Shrimp Burger from Mitsuwa Market

 

Fantasy Beastie Boys Concert

The Beastie Boys are one of my all time favorite groups. I'm not even going to get into how good they are/were. A few years ago, I finally scored tickets for one of their, somewhat uncommon, concerts. Unfortunately, MCA was diagnosed with cancer and the show was canceled. Earlier this year, he passed away. I've seen Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Mavis Staples, and Public Enemy. Besides Bob Dylan, the Beastie Boys were the last must see acts for me. I'll never get that chance.
Unless...
Here's what I'm suggesting: They do a show, where the crowd sings only MCA's lines. They can't sing along with Adrock or Mike D. They can put the lyrics up on a big screen behind them with a bouncing ball to help with the timing. Let MCA's spirit live on through the fans. Let's celebrate the group one last time.
I leave you with a clip of Jay-Z filling in for the Beastie Boys at a live show. This looks like too much fun.



Chills.

A Visitor...

A package. Cool!

Wow! Sure has come a long way.

Wait a sec... is that...

It's Danbo!

And he brought me a bottle of Pocari Sweat. How did he know?

Looks a little jet-lagged. I know the feeling.

See ya later, Danbo!

A Perfect Song for Tuesday

George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue"
Accompanied by Disney

The Simpsons

'The Simpsons' is simultaneously one of the best sitcoms off all time and one of the worst. When it was good, it was fantastic. It was smart, heartwarming, and insanely hillarious. But numerous creative changes and a prolonged run has left it a below average show, even by Fox standards. It has already ran 23 seasons, but the very best of the show is only seasons 3 through 8. Those episodes are classic TV, as good as 'I Love Lucy' or 'The Dick Van Dyke Show'. Unfortunately, the best of 'The Simpsons' will be buried by the rest of the over 500 mediocre episodes.

I leave you with a clip from one of my favorite episodes, 'Mountain of Madness'.

The WrestleMania Project: Part 1

In which our hero attempts to watch every WrestlemaMania in chronological order, in an effort to gain a greater understanding of the history of wrestling. Here are his results.

WrestleMania 1

Madison Square Garden - New York, New York - March 31, 1985

19,121 in Attendance

Prologue
I was only 4 days old. How the hell should I know?

The Matches

• Tito Santino defeats The Executioner via submission: I don't know either of these guys.
• King Kong Bundy (accompanied by Jimmy Hart) defeats Special Delivery Jones via pinfall: Cool promo from Jones. Then Bundy enters. The first time I've ever seen him. Wow! What a look. Super imposing. The match is a squash which officially lasts 9 seconds (but was actually 24). Evidently, a record. Daniel Bryan shouldn't feel so bad.

King Kong Bundy. Awesome.

• Ricky Steamboat defeats Matt Borne via pinfall: First time I've watched Ricky Steamboat. I can see why he is considered a legend. Great look, great athleticism, great ring-work. 

Ricky Steamboat. I think this is who my dad wanted to look like.

• David Sammartino (accompanied by father, Bruno Sammartino) vs Brutus Beefcake (accompanied by Johnny Valiant) results in a double disqualification: Didn't hold my attention, until the managers got involved. Bruno got a major pop (He held the WWF title for 11 years over 2 reigns).
• The Junkyard Dog defeats Intercontinental Champion Greg "The Hammer" Valentine (accompanied by Jimmy Hart) via disqualification: Valentine rolled up Junkyard and got a 3 count with a little help from the ropes. Then Santino came out to explain to the ref that Valentine cheated. The ref restarted the match, but Valentine wouldn't come back to the ring. Junkyard wins by count-out, but doesn't get the title. 

A pre-match Juke.

• Nikolai Volkoff and Iron Sheik (accompanied by Freddie Blassie) defeat The U.S. Express (Mike Rotundo and Barry Windham) (accompanied by Lou Albano) for the Tag Team Championship via pinfall: The foreigners won by shenanigans. All the 'Mericans were upset.
• Andre The Giant defeats Big John Studd (accompanied by Bobby "The Brain" Heenan) via body slam: A gimmick match. Big John and Heenan put up $15,000 in cash as a prize for Andre if he could body slam Big John. If he failed to, he would be forced to retire. Slow, dull match. Andre slams Big John out of nowhere. Andre starts to toss the cash to the fans, until Heenan grabs the bag and makes his escape.



What a sweet duffel bag.

• Wendi Richter (accompanied by Cyndi Lauper) defeats Leilani Kai (accompanied by The Fabulous Moolah) for the Women's Championship: Surprisingly, a pretty good match. Wendi had some nice moves that I've never seen from any of the current Divas. Was Moolah ever young?
• WWF Champion Hulk Hogan and Mr. T (accompanied by Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka) defeat Roddy Piper and "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff (accompanied by Cowboy Bob Orton (Randy's dad)) via pinfall in a tag-team match with special referee Muhammad Ali: Every match I've see with Hogan is more about theatrics than wrestling, which is okay. The crowd was super hot for this one. Ali played the role of enforcer, while Pat Patterson was the regular ref. A long match. Kind of sloppy, as could be expected when actors are involved. Monsoon and Ventura sell it well.

Celebrities

Billy Martin (Yankees manager/player)

Liberace danced with The Rockettes. People loved it.

Jose Torres (Boxer)

Observations
Jesse "The Body" Ventura and Gorilla Monsoon make an awesome commentating team. Especially Monsoon; he's like a really good baseball announcer. Great voice. Great coverage of the action. Ventura was like Booker T at half speed.
The Garden was a logical choice. Classic venue. Hot crowd.

Grade
I actually enjoyed this much more than I thought I would. Really impressed by King Kong Bundy, Ricky Steamboat and Wendi Richter. Junkyard Dog and Special Delivery Jones were too cool. The WWF kept emphasizing that this was the biggest event in wrestling history, and it felt like it.
3 Stars.

The Real Reason I Left FaceBook...

Because I've already been to high school.

My Favorite Bill Murray Performance

He's iconic in Caddyshack. Makes Ghostbusters a classic. And reinvents himself in Lost in Translation. But for me, nothing says Bill Murray quite like Groundhog Day. He gets to be witty, dry, over the top, haunted, psychotic, and still lovable.
Here's my favorite scene, where Bill get's several attempts to woo Andie MacDowell. Watch for comedic genius when finally gets the toast right.



The 'Amen' at the end was brilliant. That hesitation. The way he played her. Quietly hilarious.

What $30,000 of Multiple Sclerosis Medication Looks Like

Fork for size comparison.

Buy This Book

I recently finished reading the latest offering by writer/artist Jeff Lemire, entitled 'The Underwater Welder'. I've pretty much loved everything Lemire has worked on. While he is doing solid work in the mainstream DC Universe, it's his independent work where he earns my admiration. When he is free to both, write and illustrate, he truly shines. From his hauntingly emotional classic, 'Essex County', to his horrific, 'Lost Dogs', Lemire has an undeniable knack to cutting to the core of our fears.
'The Underwater Welder' is no different. It's the story of a young man, as he is preparing to enter the world of parenthood. He is cursed by the memories of his own dead-beat father, and struggles with abandonment issues. To become the man he needs to be, he must confront those issues. A simple plot, yes, but Lemire masterfully tells in a somewhat supernatural manner. It all makes for gripping, poignant story telling.
Lemire's artistic sensibilities aslo shine, here. True, he is no Jim Lee, but he is not meant to be. His figures, while cartoon-like exaggerations, are more true to spirit than true to life. His brushwork can be haunting and ugly on one page, and beautiful and heartwarming on the rest.
As a complete work, 'The Underwater Welder' is as good as graphic story telling gets. Lemire tells a deeply emotional story in a riveting setting. But, if you've been following Jeff Lemire's work, this shouldn't come as a surprise. He's as sure a thing as there is in comics.

Let 'The Last Supper' Decay

We can't hold on things forever. Even culture, as the most influential force in our lives, is constantly changing. Even fleeting.
Leonardo's 'The Last Supper' is in a constant state of decay. Scholars and historians are in a constant battle to preserve it, which is commendable. But it is when they go so far as to add to it, they have done the work a disservice.
Nothing is forever. Let us enjoy the work for what it is. So the previous generations had a better version, so be it. Are there not numerous works that we are privileged to have experienced. 'The Last Supper' is for anyone, but not everyone.
But I do have a suggestion: Paint a duplicate. An exact 1:1 scale replica. Use the same paints and techniques. Hang it in an adjoining room to the original. Allow us to appreciate the intent and genuine article, while we can.

The Worst of Both Worlds

I took these pictures while being rained on.

SummerSlam Predictions

Cesario beats Santino for the U.S. Title
Prime Time Players over Kofi and R-Truth for the Tag-Team Titles
Miz retains Intercontinental Title over Rey Mysterio
Daniel Bryan over Kane (unless there's interference by Charlie Sheen)
Ziggler over Jericho
Alberto Del Rio over Sheamus for Heavyweight Title
Brock Lesnar over Triple H
Punk retains WWE Title over Big Show and Cena

Bonus Scenarios:
Ziggler cashes in Money in the Bank Contract on Del Rio. Ziggler turns good. Feuds with Del Rio.
Lesnar/HHH match is the main event. After Brock wins, an annoyed Punk attacks him. Sets up feud.

What I'm hoping for:
Brodus Clay vs Sandow
Ryback vs Jinder

But... I'm usually way off with this things.

 

My New Favorite Phone is 3 Years Old

The Panasonic P-07A.
Waterproof. 8 Megapixel Camera. Totally flippy.
Sadly, not available here.

Music Friday: Belanova

Belanova is my favorite Latin group out there. Wait a sec... they're probably also my favorite Pop group, period. They're catchy, feel-good, and danceable without the hint of cynicism. Think 'No Doubt' by way of Mexico.
Here's a crash-coarse:

Some Animals Have Grandparents!

Yesterday I thought to myself, "Do any animals have grandparents?"
Turns out, yep!

"In a very small number of mammal species other than humans — such as pilot whales and some monkeys — researchers have occasionally seen older adults engage in what might be grandparenting."

Read more here, if you want.

Is 'Back To The Future' The Best Move Ever?

So I was thinking about 'Back to the Future', as I'm prone to do, when I got to wondering...
Is there any other movie quite like it?
I can't think of any other movie with the same tone as 'Back to the Future'. It's action and high drama, but with a fun, light-hearted mood.
We have a teen protagonist, but he's completely selfless. He saves the world, but receives no accolades; his altered future is merely a bonus. He doesn't have a compelling love interest, just a girl he's sweet on. His only motivation is to save his family and return to his time. He doesn't hope to alter his bleak future, he simply wants to protect it.
I think this is the cornerstone of why the movie is so universal. It uses a young adult, acting out gags a child would find amusing, while preserving values that older people would enjoy. The movie has no target audience; it works for everyone. I can't think of another movie that can possibly please as many people.

3 Cool Mac Apps

WiFi Explorer - $1.99
A cool little utility that can provide major results. WiFi Explorer scans the wireless networks available and gives your some pretty important info. Besides providing signal strength and security data, WiFi Explorer can also show you which channel networks are using. This is super helpful, because channel interference is a major culprit of wireless signal loss. If your neighbor's router is on channel 11, move your network to channel 8. Less interference means better performance.

I Love Stars - $.99
The beauty of simplicity. I Love Stars simply puts a a star meter in your menu bar. This allows you to quickly rate your iTunes library while in another app. I Love Stars will even alert your to unrated songs with a subtle effect, a neat addition. With your songs rated, you can create more powerful smart playlists.

MacTubes - Free
The best way to download videos from YouTube. A clean, simple interface, allows you to search the millions of videos available. A secondary click on a result gives your several options for download, including iPhone/iPad/iPod/Apple TV ready versions, even in HD! A great way to grab music videos.

An Olympics Without Nations

What if the games were played, without representation of country? The counties that dominate the medal count are the ones with resources. Gyms, funding, and instruction are at the ready. How can poorer, smaller countries compete? What if we cheered on human achievement instead of nation?

Dog Loyalty Test

I like my dogs, but I'm not sure they have my best interests at heart. If someone was to break into my home and attack me, how will they respond? Of the 3, I'm only sure that one will attack. The other two will either bark a bit or run away. What if there was a service where someone in a protected suit breaks into your house to see how they react. I need to know I can depend on the mutts.

How To Tell Someone A Digital Book Is Good

When a book is good, we used to call it a page-turner. For the digital age, I've come up with the proper term for good eBooks:
Screen-swiper.
Pass it on.

Wizard World May Finally Be Done

Today I attended Wizard World/Chicago Comicon for the 4th consecutive year. Every year it gets bad-mouthed for not being a legitimate comic show. But every year I find something to enjoy and usually have a good time. This year, anticipating what appears to be a dwindling comic presence, I decided to forgo the 4 day pass and only picked up a Friday ticket. I'm glad I did.
In what I can only assume is an attempt to please disgruntled retailers, Wizard completely revamped the floor layout. Comics on the left, celebrities in the middle, wares on the right, and artists squashed against the back wall. They were the wallflowers of the dance. And they weren't even organized in any cohesive manner; independent comic artists next to jewelry makers? Doesn't fly. Artist Alley was a pain to navigate, and for the first time in many years, I didn't want to be there.
The celebrities rule the show. People stood in long lines just to spend 5 seconds with Stan Lee. And I get it. Everyone admires someone for a plethora of reasons. I just feel that a lot of the tinsel-town sparkle is lost when you have to hand Dean Cain $40 for an autograph. But if people enjoy it...
Oddly, I still had a decent time at the show. I picked up a neat vintage movie poster, an issue of X-Men I've been searching for, and a deck of 'Buffy' game cards (I'm not sure why). I'll probably continue to check the show out, but I'd like to go with casual fans and convention noobs. It's fun to see them geek out over Lou Ferigno and Adventure Time hats.

The Biggest Lie In The Tech Industry

That Apple's competitors wouldn't do it Apple's way if they were able to.

"Are You Busy?"

"Are you busy?"
The question I hate more than all others.
What does it even mean?
Most likely, you're going to ask me to do something I don't want to do. Hold a flashlight. Watch your dog. Move a couch. I'll go along with it because I'm a sucker.
But what if I am busy? What if what I'm doing doesn't look like busy to you, but it is to me. What if I'm writing this blog post. That keeps me busy. But to you it may look like I'm dicking around on the computer. "Are you busy?" is a question of importance, priority and value.
Sometimes people ask when they think they have something cool for you. "Hey. Are you busy? No? Cool. I'm coming over to hang out." I may not have anything to do, but that doesn't mean I automatically want to hang out.
My solution to this seemingly non-existant problem. I never answer "Yes" or "No." I always say, "What's up?" Just tell me what you want.


I'll most likely do it, anyway....

How To Turn Off Your iPhone With A Stuck Power Button

A few months ago, my iPhone's power button crapped out on me. Since then, I've ran into half a dozen people with the same problem. I can get the phone repaired for about $90, or I can probably repair it myself for half that. But then I run the risk of seriously mucking something up. So I decided to wait until the new iPhone comes out before I start tinkering with this one.
However, I still needed a way to turn the iPhone off and on in the meantime. So, here's how to do it:

Open up 'Settings', then click on 'General'.

Scroll down, and select 'Accessibility'.

Scroll down, and select 'AssistiveTouch'.

Turn 'AssistiveTouch' on. A new button will appear on the lower, right-hand corner of the screen. Tap it.

A new menu pops up. Select 'Device'.

Now a 'Lock Screen' button appears. It acts just like the power button. Tap it to put the device to sleep. But if you hold the button for a few seconds...

You get the 'Power Off' screen. You know what to do from here.

Turning your iPhone back on requires you to plug it into a charger, both outlet and USB work. A little inconvenient, but still a life-saver.

Not Racist

But every time I see Gabby Douglas doing this...

 I think of her.

Uncanny.

Take That, 79 Non Medal Countries

Guatemala has taken it's first step towards world-wide relevance. Literally.
Erick Barrondo captured silver, and Guatemala's first ever Olympic medal, in the Men's 20KM walk thing.
And yes, I'm well aware that it's not a sexy 'Sport' and I'm always criticizing weird events, but if it's good enough for China, it's good enough for us.

More Music From The Other Side

Here's something I just stumbled on and can't get enough of.
The band is called Pizzicato 5 and the song is Twiggy Twiggy. They're a Japanese band playing in the Shibuya-kei sound. Think Jazz, Rock, Motown and Pop with a far east twist. They were pretty big in the 80s and 90s, before disbanding around the turn of the century.
Don't try to fight it.

Gangnam Style

Sometimes, I just want to share.
I like KPop. This is the first KPop song I've liked that wasn't done by girls. It does feature dancing girls, though.
Gangnam is an affluent part of Seoul. 'Oppa' is an older man young girls are attracted to, I think. Essentially, PSY is a Korean playboy, or maybe he only thinks he is...

Something I Just Realized about The Olympics Opening Ceremony...

Over a billion people got to see hip-hop.

And good hip-hop, at that. Bravo, London. For having the guts and intelligence to showcase one of your better artists. Hip-hop was on the world's biggest stage, and it worked. No drama. No controversy. It doesn't matter who gets it or not. What matters is that hip-hop is undeniable.
The shame is that they beat America to it. We have the SuperBowl. We have Jay-Z. We invented the music. Opportunity missed.

How To Fix Online Spoilers

My biggest problem with these Olympic games in the prevalent spoiling. Usually people respect spoilers, and I'm careful enough to avoid them. I haven't seen The Avengers, so I skipped the review episode on one of my podcasts. It usually takes me a day or two to watch the latest Mad Men, so I know to skip the entertainment sites.
But with the Olympics, it's the news agencies who are doing the spoiling. I guess they don't know any better, they figure they're just reporting the news. Or perhaps they're trying to pull the rug out from under NBC by giving away the results hours before Americans have a chance to see the competitions.
But the point is it sucks. I hop over to CNN.com just to make sure the sky isn't falling or to see how dreadfully hot it will be today and... BAM! Spoilers. Not cool.
So once again, I, Juan Torres, have come up with an awesome solution:
Spoiler Blinds.
Drapes that cover sections of a website. With a click they reveal the story behind them. I'd go to a news site that promised not to spoil things for me. Heck, they can even throw sponsors on them. This makes too much sense. Peep the mockup.