HALLOWEEN: Tribute to Charles Shultz

Charlie Brown's Halloween Special, it's a trip down memory lane. We miss you Charles.

MUSIC LOCAL FLAVOR: The iLLiance

There are so many local bands all over the country. By "local" I mean that they are usually known around their own towns and cities, but popularity hasn't soared nationally or globally yet. I'm here to help put those sounds out to you, the public.

Everybody loves a good beat to get down to, and The iLLiance is going to give that to you. Comprised of two very talented young men, Montana and Sincere-->
this duo has a flow that matches and in some cases surpasses that of well known rap and hip-hop artists. This might be due to the fact that the members of the crew have been rhyming together for almost 9 years now.

They come in at 3:38, first Montana and right after Sincere


And it really shows. When these two get up on stage everyone in the room is jumping. A couple weeks back they had a show Columbus Day weekend at a popular club. This place was packed with some of Long Island's sexiest I kid you not. Almost all of them were there to see these two cats. After watching them perform, I'm convinced that if anyone listened to their tracks, they'd want to go out and purchase an album.

And you can listen to some of these tracks, just go to youtube and look up Indebtentertainment, and check out their myspace, http://www.myspace.com/theillianceisthename. There you can also see pictures, read about their interviews, and learn about upcoming events and shows, like the one they are having this Friday, Halloween, at Don Juan's in Westbury.

I'll keep an eye out for these guys and let ya'll know about things happening. Enjoy :]

TECHNOLOGY: The Future is Lasers

In today's world, lasers are not just something from a science fiction movie. We use them to cut, melt, fix, point, direct and now we will use them to watch our favorite episodes of Entourage and Monday night football.

That right, released yesterday in retail stores everywhere was the Mitsubishi's very own laser-based tv. The very first of it's kind.

Whammo! look at how gorgeous she is. That screen is 65" big, 10" thick, weighs in at 136.4 pounds, and pumps out colors at 120Hz and 500 nits of brightness. It only used 135 watts of power to run and the display is in 1080p, giving the viewer a freaking incredible tv experience without burning a hole on the electricity bill.

Of course we'd all like to own one, but not everyone has 7 grand or at least 65" of space to put it. The next release is going to be even bigger with 73"!

Go check it out at your biggest electronics super store, and if your purse is big enough, I envy you.

Also viewable at it's website laservuetv.com.

MOVIES: Britney on the Big Screen

Every since her days on the Mickey Mouse Club, Britney Spears has done nothing but "Oo" and "Ah" us with her extremely sexual lyrics and her numerous breakdowns and rehabs.

Now you can live through it all again in Britney's new movie that is set to come out sometime in the future titled "Through the Storm".

I'm not too sure I can really get behind this one. We've seen Marshall Mathers work his way to the top through poverty and a lot of family issues. We've seen Curtis James Jackson III (aka 50 Cent) work his way to the top after getting shot and dealing with gang issues. Do we really need to see Britney and her breakdowns? Where's the drama and story in that. A person who already hit it huge since being a little kid, and we should feel sympathy for her?

The part of all of this that really grinds my gears is the talk going on about the movie. It's said to focus on her breakdown and loss of custody of her children. It is said to be Britney's chance "to prove to the world she's still got it". Since when do people get to make money off of what happens to tons of people, and worse! Maybe we should make a movie about the damages of household abuse on our society.

Overall, I believe Britney is trying to survive and believes she can't do it soley by singing. She is said to be the star of the movie...but might not be. Anna Faris was being lined up, and even Britney's mom thinks that Julia Roberts should play Britney in the Movie.

I say leave her alone and let her sing. This just reminds me of the South Park episode where Spears actually blows her head off with a shotgun (season 12 episode 2).

Just hold onto your pants and keep your eyes open, this one is going to create a huge ruckus.

TELEVISION: Is it coming back?

For the decade more and more households have computers and on-demand HD recorded from their DVRs. Normal tv can be found all over the web, streaming or ready for download right to your screen. That's why movie networks like HBO and Showtime have made so many television series only viewable on their networks.

So a new one is coming out on the Starz network! And it is based on the old time favorite, Rome!

Yes!! And it's even got it in the title, Spartacus. It's the second coming of this show, but promised to be original. The writers and producers on the team are some of the most talented in the industry, like the writer of Smallville and Buffy the Vampire Slayer and developers of Spiderman 1-3 and Xena!! I'm sure they will throw in a lot of juicy material into this new show.

The show has to do with the man Spartacus. He was around during the Roman empire and he was a slave who fought as a gladiator. Full of violence, love, vitality and honor. It is a land of strength and no room for the weak. It will make one hell of a show.

It's coming out in the summer of 2009 on Starz.

CURRENT EVENTS: Zombies take over NYC!!

Yesterday was NYC's very own zombie crawl!!

"What is a zombie crawl?", you might ask. It is a way for people to unleash their inner beasts, for actors to come out and practice their craft, and most importantly, a chance for people to move in big mobs wearing cool costumes and get drunk from bar to bar.

Yes indeed it is the same thing as a bar crawl, with the exception of the creepy factor and of course the charity! These undead creatures all shuffle into a supermarket and buy canned goods for the Zombie Can Food Drive for World Hunger.

There are other zombie events that happen throughout the year, including a zombie prom in Philly. It is a grand time overall, even if you don't go to drink. This years NYC crawl ended at the Knitting Factory for a concert by the Living Dead Girlz. It was said to be a goulishly good time.

HEALTH: Healthy Dieting

We have become a society that loves to eat and watch tv. This might be part of the reason that obesity is considered to be one of the biggest problems in America.

And it is a problem. 2 out of 3 people in America are obese. And this is a problem, not only because it slows people down, but it comes with a whole slew of other medical problems, like lymphedema, depression, and cancer. These among many other things can really destroy a person and it is also damaging our society.

This problem has been around for a while, with so many people appearing on talk shows all upset with how they can't stop eating. So what has science done? Well they created formulas and drugs to help us loose weight. Just today there was an article in the ScienceDaily.com news on another drug that may hit the market in a few years called tesofensine. Along with these drugs many people are trying different fad diets that kind of come and go.

Because obesity is this big of a problem and people have not been loosing weight, the Campaign of Healthy Weight has been activated. A whymilk.com action, this is a nation wide campaign is dedicated to teaching people how to be healthy and not just go by a number on the scale. Their message is simple, eat healthy, be active, and drink milk.

Milk has many major nutrients inside, including calcium for strong bones, protein for muscle building, vitamins A and D and even potassium. These are all excellent nutrients to get a natural boost. Not to mention that people how drink milk are less likely to become obese.

The Campaign is stopping in Baltimore Oct. 25 (where 25% people are obese) as well as at the American Heart Association's Start! Heart Walks across the nation in several major cities.

Drink Milk!! Be Active!! Be Healthy!!

HALLOWEEN: Where are you going to go?

Halloween is a favorite holiday shared across the board with kids and adults alike. But as we get older, dressing up and going trick-or-treating may start to get old, and maybe a little creepy. So instead we find parties and Halloween attractions to go to!

And guess what, I found where you want to go.

So haunted houses are pretty cool, even the really small one inside Madame Tussad's wax museum. There are people popping out of walls and really creepy looking props all over. If you are a fan of getting scared, get over to Terror Behind Walls in Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

You read that correctly, penitentiary. This humongous jail was in use until 1970 when it was closed down. The original building was called the Walnut Street Jail which was built in 1776. It eventually grew into the jail it is today. You can go on tours to see the jail, or you can come between September 19th until November 2nd to experience the haunted house.

It is so creepy looking. If you've ever played a game like Manhunt 2 or even any resident evil game, you know how much the environment affects your nerves. Here, check out this video from last year.

This year the attraction has been listed as the number 1 haunted house nationally. That means it was up against every major haunted house in the country. Big honor if you ask me. Check out their site at easternstate.org

I hope you enjoy your Halloween whatever it is you may be doing, but just remember to be safe and have fun!

Happy holidays!

VIDEO GAMES: Gear of War Fanatics!! (rated M!!)

Ok fanboys/girls, I just found the craziest figurine for Gears of War. With it's release coming early November (the 12th to be exact) many people are getting really pumped, both gamers and toy companies that like the game as well.

Going on now at Amazon.com and only there, it's exclusive, you can get this Locust figure...getting his head ripped off by a sniper bullet.

Now this figure does come with a regular drone head, which is interchangeable with the brains exploding one. The COG tag is metal, brutal, and the figure is fully poseable.

It stands at nearly 7'' tall and will take a $20 (USD) out of your pocket cause it looks sick.

But that's not all folks!! Amazon is also offering a full sized LANCER!!!

This thing looks grecian!!! It looks like it just tore through some locust in multi-player crab walking!

It is that big, by the way. Check it out yo! The gun weighs 13 pounds, has a removable clip, and the chainsaw vibrates and makes noises. It can be yours for only $140 (USD).

Amazon is offering savings for bundle packages, so if you haven't preordered your game yet, you might want to consider there, but these toys look incredible and they are totally worth a looksee.

IPHONE & VIDEO GAMES: Innovative new company releases first three titles!

NGMOCO!!!

Bless you? What?

That's right, new gaming company NGMOCO has just put themselves on the map. As far as I'm concerned, this company is going to go a long long way. Founded by Neil Young, Bob Stevenson, Alan Yu and Joe Keene, this company has leadership that is experienced and committed in making full use of the Iphone's capabilities.

The three titles that were released are called Rolando, MazeFinger, and Topple. All three games look like a lot of fun and are Apple Ipod Touch and Iphone exclusives. Here, check it out for yourself :]






I know there are only videos for Rolando, but both are kinda cool and show you different aspects of the game. And there is no footage for topple other than what's on the website ngmoco.com.

It's really cool how there is so much interaction and how lively the screen is with color! It's games like these that make me want an Iphone.

CARS: SUV of Year 2009

Just a few days ago (October 16th) the folks at MOTOR TREND magazine got to decide which of the 2009 SUV lineup is the best. The contest is based on three factors, superiority, significance and value. And with this line of cars they had to look at, I'm sure the decision for the winner wasn't easy.

The line up of cars included all the following:
-BMW X6
-Chevy Traverse
-Dodge Journey
-Ford Flex
-Honda Pilot
-Infiniti EX 35
-Infiniti FX
-Kia Borrego
-Lexus LX570
-Nissan Murano
-Subaru Forester
-Toyota Sequoia
-VW Tiguan

Now, I don't know very much about all of these cars, but I have driven a few of them already. Just because there is a BMW on the list does not mean the Kia might not knock it's socks off. Many car manufactures are putting more effort into making their cars these past few years. With all the high standards that cars have today, this contest will not be a doozy.

Check out Motor Trend's magazine November 4th release to see who won the 2009 SUV of the year.

MUSIC: Oasis and Guitar Hero

Theeeeeeeeeeir baaaaaaaaaack!!

Oasis returns with their new album, "Dig Out Your Soul". Released earlier this month, Oasis gets put back onto the rock'n'roll map. Since 2005 with their "Don't Believe the Truth" album, Oasis has not really made a lot of hype. Even though their last record did bring them back onto the scene, this newest album will blow it away.

Their new licks are catchy and retain pieces of British pop and rock from back in the day. There is a psychedelic undertone with a lot of the new tracks, and they are all enjoyable.

Check out this new single "The Shock of Lightning".



Not only have they come out with this new album, but they have also hooked up with the folks of Guitar Hero: World Tour. You will also have the option to download and play three singles off the album including "Bag it Up", "Waiting for the Rapture", and the song above "The Shock of Lightning". The new Guitar Hero hits shelves on October 26th, and these downloads will be available on November 6th.

When you go online via your Xbox 360 or PS3 you'll also be able to download the album to listen to. That's right, the whole album. I am not too sure if it will save you money, but it sure is cool.

So look on the shelves for Oasis, or wait to download it to play on Guitar Hero:World Tour. Either way, you're going to rock out!!

TECHNOLOGY: Ocean thinking

Approximately 71% of our Earth is covered by salt-water oceans. It is a huge surprise to find out that we don't really know what's going on all the way down there. There are animals that have never been seen before. There could be plant life, or even answers to the way our planet was formed. The biggest problem with learning about the oceans (other than we want to spend more money learning about space) is that we don't have the technology to get someone or something down there.

This is all changing now. For the past five years a professor at the University of Washington has developed three "robo-fish". These robotic sea goers propel themselves with a fin as opposed to a motor. They are still in the early stages of production, but tests have been conducted and ended successfully. Here are those three robos all swimming synchronized in a pool.



Why is this so important? For one thing they will be able to track animals and pollution over a larger area of space while communicating with one another, just as the host of the video describes. One day with the evolution of these robots, they might be able to go to the deepest part of the ocean, calculated the different elements in the water round it including water pressure, depth, as well as temperature to help us understand more about what surrounds us completely.

Gogo robo-fish!

COMMUNITY: A really cool one

When the Internet was first being used by the general public, there was a very popular game that people would play. It didn't have a name, just an acronym for Multi User Dungeons or MUDs. Every "dungeon" was different; there were party rooms, cyber bars, parks, concerts....anything that people would sort of role play within a room. This MUDs began the idea of a virtual community, and in today's world the communities are specialized by interest.

One such community is full of actors and really fun people. This community is known as Improv Everywhere. They have "bases" everywhere, so if you are just staying in touch with the members via the Internet chances are they will have missions that are nearby you.

Anyone can join, it's tons of fun. Here's an example of something they threw together.



Now, the coolest part about these fun get-togethers is that they are thrown together a week or so before they plan to get out there and create reactions. So get on their e-mailing list at improveverywhere.com. Maybe I'll see you at one :]

FASHION: Get some new shirts already please

It happened the other day in the mall. I walked into a store called Sid's Pants, and throughout the first half of the store all the eye could see was Ed Hardy look alikes. If you check out their website, they call themselves "vintage tattoo wear". All of their clothing has this same style. I am starting to get bored of seeing this everywhere! It's time for diversity and change!

Get new shirts! Do it right now in another tab, and the site I like to do it on (that's what she said), is threadless.com


You can get shirts like "Rocket bird" ($9USD) up here, or maybe you'd like "Hero Within" ($1USD) shown right, or even "Training Utopia" ($15USD) shown below.

The cool part about Threadless is that they have many different artists showcases their work on these shirts. You never know what brilliant mind created your shirt. There's tons to choose from, and a lot of the tees come in long sleeve, hoodies, and even baby sizes.

If you are looking to expand your wardrobe or even stand out a little (I know some of my shirt from there do!) go check them out :]

ENVIRONMENT: Gas on it's way out?

As many of us are aware, there are many sources of energy. Many of us are also aware that solar energy really cuts costs of producing energy. What many of us don't know is that there is a fully functional solar power plants that are feeding enough energy to electrify 8,000 homes. Something else we might not know is that in Israel, Brightsource Energy and Luz II have built a solar THERMAL field.



THIS IS REALLY BIG NEWS! You can watch the video posted above to see what I'm talking about, but for those who enjoy reading, I have the juicy info right here for you.

The first key are the solar panels which are really called heliostats. These heliostats constantly aim the suns rays to a boiler on top of a 60m tower. The water inside the boiler heats up, turning into steam. This super heated and extremely pressurized steam then gets funneled through turbines creating the energy we need. What makes this better than other natural energy solutions?

-It is cheaper to construct.
-It produces a lot more energy.

This innovation finally brings our two greatest energy producers together; the sun and water. We have so much of these resources that I think it's about time we did something like this. The project in Israel is actually only a testing site for much bigger ones in California.

This kind of research is putting us on the edge of going completely green. Other countries like Portugal have also been turning to solar energy in a very successful fashion. Maybe we will see electrical cars all over too in the coming decades.

TOYS: The Joker

You've seen Dark Knight. You've drooled over the spin tingling performance of Heath Ledger as DC comics very own Joker. And what scene was spoken about over and over again but the legendary bank robbery in the very beginning of the movie.

Now you can have your very own bank robbery Joker! This 12'' model of the Joker is remarkably detailed and realistic. So realistic that the first time you lay your eyes on it you actually see the late and great Heath Ledger. Brought to you by Hot Toys, this action figure is my personal favorite of any Joker toy that has come out, ever. With or without his mask, you can feel The Jokers evil glare. Every detail from the buttons in his shirt to the amount of work put into his shoes. This is truly a master piece.

This figure comes with a plethora of extras. Here's the list:

-Duffel bag

-Clown mask

-Handgun with removable clip

-MK760 with removable clip

-Four pieces of fragmentation grenades

-Three pieces of smoke grenades
-Two interchangeable JOKER heads

-Figure display base featuring the Dark Knight logo and The Joker nameplate

This whole set can be yours at the price of $175 USD. Check it out at DC direct.

Just look at those scars!!O.O!!

FASHION: Jumpman is still in style

I don't think that Air Jordans will ever loose their flare. Since 1985, Nike has come out with over 20 generations of the original Air Jordan I (shown above). They have dominated the basketball shoe market since making this first edition of these kicks. This specific release was released in 2001, completely selling out.

Check out how far the Jumpman's shoe line has come. Everything has evolved from the actual style to the way it fits your foot. Shown on the right is the AJF20 in Black. This isn't going to be released until December 20th, but it is enough to make the shoe enthusiasts mouth water.

Check out nike.com/jumpman23 to see all the up comming releases.

VIDEO GAMES: Game Boy DSi

After the ipod came out it seemed like there was an "i" either before or after every phrase. Well it has now joined together with the DS for a whole new direction of the Game Boy, starting with the fact that there will be no game cartridges.

See here on the right at resembles the DS lite, with it's dual screen, flip-top, and same button placement. The first things someone may notice is the black marks on the cover of the DSi and also in the middle between the two screens. The one on the out side is actually a digital camera and the one inside is a webcam.

Getting excited? Don't pop a nut yet, there is still all the features that you can't see! The screens are now 3.5 inches larger and the bulk is lost with cartriges, losing the DSi 12% of it's DS lite's fat. There is internal memory for saving games and data, and for when it isn't enough, slide your SD card into the slot for more memory.

The DSi will come with a Nintendo web browser where you can spend points (1000 points/$10USD) to download games straight to your DSi. Perhaps one of the features that will be overlooked the most is the DSi's ability to adjust pitch and playback speed, making it ideal for the study of new languages.

Of course it will be compatible with the Wii as well as add new hardware to your collection of gadgets. It is being released in Japan on November 1st for 18,900 yen ($180USD), and only in black and white, although there is tlk about it being released in different colors.

Keep your eyes out for this in America, it's going to be hot. The only thing this handheld device is missing, is a cell phone.

VIDEO GAMES: Digital Overload

Ok video gamers, I know how you do. Playing endless hours to be the best, and then humiliate your friends with your fantastic gaming skills. It's time to take your skills to the next level, take them to Digital Overload.
If you are not already familiar with Ctrl+Alt+Del then you might have to check that out right away. It's a web comic that loves making you laugh with jokes about our favorite games and about the lives of the characters within it. It truly is a winner. It is such a big winner that there is a video gaming tournament dedicated to the fans of the comic. This is Digital Overload.

As the title of the event suggests there is an overload of digital devices in one room all playing different games over LAN. There's PCs, 360s, PS3s, and even table top gaming going on at this nerd convention. This is the third year that it is going down, which means bigger tournaments, bigger prizes, and overall an awesome time.

All the tournaments are not even based on games. There is one tournament where you actually toss your keyboard across the room to try and win a brand new one. Check this video out of the event.



The convention is going down on March 6th 2009, so if you want to get in on this get over to digital-overload.com. There is a registration fee, but I can guarantee this is one gathering you are not going to want to miss. Check out that site and of course Ctrlaltdel-online.com to check out Tim Buckley's web strips.

MUSIC: FREAKOUT! Underoath's new CD

If you consider yourself a lover of all music, are a Christian music lover, or just a metal-head you need to check out the new UNDEROATH cd, "Lost In the Sound of Separation".

Hailed as one of the perfect records of 2008, "Separation" really shows was a great band that's been around for a while can do to stay fresh. The band has been around since 1998, and in its 10th year of existence they have achieved 6 albums, a grammy nomination and won the highest gold rated Christian album on the Billboard charts after the release of "Define the Great Line" in 2006.

Throughout these past ten years the band has gone through considerable changes in style, and keeping only one original member and the band Aaron Gillespie the drummer and singer. This newest album ventures into a reel of heavy melodic guitar riffs with heartfelt singing and screaming. The combination of the two makes this metal album really enjoyable through all 11 tracks. Metal is really not taken to a totally new plateau with this album, but it sure does keep it fresh.

Along with their music is their new music videos and cool goodies that come when you purchase this disc in either standard, limited, special and delux versions. You can watch their newest video online here. This is Underoath's music video for their song "Desperate Times, Desperate Measures".



So go out their and buy the album. It is sure to be a keeper in your massive closet collection of discs.