Good Shiznit

I have another post in the works but for now here's some of my current favs on The Youtube and some other crap.

• Peter Beste - A pretty cool photographer that has made books about the Houston rap scene and Norwegian black metal. Imagine if you got those two sub-cultures together...
  

• Do not smoke weed at the University of Houston or you might get a hurt bum-bum.

• Salad Fingers - Probably one of the most disturbingly series of Flash videos I've ever seen. Check out the link for the rest of the videos in the 6-part series.

• Billy Mays Spoofs - According to his Wiki entry, his sales pitch and beard make the panties drop. Okay, not really...

• Mets Fans Take It Up The... For those who haven't seen this real man of genius. Take note of the bawla behind this douche-bag.

City of Suck

Normally I will not post blogs about sports. This is a topic that is best discussed with good friends while consuming mass amounts of booze 'till six in da mownin. However, from time to time I will make an exception when I'm exceptionally irritated.

After watching the Rockets complete a meltdown during the final stretch of the game tonight versus the Lakers, I could not help but feel completely disgusted. Not just because of the degenerate Kobe grundel lickers that snuck into our suite and guzzled our booze, but because the Rockets did what the city of Houston does so frequently: choke. 

Houston is a relatively acquiescent city without a winning tradition so there is a sense of apathy when we come up short. From the franchise owners down to team superstars, there's an attitude within Houston teams that encourages the idea that losing is acceptable. We've seen it time and time again after the spectacular flameouts; the "there's always next year" and "the ball just didn't bounce our way" routines are almost the norm now. The huge problem is that the fans are constantly let down and compared to other major market cities, they have endured more heartache and postseason failures then anyone. 

Face it, Houston sports fans are not as passionate as New York, Boston, Chicago and even L.A. fans. Those cities have winning traditions that are unparalleled (with the exception of the Cubs). Houston fans for the most part subscribe to a instant gratification mentality. If you're winning, we're there; losing, fahgetaboutit. Still, this is not just because of a lasse faire attitude toward the teams, it's more that the personal investment that a fan puts into following a franchise known for dramatic failure can wear on the human psyche. After decades of failure, people just get to the point where they become indifferent to the whole thing because they'd rather not deal with the inevitable heartbreak they must go through annually.

I'm just tired of loser mentality that flows through Houston. We're essentially the little retarded brother of all the other major cities; we want to play with the big kids, but they just pat our heads and say "Maybe next time, Houston." From business (Enron, Stanford Financial) to sports (sorry Aeros, Comets and Dynamo - face it, no one cares about your measly accomplishments)  we're more known for our notorious failures than anything else. It just gets old being a whipping boy for the rest of the nation and a majority of Houstonians accepting their role as the damned. Yet the sad thing is that there is no end in sight.  

• Here's a great compilation of Houston's greatest sports choke jobs.
  
• The game that inspired this off-beat rant (We can't even get HD highlights)
• Two of the top ten all-time chokes were from Houston. Suprised?
  

Stay Ganxt.

Kindle 2

The Kindle 2 from Amazon officially drops today and I have to say that I am completely intrigued by this device. Some people might think it is too expensive and it really doesn't do all that much. However, if you read maybe more than, uh..., one book a year, the Kindle 2 can be extremely beneficial.


The portability and ease of access really excite me. Part of the appeal of the iPod was that music libraries could be consolidated into a portable device. I don't know about most people, but I don't really miss traveling with a CD Walkman and about 10 discs in my backpack at all times. Why shouldn't there be a device that accomplishes the same with books? Some purists might argue that there is a intrinsic quality to a physical library and I don't necessarily disagree. Still, I like the fact that I can have hit the road with a device as thin as a pencil that can store over 1500 books, while automtically marking where I left off in each of the books I might be reading.

The typeface is another great selling point. The reason that devices like these have failed miserably in the past is because no one could perfect the display. It truly sucks reading on a computer screen all day while fumbling around for the bottle of Advil to kill a fat headache. The Kindle typeface is actually easier on the eyes than a normal book and the font is adjustable to different sizes. In the words of LaDanian Tomlinson "It's clear, crisp. That's why I got a Visio". Shit, wrong product.

The most serious drawback is probably the price. At $359, it's not really a device that is geared to a person who reads an occasional book here or there. If you look at it as somewhat of an investment, though, you can see a great return. All New York Times bestsellers are priced around $9.99 with a good majority of other titles pricing at around $5-7. I really don't feel like computing how many Kindle books it would take to see a return, but feel free. Considering that you get free wi-fi service(similar to a 3G network), it is still competitvely priced.

Check this video of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on the Daily Show. Jon: stop being a condescending bastard, and Jeff: stop laughing like an idiot.

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Jeff Bezos

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things With Demetri Martin

Funny Political News
Joke of the Day

Also Lamb Of God released their new album "Wrath" today so I leave you with their new single "Set To Fail". Enjoy and show those horns.

My Inner Boy Wonder

After about a decade long absence from the comic world, I took the plunge back in and have been immersed in it for about a year now. The comic that was responsible for the journey back into pre-pubescent times of glory was Preacher. After a few friends suggested it, I picked it up and was absolutely enthralled. When the hell were comics produced by well-known publishers like DC allowed to be so controversial? Surely a book that is capable of offending Satan himself had to be published by some skeezy independent firm! Preacher gave me solace in the fact that despite the continuous global movement of pussification, some people are not afraid to call it like they see it.  My interest in the whole medium again was instantly renewed, which moved me to discover the classics such as Arkham Asylum, The Sandman, and The Watchmen, books that paved the way for titles such as Preacher. For that I am truly thankful...

My general taste in comics is more for the adult-orientated titles rather than the well-known staples of the industry. I tend to lean toward books that are politically incorrect, and those who explore the seedy aspects of the human condition. The traditional super hero tales such as Spiderman, Superman, and X-Men (Batman cannot be lumped in with these titles; the psychological darkness of the characters alone put it on a different level completely) are simply not my thing. I respect the contributions those titles made to the overall progression of the industry but I can't really feel comics that tie weak gimmicks into the already tame and vanilla story line.

Here are some of my favorites at the moment:

• The Goon : This series about an ex-carny roughneck and his eccentric sidekick is probably the funniest book out there. With all aspects of the book handled by creator Eric Powell, the Goon's quest to collect his dough while combatting zombies, witch doctors, and mad scientists told with a slight 1920's pulp/noir style make it one the best out there. 
• The Dark Tower Series : Based on Stephen King's 27 book long series, the Dark Tower books explore the development of Roland of Gilead without the 100+ pages of filler King puts into all his book. Packed with incredible art by Jae Lee and breakthrough coloring by Richard Isanove, this violent beginning of Roland's gunslinging days surely does not disappoint.
• The Exterminators: A relatively short-lived series on DC's infamous Vertigo line, The Exterminators explores the psyche of a professional bug killer while maintaining a very suspenseful, hilarious and shocking story through the books. This series is not for the weak of heart (or mind, for that matter) so be prepared to be fully disgusted while laughing your ass off. Supposedly there's even a Showtime series based on The Exterminators in the works.

Adios Nugros.