2009-05-16

Checking in

At the Mirage...

Losing money - down more than I'd like to be at this point of the
weekend...

Standing by the club entrance watching people dressed to impress and
remembering one of the things I DON'T like about Vegas...

Sent from my iPhone

2009-05-15

Enjoy Your Weekend!

Can't write anything tonight cause I'm heading off to sleep. We're going to Vegas for the weekend and plan to leave VERY early tomorrow. I'll try to post stuff over the weekend on here but they're likely to be very short posts.

I think I might also experiment with Twitter over the weekend. I started a Twitter account months ago and never did anything with it but this seems like a good opportunity to do that. So, if you get lonely, you can follow me this weekend on Twitter at @youremyboyblue

See you on the other side, peeps.

2009-05-14

This Week's Favorite Commercial

2009-05-13

Lost

Ho. Lee. Shit.

Can't think. Can't process. Brain... doesn't... work... at... normal... speeds.

2010?!?!

That's just plain mean.

2009-05-12

Celeb Sighting

So, the store was graced today by yet another celebrity that I couldn't have picked out of a lineup - Noodles from The Offspring.

His arrival had a few of us standing around reminiscing about The Offspring and seeing them in concert. Of course, since I'm one of the "elder statesmen" of the store, I have a longer history to draw from. Some folks were talking about seeing them on Warped in 2004 or some such. I predate that by close to a decade.

But as I stood around and really thought about it, I recalled some strong Offspring-related memories that brought a smile to my face.

Someone mentioned that Smash was the first CD they ever bought and that they bought it at Tower Records for some horribly marked-up price. I couldn't remember when I bought it. But I did very vividly remember someone else buying it. It was the summer of '94 after high school graduation and I was on my way to first concert (Stone Temple Pilots, by the way) in a venue that now is just down the street for me - the place formerly known as Irvine Meadows. There were four of us in the car that day. My friend Danny and his sister Amy, my friend Brian, and myself. We stopped at the Virgin Megastore in Costa Mesa on our way to the show. It was my first time at the store and I was overwhelmed. In the end, our poor asses settled on one CD each. I couldn't tell you what Brian bought but Amy bought the Weezer album, I bought a Beastie Boys album [that I long ago sold] and Danny bought Smash.

Offspring was also responsible for my first and only concert-related vomit. It was Offspring at the Olympic Velodrome at Cal State Dominguez Hills. There was a pit that I was circling, circling, circling - until I took a sucker punch in the gut and hurled right in the middle of the pit. It was the last song and I simply staggered to the side, shoved my way clear, and slumped down to sit on the ground until the show ended. Good times.

Offspring was also "in the house" for the Missus' first "real general admission" show. She didn't know what to expect - something I quickly realized when she showed up for a show at the sweltering Hollywood Palladium in a sweater. I had to physically yank her out of the way of a pit opening up a few feet in front of her as she got soaked in beer. Again, I say... good times.

Oh, and Offspring was responsible for me getting to see the Beastie Boys... sorta.

2009-05-11

Are You Ready To Fight?

I haven't posted much MMA stuff lately but this crossed my Google Reader and was too awesome not to share.

Apparently, Bellator Fighting Championships in Dayton, Ohio has had back-to-back shows with YouTube-worthy fight finishes.

This week's was a BIGTIME spinning backfist by Yahir Reyes that made me rewind it a few times to make sure I saw it right:



Last week saw a rare submission - an inverted triangle choke. Too cool for school and possibly the most amazing submission I've ever seen in MMA.

2009-05-10

Welcome To My Head

This has been inside my brain... all... friggin'... day.

Now you can have it too.

2009-05-09

Star Wars is STILL better!

Well, I didn't make it out to see Star Trek today like I'd hoped to... which kinda kills any likely chance that I'll see it for ten days or so.

But in honor of a new Star Trek movie being in your local cinemaplex...

2009-05-07

50 games

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!

Sent from my iPhone

2009-05-06

Now THAT'S More Like It

Now THAT was fun, right?

Okay, sure - it wasn't the prettiest game at times.

Okay, sure - we may have a slight problem if Fish gets suspended.

Okay, sure - we may have a MAJOR problem if Kobe gets suspended for the elbow.

But damn, that was fun.

One of my favorite fouls EVER...



I couldn't find any footage of Artest losing his mind but I'm sure it'll be up soon enough. And I will continue to swear he made a Arn Anderson-ish throat slashing gesture in Kobe's direction.

2009-05-05

Some Geeky Movie News

** Bradley Cooper is Green Lantern?
My reaction? Wait. The kinda geeky guy from Alias? Hrm. I'm not sure how I feel about that. Nothing is confirmed at all yet but... presuming they're looking for a Hal Jordan GL, I'm not sure I buy that casting. He doesn't seem like the jet test pilot type to me.

** Clash Of The Titans starts shooting
This better be good because I loved the old school Titans in the 80s. There are a few photos from the set but it was nothing fantastic so I chose not to put them up! But the casting on this looks solid so I've got high hopes.

** The Princess And The Frog: A Sneak Peek
Disney fans are head over heels with the idea that traditional pen and paper animation is FINALLY returning to Disney with this movie. Everyone's expecting a trailer before Up which may knock down the house. Here's a little snippet of what to expect...



** Terminator 2... again.
So, with the advance buzz on the new Terminator movie being very strong, of course the talk is already about the second movie in a proposed new trilogy. McG had this to say when asked about it...

"I strongly suspect the next movie is going to take place in a [pre-Judgment Day] 2011," McG reveals. "John Connor is going to travel back in time and he's going to have to galvanize the militaries of the world for an impending Skynet invasion. They've figured out time travel to the degree where they can send more than one naked entity. So you're going to have hunter killers and transports and harvesters and everything arriving in our time and Connor fighting back with conventional military warfare, which I think is going to be fucking awesome. I also think he's going to meet a scientist that's going to look a lot like present-day Robert Patrick [who famously played the T-1000 in Terminator 2], talking about stem-cell research and how we can all live as idealized, younger versions of ourselves."


Ahhhh! Alternate timelines! Don't I get plenty of that on Wednesday nights? Let's hope it's better than it sounds.

** Wolvie 2?
I'm not eager to see the Wolverine movie - I'll admit it. People whose opinion on movies that I trust have told me it's not going to be a pleasant experience for me. If you're not a fan of the comics, you might be... okay... with it from what I understand. But it sounds like no one will actually love it. But hey, it made money - and that's what it's kinda sorta all about, right? [I'm trying to wrap my head around agreeing with that notion thanks to a new book on screenwriting I'm reading.] So, since it made money, it'll also make sequels most likely.

2009-05-04

Lakers Lose, Dodgers Win

I don't know 'bout y'all but I don't think I'm alone in being shocked that the Dodgers would be the ones making big headlines in LA Sports in May while the Lakers are simply limping towards the finish line.

Now, as we all know, "it's still early" so there's plenty of time for both of those situations to change but right now, this is how it looks...

The Lakers aren't sharp. They didn't look sharp against Utah when they were coughing up lead after lead after lead. They won the series but didn't impress anyone while they did it. In fact, the talk of basketball since then was just about anything but the Lakers. Not exactly a ringing endorsement for the co-favorite for the NBA Title. Of course, there was still some drama to be had today with the announcement that Kobe has the flu [my mother thinks he might have swine flu... now THAT'S drama.] That'll certainly be one of the excuses used tonight after they coughed up the home court edge they "worked" all season for. But the fact is, I saw the same team I saw against Utah. Flashes of brilliance mired in lots of... eh. I still expect they'll manage to beat the Rockets but when they run into the Nuggets? The Celtics? The Magic? The Cavs?

Well, that may be another story.

And speaking of another story, down the road at Chavez Ravine, the Dodgers were putting the finishing touches on another impressive victory. Yes, so far it's only been at home but a record-setting 11-0 to start the season at home still has to impress even if they're only playing .500 on the road. Yes, the pitching is still leaving a little to be desired and the bullpen is likely going to be "nervous time" instead of "game over" for most of the year.

But the offense...

Dear, dear me... the offense.

I have NEVER seen a Dodger team have an offense like this. This is an AL-style offense. Pure offensive production that is just... well, too much fun to watch.

No winning streak lasts forever and this one is no different. It'll end soon enough and that'll be the real test for this team.

But until then, I hope the Dodgers enjoy their moment in the sun of LA sports.

2009-05-03

April 2009: The Month In Music

Here's a weird one for you...

I added 30 songs to my iTunes library in the month of April but for one reason or another [if you couldn't tell from my posts, April was kinda a rough month] I never listened to any of them. Alas, you get no Top 5 of April 2009.

But I will provide the ongoing saga of The Music of 2009!

20. Vato - Snoop Dogg feat. B-Real
19. More Adventurous - Rilo Kiley
18. Stay Alive - The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
17. People Got A Lotta Nerve - Neko Case
16. My Life Would Suck Without You - Kelly Clarkson
15. Hot N Cold - Katy Perry
14. I'm Not Gonna Teach... - The Black Kids
13. Alone (Heart cover) - Allison Iraheta
12. Half Asleep - School Of Seven Bells
11. November Was White, December Was Grey - Say Hi
10. Come Saturday - The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
9. The Good Ol' Days - The Lodger
8. Secret Heart - Feist
7. Let It Slip - The School
6. Number One - Miss Fairchild
5. Green Means Go - The Color Wheels
4. We Rule The School - Belle & Sebastian
3. Jai Ho - AR Rahman
2. Latika's Theme - AR Rahman


And our BRAND NEW #1...

Thank You Mario But Our Princess Is In Another Castle - The Mountain Goats & Kaki King

2009-05-02

Movie Added: Sugar

My best laid plans of seeing three movies today fell by the wayside for some house hunting...

BUT, I did manage to get to see one of the movies on my list - Sugar.

Sugar's the story of a young man from the Dominican Republic looking to make it to the big leagues as a pitcher. The story follows his path from one of the youth camps in the DR that baseball fans often hear about to spring training and... well, to preserve a non-spoiler setting, we'll just say "on from there."

I really dug the movie as I thought it painted a very strong [and probably very realistic] picture of what that transition must be like for those players. As a baseball fan, of course, I dig all the Spring Training and "on from there" stuff as it seemed more realistic than a lot of the past baseball movies have handled that topic.

The ending I also found to be very satisfying as it was one that you can take as either a depressing ending or an uplifting ending, depending on how you perceive the rest of the movie's plot as well as the main character's desires.

Give a bonus point to some excellent music including a Spanish cover of "Hallelujah" and you've got a very solid basehit on your hands. Maybe not a homerun - but definitely a line drive to the gap.

BLUE'S REVIEW: Definitely see this if you're a baseball fan. If you're not, you may not enjoy it as much but I think there's enough there for you to warrant a viewing. Fair warning though - there are some subtitles involved so be prepared for some light reading.

2009-05-01

You Make The Call!

Lolla vs ACL - Which One Would You Choose?



2009-04-30

The Force Is With Me





These posters are awesome...

2009-04-29

Now That's Interesting

Yesterday, MMA sites were all aflutter with the news that Anderson Silva had signed for his next fight. He'll be fighting at Light Heavyweight later this year against the former LHW Champ Forrest Griffin.

Wow.

Just when I think the UFC doesn't have many more fights that I'd pay to see, they somehow manage to dig one up. The mere thought of this one makes me a little giddy. Silva's taken a lot of heat over the past six months or so since he's had two fights in a row that were less than explosive - and far less than entertaining. We miss the Silva who decimated Rich Franklin - twice. Oh, and by the way, how weird is it that Franklin is training with Anderson Silva? Bizarre.

Anyways, in my humble opinion, a fighter like Griffin who will go balls-out to throw down in every fight he's in is exactly what Anderson Silva needs. Plus, it's a top LHW contender for Silva in what many think is babysteps towards Silva going after two titles.

Personally, I still want to see him destroy GSP but after his last couple fights, I'm less convinced that would happen. But the fight is apparently still being discussed. They want another GSP defense and at least one more Silva win before they look at it seriously.

A Silva win over Griffin might just pave the road into what is, on paper, the biggest fight that the UFC can deliver right now.

2009-04-28

Fucking Torre!

The Title of this post were my exact words after reading the results of tonight's game.

Okay, I need a Yankee fan to be reading this post and let me know if Torre is known for this and somehow I just missed it last year. Is he really this bad at handling his bullpen? I know he has a reputation for riding a pitcher to total fatigue but... mercy Jesus, how many fucking times can you go for a five out save in the first month of the season?

So, they summoned Broxton from the 'pen in the 8th again. And he blew the save. Then they take him out.

I just don't get it.

How many five out saves?! HOW MANY?!

Can someone tell him I'd prefer to have a closer with A LIVE FUCKING ARM after April?

Sweet Jesus.

I'm sooooo frustrated with the bullpen and Torre's handling of it so far this season.

Can someone get Grady Little on the phone?

...

Well, let's not be rash.

2009-04-27

Bullpen Part Two

Gah.

Another win given away by a tired and ineffective bullpen. Bellasario was the culprit tonight, failing in his efforts to hold the lead in the eighth inning.

So, what now?

They say Eric Milton looks pretty good in AAA. Apparently, he just picked up the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week award which is good news. Jeff Weaver also appears to be somewhat ready as well.

The problem is - both those guys are starters. So, they plug one of them into the fifth starter hole and slide James Macdonald into the 'pen? Makes sense, I suppose. At the moment, that probably helps quite a bit since most of the starters are having trouble getting past five innings or so.

Other than that, all we can do is wait. Wait for Cory Wade to heal up and pitch again and hope that Torre doesn't pitch him until his arm falls off. Wait for Kuo to regain his confidence and pitch like it. Wait for some of the other 'pen guys to show some consistency. Heck, while we're at it, we can wait for Kuroda to get off the DL which... who knows what that means to the rotation.

The offense is... okay. Lots of missed opportunities still but that'll always hang out there probably. I'm not real concerned about the offense as long as the pitching comes around.

2009-04-26

Mass Hysteria

After a day of washing my hands at work much more frequently and with everyone cracking swine flu jokes, I come home to find this headline on Yahoo...

Is swine flu 'the big one'?

Public health experts have long feared a new flu could appear and kill millions worldwide.


Wow.

Is that really necessary?

I understand the need for sensationalism to achieve maximum clickthrough rates but... come on... really?

Even if it's true, is there a need for it? Can it accomplish anything more than generating a mass panic? Not to mention it'll jam emergency rooms with people convinced they're suffering from it.