Coming Soon - "Wait 'Til Next Year"

As part of our partnership with The Flawedcast Network, Solly and I have agreed to do a baseball themed podcast.  (I'm not sure we realized what we were getting ourselves into.)  Now, thanks to Pun's House message board poster, Beer Baron, and as an homage to our favorite teams, we finally have a name - "Wait 'Til Next Year".

"Wait 'Til Next Year" will bring you our unique perspective on the current MLB season.  We'll bring you insight and analysis only a Jew and a midget can provide.  Not to mention, we hope to have the occasional guest host to lend a hand. 

But that's not all!  At "Wait 'Til Next Year" we want to hear from you.  Ask us questions.  Send us feedback.  Tell us we suck...because, more than likely, you are correct.  You can send your emails to  waittilnextyear@punshouse.com.


We hope to bring you our first show in a couple weeks, so get those emails in now.

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Flawmentary - Predator

Andy and Zurcher welcome their special guest J'Mar to help them provide a commentary track to the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger classic Predator.
























 Discuss here.

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Northern Reflections – Album Review: Hollerado’s Record In a Bag

I’ve never written an album review before. Apart from not knowing how, I’ve never felt the need. Most of what I listen to is well-known by the masses. Do you need to hear my take on a Pearl Jam album? No. Beastie Boys? No. Foo Fighters? Again, no. But Hollerado? Who-the-what-now?


This Ottawa-based band likely isn’t known to many people outside of Canada. That’s okay. They’re relatively new, and they’re paying their dues in bars and clubs for now. They’ll get there in time.


The odd thing about Hollerado is that their debut album, Record In a Bag, doesn’t sound like it comes from a new band. Despite the incredible amount of fun the band is clearly having, it’s a mature album in terms of song quality and production values.


If I had to compare their sound to well-known bands, I’d say it’s a combination of Weezer and OK Go. But I don’t have to, so I won’t.


Record In a Bag (the bonus track version) consists of 13 tracks. Here they are:


1. “Hollerado Land (By Sam)”
As an introduction to an album and a band, this hits the right notes. It’s a silly song. One guy with an acoustic guitar. At 1:34, it doesn’t overstay its welcome, but it sets the stage for an album that doesn’t take itself too seriously, as further evidenced by the title of the first “real” song on the album:


2. “Do the Doot Da Doot Do”
Cue feedback, cue drums, here we go. High-energy, bouncy, jaunty – this is going to be fun. Clearly, these guys want to let their listeners know that we’re in for a ride.


3. “Juliette”
This was my introduction to the band. Very poppy, but deceivingly well-written despite that. It’s a love story of sorts. Young man meets older woman. She educates him on life. He looks back fondly. Really catchy tune.


4. “Fake Drugs”
Let’s take it down a notch. After a couple of fairly fast-paced rock songs, Fake Drugs brings some heavy bass to the mix. It would be criminal for this song not to make it into a movie as background music at some point. It’s that type of song.


5. “Reno Chunk”
Not really a “song,” per se, this is four lines over 10-seconds. It’s almost like a forgotten refrain for the next track.


6. “Americanarama”
We get back to the high-energy, fun rock here with a song about the U.S. falling from grace. It’s not at all about taking shots at the States. It’s more of a “Hey guys, remember all those great things about your country? What happened?” The video is incredible, and was, apparently, shot in one take.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Whv1tLqKZig


7. “On My Own”
Wait…what just happened? Is this…country? No, no quite. But it’s close. This is the first song to really showcase the band’s harmonizing skills. Really well done. Subtle, but effective. Can you subtly showcase something? Apparently. Anyway, it’s this song that really makes you stop and think about the quality of the album. It’s easy to let the first half become background music. It’s just so easy to listen to. But then you realize that it’s so easy to listen to because it’s so well done.


8. “Got to Lose”
Oh, COME. ON. An organ transition from the end of “On My Own” into this? More harmonizing in the intro? Gives me chills every time. Then, the drums and guitar kick in, and we’re back into rock. Not heavy. Not fast-paced. But definitely rock.


9. “Hard Love”
Back to a more country vibe here. Still not country, but country-ish. Bluesy, too. Yeah, that’s it. It’s bluesy. Definitely more blues than country. But still rock.


10. “Riverside”
More bouncy pop now. A nice reminder after three pretty serious songs that Hollerado is a fun band having fun making fun music. Also, more “do do dos”. Good times.


11. “Walking On the Sea”
This song lives in my head. I often find myself singing it for no apparent reason. Catchy guitar, nice drums, great tune. Also, whistling outro. Can’t beat that.


12. “What’s Everybody Running For? Part II”
A Canadian drinking song. (And yes, we do have other kinds.) Rolling drums, loads of harmonizing. “How far to the town/Where a bar can be found?” Pure fun.


13. “Get Loose” (Bonus Track)
Not sure why this didn’t make the original cut. It’s every bit as god as the rest of the album. A nice, mellow way to finish off a 45-minute listen.


These guys definitely have some tricks up their sleeves, and they use them to great effect. Stuff like “Reno Chunk” and the transition from “On My Own” to “Got to Lose” make this an album, rather than a collection of singles. It’s clear that great care was taken in writing and building this album as a whole. Every piece belongs in the spot it occupies. There are no jarring shifts in style or tempo or quality.


If you like things that are awesome, do yourself (and a band that’s just getting started) a favour, and pick up Hollerado’s Record In a Bag on iTunes. It’s $9.99, which is a bargain.

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Monday Night Flaw - Episode 10

Andy and Chris talk about the 3/2 episode of Smackdown, the 3/5 episode of Raw and do some other stuff and talk about upcoming Wrestlemania matches and Jesse Ventura stops by because Andy loves his terrible impressions.

Discuss here.

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The View From Down Here - The Cubs Win the World Series......Sort of

What would it be like if the Cubs win the World Series?  The makers of MLB: The Show think they know.  Check out the commercial for the 2012 edition of the game.  As a Cub fan myself, it's both awesome and sad at the same time. 


Personally, though, I think there will be even more pandemonium than what is portrayed here.  Unfortunately, during this rebuilding process, this is as close as the Cubs are going to get to a World Series for a few more years.


Video below.

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Random Moosings - ROH Review 03/03/12

Week 76 from the Du Burns Arena in Baltimore, Maryland!

Recap of Davey Richards beating Jay Lethal last week.  Kept very short.

Nigel and Kevin are in the ring, and they mention Richards win.  Tonight, Roderick Strong faces Eddie Edwards and the winner gets a shot at Davey in Fort. Lauderdale.  But first…..

…..we talk to Mike Bennett and OH MY GOD MARIA IS HOT.  Lance Storm is either 105 (according to Maria) or 107 (according to Bennett).  Recently they cut Storm’s leg off and counted the rings, he is, in fact, 111.

…..TJ Perkins thinks he has a chance against Bennett tonight.  They are cute when they are that young.

TJ PERKINS vs. MIKE BENNETT w/OH MY GOD MARIA IS HOT – Perkins looks like he is going to Alex Shelley’s barber.  It is not a good look.  What is the deal with the whole skunk hair do?  Not a good thing guys.  Brutal Bob is back with Bennett and OH MY GOD MARIA IS HOT.  One of these things is not like the other, one of these things just doesn’t belong.  Bennett gets a handful of Maria ass, and now I really hate him.  I dig Perkins, even though he has no chance of winning this match.  I would like to see them push him as a threat to Lethal’s title.  They had a match a few months ago that was very good.  Kelly says Perkins isn’t quick, he’s sudden.  I really don’t know what that means.  Maria helps Bennett reach the ropes, Perkins drags Bennett and Maria into the ring and we get a fantastic Maria ass shot.  Oh and I guess Bennett got the win, but that is really secondary here.  In all seriousness, Maria is still really the only good thing about Bennett.  It’s a damn good thing, but still the only thing.

COMMERCIALS!

-Young Wolves Rising (still sounds like a gay porno). This sounds like a good card.  We talk to Jay Lethal who does not think it will be a fair fight, he will face the Embassy.  Ciampa thinks he will add another notch to his belt, but Jay Lethal is going to add a notch to HIS belt.  TAKE THAT CIAMPA!  Seriously, is it me, or does everything that comes out of both these guys sound very homoerotic?

-Veda Scott is talking to the Embassy Limited.  Let’s test my theory.  Ciampa has nothing to lose in NYC, Lethal has everything to lose.  His confidence, his health, his career, his TV title.  Ciampa is going to win and be the only undefeated champion in ROH history.  Ok, he toned down the homoerotic stuff for this one.

GUY ALEXANDER vs. TOMASSO CIAMPA – Guy who?  Ok, Guy Smiley takes on Tomasso Bad Tights.  Seriously, his tights look like something cut out of curtains from 1972.  The lawyer guy from the Embassy Limited looks like Kenneth Parcell (the guy from 30 Rock, my new obsession) in other words, very goofy.  Evidently Doyle Alexander is coming back from a back injury or something.  ROH folks, was this guy ever anything, or are they just trying to give a jobber a back story?  The Sicilian Psychopath is a damn good nickname I gotta say.  That was for Ciampa in case anyone was confused.  Ciampa KILLS Guy Smiley with like six running knees to the face and the referee stops the match.  Not really much of a match, but they made Ciampa look really good.  I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if Ciampa takes the title off of Lethal.  After the match Lethal had against Richards last week, I could see them pushing him for the world title.

INSIDE ROH

-Sunday March 4^th, the 10^th anniversary show…..which, since you are reading this on the 5^th was yesterday.  They are at the Hammerstein Ballroom, I liked when ECW ran there.

-The Briscoes still think the Bucks are pretty.  They aren’t taking them lightly, but they may still rape them.  Not that ROH condones rape

-Kevin Steen wears a top hat.  I mean really, how can you not like this guy?  Steen is happy to spend the night with Jacobs, they are going to let the champagne and blood flow.  I want to party with Steen.

-Showdown in the Sun March 30 & 31.  This is shaping up to be a pretty good card too.  Richards faces the winner of the Strong/Edwards match in the 30^th.  Also, Bennett faces Lance Storm.  Storm called ROH and asked for the match.  Storm is moral like that.  Also, WGTT face the Briscoes.

-All Night Express face the Bucks in a Dual Duel.  Two matches, two nights.  Street fight one night, tornado match the next.  Sounds good.  The Bucks said no to a street fight, but wanted a tornado match, but the officials made both matches anyway.  Wait, I am confused.  If the Bucks say they were too smart to let the ANX pick the stips, but then ROH made the match anyway……ok stop thinking. 

-Chikara is going to be featured during the New York and Florida shows.  I can’t say I know a thing about Chikara.  Is that the stuff with Dr. Cube?  Or Ebessan?  Speaking of….as an aside here…..there is a YouTube clip of Ebessan and some other guy wrestling a match in slow motion, cracked me up, go look it up, totally worth it.

MAIN EVENT TIME!

RODERICK STRONG w/Truth Martini (who is nowhere near as hot as OH MY GOD MARIA IS HOT) vs. EDDIE EDWARDS

A guy in the crowd is wearing a Yo MTV Raps t-shirt.  When they started taping this show, I think Yo MTV Raps was still on the air.  I wonder what they do with all the streamers that are thrown into the ring?  ROH should open a party store.  Streamers R Us or something.  Some back story here, Eddie beat Strong for the ROH title. He beat him in something called the Ringmaster Challenge, which I don’t know what that was either.  Someone fill me in here. Also, Edwards beat Strong to in that insane 80 minute plus eight man tag match a month or so ago.  So these two DO have a history.  They recapped the whole Richards/O’Reily vs.  Edwards/Cole thing, rather unnecessarily.  Edwards hits a nice sliding dropkick while Strong was in the Tree of Woe.  Slick move. 

COMMERCIALS!

-Davey Richards talks about who he is going to face at the Ft. Lauderdale show.  He is collecting heads in Florida because he is a Headhunter.  Ok then.

LOCAL COMMERCIAL – commercial for some workers comp lawyer, a kid is all upset because his daddy got hurt and “now he can’t work so good no more” gotta love when local commercials push that stupid hick stereotype.

WE’RE BACK!  Roddy gets the upper hand by some Truth shenanigans……just like a good manager should.  Seriously, both TNA and WWE are missing the boat on bringing back good old-school managers.  Strong lifts Edwards for a suplex, then just throws him at the ropes.  Great dick move, great visual too.  Truth distracts Eddie as he goes for the double stomp.  Adam Cole comes out and KILLS Truth with a superkick.  Not a smart move because now you have PISSED MICHAEL ELGIN RIGHT THE HELL OFF.  Eddie does a suicide dive out of the ring that takes all of them out.  With the referee distracted, Strong wraps something around his boot and hits the SICK KICK (I think that is what it is called) and gets the three count!

Waaaaaaait a second.  Paul Turner comes out and calls Strong a dirty cheater.  The referee’s argue, Eddie nails Strong with a superkick, ref bump and Turner counts the three count for Edwards.  Well now this won’t do.  We go to commercial, then come back and Jimmy Cornette is in the ring to be the voice of reason.  We are all in trouble.  Cornette takes a page out of the WWE’s Playbook of Thinking Well Within the Box and announces that Davey Richards will defend against Roderick Strong AND Eddie Edwards at Showdown in the Sun’s Friday show in what sounds like a TRUE triple threat match.  Ok, I am not really a fan of Strong, but do we need ANOTHER Richards/Edwards match?  Let him go do the tag team thing with Cole.

This was a really good match, though something bothered me.  Edwards is not as bad at no-selling things as Davey Richards, but he probably spent 90% of the match on offense.  Strong would hit a move, Edwards would sell it, for a few seconds, then almost immediately get the upper hand again.

Very good show.  I have no idea what they are going to show next week, I assume they will show the 10^th Anniversary show.  Maybe I get to see Kevin Steen!

Hope you enjoyed the recap, feel free to leave comments here, or head to Puns House www.punshouse.com and leave a comment there.  There is some damn fine stuff on that message board (also, if you like fantasy wrestling, drop me a line about the OOWF, OMG CHEAP PLUG!)

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Flawedcast XXVIII: Manada

Tyler and Andy give you a recap of the week in news including the juggalo social network, Justin Beiber's birthday, Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens' troubled weeks, the drunk zamboni driver, and Rick Santorums new campaign against homosexuals. Plus, visits from Jesse Ventura and the drunk statistician.




























Discuss here!

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Northern Reflections - Why I Read Comics

I read a lot of comics as a kid and early teen. In the earliest days, I didn’t even care what it was that I was reading. Continuity didn’t matter. Characters didn’t even matter that much. As long as it was a comic book, I enjoyed it.

Over time, I refined my tastes. Not to say that I had good taste in comics – I LOVED Marvel’s 2099 books, for example – but it was my taste. Early on in the refining stage, I got into Thor in a big way. I can’t say what it was, exactly, that drew me in, but it was probably some combination of the rock star look and the faux-Shakespearean language and the stories that ranged from the streets of New York one issue to the farthest reaches of space the next.

I was hooked, and Marvel was smart. Thor didn’t just appear in his own book. He was in the Avengers, too. And in crossovers. And in miniseries. If I saw Thor on the cover of a comic, I bought it. Occasionally, he wasn’t even in the book, but that’s how I got introduced to Captain America, Hawkeye, Spider-Man, and a host of other characters that led to me buying more titles on a regular basis.

Then, something changed. Suddenly, I wouldn’t admit publicly that I read comic books. I mean, they’re great for kids, but teenagers who want to get laid (in other words, teenagers) definitely shouldn’t be reading them. I actually quit buying comics as a teenager for that reason. I quit watching wrestling, too, come to think of it. Money and time spent on “uncool” pursuits was money and time not spent trying to get laid.

It was a lot of years (13 or so) before I read another comic. I honestly can’t remember anymore which one it was or why I bought it. I just missed reading them, so I picked one up. I do know that I told myself I’d only buy a book or two a month. I wouldn’t get back into it full-time. Well, I’m currently buying 12 monthly (or twice-monthly, in one case) books and another 3-5 limited series in a given month. There goes that idea.

Things changed a lot in the time I wasn’t reading comics. Stories got a lot more serious. Guns got a lot smaller (most of them are actually realistic-looking now). Deaths got a lot more frequent. Rebirths/“undeaths” got just as frequent. Now, those aren’t necessarily complaints. I think that at some point, the industry as a whole realized that its readership was growing up, and it needed to keep their attention. So, more violence, more sex, and hey, remember that awesome guy we killed off a decade ago? The one you loved as a kid? Well, he’s back! And this guy! And this guy too!

But the silly stuff like that aside, the industry growing up allows creators to tell better stories, plain and simple. You just can’t have the kind of depth that these books have if they’re aimed at an eight-year-old. And man, are they telling some great stories. (I’m not going to get into recommendations here except to say that if you haven’t read the full 25-issue run of Immortal Iron Fist, you’ve done yourself a great disservice.)

Another thing that’s changed comics for me is Twitter. That I could read, say, a Hercules comic (sadly, it’s been cancelled. Another great read), then go on Twitter and tell the writers (@fredvanlente and @gregpak) that I dug it is fun to me. That I often get responses from these guys and other creators is awesome. I’m sure they have better things to be doing with their time than interacting with people they don’t know on the Internet, but they do it anyway, and I appreciate it. And then I go out and buy more books with their names on them. Not to say that I’m a total sucker for basic marketing tricks, but, well, I still buy any book I see with Thor on the cover.

And you know what? I really don’t care anymore if they’re uncool. Comics are fun as hell, and anyone who discredits them or refuses to read them just because of the format is missing out in a big way. I plan on reading them into the foreseeable future, and I plan on getting my kids into them when they’re old enough. Like 17 or 18.

(As a caveat, I wrote this based on a vague suggestion by Solly. I'm still interested the Blog On Demand concept, so if you've got something you want me to blather on about, just let me know.)

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