In honor of this weekend's big show, I thought I'd do a rundown of 'Mania past. Keep in mind that this list would probably change weekly... maybe even daily... but I went through each 'Mania and selected my favorite match from that show. Not necessarily the best match but my favorite. Also keep in mind that I haven't seen some of these shows in ages and I'm going off an admittedly dusty memory.
Enjoy!
Wrestlemania I
Honestly, with all the history behind it - Wrestlemania I didn't have very many matches to be all that nostalgic about. In fact, there were quite a few stinkers. But if I had to pick one, I'll go with the crazy spectacle that was the Main Event. Hulk Hogan & Mr. T teaming against Roddy Piper & Paul Orndorff. You had Snuka in one corner and Cowboy Bob in the other. You had Ali outside the ring as a guest ref. There was Billy Martin and Liberace and the Rockettes. It truly was a WWF/E scene to remember.
Wrestlemania II
The match quality in the second 'Mania increased a bit even though the "feel" of the event was a bit off since it was broadcast from three separate arenas. While the Steel Cage Main Event of Hogan and Bundy was memorable for a couple of reasons - a] it was the only traditional cage match in 'Mania history [although I thought that was where Orton/HHH was heading a few weeks ago] and b] it was the blowoff to the nice little feud that started when Bundy busted up Hogan's ribs. It's also notable because I vividly remember seeing the results in my local paper the next morning with a picture of Hogan on the ropes booting Bundy in the chest. But even with all that nostalgia, my favorite match of the night has to be the Bulldogs winning the tag titles from Valentine and Beefcake. Even as a kid, I knew the Bulldogs were something special but I didn't quite realize how ahead of their time they were for several years to come.
Wrestlemania III
Now THIS is historic. This is the first Pay Per View I ever ordered and we didn't even get it at my house. My Aunts had to order it for me at their house while my grandpa dragged us out to Palm Springs to see the Angels vs the Red Sox in a spring training game. I didn't get to watch the tape until a week or two later although I couldn't resist sneaking a peek at the results in the newspaper the next day. I LOVE just about every match on the WM3 card so I'm hard pressed to pick a favorite but if forced to, I have to forgo the epic encounter between Hogan and Andre and go for one of the greatest matches of all time in Steamboat vs Savage. That was the match that made me realize there was more to wrestling than Hulk Hogan style matches. I was already starting to be convinced by the Crockett NWA shows and this just was the icing on the cake.
Wrestlemania IV
Ugh. This wasn't a good show. It was probably more memorable for the matches we DIDN'T get to see in the tourney like Steamboat/Savage II rather than the ones that we did. In the end, I guess I'd pick Savage vs DiBiase but even that wasn't anything I'm dying to revisit anytime soon.
Wrestlemania V
Alright, I'll admit it. I was a sucker for the Megapowers and their blowup. I was so anti-Savage that I'm surprised I didn't try to burn my Macho Man t-shirt - yes, I had that purple/pinkish shirt and wore it proudly to a house show that year with a Savage/Honky Tonk cage Main Event. So, Hogan vs Savage in the Main Event with Liz in neither man's corner? I'm sold. It didn't hurt that was a hell of a match to boot.
Wrestlemania VI
This one's kind of a no-brainer as I can only recall one match on the show being any good at all. Hogan vs Warrior was a million times better than it had any right to be and Pat Patterson is cemented in my mind as a wrestling genius because of it. And yes, I was rooting for Hogan in this one and to this day will slow-mo that three count at the end because damn it, Hogan got the shoulder up!
Wrestlemania VII
Well, it's definitely not the Hogan/Slaughter Main Event that suffers the indignity of being the only Main Event in 'Mania history to actually PUT ME TO SLEEP while watching it live. Incredible. No, the easy winner on this one was the magnificent Warrior/Savage "retirement match." My god, I didn't think it was possible to drag a better match out of Warrior than Hogan had a year prior but Savage did it and did it with style. Everything about that match is just golden from the Warrior's amazing jacket he wore to the ring that my friend Brian and I insisted we'd wear to school if we owned it to the surprise appearance of Elizabeth to the multiple flying elbows to the tearful reunion. Absolutely magnificent.
Wrestlemania VIII
Sadly, Wrestlemania VIII will always be remembered more for the match we didn't get - Hogan vs Flair - tan either of the really good matches we did get. I think I'd put Hart vs Piper a notch above Savage/Flair on that one. While Savage/Flair had that really great Liz angle going, Hart vs Piper just played out so beautifully. That spot where Piper is going to crown him with the bell and then tosses it aside because he doesn't want to win that way? Gets me every time.
Wrestlemania IX
This is one of the only Wrestlemanias that I can honestly say it took me years to actually see and I have very little recall of the show at all. I DO remember sitting at home "watching" it on Scramblevision and WTFng my head off during the Hogan post-match angle in the Main Event. But if I have to pick a match... uhhh... well... I seem to remember the Steiners vs the Headshrinkers being nutty. I don't really know though. Probably the Mania I've seen the least amount of times.
Wrestlemania X
This is really a two match show and you always see very split opinions as to which match was better. While I love Bret/Owen, I'm going with the ladder match simply because at the time, I hadn't seen anything like it and was absolutely amazed at the things those two men were doing to each other with that ladder. That was a star-making performance for both of those guys that night at MSG.
Wrestlemania XI
Weird 'Mania. There's not much to be excited about on this one since the I Quit match with Bret and Backlund was a turkey after it looked so awesome on paper. Diesel and HBK was solid as well but truth be told, I've got to go with the LT/Bigelow match. I just had absolutely zero hope of it being any good going in but in true WWE spectacle fashion, they "worked it out, dawg" into something very memorable.
Wrestlemania XII
Probably the 'Mania I've seen the second least amount of times. It was a long time before I ever saw this one either as I had a lot going on at the time and just never got around to seeing it for quite a while. I know that HBK/Bret takes a lot of heat for not being a very good Iron Man match but I remember liking it when I saw it. I'd definitely put it above anything else on this show which is generally considered notable because it had the Mania debuts of Austin and HHH.
Wrestlemania XIII
This is actually a show that I like quite a bit and I think it's more than the one match show most people see it as. I dug a handful of matches including HHH/Goldust as well as the Chicago Street Fight but in the end, it is without question Austin/Hart that takes the win. It's right up there in the list of the very best Mania matches of all time so it's an easy choice for this one.
I'll end Part 1 of this right here and pick up with Part 2 in the morning...
2009-04-03
2009-04-02
Mindlock
My brain is frozen and no amount of Bejeweled Blitz on Facebook will unfreeze it.
With Wrestlemania just days away now, let's show a little love for the last WM in Houston, Texas - one of the best 'Manias of all time, Wrestlemania X-7
With Wrestlemania just days away now, let's show a little love for the last WM in Houston, Texas - one of the best 'Manias of all time, Wrestlemania X-7
2009-04-01
March 2009: The Month In Music
I skipped a Mixtape Of The Month for March because I never got around to doing the one on movie scores that I was hopeful of doing. But I will keep going with the listing of March's top songs according to my iTunes playlists!
In February, I added 120 songs during the 28 days. For March, that number dropped drastically to just 39 songs in 31 days. And I actually only managed to listen to 30 of those. To make the Top 5 for March, the song only had to be played in its entirety FIVE times.
Let's take a closer look!
Top 5 Played Of March 2009
Honorable Mention:
No Wedding Cake - Fol Chen
5. Voices Carry - Til Tuesday
Every once in a while, you stumble across a song on the radio or on TV or just rattling around your own brain that you thought for sure you had in your music library that you turn out not to have. Once you add it, it's all downhill from there.
4. God Knows - El Perro Del Mar
This song kinda... enchants... me. It has such a nice, sickly sweet melody that kinda draws me in with a 50/60s oldies vibe to it. The lyrics are just kinda... there. The vocals don't do a lot for me. But that damn melody keeps me listening to this song over and over again. I think I'd actually love an instrumental of this song.
3. Home Sweet Home - Carrie Underwood
This year's American Idol kiss-off song makes #3 on the list with a bullet. To some, the idea of Carrie Underwood covering Motley Crue makes them repulsed and swearing off music as a whole. To me, it made me not able to stand up for a little while ifyaknowwhatimsayin!
2. Saddle Up - The Boy Least Likely To
I'll be totally honest. When I saw this on the list, it was the only song in the Top 5 that I had absolutely no idea what it was. Now that I'm listening to it to remind myself... nope. Still don't remember it. But apparently it's inoffensive enough that I listened to it all the way through when I heard it several times this month. And as I'm listening to it now... I'm not even sure I like it that much. Weird.
1. Alone - Allison Iraheta
It's that time of year so I expect a few Idol songs to pop up on these lists over the next couple months. I think it was on the very first of the Top 13 shows when 16-year old Allison belted out this awesome version of Heart's "Alone" with just enough of the rock chick gravel growl to make me smile. Oh, and she got totally hosed by being stuck in the Bottom 3 this week. I was very harsh on her version of "Don't Speak" since... well, she kinda fucked it up and I've heard that song so many times done so well by No Doubt. Also, the weirdness of realizing she was actually about three years old when this song was famous... yeah. Weird.
And in the ever-growing running tally... The Top 20 of 2009 to date!
I'll do the Seeqpod list shortly. Having some Internet issues right now.
In February, I added 120 songs during the 28 days. For March, that number dropped drastically to just 39 songs in 31 days. And I actually only managed to listen to 30 of those. To make the Top 5 for March, the song only had to be played in its entirety FIVE times.
Let's take a closer look!
Top 5 Played Of March 2009
Honorable Mention:
No Wedding Cake - Fol Chen
5. Voices Carry - Til Tuesday
Every once in a while, you stumble across a song on the radio or on TV or just rattling around your own brain that you thought for sure you had in your music library that you turn out not to have. Once you add it, it's all downhill from there.
4. God Knows - El Perro Del Mar
This song kinda... enchants... me. It has such a nice, sickly sweet melody that kinda draws me in with a 50/60s oldies vibe to it. The lyrics are just kinda... there. The vocals don't do a lot for me. But that damn melody keeps me listening to this song over and over again. I think I'd actually love an instrumental of this song.
3. Home Sweet Home - Carrie Underwood
This year's American Idol kiss-off song makes #3 on the list with a bullet. To some, the idea of Carrie Underwood covering Motley Crue makes them repulsed and swearing off music as a whole. To me, it made me not able to stand up for a little while ifyaknowwhatimsayin!
2. Saddle Up - The Boy Least Likely To
I'll be totally honest. When I saw this on the list, it was the only song in the Top 5 that I had absolutely no idea what it was. Now that I'm listening to it to remind myself... nope. Still don't remember it. But apparently it's inoffensive enough that I listened to it all the way through when I heard it several times this month. And as I'm listening to it now... I'm not even sure I like it that much. Weird.
1. Alone - Allison Iraheta
It's that time of year so I expect a few Idol songs to pop up on these lists over the next couple months. I think it was on the very first of the Top 13 shows when 16-year old Allison belted out this awesome version of Heart's "Alone" with just enough of the rock chick gravel growl to make me smile. Oh, and she got totally hosed by being stuck in the Bottom 3 this week. I was very harsh on her version of "Don't Speak" since... well, she kinda fucked it up and I've heard that song so many times done so well by No Doubt. Also, the weirdness of realizing she was actually about three years old when this song was famous... yeah. Weird.
And in the ever-growing running tally... The Top 20 of 2009 to date!
20. November Was White, December Was Grey - Say Hi
19. Stay Alive - The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
18. People Got A Lotta Nerve - Neko Case
17. Number One - Miss Fairchild
16. My Life Would Suck Without You - Kelly Clarkson
15. Seattle - The BPA
14. Alone - Allison Iraheta
13. You You You You You - The 6ths And Katharine Whalen
12. I Was Never Your Boyfriend - Tigers Jaw
11. Let It Slip - The School
10. More Adventurous - Rilo Kiley
9. The Good Old Days - The Lodger
8. Hot N Cold - Katy Perry
7. Secret Heart - Feist
6. Come Saturday - The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
5. Green Means Go - The Color Wheels
4. We Rule The School - Belle And Sebastian
3. Jai Ho - AR Rahman
2. Thank You Mario But... - The Mountain Goats
1. Latika's Theme - AR Rahman
I'll do the Seeqpod list shortly. Having some Internet issues right now.
2009-03-31
I'm Still Sick! Well, Not Really But I Can Pretend!
Fine! I'll write something.
After all those days where my brain got to refresh, you'd think I'd have something of value to contribute tonight but I don't really feel like I do.
I did just read a kind of interesting thing about Wolverine on Ain't It Cool News.
Apparently, a very good quality studio workprint [their words, not mine - not sure what the hell that means] leaked onto the Internet for the Wolverine movie in the past day or so. So, all hell is breaking loose with people sending reviews off this print.
Good lord - what a nightmare this must be for Fox.
People are already highly suspicious of this movie's quality and somehow, someway a print has "leaked out." I haven't read any of the reviews and seem unlikely to but there seems to be only two possibilities here to me...
1] The movie's as bad as we all fear it is and a disgruntled Fox employee decided, "I'll show those greedy mutant hating fucks!" and tossed it out on the Interweb to KILL any chance the movie has at doing well. And "well" is a relative term here because for a movie like this, it needs to be measured in several hundreds of millions to be considered "well." That's Scenario #1 - and the one I feel is most likely.
2] Door #2 paints a rosier picture. Let's suppose for just a moment that Fox actually managed to create something that didn't stink worse than the shit on the bottom of a bowling shoe. Let's project that they know expectations suck for their movie and that buzz is in the shitter. Is it that hard to imagine that they'd leak it themselves to build the hype back up? Most of the people downloading it are fanboys who would run out to see it in the theaters anyways - especially if they like what they saw. Not so much of a stretch, huh?
That's one side of the story. The other is AICN's refusal to print reviews off the print.
Their official statement on it talks about the studios laying people off and piracy and all the key buzzwords to be "appropriate" on the topic... but then basically encourages people to say whatver they want in the "talkback" comments section. This strikes me a copout.
On the one hand, I think it's a noble position to say you won't post reviews of a pirated video. Good for you. If that's your decision, stick to it. Although, I'm sure a bunch of people will call them hypocrites because their entire success as a website is predicated on being able to get "the scoop" before the other websites, which basically requires people to rat out their employers and spill their guts about stuff that's not supposed to be public yet.
But I digress...
On the other hand... and you really need to read the article to get the full feel of this... but the section about how they can't/won't censor people in the talkbacks about it and the handwringing they act like they went through to reach that decision...
Just seems fake to me.
I love AICN to death and is at-least-daily stop for me but on this one, I think they're just doing a shiny bit of ass-covering.
Just the way I see it.
2009-03-30
Almost Back
Feeling much better now but not all the way back to write a full post.
So, tonight... you get two choices...
We can either make fun of PC users specifically...
Or mankind in general...
The latter of these was inspired by Sunday night's Amazing Race and the fact that the Missus has never seen that clip. Enjoy!
So, tonight... you get two choices...
We can either make fun of PC users specifically...
Or mankind in general...
The latter of these was inspired by Sunday night's Amazing Race and the fact that the Missus has never seen that clip. Enjoy!
2009-03-29
2009-03-28
2009-03-27
Everything Old Is New Again
I'm feeling a little under the weather tonight - hopefully it's just the Santa Ana winds irritating my throat and not a cold coming on. Cross your fingers.
In the meantime, in the late-80s, I used to watch this show every Saturday morning - something that drove my grandfather crazy.
Poor Susie Spirit. Anyone else remember the EIGHT BILLION REPLAYS when she broke her arm during a match? Hell, I don't even remember if she actually broke her arm legit.
Anyways... the point of this post is to show everyone what the "Mouth Of The South" Jimmy Hart has up his sleeves...
In the meantime, in the late-80s, I used to watch this show every Saturday morning - something that drove my grandfather crazy.
Poor Susie Spirit. Anyone else remember the EIGHT BILLION REPLAYS when she broke her arm during a match? Hell, I don't even remember if she actually broke her arm legit.
Anyways... the point of this post is to show everyone what the "Mouth Of The South" Jimmy Hart has up his sleeves...
2009-03-26
A Sense Of Accomplishment
I came in here a little over an hour ago to write this post and just now finally started. The delay, you ask?
Facebook.
Not updating status or checking others' statuses or any of that. It's the gimmicks. The games, the quizzes, the contests. All of those little addictive things we all encounter on the Internet everyday and promptly forget about shortly thereafter. I've got several games going on Facebook that I haven't checked in days/weeks as any of my SuperPoke Pets Friends could tell you! Poor Sexual Harassment Panda!
But where they really sucker you in is stuff like the trivia challenges. You see one of your friends doing something like, "The Songs of the 80s" with their score listed - almost daring you to try and spend a few minutes to break it. You give it a shot, maybe you break it and maybe you don't but soon enough, you find yourself trying another trivia challenge... then another... then another...
Maybe you finally break free. Maybe you go back to your Home page to discover someone has listed their Top Five favorite beers. "Well, that sounds easy enough" you remark only to spend the next ten minutes trying to remember what beer you usually buy at the store when you have the money to buy whatever you want. Then it's your Top Five favorite sports teams - a definite challenge when you really only consider yourself a fan of three professional sports teams. That one bugs you so you stray...
...what's this? Someone got HOW MANY points on Bejeweled Blitz?! Impossible!
And so it goes.
But in the end, it's the feeling of accomplishment that Facebook provides that is the true drug of choice. In some warped way, it doesn't FEEL like an hour wasted when you can look back and say...
** Blue picked the Lakers, Dodgers, Red Sox, Kings (LA, that is!), and Cubs as his Top Five Favorite Sports Teams.
** Blue picked Corona, Red Stripe, Fuller's London Pride, Sapporo, and Stella Artois as his Top Five Favorite Beers
** Blue scored 2187 points on "80's songs - Who Sang It?" trivia challenge
** Blue scored 1458 points on the Friends trivia challenge
** Blue scored 2787 points on the Star Wars Quote trivia challenge
** Blue earned a 25k Star Medal in Bejeweled Blitz
** Blue earned a 50k Star Medal in Bejeweled Blitz
SCORED! EARNED! That's what I'm talkin' 'bout!
How could that POSSIBLY be a waste of 60 minutes? Now I can go to bed and...
OOOH! WHO IS YOUR CLASSIC WRESTLING LEGEND ALTER EGO QUIZ!!!
Errr... what was I saying?
Facebook.
Not updating status or checking others' statuses or any of that. It's the gimmicks. The games, the quizzes, the contests. All of those little addictive things we all encounter on the Internet everyday and promptly forget about shortly thereafter. I've got several games going on Facebook that I haven't checked in days/weeks as any of my SuperPoke Pets Friends could tell you! Poor Sexual Harassment Panda!
But where they really sucker you in is stuff like the trivia challenges. You see one of your friends doing something like, "The Songs of the 80s" with their score listed - almost daring you to try and spend a few minutes to break it. You give it a shot, maybe you break it and maybe you don't but soon enough, you find yourself trying another trivia challenge... then another... then another...
Maybe you finally break free. Maybe you go back to your Home page to discover someone has listed their Top Five favorite beers. "Well, that sounds easy enough" you remark only to spend the next ten minutes trying to remember what beer you usually buy at the store when you have the money to buy whatever you want. Then it's your Top Five favorite sports teams - a definite challenge when you really only consider yourself a fan of three professional sports teams. That one bugs you so you stray...
...what's this? Someone got HOW MANY points on Bejeweled Blitz?! Impossible!
And so it goes.
But in the end, it's the feeling of accomplishment that Facebook provides that is the true drug of choice. In some warped way, it doesn't FEEL like an hour wasted when you can look back and say...
** Blue picked the Lakers, Dodgers, Red Sox, Kings (LA, that is!), and Cubs as his Top Five Favorite Sports Teams.
** Blue picked Corona, Red Stripe, Fuller's London Pride, Sapporo, and Stella Artois as his Top Five Favorite Beers
** Blue scored 2187 points on "80's songs - Who Sang It?" trivia challenge
** Blue scored 1458 points on the Friends trivia challenge
** Blue scored 2787 points on the Star Wars Quote trivia challenge
** Blue earned a 25k Star Medal in Bejeweled Blitz
** Blue earned a 50k Star Medal in Bejeweled Blitz
SCORED! EARNED! That's what I'm talkin' 'bout!
How could that POSSIBLY be a waste of 60 minutes? Now I can go to bed and...
OOOH! WHO IS YOUR CLASSIC WRESTLING LEGEND ALTER EGO QUIZ!!!
Errr... what was I saying?
2009-03-25
Bah! What A Letdown!
I've been cursed this week with a really wonky work schedule where I just happen to be closing every night. It puts me in a cranky mood to know that I won't be home before 9 or 9:30 each night so I have to find things at work to get me through especially since by the time I get home, I won't be in the mood to do anything more than eat dinner, watch a little TV, and then go to sleep. My writing (which has admittedly been slow anyways) is almost non-existent in a week like this although I did jot down a little bit during lunch the other day.
But I digress...
My "get me through" focus tonight was that I got to come home and watch Idol and more importantly, Lost.
I started with Idol which should've been cool since it's Motown Week which is incredibly hard to fuck up. And while no one really fucked it up too badly, I just wasn't feelin' it, dawg. There were a few that I thought were decent but nothing that I'd run out and buy immediately. It especially pissed me off that the Fall Out Boy guy that I don't like did something that I actually kinda dug. What's wrong with this world?
But then there was Lost which was sure to save my day, right?
Maybe I'm just too cranky or something but I was pretty bored through most of it. The flashback stuff, while gap-filling, was kinda dull. The big payoff at the end I kinda saw coming so... well... not sure that I cared. I am curious about Farraday's apparent "there are certain things that can't be changed" WHEN SAYID PUTS A BULLET IN CHILD BEN!
Ah well. Better luck next time.
Tomorrow will be even worse because there is no TV on Thursday that I look forward to enough to get me through eight hours of afternoon/evening shift.
Random thought... if you write a children's book and your name isn't JK Rowling, are you forever pigeonholed as a children's book writer?
I told you it was random!
But I digress...
My "get me through" focus tonight was that I got to come home and watch Idol and more importantly, Lost.
I started with Idol which should've been cool since it's Motown Week which is incredibly hard to fuck up. And while no one really fucked it up too badly, I just wasn't feelin' it, dawg. There were a few that I thought were decent but nothing that I'd run out and buy immediately. It especially pissed me off that the Fall Out Boy guy that I don't like did something that I actually kinda dug. What's wrong with this world?
But then there was Lost which was sure to save my day, right?
Maybe I'm just too cranky or something but I was pretty bored through most of it. The flashback stuff, while gap-filling, was kinda dull. The big payoff at the end I kinda saw coming so... well... not sure that I cared. I am curious about Farraday's apparent "there are certain things that can't be changed" WHEN SAYID PUTS A BULLET IN CHILD BEN!
Ah well. Better luck next time.
Tomorrow will be even worse because there is no TV on Thursday that I look forward to enough to get me through eight hours of afternoon/evening shift.
Random thought... if you write a children's book and your name isn't JK Rowling, are you forever pigeonholed as a children's book writer?
I told you it was random!
2009-03-24
2009-03-23
Blue's Reviews: Ring Of Honor's debut show on HDNet
I'm a fan of Ring Of Honor... well, sorta. It's been a long time since I've bought anything from them - DVDs, PPVs, whatever. But I do follow their ongoing action through their Newswires and Message Board plus the occasional viewing of something that wasn't purchased. I know, I know - it's horrible but "in this economy" whatcha gonna do, brother?
As a fan of their shows, I was eager to see what they could put on for a weekly television show. It has always seemed to me that a "workrate" based promotion that had a business model built on having high quality matches to sell DVDs might have a problem making the jump to TV. So when it was announced that ROH had landed their own TV show, I was intrigued to see how things would shake out. I was even more intrigued to see it land on HDNet since smaller "indy" wrestling promotions don't tend to be known for their high production values.
The premiere episode was on Saturday night while I was off watching minor league hockey and this is the first chance I've had to watch it. I decided to do this as a liveblog/Blue's Review combo post so... here goes nothing!
** Opening credits are kinda cool. The style of it already makes them look cooler than TNA in my opinion. The end of the credits reminds me of the old ECW PPVs where the title sequence would end with the "E-C-DUB!" chants. This one gives you the "R-O-H" chant but it seems a little subdued. They should crank up the volume on that one a little.
** Weird piece with the announcers. The network hired a "traditional" i.e. non-wrestling announcer to handle Play-By-Play while going with ROH's regular color man. They intro'd the show wearing headsets on some green screen background. The PBP guy will take a little getting used to methinks although in a way, he kinda reminds me of an old school wrestling announcer who just seems like a normal guy stoked about the show. He keeps calling the show a "wrestling series" which is... interesting. I guess they felt they had to explain why the show's called Ring Of Honor as they're talking about the long-forgotten Code Of Honor gimmick where everyone had to shake hands before and after the match. I thought that hadn't been used in ages but... well, I guess you have to explain it somehow. Prazak, the color guy, seems really subdued. Not very colorful. In hyping the Main Event which is Jimmy Jacobs and Tyler Black, they didn't even mention that they're former stablemates and tag partners. I hope that changes by match time.
** They toss it to pre-match comments called "SMACKTALK!" with Delirious. I'm cool with that since I'd like to see more pre-match comments from lower card guys on the other wrestling shows. Delirious is a funny choice for this because his gimmick is that he speaks in gibberish but it's funny to see them play it straight. Nice graphic for the Smacktalk too.
** They switch to entrances which look alright so far - maybe a little indy. But the graphics during the entrance are awesome. They go MMA style with it, putting over the history of the character, his strength as a wrestler, and some of his signature moves. The split screen makes the entrance a little small but this is a perfect way to introduce new characters to a new audience. Oh, on an interesting note, they actually have Delirious listed as a former member of the Age Of The Fall which he was still in when they taped this. It'll be curious to see if they sweeten the crowd noise to adjust for that.
** Holy crap. I've never seen the ECW Arena look so good. The ring looks fantastic. The ringside area looks a little dark.
** Generic Jerry Lynn promo but it'll do. The entrance graphic is apparently called the "1...2...3!!!" which is clever. They immediately show that they're not afraid to mention the other guys by putting over Lynn as a former ECW World Champion. They also highlight his feud with Nigel McGuinness which is a nice way to put a name in a new viewer's head.
** The ring looks kinda small. Really small actually. I had read an interview with the ROH Owner saying that the show was shot "MMA-style" but that he couldn't explain what that was until you saw it but that it looked different than anything on current wrestling television. Well, he's absolutely right. It looks like it's being shot with a boom camera instead of a hard camera right now. Having a different "feel" could be huge for this show.
** The match is okay. Nothing mind-blowing but better than you'd see most of the time on the other shows. They get in a banner advertising upcoming ROH dates which is pretty cool for them. The PBP guy isn't too bad yet but he's a bit of a screamer which I may tire of if he doesn't keep it in check for when he needs it. Not much character/angle development on commentary though which is disappointing. They're calling the moves which is good but with a new audience, it helps to get over why these guys are fighting.
** Backstage interviewer! Puts over Tyler Black as the "fastest rising star in Ring of Honor." They talk a little bit about his past with Jimmy Jacobs but... it's still not really giving the history. Tyler's promo goes into more detail with it. It's not a bad promo by Tyler actually.
** Still hyping the Main Event in graphics. That's a good strategy. Try to make it feel special and make people stick around to see it.
** Kenny King vs Sami Callahan is up next. No commercial yet. There was a lot of debate as to whether or not we'd be seeing any commercials on these shows. MORE SMACKTALK!
** Heh. They put over Callahan as a brawler right when he applies a hammerlock. I really like the camerawork so far. Some unique shots getting captured. Kenny King really looks like a star in there so far. He carries himself really well. Nice spinebuster by KK. Some weird dead time on the mic there. It's almost like they don't know what to say at times if they can't call a move. To a new viewer, Kenny King looks like the biggest star on the show so far. Callahan is a good worker but he doesn't come across as anything special other than his unique look. ROH might have some money in Kenny King.
** Backstage interview with Jimmy Jacobs. Pretty effective at getting the Jacobs/Black Main Event some more hype. This is a textbook wrestling show straight out of the 80s minus the straight out squashes.
** Commercial! One commercial for another HDNet show, one for ROHWrestling.com, couple more for some more HDNet programming, and right back to action. Not bad.
** ROH History segment! That's pretty awesome. Shots of Joe, Punk, Jamie Noble, Abyss, London, Muta, etc. Lots of crazy spots. Flair! Heenan! Foley! Bruno! Low-Ki! Pretty cool segment but since it's old footage, it's not in HD which is a little distracting.
** Rhett Titus Smacktalk easily gets him over as a sleazy heel that you want to see smacked around. Putting him over as Kenny King's tag partner now. Now, that's a team I want to see. Brent Albright Smacktalk. Hint. If you have to talk about how intense you are, that might be a problem. "Get out or tap out"
** This should be a big squash. lol @ Rhett's hip swivel before going for the suplex. One-armed suplex by Albright is cool. The crowd is kinda dead for these matches, it seems. Rhett's facials are cartoonish but awesome. Rhett's coming across as a dastardly cheapshotting heel while Albright is just dull right now. I'd love to see Rhett Titus team with Jimmy Garvin in his prime. Albright gets the win with a half-nelson suplex into "The Crowbar." As much as I loved Titus' schtick, Albright would have been better served with a sub-60 second squash here.
** Highlights from Rising Above PPV to show the Jacobs/Tyler split. They're doing a great job of trying to shoehorn the history of their feud in now. Adding in the Aries element now too. Good stuff. MAIN EVENT IS NEXT! Tale of the Tape... awesome.
** TELEVISION TIME REMAINING! FUCK YEAH!
** The match is a little blah so far. After putting over the rivalry, they're not doing much to make this a hate-filled brawl. Tyler wins which is probably the right decision but the match was worked very odd considering how they were hyping it up. It ended with not some big highspot or brutal spot but with a bridging cradle.
** Nigel vs Jay is hyped for the next show and that's that. Oh, post-show PPV commercial. Cool.
Sooooo...
All in all, I'd say it was a pretty effective debut show. I would have liked to see a little more character development on the undercard and they should have had the Main Event be a little more "can't miss" I think to build some hype up.
I'm pleased and I'll be checking it out next week. The question is though... if someone who had never heard of ROH had seen it, would they tune in next week? Not so sure about that.
As a fan of their shows, I was eager to see what they could put on for a weekly television show. It has always seemed to me that a "workrate" based promotion that had a business model built on having high quality matches to sell DVDs might have a problem making the jump to TV. So when it was announced that ROH had landed their own TV show, I was intrigued to see how things would shake out. I was even more intrigued to see it land on HDNet since smaller "indy" wrestling promotions don't tend to be known for their high production values.
The premiere episode was on Saturday night while I was off watching minor league hockey and this is the first chance I've had to watch it. I decided to do this as a liveblog/Blue's Review combo post so... here goes nothing!
** Opening credits are kinda cool. The style of it already makes them look cooler than TNA in my opinion. The end of the credits reminds me of the old ECW PPVs where the title sequence would end with the "E-C-DUB!" chants. This one gives you the "R-O-H" chant but it seems a little subdued. They should crank up the volume on that one a little.
** Weird piece with the announcers. The network hired a "traditional" i.e. non-wrestling announcer to handle Play-By-Play while going with ROH's regular color man. They intro'd the show wearing headsets on some green screen background. The PBP guy will take a little getting used to methinks although in a way, he kinda reminds me of an old school wrestling announcer who just seems like a normal guy stoked about the show. He keeps calling the show a "wrestling series" which is... interesting. I guess they felt they had to explain why the show's called Ring Of Honor as they're talking about the long-forgotten Code Of Honor gimmick where everyone had to shake hands before and after the match. I thought that hadn't been used in ages but... well, I guess you have to explain it somehow. Prazak, the color guy, seems really subdued. Not very colorful. In hyping the Main Event which is Jimmy Jacobs and Tyler Black, they didn't even mention that they're former stablemates and tag partners. I hope that changes by match time.
** They toss it to pre-match comments called "SMACKTALK!" with Delirious. I'm cool with that since I'd like to see more pre-match comments from lower card guys on the other wrestling shows. Delirious is a funny choice for this because his gimmick is that he speaks in gibberish but it's funny to see them play it straight. Nice graphic for the Smacktalk too.
** They switch to entrances which look alright so far - maybe a little indy. But the graphics during the entrance are awesome. They go MMA style with it, putting over the history of the character, his strength as a wrestler, and some of his signature moves. The split screen makes the entrance a little small but this is a perfect way to introduce new characters to a new audience. Oh, on an interesting note, they actually have Delirious listed as a former member of the Age Of The Fall which he was still in when they taped this. It'll be curious to see if they sweeten the crowd noise to adjust for that.
** Holy crap. I've never seen the ECW Arena look so good. The ring looks fantastic. The ringside area looks a little dark.
** Generic Jerry Lynn promo but it'll do. The entrance graphic is apparently called the "1...2...3!!!" which is clever. They immediately show that they're not afraid to mention the other guys by putting over Lynn as a former ECW World Champion. They also highlight his feud with Nigel McGuinness which is a nice way to put a name in a new viewer's head.
** The ring looks kinda small. Really small actually. I had read an interview with the ROH Owner saying that the show was shot "MMA-style" but that he couldn't explain what that was until you saw it but that it looked different than anything on current wrestling television. Well, he's absolutely right. It looks like it's being shot with a boom camera instead of a hard camera right now. Having a different "feel" could be huge for this show.
** The match is okay. Nothing mind-blowing but better than you'd see most of the time on the other shows. They get in a banner advertising upcoming ROH dates which is pretty cool for them. The PBP guy isn't too bad yet but he's a bit of a screamer which I may tire of if he doesn't keep it in check for when he needs it. Not much character/angle development on commentary though which is disappointing. They're calling the moves which is good but with a new audience, it helps to get over why these guys are fighting.
** Backstage interviewer! Puts over Tyler Black as the "fastest rising star in Ring of Honor." They talk a little bit about his past with Jimmy Jacobs but... it's still not really giving the history. Tyler's promo goes into more detail with it. It's not a bad promo by Tyler actually.
** Still hyping the Main Event in graphics. That's a good strategy. Try to make it feel special and make people stick around to see it.
** Kenny King vs Sami Callahan is up next. No commercial yet. There was a lot of debate as to whether or not we'd be seeing any commercials on these shows. MORE SMACKTALK!
** Heh. They put over Callahan as a brawler right when he applies a hammerlock. I really like the camerawork so far. Some unique shots getting captured. Kenny King really looks like a star in there so far. He carries himself really well. Nice spinebuster by KK. Some weird dead time on the mic there. It's almost like they don't know what to say at times if they can't call a move. To a new viewer, Kenny King looks like the biggest star on the show so far. Callahan is a good worker but he doesn't come across as anything special other than his unique look. ROH might have some money in Kenny King.
** Backstage interview with Jimmy Jacobs. Pretty effective at getting the Jacobs/Black Main Event some more hype. This is a textbook wrestling show straight out of the 80s minus the straight out squashes.
** Commercial! One commercial for another HDNet show, one for ROHWrestling.com, couple more for some more HDNet programming, and right back to action. Not bad.
** ROH History segment! That's pretty awesome. Shots of Joe, Punk, Jamie Noble, Abyss, London, Muta, etc. Lots of crazy spots. Flair! Heenan! Foley! Bruno! Low-Ki! Pretty cool segment but since it's old footage, it's not in HD which is a little distracting.
** Rhett Titus Smacktalk easily gets him over as a sleazy heel that you want to see smacked around. Putting him over as Kenny King's tag partner now. Now, that's a team I want to see. Brent Albright Smacktalk. Hint. If you have to talk about how intense you are, that might be a problem. "Get out or tap out"
** This should be a big squash. lol @ Rhett's hip swivel before going for the suplex. One-armed suplex by Albright is cool. The crowd is kinda dead for these matches, it seems. Rhett's facials are cartoonish but awesome. Rhett's coming across as a dastardly cheapshotting heel while Albright is just dull right now. I'd love to see Rhett Titus team with Jimmy Garvin in his prime. Albright gets the win with a half-nelson suplex into "The Crowbar." As much as I loved Titus' schtick, Albright would have been better served with a sub-60 second squash here.
** Highlights from Rising Above PPV to show the Jacobs/Tyler split. They're doing a great job of trying to shoehorn the history of their feud in now. Adding in the Aries element now too. Good stuff. MAIN EVENT IS NEXT! Tale of the Tape... awesome.
** TELEVISION TIME REMAINING! FUCK YEAH!
** The match is a little blah so far. After putting over the rivalry, they're not doing much to make this a hate-filled brawl. Tyler wins which is probably the right decision but the match was worked very odd considering how they were hyping it up. It ended with not some big highspot or brutal spot but with a bridging cradle.
** Nigel vs Jay is hyped for the next show and that's that. Oh, post-show PPV commercial. Cool.
Sooooo...
All in all, I'd say it was a pretty effective debut show. I would have liked to see a little more character development on the undercard and they should have had the Main Event be a little more "can't miss" I think to build some hype up.
I'm pleased and I'll be checking it out next week. The question is though... if someone who had never heard of ROH had seen it, would they tune in next week? Not so sure about that.
2009-03-22
2009-03-21
Blargh
Just got home from some minor league hockey action. I was planning to write tonight about Ring of Honor's debut show on HDNet but I don't think I'll be watching it before I sleep.
So, here's a little teaser of what I'll be seeing when I get to watch it [tomorrow night?]
So, here's a little teaser of what I'll be seeing when I get to watch it [tomorrow night?]
2009-03-20
Fraaaaaaaaak
Well, it's over.
Granted, it's not as a crazy of a conclusion to me as it is to others since I've really only been watching Battlestar Galactica for somewhere South of a year. We sprinted through the DVDs and got through the first half of season 4 thanks to a Sci-Fi HD marathon before the 4.5 premiere. But we watched along with everyone else for the final episodes and as disappointed as I was with a handful of them, I was greatly nervous about tonight's show.
The Series Finale is a difficult one. It's much easier to remember really bad/weird Series Finales than it is to remember good ones. Things like that bizarre final Cheers or the lackluster Seinfeld closer are a lot more likely to stick in the craw than the awesome Newhart finale or maybe something like Friends or the like.
But BSG, as they often did during their run, has re-set the bar for the standard of awesomeness in a Series Finale. And of course, you have to now turn your attention to Lost to see if they can top it. Prison Break, Scrubs, and a couple of others may end between now and then but after tonight, all eyes turn to Lost to see if they can actually manage to wrap up all those loose ends they've created thusfar.
I don't want to spoil BSG's finale for the masses who may not have seen it yet but let's just say there's the near-perfect blend of action, suspense, heartbreak, jubilation, and just about any other emotional heartstring they can tug on. There was some glorious shots and some images that'll stick for a long, long while. And there was just a touch - okay, maybe more than a touch - of cynicism about the world we live in.
I may write more in a few days when I've had a chance to absorb it a little more but for now, I say it was a glorious farewell to one of the best shows that television has ever had the honor of airing and things just won't be the same without it.
At this point, I can barely even remember Lost from this week after sitting through tonight's two hours so BSG obviously wins the final round and it was soooooo damn good, I'm tempted to give 'em bonus points so they win the Final Showdown!
Granted, it's not as a crazy of a conclusion to me as it is to others since I've really only been watching Battlestar Galactica for somewhere South of a year. We sprinted through the DVDs and got through the first half of season 4 thanks to a Sci-Fi HD marathon before the 4.5 premiere. But we watched along with everyone else for the final episodes and as disappointed as I was with a handful of them, I was greatly nervous about tonight's show.
The Series Finale is a difficult one. It's much easier to remember really bad/weird Series Finales than it is to remember good ones. Things like that bizarre final Cheers or the lackluster Seinfeld closer are a lot more likely to stick in the craw than the awesome Newhart finale or maybe something like Friends or the like.
But BSG, as they often did during their run, has re-set the bar for the standard of awesomeness in a Series Finale. And of course, you have to now turn your attention to Lost to see if they can top it. Prison Break, Scrubs, and a couple of others may end between now and then but after tonight, all eyes turn to Lost to see if they can actually manage to wrap up all those loose ends they've created thusfar.
I don't want to spoil BSG's finale for the masses who may not have seen it yet but let's just say there's the near-perfect blend of action, suspense, heartbreak, jubilation, and just about any other emotional heartstring they can tug on. There was some glorious shots and some images that'll stick for a long, long while. And there was just a touch - okay, maybe more than a touch - of cynicism about the world we live in.
I may write more in a few days when I've had a chance to absorb it a little more but for now, I say it was a glorious farewell to one of the best shows that television has ever had the honor of airing and things just won't be the same without it.
At this point, I can barely even remember Lost from this week after sitting through tonight's two hours so BSG obviously wins the final round and it was soooooo damn good, I'm tempted to give 'em bonus points so they win the Final Showdown!
2009-03-19
Ahhh, Texas
You know, Texas and the inhabiting Texans take a lot of shit from a lot of people including yours truly. A lot of it is probably uncalled for and just playing off some bad stereotypes.
But...
Dallas school accused of staging fights
Wow. Just... wow.
Now, granted... from the description of the school as being in one of the poorer sections of the city, I'm going to use some blatant profiling to say... "They could have been settling their issues in a far worse manner."
But this is the kind of thing that makes Dana White wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat because there's no chance in Hell that any TV report of this story doesn't mention "ultimate fighting," "cage fighting," or something of the like. It's the same kind of thing that gives people like John McCain ammunition to call MMA "human cockfighting." All they would've needed was one of these kids to drop dead and you could have had a big time rollback on states allowing MMA inside their borders as irrational as that would be.
Oh, and the fact that this came to light during a grade-fixing investigation is just the icing on the cake. It's not bad enough that "institutions of higher learning" pull this kind of shit so that they can get their names in the headlines for going to a Bowl game or a tournament but now high schools think it's a good idea too.
So, grade-fixing and students beating the crap out of one another for the amusement of the masses?
It's gotta be Texas. Hook 'em Horns.
I was about to post this but one more thing just came to mind. When I was in high school, I always thought it would be awesome for a school to invest in building an American Gladiators course for gym class...
...but this, as Balki Bartokomous would say, is ridiculous.
But...
Dallas school accused of staging fights
The Dallas school system was rocked by allegations Thursday that staff members at an inner-city high school made students settle their differences by fighting bare-knuckle brawls inside a steel cage. The principal and other employees at South Oak Cliff High knew about the cage fights and allowed the practice to continue, according to a 2008 report by school system investigators.
...
The report, first obtained by The Dallas Morning News, describes two instances of fighting in an equipment cage in a boys' locker room between 2003 and 2005. It was not clear from the report whether there were other fights. Superintendent Michael Hinojosa told the newspaper that there were "some things that happened inside of a cage" and called the fights "unacceptable."
...
The allegations came to light during a grade-fixing investigation that eventually cost the high school its 2005 and 2006 state basketball titles. School officials were suspected of altering students' grades so that they could remain eligible to play for South Oak Cliff, a perennial basketball powerhouse in one of the poorer sections of the city.
The newspaper reported Thursday that Angela Williamson, a parent, said she was ignored when she attempted to bring the matter to the attention of district administrators after her son, Cortland, told her that students stood around clapping and screaming while watching a fight he participated in. He and another student fought for five to ten minutes in the cage in 2004. She said the students acted as if they were in an arena.
Wow. Just... wow.
Now, granted... from the description of the school as being in one of the poorer sections of the city, I'm going to use some blatant profiling to say... "They could have been settling their issues in a far worse manner."
But this is the kind of thing that makes Dana White wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat because there's no chance in Hell that any TV report of this story doesn't mention "ultimate fighting," "cage fighting," or something of the like. It's the same kind of thing that gives people like John McCain ammunition to call MMA "human cockfighting." All they would've needed was one of these kids to drop dead and you could have had a big time rollback on states allowing MMA inside their borders as irrational as that would be.
Oh, and the fact that this came to light during a grade-fixing investigation is just the icing on the cake. It's not bad enough that "institutions of higher learning" pull this kind of shit so that they can get their names in the headlines for going to a Bowl game or a tournament but now high schools think it's a good idea too.
So, grade-fixing and students beating the crap out of one another for the amusement of the masses?
It's gotta be Texas. Hook 'em Horns.
I was about to post this but one more thing just came to mind. When I was in high school, I always thought it would be awesome for a school to invest in building an American Gladiators course for gym class...
...but this, as Balki Bartokomous would say, is ridiculous.
2009-03-18
THROUGH HELLFIRE AND BRIMSTONE!
For a few hours today, the most exciting piece of news I'd seen all day - and yes, this does come on a day when the President was about three miles from my workplace - was the following...
March 17, 2009
DETROIT, MI - Former UFC Heavyweight Champion, Tim Sylvia was involved in a fight at a bar in downtown Detroit Michigan with 7 foot, 320 pound WWE Superstar, Glen 'Kane' Jacobs.
No details are currently being released on how the fight started. A witness says the two were arguing and Tim Sylvia instigated the fight. Jacobs quickly took Sylvia to the ground and repeatedly punched him in the face. The bartender along with a bystander helped pull Jacobs off Sylvia. Sylvia was said to have suffered a broken nose and a black eye.
The police were notified but since the fight was not prolonged and neither men wanted to press any charges, no arrests were made. Sylvia was driven by a friend who was with him to the hospital to treat the broken nose. Glen Jacobs left the scene with his wife shortly after.
More details to be released as they come in.
In the end, this story seems to have been debunked as a total falsehood but for a few fleeting hours, I enjoyed the hell out of the thought of the Big Red Machine wrapping that gloved hand around Tim Sylvia's throat and chokeslamming him through a couple bar stools.
So, before you go to bed tonight, if you can slip in a little prayer that this story turns out to be completely and totally true, it would be a tremendous help.
Thanks! TTFN!
2009-03-17
Woooo! EDDIE!
It's weird. While I'm not the world's most knowledgeable Pearl Jam fan, I thought I would know a story like this one. Yesterday while digging through my favorite mp3 blogs, I ran across a post on the awe-inspiring I Am Fuel, You Are Friends about Pearl Jam working on a new album with a tour to follow.
And no, that's not the story.
There was a link in the post that led to the Rolling Stone website for an article about the same topic.
And no, that's not the story.
There was a link in THAT article that led to an AMAZING piece by Cameron Crowe from many, many moons ago - right back before the self-titled Pearl Jam album came out. It's a really good, lengthy piece on the band. It actually kinda reminds me of the line from Almost Famous...
"It's a think piece about a mid-level band struggling with their own limitations in the harsh face of stardom."
Hrmm.
Anyways... the point of all this is that in the middle of that article from 1993, I stumbled upon this revelation...
Wait. What?
Alive, Once, &Footsteps were a trilogy of the same story? How the fuck did I never know that before?
That revelation stunned me so much, I knew I had no choice but to make a post about it.
And yes, I brought the music.
Enjoy!
SeeqPod - Playable Search
And no, that's not the story.
There was a link in the post that led to the Rolling Stone website for an article about the same topic.
And no, that's not the story.
There was a link in THAT article that led to an AMAZING piece by Cameron Crowe from many, many moons ago - right back before the self-titled Pearl Jam album came out. It's a really good, lengthy piece on the band. It actually kinda reminds me of the line from Almost Famous...
"It's a think piece about a mid-level band struggling with their own limitations in the harsh face of stardom."
Hrmm.
Anyways... the point of all this is that in the middle of that article from 1993, I stumbled upon this revelation...
"Alive" set the tone for everything that would follow. The first song on Ten was also the first song to bring attention to the band. It was clearly Vedder's creative breakthrough, and the band's initial video celebrated a cathartic live performance of the song. In an early Los Angeles Times review, writer Chris William had even compared the song to the Who's "My Generation." Today, "Alive" is a Gen X rallying cry, but tonight, sitting in the Nightlite, Vedder reveals the true meaning of the song.
"Everybody writes about it like it's a life-affirmation thing — I'm really glad about that,' he says with a rueful laugh. "It's a great interpretation. But 'Alive' is ... it's torture. Which is why it's fucked up for me. Why I should probably learn how to sing another way. It would be easier. It's...it's too much."
Vedder continues: "The story of the song is that a mother is with a father, and the father dies. It's an intense thing because the son looks just like the father. The son grows up to be the father, the person that she lost. His father's dead, and now this confusion, his mother, his love, how does he love her, how does she love him? In fact, the mother, even though she marries somebody else, there's no one she's ever loved more than the father. You know how it is, first loves and stuff. And the guy dies. How could you ever get him back? But the son. He looks exactly like him. It's uncanny. So she wants him. The son is oblivious to it all. He doesn't know. what the fuck is going on. He's still dealing, he's still growing up. He's still dealing with love, he's still dealing with the death of his father. All he knows is 'I'm still alive' — those three words, that's totally out of burden."
Elvis' "Suspicious Minds" blasts on the jukebox as Vedder continues. "Now the second verse is 'Oh, she walks slowly into a young man's room...I can remember to this very day...the look...the look.' And I don't say anything else. And because I'm saying, 'The look, the look,' everyone thinks it goes with 'on her face.' It's not on her face. The look is between her legs. Where do you go with that? That's where you came from.
But 'I'm still alive. 'I'm the lover that's still alive. And the whole conversation about 'You're still alive, she said.' And his doubts: 'Do I deserve to be? Is that the question?' Because he's fucked up forever! So now he doesn't know how to deal with it, so what does he do, he goes out killing people — that was [the song] 'Once.' He becomes a serial killer. And 'Footsteps,' the final song of the trilogy [it was released as a U.K. B side to 'Jeremy'], that's when he gets executed. That's what happens. The Green River killer...and in San Diego, there was another prostitute killer down there. Somehow I related to that. I think that happens more than we know. It's a modern way of dealing with a bad life."
Then he smiles as he says, "I'm just glad I became a songwriter."
Wait. What?
Alive, Once, &Footsteps were a trilogy of the same story? How the fuck did I never know that before?
That revelation stunned me so much, I knew I had no choice but to make a post about it.
And yes, I brought the music.
Enjoy!
SeeqPod - Playable Search
2009-03-16
It's A Potpourri Of Awesomeness!
It's been a long day and I really feel like I'm going to be incredibly burned out all week long thanks to two very busy "off days." As a result, you get this...
2009-03-15
Random Thoughts
** I'm watching Planet Earth on Discovery HD right now and the Oceans episode really makes me want to stay out of the water. Between the sharks they showed earlier and the scary looking fucking Manta Rays they just showed, I likely could have nightmares.
** Super-excited to find out what will be a part of iPhone 3.0 software on Tuesday. It still amazes me how much buzz a company can create for a relatively minor event - well, some companies anyways.
** Manny's got a sore hammy? Color me nervous as fuck.
** TNA's PPV sucked? Color me unsurprised as fuck.
** I listened to the /filmcast episode this week where they talked about movie scores. It was some damn good stuff and made me want to do an all-score version of the Mixtape Of The Month. Maybe not this month but soon. Oh, and it also made me realize how much I love the score for Karate Kid. Go listen. Tell me I'm wrong.
** WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?!? THE VAMPIRE SQUID FROM HELL?!?! Jesus christ.
** ROH has their debut show on HDNet next weekend. I'm looking forward to seeing how they manage to package their DVD-driven business model on television. It's a show I'll certainly want to see more than TNA Impact at least.
** Got a Vegas trip coming up next month. The Missus and I are taking my mom so that should be... interesting. It could also be quite disastrous. How fitting for Vegas that it'll be quite the gamble.
** Still haven't seen Watchmen. I'm a pretty pathetic comic book guy these days. I still have a bag of comics sitting on my end table that I haven't read yet - bought them at least two weeks ago.
** Coolest Internet application I've seen in ages? Two words. Simplify Media.
And that should do it for tonight.
** Super-excited to find out what will be a part of iPhone 3.0 software on Tuesday. It still amazes me how much buzz a company can create for a relatively minor event - well, some companies anyways.
** Manny's got a sore hammy? Color me nervous as fuck.
** TNA's PPV sucked? Color me unsurprised as fuck.
** I listened to the /filmcast episode this week where they talked about movie scores. It was some damn good stuff and made me want to do an all-score version of the Mixtape Of The Month. Maybe not this month but soon. Oh, and it also made me realize how much I love the score for Karate Kid. Go listen. Tell me I'm wrong.
** WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?!? THE VAMPIRE SQUID FROM HELL?!?! Jesus christ.
** ROH has their debut show on HDNet next weekend. I'm looking forward to seeing how they manage to package their DVD-driven business model on television. It's a show I'll certainly want to see more than TNA Impact at least.
** Got a Vegas trip coming up next month. The Missus and I are taking my mom so that should be... interesting. It could also be quite disastrous. How fitting for Vegas that it'll be quite the gamble.
** Still haven't seen Watchmen. I'm a pretty pathetic comic book guy these days. I still have a bag of comics sitting on my end table that I haven't read yet - bought them at least two weeks ago.
** Coolest Internet application I've seen in ages? Two words. Simplify Media.
And that should do it for tonight.
2009-03-14
Sorry I'm Not Home Right Now...
As I think I mentioned a few days ago, we recently bought tickets for the "reunion" show for No Doubt. I'm pretty stoked about this since they're apparently not touring in support of an album but rather hoping to get inspired by being on the road. To me, this represents a much higher possibility that they'll play older songs. I hope. I really, really hope.
In honor of that (and the fact that I think at last count, we had totaled seeing them about a dozen times), I dug through Gigposters.com to look for some No Doubt shows that I've actually attended. I only found one...
However... if my memory and dates are right, this is the show I attended with my friend Brian during midterms when I had a sinus infection. Awesome, huh? I had a pounding headache the entire time but had a blast. Of course, the next morning when I had to take a Sociology midterm, I wasn't so happy but as a former boss of mine once opined, "That's the price you pay to the party gods."
The other memorable moment of that show was... well, let's preface this by saying I'm a pretty big guy and "back in the day" when I used to go to a lot of shows, I kinda shoved my way around to get to the front of crowds. On this particular night, in a tiny venue, I was determined to be on the barricade when No Doubt hit the stage.
I was very close to that goal by the time they came on... but the damndest thing about No Doubt shows was that you always had to deal with pint-sized girls who had no qualms about stomping feet and throwing elbows in strategic soft targets to get their way. So, I was a few feet from the barricade but a sharpshootin' child kept drilling me in the twig and berries with her razor-sharp elbow. It was quite maddening not to mention painful. I can't for the life of me remember how I got past her but I did somehow manage it.
On this night, that wasn't a good decision for me though as I was constantly being rained down on by crowdsurfers trying to get over the railing but falling short... right on my head... repeatedly. With my brain pounding on the sides of my skull trying to be released from its anguish, I was in a lot of pain and growing short on patience.
So, after one too many little girls landed on the back of my head, I reached over my head backwards with both hands and did my very best Ultimate Warrior impression as I gorilla pressed her high in the sky and threw her in the direction of the stage. She managed to clear the railing as well as the security guards right past it. A guard who should've been playing center field somewhere managed to basket catch her moments before she crashed down on the stage. And to top it off, she got a high five from Gwen before being dragged away.
That high five is how I rationalize that I nearly caused physical distress on a likely waaaay underage child... but she was okay by it in the end.
I don't really have a point to this story. But if you've been reading this page for more than a week, you probably already guessed that. If this is your first time...
Welcome! Enjoy your stay!
Hey! Check that out! The back side of water!
In honor of that (and the fact that I think at last count, we had totaled seeing them about a dozen times), I dug through Gigposters.com to look for some No Doubt shows that I've actually attended. I only found one...
However... if my memory and dates are right, this is the show I attended with my friend Brian during midterms when I had a sinus infection. Awesome, huh? I had a pounding headache the entire time but had a blast. Of course, the next morning when I had to take a Sociology midterm, I wasn't so happy but as a former boss of mine once opined, "That's the price you pay to the party gods."
The other memorable moment of that show was... well, let's preface this by saying I'm a pretty big guy and "back in the day" when I used to go to a lot of shows, I kinda shoved my way around to get to the front of crowds. On this particular night, in a tiny venue, I was determined to be on the barricade when No Doubt hit the stage.
I was very close to that goal by the time they came on... but the damndest thing about No Doubt shows was that you always had to deal with pint-sized girls who had no qualms about stomping feet and throwing elbows in strategic soft targets to get their way. So, I was a few feet from the barricade but a sharpshootin' child kept drilling me in the twig and berries with her razor-sharp elbow. It was quite maddening not to mention painful. I can't for the life of me remember how I got past her but I did somehow manage it.
On this night, that wasn't a good decision for me though as I was constantly being rained down on by crowdsurfers trying to get over the railing but falling short... right on my head... repeatedly. With my brain pounding on the sides of my skull trying to be released from its anguish, I was in a lot of pain and growing short on patience.
So, after one too many little girls landed on the back of my head, I reached over my head backwards with both hands and did my very best Ultimate Warrior impression as I gorilla pressed her high in the sky and threw her in the direction of the stage. She managed to clear the railing as well as the security guards right past it. A guard who should've been playing center field somewhere managed to basket catch her moments before she crashed down on the stage. And to top it off, she got a high five from Gwen before being dragged away.
That high five is how I rationalize that I nearly caused physical distress on a likely waaaay underage child... but she was okay by it in the end.
I don't really have a point to this story. But if you've been reading this page for more than a week, you probably already guessed that. If this is your first time...
Welcome! Enjoy your stay!
Hey! Check that out! The back side of water!
2009-03-13
Another One Bites The Dust
I guess that's a pretty flippant post title for writing about someone dying but really, when you've been a pro wrestling fan as long as I have, there are very few deaths in that industry that surprise you anymore. Sure, the Eddie one was a surprise and the Benoit thing was the ultimate of gut punches but moments ago when I read the below, all I could think was, "Here we go again."
FORMER WWE STAR ANDREW 'TEST' MARTIN FOUND DEAD AT AGE 33
PWInsider.com is sad to report that former WWE star Andrew "Test" Martin was found dead in his apartment in Tampa, Florida at the age of 33, just four days shy of his 34th birthday. We don't have much in the way of details at this time. Tampa area authorities have declined to officially confirm it is Martin they found but word within the industry has been widespread the last few hours.
It's a shame. He was out of the business and had made a lot of internet postings about how he was happy to be out due to all the pounding his body had taken. He had also talked a lot about the drug use in the past and present in the major promotions and seemed to be one of few "active" guys willing to discuss it.
At 33, I'd be a little surprised if this was your typical drug-battered heart giving out. Maybe an OD? Maybe a suicide? The above article goes on to state that he recently broke up with Kelly Kelly so maybe there was some depression. Who knows. I'm sure the details will come out in the days ahead.
I still remember his debut on Raw as a "bodyguard" for Motley Crue. He had quite the roller coaster career with highlights being the T&A team with Albert and Trish Stratus, the run as Steph's fiancee [a role that really should have cemented him in the upper echelon for years but instead got undercut], the Un-Americans... even his last run in ECW was interesting. I always kinda dug Test in the ring and thought he had a lot more potential than ever really got shown to the masses.
Another one gone too soon. R.I.P. Andrew Martin.
2009-03-12
Movie Added: Burn After Reading
In my quest to watch more movies in 2009, I finally got around to watching Burn After Reading tonight. It was a solo watch as the Missus fell asleep right away and missed most of it.
I really hate to review this right now because past experience shows me that Coen Bros films take repeated viewings before true appreciation is reached. I distinctly remember hating Fargo the first time I saw it in the theaters. I don't remember the first time I saw The Big Lebowski but I know I didn't think it was very good and now it's easily one of my favorite movies. And of course, we have the No Country For Old Men review disaster from January of last year. Suffice to say - it takes some time to grow to love a Coen Bros. movie.
So, with that in mind, I give this movie a very spineless - "it was okay."
I thought it had some very good moments and some very dull moments and a lot of in-between. Brad Pitt easily stole the show with a goofy, off-kilter character that made me laugh no matter what he was doing. If he'd stuck around for more of the movie, I might have liked it a whole lot more. After his exit, the movie felt a little flat to me. The majority of the humor had been sucked out of it and all that was left was a convoluted crime quasi-drama.
The Coens seem to be fans of the theory that even the most innocent moment in life can turn into a violent clusterfuck that ends in a rain of gunfire and burned bodies.
Can't blame 'em for that, can ya?
In the end, I felt I didn't waste my time in watching it but I could also see how it probably wasn't very accessible to the average movie watcher. If you're a Coen Bros fan, you'll probably enjoy it. If you're not, this probably won't change your mind.
BLUE'S REVIEW: MAYBE SEE!
2009-03-11
Blue's Concert Calendar
Having just bought tickets over the weekend to see one of the No Doubt "reunion" shows (I have no idea if they're actually calling them that but since I can't remember seeing them since 2001 or 2002, it would seem appropriate), I thought it'd be a good time to revisit my concert calendar.
Now, again, this isn't a list of every show I want to see over the next few months but it is a spotlighting of a handful that I really think would be awesome.
I pulled this list of upcoming shows from the good folks at LosAnjealous so if you know of a show you think I might like that I'm missing, feel free to give me a shout.
March
Thursday, March 12th - Stone Gossard & Friends @ Largo
Let's face it. There's really only one reason I'd go to this show and it's not because I'm dying to see Stone Gossard as a solo artist. Yep. I'm wondering who shows up in the "& Friends." Or as I described this show earlier in the week, "If I lived in LA, I'd go to this show to see who shows up. Since I don't, there's no fucking way I drive to LA for it."
Thursday, March 26th - The Airborne Toxic Event @ Glass House
I think I wrote about this show last time so I shan't do so again.
April
Thursday, April 2nd - Lily Allen @ The Wiltern
I'm not sure I wrote about this last time but my main interest in seeing this show somehow links back to my love for Kate Nash. It's all related in some cosmic sort of intertwinement that I can't explain to mere mortals other than to say: They're both British.
Monday, April 13th - Jenny Lewis @ Glass House
I haven't been to a show at the Glass House in fucking forever but having been there, I can say with all certainty that seeing Jenny Lewis in that tiny little joint would be a religious experience. When it was over, I could quite conceivably turn Pabst into Perrier and make people want to drink my blood... or something.
Wednesday, April 15th - BRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCE!
Thursday, April 23rd - Mates Of State & Black Kids @ Henry Fonda
I really think this show has potential to be the Show Of The Year for me if I can possibly manage to convince myself to go. I'm not there yet. Someone convince the Missus it's a worthy show to attend on a "school night" too. Come on!
Friday, April 24th - Bret Michaels Rock Of Love Bus Tour @ Club Nokia
I don't know that I'd really like to go to this but it's one of those shows that I kinda feel like I have no choice but to tell people I'd like to go to it. Oh, by the by, a girl at work claims it's her life's ambition to make it on Rock Of Love Bus and become Bret's "one and truly." Yep, that's what she said. I don't argue it because the man is a smooth operator.
Saturday, April 25th - The Go-Go's @ House Of Blues
Okay, I just realized this. If you could somehow attend Mates of State on Thursday, Bret Michaels on Friday, and The Go-Go's on Saturday, you would have pulled off some kind of amazing holy trinity of rock and roll that would cement you for all eternity in the annals of music fandom. You would also be named my ROCKSTAR OF THE MONTH!
And that's that. Rock on, people.
Now, again, this isn't a list of every show I want to see over the next few months but it is a spotlighting of a handful that I really think would be awesome.
I pulled this list of upcoming shows from the good folks at LosAnjealous so if you know of a show you think I might like that I'm missing, feel free to give me a shout.
March
Thursday, March 12th - Stone Gossard & Friends @ Largo
Let's face it. There's really only one reason I'd go to this show and it's not because I'm dying to see Stone Gossard as a solo artist. Yep. I'm wondering who shows up in the "& Friends." Or as I described this show earlier in the week, "If I lived in LA, I'd go to this show to see who shows up. Since I don't, there's no fucking way I drive to LA for it."
Thursday, March 26th - The Airborne Toxic Event @ Glass House
I think I wrote about this show last time so I shan't do so again.
April
Thursday, April 2nd - Lily Allen @ The Wiltern
I'm not sure I wrote about this last time but my main interest in seeing this show somehow links back to my love for Kate Nash. It's all related in some cosmic sort of intertwinement that I can't explain to mere mortals other than to say: They're both British.
Monday, April 13th - Jenny Lewis @ Glass House
I haven't been to a show at the Glass House in fucking forever but having been there, I can say with all certainty that seeing Jenny Lewis in that tiny little joint would be a religious experience. When it was over, I could quite conceivably turn Pabst into Perrier and make people want to drink my blood... or something.
Wednesday, April 15th - BRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCE!
Thursday, April 23rd - Mates Of State & Black Kids @ Henry Fonda
I really think this show has potential to be the Show Of The Year for me if I can possibly manage to convince myself to go. I'm not there yet. Someone convince the Missus it's a worthy show to attend on a "school night" too. Come on!
Friday, April 24th - Bret Michaels Rock Of Love Bus Tour @ Club Nokia
I don't know that I'd really like to go to this but it's one of those shows that I kinda feel like I have no choice but to tell people I'd like to go to it. Oh, by the by, a girl at work claims it's her life's ambition to make it on Rock Of Love Bus and become Bret's "one and truly." Yep, that's what she said. I don't argue it because the man is a smooth operator.
Saturday, April 25th - The Go-Go's @ House Of Blues
Okay, I just realized this. If you could somehow attend Mates of State on Thursday, Bret Michaels on Friday, and The Go-Go's on Saturday, you would have pulled off some kind of amazing holy trinity of rock and roll that would cement you for all eternity in the annals of music fandom. You would also be named my ROCKSTAR OF THE MONTH!
And that's that. Rock on, people.
2009-03-10
BSG vs Lost: Week 7
We're in the home stretch of this showdown as there are only two more nights of BSG to go after last week's episode. I've kinda enjoyed doing this weekly review so I may have to find a new opponent for Lost in a couple of weeks or maybe I'll switch to a Show Of The Week format! Who knows?
But for now, it's still a head-to-head showdown between Lost and BSG for Television Supremacy.
Lost was wacky this week but had some big moments. We saw what was presumably the four-toed statue we saw all those episodes ago once again - and it was dressed in Egyptian garb. We got to see Sawyer, Juliet, Miles, and Jin living the Dharma lifestyle in what is apparently the 1970s. And of course, we got to find out that Sawyer and Juliet have grown quite close in those long three years.
But he didn't look like he forgot what Kate looked like, did he?
I commented to the Missus that even the love triangle/quadrangle on this show has been written uniquely. Most shows tend to write their triangles in such a way that you immediately pick a favorite and root for that person while at the same time, it's easy to know which way the writers are wanting you to lean as well. Lost avoids that like the plague. We've seen great moments between Jack and Kate, Kate and Sawyer, Jack and Juliet, and now Sawyer and Juliet - all of which make you think you probably would be just fine if that's how the show ended up. There's never any sign of which way the writers are pushing the situation and quite frankly, it's pretty tough to root for one over the other.
It was an interesting episode while not the most awe-inspiring after the past several weeks of question answering.
BSG took a step up this week with some pretty dramatic shit as well. The ship is dying and now we all know it including the President, Tigh, and Adama. Boomer did indeed kidnap Hera for Cavil but seems to be having some regrets over that decision. Kara continues to have issues with who she is with Gaius providing the latest theory - she's an angel. Don't know about that one, buddy. Oh, and don't forget Anders getting plugged into the machine and becoming one of the weird Hybrid dealies.
All in all - a much more compelling episode than we've seen recently.
This week is close. Very close.
But in the end, I decided that BSG just barely squeaked this one out. So, after seven weeks of head-to-head battle...
Lost - 4
BSG - 3
With Lost taking a week off this week, there'll be no score added until the BSG finale week. One final showdown with a win by Lost or an overall tie. It's quite anti-climactic, isn't it?
But for now, it's still a head-to-head showdown between Lost and BSG for Television Supremacy.
Lost was wacky this week but had some big moments. We saw what was presumably the four-toed statue we saw all those episodes ago once again - and it was dressed in Egyptian garb. We got to see Sawyer, Juliet, Miles, and Jin living the Dharma lifestyle in what is apparently the 1970s. And of course, we got to find out that Sawyer and Juliet have grown quite close in those long three years.
But he didn't look like he forgot what Kate looked like, did he?
I commented to the Missus that even the love triangle/quadrangle on this show has been written uniquely. Most shows tend to write their triangles in such a way that you immediately pick a favorite and root for that person while at the same time, it's easy to know which way the writers are wanting you to lean as well. Lost avoids that like the plague. We've seen great moments between Jack and Kate, Kate and Sawyer, Jack and Juliet, and now Sawyer and Juliet - all of which make you think you probably would be just fine if that's how the show ended up. There's never any sign of which way the writers are pushing the situation and quite frankly, it's pretty tough to root for one over the other.
It was an interesting episode while not the most awe-inspiring after the past several weeks of question answering.
BSG took a step up this week with some pretty dramatic shit as well. The ship is dying and now we all know it including the President, Tigh, and Adama. Boomer did indeed kidnap Hera for Cavil but seems to be having some regrets over that decision. Kara continues to have issues with who she is with Gaius providing the latest theory - she's an angel. Don't know about that one, buddy. Oh, and don't forget Anders getting plugged into the machine and becoming one of the weird Hybrid dealies.
All in all - a much more compelling episode than we've seen recently.
This week is close. Very close.
But in the end, I decided that BSG just barely squeaked this one out. So, after seven weeks of head-to-head battle...
Lost - 4
BSG - 3
With Lost taking a week off this week, there'll be no score added until the BSG finale week. One final showdown with a win by Lost or an overall tie. It's quite anti-climactic, isn't it?
2009-03-09
Dodger Stuff
It's odd that I skipped a Good, Bad, & Ugly for the Dodgers on probably the most news-worthy week of the offseason so far. But there was so much being written about Manny everywhere else, I just couldn't figure out anything to say that wasn't being said everywhere else.
I'll go with this...
I'm happy that he signed. I'm happy that the deal is a decent one for the Dodgers - not a great one because of the lopsided second year option - but a decent one. I'm very happy that Torre, Coletti, and McCourt wanted to meet with him before they signed him - that makes me incredibly hopeful that they did their very best psychotherapy to see if he would be a good Manny or a bad Manny. He's said all the right things so far since showing up at camp - hopefully he means them.
Do I hold a grudge over how things went down? Nah, not really. It's Boras so it was expected. I wish it hadn't gotten so drawn out and ugly but... well, it's a business, I guess, so you deal with the cards you're dealt. I expect there may be a sprinkling of boos on Opening Day with some fans holding a grudge but they'll be gone in a hurry. As for me, I was the one who refused to boo Andruw Jones last season so I certainly don't intend to start booing Manny.
My favorite Manny-related story of the week though?
On Manny's first official day in camp, he was there early to run with the conditioning coach. Upon returning to the clubhouse, Matt Kemp showed up. Manny remarked [humorously, I'm sure], "I've been here since 6:30. Where have you been?" Matt Kemp's reply was "I was here three weeks ago. Where have you been?"
Awesome.
Add that to Matt Kemp's proclamation today that he might go for a 40-40 season and he's working his way into my heart early this season.
Oh, and SI's Jon Heyman says that Pedro Martinez is talking up the idea of a Dodger reunion.
I'll buy that for a dollar. Literally.
On a sadder note, it was a bad week for ex-Dodgers as both Dave Roberts and Eric Gagne were released by their teams. Those two were two of my favorite players for a couple of years there so it's a sad day to see them on the unemployment line. If Gagne would take a cheap enough deal [and I mean rock bottom], I'd let him rehab in the minors and see what he's got. If Juan Pierre can be traded for a bag of balls, I'd consider signing Dave Roberts as the late inning pinch runner.
But that's probably just me.
It's an interesting time of year but I really can't wait for the season to start.
I'll go with this...
I'm happy that he signed. I'm happy that the deal is a decent one for the Dodgers - not a great one because of the lopsided second year option - but a decent one. I'm very happy that Torre, Coletti, and McCourt wanted to meet with him before they signed him - that makes me incredibly hopeful that they did their very best psychotherapy to see if he would be a good Manny or a bad Manny. He's said all the right things so far since showing up at camp - hopefully he means them.
Do I hold a grudge over how things went down? Nah, not really. It's Boras so it was expected. I wish it hadn't gotten so drawn out and ugly but... well, it's a business, I guess, so you deal with the cards you're dealt. I expect there may be a sprinkling of boos on Opening Day with some fans holding a grudge but they'll be gone in a hurry. As for me, I was the one who refused to boo Andruw Jones last season so I certainly don't intend to start booing Manny.
My favorite Manny-related story of the week though?
On Manny's first official day in camp, he was there early to run with the conditioning coach. Upon returning to the clubhouse, Matt Kemp showed up. Manny remarked [humorously, I'm sure], "I've been here since 6:30. Where have you been?" Matt Kemp's reply was "I was here three weeks ago. Where have you been?"
Awesome.
Add that to Matt Kemp's proclamation today that he might go for a 40-40 season and he's working his way into my heart early this season.
Oh, and SI's Jon Heyman says that Pedro Martinez is talking up the idea of a Dodger reunion.
I'll buy that for a dollar. Literally.
On a sadder note, it was a bad week for ex-Dodgers as both Dave Roberts and Eric Gagne were released by their teams. Those two were two of my favorite players for a couple of years there so it's a sad day to see them on the unemployment line. If Gagne would take a cheap enough deal [and I mean rock bottom], I'd let him rehab in the minors and see what he's got. If Juan Pierre can be traded for a bag of balls, I'd consider signing Dave Roberts as the late inning pinch runner.
But that's probably just me.
It's an interesting time of year but I really can't wait for the season to start.
2009-03-08
Phil Collins Never Sounded So Good
With the smell of Wrestlemania in the air, I stumbled upon this on YouTube tonight. There's so many really crappy fan-made videos on the 'net, it always impresses me when I find one that looks like it could have been done professionally.
This is one of those.
Two things about this video that struck me while watching it...
1] Somehow, I was happy the creator chose not to ignore the Benoit/Eddie hug from several years ago. At the time, that was one of my favorite Wrestlemania moments - I can still remember screaming at the TV for HHH to tap to the Crossface. It'd be a shame to let what happened with Benoit to ruin every in-ring memory of him, I think. Just my opinion.
2] The Flair/HBK finish rarely fails to send a shiver up my spine and this time was no exception.
This is one of those.
Two things about this video that struck me while watching it...
1] Somehow, I was happy the creator chose not to ignore the Benoit/Eddie hug from several years ago. At the time, that was one of my favorite Wrestlemania moments - I can still remember screaming at the TV for HHH to tap to the Crossface. It'd be a shame to let what happened with Benoit to ruin every in-ring memory of him, I think. Just my opinion.
2] The Flair/HBK finish rarely fails to send a shiver up my spine and this time was no exception.
2009-03-07
Movies Added: Airplane, Cloverfield, Clerks!
I thought it might be a good idea to make note of when I add movies to my Movies Watched In 2009 list on the sidebar for those of you who don't check it religiously. Today, somehow turned into quite the movie night despite a DVR busting at the seams and a moderately busy day.
First on the list was...
Airplane
Of course, I've seen Airplane countless times but it really is one of those that just never can grow old on you. It must be a long time since I've seen it on a non-basic cable channel though because there were a handful of jokes that I don't recall that I'm guessing were edited for content. Seeing something like this just really makes you wonder what happened to the lost art of the parody film. Scary Movie is the last one I recall being decent - not that I've watched Epic Movie and Meet The Spartans and the other assorted shit that has flooded the market in recent years. It also makes you treasure just how awesome Leslie Nielsen is. He really isn't the star of this one but he definitely steals the show. Seeing this today made me want to watch the Naked Gun movies again. RECOMMENDED BY BLUE
Cloverfield
I remember being super-stoked about Cloverfield when the first trailer came out last year. I was really eager to see it - being a big JJ Abrams fan didn't hurt matters - but somehow, I just never managed to catch it when it came out. By the time it came out on DVD, I didn't really care much anymore and never bothered with it. But during the Best of '08 episode of the /filmcast, they were putting over Cloverfield as being one of the most fun movies of the year so I decided I finally needed to check it out. I thought it was a lot of fun and a great take on your typical "monster movie." The brevity of the movie made it a sprint of action and excitement which really turned out well. Stylistically, I like the choice to go for the "home movie" look although if you have a hard time watching things like The Shield or even shooter video games, you may want to skip this one. The Missus couldn't make it through the movie without having to turn away because she thought the camera movement was going to make her sick. Alas, she missed a fun ride. RECOMMENDED BY BLUE
Clerks
I was flipping around post-Cloverfield trying to find something I've seen to ignore in the background while I sat on the computer since the Missus still wasn't feeling well enough to watch something else. And then came Clerks. Clerks is another one that I can't ever get tired of - although for the first time tonight, I noticed a few times when the dialogue seemed a little stilted. One of the best things about Clerks is that it's the dream story for all us aspiring filmmakers out there. It's the movie that makes us all feel that no matter how tough it gets, there's always hope. Plus, it's a damn fine flick. I can't imagine many people who'd find this blog entertaining haven't seen it but just in case... RECOMMENDED BY BLUE
First on the list was...
Airplane
Of course, I've seen Airplane countless times but it really is one of those that just never can grow old on you. It must be a long time since I've seen it on a non-basic cable channel though because there were a handful of jokes that I don't recall that I'm guessing were edited for content. Seeing something like this just really makes you wonder what happened to the lost art of the parody film. Scary Movie is the last one I recall being decent - not that I've watched Epic Movie and Meet The Spartans and the other assorted shit that has flooded the market in recent years. It also makes you treasure just how awesome Leslie Nielsen is. He really isn't the star of this one but he definitely steals the show. Seeing this today made me want to watch the Naked Gun movies again. RECOMMENDED BY BLUE
Cloverfield
I remember being super-stoked about Cloverfield when the first trailer came out last year. I was really eager to see it - being a big JJ Abrams fan didn't hurt matters - but somehow, I just never managed to catch it when it came out. By the time it came out on DVD, I didn't really care much anymore and never bothered with it. But during the Best of '08 episode of the /filmcast, they were putting over Cloverfield as being one of the most fun movies of the year so I decided I finally needed to check it out. I thought it was a lot of fun and a great take on your typical "monster movie." The brevity of the movie made it a sprint of action and excitement which really turned out well. Stylistically, I like the choice to go for the "home movie" look although if you have a hard time watching things like The Shield or even shooter video games, you may want to skip this one. The Missus couldn't make it through the movie without having to turn away because she thought the camera movement was going to make her sick. Alas, she missed a fun ride. RECOMMENDED BY BLUE
Clerks
I was flipping around post-Cloverfield trying to find something I've seen to ignore in the background while I sat on the computer since the Missus still wasn't feeling well enough to watch something else. And then came Clerks. Clerks is another one that I can't ever get tired of - although for the first time tonight, I noticed a few times when the dialogue seemed a little stilted. One of the best things about Clerks is that it's the dream story for all us aspiring filmmakers out there. It's the movie that makes us all feel that no matter how tough it gets, there's always hope. Plus, it's a damn fine flick. I can't imagine many people who'd find this blog entertaining haven't seen it but just in case... RECOMMENDED BY BLUE
2009-03-06
Jack's Back
I posed the following question moments ago...
"Is it possible that it's neither Lost nor Battlestar that had the best show this week but 24 instead?"
Actually, I also included Dollhouse in that statement but since we're watching older episodes of Dollhouse trying to catch up, I guess that's not really fair. But beyond that, it'll take some pondering but I think I just may have enjoyed 24 better than either one of the others this week.
In case you haven't heard the news, 24 is back and perhaps better than ever.
If you're one of the people who abandoned 24 either during some of the lackluster seasons or because of the writers' strike, it's time to check back in because a third of the way into the season, this is one of the best seasons ever. So much has already happened, it's difficult to imagine where else this showdown could possibly go from here but Jon Voight has JUST gotten introduced as the season's (presumably) main antagonist.
The return of Tony plus the addition of FBI Agent [and former General Hospital "star"] Renee Walker not to mention the relocation of the show to Washington D.C. has breathed new life into it. Now, when our old favs return like Chloe, Bill, and Aaron, it's a breath of fresh air in a season that already has got me hooked.
Last Monday's two hour episode was off-the-hook-fucking-batshit-crazy so if you missed that, I'd go back and download it somewhere because that would be a killer starting point if you haven't been watching this season.
With two episodes of BSG left, you'd think that would be the most anticipated TV night of the week but for me, Monday and Wednesday have been ruling the coop. But that's a story for a later post!
"Is it possible that it's neither Lost nor Battlestar that had the best show this week but 24 instead?"
Actually, I also included Dollhouse in that statement but since we're watching older episodes of Dollhouse trying to catch up, I guess that's not really fair. But beyond that, it'll take some pondering but I think I just may have enjoyed 24 better than either one of the others this week.
In case you haven't heard the news, 24 is back and perhaps better than ever.
If you're one of the people who abandoned 24 either during some of the lackluster seasons or because of the writers' strike, it's time to check back in because a third of the way into the season, this is one of the best seasons ever. So much has already happened, it's difficult to imagine where else this showdown could possibly go from here but Jon Voight has JUST gotten introduced as the season's (presumably) main antagonist.
The return of Tony plus the addition of FBI Agent [and former General Hospital "star"] Renee Walker not to mention the relocation of the show to Washington D.C. has breathed new life into it. Now, when our old favs return like Chloe, Bill, and Aaron, it's a breath of fresh air in a season that already has got me hooked.
Last Monday's two hour episode was off-the-hook-fucking-batshit-crazy so if you missed that, I'd go back and download it somewhere because that would be a killer starting point if you haven't been watching this season.
With two episodes of BSG left, you'd think that would be the most anticipated TV night of the week but for me, Monday and Wednesday have been ruling the coop. But that's a story for a later post!
2009-03-05
2009-03-04
And That's That...Finally
On my way out the door for work but I thought I'd drop this in since it's apparently now official...
Sources: Dodgers, Manny agree at 2 years, $45M
Sources: Dodgers, Manny agree at 2 years, $45M
Manny Ramirez is a Dodger once again.
Ramirez on Wednesday agreed to a two-year, $45 million contract to return to Los Angeles, according to major-league sources. The deal will be finalized after Ramirez passes his physical.
2009-03-03
2009-03-02
The Boss Inspires...
Jesus H. Christ, this is one of the coolest things I've ever seen. Check out the Bouncing Souls and Juliana Hatfield for certain.
Oh, and of course - much love to the ever-fantastic I Am Fuel, You Are Friends for bringing this glory of website greatness to my attention.
Oh, and of course - much love to the ever-fantastic I Am Fuel, You Are Friends for bringing this glory of website greatness to my attention.
February 2009: The Month In Music
When I did this post last month, I said I was going to try and make it a monthly thing so I'm back in black and ready to rock.
February was an interesting month on my iTunes library as I added 120 songs during the 28 days but only managed to listen to 75 of them during that same period. It also was interesting in that to make the Top 5 for February, the song only needed to be played in its entirety THREE times which created quite the pileup at the top of the heap.
Let's take a look - shall we?
Top 5 Played of February 2009
Honorable Mention:
Other songs hitting the magic number of 3 times played included: Vato - Snoop Dogg, Shake - Sam Cooke, Stay Alive - The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
5. Surprise, Surprise - Bruce Springsteen
In my ongoing quest to rediscover the lost art of the album, I've been trying to at least buy one full album a month. This month, of course, I bought the new Boss album. Sadly, on a first listen, I didn't care for it as much as previous releases but there are a few bright spots. This is one of them.
4. I Really Love You - Dee Dee Sharp
This becomes difficult when I just wrote about some/most of these songs two nights ago.
3. Crack A Bottle - Eminem, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent
Yep. See #4.
2. My Life Would Suck Without You - Kelly Clarkson
Ah, there's something new. Is it just me or does there seem to be a flurry of former American Idols releasing music when the season starts up? I'm sure that's no coincidence. I've made no secret in the past that I think Kelly Clarkson makes some damn fine pop music and I have tremendous respect for her as an artist after she stood up to her label last time out and made the album she wanted to make rather than the one they wanted her to make. This is a return to the poppy princess Kelly but that's fine with me.
And the #1 song of February...
1. Green Means Go - The Color Wheels
Do you have the chorus for this song out of your head yet? Hah! Told ya.
I'm not going to bother with doing a Seeqpod playlist for this Top 5 since you got most of them a couple of days ago and at a quick glance, some of the ones you didn't get aren't up there. Trust me - go buy them. To make up for that, as an added bonus, let's take a look at the charts for the Year To Date!
2009 So Far!
February was an interesting month on my iTunes library as I added 120 songs during the 28 days but only managed to listen to 75 of them during that same period. It also was interesting in that to make the Top 5 for February, the song only needed to be played in its entirety THREE times which created quite the pileup at the top of the heap.
Let's take a look - shall we?
Top 5 Played of February 2009
Honorable Mention:
Other songs hitting the magic number of 3 times played included: Vato - Snoop Dogg, Shake - Sam Cooke, Stay Alive - The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
5. Surprise, Surprise - Bruce Springsteen
In my ongoing quest to rediscover the lost art of the album, I've been trying to at least buy one full album a month. This month, of course, I bought the new Boss album. Sadly, on a first listen, I didn't care for it as much as previous releases but there are a few bright spots. This is one of them.
4. I Really Love You - Dee Dee Sharp
This becomes difficult when I just wrote about some/most of these songs two nights ago.
3. Crack A Bottle - Eminem, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent
Yep. See #4.
2. My Life Would Suck Without You - Kelly Clarkson
Ah, there's something new. Is it just me or does there seem to be a flurry of former American Idols releasing music when the season starts up? I'm sure that's no coincidence. I've made no secret in the past that I think Kelly Clarkson makes some damn fine pop music and I have tremendous respect for her as an artist after she stood up to her label last time out and made the album she wanted to make rather than the one they wanted her to make. This is a return to the poppy princess Kelly but that's fine with me.
And the #1 song of February...
1. Green Means Go - The Color Wheels
Do you have the chorus for this song out of your head yet? Hah! Told ya.
I'm not going to bother with doing a Seeqpod playlist for this Top 5 since you got most of them a couple of days ago and at a quick glance, some of the ones you didn't get aren't up there. Trust me - go buy them. To make up for that, as an added bonus, let's take a look at the charts for the Year To Date!
2009 So Far!
20. On The Way Home (Live) - Neil Young
19. My Life Would Suck Without You - Kelly Clarkson
18. Hot And Cold - Katy Perry
17. Green Means Go - The Color Wheels
16. Mausam And Escape - AR Rahman
15. Riots - AR Rahman
14. You You You You You - The 6th & Katharine Whalen
13. Half Asleep - School Of Seven Bells
12. Let It Slip - The School
11. The Good Old Days - The Lodger
10. The Wrestler - Bruce Springsteen
9. Seattle - The BPA
8. Liquid Dance - AR Rahman
7. More Adventurous - Rilo Kiley
6. Come Saturday - The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
5. Secret Heart - Feist
4. Thank You Mario But Our Princess Is In Another Castle - The Mountain Goats
3. We Rule The School - Belle & Sebastian
2. Jai Ho - AR Rahman
1. Latika's Theme - AR Rahman
2009-03-01
BSG vs Lost: Week 6
You know, in all honesty, when I first started doing this a month and a half ago, I thought it'd be more of a blowout than this. I was coming off a stretch of sprinting through BSG to get caught up before the final batch of episodes and I was in awe of what a tremendous piece of television they were putting on. Lost, I figured, was starting their second to last season but still had a lot of time to go and seemed likely to "waste a few."
But as it turns out, it seems like BSG has been the series willing to "waste a few" on and off over this last batch of episodes. Not that I'm saying they're not putting on fantastic, compelling stuff because they certainly are but...
Let's look at this week for a "for instance." Anyone who saw this week's BSG would be hard-pressed to think they were watching anything but a "filler" episode until perhaps the last twenty minutes or so. Now, in that "filler", there was some fantastic character moments and some very obviously "building blocks" but with them being down to their final three episodes, how many building blocks could they really need at this point? At this stage, I really don't feel the urgency to find a new home as much as I should considering the state of the Galactica and the fleet. The ending of the most recent ep may change that drastically but... well, as someone who just dropped $100 this morning to go see a panel/screening about BSG and the Caprica prequel in April, I'd like to see the show's final three episodes just kick the collective shit out of me.
Over on Lost, they continue to pull no punches in being completely badass. Almost the entirety of this week's episode took place off the island and I'm not sure of the last time that's happened - if ever - but it still managed to be compelling shit that made me wonder what in the hell was going to happen next. They succeeded in making the waters between Ben and Widmore even more murky with poor John Locke trapped between them. So, when the climax of the episode hits, it's like a gut punch... but then... well, the manage to bring it all back to where it needs to be - the island. And I'm counting the moments until Wednesday night.
Maybe I was expecting too much out of BSG but for the final episodes, I'm left feeling like it's just another day at the office for the writing team [not that it's a bad thing - just... unexpected.]
In case you hadn't guessed...
Round Six goes to Lost!
After six weeks...
Lost - 4
BSG - 2
And yes, that means that BSG needs to pull the clean sweep with the final 3 episodes to win this almighty showdown of amazing television.
So say we all.
But as it turns out, it seems like BSG has been the series willing to "waste a few" on and off over this last batch of episodes. Not that I'm saying they're not putting on fantastic, compelling stuff because they certainly are but...
Let's look at this week for a "for instance." Anyone who saw this week's BSG would be hard-pressed to think they were watching anything but a "filler" episode until perhaps the last twenty minutes or so. Now, in that "filler", there was some fantastic character moments and some very obviously "building blocks" but with them being down to their final three episodes, how many building blocks could they really need at this point? At this stage, I really don't feel the urgency to find a new home as much as I should considering the state of the Galactica and the fleet. The ending of the most recent ep may change that drastically but... well, as someone who just dropped $100 this morning to go see a panel/screening about BSG and the Caprica prequel in April, I'd like to see the show's final three episodes just kick the collective shit out of me.
Over on Lost, they continue to pull no punches in being completely badass. Almost the entirety of this week's episode took place off the island and I'm not sure of the last time that's happened - if ever - but it still managed to be compelling shit that made me wonder what in the hell was going to happen next. They succeeded in making the waters between Ben and Widmore even more murky with poor John Locke trapped between them. So, when the climax of the episode hits, it's like a gut punch... but then... well, the manage to bring it all back to where it needs to be - the island. And I'm counting the moments until Wednesday night.
Maybe I was expecting too much out of BSG but for the final episodes, I'm left feeling like it's just another day at the office for the writing team [not that it's a bad thing - just... unexpected.]
In case you hadn't guessed...
Round Six goes to Lost!
After six weeks...
Lost - 4
BSG - 2
And yes, that means that BSG needs to pull the clean sweep with the final 3 episodes to win this almighty showdown of amazing television.
So say we all.
2009-02-28
Mixtape Of The Month: Feelin' Gangsta
I rushed in here after watching last night's BSG [another mindfraker] to finish this because as I became aware today - March is almost upon us!
This one's a little bit different than last month for two major reasons...
1] I made a conscious effort to pick things up a bit after I got called out by the Missus for becoming a softy in my old age last month. Happy now?
2] At some point in the month, I decried the state of hip hop music as being really ass-o-riffic thanks to that god damn Dirty South vocal filter that seemingly is on every rap/hip hop track these days. This declaration sent me to iTunes Music Store to see if I could find some new hip hop to add to my collection that could prove me wrong. Those songs are well-represented here.
And off we go...
SIDE A
----------
I'm Not Going To Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You - Black Kids
I'm pretty sure that Kate Nash's awesome cover of this song has made a previous Mixtape Of The Month and with this featured on the playlist at work these days, I thought it was only fitting to pay tribute to the original. This kicks off Side A with a burst of energy and awesomeness. I defy anyone to listen to this song and not be singing it for days to follow. This is one of those songs that just makes you happy when you hear it.
Section 22: Running Away - The Polyphonic Spree
Unfortunately, I can't say why I've had this song stuck in my head lately and why I included it this month. In fact, there's a Non-Disclosure Agreement that would prohibit it! Suffice to say that I don't care if the Polyphonic Spree is a cult or not because they make some damn fine music. Another song that just brings a smile to my face all the time when I hear it.
Slow Show - The National
I'm pretty sure the version that'll by housed on MY Mixtape is a live one from some radio station or Internet place but the one I've included for your benefit is the actual studio version. The National didn't really come to my attention until I saw them open for R.E.M. last year. At that point, I only knew them as "the band that covered a kinda obscure Bruce song." But they quickly won me over with biiiiig songs and powerful vocals. This is one of those songs. The song [especially in the live version] just seems so huge at times, you'd think the vocals [which are damn subtle] would get lost in the mix but they just power on through to create an amazing piece of music.
Let It Slip - The School
In a similar way to the Pipettes knockin' the hell out of Pull Shapes, The School channels some of those bubble gum pop bands from the 50s to put something out there that very few bands are doing and even fewer are doing well. The version I included for you guys sounds a little different to my highly-tonedeaf ear... more polished or something... maybe I have a demo or an older less studio version? No clue but it's still awesome. Listen to this one and imagine your parents [well, if you're my age anyways] listening to something just like it.
Heavy Metal Drummer - Wilco
Back in October when I reviewed Wilco's set at the Bridge School Benefit, I made the following statement...
They took a person who didn't know many of their songs [me!] and managed to make me entertained by their entire set
So, if we go back to that statement and now reveal that months later, I'm still listening to and enjoying one of the songs they played that day that I had no clue about - well, that just shows how talented of a band that they are. I still look forward to a chance to see them in a smaller venue someday.
Just Dropped In - Kenny Rogers & The First Edition
Wait a second. Is this the same Kenny Rogers who rocked the house with The Gambler, Lady, and Islands In The Stream among others? No fucking way. I love when I stumble upon artists who went waaaaay outside their wheelhouse and managed to put something awesome together. Apparently he did this before those other songs but it doesn't make it any less amazing. Obviously, this is being included because of its' star turn in The Big Lebowski which is on my mind because Lebowski Fest is coming to Los Angeles in May and I'm trying to work myself into getting excited so that I want to go... that make sense? Oh, the song rocks too. Listen to it!
First Time High - Of Montreal
Sadly, Seeqpod doesn't have this so you can't hear it but I'd suggest hunting it down to check it out. Maybe... here!
Turn Me On - Norah Jones
After all that kickass rockishness, it's time for one of our slow jams. I'm not the kind of guy who likes to paint all these elaborate pictures about what kind of scene a certain song creates in my mind BUT... well, let's just say this song makes me easily envision it being sung by a sulty songstress on a darkened stage in a smoky piano bar... oh yeah, and she's singing that song just for you, buddy! You know it! Go get that crazy dame!
I've Been High - R.E.M.
You guys drew the short straw here because there's an AMAZING in-studio version of this that is on one of the KCRW Morning Becomes Eclectic albums. This is a great live version that you get but that studio version is the equivalent of a musical orgasm. Yep. I said it. I meant it. I'm here to represent it. But until you can track that down, you're stuck with this. And with such a beautiful song, we wrap up Side A with a bang!
SIDE B
----------
Gangsta Gangsta - N.W.A.
For years, I've sat sadly with N.W.A. only being represented on my iTunes by Compton, Police, and Express Yourself. This month, I decided to remedy that. This is one of those songs that just shows off how amazing that group was with each member carrying their own shit so strongly, it couldn't help but make the whole group rock the house. Hopefully none of you are listening to this at work - well, unless you have earphones.
Vato - Snoop Dogg w/B-Real
One of the things I love about the hip hop/rap world that you just don't usually see in other genres is how frequently you see collaborations like this. Snoop Dogg with B-Real from Cypress Hill? Seems like a natural match, huh? This one tells a pretty simply story about some guys fuckin' with gangsta Snoop and how Snoop had to deal with them. Sounds like every other hip hop song, no? I love the back and forth between Snoop and B-Real though - that's what makes this one stand out to me.
Crack A Bottle - Eminem, Dre, 50 Cent
No luck on this one either. It's nowhere to be found on Seeqpod. I'm going to guess they made 'em pull it down because this song's been all over the place lately. I'm a big fan of two of the three artists on this one so I had to give it a shot. No one puts together a hook like Eminem and Dre. This one will be stuck in your head too. Guaranteed.
California Vacation - The Game
Remember when everyone was talking about 50 Cent vs The Game? Well, one listen to the last track and this track will tell you who won that one musically. Financially? Who knows. But musically, The Game is far beyond what 50 Cent is capable of with his gangsta romance rap. This is one of those songs where you can hear the heritage of West Coast rap in every piece of it. Having Snoop as a guest star on it doesn't hurt either.
Timecop - Iron Chic
Seeqpod is letting me down tonight but I did manage to find a link for y'all for this one. This would drop us out of the gangsta rap and kick us back a ways. This is the kind of song and the kind of band that I would have gone absolutely apeshit for about ten years ago. Now? Well, I can reminisce fondly while listening to them. I'm sure I would have seen them a half dozen times in a year's span - probably all at crazy shows where 15 bands played. Ahhh - memories.
Green Means Go - The Color Wheels
This knocks us a little further away from the West Coast rap with a really fun poppy punk track. It's catchy as hell too so you can feel free to blame me tomorrow evening when you're humming "It goes green means go and no means no..." Fun song. I enjoyed it immensely when I first stumbled upon it and thought it was instantly worthy of inclusion on this list.
I Really Love You - Dee Dee Sharp
I talked about The School channeling some 50's pop earlier but this one is legit straight off the AM dial from the 60s. The thing that strikes me the most about this song though is that it feels like it should be included on a Tarantino soundtrack so that a whole new generation can treasure it - just like The Delfonics, Dusty Springfield, Dick Dale, and so many others. Tell me you can't hear this blasting out of a scene in Jackie Brown. Sadly, I don't think it'll fit in Inglorious Bastards though. Anyone else see the trailer for that and just start giggling uncontrollably? The tagline "You haven't seen war until you've see it through the eyes of Quentin Tarantino" reaffirms my belief in Hollywood... and then someone mentions Mall Cop. Sigh.
Heartless - Kanye West
Never let it be said that I don't have the ability to mock myself. Yes, after going on a diatribe above about the Dirty South vocal filter - here it is in all its glory. And yes, I do think it's a cheap trick for Kanye to go for because I think he's better than that. His vocals are good enough to stand on their own without some fucking studio magician slapping shit on him to make him sound like a robot. But, that being said... great song.
End tape!
I'll be back tomorrow [or Monday] to talk about my favorite music from February so it's a jam-packed music weekend here at the B-Spot.
Listen and enjoy...
This one's a little bit different than last month for two major reasons...
1] I made a conscious effort to pick things up a bit after I got called out by the Missus for becoming a softy in my old age last month. Happy now?
2] At some point in the month, I decried the state of hip hop music as being really ass-o-riffic thanks to that god damn Dirty South vocal filter that seemingly is on every rap/hip hop track these days. This declaration sent me to iTunes Music Store to see if I could find some new hip hop to add to my collection that could prove me wrong. Those songs are well-represented here.
And off we go...
SIDE A
----------
I'm Not Going To Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You - Black Kids
I'm pretty sure that Kate Nash's awesome cover of this song has made a previous Mixtape Of The Month and with this featured on the playlist at work these days, I thought it was only fitting to pay tribute to the original. This kicks off Side A with a burst of energy and awesomeness. I defy anyone to listen to this song and not be singing it for days to follow. This is one of those songs that just makes you happy when you hear it.
Section 22: Running Away - The Polyphonic Spree
Unfortunately, I can't say why I've had this song stuck in my head lately and why I included it this month. In fact, there's a Non-Disclosure Agreement that would prohibit it! Suffice to say that I don't care if the Polyphonic Spree is a cult or not because they make some damn fine music. Another song that just brings a smile to my face all the time when I hear it.
Slow Show - The National
I'm pretty sure the version that'll by housed on MY Mixtape is a live one from some radio station or Internet place but the one I've included for your benefit is the actual studio version. The National didn't really come to my attention until I saw them open for R.E.M. last year. At that point, I only knew them as "the band that covered a kinda obscure Bruce song." But they quickly won me over with biiiiig songs and powerful vocals. This is one of those songs. The song [especially in the live version] just seems so huge at times, you'd think the vocals [which are damn subtle] would get lost in the mix but they just power on through to create an amazing piece of music.
Let It Slip - The School
In a similar way to the Pipettes knockin' the hell out of Pull Shapes, The School channels some of those bubble gum pop bands from the 50s to put something out there that very few bands are doing and even fewer are doing well. The version I included for you guys sounds a little different to my highly-tonedeaf ear... more polished or something... maybe I have a demo or an older less studio version? No clue but it's still awesome. Listen to this one and imagine your parents [well, if you're my age anyways] listening to something just like it.
Heavy Metal Drummer - Wilco
Back in October when I reviewed Wilco's set at the Bridge School Benefit, I made the following statement...
They took a person who didn't know many of their songs [me!] and managed to make me entertained by their entire set
So, if we go back to that statement and now reveal that months later, I'm still listening to and enjoying one of the songs they played that day that I had no clue about - well, that just shows how talented of a band that they are. I still look forward to a chance to see them in a smaller venue someday.
Just Dropped In - Kenny Rogers & The First Edition
Wait a second. Is this the same Kenny Rogers who rocked the house with The Gambler, Lady, and Islands In The Stream among others? No fucking way. I love when I stumble upon artists who went waaaaay outside their wheelhouse and managed to put something awesome together. Apparently he did this before those other songs but it doesn't make it any less amazing. Obviously, this is being included because of its' star turn in The Big Lebowski which is on my mind because Lebowski Fest is coming to Los Angeles in May and I'm trying to work myself into getting excited so that I want to go... that make sense? Oh, the song rocks too. Listen to it!
First Time High - Of Montreal
Sadly, Seeqpod doesn't have this so you can't hear it but I'd suggest hunting it down to check it out. Maybe... here!
Turn Me On - Norah Jones
After all that kickass rockishness, it's time for one of our slow jams. I'm not the kind of guy who likes to paint all these elaborate pictures about what kind of scene a certain song creates in my mind BUT... well, let's just say this song makes me easily envision it being sung by a sulty songstress on a darkened stage in a smoky piano bar... oh yeah, and she's singing that song just for you, buddy! You know it! Go get that crazy dame!
I've Been High - R.E.M.
You guys drew the short straw here because there's an AMAZING in-studio version of this that is on one of the KCRW Morning Becomes Eclectic albums. This is a great live version that you get but that studio version is the equivalent of a musical orgasm. Yep. I said it. I meant it. I'm here to represent it. But until you can track that down, you're stuck with this. And with such a beautiful song, we wrap up Side A with a bang!
SIDE B
----------
Gangsta Gangsta - N.W.A.
For years, I've sat sadly with N.W.A. only being represented on my iTunes by Compton, Police, and Express Yourself. This month, I decided to remedy that. This is one of those songs that just shows off how amazing that group was with each member carrying their own shit so strongly, it couldn't help but make the whole group rock the house. Hopefully none of you are listening to this at work - well, unless you have earphones.
Vato - Snoop Dogg w/B-Real
One of the things I love about the hip hop/rap world that you just don't usually see in other genres is how frequently you see collaborations like this. Snoop Dogg with B-Real from Cypress Hill? Seems like a natural match, huh? This one tells a pretty simply story about some guys fuckin' with gangsta Snoop and how Snoop had to deal with them. Sounds like every other hip hop song, no? I love the back and forth between Snoop and B-Real though - that's what makes this one stand out to me.
Crack A Bottle - Eminem, Dre, 50 Cent
No luck on this one either. It's nowhere to be found on Seeqpod. I'm going to guess they made 'em pull it down because this song's been all over the place lately. I'm a big fan of two of the three artists on this one so I had to give it a shot. No one puts together a hook like Eminem and Dre. This one will be stuck in your head too. Guaranteed.
California Vacation - The Game
Remember when everyone was talking about 50 Cent vs The Game? Well, one listen to the last track and this track will tell you who won that one musically. Financially? Who knows. But musically, The Game is far beyond what 50 Cent is capable of with his gangsta romance rap. This is one of those songs where you can hear the heritage of West Coast rap in every piece of it. Having Snoop as a guest star on it doesn't hurt either.
Timecop - Iron Chic
Seeqpod is letting me down tonight but I did manage to find a link for y'all for this one. This would drop us out of the gangsta rap and kick us back a ways. This is the kind of song and the kind of band that I would have gone absolutely apeshit for about ten years ago. Now? Well, I can reminisce fondly while listening to them. I'm sure I would have seen them a half dozen times in a year's span - probably all at crazy shows where 15 bands played. Ahhh - memories.
Green Means Go - The Color Wheels
This knocks us a little further away from the West Coast rap with a really fun poppy punk track. It's catchy as hell too so you can feel free to blame me tomorrow evening when you're humming "It goes green means go and no means no..." Fun song. I enjoyed it immensely when I first stumbled upon it and thought it was instantly worthy of inclusion on this list.
I Really Love You - Dee Dee Sharp
I talked about The School channeling some 50's pop earlier but this one is legit straight off the AM dial from the 60s. The thing that strikes me the most about this song though is that it feels like it should be included on a Tarantino soundtrack so that a whole new generation can treasure it - just like The Delfonics, Dusty Springfield, Dick Dale, and so many others. Tell me you can't hear this blasting out of a scene in Jackie Brown. Sadly, I don't think it'll fit in Inglorious Bastards though. Anyone else see the trailer for that and just start giggling uncontrollably? The tagline "You haven't seen war until you've see it through the eyes of Quentin Tarantino" reaffirms my belief in Hollywood... and then someone mentions Mall Cop. Sigh.
Heartless - Kanye West
Never let it be said that I don't have the ability to mock myself. Yes, after going on a diatribe above about the Dirty South vocal filter - here it is in all its glory. And yes, I do think it's a cheap trick for Kanye to go for because I think he's better than that. His vocals are good enough to stand on their own without some fucking studio magician slapping shit on him to make him sound like a robot. But, that being said... great song.
End tape!
I'll be back tomorrow [or Monday] to talk about my favorite music from February so it's a jam-packed music weekend here at the B-Spot.
Listen and enjoy...
2009-02-27
Can I Defer This Post?
Okay - damn. I really hate when I have to take stuff back but...
Really? Isn't that just a BIT too much deferred money to think they'd
take it?
Sigh. I guess this will never end.
Sent from my iPhone
2009-02-26
Dodger Spring Training: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
Well, so goes the waiting game. Might as well not delay it any longer.
THE GOOD
Jason Schmidt Pitches... FOR REAL!
Now, I wouldn't want to get overly excited yet but the mere fact that he's already on a normal throwing program is good news. He pitched in a game and was okay to throw again in the following couple of days. I'm not about to predict we suddenly might get the Jason Schmidt of old in our rotation but if he's anywhere near that level, he could be absolutely vital. If he's not? Well, there's a shitload of guys who can slot in at the #5 spot.
Orlando Hudson Signs
I have some mixed feelings on this one but I'm not naive to think this is anything but a good thing for the Dodgers. It has pretty much been universally hailed as the best bargain of the winter and it gives the Dodgers yet another threat in the lineup. The bad part of this is Blake Dewitt who seemed certain to have earned a spot on the team after filling in so well for Jeff Kent last year. In the end though, I think this is directly a result of the extended negotiations with You-Know-Who. It's a move with a couple of purposes. It bolsters the lineup to ensure that if "the other guy" is not signed - the lineup won't be complete ass. It also sends a message to Satan Incarnate that we may not need his big client afterall. Maybe we won't even stick around in the negotiations... bitch.
THE BAD
The Starting Pitchers Fail Day One
Let's preface this with the standard "it's still early" but on Day One of Spring Training play, three of the Dodgers' starting rotation candidates took the mound in the forms of Ramon Trancoso, Claudio Vargas, and Eric Milton and collectively got rocked. Trancoso, who you may recall as a reliever last year, made his bid to make the rotation by giving up a grand slam in the 5th inning. Vargas looked shaky in the first inning when he gave up a run on two hits but set the side down in order in the second. Milton gave up three hits over 1 2/3 innings. So, really, it was just Trancoso who got completely smoked but Milton didn't fill me with confidence either. Vargas might have earned a closer look. But... say it with me... it's still early.
THE UGLY
Mr. Ramirez? Stuff It! I'm Over It!
The above was my exact quote when I found out that Manny and his bloodsucking jackal had rejected the latest offer from the Dodgers which basically was a one year deal with an absolute no-win option for a second year. That was a major concession by a team negotiating against itself and still it got nowhere. I'm over it and judging by a poll on the Times website which, as of right now, shows 47 percent of fans wanting the Dodgers to pull the offer and forget about it, I'm not alone in this. I seriously can't believe it's gotten this far and I'm really disappointed by it. I love Manny as a player on the field and won't forget his contribution to last year's team but... I'm over it. I'm completely okay with letting the kids play 2009 and seeing what happens. I was okay with that last year and I'm okay with it this year.
And that's that.
THE GOOD
Jason Schmidt Pitches... FOR REAL!
Now, I wouldn't want to get overly excited yet but the mere fact that he's already on a normal throwing program is good news. He pitched in a game and was okay to throw again in the following couple of days. I'm not about to predict we suddenly might get the Jason Schmidt of old in our rotation but if he's anywhere near that level, he could be absolutely vital. If he's not? Well, there's a shitload of guys who can slot in at the #5 spot.
Orlando Hudson Signs
I have some mixed feelings on this one but I'm not naive to think this is anything but a good thing for the Dodgers. It has pretty much been universally hailed as the best bargain of the winter and it gives the Dodgers yet another threat in the lineup. The bad part of this is Blake Dewitt who seemed certain to have earned a spot on the team after filling in so well for Jeff Kent last year. In the end though, I think this is directly a result of the extended negotiations with You-Know-Who. It's a move with a couple of purposes. It bolsters the lineup to ensure that if "the other guy" is not signed - the lineup won't be complete ass. It also sends a message to Satan Incarnate that we may not need his big client afterall. Maybe we won't even stick around in the negotiations... bitch.
THE BAD
The Starting Pitchers Fail Day One
Let's preface this with the standard "it's still early" but on Day One of Spring Training play, three of the Dodgers' starting rotation candidates took the mound in the forms of Ramon Trancoso, Claudio Vargas, and Eric Milton and collectively got rocked. Trancoso, who you may recall as a reliever last year, made his bid to make the rotation by giving up a grand slam in the 5th inning. Vargas looked shaky in the first inning when he gave up a run on two hits but set the side down in order in the second. Milton gave up three hits over 1 2/3 innings. So, really, it was just Trancoso who got completely smoked but Milton didn't fill me with confidence either. Vargas might have earned a closer look. But... say it with me... it's still early.
THE UGLY
Mr. Ramirez? Stuff It! I'm Over It!
The above was my exact quote when I found out that Manny and his bloodsucking jackal had rejected the latest offer from the Dodgers which basically was a one year deal with an absolute no-win option for a second year. That was a major concession by a team negotiating against itself and still it got nowhere. I'm over it and judging by a poll on the Times website which, as of right now, shows 47 percent of fans wanting the Dodgers to pull the offer and forget about it, I'm not alone in this. I seriously can't believe it's gotten this far and I'm really disappointed by it. I love Manny as a player on the field and won't forget his contribution to last year's team but... I'm over it. I'm completely okay with letting the kids play 2009 and seeing what happens. I was okay with that last year and I'm okay with it this year.
And that's that.
2009-02-25
Maybe Not Yet
This was the night I intended to do another Dodger news recap...
...but there's something in the air. A secret meeting at Dodger Stadium resulting in a not-so-secret offer to He-Shall-Not-Be-Named-Until-It's-Over. It seems odd to do said recap tonight... just in case. Let's wait a day and see what happens.
So, in place of that...
see more pwn and owned pictures
...but there's something in the air. A secret meeting at Dodger Stadium resulting in a not-so-secret offer to He-Shall-Not-Be-Named-Until-It's-Over. It seems odd to do said recap tonight... just in case. Let's wait a day and see what happens.
So, in place of that...
see more pwn and owned pictures
2009-02-24
BSG vs Lost: Week 5
These seem to be getting later and later every week but I do keep remembering to do them in time - so I guess that's a good thing, right?
This week's showdown may seem a little unfair because with a viewing tonight, I've seen last week's Lost a total of three times now. The Missus went to bed early the first time I saw it. She fell asleep during a rewatch that was FOR HER BENEFIT! And tonight, I finally made her watch it so we could watch tomorrow's without having to wait. So, this may be a little unfair.
But Lost truly was the calm before the storm this week as it was the final episode before the Oceanic Six got back to the island. We got the last bit of preparation for that but while it probably should have been a pretty dull ep, it really was an "out of the park" episode. We had a little bit of a throwback to the days where Lost provided more questions than answers - with just a few answers to shut up the criers.
We learned that the Dharma Initiative built that room under the church as a way to find the island. We learned that are certain times when the island can be found and that room is the key to finding those times.
And that's about it.
But now we got a bushel of new questions. How the hell did Hurley get away from the police and know to get to the plane and why is he carrying a guitar case? [I'm guessing the answer to both of the last two questions is the same.] Why is Sayid in police custody? What the hell happened to Ben [and PLEASE tell me it's not what I think it is]? And of course, where is Aaron?
Gotta love Lost. Just when you think you've got the answers, they change the questions!
BSG had quite the show to beat this week and while they delivered another fun show with lots of twists and turns... I thought it fell flat yet again. I just didn't care as much as I thought I would. And to be honest, the blame falls squarely on the character of Ellen. She was quite interesting to watch when she was away from the humans in the Fleet but as soon as she landed on Galactica, she became the same character that I hated all those months ago. There were some pretty gripping emotional moments throughout the ep but in the end...
Round Five goes to Lost!
After five weeks...
Lost - 3
BSG - 2
This week's showdown may seem a little unfair because with a viewing tonight, I've seen last week's Lost a total of three times now. The Missus went to bed early the first time I saw it. She fell asleep during a rewatch that was FOR HER BENEFIT! And tonight, I finally made her watch it so we could watch tomorrow's without having to wait. So, this may be a little unfair.
But Lost truly was the calm before the storm this week as it was the final episode before the Oceanic Six got back to the island. We got the last bit of preparation for that but while it probably should have been a pretty dull ep, it really was an "out of the park" episode. We had a little bit of a throwback to the days where Lost provided more questions than answers - with just a few answers to shut up the criers.
We learned that the Dharma Initiative built that room under the church as a way to find the island. We learned that are certain times when the island can be found and that room is the key to finding those times.
And that's about it.
But now we got a bushel of new questions. How the hell did Hurley get away from the police and know to get to the plane and why is he carrying a guitar case? [I'm guessing the answer to both of the last two questions is the same.] Why is Sayid in police custody? What the hell happened to Ben [and PLEASE tell me it's not what I think it is]? And of course, where is Aaron?
Gotta love Lost. Just when you think you've got the answers, they change the questions!
BSG had quite the show to beat this week and while they delivered another fun show with lots of twists and turns... I thought it fell flat yet again. I just didn't care as much as I thought I would. And to be honest, the blame falls squarely on the character of Ellen. She was quite interesting to watch when she was away from the humans in the Fleet but as soon as she landed on Galactica, she became the same character that I hated all those months ago. There were some pretty gripping emotional moments throughout the ep but in the end...
Round Five goes to Lost!
After five weeks...
Lost - 3
BSG - 2
2009-02-23
Wrestlemania Coming To Arizona
The "buzz" started breaking out earlier today and now it seems like the WWE will make it official tomorrow. Wrestlemania 26 will be held in Phoenix, Arizona.
And I am stoked!
I REALLY wanted to go to Mania this year but I just couldn't bring myself to actually fly to Houston for it. It'd be an amazing show, I'm sure, but I didn't feel up to dropping that much cash but Phoenix? I can drive to Phoenix!
If I go to Wrestlemania 26, it'll be only my second Mania visit - the first being the horrific Wrestlemania 2000 at the Pond in Anaheim. Since then, Wrestlemania has really become a several day event with the return of Axxess this year, the amazing Hall of Fame ceremony, and now with Ring Of Honor following Mania around the country to host a show or two the same weekend. And as it stands, there's a very strong possibility that 26 could be the final Mania for both Shawn Michaels AND The Undertaker. How can I resist?
Sometime tomorrow, the WWE will make it official and I will officially be counting down the days because that one is going on my calendar in an instant.
2009-02-22
Quick Oscar Thoughts
I'll probably have a little more to say on all this tomorrow but some quick thoughts...
** Disappointed in the Best Actor results. Sean Penn had a great performance in Milk but Mickey Rourke deserved that Oscar and I'm not just saying that as a long-time wrestling fan.
** Disappointed that the Best Supporting Actress went to the one movie in that category that I hadn't seen. That is all.
** Overjoyed that Slumdog took the categories that I thought it should take including Song and Editing. But that movie, by far, was the Best Picture of 2008 and it would have been an out and out travesty for anything else to win.
** Of course, I'm happy that Heath Ledger got the Best Supporting Actor nod but I still feel that Academy thought that was there way to pay tribute to The Dark Knight without actually having to "suffer the indignity" of having a comic book movie possibly win Best Picture.
** And my thoughts on Best Actress? Well, I'm sure I've posted this before but it was never more fitting than tonight...
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