Here is my draft results for the first year fantasy football keeper league I joined on Yahoo. I had the second overall pick in a snake style (alternating order) draft. The league I am in includes both offensive and defensive players. Yahoo ranked me as choosing the best sleepers (Hilton, Ballard and Leshoure). Let me know what you think.
1. Adrian Peterson
2. Russell Wilson
3. Andre Johnson
4. Marques Colston
5. Tony Gonzalez
6. J.J. Watt
7. Seattle Defense
8. DeAngelo Williams
9. Josh Freenman
10. Lamarr Woodley
11. T.Y. Hilton
12. Vick Ballard
13. Aldon Smith
14. Shayne Graham
15. Troy Polamalu
16. Mikel Leshoure
17. Malcolm Floyd
18. Richard Sherman
19. Brian Hartline
20. Anthony Spencer
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Riding the Runaway Train: Appreciation of Soul Asylum
I like Soul Asylum. Like many 90s bands, they had a moment to shine and quickly faded away with only hardcore fans following. But Soul Asylum deserved better.
David Pirner, vocalist and primary lyricist, is very underrated especially when it comes to song writing. I know this may see blasphemous to many fans of 90s rock, but Pirner rivals Kurt Cobain in song writing talent. There is strong emotion in Soul Asylum's songs. Pirner brings angst, sorrow, pain and even the occasional glimmer of hope in his lyrics. Let's not even focus on the band's mega-hit, "Runaway Train". How about we take a look at some of the less popular songs.
Consider "Black Gold" for a moment. Pirner approached the issue of racism with a poetic quality that wasn't in your face or abrasive. That in itself made the song stand out even more. The band's "Just Like Anyone" might be one of their lyrical best. The metaphor of using an outhouse as you fantasize about being just like everyone else is genius. And when you consider the contrasting lyrics Pirner added about people who are just like everyone else, trying to be not like everyone else, this definitely comes out as one of Soul Asylum's best. (Claire Danes was in the video, which didn't hurt things either.) "I Will Still Be Laughing" to me is kind of a middle finger song. I'm not going to tell you how you should interpret the lyrics, but I see it as a song that says, "despite the bullshit and the struggles and people trying to put you down, just keep fucking laughing". I know that approach may be hard to do sometimes, but it's worth a shot, right?
Soul Asylum had a big time celebrity fan in film director Kevin Smith. The band provided music for Smith's films Clerks, Clerks II and Chasing Amy. Pirner wrote the score for Chasing Amy.
Soul Asylum also did something noble with the video for "Runaway Train". They placed pictures of missing children in the video with a hotline to call if you believed you had seen any of them. They also shot separate versions for the UK and Australia. In several cases, children and parents were reunited. In others, there was not a happy ending, but closure was brought to the families.
David Pirner himself looks like a cross between Kurt Cobain and Axl Rose. His vocals were also typical of that time period. I'm not mentioning this to slam him or take away from how under-appreciated Soul Asylum was an on overall basis. Sure, Grave Dancer's Union went triple platinum, but why the drop off in sales afterwards? They were just as good on each album following. The loyal fans know just how good they were though. That's all that really matters.
Thanks to you all for reading. I have a list of music related entries I want to write so expect more of that in the weeks to come. Until the next time, if you cannot be a poet, be the poem.
"Like" my page: www.facebook.com/JTLovecraft
Follow me on Twitter: @JTLovecraft
David Pirner, vocalist and primary lyricist, is very underrated especially when it comes to song writing. I know this may see blasphemous to many fans of 90s rock, but Pirner rivals Kurt Cobain in song writing talent. There is strong emotion in Soul Asylum's songs. Pirner brings angst, sorrow, pain and even the occasional glimmer of hope in his lyrics. Let's not even focus on the band's mega-hit, "Runaway Train". How about we take a look at some of the less popular songs.
Consider "Black Gold" for a moment. Pirner approached the issue of racism with a poetic quality that wasn't in your face or abrasive. That in itself made the song stand out even more. The band's "Just Like Anyone" might be one of their lyrical best. The metaphor of using an outhouse as you fantasize about being just like everyone else is genius. And when you consider the contrasting lyrics Pirner added about people who are just like everyone else, trying to be not like everyone else, this definitely comes out as one of Soul Asylum's best. (Claire Danes was in the video, which didn't hurt things either.) "I Will Still Be Laughing" to me is kind of a middle finger song. I'm not going to tell you how you should interpret the lyrics, but I see it as a song that says, "despite the bullshit and the struggles and people trying to put you down, just keep fucking laughing". I know that approach may be hard to do sometimes, but it's worth a shot, right?
Soul Asylum had a big time celebrity fan in film director Kevin Smith. The band provided music for Smith's films Clerks, Clerks II and Chasing Amy. Pirner wrote the score for Chasing Amy.
Soul Asylum also did something noble with the video for "Runaway Train". They placed pictures of missing children in the video with a hotline to call if you believed you had seen any of them. They also shot separate versions for the UK and Australia. In several cases, children and parents were reunited. In others, there was not a happy ending, but closure was brought to the families.
David Pirner himself looks like a cross between Kurt Cobain and Axl Rose. His vocals were also typical of that time period. I'm not mentioning this to slam him or take away from how under-appreciated Soul Asylum was an on overall basis. Sure, Grave Dancer's Union went triple platinum, but why the drop off in sales afterwards? They were just as good on each album following. The loyal fans know just how good they were though. That's all that really matters.
Thanks to you all for reading. I have a list of music related entries I want to write so expect more of that in the weeks to come. Until the next time, if you cannot be a poet, be the poem.
"Like" my page: www.facebook.com/JTLovecraft
Follow me on Twitter: @JTLovecraft
Friday, August 2, 2013
Fuck Me, It's Friday!
Let's get this weekend started with one of my soon-to-be-famous, multi-subject rants, shall we?
Rand Paul seems to be a generally good guy. And although he is a Libertarian-leaning Republican, I wish he had a bit more of his father in him. If Rand would take a bolder stance on the marijuana legalization issue instead of kissing up to his Kentucky Bible-thumpers, I would like him a lot more. In fact if Rand would respond to the Bluegrass State folks with this: And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. (Genesis 1:29), he would be my hero. It would also be good if he could separate his personal views from his political views on the abortion and same-sex marriage issues. A person with roots in Libertarianism should be able to do that. Otherwise, I seem to like most of what Rand has to say. he's excellent on fiscal issues, foreign policy and military issues, guns and he's OK on taxes. He could use some tweaking there, but I like the foundation.
The people who must step up and take the blame for the failures in Detrocity are the mayor and the city council. And that includes those who recently resigned. The democrat party is to blame for this, both the elected officials and the voters for continuously putting these fools in office. A demoncrat has been mayor of Detroit since 1962. For those of you not so good with math, that's 51 years. The city council is supposedly elected on an at-large, non-partisan basis. But come on now, how many republicans do you think ever made it onto the Detroit City Council? Michigan governor Rick Snyder (R) is not to blame. The unions are not directly to blame, although their voting habits certainly helped elect those who are to blame. State appointed Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr has been given a very tough (and thankless) task of trying to salvage something out of this disaster, and he just submitted a plan to alter health insurance plans and save the city $12 million.
The minimum wage has also recently become a debate, with some lawmakers wanting to raise the minimum wage to $10.10. Does anyone else realize what a dumbassed idea this is? Who else sees this would be an epic disaster? More companies are avoiding hiring full time help and instead bringing on workers at part time house due to the impending doom of Obamacare. Raising the minimum wage to $10.10 would cause layoffs, resulting in more work for a smaller staff working part-time hours. It would also crush small businesses. Can you imagine the family owned restaurant that's been around for 50 years all of a sudden being forced to pay $10.10/hour? It would cripple them. It would also cripple small, regional chains. For example, there is a chain here in Western Pennsylvania called The Exchange. The specialize in used DVD's, CD's, music players, video games and systems. Yes they do stock new items, but they rely heavily on used inventory to keep prices reasonable for their teenage/young adult target consumers. If they had to pay employees $10.10, those great prices would disappear. And finally do you really think the semi-literate teenager at McDonald's who still screws up your order even after you repeated it three times deserves $10.10/hour? Or what about the miserable 40-something woman working the cash register at the grocery store who barely look at you and never smiles? Raising the minimum wage that much would do more harm than good. And of course the AFL/CIO is pushing this hard because if the minimum wage increases, they can demand an increase in their already inflated wages.
Russia granted asylum to NSA whistleblower and American hero, Edward Snowden. I never thought I would see the day when I look to Russia to defend liberty and freedom.
Is it just me or could the billions of dollars in foreign aid the United States is throwing around be put to far better use here in America? Why are we sending money to Pakistan, Jordan, Egypt, Afghanistan, Nigeria and Keny... OK I know why the last one is getting foreign aid. It's hush money. But why in the hell are we still sending money to those other countries? How about using it to help schools who wish to hire security but don't have enough in their budget? How about trimming that national debt? Let's give the brave men and women in the military a bonus instead of sending money to countries which hate us and want to kill our soldiers.
It's about time the "mainstream" media finally realizes some bad shit went down at Benghazi. Is that from the No Shit Department at the news channels? If even half of what is starting to come out is true, heads must roll and jail time is a must. No one should be untouchable in this. That includes Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, David Petraeus and Eric Holder. If that means impeachment, so be it. Four good Americans were murdered and it all could have been prevented. That attack legally occurred on American soil. It was a terrorist attack and nothing was done to prevent it or about it.
The Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare), is finally being exposed for what it is: a monstrosity of a unavoidable failure waiting to happen. So much so, Obama's staunchest allies, the unions, are beginning to demand its repeal. The Teamsters, UFCW and UNITE-HERE all have publicly voiced their opposition to the plan saying it will "destroy the very health and well being" of workers. Welcome to the party, guys. What the fuck took you so long? The IRS, who is was tasked with enforcing Obamacare, has also now given a collective "OH HELL NO!" to the plan. This is what happens when arrogant, self-serving, ineffective and incompetent legislators pass a bill BEFORE THEY FUCKING READ IT!
The RINO's in CONgress are becoming more and more unbearable every day. The biggest of the two, Lindsey Graham and John McCain need to be replaced. Graham will have a grass-roots challenger in the primary. We can only hope South Carolina has had enough of his bullshit and gets him out of Washington DC. Hopefully John McCain will retire in 2016 when he is 80 years old. It's scary we will have to deal with him for that long.
I know I will piss-off baseball purists with this statement, but fuck them. I don't care about PED's in baseball. I've been a baseball fan since I was 5 years old and I love a good, grind-it-out 3-2 game as much as the next fan. But the most fun I have ever had as a fan was watching the McGwire-Sosa battle and I will never forget watching Barry Bonds' #756 go into the bleachers. This isn't football where use of PED's could lead to life threatening injuries. Fans these days want to see the long ball and the stolen base. How about a compromise? Let Major League Baseball pick one PED which is legal so the playing field is level.
If I ever have the opportunity, I will move to one of these five states: Florida, Tennessee, South Dakota, Nevada or Texas. They have three qualities I like very much: no income tax, Right to Work and they are not alcoholic beverage control states. Tennessee would be my first choice.
OK, let me finish up with a random fact: Adult film actors and actresses are 80% less likely to have an STD than someone not in the industry.
Thank you to everyone who takes the time to read my blog. I very much appreciate it. As always, if you cannot be a poet, be the poem.
"Like" my page: www.facebook.com/JTLovecraft
Follow me on Twitter: @JTLovecraft
Rand Paul seems to be a generally good guy. And although he is a Libertarian-leaning Republican, I wish he had a bit more of his father in him. If Rand would take a bolder stance on the marijuana legalization issue instead of kissing up to his Kentucky Bible-thumpers, I would like him a lot more. In fact if Rand would respond to the Bluegrass State folks with this: And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. (Genesis 1:29), he would be my hero. It would also be good if he could separate his personal views from his political views on the abortion and same-sex marriage issues. A person with roots in Libertarianism should be able to do that. Otherwise, I seem to like most of what Rand has to say. he's excellent on fiscal issues, foreign policy and military issues, guns and he's OK on taxes. He could use some tweaking there, but I like the foundation.
The people who must step up and take the blame for the failures in Detrocity are the mayor and the city council. And that includes those who recently resigned. The democrat party is to blame for this, both the elected officials and the voters for continuously putting these fools in office. A demoncrat has been mayor of Detroit since 1962. For those of you not so good with math, that's 51 years. The city council is supposedly elected on an at-large, non-partisan basis. But come on now, how many republicans do you think ever made it onto the Detroit City Council? Michigan governor Rick Snyder (R) is not to blame. The unions are not directly to blame, although their voting habits certainly helped elect those who are to blame. State appointed Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr has been given a very tough (and thankless) task of trying to salvage something out of this disaster, and he just submitted a plan to alter health insurance plans and save the city $12 million.
The minimum wage has also recently become a debate, with some lawmakers wanting to raise the minimum wage to $10.10. Does anyone else realize what a dumbassed idea this is? Who else sees this would be an epic disaster? More companies are avoiding hiring full time help and instead bringing on workers at part time house due to the impending doom of Obamacare. Raising the minimum wage to $10.10 would cause layoffs, resulting in more work for a smaller staff working part-time hours. It would also crush small businesses. Can you imagine the family owned restaurant that's been around for 50 years all of a sudden being forced to pay $10.10/hour? It would cripple them. It would also cripple small, regional chains. For example, there is a chain here in Western Pennsylvania called The Exchange. The specialize in used DVD's, CD's, music players, video games and systems. Yes they do stock new items, but they rely heavily on used inventory to keep prices reasonable for their teenage/young adult target consumers. If they had to pay employees $10.10, those great prices would disappear. And finally do you really think the semi-literate teenager at McDonald's who still screws up your order even after you repeated it three times deserves $10.10/hour? Or what about the miserable 40-something woman working the cash register at the grocery store who barely look at you and never smiles? Raising the minimum wage that much would do more harm than good. And of course the AFL/CIO is pushing this hard because if the minimum wage increases, they can demand an increase in their already inflated wages.
Russia granted asylum to NSA whistleblower and American hero, Edward Snowden. I never thought I would see the day when I look to Russia to defend liberty and freedom.
Is it just me or could the billions of dollars in foreign aid the United States is throwing around be put to far better use here in America? Why are we sending money to Pakistan, Jordan, Egypt, Afghanistan, Nigeria and Keny... OK I know why the last one is getting foreign aid. It's hush money. But why in the hell are we still sending money to those other countries? How about using it to help schools who wish to hire security but don't have enough in their budget? How about trimming that national debt? Let's give the brave men and women in the military a bonus instead of sending money to countries which hate us and want to kill our soldiers.
It's about time the "mainstream" media finally realizes some bad shit went down at Benghazi. Is that from the No Shit Department at the news channels? If even half of what is starting to come out is true, heads must roll and jail time is a must. No one should be untouchable in this. That includes Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, David Petraeus and Eric Holder. If that means impeachment, so be it. Four good Americans were murdered and it all could have been prevented. That attack legally occurred on American soil. It was a terrorist attack and nothing was done to prevent it or about it.
The Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare), is finally being exposed for what it is: a monstrosity of a unavoidable failure waiting to happen. So much so, Obama's staunchest allies, the unions, are beginning to demand its repeal. The Teamsters, UFCW and UNITE-HERE all have publicly voiced their opposition to the plan saying it will "destroy the very health and well being" of workers. Welcome to the party, guys. What the fuck took you so long? The IRS, who is was tasked with enforcing Obamacare, has also now given a collective "OH HELL NO!" to the plan. This is what happens when arrogant, self-serving, ineffective and incompetent legislators pass a bill BEFORE THEY FUCKING READ IT!
The RINO's in CONgress are becoming more and more unbearable every day. The biggest of the two, Lindsey Graham and John McCain need to be replaced. Graham will have a grass-roots challenger in the primary. We can only hope South Carolina has had enough of his bullshit and gets him out of Washington DC. Hopefully John McCain will retire in 2016 when he is 80 years old. It's scary we will have to deal with him for that long.
I know I will piss-off baseball purists with this statement, but fuck them. I don't care about PED's in baseball. I've been a baseball fan since I was 5 years old and I love a good, grind-it-out 3-2 game as much as the next fan. But the most fun I have ever had as a fan was watching the McGwire-Sosa battle and I will never forget watching Barry Bonds' #756 go into the bleachers. This isn't football where use of PED's could lead to life threatening injuries. Fans these days want to see the long ball and the stolen base. How about a compromise? Let Major League Baseball pick one PED which is legal so the playing field is level.
If I ever have the opportunity, I will move to one of these five states: Florida, Tennessee, South Dakota, Nevada or Texas. They have three qualities I like very much: no income tax, Right to Work and they are not alcoholic beverage control states. Tennessee would be my first choice.
OK, let me finish up with a random fact: Adult film actors and actresses are 80% less likely to have an STD than someone not in the industry.
Thank you to everyone who takes the time to read my blog. I very much appreciate it. As always, if you cannot be a poet, be the poem.
"Like" my page: www.facebook.com/JTLovecraft
Follow me on Twitter: @JTLovecraft
Sunday, July 28, 2013
My Quest to Eat Healthier, Part One
I've been cooking a lot with rice lately. I add in some veggies and some chicken to go with it. There are so many options with those three ingredients I can enjoy a different lunch every day for a week at work. Last week, I added some Cajun seasoning to the water when I cooked the rice. I generally like flavoring the rice rather than the chicken. (I'll do this with curry seasoning and fajita seasoning as well.) I just like how the rice absorbs the seasoning. One exception to that rule is when I to sweet and sour chicken. In that case, I pour the sauce over the chicken as it's cooking to get that nice coating on the meat. Sometimes I don't season anything until it is all thrown together in the pan and usually I toss some Soy sauce on it and let everything soak up some flavor. I like some Oriental flair in my food my food now and then. Cooking this way is good for someone like my who sits in a cubicle all day and doesn't really get much exercise other than walking the dog and cutting the grass. (Yes, I could force myself to do more, but baby steps here. Healthy eating is step one for me.) I'm trying to stick to chicken as much as possible for my lunches simply because it's much healthier than red meat. I do keep some thin cut top sirloin in my freezer just for that one day I'd like a change. When I go the beef route, it's nearly always a teriyaki fused meal. You can't go wrong with that. And I do not add any butter to my rice. (Sorry Paula Deen.) I want to eat as healthy as possible and pouring butter on rice is not the way to do that. Don't get me wrong, I will indulge in some unhealthy meals once in awhile. I like some Long John Silver's and Papa John's as much as the next person. But I'm approaching my 37th birthday in December so I feel an obligation to myself to eat healthier as often as I can.
I plan on experimenting with some Thai inspired meals as well as I have developed a liking for that style of cooking. I may use more pork for the Thai cooking if I can get some nice pork loin on sale at the grocery store. It would give me some variety and loin is generally a better cut of meat. I'd likely do it in the slow cooker to get it as tender as possible and full of flavor. I would also have a nice sauce to go with the meal. It's not something I usually do, so that would also be a nice diversion.
As for the veggies, it just depends on my mood when I am preparing the meal as to what I grab from the freezer. I prepare my lunch the night before so it's whatever I feel like at the moment. The easiest option is the mixed vegetables. You know, the kind that look like the veggies in Campbell's soup. A couple of handfuls of those with the rice and chicken make a nice looking dish. Sometimes I go for a California blend or get really motivated and cook up some fresh zucchini and yellow squash, but the latter is mostly when I do an herb-fused chicken dish.
So yeah, that's part one of my journey into eating healthier. I'm cooking more with pasta lately as well, but that's a discussion for another entry. Thank you again for reading. And as always, if you cannot be a poet, be the poem.
"Like" my page: www.facebook.com/JTLovecraft
Follow me on Twitter: @JTLovecraft
I plan on experimenting with some Thai inspired meals as well as I have developed a liking for that style of cooking. I may use more pork for the Thai cooking if I can get some nice pork loin on sale at the grocery store. It would give me some variety and loin is generally a better cut of meat. I'd likely do it in the slow cooker to get it as tender as possible and full of flavor. I would also have a nice sauce to go with the meal. It's not something I usually do, so that would also be a nice diversion.
As for the veggies, it just depends on my mood when I am preparing the meal as to what I grab from the freezer. I prepare my lunch the night before so it's whatever I feel like at the moment. The easiest option is the mixed vegetables. You know, the kind that look like the veggies in Campbell's soup. A couple of handfuls of those with the rice and chicken make a nice looking dish. Sometimes I go for a California blend or get really motivated and cook up some fresh zucchini and yellow squash, but the latter is mostly when I do an herb-fused chicken dish.
So yeah, that's part one of my journey into eating healthier. I'm cooking more with pasta lately as well, but that's a discussion for another entry. Thank you again for reading. And as always, if you cannot be a poet, be the poem.
"Like" my page: www.facebook.com/JTLovecraft
Follow me on Twitter: @JTLovecraft
Friday, July 19, 2013
Why I Like Winger
The first time I ever saw a Winger video I said, "Hey, the singer looks like my friend's brother!" Now that's not why I took a liking to Winger, but it is what initially grabbed my attention. The video in question was their trademark power ballad "Headed for a Heartbreak". Granted, this song broke zero new ground and wouldn't even be in my top ten best power ballads of all time. But it did get me started down the path of Winger fandom.
Now most people laugh when I mention Winger as a band I like. I'm guessing they gave far too much credit to Beavis & Butt-Head's lovable loser, Stuart for making Winger seem lame. That however is far from the truth. Yes, singing a song about sex with an underage girl broke zero new ground as KISS, Motley Crue and Bon Jovi have all done that before. What sets Winger apart from other bands of this era is singer, Kip Winger.
Kip was not the typical hair band singer. He didn't have the higher octave voice commonly possessed by hair band singers (Vince Neil, Axl Rose, Tom Keifer, Taime Downe, Dee Snider, etc). Granted, Jon Bon Jovi and Brett Michaels weren't higher octave singers either, but I will get to them later. Kip had a deeper voice and when necessary, it was gutteral and gravelly. This is very noticeable on the band's hit song, "Can't Get Enuff". It also shows up on songs such as "Junkyard Dog" and "Down Incognito". His deeper voice also worked well on ballads such as "Miles Away" and the previously mentioned "Headed for a Heartbreak". Kip rarely receives credit for being a good vocalist and that is truly unfair.
"Can't Get Enuff" is may favorite Winger video. It's sexy, just dirty enough and fun. Most videos from that era weren't able to capture all three. In fact, most couldn't capture two. Winger pulled this video off perfectly.
Another area where Kip receives zero credit is charisma. Jon Bon Jovi and Bret Michaels steal the entire category here. I can't say that is entirely unreasonable. They were the two most charismatic singers of the era. And even now in the 21st century, Bret Michaels has become a TV darling and Jon Bon Jovi as his own line in Avon. So obviously, the still got it. I think Kip was looked over because his charisma wasn't the charming kind of charisma. Kip had an animalistic kind of charisma. It was actually a "let's-fuck-in-the-alley-during-a-thunderstorm" kind of charisma. It was that different kind of vibe Kip gave that made Winger's more sexually fueled songs believable. Much more so than when Jon Bon Jovi sang "Lay Your Hands on Me". He was just having fun. When Kip sang a sexual song, you could tell he meant every word, even with a song as cheesy as "Seventeen".
Winger's third album, Pull, was by far their best. It was released in 1993, right around the grunge explosion and was not a huge commercial success but has well received critically and is also widely considered to be the favorite of the fans. It also showed the band exploring some socio-political themes in songs such as "Who's the One" and "Blind Revolution Mad". It is also the album which contains my favorite Winger song, "Down Incognito". That song also appears on my musical biography.
Winger is also a good band to see in concert. The band sounds great live and yes, Kip really can play the harmonica. I saw them when the were a support act for Poison along with Faster Pussycat and Cinderella.
I don't expect to change the minds of any haters but if I even influence you to YouTube a couple Winger videos, I'll say it's a job well done.
Now most people laugh when I mention Winger as a band I like. I'm guessing they gave far too much credit to Beavis & Butt-Head's lovable loser, Stuart for making Winger seem lame. That however is far from the truth. Yes, singing a song about sex with an underage girl broke zero new ground as KISS, Motley Crue and Bon Jovi have all done that before. What sets Winger apart from other bands of this era is singer, Kip Winger.
Kip was not the typical hair band singer. He didn't have the higher octave voice commonly possessed by hair band singers (Vince Neil, Axl Rose, Tom Keifer, Taime Downe, Dee Snider, etc). Granted, Jon Bon Jovi and Brett Michaels weren't higher octave singers either, but I will get to them later. Kip had a deeper voice and when necessary, it was gutteral and gravelly. This is very noticeable on the band's hit song, "Can't Get Enuff". It also shows up on songs such as "Junkyard Dog" and "Down Incognito". His deeper voice also worked well on ballads such as "Miles Away" and the previously mentioned "Headed for a Heartbreak". Kip rarely receives credit for being a good vocalist and that is truly unfair.
"Can't Get Enuff" is may favorite Winger video. It's sexy, just dirty enough and fun. Most videos from that era weren't able to capture all three. In fact, most couldn't capture two. Winger pulled this video off perfectly.
Another area where Kip receives zero credit is charisma. Jon Bon Jovi and Bret Michaels steal the entire category here. I can't say that is entirely unreasonable. They were the two most charismatic singers of the era. And even now in the 21st century, Bret Michaels has become a TV darling and Jon Bon Jovi as his own line in Avon. So obviously, the still got it. I think Kip was looked over because his charisma wasn't the charming kind of charisma. Kip had an animalistic kind of charisma. It was actually a "let's-fuck-in-the-alley-during-a-thunderstorm" kind of charisma. It was that different kind of vibe Kip gave that made Winger's more sexually fueled songs believable. Much more so than when Jon Bon Jovi sang "Lay Your Hands on Me". He was just having fun. When Kip sang a sexual song, you could tell he meant every word, even with a song as cheesy as "Seventeen".
Winger's third album, Pull, was by far their best. It was released in 1993, right around the grunge explosion and was not a huge commercial success but has well received critically and is also widely considered to be the favorite of the fans. It also showed the band exploring some socio-political themes in songs such as "Who's the One" and "Blind Revolution Mad". It is also the album which contains my favorite Winger song, "Down Incognito". That song also appears on my musical biography.
Winger is also a good band to see in concert. The band sounds great live and yes, Kip really can play the harmonica. I saw them when the were a support act for Poison along with Faster Pussycat and Cinderella.
I don't expect to change the minds of any haters but if I even influence you to YouTube a couple Winger videos, I'll say it's a job well done.
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
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Monday, July 15, 2013
Where is the support for Antonio's family?
Where is the public support for this child's family? Why has President Obama not made a public statement about how sad he is this happened? Where are all the messages of sympathy from celebrities? America, land of hypocrisy.
Sunday, July 14, 2013
WWE Dream Matches: The Brawls
This is the second entry in a series of my WWE dream matches. As with the first one, consider all participants to be in the prime of their career.
TRIPLE H VS. BRUNO SAMMARTINO -- STEEL CAGE MATCH
Bruno Sammartino is one of professional wrestling's toughest ever competitors. He sold out Madison Square Garden an unbelievable 187 times. It is believed he only lost one steel cage match throughout his entire career. So if you are going to put together a dream match inside a steel cage, who better to have as one of the participants than Bruno? Sammartino also produced two very long title reigns, one just under eight years and another of 40 months. He battled some of the most legendary superstars of all time, including George "The Animal" Steele, Ivan Koloff, Super Star Billy Graham, Freddie Blassie, Gorilla Monsoon and Killer Kowalski. Bruno wasn't specifically a brawler, he could mat wrestle with the best of them. But inside a cage, he was damn near unstoppable.
Like Bruno, Triple H has enjoyed headlining many events. Trips has been in the main event of Wrestlemania multiple times as well as other top of the card feuds with big-time superstars such as Stone Cold, Shawn Michaels, The Rock, Undertaker, John Cena, Mick Foley and Ric Flair. Triple H also puts on a show inside a steel cage. He can take a beating and can hand out an equally nasty beating. So putting he and Sammartino inside a cage and letting them beat the hell out of each other would be a no-brainer. I imagine it would sell out Madison Square Garden once again.
Triple H would have a height advantage standing 6'4" with Sammartino checking in at 5'10". However, Bruno tipped the scales during the prime of his career at 265 pounds with Triple H at 255 pounds. These two inside a cage would be brutal and intense with the opportunity to be the best steel cage match of all time.
EDGE VS. JIMMY SNUKA -- LADDER MATCH
I know ladder matches weren't really big during most of Snuka's career, but this is a guy who was known as "Superfly" and did dive off the top of a steel cage so if anyone could adapt and go all-out in a match he's unfamiliar with, it would be Snuka. Superfly has been involved in some very high profile matches including a steel cage title match against Bob Backlund for the WWF Title as and was the first victim in the Undertaker's Wrestlemania streak. This is a guy who knows how to put on a show, as does his opponent.
Edge is one of the greatest ladder match competitors of all time. He, along with Christian and the Hardyz, elevated this type of match to heights no wrestling fan ever thought possible. Throughout his run in WWE, Edge was fearless in his matches and took more risks than nearly anyone else. He not only knew how to entertain, but also how to sell a match and make sure his opponent looked good as well. I'm not saying Snuka would need that kind of help in a match, but Edge knowing this type of match would be a benefit.
STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN VS. ROWDY RODDY PIPER -- STREET FIGHT
Now, if you want to see two men who know how to throw down in a street fight, it would be Austin and Piper. These guys were rule-breakers and brawlers and have been involved in many rough matches throughout their careers. Keep in mind Piper is a Golden Gloves winner and holds a black belt in Judo, and you can see how he is a perfect choice for a street fight type match.
Stone Cold Steve Austin is WWE's most legendary rule breaker and brawler and has gone toe-to-toe with the toughest in the wrestling industry. A street fight with Piper would be nothing short of iconic. Both Piper and Austin fought every match with a chip on their shoulder and a never-say-day attitude. You would expect these guys to use anything they could get their hands on as a weapon in an effort to win. I also have no doubt the announcer's table would need some repairs by the end of the match. Whatever the result of the match, you can guaran-damn-tee it would be, to steal a term from JR, a slobberknocker.
There you have it, my choices for the WWE dream matches brawl edition. There will be one left in this series and that will be the tag team matches. Until next time, if you cannot be a poet, be the poem.
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TRIPLE H VS. BRUNO SAMMARTINO -- STEEL CAGE MATCH
Bruno Sammartino is one of professional wrestling's toughest ever competitors. He sold out Madison Square Garden an unbelievable 187 times. It is believed he only lost one steel cage match throughout his entire career. So if you are going to put together a dream match inside a steel cage, who better to have as one of the participants than Bruno? Sammartino also produced two very long title reigns, one just under eight years and another of 40 months. He battled some of the most legendary superstars of all time, including George "The Animal" Steele, Ivan Koloff, Super Star Billy Graham, Freddie Blassie, Gorilla Monsoon and Killer Kowalski. Bruno wasn't specifically a brawler, he could mat wrestle with the best of them. But inside a cage, he was damn near unstoppable.
Like Bruno, Triple H has enjoyed headlining many events. Trips has been in the main event of Wrestlemania multiple times as well as other top of the card feuds with big-time superstars such as Stone Cold, Shawn Michaels, The Rock, Undertaker, John Cena, Mick Foley and Ric Flair. Triple H also puts on a show inside a steel cage. He can take a beating and can hand out an equally nasty beating. So putting he and Sammartino inside a cage and letting them beat the hell out of each other would be a no-brainer. I imagine it would sell out Madison Square Garden once again.
Triple H would have a height advantage standing 6'4" with Sammartino checking in at 5'10". However, Bruno tipped the scales during the prime of his career at 265 pounds with Triple H at 255 pounds. These two inside a cage would be brutal and intense with the opportunity to be the best steel cage match of all time.
EDGE VS. JIMMY SNUKA -- LADDER MATCH
I know ladder matches weren't really big during most of Snuka's career, but this is a guy who was known as "Superfly" and did dive off the top of a steel cage so if anyone could adapt and go all-out in a match he's unfamiliar with, it would be Snuka. Superfly has been involved in some very high profile matches including a steel cage title match against Bob Backlund for the WWF Title as and was the first victim in the Undertaker's Wrestlemania streak. This is a guy who knows how to put on a show, as does his opponent.
Edge is one of the greatest ladder match competitors of all time. He, along with Christian and the Hardyz, elevated this type of match to heights no wrestling fan ever thought possible. Throughout his run in WWE, Edge was fearless in his matches and took more risks than nearly anyone else. He not only knew how to entertain, but also how to sell a match and make sure his opponent looked good as well. I'm not saying Snuka would need that kind of help in a match, but Edge knowing this type of match would be a benefit.
STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN VS. ROWDY RODDY PIPER -- STREET FIGHT
Now, if you want to see two men who know how to throw down in a street fight, it would be Austin and Piper. These guys were rule-breakers and brawlers and have been involved in many rough matches throughout their careers. Keep in mind Piper is a Golden Gloves winner and holds a black belt in Judo, and you can see how he is a perfect choice for a street fight type match.
Stone Cold Steve Austin is WWE's most legendary rule breaker and brawler and has gone toe-to-toe with the toughest in the wrestling industry. A street fight with Piper would be nothing short of iconic. Both Piper and Austin fought every match with a chip on their shoulder and a never-say-day attitude. You would expect these guys to use anything they could get their hands on as a weapon in an effort to win. I also have no doubt the announcer's table would need some repairs by the end of the match. Whatever the result of the match, you can guaran-damn-tee it would be, to steal a term from JR, a slobberknocker.
There you have it, my choices for the WWE dream matches brawl edition. There will be one left in this series and that will be the tag team matches. Until next time, if you cannot be a poet, be the poem.
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Twitter: @JTLovecraft
Thursday, July 11, 2013
This Will Be Like Shouting at a Pile of Rocks...
As someone who has become very Libertarian minded, I know this rant will do absolutely nothing to penetrate the cement vaults of all you annoyingly loyal republicans and democrats out there. But I've had this rant bottled up and it must become part of this blog or I will need blood pressure medication and a shrink. And also quite possibly, a lawyer. So if any of you out there who still refuse to budge from either of the two Big Evils are in any way a bit overly sensitive, just stop reading now. To the rest of you who can handle some anger and a verbal Gibbs slap, read on!
Let me start with you recraplicans. What the fuck? No, really...what the fuck? Ever since Wrongney lost the election you have sat back and watched your members of Congress kneel down and take it on the face for the Obama administration. You have watched in silence, making the occasional symbolic and idle threat as the RINO's destroy a once proud party. It is all of you who have allowed gutless and mentally impotent people like John McCain, Lindsey Graham, Susan Collins, Lamar Alexander, Orrin Hatch, Pat Toomey and Marco Rubio to slowly chip away at everything classic Republicans hold dear to their hearts. And lest we forget, just a few months ago, Senator Rubio was thought to be the shining beacon of great light to lead the party forward. I understand there are some of you still out there who want to force the RINOs into extinction. I know a few of them personally. But there aren't enough. Too many recraplicans are indifferent about the destruction of our freedoms and the raping of your liberties. The problem is many of you rely on Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly for information. And that is not simply a little problem. It's a really fucking big one. Don't get me wrong, Rush is a great entertainer and he actually puts research into what he discusses. But if he is your go-to for direction, you have some serious issues. As for Hannity and O'Reilly, both are pompous morons. In O'Reilly's case, quite possibly a drunk and pompous moron. Eliminate the latter two from your life completely. Limit your exposure to Limbaugh. (If you are wondering why I haven't mentioned Glen Beck, I'm not sure where I stand with him. Part of me wants to believe he had a Libertarian revelation, but forgive me if I am not convinced.) Push the homophobes in your party over the edge of the Grand Canyon. Oh, and tell Sarah Palin to go back to Alaska and wrestle a polar bear or jerkoff a moose or whatever it is she does. She sure as hell cannot be allowed to be a player in the republican party. Listen to me, republicans. Start taking your party back. Stand up and make right all the wrongs which have been done in the past five years. Or, if you see it as a sinking ship not worthy of rescuing, join the Libertarian crusade. And before you start throwing back questions at me about the liberal social beliefs of the Libertarian party, consider this: Libertarians are able to keep separate personal and social/political beliefs. Just because you wouldn't choose abortion in your personal life doesn't mean you can't support the right of woman to decide on her own free will what's best for her life. Because frankly, it's none of your damn business anyway. If you are a frustrated republican and want a new (but longer) road, if you can accept the attitude I describe in the previous sentence, if you love liberty and freedom above all else, come on over. We could use your help. If you can't, or aren't willing...well stay with the clusterfuck of a failing party you helped create. You're beyond reason or saving.
OK, now on to you demoncrats. First off, stop watching Bill Maher, Piers Morgan, Chris Matthews and Al Sharpton. (I know only about 57 of you out there actually watch Sharpton's show, but please stop.) Those people are full of nothing but hatred, propaganda, venom and misinformation. That goes quadruple for that Bill Maher asshole. The sooner we get him off the air, the better America will be for it. On a Congressional level, you need to rid your party of degenerative twatrags like Diane Feinstein, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. I has happy we got rid of a mushbrained tool when John Kerry accepted a cabinet position (make your liquor joke) in the O administration. However, you old money, blue blood, wrinkly white people voters up there in ASSachusetts just sent a Kerry clone right back to the Senate in Ed Markey. Seriously, what wrong with you up there in MA? Senility? You had a chance to elect a young, Hispanic, former Navy SEAL with a business degree from Harvard and you chose the old white guy. The problem with you democrats is you want so badly for the first half-black prince to succeed, you are willing to accept anything his administration does and good, noble and in the best interest of the United States. Unfortunately, none of it is. You've been duped. You are just as gutless and mentally impotent as the people who continue to send the RINOs to Congress. However, when you vote for these degenrates you know what you're getting. I'm certain that actually makes you worse. You demoncrats, just like the recraplicans, showed nothing but apathy as the Obama administration slowly stripped you of your liberty and freedom. You watched complacently as it all happened. (And I haven't even touched on Benghazi and our soldiers still being in harm's way.) But fear not, there is still hope. The democrat party can once again be something JFK would be proud of. But to fix your party you have to start by taking out the trash. To begin cleaning up your party you first need to remove the vagina worshipers from the pro-choice movement. That type of militant attitude and behavior is destroying the movement and alienating those who actually respect what the pro-choice movement is all about. The Libertarians understand and respect it. And you sure as hell won't hear them chanting "hail Satan". Get that filth away from your party. The same goes for the nitwits who think guns murder people. People murder people, not inanimate objects. Removing those two types of people from the party will raise the collective IQ considerably. If some of you democrats out there think this is a hopeless endeavor, there is also room for you in the Libertarian party. If you are willing to explore fiscal issues in a different light and want government to stay out of your shit, then join us. We can use your help also. It's time to say enough is enough with this oppressive, government-knows-best nonsense. Step out of the crowd and walk with us. It will be a difficult path, but more fulfilling. You will see yourself as actually part of something instead of being just a voiced drowning in the mob.
Both the jackass and the elephant are equally responsible for the horrible condition of America. Both parties now believe it is OK to illegally spy on Americans. Both parties have accepted possible drone attacks on American soil as reasonable. The NDAA was bi-partisan. Is that the America in which you want to live? Do you want your freedom and liberty back? Would you love nothing more than to simply live your life as you damn please? If that is what you want you have two choices. The first is to begin a crusade to remove the trash from your respective party. The second choice is to choose a new party: the Libertarian party. I am a supporter of the porcupine. We could use some help in our fight. It doesn't hurt to do some reading on our views and decide for yourself if you fit in. Unlike the other two parties, we don't tell you how to think. We give you the opportunity to think.
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Let me start with you recraplicans. What the fuck? No, really...what the fuck? Ever since Wrongney lost the election you have sat back and watched your members of Congress kneel down and take it on the face for the Obama administration. You have watched in silence, making the occasional symbolic and idle threat as the RINO's destroy a once proud party. It is all of you who have allowed gutless and mentally impotent people like John McCain, Lindsey Graham, Susan Collins, Lamar Alexander, Orrin Hatch, Pat Toomey and Marco Rubio to slowly chip away at everything classic Republicans hold dear to their hearts. And lest we forget, just a few months ago, Senator Rubio was thought to be the shining beacon of great light to lead the party forward. I understand there are some of you still out there who want to force the RINOs into extinction. I know a few of them personally. But there aren't enough. Too many recraplicans are indifferent about the destruction of our freedoms and the raping of your liberties. The problem is many of you rely on Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly for information. And that is not simply a little problem. It's a really fucking big one. Don't get me wrong, Rush is a great entertainer and he actually puts research into what he discusses. But if he is your go-to for direction, you have some serious issues. As for Hannity and O'Reilly, both are pompous morons. In O'Reilly's case, quite possibly a drunk and pompous moron. Eliminate the latter two from your life completely. Limit your exposure to Limbaugh. (If you are wondering why I haven't mentioned Glen Beck, I'm not sure where I stand with him. Part of me wants to believe he had a Libertarian revelation, but forgive me if I am not convinced.) Push the homophobes in your party over the edge of the Grand Canyon. Oh, and tell Sarah Palin to go back to Alaska and wrestle a polar bear or jerkoff a moose or whatever it is she does. She sure as hell cannot be allowed to be a player in the republican party. Listen to me, republicans. Start taking your party back. Stand up and make right all the wrongs which have been done in the past five years. Or, if you see it as a sinking ship not worthy of rescuing, join the Libertarian crusade. And before you start throwing back questions at me about the liberal social beliefs of the Libertarian party, consider this: Libertarians are able to keep separate personal and social/political beliefs. Just because you wouldn't choose abortion in your personal life doesn't mean you can't support the right of woman to decide on her own free will what's best for her life. Because frankly, it's none of your damn business anyway. If you are a frustrated republican and want a new (but longer) road, if you can accept the attitude I describe in the previous sentence, if you love liberty and freedom above all else, come on over. We could use your help. If you can't, or aren't willing...well stay with the clusterfuck of a failing party you helped create. You're beyond reason or saving.
OK, now on to you demoncrats. First off, stop watching Bill Maher, Piers Morgan, Chris Matthews and Al Sharpton. (I know only about 57 of you out there actually watch Sharpton's show, but please stop.) Those people are full of nothing but hatred, propaganda, venom and misinformation. That goes quadruple for that Bill Maher asshole. The sooner we get him off the air, the better America will be for it. On a Congressional level, you need to rid your party of degenerative twatrags like Diane Feinstein, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. I has happy we got rid of a mushbrained tool when John Kerry accepted a cabinet position (make your liquor joke) in the O administration. However, you old money, blue blood, wrinkly white people voters up there in ASSachusetts just sent a Kerry clone right back to the Senate in Ed Markey. Seriously, what wrong with you up there in MA? Senility? You had a chance to elect a young, Hispanic, former Navy SEAL with a business degree from Harvard and you chose the old white guy. The problem with you democrats is you want so badly for the first half-black prince to succeed, you are willing to accept anything his administration does and good, noble and in the best interest of the United States. Unfortunately, none of it is. You've been duped. You are just as gutless and mentally impotent as the people who continue to send the RINOs to Congress. However, when you vote for these degenrates you know what you're getting. I'm certain that actually makes you worse. You demoncrats, just like the recraplicans, showed nothing but apathy as the Obama administration slowly stripped you of your liberty and freedom. You watched complacently as it all happened. (And I haven't even touched on Benghazi and our soldiers still being in harm's way.) But fear not, there is still hope. The democrat party can once again be something JFK would be proud of. But to fix your party you have to start by taking out the trash. To begin cleaning up your party you first need to remove the vagina worshipers from the pro-choice movement. That type of militant attitude and behavior is destroying the movement and alienating those who actually respect what the pro-choice movement is all about. The Libertarians understand and respect it. And you sure as hell won't hear them chanting "hail Satan". Get that filth away from your party. The same goes for the nitwits who think guns murder people. People murder people, not inanimate objects. Removing those two types of people from the party will raise the collective IQ considerably. If some of you democrats out there think this is a hopeless endeavor, there is also room for you in the Libertarian party. If you are willing to explore fiscal issues in a different light and want government to stay out of your shit, then join us. We can use your help also. It's time to say enough is enough with this oppressive, government-knows-best nonsense. Step out of the crowd and walk with us. It will be a difficult path, but more fulfilling. You will see yourself as actually part of something instead of being just a voiced drowning in the mob.
Both the jackass and the elephant are equally responsible for the horrible condition of America. Both parties now believe it is OK to illegally spy on Americans. Both parties have accepted possible drone attacks on American soil as reasonable. The NDAA was bi-partisan. Is that the America in which you want to live? Do you want your freedom and liberty back? Would you love nothing more than to simply live your life as you damn please? If that is what you want you have two choices. The first is to begin a crusade to remove the trash from your respective party. The second choice is to choose a new party: the Libertarian party. I am a supporter of the porcupine. We could use some help in our fight. It doesn't hurt to do some reading on our views and decide for yourself if you fit in. Unlike the other two parties, we don't tell you how to think. We give you the opportunity to think.
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Twitter: @JTLovecraft
Friday, July 5, 2013
Movies So Bad, You Have To See Them: Angelfist
Every once in awhile there comes a movie so awful, you can't take your eyes off of it. Angelfist is one of those movies. This gem of a martial arts movie is from 1991 and Roger Corman served as executive producer. Those of you familiar with him should know exactly what to expect.
The film's hero is Katara/Kat, an FBI agent who travels to the Philippines to investigate the murder of her sister, a photographer who captured images of an assassination. Along the way she meets a doofus who calls himself Alcatraz, a trainer who has seen too many reruns of Magnum P.I. and a stripper named Lorda. She also gets into a few fights.
Kat is played by the late Catya Sassoon. If her last name is familiar, it should be. Her father is the great Vidal. Catya died of an accidental overdose in 2002 and leaves behind a husband and three children. She was at one time the World Karate Association's North American Champion. Catya's martial arts background salvaged the fight scenes, keeping them just above the dreadful level. Even the scene where Kat fights off multiple intruders while topless was awful, albeit visually pleasing. One can even ignore the fact Catya's breasts are loaded with silicone during this scene. Despite looking good while fighting, Catya looks silly when using any type of firearm. And the character of Kat must also be very into hygiene because she showers three times during this movie.
Now lets me say something about the male lead. Alcatraz is played by an actor named Michael Shaner. I don't expect you to recognize his name because I sure as hell didn't. Shaner's most famous role to date is still that of the jumper in Lethal Weapon. That being said, he handles his job of playing a complete tool perfectly.
To avenge her sister's death, Kat must take on a group called the Black Brigade. (I can't even give them points for originality there.) To accomplish this, she must enter a kickboxing tournament called the Kubate. Again, this is not the most original of story lines, but even poorly choreographed female kickboxing can keep the attention of most average audiences. What couldn't keep my attention was the man who helped train Kat for this tournament. He was a cross between Tom Selleck and Danny Trejo and just straight-up awful.
Throw into this movie b-level, b-movie actress Melissa Moore who plays (surprise, surprise) the stripper. Even more so, she plays a stripper who knows how to kickbox.
Angelfist is everything you would expect from a low budget martial arts movie. It's loaded with roll-your-eyes bad dialogue, horrible fight scenes, and campy violence. The bad guys lack substance and the male lead is a complete bozo. There is no chemistry between Sassoon and Shaner. Most porn films have better acting. So why should you watch this? Because it's that damn bad. It's one of those movies so horrible and so facepalmingly bad, you must see it at least once. It's not the worst way to kill 80 minutes of your life. And it is no worse than any of the direct-to-dvd garbage Steven Seagal has released in the past half-decade. So keep your eyes open at used dvd stores for this movie. Watch it once and pass it along to your friends.
Twitter: @JTLovecraft
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The film's hero is Katara/Kat, an FBI agent who travels to the Philippines to investigate the murder of her sister, a photographer who captured images of an assassination. Along the way she meets a doofus who calls himself Alcatraz, a trainer who has seen too many reruns of Magnum P.I. and a stripper named Lorda. She also gets into a few fights.
Kat is played by the late Catya Sassoon. If her last name is familiar, it should be. Her father is the great Vidal. Catya died of an accidental overdose in 2002 and leaves behind a husband and three children. She was at one time the World Karate Association's North American Champion. Catya's martial arts background salvaged the fight scenes, keeping them just above the dreadful level. Even the scene where Kat fights off multiple intruders while topless was awful, albeit visually pleasing. One can even ignore the fact Catya's breasts are loaded with silicone during this scene. Despite looking good while fighting, Catya looks silly when using any type of firearm. And the character of Kat must also be very into hygiene because she showers three times during this movie.
Now lets me say something about the male lead. Alcatraz is played by an actor named Michael Shaner. I don't expect you to recognize his name because I sure as hell didn't. Shaner's most famous role to date is still that of the jumper in Lethal Weapon. That being said, he handles his job of playing a complete tool perfectly.
To avenge her sister's death, Kat must take on a group called the Black Brigade. (I can't even give them points for originality there.) To accomplish this, she must enter a kickboxing tournament called the Kubate. Again, this is not the most original of story lines, but even poorly choreographed female kickboxing can keep the attention of most average audiences. What couldn't keep my attention was the man who helped train Kat for this tournament. He was a cross between Tom Selleck and Danny Trejo and just straight-up awful.
Throw into this movie b-level, b-movie actress Melissa Moore who plays (surprise, surprise) the stripper. Even more so, she plays a stripper who knows how to kickbox.
Angelfist is everything you would expect from a low budget martial arts movie. It's loaded with roll-your-eyes bad dialogue, horrible fight scenes, and campy violence. The bad guys lack substance and the male lead is a complete bozo. There is no chemistry between Sassoon and Shaner. Most porn films have better acting. So why should you watch this? Because it's that damn bad. It's one of those movies so horrible and so facepalmingly bad, you must see it at least once. It's not the worst way to kill 80 minutes of your life. And it is no worse than any of the direct-to-dvd garbage Steven Seagal has released in the past half-decade. So keep your eyes open at used dvd stores for this movie. Watch it once and pass it along to your friends.
Twitter: @JTLovecraft
Facebook: www.facebook.com/JTLovecraft
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Monday, June 24, 2013
Pulled Pork Tacos
Every now and then, I will share one of my personal recipes with you. I present to you my recipe for pulled pork tacos.
INGREDIENTS
2 LB pork loin
1 package of your favorite taco seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 cup small-diced pineapple*
1 cup diced tomato*
1/2 cup finely chopped onion*
8 OZ Monterey Jack cheese
Your favorite taco shells (I prefer soft shelled for this.)
Your favorite taco sauce
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.
Combine the taco seasoning with the other spices and blend well. Rub the pork loin in the spice mix until completely covered. Place pork loin on oven tray and place on middle rack in oven.
*While the loin is cooking, prepare your toppings.
Check the temperature of the loin after twenty minutes and every ten minutes after until the internal temperature is above 165 degree. Allow ten minutes for the loin to cool and pull into shredded pieces.
You are now ready to assemble and enjoy your pulled pork tacos.
INGREDIENTS
2 LB pork loin
1 package of your favorite taco seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 cup small-diced pineapple*
1 cup diced tomato*
1/2 cup finely chopped onion*
8 OZ Monterey Jack cheese
Your favorite taco shells (I prefer soft shelled for this.)
Your favorite taco sauce
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.
Combine the taco seasoning with the other spices and blend well. Rub the pork loin in the spice mix until completely covered. Place pork loin on oven tray and place on middle rack in oven.
*While the loin is cooking, prepare your toppings.
Check the temperature of the loin after twenty minutes and every ten minutes after until the internal temperature is above 165 degree. Allow ten minutes for the loin to cool and pull into shredded pieces.
You are now ready to assemble and enjoy your pulled pork tacos.
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Underrated Albums: Pornograffitti
Extreme's 1990 album, Pornograffitti is known for the success of two ballads, both top five hits. The first being the touching acoustic number, "More Than Words". The second is the folk infused "Hole Hearted", which to me is actually a better song than "More Than Words". However, Pornograffitti has much more to offer listeners than a couple ballads. It's an entertaining album filled with funk-fused hard rock and a perfect combination of thought provoking and simply fun lyrics.
Let me start with one of the forgotten singles from the album, "Get the Funk Out". This song had moderate success on rock radio, but was ignored in all other outlets including MTV which rarely played the video. (Yes boys and girls, MTV used to play music videos.) "Funk" brings together 90s hard rock with a horn section to create something that must be played loudly at every opportunity. Primarily, "Get the Funk Out" is a political/social message. I've always thought the Libertarian Party should adopt this as an unofficial anthem. The lyrics are very appropriate:
"You're all invited to the party but you know you didn't have to come. No rotten apple is going to spoil my funk."
And then the chorus: "If you don't like what you see here, get the funk out. We won't try to force feed you, get the funk out."
This song could also be an anthem for the rock and roll crowd as well. As most rock and roll fans will tell you, we don't care what you listen to. Just don't tread on our turf and start any shit.
"Decadence Dance" is not so much political but rather an observation of America and the obsessive need to one up the neighbors or a family member. It's about wanting more and refusing to draw a line or say enough is enough. This track also highlights the guitar work of Nuno Bettencourt, one of hard rock's most underrated guitarists.
The fun side of Extreme shows up on Pornograffitti on tracks such as "Lil Jack Horny" and "Suzi (Wants Her All Day What?)". But let's start with "Jack".
The coolest thing about "Lil Jack Horny" is guest musician Dweezil Zappa showing off his axe grinding skills. The song itself is cheesy but considering the era, it fits right in with all other sexually charged rock songs. "Suzi" is a different story. This time around, the lyrics are done right and when vocalist Gary Cherone yells "Suzi wants her all day sucker", there is no doubt as to what he is referring. "Suzi" indeed does not go with subtle.
"Sweet and sour a bitter tasting treat; It's the only flavor I think she likes to, she likes to eat."
Speaking of Gary Cherone, let's face it, he is a poor man's Mike Patton. Now don't take that as me insulting or disrespecting Cherone (or Patton for that matter). Gary Cherone is an adequate vocalist. You can clearly hear he is having fun with the songs, especially tracks which allow him to ham it up a bit. That being said, I believe he is better suited for ballads rather than hard rocking songs. (This is also evident on Pornograffitti's other ballad "When I First Kissed You".) But keep in mind, Cherone recorded one album as the vocalist for Van Halen. So obviously he is not without talent.
"When I'm President" sounds like a title which would be very political. However, this is pure, over-the-top satire complete with a references to Alice Cooper's "Elected". It's one of my favorite tracks on Pornograffitti for that reason. And this track is great for the Mike Patton comparison as Cherone goes through it with a rap-rock style of vocals.
I can't figure out if the album's title track is a joke or a big middle finger, especially with Cherone screaming the word "sex" repeatedly. I mean it's a song from a 90s rock band about how sex is everywhere you look.
If you own a copy of Pornograffitti, please dust it off and give it another listen. If you don't own it, I'm sure many used CD stores would have it available for a very reasonable price. And there's always iTunes. This is an album that went double platinum based on the strength of two ballads. Just imagine what it could have been had more rockers been paying attention.
Thanks again for reading. I appreciate each and every one of you who takes the time to do so. And as always, if you cannot be a poet, be the poem.
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Let me start with one of the forgotten singles from the album, "Get the Funk Out". This song had moderate success on rock radio, but was ignored in all other outlets including MTV which rarely played the video. (Yes boys and girls, MTV used to play music videos.) "Funk" brings together 90s hard rock with a horn section to create something that must be played loudly at every opportunity. Primarily, "Get the Funk Out" is a political/social message. I've always thought the Libertarian Party should adopt this as an unofficial anthem. The lyrics are very appropriate:
"You're all invited to the party but you know you didn't have to come. No rotten apple is going to spoil my funk."
And then the chorus: "If you don't like what you see here, get the funk out. We won't try to force feed you, get the funk out."
This song could also be an anthem for the rock and roll crowd as well. As most rock and roll fans will tell you, we don't care what you listen to. Just don't tread on our turf and start any shit.
"Decadence Dance" is not so much political but rather an observation of America and the obsessive need to one up the neighbors or a family member. It's about wanting more and refusing to draw a line or say enough is enough. This track also highlights the guitar work of Nuno Bettencourt, one of hard rock's most underrated guitarists.
The fun side of Extreme shows up on Pornograffitti on tracks such as "Lil Jack Horny" and "Suzi (Wants Her All Day What?)". But let's start with "Jack".
The coolest thing about "Lil Jack Horny" is guest musician Dweezil Zappa showing off his axe grinding skills. The song itself is cheesy but considering the era, it fits right in with all other sexually charged rock songs. "Suzi" is a different story. This time around, the lyrics are done right and when vocalist Gary Cherone yells "Suzi wants her all day sucker", there is no doubt as to what he is referring. "Suzi" indeed does not go with subtle.
"Sweet and sour a bitter tasting treat; It's the only flavor I think she likes to, she likes to eat."
Speaking of Gary Cherone, let's face it, he is a poor man's Mike Patton. Now don't take that as me insulting or disrespecting Cherone (or Patton for that matter). Gary Cherone is an adequate vocalist. You can clearly hear he is having fun with the songs, especially tracks which allow him to ham it up a bit. That being said, I believe he is better suited for ballads rather than hard rocking songs. (This is also evident on Pornograffitti's other ballad "When I First Kissed You".) But keep in mind, Cherone recorded one album as the vocalist for Van Halen. So obviously he is not without talent.
"When I'm President" sounds like a title which would be very political. However, this is pure, over-the-top satire complete with a references to Alice Cooper's "Elected". It's one of my favorite tracks on Pornograffitti for that reason. And this track is great for the Mike Patton comparison as Cherone goes through it with a rap-rock style of vocals.
I can't figure out if the album's title track is a joke or a big middle finger, especially with Cherone screaming the word "sex" repeatedly. I mean it's a song from a 90s rock band about how sex is everywhere you look.
If you own a copy of Pornograffitti, please dust it off and give it another listen. If you don't own it, I'm sure many used CD stores would have it available for a very reasonable price. And there's always iTunes. This is an album that went double platinum based on the strength of two ballads. Just imagine what it could have been had more rockers been paying attention.
Thanks again for reading. I appreciate each and every one of you who takes the time to do so. And as always, if you cannot be a poet, be the poem.
Like me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JTLovecraft
Twitter: @JTLovecraft
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
A quickie
Coming this weekend, a look back at an album that deserves to be known for more than a ballad.
RIP James Gandolfini.
Do you believe what happened to Michael Hastings was really an accident?
Fuck you, Lil' Wayne.
Like me on Facebook for exclusive Facebook only content! :-)
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RIP James Gandolfini.
Do you believe what happened to Michael Hastings was really an accident?
Fuck you, Lil' Wayne.
Like me on Facebook for exclusive Facebook only content! :-)
https://www.facebook.com/JTLovecraft
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