Oh, That Frisky Snoopy!

A perfect storm of awesomeness on my phone yesterday.

Black Friday Recap

Black Friday is the day of terror for people who work in retail, right? The day the footsoldiers dread because of all the chaos and carnage?

So, would it surprise you to know that it was one of my favorite days working at the store?

Surprised the hell out of me.

It was just too much fun for words. The entire staff was there, working throughout the day. The manager was in the back, making breakfast and lunch for everyone. It was just really chill and a whole lot of goodness.

The customers weren't too bad either. Most of them seemed happy to be out Christmas shopping and getting into the holiday spirit. I ran across very few who were rude or cranky or all that jazz.

I'm really tired and I think I'm coming down with a cold - but that's another story. For now, I'm just going to remember how much fun I had today and hope it carries on throughout the season.

Happy Thanksgiving!

What? Like you really expected something more today.

I'm off to nice happy turkey sleep.

Fanboys Is Coming... Finally

At long last, it looks like Fanboys is going to finally hit the big screen in February of '09. I've been following this movie since they debuted footage of it a few years ago back at Comic-Con, dropping super awesome "I Brake For Wookies" bumperstickers on the masses.

The plot was simple. Back in the day, a group of friends set out to Skywalker Ranch in hopes that they can steal The Phantom Menace before it came out. But the key to the whole movie is that they're not just doing this because they want to see it first but rather because one of the friends is dying and they want to make sure he sees it before he dies.

Yeah, I can relate to that a little too much, I think. That's why it was absolutely heartbreaking to hear that they had taken the cancer storyline out of some of the cuts of the movie trying to "lighten it." Fucking Hollywood.

Anyways, I think they put it back in but you can't really tell from this trailer.

What you can tell is that it's going to soooooo rock our Galactic asses.

Dodger Day

I noticed a surplus of Dodgers news today so I thought it was worth checking out...

It started this morning with Ken Rosenthal's report on Fox Sports' website.

-- He spends some time discussing how Trevor Hoffman to the Dodgers would make sense - an idea I've been on board with since the negotiations with the Padres' broke down. With Saito old and injured and Broxton not quite there yet, I'd be perfectly happy with Hoffman taking closing duties for a year. Plus, he knows the NL West very well. I have no problem with this idea if the price is right.

-- Some chatter about the Sox trading Mike Lowell if they're able to land Tex. Rosenthal speculates that the Dodgers might be in on that. I can't see that one. Too much money for too little potential good.

-- The Times reports the Dodgers are in a bit of a holding pattern with no recent talks for Manny and no "movement" on Sabathia. I'd expect both of those situations to change in the next couple of weeks.

-- With each day, it looks less and less like the Dodgers will be players for Furcal. The 4 year deal is scaring them off and I can't really blame them for that. It's a ridiculous deal to put in place for someone who basically just missed an entire season due to injury. Would Dodger fans be happy with Hu at SS to see what happens? This one would. A dollar saved on Furcal is a dollar to spend on Manny or CC.

-- Speaking of Hu, apparently he [and others] were the asking price for Jack Wilson from the Pirates. This shows me that they're preparing for life without Rafael Furcal. It's a shame but... well, that's the baseball world we live in.

-- Finally, apparently Andy Pettite has reached out to Joe Torre to discuss the possibility of coming to LA to pitch next season. With Kuroda and Kershaw the only healthy members of the Dodgers' rotation at the moment, I'm very open to this idea as well.

SAG To Strike?

I really don't get it.

With an entertainment industry still trying to recover from the last labor dispute to hit it and with a global economy in tatters sending disposable income through the floor, how can anyone think it's a good time to strike again?

Sure, it's not a one-sided street and it could just be trying to establish leverage but if the situation actually devolves to that point, you have to figure there's something inherently wrong with the industry as a whole. Like people don't have a negative enough view about the spoiled, pampered celebrities who can't relate to the masses... let's go on strike and make everyone realize just how out of touch they are.

Of course, they've positioned this announcement right before awards season in hopes that someone will cave so that they don't lose the Oscars, the Golden Globes, and all the rest. It's just really ridiculous.

As someone who stuck with TV even after the Strike shortened seasons and has even lost shows I really liked almost directly because of the Strike [Daisies anyone?], I just can't imagine going through all that again. When does the line finally get crossed? Will the industry finally shoot themselves in the foot by being so completely blind and apathetic towards the fans that make them relevant?

Sadly, signs point to them doing whatever they want and us coming back time after time to take it.

Beat The Clock!

Too tired to write - just gotta beat the clock to keep the streak alive!

The Holiday Season Begins

I guess it's started.

Working in retail, you get exposed to the start of the Holiday season a little earlier than most. When we got back from our NoCal trip, I came back to work only to discover that the Christmas decorations were in full effect throughout the mall - and this was the last week of October. With Christmas being my favorite holiday anyways, it's not difficult to get me in the spirit usually.

I resisted a bit - stunned that Christmas decor was up before Halloween. I skipped Christmas music when it came up on random on my iPod for weeks. A week or so ago, I was on my way to work when a Christmas song came on and suddenly, I had to think about if I wanted to skip it. That's when I knew I was close.

One day at work, the same day in fact, there was a choir of kids upstairs singing carols that I could hear from inside our store. At first, I thought it was too early but the more I heard it, the merrier I felt.

Last night, there were Christmas commercials on TV - and I felt a bit giddy about it.

Today, while cleaning the apartment with the Missus, I turned the TV to the "Music of the Season" channel and left it on all day. Christmas music throughout the house before Thanksgiving... yep, I'm there.

Oh, and don't get me started at how giggly I got at the "Christmas at the Disneyland Resort" commercials. I absolutely love Christmastime at Disneyland and am greatly disappointed it's been a couple of years since we were able to go to the park this time of year. It's such a fantastic way to throw yourself headfirst into the season.

Ahhh... it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

I've Got Nothing

I just haven't had anything to say lately. I can't write anything on my screenplay either without almost instantly hating and/or second-guessing it. I guess this is what you'd call a serious case of writers' block.

It would have been my friend Danny's 32nd birthday today. I feel bad cause I almost forgot about it. In the past two years, a few of us have gotten together to play poker and have some drinks in his memory but... well, I guess no one wanted [or could?] do it this year since no one's really mentioned it in a while. I think things have been a little weird with the group this year. After last year with two weddings and all the stuff that go with it, I feel like I haven't seen much of anyone this year... especially lately. Everyone's busy, I know... work, unemployment, babies on the way, the economy in the toilet, people fighting with each other... it's just been a weird year. It's a little sad because after Danny died, we all said the right things - how it had brought everyone closer than ever and how we wouldn't drift apart again, keep in touch, make sure we were getting together for stuff, not let the little things fuck things up... but we're human so that stuff always comes back unfortunately. After a while, it's tough not to get right back into taking things for granted.

I still think about Danny quite a bit. Not as much as I have in the past couple years - I guess it gets less and less with time. But there's always those little things that bring him to mind. He'd get a kick out of me working in retail. He probably would have driven down just to come into the store to torment me. He would've liked everyone getting together almost every month for a while - he always liked the get-togethers. He'd be thrown by Brian having a baby. I still remember the night of our friend Steve's wedding - no one thought Steve would be the first to get married. Danny and I spent the entire night just at random looking at one another and saying, "I can't believe Steve's married."

It's the little things. Always will be, I guess.

Still thinkin' of you, pal. Happy birthday.

Fucking Hollywood

As someone who aspires to break into the entertainment industry, it continues to be a sickening thing to watch how poorly creative, brilliant ideas are treated by the corporate whores.

Tonight, despite my pleadings for any and all to watch it, Pushing Daises has been canceled. If that wasn't enough, Dirty Sexy Money, which while nowhere near as brilliant, was at least entertaining, has been cut as well.

I just don't get it.

On the bright side, the deal apparently is close to closed for Arrested Development: The Movie. Now if they can get the entire cast back together for that, I'll be overjoyed.

Quick Dodgers Note

Ahhh, I love the Hot Stove season.

The Manny rumors are on ice for the moment as all the buzz is about why CC Sabathia hasn't signed his HUUUUUUGE offer from the Yankees. "Word on the street" says that he doesn't want to play in New York and is hoping the Dodgers get close enough to make his decision easy.

The most interesting rumor I saw was that it'll end up with the Giants and the Dodgers fighting it out for Sabathia.

Which has one really odd side effect story...

What happens to Manny?

Is it possible that in a weird twist, Manny might find himself without a "serious suitor" at all?

Stay tuned.

Blues' Reviews: Bridge School Benefit Night 2 (10/26/08)

No, the apostrophe is NOT in the wrong place! At long last - the joint review that we promised of the benefit show we went to almost a month ago. Better late than never, eh?

Comments from Mr. Blue will be in regular text.

Comments from Mrs. Blue will be in italics.

Get it? Got it? Good.

Wow. I can't believe it's almost been a month since we were up in Mountain View toasting in the hot late afternoon sun. Bridge School is one of the few shows where I don't mind sitting in the lawn area. What's so great about this show is the diverse group of people that are in attendance - young, old, college kids, married couple with kids, frat boys and sorority chicks, grandparents, etc. I heart Bridge School...it's for a good cause, the music is great, and it's a perfect excuse to go up to the Bay area to check out all the other wonderful nearby places.

She's right about all the things that made Bridge School so special and unique. I love the fact that everyone does an acoustic set - no matter what. There's got to be a real temptation to sway away from it like KROQ did with Acoustic Christmas as I imagine some acts are quite resistant to the idea. The diverse crowd is definitely a plus as is the kickback atmosphere. There's no worries that a mosh pit is going to break out six feet away. I don't even feel concerned that a fight is going to happen - a rarity in almost any crowded situation anymore. The lawn is very chill, very kick back with people just enjoying the music and having a good time. Sure, you get your share of people who drank a little too much but that happens. In the two shows we've been to there, I've never seen a fight or anyone throwing up and in the end, that's good enough for me.

We arrived in the lawn a few minutes before the show started. As I mentioned earlier, it was hot, so after getting situated, I went to go grab some ice cold beers. When I got back, the show had started and this part gets cloudy for me (must be the ADD) because I don't remember much about the first band, Cat Power. And that's all I have to say about that.

It MUST be the ADD - or all the secondhand pot smoke. Shows at Shoreline are odd - especially all-day shows. You get scorching hot during the day and freezing cold after dusk. I wore jeans to prepare for the cold so I did my very best Huck Finn impression by rolling my pant legs up to my knees while it was hot. We had spread out a sleeping bag to sit on [most people bring blankets or what have you to stake their claim on the lawn] and were trying to inch it close to the people in front of us so that no one would walk in front of us. It was a failed effort despite my many attempts to make a minefield by strategically placing backpacks, shoes, and other obstacles in their paths. As mentioned earlier, the lawn at Bridge School is a host of different ages and personalities. In front of us was a family [two parents, three youngish kids] - behind us a group of older folks in their 50s who apparently come quite often from the conversation we had with them. Everyone was very cool and we had conversations with them all at some point during the day.

Somewhere in here there was a stellar display of lawn etiquette as the folks behind us asked first if we minded them smoking cigarettes - then opted to go elsewhere to smoke them so not to disturb the kids in front of us. A little later, they asked if we minded them smoking weed. When we assured them we didn't, they asked if we wanted some. Now THAT'S lawn etiquette. For the record, I didn't partake. I've always been a little iffy about that particular concert activity with strangers.

The show was actually opened with some kind of traditional Native American hoop dance. Whatever. It was kinda cool but the symbolism seemed to be lost on most. One of those little charming things about Bridge School is that all the kids sit on stage behind the bands. Pegi and Neil Young always take the stage to start the show to say a few words about the school to keep everything in perspective of why we're all there. From there, Neil played a couple songs before introducing Cat Power.

Cat Power is a bit of a mystery to me. The folks behind us were very excited about Cat Power as apparently it was one of the woman's favorite bands. I've heard a few covers by them that I dug but nothing that really made me stoked to see them. Nothing I saw at the show changed much of that. They did have an awesome cover of "Fortunate Son" with Neil that I thought was the highlight of their set. That also could be because it was the only song in their set that I recognized - go figure.

The first spot on the lineup is incredibly difficult for any band. The crowd is still trickling in, the sun is bright and scorching - if a band with a slower setlist hits the stage, it gets really tough for them. For what it's worth, Cat Power was much, much better in the spot than the band [who I can't recall] who went on in that slot a couple years ago but I still didn't really enjoy the set that much.



(Sidenote: it has taken Mr. Blue about five minutes to write all of his paragraphs thus far, whereas it has taken me like an hour for my piddly blocks of text. Needless to say, I will not be giving up my day job to become a writer.) Next up was Wilco. What I remember so vividly as Wilco was playing was the father and son in front of us playing with Batman and the Hulk action figures. It was very cute. Wilco was awesome...they played "What Light" which was really cool, but I was really sad and disappointed they didn't play "Jesus, etc."

Wilco was one of the bands that I was most looking forward to seeing live. I've been slowly digging them more and more over the past couple years so I was super-stoked when they were announced on this bill. Where Cat Power failed, Wilco succeeded. They took a person who didn't know many of their songs [me!] and managed to make me entertained by their entire set. From what I've learned after the fact, they even debuted a couple of new songs that I dug nonetheless. Since then, I also bought another song of theirs that they played at the show. The musical highlight of their set was the aforementioned "What Light" but just to add some variety, I'll go with the non-musical highlight of them saying they were from the "pro-America part of America." I maintain it takes a special kind of talent to make live music that someone doesn't know a highlight of the show. Wilco was definitely one of the highlights of the show for me.

As for me, Death Cab for Cutie was one of the highlights of the show. This was the fourth time we've seen them and they definitely didn't disappoint. I didn't really care for their latest single from their new album, well,at least not as much as their last album (which I loved) or older stuff (who doesn't love Sound of Settling?). And then they played "I Will Follow You Into the Dark" which always makes me teary-eyed when I hear it live.

Death Cab has never failed to put on a solid set for me. This wasn't my favorite set by them but they did hit all the spots that everyone expected them to - all the radio friendly hits that the KROQ crowd wanting to squeal for. What a difference two years makes though. When they played two years ago, I remember them getting a really flat reaction - even for the big hits. This time, they definitely seemed to be one of the bands that a lot of people were specifically there to see. I wouldn't really call them a highlight of the show for me since it was just more of the same ol' same ol' but I thought the set was solid and they contributed a quality set to the show.



I was really jazzed when I first heard that Smashing Pumpkins was going to play Bridge School. I've loved the Pumpkins since high school. For the Sadie Hawkins dance, I remember wearing this "SP" t-shirt with a red heart on the front and a bunch of text on the back that said,

"this is a smashing pumpkins t-shirt. rather than ask me why i'm wearing this ask yourself why am i reading this? the message is there is no message. one million souls tossing down their hard earned lettuce for a piece of the hot rock indie alternative pie. i've sold out. how about you? everybody's doing it even if they say they're not. don't ask me cause i don't know. rock saves. it's the next big thing. have you heard the next big thing? i'm part of the revolution. it's all coming down soon. hope you're there."

I loved that shirt. Plus, I remember listening to "Melancollie and the Infinite Sadness" on repeat my second year of college. The last time we saw them was back in 2000 in San Diego which was one of their last shows they played before they split up. Ahhh...good times! They sounded good, but I don't know what I was expecting...maybe them playing some of their old songs? Well, that didn't happen...until Josh Groban joined the Pumpkins on stage and sang "Disarm." That was cool, but then Groban left and then the Pumpkins left and I was left feeling incomplete and wanting more (of their old songs).

This was actually my biggest disappointment of the entire day. I had really high hopes for their set - in fact, they were the sole reason we picked going to Sunday's show instead of Saturday's. Right before they started their set, I said that my dream setlist would consist of "Today", "1979", "Landslide", "Drown", and "Disarm." I guess one out of five isn't bad but considering the rest of the set was all new songs, that was a problem. Unfortunately, the Pumpkins weren't able to pull off the Wilco thing of making you care about songs you didn't know. I really hate when bands decide they no longer need to play the songs that made them famous. It just comes off as incredibly arrogant to me - like their putting their "artistic integrity" above the people who made them. The "highlight", I guess, was the version of "Disarm" that they did with Josh Groban but even that, I wished they had done alone because the Groban addition did absolutely nothing for me. This was a turning point in the show for me because as I looked ahead at Groban, Norah Jones, Jack Johnson, and Neil Young closing out the show, I had little faith that it was going to be good and was starting to feel pretty bummed.



Josh Groban kind of seemed like an odd fit for the bill, but I thought it would be cool to see him after seeing him in Jimmy Kimmel Live's "I'm Fucking Ben Affleck" video. He has a fabulous voice and it was different for the crowd, but it was just okay for me, dawg. But I did find out that he wears glasses.

I'll echo that sentiment. I thought it'd be cool in the acoustic environment for Groban to bust out his crazy good vocal pipes for a set. But here's the weird thing. It's almost like he knew he was going to be an odd fit so he tried to overcompensate for it. He did a Simon & Garfunkel cover of a song called "America" that I absolutely adore but by him, it came off weird. He also did a cover of "Harvest Moon" which made the Neil fans happy but again, it came off weird because it's not the style of song that his voice is well suited for. I was hoping for a little "Mi Mancherai" but he strayed from the stuff that made him famous and ended up bombing for it. Probably the worst set of the show.



Up next was Norah Jones. She did an amazing job with her old songs, "Come Away With Me" and "Don't Know Why"; a Johnny Cash cover of "Cry Cry Cry;" and some new songs with her yet to be named band. A highlight of her set was when she played the piano and sang "My Dear Country" which is about election day.


The great thing about a festival-type show is that there is always an act that surprises you. Norah Jones was that act for me. When I saw her name on the announced lineup, I was really apathetic towards her playing. Even as her set was starting, I assumed it was going to be dull and sleep-inducing. But when all was said and done, the lovely Ms. Jones actually had my favorite set of the day. Between the great covers and the amazing renditions of her own work, I thought it was amazing from beginning to end. The Cash covers were amazing. There was a Hank Williams cover that was cool. Even the stuff of hers that I didn't know was the bomb. I'm prepared to make the very bold statement - Norah Jones saved the 2008 Bridge School Benefit for me.
Oh, and she also covered Wilco - doing "Jesus Etc." to a big crowd reaction.



Ah yes, I forgot about Norah Jones' cover of "Jesus, etc." which was awesome...I love that song!

Hmmm...what do I say about Jack Johnson? I like him, his songs, his melodies...I have a bunch of his cds, even the Curious George one, yet I'm not a huge fan. Does that make sense? I don't know...whatever. He had a good performance. I love "Bubble Toes" and was really happy when he played that. The family with the young children in front of us really wanted to see Jack Johnson, but didn't know that the concert was going to go on that long...in the end they stayed and the kids got to dance to Jack Johnson. Very cute!

So, I mentioned earlier that we had talked to our lawn neighbors throughout the day. Right before this set, I had stood up to stretch my legs and was chatting with the father of the family in front of us. He mentioned he had come to Bridge School years ago to see Springsteen which sounded absolutely amazing. He also mentioned that his kids wanted to come to the show to see Jack Johnson which finally explained who Jack Johnson's target demo is for me. Honestly, this was the set I was looking forward to the least. I'm not a big Jack Johnson fan - I've frequently joked about all his songs sounding the same. So, really, I can't tell you what else he played other than "Bubble Toes." There was one song that turned into a cover of the Stones' "Time Is On My Side" too. The set was okay but nothing really special to me. If I wasn't really wanting to see Neil this year, I would've probably been okay with getting the hell out of the cold weather at that point - the air was moist and our sleeping bag somehow became soaked from condensation.

The hard thing about doing a review of a show that was almost a month ago is that, well, it was almost a month ago and I don't know about all of you, but I can hardly remember what I did yesterday. So you can imagine how hard it is for me to do this review (and I even wrote notes during the show to help me write my part of the review and jump start my memory...yeah, that didn't work). So, now Neil Young is up on stage and he's the headliner. I am not afraid to admit that I am not a Neil Young fan and I really don't know his songs. I was somewhat cold, tired, a bit hungry, and our sleeping bag was soaked. I don't really remember his set and I don't even remember what songs they sang during the end of the night sing-along when the rest of the bands on the bill come out and join Neil on stage (which is usually really cool). I was just so happy that Sunday's show starts earlier than the Saturday one which means that it ends earlier too. All in all, it was an okay show with disappointments from Smashing Pumpkins and Josh Groban and highlights from Death Cab, Norah Jones and Wilco.

I, on the other hand, was really excited about Neil's set as I've grown more and more fond of his music since the last time I saw him. I've gone from really only knowing and caring about "Rockin' In The Free World" to really looking forward to a handful of songs. I can add a handful more [and have to my iPod] since then. Neil had an amazing set that the diehards who had sat through a long day to get to were very happy with. The end-of-show singalong wasn't as cool as when they did Rockin' two years ago but it was still fun to see everyone on stage having a good time. All in all, it was a damn fun show and a fun day overall. It lacked the star power of the '06 show we went to and won't measure up to it over time but I'm very happy we got the chance to see Wilco, Norah, and Neil which were the highlights of the day for me. I'm really looking forward to getting a chance to see Wilco and Norah in a smaller venue some day in the future.



In closing, I'd like to thank one and all for taking the time read through all this. I'd also like to thank my lovely wife for humoring me and putting this review together with me after nearly a month. I'm sure it's not how she wanted to spend an entire Tuesday night after work but she did it without a grumble.

Until next time!

Cash + Dylan = SONIC GOLD!

I've mentioned on here in the past how much I adore mp3 blogs. Not only are they typically on the cutting edge of the best new music hitting the world but occasionally they also dig up a long-lost treasure that you can't believe you've never heard before - and sometimes didn't even know existed.

I posted a link to the Beach Boys rehearsal stuff a few weeks ago that I thought was amazing - well, this one is right up there with it.

Back in 1968, apparently Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan went into the studios together and laid down some work that never saw the light of day. When you're done listening to it, you're going to shed a slight tear that this never came out before.

From the introduction over at Aquarium Drunkard:

This is a true peice of Americana — two iconic masters of their craft conversing with one another via song. Recorded throughout 1969 on three separate occasions, these recordings mark an important historical collaboration between two American poets/musicians. Even a casual fans of either artist should at least give these a cursory listen. Great stuff.

You're welcome.

Blah Blah Blah

On a night where I really don't have a lot to say [I know - a rarity!], I've decided to go to an old standby...

10 Things iPod About You!

One of our favorite activities where we put iTunes to work in cranking out 10 songs on Shuffle and then I discuss said songs in some sort of random, half-ass fashion. Sound like fun?

Great! Let's begin!

MP3s included where possible!

1. The Bells Of Notre Dame from The Hunchback Of Notre Dame soundtrack

Awesome! One of my favorite Disney movies kicks things off with the opening song from the movie. For those of you who haven't seen the movie, here's what to do...

Step One) Take a giant step back
Step Two) FUCK... YOUR... FACE!

Sorry, I had "a moment" there. Seriously though, Hunchback is absolutely one of the most awesome Disney flicks where they actually make an effort to be a little bit darker than most of the Disney movies tend to be. Good music, an engaging story with a hell of a message, and one of my favorite Disney villains. Oh, the song? Well, it's important too because it tells the entire "setup" to the story in a few minutes - establishing the hero, the villain, and our basic plot. From Moment One, you can tell you're going to be watching far from the usual Disney movie. It'd be like an entire movie of that goosestepping hyena scene to "Be Prepared" in The Lion King - scary stuff.

2. Sign O' The Times by Prince

Eh. Not really one of my favorite Prince songs actually. It's okay. Prince always amazes me with the way he shoehorns lyrics into verses that just don't seem like they should fit in there. Like... I would imagine a song like this would be almost impossible to karaoke. Not that I've ever done karaoke. I'd hate to kill my image of omniscient rock god by standing on a stage and poorly singing some song that I can't remember the lyrics to. Anyways, I'm listening to this entire song for the first time in ages - I usually skip right past it when it comes up - expressly for the purpose of writing about it.

3. No One - cover of the Alicia Keys song by a band called Wakey!Wakey!
Fans of this blog know what a fan of covers I am. I'm a sucker for a good one - or a weird one - or sometimes even really bad, ill-advised ones. This one could really fit into any of those categories, I think. There's nothing really remarkable about it to set it apart from the original. It's not a straight take on it because it's stripped down of all the R&B elements to a guy singing with a... I'm gonna guess an electric piano of some kind. The vocals aren't especially good either. This is just... okay.

4. Don't Call Me White - cover of the NOFX song by Rancid

A while back, there was an album released of Rancid covering NOFX songs and vice versa. With those two being two of my favorite punk bands, I was all over it. Surprisingly though, I really didn't care for much of it. The covers just didn't seem as good as the originals and since they're both punk bands, there wasn't a fresh take on the song to take it. So, not shockingly, I much prefer the NOFX version of this song. This is passable but really nothing to go out of your way to hear if you know the original. I still dig both bands but I have to admit, the album sounded much better on paper than in practice.

5. Waiting For My Real Life To Begin - Colin Hay

Colin Hay owes his resurgence on my listening plate to Scrubs - plain and simple. He did an amazing "cover" of Overkill on Scrubs a few years ago and made me set out to check out new stuff whenever it comes out from him. I call it a "cover" because Colin Hay actually was a member of Men At Work so I guess it's not really a cover but rather... a solo reimagining? Anyways, if you're only listening to him for the Men At Work covers [while awesome], you're badly missing out. This is an absolutely fantastic song that should be on everyone's iPod/iPhone/mp3 player of choice. Next time you're on the iTunes Music Store, run a search for Colin Hay and soak up some of the greatness - it always goes down smooth.

6. Sympathy For The Devil - The Rolling Stones

This is going to sound really, really bad for a diehard music fan such as myself but honestly, I think the very first time I ever heard this song was the Guns N' Roses cover of it during the closing credits of Interview With The Vampire. To be honest, I never can quite decide if I like that version of it better. The Stones' version is more iconic and is usually the one I "play" in my head if I think of the song but there's just something about Axl's wild voice tackling it that adds a little spice to it. One of the greatest songs of all time - no matter the artist. The riff, the backing vocals, the main vocal, the drum line... man, all of it is almost instantly identifiable. This is one of those songs that I would love to have on vinyl in some form so that when I finally get a record player, I can spend a sleepy Sunday afternoon lying on the couch listening to the fuzz and hissy Mick Jagger as I'm knocking back a White Russian (been craving a White Russian for days - probably has something to do with reading the book about The Big Lebowski.)

7. Bubble Pop Electric - Gwen Stefani

Hrm. Well. This is one of those songs off the first Gwen solo album that I really want to like. Sometimes I like it, sometimes I don't. Tonight, I wasn't very overjoyed to hear it come up. I'd like to skip it. And so, since I'm in control here - I shall!

8. Gleaming Auction - Snow Patrol

Snow Patrol holds a spot on that very small list of bands that I had tickets to see that I ate the cost of because I decided I didn't really care to see them that badly. I don't much care for this song either. The verses aren't bad. The chorus annoys me. Thankfully it's short!

9. House Of Pain - Faster Pussycat

I think I stumbled upon this song when I was looking for Bret Michaels solo songs. Hey! Fuck you too! Anyways, this is a perfect example of an 80's arena rock ballad anthem. This is the perfect singalong song that you can totally envision a bunch of heavily leathered, mega hairsprayed, barely in their skintight tops rocking out to with their lighters in the air. Real lighters too. Not this cell phone bullshit that people do these days. I actually really like this song as a power ballad and think most people would have it stuck in their head after a listen or two if they give it a shot. Go ahead. Click the link above and listen. I dare ya. Come on, pussies. Do it. All the cool kids are doing it. If you don't do it, you might as well join the marching band or keep stats for the volleyball team or something. Do it! DO IT!

10. What It Feels Like - Lola Ray

As this song starts, I have a strong suspicion that the song will cut off before it's over. I'm almost positive this mp3 isn't complete which means I have no earthly idea where it came from and why since I haven't used a filesharing service in ages. This song is kinda catchy too. I'm not overly fond of it. I have a hard time imagining the moment where I'd go, "Hey, I want to hear that song by Lola Ray!" I also harbor a suspicion that Lola Ray is in some way related to Sugar Ray and I ain't havin' any of that shit, I tell you that! Ever since I saw Sugar Ray at Warped Tour years ago and realized they could have been an okay band until "Fly" came out and the shit hit the fan and then Mark McGrath [that's his name right?] was on every fucking channel on the television. That fucker was a TV whore. He'd host anything that anyone wanted him to fucking host. MTV Awards? Done. VH-1 Honors? So there. Teen Choice Awards? Where do I sign up? Jet Magazine's "I LOOOOOVE BLACK PEOPLE!" Celebrity Extravaganza? I'm soooo fucking in. Anyways, I digress - the song cut off and now some god damn Chris Issak song is on so I'm going to wrap this up before I drown the keyboard in the blood from my slit wrists.

Ocarina Rawk!

It's rare that I feel the need to gush over how utterly awesome an iPhone app is but.. well, today is that day. Today, someone tipped me off to the greatness of Ocarina, an app designed to simulate the instrument of the same name from the Legend of Zelda games. For a whopping 99 cents, you too can use the microphone and touchscreen on your iPhone or iPod Touch to rock out as only a true citizen of Hyrule totally can.

Don't believe me?

Check it out, mang!





And of course...



Simply awesome.

Damn, I'm Good

Sometime during the year, I kinda quit the whole UFC Picks thing since I wasn't getting out to watch most of the PPVs anymore. But damn, after tonight, maybe I should've stuck with it.

Earlier today, when asked my thoughts on a winner for Brock vs Randy, my text message answer was:

"I think Randy will be suffering from cage rust, make a mistake, get caught with a big punch and then get GNPd to a stoppage."

Wow. I basically nailed that one, right?

So, what's next for both the new champion and the former champ?

Brock gets to wait for the winner of Mir and Noguiera in a unification fight. I really like Nog but part of me is rooting for Mir to see the rematch. But after that... hrm. The UFC Heavy division isn't exactly overflowing with top contenders after those four.

Randy? Well, I can't imagine he'll stay at heavy. Unless they sign Fedor, there doesn't seem to be much there for him. Light heavy? Maybe. There'd probably be money in Forrest/Randy, Silva/Randy, Rampage/Randy, maybe even another Chuck/Randy. I'd see that as more likely at this point.

Brock needs to channel that inner heel though. Now's the time. Buyrates could explode with people paying to see who can take the title off the hated champion - it's the Ric Flair Syndrome.

I didn't get to see the rest of the show since I got home from work just in time to see Ken Flo choke out Joe Daddy - a result that pleases me muchly. But the Main Event was a lot of fun and had that "big match" atmosphere.

Is Brock Lesnar once again "The Next Big Thing?"

Time will tell.

Liveblog: TNA Impact (11-13-08)

Some people say I don't give TNA a fair chance so I thought it might be an interesting Liveblog on my day off.

The "Turning Point" highlight reel looks pretty impressive. Except for Nash. He just looks old. Poor Joe.

Foley and Jarrett kick things off - grrrrreeeeat. I'm going to call Jarrett turning on Foley to join the Main Event Mafia at some point because it just seems like a Vince Russo thing to do. It's weird to see Foley on TNA. His promo comes across forced. He's supposed to be fired-up but it just wasn't there.

Different opening since the last time I watched. It's... okay. This is the first time I've watched since the new set too. I'm not watching in HD so I guess I don't get the full effect but... well, it's better, I think, than it was. But it still looks like a low rent WWE ripoff.

Foley on his way to the ring. PPV recap. God damn, Nash looks old. Everyone else looked okay and if I didn't know better, I might even think I really missed out on a good show. Foley in-ring time. Foley's calling out the kids to give them a peptalk. He's reading off a list. I don't know if that's a work or not. It'd be pretty funny if Foley couldn't remember their names. The TNA video wall you can seen on the hard cam shot looks pretty good.

So, since Petey's not Steiner's Mini-Me anymore, how come he still looks like Steiner? Foley just said you don't win a World Series with four strikeouts. That's... odd. He just asked Shelley if he's "playing with a booger." Wow. I really have been too hard on TNA. I guess Shelley's supposed to be the cocky youngster who doesn't respect his colleagues. Uh oh! Foley threatened to deal with him next week - and I don't care. Foley needs to stop saying "ass" if they're going to keep bleeping it. This promo blows. It's boring and has none of the fire of Foley's best work. Eric Young's getting pushed again, I guess. I like Eric Young outside the ring - not sure how I feel about him inside the ring. Joe and AJ against Beer Money for the titles. That might be fun. Sting ve Lethal... oh, sorry... Black Machismo. I can't believe he's still using that gimmmick.

Parking lot interview with Christian and the Main Event Mafia. Sting looks weird in a suit. Steiner looks like a badass always. I guess it's some kind of a sign that Sting as the World Champ has to stand in the back. Did Nash just smell the interviewer woman? Creepy. Christian threw away the suit they gave him! Ooooooh snap!

ODB is backstage. She called the interview woman "Sugartits" which made me giggle, I must admit. Apparently ODB is getting her own interview show. Pretty sure that won't make me tune in.

Awesome Kong! One of the things about TNA that I actually enjoy. But she's teaming with Steiner's former freak so I'm not happy. I'd love to see Kong in the WWE just tear through the entire women's division to build up to a big showdown with Beth Phoenix. That'd be the most fun women's division angle since the Trish/Mickie angle. Tag match with Roxxi and Taylor Wilde. I can see why the WWE got rid of Taylor. I mean, she's cute enough but she blends in with the rest of the Divas. Plus, she looks like she can actually wrestle and we just can't have that. I do give TNA credit for building a hell of a women's division though. I really enjoy the Beautiful People. Just as I say that, this match fell apart to being barely watchable. Kong wins. She's just too cool. She's wasted in TNA post-Gail feud but Vince probably wouldn't give her the time of day.

MCMGs promo. Alex Shelley is ranting. There was a "Communist Russia" reference as well as a "Ghostbusters" one. Awesome. Sabin's not as fun. He delivers the serious part of the promo and sucks at it.

Apparently whassherface is the "Commissioner" of the women's division now. That's lame. Raesha Saed says Kong is going to hurt civilians next week if she doesn't get competition - even if it means vacationers who worship "that stupid mouse." That's awesome. I wish I could pick and choose the good parts of TNA into like... a thirty minute show.

X-Division Title match with Eric Young against the former Daivari who they've turned into a terrorist gimmmick. Stay classy, Orlando. This'll sound bad but was Daivari always this dark? Do they have chairs in the Impact Zone? The ringside people always appear to be standing. I remember seeing Daivari in a dark match at a WWE show years ago when he was doing the Flying Carpet gimmick. Eric Young is pretty dull inside the ring. Not exactly the kind of wrestler I'd choose to represent the X-Division. Uh oh. It's a face ref! The ref is hulking up! That's a pretty big pop for the ref. Young wins the title when the ref beats up Daivari... and I don't care. So, the ring fills up with people to celebrate. And by "fills up" I mean Consequences Creed, Jay Lethal, Petey Williams, and ODB. Three guys who should be after that same title - and ODB. Oh, the Guns come out too and subtly golf clap. They rule.

EY gives a post-match peptalk to the others. Blah. AJ looks sorta into it. Joe just looks annoyed and the Guns seem to be mocking him. I don't know if it's too early to have infighting within the "TNA Originals" but at least the reactions of those three seem to fit their characters.

"Rough Cut" with LAX. That's kind of a cool idea. I'll give them props for that. Hernandez lifting weights - the guy is a monster. I guess it was just about Hernandez since Homicide didn't speak. Still a pretty cool segment.

Main Event Mafia promo. Kurt speaks for the group which seems weird to me with Sting holding the big gold. Petey shows up to talk to Steiner. Steiner kicks him out of the room and says he'll talk to him later. Whatever.

Jay Lethal promo. The Savage gimmick has to go. If you want to put the Originals over as taking this seriously, have Lethal give up the gimmick and say it's time to get serious? Give the guy a chance to get over on his own. If he bombs, put him back in the gimmick. Petey's buddies with him now. Weren't they just feuding? The interviewer chick warns Petey to be careful when he talks to Steiner. Petey says Steiner's got his hook-up. Yeah. He's gonna get taken out by the Mafia.

Tenay says, "There's never been a faction in the history of pro wrestling where every member has been a former World Champion." That could be true. I'd have to think about it for a while. Steiner vs Rhino. Good lord. Rhino's fallen a long way from when I used to really look forward to his matches. He's lost the in-ring intensity that really made him fun. Steiner's wrestling in a shirt now. His arms are still huge though so I don't think he's getting off the juice. Wow. Steiner has to cheat to beat Rhino. Interesting.

Interview with Sting. That wasn't a bad promo. Mr. Borden's still got a little in the tank.

Sting vs Lethal for the gold. The match isn't bad but it's nothing great so far. The MCMGs come out to ringside which interests me a little bit. Botched spot too close to the ropes. Sabin holds Sting for Lethal. Jay doesn't want to do it. He's a good guy! He throws Sabin out of the ring. And Sting takes advantage to win. If nothing else, this proves Dark Helmet was right when he said, "Evil will always beat good because good is dumb." AJ and Joe come out to yell at the Guns. If we get a Joe/AJ vs Guns feud out of this, I'm in.

The Mafia is beating up Petey. Nash should Mysterio him into a wall. But no. Just trash cans and a breakaway 2x4. Steiner's beating the crap out of him while wearing his sunglasses. That's pretty cool. Tenay says, "I've never seen anything like this from any faction at any time in wrestling history." Really? A backstage beatdown? Hasn't pretty much every faction at every time in wrestling history done something like that?

Petey's "in a pool of his own blood." The announcers should lay out in those segments. It might have more... impact... no pun intended.

Backstage promo with Beer Money. Apparently they are neither Main Event nor Original. For now anyways. Eventually it'll probably be nWo style where everyone is either in the Mafia or against them. Wow. Miss Jackie looks old. That was a nice, effective, simple promo.

Ok. So, there's a Jarrett hype piece that starts with, "I have been a World Champion everywhere I've been." Did I miss something? I'm pretty sure Vince never got that nutty when Dubba J was up in New York.

Joe's music is pretty awesome. It's quite ominous. I guess it's Main Event time. I'm gonna go out on a limb and predict this'll be a fun match until some wacky overbooking takes control and ruins it.

It's a pretty solid match but the Dudleys on commentary bugs me. Wow. There was a DQ because Bubba spit beer on someone. Fuck TNA.

Oh, so the Main Event is actually Christian joining the Mafia. Well, that's sure to have some great work in it.

THEY'RE SHOOTING, MY GOD! THEY'RE SHOOTING! So, the Main Event is the Mafia beating down Christian because he may be "jumping ship." To me, that only makes sense if Christian's staying with the company.

Anyways... show's over. It was okay but I wouldn't have been sad if I missed it.

Blue's Reviews: Zack And Miri Make A Porno

After some debate, we decided to go see Zack And Miri tonight rather than stay up late on a school night to go to a midnight Bond showing. Hopefully we'll make it out to see Bond sometime this weekend.

As an aspiring screenwriter, I continue to be awed by Kevin Smith.

He'll always take his beatings from the mainstream media and the critics. Everyone likes to denigrate him for having the same characters over and over, for being all about dick and fart jokes, and his pop culture obsession. I mean, the guy's writing skill [or lack thereof] was a punchline on Entourage for crying out loud.

But he really is damn good at what he does.

First, the comedy. A lot of people find it crass or what have you but I guess I'm in that select few that felt that things like the donkey show or Jay's tribute to Silence Of The Lambs in Clerks 2 was damn funny. He writes scripts filled with language that would make you pretty embarrassed to see it with your mother. For that, he'll always take a lot of heat from most. But... as Wyatt Earp says in Tombstone, "he makes me laugh." That's all I need.

Second, the characters. Somehow in the middle of all those poop jokes and sex humor, he manages to get you emotionally invested in the characters. Whether it's Randall and Dante in Clerks or even Affleck in the much-maligned Jersey Girl, by the end of the flick, you have a little bit of a soft spot in your heart for them and their stories.

Which brings us to...

Finally, the heart.

While many comedies these days settle for the cheap laughs and that's all, Kevin Smith continues to impress me by finding a way to get heart in all of his flicks. We're talking about a movie where the main characters decide to shoot a porno to pay their bills. On the surface, there should be nothing but cheap laughs and a shallow plot. But by the end, you find yourself interested to see how things are going to turn out and get a little bit of a warm, funny feeling when it's all said and done.

Chasing amy is the top of the list for me for Kevin Smith movies and while Zack And Miri doesn't get near that, it's funny enough and has enough heart to merit inclusion high on the list and should be on your list of movies to see in the coming weeks.

It's Not Over Yet

The week following Election Day has been filled with protests of all shapes, sorts, and sizes. I remain confident that the California Supreme Court will do the right thing and strike the sumbitch down. The good folks over at LA Observed had this collection of Prop 8 newsbits.

In case you don't have time, here are a few of my favorites from that list:

** National protests by opponents of Prop. 8 are planned for Saturday, the largest locally at Los Angeles City Hall at 10:30 am.

** 57% of Los Angeles African Americans voted for Proposition 8, according to the Loyola Marymount exit poll. Citywide, all voters opposed the measure 54%-31%. Tim Rutten

** The LAT breaks out the vote data in various ways, showing that the measure won biggest in inland areas and lost in coastal areas and cities — except for among Latinos and blacks.

** An LAT editorial yesterday asked where the protesters were before the election?: "Opponents of the measure ran a disorganized campaign that consistently underestimated the strength of the other side."

** Forty-three Democratic legislators, including leaders of the California Senate and Assembly, filed a brief Monday urging the California Supreme Court to void Proposition 8.

** Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has expressed support for opponents and says he hopes the California Supreme Court will void the measure.

** Satire from Jewish Journal editor Rob Eshman: "A coalition of black and Mormon leaders have begun laying the groundwork for a 2012 California ballot initiative that would ban Jews from marrying Jews. Flush from the passage of Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in the state, the leaders say they want to extend the ban to Jews whose emphasis on in-marriage, they say, contravenes Scripture and promotes intolerance and segregation. 'In-marriage is against Scripture,' said one organizer. 'We are all God's children.'"

** The Times got many more letters on Prop. 8 than on Obama's election.

Why Don't They Make Movies Like This Anymore?