July 21, 2010
I like Pho King

  I love food. I love sushi. I love clam chowder. I love hot dogs. I LOVE blueberries. I love shrimp, aw man, shrimp. Well, what food don’t I love? Oh yeah, eggplants. I just love food; more than a Korean loves their kimchi. Even more than that actually.

  But there is one such item standing out above the rest. One sitting atop on my list of irresistible food. One that could never gets old. This is simply a bowl of pho(pronounced ‘fuh’). Just one sip of the mysterious homemade broth and I was instantly caught in its delicious beefy, soupy snare.

  Dim luminescent lights, crowded clustered chairs, and a steady flow of mainly Asians entering hungry and exiting satisfied, along with a cup of iced water, and a big batch of chopsticks, cuddled together with stacks of soup spoons; all signs of greatness to come. 

  Here comes the waiter, a hefty tray of pho in each hand. And there it was, finally. There sang my siren song. There it sat in front of me. I peered beyond my bowl and into the sea of MSG and beef broth and there lay my tantalizing treasure; which I paid $6.75 for. I eyed the beautiful pink slices of raw beef fillet sitting just above the surface of the soup, refusing to cook only until it is push underneath the soup. It was unavoidable, I would not leave until I had dominated, annihilated, demolished, terminated, or just straight up eaten my bowl of pho. 

  I could barely, just barely, keep myself from diving into the steaming hot plethora of happiness and, really for lack of a better word, yumminess. The only thing holding me back actually was the fact that well, it was steaming hot; and diving into it would probably melt my face off. But really, who dives into bowls? 

  First of all, what the hell is pho anyways?

  Unbelievable, divine, and super duper yummy would all be appropriate ways to describe it. But perhaps the best way to illustrate it is just exactly what it is, a Vietnamese rice noodle soup bowl filled with a veritable pallet of beef. What kind of beef? Whatever you want. 

  The most important part of a bowl of pho, of course, is the soup. Oh the soup, this concoction is usually a simmering of cow bones and oxtail, flank, onions, and a swarm of spices such as star anise, flower seeds, cloves, and cinnamon. At first look, the soup might seem kind of suspicious, but underneath the top shiny layer of MSG it is just delicious. Not too thick, not too thin, just perfect; as it should be, considering it takes hours to make.

  Now comes the critical thinking part, what kind of meat do I want? Thin-sliced raw beef, beef brisket, flank, tendon, tripe, or beef balls? Luckily, most restaurants have a ‘specialty’ bowl including all of that! However, the choice of meats is not simply limited to beef. Most pho restaurants in America like to have chicken or seafood bowls also.

  Next, throw in a large handful of pre-ready thin rice noodles and it is ready to eat.

  I really cannot get enough of this. But actually after inhaling a large bowl of pho, like a fat kid with a Happy Meal, as much as my mind and taste buds ask for more, my stomach resists as I loosen my belt buckle a bit having just gained 5 pounds.

  Seriously, if you have never eaten pho before, go now! And let loose your pho virginity. For those of you who have, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

  

10:36pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZOzxGyoGa4n
June 16, 2010
Titan Template - Hawking’s Alien Commentary

By Edison Lei

  Just a booger. 

  The human race is but a snot-particle in the nose of the face of the universe. While this is not the most appealing way to put it, I am proud to say the genius scientist Stephen Hawking agrees with me—or rather, me with him.

  In Discovery Channel’s new documentary series, “Stephen Hawking’s Universe”, Hawking reveals some of his latest discoveries and thoughts about the universe, one of which is that we humans should do all we can to avoid any contact with aliens. 
  It is simple; the universe contains literally over 100 billion galaxies, as Hawking mentioned during one of his episodes, and within these galaxies exists countless stars. Around those stars exist more planets, and Earth is only one of them. Out of all these stars and planets, I doubt Earth was the only one to have developed life. Even if Earth were the only planet to contain life, it is only a matter of time before humanity faces an extraterrestrial race since the universe continuously expands.
  At this point, some may see the number “2012” appear in their head, and in a way, this is precisely what Hawking warns: the end of the world—or our world at least—if we were to come in contact with extraterrestrial invaders.

  Think back to studying Christopher Columbus and the New World in history class. When Columbus and his crew discovered the Americas and the Native Americans, one of their first objectives was to capture and enslave the Native Americans, which is what they did. The Native American population was almost completely decimated or captured. Today, the original inhabitants of America, such as the Native Americans and Alaskan natives, only occupy one percent of the total population of the United States, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. If mankind were to come in contact with an alien race, the consequences for humanity could be frighteningly similar to those for the Native American’s.  

  However, Hawking also pointed out during “Stephen Hawking’s Universe” that although a great deal of harm came upon the Native Americans, “the discovery of the New World made profound difference to the old. Just think, we would not have a Big Mac, or Kentucky Fried Chicken” if Columbus and his explorers did not accidentally find the New World.

  Of course, being enslaved or almost wiped out are just two of the possibilities. Perhaps there are no aliens, or the aliens are just big-headed talking dogs with three legs, or the invaders resemble a common insult we loosely throw around, the “buttheads.”
  But if we do come in contact with aliens, then the fictional situations in the movies “Avatar,” ”War of the Worlds” or “District 9” could become realities. Contact with these possibly extremely advanced civilizations would be too risky.  

  If any extraterrestrial race were able to travel to Earth, then their technology would far exceed ours. Being so technologically disadvantaged, the alien race would have nothing to do with humans other then convert them to slaves. Another case would be that the extraterrestrials would kill off mankind, exploit Earth’s resources and then move on to another planet.

  So if we were to meet extraterrestrial life, would we be Christopher Columbus and the Spanish who left their homeland in search of new land and new resources, or the Native Americans who were almost annihilated?

  Although such a meeting is seemingly inevitable, I hope we never find out.
Titan Template

2:49am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZOzxGyfyPWI
(Notes: 1)
  
June 16, 2010
Titan Template - American Idol

THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE SCREECHY

By Edison Lei

 Each individual emerged from a sea of obscurity and positioned themselves in a crowd of desperate contestants with little more than a voice and a dream. These people, diverse as can be, come from all over America and are united by one passion: singing out their hearts and souls. From this, we get to enjoy the amazing talent, or lack thereof, and the distinguished judges that make or break the popular FOX television program.   
  Hosted by the slightly flamboyant Ryan Seacrest, “American Idol: The Search for a Superstar”   is a singing talent show in which viewers at home vote for their favorite contestant. Each week, the contestant with the lowest number of votes is eliminated. 
  ”Idol” also features a panel of judges, including music executive and music manager Simon Cowell, producer Randy Jackson, singer and songwriter Kara DioGuardi and a new addition, talk-show host and comedian Ellen DeGeneres. The panel critiques and gives advice to each contestant after their weekly performances. 
  The process begins with auditions. Approximately 200 out of thousands of contestants will be praised and let through to the next round. Others are casually turned down, but most are harshly beat down by the sharp words of Cowell.
  However, Cowell recently announced he will be leaving “American Idol” after this ninth season to start his show, “The X Factor,” also a singing talent program largely similar to “Idol,” except Cowell would own television rights to it. Without Cowell, “Idol” will inevitably crash and burn. The show will lack its typical heinous and villainous ambiance. There will be no one to crush Americans’ hopes and dreams with the over-usage of words such as “atrocious” and “appalling.” The show will never be the same.

   On another note, however, one of the welcomed changes to this season is the introduction of DeGeneres, who has replaced former judge Paula Abdul. DeGeneres, host of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” is a masterful comedian, who always knows how to lighten the mood with a mixture of comedy and helpful advice in her comments to the performers.
  Nevertheless, DeGeneres is hardly the only source of comedic relief. The entertaining auditions have really opened my small eyes to the “different” kinds of people in America. However, the word “crazy” could just as easily be used to describe those who do more screaming than singing, or rather balance on one foot, come in drunk or audition with nothing but a bikini on (yes, this includes guys).

  While “Idol” has spawned some of the greatest artists of the past decade, such as Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken, Carrie Underwood, Chris Daughtry and Jordin Sparks, the same number of other “stars” have also gained fame through this show, but for the opposite reasons. 
  Instead of showing off their talent, many contestants simply do what they can for attention, including screeching, juggling, falling and ultimately failing—epically. Sometimes they even get lulled into a false sense of fame and possible fortune; take, for example, William Hung.
  With some crazy contestants actually making it through the first several rounds, there has been some debate of the legitimacy of the votes. After all, “American Idol” is supposed to be a singing talent show, but even as Cowell stated before, the show is a popularity contest; whoever is the most likable — for being cute, handsome, talented, funny or just outrageous — will get the most votes and move on to the next round. For instance, how Sanjaya Malakar made it so far in the competition in Season 6 still evades me.
  Although Cowell will be leaving “Idol” after this season, expect the show to be sticking around, as DeGeneres recently announced on “Larry King Live: Idol Gives Back” that she has a five-year contract; however, those years will also see the eventual departure of Seacrest and Jackson.
   Despite the atrocious auditions, nobody can deny some of the terrific talent that “American Idol” has discovered. Without Cowell, “Idol” will ultimately fall; however, thanks to DeGeneres, an obviously more-than welcome addition to the “Idol” team, maybe the show will still be worth watching for a while.  Titan Template

2:44am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZOzxGyfyMXe
(Notes: 2)
  
June 16, 2010
Titan Template - Pokemon SoulSilver/HeartGold Review

BLAST FROM THE PAST

By Edison Lei

Another new Pokemon game?
  Not exactly. Nintendo and GameFreak have recently unleashed their new remake of Pokemon Silver/Gold, also called Pokemon SoulSilver and HeartGold for the NintendoDS. Originally made for the GameBoy Color, the new SoulSilver/HeartGold shows numerous improvements to the traditional Pokemon game, as well as tons of new features and tidbits. The time and effort GameFreak put into making, or rather remaking, this game is as obvious as a Snorlax in a sea of Psyducks. Even for those who have abandoned the never-ending Pokemon franchise sometime during the 14 years of its life, SS/HG is a great game to get back into the series.  
  Pokemon SoulSilver/HeartGold is a Pokemon role-playing game and just as enticing and addicting as it has always been. The story and objectives are still the same—to become the very best Pokemon trainer. This, however, is when most of the similarities end. Despite being the 20th installment of the handheld Pokemon series, changes in SS/HG make it an almost entirely new experience.
  The most obvious difference is the graphics. Staying true to the motto, “out with the old, in with the new,” GameFreak has tossed out 2-D flat, pixelated visuals like an outdated PokeBall and upgraded to a full, vivid, entirely 3-D environment better than most other DS games. It is nothing special compared to the recent Pokemon Platinum but an improvement nonetheless. Pokemon Beauty Contests have been switched out for a new Pokethlon Dome, featuring athletic competitions instead.
  Another alteration to the original game is the menu. GameFreak has done an excellent job of making the touch screen much more integrated and interactive. Although the turn-based battle system was on the touch screen in the last couple Pokemon games, SS/HG takes full advantage of the touchpad as the entire menu is now located on the bottom screen. Actions like accessing the Pokedex or managing the Pokemon box are much easier, more convenient and super effective. 
  One of the pointless but irresistibly cute little tweaks in this game is every Pokemon has a sprite that follows the character everywhere. This only works with the first Pokemon on the team. Sure brings back memories of PokemonYellow, except this time it works with any Pokemon. Players can even turn around and talk to the Pokemon, who will respond according to the environment and their health status.
  Most of Pokemon games all appear to be pretty linear when it comes to story and gameplay, so beating the game will not be a problem. There are many elements and places to be explored after beating the game, such as a triumphant return of the Battle Frontier from Pokemon Emerald and a new Safari Zone adds hours of non-stop gameplay. 
  Pokemon SoulSilver and HeartGold is sure to appeal to and captivate both a new audience of gamers and old dedicated Pokemon fans. Makers of this game seemed to have blended every favorable aspect from older games to create this massive monstrosity of Pokemon, all in the convenience of a DS. Whether the Pokemon is big or small, players still “gotta’ catch ‘em all.”   
 Titan Template

2:41am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZOzxGyfyKuV
(Notes: 2)
  
June 16, 2010
Titan Template - Tatsunoko VS. Capcom Review

Tatsunoko vs. Capcom Review By Edison Lei
 HADOUKEN! 
  This battle cry emanates from the stereo as Street Fighter’s original Ryu delivers a devastating blast to Tatsunoko’s Ken the Eagle, just after he pulls into a guard position—all in seconds before the screen is engulfed in a cascade of flashy effects and colors.  

  Surrounded in anticipation and already an extremely successful project in Japan, “Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars” was released on Tuesday, Jan. 26 exclusively for Nintendo Wii owners. Capcom Co., along with Tatsunoko Production Co., hoped this game would be as prosperous as it was in the Japan. With such a fun and amazing product, they have clearly accomplished this goal. 
  Featuring a list of familiar characters, these two powerhouses of anime, “Tatsunoko” and “Capcom,” battle it out, each with their own extensive roster of fighters. Not as well-known in the United States, “Tatsunoko” enters the ring with characters such as Ken the Eagle, Yatterman, Ippatsuman, Casshan and Tekkaman. Fighting for “Capcom” are more popular fighters such as Ryu, Chun-Li, Saki, Viewtiful Joe and Megaman. This heavily packed roster also contains two secret unlockable characters. 
  This battling game presents 3-D fighters clashing on a 2-D plane, integrated with complicated mechanics, awesome gameplay, simple controls and an ostentatious presentation even flashier than a sparkling Edward Cullen.
  Despite the elaborate nuts and bolts of this game, it is surprisingly easy to learn. With only four main keys to use, there is no berserk button blundering, and almost any newcomer can jump in and quickly become an expert in chain combos, cross-over air raids and Baroque combos.
  Unlike most fighting games, “Tatsunoko vs. Capcom” allows the player to choose two characters for each match. This adds much more strategy into the gameplay because the player can switch between the two fighters at any point during the match to perform chain combos together and inflict massive damage upon the opponent. These include strategies such as cross-over attacks, assists, counters or air raids, which the second fighter jumps in to assist the player or swaps out to continue fighting. This allows the reserve fighter to “rest” or recover a portion of his health back.  
  A player can also activate Baroque combos to temporarily gain a boost of power at the cost of a portion of his health. When used effectively, this technique can be dangerously lethal in a game and has the potential to completely turn around a match.
  Nevertheless, no fighting game is complete without a Special. In “Tatsunoko vs. Capcom,” each character has their own uniquely demolishing Special move called Hyper Combos. These moves, carried out by filling up the Hyper Combo Gauge, are not only fantastically appealing but also deal incredible damage and cannot be blocked or defended against after the initial attack.
  With such a small learning curve, this massive wall of text will be as clear as ABC’s within 15 minutes of gameplay.
Although one major disappointment for Wii owners is the sub-par graphics of most Wii games, this is not a problem for Tatsunoko vs. Capcom. The graphics are excellent, and this is definitely one of the best looking games for Wii. Graphics, style and presentation all hold together great even during the rigorous and fast-paced gameplay of an intense match.
  Nevertheless, the game is not perfect. One of the few problems is the relatively basic single-player arcade and survival modes. By bringing in a friend or playing online, however, this problem easily disappears. 
  For Anime fans and Wii-owners alike, “Tatsunoko vs. Capcom” is the ideal game for those itching for a fight. With complex yet incredibly easy to learn mechanics, intense and smooth gameplay and popular characters pummeling each other to a pulp, what is not to like? This game easily provides an awesome experience like no other. 
Titan Template 

2:39am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZOzxGyfyJjz
(Notes: 1)
  
June 16, 2010
Titan Template - Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Review

PEW PEW PEW!By Edison Lei

Sergeant Sanderson carefully rounds a corner, trusty FN SCAR-H assault rifle in hand, only to be met by a horde of Russian terrorists. He quickly takes cover behind a wall and jams a new magazine into his rifle as bullets whiz overhead. He cautiously catches each assailant in sight and takes them out one by one.

With all the hype surrounding it, “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” certainly had a huge reputation to live up to, especially since the first “Modern Warfare” was already praised as one of the best games of all time. But is this epic first-person shooter all that it is claims to be?

Raking in more than $310 million dollars in the United States and United Kingdom in just the first 24 hours of its release and earning the title of Biggest Entertainment Launch in History, “CoD: MW2” is definitely a big fat must for all first-person shooter fans.

Based on a fictional war between the US and Russia, this game is broken into three main parts: The suspenseful, dramatic single player story, the cooperative two-player mode, and the intense, hardcore multiplayer mode.   In the single-player campaign mode of the game, the story itself is unique and unpredictable as the game deeply immerses the player into intensely fierce firefights and amazingly realistic environments. Dramatic cutscenes and infinite plot twists and turns piece the story together while leaving the player simply in awe.

Apart from the main story, there is the cooperative mode titled Special Ops. These challenging missions allow two players to team up and accomplish a variety of objectives such as protecting a certain point and eliminating a number of enemies. Each mission poses to test players of all skill levels, and although it can be played solo, it is best played using teamwork.

The single-player campaign was disappointingly brief compared to its predecessor. Nonetheless, it was still great. The online multiplayer, however, is where this game truly shines. It gives this game an endless replayability as players test themselves against others from around the world. Here, players can customize their own class or set of weapons and perks, which are nice little bonuses for each player.

Within the multiplayer, there are a multitude of game modes such as Free-For-All, Capture the Flag, Domination, Search and Destroy and Sabotage, along with an even larger myriad of weapons to destroy the enemy. MW2 also featues a new ‘Hardcore’ setting for each mode which includes a few changes to make the gameplay much more difficult. As players kill enemies or complete certain objectives, they gain experience points and raise in rank and level, which unlock weapon attachments, upgrades, perks and more weapons, with which players can use to further obliterate their enemy.

“CoD: MW2” is one of the best of its kind, offering endless replayability and insane amounts of action-packed hardcore fun, sweat and grenades, all tightly bundled together with stunning graphics and a nice touch of ultimate satisfaction.

 
So yes, this game really is everything it is said to be—maybe even more.
Titan Template

2:38am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZOzxGyfyJ1V
(Notes: 2)
  
June 14, 2010
Summer Boredom.

  Finally.

  School is out. Summer is in. The long awaited days of opportunity and rejoice have made its grand entrance. Time for freedom, frolic, and fun, stretched out over a period of 80 incredible days. 

  It is noon, on the first day of summer vacation.

  One lone child reclines in his room, anticipating the extraordinary possibilities of his much deserved downtime. Images of pool parties, water fights, and barbecues flash before his eyes. Thoughts of endless movies, countless pictures, and unforgettable memories whirl through his head as the summer sun rays rip through the windows and flood his house in a warm, comforting light. He practically shivers with excitement at the prospect of summer promise.

  Well that kid is not me. Sure, he may exist somewhere, and quite possibly could have been me in the initial summer hysteria, but now, a week into summer and I am bored out of my mind.

  Maybe I could be out shopping with friends, or enjoying a root beer float, or camping in my barren backyard, or even kill some of my time with a crayon and a coloring book.

  But no, instead, I lazily linger at home, the summertime heat doing a relatively good job at persuading me not to do anything. Instead, I groggily wake at noontime each day with my scruffy hair in a mohawk-like figure, wondering how it could have happened.

  I spend the rest of the day plopped on the couch, one foot on the table, as active as a potato. The most of my movements result in changing the channel, or microwaving another meal to inhale into my stomach. At this point, chewing becomes almost as common as breathing until my small eyes no longer cooperate with my desire to do nothing, and I finally decide to backtrack to bed, only to wake to another day of laziness and lunch.

  That is, until summer school starts.

5:54pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZOzxGyffS8_