New Year! New Post! Hopefully not the only one of 2014!
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If you felt a large exhale breezing across the Toronto skyline, it may have came from Mayor Rob Ford's office at City Hall. Alas, another large politician who is making apology after apology for Bobby Moynihan to portray on a weekly basis has entered the squared circle. Chris Christie, current New Jersey governor and potential presidential candidate, (well.. not now) may have had someone on his staff shut down two of three lanes providing access to the George Washington Bridge from September 9-13 causing chaos for commuters and emergency vehicles alike. Pretty annoying for everyone involved but even more so for the poor guy who died because the ambulance couldn't get to him. Why would he do this you ask? Political revenge obviously. The target: a small town democratic Mayor, a Mr. Mark Sokolich of Fort Lee who hadn't supported him in the 2013 New Jersey Gubernatorial (Governors') Election. Emails from Christie staffers even referred to Sokolich in a derogatory manner knowing the highway closure would affect him. On company emails boys? Come on. I expect a bit more from politicians sleazy wise. I didn't think he'd completely deny and blame then fire staffers, though he does look like the type of bloke who would encase someone in cement and dispatch them to the bottom of the lake. And hot on the heels of the "highway gate" (did I just coin that?) CNN learned that a federal inquiry on the advance made by Christie from Hurricane Sandy relief funds to fun his campaign for the 2013 Gubernatorial Election has begun. Kind of a douche movie. I don't enjoy reality TV, never have… but if these two guys hooked up on some kind of Canada vs USA fat mayor show, I'd tune into the pilot (ahem… Fox). Speaking of hilarious crack smoking mayors; it's been almost 24 years (January 18, 1990) since Marion Barry, former mayor of Washington DC was busted smoking crack in a sting operation orchestrated by the FBI and his ex-girlfriend Hazel Diane 'Rasheeda' Moore. During the videotaped arrest Barry noted that the 'bitch set me up,' and makes for outstanding YouTube watching.
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Aloha from Hawaii! I'm not actually in Hawaii. I wish..But it's been 41 years since the broadcast of the 'Elvis: Aloha From Hawaii' TV special. Elvis performed two benefit concerts for the Kui Lee Cancer Fund and recorded them both, the second of which was broadcasted via satellite to millions of viewers live become the first global concert satellite broadcast. The first show was recorded and ready to air in case the satellite technology still in its infancy failed but the show aired without interruption as scheduled on January 14, 1973. Ironically, the special didn't air in the United States until April 4, 1973 because it aired the same day as Super Bowl (Miami beat Washington if you're keep score) leaving Americans anticipating the first 'live broadcast' concert 10 weeks later. Good call! Oh, as for the actual show, here's a recap: Elvis wore an elaborate outfit with an eagle on it, he did play "Hound Dog," and ran through some other rock & roll standards like 'Johnny B Goode' and 'Long Tall Sally. Not long after the show, Elvis' divorce was finalized (he and Priscilla had separated in February 1972) and his health went downhill faster than a bottle of quaaludes at, well, Elvis' house.
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I haven't been to a music festival in a long time. Well, Riot Fest two years ago, but I was only there for a couple hours. But Lollapalooza, Warped Tour, Hellfest were all insanely fun and it was some of the most eye opening times I've ever had as an impressionable youth (is it still pronounced 'yout'?). But every time I'd have a conversation with some random person they were always true, real, fairly good folks. When I picture a music festival now I picture three days of overcrowded camping areas, overflowing portable lavatories (not to mention the rivers of piss everywhere from people who have stopped using them), and endless conversations that go like this:
Maybe I'm just getting old and curmudgeon. Maybe it's funny and horrifying all at once. Maybe I'm becoming Grandpa Simpson.
Homer: Come on Dad, you are just not with.
Grandpa Simpson: I used to be with it, until the changed what it was. Now what I am with isn't it and what is it seems scary to me. And the same thing is going to happen to you, mark my words!
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Brian Griffin is/was kind of dead. That is what we know of the death of pretend dogs. Basically, they just stopped animating the drawing of a dog for an episode or two. It caused quite the uproar when the animated canine was killed after being hit by a car in November. But knowing full well they can't kill of the best character on the show, Stewie went back in time in the Christmas episode to prevent his death and the absurd 'normalcy' of the show had been restored. Did they kill off that weird dog that was voiced by Tony Sirico? Anyways, always a genius with a master plan, creator and the voice of Brian, Seth McFarlane revealed why he did this (obvs on the Twitters): "You didn't really think we'd kill off Brian, did you? Jesus, we'd have to be f***ing high. And thus endeth our warm, fuzzy holiday lesson: Never take those you love for granted, for they can be gone in a flash." Well, there you go! Seth proves conclusively that he isn't just a dick and fart joke factory, but is giving you something to think about. The talking bear movie guy showing us what's up.
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Is Andy Kaufman alive or dead? Weird dude, never the hugest fan in that he never made me laugh out loud (lol as the kids say) but what he did was always interesting, whether he's lip synching along to a "Pop Goes the Weasel" 45 on SNL in the 70's to almost getting clocked out by Michael Richards on "Fridays" for not reading his lines… like at all. He thought it would 'be funny.' Kaufman was also obsessed with the idea of faking his own death, constantly talked friend and comedian Bob Zmuda's ear off about his brilliant scheme. Fake your own death, pop out twenty years later and yell 'Surprise!' would be the ultimate prank. He 'died' May 16, 1984 putting the twenty year mark (get out your calculators) at 2004. The years roll by, uneventfully on the Kaufman front although in 2013 a one Stephen Maddox of Greenwood, Indiana claimed to be Kaufman's son, and that his step father and Andy had switched places so he could be relieved of his mid-level fame. There was another incident in November 2013 at the 9th Annual Andy Kaufman Awards where a woman who claimed to be Andy's daughter went on stage and said her father wanted 'to live a quiet life and raise a family.' As it turns out, Andy's brother Michael Kaufman hired the woman to play Andy's daughter for the night. Too bad because I'd love Andy to just show up somewhere and do something weird.
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The Toronto Maple Leafs have hit the winter version of baseball's 'June Swoon' after a horrific December and a not-so-great November. The new year started off auspiciously enough with a win at the Winter Classic against Detroit with Tyler Bozak clinching the victory in the shootout. Still hungover from the Ann Arbor air, the Leafs soldiered through a stretch of games where they were absolutely abysmal, the low point being a 6-1 drubbing at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh. The cracks really started to show from habits established early in the season that were masked by superb goaltending. You can't give up forty shots a night and expect to win in any league higher than Junior B. The sub-par play of late can't be attributed to the goalies. They have looked weak at times, a Bernier trapezoid miscue here, a Reimer softie in a tie game there, but goaltending is the least of our issues right now. Giving up forty shots is all well and good if they are from the outside but you can't give up these grade A chances to NHL players… Just hanging Reims and Bernie out to dry. Fortunately, the Leafs currently find themselves on a three game winning streak, seemingly righting the ship (the canoe) with shootout wins against the Devils on Sunday and the Sabres Wednesday, and a huge emotional win over the Bruins in Boston sandwiched in on Tuesday. The modest streak vaulted the Leafs from their season low position of eleventh to fifth seed in the tight albeit weak Eastern Conference setting up a showdown with their oldest rivals, the Montreal Canadians, for a Saturday night "Hockey Night In Canada" tilt. Montreal currently sits in fourth place in the conference, six points up on the Leafs.
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Team Canada. Roster has been announced. Seabrook should be on the team. All I'm gonna say. Oh, and make Toews captain. Here's the Canadian team:
The Swedish, Finnish, Russian, Czech, and American teams are equally frightening. Check out the other rosters HERE.
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Songs.
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Game on 2014.
