Tuesday, July 31, 2007

On the road

I'm now part of the insane travel week, starting with Vegas for the next 24 hours or so for one conference before heading to Miami for another one the rest of the week. I thought I was going to encounter luggage issues with the way Continental handles its online bag drop, but all was good since I could check into my hotel while waiting for my bags.

Before I left, I did get to see The Simpsons Movie, and my feelings about it are much like how I feel about the show over the years -- it was a thrill to watch for most of the movie (the animation was impressive), but as it dragged on toward the end, it wasn't as much fun as I hoped it to be. But still reasonably satisfying as a whole.

I also got my first taste of Ring of Honor wrestling as it was playing literally a couple of streets down from my house at a driving range/mini golf/tennis court/roller hockey complex. In fact, they just plopped a wrestling ring in the middle of the roller hockey rink and added some seats around it and voila, instant show.

Not a bad show overall, as it was the tail end of special tournament (although one of the wrestlers in the tournament accidentally broke the trophy during his ring entrance; naturally he lost the match), and I did get to see most of the roster in some form. The guys all seemed to work hard, and there was decent action, even if I hadn't heard of any of them going in. In fact, the final match of the tournament between El Generico (great name for a skinny white dude with a Mexican wrestling mask -- the generic luchador) and Claudio Castagnoli (supposedly a Swiss guy who drew a lot of Fonzie "Ayyy" chants) was a lot of fun with a ton of near falls and high spots.

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Greetings from Asbury Park

For the second time in just a couple of months, I got to check out Fountains of Wayne in concert -- this time at the legendary Stone Pony in Asbury Park. Unfortunately, Bruce did not show up, but I did see a handful of acts beforehand, as this was part of a daylong festival -- including Mike Doughty, April Smith and Drive-By Truckers. It was definitely a nice bonus to get to see DBT beforehand.

However, with a short turnaround on a small stage between DBT and FOW, there were plenty of sound problems during the Fountains of Wayne set. (Most of the time, acts alternated between the indoor and outdoor stages, giving some time for a sound check.) Bad feedback on a couple of the guitars, the lead singer's microphone deathly quiet on the first song, etc. Getting a spot about four feet in front of the stage made that much more obvious.

Otherwise, the set was nearly identical to the one at Webster Hall, except that they did "Red Dragon Tattoo" during an encore. Also, Smith came on stage to do some guest percussion work on "Hey Julie." (Actually, she crept in right in front of me during a song to get into position later, and I originally mistook her for one of the teenager-types milling in front of the stage before realizing who she was.) The band did as well as they could in spite of the errors, but obviously it wasn't as crisp as it could've been.

Another regret was not bringing my camera into the club (I'd been to too many shows lately where the no-camera things was strictly enforced.) to show exactly how simple the club was and how close I was to the stage for the final show.

Since the journey to the show involved a trip down the shore, I had to make sure to stop by Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash along the way in Red Bank to pick up a couple of trinkets. Actually, Red Bank is a very nice town, but for pop culture tourists like me, as well as a couple of girls I met who were on a concert road trip (the Police, John Mayer/Ben Folds were the other shows on the docket), the Stash is the main thing to see. That sorta irked another person I met who actually was from the town.

But at least I didn't ask the clerk there for directions to the Quick Stop, as a couple of people in the store were doing when I was there. That's another geek trip for another day.

Friday, July 20, 2007

Pop life

As I've mentioned before, I'm not eligible to play in the World Series of Pop Culture. However, I was eligible to play the Trivia Dome, an online component of the show run by VH1, and somehow won the last of their regular games and taking a nice cash prize in the process (although not anywhere close to the $250K that Twisted Misters won). I thought I was in good position to win $10K in the final challenge but got tripped up just a few questions from the end.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Come to my seminar

I've already noted before how amusing it was that early '90s infomercial legend Tom Vu is now a reasonably successful poker player. But at least now I know he's embraced his past as I saw ESPN showing clips of his old infomercials while he was part of the final table of one of the many tournaments this year.

However, I am still intrigued a bit by the weird-looking film ESPN is using for this year's tournaments. It's hard for me to place, but then again, I guess I haven't seen it in HD just yet (which is new this year).

Monday, July 16, 2007

Edited for time constraints

It's interesting that there are two World Series in the pop culture crosshairs right now.

First off, the World Series of Pop Culture has me and the rest of our office entranced for a couple of weeks. I've played against the Twisted Misters team (the young NYU guys) and they're good, giving my team one heck of a fight at TRASHionals this year. Plus, one of the Andrews clobbered us on Jeremy's audio round, and for that, he gets my respect, even if they are a bit loud and brash. Of course, if this is one of the better teams, you've got to wonder what some of us can do.

The game hasn't changed a whole lot from last year, although replacing Lisa Guerrero with the Cheetara girls is pretty much a push. It's solid for what it is, although if something like this could succeed, I wonder if a TRASH game could exist on TV as well.

As for the other World Series ... of Poker, once again it becomes very strange when a large part of the audience is rooting for the pro against a bunch of amateurs. In this case, it was Scotty Nguyen just missing out on the final table. I still think poker and golf have a lot of similarities in the spectator department, but with the rise of the game these days, the two diverge greatly when it comes to rooting for the underdog.

For instance, an amateur or a young, up-and-coming golfer will often get a lot of crowd support if he's in contention against a bunch of pros (although probably not Tiger Woods) late in a tournament, especially a major. In that case, he's bucking the odds since it's a nobody against a ton of pros.

In the main event, it's a bunch of nobodies against a few pros, so the ones who slip by and make it far will get far more support. Yes, the professionals are the underdogs against the average Joe. How many other competitions can you say that?

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Jack off

Well, sorta. WCBS-FM is back to its oldies format, replacing the controversial Jack format that I actually liked. I did wish I did hear the final minutes of the format, which involved cutting off Journey's "Don't Stop Believing," stealing from the final scene of The Sopranos.

Both stations still lived on even when the format switch took place a couple of years ago, and something similar is happening here. The oldies format, which now has some on-air personalities, takes over the main airwaves, while Jack is now on WCBS's HD feed (where the oldies were, sans DJs) and can be heard here.

While there are plenty of people jumping over to satellite radio, there is still something to be said for local terrestrial radio, especially one that still seems to connect with listeners. WCBS' oldies format still clicks in the New York area, even though its core audience isn't recommending Nuts and Gum together at last. However, there are some concessions to the Jack days, as there is a smattering of '80s music with the '60s and '70s stuff (although the '50s and early '60s stuff is close to nonexistent now).

The Jack format is definitely a demographically driven format in that it captures me, square in that Nuts and Gum age group. And I really can see why some radio critics called it oldies for a new generation given the heavy '70s and '80s rock playlist but also a lot of '90s and '00s music, along with enough randomness to pretend it's "like your iPod on shuffle." So I'll miss it on the regular radio, at least a little.

It is interesting that within the past year, two New York stations have in fact restored their old format. Before WCBS returned as an oldies station, 92.3 returned to its K-Rock format, ditching the "hot talk" format that I've never really seen work anywhere. I guess K-Rock will pick up a bit more of the recent rock stuff that Jack has (a secondary feed is more "alternative"), while I'll have to jump to the classic rock station for that stuff now.

Unfortunately, it may be asking too much for WNEW-FM (where rock lives) to be resurrected. The numerous formats has been hard to track. It's currently Fresh FM -- young adult contemporary might be the best description. There was the recent '70s-'80s dance hits format, all-Christmas, etc. Now there's an example why people jump to satellite.

Sunday, July 08, 2007

Viewer alert

It's a bit early, but it's a good time for you to at least find it on your dial, but apparently next weekend's Jeopardy! rerun will be my second episode (don't click if you don't want to be spoiled). You'll definitely have to check your local listings if you really care to see me on TV again.

Saturday, July 07, 2007

Bronx time machine

It's hard to believe that the Yankees are the only team to still hold an Old Timers Day, especially with teams like the Pirates, Red Sox and Tigers all having lots of tradition to fall back on as well. Then again, when the Yankees first did this day to retire Lou Gehrig's number, you know they can do it right.

(As an aside, what would a Devil Rays or Rockies Old Timers Day look like? I guess you can trot out Wade Boggs, Fred McGriff, Andres Galarraga and Dante Bichette; but then again you'll also see Kevin Stocker and David Nied, I guess.)

The array of Yankees introduced is always intriguing. There are the really old legends like Yogi Berra and Whitey Ford; more recent legends like Reggie Jackson, Goose Gossage, Ron Guidry and Don Mattingly; and notable names from the recent run of World Series titles like Paul O'Neill, Scott Brosius, Jim Leyritz and even Darryl Strawberry. Bucky Dent's recent firing opened things up for him to show up at the game, and Bobby Murcer's appearance was really nice, given his recent health issues.

But with all the names from the past showing up, what in the world was Homer Bush doing in the ceremonies? Especially since he's 10 years younger than the starting pitcher for the Yankees on Saturday (yes, it seems fitting that Roger Clemens was starting on Old Timers Day).

Friday, July 06, 2007

Karma Ticketmaster

So after the sunburned experience on Saturday, I redeemed myself by going back to Yankee Stadium on Tuesday with the office tickets. However, it was a weird shuffle that saw me and a fellow co-worker giving our original tickets to another one of our cubicle-mates so she could go with her family and then getting another set from someone else. Hard to figure out, but instead of the $10 face value bleacher seats, I had a $125 face value ticket just behind first base.

The game itself was a lot better, and the celebrity factor was also amusing. For the second straight time I've gotten company seats to a game, I've seen this guy at the game, and for added bonus, we got one of his co-stars. But the real star of the night was everyone's favorite former Cincinnati mayor, who was a couple of sections over and was mobbed by people wanting to take pictures with him when he tried to leave in the eighth inning.

And as for July 4th, I got a sort of an obstructed view of the East River fireworks from my friend's place on Roosevelt Island. We could've gotten a better view, but we weren't willing to pay $18 to see it from the park on the south end of the island. Still, I was impressed by the layout of the whole island -- a weird slice of suburbia in between Manhattan and Queens.

Thursday, July 05, 2007

Road trip at home

I guess I should fill in whatever leftover blanks from the trip reports from Mike and Craig . They've done a great job of wrapping up their long journey; I was just there for part of it, as well as serving as a home base for a good portion of it.

Wednesday: I actually worked on some housing stuff before a rather uneventful trip up to Hudson Valley. The one thing that struck me was the jersey t-shirt for Evan Longoria. Yes, he was the Devil Rays' top pick last year, and yes his name is that close to Gabrielle's (although they're not related). But as you can see from the stats, Longoria played all of eight games for Hudson Valley (hate that 'Gades stuff) last year. Is that enough for a t-shirt? On the other hand, I'm still interested in getting a Mike Piazza Marlins jersey or a Rasheed Wallace Hawks uni.

Thursday: It was disheartening to see the line for NBA Draft tickets wrap directly around Penn Plaza. Who said the NBA was dead? It was interesting to note that the NBA official who broke the bad news did say they asked to use the actual Garden instead of just using the Theater but were rebuffed. It also sparked one guy near us to ask, "Why did you bother advertising on the radio?" if there were only going to be a few hundred seats available once all the VIPs and entourages were taken care of.

While Mike and Craig were doing their Millionaire audition (oh yeah, I got the thanks but no thanks postcard today), Dwight and I took a quick trip to the Strand Bookstore where somehow I ended up selling out to the WWL by buying a handful of books all related to some of their talent.

We did a good job of ad libbing our way to some entertainment that night. I'd been meaning to go to Caroline's one of these days since it's right down the street from work, so it all turned out for the best, especially as we escaped the thunderstorms we all expected with the insanely hot and humid day in Manhattan (it's less comfortable there than the dry 100 degrees in Las Vegas).

Also, while I was impressed by my trip to the Stage Deli, it is notable that more than one person suggested I take them to Katz's, although it was a little out of the way from where we planned on being during the day.

Friday: Citizens Bank Park is a solid stadium, although the stairs to the upper level of seats were a bit interesting. I'm still unsure how I feel about all of the sporting venues located in one area, but there seemed to be adequate parking as well as a SEPTA stop should I need it. We did get cheesesteaks before the game, although at a pizza place down the street from the stadium and not at one of the landmark places. Still, it was a decent sandwich. Plus, it gives me more ideas for my own Philly trip.

I also finally got to a Somerset game, which is notable since the park is only about 25 minutes from my house. I thought I might actually run into people I'd know, especially since my high school did some big alumni gathering there earlier in the week. The funny part of entering the stadium was our assorted oohs and aahs when such former major leaguers as Quinton McCracken, Junior Spivey and Alan Zinter were announced in the starting lineup as we were walking in.

Saturday: I've had better experiences in the Yankee Stadium bleachers, but unfortunately this wasn't it, even if it was a nice sunny day. Then again, with Kei Igawa starting, it was going to be a long day. I just didn't think the Yankees would be one-hit that day. Hopefully I'll get those guy better tickets and a better experience soon enough. Maybe we won't have Carl complaining about the team. I did make a quick return to the Stadium already (more on that later).

Unfortunately, I don't know all of the places actual Rutgers students might go to, but I know enough of some of the areas now (specifically suburban South Plainfield/Piscataway) to find a decent diner experience before the lacrosse game. The Fountainbleau diner had some great meal deals, plus we had the requisite onion rings (no jukebox at the table, though).

Oddly enough, the MLL game had the most expensive tickets of all the games I went to on the tour, and that included two Major League Baseball games. But the entertainment was solid enough. I had no clue it was that close to home.

Now I have to knock a few more local parks off the list like Lakewood, Montclair, Sussex and maybe even Atlantic City and Camden.

It was fun tagging along for a good portion of this trip and at least see a little of the fun that I'd only heard about.

Sunday: While the rest of the traveling quizbowl circus hit Baltimore, I made the requisite trip to see Live Free or Die Hard. It had pieces of the other three movies but it obviously doesn't live up to the original, but much like Rocky Balboa, it was good for what it's worth. Very silly and it was a bit strange seeing Warren Cheswick/Mr. Mac trying to play a hacker. Oh yeah, Maggie Q kicks all sorts of ass as well.