Support Our Site
Get Better Gear!
- Notability For iPad: Much More Than A Note Taking App from Ginger Labs, Inc, US$0.99
- Scosche’s RH656m Headphones With Microphone Are Wonderful from Scosche, US$129.99
- IPEVO’s Typi Folio Case & Keyboard for iPad is First-rate from IPEVO, US$79.99
- Scosche’s boomSTREAM BT Speaker: Features & Compromises from Scosche, US$99.95
- FX Photo Studio HD: iPad Painting of Effects Made Easy from MacPhun LLC, US1.99
Top 5 Free Apps
iTunes New Music Releases
Top 5 Paid Apps
Discover New Music
- Billy Miles
- Take the voice of a young Billie Holiday and stuff it into a svelte, petite body with the face of an angel, and you have some idea of what it's like to experience the music of Billy Miles in her self-
- Congo Norvell
Very few albums manage to capture snapshots of a quality of life in the manner that Congo Norvell's sophomore record, "Abnormals Anonymous," does.
Comparisons to the Velvet Underground are
- Cake
Pressure Chief, Cake's latest album, didn't immediately grab me. In fact, it took perhaps half a dozen listens before I started truly enjoying it. Any
- Goldfrapp
On their latest CD, Supernature, Goldfrapp has put together a successful mix of 1980-era New Romanticism, German cabaret, and T. Rex glam that leaves you riveted even through the album's lulls. It's a great amalgam that sounds current without sounding at all dated.
Live at the Magic Bag, Ferndale, MI
- Supersuckers
- Man, there's nothing like good, old fashioned, rock and roll... add a bit of industry resentment to that with a double-shot of cynicism, and you get one of the best "new" rock bands going. This album
Reader Specials
Visit Deals On The Web for the best deals on all consumer electronics, iPods, and more!
Free on iTunes
Ghouls and Wizards and Psychics! Oh My!
Thursday, October 11th, 2007 at 4:00 PM - by Vern Seward
Ahhh, October!
Other people are taken by Thanksgiving or go crazy over Christmas, but I fall over Fall; Autumn has a certain allure for me; I am enamored with October.
I dont know why. Maybe its the transition from Summer to Winter, the change in shadows, leaves, and weather, maybe its the first nibble of coolness in the air foretelling larger, windier bites, or maybe its because this is the time of year we traditionally tell each other weird tales.
For some reason, ghost stories seem spookier in the Fall. Strange happenings seem stranger, and the just plain odd seems just plain odder in October.
So, in keeping with this weird wonderful month Im going to take a look at the weird and hopefully wonderful videos that are being offered up for free at the iTunes Store.
First up: Shes the Mistress of the macabre, shes the Diva of the Devilish, shes the Princess of the Paranormal, shes cool, shes hot, she pale, shes stacked, she is none other than Elvira.
Ms. E has been vamping it up since the early 80s and she still looks pretty good for an old ghoul, but apparently it is time for her to pass the black dress and cleavage to someone with firmer...um..assets. After all, even Elvira can defy gravity only so long. What better way to find and new Ms. E than to create a new reality show and call it The Search for the Next Elvira. (Dun, dun, dun, DUUUUuuuuuuuuH!)
|
---|
Now, Im no fan of reality shows, but watching these extremely strange contestants audition to become the next Ms. E is a hysterically good time. I particularly loved the Asian Elvira wannabe, her halting monotone monologue gave me goose-bumps. It was the weirdest thing Ive seen to date and the stuff nightmares are made of. Youve got to check it out. You can get the first episode of The Search for the Next Elvira appropriately called Odd-itions from Hell for free at the iTunes Store.
From adult humor to pre-teen sitcoms with a Harry Potter twist, I take you now to Wizards of Waverly Place. Its corny and it will have Ron Weasley quaking with embarrassment, but the younger crowd may like it; it is from Disney after all.
A family of wizards have taken up residence the big city. Life among the Muggles (they dont actually use the term) is OK except that the three kids, Alex, Max and Justin, have to exercise their new wizards skills or risk losing them. Of course they cant let anyone know they are wizards, where would be the fun in that?
|
---|
The first episode of this half hour show, Crazy Ten Minute Sale, is typical kid-sitcom fare; kid get into a situation against the parents wishes, kid tries to get out of the situation, but fails and gets caught, kid learns lesson and life goes on. There not much magical about Wizards, but, as I said, the younger crowd may like it. You can test the free episode out on them if youd like. The price is right. [Editors Note: While the show is still listed in iTunes free section, clicking through shows it as costing US$1.99, a change since Vern downloaded and watched the free show earlier in the week. -Editor]
OK, now for something really weird. Ive always had a passing interest in psychic phenomenon. Ive had some things happen to me that are just outside of any reasonable explanation I can find, so Im open to the possibility that there are some people who are very sensitive and can perceive things most people cant.
So it was with considerable interest that I watched the video podcast series called The Street Psychic. Talk about strange.
Peter Serraino, The Street Psychic |
---|
Peter Serraino is a late 40s, early 50-ish, skateboard riding, heavily tattooed guy with a curly blonde mohawk and horn-rimmed glasses. He lives in California (of course) and his mission in life is to use his psychic abilities to help others. He talks to people on the street, giving them facts about their lives and offering predictions and solutions to problems that they sometimes dont even realize they have.
I try never to judge a book by its cover, so I watched a few episodes of The Street Psychic and Ive come to the conclusion that its a fun show.
Is Peter the real thing? I dont have a clue, but his eccentricities and pseudo-mystical ramblings are amusing to watch and listen to. Im not dismissing Mr. Serrainos paranormal powers, if I saw him on the street Id want him to read me, but theres absolutely no way you can watch any of the 4 episodes currently available and conclude that he is the real McCoy; which is OK.
Watch anyway, itll give you a tale to tell when you are gathered around a campfire with some friends later. Download�The Street Psychic from the iTunes Store today. (He knows you will already.)
Thats going to do it for this week. Make sure you check out the Discovery Download for this week from Meiko. Its laid back little ditty called How Lucky We Are and it would be right at home if played behind something from Nelly Furtado first album. Whoa Nelly!, or maybe a cut from Carla Brunis Quelquun Ma Dit album. Its good and its free; and nice combination.
|
---|
More free stuff at the iTunes Store:
|
---|
Vern Seward is a writer who currently lives in Orlando, FL. He’s been a Mac fan since Atari Computers folded, but has worked with computers of nearly every type for 20 years.
Recent Headlines
- Reading, Writing, & Saving the World
- Free Retro Gaming for iOS - Activision’s Kaboom!
- Apple Adds Chomp Bits to iOS 6 App Store Discovery
- Notability For iPad: Much More Than A Note Taking App
- Scosche’s RH656m Headphones With Microphone Are Wonderful
- Tim Cook & Larry Page Reportedly Discuss Patents
- Analysis: Amazon Kindle Fire Sold Out, Kindle Fire 2 Pic Leaked
Post Your Comments