So, I suppose some updates are in order.

– I finally was able to successfully install Mac OS X Leopard on my PC. In fact, I’m posting on it now! Wow, do I love technology. I swear, sometimes I think it’ll be the death of me because of how it can fail too hard at times, but when you get a working Mac system running Final Cut Studio 2, Adobe CS4 Master Collection, iLife ’09, and Microsoft Office 2008 on a college budget, all is right with the world. Oh yes, and the Windows XP portion of my machine is left intact. There are a few loose ends to tie up (some devices not working on OS X), but that’s minimal.

– With all this “saved money,” I bought myself an iPod Touch. I’m really liking it – I kinda needed a Wifi-enabled device to check/update stuff on the go, and with the apps on the iTouch, it does just the trick. Too good. Any good app recommendations??

Make sure to stay up to date with my Twitter account!

– Still no word on when we’re podcasting again, so the hiatus is still on. We’ll try to see if we can squeak one in before E3, even if we don’t have a guest. Panda’s hitting up the tournaments as well, even APEX (Ally beating M2K, wtf?). It’s nice to have a break, though. And I guess I’m going clubbing sometime this week. We’ll see if anything comes from that. I’ll try to post pictures for you all. If I can even speak on behalf of myself, I look pretty hawt when I go out.

– Speaking of Ally, he’s apparently going to be living with us for a few months starting next month. I know it would give me no excuse to get better at Brawl, but I just can’t find myself giving the dedication. It ought to work wonders for Panda though, watch out!

– Oh, and class sucks. At least it’s only a spring class, so it’ll be over soon. We’re supposed to buy a $100 history textbook, but if I’m not going to even read it, why the hell should I? These are things you learn as you go through college – which books to buy and which to not buy.

– TV SHOWS, OMG!! So here’s the deal – Panda’s brother recommends shows to him, which he downloads, and we’ve been starting to watch them lately. Well, admittedly, I quit after the first episode of “True Blood,” but oh man, GO WATCH “CASTLE”! I’m usually not one for crime shows, but this one’s funny, sexy, and dramatic all at the same time! Great writing and it just got renewed for a second season. Nathan Fillion (Mal from Firefly) is really establishing himself as a great TV actor with the role of Richard Castle and Stana Katic is smokin’ in the “I’ll kick your ass” sense as Detective Kate Beckett. Castle = good shit. Oh, and Scrubs ended…but then got renewed for a ninth season??? It just won’t be the same with JD being the main character – the ending was just too perfect and touching, too. We’re starting the show “Cupid” tonight – we’ll see how that goes.

– I’m on a “Whose Line is it Anyway?” Youtube fix. It’s EXTREME.

– Bowyer’s here! Time for some “Cupid,” it seems.

Deep, important, unwinding stuff

Real life is catching up to me. And it’s fucking scary, people. I don’t necessarily expect you to understand, but here goes. Bear with me, here.

Finals are over. Yes, that’s the nice thing about college, you’re typically done by the end of April. However, what am I still doing? I’m still going to be taking a class during our school’s Spring and Summer semesters. That means I don’t get a vacation at all. No going home and enjoying summer break, because there is hardly a reprieve. It all starts again this Tuesday.

Since I’m staying in Ann Arbor for the summer, that means I do not have an internship this summer. In fact, I have not had a single internship in the film/video/media industry, which I what I really want to get into. Does it scare me shitless that this will under-prepare me when trying to get a real job? ABSOLUTELY. Especially when my current plans are to somehow move out to California after I graduate in ONE YEAR (wtf, so close) to make a living. Let’s face it, as much as Michigan likes to believe that it will become a place for films to be made, it’s only kidding itself, especially when it comes to those fresh out of college. My degree will mean NOTHING here, when the Michigan film jobs are taken by industry veterans. I haven’t told my parents about this idea of mine to branch out and see what the world has to offer me. It actually really worries me to consider their reaction, as they have always tried to keep me close to home… and just tried to be really involved in my decision-making processes after high school, in general. I’m not saying that this is a bad thing at all, as I feel very gracious to have parents that love me so much, but sometimes it feels… suppressing? I don’t know.

On top of ALL of that, I have to get a job for this summer to make money. Nope, not go home and pick up the two jobs that are basically waiting for me – if I’m paying the rent in this apartment I might as well live in it. That means that I have to start a job search from square one in this shitty economy. It’s like climbing uphill during a rock slide, because I almost feel like I’m destined to be resigned to food service, like that will be the only job type available. The reason I hated working at McDonald’s in 2006 was because it was so BELOW me – a high-school 4.0 GPA student working in the food industry. If I’m going to make enough money to get myself a MacBook Pro for next year (video editing and the like), food service just won’t cut it.

As if my life couldn’t get more involved, I’m also using this summer to completely rework my social outlook in life. Now, I certainly would not call myself a social outcast at all – I actually consider myself rather outgoing amongst friends here, when classes aren’t a problem. However, I’ve blogged before about my past relationship struggle and how an internet-focused lifestyle detracts from this social networking. It’s been a long struggle this school year, let’s just say that. Simply, I’ve been doing research on dating, attraction, and the like, trying to learn as much as I can about the field. And I think this summer will be finally be the time to put some of these studies to the test.

It’s hard to say what I’m trying to accomplish with focusing on this part of my life. I’ve learned things that most guys have no clue about and that feels good. It’s empowering to have insightful knowledge like this. Yet, I’m not trying to use it to go score as many chicks as I can or anything superficial like that. But at the same time, I’m not trying to find the oft-fabled “one,” either. For guys, the confidence that comes from success with women typically transfers into other areas of life, and I think that’s what I’m trying to attain. I’ve always thought of myself as a confident person, but yet I am often reserved in social situations and I think that’s a mold I want to try to break out of, especially if I’m going to work in the media industry. It’s just a part of my life I really need to get handled after being crushed for a while now – I’m just trying to take care of it now instead of waiting until later in life to decide that this is an issue.

If you guys think you have any advice in this area, I’ll certainly listen to what you have to say, or if you want to talk about it, feel free to send me a message and we’ll bounce ideas around.

However, what does all this WEIGHT that I’m carrying in my life mean for my online persona? There’s no easy way to say it – I think I’m burning out with my online media projects. Yes, this might mean Show Me Your News, as well.

– I just can’t maintain a consistent schedule anymore, it’s really just too stressful with everything going on. Would it be worth it enough to make things a “when I feel like it” basis, though? I’ve always prided myself on consistency and it feels like I can’t deliver anymore. It is so disheartening to myself, to be honest.

– Panda has a ton on his plate, too. He’s taking spring classes, studying again for the MCAT and possibly the LSAT, and then he might be in JAPAN for a year abroad next school year. If he’s in Japan, 12 hours away, this would make scheduling things nigh impossible, let’s face facts. On top of it all, he is attending Brawl tournaments nearly every weekend. I’m getting the feeling that even my co-host is burned out on podcasting as well.

– I think that above it all, though, Major League Gaming has just about killed Show Me Your News. Ever since the server transfer last summer, it has not been possible to update new episodes to our iTunes feed, because all ties there were broken. We have implored MLG to try to remedy this situation since December, but they have made ZERO PROGRESS. All the fans that only listened through iTunes have effectively been cut off and things are just not the same in terms of distribution. If we started a new iTunes feed, ALL THOSE LISTENERS WOULD BE LOST! Again, is it worth it? We’ve had some of our best guests since the MLG takeover, but it almost feels like it has been all for naught. I’m so confused and lost on this situation and I hate to bring up these concerns to our most loyal listeners, but I’m saying what’s on my mind at the moment.

F this. FML, hardcore.

Well, it’s time to go be a guest on another podcast. Maybe I’ll just have to go blow sunshine up my ass to get myself out of this funk.

This is actually a pretty big thing on Facebook right now…so here’s some good ol’ copy/pasta.

1. I guess I’m kinda a big deal in the Super Smash Bros. community. I do a podcast about the competitive Smash scene with one of my roommates called “Show Me Your News!” which will hopefully soon be featured by Major League Gaming. I also work on other various projects on my SMYNYouko Youtube channel. I suppose the whole demi-internet-celebrity thing has netted me lots of fanboys, but hardly any fangirls…which is sadly the result of being a known figure in the gaming culture.

2. As a result of doing Show Me Your News, I’m currently a “Super Moderator” on Smashboards, the community forums for the Smash Bros. scene. Yes, it is as generally unimpressive to those that don’t really care about it as it sounds. Generally speaking though, I make people angry at me by punishing them for breaking forum rules. You kinda get subjected to a lot of shit, so it’s kinda like internet-masochism, in a way…

3. With all the media work I’ve done on the internet, all I know is that I want to make or analyze media for a living. I still have no idea what I’d be able to get into, but either video/audio editing of some sort or doing broadcasting would be ideal. Strangely, I’ve had the idea recently that finding a way to integrate competitive gaming into something like ESPN would be quite the exciting task as well, since they already have ties to Major League Gaming…let’s just say I have no idea what my dream job would be at the moment.

4. If I ever had the courage to “man up” and get a tattoo, it would a Hylian crest or Kojima Productions on the upper back. That way, I wouldn’t have to see it, yet it would be so amazingly awesome. Oh come ON, if you know which images I’m talking about, you know you’d want one, too. While we’re on the subject of badass, I really, REALLY want a fedora. Throw a cape in there too and NOW we’re talking badass supreme.

5. The “brawl” between Conan O’Brien, Jon Stewart, and Stephen Colbert back in February 2008 was pretty much the greatest thing on TV I’ve ever seen. This mostly may be because I’m a big Daily Show/Colbert Report watcher, but Conan has pretty much become my hero as of late.

6. I have an immense amount of music compared to most people, around 6500 songs. It’s pretty sad though that about a third of that library consists of music from video games and anime. I’ve been told from some of my podcast fans that my collection of Pokémon music is more than any person should have…and that’s actually pretty valid.

7. I finally got the ability to text people last month after my parents were a little paranoid about it for three years. I only have 200 messages in and out per month, but I’m usually on AIM constantly for prolonged conversations. I kinda like the on-the-fly functionality of texting though. Too bad it’s more expensive than it should be.

8. As I turn 21 in less than a week, I haven’t had any alcohol, aside from communal wine at church. I’m actually rather scared regarding how one party is going to change me. I think I’ll only be able to handle a little bit of alcohol anyway because of stomach issues that I have, but I at least want to accept that social aspect instead of just repel myself from it. Besides, I think I’ll like wine more than beer. I just want it to be a social activity, if at all, and not any of that hardcore chugging shit. I don’t know, I think I’m rambling too much about something I don’t know at all.

9. I’m too much of a goody-goody and it’s a fault of mine. I haven’t gone to a single house party or any party of that sort since I’ve gotten to college because of it. I even written Facebook notes about how I’m worried about how this might set me back socially. I’m scared that I’m becoming too reclusive of a person and that I’m not meeting enough people just because I don’t want to get wasted every weekend. At the same time, I think about how that affects me when it comes to relationships far more than I really should.

10. While in the “nerd culture,” my overall tech knowledge isn’t that high, I do know a fair share of how to be helpful around gadgets and the like. Most are surprised to find out that it is very easy to hack a Nintendo Wii so that it can pretty much play whatever you want it to, past games included.

11. I have three cans of Mountain Dew sitting on my desk at the moment. I drink much more than I should and it’s gotten to the point that it doesn’t really affect me at all anymore. In fact, when I was 12 years old, during a day at Cedar Point, I drank about a gallon of Dew throughout the entire day and still fell asleep soundly at 10 PM. Let’s just say that Mountain Dew is my equivalent of booze, hahaha.

12. I completely respect those who make skilled flash animations, like Egoraptor, creator of “Metal Gear Awesome.” For a long time now, I’ve wanted to learn Flash, but when I gave Flash MX 2004 a try, I got frustrated way too easily.

13. I play the guitar and I love it. I’m mostly fascinated with chord structure, so I’m not really the wailing-on-solos type, but I like to do the whole play-and-sing thing. I have a good enough musical ear that I can figure out how to play a song on the first couple listens. I don’t know, I guess most people don’t know that I can play because there aren’t really any opportunities to showcase this talent. I mean, it’d be far too awkward to just be that douchebag who brings his guitar to parties just to score chicks. Although I will say that playing the guitar is a magnet for the ladies, let’s just say I haven’t really felt any of this fundamental law’s repercussions…

14. I am completely scared of this coming summer. I have no idea what my plans will be and how much of a hindrance it will be for my future. Stay in the same rut working two summer jobs at home? Get a local internship and take a summer class here in Ann Arbor? Or get an internship that will actually help me in my field out-of-state because I’m going to be a senior next year? It feels like too much sometimes.

15. House, Heroes, Lost, Grey’s Anatomy…yeah, I actually don’t like network dramas at all. A TV show has got to make me laugh so I can forget all of the drudgery in the world. If it’s going to be on a major network, it’s Scrubs or The Office for me, all the way.

16. Pirates of the Caribbean has to be my favorite set of movies of all time. 1, 2, and 3 in that order, actually. As much as I enjoyed At World’s End, it really conjures up some really bad memories, so I definitely would not be able to call that one my favorite. Maybe if you get to know me really well, that’s another story for another time. Curse of the Black Pearl just started the franchise wonderfully…“Not all treasure’s silver and gold, mate.”

17. I sometimes make it a personal mission to introduce people to Flight of the Conchords. I don’t know what it is about the deadpan humor in that show, but I don’t think I’ve ever laughed out loud that many times during a program. My favorite song of theirs is “Jenny,” which has never been played in the show, but is genius…Youtube it, please.

18. I like rocking the hoodie and jeans outfit because it’s so easy and nobody gives a shit during classes in college. I don’t know if it’s weird though, but I really enjoy dressing nicely, whether it’s in a suit or a dress shirt. I think that the dress shirt/jeans combo works well for me, but again, nobody cares in college, so what do I know? Plus, who doesn’t like looking good, especially when it makes you feel good?

19. I’ve been pulled over once and escaped with a warning. I’d love to tell you the full story sometime. It basically ends with me getting singled out from a pack of cars and the answer to “how fast I was going” was, according to the female cop, “I had to do 58 [in a 45 zone] to catch up to you.”

20. I need to work out and build muscle. I’m skinny enough as it is to begin with because of my ridiculous metabolism and my overall low appetite, but I think it would help the self-esteem more to be in shape. Otherwise, I feel physically lazy, but mentally overworked because of all the classes I’m taking.

21. The only job I’ve felt good about doing is umpiring for a local baseball league. It kinda made me feel like I was in my element. I mean, I’m a smart guy – working at McDonald’s and Dick’s Sporting Goods, as great as the latter job was, just doesn’t cut it for me. I’m not trying to be a jerk and say that I’m too good for those jobs, cuz hell, any job is a good job in this economy (especially since I am unemployed at the moment…), but I really feel like I could do so much more at times.

22. I know, I don’t look like an athlete at all. Yet I played baseball for nine years (could have made my high school varsity team if I tried out), was a solid tennis player in high school, and I’m not a bad shot in basketball. I don’t really excel at any of these – if any, it’d be being a catcher in baseball – but I definitely can play, which I guess is surprising?

23. I can not sleep in. PERIOD. I feel like I just waste the day if I do that. The latest I’ve probably slept in IN MY LIFE was 10:30 AM. Even if I’m up until 2 or 3 AM in college, my body will find a way to force me up at 7:30/8:00 AM, which is pretty much the normal get-up time. However, as much as I like sleeping, when I’m under a tremendous amount of stress, getting to sleep is the first thing that gets attacked. DO NOT ever underestimate the ability to get to sleep easily.

24. If there’s one thing I research as much or more than video games, it is sports. I have been shaped from the “Sportscenter every morning” mold. Recently, I’ve been finding a passion for sports radio, specifically Mike & Mike in the Morning on ESPN Radio and Karsch & Anderson on 97.1 The Ticket. People tell me I have a voice for radio, and let’s just say that with my podcasting experience, it’s been something I’ve considered. It’s been one of my dreams to have a sports debate type program, kinda like Pardon the Interruption, but nobody else has really been “up to the challenge.”

25. I would love to “talk nerdy” with you. Whether it’s games like Super Smash Bros., Metal Gear Solid, Sonic the Hedgehog, Pokémon, and Legend of Zelda, or anime such as Bleach, Yu Yu Hakusho, Cowboy Bebop, Fullmetal Alchemist, and the like, I’m down for whatever. Maybe I can teach you something and hopefully you can do the same for me.

…For good measure, surely for a sense of irony.

Episode 45 is now out for you to download and enjoy.

So the Super Bowl was yesterday and it was quite the exciting game. Even though I was really pulling for the Cardinals, it was great to see things go down to the wire like that, especially when the first quarter spelled out a Steelers blowout. As great a game as it was, I attended a “commercial watching” party with my friends, so that was nice to not only get out of the apartment, but to actually pay attention to the ads.

You can see all the Super Bowl ads on hulu.com, so definitely check them out if you missed any!!

The supposed top-five rated commericals were:

1) Doritos – Crystal Ball
2) Budweiser – Clydesdale Circus Romance
3) Budweiser – Clydesdale Stick Fetch
4) Firestone – Mr. Potato Head
5) Doritos – Power of the Crunch

While I’d agree with the snow globe being number one, there were some other good ones, in my opinion. As I am a big Conan fan, his Swedish Bud Light commercial made me laugh. It was also good to see the E-trade baby back in a couple spots. The 3-D ads were a very interesting step in television history, but since it was only simulated 3-D, those glasses really made your eyes hurt. Plus, it was amusing to see people get wrecked in Pepsi Max’s “I’m Good” spot.

Obviously, there were also some very poor commercials. The Coke Zero ad with Troy Polamalu was a shameless ripoff that failed. Why the hell was a koala punched in the Career Builder commercial? Heroes football was awful – why can John Elway fly? Carlos Boozer should also never do advertising again; that Overstock commercial was terribly lame. Also, there were too many trailers this year…Year One looked like the only interesting one. Unless you only went to see Transformers for Megan Fox.

And did anyone else get the vibe from the Bud Light Lime commercial that beer can make any woman hot? WOW. That stunned me. AND WHERE WAS THE ONE-SECOND COMMERCIAL FROM MILLER LITE HIGH LIFE???

Overall, a down year for the commercials, if you ask me. Must be the economy.

The Office owned the most important TV spot for a show of its nature – the slot after the Super Bowl – and it did NOT disappoint. With one of the best openings, a couple heartfelt moments, and REALLY off-the-wall shit with Jack Black and Cloris Leachman, it was a can’t-miss episode. But did anyone notice in the ad for the next episode that Karen comes back and she’s pregnant? Hooooooly crap. I was almost pissed at the writers for what almost happened to Jim/Pam yesterday, but I’ve got a bad feeling about this one.

Anyway, I’m gonna draw this to a close, as I have class to get to. It’s going to be a long week. I still don’t know how I’m going to handle being 21…and I only have several days to figure it out.

Want a good way to confuse/annoy the SHIT out of me?

Send me an IM while I’m on my Xbox 360.
But don’t have it be a fan of the podcast.
Have it be a MOTHER of a fan of the podcast.

Basically, it went something like this:

“Hi, (Youko’s real first name, because of 360 messenging), this is (podcast fan)’s Mom. How are you this evening?”

*Youko signs off of messenger*

I’m sorry, guys. I don’t want or need to communicate with your relatives if I don’t know you personally.

Your response: Here’s what I’m wondering, though…if I responded, what would she even want to ask me?

Here’s my idea: “I caught my son listening to your podcast at 3 AM last night. After careful deliberation, I’ve decided that it’s YOUR fault he did that.”

Thoughts?

SamuraiPanda and I have our hand at Brawl commentary

All tournament videos with commentary
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=37C3E193F3220C01&page=1

So it’s that time – one year comes to an end while another is about to begin. So you all know, I am working on a special episode of SMYN to be released this weekend. It will be a TOP 25 countdown of my favorite SMYN moments and a retrospective of sorts on things past, giving insight into things that you may not have known before. I’m putting a lot of work into it, so I hope you are all excited.

So what did I get for Christmas? Hmm…

– 1 TB external harddrive with e-SATA connection (up to 3.0 GB/sec transfer rate) – does anybody know how to format a harddrive of this size from NTFS to FAT32??
– Digital Camera, inherited from my parents
– The Orange Box (360)
– NHL 09 (360) – stupid Best Buy has it backordered, so it’ll be another week
– $25 AMC Theatres gift card
– …socks.

It could have been better, but it could have been worse too. Really nice to spend it with the family.

Anyway, here’s where you get to provide some feedback. Everyone has New Year’s Resolutions, so what are three of yours? Here are mine.

Work out/Exercise more – At 6’0″ and 140 lbs, I’m a stick. I’ve got to build SOME form of muscle and some physical endurance wouldn’t hurt either. That’s right, it’s the opposite of the all too common “lose weight” resolution.

Be more of a social being – As I wrote about in a past blog, I need to get out more. How involved I’ve become online has actually hindered me in this regard. I’ll continue SMYN every other week and I’ll update this blog, plus I don’t know how things will change with my 21st birthday in February, but I should hang out with friends more and maybe make more friends? Wouldn’t hurt, right?

Get a girlfriend – OK, here’s one most of us can relate to. I’m sick of wallowing after my brutal breakup a year and a half ago. She’s already got another boyfriend and I need to be a stronger person and move on. Unfortunately there are a lot of barriers to break down. *sigh* We’ll see how that goes.

Feel free to share your resolutions if you want – I’m being pretty open with you guys.

– BOB’S WEARING CROCS! In Africa???
– They look like frightening warriors with all that paint. Especially Suzie.
– Bob’s gonna rape this challenge. Maze + puzzle = win.
– Suzie’s the first through digging the hole? THAT tub o’ lard??
– Damn, everyone’s so tired…
– And as planned, Bob wrecked. He wins individual immunity.

*commercial*

– Ken + Matty = ♥?? Mindgames???
– Here comes Tribal #1, it looks like Susie’s going to be on the chopping block.
– WOW, Ken is definitely digging himself a hole here.
– One for Ken…one for Suzie…two for Ken…KEN IS GONE. Way to talk it up, champ. Everyone voted for you.

*commercial* ([Marley & Me looks like a fail of a movie)

– Suzie’s gotta be next to go. She must win immunity to stay alive.
– Ah, fallen comrades, and all the retroriffic bullshit. Damn, Michelle was pretty hot. GILLIAN WAS NOT FUN, SUZIE!! Paloma was another firecracker. Meh, Jackie. GC was crazy and was not a leader at all. Kelly was…pretty damn cute, but not necessarily the brightest girl. Ace was a PIMP, everyone knew it. Dan was too pure, despite being a lawyer…HE DYED HIS HAIR! Marcus was quite the strong player…and Charlie’s eye-candy. Charlie…had too many feelings for Marcus. Randy said the funniest shit, but got old too quickly at the end…and yes, he IS a dumbass for falling for the fake idol. Corinne is a spiteful bitch, the end. Crystal failed too many challenges for being an Olympic athlete. Ken is a G, but we all knew that…WHY DID THEY SHOW THE TRIP??? SAKURAIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!

*commercial* (Another stupid movie, this time Desperaux)

– Final immunity challenge. 200 wooden tiles, make a house of cards ten feet tall? Again, Bob is gonna ownnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn[…]nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.
– BOB, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? TRIANGLE, TRIANGLE!!! …There you go. Wait, WHAT?
– This is just insane. Matty’s looking rather sturdy in this. Must have played a lot of Jenga.
– One more minute and SUZIE’S WINNING? Are you for real?? She should just stay.
– WHAT? Damn, Suzie. And Bob got WRECKED. Just wow. Saved her ass BIG TIME. Too bad nobody on the jury will vote for her.

*commercial*

– Yeah, pretty obvious that Bob’s going home. That’s a damn shame.
– Stop talking, Suzie. You’re making things worse. GO OFF ON HER, BOB. GET PISSED.
– SHUT THE HELL UP, SUZIE.
– THANK you, Bob.
– Oh my GOD, why was she NOT voted out in the beginning. She’s almost as nutso as Gillian…well, almost.
– WHAT, conspiracy??? DOO EET! Aww, the Sugar father figure pity party…
– Bob’s smart by practicing making fire, considering that will likely be a tiebreaker.
– TRIBAL #2: Craziness, perhaps?
– Ken SHAVED, lolololol. He should have kept the goatee.
– …Shut up, Jeff. Stop talking. You talk too much.
– Oh, Bob’s emotion might SWING THE VOTE!! Do it for the drama, Sugar!!
– One Bob…Two Bob…One Matty…anddddd…YEAHHHH TWO MATTY! TIE, BABY!
– Did the practice for firemaking pay off? Bob should have this…but Matty looks like he’s having the right idea. And Bob has flame!…but it’s out…smoke??…flame again!…and he’s owning. Matty didn’t have a shot. Bob goes onto the final three!!

*commercial* (So now the jury decides who the final two are. My bet’s on Bob and Sugar, but maybe that’s cuz I dislike Suzy. Then the winner is decided at the reunion.)

– Why won’t Suzie stop talking??? LET’S COUNT THE DAYS!!! 1…2…3…
– More people have to wonder why Sugar continually looks so good out in the wild. New clothes, eye makeup, the works…
– Nice burning in effigy of the hut.
– Interesting opinions from the jury beforehand. There’ll be a lot of moments-of-truth, which should be interesting.
– Suzie: Psh, the “showing the son you can try” card. Well done, Suzie. You can STAND!
– Bob: Pretty good speech, didn’t win over Ken though. Ohhhh, does he feel spited.
– Sugar: Wow. It’s surprising how screwed she is in this jury vote. I don’t want Suzy to make the final two, but she just might…

*DAMN YOU COMMERICIAL! I want to hear what they have to say!*

JURY TIME!
– Charlie: Good question regarding ranking. Pretty lame answer, Sugar. INTIMATE CUDDLING AND SPOONING??? WTF, BOB!!!
– Crystal: …LOL, booger check.
– Ken: Ohhhh boy. Save Bob for last. SUGAR the first girl you could trust??? OHHH, KEN GOT SPURNED. What DID you want to hear from Bob, Ken? His answer made sense to me…
– Corinne: LOL, vocal cords. Nasty Bob does exist, but rarely. Yikes…what a bitch. You don’t go ripping on dead relatives.
– Marcus: Hm, just a bunch of personal ties and $ donation stuff. Borrrring.
– Randy: This is all about tearing Sugar a new one. Aww, that was disappointing, Randy. BOO.
– Matty: SUZIE, Bob got pissed at you for a reason! Sugar is evil by breaking Kenny’s heart!! ROFLCAKES!

*commercial* (Wait…million dollar vote? Then what’s the point of the…never mind…)

– So here’s this…vote thing. LOL RANDY: “All three of you, kiss my ass!” KEN DOESN’T KNOW WHO TO VOTE FOR! I bet it’s Susie. I’ll be pissed it is her, cuz she’s got a shot.
– Ah, OK, the reunion is where they read the votes. AND IT IS SO NOT LIVE!! Survivor got delayed because of the Pittsburgh/Baltimore football game, so cut the bullshit.

– Bob…Susie…Susie (Ken’s vote)…Susie…Bob…Bob…AND IT IS…

BOB!!!!!! Good man.

I declare Ozzy Osbourne’s “Mr. Crowley” the theme of Survivor: Gabon. Who’s with me?

On a past episode of Show Me Your News, the easter egg was something that most listeners didn’t expect. It was a song, actually titled “Diamonds,” and most seemed to enjoy it. Truth is, for almost four years now, my brother and I have had an on-again/off-again music duo called Dual Theory. There have always been aspirations to play at talent shows, graduation parties, and the like, but nothing’s ever fallen through. All we’ve done is record a few CDs of our music over the years and pass said CDs out to select friends.

It’s been something nice to do on the side and it’s been enjoyable to learn how to record music better and better as time has progressed. To look back on what we’ve done and hear the progress we’ve made has been astounding. To be honest, it’s difficult to say what genre of music we’d fall under. It’s certainly not rock, but it’s not totally acoustic either. Perhaps it’s a blend of the two…just don’t get me started on trying to identify what band/musician we sound like.

Let’s get to the point though. After this semester, I have approximately a month’s time to do whatever I want to do at home. And I really want to record another CD during this break, using new techniques I’ve learned in both recording and playing since the last album (from summer 2007). The problem is, I haven’t written that many songs, so it’s possible that this might just be an EP or something.

Some may wonder why I don’t want to do VG covers CD (yet) and the answer’s very simple. It’s just not what I’m inspired to do at the moment. A final product wouldn’t sound good if I’m not motivated to work on it. Done and done.

So, if you write lyrics and are interested in us using your song on the CD/EP/whatever, please let me know and send me your song’s lyrics to dojopodcast@gmail.com for me to check it out! I’d be very interested in hearing what you have, to see if we can use it!

Now, as for past CDs and the like, I’ll talk to Buzz to see if I can get them uploaded in .zip format sometime tomorrow or whatever. I wonder if anybody would care to hear crappy songs from when I was 16 and maybe some better works from a couple summers ago. So would you?

Anyway, hopefully you’ve had a great Thanksgiving break! Yes, the Lions have proven that they should lose every game this year. And yes, I did eat as much pie as I did Thanksgiving dinner. Now I only have to FREAK OUT about how much I have to do before the semester ends. But I’m sure you’ll hear more about that here as time goes on.

Hope to check out your lyrics! 🙂

If you listen to the SMYN podcast, you know that I love sports. And I LOVE Pardon the Interruption (weekdays, 5:30 PM ET on ESPN and on iTunes). It’s simply a must for any sports fan. Today they did their “Turkeys of the Year” awards and I felt like blogging and commenting about them. Youtube links for the buffoons if I could find them. My quick thoughts on each to follow.

Kimbo Slice @4:20
So much hype only to be owned so quickly. What a big brute and what a chump. This is exactly why MMA blows and is a joke. I’m sorry…if you actually enjoy it, because I almost pity you.

Ed Hochuli
Poor guy. Robbed the San Diego Chargers of a win in week two, blowing the whistle and calling the pass incomplete when it was clearly a fumble. Cost the Chargers the game and they haven’t really gotten over it this year. Being an official in sports, I know that it really sucks to blunder like this. It’s unfortunate, really.

Mike Singletary
I…still don’t understand how this is motivational. He did a great job in his press conference the week before in his first game as 49ers head coach, but…WHAT?

John Daly
Tony Kornheiser is 100% right here. GTFO, drunkie. Nobody cares to see you play golf with no shirt.

Kash Beauchamp
Shoe?…Armpit?…Spit…OK, you’re done. As an umpire, no patience for this stuff at all.

Chris Cooley
No NFL fan would care to see this. Unless you’re counting the small percentage of the fanbase that is female and I don’t know if they even would.

Wilbur Hackett Jr.
This is HILARIOUS. How did this happen a month ago and I had no idea that it happened??

Barry Hall
And this is the only way Americans will ever pay attention to Australian football. Suspend him for the year, you shouldn’t ever give anyone like that a cheap shot.

Tim Morris
No, announcers. It was NOT the only option. A leg works too – you CANNOT do this in basketball. Amazing that the nose didn’t appear to be broken or at least bloody.

Mikhail Youzhny
Worth it just to see the blood. Here’s a hint, Mikhail. The court doesn’t bleed, but your head actually does. Should have been DQed, the moron.

Elia Rigotto
Impressive to do, nice balance, but what the HELL? Do you REALLY have it out for that guy? Worth the DQ.

Mr. Redlegs
Ahhhhhahaha. That’s what you get for being a MASCOT as your profession.

Red Sox fan
No pity. Quit being a chump and stop celebrating for thirty frickin’ seconds.

Dodger fan (no links found, all removed…)
When the love for the game exceeds the love for your own offspring. Don’t even bring a baby to Dodger Stadium, it’s very simple. Why does catching a home run with a baby in tow make any sense? Go figure.

Milwaukee Brewers
I mean…the little girl cried. Winning the wild card is great and all, but have some brains. If she grows up to be an alcoholic…well, we know who we can blame, RIGHT??

Cowboys fans
The explanation is very simple. They DRUNK. The end.

Carolina skydiver
That’s fine and all, nice landing, but you’re from UNC. And you’re landing in Duke’s stadium. I know they’re only so many miles down the road, but ummmm…HUH?

Victor Thompson
Dude’s a buffoon. Tattoos are only cool when they still look badass when you’re really old. What happens if the team moves before he dies? And oh, didn’t they LOSE the Super Bowl? Way to go, numbnuts.

DeSean Jackson
Tony Kornheiser does Monday Night Football AND PTI! Anyway, DeSean pissed off a lot of people in Fantasy Football with this play. Ruined a lot of games for a lot of people when his teammate ended up getting the touchdown instead of him. And this isn’t the first time Mr. Jackson’s celebrated prematurely: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBrxSI58JoU

Dan Orlovsky
Pretty much the story of the Lion’s football season. The end.

Elton Patterson
Arena Football? Wow, weird stuff, as only broken down by Pardon the Interruption.

Sean Avery
The NHL got this right by changing the rule on this AT INTERMISSION. Doesn’t mean that Avery’s not a moron, though. Brodeur should have taken a whack at him…and I HATE the New Jersey Devils.

Rick Dutrow (just search his name anywhere)
This chump trained Big Brown, the horse that couldn’t be beaten during this horseracing season. Too bad he was giving the horse steroids and talking all the talk, but Big Brown placed dead last in the Triple Cup-clinching race. He “wins” this Turkey competition, according to PTI’s Mike Wilbon, and I can’t say I blame him.

David Blaine
Aww, I really enjoy David Blaine’s stuff. He OWNS at street magic and should REALLY just stick to that. But all this stunt stuff has some factual bits, like when he held his breath for around 7 mins, but some of it is really staged, as this kid points out. Search for David Blaine on Youtube and watch his street magic. DOO EET.

Pat McCaskey (how is this not ONLINE ANYWHERE?)
Bears co-owner sings a tune in honor of linebacker Brian Urlacher. To the tune of “Edelweiss,” McCaskey serenades “Urlacher, Urlacher, we hope you play forever” at a press conference after the defensive standout won the team’s Brain Piccolo award.

Michael Wilbon
ROFL. ♥ PTI.

This took a long-ass time to write up, so you all better enjoy it, dammit.

SO GO HERE