LIVE Raw thoughts - January 30, 2012

11:20 - Wow, that was a GREAT ending to Raw. I wasn't sold on doing Triple H/Undertaker again, just because I wasn't sure they could top last year's polarizing story (I thought it was an exhilarating match). But I have to admit, that segment made me a believer.

There's something subtle that Triple H does that I can't quite put my finger on, but it's great. It's his reaction, when he's a face, when a threatening face makes an entrance. It's almost as if he's saying, "who the hell are you to move in on my territory?" The first time I noticed it was John Cena's surprise return at the Royal Rumble. The second time was tonight, when the Undertaker made his return. He just manages to show a certain amount of contempt and hostility towards the person. It's probably authentic.

And truth be told, this is an interesting story. For the past several years, Superstars have been fighting for the honor of fighting Undertaker at WrestleMania. Yet this year, Undertaker is the aggressor. He's the one trying to get somebody to agree to fight him. That's a unique situation. And Triple H's condescending pat on the back, as Undertaker stared longingly at the WresteMania sign, built the intrigue significantly. Well done, gentlemen. Great Raw all around.

11:06 - I'll give this to Johnny Ace....he sure gets a reaction from the audience.

10:55 - I have to admit, I'm really enjoying where this John Cena thing is going. From a character perspective, anyway. I'm of the opinion that any segment that has included Kane has gone on too long, but the actual character development is interesting. For one, as they bring Cena closer and closer to the edge, the fans are rallying behind him more. So if they decide NOT to turn him heel, they may at least bring some of the audience back to his side. We'll see.

10:50 - So it looks like they're building up Phoenix for a WrestleMania feud with Kharma, which is smart. However, I do wish their roles were reversed. I wish Kharma was being built up as the unstoppable heel who was dominating the Divas division. For once, Beth Phoenix would be portrayed as the underdog. It's still going to be a lot of fun, though.

10:30 - Fantastic! Kofi wins! And I love those Riddler trunks!

10:23 - Does Kofi Kingston EVER beat Miz? He has the worst record ever against him.

10:15 - Incredible match and -- get this -- pretty stellar commentary as well. Bravo. And hey, best of all, it looks like we are going to get Jericho/Punk at Mania. That makes me happy.

10:09 - I cannot believe that Cole noticed that Punk switched to his good arm for the bulldog. What has gotten into him?

10:08 - The thing that bothers me about this great match is that I fully expect CM Punk to win clean. I didn't really have a problem with it last year, when Edge was beating Miz, but this seems different.

9:59 - Let's sit back and enjoy this match.

9:47 - The Funkettes (or whatever they're calling themselves) are committing my PPV pet peeve (as noted last week): Debuting new attire the show immediately after the PPV, instead of at the PPV.

9:45 - If they just announce Mike Tyson I'm going to be a bit disappointed. Why not just hold off and announce it tonight, instead of WWE.com hours early? Hope this is a "new" announcement.

9:35 - I'm not a huge Orton fan, but I have to admit he has incredible chemistry with Dolph Ziggler. I daresay better chemistry than Ziggler has with Punk.

9:31 - This skybox interview with Barrett in the midst of the match is an interesting concept, but I'm not sure I like it. I mean, we don't need to do a split screen showing the commentators, so why do we need to do a picture-in-picture to hear Barrett comment on Orton?

9:29 - Also, I was writing an e-mail during the Sheamus promo, so can anybody clarify: Did Sheamus confirm that he's fighting the World Heavyweight Champion at WrestleMania?

9:21 - Sorry for the late start to my LIVE thoughts. That was a fun opening segment that did an effective job of laying the groundwork for tonight's show. We've got some exciting matches that have purpose. And Bryan's slow burn heel turn is a thing of beauty, extremely reminiscent of Punk's turn on Smackdown years ago.

The only thing I didn't like is that they made a big deal about Orton not appearing on Raw for six weeks. Really? Six weeks?

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LIVE Royal Rumble thoughts - January 29, 2012

10:46 - Sheamus wins. This is somewhat unexpected, but certainly not a bad decision. Like I said in my predictions post, I appreciate it when somebody wins who needs that extra push. The only thing is, he's already been a champion. I assume he'll remain true to his brand and will challenge the World Heavyweight Champion, but do you think that'll be Daniel Bryan?

10:40 - Still twenty minutes left (conceivably). Anybody expecting something to happen post-match? And if so, what?

10:38 - And just like that, it's down to Jericho and Sheamus! Two guys who have never won!

10:37 - Final Four are Orton, Jericho, Show, and Sheamus. I'd be fine with Jericho or Sheamus winning. God, please no Orton.

10:34 - So who's number 30? Kane? Animal? Cena? Punk? Bryan? Triple H? Undertaker? The other Uso?

10:32 - So unless a lot of people get eliminated in a short amount of time, looks like that Jericho idea won't happen. Up to Orton to clear the ring.

10:30 - Only three more competitors, and we know two of them are Orton and Jericho. Who's the other? Does Kane's Royal Rumble streak end at an amazing 13?

10:29 - That is some dreadful theme music for Wade Barrett. By the way, I'm guessing that either Dolph eliminates Swagger, or vice versa.

10:25 - Good call, Kyle, on Road Dogg's return. Less than 10 guys left, and A LOT of top stars haven't appeared yet. Orton? Jericho? Cena? Kane?

10:22 - Kharma's return was exciting and unexpected. Booker and King eliminating Cole was cool as well. I do wish they took advantage of an opportunity, though. Bryan is clearly turning heel, so why not let him tear apart Cole before that happens. That needs resolution. And hey, new gear for Sheamus!

10:20 - All three announcers in the Royal Rumble? I have to admit, that made me laugh.

10:18 - At least one of my surprise entrants is right with Hacksaw. Anybody else surprised that Khali is still in there?

10:16 - Kofi Kingston.....your new John Morrison! That was awesome.

10:13 - I still think they gave up on the dual Sin Caras too quickly. This has been a fine match so far, but has it felt lackluster to anybody else?

10:07 - My sound went off for a while, that was strange. Kofi is in with his awesome Riddler trunks. Lawler makes a surprise entrance. What are the chances that Booker does as well? Notice he's not in the full suit (tie and all).

10:04 - The Royal Rumble is a long match and I don't mind when they do extended comedy segments. The stuff with Santino and Ricardo was good and thankfully kept short. And I found a lot of humor in the Socko/Cobra show down. Particularly when the camera zoomed in on their "duel." Again, it was kept short and harmless.

10:01 - Ricardo Rodriguez's entrance in a beat up, crappy car was absolutely epic. I'm a sucker for the entrances (positive or negative) that bring the entire match to a halt. Great stuff.

9:58 - Based on the fact that Foley can barely run, I doubt he's going the distance. Also, Miz's break indicates he'll probably be in there a while.

9:54 - No new gear for Rhodes, how disappointing. By the way, Miz and Rhodes were two of the guys I predicted might get the marathon treatment. Based on their numbers, it seems possible.

9:50 - Alex Riley as #2 loses a lot of steam after inexplicably disappearing for months, and then reappearing to lose to Brodus Clay in a minute.

9:48 - I could see Miz lasting just because of Lawler's insistence that he won't. I could see Miz going the distance.

9:47 - No near gear for Miz. Massively disappointing. Who's #2? Kofi maybe?

9:45 - A random pet peeve: When people tap immediately during a ref bump. One could argue they're doing it so that the person will release the hold (since they're not going to lose anyway), but if they're not aware of the ref bump, they always put up a fight and struggle for a while.

9:39 - First, you had to know that Ziggler would reverse that one GTS, because Punk had him positioned backwards. Secondly, you had to love Ace running into the ring and counting that three count along with the official. So insincere. A fun match that did have me guessing if they'd screw Punk. I didn't mind that Punk went over so convincingly. Dolph is on his way up, but he's not there QUITE yet. It's okay that he, as a heel, got beat so decisively.

9:31 - I'm glad that the announcers brought up the fact that Ziggler could have conceivably lost, and Johnny Ace didn't interfere. An important consideration.

9:23 - By the way, some kickass new black and blew gear for CM Punk. I like!

9:20 - Oh, and #HEEL > Showoff

9:17 - This tweet says it all:

https://twitter.com/#!/WWE_Creative/status/163807661249413120

9:07 - I expected to dislike the Rock's video package, because he always comes across (due to his character, of course) as so arrogant and angry. For somebody who's not fawning over him, it makes him really difficult to get behind. But I thought that video package was fantastic. He came across as down to earth and rather likable. Bravo, wonderful job.

Oh, and new attire for Brodus Clay!

9:01 - Regarding the ending to the match, it was perhaps their only option. They couldn't job Kane, or else they'd risk damaging his renewed monster persona. And with Cena headlining WrestleMania, it would be questionable to have him lose also. So the double count out was fine. I also found the post-match beat down inoffensive, but entirely too long. Kane looking up and seeing Ryder's dressing room was a great touch, though.

8:41 - It's a small change, but I LOVE Kane's slightly altered new theme music, where you can hear the screaming in the background at the beginning.

8:36 - This Kane/Zack Ryder attack clip is the new Triple H/Kevin Nash attack clip....footage that is shown entirely too often, to the point that it becomes a major annoyance rather than a dramatic situation.

8:34 - I think this is longer than every single Divas match of 2012 combined.

8:27 - Really awesome John Cena video package. Pretty fair and balanced, too. And oh, yay, a Divas match. How quickly will they pin Natalya? And is this the first time we've seen him in attire that isn't primarily pink? Love the color coordination with the face and heel teams.

8:19 - Right result, but bit of an underwhelming ending. The commentary is really, really strange thought. I appreciate that Lawler and Booker defend him and sing his praises, because otherwise they'd just have three people tearing him apart. But the commentary is really making his heel turn difficult to complete. Maybe they're just holding off on Cole to accept him for the very last second?

8:14 - A couple of weeks ago I noticed that every single PPV of 2011 concluded with a Raw match. This is strange, because WWE usually gives Smackdown the nod at least once throughout the year. But last year, they didn't. I'm now realizing that there was probably more than one PPV where the World Heavyweight Championship opened the show.

8:10 - Looks like Mark Henry is going to be in the match. Triple Threat Steel Cage matches drive me crazy. They are a logistical disaster. For example, when Big Show and Mark Henry are fighting, why doesn't Daniel Bryan just walk right out the door? Or when two guys are climbing up the cage, why doesn't the third one just walk out?

8:04 - Things are off to a GREAT start. Daniel Bryan is not only wearing his awesome ring jacket, he's also debuting a new attire design. Awesome. Still annoys me that he's essentially a heel now, and yet Michael Cole STILL tears him apart. At least Booker and King defend him.

8:03 - One immediate bright spot: WWE is FINALLY using "anniversary" correctly.

7:24 - Well, the show has been purchased and we're about 35 minutes away from the proverbial kickoff to the Road to WrestleMania. In my Predictions post, I noted that I wouldn't be surprised to see The Undertaker return. I clarified in the comments section that I didn't necessarily mean as an actual competitor, more just an appearance. Well, I'd like to retract that somewhat. If we are to believe that they're going to be doing Triple H/Undertaker again for WrestleMania (which I haven't subscribed to....that's purely speculation at this point), I think they'll hold off his return for tomorrow night, when Triple H returns for his evaluation of Johnny Ace.

I also came up with an interesting idea for Daniel Bryan, which I don't think will EVER happen. Imagine if Bryan retains his title in the cage match, and then goes on to win the Rumble. However, instead of unifying the titles like everybody assumes, Bryan says that he's decided to defend the title against himself, and then reveals that he's giving himself WrestleMania off and that there won't be a World Heavyweight Championship match. There's then a scramble to get the title off of him, but he keeps sneaking away with the title (and cheaply, at that, so that the audience doesn't sympathize with or root for him). He even manages to win the Elimination Chamber match. However, between that and WrestleMania, he DOES lose the title, and he's forced to use his title shot after all.

I know they won't do it, but I just thought it'd be a fun way to tease the audience with a unification match, only to snatch it away. And by having Bryan do something so cowardly, it cements his heel turn and makes everybody really look forward to his loss.

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Royal Rumble Predictions

Tonight marks my favorite specialty PPV of the year, the Royal Rumble. Incidentally, this is one of only two PPVs I am guaranteed to buy throughout the year (I think you all know what the other one is). The past few years, I think WWE has done a fantastic job of providing us with surprising and/or deserving winners. Until about 2002 or 2003, the winners of this event were so predictable and, dare I say, anticlimatic. It always seemed to be either the biggest star of the match, or somebody who has main evented WrestleMania numerous times in the past. After Benoit won, they seemed to return to my favorite formula by giving the win to a credible talent who needed that extra push to get to the next level. Yes, multi-time champions like Edge and John Cena also won in the past few years, but it was a fun surprise and they were also first time winners. And might I add, there were some great storylines going on throughout these matches as well.

I'm not particularly good at predicting the winner, but smart money is on Jericho or Orton. I'm rooting for Jericho, in that scenario, of course. Here are some other predictions, though:

Both Punk and Bryan retain. Bryan (but not Punk) enters the Rumble. He makes it to the final 4, but doesn't win. I wouldn't be surprised to see either Big Show, Randy Orton, or Sheamus eliminate him.

The Rumble also usually has a few milestones. The person who will eliminate a bunch of guys will probably either be Sheamus or Brodus Clay. The Marathon Man (the person who lasts the longest in the match) will probably be either Miz, Cody Rhodes, or Dolph Ziggler.

Surprise Entrants will likely include (and I didn't read spoilers, so don't let me know if anybody has been confirmed): Christian, Rey Mysterio, Kevin Nash, Goldust, Sin Cara (not necessarily the actual person, but the character) Hacksaw Jim Duggan, and possibly the Undertaker.

And Kofi Kingston will have some awesome new trunks. Have you guys seen his Riddler pair? Why is he wasting those on Superstars?

Oh, and one thing I do hope: That Kane participates! The guy has been in 13 consecutive Rumbles. Why end that awesome streak?

So, what does everybody think will happen at tonight's event?

Also, check back later tonight. I will be doing a LIVE thoughts blog post for the show.

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Technological Question

I have a question for anybody who knows more about this matter than I do.

I recently got a new TV which features significantly more input options than my last one. In the past, I just needed to hit the TV/Video button in order to view something on my DVD/VCR combo, opposed to the television. Now I need to hit the Input button, and select the "Video" option.

Anyway, when I wanted to record something on TV using my VCR (yeah, yeah) that wasn't a problem, because I assume the TV and DVD/VCR were on the same input. Now that they're not, how do I record something from my TV, onto my VCR? As it stands now, when I try, when I watch the tape there's just a screen that says there's no signal.

Anybody know?

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Introducing....

The newest addition of my family, my niece Sara Elizabeth! Funny story: My sister gave birth at about 4 or so in the morning. My parents were at the hospital and at about 5 my dad sends me a text with the baby's photo. Of course, it was a tasteful photo (which meant no genitalia), so I didn't even know whether I had a niece or nephew until about 7 in the morning when I spoke to my mom. But she's healthy, as is my sister, and actually she's the first baby in this generation to arrive before her due date! She'll be the punctual one, I guess.

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Top Ten Cases: WWE 2011 Year-End Awards - Overview

Interested in knowing the results of the 2011 Year-End Awards but don't feel like listening to me talk for five minutes? Well, here's an overview of the results!

SUPERSTAR OF THE YEAR

My pick: CM Punk; Your pick: CM Punk (100%)

BREAKOUT STAR OF THE YEAR

My pick: Zack Ryder; Your pick: Zack Ryder & Dolph Ziggler (33% each)

SUPERSTAR WITH THE MOST DISAPPOINTING YEAR

My pick: John Morrison; Your pick: John Morrison (50%)

SUPERSTAR MOST POISED FOR A SUCCESSFUL 2012

My pick: Dolph Ziggler; Your pick: Dolph Ziggler & Sheamus (33% each)

MOST SHOCKING STORY OF 2011

My pick: The Summer of Punk; Your pick: Edge retires (44%)

BEST SHIFT IN CHARACTER

My pick: Mark Henry; Your pick: CM Punk & Mark Henry (44% each)

SUPERSTAR MOST NEGATIVELY IMPACTED BY SOCIAL MEDIA

My pick: Matt Hardy; Your pick: Matt Hardy (62%)

GREATEST STORYLINE FUMBLE

My pick: Anonymous Raw General Manager; Your pick: Anonymous Raw General Manager (55%)

WILL THE WWE CHAMPIONSHIP BE REDESIGNED IN 2012?

My pick: No; Your pick: Yes (66%)

WILL THE WWE NETWORK LAUNCH BE A SUCCESS?

My pick: Yes; Your pick: Yes (88%)

Also: Click here to view the Year-End Awards Posters I created for my videos

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LIVE Raw thoughts - January 23, 2012

11:05 - To be clear, we're to be excited about Triple H returning next week, not the result of the Royal Rumble.

10:54 - Small touch that might not (probably won't) mean anything, but I loved the way John Cena brushed off Eve's accusation with his "it's not my fault."

10:42 - I'm willing to wait and see how the match plays out, but I think it's a big mistake giving away this match so soon (unadvertised on free TV no less). This could have been built for WrestleMania.

10:34 - Brodus Clay is committing one of my old pet peeves: Wrestlers who debut a new wrestling attire the show immediately before or the show right after a PPV.

10:31 - What is this, visit the announcers day on Raw?

10:24 - In fairness, the Miz turned on Truth and Morrison, not the other way around.

10:22 - How many times do Sheamus and Jinder Mahal have to fight before they realize we don't even care about their rivalry a little.

10:01 - Odd that the supposedly ultra popular Zack Ryder doesn't have anybody willing to help him other than John Cena. Would have been better if Johnny Ace threatened their Royal Rumble spot if they helped.

9:59 - While this match continues, let me bring up a thought I've had. AJ has not tweeted since her injury angle on Raw. And when Zack Ryder was selling the Kane beating, he wasn't tweeting either. It must kinda suck if you're a big time Twitter user, and you're forced to stay off for an extended period of time in order to sell an injury.

9:49 - You can always rely on that Royal Rumble video package being awesome. Interesting that they note that this year "for the first time ever," every single Superstar is eligible. What's that mean?

9:39 - Jericho speaks. Are you disappointed?

9:33 - Hey, the Jeritron 5000 has been repaired.

9:22 - First irksome announcer incident: Cole says that Ziggler pinned Punk three times over the past month. I don't believe that's the case, as at least one of their matches ended in a count out. Does Lawler correct this? No. Does he even know or remember?

9:13 - CM Punk is one of the most over and successful Superstars of the past 5 or so years because he pulled back the curtain ever so slightly and allowed the fans in. WWE had a marketable thing with Ziggler's "#HEEL." Why they feel that little word (which is recognizable to the general public as meaning something bad) is exposing the business and are forcing the far less interesting "#ShowOff" is beyond me.

8:56 - It's been a few weeks since I've done this, but I'm back. Raw begins in about 5 minutes, so check back in a couple for my LIVE thoughts. What do you expect from the last show before the Rumble?

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Top Ten Cases: WWE 2011 Year-End Awards - Will the WWE Network Launch Be Successful?

So after 10 days of having to watch my face and hear me speak, we finally reached the end. Deepest thanks to all those who participated in the survey and followed the videos. After a couple weeks hiatus, my LIVE Raw thoughts should be back tonight as well. Thanks again!

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Top Ten Cases: WWE 2011 Year-End Awards - Will the WWE Championship Be Redesigned in 2012?

We're in the homestretch. Go Giants!

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Top Ten Cases: WWE 2011 Year-End Awards - Greatest Storyline Fumble

Aside from the Halloween anomaly, today was the first snowfall of the year. And I couldn't be grouchier about it. At this stage of the game (a ripe age of 30), I do not enjoy shoveling or getting cold and wet. It was relatively light, overall, but I wouldn't complain if we went the rest of the season without the white stuff. Sorry.

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Top Ten Cases: WWE 2011 Year-End Awards - Superstar Most Negatively Impacted by Social Media

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A Case of the.... The Vampire Diaries - Episode 3-12

This was a strangely sweet episode of The Vampire Diaries, actually. Between Elena and Stefan, Bonnie and her mom, Alaric and Dr. Fell, and Alaric and Elena, there were several legitimately tender moments – more so than usual.

Continue reading "A Case of the.... The Vampire Diaries - Episode 3-12"....

I should probably start with Bonnie reuniting with her mother, since that was the story that drove the episode. I actually really appreciated the fact that they didn’t sugarcoat her mother’s abandonment and that they didn’t turn it into something noble and altruistic. Quite simply, she made an exceptionally selfish decision and left her daughter, forcing her to grow up motherless (and without an understanding of why). And while she did redeem herself near the end of the episode, it wasn’t without a price. While she was just protecting her surrogate son, her actions did allow Klaus to reclaim three of his four caskets.

Also, did anybody else expect a little twist regarding Abbey and the hybrid? Sweet, innocent looking Abbey answers the door, I thought we’d discover that she actually overpowered the hybrid and was holding him captive someplace.

In last week’s review I talked quite a bit about the development of Stefan’s character and how it relates to Elena. I thought this week did a great job of picking up the momentum, and for the first time since his emotions were “turned off,” we got a genuinely sweet Stefan/Elena moment (and it wasn’t without the new Stefan edge). When the episode began, the two were clearly adversarial. Stefan was annoyed that Bonnie involved Elena (why exactly did Bonnie need her to find her mom? I didn’t quite follow that) and Elena was still angry that Stefan had kidnapped her. From there Elena lied to Stefan, and Stefan responded with intimidation. Things changed when Stefan was shot and Elena was forced to rescue him. Yes, he was important to her survival, but you could tell there were some lingering feelings there. And for his part, that was also the first time post-turn off that I recall Stefan taking a moment to compliment Elena without provocation or motive. And when Elena (somewhat unapologetically) told Stefan that she had kissed Damon (important distinction – she did not say that Damon kissed her), you could tell that Stefan was really hurt and bothered by it. And when Elena confronted him about it (this time more apologetically), he didn’t respond with anger or guilt. Instead, he apologized to her, telling her that he shouldn’t have held her captive and used her as bait against Klaus.

It was with Damon, however, that he did show anger – and I have to say, I loved that scene. It was great how Stefan just hit him, and without saying a word Damon already knew what it was about (loved the way he simply said, “I guess you two had a heart to heart”). And instead of harping on it, or getting into a huge fight, they just move on to more important business. They might possibly have the most fun connection on television.

So, what does everybody make of Dr. Fell? They were laying on her devious acts pretty thick, so I suspected we would see a twist where she’s REALLY doing something good, but I’m beginning to think we’re in for a double turn, where we discover she really is slightly disturbed. But, like Jeremy last season, Alaric is a good guy and has been screwed around an awful lot in the love department. The guy deserves a break and some happiness.

And actually, perhaps my favorite “sweet moment” was the brief one at the end of the episode, with Alaric and Elena, where Elena gave Alaric her blessing for moving on. Alaric has stuck around to watch over Elena and Jeremy, and he really didn’t need to do that. And with Jeremy now gone, Alaric is probably the closest thing Elena has left that can be classified as family.

It was also pretty great seeing HRG back on The Vampire Diaries (for those of you who didn’t watch Heroes, I’m referring to Caroline’s dad). His Pavlonian outlook on supernatural abilities and limitations is clever and interesting. It’s also good to see that they’re making efforts of redeeming Tyler after turning off several of his friends.

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Top Ten Cases: WWE 2011 Year-End Awards - Best Shift in Character

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Call Me Doctor

"Still you comin' at me like, 'where you been?' You should be asking Mischa Barton" This is awesomely hilarious. And exactly why I love this girl.

Call Me Doctor with Rachel Bilson from Rachel Bilson

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Top Ten Cases: WWE 2011 Year-End Awards - Superstar Poised for the Most Successful 2012

HAPPY SOPA/PIPA PROTEST DAY!!!

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Top Ten Cases: WWE 2011 Year-End Awards - Most Shocking Story of the Year

I realize I skipped a question, which I will post tomorrow. Also take note that I reposted the Superstar of the Year video, which was blocked by WWE. Anyway, enjoy!

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Top Ten Cases: WWE 2011 Year-End Awards - Most Disappointing Year

No huge shock here if you regularly read my blog. Enjoy!



By the way, I have a family dinner to go to tonight, so my LIVE Raw thoughts post might be late (or non-existent). Just a warning!

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Top Ten Cases: WWE 2011 Year-End Awards - Breakout Star of the Year

Same warning as yesterday. Watch it now in case it gets blocked!

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Top Ten Cases: WWE 2011 Year-End Awards - Superstar of the Year

After much build up and delays, here's the first part of my 2011 Year-End Awards result videos! Over the next ten days, I'll be posting a different video.

Oh yeah, and watch it now. I already got an e-mail from YouTube saying I might be using content owned by WWE.

UPDATE (1/16/12): WWE did block the video, so I reposted it without the clip of CM Punk's shoot promo. But this is the promo I originally included:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OS9wZGb_3g

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A Case of the.... The Vampire Diaries - Episode 3-11

Wow, remember when people used to decorate their friends’ lockers for their birthday? That was one of those actual high school moments that most teen dramas don’t even think about. Well done.

So this was quite the interesting episode, wasn’t it? I felt like it built up to a number of epic moments, but ultimately left us essentially where we left off. It was like an hour long game of chicken, where bluffs were challenged and called. Of course, I don’t mean that as a criticism, because it was pretty exhilarating.

Continue reading "A Case of the.... The Vampire Diaries - Episode 3-11"....

Again, not a criticism, but it was a night full of threats with little repercussions. We thought Caroline might die, but Klaus ended up saving her. We thought Bonnie might tell Jeremy the truth, but she decided not to and let him go. We thought Tyler would completely reject Klaus, but he ended up (unwillingly?) biting Caroline anyway. We thought Stefan might turn or kill Elena, but Klaus gave in (although that one was obvious). Yet, I’m actually fine with all of those teases, because I legitimately believed any of those things might happen (except the last one, anyway). And even though I knew Stefan wouldn’t kill Elena, it did provide us with an awesome one-on-one Elena/Stefan interaction – something that’s been scarce this season.

Of all the “nasty” versions of Stefan we’ve seen the past season, this is by far my favorite. The season began with him pretending to be evil in order to protect Elena. Then he was compelled not to care, and he legitimately became evil and no longer seemed to care for Elena or anybody else for that matter. But now he’s free – completely so. He’s actually quite similar to Damon (who was forced into a softer role due to circumstances), he’s “bad,” but he still seems to care about the people around him. No matter how hard he tries to fight it. And this is really the first time he’s interacted with Elena, at length, since the transformation. And it was a really fun scene. While I legitimately believe Stefan wouldn’t have let anything happen to Elena, it’s undeniable that the real, “good” Stefan never, ever would have put Elena in that situation (and, as Elena noted, bringing her the very place that her parents had died was especially cold). Their argument afterwards was very telling as well. At the beginning of the season, Stefan acted monstrously and treated Elena poorly in order to protect her. Now he’s doing the same thing in order to protect himself (his emotions, more specifically). The motivation might be more selfish, but the cause is still the same: He still cares for her.

Oh, and yes, I did catch Elena use the plural when she said she didn’t think she’d grow up to be somebody who fell in love with “vampires.” And I do have to admit that I thought Damon’s line, when referring to them kissing again, “it’s not wrong. It’s just the wrong time” was pretty slick.

So it seems like the actress who portrays Dr. Fell is picking up right where she left off from her role on One Tree Hill, as the incredibly hot girl who seems too good to be true, but is actually a murderous psychopath. Oh Alaric, can’t you have any luck with love? I wonder what her story is.

Speaking of which, one thing I do really appreciate about The Vampire Diaries is how they go out of their way to explain the supernatural cover up. With the mayor and sheriff involved, law enforcement is obviously involved, but this episode gave us another touch by informing us that the medical examiner assists as well.

By the way, I really do love that Caroline actually brought up the fact that she’s technically dead and that, ya’ know, that’s sad. And like I said in the introduction, I legitimately believed the possibility that she might die. The cast is rather large (but not too large), so I could see them eliminating people outside of the core three in order to shock people. And, like Lost, they could do it at an unexpected time without any warning. I also like the way Klaus is slowly but surely charming Elena’s allies to his side.

Does anybody ever get the sense that Matt is just TOO good a guy? Elena breaks up with him and she shacks up with Stefan, and he’s cool with it. Caroline breaks up with him and she shacks up with Tyler, and he’s cool with it. He’s reunited with Vicki (as a ghost), but it turns out she’s evil, so he turns her off. He’s supposed to be a teenage boy – I sometimes find him to be a tad too noble.

Oh, and congratulations to Nina Dobrev, who won the People’s Choice Awards as a write in vote (a first ever). Very, very well deserved. I think her dual portrayal of Katherine and Elena has been exemplary. Well done!

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Dive Bar Shirt Club: Billy Goat Saloon

I sincerely apologize for having not posted any of my Year End Survey results yet, but I have been sick the past few days and haven't really done more than lie in bed and watch movies. However, my Dive Bar Shirt Club t-shirt FINALLY arrived (10 days into the new month -- still haven't received my WWE Magazine, though) so I figured this was as good a time as any to post about that. One thing that struck me about this one: The randomly and inconsistently colorful lettering. Odd. Oh, and this bar actually has a website, making this so, so, so much easier. That may have been worth the wait alone (strangely, the website features this t-shirt, minus the colored lettering). Well, here ya' go:

The Billy Goat Saloon has been an island for thirsty travelers, a refreshing watering hole for touring motorcyclists and a live music hot spot for the Four Corners area for 30 years. The building that houses the Billy Goat Saloon was originally built in 1952, and has served as a rock shop and a café in the aptly named Gem Village before becoming a bar in the late 1950's. It went by the names the Coloradoan, the Westerner, the Last Chance Saloon, and then finally the Billy Goat Saloon in 1982. The Goat will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2012.

Billy Goat Saloon Website: http://thebillygoatsaloon.com/

Dive Bar Shirt Club: http://www.divebarshirtclub.com/Default.asp

Dive Bar Shirt Club T-Shirt Gallery

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Saturday Evening Video Flashback

It's easy to forget what an enjoyable show NXT was (for me, anyway) the first couple of seasons. They had legitimate pros, unique and talented rookies, and everything felt very natural and real. It was the one show that didn't seem to be micro-managed. For me, it made it especially fun to watch the pros, who loosened their ties and seemed to have some fun. Which brings me to this clip, of Daniel Bryan's reaction to being eliminated. The best part is around the 2:00 mark when Daniel Bryan says he's better than Miz, and in the background William Regal and CM Punk (both heels at the time) nod in agreement, with Punk holding out his hands and lipping "by a lot." Great fun.

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A Case of the.... The Vampire Diaries - Episode 3-10

Surprise! Yep, I originally didn’t think I’d be able to catch this episode live, and that I’d have to watch it when CW gets around to posting it online (which takes approximately a week), but I got home earlier than expected. So, here you go!

In the interest of full disclosure, I did miss the first five or so minutes. But based on when I came in, I suspect it had to do with Jeremy and Tyler reconnecting. And everybody finding out that Jeremy had apparently been fired. Oh, and Bonnie is having nightmares.

Otherwise, things seemed to pick up pretty naturally from when we last left. Elena and Damon believe that Stefan had betrayed them. Meanwhile, Stefan and Klaus are each trying to get revenge on the other.

Continue reading "A Case of the.... The Vampire Diaries - Episode 3-10"....

First and foremost, Stefan and Bonnie seemed to join forces in order to hide Klaus’ family. Later on, Damon would offer his services, and Stefan reluctantly accepted after he promised to keep Elena out of it. I ultimately want Elena to end up with Stefan, but I do have to admit that I find this new dynamic intriguing. It’s a complete role reversal – Damon is the one making the Gilbert house visits, and when people have no other choice but to walk down the dark side, they turn to Stefan for help. When Jeremy’s life was in danger, Stefan quite coldly said that it’s not his problem. Damon sympathetically compelled him to leave town. Again, in the end I’m hoping for Stefan and Elena, but for the moment I wouldn’t mind if Elena and Damon continued to grow close (thus I thought the kiss scene was handled really well), while an uneasy alliance developed between Damon and Stefan. The Salvatore brothers are loads of fun to watch anyway.

While we’re on the topic of Jeremy, I’m not quite sure how I feel about his apparent departure. I’m not sure if it’s permanent or not (and I’d rather not be spoiled), but it’s a bit perplexing. On the one hand, I do appreciate that they’re avoiding having to kill off yet another person in Elena’s family, but on the other hand I feel like there’s a lot of life left in Jeremy’s character. He’s developed significantly since the beginning of the series, going from a dead end stoner to a caring, intelligent, and brave guy. Actually, he’s one of the only characters that figured out the whole vampire thing on his own. He wasn’t told and didn’t happen upon it – he actually pieced it all together. I’m not sure anybody else accomplished that.

I also feel strongly that supernatural shows need a strong supporting character that doesn’t have any supernatural abilities. Buffy had Xander. True Blood has Jason. Yes, this show still has Matt, but given his lack of natural connections to the other characters, it’s a lot harder to integrate him into the plot. Jeremy was really perfect for that role (and before anybody brings up Alaric, that guy is a bit too bad ass to fall into this category – and the fact that he was introduced as somebody who already knew all the secrets removes the innate innocence of his character as well).

Oh, and trust me, I was THRILLED when I saw that Alaric was wearing his ring and was thus not really dead, but whatever happened to “there’s nothing supernatural about a bullet”? I thought that established that the ring only protected people from physical acts committed by supernatural entities, but not mechanical weapons. Yes, I know that the Sheriff (a human) was the one who shot Jeremy, but it seems a little silly that the person pulling the trigger makes a difference between somebody living and dying. Now, being protected because a vampire was sucking your blood or breaking your neck or physically throwing you off a building? Yeah, I can buy that. But I don’t see how the ring would protect you from being crushed by an SUV, just because a hybrid so happened to have been driving (what luck!) Again, it’s great news because Alaric is one of my favorite characters….it just didn’t seem in line with how I understood the way things work. But maybe I’m wrong.

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Season Finale Thoughts: Terra Nova

Unfortunately, this review could potentially be titled "Series Finale Thoughts." Have they made a decision yet about renewing this series? I would imagine there's a lot of overhead with a show like this, and since it wasn't a ratings juggernaut, I have to assume that it's an uphill battle. I guess we should keep our fingers crossed, though.

So, with new episodes returning this month, I thought I would discuss some of the season finales that took place while I still have the time. I figured I'd start with Terra Nova. Spoilers after the page break, so click the link below for the full column.

Continue reading "Season Finale Thoughts: Terra Nova"....

Out of all the new shows I've watched and continued to follow, Terra Nova is probably the weakest, simply because it expects you to take major leaps of faith, and thus far they haven't really explained many of the bigger issues (the biggest being, "Why go to prehistoric times instead of, say, 2005?) However, I really, really enjoyed the finale. It allowed me to overlook all of the inherent faults and despite being two hours, it went by rather quickly. I don't particularly recall it answering any big questions, but that's not what the episode was about.

I might as well get a t-shirt that has this phrase plastered across the front, but the episode was strong and compelling because I cared about the characters. Honestly, I never felt particularly attached to any of the characters in the Shannon family, but there were several scenes that really hit me. The scene where Zoe comforts Taylor after Washington's death actually had me tearing up. And while Josh has mostly been an ass throughout the season, I couldn't help but cheer when he attacked Lucas for harassing Skye. And Elisabeth tricking that dude into thinking she had infected him? Kinda bad ass. And after a few episodes where things may have seemed tense and distrustful between Jim and Taylor, it was a lot of fun seeing them work together to overcome their foe.

Even the side characters had their moment in the sun. I liked seeing Malcolm assist Jim and the rest of the crew in overthrowing the Phoenix group. And Boyland, who has mostly been portrayed as conniving, was made pretty likable by attempting to assist Josh during his beating. Skye managed to redeem herself by not only setting up Lucas, but also saving Taylor. And Washington's sacrificial death was powerful as well (made even stronger by having Taylor struggle with the decision to not save her).

The closing scene, which implied that there were other instances of time travel, was intriguing, but I'm not convinced it was strong enough to make fans demand that the show come back. I was actually more compelled by the fact that they cut themselves off from the future. I think that's interesting. Let's see what happens, though. I'd still watch next season.

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LIVE Raw thoughts - January 2, 2012

11:07 - So...hmmmm....another interesting segment that ended the show.

10:44 - Hmmmmmm, so what to make of that? The reveal itself? Aside from the hokey looking rumbling camera (which focused in on a very stable looking audience), I thought it was great. The extended cryptic video, followed by the pitch black (where the audience -- both live and viewing -- had no idea what was going to happen next) was great. The blinking jacket, revealing the classic Jericho pose, was great as well (although I would have included the countdown).

Then things got strange and took an unexpected turn. When Jericho came out, he was way too friendly and acting like a face. He left a heel, and his cryptic videos certainly had a heelish tone. Then after he went out of the ring for the third time, it became obvious that this was a purposely over the top act and that he would turn the audience against him. But then it became a question of how he would accomplish that. I was hoping it would be to tell the fans that they turned on him and cheered for a guy like CM Punk, who claimed to be the Best in the World, and now they're chanting his name like a bunch of hypocrites.

But instead it went on for a REALLLLY long time, and Jericho just left. To an extent, I appreciate their attempt to take it slow and build interest, but frankly they're not going to recapture that moment and energy. When Jericho comes out next, instead of having the live audience in the palm of his hand, they're probably going to be confused and a little frustrated. Let's see how it plays out, but I can't help but feel like they missed out on a moment.

10:28 - The post-match taunting was longer than the actual Divas match.

10:24 - How rich would the irony be if Chris Jericho returned during a Kelly Kelly match?

10:22 - I get a lot of heat for this because it's the shortest Rumble ever (by a large margin), but Royal Rumble 1995 is actually my favorite Rumble of all time. Creative booking, awesome ending, and it felt like the first time that an underdog, unexpected non-established main eventer won.

10:17 - I appreciate what they were trying to do with the booking of that match, but I didn't care for the execution. Punk turned his attention away from Ziggler for far too long -- it made him look like an idiot. And Punk's fall didn't seem brutal enough to warrant a count out.

10:02 - Figures. Dolph Ziggler wearing the energy band over his wrist tape was finally growing on me, and he stopped wearing it.

9:52 - I'm guessing that the 1-2-12 reveal comes during the conclusion of the WWE Championship match.

9:46 - If Vince McMahon wants ADR's offense to look more physical (a criticism I have often made as well), he might want to take lessons from Sheamus. His stuff looks brutal.

9:38 - R-Truth is awfully well dressed for a planned assault.

9:31 - This discussion was going on over at Scott Keith's blog, about wrestling uniforms and entrance attire. Back in the day, Hulk Hogan used to come to the ring wearing his t-shirt, and that was pretty much it. Everybody else had their own entrance attire. Nowadays, pretty much every single person comes to the ring wearing their t-shirt: John Cena, CM Punk, Christian, Miz, Santino, Barrett, Zack Ryder, Shawn Michaels, Big Show, Air Boom, Rey Mysterio....you get the point. Wade Barrett actually used to have a unique entrace -- the blazer over his shoulders, with a different colored English rose (later replaced with a pocket square). Even Daniel Bryan, who has a kick ass ring jacket, has been sporting the t-shirt lately. And how could you not miss Christian's gaudy hooded jacket and pants?

9:19 - Based on Cole's commentary during this Daniel Bryan match, I'm guessing WWE officials decided his announcing wasn't the problem with the ratings after all.

9:12 - If WWE already changed their minds about when they're having the WWE Championship Match, I'd say the chances aren't good for Brodus Clay actually having his debut tonight.

9:06 - I thought Punk vs. Ziggler was opening the show? Guess Punk gets bumped by Cena from opening the show, too.

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Chris Jericho WWE Return - November 19, 2007

It was difficult to recapture the magic of the original Countdown, but they did a pretty admirable job with the "Save Us"/"Break the Code" viral videos. Of course, WWE Magazine spoiled things somewhat by featuring Jericho on the cover of their magazine (with the headline that he was the one behind the videos) before his re-debut....and they made the questionable decision to show him on-screen before his appearance on the stage (didn't learn from Bischoff, I guess), but it was still a really fun return:

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Chris Jericho WWF Debut - August 9, 1999

So most people are hoping and predicting that 1/2/12 is indeed foreshadowing Chris Jericho's return. So, I thought it might be fun to look back at each of Jericho's big debuts. The first is back in 1999, the culmination of the Countdown to the Millennium, and arguably the greatest debut in wrestling history.

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1-2-Who?

So tonight's Raw will feature the highly anticipated reveal of the 1-2-12 cryptic videos. Smart money is on Chris Jericho, with Undertaker in a close second. Any other realistic options out there?

Anyway, check out this YouTube video featuring all five of the viral videos and let me know what you think:



My one question: What's the significance of the red kickball?

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