Sunday, January 31, 2010

The Latest iPad "Application"

On Thursday I wrote a quick article about the new Apple iPad. Well the creators at MadTV got an idea and one of their latest comedy skits become popular around the Internet. Check it out here at YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsjU0K8QPhs

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Apple Reveals Its Latest Toy

Somewhere between the iPhone and the MacBook comes Apple's latest toy, the Apple iPad.  The iPad was shown in California yesterday. Available in approximately 60 days, the latest gadget from Apple should start at around $499.  To read all about the iPad, see the article below:

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/01/26/hotly-anticipated-apple-tablet-expected/

Personally, I am not sure that I see the Apple iPad will be the next big thing from Apple. I can see its advantages: a cheaper laptop, less wiring and hassle, and more functions than an iPhone.  Not to mention a neat new toy for all the nerds and gamers out there. The main appeal I could see is for consumers that want something like a laptop but do not want to pay full price for a regular laptop. It is quick, convenient and easier to lug around than a normal laptop.

I am just not sure if consumers will pay the price when most people already have a good phone or good laptop. I like having a computer where I can type with no problem and not have to look down at the keys. I like to focus my attention on a laptop or desktop screen while I type, as opposed to looking at the keys on my computer's keyboard. One other thing the article mentions is that Apple plans to focus heavily on the gaming market. I cannot see most gamers, or at least serious ones, playing in-depth or intense games on the iPad. It is hard enough to play games like Call of Duty or strategy games on a laptop. Desktops have always been more fitting for computer games so I am not sure, and am skeptical, of how Apple plans to target the gamers. I suppose only time will tell if the iPad gains popularity.  One thing is for sure, people love to spend money on new technology. So anything can be a hit.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Top 50 Video Games of 2009

Time to get away from sports for a bit and mention another topic men love, video games. Below is a link to Nintendo Everything web site, which lists Game Informer's Top 50 games of 2009. Among the list is NHL 2010, which I have played religiously with some of my friends.  I have also enjoyed playing COD, Guitar Hero Metallica, FIFA 2010, and Madden 2010. It seems to be a good list.  You can check it out and comment on their site:

http://www.nintendoeverything.com/31494/

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Saints and Colts Super Bowl Bound

Well the NFL Conference Championship week is complete with the Saints and the Colts as the winners.  The Saints managed to barely take advantage of the Vikings 5 turnovers to edge them out 31-28 in overtime.  23 year-old kicker Garrett Hartley became a young hero when he made the field goal to send the Saints to the Super Bowl.  Did anyone else wonder what was wrong with the Vikings on Sunday?  They could not hold onto the ball to save their lives.  I have never seen such sloppy play from such a good team.  5 turnovers and another 3 fumbles!! I'm surprised the Saints did not run away with this one.  This has to cause some concern for the Saints players and coaches. They could not finish off the Vikings in regulation even with all the sloppy play. I do like the Saints as a team, but they better get back on track or else Manning and the Colts are going to send them home crying.

In the AFC, the Colts came back from a first half deficit to beat the Jets 30-17.  MVP Peyton Manning led the Colts with another brilliant performance that gives him a chance for his 2nd Super Bowl win. Manning finished 26 for 39 with 336 yards, and 3 TDs. Manning is truly one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history and certainly one of the best I have been able to enjoy watching in my lifetime.  He may not have the Super Bowls of Steve Young or Troy Aikman, but he is definitely one of the best quarterbacks football has ever seen. It does not seem to matter who his coaches and receivers are; he just gets the job done.  Sunday was another great victory engineered by Peyton Manning.  Can he take his second Super Bowl on February 7? I am sure looking forward to finding out.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Brett Favre: Love Him or Hate Him?

Oh Brett Favre, we can never stop hearing about you.  No matter which football uniform, which football season, or which record, or what part of your personal life, you are always in the media.  Even when we think we can get rid of you with retirement, you choose against it and come back to the NFL for another year.  This time, you are in the NFL playoff semi-finals with the Minnesota Vikings, a team that was your archrival for all but the last two years of your career.   You are having one of the best years of your NFL career, and are part of a very good football team.  But this is not about the Vikings because you can read that on any sports page.

I personally am tired of hearing about Brett Favre, and I question how he can join the Vikings, a team he rivaled against for so long.  The following is an interesting article about some of the fascination toward, and annoyance with, Brett Favre:

Psychology Of Favre Fans Still Fascinates
 by: Thomas Hapka

Whether wearing Packer (or Jets green), Viking purple, or any other color for that matter, fans have an almost bizarre emotional connection to Favre.

Take for example a woman from Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, who speaks of Brett as if he’s one of her grandkids and even hangs a stocking with his name on it over the fireplace at Christmastime. Or how about another Midwestern woman who, in the throes of labor refused to enter the delivery room without “her Brett” — obviously it wasn’t possible for the hospital staff to produce the three-time league MVP in the flesh, but they did pipe the radio broadcast of the ballgame into the room for the birth. Then there was the grade school student who faithfully wore his Favre jersey every day for months on end to pay homage to his gridiron hero. None of these people have met Favre personally, yet their affection for him is every bit as real as that one typically feels for a beloved cousin or uncle. And stories like these are anything but rare.

Last summer, Wisconsin author Thomas Hapka teamed with “Bring Back Brett Favre” founder Erick Rolfson and his brother Adam to create “Letters To Brett Favre: A Fan Tribute” — a unique paperback tribute to the former Packer great, comprised entirely of heartwarming messages from his fans. Hapka and the Rolfsons hoped they’d be able to collect 100 letters for their project when they posted a solicitation at bringbackbrettfavre.com, but more than 2,000 messages poured in from all over the world.

“The moment our post hit the web site, the skies opened up,” Hapka said. “People sent us some truly amazing letters, speaking of Brett as if he’d been stopping by their homes for the holidays each year. Still others credit Brett with inspiring them to overcome cancer, unemployment… even the deaths of family members or friends. I’ve never seen anything like it, and I’m pretty sure it would make an interesting case study for a psychologist or sociologist.”

So where does this unusual fascination with a total stranger come from? Perhaps it’s because Favre has lived most of his football life in front of the cameras, sharing not only his gridiron triumphs, but his personal struggles as well. From his wife’s cancer diagnosis to his father’s death and his family’s brush with Hurricane Katrina, Favre’s most personal and painful challenges played out in living rooms across America, and those challenges were so much like those of everyday working people.

Whatever the reason, Favre has garnered the intense personal loyalty of fans across the nation and around the world. Though many in the sports world have fans, the Favre phenomenon easily transcends the normal affection commonly afforded to sports celebrities.

But not everyone is ready to throw a love-fest for the former Packer signal caller. Some have grown tired of Favre’s ongoing retirement saga. For those who missed it (there can’t be more than two or three of you) he tearfully retired from the Packers, then wanted to come back. Shunned by Green Bay, he accepted a trade to the Jets, but retried after one season. Then, after being courted by the Vikings earlier this summer, he turned them down and announced that he was staying retired, only to change his mind and come back after all. Through all of this, an increasingly angry sect of sports fans has emerged, annoyed with Favre’s perceived indecisiveness and selfishness.

Yet those who admire Favre and those who claim to loathe him are united in a common dynamic — their inability to look away. ESPN broadcasts and internet posts about Favre’s playing status consistently draw substantial audiences, and newspapers featuring Favre updates continue to fly off the stands. Bloggers and other cyberspace sports fans continue to generate traffic by sharing their feelings about the three-time league MVP with the masses online.

Favre’s life and career have become a sort of sports opera that countless fans from all walks of life simply can’t get enough of. That drama will undoubtedly take another exhilarating turn as Favre faces his former team for the first time as a Viking in Minnesota on October 5. It should make interesting material for all of those psychologists and sociologists.

About The Author
Thomas Hapka is an award-winning author from Wisconsin, best known for publishing "Feline AIDS: A Pet Owner's Guide" and his most recent title, "Letters To Brett Favre: A Fan Tribute." Hapka and his co-creators of the Favre book, Erick and Adam Rolfson, are best known for founding the "Bring Back Brett Favre" fan movement in the summer of 2008.

Duke Gets Upset by N.C. State

Last night, the #6 ranked Duke Blue Devils were upset in basketball 88-74 by the now 13-6 N.C. State Wolfpack.  The Wolfpack were led by forwards Tracy Smith (23 points) and Dennis Horner (20 points). At the end of the game, N.C. State students and fans rushed the court.  Kyle Singler led all Duke players with 23 points.  This is the first time N.C. State has beat Duke since 2007.  This is N.C. State's second conference win, improving its conference record to 2-3.  As a DC area native, and Maryland fan, it is always nice to see Duke go down.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Cowboys Get Pounded; Chargers Get Upset

Well the NFL divisional playoff round is now complete. In case anyone did not see or just forgot, the final scores were:

Cardinals   14              Ravens    3              Cowboys   3                Jets        17
Saints         45             Colts       20             Vikings    34               Chargers 14

I have to say that while Saturday's results were what I predicted, I thought that Sunday's were quite a surprise. For the early game, I expected the Cowboys to put up a fight and potentially pull off the only upset of the football weekend. As a Redskins football fan born and raised in the DC area, this was hard for me to admit. So when the Cowboys were crushed by the Vikings and my prediction was wrong, I was definitely happy. The Vikings defense terrorized Tony Romo and the Cowboys on Sunday. If the defense can play like that versus the Saints, I would expect to see Brett Favre return to the Super Bowl.

Now for the later football game, was I the only person that thought the Chargers would be able to handle the Jets semi-easily? The Chargers won 13 straight and were an unstoppable force through the season, and looked as though it would continue in the playoffs. Their offense and defense were running on all cylinders, but I guess the bye week and the Jets defense caught them. The Chargers dropped to the Jets 17-14, thanks partially to Nate Kaeding's 3 field goal misses. Who would see those coming from a kicker who has been so consistent?  Well once again, upsets like this are why you play the game, and why the National Football League is so exciting.

Introduction to Blog

Hello everyone, and welcome to my new blog, Stuff Men Enjoy. This web site will contain regular posts about topics men care about, such as sports, girls, drinking, technology, cars, money, etc.  Expect to see articles, stories, and commentary on these topics and more. I am striving for this blog to be interesting, informative, and most importantly, FUN for men AND women out there. I am always interested to hear about stories and commentary from my readers as well, which can be left in the comments section below.

I hope that many of you will enjoy and, in some cases, can relate to this blog because I plan for it to have funny and interesting posts.  Over the period of this blog, you will read a variety of articles on a wide range of men's topics. Once again, welcome to my blog! I hope you will be back soon!

www.autosusadonissan.com