Raymond Padilla

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

This weekend I shall finish operation “Move My Catch Notes to Evernote.” I’m also going to play some 3DS games. As I was looking for a remote control (I still haven’t completely unpacked), I found my extra 3DS and some other accessories. I’ve been dabbling in Animal Crossing: New Leaf, but finding my other 3DS has inspired me to go full-on with the game. So many of my friends in the gaming industry are head over heels for this one. It definitely has that Nintendo charm and I love its social elements.

That reminds me of this one time at ~~band camp~~ the Ziff-Davis office….. My friends James and I were the only ones in the office, so we visited everyone’s Animal Crossing town and chopped down all their trees. Ha! That’s such a nerdy prank and it still cracks me up to this day. Good times.

Anyway, what’s on your weekend playlist?

Ben Affleck is Batman (Plus Poll)

Ben Affleck will be the next Batman. That’s right, the man that dazzled as the Fashionable Male employee in Mallrats, received critical acclaim for his writing in Good Will Hunting, fizzled in Gigli, fizzled some more in Jersey Girl, pulled a career 180 with The Town, and cemented his turnaround with Argo will be donning the Batman tights in 2015. Here’s a quote on the casting from Warner Bros. president Greg Silverman (via Variety):

We knew we needed an extraordinary actor to take on one of DC Comics’ most enduringly popular Super Heroes, and Ben Affleck certainly fits that bill, and then some.

Affleck is no stranger to superhero movies, having starred in Daredevil. However, that movie doesn’t help his case. While Daredevil had several solid performances, Affleck’s wasn’t one of them. There where many scenes where I couldn’t tell if he was acting like a blind man or acting like a mentally-handicapped man. Charming performances by Colin Farrell and Michael Clarke Duncan, as well as Jennifer Garner’s sai-wielding hotness, couldn’t compensate for Affleck’s wretched performance as the titular hero.

I’m still not sure how I feel about this. Initially, I was stunned by the news. Several moments later, I still don’t know what to make of it. While I’ve enjoyed Affleck’s work in Kevin Smith’s movies and admire his recent films, I still think of him as a hunky doofus. Like most comic-book fans, “hunky doofus” isn’t what comes to mind when I think Batman. I have no doubt that Affleck could ace the role of Bruce Wayne, but I fear his Batman moments will result in numerous scenes that are unintentionally funny.

What do you think of Ben Affleck playing Batman? Kindly vote in today’s poll and expand on your choice in the comments section.

[poll id=”186″]

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Vaping Diaries #92: Avid Vaper AMP Tank Review

The Avid Vaper AMP Tank is a juice delivery system that’s fantastic for a very specific type of vaper. It uses old-school dripping atomizers and submerses them in a pressurized tank. The result is the full flavor of dripping combined with a sizable amount of juice capacity. It takes a little time to get the hang of, but vapers that enjoy dripping atomizers and want a simple solution for capacity should strongly consider the AMP Tank.

Build Quality: The AMP Tank is a well-made device with smooth lines. The threading and machining are high-quality. One minor criticism I have with the device is that the materials don’t feel particularly luxurious. It costs $120 and doesn’t feel like it should. Of course you’re paying for the research and development that went into the product, as well as the performance, but several high-priced atomizers feature more expensive metals, such as high-grade stainless steel. Remember, this is only a minor criticism; I was generally happy with how the device was made.

Design: The AMP Tank is available in three anodized colors black, clear, and gold. The different colors complement a wide variety of mods reasonably well. Vapers that use standard-sized atomizers get 3ml or capacity, while users of long-barrel atomizer get 5ml. The device has AMP printed on its base using a stylish, but subtle font. The black model I reviewed looks great on white and steel mods. A friend of mine has the gold model and it looks nice on brass mods. The clear coating is probably the most diverse finish, since it looks good on a variety of mod colors and finishes.

Performance: Once you understand how the AMP Tank works and know how to control juice flow, the performance is brilliant. I’ve used it successfully with atomizers from a number of companies: Avid Vaper, Boge, Empire Mods, Joyetech, and Vapage. It took me a little under a week to get used to manipulating air flow and juice flow; since then, the AMP Tank has become one of my favorite juice delivery systems.

I’ve used the AMP Tank for several months with 70/30, 60/40, and 50/50 juices (PG/VG). I haven’t had any leaking issues after my first week with the device and I rarely had to adjust from the default juice-flow setting. For the first half or two-thirds of the tank, the automatic juice flow worked perfectly. Towards the end of the tank, I’d have to manually manipulate juice flow. It really varies from juice to juice, but in my experience, it works fantastically. That said, I have seen reports from vapers of thicker juices (high VG content) saying that they had problems with getting juice to flow to the atomizer.

Avid Vaper should be commended for its great instructional video (embedded below) on how to use the AMP Tank. While it does require some finessing — particular as the tank gets low — I loved how the AMP Tank performed with my juices. If you vape thicker juices then there’s a chance that the device isn’t for you.

Ease of Use: There is a learning curve with the AMP Tank and there are a few things vapers have to be careful with. Like I mentioned in the performance section, using the device for the first half or two-thirds of a tank couldn’t be simpler (again, it depends on the thickness of your juice). When the tank gets low, it’s simply a matter of covering the air hole, inhaling to draw juice into the atomizer, and slowly removing your finger to get the vacuum flowing again. Yes, it’s not as simple as direct dripping, but it’s still a relatively easy process and you get the benefit of capacity.

Replacing the atomizer and refilling the AMP Tank are simple, common-sense processes. While I don’t recommend this device for beginners, most intermediate to advanced vapers should find using it a cakewalk.

As for what I mentioned about requiring care, this isn’t a device I’d recommend sticking into your pants pocket. The O-rings aren’t snug (by design) and you can have an embarrassing juice explosion on your jeans. Changes in air flow and juice flow can cause leakage out of the air hole. If you’re not careful with juice flow and you start taking trying hits on your atomizer, the coil can pop prematurely. Again, once you learn how the AMP Tank works, that becomes a low-risk issue.

Verdict: Vapers that want the full flavor of dripping have a lot of choices. There are Genesis-style atomizers and bottom-coil silica atomizers (like the excellent GP Spheroid). Those juice delivery systems require some extra work and there are some people that simply aren’t comfortable with rebuilding. While those types of rebuildable atomizers are more cost effective, this one is more accessible. The Avid Vaper AMP Tank fills a niche and does it very, very well. If you want maximum flavor and minimum fuss then the AMP Tank is a fantastic solution.

Watch Olivia Munn Dislocate Her Shoulder!

My sexy friend Tricia just sent me a video of Olivia Munn dislocating her shoulder…and it is awesome!!! In the video, the woman formerly known as Lisa is playing around on a makeshift swing indoors. Generally speaking, swings are used outdoors and supported by sturdy metal poles. That’s not the case with this homemade concoction and the results are fantastic — first there’s a wicked snap that’s quickly followed by a sickening thud. And there’s our dear Olivia Munn, splattered on the floor with a dislocated shoulder. Ha!

Yes, I know that we’re not supposed to revel in the misfortune of others, but it’s Olivia Munn! Besides, she posted the video on Twitter, so fair game, right? Now please excuse me, as I’m going to watch this video 50 times in a row.

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Vaping Diaries #91: Vaping vs. Smoking Presentation

My dear friend Glenda posted this excellent “Vaping vs. Smoking” presentation (embedded below) by Jonas M Rudolfsson Luster on my Facebook wall. It’s a straightforward, informative, and charming slideshow about what vaping is and what it isn’t. The e-cigarette business has been booming for the last few years and it looks like the rapid growth will continue. The biggest potential deterrent to vaping is misinformation — especially misinformation being spread by big-tobacco companies and (especially) big pharmaceutical companies. This presentation does an outstanding job of explaining why vaping is exponentially better for people than smoking.

Millions of people have improved their health and quality of life by switching from smoking to vaping. There are all kinds of proposed laws that seek to limit the growth of the e-cigarette business and limit access to e-liquids. Many of these laws are rooted in ignorance (at best) or paid for by your friends at [insert big pharmaceutical company name here]. Hopefully projects like this outstanding presentation will help citizens and lawmakers understand what vaping truly entails.

Pass this link around and help people learn about vaping (please)!

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What If…Thor Played Hulk Hogan?!?

A Hulk Hogan biopic is inevitable, but who in the world would be able to portray him on the silver screen? What actor has the combination of muscles, mass, and charisma to play the man that changed pro-wrestling forever and for better? If Hulk Hogan had his way, it would be Chris Hemsworth training, saying his prayers, and eating his vitamins in a Hulk Hogan movie. In an interview with the Canadian Press, the Hulkster said:

I think we need a serious, serious actor that knows what he’s doing. You know who I thought would be good? That guy that did that action movie, Thor (Chris Hemsworth).

I love it! Hemsworth has the charm and the physique to pull off Hulk Hogan. However, I wonder if he can mask his Australian accent while doing over-the-top promos in an American voice. I also wonder if comics fans that are wrestling marks will be able to block out memories of Hemsworth’s role as Thor while seeing him play Hulk Hogan. It would certainly be difficult for me. In my head, I see a mashup going something like this:

Wucha going to do, brother?!? When the largest arms in Asgard run wild on you?!?

And also:

Well you know mean Loki, Mjolnir is the mightiest hammer in the world, brother! And there’s no way Andre the Frost Giant can wield it, brother!

So what do you think of the idea of Chris Hemsworth playing Hulk Hogan?

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Get Your Kesha Rose Penis Jewelry (Ke$ha)

Pop sensation Ke$ha has released a line of jewelry called Kesha Rose by Charles Albert. The Kesha Rose line includes all sorts of pendants, rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces, including numerous penis-shaped items. Fans of phallic jewelry can treat themselves to penis charm pendants, petite penis rings, penis drop earrings, penis post earrings, and more. Best of all, these penises are made out of fake gold. Here’s an excerpt from the description:

Kesha Rose by Charles Albert is handcrafted using Alchemía or “Zero Karat Gold”, as we like to call it. The collections use natural & man-made stones and are set in a blend of base metals that has the look and feel of 18K gold. Alchemía is not a plated metal; the color is through and through. Alchemía is nickel free, lead free and lacquered for extra protection, thus making it hypoallergenic. The strong ?exible lacquer is used to protect the metal from turning or tarnishing, while still allowing rings to be easily adjusted.

Will you show your loved ones just how much you care by gifting them some Kesha Rose penis jewelry?

Vaping Diaries #90: Want2Vape Review II

Back in June, I reviewed three Want2Vape Signature Blend e-liquids and was very impressed. This time around, I cover three juices from the company’s other lines: RY4, Rock Star, and The Blond. Whereas the Want2Vape Signature Blends e-liquids are straight-up, in-your-face tobacco, these juices are lighter, but still very enjoyable. Two of them mix tobacco and sweet flavors, while the other is a dead-ringer for a very distinct cigar.

As far as performance goes, Rock Star was the cleanest juice of the bunch. The Blond and RY4 will clog up your cartomizers or gunk up your coils a little bit faster, but are still relatively clean juices. All of them are suitable for a variety of juice delivery systems, whether you use cartomizers, clearomizers, or dripping atomizers.

Overall, I was quite happy with these three Want2Vape juices and especially enjoyed RY4. All three are quality e-liquids that are very tasty. The prices are slightly on the expensive side ($18.50 for 30ml of The Blond, $17.00 for 30ml of the others), but certainly reasonable. Check out the flavor breakdowns and steeping notes below.

RY4: This is a Western-style RY4 that emphasizes tobacco and caramel (to my tastebuds, anyway). It’s one of the heavier Western RY4s I’ve tried and also one of the best. The tobacco flavor — which uses a percentage of Want2Vape naturally-extracted tobacco (NET) — is fantastic. For Western-style RY4s, I prefer juices with a deep and flavorful tobacco taste to complement the sweetness. This juice fits the bill. If you’re looking for a deep and decadent RY4 then you’ll be happy with this one.

Rock Star: Fans of lighter Western RY4s should give this juice a go. When I say lighter, I absolutely don’t mean watered down. This is a bright and effervescent e-liquid that’s more balanced than Want2Vape’s RY4. While it does a better job of balancing the tobacco, caramel, and vanilla flavors, I preferred the NET “oomph” of its sister juice. Those that prefer RY4s that are brighter and lighter will probably prefer Rock Star.

The Blond: This juice really impressed me. It’s a spot-on approximation of the unique Acid Blondie cigar. For CYA purposes, it’s me that’s saying that this juice tastes like Acid Blondie; Want2Vape doesn’t make any such claims on its web site. For those of you not familiar with Acid Blondie, it’s a very distinct cigar that’s often described as botanical or herbal. Many people feel that it combines tobacco with clove, honey, ginger, mint, and caramel flavors. It’s definitely a unique flavor and Want2Vape absolutely nailed it with The Blond.

For me, the flavor is almost too unique. This isn’t an all-day vape for me or even a juice I can enjoy every other day. That said, I really respect the job Want2Vape did with this juice and like it as a once-a-week treat. If you’ve ever enjoyed an Acid Blondie cigar then you’re sure to enjoy The Blond.

Steeping Notes
On the advice of Wlad from Ahlusion, I’ve been trying a new steeping method starting December 27, 2012. When the e-liquids arrive, I leave them uncapped for five minutes. Previously, I left them uncapped for about two days. After the liquids are given a few minutes to oxidize, the caps are put back on. The bottles are shaken every day for at least two weeks before vaping.

RY4
70/30 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Uncapped: March 1, 2013 5:47PM
Vaped: July 17-22, 2013

Rock Star
70/30 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Uncapped: March 1, 2013 5:47PM
Vaped: July 17-22, 2013

The Blond
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Uncapped: March 1, 2013 5:47PM
Vaped: July 17-22, 2013

Review Process (Updated February 17, 2013)
RPad.TV e-liquid reviews focus on the flavor of the e-liquids, since throat hit and vapor production can be altered by the PG/VG ratio and nicotine level selected. Each juice is vaped over a period of days in an atomizer, a cartomizer/tank setup, and a clearomizer. The exception is naturally-extracted tobacco (NET) juice; since those are known to clog up cartomizers quickly, those are vaped in atomizers and clearomizers.

WWE Make-A-Wish Charity Event

Yesterday afternoon, I received a call to do some red-carpet interviews at WWE’s “Superstars For Hope” charity event for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. WWE fans know that the company does a lot of work with this outstanding charity. John Cena makes a lot of appearances for Make-A-Wish and as much as I dislike his character, it’s awesome to see how happy he makes children with life-threatening medical conditions. Most of the talent I spoke with put Cena’s charity work over in a major way, which is completely deserved. While I was mostly stuck with scripted questions, I did have some fun off-camera chats with some WWE Superstars and Divas. Here are some random notes and photos from the event.

Triple H
I’ve interviewed Hunter a few times, with my first interview being at E3 ’98 (I think) when he was European Champion. He’s always been good to chat with, but was usually very serious about his character and the WWE business. This time around I got goofy Hunter — the Triple H from Degeneration-X. While many fans know him for his intense pro-wrestling character or as a serious behind-the-scenes worker, it seems like time and fatherhood has mellowed him out. For example, one of the questions in my script was, “What makes Summer Slam different from other WWE events?” His answer caught me by surprise:

“Well, it’s in August. None of our other pay-per-views are in August. That’s different.”

He did follow up with a more serious answer, equating Summer Slam and WrestleMania to the All-Star Game and World Series, respectively. Still, that deadpan opener made me laugh. It was goofy and I love goofy humor.

Daniel Bryan
This one was a lot of fun for me as a longtime Bryan Danielson fan. He told me a story from his indie days, about sleeping in his car on Wilshire Boulevard in order to save money. He was parked in a restaurant parking lot and the police told him to move. He didn’t want any trouble, so he drove to a residential area and slept in his car’s trunk. Going from that to the main event of Summer Slam has been quite the journey. I’m really thrilled for his success.

That said, it has come at a price. While he’s an amazing wrestler, red-carpet walks and press-conference speeches are relatively new things to him. The jacket-and-tie combo was definitely not his thing. His outfit was put together by his girlfriend, WWE Diva Brie Bella. She was proud of the ensemble she put together. When I asked Danielson if he had to buy all of it or if he had any parts of the outfit already in his closet, he looked at his clothes and said, “Just the cords. I’ve had these cords for a long time.” The cords were, of course, the scraggliest part of the ensemble.

Lastly, we chatted a bit about Austin Aries (the best wrestler in TNA and the greatest man that ever lived). The two worked together for years on the independent circuit. Thanks to going to Aries’ shows, I was exposed to awesome wrestlers that are making it big in the WWE. It was fun watching wrestlers like CM Punk, Claudio Castagnoli (Antonio Cesaro), and Danielson perform in bingo halls and high-school gyms. It’s a testament to their talent, hard work, and perseverance that they are where they are today. Hopefully Danielson wins the WWE Championship at Summer Slam and Aries captures the TNA belt soon. That would make the world a better place.

Stone Cold Steve Austin
It’s always awesome seeing a pro-wrestling legend. For many people, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin represents the pinnacle of the WWE. I’ve been watching this guy for a long time, back from when he was “Stunning” Steve Austin. When he was part of the Hollywood Blonds with Brian Pillman and when he feuded with Ricky Steamboat, I always thought, “This guy should be way better. Why isn’t he a star yet?!?” As you know, he went on to become one of the biggest stars in WWE history.

Austin seems happy doing movies and television. With his Hollywood experiences, he was easily the smoothest red-carpet interview of the night and it’s clear that this is his world now. I do wonder if working with Sylvester Stallone has influenced him. I don’t know if Austin has had plastic surgery, but it sure looks like it. His skin appears remarkably taught for a man his age and he has the telltale sign of limited mouth movement. I get that it’s part of Hollywood and everyone does it out here, but it kind of takes away from his completely kick-ass character from the WWE Attitude Era. Can you imagine the guy that beat the crap out of his boss with a bedpan getting Botox and collagen injections? Ha!

Then again, Austin has made it clear that he loved his time in the WWE and has moved onto other things. Oh well, at least his (supposed) plastic surgery makes more sense than Garry Shandling’s.

Assorted Notes
The Uso brothers are really chill and fun. Hopefully they get to show this side of their personalities in their characters in the future…. Nattie Neidhart is really charming in real life. I dig her sense of humor. I remember laughing at her use of the phrase, “You better settle your tea kettle,” when I interviewed her in 2010…. Funkadactyl Cameron is super-cute in person…. CM Punk is so polished now. He’s gotten so good at these types of interviews — very different from the guy that posed with my Pokemon toys in 2008…. Interviews I was bummed to miss: Mick Foley, Dolph Ziggler, and Brodus Clay…. I love shaking hands with the Big Show. It’s like sticking your hand in a turkey…. Hornswaggle is one helluva gamer. We had a nice chat about PlayStation 4 vs. Xbox One…. Speaking of which, it seems like most of the WWE gamers are going with Xbox One over PS4…. I was sad that Fandango didn’t correct my pronunciation of his name….

Grand Theft Auto Online Trailer

Rockstar Games has posted a gameplay trailer for Grand Theft Auto Online (embedded below). Based off of the video, the game looks like an impressive mix of GTA gameplay, competitive play, cooperative play, and user-created content. That’s…impressive. There’s a very high chance that people will be drawn to the game because of the Grand Theft Auto name and stick around because there’s so much to do. On paper, I really love the diversity it offers; players that enjoy beating each other up can play competitively, those that enjoy tearing up cities with expertly coordinated team-based attacks can play cooperatively, and creative types can construct all kinds of things for players to enjoy.

Now that the trailer is up and you’ve had some time to imagine the possibilities, I’d love to hear what you think about Grand Theft Auto Online. Is it something you’d play? Do you think it will be another smash hit by Rockstar? Do you think we should start an RPad.TV gang? What kind of gang would it be? Would we terrorize cities? Try to make the world a better place? Or crumble due to infighting? Leave a comment and let me know (please!).

Grand Theft Auto Online Trailer