New episode up

Coming up next week is Tim's look at the entertainment of Austin, TX. Including Sixth Street, "A Nightmare on Elm Street" and Halloween in Austin.

Scream awards tonight

Here are some clips of the Scream awards, airing tonight at 10 p.m. on Spike TV. Video clips courtesy of Spike TV.

New day, new show

"Viewpoints On..." is no more.

Long live "Inscaped!"

Seriously though, for the past month we have been working on an update of "Viewpoints On..." to bring better quality and make it a part of the Inscaped brand. Now the show and the site are one big happy family.

We did this for two really good reasons.

First, about a month ago, we were approached with an idea to bring the show to television. Granted it is public access, but it is television none the less. Stephanie and I were beyond excited with this offer and after an informative meeting we accepted the deal. With the new show we not only get on TV, but upgrades in equipment and quality. Normally the show is done with just Stephanie, myself and a camera on a tripod.

With the new setup we are shooting in a professional studio with really nice cameras, a green screen and an executive producer (Emile Bradshaw) who handles all of the technical aspects of the show. These upgrades are a great thing for us and the show. Stephanie and I can now concentrate 100 percent on the creative aspects of the show and not have to worry too much about the tech side.

The new partnership has already brought forth some great ideas that either have been or will be made to the show very soon. Also a big thanks to Tony Rizo for the awesome Inscaped logo he designed for us.

And speaking of thanks, we would be horrible human beings if we didn't thank all the people who got "Viewpoints On..." to this point in history: Dan Segraves for being crazy enough to like my idea and help create it, Chris Wolf for co-hosting the first episode, Sandra Diaz for co-hosting the second episode and helping out with questions and segments, Corinne Love for "Corinn'ing out of control, Adrian Pascua for helping out behind the scenes and Chris Dietrich for filming a few episodes.

Inscaped Episode 01 from Viewpoints Online on Vimeo.

Worshipping at the church of U2

Going to a U2 concert is a spiritual experience.

Bono is your preacher, with his deacons The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullins. Together they take you on a roller coaster ride through anticipation, excitement and absolute bliss.

On Oct. 23 at Las Vegas's Sam Boyd Stadium I attended the church of U2 and all I can say is : Best. Concert. Ever.

The show was opened by The Black Eyed Peas who literally started the party with "Let's Get it Started" and had 50,000 people jumping up and down during "Pump It" and their show closer and latest chart-topper "I Gotta A Feeling."

Fergie took a couple minutes and had the crowd help her sing her hit "Big Girls Don't Cry" I have to say not only are The Black Eyed Peas an awesome live band but Fergie can really sing and now I have a bit of a girl crush.

After the Peas got the crowd ready and primed it was time for the main event and it was totally worth the wait.

Only U2 could put on a show that featured appearances by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and a Russian astronaut on the international space station.

One of the nicest moments of the show came when the band dedicated their song "Walk On" to wrongly arrested Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi. As Bono sang Amnesty International volunteers appeared on stage holding masks of Kyi's face. As they surrounded the outside of the elaborate stage Bono said, "Let her face be our face."

My favorite moment of the night came when the band played my two favorite songs back to back. After they played "One," Bono sang "Amazing Grace" and segued into "Where the Streets Have No Name," a moment that can only be described as breathtaking.

U2 have been together for more than 30 years so at this point their sound is close to perfect. This was never more prevalent than when the band played "Until the End of the World." The tightness of their sound and their talent as musicians was on full display during the last few minutes of this classic.

I really can't say enough about how talented and somehow underrated The Edge is. Not only is he an awesome guitarist, but, his unique guitar playing has become the sound people associate with U2.

From the spectacular stage design to the awesome Black Eyed Peas to the awe-inspiring U2 this was without a doubt the best show I've ever been to and something I will remember and talk about for years.

Geek out!

Sometimes a picture shows how much I am geeking out at this second:

Yes, that's the A-team!

Five word review: "Where the Wild Things Are"

*Check out my full review on the new episode being posted tomorrow evening.*

"Where the Wild Things Are" -

1. Beautiful

2. Amazing

3. Stunning

4. Funny

5. Heartwarming

Domo arigato 7-Eleven

With the weather warmed up, I thought to myself "A Slurpee sounds good right now."

Well, that and swimming in a nice, cool pool.

But, for those of us pool-challenged folk (or those with pools who are thirsty) there is a new promotion at 7-Eleven for Halloween surrounding the Japanese character of Domo.

For those not aware of Domo, he is a little brown monster with a wide open mouth with pointy teeth. Some might remember him as the mascot of Target's Halloween promotion last year.

Domo, who is the official mascot of the NHK television station in Japan, is pretty popular. In my trip to Tokyo in 2008 I saw plenty of examples of how much people love him. When walking into a few Riverside 7-Eleven stores, I noticed that Domo isn't hard to spot. He's on posters advertising everything from coffee to brownies to hot dogs.

But, it's the Domo Slurpees that are the main selling point. The flavor of the Domo Slurpee is "Fuji Frost," which is kind of funny considering the character of Domo has a strong dislike of apples.

The taste of the Domo Slurpee is good. It tastes like apples. It is sweet, but not overpowering. Think of it like the Baby Bear from "Goldilocks" of Slurpees... just right. There is a hint of an aftertaste that does stick with you a bit. Not necessarily a bad thing, but enough to think "Hmmm, interesting."

As part of the promotion the stores are also selling special Domo slurpee cups. The cups are $1.99 and come in three different designs. This might seem to be a little pricey, but the cups are made out of a durable plastic. I have a few from the "Terminator Salvation" promotion in May that are still good and have held up after dozens of dishwasher attacks. Plus, at 22 ounces, they are the perfect size for a regular drinking glass. If you don't mind serving killer machine or Japanese monster cups to guests.

For children (or curious anime loving adults) there are also special Domo straws for sale that come with four different Domo figurines; Hip-Hop Domo, Lucha Domo, candy obsessed Domo and headphones wearing Domo. Each straw is also $1.99. A unique feature of these straws is a plastic scoop at the bottom to help shovel that pesky last bit up Slurpee up.

And for the non-Slurpee loving crowd, 7-Eleven is also selling a small Domo coffee cup for 99 cents.

According to the 7-Eleven Web site, Domo is sticking around until Nov. 15 or while supplies last.

For more on Domo, check out http://www.domonation.com/.

Check out the Domo getting a brainfreeze from drinking Slurpees video, funny stuff.

Saying goodbye to a relationship

Breaking up is hard to do.

Breaking up with a television show seems to be a lot harder.

And sometimes more drama filled than a marathon of "Grey's Anatomy."

First a little background. It was around March of 2005, I was young and hopeful for the future. I met this wonderful television show named "The Office" and it was love at first sight.

I watched all the episodes, bought all the DVDs, played the horrible computer game and ransacked Target's dollar section of all its "Office" pens, papers and magnets.

It was a great relationship. I loved the show's sense of humor and even its kinder side like when Michael showed up to Pam's art show when no one else cared enough to.

And the show loved me watching. It got money out of me and got great word of mouth from me telling everyone how much I loved the show.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago. I was all ready for our big date for the season premiere of the show. I was a little disappointed. It didn't really seem like the show cared anymore. It was reusing old plot points that I have seen before. And the sense of humor that I had grown to love was missing.

As the weeks passed and more episodes were watched I came to a horrific realization.

We were growing apart.

I stuck with it enough to get to Jim and Pam's wedding. That's when I realized I needed to make a change. Jim and Pam have always been the good people on the show. Against everyone else who are basically horrible human beings. But now Jim and Pam were just as bad... and it broke my heart.

At the 35 minute point of the one hour episode I turned the episode off. I then told my friends that I was no longer going to watch "The Office." And they reacted like normal people would, questioning my reasons.

Somehow it even got back to my mother. She kept asking me "Are you sure you're going to stop watching?" and "But you've been watching for so long!" She even cut out an article in the Press-Enterprise with Jim and Pam on it.

As if to point out what I'd be missing. I fear that there is an intervention in my near future.

But there are other fish in the sea of Thursday nights at 9 p.m. I've known "CSI" for a number of years. And that "Fringe" show has been sending me messages on Facebook.

New episode up...

'Buffy:' The Best Episodes

Since I wrote about "Angel" yesterday and I'm all about equality, today I will list my top five favorite episodes of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

1. "Graduation Day: Part 2"-The third season finale gave fans everything they could want in an episode. A huge battle, classic Joss Whedon humor and a heart-wrenching goodbye. I still love watching it.
2. "Chosen"-Buffy leads her gang into one last battle, Willow becomes the witch she was meant to be and Spike saves the world. The ending a show of this caliber deserves.
3. "The Prom"-I know it may sound cheesy, but I get choked up when her classmates recognize Buffy for all she's done to keep them safe. It gives meaning to all she's sacrificed.
4. "Grave"-The season six finale was all about Allyson Hannigan as she effortlessly turned sweet Willow into Buffy's most dangerous foe. And there was the second plotline of Spike going through several trials to seemingly get the chip out of his head, but surprise it wasn't the chip he wanted out, it was his soul he wanted back. Just a fantastic hour of television.
5. "Innocence"-The audience's first meeting with Angelus was everlasting and made viewers sort of hope Buffy wouldn't succeed in turning him back, because everyone loves a bad boy.

Honorable Mentions: "Band Candy," "Becoming: Part 2" and "The Wish."

'Angel:' The Best Episodes

Every morning Tim and I have one conversation about the same topic. What episode of "Angel" almost made us late that day? Since the show is such a part of our daily lives, I've decided to compile a list of my top five favorite episodes.

1. "Smile Time"-Angel gets turned into a puppet, fights demonic puppets from hell and Wes and Fred finally get together. Comedy, romance, puppet fights; it's Joss Whedon at his best.
2. "Hero"-The stunning conclusion of this episode is what proves that Whedon is not like other writers. He is willing to break viewer's hearts to give them what they didn't know they wanted.
3. "Not Fade Away"-It is a rare series ending that can leave you satisfied and wanting more at the same time. This is accomplished by having all the major characters take part in huge battles while setting the scene for an even bigger fight.
4. "I Will Remember You"-This episode gives long time "Buffy" fans what they've always wanted, a Buffy/Angel reunion, but then cruelly snatches it away from them when the greater good must be served.
5. "Orpheus"-Anytime we get to see Angelus, it's a good episode. But here we not only get an inside view of Angel's constant inner struggle, but we also get some great Eliza Dushku fight scenes, so it's win-win.

I love Michael but...

Today the nominees were announced for the American Music Awards and predictably Taylor Swift leads the nominations with six. However, right behind her with five is Michael Jackson.

Among the categories he's nominated in are Artist of the year, favorite male artist pop/rock and soul/r&b.

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Michael's and I absolutely think he should be honored for his work, but let's be honest they're basically honoring him for dying.

If they just decided to give him Artist of the year without having any other nominees or named the award after him, that would be appropriate. However, it feels a little wrong to place an artist in a category with current chart-toppers when he hasn't released new music in years.

It's also extremely unfair to the other nominees because while I love Jamie Foxx's "Blame It," it's no "Billie Jean" and Foxx would be the first to admit that.

The American Music Awards producers' hearts were in the right place but the execution should have gone a little differently.

Where's the 'Stargate' in 'Stargate: Universe'

Right up front I want to let everyone know that I'm a huge "Stargate" fan. I've seen every episode of both shows and know a ridiculous amount of useless facts about the characters and stories.

So, when news came of a new "Stargate" TV show, I was excited. However, the show's producers said that it would be darker and more character driven than the previous two shows. This worried me since the chemistry among the crews and the distinctive sense of humor are two of the reasons for the franchise's success.

Though I feel unsure of this new direction, I still decided to give it a chance, because hey, it's still "Stargate."

However, after watching the first three hours of "Stargate: Universe," I'm beginning to think the show is just an average sci-fi show with only a passing connection to the franchise.

Don't get me wrong there are fun characters and an interesting premise but the execution is underwhelming so far. The latest episode left me bored and flipping channels 15 minutes in.

So, "Stargate: Universe" I'm putting you on notice, if you don't get it together I may have to continue to get my "Stargate" fix from "SG:1" and "Atlantis."

You don't have to reinvent the wheel just do what has already been successful for 15 seasons.

New episode NOT up

Today at the international Inscaped plaza we suffered what could only be called "technical issues" that prevented us from filming a new episode.

Our crack team of 50 tech professionals will spend all weekend working out the kinks and assure us that we'll be ready to shoot Monday.

In the meantime here is a glimpse of what will be discussed on the show:

"Wanna See It?" - Reviews of "Surrogates" and "Capitalism: A Love Story." And a look at the week's new releases including "Couple's Retreat," "Good Hair" and the expansion of "Paranormal Activity."

Our lists of the fall television's best and worst have changed a bit. Some shows got bumped up to "Eh" and "Good" while one or two will be getting Dear John letters. A hint? I use Dunder Mifflin paper to write my break up letters.

In news it has been a strange week of odd announcements including casting for "Predators" and a report of a "Hawaii 5-0" remake for CBS.

Check back Monday for a new episode of "Viewpoints On..."

Dear "Smallville" and "Heroes"

Today Entertainment Weekly had a photo gallery up about which shows people are breaking up with this season. I have decided to share my break-up letters with two longtime loves.

Dear "Heroes,"

We need to talk. You are not the show I started watching four years ago. You clearly no longer care for my feelings, evidenced by the firing of Bryan Fuller and the continuing amounts of airtime given to Claire and Peter. Plus, your continuing bouts of plot amnesia make it increasingly hard for me to keep up with your shenanigans. For these reasons and many more, I must tell you it's over.

No, don't try to talk me out of it, it's too late, we can't be saved. I'm moving on and I'm taking custody of Zachary Quinto.

Dear "Smallville,"

I already told you two years ago that it was over, but you can't seem to accept the truth. You continue to beat the dead horse that is our relationship. Listen we had five or six good years but our time is over, you can't continue to live in denial. Maybe we can be friends if you suddenly decide to start flying, but until then, we're through.

The strange world of sequels

In the movie world it is commonly known that a sequel can suck. There are so many examples that my hands would bleed from typing them all out. I will quickly mention "Scream 2" though. Or "Transformers 2."

Sorry, the door was open, I had to!

But, in the world of video games sequels are supposed to rock. "Halo 2," "Street Fighter 2," "Resident Evil 2," "Super Mario Bros. 2" and "WWF: No Mercy" (Holy crap, did that game rock back in the day.)

Then what in the blue hell happened with "Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2"?

I loved the first one. Like addicted-ly loved it. I must have played that straight through a couple of times. Everything was good; the graphics, the characters, the cut scenes, the voice acting.

Man, what a game.

Then a new company took over.

And all hell broke loose.

I ran out to Best Buy and put down $29.99 for the PS2 version when it came out a few weeks ago. And, within minutes, wanted to either cry or break the friggin' game.

Let's break it down:

The graphics - If the graphics in the first game were good, then why are they bad in this one? Shouldn't they have the same program from the first one? All you need to do is IMPROVE it then, not take several steps back. But, that seems to be a lingering thread here.

The characters - Out of all the "new" characters in the game, you really only get 5-6 new ones. The rest are leftovers from the old game or its predecessor "X-men Legends." And for those who don't believe me then really just compare Jean Grey and Invisible Woman. All of the other characters are from the old games! And with the same powers. Plus, I found some sort of weird bug with Green Goblin which caused him to not have any power to use any of his powers.

The cut scenes - Where the first "Ultimate Alliance" had great cut scenes, I could watch that opening cut scene over and over, this one? Not so much. Most of them are like crude drawings that show us what is going on. Like they ran out of money and memory to do good ones.

The voice acting - Is beyond bad, when it's there. There are a lot of points when one side would talk and another character would just be text.

It is a horrible excuse of a game with a ton of glitches and bugs. Save the three citizens and still can't continue on? Well, just reload the level a couple of times. And don't get me started on the Auto Save "feature" or as I like to call it "The Let's-Make-Tim-Pissed" feature.

Save your money and then be mad at NSpace. Of course... they also made the "Hannah Montana" video game.

Like picking your favorite child

Sometimes at the global headquarters of Inscaped, when Stephanie and I are diligently working hard we need to listen to a little music to lighten the mood.

The other day was a Weezer day, just a day when I would play the next song on YouTube depending on what was in the Related Videos tab.

A few started popping up with "The Top 10 Weezer songs." That made me think, out loud, why I have never made a list. Especially considering they are my favorite band.

So, I did. And I'll spoil the top spot right here. One thing that annoyed me with a lot of lists I saw was the exclusion of "Say It Aint So," which is arguably the best Weezer song ever. Any list not including it was automatically dq'd.

Don't agree? Let's take this outside. I'll meet you there at 12:30, right behind the library.

Now that No. 1 is spoiled, sorry for the lack of spoiler alerts, here are the top three songs from each Weezer CD plus my favorite unlreased track.

The "Blue" album - "Surf Wax," "Only in Dreams," "Say It Aint So."

"Pinkerton" - "Why Bother," "Across the Sea," "The Good Life."

The "Green" album - "Hash Pipe," "Photograph," "Island in the Sun."

"Maladriot" - "Keep Fishin’," "Take Control," "Possibilities."

"Make Believe" - "Peace," "This is Such a Pity," "Haunt You Every Day."

The "Red" album - "Pork and Beans," "Thought I Knew," "The Angel and the One."

And the unreleased track "Hey Domingo," which I love beyond words and can't fathom why it was never released. Check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WD0ht2g2s0

Now this list is not in any sort of order besides "Say It Aint So" at No. 1. And that's not to say there are a ton more Weezer songs I love. Songs like "Undone the Sweater Song," "Buddy Holly," "Perfect Situation," "O, Girlfriend," "Slob" and many more.

There are also many reasons why I love each song. An example would be "Pork and Beans" because it came out right before I went to Japan and I must have played that song dozens of times over there because it was uplifting and now I'll always connect it with going to Tokyo.

Explaining the rest? Maybe another day and another blog.

A funny thing happened today

In the latest episode of "Viewpoints On..." (which you can clicky-click below) Stephanie and I talked about all of the new fall television shows we watched.

Both of us, strangely enough, watched 18 shows each. We pretty much agreed on everything, which told both of us that we spend way too much time around each other.

Oh, and we are probably right.

On a whim toward the end of the segment about television I said that our lists might change as the fall season progresses.

Little did I know it would take a matter of days.

I just got done watching the third episode of "Community" and I laughed my butt off. Not literally of course.

I don't mean to veer off course, but where did that phrase ever come from? A gold star to whoever can tell me.

Anywho, back to the point.

I was not impressed at all with the first two episodes, but something about this one really clicked with me.

They even had a Weezer joke! Of course you know I went crazy for that.

Maybe I was right to give the show ONE more chance. Maybe this is a lesson to learn for all new shows... you have to give them at least 3-4 episodes to really see if they are worth watching.

Well, except "Mercy." You couldn't pay me to keep watching that.

New episode up...