Proud High School Alum!

I hope everybody has had an enjoyable and filling Thanksgiving!

As many of you know, the firm I work at does an annual video where we loosen our ties and have a little fun.  Three years ago (our first video), we did a continuous shot of our staff lip syncing to the Black Eyed Peas' "Tonight's Gonna Be a Good Night."  The following year, we did a flash mob in New York City.  And last year, we did a mish mash of several different songs and office locations.  We're actually filming our fourth installment next week (which I'm very excited about), but it seems like my old high school is getting in on the fun.

In something I totally would have enjoyed doing, here's the faculty and students walking the halls of the school and outdoor campus lip syncing to Katy Perry's "ROAR!"  It's great and a lot of fun.  Give it a viewing:


THS ROARS! from THS-TV on Vimeo.

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Another adventurous bus ride from the city!

It's been a while since I've posted anything non-LIVE thoughts related, so I thought I'd give a little update on yesterday's adventure in New York City.  I went to the New York City Craft Beer Festival at the Lexington Armory with a couple of college friends and it was, as you might expect, a great time.  We had a lot of beer and, amazingly, everybody there was very well behaved.  After the festival we walked over to the Shake Shack and enjoyed some dinner while freezing our ass off sitting outside.  We capped off the evening by going to a nearby bar and having a couple of Angry Balls (ha!  No, but really....Angry Orchard hard cider mixed with Fireball cinnamon whiskey).  At about 7:00 I made my way back to the bus terminal to return to New Jersey.  And just like last time, it ended up being quite the adventure.

First and foremost, instead of pressing the "Stop Requested" button, people just started yelling out "STOP!" when they wanted to get off at the next stop.  And then, on top of that, the bus driver didn't even seen to know where half of the stops were.  He'd pass by them and people would have to yell (again) that they wanted to get off at the last stop, which he had just passed.  But perhaps the odd thing that happened was when this somewhat older gentleman -- probably in his 60's or so -- walked onto the bus.  He stood there on the stairs and just sorta stared at the bus driver.  He didn't really say anything and he certainly didn't look threatening.  He just stood there, as if he was going to say something.  Finally the driver said "can you please take a seat?"  The guy hesitated for a moment and then took a seat.  About two or so stops later he prepared to get off.  He once again stood near the bus driver and just stood there.  And finally, the driver asked if he was going to get off.  He again hesitated, and then got off the bus.  He then stood outside, on the curb, and stood by the door looking in.  He then put up his hand and waved as the doors closed.  It was extremely unusual.

So that was my adventurous ride home from the city.

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LIVE Raw thoughts - November 18, 2013

11:03 - I will admit that the Mysterio return was a fun surprise.  And -- AGAIN! -- they end the show on Bryan's music, not Punk's.  Even though Punk won the match.

11:01 - The last five minutes of that match....why on EARTH is this not happening at the PPV instead of Rowan & Harper getting a tag match???

10:39 - Great crowd tonight.

10:35 - I will say this...the artwork for these Survivor Series promos are kinda all sorts of awesome.

10:33 - I am still shocked...SHOCKED....that they aren't putting this on the PPV.

10:29 - I still don't like Bryan's pony tail.  And I think the Goat Face shirt is lame compared to his recent awesome ones.

10:26 - WWE just used more pyro for this performance than they have in the past year on Raw.

10:23 - I won't deny that Florida Georgia Line are far bigger stars than virtually any wrestler, but how many fans said "I hope Road Dogg shows up" or "I hope Mickie James shows up"?  More than a few.  How many said "I can't wait to watch Raw to see a country music performance?"  Virtually none.

10:00 - Still hate when Alberto Del Rio comes out in a t-shirt.  Completely contradicts his aristocratic character.  I still dislike any scarf he wears that isn't white (remember how they used to make a big deal out of how it represented purity and wealth?)

9:56 - When, in kayfabe terms, you return from injury too early and re-injure yourself, you can't really call that "bad luck."

9:49 - Orton having the Shield watch is back while demanding respect....it's like watching Punk from last year.

9:47 - Shocked...and THRILLED!....that they gave Ziggler the win there.

9:41 - "What?  It's the go-home show before a PPV?  Let's talk about the announcer's selfies."

9:28 - AJ's accidental face turn > Miz's purposeful heel turn

Honestly, why is this girl NOT a face now?  I really hope this was the actual turn.  Oh, and I SOOOO hope that the non-Total Divas aren't made out to be the jealous bad guys in the elimination match.  Although I am excited that AJ and JoJo will now be in the same match!

9:25 - So is this entire segment just an FU to AJ for passing out?

9:23 - After all of these years, it's quite shocking that Vickie doesn't have theme music.

9:19 - According to Twitter, the Miz did turn heel.  And while it didn't set the world on fire, I do appreciate the fact that they actually had him turn.  How often do we just see somebody transition from heel to face or face to heel without doing anything to demand the turn?  Yes, it's good to give the audience that sort of power, but it feels like so long since we've seen a truly memorable turn.

9:18 - I stepped away.  Any heel turns?

9:11 - Think we'll see that Miz heel turn tonight?  And with the way both he and Kofi have been treated the past few months, do you think anybody will even care?

9:01 - I'm not really a Ryback fan, but I just don't understand why they're messing with a potential investment.  There are repeated rumors of a match with Goldberg or Brock or Undertaker or whoever, and having him job every week -- even if he looks dominant -- only tarnishes that.  Why not just keep him off TV for a few weeks or months?  Let him redevelop and allow the audience to WANT to see him again.  WWE already jobs out half of their roster...there's no reason to use him in this role.

8:44 - The only thing less interesting than watching a game of musical chairs is watching a CRAPPY game of musical chairs.

8:38 - Most certainly the right move.  However, Axel without the title AND without Heyman probably does not bode well for him.

8:19 - I have to admit, Orton using the mic to pummel Maddox was a cool effect.  Actually sounded brutal.

8:11 - Strangely, Kane has wore more outfits in the past three weeks than he has in his prior 20 years in WWE combined.  By the way, I'm betting (hoping?) that Langston wins the IC title and he joins the Traditional Survivor Series team.

8:03 - I hadn't intended on doing Raw thoughts tonight, instead opting to relax and watch the show.....but the announcement of tonight's main event was enough to annoy me into posting something.  People were seriously looking forward to Bryan/Punk/Rhodes/Usos vs. Shield/Wyatts at Survivor Series....why on EARTH would they announce two inferior matches for the PPV (Byran/Punk vs. Wyatts and Rhodes/Usos/??? vs. Shield/Real Americans) and give THAT match away, on free TV, on the Raw before the PPV?

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LIVE The Walking Dead thoughts - Episode 4-6

Be sure to click the link below for my LIVE thoughts of this week's episode of The Walking Dead.  Obviously, spoilers are within!

Continue reading "LIVE The Walking Dead thoughts - Episode 4-6"....

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LIVE Raw thoughts - November 11, 2013

11:08 - I have to say, that was a REALLY fun ending to Raw.  Ever since the Wyatts seemed to threaten the Shield's placement as the top heel team (not necessarily within the storylines, but rather to the fans and to the front office), there has always been this unspoken tension between them.  And they've always been kept apart.  Yet here they are, finally intersecting....and it.  Was.  Awesome.  The argument.  The tease.  The actual beatdown.  It was done perfectly.  As was the eventual pull apart and realization that they have a common enemy.  Very, very well done.  And you know what's rather telling, as well?  Bryan's music -- and not Punk's -- played to end the show.

10:48 - Is this the first time we've seen the Shield against CM Punk?  Punk and Shield had a brief -- but not quite official -- semi-alliance.

10:42 - Still don't dig the Daniel Bryan ponytail.  And bring back the ring jacket!

10:40 - This is like the longest feud ever.  These two have essentially been feuding since, like, June.

10:38 - Not sure why Heyman is so resentful towards Ryback and seemingly fine with Curtis Axel.  It's not as if Axel protected him any better.

10:29 - Wait....really???  Again, I'm all for a challenger being pushed strong, but it was at the expense of the wrong person.  They're trying to push Big E as a monster face....why is he tapping out clean to Del Rio?

10:28 - Are those little devil horns on Del Rio's tights design?  If so, nice touch!

10:17 - If they're NOT going to push Ryback, they need to just keep him off of TV.  I don't particularly like the guy, but jobbing him out is just destroying their investment.  Wrestling fans have a longer memory than you think, and having him tapping out to main event guys and losing to midcarders who rarely make a PPV payday destroys the appeal of a future match with Goldberg or Undertaker -- both of which have been rumored at one time or another.  Just keep him off TV.

10:11 - I know Nattie is supposed to be a beloved Internet darling, but I sorta love when they have AJ make her tap.  AJ was big time fodder for Natalya when she turned heel and joined up with Beth Phoenix.  It just shows how far she's come.

10:02 - That was actually a pretty fun match.  I'm sure people will complain about Cena beating two guys, and that's a fair complaint.  But it's not as if he squashed the guys, and it is the inconsistent Real Americans.  I did fear that Cena would piss away all of the goodwill he earned by promoting Cesaro at a live event, by making him tap out in a handicap match on TV.

9:36 - Yeah, that was a strange clip.  Fandango was pretty much the ONLY one who didn't come across looking badly.

9:30 - Wow, I actually really loved that segment with the Shield.  So rarely is ANYBODY allowed to show a backbone that it was such a relief to see this group of three stand up for themselves.  Well done.

9:20 - This is like a video game crowd, randomly yelling generic chants regardless of whether they make sense in the context of the match.

9:13 - I was just reading an article on WWE.com and they noted how Kane's pocket square is supposed to resemble a flame.  That is quite possibly the most awesome "Little Thing" I've ever seen.  Well done!

9:09 - I'm all for champions actually winning....AND cleanly.  But it's sad to see Ziggler filling that role.  Has there ever been a period in time that virtually every single "Internet darling" was being handled in such a disappointing manner?

8:58 - When Dolph was put in a feud for the United States Championship a couple months ago, I was disappointed because it was such a step down from being World Champion.  Now, I'd be relieved if he won the Intercontinental Championship, as it would be a sad step up from where he's been at.

8:53 - I still really wish they would do something with Kofi Kingston.  Has he done anything in the past year and a half?

8:48 - While I think a little bit of an edge could only do Damien Sandow good, I do fear that he's now moved into that group of people who abandon their unique entrance attire to just wear their t-shirt to the ring.

8:39 - I just now noticed that Los Matadores have switched between pink masks and blue masks.  And Jesus Christ....why must we see a variation of this match AGAIN!  What percentage of matches have Los Matadores' matches been against 3MB?

8:29 - Do they need to go the entire show without an announce table now?

8:25 - While I like Cody's green gear, I'm kinda surprised he doesn't wear a gold/black combo that matches Goldust's garb.

Still miss the mustache, though.

8:12 - So odd that Vickie is acting like the face here.

8:09 - Who grows their hair back just to appear to be balding?  I am curious, though, if they'll change Kane's theme.  And what will his gear look like?  I also find it funny that people keep calling him Libertarian, since he hasn't done anything particularly political.  He's just wearing a suit now.

8:01 - Oh, a lovely and touching video that everybody is going to get pissy about.  So self serving blah blah blah.  Now, onto business.  They've decided to recap the very portion of the show that most people hated the most.

7:51 - Alright, pre-Raw discussion time.  I haven't read the spoilers, so it's a "live" show for me.  Will we learn more about Kane's new role?  Will Miz turn heel?  Will it be a satisfying show for the viewers?  Check out in about 5-10 minutes to find out.

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LIVE The Walking Dead thoughts - Episode 4-5

Be sure to click the link below for my LIVE thoughts of this week's episode of The Walking Dead.  Obviously, spoilers are within!

Continue reading "LIVE The Walking Dead thoughts - Episode 4-5"....

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Random House Show Observation

I know the blog activity has been rather sparse lately, and for that I apologize.  I'll be better about posting stuff!  As a reminder, though, you can continue to follow my social media activities through Twitter and Instagram.  I haven't dropped off the face of the earth, after all.

Anyway, this quick post is just about a random observation I've made while viewing photos on WWE.com from their Live Events.  Like, for some reason, the Miz ALWAYS wears elbow pads at non-televised events, but he never wears them while wrestling on TV.  Why?  Secondly, the Great Khali -- who always wears bright red pants on TV -- typically wears dull blue pants at live events.  Considering that look is highly superior to the one he sports on TV, one must wonder why this is.

And to a much lesser extent, I've also noticed that Daniel Bryan usually wears older trunks while at house shows and overseas.  For example, he continued wearing the "NO!" tights at live events, despite the fact that he had returned to yelling "YES!" on TV.  And CM Punk tends to wear his WWEShop wristbands over his taped fist while wrestling at house shows.

Just something I've noticed.  Most curious about the Miz/elbow pad thing, to be honest.

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LIVE Raw thoughts - November 4, 2013

11:07 - Well this is a surprising sight of Kane.  And not a good one, for that matter.  Say what you will about Kane, but the guy didn't need a character rehaul.

10:45 - As others have noted, there's nothing less likable than traditionally "hot" women doing the "Loser" sign to the girl with the quirky personality.

10:42 - I will be glad when WWE gives up on this Bellas face turn run.

10:34 - Believe it or not, these Los Matadores highlights are from 15 separate 3MB matches.

10:23 - Is Ziggler's hair pink too?

10:07 - Wait, really?  They're going to RESHOW all this legal crap?  In its entirety?

10:00 - I wish they hadn't been so inconsistent with how they present Antonio Cesaro.  He always has these great showings against main event players, but then a couple of weeks later they'll have him jobbing to Santino.

9:48 - Tyson Kidd returns and gets a nice win after a strong performance.  But he's trending because of Total Divas.

9:46 - I like that Zeb and Del Rio are still hostile towards each other, despite now both being heels.  Nice touch.

9:41 - I'm not completely sold on this Goldust/Cody Rhodes mash up.  I normally love when they mash up two people's themes, but this doesn't seem to mesh.  It just seems like they're playing Cody's theme over Goldust's theme.

9:24 - Wait....THIS is how they reintroduce Tyson Kidd???

9:17 - This lawsuit is based on one person beating people up, and another person insulting people.  You really expect wrestling fans to get invested in that?  They watch three hours of that.

9:12 - I am quite certain that Dolph Ziggler would have received similar treatment had he been voted in.

9:01 - Wow, sorta surprised Big E won in such a landslide.

8:57 - Disappointed that WWE didn't get custom Red Sox side plates made for that championship.

8:50 - I'm pretty sure neither of those things were slander.

8:47 - Told ya' that would happen.

8:44 - Careful Alberto, you might accidentally show some personality.

8:37 - Greatttt, now we get to see the extremely entertaining and unique Kofi Kingston lose clean via tap out to the ultra dull and generic Alberto Del Rio.

8:33 - Yeah, if I'm going to start talking about wrestling, it's not going to be about this match.

8:27 - Wait, it's November.  October is over.  Why is the pink rope still there?  And who are the heels still wearing the inspiring Rise Above Cancer t-shirt line?

8:24 - Oh, another thing I hate about the sideburns.  He keeps the part of his facial hair that comes in patchy.

I promise, I'll talk about wrestling at some point tonight.

8:16 - Oh, forget Punk's sideburns....Bryan BEST be getting rid of that ponytail.

8:08 - I know I sound like a broken record, but I still can't stand Punk's sideburns.  Granted, the grown in hair and the lack of traditional facial hair DOES make him look younger and less angry, but I'm of the mindset that he's not SUPPOSED to look like a young up-and-comer.  Part of what made the pipebomb speech work was the fact that Punk -- with short hair and thick beard -- looked like a weathered veteran, and it gave his words a lot more substance than it would if he looked the part of a fresh faced youngster.  And I get it -- right now, he's not playing the part of the angry and bitter man impatiently waiting for his opportunity to get to the top, but still.  He looks better with that experienced edge.

So, to summarize, grow the damn beard back.

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