GAMES. nintendo Wii

this is not exactly what i expected. when i heard that nintendo had finally announced the name of their latest console, i quickly hunted down the websites to hear the latest news. and this is what they announce: the nintendo revolution will now be called the nintendo wii.
hmm, really?!? i wasnt quite sure what to think. at first i wondered how one would go about saying 'wii'. is it like 'we', or is it like 'why'? after reading a bit more i saw that its pronounced 'we'.
its still i bit shocking to me. ive been really pumped about this console for a long time now (yes, i am a major nintendo fanboy) and each new surprise they announce has left me very stunned. the ideas they are coming up with are just so different that it takes a while for them to sink in. the first sight of the box itself, the first look at the controller, and now this.
im not really going to make a judgement on the name itself, yet. when i first saw the controller it took me a few days to understand what it could mean and the changes in would allow. i hated it at first and thought nintendo had blown it, but i quickly began to understand and get really excited about it. im thinking i should wait and allow this name to sink in as well.
i need to try it on for a few days and see if it fits.

by the way, here is what Nintendo has to say about the new name:

Introducing ... Wii.As in "we."
While the code-name "Revolution" expressed our direction, Wii represents the answer.
Wii will break down that wall that separates video game players from everybody else.Wii will put people more in touch with their games ... and each other. But you're probably asking: What does the name mean?Wii sounds like "we," which emphasizes this console is for everyone.Wii can easily be remembered by people around the world, no matter what language they speak. No confusion. No need to abbreviate. Just Wii.Wii has a distinctive "ii" spelling that symbolizes both the unique controllers and the image of people gathering to play.And Wii, as a name and a console, brings something revolutionary to the world of video games that sets it apart from the crowd.So that's Wii. But now Nintendo needs you.Because, it's really not about you or me.It's about Wii.And together, Wii will change everything.

COMIC BOOKS. understanding comics

i just rediscovered a website that i used to visit fairly regularly. back when i used to teach art this one came in handy a lot for coming up with new ideas and interesting concepts.
its the homepage of a guy named scott mccloud. he is a comic book writer and illustrator who wrote a book called 'understanding comics'. it is a really amazing book, it looks at the structure and rules of the comic book art form. what makes it even more fun, is that it is actually a comic book itself! scott mccloud draws himself to the book as a guide through the world of comic art, its really quite ingenious! he goes into a bit of depth about the history of the illustrated cartoon. he discusses the real definition of art. he breaks down the rules of comic books, such as pacing, iconography, what happens between the panels, etc. it is an incredibly interesting read. it will totally change your view of what a comic book is and what it can be. in fact, when i used to teach art i would do a unit on comic books and i would use a chapter out of this book as a textbook of sorts.

TV. the office

i totally love this show, and just yesterday i discovered this. it is a bobblehead of dwight schrute. for sale here.
must purchase now...

TV. american inventor

man, this show really sucks. ive watched it a few times hoping that it would get better, but it doesnt, it just keeps sucking.
the show has such a great premise, the idea of finding the next great invention. when i first heard about the show i was excited because i thought it might be cool to see new crazy inventions or fun new gadgets and stuff. thats what i hoped for, but that is not what the show gives us. here is the problem: instead of focusing on the cool inventions they focus on the sad story of the person who created it. the show is just one big long sob fest with short breaks to take a second or two to show the invention. and dont even get me started on the judges... they seem to be looking for a sad story to sell instead of a good invention that they could make money on. im sorry, but i dont buy a product because the guy who made it gets choked up and cries like a wussy when he talks about how excited he is to share his invention. just give me a show about the cool stuff being invented and leave the emotional manipulation to extreme makeover: home edition.

TV. attack of the show

i know most of you have never heard of 'attack of the show,' but its one of my favorites. and last week there was quite a shocker! for clarifications sake, let me explain the show: its an hour long show about the latest tech, gaming, and internet news. it covers movies, comics, and music too. its just an all around pop culture news type show. and on the show there are a few hosts. my favorite is kevin pereira, but i also really like sarah lane, brendan moran, and will oneal. the four of them are quite witty, really funny, and have a great chemistry together. but on thursday that all came to an end. sarah and brendan announced that they are leaving the show. it turns out sarah and brendan got engaged (i had heard they were dating, but they never let on on the show) and decided that they are going to take a year off and travel the world. crazy...
i guess its really great for them and i know they will have a great life, but what about the show!?! i know kevin can handle himself, but i wonder how much things will change? guess i could just watch it when it comes on in about an hour and find out for myself. yeah, i think ill give that a try.

GAMES. settlers of catan

ive never much liked strategy games. for me, 'risk' is about as complicated as i like to get. some of my friends in high school would always like to play axis and allies but i was never interested. another game they would play was settlers of catan. i figured this one was to complex for me too so i never tried it.
this weekend robb convinced me to give it a shot. i really liked it! i was wrong, this game isnt complex at all, it just looks like it is. in case youve never played, ill give you a quick rundown: you need to try and build towns, roads, and cities by collecting cards with different materials like clay and wood. its very fun and the gameboard changes each game which allows for a totally different game each time you play.

AUDIO BOOKS. teeth of the tiger

another book on cd i listened to on my trip to minnisota was 'teeth of the tiger' by tom clancy. i dont have any particular interest in clancys books, but i picked this one up for a different reason. one of the most important parts of a book on cd is the reader. the reader has to be good- after all, im going to be listening to his voice for the next six hours! one of the first books on cd i had ever heard was read by a guy named stephen lang and i really loved his voice. now i go to the library looking for what ever he read- not even caring who wrote it or what its about! if you dont know who stephen lang is, let me tell you: he played pickett in the movie gettysburg, and he was 'stonewall' jackson in gods and generals (both of which i really loved).
anyway, about the book: it was pretty good. i havent really kept up with the story of jack ryan at all, but the last book on cd of his that i heard (also read by stephen lang, go figure) jack was about to become the president of the united states. this one talkes place a few years after ryan is already out of office. the main characters are two of jack ryans nephews and jacks son (which i didnt even know he had one). it was about a group of terrorists who plan four attacks on middle america to scare us, and the three guys try to track down who was responsible and take them down. the story was interesting and kept me awake- which is really what it was for...
the one annoyance is that the book ended before the story did. but, i guess thats how tom clancy keeps people buying his next book.

AUDIO BOOKS. nothing's sacred

i did a bit of traveling over the weekend. i was planning ahead and figured id get a few books on cd at the library (it always makes driving time just fly by). the selection was limited, but i did find the book 'nothing's sacred' by lewis black. about my only familiarity with lewis black is from his occasional segments 'back in black' on the daily show. i really like his bits on that show and i figured id give it a shot. also, the book is read by lewis himself, which is absolutely necessary- most of the humor in his jokes comes from his delivery.
the book was quite interesting. its more of a biography/opinion type of book. he goes into the people in his family as well as his life in college and theater, but he also digs into his opinion about everything from religion to candy corn (the bit about candy corn is hands-down the funniest part of the whole book!). now, i dont often agree with his opinions, but his perspective is certainly unique and interesting. it made for many laughs, some thoughtful insight, and a very quick drive to minnisota, what more could i ask?

WEBSITE. catapultmagazine.com

this is a very cool site. its kind of an online magazine, and its a big forum for discussion. the site is created and run by a couple of people who i got to know in college. i got to know them a little bit, but after freshman year (i think) they left, so its been a while...
the 'magazine' is called catapult and features alot of great articles on that months theme. most of the articles are well written and thought provolking. another aspect of the website is the forum called 'culture is not optional' which is a phrase lifted from the advertising we used for a play i was in at college (called 'nobody move, and nobody gets hurt'). the forum is great. it is quite extensive and covers any topic you can imagine. the posts are usually insightful and interesting. many of the people who post are people i knew back from college, so its especially fun to catch up with them and read their thoughts.

GAMES. new name?

ive had my eye on the next generation nintendo console since it was first announced a while ago. this whole time it has always been called the 'revolution', but that has only been its code name. today there has been some buzz on the internet that there is now a new official name for the system: Nintendo Go
its interesting. im still not sure what to think of it, if its actually the legit name. i think i like it though. the one problem is that you would always have to call it the 'nintendo go', because just calling it 'go' sounds really wierd!
im a little hesitant though because there have been so many false rumors going around about this system that im not going to assume that this one is true. yet.

TV. how i met your mother

its always nice when a show you root for turns out to be worth it.
last year my friend and i rented the dvds from the show 'freaks and geeks'. i had never seen it, but she had told me, from what she remembered, it was good. so we thought we would give it a try. we both fell in love with it and immediately started looking to see what the cast was up to now. as it turned out two of the cast members had been cast in two new comedies this season. once i realized that i was all over it. i started getting really excited about seeing these shows. the first one was 'kitchen confindential' and it had the little brother geek from the 'freaks and geeks' in it. it was a bit of fun, but we all know what happened to that show...
the other one is 'how i met your mother' and has the character marshal, played by the druggie guy in 'freaks and geeks' who liked the main character. its nice to see that one of the two turned out to be something really special. although i think 'mother' is popular more for neil patrick harris' barney character. i totally love the show, its so witty and silly, and barney is just so outragously corporate america that it is great fun to watch. the dumb litttle phrases he uses are the perfect examples of frat boy mentality: 'suit up!' 'the lemon law' 'steaksauce'!
this show is quickly turning into one of my favorites.

BOOKS. paul, a novel

Paul: A Novel, by walter wangerin jr. this is an amzing book. it took me a while to get into it (roughly 8 years...) but once i got the premise it totally clicked! i recieved this book from my aunt for my high school graduation. i gave it a try, but the first chapter is kind of oddly written, so i gave up and put it away. all these years ive kept it, but never gave it another look. well, last year i decided to try again- and boy what a reward! ive never had a book move me to laughter and then tears before.
heres the set up: the book is a novelization of the book of Acts. it is the story of pauls conversion and three missionary journeys. but here is what makes it so unique: we dont really ever get inside pauls head, instead the book is writen from the perspective of all those around paul. some chapters are written from the point of view of barnabas, or james, or timothy, or titus, etc. all of these people give their side of what they think of paul and his actions. i teach the book of acts to middle schoolers, so this book has really come in handy for making the stories come alive. there are a few days where i read sections straight out of the book. the kids love it because its alot more personal than the straight narrative of acts.
the author of the book has done this with other books as well, he did a novelization of the old testament called 'the book of God'. i picked that one up, but it fails at exactly what made the paul book so great- it is very cold and just a basic narrative. he recently released a novelization of the gospels and recounts the life of Jesus. i havent read it, but i probably will.

TV. vw commercials

the first time i saw one of these crazy 'unpimp my volkswagen' commercials i thought it was totally stupid. but ive seen them a few more times now, and i have totally changed my mind- these commercials are great! ive only seen 2 or 3, but i think they are crazy and funny. i cant remember the name of the main actor, but he always plays the stranges of peole (the highlight certainly being in constantine when he played satan) and i like the idea of destrying all those stupid cars with the huge spoilers and spinner wheels and every other crappy car mods like in the fast and furious movies.

BOOKS. state of fear

ive written about this book before, but that was when i first picked it up, im a few hundred pages in now, so i figured id update my thoughts.
once again i am reminded how much i love michael crichtons writting style- its just so fluid and engaging. i just start reading, and before i know it an hour has passed!
anyway, im getting a better feel for the plot of the book. it has a lot to do with environmental stuff. one of the subplots has to do with a low land island wanting to sue amarica for causing so much pollution that the sea level is raising and the island will soon be under water. kind of an interesting plot point, but the majority of the book is all about pollution and environmental issues. but it actually tries to prove that all the environmenalists are wrong- the world is not warming at all, and in fact, the polar ice caps are actually getting bigger! the information is presented with such authority and with so much real world research behind it that i am actually wondering if the ideas in the book are true. the info is explained as accurate, and the writing is quite persuasive.
i think im going to have to look up some of the sources listed in the prefix of the book... that michael crichton, he sure can grab my interest!

TV. 24

ive really been getting into this show this season. ive never really been interested in the show before, but i deceided to give it a try this year. ive always liked kieffer sutherland (which is kind of wierd- i like him but i dont think ive ever seen him in a movie i liked. go figure...) and i think foxs promise of a continuous season with no repeats was what finally made me give it a try.
i have been enjoying it quite a bit. still not sure how these people can last a whole 24 hours with out having to use the bathroom, but i guess that wouldnt really make good television. one thing that has been cool is seeing some of the guest stars that show up. first we got to see sean astin, the guy who played sam on the lord of the rings movies, and just lately there has been a character played by peter weller- the one and only robocop! totally rad!!!
the best part is that the story has been continually filled with interesting twists and turns. they dont really have any fear of totally messing stuff up, or even killing off one of the main characters, as was shown this week.
the show is about half way through, and i am looking forward to what jack will do next!