In the decades that you’ve been alive, I’m sure you’ve watched thousands of hours of television. Out of all the shows you’ve enjoyed, what’s your all-time favorite? I’d love to hear about it, since it reveals something about you and your past. There’s no judging here. If RPaholic bigblak loves Cop Rock then he loves Cop Rock.
It took me a while to pare down my list. As with any form of entertainment, it’s easy to focus on newer things, while old ones often don’t get the credit that they deserve. In the end, the choice was clear…more
Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, the Chicago Bulls shocking the Miami Heat, Manny Pacquiao fighting in Macau, or Anne Hathaway going blonde, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
In the decades that you’ve been alive, I’m sure you’ve watched thousands of hours of television. Out of all the shows you’ve enjoyed, what’s your all-time favorite? I’d love to hear about it, since it reveals something about you and your past. There’s no judging here. If RPaholic bigblak loves Cop Rock then he loves Cop Rock.
It took me a while to pare down my list. As with any form of entertainment, it’s easy to focus on newer things, while old ones often don’t get the credit that they deserve. Game of Thrones and The Newsroom have been my favorites in recent years. Monday Night Raw has been amazing, but it has also been mediocre or worse. As a writer, I love the process that goes into Saturday Night Live. Like Raw, the quality of SNL depends on the cast, writers, and both teams having a good week. In the end, the choice was clear: Friends.
When the show started, I was still in college. The characters in Friends were in their early ’20s — that magical age where you’re away from your family, but haven’t started one of your own yet. It’s a time when life is full of exciting possibilities. The writing (initially, anyway) was funny and quirky. Jennifer Aniston and Lisa Kudrow were approaching the peaks of their hotness. The show was set in New York, which of course is the most fantastic city in the world. The show just clicked for me.
Thinking about Friends and how Nightwing is my favorite superhero made me (re)realize how much I love that stage of life. You’re a fully formed adult, but still malleable. Your identity is established, but you can still change the person you’ll become. To have so much potential and uncertainty at the same time is a truly beautiful thing.
Now it’s your turn! Kindly list your favorite TV show of all time and explain your choice in the comments section.
One of the most controversial rumors on Microsoft’s Xbox was that it would require a persistant Internet connection to function. Many pundits and gamers thought this was outrageous. Some believed that no console company in their right mind would do this, while others felt that it was crazy enough to happen. Ars-Technica claims to have a Microsoft internal email that debunks the always-on Internet rumor. Here’s a quote from said email:
Durango is designed to deliver the future of entertainment while engineered to be tolerant of today’s Internet. There are a number of scenarios that our users expect to work without an Internet connection, and those should “just work” regardless of their current connection status. Those include, but are not limited to: playing a Blu-ray disc, watching live TV, and yes playing a single player game.
Naturally, the email has led to even more speculation (always one of the most entertaining nerd pastimes prior to a console announcement). Some writers have noticed that installing games could possibly require an Internet connection for authentication. Others feel that the fact that Microsoft sent out an email to refute the always-on Internet rumors means that such functionality was once considered. I don’t know about any of that, but I’d love to hear your take on the matter.
What do you think of Microsoft’s internal Xbox 720 rumor? Do you think it was a last-minute policy change? Do you think the machine will require an Internet connection for installing games? Or is that too inconvenient for gamers? Shout it out in the comments section (please!).
Last year, Raina and I reviewed three e-liquids from E-Juice Plus. These relatively inexpensive juices were unique in that they had ganoderma extract. Ganoderma is a mushroom used in Eastern medicine for a variety of ailments. While I can’t make any claims about the health benefits (or lack thereof) of ganoderma, what I can say for sure is that it alters the taste of e-liquids. It adds an earthiness that can complement certain flavors and mute others.
A few things have changed since my last E-Juice Plus review. The base price for a 60ml bottle has increased to $22.45 (currently on sale for $19.98), while the ganoderma option has lowered to $3. While the standard price is slightly higher than it was before, the sale price is actually lower. Additionally, the company has switched from flip-top bottles to dripper bottles. I like the new bottles much, much better.
This time around, I chose E-Juice Plus’ Caramel, Tiramisu, and Vanilla to review. These flavors have a mild to moderate sweetness. In two of the cases, I enjoyed what ganoderma brought to the overall experience. In the other, the addition was to the juice’s detriment. Here are the flavor breakdowns and steeping notes.
Caramel: A mild and enjoyable caramel flavor is given some “oomph” from the ganoderma earthiness. The end result is something similar to salted caramel (which was the dessert rage here in Los Angeles from 2011-2012). Vapers with a sweet tooth will probably find the overall flavor lacking, but those that enjoy mild to moderate flavors will likely dig this juice. Subjectively, this was my favorite of the bunch, since I’m a sucker for salted caramel.
Tiramisu: This juice had the strongest flavor of the three, but still relatively moderate compared to other e-liquids I’ve tried. The ganoderma’s presence was slight. The overall flavor was very much like the popular dessert, but with a touch of earthiness. Objectively, this flavor was the best of the three. I’d recommend this one over the other two, even though I vaped more Caramel.
Vanilla: This juice was the only disappointment of the lot. There’s a nice vanilla flavor there, but there’s not enough of it. It was way too mild for my tastes and I’m someone that can appreciate mild e-liquids. I’m not sure if it was because of a lack of flavor in the recipe or the ganoderma overshadowing the flavor (probably both), but the end result was something that tasted like a watered down milkshake.
E-Juice Plus Juice Formula
10% Basic juice
15% PG
45% VG
10% Ganoderma
20% Flavor (50/50 VG/PG)
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.
Caramel
House Blend PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Uncapped: February 8, 2013 8:25PM
Vaped: April 23-28, 2013
Tiramisu
House Blend PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Uncapped: February 8, 2013 8:25PM
Vaped: April 23-28, 2013
Vanilla
House Blend PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Uncapped: February 8, 2013 8:25PM
Vaped: April 23-28, 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.
I’ve recently had the pleasure of vaping three e-liquids from Goodejuice’s “House Brewed” line. The flavors covered in this review are Apple Cured, Wild Turkey Tobacco, and GJ4 Tobacco. These juices are a cut above the majority of tobacco e-liquids on the market since they’re made with macerated tobacco and triple-steeped using a “secret process.” Whatever that secret is, it produces a rich, flavorful, and authentic tobacco taste. Although I loved two of them and “only” liked one, I’m comfortable saying that all three are high-quality products that I consider artisanal juices.
As much as I enjoyed vaping these Goodejuice e-liquids, they’re not for everyone. Those accustomed to synthetic tobacco juices, which are quite enjoyable in their own right, might be shocked by these e-liquids. Although the three products I covered use different tobaccos and other flavors, there are some commonalities between them. (I’m going to guess that’s a result of the proprietary steeping process the company uses.) Some vapers have described Goodejuice’s House Brewed line as having pungent, musty, or funky qualities. Keep in mind that those adjectives aren’t being used in a negative way when describing these juices. The flavors are distinct and stand out, which is fantastic for tobacco lovers, but can be a bit much for those that occasionally enjoy a tobacco vape.
These juices are cleaner than many others made with naturally extracted tobacco (NET). Heavy NET e-liquids can murder equipment and aren’t recommend for carto/tank setups. Ahlusion aromatics, like the wonderful Honey Cured, are some of my favorites, but they’re tough on coils. While I don’t think they’re as carto-friendly as Heather’s Heavenly Vapes NET juices, these Goodejuice e-liquids work fine in carto/tanks, but they’ll certainly clog them up faster than non-NET juices.
Here are the breakdowns and steeping notes.
Apple Cured: A fantastic apple flavor hits you right away and is quickly followed by a full tobacco taste. The organic apple flavoring is bright and sweet, with just a touch of acidic bite. While the flavors don’t blend together seamlessly in the way that many Ahlusion tobaccos do, they complement each other nicely. I usually don’t like juices that are very sweet, unless they also have complexity. Apple Cured definitely fits the bill. The delicious sweetness, authentic tobacco taste, and Goodejuice “funk” give this juice a nice complexity that made it a pleasure to vape.
Wild Turkey Tobacco: While I see lots of e-liquids made with Burley, Latakia, and Virginia tobaccos, Turkish (Oriental) tobacco e-liquids are less common. I was excited to try this one because I used to enjoy cigarettes made with Turkish tobacco. Wild Turkey delivers a dry and grassy taste that’s one of the better approximations of tobacco cigarette flavor that I’ve had. The description says that it’s “naturally sweet,” but I was only getting a slight sweetness from it, no matter what juice delivery system I used. Initially, I was only okay with this juice (though I totally respected the craft that went into it), but I grew to like it — just not as much as the other two.
GJ4 Tobacco: This is Goodejuice’s extracted-tobacco take on the hugely popular RY4 e-liquid. For those of you not familiar with the juice, RY4 was originally created by Janty using a mix of synthetic tobacco, caramel, vanilla, and other flavors. Over the years, juice vendors have deemphasized the tobacco in favor of the sweeter tastes. GJ4 takes it back with a vengeance. While it does have sweet notes, the smokey, flavorful, and musty tobacco flavor stands out. Fans of classic and modern RY4s might find it overwhelming, but I loved this one. The smokiness and mustiness of the tobacco give it a nice burnt-caramel taste, while the vanilla lingers throughout the vape. First and foremost is the fantastic tobacco flavor. Out of the three juice in this review, GJ4 was my favorite.
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.
Apple Cured Tobacco
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Uncapped: February 19, 2013 6:51PM
Vaped: April 15-22, 2013
Wild Turkey
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Uncapped: February 19, 2013 6:51PM
Vaped: April 15-22, 2013
GJ4
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Uncapped: February 19, 2013 6:51PM
Vaped: April 15-22, 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.
Note: Obviously I made an exception to my normal review process, since these juices are cleaner than many NET juices.
I just realized that I have an unredeemed game code for Guacamelee! I’m shocked that I’ve been putting it off for so long. As a fan of old-school platformers, luchadores, and puns, this game seems right up my alley. (And to be completely honest, Nacho Libre is one of my guilty pleasures.) I’m also keen on supporting indie developers like Drinkbox Studios. The game is also a result of Sony’s Pub Fund, which a few of my friends work on. With so many things going in its favor, it seems that I’m destined to enjoy Guacamelee! A few of my friends (with a predilection for indie titles) have been raving about the game, so hopefully it lives up to the hype I’ve built up in my silly head.
Between Android and Chrome OS, gaming has been a small but growing part of Google’s business. With Noah Falstein’s recent appointment as chief game designer, it looks like Google’s gaming ambitions are growing. However, there’s a lot of speculation as to what exactly those plans are and which products they’ll cover. Many have surmised that the company will up its Android gaming efforts, while others believe that Google Glass will be getting games.
For some background info on Falstein, here’s a clip from TechCrunch:
According to his bio Falstein’s been in the computer games industry since 1980, spanning companies such as LucasArts, 3DO, and Dreamworks Interactive, and is the designer behind a number of hit titles. He most recently ran his own consultancy, The Inspiracy, which offered companies help on game design, development and business, as well as being a regular on the lecture and speaking circuit.
A major interest of Falstein is the field of “Serious Games,” which he defines as “Using Games, Game Technology, or Game Industry Techniques for a purpose other than pure entertainment.” The list of Serious Games projects Falstein has been involved in spans anything from using game techniques to improve health and education, to financial projections.
The Google I/O developer conference is a few weeks away, so the company’s plans for gaming and Falstein’s role should be clarified then. For now, let’s play the speculation game! What do you think Google’s gaming plans are for the near future?
The Toledo Mud Hens might be my new second-favorite sports franchise in the world (the Yankees will always be best). The team has combined two magical things — baseball and Star Wars — in a Chewbacca-inspired Jersey. It’s frickin’ awesome and I want one! I’m sure that millions of Star Wars nerds around the world have suddenly become Mud Hens. Hopefully the Mud Hens Chewbecca jersey will be followed by Storm Trooper, Darth Vader, Han Solo, and Boba Fett jerseys. That would be awesome.
The jerseys are available for preorder here, with a starting price of $79.95. Any of you tempted to become Mud Hens fans?
After an action-packed ensemble adventure in The Avengers, Iron Man gets the stage to himself once more in Iron Man 3. The movie is definitely fun, but not as good as the first two Iron Man movies or The Avengers. Director Shane Black adds more humor and snark while retaining the awesome mech-fueled action of his predecessor, Jon Favreau. Unfortunately, his storytelling isn’t as tight and his movie doesn’t have as much heart. Here are some random spoiler-free thoughts on Iron Man 3.
When Did Jon Favreau Get Old?!? — The first thing that caught my attention in Iron Man 3 has nothing to do with the quality of the movie. Seconds after the opening credits, I was shocked to see how old Jon Favreau looks. I knew he was getting larger, but his face was a harsh reminder of my own mortality. He’ll always be that fresh-faced newbie Angeleno in Swingers to me. I can’t believe that movie is as old as McKayla Maroney. Gah.
Jokey Jokesters — My friend Paul and I agreed that this movie had much more humor than its predecessors. The first two had funny moments, but the jokes were interspersed with a little bit of drama and lots of action. The gags in Iron Man 3 are more frequent and felt forced or excessive at times. Especially when…
…Tony Stark is Being a Dick — While Robert Downey, Jr. was expectedly excellent, some of the material he was working with had an unusual tone. The previous movies did a wonderful job of establishing Stark as a narcissistic and womanizing genius that has substance issues and a growing conscience. For some reason, this movie unveiled his dickish side. It lead to some funny exchanges, but seemed out of character. Stark can be stubborn, self righteous, and overzealous — both in the movies and the comics — but there are moments in Iron Man 3 where he’s unusually cruel. Even though Downey delivered the lines with aplomb, the meanness felt out of place.
Mandarin Surprise — When I found out that one of the Iron Man 3’s protagonists was the Mandarin, I was worried. The character works in comics, but is a bit too ridiculous for movies. The movie version of Mandarin was not at all what I was expecting and it totally worked. Keep in mind that I usually hate major deviations from the source material (Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, for example), so I was shocked by how delighted I was with movie Mandarin. Of course it helps that a master thespian like Ben Kingsley completely owned the role.
Executive Mocking Continues — I love how the Iron Man movies poke fun at real-life executives. In Iron Man 2, Sam Rockwell showed qualities of Microsoft Bill Gates and Apple Steve Jobs while playing Justin Hammer. In this film, Guy Pearce takes several cues from Virgin Group Richard Branson. I’m looking forward to Iron Man 4, when Tony Stark will battle a Mark Zuckerberg pastiche, complete with a menacing hoodie powered by Extremis.
Gwyneth Paltrow’s Abs — While I vehemently disagree with People Magazine crowning Ms. Paltrow as the most beautiful woman in the world (she wasn’t even the most beautiful woman in Iron Man 2), she’s still a lovely creature that takes exquisite care of her body. Borrowing a page from Padme Amidala’s playbook, Paltrow’s Pepper Potts shows a lot of skin during the movie’s climax. Her stomach looked marvelous and made me dream of what it would be like to eat sushi off of it. It was so yummy that I probably missed some cool tech sequences while I was mesmerized by Gwyneth’s abs.
No Dual Villains — One of the reasons I enjoyed Iron Man 2 so much is that it had separate villains for Iron Man and Tony Stark. I enjoyed that Whiplash menaced the superhero Iron Man, while Justin Hammer threatened businessman and technologist Tony Stark. This is a layered and complex hero, and I loved that the second movie had antagonists for different facets of the character. With that in mind, I was disappointed that the third movie didn’t do the same.
Pacing and Surprise — Iron Man 3 flows at a consistent but predictable pace. The first two movies did a better job of using humor, action, and drama to mix things up. While this movie isn’t paced poorly by any means, it just feels very by-the-numbers. That’s all on Shane Black, who simply isn’t as good at dealing with Iron Man as Jon Favreau was.
Bottom Line — Iron Man 3 is definitely entertaining and enjoyable. It has bigger and better action than the first two movies, but as a whole I don’t think it’s as good. The actors are better than ever in these roles, but the direction and writing have taken a dip. A few of my friends and a few critics have said that Iron Man 3 is the best in the series and the best Marvel movie to date. While I enjoyed it, I completely disagree with that assessment. After seeing Iron Man and Iron Man 2 in theaters, I wanted to see it again. After the Iron Man 3 screening, I’m content to wait for the Blu-ray.
What happens when you blend the addictive nature of collectible card games (CCGs) with a literary classic? You get Moby Dick, or, The Card Game, that’s what. An old Happy Puppy colleague dropped me a line to tell me about this Kickstarter project he’s working on. As you’ve probably guessed, it combines Herman Melville’s timeless tale of a man and a marine mammal with CCG mechanics. Here’s a clip from the Kickstarter pitch:
Moby Dick, or, The Card Game is a dynamic and action-packed card game for 2-4 players, lovingly adapted from Herman Melville’s classic novel.
Experience the wonders and terrors of 19th century whaling and interact with some of the greatest characters in American literature in a game that’s easy to learn but fathoms deep.
The game is played using three custom decks with over 100 unique cards, two dice and 40 oil markers.
At last, a game that lets me “experience the wonders and terrors of 19th century whaling.” You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for such a thing.
Seriously though, between the Pokemon CCG and Magic the Gathering, battling with cards is enjoyed by millions of nerds around the world. The idea of using classic literature as the backdrop for a CCG is so wacky that I love it!
When you get a chance, check out the Kickstarter pitch and let me know what you think of Moby Dick, or, The Card Game.
Yahoo! has announced a ton of streaming video initiatives, including six original shows. Direct-to-streaming programs seem like “the next big thing” with Amazon and Netflix paving the way for TV-less television. For fans of traditional shows, Yahoo! also announced partnerships with Saturday Night Live and WWE. The company will be the “exclusive home” of SNL archives. As for WWE programming, here’s some of what you’ll be able to enjoy starting this summer:
Monday Night Raw pre-show: A 30-minute pre-show to each new Monday Night Raw will be exclusive to Yahoo!.
Original programming: Two weekly series of 50 episodes per year will be produced exclusively for distribution on Yahoo!.
Premium archive: Yahoo! will have exclusive access to WWE archives of historical full matches, shows, highlights and other events.
Additional live events: Yahoo! will air live, pre-show content for every pay-per-view event.
Clips from current TV programming: Clips from all WWE television programs will now be available on Yahoo!.
All of this streaming goodness has me considering cutting the cord to cable (specifically, my crap-bag provider Time Warner Cable). I would certainly miss boxing and pro-wrestling PPVs, but can find other ways to enjoy those shows. I love the shift to direct-to-streaming content. It shakes up the market and is a potential change agent. As for the WWE videos that will be on Yahoo!, I’m particularly psyched for the “premium archive” feature. The WWE has a ton of classic matches in its library, including videos from most of its competitors from wrestling’s “territory” days. There are so many ’80s and ’90s matches that I’d love to see!
How about you guys and dolls? What do you think of Yahoo!’s streaming-video efforts?
