A Case of Beer - Dunk-A-Roos - [a case of the summer]

I have a wedding to attend this weekend (which, (a) should provide me with more than enough "Summer of Excitement" ammunition, and (b) is the primary reason why I'm so concerned about my severe red discoloration), and in honor of that event, I thought I'd discuss a drinking game that I was first introduced to at my friend's bachelor party.  So this week's A Case of Beer post is devoted to "Dunk-A-Roos."

Part keg-stand, part shotgunning, part apple bobbing....dunk-a-roos has it all!  First, you need one of those buckets/tubs that you tend to keep large quantities of soda and ice in.  Fill the tub with water.  The drinker grabs each side of the tub, while two others lift up his legs (like a keg-stand).  The drinker then dunks his head into the tub and holds it under water for as long as possible (no minimum or maximum, but the unofficial minimum seemed to be 10 seconds).  Once the person can no longer hold his breath, the leg holders gently set down his legs so he can stand.  Then another person hands the drinker a can of beer (with hole already punctured) and the drinker has to shot gun the full amount.

And here's the kicker:  Any amount of unfinished beer gets poured into the tub.  So you're forced to dunk your head into everybody else's shame.

Also, it goes without saying that this game is a wonderful way to spread illnesses.  Make sure everybody is healthy before playing.

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Trending Topics - How about some tact? - [a case of the summer]

Welcome to the first REAL edition of Trending Topics.  I had a much less aggressive post planned, but something has really irked me the past two days and I felt inclined to rant about it today.

If you read my LIVE Raw thoughts from last night, you'll know that I went to the beach on Sunday and got rather red (I say "red" and not "burnt" because it doesn't hurt).  No big deal, as I've always tanned really well and the first "color" of the summer is usually red, which fades nicely into a brown.  No biggie.

Anyway, I show up to work on Monday looking rather red.  For the ENTIRE DAY I have people going to me and saying "Wow, you're red!" or "Wow, you got color!" or "Wow, you got burnt!" or "Wow, someone went to the beach!" or "Looks like you forgot to wear sunscreen!" and so on and so forth.  By lunch time, it was getting pretty annoying, but whatever.

Then AT lunch time, I had to listen to everybody make even more comments as we sat and ate.  It was pretty damn annoying, and it started getting to me and even made me pretty self conscious.  So that night, I took another shower in hopes of moving along this transition process.  I thought I'd maybe start peeling, getting rid of the red and bringing out the brown.  What ended up happening, instead, was that the heat made my skin blister and kinda wrinkle.  So I went into work today looking just as red, but now kinda blotchy and cut up.  And on top of the original people I saw -- some of whom AGAIN made comments -- I also saw several new people.  And THOSE people all seemed to make a comment.  Some, while in jest, were rather rude.  And excessive.

And, AGAIN at lunch, the topic of conversation seemed to be my color.  It honestly felt like every single person I saw brought it up, and it got me thinking:  If I had a terrible scar due to an accident, would that get mentioned?  Or if I see a fat girl, would I mention her weight?  Or if I saw a guy who was losing his hair, would I mention that?  I know those seem like unfair examples, but honestly, the extent some people went in mentioning this was crazy.  Like it wouldn't even be a topic of conversation, and somebody would just say, "Hey, look at his color."  Or the point was clearly made already, and somebody would mention it again.

So, like last night, I let these comments get the best of me and I probably just made things worse.  I went out and got a can of Solarcaine, which is an aloe spray that is supposed to alleviate sunburn.  Yet every time I use it, it just seems to burn (which is funny because my face didn't previously hurt) and it just seems to make me turn redder and redder.  And then I decided to take another shower in order to peel off the bubbly skin on my forehead.  It does seem to look a bit better (as in, not bubbly) but it is awfully red and obviously a different layer of skin than the rest of my face.  And I (foolishly) put Solarcaine on afterwards, which once again made my face super red.  I can't help but wonder if I would've been better just letting things progress as normal (like I normally would have) instead of trying to fix it.

Making matters worse, I have a wedding to go to on Saturday and I'm concerned that I'll still look all blotchy and red come that day.  And one of my friends even said to me that she doesn't think I'll be back to normal by then.  That's the sort of support system I'm working with here.  Real nice.

So now, I'm basically really stressed about looking like my normal self this weekend, and I'm self conscious about the way I DO look.  And I'm shocked (and annoyed) at how casually people go about mentioning something that can be described as a physical fault.  And surely, people who see me Tuesday evening -- knowing that I went to the beach Sunday -- couldn't possibly think that they're the first person to remark that I "look red."  So why mention it?

Rant over.  Just annoyed.

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LIVE Raw thoughts - June 25, 2012

11:03 - Get that pesky Jericho out of there so that we can focus on Big Show and John Cena!

10:46 - Love everything that's happening with AJ right now.  Love it.  Just love it.  And here we were all so incredibly angry (myself included) that they originally broke up AJ and Bryan.  This is one of the cases where they were able to do something greater than what we all fantasy booked.

10:39 - Daniel Bryan vs. CM Punk at Money in the Bank?  Awesome.  Perhaps this is why Kane was seemingly removed from the AJ love story.....so that it can end with her picking between Punk and Bryan.  Also, that removes Bryan as a possibility in the World Heavyweight Championship MITB.  If it's the same stipulation -- and the same number of competitors -- I'm guessing Christian, Ziggler, Swagger, and hopefully Mysterio.  But with our luck, probably Khali.

10:35 - Well, that match was more fun than I expected.  However, that slapstick ending was a bit risky.  They made it work, in my opinion, but it was awfully close to being over the top.  The inconclusive ending, where the entire match was rendered useless, was a little strange, though.

10:21 - I gotta tell ya, Sycho Sid looks even a little scarier with age.

10:11 - So the WWE Championship Money in the Bank match is exclusive to only former WWE Champions.  I'd presume the same will be true of the World Heavyweight Championship one, as well.  Who does that leave?  Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger, Christian, The Great Khali, and if they're healthy, Rey Mysterio and Mark Henry?  There's plenty of talent in there to make for an interesting match.  But who's left to challenge for the championships?  I'm guessing Del Rio wins the title shot tonight, then.

10:10 - "What are you going to do.....suspend me?" Brilliant!

10:06 - I think John Cena joining the MITB ladder match is cool.  As is making Big Show a threat.  But making it seem like Cena is joining the match because Punk can't handle Show wasn't a great message to send.

10:00 - I can already tell this is going to be one of those John Cena promos that the web hates.

9:50 - I don't want either of these guys to hold the United States Championship.  And are they really bragging that this guy hasn't defended the title on Raw since mid-April?

9:33 - I don't mind the Big Show winning and I don't mind Brodus' undefeated streak coming to an end.  Unlike Ryback, Brodus Clay didn't need to be undefeated to have a gimmick.  The fans will still dig him anyway, and because of his size he'll be a threat whenever they choose to push him as such.  I do wish, however, the ending was a bit more decisive.  I feel like they think they were protecting Clay with the fluke-like finish....but why not allow Clay to kick out of the failed slam attempt, only to be hit with the WMD?

9:22 - Awesomely fun match that continued to build the intrigue behind the AJ storyline.  The announcers brought up the fact that everytime AJ comes out, it seems to cost Kane the match.  Is that deliberate?  And this time, it actually led to a Bryan victory.  Which is always welcome.  Really fun stuff.

9:10 - I normally LOVE elimination matches and find them to be far more interesting and dramatic than your typical single fall ones.  However, due to AJ's involvement, I feel like this is one match that would benefit from being single fall.

9:05 - I guess putting a commercial in the middle of your opening signature is one way to make some extra money.  Oh, and any Raw that begins with AJ is a winner in my book!

8:29 - It's Monday night, which means we've got some LIVE Raw thoughts!  After last week's devastating softball loss -- the first of our season -- my team easily got TWO wins tonight when the opposing team didn't have enough players and were forced to forfeit a double header.  It's not the most honorable victory, but we'll take it.  These two wins may even bring us back to first place!

Before getting to the pre-Raw discussion, I have a question.  As my ancestors are Italian, I tend to tan very well.  Even if I get burnt, after a day or two it fades into a really nice tan.  Well, this past Sunday I made my first beach day of the season.  And because I haven't had much extended exposure to the sun lately, I got a little redder than usual (I say "redder" and not "burnt" because it doesn't hurt, and there's no sign of peeling).  Anyway, while there isn't any evidence of peeling, my forehead has been leaking this translucent yellow liquid.  I did a little research and evidently this is called cell plasma.  Well, it's been discharging pretty nonstop pretty much all day and it's becoming a major nuisance.  Anyone have any ideas of how to make this stop?  It gets crusty and gross if I just let it flow (sorry for the disgusting visual) and I don't want to get constant stares and questions by wearing a band aid on my head (as I did today).  So any quick fixes, I'd appreciate.

Wow, that was disgusting.  So tonight's Raw is pushing Jericho's return and a big announcement from John Cena.  Do you think Jericho will return as a heel or face?  And who will he feud with?  My perspective?  The Punk/Bryan/Kane three way has been such a hit that they might as well do it on on the Smackdown side also.  Have Sheamus play the straight up face (like Punk), have Dolph (or, unfortunately, Alberto Del Rio) play the straight up heel (like Bryan), and have Jericho play the tweener depending on who he's interacting with (like Kane).  And what do you think Cena's "historic" announcement will be?  That he's simply re-entering the title picture?  That he's joining the Money in the Bank ladder match?  What do you think?

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Trending Topics - Introduction - [a case of the summer]

This is another easy one to explain.  Basically, I just random on about a topic that's on my mind.  Maybe it'll be the latest wrestling news.  Maybe it'll be something personal.  Maybe it'll be something I just saw on TV.  Or something in the news.  Nothing's off limits!

And that's all I have to say about that.

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A Case of Beer - Introduction - [a case of the summer]

In my original post on the return of A Case of the Summer, I titled this feature "Beer-Lympics."  Since then, I've renamed it to the far more clever (and appropriate) "A Case of Beer."

It's pretty simple, really.  Each week, I'll describe a beer game you're probably unfamiliar with.  Or, I'll tell a personal story about a beer game you've all probably played.  There are a lot of fun possibilities with this one.  And hey, who knows, maybe it'll even intersect with my Summer of Excitement.

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Summer of Excitement - Introduction - [a case of the summer]

Today is the official first day of summer, which means A Case of the Summer is now underway!  As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I'm bringing back this multi-month feature so that you've got something to check out during these somewhat dry months.  I might "cheat" a little and use this week as a detailed introduction of each feature.  And this one is the one I'm looking most forward to -- Summer of Excitement.

What is this exactly?  Well, I'm at an interesting point in my life.  I'm 30 and single, but a lot of my long time friends have either moved, gotten married, or are in committed relationships.  It takes a lot more effort to do something fun, and after a long week of work, sometimes I just don't have the motivation to make it happen. Yet at the end of the weekend when a new week begins, I can't help but look back and say, "What did I do?"  The Summer of Excitement is a concerted effort to make sure I do something exciting every single week of the summer.

Now, what defines "exciting"?  The criteria isn't anything outrageous or crazy.  Basically, it's just doing something that excites me.  Maybe it's something I've never done before or something I've always wanted to do.  Maybe it's something I find really enjoyable but haven't done in a while.  Maybe it's something that just seems adventurous.  Or scary.  Or different.  The point is that an effort was made to do something exciting (even if it's ultimately unsuccessful).

There are a few restrictions, though:  Since I'm going to be sharing everything that I've done, it can't be anything illegal (or significantly illegal).  And logistics like price and location will come into play (so climbing the Hollywood sign is out of the question).  But I'm definitely open to suggestions!

So like I said, I'm cheating a bit and using this week as an introduction.  But generally speaking, I'll probably post my report of what I've done on Sunday (since the excitement will be happening over the weekend, in all likelihood), but that may change based on circumstances.

I hope you enjoy this feature, and be sure to send me your suggestions!

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What defines a heel or face?

I got into an interesting debate with Shane Helms (yes you read that right) over Twitter earlier today.  I was actually pretty shocked....we exchanged 8-10 tweets with each other.  Now, if you've read my blog before, you probably know that my opinion of Helms the adult is not very high.  I find him to be extremely infantile and rude.  I mean, could you imagine any 37 year old in your life calling people retards and making "your momma" jokes?  So due to that, I was very, very sure to keep things civil and level-headed, as I didn't want the discussion to stoop to the level of being called stupid (which I was at one point) or a "dipshit" (which he called another person that argued with him).  Anyway, check out my Twitter feed if you want the specific transcript.

The topic of conversation was what determines whether somebody is a heel or face?  In my view, it's a combination of many obvious things.  But Helms seemed to exclusively lie with crowd reactions.  If a person being pushed as a face gets booed, he's now the heel.  If the heel gets cheered, he's now the face.  And it's up to the individual to act accordingly.  This was apparently spurned when a fan might a comment that being cheered doesn't make you a babyface (a stance I personally agree with).  Helms' response:  "Fans cheering is a babyface reaction! It’s not rocket science dipshit!"  There's that mature 37 year old adult, folks!  He went on to say (in several tweets):  "While the Heel/Face line is obviously more blurred than in the days of old, the fans reactions are the judge. Cheers=babyface reaction. Duh!  If you’re getting boo’d…waitforit…that’s a Heel crowd reaction. That simple enough for ya? :-)"

My stance, which I expressed to Helms, is that your status as a heel or face is determined by several different things.  Yes, the crowd reaction is an incredibly important facet, but equally important (or perhaps even more important) is the concerted effort in which you are pushed and presented.  For example, if you put John Cena up against Daniel Bryan, no matter the way the fans react, I don't think anybody would dispute that Cena is the face and Bryan is the heel.  A face is not only defined as being a fan favorite, but it's also defined as being a hero (and likewise, the heel is the villain).  Yes, there have been anti-heroes like Steve Austin and unlikable guys like the Rock, but they've also been pushed as people who had to overcome the odds against a sinister enemy.  

And, again, matches are typically structured so that the face starts off strong, the heel takes control and dominates the majority of the match, and the face gets a fiery comeback.  To ignore that is just a close minded view of the dynamic.

Helms didn't seem to much appreciate my view, calling his view the "facts."  His tweet:  "No, what I said was FACT. Trying to argue with over 20 years of experience vs NONE is just stupid."  There you go, I was called stupid.  And that remark actually struck a nerve with me, because I DETEST when wrestlers use the "you're not in the industry so you have no idea what you're talking about" mentality.  Honestly, outside of doctors and lawyers, does any other professional make that claim?  Helms isn't the only one who has used it, and it drives me crazy every time (I remember Lance Storm was once called out on a clearly botched move, and he remarked about how the person had never been in the ring before).  When it became apparent that he was going to resort to that, I stopped talking.  Shockingly, HE kept talking to ME.  

I basically told him that I would never dispute with him who is a better worker, but I don't think you need to be in the industry to have an opinion on what defines a heel or face.  His response was an obnoxious "Do you go tell doctors how to operate too?"  I was tempted to say, "You're no doctor."  Instead I told him he wasn't making a fair comparison and that I would never tell him how to execute a move.  He answered "But you’re trying to tell me crowd reactions. That’s a HUGE part of our biz. A biz I’ve been very successful in."  Again, resorting to that "I'm in the business so I know" mindset.

So in response to his "I've been in the industry for 20 years and I've been successful, I followed up with "If I asked McMahon who his top face is and he said John Cena, would he be right?"  This was basically a trap because McMahon has been in the industry longer and has experienced more success than Helms.  And, if asked, I legitimately DO think McMahon would answer "Cena."  So -- going by Helms' logic -- how could they have two different mentalities?  Helms' perspective is based on FACT because of his experience and success in the industry.  If it's fact (based on that criteria), how could McMahon have a different answer?  He seemed to relent and answered:  "From a merch standpoint Cena is the ultimate babyface!! Lol And that’s a FACT :-)"  After that, we seemed to agree to disagree and even made a little idle chit chat.  Incidentally, the entire time I was getting messages from other people about what a dick he was being.

And for what it's worth, Shane Helms isn't the only one who thinks this way regarding the definition of a heel or face.  I've heard Seth Mates call John Cena the biggest heel in the company (he's said, "Cena doesn't need to turn heel, he's already the biggest heel in the company").  I just don't agree with this line of thinking.

So what do YOU think is the primary determination of what makes a heel or face?  It's obviously a combination of both, but is it fan reaction or the way you're presented by the company?

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LIVE Raw thoughts - June 18, 2012

11:09 - Okay, now let's do something interesting with Cena, shall we?

10:44 - So it appears that Zack Ryder wrestled for Superstars this week.  There's still a chance he'll be used for Raw, but it seems unlikely.  What's the sense in that?  I mean, what wrestling fans are going to watch because Wendi Richter is on?  And what cultural relevance does Cyndi Lauper have at this point?  They couldn't have cut that segment in half and featured some sort of Ryder appearance?

10:35 - Good thing we did this segment instead of using Zack Ryder in his hometown.  Yeah, I know the show isn't over yet, but that was time that could have been devoted to a hometown favorite.  The only guy on your roster that entire segment was used as the foil.

10:32 - I kinda love the fact that Cole is blatantly laughing at what appears to be a legitimate emotional moment.

10:18 - What great use of our United States Champion!!!

10:09 - SORRY!  My Internet went out.  But here's my brief update on the show so far.  I LOVED the ending of the Punk/Sheamus/Kane/Bryan match.  AJ coming out in Kane gear and prancing around the ring -- all while her music played -- was awesome.  And I should also note that Punk is playing his role to perfection:  He's humored by AJ, but he's not necessarily falling for anything she's doing.  So if AJ does turn on him for Bryan, he doesn't look like a chump.

The Swagger/Ziggler segment was good, with the right ending.  Ziggler rightfully won -- and cleanly -- and it was smart to keep him with Vickie.  The pair works.  And while Ziggler fought as a face in the match (which was interesting), it's smart keeping him a heel.  He's not going to top Cena, Punk, Sheamus, and Orton anytime soon, so he has a better shot as a heel.

The Triple H/Heyman promo was good, but I think it would've been better if they didn't have Triple H get the upper hand at the end.  Right now we're right where we left off, with Triple H issuing a challenge.  There would have been a bit more intrigue if they left things with Heyman saying they don't have anything for Triple H, but do for Stephanie, and then left there.  Triple H doesn't ALWAYS need to get the upper hand.

9:19 - With a kick ass jacket like that, why does Daniel Bryan EVER come to the ring in a t-shirt?

9:13 - The opening segment just accentuated how this Johnny Ace/GM story is moving at such an accelerated rate.  Two things struck me:  For one, the insane amount of heat Ace gets.  It's almost Vickie level.  So I can't help but feel like it's too soon to take him out of this role (although I don't think he'll be removed from television completely).  And second, seeing Ace hobble down the aisle as he was confronted by two guys he butted heads with was a cool visual.  It would have meant a lot more if Ace had spent a year or so in that role, instead of just a couple months.

9:04 - I think the idea of rotating the GM's with former GM's could be interesting.  Excluding the Guest GM's and Bischoff, you've got Foley, Long, Vickie, Austin, Stephanie, the Anonymous Raw GM, and who else?  Could be interesting.

9:03 - Well isn't it quite fitting that Mick Foley appears just after the story broke that Triple H was keepinng him off TV.

8:27 - Well, my softball team suffered the first loss of the season.  Devastating news, to be sure.  While our undefeated streak is now over (sadness), I THINK we're still in first place, now tied with the team that beat us.  While this is all unfortunate, it does mean that I'm back in time for Raw.....so my Raw thoughts are back on!

Anyway, I'm fairly optimistic about tonight's Raw, because it's about this time that they start getting on track for a hot summer.  Let's see what they have in store.

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No Way Out Predictions

First and foremost, happy father's day to all of the fathers out there.  Enjoy the day!

Now, for some No Way Out predictions.  This is a surprisingly difficult card to predict, as a lot of the matches could go either way.  And the top matches have been surprisingly well developed.  I'm going to start from the bottom up.

Tuxedo Match:
Santino defeats Ricardo Rodriguez.  Why on earth is the US title being wasted on a match like this?  Please, please, please take the title off of Santino.  I think I'd rather see David Otunga as US Champion than Santino.  And that says something.

Divas Championship Match:
Beth Phoenix defeats Layla.  I can't get invested in babyface Layla.  It's like, oh, she's smiling now.  So I'm supposed to like her?  I just see more possibilities with Beth as Champion, especially since Eve hasn't been wrestling at all lately.  I could conceivably see Layla retaining IF AJ turns heel and helps Bryan win the WWE Championship.  Then I could see them giving her the Divas title, a la Triple H/Stephanie and Edge/Lita.

Intercontinental Championship Match:
Christian defeats Cody Rhodes.  I just don't see them taking the title off of Christian yet.  Following this feud, why not move Cody Rhodes into the World Heavyweight Title scene?

World Heavyweight Championship Match:
Sheamus defeats Dolph Ziggler.  I don't expect Dolph to win and honestly he shouldn't in this specific scenario.  However, I do hope he gets protected and has a strong showing.  I would love for Ziggler to pull a Daniel Bryan here.  Basically have such a great showing that even after numerous losses, they're still trying to think of ways to keep him in the title picture.  Dolph has seemingly become their "go-to" guy when they need somebody to step up....hopefully he gets properly recognized for that.

WWE Championship Match:
Daniel Bryan defeats CM Punk and Kane to win the WWE Championship.  Yep, I'm just going to bite the bullet and make that prediction.  I honestly don't know what to expect.  I mean, A LOT of me thinks CM Punk will retain by pinning Kane, which will allow the Punk/Bryan story to continue (that's my other pick, if I get two).  But another part of me thinks they need to do something big in order to move the story forward.  And in my view, that big thing is having AJ turn on Punk and Kane and helping Bryan win the title.  They've just been focusing on her so much -- even more than the championship -- that I feel like she has to play a part.  But it would sadden me to see the Punk reign come to an end.

Big Show defeats John Cena.  I haven't a clue what will happen in this match, either.  I originally was going to go with Cena because he lost against Rock, got his ass kicked by Lesnar, and then lost to Big Johnny.  The dude has to get a solid victory somewhere in there (I know, I know, Super Cena).  But ultimately, McMahon straight out said he would fire Johnny if Show lost, whereas Johnny just threatened to fire Cena.  So, I figure Johnny's threat will be easier to get out of.  I figure Big Show wins under controversial means and McMahon stops Johnny from firing him on Monday.

It looks like it could be a pretty good show, actually.  I just hope that after this, they take a step back from the whole Cena/Ace story and they put the far more enjoyable WWE Championship story at the forefront.  Where it should be.

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Dive Bar Shirt Club: Burt's Tiki Lounge

I received my June Dive Bar Shirt Club and it's a nice color scheme I haven't really had yet -- a dark gray (almost black) shirt with a yellow design.  A very nice change of pace.  But while Burt's Tiki Lounge has a website, which means I can do a simple cut and paste, there's no information on it that I can transfer here.  So here's a brief synopsis of the bar:


You can lounge around with the natives and a century of tropical relics.  Vintage surfer vibes has exploded on every possible surface.  Ancient supernatural tiki power invades the darkness.  You breathe it in.  A fantastic beer selection and exotic cocktails encourage the primitive instincts.  Cutting edge rock bands take you deeper, into one loud, savage dance groove -- kindred jungle spirits go wild.


Burt's Tiki Lounge Website:  http://burtstikilounge.com/ 

Dive Bar Shirt Club: Website - Twitter - Facebook

Dive Bar Shirt Club T-Shirt Gallery

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LIVE Raw thoughts - June 11, 2012

11:14 - Overall a pretty good show -- a continued improvement after some slow weeks -- but the ending was "meh."  The problem with ending all of these episodes with Cena/Ace/Big Show/Vince is that it's too polarizing with the audience and they really struggle to hit the highest emotional note possible.  For example, are we supposed to feel bad about McMahon getting injured?  Why?  He's a big jerk most of the time he's on TV.  Are we supposed to be scared for Cena?  Are we supposed to root for Cena to get Ace fired?  I just feel like it hurts the show when every person in it is disliked by a portion of the audience.  For some, everyone is hated.

10:58 - So I can't imagine Vince will actually fire Johnny, but the show needs to end on something big.  What's your guess?

10:52 - I just absolutely love this AJ stuff.  Is it overshadowing the WWE Championship?  Perhaps, but not necessarily.  If it turns out to be a ruse and she was with Bryan all along, they could play it off that this was all a ploy to get Bryan the championship.  But this girl is absolutely adorable and she's doing a great job in this role.  She's unlike any other Diva they have, and I'm thrilled they're taking advantage of her.

10:45 - Absolutely love the fact that Punk and AJ are wearing matching color scheme.  And hey, this is ever so close to Punk/Bryan being in the main event, right?

10:31 - Actually, isn't Heath Slater a Smackdown Superstar?  And how utterly convenient for Slater to -- for the first time ever -- utter a variation of Vader's catchphrase just before he made his surprise return.

10:25 - Wait, does the Raw 1,000 episode have its own dressing room?

10:16 - I don't mind the lighting effects for Sin Cara's matches because it makes an otherwise forgettable match (not an insult) feel unique.

9:50 - I still think it's in such poor taste for people to do the "Bells Palsy" face when imitating JR.

9:47 - Is Ryback's "Feed Me More!" new or did he always yell that?  I am still hoping, though, that this doesn't just lead to him being fed to the main event talent (a la Tensai).  I still say let's merge his undefeated streak with Brodus'.

9:35 - That was a great match with the right winner.  I wondered if they might go Ziggler/Swagger last, to really solidify the end of their alliance, but Ziggler slipping in for the pin on Swagger probably worked better.  Ziggler and Christian have great in-ring chemistry, and getting a win over Christian means more anyway.

By the way, Ziggler is now in Daniel Bryan/CM Punk territor, where he's getting so great that even the fans can't deny it.  And soon, the company won't be able to deny it either.  This guy is great.

9:14 - I know what people are going to say.  They're going to be pissed that this angle isn't so much about the WWE Championship as much as it is about AJ's feelings towards each competitor.  Yeah, it's a fair criticism, but I love AJ and I think her work with Punk and Bryan has been brilliant (I still don't think Bryan would be as big as he is now without her).  Perhaps surprisingly, I think Bryan's portion of the promo was the strongest.  Punk held his own, but seemed to waver a bit (the truth is he HAS changed, even if inconsequentially.  He uses terms like "WWE Universe" and he's still walking around with a title he promised to change).  Kane's part was the worst, of course, but thankfully it was brief.  I thought AJ's stuff was good and brought it back up a bit (still not as strong as Punk/Bryan, though).  The crowd was surprisingly effective, aside from the brief "WHAT?" chant.

9:00 - It is ABOUT TIME they give Daniel Bryan some mic time.

8:52 - I still don't know why they took the title off of Beth in the first place.

8:47 - If there is one champion that desperately needs to drop his title, it's Santino.  The title does nothing to elevate Santino and Santino does nothing to elevate the title.  There's no benefit to this pairing.  Zack Ryder is the obvious choice for the championship, but even somebody like David Otunga would be an improvement -- as scary as that sounds.

8:38 - Let me tell you why nobody cares about that Tensai beat down.  Aside from casually saying, "That's his worshiper" when the two came out, absolutely nothing was explained about their relationship.  Where did they meet?  How did they come together?  What did Tensai accomplish in order to get somebody to worship him?  What was there to care about?  Why should we feel bad for Sakamoto?

8:28 - This match just featured one of my least favorite commentator moments....when there's a legitimate chance that the match will end, but the announcers oversell it so much that you're convinced it won't end.  And you're no longer impressed and excited when the competitor kicks out.

8:19 - Oh, I get it....we should care about Tensai now because he pushes his sidekick.  Got it.

8:08 - I can't tell if the announcers openly laughing at this segment is enhancing or ruining it.  Honestly.

8:01 - So for the past several weeks I've been joking about various different ways Alberto Del Rio vs. Sheamus would get altered, since for the past two PPV's their one-on-one match was canceled in favor of something else.  The Smackdown after WrestleMania he said he was the next challenger.  Then Bryan-fever took over and Daniel Bryan got the nod.  Then he was scheduled to get the next shot against Sheamus at Over the Limit, but that was changed to also include Jericho and Orton.  And now for the third consecutive month, Sheamus/ADR has been canceled due to Del Rio's concussion.  That match was just destined not to happen, which is a good thing because I have no interest in seeing it.  My guess is that it gets changed to the much better Sheamus vs. Dolph Ziggler.  Although Ziggler hasn't been protected AT ALL lately, so it's not like he'll even look like a challenge.

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The New WWE Championship?

Piggybacking off of CM Punk's comments that a new WWE Championship has been designed and is ready to go, a photo was evidently leaked, showing us all the title's new look (shown above).

To be perfectly honest.....I don't hate it.  My two main criticisms of the "Spinner" belt are that it's flat (which looks awkward around the champion's waist, due to its size) and that it says "Champ" instead of the more prestigious "Champion."  Both of those issues have been fixed with this new design.

And, to be fair, there's very little we know based on this photo.  There's no frame of reference, so we can't tell how big or small the plate is.  Additionally, we don't even know if this is the complete design (it's clearly just the mold).  For example, on the Spinner belt, the eagle and "Champ" are -- I believe -- additional pieces attached to the main plate.  So while this might seem bland (it's just the logo and the word "Champion"), this might just be the main portion with other parts added on.  I'm guessing we'll see red gems on the "swoosh" beneath the logo, and diamonds alone the edge and on the logo.  I would also imagine that there will be some form of etching along the (currently undesigned) main section.

Now, what I don't like:  First, there doesn't appear to be a name plate for the current champion's name.  That was my favorite addition to the current line of championships (also missing on the new tag team titles).  And, it does sorta look diminutive and boring (again, I expect more bells and whistles from the final version.  And as I said, there's no frame of reference giving us a true indication of its size).  Right now, it almost looks like a belt buckle.

Overall, I think this is a step in the right direction.  Inoffensive and a bit less gaudy.  But I am interested in seeing the final product.

Thoughts?

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LIVE Raw thoughts - June 4, 2012

11:03 - Good thing that Michael Cole happened to wear his sneakers on the night he was booked in a match.

10:56 - So out of the Tensai/Brodus/Ryback trifecta, Tensai was the first to fall.  I kinda had my money on Brodus, actually.

10:51 - I'm fairly certain Tensai has main evented a fair amount more Raw's than CM Punk during his title reign.

10:44 - So I'm guessing that John Cena didn't learn his lesson from being cocky and toying around with Johnny Ace instead of just beating him?

10:19 - AJ + Daniel Bryan = Awesome.  AJ + CM Punk = Hilarious.  AJ + Kane = Tired and overdone.  We've paired Kane up with Chyna, Tori, Lita, and I'm sure some others I can't think of at the moment.

Having said that, I do LOVE that she's such an integral part of this storyline (which is for the, ya' know, WWE Championship!)  And the intrigue is fun.  Is Daniel Bryan jealous now?  He seems to care a lot about what AJ's doing.  And did he try to rescue her from Kane?  Or are they in cahoots?  Keep in mind every time AJ tries to help Punk, Punk gets hurt.

10:17 - AJ in knee high socks?  I'll allow it!

10:07 - You know, I actually don't mind that Kane was inserted into this Punk/Bryan feud.  It sorta reminds me of when Undertaker found himself pitted up against a feuding Bret Hart/Shawn Michaels.  It adds a different dynamic, plus it gives the fans somebody to solidly boo against two popular guys.

10:01 - It's pretty sad that WWE won't even allow Jerry Lawler to promote the WWE Championship Match at No Way Out without interrupting it so that they could promote tonight's John Cena/Michael Cole match.  But hey, at least they're giving Bryan some mic time.

9:55 - I think the Ryback stuff is all fine and good, but I do wonder where it is heading.  Specifically, I think WWE falls into this trap where they push somebody through an army of jobbers and lower midcarders, only to ultimately come up short against a main eventer.  There was once a time where midcarders could build each other up.  Remember how Edge and Gangrel debuted around the same time, and feuded with each other?  The same happened with countless others.  Hell, Rock and Triple H essentially followed each other through every level of their WWE careers.  A couple of weeks ago I joked about having Tensai, Ryback, and Brodus collide -- with all three still being undefeated.  Why not try that?  Why not allow the three of them make stars of each other?

9:45 - That was a fine performance from Sin Cara and I frequently felt that his botches -- for the most part -- were blown out of proportion.  However, the way he decidedly beat Hunico makes me realize how much HE fell from grace.  And many considered Hunico the more polished of the pair.  The Evil Sin Cara gimmick was interesting and while it wasn't a long-term thing, it was surely better than his role as the stereotypical Hispanic thug.  Hopefully they find something for him.

9:42 - I like the red Sin Cara gear.  It might be a good idea for WWE to go the Rey Mysterio route and have them unveil a number of different variations of the Sin Cara gear.  And while the trampoline was a logistical issue, I sorta liked that old entrance.

9:33 - I still think I'd rather see Dolph vs. Sheamus at the PPV instead of Alberto Del Rio.  Del Rio bores me to tears.  I find nothing interesting about him, whether it's behind the mic or in the ring.

9:26 - With Ziggler facing Sheamus yet again, I can't help but wonder if that Sheamus/ADR PPV match will be pushed off for yet another month (not that I'd complain, I have no interest in seeing that match).

9:15 - Hmmmm, well that was.....an opening, I guess.  I'm relatively laid back and I really want to give things a chance and enjoy the show.  I like Cena.  I think Cole, when behaving properly or in a proper role, can be very good.  The segment actually started out solid enough.  Cole called Cena out on his actions -- and they were fair comments -- and Cena's responses were within the realm of logic.  But then it quickly descended into what most people complain about.  Cena was jokey, talking about ponies or something or other.  Cole was argumentative.  And then it all ended with Cole vs. Cena?  What was this, to prove that Cole/Cena could do a higher rating than Punk/Bryan?

8:31 - Alright, so the "big" news today came straight (edge) from the horse's mouth.  According to CM Punk, a new WWE Championship has been made and is ready to be debuted.  No news on when, or what it looks like (only that Punk doesn't seem entirely wild about it), but it's made and ready to go.  So, what do you think it looks like?  And when do you think it'll debut?  Smart money says the 1,000th episode of Raw.

For what it's worth, I don't even really hate the current WWE Championship.  Ever since it stopped spinning, anyway.  My biggest issue with it is that it's flat, which makes the title look awkward when it's worn around the waist (which, in my opinion, it always should be).  My biggest issue with it, though, is that it says "Champ" instead of "Champion."  That I-O-N would go a long way, to tell you the truth.

But the size and shape of it?  Don't mind it.  The huge, blinged out "WWE"?  Don't mind that either.  However, because it is SO gaudy, it just doesn't look right on some people.  It looked ridiculous on Triple H, Alberto Del Rio, and even Randy Orton.  And could you imagine Undertaker wearing that thing?

Anyway, I'm eager to see the new design.  Bring it on.

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Season Finale Thoughts: American Horror Story

There's an old expression I love that says that you need to crap or get off the pot.  I've been promising this review since the finale back in -- get this -- December 2011.  There will be major spoilers, so proceed with caution.

If you recall, back when I recommended this as a new show to watch, I wondered what kind of staying power this series had.  And as the season was coming to an end, my concern only grew stronger.  It just felt like they were plowing through so many huge developments that it truly felt like the series, and not the season, was concluding.  Despite this, I found myself getting more and more into the show -- particularly in the final few episodes, where things were getting ultra exciting and the characters were REALLY starting to development and become interesting.

My initial review of American Horror Story came just before the season finale, when Vivien shockingly died during childbirth. I wondered, and I quote, "has the series given us too much, too soon?"  I mean, if you compare it to Lost (another show built on mystery), it felt like they were going on an extremely accelerated rate.  Could you imagine if Lost had introduced Ben in the first season, and had already provided his entire backstory by that season's finale?  Because that's essentially what they did with Tate.  And the last episode left me utterly perplexed -- the story was tied up so beautifully and perfectly that I wondered how on earth they would come back for a second season (which had already been announced by that point).

And that's the thing....it really did end perfectly.  Vivien had died, leaving Ben alone with their one baby (the other had died as well).  Vivien and Violet had both made the decision to not allow Ben to see them, because it would be too painful for him and they needed him to move on and get out of that house.  And this gave us some great scenes, like when Ben took the baby home and Vivien watched and (silently) instructed him on how to heat up the milk.  Ultimately, however, Ben was too distraught and decided to take his own life.  It was in that moment that Vivien appeared, and the two shared a really sweet, tender scene where they forgave each other and declared their love.  It really was touching.  Ben decided to live and made the difficult decision to leave the house (and his wife and daughter, by proxy).  However, as he was heading to the stairs, the ghosts attacked him and made it appear that he had committed suicide.

And while this was a decidedly sad moment, it came across as sweet as well.  Upon dying, Ben and Vivien had reunited, genuinely happy to be with each other.  And through death, this family was finally able to find happiness together.  It was discovered that the baby that passed away actually died in the house, leaving it as a ghost.  Ben, Vivien, Violet, the baby, and Moira had captured that family dynamic that they always lacked.  This was the happiest any of them had ever been throughout the entire season.  It truly was the the perfect happy ending.

We also learned, unsurprisingly, that Constance had taken the other baby, which had survived the childbirth. This baby was obviously Tate's, though, and thus was demonic and murderous.  The season ended on that cliffhanger.

After the finale, it was announced that the series would be an anthology of sorts, with each season focusing on a different horror genre.  This season, obviously, was a haunted house.  What I thought would have been really cool was if each season organically told a different story.  This season tied up the Harmon family's story in the haunted house.  Next season, I felt, should tell the story of Constance raising the devil child, a la The Omen.  The next season would develop naturally from the conclusion of that story.

Instead, it appears that it'll be a different story with different characters (but possibly the same actors).  This is still interesting and I'll definitely watch, but it'll be a bit unusual seeing Jessica Lange without her playing Constance.

But I definitely recommend this show and am eager to see what they have in store for us next season.

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What to expect this summer

Good evening, loyal blog visitors!

As you may have noticed, I haven't been updating the blog all too often since my various TV shows have gone on their summer hiatus.  However, I do want to assure all of you that I AM planning on doing some fun things to keep the blog active over the summer.  Here are some things you can expect:

LIVE Raw thoughts every Monday night (unless I have a softball game.  But it's typically rained for those, anyway).
Trending Topics, where I discuss something on my mind (whether it's current events, wrestling, personal, or whatnot) each week.
Beer-lympics - A new feature where I will tell you about a drinking game you might not be aware of.  Or maybe I'll tell a story about one of the well known games.
Summer of Excitement - More on this later!

These will go into effect the week of June 22nd, the official start of summer.  So, be sure to keep checking the blog for A Case of the Summer!

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