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To acquire wisdom, one must observe

Hoot Recommends: Feb. 8, 2019

Jablinski Games
Jack Black’s new YouTube channel “Jablinski Games” is unapologetically dumb fun. By all accounts, the man is the same persona we see in his movies: a loveable, earnest goof. Filmed and edited by his son, the weekly videos take vlog form, with the promise of gaming videos to come, just after he gets the “Elgato figured out,” whatever that means. But, in the meantime, enjoy bite-sized snippets of Jack Black and co. doing whatever they do in their free time: eating hamburgers, rocking out at guitar center, embarrassing his children. Rest assured, I’ll be watching him say “What’s jabling jabels” for the foreseeable future. —Noah Harper

“Resident Evil 2” Remaster
I tend to hate horror movies—which is why I’m shocked that I’m really loving Capcom’s horror game throwback. Originally released in 1998 and now available on all major platforms (PS4, XBOX ONE and PC), “Resident Evil 2” has been completely updated and reworked for a new generation. You still play as protagonists Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield as they attempt to survive a zombie outbreak, but the talented team of developers have constructed a tense and frightening experience with a palpable sense of atmosphere. The gameplay is a mix of zombie-shooting and intricate puzzle-solving, but “Resident Evil” sucks you in with its unique macabre ambiance. It’s worth going outside your comfort zone to check this thing out—I know I’m glad I did. —Jonah Koslofsky

“Human Sadness” by The Voidz
Most people don’t listen to 11 minute songs on a regular basis, but if you’ve ever been a fan of The Strokes or indie rock, Julian Casablancas’ band The Voidz might have something for you. “Human Sadness”—ringing in at 10 minutes and 56 seconds—combines an endlessly catching bassline with classic Casablanca vocals while flipping between crunchy, distortion-heavy guitar and softly swelling synths. Just before the three minute mark you’ll be bombarded by a wallowing solo liable to make your heart skip a beat, only to sink into a dreamlike stasis by the four minute mark. Then, again, a crescendo—a solo here or there—riveting guitar interlaced with echoing and phased effects. At one point Casablanca sings, “I know you won’t get back your time,” but, at the end of 11 minutes, you won’t need it back. In fact, if you’re at all like me, you’ll probably just hit repeat. — Ryan Spencer

John Wolfe
I know you like horror, especially horror games. And I also know you’re too busy or too much of a pussy to play them yourself. That’s OK. Because I’ve got the perfect youtube channel for you! John Wolfe is your go-to guy when it comes to playing horror games. Having been on the platform for eight years, he has played pretty much every horror game you can think of, from classic horror game series like “Silent Hill” and “Resident Evil” to obscure indie horror games that are either surprisingly awesome or hilariously bad. In addition to his impressive resume of games, John is a calm and down-to-earth personality that’s just plain likeable. – Stewart Huang

Brooklyn Nine-Nine
When “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” was cancelled for 31 hours, I was completely devastated. How could Fox rid the world of such an amazing television show? But bless NBC for picking up a show that they had created. At the intersection of “NCIS” and “How I Met Your Mother,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” provides a very loosely based crime television show with all the shenanigans on the main floor of their precinct, the “bullpen.” All fans of the show cannot help but yell “Nine-Nine!” when they are watching the show and laughing along with all the characters. SNL did Andy Samberg well, and Terry Crews discussing Terry loving yogurt in the third person is always a good time. —Sabrina Chow

@WeRateDogs and @IvePetThatDog
Do you like dogs? Do you like positivity? Do you like both of those things together? Then boy, do I have two accounts for you to follow. Found on both Twitter and Instagram, @WeRateDogs and @IvePetThatDog are two gloriously floofy accounts that aim to bring the purest dog content into your daily life. WeRateDogs, started by then-college student Matt Nelson in 2015, solicits photo and/or video submissions of people’s dogs and then posts them on the account with funny captions, rating them on a 1-10 scale (but inevitably ends up rating them above a 10, because every doggo is a good doggo). I’ve Pet That Dog, started more recently in April 2018, simply chronicles the adventures of 10-year-old Gideon, who pets multiple dogs daily and posts a picture of each dog he’s pet, with some info about him or her in a delightfully straightforward tone. Both of these accounts are so simple, yet bring so much joy into my daily life; you won’t regret giving them a follow. -Abigail Gardener

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