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Coffee Talk #638: The Case Against Dwayne Johnson as Shazam

In a recent interview with Total Film (embedded below for your convenience), Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson gave some hints on a character he’ll be playing in an upcoming movie. The artist formerly known as Rocky Maivia said that he’ll be playing someone with “the power of Superman” and also gave the telling hint of, “Just say the word.” The latter bit has many people speculating that The Rock will be playing Shazam (known for decades as Captain Marvel). For those of you unfamiliar with Captain Marvel/Shazam, he was originally a Fawcett Comics character and was added to the DC Universe when the latter company bought the former. Captain Marvel/Shazam summons his powers by saying, “Shazam!” Today’s column is about why The Rock isn’t necessarily playing Shazam, but if that ends up being the case, why it’s a bad choice.

For years, DC fanboys have been clamoring for The Rock to play another character from Shazam’s world: Black Adam. A longtime villain of Captain Marvel/Shazam and more recently a popular DC Comics antihero, Black Adam also has a power set similar to Superman’s and summons his powers by saying, “Shazam!” Everything The Rock said in the Total Film interview applies to Black Adam as much as it does to Captain Marvel/Shazam. If you watch the interview below then you’ll notice that The Rock never said the words “hero” or “superhero” when describing the character. That gives me some hope that he’ll playing Black Adam rather than Captain Marvel/Shazam.

While I’m a big fan of The Rock, I think he’s all wrong for Captain Marvel/Shazam. The essence of the character is that he has the body of a supremely powerful being, with the heart and soul of a pure and innocent child (though his New 52 incarnation gives him the heart and soul of a childish prick). While The Rock is great at comedies and could pull off some gags based on the character’s duality, portraying innocence and purity aren’t his strengths.

Black Adam is a much better choice for The Rock. He’s an angrier character. He has a code of honor, but if you piss him off, he’ll obliterate you. The Rock would excel in this role. He would be fantastic as an antihero that’s equal parts nobility and ferocity. Plus, The Rock already has Black Adam’s receding hairline (bonus for the makeup department!). Black Adam is just a much better fit for what The Rock is cooking.

It’s largely expected that DC Comics and The Rock will be announcing the movie at San Diego Comic-Con 2014 this week. While it wouldn’t surprise me to see The Rock announced as Captain Marvel/Shazam, I’m holding out hope that he’ll be cast as Black Adam. He’s a more interesting character that plays better to The Rock’s strengths as an actor. I rather see him relentlessly kicking ass as Black Adam than having morality conundrums as Captain Marvel/Shazam. Plus, I had this nightmarish vision that a producer would (force) cast Jaden Smith as the hero’s alter ego, Billy Batson. The kid sucks and needs to stop acting.

Anyway, I’d love to hear your thoughts on The Rock’s DC Comics movie rumors. Would you rather see him play Black Adam or Captain Marvel/Shazam. Leave a comment and let me know (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 Rock’s mastery at “jacking it,” the Los Angeles Clippers’ legal drama, or wanting to punch people that call Lady Gaga fat, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Saber’s Edge, To-Fu Fury Exclusive to Amazon Fire Phone

Amazon Game Studios has announced a pair of videogames exclusive to the upcoming Amazon Fire Phone — Saber’s Edge and To-Fu Fury. Saber’s Edge combines puzzle gameplay with strategic combat, while To-Fu Fury is a platform game that appears to star a…menacing ninja marshmallow (yes, I know it’s a tofu cube). Both games take advantage of the Fire Phone’s unique “Dynamic Perspective” feature. You can check out the trailers for both games below. Here’s a clip from the press release:

Saber’s Edge and To-Fu Fury are co-developed with partners, Hibernum and HotGen as part of Amazon Game Studios’ mission to build fun, immersive games from the ground up for Amazon devices. These new games were created exclusively for Fire phone and take advantage of Amazon’s groundbreaking Dynamic Perspective. With Dynamic Perspective, Fire phone enables players to control gameplay with their head movements or by tilting the device to change direction or view.

‘Amazon Game Studios is working with some of the best studios to co-develop games that leverage the amazing capabilities of our new devices,’ said Mike Frazzini, Vice President of Amazon Games. ‘The new games we are releasing today deeply integrate Dynamic Perspective and offer players new ways to engage with games—using head movements to navigate gameplay and tilt gestures to strategize upcoming moves.’

While I was intrigued by the Amazon Fire Phone when it was announced, there are some aspects of it that are unappealing to certain tech nerds. Seeing “exclusive” games like Saber’s Edge and To-Fu Fury is an important step in the right direction. Content is king and exclusive content is…uhm…an intergalactic warlord (yeah, that’s it!). It’s good to see Amazon supporting its unique phone with unique software. These titles should be the first of many that are exclusive to the Amazon Fire Phone.

Amazon appears to understand how important mobile games are and looks like it will support its hardware nicely through Amazon Game Studios. While I’m interested in the games (particularly To-Fu Fury), I’m more interested in seeing how big and bold Amazon Game Studios will be. There’s some fantastic potential there and it’s always good to have another big player in the videogame space.

Anyway, check out the trailers when you have a chance and let me know what you think about the games (please!). Also, what do you think Amazon will accomplish with Amazon Game Studios?

Weird Al Has “First World Problems”

I skipped “Weird” Al Yankovic’s last video from Mandatory Fun, “Sports Song,” because I didn’t think it was very good. Thankfully, “First World Problems” is a lot better. Yeah, it’s not a clever as the outstanding “Word Crimes” or as flashy as “Tacky,” but I found myself cracking up from several lines in the song. “First World Problems” has several things that I’ve been guilty of — getting annoyed that I can’t fast forward through commercials because I’m watching live television, being irritated by having to brush my teeth manually because I let my electric toothbrush’s battery run out, ordering extra items from Amazon to get free shipping, etc. Check out the video when you have a chance, let me know what you think of it, and let me know if it contains any “First World Problems” that you’ve had.

Coffee Talk #637: Ford Focus Electric and the Gamification of Driving

Driving a Ford Focus Electric has a lot of similarities to playing videogames on a home console. In the immortal word of Christopher Cross, “It sounds crazy, but it’s true.” The Ford Focus Electric has a system of achievements, scores, and leaderboards that supplement the driving experience, similar to how PlayStation and Xbox consoles have these features to supplement the videogame experience. For certain drivers (i.e. nerdy ones), it makes driving more fun.

On the “My Driving” page on MyFordMobile.com, Ford Focus Electric drivers can keep track of their “Brake Score” and “Driving Score.” The former measures how well or poorly the driver uses the car’s regenerative breaking system. The latter factors in overall acceleration, breaking, and speed. The goal is to encourage Ford Focus Electric drivers to use their cars more efficiently and get the most out of every battery charge. For gamers and people that just like racking up high scores, this feature can be incredibly appealing.

Achievement whores will enjoy driving the Ford Focus Electric, simply because they can unlock achievements. MyFordMobile.com breaks up achievements into three categories: driving, environmental impact, and community. The categories are self-explanatory and appeal to different types of drivers. Those that care most about single-player achievements will focus on driving, tree huggers will want to rack up as many impact achievements as possible, and those with multiplayer leanings will enjoy unlocking community achievements. Again, it’s a fun way to supplement the Ford Focus Electric driving experience for people that know and enjoy these kinds of gaming systems, while those that are unfamiliar or dislike gamification can ignore this aspect of the vehicle.

Naturally, the biggest difference between the Ford Focus Electric’s various scores and achievements compared to their videogame counterparts is the way they’re presented. Whether you drive a Ford Focus Electric or see one on the road, you want all drivers to be focused on the road and driving conditions. You do not want someone zipping along, getting giddy from a dashboard achievement notification, taking their eye off of the road, and smashing into you. With that in mind, Ford Focus Electric scores and achievements can only be viewed on MyFordMobile.com, while leaderboards can be viewed on the MyFordMobile website and app. While this takes away the instant gratification of unlocking an achievement in a videogame, it’s safer for everyone on the road.

Speaking of leaderboards, this is probably the most robust gamification feature in the MyFordMobile system. There are currently six leaderboards: Braking Expert, EV Stretcher, EV Tour Guide, Kinetic Ninja, Renaissance Man, and Zen Master. The leaderboards are currently broken up into 14 regions that span America and Canada. You can read the descriptions of each leaderboard and see examples in the image gallery below.

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I know that many of you hate the term gamification and what it usually entails, but in the case of the Ford Focus Electric, it’s pretty cool. Achievements, scores, and leaderboards on MyFordMobile.com provide ancillary features that make driving a Ford Focus Electric more fun. These features certainly aren’t for everyone, but for gamers and competitive people, they enhance the driving experience.

As a lifelong videogame nerd, these gamification features make me hit up MyFordMobile.com at least daily (usually after every trip, if time permits). I enjoy unlocking achievements. It’s fun trying to maximize my “Brake Score” and “Driving Score.” While I don’t care for what muscle cars and rice rockets bring to the table, I’m all about nerding up driving. That’s exactly what Ford has done with the gamification features of the Ford Focus Electric.

What do you guys and gals think of these features? Do you think that’d you enjoy them? Or are you annoyed by the proliferation of gamification? Leave a comment and let me know (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 WWE Battleground PPV, Steven Gerrard retiring from English football duty, or the irritating Netflix vs. Verizon feud, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Peter Quill Has a Plan (Guardians of the Galaxy)

Here’s an extended clip of the “I have a plan” scene from the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy. In the last trailer, the clip was spliced up. This video shows more of it and gives you a better idea of the team’s dynamics. Aside from (the glorious) Groot, everyone gets more time to shine in this video. More context is added too. To my surprise, Dave Batista had more lines without sucking more. Considering his penchant for sucking at everything that doesn’t involve being big and muscular, that’s just…shocking. Anyway, check out the clip when you have a chance and let me know what you think. Are any of you excited for the Guardians of the Galaxy movie?

Vaping Diaries #219: AmeraVape Erik Hutchinson Q&A

This video interview with AmeraVape founder and owner Erik Hutchinson is very different from the usual RPadTV vaping interview. It’s mostly unedited and much longer than the video content that I usually post. As many of you know, AmeraVape — creator and manufacturer of the popular Manhattan mechanical mod — has been embroiled in several controversies. There are a lot of strong opinions about the company. Some of the opinions are justified, while some are the result of misinformation. Given AmeraVape’s controversial position, I jumped at the opportunity to film Erik answering some user-submitted questions.

The focus of this piece is all about your questions. That’s why the video is mostly unedited and that’s why it’s so long. Overall, I think it’s a very interesting piece. Erik clears up some of the misinformation that’s floating around out there and explains why AmeraVape does some of the things it does. Having said that, there are a few bits that will probably result in some more controversy for AmeraVape.

Just so you know, Erik was not given the questions prior to the interview. I wanted to get his spontaneous reactions to the questions. For the most part, I stayed out of the way and let him answer as much as he wanted to. I started and ended the video with some topics to add some context, and I did follow up on one of the user-submitted questions (and yes, I did crack some goofy jokes a few times because…I can’t help myself). At the end of the day, the vast majority of the video is Erik answering the questions that were submitted.

While I was conducting the interview, I found myself learning more about the company and learning new information about some of its controversies. That’s what I hope the video does for you; I’m not trying to change your opinion about AmeraVape — just trying to help you get additional information to come to your own conclusion. Naturally, I’d love to get your thoughts on this AmeraVape interview and Erik’s answers. Please leave a comment and share your thoughts when you have a chance!

Special thanks to Monster Vape Lounge for letting us shoot at the shop and hang out!

Weird Al Pokes Fun at Iggy Azalea in “Handy”

Today’s dose of “Weird” Al Yankovic’s Mandatory Fun is “Handy.” A parody of Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy,” the song and video are chock full of handyman gags. While it’s sillier and (arguably) not as clever as the other Weird Al videos posted this week, I’m happy that “Handy” exists. “Fancy” is a completely ridiculous song and Iggy Azalea is an outstanding target for parody. Besides, it’s always a good gag when a 54-year old man tackles a song performed by a 24-year old girl.

Anyway, (please) check out “Handy” when you have a chance and let me know how you think it stacks up against the other Weird Al Yankovic videos posted this week.

Vaping Diaries #218: Wu Tang House of Mods El Sigilo Review

One of the latest offerings from Wu Tang House of Mods — one of my favorite Filipino modders — is the El Sigilo. This mechanical mod features a unique design and fantastic aesthetics. The standard model available in brass and stainless steel, as well as a torched steel “special edition” covered in this review. It’s also available in copper, but with zodiac sign aesthetics rather than Filipino-style engravings. All models come with 18650 and 18350 tubes. The El Sigilio ships in a treasure chest that contains the mod, as well as tools for unscrewing the caps.

While I was enamored by the El Sigilo’s aesthetics and admired the minimalistic design, there were a few aspects of the mod that could have been a little bit better. Here’s the breakdown.

Design and Ergonomics: The most unique aspect of the El Sigilo is its physical design. Instead of using end caps that screw onto the main tube, this mod uses end caps that screw into the main tube. This gives the El Sigilo a wonderfully minimalistic look and makes it shorter than most competing mods. While I found it easy to manage the caps with my fingernails, Wu Tang House of Mods includes two sets of clips for unscrewing the caps.

The main tube features Baybayin engravings, while the special edition has an additional set of engravings on the opposite side (check the video for details). For those of you not familiar with Baybayin, it was the primary script used in the Philippines prior to Spanish colonization.

The El Sigilo’s button has a medium feel and throw. As someone that likes a short throw and light feel, I liked this mod’s button action, but didn’t love it. That said, I think that most vapers will be satisfied with the button feel.

With its uniquely Filipino aesthetics and minimalist, I love the way this mod looks. The physical design also keeps the mod shorter than most, whether you’re rocking 18650 or 18350. Wu Tang House of Modz knocked it out of the park with the El Sigilo, as far as design goes.

Build Quality and Construction: The build quality of the El Sigilo is very good, but a tad shy of great. On the outside, everything looks wonderful, with smooth lines and excellent engravings. On the inside, things could have been a little bit better. The threads on the caps and tubes feel smooth, but there are some visible burrs. Some vapers won’t mind that at all, but those that place a premium on impeccable build quality and top-notch performance might have an issue with the machining.

Performance: For a stainless steel mod, the El Sigilo is a strong performer. The silver-plated contacts and brass caps help conductivity. However, there are a few factors that prevent this mod from being an outstanding performer. Obviously stainless steel isn’t as conductive as brass or copper, but the (slight) performance issues go beyond that. As I mentioned before, the threads are good, but not great. Finely machined threads with high tolerances are an important aspect of maximizing conductivity.

If you like the El Sigilo’s design and want top performance then you should go with the brass or copper models over the stainless steel or torched steel models. Even then, there are a number of mods out there with better machining that translates to better performance.

Verdict: The El Sigilo is another hit from Wu Tang House of Modz. As a Filipino-American, I absolutely love the way the mod looks. I’m a fan of minimalistic mods and the El Sigilo can certainly be classified as such. The baybayin engraving is awesome and looks especially sweet on torched steel. As far as aesthetics go, this is easily my favorite-looking mod in my collection.

Having said that, there are a few things that prevent it from being my favorite overall mod. The performance is very good for a stainless steel mod, but the El Sigilo doesn’t hit as hard as various brass and copper mods I’ve used. The workmanship is also very good, but not quite great. Certainly Wu Tang is competitive with the majority of mod makers out there, but companies like Vapour Art, Super-T Manufacturing, and others are in another league.

I’m happy to own the El Sigilo from Wu Tang House of Modz. Looking at it always makes me happy and it always gets a fair amount of attention when I bring it to vape shops. Aesthetically, I adore it, but I just wish that the threads were perfectly smooth and that it hit a bit harder.

Weird Al Yankovic’s “Foil” Reveals Illuminati Secrets

Have you ever dreamed of watching a “Weird” Al Yankovic video that has the artist starring in a cooking show and dishing out secrets on the Illuminati? That’s exactly what you’ll see in the video for “Foil,” from Weird Al’s latest album, Mandatory Fun. A parody of Lorde’s hit “Royals,” the video for “Foil” co-stars comedian Patton Oswalt as Weird Al’s producer. While I didn’t find “Foil” as entertaining as “Word Crimes” or “Tacky,” I’m always down with more Weird Al. Besides, making fun of Lorde and the Illuminati is always good fun.

Watch Derek Jeter’s Glorious 2014 MLB All-Star Game Moments

As a Yankee fan and someone that has watched Derek Jeter’s entire baseball career, there was a lot to love about the MLB 2014 All-Star Game. He was given a classy ovation during his introduction. On his first at bat, he was introduced by a recording of the late, great, and legendary Bob Sheppard. (He also laced a sweet double off of Adam Wainwright, on a pitch that may or may not have been a gimme.) When he was taken out of the game, he was given another lovely ovation. While he didn’t receive the fanfare that Yankee great Mariano Rivera did in the 2013 All-Star Game, the earnest but (relatively) understated show of respect seemed appropriate for Jeter. Check out the clips below (please)!