In this blog I'll cover any videos, news or events that I deem interesting, from a very wide variety of topics! -Music -Funny videos -Films -Series -Videogames -Science -Technology -...and even philosophical stuff ;) So if you like any of this, stay tuned! (To go directly to a topic you are interested in, click below)
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Inception in 90 seconds
Check out this parody of the film "Inception", which I'm sure you'll find quite entertaining
It's a little bit fast so you may have to watch it a few times, but it's funny! ;)
It's a little bit fast so you may have to watch it a few times, but it's funny! ;)
Friday, September 10, 2010
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
Friday, June 11, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Top 6 best PlayStation 3 games!
What should you do to enter this fascinating world?
Objectively speaking, a PS3 is the best choice for any adult who wants to start with this hobby, because it combines a high quality Blu-Ray player with a very powerful graphics card, along with other multimedia features.
Indeed, during the last years, the PS3 has been getting lots of very high quality exclusives. But knowing how expensive games are, which ones should you really buy?
In this article you'll only find the best of the best. Games which are pure gold, from of a wide variety of generes- so you can choose whatever you like the most. Enjoy!
Uncharted 2
The Masterpiece of this generation. This game takes the adventure genere and improves it a hundred times.
It tells the story of Nathan Drake, a treasure hunter who goes in search of the legendary lost Marco Polo treasure. The gameplay combines 3rd person platforming & shooting, with sharp controls which let you jump from building to building without any hassle. The shooting mechanic makes an extense use of the cover system, and it's really fun!
Multiplayer let's you choose if you want to do Cooperative (search for the treasure with online friends) or Competitive (kill other online players), and it's really addictive too. But beware of the Competitive mode, as other human players are usually very good and will absolutely massacrate you if your skill level is low!
With some of the best graphics to date, an exciting (yet cliché) story about treasure hunters, entertaining gameplay mechanincs and a great multiplayer, you'd have to be insane not to buy this!
Metal Gear Solid 4
The most emotional game of this generation.
Solid Snake is the main character, an elite agent who is suffering from premature aging due to actually being a clone of another legendary soldier, Big Boss. You'll meet old friends and enemies (like Otakon, Coronel Campbell or Revolver Ocelot) as the elaborate story unfolds till it's surpising ending.
It combines stealth-like gameplay with one of the most epic stories ever made. You are rewarded for not killing your enemies; shooting them with the Tranquilizing Gun is the prefered choice for this game (or just sneaking past them). If you have not followed the previous Metal Gear Solid games you will have a lot of trouble understading the convoluted plot, but if you do, it's such a deep and well told story that you may even cry on some of the climax scenes, like the "microwave hall"!
Even if you didn't play the previous entries you should definitely try this game, for some people the best one ever made.
Demon's Souls
Definitely the most "hardcore" game on this list!
This is an action-RPG which pits you against hundreds of horrible monsters and massive bosses which inhabit the kingdom of Boletaria (a dark and mysterious world which begs to be explored). The combat is accesible yet very engaging... but the most prominent feature is definitely the insane difficulty.
Seriously. This game grabs you, beats you up, and then throws you to the nearest garbage bin. Enemies will kill you in two hits, rocks will fall unexpectedly from the ceiling and crush you instantly, and bosses will tear you apart a few seconds after the battle has begun.
And you will have to travel again through all the level in order to try to defeat the boss.
So why has this "torture" received so many awards? And why is it so appreciated by the gaming community? Well, it's a fair game.
This game is difficult, yes, but every time you die, it will only be your fault. If you do it well next time and defeat the boss, the game will reward you with new loot and other goodies. This trial and error mechanic makes it extremely addictive and definitely worthy of your time if you are up to it!
Little Big Planet
One of the great achievements of this generation. This game has it all: it's very cute (you may even say "kiddie") on the surface, with a very accessible and fun platforming type of gameplay, like Super Mario. But it's actually one of the most deep and complex games ever made.
It's main feature is a massive and easy-to-use Level Editor, which allows you to build, from scratch, anything you like: an aventure, a racing game, a space shooter, an RPG... even a calculator! The endless possibilities this game offers have made gamers devote months of their life to make the perfect level... and there are around 2,5 million levels published now.
If you want a universal game (which your kids and family will love) or you are just a very creative person who wants to "make things", get this wonderful game!
God of War III
The final chapter of Kratos vengeance.
Based on the greek mithology, this game features Kratos (the main character, a demi-god with a never-ending bloodthrist) on a vengeance quest to kill Zeus. The graphics are the best to date in any system, the sword-combat is very fluid and an absolute blast to play, and the puzzles (while a little scarce) are very ingenious.
If you don't mind the brutal gore (this game is only 18+), you will find a well-crafted game with the perfect combination of combat, puzzles and platforming goodness.
Killzone 2
The best shooter in the PS3 and up there in quality with the Halo saga.
It has extremely good graphics (do you see a trend?) and "realistic" gameplay, meaning that the guns don't "float" around like in the Call of Duty or Halo games- you can feel a certain weight in them. The single player is very satisfying although the story suffers from being too generic and previsible.
The multiplayer is where the "meat" of the game is, featuring lots of varied maps, different classes (Medics, Engineers, Saboteurs) and a leveling system which adds a new layer of tactical depth. Prepare to be glued to your TV for the next three months!
Now that you know the true best crown jewels of the PS3 go buy some of them, you won't regret it!
Sunday, May 30, 2010
5 Tips to overcome Stage Fright!
Your heart is racing, your are breathing way too fast, your legs and hands tremble, and worst of all, even your voice trembles... Feel indentified?
Well, you won't have to worry about it anymore after you read this article. Five tips which will help you finally overcome your stage fright!
Practice, practice, practice!
It may be obvious, but this is one of the most important keys to succeding in any public exposition. You know when people get asked something of which they know nothing about and start with "Ummm... ehhh......" followed by a low-voice unconfident answer? Public speeches are the same but multiplied by ten.
If you really know what you are talking about, when you are explaining the subject you'll get the feeling that "what I'm saying is right and I'm 100% sure of it", and it will give you an enormous boost in confidence.
The best way to practice is with one or two relatives or good friends, because they can tell you in what areas you could/should improve. If you can't do this, a teddy bear as your attentive public will suffice!
Keep eye contact with your public
It's actually amazing how eye contact can give confidence in almost any situation.
If you avoid it, your mind starts wondering things like "....have they noticed how nervous I am? Are they actually listening? Oh, my speech is so boring...."
If you make eye contact, your mind receives feedback from the faces of the people, usually neutral or even positive. But make no mistake:
-Be sure to change who you look at every few seconds. This way you keep everyone interested and you won't care if someone makes a strange expression, which brings us to the next point...
-Ignore "strange" gestures or whispers. Most of the time they have absolutely nothing to do with you, so just look at another person and focus on your subject if this happens.
Propranolol
One of the most impressive solutions I have ever tried. First of all be aware that this is a drug, so you should speak with your doctor if you want to use it.
Now, about the drug: it's a beta-blocker which neutralizes the effects of adrenaline in your heart (meaning it no longer races) and almost completely eliminates the trembling, also caused by adrenaline.
It's commercial name is Inderal or Sumial, it's quite an old drug (extensively tested) and very cheap. From personal experience I must say this really works, since it's not a "mind strategy" which depends on many factors, this just "slows you down" and that's it.
It also helps psychologically, since you break the "people are going to notice I'm nervous-> you get even more nervous" cicle, but it doesn't have any tranquilizing effects like, for example, benzodiazepines.
It's also very safe if you use it the correct doses (around 20 mg. an hour before the speech), but as I said before, since it's a drug it also has interactions and adverse effects (don't use it if you are asthmatic), so talk to your doctor first.
Relativize
Very seldom a speech is world-changing. If you are called Martin Luther King, yes, maybe (and even he said he was nervous before the speech!), but most of the times you'll look at it in a few years and laugh at it. And if the speech goes bad, well, people will forget in a few days (or a few hours) but you will have more experience to do it better the next time.
In a nutshell: it's not the end of the world.
As a side note, the public wants you to succed, since it's uncomfortable to sit through an ankward speech. So don't doubt that you will almost always have their support and a heart-warming applause at the end.
No caffeine
This is related to the propranolol tip before. Caffeine acts in a way similar to Adrenaline, so unless you really need it to work, avoid it whenever possible, it will accelerate your heart and make your hands tremble.
As a final note, use natural methods to relax, from herbs to a nice swim the day before, exercice is a great stress and anxiety reliever. You could even listen to the Stage Fright album from the music group "The Band" to laugh at your evil destiny! Talking to relatives or colleagues before the speech is also reassuring.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Lost
Strange ending for an epic series... so many misteries unresolved...
And were they really all dead? (the producers said "no" many times)
The alternate reality was just a place for reunion?
Don't know what to think of this episode, left a bittersweet taste in my mouth.
At least Jack could finally "let go" :(
While we all cry, let's find confort in this absolutely awesome tribute:
And were they really all dead? (the producers said "no" many times)
The alternate reality was just a place for reunion?
Don't know what to think of this episode, left a bittersweet taste in my mouth.
At least Jack could finally "let go" :(
While we all cry, let's find confort in this absolutely awesome tribute:
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
The Trololol Dog
Remember that Trololol video which went viral a few months ago? Yeah, the one with a very friendly and ever smiling russian man who sang some very complicated lyrics and laughed at your face, repeatedly. This one:
Anti-rapist spray is mandatory by law in Russia whenever people are around this man
Well, now a dog-remix has aired, and no, I won't explain it, better watch it
Holy shit
Anti-rapist spray is mandatory by law in Russia whenever people are around this man
Well, now a dog-remix has aired, and no, I won't explain it, better watch it
Holy shit
Monday, May 10, 2010
Little Big Planet 2
The new Little Big Planet 2 trailer has finally aired!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
One of the best trailers I've seen in ages, and that music is CATCHY!
I actually found the song's name, it's "Sleepyhead" from Passion Pit:
Wow, this game can't come soon enough, imagine the possibilities: Driving Games, Arcades, Adventure... even RPG's or FPS!!!
Things to notice:
-The graphics seem quite improved, especially the lightning.
-ALL 2 million levels from LBP1 will be available from the beggining (the DLC too. With the improved graphics and the new tools, you will be able to redesign them and make them true masterpieces.
-You can now completely manipulate the AI of the enemies, making them almost intelligent.
-The biggest news: you can completely customize the controls and decide what action each button does! This way you can make RPG's, racing games or FPS's without a hassle. Its's called Direct Control Seat.
-New powerups are coming, in the video you can see a grappling hook, like the one bounty hunter Samus Aran uses ;)
Little Big Planet 2 is set for a FALL 2010 release
Are you as excited as me? Speak up in the comment section below!
As a curiosity, here's a RPG level I made some time ago, reviewed by some random dude who was kind enough ;)
One of the best trailers I've seen in ages, and that music is CATCHY!
I actually found the song's name, it's "Sleepyhead" from Passion Pit:
Wow, this game can't come soon enough, imagine the possibilities: Driving Games, Arcades, Adventure... even RPG's or FPS!!!
Things to notice:
-The graphics seem quite improved, especially the lightning.
-ALL 2 million levels from LBP1 will be available from the beggining (the DLC too. With the improved graphics and the new tools, you will be able to redesign them and make them true masterpieces.
-You can now completely manipulate the AI of the enemies, making them almost intelligent.
-The biggest news: you can completely customize the controls and decide what action each button does! This way you can make RPG's, racing games or FPS's without a hassle. Its's called Direct Control Seat.
-New powerups are coming, in the video you can see a grappling hook, like the one bounty hunter Samus Aran uses ;)
Little Big Planet 2 is set for a FALL 2010 release
Are you as excited as me? Speak up in the comment section below!
As a curiosity, here's a RPG level I made some time ago, reviewed by some random dude who was kind enough ;)
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Lost
OMG. That's the words you probably screamed after seeing last week's Lost chapter. It was definitely one of the best ones this season and up there with Happily Ever After and Ab Aeternum.
BEWARE, MASSIVE SPOILERS OF THE 6x14 LOST CHAPTER!
Let's see... 4 regulars were killed in a single chapter, and Locke-Ness-Smokey-Monster or whatever was confirmed to be the main antagonist of the series. You really have to give props to the writers, I even said "poor Locke, they are always screwing him and he only wants to help them get off the island!"
Then he proceeded to kill half of the cast.
Anyways, the acting was superb, especially Sun (very fitting death to the koreans, together till the very end...) and Hurley when he started crying at the beach.
So, what's going to happen now?
Well, I'd really like you to comment here as I always enjoy hearing other Losties's opinions, so go on!
My theories?
One thing is clear: if they all die, it's over.
My guess is that all the characters WILL eventually die (probably one every chapter, we have Jack, Sawyer, Hurley, Kate, and Desmond) except two of them. Who?
Jack is one of them. He's always been the "real" main character of the series (like it or not), and the iconic duality between Jack and Locke is too important:
Science vs Faith, White vs Black (backgammon pieces), Good vs Evil...
Now, this is quite a wild guess, but I see Jack becoming the new Jacob and restoring the balance of the island. Reasons? Jack doesn't wanna leave. Jack is a natural leader. Jack is good. And as I said before, Jack and Locke have always had a defining partnership.
The Man in black is not gonna die... I don't think evil itself can be really "killed". But he will have to stay with Jack in the island, forever.
As for the other characters:
Desmond seems to be the key, so he ain't dying either (awesome cause he's my favourite one :D)
He is somehow completely aware of the 2 worlds and will reunite all of them at any cost (even running over a dude with a wheelchair, wtf?)
I think after doing all this, the 2 worlds will finally "merge", and nobody will be dead anymore.
Yep, happy ending! Sniff, sniff...
I can ever see the final Lost scene:
"""
Jack and Locke at the beach, looking at the horizon. They are watching a plane which is quickly losing height. A loud crash is heard.
MAN IN BLACK: Do you have any idea how badly I wanna kill you?
JACK: Yes.
MAN IN BLACK: One of these days, sooner or later... I'm going to find a loophole, my friend.
JACK: Well, when you do, I'll be right here.
Jack smiles. Screen fades to black, and the LOST logo appears for the last time.
END
"""
BEWARE, MASSIVE SPOILERS OF THE 6x14 LOST CHAPTER!
Let's see... 4 regulars were killed in a single chapter, and Locke-Ness-Smokey-Monster or whatever was confirmed to be the main antagonist of the series. You really have to give props to the writers, I even said "poor Locke, they are always screwing him and he only wants to help them get off the island!"
Then he proceeded to kill half of the cast.
Anyways, the acting was superb, especially Sun (very fitting death to the koreans, together till the very end...) and Hurley when he started crying at the beach.
So, what's going to happen now?
Well, I'd really like you to comment here as I always enjoy hearing other Losties's opinions, so go on!
My theories?
One thing is clear: if they all die, it's over.
My guess is that all the characters WILL eventually die (probably one every chapter, we have Jack, Sawyer, Hurley, Kate, and Desmond) except two of them. Who?
Jack is one of them. He's always been the "real" main character of the series (like it or not), and the iconic duality between Jack and Locke is too important:
Science vs Faith, White vs Black (backgammon pieces), Good vs Evil...
Now, this is quite a wild guess, but I see Jack becoming the new Jacob and restoring the balance of the island. Reasons? Jack doesn't wanna leave. Jack is a natural leader. Jack is good. And as I said before, Jack and Locke have always had a defining partnership.
The Man in black is not gonna die... I don't think evil itself can be really "killed". But he will have to stay with Jack in the island, forever.
As for the other characters:
Desmond seems to be the key, so he ain't dying either (awesome cause he's my favourite one :D)
He is somehow completely aware of the 2 worlds and will reunite all of them at any cost (even running over a dude with a wheelchair, wtf?)
I think after doing all this, the 2 worlds will finally "merge", and nobody will be dead anymore.
Yep, happy ending! Sniff, sniff...
I can ever see the final Lost scene:
"""
Jack and Locke at the beach, looking at the horizon. They are watching a plane which is quickly losing height. A loud crash is heard.
MAN IN BLACK: Do you have any idea how badly I wanna kill you?
JACK: Yes.
MAN IN BLACK: One of these days, sooner or later... I'm going to find a loophole, my friend.
JACK: Well, when you do, I'll be right here.
Jack smiles. Screen fades to black, and the LOST logo appears for the last time.
END
"""
Friday, May 7, 2010
Gladiator
To start with the film stuff, let's look at the only single scene that has ever made me, and many people I know, cry, in a movie theater:
Quite epic isn't it? The (now famous) "We are Free" OST, the superb acting... and most of all, the last words:
I will meet you again. But not yet. Not yet.
In those three lines you have the most concentrated juice of hope you'll ever find:
A slave, who finally gets his freedom back, and knows that he wil be able to live a worthy life, have a wife, children, a decent job... and even when his time comes, he will reunite with his old friend, Maximus!
Now I won't enter on religious debates, but nobody can deny that in this times of economical hardship and general depression, this are the kind of things that people want to hear ;)
On another note, let's see how good the new Robin Hood is, given that it's the same director and main actor....
In the next Movie featurettes, I'll show you some "less known" films which are really good (and even have "cult" status) so you can put comments about them, stay tuned!
Quite epic isn't it? The (now famous) "We are Free" OST, the superb acting... and most of all, the last words:
I will meet you again. But not yet. Not yet.
In those three lines you have the most concentrated juice of hope you'll ever find:
A slave, who finally gets his freedom back, and knows that he wil be able to live a worthy life, have a wife, children, a decent job... and even when his time comes, he will reunite with his old friend, Maximus!
Now I won't enter on religious debates, but nobody can deny that in this times of economical hardship and general depression, this are the kind of things that people want to hear ;)
On another note, let's see how good the new Robin Hood is, given that it's the same director and main actor....
In the next Movie featurettes, I'll show you some "less known" films which are really good (and even have "cult" status) so you can put comments about them, stay tuned!
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Videogames
With the recent launch of God of War III, I'm sure many of you are hungry for Kratos-awesomeness, so here it is. The best GOW video EVAR:
I have no words for this video (and if you have played GOWIII, you'll understand why). The combos shown there are absolutely INSANE, and the editing and music are also superb. Huge props to whoever made this video. Many of the combos you see there use advanced "glitch" techniques, and although I'm no expert, let's say that you require robot-like timing for some of those moves.
As a side note, remember that mysterious webpage you got when you finally unlocked the platinum? (www.spartansstandtall.com)
Well, now it's full, and a new PSP game has been revealed, God of War: Ghost of Sparta. Nice!
Finally, I'll leave you with a simple challenge. If you have God of War Collection, just try beating Titan mode. I did it a few years ago in the PS2 and it's the hardest videogame stuff I've ever done. I understood what's it like to be raped by your own game, and trust me, it's not nice (well it is in a masochistic way, once you beat it :D). Seriously, you'll be dreaming about greek translators for weeks (evil laugh)
The Killers
To start with the music stuff, one of my favourite bands: The Killers!
Yes, they are very famous now and their new mainstream stuff is very good, but the legendary song which gave them an epic status is, and will always be, Mr. Brightside
Did you know that this song was made because Brandon Flowers ex-gilfriend cheated on him? He says he was asleep but couldn't sleep... something was wrong. So he goes to the usual bar and there she is, Flower's girlfriend enjoying some quality time with another guy.
Well, now we know that being cheated on can lead to a succesful musical career, I even heard that Tiger Woods's wife is working on the remasterized version of Unfaithful's OST!
Now, if you liked that, here it is a very interesting version of the song, which you Killers fans will love:
As a final note, Brandon Flowers is going solo, so we may not have Killers for a while, let's just hope it's temporary ;)
Best Chewbacka Cry ever!
Well, let's start this blog with something everyone enjoys: humor!
This video went extremely viral last week and some of you may have already seen it, but it's quite awesome indeed:
I actually feel a little guilty laughing at that.... but the cry of that man is worthy of a Chewbaka-Amy Winehouse mutant descendant :O
Let's allhope this man get's his life back. To help him cheer up, some considerate people even made him a tribute:
... I think King Leonidas will indeed dine in HELL after this video
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