Uncategorized Sunday Post
By Dan on Jun 8, 2008 in nonsense
Should we buy a Wii?
After reading about such Wii titles as Endless Ocean and Brain Age, I’ve decided to soften my anti-gaming system stance, at least to the point where I’ll consider bringing one into my home. Three of my four children have birthdays at the end of August so I can justify a high-end purchase. And thanks to George W., I’m sufficiently stimulated.
My question to you gamers is this: what system provides the most virtual bang for the buck. I’m not interested in shoot-em-up games and favor those that have an educational component. Is Wii the way to go?
LP to MP3: I can listen to Green On Red on my iPod!
If anybody gets one of these for Father’s Day, I’d like to borrow it some weekend.
Microwavable Beer: Possibly worse than Bud?
If anyone gets one of these for Father’s Day and invites me over some weekend, I’ll bring my own, thanks anyway.
I Like a Radio Song
Not only am I a beer snob, I’m also a tremendous music snob. But every now and again I’ll fall under the sway of a corporate radio hit.
That I really dig Snow Patrol’s Shut Your Eyes is even more remarkable when you consider that they are the same band responsible for the totally unremarkable Chasing Cars.
The vocal production on Shut Your Eyes has a kind of trippy-folky sixties vibe that reminds me of Stephen Stills. I’m not really a big Stephen Stills fan, but that sound really works with this song.
Victor digs it too and we’ll be adding it to his Shaker MP3 player any day now.
Die, Gas Pumper!*
Charles Krauthammer’s column in today’s SJ-R should be required reading for everyone who thinks that gas tax holidays, government regulation or oil company capitulation is the solution to controlling our energy situation. I may blog more about this later, taking particular joy in spreading the news of the dreaded SUV’s demise.
*A BFS Gas Card** to the first person who identifies the movie this line came from.
**Valid U.S. driver’s license required at time of purchase***.
***Redeemable**** at all participating BFS Petroleum retailers.
****Offer not valid.
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Dan
We have Playstation 2, XBox, and Wii, and have broken two Game Cubes. Wii is sooooo much fun! I’ve never played a single game on any other system, but I love this one. Rock and I went through a really addictive phase where we couldn’t wait to get the kids down, “knock back a coupla cold coca-colas” (name the movie!) and take in a couple of games of golf, or tennis, or bowling. Good times. I asked for Wii Fit for Mother’s Day but I think everyone thought I was kidding, so I’m going to get it myself. Highly recommend Wii.
nancy | Jun 8, 2008 | Reply
Nancy,
Raising Arizona.
And I am leaning to the Wii.
Dan
Dan | Jun 8, 2008 | Reply
Dan,
Definitely, the Wii. In terms of a gaming company pushing more educational, stimulating games, the Wii is definitely the way to go. I saw that they are planning to release a game called Wii Music. It features over 65 instruments, and it can support numerous players playing music together. You can also conduct your own symphony. It’s like Guitar Hero for NPR nerds (which I am). Also, you have Endless Ocean, which is just amazing. I think over the course of the Wii, we’re going to see some titles that we can all be proud of, especially parents. And, there’s the Iron Chef game that’s coming out. I’ve always wanted to compete in a battle in Kitchen Stadium, and now I can.
John | Jun 8, 2008 | Reply
I recommend Wii. It is great for the kids and the family. If you guys want to test drive before you buy, stop by any time.
Gurel | Jun 8, 2008 | Reply
The Jerk.
I also endorse the Wii. So get it.
Russ | Jun 8, 2008 | Reply
I’m no video game player….at all…but the Wii is by far the way to go. They’ve got a home-run hitting game, not sure if it’s called home run derby or whatever, but it is awesome. Do you have warning track power or are you a basher? I’ve hit my share of 600ft. bombs on this game. It really is fun and you’ll find yourself spending some quality time with the kids as well. So buck-up and grab the Wii. It is the only one of the play systems that I’ve actually played a game on.
Chaz | Jun 9, 2008 | Reply
My wife and I have a Wii and it has brought us together in an endless arms race of competition like nothing else has before.
About the Mr. Beer, don’t knock it so much as it is merely an intro to the actual art of homebrewing. I am sure it uses pre-hopped malt extract so really you don’t need to boil it to draw out flavor and aroma from the hops. Essentially you just assemble, add yeast and ferment.
That said. I haven’t ever owned one. Our group started direct with extract brewing. We are proud of our beer.
Gish | Jun 9, 2008 | Reply
Well, unless someone comes along and makes a convincing case for the XBox, it looks as if the kids will be getting a Wii. Thanks for your endorsements.
Gish,
I wasn’t dissing homebrew. I have a friend who makes excellent beer and I’m always grateful to down a pint or two. However, I doubt that Mr. Beer comes anywhere close to the quality that you or he brews.
Thanks for commenting,
Dan
Dan | Jun 9, 2008 | Reply
Please do not deprive your children, and yourself, of the joy of playing Guitar Hero or Rock Star. Awesome games. Besides you and your children will feel like boobs when everybody else is talking about it and you have no clue what it is.
M.B. | Jun 9, 2008 | Reply
“Two boobs, that’s what they take us for.”
In keeping with The Jerk trivia.
Dan | Jun 9, 2008 | Reply
Yeah…I definitely recommend you get a Wii…if you can find one in stock. There are still plenty of dirt bags out there buying them up so they can sell them at higher prices on eBay. We just happened to walk into Best Buy when they were in stock about four months ago. Right after we grabbed ours, a whole family of losers came up and grabbed the last four on the shelf. Haven’t seen any in stock since. Our friend who’s a manager there said they’ve restricted buying to one Wii per purchase now to cut down on dirt baggery. We also have a PS2 and are talking about getting a PS3 as we DO like the shoot-’em-up games. There’s something therapeutic about blowing the head off a zombie with a shotgun after I’ve had a bad day at work. And you must get Guitar Hero…you’ll be hooked, I promise…but your kids will probably, eventually put you to shame.
We also used to brew beer at home and for a time, had a Mr. Beer. I believe that went into our last garage sale.
Mary | Jun 9, 2008 | Reply
We love our Wii too – but here’s my cautionary tale. Like Nancy, I went through an addictive phase shortly after Santa brought the thing, and it caused me to not only shirk some of my motherly responsibilities but also wound my child to the tune of a 5-month scar on his forehead. Let me just say that I suck at Tennis and I know it, but I was trying to improve my back-hand. I thought Joel was upstairs, but the next thing I knew, I was nailing him in the head with my vicious backstroke, and he was laid out flat on the floor with blood gushing from his head. My other three kids thought I killed him and started crying as well. Let me tell you, that thing bled like a MOTHER. Then, as mentioned, it left a scar the likes of which I have not seen before or since and if you get close enough you can probably still see it. Since then, I have been on a self-imposed Wii hiatus, but God, I do miss it.
Laura | Jun 10, 2008 | Reply
Any time I hear that opening guitar jangle of “Chasing Cars” – y’know, the one that repeats for 8 minutes without modulation? – I feel a bit depressed in the moment it takes to scan to the next station.
There has been little in the last couple of years as musically disappointing to me as listening to the most recent Snow Patrol album. I really like Gary Lightbody’s voice, and there really is a lot of good stuff on “Final Straw” and earlier albums that sounds nothing like the insert-into-”Grey’s Anatomy”-episode-here crud that fills the newest recording.
Speaking of Snow Patrol, by virtue alone of receiving a promo copy, I listened to former Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale’s solo CD. It is one of the saddest things I’ve ever heard – an alt-rocker trying to make something that’s like a cross between Snow Patrol, Phil Collins and Sting.
Nick | Jun 11, 2008 | Reply