(This is a discussion of the ending and aftermath of Red Dead Redemption. If you haven't finished the game and intend to do so, then you may want to stop and read this later. I really do want to know what you think when you're done, though)
I finished the story part of Red Dead Redemption this afternoon, and I wanted to share my thoughts on it, separate from the game review itself (which will be coming at some point). I'd also like to hear your thoughts on it.
As the ending came upon me, especially that last mission, I began to wonder just how the game was going to continue on, since I knew that I would be able to continue playing after it was over. As John gets his wife and child away from the ranch, I figured there would be some kind of massive shootout but then everything would be good.
Of course, in hindsight, that would make the roaming that you're able to do after the fact a little strange if John managed to survive the final mission. Everything in the game is built toward either making John a better man or moving the plot forward so that he can be with his family again. Why would he be going off completing stranger missions, getting into bar room brawls in all of the saloons (in order to get that achievement) or doing Nightwatch missions on the McFarlane ranch?
Within the story, though, it all makes sense. Those final "family" missions are you grooming your son to take over for you, as well as tying up loose ends, like having Abigail meet Bonnie and stuff like that. Everything has been driving the story toward John's redemption, of getting back what the government agents took away from him. It wouldn't seem right to have the game end with that final fight.
While those final missions make sense in terms of the story (in fact, they fit the theme perfectly), they are dreadfully dull and bring the game to a screeching halt. Oh joy! More cattle herding, hunting, and breaking wild horses! Woohoo!! Getting your wagon to the McFarlane ranch in time! Yeah, they try to add a few things, like the cattle rustlers and the outlaws attacking the train, but I can't say I was too excited to do them.
Of course, that all leads into a kicker of a final mission, though the logic of it doesn't really make a lot of sense. Why would they send an entire army unit after you (I think you kill about 30 of them, so that's at least a couple of squads, and you military readers can correct me if I'm wrong). Has Ross shown any honor or scruples in this game at all? Why wouldn't he just send one or two men to just kill John outright. A couple of men coming to the ranch isn't going to raise a lot of eyebrows. The US Army? That's kind of tipping his hand.
So you end up playing as 19-year-old Jack after the murder of your father and the death of your mother 3 years later. It's an interesting twist, and one I didn't see coming (I thought there would be some miracle rescue, but again it makes sense that there wasn't). It does make the roaming after the fact a bit strange at times, though. You still have all the fame and honour that your father had. If you're in the middle of the California stranger mission (like I was), you've got this guy wandering the wilderness for 3 years (I met him as John and finished him as Jack). You've got the exact same horse and the exact same ammo as your dad did 3 years ago. All the same possessions.
This is not really a complaint, as I know it's just a game. It's just something that I briefly thought about before going on to finish some of the achievements and other stuff.
One more interesting thought is the final Stranger mission, "Remember My Family," which is Jack's mission and you only get it if you go back to Blackwater. I did kind of wonder why the credits didn't roll after the final mission, but I didn't think a lot about it. I wanted to get all the Stranger missions done, so I looked them up to see which ones I was missing, and that's when I saw this one. I completed it and the credits popping up almost startled me. Interesting how they end the Story part of the game on a Stranger mission instead of a regular one.
Don't get me wrong. While this post does point out some weirdness regarding the story, it in no way affects my opinion of this game (other than the family missions being a bit tedious). It's still a stellar game, and I'm going to give it a glowing review.
It's just something to ponder for those of you who have completed it. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.
Sunday, 13 June 2010
Thursday, 10 June 2010
Ways to know that you play too many video games
Many gamers put untold hours into their gaming addiction, sometimes spending whole days trying to beat a game or finish a level or complete a story. Is it too much time? It's hard to say.
But there are some ways to determine that you're spending too much time camped out in front of the TV or computer playing your games. Other than the bleary, red-rimmed eyes and the twitches caused by an overdose of Red Bull, I mean.
Here are some other ways you can tell. I would never be egotistical enough to say "Top 10 ways," because, you know, I'm not that kind of a guy.
1)You're driving around downtown, trying to make a right turn, and a few pedestrians start crossing the street in front of you despite there being a "Don't Walk" flashing sign. Your first thought is to reach for the Pedestrian Repulsifactor switch (Carmageddon 2). That should take care of them.
2) Somebody pisses you off and your first thought is to pull the left trigger button to target them and scare them off. Then you realize that you a) don't have a gun, and b) aren't that type of person anyway. (Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption)
3) You're walking around downtown, looking up at the skyscrapers, and your first thought is how you would jump up and climb to the top of one of them. (Infamous or Crackdown)
4) Your daily outfit is a red and blue painter's outfit and you have a bushy mustache (do I really need to tell you?)
5) When people are talking to you, you cycle through the "attitude" prompts before deciding how to respond to them. (Mass Effect, Alpha Protocol)
6) You've started saying "Stay Frosty" way too much, even when you're not being badass. (Modern Warfare 2)
7) You start thinking in Simlish and then translating it before speaking (The Sims)
8) You see people speaking to you and the words aren't lining up with how their lips move (most any RPG, though that could show you watch too many badly-dubbed Japanese monster movies as well)
9) You turn down a hot date with a model because your clan is Raiding that night (World of Warcraft)
Anybody else have any ideas?
But there are some ways to determine that you're spending too much time camped out in front of the TV or computer playing your games. Other than the bleary, red-rimmed eyes and the twitches caused by an overdose of Red Bull, I mean.
Here are some other ways you can tell. I would never be egotistical enough to say "Top 10 ways," because, you know, I'm not that kind of a guy.
1)You're driving around downtown, trying to make a right turn, and a few pedestrians start crossing the street in front of you despite there being a "Don't Walk" flashing sign. Your first thought is to reach for the Pedestrian Repulsifactor switch (Carmageddon 2). That should take care of them.
2) Somebody pisses you off and your first thought is to pull the left trigger button to target them and scare them off. Then you realize that you a) don't have a gun, and b) aren't that type of person anyway. (Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption)
3) You're walking around downtown, looking up at the skyscrapers, and your first thought is how you would jump up and climb to the top of one of them. (Infamous or Crackdown)
4) Your daily outfit is a red and blue painter's outfit and you have a bushy mustache (do I really need to tell you?)
5) When people are talking to you, you cycle through the "attitude" prompts before deciding how to respond to them. (Mass Effect, Alpha Protocol)
6) You've started saying "Stay Frosty" way too much, even when you're not being badass. (Modern Warfare 2)
7) You start thinking in Simlish and then translating it before speaking (The Sims)
8) You see people speaking to you and the words aren't lining up with how their lips move (most any RPG, though that could show you watch too many badly-dubbed Japanese monster movies as well)
9) You turn down a hot date with a model because your clan is Raiding that night (World of Warcraft)
Anybody else have any ideas?
Tuesday, 8 June 2010
Battlefield: Bad Company 2
In this day and age where the Call of Duty franchise is all the rage, I had pretty much ignored the first Bad Company title. I have to admit that I was a Call of Duty fanboy and just didn't really think I would have as much fun with the other franchise.
However, after getting bored much too quickly with Modern Warfare 2 (as I predicted in my otherwise stellar review for it) and hearing all of the wonderful things about Bad Company 2, I decided to take the plunge. The most enticing thing was the rave reviews of the online multiplayer, but I had also heard that the single player story was much better than the first game.
I finished the single player story in about 10-12 hours, namely one long weekend of gameplay. Considering my rather lackluster first person shooter talent, that is *really* short, almost criminally.
On the other hand, the story is pretty good and quite funny at times too. You're in a company of 4 soldiers who are considered "misfits" by the army (where have we heard that story before?). Hence the title "Bad Company". You're assigned to a Special Forces operation to track down and obtain a scalar weapon called "The Black Weapon." You start the game in 1944, as part of a Marine commando unit tasked with capturing a Japanese scientist who's been working on this weapon. You then play as part of the Bad Company, as Private Preston Marlowe, with your three other squadmates, squad leader Sergeant Samuel Redford (who was hoping to retire after the initial mission that's in the snowy depths of Russia), technology expert Private Terrance Sweetwater, and demolitions specialist Private George Haggard Jr.
The four men have a wonderful camaraderie that's filled with loyalty and humour. The cutscenes are beautifully done, not just the graphics but also the dialogue as well. Yeah, it can be corny at times, but it's still pretty good.
The NPCs you meet, such as your helicopter pilot (the pacifist hippie Flynn, to name one great example) are also interesting and fun.
The graphics are lush, immersing you in the environment, whether it's the frigid snow of the Andes Mountains (where you might freeze to death if you don't run from fire to fire) or the jungles of Bolivia. The ability to destroy the environment also enhances the gameplay, though keep in mind the same thing can happen to you! If you're taking cover in a house, don't forget that the house can come down around you.
Like I said, the story itself is way too short, even shorter than Modern Warfare 2. It's fun, but I wish there had been more to it. I also wish that the ending didn't shout "SEQUEL!" at the player, though everybody knows there will be a third installment. 2.3 million copies sold and counting. You know there will be another one.
Multiplayer is as good as it was advertised, yet for some reason I haven't fallen in love with it. I'm not really sure why that is, because I did enjoy it when I played it. Maybe it was the draw of other games calling me away, I don't know. I just know that I played it for a little while and now I'm not. There are lots of guns and other stuff to unlock as you level up. I'm wondering if my reaction is more because the game seems even more geared to communication among your teammates and I generally don't play with a set group of people. I don't even have a microphone hooked up!
Anyway, I would highly recommend the game, though if you can find it at a budget price, I would definitely say go for it. I'm not sure I would pay the full $70 for it (that's up here in Canada, anyway). If you like shooters, this one won't disappoint.
However, after getting bored much too quickly with Modern Warfare 2 (as I predicted in my otherwise stellar review for it) and hearing all of the wonderful things about Bad Company 2, I decided to take the plunge. The most enticing thing was the rave reviews of the online multiplayer, but I had also heard that the single player story was much better than the first game.
I finished the single player story in about 10-12 hours, namely one long weekend of gameplay. Considering my rather lackluster first person shooter talent, that is *really* short, almost criminally.
On the other hand, the story is pretty good and quite funny at times too. You're in a company of 4 soldiers who are considered "misfits" by the army (where have we heard that story before?). Hence the title "Bad Company". You're assigned to a Special Forces operation to track down and obtain a scalar weapon called "The Black Weapon." You start the game in 1944, as part of a Marine commando unit tasked with capturing a Japanese scientist who's been working on this weapon. You then play as part of the Bad Company, as Private Preston Marlowe, with your three other squadmates, squad leader Sergeant Samuel Redford (who was hoping to retire after the initial mission that's in the snowy depths of Russia), technology expert Private Terrance Sweetwater, and demolitions specialist Private George Haggard Jr.
The four men have a wonderful camaraderie that's filled with loyalty and humour. The cutscenes are beautifully done, not just the graphics but also the dialogue as well. Yeah, it can be corny at times, but it's still pretty good.
The NPCs you meet, such as your helicopter pilot (the pacifist hippie Flynn, to name one great example) are also interesting and fun.
The graphics are lush, immersing you in the environment, whether it's the frigid snow of the Andes Mountains (where you might freeze to death if you don't run from fire to fire) or the jungles of Bolivia. The ability to destroy the environment also enhances the gameplay, though keep in mind the same thing can happen to you! If you're taking cover in a house, don't forget that the house can come down around you.
Like I said, the story itself is way too short, even shorter than Modern Warfare 2. It's fun, but I wish there had been more to it. I also wish that the ending didn't shout "SEQUEL!" at the player, though everybody knows there will be a third installment. 2.3 million copies sold and counting. You know there will be another one.
Multiplayer is as good as it was advertised, yet for some reason I haven't fallen in love with it. I'm not really sure why that is, because I did enjoy it when I played it. Maybe it was the draw of other games calling me away, I don't know. I just know that I played it for a little while and now I'm not. There are lots of guns and other stuff to unlock as you level up. I'm wondering if my reaction is more because the game seems even more geared to communication among your teammates and I generally don't play with a set group of people. I don't even have a microphone hooked up!
Anyway, I would highly recommend the game, though if you can find it at a budget price, I would definitely say go for it. I'm not sure I would pay the full $70 for it (that's up here in Canada, anyway). If you like shooters, this one won't disappoint.
Sunday, 6 June 2010
Awesome moments in Red Dead Redemption
For those of you who have been sitting under a rock (or those non-gamers, if those people even EXIST!), Red Dead Redemption is a wonderful video game that takes place in the Old West. The gameplay is riveting, tweaking the Grand Theft Auto style just enough to completely enhance the graphics and add a bunch of little touches that make the game that much more enjoyable (and this is coming from a big Grand Theft fan).One of the things I love about Red Dead, as well as the Grand Theft series, is the little touches that Rockstar puts into the game. Little bits of atmosphere that indicate that anything can happen in this world. Sometimes it's just something in the background, cool enough that you just stop playing and let it all wash over you. Other times, something happens during an action sequence that just makes you laugh.
I've been playing this game a grand total of about 11 hours now, and I've still only completed about 33% of it. So a lot more things can happen as well.
But here are the best so far:
1) My Randy Johnson Moment
Going on a bounty hunt, I had just captured one of the worst outlaws in all of the West (aren't they all, or at least don't they think they are?). I had him on the back of my horse and was riding frantically toward the town of Armadillo to collect my reward, but the guy's fellow gang members were chasing me. I turned around in my saddle, targeted the first guy who was right on my horse's butt, and pulled the trigger.
Unfortunately, a bird flew right between us and it splattered into a red mist with feathers.
I had to do a double-take before shooting the guy again, and I almost burst out laughing.
I did successfully get to Armadillo, thank you very much.
2) The "Dastardly" Achievement
All Xbox 360 games have "achievements" that you can unlock for gamerscore points. (You can see my current gamerscore here)
Some games have secret achievements, either because publicizing them would be story spoilers or just because they want you to be able to stumble onto them.
I saw a video on the Xbox 360 dashboard that described this achievement, so I thought I'd try it out. Hey, it's an easy 5 points!
SPOILERS IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW ABOUT ANY SECRET ACHIEVEMENTS.
Basically, you get this achievement by hogtying a woman with your lasso, carrying her to a train track, and letting her get obliterated by a train. The train is moving around the gameworld, so you may have to wait a bit. When the train comes, SPLAT! And you get the 5 points.
Yes, in the real world that's not funny at all, but it's a nice homage to those old Dudley Do-Rite cartoons or other old movies where the woman gets tied to the train tracks and our intrepid hero whisks in to save her at the last minute.
Red Dead Redemption turns that on its ear. What's even funnier is that I did it right at the train station in Armadillo. Townspeople were just wandering around, completely ignoring this hogtied woman who is lying on the railroad tracks. I had upped my "Honor" level to the point where the Law wasn't going to come after me for anything short of shooting an innocent, so I guess they might not be so understanding if you haven't achieved that level yet.
What's even more intriguing is that, since this is a "secret" achievement, you would just have to stumble upon this by doing something really dastardly just for the purpose of doing it.
Now *that's* sick.
END OF SPOILERS FOR SECRET ACHIEVEMENT
3) Horse Thief!
If you ride around the countryside, you will stumble upon random events like somebody asking you to save their wrongfully-accused wife from a hanging or a lawman who has allowed two felons to escape.
Another one is a guy who will ask you for a ride. If you just trot up next to him, he'll pull you off your horse, jump on it, and take off. If you get down to talk to him, he'll jump up on your horse and take off. Usually you just line him up and shoot him. Maybe you get a little bit of fame or something? I don't remember.
Anyway, now you know that whenever any guy in the wilderness asks you for a ride, it's going to end like this. So I've taken to just shooting him as soon as he asks. The game obviously knows he's a bad dude, so you don't get any murder charges against you for shooting him, even though he hasn't technically done anything yet.
4) Playing Poker, Liar's Dice, Blackjack or Horseshoes
In what other game could you spend hours doing nothing that will advance the game at all? Yeah, you can make money on these games, which will help you get through the world, but doing missions and other tasks will net you lots of money, so you don't *have* to play these games. Yet I sit there for hours playing them. They're really a lot of fun, though the "table talk" amongst all of the players gets old after a while, as there isn't that much variety.
5) Missing a Horse? Just Give a Whistle
When the game was first announced, many people called it "Grand Theft Horse" because of its lineage, and you can just choose a horse and mount up (though if you do it in the wrong place, its owner *will* shoot at you). However, there's no need to steal a horse in this game. All you have to do is whistle and your faithful steed will appear in the distance and come galloping to you. Lose your horse to one of those damned cougars? (Seriously, I'm getting sick of cougars) Just wait a bit and give a whistle. Another one appears!
Of course, this is just a basic horse, and if you managed to get a better one, then make sure it stays alive. It's almost heart-breaking when the horse you've spent so much time with gets felled. And its replacement will be just a basic one.
6) Funny character actions
I was storming a gang hideout in Tumbleweed with one the Marshal in Armadillo. I got behind the same cover he did and moved to peek out from cover and shoot. Somehow, I didn't get out far enough and shot him in the hat (not the head). He just turned and stared at me for the longest time, not even bothering to shoot at the bad guys. I don't think he ended up doing anything until I had run forward to other cover. I thought he was going to shoot *me* for a moment!
I'm sure there's lots more to experience, and the rest of the game is very cool too. There's way too much to include all the great stuff, so I wanted to include some stuff that other people don't always talk about.
These are just some of the little things about Red Dead Redemption that make a very good game even greater.
One Hit Wonders of the 90s (Part 17)
Hello, dear reader. I have a favour to ask you. The original post begins after all of the asterisks, if you want to skip this.
Now that the One Hit Wonders of the 90s series is over, I'm not going to be doing my weekly revisiting of all these posts (I had to do that to add the new post to the bottom). Thus, I won't be able to catch any broken picture links or deleted videos any more. Yet I want these posts to be as good as possible.
Please, if you happen upon one of these posts, or if you take a walk through a whole bunch of them, let me know if you find anything that doesn't work. You can leave a comment, or you can send me a message using that handy "Contact Me" page linked above.
Also, feel free to let me know what you think of the post or any of the videos!
Thank you.
**************************
It's Sunday morning. Do you know what time it is? No, it's not time to retire this lame-ass joke. That's next week (maybe).
No, it's one-hit wonder time! I think I should write a song about this, a sort of opening ditty, one that will become as popular as the Rembrandts and their theme for Friends. Then I can be a one-hit wonder too! Ok, they had one other hit, but does anybody remember it? Did you know that I was lame enough to buy a Rembrandts CD just because of the Friends song? Yes, I was actually sucked in at one time.
But I got better!
Anyway, there's no theme this week. I was desperately trying to come up with a theme, but then this happened.
And it all went downhill from there.
(Please note: No animals were harmed in the creation of this blog post...though some human brains did explode, namely the writer's. The question is, did anybody notice?)
Also, no Nicholas Cage jokes this week, as I don't want to annoy his one fan here...
As usual, you can find the master list of one-hit wonders that I'm working from here. And you know what? I don't even care if you go look ahead.
Hey! I'm not THAT dumb!
Anyway, on with the show!
1) Culture Beat: "Mr. Vain" (#17)
And we enter 1994 with a bang! Or at least to a pulsing beat that gives every normal person a headache. Of course, it wouldn't be the 90s without just a touch of rap, but this one is actually cool because it's to a techno beat. How can you go wrong when you mix it with dance music?
The food budget in this video must have been outrageous. But at least they put it to good use!
This one's really got my feet tapping and the hips moving (or at least it did until I threw a hip out...OUCH!!!! Good thing blogging is such a lucrative profession). I'm not really into dance music unless I'm at a club, but this one was kind of engaging. Maybe it's because of all the previous rap crap that I just was in need of something that wasn't?
That might be it.
2) Gabrielle: "Dreams" (#26)
Gabrielle - Dreams
Uploaded by mido29. - Explore more music videos.
What a boring video! And for such an uplifting song, too. Yes, dreams can come true. I once dreamed that I'd have a low-traffic blog with a few friends reading it.
And look what happened! I have a low-traffic blog with a few friends *and* a very few non-friends reading it.
Aim high, that's what I always say.
Oh, the song? It's a pretty good one, though Gabrielle's voice begins to grate after a while. And what's with the part where she waves her hands and looks like she just messed up? Did the editors not see that, or did they think it would add a light-hearted touch to the rest of the video?
Either way, it didn't work.
3) Queen Latifah: "U.N.I.T.Y." (#23)
Queen Latifah's a one-hit wonder? She's so prevalent that I never even thought of that. Of course, she was HUGE on the R&B charts, but the definition of "Hit" is the Top 40, so she is.
While I don't like rap, this is actually quite a good song speaking against violence on women, especially in the gangster culture. Thus, it's a pretty valuable song.
And it's got a good sax, too.
(Yes, I retired that joke *long* ago)
4) Us3: "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)" (#9)
Coool!!!!!! (too many exclamation points?) I love the music in this song! And the song would be perfect if there just wasn't any rap in it. Everybody's familiar with the opening notes to this song, and that's what prompted the above reaction. Now I'm mellowing a bit, though, as the rap continues. *sigh*
Still, I can ignore that for the sweet music. Great horns, sax, and other instruments that my non-musical mind cannot identify. This song is giving me warm shivers in places that normally don't have warm shivers.
In my big toe! What did you think I was talking about?
5) Eternal: "Stay" (#19)
I love one of the comments on this video: "Love it! This was the day when girl bands actually WORE clothes! Miss the 90's lots!"
I do really like this song, and it's nice to see bands where the singer can actually sing. I'm not really sure about the "dancing," though. They don't do much of it, though, thankfully.
Everybody knows that *this* is real dancing.
6) Crash Test Dummies: "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" (#4)
I have always found this song extremely strange. They couldn't think of a name for the song? I've never heard of a song named after humming, but there you go. And then you listen to the words. What the hell is the point of this song? Ok, there's these three kids, and they've all got these strange problems. The third kid (whose parents take him to a church where they all thrash around, I guess) doesn't hold any poignancy whatsoever without the video, and even then it's like "so what?"
Really, it's like they wrote the song and couldn't think of an ending (or a name!) and then just said "oh well, let's just stop here and hum"
And this went to #4? Was there a major solar event in mid-1994?
Does that event also explain this?
I don't even want to know.
7) 12 Gauge: "Dunkie Butt (Please, Please, Please)" (#28)
And then 12 Gauge comes along and brings the level of discussion down even further. What is it with rappers and butts? I like a good ass as much as the next guy. But I don't break into song about it. And when I do, it's not THIS bad.
He's not too big to beg? Neither am I.
Please stop this. Please. I'm begging you.
Though I'm not ashamed to say that I watched that video all the way to the end. Kinda mesmerized.
8) Beck: "Loser" (#10)
I had no idea this song with *this* old! And I never really thought about it, but this is rap too! Wow, it's amazing how these realizations just hit you upside the face like a 2x4 or the fact that Mary Kate & Ashley are all grown up now.
And it's not even a good one, either. This is a slacker anthem, so I guess I should love it. But I don't. I'm not even successful at slacking.
That's just sad. I'm slacking off at slacking!
9) Masta Ace Incorporated: "Born to Roll" (#23)
Can I say anything I haven't already said? And do I really want to?
10) Big Mountain: "Baby, I Love Your Way" (#6)
This one's from the Reality Bites soundtrack, and it's sort of a Reggae-ized version of the old song. And it's actually quite catchy. It just doesn't seem as schmaltzy as the original did.
In fact, I think I like it even more than the original. Sort of like the Save Ferris version of "Come On Eileen"
Ahhhhh, redheads.
And that's it! We're half-way through 1994 (a year where there weren't many one-hit wonders) and things are beginning to look up. The sky is getting bluer and there's less rap involved. I know this is the first list I almost totally enjoyed for a while now. I hope you feel the same.
And if you didn't?
Well, there's always this.
Keanu Reeves, eat your heart out.
One-Hit Wonders of the 90s
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10
Part 11
Part 12
Part 13
Part 14
Part 15
Part 16
Part 17
Part 18
Part 19
Part 20
Part 21
Part 22
Part 23
Part 24
Part 25
Part 26
Part 27
Part 28
Part 29
Part 30
Part 31
Part 32
Part 33
Part 34
Part 35
Part 36
Part 37
Part 38
Part 39
Part 40
Now that the One Hit Wonders of the 90s series is over, I'm not going to be doing my weekly revisiting of all these posts (I had to do that to add the new post to the bottom). Thus, I won't be able to catch any broken picture links or deleted videos any more. Yet I want these posts to be as good as possible.
Please, if you happen upon one of these posts, or if you take a walk through a whole bunch of them, let me know if you find anything that doesn't work. You can leave a comment, or you can send me a message using that handy "Contact Me" page linked above.
Also, feel free to let me know what you think of the post or any of the videos!
Thank you.
**************************
It's Sunday morning. Do you know what time it is? No, it's not time to retire this lame-ass joke. That's next week (maybe).
No, it's one-hit wonder time! I think I should write a song about this, a sort of opening ditty, one that will become as popular as the Rembrandts and their theme for Friends. Then I can be a one-hit wonder too! Ok, they had one other hit, but does anybody remember it? Did you know that I was lame enough to buy a Rembrandts CD just because of the Friends song? Yes, I was actually sucked in at one time.
But I got better!
Anyway, there's no theme this week. I was desperately trying to come up with a theme, but then this happened.
And it all went downhill from there.
(Please note: No animals were harmed in the creation of this blog post...though some human brains did explode, namely the writer's. The question is, did anybody notice?)
Also, no Nicholas Cage jokes this week, as I don't want to annoy his one fan here...
As usual, you can find the master list of one-hit wonders that I'm working from here. And you know what? I don't even care if you go look ahead.
Hey! I'm not THAT dumb!
Anyway, on with the show!
1) Culture Beat: "Mr. Vain" (#17)
And we enter 1994 with a bang! Or at least to a pulsing beat that gives every normal person a headache. Of course, it wouldn't be the 90s without just a touch of rap, but this one is actually cool because it's to a techno beat. How can you go wrong when you mix it with dance music?
The food budget in this video must have been outrageous. But at least they put it to good use!
This one's really got my feet tapping and the hips moving (or at least it did until I threw a hip out...OUCH!!!! Good thing blogging is such a lucrative profession). I'm not really into dance music unless I'm at a club, but this one was kind of engaging. Maybe it's because of all the previous rap crap that I just was in need of something that wasn't?
That might be it.
2) Gabrielle: "Dreams" (#26)
Gabrielle - Dreams
Uploaded by mido29. - Explore more music videos.
What a boring video! And for such an uplifting song, too. Yes, dreams can come true. I once dreamed that I'd have a low-traffic blog with a few friends reading it.
And look what happened! I have a low-traffic blog with a few friends *and* a very few non-friends reading it.
Aim high, that's what I always say.
Oh, the song? It's a pretty good one, though Gabrielle's voice begins to grate after a while. And what's with the part where she waves her hands and looks like she just messed up? Did the editors not see that, or did they think it would add a light-hearted touch to the rest of the video?
Either way, it didn't work.
3) Queen Latifah: "U.N.I.T.Y." (#23)
Queen Latifah's a one-hit wonder? She's so prevalent that I never even thought of that. Of course, she was HUGE on the R&B charts, but the definition of "Hit" is the Top 40, so she is.
While I don't like rap, this is actually quite a good song speaking against violence on women, especially in the gangster culture. Thus, it's a pretty valuable song.
And it's got a good sax, too.
(Yes, I retired that joke *long* ago)
4) Us3: "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)" (#9)
Coool!!!!!! (too many exclamation points?) I love the music in this song! And the song would be perfect if there just wasn't any rap in it. Everybody's familiar with the opening notes to this song, and that's what prompted the above reaction. Now I'm mellowing a bit, though, as the rap continues. *sigh*
Still, I can ignore that for the sweet music. Great horns, sax, and other instruments that my non-musical mind cannot identify. This song is giving me warm shivers in places that normally don't have warm shivers.
In my big toe! What did you think I was talking about?
5) Eternal: "Stay" (#19)
I love one of the comments on this video: "Love it! This was the day when girl bands actually WORE clothes! Miss the 90's lots!"
I do really like this song, and it's nice to see bands where the singer can actually sing. I'm not really sure about the "dancing," though. They don't do much of it, though, thankfully.
Everybody knows that *this* is real dancing.
6) Crash Test Dummies: "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" (#4)
I have always found this song extremely strange. They couldn't think of a name for the song? I've never heard of a song named after humming, but there you go. And then you listen to the words. What the hell is the point of this song? Ok, there's these three kids, and they've all got these strange problems. The third kid (whose parents take him to a church where they all thrash around, I guess) doesn't hold any poignancy whatsoever without the video, and even then it's like "so what?"
Really, it's like they wrote the song and couldn't think of an ending (or a name!) and then just said "oh well, let's just stop here and hum"
And this went to #4? Was there a major solar event in mid-1994?
Does that event also explain this?
I don't even want to know.
7) 12 Gauge: "Dunkie Butt (Please, Please, Please)" (#28)
And then 12 Gauge comes along and brings the level of discussion down even further. What is it with rappers and butts? I like a good ass as much as the next guy. But I don't break into song about it. And when I do, it's not THIS bad.
He's not too big to beg? Neither am I.
Please stop this. Please. I'm begging you.
Though I'm not ashamed to say that I watched that video all the way to the end. Kinda mesmerized.
8) Beck: "Loser" (#10)
I had no idea this song with *this* old! And I never really thought about it, but this is rap too! Wow, it's amazing how these realizations just hit you upside the face like a 2x4 or the fact that Mary Kate & Ashley are all grown up now.
And it's not even a good one, either. This is a slacker anthem, so I guess I should love it. But I don't. I'm not even successful at slacking.
That's just sad. I'm slacking off at slacking!
9) Masta Ace Incorporated: "Born to Roll" (#23)
Can I say anything I haven't already said? And do I really want to?
10) Big Mountain: "Baby, I Love Your Way" (#6)
This one's from the Reality Bites soundtrack, and it's sort of a Reggae-ized version of the old song. And it's actually quite catchy. It just doesn't seem as schmaltzy as the original did.
In fact, I think I like it even more than the original. Sort of like the Save Ferris version of "Come On Eileen"
Ahhhhh, redheads.
And that's it! We're half-way through 1994 (a year where there weren't many one-hit wonders) and things are beginning to look up. The sky is getting bluer and there's less rap involved. I know this is the first list I almost totally enjoyed for a while now. I hope you feel the same.
And if you didn't?
Well, there's always this.
Keanu Reeves, eat your heart out.
One-Hit Wonders of the 90s
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10
Part 11
Part 12
Part 13
Part 14
Part 15
Part 16
Part 17
Part 18
Part 19
Part 20
Part 21
Part 22
Part 23
Part 24
Part 25
Part 26
Part 27
Part 28
Part 29
Part 30
Part 31
Part 32
Part 33
Part 34
Part 35
Part 36
Part 37
Part 38
Part 39
Part 40
Friday, 4 June 2010
The agony of defeat - what are we teaching our kids?
When are winners actually losers? No, not when somebody wins a "Have Dinner With Nicholas Cage" contest. It's when you play soccer in Ottawa. At least some of the time.
Yes, according to the CBC (and probably many other outlets, but that's the article I'm using), an Ottawa youth soccer league has decided that if a team wins by more than 5 goals, they are declared the losers.
Is this evidence of the "self esteem" movement run amok? Is it a bad thing for a child to experience losing, even badly, and to discover that sometimes life just happens to suck and you come out on the wrong end of the stick? Why are people so eager to coddle losers at the expense of the winners?
We're already dumbing down achievement by giving awards to everybody who plays the game anyway, so I guess this is the next step. Instead of saying "everybody's a winner!" we're now saying "if you win too easily, you're a loser!" Is that a good message to send to our kids? Is that getting them ready for the real world? Will they expect that when some cutthroat businessman squeezes them out of a deal by deploying his ruthless business instincts, that they're actually going to get the deal themselves because the other guy beat them too badly?
Sadly, it might be coming down to that.
According to Kevin Cappon, a 17-year-old player who scored the 6-1 goal to put his team ahead by that magical 5-goal margin:
That's right. They toyed with the other team because they couldn't afford to score that 7th goal. That had to make the other team feel good.
But I loved this part:
This is ridiculous! So a team is up by 5 goals. They start kicking with their left feet (or right feet, if they usually use their left). Two results can happen:
1) They still kick the shit out of the other team by 5 goals, thus showing the other team that they can be beaten handily even by players intentionally playing badly. Wow that team must *really* suck.
2) The other team scores a goal or two, and the first team turns on the jets again until they have that 5-goal lead back. Then they go back to intentionally sucking.
What lesson does this teach our kids?
When I was in Little League baseball, there was a 10-run rule. When a team went up by 10 runs, the game was called. I think it had to be after a certain number of innings, but I can't remember. That's not a bad thing, because it ends the slaughter, but the team that was winning ACTUALLY WINS. That's a very notable and important difference.
This Ottawa thing? It's bullshit, pure and simple.
Kids have to learn how to lose. They have to learn how to lose badly. If we shelter our kids from this vital lesson, they're going to get a rude awakening when they finally reach the real world.
You know the old saying: "It's not whether you win or lose; it's how you play the game." To me, that just means that as long as you play hard, you can take pride in the fact that you did your best.
You still lost, though. Don't forget that. Learn from it. And try to win next time.
(h/t: Tuesday night's Red Eye episode, where they talked about this story)
Yes, according to the CBC (and probably many other outlets, but that's the article I'm using), an Ottawa youth soccer league has decided that if a team wins by more than 5 goals, they are declared the losers.
Is this evidence of the "self esteem" movement run amok? Is it a bad thing for a child to experience losing, even badly, and to discover that sometimes life just happens to suck and you come out on the wrong end of the stick? Why are people so eager to coddle losers at the expense of the winners?
We're already dumbing down achievement by giving awards to everybody who plays the game anyway, so I guess this is the next step. Instead of saying "everybody's a winner!" we're now saying "if you win too easily, you're a loser!" Is that a good message to send to our kids? Is that getting them ready for the real world? Will they expect that when some cutthroat businessman squeezes them out of a deal by deploying his ruthless business instincts, that they're actually going to get the deal themselves because the other guy beat them too badly?
Sadly, it might be coming down to that.
According to Kevin Cappon, a 17-year-old player who scored the 6-1 goal to put his team ahead by that magical 5-goal margin:
"I couldn't really believe it, but I wasn't going to doubt the referee," he told CBC's Ottawa Morning Monday.
His team spent the next 20 minutes just passing the ball and keeping it from their opponents, he recalled.
"I felt like I was mocking them sort of when I really didn't want to … I didn't feel good doing it, and I don't think they felt good receiving it."
That's right. They toyed with the other team because they couldn't afford to score that 7th goal. That had to make the other team feel good.
But I loved this part:
"Cale said the rule has been on the books for years to encourage coaches to start thinking about strategies to even out the game when the score reaches a three or four goal spread.
For example, the league recommends that players on the winning team can:
Play short-handed.
Kick with their weaker foot.
Play positions that they have less experience playing."
This is ridiculous! So a team is up by 5 goals. They start kicking with their left feet (or right feet, if they usually use their left). Two results can happen:
1) They still kick the shit out of the other team by 5 goals, thus showing the other team that they can be beaten handily even by players intentionally playing badly. Wow that team must *really* suck.
2) The other team scores a goal or two, and the first team turns on the jets again until they have that 5-goal lead back. Then they go back to intentionally sucking.
What lesson does this teach our kids?
When I was in Little League baseball, there was a 10-run rule. When a team went up by 10 runs, the game was called. I think it had to be after a certain number of innings, but I can't remember. That's not a bad thing, because it ends the slaughter, but the team that was winning ACTUALLY WINS. That's a very notable and important difference.
This Ottawa thing? It's bullshit, pure and simple.
Kids have to learn how to lose. They have to learn how to lose badly. If we shelter our kids from this vital lesson, they're going to get a rude awakening when they finally reach the real world.
You know the old saying: "It's not whether you win or lose; it's how you play the game." To me, that just means that as long as you play hard, you can take pride in the fact that you did your best.
You still lost, though. Don't forget that. Learn from it. And try to win next time.
(h/t: Tuesday night's Red Eye episode, where they talked about this story)
Thursday, 3 June 2010
Philo - Watch TV with people all over the country!
Do you like watching TV? Do you like the social experience of watching TV with other people? How about discussing shows with your friends? Or with people all over the country?
Mashable's always good to watch for up and coming social media trends, and yesterday's another great example of that. They had an article on a new social media idea called "Philo." Or, as they call it, "Twitter + Foursquare for TV Fanatics."
It's actually quite the interesting concept. One of the cool things about watching your favourite TV shows is discussing them with a bunch of other fans (ok, maybe that's just me, but it is common). Philo gives you that opportunity with that chat-like feature.
Remember when I talked about "live-tweeting" TV shows? That always has a couple of downsides:
1) Annoying your Twitter followers who don't watch the stuff
2) Annoying your Twitter followers who are in a different time zone and haven't seen what you're talking about yet. Spoilers!!!!
I think Philo, if I'm reading Mashable's article correctly, removes both those problems. It certainly removes the first. You would be chatting with those already watching the show. Of course, you can broadcast what you're watching to Twitter and Facebook, but at least it won't be a constant stream of updates (unless you're intentionally trying to piss off your followers).
It doesn't appear to be useful for Canadians, unfortunately, so I can't try it out for you. I tried to join, and it didn't allow me to move forward without selecting a cable provider. It takes the cable provider choices from the zip code that you enter (hence the Canadian postal code not working). I put 90210 in there and got a plethora of Beverly Hills cable company choices.
Thus, I offer this to you just as something you might want to take a look at. You know, if you're a TV addict and your husband/wife is getting tired of you talking to him/her about your favourite show when they couldn't give a shit about it.
Is this the new wave of social media? Maybe more of a side street, but a potentially interesting one nonetheless.
Mashable's always good to watch for up and coming social media trends, and yesterday's another great example of that. They had an article on a new social media idea called "Philo." Or, as they call it, "Twitter + Foursquare for TV Fanatics."
"A new web and iPhone app called Philo makes watching TV interactive by having users “tune in” to TV programs as if they were checking in to venues on Foursquare or Gowalla, then discuss shows in a Twitter or Facebook newsfeed-like conversation stream while they’re watching."
It's actually quite the interesting concept. One of the cool things about watching your favourite TV shows is discussing them with a bunch of other fans (ok, maybe that's just me, but it is common). Philo gives you that opportunity with that chat-like feature.
Remember when I talked about "live-tweeting" TV shows? That always has a couple of downsides:
1) Annoying your Twitter followers who don't watch the stuff
2) Annoying your Twitter followers who are in a different time zone and haven't seen what you're talking about yet. Spoilers!!!!
I think Philo, if I'm reading Mashable's article correctly, removes both those problems. It certainly removes the first. You would be chatting with those already watching the show. Of course, you can broadcast what you're watching to Twitter and Facebook, but at least it won't be a constant stream of updates (unless you're intentionally trying to piss off your followers).
It doesn't appear to be useful for Canadians, unfortunately, so I can't try it out for you. I tried to join, and it didn't allow me to move forward without selecting a cable provider. It takes the cable provider choices from the zip code that you enter (hence the Canadian postal code not working). I put 90210 in there and got a plethora of Beverly Hills cable company choices.
Thus, I offer this to you just as something you might want to take a look at. You know, if you're a TV addict and your husband/wife is getting tired of you talking to him/her about your favourite show when they couldn't give a shit about it.
Is this the new wave of social media? Maybe more of a side street, but a potentially interesting one nonetheless.
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