Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in James Fabiano's Blurty:

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Wednesday, September 27th, 2006
12:25 am	The Lifetime Movie Network Closing Drinking Game! The LMN Drinking Game As one of the founders of the Closing Logo Group, I receive a lot of DVDs and such with compilations of logos for our Megamix projects. One contributor has found a lot of interesting stuff on, of all places, Lifetime Movie Network. As such I get lots of slivers of movie endings from the channel, and after seeing enough, I think I can form a drinking game out of the conclusions of movies that appear on LMN. Take a drink if.... 1) It ends in one of those "character update" texts. 2) The last scene involves a wedding, funeral, or a similar gathering. 3) The last scene is shot with an overhead cam perspective. 4) It ends with a still shot. 5) FremantleMedia's logo appears at the end... 6) ...or the W.I.N. logo. And Jeffrey added to me via email... 7) If the Hearst Entertainment logo is at the end. 8) If it ends in some embrace. And I came up with... 9) If it ends in a hospital. Anyone got any more????? (Comment on this)
Sunday, September 10th, 2006
3:27 pm	NWS in Edison, 9/8 + 9/9 NWS at Edison's Family Fun Festival, 9/8/06 Time again for Edison's annual Family Festival, and as it has for the past 3 years, that also means...free NWS show! I almost got sidetracked, though, since I was expecting the Festival to be at the Municipal Building, as it has previously been. No, this time it was at a driving distance, down on Amboy Ave. As such, it was more like a street fair, much of which had an Italian flair to it. Having just seen one in New York's Little Italy months ago, it was appreciated. Like last year's show, this one will be held in three parts over Friday and Saturday. Not sure which of the two I'll be able to make tomorrow, if at all. But I'll keep you posted either way. I also met up with my cousin and his friends, also avid wrestling fans (just look at my friends MySpace list and find the guys with Eric Young as their avatar, those are them) Master of ceremonies/ring announcer was Johnny Falco. 1) Saddam Insane (with TNT and King Idu Stinq) vs. Hasheem "Chem...er, the "Dark Patriot" -- Yes, since the last show I was at, Hasheem Ali has done a face turn and became an anti-American American sympathizer. Based on his new ring name, he's also become Doug Gilbert. During the intros, my cousin's friend requested a makeshift sign urging Saddam to lose some weight (understandable, if you ever saw him before). They also made another of their own starting their finrst of many "Don't Fire Eric Young" (refers to TNA angle) campaigns. Anyhow, looks like they've found a less subtle pun to manage the Baghdad Bullies, as Mohoward Gottaheaves al-Getz has been replaced by a new Arab sheik who conveniently repeated his name, only to be told that yes, he does stink. Pre-match, DP wants to even the odds, so he goes to get...Doin...excuse me, the Famous TV Wrestling Clown. Gino Moore, however, sends everyone without a manager's license back, leaving only Stinq for DP to contend with. And now, THE BAGHDAD BULLIES EXPLODE! Saddam starts with random heel tomfoolery, but DP ends up taking him down after repeated tries. He continues the beating outside of the ring, but is sent (gingerly) into the ringpost. More heel tactics from Saddam and Stinq, culminating in the Vulcan Nerve Pinch, which Ali fights out of, and eventually whips out a stunner on Insane. But TNT makes the save, and the Bullies lay waste to everyone until Doink makes the save. As a result, the main event will be...the Bullies vs. Clown and D. Patriot. Smell the roster! (and I don't mean Idu Stinq, heaven forbid I encourage cheap heat!) Oh, and the match is ruled a double DQ, even though TNT ran in first. 2) Corvis Fear vs. Judas Young -- Oddly, the closer-to-hometown boy Fear is the heel. Though me and this girl who also knew what JAPW was decided to root for him throughout. Dueling appeals from both wrestlers to begin, then they trade armwork, which JY gets the better of, sending CF out of the ring. He misses a sunset flip back in and promptly begs off. JY accepts a handshake, which he turns into both kinds of atomic drops, and a leg lariat for 2. CF responded with a stun gun, and got 2 off a neckbreaker. Then he hits the chinlock, assisted by a (gingerly-applied) knee to the back. JY escapes this and gets a series of additional two counts before CF takes over again. Reverse DDT gets 2. Young responds with an acid drop, and then reverses a corner charge into a rollup, but misses a body block attempt. Likewise, Fear misses a Superfly, giving JY some more opportunities, including two more 2's from a cradle armdrag and a missile dropkick. But an attempt at a wheelbarrow rollup failed, as Corvis reversed it for the win, apparently pulling tights (I couldn't tell though). As a result, Judas asks for and gets a rematch tomorrow. 50/50 drawing time. Still no clothesline or such from the winner. Though Johnny announced tomorrow's events, and mentioned that Captain Lou, and Sal Sincere AND The Patriot would be appearing. Of course I had to ride him on the latter, and the girl in front of me was urging me not to say that Tom Brandi might be getting double the checks that day. I thought little of it, but then saw that she was helping with the NWS crew. Uh-oh... 3) The Baghdad Bullies (with Idu Stinq) vs. Famous TV Wrestling Clown and Dark Patriot -- Faces get pearl harbored while appealing, turn the tables for a bit, and then Doink becomes clown in peril. Saddam does the Iron Sheik boot in the corner move, which would work better if he actually had pointy boots. Doink gets a roll up, but is averted by a SLOOOOW clothesline from Saddam. He soon hot tags Ali though, who cleans house, and then TAGS DOINK BACK IN. Because he hasn't been taking a beating all this time. Sure enough, the Clown is soon face in peril again, but also soon makes the second hot tag. Pier six, and Doink tries a sunset flip on Saddam. They tease him going over or not forever before he finally sits on him, after which Saddam simply rolls up Doink for the pin. I half noticed it cause I got recruited to do the "Don't fire Eric Young" dance around the ring and throughout the crowd. Hmmmm...I wouldn't call this one of the best NWS shows I've been to. Fear vs. Young was best match, but I've seen better, and rematching the opening contest with tag team partners was weird. Plus no Gavin Quest, and nighttime coming earlier made it a bit of an effort to see the action. As always, visit Mark's NWS photo page at http://home.comcast.net/~NWSfan/ for pictures from this and other NWS events. 9/9 So I did get to make it to the 7:30 pm show last night at least. I was at church during the 5 pm show...apparently I missed : Hasheem Ali d. Sal Sincere (the Patriots EXPLODE!) I guess by DQ when the Baghdad Bullies and Corvis Fear ran in. Judas Young d. Corvis Fear TNT d. Sgt. James Storm in a chokeslam match Patriot d. Saddam Insane, gets jumped by the Bullies, sets up main event at next show. No detailed report from me this time around, as I was kind of pinch hitting for Mark who was at the ECW show in Toms River. He has big shoes to fill, or a big lens, as it were, and I hope my work compliments his photo site. Before the show Captain Lou Albano was taking pictures and signing stuff. Photos, action figures, and DVDs of Wise Guys and Super Mario Bros. Super Show (the latter I couldn't refuse, for $20 a box set) were being offered as well for autographs. Results were as follows: Sal Sincere (w/King Idu Stinq) d. Judas Young by DQ via foreign object fake out (Sincere was about to use a chain, thankfully a REAL one and not the strand of rope at last Edison show, but Young wrested it away from him. Sincere dropped down to the mat, leaving Young with the weapon and the ref thinking he used it) Also of note, some fireworks were going off at this point of the festival, and Stinq asked if we heard "his bombs" and that he'd be taking Edison over soon. Corvis Fear d.Mikey Pacifico (pin, Lionsault into a kind of kick with Pacifico tied in the ropes) Patriot and Hasheem Ali d. Baghdad Bullies (Ali pins Insane w/stunner) Overall, a lot better than the Friday show. The tag main event was the usual routine, but even that seemed better. Sincere/Young was decent, as was Fear/Pacifico (as is the norm for NWS' cruiserweight/X Division/whatever workers) (Comment on this)
Monday, May 1st, 2006
10:00 pm	Happy Lumley Day to all! 60 years today, and as you can see, that's 60 years YOUNG. Happy birthday Joanna, your life is one meant for celebrating! (Comment on this)
Saturday, April 15th, 2006
11:41 pm	It kind of gives a new meaning to "Well blow me down"... I just rediscovered this audio clip, which I first became obsessed with big time about 5 years ago. http://geocities.com/sdvphil/MUSIC/popeye.ram That professor guy in between clips is what really puts this file over... (Comment on this)
Saturday, March 25th, 2006
3:39 pm	Petula Clark in Ft. Myers Petula Clark at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Center, Ft. Myers, FL March 16, 2006 I can't believe it's been just a bit over a week already! Last Thursday I was down in Florida visiting my friend Marty, a part of which included my second Petula concert, this one in Ft. Myers' Barbara B. Mann Center. We wound up getting together with two other fans, Chuck, whom we met the night before the show, and Christine, who came in the night of the concert from New York. We all came up with a plan to each chip in to put together a bouquet for Petula, one with yellow roses (her favorite). Marty and I had quite an adventure finding a good and reasonable florist, but when we did, it more than paid off, as we got a lovely two-dozen bouquet. Funny story, as a local news source did mention yellow roses, but attributed it only to one of us! As an added touch, seeing as St. Patrick's Day was the day after, we added a bit of a "Finian's Rainbow" theme with some shamrock ribbons,a leprechaun teddy bear, and a note I whipped up with rainbow-and-leprechaun designs headed by, "Ft. Myers looked to the rainbow, and found Petula!" ("Look To The Rainbow" being one of Petula's songs from Finian, of course) Armed with our cameras and proper material for autographs (namely Marty's Live At The Olympia CD...we'd also get a photograph at the Center for her mother, who was to go but wasn’t well at the time, unfortunately), off we went, stopping to pick up the others. Petula 65/66 (CD of her foreign songs) was playing all the way in the car radio. Once at the Center, we actually ran into Petula's manager John, who informed us that she would have a meet-and-greet after the show. Well that would make the gift-giving and autographs and pictures a bit easier. Though for the former, we had something special in mind. So on with the show. Three of us were right in the orchestra pit, me included. It was fantastic, of course! Thanks to Bonnie from the International Petula Clark Society, I have the song list, which was as follows, along with my notes where appropriate: Set 1 · Who Am I (like the Atlantic City show I was at 2 years ago, it starts with an instrumental of this, then you hear the vocals, then Petula comes out. A lot of stuff was similar to the AC show, but a lot of new stuff to me as well) · The Twelfth of Never (After this or the previous song, a proud moment indeed for me…Petula thanked the audience for their welcome, so I yelled “Thank YOU!” back. She blew me a kiss in return!) · Don't Sleep in the Subway · I'm Not Afraid · This Is My Song (the single funniest and most memorable thing about the night, easily...when we got our party together, Marty said that she planned to wait for this song to do something special...since she loves the French version so much, she wanted to yell out, "Chantez en français, s'il vous plait!" And we all encouraged it. But I had to see it to believe it myself...well sure enough, as the song started, she said it! And Petula asked mid-song to repeat, and Marty said, "Sing in French!” And she did, and a good chunk of the song in fact!) · I Know a Place · Look to the Rainbow (with the familiar “I danced with him [Fred Astaire]/I sang with her!” story) · Colour My World (Marty's chosen cue to present the flowers, by placing them onstage, as she figured they’d go with the mentions of “Sunshine yellow” in the song. Which wasn’t lost on Petula, as she acknowledged the flowers when coming to that lyric) · Memphis (I just have to hear this song again. Petula sang it while at the piano, and beforehand, she took the flowers with her and made like they were so heavy, she had to lug them all the way over) · 60's medley (I think she started this with an unnamed [?] song about the 1960s, which, like the previous song, I’d love to hear again. Help needed remembering the songs in the medley…”Call Me” was there, I recall) · Tell Me It's Not True (from “Blood Brothers,” of course) Set 2 · Jazz medley (If I Only Had You /Just me, Just You) · Starting All Over Again · Sign of the Times · Theatre poem (accompanied by the usual story about Petula writing this on the train) · Losing My Mind · I Never Do Anything Twice (I was pleased as punch to hear this saucy Sondheim tune sung live again. Ever since I first heard it in AC, I was hooked immediately. I then got the recorded version as part of the “Here For You” album, which has had a lot of playtime on my CD players ever since. I got a copy of HFY for Marty, and I kept talking INDAT up in the car, but when the CD came to it, we’d always be wrapped up in some other thing. Well Petula, never one to disappoint, delivered here too!) · With One Look (“Sunset Boulevard” song) · Driven by Emotion · Love Song medley (“My Love” was part of this, closer to the hit version than I remembered her AC performance, which was a slower version, being. Again, anyone remember the others?) · Downtown Encores: · Here for You · I Couldn't Live Without Your Love (Petula’s Quiet Please/Put Your Hands Together combo for the end of her shows, so to say. Still perfect to top off the night, as usual!) Some other notes…while Petula was in fine form, it seemed the microphone at the piano was a little better than the one up front. Petula looked great as always, with a black-and-silvery dress in the first half, then what I believe she calls her “little black dress” in the second. She had her “Blood Brothers” coat and Norma Desmond robe on hand as well. Well, the fun just continued from there, as now it was time for the meet-and-greet! There was a line and a wait, but of course it was all worth it when Petula came out. There were some slightly stricter rules such as only having one item to autograph per person, and management seemed to want to get the line moving as quick as possible. Nonetheless, meeting Petula was no less a magical moment! Marty got her CD signed and a picture, and I got a picture signed for her mom and a better picture for myself! (I since got a new digital camera that takes smoother, clearer pictures, so I had to update my Pet pic!) Chuck and Christine both got pictures too, and Chuck, the lucky *&$%#, got to kiss Petula TWICE, since I kind of messed up taking the picture of said event the first time. Later on, we even got to suggest a restaurant for Petula’s party (John, Kenny Clayton, et al)…it was a nearby Bennigan’s, which as it turned out, was the only place open at that time. So we all went there to eat too…we saw Petula with her back turned to the window in the front. Our party ended up on the other side of the restaurant, all the better, as we didn’t want to seem like stalkers! Anyway, we had our own St. Patrick’s Day Eve dinner to end what was another magnificent evening with Petula. I dare say that I enjoyed this even more than AC, but with someone like Petula, it can only get better each time! (Comment on this)
Tuesday, February 21st, 2006
7:30 pm	NWS in Edison, 2/17/06 National Wrestling Superstars at St. Matthew’s, Edison, NJ February 17, 2006 As usual, pictures of the following event and more can be found at Mark’s NWS picture site . The NWS once again passed through Edison, and as usual, I was there. Just like last February, we were at the gymnasium of St. Matthew’s Catholic school. There was a first, though…before the show I was finally asked to be a sign plant, as people were handing out “2” signs that we were to hold up whenever there was a 2-count. Of course I couldn’t leave it at that, changing my handouts into advertisements for a certain ‘80s breakdancing movie sequel (does anyone need to ask which one at this point in pop culture history?), and for the place where I got the signs (“They told me ‘2’ hold this sign”). Our announcer was an “Outlaw” Frankie G, whose heelish name earned a few boos. Aside from the National Anthem, we also had a 10-bell salute to Johnny Grunge. Just like last year, the show opened with an appearance by Matty the Leprechaun. And again, he was confronted by “Dapper” Johnny Falco, this time accompanied by “Mr. Motion” Shane Taylor. Falco pledged not to waste his time beating up the mascot this time, and what’s more, that he knew he was really Darren Venture (the other regular at NWS Edison shows) and was thus a phony. That’s the kind of people we need to uphold authenticity in the world: professional wrestlers. That aside, of course the heels again beat up Matty (who indeed was declothed and revealed to be Venture) until the Patriot makes the save, setting up a match later against Taylor. 1) Dave Logan (with Dirty Dan Petit) vs. J.T. Highlander – Logan is the former New Wave who since apparently denounced his old name (he had an “RIP New Wave” t-shirt on). He had quite a following up in the bleachers too. They started on the outside, and back in, Dan’s interference gave Logan an early advantage, but J.T. would block an uppercut with a reverse neckbreaker. Logan returned the favor off of a whip counter, which was used as a transition kind of liberally here. Top-rope elbow gets 2, and J.T. reciprocates this time, with a (slow) rollup that gives him a two-count of his own. Another “traded” spot comes when J.T. counters a corner move by monkey-flipping Logan…except J.T. is facing away from the corner, which meant that Logan was thrown into the turnbuckles. Later, Logan stopped a VERY telegraphed axhandle by grabbing Highlander and Northern Lighting him into the corner, just barely though. They tried some good stuff, but some of it seemed a touch off at times. Logan attempted an Alabama Slam, but J.T. got to reverse that into a piledriver. Huracanrana and German suplex gets two for Highlander. Ref bump, and Logan actually gets the advantage with a cradle double-underhook DDT. Now a devastating move like this would mean a likely win if only the ref would wake up. So what does Petit do? He takes the opportunity to come in with a “Caution! Wet Floor” sign. You know what’s next…Heel Communication, the ref comes to, J.T. gets the win. Afterwards, Gino Moore rightly points out Petit’s gaffe and schedules him for a future match with J.T. 2) The Valedictorians (Rob Eckos and Billy Bax) vs. Nicky Oceans and Fantastic Max – Eckos started out with some mic work, referencing his appearances on WWE programming (where he apparently got squashed by Mark Henry, which I unsuccessfully tried to get on his case for) before introducing his partner Bax, wearing identical, hexagonal-patterend tights. Oceans’ partner was originally to be Antonio Malave, but instead we got Fantastic Max, a guy in an Ultimo Dragon mask, not an orange-mohawked kid who likes to exclaim “Dirty Diapers!” $10,000,000 to the first person who gets that reference…hope you don’t mind being paid in Monopoly money. So on to the match…we start with a lot of arm-dragging and barring from the faces. A pier-six breaks out, leading to the faces using a double drop toehold to put the heels in the always funny 69 Position, followed by stereo corner punching and the heels being whipped into each other in the corner, which also culminated in them falling into the 69 Position. Valedictorians leave the ring to finally go get a room, only to be met by stereo topes. Their luck changes back in, however, as Eckos distracts Max long enough for Bax to get in his whacks with a tilt-a-whirl breaking of backs. Now the advantage is what the face team lacks. And those are the facts. This has been your poetry corner for the evening. Back to action, the Valedictorians dominate FM for awhile until Eckos botches a high-risk attempt and ends up eating Max’s foot. Hot tag, and Oceans uses kick combos to fend off both Valedictorians. But a second attempt to whip Bax and Eckos into each other goes awry, leading to the heels doing a modified Doomsday Device (victim’s in a back suplex position) for the pin. The Vals then demand that the referee raise their hands for each side of the ring. Pretty fun tag team match, and I guess the DVDVR board was right about their “Team Angle” theory; i.e. they got so much love cause they were a tag team that wore identical outfits and used many double teams. Because the Vals did all this, and I wouldn’t mind seeing them continue in the promotion as a team. 3) The Patriot vs. Shane Taylor (with Johnny Falco) – But wait! Falco says he is “retiring” from managing in Edison after the disrespect he got, so he introduces Taylor’s new manager, Mohoward al-Getz. Because it’s in the Patriot’s contract that he must oppose at least one foreigner…and he means it…SINCERELY. They try to add the Baghdad Bullies (Saddam Insane and the heel-turned TNT, also the current NWS tag champs) to the entourage, but they are ejected from ringside quickly. Undaunted, the heels double team Patriot, but he quickly comes back all “Here’s Johnny!,” as he Gunns them down with a double clothesline. When you mess with the Patriot, he is definitely not as sweet as Brandi…OK I know, you get it, I’m a smark. So, with Taylor temporarily out of the way, Patriot does the Hogan special and spends time beating and humiliating Mohoward until Taylor superkicks him into some chinlockery. He Patriots Up out of it, but Taylor keeps the advantage, until missing a second-rope legdrop. Superman comeback, and then Saddam returns. Double-teaming is threatened, but the heels are distracted by the return of Matty the Leprechaun. Would he heed my sign and finally try a 450 splash? No, but his presence distracts Taylor long enough to get rolled up and pinned. Post-match, SWERVE! While Mohoward is still arguing with Matty, Darren Venture comes out and decks him when he turns around. And then Jimmy Snuka arrives for no reason matchwise (flashback to WrestleMania V!), but for the intermission autographs with Patriot. After the break, we celebrate various fans’ birthday, complete with the Kayfabed Cake (the Styrofoam deal from last Edison show). 4) Baghdad Bullies (Saddam Insane and TNT) vs. Gumba Panatane and Jay Santana – As I said, TNT since turned heel and is now an Iraqi sympathizer. Gumba is a stout Italian character, and Santana was announced as a relation of Tito’s. This…was pretty much the opposite of the previous tag match. From the start, when TNT “took” a sloppy double armdrag, somehow I knew this would be a barnburner. Meaning, of course, that someone set a fire in the barn to use the smoke to drive all the wrestlers out so they’d stop the match. As it is, I’m surprised they -- or anyone -- didn’t clear out on the spot after Gumba back-raked Saddam, causing him to partially lose his pants in the process. Apparently, though, this stunned Gumba enough to just fall to the floor when trying something off the top rope. Heels work him over awhile, he “hot” tags Santana, who gets 2 off of a springboard flying forearm. Pier six, and Santana misses a splash, and Saddam…just covers him for 3. If you can’t say anything nice… 5) NWS Jersey Shore Title: “GQ” Gavin Quest (champion) vs. Corvis Fear (challenger) – OK, this should make up for the mess Corvis was mixed up in that was that dark match at JAPW Wild Card. Interestingly, Gavin’s working as a heel as well now. Dueling slaps first (Gavin’s in delivered by tricking Corvis into believing they were doing a coin toss!). They exchange offense, and Quest ends up on the outside, on the ring apron, where Fear neckbreakers/rope snaps him to the floor. However, Quest uppercuts him out of a tope attempt. Back in, a belly-to-back gets 2. Gavin tells the crowd to be quiet so he can deliver some stiff kicks, but when they don’t comply, he winds up teasing another kick but applying a chinlock instead. OK, he has some of the heel basics down. In the corner, chops are exchanged, but Quest sends Fear hard into the corner. He works the back for awhile, hitting a German, and a kind of reverse monkey flip into a backbreaker, which gets 2. Superplex attempt is blocked, and Corvis does one of his own, a kind of twisting back superplex. The ref’s in the way, but I think Fear did some kind of elevated DDT to set up a second-rope moonsault for 2. He panders to the crowd for awhile, however, allowing Gavin to do a low kick/facebuster combo. Fear, undaunted, comes back with a brainbuster variation and a frog splash for 2. Quest responds with a T-Bone Powerbomb move, but not to be undone, Fear gets him up in a cradle hold, turning it into a part powerbomb, part piledriver. Crucifix for 2, and then Gavin does his own, but in an interesting spot, he’s Samoan dropped…yet he gets to cover Corvis. Didn’t quite get that. Despite Fear being all the way in the opposite corner, Quest goes for a moonsault, and rightfully so, gets caught by Corvis. A hangman flip (both men up in corner, Fear makes like he’s going to Rude Awaken Quest, but instead kind of front suplexes him out of that) later, and we have a NEW JERSEY SHORE CHAMPION! The usual good stuff I’d expect from Gavin and company. Post-match, Gavin teases a handshake, but of course beats down Corvis. Gino Moore says that he’ll sign the rematch, and many fans are calling “No.” What does that really say? On one hand, are they implying that they don’t have faith that Corvis can beat Gavin again? On another hand, do they NOT want him to get revenge for this heinous attack? Regardless, Fear does accept the rematch for a later date. 6) Main Event: Jimmy Snuka vs. Salvatore Sincere (with Mohoward al-Getz) – Yes, Tom Brandi worked twice in one show. He’s dropped the fake Sicilian accent, and these days is now looking for heat by telling fans not to call him “Pinky” because of his ring attire. Guess what chant followed. This was pretty much like the Snuka vs. Johnny Valiant match from my first NWS show about 2 ½ years ago: Snuka takes over to start (offense mostly consisting of chopping), but the heel takes over with a foreign object. In this case, Sincere makes liberal use of a pink rope. Understandably, he uses it for strangling, but at one point wraps it around his hand like a chain. As far as wimpy weapons are concerned, that one’s further down there than Valiant using what looked like a credit card on Snuka at that other show. Snuka beats the odds and the ropeburn upon Sincere and Mohoward heel miscommunicating, and he hits the Superfly (from the second rope) for the win. As always, a fun effort by NWS. The first tag match and Quest/Fear were the matches of the night, with Highlander/Logan just missing joining the group. (Comment on this)
Sunday, January 29th, 2006
11:20 pm	A goodbye, and a welcome back... Sad news today for lovers of '80s cartoons...Len Carlson, best known as the voice of Bert Raccoon, has passed away at the age of 68. A friend called me this morning with the news, and this was quite an unpleasant surprise, to say the least. To the people who know me, it's no secret how big of a fan of The Raccoons I've always been. Since Bert was the character most people associate with the series and the very Raccoons mythos as a whole, well, it really felt like the end of an era. But as always, the memories and work will remain, which is a reason for some solace. That and I guess in the Evergreen Forest in the sky, Bert and Cedric (Marvin Goldhar) will finally be reunited, as will all three of the Pigs (Nick Nichols). Dottie West, who portrayed Melissa #2, will be there too, of course. In happier news, New Jersey 101.5 is starting a new show, "Under the Boardwalk." They are apparently having a series of guest hosts for this, and Number One is going to be... Yes, after 7 years, ROBERTA GALE is returning to NJ101.5! It will only be for a month, but great news nonetheless. For those of you not around me in the late '90s, I was totally obsessed with Roberta, who then had a regular slot on the 101.5 schedule. In reply to an email discussion about I think Christmas specials, I wound up sending her a copy of the one MAD TV episode I had/have on tape, with the Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer parody. In '98, I even got to meet her in person as part of a holiday promotion for the station at Freehold Racewall Mall. She left 101.5 I think sometime in the following year, but resurfaced a while after on 94.3 The Point for a while. Then she disappeared again, I believe moving to Arizona. And so the chapter on my love affair with Roberta and her show ended...until tomorrow night at 7! Even if you're not in the NJ area, you can listen on 101.5's website. Be there and see what the obsession is all about! (Comment on this)
Sunday, January 22nd, 2006
8:08 pm	NJN = Britcom Central Got to hand it to New Jersey Network again, as they have come up with another fabulous lineup of British Comedies for Saturday nights. Of particular interest, again, is what's seen from 10:30 pm to 12:30 am. Sadly, no My Hero or Brittas Empire, but the return of two old favorites, another Britcom phenomenon, and another good show in its own right more than make up for it. The latter is the Rowan Atkinson show The Thin Blue Line, which starts off said two-hour block. While not quite up to the levels of Mr. Bean or Blackadder, it has gotten over with me. Then, the 11:00 hour has two great shows being brought back from deep in the NJN mothballs: Fawlty Towers and The Vicar of Dibley, which I have not seen on TV for the longest time. At midnight, Coupling is back. So while it lasts, I'm gonna have some good Saturdays coming up! (Comment on this)
Tuesday, January 10th, 2006
9:30 pm	JAPW in Rahway, 1/7/06 This past Saturday was my first-ever Jersey All-Pro Wrestling show, held at the Recreation Center in Rahway (conveniently right next door to my place of work!) First, here's Rev Ray of DVDVR's recap of the results: Doors were supposed to open at 6:45, they opened past 7. Show was supposed to start at 7:30, started after 8. World Wide Matches : The Dead Presidents (the former boogalou and I think former Low Ryda) over guy with Infamous on his tights and Bandido Jr with a Razor's Edge type move from Lou and a diving thing from Ryda on Bandido, looked ugly. Danny Demanto over Corvis Fear via top rope Senton Main Show : Mercedes Martinez over Alicia w/ Johnny D via DQ when Rhino ran in and gored Martinez. Jay Lethal and Teddy Hart made the save when Rhino was threatening to hit the Rhino driver on Martinez. Monster Mack over Trent Acid via frog splash Frankie Kazarian over Xavier via the Wave of the Future Monty Brown over EC Negro via the Pounce The Maximos over The Outcast Killaz and The Briscoe Brothers in a 1 fall triple threat match when the Maximos hit the Spanish Fly on Diablo Santiago to retain the JAPW Tag Titles Teddy Hart won a light heavyweight guantlet match to win the JAPW Light Heavyweight title. Azriel started vs. Arcadia, then Javi Air entered, then Quiet Storm, then Grim Reefer, then M-Dogg 20, then Teddy Hart Javi out via top rope double stomp while he was sitting by Azriel Arcadia out via top rope DDT from Reefer Reefer out via a spinebuster move out of a gory lock by Teddy Storm out via a Shooting Star Press by M-Dogg M-Dogg out via Teddy corkscrew 450 with Azriel hitting him and stealing the pin Teddy over Azriel via Shooting Star Elbow drop Rhino over Jay Lethal via a Rhino Driver through a door set on two tables. Teddy tried to help Jay at one point and Jay got upset. Post match, Teddy was trying to help Jay up but he wanted nothing to do with him. Now, some feedback from me. Since this was a new fed to me, and quite a different experience from my NWS shows, I opted not to take notes: I'll vouch for the delay in the door opening, no fun with the cold that night! I did get to talk with a small group of fans, pretty much became a round of remembering old WCW angles. AWESOME merchandise tables...I couldn't help but max out on DVDs (MX and Horsemen comps this time, plus Bash '87) This would be inspiration in itself to return to the Rec Center shows. Saw Gino Moore of NWS in attendance, oddly enough. I think I also saw the (in)famous "Green Lantern Fan." I do know Colvis Fear from the last NWS show I went to...he was in a triple threat with Gavin Quest and J.D. Smoothy that was really good. But yeah, the Worldwide stuff were train wrecks and a lot of people in the bleachers shat on it accordingly. Many spots that led to demands of "What was THAT?" as much of the stuff seemed messed up, and/or took +15 seconds to set up. Sound system definitely needed some work. That made things worse since I didn't know many of the guys. I liked the tag and light heavyweight title matches in particular, plus Kazarian vs. Xavier. Frankie has great entrance music, it's the "You're the best around" song from Karate Kid. Great to see another occasional NWSer in Archadia (who I REALLY am a fan of) there. Him and Alicia, who was managing Rhino but did manage Archadia on an NWS show. I think twice, a fan in the front rows in front of the bleachers got wiped out by a highspot; one was from Teddy Hart I believe. I didn't care about the match itself, as there was just something cool about seeing Monty Brown in person. Is there always anti-TNA sentiments among the JAPW crowd? They seemed as divided on Brown as they were/are about Teddy Hart. Many catcalls directed towards him, TNA, and Jeff Jarrett. And the Teddy thing, oh boy. There is apparently a contingent on the indy circuit that he is unpopular amongst...as I understand, this has to do with incidents on other shows (one Ring of Honor, one TNA, I believe) where he was accused of trying to show up the rest of the guys. He has his fans, and isn't a BAD worker from what I saw, but took his share of abuse too. Same thing with Jay Lethal, when he was up against Rhino. Back to the Monty Brown match, however, the hecklers led to Brown challenging various fans in the front row between parts of his promo. Call it just another markout, but I did get a kick out of seeing Rhino in person too (you can put Kazarian in this group as well, BTW). I can see where some people would call his title win a surprise for the sake of a surprise/pushing a "name." But the choice of Rhino did not strike me as a necessarily bad idea. Of course, I was marking when it happened at the time. Someone conducted an interview with Teddy the show, he was ranting about Owen Hart's spirit allowing him to do his high-flying, kind of stole Sable's old catch phrase, and closed up about God and the kids. He sounds a little like Owen voicewise, actually. Overall, I was happy. Things did pick up by mid-show after a few misses. I think once I do my homework and know who's who and what's what, this will be another indy for me to enjoy. (Comment on this)
Sunday, December 25th, 2005
7:26 am	MERRY CHRISTMAS! Just a quick message while the WB11 Yule Log burns on TV in the background (it is pictured above too, of course). Hope all my friends and readers will have a wonderful Christmas day today. Also, Christmas Music Guru from the TheYuleLog.com message board sends some corrections about my Christmas Music article below: I read your journal entry on your Blurty regarding your favorite Christmas music. Here is some feedback/corrections: 1) First and foremost, you referred to Leroy Anderson's version of "Sleigh Ride" three different times: first as an "adaptation", then as a "rendition", and then in parenthesis you said "an amazing facsimile thereof". Yes, it was his rendition (although even that word implies interpretation). However, it is highly inaccurate to describe his version as an "adaptation", or especially as a "facsimile thereof". The simple fact here is that Mr. Anderson wrote the song. Therefore, every other version that came after his would be considered an adaptation, or as you said "an amazing facsimile thereof". Eleanor Anderson, his widow who I've had the pleasure of speaking with on several occasions, and his four children, if they read that description, I'm sure wouldn't be very happy about it as well. 2) When referring to Anne Murray's renditions of "Christmas In Killarney" and "No Room At The Inn", you indicated that there are no other interpretations of these two songs that you knew of. Well, I guess I can understand that, because from seeing the picture of yourself that you posted on the site, I can see you are relatively young. Notwithstanding, I'm still a little surprised, because the artist I'm going to mention first is a giant in the subject of Christmas music: Bing Crosby. "Christmas In Killarney" was Bing's hit in 1951. A song he recorded with John Scott Trotter and his orchestra for Decca Records. It was later released in 1955 on the expanded 12" version of his album "Merry Christmas" -- one of the most famous and recognizable Christmas albums of all-time. This album has never been out-of-print and is currently available on CD under the re-titled name of "White Christmas". Bobby Vinton also recorded this song for his album "A Very Merry Christmas", which was released on Epic Records in 1964. Mahalia Jackson made famous the song "No Room At The Inn", which she first recorded with Lionel Hampton in 1955 for Columbia Records. It was originally released on her album "Sweet Little Jesus Boy". Columbia Records re-released it in on CD with the re-titled name "Silent Night, Holy Night". She re-recorded the song in stereo in 1969 for her album "Christmas With Mahalia". This album is also currently available on CD. 3) You indicated doubt as to whether the David Rose that recorded the version of "The Little Drummer Boy" you referred to, was the same David Rose who recorded the very well known song "The Stripper". The answer is yes -- it is the same man. By the way, that version of "The Little Drummer Boy" is from the LP "The David Rose Christmas Album", which was released by Capitol Records in 1968. Unfortunately, it has never been re-issued on CD. Happily, music from this great album is included in the WPIX Yule Log presentation. 1) I did not know that, sorry about that. No offense meant. The "fascimile" comment came from my review of Christmas commercials, I believe...this came from my identification of "Sleigh Ride" by Leroy Anderson with that fantastic instrumental, and a friend's wondering if it was the same recording or a soundalike. I did think of Mr. Anderson only with the instrumental, and songs that sounded similar. But wasn't quite aware that it was "his" song. You learn something new each day I guess! 2) Glad I still look youthful ;-) And the key words here were "that I knew of," meaning I never heard other versions besides Anne's. Not that none existed. But oddly enough, shortly after finishing and posting my article, I did start to hear the Crosby "Kilarney" on the radio...maybe someone somehow sending me a signal? :-) :-) Never heard the other "Inns," I'm sure that would be worth checking out. I do love discovering new artists. 3) Thanks for the confirmation on David Rose. Did you ever hear/own the Christmas With The Stars Capitol album I spoke of? It's another fantastic one...was it ever rereleased in any form? Anyway, thank you for your clarifications! Till then, hope you're enjoying the Yule Log as we speak! Merry Christmas! (Comment on this)
Sunday, December 18th, 2005
1:06 am	A caroling we will go... To paraphrase a recurring sales pitch for a certain collection of 1980s albums, “The holidays are my favorite part of the year, and the best thing about them is THE MUSIC!” Indeed, one of the highlights for me for the Christmas season is getting to turn on the radio and anticipate the playing of old favorites, as well as trotting out my own collection of CDs, and even the albums my family has kept for decades now. In their many mediums, Christmas music and carols have always been there for me (some, however, don’t know when to leave, I must say!) So of course I’ve gotten to pick out quite a few from the crowd as songs I particularly get excited to hear. Those are the ones I am going to talk about right now. So here, then, are: MY FAVORITE CHRISTMAS SONGS AND CAROLS - SNOOPY’S CHRISTMAS (The Royal Guardsmen): I had to think for maybe a quarter of a second about which song would head the list. As a Peanuts fan, of course I’d gravitate to something about Snoopy as it is. But the first time I heard this festive tune, the third in a “trilogy” for the Guardsmen (“Snoopy vs. The Red Baron” and “The Return Of The Red Baron” were other songs about Snoopy’s battles as the World War I Flying Ace), somehow I was hooked but good. Now forget the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Christmas officially begins for me the first time I hear those plane explosions, the chorus of “O Tannenbaum,” and finally That Song on the radio. As a side note, I’ve put the whole Snoopy/Red Baron saga on a small holiday compilation cassette, and am coming around with the other two songs as well. “10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and more…” and “…and you’ll go straight to…WELL, look out, Red Baron!” are also sticking into my consciousness nowadays. - ANYTHING FROM ANNE MURRAY’S “CHRISTMAS” AND “WHAT A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS” ALBUMS (Anne Murray): Long before I knew what I know now, Anne Murray WAS Christmas for my mother and my grandmother (my mom’s mother, natch), as her Christmas album always got some good play time at our house. Songs like “Christmas in Killarney” and “No Room At The Inn” are memorable and I haven’t heard any other interpretation of them that I know of. So Anne was already leaving an impression before my fandom for music’s Great Ladies kicked in. There’s also her rendition of “Mary’s Boy Child,” complete with the catchy “Oh my Lord…” part near the end. And of course, now that I fully appreciate Anne’s talents, I’ve come to love her other interpretations of all kinds of songs and carols for the occasion, and make sure my CD’s get lots of use during the season. - HARK THE HERALD ANGELS SING/DECK THE HALLS (Mannheim Steamroller): About 13 years ago, I was totally obsessed with watching The Weather Channel. Mostly because of the often-great music pieces heard during the Local Forecasts (that and my fascination with early-‘90s computer graphics). During the holidays, they’d add some appropriate songs to the mix. One such song was “Deck The Halls” done in this unusual synthesizer-laden orchestra style. It was a load of time later that I heard it again played on the radio, and learned who the artists were. To this day, Mannheim’s “Halls” is still a favorite when it turns up on the air, and their “Hark The Herald Angels Sing” is right up there too. Somehow, they just get me pumped up whenever I hear them, kind of reminds me of the ‘70s remix of Emerson, Lake, and Palmer’s “Fanfare For The Common Man” for some reason. You hear it and just want to start jogging. - SCARLET RIBBONS (Bobbie Gentry): This is a new addition, as I literally discovered this gem days ago, when I was preparing a small cassette of songs from some of my favorite entries in our vinyl collection. Last year, I dug out our copy of “The Christmas Sound Of Music,” an all-star compilation presented by BF Goodrich, and Capitol/Creative Products records. I had been getting into Bobbie Gentry’s work, and was happy to see her have a cover of “Away In A Manger” on the record. So I put this on the aforementioned tape, but then I saw that she had a second song on the album called “Scarlet Ribbons.” Well of course the more Bobbie love the better, so I played and dubbed it. That song, simply put, is a thing of beauty. Bobbie’s vocals are gentle and hypnotic, and the words and melody stick with you. I am not sure how available this track is these days, but it is definitely worth hearing. Now, while we’re talking about my vinyl discoveries… - SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN (Donna Fargo): If it wasn’t for my obsession with record labels, I may never have discovered this one, among others. I was always fascinated with our copies of “Christmas With The Stars” and “The Wonderful World Of Christmas” because of the BEAUTIFUL Capitol/Special Markets label with an orange rendering of the Capitol Records tower against a yellow background. On the latter was this version of the ubiquitous “…Coming To Town” done by country star Donna Fargo, but performed in the disco style that was so popular at the time. So obsessed I became with this danceable version of a classic, I actually brought the record to our fifth-grade Christmas party. (also the first and only place where I heard this song with Santa promising a kid “a Snoopy doll…a REAL LIFE Snoopy Doll!” If anyone knows its name and who recorded it, let me know!) This too might be a rarity, but do track it down. - LITTLE DRUMMER BOY (David Rose): From the other Capitol/SM album, “Christmas With The Stars.” David Rose is also the name of the person responsible for the famous “Stripper” music, would this be the same guy? At any rate, this was an instrumental, and one that got your attention at that. Low horns “thump-thump” through the open, interrupted in pairs by a higher-pitched squeal (piccolo or something?), making for a somewhat foreboding start before a drumroll, and then a marching band-like rendition of the song. The ending, a lighter fanfare followed by two last “thumps,” put a perfect bookend on the experience. - WINTER WONDERLAND (“Ludwig Mousensky” and the “All-Mouse Symphony Orchestra and Chorus”): Someone who knows better, please tell me the names behind the preceding Disney Euphemism. Anyway, this was on 1978’s “Merry Christmas Songs,” from Disneyland Records…and boy did this have a memorable complete package: a big photo of Mickey in a Santa suit coming out of the center of a wreath, the classic Disneyland record label (yellow with the company’s name against a segmented rainbow), and of course the music. This is at least one place where Jiminy Cricket’s (in)famous “From All Of Us To All Of You” comes from. But my favorite was their instrumental “Winter Wonderland,” if only because of how HONKIN’ WEIRD it is. It starts normally enough, grand fanfare, and another orchestration that wasn’t unlike a marching band in a parade. But when they get to the “In the meadow we can build a snowman…” part, well, that’s where it all goes wrong. The music suddenly turns into something I can best describe as something from the soundtrack of a silent movie, or vaudeville music. Each “verse” is either followed by a “mwah” sound on a horn, or a drum beat that would suggest someone tripping all over themselves. After all this, the music takes a tragic turn, now sounding like two lovers just split up in said silent movie. And this part ends with the “Wah-wah-waaaaaaaaaah!” horns usually reserved for something stupid that has just been said or done. Then back to the vaudeville music, and we end with the marching band. - SLEIGH RIDE (Leroy Anderson): Read a couple of posts down, and you will know that this instrumental adaptation of the popular “Sleigh Ride” is a sentimental favorite of mine, having been used for classic holiday promos on WOR-TV in New York. Similarly… - JOY TO THE WORLD (Percy Faith): …has become a favorite of mine since the return of WPIX/WB 11’s Yule Log in 2001, when I was reminded that it kicks off the telecast, and what a PERFECT tune to do so. That regal fanfare as the Californian impersonator of Gracie Mansion’s fireplace that we’ve known and loved for 30+ years fades in…what a feeling, and one that just grows and grows as the actual song begins in its grand orchestrated form and the camera zooms closer and closer to the log ablazing. - CHRISTMAS (BABY PLEASE COME HOME) (The Ronettes): From TV and to the movies, this song is a favorite because it brings to mind the opening credits of the movie “Gremlins.” Whenever someone plays it, I can practically hear the dulcet tones of “Rockin’ Ricky Rialto, the voice of Kingston Falls, USA,” as visions of Gizmo, Zach Galligan, and Phoebe Cates dance in my head. But really, on its own it’s a great song. - WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS (Whatever version they used in “A Christmas Story”): At the moment I don’t have the artist’s name at hand, but this song, coupled with the image of the exterior of the Parkers’ house on a snowy night in 1940s Indiana is a perfect end to a modern holiday celluloid icon. On a related note, another song I’m itching to learn the identity of is that wonderful dramatic piece they play when something disastrous happens, most infamously when Ralphie says the F dash dash dash word. - TO HECK WITH OLE SANTA CLAUS (Loretta Lynn): Yet another new entry…I knew something special was up when I bought my Loretta Christmas CD and saw this title amongst the tracks. And I wasn’t disappointed by the tale of a young country girl disappointed that Santa didn’t stop by her house…so she wishes all kinds of pain, blues, and misery on him. How can you NOT love a song with lines like, “To heck with ole Santa Claus, when he goes dashing through the snow I hope he falls…I’d like to hit him and his HO HO HO with a bunch of big snowballs…” - BABY IT’S COLD OUTSIDE (Dusty Springfield and Rod McKuen): Well, considering that this is one of *my* favorite songs lists, you just knew that the White Lady Of Soul would be making an appearance sooner or later. You’d have to find hardcore Dusty fans who have this recorded in some shape or form, as it hasn’t been “officially” released on CD, I believe. It was, however, a part of a Christmas with Rod McKuen special from 1979, and I think THAT was put out on video. You know the song, except come second verse, Dusty turns the tables on Rod . I don’t think any other version ever has the woman play the seducer. It doesn’t totally click (they even refer to that in the song, as Rod says words to the effect of “But it’s my house!”) but still a joy to hear. - SANTA BABY (Eartha Kitt): Purrrrrrrrrrrrr-fect, indeed! You’ll understand my partiality to Ms. Kitt, seeing as I grew up with her in Adam West “Batman” reruns as Catwoman #3. And actually, thanks to her, I was able to make some sense of Halle Berry playing the role in the cinema bomb, despite the differences in race. In Adam West continuity, you could say that Julie Newmar/Lee Meriwether was Selina Kyle, while Eartha was the copycat (no pun intended) criminal…now known to be named Priscilla Patience or whatever the hell her name was. Apply the West canon to this movie continuity (the 1989-up-to-Begins Bat-Movie Universe), and yes, there is some logic, with Pfeiffer as Newmar, and Berry as Kitt. Not that it made the Catwoman movie any better, of course. But I’m going far off the board here. Back to “Santa Baby,” Eartha’s rendition is a great old-time seductress tune. I can’t get as into Madonna’s or Kylie Minogue’s Betty Boopish interpretations (and while I am not a big fan of either, I will fess up if I like something Madge or Kylie did). You know who else would be perfect for this song? Bernadette Peters. She’d hit a happy medium between Eartha and Boop. Poor Eartha, I’ve been talking about everything but her and her song in this section, haven’t I? Eartha, you’re great…no matter how many words I put it in. - I AM SANTA CLAUS (Bob Rivers): Christmas parody of Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man,” what’s not to like? - JINGLE BELLS (Those Dogs): A chorus of dogs, again, what’s not to like? - RUDLOPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER (Dean Martin): Listed here just for the novelty of hearing the holiday icon being called “Rudy the Red-Beaked Reindeer” and the implication that Santa is German (“Won’t you guide mein sleigh tonight?”) - SANTA CLAUS AND HIS OLD LADY (Cheech and Chong): Not REALLY a song, in fact, Cheech has to tell Chong numerous times that Santa is NOT a band and not a singer, and did NOT record with Motown. He does, however, tell an offbeat Christmas story about the Claus family working their way up from the projects, and forming their own commune, complete with “midget freaks,” brownies, and magic dust for the reindeer to get off on…of the ground, that is. - WINTER WONDERLAND (Peggy Lee): The second time for this title on the list, this time a version with the lyrics and all. And there are few better to deliver those lyrics than our Miss Peggy, who swings as she always does through the lane with the glistening snow, the meadow where children are building Parson Brown the snowman, and the rest of the way too. SOME RANDOM CHRISTMAS MUSIC NOTES… - Artists with Christmas albums I like as a whole: Dolly Parton and Patti LaBelle have some great holiday output. - Albums you probably have to get from your trustworthy fan recording sources, but by all means do: “Dusty Springfield/The Springfields: We Wish You A Merry Christmas,” and “Petula Clark: Joyeux Noel.” The former I think was once offered in Paul Howes’ Dusty Springfield Bulletin (and if you’re a Dusty fan and haven’t tried a subscription…why not???) and mostly showcase Dusty’s pre-solo days in a folk-trio that included her brother Tom. She does have one solo track, “O Holy Child.” Lots of fun renditions of favorites, and some songs you may not have heard of (Bambino, for example), all done with a down-home yet international flavor. Petula’s too is a mix of standards and more obscure titles, both in English and in French. - Check out this website for more Christmas from another great artist: Close Encounters of the MLE Kind , which has a page set aside for many of Melissa Etheridge’s holiday performances. Find it at: http://www.bstrongspeaktru.com/christmas.htm - Drive You Loop-y Award for 2005: 106.7 FM, WLTW, in the New York area. I was only listening in November before Thanksgiving, but damned if they didn’t only play the same 15-20 songs over and over, resulting in me hearing certain songs or a bunch of songs by the same artists multiple times a day, often within hours or less! I mean, about half the playlist seemed to be taken from the Supremes’ Christmas album. And in some sick form of serendipity, whenever I turned on the radio, I’d ALWAYS catch Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” on that station. And I know that song reminds me of a certain special person of mine who does like it, but enough is enough! I feel the same way about Wham’s “Last Christmas”…which Magic 98.3 totally overplayed last year…that was it for me after that! But 98.3 was/is also a reliable source for “Snoopy’s Christmas,” so we’ll forgive them. Then again, they are also fond of that “Christmas Shoes” song, which reminds me of the movie based on said lyrics. All I remember is that the song made me think of a poor, kindly old mother from a farm or something. The one in the film was a whiny city girl, as I recall. - Going back to radio, let me just say that it’s too bad that thanks to Infinit(el)y (Stupid) Broadcasting, the loss this year of CBS-FM denies us of a largely oldies and ‘80s Christmas. As you could gather, I don’t like having the playlist skewered by too much late-‘90s/2000s. - On the other hand, one song that I was surprised not to hear much of until today was Bruce Springsteen’s live “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town.” In the New Jersey area, it’s like a law to play that. Perhaps it’s because I haven’t listened to New Jersey 101.5 all that much lately. Anyway, the song is a guilty pleasure of mine, from hearing Bruce rasp in the beginning, “You all know what time it is??? Christmas????” to the end, when he starts inexplicably breaking out in giggling fits. I did not hear it at all until this afternoon, like I said…then it popped up within that half hour on about 3-4 stations, literally! - Various Artists compilation to look for: The Best Christmas Album In The World, Ever. This was a 2-disc set I found in New York some time back (and you can see its Amazon listing here ). It’s an import, and thusly had lots of British influence, with classics such as “Happy Christmas (War Is Over” by John Lennon, his former Beatle mate Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmas Time” (complete with “ding-dong, ding-dongs” and trippy synthesizers), Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas,” and the David Bowie and Bing Crosby version of “Little Drummer Boy.” This is also where I first heard the aforementioned “Winter Wonderland” by Peggy Lee, and it contains the true ‘80s holiday anthem: The Waitresses’ “Christmas Wrapping” (admit it, you like it too!) So that concludes my look into the songs of the season. Enjoy them, and the rest of the holidays too! (Comment on this)
Saturday, December 3rd, 2005
12:22 pm	Two Nights To Remember! EDISON HIGH SCHOOL 10-YEAR REUNION, 11/26/05 So here's my account on our 10-Year Reunion. Last names will not be mentioned in whole to protect us not-so-innocent ;-) Anyway, it was quite the active day for myself, since I ended up also being scheduled for the afternoon at the library. This was so one of my co-workers, herself an EHS alumni (though 2 years prior to us), could have a belated Thanksgiving celebration. A combination of wanting to be helpful, and fear of her wrath, made the decision obvious for me, so I manned the reference desk from 1-5. It was a good day at the library though, so no problem. After taking the train back home, I got dolled up and all, and then headed for the Victorian Manor a bit after 7. I wandered back and forth the ground level briefly, not knowing just where we were at; I also assumed that the reception from 7-8:30 meant we'd be meeting in the lobby or some such thing. All the better; I also did have some serious jitters I needed a little time to work out. Even though all the conversation on the group helped a lot, as did promises of seeing many people I haven't been around in ages, I still didn't quite know what to expect. Would I receive any ribbing from people who may have remembered my unfavorable quirks and such? Would the insecurities of the past and now come to haunt me? Regardless, I eventually figured out that we were actually upstairs...so it was right to the hall set aside for us, which consisted of an area of tables, a small bar, and a dance floor complete with DJ. When you signed in, you got a sticker with your name and senior year photo. First people I ran into, almost right at the doorway, were Janet (master, as she later revealed, of the “Janglish” language…apparently involves conversing with her after some drinks) and Stella...the latter of which was the chairperson of this reunion, so to say, and deserves all the credit in the world for organizing things. She is engaged to be married on St. Patrick's Day (joining my cousin's birth among the special things about that day), and our sisters remain friends since their own high school days. I was still a little shaky, but extremely glad to see everyone: Phil, Jeff, Tom (who was actually one of Ken Jennings' opponents on Jeopardy!), Wendy, Tara, and more were around when I first got there. Lots of people had fiancees or husbands/wives with them, which really made me feel old! Moreso since our own home includes a bride-to-be! Two newlyweds, Mike and Danielle, came too, they are still local and I've seen them during my summer bike rides, which is how I found out about them (they married 2 months ago, IIRC). Actually, they discovered ME first, as I stopped near their house one day cause I was stopped by their dog, being that I can't resist saying hi to a friendly canine. The fun really picked up upon the arrival of the Art Class Gang: Carolyn (think I saw her from time to time in the last decade), Amy (who I usually meet up with at St. Matthew’s carnival during the summer), and Melissa (who I have not seen at all since graduation, and I was not disappointed on Friday!!!)…later to be joined by Darryl, whom I did see sporadically as well, but not so much in recent years. He’s another I was extremely happy to see, and I wish I talked more with him, but we were all over the place of course. I know I didn’t know where to start! Moreso when we had the arrival of Sara, a.k.a. The Elusive Miss P. herself. We actually had a class together at Rutgers 6 years ago. She’s such a character, and a very valuable confidant of course. We all are in our own ways, actually. Other people I recognized fondly include Colleen (still see members of her family from time-to-time), Liz (quite the world traveler, also, I recently discovered an article about her receiving a fellowship in marine policy), Jason, Chris, Kryztof (like some others, we go all the way back to grade school; lots of time…and defaced video game magazines!), Mike, Larry, Leana, Lindsey, Cindy, and Jen. I probably didn’t get everyone in the midst of this paragraph, and for that I apologize. Dinner was a buffet and was excellent…I had a kind of meat lasagne, chicken, salad, and some awesome mixed vegetables (seriously…it was almost like they knew I was coming). Before, during, and after, lots of talk and pictures were had by all. Extra cameras were supplied to provide pictures for ReunionMakers’ website (nothing yet, by the way). So many great memories, and lots to catch up on. A lot of fun memories came from those of us who went to Thomas Jefferson Middle School, as we recalled the likes of my obsession with Croonchy Stars, the Swedish Chef’s short-lived cereal; old teachers; Earl the Dead Cat (the mascot for honors English); and for the select few, memories of the infamous Sra. Braverman (Spanish teacher from the 7th grade, best known for getting mad at the students, but not coming up with a better reprimand than calling us “pumpkins”). Someone (amongst the group of Carolyn, Amy, and Sara) brought some grade and/or middle school photos. I know I’d still miss a lot if I tried to name the other stuff I remember off the top of my head. The DJ tried to help, though, by presenting a segment where he asked random questions, and had the people they applied to come up on the floor and explain. I got to do so twice: for “appearing in a movie or TV show” (in a stretch, I gave myself credit for my research role on Open Mind) and for “meeting a celebrity,” which of course I had several meet and greets at concerts under my belt for, as well as my brush with heaven when I met Joanna Lumley. Speaking of which, before dinner someone actually asked if I posted a picture of me and my “wife” on the group, most likely referring to my “Patsy” picture. Or maybe Petula. Looking on my photo album, I now see I could also have been “married” to my library director Gail (who I actually think Liz with her brunette hair reminds me of, at least they looked alike in the picture we got together), Frank Marino in La Cage getup (boy would the honeymoon provide a surprise!), Carole from The Magic Garden (when I was *7*, talk about a swinger!), or I could have had a harem or two of Red Hat Ladies. Dancing soon began, but me and my second left foot sat out. If you’ve seen my photos, you know I did get to capture the action quite a bit. Sara and Colleen were the show stealers, hands down. Them and the “wind-down” dancing that was taking place when a lot of the people had gone. The music became more 1985 than 1995 by then, as they were relying on an ‘80s compilation (also accompanied with DJ and manor employee sticking the microphone in the faces of random people, getting them to do assisted karaoke)…Danielle, Jason, Mike, and others didn’t let good dance time go to waste by any means though! Some of the others went to Season’s, which is a bar and Italian restaurant also close to my home. So I left the dancing behind to do so myself…I couldn’t resist snapping a picture or two of the manor’s lobby, decorated very nicely for the holidays with a Christmas tree and all. At Seasons I met Amy, Melissa, Sara, and Kryztof…Danielle, Mike, Darryl, Jason, and others followed later. Amy’s gentleman friend dropped by too. Our good times continued, as we sat around, talking and drinking (well not ALL of us) and all. Just being with everyone was an awesome experience in general. My day finally ended around 2 am, and a more satisfying one I couldn’t ask for. It was just wonderful to spend time with everyone again. My only regret is that I couldn’t catch up with each and every one there. That and I wish it could go on for even longer, of course. I always valued the people whom I had nice memories of, and who I got along with well. I never really showed all my appreciation back then, being shy and insecure then (and to an extent, that is how I remain in many ways). But now that we are a bit older, wiser, but still very fun, this was a great chance to come back and show that appreciation, as well as to keep myself from staying on a low note as far as my memories of EHS are concerned. While a lot of it was rough on me, I also got to know some valuable friends and acquaintances, and being back with them reminded me of how true those mutual feelings are. The line from Shakespeare’s Hamlet comes to mind: “But never doubt that I love.” With us so reconnected, I believe I indeed won’t. ANNE MURRAY: WHAT A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS IN NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ, 11/29/05 So here I am, just hours removed from my first-ever Anne Murray concert, in the form of "What A Wonderful Christmas" at the State Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ. To all the Snowbirds who wrote about their experiences, let me tell you, you were right: there's nothing like seeing Anne in person. The day wasn't without fuss, though. I knew I had to get there early to get my backstage pass for the meet and greet, but taking time lightly, when I left I had to pretty much make a beeline right to the theater. I got there OK and did get my passes (yes, "passes"...this becomes important later), and I had some time, so I thought I'd go to a nearby shop for a present for Anne. Since I was in a hurry to get right to the theater, I did not get a chance to do so before. All right, except by this time, the predicted rain we were supposed to have tonight started to build up steam. Nonetheless, I got to a Rite-Aid a block or two away, where I found a plush stick reindeer (wacky enough to be memorable, I thought) and a giant Hershey's Kiss in Christmas color. The wind, along with the rain, picked up on the way back, but I made it in one piece :-) Shortly before the show, I talked a little with two ladies sitting by me, Barb and Elsa. They pointed out their friend, Mindy, who was in the same row but way to the left. (This too will be important) Well, soon enough it was time for the show to begin, and what a show! I was just watching some videos a friend gave me in the days before the concert. This was as if I stepped into one of those videos, a lot of which was from the '80s and '90s, mind you. Anne looks great and most certainly sounds great. I was like, "Time? Age? What are those?" As is the usual with her Christmas-time shows, the program has two parts. The first was dedicated to her hits and many tracks off of "All Of Me." We got the title track, "Dream A Little Dream Of Me," and "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter," in addition to "Put A Little Love In Your Heart," which opened the show. The songs from the CD got good responses, as I recall. First "hit" song she did was "I Just Fall In Love Again," and I think a lot of you know why that would be special to me. If not, I mention it later. There was also "Shadows In The Moonlight," "Danny's Song," "Daydream Believer" (besides the Christmas song, that got Anne into my conscious...as whenever I heard the Monkees version I thought of her name), "Snowbird" (which actually did not get much of a response, compared to...), "You Needed Me" and "Could I Have This Dance?" Everyone loved the latter two, and with CIHTD?, we even had the sing-along moments. Of course, the show was not without Anne's trademark personality. Amused by the fact that only a few people acknowledged the mentioning of "All Of Me," she told us it's only been out for a year, and maybe it took that time to finally get to New Brunswick? And of course there were her famous email segments. There was one in each half of the show. Among the stories, there was one about a man who was critical of a white dress Anne wore at one show, that apparently gave outlines of her leg when she moved certain ways. "Betty Grable you aren't," he commented, and Anne replied to us that he was giving away his age with that comparison...plus she thought he was actually getting excited when recalling that choice of apparel! Another person told Anne that her friend visited while she watched "What A Wonderful World," and was surprised that the "woman from 'The Sound Of Music'" was still active! Yet another provided a unique testimonial for one of her CD's, saying it helped them fall asleep! There were many more, hopefully someone else who was there can compliment my recollections. After an intermission, the second half was all Christmas songs, and the stage was decorated accordingly. Now this part would be extra special, since my mom and grandmother always loved Anne's Christmas albums. Songs included "Mary's Boy Child" (with that fantastic "Oh my Lord" end part), "Silent Night," "Silver Bells," "Go Tell It On The Mountain," "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas," "Christmas in Kilarney" (VERY happy to hear this!), and "Winter Wonderland," which had another sing-along segment. I think it was then that I decided to use my stick reindeer as a prop, and waved it around as I sang. Think Anne even noticed and pointed it out! Anne teased the end of the show, but then came back with her yellow roses and sang one more song...shoot, I can't remember it by name...something about snowing in California, I think (inspired, said Anne, by the fact that her tour bus had just gone through a region where it snowed for 13 hours!) A great show, but that was by no means the end of our fun. As you remember, I met Elsa and Barb before the show. I also remembered that my M&G actually entitled me to give a pass to one guest. So during intermission, recalling that I talked about how I got my M&G, I offered one of my passes to one of the ladies. They respectfully declined, as they said they knew someone who'd want that even more: their friend Mindy, who's been a fan for 30 years. So we went over to her seating area and I got to give her the pass. Needless to say, we were fast friends. In fact, I met quite a few people tonight! Anyway, the time had come for our meeting with Anne. Unfortunately the backstage area required a brief outdoor trip, and the rain was still out there in force. No matter...we were going to see Anne and two things could stop us: no one and nothing. There were a couple more ladies also with M&G's, and I was the designated photographer for everyone. As we arranged a system for distributing the pictures, Anne herself came in with Darlene. I didn't know where to start, but she was accepting and very friendly towards us all. I just had so much I wanted to mention to her: how we all loved her Christmas recordings, how much I enjoyed seeing her in person, and my beginnings 3 years ago in becoming a fan myself. I pretty much really got interested in Anne when I saw her Sounds of London segment with Dusty Springfield. I said so (in context of my newbie-ness compared with Mindy's decades of fandom), and Anne called Dusty "her favorite singer." To which I mentioned the thrill of hearing I Just Fall In Love Again...I know Dusty would be proud of her performance of that, and probably all the rest as well! We all got to have pictures taken and autographs...since I have a signed photo already, I had some other articles for certain people...with the holidays coming soon, I don't want to say any more!!! I also got to give Anne my gifts...thanks to her, I discovered that my stick reindeer was a musical one, in that you pressed a certain area and it would sing "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer." Anne hinted that her new "friend" might be at her other shows :-) Also gave her the Hershey's Kiss, saying that a "great big Kiss" was something I wanted to give her for a long time :-) :-) :-) Well, all good things must come to an end, and so we all went our separate ways for the night. Rain didn't let up as I went back to the parking deck I left my car at, but that was the least of my thoughts, actually. Again, a great concert, some great new friends (some of which are local too!), and a chance to meet one of my most favorite singers. What more could you ask for? Needless to say (but I want to anyway), many thanks to Anne for sounding and looking as beautiful (if not more) as she does on videos and CDs, and truly making this a night to remember. Moreso by also giving us the genuine, warm personality she is known for both on- and off-stage. I know I will always appreciate the time she spent with us fans! Thanks too to Darlene and Diane for making our meeting with Anne possible. And thanks to Mindy, Elsa, Barb, and all the people I met tonight...it was great to meet you all, and I hope some good friendships will follow! (Comment on this)
Tuesday, November 22nd, 2005
7:22 pm	Repost for the Holidays: Memories of Christmas on New York television INTRODUCTION: This is a post I did for Daily Diatribes last year. With the holiday season here again, I thought it would be something good to repost here. My thoughts coming from now are in italics. Hopefully more holiday content to come... Fond Memories of WOR Posted by James Fabiano on January 16th, 2005 (Views: 133) Another non-secret about myself is the respect I have for memories of classic television. A big part of that involves remembering the “vintage” days of the local stations we received…for us, those would be the ones coming from New York City. There were the network affiliates for CBS, NBC, and ABC (Channels 2, 4, and 7 respectively), of course. But you REALLY got that New York feeling when you got to the independent stations. Nowadays, they’re all Foxes, UPN’s, and WB’s. Back then, we simply had WNEW-TV Channel 5 (then owned by Metromedia Television, now FOX 5, WNYW); WOR-TV Channel 9 (then an RKO General property, has since added an extra W to its call letters and is a UPN station), and “11 Alive,” the name given to Tribune Broadcasting’s Channel 11, WPIX (yes, in the ‘70s and ‘80s, a few stations out there took part in this trend of calling themselves “Alive.” If anyone can enlighten me on the origin of this, please do. Anyhow, aside from now being commonly called the WB 11, this station is the only one that survived with its original name intact) Some of the most memorable moments of these stations came around the holiday season, as they’d doll up their station identifications, create spots related to the coming festivities, and feature programming and special promotions to get people in the Christmas spirit. With the holidays just a few weeks behind us, I figured I’d do a write up of something I received from Jerry Roche: a short tape with these glimpses of classic Yuletide, New York style. [NOTE: Also soon to be available on upcoming editions of the Closing Logo Group Megamix . Stay tuned for further information...] - WOR “Sleigh Ride” spot: One of the perennial favorites of some New Yorkers, children wave to the viewers on a set of cottony snow, evergreens, presents, and a giant apple (cause New York is the “big apple,” see?), all with the Leroy Anderson rendition (or an amazing facsimile thereof) of “Sleigh Ride.” This must have left an impression on my memory, as whenever I heard the Anderson “Sleigh Ride,” somehow I’d identify it as that song from the old WOR Christmas commercials. - WOR Thanksgiving: Robert Fennimore, vice president and general manager of WOR-TV, tells us how in America, we’re free to make choices and to grow. What different times we lived in… - WOR Holiday Movie Special commercial outro: Something nostalgic about a title slide with an announcer-minus-dramatic-music saying, “We’ll return to ‘King Kong’ after these messages”? And better yet, remembering when a lot of local television’s programming was based around these classic movies (as in “classic” classic, or “B-movie” classic. Speaking of which, anyone remember the WPIX Chiller Theater?) - The WOR Children’s Christmas Fund: WOR newscaster Tom Dunn encourages us to make donations for children who are “in hospitals and other institutions.” This one brought back another of my really strong television memories: the WOR Head. This was a weird yet strangely fascinating logo used when the RKO General stations were running special promotions such as this. The other one I remember the best was a Santa in shorts on the beach promoting a “Christmas in July” fund. The logo itself was a half circle with a square area (with a pointed wedge on top) cut out in the bottom middle that had an abstract face drawn in it. The end result was the head of a helmet-haired child. Around the cranial protection-like ‘do were the names of RKO’s three New York TV and radio stations: WOR-TV, WOR-AM, and WRKS-FM (aka 98.7 KISS FM). Besides being on television, I also recall spotting the Head on baseball caps and/or tote bags. [NOTE: In reviewing this footage for said CLG Megamixes with a friend, the WOR/RKO/Christmas Children's Fund Head inspired some spirited conversation. Among it was the idea of this logo being made into a Bobble Head doll...wonder if any other fans of the Classic Element of TV would undertake this project? Also, my friend's lady friend tried to come up with how to describe the logo's hairdo. Before remembering "bowl cut," she wondered if the Head had a mullet! - No full commercials here, but a glimpse of commercials for NBO and a “Call Santa” hotline turned up before the next clip. Before the days of 900 numbers were the “976” numbers, and the one I came to learn by heart was 976-3636, which at this time of year granted access to a recorded message from Santa. Outside of Christmas, I believe you could call the same number for Dial-a-Joke or for daily interesting facts on geography and such. As for NBO, that was the National Brands Outlet, a New York/New Jersey chain of clothing outlets fondly, and oddly, remembered for boasting that they sold “everything…except shoes!” And to me, also for a catchy jingle sung by an unnamed female singer: “National Brands Outlet! Ennnnnnnn-Beeeeeeeeeeee-Ohhhhhhhhhh!” Other memorable NJ/NY stores included the infamous Crazy Eddie (“His prices are INSAAAAAAAAANE!”); Coronet’s, which prided itself on not requiring any talking orangutans; and Two Guys, the later shorter name of the “Two Guys from Harrison (NJ)” chain. Originally, they wanted to call it “Two Bastards from Harrison,” but…well, come here for the whole story. - John Davidson for the WOR Christmas Children’s Fund John Davidson, if you’re not familiar, is basically the prototype for Eric Bischoff, and the host of the second stand-alone incarnation of Hollywood Squares that you may remember for always featuring Jim J. Bullock and Alf. Here, he is sitting on a sleigh with falling “snow,” essentially trying to give the same spiel that Mr. Dunn did just one promo ago. Only…1) It’s JOHN DAVIDSON doing it, so I can’t shake his stereotypical game show host image when he’s trying to be serious, and 2) The only way his “performance” could be scarier is if he wasn’t in fact reading from a teleprompter. Here’s some sample excerpts, typed to closely match his actual speech patterns: “Hi this is John Davidson, you know, Christmas is a…wonderful time of year.” “…children in hospitals…andotherinstitutions….so please don’t let that happen.” [NOTE: An urban legend I wanted to confirm...on another board I frequent, someone recalled John Davidson's talk show, and that one time he supposedly showed a film of Adolf Hitler giving children Christmas presents or something similar. After it finished, he commented, "If only he showed that side of himself more often!" True story?] - WNEW Movie Plug: A short teaser for the Bing Crosby movie “Holiday Inn,” hailed by the announcer as “A Channel 5 CHRISTMAS Special!” (again trying to match his inflection). A word on this announcer, as he’s just not any. The is the person we know as the “Metromedia Man,” a gruff, New Yorkish voice that became an identifying feature of Channel 5. We don’t know his name yet (help, anybody?) but if you grew up on ‘80s New York television, you’ll know him once you hear him. Another great soundbite with the MM can be accessed if you join the Yahoo! Groups channel5fan and vintagenyctv , in which he reads a sign-off spiel for WNEW (TV stations weren’t always 24/7 things, you know). You haven’t lived until you heard MM mention that “some programs and POOOOOOORTIONS of programs on this station, have been recorded!” [UPDATE: As per Channel 5 Fan on Yahoo! Groups, Metromedia Man was actually a gentleman by the name of Lou Steele. Sadly, he passed on some years ago. And if you want even more clips of Mr. Steele's work, and more from all of NY's local stations, I highly recommend TV ARK . I can't believe I missed that plug last time around.] - Happy New Year from 11 Alive: WPIX’s turn to wish us happy holidays. Random (I assume) station employees greet us from various locales, including a carriage in Central Park and a children’s playroom complete with, well, children, as well as an electric train and a yellow panda who seriously looks like he’s about to lose his lunch. - Happy New Year from 11 Alive II: Same concept as above, but this time it’s from the news team of Independent Network News. - 11 Alive Yule Log Commercial: Us New Jerseyites have to fight a little to name things the rest of the world owes us for. One such thing is the idea of watching a burning fireplace on TV on Christmas Day. And even that honor comes by proxy, with us being next door to New York and all. At the time of this commercial, the Log was also seen on Christmas Eve from 8-12 at night, followed by the traditional Midnight Mass from St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Then again on Christmas morning. Today, however, the Yule Log has enjoyed a comeback these past 3 years, and can be seen Christmas mornings on the now-WB 11 and other Tribune-owned stations. Between that and their “Pix at Night” prime-time Saturday block of ‘70s sitcoms, WPIX is truly sticking to its golden age roots. [NOTE: Sadly, the Pix at Night block is no more, but the Yule Log is still burning for Christmas. Just for a reminder, Joe's excellent site on the Yule Log has been updated, and can be seen here at the NEW Yule Log.com. Some new bonuses and a new message board there, and speaking of 11 Alive, Joe has posted a recreation of the "Holiday Movie Special" opening from the glory days. It also includes a much-ridiculed (by me and another friend) 11 Alive Station I.D. with listless singers. As he said, it sounds more like, "Uhhhheeeeeuhhhh, uhhhhllluuuhhhhh!" Back to the movie opening, it uses a catchy instrumental called "Santa's Got A Brand New Bag" and has colorful early-CGI trails in the font of what you see in that 8:00 Movie clip on TV ARK. All the stuff you love about '70s bumpers, basically. And WPIX had some GREAT ones. It is a shame the "Sunday Movie Special" open has not turned up yet, that is a great one with some funky music.] Well that’s it from this New York City Christmas. Hope you enjoyed, and if you have any reactions, to quote WPIX’s Richard N. Hughes, “What’s your opinion? We’d like to know.” (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, November 11th, 2005
12:38 pm	The MASKED LIBRARIAN'S Chiller Theatre!!!!! A few weeks removed from Halloween, and over at Estragand's site I bring you something really scary...Bill Goldberg playing a Demonic Santa Claus, as I begin my walkthrough of the movie "Santa's Slay." (Comment on this)
Friday, September 23rd, 2005
11:04 pm	Amazon Wish List Yep, I've got one. So if you need gift ideas, or just want to see what kind of stuff I'm interested in, just come visit http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/registry.html/ref=cm_wl_sortbar_o_page_1/104-0873483-6376759?%5Fencoding=UTF8&id=321WC99MCQL&page=1 (Comment on this)
Tuesday, September 20th, 2005
9:36 pm	National Wrestling Superstars in Edison, NJ - 9/9 and 9/10 Time again for the Festival of Fireworks by our municipal building, and once again, the NWS was there. This year, the show was kind of divided into three mini-shows across the Friday and Saturday of the fair; each one had 3-4 matches and ran for about an hour a piece. Unlike last year, where they got an entire setup by the baseball field, seats and all, the ring and such were set up amidst the rides and tents on the blacktop, and spectators had to stand around the ring’s barriers. No matter...with the car I share in use, I rode my bike in and this way I was able to just set it against the barricade and stay in front of it. PART I (Sept. 9) As usual, I was armed to the teeth with signs, which was not lost on people from the NWS site, as well as FotoMark’s NWS fansite. Don’t believe me? Check out http://www.nwswrestling.com and ,a href="http://home.comcast.net/~NWSfan/"> http://home.comcast.net/~NWSfan/ respectively. Sign highlights for me included... “Friday Smackdown? Who cares! The action’s in the NWS!” “USA can have Raw...but N.J. loves the NWS!” (the “Saturday” version of the above) “McMahon fears Falco” (can you tell I love cheap shots yet?) “Bundy Knows Best” (you see, it’s Bundy...not Hogan...who “knows best.” Like the TV show, you know?) Johnny Falco, out of his heel manager character, was the emcee and announcer for all the shows. 1) Hasheem “Chemical” Ali and J.T. Highlander (w/Saddam Insane) vs. TNT and “Jersey” Jerry D - My sign in honor for Hasheem this time? “Muhammed Hassan - Good Riddance to Bad Ripoffs!” Have to strike while the iron’s still warm, after all. Saddam got heat by doing an Iron Sheik imitation before the match, he also billed himself as the Sheik’s “nephew” or something. TNT starts out strong against both heels, then tags in Jerry, who keeps it up despite seeming to knock his opponents dangerously close to their corner. Ali eventually got to pummel Jerry in the corner, finishing with a Liger rolling dropkick (!) and then taking over with BRUTAL chops and a big splash...yet he didn’t go for the pin, allowing Highlander to borrow his spot where he prays to Allah over the fallen Jerry. After a double clothesline, however, Jerry hot tagged TNT, but the faces’ comeback wouldn’t last long as Saddam Insane ran in, causing the DQ loss. Ali again was the highlight. Heel beatdown ensues until the customary Legend Save is made, thanks this time to Doink (same character, same outfit, and all, though definitely not Borne, Keirn, Lombardi, etc.). And of course it leads to an impromptu main event being made between Doink and Saddam. After this match, a raffle for school supplies is announced, leading me to starting my first ever chant. Sure it was just me and some kid chanting “School sucks,” but you have to start somewhere! 2) NWS Jersey Shore Title (represented by unaltered NWA domed globe) 3-Way: Gavin Quest (Champion) vs. Nicky Oceans vs. J.D. Smoothy - And thus began a weekend-long feud between myself and Mr. Smoothy, as he noticed my pro-Quest sign, snatched it away, tore it, and threw the remains back at me. I was not alone, though, as he also cut a promo containing a borderline-non-PC remark aimed towards a sizeable African-American fan: “I haven’t seen a blackhead that big since I looked in the mirror this morning!” Prematch hijinks aside, let me just say now that Gavin Quest will be someone, someday, somewhere. I loved his series against Archadia, and this began a series of good matches for him this weekend. His opponents were no slouches either. Match started with Quest fighting off the heels, coming back from an initial ambush by reversing a double suplex into a double DDT. Though he sent Oceans out of the ring, J.D. got the best of him, and the heels alternated in “one man distracts ref, the other strangles Quest” spots. Quest was able to get Smoothy in the corner for the Ten Punches, and leaped out of a powerbomb counter attempt, but was met with a clothesline. But Oceans could not let the title slip away from him and broke up the count, starting a fight between the heels. Many nice spots, as I think J.D. lifted Oceans into what looked like a Sky High, but as he came down, J.D. kicked him low. Oceans, though, came back with a nice belly-to-belly and head-and-arm suplexes. This built to a big three-way spot where J.D. was going to superplex Nicky, but Gavin returned and powerbombed J.D., who still had the suplex hooked and went on to still execute it! In the end, Quest got Smoothy in the crossface for the submission victory. Again, very good. 3) Main Event: Doink vs. Saddam Insane (w/Hasheem “Chemical” Ali) - In hyping this match, they promised that Doink would select his own manager to counteract Ali. This meant he would go to the crowd to choose a second, and the honorary “Dink” ended up being Darren Venture from the St. Matthew’s show. What are the chances of THAT happening? Still don’t know who Doink was here. Do know that Saddam is still fat though...he doesn’t have ONE six-pack, but a whole tavern full! Being a Doink match, of course we had all the comedy spots...Doink spanking a posing Saddam, who was perched on the turnbuckles; switching hands before a test of strength, then stomping on Saddam’s toes when he had the advantage; and giving Insane a wedgie after missing a butt splash (which showed more of Saddam than I’d like to see...being affixed on his stomach was like watching a tennis game as it was...) Insane took over with assists from Ali, and had an Arabian Vulcan Nerve Pinch on Doink, but the clown broke it up with a jawbreaker, followed by a superkick and a moonsault (!) attempt that missed. The heels tried to capitalize with a double team, but Heel Miscommunication followed. Doink then disposed of Ali with a nice stunner (!) and finished off Saddam with the whoopie cushion. PART II (Sept. 10) Double-shot on this day, with one show in the afternoon and the other just as the evening came. I had to work that Saturday morning, but fortunately finished at 2, so I drove back home, stayed there for maybe 5 minutes, and then rode back to the fair grounds. On this day, King Kong Bundy was in the house, or tent, whatever the case may be. Though he was apparently sighted going “out” to a house of a different kind between the end of his autograph session and the start of the opening match: 1) Nicky Oceans vs. Chris Steele - Oceans was working face this time, though Steele acted like one before the match, slapping hands with fans and all. That notion ended quickly with a sneak attack on Oceans, who dominated the opening moments of the match while randomly mouthing off to fans. He missed the third in a series of shoulderblocks, though, and fell victim to a kind of Shining Wizard from Oceans for 2. Oceans got a few more two-counts (off a series of legdrops first, then some fistdrops), but then made the mistake of dropkicking Steele close to the ropes, as when he landed, Steele rebounded and crotched Nicky as he fell. He missed a tope con hilo though, and was felled by an Oceans enziguiri, followed by a top-rope bodypress, which proved to be Nicky’s winning move. Decent action here. 2) Saddam Insane (w/Hasheem “Chemical” Ali) vs. TNT - Wow, a rematch from last year’s show at the Festival! Oh wait, this isn’t Gavin Quest vs. Archadia. Saddam managed to make his appearance even more tasteful with light blue, star-spangled Speedos. He did the Sheik routine again, this time his faux-Arab utterances included quoting Jambi the Genie from Pee-Wee’s Playhouse. Ali added that they would leave the ring if anyone chanted “USA.” You could guess what the fans chanted next. The match began as they repeated the Doink test of strength spot, minus the hand-switching but otherwise right down to the toe stomping. Likewise, Saddam relied on interference from Ali, as before. Nervehold is broken by (weak) elbows from TNT, but he makes the mistake Hulk Hogan made time and time again and tries to slam the big guy. Insane capitalized by holding TNT in a camel clutch, but that didn’t last long, and TNT came back with a(n again weak-looking) top rope clothesline, but still couldn’t get the slam. You should have said your prayers and took your vitamins, brother! It finally took a missed big splash for Saddam to finally go up, but maybe TNT was anticipating what was to come, as he seemed to just gingerly put Insane down just before Ali came in to cause the DQ. Uh-oh, heel beatdown, what could be coming up next? Yep...King Kong Bundy (actually spotted in the tent’s Gorilla Position by one of the younger fans...who also identified him as “Big Show”) comes out and challenges Hasheem. There’s your main event. 3) NWS Jersey Shore Title 3-Way: Gavin Quest (champion) vs. J.D. Smoothy (announced as the cruiserweight champion of a fed I didn’t catch the name of...belt was a painted over WCW TV title) vs. Colvis Fear (w/Batman shirt) - But first, J.F. vs. J.D., Round Two. Just before I went I whipped up a really antagonizing sign for him reading, “Smoothy = Fruit” (like the Smoothie drink...which is usually made with fruit...you know?) I planned to really play things up this time, when he came out I was practically shoving the sign at him going, “Yeah, remember me?!!?” and all. Sure enough, he took the bait, and proceeded to tear it up and thrust it all right back at me once again. To my credit, I played off it for all I was worth, telling everyone around me how I couldn’t believe he’d do such a thing, etc. Anything to get my local indy wrestler more heat, you know? Yet for my efforts, I got one kid asking me if I was part of the show (which I denied, of course...have to maintain kayfabe). Well, that out of the way, this was another excellent match like the previous three-way. The action kicked off with a triple test of strength that culminated in the challengers double clotheslining Quest. An airplane spin attempt by Fear didn’t turn out quite as planned, as he hit Smoothy with Quest, who then somehow managed to roll up Fear. Quest and J.D. repeated their 10-punches/throw/clothesline spot from the last match. Later, Fear looked to be trying a Poetry in Motion on Smoothy with an assist from Quest, but that ended up in J.D. moving, Fear landing on the turnbuckles...then double stomping the still-hunched over Quest (at least that’s how I remember the spot). The match’s innovative three-way spot came with Fear was attempting to German Quest, then J.D. came in and sunset flipped Fear, taking him down for the move...while he still had Quest hooked for the suplex. After more solid action, Gavin once again got Smoothy in the crossface for the win. Before the last match, Johnny Falco’s birthday is announced. He is presented with a plastic cake...at least THAT won’t end up going into his face as a trophy is broken over his head, while someone tears up a painting of himself that a fan made. 4) Main Event: King Kong Bundy vs. Hasheem “Chemical” Ali - Basically, Bundy dominates, misses Avalanche, then Ali takes over...only to go for a whip into the corner, which gets reversed and results in the Avalanche hitting this time. One big splash later came the 1-2-3....NO! FIVE! ...4...5! PART III (Sept. 10) Early evening now, and I was lucky enough to fit church in between the last show and this one. The Iron Sheik was signing autographs this time around, and I got my $5.00 Polaroid, in which we both did the “Iran, number one!” pose, which impressed the Sheik, apparently (“See? He know!” he bragged) The people from the website got Bundy to do a picture with me and my sign, which he autographed afterwards. 1) Hasheem “Chemical” Ali and Giant Kabuki (w/Saddam Insane) vs. Chris Steele/J.D. Smoothy - Kabuki was a goofy “Asian” guy in a karate gi and black Ultimo Dragon mask. Don’t know just who he was...I want to go out on a limb and say he was TNT, somehow. Cheap Heat Tactic #456...Ali tells us that Kabuki was an abused child and can’t stand the name of his father, which happened to be “Boo.” Guess what the crowd did. And speaking of cheap heat, again I was ready for Smoothy (Sign: “Smoothy vs. Fan - 2-0. Smoothy in the ring - 0-2!”) but again he gets the last laugh as he WORKED FACE this match. Steele armdragged Kabuki for the early advantage, then tried to go Old School but got hit on the way down. At this point, a Hasheem Ali fan even more obnoxious than I joined our section, his favorite chant being “Kick that butt!” As Ali did his big chops (preceded by telling everyone to be quiet so we could hear them), me and said fan did get to encourage him with a “One more time!” chant. Kabuki was doing the Kamala act, basically, in that he didn’t know what to do with his opponent when he had the advantage. Nonetheless, J.D. was playing face (though I know better) in peril, and took some abuse from Ali. He missed a second-rope splash, however, leading to the hot tag to Steele...which really only led to a spot where the heels were basically playing hot potato with him, leading to Kabuki accidentally knocking out the ref, leading to a...wait for it...Heel Beatdown, which of course led to...yep, Bundy coming out and basically doing the same spiel from the afternoon, only now he challenged Saddam. Faces win by DQ, of course. 2) NWS Jersey Shore Title: Gavin Quest (champion) vs. Antonio Malave (1/2 tag team champions, last I checked) - Malave is one half of Los Diablos, so you could imagine how much I was looking forward to seeing this...even if Malave didn’t quite seem happy to receive my “Rudos” chants. Quest was attacked from behind while posing on the turnbuckles, but fired back with a leg lariat before unfortunately giving chase outside the ring, which of course ended up in him getting stomped as he slid back in. Malave got a running jawjacker and a head-and-arm suplex for a pair of two-counts. Quest tried a sunset flip, but Antonio rolled through, and it was time for this Diablo to get his kicks. He then began to work on the leg, in between throwing a DRAGON SUPLEX...but to no avail, as in an odd moment, Falco was talking to the ref for some unexplained reason. Malave went on plaing Ricardo Flair, applying a bow-and-arrow and then a Figure Four on Quest’s softened knee. A missed splash, however, was the beginning of the end for the Diablo, as Quest eventually came back and then reversed a uranage attempt into the crossface to complete the hat trick of title defenses, and excellent ones at that. More birthday wishes, this time, for Wayne (NWS website person). 3) Main Event: King Kong Bundy vs. Saddam Insane - Truly a main event in any arena...or is that a main event that would take up many arenas? Again Bundy dominates early, again Saddam gets a wedgie. He gets a lucky clothesline and uses various cheating techniques, but in an ironic twist on irony, Saddam missed his own Avalanche, Bundy splashes, 1-2-3...NO!...4-5. The Deal: As I said earlier, just about all the Gavin Quest stuff was very good, and it was fun to see wrestlers I grew up watching. And “feuding” with J.D. Smoothy (when all was said and done, there were no hard feelings, by the way). A bit too much Saddam Insane for my tastes, and a lot of the same things happened among the three parts, though that was understandable. (Comment on this)
Monday, September 12th, 2005
9:29 pm	Fireworks in Edison, and in the ring! NWS stars like Gavin Quest, Hasheem "Chemical" Ali, Nicky Oceans, and Antonio Malave joined wrestling legends such as King Kong Bundy and the Iron Sheik this past weekend at Edison's Family Festival of Fireworks. Full report to come. In the meantime, take a look at the official NWS site and FotoMark's NWS picture page for photos from the event...including some of yours truly and his many signs! (Comment on this)
Saturday, July 30th, 2005
1:08 pm	Wrong Planet, Wrong cable service, etc. Just wanted to quickly plug a GREAT site brought to my attention not to long ago: WrongPlanet.net . It is a site and forum for people affected personally or otherwise by Asperger's Syndrome and autism. On a completely different note, seems that Cablevision is gradually moving almost completely into iO digital format. As such, the eight-year era of GSN in Edison has appeared to have ended. That is, unless we get the iO service (which may not be as likely as you'd think...not where we've long not had most of the movie channels to keep the cable bill inexpensive). Till then, how will I live without SP, PW+, CS, and Blockbusters every morning/afternoon?!!? Maybe if someone offered to make a few tapes...;-) One last thing...Coupling S4 started on WLIW last night. Unfortunately, they have the same copies NJN had, apparently...meaning STILL no more racier curse words, which will mean the finale will still be shot to hell. Gotta get that DVD when I get the chance, I suppose... (Comment on this)
Tuesday, July 12th, 2005
5:50 pm	More of the Fantastic Four you didn't see in theaters this week...or ever... You crazy kids and your Jessica Albas and newfangled special effects. Give me a drama queen Doom, evil hoboes, and Jay Underwood turning into a cartoon anyday! Part 2 of my recap of Roger Corman's Fantastic Four is now at Estragand.com: http://www.estragand.com/comics/ff_corman2.asp (Comment on this)
Wednesday, June 22nd, 2005
12:00 am	Where it really all Begins...again I just got back in after seeing Batman Begins in the theater. All I can say is, any pain the Joel Schumachers of the world put us through has finally been cured. While the EXCELLENT animated rendition of Batman (brought to life by Kevin Conroy) seen in his own animated series starting in 1992, and today on Justice League Unlimited, is still my standard for other media versions of the Dark Knight, I'd say with BB, we now have a live-action rendering of Bats' lore that the fanboys can like, and if there's any justice, that average moviegoers will like. The build in the actual movie took its time, and there was stuff I'd have to get a second viewing to get, but I was truly satisfied by the time the end credits rolled. Christian Bale will hopefully stay awhile, I can see him as someone who can eventually carve a niche the likes we've seen in the animated world with Conroy. No spoilers, but there were two markout moments in particular: a swerve building up to the climax (one we agreed was quite appropriate) and near the end a cool teaser of possible things to come. I knew both would happen, but as I was watching the film with people who knew nothing ahead of time, I still got an amazing rush from said scenes. Other than that, the origin, the bits borrowed from comic lore, Bats' stealth (perhaps too quick, but befitting of the character), his refusal to directly kill (great scene involves Bruce having second thoughts about such and tossing a gun he was carrying into the ocean), the building of his trust with Jim Gordon, him scaring people into divulging information...it just all seemed right. You can have your Episode III's, let the SW fanboys drink their Kool-Aid and thus be convinced that Darth Vader bellowing "NOOOOOOOOO!" was great cinema. That's just fine. For me, Batman is not only the savior of Gotham, but of my summer moviegoing as well. I don't think I need to see anything else, as a matter of fact. Now back to finding more Jean Harlow movies, and generally catching up on my DVDs... (Comment on this)