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by Clay Conger [22 Jul 2013 | No Comment | 1,442 views]
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: What Fans Need To Know About “The Witcher 3″

We know fans of The Witcher franchise have been excited to get their hands on the third and final installment of the series, “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt,” and so are we. With a new open world, comparisons to “Skyrim,” and an unbelievable quest per pixel metric, we’ve got a lot to look forward to. Our Clay Conger had the opportunity to learn more about what’s in store for “The Witcher 3″ with an exclusive interview with game director, Konrad Tomaszkiewicz of CD Projekt Red. Here’s what he had to say…

The Cultured Critic »

by Clay Conger [3 Jul 2013 | No Comment | 3,486 views]
5 Shows That Overstayed Their Welcome

A common complaint for fans of TV shows is that a beloved show is either abruptly cut off (Arrested Development) or runs for so long that the quality drops and it begins to embarrass itself. This article is about the latter. This is not to say there have not been quality, long-running shows, but there are sadly many more that simply stayed on the air for too long. There is often a limit of how many character developments and plots and twists you can cram into a show before it starts to be contrived or even ridiculous, and when a show has spent its creative juices you start to see a noticeable drop in quality each passing season. The point where the show begins to lose its spark is precisely when the show should bow out with grace, keeping its reputation intact…

Soapbox »

by Clay Conger [26 Jun 2013 | No Comment | 940 views]
Paula Deen: Fallen Food Network Star

For those who are wondering why Paula Deen, southern cook and innovator of the burger with donuts for buns, is on the cover of so many magazines lately, it’s because she was recently fired from Food Network over a race-related lawsuit. She was sued for using racial slurs and making racist jokes and insults while at work and overall was accused of creating racial tensions. Despite her apologies which could best be described as “awkward,” Deen was not given a chance to get back on the network and it seems now that her career is tarnished without repair. Deen’s actions, depositions, and apologies were very out of touch and it seems that she truly was unaware that she did anything wrong. Her deposition even noted that, “I can’t, myself, determine what offends another person.”

The Cultured Critic »

by Clay Conger [24 Jun 2013 | No Comment | 437 views]
REVIEW: The Purge

It’s no secret that American horror movies are a bit of a laughing stock, comprised mostly of haunted houses, remakes, torture porn, and jump scares. We as an audience have not received many new or fresh ideas since The Blair Witch Project and it seems like to get a truly classic horror experience one must either revisit older movies, or delve into East-Asian cinema. However, the much publicized The Purge seemed to be a small light in sea of mediocrity, with a clever, and thought provoking concept. The film’s events take place in the future where crime and unemployment have been reduced to almost nothing, and possibly the reason for this is because once a year there is a twelve hour time frame where all crime, including murder, is legal. This gives everyone in America the chance to vent their anger and sheltered desires and then return to their normal lives the following morning. This concept alone lured me, and many others, into theaters. But as I watched the movie expecting an interesting horror flick and hoping for something that would give me faith in the genre as a whole. For the most part, I was wrong on both counts…

Badvice »

by Clay Conger [21 Jun 2013 | No Comment | 1,078 views]
How To Spot A Fake Craigslist Ad

With the convenience of the Internet and the YellowPages being as relevant as the Box Step, it’s no wonder that the majority of searches for jobs, gigs, sales and other services are done online. Craigslist is arguably the easiest site where all such things can be found, yet at the same time is a very mixed bag. Despite its simple design, ease of use, and legitimate ads, there is a scourge of fraudulent, malicious, or straight-up BS ads as well. Getting fooled by these ads can waste your time and possibly rob you of money, so looking out for them is key when on the site. As someone who worked as a Security Policy Specialist for a web company, I could spot fraudulent activity anywhere, and with my experience and with the help of other helpful guides online, here is a guide of what to watch out for when perusing though Craigslist ads…

The Cultured Critic »

by Clay Conger [20 Jun 2013 | No Comment | 415 views]
Your Video Game To-Do List

Oh how we love the beautiful days of Summer. Well…except when it’s so hot you don’t want to move. Obviously, this is when air conditioning and video games come into play. Pun totally intended. With E3 recently wrapping up, here are five highly anticipated games that every gamer, casual or battle-hardened, will want to twitch their trigger fingers for…

Soapbox »

by Clay Conger [17 Jun 2013 | No Comment | 784 views]
Four Loko: One Man’s Experience

Four Loko is named after its four main ingredients: Alcohol, Caffeine, Guarine and Taurine. That is pretty much all you need to know about it. I decided to take up the challenge as someone who had never drank one before. I was somewhat prepared. I drink a Monster energy drink about once a week. I’ve slurped down Joose and Sparkz, and I’ve dated a Mexican girl so I’ve had my lion’s share of tequila and other booze. My stomach and liver are a bit like abused girlfriends and a little more from a Four Loko couldn’t be too bad. So with some difficulty I found a Four Loko at this moment and beginning to drink it down…

Soapbox »

by Clay Conger [14 Jun 2013 | No Comment | 887 views]
Molly: Politics, Society, and Crazy White People

For those unfamiliar with the term or do not watch network news specials about youth subcultures geared to paranoid 40 year olds, Molly is the powdered form of MDMA, also known as ecstasy. Molly commonly comes in little dimebags or in capsules, and is frequently mixed with other drugs like cocaine. Its popularity, along with the previous fame of bath salts and Four Loko, paint a very interesting picture of drug use today. I think what is happening is that we are having a resurgence of the 60s and we are at the tail end of that decade. You can split the 60s into two halves, with each half having very distinct features. The first half was all about peace, love, and consciousness expansion and so predictably the big drugs were pot, acid, and uppers. The second half, when the political climate grew sour with all of the assignations and things in America become so violent, the drug culture took a shift. Uppers were out, and drug use became less about finding happiness and more about what Hunter S. Thompson called “shortcircuiting our brain.” It was heroin, barbiturates, pot sprayed with every chemical known to man, mescaline and speed. Most importantly, this is when mixing drugs became prevalent. Keep in mind that mixing drugs does not necessarily make one feel more euphoric. It’s all about destruction of self at that point: you want to fry your senses, you want to get annihilated the same way you do at a kegger after a bad breakup…