This and That Part 2

More goodies: • Recently I've discovered a new animation technique called machinima. The short version is that machinima is basically using "footage" from video games to create your own films. Perhaps the most famous people doing this are the folks at Rooster Teeth Productions. They produce Red vs. Blue, which uses material from Halo 2 to create its stories. But I'm far more excited by The Strangerhood, a satire/soap opera using characters from The Sims 2. It's good stuff, and it's entertainment not owned by a big corporation, so check it out. • For more cool Web entertainment, visit nsknight's Sim's webpage. Nsknight makes Web comics using photo albums from The Sims. I haven't read them yet, but it's a pretty good idea. • Tonight Family Guy finally returns to TV with new episodes. Family Guy is Seth MacFarlane's hilariously edgy cartoon that was cancelled, until it broke DVD sales records and went on to beat Leno and Letterman in ratings when Cartoon Network picked up the show's reruns. It's also (along with MacFarlane's American Dad) one of the few reasons why you should watch television. In celebration, here's a video archive with some bits too controversial for TV, as well as a few other goodies, like interviews, and MacFarlane's student animation film. • My favorite songwriter is a guy named David Bazan. Bazan is the frontman for Pedro the Lion. Bazan is also in a new band called Headphones, alongside TW Walsh and Frank Lenz (Starflyer 59). Headphones' debut comes out on May 10 on Suicide Squeeze Records, but I received a review copy in the mail Friday. Headphones play lyric-driven music that travels through thematically dark territory. And it's a lot more musically interesting than Pedro the Lion, in that the sound is built entirely from drums and synthesizers. Yep, no guitars. This is some good stuff. Here's a sample lyric: Natural Disaster Here I thought the drinks were free but all the time they were grooming me to be the egg that laid the golden goose. Now I know we disagree but soon enough we'll all be free; that is to worship any way I choose. But you would wait on the rapture or a natural disaster to come around. Or maybe a couple of airplanes could crash into buildings and put the fear of God in you. Cause now we're taking over and no one is the wiser, with mexican and negro cabinet advisors. I cut down the cherry tree and when my mother confronted me I told her I could never tell a lie. Cause I have integrity if you had been there then you'd agree that no one wants to hear the truth. What do you want from me? Can't you see that I'm a talking puppet? And when someone pulls my strings I mouth the words, and I suggest you follow suit. But you would wait on the rapture or a natural disaster to come around. Well maybe a couple of airplanes could crash into buildings and put the fear of God in you.