I joined a Mafia

For the last 9 months I've been getting a request twice a week to play an online game. It's an application through Facebook called Mafia Wars. I'm reading a book right now about the reason Facebook is so successful and they say it's because of the applications. When I first got Facebook I was hesetant to "install" any application. When I had a PC that was the cardinal sin that would give you a virus that no medication could fix. Eventually I let my guard down and understood that is was just a Facebook thing, not an install to my machine. Still, every week a request to join someones mafia.

Finally 2 weeks ago I caved. I went on there to see what the deal was. I spentsome time learning the layout and how to play and then I played the game. This took 10 minutes. After initial frustration I learned the beauty of this game. I can't play it for more that 5 minutes because that's how it's built. Sure I can play 3-4 times during my day, but that's it. I started timing my games and it was on average 2 minutes online for each session.

It's a simple little game about accumulating money and getting more skill points. This is done through a series of missions and fights. There is no skill required, no hand eye coordination, it's just managing your profile for a few minutes. I know I keep mentioning the time thing, because to me that's what makes the game beautiful and accessible. You're not getting into something that's a giant time suck. Instead, this is something that will be a fun distraction for a few minutes and leave you wanting more.

You may not be a fan of the game, this kind of thing isn't everyone's cup of tea. But if you'd enjoy a few minutes online while sitting at your computer then this is for you.

If you don't want to play but have a facebook, join my MAFIA! All you have to do is join, then turn off the notifications so you don't get the messages "so and so just gifted you an untraceable cellphone." Then you're helping people and making me quite happy.

Adele is a delight.

Seeing this pic makes me want to go hang out in Britain and wear scarves.
I'd probably have a lame fake accent, but I'd enjoy myself.
Please make donations to the "Trent to the UK fund"

A friend made me a mix tape for my birthday, and it had a single song from Adele. (Side Note: I am surprised mix tapes, or mix discs aren't as popular as they were back in the day.) I couldn't get the song out of my head. I not only bought the song, I bought the whole album based on the 30 sec previews of 3 songs. It was so very good.

Within a few days of listening to her non-stop, I sent a "strong-recommendation" over Facebook to a few friends who share a love of good good music. My friend Jessica One responded that she'd check it out, the other sent back a reply within a few minutes and said that SHE LOVED HER. We both raved over how she has a rich and soulful voice and shows a maturity beyond her 19 years. Its so much fun when you share a moment like that. Well, this friend is a kindred musical spirit and did me a huge favor. She got me tickets to see Adele live in Concert!

I'd tried to get tickets months in advance, but it didn't work out and then she asked a friend at work the week of and got 2 tickets. I was extremely grateful to be asked. That really is the best. So, we saw the concert at the Wiltern. It was a blast. We were 2nd from the last row, but that didn't matter. There's this point where if you aren't in the first 10 rows, well, any other seat is a good seat. The show was a lot of fun. It was only disappointing on one front, it was EXACTLY like the album. She sounded great, but didn't explore the music as much as I'd hoped she would. That's what I always want, is to see what an artist does musically. There was one awkward transition between two songs where the band just didn't click but other than that she'd start a song and the band would completely stop and it sounded just like the record.

With that, this is a good album to hear live. You should go buy it. Give a few songs a listen on her website and myspace...remember myspace? When I listen to the song, "Make you feel my love" I get chills thinking about hearing it live. It was ridiculously good. I'm grateful for good friends, good shows and good music. When the three come together... super success.

Go check out Adele and tell me your thoughts.

Video Music Awards were HORRIBLE!!!

This little british fellow contributed the horribleness.


Most of the time I try and make my titles clever and coy, but I had to go completely blunt in this case. I am not a fan of most award shows. Besides the Oscars (which, to quote my friend Emily “is my superbowl”), I find them boring and uneventful. I usually save myself the time and just look up the list of winners online. There was something intriguing about the Video Music Awards this year. I was talking with some friends out in front of the theater the other night and commented that the VMAs were in Los Angeles this year. I was wondering what arena they would be held in, and a friend said “down the street on the Paramount Lot.”

I thought that was interesting and did some research online, turns out they’d be doing the show “all over the famous Paramount Studios Lot”, taking on a Hollywood theme. It sounded kind of cool and while I wasn’t usually tuning into these things, I’d throw this one on the TiVo. Well, I now feel the need to apologize to my TiVo for subjecting it to this horrible few hours of television.

When they showed the main room, it felt like an awkward gymnasium with people in folding chairs and bleachers in the back. There was no warmth to the room and the people were not impressed. The host, Russell Brand came out and absolutely bombed the opener. He is a former VJ for the UK MTV who gained some popularity after his role in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”. I later found out he became infamous when he showed up to work as the host of the British TRL on September 12th, 2001 dressed as Osama Bin Laden. MTV fired him for his lack of judgment. Apparently they felt he had learned his lesson and was a great fit as the host of their largest annual event. Now I am willing to forgive people for their mistakes, but it will take a LONG time to forgive him for his horrible performance. It was not just a bad job, it was horrible.

Jamie Foxx was one of the first presenters and came out with energy and tried to pump up the room. Whatever energy he built up, the host quickly deflated. Brand kept returning to a set of “Jonas Brothers are virgins” jokes. It was kind of funny the first time but not something you want to hear 100 times, no matter what your views are on teen promiscuity. And the host was leading into nothing of value. The performances were trying harder to be different than they were good. The acceptance speeches had the same “who cares” sentiment that I have when I get a notice on Facebook that the “compare my friends” application has determined I am the most “tech savy”. Britney Spears had a stump speech and simply repeated it, as if her manager had given her strict guidelines while sitting in the audience with her.

It was like every choice was a poor one. Even the stage was lame and lacked common sense. (Don’t put mirrors on the back wall, we can see the camera crew and the teleprompter.) Pete Wentz from Panic at the Disco came across like a frustrated cheerleader at Valium High School every time he tried to pump up the crowd while re-explaining how to text our votes. The room felt dead, the songs felt fake, I just couldn’t finish the show and angrily deleted the show. The only thing that was slightly redeeming was the DJ AM and Travis Barker House Band routine. It was great to see a drummer jam with a DJ, very cool sound and just in line with some of the mash-ups that I’ve been listening to lately. Still, not worth watching an entire show for those 45-second lead-ins after a commercial break.

The theme and prospect of something fresh and new got me to tune in this year. What was delivered was a misfire on every level. It’s going to take something big to bring me back to the VMA’s, because this years show was downright HORRIBLE.

1 month later; iPhone thoughts

She doesn’t just look good, she’s can actually have a conversaton.


“Isn’t it ridiculous, people were sleeping outside to get this phone, who does that for a phone.” I chuckle at my friend, knowing that I spent most of the day standing outside of the Apple store in Simi Valley. “I mean, give me a break, I have an iPod, I have a phone, they work fine.” I didn’t say a word. It wasn’t because I’m afraid of going toe to toe if I think I’m right, but at that point, I wasn’t sure. I had stood in line for 8 hours that day based on a theory. I believed that Apple knew what they were doing and so on that trust I bought their product.

The next day I spent loading my old contacts into my new “mobile me” account. This is a new service Apple is providing that will sync pictures, music, contacts and calendar with all your computers and iPhone. I can take a picture on my phone and with a single click it is loaded to my computer at home and on a database that can be accessed from anywhere at me.com. Setting up my email was a breeze, and all my accounts were set up in minutes.

That night, I took my phone out for the first time. I walked to my car and with my earbuds in, I listened to some music. As I got in the car, I just kept my iPod going. Driving down the freeway, I got my first call. The music simply faded out, and the person calling’s name appeared. How great is that! This one single device now has the best of my music, and just fades right back up when I end the call. The way it functions is just like an Apple, super intuitive, clean menus, just the way it should.

The next day, as if I wasn’t happy enough, I discovered the App Store. This is different companies making applications specifically for the iPhone and may be the greatest strength of the phone. Facebook, movie times, and great games. They’re currently selling apps at an amazing rate and this is sure to be the strength of this new mobile platform. While at work, sitting in front of a computer with 4 gigs of RAM and a T1 line, I will use my iPhone apps for movie times and other features because its easier.

Here’s a list of some of the things I’ve LOVED about the phone…
(in no particular order)
- Visual voicemail, see the messages and delete them with a single touch.
- There’s an iPod in your pocket all the time, with a great new user interface.
- The real internet in your pocket, not just a mobile imposter.
- Fun games and other apps that make a waiting room a pleasure.
- GPS syncing with Google maps, and traffic. Search for a business and click the map, and it’s got point by point directions.
- Text messages look like an iChat conversation. It’s easy to see what was said.
- Take pictures with the camera, and it adds a tag that has your exact location to tell you where you were and when you took the photo.
- Automatically uses open WiFi connections to download things even faster than the already fast 3G network.
- YouTube on your phone, don’t describe the funny video you saw, just show it.

There are a few things that they need to address, like becoming flash compatible, adding a cut & paste feature, and making it easier to see and send pictures via text messaging. The great things about those flaws are that they can be fixed with a software update. I just plain love this phone, I say a prayer of thanks every morning when I put on the headphones and head out for the day. It really is just so good.

The iPhone isn’t for everyone but I’m not sure who it isn’t for. If you are a tech-savy person with a mobile lifestyle, then you need one tomorrow. I had a Blackberry for two years and loved having email and web on my phone, but this is totally different. It’s like remembering your love for driving when you got your first car; a 10-year-old Ford Taurus. Then comparing that with the joy you experience behind the wheel of your brand new convertible Ferrari.

Just the other day my friend that inadvertently mocked me for the iPhone saw that I had one. He laughed and asked how long I’d had it. I told him that I had it that day we talked but hadn’t used it so couldn’t argue for it. After letting him hold it and showing him the features for 20 minutes he asked me how long the lines are now. His conclusion was simple, “I have to get one of these.”


By the way, if you switch over to AT&T because this article was the tipping point, well then tell them Trent sent you. I get a credit! I didn’t write this article trying to sell phones, but if I did…hook a brother up!

Iron Man; A pleasant surprise!

I was very indifferent about Robert Downey Jr. but after seeing this film
I think I am now a fan, well done sir.


It didn’t even make my list of movies that I am excited about seeing this summer. I was actually a little frustrated at the movie. I didn’t quite see why Summer needed to start before I was ready and this movie was ushering it in on May 2nd, even though I love Summer. I didn’t see how the director of Elf and writer of Swingers would have a good take on a comic book movie, even though I am a fan of Favreau. I have zero knowledge of Iron Man and think this is just another B-list comic book character, even though I love superhero movies.

Friday morning is when the tide started to turn. I am seeing friends raving about the movie via their status on Facebook. That night I ended up seeing “Made of Honor” with a bunch of friends that are girls. (I know, I shared my opinion in a post last week.) As we left the theater I spotted people coming out of the theater showing Iron Man with a spring in their step. Their body language was similar to that of people getting of Space Mountain. Smiles and excitement are evident and they want to get back in line for another ride. Then the next afternoon my friend Andrew says the movie was so good he wants to see it again that night after improv. Sure enough, we get tickets for a screening at the Arclight that was added due to high demand, just after midnight.

The theater was packed and the movie started. I LOVED IT! As we exited the theater after staying for the “surprise at the end” (note: no need to stay if you don’t read comic books) Andrew said “I don’t even need to ask if you liked it, you were leaning forward the whole time.” Apparently I lean forward when I am enjoying a movie or a play. I really enjoyed this movie. The special effects were hardly noticed which is a sign of greatness. The performances were spot on, even though I did laugh at Jeff Bridges as a villain because he had some funny ”dude” moments it was still great casting.

This is a Rock ‘n Roll Superhero movie. I don’t know how else to describe it. It is fun and makes you think, I wish I could do that. That’s what a good superhero movie does; it makes you wish you had that power or that suit. I find most comic movies frustrating in that I am just waiting for the thing to happen so they can move on and become the title character. In this movie, the set up was just as much fun as the pay off. It had lots of laughs, great action sequences oh man, it was great.

So, this Summer Season is already surprising me with Iron Man. In fact it is surprising the studios too with such a huge opening and a great second weekend that beat out the odds on favorite, Speed Racer, but more on that later. I give Iron Man the “Push your friends to see this instead of anything else that is out between now and May 22nd (Indy Release!) because you will be entertained.”