Why we Still Listen to Bush

So here's another installment in my attempt to understand music that just doesn't seem to die. Here we listen to Bush and some of what makes them still producing stuff for the masses. And since they just came out with an album recently, their first one in a long time, I figure what the hell. Let's not delay much longer ladies and gents. So here is my synopsis of why we listen to those crazy ass Brits, Bush.


• They're the only other good music act besides the Beatles and The Who that came from the UK : When it comes to rock, I tend to stick to stuff that's stateside.  not to say that acts outside of the states aren't bad ass either.  I know for a fact that music is an international language, and since I'm stateside, I figure why not profile something abroad.  And I've been a fan of them since I got interested in rock back in the mid 90's.  It seems that every decade or so something big comes from England, like in the 60's you had The Beatles and The Who, 70's you had Queen, in the 2000's I was a little fascinated by The Darkness, well, not much, but their b-sides were decent.  But I'm a ninety's cat and I liked the sounds of Bush back then.  They were the it sound back then, and made themselves known for their fusion of alternative and quasi-electronic sound in later years.  Take it as you wish, but I like it.


• Gavin Rossdale is married to Gwen Stefani : The sunnuvabitch, you know the saying some guys have all the luck.  Well this is one of those guys.  A talented hottie like Gwen Stefani of No Doubt fame with the likes of Gavin Rossdale. I mean I guess I still liked her when she was still punk not pop and all chic.  Not to say that she isn't a hottie now, but she was then and I was in to their music with the whole punk/ska thing back then too.  It just does not compute in my book.  But then again look at Shannon Tweed and Gene Simmons...  But that's another topic.


• A refreshing change from the 90's grunge movement : By far the best part of 90's music in my opinion was grunge.  With greats like Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Nirvana, Foo Fighters, and a whole slew of others, it's kind of hard to like one from another without pissing some people off.  So you look for new sounds that are just a little off the beaten path.  The second I heard Machinehead I was hooked.  I was 14 and bought Sixteen Stone and the next year Razorblade Suitcase which I thought was their best work.  And like most things 90's had to change for something stupid.  Metallica were becoming less and less metal.  Rap music became more about cash, cars, bling, and bitches.  Ska music had a revival for like an 18-month span and then crapped it's bed hardly to be heard from again.  Grunge music were slowly turning for more ballad and alternative stylings.  And Bush became more electronic and stupid with The Science of Things, and eventually their whale of a fail in my book Golden State.  Which leads me to my next bullet point.


• Their new stuff sound like their old stuff : This isn't all that bad.  Very Razorblade Suitcase-ish in it's delivery.  It makes me want to listen to it more and more.  Maybe they're not trying to gain new fans, just regain the ones that were wanting more from them during their breakup.  It seems pretty damn good in my book and I would recommend it.  And I think that's why we still listen to Bush, because they do have potential if they don't try to alter their formula.  Stick to what you know works, look at AC/DC.  They haven't changed shit since the 70's on how they deliver their music and still people friggin' love those Aussies.  Just goes to show the old adage, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.


So there's my perspective on why we still listen to Bush.  It isn't really much like the greats like I profiled from before with Biggie and 'tallica, but still, it's pretty damn good in their own rights, and I have my reasons on why I picked them.  Mainly because I'm a 90's junkie when it came to music and that's just my thing.  Now to break out the guitar and start playing some Everything's Zen.


BootLeG sampler.. signing out

Why We Still Listen to Notorious B.I.G.

So that we're finally done with GAMESHOW MONTH, we can get back to basics.  And what's more basic than a little old school rapping.

Honestly this should be titled "Why We Should Still be Listening to Notorious B.I.G." because honestly after he died, rap music in my opinion started to die as well. I'll admit that I didn't care much for any newer crap that came out after that. I'm certain that some of it is good (listening to the Office Space soundtrack right now), but I'm willing to bet that at minimum 90% of the stuff out now has gone so far from their roots that it's nothing more than auto-tuned vocals with drum beats from a machine so simple that my son could've created it and borderline pop music. And I'm not about to go down that road to hell again. So here's my tribute to one of the greatest rappers that ever lived and the legacy he left. I just wish these damn fools nowadays would learn and improve their crap to something close to what he'd done. 

• He was Big Papa :: He was hands down one of the best rappers by far. And that's not just me, that's actual critics, fans, and other rap artists. He knew what to say and how to say it even if he was dissing who he was talking about they were still in awe and wonder. Biggie and only, ONLY a handful of other artists could make such an impact. He spoke of having more money and more problems cause it was true. He was straight hood prior to making it big. He didn't fake it like most of these fools talking about nothing but bling and bitches like it was a golden nugget that fallen out of their asses. If you believe that, I'm here to tell you that that ain't gold, that's corn cause it ain't nothin but bullshit. 

• No Diddy :: Pure and simple, if there was no Biggie, Sean Combs would be just another wannabe wanting to do something. Maybe he would've done something because he's a pretty good producer now and one helluva marketing guru. But lets face it, if it wasn't for being Biggie's right hand man, those odds of all his success would not be in his favor. He owes his whole professional career to the life and death of Big Papa and the grace of God for associating them. 

• East Coast vs West Coast :: You're probably wondering why I choose Biggie over 2Pac? Well that's simple. I'm an east coast brotha tried and true. Well, realistically I'm an old-school brotha but since most the great rappers came from the east coast I gotta represent. And back in the 90's it was just the same. That rivalry was like the Montagues and the Capulets of music. You were one or the other. And the feud was hellish, taking two greats in their prime; Biggie and Pac. In retrospect, it was uncalled for cause violence is nonsense. And both blends brought a helluva lot to the table. But the crap on nowadays can't even hold a candle in their presence. 

• Not just talked about how pimp he was :: This mo-fo was pimp. He was the bridge from old school where they rapped about actual shit in their hoods and the government to nowadays where rappers who just start on the scene and aren't even established rap about bitches and bling. How ya gonna rap about shit like that when you don't even have the status to back it up. Biggie started small and had the hard knocked life, and he rapped about that. Then he got big and rapped about hoes and booze and money because he made it. Only a handful of rappers nowadays still rapping can claim that, and I think Jay-Z said it best; "I got 99 problems but a bitch ain't one". That sums up Biggie's life right there. 

• Bad Boy Records :: He was the catalyst that started the label. Without him, we wouldn't have had such great acts like P. Diddy or Ma$e, well, Diddy at least... The label wouldn't be in existence pure and simple. And only a handful of acts can bring up that claim. 

And with all that being said, if you're listening to anything that's not old school when if comes to rap, you should be ashamed of yourself. These reasons alone should be enough for you to go listen to some of the forgotten freshness that was Biggie and anything before his death. You'll thank me later.

BootLeG sampler.. signing out...

List O'Best B-Sides of One Hit Wonders

A lot of the music I listen to is not of the popular stuff or mainstream; not to say anything bad about them, but there are a boatload of hidden gems out there that don't get the light of day. The beaten path is so much better than the manure field of crap that is shoveled over the radio. It just don't appeal to me. Now that not to say that in the field of shit there's some golden nuggets that's not corn that come out but don't get another chance. And like all albums, the back catalog is just as epic as the hits or better (in most cases). We all have that album that we listened to a thousand times front to back cause it was complete. Well guess what? Those one hit wonders are on the same boat. This here is my ode to those that gave it the old college try, took the stage, and was never to be heard from again. 

Now the rules for this list is simple. The artist had to have just one popular hit in their respected genre; even if they released other singles they can not be as well known as their main single. The artist must also not suck (but that's a given). With that being said, let's get it on...

• Dishwalla "Charlie Brown's Parents" : Most infamous for their single "Counting Blue Cars" got major play in the mid 90's just prior to the humble beginnings of TRL. It was a pretty good single, but whether it was their record company or piss poor management, they never branched out passed. And because of that, most people missed out on this golden nugget. It starts soft but then gets down and dirty with some grungy harmonics and proclaimed what was popular than and now, angst against authority not listening to either youth or sub-ordinances (take your pick). Either way it was catchy and little to no one knew it. So check it out, you can thank me later.

• Darwin's Waiting Room "All I Have Is Me" : Unless you're a fan of rapcore (like myself) or any bands local to the Miami area, Darwin's Waiting Room would probably pass you by faster than a speeding bullet.  Although, they did have a hit with "Feel So Stupid (Table 9)" that was just about all the fame the group had.  Too bad because they could've had a lot of potential for a whole lot more than a rapcore fad that lasted from 1998 to 2003.  This particular track although it sounds like most of their album, it kinda stands out in my book.  I tend to gravitate to this track whenever I have their CD in the car.  It's definitely one of the best closing tracks of an album that I've heard ever and it completes its epic journey without it feeling like some drawn-out rock opera.  Definitely pick it up or get it on download if you don't have it already.

• doubleDrive "Gone" : If you know me and follow any other of my music posts, it's pretty damn hard for me to not mention doubleDrive. And yes, the did have airplay with their single "Imprint". But this is from their first album that didn't get that much publicity. "Gone" starts it off as a slow guitar riff than powers up once the first verse begins to start. It then goes to some signature guitar solos and everything seems to complete once it ends. Not many songs can even claim that.

• Bloodhound Gang "The Ballad of Chasey Lane" : Just when you thought a song about sex from these guys couldn't get more graphic with "The Bad Touch", this (pardon the pun) peters out. A song about a lust lorn fan and his obsession with an infamous porn star. Lyrics alone is funny as hell, and I also have to give them props from being from Philly. But what makes this for me is the video (warning NSFW, hence why I didn't put a link to the video, but feel free to Google it.) If you thought their one hit video was a taste of low brow, than this is well below the mark; but it fits the song so well.

• Monster Magnet "Evil (Is Going On)" : If you know them you know they're more known for acid rock, pretty much you would have to either be in a trip to listen to it or it'll drive you to use and abuse. Their best (and probably only known) single "Space Lord" was played and played on MTV back in the mid 90's but this is from 1992. It's the only song probably out of their element. With blues and jazz engulfed in the track you would never known it was Monster Magnet without picking up the album work for it. Now that's a rare gem for ya.

• Alien Ant Farm "Summer" : This is that rule I mentioned that they might've had other singles but only one that stood out come into play comes in. I actually heard them the first time with their previous single "Movies", but it was their Michael Jackson cover of "Smooth Criminal" that gave them their popularity and fizzled out afterwards. This track however is a B-Side of theirs that uses the seasons as a metaphor of a relationship. It's catchy just on a lyrical basis alone, and the way it takes me in a melodic trance each time is just awesome. But honestly, most of their catalog is just epic with sweet hooks and an amalgam of great lyrics and well timed solos and bridges. It really surprises me that they're only a one hit wonder, even with a small handful of singles around them, it's only that one that sticks to most peoples head.

Trust me, I would love to have more bands and other acts out there, but like my rule stated from before.  Only one-hit wonders, and I made a stretch with Alien Ant Farm enough as is, possibly even with Monster Magnet.  Most of my taste either gravitate to either well established bands that made it some what, or stuff that no one ever knew of.  And that might be a subject of another post, but as for this one; I'm calling it a one-and-done.

BootLeG sampler.. signing out...

p.s.  In no way did any of the following bands ask for any endorsement nor knew of their wonderful music mentioned on this blog post.  It's all of my effort alone to enrich everyone to something outside of the stereotypical norm.  Enjoy.

List O' Reasons Why we Still Listen to Metallica

You know, after a string of WTF's and other random stuff, I realized that I've neglected some key points to my blog. One of which (if you couldn't have noticed with the title) are my infamous List O' posts. So I'm here to resurrect it from it's slumber. The other is my passion for music. So here's two birds with one stone. In the process of creating new topics to dissect, digest, and whatever follows that; I was on my way to work and had my music collection playing on random. I thus noticed that it seems like even though it's on random, certain tracks seem to be coming up. Ones I haven't heard in a while and others I've keep hearing from other people or the radio. Just so happens that this time it was Metallica I was hearing. And it got me wondering, "why do we still listen to Metallica"? I don't know about you, but here's my reasons why. Maybe your reasons are similar; but this isn't your blog is it... (j/k) So here are the List O' reasons why we still listen to Metallica. Oh, and just a FYI, I'm not numbering them in importance this time or limiting them to a set number like any others List O's from before, so let's all be surprised on how far this thing can go.

• They rock (or at least they did). Hell, you can't tell me if you ever were a fan of rock music for the past 25 years that you've never listened to a Metallica song. You're a liar and a poser if that's the case. Maybe (well, most likely) you're a fan off of anything they did up to their infamous "Black Album", and maybe you're like me and like the latter as a musical evolution / experimental avenue they took. The fact is that they still exist because they have a fan-base. They're practically irresistible because when we go to their shows we hear a little of all they offer. The old and the new. And in my opinion, it's all good (more on that on later bullet points to come).

• They're one of the most storied bands in history. It's no surprise that Metallica had it's ups and downs in one fashion or another. From it's beginnings with Dave Mustaine's drug and alcohol issues. To it's scare of the bands demise with the death of original bassist Cliff Burton. To the direction of their Load/Reload albums. The falling out of their second bassist Jason Newsted. To battles with rehab and Napster (again, more on that later). It appears that they're the Energizer battery of rock, just keep on going and going. I salute the band (not the individuals in the band because its Metallica that we're talking about) for their perseverance.

• Lars F'n Ulrich. The enemy of the torrents. Kinda like the anti-sampler.. in the fact that he's all about the Napster being legit and having DRM in all digital media. That's just my cup of tea as well as many others. Sure he's a phenomenal drummer and sure St. Anger was WAY TOO MUCH SNAIRE for most people (honestly I liked it, mostly) he'll be known for that douche that put Napster down and made it a paid service. He's an asshole for that, but hey, that was like almost 10 years ago, let it go already. If it wasn't for Bob Rock taking a shit on the production of their albums (you'll see which albums in the next bullet point), Lars would've been King of the Assholes.

• Death Magnetic. I'll admit, even though I liked Load, Reload, Garage Inc. (to a point), and S&M (more on that later), after St. Anger (all of which Bob Rock produced) I had my doubts that Metallica lost its "Metal" because it was trying too hard to be the best. I almost lost interest within 'tallica if it wasn't for their excellence in their earlier, heavier, ballsier stuff. Their songs used to tell epic stories with each riff, and I felt that they lost touch with that. Then Death Magnetic came out, and it was good. Pretty damn good. Rick F'n Ruben good. It was a breath of fresh air with a new producer and a clear head on where they knew they stood. They went back to what was they were known and good for, while still keeping it fresh and evolved. They even brought back an instrumental track (its only been since 1989 since we had that from them). So if you dismissed them for the sins of their past, give Death Magnetic a listen and you'll be hooked again.

• The potential of being the next bassist for Metallica. It seems to be that they go though bassists like my kids through baby teeth. They're bound to be out of the picture by age 10 or so. Which means it's just a few more years for them to consider BootLeG for their outfit. I mean, I can hang with most of their stuff on bass, and I really tear it up on "Bells" and "Orion". Gotta love keeping it old school. But knowing my luck I'll die in a bus accident in Prague or something. (I apologize to the memory of Cliff Burton for that joke, but that's probably what would happen to me).

• S&M. It was in my opinion a pretty damn good concept. Something straight outta left field if it wasn't for the late Michael Kamen who worked with other rock acts before (including Metallica with Nothing Else Matters). But fact of the matter is that it was a damn good production. It was an excellent effort in showing that they could take their music into any direction, and yes I love the concept of incorporating classical sounds into modern rock music. I want to see more acts like this. Screw playing unplugged, play with brass. They could call it "brass balls". I just wish they did three things with that project. One: did it more than a one time event. Two: made studio recordings of "-Human" and "No Leaf Clover", because those rocked a little more than most of what was on Load and Reload. Three: did more of their B-sides in that concert instead of the singles. Those three things Metallica, that's all I ask.

And that was the List O' that was. I hope that it gave you a little more insight to the phenomena that is Metallica from a fan and critic standpoint. Now if you don't mind, I'm gonna get my 'tallica on...

BootLeG sampler.. signing out...

Tis the Season

Every year for as long as I could remember I would sing to myself one verse to the 12 Days of Christmas per day until it was Christmas Day.  So that meant on December 13th I would start singing the first verse, December 14, the second, and so on and so forth.  So I decided to make a twist on this and post my favorite Christmas themed things, one a day for 12 days.

So I'll be updating this post every day from the 13th until Jolly old St. Nick fills my stocking.  So keep on coming back each day and find what's new each day on this post.  Enjoy!

December 13, The First Day of Christmas :: The music.  I have to admit, I kinda like the jingling and the fa-la-la-la-la's when it plays on the radio.  I do have a special fondness to the Charlie Brown theme playing at least once a day (even though the theme isn't even all that Christmas-sy,) it's the only time of year I get to hear it regularly.  So here's to the artists who try to put a new spin to the same old Jingle Bell Rock, keep rockin' out those sleigh bells until Jack Frost nips you in the butt to stop 2 days into the new year...

December 14, The Second Day of Christmas :: The lights.  Call me a crow, sure I'm attracted to bright shiny objects; and twinkling lights around someone's house is the flame that keeps drawing this moth to it.  From anything simple such as a string of lights across the top of a railing from a patio to Chris F'n Griswold's epic house lighting, Christmas lights are just FRIGGIN' AWESOME!!! 

December 15, The Third Day of Christmas :: The weather.  As a kid, Christmas was a time for a week or two off of school, presents, and the occasional snow storm during break.  That was great having snowball fights with my brothers and kicking their butts stuffing their shirts with the white stuff.  But than again I lived in a place with that kind of weather (feelin' homesick for Philly now.)  Now adays, Christmas is warm, sunny, and full of cacti.  Good thing is that my family eat Christmas dinner on the patio, bad thing is that rocks hurt more when thrown than snowballs.  The weather element is what you can enjoy no matter where you are.

December 16, The Fourth Day of Christmas :: The television programs.  I'm a sucker for A Charlie Brown Christmas or those old school claymation storytellings of Rudolph and Frosty.  It was a special time for me that the TV producers and executives could remind us that "hey, were all kids inside so let all the worries of life go away for a while and marvel at poor animation and special meanings of all the good that is still in this world."

December 17, The Fifth Day of Christmas :: The mall.  Well, not the mall per say, but shopping.  I used to work retail and every year from the week before Black Friday to half way past January, the crowds of people fascinate me.  The lengths they go to complete their commercial need to find the right present or biggest gift.  It's just humorous what they do for that.  Although, the holiday season is not about gifts, it's about family, friends, and remembrance of our Lord.  I know that what I'm gonna do, how about you?!?  (There's your five golden rings for ya...)

December 18, The Sixth Day of Christmas :: The food.  I love the food.  It breaks the monotony of turkey, turkey, and turkey from the last month.  The wifie bakes cookies and other stuff non-stop while I ready myself for ham and football.  Plus, all of the Food Network shows show off their holiday flair.  And if you can't tell by this day, I do think with my stomach.  So here's to all the good food in preparation of family gathering and all that other stuff that it does for us all.


December 19, The Seventh Day of Christmas : The good will towards men.  It's a good warm and fuzzy feeling that can't be explained.  Well wishing towards our fellow man that should happen year round surrounds us all and that in among itself is a Christmas miracle.

December 20, The Eighth Day of Christmas :: The presents.  Yeah, that sounds pretty vain after what I added on for yesterday, but the presents are a good part of Christmas.  And it's not about receiving that big gift that you wanted, it's about seeing the look of someone's face as they open the presents.  As a parent, I finally can say that that joy of giving and seeing my boys faces light up brighter than the wifie's tree warms my heart.  It hurts my wallet, but it warms my heart... :p  It's a season of giving and seeing that you can give that and joy to others is a special part of the holiday.

December 21, The Ninth Day of Christmas :: The gathering.  It's always hard when a loved one or best friend is away.  Whether they're half way across the country or half way across the world.  But when Christmas time comes around, we find ways to connect with each other.  We visit those whom are fond to us, or at the very least call them on the phone if possible.  Heck, even simply emailing them or leaving them a message on your social network of choice just to say I miss ya and happy holidays is of good merit.  Just as long as we have a means of communication, we have means to gather around each other; even if you're not next to them roasting chestnuts in an open fire.

December 22, The Tenth Day of Christmas :: The days of yonder.  Just think back to the Christmases you had in the past.  How pleasant most if not all of them were.  And you sometimes catch yourself trying to relive that today.  Returning to how good that time of year was to you and what it brought to the table.  There is nothing wrong with reliving those good ol' days, and there's no better time than Christmas time to do such.

December 23, The Eleventh Day of Christmas :: The traditions.  Everyone has them, they follow though with it whether it's baking cookies or singing carols or even watching a gauntlet of Christmas themed programing, we all enjoy them and love to carry them out.  The singing the Twelve Days of Christmas one verse per day is one of mine.  The others include watching at least once A Charlie Brown Christmas and some football, I mean, who can't enjoy any of that?!?  I also try to carry out a gift for the kids to open the night before Christmas.  Usually new pajamas and we tell them they were left on our doorstep by the elves to give them a warning if they don't go to bed soon, Santa won't visit them for presents.  Whether they believe the wifie and I, who knows, but it's a tradition that we started with our boys and we'll continue to carry it out.

December 24, The Twelfth Day of Christmas :: The birth of Jesus Christ.  After all that is what the holiday is supposed to be about.  To celebrate the miraculous birth of our Lord and Savior, it is a true testament of what peace on earth, good will towards man, and miracles are all about.  Without the Lord, none of us would be where we are right now, and I am truly thankful for his birth and all that he given to us.  As Tiny Tim would end this in the most appropriate saying "God bless us, everyone"


BootLeG sampler.. signing out...

P.S. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and throw in all those other holidays in December as well, even Festivus... *lol*  Ok, maybe not that...

List O' Most Awesomest Cartoon Characters (An Alphabet Adventure)

I'm not gonna deny it.  I liked doing that Alphabet Adventure post from last time.  It challenged me as well as I hoped it challenged you to think outside the box of a top 10 or top whatever, and focus on one thing that is a constant all around; the alphabet.  Well, at least in my case the English alphabet.  I liked it so much (call me a glutton for punishment) that I decided to bring it back to another List O' whatever post.  This time; the most badass cartoon characters of all time (of course this is solely my opinion, but that's what you get when browsing into my blog.)  There's no time period restrictions or genre limitations in this list, just as long as they were animated.  No CGI phonies allowed here.  I want to see moving pictures of the cartoonish kind here.  So whether you're for kids or adults, serious or comedic, action or slapstick, it'll be on this list.

Just and FYI, I went a little link crazy trying to find links to support my decision on these choices.  Realistically just found the first good link that was represented each selected character that I could find off of Google.

So let me just shut up and get this list started... 

Aang (Avatar, The Last Airbender) : The most creative protagonist in recent cartoons.  If you're not a fan of the series, after the first few episodes will get you hooked.  He carries the show from beginning to the epic, and I mean EPIC finale.
Batman (Batman, The Animated Series) : The best cartoon in the 90's showcasing the most epic detective ever...  Need I say more...
Charlie Brown : He's the everyman, no doubt about it.  The epitome of Murphy's Law and yet because of his setbacks, he is well loved for the pure determination of the one lone chance of not failing...  I love ya Chuck, but you're a smuck...
Devestator (Transformers, Generation One) : A hodgepodge of transformers forming an ultimate distructive force, I felt like I found love again
Egon (The Real Ghostbusters) : I just love the movies and found that Harold Ramis' character was the most interesting of them all.  Figured that was the first E I could come up with... (onset is sinking in fast that this might be a harder task than I thought these alphabet things.)
Fred Flintstone (The Flintstones) : An icon in his own right, Fred and company were ahead of their time spawning new ground to what is now common place for cartoons; prime time television.  He was a mixture of cartoon slapstick and 60's era sitcom satire.  The Simpsons and Family Guy aren't that pioneering of cartoons now that you think about it.
Gohan (Dragonball Z) : He is actually the epicenter of the entire series.  He has the most power growth of them all and ideally, the series revolves around him, not Goku.  Take a good long look at it all and it'll make sense.  I'm sure of it.
He-Man (He-Man and The Masters of The Universe) : A protagonist that didn't need a story to be awesome.  In fact, I don't think it had a story, just a standard plot format for each episode.  Probably a good thing because if it did had an ongoing plot, that would've probably killed it.  Thankfully, we got the Dolph Lundgren movie to blame for that.
Iroh (Avatar, The Last Airbender) : Until recently I did not know that he was voiced by Mako before he passed away, which that in itself is awesome.  Plus the character is the wise sage of the series helping Zuko and giving consul for the heroes of the series.
Joker (Batman, The Animated Series) : Mark Hamill is insane, and this is just the perfect role for him.  The hell with Star Wars, this was his calling.
Kenny McCormick (South Park) : The early seasons were awesome, even though I heard the later ones are awesome too, I just haven't seen them.  Pretty much when they permakilled Kenny for like a season and then decided to not kill him after bringing him back, my interest faded from the series.  Plus the movie was sick too...
Lex Luthor (Superman: The Animated Series) : This guy was the epitome of what a diabolical genius is supposed to be.  Wealthy, smart, had a political grasp over Metropolis' day to day running of business and archetype as well as practically everyone there, this guy was seemingly untouchable.  Unless you're the son of Krypton.
Megatron (Transformers, Generation One) :Another prime badguy, so cocky yet he could back it up most of the time.  Plus I got to give him credit for putting up with such a whiny little snake that is Starscream.
Nelson Muntz (The Simpsons) : Trust me, I tried to think of someone for N but I couldn't, and I felt like the list was going 'ha ha' to me, so Nelson was the obvious choice.
Optimus Prime (Transformers, Generation One) : His voice alone presents leadership and respect from his comrades.  And until this day, I still tear up a little bit seeing him die in the Transformers movie (which brings me to the following statement; Michael Bay, you can suck it!)
Patty Mayonnaise (Doug) : We all had jones'd on someone hard as Doug Funnie did for her in our youth at that age at one point or another.  This is for that person that we all wanted but couldn't find the balls to approach them.
Q (You really think it's easy to try to find anyone with the letter Q, none the less remotely awesome?!?  I dare ya to try.)
Ra's al Ghul (Batman, The Animated Series) : Who wouldn't be a little freaked out buy a guy who is practically immortal.  He organized world wide crime syndicates and when he's near death, he just takes a dip in the Lazarus Pit and BAM, back in action to cause more hell.
Spawn (Todd McFarlane's Spawn) : Speaking of hell, he's all like been there, done that, got the t-shirt.  A former Marine turned special ops merc (I supposed, it's complicated even if you'd read the comics.) gets killed, goes to hell, exchanges his soul for another chance to be with his wife, and has came back as a hellspawn to complete a demon's needs.  And for a twist, he defies the demon and goes rouge.  The only bad thing is that the series ended before it's time (a shame if you knew what happens in issue 100, one of my favorite comic book issues ever.  But that's another list.)
Tick (The Tick) : It was so random, so bizarre, and yet, so brilliant.  This guy had a few to many screws loose and that he somehow manages to get the bad guy at the end of every episode (with the obvious collateral damage caused in chasing the poor bastard) makes me want to go back and see the blue oaf over and over again.
Unicron (The Transformers: The Movie) : A transformer that transforms into its own planet and is voiced by one of the most notable voices of all time Orson Welles.  Can't get much more epic than that.  Once again I like to add on that Michael Bay can suck it, just for good measure.
Venom (Spiderman) : Probably the best rendition of the villain to the comic book source.  They really tried to make it as close as the person inside filled with the rage to get even with Peter Parker as possible, even though it rarely followed the story arc.  Character-wise, Venom gets my vote.
Wolverine (X-men) : He is hands down the best mutant out there.  Period.  It would be an injustice to talk about Wolverine without missing out a thing or two.
X (Hey, just be glad that this time I was only unable to find things for Q and X in this list.  Be greatful why don't cha.)
Yakko Warner(Animaniacs) : Just one part of the trifecta of loony (the others obviously Wakko and Dot) Yakko makes it in that of all the others, he was easiest to find a letter for.  But seriously, him and his siblings started the degeneration of cartoons and pushing the censors to the limits.  And for that I salute you.  Plus I still can't get the song about the countries of the world out of my head.  United States, Canada, Mexico, Panama...
Zuko (Avatar, The Last Airbender) : The story of a tortured soul who is trying to find his destiny.  In the end he finds his place in life helping whom he thought was the enemy and striking back those whom lead him to his dark path of destruction.  Perfect way to end the list.

I hope once again that you appreciated this unique trip to cartoon awkwardness...


BootLeG sampler.. signing out...

Tag, I'm it.

I was going to call this post "Becoming a Victim of a Chain Blog" but I don't think the wifie would've liked me so much putting that there. So I'm going along with her and calling this one"Tag, I'm it." She has a friend of hers that put on her blog 7 questions that she tagged 7 people (one of which was the wifie) and then asked those 7 bloggers to pass it on faster than the common cold. So in an effort to appease the wifie, I'm following suite. I'll try to act as serious as I can but then again this is me of course (and that couch is so comfy when I'm playing the Wii at night as I anticipate sleeping there after I post this and she reads it.)

So without further ado, let me post her questions and my answers. Eh, maybe it'll be fun... :P

1. What one talent do you not have, that you very much wish you did?

That's a tough question (good one to start with babe.) I suppose that I wish that I could have the talent to play the piano. I've started to learn when I was six way back when I went to Catholic school (that's another topic that I might touch on, I dunno, back to the question.) The piano sounds so great, it's in my opinion the best classical instrument ever invented. I loved it, except for the fact that when I got something wrong, the nuns would slap my hands with a ruler; yeah, they did that kind of crap, it wasn't folklore. I tried learning on my own, and I'm decent, not church choir decent, but decent enough to read, and comprehend. I just really wish that I could've continued with that.

2. What is the one thing people do that bothers you most?

Well, it's two things actually. One is smoking; I FRIGGIN' HATE SMOKING! PERIOD! END OF FRIGGIN' SENTENCE! The second is when people talk like they're ghetto. I don't care if you're from the projects or not, it's just not kosher in my book. Especially if you've never left the comforts of a suburban cul-de-sac ever in your life and you start talking like some hoodrat just cause you saw Friday or New Jack City. That ticks me off.

3. Where is the one place you'd like most to visit before you leave this earth behind, and what about that place most draws you to it?

I really don't know. I guess main land Japan if anything. Tokyo to be precise, but Japan all around. I love the culture there and the history of the island nation. I loved it when I was in Okinawa way back when, and I wish that I could go back there for pleasure instead of business some time soon.

4. What flaw do you most dislike in yourself?

I guess my ability to try to appease everyone. I should try to just please myself instead of anyone else. (And as I was typing that I just realized how out of context that could've went, oui.) But most importantly I should not try to seek approval or acceptance from everyone, just to those that are important to me and myself as well.

5. What career did you most want as a child, and if you are not doing that now, what changed your mind?

I wanted to be a mathematician when I grew up as a kid. I loved math. I was borrowing books on Calculus and Trigonometry from the library when I was in 6th grade trying to understand and learn from them. I still have a strong love of mathematics, but as I grew older, my appetite changed and reality set in to the tune that my family couldn't afford college for me. So that ship had sailed, but the passion lives on. Either that or the guy who invented spellcheck, cause honestly if it wasn't for that I'd be doomed. I can't spell worth a damn. :P

6. Why do you blog, what purpose to you hope to achieve by blogging?

I originally wanted to blog to put my voice and spin on things that interested me. In that it was music, videogames, entertainment, technology, and my day to day live. I still do want to continue doing such, and I try to make a conscious effort to attempt to blog about something on those subjects every time I step in and also try to make an effort to blog as frequently as possible to not make this a moot effort.

7. What one modern invention would you mind giving up the most, and why did you choose that one?

I wouldn't know. It's kind of hard to think of such. I suppose the best answer would be the snuggie. It's so friggin' stupid. The people that have them are brainwashed idiots that should just surcome to the inventor's twisted marketing of it, drink the Kool-Aid, and end the insanity so the rest of us could live in peace. That or WMD's, they're just not kosher.

And since I'm abiding by the rules governing this shenanigan, let me introduce you to my own list of questions. Oh, and wifie, quip pro quo on this one...

1: Coke or Pepsi, and why one is better than the other?

2: What is your stance on the capital punishment?

3: If you were stranded in a deserted island what modern convenience would you miss the most and why?

4: What fictional work (book, tv show, movie, etc.) would you say your life most resembles?

5: What goal do you want to accomplish most on your bucket list?

6: What feedback can you give me to improve this blog?

7: And the most important question of all in my list of seven; cake or bacon? Explain.

Please repost/reply, follow suite if you follow and I would love to see what you have to say.

BootLeG sampler.. signing out...

p.s. I had to use spellcheck like 20 gabillion times typing that, told ya I'm a math nut not a word guy...

List O' Music to Rock Out With (An Alphabet Adventure)

I said that I would come back with a list. Sure I could've done a "list o' stuff" on what I've been up to this past few months or maybe something else more meaningful. But I said, the hell with it and make up a list of what I wanted to go and do for a while. Something of a challenge but it's a good fight. It's not a list of the best in any order, but it's a list of alphabetic proportions. Not to say that I couldn't come up with a list of top 26, but the fact of finding something that could list alphabetically is awesome enough. It can be good.

So here's the rules for hopefully an ongoing tag that I can continue with: all bands should start with the corresponding letter and if I can't think of one, well, it'll be excused; and all bands is the top of that letter at the time of posting in my opinion and just that, an opinion. If you don't like it, I'm comfortable with you not liking my opinion, it's still my blog and my list. So without further ado, here it comes...

• A: Authority Zero; because they're a kick ass punk band in my opinion (and that was before I moved to Mesa.)
• B: Barenaked Ladies; because they're the first B-band that I could think of at the time. No, really, that's the only reason.
• C: Charlie Daniels; do I really need a friggin' reason?!?
• D: doubleDrive; if you know me and my past rants on my blog, you know that I friggin' love this band. Too bad that they're broken up. :(
• E: Everclear; and surprisingly, they got better the more sober they became. But I still think that Santa Monica is the best song they ever made (note, they weren't sober during that time.)
• F: Foo Fighters; so much range of talent there that it oozes epicness.
• G: Guano Apes; they're foreign, they're ballzy, and they can even flex a soft side. Talk about range.
• H: HELLYEAH!; because I already got something lined up for M and I can't incorporate Mudvayne. Besides, they got Vinnie Paul from Pantera on there (one more thing that I can't put on an upcoming letter due to it being predesignated), and it's bleeds EPIC WIN!!!
• I: I Against I; this band is so underrated as a punk band that if you don't know them, you're friggin' lame!
• J: James Brown; The Godfather of Soul, the Hardest Working Man in the Business, in other words, he's just that damn good.
• K: KoRn; well, basically before former band members started dropping off the band like flies.
• L: Linkin Park; even though they're pop-ish, they're still kool to listen to.
• M: Metallica; I would be a damn fool if I didn't put them on the list.
• N: Nirvana; what can I say, I like old school grunge.
• O: OK Go!; surprisingly, they're not that bad of a band, and their viral videos are friggin' awesome to boot.
• P: Paw; if you're a fan of the original Road Rash game from back in the 90's, youtube them.
• Q: Queen, only because I needed a Q, and out of all that is out there, that's the best Q there is.
• R: Rage Against The Machine; BALLS!!! And that's all I'm gonna say.
• S: Stone Temple Pilots; they are perpetually stuck in the 90's and I like it.
• T: Tsunami Bomb; I am a sucker for female singers and punk music. This is it's wet dream.
• U: Unwritten Law; to go from punk, to pop-punk, to alternative, to who knows what and still rock it, kudos on my book.
• V: Velvet Revolver; once again, I needed a V, and they're decent for a supergroup, I'm not gonna lie.
• W: Stevie Wonder; who can deny the man his props. He's the Billy Dee Williams of Motown; it's like if Ray Charles had a love child with a can of Colt 45 Malt Liquor (breaking out in dance to Very Superstitious)
• X: yeah, I got nothin' for X, big surprise, huh?!?
• Y: I got nothin' for Y either, dunno why I'm drawing a blank... but,
• Z: ... (after 5 minutes of thinking of something and not putting on Zebrahead because I haven't heard much of them to rate if I like them or not) ... nothin'. Damn.

And that's my list. Hope you like it, if not, oh well, blame the English Language for having only 26 letters. And trust me, I tried to fight off the urge of adding on honorable mentions as much as I could, and this is what I got (outside of the Mudvayne namedropping for HELLYEAH!, I think I did pretty darn well.)

BootLeG sampler.. signing out...

I am on my ass

It's safe to say that I am on my ass. Shortly after posting my last post of 2009, a surprising thing happened. Literally a few hours after posting, I was fired from my job. Two days before Christmas and they let me go. And no, this is not for blogging while at work, that had nothing to do with the bearing of why I was departed. But for reasons to be left undeclared (outside of a few personal contacts), my employer decided to sever ties. So my holiday gift from the good people of XYZ company (just to not put more fuel for the fire, but to vent after taking time to choose my words wisely); I am on my ass.

Trust me I was pissed off, livid, and all out ready to cause a scene, but I decided to take the high road and leave with my head held high. So I went home, told the bad news to the wifie, and she followed suite of what I was feeling from earlier for me. So as soon as that fiasco ended, I went to the interwebs and doing what I have been doing for the past few weeks to begin with. Looking for a new line of employment. To tell you the truth; I was unhappy with my job for the past few months, and even though I did not see this coming, was looking forward to put that ill place of servitude behind me. But this just put a jump start on what I wanted to do in the first place; because I was on my ass.

So I had something lined up for mid-January already, but I didn't want a break of employment before I took on that new position. But in the past almost two weeks, I've interviewed at two different representatives looking at my credentials and is awaiting opportunities if they at least meet or exceed what I was going to take later in the month. And even though it means that I'm strapped financially for a little while (at least for my final check they had the decency to give me holiday pay even though I didn't work Christmas Day, that was nice of them); I try to find a positive outlook on things of the sort. So I decided to make yet another bullet list, but this time, containing the good things of me being on my ass.

• Spending family time with my wife and two oldest sons during Christmas break from school. We baked cookies, watched movies, and had a blast playing with all their new toys this year.
• Time to reflect on getting new work. A benefit for that being that I was unhappy at my old job being stagnant for over two and a half years, as well as seeing if I could do better.
• Got to play New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Pretty bad-ass if I do say so myself. The reviews don't give it enough justice.
• I didn't have to wake up three hours before the butt-crack of dawn to go to a place that I dreaded.
• Analyze my priorities that were important to me: Family, church, happiness, and all that good stuff.
• Realize that my wife, being a housewife, has the hardest job of all. And I love her for it (yeah, I can get all cheezy and sentimental at times, it's called being good man to your woman).

And that's just off the top of my head. But for the mean time, I just ask that you keep me in thoughts and, hell, even pray for me; that I can get 2010 to a new dimension. And though I'm starting it out on my ass (see a trend here people), I'm certain that it'll be just fine. And since this might be my last post for a while while I concentrate on the obvious of important matters, I just like to say thanks to those that read whenever I post or just even stumble upon. Thanks. There, I said it. And I really meant it as well. And now it's time to get off my ass and do some good over here. Until next time...

BootLeG sampler.. signing out...

List o' Greatest Videogame Cheats, Glitches, and other Cheap-Ass Tricks

Yeah, it's been quite a while since I'd did a top whatever list, so here's my contribution to something that I felt has been once again, overlooked.  More or less we have all played a videogame that at one point or another, there's that brick wall that we just can't get passed without a little help.  Some games seem that they're just made not to be beaten while others are so unbalanced with it's level of difficulty that winning in it is not just a far off dream, but a hellish nightmare to even attempt at trying.  This is why developers gave us various tools on our side to show those games who's boss; I'm talking about cheats.  Ya gotta love 'em.  They're there to take some of the slack off to make a game easier to play and beat, but then again there are some that are just there to completely obliterate any opposition that comes upon you.  Here is my homage to the best videogame cheats, glitches, and other cheap-ass tricks.  And always remember, this is completely opinionated so if I forgot something at the time or completely ignored, burn me on the comments, it's just all that I had in mind at the time.

 

Just a small disclaimer: this list is in no particular order, it's just the first few things that I could come up with off of the top of my head.  It's not a top list, it's just a list of tops.

 

• The Contra Code ::  It's the epitome of all codes.  This code is so infamous that practically all Konami title either has it or mock it in some form or another.  It's so popular that it's just known to as "The Code" and is forever engraved as a part of our videogame culture.  Hell, it's so popular that even Facebook adapted the code for a neat little easter egg if you try it.  Here's how to pull it off... up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, b, a, enter (that's if you haven't already tried it out.)
• The Game Genie ::  Now this mo-fo was the king of all cheap tricks.  It made the unbeatable game beatable.  It gave birth to such features such as infinite lives, invincibiltiy, unlimited anything, and all the other stuff that makes a hard-as-hell game seems like you're playing a baby's toy.  So I solute you Game Genie, the Rosetta Stone of hacks and codes.  Without you, I would've smashed my Genesis with a sledgehammer 10 times over as a kid.
• The Koopa Shell in Super Mario Bros. World 3-1 :: We all know that one.  A quick way to get 99 lives and hopefully not lose them all cause you would've sucked at later levels.  This has to be one of the first cheap-ass moves I've ever experienced as a gamer.  Especially once you reached 100 lives, you die, game over, and all those 1-ups were just a waste of time.  This game still all so many years later gives me nostalgic angst in the fact on how cheap some things are in this epic title.  Of course if you really want to be cheap...
• The Running 1-UP on any Mario 2D platformer :: that's as cheap as you can get.  A ba-jillion points and a 1-UP at the end of it all... that's eff'd up.  Not to mention in Super Mario World that in some cases you could get a 2-UP... A FRIGGIN' 2-UP!!!  NOW THAT'S TRULY EFF'D UP!!!
• God Mode (any single-player FPS) ::  I remember my first time using this code.  It was DOOM.  Just tearing through imps and demons and well, hell itself.  Knowing that I could just kill any hellspawn with only a chainsaw or my fist...  Bruce Campbell would be so proud (single tear rolls down cheek.)
• Big Head Mode (any game) ::  Quite possibly the worst thing to put on unless you're happen to be playing NBA JAM, big head mode is useless.  So I'm categorizing this as a cheep-ass trick.  Especially in the aspect of multi-player FPS's (Goldeneye comes to mind).  Enable this, and you might as well just shoot yourself and get the misery over with.  Such a huge target, so many weapons to frag it with...
• The Blood Kode from Mortal Kombat :: The arcade cabinet trumps the console versions for one reason only, blood.  Instead you had white sprites to simulate blood and that was pretty lame.  Until you enter the Blood Kode.  Let the epicness begin!!!  Unless you're playing the SNES port then you're screwed...  XD
  
• The Warp Whistles form Super Mario Brothers 3 ::First introduced in the movie The Wizard months before the release of the game, it's the most effective way to move throughout the game.  Especially if you're smart and get the two whistles in World 1 to get to World 8.  Then at that point if you didn't get any power-ups along the way or you just plain suck at 2D platformers, you're screwed.
  
• Unlocking Super Sonic from Sonic the Hedgehog 2 :: The best way to play that game.  Let's do the math here; you do the code, play as normal, and as soon as you collect 50 rings, jump and transform into Super Sonic.  Quite frankly, the simplest and most effective way to play any platformer in my opinion.

And that's all of the classic codes that I could think of just off of the top of my head that could be worthy of this list.  That's not to say that the others were all crap, it's just that these I have a great fondness to and I would like to think that as a gamer, you guys do too.  These games were epic even without it, it just that when in use with the codes, it was a while different experience.  Whether it helped you or pissed you off because someone was being cheap with it, these are the ones that will outlast the test of time for any cheat for any videogame.

BootLeG sampler.. signing out...

List o' Best Songs You Might've Never Heard Of

So I'm back with another list. This time its a music list because as we all know, I loves me some good tunes from time to time. But I feel that some songs go unrecognized on how epically great they are. That really saddens me on that concept. So I decided to give these tracks some well deserved recognition. The only thing is that they're so many songs for me to choose from that deserve some respect. I mean do you choose those that are meaningful in their lyrics, ambiguous with their instrumental prowess, a combination their of, or just something that is just wacky and left of center. I mean, that's a lot to sink your teeth into, so I just decided to make it a hodgepodge of it all and make the sky the limit on which stylings to have available. In saying that, what I did was that I decided to give myself a restriction on such by just limiting songs that I could find and put onto my project playlist which is embedded on my post for your listening pleasure. Also I wanted to add the stipulation of only 1 song per artist/group/band so that it inhibits more of a variety for you all. So without further ado, here's BootLeG sampler..'s top 17 underrated songs... or whatever the hell I called this post. Just look at the title and you know... (And why top 17 you ask? Because it's the perfect length of tracks for a mix tape, duh!?!)

*Disclaimer :: This playlist is rated M for Mature. Don't listen unless you want your ears to bleed from all the possible F-bombs*

And in the order of my mix tape on how they're played out, here they are:

• 11:59 by doubleDrive :: Didn't I already mention that I friggin' love doubleDrive!!! They're so talented and yet so underrated themselves. Thus the reason why I established the 1 song stipulation.
• Zebra by John Butler Trio :: This Aussie outfit lends some great skills to creating a neo-folk piece of greatness.
• Starshines by 311 :: Just listen to the first set of words in the song, it says it all. (Honestly it was a toss-up between that and Homebrew, but I had more of a fondness for this track, so Homebrew deserves an honorable mention).
• The Icicle Melts by The Cranberries :: Such a subtle track but powerful in meaning, it deserves to be on this list.
• Charlie Brown's Parents by Dishwalla :: If you ever had angst about authority and fitting in as a kid, this one's for you.
• Lemonade by Tsunami Bomb :: When life gives you lemons, yada yada yada... And this song takes the cake in that message.
• Suite-Pee by System of a Down :: This track is just sick, no other word to say it, it's just friggin sick.
• End of the World by Cold :: Screw R.E.M.'s song of the same name, this is what I want to play just before it happens.
• Walking thru Barbed Wire by Papa Roach :: Quite honestly their best song in their entire catalouge that didn't end up as a single (Between Angels and Insects is their best song, but it's too well known to be considered underrated.)
• Pollution by Limp Bizkit :: I tried to find one with the intro track before this so that it would be even more epic; but it's still stands out on it's own and a great leadin to the next track.
• Everything Remains Raw by Busta Rhymes :: When I first heard this back in 1995, I was like "Damn, that's some great solo rappin shit!!! He's gonna go far in his career." And I was right.
• Inhale by Stone Sour :: People really gotta give Corey Taylor more props with his stuff outside of Slipknot. Stone Sour ain't just all mellow and pussified, they have balls.
• Alone I Break by KoRn :: This is one of the few of my tracks that actually made it as a single. While most thought of it as tame, I thought of it as intriguing and stepping into a new realm for the band.
• O Paranoia by Gangster Fun :: I don't do ska that often, but these guys are really good. I had to find the best one available instead of the track I wanted, Skarabia.
• Summer by Alien Ant Farm :: It shows the complete range of the band all in one track without mocking a classic Michael Jackson song.
• Boyz In Da Hood by Dynamite Hack :: This is the only cover I have on my list and they made a great song by NWA legend Eazy-E even greater.
• Triumph by Wu-Tang Clan :: In my opinion their last great track they produced. Honestly, anything after 36 Chambers really was shit, so I had to promote this track cause this was really good in my opinion.

And just for show, here's the playlist for everyone to enjoy. You'd honestly think that I would leave ya'll hangin?!? C'mon...

So that's my piece on great songs that need to be recognized. Hope ya'll enjoyed it.

BootLeG sampler.. signing out...

List o' Best and Worst Game Controllers

We gamers should know that a game can either be make or break with its control scheme. Whether its too hard or easy to maneuver a character in a game; the control options and sub options make for either easily selecting attributes or not; or that the game allows for such precise sequence of movements that it could render your hand crippled at the end. That my friend is control design in a videogame, not what I'm talking about. Right now I'm talking about the actual controller, the effin' thing you play with, remember? It is a vital tool in game play because without it, you're pretty much just watching a title screen that you paid $60 for. And just a heads up, this is only consisting of original manufacturer's produced controllers for each console, no third party designs or homebrew mods. So lets get started with the list. Here's my top seven best and worst videogame controller designs. Why top seven, because all other numbers are too cliche.

Best Controllers:

1. Sega Dreamcast with VMU: It was a two for one deal. The best design, it was like holding a starship in your hand and its memory card you can play side games and check what's saved on itself. EPIC.
2. NES Advantage: Because it's the convenience of an arcade cabinet on crack on your lap. A base that had a joystick with the standard A/B buttons but had turbo features, sweet.
3. Playstation 2 DuelShock: Reason 1, it vibrated. Reason 2, it had two joysticks that acted as triggers. And reason 3, it was black, that just looks cool
4. Super Nintendo: Two Words, L/R buttons. It was the first to have it, 'nuff said.
5. Nintendo Entertainment System: The best way to play all the classics. It's the controller that brought us the Contra Code.
6. Atari 2600: The granddaddy of all controllers. Eight directions and a single button. If you can't handle that, than you can't handle crap.
7. Sega Genesis 6 button: The best way to play Mortal Kombat 3, ahh memories...

Worst Controllers:

1. Power Glove: It doesn't work, it's a piece of crap... This is so, so bad that in fact, the only way to do it any justice on how craptastic it is, is to just follow the link here.
   
2. Sega Activator: Motion detection at it's crappiest. It used infrared sensors on an octagon that senses motion of the player inside of it. Half the time it didn't work and the other half when it responded it did the exact opposite of what the hell you wanted to do. Thank goodness that I didn't own one and just made fun of my friend that did buy that piece o' crap.
   
3. ColecoVision: It's not a controller, it's a friggin' phone pad with a dial for an earpiece. Even the controller had wood paneling, what were they smoking back in '82.
   
4. Playstation 3: No vibration, come the eff on people. We live in an age of consoles playing in 1080p capable of the best resolution to date, and we can't have a controller that originally had vibration features as it predecessors? WTF!
   
5. The WiiMote: So many broken televisions, so little flack from it because it's still part of the ultimate family and party console. Bull!
   
6. XBox: This behemoth was so huge that you needed a friend in the next zip code to press the buttons on the other side of it.
   
7. Nintendo 64: An awkward three handled boomerang shaped failure. At least it had introduced the trigger button with the 'Z' under the middle handle.

So anyways, that's my list of the best and worst of controllers. It may be brief, but what hasn't been said about them already. It's just my way to say that the game isn't all about what's on the screen, but how you're interacting with it.

BootLeG sampler.. signing out...