9/28/2008 - Ninja cat comes closer while not moving!

Here's a very popular video making the rounds right now, and for good reason... you've probably watched an episode of Scooby-Doo where Shaggy and Scooby are walking along, minding their own business while a ghost or monster stalks them from behind. However, when they look behind them, the monster pauses and becomes part of the scenery. They continue on their way, but can sense that there is someone or something stalking them, and they look behind again, only to see that the monster has inched closer, but still part of the scenery. I can't tell exactly which episode this is, but I'm sure it has happened more than once, and in other cartoons. Well, this scenario has been recreated so perfectly in this video starring a cat:

9/26/2008 - Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates (2 videos)

I'm not sure if anybody reading this was able to see it, but Microsoft ran a couple of advertisements for Windows featuring the former TV star Jerry Seinfeld. The ads were soon replaced by the new "I'm a PC" ads which try to counter the PC/Mac commercials Apple is famous for. Why did they recall the initial commercials so quickly? Was it because they made false claims? Were they suddenly outdated? Did they offend some group? Actually, the answer to that last one may be yes. The truth is, the commercials were nonsensical. Now, Jerry Seinfeld may be famous for making the obscure and inane seem funny, but these commercials were neither funny or informative. I have to ask how exactly were they trying to lure people into buying Windows PCs with these ads? These are kind of like all those Superbowl commercials which try to draw attention by being funny or innovative. Sadly, these commercials are neither:

9/23/2008 - Grand Theft Auto 4 Most Cops/Greatest Explosion Ever

It is my contention that there is no such thing as a realistic game. By definition, a game is supposed to be fun to play. Life, on the other hand, is not always fun. That's why we play games: to escape. It's funny when I see games like Grand Theft Auto 4 that claims to be so realistic that you'll do double-takes while playing it. Sure you can put in photo-realistic graphics and an accurate physics engine, but in the end, it's still a game. For example, real life doesn't have cheat codes that allow you to change your wanted level. Using such a cheat can really make a "realistic" game like Grand Theft Auto look ridiculous:

9/21/2008 - Street Fighter 4 Classic Voiceover

If you wanted a good example of how important sound and music plays a part in video games, check out this video of the upcoming Street Fighter 4. It is played repeatedly but with different Street Fighter sound and music samples from the original Street Fighter to Capcom vs. SNK 2. The Street Fighter samples sound downright primitive, but the Street Fighter Alpha 2 dub is almost seamless. What's impressive about the dubbing of this video though is how well the sound effects match every action that goes on. Every "hadouken" is perfectly timed and well as all the other punches, kicks, and even whiffs. And you gotta love that Ryu theme...

9/20/2008 - Angel Matos Kicking The Referee In The Face

I didn't think I would get hooked into the Olympics which occurred last month, but I did and I spent all of my late nights watching taped replays and live coverage. I wish NBC/Universal wasn't so anal about people putting video highlights of the events on YouTube. Even now, one month later, I cannot find a good video replay of the amazing comeback by Jason Lezak in the 4x100 Men's Freestyle Relay. If I did, I would be posting it here. No, the only thing I can show is a video of the Cuban taekwondo athlete kicking the referee in the face:



He may be a jerk, but I gotta admit that it was a pretty good kick...

9/17/2008 - Superman (It's Not Easy)

I couldn't tell you exactly why my favorite DC superhero turned out to be Superman when I was a kid. I can say for sure that he remains my favorite superhero for a completely different reason than whatever it was back then. As he is depicted now, Superman is a hero whose motives are completely pure... and that's a rare thing in this era of anti-heroes like Batman and Wolverine. Superman is an alien whose powers make him one of the most powerful beings on Earth, and he could have used those powers for purely selfish reasons, even for evil if he wanted to. Yet, it was his upbringing by his adoptive human parents that led him to become a hero and protector for the rest of mankind. It's such a powerful statement if you think about it. Being a hero, of course, is not without its burdens either. You'll have enemies that you must protect the world from... enemies that you constantly fear could target your loved ones. Even though Superman has super-speed, there will be times that he cannot be at two places at once, and those situations make for some tough decision making. The 5 for Fighting song about him pretty much sums it up:



Indeed, it's not easy being Superman, but the world would be better if we could all be like Superman.

9/15/2008 - The Wilhelm Scream Compilation

If you've ever watched a movie and noticed an awkward high-pitched scream that seemed out of place, chances are that it is the Wilhelm Scream, a recycled sound sample that's best explained in its Wikipedia article. Another thing that's great about YouTube is that something like this can be documented with a simple compilation video: