From Erik's Kitchen: Watermelon Salsa

So it's gotten warm, which means it's time for the people who were just complaining earlier this week about how cold it was to now complain about the heat.  Sure, the humidity might be a factor in comfort, but I've only had a few times in my life where it was unbearable (and all of those times were in Virginia).

But hey, if you want something that's nice and refreshing (as the people at my office hopefully enjoyed today), here's a relatively simple (relative in the sense that you can chop things to a size you prefer) recip for watermelon salsa that I got from Food Network Magazine (and, to be completely accurate, Trisha Yearwood).

Let's Talk: Drinking

Today I overheard someone lament the days of yore when their consumption of alcohol was, apparently, much higher than it is now.  There was moment of pining for the old days, of overconsumption to the point of "blacking out and not remembering it the next day."

Inside my head, I was thinking "That's probably the saddest thing I'm going to hear all day."  Well, right now it's 6:15 in the evening and, so far, it still is.

Now, I don't frown at drinking in general.  I'm mostly a social drinker, I'll have something when other people are having something.  I don't do much in the way of beer or ale, but I like drinks with vodka, rum, gin, and other alcohols in them.  I've mastered some really great techniques for martinis, margaritas, and other mixed drinks, and apparently I make one of the best Tequila Sunrises a few people I know have ever had.

But drinking and I have a weird connection, and I think it's influenced how I've looked at people who do overconsume.

Ask Erik: Episode Nineteen

Here at Ask Erik, we've spent a lot of time reading books and comics, watching movies, and browsing through the Internet in the hopes of finding the answers to life's biggest mysteries.  Is the Xbox One the future we always imagined it would be, or the start of a Big Brother oversight group?  Could America grow as an agricultural nation to supply food to other developing nation, or are our roots as cultivators too far gone?  Exactly how was Universal Soldier "universal?"  I'm pretty sure he couldn't breathe in space.

Having instead amassed a vault of useless knowledge stored in his head, Erik instead tackles your questions and tries to find the answers you care about (or a reasonable facsimile).  Or, if you don't care, he'll at least try to make you laugh and forget you just wasted time you could spend doing anything else.

Erik Reviews....Seriously?

I own some great comic books.  Certain titles that I think told excellent stories, had amazing art, and could provide a serious look at the world around us while providing some keen insight into society and what's coming.  Granted, I don't own a lot of the "greatest" comics, like Watchmen, V For Vendetta, The Dark Knight Returns, or Maus.  But I've read them, and I think they're great.  Especially Maus.

I also own some comics that are so bad they're awesome (and some that shoot straight past awesome again and go straight back into bad.)  I own comics that are romantic, action-packed, gritty, and hilarious.

And then there are the books I own for a single solitary reason that usually pertains to that one book.  I bought some for a single line of dialogue, a single reference to something happening in the world, or a single spectacular piece of artwork.

And then there's a book like the My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic that I picked up because it has more pop culture references in it than an entire season of Family Guy.  Including, and I'm not making any of this up, one pony giving another pony the "be nice until it's time to stop being nice" speech from Roadhouse, a cameo from Mola Ram (the bad guy who pulled out hearts in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom), and Rule Number One from Anchorman.  Already, we know is is going to be mind-blowing.

Reviewing Is Magic: Episode Twenty-Three

Acting on what was, in essence, the universe daring him to watch an episode, Erik sat down and started watching My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic.  It is, by far, the most insane program he ever watched in his life.

Keep in mind, he used to watch a show where the opening title sequence involved Daniel-San, the original Karate Kid, jumping from a torpedo launched from a submarine to grab Mr. Miyagi hanging upside down from the axle of a prop propeller airplane.

Why couldn't they have made THAT into a movie instead of the one with Hillary Swank?

After the jump, he'll break down another episode and discuss what makes it good, what makes it bad, and what makes it just outright crazy.  This week's theme?  Nostalgia, remembrance, and growing up. Well, that and seeing how you design the Statue of Liberty so it's actually a horse.  Yeah, madness awaits.

Apples To Apples

I looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooove games.  I love video games, I love computer games, I love crossword puzzles, I love mind games, I love actual "assemble the pieces" puzzles, I love board games, I love card games, I love anything that can be considered a game.

...well, okay, not every game.  Things that involve one animal fighting another for sport I find rather deplorable.  I'm not a huge fan of buzkashi (though I respect the ingenuity).  Chess Boxing just puzzles me.

But if I had to pick a game that exploded in this country a few years ago and has been one I can casually mention in a group of people and have at least one person know what I'm talking about, it's Apples To Apples.

Mythbusters

In a recent conversation I had with someone, the topic of Mythbusters came up.  If I remember correctly, the subject of Daddy Long Legs had come up, and we wound up discussing if they could bite people.  I mentioned that I thought a Mythbusters episode had proved they could.  The conversation quickly swung around to whether or not Mythbusters was "good science."

I've loved the show since the first time I watched it, but the question remains...is Mythbusters a reliable source for "science" or just for entertainment?

Ask Erik: Episode Eighteen

Here at Ask Erik, we've spent a lot of time reading books and comics, watching movies, and browsing through the Internet in the hopes of finding the answers to life's biggest mysteries.  What impact does Kickstarter have on smaller independent groups trying to get noticed?  Have we lost touch with simpler times with the bombardment of new technology? Does anybody else remember that the monster truck Bigfoot once was part of a cartoon cast of video game characters?

Having instead amassed a vault of useless knowledge stored in his head, Erik instead tackles your questions and tries to find the answers you care about (or a reasonable facsimile).  Or, if you don't care, he'll at least try to make you laugh and forget you just wasted time you could spend doing anything else.

How Geoguessr Ruined My Life

People who know me know I love traveling.  Put me in any major city, and I'll start poking into every nook and cranny I can find to locate the best sites outside of your standard tourist traps.  In Rome I found the best food I ate at a restaurant off the beaten path.  In Ireland I found an entire park hidden away off the main roads that was tranquil and pristine.  Of course, I also found a burned out house that was stripped bare, save for a single charred painting hanging on a wall.  Even cities in the United States have given up their secrets to me, from San Francisco to Augusta, from Orlando to Seattle.

However, I've been able to balance my love of travel with being "normal."  I've maintained a job, limited social life, and kept up to date on a lot of major events.  That's all changed now.  Now, my life is essentially over, and it's all the fault of Geoguessr.

Reviewing is Magic: Episode Twenty-Two

Acting on what was, in essence, the universe daring him to watch an episode, Erik sat down and started watching My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic.  It is, by far, the most insane program he ever watched in his life.

Keep in mind, he used to watch a show where Lady Jaye was attacked not only by a giant purple python, but was about to be sacrificed to a one-eyed pink tentacle creature.

Neither of those are metaphors.

After the jump, he'll break down another episode and discuss what makes it good, what makes it bad, and what makes it just outright crazy.  This week's theme?  Stealing is bad, unless you're doing it for good reasons!  ...wait.

Zero Punctuation

I've commented before about how much respect and admiration I had for Roger Ebert, and about how it was his influence that taught me to be willing to do more than just pick apart details for the sake of picking them apart, but to use that to be able to recognize the truly excellent examples of media.  If I focus on how the water moves in one game, it's only because I've played Hydrophobia and saw how great water can look. It doesn't stop me from enjoying a game, movie, or book, though, when I notice a detail that I think could be done better.

But there's another kind of critic.  The kind that simply focuses on the negative, that believes that most praise anything deserves is "it's great or it's crap." 

And yet, somehow they can be some of the most insightful critics, sometimes, because they'll always be willing to step back away from the show and look at what's happening behind the scenes or out of the spotlight to find where the stage foundation has mold or the backdrop is just cardboard with sparkles on it and man, this analogy has become really strained.

So yeah, let's just talk about Yahtzee Croshaw and Zero Punctuation.

Review: Bioshock Infinite

The original Bioshock was (and still is) one of my favorite video games of all time (I was going to include it in a series called "Erik's Favorite Things" that's coming up, but I guess that's shot now).  I loved the setting, I loved the story, I loved the surprise twist, I loved everything about it...while I was playing it.  Looking back now, I know it wasn't a perfect game.  I mean, it had a few issues.

Like the fact I could get punched by a Big Daddy when it was on the other side of a wall (which is fine, but I expect the wall to fall down afterward).  The first Big Daddy you meet in the game, I found a room you have to crawl into to be safe, and I'd just wait for him to partially phase through the wall trying to get me and shoot him then, just out of reach.

Or there was the fact I'd get shot by a machine gun turret, but all of the bad guys between me and it were somehow able to phase through the bullets.  Or there was the fact that I'd get stuck while running away from things because I didn't realize there was a single, lone half-brick on the ground in front of me, and I had to step backwards because I couldn't go to the side once I hit it, either.

But it was a great game.  Bioshock 2...I enjoyed, but not as much.  So when another new Bioshock game was announced, I got excited, but I tried to maintain a logical sense of "just because you want it to be good doesn't mean it will be good."

Then I saw the first trailer and I was lost.  I was counting down days.  I tried to play it cool, but inside I was picking apart details from every screenshot, every trailer, and every interview.  So, was it good?  Let's find out.

Ask Erik: Episode Seventeen

Here at Ask Erik, we've spent a lot of time reading books and comics, watching movies, and browsing through the Internet in the hopes of finding the answers to life's biggest mysteries.  Is there truly a zen message throughout The Big Lebowski?  How will technology change the very way we get our food?  Why do people drink coffee?  That stuff tastes terrible.

Having instead amassed a vault of useless knowledge stored in his head, Erik instead tackles your questions and tries to find the answers you care about (or a reasonable facsimile).  Or, if you don't care, he'll at least try to make you laugh and forget you just wasted time you could spend doing anything else.

Podblast! The Walking Eye

Some days, you just have to tune out everything and listen to something that makes you happy.

For that, they invented the podcast, the carry anywhere, listen anytime  radio program.  And there are podcasts about everything.  You want a podcast where people discuss MacGyver's science to see if it holds up?  It exists.  You want a podcast that breaks down each and every episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation?  There's at least one of those.  You want a podcast about sex techniques and health?  ...yeah, some exist.  Look, talk to me later, I'll give you some names.

In Podblast, I discuss podcasts I carry around on my little mp3 player, and discuss just what it is I like about them.

Or, in this case, what I don't like about them.

Reviewing Is Magic: Episode Twenty-One

Okay, normally here I use my standard stock introduction for my reviews of this series where I talk about how I first watched this program "on a dare" and found it "so crazy."  And this is all true.  But this episode....man, this episode.

I've commented before that a "very special episode" that raises awareness of issues is a very delicate subject.  Some programs handle them well, some don't.  In fact, I even discussed this topic in a post that alluded to my eventually reaching this exact episode.  If you haven't read it, go back.  It has some clever jokes.

But yeah, this is it.  This is the big one.  This is the one that, as I watched, my brain simply rejected everything I was watching as a fit of drug-induced madness and I was forced to watch it again just to convince myself it was real.  The least strange thing about it?  The fact that a pony reads bedtime stories to a tree.

So let's do it.  Let's discuss the episode of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic that talks about western expansionism versus Native American holy land and traditions!  For kids!

Take The Lead

Okay, for the past few days (barring my quick dabble in life sciences), I've done my best to spotlight what some might some consider some high points in female characterization in video games, and what some might consider some low points in female characterization in video games.

And I'm pretty sure there are a lot of people who would tell me I did an absolutely terrible job at the first bit, and people who don't get it that would say I did a miserable job at the second.

So we're going away from video games completely today, and looking at one of my guilty pleasure movies: Take The Lead.

Top Eleven: Video Game Women Teenage Erik Would've Shelled Out Money For A Game Just To See Them In It

Damn you, C.P.  You know who you are.

In my last top eleven, I discussed female characters that I found to be great in video games.  Some had some issues (Juliet Starling is by no means perfect, I've said several times before), and some were quite solid, but I really thought each one had something that made them special in a form of media that can either leave a women to simply be so much eye candy, to be regulated to a maternal/healer type, or simply have it be the princess waiting to be rescued.

But apparently that's not enough for some people.  Some people apparently want to see just how low I can bring myself down and turn on that base part of the human brain that thought that USA Up All Night and late-night Cinemax were the greatest inventions mankind ever created.  The part of my brain that thought the picture of Teri Hatcher wearing nothing but a Superman cape wrapped around her was the pinnacle of art.  The part of my brain that was actually willing to give Melrose Place a chance because, the first time I accidentally channel surfed past it, Josie Bissett took her shirt off.

(That one didn't last long.  ...at least, not the first time I figured I'd try watching.  Now, when Laura Leighton joined the cast, I stuck around for a few more episodes)

In other words, they want me to act like a teenager again.  That sound you hear is teenage me trying to go Superboy Prime  and high-five me through time and space.

So here it is, the top eleven characters that, if I had the money at the time and/or could sneak it into the house, I probably would've bought the game just to see these women.

...I'm going to feel so dirty after this.

Ask Erik: Episode Sixteen

Here at Ask Erik, we've spent a lot of time reading books and comics, watching movies, and browsing through the Internet in the hopes of finding the answers to life's biggest mysteries.  What are the odds of a meteor strike on Earth?  Why can't food scientists ever agree on what's healthy and what isn't healthy?  Why hasn't The Philanthropist been put on DVD yet?

Having instead amassed a vault of useless knowledge stored in his head, Erik instead tackles your questions and tries to find the answers you care about (or a reasonable facsimile).  Or, if you don't care, he'll at least try to make you laugh and forget you just wasted time you could spend doing anything else.

Top Eleven: Interesting Video Game Women

If I had to think back to all the video games I've played (and there's a lot), I'd probably notice an interesting trend.  A lot of the games with a female lead (or optional lead) tend to be more fun than the games with male leads.  It might be simply that a game with a female lead might need tighter controls and game play to sell as many units as a game where a guy is the lead star, but I think it goes deeper than that.

I'm going to take a look at why I think this might be (just an initial impression, and one I'll probably touch on later once I have more hard data), and also present what I feel are eleven of the best female characters in video games.

Reviewing Is Magic: Episode Twenty

Acting on what was, in essence, the universe daring him to watch an episode, Erik sat down and started watching My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic.  It is, by far, the most insane program he ever watched in his life.

Keep in mind, he used to watch a show about a young woman who lead a double life as the world's biggest rock star with the help of a supercomputer that could cast illusions.  It was the original Hannah Montana, except with an evil rock group who attempted to murder the lead character several times.

After the jump, he'll break down another episode and discuss what makes it good, what makes it bad, and what makes it just outright crazy.  This week's theme?  The backstabby world of professional modeling.

...yeah, hopefully we get another action episode soon.

Celtic Grooves (or "How I learned to stop a bheith buartha and love the remix")

Music's always been important in my life.  I grew up in a house that had "classic oldies" like Buddy Holly, Elvis (Presley and Costello), The Beach Boys, and Diana Ross playing in the house, and on the road I'd get to listen to the newer hits of the 80s.  In the 90s, I stuck with some pop music, but started to explore more classic rock and classical music, finding myself drifting from rock opera to classic opera.  I got my feet wet in the world of R&B and rap, but didn't really dig deep until the start of the 2000s, where I also spent some time looking for the gems in disco and discovering the fascinating world of electronic music and dance beats.  I started to explore international music, from the rhythms in Africa to lighter wind music from Ireland to the pop music and classic music from Japan to Latin soul.  I dove into new age music, listening to David Arkenstone non-stop.

In other words, my car radio presets will show you that I have some very varied tastes in music, and pretty much the only music I haven't spent much time listening to is deep redneck country and bluegrass, though I'm starting to discover the link that bluegrass has to many other music types.

So when I come upon something interesting in music that excites me, it's usually something special.  Such as a remix of classic Irish tunes involving fiddles and pan flutes.

Let's Talk: Kids, Science, and Punishments

Every now and again, I like to take a moment to discuss something that directly affects me.  It might be a post a friend makes on Facebook, it might be a comment I hear on the street, it might be something in the news.

Today, I read something in the news that, I don't know why, but it just really, really bothered me.  Here's the news story that triggered it.  My opinions follow after the cut.

Ask Erik: Episode Fifteen

Here at Ask Erik, we've spent a lot of time reading books and comics, watching movies, and browsing through the Internet in the hopes of finding the answers to life's biggest mysteries.  Is there such a thing as a perfect circle occurring in nature?  Why do certain colors influence our brains in certain ways?  What's the point of Delaware?

Having instead amassed a vault of useless knowledge stored in his head, Erik instead tackles your questions and tries to find the answers you care about (or a reasonable facsimile).  Or, if you don't care, he'll at least try to make you laugh and forget you just wasted time you could spend doing anything else.