Rock Band 2 is coming, I'm picking sides early

Kotaku led me to the announcement of Rock Band 2 at IGN earlier today. The surprising sequel will go toe to toe with Guitar Hero: World Tour.

I know Nazer and I have drooled over Guitar Hero's impressive new guitar and drum peripherals but the battle lines have been drawn and if I'm dropping two bills on another bundle of fake instruments, it's going to be Rock Band again. Here's why:

1) New, *promised* better instruments
2) New, *promised* awesome setlist
3) Transferable downloaded songs

The last one is key. Everyone knows I've spent a shitload of money downloading new songs for Rock Band and having full confidence that those mostly awesome songs will work with later versions of the game is a relief.

Little things like this go along way in judging how I feel about a company's product. Activision, the publishers of Guitar Hero, loves to do little weasel things to gouge money out of consumers like charging full price for discs that offer little more than mere add-on content (Guitar Hero 80's, Guitar Hero Aerosmith, you get the idea), and cockblocking guitar compatibility with Rock Band.

The first two reasons I listed have yet to be proven true, and I can't say I can completely rule out going the other way even though it seems that way. The new Guitar Hero drums and guitar both look great and we'll learn in a few weeks if Harmonix/EA can come through on their promised hardware/setlist improvements.

Another gripe I have is that it looks like the Xbox 360 version will come out before the PS3 version, another case of a multiplatform game having perks on the 360. I will read all of your PS3-bashing comments while I watch my blu-ray of The Golden Compass.

If anything, this fall will be an interesting season for fake musicians everywhere, but if you're gonna rock out at 198, it will probably be on some form of Rock Band.

Into The Depths Of Hell We Go, Again

For those who have been following Blizzards icy, crystalized image for the past few days, this morning they officially announced one of the most anticipated games in gaming history, rivaling the hype of even the previously announced StarCraft II, Diablo III. The Diablo III website has a bunch of content, featuring a 19 minute gameplay video and a teaser trailer that has everyone from Tristram to Hell shaking in their sleep. Looks like it's time to start thinking about that high end PC I've always wanted, so get your SoJs and prepare for a long ass wait till release day.

Amy Winehouse Has Fucked Up Lungs (No Shit)

Headlining yesterday's entertainment news, beehive hair due Amy Winehouse has been diagnosed with emphysema. It seems as if the drug abuse and disastrous lifestyle has become too much for the woman, leaving her with breath clinching lung disease. Many comment threads across the internet have some of the most hateful comments I've ever seen, saying she's untalented and idiotic and should already be dead because of her drug abuse, but hold up a damn second, untalented? Better check that Grammy list again internet, because apparently the elite panel of unnamed judges doesn't agree with you there. And saying someone "deserves to die" is just fucked up shit. What about Miles Davis or Coltrane, Billie Holiday, the Temptations? Musicians, artists in general, it's not like we haven't heard cases of drug abuse before, but to completely ignore the achievements of an individual just because of a scandal is simply ridiculous. My best to the Winehouse family, and I really hope her condition improves because at the end of the day I just want more dope music.

George Carlin passed away

George Carlin is one of my favorite stand-up comedians. I know he's good because I've stolen his jokes and passed them off as mine and none of them have ever failed. Some have described him as an "Anti-Establishment icon", which is definitely true, and a title he would carry proudly, but I prefer to remember him as a master of wit, sarcasm, and good ole toilet humor. He and his HBO specials will surely be missed.

A lot of the press releases containing the news of his death noted that he is famous for his Seven Words routine, but as a sports fan, my favorite is definitely his hilarious take on the differences between baseball and football:

Firefox 3.0 is out, go get it

The people who I talk computers seriously with (translation: my nerd friends) know me as a die-hard Microsoft sympathizer. On more than one occasion you can find me defending Bill Gates' buggy and sluggish software.

The most glaring example of this was my preference of Internet Explorer over Firefox. There was really no good reason for this except that I preferred IE's menu systems and general look, to the point where I could sacrifice the somewhat minor efficiency advantage of Firefox.

With the release of Mozilla's Firefox 3.0 today though, I have officially jumped ship. I've only been using it for 5 minutes and I'm already compelled enough to blog about my transition. The new Firefox has all of the security features of IE plus more, and more importantly they're much less intrusive.

One of the worst things Microsoft has been doing with Windows Vista and their recent iterations of IE is bombarding the user with all kinds of security warnings that makes you feel like your 5 years old and you don't know how to use a computer.

Firefox's warnings are much more subtle, but the real reason to go download this new browser is it's speed. Previously I found Firefox's efficiency gains over IE to be minor, but the speed improvements here are definitely noticeable enough to where I don't want to go back. My Informatics curriculum has made me something of a software-efficiency-whore and Firefox gets the job done.

If you don't believe me, then go ahead and load StatTracker side by side and see who wins. If you're not a fantasy player then try loading some MySpace whore's webpage that has way too much crap and clutter. Thank me in the comment section.

I've been watching golf and so has everyone else

Golf is the most dramatic sport on television. This past weekend's U.S. Open proved as much.

I enjoy watching Days 3 and 4 of the majors and after all the conversations I've had the last couple days, I am not as alone as I thought I was.

The drama in golf is on another level because 1) it's slow, and 2) it's an individual sport.

I've been watching Mike and Mike all morning and one of the alternatives Greeney and Trey Wingo compared this tournament to was this year's Super Bowl.

The speed of each respective game frames the size of the moment. When Eli Manning is running that no-huddle offense at the end of the game, having to worry about a pass rush, making the right throw, etc., he has no time to think; all he has to do is react and hopefully all those training camps and practices have given him the tools to succeed.

After Tiger made his third shot out of the rough and made it onto the green, he had to wait. First he had to walk the hundred yards or so to the spot of the ball, then he has to wait while some other schmuck takes his shot, and then finally he gets to start sizing up the green in preparation for his shot.

All this time, any normal human being's mind is racing off the fucking track. If football is a 'battle' of intensity, speed and physicality, then golf is 'Risk', the slowest board game of all time. You have your caddy, but you're pretty much up there by yourself. And if that's me all I'm thinking is "holy shit, this moment will make history." There's no letting your body react to a progression of events; it's just a shitload of thinking and then you perform a stroke of your club that's 100% finesse over strength.

Thinking by myself with nothing to do is one of the worst feelings in the world. It's the reason why I lie awake all night until 6:30 in the morning only to end up blogging about golf. An individual's thoughts all by himself can kill their performance if they let the size of the moment exceed itself; hell it's just a putt right? He's done it a million times before, and that's what makes Tiger Woods so great. He has the mental strength to not let the size of a moment consume and then prohibit what he knows he can accomplish.

When Tiger sunk that last putt, I jumped up and screamed in disbelief just as I did when David Tyree caught the ball off his helment.

This morning's playoff is gonna be a doozy. Tiger's what he is, a legend. Rocco Mediate is a likable underdog. And if it stays close, I'll be watching every dramatic second of it, thankful for another day of golf of all things.

Life Lessons

You know it's a CoolKids post when it blatantly rips off of somebody else's work. Today, Big Daddy Drew's Deadspin column offered some life lessons for the Class of 2008. Some examples:

If you’re writing a blog post, be sure to stick a picture of a hot chick at the top. Your hits will increase 400 percent.

Check. Had to go with Keeley cause she always makes me smile. Don't quite know what it is about her, might be the huge fucking tits.

if a girl playfully punches you during conversation, you can totally hit that shit.

Dropped the ball on that one! Well, 1/2 ain't bad.

So I offer to you dear readers, life lessons learned from CommanderCacho's spring quarter '08:

Success comes with the right team and the right goal. I was at my best this quarter when I had a team to hold me accountable for getting my work done. My two group project classes will probably be my best grades because I had other guys counting on me to contribute. I got into probably the best shape of my life to run with my cousins at the Carlsbad 5k for Team Beer Run, and then with my homies when Team CACHO took the Condo crown at the NAMI 5k. More 5K's this summer, and more group projects please!

Hollywood is the place to be! Okay not really, but I went up there this quarter (3 trips!) more times than I've been in my entire life. Annie's VIP Level 3 birthday bash, "21 for a day" at Mark's Club Sugar extravaganza, and free Usher concert with the roomies and R-Kwan...Hollywood was definitely good to me this quarter.

Everything needs to be enjoyed in moderation. And by "everything" I mean alcohol, good food (Alvaro's, Santana's, etc.), and good distractions in general. Hell, there's work to be done right? This would be perfectly fine if "moderation" wasn't some assbackwards made up shit.

16 units is too much. I end up telling myself this every time I try to take 4 whole classes worth of units. No matter what, I'm usually in danger of failing at least one of my classes by the end of finals week and this quarter is no different. Shit, I've been awake for 24 hours and still have more work to do while everyone's pretty much done.

I know some of you reading this are like "Cmon man! 16 units is pussy shit!" and like to pile it on with 20, 24 units, but you know what, fuck you! You guys don't have games of Solitaire waiting to be played, blogs to write for people to skim, and handles of Captain Morgan to drink by yourself.

/guzzles 3 shots
/cries for 30 seconds
/goes back to work

iPhone 3G Priced at $199

Releasing July 11th.  Now the question is, do I get one at release or wait till the holiday...

TM Doesn't Make It Into Americas Best Dance Crew

No Team Millenia, are you serious? Who the hell am I supposed to watch now?


...not these guys

[MTV: Americas Best Dance Crew Season 2 Breakdown]

Note: Read the comment thread in the article, seems like the community is outraged.

The Gayest Post of All-Time

A couple months ago, the Cappletini posted her Top 10 Female crushes. Well here you have it, in no particular order, Lance's MAN CRUSHES:

USHER

When he's not going crazy during interviews or having a diva moment during a guest performance, Usher is holding it down as the most consistent solo R&B act over the last year ten years. My second time seeing him live last night (hope you saw my mug on TV cause Alexand did) confirms that yours truly probably gets a little too excited for a performance by someone who is not a stripper at Cheetahs.

INDIANA JONES

I was tempted to just put Harrison Ford but realized he is quite boring in real life and even though Han Solo is one of my favorite movie characters of all time, he managed to get himself frozen in carbonite. Indy on the otherhand would have delivered a right cross to Vader, and would have dropkicked Boba Fett's ass into the freezer on his way out because that's how he rolls. This guy is everything I want to be: he's smart, witty, has mad game (always gets the girl), and can kick ass.

LaDainian Tomlinson

The face of the franchise that I care most about, LT is probably the best thing to happen to San Diego football. Sure, he's the league's best all-around running back, but you're leaving out a smile that lights up the room, a charming southern accent, and that "aw-shucks" sense of humility. Let's just hope that the real LT shows up this season and not the LADAIKNEEIN-JURY from last year's playoffs. (-1 for poor pun)

I better stop now before I start second-guessing my sexuality anymore than I already am.

Liv Tyler Is Awesome

DS is cool too

Feeling inadequate all of a sudden...

That's the last time I complain about a "tweaked ankle".

Credit: With Leather

NO I DON'T FEEL ANY PRESSURE RIGHT NOW

"Well, my family's role for me is so important b'coz there was the wa- they're, they was the one who's... very... Hahahaha... Oh I'm so sorry, Ahhmm... My pamily... My family... Oh my god... I'm...(Paolo Bediones: Pwede ka magtagalog,ok lang) Ok, I'm so sorry... I... I told you that I'm so confident... Eto, Ahhmm, Wait... Hahahaha, Ahmmm, Sorry guys because this was really my first pageant ever b'coz I'm only 17 years old and ahahaha I, I did not expect that I came from, I came from one of the taf 10. Hmmm, so... but I said dot my family is the most important persons in my life. Thank you." - Janina San Miguel 2008 Miss Binibining Pilipinas

List of reasons this pisses me off:
1. She represents the philippines
2. She is hella fake
3. She still won
4. Shes prolly spoiled as fuck

nuff said

All the ho's jockin, beat steady knockin...

Littlel update on Just Ray:

All the ho's jockin...

these chicks hella wanna be my friend DAYYYYYYMMMMMMMM!
even some guy named Kevin Kruser....

Enough media hype to make your head explode

My desire to see either of these teams win is mild at best. Still, there are enough storylines here that every game could have the dramatic arc of a Disney sports movie.

Will KG/Pierce/Allen finally get their first ring? Can Kobe win one without Shaq? Can Phil pass Red? Will I be able to stomach watching either of these teams' fans without wanting to gouge my fucking eyeballs out? (probably not)

More importantly, will people actually tune in to the NBA Finals this year?

Considering the week-long hype bukkake that the matchup is generating, it seems so. Please let this go to a game 7...