2007-08-02

Bored

So, I'm bored.

Yes, yes... what else is new, I know.

I'm a week removed from Day One of Comic-Con, my yearly half-week to indulge my inner geek and pretend the world revolves around Batman, the X-Men, and mostly what movies look sweet.

It also tends to be a source of great inspiration for me. A couple of years ago, I sat in on a panel where Brad Meltzer said that when he first starting writing, he made a commitment to himself to write at least an hour every day no matter what... no matter how tired, how hungry, how much he wanted to go out, whatever... an hour a day at minimum. I pledged on the spot to follow the same plan.

I'm pretty sure I lasted a day.

It's no secret that my career goal for several years has been to go back to school, get a teaching credential, and become a writer while teaching... yet I never seem able to get there. There's lots of easy targets to blame... getting old, too busy at work, don't want to look at a computer when I get home, wedding planning to do, blah blah blah.

Is this the year that I snap out of it?

The amount of people on panels this year who are probably just a few years removed from being where I am is astonishing. It truly does inspire someone to reach for the stars.

But those grounded feet always seem to get in the way.

Oh, side note... I also pledged to start using this as an entertainment blog to see if I could get into the Con next year as Media. Cross your fingers!

2007-01-28

Let's Get Ready To Rumble!

So, I did this last year and even though my WWE interest may be at an all-time low [I even gave up watching Raw since it conflicts with Heroes and 24]... I stick by my belief that even if I had given up watching wrestling altogether I'd still watch the Rumble and Wrestlemania every year.

And with that... my predictions based on the 30 wrestlers listed on WWE.com as participants:

No Chance... That's What You Got
---
Tommy Dreamer - Such a shame. You coulda been a contender, Tommy.
Chavo Guerrero - If you can't draw heat off your dead relative, you can't main event Mania.
Matt Hardy - No luck. He's gone right back down to the bottom of the barrel.
Gregory Helms - Nope. Not even JBL's hype job gets him a win here.
Chris Masters - Kinda a shame. He showed some potential before the Wellness Program kicked him down South. Since coming back, he's been booked like a joke.
The Miz - God no.
Sandman - Hopefully he gets to come in with the kendo stick. That'll make for a fun spot at least.
Kevin Thorn - Not even the curveball of the winner taking the ECW title shot makes him a contender here.
Viscera - King Mabel maybe. Viscera no.
Super Crazy - Only if Heyman gets brought back to book it.
Shelton Benjamin - Maybe a few months ago he'd be up one category... but not anymore.
Kenny Dykstra - In a couple years, perhaps... but not yet.

Slim Shot
--------
Carlito - Again, a few months ago I'd say he might have stood a shot. But I don't see him at the main event level yet... even in ECW.

Hardcore Holly - Could be, right? A fluke Royal Rumble winner for all those naysayers who say things are too predictable. Is Holly/Lashley for the ECW Title at Mania that unimaginable? Not really.

Kane - Not likely but always possible. Kane vs Batista would be alright. Kane vs Lashley would probably be fun.

MVP - Too soon for the rookie, I think but he's been getting a pretty big push so it's not completely impossible.

Sabu - I just can't see it. Gotta imagine a Money In The Bank is in his future.


Odds Are Slightly Better
---
Chris Benoit - Benoit being in a WM main event means it'll be worlds better than anyone else being in it. But I don't see it this time around as too likely.

Finlay - See above.

Jeff Hardy - Someone must have noticed that Jeff's been worlds better since his return, right? He just doesn't have a good match with any of the current champs. Turn on "Extreme Rules" and I can see a Lashley/Hardy match being fun. Do the title switch and Jeff vs Umaga would be fun as hell but probably not Mania main event material.

CM Punk - This is another one that would've been much more likely a few months ago. Now it seems like Punk is on the booking team's shitlist which makes it unlikely he'll get the green light yet.


Some Real Contenders
---
King Booker - No one wants another Booker/Batista match... but Booker/Cena? I'd buy that for a dollar. Booker jumping to Raw would give him an entire new slate of characters to run against. I don't see it as likely as much as I'd like to see it happen though.

Johnny Nitro - A real dark horse. I would love to see Nitro pick up the shocking win to reveal K-Fed as his trainer heading into Mania. K-Fed was a fun heel during his run and having him be part of the main program heading into Mania against Cena wouldn't hurt at all. Another one I'd really like to see but is super unlikely.

Ric Flair - With Rocky Balboa fresh in everyone's mind, it's the perfect year to run one last Flair For The Gold program. Especially if it was against Umaga. I'd love to see it but it seems to not be in the cards sadly.

Rob Van Dam - Rumor is that Vince is trying to keep RVD from jumping to TNA when his contract is up. Could a Rumble win and Mania match for the title keep him around? RVD/Cena would be fun again... not so fond of RVD/Lashley though.

The Great Khali - Khali/Cena would be a good way to pay tribute to Hogan/Andre but will they trust Khali to perform on that big of a stage. A guy who got pulled from one major PPV because of a lack of confidence in his skill seems unlikely to get the ball here.


The Cream Of The Crop
---

Edge - The MVP of Raw for 2006. He was robbed from his Mania main event last year and basically carried the entire brand as thanks. He was in almost every interesting program throughout the year. So, if you want to use the Mania main event as a "thank you", he'd be your guy. Edge vs Batista does nothing for me. Edge jumping to ECW with the title shot would boost that show a ton but would seem odd. Edge vs Cena has been seen a ton so there'd have to be a major twist to make it worthwhile again. I really like Edge so I'd love to see him win it but I don't know where you go with it.

Randy Orton - My fear. I like Orton to an extent but I have no desire to see him in any of the three title matches... nor do I have a desire to see Team RKO split up. Unfortunately, I have a bad feeling that he'll be your winner.

Shawn Michaels - Michaels vs Cena would be great. Michaels vs Batista would be... eh. Michaels vs Lashley... not so much. Michaels/Umaga would be a lot of fun though. He's gotta be an odds on favorite since the Rumble is in San Antonio and he's coming off the great performances on Raw lately. Probably who I would like to see win as there's the most possibilities of where to go with it.

Undertaker - All buzz shows Taker/Batista as the Smackdown main event so giving Taker the Rumble win he's never gotten would set that up perfectly. Can't say that I mind to see him winning here as long as he's winning at Mania as well.


Final results
---

Who should win: Shawn Michaels

Who will win: Randy Orton

2007-01-06

Back In... Blue?

So, I'm back again for another year of trying to do this blog thing right. I just renewed my website for another year so hopefully I can contribute a bit more to society with it! Apparently I made 56 blog posts in 2006... wow... that really sucks. Let's try and get that higher for '07, shall we?

Here's an easy waste of time...

Go to iTunes... do a Smart Playlist to show songs added in 2006... sort by play count and see your favorite songs that you listened to in '06. In true Casey Kasem tradition of keeping my feet on the ground and still reaching for the stars, here's my [our] Top 200 of 2006...

(NOTE: This does have a margin for error as some songs may be artifically inflated by merging two files into one play count.)

200. The Distance - Travis
199. The Beautiful Occupation - Travis
198. Happy - Travis
197. Re-Offender - Travis
196. Gigolos Get Lonely Too - The Time
195. If I Ever Fall In Love - Shai
194. Steady As She Goes [Acoustic] - The Raconteurs
193. Three Or Four - The New Pornographers
192. Sing Me Spanish Techno - The New Pornographers
191. I Wish I Had An Evil Twin - The Magnetic Fields
190. Enterlude - The Killers
189. I've Changed [Alternative Version] - Josh Joplin Group
188. Fawkes The Phoenix - John Williams
187. Happy (Reprise) - Jenny Lewis And The Watson Twins
186. Holiday From Real - Jack's Mannequin
185. Heaven Adores You - Earlimart
184. 1st Instant/Last Report - Earlimart
183. Stable Song - Death Cab For Cutie
182. Brothers On A Hotel Bed - Death Cab For Cutie
181. Stop! - The Bens
180. Fired - Ben Folds
179. The Wrong Girl - Belle And Sebastian
178. All I Want To Do Is Rock - Travis
177. Why Does It Always Rain On Me - Travis
176. Of Montreal - The Stills
175. Pick A Part That's New - Stereophonics
174. Solitary - Skye
173. Wildwood Flower - Reese Witherspoon
172. Army Reserve - Pearl Jam
171. Wasted Reprise - Pearl Jam
170. Song Beneath The Song - Maria Taylor
169. The River Is Wild - The Killers
168. Bones - The Killers
167. Melt Your Heart - Jenny Lewis And The Watson Twins
166. Speed Trials - Elliott Smikth
165. I Wasn't Prepared - Eisley
164. The Crane Wife 3 - The Decemberists
163. The New Year - Death Cab For Cutie
162. Marching Bands Of Manhattan - Death Cab For Cutie
161. Hang On To Yourself - David Bowie
160. Hey Now Now - The Cloud Room
159. Suspended From Class - Camera Obscura
158. Cross-Fire - The Bens
157. Carrying Cathy - Ben Folds
156. Sleep The Clock Around - Belle And Sebastian
155. A Century Of Fakers - Belle And Sebastian
154. I Fought In A War - Belle And Sebastian
153. Cherry Blossom Girl (Hope Sandoval Version) - Air
152. The City Lights - Umbrellas
151. Sing - Travis
150. Square One - Tom Petty
149. Still In Love Song - The Stills
148. Love & Death - The Stills
147. Whatever's Left - Snow Patrol
146. Gleaming Auction - Snow Patrol
145. Just You And Me - Rie Sinclair
144. Steady As She Goes - The Raconteurs
143. Hey There Delilah - Plain White Ts
142. Come Back - Pearl Jam
141. Comatose - Pearl Jam
140. Mexico - Jump, Little Children
139. Bruised - Jack's Mannequin
138. Feel So Free- Ivy
137. Fire Island - Fountains of Wayne
136. Brightly Wound - Eisley
135. Hold On, Slow Down - Earlimart
134. Bruised - The Bens
133. Rockin' The Suburbs - Ben Folds
132. Roy Walker - Belle And Sebastian
131. I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor - The Arctic Monkeys
130. Everywhere [cover] - Yellowcard
129. Allison Krausse - The Stills
128. Break Your Mama's Back - Slow Runner
127. This Mess We're In - PJ Harvey and Thom Yorke
126. Parachutes - Pearl Jam
125. Time Bomb - Old 97s
124. Bling (Confessions Of A King) - The Killers
123. Is It Any Wonder? - Keane
122. Jackson - Joaquin Phoenix
121. Run Devil Run - Jenny Lewis And The Watson Twins
120. Bright Future In Sales - Fountains of Wayne
119. Got You Where I Want You - The Flys
118. My Lovely - Eisley
117. Munich - Editors
116. Live And Learn - The Cardigans
115. Annie Waits - Ben Folds
114. Step Into My Office, Baby - Belle And Sebastian
113. Wrap Your Love Around Me - The Village Green
112. Side - Travis
111. Flowers In The Window - Travis
110. Elevator Love Letter - Stars
109. Somewhere A Clock Is Ticking - Snow Patrol
108. Grazed Knees - Snow Patrol
107. False Alarm - Sloan
106. Fidelity - Regina Spektor
105. Use It - The New Pornographers
104. My List - The Killers
103. The Big Guns - Jenny Lewis And The Watson Twins
102. La La Lie - Jack's Mannequin
101. I'm Ready - Jack's Mannequin
100. Hung Up On You - Fountains of Wayne
99. Steadier Footing - Death Cab For Cutie
98. Summer Skin - Death Cab For Cutie
97. Shine Like A New Pin - Camera Obscura
96. Blackout - British Sea Power
95. Sundress (acoustic) - Ben Kweller
94. I'm Waking Up To Us - Belle And Sebastian
93. Asleep On A Sunbeam - Belle And Sebastian
92. Rubber And Soul - Arie Brun
91. Marker In The Sand - Pearl Jam
90. These Are The Fables - The New Pornographers
89. Polyester Bride - Liz Phair
88. Exitlude - The Killers
87. When You Were Young - The Killers
86. Cocaine Blues - Joaquin Phoenix
85. Dark Blue - Jack's Mannequin
84. Trolley Wood - Eisley
83. Memories - Eisley
82. Red Hot Drops - Chad Van Gaalen
81. This Modern Love - Bloc Party
80. Chicago - Sufjan Stevens
79. Chocolate - Snow Patrol
78. World Wide Suicide - Pearl Jam
77. Like U Crazy - Mates of State
76. I Don't Believe You - The Magnetic Fields
75. Lift Me - Madrugada feat. Arie Brun
74. Sam's Town - The Killers
73. Scratch - Kendall Payne
72. It Ain't Me, Babe - Joaquin Phoenix
71. Sgt. Major - Jet
70. You're Beautiful - James Blunt
69. Everyday Is a Holiday - Esthero w/Sean Lennon
68. The Hidden Track - Earlimart
67. Your Heart Is An Empty Room - Death Cab For Cutie
66. The Skin Of My Yellow Country Teeth - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
65. Sometimes Always [cover] - The Brakes
64. I'm A Cuckoo - Belle And Sebastian
63. Hoppinpolla - Sigur Ros
62. Across The Universe - Rufus Wainwright
61. Get Through - Mark Joseph
60. I Think I Need A New Heart - The Magnetic Fields
59. Handle With Care - Jenny Lewis And The Watson Twins
58. You Are What You Love - Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins
57. Rise Up With Fists!!! - Jenny Lewis And The Watson Twins
56. MFEO: Part 1 - Jack's Mannequin
55. OLE! - The Bouncing Souls
54. Losing Lisa Ben Folds
53. Gone - Ben Folds
52. The Model - Belle And Sebastian
51. Piazza, New York Catcher - Belle And Sebastian
50. Dear Catastrophe Waitress - Belle And Sebastian
49. Blood And Peanut Butter - Camplight
48. Somewhere Across Forever - Stellastarr*
47. Are You True? - The New Amsterdams
46. Sometimes The Sun - The Lashes
45. Why Do I Keep Counting? - The Killers
44. For Reason's Unknown - The Killers
43. Stacy's Mom - Fountains of Wayne
42. Golly Sandra - Eisley
41. How To Be Dead - Snow Patrol
40. Who I Am Hates Who I've Become - Relient K
39. From California (acoustic) - The New Amsterdams
38. Uncle Jonny - The Killers
37. The Charging Sky - Jenny Lewis And The Watson Twins
36. Maybe Tomorrow - Goldenhorse
35. Baby's Been Bad - Goldenhorse
34. The Engine Driver - The Decemberists
33. I'm A Rocker - Bruce Springsteen
32. Wrapped Up In Books - Belle And Sebastian
31. You Don't Send Me - Belle And Sebastian
30. You Only Live Once - The Strokes
29. In The Sun - Michael Stipe w/Chris Martin
28. Hip Teens Don't Wear Blue Jeans - The Frank Popp Ensemble
27. Zak And Sara - Ben Folds
26. Rescued - Jack's Mannequin
25. Beautiful World - Colin Hay
24. I Hear The Bells - Mike Doughty
23. Read My Mind - The Killers
22. Sukie In The Graveyard - Belle And Sebastian
21. I Dare You - Shinedown
20. We Will Become Silouhettes - The Postal Service
19. High - James Blunt
18. Am I Just One - Carey Ott
17. We Are The Sleepyheads - Belle And Sebastian
16. Stay Loose - Belle And Sebastian
15. Forever Lost - The Magic Numbers
14. Jessica - Adam Green
13. Little By Little - Oasis
12. All You Need Is Hate - The Delgados
11. The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts - Sufjan Stevens
10. Flying High - Jem
9. I'm Gonna Make You Love Me - The Jayhawks
8. Kiss The Girl - Get Set Go
7. Drinking For 11 - The Mad Caddies
6. Crooked Teeth - Death Cab For Cutie
5. Why Does It Always Rain On Me - Travis
4. Adelaide - Old 97s
3. The Mixed Tape - Jack's Mannequin
2. Precious - Depeche Mode
1. Sunset Soon Forgotten - Iron And Wine

And it's right HERE that I realize iTunes fucked me by including 16 songs tied for #200 at the bottom of the list. So. uh... well, you do the math!

15. Kill The Messenger - Jack's Mannequin
14. If You Find Yourself Caught In Love - Belle And Sebastian
13. Butterfly - Weezer
12. Peace - Weezer
11. It Must Be Summer - Fountains of Wayne
10. Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want (cover) - Elefant
9. Defying Gravity - Wicked Soundtrack
8. Saint Simon - The Shins
7. Hackensack - Fountains of Wayne
6. Lord Anthony - Belle And Sebastian
5. Mi Mancherai (Il Postino) - Josh Groban
4. Crown of Love - The Arcade Fire
3. The Luckiest - Ben Folds
2. Telescope Eyes - Eisley
1. If She Wants Me - Belle And Sebastian