So, Pretty Much No One Trusts Vince McMahon?

Da Realist:

Sting explains why he didn't go to the WWE.



Waldini:

So that was the reason! Dude must have been a prophet because they completely buried the WCW guys. With the exception of Booker T's short title run, Flair's run with Evolution, they did treat those dudes like garbage. Read more!

Let's Have Church

When I was a kid, I loved going to church just so I could hear the choir sing. I would sit behind the drummer pantomiming every drum beat, while soaking up the harmonies coming from the choir. I even loved going to choir practice with my mom. How nerdy is that? At any rate, that was a long time ago but i still have a certain soft spot in my cold heart for a good gospel choir. Which, in turn, brings me to Verizon Wireless' "How Sweet The Sound" church choir competition.

The 2009 How Sweet the Sound competition brings together choirs to perform and compete for a chance to earn the title of best church choir in their hometowns, a cash prize of up to $15,000, and the opportunity to represent their city in the grand finale concert later this year. How Sweet the Sound floor seats are $7 and lower- and upper-tier seats are available for $5. Performances will take place at the following venues this fall:

Houston – Sept. 19, Toyota Center
St. Louis – Sept. 21, Scottrade Center
Washington, D.C. – Sept. 24, Verizon Center
Newark, N.J. – Sept. 25, Prudential Center
Philadelphia – Sept. 26, Wachovia Center
Detroit – Sept. 28, Joe Louis Arena
Chicago – Sept. 30, United Center
Atlanta – Oct. 2, Philips Arena
Memphis, Tenn. – Oct. 5, FedExForum
Los Angeles – Oct. 8, The Forum
Oakland, Calif. – Oct. 10, ORACLE Arena

Read more!

The Champ Is Here!

Well, it's time for another liquor review. As you know, my girl and I have taken it upon ourselves to review various spirits over the last several months. I usually whip up a batch of greasy food, and we spend the night pigging out and polishing off the bottle. We then, in a semi-coherent state, write the review. Up next on the list was 1800 Silver Tequila.

For the night, I cooked up two pounds of shrimp and a pound of Rogerwood sausage to munch on. My girl came over, and we got down to business. The first thing I noticed was the "100 Proof" in BIG letters on the front of the bottle. I looked at Angel, and said "Damn." We had no idea what we were in store for. Once I pulled the cork out, I knew it was on. I was like, "Babe. This is gonna be a problem."

This is how the night went:

1st shot - Shaken/straight up: "Wow! That...is strong. Let's try it without smelling it.

2nd shot - Shaken/straight up: "Wow! Let's try it with table salt."

3rd shot - Shaken/Table salt chaser: "Wow! Let's try the kosher salt."

4th shot - Shaken/Kosher salt chaser: "Wow! Let's...have another. What? You don't have to drive."

5th shot - Shaken/Kosher salt chaser: "Wow! Let's...not drink anymore tonight. I see three of you and only one of you is cute."

My girl and I...how can I put this? When it comes to alcohol, we "ain't no punks." We can put down liquor like it's apple juice. But we may have met our match with the 1800 Silver. It's a powerful liquor that suffers no amateurs. Only the experienced drinker need apply, because the 100 Proof designation is not a typo. We couldn't finish the bottle, and it took me a week and a half to write this review. That's the kind of sway that it holds.

The 1800 Silver is not a casual, sipping spirit. It is a "get together with your friends, and a have an absolute freaking blast, cause no one will be lucid in 20 minutes" spirit. Read more!

L.O. MIA in L.A.?

Da Realist:

WHOA... where have I been? You guys might let Odom slip through your fingers??? That's big shit right there. You don't win without Odom next year -- especially with Boston getting Rasheed Wallace. Kupchak better show him the money or the Lakers can kiss their chances for a repeat goodbye.

Surprised y'all haven't brought this up. Losing Odom is a bigger deal than getting Artest.

By the way...DAMN Boston! They just got Rasheed Wallace to back up Kevin Garnett. That. Is. HUGE. Neither can lead a team right now, but together? That's an old poor man's Duncan/Robinson 99 -- which might actually work in today's league. Ten years ago? Nah... But today? It might just work. Who's gonna beat them? Not Cleveland. Not Orlando. And not LA if they let Odom move to Miami.

Waldini:

You're right unfortunately. Problem is LO and his agent are playing hardball for no reason. Lakers gave Odom and initial offer of 7M a yr, 3 yrs. Obviously Odom's camp said no, wanted more money and years. Lakers kept upping the deal until the last offer of 9M, 4 yrs. Odom's people want 10M, 5 yrs. Problem is no one can give him what he wants. Heat is trying to be a player by offering 6.6M, 5 yrs but that's still less than what LA is offering.

Yep if LA does not re-sign LO, pretty hard to see them repeating, particularly with that bench.

Funny comparison on Boston. I'm actually high on Boston, Orlando, and San Antonio's offseasons. Getting Sheed is huge as he's like Shaq. Gets bored with his environment afterwhile then gets motivated when in a new potentially winning situation.

Da Realist:

LA needs Odom and Odom knows it. Wouldn't you play hardball if you were in that situation? They can't win without Odom. He's not a franchise player, he's an average 2nd option, but he's a GREAT 3rd option. What it boils down to for the Lakers is this -- how much is a potential run to the championship worth? They have a 50/50 chance to win with Odom as a 3rd option. It's much worse without him.

Odom knows this. Given the circumstances, I think the Lakers front office is the one playing hardball.

Just like Toni Kukoc. He was soft, he played no defense and he was too concerned with scoring to be a franchise player. But he was great as a 3rd option for the Bulls. And the Bulls needed him to win the last 2 titles.

Gangsta D:

How much leverage does he really have? Let's say he goes to Miami. They ain't winning the title next year. I don't care if they do get Boozer. They're not beating Boston, Orlando, or Cleveland. So, is he gonna take less money just to not make the Finals next year? That'll really show the Lakers:)

Da Realist:

True. But he's betting the house that the Lakers aren't as comfortable as they are letting on. Who's going to blink first? Odom has a ring and is now looking for 5 years of guaranteed millions. If he never wins another ring, he's probably satisfied with his career.

The Lakers want to win more and know they have only a small window with Kobe. Kobe's only 30 but he's already played 1123 total games (Michael Jordan only played 1109 total games for the Bulls). Plus all indications point to this being the last season Phil Jackson is the coach. Plus plus, they got older when they dealt Ariza for Artest.

I'd play hardball if I was Odom.

Waldini:

Interesting from Sun Sentinel

The thing about Lamar Odom is he wants to be wanted, wants to be appreciated for the unique skill set he provides. Perhaps it comes down to the unceasing recruitment he enjoyed coming out of high school. Perhaps it was the attention he received from the Heat and others before the 1999 NBA Draft. What works in the Heat's favor is the Lakers' limiting their offer to about $9 million guaranteed a season. That would mean earning $3 million less next season than Andrew Bynum, $7 million less than Pau Gasol. The frustration is understandable, considering how Odom sacrificed a starting role and statistics to help the Lakers win a championship. But at the mid-level with the Heat, it would leave Odom earning $2 million less than Mark Blount next season, about a quarter as much as Jermaine O'Neal, less than Udonis Haslem, and only nominally more than Michael Beasley or James Jones. It's still a longshot, and an issue that should be settled relatively soon. The odds and the numbers, though, certainly are not in the Heat's favor, no matter how hearty the embrace."

So would you rather earn less than Bynum or Blount? Gasol or O'Neal?

Da Realist:

As we all know...it's about male pride. We know how we get. Feed the man's ego or watch the Finals at home next year. Or get pummeled by Boston again.

Waldini:

LO's agent should ask so you want to spend the luxury tax to go fishing in May or do you want to spend the luxury tax to pop champagne in June?

Da Realist:

The tricky part is...even with Odom the Lakers aren't guaranteed anything. The Celtics could still beat them. I don't know what is (was?) wrong with Garnett but now he only has to shoulder half the load. Wallace is very good as a 3rd or 4th option and both guys can exert more energy on defense since they don't have to shoulder as much of a load offensively. They are going to make Pierce and Ray Allen look like good perimeter defenders. That's a good deal. Did Boston lose anyone? Or did they just snatch Wallace from Detroit for nothing?

Pierce, Ray Allen, Garnett, Wallace and Rondo. That's a damn good starting lineup right there. Or they could bring Wallace in to solidify the 2nd unit. Damn Ainge knows what he's doing, doesn't he? If the chemistry is right, the Lakers probably won't beat them anyway. Wallace and Garnett just nullified Gasol and Odom. Maybe moreso. And that really was the Lakers biggest advantage over everyone else -- Length.

Gangsta D:

How did Boston get younger? Sheed is older than us. Garnett is older than us. Jesus is damn sure older than us. Pierce is the same age as us. Garnett has played close to 1000 games, himself. And he's coming off of a knee injury, that we don't know the severity of. I don't see this as a slam dunk. I don't see any team as a prohibitive favorite going into next year, whether LO resigns or not. Lot of Paper Champions in the league in July. Read more!

New School Music - Call it What you Want edition

Again, another 4 months has passed since the last batch of the Commission's New School Music. This time, Waldini cannot blame the lack of music, because I've heard a few bangers. It's all on me as I'm being worn out by my Transformers, aka cute kids in disguise :-).

I digress. Some oldies, some newies to keep you going in this hot ass Summer!

Kid Cudi f Lady Gaga, Kanye West, and Common - Make Her Say

Publish Post

Quick history, the real name of the song is "I Poke Her Face" but obviously the MTVs and BETs of the world have censored that title. Lady Gaga's hook is hypnotic to the point where you just find yourself like damn. Strong bars from all 3, including the New Kid on the Block in Mr Cudi. "Day N Nite" was dope. This song is dope. He drops a 3rd banger and the album is copped not burned :-)

KiD CuDi Ft Kanye West & Common Make Her Say
Uploaded by 4uTV. - Watch more music videos, in HD!

Method Man and Redman - Mrs International

Truth - "Blackout" was not a bad album. Hip Hop's Cheech and Chong just dropped it 5 years too late. Their sequel also is being dropped too late (almost 10 yrs after the first one). But this song's beat is hot. And the video is hilarious, particularly the Doo Wop look. That Obama line from Red is pretty tight. Thanks K Dawg for hippin' me to the game.



B.O.B - Put Me On (remix)

What'chu know about B.O.B pimp? Cat is the child that OutKast bore: Part Big Boi, Part 3 stacks. Don't believe, go peep Haterz Everywhere and I'll be in the Sky. Throw in this infectious track and this cat has range. I'll doubt he'll blow up like 'Kast but he should have a loyal following. Bonus points for paying homage to the golden age by using the same sample ATCQ used for "Bonita Applebaum.




Drake - Best I Ever Had

Aw yes, the new "IT" rapper. I'm not gonna front, I really tried hard to hate on Drake. All the pre-hype about him being the next big thing had me already in pure hater mode. But then I heard his verse on Weezy's "Every Girl" and then I heard this a few weeks later on the radio. Dude's hype is worth it so far. Hoping he can keep it up. DISCLAIMER - This video is not for the female audience..LOL




Come Around Song of the Week

Jay Z - DOA (Death of Autotune)

Come around means I did not like the song initially and took me a few spins to come around and see the light. Tight Tight sent me this first and my first response was like "Eh I've heard better Jay Z songs and better songs playing today." One day I was driving, heard the song, and it just hit me. Like damn, this shhh is hot. I've seen the light Tight Tight, I've come around. Shock to those who think I'm a Jigga groupie ;-).

Read more!

This Is What Your Mama Warned You About

So as you know, my girl and I are connoisseurs of fine liquors. During one of our never ending searches for new spirits, we came across 1800 Select Silver. Neither of us had tried it before, so we decided that we'd give it a test drive. The fact that it's 100 proof, and it's just hard as Hades to legally find 100 proof liquors, didn't hurt matters.

When the package arrived, we were intrigued by the two and a half foot box. I wondered just how big this bottle of tequila was. After tearing through the packaging, we were sort of let down by the sight of the nine inch bottle. Nevertheless, upon opening the bottle we realized that the size of the box was necessary in order to contain the toe curling awesomeness that lied within. One sniff of the cap and we knew that this wasn't something to take lightly. They weren't joking about 100 proof.

Now, I must say that neither my girl nor I are soft when it comes to liquor. We'll try ANYTHING once. But right now? Trying that 1800? Nah, we're gonna have to postpone this drinking session for a little bit. Have no fears. We will tackle the 1800 Silver, probably later on tonight. But first we have to get our collective minds right. Stay tuned for the actual review. It promises to be one Hell of a barn burner. Read more!

Let Me See Your O-Face!!!

Update: Check out the five finalists!

The contest was phenomenally popular, with over 4,000 entries and millions of votes. With entries from professional actors to the average joe - and from across the country to across the pond – it wasn’t easy to narrow it down. Now we’re left with a Texan, a New Jersyan and three New Yorkers as the race continues to heat up!

Hmmmmm...vodka. I love vodka. One might say that it is my favorite refreshment after water, and water isn't in the lead by much. My new favorite brand (honest to God) is Three Olives Pomegranate. Take a glass, pour in the Pomegranate, and top it off with some Sprite. That is mighty good drinking folks. Mighty. Good. So you can imagine how giddy I was when the good people at Three Olives dropped me a line about a contest they're sponsoring.

As part of a new multi-million dollar integrated advertising campaign, www.ThreeOlives.com now includes an interactive contest that invites users to upload a photo of their best “O-face” – the look of surprise one has after tasting a shockingly delicious Three-O Vodka drink. At the conclusion of the campaign on May 31, 2009, 5 finalists will be chosen, flown to NYC, given the VIP treatment and given a photo shoot. Of the 5 finalists, 1 grand prize winner will be Three-O’s next “O-Face”, awarded $10,000 and be featured in a national ad campaign.

So there you have it. You can win $10,000 and be featured in a national ad. I'm not sure that I'll enter the contest, as I'm a bit camera shy. But I will probably be drinking Three Olives nonetheless. Gotta get some sprite, though. Running a tad low.

Read more!