How Tanking is Tanking the NBA

Hey sports fans, noticed something about the NBA?





Have you paid attention?





Have you been checking ESPN? What? ESPN has not pointed any odd variables about the NBA this season? Then I guess it’s up to me to point this out:





The NBA currently sucks. Hardcore. And it needs help immediately.


On Black Friday (very suitable choice of time to write this piece) only 12 of the 30 teams are above .500. Only 2 of the 12 teams above .500 are in the Eastern Conference. The bottom half of the Eastern Conference combines for a dismal .408 winning percentage. The 8th seed of the West would be the 3rd seed in the East. And to be totally honest, the only teams that really are worthy of paying attention right now are the Pacers, Heat, Spurs, and the Blazers---not in that order. To a lesser extent, the Thunder also deserves some sort of mention.


But even the winning records of the West are rather biased, since the top 8 seeds are a ridiculous 33-4 against the Eastern Conference. And I am sure you want the overall numbers of the West against the East, right? Well….51-20. A .718 winning percentage. 39% of the collective winnings from the West come from playing East teams---and they play them only…guess what…39% of the season!!!!


So what we are seeing are these Western Conference teams having far better records, but mainly because they are feasting on the bulk of East teams that just don’t give a crap about this year. This season, the Magic, Bucks, 76ers, Cavs, Celtics, Bobcats, and potentially even the Raptors are tanking in favor for good seeing in the 2014 NBA Draft. Even out in the West there are uncaring teams---the Kings and Jazz combine for a beautiful 6-23 record.


Eight NBA teams are universally known to be tanking, and we have a few questionable teams to boot. No league can possibly be entertaining or worth your money with this nonsense continuing. Potentially one-third of the NBA is hamming up the season. This is the equivalent of trying to enjoy a sandwich when one-third of the ingredients are expired. This is the equivalent of trying to enjoy a movie but seeing that Dane Cook is in one-third of it.


And I know that it’s not that the players themselves are throwing the games. I am not accusing any of the lineups from any team to be intentionally losing games at ridiculous levels. This is upper management nonsense trickling down attempts to sabotage a potentially good season. Look at the Orlando Magic---a team with the ability to develop into a good young core that can handle teams like the Clippers—run by a coaching staff that believes Big Baby Davis should be an everyday starter. Really?


The tanking issue has been absolutely obliterating any chance of the current NBA resembling the NBA of the 90s, when it seemed like every team had household names players and had legitimate shots at going far in the postseason. Think about it, the Bulls won 6 championships----but played 5 different teams during their reign of winning terror. Nowadays, it’s the same squads threatening to reach the Final Four in the postseason. In the East nobody, repeat, nobody outside Miami and Indiana wants to be in the playoffs this year. In the West, if you are below the top 4 you are also secretly dreading the playoffs—and are just approaching December.


The worst part is that there is no solution in the horizon for the tanking epidemic that is spreading rampantly in this league. We can try to just give guaranteed top picks to the bottom-dwellers, or force the losers to compete in a massive tournament, or even financially punish repeat offenders of having terrible seasons. Or even better, give the top draft picks to the teams that made the playoffs, and have them choose whether to keep it (and pay a major rookie tax) or choose a non-playoff team to trade with. With the final idea, it forces to teams to actually compete and also forces teams to try to improve their staff otherwise they will never have decent trade bait for the playoff teams in the off-season.


Whatever the solution we come up with to fix this, we need to come up with it fast. Any league with only six relevant teams will never be able to maintain a decent level of success.




NBA, fix yourself.

Break.

First off, I love to write.






I have been writing (for free) on the internet for almost 10 years. It all started with reviews for IMDB in 2004—with Ace Ventura: Pet Detective being my first review. I have written over 200 reviews for IMDB, and over 500 articles amongst my 3 blogs in Blogspot.



So as you can see, I love to write.



However…I can’t continue, not for now.




Life happens sometimes. Every once in a while it drains all your dreams, aspirations, momentum, drive, and desires. It happens to the best of us, it happens to the worst of us. It happens on different periods of your life, it is guaranteed. You can try to hide from it, you can try to avoid it, you can try to take on confrontation head-on. Or you can cower from it. But the inevitable is, you will run into rocky time periods. And now I have hit it.

On a creative standpoint, I am hitting rock bottom.


My motivation to continue these three blogs has disappeared. To figure out why, it would require hours of ranting, hours of screaming, and hours of psychoanalysis and I just don’t have the energy to explain. But the inevitable has arrived, and I find myself opening up these pages with the biggest case of writer’s block this side of the hemisphere.


In writing, you need time, you need space, and you truly need a drive. You don’t get help when you write, this isn’t one of those types of hobbies that allows for you to seek help and pass the baton temporarily. Anyone can give you tips, but it is all up to you to tackle the work you are writing. Writing is you versus the prose. Writing is you alone against the empty canvas. If you don’t have it, you don’t have it. It is a tough, brutal, sadistic battle.


So I am taking a true blue break. I have taken breaks in the past, but they were always short-lived, they were always brief, and they never truly became breaks. This one is legit. This is the real deal. I have nothing. I have absolutely nothing left to give.


How long is this break amongst the three blogs going to be? No idea. I want to say that I will start again next January with the new year, with a fresh new start. But I truly don’t know. It pains me to do this, and I want this stretch to end as quickly and as swiftly as humanely possible. But I can’t guarantee anything. Maybe I am walking away from all this. I don’t know. It may seem silly now, but I see a blank space in the coming months. I don’t see much ahead.



In simple terms, I don't have the drive, the edge, the "eye of the tiger" to continue this....for now.



I have nothing left. For now.


We shall see in 2014 if the drive comes back.


Until then, take care. Thanks for reading, thanks for participating, thanks for putting up with me, and hopefully down the road I can continue this hobby.







I hope.













Goodbye.

A Night at the Opera: 9/10

The comic timing of the one-liner is a lost art, and there are very few in the cinematic field that has that special delivery.

A Night at the Opera should be the how-to guide for all aspiring actors that want to pursue the skill. But it's more than just the quick-paced jokes and subtle innuendo, Night at the Opera is arguably the most complete Marx Brothers film as we get a combination of opera, romance, comedy, music, and best of all each Brother having their chance to shine on the big screen. With a plot to loosely tie in all the mayhem this is one of the best films of the early cinema era.

This movie follows the brothers playing a manager, a dresser, and a good friend of an aspiring singer running into each other as an opera in New York is about to be underway. Unlike most Marx Brothers movies which usually featured a take-no-prisoners approach, this time the chaos is unveiled to combat the villains in the story. This gives the Marx Brothers an actual dosage of humility and allows us to actually root for them as opposed to feel sorry for all the innocents that get trampled by their insanity.

Like the best of comedies, you get a little bit of everything: dialogue humor, physical humor, subtle humor, visual humor, and of course all the hilarious innuendo of Groucho Marx. And although the romantic subplot and the operatic moments might be a bit much, it at least gives us a chance to breathe and relax after the machine gunfire of jokes that the Brothers can through in a limited amount of time. There is clearly a better director/writing combination to catch the Marx lightning in celluloid.

The talent of the Marx Brothers is on full display here, and if you ever want to truly see what they are capable of, this film is their best example. Groucho's comic timing is amongst the best in film history. Harpo and Chico are excellent with the physical stunts and can play a mean piano. And just wait until you see Harpo have his fun with a harp in the middle of a musical interlude.

Not just a great comedy, but one of the best in the history of the medium. A Night in the Opera starts out strong, rushes through with great bit after great bit, and finishes off with a great climax that displays excellent cinematography, stuntwork, and physical humor that has made the Marx Brothers a staple in American comedy. It ages well, holds up well, and remains a gem after all these years.

The Smoke and Mirrors of the 2013 Tampa Bay Rays

Denial.



No way. That’s it? Its over? Really? So soon? Impossible. I must be dreaming. Just a couple months ago the Rays looked like the best team in all of baseball. Just a couple months ago it looked like nobody could stop us. A few months ago the offense unexpectedly was going nuts and was complimenting the lights-out starting pitching. At one point Joe Maddon was forced to bring out relievers on a pointless game just to give them some action in a ballgame since there were so many complete games being thrown. So the truth is, no, this is not happening.


Anger.



NOT FAIR!!! WHY!?!?!?!!?!?!??! Why against the Red Sox?!?!!? Why at Tropicana Field? Never mind that, why in the heck are we still playing in Tropicana Field? The downright worst ballpark in America, the only ballpark stuck in the 80s, the only ballpark that actually openly contributed to a loss on the home team!!!!! Not another empty year!!!! Not a single championship in its entire history. All I want is one. And then we can give one to the Cubs, Pirates, Mariners, and Nationals. Well…not the Nationals.

But perhaps this is karma, because of our AWFUL FANS. 90+ wins, and still last in attendance? I know our stadium is a crock of nonsense, but Oakland has a major sewage issue and managed to draw more fans. Miami has an owner that is obviously screwing over the entire area of South Florida and they drew more fans. The Astros have a combined record of 162-324 in the last three seasons (They have only won 1/3rd of their games) since 2011 and still draw more fans than the Rays. The organization is heavily invested in charities, giveaways, and always has a staff of likable players. Surely fans should reward the team with at least a couple visits to the Trop, right?

Tampa Bay has a population of over 4 million people, and 20% of them being in the 18-34 range. Surely the Trop can do better than just 1.5 million visitors. They have to. We are going to lose this team in five years, and it will be YOUR FAULT Tampa! Not mine, because I made four treks over to St. Petersburg this year. I did my share. Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. P.S. There are teams in the 1950s that obtained more fans than the Rays. Honestly, do the research.


Bargaining



I will trade David Price for just the mere opportunity of a new stadium or a move to Orlando. I will trade my soul for the destruction of Tropicana Field. I will trade Roberto Hernandez for a bag of potato chips. I will trade Jeremy Hellickson for a banana. I will trade Fernando Rodney for some of the late-inning pitchers of the past---Soriano, Balfour, Benoit even.



Depression                                                                      



What’s the point? I have pointed this out in years prior, in baseball a great fanbase is honestly essential towards the path to success. And yes awful fanbases like the Rays make the playoffs, but the last time a team won the World Series without much of a fever from the home crowd was the Florida Marlins in the 2003 season (#28 in attendance). Some can argue White Sox in 2005, but 28,000 a game during a tough economical period isn’t half bad.

But honestly, how can this franchise go the next step if the fans won’t support it, the city politicians doesn’t want the scenario to improve without doing some stupid expensive moves, and MLB might move the franchise altogether within the next decade? How can the Rays possibly maintain this level of success with so much uncertainty? Am I a fool for following such a sluggishly-supported franchise, potentially knowing that they might cease to exist soon? It’s not like they are the Brooklyn Dodgers that shockingly moved despite amazing attendance.

We could never obtain the heights of Red Sox Nation, Yankees Universe, Redbird Nation, Lovable Losers, Bleeding Dodger Blue, among others.


So what’s the point?

Down the road, all our starting pitchers will move elsewhere, all our rising stars will head elsewhere, we are going to lose David Price in the off-season, we will not be able to afford certain breakout stars like James Loney, and ultimately we are going to reply on begging, borrowing, and dealing for the next several years until we get a major change whether by ownership, stadium, or city.


What’s the point?





Acceptance




And this is where I stand today, on the final step of grief. It has taken me a while to collect my thoughts and write about this simply because once again I had invested so much to this team, and I was so thirsty for a World Series berth and a World Series win---dreams I knew would happen if all the gears had been in motion like we had anticipated. If the young pitchers had matured a bit, if Longoria took it to the next level, and Maddon maintained his crazy methods, why wouldn’t we be the Beasts of the AL East?

Unfortunately the gears all moved in different intervals, and never together. When Longoria got hot, the offense was cold. When the pitchers were on fire, the offense got even colder. When the offense was persistent, the bullpen faltered. And in the final month of the season, it was a microcosm of the entire year as the offense couldn’t deliver in the clutch, the bullpen ran out of steam, the young defense was making some game-changing mistakes, and the starters with its relatively young cast was struggling to succeed under the September pressure.

And of course, the fans didn’t support this team either, and the grumblings towards this issue was expanding to the MLB front office and even Bud Selig. One can only imagine how Tampa would play and look if it had gotten the backing similar to how the Cardinals fans treat their players—especially the younglings.


But no more talk about the fans, because I know by now you are sick of it. And I have written about this issue so many times before.


Now we are coming to the main issue of the Tampa Bay Rays: we aren’t a very good team. We have absolutely no right to have ever entered the postseason, and this has always been the case since the 2011 season when we lost the incredible core of the 2007-2010 players. We have no right to have over 90 wins--------again. As a Rays fan I am allowed to be upset by not beating the Red Sox (Because I personally can’t stand that squad), but this will cloud the fact that the cluster of players we have at the helm could never succeed in any other city (Except maybe St. Louis, that can make gold out of lemons).

Rodney is an extremely inconsistent pitcher that lacks a consistent delivery---even though 2012 showed the potential he can bring to the sport. Longoria’s first major season that lacked a time-crunching injury shows that he has yet to truly enter the next level of offense, even if his mere presence and outstanding defense is the heart and soul of the Rays. The best batter on the team was James Loney, a player that was rejected by practically all of baseball—and he bats better away from Tampa.

Jose Molina is an expected out. Jeremy Hellickson has been figured out by the rest of the league. Matt Moore pitches 80 times before inning 4. David Price cannot pitch in the postseason. Roberto Hernandez is pure misery. Desmond Jennings has yet to step out of Carl Crawford’s shadow. Sam Fuld is an extremely hard-working man that can never bat over .200. Jake McGee has ONE PITCH. Matt Joyce has offense swings like the Hulk has mood swings. Wil Myers is talented but at times has the demeanor of a poor man’s Robinson Cano (Which has resulted in many defensive gaffes). And lastly there’s Luke Scott being……………Luke Scott.

This team’s performance does not match their win total at all. So the question is how, and why can a team with three straight years of having the worst batting average meshed in with such swings of inconsistency land a Wild Card berth? Two things: Joe Maddon and the contagious effort level of playing Rays baseball. Joe Maddon remains the best manager in baseball because he makes players look good, he disguises the weaknesses with strategic move after strategic move---ranging from the good to the pure crazy. The only reason the Rays won Game 3 was because Maddon actually did a double-switch, allowing for a rested Lobaton to smash a home run into the history books.

Joe Maddon takes bad players, throws them around, and transforms it into a winning situation. He gets only 5-6 innings out of most of his pitchers and manages to preserve the win most of the time. He will place players in absurd spots just to see if they can hit out of a slump. He will assign rookies to pitch and play during crucial games and crucial moments. And most amazingly, he does this without ever overusing the young players---keeping them fresh and healthy for the next season. Alex Torres is a great example of this, as he delivered a microscopic ERA while throwing enough innings to make his presence known.


In other words, under nearly any other manager, the Rays would be a 70-92 team guaranteed.


I accept the 2013 Tampa Bay Rays and the record they wound up with because we were never playing like a playoff-bound team; we just had many spurts of caliber baseball followed by lots of frustration. It has taken me a very long time to accept our run because I knew we were capable of more. I knew that if all the players were on top of their game simultaneously, then barely anybody could stop us. Just ask the Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, and Cleveland Indians---all teams we personally eliminated.

We survived back-to-back-to-back must-win games. We won four straight elimination games. We gave the Red Sox a pretty good fight (well…after Game 2 anyway). We honestly had the momentum in Boston up until Wil Myers letting go of that easy pop fly. Who knows what would have happened if he had made that catch. Dominating Matt Moore with just one runner on first and that first out being made? Totally different scenario as opposed to 2nd and 3rd with nobody out.

However the final step in overcoming grief involves acceptance, involves accepting the final outcome, involves finding some inner peace with the insane season of baseball that we experienced (which is still going crazy by the way, as the 2013 playoffs have been amazing). The Rays were a good team taken to new heights thanks to their crazy-yet-incredible manager that was eliminated by a deep talented team with destiny and redemption riding the wave. Just wasn’t our year again.




Just wait till’ next year baseball. The Rays shall attempt to rise again.





Just wait and see.






My other Rays end-season recaps.

2012 Rays Recap
2011 Rays Recap
2010 Rays Recap

Gravity: 9/10

And you think your job sucks...

Containing some of the most claustrophobic space action since Alien, Gravity is a very tense and visually stimulating movie that contains some of the best usage of special effects in film within the past several decades. In a fashion similar to 2001: A Space Odyssey, dialogue takes a backseat and all focus is on the imagery involving a struggle within the cold harsh world of outer space.

Every once in a while comes a movie that upon first viewing you become sure that it is going to nab every technical Oscar of the year. Terminator 2, Titanic, The Matrix, Inception, and Avatar comes into mind. Gravity falls into the same grouping because of its flawless usage of sound, camera-work, and special effects. Similar to how Jurassic Park shaped the way we see and hear dinosaurs on film, Gravity will be sure to do the same to outer space. With this film, outer space isn't just a backdrop, it is a true living, breathing environment that deserves to be respected and feared.

Without revealing too much, Gravity follows two astronauts as they struggle to survive within the boondocks of planet Earth when impending danger starts approaching their workspace. While the addition of George Clooney and Sandra Bullock doesn't exactly enhance the movie, their performances were quite good. But the best performance is that of Alfonso Curason, whose mix of close-ups, intense shots, elongated scenes, and astounding visual details makes this easily one of the best directing efforts in the past few years. The half decade spent on this production pays off, and it clearly shows why it took so long.

However, this movie's Hollywood mannerisms definitely hindered this from becoming a bonafide instant classic to the tune of 2001 (although I am in the minority and feel like Kubrick's space opera is a rather overrated work). Not seeing this in 3-D, it is obvious that some of the details in the movie were done less to move the plot and exercise the technical details and more because it was going to be released in 3-D and wanted to hand moviegoers its money's worth. Then there's the rather overbloated, overproduced, and overdramatic musical score done by a Doing-My-Best-Hans-Zimmer-Impression Steven Price. Against Hollywood wishes, the movie could have excelled even more relying purely on sound effects (and lack of) similar to No Country For Old Men.

Despite the two small gripes that prevent it from being a new-age Star Wars, Alien, or other sci-fi outer space masterpieces, Gravity is nonetheless a spectacular work of suffocating intensity that leaves you breathless throughout the merciful runtime of 90 minutes. Like the best visual works in film history, this is best enjoyed in the theater in front of a massive screen surrounded by darkness. In a year lacking of Best Picture quality films (so far), Gravity stands tall as the first great movie of the fall season.

Just be prepared to take deep breaths. This movie will take them away.

The 10 Greatest Pokemon Games (Up to This Point)

So Pokemon X/Y is about to invade the video game industry and give the world more reasons to get a 3DS (To think it had a horrible start---now it’s on fire with this and Link to the Past 2 on the heels). But before we can get to this, we are going to count down the 10 greatest Pokemon games in its wildly successful history.





#10: Pokemon Stadium 2
System: N64

While this game lacks the energy, style, and intensity of the original, Pokemon Stadium 2 still features dazzling graphics, plenty of intriguing games to play and the transfer pack which back in the day was a mighty big deal. Bizarre that Gamecube and Wii versions of stadium-like gameplay were watered-down so ferociously when compared to the 1-2 punch of the N64 Stadium titles. The one element from here that needs to be in future Pokemon games is simply more tournaments; I would love to test my skills against the best of the best outside the gym leaders and the eventual Elite Four.





#9: Pokemon Trading Card Game
System: Game Boy Color

Instead of being some knock-off Pokemon spin-off, this game would not only be an engaging and deep video game, it would pave the way for all those Yu-Gi-Oh games that caught fire for a limited period of time. You would roam around the world taking on other people while perfecting your deck and coming up with the strongest possible combination of cards amongst the 200+ cards you could find in the game. So now I ask: why on earth isn’t there a trading card game side-quest in the RPG Pokemon games?!?!




#8: Pokemon Diamond/Pearl
System: Nintendo DS

They could have messed this one up badly. After all, Ruby and Sapphire made certain Pokemon extinct and FireRed and LeafGreen were essentially pointless. But with the first DS installment of Pokemon, Diamond/Pearl brought back the original design, gave it some nice DS touches, gave it a more realistic touch, and actually improved the franchise as a whole. More Pokemon, the old-schoolers came back, and the game as a whole looks better. While not a franchise-shifter, it gets the job done.




#7: Pokemon Pinball
System: Game Boy Color

Another case of looks-like-cash-in-but-is-actually-legit, Pokemon Pinball is the greatest pinball game in the history of video games as it combined your typical long-forgotten pinball gameplay and attaches it with the gotta catch them all theme and a multitude of mini-games and goodies WITHIN the two pinball machines featured. With so much addicting gameplay you forget that there are only two machines to choose from in the game itself. This is also another case of why-isn’t-this-a-mini-game-or-sidequest-in-an-actual-Pokemon-game. In my dream Pokemon game, you can be the Pokemon Master, and the Pinball Whiz at the same time.




#6: Pokemon Stadium
System: Nintendo 64

This made Pokemon a really, really, really big deal, as we see them battle on the big screen, as we see dozens of tournaments to fight in, a massive gym leader castle quest, and finally a great multi-player mode to wrap it all together. While this isn’t a legit 3D Pokemon adventure, it is a wonderful start. The showdown against Mewtwo was one of the highlights of N64 gaming. Once again I ask, WHY AREN’T THERE DOZENS OF TOURNAMENTS IN THE RPGS?!?!??!?!




#5: Pokemon Black/White 2
System: Nintendo DS

What makes this one in particular special is the fact that it connects to a previous Pokemon game better than any Pokemon game--even the one that eventually takes the #1 crown. It takes place a couple years after the events of the original Black/White, practically forcing you to re-play the previous installment, and then allowing you to admire the details of the sequel as you get to see the changes made. Then there’s the Tournament in the game----well, it’s a good start. Then there’s the ability to have a Hard Mode….now we are getting somewhere.




#4: Pokemon Puzzle League
System: Nintendo 64

Tetris Attack slapped by Pokemon works perfectly for more reasons than one. For starters, the presentation was absolutely amazing, as Pokemon sound like actual Pokemon, the art style is far more anime than the handheld games, and finally the soundtrack was absolutely outstanding. Then there’s the addicting puzzle-based gameplay that makes for classic multi-player mayhem and hours of entertainment. While this isn’t really connected well with the Pokemon mythos, its high on the list because its excellent evidence as to how future Pokemon games should look, sound, and feel. The anime introduction happened over a decade ago, why don’t we have one of those for our handheld games?




#3: Pokemon Snap
System: Nintendo 64

The N64 was the absolute peak of quality Pokemon games and spin-offs, and this was the ultimate example. A simple idea turned into a smash surprise hit, Pokemon gave the franchise and the world a sense of reality that only the anime could deliver. These living, breathing Pokemon that can be photographed gives it an edge that no modern-day Pokemon game could deliver. And the best part is that this game is so small, so simple, and can be an idea that can expand into exponential levels. Unfortunately, we have yet to see this expansion.




#2: Pokemon Red/Blue
System: Nintendo Game Boy

The original still shines in amazing fashion because of its originality, because of its surprising depth, and because it re-entered an entire system into the limelight and forever changed the landscape of the Japanese RPG genre. It spawned dozens of imitators, and also expanded the audience of Nintendo with its addicting rock-paper-scissors concept.

The personality of the original Pokemon remain the best and not because they are the original, but because the character design of this game remains the strongest by providing a steady flow of monsters that can just as easily be considered animals in the wild---a trait that latter Pokemon games have drifted far from. It is still a blast to play today, and a game that will still make good money if it re-released for the 3DS.

Pokemon is now synonymous with 90s gaming, as all the secrets, surprises, and outstanding moments hold up quite well since its debut back in 1998.





#1: Pokemon Gold/Silver

System: Nintendo Game Boy


Unlike every other Pokemon sequel, Gold/Silver took practically and literally everything from the previous installment and expanded upon it into exponential levels. More Pokemon, more showdowns against your rival, more encounters against Team Rocket, twice as many badges, twice as many locations to visit, twice as many legendary Pokemon, and twice as much to do once you collected all the badges.

An astounding amount of the features we now see in Pokemon games were introduced here. Raising baby Pokemon, day/night system, day of the week system, events scattered everywhere, different encounters depending on how much progress you’ve made, and just so much more. This game has no flaws, it was an essentially perfect game.

This is not just the best Pokemon game, but it is one of the greatest handheld games in the history of gaming, and one of the best RPGs that exists. To be able to pack so much content into a handheld game is quite an accomplishment, and one that has yet to be matched in terms of scope ever since. Pokemon X/Y seems to be going in the right direction, but the fact that its only 8 badges when we have seen so many new regions and places to visit with the past Pokemon games leaves a disappointing taste.



Although the Pokemon franchise isn’t the powerhouse it used to be, it still wreaks plenty of havoc and remains a force to be reckoned with. And even though Nintendo has nowhere near reached the full potential of Pokemon (The gripes can be found here, and here, and here, and here), we still have tons of great memories over the years with these gems.

The Egregious Republican-Approved Government Shutdown

Republicans, what on earth is wrong with you?





Seriously?




The entire government is shut down. The ENTIRE GOVERNMENT IS SHUT DOWN! Don’t you get it? Do you not understand? THERE IS NO GOVERNMENT---currently.


One of the most populated nations in the entire planet currently has no government, as the Republicans and the Democrats have reached an impasse that has resulted in politicians making money but not working. The Republicans have banded together and created the first shutdown since the 90s when Bill Clinton was at the helm. And why do you ask is this happening?



Obamacare. No other reason. No war, no corruption, no deadly devastating secrets unveiling itself. Just, Obamacare.



A law that is only trying to provide health care to everybody, especially those who in a normal day couldn’t afford it. This law doesn’t discriminate, doesn’t downplay anybody, and doesn’t attempt to kill anything built by the offended Republicans. This law is only trying to improve the society as a whole by providing assistance when your health goes south.

I understand that Republicans may not agree with it, and I can respect that. I honestly can. But this is not worth shutting down the government, not worth the lack of pay to the citizens who rely on the government for said pay, and not worth the shutting down of several programs that rely on the White House functioning like a normal government to get work done.

If the Republicans really honestly wanted to find a solution, then they would attempt to actually work with the law as opposed to throwing every single dirty tactic in the book to prevent the entire damn thing from existing. Is Obamacare perfect? Of course not, it could use a little fixing, but it still has the right idea. It is a great idea, even if the law isn’t perfect. But why not actually work and attempt to adjust the law as opposed to…you know…attempting to pass heinous changes that limit the law’s scope to begin with and shutting down the government when you don’t get what you want.

If Romney had won, had taken this plan, made a few changes, and changed the name, then this shutdown would have never happened. They would have praised this law as a major change in American history. And newsflash, there is a slight version of Obamacare in Massachusetts headed by guesss whoooooOOOOOOOOOooooooooo?


But, since its Barack Hussein Obama, the dark-skinned terrorist-sounding socialist that is attempting to ruin America, Republicans will throw America under the bus to practically seek redemption for their stunning and bitter loss in the election in 2012—when it seemed certain that Obama was going to lose. Republicans (Not ALL of you, just talking about the folks in the White House) has yet to recover mentally from the loss, and this is one of their rebellious efforts to thrash Obama’s legacy to the ground now that our current president is a lock until 2016.

The issue here is plain and simple: Republicans hate Obama. They hate everything he does. Once upon a time Republicans rejected a bill giving extra aid (Read this correctly please) to first responders of the September 11th attacks mainly because Obama issued it.

My anger is not that Republicans oppose the law, my anger is the lengths that they will sink to make the bill look bad, and some of their decisions really hurt millions of Americans--including the current predicament at hand.



End this nonsense. And deep down both parties are at fault. Democrats, please open up a little more towards finding a solution to this issue that is costing us 150 million each day, and is preventing millions from actually working and getting a paycheck. But you Republicans in the White House, stop being such dicks, open your minds, open your cold-blooded hearts, accept your 2012 loss, end the unnecessary and ill-timed shutdown and attempt to make take this law and blossom it into something that America can utilize.




“A house divided against itself cannot stand”

Abraham Lincoln. Republican.

Why the Washington Redskins Will Remain as the Redskins

Let’s pretend like the New York Yankees held a press conference and decided that they are going to become the New York Boroughs.


Let’s then pretend like Walt Disney World is going to be re-named Lake Buena Vista World.


Lastly, let’s pretend like the company of Apple is going to change to Granny Smith Inc.



None of these ideas sound appealing, right? Those names just don’t seem to fit, right? Well, this is exactly what would happen if the Washington Redskins change their name. And this will also be why the Redskins are never going to change that name, whether it’s the right thing to do or not.

The Washington Redskins have existed since 1932---when they started out in Boston (Ironically, along with the Boston Braves). They are the second most-valuable franchise in the NFL and one of the most valuable in the entire world. The Redskins are worth 1.7 billion dollars. They are the first professional team with a marching band and a fight song. They have won several championships and Super Bowls for an area that isn’t used to winning. Their attendance is the best in the NFL for the past several years.

As ridiculous as it may seem, changing the name despite being the morally correct thing to do would be a financial setback to the organization. The Washington Reveres, the Washington Capitals, the Washington Mountainmen, the Washington Union, the Washington Yanks---doesn’t matter how different or how potentially good the name will be, it will not have the old-school, retro, and generation-laden appeal of the Redskins.

If you want a great example of name-changing and how it can negatively impact an organization look no further than the Charlotte Bobcats. They rank near the bottom in attendance, appeal, and attention. And this is with Michael Jordan at the helm. You know what team has more mainstream and underground appeal than the Bobcats? The Charlotte Hornets. That’s right, the franchise that peaked in the 90s, led in attendance several years in a row, and was a staple in the NBA and in the hip-hop community. That’s right, the brand that had left the NBA in 2002.

And even after New Orleans got the Hornets brand, it wasn’t the same and the franchise never really took off---forcing them to change names and become the Pelicans. And the 1988 Charlotte Hornets remained such a staple even after the city got a new basketball team with a new look that starting next season they are going to re-become the Hornets. Whether or not the New Charlotte Hornets can ever match the 90s popularity will remain to be seen—but I can guarantee you they regret not going after the Hornets name brand back in 2004 when they first re-entered the NBA.

And let’s pretend like that even if the demand was too great and Washington finally changed the name, what on earth is to stop the hats, jersey, shirts, and jacket companies from simply continuing to print the Redskins logos for the retro sales? You can still find Boston Braves, Brooklyn Dodgers, Montreal Expos, Washington Senators, New York Giants, and Los Angeles Raiders hats and apparel online and in sports stores nationwide even if each of the franchises I mentioned no longer actually exist. Even if Washington became the Gridiron, the Redskins gear would most likely outsell it.

Look, I am not stating an opinion about whether or not the Redskins should change into another name in the near-future. What I am stating is that from a financial standpoint, it would not benefit the organization and will be the ultimate be-all, end-all reason why I don’t see a name-change happening in my lifetime. There is far too much money running through the veins of the Redskins name to block it off with a change.



And you and I both know how far the NFL and its greedy owners are willing to go to keep that financial momentum.



Get used to the Washington Redskins, because I have 1.7 billion dollars convincing me that the name is here to stay---whether you and America likes it or not.

The Stupidity of Paying College Athletes

Hey remember that debate about paying college athletes?


Yep, still happening.


Well, it shouldn’t be happening, because no student-athlete should ever make any money doing what they do.



My reasoning is simple: there is absolutely no fair way to do this. None whatsoever.



Look until America learns that the NCAA and the universities themselves see students as $$$ and not like people, they are going to ponder why students get squandered and drained out of every possible penny during their 3-4-5-6-7 years in college. Guess what, they don’t care about their athletes, they care about the brand name of the school. The Penn State disaster is the prime example of this: screw the people, protect the school.

Universities are not educational facilities anymore, they are the connecting piece between tennagehood and adulthood and it costs good money. You are no longer paying for the education nowadays, you are paying top dollar for the experience. You are paying top dollar for the intoxicating blend of light education, good-looking specimens, wild parties, and your first taste of independence from the family. Nowadays, a universities’ ability to party is literally taken into account when deciding where you want to “study.” This is where the NCAA and the billions come in at the expense of these athletes: the schools are now like your professional teams: you root for some, root against others, and align yourself with a specific division. College Football is exactly like the NFL except for the paying players part.

But nobody forced any of these athletes to participate. Nobody forced them to sign the statement annulling them of any form of payment while they played. None of this is trickery; you know this from the start. You know how things work. If college football was not such a big moneymaker, would the country be so up at arms about the quarterbacks, running backs, and other high-profile players not making money? Of course not; America is upset because the student-school relationship is a mirror of what their future relationships with the big businesses that hires them is going to become---pay that may not be suitable, while watching the big bosses make exponential amounts. I work for Disney making around $30,000 a year, while watching them make 1.7 BILLION off of two movies alone this summer. Do I like it? Not always. But that’s life.



Life’s not fair. Students and advocates for the God-awful pay-the-athletes campaign should know this.



And before you cry for these athletes keep in mind of one thing: they get such a nice little ride throughout this you can’t feel sorry for them. Since NCAA is such big business they powder the athletes-to-be from high school right to their final year in college. I can promise you if you are good, you will never have to pay for the education, or the housing, or most of the smaller expenses that comes with going to school. They are going to pamper you.

Let’s be honest with ourselves: universities with good football programs don’t give a shit about your education. See all the recent accusations from students left and right about not having to do most of the schoolwork to focus more on football? Almost every student you see on that field gets a leeway on all their classes, gets special treatment, more opportunities to not get that damning mediocre grade. And even if you struggle, expect that full ride scholarship to catch your fall. These athletes don’t need to be paid, because we are already basically paying for their entire life for their entire college career. We are already making it smooth sailing for them their entire educational career.

And then here’s the other issue: are we also going to pay the squash athletes? The wrestling athletes? The woman’s softball athletes? The chess athletes? The lacrosse athletes? The volleyball athletes? I assure you that these players don’t make a thousandth of the amount of money generated by football. Are we going to pay ALL student-athletes? Because if you limit it to just football, I can smell the lawsuits for miles upon miles.

What about the smart students? Are we going to pay them for contributions to science, math, and psychology? Of course not. They aren’t on network television. Why are we punishing them for choosing a different path in life? What about the physically disabled students that couldn’t compete at a sport even if they wanted to? Why would we be punishing them?

And lastly, what in Sam Hill makes you think that just because we give them a paycheck they won’t find ways to break the rules to rake in more cash? Wall Street douchebags makes millions a year but will still pinch corners to save a few hundred. Even if you make money, if the opportunity for even more money pops up who wouldn’t take it? People like Johnny will still charge for autographs, charge for pictures, charge for appearances. You think Johnny would have left the Manning camp early if a paycheck had been held next to it?

One final story to cement my unchanging opinion towards this issue: During college I suffered a C grade and as a result my entire scholarship was pulled. After I dropped out I got full-time at Animal Kingdom ODF. There I met a cast member who had a son that was good at wrestling. Apparently the son accidently got a gal pregnant and asked for time off from the university to cater to the girlfriend and the upcoming child. Not only did they agree, but offered to give him his full scholarship after his YEAR absence from the school. Then there was a second university that told him he could leave for TWO YEARS and STILL get a full-ride scholarship if he were to jump ship.



You still expect me to cry over them not getting paid?


They have everything else..........

How Lack of Cable Destroyed The Simpsons

So Modern Family is about to hit cable and the rerun planet by the end of this month as you will see the show not only on ABC, but also on FOX and on the USA network among other places. Expect the ratings of the new episodes to essentially explode because once this awesome show hits the masses; expect the interest to increase dramatically.



Seriously, best comedy on television right now.


Big Bang Theory accomplished the same thing, once the reruns began on the pre-Conan hours on TBS. Now it is the top comedy on television (regardless of its subtle depleting quality this past season) and is the third most-watched show in all of television. Want to know who is first?


NCIS of course, which also went on the upswing once the reruns started popping up on USA---one of the most-watched cable networks out there. Believe it or not, its ratings actually increased during the Writer’s Strike because of the catalog of great episodes that had been thrown at the viewers to make up for the lack of new content. Reruns may have a negative connotation, but in recent years shows like George Lopez, Futurama, It’s Always Sunny in Philedalphia among others enjoyed a new breath of life because of the increasing exposure through the past episodes.



So where am I getting at?




Well, if Fox had not been so stingy on its greatest show, then The Simpsons would not be where it is today—a mere shell of what it used to be.



Hear me out, because this is more theory than fact, but The Simpsons had awesome, awesome ratings during the first couple seasons. And they were well-deserved ratings because the first several seasons were pure gold. Bart Gets an F, one of the Simpsons classics, got 33.6 million viewers upon first airing. People were tuned in, people were watching, and the show was one of the biggest moneymakers on the planet.


So usually when a show hits episode 100, it’s time to expand to cable and branch out its audience and try to nab some new ones. However Fox decided to cling to The Simpsons for as long as they possibly can, getting greedy and trying to absorb as much money and viewership as possible without having to share the love with channels like TBS, TNT, USA, etc. So instead of The Simpsons hitting TBS, Cartoon Network, Comedy Central (the three channels I predict would have benefited most from getting the reruns at the time), Fox was the only network with the cartoon.And its ratings were slowly beginning to plummet.


And even after watching other shows in its own network receive new fame upon cable viewings like Futurama, King of the Hill and (especially) Family Guy, Fox still did not even consider moving the cartoon to cable. And with this, the show began to suffer because the show was forced to find other means to obtaining a bigger audience---resulting in the show being more focused on celebrities, being less risky with touchy subjects, being a bit more family-friendly, and ultimately missing the rough edges that made the first seven seasons of The Simpsons absolutely amazing. Going from 30 million viewers to 6 million in a multitude of years would scare any major network, but there are ways around this. Its just that Fox chose the wrong method.


Watch the older Itchy and Scratchy cartoons and watch the social commentary violence dwindle. Watch the older Halloween episodes and tell me they are more gruesome and even scarier than the new ones. Watch the older episodes in general and notice that the language was heavier, the violence was tougher, and the overall content of the show was always on the fun borderline. And while it makes me sound like a violence lover, the appeal of The Simpsons is that nothing was too taboo, nothing was too risqué, and nothing was too harsh for them to show—and I applauded them for that. And in the midst of the carnage were plenty of feel-good moments and plenty of beautiful messages attached.


Now, without the cable ratings giving the show the boost it had desperately needed in the mid-to-late 90s, we saw a cartoon losing to other primetime cartoons, we saw a cartoon that needed good news and wasn’t receiving it, and ultimately felt that they had written themselves into a corner and had to alternate the strategy. Now we get episode after episode of The Simpsons jumping the shark, and its output of current pop culture references increase by 800%. I can g.u.a.r.a.n.t.e.e. you that if The Simpsons had gone to other networks in the mid-90s and gotten the boost of ratings it definitely would have received, and then it could have garnished enough money on its own to maintain its writing staff, maintain its humor, and see that America didn’t want to see The Simpsons change. America probably wanted to see The Simpsons on other days of the week as opposed to Sundays, which is a terrible timeslot because newsflash this isn't the 80s anymore.



Of course, this is all theory.



But I firmly believe if Fox had not been so greedy, The Simpsons would have been even bigger than it is now, and it would not have dipped into the pathetic levels that we are currently witnessing. Maybe they would have ended the show earlier (as opposed to not seeing an end until they reach episode 93982940). And then we wouldn’t see millions of pointless celebrities, jumping-the-shark moments, recycled storylines, and ill-timed-for-the-sake-of-ratings character deaths. No scripted show can ever run for more than 10 years and still remain good and relevant, that I can promise you. But The Simpsons could have prevented it’s terrible evolution if it had expanded to cable. Ratings would have increased, and no necessary developmental changes would have occurred.


Of course….this is all theory. But I promise you the world would have been drastically different if Fox had allowed Simpsons reruns to exist in 1995…or 2000….or 2005…..or 2010……


The reruns are finally happening, but its too little too late.




One of the greatest primetime shows in the history of television deserves much, much better than this fate.

The Miami Dolphins and the Depleting Quality of the AFC

Hey, remember when the AFC used to be powerful? Yea, it has been a while, hasn’t it?



This season, I can pretty much all but guarantee you that the champion this season will come from the NFC. I can pretty much guarantee you that the NFC will own most of the better records. And I can guarantee you that at least two mediocre teams will make the playoffs. Would not surprise me in the slightest bit if the Buffalo Bills or even the Cleveland Browns make the playoffs.

All of the usual powerhouse AFC franchises are weaker this season whether it be because of injuries (Denver Broncos), because of losing an ishload of players (Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots), or because their good fortunes had simply run out (New York Jets—who at one point went back-to-back seasons nearly making the Super Bowl and sadly the lovable Indianapolis Colts who could not repeat last season’s magical run).

None of the six AFC playoff teams from last year actually improved. The Cincinnati Bengals kept most of their lineup, the Broncos made good changes but are contradicted by injuries, and the Houston Texans get the bitter satisfaction of knowing they must depend on Matt Schaub to go far in the playoffs—not exactly something to look forward to. And like I previously said, the Baltimore Ravens had lost so many of their Super Bowl cast I have no idea how they can possibly top the previous incredible season, regardless of Flacco at the helm with one of the better coaches in the league known as John Harbaugh.

I could be wrong, maybe the Patriots under the evil genius Bill Belichick will thrive heavily once again; even though one must wonder how much longer Tom Brady can keep up his amazing career. Maybe Andrew Luck is for real and will catapult the Colts into even more success---even though their schedule consists of fighting the 49ers, Seahawks, and the Texans twice. Lots of maybes, but lots of uncertainty. Maybe Joe Flacco will allow the Ravens to rise once again—even though while typing this article they have given up 35 points to the Broncos and they haven’t even hit the fourth quarter. The defense lacks the Ray Lewis identity .

Which brings me to my main point: the potential sleeper surge of the Miami Dolphins.

Before you laugh, think about it----


----seriously, stop laughing. Enough. I get it.









We good now?



Anyways, they are in a ridiculously weak division this season with only one pure-true-blue team above mediocre. Yea, their schedule is rather ridiculous with the nasty stretch of the Colts, Falcons, Saints, AND Ravens before the merciful bye week. But besides that bloodfest of a stretch there are the Browns, Bucs, Bills (Twice), and Jets (Twice) to look forward to. And if they can split with the Patriots that’s 7 guaranteed wins right there. 7 winnable games on that schedule and I am not even throwing in the Chargers and Panthers; two franchises who has seen better days.

Ryan Tannehill is definitely not in the quality league of the awesome young quarterbacks of the NFC, but he has the advantage of not having to be in the NFC. How does it feel to be in a place that lacks the consistent presence of Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Eli Manning, Colin Caepernick, Russell Wilson, RGIII, Tony Romo (Who has amazing numbers until he has to be clutch), and Jay Cutler? Feels pretty good doesn’t it. Instead, you get to deal with aging legends Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and the young-but-looking-rather-old Ben Rothlesburger.

Tannehill last season was mainly missing an identity and a good supporting staff. The GM made a few baffling and puzzling decisions and now we have a variety of veterans including the quietly-good Mike Wallace at the helm. The team is better built, more experienced, and now more accepting of their Miami quarterback (which was an ugly scenario the past several years in South Florida). The Wildcat (Which I admit I miss) is now a thing of the past, and we can look forward to the young yuppie quarterback taking advantage of the NFL’s recent attempted murder of anything defense-related and turning it into a quarterback’s league.

The Dolphins have the identity, they have the potential, they have the kind second-half schedule, and have the opportunity to make some noise in the AFC and sneak up and grab a Wild Card spot. While the division shall belong to the Patriots for at least another two years, the Dolphins can be a dangerous second-place threat that with a little tweaking can stand toe-to-toe with some of 2012’s playoff teams like the Colts, Bengals, and maybe even the Texans (well….maybe not so much). A 9-7 or a 10-6 record doesn't seem too far off for Miami if they can improve the offense and the offensive line.



This shouldn’t be Super Bowl or Bust for the Dolphins, but for the first time in a while things just might be looking up for the South Florida franchise.






Their new logo is hella ugly though…..

Top 25 Songs of the Millenium (So Far) [The Final Five]

This is it, the Top 5!! Whether you like it or not, these are the top 5 songs of the millennium so far.

Part 4 Can Be Found Here




#5
Song: Chop Suey
Artist: System of a Down
Peak Position: #7 Rock Charts



Hey, guess which song was the biggest rock song around and was joined by the most popular rock video when 9/11 happened. 9/11 did more than just through the planet into a tailspin, it also destroyed many careers and delayed several more. Rock really never recovered from the banning of many of its songs due to the sensitive status of the United States after seeing four of their planes crash in a coordinated attack. Chop Suey was smack dab in the middle of this, as a band that has a Middle Eastern look singing about how angels deserve to die was suddenly being shunned into the corner for bad timing.

Chop Suey could have really done more for the music scene because of its very innovative mesh of thrash, nu-metal, and hard rock. In a span of three minutes we were treated to a great acoustic-heavy opening, an amazing rhythm, several random pauses, and heavy guitar work that would impress the kings of 80s metal. During the reign of nu-metal, System of a Down was amongst the biggest names because of the amazing vocal work backed by a band that is loud, heavy, and right in your face. You can’t listen to this song and not wind up with a bloody nose because of the constant headbanging.



#4
Song: Breaking the Habit
Artist: Linkin Park
Peak Position: #1 in Both Rock Charts



Linkin Park owned, OWNED the rock scene for the first five years of the 2000s. Hybrid Theory was a rapid-seller, and Meteora was selling millions as well. But one can admit that their sound was mildly predictable, it went at a certain pace, was done in a formulaic fashion. The sound worked, but there are definitely similarities between the songs Papercut, Crawling, Numb, and Runaway (Especially Crawling and Numb). But then we have Breaking the Habit.

This song is calmer than the usual nu-metal, it sounded drastically different, it didn’t seem overproduced or overdone, but still had the heavy emotion and heavy vocals that Linkin Park became famous for. Almost coming off as a rock ballad or sorts, Linkin Park turned down the volume, used a more electronic sound, and increased the pace. What we have is a heartbreaking song about overcoming addiction that certified Linkin Park as the best in the rock game before their downward spiral attached to making music for the Transformers series. But during their undeniable reign, this song rules supreme.



#3
Song: Somebody I Used to Know
Artist: Gotye feat. Kimbra
Peak Position: #1 in Billboard Hot 100



There was a nice wave of indie music making its way through all the commercials (Not just the computer ads) and thanks to the power of Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, were getting their shot in the radio. This song snuck in essentially out of nowhere and slowly drifted into the hearts of all listeners.

This song is purely heartbreaking, and works on so many levels. When you hear it the first time, you don’t really expect for the female’s side of the story to break in the middle of the song. You have Gotye’s haunting and light vocals dabble within the light indie pop sound. And then we have a female vocalist pop out of nowhere and add an extra layer to the song. And by the time it’s over you have just heard one of the most successful indie anthems of all-time, and hands-down the best indie song of the new millennium.



#2
Song: Don’t Know Why
Artist: Norah Jones
Peak Position: #4 Adult Contemporary



I am going to be blatantly honest: part of this is because Norah Jones is quite possibly my biggest celebrity crush. She can sing, she can play the piano, and has the girl next door look that always makes you feel like you actually have a chance. So, yes, part of this is because I am a huge fan of hers. I am a huge fan of her work, and I admire the fact that she never does the same album twice.

Don’t Know Why is the song we all needed to hear in the modern era, it was the album we needed to hear. In an age in which hip-hop and sugar-candy pop was dominating the charts, we got a jazz record that was simple, bubbly, soothing, and downright beautiful. Jazz has definitely lost its luster especially when compared to its dominating days of the 30s-50s, but Norah Jones brought it back in a big, big way. This song can never become irritating, can never become dated, and not once does it ever overstay its welcome. It is an attractive song from lyrics to vocals to piano.



#1 Song: Gangnam Style
Artist: PSY
Peak Position: #1 In 39949585 Places












You know I am just joking, right?









#1
Song: Crazy
Artist: Gnarls Barkley
Peak Position: #1 in the U.K.




This song is everything: a bit of indie, a bit of pop, a bit of hip-hop, a bit of rock, a bit of spaghetti Western, and synced together by the tightest production I have heard from a song in at least 15 years. It has some of the best male vocals since Boys II Men, has one of the slickest beats ever composed for a hip-hip song, and is packaged together so neatly, so beautifully that you don’t realize that the song is 3 minutes long---and you’ll want to hear it again and again.


I don’t know how else to explain to you why this is the best song since 2000 rolled around. Sampling a spaghetti Western song from a largely forgotten song, Danger Mouse increased the tempo, minimized the Western feel, gave it an edgy European hip-hop touch, and got the mighty Cee-Lo Green to polish it off with his best vocal performance of his career. It hit all the charts around the globe because it’s accessible without sounding like its selling-out, while being so big in England the record label pulled out all the singles from stores so the song could age gracefully and all of Europe wouldn’t be sick of the song in the coming years.


This is not just a great song, it is THE song of the 2000s, and the best song since the ridiculously delicious music of The Seatbelts in the Cowboy Bebop anime.




There you go, The End. For Now.

Top 25 Songs of the Millenium (So Far) [Part 4/5]

This is part 4 of my article about the best songs that have come out in this millennium so far. I assure you the explanations will run a little bit deeper. Here we go!


Part 3 is here


#10
Song: Promise
Artist: Romeo Santos feat. Usher
Peak Position: #1 U.S. Latin



In a nice little blend of bachata and R&B, this bilingual love song has two well-known musical crooners  serenading the ladies with their blend of soft lyrics and nice vocals that never becomes vulgar, never becomes too over-the-top, and hits all the right spots. I have a softer spot for bachata, and this song deserves better recognition for attempting to expand the horizons by singing in two languages but never mix them.


#9
Song: Thinking About You
Artist: Norah Jones
Peak Position: #7 Billboard Jazz


Being a Norah Jones fan, expect her on this list more than once. While it is hard to really decide which of her songs are best, this one here stands as arguably her adult contemporary friendliest. The entire piece is very simple, and it works to the utmost level. Not enough jazz-inspired tunes are heard nowadays, and Norah's voice and style is just a joyous deviation from the norm. In the case of less being more, Thinking About You is a prime example.


#8
Song: Lose Yourself
Artist: Eminem
Peak Position: #1 everywhere


Eminem is the best rapper of this new millennium. Say what you will about his music now, but back in 2000 nobody could touch him. 2002 certified him as the best since the mid-90s with Lose Yourself, a song performed so well, with so much emotion and so much intensity it made its way into all the rock stations as well as the pop and hip-hop stations. The delivery was great, the beat was infectious, and it wasn't your typical rap song rapping about money, women and/or cars---it even comes off as inspiring. This was Eminem at its peak.


#7
Song: Que Me Quedes Tu
Artist: Shakira
Peak Position: #1 Latin Charts



Remove the infectious rhythms, addicting beats, and jaw-dropping dance moves from Shakira, and what do you have? Her best song. This very soft Spanish rock song calms Shakira to a bare minimum as she bares her soul with beautiful lyrics, beautiful vocals, and good backing guitar/drum work to mix this all together into a memorable track. While her Laundry Service album will forever be known for Whenever, Wherever, Que Me Quedes Tu is the defining example of her pure raw talent.


#6: Hoja En Blanco
Artist: Monchy y Alexandra
Peak Position: #13 Tropical Airplay


The song that put bachata on the New York map, Hoja en Blanco defines bachata to its core: infectious beat, snarky fun guitar work, depressing lyrics, and light vocals that makes it seem like this is being performed in a rural area. What makes this one truly special are the dueling vocalists involved, how they pretty much never sing together expanding the concept of how they are no longer together, how they each have their moment to shine, and the great guitar solo smack dab in the middle of this Dominican classic.

Top 25 Songs of the Millenium (So Far) [Part 3/5]

This is part 3 of my article about the best songs that have come out in this millennium so far. Here we go!

Part 2 Can Be Found Here

#15
Song: Freur Frei
Artist: Rammstein
Peak Position: Germany #33



This song is intense. It doesn't let go except for one brief pause, and that is only to link you to the final epic finale that features blasting guitars, loud drumwork, and cannons. Yes, cannons. This song can be your coffee.


#14
Song: The Hardest Button to Button
Artist: The White Stripes
Peak Position: #8 Modern Rock



It is such a simple sound, but it is so catchy it lingers in your head for several hours. The song about a dysfunctional family works perfectly with White Stripes, a dysfunctional duo that features no bass, a drummer with no experience, and no extra member to enhance the sound. Yet----it still sounds better than music with bands full of members. I am looking at you, Maroon 5.


#13
Song: Bombs Over Baghdad
Artist: OutKast
Peak Position: #61 U.K. Singles



This is OutKast at its most experimental, its most off-the-wall, and its most insane. This mesh of rap, rock, jungle, and even gospel (I know...can't explain it) runs at about 924835939 beats per minute, and to this day contains one of the best beats ever heard in the hip-hop community.


#12
Song: Diablo Rojo
Artist: Rodrigo y Gabriella
Peak Position: n/a



No lyrics required, this song is about a roller coaster and plays like one for sure. The dueling Spanish guitar work of this duo is a sight to behold, and an absolute pleasure on the ears. Spanish guitar has never sounded so beautifully rampant.


#11
Song: Married Life
Artist: Michael Giaccino
Peak Position: n/a



This beautiful song complements one of the most beautifully animated scenes in the history of film. The 4 minutes of this gem showcases the entire marriage of two characters through the good, the bad, and the very unfortunate ending. Makes you smile, and then makes you cry all in a span of a car commercial. *snif* Curse these onions....


Part 4 is coming up soon...........I promise...

The World's End: 8/10

The final entry in the awesome Cornetto trilogy tastes a bit different from the other flavors.

It doesn’t have the satirical and spoof bite. It doesn’t have the low-budget texture.

The World’s End lacks the indie backyard persona we have come to expect from Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg. The movie feels…complete. It feels like it had an unlimited budget like a blockbuster. It feels more grown up, more mature, and more established as a pure film and not a mere wink and a nod to the genre it’s representing.

But the movie works, as its deviating shift in tone establishes the themes of nostalgia that’s heavy within its crazy 100 minutes. It increases the sentimental value while at the same time still delivering a very unique movie full of witty dialogue, full of hilarious moments, and contains plenty of action done with flawless direction by Edgar Wright. This movie excels on all cylinders from the writing to the acting to all the nitty gritty details that requires multiple viewings to catch—the shots, the sound effects, even the names of the bars are connected in a subtle way.

The best and worst thing about this movie is how it’s drastically different from Shaun and Hot Fuzz. It keeps you on edge; it keeps you guessing, and pulls the carpet from under your feet. It almost feels like the cast that had participated in the previous entries had matured and had calmed down, even if they are playing totally different characters. And for that their performances deserve heavy praise, especially Nick Frost and Simon Pegg whom were playing characters that are very different to their usual niche.

Lastly, the final act is quite possibly the ballsiest final act you’ll see in a movie all year, as it purposely refuses to wrap up the package in a pretty bow, instead giving you curveball after curveball and leaving you analyzing what you just saw. While this will definitely turn off some viewers, one has to admire the effort to refuse to adhere to a typical finish.

The World’s End lacks the whimsical pop of the previous entries but overall it is a well-structured film with more humor, action, and creativity than your average blockbuster. Consider it to be the dark chocolate cornetto of the trio; mildly sharp, mildly bitter, but overall satisfying to the very end.