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Weird Al Yankovic’s “Word Crimes” Totally Owns

The “Weird” Al Yankovic multimedia onslaught continues. The artist’s new album — Mandatory Fun — is available now and the video for “Word Crimes” is out. This very special single is a parody of the Robin Thicke smash hit “Blurred Lines.” It pokes fun at the numerous grammar and usage errors that have infected society. As someone that has spent a lot of time (both personally and professionally) reading forums and blog-post comments, the “Word Crimes” song and video totally crack me up. As RPadholic N8R mentioned in the RPadTV Google+ Hangout, “Word Crimes” contains a usage error that I used to make a lot, until N8R set me straight on a G4tv.com thread. Ha!

While I really enjoyed the video for “Tacky,” “Word Crimes” takes my love for Weird Al to another level. It’s fun, clever, hilarious, and educational. “Word Crimes” is a stellar example of Weird Al Yankovic’s brilliance — outstanding stuff, Sir!

Mariano Rivera’s Retirement Means Metallica’s Out of Work (ESPN)

Here’s a funny ESPN commercial featuring the legendary rock band Metallica. As all of you should know, New York Yankees great Mariano Rivera retired last year. If you’re familiar with the (greatest) closer (of all time), then you know that he entered ballgames to Metallica’s “Enter Sandman.” The gag in the ESPN commercial is that Metallica has been struggling to find work since Rivera’s retirement. There’s even a bit in a break room where guitarist Kirk Hammett tries to get ESPN anchor Stuart Scott to sign up for guitar lessons. Ha! While there have been several great ESPN commercials over the years (love the Pete Sampras one!), this is easily in my top five because, you know, Yankees and Metallica.

Weird Al’s “Tacky” Video Completely Rules! (Pharrell “Happy”Parody”)

The video for “Weird” Al Yankovic’s latest single “Tacky” is one of the best things I’ve seen in 2014. As some of you know, “Happy” by Pharrell Williams bugs the crap out of me, so I’m thrilled to see that woefully overplayed single get the Weird Al parody treatment. As a song, “Tacky” is full of Weird Al’s signature silliness and trademark puns. While the song is what I expect and love from Weird Al, the video took my be surprise. I wasn’t expecting guest appearances by Jack Black, Aisha Tyler, Margaret Cho, and more. It’s well choreographed, fun, and filled with entertainingly horrid clothing (mad props to the wardrobe department).

As a lifelong fan of Weird Al, it’s awesome that he’s still serving up great parodies after decades of success. Unlike the original song, “Tacky” makes me very, very happy. When you have a chance, check out the video for “Tacky” and let me know what you think.

Support These Musician Friends of RPadTV (Please!)

RPadholic N8R’s band has a self-titled EP out, so please, please, please check out The Gray-Test Project. As you longtime RPadTV readers know, N8R absolutely rocks and so does his band. I guarantee you’ll dig the music, especially if you pay close attention to Nate slappin’ da bass. If jazz is more your thing then you’ll love my brother’s latest album, They Come and They Go. This is my brother’s second album and I’m so proud of what he’s done. In addition to his new album, Reggie has recently been sponsored by GoPro. They loved his videos of playing the saxophone while surfing and decided to make him part of the team.

So yeah! Please check out the latest from Reggie and Nate. If you buy both albums from the Amazon links above then you’ll support all three of us. Everybody wins!!!

Coffee Talk #636: Settling on a Chevy Spark EV…Maybe

After being smitten by the Nissan Leaf and impressed by the Ford Focus Electric, there’s a good chance that I’m going to settle on a 2014 Chevy Spark EV this week. This little electric car has a lot to love, but it also has a few drawbacks. On the plus side, the Chevy Spark EV is way more fun to drive than the Ford Focus Electric or Nissan Leaf. This car has a ton of torque and accelerates impressively from 0-45MPH. It’s also cheaper than its competitors, with Chevy offering a straight-up deal with minimal dealership…creativity.

The Chevy Spark EV also packs some nerdy features inside the car. The dashboard is totally geeked out, allowing you to see energy availability and consumption in various ways. There are basic readings that are completely straightforward. There are also more precise readings that allow you to see maximum and minimum charge remaining in addition to the mean, as well as energy consumption and regeneration in kilowatt hours. A customary CD player has been eschewed for smartphone connectivity. iPhone users can simply plug into the dashboard console via USB, allowing the car’s system to play music, answer calls, compose texts, use Siri hands-free, and provide a larger display for the optional BringGo GPS app.

On the downside, trunk space is the smallest of the three cars I’ve looked at and the backseat legroom is tight. The larger issue is charging. The Chevy Spark EV’s level 2 charge port is only 3.3kW, as opposed to the 6.6kW ports found on most 2014 and 2015 electric cars. In real-world terms, that means that an empty Chevy Spark EV battery will take roughly seven hours to fill via level 2 charging.

The potentially good news is that the car has a quick-charge option. The Chevy Spark EV is available with an SAE DC Combo port, which allows a full charge in 30 minutes. Unfortunately, this “standard” hasn’t proliferated nearly as fast as the CHAdeMO quick-charge ports used by Nissan, Mitsubishi, and Toyota. However, SAE DC Combo is back by some heavy hitters — Chevy, Ford, BMW, Mercedes, and Volkswagen. If I do pick up the Chevy Spark EV, I’ll be gambling on SAE DC Combo public chargers deploying rapidly over the next few years. It’s hardly a sure thing, but it could be a decent gamble.

In California, a few SAE DC Combo chargers have been deployed, with eVgo planning to set more up. The company has a ton of work to do in order to catch up with CHAdeMO operators like Blink and Chargepoint in Los Angeles. (Note: eVgo has a number of CHAdeMO charging stations in the LA area too.) Using the excellent Plugshare app, I found four CHAdeMO chargers within a four-mile radius of my apartment. The nearest SAE DC Combo charger is more than 20 miles away. If I do pick up the Chevy Spark EV, my driving will be limited until more SAE DC Combo chargers are deployed. According to an eVgo PR rep I contacted:

All of NRG eVgo’s Freedom Station sites have been pre-wired for the addition of a SAE Combo fast charger.

Our team is developing software integration with multiple vendors, testing chargers with automakers, and is beginning to install additional SAE pilots in California now which will be announced via the eVgo website as they come online. Our goal is to install SAE fast chargers across California.

We are well on track to have at least 200 fast-charging stations throughout California by the end of 2016, giving the state the most robust fast charging infrastructure in America.

Hopefully eVgo does what it says it’s going to do. Obviously, I’d love to believe the company, but I’m skeptical of most energy companies — even green ones.

In a perfect world, a Nissan dealer will call me tomorrow and give me a Leaf offer I can’t refuse. That’s extremely unlikely, so there’s a good chance that I’m going to settle on the Chevy Spark EV. It’s a fun car to drive and cheaper than the other two electric cars I test drove. Hopefully SAE DC Combo chargers multiply like Gremlins over the next year to help make up for the car’s slow-ass level 2 charging.

Before I make my final decision, I’d love to hear from you guys. Should I take the great offer I received on the Chevy Spark EV and live with its warts? Or should I hold out for a better offer on a Nissan Leaf. Leave a comment and let me know (please!).

Guardians of the Galaxy Extended Trailer (UK)

The latest Guardians of the Galaxy trailer is my favorite yet. It has more dialogue, more action, and (most importantly) more Groot! There are lots of things I love about this clip. There are a several excellent Rocket moments (love the bit with his “fake” laugh). Ronan the Accuser looks like a bad-ass. And (as much as it pains me to admit it), Dave Batista wasn’t as crappy as I’d thought he’d be (though I’m sure he’ll be crappy overall). That said, the more clips I see of Guardians, the less convinced I am of Chris Pratt’s portrayal of Star Lord/Peter Quill. Pratt is being a bit too goofy for my tastes. The Star Lord that I dig is a fun combination of competent, snarky, and cool. Going off of the trailers, Pratt’s Star Lord seems like one of those silly characters that gets by on sheer luck. Hopefully that’s not the case, but the vibe I’m getting doesn’t have enough of the cool and capable characteristics of the comic book character.

Anyway, check out the Guardians of the Galaxy UK extended trailer when you have a chance and let me know what you think (please!).

Wines of Westeros: Game of Thrones Inspired Wines

Are you a Game of Thrones fan that also enjoys some fine wine? If you answered yes then you definitely need to check out The Wines of Westeros. This set of twelve wines was inspired by Game of Thrones (TV) and A Song of Ice and Fire (books). The Wines of Westeros is a collection of beverages named after various houses and groups from the books and television series. Most popular varieties of wine are covered by the collection, so there’s something for everyone, no matter your taste in wine or house allegiance.

For example, those with loyalty to the North will enjoy The Stark, a sauvignon blanc. Stark wine is, of course, white (winter is coming!). Fans of pinot noir will go for The Baratheon or The Lannister. Rumor has it that the latter is made with incestuous grapes. I always enjoy a good cabernet with my grilled boar, so I’m looking forward to trying The Martell. The Wines of Westeros website notes that this cabernet “may cause insatiable lust.” Those that prefer wines that are bold, spicy, and fruity should look to The Night’s Watch and The Targaryen. These shiraz wines are dark and powerful, with the latter supposedly made with fire and blood.

Sadly, there isn’t a poisonous blend called The Rains of Castamere. That would be a fine choice to serve to wedding crashers.

When you have a chance, check out The Wines of Westeros website and peruse the company’s offerings. Please leave a comment with the bottles that interest you the most.

Source

Coffee Talk #635: Miami Heat Big Three and Silly Reporting

The NBA free agent rumor mill is in full effect. This year’s offseason is particularly intriguing since the Miami Heat’s “big three” of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh are free agents. Sports fans — particularly NBA fans — love reading about trade rumors, salary cap wizardry, and potential signings. Thanks to the way social media and Internet reporting have evolved, there’s more free agency content than ever. Unfortunately, there’s also some comically bad reporting. ESPN.com has been guilty of posting articles with some…questionable phrases. Let’s take a look at some of my favorite offenders.

This Brian Windhorst article on Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh opting out of their contracts has been phantom edited, but used to contain the following line:

The move also comes three days after Wade, James and Bosh met at a posh Miami Beach hotel to discuss their futures.

They met at a posh hotel? Really?!? As opposed to their usual meetings at the Miami Red Roof Inn and their super-secret brainstorming sessions at the Miami Best Western?

Another Windhorst special is about LeBron’s future meeting with Miami Heat president Pat Riley. Dude dedicated an entire article to report that the two of them are planning to have a meeting. If that’s not bad enough, check out this line:

Free agent LeBron James is planning a face-to-face meeting with Miami Heat president Pat Riley in the next few days, sources told ESPN.com.

Come on, Windhorst. Did you really need a source to tell you that the two were going to meet IRL. As opposed to their sensitive dealings that usually take place via FaceTime or Skype? The article is pure clickbait. Of course Riley was going to meet with LeBron. Keeping the best player in basketball is obviously high on his list of priorities. And yes, an important meeting like that was always going to be “face-to-face.”

In other “big three” news, here’s a whopping revelation that Chris Bosh is considering signing with the Houston Rockets for the NBA maximum salary. The article has the riveting headline of “Sources: Chris Bosh Considers Offer.” The article is by NBA rumor monger Chris Broussard, who sometimes gets great scoops, but often reports bad information. Here, he plays it safe, dedicating an entire article about Bosh considering getting paid a lot of money. No sh*t he’s considering it.

I know that the Internet has lowered the standards of reporting, but I expect more from ESPN.com. It used to be the place for top-quality sports reporting. For the last couple of years, the number of articles has gone up, but the quality has gone down. Yeah, I know that’s how the Internet works in 2014, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Look at Grantland’s Zach Lowe, for example. His combination of frequency and quality is almost unbelievable. He posts several articles a week and all of them are thoughtful, insightful, and analytical. He doesn’t post clickbait garbage about two people having a meeting or a player thinking about accepting a lucrative contract offer. Lowe’s articles are excellent reads that put information in context and explain — in great detail — the impact of the information. While it’s a shame that ESPN.com has become a bit of a dog, I’m grateful that Grantland is there for high-quality sports reporting.

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, Rihanna’s Fourth of July nipple dress, wishing someone would go all Project Mayhem on car dealerships, or sweet box mods, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Check Out Pogo Plumber (Please!)

My darling ex-fiancé pointed me out to a fun game called Pogo Plumber. This 2D side-scroller is available now for iOS and is coming soon to Android devices. Pogo Plumber is a real treat for fans of 8-bit platformers and contains several familiar elements — a high-jumping plumber, collecting coins, minions that require head stomping, and more. Pogo Plumber is a free-to-play game, so kindly download it when you have a chance and share your thoughts on it in the comments section.

Right about now a few of you are thinking, “Oh great, Ray, another free-to-play game you want us to try….” Don’t sweat it! The in-app purchases aren’t bad. There are cosmetic items for those of you that like to play with dollies, as well as more practical things like coin doublers and continues. After playing the game for a couple of days, I assure you that it’s good for a quick fix of old-school gameplay. Unlike free-to-play games from some other publishers (I want to name drop…but won’t), Pogo Plumber isn’t obnoxious about in-app purchases. They’re there if you want them, but easy enough to ignore if you just want a small dose of 2D side-scrolling joy.

So please, please, please hit up the link above, download Pogo Plumber, and let me know what you think of the game.

Coffee Talk #634: 2014 Nissan Leaf vs. Ford Focus Electric

After getting smitten by the 2014 Nissan Leaf, but having a mostly lousy shopping experience, I’ve decided to take a look at the 2014 Ford Focus Electric. In some ways, the Ford Focus Electric is a much better car than the Nissan Leaf. In other ways, it’s lacking. Let’s do a binary breakdown of the 2014 Ford Focus Electric vs. 2014 Nissan Leaf. These opinions are fresh off a test drive of the Ford Focus Electric. Since I wrote about the Nissan Leaf last column, I’ll be thinking through this one with the Ford Focus Electric in mind.

Good: The Ford Focus Electric handles better than the Nissan Leaf. The suspension is a little bit better and the steering is much, much better. With the Leaf, you’re able to steer nimbly, but you don’t really feel anything; it’s like controlling a really powerful golf cart. The Ford Focus Electric lets you feel more of the road and has more responsive steering. While I wouldn’t call it sporty by any means, it’s certainly a more compelling drive than what the Leaf offers.

Bad: My biggest issue with the Ford Focus Electric is the lack of a quick-charge port. While its “level 2” charging is faster than most (3.6 hours to fill), it’s odd that the car doesn’t have a quick-charge port. The Nissan Leaf has the option for a CHAdeMO port, which allows you to charge the battery to 80 percent in less than 30 minutes. There are several CHAdeMO chargers in my area, including a few that let you charge for free. This is a nice option to have. While I can certainly get by with the Ford Focus Electric’s relatively fast charging, a quick-charge option would offer more freedom and flexibility. In some ways, a quick-charge port is the EV equivalent of a condom — I rather have one and not need it than need one and not have it. (Oops, that analogy was supposed to stay in my inner monologue.)

Good: Another advantage for the Ford Focus Electric is that it has a liquid-cooled battery (active), as opposed to the Leaf’s air-cooled battery (passive). Extreme heat can lower a battery’s range (cold temperatures can too, but I don’t have to worry about that in Los Angeles). The Ford Focus Electric’s active cooling scheme will help the battery last longer, both in the short term (my concern, since I’m looking for a three-year lease) and the longterm.

Bad: Nissan created an original design for the Leaf, so its battery packs are smartly distributed. The Ford Focus Electric uses an existing design, so compromises were made to jam the battery into it. The end result is a slightly smaller backseat than the ICE Focus and a much smaller trunk. I knew that the trunk was going to be small based off of photos, but seeing it in real life surprised me. You can fit a couple of bags of groceries in there…and that’s about it. You can forget about picking up friends with lots of luggage from the airport (though, “Sorry, my trunk is too small,” can be a great excuse). The Nissan Leaf, on the other hand, has more room in the backseats and much more usable trunk space.

Good: The Ford Focus Electric is available in one trim and the options are very, very nice. It beats the pants off of the Nissan Leaf’s S and SV trims, while being competitive or better than the top-of-the-line Leaf SL. While the initial price of the Ford Focus Electric is higher, adding options to the Nissan Leaf SL makes it a tougher choice. The interior components of Focus are nicer than most of what the Leaf offers.

Judgement Call: Some people prefer the Ford Focus Electric because it looks normal. There are some consumers that hate the atypical looks of the Nissan Leaf. I totally understand both sides. If you want a inconspicuous and unassuming EV that blends in then the Ford Focus Electric is your car. Personally, I dig the Leaf’s nerdy-as-hell aesthetics because it’s nerdy-as-hell.

The good news is that I had a great test drive of the Ford Focus Electric at Airport Marina Ford. The bad news is that when it came time to get pricing, the fleet manager was coy and wouldn’t let the salesman give me a price unless I was ready to buy on the spot. I also pulled a quote off of the Ford website with the lease terms I wanted, but the salesman said that the website quotes are inaccurate because they factor in discounts that I’m not eligible for. I left the dealership knowing that the monthly payments they’d charge me were higher than what I found on the Ford website, but lower than $300. That wasn’t exactly helpful.

The better news is that while I really like the Ford Focus Electric and would gladly snatch one up at the lease price listed on the Ford website, it’s more of a compromise than the Nissan Leaf. Yes, it drives better and has a much nicer interior, but I would get more use out of the Leaf’s trunk space and larger backseats. While the liquid-cooled battery is a great feature, the lack of a quick-charge port limits the Ford Focus Electric for me, since I live in an apartment.

The (hopefully) best news is that the salesman I’ve been working with at Alhambra Nissan found the exact model and color of the Nissan Leaf SV that I want. In my last column, I mentioned that I enjoyed working with this gentleman because he gave me honest and straightforward info over email, without pressuring me to come to the dealership. Now that he has the car that I want and I know what his prices are for more expensive models, I’m happy to drop by the dealership and see him. Whether I end up in a Nissan Leaf SV through him or a Ford Focus Electric through another Ford dealership, hopefully I’ll be in an EV by next week.

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, your Fourth of July plans, NBA free agency madness, or your favorite fireworks, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.