Wow, has it really been a week since my last post. That is poor form out of me. We will blame my lack of online activity on three things. I have been super busy at work. I have been busy socially. Plus, the internet has been down at my house for a couple days. So, after the week long delay my triumphant return-

Every once in a while there is a television event that changes lives. It is refreshing to think that just a few years back there were some really good programs on and a total lack of the reality junk that is fed to audiences world wide these days. Just flipping through the channels almost makes me sick these days. With stations like E!, MTV, VH1, and Fox airing the likes of Tela Tequila, My Super Sweet Sixteen, I Love New York and Nanny 911 (I just threw up in my mouth a little bit,) it seems there is very little hope for our television futures. Luckily we can be happy with the fact that we have seen plenty of really great shows, even if it has been a few years.

The show that was life changing to so many people out there (*read with sarcasm*) is of course Beetlejuice – the cartoon.

This show was loosely based on the Tim Burton ****c movie by the same name. While Beetlejuice the cartoon didn't make it for as long as I would have liked, there was a time when it was my favorite show on television. This is when my weekends were scheduled around a great number of my youth sports that I participated in, but I could not miss that show. If I had a conflict the trusty VCR would record everything I needed.

It was just recently that I found an old box of tapes and sure enough there was one labeled as Beetlejuice. I was ecstatic to find this and had to get an old VCR out of storage to pop the tape in and see if it passed the test of time. The answer as I expected was of course it did. Upon further review of the tape I found myself wondering what all drugs the creators of that show were on? The movie is weird and a little twisted, but I find the cartoon to be even more disturbing.

The main difference in the movie and cartoon was that when animated Beetlejuice magically turned from the bad guy into the good Guy. Lydia is of course played by Wynona Rider in the movie and her character is pretty accurately transferred to the cartoon series. She hated Beetlejuice in the movie and is best friends with him in the show.

There are several strange things with the show that after watching the episodes now creep me out a little bit other than the fact that the show was just plain weird. Some of these are better explained at http://www.bjsroadhouse.com If you are interested in this stuff check that site out. It has far too much info about the show.

1 – Beetlejuice is often referred to as "BJ" in the show. You can draw your own conclusions here, but there are a ton of sexual references in this and many kid's cartoons. That is just funny to me.

2 – This is something I would have never caught as a kid, but when watching a couple episodes now it sticks out like a sore thumb. Beetlejuice and Lydia have a car in the TV series that is called "Doomie" Often times in the show it will sound like Beetlejuice is telling Lydia to "do me" or vice-a-versa when referring to the car. Again this just seems extremely bizarre when watching it now.

3 - Finally, Lydia is supposed to be a 12 year old girl in the cartoon. Beetlejuice, although dead, is obviously supposed to be a grown man in the show. What is a grown man doing hanging around a 12 year old girl? It isn't just hanging around either BJ clearly has a little somethin' somethin' for her. Hmm, once again this is creepy.

Sadly, this show has not been released on DVD, but there are all kinds of copies on youtube and you can find VHS copies pretty easily online. There is also a game for Game Boy that is based on the cartoon version of Beetle juice. Nintendo has a version based on the movie. I would love some information on either of these games and if they are worth trying to track down.

Any help is appreciated. Now say it with me – Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice

Most everyone probably already knows where this post is going. After all there is no big debate what the greatest juice of all time is. If it is greatest drink then there is a debate. I mean beer is pretty important. I could even entertain the argument of water being a great drink. However, when it comes to juice there is only one champion and that of course is Hi-C Ecto Cooler.

Of course 99% of you are aware of this drink, but for the few out there who don't remember or haven't had the pleasure of drinking this great juice drink here is a little background.

The year was 1984 and to help promote the upcoming blockbuster Ghostbusters Hi-C created a juice drink that featured Slimer and was pretty much God's gift to the human taste buds. The movie was big as you may know, but the juice was even bigger. It was originally set to be around only during the popularity of the movie, but the taste was too great and Ecto Cooler lived on for nearly 20 years.

Near the end of its run I can imagine kids wondering who the hell the little green character on the front of the juice box they were so wholly enjoying was. I imagine the scene of a little boy asking his dad, "Who is this little green guy." The dad would probably answer with, "Why that is the greatest character to ever come from the movie Ghostbusters, any lesser character would not be put in charge of promoting the best juice of all time." The two would then probably enjoy a juice box and a hug in what would go down as the defining moment of their father / son relationship.

As time slips by and Ecto Cooler still isn't on the shelves of your local grocery store there are many average Ecto fans who are unaware of the sneaky marketing minds at Hi-C. These geniuses new it was time to get Slimer off the box, but you cannot get rid of the flavor that changed so many lives. Instead they changed the name. First it was called Shoutin' Orange Tangergreen. Slimer was replaced with a pair of gooey looking green lips; similar to what Slimer would have, but totally not as cool. Still the taste was the same and even the artificial food coloring was in place. (The drink is almost neon green.)

Sadly, this too was pulled from shelves and fans where left to sob into the inferior products that remained. Soon it was realized that the sneaky people at Hi-C again threw us all for a loop and again changed the name. Luckily for us you can still purchase Ecto Cooler under its hidden cover of a name - Crazy Citrus Cooler. The artificial coloring is gone and there is no trace of Slimer the character on the box, but the green color can be seen on the box and the same flavor that makes this the greatest juice in the world is in that little 6.75 ounce box.

This may be nothing more than a bold prediction, but at some point the creative juices in Hollywood will make the decision to redo or a make a new Ghostbusters movie and at that point there is no doubt in my mind that Ecto Cooler will make a triumphant return to the shelves and put all other juices to shame with its taste explosion.

I am at a stage in my life where traveling is becoming a luxury that I can afford to reward myself with. Don't get me wrong, vacations are few and far between and I am not getting away for weeks at a time to exotic beaches. However, 2 - 3 times a year I get a few days off and plan some sort of getaway. Generally that means one of two things; 1 - I travel to see a concert that really peaks my interest (for example last year I went to Lollapalooza in Chicago to see Pearl Jam and about 200 other bands,) 2 - I head to Vegas. I have learned in my many trips to Sin City that this city is probably the best in America, especially for a quick weekend getaway.

It is the one city that the less you have planned the more you will probably do. It is also the city where being a complete jack@ss is not only okay, but most of the time it is expected. For girls it is like Halloween everyday. That can also be read - Girls don't wear very much clothing. There is never a long wait for booze and you can drink in any atmosphere you could ever wish for. Where else can you walk down one street and be magically whisked away to New York, Egypt, Paris, or Rome. On the very same street you will meet pirates, knights, rock stars, and thousands of people handing out the phone numbers of female escorts. That begs the question of: Is there anything that Vegas cannot do?

I have been to Vegas 4 times since turning 21 (once before) and each trip was uniquely different and fantastic. Below is a short breakdown of each trip to Vegas and how insanely different each was.

The 21st Birthday Trip: For my birthday I go to Vegas with my Brother, Cousin, Dad, and Brother's friend. We stay in a suite at the Rio, get hammered on the plane and I lose $100 on a Let It Rid table in the first 15 minutes on the floor. My dad and I head to the pool to get some drinks catch some sun. My dad hops in the pool with his cell phone which of course is ruined. We see everything on the strip. Get drunk and gamble all night downtown and don't get to sleep before sun up any day of the trip. It was very memorable, yet hard to remember many details. If you are looking for a cool bar in Vegas check out the Tilted Kilt in the Rio it is like a Hooters with a Scottish twist.

The get drunk and plan a trip trip: So one night while in college I end up spending a night out with my cousin drinking and remembering our last trip to Vegas. We basically wake up the next day and realize we have booked tickets to Vegas and but do not have a hotel. Somehow this ends up being okay with his wife and we continue to plan the trip. We realize that we picked an expensive weekend to be in Vegas and I was in college and was pretty much broke anyway. We counter this by not booking a hotel room for the first night and I sell my PS2 and everything that goes with it in order to get some gambling cash. This turns out to be probably the most memorable trip of the 4. We of course get drunk on the plane and arrive at the Sahara with nothing but the backpacks we traveled with and 24 hours until we could check into our hotel. Not a problem. We had a drink at every hotel on the strip all in one insanely crazy stretch. It took 28 hours and we have pictures at every hotel on the trip. One highlight form this trip was going into one hotel when it was completely dark and leaving the same hotel when it was completely bright and sunny. I know this does not sound that cool, but when you are about 18 hours into a 28 hour drinkathon you would be surprised how sweet some things are.

The graduation trip: Graduate college and I was rewarded with a trip for myself and room for 3 friends. My Cousin was there again and a couple of buddies joined in the fun. It was a blast. We stayed at the Hooters Hotel and Casino. There was obviously nice eye-candy at the hotel and there was plenty going on that trip as well. I lost my phone about an hour into the trip while riding the rollercoaster on top of New Your, New York. We also learned that you can be kicked out of the pool for being too drunk at the Hooters. This was shocking because there is a swim up bar. We were actually kicked out of the pool 4 times although after the first day I think they kind of had it out for us. Still nobody was arrested and the security guards were actually kind of cool about it. We ended up drinking with them at the bar when they got off work.

The last trip: Me and one buddy on a weekend get away trip. We got in late and also didn't get a hotel room that night. We met an old friend from high school (let me add that she is smoking hot) at the airport before taking off. The flight was delayed and we all found our way to the airport bar. Good times were had by all. We stayed at the Sahara that time. The night was pretty uneventful and neither me nor my buddy really felt all that drunk until we found out that we were talking to hookers at the bar in O'Sheas. Almost right at the same time we realized what was going on and high tailed it out of there. Good Times, Good Times. Other than that this was the most uneventful trip. There was more gambling than before, and still plenty of booze and good times.

Now I have the itch again. I need to get away from the Midwest and see the glitter and lights of the Entertainment Capital of the World. There is one thing that I can always be sure of when I head to Vegas - I will have a great time and only remember some of it J

Today I have realized that I have a problem. Well, perhaps it is more of an annoyance. If you bite your nails and happen to bite one a little too low you probably know what I am talking about. It doesn't exactly hurt, but it is annoying for a day until it grows back a little bit. Hmm, don't bite your nails, well, it is like going to an amusement park and getting there to find out one of your favorite rides is closed. I am not talking about a big ride, but just a ride. You get the idea. It is not a big deal, but it is definitely something you can complain about. That is the situation I am in.

Here is a list of games: Super Mario Galaxy, Tiger Woods PGA 07, Wii Sports, Guitar Hero III, Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End, Sonic and the Secret Rings, Super Swing Golf, Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam, Big Brain Academy, Brain Age:L Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day, Break 'Em All, Lost in Blue, Rayman Raving Rabbids 2, Sonic Rush, Tony Hawks American Sk8land, Wario: Master of Disguise, Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Pumpkin King

What do they all have in common? They are games I own and have started but have not finished. Some of these games I don't necessarily feel like I need to finish. Wii Sports and Brain Age for example are games that you don't finish. There are also games such as Break 'Em All and Wario: Master of Disguise that will probably never be finished due to the fact that the game just isn't very good, or at least I have never been able to get into it. There are many games on the list that are good but I will probably never get around to finishing.

In some way or another, this is my fault, but none the less annoying. Here are the three main causes for this problem -

1- Lack of Time: When I was young I could sit around and play video games for hours. Sleep overs revolved around video games and a night of entertainment was as easy as getting a new video and in the immortal words of Bryan Adams "I played it 'til my fingers bled." (I know that was about a guitar, but you get the point.) Now I have a job and all the responsibility that goes along with that. I also have a social life that takes place out side of the gaming world (shocking, I know,) plus all kinds of other odds and ends that come up. Like going to the gym, coaching youth soccer, keeping up with my sports, and so on. I no longer have the time that I did when I was a little shaver. Instead, I am in a constant struggle to squeeze in a few minutes of gaming here or there. Rarely do I have a chunk of uninterrupted time where I can fully throw myself into a game.

2- Longer Games: Games are no longer made to where you can sit down play for a few hours and beat them. I remember long ago going to the video store and renting a game. We would rent it on a Friday and it would be due back on Sunday night. Many times I would beat these games before they had to be returned. These games were obviously much shorter and didn't require saving a game and hours of game play. You would sit down and eat a bunch of Skittles drink about 6 Mountain Dew's and play until about 4 in the morning. You would then sleep in until 10 and get up and play some more. Now the games you play are quests. You cannot sit down and beat a game in a weekend. If you do then chances are you did not leave the couch and that is not a good thing. I have played Super Mario Galaxy quite a bit for me since getting it for holidays and I am no where near being finished with it. This is both good and bad. You get a lot of game for your money, but it also means that more time is needed to complete or beat a game.

3- More Disposable Income: I now have a job where I can purchase more games and while it is nice to be able to do this it is also probably the main reason I am running into this problem. I can justify spending $50 on a new game for the Wii by thinking what it would cost for me to go out for dinner and drinks with friends on a Friday night. That tab can easily run up and beyond $50 depending on where we end up. So why not grab a new game and a few beers and have people over to the house to play the Wii and hang out. Games for the DS are even easier to pick up at random. Walking through a store and see something that looks interesting for a cool 20, what can you lose. That is so not how it was a few years ago. Those were the times of just waiting for a birthday or a Christmas to role around in hopes of getting that new game that I wanted. Then I would play the hell out of it until I knew every secret it had to offer. Those games where considered treasures. The only other time I would get a game would be if I saved a bunch of money up for myself and would treat myself to a new game. In any case, getting a new game was a special occasion. If the game was good I treasured it and finished it. If it was bad, I still treasured it and finished it.

So I have decided to try and do something about this. I am going to finish some of these games. I have had an urge to go out and get a Playstation 3 recently because I have a little extra cash floating around and love technology. I am resisting the urge. I am going to put $299 aside and wait for another price drop. Regardless of how long that takes. In the mean time I am going to start crossing these partially finished games off my list, one at a time. Some should be easy, (I have been on the last boss in Sonic Rush for weeks and Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam has seemed a little tedious in some spots, but I don't feel it is overly difficult) others will be difficult, (Super Mario Galaxy is sure to send some problems and I have been stuck on Pirates at the same place for months) but regardless it will really boast my video gaming moral.

That last sentence may be the dorkiest thing that has ever been written in the history of man. Hmm, before I get into this goal maybe I will go get drunk with friends and watch the Orange Bowl (Go Jayhawks!!!) and forget all about the fact that I ever said that.

Wayback Wednesday gets put on hold for the time being. Instead I am going to get my new years resolution in writing so a year from now everyone can ask how that all worked out for me. (I know the answer is probably not well. I mean do these things ever work out?) Instead of picking the one thing I have decided to look at list of 10 popular resolutions and see how they all pertain to me. Here we go: 1. Spend more time with family and friends: Well I put a good deal of time into the friends and family, so I think I pass on this without any effort needed. 2. Allow more time to work out: This one is in the plan. I have joined the gym again and plan on spending a lot of time there. After all it is proven that exercise leads to better health, weight loss, more energy, reduce risk of many health problems etc. Basically it makes you look and feel better. 3. Lose weight: Well that seems a lot like number 2. I suppose they don't have to go hand in hand. Either way, yes I could lose a few pounds. Not a huge amount, but 20 would be nice. In a related topic – Wonder if I would have much luck playing the DS on a stationary bike? Anyone know if this is possible? 4. Stop Smoking – Never have, never will. 5. Enjoy life more: Check. I am pretty darn happy right now. I suppose I would like to travel more, but other than that I have no complaints. 6. Quit Drinking: Haha what would I do that for. I think it was Dean Martin who said it best, "I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day." 7. Get Out of Debt: Not so much get out of debt as make a hell of a lot more money. 8. Learn Something New: Yes, I suppose I should spend more time with my nose buried in a book and less time in front of the television or playing video games. I really wish I was someone who could read with the tv on, or better yet, someone who could read while playing video games. 9. Help Others: I feel comfortable with my role in the helping others side of life. I coach two youth soccer teams and donate cash to the Kansas City Zoo through the animal adoption program – I have a north American river otter, and the Friends of the Zoo program. Hey if I made more I would give more, but I am content with were I am here. 10. Get organized: Well I am far more organized now than I was a year ago. That has to be a good thing, but I suppose I could get a touch better on this. So in review my New Years Resolution should read something like this: I plan on allowing more time for exercise and in turn will lose about 20 pounds. This will be very handy when I make more money and want to travel to some exotic location where I can look buff on the beach. I can catch some rays while reading a book and then enjoy a boat drink in the evening. There you have it. It's almost too easy. Good luck to everyone in 2008 and good luck with your resolutions.

2008 was somewhat of an interesting year for me in terms of gaming. In one way it was a rebirth into the gaming world. It was about 2 years ago that I sold my PS2 and all games and accessories that went with it the day before a trip to Vegas that left me with an extra $500 in gambling money and no gaming system to mention.

At the time this seemed like the right thing to do and in all honesty I don't regret it all that much. I was in college at the time and I could play games at almost anyone's place around campus. Plus, my roommate who went through withdraws (although it was his idea to go to Vegas in the first place) ended up buying a PS2 for the house and everything was back to normal.

I graduated, moved, and made the transition into the real world. My video game fix was fulfilled by hooking up my old NES top loader and playing a good deal of Silver Strike, Golden Tee, and touch screen at the bars. Yes, I was well on my way to being a civilized adult. That was until one of my co-workers brought his Wii into the office and we hooked it up to the projection screen in the conference room.

That is all it took. I was hooked and at a Target the next Saturday at 4:00 AM. It was Feb of 2007 and a frigid wait, but I got my Wii on the first try and have been playing ever since. As most people know the system is revolutionary. There are many gamers, who dislike it, but the concept is unique and the game play is addictive. Besides this isn't an article about what system is better, it is about the future of the Wii.

As we move into 2008 I have concerns that game creators are going to become lazy when developing for this system. The first generation of games had more misses than hits in terms of games that will go down as ****cs, but the games did a terrific job of showing all that the remote could do. Of all the games that were created it was games like Wii Sports, Rayman Raving Rabbids and WarioWare: Smooth Moves that made the biggest splash. Of course these are all games filled with mini games that showcase many things the Wii Remote can do.

I understand how cool this is, but now I want it to be incorporated into great games. I understand everything the system is capable of now and in order to keep coming back I need games that are more than just showcases of technology. This is where my great concern is with this system. I am not sure that developers will find it necessary to push the envelop with new games yet.

Nintendo has created a high demand for the system and the scarcity is what scares me the most about the future of the system. With the amount of new gamers who no doubt received the system around the holidays they will be impressed and pleased with these games that have made the system a hit already. It is the people who have had the system who could pay for this.

There have been very few games for the system where you can sit down and play and truly get into. Instead it is the novelty of getting up of the couch and getting involved with these short games. I understand that Nintendo wants to get kids up off the couch and this system does exactly that, but it would be foolish to not market to the other demographic. Will I stop playing these games if Nintendo starts developing games with a good story and less dependency on the Wii Remote and its capabilities? Absolutely not. However, I may be more apt to check out another system if the Wii doesn't soon offer games with more depth and less game play that relies solely on the movement capabilities within the remote.

There is some reason for hope. Mario Galaxy is a tremendous game that is easy to get into and while it uses the remote, it does not rely as much on it as many other games that have come out and quite frankly been a disaster.

This is a step in the right direction and I think we will know within the next couple of months if this is going to be the trend with the next generation of Wii games. If not I fear the system is at risk of falling off drastically and being looked at as a fad instead of the great system which it has the ability to become.

Wii fans with similar views, we can only hope for the best in the New Year. Lets hope that 2008 is as much fun as 2007.

*Disclaimer – This post is for the eyes of legal drinkers only. If you are not one you shouldn't read this. Those of you who are legal and thirsty… Enjoy!

I understand the need for theme days in blogs. I hate them, but I understand them. As cool as my life is, there isn't always interesting things that happen on a daily basis, so instead of giving you updates of what I had for dinner last night or what kind of shoes I am wearing today I figured I would give something that would be entertaining.

As you know Wednesdays have become way back Wednesdays – highlighting topics from my childhood and bringing back guilty pleasures in the world of pop culture. Fridays will now be in the form of Friday Fundays. Sounds interesting doesn't it?

We have a tradition at my office of kicking off the weekend in the early afternoon by having a couple of cool ones while waiting for the evening to begin. So in a way this will be a tribute to how cool my office is. (Mind you we still work, we just enjoy it a little bit more on Fridays.) The nicest part of this I am usually 2-4 beers deep when I get home from work on Fridays and after a couple more at home my evening is off to a great start. This also gives me a chance to get an hour or so of buzzed video game action in before doing anything of significance in the evening. My Suggestion is a BLVD Pale Ale as a starter…

It also gives me a perfect blog post for Fridays – A blog about the best games to play while drunk, drinking, hung over, under the influence, or whatever. This article is going to pay respects the evolution of this process and while I was not 21 when some of these games first came out I have been through college therefore have had the chance to enjoy them as many would argue they were meant to be played… intoxicated. Regardless below are 5 games that bring back some sweet memories from college and of course the years following.

5 – Tecmo Super Bowl – NES – This was one of the games that was great when I was young and sober, but unbelievable when I was able to partake in the habits of college kid. The game play is simple and the games are fast. There are only a handful of offensive and defensive plays for each team and the learning curve for this game is about 30 seconds, yet you can play it for hours on end. There have been many heated battles that have taken place over the years while playing this game. I still argue that I will beat anybody I play, but that is an argument for another day…

4 – Wii Sports – Wii – This is an obvious choice and one that I think most any one would agree with me on. The game play is easy and the drinking games are endless. From a first time player to a seasoned veteran everyone can play and everyone can get drunk. This is a fun drinking game for a couple people or fun if you have a big group. A definite no doubter.

3 – Fifa Soccer 2004 – PS2 – Now hear me out on this one because some of you may think I am a little crazy. My first argument is that you could substitute many EA games in here and they would all fit. I choose this soccer game because I played soccer in college and this was the game of choice for me and my teammates. Endless hours were spent on the couch picking favorite teams and talking trash while playing 4 minute halves and drinking cheap beer. The year of the game doesn't really matter since gameplay is pretty similar from year to year. One plus to this one is the free kick feature. I think it is the most accurate free take on free kicks in the games history. Another game that I will challenge anyone who feels they can compete. I will pick Newcastle United as my team and my drink J

2 – Guitar Hero 3 – Wii – There are endless number of possibilities and the game play is short enough to where an entire group can play. It is a known fact that drinking and music go hand in hand. Another great feature of this game is that it is universal on every system. I am a fan of the Wii version because it is wireless, but I can play this game on any system. That is something that cannot be said for most games. If you are not familiar with a control for a system trying to play a game (even if it is one you really know on another system) is like trying to speak a foreign language. You never have to worry about that with this game as it is as addicting as it is fun, so you will be in for a fun, long night of drinking and pretending you are a rock star. Within 4 beers I would bet you are getting more into the game than you ever probably should with a video game.

1 – Tony Hawk Pro Skater 4 - The winner and champion of the drinking / gaming world. This was the first Hawk game that I thought was out of this world. They are all good and even though some people have gotten tired of the concept (I for one have not) this was a revolutionary game. The concept is quick and simple. If you are playing in a mode you are trying to beat challenges it works as a drinking game, but if you are playing in 2 player mode there is nothing better. There are all kinds of 2 player games that translate to a basic you win you keep playing, you lose you drink and a new player steps in. Winner of course chooses game. The learning curve is a little steep, but not out of this world. Once you have mastered it the two player challenges are out of this world. For new players they can grasp the concept and compete within half an hour. This usually isn't a problem because the game is addictive and once someone plays it once they most likely will want to add it to their collection and next time they play will be at a high enough level to compete.

There you have it - tonight when you and your of age buddies are sitting around waiting to hit the bars, pick up a case and put in one of these games. The night will be headed in the right direction. I cannot help with the conclusion – you will have to use your own game at the bars…

Okay, I get it now. It took me a great deal of time, but I finally get it. Tiger Woods is a great game on the Wii. That should not be a surprise to me. When I first learned about the Wii and heard all the hype behind it my first thought was - "Golf games are going to be solid on that system."

That was my thought, but it took me a long time to find that thought to be true. Golf on Wii Sports is not the answer I was looking for. It does a decent job of showing off the controls with the Wii Remote, but overall is shallow. Golf is far too complicated for this type of game.

Super Swing Golf caught my attention and I believe does everything that the designers wanted it to do. The idea is simple, but the game play is more advanced. It kept my attention and entertained me for a short period of time. Still this game didn't fill my need for a great golf game on the Wii.

I needed something real. Real courses, real challenges, basically I just wanted real golf. I was stoked when I received Tiger Woods as a birthday present about 6 months ago, but after giving it a couple of tries I found that it was collecting dust at the back of my collection. This was not to the fault of the game, and now I realize that, but it did take some time before I realized all of the possibilities that come with this title.

First came the headaches and there were quite a few (some that I have come to love) about this title. One problem which is know fault of the game is that I received this game right around the same time as a couple of others. One being Pirates of the Caribbean. That game is much easier to jump into and get going than Tiger Woods even though the actual game play is far more shallow in Pirates. Pirates was more flashy and easier to dive into.

Second problem that I found about the game was the controls pose a different problem to all players. This drove me nuts the few times I played it in the beginning because I could not figure them out and was continually driving the ball into the trees, rough, or water. Basically, I was bad at the game therefore it was no fun. Still the learning curve on the controls is a little steep, but this is actually a good thing.

Third problem I had was speed of play. It was tediously slow especially when playing with multi player. There are practice swings, lining up shots, commentary, and the actual shot. When playing with a bunch of people who have not played this can be unbearable. I was asking myself why not just go out to the course - it would be just as quick.

After about 5 months of sitting amongst the cob webs I decided to give it another try. After all it gets good reviews almost everywhere I have looked and I love golf, so something has got to give.

I get home from work on a Friday and already have partaken in some Friday funday happy hour festivities. The plans had been to basically continue with these activities into the night with my girlfriend and a few other couples down the road at a dirty old karaoke bar. When those plans fell through and my girlfriend fell asleep on the coach at about 9 o'clock I weaseled my way from her grasp on the couch, grabbed a beer from the fridge and prepared to hit the links.

I put the game in with an open mind and a buzz. My character was created but other than that I was pretty much starting from scratch. I went into the story mode and played well into the depths of the night. It was still a struggle to get going and I had memories of what I hated about the game, but I made myself keep playing. I had a couple more beers and about an hour into it everything clicked.

It is as real of a golf simulation as there is for the Wii or any system really. My swing is still not perfect but I play the shots taking into account what flaws I have... Just like on a real course.

The challenges are challenging. You have to execute tasks and nearly everything you do is practice that makes you better. You gain skill in the game, but also in using the controls. There are plenty of tips along the way and even though challenges seem difficult, they are not overly complicated. Even if you fail a challenge playing it again is still enjoyable.

The graphics are also much more enjoyable than other Wii golf games. You are playing on real courses and against real opponents - you know the kinds with arms and legs.

Overall it took me about 6 months to finally figure this game out. Now, I get it. I know I like it. It is exactly what I was hoping for in a Wii golf game. I would still feel uncomfortable reviewing the game in whole, but on the surface I now understand how powerful and addictive this game could be to sports fans and more particular golf fans.

The only problem I have now is that I recently received Super Mario Galaxy for Christmas and I am pretty sure that once I get into that Tiger may find his way to the back of the collection. *Sigh* Life is hard...

It is 1991. The airwaves are filled with the raspy sounds of depression and rage. Air Jordan amazes the sport's world while movie buffs were terrified by Dr. Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs. Gamers were treated to the release of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and many of the classic games that were released for this system including Super Mario World.

This was the time of grunge. Personal hygiene was an option and it was a requirement that all jeans have holes. Baseball ball caps were worn backwards and t-shirts were not washed more than once a month. All of this elegance or complete lack there of if you prefer helped to make up the era that in my opinion is the best in the history of mankind. Only during this time did we take so much time making sure that it looked like we had taken absolutely no time getting ready at all.

The Grunge era will always live in my heart because I was more or less a poster child for this "who cares" generation. However, it was not the before mentioned events or clothing that is the most important to this time period or we could say the entire history of clothing, that title of course belongs to the flannel shirt.

Yes, this post is paying homage to a shirt that has no boundary. Button it up and you have a dress shirt, unbutton it and the shirt will allow you to dress the part of one of those out of control Generation X stoners... Of course you can always just tie it around your waste on a warm day in case there is a change in the weather. It is true, there is nothing this great shirt cannot do. I will argue this point until the day I die. Here is more evidence to how sweet flannel shirts were / are / and will continue to be...

Here are some examples of the most important moments and people in the great history of the flannel shirt.

5 - George Costanza - the hilarious Seinfeld character is often seen wearing a flannel shirt throughout the history of the sitcom. George's lack of interest and motivation make him an absolutely perfect match for the flannel shirt.

4 - George Lucas - The man can make a blockbuster and he knows what type of shirt to wear as well. Here is a list of some of the films that aren't Star Wars or Indiana Jones that Lucas played a part in - Labyrinth, Howard the Duck, Willow, American Graffiti, etc.

3 - Lumberjacks, woodsmen, and all around tough guys. We have all seen them. They are big, they are strong, and they are well dressed. A couple examples of these men would be Al Borland in Home Improvement and of course the Brawny Paper towel guy.

2 - Neil Young - in my opinion he is the greatest American songwriter of all time. He not only was one of the original flannel wearing rock stars, but he went on to influence an entire genre of music - Grunge

1 - The Grunge Music Genre - Flannel was the official uniform of Grunge. Many great artists buttoned up the flannel as a fashion statement that was more of an anti-fashion statement. Artist's such as Soundgarden, Blind Melon, Alice in Chains, Temple of the Dog, Nirvana, Pearl Jam and others took this shirt to new levels of popularity.

It is obvious that flannel has its place in time and even if you have moved out of the grunge era and into something a little more now, we all know you have that flannel collection in the back of your closest. Be sure to give the grunge some love - I am wearing it right now and you can too.

There are several new toys i am playing with after another glorious xmas. There were the regular (too be expected) gifts, you know the socks and underwear, this years must have holiday DVD (Pirates 3) and all the other gifts that i have come to expect. However, there were some pretty interesting presents as well and gifts that will have me busy for the upcoming weeks doing things that i really don't need to do.

Anyway, below is the top 5:

5 - Tim Burton: A Child's Garden of Nightmares - It is rare that a book can scratch the top 5 on a holiday gift list, but I am a sucker for everything he has done and am pretty excited to read this one. Probably will not go down as the best book i have ever read, but no doubt it will be solid.

4 - Pearl Jam - Immagine in Cornice: Picture in a Frame DVD - Everything they have ever done has been unbelievable, Every DVD has been well shot and film quality is excellent. I have yet to watch this one, but i am confident that it will rock my socks off.

3 - Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii - Everything i have read says that it is the greatest game to ever be released for the platform. That is why it is tough to rank it as number 3 b/c there is a pretty good chance that i get more use out of this gift than any i received, (well probably besides the socks and underwear) but it is only a game and while it will give me plenty of joy, it doesn't have quite the same wow factor that the following gifts have.

2 -XM Radio Xpress plug and play. This was a very strange gift. It was not on my list and i had never mentioned the fact that i was interested in having this toy. Yet, as i was driving home from work tired of the CD's in my car, not wanting to deal with what was on the radio, and pissed cause my AM reception sucks... sometimes a guy just wants to listen to a little bit of sports talk radio, i had a strange feeling in my gut like that might be what i was getting from my girlfriend.

It was strange cause i was dead on and i went from having no interest in satellite radio, to wanting to get it, to owning it all within about 4 hours. I am still in the install phase of this toy, but i am looking forward to it. Probably the coolest aspect of this gift was what my girlfriend told me after i opened it. it went something like this - "You are impossible to shop for because i always know you want electronics, but i also know you have everything already, and what you don't have you are want to pick out for yourself because you are much more educated in that stuff..."

I took that as a compliment...

1 -Canon PowerShot SD1000 Digital Elph - I was in desperate need of a new digital camera. Not only was mine old and didn't have the features i was looking for, it also was much to bulky to carry around and use as often as i should. Not a problem now. The SD1000 should be the perfect put in my pocket and point and click camera for every day use.

I had gotten out of the habit of taking pictures due to lack of ease out of my other bulkier camera, but have already begun using this one and having it readily available whenever i want it. So far that has meant getting a lot of random pictures of the dog or random drunk pictures of friends... Yes i know these are not topics that are all that exciting, but regardless i am happy and feel that part of my creative side has been restored.

All in all a very happy holiday season, but there was a complete lack of DS inspired gifts... Oh well, these should keep me plenty busy for the foreseeable future