sorgatron.com

Sorgatron.com is dead! Long Live Sorgatron.com!

2009-07-15T00:07:00.003-04:00

Blogger. It's been fun. You taught me I didn't have to do everything the hard way from the ground up. But it's time we start blogging other people.

It's time. Time for this blog to grow up. If you haven't caught on my Twitter or Facebook, I have been attempting to resolve some issues with some .com switches for Sorgatron.com (and hence, SorgatronMedia.com, coming soon). It's just a template I found for now, but this will definitely give me the freedom to expand what I can do with my blog, and how it is presented.

So if you are reading this on your little RSS reader, you need to check out.....

The NEW RSS Link!!!!

Video Games Live

2009-07-13T17:09:00.000-04:00

[caption id="attachment_582" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Video Games Live at Heinz Hall"][/caption]

Sometimes, you find you need some culture. Sometimes you can't settle for something dry playing down in the cultural district that will just boil down to staring at the brass section recollecting on your glory days as a trombonist in pep band.

So this past week, Chachi reminded me of this Video Games Live coming to the Heinz Hall this weekend. We snatched out tickets and headed down in our snazziest attire. But, alas, we were duped. Walking into Heinz Hall, you can't be helped but to look around in awe at the architecture and chandeliers. And the elves. And wizards. And Kratos from God of War. (How did they let him in without a shirt on? And how was that bus ride?) We walked around a bit scoping the Guitar Hero competition and hung out in the Plaza with it's large waterfall that I would see through the gates when I was a wee lad in college from my bus stop in front of it, wondering about the fancy people. And here I was, standing in here next to a guy with a Nintendo controller for a belt buckle...

The show was amazing. From our second level seats, we could see everything. We were treated to videos before the show and during intermission of a Moonwalker tribute to the late Michael Jackson, Pac-Man chase through NYC, and more. The Pittsburgh Symphony was backed by the Mendelssohn Choir, led by Jack Wall, who co-produced the show with Tommy Tallarico. I've been a fan of Tallarico since the days of Electric Playground on G4 when I finally started getting it. This guy has worked on some classics like MDK, Earthworm Jim, and Tony Hawk. The set was accompanied by synced video and lights in a rock concert-style vibe. The audience was encouraged to cheer for games and moments on screan and performed, as apposed to the usual fair at a classy joint like this. We were treated to a Final Fantasy piano solo, as well as a performance of the popular blindfolded Mario by Martin Leung. More medleys included Metal Gear, Civilization, Zelda, Mario Brothers, World of Warcraft, and even a retro retrospective that started the evening. Twice we have some interesting interactive segments. One girl played Space Invaders as the Symphony played along with the speed of the game. The second saw the Guitar Hero contest winner playing Aerosmith's "Sweet Emotion" as the symphony, choir, and Tallarico on guitar played along. The God of War and Halo sessions gave me chills. The night ended with an encore performance including "One Winged Angel" from Final Fantasy 7 set to Cos Play (including plenty of asian girls. Rawr) and Leung rejoining to do organ for Castlevania with the symphony.

This was a great celebration of what many of the geeks of this generation grew up with and the demonstration of video games as art instead of just violent toys. (though when Tallarico mentioned that as his cause, one excited audience member yelled "kill 'em!" in response to the critics). If this is coming to your town, it will be well worth the money to head out for the night to see this.

I think the Silent one put it best...

TheSilentNinja: Just got back from Video Games Live. The Silent Ninja approves. Would have been worth the $100 seats if I could afford them.

I put a small video together from our pre-show observations:

WPAJ Interview: Jered of (hed) pe

2009-07-12T17:27:00.001-04:00

Finally, we have posted our interview with hed pe from way back in April on the New World Orphans stop at Club Diesel in Pittsburgh. You can check out the video below, or the audio version here.

Make sure you don't miss any future interviews! Subscribe to the video or the audio feeds on iTunes!

Worth Saving: The Loyalsock Story (Part One)

2009-07-10T16:56:00.003-04:00

One of my recent bigger independent projects has been posted live, and I thought I'd share. For several months, I have been helping with the PennFuture Podcast, editing interviews and videos for the group. It's been an educational experience hearing about what the state is doing for the environment. Somehow, I find myself tied into groups such as this and, previously, the Sarah Heinz House and their sustainable expansion documentary.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pennsylvania has many outstanding and beautiful rivers, streams and creeks, and few are as well-loved and supported as Loyalsock Creek. The Loyalsock runs through Sullivan and Lycoming Counties into the West Branch of the Susquehanna, eventually down to the Chesapeake Bay itself.

Loyalsock Creek is used for trout fishing and white water kayaking. The Loyalsock Trail is a wilderness trail that runs along it, providing opportunities for hiking. Worlds End State Park is located on the Loyalsock in Sullivan County.

This documentary features the people of the area who have worked ceaselessly to clean up the Loyalsock and are fiercely protecting it now. You’ll hear the pride in their voices as they talk about the recovery of the Loyalsock from damage from the coal industry and bad development, and exactly how important this waterway is to the quality of their lives.
And, of course, you’ll learn about the importance of cleaning all the streams and rivers upstream if we are ever to have a healthy Chesapeake Bay.

In Part two, which will be available on July 17, you’ll learn about the new threats to the Loyalsock, and what local citizens, working together, are doing to protect it.

Direct download: PennFuture_Podcast1-H.264_800Kbps.mov
Category: Water Quality -- posted at: 1:30 PM

Brokencyde "I'm Not a Fan...But the Kids Like It"

2009-07-10T13:46:00.011-04:00

For the last week, I've had a copy of Brokencyde's "I'm Not a Fan...But the Kids Like It". In that time, I've had the chance to review it, digest it, comprehend, and all around search my own soul over the CD. Having never heard of this group, I had no idea what to expect. The cover seemed to reflect some sort of Neo-Hillbilly feel that somehow reminded me of Southern Culture on the Skids. So when I finally proberly ripped and stuck it on my iPhone for a gentle walk, I was amazed at what I found.

My first impression would be towards the area of Hollywood Undead in the singing side. Or then something mixed with what I would hear slamming at a club downtown. But with screaming. Then some screaming set in. And then Daddy X of Kottonmouth Kings fame and E-40 popped up on the album.

The music experience is one of the most interesting musical hybrids I've heard in a while, and fits in with the "something different" we all seem to be looking to the underground music scene for. This album is like Twitter. It's the style of music you never knew you needed in your collection. While the press describes this album as "crunkcore" the first thing that came to my head was "club screamo". Nothing real intellectual. Sometimes not even intellegible. But it gets your head bobbing. And your parents will never understand it. Which seems to be the goal.

This is the sort of thing that I'm liking from this new Break the Silence imprint that seems to have emerged to give us new Unwritten Law and Eyes Set to Kill (that we'll hear about soon). But check this one out and dig it.

The Great TV Experiment Part 4: A New Way

2009-07-08T22:43:00.003-04:00

On June 12, I saw history. After the amazing Stanley Cup victory our Penguins pulled off, I was watching WPXI, and knew the transition was at midnight. So about two minutes before, I switched to the analog feed. And watched it dissappear.

And in the wake of this final transition, we saw an increase in our channel selection. More stations like CW 19 and WBGN started becoming available. Presumably due to more powerful, dedicated signals starting to broadcast.

It's been a few weeks since I last updated on how this "Great TV Experiment" was going. I've learned along the way, and seen others follow in my footsteps, or at least deeply consider it. And twice last week, I was asked "so how's it going?"

Really, I don't think I've noticed. Somehow, I watch just as much television as I did before, though more varied, and my watching feels more mobile. In this last week, I've been rather sick and avoided any holiday festivities, instead resting and exploring my outlets with Netflix and PlayOn. This was a godsend with the networks showing "paid programming" and other indigestable content during the off hours. Instead, I trucked through Seasons 1 and 2 of the IT Crowd, and Season 2 of Dexter and a few movies queued up.

Even over the last few days, I've found myself picking up on other series, throwing on Seaquest, something I've watched ages ago in its first run, to doze off a nap to. I've been watching the recently discovered Avatar series for something a little different, and to see what all of the fuss is about that they decided to do a movie trilogy about it.

And when I decide not to fuss with the Xbox to get my on demand going, I'm content with the Simpsons/Family Guy reruns in the early evening and the random documentary on PBS. I love Rick Sebak's documentaries and caught a fantastic behind the scenes for Art Wofle's show. A bonus for my aspiring production background. Even got thrown to see Neil Patrick Harris on Sesame Street Sunday morning....

So in the long run, I think I've successfully shifted my viewing habits. The plus side is that now I'm no longer tied to my one television with a DVR to catch up on my television watching, and can "take" my viewing to my office and get some work done.

I'm on 12 Seconds!

2009-07-08T22:28:00.003-04:00

For a while, I've wanted to have something handy to do video. Finally, my new iPhone fits the bill. I've also been rather jealous of my friends with their flip phones and blackberrys that have been playing with services such as Qik and 12 Seconds.

So look forward for some play time with this new toy...

sorgatron on 12seconds.tv

A side note. Some may have noticed some .com irregularities and a lack of updates. I'm attempting to setup a new domain/host/wordpress to migrate this blog to. Done with this Blogger stuff. Just need some room to grow.

Wrestling Mayhem Show 175: Chachi Mayhem Show

2009-07-07T23:48:00.001-04:00

Sorg is away. Chachi has an important announcement. The man of Shad returns. Lunchbox yells a lot.

This is Episode 175 for Tuesday, July 7, 2009. You can get the episode here on Talkshoe, subscribe, and as always, stay tuned to www.wrestlingmayhemshow.com for the latest! The Wrestling Mayhem Show is recorded live and can be heard/viewed from 8 PM to 10 PM Eastern on Talkshoe.com and BlogTV.com. Let us know what you think of the show, and your thoughts on the wrestling world by emailing us at goodtimes@wrestlingmayhemshow.com! Don’t forget you can find links related to the show’s news stories and more at our Delicious Links Page for Episode 175!

Josh Martinez
“Fight Or Fuck” (mp3)
from “Camobear Records Label Sampler”
(Camobear Records)

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Elemental & Tom Caruana
“Cup of Brown Joy” (mp3)
from “Rebel Without Applause”
(Tea Sea Records)

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MC Frontalot “Better at Rapping”
Available at the Penny Arcade Store
Frontalot.com

Four Years and Counting....

2009-07-02T14:44:00.003-04:00

July 1 was my anniversary at work yesterday. While it used to be an occasion of celebration and maybe a review, it's not so much anymore.

Stupid economy.

But still, I find myself with some sense of internal pride to hold down a job for this long out of school. Especially with the roller coaster that is our industry, and our clients' industry.

To celebrate, I did a wrap on a big client video for my freelance I'm rather happy with.

So what's next?

Keep you're eyes open.

Wrestling Mayhem Show 174: Mad Silent Fan of the Show Edition

2009-07-01T00:04:00.000-04:00

A week of…change. This week, the Mayhem Crew consists of Mad Mike, Wrestlefan, Wife of the Show Missy, and Silent Ninja. We explore fan mail, the Bash PPV, TNA swerves, and GMs of the week. And then there’s Ashley and her Tasty Report…

This is Episode 174 for Tuesday, June 30, 2009. You can get the episode here on Talkshoe, subscribe, and as always, stay tuned to www.wrestlingmayhemshow.com for the latest! The Wrestling Mayhem Show is recorded live and can be heard/viewed from 8 PM to 10 PM Eastern on Talkshoe.com and BlogTV.com. Let us know what you think of the show, and your thoughts on the wrestling world by emailing us at goodtimes@wrestlingmayhemshow.com! Don’t forget you can find links related to the show’s news stories and more at our Delicious Links Page for Episode 174!

Potluck
“What We Are” (mp3)
from “Straight Outta Humboldt”
(Suburban Noize Records)

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Michna
“Swiss Glide” (mp3)
from “Magic Monday”
(Ghostly International)

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Ecid
“Insert Bob Dylan Reference Here” (mp3)
from “Red Beretta”
(Fill in the breaks)

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Buccos Tweetup

2009-06-28T17:01:00.009-04:00

This Saturday, I had the pleasure to attend the first Bucco Tweetup organized by Jennie Roth, TweetUp extroidanaire. Now I've never attended a tailgate party before. Hell, I was amazed to find tailgating at the recent No Doubt show at the Pavilion.

But the spread was amazing. There were plenty of people, and the beer was flowing. Uncle Crappy showed us the ins and outs of tailgating expertise.

Buccos Tweetup Recap @ Yahoo! Video

We finally ventured to the game to find the Bucs already into the 7th Inning (after an hour and a half?) and up 3-2 and handily beating the Royals. But we all settled in and enjoyed the rest of the game and the fireworks finale of the night.

This is just the beginning for the summer TweetUps. Checkout the Pittsburgh TweetUp page for what else is happening around here!

Wrestling Mayhem Show 173: Ger Your Permission Slips In...

2009-06-23T23:42:00.000-04:00

After a week of errors and hardware failures (and a lost episode), we’re back on and kicking with Sorg and DJLunchbox as we take on fanmail, a call from our friend Ashley Hoover, and talk about Chikara. We’re then joined by Miss Papuga to get caught up on everything going on in the world of MMA. Wrestlefan and Mad Mike then join us to talk about TNA Slammiversary, Trump Raw, and some Killer Bees bitch slaps. Finally, our heroic hosts step up to throw the verbal smackdown in anticipation of the first Yinz Team Softball game of the season!

This is Episode 173 for Tuesday, June 23, 2009. You can get the episode here on Talkshoe, subscribe, and as always, stay tuned to www.wrestlingmayhemshow.com for the latest! The Wrestling Mayhem Show is recorded live and can be heard/viewed from 8 PM to 10 PM Eastern on Talkshoe.com and BlogTV.com. Let us know what you think of the show, and your thoughts on the wrestling world by emailing us at goodtimes@wrestlingmayhemshow.com! Don’t forget you can find links related to the show’s news stories and more at our Delicious Links Page for Episode 173!

Los Wunder Twins Del Rap
“Hold Your Head Up (feat. Gift of Gab of Blackalicious and Jen Kearney)” (mp3)
from “Activate”
(Brick Records)

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Black Moth Super Rainbow
“I Am The Alphabet” (mp3)
from “Start A People”
(Graveface Records)

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More On This Album

Snag a Copy of School the Indie Rockers Right Now …

… or download a track:
Just Forget It
4 Megs

Ready to get schooled? Click here to get it online.
iTunes people, follow your instincts.

Observations of a Blackout Week.

2009-06-22T12:40:00.012-04:00

So, yeah, I didn't post last week. Not even a podcast. It was a blackout. Things were the way they were. Writing fail.

So here's what we've missed and some observations.

No Doubt at Post Gazette Pavilion

I really never thought I would be attending a No Doubt show. For some reason, the giant stage spectacular that I witnessed, and thoroughly enjoyed, was not what I imagined with this group. It always throws me when a somewhat earthy, ska-like band starts throwing

Podcast Fail

It goes without saying that I take a lot of energy for my podcasts. The Wrestling Mayhem Show 172 was a great experience. A great interview with Mike Kingston of the Headlocked comics. A great talk with WrestleFan and Mad Mike on Skype. Good discussion about this crazy Donald Trump thing.

But you won't hear all of that.

It's gone into the ether of Podcast Heaven, where misrecorded shows go to die along with several issues of This Week in Media I wish I could have heard.

Time to reestablish that redundancy system I used to insist on.

Storms

Never in my local news watching, Tornado fearing life have I heard the term "Tornadic." It makes the concept feel more trivial. Yet, even by the explaination on WPXI, it seems like a way to strike fear in our hearts during you're all night coverage Wednesday without being allowed to say "Tornado is effin' happening".
Wednesday was a weird sort of fate night, as I was going to end up in Squirrel Hill until a last minute change of plans. Excellent, since I saw parts of the neighborhood underwater later that night...
Love living on the high ground. Away from the floods. I'm very picky about where I live.

iPhone't

My YouTube page is about to blow up. With my normal facilities, I've accrued over 500 videos over there. This iPhone video thing is going to just blow that up. I can't wait to go do RPG or CRAP shows again with this thing, or even the wrestling after parties...

Home again

This had to have been the most relaxing time I've had for a bit. After trips to other regions, watching TV for a weekend, and other methods to just try and unwind, it's amazing that just an evening staring into a burning fire and up at the stars I don't see anymore in the city will do for you.
It's also fun to discover alternative methods for starting a fire after a downpour.

WPAJ Interview: Mower

2009-06-13T04:39:00.001-04:00

I said I'd get to them, and here's one. Just posted is my interview with Mower right here at Club Diesel in the Southside of Pittsburgh back at the beginning of April. This was a tight fit trying to get everyone on camera, and I think the dog was hungry. Check it out, and check Mower out on Myspace and Reverbnation!

You can check out all of the WPAJ Interview videos on Blip.tv, or subscribe on iTunes.

The audio version is also available on Talkshoe and iTunes!

The Taking of Pelham 123: Don't come for Denzel

2009-06-11T23:20:00.002-04:00

Well, I have to say that I went to "The Taking of Pelham 123" with little expectations. I knew it was about trains and Denzel Washington wasn't running around shooting people. My hopes said Money Train, but my reality expected Deja Vu.

Amazingly, and I didn't realize this until Chachi's comment after his preview of the movie last week, that Travolta was in this. His look definitly doesn't stick out as the guy in ads. But in the long run, this is the hero of the movie. With the tattoos, he gives a performance that's two parts Face/Off, and one part Pulp Fiction in the long run, which made him the most interesting character in this film.

The henchmen are hired, foreign guns. The coworkers at dispatch are window dressing, there to annoy. The mayor pops out of no where as an asshole, yet gets the answer in the end, partially redeeming himself. Denzel Washington comes across fairly underwhelming, but maybe that's the point, in this case. He's a guy that's been knocked down, and put in an extroidinary situation, but doesn't miraculously know how to dodge bullets, which he never really needs to do...

As I delve deeper into production, and hope to persue some of my own productions some day, I've taken to analyzing certain aspects of movies our of habit. This time around, I watched this film and realized how little they probably spent on sets. The major middle of this film take place in a subway car, and the dispatch office, and reach out towards the end. And some of the tricks, and annoyingly bad slow motion techniques, sometimes seem amateurish, at best, that you wonder if we're going with stylization, or covering up the sequences that weren't covered in shooting or budget.

But aside from that, it's a good film, and something different. I expected it to be something that would make me nervous to ride the subway (much like my reservations of heading to New York for the first time a week after Cloverfield), but this film didn't really threaten my safety the way other New York attack stories would. Especially surprising since I've become quite comfortable with the NYC subway system.

Overall, I'd put this film somewhere in my Netflix queue, but not straight at the top, and not likely as a theater outing. See it...sometime...

Side stories: First, I finally made it to a film where they took my cell phone for the camera. So it resided in a nice brown bag outside. They even had a metal detector. Funny, since my iphone, which still lacks video, was taken, yet my brother's candy bar phone with video capabilities wasn't noticed. The old fellow next to me was simply let in (wand guy held the door), while his wife's purse was insisted on being searched. Profiling...

And for all fo the eff bombs in this movie, (remember the "meets Pulp Fiction" part) there were a lot of kids in the audience. Like 8 year olds. This was a slow movie. Great going, parents. It's almost as bad as the Butterfly Effect experience I had at the dollar theater.

Wrestling Mayhem Show 171: Macho Mayhem

2009-06-10T00:22:00.002-04:00

the Mayhem Crew is in the house to celebrate the long awaited Macho Man DVD Collection! We have Macho Music, Macho Facts, and a Macho Caller! Plus, we talk Umagone, CM Punk, and admire those witty writers of WWE Magazine. Oh, and the Silent Ninja returns…

This is Episode 171 for Tuesday, June 9, 2009. You can get the episode here on Talkshoe, subscribe, and as always, stay tuned to www.wrestlingmayhemshow.com for the latest! The Wrestling Mayhem Show is recorded live and can be heard/viewed from 8 PM to 10 PM Eastern on Talkshoe.com and BlogTV.com. Let us know what you think of the show, and your thoughts on the wrestling world by emailing us at goodtimes@wrestlingmayhemshow.com! Don’t forget you can find links related to the show’s news stories and more at our Delicious Links Page for Episode 171!
Black Moth Super Rainbow
“Tooth Decay” (mp3)
from “Eating Us”
(Graveface Records)

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Styles Of Beyond
“Live Enough” (mp3)
from “Megadef”
(Spytech Records)

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Deastro
“Parallelogram” (mp3)
from “Moondagger”
(Ghostly International)

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You Just Spit on Me. Thats Not Polite....

2009-06-08T21:14:00.002-04:00

For WrestlingMayhemShow.com...

Aparently, Mr Orton had a bit of a run in recently with a Mexican reported that asked a question that implied him as being fragile. Orton responded as you all would; threatening to head but your teeth down your throat...

But Orton can't be blamed for his testosterone-driven response to protect himself and his craft... It's not like he's the first..

And lets not forget the biggest mistake. Calling wrestling fake.

This is where phone interviews come in handy...

Sorg vs the Yard: Part 1

2009-06-08T12:35:00.007-04:00

So, I've never been much of a nature guy. I cut the grass at home on our acre or so of land as I grew up. But that was a riding lawnmower. And there wasn't much else for landscaping going on. You mowed the walkable, wide open areas, and that was a bout it.

Now that I've owned a house, I'm finding that I may have done more work for my couple hundred square foot lot than I ever did back home. But I've learned a few things...

My hands are too big for standard gloves. Wal-Mart doesn't carry things for big people. Give up. Go to Lowes, maybe. Or a real hardware store. Might be better there.
Go Amish. My push lawnmower crapped out last year. The cord broke, to be exact. So we decided, instead of maintaining this thing, and paying for the gas (not much, but another cost), so we bought a manual mower. And let me tell you, that works wonders for building in a work out every week. Just don't let your grass get too high.
Clippers are my friend. The bushes started getting out of hand. It was clipper time. I bought the standard clippers and get Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake on the bushes. Oh yeah...
If you stab me, I will cut you. There were two bushes that bookended the gate entrance. They started getting bigger. Then they started snagging on my clothes. They turned red. As of this weekend, I no longer have two bushes bookending my gate entrance....
Yard ponds are death traps....to birds and chipmunks. I have no remedy for this yet.....
Nature is a force, and she will take over... You know how we see in movies like I Am Legend how nature will take over our world if left alone? That's what happens when I ignore the empty lot next to my house for too long. I have vines creeping up the side of the house, trees threatening to invate my porch. I actually discovered that the offending tree seems to have almost completely died under the weight of the vine that is growing over it! The back of my house, where my yard is terraced out, the plants have started to poor over the back fence.
I think there's a hobbit hole in my backyard. Earlier in the season, as I assessed what work needed done, I ventured under that terrace and thought I saw a small hole that a little man could live in. I will invistigate further...

In the end...I think I found my answer....

I call it the Skynet Lawn Service....

5 Years Down: A Lifetime to Go....

2009-06-05T14:30:00.005-04:00

I really didn't know how I wanted to celebrate this anniversary, and fate would have it my plans were dashed, as they have been the last four anniversaries. See, there's a curse around this June 5 date. For almost three years straight, either of us was severely ill, or we wouldn't have much for money, or things were simply too crazy with out careers and such, that we really haven't celebrated proper our wedding day since.

So it was a pretty typical day. We did some Max & Erma's the day before, and that's about it. But I thought it'd be a good time to reminisce with some pictures from the day.

Wordpress move...

2009-06-05T09:28:00.003-04:00

Well, expect some movement in the next week or so. I've determined I've certainly outgrown what Blogger has to offer me on this page, and my comfort level with Wordpress has been steadily growing with the work I've done with it over the last year or so.

The biggest thing that scares me is the export/import process. Heck, I haven't even updated any of my wordpress installs for fear of a corruption. But that will change.

But, I'm looking forward to have the freedom to insert a wee bit more of my personality in this blog in the future, as apposed to working in a half full sandbox...

The Proposal: Funnier Than Mounted Police

2009-06-04T11:51:00.006-04:00

Man, I love free previews. A couple of years back, I was lucky enough to attend the Myspace screening of Harry Potter, and that was a trip. Recently, my coworker showed me a fantastic Facebook group that lists some advanced screenings in the area. So I packed up the wife after work and told her we were going on a date. As I concealed my printed email "pass" so she thought I had some stroke to get her into a movie showing a week and a half in advance...

But I digress....

The movie was your typical fair. Actually, something of a role reversal for Sandra Bullock from her Hugh Grant flick I slept through. Or Bridget Jones Diary. Really, I guess any Hugh Grant vehicle. But the difference is Ryan Reynolds not being as much of a British tool. Reynolds, positioned as her "Executive Assistant" underling, is fantastic in in being the workaholic trying to get ahead, and the one liner once he gains some sort of power over his boss in her unfortunate situation with immigration.

Things get sticky when Sandra Bullock's character, a Canadian immigrant, is less than astute in her paperwork to work in the country. Her Visa is denied, and she pulls Reynolds in. The majority of the film then takes place in Alaska, which I guess is like Canada 2. But still. This is one of those postcard pieces that makes me want to move to Alaska when I'm tired of civilization. But Canadian immigrants? I raise some issues. Last I knew, we couldn't go and work up in the Great White North very easily. did Sandra Bullock get in on her good looks? Her agreeance on performing a semi-nude scene, finally?

Also, sort of funny since Ryan Reynolds is the Canadian Native in real life. Oh, Canada. The talent you export...

Also, considering the last two times I've seen Reynolds in the last two months was serving tables and being 'effing DEADPOOL!!!!!

I enjoy a movie with a great supporting cast. Especially one as surprisingly recocnizable as this. Craig T Nelson (Coach), Betty White (Golden Girls), and Mary Steenburgen (Back to the Future 3) filled out the visited family. I never imagined Betty White as Native American decendant (neither would I have my own grandmother-in-law, either), but this continued my reminder of how funny she is after seeing her on My Name is Earl earlier this season. But the surprises, of course, are Aasif Mandvi from the Daily Show and Oscar Nuñez of The Office in his many...roles...

Finally, I have to say. I think I found a friend for Bijou. Is this not the second cutest thing you've ever seen?

Wrestling Mayhem Show 170: insertwittytitlehere

2009-06-02T23:21:00.000-04:00

the Mayhem Crew is here, and we’re bringing the mail, the news, and some E3? There’s a lot of news from the recent E3 press conferences, Kennedy being future endeavored, and what Mad Mike thinks of the recent legend returns….

This is Episode 170 for Tuesday, June 2, 2009. You can get the episode here on Talkshoe, subscribe, and as always, stay tuned to www.wrestlingmayhemshow.com for the latest! The Wrestling Mayhem Show is recorded live and can be heard/viewed from 8 PM to 10 PM Eastern on Talkshoe.com and BlogTV.com. Let us know what you think of the show, and your thoughts on the wrestling world by emailing us at goodtimes@wrestlingmayhemshow.com! Don’t forget you can find links related to the show’s news stories and more at our Delicious Links Page for Episode 170!

Corey Wilkes & Abstract Pulse
“Rain” (mp3)
from “Cries From Tha Ghetto”
(Pi Recordings)

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Black Moth Super Rainbow
“Lost, Picking Flowers in the Woods” (mp3)
from “Lost, Picking Flowers in the Woods”
(Graveface Records)

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No More Kings
“Obey the Groove” (mp3)
from “And the Flying Boombox”
(Astonish Entertainment)

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The Great TV Experiment Part 3: Alterations 360

2009-05-31T02:50:00.007-04:00

Here's where we have some speed bumps. We've talked about the detachment. We've talked about conventional free television. Now we get into the part that makes this move more exciting these days. IPTV.

Now, IPTV as we know it today translates into your Hulu, CBS.com, Podcasts, iTunes downloads, Black20.com, Youtube, and so on... But the method for how you accomplish this will depend on a few things. That would be the hardware available to you, and your technical expertise.

The first method I broached was getting some computers resurrected from my own stash of hardware. At first, I had some success with an Athalon XP 1800. I realized I had the parts to get a Pentium 4 running, and proceeded to upgrade.

For reference, this is what I'm running:

Pentium 4 ~ 2.4 Ghz
512 MB RAM
Geforce 6200
Windows XP Professional SP3

In both cases, I formatted and loaded XP from scratch. Loading the newest Internet Explorer and little else.

Performance is key. If you're sitting there and the framerate drops, or the resolution is worse than standard definition, you may have some issues enjoying your programs. When watching some shows from CWTV.com (Smallville, Reaper) there was no problem. But the videos didn't run full wide screen, and a small player was installed into Internet Explorer. DailyMotion worked for the wrestling videos I catch up on. TNA Wrestling's feed from SpikeTV's site ran well enough. But Hulu. The big seller for this method, had issues. It was watchable, but Dennis Leary is sort of jerky as he bitches about the trials of a fireman. Finally, Hulu just released the new desktop player, with specs that outweighed what I had available as far as a spare computer.

So I decided to revisit an old friend in PlayOn from TheMediaMall. This is an option to works out a little better for the rest. This method works by installing on your PC and works as a sort of bypass for content to your Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3. Having my Xbox 360 on an HDMI cable and using my more powerful dual core laptop's background processes makes this a bit more promising. I've sat here working away at my web work, blog writing, and general surfing as the same machine processed and passed off Hulu and Revision 3 content for the last four days as we caught up on our shows and explored some new content, such as Scam School, and the old Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 1. (Don't judge.) The new plugin system that's been implemented is what makes this even more intriguing. Revision 3 is the first official add on, but the message board leaves the door open to much more. I've added HGTV and Food Network (for Missy), GameTrailers and Adult Swim. It's $40, and it requires that you already have this hardware, but if you're a big enough of a technology buff that you frequent blogs like this, you're probably a likely candidate for this. The shear volume of content is worth the one time access price. On top of what I use, you can access Amazon's On Demand service, Netflix without an Xbox Gold account, (and on PS3), CBS, and ESPN content. I'm currently making sure all the bugs are worked out in the 14 day free trial, but that purchase is as good as made.

Is this the end all source of what you can do? Of course not. The most interesting thing is watching how these companies put themselves out there to see what sticks with consumers to deliver content to you. Keep an eye for what's best for you.

Anatomy of a Road Trip: New England Edition

2009-05-27T00:18:00.008-04:00

This past weekend, the missus Sorg and myself ventured to New Hampshire to visit our friend, Miss Ashley Hoover. Last year, I presented the Anatomy of a Road Trip. Now, we are ready for an update.

Go Someplace New!

Our trips in the past have tended to take us down the usual corridors of I-79 and I-76 in the past with all of our trips to New York City and Western New York. This trip, I like to say that I had a chance to explore the rest of the state. Almost half of our trip was simply crossing Pennsylvania. Seeing the outlooks as we drove along, throught he Appelechians, the Poconos, past Scranton, and just north of New York City crossing the Hudson. Crossing into Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, all new states to us!

Conversation is still key.

For such a damn long trip at over 11 hours, we didn't strike up the iPod as much as we did on even our 3 hour trip to Newville last year. Maybe it's because there were only the two of us. Maybe because we were just enthralled with all of the new sights. Only when we sort of faded from eachother, surfing on our phones and such, did things get sort of tense. Turns missed, sour times. Thankfully, these were few.

Don't be in a hurry.

Yes it was a long trip, and typically, I would allow for enough time to just stop and NOT be in the damn car for a good amount of time. Unfortunately, fitting the trip into Memorial weekend between our jobs proved problematic, given the long drive. This is a battle I wage all of the time.

GPS Makes it Easier.

Tom Tom. Garmin. Mike Mike. Whatever you have. For us, I was juggling Missy's new iPhone and mine to cross reference as we went. Helped when we got lost in Boston as well. Having a local tour guide helped as well.

Something to Share.

Thanks to our give of a small Randy Orton to Ashley, thanks to her declaration of him being "Yummy", the weekend was an adventure for lil' Orton. And he didn't poop in one gym bag.

Declare a Challenge.
On our first trip this year, out to New York City, Will declared to get something peculiar from each rest stop. In Boston, I was determined to conquer the Norm Burger at Cheers. On our way back, we realized we should have grabbed a lottery ticket from each of the 5 states we visited. Something to accomplish, and maybe a story about how it went.

Go Where Someone Knows your Name.

And I'm not talking about Cheers again. I've had the fortune to visit our friend in New York City three times in the last two years, and this time visited our friend of New England. It was great to have a friend who'd allow us to pull up some floor or a couch. It cuts the cost of your trip in half, sometimes, and you have someone to show you around that is familiar with the area. And meeting Ashley's parents was a blast!

So that's my amendments. I'm still not sure where the rest of the year will take me, but I'm open to some new possibilities...

Check out pictures from the trip on my Flicker page!

Wrestling Mayhem Show 169: Mad Fan Mayhem

2009-05-27T00:14:00.000-04:00

It’s LB and Sorg on the mic, bringing you the latest in Mayhem and wrestling! This week, we head into fanmail to discover an angry hobo, discover people’s distaste for the latest TNA show, Papuga returns for her weigh in on UFC 98 and our favorite new name to say, and then Mad Mike from Bronx, NY and Wrestlefan from Texas call in to talk TNA Sacrifice, the WWE vs NBA, and more as the show goes Skype Mayhem for the last segment!

This is Episode 169 for Tuesday, May 26, 2009. You can get the episode here on Talkshoe, subscribe, and as always, stay tuned to www.wrestlingmayhemshow.com for the latest! The Wrestling Mayhem Show is recorded live and can be heard/viewed from 8 PM to 10 PM Eastern on Talkshoe.com and BlogTV.com. Let us know what you think of the show, and your thoughts on the wrestling world by emailing us at goodtimes@wrestlingmayhemshow.com! Don’t forget you can find links related to the show’s news stories and more at our Delicious Links Page for Episode 169!

Blackout Sands, Sean Behling
“In the Meantime (feat. Sean Behling)” (mp3)
from “Who Killed Jiminy Cricket?”
(Clocktower Collective)

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Great Northern
“Warning” (mp3)
from “Remind Me Where The Light Is”
(Eenie Meenie Records)

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Geri X
“Train Hopping Hobo Song” (mp3)
from “Fever”
(24 Hour Service Station)

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Wrestling Mayhem Show 168: Kane Appreciation Day

2009-05-20T00:03:00.001-04:00

It's May 19. May 19!? That May 19???? We attempt to calm the burning fire as we present the first ever Kane Appreciation Day!!! To celebrate what could be the first official pro wrestling holiday, we color the studio red and recall our favorite moments of the first 12 years of Kane in our lives! We also take time to consider Indy Wrestling and how to put buts in seats, WWE vs the NBA, and the War on Ric Flair commences!

Remember, we have a new Question of the Week! This week, tell us what would get you and your friends to try out an Indy Wrestling Show? Send your comments and responses to goodtimes@wrestlingmayhemshow.com or on the Snapvine line!

Kane Appreciation Day 1
Kane Appreciation Day 2
Kane Appreciation Day 3
Fire Techno Dance

This is Episode 168 for Tuesday, MAY 19, 2009. You can get the episode here on Talkshoe, subscribe, and as always, stay tuned to www.wrestlingmayhemshow.com for the latest! The Wrestling Mayhem Show is recorded live and can be heard/viewed from 8 PM to 10 PM Eastern on Talkshoe.com and BlogTV.com. Let us know what you think of the show, and your thoughts on the wrestling world by emailing us at goodtimes@wrestlingmayhemshow.com! Don’t forget you can find links related to the show’s news stories and more at our Delicious Links Page for Episode 168!

Vigilante
"Fire" (mp3)
from "Resistir"
(Still Alive Records)

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Potluck
"Fire" (mp3)
from "Straight Outta Humboldt (W/ Bonus Tracks)"
(Suburban Noize Records)

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Neil Carswell
"The Cain Preacher" (mp3)
from "Good Man's Journey"
(Aspirion Records)

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War on Ric Flair!!

2009-05-15T13:13:00.000-04:00

Written for WrestlingMayhemShow.com...

As many who listen to the show are surely aware, we are in the great city of Pittsburgh, and are avid fans of our Steelers and Penguins. Well, upon my frequent viewings of The Pens Blog, I was made aware of something interesting....

Did you see that? On the big screen? It's over. For the next two weeks, and I think I speak for the majority of the Wrestling Mayhem Show Crew,
We are no longer fans of Ric Flair.No longer fans of the 16 time world champion
No longer fans of the kiss stealing, limosine riding CANES FAN!

</thepensbloghomage>

And don't get me started on this crap...

Place Your Bets!!

2009-05-14T23:31:00.001-04:00

It's post draft. The old heads are out with injuries and rest periods. The young guys have the biggest chance as ever.

Place your bets.

The Miz

I've been a fan of the Miz since he was announcing Diva contests. A guy with a hug chip on his shoulder since he came from the Realm of Reality TV. He's not the biggest technical guy, but he's got the attitude and some ability.

John Morrisson

The other side of the puzzle. And going face? He had two matches at the ECW/Superstars/Smackdown tapings. Between this and the Miz and Morisson taking over tag wrestling on all three programs over the last year, you know this guy will get every oppurtunity he needs to get on top.

CM Punk

Last year, Punk got a novel title run, and won almost every title in the company in his rookie year. This could be the year he breaks out as a regular at the top if he keeps it up.

Mike Knox

He's born with banshees and I am certain his beard is loaded. Say hello to the next Kane-level badass heal. Maybe not main eventer, but a regular foil for guys like Cena and Trips.

Christian

They spent little time putting a show's belt on the guy. He's just the right kind of guy to push guys like Jack Swagger, and anyone else coming up on ECW. He's proven as a champ on TNA, and now we get to see what he can do Tuesday nights. Which brings us to...

Jack Swagger

Like him or not (I'm on the fence), Swagger proved why he's been, and will likely to continue to be, fastracked up the roster.

MVP

It's time. He's been riding the mid card US Title train and proved he can be serious, entertaining, and a good match to watch. Tearing him down to brinng him back as a good guy was genius.

Who's still on the bubble?

Kofi Kingston

He's too Jamaican. But really, this is one of those talented individuals that just needs some character tweaks. If we start to see more character than, well, a character with this guy, he'll be leap frog to the top.

Evan Bourne

We will see some amazing matches from this guy, but lets face it, he's way to small for this group. No, I don't see him becoming the next Rey Mysterio anytime soon. Bourne will become a very successful

THE Brian Kendrick

Someone believes in this guy. Though I'll miss Zeke, and he was an interim World Champ back in that odd scramble last year, he has the same issue that Borne has. The oppertunity to entertain the hell out of you, but not the size to run with it. In the long run, though, Brian could have the potential to be a Chris Jericho if he exudes enough character...

Tag Team Wrestling

I don't know what they want to do with the team swaps and title unifications, but the moving from title change to creating a new team (Kendrick/???) is not what we were hoping for. And what of Crime Time? Diva event emcee's for life? Maybe R-Truth will join them.

The Great TV Experiment Part 2: Free TV?

2009-05-13T23:10:00.007-04:00

This is the part where some investment may come in.

As you know, the big Digital Television switch is finally happening in June. As mentioned in my previous post on the subject, I found that most of my television watching was on the major networks. A listen to the Mayhem Show would tell you we dig on Heroes. I would be out of the loop if I walked into the office the next day after The Office to get all of the in jokes we apply to eachother.

So I applied for the Converter Box Coupons, and applied them to two boxes for my standard televisions for our two bedrooms. (one for us, one for guests). Picked up a couple of antennaes, and here we go. Yes, it was a bit of money to get the equipment we needed to watch everything available, but that's as apposed to the $6 for satellite access to those channels, or the $20 or so for the stripped down cable stations that provide the same...and C-Span?

Now, I grew up without cable or satellite until about '96 when Primestar was finally an option. So I grew up on about three stations. Four when I messed around with rabid ears and watched my saturday morning Fox cartoons on a black and white television in the laundry room.

So I found it rather ironic that I was relegating back down to the same tech. But, to my amazement, I ran a channel scan and returned about 15 stations. I have the typical stuff: NBC, Fox, ABC, MyNetwork, CBS, etc. But the surprise was some of these "alternate channels" that are now available on the digital feeds.

Basically, with the new digital signals, the local television stations have the ability to transmit more than one feed. Some seem to just simulcast the standard definition versions of their main station. Others, like WTAE, broadcast a local/national weather feed. WPXI, my favorite use of the second feed, broadcasts the Retro Television Network. I can watch Knight Rider and Incredible Hulk every night after work now. WQED seems the most ambitious, as they put out an HD feed of their general station, and alternate "Create" station, and a local "Neighborhood" version.

The most fantastic thing is, as I've heard about leading up to this switch, I understood that this is the best HD that you could receive today. When you watch HD on your Satellite or Cable system, that signal is highly compressed to get you all of those stations. On the over the air HD, that signal is uncompressed. I spent ten minutes switching between the antennae and Dish signal for Jeapordy after first hooking up my antennae. Fantastic.

Yes, it sort of sucks that I don't have DVR anymore. Yes, I don't have the ability to time shift my watching. No, I can't pause the show when my mom calls. But there are some other options I'll get into that can replace them.

Wrestling Mayhem Show 167: Super Duper Mayhem

2009-05-13T00:05:00.000-04:00

The Mayhem Crew is back in the studio. We’re back from Smackdown, more are watching TNA, Super Indy is this weekend, and we’re less than thrilled with some things going on these days.

Remember, next week is May 19, and that means “Kane Appreciation Day!” LEt us know how much you appreciate Kane, your Big Red Machine memories, to goodtimes@wrestlingmayhemshow.com or on the Snapvine line!

This is Episode 167 for Tuesday, May 12, 2009. You can get the episode here on Talkshoe, subscribe, and as always, stay tuned to www.wrestlingmayhemshow.com for the latest! The Wrestling Mayhem Show is recorded live and can be heard/viewed from 8 PM to 10 PM Eastern on Talkshoe.com and BlogTV.com. Let us know what you think of the show, and your thoughts on the wrestling world by emailing us at goodtimes@wrestlingmayhemshow.com! Don’t forget you can find links related to the show’s news stories and more at our Delicious Links Page for Episode 167!

Abstract Rude
“Rejuvenation” (mp3)
from “Rejuvenation”
(Rhymesayers Entertainment)

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Abigail Washburn & The Shanghai Restoration Project
“Sala” (mp3)
from “Afterquake”
(Undercover Culture Music)

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Permanent Holiday
“The Way God Made Me” (mp3)
from “Building a Catastrophe”
(Quickstar Productions)

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Some changes.

2009-05-07T23:03:00.001-04:00

There's a new direction ahead.

Things are going to get cleaned up.

Including this place.

Some of the changes have been bubbling.

One big change happened tonight.

Stay Tuned.

Let the adventures begin again.

The Great TV Experiment Part 1: Severence

2009-05-07T21:00:00.009-04:00

So, if you have been following me on the Twitter, you may have caught that I have exploring the concept of life with out TV. Well, sort of.

The Reason

Ever since this whole (*finger quotations with me now*) "recession" and the whole "no bonuses or raises" and the whole "you might get fired/laid off" chain of events, I have been looking at our finances with every sort of sideways look to figure out how we could strip off some money from our monthly expences. We started with Sam's Club. We attempt to pack more lunches instead of eating out. We recycle. We emplore the pets to get part time jobs.

I am an avid fan of This Week in Media for a few years now, and the concept of "living off the internet" for my television and slashing that cord has been implanted for a good while now. But I resisted. How would I watch my wrestling? My pay per views? My live sporting events?

Finally, I figured it out.

The Rejection

I wanted FIOS. The service was new and exciting and the bundling with my already existing FIOS internet would have saved some money. But they couldn't figure out where I live, and hence, offer me the service. I couldn't even get DirecTV for the bundling options and new customer deals. The pages for the service didn't even have a clear way to order the service. And last time I talked to someone on the phone (as they advised me to do to clarify my address), we had some problems. Verizon services I love (sans Wireless phone). Verizon customer service can eat it.

If a company doesn't make it easy to spend my money with them, they must not really want my business.

The Principal

I found that the majority of my television watching was encompassed with USA Network (WWE Raw, Burn Notice, Psych, etc.), Comedy Central (Daily Show, Colbert, Reno 911!), and the free networks I was paying $5 a month for (Heroes, Chuck, Smallville, The Office, etc, etc). Many times I found myself catching up with these shows on Hulu or network websites on my lunch break instead of visiting my DVR (which I also pay extra for). So I was watching for free something I was paying for to come into my house, then record, at home. This is what I call "Hulu-guilt".

Suddenly, the $80 a month didn't justify what we were receiving.

The High Cost of Cable
Our cable television bill is $65.82 per month. That’s $789.84/year.
The New Math: Cheap Alternatives to Cable Television

The more I looked at it, the more the idea of simply setting up a computer (though not a pretty setup at the moment), buying some over the air antennaes/converters, and keeping my Netflix subscription (upping to 2 discs at a time, and streaming via my Xbox 360), and picking up anything not provided with above methods via itunes (Law & Order, Reno 911, etc) I would have just as much, but more focused, television watching, no Hulu-guilt, and save a boat load of money.

The Disconnect

So, Wednesday night during the Pens game, I called Dish Network. Now, I'm not mad at Dish. I love ther service and they're going to be the first ones I'll likely call back when I return to TV Land.

I knew I was in for some fun when I connected to a "Customer Loyalty Rep" after telling a machine I wanted to cancel at least twice. So I let her go to see what they offered. I was doing the Top 100 (Plus just added for the Pens games), the starter HD package (love HDNet MMA and ROH) I was taken from my $80-ish bill to about $45 with the same package. Sort of amazed, actually. But I was done with it for now. The experiment would happen.

So the dive is taken. I've gone 24 hours without my cable television. I watched Office when it was on. I have the TV on while I work still. Is this really so different? Did I really just kill off the dead wood that may have not been appreciated and draining my bank account just for existing?

Stay tuned...

WPAJ Interviews: Project Born and DGAF

2009-05-02T09:29:00.002-04:00

I can't believe I forgot to post my interview with DGAF from last week. This was a cool one, as we filmed it in the beer storage area in Club Diesel. The freezer and band playing upstairs played havoc with our sound, but I think it turned out pretty decent.

Then this week, I received an impromptu request for an interview with Project Born, most notable for being the first artists signed to Psychopathic Records, after ICP, of course. It's a phone interview, but I've decided to start doing video for all of them for the itunes stream so no one is left out. Enjoy!

Sorg Gets Cultured: Japanese Food in Pittsburgh

2009-04-30T23:47:00.006-04:00

Some may know, I love eating and experiencing new places. The world famous Carnegie Deli in NYC. The original Texas Hots in Wellsville, NY. Quaker Steak and Lube in Western PA. This evening, we visited the Little Tokyo Bistro in the Southside of Pittsburgh. Now, I've had suchi before. But this was the brunch bar the next day after getting drunk at the christmas party at Nemecolin a few years ago. Not the greatest of experience, all things considered.

So we invaded...

I was attempting to master the art of the chop sticks, which didn't go so well at first...

Sorg gets cultural on 12seconds.tv

Now, I started getting the hang of it by the time my delectable Dragon Roll showed up. But then a splinter stabbed me in the roof of the mouth. Japanese culture fail. Back to my American fork. I may blame Ja for sabotaging the chop sticks...

I was astounded by the American-themed foods, such as the Pittsburgh Roll and Philly Roll. I attempted the latter, thanks to Will, and the cream cheese was a nice mixture. I now presume the Pittsburgh Roll has coleslaw and fries piled on it...

But the greatest was when the staff learned it was Will's birthday, the cause for our togetherness. The music started blasting happy birthday, and Will got a pineapple on fire...on...fire....

But all kidding aside, it was a great night with a group of friends I haven't had a chance to just hang out with for a while. And I'm now hooked on Japanese food.

A great thank you to the restaurant, as we kept them rocking about an hour after their closing time, and they were very kind, regardless with our large, unwieldy group.

Deaf Wrestleest THIS SUNDAY!

2009-04-29T16:32:00.000-04:00

The Wrestling Mayhem Crew should be in attendance for this Pittsburgh area event, and it's looking more and more worth it. PLUS it's for a good cause!!

J.J. Dillon, Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake, Shane Douglas, Missy Hyatt, Dominic DeNucci, as well as friends of our own Wrestling Mayhem Show such as The Gambinos, Jimmy Demarco, Super Hentai, Jason Gory, Michael Facade, B94's Bubba the Bulldog, and PLENTY More! Scope out information and tickets right here.

Sunday, May 3rd
6:00 PM Belltime
Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf
300 East Swissvale Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA (Edgewood)

Pre-Order Tickets Here!
Limited Front Row $25
Advanced Tickets $15
Day of Show $20
For tickets, email naw75lins@yahoo.com or call (412) 678-3287

Matches Announced so far:

Six Man Tag Explosion!
Dominic DeNucci & Dr. Cody Michaels & Shane Douglas vs J.J. Dillon & "Handsome" Frank Staletto & "Beef Stew" Lou Marconi

Brutus "the Barber" Beefcake vs King Kaluha

B94's Bubba the Bulldog vs. Dynamite Dean

The Blanchard Express (Shawn Blanchard & Lou Martin w/ Frank Durso) vs Kris Kash and Anthony Alexander

Jessica Havok and Haily Hatred vs Angeldust and Brittany Force

The Wrong Crowd vs Gambinos

Crusher Hansen vs Dennis Gregory

Wrestling Mayhem Show 165: Monkeys With Shirts

2009-04-28T23:43:00.005-04:00

The Mayhem Crew is here and we have Spring Fever! We're hot off of Backlash, Remedy's Yahoo exposure, DJLunchbox's birthday (with surprise birthday wishes), monkeys with shirts, who is WWE's audience, what is happening with the younger talent, and much, much more!!!

Remember, DJLunchbox called out for fans to email or Snapvine their stories of why they got into wrestling, and we will be having a former writer for WWE Smackdown on the show next week, so please send your questions to goodtimes@wrestlingmayhemshow.com!

This is Episode 165 for Tuesday, April 28, 2009. You can get the episode here on Talkshoe, subscribe, and as always, stay tuned to www.wrestlingmayhemshow.com for the latest! The Wrestling Mayhem Show is recorded live and can be heard/viewed from 8 PM to 10 PM Eastern on Talkshoe.com and BlogTV.com. Let us know what you think of the show, and your thoughts on the wrestling world by emailing us at goodtimes@wrestlingmayhemshow.com! Don’t forget you can find links related to the show’s news stories and more at our Delicious Links Page for Episode 165!

Rae & Christian
"Play On (feat. The Jungle Brothers)" (mp3)
from "Raiding The Vaults"
(Yes King)
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Rodriguez
"Sugar Man" (mp3)
from "Cold Fact"
(Light In The Attic)
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CunninLynguists
"Don't Leave (When Winter Comes) [feat. Slug]" (mp3)
from "Strange Journey Volume One"
(QN5, Inc.)
Buy at iTunes Music Store
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It Brings a City Together

2009-04-23T22:10:00.008-04:00

This evening, a good portion of Pittsburgh sat down to watch their beloved Penguins hopefully finally put away the Philedelphia Flyers in their opening series of the playoffs.

Maybe halfway through the first period, we had a glimmer of what was coming. A blast of Twitters proclaimed that Comcast had a bit of a hiccup during the commercials.

Then it happened. Fresh into the second period. We went dark on my Dish Network based television. The Twitter verse exploded and I think I heard crying echoing through the hills of Beechview...

Even Bijou hangs her head in shame...

Was it Comcast? Was it FSN? Is this another dastardly NBC plan to piss off Pittsburgh?

Soon, Twitter had answers...

itsonlyjim Lightning strike hit FSN transmission site in Atlanta. Comcast CAN route VS feed on air but is apparently choosing not to.
Everyone responded, and retweeted to their unconnected friends. The screen was confirmed to still have the feed. So the expected downtown riot did not happen. Though I'd be interested in the stats on bar fights during the outage.

At least Mike Lange didn't fail us.

Nor did the internet.

I MAKE hockey happen on my TV...

Soon, there was another flurry of these "grey area" feeds of the Versus coverage of the game, which was not available to area subscribers thanks to blackout rules with FSN.

burghbaby @unclecrappy I've got a quote for you. "Twitter came through for me when FSN was busy sucking big hairy donkey balls."

FSN was called everyting from an embarrassment to the reason the Pens lost what should have been a shoe in series. (Lets be honest. It is almost karmic...) But they werent' the only ones to get caught up with the digital scuffle...

ChachiSays @comcastcares if you really cared reroute the effing game!

comcastcares @ChachiSays We are not permitted. We do not own the rights to the game. It would be a big legal issue
So props for that rep to stand up to a pissed off city when I hear they weren't even able to start to respond to the angry phone calls...

It's one of those events where you can see how this new medium comes through when our conventional means don't. Rather than sitting here, staring our our blank TVs, speculating what happened for maybe 20 minutes, information got around. Instead of calling one or two friends, of which I received from a coworker not in the loop, everyone passed along info, asked questions, and got answers. And in the end, all of the speculation was confirmed by FSN themselves as they apologized well into the third period.

I was here first.

2009-04-22T23:30:00.005-04:00

Over the years, I've been involved in music scenes, online communities, and something called "micro-blogging" that I didn't even know I needed, there has been some constants. Today, Justin Kownacki twittered the results from herebeforeyou.com:

@JustinKownacki was here 822 days before @Oprah http://herebeforeyou.com #herebeforeyou

Now, I'm not saying that Justin's vain enough to tout this fact (I'm not denying it either), heck, I did the same thing, just for comparison...

#herebeforeyou @sorgatron was here 637 days before @oprah http://herebeforeyou.com

Ever since I first discovered music, and went to shows, people seemed really interested in telling me how down they were, usually measured in time. The Insane Clown Posse was around for 8 years before MTV and Disney made a big stink that catapulted them into infamy, and exposed them to millions of new fans. Right off of the bat, there was that divide between people who had just discovered them with the Great Milenko, and those that had discovered them years before in the "underground". Today, we see the same issues between those of us that have been down since even that era, and the new teenagers just getting into the group on the online communities.

Now, with Twitter and Facebook blowing up all over media, letting the rest of the world in on our dirty little digital secret, the same seems true. The old standbys that have beeing Twittering and MyFacing for years now find Oprah and Ashton Kutcher exposing our corner. We notice more and more of the last people we expected to show up appearing in our new followers emails and friend ads. Many, who use these online outlets as, well, an outlet, for their personalities to a focused audience of their friends that are in on the joke, are finding it uncomfortable, and self censoring to have to realize who's watching.

It's always an interesting social perspective when we find ourselves presented with these situations. As more and more internet societies and technologies progress, we will begin to reminisce on when our beloved networks were ours to rule before someone "ruined it".

And such is the pain of the early adopter...

Oh, and for the record:

@sorgatron was here 630 days
before @aplusk

Eat it, Mr. Demi Moore....

Wrestling Mayhem Show 164: "There will be deaf people around me"

2009-04-22T00:53:00.001-04:00

The Mayhem Crew is joined by George Rutherford, a former writer for WWE Smackdown to share with us his experiences with Vince McMahon, JBL, Chris Benoit, and others during his time with the company. Rizz brings up an exchange with Debra in fanmail, we can’t stop laughing at MMA with Dawn, what’s Bobby Lashley doing, Sorg and Mad Mike plead to give TNA yet another chance, and a look forward to Backlash this weekend!

This is Episode 164 for Tuesday, April 21, 2009. You can get the episode here on Talkshoe, subscribe, and as always, stay tuned to www.wrestlingmayhemshow.com for the latest! The Wrestling Mayhem Show is recorded live and can be heard/viewed from 8 PM to 10 PM Eastern on Talkshoe.com and BlogTV.com. Let us know what you think of the show, and your thoughts on the wrestling world by emailing us at goodtimes@wrestlingmayhemshow.com! Don’t forget you can find links related to the show’s news stories and more at our Delicious Links Page for Episode 164!

Rodriguez
“Heikki’s Suburbia Bus Tour” (mp3)
from “Coming From Reality”
(Light In The Attic)

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Blackout Sands
“Cement Flowers” (mp3)
from “Who Killed Jiminy Cricket?”
(Clocktower Collective)

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CunninLynguists
“Never Come Down (The Brownie Song)” (mp3)
from “Strange Journey Volume One”
(QN5, Inc.)

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WPAJ Interview: The Dirtball

2009-04-21T13:48:00.001-04:00

Two weeks ago, I had the chance to speak with some of the guys on the New World Orphans Tour when they stopped by Diesel on the Southside this month. I had a chance to chill with The Dirtball once again. You can catch my interview with him from last year right here.

Stay tuned for future Interviews with DGAF, hed pe, and Mower. Subscribe to the audio feed, or the video feed on itunes!

Why TNA is Good For You (Again)

2009-04-20T16:56:00.009-04:00

So it's been over a year since I proclaimed "Why TNA is Good For You". Last night, I enjoyed maybe the better TNA PPV I've seen in a while. And we were hit by another good one a few months ago. (I've been catching them sparingly) After Lockdown in Philedelphia, let's see what we have.

TNA Does what WWE Don't.

WWE does not care about it's tag division. This was more than obvious from the highly anticipated "unification" match being bumped from WrestleMania uncerimoniously. But what's this? TNA had two tag championship matches on this show? With buildup to each? The fed has been lucky to have one tag match every couple of pay per views.

Divas. Knockout. There's a difference. As I discussed Sunday night in the chat, when you sit and watch a women's match in WWE, there's not much sticking out. Almost every blonde bimbo in that company is interchangable, and are devoid of personality. The better exceptions include Nattie Neidhart or Beth Pheonix. Even Gail Kim has been relegated to a mute wrestler that sort of showed up on Smackdown one week. TNA has women that stick out. That have personalities, talent (most coming from the indies instead of the modeling agencies).

The Old Guys Won't Go Away

When you're building a company, or attemping to make the most money you can from merchandise, you're going to go with the "proven winners". The Kurt Angles, Triple H's, and Stings of the wrestling world will always have that one up. This is why we always see our beloved wrestling companies tread lightly on change, and maybe "dip their toes" with guys like CM Punk and Jeff Hardy for brief periods. Remember, Edge has only a couple week reign for his first major belt. Now look at him.

So if you're the sort of person that reads this blog, or listens to my show, this last scenario is not for you. But tune in for the young guys, and divisions you're not getting with the big boys.

Do Be Do Bedooo

2009-04-16T12:39:00.002-04:00

The Penguins looked good. Beware the Penguins...

This video came up in a conversation at work. The good old days...

Wrestling Mayhem Show 163: Phuck Philly

2009-04-15T00:12:00.003-04:00

The Mayhem Crew is rocking the fanmail, talk about the WWE Draft, the new TNA iPhone game, get a Japan trip update from Mad Mike, talk MMA with Papuga, and much more! Don't forget to check out Papuga's Delicious page for MMA links!

Remember, DJLunchbox called out for fans to email or Snapvine their stories of why they got into wrestling, and we will be having a former writer for WWE Smackdown on the show next week, so please send your questions to goodtimes@wrestlingmayhemshow.com!

This is Episode 163 for Tuesday, April 14, 2009. You can get the episode here on Talkshoe, subscribe, and as always, stay tuned to www.wrestlingmayhemshow.com for the latest! The Wrestling Mayhem Show is recorded live and can be heard/viewed from 8 PM to 10 PM Eastern on Talkshoe.com and BlogTV.com. Let us know what you think of the show, and your thoughts on the wrestling world by emailing us at goodtimes@wrestlingmayhemshow.com! Don’t forget you can find links related to the show’s news stories and more at our Delicious Links Page for Episode 163!

Asobi Seksu
"I'm Happy But You Don't Like Me" (mp3)
from "Asobi Seksu"
(Friendly Fire Recordings)
Buy at iTunes Music Store
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Jet
"Tax Loss" (mp3)
from "More Light Than Shade"
(RADIANT FUTURE RECORDS)
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Caverns
"This Are Syntax" (mp3)
from "Sing Along"
(Lujo Records)
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So, about this grid...

2009-04-14T11:11:00.004-04:00

So, I've read a bit about this proposed grid building we've heard about from the Obama administration. Several sources have responded with "why" to "it's not enough" So lets explore answers to those.

I take a little bit of stake in this concept, because, like I talked about in my last major post on here, I take value in seeing how my family received internet, and how it comes along compared to the luxury of availability I enjoy in the city.

Why do we need this?

The why is simple enough. Access. As the talk has been for the last few months since our jobs started falling by the wayside, this may be a time that our country is transitioning from a manufacturing economy to a services economy. This means less jobs for those content with sitting on an assembly line installing car doors, making TVs, or even producing steel bars. This means more sitting in offices, providing healthcare, insurance, web sites, and sales support, by my interpretation. Another side of this is the growing economy around the internet. There are jobs and opportunities that are presented to us today that weren't a shadow of a thought ten years ago. Expanding this access so people who don't think the internet is worth that extra cost makes online consumers out of more people as we grow this economy online even more.

It's not enough.

Reports I've seen say the baseline internet we expect to pipe nation wide will top out at 768k. Low DSL speeds. Just this past weekend, I was working on my in-laws' lower tier Time Warner Cable internet, which tops out at 768k, from the looks of things. After an unfortunate need to fix and update some settings on the router, I had little issue watching Hulu and Youtube shows at a decent clip and quality to be watchable and enjoyable. Is it instant gratification? No. But you will be able to tolerably receive itunes songs, Steam games, and the like. Remember, we all had some sort of dial up access and withstood much more flakiness than these new connections will be able to provide.

What do you guys think? Is this forward progress, or another money waster for our overblown government?

Sorg Reps Mayhem Show on Cinemax

2009-04-13T15:11:00.001-04:00

As I've mentioned in earlier recaps, Mayhem invaded the New York Comic Con, and I found myself on Cinemax. I was just informed that the video is live in rotation. Check it here if you don't have Skinemax....

They're remembered!! And they're involved...

2009-04-11T12:05:00.004-04:00

As I've talked about in the past about the plight of the non-metropolitan friends who are a little bit detached from our big, New Media mindset at our Podcamps and Web Seminars, it's safe to say that I use my parents and in laws' experiences and questions as a gauge to represent some sort of demographic.

Between all of the above, we represent an age group of 40-65, including a construction worker, CAD (computer aided drafting) operator, and a retired machinist, so I catagorize all of them as "the common man" in this situation.

The first observation is that the availability is more reachable. The in laws in the barely-there town of Little Gennesee, NY have cable access, and hence, internet. Although it's a cost efficient, low end (under 1 MB/s) connection, it's raised cause for my mother in law to start connecting to the family on Facebook, even working it into social conversations when discussing how some people are doing. Also, the "T" word has come up, and Twitter may find itself into their life, aside from my own bombardment of Facebook status updates via the service.

The second is and upgrade in service with my father. His DSL has become faster, and for the most part, more reliable. His long standing "downtime" has been remedied, and they actually lowered his rates, and didn't tell him, hence refunding some of his payments. Dad has embraced technology as I present it to him. Twitter has become a window in which he keeps an eye on what we are doing, but he doesn't seek out technology.

Another addition to this is my sister's place. With her husband and 13 year old son, have enjoyed a massive upgrade from dial up to the newly available in their outskirts in Mercer County. This throws in another set of the "average family" to my observations. And I hope my nephew heeds my warnings to stay safe on the internet. Thought he Windows 98 machine I setup for him isn't going to help matters there.

The last on the list is my mother. While access isn't an issue, as she resides in the more accessable parts of Beaver County, it's her experiences that intrigue me. She was the first of my family that I had to consider "Wait. My mom reads my blog. What am I writing about again?" (HI MOM!)

And all of this has become more interesting as of late as Facebook and Twitter have gone "mainstream" and seeing how everyone embraces all of it, and doesn't. But more on that later...

You're reading this blog, so there's about a 75% chance you're a big tech/web buff like I am. How is your family embracing the technology out there?

Wrestling Mayhem Show 162: Blame Kid Rock

2009-04-08T00:17:00.001-04:00

The Mayhem Crew is rocking the fanmail, voicemail, and talk about the ups and downs of WrestleMania, including the best, worse, and why Kid Rock ruined everything bad about the weekend. We're here and you can't stop the Mayhem...

This is Episode 161 for Tuesday, April 7, 2009. You can get the episode here on Talkshoe, subscribe, and as always, stay tuned to www.wrestlingmayhemshow.com for the latest! The Wrestling Mayhem Show is recorded live and can be heard/viewed from 8 PM to 10 PM Eastern on Talkshoe.com and BlogTV.com. Let us know what you think of the show, and your thoughts on the wrestling world by emailing us at goodtimes@wrestlingmayhemshow.com! Don’t forget you can find links related to the show’s news stories and more at our Delicious Links Page for Episode 162!Stephen Lynch Buy at eMusic Buy at Napster s More On This AlbumBeirut "My Night With The Prostitute From Marseille" (mp3)from "March of the Zapotec & Realpeople: Holland"(Pompeii Records)
Buy at Napster More On This AlbumRae & Christian "Play On (feat. The Jungle Brothers)" (mp3)from "Raiding The Vaults"(Yes King)
More On This Album

The Streak is the most prestigious title in professional wrestling today…

2009-04-07T13:49:00.002-04:00

A piece I wrote for WrestlingMayhemShow.com..

WrestleMania has come and gone. Kid Rock did an admirable job. The Divas were used. Kind of. New champions. JBL quit.

But the thing this Mania will be remembered for is the amazing Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels, with the streak on the line.

The build up was fantastic. Undertaker, standing at 16-0 at the big show, reiterated that Shawn wasn’t any different from his other victims. But Michaels did something others didn’t do as effectively. Fight back in the mind games. The funeral, the walk in the cemetery, and the white druids. And through it all, Taker couldn’t get his hands on Shawn. It was enough to make you think “maybe this is the one”.

On a show where we had an excellent buildup to the main title match, another changing hands in a decent three way dance, and other titles wholly ignored or relegated to the untelevised “pre-show”, one thing seems to clear. Belts don’t matter.

These days, the belts are passed around the same faces that we don’t care so much anymore. It takes so much for us to care. A fan favorite that is just getting the chance (CM Punk, Jeff Hardy), A surprise title switch (Edge at No Way Out). This isn’t the day and age of the WCW title changing hands twice a Nitro almost on a weekly basis, but there’s still something missing.

The Streak is the greatest “title” anyone could have. 17 years. How many kids watching today weren’t even born when his streak started?? And this year, we had the perfect storm of this streak, and someone who could have very well taken it away. I could never believe they would consider Mark Henry, or Prince Albert, or even Kane taking this away. But so much is at stake. This is a win that could have changed history in the business. It’s more important than being the guy that ended the long runs of guys like Rob Van Dam (ECW TV Title), Nigel McGuiness (ROH Title), or even Bruno Sammartino (WWF Title).

Do you agree that Undertaker own the “greatest title ever”?

What I Learned From Web Design Day

2009-04-06T12:50:00.011-04:00

As many know, I've been an avid "web guy" for a long time now, and have been itching to up my game beyond some of my recent side work. So when RefreshPittsburgh announced this Web Design Day, a small "one-day, low-cost conference for web professionals", I was sold.

The day was invaluable for me, as a person not currently "in the industry" on the web side, and seeing how they go about projects in comparison to my video editing day job. But there were a few large take aways:

Analyze your process

Josh Sager kicked off the day with a fantastic, and most valuable to my situation, presentation about his process when taking on a project. The biggest thing I got from it was the years of revision he's done to all of his processes. He shared his methods for conquering the pifalls over his years, and the idea of doing something of a post mortem on your project, and smoothing it over for next time. Being someone who hasn't been working these processes in any environment, this session was exactly what I was looking for, and I plan to be adopting a lot of methods I learned here.

Typography can be really exciting

I took typography in my Multimedia and Web Design courses, but never imagined people really get into the subject. Watching Samantha Warren just got nuts about the subject was really inspiring, and changed some of the ways I'll be looking at typography, instead of being a web design afterthought. While I was worried this would be a rehash of her recent talk at Refresh Pittsburgh a few months ago, that presentation was more based on some design methods, while this was about some typography inspiration.

Your web team is like Voltron

While I had an enjoyable listen to Chris Cashdollar of Philedelphia's Happy Cog about Magazine influence on web design, the biggest visual take away I got (aside from a new source of inspiration) was that your team is like Voltron. While sometimes feel my team is like a retarded Voltron at times on projects, it's a good visual that sparked a little bit of discussion that day.

You need a laptop at these things

The place was sort of light on the plug situation over at Left Field. Thankfully, we found some power strips and had our own little laptop commune. I think it's needed for note taking (I'm much better on the keyboard) and investigating sites and tools mentioned during the lectures. There are things I would have never gone back for, or would have not stuck in my head, if it wasn't for a visual on a page in my own browser.

Aside from these key points, I learned some critical design thinking about the seduction of a web page from Geoff Barnes, loved Cashdollar's magazine retrospective, and received a dip in the water with wire framing and User Experience with Jason Robb and Whitney Hess, respectively.

Wrestling Mayhem Show 161: Baby Seat Mania

2009-04-01T08:36:00.001-04:00

The Mayhem Crew is rocking the fanmail, voicemail, talk Night of Legends, Wrestlicious, get a report from Mad Mike from the WrestleMania Press Conference in New York City, and talk WrestleMania! Oh, and Baby Seat!!!

This is Episode 161 for Tuesday, March 31, 2009. You can get the episode here on Talkshoe, subscribe, and as always, stay tuned to www.wrestlingmayhemshow.com for the latest! The Wrestling Mayhem Show is recorded live and can be heard/viewed from 8 PM to 10 PM Eastern on Talkshoe.com and BlogTV.com. Let us know what you think of the show, and your thoughts on the wrestling world by emailing us at goodtimes@wrestlingmayhemshow.com! Don’t forget you can find links related to the show’s news stories and more at our Delicious Links Page for Episode 161!
Jackson United
“Stitching” (mp3)
from “Harmony and Dissidence”
(Acetate Records)

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Jackson United
“Stitching” (mp3)
from “Harmony and Dissidence”
(Acetate Records)

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Psychokinetics
“Bigtime” (mp3)
from “Seven League Boots”
(Psychokinetics)

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CRAPCast 19: There's No Rape at Jack's

2009-03-30T22:53:00.002-04:00

This week, our Hip Hop CRAP Stars get read a poem from "The Dude", emcee lb attempts to "catch them all", Big Daddy Shit talks WrestleMania, and more!

You can join us every Tuesday LIVE at 7 PM EST on TalkShoe.com andBlogTV.com. Find more about Hip Hop Crap Stars atwww.monkeyflingspoo.com and stay tuned to our weekly stream and subscribe on TalkShoe!

Digital Greetings

2009-03-25T21:51:00.004-04:00

Don't tell anyone, but today's my birthday. My 28th trip around, to be exact.

So I woke up. Went to my job. Didn't really want to be to big about it. I was expecting an unspectacular day doing unspectacular things at work. We didn't really plan anything, as we are apt to do most years, and I was content with it passing by without incident.

But then they started trickling in. Little by little.

And a flood happened.

More than 25 happy birthdays hit my Facebook page. I've never seen a happy birthday cavelcade like this. They came from my New Media friends, old High School buddies, local professional wrestlers, coworkers, etc. But some stuck out.

David Redd You, sir, are an INSPIRATION!!!

You breed creativity and violence.

You pilot 2 hours of mayhem EVERY W EEK!!

You have been known to lock horns with some So-Rog fella.

But there is ONE day out of the year in which you are no longer invincible!

and that is today! The day of your BIRTH!

BEWARE OF THE ATTACK!!!

PS. Happy Birthday Little Buddy

And old standbys I always dig...

Will Rutherford To Sorgatron, Lord and master of the onyx microphone, the one and only transistorized manbeast! A very happy birthday to you, my partner in digital crime!

To the bi-lingual...

Michelle Hammons As Dora would say, Feliz cumpleaños!

And even a big Twitter from Social Media's biggest rock star...

chrisbrogan Happy Birthday to @sorgatron , who is passionate about pro wrestling, and is a great guy to know.

So what did we learn today? That Social Media friends means no one forgets your birthday. Thanks everyone, for the warmest B-day reception I think I can recall.

Wrestling Mayhem Show 160: Going Conneticut Ape Sh*t

2009-03-25T00:11:00.004-04:00

The Mayhem Crew is rocking the fanmail, voicemail (including sick Sorgatron's calls), review the first Ring of Honor show in Pittsburgh in 6 years, cover MMA with Dawn Papuga, and get sort of creaped out by Randy Orton. Then the insults fly.

This is Episode 160 for Tuesday, March 24, 2009. You can get the episode here on Talkshoe, subscribe, and as always, stay tuned to www.wrestlingmayhemshow.com for the latest! The Wrestling Mayhem Show is recorded live and can be heard/viewed from 8 PM to 10 PM Eastern on Talkshoe.com and BlogTV.com. Let us know what you think of the show, and your thoughts on the wrestling world by emailing us at goodtimes@wrestlingmayhemshow.com! Don't forget you can find links related to the show's news stories and more at our Delicious Links Page for Episode 160 !

Classified
"Listen" (mp3)
from "Boy-Cott-In The Industry"
(URBNET Communications Inc.)
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Restiform Bodies
"Bobby Trendy Addendum" (mp3)
from "TV Loves You Back"
(anticon)
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The Adorkables
"Hope You're Happy" (mp3)
from "...She Loves Me Not"
(Insubordination Records)
More On This Album

CRAPCast 18: Song and Dance

2009-03-18T13:07:00.002-04:00

This week, our Hip Hop CRAP Stars have undergone some technical difficulties. But we leave you with a songor two until next week.

You can join us every Tuesday LIVE at 7 PM EST on TalkShoe.com and BlogTV.com. Find more about Hip Hop Crap Stars atwww.monkeyflingspoo.com and stay tuned to our weekly stream and subscribe on TalkShoe!

Catching my eye

2009-03-18T00:17:00.004-04:00

In life, I've tried to look at things sideways. It's what keeps you sane sometimes with the monotony of some tasks and life periods. This is where my Brightkite account has helped me greatly.

I found it curious to find the Trojan Condoms conveniently positions next to the Disney Bolt band aids. That should cover all your bases for a night on the town...

Much to the chagrin of my wife, I carried this ball around the pets section. There's nothing like I giant ball to make you happier. When will she realize that I don't want to purchase everything I carry around the store?

Cat. On a Clipboard.

She loves that clipboard.

Wrestling Mayhem Show 159: Fit Finley Appreciation Day

2009-03-17T23:55:00.005-04:00

The Mayhem Crew is contemplating the interesting events in the local indy scene, DJLunchbox tries to keep his composure as we cover the TNA PPV, we celebrate Fit Finlay Appreciation Day (St. Patrick's Day), and we mark the return of Papuga to the show with her new MMA report!

This is Episode 159 for Tuesday, March 17, 2009. You can get the episode here on Talkshoe, subscribe, and as always, stay tuned to www.wrestlingmayhemshow.com for the latest! The Wrestling Mayhem Show is recorded live and can be heard/viewed from 8 PM to 10 PM Eastern on Talkshoe.com and BlogTV.com. Let us know what you think of the show, and your thoughts on the wrestling world by emailing us at goodtimes@wrestlingmayhemshow.com! Don't forget you can find links related to the show's news stories and more at our Delicious Links Page for Episode 159 !

Three Legged Fox
"Maybe I'm Sorry" (mp3)
from "Not As Far"
(Leeway's Home Grown Music Network)
More On This Album

KALRI$$IAN
"The Drunken Master" (mp3)
from "Tales from the Velvet Pocket"
(Psychokinetics)
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Three Legged Fox
"Maybe I'm Sorry" (mp3)
from "Not As Far"
(Leeway's Home Grown Music Network)
More On This Album

CRAPCast 17: Smoking with Kamala

2009-03-11T13:14:00.003-04:00

This week, our Hip Hop CRAP Stars explore the Silent Ninja actually learning to be deadlier, receive a call from "The Dude," and finally hear from Big Daddy shit from the road of his "Magic Tour" around the world, and reflect on Alan Cox and how radio sucks now.

Cable TV is Broken

2009-03-11T12:32:00.002-04:00

Lately, I've read a lot about Cable TV, and it's endeavors to reach it's programming (and fees?) to the internet. Also, I've been attempting to find ways to lessen my bills (thanks, economy) but not cut what I really watch. I know we watch only a handful of channels in my household. I've deleted some of the higher price level ones (such as G4 and FX) in favor of their online options to watch.

As I continue to analyze, I find that the majority of my television watching has been on the "free" local networks (that I pay 5.99 for), USA (for the obvious WWE, Burn Notice, and Psych), and a mattering of shows on Cartoon Network, Sci-Fi (again, because of the wrestling). Most of these shows are available online (ECW, Burn Notice, Psych, Heroes, etc.) The only gaffe is WWE RAW, that is shown live only (with clips online later). Honestly, if I cancelled my cable, bought a Tivo, a digital antennae, and hooked up a Mac Mini or PlayOn for my Xbox 360, I would only miss out on that WWE RAW, in the long run. Anything else that wasn't online, well meh, I can wait for it on Netflix (which also provides hours of enjoyment via Xbox streaming.)

One of the biggest pains is realizing just what you are paying for. Typically, a portion of your monthly bill goes to each of the stations on your provider. Think about it. I'm paying, according to my Dish Network Bronze plan, for Country Music Television and Horseracing TV. Really? Trip that fat for the stations you watch. Then down to the stations that you probably wouldn't miss.

One problem is if we have this option to slim down what we watch on television, the lesser networks that would be left in the dust for being a smaller niche, like Horseracing TV, wouldn't be able to proceed to make money. Keep in mind that we are also subjected to commercials on these stations we pay for.

It just intrigues me that the television industry has been built on this symbiotic relationship that tends to force content to your television you probably wouldn't even want to pay for.

Do you think you're paying for what you're using?

Wrestling Mayhem Show 158: Mad Mike Mayhem

2009-03-11T00:10:00.003-04:00

The Mayhem Crew gets the Bronx in studio again, as Mad Mike visits us again hot off of the crazy IWC show this past Saturday, the big indy story coming out of Butler, PA, and discuss home break ins, why TNA is dead to DJlunchbox (again), and more!

This is Episode 158 for Tuesday, March 10, 2009. You can get the episode here on Talkshoe, subscribe, and as always, stay tuned to www.wrestlingmayhemshow.com for the latest! The Wrestling Mayhem Show is recorded live and can be heard/viewed from 8 PM to 10 PM Eastern on Talkshoe.com and BlogTV.com. Let us know what you think of the show, and your thoughts on the wrestling world by emailing us at goodtimes@wrestlingmayhemshow.com! Don't forget you can find links related to the show's news stories and more at our Delicious Links Page for Episode 158 !

Blake
"Leave Us Alone" (mp3)
from "The Outlaw EP"
(Scion Records)
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Dr. Steel
"Back and Forth" (mp3)
from "People of Earth"
(reapandsow, Inc.)
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Substantial
"Day in the Life (feat. Steph)" (mp3)
from "My Favorite Things"
(QN5, Inc.)
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If it didn't work the first three times...

2009-03-05T22:24:00.004-05:00

Over the years, I've found myself invovled with a series of, what you could call, business ventures. I suppose not business ventures in the typical sense. I'm talking about rallying some people to work on fan sites, some video projects, and a few other small projects that were started "just for fun" but had the goal to become much more serious.

It seems that, more often than not, they go south for one reason or another. Maybe it's the businesses I've drawn myself to. (Music and Wrestling force you to be very cautious of who you deal with)

But over the years, after butting my head against the wall several times, there are things I've learned:

Contracts, Contracts, Contracts. Even if it's your best friend, if you claim you want to be partners in a venture, get it on paper.
Stop doing crap for free. Ever since I did my first website for a friend's band, I should have made sure I was getting something in return. On one hand, I thought it was cool to be "with the band", and I was getting a chance to use my prospective talent (being this was pre-college).
Is there a history? You often spark a really cool idea with your close buds. Then you go for it, and maybe they're not there anymore. Take a hard, objective look. Is your aquaintance on time when you do anything social? Are they the first you call when you need a serious hand? How is that going to apply when you really need them to do something for real. You can't go anywhere with an anchor tied to your leg.
Document everything. Many times, things can end in a "he said, she said" situation. Often clouded by anxiety over the business plan working, not working, or simply moving slowly.
Do you really have the time/energy for this? I've been one to have my hands in "too many cookie jars" over the last few years. And that's taken it's toll. I've taken to find myself running headlong in a couple of potential ventures at the same time, while still attempting to sustain all of my old pet projects at the same time.
Know when to cut the cord. Are you getting anything from this? Is there still any potential if you stay the course? Is there something else that seems more viable this might be in the way of? I've wanted to cut the cord on one site for a while due to the waning of community participation, but it's afforded me several opurtunities to work with artists. While one of my newer ventures still hasn't gotten "where I wanted it" for the three years I've been into it, but I can't beat the connections.

So, I'm sitting on the edge of some changes to my life, and taking control of a bit more than I have in the last few years. I'm still trying to figure a lot out, so here we are, reviewing the history so we don't repeat ourselves, because the patterns are showing themselves.

What do you think?

Wrestling Mayhem Show 157: Tea and Tacos

2009-03-04T00:09:00.004-05:00

The Mayhem Crew gets stood up by Jimmy Demarco (or Joe Dombrowski's lawyers?), but we still have Joe call in to let us know what we should be watching in indy wrestling. We also experiment a little with the format, get some interesting feedback from a new face, make fun of our fans, have fans make fun of us, analyze Randy Orton as the uber heel he is, and much, much more!

This is Episode 157 for Tuesday, March 3, 2009. You can get the episode here on Talkshoe, subscribe, and as always, stay tuned to www.wrestlingmayhemshow.com for the latest! The Wrestling Mayhem Show is recorded live and can be heard/viewed from 8 PM to 10 PM Eastern on Talkshoe.com and BlogTV.com. Let us know what you think of the show, and your thoughts on the wrestling world by emailing us at goodtimes@wrestlingmayhemshow.com! Don't forget you can find links related to the show's news stories and more at our Delicious Links Page for Episode 157 !

Deastro
"Light Powered" (mp3)
from "Ghostly Swim"
(Ghostly International)
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The Chicharones
"Surf Rock" (mp3)
from "New Recruits"
(Camobear Records)
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The Phenomenal Handclap Band
"You'll Disappear" (mp3)
from "IODA SXSW Opening Day Bash Sampler 2009"
(ioda)
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The Red Ring of Death has Tarnished My House. Part 3

2009-03-03T12:32:00.005-05:00

Ok. Lets Review.....

As you can see, it's been a few weeks of highs and lows. But last Thursday, Sorg got his Xbox back.

Again, I give it to Microsoft. Upon sending me Xbox back in it's "coffin" I received a confirmation email leading me to a page on Xbox.com that showed me, in colorful pictures, what step of the repair process I was at. After a couple of days, much faster than I expected, I noticed it had been sent out on a Saturday! That very Thursday, my box arrived!

The package contained my wrapped console with a free month of Xbox Gold card taped to it. Instructions were included reminding me to to resync my controllers, that I may need to redownload my Xbox Marketplace purchases, and a comment survey.

I hooked the machine up and checked things out. After resetting my internet settings, everything was there (since it was on the hard drive I kept). Interestingly, I did not have to redownload my games and DLC (downloadable content). I had a brief disagreement with some Rock Band tracks that worked itself out, and some demos (ie. Halo Wars) wouldn't work without a redownload. I did notice that the date on my console is still the same as before. Now, I thought that you receive a completely different, refurbished, system. So I wonder if something has changed.

Either way, the machine is up and running, we downloaded some new Rock Band and Guitar Hero tracks and rocked it out with Chachi and Silent Ninja over the weekend, rocked some Duke Nukem, and streamed some Netflix.

All is good in the Sorg household again...

DJLunchbox Celebrates Lent

2009-03-02T23:27:00.000-05:00

Last week, the Wrestling Mayhem Crew got together on Ash Wednesday (purely coincidental) to organize the future of Mayhem, but LB had other things to get done...

CRAPCast 15: 85 Chachis

2009-02-26T23:23:00.000-05:00

This week, our Hip Hop CRAP Stars are astounded as Silent Ninja joins us, Big Daddy Shit hits us up first and talks about his hell trip to Seven Springs, the Penguins, and Chachi’s Mayoral run for Pittsburgh. Then, we are joined by emcee lb, who shares with us a brand new aristocrats joke. Finally, we are joined by Chachi himself aka 8-bit and Jered, our ghost hunting Navy buddy who rocked it with Moby a few years back.

White Noise

2009-02-26T09:03:00.003-05:00

I was recently talking with a good friend about Podcasts, and how they listen, and was struck by a response.

The friend in question can't listen while he works. Even music has to be at a low audible level. It's to the point where if he listens to one of our episodes of the Mayhem Show, productivity goes out the window.

I find this fascinating in that I am a complete opposite. As I edit videos, DVDs, and CDs all day long, aside from when audio is of a higher priority, I am listening to tech podcasts in my field and interest (sometimes coming across things that add to my current project), wrestling shows, and keeping up with those of my friends in the community. Even when I turn to music, it gives me a bit of a working drive to keep moving through the day. I find that my work would become even more intolerable without these driving me.

Maybe it's a creative minded workflow, or a need to constantly have a stimulus.

How do you work? Do you need some white noise?

Are you there?

2009-02-25T16:36:00.004-05:00

You don't know who could be watching you....

Who are you people? Watching me through this little portal? Who are the tens of people that peak through this portal into my life. I'm amazed I can entertain my wife and the dog from a day to day basis. The cats are a lost cause.

I mean, I get Chris Brogan, or even a Justin Kownacki. Those guys are professionals that talk about their craft an observations. I do shows about wrestling and poop music, and my day job isn't nearly interesting enough to write home about past my frustration. I mean, even the Silent Ninja could be writing about essence of his enemies...

So who are you people?

And is there any food in my beard?

Some Wrestling Incite for the Afternoon...

2009-02-25T12:56:00.002-05:00

Obviously, with my involvement in things like Wrestling Mayhem, I'm the sort of guy who just loves the aura around professional wrestling. The sort of fan that loves to absorb everything in front of, and behind the curtain of wrestling. Surfing around on my lunch today, I came across these:

I've yet to read Chris Jericho's book, featured in this video. But it's definitly on the long list (currently reading the fantastic Eddie Guerrero book, FYI). There are a few good nuggets in this preview about Jericho's claim to have trained around the world in "frilly outfits", and his bad experience with wearing masks to the ring. But the one item that caught my attention, as many have seen in my Twitter;

"If Shakespeare were alive today, he'd be writing wrestling shows..."

This struck me considering a comic I've read recently, which will be detailed shortly on this site.

Our second video is Brock Lesnar talking about his time back in the ring, reminding us that it isn't a giant pillow they do this one, and the injuries that occur. His time working with Kurt Angle is also brought up.

Wrestling Mayhem Show 156: Note Worthy

2009-02-24T23:24:00.004-05:00

The Mayhem Crew mixes things up and starts off with the fan mail, some entertaining, and alcohol inspired voicemails, are joined by the returning Stoke Monkey, and the usual shenanigans we've been known for for 3 years. It's Tuesday! You know the drill...

This is Episode 156 for Tuesday, February 24, 2009. You can get the episode here on Talkshoe, subscribe, and as always, stay tuned to www.wrestlingmayhemshow.com for the latest! The Wrestling Mayhem Show is recorded live and can be heard/viewed from 8 PM to 10 PM Eastern on Talkshoe.com and BlogTV.com. Let us know what you think of the show, and your thoughts on the wrestling world by emailing us at goodtimes@wrestlingmayhemshow.com! Don't forget you can find links related to the show's news stories and more at our Delicious Links Page for Episode 156 !

The Chicharones
"Opposite of Fair" (mp3)
from "The Chicharones"
(Camobear Records)
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Dr. Steel
"Build The Robots" (mp3)
from "Dr. Steel II: Eclectic Boogaloo"
(reapandsow, Inc.)
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Damn You, Conan!!

2009-02-23T13:08:00.002-05:00

From WrestlingMayhemShow.com:

It has been long said on the Wrestling Mayhem Show that the Mayhem Crew was set to be replacing Conan O'Brian in the Late Night slot on NBC.

It makes sense. Our guys are funnier than Andy Richter at a Turkish Spa. We knew we had an in over the uncharismatic Carson Daily. But then this Jimmy Fallon comes up.

And Friday, as we all watched Conan's final show from New York, the final straw as he destroys the set.

NBC. Have you ever been in a meeting with an angered Stoke Monkey? Watch out.

PapuGone...

2009-02-19T23:48:00.005-05:00

This evening, Wife of the Sorg did a tremendous job of putting together a bit of a going away party for Miss Dawn Papuga. Dawn is moving to Baltimore for an exciting new oppurtunity one cannot pass up.

Missy did a great job of throwing this one together just under the wire of Dawn heading out of town, joining almost 20 people in sending off our friend the right way...with a roast. She had no idea, from what I understand. So we all passed around the table, and did our thing. Many jokes were had at the expense of Dawn's fragility, alleged promiscuity, cheerleader background, and general awesomeness.

There was even a celebrity guest message from Macho Man:

Send Me A Voice Comment! | Copy This

But then the coupe de gras that turned on the facet:

And finally, we had cake and mingled. I ate @jen3700 and @burghbaby's faces!

Dawn, you will be missed by your friends, and even fans of the Mayhem from New York to Texas, as proven by tonight's responses:

TheMachoMan damn it @Sorgatron you made me cry into my cocaine, wish I could have been there live...@LyriqueTragedy be well and safe travels OOOH YEAH!!

wrestlefan2000 @sorgatron goodbye papuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuga

RizzIUP @Sorgatron That combination in any situation would make @TheMachoMan cry in his cocaine. So long Papuga!

Hopefully, while we won't be able to have a 649 with you in person her in the burgh as often, it will be like you've never left through the miracle of New Media. So long, Papuga.

WTF Was I Thinking Video: Sorg Walk

2009-02-19T14:01:00.003-05:00

In an effort to return to some normalcy and regularity, I thought I would bring this segment back with a NEW/OLD video. While this one is just posted, it was actually posted directly before the ThoughtfulRiot.com walk from the Black Sheep Puppet Festival interviews.

A talk with LB indicated we should do more of these around the city. I don't know. It was sort of a spur of the moment thing.

What do you think of these sorts of "walks"?

CRAPCast 14: Burning Mines

2009-02-18T22:50:00.001-05:00

This week, our Hip Hop CRAP Stars are astounded as Silent Ninja joins us, Big Daddy Shit talks about the mines burning under his feet, and Paul Hammond calls in and gets him riled up over the Steelers and the Penguins.

Wrestling Mayhem Show 155: Uncomfortably Tight

2009-02-17T23:19:00.003-05:00

The Mayhem Crew is joined this evening by Chest Flexor and Pump Ferrari as we talk about his upcoming title shot at Ray Rowe in IWC, what he's doing in AIW lately, and announce the winners of the Chest Flexor Experience. Also, Doc Remedy finds himself in an uncomfortable situation...

This is Episode 155 for Tuesday, February 17, 2009. You can get the episode here on Talkshoe, subscribe, and as always, stay tuned to www.wrestlingmayhemshow.com for the latest! The Wrestling Mayhem Show is recorded live and can be heard/viewed from 8 PM to 10 PM Eastern on Talkshoe.com and BlogTV.com. Let us know what you think of the show, and your thoughts on the wrestling world by emailing us at goodtimes@wrestlingmayhemshow.com! Don't forget you can find links related to the show's news stories and more at our Delicious Links Page for Episode 155 !

The Chicharones
"Take 'em Down" (mp3)
from "The Chicharones"
(Camobear Records)
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Hieroglyphics
"Fantasy Island" (mp3)
from "Full Circle"
(Hieroglyphics Imperium)
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Eric Bischoff "Controversy Creates Cash" Review

2009-02-16T13:13:00.007-05:00

About two Christmas's ago, I was given the book Controversy Creates Cash by Eric Bischoff from my bud from my rap group. It seemed like a boring read at first. I've had issue with the bland, sports writer stylings of past books like Kurt Angle's, and thought this was going to be the same.

Nearly two years later, I revisited this book. After the Death of WCW and Between the Ropes, as well as a recent Kevin Nash shoot interview I've watched, it gave me a new perspective to approach this book again. I realized this book had a rather unique perspective on what really happened to WCW. No one likely had the interactions with the Turner, then AOL Time Warner, brass as Bischoff. This book details his view on his interactions, and lack of support in that regard, as well as how talent was to deal with. His coming up from AWA, then transitioning as a low level guy in WCW, to the head of the company is an interesting story, especially if you wonder about how a corporation like that works. Eric is very frank about where he thinks he stood in the rise of wrestling in the late 90's, and it's effect in WWE as we know it today.

The biggest problem I had with this book was the repetition. Often, some of these books come off a certain way since they are often ghostwritten along with a tape recorder. Unfortunately, you often get parts that are repeated. Another interesting note is Bischoff's defense against the "Dirt Sheets". While he claims so often to not take stock in what they say about his actions in WCW, he sure does defend directly defend to them a lot. Understandable, since they are so prevalent in wrestling "news" over the last ten years.

Aside from some writing style misgivings, This book left a good bit of incite in the other side of one of the hottest times in wrestling history.

You can pick up the paperback for "Controversy Creates Cash" right here.

The Red Ring of Death has Tarnished My House. Part 2

2009-02-12T22:23:00.002-05:00

Today, a coffin came to my work. In the form of a white box that went brown.

I made sure to boot it up one last time to make sure I didn't leave a disc in. Tht's lie. I just wnted to smell the exhust fumes one last time.

You served me well in the last year and a month. We conquered Prophets. We won WrestleManias. We ventured into underwater cities. We rocked our faces off.

Soon, there will be another.

But in the meantime, I have a NEW FRIEND!!

WPAJ Interview: Potluck

2009-02-12T12:50:00.001-05:00

It’s been almost three years since we started the WPAJ Interview, and now we’re coming full circle as we return to our original subjects, Potluck. They have a new album, “Pipe Dreams”, just released this week, and have a chance to talk to us about the new album, making beats, working with Subnoize, and much more! Check Potluck out at their Myspace page, and check out the interview right here.

You can grab Potluck “Pipe Dreams” right here.

CRAPCast 13: The Curse

2009-02-11T21:43:00.003-05:00

This week, our Hip Hop CRAP Stars welcome the return of Big Daddy Shit as he gives his thoughts on his Steelers in the Super Bowl, why his baby mama can't watch the game with him, we talk about Sorg and lb's trip to the New York Comic Con, and the curse that Big Daddy Shit brough upon our house.

Potluck "Pipe Dreams" Review

2009-02-11T12:25:00.003-05:00

Potluck is one of those groups that caught my attention a few years ago amongst the big nationwide blitz as they just were signed by Suburban Noize and touring the country. In fact, I think I saw these guys around Pittsburgh three times that year. They were quite the site, with 1 Ton, a big black guy, and Underrated, a little Jewish guy, rocking the stage with a very fun style.

"Pipe Dreams" is the groups second SubNoize release, on top of multiple independent releases, previously. While I've always enjoyed the group, they songs and production always seemed to missing something. This disc finds it. This isn't just another Kottonmouth Kings-like group, as some might expect from the name and material covered. This is more hip hop than that. This release has more variety, it seems. From the hard opening of "Welcome to the Movement", the smooth sounds of "Stoner Bitch" with the aforementioned Kottonmouth Kings, to a heavy guitar riff on "Shut the Fuck Up". The skits are still there to get to know the duo and what they're about. One song, "Computer Love" seemed like a dabbling in the nerdcore genre for Underrated. Of course, one cannot forget the impressive 2 Minute Drill, which we saw recorded, one take, in a preview video leading up to the album's release.

Suburban Noize often proves that they can pick some decent talent to fill out their massive roster, and Potluck is no exception.

You can grab Potluck "Pipe Dreams" right here.

Wrestling Mayhem Show 154: Armando Estrada

2009-02-10T22:54:00.004-05:00

Sorg and DJLunchbox are fresh off of their New York trip and ready to lay down some Mayhem. They talk about their experiences at the New York Comic Con, RAW, TNA Against All Odds, Jericho's fan service, and have a great talk with former WWE star, Armando Estrada about his new restaurant, managing, wrestling, and the Super Bowl.

This is Episode 154 for Tuesday, February 10, 2009. You can get the episode here on Talkshoe, subscribe, and as always, stay tuned to www.wrestlingmayhemshow.com for the latest! The Wrestling Mayhem Show is recorded live and can be heard/viewed from 8 PM to 10 PM Eastern on Talkshoe.com and BlogTV.com. Let us know what you think of the show, and your thoughts on the wrestling world by emailing us at goodtimes@wrestlingmayhemshow.com! Don't forget you can find links related to the show's news stories and more at our Delicious Links Page for Episode 154 !

Music from the Show:

Blackalicious
"The Fabulous Ones" (mp3)
from "Nia"
(Quannum Projects)
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Everything On Black
"Trust" (mp3)
from "Stain"
(Something To Listen To Records)
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New Music Discovery: Ale Storm

2009-02-10T15:48:00.002-05:00

As many know, I’m a big fan of Captain Dan and his “Pirate Hip Hop” antics, as well as his appearances on The Awful Show. Even having him on the WPAJ Interview. Well, I was listening to the Awful Show and was introduced to Pirate Metal. They’re touring the US and Europe, and a coworker claims to have heard them on Detroit radio. Check it out.