Mechanical_Ape

It's not really a kid's show but it's generally suitable for kids at the same time. The robots came about mostly because Joel was a prop comedian and liked building things. It's also why the Joel episodes had the Invention Exchange bits but they dropped them not long after he left the show.

For the most part, I find the Mike episodes funnier, although there are some really good Joel episodes as well. The chemistry seemed better during the Mike era and he seemed more comfortable in front of the camera than Joel did. Joel was always a bit awkward and fumbled his lines quite a bit.

Space Mutiny is definitely a must-see. I'd also suggest Mitchell, Final Justice, Werewolf, Soultaker, and Future War. Mitchell and Final Justice are both really bad Joe Don Baker movies and Mitchell is the episode where Mike took over for Joel. Werewolf and Soultaker are low quality horror movies which both star Martin Sheen's brother. Future War is good too if you like seeing a fake Jean Claude Van Dam fighting dinosaur action figures.

Newegg seems to have the original model for the same price as the new Borderlands pack. Amazon has them too, but they are a little more.

@tdot: You might want to check out Niggurath. He mostly does horror games. No scare-cams or forced reactions, he lets the games speak for themselves. In particular I'd suggest his playthrough of Rule of Rose. It's a great game and one of the few I'd actually consider creepy and he did a good job playing it.

While they aren't modern, I can't recommend Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett enough. They are two of the best mystery writers of all time. Like Rorie said, The Long Goodbye is really great. The Marlowe books are part of a series, but they don't have to be read in order. As for Hammett, The Maltese Falcon and Red Harvest are both excellent. The Daine Curse is also good, but it gets kind of weird in parts.

If you're interested in more modern authors, you might want to check out Elmore Leonard and James Ellroy. Ellroy does do a lot of period pieces such as LA Confidential, but they are pretty good. If you're looking for something a little more action oriented, Stephen J Cannell can be good too. There's not as much depth in his stories as in the others, but they are still enjoyable.

@hunter5024: Yeah, that video is the perfect way to sum up Phoenix. In fact, you know you've lived here too long when you start to think that 111 isn't really that hot.

I live in Mesa, Arizona, which is just outside of Phoenix. Not far from my house are the Superstition Mountains which, according to legends, either has a hidden gold mine in it or is the gateway to hell.

Despite being one of the biggest cities in the US, most people probably don't know much about it unless you're over the age of 65 and live in Canada, in which case you probably come here every winter. We also have haboobs (which are even dirtier than the name sounds). There was also a POW camp for Nazis nearby during World War II. There was only one escape attempt and most of them turned themselves back in after deciding that a prison camp was better than Phoenix.

@sterling: They are all $5 on Steam right now.

Better yet, search "GFW Radio Sonic" on Youtube. You'll never be able to look at Sonic fans the same way again.

Here's a few random Japanese and Russian bands that I like. Mostly rock/alternative, but some are a little different, like Asakusa Jinta and Ленинград.

Unicorn - Feel So Moon

Asakusa Jinta - Kamata March

Go!Go!7188 - Ruriiro

KANA-BOON - Naimononedari

Sayonara, Matakondone - Boku Atashi Anata Kimi

Сплин - Мороз по коже

The Uchpochmack - Someday

Ленинград - Нет и еще раз нет

A lot of good things have already been suggested. If you're looking for something a little more obscure, you might want to check out Jeff Noon. His books aren't mechanically gritty like you mentioned, but more drugs/cyberpunk/having-sex-with-your-sister kind of gritty. If you're interested, I'd suggest starting with Vurt. It's his most well-known book and the one I remember most even though I haven't read it in a decade.

I think the only game I truly regret buying and playing would be Spec Ops: The Line. I picked it up on sale for about $5 and I still think it was a waste of my time and money even at that price. Part of it is my fault though. I kept hearing how good it was and bought into the hype.