SiteForRent.com's Biggest RENThead Competition

Um, wow! Yesterday I was notified by email that I am one of the 10 finalists participating in SiteForRent.com's Biggest RENThead Competition. If I win the Grand Prize, I become the new show's official blogger, and I gain unprecedented access to the production.

To enter, I had to create a 30 second video outlining exactly why I am the Biggest RENThead.



In Round 2, I need to write a 250-word essay about the same topic as my video. They also want me to throw in some flare and give a taste of what my writing skills are like. Without further ado, here it is...

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The house lights dim. A hushed electricity channels through the building, penetrating the actors, the stage hands, the pit band, and the audience alike. Closing night is always a fun and tough experience. Months of rehearsals and performances finally climax into one final production. It all comes down to this. It needs to be perfect. 

I'm playing the part of Roger, and it's Roger's entrance that sets this locomotive of a show into motion. The stage is dark. Everyone is waiting for me, but I want to bask in this feeling a little longer.

"What are you doing?" Matt (Mark) mouthes in the darkness of stage right.

...My mind races. I'm thinking about the first time I saw Rent in high school, and how listening to the music every night helped mend my heart when my grandmother passed. I'm thinking about the wonderful people I've met and now care about, because of this show. I'm thinking of how special Rent is, and how never has a show made such a profound, permanent impression on me…

I should say something. My eyes shoot downward, examining the ground. Maybe the words will be spelt out with glow-in-the-dark gaff tape on the floor of the right wing… They're not.

Suddenly, it strikes me.

"Thanks, Jon."

I smile, take the guitar pick out of my mouth and run across the stage. I plug in the shitty, out-of-tune Fender, and strum the open strings. It rings like a conch; calling all of my friends onto the stage for our final hurrah.

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The submission period ends at 11:59pm (EDT) on May 30th. I should find out a week or so later if I made it. FINGERS CROSSED!

How to Make the Nintendo 3DS an EPIC WIN

Early adopters of the 3DS have waited patiently since purchasing their new toy, for the legendary "May Update" (and rescheduled) "June Update." For those out of the loop, this update will add features that should have been available at launch. We'll get access to an Internet Browser, Netflix Support, and the new eShop. (Nintendo's answer to Apple's App Store.)

These features certainly whet my appetite, but there are certain upgrades that could knock this system out of the park.

1. Skype

Video chatting on the 3DS just makes sense. With a front facing camera, and a beautiful top display, Nintendo would be foolish to not offer Skype support.

What I would like to see:

Apple's iPhone 4, iPod Touch 4g, and iPad 2 all offer the same camera set-up that the Nintendo 3DS does. (Camera on the front, and camera on the back.) They also give the user the ability to switch between the cameras during chatting. What sets the 3DS apart, is that it offers full 3D support for that back camera. Not only could we have 2D support for "face to face" chatting, but also 3D support, when switching to the latter. All the Skype controls could be displayed on the bottom screen as well, allowing for an easy user experience.

How Nintendo could "F#$%" it up:

They develop and implement their OWN video chat service. "Pictochat" anyone?

2. Netlix 3D Streaming

Nintendo has already teased that a future update will allow for 3D video playback AND Netflix support, so why not combine the two?

What I would like to see:

Now I understand this suggestion really belongs to Netflix, so listen up! Why do people go into business? (To make money!) How does Netflix make money? (Subscribers!)

So let's recap... More subscribers = More money.

If Netflix offered a cheap and easy way to enjoy stereoscopic films streamed straight to the 3DS, it's pretty much a shoe-in that any 3DS owner would, in turn, become a faithful subscriber. Not only would this 3D streaming service do wonders for Netflix, it would insure that lots of 3DS systems fly off the shelves.

3. Virtual Console / eShop Integration

The yet-to-be-released Nintendo eShop has been touted as an easy way to download all of your old favorite handheld titles, (much like the Wii's Virtual Console.) So how could Nintendo do us one better?

What I would like to see:

The 3DS has roughy the horsepower of the Nintendo Gamecube. So it's not like it couldn't handle an old console title thrown at it. Not only should the eShop offer old console games, but it should be integrated with the Wii's Virtual Console, so you can download titles to your 3DS that you've already bought for your Wii.

How Nintendo could "F#$%" it up:

They could offer classic console games, but leave out the Virtual Console integration: Making you pay for your favorites ALL OVER AGAIN.

4. 3D Upscaling for DS Titles

One of the best things about the 3DS is it's ability to play normal DS games. When you buy the console, you already have a huge library of games that are fully playable. But what if those titles could make the leap into 3D by a simple update?

What I would like to see:

We've seen it a million times: Consoles updating themselves to adhere to a specific title. This is most definitely a pipe dream, but if this was technologically possible, imagine the possibilities. You could take all of your favorite titles and make them suddenly relevant again. I wouldn't even mind shelling out a few bucks for each update. We've already been promised downloadable 3D-remakes of older titles in the eShop, but the ability to upscale titles you already own would be a great way for Nintendo to blow everyone's mind.

5. 3D Video Recording

Out of all my suggestions, this one seems the most likely. Nintendo CEO, Satoru Iwata, has already stated that Nintendo's goal is to offer this feature in a future update.

What I would like to see:

Since purchasing my 3DS, I'm still surprised at how often I use the 3D camera. When it was first announced, I thought it was going to be a piece of sleeper software I never used. *AHEM* Nintendo 3DS Sound *AHEM*

But, I've found myself using it quite a bit. Nintendo could step up this experience by giving owners the ability to record videos in 3D. Nintendo should also take a few pointers from Apple on this front. Apple has already proven with their line of iOS devices, that simple editing features can be easy and intuitive on the fly. Why not do the same?

Conclusion:

Nintendo’s launch of the 3DS has been quite disappointing. It’s very likely that new software and the upcoming holiday season will help get consoles off the shelf, but what Nintendo needs to do now, is to make the 3DS MORE than a game console. They need to offer one of a kind experiences that are unique to the 3DS and not be afraid to rely on other companies. (Netflix, Skype, etc.)

What features should be added to the Nintendo 3DS? Sound off in the comments section below!!

Two of My Favorite Musical Worlds Colliding? ---- Could This Be Too Much of a Good Thing?

I was skeptical about the country influence for this album. Don't get me wrong, I was raised on (and love) country music: (Merle, George, Hank, Buck, Conway, Loretta, Tammy, etc.) And, I like the band's brief forays into country: ("Please Daddy", Bandit Queen, Hazards of Love 4, etc.) But I was afraid this album might be too over the top, even for me, and the style that made me fall in love with The Decemberists might be lost.

While "The King is Dead" occasionally stumbles, I'm happy to say that it's a great album that embraces a more mature and simplified sound. The band has never been into complex chord changes, and often times simpler progressions lead to catchier and more gripping melodies. (Also they're easier for me to learn on my guitar.) I would say that this is most certainly the case here with "The King is Dead."

I am a huge fan of the concept rock opera that is "The Hazards of Love," and am still in love with the album's closing number, "The Hazards of Love 4 (The Drowned.)" It's easily the prettiest song on the album, and "The King is Dead" is filled with songs just as beautiful and riveting.

"Rise to Me," "January Hymn," "June Hymn," and "Dear Avery" engross and please. The soft hummable melodies dig into your ear, and stay long after the album has ended. Mr. Meloy's fantastic lyrical abilities are still in full force, although you can leave your dictionary at home for this album.

There's a good mix here and "Rox in the Box" seems to be the only song I don't care for. Though when it plays, I can't in all good conscious skip it, and I find myself humming along by the end. "This is Why We Fight" is a great tune, and is definitely more rock-centric than the rest of the songs. Some might think it sticks out like a sore thumb, but I can't imagine the album without it. 

My only real gripe with "The King is Dead" is the harmonica. The playing is fantastic, but I've never been a harmonica fan, and feel a little goes a long way. There's more than a little on here, and it occasionally detracts from the songs. However, the playing is so good and clean, that I can, for the most part, overlook it.

After the band's last endeavor, I found myself asking, "Where do you go from here?" Instead of trying to top themselves, and retreading ground that's already been explored, The Decemberists have side-stepped and embraced elements of blue-grass, country, and folk for an entirely different sound that is just as fantastic as their last album, but for different reasons. Where "The Hazards of Love" succeeded in it's big theatrical and conceptual sound, "The King is Dead" succeeds with it's down-home, simplified one.  

While not for everyone, "The King is Dead" is a quick 40 minute tour into a very enjoyable and unique Decemberists experience. I highly recommend it.