Vote Harvey Dent for DA on July 18th, 2008

I know I will...

Tropic Thunder Trailer

Robert Downey Jr. as a black guy...classic

Califronia Supreme Court Overturns Gay Marriage Ban

I wonder if in the future we will remember this day as one of the most important days in the history of the U.S.

From the Vault #1: Undone-The Sweater Song by Weezer (1994)

This is a weekly series profiling great songs/music videos from the past.

This song is by the American rock band Weezer, released on their self-titled 1994 debut album. It was released as their debut single in 1994. Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo has commented on the song, saying:

" "Undone" is the feeling you get when the train stops and the little guy comes knockin' on your door. It was supposed to be a sad song, but everyone thinks it’s hilarious".

This was Weezer's first hit, reaching #6 on Billboard Modern Rock Tracks and #57 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart here in America.

Probe This: The Arlen Specter Story

Republican Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter wants a probe. After the debacle that was wrought from the congressional hearings on steroids in baseball, and the subsequent Mitchell Report, Senator Specter is now suggesting the an independent probe be implemented to investigate cheating in the NFL. This all started with an investigation done by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell into the New England Patriots' alleged videotaping of opponents' sideline signals. Known as "Spygate," the investigation led to the Patriots losing their first round draft pick in last month's NFL draft, as well as fining the team a total of $750,000 ($500,000 of which were fined to coach Bill Belichick). The man who was responsible for the videotaping, Matt Walsh, handed over six videos which spanned since 2001. The controversy seemed to have been coming to an end yesterday when commissioner Goodell and Walsh met for a few hours, and Goodell came to the conclusion that no further punishment was necessary.
First of all, I think it's about time to retire this tired tradition of slapping the suffix 'gate' onto every scandal that comes along. Watergate was an interesting and important historical event, and every time writers relate some lame 'controversy' to Watergate, it just makes it into an increasingly sadder joke. Every time I hear 'gate' being added to then end of a word, I sink deeper and deeper into a swamp of dumb. I'm at beak level now; much more of this, and I won't be able to breathe. But I digress.
I realize the government and sports are not completely autonomous from each other, with the anti-trust status and such, but this is getting ridiculous. With all of the pertinent issues in our country right now, does Senator Specter have nothing better to do with his time and your tax money than to engage in a modern-day Salem witch trial? Specter is McCarthy nouveau. Of course, the implications of this witch hunt are not nearly as dire as they were during the Red Scare, but I can think of at least one person *furbish cough*Roger Clemens*furbish cough* whose life has been completely inverted as a result. Perhaps he brought it upon himself, but perhaps many if not all of the allegations against him are false.
When McCarthy said, "communist," it smeared those who really had no way to prove they weren't, except to say that they weren't. It was he said/she said. By that same token, whenever the word "steroids" was invoked during that circus known as the congressional hearings, and subsequently the Mitchell Report, people could either say they never failed a drug test, or admit that they did. Usually the players who admitted they did were forgiven and forgotten, while those who didn't, such as Mark McGuire, were just assumed guilty (though his testimony essentially was an admission of guilt by...stupidity). And thus, any investigation by anything having to do with our federal government will merely be an attempt in futility -- and a wasteful one at that. What is supposed to be accomplished with this? To rid the sport of the evil art of figuring out the other team's signals? That's small potatoes. It has a minimal impact on the game, and it's something that the NFL obviously already looks out for, otherwise the Patriots wouldn't have been caught in the first place. If Arlen Specter wants a probe, well, I've got a probe for him all right. And since he's a Republican, he probably already knows what to do with it.

- The Furious Furby (Guest Blogger)

DBlock's Great Films #1: This is Spinal Tap (1984)

Every week I will profile a classic film. The first one in this series is "This is Spinal Tap" (1984)

Cast:
Michael McKean as David St. Hubbins
Christopher Guest as Nigel Tufnel
Harry Shearer as Derek Smalls
Rob Reiner as Marty DeBergi
Directed by Rob Reiner

Its 1982 and Spinal Tap, proclaimed "One of England's loudest bands", is touring the US in support of their latest album, "Smell of the Glove". Marti DeBergi, a director of television commercials, films the tour and interviews the band members throughout. Topics such as bad reviews of former albums and the various instances of drummers dying under odd circumstances. It is said that one died from a "bizarre gardening accident", another "choked on vomit" (someone else's) and yet another died from "spontaneous combustion". David St. Hubbins, the band's guitarist and lead singer is quickly reports that "Dozens of people spontaneously combust each year. It's just not really widely reported."

Spinal Tap, once a popular band that frequently sold-out packed arenas, is now a pretentious has-been band out of the limelight relegated to intimate venues and even Air Force bases. The band members are so innocent that they don't see their declining significance which causes us to feel affection for them. Spinal Tap's concerts are repeatedly canceled due to low ticket sales and it finds itself in a battle with its record label over the sexist cover of "Smell of the Glove". The record label decides to release an all-black record cover to the surprise of the band (reminiscent of The Beatles' "White Album")

The three prominent band members are shown to musically talented but otherwise very stupid. One classic and hilarious scene is when Nigel Tufnel, the band's guitarist, plays a piano piece he came up with to Marti Dibergi. Dibergi, stuck by the beautiful of the piano piece being played asks for its name, Tufnel responds that its called "Lick My Love Pump".

The arrival of St. Hubbins' girlfriend Jeanine throws a wrench in to the already tense tour. Tufnel, who has been friend with St. Hubbins for almost 30 years, seems to have a crush on his best friend and becomes jealous at the sight of her. She becomes a "Yoko" to the band, eventually forcing the band manager and Tufnel to quit near the end of the tour. Both come back as one of their songs, "Sex Farm", is a surprise hit in Japan. Everything is back to normal and the band is enjoying themselves as they find salvation in packed arena's far away from where their old success occurred.

The three main actors and director wrote the screenplay (which was mostly improvized) and songs themselves. The concert scenes of the band are great as the songs are genuinely good and provides some of the movie's funniest scenes such as when Derek Smalls, the band's bassist, is stuck inside a prop and another scene where an error produces a minitaure mock-up of Stonehenge that is almost crushed by a couple of little people on stage.

"This is Spinal Tap" is one of the funniest and most original movies of all time. In its release, it hit too close to home for many rock 'n' roll bands. Singer Tom Waits claimed he cried upon viewing it and Eddie Van Halen has said that when he first saw the film, everyone else in the room with him laughed as he failed to see the humor in the film. I see "This is Spinal Tap" as like a warped episode of "Where Are They Now?". A band's decline is nothing real bands want to see. It played on the stupidity and ego of these bands, for them it took a mocumentary to truly see themselves.

Edwards Endorses Obama

Clinton's WV victory celebration cut short as Obama receives coveted Edwards endorsement.