Plants Vs. Zombies PC release was arguably my game of year pick in 2009.  This based on the amount of time played and Joy & addiction that I got from playing.  I loved the quarky artwork  and  seamless yet very original take on the traditional tower defense genre. 

I'm very glad to say that the iPhone version of this game has the exact same TLC that Pop Cap puts into all their games (mobile or not).  The gameplay is just as fun on mobile as it was when I first started playing the game on PC. 

The best Iphone games seem to understand or at least luck upon the fact that mobile gaming really isn't about long gaming sessions.  I want to pick it up and be in the game in 30 seconds and get a great experience within 5-10 minutes.  PVZ gives me that.

Don't picture this game as the traditional Tower Defense game though.  It hides itself well and the way in which it plays off this concept, opens the game up to a much larger audience.

It's not a complete copy from the PC version However.  To save room, it looks like they've taken out some big chunks of the replay value in the game, which is the challenges and the collecter's garden parts of the game.  I can't fault the game for this, especially with Pop Caps history in adding this content in later patches (as they get them finished). 

Pop Cap has changed the face of the casual gaming world.  Bejeweled 2 (online), Peggle, and now PVZ.  These guys just can't be stopped!  You can't go wrong with any of them.

PVZ gets my highest rating on it's iPhone premiere.  Pick it up ASAP!  My only wish is for some more content and please put in some multiplayer!

I'm putting this in my personal blog because I'm not going into the details on the recent  late night feud that ended last night with Conan's last show on NBC.

My grandfather was a huge Johnny Carson fan, and as a kid I have a lot of great memories of staying up and watching the Tonight Show with him.

It's a shame that this ended the way it did.  I've never felt any kind of connection to Jay Leno, but have grown up watching Conan and was looking forward to enjoying his show evolve and getting back that Johnny Carson respect for the show & position.

What it has shown is how unconnected NBC is to it's audience and in a larger picture how "old school" the entire broadcast TV industry is and unwilling to change, even though they've watched the record industry, the print industry and soon the radio industry come crumble before their eyes.

If you didn't get a chance to catch Conan's last show last night, go ahead and check it out below.  It's pretty epic and I think Conan really went out with some class. 

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I'm not sure where my fascination for Christmas Light displays came from this year.  My father never put lights up, and I never visited displays much growing up.  All that I remember is watching Christmas Vacation the day after Thanksgiving and saying, "I'm going to visit a bunch of Christmas Light displays this year and make a video blog out of it!" 

Well it didn't go quite like that, but my girlfriend Jenny and I went out to check these displays out for ourselves armed with some hot cocoa and my iphone 3Gs.  Check out the videos below and see if any of these hotspots are worth a up close look at!

A lot of thanks goes out to the Johnson County Kansas Christmas Light Displays page for pointing me in the right direction.  They've done a lot of work there and if you decide to visit some more spots, it's a great place to look for Kansas attractions.

Some warnings & tips: 

1. I'm not a professional Christmas Light Display critique.  You can call me a hobbyist.  I'll just call em' like i see em'

2. All of my videos are shot with my iphone 3GS.  The quality isn't the best and I'm a bit shaky at times, but you get the idea.

3. Go see all of these on the weekdays.  Most of these places are in small neighborhoods and it can quickly become a cluster.  They all run all week long and you can get the best views here.

4. Make sure and find a spot to pull into and turn out your lights when you come up to a display.  People are trying to enjoy the show!

Ok!  Make sure and keep all arms and legs inside the vehicle at all time, buckle up and no food or drink on the ride at any time.  Without any further ado, here's my 2009 Video Blog Guide to KC Christmas Light Displays! Whoa, that is a hell of a title.

1. Christmas in the Park at Longview Lake

Longview Lake Park

Independence, MO

Our first visit was to Longview Lake's yearly lighting festival.  With over 300,000 bulbs and 175 animated figures, I'd put this under the must see column.

Finding the park is the hardest part, It's right next to Longview Community College.  Once you get close, just follow the signs.

A very strange experience indeed.  You drive up to the entrance, turn your lights out and just follow the lighted path around the park. 

A lot of animated bulb figures at this one and plenty of strange and fun setups like a skateboarding elf or reindeer flying off ramps...kinda extreme.

Make sure and go to this one on a weekday.  Weekends are a complete mess here and it could easily take a few hours to do what we did in 20 minutes.  Not really worth the trouble.

There is a place to donate at the end, so get a few bucks ready to go or you'll look like a real scrooge.

Favorite Part: Getting there was awesome.  Really made you feel like a kid weaving down the old road to this giant lit up show in the woods. 

2.  Paulie's Penguin Playhouse

16617 Indian Creek Prkwy

Olathe, KS 66062

The Craig family is either crazy, geniuses or a little of both because the Penguin Playhouse was one the craziest home setups I've ever seen. 

There are no bulbs at this Olathe show.  No bulbs!  Yep, the Craig family has decided to setup a winter wonderland out of their property primarily using blow ups!

This would be heaven for kids.  Gotta say as an adult, it's a strange experience.  Still good, but a bit strange to be there in all of it's inflated glory.

This is fully interactive folks so don't be shy.  Park the car, get out and go through the entire property.  It's a very odd and "only in KC" experience for sure.

Favorite part: The helicopter on top of the house

3.  Kryger Family Animated Holiday Lights

13201 Granada Dr.

Leawood, KS 66209

 Welcome to the world of holiday light shows set to music!  It's the latest in holiday light show technology and it's gone from youtube to the neighborhood down the street!  This house is done in a very simple way, but it does a great job of putting it all together to music. 

Don't worry about rolling your window down to hear the music.  Just set your car stereo to 96.9 and you'll be tuned into the show.  pull up or wait your turn to get a good view and enjoy the show!

Favorite part: Cool show but the neighborhood is almost completely dark other than this one house.  They must be popular with neighborhood association.

4. Vince & Associates Holiday Lights

10103 Metcalf Ave.

Overland Park, KS 66212

Our next stop was also a "set to music" show.  Oddly enough, it too was set to 96.9 on the dial, so they must be using the same tech for these shows.

They do an amazing job on this one and if you're going to visit a "set to music" display.  I say that this is the easiest to find and most fascinating to watch. 

Just pull into the parking lot after hours and enjoy the show.  I wasn't able to get all of it on one shot, so you'll be completely surrounded by lights.  Very fun show here! 

Favorite part:  Check out the water fall on the side of the building.  It's starting to freeze over and looks really cool set amongst all of the lights.

 #5. Babick's Falmouth Christmas Display

7611 Falmouth St.

Prairie Village, KS 66208

There are few experiences I have as an adult that make me more thankful that I am no longer a teenager on multiple hallucinogenic.  The Babick's house is an absolute trip and maybe one of the most awe inspiring and sometimes a bit frightening holiday experiences in the KC metro.

Want animatronics that look like they are from the early 40's.  They got hundreds of them.  All moving, and all seem like they're looking through you! 

Kidding aside, I can't imagine how much fun this would be for a kid.  Living stuffed animals behind glass in multiple make believe scenarios will always be a favorite for the little ones. 

The Babick's win my award for "If you're going to visit one place this holiday go here".

Favorite part: Gotta be the sno-cone wielding puppy bear. (see video below)

 So that's it!  That's what I've seen so far and I hope that it sheds some light on the mysteries that are Holiday Displays. 

There are literally hundreds more around town to visit.  I have barely scraped the surface, but if there some other "must see" displays, please leave them in the comments and maybe we'll get a chance to check them out before Jan. 1!!!

Thanks for checking it out and Happy Holidays!

You shouldn't ever pass up an opportunity to raise your whiskey I.Q.. I had a great time on Saturday at Harry's Country Club in the Rivermarket when they held their first round of booze school. The magical elixir being taught? Bourbon!!!

This all starts with a conversation between a couple friends where the subject being discussed was Scotch and Irish Whiskeys. I've never been the biggest fan, and always have thought that Scotch tastes more like a campfire than liquor. However we did all bring up that it would be great to have a way to learn more about whiskeys and to have a chance to sample some different ones to find out what we're into and what to leave on the shelf.

My friend Dan took this conversation seriously and went right to one of the finest whiskey aficionados in K.C., Harry from Harry's Country Club. You see Harry treats whiskey and beer like they are fine wines. It's one of the only places in town offering whiskey flights and his selection is rivaled by very few.

Harry must have seen this as an opportunity, because within weeks we were all invited to HCC's first Bourbon tasting. For a mere $27 (that includes the tip folks) we were treated to 5 different bourbons as well as 2 rye whiskeys.

The tasting was held in an unknown room above HCC. It was a great spot and would be fun to rent out for a private party. Within 2 hours we'd tasted all of our whiskeys and were treated to a variety of appetizer foods including pretzels, pizza crackers and even a mini blue cheese burger that was absolutely delicious.

They brought in a very entertaining speaker that walked us through the tasting, filling us knowledge as well as spirits. The biggest things I walked away with is a new favorite bourbon which is Basil Hayeden, and knowledge that bourbon's only being from Kentucky is a huge myth! Jim Beam is made in Missouri. Although Bourbon does need to come from the U.S., the name encompasses the process more than the place of origin.

We had a great time and left feeling warm and fuzzy but not drunk. We also learned that Harry is planning on having more of these in the upcoming months. Mark your calendars for March 21st when he'll be having Belgium Beers 101.

Though music videos outlived their usefullness to humans on cable television, the internet has injected new life into one of my most memorable and favorite timewasters.

Just check out a couple of my favorite ones that I found under the giant couch cushions of the internet.

Another sci-fi related vid from the band Hella. Nothing beats old sci-fi and a new type of hero.