I just posted a new episode of RTW TV: Weekly Round Up. I would say more, but, it’s Saturday night and now that I’m home from work Amanda and I plan on lying on the couch watching a couple episodes of Veronica Mars and clearing out our DVR because we’re lovable dorks like that. Enjoy the new video and hopefully next time I post I’ll have something more to talk about.



I hope everyone is well and trying to enjoy all of the absurdity and beauty that is this life. The last few weeks, hell even months, have sort of flown by and it’s all very surreal and things keep moving so fast, but I feel a sense of calm and happiness about the future and what it’ll hold. Be well!

This week's brand new episode of RTW TV: Weekly Round Up just went up on YouTube:



In it you'll see featured the first in an ongoing series of Jamaican soda reviews, Amanda tries an international chocolate bar with Cadbury Turkish Delight, and I start in on this month’s Halloween-related content with a look at a marshmallow vampire on a stick. We’d love to hear your thoughts. Time’s been tight, so generally we shoot footage randomly when the opportunity presents itself, but we’ve got some good stuff planned throughout the month and for the rest of the impending holiday seasons. Have a good week everyone. Be well!

My longtime friend Jessie recently scored a major exclusive for Review the World in the form of an interview with King Koopa himself, titled One on One with: Bowser.



Jessie asked all the hard questions, like what’s with Koopa’s obsession with the Princess, his thoughts on the live-action Super Mario Bros. film, his recent involvement in kart racing, tennis, and other sports, his apparent sexual appetite and more! I was given the task of gathering up pictures of the gaming industry’s most notorious villain. Enjoy, and I’ll be back real late Saturday night, with a brand new episode of RTW TV: Weekly Round Up!

As promised, here’s the new episode of RTW TV: Weekly Round Up, originally scheduled to go up this past Saturday but my previously mentioned computer problems prevented it. In it, you’ll see reviews on The Cheesecake Factory, Taco Bell’s new Big Box Meal, and a toy Iron Man candy dispenser. Enjoy!



The show is going to be really good in October, we’ve got a lot of stuff planned, including Halloween-related reviews every episode, an ongoing series of Jamaican soda reviews, Amanda’s going to take a look at some international candy bars, more guest appearances, plus I’m going to venture into my closet and dig out more toys and misc. goodies to feature. Be well!

Good news, we’ve got our computer back at home, it’s operational again so we’re back up and running. It’s already late tonight but I’m going to try to get this past weekend’s episode of RTW TV: Weekly Round Up edited and posted later today. Also, I went ahead and tossed up the monthly logo for October—it’s rather seasonal and one of my favorites yet. Walt Disney World fans may recognize it; it’s from the amazing Carousel of Progress, arguably my favorite Disney ride/attraction. Right now I’m downloading and re-installing a bunch of programs. Everything is going smoothly, though. Good night, be well, and I should be back within the next day with some new stuff.

Unfortunately tonight’s episode of RTW TV: Weekly Round Up will be postponed. Our home computer has crashed due to a pretty gnarly virus. I’m posting this from my job at a mall. Besides the obvious inconvenience, taking it to get repaired, the related costs, etc. there’s also the distinct possibility we might lose everything on the hard drive which would be awful. That’d include all my website-related files, as well as all of our personal stuff like pictures, music, etc. If we get back up and running I will post tonight’s originally scheduled video later, I’ve already shot it all and think it’s real good stuff, I just need to get it edited and uploaded.

Besides that bump in the road, and the current time and energy demands of college, I’m inexplicably happy as of late. I love this time of year, with the holidays, etc. and feel like the collected past year’s mental growth is helping me remain focused and aware of how amazing everything is, down to the very fact that we are alive right now and this is all actually happening. Well, I hope your weekends’ are going swell, and free of viruses, may I add. Be well!

Hey everyone! Wild week here, my hometown of Hamilton, OH got hit with some severe windstorms stemming presumably from repercussions of the recent Southern hurricanes. It got pretty chaotic. I’d wager it’s the most damage this town’s seen, possibly ever, resulting in easily one hundred downed trees, lots of property damage, and even a couple reported deaths. We were without power for several days; some are just now receiving it after nearly a week. Thus, this week’s episode of RTW TV: Weekly Round Up is slightly truncated. I didn’t have a lot of time to shoot new material, but we managed to put together a fun episode, I feel, so hope you’ll enjoy it and we’ll hopefully be back on track next week.

RTW TV: Weekly Round Up 9/20/08

All right, I hope all is well with everyone, feel free to drop a comment and let me know how you’re doing and what you’ve been up to and experiencing. I’m looking forward to tomorrow, first real day off (no school or work) in a long while. Be well!

Hey everybody! How is everyone? Tell me about your week. I’ll get to mine momentarily, first off, this week’s brand new episode of RTW TV: Weekly Round Up just went up a couple minutes ago:



(Note: Sorry for the delay if anyone was waiting for the video overnight. I was having some difficulty getting it uploaded. I finally had to cut a segment (and it was about gummy penguins, sorry!) out and then it finally worked, so I guess it was a file size issue, perhaps, not sure but I’ll be continuing learning as I go with YouTube.)

We didn’t get as much time as we did last week to dedicate to the show, but still ended up with a bunch of stuff, and the end result is completely random and fun-filled so I’m satisfied. I’d grab the camera while doing some late-night snacking after a trip to the pharmacy, out shopping for Halloween crap with a friend, etc. Our kitten Tomo gets some exposure, too; she discovered bubbles for the first time and I found the end result hilarious.

So, back to the week that was, how was everyone’s? Man, mine was pretty exhausting, truth be told, but now that it’s through and I can actually chill out a bit and reflect, it kind of helps putting in perspective how nice life is when it isn’t that nuts. Besides school all week, I usually work part-time, but my store’s owners were all out in Vegas at a convention, so on top of daily classes at two different campuses, I also spent most of my evenings at work. I had a math quiz and then Friday was involved in a group presentation, which ended up pretty good, with my duty covering the TV quiz show scandals of the ‘50’s and the Civil Rights Act of ’64. But, this all rendered my free, personal time to virtual nonexistence; trying to look at the positive side of things (always) I guess I could say that at least it made time move quicker.

In all the hubbub, commuting, busywork, etc. I do try to keep a calm and kind mind—it helps from letting things overwhelm us. I also try to keep an eye out for beauty in the small things. Curbs have been my interest lately. Ever look closely at one, maybe while stopped at a red light, etc.? I think they have such personalities. They’ll usually be altered, stained by contact with wheels, dirtied by weather and time, and my favorite, chipped away with pieces missing, rubble knocked off and then sent on its own unique, lonely journey. It might sound silly, sure, but I really like looking at things in a poetic way, it helps us realize how amazing and awe-inspiring the world around us really is.

Well, I just intended on posting the new video and running, so thanks for bearing with my self-indulgent ramblings. I hope everyone’s doing swell. I’m looking forward to the comfort of autumn and winter holidays, family, food, and some well-deserved free time to enjoy our new high-definition cable! Be well.

Hey everybody! I’ve got some pretty exciting news. The day has arrived. The inaugural episode of my new, weekly YouTube show RTW TV: Weekly Round Up is now online! On the show’s debut we tackle and review TGI Fridays, a Mr. Potato Head Color & Activity book, Color Club markers, Jessie Robertson’s bacon sandwich, and Flub’s Glacier, which is a very odd and endearing dessert concoction.


I’m really happy to get this project up and running and I look forward to the weeks to come and future episodes. Everyone that worked on this initial one are all happy how it turned out. We’ll learn as we go, that’s for sure; one minor issue in this episode is ceiling fan noise during one of the skits, but we’ll know better next time. I’ve got so much stuff I want to feature on the show. Next month there will definitely by some Halloween-inspired reviews so that’ll be a lot of fun.

Typically the idea is to post new episodes late on Saturday nights, but this one went up early because I’ve got to work this evening and I’m heading straight from there to a sports bar to watch UFC 88: Breakthrough.

Today we’re having digital cable installed. I’m excited to be able to finally watch stuff in HD. Amanda and I are looking forward to getting caught up on all of our favorite shows like Bizarre Foods, Ghost Hunters, and Alton Brown’s new show Feasting on Waves debuting tomorrow. I’m also stoked to start watching NBA games in high-def starting in late-October.

We really hope you enjoy the first episode! Have a great weekend. I’d love to hear your comments either here or on the YouTube video page itself. Be well!

So, to further demonstrate how much of a geek I am, today at Best Buy Amanda I and were scouring the DVD aisles, a search sparked from conversing about TV shows over lunch and our recent infatuation with the show Veronica Mars, thanks to my Internet pal Monte’s praising of it over on his blog. At the end of one of the aisles was a huge sale on all things He-Man. Unfortunately, it didn’t do me a ton of good, as I already own the entire series’ of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and The New Adventures of He-Man. But, it did finally give me an excuse to stock up on She-Ra!



I got all three sets, totaling the entire 94-episode run of She-Ra: Princess of Power. Besides the awesome sale, which, by the way, was all sets were $9.99 when they generally retail for $29.99 or more, I got a bonus discount as the girl salesclerk didn’t ring in one of the sets I suppose as its not on my receipt and I ended up only spending $21.07! So, I’m now the proud owner of all of She-Ra’s otherworldly adventures, and I only ended up spending about twenty-two cents per episode!



Also, more proof against my coolness, or lack thereof, while at the mall (shooting content for the debut of RTW TV: Weekly Round Up coincidently) I was in a bookstore and recalled getting Goosebumps books there long ago. So, I strolled back for nostalgia and sure enough, they were still stocked in the same spot in the kids’ section—but then I saw something that I hadn’t expected. There’s a brand new Goosebumps series! Titled Goosebumps HorrorLand, this currently ongoing twelve-part series, from author R.L. Stine, features characters and themes from the original series’ books like Monster Blood, Night of the Living Dummy, The Haunted Mask, Deep Trouble, and Say Cheese and Die! I’m not sure when, if ever, I’ll actually get around to reading these; but, I must admit, it was either the compulsory notion recalled from collecting as a youth, or the strength of Stine’s writing and the world he created, but I certainly felt odd standing in a bookstore being excited about Goosebumps again after all this time!

Well, that’ll do it for this embarrassingly nerdy post, be back this Saturday for the debut episode of RTW TV: Weekly Round Up! Be well!

The three-day weekend is nearing an end, but as it draws to a close, check out my latest, brand new article:


The Return of Pepsi Twist?
NFL Kickoff Limited Edition Flavor

In the article, I look back at one of my favorite, yet more obscure, cola offerings ever. Also, I give my review on its new, very similar brethren. So, be it a fan of cola, lemons, of just beverages in general, check it out!

Also, if you saw my last post, I made the huge announcement that starting this upcoming weekend, I’ll be producing and starring in a new, ongoing, weekly YouTube series titled Review the World TV: Weekly Round Up. Great news on that front, as over the last couple days, we’ve already shot a bunch of awesome content and began post-production on the first couple episodes. We’re going to be both recording and editing continuously throughout each and every week. I’m so excited about the show, it’s going to be a ton of fun, and am really looking forward to getting the ball rolling on this project and sharing the debut episode with everyone!

We’ll see you soon! RTW TV: Weekly Round Up starts next weekend, and, I’ll be working on a giant two-part article detailing my recent honeymoon trip to Walt Disney World that’ll be debuting on Review the World later this month. Be well!

That’s right! For the first time since July of 2006, Review the World TV returns, making its triumphant homecoming to the Internet in the form of a weekly YouTube show hosted by yours truly. Each episode will feature completely fresh, new content, I’ll be handling the project personally in all facets, plus some familiar faces from the old RTW TV days will be returning, too. The show will contain everything you’ve come to enjoy about the site itself, namely reviews, from food and restaurants, toys, books, video games, places, etc. with the trademark RTW brand of humor, positivity, and enthusiasm.

As mentioned in the preview graphic above, I’m aiming to post the weekly episodes on Saturday nights. I don’t think we’re going to have a strict, particular time set, but likely typically after midnight Eastern Standard Time. Starting in September there’s another reason to look forward to the weekend!

For a five-minute video, I’ve spent nearly three hours working on it, but it’s finished so bask in the latest Review the World update, as I present The Unreleased RTW TV Bumpers. Truly an update for the longtime fan, but hopefully of equal appeal and entertainment to all, this compilation video features every unused transitional “bumper” we shot during the production of the original, now defunct Review the World TV show. I’m very nostalgic about the show, as I had so much fun creating and working on it, and will cherish many memories from my experiences back then for a long, long time. So, take a look back with me, and enjoy!

Also of note, especially speaking of video, Team Sandnut Productions just posted the latest RTW Webisode titled Summer Fun. Well, better late than never, guys! I co-host this video with the always peculiar Tim and we look at some summer outdoor activities and wash it down with green apple soda.

This is the latest I’ve been awake in awhile—the resuming of classes has got me sleeping at a comparatively decent time again. My school-related gripes from earlier this week have decreased, admittedly, it’s going to be a grueling semester but ultimately I’ll be fine and was just feeling overwhelmed. It appears I’ll be heading to Chicago with a few buddies in October for Bound for Glory IV. Lastly, as mentioned previously, I’ve decided I am going to do an article on my honeymoon trip to Disney World. It’ll likely be quite big, easily enough to make it a two-parter, so expect the first sizable chunk hopefully in the next week. Be well!

Amanda posted this admittedly goofy and only questionably embarrassing video of me participating in the Pixar Parade at Disney Hollywood Studios:


You know, now that I think of it, perhaps an article detailing our honeymoon trip to Walt Disney World would make a fun article. I’ve been pondering what I’d write about next. I guess we’ll see!

School started yesterday and already the workload is proving to be exhausting and tiresome. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, barely, but that’s enough motivation to see it through and push forward scoring a degree. I love knowledge, learning new and interesting things, but the current collegiate system is so overwrought with bureaucracy it’s a constant battle. Well, at least by the end of this academic year I’ll be done with all my pre-requisite courses and can start focusing in on my communications classes.

Well, we’re off to get lunch; “Shrimply Tuesdays” at Red Lobster is calling my name! Have a great week!

So today, while trying to revisit New Fusion Buffet, a place I reviewed years ago and did an article on but hadn’t been back since, I discovered it’d been replaced by a new restaurant Kyojin. Lo and behold, I discovered an all you can eat sushi buffet!



I didn’t know such a glorious thing existed. There had to be well over thirty varieties of sushi, as well as more standard buffet-fare like cream cheese wontons, fried rice, sweet and sour chicken, etc. I got there right before the lunch crowd hit, but wow, that place certainly filled up quickly. It seems like one of those things that’s too could to be true, you know? So I’ll be disappointed but not altogether surprised if it gets closed down in the future.

Amanda’s getting off of work in less than an hour and I’m going to try to see if she’ll go out and do something summery like play putt-putt golf and get ice cream. I’ve got a little over a week left of my summer vacation. No complaints or regrets, though; it’s been a really good couple of months of fun, self-discovery, and growing.

Musically, what have you all been spinning lately? I know I’m late on the bandwagon, but I just recently got my hands on The Con by Tegan and Sara and immediately listened to it four times consecutively. The songs, fourteen total, are mostly short, but after a couple listens its hard not to have them all permanently engrained into your head. The song “Back In Your Head” is a personal favorite, especially after I found out Matt Sharp (of The Rentals, and formerly Weezer) contributed bass on that particular track. It’s extremely infectious (here’s an acoustic version of it from YouTube I’m enamored with). Other highlights off the record for me are “Nineteen”, “Dark Come Soon”, and “Relief Next to Me”. Also, Ace Enders, formerly lead singer of the now defunct The Early November, has a new musical project titled Ace Enders and a Million Different People and their debut album titled The Secret Wars is available online for free. One song off it particularly stood out to me, titled “Bring Back Love (Year 2020)”, it’s a hopeful plea that through acts of generosity and kindness we can change the world in the years to come. Maybe I’ll be completely wrong, but I kind of see this song, even in its infancy, as our generation’s “Give Peace a Chance” by John Lennon. Here’s a link to a short video about Ace, the song, and his current tour.

Well, I had pictures taken and material for a new article (about High School Musical candy balls, seriously) but I just can’t muster the motivation to get it all together. Please forgive me for my delinquency in my role as Webmaster. With classes resuming next week, it’s doubtful my productivity and output in Review the World-related ventures is going to increase exponentially any time soon. I hope you’ll be understanding, and if nothing else, perhaps I can continue writing more regularly here with my thoughts on pop culture, philosophical musings, etc. I hope all is well for everyone and I hope you can get out and away from work and other duties sometime this weekend or soon and take some time out for yourself or loved ones and enjoy it. Be well!

Hey everybody! It's been over a month since our last video post, but the wait is over, as here's the second episode from our new season of On the Road w/ RTW!


Hope you enjoyed the video! I've got a couple new articles coming soon. I should have a new one up later this week. I hope you all are enjoying your summer. Be well!

Added at 9:30PM: My buddy and staff contributor Jessie just posted a review over on RTW on my all-time favorite novel On the Road. Check it out!

Hey everybody, how’s it going? I hope your weekend has been swell thus far. I’ve got a new article to share today titled Samurai Slash Batman and Dark Knight Reese’s Pieces. In it, I get analytical on both an interesting spin on our beloved caped crusader in action figure form, as well as tackle some movie merchandizing mania in the guise of junk food. Everybody’s been going batty, pun certainly intended, for Batman this summer so I figured I’d honor him in my own, unique way. It’s now officially August, eh? Time certainly flies! Now I know, some of you, like yours truly, will be going back to school soon as classes resume for a lot of us later this month. But, don’t get the blues, no way sir or madam, as that’d just be a waste dwelling on the future when we’ve still got a few good weeks left to make the most of. I plan on spending as much time as possible this month just having fun, be it going outside and taking walks and awing at the natural beauty of the world around me, or doing things I enjoy like finding quiet places to read, watching movies with my wife, or waxing philosophic with friends about Cybertron.

Allow me to introduce the newest member to the Review the World staff… Monte! Monte’s first piece is up, titled Maps and Machetes, and it’s absolutely the best thing I’ve encountered online in ages. Monte will be contributing more web comics regularly, so keep an eye out over on the staff page to see what’s going on with the guys and gals around the RTW offices. So, give Monte a warm welcome, as we’re honored to have him as part of the crew. One last Monte-related note, he said some kind things about yours truly and my website in a blog entry recently that I’d like to share as its acts of kindness like this that keep me fueled!

Earlier I mentioned watching movies being a favorite pastime, and that will be more relevant this upcoming Monday more than ever before, as I’ll be having a Panasonic Viera 50-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV delivered to my doorstep! Amanda and I will be breaking in our new monstrous TV with a screening of Aladdin. Have a phenomenal week everyone! Drop your comments here, as always, and feel free to start up a chat about your summer, or anything else, in the comments section, too.

Hey everyone! How goes it? I’m doing really swell, thanks. On the heels of enjoying two consecutive days off of work I’m digging life, but later this afternoon I’ll be back at the mall earning some cash. However, the reason I dropped by is I have a brand new article for everyone entitled Bad Frozen Food. Pretty clever title, eh? But the name says it all. I once considered frozen food a friend, but lately, it’s become a nefarious foe. So, check out my edible exploits, and have a terrific day!

Hello Review the World fans, and friends alike, your fearless leader has not given up the good fight. We've got some content coming this week, in fact. I'll have a new article up in a couple days, possibly dealing with everyone's favorite bat, and in our staff section Jessie will be contributing a book review. Also, the second episode from our new season of On the Road with RTW will be posted this week, too. Tomorrow I'll be out and about with the fine folks of Team Sandnut Prod. shooting some more video content, including some outdoors material for our RTW Webisodes ongoing project. Thanks for your support and patience. Have an amazing week. I'm trying to enjoy each and every day, concentrating on practicing kindness and humility. I'll leave you today with a quote from a book I'm reading, I e-mailed it to a friend the other day, and thought it might be of interest to some of you:

(Zen instructor) Gudo Nishijima is fond of quoting a Buddhist master who, when asked what the point of Buddhism was, answered, "Just do good and avoid doing bad." When the questioner complained that even a three-year-old-could have told him that, the master said ,"It's easy enough for a three-year-old child to say, but even an old man of eighty [the master's age at the time] has difficulty practicing it."

To all of my fellow dorks out there, there's a blurb online about the possibility of a new live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film coming in 2010. Any initial feelings or thoughts? I totally back it.