the very last one in a very long line

Archive for September, 2009

Beatles Rock Band

Nearly three Christmas’s ago, Christine got me Guitar Hero 2 for the PlayStation 2. This game combined three things that I loved to do – play video games, listen to rock music, and air guitar. Daniel has Guitar Hero 3, GH World Tour, and Rock Band for his Xbox 360. Earlier in the year, I purchased GH Metallica. In my opinion, Metallica is the best of the bunch because I’m a fan of their music, and the game plays beautifully. Much to my chagrin, D encouraged me to buy GH Metallica for his 360, but I rarely get to play these days since the system is his (and he’s suffered his third red ring of death).

When I first heard of Beatles Rock Band, I was skeptical. I’m a huge fan of the Beatles thanks to my parents, my uncle, and my cousin. But I never thought that it would be fun to play their music a la Guitar Hero. Then D saw the game’s presentation during the E3 convention in the spring, and he noted he liked some of the songs; this prompted him to borrow some of my Beatles albums. My buddy Scott has told me that the beauty of these music games is that it exposes younger generations to the music we enjoyed when we were their age.

My curiosity piqued as the release date quickly approached for Beatles RB. The internet was full of buzz surrounding the game and the re-release of remastered versions of the band’s complete catalog on CD. My only dilemma was for which game system should I buy it for. Not wanting to get burned like I did with GH Metallica, I decided on the Wii version.

The game is not difficult like GH Metallica, nor is it challenging. It does have a good selection of songs, but they could have added more (where’s George’s “I Want To Tell You”?). You can also purchase more song downloads from the online store, although I have yet to access it. I currently enjoy playing guitar on “Day Tripper”, “And Your Bird Can Sing”, “Birthday”, and “Here Comes The Sun”. Having bought the “band” version (guitar, drums, and microphone), it also allows me to play like Ringo (more difficult than one can imagine), or sing along with any of them. I’m no singer, but I’d like to think I have good tone (you certainly won’t catch me at karaoke night anywhere). What is really nice about Beatles RB is the feature of singing harmonies on their songs. I always wanted to learn John Lennon’s harmonies on Paul McCartney’s tunes; now I can (at least, on the songs that are featured on the game).

What I also enjoy is being able to hear these songs remastered. The songs sound so much better than what I currently own on CD. Because of this, I desperately crave owning the Beatles Stereo Box Set (wish list here)!

This game isn’t for just the casual gamer; you must be a fan of the Beatles and their music to enjoy this game. I still feel that GH Metallica is a more complete game, but Beatles RB is not too far behind and is just as fun.


weekly Twitter summary 2009-09-27

  • @QuickenChels @californiakara – thanks for the replies! I did get a hold of support, & they seem to know the issue. Thanks again! in reply to QuickenChels #
  • Pujols gets his 128th RBI, puts the Cards up 2-1 over the Cubs in the 5th #
  • Yadi not only drives in Holliday to tie the game at 3, but he steals 2nd!?! #
  • So Taguchi is a Cub?!? Dude. #
  • Cubs avoid sweep by Cards in the 11th. Is it just me or have the Cardinals managed to lose every nationally televised game this season? #fb #
  • Why won't the children in this house sleep when they should? I've been up more times than the Cards have runs, & it's only 2 AM. #
  • Top 3 weekly #lastfm artists: The Beatles – 43. Straight No Chaser – 6. Daughtry – 2. http://bit.ly/Ts5Cx #
  • http://twitpic.com/ikyn4 – at the doctor's office with Daddy #
  • @joshkocurek neither, thank goodness! This was Sophia's 15-month checkup. in reply to joshkocurek #
  • Poor Sophia's not feeling well. Congested and a temp. #
  • He must feel at home in Minute Maid Park. RT @Cardinals_2009: Last time Mark DeRosa homered twice in a game: July 21st in Houston. #
  • @joshkocurek so true… so true. in reply to joshkocurek #
  • Sophia stayed home from daycare today with a fever (due to shots from her checkup). Despite that, she was in a very playful mood all day. #
  • For some reason, I've got a Backyardigans song running thru my head. #fb #
  • http://twitpic.com/izxa4 – eating at the grownup table #
  • On the phone with Xbox support, disputing the supposed expired warranty #
  • Lasagna, bagels, danishes, 4 kinds of soup, 8 pizzas, cupcakes, donuts, & an ice cream sundae, all in 1 week. I shouldn't eat so much. #fb #
  • Top 3 weekly #lastfm artists: The Beatles – 38. The Police – 3. Pat Benatar – 3. http://bit.ly/Ts5Cx #

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14 to 15 months (and then some)

14 to 15 months (and then some)
Click on the image to see the latest of our little girl. Sophia’s doing well in the toddler room of her daycare. Her teachers say she talks a lot and plays hard. That probably explains the better nights we’ve been having at home, much so that she’s not relying on the bottle anymore. Sophia is a big Toy Story fan too (don’t think she can sit through the upcoming 3D double feature, though). I introduced this to her several weeks back, and I’ve seen it more times than I have collectively since it was released 14 years ago. Sophia waves “Hi” and “Bye” now (as opposed to opening and closing a fist). In fact, when we go places, she waves to everyone she sees. What a sweet girl!


weekly Twitter summary 2009-09-20

  • Braves get 6 runs with 2 outs in the top of the 3rd. Pretty ugly for Carp. #
  • RT @espn: Unhinged Serena Williams under review by U.S. Open – http://tinyurl.com/q3vl6x #
  • http://twitpic.com/hmubl – my crazy little girl #
  • Cards get swept by the Braves, 1st time since June (vs Rockies) #fb #
  • Daniel got his his 3rd red ring in as many years on his Xbox 360. Seriously, Microsoft; stop w/the refurbs & replace it w/a new 1! #fb #
  • Great.Microsoft states the warranty status expired a year ago. Unacceptable. #fb #
  • Hoping my calendar's right; wishing my in-laws Jean & Derek a Happy Anniversary today! #
  • RT @Scobleizer: RT @LATimes: Breaking: Patrick Swayze dies, AP reports. More soon at http://www.latimes.com #
  • RT @broomeman: Obama Calls Kanye a Jackass http://bit.ly/ckiNc #
  • RT @SebastienPage: Penn and Teller iPhone App Is as Magical as It Is Doomed http://bit.ly/3o8w9O #
  • Wishing my cousin Rowena a Happy Birthday today! #
  • Talk about bad timing. RT @Cardinals_2009: Cards are chokin down the stretch. Cubs comin back in division. #
  • dipped into my birthday fund & got Beatles Rockband today. Loving it! #
  • saw the foot doctor today. "Capsulitis" is what I have. Made a special wrap for my foot, prescribed some drugs, come back in 10 days. #
  • RT @mashable: FIRST PITCH: Twitter and Cardinals’ Manager Make Up – http://bit.ly/pr3la #
  • having issues with my Quicken Online account, & they have no support on the weekends? What's up with that? #
  • gonna try to sneak in some Beatles RockBand before Sophia wakes up from her nap. #
  • Sophia's theme song for the day, & why I never really get anything done #fb ? http://blip.fm/~dmosx #
  • struggling with the We're Related app on FB. Probably why I don't care for FB. The apps suck. There – I said it. #

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Really?! with Seth and Amy

Thursday night, Saturday Night Live had a special half hour Weekend Update. Very funny stuff. The highlight for me was Seth and Amy’s analysis of Kanye West’s behavior at last Sunday’s MTV Video Music Awards.


weekly Twitter summary 2009-09-13

  • Foot's feeling better, so I took Salem for a walk. However, I don't know what made me think he was gonna go easy on me; may regret it later. #
  • I'm probably the only one who cares that TK's back RT @PTIShow: Tune in for TK's radio show tomorrow morning: 10-12 ET on ESPN 980 in DC. #
  • RT @mashable: Our most retweeted article right now: "Flickr Officially Comes to the iPhone" – http://bit.ly/z6dPh #
  • Cards blow a bases-loaded opportunity in the 8th #
  • Turned the TV off just in time to miss Holliday's 2-run game-winning homer. Typical! #
  • Darn, missed catching 09/09/09 09:09:09 on my watch. #
  • Man, forgot about the day game. RT @espn: Pujols homers twice as Wainwright wins 18th – http://tinyurl.com/kpsn3k #
  • RT @Cardinals_2009: Cardinals currently hold National League's best record. Magic Number for Divison is now at 12. #
  • RT @SebastienPage: New iPod Touch Doesn’t Have A Camera, Or the Story of How Apple Does Business http://bit.ly/hxhM4 #
  • I'll never forget http://bit.ly/LuLN0 #9/11 #
  • All I wanna do this weekend is rest my foot so it can heal. I've been on it too much this week. #fb #
  • @soulnoir me too! The camera on a Nano does me no good. I wanna be able to upload wirelessly, & not just vids either. Apple disappointed me. in reply to soulnoir #
  • Top 3 weekly #lastfm artists: Pat Benatar – 11. The Beatles – 11. Daughtry – 10. http://bit.ly/Ts5Cx #
  • Getting the hang of iTunes 9. Hi-lites for me: app management & library organization; looking to clean up my smart playlists next. #
  • However, the app itself is still a bloated monster to me. #
  • RT @espn: U.S. Open: Serena Williams penalized on match point to fall in semis – http://tinyurl.com/rd4ek9 #
  • Woke up thanks to a misplaced pacifier. Still awake thanks to a throbbing foot. #fb #

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monday shuffle 090709

I was tagged in July on Facebook with the note below. I think I will make it a weekly meme of some sort just to see what comes up each time.

Once you’ve been tagged… (1) Turn on your MP3 player. (2) Go to SHUFFLE songs mode. (3) Write down the first 15 songs that come up–song title and artist–NO editing/cheating, please. (4) Choose some number of people (more than zero, fewer than all) to be tagged. It is generally considered to be in good taste to tag the person who tagged you. (Edit: If you’ve already done this note and had the nerve not to include me, feel free to just forward your original one my way — these things take too much work as is.)

If I tagged you, it’s because I want to know more about your musical tastes, or at least a random sampling thereof.

(To do this, go to “NOTES” under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, enter your 15 Shuffle Songs, Click ‘Preview’ below to tag 25 people (in the right hand corner of the app) then click Publish, the little blue box at the bottom of your screen).

1. Every Breath You Take – The Police
2. The Way I Am – Eminem
3. God Is A Bullet – Concrete Blonde
4. Sunday Morning – No Doubt
5. Kite – U2
6. (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay – Otis Redding
7. Hanging On Too Long – Duffy
8. No Leaf Clover – Metallica
9. Morningside – Sara Bareilles
10. Again Today/Hiding My Heart – Brandi Carlile
11. In The Meantime – Spacehog
12. Save The Last Dance For Me – The Drifters
13. Ain’t It The Life – Foo Fighters
14. Atlantic City – Bruce Springsteen
15. On My Way – INXS


weekly Twitter summary 2009-09-06

  • ahh, 61 deg. Nothing like a cool, crisp, fall-like morning in August. Taking Salem for a walk in the park. #
  • RT @Scobleizer: more & more people are telling me they're following just Twitter now & no other aggregator or service. #shiftunderway #
  • I believe I have malware on my laptop; XP thinks I don't have antivirus running, yet I do. Not very happy about this. #
  • This sucks for Universal's Islands of Adventure! RT @mashable: BREAKING: Disney to Acquire Marvel for $4 Billion – http://bit.ly/hd9gF #fb #
  • The pain in my left foot is excruciating tonight. I see the doc tomorrow morning. #
  • I'm a day behind on feeds & tweets, but I'm too exhausted to worry about it. Turning in with the final eps of "Curb" Season 2. #
  • Hmm, walking backwards is slightly less painful. #
  • wishing my niece Sarah a Happy Birthday :) #
  • On my way to the doctor. "I'll take 2 knees and a left foot please." #
  • Doc sees no fracture in xray, pending radiologist's read. Freakin' plantar fascitis. I just want a new foot. #
  • wishing Grandma Jean a Happy Birthday :) #
  • Sophia crashed early, didn't have a bottle, and slept all night! #
  • Top 3 weekly #lastfm artists: The Beatles – 107. The Police – 4. Pat Benatar – 3. http://bit.ly/Ts5Cx #
  • RT @brianshaler: weird what people say about Disney's Marvel acquisition. Disney owns ESPN & you don't see Mickey on SportsCenter. #
  • RT @mashable: Google Wave: 5 Ways It Could Change the Web – http://bit.ly/wWUTe #
  • Ordered dinner with the Chipotle app. Convenient; food was good. Kinda wish Qdoba would create an app cuz CL & I like their burritos better. #

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Knowing

knowing
Knowing – 3 out of 5 – this sci-fi thriller stars Nicolas Cage as a professor whose son comes upon a list of numbers obtained from a time capsule buried 50 years ago. After a closer look, he determines the numbers are predictions of actual disasters that have happened since the list’s creation, and there are more that have yet to occur. A great story that took us for a ride. Plenty of great special effects (especially the New York sequence). Would’ve given 4 stars, but CL and I felt gypped by the end.


Teodoro M. Jose, Jr

tito_teddy_01
November 23, 1950 – September 1, 2006

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You are still missed, Tito Teddy.