JD, back with a Vengeance!

The KING of tech is back! I can't tell you how happy I am to see a new JD vid and the new Hitman Pro in action by the only hands worthy of its greatness. The first time I saw one of JD's vids I was blown away, no one had his style, and still doesn't. The pure genius behind his tricks were breath taking and to get to see freash new work for the first time in 7 years is a privilege for all in the yoyo community. Enjoy! 

http://yoyofreaks.com/



Is Yomega step'n up their game?!

Per the new Yomega Fall 2010 Newsletter it looks like Yomega is starting to play more with the big boys. I, for one, am really stoked for this. Read for yourself and you be the judge....

Yomega 2011 release
Ok Team, your the first to know. Yomega is working on some new advanced, wing shapped, ball bearing models that will be released in 2011. Among them are a new wide gap H shaped yo-yo, some new metals and a plastic / aluminum hybrid with some really cool weighted rims. These yo-yos will be designed for advanced players and will be built to peform. To get the latest and most up to date information on when these yo-yos will be released, please sign up for our Twitter.
Silicone pads and plastic spacers!Ok Team, we heard you loud and "clear". We know you've been looking for certain things to help you customize Yomega's wing shaped models and now we've delivered. Yomega will soon offer clear silicone rubber pads for use in the Maverick, Dash and Hot Shot models. For those of you who like to tinker, this new pad will help you realize the play and performance your looking for.

For you Raider fanatics, Yomega has worked with some of the best looping pros in the world to design a new plastic spacer option for the Raider Ex yo-yo. With these new delrin spacers you'll be able to find that looping touch your looking for. Both of these new special parts will be available early next year. Thanks for giving us the feedback and support - it's much appreciated.

Yesen - YYR Messiah by Matio

This was such a great video I had to post it here. Some of the smoothest YoYoing I've seen.

Movie Review of Repo! The Genetic Opera

Ok, so I just watched Repo! The Genetic Opera, directed by Darren Lynn Bousman. This film is based on a play written and composed by Darren Smith and Terrance Zdunich. Now based on the trailer, this looked like it might have some potential. Come on, rock music, the repo of organs, blood and guts, it almost has the feel of being fun. Boy was I fucking wrong! This movie was such a travesty it wasn't funny. The music was boring, only about a third of the vocals were good, and the lyrics were terrible. Anyone who has a true love for Hard Rock, Metal, Punk, hell, music in general, will most likely hate this flick. I got 5 minuets into it and hoped that it would at least be laughable, kind of like a B movie. Yup, I was wrong with that too. I would have to say the best part of it had to be the small gore factor that was there, other than that, this movie SUCKED! Do yourself a favor, and don't watch it, you will never get that 97 minuets back in your life.

CLYW & One Drop teaming up. Very stoked to see what come from this.

This can''t come soon enough!!!! I loved the way the Galactic Goose came out when CLYW teamed up with SPYY so I can only imagine how this collaboration of greatness will come out.

I Am the Astronaut

I'm not one for taking videos from other sites but I just love the way this video was put together. I found this on YoYoSkills.com. Enjoy!!!

The Warlords (The Blood Brothers): A Movie Review

It’s been a few months since I last had the privilege of watching a good “Kung Fu” movie but to be blest with a great movie was a real treat. The Warlords staring Jet Li (Hero), Andy Lau (House of Flying Daggers), the film is set in the 1860s, during the Taiping Rebellion in the late Quing Dynasty in China. The story, based on an unresolved crime in 1870, tells of three sworn blood brothers who eventually turn against one another due to the harsh realities of war and political intrigue. This is more than worth the time to watch. The action is great, the story is great, and the acting is out of this world. For anyone who is a true fan of Asian Cinema, this is a must. 

d4rqk0n3 reviews a XminusmikeX FHZ (MMZ?)

A friend of mine, that I painted and recessed a Duncan FreeHand Zero for decided to wright a review on my work. He had such great things to say, I had to post it. I'm supper happy that my work is looked at as quality.

Written By, d4rqk0n3

INTRO:
About a month or so ago I had contacted XminusmikeX and inquired on his FHZ's and what his prices would be. I didn't specify a colorway or specs I was just asking his prices. Well, long story short and after a few PMs it was decided, he was going to surprise me with the colorway and specs. He told me I wouldn't see it or know anything about it until I received the package, I was so excited, I had never thrown a FHZ before so I figured this would be a great way to jump into the FHZ experience....

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:
Once I received this surprise FHZ that minusmike (Mike from here on out) modded and custom painted, my jaw fell out of my face. I saw the pics Mike posted on the paint job but holy crap, those pics don't do this thing ANY justice. The colors while not spinning are just brilliantly vibrant, they just scream attention. When it is spinning, the colors meld together so well it appears to be a green tinted pearl spinning at the end of a string. Oh, and by the way, Mike also sends the complete original packaging to include the Counterweights unlike many other modders who would just send the throw. So not only did I get this sick-nasty throw but I also got 3 Counterweights and a Buddy Jim's Blue and White twisted string.

TECH:
(Information gathered from YoYoExpert and converted by Google)
Material: Polycarbonate
Diameter: 2.25in./57.15mm
Width: 1.5in/38.1mm
Response: Single Side Red RTV (Groove will support Flowable)
Bearing Size: A

PLAY:
Margarine, you know, similar to butter, only better? Yeah, that's a good way to describe it. The MMZ (I proclaim we call this the Minus Mike Zero) came with both sets of spacers (the gold or wider spacers were installed when I received it) and with the two golds in it, it was so smooth that I was constantly binding hard to get a bite due to what I thought were low RPMs only to be painfully surprised at the ferocity of the return. I bruised up my pinky pretty good because of this. I wasn't quite used to the larger diameter either (being a 47-51mm guy myself) but even with my short and stubby nubs I was able to find comfort on a throw AND on a catch. Now, play, on a throw I can be sloppy or precise, this thing is so forgiving with the schmoove rings that I could literally hit myself in the elbow hard enough to give me that funny bone effect and correct its acquired vibe by ITSELF. Even my Uber Stable Frantics don't do that. I tried som BT Combos and wasn't surprised to see that this thing could hold 4-5 string wraps with ease. As for Hops, with the stability I already stated, can you imagine how uncoordinated you would have to be to screw those up? Suicides? Done, easy, the gap with the gold spacers, the silver spacers, AND 50/50 work great enough that the loops stay nice and big (at least they do for me, ymmv) but I pretty much suck at Suicides so half the time I would miss the massive loops just dancing past me. Whips and slacks while I don't feel are too effected by the yoyo play completely fine on this bad boy. Now grinds, this thing IS grindable but only about as good as any other non-finished polycarbonate does. Overall I think this thing is a monster on a string, I no longer mourn the death of my ProtoStar, lets just put it that way.

CONCLUSION:
For the price of $30 shipped and receiving the complete original packaging AND the awesome paint job this thing is easily an equal if not better choice than a ProtoStar in my opinion. The fact that you can literally choose ANY color combo you want (within reason) and pick and choose what mod features, response type you want you get not only an awesome player but a one of a kind piece of art, if you haven't played a FHZ and you are thinking about giving it a shot, shoot XminusmikeX a PM and let him know, the man is a modification genius and he is a great guy.

Duncan + YoYoJam = Me very happy!!! I'm hoping to see the same with YoYoFactory!

Duncan Toys Company has reached an agreement allowing YoYoJam to manufacture and market yo-yos that include Duncan’s patented counterweight style of play!
With this agreement, YoYoJam becomes the first official licensee of this style of counterweight play within the yo-yo market.

“On the heels of a successful World Yo-Yo Competition where YoYoJam team member Takeshi Matsuura placed first in the counterweight division, it made perfect sense to partner with Duncan to launch YoYoJam counterweight play yo-yos”

–Valerie Aaron, YoYoJam’s Vice President.
Duncan holds US Patent 6,371,824 titled “Yo-Yo and Method for Using a Yo-Yo”. This method of yo-yo play created in 1999 by National Yo-Yo Master Steve Brown is performed by attaching a counterweight to the end of a yo-yo string allowing the player to perform tricks without the yo-yo attached to the finger. It has revolutionized yo-yo play and has grown to become one of the most exciting divisions (5A) in national and world competition.

“We at Duncan, are proud to have YoYoJam as our first licensee of the counterweight patent and look forward to working with them to continue to grow what has become the 5A style of competition yo-yo play. YoYoJam’s reputation for innovative, high quality yo-yos will provide more choices for players to experience Duncan’s patented style of play”

–Mike Burke, Duncan’s National Sales and Marketing Manager.

Source : Yo-Yo.com  YoYoJam.com

Anarchy Evolution: A book by Greg Graffin and Steve Olson

This looks like it will be a good read. For more info on Anarchy Evolution: http://anarchyevolution.com/

"Most people know Greg Graffin as the lead singer of the punk band Bad Religion, but few know that he also received a PhD from Cornell University and teaches evolution at the University of California at Los Angeles. In Anarchy Evolution, Graffin argues that art and science have a deep connection. As an adolescent growing up when “drugs, sex, and trouble could be had on any given night,” Graffin discovered that the study of evolution provided a framework through which he could make sense of the world.

In this provocative and personal book, he describes his own coming of age as an artist and the formation of his naturalist worldview on questions involving God, science, and human existence. While the battle between religion and science is often displayed in the starkest of terms, Anarchy Evolution provides fresh and nuanced insights into the long-standing debate about atheism and the human condition. It is a book for anyone who has ever wondered if God really exists."

2010 Yo-Yo Nationals Results

1a single handed division:

1st place- Sebastian Brock
2nd place- Paul Han
3rd place- John Chow

2a looping division:
1st place- Grant Johnson
2nd place- Patrick Mitchell
3rd place- Joeseph harris

3a two handed division:

1st place- Hank Freeman
2nd place- Patrick Bogerding
3rd place- Paul Yath

4a offstring division:

1st place- Bryan Figuroa
2nd place- Jon Martin
3rd place- Conner Scolten

5a Counterweight division:
1st place- Miguel Correa
2nd place- Tyler Severence
3rd place- Sterling Quinn

For a complete list of results: http://contest.nationalyoyo.org/

Mark McBride of Duncan Crew on Straight Edge

Mark has been a huge influence to both the YoYo community and myself for many years. Here is a video explaining his views on Straight Edge, something that has been a big part of my life for a long time. I came across this video when Fajar Siddiq (Duncan Crew Singapore and fellow Hardcore kid) posted this on his Facebook page. This is a great short that Mark put together and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

XXX

Don't Vote, It's Pointless!!!!

Well, once again it is voting time for many across this blindfolded chunk of land we call a country. People will take time out of their most likely busy day to make a decision on whom they feel represents their best interest. This is a joke, don't piss your time away. In the end there is this thing called the Electoral College, they make the final decision on who gets to "represent" you. All it is, is a pissing contest. Have you watched the campaign adds that are plastered all over the TV? It's 30 seconds of trash talk on their opponent, stating nothing of what they plan on doing for the people. Is this what we want running out states and country? This, among others, is the reason why I don't vote, it means nothing. Below are two videos of one of the funniest and smartest men to grace this countries entertainment world. He couldn't have hit the nail on the head any harder.

My boy Franky Frank is a pisser: Body In The Blender

A close friend of mine loves to sing silly songs.....but has a few serious ones too.

Studio Sessions: Bringing the next level. A short blog review

Studio Sessions is a Blog started by Miguel Correa and Tyler Severance promoting what they do best. Every video that has been posted to this blog has progressively exceeded the video before it (in leaps and bounds) and continues to make my brain hurt in unimaginable ways. Their last video, Studio Session 5, stepped it up to a whole new level for me, in my opinion, its their best video to this date. On top of the insane 1A and 5A friends that we have all come to love, they added none other than 2A champion Patrick Mitchell to the mix, once again, adding another level of excellence to something that is already thought to be perfect. In short, this blog is worth the time to follow and I guarantee you will not be disappointed, so check it out if you haven't already. www.studiosessionsblog.com 

YoYoFactory and Me

Ok, first I would like to clear up that this is NOT a trash talk or a review post. This is just my search for that perfect YoYoFactory throw. YoYoFactory is a great company and they make amazing throws, they just don't ever fit my preferences.........until now.

 

When I started to throw again and was looking for a new throw I did a little Google'n and the first site I came across was YoYoExpert.com. Other than Duncan I never heard of any of the other brands but with in an instant, I fell in love all over again with yoyos. What really caught my eye was YoYo Factory's throws. Now of course the first ones I look at are ones I couldn't afford at the time, but I still loved their look. So for the time being I picked up a $15 Lyn Fury.

 

Months and months go by, as I get back into the swing of things, YoYoFactory put out the Die-Nasty. Now, Steve Brown is one of my favorite entertainers. I say entertainer because that's what he is, he doesn't just go up on stage and throw around a yoyo, he puts on a show. Come on, preforming in a shirt, tie, and a tutu...that's fucking priceless! So I decided to pick up my first YoYoFactory throw and at first I loved it but the more I played it, the more it started to not feel right. It had a bad tilt to it (I know they changed the design around the axle to make it more sturdy in the new Glow Die-Nasty so I might have to give this another try)and I thought it was my throw but every other yoyo I used it would play solid and straight. I had no problems with the shape of it, to be honest, it felt great in the hand, just played like ass for me. I felt that this yoyo put a bad taste in my mouth for YoYoFactory, were all their throws going to be like this for me? In the end, there was only one way to find that answer, try another one.

 

The next YoYoFactory I got my hands on was the Protostar. Everyone seemed to be loosing their minds over this throw and I have to admit, I loved the way it looked. After tax time this year I ordered one and when it came it looked so hot but once again, it just didn't feel right. Don't get me wrong, this thing played super smooth but the H shape just didn't feel right in my hand.

 

Ok, now this one I did like...A LOT....but didn't fully love. The famous C13! I picked this up in the B/S/T for $45 shipped and it was in awesome condition. This thing played grate but I found myself not playing it as much as I thought I would. Once again the look of this throw is what sold me on it (I've learnt to look at the specs more than anything now, lol). So I decided to trade it up for........

 

......A Skyline. The Green Monster edition to be exact. This trade was mostly because I wanted a throw with stacks on it and loved the fact that Godzilla was in the laser engraved image. But, it had a smiler shape to the Lyn Fury.....Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot to mention that I hated my Lyn Fury. So I was a little unsure if I was going to like it, but I did the trade anyway. It was once again, a smooth player but the stacks kind of slowed it down. Don't get me wrong, they were fun to play with, just over rated.

 

So I decided to see what I might be able to trade the Skyline for in the B/S/T. After scanning for a throw and knowing what preferences I like I found the BOSS. This was a fiasco to get, the mail sort of lost it, it took two weeks to get and I still had to go to the post office to pick it up. It was worth the wait! The first time I put it in my hand it felt like an old friend coming back into my life. It was just what I needed to feel better about my failed attempts with YoYoFactory. I love everything about this throw and find myself throwing it at least once a day. So in the end, I'll work some overtime for the BOSS any day.

Comeback Kid: Symptoms + Cures, Review

After waiting 3 years from their last Hardcore masterpiece “Broadcasting”, Symptoms + Cures is here. This album is everything I would expect from CBK. Fast oldschool riffs, diddle fast beats, and fronted by one of the best voices in Hardcore today. Once again I am in love with another CBK CD and refuse to take it out of my CD player. If you are into fast, fun Hardcore, I would suggest  picking up this CD or checking them out next time they are in your area.   

Welcome to the breakdown!!!!!

Welcome friends!!!! I'm hoping for this to be the first of many, many posts of all kinds of tantalizing information. In the next passing weeks I will be posting both information and reviews for such things as YoYo's, Music, Movies, and all other kinds of crap-o-la that maybe spinning in my head for that day. As for right now, this is still under construction and posting will be a little on the slow side. So in the meantime, pleas stay tuned for the insanity to start!

Xminus mikeX