Music Video #91 (Season Finale)

Have we really done 90 of these already? Today's song appropriately enough is Closing Time by Semisonic.





This entire video has a split screen. It's made for wide screen video players. On the left we mostly follow a woman as she gets ready to leave from work, which is at some restaurant in a big city. On the right we're in a big apartment where Semisonic practices. The woman is wearing street clothes so I'm not sure what her job is. She uses a oddly placed pay phone to call somebody. The camera on the right rotates until we see a phone and answering machine. Yep, these two screens are related. The song starts and it's a slow, kind of sad song about closing time at a bar. Basically, time to go! One of the band members finally goes for the phone but he's too late. He briefly rights down whatever message she left as she closes the place for good.

The woman washes up and puts on some chap stick before she finally leaves. Meanwhile the song picks up a little. It still has a sad tone, but it's now a bittersweet sad as lead singer and guitarist tells us who he wants to go home with. I.E., the woman he's singing to. He tells her to take his drunk butt home. OK, so maybe I'm a little biased against people who drink.

The bartender or whoever is telling everybody to go home is still doing so. The place won't reopen until much later, so OUT! Gather your stuff. Go towards the exits. Scram. Think of it as a journey if you have to. Meanwhile as the restaurant is closed for good, lead singer checks his watch. What follows is these two searching out for each other. It would be a comedy of errors if the song wasn't so bittersweet. These two places aren't far apart, because we see singer on the left side before long. As he finds out the place is closed, woman shows up on the right side during the breakdown. The other band members just shrug at her inquiries and she leaves. Can this relationship be saved? Meanwhile the right side is following a cyclists legs. This goes on for just long enough that lead singer is back at the apartment rocking out. "Hey man, your girl was here." "She was? Let me rock out first before I ask you where she went."

On the left screen we're now following the woman's legs. See, you shouldn't hire me as a cameraman. Hey lead singer, are you going to let your gal wonder around the streets of a big city at night alone? I guess not, because he finally concludes the breakdown and the band all wonder outside. Woman wonders around until she sees a star, and turns around and walks through a crowd. Lead singer wonders around like a dork. At one point they almost run into each other as lead singer goes from right to left screen in a second. Finally lead singer just walks up to his band members who are waiting at the blue car at the right screen. Lead singer simply shrugs. Sniff. Can this relationship be saved?




This is a damn good song. When I first watched the video I just focused on the story. I didn't notice anything about the song itself other than it had a sad tone. When I finally listened to it I noticed it had a more bittersweet tone. The video actually avoids using a bar but fits the song.

The awesome thing is this video's gimmick, which is the one long take using two cameras. It's fun watching both point of views instead of cutting back and forth between the two. It even gives us a chance to see how close they are by how long it takes them to go from one side to the other.

Music Video #90 (Day 30 of 2009)

Our penultimate video of this year is Pretty Fly (For Kadowaki Mai). It is by the band Offspring.




I was shocked when Lita chose this video. I've always thought the original song was stupid. Not just stupid, but aggressively stupid. Not only that, but it knows it's stupid and it rubs that in your face. It tries to convince you that it's telling a joke, and that you can be in on that joke, but it can only end in tears for you.

This song is about a white guy who, get this!, acts like a stereotypical black guy! Can you believe that? Isn't that the nuttiest thing? The white guy is like, "Can I be with you guys?" and the black guy is like, "I don't think so! Black guy don't play that." The black and brown women love white guy, until they have to recognize his paleness, in which they suddenly put him down.

This version gives the song a high pitch, fake Japanese voice, which doesn't change the suckiness in anyway. It's like an In Living Color sketch gone horribly wrong.

We start with...











Ok, so that's not our real video. I'm just seeing what reaction I can get out of Lita if I pretend to do the wrong video. Our real penultimate video is Just Because. This video is done by Jane's Addiction.





That was a fun video with a descent song. Couldn't understand a word the singer said though.

The entire video takes shape on a stage shaped like an orange juicer. It's black and white, which makes it look like it's sparkling like a diamond at times. The song starts and the band starts dancing. I assume this song was made for the ladies with the way they dance and the positions of the camera.

Singer tells his friend or girlfriend that they better watch out. Why? Because lead guitar likes to pretend that his guitar is attached to his body. Boy is he immature! Actually, singer asks whoever when's the last time they did something for themselves just for the heck of it. Friend should have known better. Meanwhile the lights go around like a sprinkler. Singer bends over and looks at us from between his legs. Sure, why not?

Two minutes, thirty seconds into the video we get to the second verse. His friend isn't afraid, but they are unloved. Ouch. Somehow, they aren't hurt either, which is unlikely. Singer doesn't explain what he means when he says that friend should have known. Did I mention that the dome stage looks neat? YEah, let's look at that. Right now the lights are shooting upwards to a point, looking like a movie tower with cartoon lightning bolts signals shooting out of it.

Singer gets on his back and presents himself. Ok, we get it. "You can see my area and everything. Just Because. Just Because." When singer and his friend/girlfriend were young, they used to do drugs, and now they're still the same. Go drugs, go, I guess.




The stage with the many lights is the highlight of this sing. The camera constantly cuts and rotates, which would usually annoy me but it gives this thing some energy. The song is OK even though I don't have a clue what it's about. If it's about steroids, than I may have to change my feelings because I'm sick to death about steroid scandals. Damn ESPN.

The awesome thing is the entire stage. Makes the whole video.

Music Video #89 (Day 29 of 2009)

This music video is 19-2000. It marks the return of the Gorillaz and their creepy anime counterparts.




This video is all about a bridge in the middle of nowhere. The Gorillaz drive in their car over it as we wonder where the heck they are. We watch the 2d driver awkwardly interact with the 3d car. This isn't important, but his knuckles are ugly. The bridge is apparently in the middle of just whiteness. That's the best way to describe it.

The song starts with the pink hair guy, who is really ugly, singing about how time's are going to fast for him. He just bought some expensive tennis shoes to remind him of happier times that he once couldn't wait to put behind him. Driver suddenly does a wheelie because he can. His band members just stand up and grab a bar instead of freak out. I guess that's why I'm not in a band. Singer tells us that his mom gave him some advice about making your own shoes to slow things down. That's oddly specific yet vague. So singer tells us to stop dancing to Gorillaz music in a happy mood. Hey, happy wasn't the emotion I felt when I saw that anime girl thing dancing with the head.

The car turns around and passes under several low passages. I mean so low that I'm surprise they didn't kill the back passengers. A cop watches over them. Finally just when I was asking how real was this bridge, they reach a loop-de-loop. Can any science-types tell me if a car can really do this? Just curious. The girl, I think, says "here we go!" and sings about getting to a place that offers shoeshines. Nothing more than that. She seems to be enjoying herself immensely while the big guy next to her has a silent face of a guy about to explode. Also there's Japanese text, because they're animes and all.

They pass by several oil rigs. Can you imagine seeing hundreds of them on a trip across a real bridge? Suddenly the bridge is out, but they solve that problem the video game way. We see a blue monkey watching them make the jump. Singer goes on about some monkey that doesn't really do anything. It's trying to do stuff but it can't decide to follow his head or tail. Typical monkey! Anyway, if the Gorillaz face death like this dumb animal, they want you all to remember that the only important thing is which music clique we're apart of. Hmm, that leaves me in a bad situation.

The chorus repeats. The Gorillaz see a sign for a church that promises salvation, but they decide against it. This causes a UFO to attack them. Tough pastor. The UFO fires lasers at them. I think the pastor misread the parable of the good shepherd. The UFO blows up a gas station for no reason. Finally they lose it but they run into a giant moose. The Gorillaz try launching missiles at it but a sneeze ends up blowing up the Gorillaz instead.




This is an OK song. Not as good as some of the other Gorillaz song Lita has shown me. I don't think there's anything to the lyrics other than laying back and enjoying whatever you enjoy. The music video is neat when it focuses on anything but the band.

I have no idea what the song's title is about.

I prefer the laid-back original one to the remix.

The awesome thing is when the cardboard hillbilly is blown up so the Gorillaz can be rained by chunks of gas station asteroids.

The Bumblefudge Legacy: Generation 1: Chaper 5

Welcome back!

Today's update may be slightly construction-heavy, but there's plenty of game events in here too, so stick with it!


First off, wurwolf went to somebody's house to visit him, but he wasn't home so she went next door and found this lady. Her name is Constance (I think) and you may recognize her from when she was booing at Sally's underwear back before they both got old.

I know it looks like wurwolf is popping hearts for Constance, but she isn't really. She's just flirty so love is always on her mind.


Niiiiiice decor, Constance. I guess what they say is true. The repressed ones always have a wild side.


Constance's car is the best car.

AH HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!! Oh, gee.

I don't know if you can read that popup up there, but the game is informing us that Angie has become a Latrine Cleaner. I'm just tickled.

The game won't do this for you on its own, by the way. I'm using a mod called Indie Stone (in conjunction with Awesomemod) that, among other things, helps the Sims you aren't playing to find employment and updates you on their status if you wish. I look forward to keeping track of the lives of family members who move out of Bumblefudge Manor.



BOG is a child now! And it's kind of hard to see his features in any poorly lit room! Still, I'm excited!

"I could really go for a good night's sleep, myself."

Ahhh, old people.

BOG is an artistic type, so I got him an easel so he can refine his talents.

"Hey, Boggy, I guess since it's your birthday and stuff I uh... I got you a present you might like."

"Yeah? What is it?"

"This awesome guitar! Do you like it?"

"You realize I can't play guitar until I'm a teenager, right Mom?"

"Um... no. I didn't know that."

"I think I'll just keep working on my self-portrait, if you don't mind."

"Yeah... um. Sure. It's ok. Don't worry about it. It wasn't expensive. I just fished it out of a pond, anyway. [Lita's Note: This is true.] I'll just leave it here for when you want it."

"You do that, Mom."

"Happy birthday."

"Uh huh."


"*sniff*"

*Cat's In the Cradle starts playing*


Wow! That was pretty awkward! Time to change the subject!

wurwolf is starting to pop wants about gardening, so I've started a landscaping project out back!

It looks a little messy now because of a couple of aborted first attempts, but basically here is how you make a garden plot. (You don't actually need to do this to plant, but it looks nice)

Lay out some flooring (it doesn't matter what kind) as an outline for your garden. The outline should be at least a couple of squares wide. Use the terrain spraypaint too fill the middle in with a dirt pattern (but not the darkest kind).

Set your spraypaint tool to the largest circle there is and on the maximum hardness setting with the darkest color dirt. Choose a spot in your dirt and spray there. Don't move the circle around at all, you want the exact size this spray setting gives you. When it's time to plant, you'll do it inside this darker circle.

I'm making two circles in case wurwolf wants to do a lot of planting. You can do as many circles as you want, as long as you think your Sims will have time to tend to them.

You can now remove the flooring you put down and see that your garden plot has a nice clean outline.



Buy the sprinkler from the outdoor toys section in buy mode and place one in the middle of each of your circles. Notice that the buy mode is kind enough to show you the sprinkler's range before you place it. Also notice that this range is the exact size of the circles you just made. Helpful!


Now wurwolf knows exactly where she can plant the various seeds she's been hoarding. As long as she places her plants inside the darker (wetter looking) dirt, she'll know the sprinkler can water it and she won't have to eat up her whole day doing that job manually.

It's nice, BOG, but was it worth hurting your mother?

"Meh."

Oh. Back outside, then.


The sprinklers, as purchaced, must be turned on and off manually. It's easy enough to do, you just click on them once a day and tell them to come on and then click on them again later to tell them to turn off. It's not even like a Sim needs to go out there.

Even so, if you have a Sim with sufficient handiness skill, it's nice to send him or her out to the sprinkler and upgrade it to water automatically. Just one less thing to have to remember.


"Here. Do you like this one? It's better."

Yes, it's better. But is it worth the cost of your soul?

"Meh."

He'll love that guitar when he's a teenager. I'm sure of it.


wurwolf is now out laying groundwork for future relationships. She's got the attractiveness perk as well as sufficient other attributes that she doesn't even have to have a real conversation with a Sim before they consider her a friend. It really is:

"Hi. I'm wurwolf."

"OMG IT'S WURWOLF I LOVE HER!!!"

Oh yeah. I sent wurwolf through the crypt again before I sent her here. She didn't find anything worth finding.

I'm trying to get wurwolf to have 20 friends. It takes some walking around and greeting, but once it happens, we get the reward that comes with it, shown below:


wurwolf's friendships will never decay. Anybody she's friends with now will stay her friend until one of them dies, or she does something to piss them off, even if she never talks to them again. This should make courting easier.

That's it for now! Later!

Music Video #88 (Day 28 of 2009)

This video is called Goody Two Shoes. It's by Adam and the Ants. It's about a Hanna Barbara character, I think.



Or maybe not. This video starts with a middle aged butler serving drinks in a hotel. Inside is who I assume is Adam. He's dressed in leather pants and ties his shirt above his navel. Huh. He puts on a coat that doesn't cover up the silliness of what he's wearing below it, and he doesn't help by not buttoning it up. He passes his guitarist and bids him good bye.

He starts singing as he ends up in a dressing room. There are three women, and one of them looks very much like that guy who died recently when he was at his peak in the early 80s. Man, even then there were women who looked like him. Adam sings about how if you have your heart broken, just put on some make up and hide it. He sits down with the three women as the press snaps several pictures. I'd like to see what the tabloids say. Adam continues that if you can't say what you want to a gal, send something like a necklace instead.

Suddenly we're introduced to one of the reporters who is a repressed librarian type. Man, I can't wait until she takes those glasses off. The reporters point to Adam and accuse him of being a goody two shoes. I'm guessing that he's the filthiest thing in the world but the media needs him to seem innocent. Anyway, I guess the video is about a guy who doesn't want to be seen as virtuous so he's trying to break out and change that image.

The press asks him what he does, because if you don't drink or smoke, there must be something wrong with you. The song agrees, as it implies that the media is digging for something. Hey, I don't drink or smoke and there's nothing wrong with me. Oh, right, nobody cares. Forgot about that. The press will eat Adam up because the press is all powerful. Well, not really, but it is pretty powerful.

Adam starts flirting with the RL while we see what looks like that guy in one of his famous costumes. Meanwhile the press is going to be mean and stuff. It's going to try to compare Adam to Al Green. Who's that? Some guy who was a R&B guy who became a gospel singer for a while. May I ask why this is so bad? Maybe I'm missing something here. Does the press annoy hard types by making them look soft? If he was always soft up to this point, why is that the media's fault? Why I am I examining this?

Everybody dances. Adam sings that no one is the boss of him! He's not going to let them make a superstar out of him. I guess he wants to be indie or something. He spends the rest of the video trying to get the RL's glasses off. He hops over her while she lies in bed, but this unique mating ritual fails. Finally he gets her to let down her hair, which is always important when you're trying to have your way with a repressed librarian. Butler peaks through a giant keyhole. Adam finally takes her glasses off and ... Actually it's kinda disappoining. The video ends with her thigh on his hip.





This is a fun little song that has a fifties feel to it. I think it's the fifties. It reminds me of last year's Strut by the Stray Cats which was a song made for the eighties with a feel of a different era. The video is really strange, and I'm not sure what they were going for with the tied up shirt. I'm keeping my guesses to myself.

The awesome thing is Sir Isaac Newton. Carol Burnett thought he was so dreamy!

Music Video #87 (Day 27 of 2009)

This video is Sour Girl, by the Stone Temple Pilots.




Teletubbies, huh? Well, here goes.

We start in a dark field with things that look like a cross between teletubbies and the raving rabbids. Then we see who I assume is the lead singer of STP and he moves his body around. This, for some reason, causes the word "rage" to be flashed on-screeen. Oh, come on. I'd rather see a woman but that doesn't mean he's bad looking. The tele-bids give each other a hug. This would be cute if it weren't for the fact that the white one is almost as creepy as the monkeys in the short, "One Got Fat."

Lead guy does more yoga, or tai chi or something. He sings about how his girl was sour the day he met her. I don't think that the fact that he kept asking her what she was staring at helped. She was happy, but not she's not. Meanwhile some blond guy who I assume is another band member is getting sandwiched by two more teletubbies. The grey one is almost as bad as the white one.

We get a good look at his girl. It turns out to be... Buffy the Vampire Slayer? Apparently so, although they gave her black hair and make up. I guess this is from an episode where she turned evil, or got bitten, or came from an evil, alternate universe, or went insane because her lover was shot. We see a couple red trees in the background, which has the unfortunate effect of reminding us of that stupid novel turned into a movie about dumb vampires.

Singer asks what would his gal do? Not that she has a choice, because he's following anyway. Sarah whatever Gellar walks up behind him and plays the seductive vampire. I guess this works, even though I can't take vampires seriously anymore. She disappears and leaves him with seven teletubbies running around. Isn't that just like a woman?

Singer tells us of his younger days. He really like Buffy at first site and he was real cocky about it. Meanwhile he gets huggy with the teletubbies. I guess the white one is part Care Bear because it has a heart on it's belly.

The scene goes dark again and evil Buffy does the seductive thing again. He again asks what would his gal do. Buffy starts poining at things like she's the Ghost of Christmas Yet-To-Come. Hey look, it's your band members rising from your grave. I guess she's suppose to be a seductive Death instead of a vampire. See, they weren't type-casting!

Suddenly he's going up to one of the trees and he sees a curly-headed blonde lying down. I guess she's the real girl that he's been singing about. Although it seems to be Sarah too. Now he's behind her being all seductive. See? Women in dominant position? Darkness. Men in dominant position? Light. The sexes need to know their place.

Aww, dang. The song seemed to be heading to a happy ending, but they brought back the teletubby things anyway. Anyway, the sour girl was happy the day she left him. Sucks to be you, huh? In the video, he lays Buffy down as she dies or something and he's left with his costumed friends. Really sucks.




This is a decent song with a weird music video. The video could have been nice and seductive but it threw in the creepier teletubbies. Ok, so the song is about how this guy brought misery to this girl's life so it isn't suppose to end happily. Still just a weird thing to do. I guess this video is suppose to be trippy and he destroyed the relationship with drugs or something. It does come off as a bad hallucination when he's not around Buffy.

The awesome part is that Buffy doesn't look bad with curly hair.

Music Video #86 (Day 26 of 2009)

Music video #86 is By the Way, by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.




One of the Red Hot Chili Peppers is in Los Angeles. He waves for a taxi. The song starts and singer tells us about how he's standing in line for some show. He is currently standing under bright lights presumably for the show titles. "By the way", he tells us, he wanted to wait for a girl named Dani, who promised to sing for him under the marquee.

Meanwhile, taxi driver hasn't caused an accident yet. He looks in his rearview mirror and realizes who he's driving, so he immediately busts out a Red Hot Chili Peppers CD and plays it. Sadly the video misses an opportunity by having the passenger yelling to shut it off. What's the matter, RHCPs? Can't poke fun at yourselves?

Suddenly the song gets a lot more rockin'. One of the band members rolls his fists on a stage they're playing on. Sadly the sudden uping of coolness of the song doesn't up the coolness of the taxi driver. Suddenly the taxi driver sings about corn cobs or something. See? You can't just drum on a wheel and say random stuff. Believe me.

Suddenly the Peppers start singing on their stage. They talk about skinning a flick. Ah, one of these kind of videos. Someone, presumably Dani, is like a DJ. Then it appears that the singer is barking instructions to a driver. Basically, get somewhere no matter what. Then the song tells us that a network interface card has to be beaten. I don't think I understand this song at all.

Taxi cab rider is being kidnapped. I wonder how often this happens. I bet people get taxi jobs just to meet people to abduct. The taxi driver runs off road but in this case it's to get away. The song at least makes a little more sense by returning to the chorus about waiting in line.

Abductee tries using his cellphone but is defeated by... taxi driver mildly easing up. Come on! Can't you hold on to a phone better than that? Not this guy's best moment. The song gets weirder as singer commands somebody to kiss a dyke. I don't think he means a barrier. The whoever is being sung too probably wants to hold one anyway. Now singer continues about something that's not on strike but he's going to bowl one anyway. One what? Is he singing about a pin? Now he says to bite a mic because it's not a stolen one. Why? What is he singing about?

More chorus is played. Taxi is driven into a obscure tunnel. Uh oh! Taxi driver gets out and pulls out some flares. For some reason, his victim is trapped in the car, so he text messages his band members. Taxi driver just twirls the flares around, probably like one of their older videos. Band mates get in a car and we get an action scene. Eventually the abductee is able to jump into the right car and taxi driver has to go find a new victim. The end.




As you can tell, this song confuses me. So I'm going to say this is a good song that's incomprehensible. Somebody could probably explain it too me but right now it at least sounds good. The video is ok. The best parts are when the band is on stage.

The awesome part is when the one band member rolls some punches as the song changes.

This Week In Entertainment (7/27/09)

My Pick of the Week is episode one of Tales Of Monkey Island: The Screaming Narwhal. It's been out for PC for a few weeks but now it's available for WiiWare. It's 1000 Wii Points.


Also out yesterday was Wii Sports Resorts. This is the follow up to Wii Sports and allows you to play with the new Motion Plus. Please Nintendo, don't let the Motion Plus go to waste.


In theaters we have a dreadful looking kids movie called Aliens in the Attic. I bet the people behind Spy Kids made it.


On DVD is the entire Battlestar Galactica relaunch. Enjoy four seasons of shakey cam.

Also on DVD is a Green Lantern movie. Enjoy a movie about a guy who's all-powerful unless he gets attacked by a color.

On the Nintendo DS is The Humans. This is a Lemmings like game where you have to control cavemen to get them all to an exit. I remember this being heavily advertised in game magazines back when it was released for consoles like the Jaguar.

The Bumblefudge Legacy: Generation 1: Chapter 4

Here comes more of this!


wurwolf seems to lack a maternal instinct. Fortunately, that's what Sim grandparents were made for. Sally is great at this.

Angie is great at me hating her.


It's BOG's birthday and wurwolf wanted to throw a birthday party for him. Here's Bree and her bad roots. She also appears to have stolen wurwolf's shirt idea. wurwolf pulls it off better. (*snerk*)


Angie is as charming as she's ever been.


Hey, Angie? What are you doing?

"Holding the baby."

But I just told wurwolf to go hold the baby.

"I know."

So why did you go pick up the baby? It's very annoying.

"It's what I do."

Put that baby down and go stand in the corner.


"Yeesh, what a psycho, huh?"


"It's ok, Boggy, Crazy Aunt Angie won't bother you anymore."


"So. That's your baby, huh?"

"Yeah, isn't he cute?"

"I've seen cuter."

"Oh, go clean a toilet or something."


Time to blow out the candles!


"You are such a fruit."


And the magic happens! But it's facing the wrong direction!


There he is!

"Ha ha, Sis! Your toddler looks stupid!"

"...ugh. Why is she even still allowed in our house?"

Patience, wurwolf. Patience.

Everybody enjoys cake while the birthday boy plays among the chair legs. Sims are nothing if not conscious of child safety.


Lesson one of the only toddler skill I can be arsed to teach.


Awwww! Sally is such a good grandma!


And I find this so sweet.


So wurwolf really needs to meet some more guys. I sent her out to talk to this guy. As you can see, he thinks wurwolf sucks and is not a good Sim.

"Yeah, well I think you smell like the enormous fly-ridden sacks of garbage in which you doubtlessly make your home."

Satisfying as that was, wurwolf, we are trying to make friends with this dude.

"Why?"

Just apologize.

"Oh, fine. Hey, Cockgobbler, I'm sorry about what I said. The sacks of garbage you live in probably don't have that many flies circling around."

"I accept your apology. Be sure you do not step out of line again."

"Oh, for Pete's sake. What an enormous tool this guy is."

wurwolf's right. The longer she talks to him, the more toolish she gets. I allow her to end the conversation and try something else.



"This again?"

Yes! You can get good stuff out of there!!

"Fine, fine."

So what did you get?

"Like some mystery novel or something."

That's...

"Incredibly lame?"

Yes.


Interesting thing about this game, if somebody you know is close to dying of old age, you get a phonecall from some mysterious stranger to warn you. This time the deathcall is about Fabio.

I didn't know ghosts could answer the phone, but looks like they can.


I don't remember what this picture was supposed to represent. I guess it's just nice to see mother and daughter hanging out or whatever.


But here's some good news! Angie is now an ADULT!!!!


That means she can get OUT!!!! OUT OF MY HOUSE!!!!!

GOOD RIDDANCE TO BAD RUBBISH.