Year: 2008

Killing Momentum (a.k.a. Something Nice Back Home)

Is it me, or does this happen regularly: A great episode of Lost (or at least one with a cliffhanger/reveal at the end) is followed by a pedestrian effort aimed more at developing characters than developing story.  That’s certainly the case with tonight’s episode, Something Nice Back Home. 

That isn’t to say that Something Nice Back Home was a bad episode.  It wasn’t.  But it wasn’t great, either.  And after last week’s great episode, and considering the momentum the show is trying to build as they wrap up Season Four, you’d think they’d put out a stronger effort, or at least let us check in with more compelling characters, like Ben, Locke, Sayid or Desmond.

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King Tom

The More Things Change, Yada, Yada, Yada…

Being an obnixous Yankee fan in a city where most baseball fans follow one of two so-called “medium market” teams, I often get asked to defend the charge that the Yankees’ (read: George Steinbrenner’s) spending habits have ruined the great sport of baseball.

My standard reponse is that yes, the Yankees do spend more than other teams, but that’s because they wisely (well, mostly wise) reinvest their money into the team. That money pays for a team that fans turn out to see, in turn, leading fans to buy the team’s merchandise and follow the team from around the world. What’s more, the Yankees pay millions of dollars to other teams in the form of revenue sharing, and a number of those teams take that money and put it back into the pockets of their owners, rather than putting that money into a team (for that team’s fans) worth cheering for. 

Rather, I counter, it isn’t the Yankees ruining baseball, but those owners taking that money to enrich themselves, rather than their team.

Even though free agency has only existed over the last 30-40 years of baseball’s lifespan, the concepts I’ve been talking about have been around a lot more.  In reading a recent interview at Baseball Analysts with Dan Levitt, who wrote a book about Ed Barrow, the Yankees’ first GM, it’s easy to see that my argument is not a new one:

Rich: Using newly available material from the New York Yankee financial records and previously unexplored financial data from 1951 Congressional hearings, you delved into the economic environment of baseball over the first half of the twentieth century. What was the most enlightening thing you learned about the Yankees?

Dan: Two things stand out. First, the Yankees reinvested their profits in the team while other franchises often distributed theirs out to the team’s owners, and second, the Yankees consistently paid the highest salaries.

I’d rather be a fan of a team that spends prodigiously than one run by a bunch of penny pinchers.  Sure, the Yankees are a .500 team at this point in the season, but their ownership has at least given them a chance.  I’d like for someone to honestly tell me that you can say the same about Pittsburgh or Florida. Those cities should have their teams taken away.

King Tom

Call Me [Turkey] Burger King

King Tom's Turkey BurgerNow that the weather is nice again, I’m back to one of my favorite pasttimes: cooking outside over an open flame.

I started the grilling thing last year, and despite some early mishaps, with the help of a chimney starter, I became quite adept at grilling by the end of the summer.  Earlier this weekend, The Civee and I decided now would be a good time to re-start our grilling adventure, so we made [what was our first meal on the grill last year] turkey burgers.  We used about a pound of ground turkey, and I made two burgers, each of which was freakin’ huge (the burger pictured has a slice of grilled onion on top).

Even more important, the ginormous burgers were really good. As were the sweet potato fries on the side.

In case you want to make your own turkey burgers just like the king:

Take one pound of ground turkey meat. Mix with a half cup of breadcrumbs (or crushed crackers, which we used tonight), a quarter-cup of olive oil (or any other type of oil, you’ll need it because there’s close to no fat in the turkey meat). Add a palmful of poultry seasoning and as much pepper and salt as you want. Shape into two (or fewer) orbs, and grill about ten minutes per side.

As for the equimpent, I’m still using charcoal and the same Weber knockoff as last year. With the aforementioned chimney starter, there’s no need for lighter fluid, which is a good thing. Maybe this summer we’ll upgrade to a real Weber, but that’s something I’m trying to talk the Civee into.

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Don't Mess With Ben Linus

After what seemed like a short eight-week run earlier this year, Lost returned tonight to continue its fourth season with a Ben-focused episode, “The Shape of Things To Come.”  And if the producers were hoping to please the ever-important King Tom demographic, they succeeded.  Tonight’s episode featured explosions, the monster, Ben, international intrigue, a game of worldwide domination and all love triangles kept to a minimum.

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King Tom

The Village Weez

Today, Spinner.com released the album cover for Weezer’s upcoming sixth album.  If this cover alone doesn’t make album six (a.k.a. The Red Album) go platinum, there is no justice in the world.

The image alone redefines the concept of album covers as art, and all other musicians just better stop trying.  It’s far better for all future albums, CDs, tapes and eight-tracks to be released in brown paper wrapping than to try and compete with Weezer portraying the Village People.  From left to right, Brian is the starving artist, Pat is the scholar, Rivers is a cowboy and Scott is the biker.  Truly a masterpiece.

I don’t want to go calling this a ‘theme album,’ but from what we know, the look of the band here fits the message of Pork and Beans:

I’mma do the things
That I wanna do
I ain’t got a thing
To prove to you
I’ll eat my candy
With the pork and beans
Excuse my manners
If I make a scene
I ain’t gonna wear
The clothes that you like
I’m finally dandy
With the me inside
One look in the mirror
And I’m tickled pink
I don’t give a hoot
About what you think

I didn’t think it was possible to look forward to an album, but I am really stoked for this one. 

King Tom

The Fire Pole: Safety Hazard or Just Misunderstood?

Moe, Larry and CurlyA comedy staple in both movies and real life may be going out of style.

In it’s daily This Day In Tech feature, wired.com tells the story of the fire pole, which was first used 130 years ago today:

 

Firefighters at Engine Company 21 were unloading hay for the horses that pulled their fire engines. When the bell rang, firefighter George Reid was up in the hayloft on the third floor. The long binding pole that was used to secure the hay to the wagon had been stashed vertically up the loading area to the hayloft. Rather than run all the way down two flights of stairs, Reid decided to slide down the pole. Swift thinking, George.

However, because of safety concerns, fire poles are a dying breed:

Nowadays, the poles are sometimes considered safety hazards, and new firehouses are often built without them. Single-story firehouses are preferred.

It will be a sad day when the fire pole becomes extinct.  At least we can always go back to the works of the Three Stooges or Ghostbusters to see them in their prime.

 

King Tom

Thanks for the Shout-Out, Weezer!

As I’ve mentioned (quite often) recently, Weezer is back in business, with a new single, Pork and Beans, hitting the airwaves, and a new album (their third self-titled effort), Weezer (the Red Album) due out on June 24.  This weekend, Karl announced the tracklist for the upcoming album (tracks 1-10 are the album proper, with 11-14 being part of the “Deluxe Edition”):

1. Troublemaker
2. The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations on a Shaker Hymn)
3. Pork and Beans
4. Heart Songs
5. Everybody Get Dangerous
6. Dreamin’
7. Thought I Knew
8. Cold Dark World
9. Automatic
10. The Angel and the One
11. Miss Sweeney
12. Pig
13. The Spider
14. King

Of course, I’m interested in hearing all of these songs.  But most intriguing to me is the title of the 14th and final track.  You didn’t have to, guys.  But it’s appreciated.

King Tom

Jet Flying Reporter Possibly High As A Kite

I can’t say this surprises me.

CNN Reporter and British nutjob Richard Quest was recently arrested for meth possession in New York City’s Central park.

According to the report, Quest was arrested at 3:40 a.m. in the park, which is closed between the hours of 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. Upon being approached by police, Quest reportedly told the arresting officers: “I have meth in my pocket.” He was arraigned on Friday on a misdemeanor drug charge.

Dance Richard Quest, Dance!!When I worked in TV, there was a newsroom monitor tuned to CNN all the time, and Quest’s segments were must-see TV for myself and a few co-workers. Quest reported regularly for CNN’s morning show on odd topics (many involving travel), wherein he would just go crazy reporting the story of the day.  Quest would do anything for a story, and delivered standups like a rabid squirell about to take a bite out of the camera.  However, the best part of hits reports were the interplay between Quest and Jack Cafferty (“Seinfeld is next“).  Cafferty hated Quest, and half the time seemed like he was about to “do a shoot” on the hyperactive Englishman. 

Well, here’s hoping that Quest can kick the habit and can remain entertaining off the meth.

King Tom

Two Fighters Against a Star Destroyer?

My associate Iron Mike e-mailed me this thought-provoking question:

After seeing the uncoordinated mess that was the attack on the first Death Star,
and seeing the pilots of the Rebel Alliance make literally every tactical
mistake in the book resulting the destruction of the entire attacking force save
for a few ships, my question is:

Did pilots of Rebel Alliance ever, at any point, receive even the smallest
amount of remedial combat training?

Admiral AckbarI thought that was an awesome question. My answer would be not necessarily (at least in terms of remedial combat training). With Star Wars written in the aftermath of the Vietnam conflict, George Lucas wanted to show how a mighty technologically-advanced empire could be brought down by amateurs with nothing more than scrapped-together equipment and hope.

The planets of the rebellion, for the most part, weren’t in open rebellion. They supported the alliance through backdoor means, with individuals joining the rebel armed forces. Those with combat training, or who served in the Clone Wars, were usually higher-ups in the military command. For the most part, the cannon fodder of the alliance was made up of idealistic youngsters who were fit into the roles that best suited them. Those who could pilot a craft were made pilots. Those who could stand around pointing guns at a door poised to blow open were the guys who got gunned down at the beginning of Episode IV. Look at Luke Skywalker, he didn’t have any particular spacecraft training, yet, because he could fly, he was made a pilot. I think it’s safe to assume that considering he wanted to go to the “academy,” he had no formal combat training. Yet he was the pilot that brought the Death Star down.
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King Tom

LA Station Serves Up "Pork and Beans"

So a few days after a preview of the new Weezer single hits the Internet, Los Angeles’ KROQ plays the song for the public.  And it seems like most Weezer fans are happy.

I’ve heard the song (KROQ’s played it a few times already tonight) and as a whole, it’s good.  The song has a lot of different instrumentation (some of which was heard in the amazon preview), and no solo.  Which is quite a surprise, because Rivers can shred and his solos usually serve as a centerpoint to his songs.  But this is different.  And while Rivers name drops some brand names and current famous rappers, it’s for a cause;

The song “was inspired by a record-company meeting where the band was told it needed to record more-commercial material. “I came out of it pretty angry,” Cuomo says. “But ironically, it inspired me to write another song.”
-Rolling Stone

Word around the =w= community is that meeting spurred the recording of two songs for the album, Pork and Beans and another song.  It’s nice to have something radio friendly to appeal to a bigger audience and drive the band’s success.  While I’ll happily listen to PnB, I’m also looking forward to what else is out there.

King Tom