King Tom’s Goin’ To WrestleMania!

I’ve been to a final game of the Stanley Cup Finals.

I’ve also been to the final game of a World’s Series.

In keeping with that theme, this Sunday, I’m going to WrestleMania.

My friend Ryan, who lives in the Motor City, procured tickets to the big event. I’ve been to a number of WWF live events before, including one of the worst pay-per-views ever, but I’m really pumped about going to a WrestleMania. Of course, this year’s King Tom’s Annual WrestleMania Bash ™ was re-scheduled for the Royal Rumble, but why host a pay-per-view event when I’ll be there in person?

My one wish that when all is said and done, Sunday’s show doesn’t go down in history as one of the worst WrestleManias. Some of my favorite wrestlers (Jericho, Rock) aren’t affiliated with the federation anymore, and Stone Cold Steve Austin, who’s refereeing a match, isn’t actively wrestling. Chris Benoit is stuck in a match with a jabroni. And there aren’t that many matches on the card.

But there are some positives. Useless Triple H isn’t involved. There’s no blindfold match. There’s really no bad guy expected to win the main event. And even if that does happen, Hulk Hogan isn’t expected to come out of nowhere and hog the spotlight in the main event.

I’m looking forward to it. I just hope I make it back home in time for Opening Day.

A game with attitude

The Baseball Mogul series is one of my all-time favorite video game franchises.

It’s not just the concept of running my own baseball team, but the game’s humor also is also key. For example, the ’03 version contained a scouting report of a certain Yankees pitcher* that said:

Baseball needs more pitchers like Carl Pavano.

Well, four years later and the game can still bring the humor. I downloaded the latest version of the game and made a trade offer, to which the computer general manager replied:

General Manager Don Rickles

Oh yeah? Well, yo momma so fat, the back of her neck looks like a pack of hot dogs!

*Kind of related: in a conversation yesterday, my brother referred to Pavano as Mr. Ouchy McBreaks-My-Ass

Tell her it’s o-hey-hey-hey-hey

No One Else is one of my favorite weezer songs. Okay, it’s tied with about 15 other weezer songs, but it’s the thought that counts.

The Blue Album had some pretty strong singles, but No One Else was not one of them. Still, that shouldn’t keep the song from getting a video. I found this while surfing through You Tube and think it fits the song perfectly:

Goodbye, Ralph

One of the greatest people I’ve ever known passed away last week.

My father called me today to tell me that WNBC reporter Ralph Penza died.  For both semesters of my senior year of college, I was an intern at WNBC–first with a consumer reporter, and then, as Ralph’s intern. 

Usually, I was told, Ralph only hired on full-time interns from another school.  But I guess that someone had talked me up pretty good, because he accepted me as his intern, even though (because of my schedule), I could only work for him three-and-a-half days a week.

Ralph Penza

Right away, I was amazed by Ralph’s energy, generosity and humor.  He was dedicated to getting the story right every day.  I learned more from him in a few months than I did in all of my other college classes combined.  There were stories that we’d be out covering all day where by the end I would be dead tired, but he’d still be going strong.

I talked to Ralph a few times since moving out here, and he was still reporting stories.  Ralph was a great reporter.  But more importantly (as I learned), he was a great person too.

Thanks for giving me a chance Ralph.

Getting revenge on winter

For the past few days, streets and sidewalks in Columbus have, for the most part, been covered in a mix of snow and ice. 

Because the temperatures have been below freezing, very little of that cover is melting.  And whenever this happens, I always wonder why don’t they just bust out the flamethrowers and clear off the ice and snow that way?

It’s not like that would actually start a fire or anything, right?

Quantum Leap

Before I start talking about this week’s episode of Lost, there’s something else I want to publicly ponder.

I was watching the ‘?‘ episode from last season, and was wondering how things would have happened had Boone and Locke discovered and opened the Pearl Hatch after discovering the Nigerian Plane.  The original hatch probably wouldn’t have seemed so mystical, especially to Locke and Boone would have died another way.  But I guess, as Locke would say, that’s just the way the island would have wanted it.

Anyway, on to the present (or as Desmond likes to call them, re-runs):

Continue reading “Quantum Leap”

It was fifteen years ago today

photoshop fun with the weez

 

So Weezer’s been around 15 years.  Kind of hard to believe they’ve been around that long.

While last year, I wrote a fake backstory of the band, I think this year, it’s time to link to the closest thing to the real history- the band’s recording history, compiled by he who rocks.

It’s also fitting that today marks the first real weezer news we’ve gotten in quite some time, although it’s kind of ironic that it’s coming from MTV (in a story about Rick Rubin):

“Rivers [Cuomo] just gave me some demos, the first round for this album,” Rubin said. “I’m trying to get my head clear to really just dive in.”

I’m not holding my breath, but I am looking forward to it.