Greetings to one and all. Today is Tuesday, the release date of Rock Band 3. Holy crap, I can hardly wait. But first, I've got to write my Newsletter because three people out there would be devastated if I didn't. It is Tuesday, after all. Topics to be discussed: In-state publicity, another Game Ball for A-Town, the next Harry Potter movie, my thoughts on Halloween, and the Top Five greatest moments of Rock Band 2. On we go!
I wish I could wake up one morning, turn on the radio, and hear something - anything - other than a Bronco Mendenhall press conference. This isn't Bash BYU Time. But really, there is a top ten college football team in this state and all I ever hear is Bronco Mendenhall talking about how great he thinks Jake Heaps is. I'm tired of hearing Bronco tiptoe around, trying not to offend anyone or hurt anyone's feelings. That's kind of him. He seems like a very nice guy. But his team is, what?, 3-5 right now? Why don't DJ and PK ever talk about the Utes?? Why doesn't Alema Harrington ever interview Kyle Whittingham or Jordan Wynn? The only time I ever hear about the number eight University of Utah is during a 90-second sports update at the top of the hour, which is, luckily, about the time I get back from TRAX in the afternoon. Ute fans have been whining about lack of national exposure for years, but - and this is ridiculous - where is the state-wide publicity?! Unbelievable. In fact, that's worthy of The Boo Box. Let's hear all the Utah fans. Everybody together now - BOOOOOO!! I think the Utes can beat TCU. Every week goes by and I keep wishing that the TCU game were that Saturday because I really think we can take them. We've just got two weeks to wait. We'll go beat Air Force in Colorado this weekend and then the infamous Horned Frogs will come up to Salt Lake City the first weekend of November. Should be a great game - and when we emerge victorious yet again, if I turn on the radio the next Monday morning and they're interviewing Jake Heaps about his 60 yards passing and two interceptions, I think I might punch something. Starting the Newsletter off with The Boo Box. Wow. This could get interesting.
Thanks, Bronco, but seriously. Stop talking.
The Game Ball for Fantasy Football usually goes to the team that accumulates the highest score that week, which, in this case, would go to Antoine Dodson again. It would probably go to Darren McFadden of the Raiders, who helped his team take the Broncos to the dang woodshed - in Denver! - but there was one fantasy player who stood head and shoulders above the rest this week... and he plays for the beloved A-Town Assassins!! Carson Palmer completed 36 passes for 412 yards and three TDs this week for a total of 79.48 fantasy points. Holy crap! That's amazing! I'd like to thank him personally for almost making up for the fact that one of my wide receivers, Roy Williams of the Cowboys, had a glorious total of 0 catches for 0 yards and 0 fantasy points. Thank you so very much, Mr. Williams, for coming to play this week.
Chalk up another moral victory for the Assassins.
Q. "I've got a Question for you, A-Town -
How do you feel about the first half of the last Harry Potter movie opening on your birthday? I'd be ok with it, but I'm not you."
- Harper Anderson
A. That's a good Question. Honestly, I think Harry Potter is going to steal my thunder quite a bit. I know people are already counting down the days to the release of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1" and they probably have no idea when my birthday is, and that's fine. Maybe it means I won't get many "Happy birthday!!" posts on my Facebook wall because everybody will be too busy out waiting in line for the theater or whatever, but that's ok. Am I going to be rushing out to see the movie at midnight? No. I've got a radio show that morning. Will I be putting money down for the 7:00 showing that night? Nope. It's my birthday. I'll probably end up seeing it with my family that weekend one way or another, but honestly, I'm just trying to ignore the fact that Harry Potter is way cooler than I am. The fact of the matter, though, is that birthdays seem to get exponentially less exciting as time goes on, so whatever. I watched the second Harry Potter movie again last night and I'm attempting to watch the other four before next month so I'll be caught up, so yes, it's true. I'm not entirely bitter. Thanks, Harper.
This thing looks intense.
Q. "Dear Aaron,
Are you all ready for Halloween?"
Just Curious,
- The Junior Mounties
A. Nope, actually. No, I'm not. I don't even like Halloween. (SALUTE!) I love candy, obviously, as my dental records show, but I'm not a fan of Halloween. It was fun as a kid, but once I got to like tenth grade, I kind of grew out of the whole dressing up business. I'm not one to normally go out of my way to scare myself, either. I've never understood that. But really, I see enough scary things on my way to and from school on TRAX that I don't need to have a holiday for it.
Now, I feel, is an appropriate time to revel in the glory that was the last two years of playing Rock Band 2 and count down the five greatest moments in my history with the game and the world famous band, Awkward Silence.
#5 - Finals Week, December 2008
When I was at Snow back in 2008, I had a super slobby roommate named Rob. I think he was by far the laziest kid I've ever met in my life. He'd stay up every night of the week watching the Disney Channel in the living room until usually two or three in the morning and, on occasion, the roommates that lived upstairs in the apartment would have to go and finally tell him to turn it down so they could fall asleep. That was the preface. Anyhoo, after a rough weekend of one roommate breaking up with his girlfriend and Snow losing the national championship on the final play of the game, the roomies and I were bored one night and decided to go buy Rock Band 2. We came home and played until about 1:30 AM the next two nights. One night, Rob, who we kicked out of the living room for a few days, came out at about 12:30 AM and asked us if we could keep it down because he was trying to sleep. One of us muttered, "Uh... ok." As soon as he closed the door to his bedroom, we all busted up laughing and kept playing. Best finals week ever.
#4 - 1,000,000 points
There are some things in life that just bring you great joy. Hot chocolate on a wintry eve. Apple pie on the Fourth of July. Watching the Yankees lose in the playoffs. And scoring one million points on a song in Rock Band. My family's band, Awkward Silence (composed mainly of myself, Amy, and Cody), accomplished that task on a couple songs, including "Hungry Like the Wolf" by Duran Duran and "Snow ((Hey Oh))" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. That's a lot of zeros.
#3 - Families knit in unity
Undoubtedly, many of you out there will call my fascination with Rock Band unhealthy. Many experts believe that video games take away from social skills and virtually tear families apart. With some games, I could agree, but with Rock Band, that couldn't be further from the truth. Rock Band is much more fun to play with a group of siblings or friends than it is on your own. I argue that Rock Band has strengthened family bonds in the Christensen Household, leading to numberless concourses of inside jokes and an expanded musical library for everyone involved, including my dearest mother. Heck, in the past couple weeks and months, there have even been a few parent-sponsored Family Home Evening activities that have been set apart for the likes of classic rock Rock Band nights and hours of Beatles Rock Band.
#2 - Cody sings IV
Many, if not most, of the inside jokes aforementioned stem from my younger brother, Cody. Hearing Cody scream along to "Testify" by Rage Against the Machine, try to follow lyrics like "I will give it straight from the vein," "Whattaya mean I'm not kind?/I'm just not your kind," and "Whattaya mean I can't be President of the United States... of America...?/It's still 'we the people,' ...right?" is just outright hilarious. Doing Challenging Mystery Setlists is one of my favorite things to do on Rock Band, especially when we don't know the songs that the game chooses for us to play. It may not be fun, but it's dang funny when Cody has to make up the tune and we have to save him from failing. Twice.
#1 - Endless Setlist 2
And finally, the moment you've all been waiting for - the greatest moment in my entire, storied history with the Rock Band series. Without a doubt, it would have to be completing the "Endless Setlist 2," a compilation of all 84 disc-based tracks on Rock Band 2. We knew it would take a while to do when we sat ourselves down at pressed "X," but I don't think anybody guessed it would take us 13 hours! We'll blame this one mostly on Amy, who had to babysit during the setlist, and my mom who interrupted our fantastic Christmas Break afternoon by asking us to do chores. (*shakes head in disgust*) By the end of the setlist, our voices were shot, our fingers were sore, and our forearms stiff from all the rocking we'd done that day, but finishing that challenge with "Painkiller" by Judas Priest was perhaps one of the happiest moments in my video game career. We were all rewarded with transparent instruments for our characters, the title of "Rock Immortals," and giant smiles on our worn-out faces. We swore we'd never do it again and we've never even thought about it... but I think I have a good idea of what we'll be doing this Christmas Break. Amy? Cody? Austin? Mom? "Endless Setlist 3," anyone?? All hail Rock Band, the greatest party game of all time!
The Shoutout of the Week goes to Richard Brunson, the Brunsonator, the Chairman of the Pro Wrestling Board, the man, the myth, the absolute legend. Happy birthday to you, sir. I know that getting a Shoutout in the Newsletter was one of the things you've wanted for your birthday for several years now, and hey - here it is! Enjoy it, my friend. Enjoy it.
Rest in peace, Awkward Silence.
That's about it for today, peeps. The TRAX train is about to get back to Sandy, the end of the line, as far as they go... and I've got an appointment with my local Best Buy cashier.
Until next Time,
Move It! Sell It! And Leave the Door Open!
Aaron
1 comment:
I know that towards the end of the semester it is important to have a fun class that you still actually want to go to.
So, now that you are so close, what are your plans for after you graduate?
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