Saturday, May 12, 2007

Recieving The Signal...

So I just got XM Radio today.

I know, XM has a bit of stodginess about it, but 9 months of free service and a 10 buck radio kind of made it an easy decision.

I do like the addition of XM Radio Online, since I'm at my PC a lot more often than in my car. Of course, getting into the world of satellite radio may be an ill-timed move, especially given the fact I correctly predicted the XM/Sirius merger.

Call me flighty.

In other news, way belated congrats to my close personal friend Dev, who has chosen a bride [for the 2nd or 3rd time, depending on who you ask] and will be wed later this month. Unfortunately, I don't believe I will be able to join them, as my personal path has taken me...somewhere else.

I do want to take this opportunity to publicly ask the bride and groom something...

The Vidalia chop Wizard?

REALLY?

REALLY.

Not to poke fun, but I have to know...are you two waiting for your 10th anniversary to bust out the Esteban Guitar or dare I say it-The Bedazzler?

Of course, I kid. Mainly because I love.

Courage,
Mike G.

Sunday, May 06, 2007

Sweet Jebus Above...

Recently, I've been neglecting my blogging duties. Frankly, my current circumstances warrant that only the most extraordinary occurrences would get me to start typing.

Thanks to my pals at Toy News Intl, that occurrence has happened.

Optimash Prime.



May Xenu have mercy upon us all.

Courage,
Mike G.

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Closure...

So that one guy who said he was the father of that lady's baby turned out to be telling the truth, and that other guy who said he was isn't.

Good thing we got that straight.

Courage,
Mike G.

Thursday, April 05, 2007

More Stuff...

So I picked up Twitter, in the hopes that I'll be able to blog via my phone and update this thing more than once a month.

Let's see what happens.

Courage,
MIke G.

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Ladies and Gentlemen...

I Give You...

Optimus. Prime.

Courage,
Mike G.


p.s. Megatron? I'm still sorting out my feelings on his look so far.

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Not To Worry...

I'm still here.

A bit busy, but still here.

More entertainment soon.

Courage,
Mike G.

Sunday, February 25, 2007

"24? More Like 1/24."

Please forgive the joke.

Before the next installment of the Gold Medal Flour Jack Bauer Hour of Power Hour, I'd like to note the recent announcement made at this years Toy Fair:



You can click here for more pics, and here for the press release.

A tip of the Churn hat to the folks at Toy News International.

Courage,
Mike G.

Monday, February 19, 2007

Only Four Months Off...

If only I could guess football games this well...

From January of last year...

From earlier this morning...

Of course, this isn't a done deal, and of course there's that whole monopoly thing to deal with.

It's nice to be right about something. For once.

Courage,
Mike G.

Sunday, February 11, 2007

Desire...

Hey there gang.

Not much to post today, but a little something I found online.

Way way back in January of 2002, the WWF/E produced a video that summed up exactly why anyone is a professional wrestling fan. For a company that edits, ignores and even willfully forgets its own history, it was a powerful look back. A lot has changed in the last five years, but it still has much of the same impact as when it first aired.

Enjoy:



Courage,
Mike G.

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Getting Sidetracked...

Wow.

First off, a huge thank you to everyone involved in making my trip to Dallas so memorable. Seeing old friends and getting back into the ol' announcer's booth was a real treat, and hopefully I'll be able to make it back very soon.

As for Devin's last post, I promise to have an adequate response very soon. Until then, since Churn is the place where Internet Memes go to die, I'd like to quote an article written a few years ago by Kieth Martin:

If we accept all the Star Wars films as the same canon, then a lot that happens in the original films has to be reinterpreted in the light of the prequels. As we now know, the rebel Alliance was founded by Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Bail Organa. What can readily be deduced is that their first recruit, who soon became their top field agent, was R2-D2.


What then follows is an inspired piece of writing that makes a little too much sense. You can read the rest of it here, if you haven't already.

Courage,
Mike G.

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Jambox In Disguise

It was really great catching up with Mike G. when he came back to Dallas last weekend. After getting him his celebratory Jamba Juice, we tooled around a rainy city talking about ... well, damn near everything.

Over the course of the weekend, i busted out my iPod and played the Patton Oswalt bits from the "Last Laugh 2006" Comedy Central special, and he showed me some wrestling videos on his Creative Zen player. It was the first time I had screwed around with a Creative player, and I have one big problem with it: the interface. The buttons aren't uniform in how they... work. This button works to get you here, but its counterpart doesn't work to get you in the opposite direction. VERY non-intuitive.

However, I think I have the answer to get Mike to finally give up all of the imitators once and for all:

Meet the Convoy iPod Docking Bay.

It's a transforming iPod Dock that converts from tune-blasting robot into an 18-wheeler. The dock is licensed by Apple, and is available for pre-order now for $144.99 from BigBadToyStore.com.

Now, I know what Mike's thinking: the REAL reason he doesn't have an iPod is they're so damned expensive. Big deal. When will you ever see a Transformer dock for the Creative players? Or, bog help 'em, the Zune? That's right, you won't.

Thursday, January 18, 2007

The Art Of The Gag Reel

When Katie Sackhoff or Dean Stockwell screws up a line and swears, that's cool. Your brain can process that.

But when Edward James Olmos does it... well, something short circuits for me.



This may or may not get you ready for Sunday's return of 'Galactica,' but it certainly pulls back the curtain.

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Monday, January 15, 2007

Throwing Meat To The Wolves...

So, remember Devin's post a short while ago about a particular robot girl exposing her... operating system for all to enjoy?

Well hold on to your...actually, I don't want to finish that sentence.

If you're 18 or older, or know someone who is:



Here Ya Go.

May the Kittens forgive me,

Courage,
Mike G.

Sunday, January 07, 2007

I Guess So...

Yeah,
I guess it did really happen.

'Not with a bang, but a whimper.'

Oh well.

Courage,
Mike G.

Saturday, January 06, 2007

No.

My. God.

That didn't just happen, did it?

Mike G.

Friday, January 05, 2007

I'm So Pretentious, I'll Use TWO Initials In My Name

As a rule, geeks are grumpy.

Sure, they follow their particular favorite movie / TV show / comic book with slavish devotion, but their future experiences with said favorite thing are colored by the "newness" of the first time.

Examples:

* 'Star Wars'
* 'Star Trek'
* 'Alien'

James Cameron avoided the dreaded and feared geek backlash by making a completely different movie in 'Aliens' than Ridley Scott did in 'Alien.' (Of course, I can imagine the reaction in pre-production if the movie were released in the time of the Web: "Cameron's just a low-budget hack. 'The Terminator' was cheesy, and he'd be better off sticking to that low-grade horror genre, rather than screwing up the greatness of Scott's claustrophobic vision!") Every film since then has been either poorly written (Alien3), or poorly directed (Alien: Resurrection), or both (Alien vs Predator). At least you could point to the pedigree of the two direct sequels -- David Fincher, Jean Jeunet, Joss Whedon. With 'AvP,' you has Paul W.S. Anderson. [shudder]

And here's the real kick in the crotch: 'AvP' KILLED at the box office, bringing in $171 million worldwide. So, being the money-grubbing whores Fox is, they're denying us a real return to the 'Alien' realm we've been craving, and instead, giving us more pap with 'AvP2.'



Two things give me hope about this flick:

It's not written by Paul W.S. Anderson.
It's not directed by Paul W.S. Anderson.

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Early Returns...

So, let's take a quick review of Devin's contributions so far to the Churn Nation:

1. Geek News? Check.

2. News about young women disrobing? Check.

Combining the two?

Well done my friend.

Well done.

Courage,
Mike G.

Such As: Kittens Everywhere Cringe In Terror!

Tricia Helfer, By the Lods of KobolWord around the campfire is that Tricia Helfer, known to all the citizens of Geek Nation as Number Six from SciFi's Battlestar Galactica, will have a photo shoot in next month's Playboy.

Anything I could type next would come off as a horrible double entendre, so I'll leave that up to you.

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Konnichiwa!

First, a quick 'hello' to the Churn! faithful. Mike G. gave me a key to the place, wanted me to water the plants, and make sure no one's broken in and set up a meth lab or anything of the sort.

Next, pretty much every time I talk to Mike, he tells me how excited he is about the Transformers movie. I know this will likely get me tossed out of his blog as fast as I got invited, but I simply missed the boat on the Transformers.

Thundercats? Check.
Star Blazers? Ding.
Thundarr the Barbarian? Bingo.

But Transformers? Nope. Does nothing for me.

I don't know why -- you would think the robots in disguise would have been right in my wheelhouse. But, for whatever reason, Optimus Prime holds no special place in my heart.

Maybe this new Japanese trailer will help:



Okay, that helps... although Shia LeBeouf gently reaching to cop a feel wasn't necessary. Maybe the
Japanese audiences need the love touch.

Sunday, December 31, 2006

Resolved...

That I attempt to blog a bit more often.

That I make it back to Dallas for a visit before everyone there forgets about me.

That I sell a vehicle to someone familiar with the concept of responsible credit.

That I call another Derby Devil bout before I forget how.

That I at least look into the concept of not being single.

That I reclaim my rightful place as WWE Fantasy Champion. Note: this may come into conflict with the previous resolution.

That I finally make some progress on my autobiographical rock opera.

Courage,
Mike G.

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Watch. This.

Now.

Transformers Trailer.

Cautiously optimistic.

Courage,
Mike G.

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

I Endure...

While the wild world of auto retailing has left my schedule fairly packed, I wanted to take a moment to share some the inspirational 'tools' that have been handed to us by the Powers That Be:


And here's some more:



I can't speak to their motovational power [at least without displaying a lack of finesse and an abundance of sarcasm] but I know two things:

1. Those posters cost someone a pretty penny.

2. We probably could have gotten these with very few people noticing the difference.

Courage [and Happy Thanksgiving],

Mike G.

Thursday, October 19, 2006

"I Immediately Regret This Decision!"

A quick word of advice:

At 8:30 PM, a Steakfinger basket from your local Dairy Queen is better as a theoretical concept than as a meal.

Thanks for your time,

Courage,
Mike G.

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

Sunday, October 01, 2006

Oh Yeahhh...

I did say I was going to update this thing more often, didn't I?

A quick word of advice, and a declaration or two.

Actually no, I don't know how much your Altima is worth. What I do know is that you'll be unhappy with just about any amount I come back with. I also know that if you could get what you think it's worth on your own, you would already have done it.

WWE Fantasy is only a week away, and The Churn Army has been chomping at the bit to put this past season behind them and begin the road to the Title.

So, Screech has a sex tape, huh? I thought as soon as I started to do something it became passe' and lame. Guess he beat me to it.

I'm looking for an MP3/Video device that's not from Redmond, WA. Any pointers?

That's enough ramblings for now. To close, here's one of my favorite videos of all time. Enjoy.

Courage,
Mike G.

Sunday, September 17, 2006

Cheapness for Cheapness' Sake...

While TV grazing, I saw something that made me think.

During a broadcast of the Professional Bullrider's Tour, a profile was aired about one of the bulls. Accompanying the piece was Metallica's "Enter Sandman".

This same piece of music used to serve as the entrance theme for The Sandman, a professional wrestler best known for smashing his opponents with a bamboo cane and his own face with a beer can. He was one of the primary faces of ECW, a wrestling federation with mature storylines and sometimes shocking violence.

When the WWE purchased ECW, The Sandman's theme was replaced with generic guitar riffs, presumably to avoid royalties.

Just thinking out loud.

Courage,
Mike G.

Saturday, September 16, 2006

First Sale


First Sale
Originally uploaded by thesporq.

Another bit of housekeeping, this was taken about a month ago with my trusty camera phone, mostly to prove to myself that I indeed did sell a car.

Courage,
Mike G.

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Don't Call It A Comeback...

After much struggle, things are starting to return to normal here at Churn HQ.

Translated: I finally got DSL.


What this means for you, Dear reader, is that you'll once again be delighted/bored by my writing on a more regular basis.

So some house cleaning:

Season 8 of WWE Fantasy is fast approaching, and the Churn Army will be starting the long, hard road back to the title belt.

Many congrats to the Dallas Derby Devils, who recently completed their first ever season. I was fortunate enough to be a small part of this family, and their hard work has really paid off with the DDD Travel Team winning the first ever Governor's Cup Tournament. The Travel Team added another feather in their helmets by holding the nationally known Austin Rollergirls to a 1 point victory in an exhibition match.

My Close Personal Friend, Richard Hunter, made his return to the airwaves this past July. As I've said before, Richard's played a part in some of the most interesting things I've ever been involved with. The best part about his new gig is the fact that he's made his shows available to download at his website.

More, when events dictate.

Courage,
Mike G.

Thursday, August 31, 2006

No Doubt...

Today. Sucked.

Tomorrow? Hopefully not so much.

Courage,

Mike G.

Sales Consultant

Saturday, August 19, 2006

Not Too Much To Ask...

If your random Texas Oil Millionaire walked into my dealership and decided to buy Tahoes for every day of the week, including one each for his wife and mistresses?

Just wondering,

Courage,
Mike G.
Sales Consultant

Friday, August 18, 2006

Hmmmmm....

So it looks like I can blog from work....

We'll see how long this lasts...

Courage,
Mike G.

Saturday, August 12, 2006

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Small Update...

Still without regular Net Access.

Currently in training to provide the finest in automotive transport to you and your loved ones.

[quick note: it mostly involves 'persuading' you and your loved ones to pay me large sums of money]

Making plans to return to my old stomping grounds [for at least a weekend].

Courage,
Mike G.

Saturday, July 29, 2006

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Some Light...

At the end of this tunnel.

As most of you know, I've had to make a change of scenery for the forseeable future. While my powers of self-denial are formidable, the fact is I'm living in a place where Chipotle and Jamba Juice are just intangible concepts.

What is most decidedly real are the huge granite slabs emblazoned with the Ten Commandments, located in our only mall, across from the Foot Locker, just after the kiosk where you can get a scrolling LED belt buckle. [yes, I'm complaining. Yes, I know this is all my doing.]

Anyways, I've just secured employment in my new surroundings, so logic and reason dictate that things should get somewhat better. Thanks to those I cajoled and begged for assistance in this matter.

More soon when events warrant.

Courage,
Mike G.

Thursday, July 13, 2006

New Digs...

So, for those of you who aren't aware, I've made a little change location-wise.

I'll still be providing all of you with the high quality you've come to expect from this blog, with a bit of a West Texas perspective.

I'm still trying to get my internet access squared away, so the posting will be a little light for a while.

Courage,
Mike G.

Thursday, July 06, 2006

Stand By...

Some very minor technical difficulties.

Will be back to posting in a short while.

That is all.

Good Day.

Courage,
Mike G.

Thursday, June 29, 2006

Legal Wranglings...

So I got this email a few hours ago...

To Whom It May Concern:

I work with Paramount Pictures and am contacting you to respectfully request that you remove the Transformers image that you have posted on your site - http://thesporq.blogspot.com/2006/06/pimp-my-bot.html

The footage is not authorized for release and we are currently reaching out to sites/blogs with the same request. Please let me know when this has been removed. Thank you in advance for your assistance – it is greatly appreciated!

Sincerely,

XXXX XXXX


____________________________

XXXX XXXX

Project Manager

New Media Strategies

Tel: (XXX) XXX-XXXX

XXX@newmediastrategies.net


The Xs have been added to ensure anonymity, even though I probably don't have to.

So, what should I do? I don't think there's any legal reason for me to delete this image, but I probably will just cause I don't want to get sued.

Not So Much Courage,
Mike G.

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Shout-Out Time...

A patriotic shout out to the proud men and women of Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi. Keesler is "Home of the premier electronics and communications training center in the Air Force". And is also home to the 2nd largest medical facility in the Air Force. Almost 16,000 military and civilian personnel live and work on the base.

And a special note to whoever visited this blog from Keesler: I hope you didn't get into too much trouble.

Courage,
Mike G.

Pimp My Bot...

IMAGE REMOVED DUE TO HISSY FIT


And here it is. As far as we know, Bumblebee's car mode is not a VW bug, but a modified Camaro. Also unknown is how many Transformers will exist as actual props instead of pure CGI models. The question of mass-shifting has also yet to be resolved publicly[as far as I know]. For those unaware, mass-shifting refers to the fact that certain Transformers 'grow' or 'shrink' during transformation, the biggest examples being Soundwave [cassette player to huge robot] and Megatron [pistol to huge robot].

A teaser poster has been released at the official site, with a teaser trailer due to hit the net July 4th and theaters July 7th.

Courage,
Mike G.

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Geeks Assemble...Again!!!

If you read this blog with any regularity, chances are:

1. You're a big fan of the occasional half-dressed British model.

2. You know more about pop culture than you probably should.

This post is for those in category #2. Fans of #1 shouldn't worry, as we'll have something for you soon.



As most of you know, this here is the Autobot Warrior Bumblebee. One of the smallest[yet bravest] Autobots, Bumblebee serves as the group's espionage expert.

Over the years, his look and design have evolved.


Here's how most of you probably remember Bumblebee, from the cartoon version of The Transformers. One of the friendlier Autobots, he was one of the first to befriend humans after their arrival.




While the Transformers had been in comics before, it wasn't until Dreamwave and Pat Lee's version of the characters truly reflected their robotic nature.


The Transformers have been an incredibly long-lived toy series, being produced in one form or another for over 20 years. News broke recently about a series of Transformer Classics which update the original designs:

And now, the object of this post.

Michael Bay is directing a Transformers live-action motion picture. Fan speculation is running the gamut, with rumors of transforming Ipods, a "Hollywood" voice cast instead of the original voices, and whether or not the cars will be the same models as in the cartoon.

My next post will do little to calm the masses.

Courage,
Mike G.

Geeks Assemble!!!!!!

It's really quite simple.

Spider-Man 3.

Trailer.

See it here.

Thanks for your time.

Courage,
Mike G.

Monday, June 26, 2006

A Good Day...

So...

I'm tired beyond all reason, my voice is gone, and I've just ingested several questionable items from my fridge.

But other than that, I'm flying high.

Another successful night of Roller Derby has come and gone, and once again I managed to not screw up too badly. The highlight of the night was during a bench-clearing brawl between the High Seas Hotties and the Suicide Shifters. I decided that the time wasright to settle old scores, and I launched myself at Meatpie[our other announcer] and took him down. In the end, noone was hurt[I could have destroyed him though] and the crowd went home happy.

Thanks again to all the Derby Devils for making me feel like a part of the family. I look forward to these bouts every month.

Courage,
Mike G.

Sunday, June 25, 2006

Not Too Late...

If you're needing something to do tonight, you can still join me and all of the Dallas Derby Devils tonight for an action-packed evening. Doors open at 7, BYOB, no glass please.

Courage,
Mike G.

P.S. Thanks to Richard Hunter for a wonderful evening at The Lodge last night. You can join him every Saturday night just by visiting the Lodge's Myspace Page.

Friday, June 23, 2006

Green Room...

Currently in the FreeFm studio's green room, awaiting my return to the Dallas airwaves. Slightly nauseous.

Courage,
Mike G.

Thursday, June 22, 2006

When It Rains...

The Mike G. World Tour of Dallas kicks into high gear starting tomorrow:

Friday:

Listen for me tomorrow on the popular Pugs And Kelly Show. Adding to the fun will be the special guest host Big Dick Hunter. Later that night I'll be joining my good friend Devin as he hosts a special charity screening of Serenity at the Studio Movie Grill.

Saturday night will find me at the ecdysiast establishment known as The Lodge for a MySpace get-together. To join in, become a Friend of The Lodge. You'll get free admission and other perks.

Finally, Sunday night caps off this merry-go-round as I help to present all of the hard hitting action of the Derby Devils of Dallas. The doors open at 7pm at the World Famous Forum Roller World. Musical entertainment will be provided by Werewolf and Last of the Interceptors. Remember that the bout is BYOB, and no glass please.

Thanks for your time, and I hope to see you at one or all of these events.

Courage,
Mike G.

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Crap...

Well, congrats to the Miami Heat, who won an almost-unprecendented four games in a row to win their first NBA Championship.

My condolences to the many wives and girlfriends who will be feeling the wrath that comes with unchanneled sports anger. Remember to take pictures as soon as possible for documentation purposes.

Courage,
Mike G.

And a slight rant about the pre-game presentation: I don't know who's in charge of this sort of thing, but why would you put on an acapella group to sing the National Anthem? You've got a huge nationwide audience, Miami has presented acts like Michael McDonald and Clarence Clemons, and we[Dallas] answer with that? I almost forgot, Dallas also featured an American Idol finalist and a country singer.

This is the biggest event that the NBA puts on, and they're reduced to mining VH1 Classic and Reality Show runners-up?

At this year's All-Star Game, the NBA brought out Destiny's Child. Why are the Finals relegated to some sort of second class?

I know this is small potatoes compared to how completely the Mavericks ate it in the finals. I only hope that this pitiful performance will give Mark Cuban some humility. It was nice for a while, but I guess it's back to being a football town for a while.

Courage,
Mike G.

An Urban Story...

The churrascaria had been closed for months, a victim of the gentrification that was long promised but never happened.

The ornate plate glass windows and doors had been transformed by neglect and well-aimed rocks; a crossword puzzle of empty space and dusty glass.

Pablo had been the last gaucho hired. More than anyone else, Pablo had dedicated his life to the art of presenting and serving the grilled meats on their steel skewers. The loss of his position affected him profoundly, sending him into a deep psychotic depression. His mind constructed an elaborate fantasy world to help him function. In this alternate reality, a discarded piece of rebar served as a replacement skewer; a soiled Strawberry Shortcake blanket became an apron.

Day by day, Pablo roams the streets in search of diners. Sadly, he finds no takers for his Radiator-Grilled Pigeon Rolled in Cigarette Butts and Gravel, served with a leftover Coffee Reduction.

Soon this artifice became too much to bear. Pablo was found impaled on his own makeshift skewer, a cardboard disc[handcolored red] by his side.

Courage,
Mike G.

Monday, June 19, 2006

Wha?

Sweet Jebus, could someone explain why/how the Mavericks are self-destructing like this?

Calling time outs without knowing how many you have, phantom calls...

ugh.

I'm not even a big basketball fan, and I feel like someone punched me in the gut.

So now it's back to Dallas and two must-win games.

Oh well.

Go Mavs...I guess.

Courage,
Mike G.

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Roller Derby Update...

To all within the sight of this monitor:

My secondary gig as the play-by-play voice of the Derby Devils has been one of the most fun things I've ever been involved with.

So to that end, please allow this blatant and pandering pitch for people to attend our latest match:



Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. You can get yours at these fine locations....

Good Records in Dallas
214-752-4663
1808 Greenville Ave.
Dallas, Texas 75206

Forum Roller World in Grand Prairie
972-641-0661
1900 S. Great S.W. Pkwy
Grand Prairie, Texas 75051

All Points Tattoo in Hurst
817-280-0944
510 E. Pipeline Rd.
Hurst, Texas 76053

Sunshine Bar and Grill in Arlington
817-277-6252
902 W. Division St.
Arlington, Texas 76012

You can also purchase tickets from one of the four teams in our league:

The Wrecking Crew

The High Seas Hotties

The Slaughterers

The Suicide Shifters

Just become their MySpace friend and send them a message with TICKETS in the subject line.

I hope to see a lot of you at the bout on June 25.

Courage,
Mike G.

Monday, June 12, 2006

Something I've Iearned...

If Nyquil tasted better, we'd be a nation of sleepers.

Courage,
Mike G.

Thursday, June 08, 2006

Remember, No Using Your Hands...

So if this doesn't get people thinking about soccer...



More images of Team Keeley [NSFW!] here, courtesy of Manny's Babes, and thanks to GorillaMask for the initial link.

Courage,
Mike G.

Monday, June 05, 2006

A Stretch....

In case any Heat fans are reading this blog, here's a quick taste of what you'll see when you head into our town later this week:



This is the sad shell of a building known as the West End Marketplace. The Dallas Observer has a short piece on it here.



The Marketplace was also the home to Dallas Alley, and several sculptures/art pieces that represented famous Texas musicians.


Once you make it to the American Airlines Center [on foot, car, taxi, limo or helicopter, depending on where your seat is] you'll be met by this:



This is one of the two four-paneled screens that will face the main plaza leading up to the AAC's entrance. If you'll notice, the screens are mounted on rails, which allow them to move from one end of the building to the other. They can also split up into four smaller screens or two larger ones.

It's all part of a huge development deal they're calling Victory Park. Here's an artist rendering:



Last, but most certainly not least is the dizzying W Hotel, undergoing finishing touches for their grand opening later this month:



I hope you've enjoyed this small list of places I'll most likely never see in person. I know I enjoyed bringing them to you.

Courage,
Mike G.

p.s. Mavs in 6.

Back With Bells On...

It's been a while since I posted...

So to start off, here's a pic I snapped from the after-party last night/this morning.

The Dallas Derby Devils had another rousing bout at Forum Roller World, and even though at times the rink was quite warm, I think everyone had a good time.

More updates soon.



Courage,
Mike G. Posted by Picasa

Sunday, May 28, 2006

Time Out...

Guys,

I may have to spend some time away from my blogging duties. Everything's OK; I just think some unplugged time would do me good.

Should be back soon.

Courage,
Mike G.

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

To One's Own Self Be True...

Two very important topics today...

First off:



Tickets can be purchased at the DDD web site. Due to the change of venue, there will be fewer tickets available for this bout, so please don't hesitate.

Secondly:

A pair of trailers were released the other day for Ghost Rider. While Nic Cage's hair reminds me of a certain NBA team owner, they look pretty awesome. You can see the trailers here, courtesy of Steve Jobs. What intrigues me most about the trailer is this screencap:



While there was a western themed Ghost Rider, he did not share any of the current incarnation's supernatural aspects. I'm curious if the demonic characteristics are going to be retconned into the comics.

Courage,
Mike G.

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Game 7...



Many congrats to Dirk and the Mavs for geting their act together and dispatching the Spurs last night. Speaking as an award winning sports commentator[which I am not], I thought it would be a good idea to refer you to the words of Bob Sturm, one half of BaD Radio, heard weekdays 12-3 on The Ticket.

Courage,
Mike G.

Thursday, May 18, 2006

One Last Thing...

Here's the newest poster for Superman Returns, courtesy of the magic elves at IGN...



The more I see and read about this movie, the more I become convinced that Fox should have backed the money truck up to Bryan Singer's door and begged him to stay for X3.

Fine, I liked Rush Hour, even the sequel. But from the clips that have hit the net, I'm not too optimistic about Brett Ratner's directing...

Courage,
Mike G.

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Leaving No Doubt...

One of the few positive things that came out of the Terri Schiavo controversy was the idea that one's final wishes should be known and documented, thus avoiding needless pain.

This lady wanted to make Super-Double-Extra Sure that her wishes are followed.

Courage,
Mike G.

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

I Don't Suppose...

anyone out there would be interested in picking up one of these for me...or how about this?

Well, it never hurts to ask.

Courage,
Mike G.

Sunday, May 14, 2006

M Is For The Many...

Things you do for me...

Big Mother's Day wishes to not only my mother, but to all mothers everywhere.

Sure, a card and some flowers might seem trite in the face of all that they do for us, but it's more about the feeling behind the gifts.

So call your mom [not collect] and wish her a happy Mothter's Day.

Courage,
Mike G.

Monday, May 08, 2006

It's True...

I actually do know roller derby girls. In fact, at times, they actually acknowledge my presence. Here's photographic proof:





















The night seemed to go off with very few problems. The crowd was very into all of the goings-on and even the bands were great.

To cap off the night, we had our official after-party at the inappropriately-named Sunshine Bar.

[QUICK ASIDE]

Let's be honest, if you're in a bar past 11pm on a Sunday night, I believe it would be fair to assume that life as a whole isn't working out exactly as you had planned. Imagine if, as you're searching for Life's answers at the bottom of a bottle, your sanctuary from reality is invaded by dozens of crazed Roller Derby Girls high on an adrenaline rush. I'm just saying.


Thanks again to all the Derby Devils for letting me play in your sandbox.

Courage,
Mike G.

Saturday, May 06, 2006

Full House...

It looks like we'll have a sold out Arlington Skatium tomorrow night for the Dallas Derby Devils.

If you haven't gotten your tickets yet, you might not be out of luck. We will be selling any unclaimed Will Call tickets after the start of the first period.

Courage,
Mike G.

Thursday, May 04, 2006

Even More Layers...

Courtesy of our friends at Borders, here's footage of Gary Troup talking about his just released book.

Has the polar bear gotten him yet?

I'm curious if any real i.e existing authors are jealous of the attention Gary's recieving.

Courage,
Mike G.

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Audio Bazaar...

Time for yet another piece of audio fun, this time from the strangely named Jimmi Jammes.

Before I sign off, a quick shout out to my good friend Brother Mike, who's going under the knife tomorrow/today. Please hold a good thought for him.

Courage,
Mike G.

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Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Lost In The Layers...

So, read the new Gary Troup mystery novel yet?

Depending on your TV viewing habits, you're either a fan of LOST, or 70's era New Zealand cricketers. [Thanks, Google!]

Today's post is for the former group.

As near as I can figure, Gary hasn't even been seen on the island yet.

Even though I'm not a big fan of the show, I love the meta-ness of it all. A fictional character from a show has written a book featuring other fictional characters, which will most likely allude to events in and about the first show.

My friends who watch the show are fairly divided as to what 'the deal' is with the show. Some think no one survived the crash and are in some sort of afterlife, one believes the whole island is someone's hallucination, and the more cynical one feels that the writers are flying blind[until the show's last season].

Finally, for fans of the burrito-y goodness that is Chipotle, they're running a neat promotion. This Saturday and Sunday, remember to keep your receipt when you buy your food. It's good for a free burrito anytime May 8-14.

Courage,
Mike G.

Saturday, April 29, 2006

My Fight Song...Today, At Least.

So I finally got rid of the AOL IM on my cell phone.

Amazingly, it only took a few months for me to realize that text messaging does essentially the same thing. And since I do prepaid cellular, it makes sense to cut out stuff I don't need. If I had one of these, I might reconsider.

Finally, tonight I thought I'd regale you with one of my current favorite songs, I found this thanks to the folks at Boing Boing, and I really like how this combines two [seemingly] different worlds. I would pose that both artists were trying to show reality at a time when very little was honest and truthful.

Courage,
Mike G.

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Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Another Open Letter...

To The Extremely Enthusiastic Sales Associate[Who Also Looked A Lot Like Howie Mandel] At The Ebay Seller Place:


I didn't want to say anything at the time, but I walked in mostly to get out of the cold and to walk off some of the sandwich I had for lunch. I will say you have a finely crafted sales pitch though.

Courage,
Mike G.

Monday, April 24, 2006

So, Brick...

Brick Tamland: I love... carpet.
[pause]
Brick Tamland: I love... desk.
Ron Burgundy: Brick, are you just looking at things in the office and saying that you love them?
Brick Tamland: I love lamp.
Ron Burgundy: Do you really love the lamp, or are you just saying it because you saw it?
Brick Tamland: I love lamp! I love lamp.

Comedy in convenient shirt form:


Courage,
Mike G.

Saturday, April 22, 2006

Off-Balance...

Here's how it breaks down:

An hour ago I was deep in thought, weighing the pros and cons of a variety of shower gels.

Thirty minutes after that, I'm bargaining with the automotive gods to spare my car from melting in a heap on Plano Road.

The shower gels become less important.

Everything's ok[more or less]. I just wanted to mark this shift in priorities.

Courage,
Mike G.

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

Call The Lawyers...

In honor of some recent news made by certain people, the fine upstanding people at T-Shirt Hell have this to offer:



Thanks, T-Shirt Hell!

Courage,
Mike G.

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

Must...Find...Eggs!



Here's my lovely niece Victoria, as she realizes the concept of finding Easter Eggs and the fact that they contain sweet, sweet candy.

Sadly, I fear this set of facts will be easier to explain than the theological underpinnings of the holiday.

Courage,
Mike G. Posted by Picasa

Saturday, April 15, 2006

Monday, April 10, 2006

Hiatus...

Well, not as such.

I will be visiting family this week, so while I won't be able to update as usual, I'll be adding at least one or two audio posts and a cellphone pic.

Before I leave, a small observation about this weekend. Sunday was the big NASCAR Race at Texas Motor Speedway, attended by about 189,000 people. Sunday was also the day where people across the nation marched in support of immigration reform. Here in Dallas, the crowds were estimated to be between 350,000 to half a million.

I guess the Chamber of Commerce is right when they say that Dallas has something for everyone.

Second, if you love kittens[and who doesn't] my pal Devin's just lousy with them. It the perfect chaser after you've seen something like this.

Finally, here's a funny T-shirt to let everyone know your affiliation.



Courage,
Mike G.

Thursday, April 06, 2006

More Roller Fun...

Earlier this week I helped announce the second match of the season for the Dallas Derby Devils. While my complete lack of self-esteem keeps me from feeling too good about my performance, I don't think it was too horrible.

So far I've adopted the "1970's sportscaster" look, along with oversized headphones and a hairstyle just short of injection molded.

But like all members of the media, I'm feeling the need to reinvent my look.

So this is being sent out on both this blog and my MySpace page. Any and all suggestions are welcome.

Courage,
Mike G.

Monday, April 03, 2006

A Short Note...

To The Terrribly Overweight Arlington Convenience Store Employee Who, Due To Company Policy Must Keep The Doors Locked After 1:00 AM And Conduct All Transactions Via The Sliding Drawer:

I'm sorry the Chee-tos were on the lower shelf. To be honest, they weren't even for me. We were wondering, what if someone wanted to buy a gallon of milk? I don't think it would fit in that drawer.

Courage,
Mike G.

Saturday, April 01, 2006

Thanking The Academy...

In less than 24 hours, I will have most likely lost one of my prized possesions, my WWE Fantasy Championship belt.

The worst part is that I won't know until long into the evening, since Wrestlemania falls on the same night as my other gig as play-by-play man for the Dallas Derby Devils. [7pm, Arlington Skatium, $12 at the door, show up early, sellout anticipated]

Less than thirty points separate me from first-place Richard 'Big Dick' Hunter.

Sadly, my downfall was not the result of a tactical decision. Instead, I made the unforgivable mistake of drafting a wrestler who was injured and not scheduled to be on TV.

Gregory Helms[the former Hurricane] had broken his nose in early March. Until that time, he was a smart pick given his relatively low cost and the fact that he was [and still is] the WWE Cruiserweight Champion. In my rush to make my picks for Week 9, I drafted him.

Finally, here's the card for Wrestlemania 22: Smackdown! in blue, RAW in red...


WWE Title Match
John Cena vs. Triple H

World Title Match
Kurt Angle vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Randy Orton

No Holds Barred Match
Vince McMahon vs. Shawn Michaels

Hardcore Match
Mick Foley vs. Edge

Money In The Bank Ladder Match
Shelton Benjamin vs. Rob Van Dam vs. Ric Flair vs. Finlay vs. Matt Hardy vs. Lashley

Casket Match
The Undertaker vs. Mark Henry

WWE United States Title Match
Chris Benoit vs. JBL

World Tag Team Titles Match
Kane & The Big Show vs. Carlito & Chris Masters

WWE Women's Title Match
Trish Stratus vs. Mickie James

Playboy Pillow Fight
Torrie Wilson vs. Candice Michelle

Boogeyman vs. Booker T & Sharmell


Courage,
Mike G.

Friday, March 31, 2006

Le Sigh...

Again, I have no idea what she's saying...



Courage,
Mike G.

Thursday, March 30, 2006

"Hey, Mike..."

"Do you have any pictures of buxom British models wearing superhero themed clothing?"

Why, as a matter of fact...



Thank you GorillaMask!

Courage,
Mike G.

Monday, March 27, 2006

Hopefully this will work...

I've had this song in my library for a while now, and I'm hoping that someone will be able to help me. My copy of this theme is different from the one used on the show, mostly from the use of the first-person pronoun. My question is, is this an alternate version, or a cover from another group entirely?

Courage,
Mike G.

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Saturday, March 25, 2006

Out And About...

So I had some late-night Hungries [kudos to anyone who recognizes that reference] after a Derby meeting, but didn't want to take anything home.

Even in a Big City like Dallas, you're still pretty limited when it comes to late night dining in a restaurant. I've heard that Cafe Brazil is pretty good. Some Taco Cabanas are open all night, and there's the Trinity of IHOP, Denny's and Waffle House.

But I passed up all of these for the Steak n Shake on Alpha Road.

If you're not lucky enough to live in a SnS state, I'm very sorry. The food's pretty good and affordable [if you're smart]. But what I liked most was watching the people around me.

The couples grabbing a bite after a late movie, the school-kids laughing themselves silly while trying to be mature at the same time, families with small children fighting the urge to fall asleep.
Before I started blogging, I used to carry a small notepad around and write down my thoughts. Don't worry, they were just as banal as these posts. I do like the bells and whistles here, but there was something about just jotting stuff down in the moment. If I ever decipher my scrawlings, I might post some of them here.

Finally, this may or may not have happened:

I was polite, witty at the right times, and quiet at the others. She was smart, funny, and cute.

And married.

To be honest, that was the least of my problems. I liken it to the thief that gets deterred by the Neighborhood Watch sticker, instead of the fact that he's not a very good thief.

Oh, and the thief's never actually robbed a house before, either.

Courage,
Mike G.

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

What Does That Mean?

If you're a fan of monkey puppets with cute voices, you might be a fan of The Anti-Personal Space Monkey.

ASPM and his hard-hitting interview style make for some fascinating viewing. He's also confronted America's own Miscom and frankly, he dominated.

Courage,
Mike G.

Saturday, March 18, 2006

God Mode...

Hey gang,

Do you love video games?

Do you love the Lord?

Do you love the Lord AND video games?

Then those Krazy Kids at Penny Arcade have something just for you:



They've got similarly themed items for sale, along with some old classics.

Courage,
Mike G.

Friday, March 17, 2006

Giving In...

First off, a warning.

If you're at work, it would be in your best interest if you don't click on either of these two links. Wait till you get home, or go to a co-worker's cubicle and click away.

Churn favorite Melissa Theuriau is just about as close to flawless as anyone out there. She might very well be the worst human being in the world, but I can't bring myself to care.

Recently, she decided to take a trip to the beach, and some enterprising photographer seized the opportunity.

Proof of the trip can be seen here and here.

And for those who won't be able to click those links till later, here's a video of Ron Burgandy and the Channel 4 News Team singing about sweet, sweet love.



Courage,
Mike G.

Thursday, March 16, 2006

Senseless Violence...



Here's a fun scene with action star Tony Jaa dispensing grand amounts of ass-kicking. Note his propensity for snapping arms and legs, where your standard action hero would settle for a punch to the face. I believe this is from Tom Yum Goong, which won't hit US theaters till the end of the year.

To those who aren't fans of the video posts, be patient. Like a kid with a new toy, I should eventually get bored with it, and move on to a new obsession.

Courage,
Mike G.

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Coming Soon...



Here's a sneak peek of what a Dallas Derby Devil Event is like.

Huge props to the folks at Dark Age Media, especially their cameraman. It's hard to tell in that clip, but he strapped on some skates to catch all the action. You can see a collection of stills here.

Courage,
Mike G.

Monday, March 13, 2006

Goodbye, Children...

Chef has left the town of South Park...

I have to say, while I don't watch the show as much as I used to, I knew that Tom Cruise/John Travolta 'Trapped In The Closet' episode would have some repercussions.

I have no desire to get sued back to the Stone Age, so these links are purely informational. I have no idea whether or not there's any truth to their claims.

This probably sealed the deal for Isaac...

Some articles on the subject...

Rolling Stone weighs in...

Courage,
Mike G.

Sunday, March 12, 2006

A Do-Over...

So, let's see if this works.



Longtime readers will recognize this as one of the first videos I ever posted on this blog. Please note though, that unlike the videos you might find on MySpace and other places, these will only play if you want them to, and you have full control.

Courage,
Mike G.

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

At Trackside:



Yup, that's me in my role as 1/2 of the announce team for the Derby Devils. I do feel a bit odd at times since the odds are pretty good that the last person who wore that jacket has been dead for some time.

If you'd like to see more pictures of last week's bout, click here.

Many thanks to the talented and skilled psycoimage.

Courage,
Mike G.

Can't Stop The Runaway...

For those of you who don't know, I have a small outpost on MySpace. I use it to keep tabs on my Derby Devils, but otherwise, I'm just too lazy to do anything of substance with it.

Also, browsing MySpace almost always turns into a big case of Tired Head. There's only so many times I can see non-scrolling backgrounds, multiple animated GIF avatars, five different video clips, comments made by people who can't be bothered to resize their pictures, and surveys, surveys, surveys.

Anyways, the real reason I'm posting is to highlight individual Devils. First up is
The Jersey Runaway.

The Runaway is a member of the Suicide Shifters, and she put on a skating clinic at our bout last week. BTW, the next bout is on April 2. Be on the lookout for further installments.

Courage,
Mike G.

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

More Essential Items...

From the fine folks at Deez Teez:


This shirt would go great with a certain item too.

Courage,
Mike G.

Simple Pleasures...

So I'm watching Unwrapped, all the while remembering the late great Double Dare.

Inbetween segments on how Nutella was made[note: their spokesman until some Denver...Unpleasantness? Kobe Bryant] and some restaurant that made over 100 different types of peanut butter, was this item:



The Butter Bell.

According to the company, you can keep a whole stick of butter fresh and spreadable for up to a month without having to put it in the fridge. Also, these have been around for about 200 years.

The things you miss when you're busy stealing music online.

Courage,
Mike G.

Monday, March 06, 2006

The Quest Begins Anew...

As DFW's greatest flat-track Roller Derby League starts it's first official season.

The Dallas Derby Devils held their first bouts of the 2006 season earlier tonight, and though I may be a bit biased, I think it went off without a hitch. Alongside our returning teams, The Wrecking Crew, The High Seas Hotties, and The Suicide Shifters, we debuted a new team, The Slaughterers.

I hope everyone had a great time, and wasn't too beaten down by my announcing. If it's of any comfort, I did strain my voice so...you know, small favors.

Pictures/video may be here sooner than you think.

Courage,
Mike G.

Saturday, March 04, 2006

Mmmm...Anthropomorphic.

Ever wanted to see The Simpsons with live actors?

Here's a taste.

Courage,
Mike G.

Thursday, March 02, 2006

Supply And Demand...

So the guy that founded Domino's has plans for his own town.

I think it's a bit funny that the town is banning all of these 'immoral' products and services.

If these townsfolk were truly living the way Mr. Monaghan and his partners wanted, there could be a 24-hour free pornography/abortion/condom warehouse in the middle of town and noone would ever walk in the door.

Unless you choose to do 'the right thing', it doesn't really matter.

Courage,
Mike G.

Till All Are One...

So...does anyone have a spare $175 that they can donate to their favorite blogger?





You got the touch
You got the power

After all is said and done
You've never walked, you've never run,
You're a winner

You got the moves, you know the streets
Break the rules, take the heat
You're nobody's fool

You're at your best when when the goin' gets rough
You've been put to the test, but it's never enough

You got the touch
You got the power

When all hell's breakin' loose
You'll be riding the eye of the storm

You got the heart
You got the motion

You know that when things get too tough
You got the touch

You never bend, you never break
You seem to know just what it takes
You're a fighter

It's in the blood, it's in the will
It's in the mighty hands of steel
When you're standin' your ground

And you never get hit when your back's to the wall
Gonna fight to the end and you're takin' it all

You got the touch
You got the power

When all hell's breakin' loose
You'll be riding the eye of the storm

You got the heart
You got the motion

You know that when things get too tough
You got the touch

You're fightin' fire with fire
You know you got the touch

You're at your best when when the road gets rough
You've been put to the test, but it's never enough

You got the touch
You got the power

You got the touch
You got the power


Courage,
Mike G.

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

Sheer Arrogance...

When a company decides to make a video game based on a movie that is a reimagining of one of the greatest comic book movies of all time, that takes some brass.

But EA has decided to bite the bullet [to coin a phrase] and release Superman Returns. They've also posted a trailer where Supes takes on Metallo.

While it's only a trailer for a video game, you get a sense of why Bryan Singer gave up directing X-Men 3 for Superman.

Courage,
Mike G.