I Review Nightmare On Elm Street

Well I just viewed the new Nightmare On Elm Street tonight in Bridgewater and I am going to review the film without spoiling it for others (I really will try!!!) First thing I want to say is the trailer for Jonah Hex looks AWESOME!!! Not a huge fan of the comic but the movie looks like it is going to be great. I agree with Paul in that it seems to have a "Evil Dead" type off vibe.

The new Nightmare On Elm Street struggled with many fans outraged that someone else would be donning the sweater, fedora and knife glove but I have to say that Jackie Earle Haley (who played Rorschach in Watchmen) was fantastic and a true successor to Robert Englund's version. Haley delivers some funny lines in a very scary manner and stays away from the cheesy comedy that Englund's Freddy had to endure.

I may be in the minority but I liked the look of the character as well. It was more organic and I believe was also more scary because of it. The character was more deliberate and plotting than the original version, which I think added to the spookiness of the character. I was expecting to be hating the character but he really won me over.

The CGI did not disappoint me as it had other people from what I read. Yes, there are scenes that are very similar to the original but they were very well done and did not seem old. They also introduced a modern take on the story with modern technology having an important part of the movie. They also introduced a new plot point that truly evolved the story and gave the teens something else to fear. Man there are some really cool scenes that come out of this plot idea and I love the way they had worked it in.

So I will say that out of the 4 remakes I have seen so far in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Hallowe'en, Friday The 13th and Nightmare On Elm Street...I have to say that this is the best one to date.

If I had to give it scores they would be:

Acting: 4/5 - Freddy was great and the supporting cast did a great job as well. You felt that every character had some development.
Gore: 3/5 - It wasn't just "over the top" gore like we seen in previous movies but the kills did have alot of blood.
Special Effects: 3/5 - The CGI was ok but nothing that blew my mind.
Music: 4/5 - The opening scene contained the Nightmare theme and the rest of the movie had a very scary score.
Overall: 3.5/5 (This is an average)

The Great Dane is awesome....

The last few years have allowed me to discover something I am very passionate about and so eager to learn more and play as much as I can. That thing is Texas Hold'Em Poker. I play mostly online as I am still learning the game and want to polish my game a bit but there is nothing like playing a game with people at the same table. I watch Texas Hold'Em whenever it is on TSN, The Score or Sportsnet and can watch the game for many hours.

Like any other game, you win the game with a combination of luck and skill. My favorite player is by far Gus "The Great Dane" Hansen. The guy is just amazing to watch and is entertaining as hell as well. He loves to engage in banter at the table which is almost as entertaining as watching him play.

The thing I love about watching Gus play is that he is not afraid to stay in hands and bet even if he does not have the best hand. He will try his luck and see if he can make something happen with any hand. It makes the game exciting and very unpredictable.

The other players I love to watch is Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, the drop dead gorgeous Jennifer Tilley, Canadian born Daniel Negreneau, "The Unabomber" Phil Laak and even though he is a "poker brat" Phil Hellmuth. My dream table is having these players all together as you know you will get some great playing and some great banter at the table.

Maybe one day I can participate in a game at the bowling alley, once I get good enough that is, but right now I am content to play online. I will continue to learn by playing as many hands as I can, while playing as as many different variety of hands as well.

My 15 favorite comic characters...

I am a comic book nerd...I admit...the genre has always been something I enjoyed and I remember going to Bridgewater once a month and hitting the Pharmacy to pick up my favorite comic book titles...some thing I have wanted to do but have been very lazy about is listing my favorite comic book characters...both heroes and villains...So with pictures attached here are my favorite characters...




LOKI


The evil step brother of Thor, Loki is perhaps the most manipulative and vile villain to ever grace the pages of a comic book. Loki hates Thor very passionately and a large amount of his schemes are to embarrass Thor. Loki is the source of evil that was responsible for the formation of The Avengers and continues to be a thorn in the side of The God Of Thunder. Referred to as "The God Mischief," Loki does believe in the protection of Asgard and it's people. The issue is that he feels that it has to be by his hand once he is ruler.

SPAWN


I really love Spawn and the original take on the character where he had no idea of who he was and his past is still one of the best story ideas in comics. The character is a combination of Spider-Man and The Batman, but has a hell of a lot more attitude and a nasty mean streak. The character was the first "independant" character to break through the glass ceiling to the popularity of Spider-Man and Superman. A trained assassin who made a deal with the devil to come back and see his wife but was slated to lead Hell's army to the gates of Heaven. Spawn rebels and is at odds both with Heaven and Hell.

THOR


There is not many characters that combine myth and legend like Thor. Jack Kirby and Stan Lee created the character based on Norse Mythology but created a Thor that was different than the traditional God Of Thunder. The character was originally created as Marvel's answer to Superman. Stan Lee said "We wanted someone as powerful but who could more powerful than an alien? Only a god." The character has excelled in the hands of Walt Simonson and J. Michael Straczynsk. Both of these men crafted the best stories in the history of the comic. Thor is at his most popular right now and I am hoping he stays where he should be, at the top of the Marvel Universe.

VENOM


This is a character that is hot or mis with me but when he is on, he is amazing. Venom was originally Eddie Brock and bonded with the symbiote out of his hatred for Spider-Man. The character was Spidey's greatest threat and then eventually became a defender of San Francisco while having a true with Spidey. Mac Gargan who used to be The Scorpion is the man who wears the symbiote and is an even more vicious and twisted individual. This incarnation of Venom eats people on a whim and allows the symbiote to have more control over the mind and body of it's host.

WOLVERINE


I know he is considered over exposed in the Marvel Universe currently but Wolverine will always be one of my favorites. He was the first Canadian character I was introduced to as a kid growing up and also the first "anti-hero" that I saw in comics. Who doesn't like a no nonsense character who has an amazing healing factor, razor sharp claws embedded in his hands, has lived for a long time and who walks the fine line between savior and threat. Wolverine was the one character who was not afraid to push himself and the envelope when he felt he had to. Canada's favorite mutant will always be on this list for me.

THE BATMAN


Why do I like The Batman?? Because he is the god damn Batman!!! The character is legendary and is different than any other character out there. The Batman uses fear, martial arts, gadgets and detective work to get the job done. He relies on word of mouth to spread his legend to the streets to scare crooks out of crime. The Batman is best used when he uses the element of fear as a weapon and "emerges from the shadows" to get his prey. He also adds something different when he has to roll up his sleeves and deduce what is happening from clues he discovers as he searches a crime scene. The Batman may be the greatest mind to have ever existed in comic book history.

DEADPOOL


What can I say about Deadpool? He is the most entertaining character I have ever read in any format. The character is always breaking the fourth wall and has multiple running conversations within his own mind. He is considered to be mostly a joke to the rest of the Marvel Universe but he is a highly skilled and deadly killer. He was in the Weapon X project and has a healing factor like Wolverine that is keeping his cancer at bay and is a master at using dual pistols and dual katannas. He has flip flopped between hero and villain on multiple occasions but he is much more entertaining and effective as a character struggling to be a hero in a world that treats him as a "wannabe".

THE HOBGOBLIN


The rogues gallery of Spider-Man is one the largest and most diverse in the industry but there is one to me who is the most ineresting....The Hobgoblin. He has had many people under his mask and has been considered a Green Goblin knock off but the character is strong enough to stand on his own. He was originally a replacement for The Green Goblin when he was killed, who had found Norman Osbourn's stash of Goblin weapons and gliders. The character originally had an aura about him as no one knew of his identity but the idea petered out when the characters creator left Marvel. The character has disappeared from the mainstream Marvel universe since The Green Goblin has returned but he has showed up in the future universe of "Mayday" Parker (Peter's daughter who has gone on to become Spider-Girl.}


THE JOKER


What more can you say about The Joker, the guy is a certifiable nut job and the most dangerous of Batman's foes. He has no super powers and is completely off his rocker but he is completely unpredictable. He has proven to be an equal to the Caped Crusader and has permanently scarred Batman on many occasions but the two most memorable times were when he beat the second Robin (Jason Todd) so badly with a crowbar and then killed him in an explosion and paralyzing Barbara Gordon with a bullet to the spine. He can be written goofy but I truly feel that the best incarnation of The Joker was Heath Ledger. He was dangerous but chaotic and also very deliberate in the way that he conducted himself. I also liked the idea better that he did not become deformed due to acid but that he chose to wear the make-up.

THE RED HOOD


The mystery of the Red Hood was an interesting idea and turned the world of The Batman completely upside down. The character had the former disguise of The Joker and was doing good things but in very bad ways. He had a serious killer instinct and knew Batman's every move. When they fought, he matched the Batman move for move with no clear victor. It was then discovered that the Red Hood was Jason Todd, who Bruce thought was long dead. Todd returned during Final Crisis and it played havoc with Bruce's mind. Jason Todd went on to take over the identity of Nightwing and then later had his own version of Batman but has gone back to the name and look of The Red Hood. The one thing I love about the character is that he is not written good or bad, he just does what he wants to do. It kinds of cements him into the "wild card" of the DC universe.

AZRAEL


Now speaking of wild cards, we have maybe one of the most misused characters in comic history. I love Azrael and the way he was handled originally. Being brainwashed by a religious sect as their avenging angel since birth, Jean Paul Valley then became Batman when Bruce Wayne was crippled by Bane. The character was completely different than anything else in comics at the time but they tried to make him Batman "lite" when he finally returned to being Azrael. The original costumes is the best and the others that they used were terrible. Jean Paul was more of an aggressive character who went into a trance which was called "the System." This allowed him to do things he was not capable of normally. He was an interesting character in that he was really timid but once he became Azrael and later Batman, he was a vicious fighting machine.

ANGELA


The character was given the task by Heaven to take out Spawn and Angela was not that much different than the one she hunted. To me the best the character was portrayed was in the Angela mini series where she needed to team with her adversary and then ultimately needed Spawn to clear her name. She is one of the most feared and successful angels in Heaven's arsenal. I wish that she would have been used more when the character was alive in the series, as it presented a very unique dynamic that has been lacking for Spawn in the series.

MISTER SINISTER


This character was the first major villain that I encountered in comic books. I had started to read X-Men religiously during their huge mutant cross over event Inferno and Mister Sinister was at the very center of the entire story. He was not as active in the actual fighting in the crossover as he was active in pulling the strings. He is a unique looking character who has be a thorn in the sides of the X-Men.

SPIDER-MAN


What can you really say about good ole Web-Head? He is an iconic character that has remained popular, important and relevant to the Marvel Universe. He was comics "every man" as he had to juggle his real life issues and responsibilities as Peter Parker as well as his responsibilities that comes with having the powers as Spider-Man. The character has recently had major changes with his relationship with Mary Jane but Spider-Man has now returned to the status of "lovable loser" who can not catch a break. He has battled normal street thugs and ran up the totem poll to super powered villain but he always finds a way to win. Spider-Man embodies alot of different traits and it makes him a very unique character.

ROGUE


I do not know if it is the two toned hair, the southern accent or the ability to absorb other people's powers but I love Rogue. She potentially could be the most powerful characters but is also one of the most tragic characters. She can not live a normal life as she can not touch people she cares about and it is such an interesting story device. I think she could be one of the most interesting characters if she is used right but she needs someone to foil her and Gambit is a perfect foil. Rogue is a tough cookie but Gambit always seems to find a way to break down her walls.

Fantasy Sports Leagues...

I love participating in Fantasy Sports Leagues and was truly lucky to be able to join a create ESPN league for both hockey and baseball this year run by Alex Fitzpatrick. Something I wanted to do was just kinda mull over my strategy (or lack there of) for drafting the players that will represent my team. I will look at both my hockey and baseball teams and why I took some of the players I did.

When I entered the hockey league I really had no idea what I was getting into with the draft. Any other fantasy league was not as in depth and to be honest, not as much fun. My strategy for this draft was to nab an all star with my first pick, draft a strong defence and then grab a goaltender who puts up great stats. Here are my original picks and the order that they came in:

Nova Scotia Privateers
8 Jonathan Toews, Chi C
13 Jarome Iginla, Cgy RW
28 Dion Phaneuf, Tor D
33 Jay Bouwmeester, Cgy D
48 Henrik Lundqvist, NYR G
53 Chris Kunitz, Pit LW
68 Shane Doan, Pho RW
73 Mikko Koivu, Min C
88 Shea Weber, Nsh D
93 Ryan Malone, TB LW
108 Ryan Kesler, Van C
113 Ray Whitney, Car LW
128 Ales Hemsky*, Edm RW
133 Ryan Whitney, Edm D
148 Pascal Leclaire, Ott G
153 Kris Letang, Pit D
168 Jordan Staal, Pit C
173 Dustin Brown, LA RW
188 Joe Corvo, Was D
193 Rene Bourque, Cgy LW

I made a few big moves and dealt Iginla, Phaneuf, Bouwmeester, Malone and Leclaire. I replaced them with Corey Perry, Nicklas Lidstrom, Erik Johnson, Matt Moulson and Jonathan Quick. I also reworked much of my second tier players and swapped out a few parts here and there. I finished 5th in my league but was consistently between 2nd to 5th all season long. I selected Toews, Weber and Quick as my keepers next season. As you can see my picks varied and I try to take atleast one "dark horse" player who could make or break the season for you.

For baseball I had a simple strategy but I think I followed it to a "T". I was looking to draft home run power, pitching and speed with my first three picks. I also knew I had to draft my starting pitchers similar t o my defense in hockey, by stock piling quality starters and allowing myself a chance to use them to fill holes that crop up throughout the season. Here is my team:

NOVA SCOTIA BOMBERS
9 Ryan Howard, Phi 1B
16 Roy Halladay, Phi SP
33 Ichiro Suzuki, Sea OF
40 Justin Verlander, Det SP
57 Pablo Sandoval, SF 3B
64 Carlos Lee, Hou OF
81 Trevor Hoffman, Mil RP
88 Stephen Drew, Ari SS
105 Alexei Ramirez, CWS SS
112 Jake Peavy, CWS SP
129 Geovany Soto, ChC C
136 Brad Hawpe, Col OF
153 Roy Oswalt, Hou SP
160 Maicer Izturis, LAA 2B
177 Wade Davis, TB SP
184 Paul Konerko, CWS 1B
201 Leo Nunez, Fla RP
208 Cody Ross, Fla OF
225 Jason Frasor, Tor RP
232 Lastings Milledge, Pit OF
249 Derek Lowe, Atl SP
256 Kevin Kouzmanoff, Oak 3B
273 Brad Penny, StL SP
280 Jhonny Peralta, Cle SS
297 Luke Gregerson, SD RP

I approached this league different than my hockey draft as I was not very active in the league at the start of the season. So I have basically reworked 50% of my roster already. I was able to move Soto, Verlander, Rameriz, Lee, Oswalt and Ross. I feel I upgraded with the additions of Brian McCann, Ronny Cedeno, Jose Guillen, Ben Sheets and Michael Bourn. I wanted to add a starting catcher as I was hoping Soto would start the season hot as he needed to prove himself but he struggled mightly. I also moved Verlander to get my "dark horse" player in Ben Sheets and I am lacking speed, so I thought the addition of Bourn would fill that hole as well.

SO yeah I have a weird way of thinking of who to draft I guess. I don't always draft the best player available but I sometimes I draft the player who could make the best impact.

I Can Be Your Hero Baby.....

I am a super hero and comic book junkie.....yes I admit that. Ever since I was a little boy I loved reading about the exploits of The Mighty Thor, The Batman, The Amazing Spiderman and The X-Men. There is something about the need of good always balancing out evil and sometimes the need of those on both sides of the line to hide their true identity for whatever reason that they felt they had to. Tried as I might I could never find a video game that allowed me to explore my own ideas for hero and villain characters. That is until July 6th 2004. On that day I joined City Of Heroes.

I had first heard about the game in April in a video game magazine and even though the preview was only 3 paragraphs long, it had my attention as it stated that you would be able to create your own hero characters, name them and choose their powers. I knew I needed to play this game. You see I love to write and my favorite part of most video games are the character creation options. This game was boasting to have the best character creation tool out of all the games on the market (and it still does!!!) so I ordered it on eBay in June with a pre paid game card and on July 6th 2004 I entered Paragon City for the first time.

The first character I created a concept I have had for many years and wrote many short stories about and also used as an efed (role play by email) wrestling federation. His full name was Nightmare "The Fallen Angel" but since that was much too long for the name field I thought Nightmare was too evil sounding for a hero. So I used just The Fallen Angel portion of the name. The biography I had written in game has evolved as I flesh out the character more but it has remained intact overall the last few years.


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This is The Fallen Angel. He is a blaster of a mutant origin who uses energy for long range attacks and melee attacks for high damage. His trade mark to me is his hood. It is to him what the red cape is to Superman, the cape and cowl is to The Batman or the shield of Captain America. He also has the power of flight and has multiple costumes and even a alter ego costume. It is hard to believe that this July will be my 6th year of playing this great game. I have only been unsubscribed for a total of 1 month in almost 6 years.

NCSoft has since released a paid expansion called City Of Villains which allows you to bring your most dastardly and evil creations to life. It added alot of different aspects to the existing game and different character archetypes. This July NCSoft is releasing the second paid expansion for the City Of Heroes franchise. Titled City Of Heroes - Going Rogue, it is going to open up an alternate reality to our universe, almost a mirror universe where things are somewhat backwards to the way they are in game right now. It will also give the ability for heroes and villains to switch sides. This is huge as the hero world and villain world are separate and you are contained to your own world.

If it sounds like a game you would want to try, hit me up on my facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=profile&id=716960399 . My in game chat name is @The Fallen Angel and I play on the Freedom Server. I have equal numbers of heroes and villains and would love to see any new blood into the game.

Justice is calling......do you have the courage to accept the charges?!?!?!?!

The Boys Of Summer Are Set To Returm......

Well it is that time of year that the sun shines a little longer throughout the day, the birds are singing, the cool breeze is blowing and baseball is soon starting. Spring Training has pretty much all but finished up by now and the teams a re gearing up for a long 162 game marathon of a season. I will look at a couple of different things and I may finally do something I have been putting off for a few years.

First thing I want to get out of the way is that I am a die hard Montreal Expos fan. So yeah, I am in kind of a bind eh? I mean the team has moved to Washington DC and been rebranded as the Washington Nationals and I find it very...VERY...hard to root for that team even though they have pretty much kept the Expos color scheme and inability to win consistently.

So being a proud Canadian boy and someone who loves to root for the underdog I have decided to accept the Toronto Blue Jays into my life and claim them as my favorite team. I do not have a favorite player right now though. I do like Ryan Zimmermon from Washington (Ironic eh?) but grew up loving to watch Jeff Bagwell of the Houston Astros and Larry Walker of the Colorado Rockies and of course the Montreal Expos.

Who do I enjoy watching play the most? Whose stats do I check everyday? That is a damn good question. I honestly think that the two players I love to watch right now are Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder. Pujols is a fantastic and professional hitter. He hits alot of homeruns, drives in a lot of runs and hits for a high average that can span from .325to .365. Prince Fielder is likehis dad,a big guy who can hits the ball a serious distance. Fielder may have the best pure power swing in the game. Watch him...the guy does not get cheated at all when he is hacking at the ball.

I am a power hitting fan and yes I love seeing player hit homeruns but I do appreciate the different types of hitters in the game as well. Ichiro Suzuki, Carl Crawford and Todd Helton are high average and low power hitters who can spray the ball from left to right field with ease. They are just as important as the guys who can hit the ball over 400 feet.

So yeah...I guess that the Blue Jays are my favorite team. I guess if I needed to name a second favorite team I like the Houston Astros and I will give Washington a chance to earn my affection. I can't help it. I love my Expos and like it or not they are the closest thing I haveto them.

18 - 0...A Hart Attack...and my thoughts on Wrestlemania 26...

So I woke up early today, fixed myself a coffee and then went to the various wrestling "dirt sheets" online to see their thoughts on last night's Wrestlemania 26 event. I am not a die hard wrestling fan like I was in the late 1980's and 1990's but I do watch Raw, Smackdown and TNA Impact on occasion. I will also read results and watch the odd pay per view. One that I do always try to watch is WWE's "Granddaddy of them all" Wrestlemania. I wanna give my thoughts on the matches and where I think WWE excelled and where I think they dropped the ball.

The Tag Team Championship match was ok for what it was. I guess I only had two real issues withe match. The first is that the end of the match seemed anti-climatic to me. Now it did come out of no where and logically getting hit by a closed fist that is 15 inches would probably have that effect, I just feel that it was a "Oh it's over eh?" moment. The other issue I had is that John Morrison did not really get a chance to do...well....anything. Morrision is someone who grew on me as a character and a worker and I think he offers a really unique offense that is different than most guys on the roster. I do think that ShowMiz should have won as they are an interesting team and play well off of each other.

Next up we had Randy Orton vs Ted DiBiase vs Cody Rhodes. This was not a bad match and had a cool spot of Randy Orton doing a double ropes assisted ddt on both Rhodes and DiBiase. Orton won after a boot to Rhodes and an RKO to DiBiase. It was a decent match, with the usual "double team one guy but then fight each other" moments. I think that they should have had DiBiase go over on this one though. They missed a chance to have DiBiase pin Rhodes and steal a win from Orton. Maybe have Rhodes get hit with the RKO and as Orton was about to hit DiBiase, Ted side steps the move and clotheslines Orton over the top rope. Then have him pin Rhodes. They could then tease that Rhodes is furious and Dibiase states "It was instinct." Orton does not take the pin here and still looks strong and DiBiase creates some distance with Rhodes.

The Money In The Bank Match was a tough one to predict. Drew MacIntyre or Christian were the two I thought had the best chance and the sentimental pick is Kane of course (who debuted new tights !!) There were some cool spots like Kofi Kingston using the ladder that Kane ripped in half as stilts, Evan Bourne's Shooting Star Press off of the ladder, Kane chokeslamming Dolph Ziggler on to the ladder, Kane powerbombing Kingston on the ladder and Christian's reverse DDT from the ladder. I was surprised with Jack Swagger winning and boy did it take him forever to unhook the damn case from their or what?!?!? I think they should have had someone run down the ramp and teach the poor guy how it is done. I would have rather seen Christian win the match and then cash in the briefcase at the end of the Edge and Chris Jericho match but I will go into why more when I look at that match.

I do have issue with the next match. I am a huge Triple H fan and I do take a lot of crap for that....trust me. There is no reason why Sheamus should have lost in this match. Hard for me to say that but Hunter needed to lose here. I feel they really damaged Sheamus with a loss here. Hunter could have taken the loss. It didn't need to be a clean loss but Sheamus has been criticized as being a transitional champion and as a joke as a champion but this match could have made him a legit main eventer. They will need to find a way to rebuild the momentum of this guy.

The biggest waste of a feud so far is the next match. I can not say this enough. CM Punk should have went over Rey Mysterio. Punk has the best gimmick and is the best heel in wrestling right now. PERIOD. The match could have cemented The Straight Edge Society as a true force but instead we have Rey Mysterio winning again. That is something else. Is it not weird that the only time anyone could really beat Rey was when he was world champion? I mean how many damn times does Rey need to "defend his family." His son is already taller than he is and looks more like a threat than Rey is. How can they salvage this waste of a feud now? Have Punk sway Rey's daughter to join him. I think that having Rey's daughter say that she sees where Punk is right. That he speaks the truth would allow Punk to take this loss and not look weak. Have Rey beg Punk to take him instead. Can you imagine how they could play up Punk holding this over Rey's head?

The match with Bret Hart and Vince MacMahon was what I thought it would be but with a few pleasant surprises. I loved the idea of the Hart family lumberjacks and with Vince rubbing it in to Bret that he screwed him again. For Bret to show that he out smarted Vince again was a classic. The best part of this match to me was not the hundreds of chair shots that Vince took, the crowbar shots he took or the way that Bret cinched in The Sharpshooter but the push of The Hart Dynasty. The amount of offense they got in on Vince was something else. David Hart Smith and Tyson Kidd seem to have finally been turned face during this angle and may be the start of a push. They did the right thing by having the lumberjacks do some of the work on Vince. It made Bret have to take less chances and reduce the chance of him hurting himself. I will say this. Kudos to Vince for taking some serious bumps and stiff looking chair shots. I really hope they do the right thing and have The Hart Dynasty take the next step.

The biggest surprise of the night to me was Chris Jericho winning the match and keeping the World Championship. It was a really good match and both guys looked good. I was really happy with the win and Edge gets to look strong afterwards by spearing Jericho through the barricade. This is why Christian should have won Money In The Bank though. Can you imagine Edge sitting in the ring, pissed off that he lost the chance to regain the title. Jericho is outside still out from the spear through the barricade, and then Christian's music hits. Edge would be beside himself as he watches Christian bring the briefcase down the ramp, the entire time yelling "NO!" Christian rolls Jericho into the ring, hits the Killswitch and pins Jericho as Edge sits in the corner of the ring in shock. Then you would have a trio of men feuding over the title and it would really drive Edge even more over the top.

The Diva match was my bathroom break and a chance to chat up my thoughts on the pay per view at this time. Sorry for having no thoughts on this other than they could have made this match shorter and gave the time to other matches on the card.

The Batista and John Cena match really did not do anything for me as I do not like either of these guys at all. I do think the Marine entrance was a huge let down and kind of seemed really lame to be honest. I will say that John Cena gets bonus points for throwing himself amongst the fans who had the "We Hate Cena" Shirts and giving the his wristbands to the kids. I really wish I could care about the match but Cena has been made into Superman and it is hardto care about characters that have no weaknesses.

I can not put into words how awesome The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels match was. It was really something to see and I could watch these two go at it any time. This match seemed to have so much emotion and it was not even the "Streak vs Career" stipulation. It was seeing Shawn want to defeat Taker so bad just to show the world he can. To me the highlight of the match was Taker not finishing the thumb across the throat taunt and telling Shawn to stay down. It was almost like he realized he was about to end a man's career and did not want to punish Shawn anymore past that, as that was punishment enough. With Shawn doing the taunt to Taker and slapping him, it just an amazing moment as Taker flipped and did the best Tombstone Piledriver in years.

Was it a perfect Wrestlemania?!?!?! Well no but it was a damn good one. Enough to make me go home and think I had just saw something special with The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels match. Should be an interesting Raw tonight!

My Favorite Bands.....

Whether it has been the original line up to any of the other line-ups that have existed in the history of the band, I have been a 100% supporting member of the KISS Army. I own over 90 KISS/KISS related cds. The related cds are cds from former KISS members who have put out solo cds and also tribute cds from various artists. I was blessed to be able to see KISS this past July in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer blew away any expectations I had for seeing them live in concert. KISS is not a group that professes that their music changes the world or that they have a higher meaning to their music. KISS is about having a good time with your friends, listening to your music loud and to rock and roll all night. The stage show is the best in the world and no other band can even come close. My favorite KISS songs are from all eras of the band. "Rock N Roll All Nite," "Forever," "I Was Made For Loving You," "Modern Day Deliah," "Unholy," and "Black Diamond" are my all time favorites.




Finding out about this band was purely accidental but it was the best accident that has ever happened to me. Nightwish is one of the most amazing bands and they are such a unique and powerful sound and visual. Their sound is like nothing else out there and the songs are written by Tuomas Holopainen. The way that he creates music is something to behold. I truly believe he doesn't just write music, but he crafts it. Some of my favorite Nightwish songs are "Wish I Had An Angel," "Bye Bye Beautiful," "Dark Chest Of Wonders," "Sleeping Sun," and "Where Were You Last Night." Marco Hietala brings a raw energy with his vocals and bass playing. Even though that the lead singer has changed for the band from Tarja Turanen to Anette Olzon, the bad still lives on and may have picked up even more fans. If you want a fresh sound, then look for any cds or songs from this metal band from Finland. You will not be disappointed. I guarantee it!




Marco Hietala is the bass player for Nightwish but also has been the bass player in his brother's band Tarot since the 1980's. The band has a dedicated following that has grown since Marco's inclusion in Nightwish. The band tours and records when Marco is not touring or recording with Nightwish. Marco handles the majority of the singing, which in my opinion gives the songs a harder edge and a more raw sound. The highlights from their song catalogue is "Pyre Of Gods," "Ashes To The Stars," "Messenger To The Gods," and "Guardian Angel." The original sound was more of a traditional heavy metal sound but Tarot removed the second guitar player and added keyboards to the group. Nightwish would use the same formula years later. Tarot is currently touring but do not cross over to North America much in their tour schedule. They are playing Atlanta, Georgia this summer and I wish I could go see them.



I have always been a Guns N Roses fan. Axl Rose is one of the best frontmen to ever grace a stage but he is also one of the hardest performers to get along with it seems. The band was the biggest in the world in the late 1980's and early 1990's and I was right along there with them. The 2 album "Use Your Illusion" set was something that was a chance by the band but it was worth it. Even when the band re-emerged with a different line up, and the line up has changed over the years since Axl debuted "The New GnR," I have followed the band and enjoyed their music. It is not hard for me to list my favorite GnR songs. "November Rain," "Sweet Childe O'Mine," "Don't Cry," "Madagascar," "Patience," and "Paradise City" are all awesome Guns N Roses songs. Even though they are a shadow of their former selves, the band is still a big name and draws fans when they put on a show. The hype for Chinese Democracy was immense and the album was a success. I do think that Axl, Duff, Slash and Matt with re-unite at some point as Velvet Revolver needs a lead singer and GnR is always changing up the supporting cast of musicians.



Dragonforce is definitely a different type of sound than what I usually listen to, but I have to admit that I am hooked. The speed on the guitars, bass and drums that they play is incredible. The length of the songs is also something as there tunes usually rock for 6 to 8 minutes in length. The first Dragonforce song I ever heard was "Through The Fire And Flames" and it is my favorite song that the perform. I do like "Cry For Eternity," "Heros Of Our Time," "My Spirit Will Go On," and "Trail Of Broken Hearts." The band has just recently announced that they have parted ways with lead singer ZP Theart and are auditioning for a new lead singer. It is too bad that this has happened as I truly dug the sound that ZP brought to the band with his vocals. The band will find a new singer and as long as the speed of the instruments is is there and the lyrics contain the same fantasy element as their past albums, I do not see the change in members affecting the band in a huge negative way.

The God Of Thunder.....THOR!

I admit I am a comic and super hero junkie. There is something about fighting for justice and protecting the innocent under a disguise that is appealing to me. The idea that someone is so prepared to put themselves in harm's way and sacrifice any sense of normal life is so amazing to me. However maybe my favorite comic book character does not even wear a mask or have a secret identity. That character is the son of Odin, the God of Thunder and the one who wields Mjolnir.....The Mighty Thor.

The character was first created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in answer to DC's Superman and was first introduced in the comic known as "Journey Into Mysteries." Stan Lee deduced that the only being who could theoretically be stronger than an alien is a god. Lee was fascinated with the Greek and Norse Pantheon of Gods but felt it was better to explore the lesser used Norse Gods and so Thor was born.

Thor has always been a staple of the Marvel Universe and was always seen as it's "Heavy Hitter," but his popularity has flucuated over the years and the book was cancelled years ago. It was at this time that the world of comics and superheroes waned for me. I love the character of Thor as he is something different. Based in Norse mythology, he has such a deeper and richer tapestry for stories.

Thor was re-launched a few years ago and there were many chances taken. The costume was updated and the setting was changed. Asgard was no longer in the heavens above us, as Thor created in the state of Oklahoma. Thor re-emerged after Civil Was had concluded and Captain America was assassinated.

The stories crafted by Joseph Michael Straczynski and the artwork of Oliver Coipiel re-imagined The God Of Thunder and made him the best selling comic book and one of the best crafted books that Marvel produced. The creative team has changed again but Thor still remains a well written book. Marvel has finally figured out that they need to put such a complex character in capable hands and it will succeed.

Why do I love this character so much? Well, he is one of the most all around characters in comics. He is intelligent, well read, possesses super strength, has the ability to fly, can channel the powers of weather, is a sound tactical warrior and carries one of the most legendary weapons in all mythology, the uru metal hammer Mjolnir.

I will continue to buy Thor as long as I can and it is the only monthly comic I still purchase. I have various issues from all three volumes and am awe at some of the names that have worked on the character over the years. To Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Walt Simonson, Dan Jurgens, Joseph Michael Straczynski, Matt Fraction, Oliver Coipiel and any other person who has contributed to the legacy of the character I offer a huge "THANK YOU" for helping grow a character and comic book that I rather enjoy.

The Best Unknown Band In The World......

I know this is hard for many people to believe but I do like music outside of KISS. No, I am not kidding and it is not April Fool's Day. I have a varied taste in music but am a huge fan of the hair metal/hard rock/heavy metal genres. One of my favorite bands is classified as Symphonic metal. Now what is Symphonic metal you ask? Well, the answer is quite simple. Symphonic metal is a term used to describe heavy metal music that has symphonic elements; that is, elements that are either borrowed from classical music or, as with progressive rock music, create a style reminiscent of it, e.g. operatic female lead vocals; instrumentation that includes acoustic guitars and different types of keyboards instead of relying solely on electric guitars; asymmetrical meters such as 5/4 and 7/8, and classical thematic material in addition to characteristically heavy metal power riffs. Got that?? Good!!

One day I was listening to an internet radio station called W00T! Radio that streamed live during a play session of the MMORPG City Of Heroes (that I still play and will post a blog about another day.) As I was listening to the traditional hard rock and metal acts such as Guns N Roses, Metallica and Iron Maiden, they played something not like anything I ever heard before.

The song was called "Wish I Had An Angel' from the band Nightwish. I could tell that they were a foreign band due to the accents in the vocals but I had never ever heard of this band before. They were as heavy as Metallica but had a female lead vocalist and a male vocalist who had a powerful and raw voice. For whatever reason I thought they were Japanese from the sound. I dunno why. I am the type of person that when I like something, I need to know ALL about it. So I did a Google search on this band to see what they were about.

Nightwish was from Kitee, Finland and was consisted of creator and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, drummer Jukka_Nevalainen, guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, Bass Player Marco Hietala and vocalist Tarja Turunen. The band reminded me somewhat of Evanescence and I thought they were maybe an international wannabe. However I soon found out that Nightwish have existed many years before Evanescence. The line up changed over the years as different bass players did come and go until Marco Hietala joined full time. In 2007 Anette Olzon replaced Tarja Turunen, who was fired from the band, and the sound has changed slightly. Tarja's vocals are well versed in Opera and she brought very powerful vocals to the band in that style. Anette is more of a rock and roll singer and her vocals reflect that. I love both vocals but do like the new sound with Anette as it is opens the band up to a wider audience.

I own almost every Nightwish cd along with 2 cd singles. All of my Nightwish cds have been imports in some way and some coming from Argentina, Finland, Germany and Russia. I will list each cd I have later in the blog. My favorite Nightwish cd is also their best selling and most well known album "Once." The tracklist is strong and the band had fully developed their sound at the time that this cd was released. It also included the song "Wish I Had An Angel" which was the first Nightwish song to get Mtv play in North America as well as be one the soundtrack of a few North American movies.

I prefer Nightwish songs that have Marco singing as well as either Tarja/Anette. He brings such a raw and edgy vocal style and it compliments the female vocals very well. My favorite Nightwish songs are as follows: Wish I Had An Angel, Bye Bye Beautiful, The Phantom Of The Opera, Where Were You Last Night, Planet Hell, Dark Chest Of Wonders, The Islander, Amaranth, Dead To the World and Nemo.

If you love a heavy band with a unique sound, thought provoking lyrics, amazing bass player and female vocalist....this is your band....this is Nightwish!!!


My Nightwish Cd Collection:

- Angels Fall First (1997)
- Oceanborn (1998)
- Wishmaster (2000)
- Over the Hills and Far Away (EP) (2001)
- Century Child (2002)
- Wish I Had An Angel (EP) (2004)
- Once (2004)
- Dark Passion Play (2007)
- Made In Hong Kong - And Various Other Places (2009)
- Greatest Hits (2008)

Guitar Hero KISS

I took this challenge up almost a full year ago and I am not about to stop yet. I am driven and determined to see this through and I am 100% dedicated to the cause no matter what it entails. Some of you who know me will easily understand why I am championing this and for those who do not....well....My name is Jason.....and I am a KISSaholic.

Not only is there no 12 step program to assist me but there is no patch or quick fix either! I also am a hardcore video game player. I love the Rockband and Guitar Hero series of games. Rockband has dropped the ball of late though. They started off strong and set the bar high but the folks at Guitar Hero not only met that bar, but they knocked it down as they surpassed it. Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero have surpassed Rockband in alot of ways. The only way that it is behind trailing is just in the music itself. I prefer Rockband's library.

This blog will be a long one, so that is just a warning. After the Beatles were given the royal treatment by Rockband I felt that KISS deserved the same treatment. The Beatles are the biggest selling band worldwide. Well, KISS is the biggest selling American band of all time. They are one of the most well known bands just based on how they look. They are integrated in many areas of life and not just music and they are the best live concert show in the world. So they definitely have the credentials.

I am going to outline the way I would create this massive project in this blog. I will tackle not just the track list of the potential game but also the instrument controllers, the look of the characters and the venues in which they would perform. This will not be like Guitar Hero Aerosmith or Van Halen however, in that there will be songs by other bands. KISS has over 20 albums spanning from 1974 to 2009. They have more than enough songs to fill this game. This will also come with the full set of instruments in the same way that The Beatles game did. So....are you ready....for the hottest band in the world....KISS!!!

What I propose is 3 different points of selling Guitar Hero KISS. The first would be just a stand alone game for the normal price of 59.99. This keeps the pricing in line with Guitar Hero Van Halen, Guitar Hero Metallica and The Beatles Rockband. The second would be the traditional Guitar Hero/Rockband bundle that consists of the guitar controller, the drum controller, the microphone and the traditional game. I would see this as being priced close to 149.99. There would be an additional guitar controller for sale. The third would be a collector's edition bundle that consists of both guitar controllers, the drum controller, the micophone, the game as well as access to a special stage level from the 1989 Hot In The Shade Tour and the costumes from The Destroyer era for Gene, Paul, Ace and Peter as well as the costumes from the Music From The Elder era for Gene, Paul, Ace and Eric Carr. Another bonus would be a Mark St. John unlockable character. I envision this type of set up would run around 199.99

There would be an Axe Bass guitar controller that would be based off of what Gene uses currently on tour. The second guitar controller would be Paul's Mirror Ball Iceman. The drum kit would be the normal fare with cymbals, three drum pads and bass drum pedal. This would also include a false bass drum that would attach to the front of the drum kit. It would be the KISS drum skin that would be black with KISS in silver. The microphone would be a traditional microphone but would have the KISS logo on it.

The game would start out in a venue in Detroit that would be modeled after Cobo Hall in 1974. A small and intimate stage that is a replica of the stage from the Alive! era. KISS would be wearing the Alive! costumes when they performed here. The tracklist would be as follows: Deuce, C'mon And Love Me, Let Me Go, Rock N Roll, Strutter, Hotter Than Hell and the encore would be Black Diamond that includes a drum solo from Peter. The stage of this game would be considered "1974-1975."

You would then move to the next stage would be "1976-1977" and would take place in Houston, Texas in a stadium show. The band would perform on the Love Gun stage and be wearing the Love Gun costumes. The tracklist would be as follows: Detroit Rock City, God Of Thunder with Gene's Bass Solo, Shock Me with Ace's Solo, Hard Luck Woman, Shout It Out Loud and the encore would be Love Gun.

The next the next level that you would unlock would be "1978-1980" and would be a stadium show in Sydney Australia. The Stage would be the one used in the Dynasty Tour and the costumes would be from the Dynasty / Unmasked era. The main difference here is that Eric Carr would replace Peter Criss at this point in the game. The tracklist would be: Radioactive, New York Groove, Tonight You Belong To Me, Shandi, She's So European and the encore would be I Was Made For Loving You.

Another band change would happen in the next level known as "1981-1982" as Vinnie Vincent replaces Ace Frehley. The stage would be the tank gun turret stage show from The Creatures Of The Night Tour and the costumes would be from the Creatures Of The Night era. The level would be a massive outdoor stadium show in San Paolo, Brazil. The tracklist would be: Creatures Of The Night, I, I Still Love You with Paul's Solo, War Machine, The Oath and the encore would be I Love It Loud.

The level of "1983-1987" which would be the first with KISS without make-up. The band line up would change again to now include Bruce Kulick on lead guitar. The outfits that the band would wear would be the Crazy Nights Tour outfits and the stage would be from the Crazy Nights tour. The songs will be played in a stadium show in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The track list would be: Crazy Crazy Nights, Lick It Up, Tears Are Falling, On The 8th Day, Reason To Live and the encore would be Heaven's On Fire.

The band will have another line up change in the next level with the inclusion of Eric Singer on drums. The stage show will be from the 1992 Revenge tour and the outfits would be from the Revenge era as well. The level will take place in an arena in Los Angeles, California. The track list for this level would be: Unholy, Forever, Domino, Hide Your Heart, I Just Wanna and the encore would be God Gave Rock N Roll To You II.

The last level of the game would span the years of "1998-2009" and would take place in New York City, New York in an arena like Madison Square Garden. The stage show would be from the Sonic Boom tour and the costumes would be from the Sonic Boom era. Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer would now be in the band in make up. The tracklist would be: Psycho Circus, All For The Glory, Modern Day Deliah, When Lightning Strikes, Stand and the encore would be the live version of Rock N Roll All Nite.

AT this point of the game you would unlock ten additional bonus tracks that could be played in a quick play mode. The songs would be: Beth (only vocals as their would be no instruments), Calling Dr. Love, Christine Sixteen, Little Caesar, Sure Know Something, Childhood's End, Two Sides Of The Coin, Cold Gin, Parasite and KISS's cover of The Ramones Do You Remember Rock N Roll Radio.

The songs cover all the eras of the bands history and allows every person to have ever played in the band be represented in one way or another. I know if this type of Collector's edition for the game I just outlined I existed, I would buy it in a heartbeat so I could have access to the ingame bonuses. It also gives people the flexibility to purchase the game in different price ranges.

Will a KISS set like this ever happen? Who knows. I have submitted this idea to www.genesimmons.com, www.kissonline.com and www.guitarhero.com last year. So here ya go folks. This is what I envision Guitar Hero KISS would be. By a KISS fan and for a KISS fan.

Be Gentle....it is my first time....

Well this is my first post for this blog but I do have my Pittsburgh Penguins blog for anything Penguins and Hockey.

This blog is a personal blog that I will use to talk about video games, movies, music, comic books, hobbies and every day life I guess.

I just wanted to post something to officially get this puppy off of the ground. After maintaining my Penguins blog for almost 3 full months I have found that I love it.

Do I feel I have something so important to say that everyone will want to read? Hell no but I do love to write and this is a way to do something I love about things I enjoy. To me it is a no brainer and a win-win situation.

You probably want to know what to expect eh??? Well...I am passionate about what I like so if something excites or upsets me I will be very vocal. I also do encourage comments but if they are just to dump on me, don't waste my or your time.