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Lex Luger Looks Like Gollum

“The Total Package” Lex Luger was known for his Herculean physique and high-impact power moves. His strength and appearance were so impressive that Luger was once tabbed as the heir apparent to Hulk Hogan by Vince McMahon. These days, he looks more like Gollum from The Lord of the Rings. I’ve been watching The Monday Night War on WWE Network and seeing modern Lex Luger made me sad. Years of performance-enhancing and recreational drug abuse combined with a spinal stroke have left Luger a shell of his former self. The Total Package looks more like The Disheveled Packaged and seeing him on The Monday Night War was mildly disturbing. Check out the photo below to see Lex Luger’s uncanny resemblance to Gollum.

Vaping Diaries #225: Ahlusion Review X

For my tenth Ahlusion review, I’ve chosen a trio of coffee and tea e-liquids. These aren’t straight-up, run-of-the-mill coffee and tea juices. Two of them add complementary flavors to coffee, making for unique and complex vapes. The other is the most striking tea e-liquid I’ve ever tried. All three are high-quality juices that you should take a look at if you’re into coffee or tea flavors. Read on for more details on Ahlusion’s JG Blend, Masala Chai, and Boba Tea with Coffee.

JG Blend: Ahlusion makes some of the best tobacco e-liquids on the market. It also makes some great coffee e-liquids. With that in mind, I had high expectations for this coffee-tobacco blend…and my expectations were absolutely met. Like Ahlusion’s other non-aromatic juices, the tobacco in JG Blend is light, but flavorful. The coffee flavor is one of the best I’ve tried (keep in mind that I’m a huge coffee nerd). There are a lot of coffee-tobacco juices on the market and if you’re looking for one in the light to medium range, JG Blend is one of the best you can buy. Like many of my favorite Ahlusion e-liquids, it’s a flavorful mix that’s not overpowering and something I’ll definitely order again.

Juice Specs: 6mg nicotine, 50/50 PG/VG

Masala Chai: “Adult” is a great word for this Ahlusion e-liquid. It doesn’t taste like an overly sweet chai latte that you’d order at Starbucks or Coffee Bean. This is an authentic and complex chai tea. I can’t stress that enough; the popularity of chai lattes at places like Starbucks has given people a “dessert” image of chai. Ahlusion’s Masala Chai is absolutely not a dessert vape.

Having said that, the flavor is remarkable, but divisive. I very much enjoyed its combination of earthiness, spiciness, and sweetness, but if you’re used to artificial or candied juices then Masala Chai might be too much for you. It’s definitely one of the most unique e-liquids I’ve tried, but it’s certainly not for everyone. It’s rich and complex, but doesn’t assault your tastebuds. Depending on your palette, you’ll either find this juice to be delicious or you’ll find it too foreign. At the very least, Masala Chai stands out from other tea e-liquids with a truly distinct flavor.

Juice Specs: 6mg nicotine, 50/50 PG/VG

Boba Tea with Coffee: Raina and I reviewed Ahlusion’s plain Boba Tea early last year. Both of us enjoyed the e-liquid, but felt there was something missing. To my tastebuds, Boba Tea with Coffee is tastier than the plain version. The different flavors come together for a delicious dessert vape. You get the sweet and creamy milk tea complemented by a tasty and pleasantly bitter (slightly) coffee. I order milk tea with coffee at boba shops and this e-liquid does a good job of approximating that flavor, but is really delicious if you think of it as its own thing. While I enjoyed Ahlusion’s plain Boba Tea, adding coffee to the mix cuts down on the sweetness of boba (a bit much for what I enjoy) with some earthiness and bitterness. The complex combination of flavors totally worked for me and this is a juice that I will order again in the future.

Juice Specs: 6mg nicotine, 50/50 PG/VG\

Steeping and Review Notes (Updated December 29, 2013)
On the advice of Wlad from Ahlusion, I’ve been trying a new steeping method as of 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.

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 a bottom-coil silica atomizer (The Russian and Aqua), various rebuildable dripping atomizers, and a clearomizer.

Friends Reunion on Jimmy Kimmel Live

Jimmy Kimmel held a Friends reunion on his show, featuring Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, and Lisa Kudrow. Kimmel’s crew did a fantastic job at recreating Monica Geller’s apartment from the hit NBC show. The host boasted that he spent $80,000 on the set (probably not). It’s a goofy bit that has Kimmel playing Friends’ Ross Geller in a sketch based on the character’s love-making prowess. Sadly for fans of Chandler and Joey, Kimmel’s version of Friends has the two other male leads dying from monkey rabies after being bitten by Marcel.

As a longtime fan of Friends, I loved this bit. Jennifer Aniston and Lisa Kudrow have aged marvelously. Courtney Cox…has had some nifty plastic surgery. Seeing Monica’s apartment brought back memories and it was fun hearing the crowd reactions from the “surprise” appearances by Cox and Kudrow.

When you have a chance, check out the Friends reunion clip and let me know what you think (please!).

Source

Coffee Talk #643: Your Favorite Recurring SNL Sketches

After doing website “research” on the “Barry Gibb Talk Show” sketch from Saturday Night Live, I started thinking about my favorite SNL sketches of all time. After performing more “research,” I was bummed to discover that classic bits like “Church Lady” and “Wayne’s World” haven’t held up. I figured that Will Ferrell would have some of my favorite recurring characters, but most of the bits I love from him are one-offs like the outstanding “Behind the Music: More Cowbell” sketch. The exception, of course, is his stellar work in “Celebrity Jeopardy.” In addition to those excellent bits and the “Barry Gibb Talk Show,” there are two other recurring SNL sketches that still slay me. Naturally, I want to hear all about your favorites, but before we get to that, let’s take a look at three recurring SNL sketches.

[Note: I didn’t count “Weekend Update” since that sketch has had a number of hosts…and Norm MacDonald was inarguably the best one.]

“Celebrity Jeopardy” — As much as I loved Will Ferrell playing a straight Alex Trebek, the best part of these SNL sketches were his nemeses. Darrell Hammond rocked it as Sean Connery, constantly insulting Trebek and his mother. His misreadings of categories ruled too — “An Album Cover” became “Anal Bum Cover” and “Therapists” became “The Rapists.” Norm MacDonald did some great work in these bits too, as a rude and idiotic Burt Reynolds. That’s not to undermine Ferrell’s role in these bits; he was the glue that held everything together.

“Brian Fellow’s Safari Planet” — For 10 years, Tracy Morgan was phenomenal in these recurring SNL sketches. He did a wonderful job of infusing Brian Fellow with innocence and belligerence, with just a bit of intelligence. His vacant facials expressions while he blurted out, “I’m Brian Fellow!” and, “That’s crazy!” always crack me up. He’s had great guests to play off of and with. Reverend Al Sharpton did a great job as Brian’s brother, Ryan Fellow.

“The Ambiguously Gay Duo” — These SNL sketches were loaded with talent, featuring the voices of Stephen Colbert and Steve Carell. They’re so silly that it’s hard not to laugh. How can you keep a straight face while watching the Duo fly in a…suggestive position?

Your Turn — I’ve probably left off several SNL sketches that I love. It’s hard going through 40 years of TV shows and not all of them are available online. Naturally, we all have different senses of humor. With both of those factors in mind, I’m looking forward to hearing about your favorite recurring SNL sketches. Fire away in the comments section (please)!

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 NY Yankees giving fans false playoff hopes, Jimmy Kimmel staging a Friends reunion, or rooting for Roger Federer at the US Open, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Weird Al, Game of Thrones, and the 2014 Emmy Awards

While the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards were a dud compared to last year’s unforgettable show, the legendary “Weird” Al Yankovic saved the week with a thrilling performance at the 2014 Emmy Awards. The world’s most electrifying musical parodist performed a bit where he added lyrics to the theme music from several popular television shows. Mad Men, Scandal, Modern Family, and Homeland all got the Weird Al treatment, but the best work was saved for Game of Thrones. Andy Samberg added to the musical number by coming out as King Joffrey. As expected, Weird Al + Game of Thrones = Pure Awesome. Check out the clip below and let me know what you think of Weird Al’s performance at the 2014 Emmy Awards (please!).

I Missed a Barry Gibb Talk Show!

Gah! I can’t believe I missed this “Barry Gibb Talk Show” sketch from 2013. As a huge fan of The Bee Gees and the Justin Timberlake/Jimmy Fallon duo, “The Barry Gibb Talk Show” is one of my all-time favorite recurring bits from Saturday Night Live. I absolute adore the five sketches that I knew about and am hitting myself for missing the sixth. Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon came back for a very special edition of “The Barry Gibb Talk Show.” Madonna makes a cameo as herself, which is a huge deal (though the bit with her hypnotic teeth was…strange). The big surprise was the actual Barry Gibb showing up at the end of the sketch to lend his legendary falsetto to the show’s theme. That. Was. Awesome!!!

Fenix Rage Preview Interview With Ted Lange

If you’re looking for an old-school hardcore platformer then you should definitely check out Fenix Rage. The game is being developed by Green Lava Studios and published by Reverb Triple XP. Fenix Rage is a relentlessly difficult platform game that’s extremely addictive and has lots of replay value. Some gamers that have watched videos of the game believe that it’s the next Super Meat Boy.

In addition to the brutally challenging main game, there are a few things that help Fenix Rage stand out. If you get tired of dying, you can take a break with the game’s arcade mode. This mode contains a number of diversions that use the same game mechanics and controls of the main game, but without the supremely challenging difficulty. If you want an under-the-hood view of Fenix Rage then you’ll definitely want to check out the “Fenix Box” levels. These levels give you a stripped down look of the game, showing off its tight controls and precise hit detection. Lastly, Fenix Rage makes outstanding use of cookies. Confections are collected in the game and play a part in the story. Actual cookie recipes and baking instructions can be unlocked in the game. One of the developer’s sisters is an avid baker and contributed her recipes to the game.

Check out the interview above with Reverb Triple XP executive producer Ted Lange. He provides copious details on Fenix Rage. For additional info on the game, be sure to check out the Fenix Rage coverage on PaulSemel.com.

A nifty side note about the game — some of its character and level designs were influenced by SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron. I totally forgot about that cartoon until Ted mentioned it. Good times.

Fenix Rage will hit Steam and other PC digital distribution platforms on September 24, 2014. The game will hit the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles in early 2015.

Random Thoughts on Sin City: A Dame to Kill For

I’m a big fan of the Sin City comics and a huge fan of the first Sin City movie. With that in mind, I had fairly big expectations going into Sin City: A Dame to Kill For. That said, I wasn’t expecting it to outdo its predecessor — the first movie’s source material is just superior. Sin City: A Dame to Kill For uses two of Frank Miller’s existing stories (one of which is only okay) and two new ones. While it’s certainly not as good as the first film, it’s my favorite movie of 2014 thus far. Let’s take a look at Sin City: A Dame to Kill For using the tried and true RPadTV binary system. [Light spoiler shields, activated!]

3D or Not 3D (Good): Sin City: A Dame to Kill For starts off with a fast-paced story called “Just Another Saturday Night” featuring the inimitable Marv. There’s not a lot going on as far a depth and character development, but the opening plot quickly pulls you back into the world of Sin City and shows off some phenomenal 3D special effects. Robert Rodriguez uses 3D similarly to how he uses color in the mostly black-and-white Sin City movies. 3D enhances the visuals and is part of the storytelling, not a tacked on afterthought like 3D used in most movies. That said, after “Just Another Saturday Night,” the 3D isn’t used as frequently or effectively, but for the first 10 minutes of the movie, it’s spectacular.

Not as Deadly Little Miho (Bad): While Jamie Chung did a decent job of replacing Devon Aoki as the wicked, katana-wielding Miho, she doesn’t quite measure up. Aoki was great in the role; her facial expressions were creepier and it helped that she looked so young. There’s something f#cked up about a baby-faced prostitute assassin that slices off heads as frequently and easily as most people open soda cans. Plus, I always got a kick out of Devon Aoki dispensing decapitations; in my head her inner voice says, “There’s your volcano, bitch!” (Aoki is the daughter of Rocky Aoki, founder of the Benihana chain of restaurants, home of the volcano onion.) Anyway, Chung did a passable job as Miho, but she wasn’t as nasty or as menacing as her predecessor.

Eva Green Owns (Good): Eva Green was — by far — the MVP of Sin City: A Dame to Kill For. Her character, Ava, was incredibly captivating. Visually, she stood out with her bright green eyes and deep red lips. Green’s performance was even more extraordinary. She made Eva beautiful, manipulative, seductive, alluring, deadly, cunning, and unbalanced. Ava is the type of woman that you find immensely attractive and scary as hell. She’s like a dazzling light that attracts moths. Men can see that it will end poorly for them, but her presence is irresistible. While the movie had several good performances, Eva Green’s was the most outstanding.

Odd Pacing (Bad): Although the movie clocks in at a relatively short 102 minutes, it feels longer. My good buddy Paul said that Sin City: A Dame to Kill For felt like it had one too many plot lines and was surprised when I told him the movie’s runtime. While I didn’t feel that the movie was too long, I understand people that feel otherwise. Perhaps because there’s so much packed into the 102 minutes, some moviegoers got viewer fatigue. There aren’t many slow moments in the film, but maybe it could have used some to give the viewer a break.

Beautiful Women (Good): If you’re a guy or gal that’s into beautiful women then there’s a lot to enjoy in Sin City: A Dame to Kill For. The movie is full of gorgeous, gorgeous ladies. Eva Green spends a good chunk of the movie naked. Jessica Alba spends a lot of time sexily dancing at Kadie’s Saloon. Rosario Dawson, Juno Temple, Jamie Chung, and Jaime King are just some of the other beautiful women in the film. It’s babetacular.

Manute II (Bad): As a huge fan of Dennis Haysbert (Cerrano 4 Life!!!), I felt bad that he was pegged to replace Michael Clarke Duncan as Manute. The late giant had a physical presence and booming voice that are impossible to duplicate. It was a no-win situation for Haysbert, but he did well — certainly better than Jamie Chung did replacing Devon Aoki. That said, Michael Clarke Duncan was a perfect role for Manute and Haysbert’s performance was certainly a step down.

The New Stuff (Good): As I mentioned in the intro, two of Sin City: A Dame to Kill For’s storylines were written by Frank Miller just for the movie — “The Long Bad Night” and “Nancy’s Last Dance.” For the most part, they measure up well to Frank Miller’s other tales. I was pleasantly surprise by Joseph Gordon-Levitt in “The Long Bad Night.” His performance was charming, though towards the end of the story it felt like he was channeling Bruce Willis’ character from the first Sin City film (too whiney). “Nancy’s Last Dance” was more enjoyable for me, though I fully admit that I’m completely smitten by Jessica Alba. I believe she’s the most beautiful MILF in the world and should be referred to as Milfimus Prime. What I enjoyed about both stories is that they both end with Pyrrhic victory. Both protagonists get what they want, but both pay a horrible price. These stories reminded me of why Dante from Clerks enjoyed Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, “It ends on such a down note. I mean, that’s what life is — a series of down endings.”

Bottom Line: While Sin City: A Dame to Kill For isn’t as good as the original, I very much enjoyed it. As expected, the visuals were striking and phenomenal, with the 3D being unexpectedly fantastic. There are several strong performances in the movie and most of the storytelling is strong. I got exactly what I wanted from Sin City: A Dame to Kill For and then some. To my surprise, I enjoyed it more than Godzilla and Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Checking out some other reviews, the movie is getting panned by people that feel that Frank Miller has become a misogynistic fascist. Fairly or unfairly, his political transformation has netted some negative reviews. For my part, I was ignorant of Miller’s political rantings going into the film and only learned about them yesterday. I haven’t had enough time to process them yet, but what I can say for sure is that I enjoyed Sin City: A Dame to Kill For more than any other movie I’ve seen this year.

RPadTV Fundraiser Shirt: RPad 3:16

To help fund RPad.TV’s coverage of ECC 2014, I present to you the RPad 3:16 t-shirt! A “stunning” example of “stone-cold” fashion, the t-shirt’s front proudly reads, “RPad 3:16.” The back of the shirt is a nod to the site’s vaping coverage and the trip I’m trying to raise money for, so it reads, “www.RPad.TV Says I Just Vaped Your Ass.” WWE fans will understand the play on words. For vaping fans that don’t watch pro-wrestling, please be assured that I don’t actually vape ass or recommend vaping ass. The RPad 3:16 t-shirt is printed on Gildan Athletic Performance t-shirts that are great at keeping you cool and wicking sweat away from your body. Look cool, feel cool, and support RPad.TV by picking up a shirt today (please)!

(Do note, that this is a timed print run and will only be available for 10 days.)

Vaping Diaries #224: NeoVapeTek E-Liquid Interview (Chris Chapman)

Following up on my chat on the unique NeoVapeTek Venturi RDA, here’s an interview on the company’s upcoming vaping e-liquids. At E-Cig City 4 in Riverside, I hung out with NeoVapeTek head of e-liquid research Christopher Chapman. He told me about his background as a vaper and how he got into juice making, as well as three of the company’s launch flavors and what’s coming next.

I’ve tried two NeoVapeTek e-liquids and been pleasantly surprised by the flavors. As a former clove cigarette smoker, I was curious about NeoVapeTek’s Dejarum blend. There aren’t too many clove juices out there and most of the ones I’ve tried were a little bit off (or more). Dejarum is on point. In the interview, Chris talks about exploring the culinary uses of clove and adding complementary ingredients in order to achieve an accurate approximation of clove cigarettes. The other NeoVapeTek juice I’ve been enjoying is Are Why’s Mallow. This is a unique twist on the RY4 formula — arguably the most duplicated and imitated flavor in vaping. Wanting to stand out from the crowd, Chris experimented with numerous complementary flavors until finding toasted marshmallow. As a huge RY4 fan, I’ve found this unique take on the flavor quite compelling. Lastly, Chris talks about Orango Tango, which is his partner’s favorite e-liquid in the NeoVapeTek launch lineup.

In addition to talking about the company’s six launch flavors, Chris discusses what he’s working on and what flavors you can expect next from NeoVapeTek. I’ll be giving his juices a full review in the near future. For now, kindly check out the interview above to learn more about the company’s efforts in the e-liquid space. If you have a chance, please let me know which of the company’s launch flavors you’re most interested in (leave your pick in the comments section…please!).

Special thanks to Handsome Vapers Club for introducing me to the NeoVapeTek crew!