Sweet Archives
Apple Mighty Mouse
August 03, 2005 | 
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Apple’s just entered the multibutton mouse business with Mighty Mouse.
This nicely designed mouse is sure to become a must have for any Mac user, I know I’m getting one and I just bought a new mouse yesterday. I can’t resist the charm and design sense going on here. From Apple:
At $49, Mighty Mouse features the revolutionary Scroll Ball that lets you move anywhere inside a document, without lifting a finger. And with touch-sensitive technology concealed under the seamless top shell, you get the programability of a four-button mouse in a single-button design. Click, roll, squeeze and scroll. This mouse just aced the maze.
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Abarat
July 25, 2005 | 1 Comments
Clive Barker’s Books of Abarat series is quite amazing. I’ve been a big fan of Barker’s for ages and was a bit skeptical when I found out he was planning to write and illustrate a book for young audiences. I thought it might be a bit too “out there.”
Well, it’s out there, that’s for sure. But it’s also very engaging and entertaining tale. Barker’s imagination is amazing and his abilities as a visual storyteller really blow me away. The prose is dripping with imagery and the illustrations are beautiful. These books are probably some of the best I’ve ever read at putting the reader into the story.
A quick overview from Amazon should give you an idea of what they’re about:
Candy Quackenbush is growing up in Chickentown, Minnesota, yearning for more—which she finds, quite unexpectedly, when a man with eight heads appears from nowhere in the middle of the prairie, being chased by something really monstrous. And so begins Candy’s epic adventure to the islands of the Abarat. Peopled by all manner of creatures, cultures, and customs, the islands should prove a fertile setting for the series that Barker is calling The Books of Abarat. Candy is an intelligent and likable heroine, and the many supporting characters are deftly drawn, both in words and in the full-color interior art that Barker has produced to give the story an extra dimension.
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Play Magazine
July 22, 2005 | 0 Comments
Play Magazine is probably my favorite magazine. In fact, much of what we want to do here at Sweetdex is taken from their content model. It’s mostly games but they go off that topic and talk about all sorts of other cool stuff.
The design of the ‘zine is really nice, with lots of juicy photos and the reviews are information packed and informative but not too heavy. I look forward to it coming every month and I highly recommend it to anyone into gaming, anime, movies, comics or other geeky fun stuff.
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The Golden Compass
July 21, 2005 | 0 Comments
How can I explain the genius that is Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass?
This, and the rest of book in the His Dark Materials series are probably my personal favorite “children’s books” of all time. These truly are fantasy books for people of all ages. There is so much depth and emotion in there…
Ah, but what it it about? Good question. It’s complicated. In fact, I’m not sure how to even explain it. Random House has a nice synopsis on their Website, here’s a blurb:
In The Golden Compass, readers meet for the first time 11-year-old Lyra Belacqua, a precocious orphan growing up within the precincts of Jordan College in Oxford, England. It quickly becomes clear that Lyra’s Oxford is not precisely like our own - nor is her world. In Lyra’s world, everyone has a personal dæmon, a lifelong animal familiar. This is a world in which science, theology and magic are closely intertwined.
These ideas are of little concern to Lyra, who at the outset of the story, spends most of her time with her friend Roger, a kitchen boy. Together, they share a carefree existence scampering across the roofs of the college, racing through the streets of Oxford, or waging war with the other children in town. But that life changes forever when Lyra and her dæmon, Pantalaimon, prevent an assassination attempt on her uncle, the powerful Lord Asriel, and then overhear a secret discussion about a mysterious entity known as Dust.
It is at this time that children mysteriously began to disappear. Children, and only the children, are vanishing at the hands of what become known as the “Gobblers.” Who the Gobblers are and what they want is unknown, but soon, children from far and wide are disappearing with out a trace, even Lyra’s good friend, Roger.
All of this leads to a grand adventure involving talking armored polar bears, witches, angels, and a Texan who rides around in a hot air balloon. And more…oh so much more. It’s an amazingly fun read yet is also emotional and thought provoking.
The Golden Compass is one of my all time favorite books and is highly recommended.
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The Amulet of Samarkand
July 20, 2005 | 0 Comments
The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud is the first in a series of books set in an alternate and magical london where wizards control demons and magic is used to keep order, and sometimes keep the less fortunate down.
It’s a tale told from two vantage points. The first, our unlikely (and usually unlikable) anti-hero Nathaniel, a talented wizard to-be and second, the devilishly clever and amazingly fun to root-for demon—Bartimaeus.
Nathaniel’s London is a place of wonder, except of course you’re not one of the privileged or one of those who controls the magic of the demons. Nathaniel, despite his talent and relative privilege, hungers to prove himself to those who would keep him down. This hunger lands him in quite a few sticky situations and pits him against some mighty adversaries. But there is much more than the life of a young magician at stake and only Nathaniel and his unwilling and unruly servant can save the day.
The Amulet of Smarkand is a tale filled with political intrigue, adventure, humor and a fresh, unique perspective that really makes for an entertaining read.
If you like Harry Potter, or are looking for a more fast paced Strange and Norell, this is right up your alley. A great book.
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The City of Ember
July 20, 2005 | 1 Comments
This charming story, by Jeanne Duprau, takes place in the dark city of Ember, a city where it’s always night the vast, and slightly scary, Unknown is beginning to creep ever closer.
Hard times have hit Ember. The city’s electrical lights are failing, food is becoming scarce, and Ember’s people are starting to become frightened. It’s up to Doon and his sort-of-friend Lina to find a way to save Ember.
A charming story with an interesting and engaging setting, The City of Ember is perfect for those who are looking for good reads while waiting for the next installment of Harry Potter. It’s targeted for teens, but is a nice read for adults as well.
(Recommended by Lynn)
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Dwell Magazine
July 19, 2005 | 2 Comments
Dwell is a great ready for just about anyone. If you’re into cool architecture and interior design than it’s a bonus, but they’ve gone and taken the content of Architectural Digest and made it accessible. And, well, maybe a bit “green” as well.
Beautiful photos and light, easy to read prose showcase the coolest in forward thinking living design. Much of it’s expensive, but hey, it’s great to look at and one can dream? A great coffee table rag that has a wealth of inspirational design, Dwell is a great magazine about homes to have around yours.
(Recommended by SZA)
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Readymade Magaizne
July 19, 2005 | 0 Comments
Readymade is like the homeowner’s version of Make, with all sorts of great DIY projects for around your home and office.
It’s not nearly as geeky as Make, but can still get into some pretty complicated projects. You’ll have articles on how to make clothes from couch covers or making lamps out of trash cans. There are also quite a few articles on general lifehackery, like seeming smarter or building your vocabulary.
The whole thing is put together with a nice sense of simplicity and design that makes for a nice read. If you’ve ever been one of those people who wants to learn how to make a chair out of your old skiis—this one’s for you.
(Recommended by SZA)
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Casio Exilim EXZ750
June 30, 2005 | 0 Comments
When Mike Davidson recommended the Casio Exilim EXZ750 7PM Digital Camera I took notice. I needed a new camera and it fit the type of camera I was looking for. Plus, I trust Mike’s recommendations.
He was right. This camera kicks butt. It’s got a great screen, is compact, feature rich and produces great quality photos. Oh and the price ($380-$400) is very, very good. I’ve had it for a few weeks now and it’s the best digital camera I’ve owned easily. At the price I don’t think it can be beat.
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Batman Begins
June 22, 2005 | 0 Comments
Batman Begins is one of the best original comic movies I’ve seen. The acting is superb, the filmmaking and production tight and the story is amazing. It’s the best Batman film by far and a solid flick in any genre.
The movie takes Batman, Gotham and its people and makes them much more real. I loved Gary Oldman’s work as a young Jim Gordon and Christian Bale made a terrific Bruce Wayne. In comparison to the older Batman films (none of which I was too fond of, after the first Tim Burton movie) Gotham is much more serious and is more of a solid backdrop than a goofy caricature of a city. The focus here is much more on the story and the characters than imagery and visual effect.
Obviously heavily influenced by Dennis O’neil and Frank Miller’s work with the Dark Knight, Batman Begins is an epic tale of revenge, justice and legendary heroism in Batman’s earliest days. I saw quite a bit I found familiar from the comics; the train and Ra’s Al Ghu, some bits about Scarecrow and quite a bit from Frank Miller’s Batman: Year One.
If you, like me, like your Batman real and a bit more “Dark Knight” style, you’ll love Batman Begins.
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Rex Mundi
June 16, 2005 | 0 Comments
Rex Mundi means “King of The World” and also just happens to be one of the best comics around. It is described on the Rex Mundi Web site, as “a quest for the Holy Grail told as a murder mystery, a tale of sin, murder and redemption in an alternate-history Europe where magic is real and the Catholic Church never lost its grip on power.”
Yeah, that sounds about right. Think of the Da Vinci Code in comic book form. But smarter. And cooler. With great art. And more intriguing characters and plot-lines.
But don’t take my word for it, go check out Issue #0 for yourself.
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Make Magazine
June 16, 2005 | 2 Comments
When I first heard of Make, a very geeky DIY rag from Oreilly, I was pretty skeptical. I heard good things though and decided to pick up the first issue.
What I found, while not exactly practical, was an extremely interesting and entertaining read. There were articles on how to take aerial photos with a kite, how to reduce wire clutter with a 5-in-one DIY cord and an very interesting piece on heirloom technology.
Between the first and second issues I’ve found little that I could put to use, but what I did find was good and the rest was interesting enough to really look forward to each new issue.
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Reef Fanning Bottle Opener Sandals
June 14, 2005 | 2 Comments
I got a pair of Reef Fannings for my birthday and I’ve got to say there are probably the coolest, most useful piece of footwear ever made.
The reason? There is a built in bottle opener in the sole of each sandal. Yep, that’s right, you can open Pacificos on the beach with your sandal. How cool is that?
The only drawback I can see is if you step in poop. Avoid poop though and you’re golden.
If you’re looking for a Father’s Day gift, I hardly think you could do any better than these.
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Battlestar Galactica
June 13, 2005 | 2 Comments
This weekend I bought and watched the 2003 Battlestar Galactica mini-series on DVD. Simply put, I was totally surprised and frankly, I was almost giddy with excitement to begin watching the series.
I’d been meaning to watch for quite awhile, but I just kept putting it off. Now I regret that I did. Season two is coming up and I’ve got a whole bunch of catching up to do.
Battlestar Galactic is a cool show and a great, original take on what was my favorite TV show as a kid! It’s not totally different, but they’ve made some major changes, and it’s got just enough hooks into the past to tickle an old school fan like myself.
I think it’s safe to say this is the best sci-fi series around. I’ve not been able to get into any sci-fi television for quite awhile and this one had me hooked right away. It’s very well written, believable and full of intrigue and action. I love what they’ve done with some of the classic characters (I think Starbuck is great) and the take on the original story feels somehow more epic to me.
Highly recommended.
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God of War
June 10, 2005 | 0 Comments
Beautifully Brutal.
That’s how I’d describe God of War. It’s an amazingly fun game, with a great story-line, awesome voice acting, cool music, great action and more blood and gore than I’ve ever seen in a game.
It’s pretty upfront with this violence, and doesn’t try to tone it down in the least. This is not a game for children, but if you’re an adult that likes your action games fast-paced and violent as heck, you’ll enjoy this quite a bit. It’s not all fighting and killing though, this one has quite a few hooks that make it more than just a typical hack-and-slash.
The story focuses around Kratos, once a servant of Aries, and his quest for revenge. It’s deeply steeped in greek mythology, with much of the action taking place in a fantastical Athens. You’ll do battle with minotaurs, medusas, and harpies, you’ll ride on a titan’s back searching for Pandora’s box and you’ll be gifted with magic from Zeus himself.
The controls are easy to pick up and a blast to master. With each new combo comes a certain sick satisfaction that now you’ll be able to hack your enemies up in a different way. The general game-play is fun and challenging, but never frustrating. But then again, I played the game on “easy” and didn’t even attempt “god mode” after I finished. It’s a large game and takes time to work through, but you’ll keep the f-bombs to a minimum and probably have all kinds of fun along the way.
What really sets God of War apart is its production values and attention to detail. Everything is best of breed; the game-play graphics, the painterly cut scenes, the story, the voice acting—everything. This is truly one of the most put together games I’ve played and it ranks as one of the best action games ever made.
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The Shield
June 09, 2005 | 1 Comments
The Shield is one of those television shows that is constantly being talked about. I’m pretty sure much of its audience was generated by word-of-mouth recommendations. It’s highly regarded by critics, has won a number of Emmys and almost always talked about as one of the best shows on American television.
Recommended by: Seth Green
“If you don’t know much about it, it is about a group of cops who routinely straddle the line between good and evil (and more often then not slip towards evil) in LA.
The 3rd season is just about to rap up, and shows no signs of slowing down! This season Glenn Close joined the cast. I was quite skeptical at first, and a little worried the show would jump the shark. By the end of this season, I loved her (although I hear she isn’t coming back next season).
If you haven’t ever seen it, I highly recommend getting the 1st season DVDs. If you like those you can move on to the rest.”
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Deadwood
June 09, 2005 | 1 Comments
I just got through watching the second season finale of HBO’s Deadwood. Simply put, I think this is the best show on television right now—hands down. For those of you who might not know about Deadwood, it’s period piece set in the late 1800’s in a very real American frontier town.
The characters are based on real world people who lived in Deadwood and many of the events portrayed are based on true events as well. The acting is the best you’ll find on television, lead by an amazing Ian McShane as the foul mouthed town boss Al Swearengen.
Deadwood is compelling, entertaining, educational, at times funny and often brutal. It’s a peek into a slice of American history that makes you think while it’s taking you on a ride like no other on television. Very, very highly recommended.
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GameFly
June 08, 2005 | 0 Comments
I’ve been using GameFly for about two months now and where I was once a bit skeptical about how I’d use it, now I’m really impressed and glad I signed up.
It’s a useful service for gamers. It works almost exactly like Netflix, ‘cept it’s with video games. They’ve got a great selection, easy to use Web site and pretty rapid service. I highly recommend it to any gamer who’s interested in renting games (and who wouldn’t, when you can keep them as long as you like?) and those who buy infrequently. They’ve even got a nice policy when it comes to buying games you’ve rented. You can either pay and just keep it, or if you’ve sent it back they’ll ship it to you free of charge.
All in all it’s a really nice service and a great value.
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Lost
May 25, 2005 | 3 Comments
I just watched the season finale of ABC’s terrific primetime series, Lost, and while I’ve got to say the ending was a bit of a disappointment and a definite tease, it was a great show overall. To me this show heralded the return of drama to non-cable television.
Sure, it’s a bit predictable and overly-drawnout at times, but it’s intriguing, reveals just enough each week to keep you watching, and has some great moments.
For those who’ve not watched Lost, it’s a survival drama about a diverse group with interesting and sometimes interconnected back-stories who’ve been stranded on a deserted island after a plane crash. Sound formulaic? Sound corny? Well, it is, a little bit, but less so than most “reality” television. And it does have it’s fair share of twists.
Pretty much American primetime drama at it’s best.
Part Gilligan’s Island, part X-Files and part Desperate Housewives, Lost is a rare island in a sea of mediocre and uninspired TV. Let’s hope it’s a sign of a change and we on our way to being rescued after years of crap reality TV.
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A Great Vacation in Maui
May 24, 2005 | 1 Comments
Maui is a great place for a vacation. No matter what you’re into you’ll have plenty to do and chances are you’ll have a great time with lots of great memories. Here are a few tips for you if you choose to head to Maui:
- Go see Warren and Annabelle’s Magic Show in Lahaina. It’s worth every single penny and much more fun than any Luau I’ve ever seen.
- Maui can get expensive so always remember that some of the best things to do are cheap or free. Rainbows, sunsets, the mountains and the ocean don’t have to cost a thing.
- Sunscreen. Sunscreen. Sunscreen.
- A cheeseburger in paradise is simply that and nothing more.
- If you’re on a diet, leave it at home. There is some great food to be tasted and chances are you’ll be active enough not to put on too many pounds.
- Speaking of great food — David Paul’s Lahaina Grill is amazing.
- Rent snorkel gear for the whole week, you’ll probably use it. Also, make sure you get good, comfortable gear.
- “Mountain view” is almost as good as “ocean view” and it’s much cheaper.
- Maui is a good place to get married, propose or honeymoon.
- Don’t go skinny dipping in the ocean at night — bad things can happen and you might lose something.
- Make sure and take your vitamins — you’ll need them.
- Coconut and Macadamia nut encrusted ahi is awesome.
- Kaanapali is a great beach, even though it’s really crowded.
- Manta rays are extremely cool!
- It’s good to have a Jeep, even if you don’t drive much. A bit spendy, but good.
- An organized snorkel cruise is great for large groups.
- A Maui vacation with friends and family is as good as it gets.
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Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
May 24, 2005 | 2 Comments
The circle is now complete. In Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith we finally see all the divergent story lines from the first and second Star Wars trilogies tied together. It’s a very well done movie that serves as an excellent bridge between the stories of Anakin and Luke.
The movie starts out in the same style and mode as Episodes I and II. The cinematography, dialogue and overall feel is more like those movies. As it moves along, however, it seems to morph and shift in many subtle ways until, toward the end, it really begins to feel more like the original Star Wars flicks.
It’s very, very enjoyable to watch in that regard.
As a stand alone movie it’d be rough, but lucky for most Star Wars fans A New Hope is waiting at home on DVD. I actually watched the whole original Star Wars series over the next few days at home and was very pleasantly surprised at how well they did in Episode III of tying everything together.
A great film and a must-see for any Star Wars fan.
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Treo 650
May 23, 2005 | 0 Comments
Originally recommended to me by Mike Davidson.
I’ve had my Treo 650 for about 6 months now and I absolutely love it. It does everything I need it to and more. The Palm OS is pretty nice, Sprint’s service is acceptable (but when it comes to cellular service, beggars can’t be choosers) and the device itself is much better than I could have hoped.
It’s larger, for obvious reasons, than your typical cell phone, but they do quite a bit with that size. As well, once you get used to it, it’s not really all that big. Remember the old Nokia phones that were so popular? This feels smaller than those.
The camera is pretty darn good for a phone. The picture quality is about what you’d expect, although It actually takes better low-light pictures in some cases than my Pentax does, if you can believe it, but the display is phenomenal.
The keyboard is very functional, and doesn’t take much time to get used to at all. I was texting in a few hours after I got everything set up and now I’m pretty quick with it. It comes loaded with all the applications you need to get going. Pretty much what you’d expect, all Palm standards (e-mail, Real media player, messaging, document viewing, calendar, to-do, etc.) and unless you’ve got special needs you’ve got everything right out of the box. It’s also packing some nice extras like Bluetooth capability, a long-life battery and the handy-dandy self-portrait mirror.
The Treo 650 is a great device and probably the best smartphone on the market right now.
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Fables
May 19, 2005 | 5 Comments
Fables is my favorite comic right now. It’s a complicated and engaging book that’s at times part who-done-it, part adventure story, part epic fantasy and lots more. Its main characters, all wonderfully re-imagined, are “fables” from storybook past. You’ve got Bigby, the Big, Bad Wolf and chief detective of Fabletown. Snow White, the mayor. Prince Charming, resident bad boy and just about any other storybook character you can imagine.
But this isn’t a kid’s fairy tale, no sir. In true Vertigo style, it’s down right shocking at points, which in my opinion just adds to the fun! I mean, you’ve got Goldylocks going on a murderous rampage, Snow White dream-conversing with the disembodied head of one of the Three Little Pigs, or in the current story arc, Boy Blue carving his way through enemies toward the shadowy “Adversary” with a vorpal sword.
It’s all smartly written and very beautifully illustrated and IMHO is the best comic to come around since Neil Gaiman’s Sandman ended it’s fabulous run. A great read that’s very highly recommended.
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Ted Leo & The Pharmacists
May 19, 2005 | 1 Comments
Ted Leo has probably been my favorite artist over the last few years. His albums Tyranny of Distance, Hearts of Oak and Shake The Sheets are all amazing and that’s a rare feat for any musician.
The music is rock. Straight up, high energy, amazingly great and totally authentic rock. The vocals are terrific, clear and strong and full of passion. The song-writing is thought-provoking and meaningful. He’s got lots to say and most of it is worth hearing and thinking about.
This is simply what good music is all about.
As for the live show? Top notch. I’ve seen him live twice now and all I can say is the energy, talent and fervor he and The Pharmacists bring to the stage is a pleasure and excitement to watch. It’s really, really great.
Do yourself a favor and check out Ted Leo & The Pharmacists.
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Jere Smith: Artist
May 18, 2005 | 1 Comments
Jere Smith is your friend!
So goes the tag-line for this talented artist’s Web site. What a nice way to welcome people to your humble home on the dub dub dub! Jere is an artist and illustrator who’s work is quirky, unique and really fun. He’s also the guy why did the wonderful Sweetdex cupcake illustration! It was great working with him and I’m very happy with the work he did for me.
He took my small ideas and made it much better than I could have hoped, and was a pleasure to work with at the same time.
There are all kinds of great illustrations and other arty artifacts on his site and I encourage you to go and explore. It’s a very nicely designed site as well, designed and built by his son, and my pal and coworker, Geoff Smith.
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Ego Trip's Book of Rap Lists
May 13, 2005 | 0 Comments
If you’re into hip-hop, or just looking for an interesting, funny and remarkably informative coffee table book, Ego Trip’s Book of Rap Lists is perfect.
I actually read it front-to-back, which should say something considering my short attention span and the fact that it really is more of a pick-it-up-read-and-discuss type book. It covers, in great detail, the history of rap, with all sorts of great stories, anicdotes and sidebars, from its origin to 1999 or so.
It’s been called “A must-have for any rap aficionado.” by Russell Simmons, and “The best book I’ve ever read-and I can’t read!” by Chris Rock.
Sounds like a good recommendation to me.
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Life of Pi by Yann Martel
May 13, 2005 | 4 Comments
Life of Pi by Yann Martel is a wonderful book that will make an enjoying read for just about anyone. On the surface it’s an entertaining survival story about a young man trapped in the middle of the ocean on a 26-foot lifeboat with a wounded zebra, a hungry hyena, a seasick orangutan, and a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. Sound interesting? It is!
Reading deeper we see that Life of Pi is a book about faith and the perception of reality that will leave you thinking, and talking about it, long after you’ve turned the final page.
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Psychonauts
May 08, 2005 | 3 Comments
Psychonauts is the latest game creation of the legendary Tim Schafer (known for the great adventure games Grim Fandango, Full Throttle, and Day of the Tentacle) and is, put simply, an almost flawless game that has so much upside it’s unreal.
At its most basic it’s an amazing platformer, in the tradition of Jak, Sly and Kingdom Hearts. It’s easy to pick up, very fun to play and has everything you’d expect from a top notch platformer. But all of that is just barely scratching the surface of what makes Psychonatus so unbelievably great.
The story, which revolves around your character, Rasputin (Ras) and his adventures at Whispering Rock Psychic Summer Camp is very well written, highly entertaining and a blast to play. It starts out pretty simply, with Ras learning the ropes and how to use his psychic talents. You run around the camp, talking to the councilors and other campers (the dialogue for all of which is great) but very quickly you begin adventures in people minds. This is where the game really shines.
Though various means you are able to transport yourself into the minds of many of the camp’s (and surrounding area’s) slightly off-kilter inhabitants on a quest to save the camp from an evil doctor. You’ll need to clear up any mental cobwebs, gather figments of their imaginations, unlock their mental baggage and battle their inner demons. It’s wacky, wild stuff.
All of that would make for a pretty great game, but what makes this game really shine is the gorgeous settings, quirky character design and development and amazing twists on traditional platform game play.
Along your adventures you will storm a Toyko-like city inhabited by fish as a legendary monster, play war-board games with Napoleon, race through a giant disco party (this stage reminded me of one of my favorite games ever—Jet Set Radio Future) and fight masked wrestlers Lucha Libre style.
The whole time I was playing Psychonauts I was in awe at how cool the game was. Art director Scott Campbell is simply amazing. The game shifts focus quite a bit, but in general it has a very Tim Burton meets Mark Ryden meets Mr. Toads Wild Ride feel that is absolutely stunning to run around in. For more of a sense of the style, see Double Fine’s comic section. Good stuff.
In fact, if there were a downside to Psychonauts, it’s that it’s so visually stunning it’s almost distracting at times. This, my friends, is a true classic in every sense of the words. The folks at Double Fine should be very proud and for my part, I can’t wait to see what they cook up next.
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Family Guy
May 04, 2005 | 0 Comments
I was so excited when I heard the news that Fox had decided to bring back Seth Macfarlane’s awesome animated show Family Guy. I’m a big fan of animation and this has been one of my favorites. I never did understand how it got cancelled in the first place.
It’s one of the funniest shows around. Probably too witty and too brilliant for prime time in many ways, the fact that it’s been brought back is a testament to the effect not-quite-mainstream culture can have on big media. I’m pretty sure it was the hot selling DVDs that got the big wigs at Fox to reconsider.
Frankly I think it’s a perfect addition to their Sunday animated line up and it should replace the Simpsons (another great show) as the irreverent-yet-clean enough for “regular TV” show.
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SlideShowPro
April 29, 2005 | 1 Comments
SlideShowPro is an amazingly easy to implement Flash-based image slideshow component. To use it you do need to have some working knowledge of Flash, but aside from that it’s damn easy to get set up and customize.
It’s perfect for anyone with a Web site that wants to have a slideshow or image gallery. It’s pretty customizable and has all sorts of implementation options to choose from. As someone who’s gone through several different methods of sharing photos via my own site, I can attest to the power, customizability and ease of use SlideShowPro brings.
It’s well worth the mere $20 it costs.
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World of Warcraft
April 28, 2005 | 1 Comments
World of Warcraft is quite simply one of the best computer games ever made. It’s a MMORPG (Massive(ly) Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game) that takes the genre to a whole new level. It’s visually beautiful, scarily engaging (beware of addiction with this one) and amazingly fun.
The World of WOW is so incredibly detailed that it’s very easy to spend hours playing, exploring, chatting, adventuring and building up your alter-ego. Soon you’ll feel like you’ve become you character and you’ll get lost in this incredible world.
Once out and back to reality it’s very likely you’ll to want to jump right back in! But we know how hard it is to find the time. One of the things they do well is making it easy for you to get back into the game after an extended absence. This makes it easy for those of us with jobs to pick it up and play when we’ve got time. You don’t have to feel rushed at all with this game.
If you are into gaming at all there’s a pretty good chance that you not only already know about WOW, but you’ve probably spent hours playing it. If you’re one of those (much like myself) who’ve never really been interested in MMORPGs before, this is the perfect game to break you in.
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Neves Tie Watch
April 12, 2005 | 0 Comments
Neves creates all sorts of interesting things and offers terrific service to boot. The Neves Tie Watch is the ultimate in unique and functional fashion design. Made from classic ties, or by special order from a tie of your own choosing, they make a great personalized gift for anyone.
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"Damned If You Do. Bored If You Don't."
April 12, 2005 | 0 Comments
One of my favorite catch-phrases of all time: “Damned If You Do. Bored If You Don’t.” A recommended motto for anyone who loves to live life to the fullest.
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Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
April 11, 2005 | 2 Comments
In the followup to The Tipping Point Malcolm Gladwell uses the power of storytelling to discuss snap judgements, mind-reading, thin-slicing and more. It’s a very entertaining read that will leaving you thinking about it long afterwards. Very highly recommended for just about anyone.
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