The title really says it all. Rock Band is quite possibly the worst thing to happen to my – and my friends’ – free time. Since picking the game up last month we haven’t been able to stop playing, despite finishing the lengthy Band World Tour, the game’s main mode. It’s just too fun to put down, even after you’ve long gotten sick of playing “Wanted Dead or Alive” and “Maps”.

Of course, it’s really only fun when you’ve got a couple of friends to play with. Playing by yourself (unless you’re just practicing a particularly difficult song) is nowhere near as much fun, even on drums. There are some other little nicks with the game that bother me (not being able to change a band’s leader, limited customization options, etc.), but it doesn’t impact the game as a whole.

Another nice thing is that there’s tons of downloadable content, so you can always add more songs to your game. While it does suck that the songs actually cost money, it’s not a huge amount ($0.99-$1.99/song), and you don’t HAVE to download them if you don’t want them. Still, it means that technically Harmonix doesn’t need to make a sequel so long as they keep putting out new tracks to download. Which is great, because I don’t like shelling out $50 for a bunch of songs I don’t like.

In short… yeah, Rock Band’s pretty freaking addictive. And now I’m off to go attempt the Endless Setlist.

Hard to believe this was produced in only two weeks. All the tracks on this half-hour disc are pretty solid, and stand right up there with EITS’s better tracks.

Really good if you can grab one at a show, though I believe they’re offering it for download from their website.

Eh, it’s nothing special, regardless of what Peet’s says about it. Very bland and mellow like the House Blend, and it doesn’t leave much of an aftertaste.

I would’ve preferred more of a kick considering it’s supposed to be a special blend.

I’ve been a fan of Murakami for the past few years, and I’ve read just about all of his novels and short stories. That being said, Hard-Boiled Wonderland was actually one of my favorites because it feels so different from the others. There’s something completely un-Murakami about it, while at the same time the tone and style of the writing and translation couldn’t have been written by anyone else.

The structure of the novel is fairly interesting, alternating between two different narratives whose connections are – naturally – revealed much later. Reminded me of Memento in a way. Again, it makes for a very different feel more along the lines of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle.

There were some problems I had, but mainly it’s that the characters in Murakami novels are all so similar that it’s hard to tell them apart. Characters that I thought were from one novel are from a different one, and such. The ones in Hard-Boiled Wonderland are very much the same, with their knowledge of literature and jazz, their love of coffee and whiskey, and 1950s American movie references. Ah, well.

Hard Boiled Wonderland is still one of Murakami’s better novels, certainly up there with Wind-Up Bird and Norwegian Wood. It’ll keep you entertained and curious throughout, though a lot of people seem to be turned off by the addition of science fiction and fantasy elements. Don’t let that deter you – it’s worth a read.

Considering this is one of those “healthy” cereals that supposedly have a ton of protein and other stuff in it to help you stay active and lose weight, it’s not too bad. I mainly bought it because it happened to be one of the few cereals on sale at my local Safeway one week, and my friend said I should get that instead of some sugar-filled cereal.

Turns out this stuff went by fast for me. It essentially takes like Smacks (or Honey/Sugar Smacks if you like), but with less sugar and more stuff added to it like almonds and various seeds (that remind me of an ‘Everything’ bagel). Not a bad way to start the day, and I certainly wouldn’t mind buying it again if nothing else strikes my fancy.

Classic, classic film. My mom and I used to watch this movie all the time growing up, and I still never tire of it.

It’s funny and charmingly romantic at the same time, and it’s one of the few times you can see Andie MacDowell act outside of a L’Oreal commercial.

I’m used to slow-paced Chinese films that seem to have such a low amount of content that people are shocked they win awards (but in actuality win awards because they manage to say a lot more than you think). Still Life is one of those films.

Much like The World, Jia Jiangke remarks on the continual transformation of modern China by focusing on a pair of protagonists played by his usual favorites, as well as on an almost surreal setting that draws both characters to it. Each character has their own story that the film switches between, but the real focus remains the transformation of their surroundings, as well as the passage of time.

The acting is fairly low-key, and the plot itself is minimal, but the cinematography is incredibly beautiful. If you’re used to the pacing of films like these, then you won’t be disappointed.

Eh, this blend’s so-so. It wasn’t that great, but at the same time it wasn’t that bad either. It’s not as strong as other blends like Major Dickason’s Blend, and the taste (or lack thereof) seemed to remain consistent over the week and a half I had it.

Not bad with a bit of chocolate powder in it.

I was never a big fan of online multiplayer games, especially shooters, but I’ve changed my mind after playing Warhawk for a few dozen hours. Despite being a game that forces you to play online with other people, the game does a good job of quickly becoming addicting. Well, so long as you’re willing to put in the time to get better. Whether you like playing with your friends or carousing through official servers by yourself to increase your online ranking, you’ll find something to keep you online.

The game’s fairly balanced too. You can choose to run around with a variety of weapons on foot, hop in a tank or jeep, or fly around the map in a Warhawk/Nemesis. It’s entirely up to you, and each has its advantages and disadvantages. Plus, there are a number of different gameplay modes to make things interesting.

Unfortunately there currently aren’t enough maps to mix things up too much, but Incognito seems keen on releasing new content for the game, even though it’s been out for almost a year now. Hopefully they’ll continue to support Warhawk for the PS3’s lifespan. It’s definitely a great shooter, especially if you’re looking for one with a good multiplayer.

...and yes, it DOES support splitscreen!

Much like Animal Crossing, Nintendogs is one of those paradoxical games that are totally worth playing, yet because it’s based on real-time and repetitive tasks that never end it gets old fast. Seriously, that describes the game in a nutshell right there.

While the first few hours spent with your Tamagotchi-like puppy are fun – what with learning new tricks, competing in various competitions and such – it soon grows tiring. Personally I would’ve liked it if there was a little more to do than going for walks and doing the same damn thing every day. Couldn’t Nintendo have added a little more variety to an otherwise mundane “everyday” life?

The worst part of the game is the fact that it runs on real-time, and you literally have to feed and walk your puppy/puppies at least two or three times a day. And after awhile, when your puppy’s stamina starts to grow, the walks will become insanely long. It’s not like you have much to do on the walks either, unless your puppy stops to take a poop (in which case you need to clean up after it) or stops to treat itself to some delicious garbage (they never seem to get smart enough to avoid it).

In fact… I’m starting to wonder why I even marked this as “worth consuming” in the first place. Ah well, to each their own!