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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LIVE Raw thoughts - May 28, 2012

11:09 - I was actually really impressed with that show ending beat down.  Initially, I had wished Big Show did something cheap to get such an immediate upper hand on Brodus, but since he did essentially blindside him and he did use the table pretty early on, I was okay with it.  And using that plank of table -- instead of, say, a chair -- made for a great visual and really did look brutal.  The addition of Kofi and Truth worked as well.  While it was risky having one guy single-handedly dominate your tag champs, they both went down fighting so it worked.  And, again, Show throwing Kofi through the barricade looked painful.

I was REALLY glad that John Cena didn't show up, though.  So much damage had been done that if he had shown up, he would've looked like a massive jerk for not coming to their aid earlier.  Plus, Lawler going out of his way to tell viewers that his comments were "pre-recorded" now make sense.

This episode of Raw was a big improvement over the past few weeks.  Great job.

10:58 - Add Brodus Clay, Naomi, and Cameron to the list of people who get a special introduction.  And I said it before, but I hate that Brodus now introduces Naomi and Cameron.  It kills the momentum and build to HIS entrance.

10:49 - By the way, a pet peeve of mine is after each patriotic occasion, when WWE puts together one of their great pieces on the military, and there are cynical fans out there who go off on how self serving it is.  WWE goes above and beyond what they need to do in order to achieve good PR.  I legitimately believe that Vince McMahon has an extremely appreciative sense of respect for the military and that these packages come from the right place.  Not everything is so devious.

10:42 - That Memorial Day piece is another example of the great value John Cena -- the face -- brings to WWE.  He'd be a tough person to replace should they ever take him out of that role.

10:37 - What, did the writers read a psych book on logical motivations or something?  Miz bringing up the fact that he won Johnny control of both shows, yet everybody else seems to be benefiting from it.  Excellent point.

10:31 - To be fair, Eve did say "coffee" and not "iced coffee."  And you gave it to her in a coffee cup, not an iced coffee cup.  Sorry Teddy, but you were wrong.

10:24 - When they initially announced Jericho's suspension I thought nothing of it.  However, it did strike me as odd that Jericho was conveniently absent from the Smackdown tapings (which occurred before the suspension) and they just announced the suspension on-air in a rather awkward fashion.

By the way, Christian vs. Miz would've been an awesome feud when they were both being pushed as main eventers.  Not so much when Miz is on jobber duty.

10:19 - I have to say, overall, this Punk/Bryan/Kane/AJ thing is pretty interesting.  A LOT more interesting than Cena/Ace/Big Show.  Or even Lesnar/Triple H.  I don't have any issue with special attraction matches, and I'm not saying this as an Internet fanboy, but I really think the right decision here would be to close the PPV with Punk's match.  It's got intrigue, the fans are into it, something big is sure to happen, and it'll deliver....big time.

10:17 - Great use of AJ here, as it creates a sense of wonder about whether she meant to distract the ref for Punk or if she just messed up.  Plus, her giving Punk the chair not only ensured that Punk would remain safe, but it also allowed him to fight off Kane while he was beating on Bryan.

10:06 - Oh, and there's AJ's involvement!  This match just went from "like" to "LOVE!"

10:02 - By the way, I do have to admit that I do think that Kane's involvement in this feud has added a new layer of complexity.  And I do think that Kane is a relatively capable performer and potentially interesting character.  I don't mind him being inserted in the story -- BUT, I would like to see Punk vs. Bryan one-on-one at No Way Out (perhaps a submission match), before moving on to a three way feud with Kane.

9:59 - So what are the chances that Sheamus/ADR actually happens at No Way Out?  Hasn't this one-on-one match been canceled from the last two PPVs?  And rightfully so -- it's a dull match!

9:53 - I love that Punk's crazy beard is back.  And that he's on the cover of WWE 13.  But it seems like he's being used to shill the Cena/Ace storyline more than his own.

9:51 - "This game is gonna be bigger than Pac-Man!"  Awesome line.

9:41 - I actually like Brodus in this role.  His undefeated streak has to come to an end at some point, and the real challenge for him as a character will be how his career responds after that (I actually thought it would be cool if Brodus, Ryback, and Tensai's streaks culminated with the three facing each other), and here he gets to lose (I assume) and still look good by standing up to the challenge.  As long as it's not a squash -- and I highly doubt it will be -- I see this as a good thing.

9:31 - You know, I just noticed that we have quire a few Superstars who have somebody introduced just to introduce them.  Alberto Del Rio.  Dolph Ziggler.  Jack Swagger.  Anyone else?

9:24 - I don't know what it is, but Santino just bores me so much.  The US title is being wasted on him.  Why not give it to anyone else?

9:11 - While Big Show kicking off the show initially made me sigh with disappointment, I actually thought it did an effective job of explaining his motives.  He's right.  He did JUST get fired and suddenly Brodus and Kofi and Truth are dancing around celebrating.  And Cena did essentially ignore what happened to him.  Surprisingly effective promo.

8:16 - I hope everybody has had a safe and fun Memorial Day Weekend.  We really lucked out with the weather, huh?  Let's just hope the nice weather is here to stay!  Anyway, before getting to Raw, I thought we'd begin with a pre-show discussion.

You frequently hear from fans on Twitter, message boards, and other blogs that the WWE Championship needs to be re-established and "saved."  But my question is, does it really need to be saved?  I mean, sure, as "savvy" viewers we recognize that CM Punk and the Championship isn't closing the show, but does your typical fan see it that way?  The Internet Wrestling Community is constantly reminded that we're a small portion of the audience, which may be true, but we may also want to step back and recognize that our particular mindset is probably in the great minority as well.  I remember thinking back to when I was younger, and when Bret Hart won the Championship.  I didn't think to myself, "why are they giving this midcarder the championship?"  I just thought, "Bret's the champion now and he's a big deal."  Yes, there's the big difference here that Bret was then TREATED like a big deal.  But CM Punk has as well.  He's cleanly beat each person he's faced.  Has he wrestled in the last match of the night?  No.  But to be perfectly honest, I'm not sure a lot of fans make that connection.

Could they be doing more to make the championship seem more special?  Yes, of course.  But I also wouldn't say that what they're doing "isn't working" or that it doesn't hold any value.  I honestly do believe that your typical fan sees the belt as a big deal.  What are your thoughts?

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LIVE Raw thoughts - May 21, 2012

11:04 - Am I wrong that Zack Ryder didn't even get to run out with the rest of the babyfaces at the end of the show?  Yikes, that's not cool.

10:47 - Yeah, that was the problem with the Tensai character.  The "Lord" and robe.

10:42 - Cue the people talking about how Sesame Street or some other show has aired more than 1,000 episodes.

10:36 - Glad to see Kelly get the win but I'm surprised they had Kelly lose after being put on the Maxim list.

10:29 - There's nothing creepier than those segments where they show a Diva walking around backstage smiling.

10:23 - I didn't see Over the Limit last night and it seemed somewhat ambiguous whether or not that was an OFFICIAL face turn for Christian.  I figured that his opponent tonight would determine if he's a heel or face.  And since he's in there with a heel, I'm guessing this is officially stating him as a face.

I personally prefer Christian as a heel but he's effective as a face as well.  It's tough to say, though, whether this is a step up for him.  As a heel he'd be behind Daniel Bryan and arguably Alberto Del Rio.  But as a face he's behind Sheamus and Randy Orton.  Tough to say.

10:17 - Any combination of CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, and AJ is absolute gold.  Can the WWE Network PLEASE give these three a sitcom????

10:08 - I found that whole Punk/Bryan/Kane exchange pretty fun.  Reminiscent of some great Eddie Guerrero chicanery.

9:59 - House is over and I'm met with a Daniel Bryan promo.  Talk about serendipitous!

By the way, evidently they did explain the Big Show contract thing.  I guess he and Johnny had a verbal contract on Saturday, but didn't sign til after.  There ya go, good enough for me.

9:48 - I don't know what it is, but I hate the Samuel L. Jackson/Siri commercial.  Not nearly as much as the Zooey Deschanel one, though.  It drives me crazy that she looks out the window, sees that it's pouring, and asks "is that rain?"

9:40 - Yikes, even the commercials during House are better than the ones during Raw.

9:28 - Alright so I guess I missed Big Show's explanation, where evidently he revealed that he was rehired Saturday.  Of course, that means he was a Superstar on Sunday, and thus should have been fired since he interfered in the match.  That's not even a logic gap -- it's a completely avoidable (and inexcusable) mistake.  Yikes.  What I do like, though:  Sheamus' new shirt.  Also, Johnny Ace's hoveround.  The wheelchair MADE Mr. McMahon's character in its early inception.  This scooter could do the same magic for Johnny Ace.

9:09 - I know people will be annoyed with Cena's (brief) jokey spiel, but I am a sucker over the fact that he name dropped the Anonymous Raw General Manager.  And I appreciate the fact that they're actually covering the arguable logistical gaps:  Why didn't Cena just pin Ace instead of toying with him?  Why did Big Show sell out when he could have just seen Ace get fired and then get rehired by the next GM?  Bravo to them for that.

9:08 - So far, House is winning.

8:09 - Alright, so here's the deal.  There WILL be a LIVE Raw post tonight, but it's not going to have my full attention.  While I haven't watched House in probably about 4 or 5 years, I am intrigued by the series finale, so I'm probably going to be flipping between that and the first hour of Raw.  However, I'm not entirely married to each show, so they'll basically be competing for my attention.  Whichever program I find more enjoyable I'll be watching, while the other will be viewed during commercial breaks.

But do check the blog at 9:00 for some (possibly) sparse thoughts, and then the second hour will be my usual routine.

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Once Upon a Time Opening Sequences

I will discuss the season finale of Once Upon a Time (as well as American Horror Story and Ringer) over the next couple of weeks, but before that I'd like to share a cool video from ABC.com.  At the beginning of each episode of Once, during the title sequence you see an image in the background that hints at the episode's central story.  Well, here's a video of each of those sequences.  Pretty cool!



Oh, and to those of you who haven't checked out this show yet, I HIGHLY recommend it.  In fact, Hulu has all of the episodes online.  It would make for some great summer viewing!

http://www.hulu.com/once-upon-a-time

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48 Things That Will Make You Feel Old

I'm sure you've seen this list floating around the Internet, but it's a rather humorous (and surprising) collection of 48 facts that will make you feel old.  The first item shocked me right off the bat (11 years?!?!?)  Check it out:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/things-that-will-make-you-feel-old

Oh, and if this list shows you anything, it's that all young actors seem to grow up into scary ass adults.

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A Must Read

Please take a moment to read a great blog entry on the LIVESTRONG website about one of my best friends, Neal.  You might remember Neal from his Oblivious to Melody blog, although it hasn't been updated in a couple of years.  Perhaps because he's out there accomplishing amazing things.  Give it a read, and consider supporting him as he prepares for another New York City Marathon run.

http://blog.livestrong.org/2012/05/15/an-ing-new-york-city-marathon-story-neal/

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