A few weeks ago, we ran a review of live show by Alt-rockers Wilco. For those of you craving new studio material prior to the June 30th release of their seventh studio album, simply titled “Wilco (The Album),” you can stream the new material for free on the band’s official site. I will attempt to give a few listens and post an official review sometime by the end of the week. 
Butterfinger Buzz is a limited edition King Size candy bar loaded with 80 mg of caffeine — the same as the majority of energy drinks on the market. I found them at my local video rental store when picking up my copy of Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop to review, in hopes it would get me through a night of zombie-slaying while waggling my Wiimote.
I know what some of you are saying, though. Candy and Caffeine? Didn’t we try that with those horrible Vojo Energy Mints a while back?
Caffeinated candies are certainly nothing new, but finding good ones can prove to be hard work. Caffeine is a very bitter-tasting substance, and adding caffeine to things is never a good idea if you can’t balance the flavors properly to cover it up. Even Jolt Gum and Snickers Charged, two of the best caffeinated candies on the market, have a noticeable bitter bite when held in comparison to other gum’s or chocolate bars.
Butterfingers have always been my favorite candy, though. Nothing beats the smooth texture of its creamy chocolate coating that covers the crunchy core composed of a crispy combination of compact peanut butter and sugar that crumbles in your mouth with every satisfying crunch. Take that Butterfinger B.B. slogan! “Crispety, Crunchety, Butterfinger BB’s!” ain’t got nothing on me!
Upon primary visual inspection, everything that I loved about the original seems to be intact with the Buzz. The only difference I was able to notice was that the core of the candy was a much darker orange color than its mother.
Now it’s time to test the taste and texture. Texture first, of course. You see, my absolute favorite thing about Butterfingers isn’t the way it tastes, but rather picking the crunchy substance out of your back teeth and sucking the chewed up chunks off of my finger. I know it sounds disgusting, but getting a huge chunk of leftover Butterfinger out of your molars is one of the most satisfying feelings I know.
A+! The Butterfinger Buzz manages to retain nearly the exact same texture as the original bar. And knowing that the Buzz is packed full of caffeine makes picking those slimy crisps out of my molars much more satisfying.
But does Butterfinger Buzz beat the bitter bite that’s plagued-caffeine cramped candies since the very beginning? While there is a slight bitter flavor detectable amongst the pure delight of peanut butter and chocolate, it is very, very subtle.
If you were to give it to a friend who didn’t know it was caffeinated, I doubt they would notice anything different about it at all. It has the same delicious flavor and texture as the original candy bar with the least noticeable bitter taste out of any caffeinated candies I’ve ever tried, especially caffeinated chocolates.
The only thing about the Butterfinger Buzz that really bothers me is the fact that it is only available as a limited edition candy. And I mean very limited. So limited in fact, that it should have been yanked from store shelves at the end of April, but supplies lasted long enough for the promotion to bleed into May. If you really want one of these you need to high-tail it to the nearest 7-Eleven or video store and see if you can’t secure your own bar. That or the internet.
Final Words:
The Butterfinger Buzz is easily the best caffeinated candy bar I’ve ever had. The bitter flavor added by the caffeine is hardly noticeable unless you are looking for it, it retains the same taste and texture that makes the original Butterfinger such a popular favorite, and it has the same amount of caffeine as most energy drinks on the market.
If you like Butterfingers and energy drinks, this is for you.
Pros
Cons
Score: 9.0/10 (Amazing)
Taste: 9.75/10 (If you liked the original you’ll love this. Caffeine is barely noticeable)
Kick: 9.0/10 (Candy that kicks your ass into a higher gear than any other chocolate out there)
Value: 8.5/10 (Slightly more than a regular King Size, 80 mg more caffeine!)
Check it out right here on Everyview, the much anticipated Mother Marathon brought to you by the legendary Saints of Gaming themselves, TheSpeedGamers. I recommend watching it on their website instead of here so you can watch the commentator feed and participate in the chat, but if you don’t care about any of that then stay here and save their servers from exploding.
The Weekly Recap is published every Sunday, and it is the only post to be published on Sundays. It features a list of all, or most articles published throughout the week with links back so you can easily see anything you may have missed. Enjoy!
We’ve started doing news articles as opposed to our standard nothing-but-reviews thing we were sticking to for a while. We realized that was stupid when we couldn’t keep enough traffic on the site to satisfy my need for readers. So far it’s a winning strategy, so expect more posts per day from now on.
Anyway, those are all of the big articles for this week. And as always, keep reading Everyview!
Some of you may have noticed a new can of Amp Energy drink sporting a red number 88 along with Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s autograph. When I first saw them, I assumed they were the lackluster original flavor with a limited edition can design. Upon further inspection I realized this is an entirely new entry into the Amp family and that not only is the can limited edition, but so is its flavor.
3 Wide is the title of Amp’s newest and most temporary beverage. Combining 3 distinct flavors, Orange, Lime, and Berry, the new flavor mash up is being introduced to the market as a limited edition offering to sponsor professional NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.
If you’re a racing enthusiast or an avid energy drink fanatic, possibly both, I highly recommend you grab yourself a couple of cans before these are yanked from store shelves. I haven’t drank one yet, but I’m betting this is meant to be more of a collector’s item than anything else.
Welcome readers to the first (and hopefully not last) installment of “The Everyview Correspondent Master Debate,” which was previously announced last week. The debated topics this week are two live-action Disney pictures, 1994’s “Blank Check” and 1996’s “First Kid.”
“Blank Check” tells the story of Preston Waters, a lonely kid whose dreams of high finance are fulfilled when a burglar runs over his bike and gives him a blank check to cover the damages. When he discovers Preston wrote the check for a million dollars, the burglar and his associates try to get their money back, only to discover that Preston (and his alias “Mr. Macintosh) isn’t the “blank” slate they had assumed he would be. Arguing on behalf of the film is Andrew Majors.
“First Kid” is the tale of Sam Simms, a goofy but lovable Secret Service Agent whose dreams of landing a gig in the White House finally come true…when he’s assigned to protect the President’s bratty teenage son Luke. Though initially reluctant of his new assignment, Simms forms an unbreakable bond with young Luke and grows to find that maybe, just maybe, that dream job was right in front of him the all along. Making a case for this film is Clay Cunningham.
At the end there will be a poll where you, the reader, can decide who made the better argument and which is the better film. Results will officially be tallied one week from when the arguments were posted.
So read up, and make your voice heard. And don’t be afraid to get your friends involved as well. Let’s all enjoy the wonders of democracy together.
Blank Check:
Argument by: Andrew Majors
Blank Check is a film with no equal.
The story is simple. A kid is given a check in haste that, you guessed it, happens to be blank. The premise is simple. The execution of this story is second to none.
The main character, Preston, shows a trait that is lost in today’s live-action children’s movies: BALLS. He takes this blank check, and he writes it for ONE MILLION DOLLARS. He’s not greedy. He just wants a sum that will both repair his destroyed bicycle, and leave him with about $999,965 dollars in damages. Had he been greedy, he could have hired a lawyer and walked away with at least quintuple that sum!
The movie is just as relevant today as it was in 1994 ( A year in which is was possibly overshadowed by other great films like The Shawshank Redemption, Forrest Gump, and Pulp Fiction), and the real stand-out performance is given by Brian Bonsall as Preston. Older audiences might recognize him from Family Ties, (as the adorable Andy Keaton) He’s a kid and he handles his new found fortune with great maturity, choosing not to blow his money on worthless trinkets, but choosing to invest in his local economy by purchasing a home. Mature beyond his years, that kid. Bonsall delivers the performance of a lifetime,thrusting himself into a role so demanding and so emotionally draining, that even Daniel Day Lewis must have been impressed.
While First Kid can boast an all-star cast that Blank Check can not (Sinbad and Zachary Ty Bryan), Blank Check thrives off of a lesser-known cast, and achieves a sense of realism First Kid just can not. A real standout performance from a successful musician Tone Loc gives the film all the star power it needs. And while we’re at it, give me Tone Loc over Sinbad any day. Loc provides a performance obviously channeled from the greats like Brando and Nicholson, while Mr. Bad obviously is just playing for laughs, making actors like Jimmy Fallon look award-worthy.
I believe Disney really missed the boat by never cashing in, and making this a franchise. A world with three High School Musical’s, and one Blank Check? This isn’t a world I want to live in.
If you like intimate character studies, and love to laugh, Blank Check is a must-see. If you like seeing a young boys bare ass, maybe check out First Kid.
First Kid:
Argument by: Clay Cunningham
The fact this debate needs to exist is silly, but since it does, I will state what we already know: “First Kid” is a vastly superior picture.
It’s better because of the acting. Sinbad and Brock Pierce have undeniable chemistry as Sam and Luke, the secret-service agent and President’s son who have no choice but to get along with each other. To see the metamorphosis of their relationship from contempt to friendship is beautiful.
The stand-out performance is by Zachary Ty Bryant. FINALLY freed from the shackles of his Brad Taylor persona, ZTB gets to sink his teeth into the role of Rob, the school bully and knocks it out of the park. His performance will chill you right to the bone.
It’s better because of its prophetic view on race relations. Not only is the main character black, but so is the head of the Secret Service. It was great that in 1996 we got to see a multi-racial comradery in the White House. Would the Obama election have happened without this film? Not saying yes, but definitely not saying no.
Conversely, who’s the primary black character in “Blank Check?” A thief…named Juice. Nice.
It’s better because it’s not ridiculous in its execution. Are you telling me that young Preston could buy a lavish house, a go-cart track, a water slide and a shitload of other marvels and spend a mere $999,675? Can you imagine if everyone were to overspend this drastically? That could create a global economic crisis. Thank God that could never happen in real life, right?
Finally, it comes down to the message these movies leave for their impressionable young viewers. They each have the noble set-up of kids struggling to fit in, and both have an “everything will be ok if you just….” message. Here’s how each movie fills in the blank:
“First Kid”…believe in yourself
“Blank Check”…commit fraud and grand theft
Sure Preston stole from bad people, but so what? That little weasel would have stolen from a children’s charity and not given it a second though. Is it any wonder the movies star Brian Bonsall is currently a fugitive from the law? I don’t think so.
I’m not saying my opponent is a crumbum. His taste in movies says more than words ever could. If you like viable social behavior, or just better filmmaking, make the right choice. Vote “First Kid.”
Polls are close, sorry but you missed out. Check out the results here.
Overview:
Here is an application for the iPhone that’s way past its review due date. But hey, it’s never too late to review something from the pool of everything.
The Facebook application has been pretty prosperous when it comes to amount of downloads in the App Store and its interface is pretty interactive when it comes to a mobile media network. Of course, the application still has its restrictions, but I can tell you that it is a lot quicker and far more simple than the mobile browser version, and has all the same features. Plus I have almost been in a couple of car accidents because of the silly app. And yes, that is the application’s fault, not mine.
Review:
The application itself can be broken down into five tabs which are arranged at the bottom of the screen.
Home Tab: Pretty self explanatory, but for what it is, this could probably be the most complicated tab. This tab itself can be broken into three tabs. The News Feed, Notifications, and Requests and each are self explanatory in their own right. On the News Feed tab there is a pretty nifty slide menu that can narrow what’s displayed on the feed. One annoying thing that doesn’t cause too many problems is in the notifications tab. It gives you updates on just about everything Facebook has to offer but when you touch an update from a friend, it will only take you to their Facebook and not what the update was about. Up in the top left corner there’s an icon where you can write your status and up in the top right corner is an icon to add pictures, take a new one, etc. That about caps it off for the home tab.
Profile Tab: The profile tab is also broken up into three tabs — Wall, Info, and Photos. I discovered a cool feature when using the Wall tab that I didn’t know about until just the other day. If you slide your finger across a post or an update it will give you the option to delete it from the wall. A lot more simple than having to go on the real website through the browser and deleting a comment you don’t want anyone to see and almost getting in an accident on your way home from work. It also has your picture and your status displayed just like your normal Facebook.
Friends Tab: The friends tab is simple with a list of your friends and their profile pictures next to them. It has a search bar on the top and an alphabetical search on the side for locating them quickly. You can then look at their profile, comment on their wall and pictures. All that good stuff.
Chat Tab: This tab is extremely useful because you can use it to talk to any of your friends. It shows online friends, friends that are idle, and friends that you’re in a conversation with. The chat is pretty standard, kind of like an aim box. It doesn’t always work, though, which is rather annoying.
Inbox Tab: And finally the inbox tab. It’s just your messages, which I hardly use. It has tabs for the Inbox, Sent and the Updates. Works just like the email, pretty standard.
Final Words: As for a mobile application, the Facebook Application works very well in supplement to the original Facebook. It only has a few kinks that show that it’s a mobile app, and that’s pretty impressive. The only big issue that I have is that I miss my good old computer screen and mouse interface sometimes.
Pros:
Cons:
Score: 9.0/10 (Amazing)
Display: 9/10 (Very pleasing to the eye and simple)
Interface: 9/10 (Not hard to use and no big issues)
Practicality: 9/10 (I haven’t gotten into an accident yet!)
Overview:
When the Volcano Taco disappeared from Taco Bell’s lineup, mass depression settled over these United States, throwing the once hopeful souls of the eaters who had once lived off of red shells and Lava Sauce into the the darkest depths of Hell along with the memory of their precious taco. People took their own lives, children drowned their grandmothers, kittens were killed, and darkness engulfed the Earth*.
Finally our hero rises from Hell, bringing with it an immense heat capable of thawing the coldest of hearts and filling the darkest souls with an immense, pure light. But will it be enough? Will we remember the Volcano Taco the way it was before being cast into Satan’s Inferno? Will we even remember how to smile? It’s review time.
* = Lies
Re-Review:
Wait, “Re-Review?” Longtime readers may remember that we’ve actually already reviewed the Volcano Taco once before. In fact, it was the second thing reviewed on Everyview. Since the removal from the menu, however, my memory has grown rusty and clouded with forgetfulness. If you want to read the original review, you can find it here. It is very poorly written and outdated, however, so I suggest just sticking with this one.
The Volcano Taco is essentially your standard crunchy taco with a couple of small changes that make a gigantic difference. The first and most noticeable differentiation between the two is the Red Shell, swapped in to replace the standard yellow corn shell. The second, more important addition is the inclusion of Lava Sauce, and extremely spicy and flavorful condiment.
It is worth noting that the Red Shell itself contains no heat or spice whatsoever. It is simply died red to give a warning that says “Eat me now, pay for it later.”
Since the Lava Sauce is the only ingredient that makes a difference in taste, let’s take a slightly closer look at that. Most people think that Lava Sauce would be absolutely unbearably spicy, which is untrue. The lava sauce isn’t even as hot as the Fire Sauce in all honesty, but possesses a deep, rich flavor that perfectly compliments the flavored beef, lettuce and cheese that top the taco and provide a decent amount of flavorful kick that is sure to satisfy but not overpower.
If you’re the kind of person who has to do things to prove to yourself that you aren’t as worthless as your drunk Mother has been telling you since you were 7 years old, then eating one of these is cheating. It’s no where near as hot as portrayed in commercials, so if you’re looking for a self-fulfilling challenge to be proud of c0mpleting, throw a pack or so of Fire Sauce on top and get ready to sweat.
One thing I have noticed is that the return has brought a higher price tag with it. What was once an 89 cent value menu item now runs around $1.19 (price may differ by region), an entire 40 cents more. I guess the original price was simply a part of its promotional campaign, but such a jump is rather ridiculous in my humble and admittedly cheap opinion. However, it’s definitely worth it and $1.19 isn’t too much to pay for something this delicious.
Final Words:
I walked in to the Taco Bell right next to my place of employment the day these came out. The cashier, who recognized me from my frequent visits to the store during my lunch break, instantly knew what I was after. I used to pop these tacos like addicts pop pills, like needles pop balloons, like people with virgin fetishes pop… well you get the point.
They are absolutely delicious and manage achieve the perfect balance of heat, placing flavor before spice. Even the 40 cent price raise can’t be held against it since the original price of 89 cents was for a limited-time promo deal only. I highly recommend these to anyone with a preference for spicy foods.
Pros
Cons
Score: 8.8/10 (Great)
Taste: 9.5/10 (Delicious)
Ingredients: 9.0/10 (The smallest changes make the biggest differences)
Value: 8.0/10 (40 Cents more than a standard crunchy taco)
Well it’s official, Taco Bell’s Volcano Taco has finally made its triumphant return as a permanent item on Taco Bell’s menu. Rumors were circulating that suggested the existence of both Volcano Nachos and a Crunchwrap in addition to the already confirmed Volcano Double Beef Burrito. We regret to inform you, however, that the only items that made the cut were the Burrito and the Taco.
The Volcano Taco costs $1.21 and the Volcano Double Beef Burrito will run you $2.99.
Eaters can also get their share of heat with the new Volcano Big Box which includes one of each of the following: Volcano Taco, Volcano Burrito, Cruncy Taco, Cinnamon Twists, and a Soft Drink for $5.99.
An interesting tidbit of information regarding pre-ordering the highly-anticipated upcoming Wii exclusive title, The Conduit was just announced.
Here’s a snippet from Sega of America’s statement:
For a limited time, pre-order The Conduit at GameStop and receive a Special Edition upgrade, which includes:
• Follow the Conduit from concept to creation in the 24-page “making-of” book.
• Unlock the secrets of the The Conduit with the “All-Seeing Eye” (A.S.E.), featuring custom detailing and light projection.
• Dominate your opponentes in intense multiplayer matches with the “Secret Agent” skin.
*Just a quick note, you may notice that the word “opponents” is spelled wrong in that last list item from the statement. That was Sega’s error, not mine.