Flicks You May Have Missed by Chad Brampion

The new Transformers joint came a few days ago and promptly began lobotomizing every audience member who managed to sit through all 149 mind-rotting minutes of Michael Bay’s latest robot porn epic. I won’t go into too much detail, as plenty other reviewers—Roger Ebert in particular did a thoroughly good job of defecating all over this 200 million dollar fart—but suffice it to say that most people I know have related the experience to spinning in an office chair for two and a half hours while repeatedly smashing a Furby into the back of your head. Only Michael Bay could make the first Transformers look like Citizen effing Kane. Thanks, but I’ll pass on a repeat viewing.

There are, however surprising it may seem, some titles out there in the vast Netflix warehouse that don’t suck so fantastically. Thanks to a Comcast billing error and about a hundred hours of skipped classes, I had a wonderful opportunity to catch a few flicks that slipped through the theatrical cracks. So instead of lighting your hard-earned ten bucks on fire to watch the latest fighting robot nonsense, try to get your hands and eyes on one of these little-seen gems.

Primer (2004)

For those of you who want to get your Sam-Rockwell-in-space fix but can’t find a single theater showing “Moon,” allow me to introduce you to Shane Carruth. “Hard” science fiction fans may have found a way to see this magnificent first effort from Carruth, a tale about three twenty-something engineers who attempt to create some new sort of superconductor in their garage after work. The four friends, admittedly a handful of virginal nerds, accidently discover something much further from the mundane than a superconductor—they may well have made a time travel device out of stuff you could buy for sixty bucks at RadioShack. Carruth, a former mathematician and engineer in real life, imbues the film with an air of authenticity rarely seen in science fiction endeavors. As someone who tries to read Popular Mechanics during lengthy trips to the john, even I admit that most of the space/time babble went right over my head. But that is the filmmakers’ intention, I believe, because above all else, this plot felt completely and eerily plausible. Made on an absurdly small budget of just $7,000 dollars, this little miracle of a movie pitter-pattered its way through film festivals and into the DVD bargain bin, but it certainly is worth your time and imagination.

Dog Soldiers (2002)

Director Neil Marshall (“The Descent”, “Doomsday”) clearly knows a thing or two about making horror movies. If you haven’t seen 2006’s “The Descent,” do yourself a favor and go rent it, it’s easily the best stone-cold horror movie to come out in years. Marshall always seems to get compared to John Carpenter, and the resemblance is uncanny. Using decidedly un-Michael Bay techniques, Marshall knows how to keep the camera still long enough to milk the shot for all its blood-dripping terror, he knows the difference between real suspense and cheap scares, and plot-wise the dude plays his cards close to the vest. His debut effort, 2002’s “Dog Soldiers,” lives up to all this hype I’ve spewed. Spinning a tale about a regiment of Scottish troops, lost in the moors and besieged by some hard-core werewolves, “Dog Soldiers” will remind some of Danny Boyle’s “28 Days Later” with its grim, almost cynical sense of dread. It’s a raw, stripped-down and genuinely spine-tingling werewolf flick that doesn’t pander down to squeamish audiences. Check it out if you’ve got the balls.

Millions (2005)

Danny Boyle finally got some respect from the biz with last year’s “Slumdog Millionaire,” and deservedly so. Boyle has long been one of my favorite directors, simply because the guy knows how to flat-out entertain. Skipping through genres like a speedfreak, Danny has made lovable characters out of heroin addicts, recreated the zombie movie, reignited the sun, and even got Leo DiCaprio and Tilda Swinton to get it on for the camera. “Millions” represents Boyle’s version of a children’s movie, and by George if it isn’t one of the best I’ve ever seen. A parable about two young brothers who stumble upon a sack filled with cash and have different plans about how to use it, “Millions”, in the hands of a less capable auteur, could have turned into a heap of melodramatic mush. Boyle, however, is a master of his craft, and delivers one of the freshest, most genuinely soulful kids movies I’ve ever seen.





"The Champ is Here!"

Michael Jackson Week

When the news came down late last Thursday about the greatest recording artist of my lifetime, I wasn't sure how to give a proper tribute on this blog. One Post? One Day? Is that really sufficient enough for Mike? I didn't think so. I'm hoping for a guest post from the Love Doctor at some point this week since, as many of you already know, he's the biggest MJ fan I have ever come in contact with. Other than that, you can expect various videos spanning the brilliant career of Michael Jackson. I'll try and keep the video portion somewhat fresh as I know Desmond has already been throwing up a bunch of video since Friday. And for those of you who aren't fans of the King of Pop, there will be other posts on sports, movies and music. However, the more pressing issue would seem to be how can you not be a fan of the music. I think we all have our questions about the recluse of a man he became over the last two decades, but no matter what, I find it impossible to knock his achievements as an artist and worldwide icon. I wanted to post the Jackson Five - Ed Sullivan Show performance for today, but YouTube has disabled embedding on that one, so I went with the one below from their Indiana special featuring a cameo from Bill Cosby. Although you can check out the Sullivan Show appearance on the link above. Now, on to today's video, I hope you enjoy. RIP MJ.

Shorty's $$$ Picks of the Week...

"Shorty's $$$ Picks of the Week" is a weekly feature where I link to a few blog posts which I found interesting during the week. Every Friday we focus on sports, movies, television and whatever else is going on in the world. The weekly feature regularly showcases new music downloads and video clips. I hope you enjoy...

The most popular poster of teenage boys ever - RIP Farrah Fawcett

Web collapses under weight of MJ's death - Tech Crunch

Timberwolves have no idea what they are doing - Minnesota Star Tribune

Tiger Woods' niece makes LPGA debut - That Brown Girl

Map of Michael Jackson hip hop samples - Nah Right

Random Thoughts Thursday

I didn't do a movies post this week and since I didn't include it on my Summer Must List yesterday, I should probably mention the Transformers sequel in this post. I'm not really sure what to think about Revenge of the Fallen. The previews haven't looked overwhelming to me and I hadn't even been planning on seeing it in the theaters. Then I talked to my brother and he was so anxious to see Shia reprising his role that I began to question my own lack of excitement. Yet still, over the last twelve hours I've read nothing but negative reviews including a brief but scathing review from Bad Choice correspondent Chad Brampion. With the Love Doctor home this afternoon, maybe I'll go check it out today and have a review for you next week. No promises though, now onto the bullet points...

*Now that I've attended games at both of the new ballparks in NYC, I have to admit that Citi Field has a much more fan friendly atmosphere than the new Yankee Stadium. While I'm not nearly as down on the launching pad as my cousin Jonathan (he has season tickets but says he won't return for another game this year), I have to admit that it doesn't have the same aura and mystique as the House That Ruth Built. Whether the new Stadium grows to have it's own magic is yet to be seen, but the fact that the prices are so ridiculous and the best seats in the house remain predominantly empty are not good overall signs...

*The Cavaliers and Suns came to an agreement on the eve of the NBA Draft, officially bringing in Shaq to be the Jabbar to LeBron's Magic Johnson. As I mentioned last week, I would love to see these two team up against Kobe in next year's finals. Even a potential Cavs-Magic Eastern Conference Finals rematch has all the makings of a classic with Shaq vs Dwight Howard and the Master of Panic. As for tonight's Draft here is my mini-mock draft with accompanying player comparisions:

1. LA Clippers - Blake Griffin (Karl Malone)
2. Minnesota (via trade) - Ricky Rubio (Pete Maravich)
3. Oklahoma City - Hasheem Thabeet (Dikembe Mutumbo)
4. Sacramento - Johnny Flynn (Allen Iverson)
5. Memphis (via trade)- Jordan Hill (Chris Wilcox)
6. Minnesota - James Harden (Tim Thomas)
7. Golden State - Demar DeRozan (Josh Howard)
8. New York - Stephon Curry (Mike Bibby) *Wishful Thinking?*
9. Toronto - Tyreke Evans (Derrick Rose/Jamal Crawford)
10. Milwaukee - Brandon Jennings (Terrel Brandon)
11. New Jersey - Terrance Williams (Mickael Pietrus)
12.Charlotte - Gerald Henderson (Latrell Sprewell)
13. Indiana - Jrue Holiday (Jason Terry)
14. Phoenix - Jeff Teague (Doc Rivers)

*Did anyone else happen to catch that USA soccer upset of Spain yesterday? I watched the game in it's entirety and was admittedly on the edge of my seat for the duration. It's hard to believe that this is the same team that lost consecutive 3-1 and 3-0 efforts to Italy and Brazil. The American National team will play in the Confederate's Cup Final on Sunday against likely opponent Brazil who we've beaten only once...ever...

Shorty's Summer Must List

The following is a list of events, adventures and general places to keep you occupied for over the Summer...

*Catch up on AMC's blockbuster Television shows:
Breaking Bad - Get started on the best show on cable since HBO's dynamic duo of The Sopranos & The Wire went off the air. Or get yourself acquainted with Mad Men's first two seasons before the third season premiere in August...

*Sick of cooking burgers and hot dogs on the grill? Head out to Iron Chef for the best Sushi in the Meriden-Wallingford area or hit up the Hibachi Grill. Or if raw fish is simply not your thing, check out Tai Gardens in Middletown for some Drunken Noodles or Pad Tai...

*Heading to the beach and need some reading material for your Kindle? Richard Price's Lush Life is a crime drama that examines the gritty side of New York City. Charles Bock gives Las Vegas the same treatment in his debut novel Beautiful Children. The non-fiction crowd might enjoy anything from Chuck Klosterman or David Sedaris, two authors who have my full endorsement. Not that anyone cares about that. Finally, if you're into the Vampire thing, you might wanna check out movie director Guillermo Del Toro's debut novel, The Strain...

*Want some suggestions on what to listen to on the ride to the beach? How about the Fleet Foxes or Phoenix for the hipster crowd? Or if your in the mood for a harder rock-n-roll, the Kings of Leon seem to be on everyone's iPod these days. As for all the hip-hop heads still out there, if you haven't jumped on the Drake bandwagon yet, there's probably not much room left. That said, Joe Budden and his hard core supergroup Slaughterhouse are readily available for all listeners despite the fact that an album release date still eludes us. I mentioned the Lupe Fiasco leak earlier this week...that track is a must have. Finally, get familiar with my lil brother's favorite artist, Ryan Leslie...

Summer Schedule

June 26-28: The injury depleted NY Mets return the favor and host the struggling cross town Yankees in the final weekend of interleague baseball this season.

July 1: Jonny Depp and Christian Bale star in the John Dillinger film Public Enemies. Michael Mann directs the two and a half hour film.

July 10: Jay-Hova heads to Mohegan Sun with Ciara as a headliner for a stop on his mini-tour in anticipation for the upcoming Blueprint III album.

July 10: Can Sacha Baron Cohen make it two in a row with Bruno? If his fictional gay Austrailian fashion guru does anywhere near the numbers that Borat did, then an Ali G become inevitable.

July 11: UFC 100 boasts what may very well be the greatest card in the history of Mixed Martial Arts. Headlined by the Heavyweight rematch between Frank Mir and Brock Lesnar, the card also features Georges St. Pierre defending his title against the dangerous Thiago Alves in an attempt to tear away pound for pound honors away from Anderson Silva and T.U.F. coaches Michael Bisping and Dan Henderson capping off the US-UK festivities.

August 6-9: Hopefully the Bronx Bombers will still be in contention when the Red Sox enter Yankee Stadium having already won eight straight against the Yankees for a four game set.

August 7: Can G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra prove that Transformers is not the only 80's cartoon franchise that can make it big in terms of summer movie madness? I'm very interested in seeing how Destro and Cobra Commander look.

Hump Day Hottie

Terrie Barr

The Clipse & Kanye - 'Big Deal' Video

This Week in Music...

Wow! What a week for hip-hop music. Last week featured the release of two very solid mixtapes. The first was from newcomer J. Cole on Tuesday. Jermaine Cole is Jay Z's latest understudy having signed to the Roc Nation earlier this year. If Drake is hip-hop personified at the moment, J. Cole may be next. Although don't expect alot of singing or auto-tune on The Warm Up. This kid is simply a rapper and that can actually be quite refreshing. Speaking of rappers, the kid, 50 Cent gets back on his grind with his latest, War Angel. The eleven song LP is solid with a couple of bangers and one or two throw aways as would be expected. Look for a few of the better singles from both mixtapes below.

This week also saw Mariah Carey releasing an Eminem diss record, Obsessed. Mimi has been mum about whether or not the lyrics are specifically aimed at any one person, but it's difficult not to immediately think Mr. Mathers is on the other end of this one after all of the things he said on his latest album. Finally, I won't even bother trying to post a download of the best song I've heard this week. The latest Lupe Fiasco-Matthew Santos creation Shining Down is being immediately torn down off of any blog it appears on, so you'll have to settle for the non-downloadable You-Tube version. Shining Down has my vote for song that will quickly evolve into 'THE' track of the summer. If the rest of Lupe's upcoming Lazers album leaves up to this track, we could be in for a classic. As promised, here are a few tracks from the aforementioned mixtapes by J. Cole & 50 Cent. Hope you enjoy!

50 Cent - Talking in Codes

50 Cent - Get the Message

50 Cent - I Line N*ggas

J. Cole - Til' Infinity

J. Cole - Heartache

Pepsi Porch: Here I Come

Shorty's $$$ Picks of the Week...

"Shorty's $$$ Picks of the Week" is a weekly feature where I link to a few blog posts which I found interesting during the week. Every Friday we focus on sports, movies, television and whatever else is going on in the world. The weekly feature regularly showcases new music downloads and video clips. I hope you enjoy...

Charlie Brown & The Peanuts gang re-drawn anime style - India on Rent

Failed Stallone sports movies - Unmotivated Ramblings

Trailer for new HBO series 'Bored to Death' - Black Book Mag

Full card for Saturday's Ultimate Finale - MMA Junkie

Lupe Fiasco is not pleased that 'Shining Down' has leaked - SOHH

Uniform Watch/ College World Series

It seems like every week I have new uniforms for the Washington Nationals. Our nation's capital serves as home to the worst team in all of Major League Baseball, although perhaps the front office is hoping to mask their terrible play by putting out the best dressed product in the senior circuit. The blue jerseys with American flag logo were just the latest in a long line of impressive outfits worn by the Nationals this season. Meanwhile, in St. Louis the Cardinals rocked some 1980's throwbacks last week against the Indians. The Ozzie Smith-esque jerseys seen on Albery Pujols in the above photo are of the pullover variety and include no pesky buttons. When I saw these uniforms in play last week all I could think of was the late Jack Buck screaming "Go crazy folks, go crazy!"

Not sure how many of you witnessed it last night, but Arkansas and Virginia played an absolute classic 12 inning elimination game in Omaha. The Razorbacks were down to their final strike in the top of the ninth inning but rallied and tied the game on a dramatic two run bomb off the bat of Brett Eibner. Both schools battled over the next three innings, but it was Arkansas pitcher Dallas Keuchel who pitched into and out of trouble en route to the season saving victory. Today's big game between Arizona State and North Carolina features two of the snazziest uniforms in all of college sports. The Sun Devils knocked off the Tar Heels earlier this week in the series opener for both clubs. In that game Josh Spence and Alex White dueled to a draw and it was the Tar Heel bullpen that let the game get away. The Carolina bats have come alive since then and they will send Mystic, Connecticut's own 98 mile per hour hurler Matt Harvey to the mound for the rematch. The Sun Devils are likely to counter with right hander Seth Blair as their ace Mike Leake was unable to hold a six run lead against Texas and will be unavailable for this match-up. If you haven't caught any of the CWS action yet, tonight's game is the perfect opportunity to get started.

Hump Day Hottie

Olivia Munn

Jermaine Dupri Speaks on DJ Bri G

Shorty's Book of the Month (June)

"Malcolm Gladwell already has two huge hits in The Tipping Point and Blink. Both books were distillations of academic research that explained us to ourselves via clever anecdotes and accessible language. Outliers employs the same formula and is another "Aha!" book that's hard to put down. But it's more ambitious than Gladwell's previous outings. The Tipping Point and Blink reinforced what we already sort of believed. Outliers challenges common assumptions about high achievers as it builds a case for nurture over nature, attitude over aptitude.

This time out, Gladwell offers some policy prescriptions, suggesting that a lot more children would excel if the educational system were restructured to overcome cultural differences and the luck of the draw. Lengthen the academic year in the U.S., for example, and American children might better measure up to their high-achieving Asian counterparts, who attend school 80 more days a year.

Such notions can seem simplistic. But even if one can't help wondering what contradictory evidence Gladwell may have left out, Outliers is thought-provoking. His insistence that cultural heritage, timing, persistence, and an eye for the main chance are the determinants of success is sure to have readers considering their own destinies."

-- (Business Week)

Weekend Wrap Up

So where do we go from here? The NHL season culminated Friday night with a classic game seven upset in Hockey Town USA as the Penguins knocked off the Red Wings. Then last night The Lakers wrapped up their demolition of the Orlando Magic. While the Stanley Cup series was infinitely more exciting than the NBA counterpart, it is always nice to see any sports' top talent on display in their ultimate series. Sidney Crosby has his first ring while Kobe the Killer (see new mixtape located on the top left corner of this page) captured his fourth overall and first minus Shaq. Although I don't think it's the best move in the long run, how sweet would it be to see the Cavaliers acquire Shaq and set up a highly probable Kobe-LeBron-Shaq NBA Finals next season? That series would do record numbers ratings wise...

Back to my original question. What now? Well, this week sports fans can adjust focus on the *TING* College Baseball World Series as several of MLB's future stars utilize the aluminum in an effort to reach the Championship next weekend in Omaha. North Carolina, who boasts two first round picks in last week's draft, are already facing elimination having wasted a nine inning gem from future Cleveland Indian hurler Alex White and dropped their first game to Arizona State. The Sun Devils were anchored by Josh Spence, a third round pick by the Anaheim Angels, and subsequently left themselves in great position to advance having saved their ace and Cincinnati Reds draft pick Michael Leake for their next opponent. Perennial favorite Cal State Fullerton also faces elimination today at 2PM having been stunned by an upstart Arkansas team that has resurrected their season after a late season swan dive. For daily updates on all the action check out my boy Deez' blog...

Last but not least, if you have some free time on your hands this summer and are looking for some good television do yourself a favor and find a way to get your hands on the first two seasons of Breaking Bad. I still have three more episodes left of the most recent season and I can't begin to give this AMC series enough credit. While all the praise seems to fall on the channel's other major series Mad Men, this Vince Gilligan created drama about a high school chemistry teacher with terminal cancer who starts secretly selling Meth as a means of securing his family's financial future might be the best original series on cable television. Bryan Cranston is phenomenal in the starring role and there have only been twenty total episodes thus far so it shouldn't take too long to catch up...

Chronicles of DJ Bri G

So for those of you who aren't already familar, one of my best friends is a DJ in NYC by the name of Brian Gaffey (government names make things official), but the world wide web better knows him as DJ Bri G. To make a long story short, my friends and I back here in Meriden, CT always get a kick out of the ridiculous name dropping that Brian has been known to do on occasion. That said, I totally respect that my boy who always talked about wanting to be a DJ when we were in high school, took his dreams to the next level and made it happen. So last week when Bri posted his hysterical text conversation with Jermaine Dupri, I got a quick chuckle and then went about my business. But then I learned that the Kris Kross creator had also linked the convo on his blog and I felt compelled to check out the comments section and subsequent Brian Gaffey hate. I was suprised to read several comments supporting Bri G's handling of an awkward situation and backing up his opinions with well thought explanations. However, there was of course the ignorant f*ckery one might expect when dealing with 'big time talents' such as Charm the Producer:

"What????????? I was pissed from the beginning…….. F*CK Brian Gaffey!!!!!!!!!! I am so Through with weanie ass crab in a barrell n*ggas….. I might need to make a NY trip……. Please pluck Brian TAFFY out of this sh*t. I never really care for that dude, personally. His ear aint that sharp. But he keeps his DL and Metro crowd happy. JD you are a better sport than me, I would put hands on dude. You dont need to explain urself to this weanie. The tone of what he composed was disrespectful in my eyes. Even if he was catching his self, he was so off the deep in. I wish he was in Cali! LOL….. Do you JD! I know u heard it all from these so called Industry katz, and you are still here; Where the hell are they?…………. Crickets huh?………… They at home, sleep……….. LOL………… Much respect to you and all you do."

And this my friends, is the type of ignorant ass sh*t that has the hip hop industry dying a slow and painful death. Best of luck Charm! I'm sure you have quite the promising career ahead of you. Producer of what exactly? Unlistenable crap? You are str8 basura bro. Anyway, major props to Bri for telling it how it is and sticking to his guns on this one. Proud of you and all your accomplishments over the past few years. Now go get yourself a legit haircut and a new stylist. P.S. That 'Brian Taffey' line was priceless...

Sincerely,
LASA aka your favorite white rapper's favorite white rapper

Eminem & Big Tigg (Like Old Times)

Shorty's $$$ Picks of the Week

"Shorty's $$$ Picks of the Week" is a weekly feature where I link to a few blog posts which I found interesting during the week. Every Friday we focus on sports, movies, television and whatever else is going on in the world. The weekly feature regularly showcases new music downloads and video clips. I hope you enjoy...

David Lynch Interview Project - davidlynch.com

Is Project Natal the future of gaming? -G4TV.com

Extensive College World Series Preview - The Nutz

Greatest Game Seven's in Stanley Cup history - Fanhouse

Arnold makes CGI cameo in Terminator Salvation - I Watch Stuff

This Week in Movies...

Two films of general interest hit theaters this weekend with Denzel Washington and John Travolta's train hijack thriller, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 getting a national release. This film is sure to do well at the box office as it has plenty of star power and follows the general remake code. In all honesty, I'll probably wait for DVD release for this one as this Roger Ebert quote is all I really needed to see; "There’s not much wrong with Tony Scott’s “The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3,” except that there’s not much really right about it." The film I'm more intrigued about seeing opens in far fewer theaters and with far less fanfare. Moon stars Sam Rockwell as a lunar employee named Sam Bell on a three year assignment in which his only companion is a robot voiced by Kevin Spacey. Scary, huh? With only two weeks left before his return to Earth, Sam becomes delusional and the science fiction aspects of the film appear to truly take shape. Unfortunately for me, it doesn't look as though the Sundance Film Festival breakthrough will be getting a release around these parts, so it also might have to wait until DVD release. Before I call it a day, Kristi & I checked out The Hangover on Tuesday in a completely packed Wallingford, CT theater. It was easily one of the funniest films I've seen in years and now my only question would be exactly where it ranks on my top ten...

Top 10 Comedies of All-Time
1. Old School
2. Dumb & Dumber
3. Anchorman
4. Superbad
5. Happy Gilmore/Billy Madison
6. Wedding Crashers
7. Animal House
8. Borat
9. Something About Mary
10. Zoolander

The Hangover -> A-
Defiance -> B
Revolutionary Road -> B-

Hump Day Hottie

Brooke Burke

Random Thoughts Tuesday

NBA Finals move to Orlando tonight for Game Three. I actually watched the fourth quarter of Sunday's game in its entirety, but can't help but feel like the series ended for the Magic on Courtney Lee's missed lay-up. I also checked out a ton of MMA action over the weekend as Showtime and Versus both had non pay per view events on cable television. Saturday night Andrei Arlovski got destroyed in a shocking 22 second pummeling at the hands of up and coming heavyweight Brett Rogers. In the main event of the Strikeforce card, Ruthless Robbie Lawler got submitted by an underrated Jake Shields. One night later on Versus, WEC Golden Boy Urijah Faber lost for a second straight time to Mike Brown. The former featherweight title holder was forced to fight the final four rounds of the title fight with little use of his badly injured hands. It was a gutty performance by Faber who utlilzed his elbows, but was unable to mount much offense due to his injuries. Brown is a tough SOB and I'm not sure Faber would have beat him even if he had been at full strengh, although I wouldn't mind seeing these two go at it for a third time...

The Steven Strasburg era is about to begin for the Washington Nationals. For the sake of baseball fans everywhere, let's hope Scott Boras isn't too hard on the Nationals franchise in upcoming negotiations. I think we all want to see this kid pitching in the big leagues sooner than later. The MLB Draft is on live tonight at 6PM on the MLB Network for those of you diehards like myself. If they could ever find another offensive threat to complement Ryan Zimmerman, the Nats would have an opportunity to be quite a squad in the next few seasons. Strasburg, Jordan Zimmerman and Ross Detwiler have the makings of a strong young rotation, plus imagine if Lastings Milledge ever played up to his potential in the outfield...

The Yankees and Red Sox begin a three game series at Fenway tonight (weather permitting) as the Bronx Bombers head into Boston hoping to break a five game losing streak to their Beantown rivals. The Yankees have been on fire ever since the return of A-Rod as evidenced by the ridiculous numbers Mark Teixiera has put up over the last month or so. In the end though, the AL East is going to come down to pitching in my estimation, and more specifically the New York bullpen. Phil Hughes looked terriffic in his one inning of work last night against the Rays and I'll be interested to see if Girardi tries to work him into the set-up role previously held by Joba Chamberlain. There is little question that Hughes' future is in the Yankee rotation, but for this season he could prove especially valuable in the eight inning slot...

The forgotten sport has Game Six of their finals tonight on NBC as the Red Wings look to capture their second consecutive Stanley Cup in Pittsburgh. If the Penguins can hold court at home, however, the series will head to Detroit for what could be an epic Game Seven on Friday Night. Ouch...friday night? That's an awful night for the NHL to be holding their season's deciding game. At least it will be on NBC as opposed to Versus, but either way Gary Bettman has got to do a better job of scheduling in the future. I understand that he is at the mercy of the Dick Ebersol and the Peacock police, but can you imagine another major sporting event holding their deciding game on the virtual telvision burial ground that is Friday Nights?

Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

A few weeks ago, I got a random text from Dj Bri G telling me I needed to listen to the new Phoenix album. At first I wasn't sure if he was talking about Joaquin Phoenix or someone else. Needless to say, I did some quick research and next thing I know I've got this French indie rock band playing continuously on my iPod. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix released internationally on May 26 and a day later here in the States. So far it's gotten terrific reviews from everyone from Rolling Stone to Pitchfork and who am I to argue with the hipsters? My buddy Keith is always pushing for musical alternatives to rap music on this site and so today I figure is a perfect time to post a few of my favorites off this album. You can probably find their first single Lisztomania somewhere on the net, so I figured I'd post downloads to a few of my other favorites which might not be as easy to find online. Hope you enjoy guys!

1901
Rome
Fences

Jay Z - Death of Autotune

Thanx Bri-G

Jay Z - Death of Autotune

Belmont Stakes

Shorty's $$$ Picks of the Week...

"Shorty's $$$ Picks of the Week" is a weekly feature where I link to a few blog posts which I found interesting during the week. Every Friday we focus on sports, movies, television and whatever else is going on in the world. The weekly feature regularly showcases new music downloads and video clips. I hope you enjoy...

David Carradine: Auto Erotic Asphyxiation Death - Eat.Sleep.Celebrity

Randy Johnson: Babe Ruth of Beanballs - Wall Street Journal

Evgeni Malkin: Incredible Stanley Cup Playoff - From the Rink

Lil' Wayne: Kobe Bryant Download - Nah Right

Seven Burning Belmont Questions - Mental Floss

Weekend Fight Preview

There are 2 cards this weekend that have some great fights. First, on Saturday, Showtime will be showing the latest Strikeforce card and on Sunday, Versus will have WEC 41 with the return match between Urijah Faber and Mike Brown as the headliner.

The Strikeforce will be headlined by "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler vs. Jake Shields. There has been some rumor that Shields will eventually move on to the UFC. Shields is a dynamite talent and this match up will help confirm how ready he is when he takes on the former UFC star. Lawler has not lost much over the years and still can brawl with the best in the world. Shields will look to submit if he has the chance. Others on the card are former UFC alums in Phil Baroni, Andrei Arlovski, Nick Diaz and Kevin Randelmann, which all should win. The Baroni fight will be against another banger in Joe Riggs and Randelmann will be facing former IFL champ Mike Whitehead. Whitehead had gotten better over his career but Randelmann is still fast and has powerful kicks. I just think it will be too much for Whitehead and will eventually wear down.

On Sunday, "The California Kid" will try to take his featherweight crown back from Mike Brown. After Brown destroyed Leonard Garcia and Faber embarrassed Pulver in their most recent fights, they look to get it on. Although Brown is not a one punch star and got lucky, I think this return bout will not go in favor of the Champ. Faber is quick, creative and hungry. I don't see it going the distance. Quite honestly, I think Faber will finish the fight in the 2nd round. This is not to take anything away from Brown, I just think Faber is that good. In the other fights, Faber's next opponent for the belt, Jose Aldo, is keeping busy by taking on Cub Swanson. Swanson has not looked great since his loss to Pulver and will get beat handily by the innovative Aldo (very similar to Faber in his attack). Pulver is also on the card and this could be his farewell if he doesn't come out a winner in this match. Finally, Donald Cerrone is back after his brawl with Jamie Varner. Cerrone will win easy by using his length and power.

These 2 events have some nice names in it but both need to add more talent to have a bigger showing over the coming years. Look next week to see some other names that are must see fighters in the other smaller organizations.

This Week in Movies...

With my Netflix account up and running again and school no longer an issue for the next three months, I've began to do some serious catching up movie wise as you can see from my grades at the bottom of this post. Now the next step will hopefully be to hit up the theaters a bit more frequently over the summer. Now, before I get into the two films opening nationwide this weekend, I should mention that Sam Raimi's latest horror flick Drag Me to Hell has been given nothing but stellar reviews from critics everywhere and if you've ever seen any of the Evil Dead films, you know this guy can balance funny and scary like no other. I've always liked Alison Lohman and the PG-13 rating doesn't bother me because often times horror films get too caught up in gore and seem to forget that blood isn't neccesarily scary, only gross. It's unlikely that I'll have the opportunity to check this one out in the theater, but rest assured it will be added to my Queue upon arrival to DVD.

As for the films making their opening tommorrow, Will Ferrell stars in a remake of the 1970's cult television classic Land of the Lost. I vaguely recall watching the show in syndication as a child, but admit that I only remember bits and pieces. I'm having some difficulty figuring out from the trailer whether the film version is geared more towards children or adults. However, my love for ABC's LOST has made me a much bigger sci-fi fan than I ever imagined I might become growing up and that will probably garner this one a look. Not to mention it's a chance to check out Kenny Powers on screen. Last, but certainly not least is the comedy that has a chance to be the funniest film of the year. The Hangover trailers have left plenty to the imagination by showing random clips that give you no idea about just where this film is going to take you. All we know is that three guys wake up ridiculously hungover from their best friend's bachelor party and have no idea where the groom is. Perfect for guys who want to see absurd things like Mike Tyson rocking out to Phil Collins' In the Air Tonight, although maybe not the movie to check out with your fiance just a year before your own impending wedding.

Star Trek -> B+
Role Models -> B
Valkyrie -> B-
Vicky Christina Barcelona -> B
Unknown -> C
Fling -> D-

Hump Day Hottie

Justene Jaro

Random Thoughts Tuesday

Day off today for me, so I'll be putting together my new -and as yet untitled- June Mixtape. Be on the lookout for it on the upper right hand corner of the page later this afternoon. Also, if anyone is interested in a spot in my National League Only Keeper League, I have one spot left and we will be holding a midseason draft this coming Sunday, so let me know if you want in. Now on to some semi-interesting news and thoughts on a random Tuesday...

*Kimbo Slice, welcome to the Ulitmate Fighter. I have to admit that I am stunned by the revelation that the backyard brawler was willing to humble himself and agree to try and fight his way into the UFC. Next season of TUF was already must watch material as the coaches (Rashad Evans & Rampage Jackson) genuinely despise one another, but now you add Kimbo into the mix and this has all the makings of classic reality television...

*Speaking of entertaining reality television, Will Ferrell will be appearing alongside Bear Grylls on a special edition of Men vs Wild. The adventurer and the comedian spent 48 hours somewhere in Sweden as Ferrell continues to promote his upcoming Land of the Lost full length feature...

*What is it exactly about Mike & Mike that the ESPN executives feel is so appealing to the general sports watching public? It's bad enough that they are inescapable on weekday mornings on sports radio, but now I have to sit through another hour and a half of these two dimwits doing Special Edition 6PM Sportscenters together? Is there any logical explanation for all of this? I realize they must get really good ratings, but how? Why? Who are these listeners/viewers who enjoy their annoying schtick? In fairness to Mike Greenberg, he does at least have some journalistic integrity and ability, but he is part of a goofball gang of dorks that includes consistently annoying and hideous looking Joaquin, their producer who wouldn't know funny if it fell on him...

*Finally, instead of devoting an entire post to any Baseball uniforms this week, I thought I'd break down a couple of American League teams and their choice to bring back the blues in this spot. On several previous occasions already I've mentioned that the Blue Jays have been wearing their retro 1980's uniforms on Friday Nights at home in Toronto. These uniforms are exact replicas of the classic Tom Henke-Dave Steib joints I remember as a kid. Meanwhile, in Kansas City, the Royals have attempted to do something similar, but seem to have failed in recapturing the same royal blue of the 1985 World Series team. My point is that if you're are gonna try and evoke memories of past greatness, don't just dip your toe in the shallow end, take the all-out dive.

Eminem Gets Familair w/ Bruno @ Movie Awards