Psyduck, where are you?

Where are you, Psyduck? What are you doing? Why aren’t you blogging more? Why should I even bother visiting this blog?

Ouch.

But, yes, those are all valid concerns, and Psyduck appreciates all the e-mails he’s received, both positive and, well, some that’s not so positive. With that, Psyduck’s New May Resolution is to blog more often for the audience that has been faithfully visiting these pages over the past year.

So on with the blog…

Over the past few months, Psyduck was fortunate enough to find several Moleskine City Notebooks on sale at a few local art stores. For those of you unfamiliar with the City Notebooks, they are Moleskine’s version of the D-I-Y travel guide: You get the same fantastic and durable Moleskine notebook, but with the added benefit of a map and street index for whatever city you’ve picked. The blank pages within the City Notebook are broken down into various categories for you to record your adventures in shopping, food, hotels, etc. The only downside to these books is the map; for many cities, the publishers only included a relevant map for a city center, or nearby area. If you are someone who is interested in really exploring a city, you’re best bet is to pick up a real map of the city and keep that with your book. Considering how small the City Notebook is, though, it’s understandable that they had to limit the size of the map.

Anyway, Psyduck had been staring at these books for a while, but with a price tag of almost $20, Psyduck knew that he could spend his hard-earned Pokemon cash on just a few select cities. But one day when his art supplies were low, Psyduck stopped at a few art stores and saw that a slew of City Books were discounted to prices so low, he thought he time-warped back to the 1950s. Psyduck knows the ’50s had super-low prices because Psyduck’s grandpa always told him lots of “back-in-the-day” stories…though Psyduck had a hard time believing that his grandpa went to school uphill both ways. Huh? Back to the books, so instead of paying $20 per book, Psyduck saw that his 1950s price was less than $3 for each book! W00t! Savings FTW!

So, yes, Psyduck bought himself many City Books. Peep the photos:

Psyduck, of course, is a world traveler, so he’ll no doubt make good use of these books soon.

In other news, Psyduck has been spending quality time with his 360 playing Rainbow Six Vegas 2 and GTA4.

A few quick thoughts on both games…

Rainbow Six Vegas 2: The developers pretty much ruined the fun of online multiplayer by allowing random spawn points. To be fair, there have always been issues with spawn campers in the Rainbow games, but any decent team could always free themselves from campers and change the flow of the game. By allowing random spawns, the developers essentially created a slower version of COD4. Nothing against COD4, mind you, as it is an awesome, awesome game, but why does Psyduck need COD4 in his Rainbow Six? If Psyduck wanted to play COD4, then he’d go and play COD4; he wouldn’t fire up Rainbow Six for the COD experience.

GTA4: This is a very, very good game, but it’s not anywhere near a 10. Psyduck has been visiting with the GTA hooligans since Claude ran the show in Liberty City, and Psyduck was expecting some of the fundamental mechanics of the game to be fixed. Walking, running, aiming, shooting — all of those, as well as a few other things, needed to be perfect in this version, and they weren’t. No matter how big the city is, or how pretty the city is, or how alive it feels, all of that is for naught because you are essentially using ancient PS2 mechanics and controls to move Niko through this modern city. Psyduck is impressed with the scale of GTA4, but Psyduck cannot overlook the reality of poor controls. Psyduck is a bit of a hardass about these things.

General Blog News for May

Attention all fashionistas reading this blog: With summer almost upon us, there’s always a need for that special T-shirt to wear to a concert, BBQ or a casual stroll to your local game store. Since your tastes aren’t always available in department stores, be sure to check out the cool shirts made by Reese Ward at this site.

Psyduck wants to introduce you to a new feature in his blogs called Psyduck’s Music Minute. Everyone loves music, and Psyduck is no exception. His tastes span continents and generations, so with the Music Minute, Psyduck’s goal is to bring you clips of tunes he’s diggin’ at any given moment. If you have any Music Minute suggestions for Psyduck, drop him a note and he’ll do his best to post your choices in his next blog.

Today’s Music Minute takes you back to the ’90s with L.A. Style and their hit song, James Brown is Dead.

 

Psyduck’s Mail Bag: X

Happy April everyone! Today, Psyduck peered deep into the mailbag and pulled out a letter from Jessica in Naples, Italy. Jessica writes:

“Hi Psyduck. I’m listening to my iPod right now and I wanted to know if Psyducks listen to music, too? I think they do, but my friends think I’m crazy.”

Thanks for your note, Jessica. To answer your question, Psyducks listen to music quite often. Just like with people, though, different Psyducks listen to different things. For example, Psyduck’s uncle Jim likes classic rock and the sounds of nature found on his alarm clock. Psyduck’s grandma, on the other hand, listens to Benny Goodman and Snow — she really likes that song Informer.

Psyduck is a big fan of music and his interests run the gamut from dance to oldies to taiko drums. Since Psyduck is often a duck on the move, you can generally find him blankly staring along to the tunes on his Zune. Psyduck was considering an iPod, but he had a bit of trouble using that iPod click wheel, so he went with the Zune and its sexy touch pad.

It took 20 years to make an ’80s cover this good

Going back to music. For the past few weeks, Psyduck has been on a steady musical diet of Kylie Minogue. Kylie’s new album, X, was released last week in America (it’s been out since 11/2007 in other parts of the world) and Psyduck has been dancing to the tunes non-stop. Psyduck really likes this album and thinks it’s one of Kylie’s best to date. Sadly, it looks like many people in the U.S. don’t share Psyduck’s sentiments as the initial sales weren’t so hot. Peep this Kylie fan site for the info: The Impossible Princess. Psyduck’s professional opinion on this matter is that most people in America have no clue that Kylie is still making music, and as such, they have no clue that she has a new album out. These people are clearly living in a sad musical world.

Jessica, because Psyduck is all about educating the musically deprived, and because he’s about giving back, he’s posting a video for one of the best songs from the album. Enjoy.

Kylie Minogue - In My Arms

Thanks for writing, Jessica. As always, a great big thanks to all of you who’ve been e-mailing Psyduck with your questions, comments and blog ideas.

 

Happy 3-11 Day!

Happy 3-11 Day Everyone!

Psyduck will spend the day listening to his favorite band, requesting 311 songs from the local radio stations and spreading the good word of 311 to all who’ll listen!

Sadly, Psyduck wasn’t able to join the 13,500 fans going out to New Orleans for the massive 3-11 Day concert, but he hopes everyone has a great time and stays safe.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with 311, check out their website, www.311.com, for all the latest news on the band. While you’re there, be sure to check out their home videos, music videos, pictures, band history and free songs.

Still don’t know them, then peep these videos:

Classic 311 - Down

New 311 - Don’t Tread on Me

 

Gaming Psy

Hello patient Psyduck fans! Our happy little duck has been away from his keyboard these past few months listening to the one and only Edith Piaf and playing some wicked games on his Xbox 360. He’s gone through Halo 3, Call of Duty 4 and the challenging, but fun Surf’s Up! Also in the mix were Project Gotham 4 and Skate. Not one to just indulge in single-player fare, Psyduck pwned the competition online in Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4. So which does Psyduck like more? Well, while both are great games and bring a unique and different story to the masses, Psyduck’s heart belongs to Call of Duty 4. While there might not be a forge or a theater mode in COD4, the maps and presentation are more fun for our little Psyduck.

Also, during the holidays, Psyduck splurged on a smexy Bumblebee faceplate for his system — peep the awesome yellow color that matches his awesome yellow coat.

 

Next on Psyduck’s gaming horizon is Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 and GTA4.

Stay tuned for more Psyduck goodness when he shares his thoughts on the Moleskine City Notebooks, more games, and, well, other stuff. Psyduck is full of psyduck stuff to share with his faithful readers.

Oh, in case you didn’t change your clocks this past weekend, do it now.

 

Psyduck on Moleskinerie

Psyduck is excited! Can you tell?

Why is Psyduck excited?

Psyduck is excited because his Moleskine blog from last week was featured on Moleskinerie, a very popular and informative Moleskine fansite/blog. Psyduck has been a fan of Moleskinerie for a long time and to be mentioned on that site makes Psyduck feel very happy. Just look at the joy in his eyes.

In other news, Psyduck finally got his Xbox 360 back and has been busy playing Call of Duty 4: Modern Combat. Psyduck was going to start with Halo 3, but after Psyduck played the Call of Duty beta last month, and after learning that COD4 has a much shorter single player campaign than Halo 3, he knew that he’d play that game first and then move on to Master Chief. However, Psyduck will probably not spend too much time online in Halo 3 because there are just too many smart-ass punks like Ash and Misty ruining playing that game. Instead, Psyduck will be calling in air strikes in COD4.

 

Mass Effect is Awesome

Today, Psyduck wants to spend a few minutes on one of his favorite hobbies: video games. That’s right, when Psyduck is not writing in his Moleskine or eating generous helpings of Collon, he’s focusing his beady Psyduck eyes on the TV and playing teh games.

Of course, when people learn that Psyduck is an avid gamer, the first question is always, “do you play Pokemon?” Yes. Psyduck plays Pokemon, but because he grew up on the set, he doesn’t play it as much anymore. Instead, Psyduck spends most of his time with the new crop of systems like the Xbox 360 and the PS3. Psyduck also enjoys portable games like Harvest Moon for the DS and GTA for the PSP.

Psyduck occasionally fires up the PS2, though as of late it’s been hibernating. Still, Psyduck is considering the PS2 again to try out Odin Sphere. The game has received overwhelming reviews and it would be interesting to step back into the 2d gaming world after spending the past few years in 3d . Psyduck loves awesome graphics, and even though some of the sweetest visuals can found on the current crop of consoles, one can’t discount the beauty that is Odin Sphere. Perhaps Santa Psyduck (no relation) will leave the game in Psyduck’s stockings.

Another game Psyduck is itching to try is Mass Effect. The reviews have been pretty positive on this title, too, so Santa Psyduck might have to pick that up with Odin Sphere. Psyduck doesn’t normally play RPGs, but Mass Effect seems to really push the envelope of what an RPG can do, so curiosity is really getting the best of Psyduck.

Other than that, Psyduck is really looking forward to playing games he already owns but can’t play because his Xbox 360 is following the footsteps of the writers’ strike and is picketing with the Red Ring of Death. Sadly, Psyduck has gone through multiple consoles in recent months, and has been unable to play some of the choice titles of the fall like Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4. Needless to say, Psyduck has very special feelings for Microsoft and the Xbox, but blogging about those feelings will have to wait until Psyduck is finished with his therapy and can write more than five words without swearing. After all, this is a family blog and Psyduck tries to refrain from colorful sailor language.

Xbox Red Ring of Death Return # 452: A game comes in and an Xbox goes out.

Call of Duty 4 is at the top of his list of games to play when the console returns. Master Chief and the world of Halo 3 is a must, too, but there aren’t any knives or dogs in Halo 3. COD4 has both! Don’t ask. Some things are better left unanswered.

With all these great games out, Psyduck wonders why other companies still try to compete during the holiday rush. A game like Blacksite: Area 51 will probably get overlooked by most gamers, but if it was an early fall or early spring release, it would’ve fared better. What are these companies thinking? Psyduck not know.

By the way, what do you guys think about Halo: The Flood? Psyduck has mixed feelings about all this.

 

Psyduck’s Mail Bag: The Moleskine

It’s time for everyone’s favorite feature: Psyduck’s Mail Bag. Today’s question for Psyduck comes from Samantha in Los Angeles, CA. Samantha writes:

“Hi Psyduck. I want to know how you manage your ideas for your blog. Do you write ideas in a notebook, or do you just start typing and see where that takes you?”

Thanks for your question, Samantha. Psyduck is a duck with many things on his mind, so keeping a notebook is essential for Psyduck and this blog. When he was younger, Psyduck would write his notes on random scraps of paper that would eventually get lost or clutter his desk. After losing one too many important notes about the Pokemon filming schedule, Psyduck got his act together and started keeping a notebook. He started with a typical spiral notebook, but that gave him flashbacks of school, so he quickly moved on to the more stylish and sophisticated Moleskine.

The Moleskine family of notebooks is quite extensive, Samantha, so definitely do some research before you go shopping to be sure you pick the right notebook for you. As a starting point, Psyduck’s favorites at the moment are the the Pocket Storyboard Notebook and the Plain Large Notebook.

The Pocket Storyboard Notebook is a winner for Psyduck because it’s a smaller notebook that he can carry with him on his daily travels. The pages in the Storyboard are thicker than the normal notebooks so he can freely write and sketch with his favorite pens without worrying about the ink bleeding through the pages.

Here is Psyduck starting a new Storyboard notebook by writing in his contact information in the front page. The reward for finding his notebook is Collon.

When Psyduck is at home, he likes to use the Plain Large Notebook for all his writing, sketching and blog preparing.

He especially likes the large notebook because he can stand on it and really get a feel for the project at hand. It’s kinda like Tom Hanks playing the floor piano in Big.

So as you can see, Samantha, between these two notebooks, Psyduck is a well-organized blogging fool.

That wraps it up for this edition of Psyduck’s Mail Bag. Thanks again for your e-mail, Samantha. An as always, a big thanks to all of you who’ve been e-mailing Psyduck with your questions. Keep on hitting that send button and maybe you can be featured in the next edition of Psyduck’s Mail Bag.

 

The Chase

Psyduck welcomes you to his Saturday Night Dance Party.

Typically, Psyduck is a very serious yellow duck busy with important Psyduck projects that leave him little room for frivolous activities like dancing or eating Collon. Well, there’s always time for Collon…and dancing, so maybe he’s not as serious as he likes to think.

Anyway, Psyduck wants all of you to feel the groove and retro energy with this classic dance anthem called The Chase. This is actually a Jam & Spoon remix of a ’70s ditty by Giorgio Moroder from the movie Midnight Express. A Psyduck warning, though, before you feast your eyes on the YouTube: the video is a little different and weird, borrowing heavily from Stanley Kubrick’s The Shinning, so don’t go writing hate-mail to Psyduck because you were permanently scarred from seeing Studio 54-like debauchery, hmmm-k? Good.

Now, then, enjoy the video.

 

Dominick the Donkey

Well, now that Halloween is almost over, it’s time for all the stores to kick their Christmas extravaganza into high gear and get you to spend more dough. After all, most stores have been preparing for this since Labor Day.

Anyway, Psyduck wanted to get into the Christmas spirit, too, so today he’s posting a video for a song that is quickly becoming the #1 Christmas song this season. Really, this little ditty is buzzing around the net like a crazy bee spreading the Christmas love. Like most memorable songs, this one is an oldie but a goody and Psyduck is sure it will bring back all of your warm childhood memories. Since this song goes way back before it was cool and popular to have music videos, Psyduck had to YouTube an equally happy video to get the song. Enjoy.

 

Psyduck’s Mail Bag

Today Psyduck is reaching into his mail bag to answer reader questions. Today’s question comes from James in Birmingham, England. James writes:

“Psyduck, what are your favorite snacks? Are you into potato chips and pizza, or do you stay healthy with apples and carrots?”

Thanks for your question, James. Psyduck snacks on a lot of different foods, but he tends to snack more on sweets than fruits and veggies. He likes his apples, carrots and corn, to be sure, but he’s always ready to give you a Psyduck stare for a few good sweets. Unlike people, Psyducks have a great metabolism that helps them stay thin. Psyduck might seem portly, but remember, pictures always add extra pounds; Psyduck is actually in excellent health. Another plus is that Psyduck’s teeth are made of ultra-durable material that’s resistant to cavities. He still brushes his teeth, though, because that fights bad breath. Psyducks are known for their pleasant breath.

Since Psyduck really liked your e-mail, James, he took photos next to two of his favorite sweet snacks. The first one is called Venezuela Bitter and it’s the finest dark chocolate Psyduck has found in his never ending quest for the finest dark chocolate of the dark chocolate world. What makes this chocolate especially tasty is the description on the box:

“Chocolate in its truest form maximized for great taste with the pleasant essence of the cacao bean.”

 

Another one of Psyduck’s favorite sweets is Collon. Yes, Collon. He likes it not so much for its super flavor, but rather, for its crazy name. Who wouldn’t want Collon, huh? Anyway, Psyduck always has Collon with him for those ice-breaker conversations at the actor’s studio, talent meeting and elevator. It always works for him, so he advises that you carry Collon around with you all the time, too, James.

 

 

Thanks again for the e-mail, James. And thanks to all of you who’ve been e-mailing Psyduck with your questions. Keep ‘em coming, and maybe you can be featured in the next edition of Psyduck’s Mail Bag.