Eat More Truth

Tower of Sour Episode 14 : Conscious For The Horror with Eddie Pepitone!

2012-01-27T00:18:00.000-05:00

Tower of Sour Episode 14 : Conscious For The Horror with Eddie Pepitone!

LISTEN

Tower of Sour Episode 13 : Increasingly Awkward Moments with Chris Gore!

2012-01-19T22:43:00.000-05:00

Tower of Sour Episode 13 : Increasingly Awkward Moments with Chris Gore!

You're gonna like this one folks.

A Letter to My Listeners

2011-06-08T00:39:00.002-04:00

Well, it's been 4 whole months since my last post on this blog, proving once again that if there's anything to be taken away from it's author is this : I don't maintain shit very well. That seems to be true across the board. Alas, I still contribute when and how I can. The podcast was going great for about a month. Then it fell to shit. Then a few weeks ago, I got the balls to do it by myself. That sparked another new episode. That has sparked writing this blog entry. Funny how it's all interconnected like that, huh?

One thing that I forgot that I loved doing is following the statistics for the show. Ever since the shows 4th episode hit, we've averaged 67 listens every day via SoundCloud. Sometimes it's more, sometimes it's less, but it tends to even out there. That's JUST from SoundCloud listens. That doesn't account for iTunes, as their data is impossible to correctly track and assess. If it is, then I have no idea how to do it. Probably an algorithm of some kind that I don't know.

We, in our short existence, have earned listeners in America, Canada, the UK, Germany, The Russian Federation, The Ukraine, and a few others I'm forgetting. Even if it's just one per country, I'm very proud to have earned their time and I hope they were able to get something out of them. We enjoy making them, so I hope they can get at least that amount of enjoyment from them. Who knows? Maybe no one even listens and it's all just a bunch of wasted time? I dunno....

Even if it turns out that all I've done is talk to myself, over and over again, I love podcasting. I love being able to create something. It's not only fun, but so very rewarding to put something out into the world and have people actually take the time out to absorb what you've done. To each and every one of my listeners, I say "Thank You". We are just barely, if not at all, worthy of your time and owe you a debt a gratitude for the rest of our lives. Or until you stop listening to the show. In which case, go fuck yourself.

With Love and Admiration,
Mike Sains

SoundCloud
iTunes

The Tower of Sour Podcast

2011-02-05T15:58:00.002-05:00

Hey there folks. It's been a while, hasn't it? Yeah, I have to admit that yet again, I took a multi-month hiatus from blogging. The holidays were busy and as depressing as they usually are so that took it's toll. Not for any particular reason other than the holidays seem to be more and more depressing as the years go by. On top of that, the daily grind got to a brother and I just slacked off. But then, THEN folks, I got a bit of inspiration on a vacation to my old stomping ground of Atlanta, Georgia.

I've always talked about wanted to do a podcast, as I am a huge podcaddict and overall audio nerd and I felt like it was worth the shot but I had no intention of dropping a bunch of money on gear to do it. THEN, soundcloud.com announced on their site that they would be considering entrants to participate in a beta test of their new RSS / Podcast program. They would host the program for free and upgrade our accounts to a premium service that costs 500 Euros, so whats that? Seven hundred dollars? I have no idea. Something embarrassing like that. So, naturally I jumped on the change with a friend of mine in Atlanta named Mike Marlow and we wrote up our entry form and sent it off to become 0's and 1's in the UK somewhere.

A few days later we were accepted. I tried not to jump up and down like a soft-ass bitch, but I couldn't help it. I put on some Tiffany and a little bit of rouge and I went to town with my Boston Terrier, Jackson and my 16-year old Chocolate Lab, Rodney. DOGGIE DANCE PARTY! Not really though. I basically just talked Mike's ear off about what we were gonna do now. After a few blunders, I was required to buy a real microphone. So I did.

Now we're up and running with one episode in the can, available for download and RSS subscription here

TRON : Legacy plus Glitch Mob equals Movie Boner

2010-11-12T18:02:00.005-05:00

This is the coolest of all the TRON : Legacy trailers I've seen and its not even sanctioned by Disney. It's a project between Khameleon808, who did the video editing and the Glitch Mob, whose song "Animus Vox" is featured from their 2010 LP, "Drink the Sea". All video is taken from public videos and trailers so it's legit. Personally, I feel Disney owes all parties involved a check. Either way, I can't wait for this movie to come out. TRON!!!!! (SKYSCREAM)

Mysterious Vapor Trail or Proof of a Fucking Space War?

2010-11-11T19:40:00.006-05:00

There's been a lot of speculation as to what the vapor trail left in the skies over California really was. Here is my explanation that I came up with while high on bubble kush hashish:

No other Nations reported a missile landing anywhere on the ground and many who actually witnessed the events take place disregard the explanation that it was an American Military plane. Something took off, from ground level, that left a trail identical to and traveling at speeds more similar to that of a tactical defense mechanism, much like a missile. Use your eyes and look at the footage and I feel that you would agree. Now that missile went somewhere folks. Something was destroyed or thwarted in its attempt to destroy us. Here's where I think it went:

On October 25th of this year, the International Space Station cameras were able to pin point and zoom in on an image that could only be determined as a UFO. Shortly after its discovery, that UFO was gone from range. Narry a fortnight goes by and we, America, launch a missile at an undisclosed target, high in the sky, out of sight. I put these two things together in my brain and only two words come to my mind: FUCKING SPACE WAR!

That's right, World, I am warning you that we are now and most likely in fact have been in a space war for some time now. Do you think we'd go to the moon just to play golf? Fuck no son, that bitch probably has a SAM Site of epic proportions on that fucker. Foreign Nations like France and Mexico have been calling for the United States to come forward in admitting our long-held knowledge of both the existence and immediate presence of alien life that has visited our Planet, multiple times. Do you dig what I'm saying here, man? Something got close and we had to blast-off on those fools!

Is it so crazy to think that we, as humans, are fighting aliens? It's not something the general public would want to know about. But, I'm sure at some point, we've had to throw down with one, before. I mean, what are satellites and the ISS but glorified security cameras, anyway? That's what they are. They do serve many other purposes, but really they act as Galactic surveillance cameras. I'm sure the ISS is armed with some type of defense system that we're not aware of, too. We figured out that we have to protect ourselves from the invading hordes of gold-hungry Nibiruans looking to microwave our whole planet, but the public can never know.

It's why I think the government would go out and say something as ridiculous that the vapor trail was that of a military plane and not a missile. I'm pretty sure a plane would leave a straight line in the sky. That's just me. Fucking Space War, man. Are you ready?

Rubicon is RubiCanceled, says AMC

2010-11-11T15:48:00.004-05:00

In today's announcement, AMC said that it was "...not an easy decision, but we were grateful to work with such a phenomenally talented and dedicated team". Really? That wasn't an easy decision for you to cancel Rubicon? REALLY? Let's review the demise of Rubicon from start to finish:

OK! First, in a misguided and downright puzzling move, the network premiered Rubicon's pilot during the series premiere of Breaking Bad, a summer show. The remaining episodes weren't set to air for weeks and for some odd reason, they run the Pilot multiple times before it's full run. Because I'm sure fans will be waiting, at the ready many, many weeks later for the reason that one dude was killed and stuff.

Second, AMC broke a cardinal rule: don't compare your shows to each other. HBO doesn't say shit like, "In Treatment is the next Six Feet Under" or, "Hung is the new Entourage", does it? NO! You know why? Because those shows earned their own followings. Plain and simple it seems braggadocious do say, months before a shows release, that it "is in the same pantheon as 'Mad Men' and 'Breaking Bad' ". That's an actual quote that ran DURING the commercials for the show. Why don't we let the viewers make that decision? Maybe that way the show won't be eaten alive by its very own marketing campaign.

Third, the show literally came off to me like it was supposed to be a big deal. From the very first episodes unrelenting moody feelings and ultra-suspenseful soundtrack, the show felt as though it was presenting itself in a way that said, "This show is a big deal! WHY AREN'T YOU ACTING LIKE IT IS?!". To say it a more crude way, it felt flat, even while all this super-secret stuff was happening on screen.

I guess overall, it just simply fizzled out. Sorry Rubicon fans, put this one on the shelf with John From Cincinnati and Journey Man. It got the one and done.

The Glitch Mob - Beyond Monday

2010-11-09T12:33:00.001-05:00

In honor of Tuesday, here is something that, by all means, should blow your fucking minds.

Prop. 19 and legalizing marijuana: What now? - latimes.com

2010-11-07T20:10:00.004-05:00

I, as a person looking in on a situation that could have nation-changing potential, was so saddened by the failure of Prop 19. But hope is not lost. This L.A. Times article details why, we as the rebel alliance of stoners, must remain faithful. Even if we want to kill each other, we must not kill the cause or do anything to disrupt its success.
Prop. 19 and legalizing marijuana: What now? - latimes.com

Andy Daly : OH YEAH! THAT GUY! HE'S FUNNY!

2010-11-07T17:24:00.005-05:00

Those are the word most people say, after I ask them if they know who Andy Daly is. They'll tilt their heads to the side, like a dog you've just shown a magic trick. They'll think about it for a minute, and then finally I have to say things like, "He is Principal Cutler on 'Eastbound and Down', He was the commentator who stole the film in 'Semi-Pro' and he's also one of the original cast members of 'MAD T.V.' Remember him now?" Once people stop griping about how they didn't care for MAD T.V. (and who did, really?) they go, "OH YEAH! THAT GUY! HE'S FUNNY!". After slapping that person, simply to calm them down and still hold their attention, with the utmost importance, I tell them how much more awesome he really is.

While his on-screen performances in the aforementioned film and T.V. stuff are his bread and butter to the American Public monetarily, Mr. Daly is and has been one of the best improv and long-form stand-up comedians of our generation. I'm not sure I've ever seen Andy do stand-up that wasn't either character based, or the bits were all predicated on something challenging.

See what I mean?

This kind of comedy is what I would describe as "advanced" comedy. The listener has to participate in the act as much as the comedian does, as to not miss his intentions and in the end, the punchline.

He has an album called "Nine Sweaters" and it was released on A Special Thing Records last year. In my humble opinion, it was the best comedy album of the year, although it's not "traditional" stand-up. It's nine long-form bits that Daly does, as a character, all wearing different sweaters. (Guess how many in all). I highly recommend you get on iTunes, Amazon.com, The A Special Thing Records online store, or wherever this album is sold and buy it immediately. I promise it'll sucker punch you with laughter.

Here's one his more famous routines:

WASN'T THAT AWESOME?! Now, GO! Buy this man's cd! Also, you can listen to his episodes of Comedy Death Ray Radio for extensions on these characters and a few new ones, as well.

Bill Maher on John Stewarts FALSE EQUIVALENCY Nov 5, 2010

2010-11-06T23:09:00.003-04:00

I was for the Rally For Sanity. I was Pro-Sanity Restoration. But then as the event itself played out, it became more and more clear that the Rally wasn't actually about anything other than preaching passive acceptance. I mean, the Mythbusters made people do the wave? Ozzy? Oh and a few spots of time when Stewart actually said stuff that felt sort of true. But mostly it was passive, useless advice that, to me basically claimed each side has equal examples of polarizing insanity. I wouldn't go as far to call that "shtick" or "hackney", but its just plain not true. This closing statement from Real Time with Bill Maher should be given its own category at the Emmy's, be chosen as the only nominee, and win the award. Twice.

I'm A Comedy Podcaddict and I'm Proud of it

2010-11-04T21:06:00.016-04:00

Over the course of the last few years, the staggering amount of growth within the medium of podcasting has given me a new addiction. All together, I think I subscribe to 25 podcasts, mostly all comedy related. If you, like myself, have a job that involves lots of sitting at a desk, if you listen to your iPod while you work out, or you have a long commute to work, I highly suggest you get hip to the dip, A.S.A.-muthafuckin-P.

There are so many to chose from it's ridiculous. I don't want to show preference towards one over the other so I'll just list and briefly describe all of the ones that I would recommend to a first-time podcaster.

1. Comedy Death-Ray Radio : A podcast based on a live show at the UCB Theater in Los Angeles, this podcast is hosted by Alternative Comedy Guru and all around genius, Scott Aukerman. Each week he has a new set of guests and almost always, there is a person who plays a character for the duration of their appearance; i.e. Nick Kroll, James Adomian, Seth Morris, Andy Daly). I'm an avid fan of this podcast and I would find it to be a daunting task to find anything negative to say about it. It's almost 100 percent improv-based, they often feature in studio musical guests, now that they run out of Ear Wolf Studios, and it is a sure-fire guarantee to get you into laughing fits so intense, you'll have to pull over your car off of the highway, just to not kill everyone around you. (Speaking from personal experience, there). It's also the founding podcast of the newly-formed Ear Wolf Podcasting Network.

2. Comedy and Everything Else - Hosted by Jimmy Dore and Stephanie Zamorano, this is one of the longest running podcasts in the history of the medium. Every Monday, a new episode is posted and sometimes, if not all the time, it features a guest who sits in with them for the majority of their show. This is a great podcast for comedy fans who like to hear working comedians discuss the machinations and perspective of a Stand-Up, in regards to how to properly run a venue, how to work a crowd, and basically gives the listeners great tips on how to grow as a comedian. They also discuss topical issues and things that they feel deserve attention in the media and within the comedy community. I highly suggest listening to the entire series of Kyle Cease episodes, including the Matt Besser episode. Personally, this is my favorite podcast to listen to from start to finish, simply because Jimmy is constantly giving great advice to those who want to be comedians, themselves.

3. Doug Loves Movies - Hosted by Doug Benson, this is probably my favorite podcast to listen to while I'm at work. Every week a set of 3 guests and Doug discuss movies, new or otherwise, and a lot of the times, they just riff off of each other about whatever they feel like until Doug remembers to start playing movie-based games. The games they play are relatively simple and yet equally as addictive once you get the hang of them.
One is called "Build A Title" where, either Doug or a guest of his choosing, will name a movie. Then, the other guests have to build on that movie title, using either the first word as the last word in the chain, or the last word as the first word of the new movie in the chain. An example would be: Heat, then Body Heat, that could then be Jennifer's Body Heat, and so on and so forth. His most popular game, by far, is the Leonard Maltin Game. This is essentially a version of "Name that Tune", but using the names of bottom-billed actors instead of notes in sequence. It's a great game to listen to and an even better one if you're, like me, a walking IMDB and end up yelling at my laptop every time a contestant can't come up with the answer. The guests all play for audience members and the winner garners their audience member prizes if they win. The losers get to name a "Shit Head" at the end of the show that Doug announces as the show ends.
It's an immensely fun podcast and I highly recommend it to movie buffs, comedy nerds, and fans of hilarity in general.

4. WTF with Marc Maron - Far and away, this is the best example of a Litmus Test for any first-time podcast listener. If you can handle Marc Maron's brutaly honesty, unrelentingly introspective, and constantly self-deprecating nature, you are ready for the world that is podcasting, on a whole. His neurosis is a metaphor for the current state of the medium itself. Maron, who was previously most famous for his time spent on Air America Radio, started this podcast a little over a year ago and in that time, the show has grown into one of, if not the most popular comedy podcasts on the Internet. Deservedly so, as he always has great guests like Louie C.K. , Janeane Garofalo, and Patton Oswalt, and that's just to name a few. I recommend starting with his episodes with Nick Kroll as El Chupacabra. They'll have you on the floor with laughter. Not to mention, his interview skills are awesome, so his guest interview spots are, by my view, the best in the business.

5. Never Not Funny - The longest running American comedy podcast, Never Not Funny is the brain-child of comedian Jimmy Pardo and producer and entrepreneur, Matt Belknap. It's conversational, party-style, talky podcasting at its best. Every week they bring on guests like Scott Aukerman, Pat Francis, and my personal favorite re-occurring guest, Jon Hamm to help bring more life to each episode. Hamm is shockingly funny, given his uber-serious role on Mad Men and every time he makes an appearance on the show, his rapport with Jimmy Pardo is undeniable. The show is in its 7th season, moving into the 8th and they have 2 versions of the show: one free, twenty minute version, or a paid subscription version which normally runs about 90 minutes. It's worth paying the money, as each episode breaks down to pennies on the dollar and they also give you the option to pay for video of each episode as well.

6. Sklarbro Country - The newest addition to the Earwolf Network of podcasts, the show is hosted by brothers Randy and Jason Sklar. Each episode they discuss news topics, mainly dealing with sports and independent music. They have a guest on to do a brief interview, and they have several segments that they do each week, much like a traditional radio show. In addition to their regular guest, Chris Cox, who I admittedly don't know much about, plays a character every week and they close the show by doing a mock interview with a character of choosing. My personal favorites so far are Jerry Jones, Racist Vin Skully, and Tiger Woods.

7. The David Feldman Comedy Podcast - This one is for the older and or smarter crowd. Imagine if "Prairie Home Companion" was X-Rated and written by a bunch of old stand-up comedians. It's only about 30 minutes in length and has recently become a new addition to the KPFK Pacifica Radio line-up. This podcast is more sketch based, with interviews and guest appearances edited in-between and I find it to be some of the best comedy writing in the medium, as David Feldman is an Emmy-winning writer and also wrote for the Oscars. Frequent guests include Jim Earl and Eddie Pepitone. The Marc Maron and Greg Proops episodes are two of the best and most promising examples of how enjoyable podcasting can really be.

8. The Longshot Podcast - Hosted by the quartet of Sean Conroy, Amber Kenny, Eddie Pepitone, and Jamie Flam...wait no, Floom....I mean Flint..shit..what is it?!...um..FLAMINGO! Thats it. Jamie Flamingo. (listen to an episode and you'll get the joke) This is another conversational comedy podcast, loosely based around a core idea for each episode; i.e. "Footy Pajamas" or "Love", which they rarely stick to and usually just riff off of each other. Sean Conroy, to me, is one of the most consistently under-rated writer/comedian/improv performers in the comedy community and I'm glad to see he's found his stride with this podcast. Add to his dry, sardonic humor, the rantings and musings of the bitter Buddha himself, Eddie Pepitone, and you got yourself a great combination. All four of the hosts have such great chemistry together and I really enjoy the fact two of the hosts, I've gotten to be familiar with via the podcast and not from projects they'd been apart of previously.
To address that previous statement, Jamie and Amber are the two that I feel are the least known of the four hosts and as far as I know, Amber is part of an Improv group, of which their name escapes me (sorry, Amber); and Jamie is a Stand-Up and a (true story) former winning contestant on Singled Out. (Again, sorry Jamie I should know more about the two of you). Put them all together and you got one funny podcast.

9. The Nerdist Podcast - Hosted by Chris Hardwick, former host of MTV's Singled Out, frequent guest of G4's popular Attack of the Show, and current host of G4's Web Soup, the man is getting around. His co-hosts Jonah Ray and Matt Myra are usually present, minus any one-off interview Chris does on his own, always provide a great chemistry together with Chris. This really is a podcast for the Nerds, though. If you can't follow their bank of Back to the Future references and call backs to jokes about Binary Code, you may find yourself a bit intimidated by their bevy of pop-culture and technological knowledge. Be not afraid nor deterred from listening, though, as they have some of the best guests of any podcast on the Internet. Plus they're fucking hilarious, so that helps, too.
Much like Comedy and Everything Else, I love listening to this podcast because they have zero problems with talking inside-baseball about what it is to be a comedian, how to come up as a comedian, and how styles evolve on a daily basis. For a first timer, I'd recommend the Jim Gaffigan episode. It's a picture-perfect example of what I'm talking about. The depth in which Gaffigan goes into describing his development as a comedian, to me, is invaluable information as a comedy writer and shitty open mic-er.

10. The Monday Morning Podcast with Bill Burr - Bill Burr, along with the guys at Never Not Funny and Comedy and Everything Else, has been at this podcast thing for quite some time now. From the days of ranting into his cell phone and posting it online, to recording with professional equipment in his apartment, I have loved listening to him rant about WHATEVER for almost 2 years now. Bill Burr is the kind of guy you could talk to about conspiracy theories for DAYS and he'd crack you up the entire time. The show is just an hour of straight-up rant style podcasting, just him and his microphone. He recommends viral videos, he reads listener emails, and names a "Douche Bag of the Week" each episode. All of those segments are hilarious. This is a podcast for people with thick skin and a great sense of humor. He usually says things that are assured to offend SOMEBODY, on some level, every single time a new episode goes up.

Since I've rattled off 10 of these things (and that was in no way in sequential order of preference), I'm just going to list some other podcasts that I bet you'd enjoy:

The Pod F. Tompkast - Paul F. Tompkins new monthly podcast. Episodes are released on the 1st of each month. Each episode features character-driven skits, snippets from his live monthly show, and a healthy dose of Tompkin-esque train-of-thought comedy.

Comedy Film Nerds - Graham Elwood and Chris Mancini discuss movies, mostly ones in theaters and those coming out on DVD that week. I love listening to it simply because every once and a while Graham goes OFF on mainstream Hollywood and usually challenges someone like Michael Bay to a karate fight.

Proudly Resents - A podcast devoted to trashing shitty movies. Enough said.

SModCast - Kevin Smith and Scott Mossier host a rant-heavy, opinion-based, conversational podcast. It's as blue as the sky and as long as Lexington Steele's Cock. Great for killing 2 plus hours.

The Dork Forest - Hosted by Comedian Jackie Kashian, this is a weekly podcast that covers all things dorky. Audiophiles beware: the sound quality is...to be nice...very bad.

I hope this list helps you get your act together and finally get on the podcast bandwagon. It's better than radio and completely is endless in what it is capable of. It's an old-timey radio revival, only this time the technology is a little more sophisticated.

Yahoo! News Story - Bush: I OK’d waterboarding KSM | The Upshot Yahoo! News

2010-11-04T17:41:00.004-04:00

Bush: I OK'd Water-Boarding KSM | The Upshot Yahoo! News

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_upshot/bush-i-okd-water-boarding-ksm

============================================================
Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/

Birdy Nam Nam - Violons

2010-11-04T17:04:00.001-04:00

One of the best live performances this crew has ever given. The ending will have your jaw on the ground.

The Glitch Mob - Drive It Like You Stole It

2010-11-04T17:01:00.001-04:00

I damn near broke my neck listening to this today. Get on this like it was free pussy at the Bunny Ranch, Bitches!

[Shared Post] The Phantom Left by Chris Hedges

2010-11-03T22:02:00.004-04:00

The Phantom Left by Chris Hedges

dandelionsalad | November 1, 2010 at 4:03 AM | Tags: Barack Obama on Dandelion Salad, Chris Hedges on Dandelion Salad, Meet the new boss the same as the old boss, Stewart-Jon, Death of the Liberal Class on Dandelion Salad | Categories: Corporations Really Suck, Culture, Dandelion Salad Featured Writers, Dandelion Salad Posts News Politics and-or Videos 2, Democrats, Entertainment, Politics | URL: http://wp.me/p5qmX-nWV

by Chris Hedges Featured Writer Dandelion Salad Truthdig November 1, 2010 The American left is a phantom. It is conjured up by the right wing to tag Barack Obama as a socialist and used by the liberal class to justify its complacency and lethargy. It diverts attention from corporate power. It perpetuates the myth of [...]

Califiornia failed itself, yet again.

2010-11-03T21:33:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, Prop 19, a proposed legislation that would legalize the growth, cultivation, consumption, and distribution for profit of Marijuana legal, was denied by a 54 to 46 percent vote. In one year alone, the tax revenue of the Marijuana bought and sold in that state alone could be in the billions. In a state where people can't even get their tax returns because the State is actually bankrupt, I thought this sounded like a great idea.

To my knowledge, the only person who actually spread the word about it at all was Comedian Doug Benson with his Pot the Vote Tour. Although that was done throughout the tale end of the summer and the vote wasn't until November 2nd I still commend the man for trying to get something done.

Now here's the rub: Prop 19 lost by a majority vote of 54 percent. 5 percent would have assured outright legalization and yet for some reason, Californian's couldn't make that extra push to get out and really vote it down into a land-slide. I mean, the numbers should have been more like 85 to 15 percent for Prop 19 if the honest, determined voters showed up to actually get the legislation passed. BUT NO! The margin was left so close, for all we know someone could have just BOUGHT the four percent that assured the majority vote. WHY and HOW could the vote have been so close?

It's a downright shame that this happened. I, for one, thought that was in the bag. I thought weed would have been legal, sure thing, easy money. I guess the Law and Order: SVU marathon they were running on the USA network that day really fucked things up, especially considering TNT was running a The Closer marathon concurrently. Yeah, I guess anytime people who can ACROSS THE BOARD AGREE THAT WEED SHOULD BE LEGAL STILL WON'T GET OUT TO VOTE TO MAKE SURE IT ACTUALLY FUCKING HAPPENS! SHAME TO YOU, CALIFORNIA! FUCKING SHAME!

You don't deserve your god damn tax returns.

Earl Sweatshirt - EARL

2010-11-03T21:16:00.005-04:00

I had to post this video. I'm a big fan of what these Odd Future, or rather, ODDFUTUREWOLFGANGKILLTHEMALL kids are up to and Earl is my personal favorite in the group, at the moment. Here's the intro track to his album that bears the same name: EARL. You can download it by clicking "EARL" underneath the main header of the website.

I'm really excited to see how the evolution of these kids progress and pan out. That's all I can really say about that.

Bassnectar Tonight at the 9:30 Club OR how you will end up with less cum in your body by the end of the night

2010-11-03T16:17:00.005-04:00

If dubstep or grimey electronic music if your thing; if breaking your neck and back to grinding, pulsing, and visceral tones, then tonight is your night, D.C.! The God-King of BOOM himself, Bassnectar is providing the Sonic Architecture for tonight's events at the 9:30 Club in NW Washington.

If you're not hip to the dip, check this out:

Thats just the first song that comes up on the YouTube search. Check this one out, but try not to break your neck:

Or this one, make sure as to not pull your back:

Now, if you can see yourself gyrating to this all night, I suggest you find yourself some crazy, grimey, filthy heads just like your sick-minded self and crew on up to the City tonight. Remember, if you're going to ride dirty, take that shit before going in the club. No one gets caught, tongiht. Right? RIGHT! Oh by the way, if you check the site, tickets are sold out. But don't be a bitch and let that deter you. You'll find a way. Just bring extra lip balm and some Listerine.

2010-11-03T13:26:00.001-04:00

This was a question our leader actually had to answer on live television. I hope his opposition enjoys their so-called victory

Zach Galifianakis Smokes Joint on Real Time with Bill Maher: CA Prop 19

2010-11-02T01:32:00.003-04:00

If you live in California, today is a BIG day. Prop 19 will either be smashed into compost, or Marijuana will be legal in California, across the board and outright. This is a clip taken from Friday's episode of Real Time with Bill Maher. Zach Galifianakis Smokes a Joint on live television. Whether or not it was in suppport of Prop 19 or purely an impulse he had at the moment is for you the viewer to decide. But I feel it was political. I love that Zach doesn't pass it to Bill, but to the white lady in the pink dress, who merely smells the joint, confirming its authenticity.

Touch My Body (Tuts My Barreh) / Karaoke Fail (English subtitles)

2010-11-02T01:17:00.001-04:00

This video is stolen from theMMPodcast.com but I don't care. It will make you belly laugh.

Attendance at Rally For Sanity doubles Glenn Beck's Rally to Restore Honor

2010-11-02T01:09:00.002-04:00

I may be doing this to gloat, but I feel mainly I'm doing it because I love the fact more people who were obviously high on either weed or mushrooms or at the very least Peter, Bjorn, and John albums, showed up to make a statement than Glenn Beck's Horde of Hypnotized Honor Restorers.

Horrible Songs Turned Horrible Commercials

2010-10-31T10:14:00.003-04:00

The first is an oldie, but a goodie. It's a classic take on the timeless song "Unbelievable" from prolific and under-rated sonic Architects, EMF. What product would fit best for such an upbeat song about a girl worthy of a song? CHEESE CRUMBLES, OF COURSE! Because "Crumbelievable" sounds just like "Unbelievable". There isn't a clash of sound there at all. Not one bit. Also, when the phrase, "Crumbelievable" hits your ear-drums, it doesn't make you want to laugh in Kraft's Marketing department, at all. Not one bit. My favorite part though, is the added rip-off of Michael Buffer's voice that says, "LET'S GET READY TO CRUMBLE!". With what? With laughter at this commercial? Ok, enough talk. BATHE IN IT'S GLORY:

The best is for last: Gloria Estefan blessed the World with "Turn the Beat Around" and as far as I was concerned, Skating Rinks across the World were set for life. No improvements could be made or even needed to be made. That is until I came across what could be the greatest Commercial Rip-Off of any song in the history of the Universe: Turn the Tub Around. It has its own Official Music Video and I am bringing it to you now, in its entirety. Notice how creepy everything about this advertisement is, from the creepy store worker who instantly turned into a gay dancer / Justin Beiber impersonator, to the horrible piston-like dancing the woman does, herself once she is convinced of the fake butter's powers. The chorus to this "song" is so bad I am almost positive they use it as a torture song at Guantanamo Bay. So, without further ado, prepare to either laugh your ass off or run in horror.

Rare Journalism for real Marijuana Activists

2010-10-30T19:11:00.007-04:00

This is an article in Sunday's Washington Post Magazine called "Boutique Buds: What underground mom-and-pop growers did while we debated legalization". It breaks down the much theorized THC grading scale, making the comparisons to wineries that much more of a reality. It discusses several "home growers" who have made great strides in not only the science of growing of marijuana, they have also paved the way in establishing a new and fascinating concept: Weed can act as not only a spirit to be consumed for enjoyment, but also a medicine for very specific problems, depending on the strain. Mainly though, it points out that without any kind of governing body to help organize or distribute their product, other than themselves, independent growers silently became pioneers of American Marijuana.

This is all common knowledge to anyone who doesn't use the term, "druggie" when describing someone who smokes weed. But, to most of the Palin, Tea-Party, Toby Keith crowd, Marijuana is still something used to get Black Men to rape their precious White Women. As far as most conservatives know, they still see Dyed-shirt, Hacky-Sacky, Tofu-searing, liberal, hippie, freaks when they hear the words, "Pot", "Weed", "Marijuana" or whatever other word one would use to describe one of nature's most amazing gifts.

If you find yourself reading this article and you discover that you're in the second category, the willfully ignorant, I suggest you head on over to this link and eat yourself some more truth and digest the reality of the situation. (That's a joke for anyone who gets the reference to the fact that in a recent study, eating Marijuana was proven to help cure Chron's Disease)

(Image featured above taken from WashingtonPost.com's article : "Boutique Buds"

Decatur Dope - Baka

2010-10-29T21:27:00.008-04:00

If you don't know the name of Atlanta Producer, Baka by now, I am not disappointed in you. Not yet, at least. If you don't know that he has an instrumental LP called Decatur Dope, I'm not disappointed in you about that yet, either. But if you turn away from this website and forget either of those two things, I fear for your humanity.

Baka, life-long Son of the City of Atlanta, more specifically the town of Decatur, is making a lot of heads turn these days. Between producing 90 percent of The Nice Guise self-titled LP, doing tracks for MC's Dillon Mauer, DT of Clan Destined, and other Atlanta-based artists; mending a project with MC Catalyst of the Nice Guise and myself (takes bow), and working out another solo project, the man stays productive. Did I mention he also does an event by that exact phrase? Stay Productive at The 529 in the East Atlanta Village. Check that out as well.

Earlier this year, Baka released an LP entitled, "Decatur Dope". After a solid release locally, the album received praise from many of Atlanta's top Independent Artists. After that though, as some things do, word didn't spread as far as many had hoped.

This is where I come in. I am posting all media available via YouTube and Bandcamp that is currently available to you, the American Public at Large or rather, the handful of insomniacs and dragon chasers who actually read this blog. For starters, here: www.baka.bandcamp.com

When viewing the Bandcamp.com site, you'll notice that the LP isn't free. Listen to Gold Chain Suicide, A.I.D.S., Dope Money, or ANY of the other beats on that Bobby-Brown's-Criminal-Record-In-Length like play-list and tell em it's not worth at LEAST 10.00 bucks. 7 at the very least.

I'm not going to write a review of this album because I truly feel like you most likely have no idea who Baka is and I want you to trust me on this: Buy this album, sight unseen and sound unheard and get squinted with, someone I personally promise to you, will quickly become one of your favorite producers.

Last but not least, if you like what you hear, SPREAD THE WORD! Help Baka get the word out to people who can help this man get to where he truly deserves to be: Lying on a Kushopedic Mattress in a house filled with vinyl and women that he hires as furniture. Butt-Ass naked women.

So take this last snippet of a neck-breaking, speaker-fucking, sonic orgasm, head over to the bandcamp site, and help support a truly talented artist that deserves more than a nod and a handshake.

Last but not least, download the JPEG of the album cover at the top of this post and wheat paste it everywhere. Or just use it as your desktop background. Either way, put it to use and spread the word. Word

this drummer is at the wrong gig

2010-10-29T21:12:00.001-04:00

2010-10-29T17:42:00.001-04:00

The closest thing to dog food anyone could eat.

Grey Clothing is Coming Soon

2010-10-28T17:06:00.009-04:00

Thats the logo for a line of clothing and various other products my Homie No2Pencil is about to bring to the world. He's working to revive the economy and still have some money left over to lay on a table and stare at.

This prototype of the logo sticker is resting above the Honda Logo on his car that goes back in time and also competes in To-the-Death Car Death Matches. It's much akin to the Twisted Metal Franchise on Playstation. But more realistic, like Death Race. The important thing is that Carlos (that's the designs name) now has a home on a car and will be available to you, by way of sticker and T-Shirt form, very soon. Here's a shot of the T-Shirt on the above these words and a shot of the sticker underneath of them. Check out the website. It's under construction, currently, but soon enough it will be ready to bathe you in 1's and 0's so fresh you'll swear they're organic. www.GREYclothing.com

All for a few extra bucks.

2010-10-28T16:20:00.002-04:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/29/us/29spill.html

2010-10-27T21:29:00.001-04:00

Vicious, deceitful, and hateful political campaign advertisements during the World Series : The American Dream

--
==================================================================
This mobile text message is brought to you by AT&T

Eddie Pepitone shreds a Heckler to ribbons

2010-10-26T13:17:00.003-04:00

now this is how you handle a heckler with true finesse. not just finesse, but almost a hypnotic charm.

Little Known Fact #1

2010-10-26T02:44:00.003-04:00

Long before Yao Ming was the name of a famous Basketball player, it was a common greeting amongst Southern Rappers.

White People's Favorite Song

2010-10-26T02:36:00.002-04:00

No question, hands down, this is white people's favorite song.

2010-10-25T15:35:00.001-04:00

My hotel went all out

Iverson = No Jive Turkey

2010-10-25T14:51:00.002-04:00

Allen Iverson to play Basketball in Turkey. As part of his contract, the words, Aint No Jive will be added to the start of the Country's name.

2010-10-25T14:43:00.000-04:00

How Cain Velesquez Did the Impossible

2010-10-25T02:44:00.011-04:00

When Brock Lesnar and his training coaches decided to move forward with accepting a fight with Cain Velasquez; only months after just barely beating Shane Carwin, it seemed as though no one thought that to be an issue. Immediately, people within the MMA community and fans alike, on auto-pilot, decided that Lesnar once again had it in the bag. Especially since Carwin actually was Lesnar's size and Velasquez is easily 35 pounds lighter than Brock, on a good day. With a new beard and an ever-evolving MMA arsenal, Brock truly did, in my mind have this fight in the bag, based on how he had defeated his previous opponents.

That is until the fight actually started. Even though Brock started well, landing strikes and surprising everyone with a few flying knees and a few of the regular persuasion, he never landed anything of real merit. Here's the thing, too, the entire time the Heavyweight Champ was initiating his defensive campaign, Cain Velasquez was faster, he was cautious in his proximity to the lunch pail sized hands of Lesnar, and he was landing his strikes with more accuracy, winning each striking exchange.

Withing 90 seconds, Lesnar went for his first take down, in which he was successful, but only for a few moments. Cain instantly became the first opponent of Brock's who didn't end up laying on his back, eating elbows and hammer fists. Instead, he forced Brock to stand and throw desperate punches that Cain capitalized on, tagging the Champ a few times for good measure. Mere moments later, Lesnar got another take down that Velasquez was able to recover from, once again forcing Brock to stand and trade, losing each time. This proved to be a key element in Lesnar's undoing.

Here's where I knew the fight would end up as an upset: Velasquez takes LESNAR down. The smaller man took down the All-American Pure-Bread Wrestler. From there, the Champion rolled onto his knees. Strikes were rained down on Brock's head and face that obviously shook him, because the second he got up he did what looked like a running, tumbling dance across the entire Octagon and ended up propping himself up against the cage, just to keep balance.

After that, the challenger smelled blood and went for the kill. He landed a huge knee that put Brock down again and landed more devastating shots from the top position on the ground. To his credit, Brock fought his way back to his feet, once again, however brief it may have been. His faced bathed in his own blood, battered, and disoriented, Lesnar again allowed Cain Velasquez to take him down, curl him up and beat him in the body and face until the referee had to do what no one thought would happen, he called the fight, TKO victory for Cain Velasquez.

Looking back at the fight, I can't think of a single thing that Velasquez did wrong in his approach to finally cracking the code of how to beat Brock Lesnar, outright. He moved around Lesnar quicker than a Shane Carwin or even a Frank Mir could. He was able to get back on his feet when Lesnar got his take downs, making his take down defense look like an unfair glitch in the UFC video game. On top of all of that, his strikes all landed with purpose and with bad intentions. They were accurate and they were punishing. Lesnar simply could not absorb the amount of damage he had to endure. Velasquez has cracked the code the same way Fedor cracked the code on how to beat Mirko Cro Cop. (Or for real MMA nerds, how Marco Ruas finally defeated The Polar Bear Paul Varlens)

Instead of Cro Cop, where if you move forward on him and force him to initiate in close quarters, you beat Lesnar with a mix of cardio, speed, power, and quick take-down recovery time. To paraphrase what Joe Rogan once said on his podcast, there are two schools of thought on what makes a dominant heavyweight: either a huge, 265-275 pound wrestler who can pound out victories that in real life walk around at closer to 300 plus pounds. Or, fighters who are closer to 235-245 at weigh ins, closer to 255-265 on fight night, who are faster and more agile. Saturday night proved that the latter can beat the former.

It will be interesting to see how the division sorts itself out, from here on out. With Junior Dos Santos set to fight Velasquez, my guess, on Super Bowl Saturday this coming February, the logical thing do with Brock would be to have him sign a re-match with Shane Carwin. Whether or not that would determine the number one contender spot for the title would be up to the UFC, but I can't think of too many other UFC heavyweights who are going to get a shot at the Gold anytime soon. Personally, I think Brock should go back and face at the very least, three opponents before getting a shot at the title again. I'd love to see him fight Todd Duffee or Cheik Kongo.

Either way, whether the UFC gives him an instant title re-match or if they make him climb his way back up, one thing is for sure: Gods can bleed and they can also be beaten. You just need the right game plan.

OH THE SCREAMING MAKES ME HORNY!!!

2010-10-21T16:37:00.002-04:00

i feel like everyone involved in this should have been slimed at the end like they ended up in some Bizzaro version of You Can't Say That on Television

Potential Twitter Interview with Kyle Cease (? !)

2010-10-21T15:46:00.011-04:00

Fans of comedy should by now know the name Kyle Cease. He's had his fair share of Comedy Central love: A Special, another Special, Top Rated Comedian in whatever Comedian list they invented a few years back, etc. etc. He's released a comedy CD: One Dimple and a DVD: Weirder. Blacker. Dimpler. Needless to say, even though I just kinda did, the man has established himself as a time-tested comedian.

As of recent, Kyle, along with Louie Anderson decided to start a company called Stand-up Comedy Boot Camp. It is a program that anyone can sign up for, but obviously, it is implicit in the name that the course would benefit Comedians in particular. It is a program that can run anywhere from 2 to 5 days, depending on what each participant chooses, ending in a graduation ceremony.

Now, here is where this idea and reality have found conflict: After the Comedy Boot Camp website launched, the first promo video they used to attract clientele was, to be kind, over-the-top serious. It was filled with innuendo and suggestions that the class could offer someone personal break-throughs that could change their lives and not so much about how it could make you a better comedian. Once the rest of the comedy community found out about the camp, the site, and then in turn the video, parodies instantly hit the Internet. (Check out Duncan Trussell and Natasha Leggero's parody on their podcast the Lavender Hour). That video was then taken down and a new video was put in its place.

The second video was less over-the-top serious in the same way that Terminator 3 : Rise of the Machines was less violent than T2: Terminator 2. Ever so slightly were the over all tones changed and there were new snippets of footage from the course itself that featured comedians giving students advice. BUT, it also featured a line that asked if the students and/or potential students viewing the video wanted to become million dollar head-liner comedians. All while, a very serious Nine Inch Nails song was playing underneath of the entire thing. Here is the parody video for that one:

Enter, Doug Stanhope. After these videos and promo ads began floating around, Outspoken Comedian and overall speaker of his mind, Doug Stanhope wrote a blog post that EVISCERATED the merits of not only Stand-Up Comedy classes in general, but he took special time out to completely destroy Kyle's Stand Up Comedy Boot Camp. It was not pretty, nor was it anywhere near the word "nice". After that blog post hit, Kyle decided that he was going to speak out against his naysayers.

This is when Kyle goes on Jimmy Dore and Stephanie Zamorano's podcast, Comedy and Everything Else. 3 Kyle Cease interviews, 2 supplemental content episodes, and 1 counter-point interview with guest Matt Besser later and to my mind and to many people's minds within the fandom of comedy, this issue is still not resolved. After that, what started floating around was the idea of a debate or a discussion between the two opposing sides: one being Kyle Cease and his positive viewpoint on the merits of the Boot Camp, and the other being a Comedian or respected figure who would argue against it.

Here's where I come in. Many of the comedians who have spoken out against the Boot Camp have done just that: they have spoken out against it or just plain attacked it or just simply taken a giant shit on it. Given that fact, Kyle does not want to debate other comedians as he feels he has nothing to explain to them. BUT, after a few Twitter exchanges between Kyle and I, I am getting the feeling that he is willing to do a Twitter interview with me. I assume he feels more comfortable doing this with someone like myself because I am at best, a shitty open mic-er and basically just a fan of good comedy.

I would very much like this to happen and the entire interview would take place on Twitter and would also be transcribed and posted here for all you non-twitterers out there. If you would like this to happen, please show your support by contacting Kyle on Twitter @kylecease and let him know that I'm a fair dude and he should totally like, you know, fucking do that shit.

IT'S ALIIIIIIIVE!!

2010-10-21T15:33:00.003-04:00

As you, my avid reader(s) can see, this blog has been dead for many a moon. Multiple Solstices have passed and many a leaf has turned colors, fallen, and rejoined the Earth, once again via the process of composting.

But nevermore! To quote the great Shaggy 2 Dope, I'm Back Like Scoliosis, Mother-Fucker.

The Worst Song Ever Recorded

2009-12-02T18:28:00.002-05:00

Thank you to yourscenesucks.com for exposing me to what is without a doubt, the worst song ever recorded.

I didn't even know that Crunkcore existed, but now that I do, there is an entirely new subspecies of humans that I want to die in a bus crash on a bridge on top of a volcano.

I give you: Brokencyde

The Washington Post loves weed

2009-11-30T18:24:00.002-05:00

I've been reading the Washington Post for the majority of my adult life and one thing I can say about what I've read in the last ten days is this: The Post is secretly endorsing the legalization of marijuana, completely, without the term "medical" associated with it. Essentially, they're for getting rid of Pot Prohibition on a whole.

Don't believe me? Well, let's look at a few examples of the articles they published in the last fortnight. Let's start with the article that claims that the majority of older adults between 40-68 actually either smoke pot or don't find it dangerous. They are referred to as a "silent majority" (sound familiar?). Then there's the article on the front page of the Style section today called "School of Pot" that showcases a Medical Marijuana College in Michigan that actually teaches students how to properly grow and cook "killer dope" (their words, not mine). In that article they go on to explain how for $475 and six weeks of a persons time, they too can become a "caregiver" aka weed grower in Michigan, in accordance with state laws.

These are just two examples of the many articles published these last ten days or so. In my opinion, it sounds like the Post has chosen a side and hasn't declared it yet. Cryptic, yes, but at least they've got the balls to publish the articles.

What do you think this means? Could it be that one of the nations most recognizable publications went hippie? Are they taking money from The Marijuana Growers Associations of America? NORML? Cheech and Chong? Herald and Kumar? Who knows? What I think it means is the Washington Post and its writers and staffers know what it could mean if this stuff actually did get Green Lit to go legal. Pun intended. Oakland and their Measure F is showing the rest of the country that a hefty profit in new taxes is indeed a reality with their new 400k plus dollars weed tax revenue stream that was created less than a year ago. If the rest of the 13 states currently immune to Federal law got on board and taxed their pot sales too, we'd be talking about billions of dollars. If the entire country somehow wised up and made the God Plant legal, there would be no more recession. I'm not being dramatic. Do the numbers.

The Problem with MMA Judges

2009-11-30T18:05:00.002-05:00

Without stealing too much thunder from the original article, I would like to add to it that I feel like the current problems that we have had with MMA judging is a very subjective issue. In the 3 fights that are most disputed in recent history, I feel that I am usually on the side of controversy. Shogun vs. Machida, I personally thought Machida out scored Shogun and won the fight fairly. Turn off the sound so Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogans one-sided commentary doesn't poison your mind and I feel that you will come to the same conclusion. Vera vs. Couture, I'm really not sure where the controversy is at all. Randy controlled the tempo of the fight, he stagnated Vera for three rounds, and thats all that matters. Yes, Vera hurt Randy a few times but that does not mean he out-scored him. As for Griffin vs. Ortiz, I do feel that Tito won that fight. In my opinion, UFC will always do something to ensure that Forrest Griffin is always available for a fight, however dumb the match-up may be.

So, here's the article from Sherdog.com:
CLICK

What Life has offered me

2009-11-30T18:01:00.002-05:00

Well blog, its high time we get things up to speed. In the last month and a half since my last post, I have failed to explain where I've been. In the winter months of last year, I moved from Atlanta to Northern Virginia. I work at a hotel. Front Desk. It's great people watching.

In addition to that, I formed a DJ crew called the Vinyl Villenz. We're four dj's/tablists that are all dedicated to the progression of scratch music and showing people what a real DJ should be like. In the almost 10 months I've been in VA we've done approximately 15 shows. Not a bad ratio. To my surprise, the DC metro area has been way more receptive to tablism than I thought it'd be. More than Atlanta in my humble opinion.

Other than those two things, work and my passions, I've done sweet sweet fuck all. That means nothing. Yay.

its been a long time

2009-10-14T15:04:00.002-04:00

to be completely honest, i think i forgot i had a blog for a few months. i was all about this thing when i was working a few days out of the month as a transporter, but after i moved up to DC and started a full time job and formed a scratch crew (i'll explain later), this blog wasn't even in my mind. maybe a few times, i'd have something happen at work and i thought, "i should write about this", but nothing more than that. but, here i am again, ready to commit a bit more to the blog and maintaining it on a daily basis. at least a weekly basis. maybe. who knows.

Measure F: The First Real Step In Marijuana Legalization

2009-07-22T02:08:00.007-04:00

Yesterday, the first real step to marijuana legalization happened in the City of Oakland. The people, via mail-in ballots, have overwhelmingly voted for what is known as Measure F. Measure F, a proposition to institute a 1.8 percent taxation per gram of marijuana sold at all dispensaries in the City, is a huge precedent-setting event in the battle for the legalization of marijuana in the state of California and ultimately, the nation. The tax itself boils down to a 10 cent tax on every gram a person buys, with an upper limit of 3.5 grams at a time, according to the current dispensary standards.

In the City of Oakland and the outlying counties of Almeda and Contra Costa there are over 30 dispensaries, all with their own long lists of clientele. The City of Oakland alone is projecting a first year revenue of anywhere between $275,000 to $325,000. This revenue could act as a real eye-opener for the neighboring cities like San Fransisco and Los Angeles, which have more than 600 dispensaries. That's more marijuana dispensaries than Starbucks. Let's break that math down folks: Oakland will generate lets say $300,000 by the end of the first year. Expand that to the entire state and by the end of the year, after one of the largest entrepanurial explosions of the modern era, the state of California will have generated a revenue stream of upwards of 20 billion dollars.

Extrapelate this concept to other states like Vermont, Michigan, Oregon, Washington, who are all sitting on their own supply of cash crop, well then folks, our economy just got saved by a plant this country has spent billions of dollars prohibiting. State after state generating billions of dollars year after year. We could very well see this country becoming a dominant force in the international economy once again not based on our cars, but our pot. We'd be like France and Italy for their wines and cheeses, except we smoke ours. This is a future that I can get down with and with any luck, Measure F was the first step in achieving this goal.

HEY ATLANTA! LOOK!! Speakeasy Six : EDAN

2009-07-22T00:52:00.006-04:00

Well folks, it's been a year since the Speakeasy parties/shows began in Atlanta and after a year, the roster of artists that have graced the Speakeasy stage is growing ever more impressive. From the house party days at Ty-Vicious' crib to moving on up to the first venue event at the East Atlanta Ice House, this collective of individuals and groups alike have been reforming a solid foundation for a prosperous underground scene in Atlanta. A more open environment for artists to come together as a community, build together and share in the wealth. Through their efforts, they have been able to put together shows featuring the likes of Atlanta's own Tom P, Clan Destined, The Nice Guise, Newberry Jam, Noot D'Noot, and Lee Harvey Oswald. Not to mention the fact these cats brought out Count Bass D, C Rayz Walz, J-Live, and Camp Lo, just to name a few of hip hop's premiere artists.

This next month on August 1st, the Speakeasy Crew plans to bring Atlanta another amazing show featuring Newberry Jam, Noot D' Noot, Lee Harvey Oswald, The Nice Guise and headliner EDAN with special guest Dagha. This my friends, is THE show to see in Atlanta this summer, I promise you that. Live bands accompanied by emcees, a jam band that will blow your fucking mind seven times over, scratch dj's burnin it down, EDAN (need I say more?), and Zone 3 will be providing visuals to go along with this sonic boom of a show so be sure to eat your shrooms and smoke your smoke before you get to the show. Shit, fuck that, AT THE DAMN SHOW.

If you've never heard of these cats before, you need to get up on a few things right quick.

First off, check out the Speakeasy Sixtape, commemerating the sixth show, obviously.

http://rapidshare.com/files/252785909/Speakeasy_Sixtape.zip

Second, check out the podcast these cats put out. Show updates, new tracks from local artists and overall amazing funktitude will be broadcast to your Ipod's and Zune's and wtf else you got.

http://speakeasypromo.podomatic.com/

All Pigs Wallow In Shit

2009-07-19T01:01:00.003-04:00

If any of this comes as a surprise to you or if this seems like something that only happens in the movies, then you live a very very sheltered existence.

D.C. Area Officers Subject of FBI Probe

Did Police Take Money to Protect Gambling Ring?

By Aaron C. Davis

Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, July 19, 2009

Federal authorities are investigating whether a group of Washington area police officers took money to protect a high-stakes gambling ring frequented by some of the region's most powerful drug dealers over the past two years, according to internal police documents and law enforcement sources.

The officers include five veterans in Prince George's County, a District police official and a former D.C. Housing Authority officer. Two under investigation have been spotted on police surveillance outside gambling sites, including one providing security in tactical gear. Witnesses have alleged that others wore police uniforms and drove marked cruisers to gatherings. One was arrested in a police raid outside a game with a handgun.

Phone records, surveillance and other evidence tie most of the officers directly to the game's operators, which include known drug dealers, documents show. Authorities have not moved against most of the officers or known operators of the game, in part because they continue to investigate whether any of the officers are linked to several slayings connected to the ring, according to documents and sources. It is unclear how much money the officers might have taken to provide the protection and whether the investigation will lead to charges.

Like other major police departments, Prince George's routinely investigates its officers, sometimes in coordination with federal authorities. But the breadth and depth of this investigation are rare. It involves more officers than any in recent years and a potentially flagrant abuse of police power. The corruption probe has also gone on longer than any that has come to light since a sting operation nearly two decades ago related to the case of notorious drug dealer Rayful Edmond III culminated in the indictment of 12 District police officers.

Prince George's Police Chief Roberto L. Hylton acknowledged the investigation for the first time but declined to elaborate on it, other than to say he was "disheartened" by the alleged wrongdoing by county officers.

Hylton decided to turn over the probe, which had been a joint operation with the FBI, entirely to federal authorities when he took over the department early this year because he wanted to remove any doubt that the investigation would be thorough and impartial, he said. In accordance with FBI policy, Richard J. Wolf, the bureau's Baltimore field office spokesman, declined to confirm or deny the existence of an investigation.

"When you have such an intense investigation, and to show objectivity and to remove any air of impropriety, I thought it was best suited to have an agency outside the police department manage and handle this investigation," Hylton said, adding that he has chosen not to receive updates about it. "I've said before, we don't have a perfect organization . . . we have troubles and trials like everyone else. But one thing I can promise you is that I believe in accountability. I will not allow a dirty police officer to harm or affect the good work that the majority of these police officers are doing every single day."

The sources said that investigators think the gambling ring's operators, at least one of whom is a longtime friend of a Prince George's officer under investigation, sought police assistance for security. The gatherings, held late at night and rotated among warehouses and other industrial locations, centered around craps games in which $100,000 or more could be seen in play at a time. Among the bettors were drug dealers and their entourages, sometimes from as far away as Baltimore, sources said.

"It's right out of the movies," one source said of the scope of the officers' possible criminal misconduct. "As big as it gets," another said.

A Robust Inquiry

Six law enforcement sources, some directly involved in the investigation and the rest briefed on portions of it, discussed details of the case on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the probe. Internal police documents reviewed by The Washington Post corroborate their accounts and reveal a robust investigation anchored in the gambling ring that has extended far beyond it.

A task force formed by the FBI and Prince George's internal affairs officers investigated whether at least two of the officers actively participated in the drug trade, smuggling and storing large amounts of cocaine, and whether another tipped off drug dealers about a police narcotics operation. Investigators also continue to chase leads that several of the officers trafficked in stolen property, including high-performance motorcycles.

The sources would not say what, if any, firm evidence investigators have tying officers to wrongdoing beyond their connections to the gambling ring. But documents show that investigators have been building a case against the group since 2007. The Housing Authority officer was arrested carrying a gun outside one of the ring's secret Southern Maryland gambling sites in a police raid in May of that year. The investigation expanded significantly in January 2008, when a confidential police informant was killed after a gambling game in Capitol Heights.

a crazy transistion period

2009-07-17T04:29:00.007-04:00

Well folks, I no longer live in Atlanta. I'm yet again a suburban resident of the DC metropolitan area. It took me about 2 weeks to land a real job with decent enough pay to get me by. I now work front desk at an extended stay hotel, which essentially means I sit on my lap top all day long for 15 dollars an hour. Nice.

Also, I've managed to reconnect musically with my old partner A L C. I call him Andy. We're roommates now in the basement of my mother's large single family home. My room is a big as the living room in my old apartment and the basement itself is larger than the entire apartment put together. It's not bad. Plus my room is a studio that was pre-made before we moved in by the former resident. Needless to say, we got back into making music and landed a show by the end of June called The Circus.

Because of the good showing, we landed 2 more spots at the Circus which is a bi-weekly event on Saturday Nights at Expo in Washington on 9th Street. It's a great venue and an amazing show. I love doing it. We've landed a few other shows, one being a graffiti expo which I'm really looking forward to. I'll be using this blog to update a lot of hip hop goings on in the DC area from now on as well as my daily rants. Now that I'm well adjusted and back in business up here in Politico Land, I'm back on the blog. So, CHEERS!

Laughter

2009-05-17T01:41:00.004-04:00

I will say until my death that laughter is the single most important thing we as humans do, from a functional stand point, every single day. Sex is a close second but the chance of excessive procreation is something I don't have to worry about with a good cackle. There are so many situations and scenarios where truly, laughter is the best remedy. Sickness, tension, stress, social awkwardness, fear, sadness, and even deep depression. If humor isn't your thing, I highly suggest you re-evaluate your priorities. Here are a myriad of reasons why you, the up-tight bastard, are wrong.

In 2006 a group of Japanese Scientists were able to prove that humans begin to laugh as soon as 17 days after birth. After crying, laughing comes second in everyone and that fact makes sense. The image of the laughing and crying opera masks immediately come to my mind when I hear that fact. The two extremes must coincide each other in a timely fashion and our brains develop in a way that ensures this to continue, life to life, at a very basic level. We as human beings need laughter as much as we do our emotions because the function of laughter acts as a tool for so many things. Social interaction is one of them and maybe the most important for our early years. It's a way to gain trust and therefore a sign of acceptance. Being able to identify with others through laughter is a trait that is established very early on in life and only grows over time. This is best displayed in comedians who can control an entire room of people based on their ability to make them laugh.

Not only does laughter help in a social way, it has been proven that laughter is beneficial to your health. A study at The University of Maryland was able to prove that when people were shown comedy films that their arteries dilated wider and their blood pressure decreased. On top of that, when someone laughs, depending on their weight, one could burn anywhere from 10 to 40 calories. I am 200 lbs, so according to a chart I'm referencing, one sit up burns 13 calories. I could top that with a good gut laugh any day. Don't get me wrong, I do my sit ups, but it's a nice addition to the arsenal. Plus I'm lazy, so this is much better for me when you consider that 100 laughing spats every day equals a 10 minute workout. It even helps fight disease by increasing the bodies production of T-Cells which improve your immune system.

After that the last factor that I consider when giving laughter its real value is this: it allows us to enjoy life. Even things that we should not laugh at, we can still laugh about. It just down right helps us deal with things. Laughter is almost an alarm for absurdity. A device that detects universal things we all find amusing. It also allows us to help cope with more macabre subjects as well. I have seen so many instances of large groups of everyday people laughing hysterically at things like racism, death, violence, murder, rape, child molestation and the list goes on. The best comedians can make us laugh at the most horrifying things when presented correctly. We as people are able to make that distinction. It's a very rare thing in any creature to be able to laugh and I suggest that we should all harness its power more.

A Story From My Younger Days

2009-05-14T23:25:00.005-04:00

I want to share with you now a story from my younger days. This is a tale of friendship. When I was in my junior year of high school I had this friend. I'll call him Money. Money was a friend of mine and a few other close friends that I had at that time. Everyday after school, we'd all get together and hang out, smoke cigarettes, and almost every time smoke a bit of weed. Just to get out minds off of the day, nothing too serious. Now, all of us, we'd known Money for a while and I was at that point in our friendship where I started noticing tendencies and idiosyncratic things about the guy that I just never noticed before. Without much time going by I noticed that Money never had any money or weed to throw in on things. Eventually it started to get where Money would come around with something to sell and it was light. Not cool. Not after all the smokes, the smoke outs, nah man. Not cool.
So the guys and I got together the week of final exams and decided we'd had enough. We needed to at least get some payback. Nothing violent. Nothing malicious. What we did was, we counted on Money coming around with no weed, but he had some light bags to throw around. So we pooled some loot together, copped a sack and rolled up a blunt. What Money didn't know was we'd pre-rolled him his own personal blunt. What Money also didn't know what that his personal blunt was re-rolled Phillies Blunt quality tobacco.

Now hear me out, I honestly thought Money would just take a fuckin hit off the thing and say "Yo man, this is some bullshit", get mad, and peace out. But guess what that fucking leechy bastard did. Can you take a guess?! He smoked the whole damn thing to his FACE! The whole god damn thing. Mind you now, while this was happening, me and the guys, we're looking at each other like we knew we could stop it. But we were so appalled that the guy seemed to almost have this, "smoke mode". Like if he were a robot, that was one of his functions and he just did not stop untill that blunt was done. Like it's the first rule in his programming. So flash to Money finishing up on this beezy and now he's putting it out. For a minute, I thought my prank had failed. But then Money went to stand up. Then Money fell down. Then money said he didn't feel too good. Then Money puked. Laughter throughout the entire charade. Money got an explanation and Money got fucking MAAAAD. Once he could stop stammering and falling around and color returned to his face, we kept laughing. Then Money left.

Money and I are still Friends and to this day, I remind Money of this story and I hope he knows who he is. Because I wouldn't write this if I didn't love the motherfucker like a loyal hound dog and he should know he shouldn't be a little baby and take offense. It's damn funny, I don't give a damn who you are. These are the things that come to mind when I'm zoning out watching Play-Off basketball.

Inside Jokes Are NOT For Social Settings, You Fucking Jack Ass

2009-05-06T20:20:00.003-04:00

For those of you who can't handle being around people you don't know, here's a bit of advice: Don't use inside jokes. I tend to listen to conversations when going to bars, parties, shows, etc. It's just a habit I have. Time and time again I've had to bear witness to the collapse of a nice, happy moment because some jack ass couldn't think of anything useful or meaningful to add to the conversation, so what does he do? He falls back on some joke that he and maybe one other person in the group has any knowledge of. The notoriously bad use of the inside joke just killed your conversation. Because now, some one else goes "what?" and you, being a complete fucking jack ass has to explain the joke. Then it doesn't get any laughs and you have to say the ever-dreaded "I guess you had to be there". Really? Well guess what? THAT'S NOT FUNNY! If you can't relate to the joke after the fact, it's not funny. You've ruined it. That moment we were all just sharing? Yeah, that's fucking GONE, buddy! Now you and the other person who knew the joke have to look at each other, embarrassed, head down, completely silent. Next time do us all a favor and just talk about how your cat's breath smells like cat breath. At least the rest of us will get a laugh. Fucking Jack Ass.

WHAT IS HER NAME??!!?!?

2009-05-05T02:27:00.001-04:00

I don't know who this is, but please if you know, tell me this woman's name. I need more of her. GAAAAAWWWWDDD DAAAYYYYUUUMMM!!!!

NEED A JOB!? TRY BEING A PIRATE!!

2009-05-05T01:03:00.008-04:00

The economy got you strapped for cash? Did you lose your job? Are you struggling to pay your rent month to month? Are you staring at an empty fridge? Well look no further, friend, because today is your lucky day! In recent weeks the Sea Born Pirating Industry has suffered several employee deaths, creating a great opportunity for you to bounce back into stride! Last year there were over 293 reported sea born pirating incidents and with your help, we can try for a real increase in numbers! It's something to be proud of. Something you can look back on and say "Yes, I did my best. This year, more than 889 people were taken hostage. I know in my heart that I had at least a seven percent contribution, sometimes even using a gun!"

In addition to your efforts, travel will come as a nice incentive. See exotic places like The Horn of Africa, mostly the waters around the Sudan and Kenya. After you shake that case of Mega-AIDS, head out to the waters of Nigeria. A wonder-place to plunder an oil tanker or a Cruise Ship. Only one in seven people have Ultra-Ebola in the wonderful 42 man crew of other pirates that will be on your ship, so chances of disease are minimal to likely. Highlighting the entire voyage is the clear blue seas of Indonesia. Once you hit the main land, bet your plunders on anything your mind can fathom! Gambling is the national sport of most Pacific Island nations. Local favorites include: man vs. a chainsaw-wielding bear and midgets vs. a lion. What an adventure!

So check it out, head on down to your Pirate Union local 101 or 27, fill out a Union Pledge Form, speak to the recruiter and sign up today. He'll be the guy holding a knife to a child's throat, dealing with the demands of his / her family via Skype. The Union is co-opting two positions into one. So you may have competition. Either way, the seasonal wages are more than you could ever imagine. Just be sure to have all of your verbal hostage commands ready to present during the oral examination. Languages required are English, Swahili, Mandarin, Tagalog (Filipino), Spanish, Vietnamese, and all of the languages spoken in the Western Rim.

Don't be a Jack Ass. Save some money.

2009-05-04T22:55:00.004-04:00

Never underestimate a good, local second hand store. For years I used to look down on these stores. Something about not being able to afford the good stuff or some other jack ass reason equally devoid of any fiscal sense. As of the last few years though, out of college, broke as sweet fuck all, I’ve learned to appreciate things like dollar menus, thrift stores, and especially for a person like me, second hand media outlets. CD Warehouse is my venue of choice. They usually have what I’m looking for and impressively, all of the locations near me are known for having some really choice Criterion Collection gems. Example: Man Bites Dog 2 disc Criterion Collection. An absolute masterpiece about the exploitative journey into the mind of a deranged serial killer transfused with a stark musing of the over-saturation of modern media. I found it for under ten dollars. Try to buy that from a Tower Records or an FYE and you’re guaranteed to pay a minimum of twenty two dollars, if you're lucky. It’s a value that most people don’t every pay any attention to. Today I got Citizen Kane (2-Disc), Boxcar Bertha, The Assassination Of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford and Amadeus (2-Disc). All for twenty one dollars, total. Not to mention most of these places are more than happy to give you some loot for the dvd's and cd's you don't want anymore. I mean, if you’re trying to make a quick buck, head on down and clear out all of your bad movies. You know you have a few. That copy of Kingpin you have sitting in the back of your book case. Those three copies of Ocean’s Eleven. That Lil' Kim Discography you have stacked with the Jr. Mafia and lil' Cease solo shit. Yeah. Throw those in a bag and get twenty bucks. Fuck your pride. Seriously, don’t be such a pack rat.

From Zone2HomeBrew : Illustrated Zombie Bible Classic #2 - David vs. Goliath

2009-05-04T01:32:00.005-04:00

Young David bests the mighty Zombie Goliath with nothing but a rock and sling as the undead hordes look on.

Check out the hi resolution shot of the picture here.

From Zone2HomeBrew : ZOMBIE BIBLE CLASSIC #1

2009-05-03T16:09:00.004-04:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give to you the first installment of the Zombie Bible Classics #1 by my good friend and fellow blogger, Timmy Reis. In our first installment, we have Moses laying the smack down on some bitch-ass zombie fucks who're tryin to fuck with the parting of the Red Sea. As you can see, these punk bitches stand no chance against his staff or his muthafuckin heater. BLOW!

In this first installment of the Illustrated Zombie Bible Classics series, Moses handles two zombies with his staff and his .45 while parting the waters of the Red Sea.

GET PWND YOU STANK MOUTH BRIT BASTARD!!

2009-05-03T15:42:00.003-04:00

Was there any wonder? Was there a single doubt in your mind? 2 knockdowns in the 1st round. KO in the second. If you didn't know, now you know. Truth.

A Special Anniversary : The Best Internet Hoax Ever

2009-05-02T00:31:00.006-04:00

Today May 2 2009 marks the 4-year anniversary of my personal favorite internet hoax: THE LION vs MIDGETS MASSACRE! Yes yes, if you didn't know, this story is a hoax. A lion did not really take out 42 little people in one sitting as a crowd of crazed Cambodians corralled around a ring throwing money at bookies with cigarettes hanging from their mouths, apathetic to these poor little people's situation. One could get fooled, as I did when I first read this because it was posted to a fake link from The BBC using their templates. It looked fairly real without any inspection. But bbc.co.fake isn't a real net extension. Read it if you haven't already. It's fucking gruesome fun.

Lion Mutilates 42 Midgets in Cambodian Ring-Fight

An African Lion much like this is responsible for the death of 28 Cambodian Midgets

Spectators cheered as entire Cambodian Midget Fighting League squared off against African Lion

Tickets had been sold-out three weeks before the much anticipated fight, which took place in the city of Kâmpóng Chhnãng.

The fight was slated when an angry fan contested Yang Sihamoni, President of the CMFL, claiming that one lion could defeat his entire league of 42 fighters.

Sihamoni takes great pride in the league he helped create, as was conveyed in his recent advertising campaign for the CMFL that stated his midgets will "... take on anything; man, beast, or machine."

This campaign is believed to be what sparked the undisclosed fan to challenge the entire league to fight a lion; a challenge that Sihamoni readily accepted.

An African Lion (Panthera Leo) was shipped to centrally located Kâmpóng Chhnãng especially for the event, which took place last Saturday, April 30, 2005 in the city’s coliseum.

The Cambodian Government allowed the fight to take place, under the condition that they receive a 50% commission on each ticket sold, and that no cameras would be allowed in the arena.

The fight was called in only 12 minutes, after which 28 fighters were declared dead, while the other 14 suffered severe injuries including broken bones and lost limbs, rendering them unable to fight back.

Sihamoni was quoted before the fight stating that he felt since his fighters out-numbered the lion 42 to 1, that they “… could out-wit and out-muscle [it].”

Unfortunately, he was wrong.

Pacquiao vs. Hatton Tomorrow Night

2009-05-01T17:00:00.007-04:00

I'm not even going to do a write up. I'm too biased on this issue. Pac Man all the way. I hope Manny runs circles around that slack-jawed Brit until he sees stars. Until he speaks without that horrible accent. I hope that dude gets hit so hard the stink flies out of his nasty, under-treated, neglected, rotting mouth and then circles around his head in a counter clock-wise motion back into his face, like a shot of mace, further disabling him to defend himself. I hope that speedo wearing rape child gets mashed up so bad even English people are like "DAMN HE'S UGLY! AND I'M ENGLISH!" and he is forced into exile, only allowed to live and dwell in the Faulkland Islands, surviving only on the resources he's allowed to find on the Islands themselves, sealed off from the rest of his countrymen and family. I hope that mutated sperm cultivated from warm light and oxygen off of a toilet seat in Manchester gets hit so hard his diet of beans and eggs boiled in a sheeps guts is knocked involuntarily out of his anus and is projected on all of his corner men and they're all like, "OY! WHAS ALL 'IS 'EN??!" in that awful Manchester cadence. That'd actually probably just be like them taking a shower. Oh yeah, I also hope that when Pacquiao hits that manchild so hard that the force of the blow itself actually corrects the way that Gollom-like, WASP face of his looks. That'd be nice, too. I think I'm done.

Silva vs. Griffin UFC 101 OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

2009-04-30T00:26:00.002-04:00

FIGHT FANS THIS IS IT!! The biggest summer event in mixed martial arts has been announced this week: Anderson Silva will face off against Forrest Griffin at 205 lbs. It's set to go down in Philly at UFC 101. Fans, you're in for a real blockbuster. Believe the hype. The idea that Griffin would delay the fight or avoid contact the way Patrick Cote and Thiago Alves did is nonsense. What we have here is the hardest working man in the sport going up against the greatest champion to ever set foot in the Octagon. It's a dream come true. Both fighters stand to be moved up the ladder for belt contention if they win. Not only that, but the fight is a win-win situation for either man, win or lose. Consider the facts: Anderson Silva is the Middleweight Champion with or without a W here; and to think his standings in the light-heavy division would move drastically is out of the question as well. On the other side of this, Forrest Griffin has truly lucked out. If he wins, he's just beaten Anderson Silva and will now stand atop a very thick division. If he loses, he lost to Anderson God Damn Silva. Can't exactly discredit the man for losing, can you? No, you can't. So there, it's a win-win situation. Say otherwise and I think you're just crying "wolf".

As for the result of this fight, the breakdown is fairly simple. If Forrest thinks he can brawl with Silva, he's gonna be counting the lights in no time. Silva is the best striker in the organization and he will not allow Forrest to fight recklessly without making him suffer. As for ground work, Griffin has the upper hand with take down ability, but I'm still not sure if he will be able to get Silva down and produce anything of merit unless he can weaken him early on. Essentially, Griffin must be conservative, but not lacking in point scoring or aggression. Silva's biggest weakness has yet to be exposed, I feel, so it is imperative that Griffin pick him apart the best he can. Control the clinches, keep the man down, and batter him until you can dictate the pace. That's Griffin's best bet.

On the other side, Silva's best plan would be to let Griffin get sloppy. Forget what the critic's might say after the fight, disregard the boo's that might pour from the crowd. It's his ass out there. Forrest Griffin is best known for letting his aggression get the best of him. Let him do it again. Bait him into throwing looping shots. Make him try for take downs that he won't get. Tire him out and work him with the pin point strikes we all know and love. On the ground, Silva has an advantage in submissions, but not in ground control. Griffin is a big boy and will throw his weight around if he gets top position. So Silva must maintain a distance using his butterfly guard and his length. It's the best way to go. Or he could just Bruce Lee the dude.

In the end, I see Anderson Silva winning a huge fight in the second round by KO. If Griffin wins, he'll do it in a decision. Either way, this is a great match up and it deserves all the media attention it can get. Truth.

Best DVD Coming Out This Week - JCVD

2009-04-25T05:57:00.000-04:00

On April 28th, 2009 a DVD hits the market that has some pretty interesting value. It's Jean Claude Van Damme's best film to date : JCVD. A semi-self portrait of a star past his prime put into a situation one of his characters from the 80's might have handled with ease. Van Damme plays himself, a 49 year old man way past his prime, making straight to DVD releases that only see the light of the international markets. Stuck in a film the director over-extends, divided by a language barrier and apathetic to the films result, he leaves the set only to get caught in a real-life bank robbery. Cast into a situation fit for a film, the others in the bank, as well as the robbers expect him to be like his film persona and save the day, only to get a hard dose of reality. He's an old man who throws fake kicks for a living. He's no hero. The film is packed with great shots, specifically the opening credit sequence and a soon to be cult classic spotlight soliliquy from Mr. Van Damme where he expresses all of his self-loathing and doubts. A true rarity for an actor who's entire career is based on looking cool thats well worth the viewing. Check it out.

A Week After the Fact or Why Anderson Silva's critics are absolutely without merit and need to eat glass

2009-04-25T01:48:00.000-04:00

One week ago today, the UFC held their 97th event. The main event was marking the seventh title defense of the best pound for pound fighter in the world, Anderson Silva. If he were to win the fight, it would be his ninth straight victory, surpassing the mark of eight wins held by only Joyce Gracie and Jon Fitch. For those who did not see the fight, I am about to spoil the results. He won. With nine straight wins, Anderson Silva has officially become the single most dominant fighter to ever step in the Octagon. Consider all of the great fighters to ever step in the Octagon: Couture, Liddell, Henderson, the Gracies, the Shamrocks, Hughes. Anderson is at the top of the sport itself.

But after a week of media coverage, critiques, blogging, discussion forums and whatever other anonymous form of talk possible, there seems to be only one thing I'm hearing out of anyone's mouths : it was boring. Narry a positive word came from a single mouth I was in the proximity of or able to see manifest via type on the internet. His broken record was an afterthought. His unprecedented domination has become so great, so overbearing, so insurmountable, we as a people have actually become jaded to his Reign. It's a simple matter of fact: He's too god damned good. He's so good, the public can not accept anything other than pure brilliance. Add in the not so great, anti-climactic ending to his last bout against Patrick Cote that left his fans salivating with nothing to hold them over and the disdain just multiplies.

I actually read articles on Sherdog.com calling his last two performances "STINKING". Folks, in Anderson Silva's first fight, he landed 100% of his strikes. In his first fight against Rich Franklin, he landed more than 27 consecutive knee strikes. No one has come close to matching his skills in the ring. Against Patrick Cote, Silva did not stink. Silva dominated until Cote's knee blew out. Cote was completely shut down. He had no answer. The same can be said for Laites. The true beauty of being champion is you have to be defeated. You can literally elect to make the choice of allowing the challenger his attempt to beat you. Think of that as a fighter. You are not the one who has to prove anything to yourself. You've been at the top of your game and the sport itself for years. You know what you can do. Can the other guy finally take you down? The only person I heard speak that concept was Joe Rogan. He's time and again the only person involved with the sport that I almost always agree with.

This raises a question: What will the UFC do? Will they back their man? Or will they appease the crowd, the new fans, the new media? Will they cowtown? I hope they don't. For once, I hope that the UFC absolutely and without question defends their Champion. He might not be the best way to market the organization. He might not speak English. But he is the greatest fighter to ever step into your ring. Treat him as such. Do not deny the right to retain the title by any means necessary and within the rules of the sport. The crowds can boo all they want. That's how Bernard Hopkins became the best for so long. This is not to say that Silva is even close to being on the path of a man like Hopkins or Lennox Lewis, who would rather keep his opponents at bay and ride out win after boring win. Not even close. I remember when he was being accused of trying to hurt his opponents intentionally; genuine fear from his peers was rampant.

Now that we're all used to it, we immediately cry foul when his fight ends any other way than KO. Wake up folks, the fight game can be just as unpredictable as anything else. People get injured during fights. Fights end in strange ways. His critics truly do amaze me. It seems as though these idiots have set their standards so high that nothing will be good enough. This last fight marks the first time in his UFC career that ended in a decision. Before that, all fans knew was his list of KO's, TKO's, or submissions. Nothing less than perfection. Now that we can see that Anderson can be pushed to a decision fight, people begin to chip away at his greatness. Finding flaw after non-existent flaw to talk about, more to establish their own voices in the sport and less to say anything of any relevance.

I guess what I mean to say here folks, is to take the talk and set it all aside and look at the facts. Nine straight wins. Seven straight title defenses. He made the transition to 205 lbs and made short work of his prey. He dropped back down and had two fights that end in his first opponent blowing out his knee and the second winning by decision. On paper that does not even register on my radar as to be deserving of criticism. Neither does it register in person. He can't be blamed for anything, as nothing was done except what was supposed to happen. He defended his title and was able to retain it, as the challenger was completely unable to come close to dethroning him. Facts are facts and truth is truth. This is fact. This is truth.

Bill Burr's Summer Atlanta Show Cancelled

2009-04-24T06:33:00.000-04:00

After a few weeks of radio silence for Bill Burr's Monday Morning Podcast due to contractual issues with the podcast hosting company, fans finally got their fix as of 10 days ago. Wasting no time, Bill proceeded to announce that he has canceled three shows for the summer months, including his Atlanta show. His tone indicated he may be filming a project during those weeks where the shows were once slated to go down and this is better news, in my humble opinion, than his coming to Atlanta. While I am a dedicated fan of his, I feel better knowing that the man has a chance of getting his due the same way Patton Oswalt has, David Cross, Brian Posehn...just to name a few. And while he's not considered an alternative comedian like the aforementioned three, he's one of the best comedians to fly under televisions and hollywoods radar. His self proclamed "Howdy Dudey" face makes him a perfect fit for comedy...........I meant that in the nicest way possible. No insult there. For more info, you folks will have to wait untill at least June to hear when he plans on making up for the canceled shows. Untill then, just listen to the Monday Morning Podcast, which is now up and running again.

epic failure

2009-04-24T06:25:00.000-04:00

So it seems I can't even maintain something as simple as a daily web log. I think it has something to do with my doubts on my right to be one of these...internet critics, sitting behind a monitor or laptop. On top of that, I've been busting my ass to try and live bill to bill as I attempt rebuild my financial situation to a calm even flow. Add in my general laze about everything, plus my unhealthy fixation on watching movies and we have the perfect formula for failure. I guess the point of this post is to say....here's my second attempt at this.

I can't sleep for shit anymore.

2009-02-20T06:09:00.001-05:00

So, it's 6:10 am. I can't sleep. I never sleep anymore. I worked as a transporter for a year. After a year of non-stop driving, you start to miss sleep. Then it doesn't matter at all. To make matters worse, I have access to the internet 24 hours a day. It facilitates my strange sleep habits quite nicely. YouTube alone can help kill a solid two hours if I really fall into the trap of endless clips of breakdancers knocking out kids and retarded kids rap battling. You know what I mean. You've found yourself watching clip after clip of stupid shit. The crazy asian lady who missed her flight. The kung fu hillbilly. Ronald Jenkees. Ghetto Fights. Ah lord, the ghetto fights are classic.

But recently I was put on something that is equally, if not better than YouTube. Bold statement, I know. It's called Stumble Upon. What Stumle Upon is, is a tool bar that you intall on your web browswer. I recommend Mozzila Firefox. So, install the tool bar, then take the personalization survey. It's really more clicking boxes of categories. Then more specific categories based on your previous answers untill the system is able to fine tune your like's an dislike's. Once that's done, the tool bar has a button you click that in turn brings up a web page the system thinks you may enjoy. Click "thumbs up" for good and "down" for bad. After about ten pages and this thing is really and truly sending you to sites you actually find interesting. After just a few days of this application on my browser and I'm finding videos that I had no idea I'd like and I do. Information about subjects I actually find interesting. Instructional tips for knowledge I want to absorb. Whatever I can think of, Stumble Upon hooks me up, man. It's my bro. Need an example? OK! I was moving recently and I wasn't sure if I needed to be careful about tilting my TV. It's a flat screen but I didn't know the Do's and Don'ts about it. In my survey, I told the program about how I owned said TV; in the random pages I stumbled upon, one told me it was OK to tilt LCD TV's. It's plasma's your not supposed to move more than 15 degrees. Word to ya mother, B. Also, did you know that being 24 and having a December birthday means you're more than 700 million seconds old? Nutso.

Well, if you want to waste your time on the net more effectivley, I suggest you check out this application. It's fucking righteous, brah....Jesus H. Christ I need to sleep.

www.stumbleupon.com

YOU'RE WELCOME

2009-02-19T00:20:00.000-05:00

I have nothing new to report, other than I found this picture on Chuck Palahniuk's website. You are god damn welcome.

I really enjoy bad marketing.

2009-02-14T20:18:00.000-05:00

If you need sources, just check wikipedia. Or look for answers from the Catholic Church. What I'm saying is true. Valentine's Day is a fiction. Yes, yes, it's the holiday hater extraordinaire here to take a big sh*t all over this toothache of a 24 hour cycle. I love American product creationism and nothing rubs it in like Valentine's day, formerly known as St. Valentine's Day, formerly known as the Feast of St. Valentine, formerly known as ......what's today? Oh, the 14. Word. For a while, there was a feast Catholics had for Saints that were named Valentine. Many were patron Saints of certain events, etc., but none of them were love or lasting relationships. As a matter of fact, St. Valentine doesn't even have a last name. The Church doesn't know it. All they know is some dude named Valentine is buried somewhere in Italy called Via Flaminia. FLASH FORWARD! Present day. Now on this day, named after some dude in a pit in Italy with no last name, no one knows a damn thing about, couples and love birds alike get fancy presents and candy for one another to celebrate Love.

Don't get me wrong, I have things about this holiday that I love. The fact that there's a day that encourages gettin elbow deep in our loved one's is great. Not to mention the plethora of product advertisement that preys on people. Namely, the Vermont Teddy Bears. OH I just love those commercials. The office of wailing, huge breasted, pretty women, obviously talking about hard cocks, through a teddy bear. The leering eyes of the different fabricated male personalities. There's the nerdy, uptight, glasses wearing guy! Don't forget about the more tame father of four with the highschool sweetheart framed in picture form on his desk. Don't look now! We even have the macho guy with the white t-shirt with rolled up sleeves! Is that a heart shaped tattoo on his arm that says "Love"? IT IS?! Well guess what James Dean?? You can get a matching bear for YOURSELF when you get one for your little sugar tits! Take her down to make out point! This is AWESOME! For real, what would that guy do in the office? He has his own cubicle? He looks like he's gonna race his hot rod in a corn field. Maybe get in a Knife fight. He's got a switch blade.

There's a Teddy Bear for every level of non-committal love. There's the Puppy love, the "you're sexy" devil bear, the "Love Bandit"...um...yeah....But seriously, what a TERRIBLE commercial. My favorite memory of this product was when they decided to re-voice it with Adam Carolla as the Spokesman. You remember that? OH SNAP! Too good. I wish I could have been there at that marketing meeting.

"Ok Bill, we need to re-invent this commercial. Give it some more spice. I want women to feel seduced. I want men to want to be that fucking VOICE!"

"um.....how about....wait. How about this....let's re-voice it. And I have just the man for the job: ADAM CAROLLA"

"YES! I LOVE IT! Jesus Bill! You must be the smartest man ALI VE. You can take my place as C.E.O.! I am resigning as of this moment!"

Aaaand....DONE! Yeah, I think I'm through ripping Vermont Teddy Bears now. Maybe not. At least for now.

click the header for the link to the commercial.

Bill Burr : The Comedians Comedian

2009-02-11T00:21:00.000-05:00

Bill Burr's Myspace Page
The Monday Morning Podcast
Bill Burr's Official Website

If you don't know anything about Bill Burr, you might at least recognize him from the Chapelle's Show skits "Racial Draft" (the blacks win the lottery, ha, they'll probably still complain) and "Guy's Night Out" (a mouth is a mouth, bro). Burr has been a comedian for over a decade, making his way out of the New England comedy circuits and moving to the road, steadily becoming one of the most hardened comics you'd ever think about heckling. You want poetry? Look up his legendary encounter in Philadelphia that lasted over the entire alotted set time he was given. Opie and Anthony's Travelling Pants Tour. It's beautiful. Some of the biggest dickheads to walk the streets of America face off against one of the coolest Assholes to ever pick up a mic in a yelling match that in the end, Burr wins decisivley.

Right now, Burr can be seen on the road touring, as always. On top of that, he has an impressive amount of podcasts and radio appearances that keep him exposed to the public. For example, anyone that listens to Opie and Anthony will know him well. Last year for OzFest, the crew sent him out to interview bands. He then proceeded to ask them to do PSA spots, on the spot, about completley fictional events. "Don't you be fuckin hittin no special needs kids, you fuckin retards". A quote from the guitarist from In Flames.

He has two podcasts you can subscribe to on ITunes, The Bill Burr Monday Morning podcast, which is basically Burr ranting about grievances and annoyances. Then there's the stand up podcast he has. Gives you a feel for his stuff. Check out his two albums currently in circulation, "Emotionally Unavailable" and "Why Do I Do This?" which has a DVD of the CD material. This week I have videos of him on my video bar, check them out, buy his stuff. At least check him on YouTube.

THINGS THAT WILL BRING ABOUT THE APOCALYPSE #1

2009-02-10T22:45:00.001-05:00

It's a reoccurring theme spot that I just invented! Starting with every one's favorite little dish of bacteria scum left to dry in the sun, Soulja Boy. This little shit has turned out to be raps equivalent of Hanson if they had been run through the wardrobe of Michael Jackson and then bedazzled. Or is that a redundancy? ANYWAY, the fact is, there are small children all across this country that are in love with this demon and I am extremely concerned about their well being. If the last few years are the standard, this country is going to give itself downs syndrome listening to nonsensical, effortless bullshit like this. Granted, he's not the only one to blame, but this kid is the youngest of them all, so he's gonna be the longest running threat music faces on a whole. Unless Def Jam or So So Deaf sign a kid straight outta sixth grade. SO, hit up youtube, look up Soulja Boy Bird Walk Official Video and you decide if I'm right or not. K? Watch it now, then continue reading. Watch it. Ok? Did you watch it? Now tell me, is it wrong to think he should be brought to a boil in a vat of canola oil? THAT RHYME WAS BETTER THAN EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED IN THAT VIDEO! Some one PLEASE show some initiative and get that red dot on his dome and SQUEEEEEEZE!

2009 Oscar Predictions

2009-02-10T15:05:00.001-05:00

This years batch of Oscar films aren't the brilliant cache of challenging cinema it was just last year. There is no Daniel Plainview-esque performance, there is no unsettling masterpiece like No Country For Old Men, not even a bouncy feel-good dramedy like Juno, at least not up for any of the "big" awards. What this year's slew of nominees are, are a massive collective of subtlety. From Doubt to Benjamin Button to The Wrestler, these films are all about nuance and subtlety. Look at the Male Lead Nom's: Richard Jenkins? Mickey Rourke? These performances are both brilliant and painfully naturalistic all at once. Even Brad Pitt, smothered in CGI and epic story-telling still floats through that film almost whispering the entire time. The only real stand out anythings, be it a film, a director, an actor, are Slumdog Millionaire and Heath Ledgers Psycho/Brilliant/Legendary performance as The Joker. As far as anyone can tell, those two things are also the only guaranteed winners of the night. To be fair, Sean Penn in Milk is probably the most lively performance after Ledgers, but I'm not sure he can beat out Rourke's unbelievably refreshing showing in The Wrestler. So without further delay, here are the Predictions for each category. With a slight delay for each nominee's breakdown and analysis.

Best Picture

Frost/Nixon : When I saw the trailer for this film before Burn After Reading, I actually made a joke about how bad it was going to be. Turns out, its one of my personal favorites for this year. Ron Howard has finally stepped away (however briefly) from making big, awful movies and has crafted one of the more powerhouse films that have no big special effects or budgets of this year. The tension that can be felt throughout the entire film is so thick it could be used to style hair. On top of that, the documentary-style "in the present" breaks in the story move the film along with a very intelligent pace. I think this film will stand the test of time as not just another political thriller or anti-Nixon piece, but rather, a film that creates vast amounts of suspense and tension, even though we already know whats going to happen.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button : Overall, this is a great film. The story telling is unique in its presentation, starting with the strange backwards moving clock tower intro going all the way into the Hurricane Katrina death bed sequences with Kate Blanchet. The love story is a wee bit off, as I'm not really sure that the chemistry between the two leads is there. Not like The Wrestler or Slumdog Millionaire. But what really kills this movie is Brad Pitt. Plus the fact it is a bit too much like Forest Gump. Sorry, no win.

The Reader : This film, I'm not sure what it's doing in this category. The Dark Knight should be in this slot. While the individual performances where bar none some of the best of the year, the movie itself is not. I'm not a fan. Sorry.

Milk : Runner up for Best Picture. Gus Van Sandt is one of the kings of hit or miss films (GERRY, anyone??) but he really nails it home here. It is obvious that Van Sandt is passionate about the project. The film beams with enthusiasm, amazing cinematography and direction as well as great performances from all of the actors. Even as a straight man, I felt the struggle of the gay community and their need for rights. I was in support of them. I was in support of Harvey Milk. Gay rights are just RIGHTS. That is something this film is trying to convey. I think it succeeded.

Slumdog Millionaire : Sometimes it is a bad thing to adhere to Hollywood conventions, like with Gran Torino which received no Oscar nominations. Other times, following a familiar structure works tremendously. Slumdog Millionaire is the latter. Even though it has an R rating due to language, this is truly a feel good movie for everyone to enjoy. A twist on the "True Love" story that Director Danny Boyle has crafted with true artistry. From the opening torture scenes to the closing Bollywood dance sequence, this movie has you gripped to the edge of your seat. You root for the good guy and you loathe the bad guys. You really want the boy to get the girl and you REALLY want the man who stands in their way to get whats coming to him. This film wins best picture, hands down.

Best Director

I'm going to save you the write up's for each nominee and just say Danny Boyle's direction in Slumdog Millionaire wins, for sure. No question. None of the other films compare. Fincher could have got more out of Pitt, The Reader was flat, Frost/Nixon was good, but not better than Millionaire, and Milk won't win either. Danny Boyle. Winner.

Best Actor in a Lead Role:

Richard Jenkins - The Visitor : I rented this movie because I was a huge fan of Tom McCarthy's The Station Agent. Then I heard Richard Jenkins was the lead. Being a fan of him from Six Feet Under, I decided it seemed like a great combination. What I can say about his performance is this: I am glad that he got the nomination, because if he hadn't he would have been robbed of the recognition this deserves. Out of all of the nom's in this category, this performance was the most believable on a human level. The character changes, but not that much. Just like a real person. We can change, but do we ever change in the way Hollywood makes it seem? Not really. But, he will not win.

Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon : Here we have a powerhouse Ham performance. Langella is an amazing actor who is reviving his role as Richard Nixon from the famous play and putting him on the big screen. While this character is chock full of great moments and quotable lines, it's just too stagey. It reminds me of Sean Penn in All the Kings Men. Too Blow-Hard. He will not win.

Brad Pitt - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: I'm sorry but, no matter how much CGI or plaster you put on the man, no matter what director you put him with, BRAD PITT CAN NOT ACT. The poor bastard is getting this nomination because the film itself is so good, people are assuming it must have something to do with his performance. It doesn't. Thank David Fincher and move on. He will not win.

Sean Penn - Milk : This is my runner up for the win. Sean Penn gives a performance most actors strive for their entire careers. The man is the most consistently under-rated performer of his acting generation. From Dead Man Walking, to 21 Grams, to Milk, the man puts out classic material. In Milk, he pulls no punches. The exuberant openly gay politician gets start treatment in Penn's portrayal. He seems to be ten feet tall at times of the film. If anyone is capable of beating out our next nominee, its this one. Which leads me to...

Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler : I know this nominee is winning all of the small award shows, I know people have been all over this film since day one. But that doesn't mean they're wrong, or I'm on a bandwagon. I remember hearing a radio piece on NPR for this film on the day of its release, IMMEDIATELY I went online, got a copy (OOOPS!) and watched it. I was expecting something more in the vein of a "true" Darren Aronofsky film, but what I got was a small, paced, tour de force performance from a man who could not have been better for the role. The character and the actor line up so perfectly, its astounding. Both men, HUGE in the 80's, forgotten in the 90's, and now, trying to get their lives back together in the 00's. Both men, ravaged by the surgeries and drugs they made their bodies endure. That is why whenever Rand the Ram speaks on screen, I believe it. When Ram pulls that tear when he is pleading with his daughter, I see Mickey Rourke's failures as a person in that tear. It is a perfect role, at a perfect time. I'm not sure there's too much of a chance anyone beats this one, but if they do...someone really dropped the ball.

Actor In A Supporting Role

Josh Brolin - Milk : Brolin's performance as Dan White is in my personal opinion, more of the same from Brolin. He's an actor that for some reason, just can't seem to stop making the same acting moves in all of his recent films, minus his uber-cornball roll in Planet Terror. His John Wayne stature from No Country For Old Men is stripped away and he is given a much more uppity character in White, but it just seems that Brolin can't overcome his lack of range. I need to see something better from Brolin before I can say this was worth the nomination.

Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt : This is one of two potential winners under Heath Ledger. Hoffman takes his ability to be both quiet and menacingly present on screen in this role and makes the character of Father Brendan Flynn a man you might actually believe. Out of all of the four, yes FOUR actor/actresses that were nominated for their performances in this film, his was the best. He was the only one that actually created DOUBT, the name of the film. The viewer isn't sure if he's being manipulative, if he's lying, or if he's truly defending his innocence. At the end of the day, he has about a 35% chance of winning.

Robert Downey Jr. - Tropic Thunder : Every once in a while, the Academy pulls a WTF?! move. This year, its Downey Jr. I loved this movie. I am on the level of nerd fanboy of R rated comedies, but what the HELL is he doing on this list? This has to be the weakest category to choose from this year, because I just don't see it. Yeah ok, he's a white man who plays an actor who makes himself black. And he does an amazing job. But I can't wrap my head around it. Might as well put Michael Caine up for Dark Knight or Terrance Howard for Iron Man, because those would be equally as confusing. They're good rolls, but are they worthy of an Academy Award Nomination? I don't think so.

Michael Shannon - Revolutionary Road : How this film didn't receive more nominations is beyond me, but this one, this is the real deal. If Heath Ledger hadn't of made this list, I'd say this is the sure fire winner and is still my favorite upset pick of the night. Shannon steals every single second of the film when he's on screen. His portrayal of a man who has reached his wit's end is absolutely electrifying. The man acts as a filter of truth throughout the film. Without him, the final confrontation between his character and Leonardo DiCaprio would have seemed too over the top, but his facial expressions, his delivery, even his body language, its all so perfect for the film. That's why I think he wins if the next nominee doesn't.

Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight : Every so often a character is given to an actor and the combination proves to be a thing of legend. Ben Kinglsey had Gandhi, Michael Madsen had Mr. Blonde, Javier Bordiem had Anton Sugar, and now Heath Ledger has the Joker. The best supporting actor should be the role that steals the most scenes with the least amount of effort, outside of the lead roles. Clearly, Ledger is the winner. He is terrifying, clever, funny, and down right fun when he's on screen. I would argue that he makes more of an impact on that film than Christian Bale and he's freakin BATMAN. The scenes they share are amazing, especially the Interrogation room scene where Ledger is tossed around like pizza dough. I'm not sure there's much room for failure here, Ledger has this category sealed.

Actress In a Leading Role

Anne Hatheway - Rachel Getting Married : While I think this is by far the single best "chick" movie I have ever watched, I'm not sure Hatheway will win. I know she's picked up a few smaller circuit awards for this performance so far, but the fact is that Angelina is crazier in Changeling and Kate Winslet is colder in the Reader. I hope she gets the upset win, but I just don't see it. Sorry.

Angelina Jolie - Changeling : To me, this performance is the only saving grace of another one of Clint Eastwood's cliche', conventional movies of late. The premise of the film is great, the film itself is not. However, put Angelina Jolie in the middle of things, and there are bound to be some sparks. The scenes in the mental hospital will be quoted in magazines and pop-culture references for years to come if she pulls out the win. If she doesn't this will turn out to be a forgotten performance in a overall forgettable film.

Mellisa Leo - Frozen River : Here's one from an early year release that I was pleased to see. One of the most nuanced nominations of the entire year, Leo shows the level of emotion one goes through when doing something illegal to survive. I honestly don't remember much about this movie, so I'm not going to act like I can make an assessment. Sorry.

Maryl Streep - Doubt : CAN WE STOP WITH HER ALREADY?? It's too much. She's the female equivalent of Clint Eastwood. She's always around come oscar season. I appreciate that, but this performance, not even in her top five. I felt that Doubt received too many acting nominations and this one is the worst. If Streep wins, I'll shave my head.

Kate Winslet - The Reader : Winslet has created a character in Hannah that took a long time for me to stop thinking about. Many critics have called her performance "emotionally distant". But that is what was required of her for this role. She played a Nazi who was in hiding, don't you think one would have to be pretty inconspicuous and emotionally distant from people to maintain a low profile? The scenes in the courtroom are great and the segment of the film where she shares multiple nude scenes with her male counterpart are unforgettable. Not because of the nudity, but the acting that goes on during the nudity. Some of the scenes where she is being read to, other actresses would have just sat there. Winslet made it seem the events of the books were actually happening to her. This should be the clear cut winner, even if she did make some stupid gaffe about Angelina Jolie at the SAG awards.

Actress in a Supporting Role

Amy Adams - Doubt : My second favorite pick to win. Out of the 3 female nominations for this film, hers is the only one I found to be warranted. The amount of emotional conflict that can be seen on her face is pretty amazing. Especially considering that this actress was just two years ago in Talledega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. She is the moral glue that stands between Streep and Hoffman and tries so hard to keep things on an even keel, even when things are NOT that way.

Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona : Didn't see it. Sorry.

Viola Davis - Doubt : She was on screen for all but six minutes. Sorry. No chance.

Teraji P. Henson - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button : From lesbian assassin in Smokin Aces to full blown character actress in Benji Button (we're tight like that. I call him Benji) This could be the winner if Marisa Tomei's breasts don't win.

Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler : I'm not sure when it started, I think it was Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, but it seems like Marisa Tomei really enjoys being nude on screen. I think her and Kate Winslet should get in a "Always naked on screen" fight with special referee Angelina Jolie. But all joking aside, this is the best supporting role for actresses this year. Her sympathy for Randy in the Wrestler is palpable. Their chemistry is so natural, so believable, I want her to win more than I think she should. So, she is my pick. Her and those breasts.

Here are the remainder of my Picks for the less popular categories

Art Direction: Benjamin Button

Cinematography : Slumdog Millionare or the Dark Knight

Costume Design : The Duchess (always go with the period piece)

Editing : The Dark Knight

Foreign Language Film : The Baader Meinhof Complex

Make-Up : Benjamin Button

Music Score - Slumdog Millionaire

Music Song - Slumdog Millionaire

Sound Editing - The Dark Knight

Sound Mixing - The Dark Knight

Visual Effects - The Dark Knight

Writing (adapted screenplay) - Slumdog Millionaire

Writing Original Screenplay - In Bruges

Opening Line

2009-02-10T14:48:00.000-05:00

There's a rule somewhere that says if you don't know how to start something in your own words, use a quote. So, this one is a favorite of mine.

"We would be a lot safer if the Government would take its money out of science and put it into astrology and the reading of palms. Only in superstition is there hope. If you want to become a friend of civilization, then become an enemy of the truth and a fanatic for harmless balderdash." - Kurt Vonnegut