Our Oasis

WWE's Cyber Sunday Q&D Results

2008-10-30T11:32:00.001-07:00

Wow, it's been forever since somebody posted here. Well, why don't we kick the dust off and do a little bit of wrestling talk, hm? Yeah, the 2008 edition of WWE's annual "Cyber Sunday" pay-per-view event was nearly a week ago, and you could have gotten an in-depth analysis anywhere by now, but why not come here for the quick and dirty results instead?

U.S. champion Shelton Benjamin beat R-Truth in a match that was broadcast on WWE.com prior to the show actually starting. (And you can see that match here!)
Rey Mysterio beat Kane in a "no holds barred" match.
ECW champion Matt Hardy beat Evan Bourne.
John Morrison and The Miz beat Cryme Tyme.
The Honky Tonk Man beat Intercontinental champion Santino Marella by disqualification, thanks to the interference of Beth Phoenix.
The Undertaker beat The Big Show in a "last man standing" match.
Mickie James, dressed as Lara Croft, won a costume contest.
WWE champion Triple H beat Jeff Hardy.
Batista beat World champion Chris Jericho to win the title. Steve Austin was the guest referee.

And you can go check out the voting results at Cyber Sunday's Wikipedia article, because I'm just too darn lazy to type them out. I have yet to actually watch the show, even though it's probably up on YouTube by now, but I keep hearing that the ECW Title match was good. So maybe I should go check it out. And maybe you should too. It's easier than spending 40 bucks to watch it, right?

R.I.P. Killer Kowalski

2008-08-30T18:40:00.001-07:00

WWE Hall of Famer Walter "Killer" Kowalski passed away earlier today due to complications caused by a heart attack he suffered earlier last week. He was 81 years old.

Kowalski's contributions to the business are many, but his legacy will be those he had a hand in training. Those who learned the game from Kowalski include fellow WWE Hall of Famer Big John Studd, and notable names such as Triple H, Chyna, current TNA performers Frankie Kazarian and Roxxi Laveaux, and ECW alumni The Eliminators.

We here at the OO Blog extend our deepest sympathies to the Kowalski family. Rest in peace, Killer.

Quick and Dirty WWE Draft Results (including Supplemental Draft)

2008-06-25T12:17:00.000-07:00

To RAW from SmackDown!:

Batista - has World Title match vs. Edge (SD) at Night of Champions
Chuck Palumbo
Deuce
Jamie Noble
Michael Cole
Rey Mysterio

To RAW from ECW:

CM Punk
Kane - current ECW Champion, defending vs. Big Show (SD) & Mark Henry (ECW) at Night of Champions
Kofi Kingston
Layla
Matt Striker

To ECW from RAW:

Super Crazy

To ECW from SmackDown!:

Finlay - has WWE Tag Team Title match with Hornswoggle (ECW) vs. John Morrison (ECW) & The Miz (ECW) for the WWE Tag Team Titles at Night of Champions.
Hornswoggle - see Finlay
Mark Henry - see Kane
Matt Hardy - current WWE United States Champion, defending vs. Chavo Guerrero (ECW) at Night of Champions.

To SmackDown! from RAW:

Brian Kendrick
Carlito
D.H. Smith
Jeff Hardy
Jim Ross
Maria
Mr. Kennedy
Trevor Murdoch
Triple H - Current WWE Champion, defending vs. John Cena (RAW) at Night of Champions
Umaga

To SmackDown!, from ECW:

Big Daddy V
Shelton Benjamin

2008-01-22T16:42:00.001-08:00

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Actor Heath Ledger was found dead Tuesday of a possible drug overdose in a Lower Manhattan apartment, the New York Police Department said.

The Academy Award nominated actor was 28.

More here.

2007-12-20T16:06:00.001-08:00

Rowsdower saves us and saves all the world!

Your Hero And Mine

2007-11-28T11:14:00.000-08:00

2007-09-11T14:40:00.001-07:00

New 'Tron' races on

Kosinski will program Disney sequel

By Borys Kit

Sept 11, 2007

TORONTO -- Commercial director Joseph Kosinski is in final negotiations to develop and direct "Tron," described as "the next chapter" of Disney's 1982 cult classic. Sean Bailey is producing via the Live Planet banner, as is Steven Lisberger, who co-wrote and directed the original film.

Kosinski, who last month signed on to helm the remake of "Logan's Run" for Warner Bros. Pictures, will oversee the visual development of the project and have input on the script, which is being written by "Lost" scribes Eddie Kitsis and Adam Horowitz. Story details are being kept secret.

more at http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i16c1ed3bf76536b4c669651706799643

2007-09-07T15:17:00.000-07:00

Yes please

courtesy of darkhorizons.com

Warner Bros. Pictures has picked up the feature rights to 1980's anime classic "Robotech," which featured giant robots known as mechas says The Hollywood Reporter.

Actor Tobey Maguire is producing and is eyeing the lead role in what the studio plans on being a tentpole sci-fi franchise.

A sprawling sci-fi epic, "Robotech" takes place at a time when Earth has developed giant robots from the technology on an alien spacecraft that crashed on a South Pacific isle. Mankind is forced to use the technology to fend off three successive waves of alien invasions.

The first invasion concerns a battle with a race of giant warriors who seek to retrieve their flagship's energy source known as "protoculture," and the planet's survival ends up in the hands of two young pilots.

The original "Robotech" was a re-edited and re-dialogued to combine three Japanese anime series to give the producers enough episodes to air as a daily syndicated series.

Craig Zahler ("The Brigands of Rattleborge") has been tapped to write the screenplay.

2007-07-17T12:25:00.000-07:00

BoffoBlog's web host is having some temporary issues, so just so it's published, here's the BoffoBlog entry for....

Sunday, July 15, 1:15 AM:

You ever notice that when you really, really need something to come in the mail, it takes as slow as possible to get there? I really really need a certain piece of mail to arrive before my trip to Blizzcon and Disneyland (which takes place on the 2nd-5th of next month), preferably well before it. However, it *could* take as long as the 7th to arrive. And that's not even a guarantee, just it's late after that. Gah.

Anyhoo, just wanted to say I have not forgotten about comic reviews with all the recent unpleasantness, since I know that's what keeps all the Boffoketeers coming back. I'll be catching up Real Soon Now (tm).

By the way, folks, you might want to give a checkout to Dave's Barebones Pokemon Pearl Roster. Now that I've beaten the game (DarkHelm beat Pokemon Diamond not long after), it unlocked the ability to conceivably collect all the Pokemon ever made in the game (though not all of them are actually in the game. Some are in Pokemon Diamond, some will depend on playing some of the Game Boy Advance games and transferring them over). Therefore, I've started a color coded Pokedex to show just what I have and just what I need so you guys can bask in the awesomeness with me as I show you my Pokemans. The pride and joy of my collection, I have two "shiny" Pokemon. These alternate color Pokemon are really rare. As a bonus, both happen to be very powerful dragons, both are level 100, both have very nice movesets, and one just happens to be a Legendary Pokemon. Go check it out. I'll wait.

I did want to talk about a certain subject that irks me at times tonight. And I will warn you that if anyone has not heard yet what happened to Bart Allen in Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #13 last month, it gets spoiled here, so you may want to skip this entry if you want to avoid spoilage.

First off, a blurb on Newsarama about an upcoming Marvel story got my goat. It advertised that either Aunt May Parker, Mary Jane Watson or The Black Cat would be, and I quote here, "getting the Gwen Stacy treatment", and I further quote, "taking a dirt nap".

Why? Why are comics still stuck in this rut? Gwen Stacy's death back in June 1973 (thanks Wikipedia, though I bet someone out there knew that one off hand), all the way back when I was a mere FOUR MONTHS OLD, was such a watershed event for comics that we still talk about it today. It was new. It was original. It meant something. And it had a point.

When you talk about how you're going to make someone "take a dirt nap" AND compare it to Gwen Stacy, you're automatically saying you don't have a point, as well as demeaning Gwen Stacy's character (though certain factions of my readership might argue that Marvel's been doing that for years already.)

Admittedly, cheap deaths are going to cause a sales spike for curiosity factor in the short term. In the long term, it's going to cause your universe to be a lot less fun to read. Right now, the Marvel universe is not very fun to read, and stuff like this is just going the wrong way.

Marvel's got a very rich and glorious history here. It would honestly be a shame if they screw it up.

On the other side of the fence, even as the total DC brat I was growing up, I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't acknowledge what they're doing. After a mere 13 issues as the Flash, Bart Allen has been killed. Now, DC actually seems to be going somewhere with the plotline in Countdown (I've seen some call it the best plot line going in the semi-flailing series). But right now, one wonders if Young Justice has become the new JLI in terms of editorial wrath by DC.

JLI scorecard: (leaving out members who were there for a relative cup of coffee, as well as legacy heroes like Batman and the Martian Manhunter)

Blue Beetle: Dead, shot in the head by Maxwell Lord
Guy Gardner: Ended up getting dumb powers and look as Warrior, forgotten, recently repowered as a Green Lantern. Not quite so much a jerk anymore.
Booster Gold: Faked his own death. Will have to appear to be a moron to protect the timeline.
Rocket Red: Dead, sacrificed himself to defeat 3 OMACs to save his friends (thus, it's Batman's fault)
Fire: Black King's Knight in Checkmate, retconned into murderess. Murdered Colonel Computron.
Ice: Killed by The Overmaster. Apparently has gotten better in Birds of Prey.
Captain Atom: Blasted into the WildStorm universe briefly, has now apparently become Monarch like he was supposed to before a reveal made DC make Hawk Monarch instead in a poorly conceived plan.

(Note: originally, I excluded those who formed the JLE, but realized that that really only ruled out Captain Atom and Rocket Red, who show my point even more.)

Young Justice scorecard:

Robin: Essentially untouchable due to backlash from Jason Todd's death.
Superboy: Dead due to ~~lawsuit~~ destroying evil tower.
Impulse: Killed.
Wonder Girl: Alive, but having all sorts of fun these days.
Secret: Turned into a regular, powerless human. Forgotten except for brief mention in Teen Titans.
Arrowette: Retired due to traumatic event. Forgotten except for ancillary mentions in Teen Titans. Her niche in the DC Universe is now filled by Speedy.
Empress: Totally forgotten after Young Justice.
Slobo: Turned into a statue in the HQ of Young Justice One Million in the last issue of Young Justice.
The Ray: Has joined the new Freedom Fighters.

Now, because of my... ways, I've read the entire run of Impulse. I've read the entire run of Young Justice. I've read the entire run of Teen Titans up to this point. I grew to really like Bart.

Was his run on Flash struggling? Sure. But that doesn't mean you blame the character. Thirteen issues of being the Flash... that's barely more time than Stephanie Brown was Robin.

The payoff here had better be a really super fantastic story. Even then, it might not be worth it. In a forum recently, I really didn't care about what someone was saying. I responded "My apathy has become so tangible that I think that I shall name it George. Hi, George!" Other posters, for some reason, (I credit lack of sleep) decided this was really funny and decided to run with it, and George took on a life of his own. Now, if I decide in a future forum post that I want to kill George, I can do this. George is mine.

Comics, especially working for the big two companies, you don't have that luxury. Even past respect for your fellow creators, to some extent, Superman, Batman, Captain America and Spider-Man belong to all of us. It's like a big shared toybox. If you respect the toys, you're respecting everyone else. You put the toys back in the toybox good as new when you're through and the next person who wants to use them can.

If you go killing characters willy nilly, if you go breaking the toys... let's say I write a DC story where I write the gruesome death of Snapper Carr, because I'm convinced it will spike sales. I've broken that toy. If some creator comes down the pike with just the most awesome story ever for Snapper Carr, they've either got to figure out some way to resurrect him, complicating and perhaps cheapening their story in the process, or even worse, they can't do the story at all.

Comic companies, death isn't cool anymore. It's trite. If you want to sell books, write good stories.

And if anyone ever seriously mentions "Gwen Stacy" and "dirt nap" in the same sentence again, please smack them in the head.

2007-06-26T15:38:00.000-07:00

WWE.com has recently posted the following statement re: the reporting of the tragedy:

WWE® Shocked At Latest Developments In Benoit Tragedy, Concerned By Sensationalistic Reporting

Written: June 26, 2007

STAMFORD, Conn., June 26, 2007 – World Wrestling Entertainment is stunned and saddened by the details released by local authorities concerning the double homicide-suicide involving Chris Benoit, his wife, Nancy, and his son, Daniel.

However, WWE is concerned with the sensationalistic reporting and speculation being undertaken by some members of the media following the press conference held by the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department and the District Attorney. During the press conference, the investigating authorities made the following points, all of which run contrary to the media speculation that "roid rage" was a factor in the senseless murders and suicide:

1. The authorities stated that all drugs found in the house were believed to be legal prescriptions.

2. Steroids were not, and could not, be related to the cause of death (asphyxiation). Authorities had no factual basis to speculate as to Benoit’s state of mind, and rightly did not do so.

3. Toxicology tests have not even been completed, so there is no current evidence that Benoit even had steroids or any other substance in his body. In that regard, on the last test done on Benoit by WWE's independently administered drug testing program, done on April 10, 2007, Benoit tested negative.

4. The physical findings announced by authorities indicate deliberation, not rage. The wife's feet and hands were bound and she was asphyxiated, not beaten to death. By the account of the authorities, there were substantial periods of time between the death of the wife and the death of the son, again suggesting deliberate thought, not rage. The presence of a Bible by each is also not an act of rage.

5. WWE strongly suggests that it is entirely wrong for speculators to suggest that steroids had anything to do with these senseless acts, especially when the authorities plainly stated there is no evidence that Benoit had steroids in his body, pending the toxicological reports, and that they had no evidence at this time as to the motive for these acts.

WWE is continuing to monitor the ongoing investigation being conducted by local authorities.

2007-06-26T12:35:00.000-07:00

Highlights from the sherriff/DA press conference:

Nancy was killed Friday night. Daniel was killed Saturday morning. Chris apparently committed suicide later Saturday.
There was no note, but some odd text messages received hours after Chris sent them to some of his WWE co-workers. This caused WWE to initiate a "welfare check" with the sherriff's office. The family was found dead at 2:30pm Eastern on Monday.
There were prescription drugs in the house. At this time, it is believed all the prescriptions were legal. Steroids were among the prescriptions.
A Bible was found placed next to both Nancy and Daniel.
The police are waiting on toxicology reports just to make sure nothing strange shows up, but barring anything strange, they believe they have what happened figured out.
At this point, they have no idea as to possible motive.

2007-06-26T10:04:00.001-07:00

CNN.com's top story:

ATLANTA (AP) -- Pro wrestler Chris Benoit strangled his wife and smothered his son before hanging himself in his weight room, a law enforcement official close to the investigation told The Associated Press Tuesday.

The official spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Authorities also said they are investigating whether steroids may have been a factor in the deaths of Benoit, his wife and their 7-year-old son who were found dead in an apparent murder-suicide.

Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard said test results may not be back for weeks or even months.

More here

2007-06-25T16:32:00.000-07:00

Our Oasis extends its sincerest condolences upon the death of Chris Benoit, his wife Nancy (who formerly portrayed "Woman" in WCW) and their son Daniel today at his home in Atlanta.

At this point, details are sketchy.

WWE.com story

2007-06-18T01:07:00.001-07:00

Wrestling Society X has stripped Ricky Banderas of their title, due to his upcoming debut with TNA, in the most awesomely awesome way ever.

The following statement from them is courtesy 411:

As of today, Fathers Day Sunday June 17, 2007, Ricky Banderas, the Wrestling Society X Champion has been stripped of the Championship due to unsportsmanlike activities unbecoming to a champion.

Early last week, Mr. Banderas was held by police in Wilkes-Barre, PA and is a "person of interest" in the limousine explosion which may or may not have killed Dr. Vincent Kennedy McMahon, Chairman of the World Wrestling Entertainment. Banderas was apprehended after a long struggle involving several chokeslams, and illegal fireballs, subjected to five hours of questioning in which three translators were called in, along with a criminologist who swore Banderas was speaking his an unknown dialect which required close captioning to understand.

Detective Colin MacNiff of the Wilkes-Barre Special Crimes Pro-Wrestling division remarked upon releasing Ricky Banderas from custody due to lack of evidence and comprehension "Mr. Banderas has some priors involving fire and pro wrestling. Hell, he won the WSX title by rigging a coffin with explosives. Even so, what part do explosions play in the wonderful world of pro wrestling? Can someone please explain to me why so many tax dollars are wasted on fruitless pro wrestling investigations?"

Wrestling Society X wishes Ricky Banderas all the best in his future endeavors. We have sent a delicious Hickory Farms summer sausage gift basket to his hospital room in Mexico City as he's is recuperating nicely after his long awaited plastic surgery for his horrific burns courtesy of Vamprio and waiting for the heat to die down.

Details involving the future of the WSX Championship and Wrestling Society X are forthcoming.

2007-06-16T04:30:00.001-07:00

WWE Hall of Famer "Sensational" Sherri Martel (real name Sherri Russell) passed away at her home Friday morning. No details are available at this time. She was 49.

Courtesy: Wrestling Observer, via 411.

2007-05-31T15:57:00.001-07:00

Official seal:

WWE's Ladder Match DVD specs

2007-04-26T18:49:00.000-07:00

WWE is apparently putting together a two-disc DVD focused on ladder matches, TLC matches, and Money In The Bank matches. And according to Dave Meltzer over at the Wrestling Observer, here's what matches are going to be on it...

Jake Roberts vs. Big Daddy Ritter
Stampede Wrestling - 1979
Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart
WWF house show - July 21, 1992
Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon
SummerSlam - August 27, 1995
Triple H vs. The Rock
SummerSlam - August 30, 1998
Edge & Christian vs. The Hardy Boyz
No Mercy - October 17, 1999
Edge & Christian vs. The Hardy Boyz vs. The Dudley Boyz
SummerSlam - August 27, 2000
Shannon Moore & Shane Helms vs. Jamie Noble & Evan Karagias vs. Kaz Hayashi & Jimmy Yang
WCW Starrcade - December 17, 2000
Chris Benoit vs. Chris Jericho
Royal Rumble - January 21, 2001
Edge & Christian vs. The Hardy Boyz vs. The Dudley Boyz
WrestleMania X-Seven - April 1, 2001
Edge & Christian vs. The Hardy Boyz vs. The Dudley Boyz vs. Chris Benoit & Chris Jericho
SmackDown! - May 24, 2001
Edge vs. Christian
No Mercy - October 21, 2001
Rob Van Dam vs. Eddie Guerrero
Monday Night Raw - May 27, 2002
The Undertaker vs. Jeff Hardy
Monday Night Raw - July 1, 2002
Kane & The Hurricane vs. Rob Van Dam & Jeff Hardy vs. Bubba Ray & Spike Dudley vs. Chris Jericho & Christian
Monday Night Raw - October 7, 2002
Chris Jericho vs. Christian
Unforgiven - September 12, 2004
Edge vs. Christian vs. Kane vs. Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit vs. Shelton Benjamin
WrestleMania 21 - April 3, 2005
Rey Mysterio vs. Eddie Guerrero
SummerSlam - August 21, 2005
Edge vs. Matt Hardy
Monday Night Raw - October 3, 2005
Edge vs. Ric Flair
Monday Night Raw - January 16, 2006
Edge vs. John Cena
Unforgiven - September 17, 2006
Jeff Hardy vs. Johnny Nitro
Monday Night Raw - November 20, 2006
Paul London & Brian Kendrick vs. William Regal & Dave Taylor vs. MNM vs. The Hardy Boyz
Armageddon - December 17, 2006

The DVD will also feature a one-minute clip from the famous ladder match at WrestleMania 10 between Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon, as well as highlights from the ladder match from WrestleMania 16 that involved the Hardyz, the Dudleyz, and Edge & Christian. Also included are interviews with Shawn Michaels, Jeff Hardy, Edge, Gregory Helms, Chris Benoit, Kane, Shelton Benjamin, Ric Flair, and MNM.

WrestleMania 23: Results of the Quick & Dirty Kind

2007-04-01T20:23:00.000-07:00

Mr. Kennedy beat Jeff Hardy, King Booker (with Queen Sharmell), Finlay, C.M. Punk, Matt Hardy, Randy Orton, and Edge in the "Money In The Bank" ladder match when he grabbed the briefcase at 19:10.
The Great Khali pinned Kane at 5:31 after the two-handed chokeslam.
U.S. champion Chris Benoit pinned Montel Vontavious Porter at 9:19 after the diving headbutt.
The Undertaker pinned World champion Batista to win the title at 15:47 after the Tombstone.
Rob Van Dam, Sabu, Tommy Dreamer, and The Sandman beat Elijah Burke, Marcus Cor Von, Matt Striker, and Kevin Thorn (with Ariel) when Van Dam pinned Striker at 6:26 after the Five-Star Frog Splash.
In the "Battle of the Billionaires," ECW champion Bobby Lashley (with Donald Trump) pinned Intercontinental champion Umaga (with Vince McMahon and Armando Alejandro Estrada) at 13:02 after special guest referee Steve Austin gave Umaga the Stone Cold Stunner. Trump and Lashley shaved McMahon bald, then Austin gave Trump a Stunner.
In a lumberjack match, women's champion Melina pinned Ashley Massaro at 3:14 with a victory roll.
WWE champion John Cena by Shawn Michaels by submission at 28:21 with the STFU

2007-03-29T13:06:00.000-07:00

Spinner.com posted their list of the 20 worst lyrics ever:

http://www.spinner.com/2007/03/27/the-worst-lyrics-ever-no-20/

(Composers in parentheses)

20. "If I was a sculptor / But then again, no" - Your Song - Elton John (Bernie Taupin)

19. "Lucky that my breasts / Are small and humble / So you don't confuse / Them with mountains" - Whenever, Wherever - Shakira

18. "I love you like / A fat kid loves cake" - 21 Questions - 50 Cent

17. "There's an insect / In your ear / If you scratch / It won't disappear" - Staring At The Sun - U2

16. "Relentless lust / Of rotting flesh / To trash the tomb she lies / Heathen whore / Of Satan's wrath / I spit at your demise" - Necrophiliac - Slayer

15. "Leaving was never my proud" - Leaving New York - R.E.M.

14. "I ain't never seen / An ass like that / The way you move it / You make my pee-pee go / 'Doing-doing-doing'" - Ass Like That - Eminem

13. "There were plants / And birds / And rocks / And things" - Horse With No Name - America

12. "Time is like a clock / In my heart" - Time (Clock of the Heart) - Culture Club

11. "I wish it was Sunday / That's my fun day / My I-don't-have-to-run day" - Manic Monday - The Bangles (Prince)

10. "I'm all out of faith / This is how I feel" - Torn - Natalie Imbruglia (Anne Preven)

9. "Now you're amazed / By the VIP posse / Steppin' so hard / Like a German Nazi" - Play That Funky Music - Vanilla Ice

8. "My panty line shows / Got a run in my nose / My hair went flat / Man, I hate that" - Honey I'm Home - Shania Twain

7. "I don't think that I've got the stomach / To stomach calling you today" - See You - Save The Day

6. "Your butt is mine" - Bad - Michael Jackson

5. "But if this ever-changing world in which we live in..." - Live and Let Die - Paul McCartney and Wings

4. "Young, black and famous / With money hangin' / Out the anus" - Can't Nobody Hold Me Down - Puff Daddy and Mase

3. "I don't like cities / But I like New York / Other places / Make me feel like a dork" - I Love New York - Madonna

2. "War is stupid / And people are stupid" - War Song - Culture Club

1. "Coast to coast / L.A. to Chicago" - Smooth Operator - Sade

2007-03-07T11:00:00.000-08:00

A major event has occurred in Marvel's released comics today.

If you want spoilers, hit here.

I am not going to be happy about this one come my Monday comics review.

2007-03-06T16:12:00.001-08:00

411 is reporting that Allen Coage, best known as Bad News Brown during a run in the WWF passed away after being rushed to Calgary's Rockyview Hospital for chest pain.

Coage was 63.

2007-03-06T09:07:00.000-08:00

Recently, a large "Internet pharmacy" in Florida suspected of being a major supplier of illegal steroids and Human Growth Hormone (HGH) was raided and their records seized. A number of professional athletes were discovered in their customer lists.

According to SI.com, one name that has turned up is Kurt Angle, who "received two prescriptions for trenbolone and one for nandrolone between October 2004 and February '05." Angle's spokesman did not return messages seeking comment.

The whole article is here:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/more/03/06/rx.trouble0312/index.html

According to Wikipedia:

Trenbolone is a livestock steroid that has never been approved in any form for human consumption by the FDA, and in fact classifies as a Schedule III drug under the controlled substances act. It's used illicitly to increase muscle mass.

Nandrolone is a steroid with less side effects than most, and has some medical qualities approved for human use. It's still illegal without a legitimate prescription though.

2007-03-05T09:32:00.000-08:00

The Tampa Tribune, via 411mania, has announced that the cause of Scott "Bam Bam" Bigelow's death was determined to be "toxic levels of cocaine and the antianxiety drug benzodiazepine in his system as well as arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, narrowing of small blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the heart." The report goes on to say that "The Pasco-Pinellas Medical Examiner's Office has ruled the death as accidental."

2007-02-28T17:37:00.001-08:00

According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, via IP:

"During the Christian vs. Kurt Angle match on PPV, Angle had called a spot where he would do ten German suplexes but stopped after seven. He appeared to be in pain after the match but wouldn't let on if anybody noticed."

2007-02-28T16:42:00.000-08:00

If there wasn't enough reason to hate Civil War.

In this interview on Newsarama, Marvel writer Mark Millar comments near the end:

"Like all my pals, the TV and movie people have come calling and even the computer game people (which is weird because games are for pedos and I have no interest)."

Well, Mr. Millar, I've enjoyed games for decades, and I'm certainly no pedo, so screw you. Oh, and your story ended up absolutely sucking.

2007-02-26T19:54:00.000-08:00

You know, it's been a while since I showed my various WoW characters, and they've gone through a lot of change in that time, so why not?

I'll do it on here rather than BoffoBlog because it's easier to incorporate multiple images here with BlogSpot's editor than on BoffoBlog with just HTML.

BOFFO

"Well, I never wear buttons, but I got a cool hat."

Now at level 53, my eponymous character has become my clear main. He has the epic Lei of Lilies necklace that he can pick petals from that restore his health and mana, and the epic Robes of Insight, granting up to 500 mana discounted off the cost of a spell in a pinch.

In 5 levels, he'll be able to finally go through the Dark Portal and explore Outland and the main content of the recent expansion.

HUMANSBANE

Humansbane is a new character since last time as he's a member of the expansion's new Blood Elf race. I admit it's a weird sounding name, but it comes from the idea of Wolfsbane, a plant reputed to stop werewolves. Basically, with this name he's taken, this character sees himself as the cure to the "disease" of humanity.

This fits into the lore of the Blood Elves. When they were allied with Humans, their liaison was a bigoted human who kept sending them out on suicide missions as cannon fodder. This drove the Blood Elves to the other side... therefore both Humans and Blood Elves see the one as betraying the other.

Humansbane's pet is a Dragonhawk, one of the new pets in the game with the expansion. Dragonhawks have have a limited area of effect flame attack that can be very handy. I gave this one the awe inspiring name "Expendable".

DarkHelm's Blood Elf Paladin Elrena has very similar skin and hair color, so we put into their backstories that they were siblings.

ILP

Ilp was meant to both be a suitable Undead sounding name as well as an acronym standing for Impressive Looking Priest, referring to the character in The Princess Bride who proclaimed "Mawwaige!" I later learned the official credit for him was "The Impressive Priest". On a suggestion from DarkHelm, Ilp's lack of lower jaw helps in his astounding powers of pronunciation.

IRIDISCIA

Iridiscia was once my Alliance main, named after a character in a random sci-fi story I wrote when I was younger.

(As a matter of fact, I believe the story is available in the Dave's Works section of my Home Page.)

She has just made level 40, and thus just become able to ride mounts (Nightsabers, which are tiger-like), and has upgraded from leather to mail armor. She is armed with the epic Bow of Searing Arrows. Her main pet at the moment is the gorilla named "Naked".

...well, he is.

I assume it's a he.

LIBBI

This is a character that was obviously named in better times. She was and still is meant solely as a gesture of respect to her namesake.

That said, this Paladin has also reached level 40 and has gotten her mounts. She has gotten horses because she's human, as well as a special horse because she's a Paladin. She has also upgraded from mail to plate armor.

In addition, on a recent dungeon run, Boffo obtained the epic Nightblade two handed sword and shipped it to her as the only character on the Alliance side who could use it. This is to date the first and only epic that has dropped for me instead of being bought.

MORSH

Until fairly recently, Morsh was my main character, as I figured early on that an Orc Warrior was a fairly straightforward character to play. He still has the rare Baby Murloc minipet I received as an attendee of BlizzCon as there's no way to move the pet.

He has the same epic Lei of Lilies that Boffo has (though it's less benefit to Morsh because Morsh has no mana), as well as the epic weapons Bloodrazor and Flurry Axe (both with the Enchant Crusader, which offers a chance of immense extra strength on each hit) and the epic shield Wall of the Dead.

MUUCAU

This is a character back by popular demand... or at least by the demand of Matt Sutton, and he's popular.

The original Muucau was my Tauren Shaman, who became expendable when the expansion ended up introducing two new races without adding any new character slots per server. As I was reaching my limit on my main server, having two Tauren was no longer feasible. So I deleted Muucau as the new expansion would allow Draenei to be Shamans as you'll see below.

This made Matt a saaaaaaad Sutton.

Later I decided to retire my Tauren Druid Greygear because the concept behind the character (that she would only wear poor quality, or grey, gear) became unworkable. So I made a new Tauren Druid named Muucau, that I liked to imagine was the child of the original Muucau and Greygear.

This made Matt happy!

And isn't THAT what matters?

SAPSINGER

There's your good old fashioned nightmare fuel.

The Gnome Rogue Sapsinger is based on my old RPG character Sapsinger Tanglebeard the Kender.

Why is he wearing a dress? Two reasons.

1. Because during character creation of Sapsinger Tanglebeard, DarkHelm reminded me that I needed to buy at least one set of clothes, creating a running gag where Sapsinger would streak if bored.

2. Because during the Valentine's Day event on WoW, *twice* I ended up getting a very rare drop of a "Lovely Black Dress". This was a good thing because I got a total of 180 gold selling these on the Auction House, but my guild mates taunted me about it in fun while I was on Sapsinger... so as a quest reward for one of the seasonal quests, I took and wore a "Lovely Red Dress" and that's what he's wearing here.

Hoping you haven't clawed your eyes out here, we'll continue...

STORMWINDSPY

Stormwindspy is another gimmick character. Basically, I have him eat things that change his appearance to look like a human rather than a troll, and when my adventures carry me to a Horde capital city, I give an announcement about how the denizens there can proceed with their evil Horde activities while I observe, safe in the knowledge that I will not report on them to my true masters in Stormwind. Luckily most people go along with the humor.

TRAITOR

Traitor is a name in the same kind of vein as Stormwindspy, but I really don't do the same kind of shenaningans over general chat. I let the humor of the name speak for itself.

I recently completed a quest chain where at the end of it, an NPC yelled something to the effect of "All hail Traitor! Hero to the Draenei! Savior to our people!" and had someone whisper a laugh to me.

And over on another server...

FLAMEBEARD

Since I didn't have a dwarf on my main server (due to having two humans), and because I wanted to try a Role Playing Server as an alternate experience, I started this character.

Now dwarves can choose between the classes Warrior, Rogue, Priest, Paladin or Hunter. On my Warrior, it was fun at first, but I've hit a real snag with soloing in later levels. Rogues and Priests have been also harder to solo. And since there have been 10 races, 10 slots per server and only 9 classes, I've already had to repeat one class, and that class has been Hunters (both the Night Elf Iridiscia and the Blood Elf Humansbane are Hunters), so I took my 2nd Paladin here (after Libbi).

Paladins can be an easy class to play because they have good melee abilities and can cure themselves.

Anyway, that's my cast of characters.

2007-02-25T23:22:00.000-08:00

During IGN's coverage of the New York Comic Convention '07, the following Announcement was made, courtesy comics.ign.com:

NYCC 07: Whedon Revives Serenity
Mal and his pirates will return this fall.
by Richard George

February 25, 2007 - Earlier today at the Dark Horse panel, publicist Jeremy Atkins and editor Scott Allie confirmed that Joss Whedon's Serenity would see a sequel series published. The mini would take place prior to the movie but likely after Firefly, the short-lived television series based on the same property.

Whedon would once again team with Brett Matthew to write the books. Artist Will Conrad would return to do art and Adam Hughes was tentatively committed to doing covers.

Details were fairly light since the series is still far away. Allie stated that the series would launch some time in the fall, most likely September. The premise would focus on the group acquiring a job so lucrative that it would let the entire crew retire. The pressure of pulling off a job with such high stakes begins to wear away at team, and they slowly begin to break apart as the storyline progresses.

Allie also confirmed that the first script was already written and submitted. IGN will have more details as the release of Serenity nears.

2006-11-27T19:01:00.000-08:00

According to 411, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper has been diagnosed with Lymphoma and will begin fighting the disease immediately. He has made the following statement:

"It seems like I have been fighting someone, something, someplace, in some manner, my whole life. But this fight, is one I am gonna win!"

Of course, we here at OO wish Piper all the best.

2006-11-14T15:27:00.000-08:00

For SmackDown! vs. RAW 2007, which released today (but it could be a while before I can pick it up), Matt and I came up with an ultimate Legends Wrestlemania.

The rules were simple:

Each Legend in the game had to be used.
Each character could only be used once.
Legend vs. current superstar is always preferable.

With those rules in mind, here's what we came up with, we haven't done the finetuning for card order yet:

Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Snitsky
The Hart Foundation (Bret "The Hitman" Hart & Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart) vs. Kurt Angle & Chris Benoit
Cactus Jack vs. Umaga
Dude Love vs. Booker T
Dusty Rhodes vs. JBL
Eddie Guerrero vs. Shawn Michaels (after Eddie's death, Shawn confirmed this match never happened)
Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin & John Cena vs. "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, The Rock & Edge in a "Generations" Six Man Elimination Tag Team Match
Mankind vs. Rob Van Dam
Mr. Perfect vs. Triple H

Let me know your thoughts!

2006-11-10T00:23:00.000-08:00

Also announced: the specs for WWE's new DVD about the old American Wrestling Association, "The Spectacular History of the AWA."

Nick Bockwinkel & Ray Stevens vs. The High Flyers - August 23, 1971
Verne Gagne vs. Baron Von Raschke - July 13, 1974
Pat Patterson & Ray Stevens vs. Frank Hill & Billy Robinson - May 20, 1978
Verne Gagne & Mad Dog Vachon vs. Adrian Adonis & Jesse Ventura - March 22, 1980
Verne Gagne vs. Nick Bockwinkel - May 10, 1981
Verne Gagne & Jim Brunzell vs. Jesse Ventura & Adrian Adonis - August 31, 1981
Nick Bockwinkel vs. Hulk Hogan - April 18, 1982
Jesse Ventura vs. Baron Von Raschke - March 18, 1983
Hulk Hogan vs. Masa Saito & Massao Hattori - April 28, 1983
The Road Warriors vs. The Crusher, Larry Hennig, & Curt Hennig - January 13, 1985
Shawn Michaels & Marty Jannetty vs. Buddy Rose & Doug Somers - December 25, 1986
Nick Bockwinkel vs. Curt Hennig - May 2, 1987
Jerry Lawler vs. Kerry Von Erich - December 13, 1988

The DVD, which also features a two-hour documentary about the promotion itself, will be released a week from this Tuesday.

2006-11-10T00:20:00.000-08:00

The specs for World Wrestling Entertainment's new DVD "ECW: Extreme Rules," set for release on January 30th, have been announced.

Disc One - Old-School ECW:

The Sandman vs. Cactus Jack - July 1, 1995
The Gangstas vs. The Eliminators in a cage weapons match - August 24, 1996
Tommy Dreamer vs. Brian Lee in a scaffold match - October 26, 1996 (with optional commentary with Dreamer and Jonathan Coachman)
The Sandman vs. Sabu in a Stairway To Hell match - January 10, 1998
Bubba Ray, D-Von, & Big Dick Dudley vs. The Sandman, Tommy Dreamer, & Spike Dudley in a street fight - August 2, 1998
Sabu vs. Tazz in a death match - March 21, 1999
Mike Awesome vs. Masato Tanaka - December 31, 1999
Steve Corino vs. The Sandman vs. Justin Credible in a Tables, Ladders, Chairs, & Canes match - January 7, 2001

Disc Two - The New ECW:

The Dudley Boyz vs. Tommy Dreamer & The Sandman - June 12, 2005
Rey Mysterio vs. Rob Van Dam - June 7, 2006
Rey Mysterio vs. Sabu - June 11, 2006
Mick Foley, Edge, & Lita vs. Tommy Dreamer, Terry Funk, & Beulah McGillicutty - June 11, 2006
The Big Show vs. Rob Van Dam - July 4, 2006
The Big Show vs. Ric Flair - July 11, 2006
Rob Van Dam vs. Sabu in a ladder match - August 16, 2006
Rob Van Dam & Sabu vs. Test & Mike Knox - September 5, 2006
Rob Van Dam vs. Hardcore Holly - July 26, 2006

2006-11-09T13:13:00.000-08:00

The third Survivor Series match has been announced:

In a four-on-four elimination match, it'll be Ric Flair, Roddy Piper, Dusty Rhodes, & Sgt. Slaughter, with Arn Anderson in their corner, vs. Kenny, Johnny, Mikey, and Nicky of the Spirit Squad.

2006-11-08T12:42:00.000-08:00

The second match for the Survivor Series has been announced on WWE.com: John Cena, Kane, Rob Van Dam, Sabu, and Bobby Lashley vs. The Big Show, Finlay, Test, Umaga, and MVP in a traditional five-on-five elimination match.

2006-11-07T14:26:00.000-08:00

WWE.com has announced the first match for Survivor Series this year.

In a traditional 5 on 5 elimination match:

Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy & C.M. Punk

vs.

Edge, Randy Orton, Johnny Nitro, Gregory Helms & Mike Knox

Q&D Cyber Sunday Results

2006-11-06T09:03:00.000-08:00

Courtesy 411 for voting results:

Umaga defeated Kane with a Leaping Samoan Strike (Kane wins the poll as Umaga's opponent with 49% of the vote)

Cryme Tyme defeated Murdoch & Cade and Haas & Viscera and The Highlanders in a Texas Tornado Match when Murdoch & Cade hit the Hi-Low on Robbie, and Cryme Tyme steal the pin (Texas Tornado: 50%)

Jeff Hardy defated Carlito to retain the WWE Intecontinental Title with the Swanton Bomb (Carlito: 62%)

Edge & Randy Orton defeated DX (Eric Bischoff special guest referee) when Randy Orton RKOed HHH on a chair (Bischoff: 60%)

Lita defeated Mickie James to WIN the WWE Women's Title in the Tournament Final in a Lumber-Jill Match with a DDT (Lumber-Jill Match: 46%)

Ric Flair & "Rowdy" Roddy Piper defeated The Spirit Squad (Kenny and Mikey) to WIN the WWE World Tag Team Titles when Mikey tapped to the Figure Four while Kenny and Piper were brawling. (Piper: 46%)

King Booker defeated John Cena & The Big Show to win the Champion of Champions Match and retain the WWE World Title when Booker pinned Cena after nailing him with the World Title Belt. K-Fed came into the ring and mocked Cena after the match. (World Title: 67%)

During the event, Booker and Sharmell tried proposing to Cena that they gang up on The Big Show (Sharmell had earlier tried proposing the same exact thing to Show and was rebuffed.) When Cena said that the cost would be a night with Sharmell, it made the two slip out of their affected British accents, and Booker briefly sent Sharmell away. Booker then ACCEPTED the deal, to which Cena asked what was wrong with him. As Sharmell walks back in, Cena then says he wants:

Sharmell
A 2x4
Finlay's midget
A bottle of Yager
Booker to watch

This causes Ron Simmons to come in and give us his "DAMN." of the night.

Also, this PPV is now historic as Roddy Piper now has TWO WWE Titles for his career. Matt and I were brainstorming as well, and as far as we can figure it, he may very well be the ONLY person so far to win a WWE title AFTER his induction to the Hall of Fame.

2006-11-03T15:22:00.000-08:00

These are my personal picks for the top 5 influential matches on the wrestling industry of all time:

5. Shane Douglas vs. 2 Cold Scorpio, NWA World Title Tournament Final, August 27th, 1994

Shane wins the title, throws it down, NWA Eastern Championship Wrestling dies, and Extreme Championship Wrestling is born, a little company so beloved and imitated that it was actually brought back 5 years after it went bankrupt.

4. Lex Luger, Randy Savage & Sting vs. Kevin Nash, Scott Hall & A Mystery Partner, WCW Bash at the Beach 1996, July 7th, 1996

Here, you have the formation of the New World Order, and at the time, the most shocking heel turn of all time. This is the angle that nearly KILLED the WWF.

3. Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart for the WWF Title, Survivor Series 1997, November 9th, 1997

And here's half of what saved it. At the time, you would think this match would be influential because of Bret Hart's defection, but through no to little fault of Bret's, WCW completely pissed him away. I still say if he could have just gotten over the whole "screwed" thing, he could have seen WWE actually let him go when he CLEARLY never really lost the title... even Hogan clearly laid down before he left.

What this is influential for is that this directly led to the infamous "Bret screwed Bret" interview which created the character of Mr. McMahon, which is still drawing money for WWE to this day. Which leads to...

2. Steve Austin vs. Jake "The Snake" Roberts, King of the Ring Tournament Finals, King of the Ring 1996, June 23rd, 1996

The birth of Austin 3:16 and the start of the big ride for Stone Cold Steve Austin.

It wasn't supposed to be anything that made him big and popular. Austin was a heel, and they wanted to keep him that way despite the fans' cheering for him. So as a last ditch effort, they have him beat Jake Roberts, who (at the time) was professing to have found Christ, and have him say the quote as an insult to his religion. You can see Dok Hendrix (Michael Hayes) giving the interview and backing away in revulsion at the statement.

But it just made him more popular than ever, and there were just a ton of Austin 3:16 signs at the next show, so they just made the shirts and started printing their own money... especially Austin, who had the foresight to put a hefty share of merchandise rights into his contracts.

The NWO angle nealy killed the WWE. Austin/McMahon saved it. But it wouldn't be what it was in the first place without...

1. Hulk Hogan vs. The Iron Sheik for the WWF Title, January 23rd, 1984

The birth of Hulkamania.

This changed everything.

Hogan had just recently had a small part in Rocky III and Vince parlayed that minor celebrity, essentially stealing him from the AWA and starting this wave of Hulkamania. on the Ultimate Hulk Hogan Anthology, a lot of superstars talk about how being fans of Hogan was what got them to want to be wrestlers. John Cena in particular said THIS match was the first match he ever watched and it made him a fan, and helped him bond with his parents as they watched together.

Apparently though, Verne Gagne was less than happy with Hogan's desertion/theft. The Iron Sheik tells a story on both the Hogan Anthology and the Greatest Wrestling Superstars of the 80s DVD (in fact, it seems to be the same footage, except the 80s DVD is subtitled since Sheik has a heavy accent) that Gagne offered him $100,000 (a lot of money in 1984 terms) to break Hogan's leg during the match and come to the AWA with the WWF belt. Sheik refused on the basis that it would violate his religious beliefs, particularly because the elder Vince McMahon always treated him well.

That's my five. Comments?

Upcoming WWE DVDs

2006-10-27T22:59:00.000-07:00

Courtesy 411:

WWE Armageddon 2006 - Release Date: 1/16/07

ECW: Extreme Rules - 2 DVD set - Release Date: 1/30/07
"A two-disc compilation that showcases some of the best matches of the return of ECW, as well as vignettes about the newest Extremists. Hosted by Tazz and Joey Styles, ECW: Extreme Rules highlights both the new Extremists (such as Big Show, C.M. Punk, Test, Kevin Thorn, etc.) as well as the ECW Originals (including RVD, Sabu, Sandman, Dreamer, and Balls)."

WWE New Year's Revolution 2007 - Release Date: 2/06/07

The New & Improved DX - 3 DVD set - Release Date: 2/20/07
"The New and Improved D-Generation X will be a 3-disc release covering the reformation of the group that includes promos, matches and the chaos the duo of The Game and HBK caused Mr. McMahon."

WWE Royal Rumble 2007 - Release Date: 2/27/07

Royal Rumble Anthology - Release Date: 3/13/07
"January 28, 2007 will be the 20th Anniversary of the Royal Rumble. WWE fans have always loved this unique match, and when a WrestleMania championship opportunity sweetened the winner's pot, the Royal Rumble became one of the most important annual events on WWE's calendar. This DVD set will depict, in their entirety, the first 20 Royal Rumbles in a handsome collector's box. The first 12 Royal Rumble events have never been available on DVD."

WWE No Way Out 2007 - Release Date: 3/20/07

Ric Flair & The Four Horsemen - Release Date: 4/10/07
"One of the first, and coolest, factions in sports-entertainment was The Four Horsemen. This multi-disc release will cover the creation of the Horsemen and is filled with exclusive iterviews from many of the Superstars who were part of this groundbreaking group as well as rivalry highlights and complete matches."

WWE WrestleMania 23 - Release Date: 5/22/07

WWE Backlash 2007 - Release Date: 5/29/07

Great Families of Wrestling - Release Date: 6/05/07
"Some of the greatest WWE Superstars have come from family legacies that include the names McMahon, Von Erich, Funk, Hart, Guerrero, Orton, Gagne, Colon, DiBiase, Rhodes and more. Relationships and long held secrets from fathers, sons, brothers and grandsons of sports-entertainment will all be explored in the Great Families of Wrestling DVD."

WWE Judgment Day 2007 - Release Date: 6/19/07

ECW One Night Stand 2007 - Release Date: 7/10/07

WWE Vengeance 2007 - Release Date: 7/24/07

WWE Great American Bash 2007 - Release Date: 8/21/07

The Ladder Match - Release Date: 8/28/07
"Follow the evolution of the Ladder Match and see how it has evolved into one of the most popular matches in WWE today. From the first Ladder Match with Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon at WrestleMania X to the inaugural Money in the Bank Ladder Match that took place at WrestleMania 21, witness why the Ladder Match has become a staple in WWE."

The Triumph and Tragedy of World Class Championship Wrestling - Release Date: 9/18/07

WWE SummerSlam 2007 - Release Date: 9/25/07

WWE Unforgiven 2007 - Release Date: 10/16/07

Rey Mysterio: The Biggest Little Man - Release Date: 10/23/07
"Relive some of the Rey Mysterio's classic rivalries with Superstars like Eddie Guerrero, Kurt Angle, Mark Henry, Randy Orton, JBL, Chris Benoit. Also, Rey Mysterio: The Biggest Little Man will showcase some of the high-flying Superstar's most memorable tag team matches with partners RVD, Eddie Guerrero and Batista."

WWE No Mercy 2007 - Release Date: 11/06/07

John Cena: This Is My Life - Release Date: 11/06/07
"John Cena is more than just a WWE Champion. In 2005, Cena released his highly successful debut CD, "You Can't See Me" and in 2006 he starred in his first major motion picture, The Marine. Cena has reached the next level of Superstardom, and John Cena: My Life will chronicle his meteoric rise to the top of the sports-entertainment world with highlights from his biggest matches and exclusive interviews."

Steve Austin's Life and Legacy - Release Date: 11/20/07
"A career-spanning retrospective of the Rattlesnake that highlights Austin's amazing career and his legendary rivalries with Bret Hart, The Rock, Mick Foley, Triple H, Kurt Angle, Undertaker, Kane, Scott Hall, Eddie Guerrero and more. Stone Cold Steve Austin's Life and Legacy will also include footage and matches from WCW, ECW, and his Smokey Mountain days."

WWE Cyber Sunday 2007 - Release Date: 12/04/07

WWE Survivor Series 2007 - Release Date: 12/26/07

ECW December to Dismember - Release Date: 01/01/08

My responses, barring PPVs, since we don't know yet whether those will be good.

ECW: Extreme Rules - 2 DVD set - Release Date: 1/30/07

Matt has heard me go on and on before about how I wish ECW would stop emphasizing the difference between ECW Originals and the new guys, and start emphasizing that this IS ECW now, and folks like Big Show, Test and C.M. Punk are just as ECW as Sandman, Tommy Dreamer and RVD. Maybe it would let the fans get past that as well. Just this week I was reading yet again some net guy opine that RVD needs to beat Big Show for the title, and then fight ONLY ECW Originals for it, and that's stupid.

Why is it stupid? Because you cannot base a whole federation around people who were big five or more years ago. There's just not enough of them who are still over and can go. I hope this is leading up to an eventual "Originals vs. Extremists" feud, because otherwise it seems rather self destructive.

But enough rant, it is high time that the new ECW got some DVD love... one hopes that some classic matches are put on as well though.

The New & Improved DX - 3 DVD set - Release Date: 2/20/07

Me wanty. I always wanted them to re-release the original DX video, and this should supersede it. This probably means that DX is sticking around until February at least though, which is a good thing. I like them.

Royal Rumble Anthology - Release Date: 3/13/07

Gah. WWE wants my wallet. I'm a sucker for the Royal Rumble. I would love these, but would never have the money.

Ric Flair & The Four Horsemen - Release Date: 4/10/07

Well, this is the companion piece everyone always asked for after the first Ric Flair DVD package, so the Ric Flair fans will be happy. I still need to get that one. Burning question is considering WWE marketing, could we see a Horsemen reunion come April?

Great Families of Wrestling - Release Date: 6/05/07

This could be interesting. I do like how they left it at "more" just to make sure no one was offended.

The Ladder Match - Release Date: 8/28/07

This one's going to have a lot of classic stuff on it, but could really suffer from people already having the matches elsewhere.

The Triumph and Tragedy of World Class Championship Wrestling - Release Date: 9/18/07

The WWE film vault strikes! Note the Von Erichs are getting their own feature, and then essentially their own DVD in the space of just over 3 1/2 months.

Rey Mysterio: The Biggest Little Man - Release Date: 10/23/07

Rey was needing an update. I got 619 free with Mania 22, and basically all his WWE matches on there are free TV matches, and not too long after his debut at that.

John Cena: This Is My Life - Release Date: 11/06/07

I believe this is Cena's first DVD since Word Life, so he was in need of an update too, since that was fairly early in his career. This one is a tossup for me.

Steve Austin's Life and Legacy - Release Date: 11/20/07

Well, this one truly will be a career retrospective, since by all signs, Austin really cannot go anymore. Especially since by all reports, Austin's a perfectionist, and wouldn't WANT to go if he couldn't go out there and give the fans a great match. This could be good. I'm going to e-mail JR and say they should include his debut match as Steve Williams vs. "The Punisher" (Mark Callaway before he became The Undertaker) as a bonus feature, with alternate commentary by JR and Austin. It's on one of of my bargain DVDs and I believe it's WCCW, so WWE should have the rights to it.

It does strike me as ironic that the two people we always complained needed a DVD were Kurt Angle and Chris Jericho... and now, barring rehiring, neither will ever get one.

2006-10-25T16:56:00.000-07:00

Well, Jack is not in jail... yet.

Because of all the hubbub Jack has generated, Judge Friedman decided to indeed recuse himself from the case, after filing a complaint with the Florida Bar against Jack, stating that "I'll let Thompson be someone else's problem."

Thompson was reportedly in rare form, apparently finding it appropriate to bring a large posterboard sign into the court, with the judge at one point warning him "If you touch that thing one more time..." And at one point, four police officers were brought into the courtroom.

Thompson for his part, issued one of his lengthy press releases earlier today accusing Bully of "clearly teaching kids to be violent in response to bullying" (and name dropping Columbine again), and claiming that the game "routinely rewards the use of explosives, slingshots point blank to the face and the crushing of craniums with baseball bats and metal fire extinguishers." He claims that Take Two lied about the content of the game and now he's still going to get his injunction against them.

He explains away his violation of the gag order by basically alleging the judge violated his own orders and promises and thus made it okay for Thompson to "blow the whistle" on him, and implied the judge is out only for revenge.

He also tries to explain away all this as merely his own First Amendment rights, and tries to tack on a bit about how Bully is pornographic merely because it allows (not mandates or even encourages, just allows) boy-on-boy kissing.

So: Sum total, Jack has yet another Bar complaint against him, and has simply delayed the contempt charges a few days as they go in front of another judge for whom Jack won't be able to pull the bias argument.

2006-10-25T06:37:00.000-07:00

According to GamePolitics.com, Jack Thompson is currently facing Contempt of Court charges in Florida.

Basically, prior to the release of Take Two's newest game Bully, Jack demanded in Miami-Dade Circuit Court for Bully to be viewed prior to its release, and its release to be restricted or even prohibited by the court.

Judge Ronald Friedman took the unprecedented step of demanding Take Two produce footage of the game for viewing in closed session. Mind you, civil liberties people would be up in arms if a court demanded a movie or book pre-release for possible restriction.

Despite the request not being entirely proper (for example, it was not properly bonded because the game would have released in the time that was taken), Take Two produced footage, but requested a Gag Order related to the closed session, which Judge Friedman granted. After the session, Judge Friedman announced that while he found the game inappropriate for his own children, there were things on television just as bad or worse, so there was no valid reason to restrict it.

Jack went into full on temper tantrum mode (breaking his promise to accept it should he be ruled against), filing several "emergency appeals" which allegedly directly cited things from that closed session, and thus allegedly violated the gag order, which would comprise indirect contempt of court. Jack could face jail time, but fine and censure is more likely.

Jack's response to this has been essentially wild threats. And it's even more complicated.

After Friedman ruled against him, Jack announced that he was going to run against him for his judgeship when Friedman is up for re-election in 2008, and as a result is now demanding that Friedman has to recuse himself.

Jack could be facing a "show cause" hearing as early as today. A "show cause" hearing is where Jack is informed a complaint has been registered against him and that he must show cause why it shouldn't be acted on.

Today was also the day he gave to the ESRB as a deadline to re-rate Bully as an M (as opposed to its current rating of T) or face a lawsuit, basically based on his claim that he had ONE "hardcore gamer" willing to testify that all these bad things Jack claimed to be in the game were in the game and that Take Two lied to Judge Friedman. The ESRB has yet to comment.

SmackDown vs. Raw 2007

2006-10-13T11:45:00.000-07:00

THQ's "WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007" is coming out soon, and the full roster has been announced. Let's check it out...

Featured Wrestlers:

Batista
The Big Show
Bobby Lashley
The Boogeyman
Booker T
Carlito
Chavo Guerrero
Chris Benoit
Chris Masters
Daivari
Edge
Finlay
Gene Snitsky
The Great Khali
Gregory Helms
Hardcore Holly
Joey Mercury
John "Bradshaw" Layfield
John Cena
Johnny Nitro
Kane
Ken Kennedy
Kid Kash
Kurt Angle
Lance Cade
Mark Henry
Matt Hardy
Mick Foley
Paul Burchill
Psicosis
Randy Orton
Rey Mysterio
Ric Flair
Rob Van Dam
Shawn Michaels
Shelton Benjamin
Super Crazy
Trevor Murdoch
Triple H
Umaga
The Undertaker
Viscera
Vito
William Regal

Divas:

Candice Michelle
Jillian Hall
Lita
Mickie James
Torrie Wilson
Trish Stratus

Legends:

Bam Bam Bigelow
Bret Hart
Cactus Jack
Dude Love
Dusty Rhodes
Eddie Guerrero
Hulk Hogan
Jerry Lawler
Jim Neidhart
Mankind
Mr. Perfect
The Rock
Roddy Piper
Shane McMahon
Steve Austin
Tazz

Non-Playable Characters:

Jim Ross
Jonathan Coachman
Lilian Garcia
Michael Cole
Mike Chioda
Nick Patrick
Stephanie McMahon
Theodore Long
Tony Chimel
Vince McMahon

Features include the newly-added "Money In The Bank" match and the ability to run up ladders (similar to Shelton Benjamin in the real life Money In The Bank matches), overhauled table matches and TLC matches, and alternate title belts (like John Cena's spinner belt, an NWO title belt, and Steve Austin's "smoking skull" belt). Season mode will apparently be re-worked somewhat as well, with more realistic storylines and more freedom in how one wants to play.

And for those of you who own an Xbox 360, a special edition of the game is going to be sold for a limited time by EB Games and GameStop. The game will come in a special aluminum case, along with a bonus disc from WWE's "History of the WWE Championship" DVD and a copy of "The Ultimate WWE Trivia Book."

"WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007" will be released November 14th for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable.

2006-08-11T03:54:00.000-07:00

Read the first five issues of 52 for free completely legally at UGO.com:

http://www.ugo.com/channels/comics/features/52pickup/default.asp

2006-08-04T19:46:00.000-07:00

Hogan may be out for Summerslam

Courtesy Observer, via 411:

WWE.com reports that Hulk Hogan told Vince McMahon today that he may have cracked his meniscus and that he may not be able to do any of his three remaining appearances for WWE. Right now, Hogan is scheduled to appear on RAW this Monday, the 8/14 RAW, and Summerslam to face Randy Orton. Hogan apparently suffered the injury as he was getting up from his couch. He says when he got up, he heard a snap. He will be having an MRI this week to determine the nature of the injury.

2006-08-02T14:41:00.000-07:00

Forbes' 15 Wealthiest Fictional Characters

http://www.forbes.com/2002/09/13/400fictional.html

The list:

15. Jay Gatsby (from the novel The Great Gatsby): $600 million

14. Gordon Gekko (from the movie Wall Street): $650 million

13. Cruella De Vil (from the Disney movies 101 Dalmatians and 102 Dalmatians): $875 million

12. Charles Foster Kane (from the movie Citizen Kane): $1 billion

11. C. Montgomery Burns (from the TV series The Simpsons): $1 billion

10. Auric Goldfinger (James Bond villain from the movie and novel Goldfinger): $1.2 billion

9. J.R. Ewing (from the TV series Dallas): $2.8 billion

8. Lex Luthor (DC Comics character, arch nemesis of Superman): $4.7 billion

7. Bruce Wayne (DC Comics character, secret identity of Batman): $6.3 billion

6. Willy Wonka (from the novels Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and it's sequel and movie adaptations): $8 billion

5. Thurston Howell III (from the TV series Gilligan's Island): $8 billion

4. Scrooge McDuck (Classic Disney character, prominently featured in the 1990s cartoon DuckTales): $8.2 billion

3. Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks (Adoptive father of Annie from the comic strip, musical and movie of the same name): $10 billion

2. Richie Rich (Harvey Comics character who starred in 2 cartoon series and a movie): $24.7 billion

1. Santa Claus (You know who this is): Infinite net worth

2006-07-26T13:28:00.000-07:00

Courtesy SI.com:

Earlier this summer, a handful of Kentucky fans tracked down the MySpace.com page of Patrick Patterson, a coveted basketball recruit from Huntington, W.Va., who calls himself the "King of DubV" on the site. He's an undecided, 6-foot-8 forward who is rated No. 16 overall in the class of 2007 by Scout.com and is being targeted by the Wildcats and nearly every other national powerhouse.

And so those UK supporters, in their overzealousness, posted comments on Patterson's page, ranging from innocuous ("I'd sure like to see you in blue and white! GO CATS!"), to promotional (a photo of UK coach Tubby Smith coaching troops in Kuwait) to outright sexually suggestive (a pic of lips with the message, "Hey there sexy ... you need to make a trip down to Lexington soon so we can play a little one on one").

In the last poster's defense, Patterson did have a somewhat suggestive message of his own, which read, "I'm black and 6'8 and 217 lbs. So ladies, y'all know what that means" -- but in making that statement, he didn't break any NCAA rules. The UK fans who posted, however, may have -- and last week the school self-reported secondary violations for unacceptable written contact with recruits by "representatives of the institution's athletic interests" (as reported by the Lexington Herald-Leader).

MySpace, to the world at large, is a social networking site with 94 million users (in the first week in July it was the U.S.' No. 1 Internet destination, accounting for 4.46 percent of all Web visits). But in the college basketball world -- where the NCAA's archaic rules fail to effectively address modern technology -- MySpace is one big recruiting violation waiting to happen.

The NCAA's Recruiting Subcommittee plans to examine Internet issues at its meeting in September, but can it really extend its umbrella to interaction with high schoolers on MySpace? As one Division I athletic department official told SI.com this week, "You'd have to have someone on staff 24/7 to monitor it the right way -- and the cost of that would be unbelievable." Another said, "How in the world would that be policed?"

Putting restraints on the 21st-century text-messaging craze, which is currently unrestricted between coaches and recruits, is feasible; the NCAA attempting to regulate MySpace, however, would be futile. Accountability is difficult; how can you prove the true identity of a fan with a screen name like "WildcatBlue," or be sure he's not, say, a saboteur from elsewhere in the SEC? And the sheer enormity of the site -- 94 million users -- makes keeping tabs on all new messages nearly impossible.

And yet as of now, if the interpretation reached by UK (with counseling from the SEC compliance office) holds, any recruiting-oriented post made by a fan on a prospective player's MySpace page could equate to unacceptable contact by a booster. "A booster doesn't have to be someone who donates money," said Kentucky compliance director Sandy Bell. "As soon as they involve themselves in recruiting, we have to consider them a booster."

More here

2006-05-25T04:34:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the summary of 52, Issue #2

We start off with Ralph Dibny, photographing his dead wife's desecrated tombstone. He meets the graveyard caretaker, who is a fan who comforts him and compliments both him and Sue. Ralph points out it's a mystery who would paint that on Sue's tombstone. He's found purpose again.

We switch to Booster Gold, who has brought Skeets to Dr. Will Magnus, creator of the Metal Men, after Skeets' apparent malfunction of last issue. Magnus isn't sure what he can do, as Skeets is a "self repairing valet module from the 25th century" and "tomorrowtech". Booster needs Skeets because Booster never bothered learning any of the history he had Skeets appropriate. Skeets is reactivated and seems fine. Booster points out that Magnus is still famous in the 25th century for inventing the Metal Men and Magnus replies "Umm... those don't really work anymore." and quickly changes the subject. He seems very uncomfortable with Booster's and Skeets' praise. Magnus excuses himself and he says he isn't the world's foremost authority on this type of thing, and he's only called that because no one wants to acknowledge the guy who actually is, and he says he's off to visit him.

That man is Dr. T. O. Morrow, the creator of Red Tornado, who is being held in prison for "attempting to start a war between two parallel worlds". Magnus informs him that Red Tornado was lost and apparently killed during the Infinite Crisis. Morrow: "Tssk. Why does he have to keep doing that?" Hahaha. He mentions he also created an android called "The Red Inferno". Morrow created the first artificial souls, he says, and Magnus is his only student that ever understood that breakthrough, and that he appreciates Magnus' monthly visits. Morrow goes on to say that it seems that all the mad scientists are being rounded up (such as Sivana's abduction last issue).

Switch to The Question, who has come into Renee Montoya's apartment where she's already found a new girl for at least a One Night Stand. He asks "Who are you?" as he stands over them in bed, and Montoya grabs her gun and shoots at him. Question disappears. He leaves a piece of paper behind with an address on it, and a big question mark. Renee tells her new friend to put her clothes on.

Switch back to Booster Gold. A flight is in trouble. Skeets says that the flight path is a matter of history, so he's positioned perfectly. Suddenly the jet barrels down from right BEHIND him. It just misses him. Booster says "Oh, God." and flies after it. Booster saves it, barely, but says Skeets is still "fragged" and they need to call Magnus again. Skeets says the flight's just fine, but a Sydney Morning News headline says that hundreds are dead on Flight 2428. (This may or may not be an error as both the pilot and Skeets referred to the plane as Flight 2824.)

Back to Renee for a pleasant moment as she's puking in the sink. She looks at the Question's note as well as the note from her ex-girlfriend from last issue and thinks that if he's asking who she is, he can join the club, and he'll get the same answer her ex got. She doesn't know. Renee goes to the meeting and finds an abandoned building. Question approaches her from behind and after a brief tussle, they talk. He's just fine even though she KNOWS she shot him. She says she isn't a detective and her new job is being drunk. He says he has a job for her, and will pay her $200 a day plus expenses, first three weeks paid in advance as he hands her a circular roll of bills. He disappears as Renee says "I still have questions!"

Cut to Titans Tower. Wonder Girl has apparently involved herself in some kind of weird online Kryptonian cult, as she recites a prayer to people over a webcam. Ralph shows up afterwards. He says he has reason to believe that the message on his wife's tombstone came from her. He says he sees she did her homework, with the altar and the crystals and such very authentic to Krypton, but that he did his research too. Not many people know that Superman's S symbol has a literal meaning. On Krypton, it translates as hope. Inverted though, it means something else. He says it means resurrection as he pulls out the picture of his wife's tombstone and what was painted there is in fact an upside down Superman S.

The backup feature starting this issue is the authoritative post-InC "History of the DCU". Troia is narrating it aboard New Cronus. She points out that her Earth-7 Alternate was named Dark Angel, and recorded the multiverse's history for the Anti-Monitor, just as Harbinger did for the Monitor. She has those records. Even though she doesn't want to watch all those worlds die, she goes ahead and views the record.

The Multiverse formed. In one universe, Krona of Oa sought the truth of life's beginnings and his efforts were what created the anti-matter universe. To make up for this, the Oans became Guardians of the Universe, and created the Manhunter androids, but they rebelled, so they instead formed the Green Lantern Corps. Though these events repeated in many universes, Earth-1 was the most important one.

Troia says she cares about the people and asks to be told about Superman.

Many universes had a Superman, with one common thread, they were all rocketed from a doomed world of Krypton to an Earth.The ones Troia knows best are of course the Earth-1 and Earth-2 Superman. They shone the brightest. Many think they pushed their Earths to heights they would not otherwise reach.

Two Earths, two Metropolises, two Supermen. Eventually, only one would survive...

To be continued next week!

2006-05-18T00:27:00.000-07:00

Since no one in the forum is actually planning to buy this weekly comic from DC that will help define the post Infinite Crisis DC Universe, I thought I'd give summaries that will help people catch up.

Issue #1:

(contains MINOR Infinite Crisis spoilers. You have been warned.)

As the issue begins, we see various shards of glass depicting various people and places in the DC Universe swirling around. They reform into a picture of the Earth.

As we begin, Ralph Dibny (aka The Elongated Man) is standing amidst the wreckage of his house, which has apparently been torn down by the massive villain assault during InC #7. He picks up a gun labelled as a souvenir of "Anselmo Case - 1995". Bea (probably Beatriz DeCosta, aka Fire) is speaking to him. She's worried about him.

Also, Gotham PD's Renee Montoya is in a bar slowly getting drunk. In Paris, Steel is assisting with the cleanup. There is a memorial service scheduled in Metropolis that all the heroes are contemplating attending.

Shift to Metropolis, where Booster Gold and Skeets (who had been programmed with historical data before Booster's return in InC #2) are apprehending Mammoth of the Fearsome Five, foiling a jewel robbery. Mammoth is amazed that Booster caught him as he decided to steal the gems on a spur of the moment decision. Skeets is acting as commentator on the proceedings, helping to put Booster over as a hero. After the capture, a girl asks Booster if Wonder Woman is okay. He reassures her that "Wonder Woman is fine. They're all fine." Booster poses for pictures, but is advised by Skeets to lose the grin, as Superboy had just died and the city is still in shock. As they fly off, Booster and Skeets discuss the big speech coming up, as Superman is scheduled to deliver a speech "which will be taught in Civics classes for the next 500 years." Also, Jimmy Olsen is scheduled to win a Pulitzer for his picture of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman on this occassion. A new Justice League will also be named which Booster describes as "the greatest Justice League ever", and history records that he will be a member of it.

Switch back to Ralph. He is sitting in a hotel all alone, listening to voice messages, still holding the gun from earlier. Bea calls and Ralph just ignores it. But just as he begins to place the gun in his mouth, he receives a 2nd message saying that a message was found... on Sue Dibny's tombstone.

Switch to Steel. His niece Natasha, also in a suit of armor he designed is flying off, intending to join the Teen Titans. He tells her she can't blow off her responsibility to help clean up the city. When she ignores him, and tells them that she's earned the right to join the Titans, he presses a control on a remote and Natasha's armor falls apart. He tells her that if she wants armor, to build it herself, as she picks up the pieces.

Switch to Black Adam. He's back in his home country of Kahndaq, saying he turned his back on the rest of the world and that he intends to make up for that mistake. Panels show Kahndaqians taking over the old Themysciran embassy in Washington, given that Themyscira no longer exists on Earth. He then heads off a suicide bomber, and demands to know who sent him.

Switch to Dr. Sivana who remarks that Black Adam is more fun. Two large men, with with a green scaly arm (Killer Croc?) and one with a grey furry arm say they want him and drag him away.

In Metropolis, the various heroes gather for the memorial service. The Ray has survived, though the rest of the Freedom Fighters have died, and Uncle Sam is MIA. Bart Allen confirms that Wally West and Linda Park-West are "doing fine" and "just taking some time away", but that Jay Garrick is the Flash because Bart's speed is gone with the departure of the Speed Force (It turned out Jay Garrick had a metagene giving him superspeed independent of the Speed Force, but Jay now has a top speed of around the speed of sound). Bart wishes he was fast enough to save Superboy.

Booster is the only one all smiles as Fire hugs J'Onn, saying that Ralph should be there. Skeets says that Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are due to begin in a minute. Booster even reassures Beast Boy that they'll be there. At exactly 4:30, Booster announces "Ta-Da!" but nothing happens. Metamorpho and Firehawk derisively ask whether he's announcing himself.

Booster begins to panic. He demands to know from Skeets where they are. As Booster panics, J'Onn asks him for a little decorum, Skeets responds that the records insist that the three are supposed to be there, but begins shorting out and falls to the ground. Booster is really worried now, as he accosts Jimmy Olsen, demanding that Olsen "take the picture!" As J'Onn and Hal Jordan restrain him, Booster's elbow hits someone saying that they're not coming.

Booster turns and sees Clark Kent with a bloody nose. He asks how Clark knows they're not coming, and Clark says he just knows... and that he's sorry.

Cut to the top of the Gotham City Police Department. The Question pulls the Bat silouhette from the Bat-Signal and paints a question mark on it. Renee Montoya has returned home. There is a note from Renee's partner saying that she is leaving because she doesn't know Renee anymore and Renee is destroying herself. Renee thinks that she can't blame her and takes another swig from the bottle. Suddenly her room lights up. The Question has poined the new Question-Signal light at Renee's window. He asks up on the roof "Are you ready?"

Britney Spears: World's Worst Mom

2006-05-16T17:12:00.000-07:00

According to this article on MSNBC.com, paparazzi caught Britney Spears driving with her son's car seat facing the wrong direction. She's gonna kill this kid by the time it's all said and done.

From CNN: Bears vs. Monkeys: Bears 1, Monkeys 0

2006-05-16T13:06:00.000-07:00

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/05/16/bear.monkey.ap/index.html

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) -- Bears killed and devoured a monkey in front of horrified visitors at a Dutch zoo, officials and witnesses said. Visitors reported that the grisly scene began as several bears chased the monkey, a macaque, onto a wooden structure at Beekse Bergen Safari Park. They said a bear tried unsuccessfully to shake the monkey loose, ignoring attempts by keepers to distract it. The bear then climbed up and grabbed the monkey, mauling it to death and bringing it to its concrete den, where three bears ate it. The park confirmed the killing. "The habitats here in the safari park are arranged in such a way that one animal almost never kills another, but they are and remain wild animals," it said in a statement. The attack occurred in an area of the zoo that contains both monkeys and sloth bears, a type of black bear found in the Asian subcontinent. The park said it plans now to move the macaques to another part of the park.

2006-04-16T17:35:00.000-07:00

Courtesy CNN:

Suspect blogged about cannibalism

The man accused of killing a 10-year-old neighbor girl had kept an online diary where he joked about cannibalism, wrote about "dangerously weird fantasies" and said he'd be locked up if anyone knew what he was thinking. But his shocked mother says he was "a wonderful boy."

FULL STORY

2006-04-11T17:53:00.000-07:00

Regarding Randy Orton's suspension, courtesy 411:

Randy Orton's suspension is a minimum 60 days, and it's actually an indefinite suspension the incident is so [bad]. The main incident happened after No Way Out, but they decided against suspending him immediately because of WM. Things are so bad that it's not a lock he'll be brought back. Kennedy is actually being talked about as taking his spot.

He must have screwed up big.

2006-04-10T21:34:00.000-07:00

Now this is some shit right here.

To sum it up, a little boy in Detroit called 911 twice to report that his mother had passed out, and both times, the dispatcher believed it was a prank and told him to hang up or he would get in trouble. His mother died because of the inaction of the dispatchers, and the dispatchers are going to get their asses sued off now.

2006-04-10T16:08:00.000-07:00

I know, it's been a while.

Basically, the big hold up with the move was getting all the old posts transferred... and I got as far back as Wrestlemania 22 predictions, which is a fairly big chunk. Unfortunately, while I saved the posts, the time and date information of posts back then wasn't saved... so I just made sure they were in the correct order. That's why you'll see posts just a minute apart on a lot of days and why there's Mania 22 predictions in July of last year.

A lot of the impetus behind this move is the fact that way back when when I started this blog, I had to think of a name suitable for the front part of the URL and ouroasis was taken. So I chose delphioo. I always regretted that because I don't like the way Delphi does business. It's run by petty dictators (probably compensating for a thing or two in real life) who's solution to valid problems with service being reported is to attack the person complaining until they shut up. Someday, we will move away from Delphi. Pretty much the only reason why we haven't already is basically the loss of our history... which might be unavoidable anyway. But on that day we're ready, history or not, Delphi, and a few people therein, will be told how and why they can kiss my ass.

When I said I saved all the entries for about a year, that does include all of the fairly recent controversial ones, despite temper tantrums and threats from those who couldn't bear to see the truth about themselves exposed. And frankly, the truth is that I could have been far more merciless had I wanted to. Instead, I've just stopped going to their blogs, and blocked off their e-mail addresses from contacting me. It's far more merciful... and quite a bit quieter.

But my only regret is that these things WERE true in the first place. I recently received the documentary Forever Hardcore for my birthday, and as said therein by Francine, nobody wants to have heat with anybody. That's no fun. I'd rather these people HAD BEEN really my friends, and HAD BEEN quality people like I thought they were. I wish they could all still be having fun in OO rather than on the outside looking in.

They weren't. And that's nobody's fault but theirs (even if some weren't able to control themselves due to mental instability). There's only one person in this whole to-do over the last three years that I had any blame in messing up that relationship, and through very hard work, and through the fact that she WAS a good person, I fixed it with her.

But for the future, this blog is going in a different direction. Anything I have to say personally will be going into my blog back on my home page at http://boffo.flactem.com/ (make your bookmarks now!)

This blog is going to be re-dedicated to being a blog for the community. As is, people already post plenty of newsbits and the like into OO, I'm going to try to push that they be posted into this blog too, such as Libby's entry from a while back here just below this one). The point of this blog is going to be that it's ALL of OO's public face. It'll be a way to bring the fun of OO to the people without losing the confidentiality or opening ourselves to trolling. Hopefully as well, those in OO who have blogs can feel free to bring topics discussed here into your own blogs to give your take on it. Just please remember to throw a plug back this way if you do it. This means you, two top blog writers in the world who just happen to be on staff here.

There are still good people out there. The community is going to continue to grow and thrive, even as other similarily dedicated communities have failed.

Long live OO.

Wrestler Salaries.

2006-03-16T13:37:00.000-08:00

I found this elsewhere. My source says it's a confirmed and accurate list, and since it's interesting I thought I'd share it.

*****

These figures are not just downside guarantees. It's all money earned over a 365 day period between October of 2004 and February of this year.

- Ashley Massaro: $131,000
- Batista: $813,000 (First class flight tickets paid for every week)
- Big Show: $1,000,000 (Base salary)
- Bob Holly: $217,000
- Booker T: $375,000
- Candice Michelle: $64,000
- Carlito: $319,000
- Chavo Guerrero: $206,000
- Chris Benoit: $488,000 (First class flight tickets paid for every week)
- Chris Masters: $253,000
- Christian - $396,000
- Danny Basham: $130,000
- Doug Basham: $126,000
- Eddie Guerrero: $372,000
- Edge: $704,000
- Eugene: $189,000
- Funaki: $124,000
- Gene Snitsky: $292,000
- Gregory Helms: $277,000
- John Cena: $1,743,000 (First class flight tickets, hotel accommodations, and ground transportation paid for every week)
- John Layfield: $786,000 (Five star hotel accommodations paid for every week)
- Jerry Lawler: $204,000 (First class flight tickets, hotel accommodations, and ground transportation paid for every week)
- Jillian Hall: $52,000
- Joey Mercury: $134,000
- Johnny Nitro: $143,000
- Jonathan Coachman: $175,000
- Kane: $ 851,000 (First class flight tickets paid for every week)
- Ken Kennedy: $133,000
- Kid Kash: $62,000
- Kurt Angle: $1,023,000 (First class flight tickets paid for every week)
- Lance Cade: $118,000
- Lilian Garcia: $90,000
- Lita: $286,000 (Mostly downside paid due to lack of wrestling)
- Maria: $41,000
- Mark Henry: $300,000 (Base pay)
- Matt Hardy: $322,000 (Missed over $70,000 of pay due to firing)
- Matt Striker: $43,000
- Melina: $155,000
- Mickie James: $72,000
- Nunzio: $186,000
- Orlando Jordan: $145,000
- Paul London: $177,000
- Psicosis: $122,000
- Randy Orton: $711,000 (First class flight tickets paid for every week)
- Rene Dupree: $289,000
- Rey Mysterio: $414,000
- Ric Flair: $508,000 (First class flight tickets paid for every week)
- Rob Conway: $186,000
- Rob Van Damn: $220,000 (Only received downside and royalties due to injury)
- Rosie: $105,000
- Shawn Michaels: $1,045,000 (First class flight tickets, hotel accommodations, and ground transportation paid for every week)
- Shelton Benjamin: $366,000
- Simon Dean: $132,000
- Stacy Keibler: $178,000 (Only downside paid during absence)
- Steven Richards: $94,000
- Torrie Wilson: $260,000
- Trevor Murdoch: $48,000
- Triple H: $2,013,000 (Allowed the personal use of company jet (10) times per year. First class flight tickets, hotel accommodations, and ground transportation paid for every week)
- Trish Stratus: $618,000 (Receives 20% of all Trish Stratus merchandise sold)
- Tyson Tomko: $127,000
- Undertaker: $1,811,000 (First class flight tickets, hotel accommodations, and ground transportation paid for every week)
- Val Venis: $210,000
- Victoria: $275,000
- Viscera: $130,000
- William Regal: $225,000

2006-02-17T07:40:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the new OO Blog!

I've been wanting to establish a new URL for this blog that didn't have Delphi in it, so hence the move.

Over the next few days, I'll be re-establishing all the old posts and getting people back in for the writing committee here.

In the meantime, go ahead and update your bookmarks...

and be sure to check out my new personal blog at my home page: http://boffo.flactem.com/. It's Boffo-tastic!

2006-01-06T05:55:00.000-08:00

How about some review of NFL Street?

NFL Street
Publisher: EA Sports Big
Developer: EA Sports Big
Players: 1-2
Memory Card Usage: 58 KB
Genre: Extreme Sports
Also available for: Gamecube, X-Box

This was a very anticipated title. The concept: NFL Stars and Legends get together to play some street football, just as you might play in the park... with a few unrealistic elements thrown in for fun.

As a sample to see whose available from each team, let me give you the Rams lineup for the game:

QB: Kurt Warner
RB: Marshall Faulk
WR: Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt
OL: Orlando Pace, Kyle Turley
DL: Leonard Little, Grant Wistrom
LB: Jamie Duncan, Tommy Polley
DB: Adam Archuleta, Aeneas Williams

So hardly a leaguewide game.

One of the most fun elements is a pickup game. The computer assembles a random pool of players and occassionally legends and you take turns picking them, just as you would picking teams as kids. The player that picks second gets the ball first.

Occassionally the game will add a couple of Legends to the selection. Usually if it adds one, it'll add a second, so I don't worry about picking first so I can get a legend, as I'd rather have the ball first. But be sure to look at everyone available before you make your first pick.

Legends in the game are:

QB: Ken Stabler
RB: Larry Csonka, Walter Payton, Barry Sanders
DL: Howie Long, William Perry
LB: Lawrence Taylor
DB: Lester Hayes, Ronnie Lott

One drawback is that the legends are the only ones in the game that can wear actual football jerseys. It's nice GETTING to wear other stuff, but I should still get to wear jerseys if I want. It's even odder given that one of the possible outfits is team colored basketball jerseys.

You can also compete in the "ladder mode", creating a team of your own and developing them through straight out games and special challenges against the NFL teams.

Gameplay wise, it's best described as an analogy... NFL Street is to NFL Blitz as NBA Street is to NBA Jam. Besides winning the game, style is a big emphasis. Success on the field plus style helps fill up your Gamebreaker meter. Once it's full, activate it, and you'll be in Gamebreaker mode until a change of possession. As the offense, you become near impossible to tackle or intercept. As the defense, you'll become hard to advance on at all, and if you control the player making the tackle, you'll cause a turnover.

Use them on defense.

Play differs slightly from NFL rules... there's no kicking game. The field is divided into quarters, and you start on the 1st quarter line and have 4 downs to make it to the next line. Wherever you end up after getting a 1st down, it's still only to the next quarter line to get a first down... therefore you can easily end up with 1st and 1, even when not at the goal. Touchdowns are 6 points. For conversions, if you run the ball in, it's 1 point, passing is 2 points, if the defense gets the ball and runs it back to the other end zone, it's 4 points for them.

It's not NFL Blitz... but it's a lot of fun... and if you don't like Madden, it's the only officially licensed alternative left in town.

I'll rate it ****1/2.

Tomorrow: The first part of DC's Countdown to Infinite Crisis

2006-01-01T15:54:00.000-08:00

Why don't I get started on that whole review thing... right now?

V: The Original Miniseries
Year: 1983
Original Format: Television Miniseries aired on NBC
Running Time: 196 minutes
Cost/Source: Bought at Wal-Mart for under $10
Cover: Cardboard with plastic snap
Starring: Marc Singer as "Mike Donovan", Faye Grant as "Dr. Juliet Parrish" and Jane Badler as "Diana" amongst others

This is a great one that any sci-fi fan should have. Aliens arrive in huge motherships all over Earth. They profess friendship, claiming they desperately need a compound that can be fashioned out of humanity's waste products, and in exchange for help in making it, they will share all their technology and secrets with us.

Sounds too good to be true.

V is a story of people, who from all different walks of life, come to unite and fight the threat that the Visitors end up being. It's also an extraordinarily strong allegory to Nazism as the Visitors systematically villainize all scientists, take over the media, then take over control.

In addition to the stars listed above (Badler in particular just reeks with evil and perversion as Diana), several performances stand out strongly.

Jason Bernard (also known as Mr. Bracken in the shortlived Fox show Herman's Head and as Captain William Eisen in the video games Wing Commander III&IV) plays Caleb Taylor, industrial worker and father to two very different sons, Ben, a doctor, and Elias, a street hustler.

Robert Englund (most famously known as Freddy Krueger in the Nightmare On Elm Street series of movies) plays a far different role than Freddy as Willie, a very gentle and heroic Visitor.

Leonard Cimino (whom I don't know from anything else) puts in a very strong performance as Abraham Bernstein, a survivor of the Holocaust who most strongly sees the parallels, and is one of the earliest voices urging people to fight. His strongest scene comes at the end of one of the parts of the series where he finds kids on the street defacing Visitor propaganda posters with red spray paint. Abraham takes the spray paint away from them and tells them that if they're going to do it, to do it right. He then paints the iconic red V over the poster that is the logo for the series, and tells them it stands for victory, and to tell their friends.

The disc is double sided and flips over right after the moment described above. At a staggering 3 1/4 hours, it pretty much has to to stay on one disc. It's a steal for the low price, but the cardboard cases are always an annoyance.

Still...

***** (out of 5)

Tomorrow: NFL Street

2006-01-01T15:53:00.000-08:00

Hey there, hi there, ho there, Oasikitteers! And welcome to the Futuristic Sci Fi world of 2006! I'm a little disappointed that we haven't gotten flying cars yet, but I did get a ride in a 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid today, and that was fun.

It's kind of an odd feeling that it's actually 2006 if you think about it. I mean it was still the 80's most of the time I was in high school. 2000 felt like this magical date that would never come. I mean, not only adjusting the hundreds digit in the year, but the thousands digit... the vast majority of the human population in history didn't get to do that... and now, we've completed 6 whole trips around the sun past then.

Heavy, if you think about it.

(And you may think I made a math error there, but if you think about it... 2000 was the first whole year I'm talking about, 2001 the second, and so on up until 2005 being the sixth.)

But since a new year is upon us, that comes chock full with new opportunities. I've never been a believer in New Year's Resolutions, but the door is open for some projects to make Our Oasis bigger, badder and better than ever.

First off, starting after RAW tomorrow, and after every subsequent RAW, SmackDown, Impact and PPV (or any other major wrestling show that may start during 2006), a poll will be posted in OO asking people to select the match of the show. Each match of the show for that week will go into a poll for match of the week, and each match of the week will go into a poll for match of the month (if a month begins between shows, we'll adjust the procedure as necessary)

The point... at the end of the year, we will have one last poll for an official MATCH OF THE YEAR from OO.

Also, I am going to try to start posting fairly frequent game, movie and comic reviews to the blog. These may be selected at random, or just whatever I feel like reviewing at the time.

The goal of this blog is to be the public face of OO. OO is a great place, lots of fun, and we hope to expand and grow. This blog is a great way to advertise the community while still striving towards our goal of being confidential. As such, I'm not asking the other members here to commit to anything, but to post what they can. We have the authors of the #1 and #2 blogs out there on staff. We can easily slip into the #3 spot, just as we're already far and away #1 as a forum.

Viva OO in 2006!

2005-12-24T19:48:00.000-08:00

Over in the best damned blog in the business, on December 23rd, Libby made a post that was long overdue and that I thank her for. It was specifically in reference to my post in this blog from December 2nd, and there was also a lot of similarities to my post on January 10, which was reposted in her blog on July 16. I will confirm that despite these measures of support, Libby doesn't agree with me totally. There are things we vociferously disagree on. There are things I'm going to put in this post she would most probably disagree on. But that's okay. What matters is that we're both acknowledging that what we're putting out there now is a lot closer to the truth than what was out there.

Two and a half years ago, a lot of lies were spread about me (and it should be pointed out that a lot of what Libby had said on her blog was deleted by her months ago), and I've gotten at least some chances to say some things about them, but given how long had passed and Libby's relative silence, it was easy for those so inclined to believe I was just making it up. My real friends knew I was telling the truth all along, and even when I wasn't saying anything, that what was being put out there couldn't possibly be true.

But now you've heard it from both sides, the final needed link in the logic train:

Rob was never Libby's e-boyfriend. He was just a guy who proclaimed himself to be such out of a chat joke he posted without consent, and put both myself and Libby into a hell of a position. We thought he was our friend, and didn't want him to be hurt. Libby told me she didn't want anything to change between us, and to trust her and let her handle it. That's what I did. Nobody's ever going to convince me that's wrong. When it appeared like that trust had been broken, I told Rob just as soon as I could. I didn't have to do that, but I did, going above and beyond in loyalty.
Rob, my supposed friend and brother viciously turned on me despite the fact that I did nothing wrong by him, and did everything he could think of to hurt me. This treachery soon included the idea of using other people and their blogs to attack me, not only not caring that it would cause problems between us and could cause the end of those friendships, but even HOPING for that. The people he did this to and their blogs are just as much his victims here as I am, even if they don't realize it.
My real friends had the wisdom to see this wasn't some mutual thing that should be stayed out of, and the loyalty to not tolerate what he was doing. People who weren't really my friends, simply refused to care, which is intolerable, particularly in a certain case of someone who always demands to be backed up in her claims of victimization by... well, practically everyone from the President and major professional sports figures on down. This is someone I was always there for, but who was never there for me. I suppose it was just my turn to be painted as her victimizer so she can have all of everyone's pity... but don't worry, everyone else will have THEIR turn soon enough.

I've been criticized because supposedly it was wrong to "publically call people out". All I have to say about that is that they had no objections to their name and property being used to attack me, so they've forfeited their claim to object to their name being used to set the record straight, no matter which alleged tragedies they try to exploit into a "Get Out of Jail Free" card in this matter.

I want to compare and contrast that to Matt, who in his December 19 post (unfortunately his blog structure doesn't allow direct linking to an article) realized the same crime was being committed against him as Rob committed against other blogs. To wit, someone was trying to drag their fight with me, his friend, into his blog, using it and him as a tool. Rather than ignore this, he showed real integrity and loyalty and put an immediate stop to it. (I also had an innocuous comment deleted, but this was at my suggestion in the name of peace.) Notice that Matt didn't have to totally take my side here... all he had to do was care enough to not allow this problem, to nip it right in the bud and make it clear their name and property will not be used like that. He did so, when others have failed in that simple task. And I thank him for that.

The only other loose end to tie up is those people who cold-bloodedly exploited this disagreement to get what they want, not caring what was best for Libby or the community. They are a large reason I was banned from IOP over this, and never got to return. Specifically, I got left out to avoid the continuation of the fights they started. I believe that this hurt Libby, and hurt the community. If not for this, the community may have been considered to be worth saving. The fact that IOP is gone makes this issue moot at present, but the people who I'm referring to know who you are, and your misdeeds have neither been forgiven nor forgotten. You deserved banning far more than I ever did, and I deserve this being set right. Should Libby ever start up a new community, redress will definitely be discussed. And in the meantime, you should definitely be ashamed of yourselves. You are pathetic excuses for friends and for human beings.

To conclude, there is one major problem I have with Libby's post. It makes it sound like all fault is on her, and that's definitely not the case. There's a lot I did wrong too, a lot I did to force her down some of these paths. I catalogued a lot of my own misdeeds (which were against Libby and Libby alone) in my January post, and I will apologize to her again, and thank her for not giving up on me either.

In the meantime, this ugly incident that's been there for 2 1/2 years has finally been lifted away and the light of truth shined underneath. Those who aren't exactly good people have been exposed for what they are... just as those people who really are quality have been revealed.

I'm just glad it's over.

2005-12-15T19:50:00.000-08:00

Comedian Richard Pryor died Saturday of a heart attack, his wife told CNN. He was 65. Pryor had been ill with multiple sclerosis. Jennifer Lee Pryor tried to revive him before paramedics arrived and took him to the hospital, she said. Pryor, who was born in Peoria, Illinois, on December 1, 1940, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1986.

More here

2005-12-15T19:49:00.000-08:00

I demand one of you people buy me this!

Midway Home Use Arcade Machine

It's a full size arcade game machine. It includes Joust, Defender I & II, Robotron, Rampage, Splat, Satan's Hollow, Root Beer Tapper, Wizard of War, Timber and Sinistar.

Yes, I have most of those games on retro packs and the others on MAME, and no quarter slots will take away realism... but still, your own stand up arcade machine... how is that not about twenty kinds of awesome?

2005-12-15T19:48:00.000-08:00

Who is my best World of Warcraft character?

Morsh was the first character I made, and I thought an Orc Warrior would be pretty straightforward and simple. I used the random name generator for him. After a few tries, it came up with "Moresh". I decided deleting the E and just going with Morsh would sound more guttural, and thus more Orcish. His battle cry is simply "Morsh Morsh Morsh!", because WoW needs more than one guy whose battle cry is just his name.

Iridiscia, my second character, was named after a character I used in a story I wrote as a teenager. I liked the name, so I used it again. Why is she a female? Because sometimes you like to look at a girl's butt as you run around the world, rather than a guy's, as Tomb Raider convinced us all of. She's a hunter, which means she can tame beasts into being her "pet", and assisting her in attacking. Pictured also is her current pet, Bitey. Unfortunately, after I picked the name, I learned that Owls can't use the Bite ability in WoW, but I like to pretend that's his normal attack. After all, Claw is the special attack he does use... but what's he left to do when he's not clawing? Throwing punches?

People who have known me for a long time won't be surprised to see Sapsinger here. Sapsinger was a character created for RPGs that DarkHelm GM'ed. He was a Kender, with the unfortunate tendency to bounce about the space/time continuum, with a magical bag of holding, into which many "souvenirs" have "fallen". DarkHelm was kind enough to create a character named Sapsinger, essentially reserving the name for me until I got into the game myself. Gnome was the closest I could get to Kender, and Rogue fit his personality best.

Libbi was, of course, named after my great friend Libby. She's a Paladin. Mental note: Get Libby a sword.

Muucau was me being humorous... just like about 90% of the people who play this race. Say it out loud to get it. He's a Shaman.

And with that shirt and those cuffs...

"The away team will consist of myself, Mr. Spock, Dr. McCoy and Ensign Muucau."

"Aw, crap."

Ilp, my undead Priest, was intended to be a salute to Peter Cook's great character in the movie The Princess Bride, who proclaims "Mawwaige!" is "what bwings us togedder tooday!" Ilp is an acronym standing for Impressive Looking Priest that I felt sounded sufficiently Undead-ish. Unfortunately, after I created the character, I found out that technically, the character was credited as The Impressive Clergyman (at least according to IMDB), but that wouldn't have worked as well anyway. It was DarkHelm's idea to use the face of Undead that didn't have a jaw, which could only help with his pronunciation.

"Son loves mother, sweet romance! Poor old father has no pants." - Franklin Sherman, The Critic

I finally decided it'd be good to make a character named after myself, and chose a Human Warlock. Warlocks are limited to cloth armor. Since I don't like robes, thinking they look bad, and obscure part of the tabard, as you can see on Ilp, I stick to vests and other such things. Unfortunately, the best "leg" armor I could find right now is just a "loincloth", which are usually intended to work with robes. So yeah, it's pretty disturbing.

You can see each character has a common design on the chest. That's the "tabard" for my guild in the game, WorldofWar.net.

2005-12-15T19:47:00.000-08:00

The United States Postal Service has announced that they will be issuing 20 new stamps with images of DC Comics heroes on them. 10 heroes will be featured. Each hero will get one stamp with a new picture of that hero, and one stamp recreating a classic comic book cover of that hero.

Here are the stamps and the covers:

1) Superman - Superman #11, 1941
2) Green Arrow - Green Arrow (Vol. 2) #15, 2001
3) Green Lantern - Green Lantern #4, 1961
4) Wonder Woman - Wonder Woman (second series) #22, 1987
5) Batman - Batman #1, 1940 (with Robin)
6) The Flash - Flash #111, 1960
7) Plastic Man - Plastic Man #4, 1943 (with Woozy Winks)
8) Aquaman - Aquaman (third series) #5, 1989
9) Hawkman - The Brave and The Bold #36, 1961
10) Supergirl - Daring New Adventures of Supergirl #1, 1982

You can see all 10 stamps here: http://www.newsarama.com/dcnew/stamps/06_dccomics_600s.jpg

Courtesy newsarama.com

2005-12-15T19:46:00.000-08:00

Holy reconciliation, Batman!

When I did my recent pieces, I did it with one intent and one intent only... to clear my name of the unfair charges against me that I was trying to "control people's blogs" that were being spread around by the person REALLY trying to control people's blogs, and break up my friendships with those people, caring more about hurting me than the fact that he would be hurting the people he called friends, because that's the type of person he really is.

Even though I said one of the friendships was salvagable, I didn't imagine this would make some progress on it. But I suppose that's what happens when you actually try to read what I say and discern if I have a point rather than go OMGWTFKSHJFBHJHF over the fact that your name was mentioned, and admit that yeah, you could possibly be the person in the wrong.

(Or, if I could have my wishes about the past, how about the possible idea that maybe it should have been Rob who got the "Take it down, apologize and publically retract it OR ELSE" treatment when he was the one bringing her name into the public to cause this mess in the first place. Of course, reasonable suggestions like that would assume she cares about anyone but herself or was ever really my or anyone else's friend.)

Unfortunately, my ability to comment in other blogs is pretty limited right now because of the fact that someone doesn't mind dragging their fights into other blog's comments (which is basically how Rob started this whole mess in the first place, dragging his fights into other people's blogs) if I happen to make a comment, even on a completely unrelated subject... so I guess I'll make my comments right here now that this blog is the happening place everyone's hopping to.

First off...I would just like to say that I haven't read the post myself (and EVERYONE knows what I am talking about), but I do know what isn't about. And I don't know from hear say, or what is posted on other blogs...I know because I have been there...I lived it. I know it. And, I would like to make a couple of statements...or whatever...here it goes.

Like she says here, she hadn't read the post yet. Unfortunately, BlogSpot had a massive outage yesterday. I wish she would have withheld comment till after the post, or at least until after we talked, but c'est la vie.

I love Rob. He is my friend. He doesn't tell me what to do, he doesn't tell me when to do it. He doesn't brain wash me. He doesn't make me be his friend. I am his friend because he is a good person. He is my freind because he is there for me. He is my friend because he doens't kill a freind ship because of someone else.

Does Rob brainwash Krissie or tell her what to do? No. Does he force her down paths that are good for him and bad for her by his actions, yes. Krissie wanted to be my friend. I wanted to be Krissie's friend. Rob didn't want that, and did everything he could to make sure that wasn't the case.

I leave it to the audience to decide whether that sounds like a "good person" or not.

This is my blog. It has always been my blog. It will always be my blog. Nothing goes on here, or comes off here, unless I say it's ok. And btw, if you don't like the red writting that is on here from time to time, get over it, or get on with your life.

Krissie certainly didn't authorize all of Rob's little attacks before they happened.

It isn't so much that I don't like the red writing (though I'm not alone in wishing it could be just Krissie's blog, not Rob's blog featuring Krissie), it's that I don't like being attacked, and I refused to stand for it. Any person with any self esteem whatsoever would refuse as well.

And it would be just as wrong if I posted there and was attacking her friends that I didn't like. However, I'm a better person than that. I'll take my shots here, but I don't speak for Libby or Krissie or anyone else. Rob put himself over to people like he did, and of course they trusted him. He was their friend, and Krissie was keeping him on regardless of what he was doing and saying. That sent a message, even if she never intended it.

How can I be a bad friend if I'm not a freind at all. Someone once told me never to send him/her emails every again becuase we weren't friends and we would never be friends again. So, I stopped sending my emails...and today I find out that I am a bad friend to this same person.. hmmm...does this make sence to anyone out there??

This confused me, because I remember it differently. From what I remembered, the last time we really talked, Krissie raised me over e-mail, and it seemed we were actually making some progress, but then it seemed to turn into a deal where she was merely attempting to convince me she was right. We turned to an outside opinion, and he agreed with me that these attacks were taking place, and that they were a serious problem that needed to be addressed. She just said "Ok" and stopped talking, and it came off like she didn't want to talk any more if she couldn't be right.

I certainly don't remember ever telling her not to contact me any more... but I'm not going to call her a liar either. Maybe I'm right, maybe she's right. Maybe both or neither of us is right.

None of my friends have ever told me what to do...except one, who according to him/her, is no longer my freind. That is the only time that anyone has ever told me to do anything. And btw, that friend didn't try to take over my blog or run it...he/she just told me to get rid of someone.

I *think* what Krissie is trying to say here is exactly what I was trying to say in making my post: I did not ever try to control her blog. I simply tried to make the attacks stop, which again anyone in my position would do.

When the worst of this stuff went down...I was in the WORST breakup of my life, whith someone who I was completly in love with for all the wrong reasons, someone who hurt me so bad, and abused me...yea. Not to mention that during this time, I was having to adjust to school, being aways from my parents, and making new friends....yea.

And that sucks. If I was there, I'd take that boy, stab him in the face and delete his house to be sure for hurting Krissie.

At the same time, all of us go through crappy things in our lives. The easiest thing in the world to do (as we've found out lately) is to try to use those things to justify being a crappy person. But they don't. Though it does make you a better person to stay a good person when this is happening.

And I know Kris knows this.

People can say whatever they want about me. I don't care. And the people that believe what they say...well, fuck them too. Because if your gonna believe what someone else says about me...before you even talk to me about it...then fuck you. You aren't my freind and you never were.

Words to live by. I'm doing what I'm doing because even despite that, I felt it was important to get the truth out there, both for the sake of my reputation and peace of mind, as well as to let those quality people who supported me this whole time know they made the right decision.

Unfortunately, as mentioned above, even though people SHOULD always check with the person in question, they often don't, especially when they think they can trust the person talking and he seemingly has a position where he can speak on their behalf.

This is high school shit. I went though all this shit in high school. Adults should not be worrying over things like this. And some people need to pick what side of the fence your gonna fucking stand on. Becasue, when this comsumed my life...i had people telling me one thing, and telling him/her, something completly different. The supported me when they talked to me, and they supported the other person when they talked to him/her.

I've talked to Kris, and she realizes this isn't high school. This is just about me wanting to be her friend and not have to tolerate constant attacks for it, to not have to tolerate the message being put out there "If you like Krissie, you should hate Dave."

I should say this isn't high school on my end. A mature, rational person who really cared about her wouldn't have created all these problems (that are obvious to multiple people) in the first place.

I Read It.

I finally got to read the post that is all the news around here. I have to be honest here and say that I wasn't bothered by anything that was said about me.

And I have to say I'm glad it was actually read, and this was realized. If your name isn't Rob, I didn't say anything all that bad about you until after I was pushed and decided to let out the old "take no prisoners" Dave.

If you do something wrong, accept that it gets said that you did. And realize that if you don't want that said, don't do something wrong in the first place. Don't try to force the truth to disappear from the Internet.

Things said about certain others though....yea, I didn't like that, and believe you me when I say that I voiced my openion on those.

I'll verify this. She did. Doesn't change anything I had to say or the correctness thereof, but I can respect that.

There were some points in the post that I didn't like...but over all..I was not offended by the things that were said about me. I did (still do) have Rob on my blog. It did cause problems with a friendship at the time. I did try compromises, but the only person responsible for breaking those compromises is me bc I never had the intition of following though.

I can see why Kris is saying this. Certainly, if you say "If this person does X, I promise you I will do Y." and you have no intention of doing Y even if X is done, that's pretty scummy. That's not being a very good friend, particularly if I deserve having Y done RIGHT NOW because of what's been already done, but I went ahead and compromised... gave up something I deserved in the name of preserving the friendship in trust that Y would happen if X continued to happen. Unfortunately, that trust was let down.

At the same time, though, that doesn't mean that that person doing X isn't wrong to do it. It is not Krissie's fault Rob attacked me in her blog. It IS Krissie's fault she continued to LET Rob attack me in her blog and did nothing about the situation.. That's what led to the end of our friendship, as it would to any friendship where both participants had a healthy sense of self esteem. I can forgive her for this if the friendship can be repaired, just as I hope she can forgive me for wrongs I've done against her.

Let's just say that NOW, I hope that even if she doesn't want to do Y now... that if X is done, she will stick to her word this time.

At the time, the last thing that I wanted to worry about was my blog and who ran it. And, by the way, I ran it then, I run it now, and I will always run it as long as I live. And again...I would like to say that no one tells me what to do or tries to tell me what to do...then or now. I do things because I want to do them. Rob doesn't tell me to do things, B doesn't tell me to do things, Matt doesn't tell me to do things, Dave doesn't tell me to do things (besides of course to get Rob off my blog). I would just like to make that clear.

(recent edit by Krissie bolded by me for emphasis)

Again, I think what she's trying to say is that I don't control her blog, and that I never even tried to do so. Yes, I told her to get Rob off her blog. I hope though that everyone reading this realizes that if they were in my shoes, so would they.

Hopefully Kris can confirm some of my interpretations here, just for the sake of those who would rather believe she was joining the lynch mobs.

Sorry about the color changing here, folks. Blogspot really didn't like my whole stunt of trying to use Krissie's color here for her stuff, so I had to improvise.

2005-12-15T19:45:00.000-08:00

Moving on, over in her bailiwick , Libby posted a really interesting quiz from Wizard magazine, that teases what the One Year Later Universe of DC Comics will look like, so named because of the fact that after Infinite Crisis, the entire DC Universe will skip forward one year in continuity. The intervening time will be told in a weekly series called 52 (same concept as the show 24... each issue is a week, though the first 10 are rumored to be a revised history of the DC Universe). They're promising a lot of changes, including what seems to be change for change's sake.

I'm a pretty fair comics guru myself, so I'll give the quiz a shot, with my comments:

1. Which one of these heroines will give birth in '06?
a. Wonder Woman
b. Power Girl
c. Catwoman
d. Oracle

Hmm. I don't think it'll be Catwoman as that would put an end to her career, although they have been doing a lot of teases that she and Bruce will be getting married lately. One of the most blatant ones was during that Teen Titans two part story where the Titans ended up 10 years into the future, and it wasn't a very nice place. At one point, Batman (Tim Drake) takes Robin (Tim Drake) to the graveyard on the grounds of what used to be Arkham Asylum. Bruce Wayne's headstone reads "Beloved Husband". Selina Kyle's reads "Beloved Wife". As an aside to that story, the Titans learned that they had to stay together, because disbanding is what caused that future... and now Superboy's on a huge leave of absence from them... hmmm. Plus, let's face it, if Bruce and Selina had a kid, it'd basically just be a matter of time till the kid was abused and/or killed in this day and age. The Killing Joke Revisited or something like that.

Anyway, getting back to the story, yeah, I agree with Libby that Power Girl seems the most likely. Her character could support the twist. If it were Oracle, the father would be Dick, and the DC creators just can't make him decide between Barbara and Starfire, not to mention the random girls falling at his feet, the latest being Supergirl in Supergirl #3. Dick is the Poochie of the DC Universe, I tells ya. Wonder Woman I just don't see with a baby.

2. Which of these heroes will be stripped of their powers?
a. Superman
b. Wonder Woman
c. Supergirl
d. Green Lantern (Hal Jordan)

I agree with Libby's reasoning that Supergirl and Hal just got reintroduced, so they seem very unlikely. Superman is DC's Golden Goose, so that leaves Wonder Woman by process of elimination. However, I don't think she'd be without powers before, and even though I haven't historically been a reader of Wonder Woman (I get bored with all the Greek mythology nonsense it goes through sometimes), but I don't think DC is going to permanently change their Trinity or the JLA (as hit upon later) Change might sell comics in the short term based on curiosity factor, but dumb, non crowd pleasing change will just draw complaints, and people will stop reading the book if the complaints aren't addressed.

3. Who will become mayor of their crime-riddled city?
a. Wally West
b. Dick Grayson
c. Bruce Wayne
d. Oliver Queen

I can't see Wally in that position, given that his identity is no longer known, and for all the world knows, Wally West is a mechanic in a police department motor pool now. Bruce being the mayor of a major city like Gotham would seriously cut into the time he needs for his mission, though he could really make his own life easier. "Commissioner Akins*, I order you to go easier on Batman!" I'm not even sure where Ollie is based these days. Star City maybe? Though you could raise the point that with his extreme politics, he may be un-electable.

I like Dick for that. His "city" is Bludhaven now, a suburb of Gotham and much smaller... and he's recently been known for trying to find alternatives to doing right besides the way Bruce does it. Plus he's actually a former police officer there, and now that he is Bruce Wayne's legal son and thus heir, he wouldn't even have to raise a sweat to finance a campaign."

*Yep, Commissioner Akins. Gordon retired. Akins and Batman don't quite get along. Wacky fun for the whole family. Though if Infinite Crisis results in a reboot, we may see Gordon returned.

4. Who will have amnesia and become unable to tell friend from foe?
a. Martian Manhunter
b. Aquaman
c. the Atom
d. the Elongated Man

I agree with Libby that Aquaman seems unlikely. But I'll actually go with J'Onn here. Not only has he been through trauamtic events, his whole life has been rather traumatic. He was an adult when he saw his entire race wiped out, and he lives among total aliens now. And this was before the dude in the red cape made the Watchtower go boom.

5. Who will take the mantle as the most powerful hero in the DCU?
a. Booster Gold
b. Animal Man
c. Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner)
d. Earth 2 Superman

Silly mortals, Booster Gold pwnz j00. Or however you say that.

Seriously though, the rumor is for Kyle to return to the powers and mantle of Ion, rather than remaining a Green Lantern... possibly just to placate the Kyle fans angry that Hal has basically usurped him now, while still not having too many Green Lanterns on Earth. (They've changed the Green Lantern Corps to being 2 GLs a sector, and thus 7,200 Lanterns strong, and Hal and John Stewart [who is over because he's about a billion times more interesting in the cartoon] are the GLs for sector 2814. Kyle, Guy and Kilowog are currently on Oa helping train new Lanterns)

6. Which hero will become a criminal in the eyes of the world?
a. Green Lantern (Hal)
b. Superman
c. The Flash (Wally)
d. Shazam (sic)--it's Captain Marvel pictured.

A note on the (sic). Due to the weird way the whole thing worked out (DC bought Cap from, I think, Fawcett Comics, and Marvel created their Captain Marvel character just so they could claim a legit use on the name), DC can use the name Captain Marvel, but only within books themselves... not for any marketing purposes. This includes covers, or things like Wizard. So even though Captain Marvel is certainly a distinct character from the now-deceased wizard Shazam, if you use that name, people know who you're talking about.

That said, I don't see them making Hal a villain just after making him a hero again, they ain't messing with Superman, Wally just seems wrong... so I'll go with the Big Red Cheese too. That could be an interesting plot for him.

7. Which one of these heroes is the only one who'll be around after Infinite Crisis?
a. Wally West
b. Conner Kent (Superboy)
c. Guy Gardner
d. Dick Grayson

Dammit.

It's either Dick or Wally.

And I really like Guy.

I'm saying Dick. Maybe in 2025, we'll have another Crisis and they'll kill another Flash.

8. Which superteam doesn't survive Infinite Crisis?
a. Justice League of America
b. Justice League of America
c. Justice League of America
d. Justice League of America

Um... yeah. The JLA title is getting the boot (along with several others) but are you trying to tell me the DC Universe is going to go without a JLA? Not for long, I say.

9. Who's about to become the US military's secret weapon?
a. Cyborg
b. Wonder Woman
c. Red Tornado
d. John Stewart

Process of elimination... Wonder Woman is certainly not a tool of the US, her allegiance is to Themyscira. US declares war on Themyscira, and you could see Wonder Woman attack the White House. John Stewart answers to the Guardians of the Universe. Cyborg doesn't seem like the type to work for the government. So I'll go with Reddy. About time they did SOMETHING with him.

10. Which villain will destroy an entire country and kill millions in 2006?
a. Brainiac
b. Sinestro
c. Black Adam
d. Vandal Savage
e. Dynamite Kudo

Nice trick question here, but Dynamite Kudo doesn't exist in the DC Universe. Given Libby's desire to top people, though, I do suspect Dynamite Kudo will be getting rid of that pesky Eastern Hemisphere for us.

I agree with her that it'll be Black Adam and the country in question will be Kahndaq, just to put him cleanly on the "black hat" side of the fence again. Maybe he'll frame Captain Marvel for it, and that's why Marvel will be seen as a villain.

What's your guesses?

2005-12-15T19:44:00.000-08:00

It's been a long two and a half years. (Ssh! Quiet! He's gonna be controversial again!)

Frankly though, I'm feeling good right now. All these shitty things were happening to me, some at the hands of supposed friends, and I stayed quiet. The sole reason I stayed quiet is because I wanted to save one special relationship, and undo some of the ways that I had screwed up in. And hopefully, we're nearing an end to that process. In the meantime, the truth is coming out, and it's pretty cathartic.

I've lost a lot of friends over this intervening time, and thus OO has lost those people as well. But I've still got some good friends left, and more than one has suggested that this isn't really anything to feel bad about. They suggested that no matter what else this horrible time has been, it's been a crucible, that's separated the good people from the bad.

If I had a magic time machine where I could go back in time and prevent this all from happening, and we were all nominally friends, I still might go on a purge, since I'd know just what kind of people these are when the chips are down.

The Internet has never been famous for its good people, and that's why Our Oasis was formed. It was easy to separate out the "I can irrationally hate X more than you can" folks in the wrestling forums, and the downright psychopathic cyberstalkers doing every disruptive tactic they can to try to force the truth to disappear from the Internet (why does that sound familiar all of a sudden?), but not all of the bad people reveal themselves right away. Some can really seem like good people, especially when they're getting everything they want. Some of them certainly had me fooled for a while. And a lot of them have some good people out there fooled. Unfortunately, too many people just stop thinking at "Well, they're cool to ME" without ever looking at the evidence of how they treat other good people and realizing that good people wouldn't do that, no matter how cool they are to them right that second.

I've seen a lot of varieties of the not so good people as well.

I have a right to have whomever I want in my blog, they scream at me. It's true, but that's not the point. They certainly do have the right to have someone in their blog abusing that position and their name to attack a friend, or just rewarding that person despite all he's done to that friend, but you can't sit there and say that person's still a good friend if they do that. If one of your parents is hitting the other, you have a perfect right to say "Oh, well they're both my parents and I'm staying out of it." You're a pretty crappy son or daughter, and a pretty crappy person in general if you do that, but you've got a right to do it. And that's not even mentioning the idea of FACILITATNG the abuse... helping it happen, lending your name and resources to it. But I'm not allowed to say that's wrong? Yeah.

Others want to use me in order to feel better about themselves, whether through constantly evoking pity, even if none is deserved, or putting themselves over at my expense. There's an element of "shame on me" for not realizing that sooner, but I'm not going to allow that to happen at my expense from here on in. Please go get help so you don't need to do this any more.

Others have told me "Well, I'm not your friend any more because this friend is a better friend" even when I do far less to them with justification than they've done to me without it. Well... thanks for confirming you never really were my friend. It kind of makes you a shitty person to pretend you were this whole time. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

And one last one is pissed just because he doesn't want to be held to an apology like the rest of us offer on our own when we've done someone else wrong. Well... I'm sorry you didn't graduate Kindergarten like the rest of us. Have fun growing up, preferably away from me.

And what's the end result? I'm surrounded by quality people, who I know will be my loyal friends when the chips are down, and who know the same about me. And my friendships are stronger than ever with these quality people. And I thank these quality friends for their true loyalty and support, concepts utterly non-understandable to the other people.

On the flip side, there's a collection on the other side of the not so quality people. The funny thing about that, though, is that if they couldn't help letting me down, they can't help letting each other down.

Take for example, one recent incident from a while back. A-hole A decides to go post a whole online conversation from A-hole B without his consent. A-hole B is mad... mad, I tell you! But with good reason. Doing that is wrong, although "wrong" is a concept quite beyond the grasp of A-hole A. But in a way, it's almost funny, because A-hole B has infamously posted chat bits without consent before, and at least once put friends into a hell of a spot because they didn't want his precious little feelings hurt (without knowing he could care less about their's). Don't get me wrong, A-hole A is still a pretty major waste of life for what he did, but if anyone deserved it, it was A-hole B.

Now if you guys on the other side can actually be reading this without thinking "Side with Dave must be bad! Side other must be good! Urrrr!", carefully consider this. Your fellows over there on the other side each did something wrong by me. And what was I, a friend they had on the Internet. They somehow found rationalization that it was okay not to be a good friend, or even outright attack me. And what are you... a friend they have on the Internet. There is precisely nothing stopping them from hitting you with the same kind of behavior the second something resembling a reason pops up in their twisted little heads, just like The Misadventures of A-hole A & B above here. It'll be entertaining to us who turns on who first... who lets the other down first... because, I just told you so.

It might be less than entertaining to you though. For the sake of the friendship we used to have... watch your backs.

In the meantime, I'm blissfully insulated from psychopathic rantings, and so are my quality friends, who I couldn't even convince to check it out even in the name of a good laugh. But all the ranting does nothing but encourage people to come here and thus the distribution of this piece (which along with the other is staying on here until the end of time if I have anything to say about it) is nicely increased.

At least by everyone not driven away by incessant negativity, undefendable extreme opinions, and suicide threats whenever someone dares to disagree. I can't imagine that's many people.

2005-12-03T20:14:00.000-08:00

I also want to point out that in talking about the damage that's going on, I don't blame Libby.

Other people have done bad things without provocation. Rob, in particular, I stand by that I didn't do a single thing wrong by him. In fact, I went out of my way to do RIGHT by him the second I could... even though there was no obligation to given what he really was.

Libby, though, I did a lot of things wrong by. I made a lot of mistakes. I gave her reasons to be upset enough to do some of the things she did.

I want things put right, but I don't hold any malice towards her. I've forgiven her. And I'm sorry for the grief I've put her through and hope she can forgive me too.

2005-12-03T20:13:00.000-08:00

A couple of years ago, as you all know, there was a big to do between myself, Libby and Rob, due to the fact that Rob proclaimed himself to be Libby's e-boyfriend when in reality, I was. A way to disabuse him of this falsehood did not readily present itself (nor was I in a position to do so, publically or privately). When the situation broke down, he started spreading the story that I was "with his e-girlfriend behind his back" and used it to justify the behavior described below. This is patently false. Rob was never really Libby's e-boyfriend, and therefore I was not ever "with his e-girlfriend behind his back." His behavior comes solely out of the quality of person that he is.

And for the longest time, because I wanted to salvage things out of the meltdown that followed, both with Libby and with Rob, I couldn't defend myself, which has hurt my reputation and cost me friends. I'm still trying to put that right.

But I wanted to focus on debunking one of the myths in particular. Rob insinuated himself into a lot of blogs back when the blog craze started. I ended up urging people who had him in their blogs to get rid of him. Because of that, Rob started telling people I was trying to control other people's blogs, and it got jumped on by a lunatic or two out there with their own axes to grind against me.

Nice sounding story, but it's crap. And anyone who believed it should be ashamed of themselves. Yes, I urged Libby, Krissie and later Madonna to take Rob out of their blogs. But I had a right to do it, and anyone else with a shred of self respect would have done so as well.

After the big meltdown, I was still hoping for reconciliation with Rob. I had considered him as close as a brother once, and didn't realize what a vindictive person he was. Shortly after the meltdown, he started posting bits into Libby's blog to attack and/or insult me. In January 2004, he moved on to doing so in Krissie's blog. And in September 2004, he used his position as designer and host of Madonna's blog to post something in his own blog attacking me and others supposedly "on her behalf".

What this was was a cheap and transparent attempt to drag friends of mine into this conflict between us by a very vindictive and angry man. And any one of you reading this would have urged his ouster too, especially after Krissie and I went through compromise after compromise to solve the problem with her still "getting" to have Rob in her blog, and each time, Rob forced her to violate the compromise.

It's because of these attacks that I started urging those involved to take Rob out of their blogs. Yes, people have the right to do whatever they want to do with their blogs, but it doesn't follow that everything someone does with their blog is right. If a friend of mine attacks me for no reason, that's wrong. Friends don't do that. I would have a right to be angry at that, and demand it stop if the friendship was to continue, no matter what the venue of those attacks were. It would therefore follow that friends don't allow someone to attack their friends with their name and property.

What Rob did was just as wrong to the blog owners as it was to me. These were people who wanted to be my friend, but Rob took that away from them. Rob hurt them by causing all these fights between us. In the latter two cases, Rob is responsible for ending these friendships. I have no doubt that on more than one occassion, Rob was crying crocodile tears in chat with the person in one window over things being this bad, while in the other window, hypocritically escalating the conflict by continuing to post attacks.

To hammer this point home, ROB DID NOT JUST HURT ME. ROB HURT PEOPLE WHO DID NOTHING BAD TO HIM OTHER THAN JUST BE MY FRIEND.

Libby deserves some public shoutout. She fired Rob, and then went on to delete every word he ever wrote in her blog. This wasn't the sole or main reason she did that, given that he was really jerking her around in a lot of ways, but it was the right thing to do.

As to the other blogs... one of the friendships is beyond repair. The other would have to completely fire Rob, make it clear that it's for his misdeeds as described here, and delete everything he ever wrote in that blog. Given that it hasn't happened already, it's not likely ever to, but there it is.

Therefore, I want to make some public calls:

I call on any blog owner who has Rob as part of their staff, particularly if he is allowed to post, to fire him from staff immediately. I would call on Rob himself to resign these positions, but he has no class and cares about nobody but himself, so it won't happen.
I call on my friends in the blog community to help spread this message around, both to help clear my name of these unfair charges against me, and level blame where it really lies.
And I call on everyone that if Rob is not fired from these blogs to recognize them for what they are: Rob's blogs, featuring whomever (to paraphrase Matt), and to make their decisions as to whether or not these blogs are worth reading accordingly.

Thanks for your time.

P.S. Nice rant. Of course, she leaves off vital elements to the story like how she didn't care that Rob betrayed me and did everything he could to hurt me, specifically through blogs, before she brought him in... or how about how she jerked me around trying to offer me the position of designer just to push Rob into doing it... and how she sat there and ALLOWED Rob to use the position she gave him to attack me and other people who called her friend and did nothing about it, for all intents and purposes making those attacks herself.

That's the thanks I get... for bringing her into this community, for talking her down from suicide at least four times, and for being on her side in multiple occassions where she was done wrong, even though the people involved were just as much my friend, and even though they did a lot less wrong to her.

All that was is a tantrum that someone dared to say she was wrong... in her world, wrong isn't something she does. It's only what other people do.

But thanks for the laughs, and the advertisement for people to come check out this piece. Thanks for alienating your few readers even further.

This piece wasn't even about you. It didn't even say a single thing all that bad about you. You should have just walked away and if this blog bothered you so much, stop coming here, just as I've stopped coming to yours. You still can walk away.

It isn't my fault the truth hurts.

EDIT: Just for the sake of fairness, let me say that this is coming from me and me alone and the opinions here do not necessarily indicate those of the rest of the Our Oasis community unless they choose to indicate otherwise.

2005-11-23T20:16:00.000-08:00

Crossposted from my post on Our Oasis forum:

This is a huge blow for the industry.

As probably everyone already reading this knows, Eddie (or Eddy, the spelling varied by promotion) Guerrero tragically was found dead in his hotel room early Sunday morning. Eddie was a major star in the prime of his career seemingly. His title reigns included:

WWA World Trios Championship (with Mando Guerrero & Chavo Guerrero, Sr.)
WWA World Welterweight Championship
AAA/IWC Tag Team Championship (with Art Barr)
NJPW Jr. Heavyweight Super Grade Tag League Championship (with Great Sasuke)
ECW World Television Champion (x2)
WCW United States Champion
WCW Cruiserweight Champion (x2)
PWF Tag Team Champion (partner unknown)
WWF Eurpoean Champion (x2)
WWF Intercontinental Champion (x2)
IWA Puerto Rico Intercontinental Champion
WWA International Cruiserweight Champion
IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Champion
WWE Tag Team Champion (x4, twice with Chavo Guerrero, once with Tajiri, once with Rey Mysterio)
WWE United States Champion
WWE Champion

I don't go back with Eddie as long as lot of people here do. I never saw a single ECW match until I bought Mick Foley's Greatest Hits and Misses. So I didn't get to see any Eddie until he came into WCW.

If one doesn't count GLOW, I was a WWF brat. I didn't get into WCW until the whole NWO angle as I was curious to see what "Diesel" and "Razor Ramon" were up to. One of the many faces I was introduced to then was Eddie Guerrero. I didn't really pay much attention until WCW/nWo Souled Out '97, when Eddie beat Syxx for the Cruiserweight Title, and thought that beating the NWO at their own PPV was quite the achievement.

I will admit that the highlight of the cruiserweight era for me was the phenomenal Dean Malenko vs. Rey Mysterio feud. Back then, Rey simply seemed to defy the laws of physics. He's still great now, but back then he was even better. Eddie honestly wasn't all that far behind either... and even back then, he could show charisma.

He really pulled my interest with the Latino World Order angle. The whole proposition of a bunch of lower card guys teaming up to force their way into the uppercard is a very interesting proposition. WCW used it twice, here and in the New Blood angle (where it didn't really work very well). Unfortunately, this is when Eddie had his accident.

I had no idea at the time, but as anyone who has watched his video knows, this was a horrific accident. Ideas were thrown about like maybe he'd never walk again or that he really should have been killed.

But Eddie came back... probably way too early, worked another half year in WCW... then bolted to WWF as one of the four Radicalz (himself, Chris Benoit, Perry Saturn and Dean Malenko), forming possibly the 2nd biggest talent coup in the Monday Night Wars after the defections of Scott Hall and Kevin Nash. Eddie promptly injured himself for months, landing on his arm wrong and screwing up his elbow in what I believe was his first WWF match.

He came back from this, and settled into the Latino Heat gimmick, an over the top Chicano character that was so over the top that it passed from racially insulting into just plain funny, and worked a lot with Chyna during this time.

This run ended when it was his fellow "Radicalz", Benoit, Malenko and Saturn who went to WWF management and revealed that Eddie had problems with alcoholism and pain killer addiction. And after this, Eddie was told he could go to rehab or he could go home (be fired), and that it was so bad, it would look bad to the other boys if WWF management didn't do this.

This is when life crashed around Eddie. His wife left him and took their two daughters. He had no job, no future.

Eddie did what a lot of people didn't when it gets that bad for them... he got back up. He cleaned himself up in rehab, and started working independent shows. Fortunately for him, WWF was watching, and seeing how good he was looking. It helped that a lot of his friends, such as the Radicalz and Rey Mysterio were going to the bat for him, urging Vince to give him another chance.

And say whatever you want about Vince, but giving other chances is something he does extraordinarily well. And as a bonus, he and his wife reconciled.

He was rehired in mid 2002 and by the end of that year, had formed a tag team with his three years younger nephew, Chavo, and started the immensely entertaining "Lie, Cheat and Steal" gimmick. The pair were part of what the IWC dubbed "The SmackDown Six" along with Rey Mysterio, Edge, Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle. When matches happened with any combination of these guys, they were the show stealers.

As 2003 closed out and 2004 began, Chavo turned on Eddie so as to prime Eddie for the highlight of his career. In February, 2004, after winning a SmackDown "mini Royal Rumble," he beat the seemingly unbeatable Brock Lesnar in what seemed to a mark like a huge upset for the WWE Title, and would retain it vs. Kurt Angle in one of the main events of Wrestlemania XX. The show closed with fellow Radical Chris Benoit winning RAW's WWE World Title and the two hugging in the ring and celebrating together.

Eddie's title reign did not go well for him. Despite the fact that he was far and away the highlight of the SmackDown brand during his championship, he blamed himself for the ratings and quality failures of the brand overall during his reign and approached a nervous breakdown. As a result, then perennial midcarder JBL beat Eddie a mere four months into his reign and would proceed to hold the belt for over a year. Rather than pursue JBL, Eddie would proceed to feud with Kurt Angle for a short time.

Eddie then moved into a partnership with Rey Mysterio, who he eventually turned on. Although these are two talented grapplers who are also great friends in real life, they were saddled with the angle that Eddie was really the father of Rey's son Dominic. Despite the outlandish soap opera-esque angle, Eddie and Rey usually had good to great matches.

Eddie's last angle ended up being a feud with Batista. Eddie claimed to have turned over a new leaf and wanted to help Batista, and Batista played along. This really helped make Batista and show off his charisma. After the feud, Eddie seemingly did turn over a new leaf, returning to his face mannerisms.

Just prior to Sunday's events, Eddie celebrated four years of sobriety. He was strongly rumored to be winning the World Title from Batista after Batista's recent back injury.

Both RAW and SmackDown were already taped last night because WWE is going on a European tour, and both shows' original plans were scrapped and redone as Eddie tribute shows, similar to the Owen and 9/11 shows in nature.

I'm kind of torn about this. I mourn his death. I mourn the fact that I'll never get a chance to shake his hand and tell him how much I admired the LWO, or the Los Guerreros skits, or the utter genius comedy that was the Lie, Cheat and Steal gimmick in matches.

But at the same time, I remember... he should have died in that car wreck... or he should have simply crawled into the bottle and never come out when WWF fired him, as so many other people before him have done.

It's painful now because Eddie made us care.

And I'm glad he did.

Viva la raza, Eddie. And thank you.

2005-09-28T20:17:00.000-07:00

Welcome to OOWF Independence .. 2004? Wow, I am behind.

We start off with 'Nature Girl' Penny Lane in the ring. A chant of "You tapped out!" starts as Penny looks to be in a FOUL mood after losing her OOWF IoP title to Emily Mundae on the last show. "Shut up!" she growls into the microphone. She then calls out... Jillian Lane? Jillian, with her new OOWF World Title come out to a pretty impressive pop from the crowd. She heads into the ring to see what her sister wants.

"Jillian, Jillian, Jillian... look at you," she starts as wolf whistles come from those who take that comment the wrong way. "You're the OOWF World Champion. And that's quite the achievement! However... you don't know yet that winning that belt is only part of the battle. It's *holding* the belt that's the hard part. But you see, I can't let family go through hard times like that. Mom always told me to look out for my little sister. How can I just blindly ask you to pass the mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving knowing that I let you go through losing the title like that? So what I'm going to do... is I'm going to take that belt and hold it... on your behalf of course."

Jillian looks hesitant. "Well, I do appreciate your concern, but I won this belt and I think I'll hold onto it."

Penny grabs the belt as her face is a twisted mask of rage. "Listen to me, you little *bleep*! It wasn't a request! GIVE ME THE *BLEEP* BELT!"

Jillian looks shocked for a moment... and then proceeds to spit right in Penny's face! Penny pauses for a second... and then slaps Jillian! Jillian responds with a punch and the fight is on! After a few minutes of vicious brawling, Jillian gains the upper hand and Penny rolls out of the ring and walks away backwards. The camera catches her yelling "You're dead without me, you ingrateful *bleep*!" Jillian celebrates in the ring with her belt.

(Jillian Lane gained 3 points of overness from this segment. 'Nature Girl' Penny Lane gained 1 point of overness from this segment. Jillian Lane's turn was completed, and she is now a face. Jillian Lane gained 1 point of overness from this turn.)

Pete Gas vs Matt Sutton.

Match Background: Pete Gas was a former henchman to Matt Sutton who turned on him. Matt wants revenge.

The Match: Sutton slams Pete Gas. Fallaway slam by Matt Sutton puts down Pete Gas. BRUTAL face-first slam from Sutton on Gas. DEATH VALLEY DRIVAH~! by Matt Sutton just KILLS Pete Gas! Pete Gas is in trouble. Mattitude Adjustment! 1....2....3. Matt Sutton gives a murderous look toward Pete Gas...and attacks! Gas gets dropped to the canvas, then battered with a barrage of rights and lefts. Sutton leaves the ring having left Gas down and out.

My Opinion: Bad match which brought absolutely nothing to the table and was a waste of time. DUD.

(Pete Gas didn't really sell very much, which hurt the match rating.)

After the match, Matt grabs a mic. "So, Lovette is the new boss around here? Well, why don't you get your cute butt down here... NOW." Brittany 'Tease' Lovette comes out, looking very unhappy about Matt's tone.

Matt continues, "Hey, big promotion. Congratulations. Truth be told, I didn't like Hines either. But what you're forgetting here is just who helped you get to this position. Our sponsors Sutton Burger got you here. *I* got you here. And I come here, and I look at the match card tonight, and I'm wrestling freaking Pete Gas?! I should be taking on Jillian Lane for MY title! Now, you make the match!"

"Hold it!" Brittany interrupts. "I am your boss! You don't talk to me like that! I will book you for a championship match when and IF I feel like it! And if you talk to me like that again, I don't care WHO your parents are, you will be fired!"

Matt looks angry. "This isn't over." he promises.

(Brittany 'Tease' Lovette gained 3 points of overness from this segment.)

Dave Adams vs Willow Crowley.

Match Background: None.

The Match: Bodyslam by Willow. Powerful Spear by Willow Crowley. I'd like to see him spear Goldberg, just for my amusement. There's a two count on the pin. Willow Crowley gets taken down out of nowhere! Pliskin hits a HARD spinning kick to the jaw. Willow takes a flying neckbreaker from Dave Adams. Covers for a quick two count. Vicious kick to the teeth from Dave Adams. Pinfall attempt: ONE...TWO...NO! Pliskin hits a dropkick on Willow Crowley and gets right back up. Willow Crowley powers out of a Dave Adams headlock. Pliskin gets hit with a HUGE clothesline. There's a two count on the pin. Impaler DDT by Willow Crowley just SPIKES Dave Adams down! Pin, but Pliskin is out just before the three count. Running knee lift from Willow Crowley. Willow hits a right hand. Willow walks into a drop toe hold. Second rope flying axe handle, Willow goes down. One day, Pliskin might even consider coming off the top with that. You know...for more impact and stuff. Springboard dropkick from Dave Adams. Nicely done. Willow Crowley can barely stand. Here it comes - Contract Hit. 1....2...3, it's finished. Willow Crowley has a temper tantrum, kicking the ropes and punching the turnbuckles.

My Opinion: Solid bout, but they could do a lot better. ***

(Willow Crowley lost 1 point of overness from this match. Dave Adams gained 2 points of overness from this match. )

Willow Crowley is walking backstage. Emily Mundae goes to talk to her, but she ignores it and continues to walk on without even acknowledging Emily.

(Willow Crowley gained 2 points of overness from this segment.)

Boffo Machine vs Xlorep DarkHelm.

Match Background: None.

The Match: DarkHelm takes a headbutt from Boffo Machine. Bodyslam by Boffo Machine. Massive backbreaker on DarkHelm and I get happy flashbacks to Bret Hart's Five Moves of DOOM. Boffo Machine scores with a big spinebuster. Brittany 'Tease' Lovette has climbed up onto the apron! B. Machine turns...and falls for the distraction! Xlorep DarkHelm runs at Boffo Machine from behind...but misses! Xlorep DarkHelm collides with Brittany 'Tease' Lovette! Xlorep DarkHelm is in trouble. Sweet Chin Music! 1....2....3. Xlorep DarkHelm goes nuts, attacking the referee! DDT! The referee is out!

My Opinion: I'll give it a *3/4 rating. If you think of it like currency, it's a 1.75. You can't even take the subway with that anymore here. Work harder man.

Sean McIver vs Jillian Lane.

Match Background: This match is for the OOWF World title. Jillian Lane has been OOWF World champion since 27 June 2004.

The Match: STIFF~! chop lights up Jill who covers up to try and stop the agonizing PAIN! Jill blocks a kick from Sean McIver. Lightning kick by Jill on McIver. McIver walks into a face crusher variation. Has anyone's face ever really been crushed by one of those though? Sean McIver gets knocked to the ground by Jill, who is already climbing the turnbuckle. Off the top - 5 Star Canary Splash, forget about it. 1....2...3! Jillian Lane climbs each turnbuckle in turn, working the crowd as she celebrates her victory

My Opinion: **1/4 rating for this one. Scott Keith may say that it's 'Perfectly Acceptable Wrestling', but not for me, buddy. Got to work harder to impress me.

The OOWF World title has gained in image.

Brittany 'Tease' Lovette is backstage with 'Nature Girl' Penny Lane. Brittany 'Tease' Lovette was verbally abusing Jillian Lane on behalf of 'Nature Girl' Penny Lane. There's no better way to build up a fighter than to promote her as someone who needs a manager to do their fighting talk. That's almost as bad as having a friend ask a girl out for you. Not that I've ever done that. No, really, I haven't. Just concentrate on your booking, ok!

(Brittany 'Tease' Lovette gained 2 points of overness from this segment. 'Nature Girl' Penny Lane gained 1 point of overness from this segment.)

'Nature Girl' Penny Lane vs Emily Mundae.

Match Background: This match is for the OOWF Institution of Power title. Emily Mundae has been OOWF Institution of Power champion since 27 June 2004.

The Match: Penny uses a basement dropkick to the knee and it looks like it might be TIME TO GO TO SCHOOL~! Emily takes a NICE hurrancarana from 'Nature Girl' Penny Lane. There's a two count on the pin. Emily Mundae comes up with a right hand out of nowhere. STIFF high kick on Penny by Emily Mundae. Spin kick by Emily Mundae to the face sends the opponent FLYING across the ring. Covers for a quick two count. NASTY Tiger Suplex by Emily Mundae on Penny. Hooks the leg! ONE...TWO...NO! THERE IT IS! A legdrop to the BACK OF THE HEAD! I swear, that makes any match just a little bit better. I don't mind telling you that every time I see it, that's for sure. 'Nature Girl' Penny Lane powers out of a Emily Mundae headlock. Lightning kick by Penny on Emily. There's a two count on the pin. Tor-NADO DDT from 'Nature Girl' Penny Lane, Emily got planted! Pinfall attempt: ONE...TWO...NO! I would have bought that as the finish! Penny uses a basement dropkick to the knee and it looks like it might be TIME TO GO TO SCHOOL~! 'Nature Girl' Penny Lane strikes Emily. Emily Mundae comes up with a right hand out of nowhere. Flying elbow from Emily Mundae connects. SHINING WIZARD~! on Penny by Emily! Emily Mundae floors 'Nature Girl' Penny Lane. Here it comes...Snapshooter! 'Nature Girl' Penny Lane is almost unconscious with pain! Willow Crowley quickly comes running down the aisle and into the ring! Emily Mundae turns around. Willow Crowley spins Emily around. Willow Crowley hits the F5! The referee calls for the DQ because of the interference of Willow! Penny and Willow tie Emily Mundae up in the ropes, then start punching away at her until referees run down and break it up.

My Opinion: A ***3/4 rating! Yay!

(Willow Crowley's turn was completed, and she is now a heel. Willow Crowley gained 1 point of overness from this turn. The OOWF Institution of Power title has gained in image.)

E-mail:

Doink: "How about booking me against Mr. Jones? I'm sure we could do some pretty entertaining stuff that the fans would like." Yeah, Doink vs. Virgil. A main event anywhere in the country. I'm sure Sean could write fanfics out of it at least.

Tracy Smothers: "I was thinking, how about giving me some matches with Rob Conway? I think we'd be able to do some good work together given the chance." Or how about not?

Road Agent: "You overused Willow Crowley at the last show, the fans started to get sick of seeing her." Who are these idiots we perform in front of? That's just silly.

Show Report: "Independence was attended by 206 people! We made $4120 from ticket sales."

NWATNA goes Global. In all the fallout, Rob Conway gets an open contract with another organization.

Tracy Smothers breaks his leg for 7 months. I offer him a release... and he takes it!

Goldberg has left WWE. Not like he'll sign for us.

We made $72,000 off merchandise this month! Sweet!

Finance department is happy about us making a profit.

Last month, Nathan Miller turned 25 and Emily Mundae turned 22.

WWE signs David Flair. Good for them, he needs to be used.

Garrison Cade is out with an arm injury for 2 months... ah, he's on open contract anyway, might as well keep him around.

The staff is happy with both Emily as the OOWF IOP Champ and Jill as the OOWF World Champ. They consider the two titles equal in prestige.

Top babyfaces:
1. Jillian Lane
2. Emily Mundae
3. Boffo Machine
4. Nathan Miller

Top heels:
1. Matt Sutton
2. 'Nature Girl' Penny Lane
3. Willow Crowley

Sophie says Jillian Lane is the top draw of the fed and should be the focus of the shows.

EWRevenge.com says that Jillian Lane is the best wrestler in the world, but says she's been criticized for working too stiff on occassion.

WrestlingHeat.com says that Willow Crowley will be in Playboy.

On grapplefanatics.net, Scott Keith again compares Jillian Lane to The Dynamite Kid and Helen Elizabeth praises the work of Brittany 'Tease' Lovette,

Nothing new in the Ryland Report.

That's all. Be sure to catch us next "month" for OOWF Hostile Intent!

2005-07-31T20:19:00.000-07:00

Our Oasis and the Our Oasis blog would like to be the first to extend official congratulations to Libby, the mistress of The New Hampshire Joyride for making it to 1,000 posts!

Congratulations, Libby, and we hope to have you here for thousands more!

2005-07-05T20:22:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, while going to sleep, I leave on The History Channel as something to listen to, given that my television has a sleep timer.

Last night, I heard this:

"Even a neutral has a right to take account of facts. Even a neutral cannot be asked to close his mind or close his conscience."

This was FDR, in a speech promising American neutrality in what would eventually become World War II, as, at this time, America wanted to hide under a rock and pretend the rest of the world didn't exist.

I'd take this a step farther.

When one of the sides in a conflict is one's friend, and that friend is claiming victimization, even a "neutral" has an OBLIGATION to take account of facts. Even a "neutral" has an OBLIGATION to not close their mind or their conscience.

Should they not live up to these obligations, they're not being much of a friend. And if it is indeed a conflict where only one side is doing wrong, they are taking a side, that of the wrongdoer.

Something to think about.

I'm not always nice, but I am always honest.

2005-07-04T20:24:00.000-07:00

You guys ever hear of the Kevin Bacon game, where any actor or actress can be linked to Kevin Bacon by going from movie to movie? I tried it with Adolf Hitler and had a surprising amount of success. I tried only movies at first then went to movies and TV if that didn't work.

The linking page is at: http://www.cs.virginia.edu/cgi-bin/oracle/movielinks&

The Oracle says: william shatner has an adolf hitler number of 3.

William Shatner was in Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) with Paul Busch
Paul Busch was in Himmel uber Berlin, Der (1987) with Curt Bois
Curt Bois was in Ewige Jude, Der (1940) with Adolf Hitler

The Oracle says: Adolf Hitler has a Ronald (I) Reagan number of 2.

Adolf Hitler was in Ewige Jude, Der (1940) with Curt Bois
Curt Bois was in Boy Meets Girl (1938) with Ronald (I) Reagan

The Oracle says: Adolf Hitler has a 'Weird Al' Yankovic number of 4.

Adolf Hitler was in March of Time: Inside Nazi Germany (1938) with Jackson Beck
Jackson Beck was in Radio Days (1987) with Kenneth Mars
Kenneth Mars was in Teddy Bears' Picnic (2002) with Michael McKean
Michael McKean was in Haunted Lighthouse (2003) with 'Weird Al' Yankovic

The Oracle says: Adolf Hitler has a George W. Bush number of 4.

Adolf Hitler was in Nuremberg (1946) with Hermann Goring
Hermann Goring was in Memory of Justice, The (1976) with Yehudi Menuhin
Yehudi Menuhin was in Revenge of the Dead Indians, The (1993) with Noam Chomsky
Noam Chomsky was in Rush to War (2004) with George W. Bush

The Oracle says: Adolf Hitler has an Osama bin Laden number of 4.

Adolf Hitler was in Nuremberg (1946) with Hermann Goring
Hermann Goring was in "Century: America's Time, The" (1999) (mini) with Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese was in Tanner on Tanner (2004) (TV) with Tom Brokaw
Tom Brokaw was in Without Fear or Favor: The Best in Broadcast Journalism (2004) (TV) with Osama bin Laden

The Oracle says: Adolf Hitler has a Pope John Paul II number of 4.

Adolf Hitler was in March of Time: Inside Nazi Germany (1938) with Jackson Beck
Jackson Beck was in Radio Days (1987) with Mike (I) Starr
Mike (I) Starr was in Freejack (1992) with Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger was in Papal Chase, The (2004) with Pope John Paul II

(It amused me that the route from Hitler to the last Pope goes through Mick Jagger)

The Oracle says: Adolf Hitler has a Meat Loaf number of 3.

Adolf Hitler was in March of Time: Inside Nazi Germany (1938) with Jackson Beck
Jackson Beck was in Radio Days (1987) with Kenneth Welsh
Kenneth Welsh was in Focus (2001/I) with Meat Loaf

The Oracle says: Adolf Hitler has a Vince McMahon number of 4.

Adolf Hitler was in March of Time: Inside Nazi Germany (1938) with Jackson Beck
Jackson Beck was in Cry Uncle! (1971) with Paul Sorvino
Paul Sorvino was in Longshot (2000) with The Rock
The Rock was in Beyond the Mat (1999) with Vince McMahon

The Oracle says: Adolf Hitler has a Paul Heyman number of 3.

Adolf Hitler was in March of Time: Inside Nazi Germany (1938) with Jackson Beck
Jackson Beck was in Radio Days (1987) with Richard Portnow
Richard Portnow was in Tony 'n' Tina's Wedding (2004) with Paul Heyman

The Oracle says: Adolf Hitler has an Eric Bischoff number of 3.

Adolf Hitler was in March of Time: Inside Nazi Germany (1938) with Jackson Beck
Jackson Beck was in "G.I. Joe" (1985) with Sgt. Slaughter
Sgt. Slaughter was in "Sunday Night Heat" (1998) with Eric Bischoff

(which would link practically anyone on the WWE roster to Hitler)

The Oracle says: Adolf Hitler has a Britney Spears number of 3.

Adolf Hitler was in March of Time: Inside Nazi Germany (1938) with Jackson Beck
Jackson Beck was in Radio Days (1987) with Seth Green
Seth Green was in Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002) with Britney Spears

The Oracle says: Adolf Hitler has a Walt Disney number of 2.

Adolf Hitler was in March of Time: Inside Nazi Germany (1938) with Jackson Beck
Jackson Beck was in Show Business at War (1943) with Walt Disney

The Oracle says: Adolf Hitler has a Linda Lovelace number of 4.

Adolf Hitler was in Ewige Jude, Der (1940) with Curt Bois
Curt Bois was in Boot ist voll, Das (1981) with Simone (I)
Simone (I) was in That's Erotic (1979) with Georgina Spelvin
Georgina Spelvin was in Sexual Ecstasy of the Macumba (1975) with Linda Lovelace

2005-07-03T20:31:00.000-07:00

Matt and I chatted while I watched RAW... here are some of the best bits...

Boffo97: Bald Eric pic at the beginning~~~~~~~~
I Am Matt Sutton: indeed! :)

Boffo97: You know, if the RAW theme really is dropping F bombs, I wonder why the FCC is letting them get along with it
Boffo97: or the ESRB for the games

Boffo97: Test wasn't fired. He shrank a few inches and became Gene Snitsky.
Boffo97: but it's NOT HIS FAULT!
I Am Matt Sutton: whose fault is it?
Boffo97: Whose Fault Is It, Anyway?
I Am Matt Sutton: it's Drew Carey's!

Boffo97: You know... JR can't think of a redeeming quality of Snitsky? How about beating the crap out of the guy who lit you on fire?
I Am Matt Sutton: maybe J.R. has selective soap opera amnesia?
Boffo97: Maybe
Boffo97: I'd be all "Hey, so you lost the baby. I grieve for the baby. But you lit me on fire, you soulless bastard!"

Boffo97: JR and King are saying that Eugene emulates stuff he sees on TV? Don't they tell us NOT to do that?
Boffo97: I should look at my logs after this and use them to post a running RAW thoughts post
Boffo97: C'mon JR, he's whipping him like a government mule. You want to say it.
I Am Matt Sutton: Eugene gets away with it because he's a WWE employee

Boffo97: I want a no baby sign.
I Am Matt Sutton: why?
Boffo97: I want to post it somewhere and confuse the hell out of people?
I Am Matt Sutton: works for me

Boffo97: YES, Regal!
I Am Matt Sutton: Regal~~~~~~~~~~~
Boffo97: You're gonna jump on Eugene? Here's some knucks for you, asshole!
Boffo97: In his RIGHTEOUS BRITISH VENGEANCE!

Boffo97: Trip is coming off as a Cult Leader here
Boffo97: or a bad politician
I Am Matt Sutton: either or
Boffo97: "Without me, RAW is nothing." I'd respond "And with you, RAW is Beating The Shit Out Of Trip, Bitch."

Boffo97: Maria is cute... she wasn't one of the Divas, right?
I Am Matt Sutton: no, I don't think so
Boffo97: We are ahs matt ahs hell.
Boffo97: Tajiri IS Matt
I Am Matt Sutton: *spits green mist*

Boffo97: Don't talk about your Oklahoma backside, JR.

Boffo97: What.... happpened to.... Tajiri....
Boffo97: is Shatner cutting a promo?!
I Am Matt Sutton: yes
I Am Matt Sutton: he is
Boffo97: Spoooooooock!
Boffo97: Be careful, his double axe-handle will knock out ANYONE.

Boffo97: Don't cheer his match announcements you flip flopping morons, you were just calling him an asshole two seconds ago!

Boffo97: Unless there's a certain match HE wants to see, he's going to keep letting the inmates run thing
I Am Matt Sutton: hmm
Boffo97: he feels betrayed by Evolution for no showing when he got his hair shaved
I Am Matt Sutton: interesting
Boffo97: "Tell me exactly what kissing Evolution's ass for the last 2 1/2 years has gotten me?!"
Boffo97: THIS RULES
I Am Matt Sutton: it DOES!
Boffo97: Eric has a spine!
Boffo97: Or maybe a penis!
Boffo97: Or maybe both!
I Am Matt Sutton: I'd rather not think about his penis, thanks

Boffo97: Bischoff is RULING it here
Boffo97: "Well *I* say, without that World Title, Triple H is NOTHING."
Boffo97: Holy holy holy crap.
I Am Matt Sutton: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Boffo97: Please don't let this be a tease. This is rulling so hardcore.
I Am Matt Sutton: this was THE best moment of the show
Boffo97: Even better than the Main?
I Am Matt Sutton: just barely better than the main event
I Am Matt Sutton: barely
Boffo97: Bischoff's whole body language seemed to be saying "**** with me, and I'm going to book you in a weapons match against 15 guys
I Am Matt Sutton: and I wish he would have done that
Boffo97: I like "I'm just here for myself!" Eric
I Am Matt Sutton: me too
Boffo97: So far this is a very bitch smacky downy show
Boffo97: Between Regal and Bischoff

Boffo97: Edge's book is Cheap As Free!
I Am Matt Sutton: hehe
Boffo97: Firebert, you stay here and think of a better Commando name
I Am Matt Sutton: sure thing

Boffo97: Viscera has theme music!
Boffo97: Viscera goes where Viscera wants!
I Am Matt Sutton: tonight was a really good show
Boffo97: They're even making Viscera rule it
Boffo97: they could have him all of a sudden hunting down all the former Ministry members... that would be cool
I Am Matt Sutton: yeah, really
I Am Matt Sutton: it would be
I Am Matt Sutton: they should do taht
I Am Matt Sutton: *that

Boffo97: who found a bigger spine, Maven or Bischoff?
I Am Matt Sutton: good question
I Am Matt Sutton: I don't know

Boffo97: You'll never forget the people you hurt while you were high
Boffo97: you get high enough, you kinda forget everything
I Am Matt Sutton: yeah
I Am Matt Sutton: but YOU CAN'T GROUND ME
Boffo97: IT'S JUST A LITTLE POT!
Boffo97: *slam*
I Am Matt Sutton: YOU WENT THROUGH MY ROOM, IT'S MY ROOM!
I Am Matt Sutton: *slams the door*
Boffo97: *waves his hand in front of his face*
I Am Matt Sutton: IT'S JUST A LITTLE POT!
Boffo97: You can't ground me!
I Am Matt Sutton: Cheech, Chong, & Cena
I Am Matt Sutton: Basic Tokeanomics
Boffo97: Basic Slamanomics
Boffo97: jinx
I Am Matt Sutton: aw :(

Boffo97: Simon shouldn't talk about other guy's penises
I Am Matt Sutton: nobody should talk about other guy's penises
Boffo97: Why didn't his head explode when he saw Viscera?
Boffo97: He screwed up his promo and repeated his spot!
I Am Matt Sutton: he did?
I Am Matt Sutton: I missed it
I Am Matt Sutton: I kinda tuned out
Boffo97: yeah... he repeated a line about how "Do I smell cheese?" with that one woman

Boffo97: I'd knee him in the crotch and then say "In a couple of weeks, you'll be able to see YOUR penis again!"

Boffo97: The Tag Title Match is next
Boffo97: and remember, if you chant USA, you're cheering for Robert Conway

Boffo97: This commercial with LeBron James where he's resisting money and women to just play ball is funny considering how much he makes
I Am Matt Sutton: heh
I Am Matt Sutton: yeah, really
I Am Matt Sutton: Kobe Bryant and LeBron James are proof that college educations are overrated if you're a good athlete
Boffo97: yep... at least the NFL keeps high schoolers out

Boffo97: I don't want to know what Lawler puts in his Juice Box
Boffo97: Rikishi is on it!
Boffo97: and the Don't Try This At Home video?
Boffo97: Lawler is farking weird.
I Am Matt Sutton: it's the Don't Try This At Home video set to Benoit's music
I Am Matt Sutton: weird indeed
Boffo97: I guess Rikishi was just in the video
Boffo97: meaning they need to make a new one
Boffo97: or.. . JUST GIVE IT A REST ALREADY

Boffo97: Edge just shows up whenever he wants.
I Am Matt Sutton: he's such a slacker
Boffo97: He should keep doing so... that's be funny
Boffo97: just come out at random times.
I Am Matt Sutton: it would be
I Am Matt Sutton: like if he has a one-on-one match, just show up five minutes after his opponent walks out
I Am Matt Sutton: or later in the show when nobody's expecting him
Boffo97: Or in the middle of random matches or promos
I Am Matt Sutton: indeed
I Am Matt Sutton: he just walks out and starts cutting a promo

Boffo97: Chris may be in trouble! I'd better go!
I Am Matt Sutton: way to go and check on him, Edge
I Am Matt Sutton: he earned his paycheck tonight
Boffo97: You'd think Edge would actually want to KEEP the tag titles
I Am Matt Sutton: he's had a zillion of them
I Am Matt Sutton: you'd figure he'd get tired of them after a while

Boffo97: It does kind of devalue the tag titles for Edge to totally blow them off
I Am Matt Sutton: which devalues them worse, a crappy team holding them for a year or one guy thinking he's above them?
Boffo97: both do pretty bad

Boffo97: Lawler: "This is what Benoit gets for not voting Edge into the final match"
Boffo97: was Benoit supposed to vote against himself?
I Am Matt Sutton: doesn't everybody?
Boffo97: Who do you want to secks a supermodel? You or Edge?
I Am Matt Sutton: which supermodel?
Boffo97: Whichever one you want
I Am Matt Sutton: screw Edge, I'm voting for me
Boffo97: Then it's your fault Edge turned evil.
I Am Matt Sutton: it's NOT MY FAULT
I Am Matt Sutton: and it's NOT MY FAULT the baby is dead
Boffo97: Oh yeah... Edge and Snitsky will get along REALLY well

Boffo97: The Christmas themed Seed of Chuck movie should have a disclaimer "Santa Claus does not actually appear in movie."

Boffo97: I can eat an M-Azing without doing anything impossible for it
I Am Matt Sutton: would you do something amazing for an M-Azing?
Boffo97: I'd... pay 33 cents for one?

Boffo97: TAP, CHRIS!
Boffo97: TAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Boffo97: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Boffo97: !!!
I Am Matt Sutton: TAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Boffo97: TAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-
AAAAAAAAPPPPPPPPP-
PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I Am Matt Sutton: *taps*
Boffo97: ok then... bye
Boffo97: *saunters off to sell his book*

Boffo97: Maybe Bischoff was like an Evil Samson
Boffo97: cut his hair and he's less evil
Boffo97: He won't repudiate!

Boffo97: This sounds like a rather face-ish promo
Boffo97: though the Islam thing might turn some people off.
I Am Matt Sutton: yeah, it could
Boffo97: WWE is Arabic for WWE!
Boffo97: JR pretty much brushed it off
I Am Matt Sutton: "Huh, Islamic guys from OVW, go figure. Up next..."

Boffo97: Who wins between Team Hines and Team Sutton?
I Am Matt Sutton: the fans!

Boffo97: Edge: It's your fault! Snitsky: It's NOT MY FAULT! Trip: Fine, it's Batista's fault! Shut the hell up!
Boffo97: Batista: What?
I Am Matt Sutton: Batista: Hey, wait a second...
I Am Matt Sutton: jinx
Boffo97: Dammit
I Am Matt Sutton: :)
Boffo97: Orton, Maven, Jericho and Benoit: HA HA HA HA HA! Flair: Dudes, Maven is laughing at us! Why do I hang out with you jamokes anyway?!
I Am Matt Sutton: Batista: Because you've got nowhere else to go?
Boffo97: Flair: (sniff) I know... it's punishment for letting Roma in the Horsemen, isn't it?
I Am Matt Sutton: Batista: Yes. The decision was bad and you should feel bad.
Boffo97: Flair: And McMichael.... I... I.... I'M SORRY! *starts bawling*
I Am Matt Sutton: Trip: Aww, it's okay, buddy. Wanna go pull your trunks down and show the fans your ass?
Boffo97: Flair: *sniff* C-can I?
I Am Matt Sutton: Trip: If it'll make you feel better.
Boffo97: Flair: And then can we have ice cream?
I Am Matt Sutton: Trip: Why not? You earned it.
Boffo97: Flair: With the mini Gummi Bears?
I Am Matt Sutton: Trip: Of course, of course.
Boffo97: Edge: This all is freaking weird.
Boffo97: Snitsky: Yeah.
I Am Matt Sutton: Trip: Shut up, you weiners. He's sensitive.
Boffo97: Flair: WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I Am Matt Sutton: Trip: Now look what you did. I hope you're happy now. Jerks.
Boffo97: Edge and Snitsky: We're sorry.
I Am Matt Sutton: Trip: Are you really?
Boffo97: Russo: No they're not! Swervez r00l!
I Am Matt Sutton: Trip: *punches Russo*
Boffo97: Russo: Ow! I'm gonna tell God on you!
I Am Matt Sutton: Trip: You do that.

Boffo97: Your Seven Tough Enough Finalists!
Boffo97: Tazz: "These guys have some spunk!" Me: Ew.
I Am Matt Sutton: get your head out of the gutter
Boffo97: Is YOURS out?
Boffo97: Can you do this? *hops on one leg* How about this? *scoots on his butt*
I Am Matt Sutton: no, but I certainly didn't think of THAT when he said spunk
Boffo97: Suuuure you didn't
I Am Matt Sutton: I don't scoot on my butt like that because it makes me look like a friggin' retard
Boffo97: So you CAN... but you have the good judgment NOT to is what you're saying
I Am Matt Sutton: yes
Boffo97: Just like you COULD get on your roof and yell to the neighborhood "I have a tiny penis!" but you won't
Boffo97: makes you look just about as good
I Am Matt Sutton: and I have no reason to do that
Boffo97: I'll take your word for that. :)

Boffo97: I want Test back
Boffo97: Me and Stacy Keibler... and maybe Scott Rees
I Am Matt Sutton: I do too
Boffo97: we're keeping the dream alive
Boffo97: four of us now~~~~~
Boffo97: And no, Snitsky doesn't count
I Am Matt Sutton: aw
Boffo97: and that's NOT MY FAULT!
I Am Matt Sutton: IT'S NOT MINE EITHER
Boffo97: MY CAPS LOCK IS BROKEN
I Am Matt Sutton: SO IS MINE
I Am Matt Sutton: WHAT A SMALL WORLD
Boffo97: IT'S A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL

Boffo97: Lita: The Walking Kiss Of Death~~~~~~~~~~
Boffo97: Essa Rrrrrrrrrios~~~~~~~~~~
Boffo97: Lita DECIDED to marry Kane?
Boffo97: Kane hasn't been seen since.... if since is... two weeks?
Boffo97: "You're a bunch of rednecks, you're still my fans. You still count."
Boffo97: Penny will want to claim that line.
Boffo97: You know... all those other things Trish said were okay... but as soon as she said chubby, Lita's out to kick her ass.
Boffo97: BTW, who did Lita beat to deserve a title shot?
I Am Matt Sutton: her and Trish don't get along?
Boffo97: Just a little bit
I Am Matt Sutton: Lita earned the title shot by not having a kid, I guess
I Am Matt Sutton: she beat The Stork for the title shot
Boffo97: With Snitsky's interference? ;)
I Am Matt Sutton: the interference WASN'T HIS FAULT

Boffo97: Tomorrow is the most important day of the year?
Boffo97: Moreso than Christmas? Easter?
I Am Matt Sutton: moreso than Columbus Day?
I Am Matt Sutton: Cinco De Mayo?
I Am Matt Sutton: Chinese New Year?
Boffo97: It's more important than Secretary's Day!
I Am Matt Sutton: even Grandparent's Day?
Boffo97: Even more important than Groundhog Day!
Boffo97: Even more important than Groundhog Day!
Boffo97: Even more important than Groundhog Day!

Boffo97: Jeez, does Orton have enough pyro?
I Am Matt Sutton: pyro is like cowbell
I Am Matt Sutton: he needs MORE PYRO! like Chris Walken needs MORE COWBELL!
Boffo97: Evolution is a mystery.
I Am Matt Sutton: and the only thing that can solve it is MORE PYRO!

Boffo97: Batista and Flair are 552 lbs combined?
Boffo97: That would say Flair is 250... Batista is 300.... that sounds a big exaggeration.
Boffo97: i know they do exaggerate, but still
I Am Matt Sutton: unless Batista is 320 and Flair is 230
Boffo97: ....maybe
Boffo97: that'd be a lot for Batista though
I Am Matt Sutton: or 310 and 240 or somesuch
Boffo97: I'd guesstimate them to be more 25
Boffo97: 275
Boffo97: Yes, Ric Flair is 25 lbs
Boffo97: he's a big watermelon
I Am Matt Sutton: haha
Boffo97: With an old flabby butt.
I Am Matt Sutton: and manboobs
Boffo97: TWOOOO!
Boffo97: manboobs```````````
I Am Matt Sutton: indeed

Boffo97: Heh... Maven tagged in with Flair as a heel in peril~~~~~~~~
I Am Matt Sutton: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Boffo97: Cheating faces~~~~~~~~~
I Am Matt Sutton: indeed
Boffo97: Tag rope choking by faces~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I Am Matt Sutton: indeed
Boffo97: Flair fall down!
I Am Matt Sutton: that was my favorite part of the match
Boffo97: Flair go boom
Boffo97: Face Low Blows~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Boffo97: Flair is getting his ass royally kicked her
I Am Matt Sutton: yeah, really
Boffo97: It would have been funnier if the ref didn't allow Batista's tag for not seeing it
I Am Matt Sutton: funny AND surreal
Boffo97: Yes, for one shining tag match, the ref wouldn't be pro heel
Boffo97: It is so fun seeing the odds unfairly stacked against heels
Boffo97: if only for tonight
I Am Matt Sutton: I agree
Boffo97: Cheat, cheat, cheat, say the faces!
I Am Matt Sutton: do they lie, cheat, and steal?

Boffo97: Tajiri H~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Boffo97: Heh, I think Batista dropped an F bomb "Oh, f...."
I Am Matt Sutton: oops
I Am Matt Sutton: the FCC won't like that
Boffo97: if it didn't make the air audibly, it's fine
Boffo97: plus they drop F bombs in the theme music

2005-07-02T20:33:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the New Year's Revolution Roundtable!

This time we're truly groundbreaking! THREE girls! Envy us, all other roundtables! I am experimenting with a little format change here. If someone had additional comments after their first message, I'm including that. Let's get on with the show.

We are running a little late on this this time. I was sick and slept most of the day.

******

The Elimination Chamber for the World Heavyweight Championship
Poll: Triple H: 3, Batista: 2, Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, Edge: 1 each

Dave: What I'd LIKE to see: Jericho wins and starts being used again.
What WILL happen: Batista's seeming dissension was "just kidding" as he helps Triple H win.

Matt: My prediction: HHH wins, and reinstates the "no title shot for Orton" thing. Orton wins the Royal Rumble in a few weeks, thus earning himself a title shot at Wrestlemania.

Sean: Jericho or Benoit winning would make me happy... i'm thinking it'll be the SOS as usual

B: Go Randy!

Libby: This was the hardest one to choose. Sure, Triple H is the most likely, but I just went nuts and picked Batista. Why not?

Dave: Is Batista ready?

Libby: I have a young friend here who thinks Batista is the greatest wrestler on the show. If he doesn't win it eventually, I'd be surprised.
I know that didn't answer your question.

Dave: I do agree the fans are ready to go NUTS behind Batista... and if they make it another "FOOLED YOU" booking decision, it's going to suck monkey balls.
Did anyone see this coming during the Deacon Batista days?

Matt: I didn't even expect it during the Leviathan days. Of course, I was the only person here who knew who Leviathan IS, but that's a story for another time.

Jill: GO JERICHO! And GO BATISTA cause my girly girl thinks you're so smokin' HOT.

B: His nice butt is ready.
Comments like that are just too easy :P

Dave: Comments like that are just too icky.

******

Kane vs. Gene Snitsky
Poll :Kane: 8, Gene Snitsky: 0

Dave: Kane wins, crushes Snitsky down to OVW and no one but Matt ever hears of him again.

Matt: The logical booking would be Kane winning, and that's who I chose. However, I could see them booking an ending where Kane snaps and destroys Snitsky with a weapon, thus getting himself DQ'd.

Dave: With the way they're going, Lita will turn on Kane and join Snitsky.

Sean: (in response to my prediction) i hope not... i like Snitsky, if just for continued interaction with Heidenreich. plus his beard/goatee is frightening.

B: Beat the living crap out of him Kane.

Libby: Please GOD, let Kane win and save his career. Another loss to Snitsky would kill me. Even though Snitsky is growing on me....a little.....Kane HAS TO WIN.

Jill: GO KANE!
GO
GO
GO KANE!
You can do it!

******

Lita vs. Trish
Poll: Lita: 5, Trish: 3

Dave: I'm picking Lita here... just because after so long of being victimized, it's time for good to finally get its comeuppance.

Sean: she is showing excellent fire and passion for a change.

B: Please let Lita win.

Libby: I could easily go either way on this one. I can see Trish pulling it off, though. Lita has just about rehabilitated herself with me, after some craptacular developments earlier in the year, but Trish is money. As far as I'm concerned, she is to that Woman's belt what Ric Flair was to the NWA title. Yeah.
Not to be a nitpicker, but if Lita wins...it's Trish that gets her "comeuppance". You're welcome.&

Dave: D'oh... while there's an argument that I could be correct... it is usually used in the other way.

Libby:Argument schmargument. You fudged it.

Dave: And you love pointing that out.

Jill: GO TRISH! Your bad self deserves that title.

******

Shelton Benjamin vs. Maven for the Intercontinental Championship
Poll: Shelton Benjamin: 6, Maven: 0

Dave: While it is nice they're doing something with Maven besides "Plucky underdog who happened to win Tough Enough", he's still going to be some time shedding the Jobber 4 Life image... while Shelton has real potential to be something special.
I say Maven is allowed to look good, but Shelton takes it.

Matt: Find me someone who takes Maven seriously, and I'll show you someone who should have their head examined. He's the only Tough Enougher that hasn't shown any sort of personality past being that guy from Tough Enough, and it'll be a long while before anyone sees him as any kind of threat. Benjamin wins.

B: I gotta go for Shelton, but I definetly prefer Maven's butt :)

Dave: That's just icky.

Libby: I think Shelton should win and build up a lot of wins, and be built up into a big-time player.
However, I expect Maven to win with some chicanery. I don't want that, but I have that sinking feeling.

Jill: GO SHELTON! Who da man? YOU da man!

B: What's icky? K agrees with me. Maven has a nice butt. 2 to 1..we win. :)

Matt: Being a heterosexual male, I really have no desire to think about Maven's posterior. The matter is tied 2-2. :P

Dave: And Matt and I have hammers, so we get extra votes... and I get 1 more vote for being grand poobah. 5-2 us.

Libby: What a pile of bullshit that is.

Dave: It is not BS. We get extra points.

Libby: Total and complete bullshit.

******

Christian & Tyson Tomko vs. William Regal & Eugene for the World Tag Team Championship&
Poll: William Regal & Eugene: 6, Christian & Tyson Tomko: 1

Dave: Christian is far above needing the tag titles again, Tomko is far below deserving them. That fact, plus the thrown together nature of this feud, plus the fact that both challengers beat both champs in single matches leads me to believe that the champs retain here.
On that last bit, otherwise Eugene and Regal suffer for being so thoroughly dominated.

Matt: The Regal/Eugene combination are regularly entertaining and are really deserving of the titles. As has been said, Christian is way above the tag titles, while Tomko isn't credible enough to buy one of the replica title belts. Besides, there's that pesky "win on Monday, lose on Sunday" booking too, so I think Regal and Eugene are going to win this one.

Libby: I picked Christian and Tomko. Christian has been spinning his wheels for a while, and he always works in tag teams. It never fails. Plus, a tag team is pretty much the best place to hide Tomko's faults.
Furthermore, Regal and Eugene have had the belts for a short while now, and a short while is as long as a face team can expect to hold the belts on Raw. Plus, I'm just sick of Eugene. I hope the title loss spurs Regal to a violent, bloody, brutal beatdown on Eugene.
Come back to the dark side, Regal.

Jill: I don't really care much about this one.

B: Of course I gotta go for Eugene, simply cause he always makes me laugh. I love seeing what Eugene's up to each week. How can anyone be mean to him?
Of course I like Christian too. He's got the bad boy appeal,and I usually like his outfit. As for Tyson Tomko, eww.
Don't ya love how I turn wrestling into something girly? :P

Dave: You turn everything into something girly. :P

******

Jerry Lawler vs. Mohammad Hassan
Poll: Jerry Lawler: 5, Mohammad Hassan: 2

Dave: Oh wow... a guy we have no reason to care about vs. an announcer who frequently vacillates between heel and face when he isn't obsessed about puppies.
If Hassan were to lose this match, he'd be completely DOA... so he's going to win. But the problem is this doesn't really do that much for him.

Matt: Hassan is going to win, just because I doubt they'd book a guy to lose his first match. I also doubt that he'll be around very long, though. The simple fact that the character is blatently racist is just asking for some overzealous fan(s) to jump the rail and kick the shit out of him on a regular basis. That's why he's not in OVW any more, and I suspect that sooner or later, he's going to go the way of Mordecai and pull a disappearing act.

Dave: Not only will they not book a guy to job in his first match, he also won't be jobbing vs. an announcer.

Sean: the sad thing is that the kid's got a great look and is a fantastic talker (the idiot manager he's with can take a hike, though). he's a damn sight better than Carlito

Matt: I've seen Mohammad wrestle back in OVW (back when he was just called Mark Magnus), and he wasn't too bad of a wrestler either. He had a couple of really good matches with a pre-Eugene Nick Dinsmore. I'm sure a match with Lawler could be at least watchable.

B: I hope Lawler beats the crap out of him. That Hassan dude and his buddy are just flat out annoying. I literally dread when they come out on RAW each week. I usually just go get a snack or read a book until they get done.

Libby: I say Lawler wins, but by DQ when the extraneous 2nd Arab attacks. Yes, Lawler wins When Arabs Attack!
Lawler could just as easily lose by DQ, too. I don't know why, but I don't see a pin happening.&
It's usually a bad sign for your career when your first big feud in the WWE/F is vs. the announce team. See also: Taz(z).
I agree. He's a great talker and he looks really good. He's much better at this than Tiger Ali Singh was. (Did I get that name right?)

Jill: GO JERRY! BEAT HIS ARAB ASS!

2005-07-01T20:38:00.000-07:00

Information is a powerful thing.

Information can build a friendship or dissolve it. It can make a reputation or it can break it. When information is one sided or flat out wrong, that can be a very dangerous and unfair thing.

And that's why I'm here to explain the truth of what happened to me in the summer of 2003. Some may argue that too much time has passed to be concerned about it, but something being wrong for a long time doesn't make it less needful of being made right. If anything, it makes it more so.

I should point out before I start though that even though I assert that every word herein is completely true, I recognize that Libby is her own person, with her own mind and her own decisions. She does not necessarily endorse every word here as "the complete truth". And I do not speak for her.

On December 21st, 2002, Libby and I began a relationship that developed beyond a friendship and we became e-boyfriend and e-girlfriend, but she wanted that kept secret because she had been burned on other online relationships before. While I'm not going to pretend I ever was or am now an equal to Emily for her, that relationship was something that had a real-ness to it. It wasn't always a smooth road. Libby and I had been coming off nearly a 6 month period of not talking to each other because of someone whom I had figured out was a complete unworthy asshole, but took longer to show that to her. As well, we were dealing with issues involving my assimilation into IOP. There were a lot of arguments because of this, and half the blame for those is mine. And they set up what came later.

On April 20th, 2003, I feel we were very close to getting these issues behind us, when a complication introduced itself. After a chat joke, Rob took it upon himself, without Libby's express permission, to post a chat snippet into IOP, and based on this joke, publicly declare himself to be Libby's new e-boyfriend. From what I understand, this relationship was never real. Libby was always trying to find a way out of it without hurting someone she considered a friend, and the only time she enjoyed that relationship was when she was angry at me. But at the time, Libby and I were thrust into a hell of a spot and just trying to find some way to get out of it without having to throw away the form of relationship we had and without hurting Rob's feelings. We cared about him at the time, under a mistaken belief that he cared about either of us.

This caused the problems between us to be multiplied exponentially. Most of the time, we were arguing, and most of those arguments were as to when she was going to break it off with Rob, something I recognize now only made things worse. As an outlet to these arguments, Libby would begin to tell others on AIM, then through her new blog that I was upsetting her, but of course, the detail as to WHY was missing, making it seem like I was pissing Libby off for no reason. The only way I could have defended myself is to have spilled the secrets about our relationship, so I held my tongue. But this was the beginning of the reputation damage caused, and I argued then that this was a violation of the confidentiality we had at her insistence.

Things began breaking down in July. I was knocked offline for a couple of weeks. When I left, Libby was insisting that I was her boyfriend still, and I left thinking that the break might be good for us. When I came back, Libby had posted several entries about how she was dreading my return, had started to allow Rob to post in her blog, and had deleted all content in a side forum that we had.

But all that aside, it doesn't justify what I did next, and I sometimes have problems forgiving myself for it. Without talking to Libby first, I presumed that she had not only ended the relationship but ended all agreements pertaining to it in just about the cruelest way possible. I took it upon myself to tell Rob the truth, given that at the time, I thought he was a friend. When Libby came on, I came unglued at her, happening to call her a very nasty word (the c-word) twice. I understand now that that word is something that is very offensive in the cultural circles of Libby and others. To me, it's a bad word, but there are far worse. My point in using it was only to try to convey the message "You call yourself a bitch sometimes and you take pride in that. This goes way beyond being a bitch. This was wrong." Still, I should not have used that word. I apologized soon after to her in private, and have repeatedly done so since. But it had been publicized by Libby, whereas the circumstances behind it, nor the apology had not been.

Another complication arose out of this. At the time, we all assumed Rob was an okay guy. But as most of us know now, he has a self fixation which borders on a need for institutionalization. In passing, I had happened to let slip that Emily was a confidante to our relationship, given that I had to keep it secret from everyone else. Rob actually presumed that he had to be so important that Emily would betray her real life girlfriend in favor of some guy on the Internet to tell some secret that wasn't even hers. My revelation was a cause of Emily getting hurt. It wouldn't have happened without that. But Rob was the person who actually hurt her by giving her all sorts of shit about not being more important than her real life girlfriend and revealing secrets that weren't hers to reveal. I received the punishment for this, he got rewarded for at least another eight months.

That night when I talked to Libby, she was upset, and quite justifiably so. But, the next night and later that week, there seemed to be little hints dropped here and there that this wasn't the way she wanted things to go, and that not only did she still want to be friends, but there was still a chance she wanted to be boyfriend and girlfriend again. It was enough that I not only stayed friends with her, but still wanted things to be like they were before. It was in pursuit of this that I decided to stay quiet after that first night, even in the face of some severely harsh things being said about me.

And about a week and a half after things broke down, Libby blocked me on AIM. That's known. What isn't is that it was about 4 days later that she unblocked me, and we have talked ever since. I told her my intention was to repair the friendship between us and to win her back as a girlfriend. I had hopes that within a month or two, Libby and Rob would have an amicable "breakup", her and I would get back together, I'd return to IOP, and everything would be happy. I believe the biggest flaw in that theory was that Rob's self fixation showed up again in that rather than caring about her enough to get her calmed down and thinking about who she really wanted to be with, just "took his win" and continued to stir the pot against me after turning on me himself.

In September 2003, Libby and I privately decided to call ourselves friends again. For her own reasons, Libby did not apologize publicly until around January or so and did not admit she talked to me until late March. And even then, the way she wrote this information implied that it was a recent development.

In a possibly related fact, a bit after this, Rob and Libby broke up over matters which seem to be related to the fact that Libby wouldn't allow Rob to do or say whatever he wanted to do, including abusing her blog to pursue his vendetta against me as he had and has been doing to Krissie since January (something Libby received direct proof of, and was afraid he would do or had been doing to her blog). Shortly after he took his ball and went home, Libby killed all his power, and deleted every self indulgent post he ever made in her blog (which turned out to be all of them). Luckily, it turned out that we had repaired things enough for her to select me as her new Tech Support.

Unfortunately, IOP was forced to close on April 30th, 2004 because of Delphi's money grubbing tactics. I never got to return there, primarily (I am told) because Libby was afraid of fights. And I believe that there would be fights. These fights had been started by Rob, James and Mike (all three of whom I will say more about later). Unfortunately, the way things went down, I was preemptively punished for their misdeeds. But by that time, because of their misdeeds, especially James', IOP had been reduced to a pale shadow of its former self.

So that leads us to now. Libby and I both know Rob for the small, sad person he is, and he's out of the picture. Libby and I are publicly known as friends, and this account helps set the record straight on what really happened. As to whether Libby and I will get back together, if we do AND we decide to make it public, you'll be the first to know. And for all you know, maybe we already are back together..

In thinking about the situation, yes, Libby and I made a lot of mistakes. And we hurt each other through those mistakes. And I am sincerely very sorry to her for ever hurting her. But I do not believe we ever acted out of malice. Unfortunately, the situation was made far worse by three people who DID act out of malice.

Rob: You played the victim for all it was worth and gathered sympathy for it. But the truth is you wouldn't have been in this situation at all had you not taken that chat joke and posted it and pushed it without consent. You put Libby and I into a hell of a situation, and caused a ton of problems between us. But still, all that time, we were both worried about your feelings. My girlfriend said that she'd deal with the situation, and I trusted her to. But you and her were not a real relationship. That night I told you the truth, that was your chance to take this relationship that wasn't real, and make it something that was real. But you failed utterly because you didn't care about anyone but yourself. You tried to just "take your win", and as it turned out, you only cared about Libby for as long as she did what you wanted her to do. Since, while crying crocodile tears about how sad you were that we broke up, you began using Krissie to try to hurt me. You whispered lies into Charlie's ears to break him and I apart (though that just proved he was never really my friend either), and most lately and most despicably, you tried to use Madonna when she was hurting badly as a tool for your little vendetta. You are a sickening, pathetic human being who never deserved to be my friend. And I would have been better off for never knowing you.

Every friend you've ever had online, you've used and lied to. You pretend to care, you say all the nice little things, but it's only a charade, and it will all change the second they stop doing what you want. Those who still call themselves your friends just haven't been able to realize this yet.

Now, you may go into your Trillian logs to try to find some old conversation with Libby to disprove something I've said here... but the truth is that Libby, and a lot of other people as well have had to be careful to only tell you what you wanted to hear so you didn't go berserk.

James: You hated me from day one when I was in IOP. As to why, I'm not sure. Maybe it was inability to let a past that you only knew through hearsay go, even though everyone actually involved could. Maybe it was because you sincerely wanted IOP to be just you and girls, and I threatened that through being a high volume posting male. But for whatever reason, you hated me. Sean, your real life best friend, swore on his own reputation though that that hatred would never translate into abuse of your hammer against me. When things went wrong, Libby did indeed tell you to get rid of me, but that she would talk to Sean first. After a few days, and not hearing anything you made the call to go ahead and ban me. Twice in early August 2003, Libby calls it your call in the blog. But given your hatred of me, making that call on your own was a huge conflict of interest. A mod who really cared about the board and people on it would have done everything he could to avoid that. In this case, it would have been a simple matter to wait an hour or two and ask Libby for confirmation before you did it. You didn't do it, and I know why. You knew there was a chance she'd say no. However, by going ahead and making the call yourself, you changed Libby's decision from "Do I make the final call for the ban?" to "Do I overturn the ban AND buck James to do it?" And as you gambled, in her anger, she decided not to.

By this action, you betrayed IOP. You also betrayed Libby by abusing her anger and the situation, and you betrayed Sean by going against his swear on his reputation. And that hurt IOP. There was the direct effect of the friendly atmosphere being gone. Nobody may have up and left in protest, but there were a lot of people in there who knew this was utter bullshit... and who always had to worry if you might start plotting against them next. As well, all forums need to continue to grow and evolve, or they die. I represented IOP's evolution. You in fact posted that you would fight to the dying breath to make sure IOP wouldn't change, and your selfish, treacherous action was the ultimate outgrowth of that. And you got your wish. IOP didn't grow or evolve.

It stagnated and died.

And the fault lies completely on your head.

Mike: Let's face it, Mike, you're an unworthy little piss ant. You don't like me because when you did dumb ass hurtful childish things, I held you to an apology for them. And you apologized... but like a little pussy, you resented me for it. And from thereon out, you used any opportunity you could to take little shots at me that got farther and farther away from reality, so this whole situation became a goldmine to you. And you posted your typical bullshit on it, not worrying about what lies you spread about your alleged friend Libby in the process. But, as typical, you didn't know word one of what you were talking about. The sad thing is though, you've done more reputation damage to yourself than me. I tend to be able to spot the mentally diseased assholes out there before other people can. I spotted Chaz first, no one else saw it and they all denied it, and I was right. I spotted Wade first, no one else saw it, and they all denied it, and I was right. And I've spotted you. And some people deny it. Some people see it just as much though. And you can't help yourself, it's only going to be a matter of time before everyone else does too.

In any event, for anyone who's read this up to this point, I thank you for your patience and willingness to hear out the long overdue second side to this matter. I hope that pretty much all of you (except for the three idiots just addressed here) now know there was a second side to what happened in the Summer of 2003. For those of you who have stuck by me even though you never knew any of this or only knew parts of it, I appreciate your loyalty. For those of you who thought less of me after hearing lies and one-sided truths, I hope you're big enough men and women to reconsider your judgments. In any event, I consider this a long overdue vindication.

2005-06-30T20:40:00.000-07:00

It's long overdue, but here is OOWF Summer Hate 2004!

Pink strobelights hit, and Brittany "Tease" Lovette comes out, looking jubilant. She grabs a mic and brags about how Dave Hines is gone and she controls everything now. And as her first act last week, she fired Dave Hines. For her second act... she is retiring the OOWF World Tag Team titles! What the hell? Is this just being a sore loser because she couldn't win the title teamed up with Sean McIver last week?! A "We Want Dave Hines *clapclapclapclapclap*" chant starts as she further goes on to say that the board is forcing her to give one of the tag champions a shot at 'Nature Girl' Penny Lane's OOWF Institution of Power title, and that Emily Mundae won the coin toss. But she has authority otherwise, and she's giving her other charge, Jillian Lane a shot at Kicken Moore's OOWF World Title! This is HER show now, she says. Get used to it!

(Dave Hines +3 over, B +2 over)

Xlorep DarkHelm vs Willow Crowley.

Match Background: DarkHelm is making his debut at this show, and is accompanied by his manager, XTC.

The Match: Trying to channel the spirit of Misawa, Xlorep DarkHelm ends up chanelling Lex Luger instead and nails a running forearm to the face, minus the steel plate, of course. DarkHelm scoops and slams Willow Crowley. What's the difference between a scoop slam and a body slam anyway? Willow takes a headbutt from Xlorep DarkHelm. Hooks the leg for a two count. DarkHelm slams Willow Crowley down and motions to the crowd. Hooks the leg for a two count. DarkHelm walks into a drop toe hold. Willow slams Xlorep DarkHelm. Hooks the leg for a two count. Arn Anderson-like Spinebuster by Willow Crowley, executed to perfection. DarkHelm flips out of a Willow Crowley bodyslam attempt. Mick Foley-esque Double Arm DDT by DarkHelm connects as Willow is down! XTC is at ringside! Willow wastes valuable time by yelling at XTC! Xlorep DarkHelm takes advantage of the distraction and nails Willow from behind! Xlorep DarkHelm moves in for the kill. Here it comes - Termination. 1....2...3, it's finished. Willow Crowley fights back, and has soon sent both Xlorep DarkHelm and XTC into retreat.

My Opinion: This was such a good match, it caused star ratings to magically appear... ****1\4

(DarkHelm +1 over)

A video is played, hyping the new star coming to OOWF, Madonna.

(Madonna +1 over)

Nathan Miller vs Madonna.

Match Background: Maddy is making her debut at this show.

The Match: Dropkick connects to the butt of the jaw and Miller goes down. Standing leg lariat by Madonna on Miller. Flying shoulder tackle by Maddy sends Miller CRASHING to the mat. Maddy hits a dropkick on Nathan Miller and gets right back up. Madonna misses a clothesline. Maddy gets caught with a short powerbomb from Miller. Vicious back suplex! Madonna got nailed big time! There's a two count on the pin. Nathan Miller misses a clothesline. Spear by Madonna. Covers for a quick two count. Tiger suplex on Miller. No Misawa references from me, I swear. Oh, Bloody Hell! Pinfall attempt: ONE...TWO...NO! Miller reverses a Madonna hammerlock. Miller hits a right hand. Maddy blocks the suplex attempt and is able to hit the suplex instead! Miller takes a flying neckbreaker from Madonna. Nathan Miller gets knocked to the ground by Maddy. The Material Finisher!!! Nathan Miller taps out! Madonna climbs each turnbuckle in turn, working the crowd as she celebrates her victory

My Opinion: These guys worked SO HARD...for a ** rating. Something went wrong somewhere, didn't it?

(Nathan Miller was sluggish and didn't put much effort in. Nathan Miller -2 over, Madonna +1 over)

Dave Adams and Pete Gas vs Matt Sutton and Sean McIver.

Match Background: This will be a tables bout.

The Match: Flying elbow from Dave Adams connects. Pete Gas hits a sloppy ass bulldog off the ropes. Gas \ Pliskin whip Sutton into the ropes and hit a double back elbow. Sean McIver elbows Pete Gas in the face to break a hammerlock. Spear by Sean McIver. Mick Foley-esque Double Arm DDT by Sutton connects as Pliskin is down! Gas holds Matt Sutton in place. Dave Adams charges...but Sutton ducks, andPliskinends up flooringGas! Sutton climbs onto the table with Pete Gas and hits a bodyslam through it for the win! Sutton \ McIver climb opposite turnbuckles, working the crowd as they celebrate their victory.

My Opinion: A DUD here would have actually been generous! -*

(Matt Sutton was sluggish and didn't put much effort in. Pete Gas didn't really sell very much, which hurt the match rating. )

Emily Mundae is backstage. I'm actually looking forward to this and you should too! She was out there to hype a match against 'Nature Girl' Penny Lane. Good way to get the fans interested in what is coming up.

Emily Mundae gained 3 points of overness from this segment.

Emily Mundae vs 'Nature Girl' Penny Lane.

Match Background: This match is for the OOWF Institution of Power title. 'Nature Girl' Penny Lane has been OOWF Institution of Power champion since 21 December 2003.

The Match: Superkick by Emily Mundae practically knocks out all of 'Nature Girl' Penny Lane's teeth! BACKDROP DRIVAH~! and Penny lands HARD! Diamond Dust from Emily Mundae, Penny is out! Hooks the leg! ONE...TWO...NO! THERE IT IS! A legdrop to the BACK OF THE HEAD! I swear, that makes any match just a little bit better. I don't mind telling you that every time I see it, that's for sure. Covers for a quick two count. Penny counters an arm wringer with an elbow to the side of the head. 'Nature Girl' Penny Lane hits a rolling kick on Emily. Konnan has ruined any chance for me ever enjoying this maneuver again with his shitty execution of it. Spinning bulldog in the corner and Emily is down! Emily Mundae once again takes the advantage after blocking a few punches and connecting with some forearms. Beautiful spinning arm drag out of the corner by Emily. Some masked guy comes running down the aisle and onto the apron! Penny turns...and is dropped throat-first onto the top rope by him! The announcer calls him Boffo Machine and he has left Penny in big trouble. Emily Mundae has 'Nature Girl' Penny Lane down on the canvas. Here it comes...Snapshooter! 'Nature Girl' Penny Lane taps! Penny grabs the referee, then nails him with a right hand! Dozens of people hit the ring to stop any further incident.

Boffo Machine?! I guess this place doesn't value stipulations like ECW does.

My Opinion: A ***3/4 rating! Yay!

(The OOWF Institution of Power title has gained in image.)

Jillian Lane is backstage. I'm actually looking forward to this and you should too! She was out there to tell Kicken 'Ho-Riffick' Moore that she was going to discombobulate her. If it ends up on one of those OTHER cable channels, then I'm all for it! Time to sit back and watch.

(Jill +2 over)

Jillian Lane vs Kicken 'Ho-Riffick' Moore.

Match Background: This match is for the OOWF World title. Kicken 'Ho-Riffick' Moore has been OOWF World champion since 21 March 2004.

The Match: Beautiful spinning arm drag out of the corner by Jill. Vicious chokeslam byJillian Lane! I'd compare it to Akira Taue, but then that would start another argument on the TSM Forums. And another one! She's here to compete, I tell you! Pinfall attempt: ONE...TWO...NO! I would have bought that as the finish! Spin kick by Jillian Lane to the face sends the opponent FLYING across the ring. Covers for a quick two count. Jillian Lane misses a clothesline. Hard impact Russian Leg Sweep by Kicken. According to some other reviewers around here, 'legsweep' is one word. Nice piledriver on Jill. Kicken 'Ho-Riffick' Moore gets taken down out of nowhere! Jill crushes Kicken with a sweet running senton. Jillian Lane has Kicken 'Ho-Riffick' Moore down on the canvas and is ascending the corner. 5 Star Canary Splash!!! 1....2....3!! It's all over. Jillian Lane climbs each turnbuckle in turn, working the crowd as she celebrates her victory

My Opinion: A ****1\2 rating for a great match. Keep on trucking...you'll get there.

(The OOWF World title has gained in image.)

E-mail time!

Xlorep DarkHelm complains that Willow Crowley was working too stiffly, and he could have been hurt.

Sean McIver wants to be pushed further up the roster. OK. Welcome to the main event, Sean. He is very appreciative.

A Road Agent says that Jillian Lane and Kicken Moore work well together due to similar styles.

Garrison Cade requests to work with Xlorep DarkHelm.

Robert Gibson wants to work with John Kronus. Prolly won't happen, but some jokes suggest themselves.

203 people attended Summer Hate, and we made $4,060 at the gate.

Sophie wants to increase our production values to 35%. Okay.

Top faces are:

1. Emily Mundae
2. Boffo Machine
3. Willow Crowley
4. Nathan Miller

Top heels are:

1. Jillian Lane
2. Matt Sutton
3. 'Nature Girl' Penny Lane

Top draw is Emily Mundae.

The writers suggest that Emily Mundae is too good for the OOWF IoP Title, and that it should be given to Matt Sutton instead. They like Jill as the OOWF World Champion.

No real news in the Ryland Report.

Ed T. Cactus reports that Jill is next to break through the glass ceiling.

Top 5 Brawlers in the Wrestling World:

1. Xlorep DarkHelm
2. Matt Sutton
3. Willow Crowley
4. Jillian Lane
5. Some Kurt Angle guy

Wrestlingheat.com (the stupid rumors site) reports that B and Matt are a couple.

Dave Adams tuned 30 this last month.

Our sponsorship deals with Vedder and Ament and Mighty Mints have ended. Without better opportunities, we renew the old deals.

We are up to 77% public image on the Small level.

We'll see you next "month" for OOWF Independence 2004!

2005-06-29T20:41:00.000-07:00

Hello, and welcome to the Our Oasis Blog Wrestlemania Roundtable! For all of the announced matches, the Denizens of Our Oasis will give their picks.

Your participants are Dave "Boffo97" Hines, B, Matt Sutton, Libby, Ginger and Sean.

WORLD TITLE MATCH: Batista vs. Triple H
Poll Results: Batista: 7 votes, Triple H: 1 vote

Dave: First of all, I do have to vote for a fellow Dave.
But seriously here, Batista has huge potential to be the next big breakout star. In order for that to happen, he must win at Wrestlemania. Failure to do that would make Triple H's ego even worse than Jeff Jarrett's right now as far as strangulation of your own company.
Especially with Randy Orton reverting back to being a heel, which I really feel is a step back to second tier for him.

B: Without a shadow of a doubt, Batista is gonna win. There's no way that he won't. I would almost stake money on it.

Matt: Batista CAN'T lose, because HHH winning would make no sense. If there's any show where the face should go over no matter what, it's Wrestlemania. The last two times a heel has gone over in a world title match at Wrestlemania, the fanbase (both online and otherwise) shit all over it. And wouldn't you know it, it was HHH both times.
And I'm of the opinion that this is how the Randy Orton face turn SHOULD have been done.

Libby: I voted for Batista. I don't subscribe wholesale to the "faces have to go over at WM" theory, because I think the best person should go over. Like if there was a face champion and a very red hot heel challenger, I would pick the heel. If I did believe that the face should and would always go over in the WM main that would make it all too much of a foregone conclusion for me. Besides, I know through insidery stuff that DiBiase was originally supposed to win the tournament at WM4, which would have cracked the theory a lot earlier.
Case in point, I had no idea why I knew this, because it was way before I got into the net wrestling scene, but I knew beyond any shadow of a doubt that Austin was going to beat HBK at WM14 and knowing that made the match less exciting for me personally...even though I did want Austin to win.
But like I said, I think the correct person in the match should go over, and this time it is absolutely Batista.
ps. there were actually three times that a heel went over, counting Austin at X-7. So that makes Trip 2 out of 3.

Matt: (to Libby) I don't count Mania X-7. Austin was a face at the beginning of the match, and didn't REALLY (in my eyes, anyway) turn heel until the match actually ended. But to each his own, I guess.

Dave: (to Matt) Now remember, there is one other time a heel has won a main event at Wrestlemania. Stone Cold Steve Austin at Mania 17. But that time, he heel turned during the event itself. Triple H is indeed the only guy who has ever gone into a main as a heel and won it, and he's done so twice.

Libby: (to Matt) Well, you have a point. But it did also leave a bad taste in a lot of people's mouths, so I figured I'd count it.

Matt: (to Libby) You know, I just realized something. Heels technically won Wrestlemania main events before HHH in 2000. If you count world title matches as main events no matter where they're placed on the card, Yokozuna won two. He beat Bret Hart at Wrestlemania 9 (before losing to Hulk Hogan two minutes later), and Yokozuna beat Lex Luger by DQ at Wrestlemania 10 (before losing to Bret Hart at the end of the night).

Libby: (to Matt) You know what, you're right. And you're a pretty smart fellow.

Dave: (to Matt) Both of those, though, neither actually left with the title though... so it's harder to count.

WWE TITLE MATCH: John Cena vs. John "Bradshaw" Leyfield
Poll Results: John Cena: 8 votes, JBL: 0 votes

Dave: While this isn't as huge a slam dunk as Batista-Triple H, JBL's reign has gone on for quite a long time, and if Cena doesn't win, it raises a feeling of "Well, who is left?"
Plus, Cena is ready to go to that next level. This could potentially be his Wrestlemania 14.

Matt: JBL's had the title since June, and I think it's time to get the title off of him and give someone else a run. And who better to give the title to than Smackdown's number-one face? Cena goes over here.

Libby: I'm going with Cena. Even though I'm just starting to really get into the JBL thing, I think it's the right time to put Cena over for the belt, and it definitely feels like it's heading that way.

B: Looks like it's unanimous.

MONEY IN THE BANK LADDER MATCH: Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit vs. Shelton Bejamin vs. Edge vs. Christian vs. Kane
Winner receives a guaranteed World Title shot at any time of his choice up until and including Wrestlemania XXII
Poll Results: Shelton Benjamin: 4 votes, Chris Jericho: 1 vote, Chris Benoit: 1 vote

Dave: Who I would LIKE to see is Chris Jericho, but it seems like WWE has totally given up on him beyond the midcard. Kane also seems to have no confidence at that level.
That being said, I think they'll try to push Shelton as a new face on that level, so he'll win.

Matt: It's like drawing a name out of a hat, because I'd be happy with any of the six winning. But I'm gonna go with Shelton, just because he's the only one who hasn't won a ladder match, so I guess he'd be due.

B: I want Shelton to win, but is it very likely that he will win since he already has the Intercontinental Champion title?

Matt: (to B) The winner has a year to claim the title shot, so he could always lose the title before using it. And what's stopping them from doing a champion vs. champion match? They've done it before.

Dave: (to B) What Matt said.
And over on SmackDown, John Cena became #1 contender while he had the US Title, which is basically the equivalent.

Libby: I could see good, fun, interesting programs coming out of this for Edge or Christian, but I picked Shelton, who I think has some big things coming his way. Kane will never get the shot he deserves, and Benoit and Jericho are just in the shuffle now.

Dave: (to Libby) Well, Benoit is a lot better off than Jericho is right now.
Being as this was all Jericho's idea in the first place, he'll look terrible for not winning... and given WWE's puzzling refusal to ever push him again to any substantive level after his loss of the Undisputed Title, it seems unlikely he'll win.
Maybe they just figure he's one of those guys who doesn't need the belt to be over.

Libby: (to Dave) I've read that Jericho is happy with his career and doesn't mind doing whatever is necessary for the good of the product. Even so, I'd like him to get another shot, if for no other reason than I want an excuse for his dvd to get made.

B: (to Matt) Well yay then! I hope he wins.

Randy Orton vs. The Undertaker
Poll: The Undertaker: 5 votes, Randy Orton: 1 vote (I wonder who.)

Dave: I don't see Undertaker's undefeated streak ever ending, especially with Orton's heel turn. The only possible exception could be if Orton and Taker will end up on the same show after the draft for an extended feud.
But honestly, it looks like Orton is being depushed here.

Matt: Taker avenges Stacy and makes Orton lucky number 13.

B: I gotta vote for my boy. You're either for him or against him, and I don't want him RKO'ing me :P
(Honestly though, since the stupid heel turn I no longer think he's gonna win. grrr and stuff)

Dave: (to B) Hehehe... score one for B.

Libby: At first I thought Orton might be able to take down the Undertaker and end the streak, but after thinking about it I don't think there's any way that the Taker loses. A year ago Orton was such a hot character that I might have believed, but right now he's been in kind of a limbo and is just getting back up there, and I just can't see Orton winning.

B: (to Dave) Yay for me! :)

Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels
Poll Results: Shawn Michaels: 5 votes, Kurt Angle: 1 vote

Dave: This will be a bit of a unique situation because it's one where even though Shawn is older, I think, he could conceivably have a lot more tread left on the tires than Angle becaus of his neck injuries and publically known retirement goals.
Because of that, and because this feud is based on Angle's obsession with beating Shawn, I say Shawn wins here to set up more matches down the road, kind of llike why Shawn went over Jericho at Mania 19.

Libby: I'm saying Shawn Michaels wins, just because he's who I want to win. I want Angle to go down. It isn't some dissection of who should win and why to blah blah blah heat or whatever. I just want HBK to win. Furthermore, I expect this will prolly be my favorite match on the show, therefore putting Michaels in my favorite Mania match for the 3rd year straight.

Dave: (to Libby) You know what? I agree with you. And I hope Taker kicks Orton's ass too... and man, I want Batista to kick Triple H's ass.
If you can't mark out and have fun sometimes, there's no point in watching any more.

B: (to Dave) *kicks your butt*

Dave: (to B) Sorry, but Orton's been a cocky little jerk.

B: (to Dave) But a hot one.. :)

Matt: (to B) Uh, I doubt Boffo cares if he's hot, him being a heterosexual male and all.

Ginger: (to Matt) As a heterosexual female, let me chime in with a "he's not all that hot anyway".

SUMO MATCH: The Big Show vs. Akebono
Poll Results: Akebono: 4 votes, The Big Show: 0 votes

Dave: Given that this is a guy coming in who is a champion of a legit sport to have a match in that sport, I say this will be legit, and that Akebono will win it, mostly because of the "home turf" factor in a sumo match.

Matt: Why should I care about this match? I had never heard of Akebono until they showed him at the Smackdown taping in Japan a few months ago, and I doubt a good 98% of WWE's audience had heard of him either. If you ask me, this will be to Wrestlemania 21 what the Brawl For All was to Wrestlemania 15: a wrestler vs. someone from another sport in a match that nobody really has any interest in, and it'll probably end just as quickly. I'm gonna go with Akebono, just because he's the actual sumo wrestler.

Sean: is there an option for "don't care"?

Libby: I went with Akebono. It's his kind of match. No other reason, really.

WWE WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP: Christy Hemme vs. Trish Stratus
Poll Results: Christy Hemme: 5 votes, Trish Stratus: 1 vote

Dave: Christy wins for two reasons:
1. The title is in a little danger of getting stale on Trish, and Victoria and Molly have been reduced to jobbers, and there's no one else left.
2. The Playboy cover said Christy was the champion. The Women's Champ nude sells a few more issues. Money is good.

Sean: "and Victoria and Molly have been reduced to jobbers": and there's no good reason for that, specially in Victoria's case. She needs to ditch the smile, the dancing and the tiny pants and go back to being crazy and vicious.

Dave: (to Sean) exactly, and a face turn could really freshen up Molly as well, maybe even resuming the Mighty Molly role.
But really if you only have 3 or 4 people in a divison, it has to be set up so that anyone could feud with anyone at any time, even if it is a face-face or heel-heel feud.

Matt: Trish is great and all, but even if Christy probably can't wrestle her way out of a paper bag, at least putting the title on her would be something different. The women's roster is very, very shallow, and it could use something refreshing. Though I still stand by my opinion that if Trish was a man, she'd have the World Title by now.
And what's wrong with Victoria in tiny pants? I like Victoria in tiny pants.

B: Christy, no doubt. She's by far the coolest girl on there, too.

Libby: I find this almost unbelievable, but I voted for Christy to go over Trish, who is by far the better wrestler and character. Now don't get me wrong, I like Christy. She's just no Trish.
However, just to move this angle along I think Christy is going to win.

Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio
Poll Results: Eddie Guerrero: 4 votes, Rey Mysterio: 2 votes

Dave: Eddie wins when Chavo interferes without Eddie's knowledge, in order to carry on the angle.

Matt: This is one of those coin flip decisions. You can't really pick who's going to win, but you know it's going to be a good match either way. But I'm gonna go with Guerrero here with a little unwanted lying, cheating, and stealing from Chavito.

Libby: I really don't know which way to go with this. On one hand, I see what you guys are saying about the Chavo interference. On the other hand, Chavo could help Rey win--without Eddie knowing--just to push Eddie over the edge, and into a possible turn.
That idea sounds right, but I voted for Eddie to win.

Dave's Miscellaneous Predictions:

Hall of Fame Induction: Hassan confronts Hogan, setting up a match at Wrestlemania. (This ended up untrue, but Hassan could still confront Hogan at Mania itself)

Heat: Orlando Jordan retains US Title over Charlie Haas (or Booker T more likely)

Piper's Pit: Piper verbally outmatches Austin, Austin calls for beer, stuns Piper.

Other: Hogan defeats Hassan in a typical, but short Hogan match. But Hassan is still not pinned on RAW.