April isn’t over for a few more hours, but the list of top commentators for the month probably isn’t going to change in the meantime. Most of the folks populating the top commentators list are familiar faces, but I’m happy to welcome at least one fresh face.

To thank these wonderful people for popping by and contributing to the conversation at Beyond the Rhetoric, I’d like to reward them with a little link love back to their respective websites. I do this every month, so if you want to be featured in next month’s post, be sure to come by early and often in May to leave your mark in the comment form.

On with April’s top yakkers!

Sitting at the very top of the list for April’s commentators this month is Chee Wee Ng, who you may know better as Betshopboy. He was recently inspired by one of my posts, responding with a blog post of his own that highlights the upcoming Shutdown Day 2008. I was also one of the winners of his recent ad spots giveaway, so be on the lookout for Rodin’s Thinker on Betshopboy’s blog.

Coming in at second place is my good friend Jorge. Freelance writers and dot com moguls typically spend far too much time in front of their computers. Even though you may not have an opportunity to head out to the gym as often as you would like, you can still get in some excellent exercise from the comfort of your home. Jorge introduces us to an instructional video on push-ups. You’d be surprised how many people do them incorrectly.

Futurelooks head honcho Stephen Fung jumps into the list at number three. It seems that he has recently become obsessed with funny videos on YouTube, like this one about successful Transformers. Who would have known that Optimus Prime and Megatron would become such douchebags?

Emerging in fourth position for April 2008 is Derek Semmler. It seems that Derek and I have very similar philosophies when it comes to life, especially when you consider his six word memoir. I’ve been tagged for that meme as well, so be on the lookout for my words of wisdom soon.

Sneaking into the fifth and final spot for top commentators is relative newcomer Paulette. I couldn’t find a blog on her site, but she does have some very affordable MP3 downloads. Top hits like Gold Digger by Kanye West cost a mere 15 cents.

Thanks again for commenting on my blog. Let’s keep the discussion going!

UPDATE: After reading Jorge’s comment below, I went to check the Akismet spam filter and, sure enough, there were five of his comments caught by the filter. I have since approved them and, thus, Jorge is actually the top commentator for April 2008. Apologies and congratulations are in order.

On a related note, does anyone know how to whitelist someone for comments so this doesn’t happen to poor Jorge again?

Many of you may know me best as a freelance writer, but the great thing about having a personal blog is that I am able to provide you a glimpse into my non-work life as well.

I’ve been playing Nintendo games for as long as I can remember, going back to the days of Duck Hunt and Excitebike. More recently, a lot of my leisure time is getting occupied with Mario Kart Wii and Super Smash Bros. Brawl. They’re both an absolute hoot in multiplayer.

While Kart and Brawl are a lot of fun to play, the funniest game that I have enjoyed thus far on the Nintendo Wii has to be Rayman Raving Rabbids. The original Rayman franchise never tickled by fancy, but those ridiculous rabbids — which are almost like rabbits on crack or something — are absolutely hilarious. The game was so good that it spawned itself a sequel and now it seems that Raving Rabbids 3 is in development too.

We’ve already seen videos of the raving rabbids attempting to infiltrate Leipzig and now they’ve turned their attention to the upcoming Wii Fit and Wii Balance Board. You’ve gotta love them rabbids. Based on the release schedule so far, I’m guessing that Rayman Raving Rabbids 3 will hit store shelves around November of this year.

Enjoy the video!

If this isn’t one of the best ways to spend a dollar, I don’t know what is.

John Chow has quickly become one of the most famous dot com moguls on the Internet, making money online by telling people how much money he makes online. Along the way, we’ve learned that he is not only the self-proclaimed root of all evil, but he also has a sore spot for pandas. You may have heard the famed story of a rock fight in China wherein he reportedly killed a family of baby pandas. Well, it seems like the animal kingdom has come back for its revenge.

Yes, John Chow has stabbed pandas in the past, but the bamboo-eating mammals of the Far East are willing to respond with a stroke of comedy. They don’t want to throw rocks back anymore. They want to mock John Chow.

Pictured above (and below) are figurines that I found at the local dollar store. Each ceramic (?) panda statue is showing John Chow exactly what it thinks of the so-called root of all evil. The placement of the tail (I hope it’s a tail) is particularly telling. It’s as if they are exclaiming, “Na na na na na na. You can’t get me!” Maybe it’s “Neener neener neener!” I’m not sure.

The photos were taken with a Samsung FlipShot from Verizon Wireless. You can click on either image to get the full-sized picture (2048 x 1536 pixels). The Samsung FlipShot is equipped with a 3.0 megapixel camera with autofocus and flash. A full review of the phone will be appearing on Mobile Magazine later this week.

UPDATE (04/30/08): The Samsung FlipShot review has been posted.

I had the opportunity to check out the 2009 Nissan GT-R when I was in Tokyo late last year and then I had another look at it when it rolled into town as part of the 2008 Vancouver International Auto Show. There is no denying that the Nissan GT-R is an absolute beast of a car and if it wasn’t already receiving enough positive attention already, the Japanese supercar has now earned the approval of resident car guy Jay Leno.

As you may have heard, there were rumors swirling that Top Gear could be coming to the United States and Jay Leno could serve as the host. Seeing how Leno is stepping down as the host of the Tonight Show soon to make way for Conan O’Brien, it could almost make sense. However, the man with the giant chin has already officially turned down the offer. The closest thing to a Leno-hosted Top Gear is Jay Leno’s Garage, as evidenced by the clip below.

The electronics in the Nissan GT-R are absolutely amazing, providing a customized display based on the driver’s preferences, showing virtual pods for oil temperature, boost, oil pressure, and 14 other metrics. The multi-information display was developed by the same people that brought us the PlayStation and Gran Turismo. Power for the GT-R comes from a 3.8L twin-turbocharged (and twin intercooled) DOHC V6 engine, developing 473 horsepower and 430 lbs-ft of torque. The 0-60mph time is just 3.5 seconds and, according to Jay, “it just pulls.”

Enjoy. American prices start at about $70,000 for the base model, whereas the Canadian version starts at about $80,000.

Can you unplug from the matrix? Can you choose to stay away from a computer for a full 24 hours? 48 hours? A week?

As a freelance writer who works primarily on web-based projects like professional blogging, I spend an inordinate amount of time online. During the week, there is a very significant chance that I’ll turn on the laptop as I’m brushing my teeth in the morning and the computer will not be shut off until moments before I go to bed. The entire time that the laptop happens to be on, it is also online. I could be researching an article topic, interacting through Twitter, or catching up on posts in my Google Reader. Whatever the case, I’m online.

Now, it’s one thing to use something on a regular basis. It’s another thing altogether to have that transform into an addiction. Just because you take the bus to work every morning does not mean that you are addicted to public transportation. Just because you like the song stylings of Die Toten Hosen doesn’t mean that you are addicted to German rock music. These are things that can quite easily be replaced or displaced.

The Definition of Addiction

Addiction can be roughly defined as an uncontrollable craving or seeking of something to the point where the person becomes completely dependent. The individual experiences dramatic negative effects when withdrawn from this substance or behavior. The negative effects can be harmful or dangerous for the person’s physical, mental, social, and economic functioning and well-being.

When most people consider addiction, they think about things like drugs, alcohol, and gambling. The fact of the matter is, people can get addicted to just about anything. Deprive certain people from their video games and they’ll display the exact same symptoms as a person trying to quit smoking. They can become irritable, have sleep problems, and experience uncontrollable urges when around other smokers gamers.

Can’t Live Without the Web

The Internet is my livelihood. If it wasn’t for the web, I wouldn’t have met a lot of the people that I have and I wouldn’t have been able to launch (and grow) my freelance writing business. Many of us, myself included, look forward to funny videos on YouTube or the ability to reconnect with old classmates on Facebook. The world wide web is a wealth of valuable knowledge and interactivity.

Given all the good things that can come from surfing the net, it’s perfectly understandable that an ever-increasing number of people are going online and refusing to disconnect. It’s not only when we are at home or at work, because there are countless individuals who have their cell phones hooked up to a Facebook or Twitter account. BlackBerry users are addicted to mobile email. Many smartphones offer full HTML web browsers. The Internet is just so accessible and it’s hard to resist the urge to send out one last tweet, to read one last blog post.

A Forceful Removal

I realize that this is going to sound a little counter-intuitive and a little counter-productive, but it is absolutely paramount that you find some time during your online journeys to step away from your computer. (Make sure you read Beyond the Rhetoric before you do.) Dot com moguls still need the real world and you need to disconnect once in a while. Get out there and live your life. I was completely without Internet access while in Beijing last year and it was one of the most surreal (and freeing) experiences I have had in some time.

Don’t quit the Internet, but don’t neglect real life either.

Even though I have been attending our weekly dot com pho lunches for some time now, only recently has it dawned on us that we should be sharing our stupidity and our antics through video. Believe me, we really are this candid, even if the camera wasn’t on us.

Last week, we discussed our trip to Whistler, among other things, and this week we turn to the stupid Mongolians who insist on breaking down our wall. I’m not entirely sure how the topic of damn Mongolians made its way into the discussion, but random topics seem to the be norm at Dot Com Pho.

At yesterday’s lunch, Stephen Fung puts in his official audition tape for The Next Top Affiliate, we torture test the seemingly indestructible 32GB Corsair Survivor Flash Drive, I walk us through the LG Voyager from Verizon Wireless with shaky hands and all, John Chow talks about how he’s going to find his way around town in China, and Ed Lau describes what is in a number 12 medium. Tripe is awesome.

This week’s official sponsor is Microsoft. If you would like to provide us with a gadget of the week or to sponsor an upcoming edition of Dot Com Pho, please feel free to contact me and I’m sure we can work something out.

UPDATE: If you’re wondering if the Corsair Survivor USB Flash Drive managed to survive being dunked in a rancid concoction and getting run over by a car, wonder no longer. Stephen took the drive home and recorded this brief video update.