've seen improvements with each one. As long as Barnes and Noble keeps rolling out the updates at this rate, the bugs should be worked out within a reasonable amount of time. I was going to give the Nook a 5/7, but with all the potential the future holds for this device, I'm going to bump it up to a 6/7.

TL;DR - The Nook has a great form factor, as well as a capacitive touchscreen and a high quality e-ink screen. The software's a little laggy, but it has great potential due to its Android based OS. It's completely sufficient as an e-reader device, and gives you access to the entire Barnes and Noble collection.

Ratatat - Self-Titled

2010-02-08T19:43:00.006-05:00

Rumor has it that before Oceanic 815 crashed, Ben Linus and Richard Alpert had one hell of a band. Some time before that word is Jacob and his Nemesis had one also, hence their strained relationship. I'd imagine Ratatat falls somewhere between.

Reviewer
Kaitis
Categories
Music

Reviewed by Michael Kaitis

Ratatat - Ratatat

So one day I was looking up people I used to go to middle school with. You see, I moved down to Florida right after my 8th grade year. Well it turns out that one friend of mine actually worked as a college DJ in Terre Haute, Indiana (sup Everyview?). Besides typical indie choices like the Arcade Fire and Grizzly Bear, she happened to put one one of the coolest, most original bands I've heard in a while - Ratatat. When I first heard it, I thought was two people making incredible electronica songs with synths. My mind was blown when I found out it was actually made using only a bass and a guitar on top of a drum machine, tying together melodies like shoelaces.

As Kid Cudi fans could tell you, even with rock instruments these guys know how to make a good hip-hop beat. While the songs all follow a typical verse/chorus/verse structure, the limited variety of instruments forces them to use some cool effects and get more creative than they'd normally need to. Certain songs have such an electronic quality that by the time they get to the chorus, it'd be hard to tell that you're not listening to music from Sonic 2. While sometimes they use heavy, thick distortion like on the title track "Seventeen Years," which you may have heard during the party scene in Cloverfield.

All the songs are relentlessly catchy, and I think it's the lack of vocals that makes them work harder to stick with you. Track 9, "Germany to Germany", is the perfect example of how catchy a single instrumental can be, and it's probably the best track on the album because of it. On top of that, you'd think you might get sick of hearing just guitar and bass, but the tones never seem to get in the way of each other and you almost never hear the exact same notes twice. Lets just call this awesome little phenomenon musical snowflakes.

Therefore if you like electronic music that's slightly out of the ordinary like me, then I highly recommend checking this album out. It may be quite old at this point, but for being a band that infamously influences both rap and rock alike, Ratatat is still relatively unknown for some reason. Few bands can shred like Slash and have beats like Wayne, but even fewer can mix that skillfully. Ratatat is still an indie gem after all this time, and I think it's impossible to listen to this album not find at least one song you like.

Listen to Ratatat on Grooveshark

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La Blogotheque: Concerts A Emporter

2010-02-05T17:44:00.007-05:00

Have you ever wanted to see your favorite bands performing songs in a location that isn't quite so boring, non-moving, and doesn't smell like stale tobacco and pee? Well Vincent Moon and co. have a treat for you. Check out La Blogotheque's Take Away Shows!

Reviewer
Brad
Categories
Websites

Reviewed by Brad Cook

La Blogotheque: Concerts A Emporter

I'm not particularly one for French cinema. In fact, the extent of my cultural exposure to France might be limited to what I learned from Last Tango in Paris. Calm down, that's a joke. However, when you combine a visionary cinematic eye with a variety of amazing indie bands, I cannot ignore it. Such is the case at La Blogotheque's Concerts A Emporter page. That roughly translates to Take Away Shows, and if that sounds to you like it might be a cool idea, you are correct.

A Take Away Show takes a band or performer and puts them in atypical locations for music to be performed, usually in France, but in various other countries as well (including Copenhagen, Montreal, Quebec, Seattle, New York, Buenos Aires, amongst others). Wikipedia refers to these as "field-work music videos". Concerts A Emporter started out at the intersection of the owner of La Blogotheque's (Chryde) desire to find an innovative way to share music, and local artist Vincent Moon's wonderfully creative imagination. While he's not the only director of these videos, he's certainly the most prominent, and he has helmed many of them.

The locations of the Take Away Shows are half of what makes them so fantastic. Sigur Ros plays an unbelievable rendition of their song "Vid Spilum Endalaust" in a small pub that can barely fit them. Hardly anyone is paying attention, people are being served at the bar, a man is walking around, and a woman is on the telephone with someone. Yet somehow Moon manages to make it one of the most intimate performances I've ever seen. The performances are mostly acoustic obviously, due to the fact that most of the time they're moving around, rather than setting down and playing in one spot. Sometimes they're even in vehicles, which makes for a undeniably more interesting backdrop than a concert venue. For example, Brooklyn-based band Yeasayer was filmed playing songs a capella in a subway car, which makes for a great percussion instrument until one of the window's shatters. Anand's reaction to it breaking is priceless. Delta Spirit is filmed in San Francisco playing on a Cable Car. How badass is that? Yes, they're all written in French, but there's a "Read in English" link at the top of each individual page if you feel like intaking the textual content as well as video.

If you're in the business of actively searching for new bands to listen to, there really is not a better, more natural way to experience what a band can do than to view them through the Take Away Shows lens. Even if, perhaps especially if, it's done by a band you know, it's worth checking out. You'll never see them perform in a more interesting, artistic, and inspired backdrop. The reactions of the real-life bystanders and tourists just enhance the experience that much more. Concerts A Emporter will provide you with plenty of new and amazing bands, and will make you appreciate the ones you love already so much more.

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MAG (PS3)

2010-02-04T21:09:00.004-05:00

If you handed me a game and told me that I could play online in a 128v128 player battle, and then predicted that I would ask you about lag and refuted that point I had in my head, then I'd have to write a review. Thankfully, Kevin did just that.

Reviewer
Kevin
Categories
Games

Reviewed by Kevin Cook

MAG (PS3)

Zipper Interactive is an American game developer known for their SOCOM series. Their newest creation is the very ambitious, PlayStation 3 exclusive, MAG: Massive Action Game. When MAG was revealed at E3, the title of the game was probably the second thing most people remembered. The first thing was surely the number 256, which is the number of players MAG’s servers can support at one time. While this is surely an impressive achievement, it does not automatically equate to awesomeness.

With other shooters running strong, claiming hours upon hours of millions of gamers’ lives, Zipper would surely need something new to draw people away from highly successful industry standards like Gears of War, Halo, and Call of Duty. This new feature was less of a feature than it was mechanics. They designed a new server architecture that would allow up to 256 players in one game at once. Something that enormous has never been done on a console before, so that certainly drew some attention their way; I know I was damn excited to hear about a game that allowed more than 18 players per server. So Zipper was thinking outside the boxes; that’s awesome, huh? No. It’s not. Soldiers of the ever-outrageous console war immediately took to making uneducated claims that MAG would be a definite failure, because surely no console can support 256 players at the same time without severe lag. We can finally put that claim to the test.

I picked MAG up at midnight on January 26th, as I had preordered it. Early review and score: MAG’s cover art earns an instant 7/7. The following morning, I popped MAG in for the first time; awfully excited for something new after investing maybe three days worth of time into Modern Warfare 2. First order of business: choose a faction. You are able to choose from three different factions, or “companies”, as they are called. You can think of this as MAG’s version of World of Warcraft’s Horde and Alliance. These three factions are: Valor - classic military style made up of American, British and Mexican veterans; Raven - futuristic (2025) lab rat soldiers who will always use state of the art technology – hailing from mainly European countries; and finally SVER (Seryi Volk Executive Response, pronounced “sever”), the very unconventional army hailing from Asia. Let’s start with your choice in army.

There are pros and cons that come with choosing any of the three factions to side with, but some factions are more disadvantaged than others. For example, Valor’s Sabotage (one of four game types) map (yes, map; not maps) is immensely easier to capture than to defend. It got to the point where the invading faction would overtake all of our points in under 2 minutes… out of twenty available. Now this could be traced back to bad teamwork, but the fact is that there are two initial points that must be captured: A and B, and Valor’s A and B are protected by, well... nothing. A and B both reside in a building with an entrance on each side. This differs from Raven and SVER’s Sabotage maps, as their points are fortified with steel buildings, ladders and staircases. Valor is greatly disadvantaged in the Sabotage game type. More on the game types later. Weapon range, power and whatnot may vary from faction to faction, but other than my immediate realization that the maps are not fairly designed, the only difference from faction to faction is appearance.

Next order of business: the content. MAG suffers due to one very specific condition: it is thin. Skinny. Narrow. We want for ourselves to be thin, not for our games to be thin! If you tell me that a game is going to be solely based online, then I will tell you that the game better be fat. Rotund. Filled to the brim. MAG, unfortunately, is not. MAG’s content is so scarce that your interest in the game dies a little each time you turn it on. What do I mean by content? Simple: maps, guns and game types. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 featured 17 maps for its online half, excluding the entire single player campaign and Spec Ops missions. That is an acceptable amount of maps for an online game where the focus wasn’t directed fully onto the online portion of the game. When you are looking to compete with a game as dominant as Modern Warfare 2, you should look at the qualities that make it success, the qualities that make it replayable. Having said that, 17 maps for a game like MAG should have been the bare minimum. Zipper obviously didn’t agree. There are twelve, yes, 12, maps to be had in MAG. That laughable number might have been acceptable back when we were playing Turok Evolution on split screens, but when you are trying to boast about a game that features 256 players in one game, you might want to give the game some content to put that amazing capability to use.

Complaining about the number of maps isn’t going to me anywhere, so I might as well get used to it. I mean, twelve maps isn’t SO bad, right? Wrong! Saying MAG has twelve maps is being generous. Let me explain. First things first, I think there are about 3-4 maps for training, but I did not include those into the twelve, as they are solely for training, only to be played by yourself. Now, there are four game types: suppression, sabotage, acquisition and domination. Here’s the kicker, while there are twelve maps, those twelve are organized so that there are three maps available to play on suppression, three maps available to play on sabotage, and so on and so forth. But WAIT!!! Suppression is essentially a training game type, in which you fight casually against your own faction only. It’s hard to even consider it a real game type. Unless you make a character with each faction, you can immediately eliminate two maps, as you will never play the two opposing forces’ suppression maps. So now we’re down to ten maps total. The remaining three game types make up the “meat and potatoes” of the game. I can promise you that once you are ranked highly enough to play sabotage, acquisition and domination, you will never return to suppression; let’s just call it three game types total.

As stated earlier, each game type has one map per faction. You’d expect each map to be completely different from the last one, like in MW2, Halo, Gears of War, etc… Each of those games featured very diverse maps. MAG, on the other hand, features three types of maps total. Valor’s three maps have a “country-green” theme, which never strays from being, well, country-green. SVER’s three maps have an outlandish red-haze theme that makes you feel like you’re fighting for control of Mars. Raven’s three maps have an urban rainforest theme. With one map a piece per game type, you’d think that they would make each map different in a way, but that’s simply not the case. While these maps are all similar, they are also enormous, which is both a pro and a con. The sheer size of the maps doesn’t even begin to make up for the sickening number of total maps, but it does account for more space than nine normal sized maps would account for. At the same time, the size of the maps makes spawning half a mile from any sort of action even more ridiculous, not to mention the long respawn times (anywhere from 5-20 seconds).

The three game types are, once again, sabotage, acquisition and domination. In sabotage, the invading faction tries to capture points A and B, and when that is complete, they invade a fort to plant charges and destroy point C; the other faction defends their points, obviously. This is the most fun game type in my opinion, and offers the most replay value. Sabotage features 32v32 battles. In acquisition, the invading faction tries to steal two enemy vehicle prototypes. Battles here are fought with 128 players, 64v64. In domination, the invading faction tries to secure “burnoff” towers and destroy as many enemy bases as possible. The game can end in one of two ways: the invading team can fill up the damage bar at the top of the screen, by destroying all points, or the defending team can defend for the entire time limit and be victorious. This is the big one, the 128v128, 256 player battle. What can be said about it? It is nothing more than a cluster of grenades exploding and bullets flying past your face. It’s actually too much. One time I couldn’t even leave my spawn point without being shot in the face instantly. That’s all there is as far as game types.

With nine maps between three game types, this game MUST have a sizable armory of various gun types, right? Wrong again. Off the top of my head, I can recall that there are about twelve to fourteen guns total. You have three main types: assault rifle (M4, AK-74, etc), sniper rifles and heavy machine guns. Then there are side weapons such as a pistol, sub machine gun and shotgun. A few launchers, such as an RPG, are available as well, but serve little purpose. The weapons are all very bland and non-distinctive. Gear items include your typical frag grenade, smoke grenade, medic-kit and repair-kit. I, personally, cannot get over the lack of content this game provides. It is an online-only game, so where did all of the focus go? I can see no area of the game that is flourishing. There are very few maps, and each map is similar to the last one; there are three game types that grow thin after a few hours, and the approach to guns makes it seem like the shooting part of first person shooter is second to something else.

Now that I’ve covered the content, or lack of content, rather, I need to talk about the gameplay. To me, MAG feels more like a computer game than a console game. More of a Counter-Strike than a Modern Warfare. You will find that your player moves very quickly and jumps quite athletically. Aiming your gun is quite difficult in this game; aiming down the sights of your gun is even more difficult. While you may find a sensitivity setting that allows you to aim comfortably from the hip, you will find no setting that allows for both optimal hip-fire and ADS fire; if you want to fire from the hip more accurately, your ADS fire will suffer, and vice versa. The reason for this is that your character will aim his gun very quickly from the hip, but when you enter the gun’s sights, it feels as though you’ve lowered your sensitivity to the lowest possible setting. How do you fix that? Normally you’d raise your overall sensitivity, but as stated before, that will make your hip-fire suffer. Zipper should have included a setting to adjust ADS sensitivity. The guns feel very weak, as by default the assault rifles will take about 8 bullets to kill; default sniper rifle takes 3 bullets, or one headshot to kill; and, well, the pistol will take a while. There is something you can do about this, but it still does not change the fact that a kill requires a LOT of bullets in MAG.

With each level you gain, you are rewarded with one skill point that can be spent on upgrading your character. You upgrade by category: assault rifles, athleticism, marksman, etc. This is a fair upgrading system; no complaints here. You are also given the option to “respec” your character, which eats up all of the respec points you’ve earned and gives you every skill point you’ve earned back to be spent differently. This was a great feature.

The questions preceding MAG’s release were not about the gameplay, however; they were about whether or not the servers could support that many players and still be playable. 256 players per server is quite a thing for a console to handle, but hats off to Zipper. I can fully say that you will be disappointed if you picked this game up expecting lag. The game runs as if it’s a single player game. It is as smooth as online gaming comes. I’ve had fewer problems with lag in this game than I have ever had with any other game. Seriously, Zipper needs to be credited here, because they blew away even the highest of expectations as far as connectivity goes.

I had such high expectations for MAG. I never let the fact that there could be server problems bug me, because I knew they wouldn’t release the game if it weren’t tested and ready to play. What I did not expect, however, was that the game would have such little content in the form of maps, guns and game types. I cannot stress it enough: if you’re going to make an online-only game, you better give us a real package, as far as the maps and guns go. I was expecting MAG to have upwards of 20 maps; 20+ DIVERSE maps, not three maps for three game types, in which each map is one color hue different from the last. I’m sure there will be downloadable content at some point, but I am not going to stick around only to be disappointed again. After about 25 hours of gameplay, I can safely say that I will never play MAG again. Can’t do it. Won’t do it. I was very tempted to give this 3/7, however, the fact that it runs as smoothly as it does makes it worthy of a 4/7.

TL;DR - Far too few maps and weapons for such an ambitious online based game. Runs surprisingly smoothly, but gets old fast.

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Kick-Ass #8

2010-02-03T12:59:00.003-05:00

With the live action film in the works, including such talents as Nic Cage and McLovin', the first book of the Kick-Ass superhero comic comes to a close. Kaitis has been reading these for a while now. Lately I've seen him leaving at night with a mask..

Reviewer
Kaitis
Categories
Comic Books

Reviewed by Michael Kaitis

Kick-Ass #8

I don't read comic books. Now it's not like I have anything against them. In fact being a nerd myself I know the amount of fandom that usually goes into the whole thing and I respect that. My only exception to this has been Gears of War 1-3 and only 'cause it was based on one of my favorite games. Kick-Ass has really been the first series that I've finished, and truth be told, even I acknowledge now that I should really read more comics.

Anyways enough personal history. The conclusion of this epic series manages a lot in a short amount of time. Hopefully you've read up to his point and know the situation, and I don't mean the guy from Jersey Shore. Being the end of the book, it is of course the mega-ultimate-final show down. It starts out with Hit Girl using a special substance that Big Daddy said would give her the strength of ten men. Now Kick-Ass seems to think it's cocaine, but seriously, what would a ten year old be doing with cocaine? Just another hilarious situation you won't find anywhere else but a comic.

Keeping the past issues in mind, the ensuing battle is insanely bloody, with some pretty fucked up kills, especially for animation. Most of this is Hit-Girl as per usual, but there are some shining moments with Kick-Ass, including a hilarious part with Red Mist hiding in the bathroom in fear, which made me think that Christopher Mintz-Plasse was actually a good choice to play him in the upcoming feature film. The battle is mostly a "the good guys win" situation, but it would've been even less believable if they didn't. Regardless, this book sets up a well rounded ending for the series. Hit-Girl gets a really well earned send off, and they did a great job of bringing some humanity to her after all of the outrageous stuff we've seen.

The epilogue is a nice little piece that sets up the series for a book two really well. I also was recently on Mark Millar's forum and he has tentatively set book 2 for later this year. So do yourself a favor, ignore the terrible promotion for Kick-Ass the movie and read yourself the good old fashioned comic books. They're suspenseful, hilarious, action packed, bloody and theres even one point where I would've cried If i wasn't so manly. This is easily as amazing as a novel or any other form of writing and I can't believe it's taken me so long to realize it, just please, please do yourself a favor and realize it too. The Kick-Ass series is one of the coolest and most enjoyable things I've read in a long time, and I couldn't recommend it you more.

Lost (S06E01)

2010-02-02T15:16:00.005-05:00

The upside to Lost concluding? No more extended periods of time waiting for new episodes to air. The downside, of course, is that executive producer Carlton Cuse will no longer have an excuse to practice banjo fills. Let's see what's up in LA X!

Reviewer
Ben
Categories
TV Shows

Reviewed by Ben Cordes

Lost (S06E01) - LA X, Part 1

Wasting no time at all, Lost launches its sixth and ultimate season by immediately burdening viewers with massive, mind blowing new mysteries. Thankfully, alongside new questions come answers to all-time favorites, namely who or what exactly is that impostor waltzing about the island in John Locke's body, and what's the deal with the ash surrounding Jacob's cabin? Believe it or not, this information overload occurs within the first ten minutes of the LA X's former half. Needless to say you'd better practice being utterly shocked now, lest a stray "OH!" or "WHAT?!" escape you during pertinent dialogue delivery. You don't want to have to wait until commercials for your buddy to explain what's going on.

Lost is kicking it old school this season, jumping between island events and what appears to be a reset of the first season's off-island story. Was the plan to stop Oceanic 815 from crashing a success? I can't say. Not because I can't spell it, but because I can't be the "Snape kills Dumbledore" guy. I will however let slip that Oceanic 815 does fly again, and some very interesting conversations take place on board. The plane's fate is something you'll have to tune in to unveil.

Where Lost's sixth season differentiates itself from past deliveries is in the narrative device (and amount of smoke). The first three seasons primarily focus on developing characters through flashback storytelling. Not until the end of season three was the flashforward introduced, and that spawned an entirely new TV series. Thankfully the same didn't hold true for season five's time traveling plot evolution; as much as I enjoyed the chaos, I'm grateful I'll no longer be worrying about how Hurley plans to get his "improved" Empire script to George Lucas. Precisely how is the story being told this year? Well, appearances can be deceiving, so I won't say Lost has reverted to classic flashbacks. Executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse have repeatedly claimed to have ditched all forms of flashing, be it forward, backward, sideways, or in public places. Are we seeing an alternate reality? A mirror universe? The inside of the magic box? Some serious retroactive continuity? Half the fun of watching this season's events unfold will be determining the actuality of this mysterious shift in storytelling, until the answer swiftly smacks us upside the head.

What with death being an unfortunate side effect of life, some characters inevitably won't be tagging along for the island festivities. In fact, early on in the episode a few redshirts bite the dust hard before a recent cast addition sees his exit. Again, this is all happening near the beginning of the episode, leaving room for surprise character appearances and interactions for later on. It's clear that the goal of LA X, Part 1 was to rocket out of season five's stay in 1977, now tackling the fundamental dispute between the island's nefarious force (the Man in Black) and peaceable protector (Jacob) and how Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Hurley, etc. factor into the grand scheme. So far I'd say team Darlton is succeeding.

Lost is poised to go down in history as television's greatest science fiction drama regardless of whether it continues along the same keel presented in LA X, Part 1. The excitement of fast revelations will leave you wholly content, just long enough to enjoy sweet satisfaction before having a thousand-piece puzzle dropped onto your lap. And knowing Damon and Carlton, only the most essential pieces are missing - the edges. How long it takes for the outer structure of the show to appear is unknown to me, but loyal fans have waited this long; another 18 episodes is a walk in the jungle. Lost promises to continue presenting compelling character stories, insight, and intrigue, slowly filling the gaps between focal thematic elements and finally shedding light on the deepest roots of island mythology. Remember: being dead on Lost hardly negates a character from the show, and this holds truer than ever for season six. Take care to double wrap your mind, because come tonight, it will be fucked.

Cupcake Pebbles Cereal

2010-02-01T11:12:00.005-05:00

Here's something I wasn't expecting - a new flavor of Pebbles cereal. Fruity and Cocoa Pebbles have been around since I was a wee lad, but I feel like they haven't even tried to do anything new with the brand, 'til now. They call this flavor Cupcake Pebbles.

Reviewer
Brad
Categories
Food & Drink

Reviewed by Brad Cook

Cupcake Pebbles Cereal

A few weeks ago, I was working in the back room of the grocery store where I'm employed. I was helping a stock crew member, a hilarious and lively African American we call Zee (his real name is Zethro. A black dude named Zethro. Think about that.) We were talking about freestyling or something awesome like that, one of those things that just isn't fun to talk about with white people, and I was helping him move some boxes. At one point in the conversation, he said something to the effect of "Hey, toss me that box of Cupcake Pebbles." My immediate reaction was "…uh…", after which he pointed at a box, so I threw it to him. He was like "Oh yeah, we got some new stuff in," then proceeded to tell me that there also were Chocolate Cheerios, among others. I made a mental note to buy both of these when they were put on shelves, but with school and work to deal with, I guess I forgot.

Luckily yesterday my sister informed me that we currently had a box residing in the pantry. She also told me that British people call cupcakes "Fairycakes". That's so twee! Come on, guys. Is it really a coincidence that fairycakes is the perfect insult to call someone who has just referred to cupcakes as fairycakes? I most definitely not think so.

Once I got up from roflmao, I poured myself a bowl of Cupcake Pebbles. They emitted a wofty cake smell, the kind of smell hanging in the air in a bakery while they're waiting to put on the icing. The other types of Pebbles are fruity and cocoa, which are colored, so it's kind of funny seeing a bunch of naked little pebbles in the bowl. Naked as they are, they do have cereal's answer to confetti all over them, which makes them look festive and fun.

So I poured the milk in and went to town. The main taste is a vanilla/batter-y kinda flavor, and it's surprisingly strong, though obviously not as intense as Fruity Pebbles. Taking a bite of Cupcake Pebbles is like eating your birthday in a bowl with Bamm-Bamm. I ate the bowl pretty quickly, but the pebbles seemed to take their time getting soggy. The flavor is relatively unique in the cereal world, and I enjoyed it a lot. I'm sure it's terrible for you, but hey. Go eat some celery, hippie. But seriously, the best part of it is that there's now a new flavor of milk to drink once the cereal is gone! That and the fact that Cupcake Pebbles don't leave a weird film on the top of your mouth like Fruity Pebbles do.

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Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars

2010-01-29T09:03:00.004-05:00

I'm actually kinda surprised they're still making Capcom vs. fighting games; I remember in middle school when we could bring in games to play once in a while on club days, all the anime kids would play Marvel vs. Capcom. I was busy with my tech deck.

Reviewer
Forrest
Categories
Games

Reviewed by Forrest Boyd

Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars (Wii)

So we all know and love the Capcom Crossover fighters, right? Right. So when Capcom announced they were about to bring a new one to the field, we were all excited, right? Right. They were teaming up with a world-renowned company with only the most well-known characters and hero groups, just like always, right? Right. Then we got the reveal. It's Tatsunoko! Everybody lov--wait, who?

Granted, I knew them as those guys that made Speed Racer and Samurai Pizza Cats. Unfortunately, neither series makes an appearance in the game. Instead, we got a bunch of superheroes (and villains) that remind us of old-school DC. The "Science Ninja" group, a few lone warriors, a boyfriend-girlfriend double team, and even a couple of the team's villains. Nobody really knew who they were, and even I only knew so many of them...but rest assured, this game's a kept promise on Capcom's end of the field.

Gameplay is very reminiscent of other Vs. Capcom titles. 2-on-2 team battles, complete with assists, tags and Hyper Combos are in, as well as multiple specials that make use of a special bar on the screen. Each character has three super special moves; two that use only one of a max of 5 special bars, and a stronger, more situational special that takes up a whopping three. You can chain up to 3 specials together to make a Hyper Combo (Character 1 special, Character 2 special, Character 1 special), as well.

The roster is a strong point. The game is, thankfully, -not- flooded with Street Fighter characters for the Capcom side. Only Ryu, Chun-Li and Alex make appearances. Joining them are Megaman Volnutt, Roll, Batsu (from a relatively unknown title, Rival Schools), Morrigan, Viewtiful Joe, even Lost Planet's own PTX-40A (which I will talk about here in a bit), as well as a few others including Zero and Frank West, both hidden from the start. Tatsunoko's side features Science Ninja heroes Ken, Joe and Jun (Joe being an unlock), as well as Ippatsuman, Tekkaman, Yatterman-1 (and his girlfriend and partner Yatterman-2 as an unlock), along with other characters you've probably never heard of.

One bit to add about the tag teams is that there are two characters that make for exceptions. You can choose to pick either Lost Planet's PTX-40A mech, or Gold Lightan from the Tatsunoko universe, as one-character teams. They're giant characters, with hefty health bars, and the ability to not be locked into combos of any kind (though they're suspectible to tripping over and getting stunned if hit enough). They serve as arcade mode mini-bosses, as well.

The control schemes are even more varied than in other Wii games such as Super Smash Bros. Brawl that offer multiple ways of playing. The Wii Remote alone is a heavily simplified control scheme for the more casual gamers who don't much care to get into the real details (if this is you, don't worry about having trouble unlocking characters; turn on the easiest settings, Arcade is a breeze in comparison to past Vs Capcom titles). The Wii Remote + Nunchuk configuration adds a little more customization to what moves you throw out, and the game ultimately comes out in full with the Gamecube Controller, though the Classic Controller makes for a reasonable alternative. Of course, if you're willing to spring for that $80 Wii Fight Stick, that's the way to go for the truly dedicated. Wouldn't recommend that, though, seeing as how the Wii has very few other fighters to choose from.

This game is also one of the increasingly numerous titles on the Wii that sports online play. Naturally, it utilizes a Friend Code system, but it also lets you register Rivals that you've played before, that you may want to play again in the future. It uses a ranking system similar to that of Mario Kart Wii that uses a point system to determine skill similarities in players, as well as an icon displaying what kind of player a person is. A fire icon appears for offensive players that use heavy-hitting moves and specials, an ice icon appears for block-and-counter defensive fighters, and a lightning icon appears for people that specialize more in chaining high-number combos. You can also set up an icon, similar to Street Fighter IV.

Overall, this game is the definitive fighting game on the Wii for both casual gamers and more advanced fighter fans alike. Though not quite as hectic as Guilty Gear or other high-speed 2D fighters, Tatsunoko vs Capcom offers just enough pace to its already combo-based fighting formula the Vs Capcom series is known for to make it a definite buy for any fighter fan on the Wii.

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Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Multiplayer Beta

2010-01-28T17:43:00.002-05:00

Choosing to go head to head with Modern Warfare is like choosing to fight Clubber Lang blindfolded. You can't really expect to win, but there is a chance you'd survive if he pitied you enough. DICE is repeating history by releasing this soon after MW2.

Reviewer
Kaitis
Categories
Games

Reviewed by Michael Kaitis

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Multiplayer Beta (Xbox 360)

Today is the launch date for the Battlefield: Bad Company 2 online beta for PC, but due to a very nice system error it's up on Xbox live too. I actually own the first game in the series and what I remember liking most was the way explosives destroyed environments, as well as the funny characters and good story; it was almost like a modern day Inglourious Basterds, just not as awesome. Jumping back to the former, the explosive damage engine was unlike anything I'd seen in a game and quite realistic. It's mostly used to blow up walls, but such a small element somehow makes for a world of fun. It also had the tough job of competing with Modern Warfare when it came out and now both sequels are back for round two.

The game feels much heavier than before, even with the sensitivity turned up. The first thing it reminded me of was Borderlands sans the super jumping. While shoot is RT as usual, Melee is RB and Grenade is LB. Instead of classes like in MW you get what they call kits, which are basically the same thing except no customizability. These kits come with a primary and secondary weapon, usually a rifle and pistol, and you get a d-pad-left item that ranges from RPGs and C4s to a defibrillator to revive teammates.

Adding on to the explosive engine is another nice little feature, the ability to knife through a fence. It's a really useful feature, because you never have to stick to default boundaries and it gives you a much harder chance to find a corner to camp in. The scale of the map is nothing short of epic. One section features a four story parking garage and several large snowy mountains that lead to interesting battles, usually involving snipe. With the huge map comes transportation, which makes a world of difference from MW. You have the options of using a Quad bike to advance quickly or a helicopter or tank for assault.

The beta adds all of this together on a giant map with four sections. The game type isn't team deathmatch unfortunately, and is more like MW's Demoliton. Instead of the round ending, the positions move up to new locations on the map leaving you with almost four separate small maps. One of the coolest elements to the online play is when you're attacking and spawn you actually take control of yourself parachuting in, which is just another realistic element that takes it to a higher level of fun.

Most of the fun you will have blowing up walls will be hampered slightly by what I think are clunky controls. The character feels quite heavy to move, and it feels like gun battles go really slow. Knifing is so slow that it may actually be easier to die and respawn. I really like using melee in games and this just made me not want to at all. On top of all that, you don't even have the option to go prone, which would be so helpful considering how far you're usually shooting. So it hasn't quite won me over from MW2, but like the first one it's a nice option. While multiplayer can't really give you any idea on the humor in the game, the explosive engine has been tweaked to be even more destructive and fun. Just remember to turn your sensitivity all the way up, and you may actually like this game. This beta hasn't won me quite over, but it still shows promise for the full release.

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Hardee's Jalapeño Chicken Sandwich

2010-01-27T12:34:00.003-05:00

I really don't know why you're reading this, because at this very moment, Steve Jobs is on stage announcing the Apple Tablet. If you are actually interested in this, Hardee's has just released a 1/4 lb Jalapeño Thickburger, as well as this chicken sandwich.

Reviewer
Brad
Categories
Food & Drink

Reviewed by Brad Cook

Hardee's Jalapeño Chicken Sandwich

Hardee's is amazing. Yes, their items are definitely a bit pricey, but you really do get a higher quality meal when you choose them rather than McDonald's or Burger King. They have large, steakhouse-style fries that taste purely like potato, but have an extra kick to 'em. They also used to have the best buffalo chicken sandwich in the fast food world, but they've apparently retired it. Regardless, they have a pretty consistent and varied stream of new items that never fails to tempt me off the computer and out the door. As is often the case, our good friends at GrubGrade tipped us off. If you don't already read that site, shame on you, because they have fantastic reviews and to-the-minute food news.

The latest example of this would be the new Jalapeño Chicken Sandwich (as well as the Jalapeño 1/4 lb Thickburger, but I was in a chicken mood). I stopped by Hardee's and grabbed one, and was pleasantly surprised. It consists of a grilled chicken breast, lettuce, tomato, jalapeños, and "Southwestern sauce". The sandwich alone is $3.99, and a small combo makes it $5.99, so it's not exactly cheap, and it had a lot to live up to.

The size of the chicken breast is what surprised me most. It was quite a bit larger than I expected, probably 4.5 to 5 inches at its widest. It wasn't as thick as a full chicken breast, at a little over a half inch thick consistently, but the total size of it made up for this. The chicken had a bold grilled flavor that was one of the focal taste points.

The Southwest sauce I wasn't too fond of at first. It took me some pondering to figure out what it was, but I'm pretty sure I got it eventually. It seems to be pretty much just mayo, sugar, and paprika, with perhaps some cumin in there, too. I know this because I've made my own Taco Bell quesadilla sauce, and those are some of the main ingredients. This Southwestern sauce tastes a lot like that, only a little more bland. However, supplemented by the grilled chicken taste, you have quite a combination on your hands. They weren't scant with the sauce, either; the bun was partially soaked through on the bottom.

As you can see, there were ample jalapeños although they were surprisingly mild for some reason. They added some nice texture and a strong flavor that would certainly have been missing otherwise. Considering the surprising heft of the sandwich and the unique flavor combination of the Southwest sauce, the grilled chicken, and the jalapeños, I think this sandwich is almost worth the $4 I paid for it. It almost left me full enough to not want to eat another one, and the large fry I got with it took care of the rest anyway, so it's a decent value. If you're into Southwestern flavors, jalapeños, or just really good chicken, give this one a bite.

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Trials HD Big Pack

2010-01-26T11:12:00.003-05:00

I've witnessed firsthand the type of addiction that Trials HD results in, and it's not pretty. It's one big mess of engine noises, trigger pulls, and retries. So good news, addicts! There are enough extra courses and new skill games to annoy your friends forever.

Reviewer
Ben
Categories
Games

Reviewed by Ben Cordes

Trials HD Big Pack

For a measly five bucks, Trials HD players can nearly double their available courses and tack on 50 gamerscore points between three brand new achievements. Trials HD was a massive 2009 success as far as Xbox Live Arcade games are concerned. With the Trials HD Big Pack's 35 new tracks featuring all sorts of new physics elements, this instant classic will carry on entertaining and challenging gamers well into the new year.

Everybody loves new maps, new courses, new tracks... Anything that can provide die-hard fans of any game with more of what they love. Unfortunately not all developers posess the technique necessary to deliver more of the same minus the stale flavor. In other words, Trials HD creators RedLynx are among the few who successfully debut downloadable content. The 23 new racing courses alone make the Big Pack worth the 400 MS points; inside these new tracks are experiences previously unatainable in any trials realm - low-gravity riding, wind current cruising, and trippy 1-bit traveling. Beginner and easy difficulties are left alone, meaning amped difficulty throughout the 12 medium, 9 hard, and 2 extreme tracks. Inferno II will seem like a joke in comparison.

Skill games got some sweet attention, too. The 12 new challenges totals to two skill games per challenge type, with slight variations in each. I prefer the latest slew of "just one more try" conquests as opposed to Trials HD's original offerings, but both are entertaining and the break from standard fare will increase replayability once you tire of the new courses. Win win win!

What with the installation of bizarre physics in some new tracks comes an inherent ability to use said physics in the level editor - a real treat for the creative-minded and the severely bored alike. And since the Title Update increases storage space for user created content, you're best off parking your bike in the garage; you'll be hammering out new levels like mad (wo)men. RedLynx can only create so much, and they've done quite a lot with the Big Pack, and thanks to their open-eared developers, riders will enjoy what they've most requested - mid to high range difficulty and the skill games necessary for painting new leaderboards. I don't know about you, but I'll be riding right into Spring.

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Love Songs of a Third Grade Teacher

2010-01-25T10:53:00.003-05:00

It sounds to me like the love songs from my third grade teacher and the love songs that this third grade teacher plays are vastly different. Mine included something about a bay where watermelons grow, while hers don't seem very third grade safe.

Reviewer
Marco
Categories
Movies

Reviewed by Marco Duran

Love Songs of a Third Grade Teacher

It’s difficult to find a parking spot in this part of downtown Los Angeles where you aren’t afraid you’ll be mugged or your car will get broken into. After 20 minutes of navigating through one-way streets I found a location not too far from the theater for a reasonable price. The theater itself buzzed with a motley crüe of people mulling around, buying drinks and popcorn or listening to the band playing in the screening room itself. The band, Third Grade Teacher, commanded the attention of the audience as I walked in and found a seat. Their music was earnest and entertaining, if not a bit unconventional. After a while, the band wrapped it up, the lights around the theater dimmed, the crowd hushed – some of them sitting on the floor since there were no more seats left, and the show began.

This film is the autobiographical story of Sabrina Stevenson, played by Sabrina Stevenson, a third grade teacher who sings in the band called Third Grade Teacher. Creative, no? We follow her as she tries to find love in all the wrong places, or in this case, all the wrong websites. The film is a litany of dates with far too many messed up men, which plays like an episode of Sex in the City if Carrie channeled her creativity from writing columns into head banging punk. This film, however, is far rougher around the edges and achieves a whole new level of boldness in handling the main character than any SITC show could ever do. Sabrina, writing about her own experiences, may have pulled some punches when it comes to revealing her exes, however she did not pull any punches in writing about herself. A scene in which a lawyer is breaking up with her and one of her first instincts to get him to stay is to go down on him, shows a level of exposed despair that would not be seen elsewhere. I applaud Sabrina for taking such risks and putting herself out there with such abandon.

As she is portrayed in the film, there are three personas to Sabrina and never the three shall meet. There is the unabashed Id that prances and screams and performs on stage, flinging her hair wildly, soaking it all in. Charisma and complete control over herself and her crowd ooze from her pores. Here she seems comfortable. Here she seems complete. Then there is the Superego of the teacher, watching over her students, caring for them, wanting the best for them. Again, there is a measure of control and, though there may not be as much gusto, it still feels like she is comfortable in her situation and her place in that world. Finally there is the Ego persona of Sabrina in her dating life. This life is filled with uncomfortable silences, cautious mousy stares and desperate pleas to God or to anyone who would please just intervene or lend a hand. She is a woman of very little action and even fewer words. Most of her dialogue during the dating scenes comes in the form of voiceovers, as if she’s so scared to communicate with her date so she’ll just talk to herself. She is an observer of her own life as she lets things and people happen to her. She has lost, and is in no hurry to regain, any control over what may befall her.

You can lift the scenes of the band and the scenes of the teacher right out of the movie and not touch the plot at all. That may be a writing flaw or that may just be who Sabrina is. The character would not be as interesting or as fleshed out, but really, as I stated before, these are three completely separate worlds she revolves in that don’t have much bearing with each other. Which is a bit incredulous, I have to say. After a while of the dating life, one begins to wish for a Tyler Durden moment where the punk-band Id breaks through the timid Ego, slaps her horrible dates around and verbally eviscerates them to the point they will never be such douche bags again.

As is the case with such personal films, this is a passion project of the writer/producer/star, Sabrina. She struggled through the pre-production of this movie with it almost not happening and falling apart but got it done in order to give us this film, all of which makes me wonder why she felt such a burning need to bring us this story in the first place. Was it the need for an emotional release, some sort of psychiatric experiment to get things off her chest? Or is it some sort of penance, a way to be emotionally brutal with herself and to come to terms with who she is or was? Perhaps it was just her reaching out to others who may be in the same boat, a comforting hand explaining that this too shall pass. Maybe it’s a combination of all of the above and Sabrina will show herself to, once again, be much more complex then any single line of explanation can hold.

Keebler Fudge Shoppe Cheesecake Middles

2010-01-22T17:07:00.002-05:00

If you're anything like me, you've been actively searching distant caves in the mountains of mysterious countries for some form of portable cheesecake that is worth it. Well friends, our travel bills are about to become considerably lighter. Thank the elves.

Reviewer
Kaitis
Categories
Food & Drink

Reviewed by Michael Kaitis

Keebler Fudge Shoppe Cheesecake Middles Cookies

Those little elves are at it again. Up in their mighty conglomerate tree-house, the Keebler elves have thought up what i'm gonna go a head and call one of their greatest inventions yet. Except the name, Cheesecake Middles, is fairly awkward and Cheesecake Centers rolls off the tongue much easier in my opinion. After calling around a few local stores - and a Wal-Mart in Oakland, CA - no one seemed to have them until we checked at the grocery store we least thought would have them. At a sweet two for $5 deal, we picked up both of these glorious confectionary innovations. The cookies themselves look like a mix of deep-dish pizza and a pie. Basically, If a cheesecake had a swollen crust then you shrunk it it would look exactly like these. Both types also feature an Adidas three stripe drizzle and a layer of milk chocolate on the bottom. Weirdly enough, the filling is actually made from Ricotta cheese with cheesecake flavoring. Now I'm no cheese expert, but I dabble, and that seems like a really strange choice to replace cream cheese.

Surprisingly though, you'd never be able to guess that it's Ricotta cheese. The taste and consistency were very close, if not identical to a small bite of cheesecake. While it may not be chilled, the flavor they use works well with the crust and does taste very much like the dessert. The original cheesecake flavor cookies explode with graham cracker flavor, then cool you down with the low-density cheesecake dribble, which has a rich cream cheese taste. The chocolate cheesecake flavored cookies have more of a rounded flavor; the chocolate and the cheesecake parts kind of cancel each other out at first, then slowly spread a delightfully tangy chocolate flavor around the mouth. For some people this plus the chocolate coating on the bottom and the drizzles of chocolate on top could easily be too much, though the filling gives it a very nice offset. If it was a desert island scenario and I could only pick one, it would be the traditional graham cracker, but I had a few back and forths whilst deciding. I would easily call this one of the most unique cookies I've had, and i'm glad they took the risk and made it. Thanks a lot, you damned elves.

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Motion City Soundtrack - My Dinosaur Life

2010-01-20T16:10:00.005-05:00

I don't know what kind of life you'd lead if you had a Dinosaur life, but odds are it would be much more exciting than the one you have now. I'd personally love to ride a Stegosaurus to the grocery store; talk about arriving in style.

Reviewer
Kaitis
Categories
Music

Reviewed by Michael Kaitis

Motion City Soundtrack - My Dinosaur Life

The first time I put this album on, I swore it sounded like Even If It Kills Me. Granted it was on shuffle and I didn't realize that it was out of order, but the first few songs made me cringe slightly. Seems almost more impressive now that I've listened to it a few times, because this album had to work really hard to win me over. If you read my review on the first single from this album, Disappear, I kinda went off on a long tangent on how the producers really affected how the album sounded. Well, I would take some of that back and say that maybe the producer was only half of the issue. The band still has the pop sensibilities they did on their last album, but this album at least brought back some of their former edginess.

The good songs on this album sound more like Commit This to Memory era songs. The drums are pretty unique and well thought out as they usually are at the hands of Tony Thaxton. Besides the choruses mostly being basic power chords, the verses contain some pretty unique instrumentation. Guitarist Josh Cain is usually known for this, even amongst peers like producer Mark Hoppus, but even the bass was used much more skillfully this album, using it for lead verse riffs on at least one song. Most songs mix all these things together, with the synth I missed oh-so-much on their first single. On songs where the guitar isn't anything special, the synth really picks up the slack as a strong lead. I think this shines best on "Hysteria," which isn't as good as "Hysteria" by Muse, but much better than "Hysteria" by Def Leppard.

Justin is back to singing slightly typical lyrics for himself, mostly about pop culture, awkward loneliness, and of course, pills. One song even boasts a chorus of primarily "I swear to pharmaceuticals." He also name drops things from Veronica Mars to The Legend of Zelda and even wrote a song called "Pulp Fiction." Little quirky elements like this have always been just another reason why Motion City has had such appeal to me.

There are a few tracks I don't really like, though, which is in extreme contrast to their previous albums which are completely love or hate for me. I don't care what anyone says, "History Lesson" sounds just like it could be a Dropkick Murphys song. I don't know if it's the vocal melody or what, but that songs just sounds like Irish punk to me. The other couple songs I didn't like were just because of how simple and radio friendly they sounded, it just reminded me of 13 year olds' music. Again, I'm surprised how much this album changed my mind, and a few songs aside I really think this turned out to be a good album. Mostly I'm just glad that there's not another MCS album out there I choose to just ignore.

Listen to a stream of My Dinosaur Life

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HTC Droid Eris

2010-01-19T11:19:00.003-05:00

I don't really like the term iPhone killer, because since the iPhone was released, there hasn't been a single phone that can match its user friendliness, sleek profile, and abundance of software, nor will there be, IMO. But Ben might think different.

Reviewer
Ben
Categories
Electronics

Reviewed by Ben Cordes

HTC Droid Eris for Verizon

More intelligent than dumb phones and not quite up to scratch with full-blown computers, smartphones first targeted businessmen and women alike, but since their inception have expanded to consume massive numbers of casual cell phone users. Everywhere you look, you're likely to spot an iPhone, a BlackBerry, a Palm... Calling, messaging, and web browsing all at your fingertips or otherwise comfortably napping in your pocket. These devices have been circulating the cellular market for several years now, each's hardware coupled with its own unique software. For a while Research In Motion and Palm were the go-to companies for reliable smartphone hardware and software, until Apple busted onto the scene with its cellular savior and market dominator - iPhone. More recently, corporate beast Google decided to test the waters of wireless phone communication by debuting its portable operating system dubbed Android. Google's left-field success with Android eventually led the company to work in cahoots with HTC to create the Nexus One - the official Google phone, but that's where digression starts. The Droid Eris is an altogether separate device, sporting Google's Android operating system, and running on Verizon's CDMA network as opposed to globally supported GSM. This moderately small, sleek, feature-packed device demonstrates how far we've come since the original smartphone, and furthermore humbly sets a unique standard for what's to be expected from these intelligent communicators.

The first thing I noticed when lifting the Eris is its heft. It's not an overweight device, nor a flighty, weightless object of apparent cheap construction. The Eris isn't an ounce heavier than it ought to be. It bodes well in the hand, too, with its plastic-rubber fusion coating and slim profile. If you're familiar with the iPhone, the Eris is less wide and not quite as tall a fellow. It makes up for it with a few added millimeters of depth, however. Even so, I prefer a device with a bit of girth over a smartphone as thin as paper and wider than my driveway. Even aesthetically it's high marks all around for the Eris; it's so far from gaudy it's almost daunting to see such a plain handheld. Its rounded black body is baren, sure, but the absence of buttons gives the Eris a remarkably refined look.

But looks aren't everything (unless you own a bag phone). The Eris is visually appealling and a pleasure to physically interface with, and that's important. Once the initial appreciation of the Eris's physique subsides, one is left to ponder its internals. How's the famed Android operating system? Will I be satisfied with the device's battery life? Can I sext on this thing? The answers to these questions are great, maybe, and in 5-megapixel glory, yes you can.

The Droid Eris is equipped with a capacitive touch-screen, similar to the iPhone's, because reductive touch-screens are so late 90s. Under pressure of constant, rigorous daily use, I've only mistyped a handful of words into the on-screen keyboard, and half of them were the fault of auto-correct thinking it knows what I mean to say, but I didn't "redress" my friend. I "texted" him. There is a difference, HTC! Speaking of which, HTC has done a marvelous job appending their Sense user interface to Google's Android operating system. I hardly take notice of the Eris's trackball as finger-swipe navigation is so effortless and responsive, thanks in large part to the Sense UI.

Google's Android operating system is lightning fast and intuitive. To ice the cake, HTC decided to craft its own interface, creating a trifecta of speed, useability, and beauty. Everyone has seen the iPhone commercials wherein Thing T. Thing swipes through screens of application thumbnails. Well, no more! (And I'm positive Apple is taking note of this, because it's absolutely brilliant.) Instead of caging consumers into a box of icons, the horizontal seven-screen spread can be completely customized by application widgets. This middle-ground between viewing simple program icons and dealing with entire applications is where the HTC Eris gets fantastic. Merely swiping left or right, or even remaining on the center screen will give real-time updates to condensed versions of your choice applications, otherwise known as widgets. For the most part, these widgets work flawlessly, exemplified by displaying Twitter updates in a convenient little box, offering picture-stamped contact icons for fast calling or messaging, and showing the first several lines of the email you've been waiting for, all without the click or touch of a single button. If the Eris is unlocked, just swipe left and right for fast, easy updates from your favorite applicaions. My only complaint about widgets is that there aren't enough of them.

The Eris is one smooth operator. Day in and day out I'll find myself listening to streamed tunes on Grooveshark, sending messages to friends, browsing all corners of the wide web, checking email and making phone calls. At the end of every day, I always have a bit of battery life to spare. Granted, I have the screen's brightness turned down significantly (it's blindingly bright by default). Still, the Eris hardly gets any rest while in my posession, and the powerhouse of a device is unceasingly functional. The touch-screen has benchmarked amongst the most accurate capacitive devices available to date, topping even its big brother - the Motorola Droid. It's a shame ongoing calls can't be held while browsing the web, but that's the fault of Verizon's lackluster 3G technology (although in terms of network availability, Verizon 3G takes the cake. And the pie, and the custard, and your lunch.) Verizon may have taken its sweet time to acquire attractive devices that aren't plastered inside and out with its branding, but finally with the Droid Eris we're offered a smartphone whose operating system and user interface partnership is heretofore unmatched. I'd even venture so far as to say that Verizon found its answer to AT&T's Apple iPhone.

Parks and Recreation (S02E13)

2010-01-18T14:43:00.004-05:00

You know, at first I wasn't too big a fan of Parks and Recreation, but as season two got underway, the quality of the show really kind of skyrocketed. If Ron Swanson isn't one of the best characters on TV right now, I'll eat Josh's lunch. Don't test me!

Reviewer
Kaitis
Categories
TV Shows

Reviewed by Michael Kaitis

Parks and Recreation (S02E13) - "The Set Up"

I'm not really sure why The Office didn't come back this week with Parks, but I was happy to at least have one of them. Plus it's the show that for the past few weeks has kept me more consistently laughing. This week had two pretty great guest stars in Mr. Amy Poehler aka Will Arnett, and Justin Theroux, who I've only seen as Joe on Six Feet Under. After the credits rolled, I was really distracted by the giant picture of Louis C.K.'s head. Interestingly enough, they don't explain it in the regular cut, but do in the producer's cut, which includes a slightly humorous bit about how she stole it. It's not really important why lawyer Justin is in the Parks and Rec. department, but he's got a great story about the ridiculous product that is Fire-In-A-Can, which by how he describes it sounds like it's insane enough to be a Cinco product.

Most of the episode revolves around Leslie getting back into dating, and that's where Will Arnett comes in. In a floating head shot, filmed only a few feet away from the table they're sitting at on a date, Leslie says, "Good job, Ann". Will Arnett's Chris doesn't hesitate to go, "I actually heard that." I haven't laughed that hard at a floating head interview in ages. The producers cut actually saw the date getting worse than the televised moments could fully show. It's a shame that they couldn't air all of it on TV, but at least it has a home online.

Ron Swanson almost had quite a few good moments himself in the assistant search. He got to the point where two phone calls in a row was enough to rip the phone cable out of the wall. After Tom Haverford brought him a terrible option for an assistant he got to "I wanna punch you in the face so bad right now." They used this situation to not only create an entertaining storyline, but with some clever writing they managed to work it into the whole April liking Andy thing. Speaking of which, Andy was extremely hilarious this episode and I for one couldn't be more supportive of bringing Mouse Rat back onto the show. I also love that this is the second time we've heard a recording of the band, and both times have been songs they played in S01E06, "Rock Show". Continuity is always funny.

As much as I would prefer not having any bullshit relationship moments written in a la The Office, it was really good for character interaction. Mark going to Andy for help about "Justin? I hate Justin." Of course, this eventually worked itself into another one of Andy's trying-to-get-Ann-back schemes, maybe his most brilliant one yet. I think most importantly, focusing on that little bit of relationship trouble gave Paul Schneider the most screen time he's had all season. I may be alone in this thought, but he should really be on more. Even though he's typically a serious actor, he works really well with the strong writing staff. He may not deliver fully laugh out loud funny jokes like the other characters, but this episode did a terrific job of showing that when used with subtle humor, Brandanawicz can still shine.

Yeasayer - Odd Blood

2010-01-15T19:15:00.002-05:00

The difference between Yeasayer's debut album, All Hour Cymbals, and their new album, Odd Blood, is stark. The former is kind of like a fantastical medieval adventure, while the latter is more like a night on the beach under the moon.

Reviewer
Brad
Categories
Music

Reviewed by Brad Cook

Yeasayer - Odd Blood

Yeasayer is one band that has fast-tracked their way to the top of my favorites, and might be my favorite musical discovery of 2009. Their debut album, All Hour Cymbals, was an odyssey of atmosphere, swirling vocal harmonies, unorthodox audio environments, and an ever-present 80's synth-rock tinge, a quality that would've sunk other bands to the depths of my disgust. Yeasayer just has such a stranglehold on music in general that there's literally no way I can dislike them.

Since All Hour Cymbals had come out quite a while ago when I started listening to Yeasayer, I was quite excited to hear what they'd come out with next. Their video for "Ambling Alp" was what really got me into the band; if you are a Yeasayer fan and haven't seen that yet, you need to right now. If you've never heard Yeasayer, then you need to watch the video even more. The song and video are both so good that I was dying for more.

For better or for worse, their new album, Odd Blood, leaked long ago. At this point it's all over the internet, and harder to not find than to find. The band released this statement regarding the situation: "Presents are always spoiled for those who open them before they are supposed to." Now that they've held an official listening party, however, I'd say we're allowed to open ours.

Odd Blood is an entirely different album than All Hour Cymbals, in so many ways. There's a distinct difference in the instruments used from album to album; All Hour Cymbals had an natural, foggy, at times even tribal, sound to it, while Odd Blood is largely synthesizer based with significantly fewer traditional rock instruments. Some people may say that Yeasayer has gone "Animal Collective", pushing their sound in a more electronica direction while going more experimental, and to an extend I'd agree. Even though they're reaching out to further ends of the musical spectrum, they've also reeled their music in a bit. The songs are not as densely layered, meandering, or long as they used to be. They're much more refined and to the point. There are less soaring harmonies to provide warmth for the main vocal melodies, but the ones utilized are sharp and purposeful. Chris Keating's voice is sounding better than ever, his rich timbre quavering gorgeously over alternately bright and murky scenic musical landscapes, consistently more at the forefront than previously heard.

"The Children" is the album's opener, giving the album its first breath, which happens to come via iron lung. The song is a seriously industrial opener that at first I considered to be mostly a throwaway song, but when you really listen to it, every aspect of the song is pieced together with robotic accuracy; the vocal melody and the vocal effect are so perfectly matched. Definitely not the best song here but an interesting listen. This song gives way fantastically to "Ambling Alp", the album's first single, which has stayed fresh for so much longer than I thought it would. Percussion-heavy and severely major-key, this song will having you singing the chorus for weeks to come, whether you like it or not (you will). "Madder Red" is one of the more traditional rock songs on the album, kind of downtrodden, and definitely one of the more 80's influenced songs, with a thunderous, reverb-y percussion part and some of those wordless vocal parts that I loved from their debut. "I Remember", an instant standout of the album, is the fourth song. This is where the band comes closest to the Animal Collective comparisons, though Animal Collective is certainly in a league of their own. It's a sparkly, lofty, upbeat song as fun to listen to as it is to sing along with. "O.N.E." is perhaps the crowning achievement of the album; it's danceable, relentless, catchy, layered, and basically the climax of Odd Blood.

"Love Me Girl" is the kind of title that would make me think of an acoustic pop-ballad where the singer attempts all sorts of word-play and a falsetto bit to woo the opposite party. The song is actually the most techno-esque one on the album, almost reminding me of Radiohead's "Idioteque". The lyrics deal with questions we men find ourselves wondering from time to time: "What is she covering up? What is she lying about?… Why is this happening now?" "Rome" is basically a Donkey Kong Country song with one of the guys from "Tool Time" playing the waving saw over it. Great song. For some reason, "Strange Reunions" doesn't really do anything for me. Not a bad song by any means, but it's the one I usually skip over. It has kind of a MIddle-Eastern or perhaps Indian feel to it, either way there's not enough there to keep me listening. "Mondegreen" is actually a term coined to describe when you're listening to something and you think you hear a ridiculous phrase, only to realize that's not what was said. You know, like when it sounds like Jimi Hendrix says "Excuse me while I kiss this guy" in the song "Purple Haze". Mondegreen! This song sort of sounds like something from Flash Dance; it's really upbeat and really 80's, but surprisingly a very catchy song that will keep you coming back for more. The album ends with the perfect closer, "Grizelda". The playful vocals in the chorus really make this song. It's one of my favorites on the album, in part because of how happy the song sounds, yet how strange and threatening the lyrics are.

Yes, there are some elements of the old Yeasayer I miss. The old Yeasayer had much more of an indie edge to them, more experimentation, more instruments, and more background vocals. But it takes a lot of craftsmanship to create a record that could probably be considered both a pop and an indie classic. With Odd Blood, Yeasayer has moved more toward the pop genre, but at the same time brought all the quirk and strangeness that they used to have with them, it's just packaged differently. Odd Blood is an almost universally solid album, with each song clearly presenting its own personality and purpose. It's certainly a cleaner, more fun album than their previous, but sometimes you want more than fun, and I'm glad to say this album delivers in all aspects.

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Thursday - Common Existence

2010-01-14T17:41:00.003-05:00

I think the concept behind Thursday's newest album is a pretty neat idea. Apparently each song was influenced by a certain writer or work of literature. Almost sounds interesting enough for me to finally listen to the band after years of ignoring them.

Reviewer
Chris
Categories
Music

Reviewed by Chris Balan

Thursday - Common Existence

Thursday's previous album, A City By The Light Divided was a softer, more electronic side of the band that certainly took more than a couple of listens to get used to. Although this is true, it was still an excellent entry to the band's history of releases. Common Existence, their newest album, is deeply rooted in hardcore with light touches of their previous outing, and is one of their most daring and accomplished pieces or work since War All The Time.

Common Existence comes off as gritty, with some of the band's heaviest songs to date. The album consistently delivers a structured assault of sound on the senses, beginning with "Resuscitation of a Dead Man". Songs such as "Last Call" and "Friends of the Armed Forces" deliver on the intense enthusiasm the band is aiming for, yet the calming aura of the band's previous two albums remains in tact for a few of the songs here. The best example of this is "Love Has Lead Us Astray", one of my favorite tracks on the album, while the song that really exemplifies the evolved and intensified sound that Thursday has built on is "Beyond The Visible Spectrum". From the dissonant guitars to the unremarkably unique vocals and strong songwriting, it contains everything that makes the band who they are, as well as proving that they still have the ability to surprise and satisfy after so many albums. Plus, the string arrangements on the track make it pretty damn epic.

By now, you may be wondering if the album is anything like Full Collapse, which is considered by many to be a seminal album of the hardcore/screamo genres. In a way, it does retain the sound and feel of the album, but Common Existence is a much more mature and experienced sound that almost pushes the album to the point of being incomparable. This may be, but Common Existence IS the closest thing that the band has put out since Full Collapse.

So, album number five reinforces the notion that Thursday are a band who are not afraid to keep moving in a world where one divergence can cost a thousand fans. Commercialism requires that someone concoct an idea and repeat it until it becomes unprofitable. Art dictates that you give birth to a concept before releasing it and treating it to nurture future notions. It's safe to say: Thursday are artists.

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Youth In Revolt

2010-01-13T11:06:00.002-05:00

I wonder what Michael Cera is gonna do once he's an adult actor. The awkward comedy genre is definitely better suited to a teen than a grownup. Until then I guess he can just keep on doing movies where he plays basically the same character.

Reviewer
Kaitis
Categories
Movies

Reviewed by Michael Kaitis

Youth In Revolt

Until someone picks up my script for Jesse Eisenberg and Michael Cera tentatively titled "The Awkward Bros.", the only thing that would compare comedically is two Michael Ceras. In Youth in Revolt, he plays Nick, a shy, nice guy who's incredibly uncomfortable with life. Sounds pretty atypical for a Michael Cera role, huh? He lives with his mom and her rotating cast of boyfriends, portrayed in the film by Zach Galifinakis and Ray Liotta respectively. Early on in the film, they go up to a "cabin" which turns out to be a really shitty trailer, and thats kind of when the movie actually starts, after a cut that makes the intro credits claymation for some reason.

Minutes after arriving at the "cabin", Nick meets a girl. Said girl, Sheeni Saunders, is pretty much the fuel for the entire movie. She has a boyfriend, but once Nick sees her vinyl collection and french movie posters, he just knows this girl has to be his. After his week is up at the trailer, he's basically so obsessed with her he tries to create some sort of scheme where he gets to move up there. The plan is a two part-er, with the first part including getting his father to move up there, and the second involving acting bad enough to get kicked out of his mother's place.

As you could maybe guess, this is where the title comes into play. This is also when most of the humor comes into effect in the film. Francois Dillinger is created as the devil on our lead characters shoulders. A complete polar opposite of this traditional Cera character, Dillinger makes him do things from stealing a car to eating an entire bag of mushrooms when he's warned just to eat two. If you're laughing at a Michael Cera on screen, it's probably Dillinger, not Nick Twisp.

Suprisingly, the cast for this film was pretty amazing. Portia Doubleday, the female lead, does quite an amazing job for this being her first acting gig ever. They also brought in plenty of people who do amazing comedy like Justin Long, Fred Willard, and Steve Buscemi, who in my opinion is a great actor to play Cera's dad. While the film can make you laugh, it seems much more keen to bring you into the relationship element the trailer's cut so much around. The movie is nonetheless enjoyable, though it's more like a rom-com than any of Michael Cera's other projects.

Glims

2010-01-12T16:45:00.002-05:00

If you've read any of my Software reviews before, you probably know that Safari is my browser of choice, for many reasons. Safari alone doesn't cut it though; Glims, a fantastic little plugin with a ton of uses, is what makes Safari the best.

Reviewer
Brad
Categories
Software

Reviewed by Brad Cook

Glims for Safari

Let's face it, Safari users; Safari 4 isn't perfect. It's definitely lacking features, some more obvious than others. There is a variety of plugins and downloadable software for Safari, but how do you know which is best for you? Well, in my opinion when you have to download, install, and start messing around with SIMBL, you're spending too much effort for such small payout. Luckily there just happens to be one plugin for Safari that adds a myriad of features to enhance your browsing experience.

Glims is fully Snow Leopard compatible (if you're not by now, what's the deal? (I'm looking at you, Keywurl!)), you can download it at Mac Hangout's website. It's simply a .dmg that turns into a .pkg to install the file, then you're done! Just go into Safari's preferences then to the Glims tab to see all the features.

Glims does so much that it has to divide the features up into sections. They are: General, Full Screen, New Tabs, Tab Misc., Search Engines, Search Suggestions, Bookmarks, Misc., and Updates. They're all pretty self explanatory, so just hop in there and start changing things up.

One thing that bothers me about Safari is resizing the window. I've seen people use it where the window doesn't take up the full screen, and that drives me crazy, I have no idea how they can stand it. One option that Glims gives you is the Max Window Size function, accessed in the Safari menu or by pressing cmd+shift+M. This maximizes the window's size and perfectly aligns it in your screen, so even if you accidentally drag the window or resize it, just cmd+shift+M and you're instantly perfectly aligned and sized. Not only that, but if you need those extra pixels taken up by the bookmarks, tab, tool, and status bars, Glims also implements a full screen feature. It's also under the Safari menu, or can be accessed by hitting cmd+ctrl+F. Hitting it again will return the browser to normal.

Glims also allows you to customize Safari's search bar, a fundamental feature that Apple has overlooked time and again. Not only can you add search engines, but you can even add shortcuts so that all you have to do is type something in the search bar and then hit the shortcut, opening a new tab with the query performed on the specific engine. The only thing better than this would be the ability to use the address bar as the search engine, a la Firefox. And there is such a plugin for this, I mentioned it earlier: Keywurl. However, I'm not interested in running Safari in 32 bit mode until it's compatible with Snow Leopard, especially since it's been almost half a year.

Safari's whole tab system gets an overhaul with Glims. You can set tabs to always open to the right of the current tab, and you can have the site's favicon displayed on each tab, which I like because it adds a bit of color to Safari. My two favorite tab features, however, are the "Undo 'Close Tab'" feature and the tab navigation feature. Undo 'Close Tab' is incredibly useful if you're someone like me who often has to go back and look again at a tab they just closed but going through history takes too much effort. When that's the case, just hit cmd+Z to reopen your last closed tab! Glims also gives Safari some tab navigation hotkeys, namely the comma and period keys. Once you're using this feature, you'll cringe at the thought of not having it.

The ever-growing list of features that Glims adds to Safari's interface and browsing experience is simply too good to pass up. It's updated every month or two usually, continually tweaking it to perfect the way it interacts with Safari. If you use Glims already, you know how indispensable it is. If you haven't used it yet, ditch all those other plugins and go for the one that has it all.

Cursed Mountain

2010-01-11T12:40:00.005-05:00

Here's a question: Why hasn't there been a survival horror game set on a desolate, haunted mountain before? No matter, because Cursed Mountain satisfies that question as well as my craving for some Wii survival horror and ghosts.

Reviewer
Brad
Categories
Games

Reviewed by Brad Cook

Cursed Mountain (Wii)

I have to admit, when I first saw the name Cursed Mountain while browsing Wii titles I might like for Christmas, I laughed pretty hard. There's just no subtlety to it. It's probably the first name I would think of if you'd asked me to give you a list of terrible ideas for game titles. In fact, they could've just called the game Mountain and I would've felt better about it. But sometimes, a bad title does not a bad game make.

Cursed Mountain has you taking on the role of Eric Simmons, looking for your lost brother Frank, who was sent out on an expedition to the top of a mountain in the Himalayas called "Cholomonzo" by a rich old mountain climber. Being set in the Himalayas, the game has a highly spiritual theme running throughout. You'll read much about monks and goddesses and sacred artifacts and curses, which may sound cliché, but Cursed Mountain actually executes this quite well. The backdrop for all this is what really makes the game unique. The mountainous and harsh terrain, the howling wind and ambient sounds, the sense of utter aloneness amongst the empty villages and shacks -- it all adds up to create a suspenseful and tense atmosphere, which makes the more re-hashed aspects of the game less noticeable, if not excusable.

If you've ever played the game Fatal Frame you'll immediately recognize this type of gameplay. Even some older Resident Evil fans will find Cursed Mountain familiar. As Eric, you travel throughout the local villages of Cholomonzo to find clues as to what happened to your brother. These clues come in the form of journal entries and notes from local villagers, your brother, the spiritual leaders of the villagers, etc. The notes are unexpectedly thorough and detailed, even though they're always relatively short and easy to read. The result is a surprisingly solid plot with a great sense of pacing, giving you tidbits of info to keep you interested and on the right path.

The actual gameplay, besides running around finding clues, involves killing ghosts with an ice axe bestowed with mystical powers by monks. The ghosts will walk toward you at varying paces, moving side-to-side, thus making it more difficult to stun them by shooting blasts of Raid for spirits at them. Once you've sufficiently stunned them, you can aim at them and click A, which will allow you to perform wiimote/nunchuk actions to finish them off, such as swinging the wiimote diagonally. The real detractor here is the movement system. I guess since the game takes place on a snowy, windy mountain they figured you should walk really slowly, and run at a pace that normal people would walk. This makes it difficult to avoid getting hit by close-up ghosts and bosses, which means you're gonna die and have to do it all over again, which can be especially frustrating when you're in a boss battle. There are also cool little aspects of the gameplay that provide some variety, like you'll have to sidle along the edge of a cliff, or you'll be walking along a path and have to dodge some huge rocks that randomly break off a rock wall.

While Cursed Mountain doesn't really present anything new to the survival horror genre, it does toss you in an extremely immersive and relatively unused environment - an epic, dangerous mountain. One thing I noticed about the game is that there are some truly amazing camera angles in the game; for example, you'll be running along a bridge and the camera zooms out and tilts up a bit so you can see the whole village beneath it as you cross, or as you're approaching a set of buildings, the perspective changes to that of a man watching you coming towards him through a window, which is pretty cool. The ghost fights can get a bit stale, but when they ramp up the difficulty and have you trying to kill three ghosts at once, you won't be thinking about that. You'll be thinking about how crappy the movement controls are, but that's beside the point. Cursed Mountain has a great story set in an absolutely perfect environment for a survival horror game and probably some of the best graphics I've seen on the Wii, unless you're playing on a large TV that really stretches the Wii's resolution. The voice-overs are even halfway decent. As frustrating as it can be, I'd definitely recommend at least renting this just for the experience.

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The Stuff '09

2010-01-09T18:48:00.004-05:00

Sure, a lot of really crappy things happened last year, but we're trying to smooth over all that stuff with this list of the best stuff that could have possibly (and did) come out or to the forefront in 2009. Let us know what you think of our choices!

Reviewer
WRS Staff
Categories
Features

Moon (DS) >>

When Dementium was released on the DS, it was a huge step forward for the FPS genre on the platform. Sporting a custom made engine, the game's control system was more fluid and easy to use than I'd previously thought possible on a DS. Then came a tidbit of information on the developers' next game, a project they simply called "Moon." Dropping references to hidden hatches to explore, I was quite excited, to say the least. Well, the game's release has come and gone and though it didn't live up to every standard I had in mind, it certainly furthered FPS's on the DS. A solid plot, Dementium's sweet engine tweaked to be even better, a wide variety of weapons, and a surprisingly long campaign made Moon a notable and fun journey.

Tostitos Hint of Jalapeño Chips >>

When you love salsa, chips are usually a decent investment. I'd imagine that many people opt to complete the combination with Tostitos chips, which would be a good choice. Large area for professional dipping and scooping, crunchy, salty, and corny, the Tostito might be the perfect dipping chip. Nevertheless, when the attraction starts to fade, you need to throw some variety into the mix, a la Tostitos' delicious Hint of Lime chips. But what happens when the exotic begins to get stale? You redefine exotic. Tostitos' Hint of Jalapeño chips should please dippers nation-wide.

Avatar >>

Avatar proved to me what I once thought was impossible - a movie doesn't need all the bells and whistles to complement an intricate story in order to create an enjoyable cinematic experience. In other words, with the proper equipment and talent, moviemakers (in this case James Cameron) can skate by on fantastic visuals alone. Sure, the movie won't be perfect, but perfection has variable definitions; Avatar features environments so grandiose atop a simple plot that it manages to strike masterpiece-level quality. The film rips you from your seat and throws you into this colossal environment, rich with breath-taking flora and fauna, as well as a tribal race of bioluminescently blue humanoids. There's so much to behold in Avatar, so much to see and appreciate that it begs multiple viewings. And having seen it first (and second) in regular two-dimension, I can safely say after a 3D viewing that the experience is multiplied tenfold.

Tekken 6 >>

Tekken 6 is a fighting game featuring many characters with real-life martial arts and styles (except of course Alisa, a Russian android...go figure). With 40 characters to choose from, Tekken 6 has enough to keep fighting gamers of any style occupied. There's not much to speak of the story, but there's a Campaign Scenario story mode that's bound to last for some time, along with nice online play. Of course, there's plenty of time to spend fighting head-to-head in battle that keeps you on your toes with juggling combos and environmental hazards. Also, Eddy's not nearly as button master friendly this time around. Better learn how to actually play!

Eastbound and Down Season 1 >>

Words hardly do this epic miniseries justice. The six episode ride follows the legendary ex-major league baseball player Kenny Powers through a subterranean roller-coaster of the darker chapters in his post-baseball career. What's Kenny up to these days? Railing coke, teaching middle-school pukes how to beat one another to death, defying school policy as a gym teacher, stealing the principal's fiance, rekindling old ties with a certain branch of his family, and ultimately leaving it all behind with only the road ahead of him. East Bound and Down is a riotous dark comedy, complete with gut-busters Ben Best, Danny McBride, and Will Ferrell. Supporting cast rakes in almost as many laughs as the main characters, considering the punchy, almost abrasive dialogue and boundless limits Kenny goes to in order to win back his loves - fame and fucking glory.

Bon Iver - Blood Bank EP >>

Even though Bon Iver failed to produce another full length album in 2009, we still have a lot to be thankful for. Various live performances, the Volcano Choir album, and of course, the Blood Bank EP all helped make up for the lack of a second studio album from Justin Vernon. The Blood Bank EP as a whole was more abstract than For Emma, Forever Ago, even going so far as to include autotune on the 4 line a cappella epic, "Woods". The real reason the EP is included on this list is for the titular song, "Blood Bank", documenting perfectly the empty happiness that comes from entertaining a fond memory of a different time. As far as I'm concerned, it will go down as one of the most intimate, honest, and relatable songs of all time.

Adventureland >>

Ah, the 80's. Enter the tale of Greg Motolla's teen years working at a shitty amusement park to make money. Filling in the shoes of the director is Jesse Eisenberg, who brings the awkward while also telling an awesome, albeit teen story of friendships and relationships. There's weed smoking, alcohol drinking, and just plain old good times plus what I would consider an amazing cast consisting of Ryan Reynolds, Kristen Stewart, Martin Starr, Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig and more. You now what? I'd even go as far as saying this is the best movie every single one of them has even been in. Especially Kristen Stewart.

Machinarium >>

Machinarium is an extraordinary point and click adventure that will not only amaze you with its beautiful art style but will also challenge your mind and psyche in ways you thought not possible. This is easily one of the best games I've played all year. You control a little robot throughout an industrial town set amidst a barren wasteland, and are faced with various puzzling challenges. If you're a fan of brilliant independent games or can't get enough of last year's Braid, then this game is not one you should miss.

Taco Bell Volcano Menu >>

Taking Taco Bell to new heights was its Volcano Menu. Whether you wanted a Taco, a Burrito, or a plate of Nachos, there was something for you on the aptly named menu. These items were stock full of Taco Bell's new Volcano sauce, as well as other ingredients that give the food a more spicy feel than its regular menu items. They cost quite a bit more than their colder counterparts, however. Nachos alone will run you just shy of 5 bucks. However, they're definitely all worth a shot, unless of course your stomach doesn't much like those kinds of things.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Night Castle >>

There is nothing more beautiful than a guitar riffing over The Planets. TSO's fifth studio album packs in two disks of classical-infused rock, and doesn't let up for a second. Accompanied by a wonderful story about love, life and redemption, there is simply no reason to back down from at least giving this album a shot. Vocalists send shivers down the spine with every emotional chord. It's simply a one of a kind album that has to be heard. It certainly helps when you feel a need for TSO now that Christmas is over.

Brutal Legend >>

Brutal Legend is a game straight from the twisted minds of Tim Schafer and Jack Black, the man behind Psychonauts and the more notorious half of Tenacious D, respectively. This game is a metalhead's fantasy, starring Eddie Riggs (aka Jack Black with a huge axe), voiced by...well, Jack Black, transported to a magical world of musical greatness. You'll find yourself burning up crazed hair metal harpies to smiting wicked demons to getting your ride pimped by Ozzy, all just in time to win the rocker chick and save the day. Rock on.

Drag Me To Hell >>

Sam Raimi, Gore, Gypsy curses, and Alison Lohman. Almost hard to dislike a movie with someone as hot as her in it. Fuck you, Megan Fox, your movies suck. Though if you want me to apologize for that I would be more than willing to meet you somewhere, particularly the nicest hotel you can afford, but I digress. Hands down, this was one of my favorite horror films of the year, or maybe even the past 5 years. It's been a long time since Raimi was in the horror game and he is back just to prove he still has the roots of his horror brilliance, keeping you laughing while you cringe. Though, let's not get out of line, this is no Evil Dead, but regardless this film is just flat-out badass.

Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 7 >>

Lawrence Gene David continues to star as himself, perpetuating the success of his HBO sitcom Curb Your Enthusiasm. The show still operates on the same keel, taking an overall theme for the season and weaving it throughout ten episodes of uncomfortable situations, neurotic encounters, and sociopathic feelings of indifference. Larry David is a man of two worlds - Earth and Davidome. As an Earthling, Larry David commits no foul or folly greater or less than most others; he eats, he sleeps, he clothes himself, he de-clothes himself, maybe he helps de-clothe others in his spare time... Who knows? Now, enter Davidome. Here, Larry David thrives and is unmatched in his uncooperative nature and stubborn assertions that his way is the "right" way. Follow this self-loathing Jewish bundle of fun at your own peril, this season complete with the cast of Seinfeld, as Larry seeks to conduct a reunion show. I'm sure those who haven't already witnessed season 7 know that his plans pan out just perfectly.

IceClean >>

Yes, now that you have a mac, you're significantly less at risk to viruses and malware in general. However, no matter what you do with it, temp files and other unwanteds accumulate on your computer after time, and they slow it down, or your permissions could get out of whack, disallowing you access to a basic app, like TextEdit. This is where IceClean comes in - it can clean, maintain, and secure your computer quickly, easily, and best of all, for free. My computer runs as well as the day I got it, and I owe it largely to IceClean.

The Bird and the Bee - Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future >>

Here's an album that can be played at any given moment and be hard pressed to find someone complaining. Each track on Ray Guns is as good as the last by its own merits. Songs like Diamond Dave and My Love will have you toe-tapping or finger-drumming at the very least, and drum-heavy tracks like Polite Dance Song will have you bobbing your head to the beat. The Bird and the Bee offer sounds ranging from jazzy pop to indie synth rock and all sorts of genres in-between. The fun only ceases with Lifespan of a Fly, and that melancholy track is hardly a bore. The sweet vocals are complimented well by the album's dance-inducing jams, and the synth provides icing on the cake for most songs. You don't get much more easy-listening, indie fun than this.

Demon's Souls >>

Demon's Souls is an Action-Adventure-RPG kind of game, similar to the Legend of Zelda games. Except it reeks of difficulty you won't find anywhere short of the good old game, Battletoads. This game is unforgiving all the way from the Tutorial level. Rarely any explanation is given in game; this is what the online mode is for. For other people to give you hints as to what to do, as opposed to the makers themselves. Very innovative online systems, even a pseudo-multiplayer experience to get past those parts you just can't get past by yourself. By no means for the faint of heart.

Up >>

Pete Docter's Monsters Inc. is one of my most beloved Pixar classics, although it's true I'm partial to Brad Bird's work as well. (The Incredibles and Ratatouille, anyone?) Docter's second attempt at a computer-animated classic was a huge success, detailing the events of Carl Fredricksen and his exploits to fulfill the promise he made to his deceased wife - take their house to Paradise Falls in South America. The superlative score put forth by Michael Giacchino accents the very real characters' dilemmas, unlike other similar animated productions which tip the scales of focus toward bombarding viewers with flashy visual spectacles. Up has its fair share of them, but the key is that they're complimented by voice acting and character development that's believable and endearing. Animated films seldom hold this much refined depth.

DJ Hero >>

DJ Hero is a music game in the Hero line of games by Activision. Like the related Guitar Hero franchise, it has a large number of licensed tracks that you can play along with by using a specialized peripheral controller. In this game, the controller is obviously that of a turntable. Featuring the likenesses of such artists as Grandmaster Flash, DJ Shadow, Daft Punk and the late DJ AM, and licensed tracks from all them plus more, including Eminem, 50 Cent, and even some rock mixes with Queen, Foreigner, and Foo Fighters, you're sure to find something you love in this game. One thing's for sure, though - it's not just a Beatmania ripoff.

Lost Season 5 >>

Embracing the show's science fiction roots with all their might, Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse took the time-travel plunge this season, much to the dismay of some. The majority, however, took this plot device and sprinted with it. And how can you blame us? Lost has had a new narrative device to coincide its unfathomably massive storyline each year, and I'd say these literal flashes between time periods are my favorite. Amongst the new storytelling device are a few new characters, most of whom are now deceased, but during their short stay on the island provided very intriguing insights. One of those characters, Daniel Faraday, took on the monstrous task of being the sole connection between several Losties we've known for years: Charles Widmore, Penelope Widmore, and Eloise Hawking. Apart from that, Faraday also championed his destiny of being killed by his own mother, but not before assisting the castaways with crucial info regarding quantum mechanics and time travel theories. Season 5 more than adequately bridged the gap between the previous year's escape-the-island season and 2010's ultimate season. And finally we got the Rousseau backstory we've been promised since post-third season!

Wii Sports Resort >>

1:1 motion control is pretty much what everyone anticipating the release of the Wii was expecting, so when Nintendo introduced it finally a few years later it was a relief. But Wii Motion Plus's flagship game for the most part proved to everyone just how deep and interactive a Wii game could be. Full on sword battles with real time blocking are now within our grasp, people! Just try playing Archery on WSR and tell me it's not some of the most fun you've had playing a video game. Frolf was certainly not a bad addition, either.

Gomez - A New Tide >>

Back when I saw Dave Matthews Band a few years ago, a little band called Gomez opened for them. Despite the girl next to me telling me how they were the best band ever, and I should download their album immediately, I just wanted Dave to be on. Seems I should've listened, because Gomez's 2009 release, A New Tide, is exceptional from start to finish. A New Tide spreads an earthy musical philosophy and acoustic sound with occasional electronic aspects over a heavy pop foundation to result in a series of songs that will leave you wondering how you got along without Gomez before.

Dominos Bread Bowl Pasta >>

In late April, Dominos released the pasta bread bowls that took the pizza industry by storm, fusing both a pizza crust and delicious penne pasta into one "bowl". After getting my first one on the house, I was hoping it was going to be love at first bite. Believe me, it was. It comes in five different flavors: chicken carbonara, Italian sausage marinara, chicken alfredo, pasta primavera, three cheese man-n-cheese, as well as the option to create your own concoction. It could even serve two people, provided they weren't super hungry. The prices run anywhere from $5.99 to $7.99, and for the carb conscious they offer just the pasta without the bread dish for a dollar less.

Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder >>

When a Futurama movie with David Cross as the main featured actor failed to meet even the usual level of Futurama humor, I found myself losing hope, thinking that the public's newfound love for Futurama might soon die down before anything important happened. Bender's Game came next, which was decent, but lacked the Futurama spirit. Eventually Into the Wild Green Yonder came out and brought with it the trademark attitude, intelligence, and comedy that had been seemingly missing since Bender's Big Score. Not only was the writing top quality, but the movie's end was seemingly the culmination of the entire show that we had been waiting for, pushed for by Groening himself. Whether the new season will pick up where the film left off or continue regardless remains to be seen.

Halo 3: ODST >>

At long last, we're introduced to the Covenant Engineer. Worth the wait, eh? Apart from that, ODST stands as average first-person shooter fare, or it might have been, were it not for the combined efforts of a creative force like development powerhouse Bungie, critical members from the cast of FOX's sci-fi hit Firefly, and subtle homages paid to Bungie's original gangster FPS - Marathon. The resulting product is a brief stint as different orbital drop shock troopers fighting the good fight as the absent Master Chief is off enduring the events of Halo 3. The tone is dark, the mood is grim, and the music successfully accentuates those thematic elements ten-fold as you wander through ruined city streets, streaks of rain beating against your visor. A visually stunning accomplishment, Halo 3: ODST is best tackled on either Heroic or Legendary difficulty; if you're willing to struggle against challenging AI, the payoff of success will have you coming back for seconds.

Metroid Prime Trilogy >>

I'm one of those people who never played any of the Metroids when they came out, having only started the first one about a year ago and never finished. However, with all three of them for the price of just one, AND the fact that they've been reworked with the Metroid Prime 3 wii control scheme, not purchasing this beast would be one of the biggest mistakes I could possibly make. It's hard to even think of a better deal than 3 games for the price of one, it's the ultimate bang for your buck. Now if only my GameStop would get it in stock so I can start backtracking, already.

DSi >>

The DSi came out to a rather confused market. "What's the difference between this and the DS Lite?" DSi's got two cameras, SD card slot, and Wii-esque channels that allow users to download aptly-named DSiWare, listen to music, and take and edit photos. It lacks a GBA slot, and with it, a lot of functionality in games that are still coming out, like Pokemon and the Hero music games. If you're looking for a more Wii-like experience and have something else to play your GBA games on, this system is definitely worth a look.

Moon >>

Like Sci-Fi flicks? Call yourself a Sci-Fi fan? Well then if you haven't seen Moon, starring the uber talented Sam Rockwell then you should be ashamed of yourself. Be prepared to experience a movie that is far from predictable, far from earth and far from anything else you will see this year. Even with other Sci-Fi blockbusters being released this year, this movie continues to fill a certain void those do not. It's a mind trip that will keep your head spinning, in a good way; when its over you'll be glad you took this advice.

Miike Snow - Miike Snow >>

Electronica is a genre I continually find myself more drawn to. With stuff like Miike Snow out there, it pains me to think about what else I might be missing. Comprised of producers Bloodshy and Avant (of Britney Spears' "Toxic" fame), as well as vocalist Andrew Wyatt, the three craft hyper-catchy techno music for people who know about music, which means that you won't find the same beat behind every song, and each song won't consist of maybe two extremely long and repetitive melodies. What you will find is an album of highly varied songs, each one creating a separate audio environment for Miike Snow to experiment with tone, texture, and temerity.

South Park Season 13 >>

Satirical comedy at its absolute finest, and driven by two of the most socially-informed people in America - Matt Stone and Trey Parker. South Park's thirteenth season leaps forward into untapped hilarities and bounds backward to recreate age-old characters for modern day episodes. Nobody is safe while South Park is on the air, in life or death. From Michael Jackson to Kanye West to the casts and crews of shows like Whale Wars and Ghost Hunters, everybody takes a boot to the face. And at one point I considered it an honor to be ripped on by Stone and Parker, but apparently I'm mistaken. The writers unabashedly tear celebrities apart with harsh visual imagery and spectacularly crappy voice-overs which give their victims no room for struggle. The celebrity impersonations don't seek to accurately recreate the character for the punishment in store, but rather highlights their worst qualities and sheds light on what people aren't aware of. To Stone and Parker I say only this: keep fighting the good fight, soldiers!

Pixelmator >>

Photoshop is no longer the premier lemonade stand on the proverbial block. Pixelmator showed up this past year to introduce the real potential of an applied user interface in regards to an image editing program. And that's probably the application's smallest accomplishment; as the first image editing program to rely on graphics cards for image processing, Pixelmator frees up your CPU to pursue other endeavors as you crop and chop your face onto whatever animal body you wish you had, weirdo. It's a real pleasure to use, too. Pixelmator doesn't sit idly, boring holes into your eyes with its mundane appearance and issues with user-friendliness. This image editor jumps out at you and almost speaks by way of actions. Click on an image with your magic wand and drag the cursor to increase/decrease intensity. Create a crop box and double-click inside to instantly crop your image. Everything about Pixelmator is snappy and intuitive, rarely leaving much work up to the user. Bring a general knowledge of photo manipulation, equip your Apple computer, and you'll forgo Photoshop for basic image editing in no time flat.

Wendy's Spicy Chicken Nuggets >>

It only took 13 years for Wendy to put their famous Spicy breading on something that wasn't a sandwich, but I'd say it was almost worth it. At nineteen cents cheaper than the regular variant, this is basically the best fast food nugget available. Sure maybe other fast food establishments may have better chicken, but try to find another with this amount of peppers and spice and you'll just be plain out of luck. On top of the low, low price they come with ranch dip, and I'm always a fan of quoting Ben from out first ever review - "... they come with ranch dip! If I caught you asking for anything else, I’d punch your face."

500 Days of Summer >>

Though the genre of romantic-comedies has recently suffered from clichéd and ineptly made films, 500 Days of Summer is a refreshing look on love and the illusions and perspectives that may come along with it. Though the film may have a strong message that is strikingly honest, it’s entirely enjoyable to watch alone or as a couple. Alongside two attractive and talented young leads, the film is boosted by an intelligent and clever script that will keep you intrigued from beginning to end… and will leave you reminiscing on it for some time after. 500 Days of Summer is one the best movies of 2009, and easily stands as one of the best romantic-comedies of all time.

Borderlands >>

Well, in the real world 17.5 million guns would most likely mean you're trying to overthrow the government, but in Borderlands it leads to some very addicting game play. Yes, you can actually choose from that many different weapons, but that's only half the fun. Newcomer Gearbox made the perfect blend of RPG/FPS in one of the most underrated games of the year. Exploring the cel-shaded wasteland of Pandora's (this came out before Avatar) epic world, you're thrown into not only an extremely exciting quest, but one that has the most fun Co-Op since Contra. Coming out 2 weeks before Modern Warfare 2 may have cast it in some shadows, but make sure you don't overlook this gem.

Major Lazer Music Videos >>

Directed by Eric Wareheim, the music videos for Major Lazer's "Pon de Floor" and "Keep It Goin' Louder" are bits of genius. Each video features a separate set of ludicrous events involving exceptionally strange looking people. The former video, "Pon de Floor", literally houses a group of black people partaking in what would appear to be fornication, although they're all clothed; a type of dancing called Daggering. Wareheim's bizarre scenery and choreography really accentuates the otherwise lackluster, experimental hip hop tune. And with "Keep It Goin' Louder", Wareheim did just that, and took things to an entirely new level. Four broad-bodied, squish-faced motorcyclists kick things off, making it almost impossible to avert your eyes from the action on-screen. The catchy jam is pumped louder and harder against more absurd character, plenty of sexual innuendo, and laugh-out-loud dance moves. Truly Eric Wareheim has achieved something with these works of art; I'm just not sure what it is, yet.

Assassin's Creed 2 >>

2009 was full of successful and well made videogame sequels; Assassins Creed 2 is one of those games. Not only did AC2 improve upon almost everything the previous game needed work on, but it also succeeded largely on its wonderful story, brilliant mission design, and vastly detailed and beautiful open world. Every minute that I spend running around Italy makes me feel as though I am there, the music is perfectly fitting for every situation that the character encounters, and the general scope of the game is overwhelmingly increased in nearly every aspect. Do your self a favor and play this game. Not only is it a completely superior game to its predecessor, but it also stands as one of the best action-adventure games I've ever played.

BlazBlue >>

Blazblue is a 2D fighting game by Arc System Works, the same guys that brought forth Guilty Gear. Like its predecessor, Blazblue is a fast-paced fighter featuring many different fighters from all shapes and sizes. From a yandere humanoid mech with some weird fetishes for the main character, to the fun-loving catgirl who is always caught in a daze by another character's rather notable chest, it's a fighting game that doubles as a soap opera that's actually worth watching. It's a big step up from a slower fighting game like Street Fighter, though. If you want to get into it, you'd better be willing to put in some practice.

Kid Cudi - Man On the Moon: The End of Day >>

Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi aka Kid CuDi proudly, and formally declared himself "The Man on the Moon," on last year's A Kid Named Cudi. He took this title and made it an entire concept album on his debut CD. Starting with three spacey tracks that emplore very courageous and unorthodox beats, the album gets into more sing along feel good tracks toward the end. Creating his own blend of singing choruses and rapping verses, Cudi has his own catchy style that may even have anti-rap people thinking twice. Add the icing on the cake with collaborations from MGMT, Ratatat, Common and Kanye, and you definitely have one of 2009's best albums.

Star Trek >>

I've tried for weeks to fathom a more perfect reboot, or even a tiny tweaked detail or two that would've made J.J. Abrams's visionary sci-fi epic the slightest bit better, to no avail. Star Trek is perfect. The action is fast-paced and unceasing, the characters are immediately recognizable to Trekkies and immediately likable for first-timers, and the story is brilliantly composed. Classic Trek era Spock found his way into a black hole, emerging in an alternate past and causing the Enterprise crew (among others) to undergo drastic new dilemmas. Because Star Trek essentially takes place on the show's birthplace (in terms of star date), the characters are free to explore new missions, achieve new greatness, and fall victim to new foes. All of this and more is possible for the Enterprise crew, who far from being slow-moving and mundanely colored, are now featured in glorious high-definition as space battles ensue, ships are colliding, and phasers are set from stun to kill. It's exceptionally difficult to imagine a better recreation of a science fiction landmark.

Flight of the Conchords Season 2 >>

This season wasn't as long as the first season was because Bret and Jemaine wanted to focus more on quality than quantity, and they were sure as hell true to that. The episode directed by Michel Gondry, featuring the unbelievably good song, "Carol Brown," is probably the one we all consider the best at WRS HQ. With only ten episodes, Flight of the Conchords had a small window to deliver, and that they did. Murray ostensibly knows less about music than ever, and they guys find themselves in much more ridiculous situations than the first season. This season put a perfect end to a series most would consider near flawless.

Pictobits >>

Here's a nifty little puzzle game that'll have you singing those nostalgia blues. From the Art Styles team comes a neat little timewaster that you'll end up picking up when you least expect it. The premise is simple: "Megabits" fall from the sky, and you have to use your "bits" at the bottom to form groups of 4 with the Megabits. As you do, you'll fill in a sprite of a classic Nintendo character and add to the background music the more you progress until bam- you've recreated the past and your character comes to life! With music composed by the popular bitpop band YMCK, 15 stages, and an extra-hard Dark Mode, it's worth the reasonable 500-DSi-Point price tag. If you're a hardcore Nintendo fan or just like unique puzzle games, you won't be disappointed.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 >>

At this point I think its prudent to say that I am addicted to this game. Everything about it is fantastic. Spec ops, Campaign, and Multiplayer all shine throughout although my favorite has to be playing online. The new perks, guns, killstreaks, game types, and maps all add to the addicting nature this game tends to have on people. Leveling up now to 70 and then taking the plunge and prestige-ing is one of the funnest things. Cant forget about the campaign or spec ops either; Campaign has you pulling some pretty insane, even at times controversial, stunts. Spec-ops has you stacked up against enemies and rewards stars based upon your completion of the task. Its not only extremely challenging but also very fun. The whole package is definitely worth the 60$, can't wait for some juicy DLC.

Paranormal Activity >>

Most films that gather a rather large amount of hype before they're released tend to do well in the box office, whether or not they are well made. Paranormal Activity gained a lot of attention due its next-to-non-existent budget, clever camera tricks, and lack of scenery changes. Not only did Paranormal deliver on the hype, but it provided a view of innovation in filmmaking, and set itself as one of the most creative horror films of all time, boasting plenty of genuine scares, no matter how many times you tell people you're not scared.

Madworld >>

Madworld is one of the few Wii games where you can utilize motion control to slam somebody repeatedly onto a spike, or jam a street sign into their skull, or play a game called "Man Darts". Now imagine all this with a wonderfully detailed black and white (and red) art style, and a surprisingly ambitious plot, the likes of which the Wii has rarely seen. Now pretend for a second you could get two fantastic voices to narrate absurd and often hilarious observations and remarks - Greg Proops and John DiMaggio, perhaps. OH, and get Spike Spiegel's voice for the main character. "Surely no one game could amass that amount of awesome," you might be saying. Wrong!

Skittles Crazy Cores >>

What is there really to say about a new type of Skittles? I mean they come out with new flavors all the time, and up to this point none of them have been note worthy, until now. Crazy Cores are, I don't know, maybe so amazing that only anyone with at least half of their inner child left would quite understand. They're Skittles but they're kinda like Gobstoppers. They have 2 separate layers and the combinations of flavors keeps you wishing you had bought two bags.

Batman: Arkham Asylum >>

In arguably the first Batman game that's actually good, the Caped Crusader finds himself in Joker's elaborate scheme to trap him on Arkham Island, with the Joker at full control of the security systems. What's a bat to do? With a really nice freeflow combat system that allows for multiple combos on multiple enemies at a time, an intuitive detective system that allows Batman to track down people of interest, to, of course, a utility belt's worth of Batgadgets at his command, you will control Batman as he takes on such enemies as Bane, Poison Ivy, and as he falls into the hands of the Joker himself in the dark and haunted Arkham.

Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion >>

As far as music this year, one of the only albums I have been concerned about is Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavilion. Exploring past Merriweather into the rest of their lineup and finding that MPP is truly their masterpiece has been a challenge and a delight. Every single song I have grown to love, even the most exotic, tribal, far-out, maybe even annoying sounds that some may classify as pure noise, like the end of "Daily Routine", or the middle of "Brother Sport". But each has its own greatness; "My Girls" and "Brother Sport" may be classified as the most listenable but each one, "Summertime Clothes", "In the Flowers", "Bluish", "Taste", "Guys Eyes", "Lion in a Coma", are all written brilliantly, all having their own very distinct and intriguing sound. Their music creeps along the edge of this territorial boundary, expanding and thus exploring, building some new type of sound, which I can't even begin to try and explain. It has grown on me like nothing else musically this year, and has made me an avid fan. Oh yeah, and don't worry, that picture is moving.

The Hurt Locker >>

Right off the bat, The Hurt Locker informs the viewer of the basic premise of the film: "…War is a drug." Then, for the rest of the movie it basically does all it can to teach you that drugs are bad. But inevitably, for better or worse, we're attracted to things that are supposed to be bad. The film is ostensibly the most realistic war film created in my opinion, not that I'm an expert, but you'll know what I mean when you see it. It focuses on a U.S. Army bomb disposal unit in Iraq, specifically Staff Sgt. William James's crazy ass. Even if you're not a fan of war movies, like me, you must give this one a shot. A true gem.

Mirror's Edge Pure Time Trials DLC >>

As if EAs free-running game itself weren't enough, the brilliant minds behind Mirror's Edge crafted the ultimate series of time trial maps. The visually stunning courses are as challenging as they are thrilling to conquer. The placement of objects and obstacles is as far from arbitrary as could be. Instead, Pure Time Trials bestows upon free-runners multiple paths layered atop one another, creating dynamic courses with moderate to insane difficulties depending on how fast you plan to attack the level, how quick your fingers can adapt, and how numb your brain gets after repeat offenses. Some aspects of this map pack can be frustrating to bypass, but they're also the masters of teaching intricate control and precise maneuvering. You're running, kicking, sliding, vaulting, and basically hauling all sorts of ass through these visceral attractions, and your reward for three star perfection is yet another stage to clear. Get comfortable; you'll be here for a while.

The xx - xx >>

Smooth, cool, melancholy, mellow, chill and relaxing, all in one. Sure that may sound like a description of some trendy import beer, but it's only some of the words I can use to describe the XX's self titled debut album. With male and female voalists, the albums finds a good steady tone blending the two voices together, often singing in duet form. Not to mention that the band members have barely left their teens. This album is perfect for any sort of "chilling out," whether it be with a significant other or just while you're trying to hit the hay.

PSPgo >>

I admit I was among those who, at first glance, laughed at this obscene portable device, but as I've learned from a history of Nintendo DSs, touching is believing. The PSPgo features a gorgeous screen, ultra-slim profile, and no moving parts; that means additional battery life compared to a standard PSP system, as well as a decrease in potential internal damage when the PSPgo inevitably ends up in your dog's yapper (no promises on avoiding cosmetic damage). The slide mechanism is sturdy and reliable, and the controls provide for a comfortable gaming experience. Watching movies, listening to music, and browsing the web has never been easier, and with the PSPgo, you can snap from one task to another in real time for hours on end before a recharge is necessary. It's a great alternative to the DSi for those looking to embrace a different style of video game and expand their portable media options.

Parks and Recreation Season 1 >>

Leslie Knope will tell you that if you want smoothing done in this town you call Mark Brandanawicz, but I would call the unstopper political powerhouse that Is Ms. Knope herself. You can put Pawnee, Indiana up there with Scranton, Pennsylvania on the list of amazing small towns from TV shows because Parks and Recreation is by far one of the funniest, smartest, most lovable shows out there. ?uestlove even called this show the Wu-Tang of comedy, meaning it has one of the best ensembles you could get together, and that's something I couldn't agree more with. Between Tom Haverford and Ron Swanson, who is maybe one of the all time best TV characters, it's almost impossible to find someone you don't love in Pawnee. That, and Andy's band Scarecrow Boat -- er, Mouse Rat, is one of the funniest fictional bands since Spinal Tap.

Florence and the Machine - Lungs >>

What an intimidating beast of an album Lungs is. Florence Welch and co. came literally out of nowhere this year to turn in one of the year's finest offerings. The album features walls of jaw-dropping sound, largely made up of Florence's multiple passionately soaring layers of vocals. Florence and the Machine is probably more of a studio band than a live act, but that only makes pop wonders more unique. The amount of time and effort put into Lungs is immediately noticeable, as well as the incredible songwriting talent of Florence herself. When each song is as densely packed as these are, this is really an album you have to hear to believe.

New Super Mario Bros Wii >>

Okay at this point, who doesn't enjoy sitting down with beloved friends Mario and Luigi? New Super Mario Brothers Wii is out and man is it awesome! Nintendo's classic take on gaming is still heartfelt and more fun than ever. Although this time around its a bit more challenging. Boasting the title of hardest Mario game yet, this one will keep you playing for hours on end. There are still many classic mario elements to this game yet at the same time it is innovative and plays better than ever. Just another fantastic title to pick up for us Wii owners.

Watchmen >>

Boldly going where even the most devout space explorer has gone, Watchmen tumbles gracefully into the realm of moral ambiguity. With all the Hollywood drivel of the gallant hero saving the day and winning the girl and having everything end up just the way it ought to be, it's nice to have a gleaming pillar of intellectual cinema. Watchmen features ordinary men and women (save for one superhuman - Dr. Manhattan) who don masks and capes, roaming the streets as citizen-defending vigilantes. The run is short lived, however, and the people quickly turn on their once heros, forcing them to readmit themselves into average daily routines. When a massive plot to wipe out former costumed crusaders takes shape, one of the Watchmen takes it upon himself to uncover the diabolical plot, only to find that it's much bigger than himself or any of his former comrades. Watchmen is a bad ass epic that breaks the mold of traditional hero flick and splatters the silver screen with all of the comic book counterparts darker themes. Who watches the Watchmen? Hopefully you do.

McCafé Coffee >>

With the McCafe menu growing by the day it's not surprising these tasty concoctions are getting all that hype. First off they are anywhere from 50 cents to a dollar less then Starbucks. Trying not to make their customers heads spin with those strange sizes - venti, tall, wumbo, etc, they decided to stick with the norm: small, medium and large. They are great tasting and filled with tons of energy, and by energy I mean caffeine. There are seven different beverages on the McCafe lineup as of now: cappuccino, latte, mocha, iced mocha, iced latte, iced coffee, and frappe. They come in many exciting flavor, too - vanilla, sugar-free vanilla, carmel, hazelnut, and mocha. McDonald's has tried to simplify and let you enjoy your coffee drinking experience with money to spare in pocket.

Undefined Fantastic Object >>

Remember the top-down shooters of yesteryear, like Ikaruga, DoDonPatchi, and 1942? Or are you already a hardcore shmup fan? In either case, here's a challenging manic shooter from Team Shanghai Alice [Which only has one member, meaning one guy makes all these games]. Guide one of three main characters (One of two miko [shrine maidens] or a Magician) through the world of Gensokyo, shooting down fairies and youkai[demons] to uncover the mystery of the Undefined Fantastic Objects seen floating through the skies. Frantic bullet densities and specially-patterned "Spell Card" bullet clouds will keep you on edge throughout the game, and even Easy Mode will sometimes prove to be tough to those new to the genre, offering a powerful challenge from Stage 1 to 6. And if it isn't, there's always the EX Stage once the game is done, which offers you a difficulty even higher than the infamous Lunatic Mode. Breathtaking backgrounds, an endearing all-female cast, and on top of all that, it's free AND been translated into English! Take a peek into the world of Gensokyo with Touhou 12: UFO today.

Zombieland >>

Even if you haven't seen the film, you've probably seen the trailer where Woody Harrelson's character Tallahassee declares, "It's time to nut up or shut up." While this is seemingly his only rule in an apocalyptic zombie nightmare future, we're following Jesse Eisenberg's Columbus, who has a huge list of rules for surviving in Zombieland. While we soon learn about the importance of cardio in the very opening scene, the amazing story you're taken on is about as much of a ride as the ones they ride in the film's finale. The touching backstories and partnerships make a nice blend with the hilarity and action to give you not only a film where you care about the characters, but one that will keep you hooked every second. On top of it all this movie defines what a good cameo is; everyone else, take note.

Dragon Age: Origins >>

Does it even need to be said that this game rocks really, really hard? Dragon Age Origins, brought to you by the guys who did Mass Effect, KotOR, and Baldur's Gate, is a "spiritual sequel" to the latter, and features a compelling story with six different openings, solid real time gameplay, a massive world with absolutely beautiful graphics, and a cast that changes based on who you are and what you do. Oh, and you even get a dog. AWESOME. You're going to need to clear several weekends to get through even one corner of this massive world, and you'll love every bit of it. BioWare, you've done it again.

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia Season 5 >>

It's Always Sunny is one of the most unique television shows on right now, and maybe that's why it's so good. This season contained some of the best plans and biggest amounts of stupidity we've ever seen from the Paddy's Pub Gang. Charlie tries to start a "Kitten Mittens" business, Dennis and Mac become Hugh Honey and Vic Vinegar, real estate agents, and Dee gets her cat stuck in a wall. Every episode will make you laugh more than the next. Watching this show is equivalent to series of trainwrecks that gets funnier as it gets worse. It takes special talent to turn something like an Intervention into not only a hilarious occurrence, but funny phrase just based on how they use it. Wrap that all off with an unbelievable Christmas episode that I'll be watching for years to come, and you have the strongest season of the show to date.

Wilco - Wilco (The Album) >>

When I first tore open the great "Wilco (The Song)," and got to the chorus of "Wilco will love you, baby," this may actually be the first time a band I loved actually told me they loved me back; that's how special this album is. From the avant-garde "Bull Black Nova", to the ballad "You and I", Tweedy and the gang bring everything from their own notorious blend of bluesy rock to experimental tracks they haven't messed with since 2004's A Ghost is Born. Variety of this caliber can't be found on any of their other albums. Wilco (The Album) does a perfect job of blending every kind of music this band has ever tried out from Summerteeth and onwards. On top of being an accomplishment for the band themselves, it's really pleasing on the ears.

Inglourious Basterds >>

There are few things more conceptually masterminded than a fantasy revenge war film featuring Jewish soldiers killing the absolute fuck out of Nazis. Surround that concept with two stories of vengeance against the master race and you've got what's likely to win movie of the year. Inglourious Basterds is broken up into five chapters, and throughout each you'll find yourself hanging on every letter of dialogue. Quentin Tarantino has had roughly 10 years to punch up and trim off the fat from his masterpiece, and the finished product boasts nothing less than his finest film yet. Tarantino's artful command of film direction is on display in full - characters don't merely share brief interactions. Rather, every ounce of plot development further draws a tie connecting characters to one another and brings the story closer to its explosively satisfying grand finale. If that's not enough to convince you, try Googling the name Christoph Waltz.

Forza 3 >>

Just like when Jeremy Clarkson is put in charge of a test on Top Gear, Forza 3 doesn't even need to compete with everything else before being declared the unanimous victor. It's just that awesome. No other game studio could have put the amount of detail into one of the many departments that Turn 10 mastered. Adding drift and drag modes plus the best course from Forza 1 made this game the real culmination of the previous efforts. On top of being one of the most visually appealing driving games on the market, the amount of customization you're left to mess with on the 400+ cars the game has to offer not only beats all other video games. Forza 3 leaves real life as the only real competitor.

Fantastic Mr. Fox >>

Whenever Wes Anderson is doing a film, anybody who has good taste in film is excited. I was skeptical however about the whole stop-motion thing, and what was that going to mean? Would Anderson's signature style persist if it's all animated? By the end of the film my expectations and questions were resolved. Fantastic Mr. Fox is great fun to watch; everything incorporated in Wes' films plays a part here. Not only is he left with a cast he is very familiar with, but the animation, the use of title cards, and the dry, hilarious humor between those familiar characters all push the quality of this film up. All of the voice acting is great; Clooney, Streep, Schwartzman especially, and Bill Murray, of course. The film sort of bobbles an order vs. chaos type nature. Anything that has consequence in this film is utterly entertaining. This was my favorite animated film of the year; Anderson has a very creative vision for animation, and Avatar you can just go away.

Passion Pit - Manners >>

Passion Pit is not an easy band to describe. Equal parts synth/electronica and rock band with a howling falsetto singer might do it, but then again is there really any point in describing the way a band sounds? No matter what I tell you, your preconceptions will influence what you think they sound like, which might even turn you off to listening to them in the first place. Regardless, Passion Pit has essentially redefined the summer album with this collection of feel-good sing alongs while managing to stay indie, which is not an easy thing to do. Simple pop songs bleeding with color that use sounds rarely heard in the pop environment create an album where the music sounds fresh and the vocals are something to behold.

Modern Family Season 1 >>

The man america knows as Al Bundy, aka Ed O'Neil is actually back, and kicking ass at comedy again. Modern Family follows O'Neil, as Jay Pritchett, who has two full grown kids with their own families: a gay son with an adopted baby and a daughter who is married with three kids. Got all that? We follow around this cast of 10 in their separate lives, while coming together at certain times for family events. The "modern" refers to the fact that Jay married to a hot woman half his age, and the gay couple have jumped on the Asian baby bandwagon. While the show is family oriented, it still has amazing laughs, somewhat enhanced by the mockumentary format we know from The Office. Mix that with guest stars Elizabth Banks, Ed Norton and Fred Willard and you not only have a show that will have you consistently cracking up, but one you can watch with the whole family.

Windows 7 >>

In short, Windows 7 has the stability of Windows XP SP3 and the pretty graphical interface of Windows Vista (about the only good thing Vista had going for it, and even the interface isn't universally accepted). To get into the nitty gritty, Windows 7 is what most PC users have been waiting for - a reliable operating system with a coinciding graphical interface that doesn't look like it was produced a decade ago. Success! Microsoft may still be hot on the idea of multiple OS versions, such as Home, Business, and Ultimate, but (would-be) redundancies aside, Windows 7 introduces some long-awaited features: virtual hard disk support, kernel restructuring, better support for multi-cose processors, improved boot times, a refined taskbar, and a new Windows Media Center. And those are only a handful of Windows 7's offerings. It took one of the most massive fails to arrive at this point, but Vista's horrid shelf life ended with a light at the end of the tunnel - Windows 7.

Reno 911! Season 6 >>

If there was anyone who could fill the void of Clemmy, Garcia and Kimball, it had to be Ian Roberts of UCB and Joe Lo Truglio from The State. Giving the cast such a rounded list of amazing improv performers made this tragically final season my favorite out of all six. How many other shows can you find Rainn Wilson as a serial killer? By far some of the funniest and most import moments in Reno history occurred during this season. With stuff like Deb Dangle's untimely death, Big Mike's origins, and how Weigel got so damn retarded, there aren't many TV shows I could ever miss like I do this one.

Left 4 Dead 2 >>

I was skeptical about L4D2 upon first reading everything in articles online, and even after playing the actual demo on XBL. I felt that the game was more of the same, and that there wasn't much of an improvement over the first Left 4 Dead. After giving in and buying L4D2, I'm glad to say that I was completely wrong. Nearly everything in L4D2 is bigger, better, and more improved. Graphics and lighting effects are sharper, the characters are broader and more charismatic, and the level design has been more thought out and easily demands players repeatedly come back and play through them. With the addition of melee weapons and new guns, L4D2 is the ultimate in zombie slaying gaming, and the best zombie game of 2009.

Shadow Complex >>

Who would have thought that the creators of the masterpiece Gears of War would bring us one of the most popular XBLA games of the year? Epic games threw this one out there and man is it awesome. Anyone who is a fan of such games as Castlevania and Super Metriod will love this one.The story is based off the novel Empire written by Orson Scott Card. Collecting hidden items and finding new items to power your suit is only half the fun; and while traversing the complex in hopes to save the state of the nation isn't one easy feet, who else better to do it then Jason Flemming.

District 9 >>

Ah, District 9. Yet another sci-fi movie to grace the silver screen, and now soon after its release our TVs and computer screens at home. Star Trek, Moon, and now District 9? 2009 sure was a great year for sci-fi films. First time film maker Neil Blomkamp takes the cake for this one. Combine aliens, an evil corporation, and a handycam low-budget vibe and you got yourself one of the most intense action rides of the year. This film keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time and is as compelling in every way as it is humorous and heartfelt. It's hard to decide whether I want this, or the Halo movie that it was supposed to be, more.

HTC Droid Eris >>

Finally, a capacitive multi-touch phone from Verizon that isn't an abomination. And finally, too, here's a phone I probably won't be returning or selling next week (unless the Nexus One comes to Verizon, which I hear it may). After owning roughly 35 cellular devices (some European imports, some not), my hands down favorite was the iPhone, and I never expected to see a contender, but I now hold in my hand the smallest, sleekest, simplest and most robust smart phone I've yet to come across. HTC's Sense UI goes the extra mile to transform the Andriod OS into an incredibly user-friendly interface - HTC's Droid Eris. Widgets allow for the seven-screen spread to be plastered with whichever apps you prefer; swipe right to quickly view Twitter updates, and once more to view incoming mail. Swipe left a few times to reach messages, neatly stacked and ready to thumb through multiple contacts. How about the top menu bar that's not dissimilar from that seen on the iPhone? Well, notifications will pop up every now and then, so naturally the entire top bar is a pull-down menu hiding all of said notifications. HTC and Google really knocked the ball out of the park with the Eris. It's light-weight, small enough to comfortably hold yet retains a large enough 3.2" screen, and the responsiveness of the touch screen (with haptic feedback!) is almost flawless. I don't see myself darting back to an iPhone any time soon, and that's saying something

Coconut Records - Davy >>

Fun pop rock songs sung by everyone's favorite actor Jason Schwartzman... what's not to love? Well that's just my reasoning, but this record channels everything from Sgt. Pepper's era Beatles to synth riffs that would make the Strokes jealous. Mix that in with a good amount of light blues chords and great sing along choruses with an album that's only about a half hour, and you have a record that never lets you down and stays in your head all day. The quirky lyrics range from a song about Jason's stint drumming for Phantom Planet to just songs about having good times. With qualities like that, I'd love it even if it wasn't created by one of my favorite actors.

Harlem Shakes - Technicolor Health >>

Technicolor is a good way to describe Harlem Shakes' debut full length album, Technicolor Health. The collection of songs falls all over the spectrum - upbeat and optimistic ("This will be a better year"), bombastic and melodic, lush to frenetic - all with a laid-back tone of control. Singer Lexi Benaim's voice will charm you into listening to these songs back to back, over and over again, matching perfectly the various moods one inevitably finds themselves in over a typical year. Hooks like the ones in "Sunlight", "Strictly Game", and "Winter Water" don't let go easily.

Observe and Report >>

Yes, I'm serious. I actually think this is my favorite Seth Rogen movie to date. Sure, it may not be his funniest, but thats not everything. Ronnie Barndhart is a mall cop, with dreams of being a real cop. He seems like he could make it, until he decides to stop taking his anti-depressants, right before he takes his mental health exam. We're then taken into a journey where we sometimes can't tell the real from the fake in this journey of a mentally unstable lead. From one of the mall cop staff pulling an inside job to the strange and shocking conclusion to the flasher drama, you will not be bored. Not many director/writers can blend humor, action and drama, but Jody Hill pulls it off with almost Tarantino-like skill.

McDonald's Angus Burgers >>

Finally something unhealthy from McDonald's that resembles something unhealthy from a legitimate burger joint. That's not to say McDonald's isn't legitimate, what with the billions and billions served. It's just not every day you pull up to a drive-thru window and are handed a bag with real angus beef inside. Bravo, McDonald's; these things are about as awesome to look at as they are delicious to consume. And there's variety! Atop that fat juicy angus burger sits quality toppings like tangy swiss cheese and sauteed mushrooms, if that's what you're into. The price may not look too appealing, but your stomach will thank your wallet's loss of $5. Trust me.

Mad Men Season 3 >>

Mad Men continues to impress me with maybe its best season yet. The changes for next season are an exciting thing to think about. The show continues to throw each one of our characters into an emotional well about as deep as The Swan hatch. Especially the Drapers. Betty's inevitable situation with Don left me hating yet understanding (wait, maybe just hating) her feelings; everything involving Henry Francis just isn't right. Him living in the Draper home? Not good. But what will we look to during all this madness? Besides next season's lovely women, the cigarette smoking alcoholics and the compelling, hilarious writing? Sterling/Cooper/Draper/Price.

Muramasa: The Demon Blade >>

2D Hack and slash has never looked, sounded, or felt this amazing on any other console, and for all intents and purposes, I don't think it could. From Vanillaware, the people who brought us Odin Sphere, comes the story of amnesic Kisuke and posessed princess Momohime, both of whom are ronin, or swordsmen. Travel across the vibrant land of Japan across over 30 different stages, chopping down anyone foolish enough to stand in your way with over 100 different blades, each with its own special technique that gives you that special edge. Plus gigantic bosses, a traditional Japanese look, feel, and sound, and a "Sudden Death" mode where you play through the entire game with only 1 solitary hitpoint. If you call yourself a hardcore gamer, there's no reason for you not to have this game yet.

The Temper Trap - Conditions >>

The Temper Trap was featured on the soundtrack to Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, but since that movie was for little girls and cloying in a weird, naive teenage-phase sorta way, I didn't pay it much notice. After hearing the song "Love Lost", however, I realized there might be something interesting going on there. They've seemingly effortlessly carved out their own unique piece of rock'n'roll, and it's incredibly listenable. The songs are vocal-heavy and highly melodic, with delay elements akin to U2 and keyboards, all over decidedly upbeat drums and hooks aplenty.

The Hangover >>

There wasn't much I was expecting from The Hangover before I had seen it. What was considered a lackluster screenplay was transformed into a brilliantly well-executed laughfest by its talented leads, proving again that sometimes good actors can rise above shoddy writing. This is one of those movies you can watch repeatedly, as well as a comedy you can recommend to almost anyone. Although there is not much new with the story or ideas in The Hangover, one can't deny that the movie is truly hilarious.

Bored to Death Season 1 >>

What could honestly be more fun than traveling around New York solving mysteries? How about doing it with Zach Galifinakis and Ted Danson while smoking a bowl? This is basically how awesome Bored to Death is; you step into the shoes of Jonathan Aames, a writer who after having writer's block on his second novel decided to make a Craigslist post advertising himself as a private detective. Even though he says he's not actually licensed (which makes it more legal-ish), he hits the streets finding everything from skateboards to people, with big trouble and huge laughs just around every corner.

Infamous >>

Infamous is a sandbox game where you can roam around and interact with the city at large. Oh, one other thing. Your character's been amplified with electricity-based superpowers from an explosion that eviscerated the city around you. Not asking questions as to why this didn't kill your character, you're then set to play a game with an intuitive karma system, similar to Fable's. Do good things, people like you. Do bad things, people don't like you as much as if you did good things. Create charges, power up by sucking electricity, and shock your enemies into fried chicken. Very similar to Prototype, where instead of lightning, it's bioterrorism. Pick your poison!

Trials HD >>

My Xbox 360 hasn't been fed anything but Trials HD for the past week; right now, the pause menu is holding my attempt to turn Inferno II's silver medal into gold. (Platinum can kiss it; not in this lifetime, RedLynx!) As both an arcade racer and puzzle game, Trials HD pays handsomely to those who practice. The learning curve is spaced out over five separate difficulties, readily allowing newbies to become engaged and simultaneously keeping veterans from losing interest. Complex courses will leave you flustered, hopelessly repeating efforts to bypass the next checkpoint that's right there, and your accomplishments will have you returning to old proving grounds only to realize what you once though was impossible is now downright easy. Add to the typical courses the numerous skill game types as well as a whopping pack of downloadable content and Trials HD is poised to be succeeded by a full-fledged $59.99 hardcopy sequel.

Big Mac Snack Wrap >>

Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions... in a flour tortilla shell? Yes ladies and gentlemen McDonald's has done it again - take one thing and make it just a little bit better. The Big Mac v2.0, the Mac Snack wrap. It now has portability, being all wrapped up snug in a tortilla. Not having the middle bun squeeze out while you tenderly hold this slippery sandwich is such a relief. And at $1.49 you can use those two one dollar bills left in your wallet instead of purchasing a Big Mac and breaking a fiver. Let your taste buds do the deciding here. This is one snack that is too good to pass up, at least on a fast food level.

Mac OS 10.6 Snow Leopard >>

Apple did something unusual with its latest operating system. Rather than taking OS X 10.5 (Leopard) to the next stage, Jobs' minions spent a lot of time completely restructuring many of its core aspects. For example, a completely rewritten kernel which is less panicky and works in conjunction with the latest and greatest hardware Apple has to offer. Another big accomplishment is the continuing transition from 32-bit to a 64-bit operating system. That means a theoretical stupid amount of RAM is usable while that dual- or quad-core Intel computer threads together multiple processes in less than a blink of an eye. Snow Leopard is all about being lightweight, speedy, and reliable, and it's seeing success in all corners. Perhaps the most notable feature of Snow Leopard isn't included on the disk; the affordable price tag of just $29.99 is a massive dip from OS X predecessors' going for $100 more. Save some space, conserve some energy, and upgrade your Mac to Snow Leopard to experience Apple's best operating system to date.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves >>

Nathan Drake's back on an adventure that takes him towards the treasure of Marco Polo. The system is quite simple. Go from objective to objective, taking out anyone that gets in your way. There's really not much to say, besides this game's going to keep you hooked from start to finish. It has both competitive and co-op multiplayer functionality. In the campaign, you'll be awarded with medals (currency) to unlock special features, simply by playing the game and finding treasures located all around. Have to be cautious when you're Nathan Drake.

The Office Season 6 >>

Season 6 of The Office arguably houses two of the most substantial plot developments in the entire series: 1) Jim and Pam get hitched and 2) Jim is promoted to co-manager, placing him equal in power to Michael Scott (but not in the eyes of his coworkers). Whether you're watching for storyline advancement or the usual fist full of laughs, you won't come away disappointed. The Office gets better with every passing episode, devising the most absurd situations to realistically maneuver through, and the cast hasn't performed so amicably since season 3. Everyone seems to be revitalized by something; Steve Carell in particular has been so on the ball you'd think Toby took a second stab at life in Costa Rica, but alas, Flenderson remains in the annex. It's a good thing, too, because I can't imagine this show without a single cast member, including last season's newly introduced receptionist, Erin. My only hope is that Dinner Party, whose conceptual resurrection was seen in Scott's Tots, doesn't expose its cringe-worthy face for at least the season's remainder.

Trvs/DJAM - Fix Your Face Vol. 2 >>

Before DJ AM's untimely and tragic death, he had a little project with some guy named Travis Barker. The project came to a peak at the Coachella festival in 2009 when the duo got together for one of their final shows. DJAM brought his turn-tables and brought samples from basically all significant music of the last 40 years. From Metallica, to Jackson 5 to Guns 'n Roses to Jay Z to Queen, the duo pulled it all off and more. AM was so good that even though those samples seem to represent separate ends of a spectrum or two, he could blend it all without you thinking twice. Best of all they gave the album away for the price of one Tweet. It was really sad to see DJ AM go, but he left one hell of a legacy.

Blue Bell Blackberry Cobbler Ice Cream >>

Cobbler is a relatively foreign item to me, but ice cream sure isn't. Blue Bell makes amazing ice cream in the first place, sort of what Breyer's naturals should taste like, creamy and pure. This seasonal treat combines the tangy, sweet flavor of blackberries and pieces of pie crust to create an irresistibly delicious ice cream experience. Once you've tasted this stuff, a trip to the store for some ice cream will never be complete again without visiting this purple tub of happiness.

Google Chrome Mac beta >>

I thought my red beard would start to turn gray before we'd see Google's browser, Chrome, for OS X. Sure, Chromium has been out for a while, but I wanted something official. Now that it's here, it's practically as good as I'd hoped it to be. Despite the glaring lack of plugins, the browser has many advantages over Safari 4 that almost have me switching, but I think I'll wait for the final release. The fact that you can theme or skin it so simply and quickly is a huge plus in my opinion, and the interface is more sleek and minimal than I thought it'd be.

Apple Magic Mouse >>

"Welcome to the future." If Apple threw that at me as its Magic Mouse slogan, I'd bite. After fiddling with Apple's latest single-button mouse for a few weeks, I can safely confirm its status as best Apple mouse since the optical Pro. A lot has changed since those simpler times; with the Magic Mouse, scrolling is never easier, as the entire surface is a multi-touch platform waiting to accept your gestures. Left and right click functionality is as good as ever, even sans your run-of-the-mill divider to differentiate sides. Two-finger swipe through web pages and photos, and with the added software support available from third parties, the Magic Mouse is transformed into a fully-featured multi-touch bluetooth remote with added input control over all of your favorite applications. I'll take eight!

Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box >>

This game cements the Professor Layton series as one of the best puzzle games ever, hands down. Layton 2 brings back the love from the first game with a whopping 153 puzzles total, 18 more than its predecessor. It also brings a few new additions to the table, like a Notepad screen to let you doodle and figure out some of the tougher puzzles without wasting 70 sheets of paper. There's also 3 new minigame puzzles for you to solve as you work with Layton and Luke to solve the mystery behind the Elysian Box, said to kill whoever opens it. And don't worry-- if you get stuck, you can still buy a helping tidbit of advice with the Hint Coins found all over the screens. Better grab that thinking cap again-- you're definitely going to need it.

Terra Crinkles Garlic Mashed Chips >>

However acquainted you are with the potato chip, be you a greasy-fingered aficionado or an occasional partaker, Terra Crinkles Garlic Mashed chips will probably take you off guard. Terra treats chips a bit differently. Each flavor they produce is relative to the type of potato used to make the chip. In this case, they've taken delicious Yukon Gold potatoes for that real mashed potato taste and complimented them with a subtle but lively hint of garlic to form one hell of a chip. They're definitely pricey at a bit under $5, but worth trying at least once to experience what a premium potato chip tastes like.

I Love You, Man >>

You can almost put Paul Rudd in any movie and I'll buy a ticket. Even though he's normally so good, I would've never imagined him as good as he is in I Love You, Man. Rudd is the kind of guy who really only had girls as friends his whole life, something that doesn't bother him until he wants a best man who isn't his brother. While Thomas Lennon didn't quite get the memo, he tries to go on what are essentially hetero-man-dates to try and find a friend. Once Jason Segal comes into the picture about 20 minutes in, the movie has some of the best improv the silver screen has ever seen. It's got an amazing supporting cast, and a really well rounded story. Stop slapping the bass for a minute, and check the funniest movie of 2009 out.

Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix >>

I was new to the band when I first saw them perform on SNL, but I'd imagine it'd be hard not to be impressed whether or not you'd heard them before. The finely crafted tunes on Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix will stick with you long after you hear them. Bright, jangle guitars and spot on vocals from Thomas Mars are high quality enough to please indie fans, and poptastic enough to reach as far as Cadillac commercials. If the first five songs don't make you squeal like a little girl, you might not have ears. Get that checked.

True Blood Season 2 >>

Way to go, Sookie Stackhouse. Bill Compton has the courtesy of enduring your whiny insolence and irrationality only to propose to you and what do you do? Go to the bathroom. What is it with women and bathrooms? Is there something in there us guys ought to know about? Unless the bathroom is equipped with a sandwich machine I don't see the necessity to check it out every twenty minutes, but I digress. True Blood had an interesting second season. I wasn't as much impressed as I was entertained - the opposite of what I'd say about the first season. Regardless, the "holy shit" moment count this season at least doubled its predecessor, and finally layers are being peeled back to reveal the larger scope of vampire involvement in Bon Temps. The whole ordeal involving Maryann the random Maenad was hit or miss, but who can deny the brutality/animality Sam bestowed upon that bitch? Certainly not I. Characters are starting to develop and step up while others fumble around like drunken idiots, but the key is that there's a lot of hustle and bustle in and outside of Bon Temps, and I'm among the thousands eager to see more.

Scribblenauts >>
	I just rescued a cat from a tree by giving God a bowling ball and having him duke it out with a moose, and then summon a saw so I could cut down the tree myself. The whole God with a bowling ball thing was just for shits and giggles. If that sounds as entertaining to you as it was fun to play for me, then you're going to love this game.

Thrice - Beggars >>

Thrice never ceases to amaze me. Lately, each album that the band has released shows a strong shift in style, yet remains the same group we all know and love. Beggars is no different, and is one of their strongest releases to date. After the Vheissu and the Alchemy Index, Beggars strays away from the more somber sound of those albums, and returns to the band's previous form with great feelings of energy and intensity, while still keeping things fresh, new, and completely exciting. Even in the album's more visceral moments, everything from the lyrics, vocals, and music are solemn and refined. As always, Thrice has released an album that is highly engaging and inventive, and continued to prove that they are one of the best experimental rock bands of our generation.

Rhythm Heaven >>
	Rhythm Heaven, or as many of you might know it, Rhythm Tengoku, is my official underrated game of the year. Surprisingly a first party Nintendo game, the gods that brought us WarioWare did not disappoint with this quirky collection of music-based minigames. I absolutely loved every second of this DS treasure, and kept coming back to it for my handheld pleasure.

Up In the Air >>

Since the day I heard about this film I wanted to see it. In fact, ever since I saw Thank You For Smoking I wanted to see everything else Jason Reitman did or was going to do. Juno may be the only one I can sort of pass on watching again. Well, this one is about Ryan Bingham who works for a company that gets called in to fire other companies' employees. He is also on his way to 5 million frequent flyer miles, which in turn makes Bingham see the world in a different light: "Do not be fooled; moving is living". Bingham also tries to guide people past the idea of "things" and "attachment" through motivational talks. Things begin to change for him as the company decides to cut back on travel. Clooney desperately and hilariously fights this idea with Jason Bateman. He then meets a smoking hot Vera Farmiga and we explore the depths of Clooney's human connection. In the book (SPOILER ALERT) Bingham actually has cancer and is dying, which sorta changes the motivation for the character. It's not necessarily a bad thing that it was excluded, I was intrigued by the smart blend of humor and emotionally charismatic performances and both are very balanced. I wasn't expecting Clooney to end back to where he started, and I really enjoyed it.

Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest >>

For some reason, I was never interested in checking out Grizzly Bear until very recently. Over the past two months or so I've been slowly making my way through their discography, kicking myself over what I've been missing out on. Their most recent release, Veckatimest, is like the soundtrack to some grandiose, theatrical Marionette play. It's elegant and lush, and Droste's and Rossen's alternating frontman role makes it easier to listen to over time, especially with the abundant vocal harmonies to keep you entertained.

PSPgo

2010-01-07T13:10:00.003-05:00

When I first saw the PSPgo, I laughed and laughed... Then one day I saw it again and it got even funnier. But apparently some consider it a viable portable gaming option, so Ben went out and snatched one for himself. Let's see how worthy that snatch was.

Reviewer
Ben
Categories
Electronics

Reviewed by Ben Cordes

PSPgo

Sony took a pretty big leap of faith with the PSP Go, ditching their own proprietary media format (UMD) and condensing the screen size to fit onto a much smaller unit with a slide mechanism that reveals the controls underneath. However, the PSP Go is almost half as light and at least half as small as the original PSP. That's a lot of trimmed fat, and it immediately shows when you first lift up the device. The sliding mechanism is a step up from the standard fare seen in Sony's Ericsson line of cellular phones, but doesn't quite match up to the reliability of, say, a recent Samsung cell build. The bottom line is that it's not just a novelty; the PSP Go screen slides gracefully up and clicks right into place, giving access to the controls beneath it.

And what a way to lay out those controls! On the one hand, the PSP Go takes the original model's joystick and positions it less awkwardly. On the other hand, the damn joystick is still a pain to deal with. The big hands dangling off the edges of my arms had trouble getting their thumbs to rest comfortably on the joystick and buttons for prolonged periods of time, but my efforts were futile. I suggest playing with the D-pad, but since that isn't always an option, just keep in mind how awfully placed the original PSP's joystick was.

So what happens to a gaming device when you yank out its core - in this case the UMD slot? Added battery life, but the loss of an ability to inject your PSP Go with any UMDs you may have collected. Another addition is Bluetooth, allowing gamers to wirelessly pair a PS3 controller and use it to play games on the PSP Go. I'd have been more excited about this feature were it not for the caveat of direct PS3 system interaction for the controller to function. It's still a nifty idea, and not the only bit of usability you'll get out of Bluetooth; AD2P, a Bluetooth protocol which allows stereo music to be transferred wirelessly to compatible headsets, is another welcome addition to Sony's portable gaming device.

The PSP Go doesn't feature any cameras, but rather absurdly expects users to separately purchase and connect their own compatible camera. Meanwhile, the DSi sports two separate cameras - one facing the user and one on the back of the unit. It's a shame Sony didn't follow Nintendo's lead in that area, although I'm not sure how much fun one can have with a camera sans touch controls to draw mustaches and unibrows on unsuspecting bystanders' faces. What the PSP Go does offer, not quite in exchange, is a new standard in charging. The system comes with a universal plug capable of jacking into the included plug brick or alternatively connectible to a TV or similar media output source. The original PSP had two separate holes for these two different operations, and the PSP Go elegantly eliminated the redundancy, leaving a sleek device with fewer gaping input jacks.

The PSP Go may be a solid bit of hardware, but how are the games? First of all, some of them aren't. Aren't what? Well, they just aren't... Available, that is. Sony promised to make every UMD post-October 9th, 2009 available for download from the Sony Marketplace. Prior to that date, only select UMD titles are available. On the plus side, users are able to download Play Station classics like Crash Bandicoot and Final Fantasy 7, both of which play flawlessly and look stunning on the PSP Go's gorgeous display. Since the PSP Go has over 16 GB of internal flash memory (upgradeable with a Sony M2 card purchase), and games are relatively small in file size, you'll have plenty of room to store purchased games in addition to any music, movies, and pictures you bring to the table.

Gaming on the PSP Go is a pleasure. It's a snap to boot up a game, get engaged, and even easier to swap programs mid-game if, for example, you have a sudden urge to hear that song that's stuck in your head. Once that's done it's a measly two seconds before you're put right back into the action; Sony's user interface is quick and responsive, making these transitions less of a chore and more apt to be shown off. Classic titles don't always look as pretty as newer offerings, such as Little Big Planet and Patapon, both of which have unique graphical strengths. Using the joystick to play Little Big Planet wasn't entirely bad; as a matter of fact, LBP was the one game during which I didn't notice discomfort in my left thumb. Maybe all it takes is a good enough distraction...

PSP Go may turn some people off at first; it doesn't have a UMD slot, there's no user-removable battery, and the screen is a bit smaller. All of these sacrifices, however, aren't without payoff. The lengthier battery life means you'll be able to watch a movie and not have a brick in your lap immediately after, and the lack of moving internal parts will increase the longevity of the hardware's lifespan. That won't deter veteran PSP users, who by now no doubt have amassed a large collection of UMDs and prefer the PSP's Micro SD compatibility. Sony may be targeting a new demographic with the PSP Go, and its success, in this gamer's opinion, would be much greater were it not for the hefty $249.99 price tag. Another fifty wing-wangs and I could be sitting on a PS3, which includes a Blu-ray player. Knock it down to $199.99 and watch the influx of sales; the PSP Go has a lot of potential, but it's going to take smarter marketing and increased affordability to really push it off store shelves.

Vampire Weekend - Contra

2010-01-06T17:32:00.003-05:00

I think I actually like Contra 2 more than I like the original Contra, but hey, to each his own. Ezra and the gang are back with their sophomore album. Keep on reading to see if Mason thinks it has the same replay value as its SNES named equivalent.

Reviewer
Mason
Categories
Music

Reviewed by Mason Stillwell

Vampire Weekend - Contra

So last year I sat around waiting endlessly for new Vampire Weekend hoping for new songs anywhere I could hear them. Except when I heard them, excited as I was, I started feeling skeptical for their second album. Would it live up to everything I loved about their S/T debut? The collegiate grief, unconventional instrumental melody, even the mainstream-pop sound I strangely grew to love. First the band gave us Horchata, an outlandish African-sounding ditty about some drink I have never heard of. The song was certainly far from what I was expecting to hear, and already sounded nothing like anything on their previous, which as I said left me skeptical.

Before, I said the band had released 'Horchata' first and that is true, but the first song off Contra I actually heard (as I'm sure others did too) was 'White Sky', which again was nothing like I was expecting, yet upon first listen I loved it. It felt and sounded like VW was aiming towards this new type of sound while keeping all of their good characteristics. They left me singing the song for weeks, and my expectations were at a new high. Eventually I also heard 'Cousins', and had some hope that they'd take their fast-paced pop sound I (admittedly) grew to love on "A-Punk" and "Ladies of Cambridge" and apply it to Contra. Though there isn't much of that found on Contra, 'Cousins' and 'Holiday' play their parts in the albums upbeat direction. Online somewhere I saw a video of VW playing 'Cousins' and was surprised to see at the end, an entire orchestra waiting to letting loose on the songs final breakdown; the sound was fantastic and truly added a whole other dimension to the song, and it is disappointing that you will not find this on Contra.

One of my instant favorites upon listening was 'Taxi Cab', one of the bunch that runs slower amidst the crowded four tracks before it. It has a simple yet fantastic piano melody that plays along its soft electro beat, while the strings just top the song off completely. My next favorite, 'Diplomat's Song' may have took me a couple listens but I wholeheartedly believe now that this is the best song you can find on Contra. In an album that is filled with technical drumming, fast guitar, and synth-pop beats. Diplomat takes it. Though the song is mostly a cross of dub with electro synth beats and strings, I would say that it is the most catchy thing you will find on the album. VW still brings that charming, conceptual idea mixing foot-tapping beats, singable lyrics, and melodious sound. Diplomat is about a six minute jam that is completely unforgettable.

In short, I ended up loving just about every song, besides, 'California English' where Ezra uses an Auto-Tune Voice Modulator, which just gets on my nerves. I can't stand it at all, whether it's Lil' Wayne or Vampire Weekend, it just annoys me. Even though 'California English' may be most like (one of my favorites from S/T) "M79", holding that stylish classical sound, it is no where near as catchy or fun to listen to. 'California English' does fit along well with the rest of the album and that sound VW is trying to capture on their second, but leaves me almost annoyed.

Continuing my criticism and being completely honest, Contra doesn't really have one song that compares to 'Campus', one song that (alone) has kept me listening to the S/T for almost a year. Obviously, I am being specific and critical (maybe even stupid for trying to draw comparison) but I can't help it. I am sure that some are preparing themselves for another album that is as great as the S/T but I will say it now, Contra will not live up to that standard. However, Contra offers a handful of new VW songs and (sadly) one or two that are impressive, adequate and absolutely killer.

Listen to a full album stream on VampireWeekend.com

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Ava's Dried Strawberries

2010-01-05T10:42:00.000-05:00

Dried fruits have never really been my thing. They've always tasted kinda grainy and bland and boring to me. I am, however, a huge fan of gummies and candy, so when you basically take dried fruit and candy and make them one super snack, I can't resist.

Reviewer
Brad
Categories
Food & Drink

Reviewed by Brad Cook

Ava's Dried Strawberries

Once upon a time, Ben got a nice little package of goodies from his grandmother, a dear woman named Jude (Hi Jude!). It contained various items ranging from wasabi rice cracker mix to dried fruits and trail mix. As I was sampling the fruits, I noticed some abnormally large red ones that looked delicious. As it turned out, they were. I hypothesized that they were dried strawberries, and being the gentleman that I am, promptly ate most of them.

When that source was depleted, I made it my mission to find a new one. Since I work at a grocery store, I figured I'd find them in the natural aisle with all the other dried fruits. Alas, there were none. We had all sorts of other dried fruits, even apple rings, but no dried strawberries. Deeply disappointed, I headed home. A few weeks later, I walked in the store to see a wall of dried fruits that miraculously included strawberries. At $3.19 a pack they were a bit pricey, but I grabbed 'em anyway.

As soon as you open the pack, an intense aroma of strawberry slinks its way up your nose, daring you not to eat one. Ava's Dried Strawberries are not the most natural dried strawberries you'll find, but I'm okay with that. They sort of candy them up, a bit. They're very sweet and they have sort of a gummy texture, as in gummy bears, not gum, but more like gum drops than gummy bears. They have a vivacious strawberry taste that explodes in your mouth upon chewing. The seeds on the outside are tiny and dried, which adds a subtle crunchy texture to the whole affair, as does the strawberries' lightly sugared exterior.

I recently tried another brand of dried strawberry that our store started carrying, a much more natural type. It was also really good, but the taste wasn't as strong, it wasn't as gummy, and it was more expensive, but it didn't have the high fructose corn syrup that Ava's does. There's no fat in them, but there are 140 calories per each of the 4 servings in the pack. Either way, Ava's Dried Strawberries are probably the best dried fruit I've ever had, but then again they're basically half candy. Health food fanatics might not like them, but anyone looking for a delicious fruit snack would be wise to taste these at least once.

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