I scored my first 100% on Beatles Rock Band this weekend. It Was on "For The Benefit of Mr. Kite." Admittedly, it was on the "easy" setting, but nonetheless I felt like I accomplished something grand. The geniuses behind Beatles Rock Band ought to get a prize-- (in fact they picked up the 2009 VGA for best music game.) To be able to take your average schmo who can't play an instrument, who has no musical talent whatsoever, and create an experience that feels like playing music is a stroke of pure brilliance.
And the game play does feel like I'm really making music, even if I'm only using three of the five available buttons. Oh, I know I'm never going to burn up the leaderboards, but Mr. Pinky does not work and play well with others and the jump from "Easy" to "Medium" throws in a requirement for manual dexterity that is simply beyond my abilities.
This month cousin Shelly is coming for a visit and is eagerly anticipating her first turn at the game. She is as big a Beatle's fan as I am and I'm looking forward to her reaction when she lays her eyes on the amazing graphics of this game. This is one of the few games I've seen that is as much fun to watch as it is to play. With a full compliment of instruments however, none of the kinfolks will have to sit out of the fun.
Check out this video of the gameplay from the "Abbey Road" album:
Doesn't that look like fun?
My brother Mark and I interviewed Anthony Pomes the day before the big 9-9-09 release of Beatles Rockband as well as the new re-mastered box sets. Anthony is a PR guy who arranged for me to interview Elliot Tiber, the man behind the movie "Taking Woodstock." But Anthony lays claim to some solid Beatles credentials himself. He is the John Lennon of "Mostly Moptop" a Beatles tribute band out of Stonybrook New York.
Check out our interview:
...going on between Kirk and the mountain.
I NEED this on my iPod.
At Crankypants' Restaurant.
Still having fun in the land of wind and cold. Yesterday was incredibly productive. Cranky left for work so I shuffled her iTunes and tried on her clothes. It was pretty kinky. I also shopped more in her attic which is full of the most beautiful treasures. I want to move down here and reopen Aye Chihuahua for her. After I stole a couple of sweaters and bought her Climax Ginger Ale sign I settled in for some very important business - my annual tradition of catching up on a year's worth of Days of Our Lives in a single episode. I got to do it while eating a leftover t-bone served over mushroom risotto. I felt like a queen.
Side note: Cranky, I am listening to iTunes right now and it's a dance remix of Anything you Want and Lithium and a bunch of other oddities...is that the Beach Boys? Yep, it is. The track says "It's a Crankypants Christmas", wtf, woman? It is cool if nothing else...makes me wanna dance.
Miss Cranky returned mid-afternoon and we bundled up and went out for some Christmas shopping and a secret trip to Trader Joe's without telling the BFFN. We oogled over pretty wedding dresses, expensive luggage and leather portfolios that would've made Miss. IG drool. Cranky lathered, rinsed and repeated at Crabtree and we both picked up some good gifties for ourselves and others. Trader Joe's was fun, we sampled coffees and we were nearly runover by old ladies and their carts as they greedily horded all of the cookies for their Christmas parties. We got some staples - like pigs in a blanket and chips and salsa for dinner. Came back to Casa Cranky, toasted to a couple of beers and settled in for a Roseanne marathon. Elvis even got a half a pig and blanket. No wonder he whines all the time, he's very spoiled (it's hard not to spoil the little asshole, he's adorables).
As far as I'm concerned it's been a perfect vacation!
PS: NickCaveNickCaveNickCaveNickCave
I noticed that all of you missed out on a good Cranky rant yesterday which means I got the full brunt of it, and it was awesome. If you're Cranky's friend, you at least were treated to one of our favorite views of the day. We headed out to Reading Terminal Market and stuft (hee) ourselves with pulled pork and brisket. We then picked up some famous Flying Monkey Muffcakes. I had a vanilla buttercream frosted chocolate and she had a lavender. We each had a creme brule muffcake as well. Yum. Those were good both pre and post dinner.
I got to go to the Macy's where they filmed Mannequin and it was every bit as wonderful as I had hoped. I didn't see Hollywood, but I did see the big ass pipe organ and I saw the famous holiday light show which was hosted by none other than my hero Julie Andrews. Cranky said the light show has been the same since she was a kid and I don't doubt it. While it was sort of cheesy by today's standards there was something very sweet and sentimental about it too.
I got to go shopping at Aye Chihuahua and also got to drink lotsa Guinness. It was a good day.
If the weather does not keep my flight from taking off, I'll be winging my way back to CA tomorrow!
I have 4 full days planned - with friends, with family, My daughter graduates college on Sat!
I am SO EXCITED. Too bad it looks like I'll be missing the first BIG storm of the winter here. But its OK. Ben will likely document it for me.:-)
When I come back, I'll have my son with me for a week! I ordered a pizza stone and peel and cutter so we can work on our pizza skills! And Ohio family will get to hang with Aaron!
I'm at Cranky's and I only have a sec 'cause she's in the shower, but she tried to feed me dog biscuits. halp!
Just sipping my coffee and retracing my route before hitting the road for Cranky's in a couple of hours. I'm watching Washington Journal and Senator Mike Johanns (R) is blabbing about health care. I'm such a CSPAN junkie, but don't get a chance to watch Washington Journal as much as I'd like.
So they're talking about the debate over allowing abortion to be covered in this health care bill and a woman called in and said she didn't understand the controversy - abortion is a legal medical procedure so there is no reason it shouldn't be covered even by private health plans. Senator Johanns' response? "I simply disagree". He disagrees that it's a legal medical procedure? Maybe he disagrees that even private insurers should have to pay for it?
This is what I don't understand: Why is it that any private company has any say over your health care? Yes, we live in a for-profit world and HAVE to use private health insurance in order to even afford basic medical care. But doesn't that somehow seem immoral? Seriously, there are few things more personal than your physical and mental health. There is a reason for confidentiality when it comes to your health issues. Anyone from your employer to your arch enemy could use your mental and physical health history against you for a variety of reasons. So why is it that we allow private insurance companies to interfere and decide what medication or treatment (even a very legal abortion) is right for us?
Ok, onto a better day, time to pack the car and hit the road.
We signed up for this once we got here. Association Holiday dinner (and meeting) was open to the 300 homes or so in this area. We were sure we would be wanting to leave as soon as we got there. We were wrong!
