What's The Frequency, Mr. Stipe?

It somehow seems fitting that for the very first post as an "official" mp3 blog, that I'm covering R.E.M.

While R.E.M. will probably never be at the top of a list of my absolute favorite bands, they've always had a lot of songs that I like - and they oddly became somewhat significant in my life. They would easily be near the top of a list of my wife's favorite bands. Our first unofficial "date" was actually at an R.E.M. show in the fall of '95. A show where the support acts were Luscious Jackson, the Meat Puppets, and the Gin Blossoms.

Man, I feel old.

We even ended up using a R.E.M. song ("Strange Currencies") as the first dance song at our wedding - but don't get the Missus started on that one please!

Tonight, we're going to the R.E.M. show at the Hollywood Bowl - always a fun and unique place to see a concert. They are out in tour of their new album "Accelerate" that I bought last weekend so I wouldn't be totally clueless during the show - yet haven't gotten to listen to yet assuring that I most certainly will be clueless during the show.

The album created a lot of buzz when it was released because it was such a far departure from most of their recent albums. It has eleven songs, checking in at just under 35 minutes with no song breaking the five minute mark. Depending on your tastes, that could be very cool or very sucky. The album is literally a musical sprint - an attempt to break the world record in the 100 meter dash.

Unfortunately, since I haven't listened to it yet, I can't tell you if it ends up breaking the ribbon with time to spare or stumbles at the blocks with shoelaces that are tied together. Time will tell.

I'm looking forward to the show tonight. Support acts on the bill are Modest Mouse and The National, who busted out an awesome Springsteen cover lately which gives me hope for their musical talent level.

So, in honor of the show tonight, a trio of R.E.M. tracks for your listening pleasure:

These are from a Vote For Change performance in St. Paul, MN on 10-5-04. It's an audience recording so your mileage may vary but I dug it. Especially since Bruce joined in on a couple songs at the end - and you know I love me some Springsteen. Many thanks to Captain's Dead for these.

The One I Love - R.E.M. - Live (10-5-04)

Bad Day - R.E.M. w/Bruce Springsteen - Live (10-5-04)

Man On The Moon - R.E.M. w/Bruce Springsteen - Live (10-5-04)

If you like what you hear, please remember to support the artist by buying through I especially recommend the R.E.M./Dashboard Confessional joint performance album - killer stuff on there that you can find at

Schizophrenic Blogging

I have self-diagnosed myself as a schizophrenic blogger. It's true. Check the symptoms on WebMD with me.

Patient is unable to focus on one topic? Check.

Patient has days where he/she just throws up a few words and a link to avoid having to write anything of substance? Check.

Patient writes on such a wide variety of topics, he/she must be turning away readers by the handful - I mean, who is really interested in music and wants to hear patient go on ad nauseum about WWE booking or the G.I. Joe movie? Check.

Patient is narcissistic enough to believe people care about the minutiae of his life? Check!

Patient is psychotic enough to attempt to broaden the scope of said blog further even after realizing all of the above? CHECK!

Today marks the first day that I officially attempt to dip my little toe into the world of mp3 blogs. I'm not quite sure what that means to you - but I'm doing it anyways. So, I hope you gain something useful out of it.

On a legal note, please check out the new disclaimer on the sidebar to cover my ass!

Stay tuned!

Page Count - Day One

I already broke my pledge! Gah!

After one day of writing...

SCREENPLAY PAGE COUNT: 53

The NBA Is Flagrantly Pissing Me Off

Good grief, the NBA and its' officials really need to re-evaluate their flagrant foul calling procedures. There's been ridiculous calls throughout the season - not to mention throughout the playoffs when they need to consider carefully the impact of these calls - and I just saw another one.

PJ Brown just got hit with a Flagrant 1 on an attempt to block a dunk. He didn't jump high enough to get a hand on the ball, so he went up to stop the dunk. The shooter fell and fell pretty hard - but in no way was it a flagrant foul.

We all recall the Lakers' Ronny Turiaf getting hit with a Flagrant 2 and ejected from the game on a hard foul during the Jazz series - another bad call. Hard fouls aren't flagrant fouls every single time.

One of these games, a bad flagrant call is going to ultimately cost a team a game, a series, and maybe even a championship. The league desperately wants to clean up their act from the 80's Badboy days but they've gone too far with it. The game is too clean and pretty now. You can barely touch someone in the air or the hammer falls.

So, my message to David Stern?

STOP MAKING THE TEAMS PLAY PUSSY BASKETBALL!

Thank you.

CHOKE!

Ahhh, nothing quite like a barrage o' videos here at the B-Spot.

This one comes from the MTV website as the trailer for the film adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk's "Choke" is on its' way to theaters worldwide. The book was warped, twisted, funny as fuck, and awesome in every way.

But then again, what else could you possibly expect from the man who penned "Fight Club."

Well, there are no rules about talking about Choke so make sure you tell a friend.

• MTV
• Music Videos
• MTV Shows
• Entertainment News

Moshi Moshi!

As someone who gave up watching SNL ages ago, the Internet is a beautiful thing where almost any SNL sketch worth seeing is spread like wildfire in an instant. I saw this a few days ago but never got around to watching it until now.

God bless Ricky Gervais. Make sure you stick around til the end for the best line in the whole thing.

Under Pressure

Sudden realization #2: When you spend a very large portion of the day writing, it is difficult to find the drive to write on here.

The deadline for a very big writing fellowship is July 1st. You must submit a full-length screenplay by that date.

That gives me roughly a month or so to knock something out of the park to submit for this year's program.

It can be done, right? Stallone wrote Rocky in 3 days! I can write the next great American screenplay in a month!

So, here's the deal.

I will finish.

And to make sure that I finish, I will post my page count on this blog every day until I'm done - giving you all full and total ability to mock me to the end of time if I don't.

Now _that's_ entertainment.

Memorial Day

Sudden realization: Holiday weekends SUCK to try and blog every day during.

It's not like I was incredibly busy, I guess.

Ran errands on Saturday morning, went to watch UFC on Saturday night. Sat around the house all day on Sunday to watch Kershaw's debut and Game 3. Went to the in-laws for BBQ today.

So, like I said... not like I did a lot, but I kept having difficulty finding time to write on here.

I've lost my muse!

But it'll return - I promise.

Until it does, we keep on a-truckin' however we can...

With that in mind, a nice and simple Memorial Day message:

I've thankfully never known anyone who has given their lives fighting for their nation. However, I do give all my heartfelt thanks to those who have and my eternal gratitude for their sacrifice. I also give my thanks to their families and friends who have had to go on without them.

Finally, I want to give a brief thank you and acknowledgment to the three people I've known in my life who did go forth and fight for their country.

To my great Uncle, O.H. Rey.

To my great Uncle, Ray "Bud" Freeman who actually ended up spending an extended length of time as a Prisoner of War during World War II.

And to my father, Ron, who served in the US Navy.

Thank you all for all that you've done while serving our nation.

You Got The Touch!

Whoops!

Got so caught up watching Transformers and the HBO movie Recount, I forgot all about you guys.

So, you get something short just to beat the clock.

KUNG! FU! PANDA!

I'm not much in the habit of posting stuff on here because "Oh, it's so cute!" but dammit, pandas fucking rule your universe. And sneezing pandas rule it harder.

UFC Picks

Almost forgot about this. This will probably be the shortest UFC Picks Post ever. My picks in bold with no commentary, no "how they'll win," and no betting. If I get time, I may come back in later today and add more details but for now:

UFC 84: Ill Will
Date: May 24, 2008
Location: Las Vegas
Venue: MGM Grand Garden Arena
Broadcast: Pay Per View

MAIN CARD (TELEVISED)

* Champ B.J. Penn vs. Sean Sherk (for lightweight title)
* Keith Jardine vs. Wanderlei Silva
* Wilson Gouveia vs. Goran Reljic
* Lyoto Machida vs. Tito Ortiz
* Thiago Silva vs. Antonio Mendes

PRELIMINARY CARD (NOT TELEVISED)

* Rousimar Palhares vs. Ivan Salaverry
* Kazuhiro Nakamura vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou
* Rich Clementi vs. Terry Etim
* John Koppenhaver vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida
* Dong-Hyun Kim vs. Jason Tan
* Shane Carwin vs. Christian Wellisch

Top Five Friday: Google Reader

Fresh off a BIG win in Game 2 of Lakers/Spurs, I can't think of a single thing that I want to write about - especially in Top Five form.

Let's pay a little tribute to the Google Reader section of the site and present:

The Top Five Headlines In My Google Reader News (off to your right) And My Thoughts On Them!

5. FSN to carry "Affliction: Banned" preliminary card
Pretty nice deal for Affliction, as they try to get some eyeballs on their first show. However, with the amount of talent they've got on the show, they really need to get eyeballs on their PPV. There's absolutely no way they make any money on the first show. The goal is to build strong word-of-mouth so that future shows can be less stacked but still draw viewers because of good buzz. It's an interesting plan - probably not one that will work but interesting nonetheless. Oh, and I think the "Banned" name is clever as Affliction has been banned as a clothing sponsor for all EXC and UFC fighters. That's a tough one for them as Affliction has been sponsoring fighters for ages. I'm curious to see the PPV though and depending on price point, I might shell it out - or since it's taking place about twenty minutes from "the crib," maybe I'll go see it in person.

4. Brock Lesnar's UFC fight with Mark Coleman is off
The UFC has been absolutely snakebit recently when it comes to fight scheduling. The London show is cursed to no end as I've never seen so much card juggling as I have with that event. Lesnar losing the high profile fight in his hometown is a bit of a blow but as usual, it comes down to who the replacement will be. Offhand, I can't think of a heavyweight in the UFC that would draw as much interest as Coleman did. I suppose Dana could drag Tank in for Lesnar to slap around but after running down Kimbo and EXC lately, that'd be a tough one to do. Keep an eye on this one because Brock needs something high profile to keep his name in the spotlight.

3. Christian Bale signs on for an entire Terminator trilogy
Talk about being Mr. Franchise. The entire Batman saga on your shoulders and now the future of the Terminator franchise as well? Whew. I hope Mr. Bale's been working out lately. This, of course, is the Terminator series that will actually take place in the future with the human resistance fighting the machines - the story everyone has wanted to see since the very first flick. It could be very, very cool... or it could be Matrix Reloaded/Revolutions levels of suck. I'm one of the few who dug the direction they went with Terminator 3 so I've got my fingers crossed for this series as well. Besides, Bale wouldn't sign on to an entire trilogy unless it looked golden right? Right?

2. Next Spider-Man movie[s?] coming soon
Is anyone really excited about this after seeing Spider-Man 3? Me neither. Next!

1. KERSHAW IS COMING... maybe
The Dodger blogs/boards were abuzz all day today with the news that projected future Dodger ace Clayton Kershaw was pulled from his start in Jacksonville last night after one inning. The early buzz was that he might pitch on Tuesday or perhaps even tomorrow night. The late buzz is that he will be called up tomorrow to make his first big league start on Sunday afternoon against the Cardinals - a decision that will surely send tickets to that game flying out the window. I'm already debating getting in on that after pretty much deciding to spend the weekend at home to avoid paying over $4 a gallon in gas. We shall see.

Until next time...

Kobe vs Indy - YOU MAKE THE CALL!

Just got back from seeing the Indy flick. I'll do a full review of it in a couple days but I want to let it sink in a little bit before I do. For now, I will say that if you're a fan of the Indy movies, you'll probably dig it - if you have realistic expectations. It's not Raiders, it's probably not even Temple. It's closest in "feel" and quality to Last Crusade [although the Missus says LC is her favorite of the series.] The thing that will bring most people down on either side of the love/hate line will be how you feel about the main plotline. It's... different... than the others. If you're okay with what it is, you'll probably dig the movie. If you're not okay with what it is, you'll probably not like it - or you'll fall into the "Eh... it's okay" category.

Anyways... how 'bout them Lakers?



What a game, huh?

It was odd. The wife and I were both discussing last night after the game that even when the Lakers were down big, there wasn't a freaked out feeling. It was almost like... you could feel that Kobe was going to turn it on at some point and get them close. It was just a matter of how close they could get.

Turns out, they got pretty damn close.

It was an amazing game, an amazing comeback, and an amazing win.

Seven more, people. Keep the countdown going.

The UFC's Hottest Rivalry - Ortiz vs White

I just added this article from the Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer regarding the apparent final chapter to the Dana White/Tito Ortiz saga to my Google Reader news over on the right sidebar so go check it out if you want to read it in full.

Me? I want to dissect the article and give you all my expert opinion!

Let me preface this by saying I love Dana White. He always cracks me up and his balls-to-the-wall promotional style makes him a hero to me. He shares a lot of the same qualities with Vince McMahon - another personal hero... okay, go ahead and mock me now. By the same token, I'm also a Tito Ortiz fan... sorta. I think he's a prick and believes his own hype too much but I think he used to be a top level fighter and no one can deny his ability to put asses in the seats.

That being said... MY EXPERT OPINION!
NOTE: Anything in bold was written by the esteemed Mr. Meltzer

Whether he wins or loses May 24 in Las Vegas against Lyoto Machida, it certainly appears Tito Ortiz will end his 11-year Ultimate Fighting Championship career. But there will be no televised celebration of his accomplishments when the fight is over.
UFC president Dana White will want it to end as quietly as possible, with Ortiz as an afterthought, and the crowning of the undefeated Machida as a new top star.

The huuuuuuuuuge problem with this scenario is that it likely will end quietly - but it'll be the crowd that is silent after three rounds of grappling that end in a decision for Machida. Yeah, I think Machida will pull off the win but he just happens to be one of the most boring fighters I've ever seen. What Dana needed was someone to KO Tito flat on his way out - unfortunately, there's no sure bet on that one. So, what he did was put Tito in there in a no-win situation. Even if Tito wins, it's likely to be a boring fight that'll lower his value in the eyes of the fans. The problem for Dana is that the fight is likely to be so bad, even a Machida win won't be enough to make him a star.

"He's one of the most dishonest human beings I've ever met," White said. "I put up with him when he was a good fighter. He's not anymore. He's done. I'm no longer in the Tito Ortiz business."

Okay, so... you have to take everything Dana says with a large grain of salt. After all, his goal is to sell his product and shit on everyone elses. This is the same guy who after months of courting Fedor turned around and ran him down, saying he couldn't hang with any of the UFC's top heavies. With that in mind, I don't know how much Tito has left in the tank. Enough to make a lot of money somewhere else I'm sure - but so does Ken Shamrock for that purpose. Does Tito want to be the next Shamrock? Or does he want to take his considerable outside-the-cage talents and ability to be controversial to an arena that may provide him more longevity - pro wrestling anyone?

The war of words between the two is nothing new, as they've had issues since 2003, when UFC wanted to put together the first Ortiz vs. Liddell match and Ortiz claimed he didn't want to take the fight because the two were close friends and had an agreement not to fight each other (Liddell claimed there was no such agreement).

As a side comment, I hate these "agreements." Your job is to fight. Get in there and fight no matter who the opponent is. You're not trying to permanently injury your opponent so who gives a shit if it's your friend? I'd punch every single one of my friends right in the damn throat for the kind of pay day Tito and Chuck got... guaranteed!

Ortiz's contract expires with this fight. Things got so bad that Lorenzo Fertitta, the company's co-owner, and not White, was involved in trying to negotiate a new deal. But they couldn't come to terms.

"They told me I wasn't worth as much as I was in the past," Ortiz said.

Well, honestly... that's probably true. You're not beating Rampage. You're not beating Chuck. You're probably not beating Wanderlei. So, unless you wanted to do Dana a solid and drop down to go fight Anderson Silva or GSP, there's not a lot of "big fights" left for ya at the moment, pal.

Technically, there is a 30-day period after the contract expires where he can only negotiate with UFC, and then a period where UFC has the right to match any outside offer.

...

"There's not going to be any bidding war," White said. "Gary Shaw (promoter at Elite XC) should offer him $30 a fight because we're not going to match it."

I need an emoticon showing me laughing my ass off. That's the kind of Dana White throwdown that I like. You know it's bullshit but it's a funny as fuck soundbite. It really will be interesting to see if it's Elite XC, Dream, or the new Affliction group that ends up with Tito's services. It would be huge for EXC or maybe even IFL. Dream will pay a nice chunk of change but I don't know how Tito sells in Japan. Affliction can probably land him but they will only commit to doing three shows before deciding where they stand.

"This guy went on Howard Stern and said he was getting $200,000 a fight," White said. "That was such a lie. Tito made $5.8 million in 2006. He only fought once in 2007. He made $710,000 for that fight (with Rashad Evans) and that was the third match from the top (on the card). He goes around saying we made $231 million last year. He's a moron. This guy talks about what a businessman he is, and he was on ‘The Apprentice' and he doesn't know the difference between revenue and profit."

Ehhhh. I don't want to get into the dollars and cents because none of us know the actual numbers. The only thing I want to actually say on this is that much like pro wrestling, the MMA game seems to be one of those businesses where the talent's piece of the pie is considerably less than the public would imagine. So, I'm going to guess the truth is somewhere in the middle. I doubt Tito was Latrell Spreewell trying to feed his family but... he's probably not A-Rod either.

Ortiz has been unhappy with White's public comments, in which the UFC president called both Ortiz and girlfriend Jenna Jameson, who had done some negotiating with UFC for him, "morons."

What the fuck? He's got Jenna negotiating for him? I... I don't even know how to respond to that. I mean, I suppose it's possible she's a smart business woman but doesn't he gave an agent for this purpose? A manager? Having your semi-retired porn star girlfriend negotiating with a boss you hate seems to be asking for trouble.

From a business standpoint, Ortiz in 2006 was pure gold. But in 2008, it's very much a question. Ortiz hasn't had a win against a true top opponent in years. Even Ortiz's 15-5-1 record is interpreted completely different by both.

"In the last eight years, the only people who have beaten me are Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell, two of the best fighters in the world," Ortiz said.

"Look at his record," White said. "When was the last time he beat a legitimate top contender? Forrest Griffin was right out of ‘The Ultimate Fighter' and a lot of people think Griffin won that fight. You have to go back to Vitor Belfort (in early 2005). He's not ranked in anyone's top 10."

You can count me among those people who think Forrest won the fight with Tito. So, it's much like I said earlier - there's just no big fights left in him for the UFC. There's plenty of "interesting" fights that I'd like to see him in but he needs to realize that he probably does need to drop his price a little bit at this stage until he proves otherwise [for the record, the article states the UFC's final offer was for six fights and Tito admit it's probably more than he'll get elsewhere.]

And even White concedes Ortiz can help them and come across as a top star on the outside.

"He'll probably dominate, because he won't be fighting the same level of competition," he said. "Kimbo Slice? Three months ago he was fighting in your backyard."

Ortiz feels he's got several potential big fights outside of the UFC.

"There's a rematch with Randy Couture, a rematch with Frank Shamrock, and maybe (heavyweights) Kimbo Slice or Fedor Emelianenko," he said. "Yes, they are (except Shamrock) heavyweights, but we can fight at a catch weight. Babalu (Renato Sobral) is another one. I have three or four years left."

First, Dana got the killer Kimbo soundbite - so, so accurate by the way. Let's look at what Tito thinks are big fights for him. Randy? Sure, I'd like to see it. Frank Shamrock? After the loss to Cung Le, I'm not sure how big of a draw Frank Shamrock's going to be. The Frank/Ken match will sell big when/if it happens because people aren't going to get that they're not blood brothers. Babalu? No fucking way. The big two on the list obviously are Kimbo and Fedor. I don't doubt that Tito can beat Kimbo - which is why that fight probably would not happen any time soon. EXC thinks Kimbo's celebrity status is going to be the wagon they tie their horse to so they are going to be very careful about who they match him with. In fact, I have a hard time seeing EXC booking Kimbo with anyone who isn't going to stand and throw. Tito will not stand and throw with Kimbo Slice. Tito will take him down, hold him down, and pound out a stoppage or decision. Fedor? Interesting. Fedor will beat him but... interesting.

It's no secret why UFC booked Machida, 12-0, a highly respected but uncharismatic relative unknown to the casual UFC fans, as Ortiz's last opponent. The expectation is Machida would get a win over a huge name opponent, and hopefully become a star in the process, and become someone who can draw if challenging for the marquee light heavyweight title.

I don't believe that for a second. This fight is designed to bury Tito win or lose, period.

The match has more intrigue within the MMA world than any fight in a long time, because Machida is seen as White's surrogate fighter, and the question becomes, if Ortiz wins, what will he do, and what will he say, in his final interview. Or will White allow him a final interview?

Nope. No chance in hell he gets anywhere near a live mic.

It'll be an interesting fight Saturday night - not because it'll be good by any stretch of the imagination but because of all the chaos surrounding it. As a fan of the MMA business [and not just the fights,] I'm looking forward to seeing what happens.

Trip To The DL KNEEded For Jones: Wocka! Wocka! Wocka!

Aha!

Everyone has looked for reasons why the big Dodger Free Agent signing Andruw Jones was not performing up to snuff. People pointed out his weight, his attitude, his swing, his patience at the plate, you name it.

But no one thought it was something physical.

Until now.

News broke late last night that he has a knee problem - a knee problem that may require arthroscopic surgery.

In an odd decision, the Dodgers have decided to play a game of "wait and see" to see if some therapy on the knee makes it feel better so they don't have to DL him.

Are you kidding me?

Seriously?

He's in a horrific slump, probably the worst of his career. Worst case scenario is losing him for 15 days - not a big loss with how he's been hitting. To me, this is a win-win. You put him on the shelf, get the lineup that's been performing on the field every day - if he heals up right away, he's back in 15 days. If he's still hurting, scope the damn knee and get him back on July 1stish hopefully healthy and ready to contribute to the stretch drive.

I just can't see how this is a bad decision to have to make.

Pull the trigger, Ned. You'll feel much better for it.

Hello Darkness, My Old Friend

And no, that's not a Charlie Murphy reference.

You always knew it would end up this way - it just had to. With all the talk about the Jazz giving the Lakers a hard series. With all the mumbo jumbo about homecourt advantage in the playoffs. With all the hype about Chris Paul and the Hornets being the future of the league.

In the end, you knew it would have to come down to the Lakers vs Spurs. It's the equivalent of basketball destiny at its' best. The road to the NBA Finals leads through the defending champ - could it really have happened any other way?

And so, here we go again, Laker fans.

Let's break it down...

Point Guard - Derek Fisher vs Tony Parker
As much as I adore D-Fish, I have to give the edge to Parker. That being said, there definitely are games where Fish will go on a hot streak and give the team a huge lift but in the average game, he's going to have a very tough time defending Parker. And without Bynum in the back as a stopper, I look for a lot of drive and dish in the Lakers' immediate future. However, seeing how rattled got at a picture of his wife, maybe the Lakers can line up every man she's ever nailed in the front row behind the Spurs bench during home games. It's all about the in-game strategy, baby.
EDGE: SPURS

Shooting Guard - Kobe Bryant vs Manu Ginobli
Let's call a spade a spade and admit that Manu is the real starting SG for the Spurs and not Michael Finlay - although Finlay is a tough opponent as well. Manu's the master of the wild driving, weaving, throw something at the glass, crash to the floor and cry about a foul move. Kobe is... well, he's Kobe. He's the best player in the game, period.
EDGE: LAKERS

Small Forward - Vladimir Radmonovic vs Bruce Bowen
This one is a bit of a tossup. Vlad-Rad is a better offensive player than Bowen but he's still prone to the type of mental mistakes that made Phil Jackson label him a "space cadet." He can have a big impact on a game - or he can simply disappear. You just never know which Vlad will show up. Bruce Bowen won't add much on the offensive end for the Spurs but he's one of the few players in the league not afraid to play one-on-one defense against Kobe and be effective at it. That skill alone gives the Spurs the edge here.
EDGE: SPURS

Power Forward - Lamar Odom vs Tim Duncan
A month ago, I would have said this was a slam dunk category for the Spurs but Lamar has played a masterful game in these playoffs. Being slotted into the third option for scoring as helped worlds with his defense, his rebounding, and his hustle. He does a lot of the little things that don't show up on the stat sheet. Tim Duncan is... well, he's Tim Duncan. He's one of the best players in the league. As good as Odom has been, I have to give the edge to Duncan and the Spurs.
EDGE: SPURS

Center - Pau Gasol vs Fabricio Oberto
This is an easy win for the Lakers. Of course, if you're a pessimist, you look at how Bynum's injury affects this entire series. Bynum would still take this category against Oberto, Pau sliding down into the PF spot gives Duncan more trouble defensively and makes that a closer matchup, Lamar sliding into the SF spot against Bowen gives an easy win to the Lakers in that matchup. Instead of a 3-2 edge for the Spurs in the starting lineup, you have a 4-1 Laker lead. Ahhh, but it's not to be... this year at least.
EDGE: LAKERS

Bench
The sign of great Laker teams has always been a really strong bench. Whether it was the Showtime days with Byron and AC or the Shaq/Kobe Lakers with Horry and B-Shaw, when the bench was deep, the team was successful. This year is no different with the bench performing extremely well most of the year and giving the feeling that it's not so bad when Kobe goes to the bench to rest [briefly.] So, while the Lakers' bench is thriving with Walton, Farmar, Sasha, and Ronny among others - the Spurs' bench is pretty much limited to Finley and an aging [but always dangerous] Robert Horry.
EDGE: LAKERS

Coach - Phil Jackson vs Gregg Popovich
Pop is a tough, good coach - but he's no Zenmaster. Phil will have the team coached, prepared, and ready to rock for this series. It's going to be a tough series and in a tough series, I'd rather have Phil Jackson using his brain to get us an edge than Popovich.
EDGE: LAKERS

So, to wrap it up...

Lakers have an edge in Coaching, Bench, Center, and Shooting Guard.
Spure have an edge in Power Forward, Small Forward, and Point Guard.

Lakers with a 5-3 lead... but I expect this series will be even tighter than that.

My prediction?

Lakers in 6, winning on the road to close it out again.

One of my favorite NBA stories of the year

Take a look...

"Just like the real Eva Longoria, the one that showed up in New Orleans for Game 5 of the Hornets-Spurs series didn't have to buy a ticket. She was, after all, a welcome sight at the New Orleans Arena, a venue hungry for celebrity sightings to complement the Hornets' success. But Longoria was not given a free pass just because she was a celebrity. Rather, it was because she was printed on a life size poster, wearing a Hornets top intended to distract her husband Tony Parker.

"Idea was not to be offensive, just to be distractive," says Ivan Echegarrua, who partnered with fellow Hornets season ticket holder Rick Farrel to create the poster. And in case you were not at the game, the poster appeared to do the trick. Standing at the free throw line with about four minutes to go and the cutout of the Hornets-clothed Longoria in plain view, Parker missed both free throws."

So, so awesome

A Look At The Lakers

OHHHHH LAAAAAKER FANS!

Fresh off a triumph on the road in Game 6, the Lakers get to rest up for a few days, heal up some injuries, work on executing a little sharper, etc.

But the one thing that we know for sure is that instead of playing a Game 7, they get to just watch one.

New Orleans vs San Antonio - Game 7 on Monday - Who do I want to win?

Well... lemme think...

Either way, we're going to get lit up by the point guards. Fish did an awesome job on Deron Williams for most of the Utah series but Williams did pretty well against us anyways. Chris Paul? Tony Parker? It's likely to get worse on the PG front before it gets better.

The Hornets' other major threat is from Peja. West is dangerous but hurting.

San Antonio is a lot more well-rounded. We'd have to worry about Duncan, Bowen, Horry, and of course, Ginobli.

I think New Orleans will be an easier series... not an easy series by any stretch... but easier. But man oh man... playing San Antonio would be a lot of fun.

It's a tossup. All I know is that I can't wait for Wednesday night.

8 more wins... 8 more wins.

Top Five Friday: "Crosstown" Rivals

In honor of the first interleague weekend of the season with the Dodgers and Angels squaring off tonight... and in "tribute" to all those Angel fans out there that just love to rub in when the Dodgers lose... I present a very special Top Five Friday... in fact, let's do an EXTENDED EDITION because there's just so many reasons why we all hate the Angels together!

Top Ten Reasons Why It's Better To Be A Dodger Fan Than An Angel Fan

10. The Rally Monkey

Is there a mascot in all of sports more embarrassing to claim than the Rally Monkey? Some stupid f'n monkey that jumps up and down when the team is trying to rally from behind? Seriously? Every time I see that damn monkey, I wish it was the one from that infamous scene in Faces Of Death that gets it skull bashed open with a mallet. Remember all those stories in the 80s about AIDS coming to America from a monkey? I have seen the truth and the Rally Monkey brought AIDS to America. It's true. Reverend Wright told me so. And don't you Angel defenders say a damn word about the Dodgers gnome cause the gnome will kick the Monkey's ass every day of the week and twice on Sunday, daddy!

9. The only successful manager in Angels history is an ex-Dodger

The greatest move the Angels front office made was snatching Mike Scioscia out from under the Dodgers control because he was [rightfully] bitter that he didn't get the Dodgers job. In fact, the whole coaching staff is filled with ex-Dodgers - Alfredo Griffin, Mickey Hatcher, Ron Roenicke, Dino Ebel... you name it, they were all in Dodger Blue! And the "shocking" [to the AL] small ball approach that they take from time to time? Straight out of Branch Rickey's "The Dodger Way To Play Baseball!" But don't worry, Dodger fans, I guarantee the day will come when Soc looks down at the front of his jersey, feels pretty sick, and comes running home. Book it!

8. CHEAP SHOT ALERT: No Dodger relief pitcher ever killed himself
Yes, I admit it's a cheap shot. But come on... your team is so pathetic that the mere idea that you failed to get the out that would put them in the World Series forces you to become so depressed that you kill yourself? I guess we're lucky he didn't go through a sex change operation, become a police officer, and kidnap both the Rally Monkey and Vladimir Guerrero. Laces out, Donnie Moore. Laces out.

7. Our owner is better

That's right. I said it, I meant it, I'm here to represent it. Cue all the McCourt haterz saying how the Dodgers lost out on Vlad because of McCourt, cue the parking lot attendant jokes, cue the lack of money jokes. But we're the ones sitting in what is season-by-season essentially becoming a new stadium on the inside. We're the ones that have never had our stadium named after an energy company [and then embarassingly had that naming right revoked by the company holding it.] McCourt may not be the richest owner in baseball but I've never heard the Dodgers have to back off a player because the dollars didn't work out. The stadium is intact and wasn't razed to build condos. And every time you turn around, you hear a new story about McCourt doing something good for the community or the fans. Arte Moreno? He lowered the price of beer and left a giant pile of rocks in the outfield. Wooo! Go Angels! Oh, there is one other thing that Mr. Moreno's done which brings us to...

6. Our team actually wants to play in the city they're in

What a slap in the face that whole debacle should have been to Angels fans. But instead, they licked it up like a stray cat and kept running through the turnstyles. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim? Even the city of Anaheim sued over it! Moreno wants the fans of Los Angeles so badly, he was willing to spit on their existing fanbase to make it so. By the way, Arte, the fans of Los Angeles don't want you either. Your actions would have Gene Autry rolling over in his grave. Speaking of which...

5. The Angels couldn't even win it for the Cowboy

Poor Gene Autry. He owned the wretched team for 38 years. 38 years! That's almost unheard of today in sports but he suffered through years of horrid teams and "oh-so-close" moments. Hell, even _he_ didn't kill himself after '86! If an owner deserved to win something for years of futility, it was the Cowboy but nooooo... the Angels couldn't be bothered to win until Disney ran the ship. At least they had the good sense to trot out Mrs. Autry during their celebration. By the way, I bet the Cowboy would have dragged the Rally Monkey out in the streets and stomped a mudhole in its' ass and walked it dry.

4. The Dodgers' history
When you compare the histories of the two teams, there's just no question. I mean... seriously... you've got the Dodgers with names like Drysdale, Koufax, Hodges, Campanella, Podres, Wills, Garvey, Cey, Baker... I could go on for days, you know. The Dodgers broke the color barrier with Jackie Robinson. The Dodgers have history and a legacy to die for. The Angels? Umm... well, I guess they had Reggie Jackson for a while. Nolan Ryan. Anything else? That fucker Bobby Grich that spiked Steve Sax during the Freeway Series in '86.

3. The stadium

Seriously? Can we even compare the two? Dodger Stadium is a treasure of baseball, something to be held up next to Wrigley and Fenway... and it looks better than ever thanks to the McCourts. Angel Stadium? Well, it's got a pile of rocks in the outfield. They have some nice food places... well, if they're not overrun by rats and bugs and lord knows what else like the Health Department shared with the class last year. Oh, people like to point out that they allow tailgating. I would let people drink in the parking lot too if I was going to make them watch the Angels play. They do have that hideous eyesore in the parking lot to make sure the idiots coming to the stadium know they're at the right place. And if you need one thing to make sure the Dodgers win this category hands down... The Dodger Dog.

2. Angel Fans? What are those?
One of the best reasons to be a Dodger fan and not an Angel fan is when it comes right down to it, true Angel fans don't really exist. I'll grant that there are a few... a very small few. But they're not the season ticket holders who decided it was a good idea to sell tickets to the playoff series with the Red Sox... TO RED SOX FANS! They're not the people who were in the stadium when I went to an Angel/Sox game last season and heard a "LET'S GO RED SOX!" chant fill the stadium without the Angel fans saying a single thing. Try that at Dodger Stadium and see how it works out for you. I still believe that if given an Angel trivia contest, odds are high I might beat nine out of ten people in that stadium on any given night. Figure out who Brian Downing, Doug DeCinces, Rod Carew, and the like are... then come talk to me.

And the #1 reason to be a Dodger fan over an Angel fan...



Ahhhh. It's nice that when one of your World Championship trophies gets bored, he's got a few friends to talk to. The Angels World Championship trophy... well, let's just say it's feeling awfully lonely down in the Los Angeles of Anaheim.

Game, set, match. Point. Blue. Game over. End of game.

Blue's Reviews: Kate Nash @ Henry Fonda Theater in Hollywood (5/14/2008)

God, I feel old.

A lot of stuff happened yesterday and today that I feel the need to post about but I'm still tired from last night. What I expected to be a late night turned out with me going to sleep around 3 AM after watching the DVRd Laker game. But hey, at least I didn't have to go to work this morning, eh? EH?!

Anyways... I'll slowly get to all the topics, I think, but I wanted to start with this one while it's still fresh in my mind.

Blue's Reviews: Kate Nash @ Henry Fonda Theater in Hollywood (5/14/2008)

Too many bands that go out on the road these days have forgotten their early days - those days where they had just gotten a little bit of the spotlight shined on them and they were loving every minute of it. You know the kind of show I'm talking about. The shows where everything seems pre-determined and well-plotted... like a paint by numbers kit come to life. Kate Nash is enjoying that glimmer of spotlight that is just starting to bounce off her colorful personality and it shows.

The lovely Ms. Nash and her backing band hit the stage at Hollywood's Henry Fonda Theater around 10:15 PM and never looked back, blistering through a very full set to the enjoyment of the crowded house out on a school night to watch the final show of her U.S. tour. When the curtain raised at the self-titled "Music Box," the screams filled the air. A simple stage was on display - the only sign of set decoration a velvety curtain hanging behind the band with a neon sign proclaiming "Kate Nash." It seemed fitting for a show that used very little in the way of frills to entertain the crowd. They knew the fans were there to hear Nash and her vocal gymnastics and they did nothing to disappoint.

From Moment One, Nash sat down in the middle of the stage behind a keyboard and proceeded to rock that keyboard so hard that there were times I was certain a key or two was going to get shattered. I don't think I've seen a keyboard rocked that hard in person since seeing Moby a few years ago. Unfortunately, my immediate fears about this show were realized during the opening couple of numbers. In the days leading up to the show, I had seen a few reviews complaining about the vocal mix at points in the show. Personally, I'm of the opinion that the vocal mix was fine but the backing band was way too loud for the type of music they were backing. And I think Nash felt that at times because there were portions of the show that devolved into her screaming to be heard over her own band.

When they ventured away from the keyboards to Kate on the guitar, the show was worlds better as the vocals were clear and crisp. It was at this point of the show that Kate Nash's vocal stylings really shine. Oddly, at times, she reminded me of Bjork - not in song structure or style but rather in the unexpected qualities she brings to the table. Nash does not take the safe path on any songs and seems to be experimenting with the way she likes to sing them best. Her ability to shove about 180 words into one lyric is quite impressive as well.

The audience seemed to made up primarily of young girls, who were quite willing and able to dance and sing along to every song she sang. For a fairly new artist, she has quickly gained a very devoted following who were already waiting for the doors to open two hours before the show. Nash was obviously grateful for these fans as she took a very public route into the venue, stopping to sign autographs and take photos with screaming fans along the way.

It is that type of gesture that really shows Kate Nash is still getting settled into her fame. When you go to a concert, more times than not, it is the little things that you remember - those fleeting moments that will stick in your head years later. For some of the fans in the crowd last night, it'll be her singing Happy Birthday to a young lady in the crowd who shouted out that it was her birthday. Or perhaps it'll be the moment she dedicated her anti-man anthem "Dickhead" to a couple specific dickheads referenced by the girls in the crowd.

For me, it comes towards the end of the night. Her opening act, the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players, are a family act with a father, mother, and 14-year old daughter. At one point during her set, Kate invited the daughter, the drummer for her family band, on stage to help out with percussion during a couple songs. However, towards the end of the night, the young girl wandered out from backstage to watch the end of the show from behind the security barricade during Kate's big hit "Foundations." During the song, security decided to make the girl leave which brought the show to a screeching halt as Kate stopped the song, berated the security to leave the girl alone as she's "part of the band" and then re-start the song from the beginning to wild cheers from the crowd.

It's that kind of spontaneity that makes a show memorable. Any band can go through their setlist, ignoring the crowd except for a few well-planned "How y'all doin' tonight?" during instrument changeovers. But very few still have the level of interaction to make their fans feel like they're important to the person on stage.

Oh, and a little secret? I think Kate Nash has a punk rock side dying to crawl out from behind her multi-colored dress into the spotlight. At two points during the night, she seemed to relish in the opportunity to turn her songs up a notch into very close to a full-fledged punk song. In fact, during the encore number "Model Behaviour" in which she encouraged fans to sing along to the chorus ("You don't have to suck dick to succeed") this old-timer who has been to his fair share of punk rock shows could have easily seen an old fashioned stage dive to end the set.

Alas, it was not to be.

All in all, it was a really fun night at the Henry Fonda Theater with just a few sound problems preventing me from giving the show an overwhelming thumbs up. But Kate Nash and the band are definitely an act to keep an eye on - let's just hope they keep their enthusiasm and charm intact as they grow together.

HULK SMASH

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Actual Iron Man suit from movie

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Doubie Posting Wednesday

Just thought I'd drop some more verbage on you before heading out for the Kate Nash show in Hollywood tonight.

In case you haven't noticed, somewhere on the right side of the page, there is now a section where I can leave behind some newsbits that I think you all might enjoy. And I have done so!

To help promote that cool little feature, I thought I'd take a few of those newsbits and give you some thought patterns on them.


NEWS: KCRW Launches Guest DJ Project
THOUGHT PATTERN: That's pretty fucking sick. I don't get to listen to KCRW very much except for their killer Today's Top Tune podcast that you really should be listening to but I do appreciate their efforts to introduce new music to this desolate wasteland of good musical taste that we call the United States. One of the things that I first dug about Indie 103 and that got me listening to them was their efforts to use DJs that were "unusual." Henry Rollins, the Camp Freddy boys, Dicky from the Bosstones, etc. So, the idea of someone like Danny Devito hosting a show on KCRW is pretty boss. Good idea, KCRW! Keep the morning eclectic!

NEWS: Dodgers' Blake DeWitt for ROY?
THOUGHT PATTERN: With his numbers climbing, he's gotta be getting some consideration but the concern remains true - what happens when Nomar comes back? It just seems unbelievable to me that someone doing so well and who is the future of the team will be shoved aside for someone who definitely is the past of the team. I really like Nomar but he needs to be used in a utility/supersub position now. His days as an everyday starter seem to be behind him. Of course, the one monkey in this particular wrench... what about Andy LaRoche? Did LaRoche gets Wally Pipped or does he still stand a shot at grabbing the position that he was the heir apparent to for so very long? Like sands through the hourglass...

NEWS: EliteXC expects sellout for May 31st show
THOUGHT PATTERN: You gotta be shittin' me. They think they're going to fill a 15,000+ seat arena based off Kimbo Slice's name alone? If they manage to pull that off without papering the crowd, I will swallow crow and admit that Kimbo's a hell of a bigger draw than I gave him credit for. For me, the lineup just doesn't look very good. It's another freak show lineup with EXC praying the public will tune in because a] it's free and b] it's got Kimbo and Gina Carano on the show. While that's good enough for me and for the majority of MMA fans, I'm sure, you have to wonder if that's enough for the "general public." And you DEFINITELY have to wonder if it's enough to sell out that building.

NEWS: Charter Communications to share web histories with advertisers
THOUGHT PATTERN: Remember that time you Googled "Miley Cyrus topless photos" looking for those Vanity Fair pics that everyone was talking about? No? LIAR! Well, thanks to the good folks at Charter Communications, soon everyone will know that you performed that search and just what porn sites you ventured to blindly looking for said photos. And as a result? You're probably going to get some very targeted porn ads sent your way. Awesome! Ain't the lethal combination of American business practices and intrusive technology grand?

NEWS: Bryant skips practice again but says he will play
THOUGHT PATTERN: Oh god. Just reading the headline makes me queasy. But there's really no way around it. You don't want him to NOT play because injured or not, I bet the Lakers stand a better chance of winning if he plays than they do if he sits. At the same time, the haunting memories of badly shot jumpers in the 4th quarter from Sunday will not leave my mind until we're out of this round... and probably not even then. A lot of people say that a series really doesn't start until someone wins on the road... that puts the Lakers in a must-win scenario tonight as they haven't proved they can win in Utah this post-season yet. MUST WIN. Phil better write that on the board tonight. Game 6 is going to be a bitch... and having the pressure of being an elimination game is something the Lakers DO NOT need. Game on, Laker fans... game on.

More Point Break 2 Details

Last night's post "broke" the news that a Point Break 2 sequel is in the works.

Here's some more details from the folks at IESB:

"The IESB has uncovered story details from the upcoming sequel to Point Break!

No, its not called Point Break 2: Electric Boogaloo instead it will be called Point Break Indo.

The original 1991 film starred Keanu Reeves, Patrick Swayze and Gary Busey and brought in a total box office haul of over 80 million dollars.

There has been no casting news even though the production company is believed to have reached out to both Reeves and Swayze, we also know that the movie will take place Indonesia, hence Point Break Indo, clever.

Jan de Bont will be directing and the production company believes that they will be filming the "most extreme action stunts ever caught on camera."

So what will the story be about? Here is your first look at the sequels' synopsis.

When Billy Dalton, military special ops and star surfer, is disqualified from the pro-surfing tour, he takes off for the coast of Bali looking for the perfect wave. While there he’s recruited by a private security force who are trying to find a gang known as The Bush Administration, surfing outlaws and modern day pirates who work like “The Ex-Presidents,” a bank robbing crew from Malibu twenty years ago."

Oh... my... god, Becky

As Texas Jack says in Tombstone...

I ain't got the words.

The Ultimate Ride... 2?

Game Five

Soooo... yeah.

Obviously I wasn't in the mood to discuss the Lakers after yesterday's game. That was without a doubt one of the most frustrating games I've ever seen. Going to OT means they were a point away from winning [obviously.]

So, so, so many missed opportunities. Gasol's blown dunk. Kobe forcing jumpers with an injured back. And of course, "Lazy As Fuck" Luke Walton getting a breakway layup stuffed down his damn throat.

Not to mention all the missed free throws.

Like I said yesterday... ugh.

I still have faith they can find a way to manage to win the series - well, as long as Kobe's not too badly hurt to play the rest of the games effectively. Both games in Utah were just hard to watch. Uneven performances by guys who should have been playing better. Bad decisions. Horrid rebounding.

Again... ugh.

Game Five will be good. I expect the Lakers to take it pretty easily... and again, due to some bad planning on our part, the wife and I will be at the Kate Nash concert in Hollywood so we won't get to see it.

Game Six back in Utah? That's the tough one. I can't wait for Friday.

Game Seven? We shall see if it gets that far.

Ugh

Just one of those days, you know?

Don't want to talk about the Lakers.

Don't want to talk about the Dodgers.

Really, I don't want to talk about anything.

So... I'M PHONIN' IT IN, DAMMIT!

Indiana Jones - I always knew someday you'd come walking back through my door

The good folks over at AICN have started receiving some reviews of the new [last?] Indiana Jones movie as it just started screening for people in sneak preview form.

The reviews are... mixed. Which is scary.

I'm not one of those guys who will run around with Lucas and Spielberg's heads on a pike screaming "YOU RAPED MY CHILDHOOD!" if the movie sucks. If it sucks, it sucks... it's a shame, but it's life, right? People make shitty movies and put them out to torture the masses. It's a test to see the breaking point of man and how far society can be pushed before we all turn upon each other and create an anarchist state of people who slaughter anyone who mentions phrases like "King Arthur" or "Air Bud."

But I digress.

I haven't followed the making of this movie very closely. It's one of those flicks where I would prefer to go in fresh, knowing as little as possible, and let the chips fall where they may. We've all heard the rumors about that Shia fellow being Indy and Marion's love child - don't want to know. We've heard that the Ark is involved - don't want to know. We've even heard that Indy may die - don't want to know.

With so little information going in, oddly, I don't feel the same sort of anticipation for this one as I did the Star Wars prequels... strangely, I don't even know if I feel the same sort of anticipation that I feel for... say... The Dark Knight. I mean, I know I want to see it and I know I probably want to do a midnight screening of it... but I'm not sitting around wondering what it's going to be like.

And the reviews coming in... the few that I skimmed the beginning of, praying for no spoilers... have done little to get me hyped up for it.

But it can't suck, right?

And before anyone points out Episodes I-III... just don't. I won't listen to you. You can stamp your feet and jump up and down and tell me how much you hate Jar Jar or little Jake Lloyd or whatever... I don't care. They weren't Ep IV-VI but they never were going to be - they never could be. But they hold a special place in this Star Wars fan's geeky heart so... just don't.

Indy can't suck. I've made that decision. I put my foot down on the baby toe of the movie gods and deny them the ability to make it suck.

Look, I can read bad reviews... I can hear bad buzz... I can not feel the hype...
But I can tell you one thing...

Before Iron Man, they ran an Indy trailer.

And I got chills. Chills at the beginning. Chills at the middle. Chills at the end.

And for now, that's good enough for me, Dr. Jones.

Top Five Friday: Iron Man

Grrrr...arrrrgh... nowhere in my wedding vows do I recall, "I will pause the Laker playoff game that you knew was on at 6 PM (and that I openly declared my intent to leave Happy Hour at 5:45 so I would be home on time for the game) so that you have time to get home from a trip to Aaron Brothers that you openly admit was a "last minute thing since you weren't going to be home""

Everybody got that?

So, Top Five Friday. Saw Iron Man last night. Loved it. Absolutely loved it. If I had done last week's Top Five this week, I would have had some serious difficulty pulling it off. My immediate thought walking out of the movie is that I think it's very close to Batman Begins in quality level but I'm not sure if it surpasses it.

But that's a topic for another time.

The topic for today? The Top Five Reasons You Want To See Iron Man... a slightly spoilerish edition so avert thine eyes if you're sensitive to spoilerish materials.

Images inserted as spoiler space.





5. FX
You know those moments during The Hulk? Or those moments during the trailer for the new Hulk movie? Or even some of those moments during the Star Wars prequels? You know the moments I'm talking about... the moments when you see an action sequence or a CGI "thing" on the screen that makes you scratch your chin and say, "You know, that's just not right." I never had a moment like that during Iron Man. It was all completely natural and looked/felt right. And to top it off, during the credits, I remembered that the work was a joint effort between ILM and Stan Winston [who is a mofuckin' genius.] And to pay them tribute, I say... I honestly have no idea where ILM's work ends and Winston's begins. Big props on that.

4. The little things
When making a HUUUUUUGE FX heavy action flick, it's easy to forget the little things that make movies charming and adorable. Iron Man is not short on any of those moments. Whether it's Tony being the alcoholic playboy or the little machines that help him build and test the suit and his relationship with them or Pepper Potts just being so damn adorable, this movie has all the little things that will make you smile and know it's more than one explosion after another.

3. The acting
The acting in this movie is phenomenal. There's not a single cast member that uttered a single line that felt forced or unnatural. In fact, that's a big plus for Iron Man over Batman Begins, IMO. Every member of the cast _was_ their character in my eyes and I never felt I was watching someone "play a role"... other than trying to wrap my head around The Dude being some big bald businessman. Go figure.

2. Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark
This is a little bit of a double-dip from #3 but RDJ _was_ Tony Stark. He had everything down pat in the way that I would envision Tony Stark if a comic book came to life. He was the alcohol-chuggin', womanizin', fast car-drivin', private jet ridin', suit of highly technological buildin' son of a gun. Everything seemed right and he seemed totally natural in the role. The frustrating thing of it all was that I watched Fantastic Four 2 yesterday before seeing this and the difference between the portrayal of Tony Stark as a brilliant scientist and Reed Richards as the "smartest man in the Marvel Universe" was absolutely astonishing. I really wish Marvel had taken creative control of their own properties sooner.

1. AFTER THE CREDITS
Well, it's not _really_ #1 probably but it was so, so, so awesome as a comic book geek, I encourage one and all to stick through finding out who the Best Boy and Ms. Paltrow's Assistant was just so you can see it. Don't be like the two people I've talked to today who missed it and then went nutty when I told them what happened. Stick around and see it for yourself so you can post a comment here saying how absolutely batshit fucking awesome it was.

And that, my friends... is that. Go Lakers!

Mixtape Of The Month - Aural Hershiser

So, I'm still running behind schedule on Mixtapes Of The Month but I'm on the comeback trail, I can feel it!

Download and enjoy!

Mixtape Of The Month (April 2008)
Title: Aural Hershiser
Length: 1:43:30
File Size: 95 MB
Featuring: 16 cool-as-fuck songs including music by Styx, Vampire Weekend, Motley Crue, Bob Marley, Pearl Jam, Kate Nash, No Doubt, Black Sabbath, Flight Of The Conchords, and many, many more!

More G.I. Joe Photos + News

As your very unofficial source of G.I. Joe info, I come bearing gifts.

First, the good folks over at Superherohype.com were given the courtesy of a visit to the G.I. Joe set recently . Their initial report is pretty vague but they did drop a few details of interest. Some of the sets they were shown included the MARS lab [can't really go wrong with a weapons-development building], the "interior of the G.I. Joe submarine" [makes sense], an underwater base station [fits with the rumors of an undersea battle at some point in the flick,] and "the remains of the Pit." Aha! So, at some point in the movie, the Pit gets damaged badly. Seems fitting considering the number of times it happened in the comics and cartoon. I'm okay with all that!

The real test?

More pictures. As Samuel L once wisely said, "Hold on to your butts."

Having some HTML troubles so I'll put all my comments at the bottom of the page.




































































































New shot of Storm Shadow. Much, much better, IMO. Still not perfect but he doesn't look like he fell out of a bad anime.

Ahhh, sweet, sweet Baroness. I dig it. I think this one works nicely - but I said that after the first photo of her too. She's the only one they've completely hit on the nail so far - Snakes is very close but the second photo of him scared me a bit.

Destro. Hrmm. Without the mask, it's hard to tell but I think this guy looks just about right for the gig. Slap some wrist rockets on him and let's see how it goes.

Still Metrosexual General Hawk. Egads.

Heavy Duty. Not bad. Not fond of everyone in black leather still but not bad at all. Mr. Eko rules it.

And lastly, Breaker... who looks just fine again except for the black leather.

A great day in LA sports

I sit here writing this post with the biggest fucking grin on my face.

Watching Kobe Bryant accept his long-deserved, long-denied, long-awaited NBA MVP award is one of the greatest moments in LA sports history to me. Obviously, it doesn't rank up there with the Gibson homerun or the Kobe-to-Shaq alley-oop or... well, so many others. But this is so great to see after the season [and summer] that this team went through.

It's almost impossible to imagine that when this season started, we all were faced with the very real possibility that Kobe would be dealt somewhere else and the Lakers would probably be a low seed or a lottery team. Very few ever envisioned this season ending with the Lakers in the second round of the playoffs, with Kobe accepting the MVP Award, and with a very real possibility that the Lakers will move on in the post-season.

Amazing.

But it is reality. As I sit here to listen to Luke Walton jokingly ask if Kobe will be buying his teammates a gift. As I sit here to listen to Tex Winter ask if Kobe likes the triangle offense. As I sit here to listen to Kobe struggle to answer a question in Spanish in a J-Lo-as-Selena fashion while looking at Pau Gasol for help. And maybe most importantly, as I sit here to listen to Kobe Bryant tell the world he wants to be a Laker for life. It's real, you know? In an unbelievable season... you've gotta believe your eyes and ears from time to time.

It has been an honor and pleasure to watch Kobe Bryant mature as a player from the kid throwing up airballs in the playoffs against Utah that made me want to put my foot through the TV screen to the greatest player in the game collecting his first MVP award and trying to push his team to another championship. Oh, and if that's not enough, instead of resting over the summer, he's going to carry his country to a gold medal.

Repeat: He's _going_ to carry his country to a gold medal - there's not a doubt in my mind about that.

And as the details trickle in, we find out that it wasn't even close. As much talk as there was about Chris Paul being right there with him, Kobe has 82 first place votes while Chris Paul had 28. After all the debate, after all the talk - it wasn't even close.

Kobe Bryant is your MVP. Kobe Bryant is _our_ MVP.

Kobe Bryant is the greatest basketball player that I have had the pleasure to see in my life. Now, that statement comes from behind purple-and-gold colored glasses and from someone who didn't get to see Magic, Kareem, Jordan at their primes. But Kobe will be the player that my kids and grandkids will someday ask if I saw. His golden #24 [or #8... or both!] will be hanging from the rafters the first time my kids and grandkids walk into a Laker game.

"Did you ever see him play?"

The question will come, surely enough. And I'll stop and look up at the rafters of the Staples Center [or whatever building the Lakers have moved into by then.] I'll look at the jerseys of Kareem, of Magic, of Wilt, of Chick, of West, of Shaq. I'll turn my head slightly to look at the wall of banners - more than a few more added at that point.

I'll think back and remember it all - all the moments that are unforgettable, all the shots that are unbelievable, all the plays that are unimaginable.

And I'll smile.

"Yeah, I saw him play."

"What was it like?"

"You know that movie I make you watch every March? With the baseball player who breaks the lights with a home run?"

"Yeah."

"Kobe Bryant was just like him - the best there ever was."

Congrats, Kobe... and thanks.

News And Reaction: The Wrestling Edition

I figured it's been a while since I've tossed some Rassle Talk on this blog so... here goes!

NEWS: WWE experimenting with a little more "shock TV"
REACTION: Well, honestly, I don't know. Regal pulling the plug on Raw's main event was amusing and didn't bother me one bit. I thought it was a clever way to get some heat on the new heel. All the 'net outrage over the main event's finish not being seen is amusing - maybe it's because I grew up watching wrestling in the 80's when that was a real common ploy but it was just fine with me. Will it lead to more viewers? Maybe initially - the curiosity factor to see what will happen to Regal because of it. But an initial bump is all they'll get unless they instill a new feeling of unpredictability to every show. The ECW thing was interesting but I'm not sure an angle built off bad reaction to an announcer's performance is a good thing. Eh. I didn't even watch it, to be honest. I might tune in for the aftermath.

NEWS: TNA is... well, TNA
REACTION: I've given up again. There's just nothing worth seeing. I want to be interested in Samoa Joe as the champ since he's one of my favs but... really? I just don't care. And Russoiffic concepts like the Deuces Wild tag tourney do nothing to make me change my mind about that. Oh, not to mention the new round cage introduced one month after an all-cage match PPV. Money, baby, money.

NEWS: ROH in the Hammerstein this weekend
REACTION: In what could be the biggest weekend for the nation's top indy in its history, Ring of Honor invades the Hammerstein Ballroom in NYC this weekend for an attempt to take a step up the ladder. It's a big risk to take but they have stacked the lineup for it. I'll be curious to see the results [and the attendance] as they have recently set up a couple of interesting angles to get my attention again.

NEWS: PWG snakebit
REACTION: Can't go through one of these without putting over the local product. The PWG faithful were all looking forward to their big two night tag tourney [DDT4] in a couple of weeks. They had to make the usual pre-show lineup juggling but all was well... until their champ went down with a knee injury. Now, with their big Labor Day tourney and another show with Dragon Gate on the horizon, they're scrambling again. I know what I would do... but I'm not on the writing staff for them for some unknown reason!

NEWS: XPW! XPW! XPW!
REACTION: Oh yeah, baby! The big XPW reunion show is Memorial Day weekend and it looks like it's going to be a lot of fun. The latest addition has a Dream Death Match with former XPW King of the Death Match Supreme taking on the quickly-becoming-legendary Necro Butcher. Now _that_ should be fun.

That One Is Our Last Hope...

Cinco de Mayo... sorta

We had a Cinco de Mayo fiesta today... a couple days early... just because a Monday party was difficult to pull off. So, I'm a tad bit... well, drunk... to be honest...

How can I fill up an entire post without something logical while slightly intoxicated?

It's a challenge to not have a world of typos at this point. The Missus just accused me of denting the wall where I knocked a metal Fleur de Lis off the wall earlier. Sheesh! I'll have to check tomorrow to see if that's actually true or not.

At the moment, I find myself drinking Corona while typing and watching the nephew/niece playing Super Smash Brothers. Good times.

There's a certain amount of blurriness involved but I stand firm, believing that I type like a champion while waitiing for the eyes to straighten out somewhatish.

Word.

So, now you see drunken Blue typing like the King of the World. How's that for ya, bitches?

Suck it, monkeys! I'm going corporate!

Did I stutter?

Top Five Friday: Comic Book Movies

With Iron Man hitting screens this week, it seems like an appropriate time to look back at some of the very best comic book adaptations to hit the big screen.

So, let's!

NOTE: I haven't seen Iron Man yet [but hope to this weekend] so that one won't make the list... yet! Also, I haven't watched Transformers yet so... well, subject to change!

5. Blade

It's odd. As I started thinking of movies to put together on this list, my mind drifted to movies that a lot of people don't even associate as having a comic book as their source materials. Things like 300 or Sin City could've easily made the list as well but just fell short. Another thing that's weird about the list I came up with is that as much of a stickler as I am for staying true to your source material, the majority of the movies that came to mind I had very little familiarity with the original source or the movie was notorious for tossing it aside. Anyways, Blade is just flat out cool. It's a comic I've never read - not even after seeing the movie and really had no desire to. But the movie version of Blade is awesome - although I think it is helped greatly by the tremendous performance of Stephen Dorff as Deacon Frost, one of the all-time great movie villains that is criminally overlooked and underappreciated when that discussion comes up.

4. Batman
How could you not like things like the Bat Shark Repellant? Or the zany popups on the screen with "POW!" or "THWACK!"

...

Huh? Oh. Not _that_ Batman.

Gotcha. Well, the Nicholson one was good too. And really, isn't Nicholson the key to the first Batman movie? It may not be the Joker performance that comic book fans were dying to see... and in just a few weeks time, we may discover it's not even the best Joker performance in a movie... but it's Jack being Jack and being Jack to perfection. All the one-liners are gold. "This town needs an enema!" "Never rub another man's rhubarb!" "If you've gotta go, go with a smile!" Michael Keaton is... okay. Keaton was good as the dopey, bumbling side of Bruce Wayne... but Bruce Wayne doesn't have a dopey, bumbling side. Before Batman Begins came out, I used to say that Keaton was a good Batman but a bad Bruce Wayne - Kilmer was a good Bruce Wayne but a bad Batman - Clooney was just plain bad. Christian Bale pretty much broke the mold but more on that later. Anyways, give full credit for this making the list to Jack Nicholson... or a cameo by Lando Calrissian as pre-scarred Harvey Dent.

3. The Crow
Another comic book movie that I've never read the comic book of - despite owning a t-shirt promoting the comic that I bought at Hot Topic as a youth and wore endlessly resulting in many a photo from my youth where I'm wearing the t-shirt... and I never read it... and I shopped at Hot Topic... somebody just wipe all those memories out of my head please. The Crow was an utterly fantastic movie that I just realized I don't own on DVD and felt absolutely sick about it. The epitome of a revenge flick and just about perfect in every aspect. It's dark, it's creepy, but it still tells the story and doesn't get lost in the violence. And if nothing else, it brought two quotes into my world that I love to death. The first? "It can't rain all the time." I spout this one off from time to time when it seems like things just can't get worse - a glimmer of light in a very dark and gloomy world at times. The other? The one that prompted my good friend Poff Daddy to air-hump any light post, mailbox, video game, golf club or anything else that would give him the opportunity to bellow "BANGIN' AWAY ON DARRRRLA!" at the top of his lungs on any number of nights. Ahhh, memories.

2. Batman Begins

I just couldn't do it. As much as I wanted to rank this number one for being very close to a perfect comic book adaptation, I just couldn't do it. I love the acting [for the most part,] I love the story, I love the lighting, the set design, the "toys", everything about it. Cillian Murphy as The Scarecrow stole the movie for me actually - he lit up the screen with charisma every time he was on it. I could've done with him as the lone villain in it. I can watch this movie over and over and seemingly never tire of it. So, why didn't it get the top spot?

1. Superman 2

Sigh. How could I not? It was a hard choice, I'll admit. Batman Begins did a worlds better job of sticking to the source material - something I treasure in a comic book movie... hell, any adapted flick generally. But there's something magical about Superman 2. I don't know what it is. Maybe it's Superman making the great sacrifice to be Clark for the rest of his days for his love - only to realize that he was being selfish and society needed him to be Superman. Maybe it's the menacing trio of villains - the brawn, the sexy siren, or the brains. Maybe it's the face that the phrase "Kneel before Zod" is a permanent part of pop culture because of it. I don't really know what it is but I'll be damned if Superman 2 isn't the best comic book movie ever released on Planet Houston.

And that's that.

Updated Concert Calendar

A new month - a newly updated Concert Calendar!

And to make things oh-so-much cooler, I'm actually going to a few of these shows so I have bolded them for your reference or for your jealousy... whichever applies more.

May
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5/6 - Laura Veira/Liam Finn @ The Echo
5/13 - Port O'Brien, Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin @ The Echo
5/14 - Kate Nash @ Henry Fonda
5/15 - Eisley @ The El Rey
5/17 - Eisley @ Glass House
5/17 - Earlimart @ The Echo
5/19 - The Kooks @ The Wiltern
5/27 - The Police @ Hollywood Bowl
5/28 - Mates of State @ Henry Fonda
5/29 - R.E.M. @ Hollywood Bowl
5/30 - Flight Of The Conchords @ The Orpheum
5/31 - The Cure @ Hollywood Bowl

June
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6/18 - Rilo Kiley @ Greek Theatre
6/23 - Death Cab For Cutie @ Nokia Theater
6/25 - Tom Petty @ Hollywood Bowl

July
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7/11-12 - Ricky Gervais @ Kodak Theatre
7/16 - Journey, Heart, and Cheap Trick @ Irvine Meadows
7/28 - Bloc Party @ Glass House

August
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8/1 - Rod Stewart/Bryan Adams @ The Venue Formerly Known As Irvine Meadows
8/2 - Motley Crue @ Glen Helen Pavillion
8/22 - Tom Petty @ Verizon Wireless
8/23 - Poison w/Dokken, Sebastian Bach @ Universal Amp
8/29-30 - John Williams @ Hollywood Bowl

September
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9/6 - Nine Inch Nails @ The Forum
9/20 - Beck w/Spoon, MGMT @ Hollywood Bowl