R.I.P. Steve Jobs

Every single day, everyone at Mildly Pleased uses an Apple product. Personally, I spend most of my day with Apple products, between all the work I do on my iMac and all the procrastinating I do with my iPhone. Steve Jobs has been the face of Apple for so long it’s easy to think of him as the man responsible for all that they’ve accomplished. That would be forgetting all the hard work that plenty of others put into each product they’ve launched, but it shows how prolific an individual he was.

I first took notice of Apple when Mac OS X came out. Before that, they were just the weird alternative computers that I saw in schools and the occasional household. But Mac OS X struck me for its UI. After years of looking at bland, grey desktops, Apple Aqua theme was amazing. It was so colorful and clean. That was enough to get me interested in Macs, and I started altering my Windows machine to emulate the Macintosh interface. Windows XP was a big step forward for Microsoft and a revolutionary OS in its own right, but we’ve had two versions of Windows since then. Apple is still iterating on OS X.

I never liked portable CD players. I tended to buy ones with skipping problems, or maybe I was just an irresponsible portable CD player owner. By junior high, most of the music I was listening to was on my computer, thanks to the magic of ripping CDs and the brief revolution of Napster. I was too lazy to burn CDs most of the time, so music was not that big a part of my life. Worse, I was stuck using the clunky Windows Media Player or the so-flexible-it-was-intimidating WinAmp for my musical needs. Then, and I clearly remember this day in 2003, Apple finally released iTunes for Windows. Obviously this was the logical, money-making move, but I thought it an extraordinary gift. What benevolence from them, to give me access to this amazing musical store and resource-hogging application! iTunes has been my only media player since. I bought my first song, “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” in March of 2004 using a Pepsi bottle cap. I haven’t bought a CD, aside from a souvenir in Japan, since. I got an iPod, a used third generation model, for Christmas. At the time, it was the coolest thing I owned, even though people were walking around with the cool color-screened fourth generation ones already. That iPod I have replaced three times, but it is still used by the family.

It was my birthday and a schoolday when my family gifted me my first Mac. A PowerBook G4, a real beauty. They gave it to me in the morning and I barely got to use it before I had to leave to go miss the bus. I waited all day for the chance to go home and play with my laptop again. At the time, I already had my own computer, a PC my dad had helped me build that was superior to my PowerBook in every way, from a technical standpoint. But instantly my Mac became my default machine. I used it every day up until my birthday in 2008, when I got my second Mac, the iMac I am writing this post on. That PowerBook has been used well beyond reason, but I can’t let it go. If it were a PC, I’m sure I’d have disposed of it long ago.

My first iPhone, now Nancy’s phone, was the most amazing thing. Imagine, a device that could deliver to me all the world’s information. That could connect me with anyone I was looking for. “There’s an app for that” might sound a little contrived to us now, but if you think of it, it’s pretty extraordinary. I walk around with technology today that would have seemed outlandish by science fiction standards just a few years ago. Time and time again, Apple has amazed me with the products they put out. I balked at the iPad, but like it or not, it’s changing the face of computers. I wouldn’t have predicted that, but Steve Jobs did.

That’s the insight and leadership the world will be missing today. Because you simply cannot deny his track record. After starting Pixar and returning to Apple, Steve Jobs led the company to Mac OS X, the iPod, iTunes, iPhone and the iPad. He turned dreams into reality. He was one of the most involved and beloved CEOs of all time. And he’ll be missed.

Behind the Music: Bond Edition

This post doesn’t really have anything to do with anything relevant, I’ve just always wanted to share this. Not that this blog needs anymore Alice Cooper related posts (I still got one later for Shocktober, sorry) but I thought it would be just as good as time as any to talk about something that I discovered while watching Bond films last summer.

So last summer I was reading about all the Bond themes when I discovered that who else but the Alice Cooper Band recorded their own Bond song once. The year was 1973 and knowing that Man with the Golden Gun would be the next Bond film Cooper and his boys recorded a song called “Man with the Golden Gun” with the hope that they could get the attention of Bond producers. However the song never really took off as a single and the Bond producers instead opted a song written by Bond composer John Barry and sung by Scottish singer Lulu. So for fun I thought I’d compare both versions in videos I found that have each song set to the opening credits.

First I present the song by Lulu that the producers went with.

And now the version by the Alice Cooper Band.

Going with Lulu was probably the safe decision (whatever safe is supposed to mean) but I like Cooper’s version. Though seeing as I am a Cooper fan I suppose I’m somewhat biased. What do you think?

Webcomics!

Good news everyone, I’ve finally got the webcomics aspect of the site mostly working! This took a while, since I basically had to learn PHP and all sorts of fun backend stuff that most real websites just hire out to professionals. If you didn’t already know, the main reason we moved from Da Morgue Dot Org to here is because John and I wanted to get started on this webcomic. And now we have. Now I just have to keep inking and coloring these babies. For the rest of my life…

As a bonus, the image you see here is one of two deleted scenes from our inaugural strip. What do you think? Pretty cool, eh? We made that. Now you could make that, I don’t know, your iPhone wallpaper.

Welcome To Zeptember

With summer finally behind us, it’s about time we actually start posting on a semi-regular basis, and what better way to lead us into that than a theme week followed by the post orgy that is Shocktober. This year our theme of choice is that of the mighty Led Zeppelin, a band that we all hold pretty near and dear to our hearts. Unlike Beatles week we don’t really have something as awesome as Beatles Rock Band to do it on honor of (though we can keep hoping for Zeppelin Rock Band). But hey, Zeptember’s a pretty cool name, even if it’s not completely original, and I can’t wait to see what everybody’s favorite Zeppelin songs are.

So this is how I think this whole thing should work out:

Tuesday: John’s Top Ten Led Zeppelin Songs
Wednesday: Sean’s Top Ten
Thursday: Mine
Friday: Nancy’s
Saturday: Who Knows!

Maybe Kevin can figure out something to do, though I’m not sure Kevin knows what a Led Zeppelin is.

I wish I could think of a Led Zeppelin pun to end this on, but not that many of their lyrics are very memorable. So, uh, let’s hope our songs don’t remain the same.

It’s a Good Time to be Pissed at Nintendo

This monstrosity is the Nintendo 3DS Slide Pad add-on. It’s probably the biggest news out of TGS, even though Nintendo announced it before the event and pictures were leaked out before that. If you’ve never seen a 3DS before and you’re wondering why it looks so bulky and lopsided, let me tell you what’s new. The Slide Pad add-on grips onto your 3DS, surrounding your previously sleek system’s lower half, adding new shoulder buttons and, notably, a second circle pad. Never mind that it laughs at symmetry and aesthetics, new buttons!

When I first saw this thing, I was flustered, but I took solace in knowing that its announcement was in conjunction with the new, 3DS-exclusive Monster Hunter game. That franchise is massive in Japan, it turned the PSP into a success over there. So I could understand Nintendo bending over backwards to secure what could become its new console’s biggest hit. But, when Nintendo showed the Slide Pad off at its pre-TGS show, it confirmed that the add-on will be used by multiple upcoming games. And the news just got worse from there.

Probably the most remarkably terrible thing about the Slide Pad is that it takes a battery. You’d think with something stupid like this, they could at least build additional battery power into the device, helping to overcome the 3DS’ most obvious flaw. But no, Nintendo expects me to find a freakin’ AAA battery for it. And I can’t use my sweet 3DS dock with this monstrosity either. Boo!

More importantly, the Slide Pad goes against the concept of the 3DS. It doesn’t need a second analogue stick because it has the touch screen. Every single DS game compensated for that, and that limitation made DS games unique and popular. With a second analogue stick, developers don’t necessarily need to use touch anymore. What does that leave us with? A less powerful PlayStation Vita with headache power.

But as someone who bought the 3DS after Nintendo dropped its price, I feel betrayed. When I bought the system, I knew battery power was an issue and I knew a new iteration of the system was inevitable. I accepted that. Now my handheld has to either become an abomination or incompatible with the future of its software lineup. Now when they come out with a new 3DS revision, which they haven’t announced but you know is coming, it will essentially be a relaunch of the system. As a consumer, I have never felt so completely fucked over by a company that I previously trusted. I can think of no other peripheral in gaming history that is as damning as the 3DS Slide Pad. So I’m pretty pissed. Nintendo’s going to have to come up with something pretty extraordinary to make this 3DS Ambassador come back home.

Hump De Bumbershoot

Last year was my first outing at Bumbershoot; the northwest’s premier music festival, at least last year it was. Last year the headliner was none other than music legend Bob “Motherfucking” Dylan and along with Neko Case and The Decemberists it was an event not to be missed. So how could they top that? Well since they probably couldn’t they went in a completely different direction, bands that aren’t as famous or good. Okay I’m getting a little carried away here, this year wasn’t bad, but it’s hard to get excited when you’re only there to see Hall and Oates. As much as I love the cheesy pop music of Daryl Hall and John Oates I was shocked to find they could still headline a festival like this, does that mean they’re as good as Bob Dylan? Seems like they should be playing the Emerald Queen Casino but here they were and I saw them and ya know what? It was still fun, I guess it’s more about the entire experience than anything else.

My Bumbershoot odyssey began this year as I was jusr crossing the bridge into the emerald city and got a phone call. My step dad called and me and asked “Hey John, is it too late for your mom to come?” You see at this point I was going to Bumbershoot by myself but my mom had showed some interest earlier, so even though it meant turning around right before my early arrival I turned back and she joined me. This gave me a good opportunity to use a deal I had where I could bring a guest for half price of the original ticket, I’ll take it!

We finally made it to Bumbershoot at about 2:00 and spent the first half hour or so getting some grub and getting a feel for the festival. The first performance we caught was Head Like a Kite a semi electronic group featuring a vocalist jumping around and shouting and a drummer laying down the beats. They were basically the definition of okay, though I enjoyed this other guy in the panda suit on stage (he knew how to work an audience,) Afterwards we continued to wander until we found a fried candy stand. So many times I’d heard about fried candy but never seen it readily available, still full from lunch I decided I’d be back later but my mom got some fried pickles. Actually they weren’t half bad, just imagine a pretty good pickle in a fish n’ chips-like batter with tartar, sounds gross but America has spoken.

By 3:00 I was on my way to check out Big Boi in the Key Arena, my mom just ordering the pickles minutes before would wait outside and checkout some other group. So I walked into the Key Arena to the sound of a booming bass and lyrics being spit out faster than the Flash on laundry day. I’ve heard good things about Big Boi’s solo music but not being much of a hip hop fan I didn’t really know what was going on. Though after a few songs I actually started to get into it, Big Boi along with his co-vocalist, DJ, and drummer did a nice job of getting the audience pumped up always addressing us as “Yo Motherfucking Seattle!”. The house really got into it when ever he delved into Outkast’s back catalog to dust off an old hit. These included; “Ms, Jackson”, “I Like the Way You Move” and my favorite “B.O.B” I can’t believe a person can even speak that quickly.

Afterwards I caught up with my mom near some band named YACHT, kind of a B-52 sounding band, a cute sound I guess. At this point we made our way to the main outdoor stage where some guy, I wanna say Dennis? Was playing funk music, we watched for a few minutes until we decided to check out the beer garden. Inside the garden we both got some Chardonnay that aside from a hint of grape had a fairly disgusting flavor. Bored with the endless jamming of Dennis whatever we decided to wander encountering a delightful street juggler. I’ve always loved street magicians and jugglers so I had to check this out and even though he wasn’t the greatest juggler in the world he was a very finely tuned comedic showman. After this I checked soul singer Charles Bradley for a little bit, he was a great singer but I wasn’t really digging his tunes, whatever.

A few hours and a fried candy bar later we made our way to Key Arena to see Fitz and the Tantrums and then later Hall and Oates. I’d heard of Fitz awhile back and had actually heard the group’s album beforehand so I was well prepared for their R&B laced set. The performance was well polished but some of their songs are definitely better than others. Some of their songs just seem to derivative of preexisting soul songs, but overall it was entertaining, I definitely enjoyed their cover of The Raconteurs “Steady as She Goes” and of course the playing of their infectiously catchy hit song”Moneygrabber.”

About twenty minutes later the long awaited sunday headliners finally took the stage to a fairly full Key Arena. They opened with a slightly altered version of “Maneater” that excellently showcased Daryl Hall’s still marvelous vocal abilities. Oh yeah, Oates was okay too, damn he sure is short though. Most of the songs were enjoyable enough but too many contained cheesy jamming sections that really drew the show out longer than it needed to be. I’d looked online a few days earlier to find that they’ve been playing the same set list for awhile now, it definitely seemed over rehearsed, it’s gotta be fresh every time man! Though I was disappointed by the changes made to classics like “I Can’t Go for That” and “Rich Girl” now with a bluesy piano opening, I still enjoyed seeing these talented musicians show off their chops. “You Make My Dreams” was easily the highlight of the night being one of the few songs played exactly as we all know it and “Private Eyes” was a great closer, there’s something very satisfying about seeing that many people perform the clapping in the chorus.

Seeing that this review is already irrelevant and the fact that I lost interest two paragraphs in probably means I should wrap it up. So in conclusion not a great Bumbershoot but an interesting one. I can’t wait to see who will headline next year… Seals & Crofts? That would suck.

Blinkerton

Last saturday I witnessed something very special for any Weezer fan with a true blast from the past. Honestly I think it would of been a treat for any Weezer fan, even those who may have grown cynical after Weezer started recording songs like ugh… “Beverly Hills”. How could one show satisfy all walks of Weezer fan? By playing The Blue Album and Pinkerton back to back in their entirety.

Earlier I mentioned Weezer fans that had grown cynical and even I must admit to being one of those few from time to time. I feel like it used to be cool to like Weezer but now I often feel embarrassed to admit to liking them. Maybe it’s because they’ve gone somewhat cheesy or mainstream (collaborations with ‘Lil Wayne and All American Rejects don’t help), or maybe they’ve just been around too long. Anyway you look at it I don’t think there’s any denying that Weezer’s first two albums contain their best work and some of the best alternative rock of the 90s and that’s what made this night so special. In a way it was like cheap travel and probably somewhat nostalgic for some, I was kind of young back then so I can’t really speak of any nostalgia. I don’t have too much to say about the show but I’ll leave a few comments about what I liked and didn’t and everything in between

Opening Act: The Thermals

After waiting in line for a little over a half an hour the doors opened at about 7:10 and at 8:00 the show began. Going in I didn’t even know there was an opening act, at least I couldn’t find any info about it before the show. Despite being around for almost ten years I’d never heard of the The Thermals, suppose that’s why they were still an opening band. This Pop/Punk trio hailing from Portland gave an energetic performance that was fortunately quick to the point. They kind of reminded me of like an indie rock Green Day which was fun, though I will admit to spacing out in the middle of their set. Though they didn’t drag anything out and seemed fairly grateful to be there so I’ll give em a big sweaty thumbs up, good job.

Weezer: The Blue Album

FInally at around nine, Weezer took the stage to a crowd of anxious fans doing the Weezer hand logo and tore right into “My Name is Jonas”. Right away I was glad to see Patrick Wilson playing drums as I know he’s mostly switched to guitar these days and guess what? He played drums for every single song in both sets, awesome? The arrangements of the songs kept fairly close to the album but with a little less keyboard and no acoustic guitar (until “Butterfly” in the second set.) Rivers Cuomo kept to singing the numbers fairly straightforward, only occasionally pointing to the audience of making Brian Bell sing a part just cause. Though what was really strange was Rivers lack of communication with the audience. Usually he seems to be a pretty interactive and energetic performer but this night it was all business. Maybe he just didn’t feel like it, or maybe he did it for the older Weezer fans who hate what Weezer has become and just came to hear the music? Either way it wasn’t a big deal and highlights from the first half of the show were definitely “In the Garage” and “Holiday.”

Intermission

After finishing a solid rendition of The Blue Album, Weezer left the stage to let long time Weezer archivist/roadie/unofficial fifth member of the band Karl Koch do a slideshow about the early years of Weezer. Karl really made up for the lack of intimacy Rivers had shown towards the audience and gave everyone a few good chuckles. Some of the best parts of the slideshow were early reviews talking about how bad Weezer was, they’re good sports, I enjoyed this segment verily.

Weezer: Pinkerton

Ah, this is what I was really psyched for and I think Pinkerton may have actually overshadowed The Blue Album. Though it definitely doesn’t have the hits that Blue has, on stage it just rocked so hard. The riffs were crunchy the melodies and backup vocals tight and I felt very fortunate to see these songs that don’t see the light of day to often anymore. Really it was all great but my favorite moments were probably; “The Good Life” (My favorite Weezer song), “El Scorcho” and “Why Bother”. The only downer to this whole show was the lack of an encore. I guess twenty songs is a lot but for Weezer to leave the stage after “Butterfly only to come back and play “Blast Off” was very strange. For those who don’t know “Blast Off” was a Weezer rarity that was eventually included on River’s demo solo album and was actually played live for the first time at this show. I felt honored to be a part of that group but it does seem weird to go to a Weezer show without seeing “Island in the Sun” or “Hash Pipe”. This show really was the closest thing to actually traveling back in time.