Dean Distracted
YouTube: What we watched in 2009
On their blog yesterday, the video site YouTube released their most watched videos foe 2009. So what was the most popular video? The lady below stole the show: Susan Broyle's appearance on Britain's Got Talent received over 120 million views. The rest of the top 5 are below. The top search terms by month provides an interesting synopsis of the year. The... »
Game Review: Modern Warfare 2
I admit I've never played a Call of Duty game. Hard-core military shooters were never really my thing. Still, Modern Warfare 2 is the big game of the holiday season, selling over 4.7 million copies on its first day and netting over $550 million for Activision Blizzard Inc. in its first week. I decided maybe it was time I gave this... »
Winter Movie Preview – Trailers of the Doomed
With the summer blockbusters behind us, cinema buffs might dread the onset of winter. Will there be anything to compare to the epic story arc and incredible acting in Transformers 2? Can any film reproduce the gripping and heartwarming tale produced in G.I. Joe? Will there be any movie characters as lovable and funny as Paul Blart: Mall Cop? Not to... »
A Novel Idea – National Novel Writing Month
It began sometime around 12:01 a.m. on November 1 at coffee shops and kitchen tables across the world. Writers crouched over laptops, stationary, or PCs, earphones blasting everything from Bach to Nickelback – inspirational music for those that answered the challenge. Entering its eleventh year, National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) has grown from a challenge among friends to a world-wide phenomenon.... »
Your Favorite Band Sucks
I admit it, I've been lame. I have lived in Beloit now for nearly a year. Still, when I choose to go out and enjoy live music, I flee to larger cities like Madison, Chicago or Milwaukee. Having resided in two of those cities I know where to find good tunes, and which local bands I enjoy. As winter approaches, It's time... »
Free music rocks!
I love live music. Whether it be heading into a dark bar or catching it outside on a beautiful summer day, a good concert can't be beat. What's better than a free concert featuring national acts? Not much that I can think of, unless they provide free drinks as well. While the second part might only... »
Watch “Whip It” with real live roller girls!
With the recent resurgence of the sport, it is no surprise that a roller derby movie opens this weekend. 'Whip It' is the directorial debut of Drew Barrymore. It stars Ellen Page (of 'Juno' fame) as a girl who joins a local roller derby league. It is the first widely-released movie about derby since Unholy Rollers graced the... »
Coulton Returns
Jonathan Coulton has a very....lets say distinct fan base. While Coulton's songs vary in topic, they tend to skew towards the extra geeky. Zombies, computer code, mathematicians, evil geniuses and video game theme songs comprise his musical repertoire. Okay, so he's not for everyone, but his fans are committed. Coulton returns to Madison October 25 at the Majestic Theater. Tickets for the... »
Create your own Riverfest Lineup!
Earlier this week I wrote a piece discussing my thoughts on Riverfest. The cost for the five bands that played this year – The Grass Roots, Survivor, The Guess Who, Trapt, and The Beach Boys – was $141,500. This seemed like a lot, so I did a Google search to find out how much it cost to book a band. I... »
Riverfest – A Music Festival?
I first moved to Beloit last winter. When my coworkers at Beloit Daily News found out I was a music fanatic, there response was similar. “You're going to LOVE Riverfest!” All through the winter and spring, the accolades for the summer music festival rained down. As it drew near, I found myself getting excited to find out the lineup. Finally the official... »
