Once Upon A Time - Looking back at season 1

Well, tonight was the season premiere of Once Upon A Time.  What did you think?  I really enjoyed it and was surprised by what had happened.  Anyway, I'm far too tired to discuss what actually happened, so instead I'm going to show a video of my favorite moment from season 1 -- when Mr. Gold finally admits to Regina that he knows that he's actually Rumpelstiltskin.

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LIVE Raw thoughts - September 24, 2012

11:06 - Actually, a really smooth and enjoyable Raw.  I appreciated the Cena/Punk promo (understanding that it was somewhat limited due to Cena's condition) and I was HIGHLY intrigued by the Ryback appearance.  Very, very interesting stuff.

10:54 - I usually defend Cena, but I hate when he speaks like Ned Flanders.

10:43 - And the answer is, the Big Show.

10:41 - You will remember that way back when, I suggested intersecting the Tensai/Clay/Ryback undefeated streaks.  Both of these guys have suffered a few losses -- I'm curious to see who's higher up the ladder at this point.

10:35 - I can't wait until we see that security footage to see once and for all that Kevin Nash sent that text to himself.

10:25 - I expected Team Friendship to win, but I'm happy with Team Hell No.

10:14 - I know Daniel Bryan is a vegan for health and not moral reasons, but I imagine he's sure going to get hell for taking a bite of the meatball.  Even if he did just throw it up.

9:58 - I'm still disappointed that we haven't seen an AJ/Rey Mysterio backstage segment yet.  Also, I love that Ricardo hasn't even taken off his sports jacket.

9:46 - I'm glad Lawler is doing so well and it is truly remarkable how great he looks just two weeks after a major heart attack, but it was a little uncomfortable seeing those photos of him getting CPR performed on him.  It was just unsettling due to the reality that, even given a moment as tragic and human as that, somebody is still snapping photos.  I'm not passing judgment, it's just unsettling to think about.

9:25 - Okay, that latest Daniel Bryan/Kane segment was a little creepy.  And way to mess up the "When Harry Met Sally" line, WWE.

9:23 - It's too bad that Miz has already cleanly jobbed to Cena, Kane, and a number of others.  Otherwise, that Ryback victory would have felt like an even bigger deal.

9:18 - I'm guessing this isn't for the title, but I'm still surprised that they're giving away Miz/Ryback so soon.  They could really build this up.

9:12 - I understood and appreciate what Mick was going for, but it's so rare that we see a title reign of this length that it was a bit discouraging to hear him say that numbers don't matter.  Again, I know that wasn't the overall sentiment, but still.  Overall, though, it was an awesome segment that hit all the right notes and points.

9:02 - You know those little things I appreciate?  Punk's little shoulder shove into Foley as he grabbed the mic was one of them.  Great stuff and great ring presence.

8:56 - According to Joey Styles' Twitter feed, the options for the Daniel Bryan/Kane name are "Team Teamwork," "Team Hell No," and "Team Friendship."  Team Friendship seems to be what they've been pushing, so I expect that to win.  Team Hell No is good, too.  Personally, I like "No Chants In Hell."

8:52 - "No Days Off".....except for that time he got suspended.

8:47 - The English major in me appreciates the fact that they brought up the grammatical nightmare that is "I am the tag team champions!"  I still hate when they do the camera view of the live audience watching the Titan Tron.  Why do they think I want to watch somebody watching something instead of just watching it myself?

8:35 - Awesome match with a lot of believable near falls.  I love seeing Dolph win, but it's too bad it was against the OTHER guy who loses far more than he should.

8:27 - I told Barbershop Window that they should do a "Heels Can't Wear Pink" t-shirt, based on their "Heels Wear Pink" shirt, but they haven't responded.  I mean, Dolph Ziggler, Damien Sandow, and Natalya have all strangely not appeared in pink (during their breast cancer awareness period), it'd be great!

8:15 - I enjoyed the fact that they focused on Punk's history with AJ in this segment.  Yes, Punk's mentioned the marriage proposal numerous times, but this was the most focused that aspect of their rivalry has been.  And it really added some impact to Punk's claim.  AJ slapping Heyman was expected, although I'm curious if they'll even remember that the Board of Directors prohibited AJ from attacking any on-air talent, lest she lose her job.

8:08 - And the Converse are back!!!!!!

8:06 - I really hope that referee I've never seen before last week doesn't resign!

8:01 - Let me tell you what I like and don't like.  What I do like:  It's my birthday week.  And CM Punk/Paul Heyman are kicking off the show.  And it appears that Punk has grown the hair back on his beard.  What I don't like:  CM Punk is sitting down in protest, and he's not sitting in Indian Style.  Talk about a missed opportunity!

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Summer of Excitement - Bachelor Party - [a case of the summer]

I often joke that the Summer of Excitement kicked off with a wedding, and it's now getting capped off with a bachelor party.  Yesterday we celebrated the end of my friend Chris' bachelorhood, and boy was it an all day affair!  I stayed in bed until about 3:00 today (and only got out because I was so hungry) and I'm STILL exhausted.  It was a really great time.

The day started off with us getting on the party bus (more accurately a party limo) and heading to CitiField for a Mets game -- the first Mets game I've ever been to, actually.  Apparently people dressed up as Ninja Turtles were there, so my mission for the day was to get a photo with one of them.  Sadly, I failed.  From there, we went to the 13th Step, basically took over the entire backroom, and played some beer pong (with virtually every team being siblings, which was a nice touch).  Unfortunately, my brother and I went down in our first game -- but not without a strong fight.

We then went to the Frying Pan, a boat that sank and was underwater for three years before being raised, sold, and moved to New York City.  It's now docked on the Hudson and serves as a unique bar that specializes in buckets of beer (hooray!)  We had dinner at Uncle Jack's Steakhouse, where we continued to eat and eat and eat.  And drink, of course.

We made a few more stops before returning to New Jersey and closing the night at our favorite local bar (fittingly).  It truly was a 15 hour day of drinking and partying and being on the move.  This was pretty rough -- I don't even like being awake for 15 hours at a time (and based on last night, I've shown I CAN sleep for 15 hours!)

One thing I did find particularly funny, though, was when we went to Headquarters (a gentlemen's club).  I'm not really a fan of the whole strip club thing (and I'm not sure any of us were, since we weren't there that long), just because it's so expensive and I can't ever relax since the second I sit down, somebody is trying to give me a $20 lapdance.  But I did decide to get one, and while the girl was taking me to a seat, our waitress came up to me and asked if I needed a drink.  The girl asked what the waitress said, and I told her.  The girl then says, "she's so annoying.  I mean, to ask you that just as I'm going to give you a dance."  So it's nice to know that women can't stand each other in the workplace even at strip clubs.

Overall, though, it was a completely awesome time and a totally fitting way to conclude the Summer of Excitement.  I hope this feature has lived up to your expectations!

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

So here it is, the final edition of A Case of Beer.  Hope you've enjoyed it.  Now, take a look at some of the beer-related items I've collected throughout the years.

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Trending Topics - The Dire State of Entrance Attire - [a case of the summer]

It's been a fun summer, but this is officially the final week of the [a case of the summer] series, which means this is the last Trending Topics.  Of course, since it's basically just me spewing my thoughts, a less formal edition will likely continue to appear on this blog.  I hope you've enjoyed my musings.

Anyway, most of you frequent readers have probably recognize that I'm a huge mark of wrestling attire.  Growing up, I used to anxiously await to see which Superstars would debut a new outfit at each PPV.  And even now, I grow a little disappointed when a PPV passes and somebody doesn't bring out a new design or color scheme.  In that same regard, I also really enjoy wrestlers who have an entrance attire.  However, now more than ever, we seem to be in this "rut" where everybody comes out wearing their WWE Authentic t-shirt.

Let's take a look back at our classic periods.  Hulk Hogan, of course, came out in his t-shirt and bandanna.  Ric Flair had his luxurious robe.  Sting had his flashy jacket.  Bret Hart had his leather jacket.  Shawn Michaels had his chaps.  Razor Ramon had his vest and chain.  Goldust, his wig and robe.  Demolition had their masks, vests, and chaps.  The Legion of Doom had their spiked shoulder pads.  Randy Savage first had his capes, and then later his jacket with tassels and cowboy hat.

Really, the only Superstars that were known to come out wearing their t-shirts were Hulk Hogan and Roddy Piper.  I'm sure there are others, but those are the only two that stand out.  And even then, they played a part.  Hogan's shirt tearing was a huge part of his routine.  And while Piper wore his "Hot Rod" t-shirt, the real focus of his entrance attire was his kilt.

But what about now?  The following Superstars typically come out wearing their t-shirt:  John Cena, CM Punk, Zack Ryder, Daniel Bryan, Shawn Michaels, The Miz, Christian, Dolph Ziggler, the Prime Time Players, Kofi Kingston, Rey Mysterio, Wade Barrett, Santino, and the Big Show.

What's worse is that a few of those names USED to have unique entrance gear, but they ditched that look because it's easier to just cut the sleeves off of your t-shirt and come out in that.  And hey, you might even make a few bucks if it sells an extra shirt or two.  Yes, Daniel Bryan and Miz bring out their jackets at PPVs and a few other events, but who doesn't miss Christian's awesome hooded jacket and baggy pants?  Or Kofi Kingston's warm up gear?  Or Ryder's Randy Savage-inspired flashy jackets?

And some of those accessories told a story about the wrestler.  Wade Barrett used to wear his jacket over his shoulders, without putting his arms in the sleeves.  It was from his fighting days, so that he could quickly throw off his jacket if he needed to fight.  And he used to put an English rose on the lapel, with a each color symbolizing something different.

Yeah, the t-shirt works for some people -- notably Cena (for the same reason it fit Hogan) and "every day man" CM Punk -- but for everybody else, it's an unfortunately missed opportunity to add some personality to your appearance.  Would Shawn Michaels have catapulted into superstardom as the "Sexy Boy" if he didn't wear his decorated white leather jacket and sunglasses, and instead just wore a generic t-shirt?

An extension of this are the individuals who also wear jeans (or warm up pants) with their t-shirt during promos (I'm giving a pass to those who are wearing their trunks/tights, since they're ready for action).  The fact that Ric Flair and the Four Horseman always wore suits really added to the illusion that these guys are living the life of luxury.  When Edge came out wearing Affliction t-shirts, it gave us a glimpse of his personality.  In this regard, guys like Alberto Del Rio and the Miz stand out.  They typically appear in their suits, and it adds to their character (likewise, a suit helped establish Jericho's post-Y2J serious character).  Hell, David Otunga became more over than he could have ever imagined just by wearing a bowtie and carrying around a travel mug.  But if Sheamus came out in street clothes, I have no idea what he'd even be wearing.  Would it be a t-shirt and jeans?  A suit?  Or a casually preppy look with a hat (as he's been seen in some appearances on WWE.com)?

The fact that I don't know that shows how little is known of his character.  Little ways to help your talents establish a unique look and personality would go a long way in changing that.

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Summer of Excitement - Keep Calm And Get On The Case - [a case of the summer]

If you were following my Twitter feed a week or so ago, you're probably aware that I was attempting to get in on these "Keep Calm And Carry On" parodies.  The phrase (appearing on the familiar red background with a crown on top) was a propaganda poster that appeared in the United Kingdom in 1939.  Over the past decade or so, it's been used for other promotional purposes, usually in a humorous manner (like Keep Calm And Call Batman, appearing on a black background with a Batman symbol on top).

While brainstorming with longtime visitor Javier Rivera, I finally settled on the verbiage "Keep Calm And Get On The Case."  I knew I wanted the word "Case" to be involved somehow, and getting "on the case" seemed to imply visiting as well as taking action.  So I downloaded the unique "Keep Calm" logo, put it on the same red background, and put the "beard and sunglasses" logo I usually use on top (in all white).  I was really proud of how it came out.

Well, after creating the poster I thought I'd take things a step further and actually have a t-shirt made.  I've actually wanted to get a blog-related t-shirt made for a while now (hence why it qualifies as a Summer Of Excitement event) but I've struggled to come up with the right design.  I didn't want it to be so blatant (I didn't even want to include the name of the blog or web address, maybe just a QR code), but I wanted it to be a fun nod to people who knew what it referred to.  With all of these "Keep Calm" shirts popping up out of the woodwork, this seemed like the perfect opportunity.  And I'm really pleased with the end result -- I love it (although the guy at the shirt store said he thought the logo looked like Santa, since it was white and red).  And hey, it's kinda cool to have a one-of-a-kind t-shirt!

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A Case of Beer - Fruity Vodka - [a case of the summer]

There's a reason why this feature is called "A Case of Beer" -- it's because I don't particularly care for hard alcohol.  I don't like the taste, I don't like the price, and I find it socially limiting.  You can sit at a bar for hours and enjoy a few beers while talking with friends.  Aside from doing a group shot, hard alcohol just doesn't seem to lend itself to a social atmosphere.

Having said that, there was one type of hard alcohol that my friends and I all loved in college.  In fact, it was so beloved that my friends from high school used to request that I buy some on their behalf.  And it made a great gift, too.  What was so special about it?  It was pure vodka -- but didn't taste a thing like vodka!  And I mean that.  There was no aftertaste.  Just pure, fruity deliciousness.

It was completely home made by one of my good friend's mom.  She would fill a jar up with vodka and would add slices of fruit (my personal favorite:  strawberries).  She would then put the jar out in the sun for months at a time, until the vodka absorbed all of the juice from the fruit.  So, for example, when strawberry slices are added to the vodka, the vodka turns dark red (and it truly does absorb all of the color....the strawberries themselves seem to turn a pale brown/dark yellow).

And to make the shots even stronger, some "lucky" participants would get a slice of the fruit when being poured a shot.  Now those things were chock-full-o-alcohol (and not quite as tasty)!  Like I said, this stuff was so good that I'd have people requesting orders of it.

I sent a text to my buddy (the one whose mom created the stuff) to get better details on how she actually did it.  So stay tuned for an update should I hear back from him.

UPDATE:  Here's a more detailed description from my friend:

She used to take plain vodka with various fruits with a little bit of sugar in a mason jar.  Then every day for 30 days she would put them outside in the sun to infuse the flavors.

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Dive Bar Shirt Club: Backdoor Tavern

A week or so ago I received an e-mail from Dive Bar Shirt Club telling me that this would be my last shirt and that I would have to renew my membership.  I thought long and hard about whether I wanted to continue this service.  I mean, I really do love it -- and it is a lot of fun getting a "present" every single month. And the shirts are a nice quality that I wear all the time.  Plus, it's neat getting shirts from all around the country.  I've really, really enjoyed it.  However, while affordable, it is still a somewhat hefty investment (I would like to remind everybody, though, that you can subscribe for any time period.  It doesn't have to be a year) and above all else, I'm running out of drawer space.  Ultimately, I decided that I would either continue my membership for a shorter period of time, or I would go on a brief hiatus and re-evaluate things after a couple of months.

And in the end, that's what I decided to do.  I'm going to end my membership at this point, and decide in 2013 if I want to go back.  Having said that, I HIGHLY recommend this as a gift idea for anybody out there.  It's a really cool idea and I've been really pleased with each shirt.  Like I said, I wear them all the time.

Okay, with that introduction out of the way, let's get to this month's shirt.  If it's my last one, I really think I went out on top.  For one, it's a color I've never received before (and this is my 24th shirt).  It's teal, which I actually quite like.  And the design on the front of a woman sitting within a circle is awesome.  Again, unlike any I've received in the past.  And finally, it's from an a part of the country that hasn't been ventured yet in my Dive Bar Shirt Club history, Knoxville, Tennessee.  The only downside?  They don't have a website, which means ordinarily means that I have to manually type out what's on the bulletin.  However, since the introduction was already a million pages long, I'm just going to copy and paste from an article that was linked from their Facebook page:

Ted Cook played basketball for the University of Tennessee and was best known for his dominant performance in the 1943 Southeastern Conference Tournament title game against Kentucky. Cook, known as a practical joker, was commonly called by the nickname, "Joe Toddy." While the origins of the name are a mystery, by the late 40's only UK coaching legend Adolph Rupp refused the moniker.

When Cook was a no-show at a Kentucky visit to Alumni Gym in the late 40's Rupp was said to have turned and asked, "Where the hell's Cook, I haven't heard him all night?" to note the absence of his biggest heckler, who regularly procured seats directly behind the Wildcats bench for their games in Knoxville.

Cook opened the liquor store and tavern at the then Knoxville city limits on what was formally known as Thunder Road. His sons and widow ran the businesses in the 1990's. Toddy's Liquor Store, under older Brother John Cook, moved to 4887 Kingston Pike in late 2007. Toddy's Back Door Tavern remains at 4951 under younger brother Barry and is now known simply as the Back Door Tavern or BDT.

Backdoor Tavern Facebook Page:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/BDT-The-Back-Door-Tavern/32198371737

Dive Bar Shirt Club: Website - Twitter - Facebook

Dive Bar Shirt Club T-Shirt Gallery

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Trending Topics - Once Upon A Time season finale thoughts - [a case of the summer]

So this continues my "season finale thoughts" series, however it's under the "Trending Topics" banner.  Follow that?  Okay, let's move on.

Now, even though the season finale of Once Upon A Time aired three or four months ago, I'm still going to respect those that may not have seen it yet by doing a page break, with spoilers obviously within.  Also, catch a trailer for the upcoming second season at the end of my column!  So....

Continue reading "Trending Topics - Once Upon A Time season finale thoughts - [a case of the summer]"....

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LIVE Raw thoughts - September 10, 2012

11:15 - The WWE Creative Twitter account put it best when they said that this was the right segment at the wrong time.  You take away the anxiety of the Jerry Lawler situation and that promo would be considered a huge sell point (and it may still be).  Bret Hart handled himself well, but CM Punk and John Cena BOTH gave incredible promos that really solidified where each of them stand.  Believe it or not, it was John Cena who made sense of Punk's entire heel turn.  That exchange was definitely up there along with last year's Summer of Punk.  Both guys did an absolute fantastic job.  And again, it must not have been easy.

Things ended on a positive note, and I hope that maintains itself.  It was a really scary night, but the Superstars, backstage crew, announce team, and the company itself handled things really well.  We'll be praying for you, Lawler.

11:00 - Evidently, in Montreal, Hating John Cena > Being Worried About Jerry Lawler.

10:51 - Cody Rhodes vs. The Miz could be interesting (as would a three way with Mysterio).  By the way, Cena and Hart are in a particularly difficult situation.  You can release and hide your emotions a lot easier if you're wrestling than if you're out there talking.  It must be tough to do a long promo right now.

And -- God willing -- if Lawler is okay (and I truly hope he is), I'll make a joke about WWE.com posting a photo of him with the Intercontinental Title.

10:46 - And while this may go without saying, it shouldn't go unsaid.  Bravo to these professionals -- like Cody Rhodes, Rey Mysterio, and the referee -- for going out there during what must be a scary time.  I'll be honest and say that I don't know if all of these guys are close to Lawler, but he's certainly a fixture for them.  It must be scary not knowing about his well being.

10:40 - That was the right way to handle the situation.  Michael Cole gave us an update and then, in respect to Lawler and (I assume) his co-workers, he announced that they would continue the show without commentary.  This is unsettling, of course, but a totally understandable and respectable solution.  And, again, Cole handled the situation -- which must be very personally difficult for him -- with a lot of professionalism and grace.  Let's all keep hoping for the best.

10:36 - As I said, I completely commend WWE for respecting the relationship these announcers have formed with each other, but I do wish they would send somebody out there right now.  The silence is extremely disheartening.  Maybe Regal or Striker or someone?  Just to set the viewing audience at ease -- or update them at least.

10:32 - By the way, we can debate the morality of continuing a show during a personal crisis or death (I'm referring to past instances here), but I do commend WWE for allowing Michael Cole to take a reprieve to compose himself, if that's indeed what they were doing.  I REALLY hope they weren't prepping him for reporting some tragic news.  Really keeping my fingers crossed that everything is okay.

10:26 - The fact that Sheamus came out looking so distracted and the fact that Cole isn't providing any commentary at all right now makes me a bit nervous.

10:25 - David Otunga needs to grow his goatee back.

10:19 - An entirely human moment from Michael Cole that he handled with a lot of dignity.  We should all surely pray for Jerry Lawler right now, as it sounds awfully severe.  That was a very scary moment.

10:17 - Glad Del Rio brought the white scarf back.  But there's still nothing that interests me about him.  At all.

10:12 - HEY!  Alberto Del Rio FINALLY took my advice and brought the white scarf back.  I think the black trunks and boots are bad ass, but the white scarf (which, for his entire WWE career, has been used as a symbol of his wealth and purity) was an important aspect of his character that should not have been replaced with a black one.

10:05 - Fun ending to the match.  And hey, it's been a while since we've seen a legitimate "two guys who hate each other teaming together" storyline.  Plus, if they win the tag titles (and hopefully they do), it'll actually increase the exposure to that title.

Apparently Jerry Lawler collapsed?  I didn't notice anything until I read someone mention it on Twitter.  Then after the Kane/Bryan match, I could see Cole was alone.  Any word on what happened?

10:01 - When this audience is enthusiastic, they're GREAT.  But when they're not, man are they ever quiet.

9:53 - Here's hoping they give Kane and Daniel Bryan the title shot at Night of Champions.  I'm all for pushing new guys and the Prime Time Players seem to be developing nicely, but veterans like Kane and Daniel Bryan are onto something good right now.  No need to resist the temptation to push them in that spot.

9:47 - Titus....Darren Young....AJ....lots of NXT going on there.

9:42 - Quite the different career path these two former Nexus members have taken, huh?

9:28 - I know I made fun of WWE and their overly dramatic camera work earlier in the show, but I do have to applaud the awesome shot of Punk and Heyman casually talking to each other on the outside of the ring, with the action taking place in the background.  Pretty incredible shot of that RKO, in particular.

9:24 - Annnnnnnd WWE.com finally fixed their Antonio Cesaro/US Champion graphic!  With a new crappy photoshop image!

http://www.wwe.com/shows/nightofchampions/2012/pre-show-battle-royal-26050963

9:19 - By the way, it looks like WWE.com brought back WWE Unlimited (now called WWE Live Stream), which shows what happens during the commercial break:

http://www.wwe.com/inside/livestream

This is cool, but I seem to recall that they got some heat from USA Network because they were pulling people away while they were supposed to be watching the commercials.  Or am I just imagining that?

9:16 - Explain to me again why Alberto Del Friggin Rio gets to make Randy Orton tap, but CM Punk has to be rescued from him?

9:07 - You know how I said that Punk's heel turn was flimsy?  His traditional heelish actions sometimes make it worse.  Again, they didn't present it the best way, but I could believe that Punk's demand to be respected could be the catalyst for a heel turn.  But why is he suddenly walking away from and leaving matches?  This is a guy who SHOULD legitimately believe that he's the best in the world.  And honestly, the way he's been pushed and presented should give him the confidence he needs to believe just that.  The possibility of losing shouldn't even enter his mind.  So why is he running away?  He shouldn't revert to those actions.

9:03 - It's a good thing Orton shaved his beard, or else this could get a little confusing.

9:00 - I'm actually rather surprised they'd waste an Orton/Punk match completely unadvertised on a throwaway Raw.

8:57 - By the way, can I mention how ludicrous this whole Brogue Kick ban is?  I mean, the move is entirely legal.  We're now banning moves because they're TOO effective?  Please.

8:48 - Wait, did Alicia Fox turn heel?  Or is this one of those "she hasn't been on TV in a while and we need a third Diva for the heel side" things?

8:41 - Between the legalese and silly camera angles, I can't tell if I'm watching Boston Legal or Raw.  This is trying to be artsy for its own good.  Went on entirely too long.

8:34 - How sad is this?  This is a screencapture of WWE.com, which shows Antonio Cesaro with the Intercontinental Championship (yes, another crappy photoshop job).  Even the staff of their own website doesn't know which person holds their secondary titles....

8:24 - It's sad that the U.S. and Intercontinental Championship PPV matches have been demoted to "hey, we'll have a battle royal on the pre-show to determine the challenger."  They did this just a few months ago, when Christian returned.  They obviously know who's going to win....why not just spend the next couple of weeks building up a story for the match?

8:17 - I have to say, that was a pretty brilliant way to solidify Punk's heel turn.  I know that it's fairly obvious that he's been a pretty full blown heel for several weeks now, but it's also fair to say that there's been a certain reluctance, but from the live audience and the bookers (deliberately so).  After all, it's not as if they've had Punk come out and insult the hosting city, or have him beat up some plucky underdog.  His hostility has been centered pretty solely on Lawler and Cena.  This week was the first time we've seen him as downright sinister.  He did attack the city and he did make threats towards somebody who is popular and somebody who would have trouble defending himself.  And because of Punk's popularity -- and because of the fact that his edginess attracts people -- Bret Hart in Montreal was a VERY, VERY rare opportunity to actually get the audience to turn against him.  And while the basis for his heel turn has been sorta flimsy, Punk did a great job coming across as, well, psychotic and evil.  His taunting of Jerry Lawler was particularly fun.

My one gripe:  How does Punk go from paying homage to Hart with his trunks to having such hostility towards him?

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Summer of Excitement - DustBuster Reunion & Travel Woes - [a case of the summer]

As I indicated when I first introduced the Summer of Excitement, something doesn't need to be shocking or life altering in order to qualify.  In some cases, it may be something fun that's still relatively basic and pre-planned.  And that's what happened this week, when I reunited with my group of friends from high school.  For whatever reason (and surprisingly, not at all wrestling related), several groups of friends in our high school had group names, and ours was the DustBusters (long story).  Now over a decade out of high school, we're all pretty scattered about and it's difficult to get together.  Most have moved out of state.  Several even left the tri-state area.  One even left the country altogether.  The friend who left the country has returned for the week, so this Saturday we made every effort to get as many of us together as possible.

That isn't to say the weekend wasn't completely devoid of spontaneity.  It was a long, tiring week and I knew I'd have to wake up early Saturday (for my trip to the Hoboken Biergarten), so I initially planned on staying in.  But Friday afternoon I heard from our good friend Neal (of Oblivious to Melody), who suggested we meet at Barcade.  Knowing that Neal wasn't going to be able to make it Saturday -- and of course loving Barcade -- I took him up on the offer.  And I was really glad I decided to go out.

Saturday night was a great time as well.  We grabbed a few drinks at some Mexican restaurant/bar (where apparently Lady Gaga used to bartend) before going to Sparks Steakhouse (a delicious but entirely too expensive restaurant).  We then went hopping around to a couple of bars before finally heading home for the night.  The moments that we're all together are few and far between these days, so it was really nice getting to see a bunch of these friends.

Perhaps the real "excitement" -- in the most negative sense of the word -- of the weekend related to my constant travel woes.  When I left work Friday evening, my car indicated that I had about 40 miles left before I was out of gas.  There's a gas station I always hit on Route 46 right before I get onto the Parkway, so I figured I'd go there.  However, when I arrived, the place was boarded up and closed.  I still had about 20 miles left (barely enough to get home), so I figured I'd just risk it.  I knew that I'd be going to Jersey City that night, and would be passing a gas station on my way to the Turnpike.  However, when I got there (and now I'm literally at 0 miles left), that gas station was ALSO boarded up and closed.  I frantically drove around trying to find a gas station (again, still on 0) but couldn't find anything.  I finally had to drive back to my hometown to get to the one gas station I knew would be open.  And then, on top of that, there was a detour on the road to the bar, forcing me to go rather out of my way and park in a not-so-nice area of town. Poor Neal waited about an hour before I showed up.

And Saturday wasn't without its fair share of stress either.  After dinner we went to a couple of bars.  Before arriving at the second one, I realized I needed to stop at an ATM.  I walked around looking for a bank (opposed to a bodega), but couldn't find anything.  I also realized that I now REALLY needed to pee.  So I walked around and simultaneously tried to find a bank and a place I could sneak into to use the bathroom.  I finally achieved the latter (quite a nice place, too) and then just settled on a convenience store to use their ATM (with their outrageous fees).  I also got so mixed up in my journey that I barely remembered how to get back to the bar.  I was probably gone for a half hour -- the hijinx I get myself into when left to my own devices.

And finally, there was the ride home.  I decided to take the bus back, so I arrived at the bus terminal and bought my ticket.  I made sure to check which gate I had to go to, and I went directly to there to ensure I was in the right place.  There were a fair amount of people there, so I felt confident.  We waited for about a half hour, but no bus was arriving.  Some girl finally went downstairs to ask what was going on, and it turns out the buses were being redirected and that we needed to go through the basement to an entirely other building.  So suddenly you had this whole group of strangers practically sprinting from our gate to another building, all hoping that the last bus hasn't left already (it would be two hours before another arrived, which was after 3:00 AM).  Thank the Lord, I caught my bus, but didn't get home until close to three in the morning.

But hey, totally worth it.

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A Case of Beer - Hoboken Biergarten - [a case of the summer]

I'm going to try something a little different for this week's edition of A Case of Beer.  I'm going to be spending the afternoon/early evening at the biergarten in Hoboken, NJ.  So, I'd like YOU to keep along with the fun on Twitter!

Follow the hashtag #acaseofbeer as I periodically update you on the happenings of my day and the beers I've enjoyed.  And, if for some reason that link didn't work, you're just going to have to manually do a search.

Here's to hoping this is a fun experiment.  Perhaps tomorrow I'll copy and paste all of the tweets to this page.

Update:  Follow the Conversation - 

Matt Basilo ‏@acaseofthetwit

And that's the end of this adventure! #acaseofbeerhttp://pic.twitter.com/aZBisIKP

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2hMatt Basilo ‏@acaseofthetwit

My food is being made #acaseofbeer http://pic.twitter.com/ZMFOH88f

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2hMatt Basilo ‏@acaseofthetwit

Possibly even better than the beer #acaseofbeerhttp://pic.twitter.com/MNHHePJC

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2hMatt Basilo ‏@acaseofthetwit

Uh, I asked for the LARGE one... #acaseofbeerhttp://pic.twitter.com/j1BLN5r4

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2hMatt Basilo ‏@acaseofthetwit

And I'm here!! #acaseofbeer http://pic.twitter.com/Bxu2w5ji

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3hMatt Basilo ‏@acaseofthetwit

And the journey begins! #acaseofbeer

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5hMatt Basilo ‏@acaseofthetwit

Follow the hashtag #acaseofbeer for this week's A Case Of Beer feature at the Hoboken biergarten!

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Trending Topics - WWE: Sucking the fun out of Twitter - [a case of the summer]

For those of you wondering (and I'm sure there are many), I will be continuing my [a case of the summer] features until the official end of summer.  So, the week of September 16th will be the final installment of each feature.

Anyway, you'd have to be living under a rock to miss WWE's rather obsessive peddling of social media.  Honestly, it's relatively harmless stuff, usually just an annoyance or nuisance.  But at the end of the day, they're a company that needs to get their name out there, and this is a great (and for the most part, free) way to do that.  So I don't begrudge them for that.  However, what I do hold against them is the fact that, at times, they completely suck the fun out of the whole social media thing, particularly with Twitter.

I'll be the first to admit that I was reluctant to join the Twitter craze, but the truth is that it's a completely unique community that gives you unmatched access to celebrities, athletes, and even companies.  It still amazes me when I send some famous person a tweet and they write back as I think to myself, "I was just watching you on TV!"  Not to get all fanboy-y, but that's a pretty awesome feeling.  And it's happened with wrestlers, too.

And that's what's truly fun and awesome about Twitter.  You have guys like Kofi Kingston and AJ and Natalya and Eve and Zack Ryder and even grumpy pants CM Punk opening themselves up and interacting with fans.  We're truly getting a glimpse into their actual personalities, and we're given an opportunity to interact with them in ways I never thought would be possible.

But unfortunately, WWE can't leave well enough alone, as apparently putting a little graphic on the bottom of the screen for trending wasn't enough.  One second we're getting a glimpse into these characters' real life personalities, and the next second about 10 different Superstars "coincidentally" start tweeting about all of the contributions Triple H has made to the business or CM Punk kicking Lawler in the head or Big Show getting fired.  Or one second we're seeing AJ being her charming, humorous self -- and the next she's making official matches for Raw during the show.  And this actually defies logic....is WWE using Twitter to get people to watch Raw, or are they using Raw to get people to go on Twitter in order to get breaking information?

There's three hours of Raw, two hours of Smackdown, an hour of Superstars, their Saturday morning TV show, there's WWE.com, there's WWE Magazine.....is WWE really under the impression that people are flocking to Twitter to see these guys in character?

And again, there are some things I do understand in order to keep the intrigue of their show.  I understood why they took AJ and Ryder off of Twitter when they were selling their injuries.  I understand why they teach their talent to use pre-approved hashtags when promoting an event (this actually really does make sense).  And I also understand why they wouldn't want guys acting like they're best friends in "real life" while they're feuding on TV (and guys like Ryder and Ziggler have mastered this....they're tongue in cheek in their interactions, so younger fans probably think they legitimately don't like each other, while older fans appreciate the friendly barbs thrown at each other).  But instructing the Superstars to tweet certain things (some of which DO defy their character) in order to push a storyline that is already being shoved down our throats on TV?  That just completely sucks the fun out of something that can be an amazingly powerful promotional tool.

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LIVE Raw thoughts - September 3, 2012

11:07 - I think we ALL expected CM Punk to interfere in that main event.  Particularly when they gave the opportunity for the action to continue backstage.  But the appearance of Paul Heyman, in cahoots with CM Punk, was a genuine surprise.  Bravo.  My only apprehension is:  Does Punk need Heyman?  Punk can speak for himself, and I'm concerned that aligning him with Heyman will only inherently lead to Punk playing second fiddle to Lesnar.

11:04 - I know that the entire Internet will hate the fact that John Cena knowingly raised his eyebrows upon looking at Del Rio's car, but I thought it was great.

10:49 - Geez, how many consecutive lawsuit storylines are we going to be having?  Hell, we have two going on right now!

10:46 - So if I'm not mistaken, we know the WWE and World Heavyweight Championship matches, as well as the Divas Championship match (Layla vs. Kaitlyn).  I would guess the Tag Team title match will either be Kofi/Truth vs. Prime Time Players or Epico/Primo or both.  But what on earth will the US and Intercontinental title matches be?  Based on the current booking, I wouldn't even be able to guess.  Oddly, the event is in two weeks and tonight did nothing to build either of those matches.

10:37 - So if the Kane/Daniel Bryan segment maybe went on a BIT too long, the Vikki/AJ segment definitely went on WAY too long.  I don't get it...why doesn't AJ just fire Vikki and then beat the crap out of her?

10:23 - I do have to wonder if these Twitter wars are instructed by WWE (and it's obvious they DO instruct their talent to write certain things) or if they're doing it to get some TV attention.  By the way, interesting dynamic having Miz defend Zack Ryder while Cole argued for Heath Slater.

10:19 - You know how I always defend WWE against these people who obnoxiously say "Be A Star" whenever something mean happens on their scripted show?  Well, now I WILL take a shot at the Alliance.  They have Perez Hilton doing commercials for them now.  Yeah, the guy who called somebody a "f#ckin' f#ggot!" is talking about how HE'S been made fun of and how that's mean and wrong.  THAT, my friends, is hypocrisy.

10:13 - I don't care for Cesaro's new theme music.  His original one sounded unique.  Do we need to hear another generic mainstream song used as a theme?

10:05 - That was a BIT long, but let me tell you what I liked about that segment:

- Daniel Bryan treating the hug like technical wrestling (behaving like he's going to lock up, when going for the hug)
- The chest bump teases
- Daniel Bryan yelling, "You didn't hug me!" when the hug wasn't returned
- The Miz providing actual color analysis for the hug
- The Miz wondering why a referee needs to be present for a hug
- Michael Cole asking, "is this what happens after you hug" when the fight breaks out
- The live audience blowing up when the hug finally happened

10:00 - In case you didn't realize it, Kane and Daniel Bryan hugging is the main event of hour #2 of Raw.

9:56 - I got a kick out of Cole's concerned, "that could have been me!" when talking about Kane beating up Josh Mathews.

9:49 - By the way, just going by my Twitter timeline, #WWEHug is so totally going to win this thing.

9:45 - Am I the only one surprised that Michael Cole is being so argumentative with Miz?  Cole has really been on his A-Game tonight.  I almost wish he was still out there alone.

9:39 - I'm not of the opinion that all heels need to be cartoon villainy, but it is a bit strange seeing one heel doing something so selfless like throwing his body in front of an attack, and then having another heel so torn up about the first heel's well being.

9:32 - Wow, Layla is even worse on commentary than Miz.  And ironically, that was the most fire we've seen out of Miz since he took the seat.

Also, I got a kick out of AJ crying about all of the people leaving her, mentioning Jericho as one of the individuals.  Let's be fair:  She was the one who came up with the "if you lose, your contract is terminated" stipulation.

9:20 - Despite the gods intervening and having the match canceled three months in a row, WWE has insisted on having this Sheamus/ADR storyline last for several months....and I feel like the build up is exactly the same each and every month.

9:17 - I have to say, for such a talented promo guy, I'm a little shocked that Miz isn't a better color commentator.  He seems mildly uncomfortable out there.  Anyone else agree?

9:13 - "CM Punk not only walked out on Sheamus, but his hometown of Chicago."  Did Michael Cole not learn anything from Jerry Lawler's mistakes?

9:09 - AJ not recognizing Matt Striker was odd and random and sorta funny.

9:04 - I'm curious what the endgame is for this Bryan/Kane Anger Management stuff.  Last week I proposed that the anger management leads to Kane redeeming himself with Zack Ryder, but I'm wondering now if it's actually leading towards a Bryan/Kane team.  Wondering if we'll see more later tonight.  I still like my Ryder idea, though.

8:58 - By the way, the tops Rey Mysterio now wears are pretty awkward looking when they're not made of the same material as the pants.  Oh, and Punk/Sheamus isn't even closing?  Is anyone interested in Cena/ADR?  Unless that's going to be the main event of hour 2?

8:54 - I think I asked this last week, but has any announcer mentioned the fact that Cody Rhodes used to wear a mask and that he felt liberated when he finally took it off?  This seems like a sensible motive for his mask obsession and a good way to support the storyline....but I'm yet to hear any announcer mention it (but, to be fair, I typically don't catch Smackdown).

8:36 - Perhaps we'll see a full-on feud between Ziggler and Orton?  I'd be okay with that.  As a side note, Michael Cole did a really effective job on commentary on his own.  Let's see what happens with Miz as his partner.

8:27 - Anyone else check out the CM Punk vs. Sheamus graphic on WWE.com (below)?  My goodness, is that an awful photo of Punk to use.  He looks like a defeated old man who needs a nap.  And it amazes me how WWE.com, despite being super slick and pretty state-of-the-art, constantly has the absolute worst photoshop jobs with their Superstars having titles that are clearly not actually draped over their shoulders.  I could do a better job.

8:16 - An intriguing opening promo.  I'm glad they didn't have Punk try to turn the Chicago crowd against him.  This entire heel turn has been based around the premise of him wanting respect, so it wouldn't make much sense for him to reject the one audience that was guaranteed to give him that respect.  Having said that, I'm not entirely sure what this promo did for Sheamus.  The fact that he stumbled a bit with his lines hurt him a bit (although I think he recovered nicely), but I was disappointed that he didn't defend his title a bit more.  Like, literally.  Punk pretty decisively claimed that the WWE Championship is more prestigious (which we all obviously know is true), so I wish Sheamus fought back and argued that greats like Triple H, Batista, Edge, Randy Orton, Kurt Angle, the Undertaker, and even Punk himself proudly defended the World Heavyweight Championship.  I'm interested in seeing how Punk vs. Sheamus goes down, though.

8:04 - Unique way to open the show, although I was REALLY hoping they would put this whole Lawler/Punk thing to rest.  CM Punk and John Cena have amazing chemistry together -- they truly bring the best out of each other in every regard.  Why do they feel the need to overcomplicate things by injecting Jerry Lawler?  For the matter, how does CM Punk go from overcoming Miz, ADR, Dolph Ziggler, Chris Jericho, Daniel Bryan, and Kane to struggling in hand to hand combat with Jerry friggin' Lawler?

7:06 - Hard to believe it's already September, isn't it?  Anyway, I thought we'd have an earlier than usual pre-Raw discussion this week.  A couple of days ago I was thinking about it, and isn't it remarkable (in a discouraging way) how many Superstars -- many of them upper midcarders -- that don't have any feuds going on at all.  Right now our main storylines are CM Punk vs. John Cena (with a hint of Jerry Lawler in the mix), Sheamus vs. Alberto Del Rio (with Booker T occasionally thrown in) and Daniel Bryan vs. Kane (with AJ involved as well).  Then we have some casual feuds further down the card, like Cody Rhodes vs. Sin Cara, Brodus Clay vs. Damien Sandow, and Ryback vs. Jinder Mahal.  But here's the thing....will any of those last three legitimately see a PPV match?  No, probably not.  And I guess you could throw Kofi/Truth vs. Prime Time Players vs. Epico/Primo in there too.

But then we've got Intercontinental Champion The Miz and United States Champion Antonio Cesaro who really aren't in any feuds whatsoever.  And then there are upper midcarders and legitimate main eventers such as Randy Orton, Dolph Ziggler, Rey Mysterio, Big Show, Christian, Santino, and Tensai who don't have any feuds going on whatsoever.  I mean, is Christian injured or something?  I haven't even seen him on TV since practically getting squashed by Sandow.

They're actually quite fortunate the Night of Champions is their next PPV, because half of the story is already written for them.  They basically just have to insert the challengers and make the issue about getting the title.  But otherwise, I'd have to wonder how they'd throw together their next card.

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