Well, it's May 14th and you know what that means! We're 3 days away from L.A. Noire!

Being both a Rockstar junkie and a big fan of film noir, this game has been one of themy mostanticipated games of the last few years. And now that I'vefinally beaten Fallout 3 and with PSN being down, I really don't have that much to play at the moment, so this is coming out theperfect time. I can't waitfor Tuesday to come (even though I have my Physics final exam on that same day :P)

And now the second portion of today's entry...

Everyone loves cartoons. If at least one animated TV show wasn't a big part of your childhood, then you probably didn't have a real childhood. But it's not just the ones for kids that are great, there's a big arsenal of great adult cartoons as well. Their those things that you always remember, sitting in front of the TV on a Saturday morning with a bowl of sugary cereal and your eyes glued to the wild and over the top characters and events taking place in front of you. Well, I've decided to take a trip down memory lane. Some of these memories date back to our childhoods, and others we still watch today as grown people. These are the Top 10 Best Animated Shows of All Time.

#10:

Arthur

Yeah, I know, I'm starting out pretty young with this. Arthur was a show on PBS based off of the populay books by Marc Brown. The show did what every PBS show at it's time did, which was aim to educate it's viewers in typical life lessons, such as safety, reading, sharing, kindness, etc. But for all of it's run of the mill aspects, the show could actually be very clever with it's writing and humor at points. And it wasn't afraid to get the morals across by being tough with the subject matters sometimes. I used to watch the show with my parents when I was younger, and it was one of the few things I watched back then that they actually enjoyed watching, because beneath it's childish shell, the show was very clever and satisfying for adults.

#9:

Tom & Jerry

How could anyone not love Tom & Jerry. It doesn't matter how old you are or what your tastes are like, there's something really entertaining about a little mouse beating the crap out of a cat. I would have loved to have been a writer on this show, just spending all day coming up with creative ideas of how Jerry could beat up Tom. Yeah, the show does getrepititive if you watch a bunch of episodes in a row, but that doesn't keep it from being an explosion ofviolence thatyou can't help but be charmed by.

#8:

South Park

Well yeah...it's South Park...what else can be said? It's the most vulgar and disgusting show that humans have ever thought up. But it's still a great show. It's got one of the most memorable casts of characters in the history of television istelf, all of the jokes (no matter how crass) still work, and the ideas for individual episodes can be either brilliant or horrifyingly stupid but they still end up being brilliant in the end. It rips on everyone but still makes everyone laugh, even when they're the onesbeing made fun of in the most vulgar of ways.

#7:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003)

Now don't get me wrong, I love the original 1980's version of this show to death. It was a very fun and very entertaining showthat I've always adored. But if I had to pick the superior show, I would have to go with the 2003 reboot.And here's why. This show captured a lot of the fun and goofy elements of the '80'sversion and stayed true to its source. However, the 2003 version also managed to take itself much more seriously, giving us more intensefight scenes, more focused characters, and some really cool animation. The reboot wasn't as funny as the original, but it still hit on a lot of the same humorand was able to combine that with intense action andtight animation without stumbling, which is really something to admire, especially in a kid's show.

#6:

Pinky & The Brain

This is one of the ultimate shows in terms of coating itself with jokes and animation for kids, but really playing towards adults just as much as to kids. There are very few shows that even come close to Pinky & The Brain in that field, and I love this show for it. And because of this, I can still watch it today and be just as entertained as I was when I was a kid. There isn't really much else to say, because what really makes this show so great is just the in-jokes with the adult audience, but those jokes work so wellI can't help but put this relatively high on the list.

#5:

Animaniacs

Pinky & The Brain did originally start off as a segment of Animaniacs, so we have this show to thank for that as a starter. But besides that, Animaniacs did all of the things that Pinky & The Brain did right but still managed to do even more. Because Animaniacs actually educated us! Unlike Arthur where it got the educational parts across without trying to distract it's audience with humor, Animaniacs completely slobbered their educational moments with wackiness, but still helped us remember things. Like who could forget the "Capitals" song that stated the capital of every state and country in the world? But then you have the adult humor in the show. Pinky&The Brain didn't go reallydicey with their jokes, whereas Animaniacs had everything you could think of. Some thing were just parodies that only adults would get like the Jerry Lewis parody knownas "Mr. Director". But some jokes were flat out dirty. Anyway, Animaniacs was really groundbreaking with what animated showed could get away with, while still being safe and fun for the kids.

#4:

Looney Tunes

If you don't love Looney Tunes, then I really don't know what to say to you. There aren't many things more cla$$ic than Looney Tunes cartoons. Whether it's the "What's Opera Doc?" short or "Rabbit Season, Duck Season" everyone should be familiar with the antics of Bugs, Daffy, Tweedy, Sylvester, Wile E. Coyote, Road Runner, and the rest of the gang. All of the show's characters were great, even the less commonly used ones like Witch Hazel and Speedy Gonzalez. It was a show that had something for everyone, and it was a marvel that everyone should witness.

#3:

Avatar: The Last Airbender

In 2005, Nickelodeon was at it's peak. Spongebob and The Fairly Odd Parents were at the top of their game, TeenNick was finally making a comeback with shows like Drake & Josh, and there was just always something good to watch. But out of all the great things that were going on at that time for the network, nothing topped the far eastern inspired showabout sorcery, war, and friendship known as Avatar: The Last Airbender. I've said this plenty of times before, but I'll say it again, this is theclosest thing to anime that I really enjoy (besides the movie Akira). And this show isn't technically animeto begin with. This was the only Nickelodeon showthat was consistantly great throughout it's entire run. It was only show on the network that had moments that were supposed to be taken seriously and were genuinely intense. Which was really a breath of fresh air at the time. Now that's not to say that the showcouldn't be really funny as well. It did have it's hilarious moments. This is just one of those cartoons thatdid everything right, the writing, the animation, the voice acting, the action scenes, the humor, every single thing about this show was spot on.

#2:

Batman: The Animated Series

I've had some relatively intense shows on here so far, like TMNT and Avatar. But no cartoon will ever come close to the intensity and darkness of Batman: The Animated Series. This show was unbelievable in so many ways. I said that Avatar was one of the few cartoons that did everything right, well BTAS did everything right x2. This show had some of the most brilliant writing and animation in television history, as well as very interesting takes on the cla$$ic characters like Batman, The Joker, Catwoman, etc. Another great thing about this show is how it draws from every popular adaptation of Batman that came before it. Like the Tim Burton movies, the Adam West show, etc. The show took both itself and it's audience very seriously and we love it for that.

#1:

The Simpsons

Well... duh. This was probably the most obvious thing since @dylan417 put Kid Cudi as his favorite musical artist of all time :P. But yeah, no matter how many shows try to rip it off, there will never be a show like The Simpsons. With it's massive array of characters from the bumbling drunk Barney Gumble to the multi-billionare Mr. Burns, as well as it's consistantly greatand satirical humor and it's star studded list of guest voices, The Simpsons is a rare marvel that many people will tryto imitate, but no one willever duplicate.

Honorable Mentions:
X-Men
SpongebobSquarepants
Gargoyles
The Fairly Odd Parents
Underdog

..........................................................................................................................

Song of the Day:
Okkervil River - Wake And Be Fine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHaCtxW6Vv8

Picture of the Day:

Everyone loves a bada**. There are few characters more entertaining than someone who can fend for themselves all on their own while delivering some awesome lines and giving us some great fight scenes. Well tonight, I'm going to honor the very best of awesomeness. Not just in movies, but in games as well. So here we are, The Top 10 Coolest Characters... Ever.

#10:

Rick Blaine (Casablanca)

For those of you who've seen Casablanca (I certainly hope that most of you have) you may be thinking "Rick Blaine isn't a bada**! Sure he's cool, but he's not a bada**!" Sorry to sound like a jerk but... you're totally wrong if you think that. Rick Blaine is awesome, and he doesn't even have to try that hard to be cool. He only really gets into one fight in the entire movie and it only involves one gunshot, but that shows that he's even more bada** because he doesn't need to fight to prove that he is. He's got the swagger, the deliveries, and the personality to fit amongst the coolest of characters.

#9:

The Terminator

The Terminator is hands down Arnie's most awesome role. And that goes for all three of the movies that he was in. His humorous but still intimidating quotes, his lack of subtlety, and his extreme determination make him so much fun to watch, and both easy to hate in the first movie, and easy to cheer for in the two sequels. It's just Arnold being Arnold.

#8:

Jak

Now this really only applies to Jak II, Jak 3, and Jak X seeing as he was interesting but not really bada** in the first game, and well, we don't need to bring up The Lost Frontier :x. But still, Jak is insanely awesome, with his love of danger, skill with guns, and of course, his powers with Dark and Light Eco. Every line he delivers is gruff and cool, mainly because of the great performances by Mike Erwin (the voice actor). Even if you haven't played the games, you've gotta admit that Jak is an undeniable bada**.

#7:

Han Solo

Han Solo has to be the most awesome character in the Star Wars series. He does have an advantage because he's Harrison Ford, but he's still awesome. With his (sometimes over-the-top) smoothness, cocky but still cool lines, and his accuracy with a gun even after having fired second :P, Han Solo is the coolest of the Star Wars galaxy, and the seventh in ours.

#6:

Ben Wade (3:10 To Yuma)

What I love about this character is how many sides there are to him.Ben Wade is an infamous bandit whose been captured and is now being escortedto a train station where he's being puton the 3:10 To Yuma train. During the journey to the station,Wade is constantly trying to escape. Sometimes he tries smooth talking his captors, by making them promises once they release him and things like that. And other times, he's flat out brutal, andcan actually be kind of scary. And Russell Crowe gives a great performance in the role, making him even more awesome.

#5:

Kratos

Well, this was pretty obvious. You're not gonna find many characters more awesome than The Ghost of Sparta. He's brutal, angry, has a massive supply of abilites, and has the booming voice of TC Carson. It's interesting because most of the characters that I've put on here so far are more of the suave and silent bada**es, but Kratos is nothing but a cyclone of rage and chaos. It's just an interesting contrast.

#4:

Achilles

Yes, there's actually a literary character on this list! While I have red The Illiad, I'm basing this more off of the movie Troy, in which Achilles is played by Brad Pitt. I'm going to go ahead and admit this, I actually like Troy, it's kind of a guilty pleasure movie for me. But no matter what your opinion on the movie is, you have to admit that Achilles is ridiculously awesome. Not only does he lead an entire army of bada** mercenaries, but he himselfisalso the greatestwarrior who ever lived. Add those two together, and your bound to have a pretty kick a** character. And while this certainly isn't Brad Pitt's best performance, he does what's necessary, which is just to be a bada**.

#3:

Scorpion

How can anyone not love this undead hell raiser? Mortal Kombat has a massive arsenal of bada** characters, but Scorpion tops them all by miles. With his deep, tyranncial voice, fierce moves, ability to create fire out of nowhere, and of course, the chain spear, Scorpion has had a high spot in the realm of cool characters for years and years, and it's not looking like anyone will take his place any day soon.

#2:

The Man With No Name

Well, yeah. When making a list a list of the all time coolest characters, at least one Clint Eastwood should be on it. And for me, it's gotta be The Man With No Name. He really personifies what it means to be a fictional bada**. He's mysterious, can put up a hell of a fight, doesn't talk that much, and in the end, always manages to execute things perfectly. And of course the hat, pancho, and cigarillo are the icing on the cake. But now that we've already used The Man With No Name, Scorpion, and Kratos, who could possibly be the #1 coolest character of all time?

#1:

Black Dynamite

This may not quite be the best movie of all time, and it may not quite be my favorite movie of all time. But this is hands down the most entertaining movie of all time. Nothing has ever had my eyes glued to my TV screen the way Black Dynamite did, and that's not just because of how brilliantly written and acted the movie is, it's primarily just how friggin' awesome the title character is. This movie is not at all supposed to be taken seriously, and they use that to their advantage with how far and over the top Black Dynamite's abilities go. If John Shaft was "hotter than Bond and cooler than Bullitt", then I don't even want to think about what that makes Black Dynamite. That wouldmake someone's brain explode having to think about that. There are some seriously cool characters on this list, but none of them come within ten miles of Black Dynamite. And that's saying quite a lot.

( P.S. I know thatmy writing for this countdown was pretty brief and notvery well thought out. And I realize that this wasn't my most"cinematically intellectual" countdown either, but I still stand by my choices, and I'll make sure to get you guys a better Top 10 list next weekend ;) )

................................................................................................................................

Song of the Day:
MGMT - Time To Pretend
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9dSYgd5Elk

Picture of the Day:

Howdy everyone, I would just like to start this off by saying...

I'M FINALLY ON SPRING BREAK!

Haha, gotta love Burn After Reading. Anyway, the magical week known as Spring Break came rather late this year, but who cares, it's here!

And for my first full day of Spring Break, I spent most of it doing one of my favorite things at one of my favorite places on my favorite day of the year (besides Christmas)

Being a huge music geek, National Record Store Day is one of the biggest days of the year for me and the majority of America's music geeks. And this year I went wild at Monster Music & Movies (the best music store in Charleston, in fact all of South Carolina for that matter). I spent 50 bucks this year, picking up four albums and one DVD. They were...

So overall Record Store Day 2011 was a success for me, and I can't wait to listen to the albums and watch A Fistful of Dollars.

Now it's time for, you guessed it, another one of my Top 10 lists. Well, I was going through movies on Netflix the other day, and after coming across a few comic book movies, I thought, "Why haven't I made a list of the best comic book films?" And so, after a lot of thought, I've compiled my list of what I think are the Top 10 Best Comic Book Movies ever made.

#10:

300

Some of you may disagree with this, either because you think it's way too high on the list or it's way too low. Either way, 300 is a pretty good film. Despite being soaked in blood and gore, it still does a good job of telling the story of the 300 Spartans and Zack Snyder did do a pretty damn good job of directing here. Sure, the dialogue can get pretty weak at points, and it does have it's hammy and overdone moments, but 300 still holds up, and it's a great adaptation of a graphic novel that keeps all of the grit and glory of it's source material.

#9:

Hellboy

Yeah, the picture is kinda sappy, but still, Hellboy is just flat out awesome. Directed by visual genius Guillermo Del Toro, Hellboy is without a doubt one of the most visually stunning movies of the last ten years, maybe even of all time. You really get a good understanding of the title character, as well as his team of super humans and... well... humans. Ron Perlman does an excellent job as Hellboy, and he realyl captures the fact that Hellboy is more than, well, a demon fighting against what he came from. His performance makes him feel much more human, which is what the film is all about.

#8:

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

Mask of the Phantasm was a spin-off of Batman: The Animated Series, and was the only movie based on the show to be released in theaters (The other being Batman & Mr. Freeze: Sub Zero). Mask of the Phantasm captures all of the dark aspects of the show, and even goes darker and more brutal than the show for most of the film. The story is about Batman trying to track down a mysterious new foe known as The Phantasm, while also chasing after The Joker, who's in on all of this in some way. All of the things that make this movie great are exactly the same as what made the TV series great, it's pretty much just an hour long episode of the show. But that's not at all a bad thing.

#7:

Scott Pilgrim v.s. The World

Scott Pilgrim is just one of those movies that's impossible to hate. It's just so charming in it's own strange,drugged up way. Once you get used to the chaotic logic of the setting, it becomes such a fun movie that you can't peel your eyes from the screen. The whole movie is eye candy, the majority of the jokes work well, and Michael Cera really delivers in thetitle role. Granted, it does kind of drag everynow and then, and sometimes you just wish desperately that it'll get going with the plot, but it's still areally fun movie that's bound to gain major cult status as the years go by.

#6:

Spider-Man 2

Known as "The Godfather Part II" of superhero movies, Spider-Man 2 is easily the best in it's trilogy, and is one of the best comic book films ever. Out of the three Spider-Man movies, this one gives us the most in-depth look at Peter Parker and what Spider-Man means not only to himself, but to his loved ones and the rest of New York. Now granted, Spider-Man 2 had a big advantage over the other two movies because they had Michael Chabon as one of the writers (I doubt any of you know who Chabon is though). Sure it has some weak aspects, like Tobey Maguire is still a wimp, Kirsten Dunst still doesn't give it her all, and it kind of hammers it message into your head a little too much, but it's still the best film in the trilogy, and one of the best comic book movies.

#5:

Iron Man

In terms of overall entertainment value, you're not gonna find many movies more fun than Iron Man. With it's quick and clever humor, awesome action scenes, and of course, Robert Downey Jr., Iron Man is just one of those movies where if you don't have a great time watching it, then you just take life in general way too seriously. Sometimes when movies focus more on the creation and concept of a superhero lead, it just gets grating and you get too eager for the action to start already, but with Iron Man, a movie where the focus is really entirely on the creation of the suit, it's actually really interesting to see how Tony Stark builds this thing, but when you get to the butt-kicking, it's still sweet and satisfying.

#4:

Batman Begins

I'm SO happy that this movie was made. Not only because it's a great movie, but also because it saved Batman's name in movies. After Batman & Robin, it was gonna take a lot to redeem Batman's name, but the prophet known as Christopher Nolan came and saved Batman. It's great to see a live action Batman movie that isn't just silly. Let's face it, the Tim Burton movies and especially the Joel Schumacher ones were pretty silly and pointlessly weird. Nolan actually depicted Batman the way that Batman is supposed to be seen, a hero that doesn't go by what everyone assumes and while doing the right thing, is still questioned. The movie takes itself seriously, and that really pays off in my book.

#3:

Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Everything that was great about the first Hellboy is back and is great here as well... only everything is amplified times ten. Everything that made Hellboy great the first time around is even better the second time, making for one of the best comic book movies ever as well as one of my favorite films ever. And while the first movie only had a couple of issues, Hellboy II patches them up perfectly, such as dialogue and the main villain. Speaking of which, the villain of Hellboy II is one of the things that makes it so great. The villain is the prince of a lost civilization who wants to wipe out humanity because he feels that the humans ran his kind out. He doesn't just feel like a diabolical mastermind like most other comic book villains, you actually sympathize for him at some points, and feel the pain that he's going through. Hellboy II really is a spectacular movie, and is much more than just your typical supernatural shoot 'em up.

#2:

The Dark Knight

Yeah, pretty obvious wasn't it? Well, yeah, it's impossible for anyone to make this list and not have The Dark Knight in the Top 5. This movie is great for so many reasons, Heath Ledger's bone chilling performance, the portrait of politicians shown through Harvey Dent, Batman's many internal conflicts, the list goes on and on and on. There really is nothing like The Dark Knight, because it's more than just a comic book flick, it's also an epic story of crime and how much anarchy the human mind can take without breaking. But what movie could possibly top The Dark Knight?

#1:

Batman: Under The Red Hood

It's probably a bad thing that I mentioned earlier where I live, because now all of you are going to egg my house for putting an hour and fifteen minute animated movie above The Dark Knight. But, in my mind, Batman: Under The Red Hood is the best comic book movie ever made. The animation is outstanding, the voice acting is terrific, the story is masterfully written, and it's extremely mature for an animated movie. Where as Mask of the Phantasm is dark but still suitable for kids, Under The Red Hood is just flat out brutal, and I'm actually pretty surprised that it got a PG-13 rating. I would tell you the plot, but I would probably get caught up in it and end up giving too much away. It's just a friggin' fantastic movie, and is one of the few animated films, and just films in generalthat I would actually call perfect. Under The Red Hood is a perfect film. There you have it.

P.S.
Because I know that this is going to come up, I know that Sin City isn't on the list. I haven't seen Sin City, and thus I can't judge it.

..............................................................................................................................

Song of the Day:
Radiohead - Lotus Flower
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfOa1a8hYP8

Picture of the Day:

Howdy all, I would just like to start this entry by saying, yes, I know that I've been changing my avatar a lot lately. But I'm sticking with this one for a while. It's a retro logo for the Pittsburgh Pirates (one of, if not my #1, favorite baseball teams).

Well, now that I've gotten that out of the way, let's get back to my countdown of the Top 20 Celebrities Who'veShaped Who I Am Today!

#10:

Che Guevara

Yeah, some of you are probably saying, "Oh, Blaze must just be one of people who has no idea who Che was and just likes him because he's on those t-shirts". Well, you're wrong if you think that. I do happen to know a lot about Che, and I actually find him to be a very inspiring person. Not only was he a revolutionary who lived and died for what he believed in (which scores big points with me), but he was actually a deep thinker, and took the Cuban Revolution very seriously. He was also a very underappreciated writer, and he had a great way with words. And all of those are qualities that I hope to imitate.

#9:

Billy Collins

I would be really surprised if half of you reading this know who Billy Collins is. Billy Collins is an American poet,probably the most well known living poet in the world right now.Beingboth a writer and a huge fan of all things comedic, Billy Collins isnaturally an inspiring person to me. I consider myself to be a better poet than a fiction writer, so I spend more time trying to draw inspiration from poets, andBilly Collins has really inspired my writing. I didn't really caremuch about poetry until I was given a major project for my Creative Writing cla$$ in which I had to research a poet. I picked Collins, and his work completely changed my view of poetry, and I can thank him forfinishing that cla$$ with a 99 at the end of the semester ;).

#8:

Marlon Brando

If you read my Top 15 Favorite Actors countdown, then you know that Marlon Brando is in fact my favorite actor of all time. But now I'm going to look past his acting talent, and focus on why he's inspired me. Brando has shown me to always embrace who you are and how you truly feel about things. He tought me how to never try covering yourself up with something you're not, and also how not to let anybody get to you. He's portrayed both lovable and hateable characters, but no matter what, he'll always be the cool tought guy with the heart ofgold, who never let anyone change him.

#7:

Bob Dylan

Yes, he's chasing a tire in that picture :P. Bob Dylan has taught me lots of things, from music to perserverance. He was the first songwriter that I listened to who's lyrics really caught my attention, and I was like six years old when I started listening to Dylan. Also the fact that he's been doing this for nearly sixty years is really something to admire. Most people would've called it quits after nearly sixty years, but not Dylan.

#6:

Joel & Ethan Coen

The Coen Brothers have become the most recognizable duo in the film industry. And why wouldn't they? Believe it or not, The Coen Bros. have actually inspired my writing more than anything. They create the kinds of characters that I love; these really surreal people that are practically crazy but are so delightful at the same time. And they have that grand Coen Bros. fashion of making things both brutally violent and hilarious. And I love incorporating that into my short stories. If it weren't for the Coens, I probably never would've taken up this inventive form of writing.

#5:

Stephen Colbert

Personally, I think Stephen Colbert just might be the funniest man alive. I talked about what I admire about Jon Stewart in the first half of the list, and all of those apply to Colbert as well. But I just love how throughout every episode of The Colbert Report, he completely sticks to this brilliant character that he's created. And how he still manages to get the truth across while still making the Colbert character seem almost real. Almost :P. That puts him higher than Stewart on the list for me, but there are two somewhat biased reasons for Colbert being so high on the list. First, he's from Charleston, South Carolina, my hometown. And he's really the only good thing that's come out of this state, seeing as the only other reason why we're famous are for being the first state to join the Confederacy during the Civil War :?. That and because I actually got to meet Stephen Colbert :D.

#4:

Allen Ginsberg

Yup, another poet. But Ginsberg has inspired me in more ways than just writing. He's inspired me as a presenter, he's inspired my religious views, and my extreme liberal-ness :P. Ginsberg was just an insane figure, but if it weren't for him, I really wouldn't be who I am today. I've mentioned other people on this list who taught me how to be myself, but none of them have done that as much as Ginsberg. I every wild and activist thing that I do, there's some of Ginsberg in that.

#3:

Hunter S. Thompson

Okay, this is the last writer on the list! Hunter S. Thompson is without a doubt my favorite writer, as well as the biggest influence on my short stories. But honestly, I don't really know why I'm so mesmerized by his writing. I mean, there are obvious reasons like his descriptions, narrative voice, and realistic but still larger than life characters, but there's just something about his appeal that I can't explain. Of course he wasn't the most normal person, but he did sort of have all of my dream jobs. Such as being a published author, a sports writer, and part of Rolling Stone magazine's writing staff. My goal in life is be a writer for Rolling Stone. But until that time, I'll just have to keep drowning myself in the works of Dr. Gonzo.

#2:

The Marx Brothers

Yup, another set of brothers in the movie industry. To me, Groucho, Chico, and Harpo Marx are the definition of what it means to be funny. They were my introduction to actual comedy outside of just kid's TV shows. I've been watching their movies since I was really little and the more I watch them, they more hilarious they get. The three of personify three types of comedy and all three of them are the best at what they do. You've got Groucho, the wise a** weirdo who has a ridiculous comment about everything, Chico, the phony Italian con man, and of course Harpo, the silent woman chaser with probably the greatest facial expressions ever. If it weren't for the Marx Bros., I wouldn't see comedy the way that I see it today. And I probably wouldn't have the level of interest in cla$$ic movies that I have today if it weren't for The Marx Bros. So in terms of movies, I can thank them for just about everything.

#1:

Bruce Springsteen

Well, there you have it. Bruce Springsteen, the celebrity that's shaped my life the most. Had I not been introduced to Springsteen's music so early in my life, I can guarantee that I would be a totally different person. Springsteen has shaped me in countless ways. Music, personality, politics, words, humor, the list just goes on and on. Not only have I always wanted to be just like Springsteen, but I've tried hard my entire life to be like him. And let me tell you, it's been hard. I think you all get the idea, no single person has inspired me as much as The Boss, and it'simpossible that anyone ever will.

.......................................................................................................................

Song of the Day:
Foo Fighters - Rope
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbpqZT_56Ns

Picture of the Day:

Hey howdy hey to all of you reading this. Well, lately I've been wanting to do a multi-entry countdown, but I've also wanted the topic to be original. And so after much thinking, I've finally decided to list the Top 20 Celebrities Who've Changed Who I Am Today. Let's not waste any time and get right into the list.

#20:

Jack White

Jack White is the singer and guitarist for The White Stripes and has also done many other side projects. White showed me that even in these days of over-produced music, that there's still room for the raw stuff. He's also a prime example of being yourself, and not being afraid to be strange.

#19:

Jon Stewart

I don't watch muchof the news, because I prefer to get my current events from The Daily Show. Let's face it, there's a lot of bad stuff happening out there right now, and what's great about Jon Stewart is that hegives you the news seriously, but still makes you laugh. He also doesn't beat around the bush with anything,he speaks the truth andsays what everyone else is thinking. But I'm a little biased towardshis political commentary seeing were both pretty far left on the politics scale.

#18:

Mohandas Gandhi

Well, yeah. If Gandhi hasn't inspired you in some way, then you probably just don't know who he is. Gandhi really is an inspiration to everyone, he's a symbol of standing up for what you believe in and what you deserve, but without having to shed blood over it. He knew how tolead a revolution but withoutviolence, only through words. And that's something that everyone shouldadmire.

#17:

Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe was the first writer I really ever knew about. My Dad is a Poe scholar and he's traveled around the world to talk about him, so naturally I know a lot about Poe. His writing hasn't necessarily inspired mine, but he was the guy who made me want to become a writer.

#16:

Barack Obama

Obama has really inspired me as a speaker. The man really knows how to get people pumped and how to make people think, and I can really admire that. And while I'm not terribly active in terms of politics, Obama really helped me look at the political world in a whole new way.

#15:

Jack Nicholson

Whenever someone asks me what I think of myself, I always end up describing Jack Nicholson. Not necessarily Jack himself, but more the characters that he plays and the way he plays them. Kind of odd but still likeable (I hope), friendly in our own ways,and we both think we're funnier than we probably are in reality. Also, being a creative writing major, I have to read aloud alot, and whenver I have to present something, I always think to myself "How would Jackdo this?"

#14:

Pete Seeger

Yeah, I bet a lot of didn't see this coming. Yup, I, a 15 year old boy who listens to deadmau5 and wears tight clothes, was inspired greatly by a '50's and '60's folk singer. Well, as odd as that may sound, Pete Seeger was actually the first musical act that I ever really got into. What I still love about Pete Seeger is the fact that he was one of the founding fathers of "Musical Revolution". He was one of the first guys to speak out for what he believed in through lyrics, and if it weren't for him, we'd be missing a lot of great bands these days.

#13:

Brian Wilson

This man is a mad genius. Brian Wilson has really shown me how it's okaygoinsane sometimesand to embrace who you are. He also has a wonderfully quirky sense of humor and just a really interesting character. He doesn't really act like a pitcher, more like a rock star, and that's something to admire. He uses his status to his advantage, but he doesn't exploit it like other athletes, which is a nice change from your typical modern day athlete.

#12:

Clint Eastwood

Yeah, you could see this coming from a mile away. But, it's true. Clint Eastwood has changed the way that I see movies and storytelling in general for that matter. He knows how to keep you interested and knows exactly when and how to do things in movies, which is a skill that every storyteller has to master in order to be one of the best. And Eastwood is the guru of that.

#11:

George Harrison

George Harrison is definitely my favorite Beatle. But he didn't only inspire me to become a guitar player, he also inspired me in terms of religion. He showed me that just becauseyou live in a society based around one dominate religion,that doesn't mean thatyou can't branch out and see a new way of life. While he was a Hindu, and I'm now a Buddhist, he still changed the way that I seepeople in general. I also like how he spread a message of peace without hammering everybody over the head with it like some other musicians of his era.

Part 2 of the list will be up sometime within the next week, so look out for it! ;)

.........................................................................................................................

Song of the Day:
Fitz & The Tantrums - MoneyGrabber
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bb6cBKE3WzQ

Picture of the Day:

Howdy everyone. Well, I've got a lot to write about today, so let's not waste any time.

First off, I have a new PlayStation Network ID for those of you who have befriended me on PSN in the past. The new account that I'll be using is FearTheBeard95 instead of FlyingHellfish95. The new name is a reference to Brian Wilson, my current avatar and probably my favorite athlete ever, which leads me into...

MY PRE-SEASON PREDICTIONS FOR THE 2011 BASEBALL SEASON!

Yeah, I know most of you don't really care that much about baseball, but I'm a lifelong devotee of the sport and while I don't actually play on a team anymore, I still follow Major Leage Baseball very closely. So here are my predictions for the 2011 season...

AL EAST

1.

New York Yankees

2.

Boston Red Sox

3.

Tampa Bay Rays (my favorite team)

4.

Toronto Blue Jays

5.

Baltimore Orioles

AL CENTRAL

1.

Minnesota Twins

2.

Chicago White Sox

3.

Detroit Tigers

4.

Cleveland Indians

5.

Kansas City Royals

AL WEST

1.

Texas Rangers

2.

Los Angeles Angels

3.

Seattle Mariners

4.

Oakland Athletics

NL EAST

1.

Philadelphia Phillies

2.

Atlanta Braves

3.

New York Mets

4.

Florida Marlins

5.

Washington Nationals

NL CENTRAL

1.

Milwaukee Brewers

2.

St. Louis Cardinals

3.

Cincinnati Reds

4.

Chicago Cubs

5.

Pittsburgh Pirates (my third favorite team :()

6.

Houston Astros

NL WEST

1.

San Francisco Giants (my second favorite team)

2.

Los Angeles Dodgers

3.

Colorado Rockies

4.

Arizona Diamondbacks

5.

San Diego Padres

Wild Cards Teams:
AL - Boston Red Sox
NL - Atlanta Braves

World Series:
Philadelphia Phillies over Boston Red Sox

MVPs:
AL - Miguel Cabrera (Detroit Tigers)
NL - Hanley Ramirez (Florida Marlins)

Cy Young Award:
AL - C.C. Sabathia (New York Yankees)
NL - Tim Lincecum (San Francisco Giants)

Rookie Of The Year:
AL - Desmond Jennings (Tampa Bay Rays)
NL - Aroldis Chapman (Cincinnati Reds)

And now for the part that the majority of you actually care about :P. Well, with the release of L.A. Noire coming in less than two months, I've been thinking deeply about this and I think it's official... Rockstar Studios is the king of modern gaming. Now I'm sure that a lot of you disagree. I'm sure that a lot of want to kill me for not picking BioWare or 2Kas the best in the business, but I've decided to compile my Top 5 Reasons Why Rockstar Is The Best Publisher In The Business.

REASON #1:

SETTINGS

These days, it's not that hard to come up with the setting for a video game. Just make it some place where violence is tolerated, particularly war zones, space, or zombie infested cities. But Rockstar has a great consistency of taking interesting and somewhat risky turns with their games. Games like Bully, Red Dead Redemption, and L.A. Noire are all put in environmentsthat mostpublishersare afraidto enter. Especially with Bully and L.A. Noire, because lets face it, no one sets games inprivate schoolsor 1947 Los Angeles. It'll be interesting to see what they dowithL.A. Noire, seeing as the setting is completely new.

REASON #2:

Massive Environments

I don't think I have to go into great detail about this one. Even if you don't think that they're the best overall publisher in gaming right now, everyone should agree that they're the best with open worlds. Nothing can compare to Liberty City, San Andreas, or all three of the enormous regions of Red Dead Redemption, all of which are individually bigger than Liberty City.And rumor is that with L.A. Noire, they've created a perfect replica of 1947 Los Angeles, and if that's true, we're in for another huge world to explore.

REASON #3:

CHARACTERS

No two games have had a bigger and better cast of characters than Grand Theft Auto IV and Red Dead Redemption. Rockstar has an incredible talent for writing great characters, no matter how big or small of a part they play in the grand scheme of the story. Whether it's a steroid hungry eccentric or a swindling snake oil merchant, Rockstar can always guarantee a wide arsenal of entertaining people to assist you through your adventure.

REASON #4:

EXPANSION PACKS/DLC's

Now this pretty much only applies to Red Dead Redemption, but still, Rockstar has given us some really engaging DLC's. Whether they enhance the online experience of a game or the solo campaign, you can always find something great with their downloadable content. L.A. Noire also has a pre-order DLC called "The Naked City", which I'mthinking aboutgetting. Anyway, Red Dead Redemption's DLC really did help to pump things up, and I'm sure that Rockstar will keep going with them.

REASON #5:

L.A. NOIRE'S FACIAL ANIMATIONS

If you've seen that L.A. Noire trailers, then you know how amazing the facial animations are for this game. Rockstar created a new system that captures an actor's face from every angle possible, and they then convert it into the facial animations for the game. So technically, L.A. Noire is an interactive movie, seeing as we're getting actual performances by actors. If you haven't seen the trailer regarding that animations,you need to watch it, and you'll realize how incredible this game looks.

...............................................................................................................................

Song of the Day:
deadmau5 - Some Chords
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__2ABJjxzNo

Picture of the Day:

Well it's been a little over a week since I blogged and I figured that it was about time that I wrote again. And I was thinking, what's a list that I haven't done yet? And the first that came to mind was of course, actors and actresses. Originally I was going to make it a Top 10 list, but there were so many actors thatI wanted to mention, so I had to stretch it to a Top 15. Today I'm sticking to male actors, and I'll some point I'll get to the female list. But for now, here are my Top 15 Favorite Male Actors Of All Time.

#15:

Samuel L. Jackson
Favorite Role: Jules Winnfield (Pulp Fiction)

Honestly, what can you say about Samuel L. Jackson? He's the most hilarious actor and yet he's rarely acting in a comedic role. He's just so entertaining to watch that it's impossible to leave him off of this list. What else can be said about him?

#14:

Gene Hackman
Favorite Role: Popeye Doyle (The French Connection)

I honestly don't know what it is about Gene Hackman that makes me like him so much. It's not that there isn't anything likable about him, it's just that I'm not sure why I find his likable qualities so appealing. He always seems so slimy in his roles, and it just seems like he has so much fun doing it. And an actor is way more enjoyable when they're having a good time doing what they're doing.

#13:

Humphrey Bogart
Favorite Role: Sam Spade (The Maltese Falcon)

How can anyone ignore Bogey? He's been in so many great films and he really has become the face of cinema over the years. People seem to see him as always playing the same characters, the slick, misunderstood guy. And while he did that (and did it very well) in The Maltese Falcon and Casablanca, he really has played a wide array of characters. He was a boat captain in The African Queen, a villainous gangster in The Roaring Twenties, and an insane treasure hunter in The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre. But no matter who he plays, he'll always be Bogey.

#12:

John Wayne
Favorite Role: Ethan Edwards (The Searchers)

John Wayne really is the All-American actor. All of his roles were as cowboys or soldiers for crying out loud! John Wayneis that actor that everyone watches as a kid with their dad or their granddad and they stare at him awe and think "I wanna be just like him". And while he never reallyhad any variety with his performances, he was still a tremendous actor and will always be an American icon.

#11:

James Franco
Favorite Role: Saul Silver (Pineapple Express)

A lot of you probably pretty surprised that I have a young modern actor over John Wayne and Humphrey Bogart. But this is a list of my favorites, not who I think are necessarily the greatest. And James Franco is hands down one of my favorite actors ever. I've never seen one guy who can pull off so many different characters. He's been The Green Goblin's son, a stoner, a gay politician's lover, a rock climber, Allen Ginsberg, and many other different kinds of people. He's also really smart, seeing as he's studying English at Yale. And while I'm a straight teenage boy, I have to admit, he's pretty damn attractive. That's just my opinion, please don't get mad at me :oops:

#10:

Gene Wilder
Favorite Role: The Waco Kid (Blazing Saddles)

I think that Gene Wilder has to be one of the most underrated comedians ever. He's been in plenty of cla$$ic movies, but he still doesn't get as much recognition as he deserves. Most people know him for the original Charlie & The Chocolate Factory as Willy Wonka, but he's also been in movies like Young Frankenstein and of course, one of my all time favorites, Blazing Saddles. But a lot of people forget that he was actually in Bonnie & Clyde, but that's a story for another time. Anyways, Gene Wilder is the perfect guy to go to if you're looking for some smug but quirky fun.

#9:

Jeff Bridges
Favorite Role: The Dude (The Big Lebowski)

Jeff Bridges is another one of those actors that's impossible to dislike. Especially if you've seen The Big Lebowski. The way that Jeff Bridges delivers his lines in every movie is just priceless. His slurring of every word and constant use of "man" is just so much fun to watch. It doesn't matter if he's playing an enemy of Iron Man or a country singer, Jeff Bridges is just irresistably fun.

#8:

Jimmy Stewart
Favorite Role: Scottie Ferguson (Vertigo)

Jimmy Stewart is probably the most charming man who ever lived. He literally was the most pleasant man ever born. Or at least that's what his acting shows. But not all of his roles were the friendly, happy-go-lucky characters that he played in Mr. Smith Goes To Washington and It's A Wonderful Life. You also have to consider Vertigo, Rope, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. But no matter what, Jimmy knew to make folks smile.

#7:

Christian Bale
Favorite Role: Jack Rollins (I'm Not There)

I like Christian Bale for the same reasons that I like James Franco, the huge scale of roles that he can play and how much he devotes to each role. He's been a psycho, a folk singer, a Civil War veteran, Batman, a newsie, an FBI agent, the crackhead brother of a boxer, and many other colorful characters. And I've never seen him hand in a weak performance to be honest. I really appreciate actors who can consistantly turn in great performances while playing a completely different character in each film.

#6:

Charlie Chaplin
Favorite Role: The Tramp (almost every Chaplin movie)

Even in times like these when verbal comedy is king, Charlie Chaplin's slapstick silent humor remains hilarious. Just the sight of Chaplin's "tramp" character with his derby hat, cane, and enormous shoes is enough to make anyone chuckle. If you've never seen a Charlie Chaplin movie, then shame on you. You'll never find a greater comedian no matter how long and far you search.

#5:

Harrison Ford
Favorite Role: Indiana Jones (Indiana Jones Series)

Ever since I was eight years old I've wanted to grow up to be Harrison Ford. And what eight year old in their right mind wouldn't? The guy is both Indiana Jones and Han Solo! He's the core of 1980's awesomeness! Fordhas stuck with me for really my entire life, and he was the first actor that I really started to follow (and I don't mean that in a stalkerish manner), and who I still think is a terrific actor.

#4:

Robert Downey Jr.
Favorite Role: Kirk Lazarus (Tropic Thunder)

I have a tendency to like celebrities who are really "out there", and Robert Downey Jr. is the prime example of that. Not only do I love the characters that he portrays, but the way that he brings them to life is always entertaining, and his ability to bring humor into everything he does is just brilliant. He may not be the most professional actor of out generation, but he's hands down the most entertaining.

#3:

Jack Nicholson
Favorite Role: J.J. Gittes (Chinatown)

No matter who he's playing, Jack Nicholson is always creepy. Even when he's playing J.J. Gittes, a normal Los Angeles detective, he's still kinda spooky. But that's what I love about him. No matter who the character is, Nicholson is always just Nicholson, while still portraying the character the way that they were meant to be played. However he is most famous for playing crazy people (One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, The Shining, and Batman). But Jack always manages to leave you thinking and he always leaves a mark.

#2:

Clint Eastwood
Favorite Role: The Man With No Name (The Dollars Trilogy)

Some of you are probably surprised that Clint isn't #1. Well, while I do deeply admire Clint Eastwood and he is one of my favorite actors of all time, I had to put him at #2 because, well, let's face it, while he is a tremendous actor, he doesn't do many things differently in terms of acting between his movies. I admire him more as a directorthan an actor.Every performance that he gives is great, but there's not much difference between The Man With No Name and Dirty Harry or Josey Wales andWill Munny.For me to call an actor my favorite of all time, they have to had some variety in their career, and Clint's characters are all just bada**es and not much else. But that doesn't mean that he isn't my second favorite actor of all time.

#1:

Marlon Brando
Favorite Role: Terry Malloy (On The Waterfront)

Surprised? Well I've never really brought up Marlon Brando in any of my other movie countdowns, so that's kind of stopped me from sharing my appreciation of him with all of you. But yes, Marlon Brando is my favorite actor of all time. What I love about Brando is how one second he can be thisquiet toughguy and then he'll snap and spew out all of his anger while still making it both believable and affective. When your supposed to feel bad for him, youfeel really friggin' bad for him. When your supposedto despise him, you really friggin' hate him.It's as simple as that. When your watching a Brando movie, you see a different person every time just in thesame way that he plays a different character in every movie. You don't seean actor, you see a character, and that's the sign of a great actor, when youforget that that's what he's doing. And that's what makes Marlon Brando my favorite actor of all time.

..................................................................................................................

P.S. PLEASE LISTEN TO THE SONG OF THE DAY!

Song of the Day:
Okkervil River - For Real
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDd4KezAFv8

Picture of the Day:

Howdy all, before I go into my latest Top 10 List, I would like to give you all a little update about one of the best weeks of my life...

What made this past week so fantastic was two things. First off, as most of you know, I'm a freshman in high school. And this year I was in all CP cla$$es, which is just the normal 9th grade level. But because I've been working a lot harder this past year, I've been promoted in two subjects :D! I've been promoted to English IIHonors, and I've been promotedTWO levels inSocial Studies :o!So now, I'm going to be taking a college level cla$$ in my sophomore year! It's gonna be a lot ofwork, but I'mup to the challenge. So that's big news,but the biggest news is that I've been cast a massivemusical that myschool puts on every three years! I go to an arts school, and because they devote so much time and effort to their plays, they can only afford to do them every three years. I saw the last production that they did and it was fantastic, so I can't wait to be innext's years production of...

Yup, next school year, we're going to be doing a production of The Music Man, and I can't wait for it! I grew up with the original movie adaptation of the musical, so it's a pretty big deal for me to be in it. I've been castasthe head troublemaker of the town who dates the mayor's daughterand becomes a key part in the story... talk about tight casting :P.

So anyway, enough of my life, now on to the list of my Top 10 Favorite Music Videos

#10:

Fell In Love With A Girl - The White Stripes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q27BfBkRHbs

Any video made entirely out of Legos is something to admire. Well, I'm not sure if it's really made out of Legos, but it sure as hell looks like it. And the fact that it's just filmed like any other music video is great, it's like it doesn't care that it's made out of Legos, it treats itself like a normal video, I have a tendency to like things like that.

#9:

The Pretender - Foo Fighters
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBjQ9tuuTJQ

The Foos are masters of music videos, because they're always creative and funny, no matter what the song is. And while this is probably the video that least fits with the word "funny", it's my favorite video of theirs. It's a pretty simple video for a while, just the band playing in their typically awesome fashion. And then it has probably the most bada$$ ending in the history of... well, humanity in general. It really is the most awesome ending ever, and even if you're not crazy about the band, please just watch about the last minute and a half of the video.

#8:

12:51 - The Strokes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPAVDHo1Elc

Any video set that looks like it's set in The Grid from Tron has to be good :P. But seriously, just the visuals of this video are enough to get it on this list, especially when Jules (the singer) twirls the microphone and it looks like a comet. And the song is pretty damn good too.

#7:

Lost Coastlines - Okkervil River
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZGYaghnkyI

Now I'm almost 100% sure that none of you know this band. The only reason why I know about them is because my dad's friend's brother is their bass player. But their slowly rising in popularity, and they know how to make a video. I just love the way that the video's shot, the way it ends,and of course because of their TV heads :P.

#6:

Dani California - Red Hot Chilli Peppers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sb5aq5HcS1A

I'm so happy that someone made this video. It's just such a great idea for a video, and the Chilli Peppers did a fantastic job with it. It takes the viewer through a history of rock music, starting with Elvis and ending on the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. All of the time periods are executed perfectly, my favorites being the Jimi Hendrix and Nirvana scenes.

#5:

House of the Rising Sun - The Animals
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmdPQp6Jcdk

What makes this such a great video is that absolutely nothing happens in it. It's just The Animals in a room... :|. But it's brilliant because none of the band members show any emotion at all, even though it's one of the most devastating recordings ever. I don't know if it was intentional or not considering that it was '60's, but either way, it's still brilliant.

#4:

Here It Goes Again - Ok Go
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTAAsCNK7RA

Ah, yes, the original YouTube smash hit. If any of you haven't seen this video already, you really need to see it, and even if you don't like the music, it's still just really cool to watch. For those of you who have seen it, you know what I'm talking about.

#3:

Tighten Up - The Black Keys
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpaPBCBjSVc

This is hands down the funniest music video ever. All of the jokes work perfectly, and it's just a great concept for a video, especially for a band like The Black Keys.

#2:

Rockin' The Suburbs - Ben Folds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34u_3Z9_LUw

This is a hilarious video as well. This was acutally the first realy music video that I ever watched, and I watched it constantly. It's just a really clever and satirical video, and it's really well put together considering what they were going for, which was a typical guy living in the suburbs trying to become a rock star. And it's just done to perfection.

#1:

Sledgehammer - Peter Gabriel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1tTN-b5KHg

Surprising, huh? While I do really like this song and I like Peter Gabriel, this isn't necessarily my favorite song off the list. But it's still a really song in my opinion, and it definitely has the best music video ever. I'm a big fan of stop motion animation, and I think that this video is one of the best examples of that. It's a weird, wild, and strangely funny video that I just can't get enough of. I actually first saw this video in a Hard Rock Cafe on the Canadian side of Niagra Falls when I was in about fourth grade, and my dad told me that it was one of the greatest music videos ever. And I completely agree with him.

.................................................................................................................

Song of the Day:
Spoon - Trouble Comes Running
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwxpJD8HTQo

Picture of the Day:

For a lot of people of my generation, the PS2 was THE system. The original Xbox and Gamecube were pretty big as well, but it seemed like there was no question,the PlayStation 2 was king. It was the very first system that I had ever owned, and I've had the same system since 2003. And I still use it sometimes. The PlayStation 2 was very good to me, and turnedme into the obnoxious gamer that I am today :P. So I figured that I should pay tribute to the system that started it all for me witha list of my personal Top 10 Favorite PS2 Games... ever.

Keep in mind that these are my personal favorites, and a few are for nostalgid purposes, so not all of them are considered "masterpieces"

10:

Wallace & Gromit In Project Zoo

I'm a lifelong Wallace & Gromit fan. I'm probably the only American who can say that, but it's completely true. This was one of the first games I ever played, and I just fell in love with it. It had cla$$ic Wallace & Gromit humor, a gripping story, creative weapons, and puzzles that weren't too hard, but were a good test for my eight year old mind. It was a perfect game for the dynamic duo and any Wallace & Gromit fan such as myself.

#9:

Tak 2: The Staff of Dreams

There isn't really much to this to tell the truth. But it was creative, smart, challenging, and everything else that a sequel should be. Looking back at it, it really isn't the most impressive game, but when I was younger, this was one of the key elements to my gaming evolution.

#8:

Jak X: Combat Racing

This is going to sound strange, but I can't stand anything in video games that involves vehicles or having to pilot something. I don't know what it is, but no matter what game it is, I just hate driving things in video games. But because this is Jak & Daxter, I made an exception. But unlike a lot of racing games, Jak X feels like more than just driving.It's got about a dozendifferent game modes and a solid story, and to me thatseperates it from most racing games.

#7:

God of War

As a lover of both Greek mythology and over the top gory games, God of War seems perfect for me right? Well, yes and no. I do love God of War, but it gets SO FRUSTRATING! If this game wasn't so damn frustrating then it might just be my favorite PS2 game. But sometimes the puzzles just get too tough for me, and that can really take away from an experience. It really is a fantastic game, but it loses some of it's brutal flair to those frustrating moments.

#6:

Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy

Now this was the game that started it all. Before this game came into my life, the only games I played were sports games. And then I discovered Jak & Daxter and my life completely changed. This was what got me into action and adventure games. And looking back, while it isn't the best in the series, it's still superb, and I can thank this game for a lot of things.

#5:

Indiana Jones & The Emperor's Tomb

This game really isn't that good. The graphics are pretty weak, even for 2003. It's pretty buggy, and a lot of things in it are just ridiculous and seem nothing like anything that Indiana Jones would ever have to deal with. But I still love it. Granted, the main reason why I played it in the first place was because I'm a huge Indiana Jones nerd, but ifJak & Daxter got me into gaming in general, then this got me into more intense gaming. Because, despite having a T rating, this game is pretty violent. I can thank this game for showing me the more gruesome side of the gaming world, and also the guily pleasure side.

#4:

Star Wars: Battlefront II

This game is just flat out awesome. It's like a massive multiplayer experience without an internet connection, because all of the NPC's act like their being controlled by real people. Everything about this game is outstanding, and while it has aged some, it's still a great game to play when you're with fellow Star Wars fans. What else can I say?

#3:

Jak 3

Jak 3 is everything that you could want from a sequel. More weapons, more devastating powers, a good continuation of the lives of the characters, and a satisfying conclusion. It also gave us a great new setting with the Wasteland and the city of Spargus, with a whole new arsenal of characters and forms of transportation. It also gave us missions where you get to play as Daxter, which are a lot of fun.

#2:

Jak II

It might seem kind of odd that I put Jak II ahead of Jak 3 even though I said how Jak 3 improves on a lot of things. And while Jak 3 does improve on some things, Jak II still did a lot of things almost perfectly. And also, Jak II has much more of that element of wonder and mystery, where as in Jak 3 you already know a lot of the mysteries have already been solved. As an overall game Jak II is just executed a little better, especially in terms of flow and story. The gameplay and graphicsare fantastic of course, but Jak II just seems to hit the nail on the head a little bit more than the other games in the series.

#1:

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

Bet you didn't see that coming did ya? I'm a fan of the Metal Gear Solid series, but I'm not at all a Metal Gear devotee. Sometimes they just get too abstract for me, especially Metal Gear Solid 2. But despite this, Metal Gear Solid 3 is a marvel. I love every little detail of this game, the gameplay is great, the graphics are good, the humor and fourth wall jokes are brilliant, and what I really love about this game is that espionage isn't nearly as important as it is in the other games. You can go Rambo on your enemies and everything will be fine. This game really does give you a sense of wilderness survival and military corruption. As well as the connections formed by those who fight side by side in battle. It's one of the few games out there that gets everything right, and for that, it's my favorite PlayStation 2 ever.

Well I hope you guys enjoyed, and I know the descriptions weren't quite as thought out as they normally are, but I just couldn't think of much to say about the majority of these games... so... yeah. :P

.................................................................................................................

Song of the Day:
The Decemberists - Down By The Water
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrLx-duQWE0

Picture of the Day:

It's no secret that video can be really disturbing. It's just a fact of nature, fish live underwater,plants need sunlight, and video gamesare messed up. But what are the freakiestthings that gaming has exposed us to? Well, I'm here to answer them now with my list of the Top 10 Most Messed Up Moments In Video Game History.

#10:

The Alternate Ending (Star Wars: The Force Unleashed)

Now this is a different kind of messed up moment. This isn't a violent and ridiculously gruesome kind of disturbing, this is more psychologically disturbing. At the end of The Force Unleashed, the player gets the option of choosing between who to fight for the final boss battle. You can choose the canonical path, which is The Emperor. Or you can choose the ending that leads you away from the rest of the Star Wars saga, and writes it's own story. This happens if you choose to continue your duel with Darth Vader, and when you kill Vader, The Emperor kills all of your allies and crushes you with your own ship. But he then revives you and explains his plan to basically turn you into another Vader, brainwashing you into doing his every demand and leaving you with none of your own choices. The game then ends then final touches of the brainwashing being completed as syringes are thrust into the main character's face. Now there are multiple messed up things with this. First of all, the fact that literally everyone dies but you and The Emperor. Second, that The Emperor is going to do exactly the same thing with you that he did with Vader, which is just to hunt down jedi until your worn down.

#9:

The Power of the Atom (Fallout 3)

Fallout 3 has a lot of messed up stuff in it, and while a lot of you probably think that this game has a lot worse to offer, I understand why. But let's look at this for a minute. The Power of the Atom is aside-quest in which you have the option of either disarming the bomb in the town of Megaton, or rigging itto explode. The only really messed up option is of course when you rig it blow. You're asked to do this by a man named Mister Burke, who's been hired by Alistair Tenpenny (the richest man in the Capital Wasteland), to destroy the town in order to make the wastes more pleasurable. That alone is pretty messed up. But thenonce you have blown up Megaton, Tenpenny rewards you with a hotel suite and constant access to Tenpenny Tower. And your character's karma levels plummets and you're constantly being attacked by law enforcement and refugees from the explosion. And it's even worse when you go back to Megaton's location and all that's left is a cloud of radiation and the melting deputy weldat the front entrance.

#8:

The Beauty andThe Beast Unit (Metal Gear Solid 4)

Okay, not only are all four of the members of the Beauty and The Beast Unitcreepy, but they're just downright disturbing. They'rea team of four young women with horrific pasts who've been stuck fighting in this mechanized forms. In terms of overall appearance, Laughing Octopus and Screaming Mantis take the cake.Both of them are just flat out scary seeing as Laughing Octopus can blend into her environment perfectly and can impale people on her tentacles. Screaming Mantis is scary because she can control everyone around her in an almost god-like way. And both the laugh of Octopus and the scream of Mantis are scary. But once you get past their overall looks,you have their backstories, which are told to you by Drebin whenever you defeat one of them in a boss fight. For that, Crying Wolf blows the other three out of the water. The story is really long and complex, but let me just say, it keeps you thinking after you've heard it.

#7:

"Would You Kindly?" (BioShock)

I don't want to spoil anything for anyone, but if you've played BioShock then you know what I'm talking about. Othr people may not find the whole "would you kindly" thing to be all that messed up, but I personally find it to be really psychologically twisted. That's about all I can say about it because I don't want to give anything away.

#6:

Sneak Attacks (Call of Duty: Black Ops)

Every Call of Duty game has it's moments of tactical espionage and times in which you have to take down your opponents with a close cornered attack. But as you could guess by the title of the game, Black Ops is definitely the heaviest supplier of sneak attacks. And all of the sneak kills in this game are just brutal. Most of them result in cinematic moments after you've pressed the appropriate button which then shows a short clip of some really messed up takedowns. The two that most people will probably remember for a while are when your trying to rescue Weaver alongside Woods and you use this curved knife that you stab into an enemy soldiers' brain :?. The other isn't a cinematic one, but it's still messed up. It's when your in the rat tunnel in Vietnam and Swift is killed by the Vietnamese soldier (as shown above in the picture).

#5:

Interview Tapes (Batman: Arkham Asylum)

Now, most of these really aren't that messed up. These tapes can be found in random locations around Arkham Asylum and they give you a more in-depth look at the major villains of the game, such as The Joker, Killer Croc, Scarecrow, Harley Quinn, etc. All of those are pretty creepy, but what puts the interview tapes so high on the listis becauseof two of the villains, The Riddler andVictor Zsasz. There's only one of The Riddler's that's really messed up, but it's just SO freaky that you can't stop thinking about it. And all of Zsasz's are just down right scary. I mean, you hear him talking about how killing a bunch of women was doing them a favor, you hear him tell a doctor about his plans to stalk her, and in the last tape, you hear him attack a guard with a knife! That's just f****d up!

#4:

No Russian (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2)

I'm not gonna spend much time talking about this, because I'm sure that all of youare sick of hearing about this missionfrom Modern Warfare 2. All I'm going to say about it is that it's really messed up, but it's also really thought provoking and it keeps you thinking about it. Honestly, I think that people are making too big a deal out of it, seeing as people havethe option to either skip that level or not even fire on the crowd, but I'll let people have their own opinions about this.

#3:

The Lizard Trial (Heavy Rain)

This messed up moment doesn't really need a lot of explanation either. Just the description of it is enough to makeanyone put it on a list of the most messed up gaming moments. This is when Ethan Mars is forced to cut off his own finger in order to save the life of his son, and while you don'tsee the actual amputation, you cansee Mars suffering and hear his agony-filled screams. Ithink you can figure out by yourself why this is so messed up, and why it got the number three spot.

#2:

Dismemberment (Call of Duty: World at War)

Yeah, I know, there are a ton of games out there thatfeature the dismemberment of body parts andstuff like that. But the reason why I think that the most messed up example of that is from World at War is because no one saw it coming. Games like God of War andFallout are naturally full of dismemberment, but this is a Call of Duty game! The series hadnever gone this violent before, and I honestly think that the gore in World at War is way more disturbing than that of other gory games. I don't know ifI"m the only one out there who thinks that, butjust having the ability to shred off your enemy's limbs or head and leaving them there twitching in agony with their ribs exposed or all of the splintering bones in their legs while they die aslow and painful deathis really messed up to me!

#1:

Babies (Dead Space 2)

Now, one could argue that this entire list could've been madeup of nothing but things from Dead Space and Dead Space 2, but no matter what, everyone should agree on the fact that the most messedup thingthat the games have to offer and what video games in generalhave to offer, are the baby necromorphs from the second Dead Space game. Just look at that picture and tell me that isn't the most disturbing thing ever. But the one thing thatseals the deal for this getting the number one spot is thebaby that explodes in it's mother's arms leavingthe windows of her cellcompletelycovered in her blood. That alonedeserves a top three spot on this list, but ofcourse, there's more than one of these little hellspawns out there, so I think that the babies from DeadSpace 2 are more than deserving for the number one spot on this list.

...............................................................................................

Song of the Day:
Kings of Leon - Pyro
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFp7q-IJqno

Picture of the Day:

P.S. I highly recommend Smosh's videos on YouTube to those of you who haven't seen them yet, they're hilarious ;)