.kobe + friends = guitar hero world tour.

Today, the fourth installment of the very popular Guitar Hero video game launched in North America for the PS2, PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360 consoles. It will definitely be a test of the gaming industry's ability to weather the current economic storm.

Activision Blizzard Inc.'s “Guitar Hero World Tour” is one of the company's most important games of the year. At $189.99, it will also be one of the most expensive games they have ever released. Although some analysts still expect the franchise to drum up $1.4 billion in sales this year, its steep price could turn away some consumers as they pinch pennies this holiday season.

So why would I spend $190 for “Guitar Hero World Tour,” which adds drums and a microphone to its mega-selling guitar package? And why would I (and you, for that matter) clutter up the living room with yet more stuff? Kai and Charles Huang, the creators of the “Guitar Hero” franchise say that it’s not just about the accessories in “Guitar Hero World Tour.” It’s also about the new software, which lets users create their own music, and upload their creations for the world to play.

Despite the new features and the cool new accessories which make this game more like its competitor “Rock Band”; my favorite thing about this launch is its new commercial.

Check it out!! omg, seriously...it's so great! lol~



Rock on,
-C

*Updated 11/05* Post-commercial reaction from Kobe~

.marié digby.

Marié Digby (first name pronounced Ma-re-AY) earned her first major-label record deal when she won the Pantene Pro-Voice Music Competition in 2004. She is a very talented Singer-Songwriter, Guitarist, and Pianist who is part Irish and part Japanese. She is best known for her acoustic cover version of Rihanna's No. 1 hit "Umbrella", which attracted attention on YouTube in 2007. Soon after, her song played on the radio airwaves and was featured on the third season opening episode of the MTV show The Hills. After recording her first album and waiting for it to release (while music execs figured out all the details), she decided to take matters into her own hands. She asked her record label for an Apple laptop and the professional video editing software “Final Cut Pro” with the intention of making her own music videos. In the end, all she got was the laptop.

So, Marié just set the computer on her coffee table, turned on the built-in camera, and recorded herself playing. Since then, she continues to post video clips of herself singing covers of various chart topping songs which has increased her popularity. In an interview this year, she explains “I was trying to do a good mix of originals and cover tunes. The whole point of doing cover tunes was I wanted new traffic coming to my site. I wanted people who had never heard of me to give me a shot and listen to me sing and see if they liked me or not. So I was trying to pick songs that were on the pop charts and were just beginning to climb the charts so that people were already putting these songs titles into a search.”

The strategy worked. She is currently the eighth most subscribed-to artist on YouTube—wow!

My favorite songs by Marié Digby are “Miss Invisible”, “Voice on the Radio”, and “Beauty in the Walking” which can all be heard on her album titled Unfold. So, with that; I'd like to share with you one of her newest video cover tunes ("My Life" by The Game + Lil Wayne) which I happen to love. Her voice is so pretty and so is she. I hope you can appreciate it as I do.



Music & Love,
-C

.if i were a boy. [beyonce]

Come to think of it, her music always tells a story which is what I love about her work. Beyonce is an artist that I've always admired from day one. She's not only gorgeous but her voice is one-of-a-kind. This video in particular (my video of this week) is refreshing and well put together. I'll be honest, I wasn't too crazy about this song when I first heard it. But, now that I've seen the video... I've had a change of heart. The song and lyrics now make perfect sense to me and the video is seriously ingenious. Silly me, I should have known I'd love it!

To my blog friends, a favor please.

Try not to judge this video by the cover. Do yourself a favor and watch it in its entirety after you click on the little arrow. When it's over let me know what you think.



Enjoy,
-C

.blue for blue.

It’s a done deal.
This year it will be a Phillies vs. Rays World Series.

Now that it’s official, I’m trying my best to accept the reality of this postseason. As a West Coast gal, I truly feel like the best thing to do is to look forward and be optimistic about next season. As hard as that sounds, it’s the only reasonable solution.

*sigh*

Just so you know; I made it a point not to write about the Dodgers and their quest for the 2008 World Series until after the outcome of their season. I think mostly, I didn’t want to jinx the only West Coast team still alive in the postseason. Team Blue was thrown into the national spotlight when news broke that Manny Ramirez was joining the club. Wow—what a deal for a team that was in need of a serious offensive weapon! I remember seeing Manny in his new squeaky clean blue Dodgers uniform for the first time during his press conference. He came ready with his iridescent sunglasses and a happy smile that really complete his new look. LA was on top of the world that day and so was Manny.

Since his acquisition, the Dodgers seemed to have a new found excitement. Fans were re-energized and game attendance shot up. What Dodgers fan wouldn’t be excited at the prospect of a possible World Series run?? Having Manny was like winning the lottery—although some may beg to differ. The hot issue that the media continued to bring up was Manny’s bad attitude (aka: “Manny being Manny”) and his lack of interest in the game (and at times his own team) when he wasn’t into it. I feel like Manny just needed the right team to gel with so he can continue to impress fans. Most importantly, show the media that the phrase “Manny being Manny” can mean something positive. So, with Manny being a Dodger now—I believe he’s found a good fit but, is this just a quick stint before moving on for more money elsewhere? This may very well be the case... in light of Manny’s comment right after the Phillies series loss. When asked if he’d be in a Dodgers uniform next year, “I don't know,” he said; “I don't have any control over that.”. “I want to see who is the highest bidder,” Ramirez said. “Gas is up and so am I.” he proclaimed! Funny thing is; he has TOTAL control over where he’ll end up since he is the one who ultimately says yes or no.

And so here we are, the World Series is right around the corner and the reality is—the Dodgers won’t be there. Even with Manny carrying them through into the postseason AND having a big name coach like Joe Torre to lead the way, it just wasn’t enough. The team made it so close but couldn’t take hold of the Phillies who ended up winning the Pennant. What a Cinderella story it would have been! While some may continue to ponder “what if”, the only thing I ponder is…“what went wrong?”

Ugh—the batting line up for starters.

The batting order had been an issue, mostly during the end of the regular season. Joe Torre tried so hard to arrange all of the pieces of his puzzle to fit just right. Players were re-shuffled almost weekly prior to the playoffs. At the time it felt like the team was moving forward in the right direction. Once they made the playoffs, it seemed all of the work and planning had really paid off. Adding Manny to the mix gave the Dodgers some added fire. They scored consistently and even managed to sweep the Cubs! For a team that wasn’t supposed to have made it very far, they sure were doing exceptionally well. With the success against the Cubs, going into the series against the Phillies was a challenge I’m sure the team was pumped for. Only 1 team stood in their way to the World Series and now was the time to make it happen. With the players batting well and the pitchers focused—it seemed like Manny was the icing on the cake.

Not so much~

Whether it was nerves, undisclosed injuries, or a team that just couldn’t pull it together—the Dodgers lost against the Phillies and performed in a way that shocked most LA fans. What happened to the oh-so-familiar Grand Slamming Loney, Comeback Kid Furcal, or Fan Favorite & Base Stealing Martin? Let’s not forget—Kemp, Ethier, and Garciaparra; where were their much needed clutch moments? In the end, it came down to one person—Manny Ramirez. But, a single player can only carry a team so far (even with batting .410 with 21 home runs and 63 runs batted in over the last two and a half months). A combination of unproductive offensive plays by the Dodgers and errors made during crucial games cost them big time like, Rafael Furcal’s three errors in a 5-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. Another challenge for Torre was he was unable to solidify the clean up slot. Hitters batting behind Manny in the Dodgers' lineup were 3 for 27 with one run batted in during the playoffs. It’s just frustrating to watch a team that was able to win against all odds to make the postseason, end up unraveling under the immense pressure.

Some final thoughts.

I am wondering how many people (who aren’t from Tampa and Philly) will actually be interested in watching the World Series this year. I know that if the Dodgers had made it through, the ratings and number of viewers would have been through the roof. One reason would be that most of the West Coast would be interested in watching (regardless if they root for LA). Another reason would be celebrities. I’m sure US Weekly could dedicate an entire magazine spread on who showed up to cheer the Dodgers on. One prime example is Ms. Alyssa Milano for instance. She is a huge Dodger fan and has an entire blog dedicated to her love for the team. A photo of Alyssa Milano wearing her Manny dreadlock hat swinging a towel over her head at the World Series would be cool! Lastly, most people have some interest and/or curiosity in cheering for an underdog.

So...now the question is; where do the Dodgers go from here? And most importantly, will Manny be a part of the future of LA? You live and learn in life so only time will tell when the Dodgers will get this far again. From my west coast perspective—hopefully another post season run will happen before the team has to start again from scratch. For all you Dodger fans out there, remember this: “It's not whether you get knocked down; it's whether you get back up.” - Vince Lombardi

Batter up!
-C

.jetsetter.

Greetings blog friends! I apologize for leaving you without a new post for quite some time. I have been extremely busy with work and a bunch of other things. I’ve been traveling a bit so that has kept me away from the computer. Where am I now you wonder?

Well, I’ve been in Dallas for a few days now. This is my first time in the Texas (other than previous layovers at the airport) and since I am here for work, I am not able to venture around the city too much. What I have noticed so far is that it is a bit on the humid side compared to California. On my first night in Dallas, we tried out the Cadillac Bar for dinner which serves Mexican cuisine. The restaurant was in an area called the West End. I had the most delicious Shrimp Tacos. They also had warm chips and excellent salsa. We also tried the fresh guacamole which was yummy as well.

Since I’m a sports fan, being in Dallas definitely makes me think of the Cowboys. Too bad there isn’t a Cowboys game scheduled during my stay. I imagine it would have been an exciting experience to watch them play in their own home stadium. Speaking of the Cowboys…is it just me or is this years NFL season been full of major ups and downs since day one? Lets see…

• Brett Favre leaves retirement and is now a New York Jet.
• Dante Culpepper sends a letter to every NFL team asking for employment, then retires after no team bites.
• Tony Romo has a broken pinky and asks his coach to play him anyway despite doctors suggesting he miss 4-6 weeks.
• Tom Brady, John Kitna, and rookie Rashard Mendenhall are all out for the season and placed on IR.
• The signings of Shaun Alexander to the Redskins and Roy Williams to the Cowboys.
• The Chargers losing to Miami but winning against New England, how backwards is that?!
• Kellen Winslow admitted to the hospital, released, and then rests at home with an undisclosed illness.
• Adam “Pacman” Jones is now currently suspended (again) indefinitely (at least 4 weeks).
• Peyton Manning admits to having 2 knee surgeries over the off season rather than 1 that was reported.
• The Lane Kiffin vs. Al Davis drama brings out the inner bitterness in Shanahan.

Oh and did you hear this:

“John Madden will not be in the booth for the Seattle at Tampa Bay game, NBC told The Associated Press on Monday. Madden, 72, travels by bus to all games he covers. Missing the game will keep him from making three consecutive coast-to-coast trips but will end his streak of working 476 consecutive games. Madden was in Jacksonville, Florida, then in San Diego. He would have had to return to Florida this Sunday. With no game the following weekend to avoid competing against the World Series, Madden would have then headed to his San Francisco Bay Area home.”

Now that’s pretty big news. Did you know that Mr. Madden is afraid of flying which is why he has to take a bus everywhere he goes? That’s a ton of mileage! Anyhow, I honestly think I can go on and on but the list above is plenty. What a crazy NFL season it’s been since the start! I seriously can’t predict who will be the final 2 teams in the Super Bowl but I can’t wait to see what happens!

Anyway, just to give you an update on my FFL, I am currently in 2nd place with 1 loss. Hopefully I can continue to maintain my position in the rankings and make it to the playoffs. By the way, I noticed some preseason Basketball which was pretty cool to see. I’m curious if we’ll see any drama with that league once the season gets closer to opening up. Oh last thing; I heard Magic Johnson was signed on as an NBA analyst for ESPN and ABC, good for him! I’m looking forward to seeing his commentary.

Ok, that’s it for now.
Peace & love,
-C

.official girl. [cassie]

So this is my video of the week. Cassandra Ventura (better known as Cassie) has come a long way in her music career, and since she's 1/2 Filipina, even more props to her. :) Many blogs ago, I mentioned to you my readers that I love music and I enjoy how lyrics can tell a story. This is a perfect example of that. Oh and from a fashion perspective, check out Cassie's strappy boots...love 'em~ Seriously though, watching this video makes me feel like I should head over to the gym pronto!