More Old Spice Commercial Joy

Here's another Old Spice commercial that is hilarious! Horses for the win!

One of the Funniest Commercials Ever...

I was about to go to bed, but I happened to see this commercial. Why wasn't this on during the Superbowl? It is certainly better than any commercial they aired during the game...

Anyway - I'm on a horse!

The Value of the Customer Experience

It's been a while since I've written about anything that wasn't TV/movie/game related, so I'm going to step out of that world for a while here and put on my philosophy hat. And today's topic - the power of customer experience.

I have worked in the customer service industry for my entire working life - restaurants, fast food, call center. It's been an interesting experience, as I have been privileged enough to see both the best and the worst of people. Working in the customer service industry has changed my outlook on people and forced me to re-evaluate my stances on certain matters. It's something I think every person should experience, in fact. You can learn a lot from spending time in this field.

But this blog isn't about my stories from that end of the customer experience perspective. See, we're in the middle of this whole economic downturn and such. Without getting too much into the politics or the economic policies that have caused this crash, it remains obvious that businesses are fighting harder than ever before to keep their profit margins high. Most companies are doing this using the usual methods using headcount reduction and other cost reduction techniques such as the product shrink ray (by which products are sold in smaller sizes for the same price) and cheaper materials/ingredients.

Check This Song Out

If the NFL has one thing correct, it's that music makes everything better, including the bone-rattling explosions that pass as tackles in football. The NFL has long used the imagery of the players on the football field as gladiators engaging in epic battle, and few things put this imagery accross quite as effectively as a highlight reel backed by some epic classical music.

A few years ago, the NFL partnered with two composers who go by the name E.S. Posthumus to put together some epic sounding classical music to accompany commercials, highlight reels, and films. The latest piece to come from this union aired Sunday night prior to the Superbowl. Video inside!

Brian J. Smith on SGU

Good evening, folks. I figured I'd take a few moments away from the work that has consumed my life for the past week and put up a blog. And, well, it's SGU - I'll always find the time for that!

I've recently become acquainted with Curt, the awesome gentleman who writes the Show Patrol blog for chicagonow.com. Yesterday, he posted a positively fantastic interview with Brian J. Smith, who plays Lt. Matthew Scott on the show. Brian weighs in on some of the "bigger issues" plaguing the show including fans' reaction to his character, fans' reaction to the show in general, some juicy little spoilers for both the second half of season one (returning in April!!) and season 2, with some bonus classical music discourse to boot! Plus, he really digs into the psychology of his character - his attitudes, the effects of his past on his present, the way he makes decisions, including some of the very same things I mentioned in my Why I Love SGU post from a few months back (including his defining moment)! Brian also goes into some detail surrounding the motives and repercussions of the very controversial scene from "Air, Part 1," an explanation that is actually very logical, and one that I hit myself for missing almost entirely!

Did I mention the interview hilarious?

And I can't wait for this mysterious episode called "Faith"... sound amazing.

You can check out the interview by clicking here (<-- click there). I highly recommend it; it's a great read.

The Best (and Worst) of 2009

Welcome one, welcome all. It's time for my favorite blog post of the year, the annual Nunchux Best of "Awards." There are no actual awards, but this post fills my innate desire to order everything, and there are few better ways to do just that than sticking a bunch of things in a list (including runners up for the tougher choices!). People also tend to like to read these yearly posts, so it's kind of like I'm fulfilling two needs with one post.

Anyway, pretend that these are the Emmys, or whatever award show is popular nowadays. The People's Choice Awards, perhaps, except it's my choice instead of yours... It's better that way anyway - I kid, I kid ;-)

Without further ado...

Review - Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Platform: PS3
Spoiler Danger Low

The Good
+ Everything, but seriously:
+ Graphics
+ Story
+ Nathan Drake
+ Stealth Kills (ninja strike!)

The Bad
- Nothing
- ...No, really, nothing

Review - Assassin's Creed 2

Platform: Xbox 360
Spoiler Danger Low

The Good
+ Assassin's tombs
+ Truth puzzles
+ One of the best soundtracks in years
+ A slam-bang ending

The Bad
- Ezio is a boring character
- Not enough Desmond parts
- Where are my timed attacks?!

Bill Watterson Gives a Rare Interview About Calvin and Hobbes

Bill Watterson, the author and creator of my all time favorite comic, Calvin and Hobbes, has resurfaced to give a very rare interview about his thoughts on the comic. It's a rather entertaining look into his perspective on the longevity of the strip's popularity and why people have connected with it so deeply.

Check it out.

I own the leather-bound collection of Calvin and Hobbes, and it will always have it's place on my shelves. In my humble opinion, a better comic has never been inked - nor will there ever be one.