Celtic Punk

In my second of my genre examinations, I'm going to go over one that I think is one of the best around, but is still a little underwhelming, Celtic Punk.

I first discovered Celtic Punk while in high school. I had downloaded a Dropkick Murphys cover of "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock n' Roll)". To put it simply, I was unimpressed at the time. I didn't know who they were, so I assumed they were just another punk band. I really got into the genre while listening to a "Rock Against Bush" compilation. There was a song by Flogging Molly, "Drunken Lullabies", and I fell in love with the Celtic Punk genre.

The genre was started in the 80s by The Pogues. Bands like Dropkick Murphys, The Real McKenzies, Flogging Molly and Flatfoot 56 are current leaders of the movement.

Celtic Punk is known for its rowdiness like at a soccer match. Many of the lyrical themes are based upon personal, socio-political issues, camaraderie and drinking, among other lyrical themes. It's punk, so it's fast, simple and rousing--very rousing. Dropkick Murphys, one of the genre's leaders, are known for their anthemic choruses that get you singing along easily. There is also a subgenre called Gaelic Punk, where lyrics are sung in Gaelic.

Instrumentation can vary, but it's typically the usual guitar-bass-drums but other instruments can be added. Bagpipes, flutes, mandolins, banjos, accordions and tin whistles are popular additions. Some bands are acoustic, but I find the best ones are electric.

While you may that Celtic Punk is restricted to Irish people and Irish-Americans, I disagree. There are Celtic Punk bands from Germany and Slovenia. There's even a Japanese band called The Cherry Cokes. Celtic Punk is like a party, and it's for everyone. It's arguably one of the most fun genres in music right now.

If you want to get started, here's some bands to give a listen:
The Pogues
Dropkick Murphys
Flogging Molly
The Real McKenzies
Black 47
Flatfoot 56
Mr. Irish Bastard
The Cherry Cokes

Happy hunting!

We're Waiting, Sepp

So Sepp Blatter thinks he can trick the European leagues into staging the World Cup in winter, does he? Man, what a bad idea. The problem with Blatter is that he seems to think it's all about money for FIFA. It's probably why he decided to help Qatar win the bid for the World Cup in 2022, although since it's possible the Qataris simply bought the voters for the World Cup.

Sepp has already come under fire from EPL chief Richard Scudamore, who is already saying that the World Cup should be moved out of Qatar. This is the most popular league in the world! You want to make them angry, Sepp?

Sepp, just do yourself a favor. Stop being stubborn and admit staging the World Cup in Qatar was a bad idea to begin with. Already you have a powerful voice criticizing you for what was obviously a short-sighted move without vetting the Qatari bid. And given how there's some evidence that the Qataris bribed World Cup bid voters, it's a little suspect.

Sepp, if you want money, here's an idea: Move the tourney to the US where it should have gone. Remember '94? The most attended World Cup in its history. We have excellent venues, a nice climate, passionate fans and a country ready to take the next step in world football. Just call up Sunil Gulati, Sepp. We're waiting.

Sepp Blatter Has No Idea What He's Doing, or How I Learned the 2022 World Cup is Impossible

Ever since the Confederations Cup was marred by an unforeseen but much-needed protest movement, there have been growing concerns about staging next year's World Cup. Some of the stadiums in Brazil are supposedly incomplete and there are concerns about the security and whether or not the stadiums will be complete by next year.

Brazil is certainly defending themselves about their ability to host. I have no doubt the soccer-mad country wants to host the World Cup. Perhaps things might get better by next year, but I'm not holding my breath just yet. US Soccer President Sunil Gulati has said that he has not been approached over hosting the Cup.

Speaking of which, Sepp Blatter is making himself look more like a fool each day he tries to keep the World Cup in Qatar for 2022. While Russia is still suspect about hosting, they have very little trouble when it comes to hosting. On the other hand, Qatar should never have tried to bid for the World Cup. They're too small and the litany of problems are showing that their desire to host was not driven by a love of soccer.

Indeed, Blatter is trying to get the World Cup moved to winter. However, this will likely not fly with the European leagues, who are all playing or on break at that time. The summer heat should have been a factor--oh, wait, they didn't think about it because Qatar bought the World Cup. Yeah, now you have to live with the consequences, FIFA.

You can redeem yourselves by revoking the World Cup from Qatar and giving it to either the US or Australia, like it should have been. Perhaps Blatter's obsession with hosting it in Qatar will abate and he'll listen to actual reason and revoke the World Cup and host it somewhere else.

Gold Cup Champions, the Day After

So yesterday the USMNT broke six years of disappointment and a potential qualifying disaster when they beat Panama 1-0 to claim their fifth Gold Cup. The Yanks are riding high, having won 11 straight games, their own record! And now since they're squarely on top of the CONCACAF Hex, it looks like smooth sailing to get to the World Cup next year.

Unfortunately, it came with a price. Fan favorite Stuart Holden injured his knee--AGAIN--during the first half of yesterday's game and had to leave. We don't know the extent of the injury, but preliminary reports from yesterday told us that it's a sprained right knee. Holden should be getting an MRI today, so we'll find out eventually the extent of his injury. Hopefully it won't be much.

On the good news front, however, Aron Johannsson, a 22-year-old playing for AZ Alkmaar has announced that he'll be making his one-time switch to the USMNT. Klinsy's been keeping his eye on the kid who was born in  Mobile, Alabama to Icelandic nationals before moving to Iceland, so there's another international kid who will be getting time with the national team. Johannsson split AZ Alkmaar's scoring with Jozy Altidore last year and now that Jozy's moving to Sunderland, he should be getting a starting spot next season. Oh, and one more thing: apparently this guy scored a hat trick in under four minutes. WOW.

Also, now that he's been brought up back to his old playing level, Landon Donovan should be starting the big games once again once the USMNT resumes World Cup Qualifying. With him, Clint Dempsey and Jozy Altidore in attack, they should finally have a trio of scorers to frighten their opponents.

And also, apparently someone on Tumblr decided to have some fun by mocking the USMNT by comparing them to the Women's team. Obviously that blew up in their face as they have been scolded by a few American soccer fans. Really, you should have thought before you posted that, whoever you are. Even if you were being a little smart aleck, you don't make it look like you're creating a rivalry between two teams of different gender who represent the same country.

Well that's my little update. I'll probably have more once World Cup Qualifying starts again and I'll have a few things to say then.

Gold Cup Post-Game: WE WON!!!

Okay, first off, this was an excellent second half. It just took some pressing and defense for the US to take the lead. Yeah, it wasn't perfect, but Panama was tough. I guess the US just decided to be patient in this half. They knew Panama was tough to get through, but it just took a substitution (again?) for them to beat Panama.

Just 42 seconds after coming in, Brek Shea scored on a pass from Alejandro Bedoya and a pass from Landon Donovan, right in front of the Panamanian goal. That was a brilliant goal that just needed the right push from the US offense. The Panamanian defense was tough, but even they couldn't stop the US.

Speaking of defense, that was a fantastic showing from the US. A scoreless game is one thing, but I noticed that at one point, the US had a 75-25% possession over Panama. And then there was that big flurry from Panama that looked like they were going to score, but the US held their own.

After six years, it's great to see American soccer back where it belongs, on top. We can only go up from here. And now that we've won 11 in a row (a record!), all that's left is to get qualify for the big show next year.

Gold Cup Final First Half Analysis

Okay, so things have been going okay for the USMNT, but it could be better... MUCH better. While I was glad to see Mexico knocked out, I can see why Panama made it this far. They're tough to get through and they're controlling the pace so far. The Panamanians have done a good job stuffing the American attack and preventing any good chances for the Americans.

The big gut punch in this half has been the injury to Stuart Holden. Given his history with knee and leg injuries, this is another big blow to a favorite American player. He's a guy you want to see succeed and this just hurts more. As I was writing this, we got word that Stu has a sprained right knee and he'll be evaluated. Hopefully that means he won't be out for very long.

The US will have to control the temp when they come out for the second half. We've seen the US can turn on the offense in the second half in this tournament, so it's not really much of a problem. But since Klinsmann's suspended, he can't be on the field to give orders like he usually does. I think the US should take control in the second half.

We'll be back after the second half for a post-match analysis.

My Second City Show

Just a quick post; if you live in Chicago, my show for Second City will be starting in October and will run for five weeks from October 25. It will be Fridays at 7:30. I won't be acting, but it's a writing show. I've been working and learning for almost year at Second City, so I have some high hopes for this show. I think I have some good material.

One sketch I know I will have in the show is one I called "The Python Sketch". Unless you don't know anything about comedy, it's an homage to Monty Python. It got great reviews and I know it will go great on stage.

So come out and watch it in October! You won't be disappointed!

My Cousin's Wedding

So my cousin Nora got married last night, and I thought it was a fun time. I wish nothing but the best of luck to her and her husband.

It was held at St Ignatius Church, which I was surprised to find out was pretty close to UIC. I haven't been there in a while, so there's that reason. The church is actually pretty big and ornate and there's quite a bit of stuff in that church. The problem was, I could barely hear them during the actual ceremony. It's not their fault, it's the church's acoustics.

But it was a nice ceremony, very Catholic and very nice. But it was also very Irish and Scottish. They hired a bagpiper for goodness sake, kilt and everything! But it was the reception where things got good.

It was held next door at St Ignatius High School where my cousin spent her high school years. Her dad gave a pretty funny but heart-felt speech--which I expected from my uncle. And the food was fantastic. My other cousin--who happened to be her sister's bridesmaid--said it was the best food she'd ever had!

I got to meet people and caught up with my cousins, even one who was living in New York. And I stuffed myself, but it's a wedding! I congratulated my cousin and I even danced... reluctantly. And only at the end. I'm not great with dancing. I usually need some pushing or pulling to get me to dance.

So it was a nice time and I was glad I went. Since parties are great on my mom's side of the family, I can't wait for the next wedding!

Doctor Who: Tomb of the Cybermen

Okay, so I was able to find some "Doctor Who" episodes on OnDemand and one of the episodes is the debut of the Cybermen, "Tomb of the Cybermen". I must say, for an early "Doctor Who" episode, it's fantastic.

So the Second Doctor and his companions Jaime and Victoria come across an archaeological expedition in the future and on another planet. They're looking for mysterious creatures called "Cybermen". They find an old complex that belonged to these mysterious creatures, but it soon becomes clear that things are not what they seem.

After exploring the complex, a trio of characters, Kaftan, Kleig and Toberman, have some ulterior motives and they start purposefully messing with the complex. After two expedition members are killed and Victoria is almost killed, the expedition decides it's best to leave. However, the expedition's rocket ship is sabotaged and they have to wait before it's fixed.

In the meantime, they open the hatch to the lower chamber and come across the eponymous tomb. Kleig defrosts the Cybermen and one of the Doctor's greatest enemies is revealed. Kaftan, Kelig and Toberman are members of the Brotherhood of Logicians and they believe the Cybermen can help revive them. The Cybermen on the other hand, have other ideas.

Quite simply, this is a fantastic serial. The music is creepy and atmospheric, fitting for a cold and calculating robot. I've never seen Pat Troughton in action, but I can see why Matt Smith was inspired by his version of the Doctor. As for the Cybermen, well, it's the sixties and it's a low budget. But combined with the music, and the time period, the Cybermen are just as creepy as they've always been. I can hear the origins of "Star Trek's" Borg in their words ("You will be like us")

As for the Cybermen plans, well, I have to admit it's ridiculous. Freezing yourself to take over the world? Even Moffat thinks it's silly. But it's early "Who", we can forgive them. It's a good episode, especially considering it's the earliest survive Second Doctor story in its entirety. A good villain deserves a good introduction and we got it here.

I Don't Care About the Royal Baby, Part 3

Okay, so I posted my commentary about the royal baby on another website. And I've gotten mixed reviews about about my commentary. And one person called me an ignorant American. You could have just said I'm full of bollocks, but ignorant? I know what the Queen does, like appointing a Prime Minister in the case of a hung Parliament. I don't like that, either.

So my main problem with this is the sheer ridiculous media coverage here in the US. Here's what I don't like: the monarchy is against everything the United States stands for: power in the hands of the people. You can't say that government belongs to the people and then turn around and cover the birth of someone who will one day be the head of state and will never be elected for the position.

And it's HOW MUCH media coverage we're getting! It's on all the major networks; NBC, CNN, MSNBC, Fox, and so much of it! It's a leading story when Detroit has gone bankrupt for goodness sake! If there's ever a good reason to say the news media sucks, THIS IS IT!!! "The Daily Show" did a great lampoon of this story on Tuesday. I suggest you go find it. Or if you can't, let me summarize: The news media made themselves look like idiots thanks to their coverage of the royal baby.

Now, you may disagree with my views on the monarchy, but you should at least see where I'm coming from in regards to the American news media. This story belongs at the end of a newscast, not the leading story. I'll admit I can be an Anglophile at times, but for different reasons: I love quite a few British bands, I'm a Whovian (or at least trying to be one) and I like British movies and TV. I just don't like the monarchy.

We have more important things to worry about in the US than the birth of an un-elected royal in Britain, whose life will never affect us directly. This is just another case of our ridiculous celebrity worship turned up to 11. Let's leave the royal couple to the tabloids, not CNN.

Ryan Braun, A-Rod and Steroids

No doubt by now you've heard about Milwaukee Brewers star Ryan Braun's suspension for performance-enhancing drug use. Aside from the obvious jokes about Braun and even Aaron Rodgers' short-sighted bet about Braun's innocence, we're looking at something new in baseball. Perhaps now PED users will be punished, no matter who they are.

Of course, they already ended Rafael Palmiero's career, so it's nothing new. What is new, however, is that it could lead to the suspension or even banning of Alex Rodriguez. Since both have been linked to the Florida clinic, Biogenesis, that provided PEDs, this might be a precedent.

As USA Today mentioned, five years ago, these kinds of suspensions wouldn't have happened.

As for A-Rod, he's been identified as being involved with biogenesis. His already damaged reputation is taking a further hit, and there are calls for him not just to be suspended, but banned for life. I agree. Even the game's top stars should not be spared from punishment, even if they are stars. In fact, it's because they're stars that they should get these punishments.

Indeed, A-Rod's reputation as a serial violator of MLB's drug policy has put a massive target on his back. All the haters who've been seething for years are finally starting to smell blood to get the man out of baseball for good. But we still don't know whether A-Rod will go the way of the Black Sox or Peter Rose just yet. We'll have to wait and see.

I Don't Care About the Royal Baby, Part 2

I posted my last commentary about the royal baby on another website and just today I got a response telling me that I called people who disagree with me stupid. I hate to break it to you, but I never said or implied that. I only said that the British monarchy is completely unnecessary in a modern democratic world.

But if you want another argument against the monarchy, then fine. Tourism is one of the more weaker arguments in favor of keeping the monarchy, anyway. I mentioned in the earlier post how the monarchy costs the British taxpayers a lot of money. The group Republic, a British campaign favoring a republic, has a page citing the amount of money the monarchy costs the taxpayers of Britain.

For starters, they estimate the monarchy costs the British taxpayer an estimated 202.4 million pounds per year. Republic says

£202.4m is equivalent to 9,560 nurses, 8,200 police officers and more than the total annual Ministry of Defence spending on food. The total cost is also equivalent to a number of high profile government cuts, including cuts to the Sure Start programme. (Quoted from here)

Two hundred million pounds is a lot of money. And as shown, it could be spent in better places. Just like how the American government spends too much on unnecessary defense and military spending, the British government spends too much on the monarchy.

Of course, Republic isn't done. They estimate the monarchy not only 112 times more expensive than the Irish presidency, but they're twice as expensive as the French presidency. Even the Dutch monarchy is worth half as much as the British royal family.

If you want to say I'm calling supporters of a monarchy or anyone who disagrees with me stupid, you'd better come up with a better argument. Because I'll come up with my own.

Here's the site for Republic, where I got the numbers for the cost of the monarchy: http://www.republic.org.uk/What%20we%20want/In%20depth/Royal%20finances/index.php

I Don't Care About the Royal Baby

Okay, here's the thing: First and foremost, I might as well make it clear that I am opposed to monarchy of all kinds. The House of Windsor is part of that. And while I can't do anything about it except give emotional and moral support, I would love to see the British people tell the monarchy to go away. Second, I am an American, so if you want to you can tell me I'm full of bollocks, but I'm approaching this from a republican (not the American political party, but from the perspective of someone who supports republics).

That being said, it's part of the reason why I can't stand all this coverage about the royal baby. I guess as people, I should congratulate the royal couple but other than that, why should I care? The baby's going to have a cushy life supported by the British taxpayers while the rest of Britain struggles to make ends meet, just like the rest of the world. Really, the royal family is nothing but a bunch of figureheads. Why should they keep them?

There are some arguments for keeping them. One of them is tourism. The royal family is said by supporters to be a big source of tourism for Britain. Well, I hate to say it, but people go to Britain to see Britain. Buckingham Palace is just one sight to see in London. There's still Trafalgar Square, the Tower of London, Palace of Westminster, the London Eye and a lot of other locations. Hell, the whole of Britain has sights like Stonehenge. Hell, they could keep Buckingham Palace if the monarchy is abolished. Just look at Versailles. it hasn't been inhabited in a long time and it's still a popular tourist destination.

And, here on our side of the Pond, I can't understand why Americans are getting so worked up over this. I mean, we rebelled to get rid of being controlled by a monarchy, why the hell are we Americans getting so worked up over this? Is this part of our ridiculous celebrity worship? I think it is, we'd prefer to hear about the royal baby than things that really matter and the media obliges.

The fact of the matter is, monarchism belongs in the dustbin of history. The American and French Revolutions, the Enlightenment and modern times have made it possible for the average person to not only have a say in government, but equal not just under the law, but in status. The idea that some family is inherently better just because of their bloodlines is out of date in this day and age! Why must we keep monarchies in our world?

Those are my views on it. Yes, I did go on a tangent about monarchy, but I might as well say it now. Just get rid of it, Britain. You'll be much better off.

Power Metal

I'm one of those metalheads who can't stand Death or Black metal. For the most part, it's the vocals. I can't stand them for the most part. There are exceptions, like a couple of Black metal bands and Dethklok, but I can't stand those two genres.

So instead I focus on genres with cleaner vocals, like thrash, traditional, (some) folk, speed, classic, and yes, power metal.

So why power metal? Isn't it call "Happy metal"? Well, that's only part of the genre. For the most part, yes, power metal is a little more upbeat than most other metal genres, but a few power metal bands are pretty dark, as well. Power metal is a genre of metal usually known for fast guitars, epic sounds, theatricality and stereotypically, lyrical themes inspired by fantasy. For the most part, it's really popular in Europe but obscure in the US, but the popularity of bands like DragonForce are changing that (more on that later)

So I discovered the genre when I was a freshman in college. I read an article in "Guitar World" magazine about power metal, but it never really piqued my interest. I was still into Pantera at the time. At some point, I bought Helloween and DragonForce albums and holy schnikies, my view on power metal changed.

Quite simply, I LOVED IT.

I'd just been to a certain theme park that January and it made me into a bit of a fantasy literature enthusiast, so power metal was just right for this next stage of my life. Pretty soon, I started getting into bands like Rainbow (an early precursor of the genre), HammerFall and Blind Guardian. I can safely say that power metal is one of my favorite genres along with thrash and the New Wave of Traditional Metal that I've been writing about lately.

If you want to get into power metal, here's some albums that I can suggest, based on the ones I've heard:

DragonForce, "Valley of the Damned"
Helloween, both "Keeper of the Seven Keys" albums
Gamma Ray, "Somewhere Out in Space"
Blind Guardian, "Somewhere Far Beyond"
Freedom Call, "Eternity"
Iron Fire, "Blade of Triumph"
Three Inches of Blood, "Long Live Heavy Metal"

Those are just a sample, but they're really good albums. I'm still looking for more, but I'll try and post a few once I've found them.

US vs El Salvador: Postgame

So the US vs. El Salvador Gold Cup quarterfinal is over. Talk about a tale of two halves.

While the US did win 5-1, as the story usually goes, the stats told a different story. While the Yanks took a 2-1 lead into halftime, it's only because of the play of the Salvadoran goalkeeper and the Salvadoran defense. Clarence Goodson and Joe Corona scored the first goals of the match and it looked like things were going to be easy.

However, a terrible play by DeMarcus Beasley resulted into a penalty kick for El Salvador. They converted the penalty with ease and it was 2-1 for the rest of the half. It looked like the US had gotten a little too comfortable after the two goals. Obviously that's a dangerous way of playing against a determined team. This might be a "B" team, but they're still vulnerable.

So when the second half started, the Salvadorans tried to press. It looked like they were playing better out of the gate and got several big chances that, had it not been for goalkeeper Nick Rimando and a bit of luck, they might have tied the game.

In one of those moments where all you can say is "HOLY CRAP", Eddie Johnson came on in the 60th minute as a substitute on a corner kick immediately made his presence known, scoring just seconds into his appearance to put the US up 3-1. Landon Donovan and Mix Diskerud finished the job.

Again, this was a tale of two halves... or half a half.

The US keeps showing that a little bit of rough water doesn't faze them. They made the right adjustments and pushed the right buttons. It took a little bit of patience, but those five goals came with the right amount of pressure and skill.

The US now looks to the semis in Dallas against either Costa Rica or Honduras. With the way they're playing, the US should make it to the Gold Cup finals. This should be fun.

A Short Ethnography on the Elves

Terry Pratchett once said about elves, "Elves are wonderful. They provoke wonder. 
Elves are marvelous. They cause marvels. Elves are fantastic. They create fantasies. Elves are glamorous. They project glamour. Elves are enchanting. They weave enchantment. Elves are terrific. They beget terror. The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes, look behind words that have changed their meaning. No one ever said elves are nice. Elves are bad."

So basically, he said that Tolkien's version of Elves were, well, inaccurate. Well, that's not entirely the case. And Pratchett was referring to his elves, which are much more sadistic and ill-tempered than Tolkien's elves. Tolkien based his elves off the Alfar of Norse mythology, who were, fair, beautiful and immortal.

What neither of them knew, is that elves are real.

They have the same common ancestor as Homo Sapiens. Their DNA is almost 98% identical to ours, and yet, just like chimpanzees, they're a completely different species.Yes, they are nimble, they are long-living and they do have the pointed ears, among other aspects that Sir Tolkien wrote about. But unlike the magical elves he created, the Elves we have come across are a purely technological society.

To put it simply, Elvish technology is Clarke's Third Law in action. Indeed, it almost seems impossible that their weapons and power systems are even technology and not magic. However, Elvish society entered a modern era earlier than humanity did. They have developed their technology using gems as a main power source. The gems in question are a mystery for human geologists, since they have not been able to find the gems in a natural environment. 

Elvish technology is also less carbon-intensive than human technology. Human engineers have noted that Elvish transportation gives off as much as 75% less carbon than human automobiles. They have also developed incredible robotics, which although are not human-like in appearance, are human-like in movement.

Looking at Elvish society itself, one would think that Tolkien observed them first-hand. He did not. Elvish society is patriarchal and patrilineal, but that does not prevent the Elvish monarch from being a queen. Watching them, you would think that Elves are always formal. They wear flowing and extravagant clothing right out of the Lord of the Rings movies. The military is the exception, instead invoking Prussian and Imperial German uniforms.

Elvish family structure is also similar to Western "Nuclear family" structures; a father, mother and children. For the most part, the father is the head of the household. Elves are also monogamous, usually staying with a partner for up to 50 years or more. Children are taught to obey and respect their elders, but domestic abuse is looked down upon. An elvish man who so much as touches his family wrong can be ostracized from the community. 

Community leaders are treated with much respect, and that extends to the monarch and the royal family. While not gods, Elves are taught to revere them, no matter how flawed they are. This does not exclude the possibility of dissent, though. But it appears that in recent years, it has become taboo to question not just the monarchy, but the military. This has allowed the military to begin a long, slow takeover while keeping the monarchy in power. There are also elected officials, but their power is starting to dwindle.

While Elvish society may seem appealing to humans, it might not be the case. Elves have hidden from humanity for years. Only recently have they come out of hiding; and they're hostile. The majority of Elves we have encountered are xenophobic and potentially racist. Why they have come out now is a mystery, but we're not sure if it's related to Climate Change, human overpopulation or perhaps simply the military's lust for power.

This ethnography is not a comprehensive ethnography. Indeed, it is only a small amount of information we have gathered from captured Elves. We are currently attempting to learn more about the Elves. Perhaps if we learn enough, we could not just defeat them, but learn to get along with them. Perhaps there is more to learn about them in the coming future.

This concludes this short ethnography. Thank you for your time.

Blackhawks Schedule Released & Olympic Hockey

So, it's been a while, but there's some Blackhawks and NHL updates. Can it get any better?

Okay, so the Hawks' schedule has been released and they'll be starting the season October 1 against the Washington Captials. I wonder if it's their idea to rub it in against Ovechkin and his crew. I know some of the guys on NHL boards will think so. According to the Hawks' website, 24 for the 41 home games will be played on the weekend. They will also play an outdoor game in March against the Penguins. They will have a rematch with the Bruins on January 19 (at the UC) and March 27 (in Boston)

The NHL's new divisions have also been named, the Pacific and Central Divisions in the Western Conference and the Metropolitan and Atlantic Divisions in the Eastern Conference. The Hawks are in the Central. The Hawks will play their 6 division rivals a total of 29 games with five games against each team.

In other news, it looks like the NHL will once again be sending players to the Olympics Commissioner Gary Bettman and an IOC official said the players will be heading to Sochi from Feb 7-23. All I have to say is, thank the Hockey Gods! I was gonna be depressed if the biggest stars of the Winter Olympics' signature event didn't show up (you hear that figure skating? You suck!). I hope Team USA can actually win the Gold on a content other than North America.

White Sox Trade Rumors

It's that time of year again.

No, that's not the right answer. Or that. Nope, not even close. Ugh, forget it, I'll just be straight forward: It's trade deadline time in baseball.

Okay, so the trade deadline's not quite here yet, but it's getting close. And it's becoming obvious that the White Sox need some serious adjustments. Unfortunately, since they're not going to be going anywhere near the playoffs, they need to figure out who to sell and who to get. I suspect they're going to try and pick up some minor leaguers who they know will become potential stars down the road.

According to South Side Sox, a blog run by SB Nation, the Sox might me looking to ship Alex Rios somewhere. Word is that the Rangers are a potential buyer . Rios hasn't lived up to his billing, so he wouldn't be missed at all if he left. The same is true for Adam Dunn.

Jake Peavy is also a potential trade subject. Last Friday, ESPN's Buster Olney linked him to the Diamondbacks, but again, that's last Friday. South Side Sox also links Matt Lidstrom and Alexi Ramirez to possible trades. We'll see what Rick Hahn has up his sleeve for the White Sox in the coming days.

Album Review: "Under the Spell"

In a previous post, I discussed White Wizzard's "The Devil's Cut". White Wizzard is one of the leaders of a new wave of artists who are making  headway in the metal scene by playing an updated version of early-80s heavy and speed metal. One of these bands is Spellcaster out of Portland (bet you didn't see that coming!). Founded in 2009, Spellcaster are still underground, but have the potential to be leaders in the New Wave of Traditional Metal.

Much like a lot of the bands, they play an up-tempo speed metal reminiscent of Accept or Venom. They also write some pretty dark lyrics based around mythology and fantasy with a bit of the glory of metal and even sci-fi. They only have one full-length album out at the moment, but they've announced they should have a new one out this year. That being said, let's take a look at their debut, "Under the Spell".

Unlike "The Devil's Cut", "Under the Spell" clocks in at just under 40 minutes, which is pretty short by today's standards. Also unlike "The Devil's Cut", "Under the Spell" is much darker and more intense. Okay, enough with the comparisons. Quite simply, I liken this to Slayer's seminal "Reign in Blood". While the comparison to that is a little strange, there are reasons why.

First off, this album sounds great on the technical side. There's no reverb, so the guitar sound is razor-sharp, much like "Reign in Blood". The band is intense and focused, starting from "Chainsaw Champion" through "Spellcaster". Tyler Loney and Corey Boyd are phenomenal, especially when weaving their guitar parts together. While there are few dual solos, they're still fine solo work.

What really sells the album, however, is vocalist Thomas Adams. It's a real shame the guy departed since then, because his range is phenomenal. He can turn from melodic in one moment, operatic the next and into a growl the next depending on the situation.

As for the rhythm section, they keep things tight. Shad Covert is a hell of a drummer and I like Gabe Franco's bass lines.

Despite its short length, "Under the Spell" is a solid debut album for a rising band. My hope is that not only will they continue to succeed, but I'll see their album some time this year! Sorry, I just don't like waiting a long time between albums. I'd like to see  Spellcaster build on this and continue what made it successful. It's not very long, but it's very solid. I give it 8/10.

US vs Costa Rica, Gold Cup

Okay, so I didn't write about US vs. Cuba last Saturday, but it's a pretty simple and understandable reason why I didn't: I missed it because I was in class. So this time, the US faced Costa Rica, who'd been stewing in their juices ever since they were beaten fairly robbed horribly by the snow back in March, so we were expecting them to be tough.

And tough they were. This match was scoreless for most of eighty-something minutes until, in the best play of the tournament so far, the US fought off a harrowing barrage off a corner kick from Costa Rica, cleared the ball, got it open and Landon Donovan sent a perfect pass to Brek Shea, who slotted the ball home to put the US over the Ticos.

There were moments when the US should have had a goal, but the Costa Ricans were challenge, and everyone knew that. There were times when the Costa Rican goalkeeper, to borrow a hockey term, was standing on his head to stop several great chances by the US. But their goalkeeper did come out of the penalty box and touched the ball with hands and instead of getting a red card, he got a yellow. I cannot see any way it can be justified.

On the other side of the pitch, Sean Johnson was just as amazing. He's the guy who blew the USA's chances to qualify for the Olympics last year, but with the Fire, he's been amazing. Here he showed he belongs with the USMNT, even if it's just in the short term. As for Brek Shea, the goalscorer, he's also been struggling, but a goal in international play works wonders for anyone.

The US will play El Salvador this Sunday at 2:30 central time from Baltimore. I look for the US to build off this win--which they technically didn't need--and make a run for the final. I won't make any predictions, so just stay tuned.

Book Review: People of the Longhouse

You may have noticed that a character in my little short stories is described as full-blooded Native American. Recently, I've become interested in the reality surrounding Native Americans, not the romanticized version. That's why I have him behave like a modern college-age young adult would. At the same time, because of my anthropology training, I have a big interest in other cultures. Native American culture, what it really is, is part of that. Unfortunately, most so-called "experts" on Native culture are not experts.

The Gears are an exception; and a damn good one.

Michael and Kathleen Gear are archaeologists who have become famous as the most prolific authors of Native American historical fiction. They write about eras from the Bering land bridge to even the 1800s. I recently read one of their books, "People of the Longhouse", which is about the founding of the Iroquois Confederacy. The Confederacy's ideals of democracy were a major influence on the founding of the United States government.

"People of the Longhouse" takes place in Upstate New York long before the actual founding of the League, following the boy who would become the mythical founder of the League, Dekanawida.

Young Odion is kidnapped in a war raid by enemy warriors from rival tribes. Unlike other young prisoners, he is not adopted by another tribe, instead sold into slavery to the brutal witch Gannajero. Odion must survive the ordeal while protecting his friends and sister. Meanwhile, his mother War Chief Koracoo and her ex-husband Deputy Gonda try to track their kids down with the help of warriors from a rival tribe, all the while wondering if there's a traitor among the rival tribe.

What makes this book work is the incredible amount of detail the Gears put into this book. As I mentioned earlier, the Gears are archaeologists. Just reading about Iroquois traditions doesn't work. They cite their sources in incredible detail at the end. By the way, this is not romanticized. This is violent, sexual, gritty and straight-forward. Do not come in expecting to see nature-loving Noble Savages. That view is inaccurate and has no place in the Gears' books.

The characters are not the "noble", "mystical" or "savage" Indians that pervade pop culture. Oh, there's despicable characters, alright. Some of the warriors who kidnap the kids and sell them to slavery are truly horrific characters and the witch Gannajero is the stuff of nightmares. What makes it work as that the chapters and passages showcasing her are told from Odion's first-person perspective. Through the eyes of a little kid, she's absolutely terrifying. Odion could have been handled better, but in their defense, it's probably not very easy to write 10-year-old kids no matter what the culture or time period. But this is a first book. They already reveal Odion's destiny, so he has room to grow.

As for the passages with Koracoo and Gonda, however, they're told in third-person. There's a bit of romantic teasing from one of the other warriors but in the end, she and Gonda reconcile. What made them split up was Gonda's failure to protect the kids and their village, which haunts him throughout their journey. Once he makes her recognize this, they're able to reconcile. I haven't read the second book in the series yet though, so I'm not sure what happens next. These were my favorite passages, though, because they were better written.

The book itself is a good read, but the climax is a bit rushed. Perhaps the Gears were either in a hurry to get it in on schedule or they were not sure how to finish it. Still, it's a good read. The Gears may not be writers by trade, but Tolkien wasn't, either. Still, I like the prose. It flows well when it has to and it's blunt when it needs to be. Go and take a look at it, you won't be disappointed.

Centro Autonomo

Last Friday, we had a discussion about housing on Resistance Legal Clinic's program on CAN-TV. Our guest was Roberto de la Riva, a former volunteer for Centro Autonomo de Albany Park. Part of the Mexico Solidarity network, they're a community center who assist Latinos living in Chicago. They also teach and tutor ESL students. I am currently in the process of volunteering for them. Their main mission is to be a community center "In every sense of the word", as they put it themselves.

Centro Autonomo also holds yoga classes, women's groups, art classes, computer classes, parties, writing workshops and even zumba. Related to Resistance Legal's mission of helping people with foreclosure, community members met at Centro Autonomo to help each other out and develop strategies to keep their homes.

The center can be contacted at 773-583-7728. You may also e-mail them at centro@mexicosolidarity.com

Volunteers looking to tutor ESL students are given tutoring training.They usually come in once, twice or even three times a week. Contact if you have any questions.

Their website is available here: http://mexicosolidarity.org/centroautónomo/en

The Newsroom is Back!

I've been waiting a whole year for this. I don't watch a whole lot of scripted drama, but "The Newsroom" is an exception. Say what you will about the ideology and whether the characters are handled properly, it's delivered with typical Sorkin wit. And dammit, I love it!

So the season has just begun and I'm  liking what they're doing so far. The first episode of a series or season usually sets up the plot points that are going to happen in the upcoming episodes. Tonight, they've done a good job of setting up the series.

There's less criticism of the Tea Party here, but more of what goes on behind the scenes of a news channel. However, unlike last season, which was a little disjointed, they'll be covering a season-long myth arc about something called "Operation Genoa". What that is will be revealed in the long run.

Already the characters are behaving better. However, they're still the same characters who screwed up so adorably last season. However, it looks like Will is starting go back to his pre-series persona of being too nice on camera. That will likely change along the way. However, as some have pointed out, McKenzie was the big star of the episode. When they had not just an accuracy issue, but technical issues, she took control and dealt with it.

Meanwhile, Jim is off covering the Romney campaign and it seems like Will's anti-Tea Party tirades are causing problems for him. He can't get on the main press bus and from what previews show, he'll be having some difficulties covering from the campaign. Neal is getting involved in Occupy Wall Street and it's possible his feelings might just get in the way of his coverage. Already the teaser for next week says he'll be arrested.

Of course, I'll bet the shippers are gonna be hopping over Maggie's break-up with Don. Even I have to say, "ABOUT TIME!" Jeez, the tease was so thick last season even three-year-olds who have no idea about human sexuality knew she had the hots for Jim.

But I digress.

The real story is the Genoa thing, and we'll have to watch what happens. Still, I'm pretty excited to see what happens next. This season should be much more of an improvement from last season.

Blackhawks Prospect Camp and Other Updates

Oh, jeez, I haven't talked about the Hawks in a while. But Prospect Camp has just begun. We're getting to see the Hawks future today. There are several names currently skating on the ice at Johnny's IceHouse West. This year's 30th pick for the Hawks Ryan Hartman will be there, as well as Finnish goalie Antti Raanta, who's signed a one-year free agent deal with the Hawks.

Other names include Illinois natives Vincent Hinostroza and Alex Broadhurst. There are also former first-round draft picks Phillip Danault, Mark McNeill, and Kevin Hayes. 

Last year's Hobey Baker Award winner Drew LeBlanc won't be there, but I think he'll be a name for the Hawks in the future. But we'll have to see.

One cool thing thew Hawks have done is the blog done by 2013 pick John Hayden. The prospects have been playing well so far and they look like they want to play for the Hawks. We'll have to watch this space.

In other updates, Chris Chelios has become the 11th American elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame. I know like me, a lot of Hawks fans were NOT happy to see him go to the hated Dead Wings. But give credit where credit is due. A simple look on his stats page will show he deserves to be elected to the HHoF.

And, I might as well get this out of the way: SHAME ON YOU, JUSTIN BIEBER. You know why. Never set foot in the United Center again!

The Principal's Office

"Oh, Officer O'Callahan. I did not know you would be here so soon."

"Thank you, Sister McCauley," said Brian. "I just got off duty for this." His still-faint Irish accent was detectable. "Where's Sean?"

"He's in the principal's office," said Sister McCauley. The old nun sighed when she heard the name of Brian's son. "I'm sorry about him, it's just... we don't know what to do with him."

"I'll see what I can do," he said. "May I?"

"Oh, of course. Come in, please." her hand gestured to the St Barnabas School's principal's office. Still dressed in his Chicago Police uniform, he followed the kindly old nun. Whatever behavioral issues they suspected, he didn't think they were as valid as the reason he was thinking of. "This is the fifth fight he's gotten in this month," she said.

"Oi," he groaned. He rubbed his hand through short light brown hair.

"I know," she said. "I would suspect Bridget's move to Naperville Central may have been a trigger for his behavior."

"We'll see," said Brian.

Once the nun had opened the door, he came across a sad sight; there was Sean, his ten-year-old son. And he was a mess. His brown hair was messed up and he could see bruises all over his face. The boy's eyes were lowered. He didn't even bother to look at Sister McCauley. "Sean? Your father's here to see you," said Sister McCauley. The boy looked up. Brian could see a mixture of feelings in his eyes; rage, hurt and sadness.

"Hello, Sean," said Brian. Sitting down next to him, he placed his arm around his son's shoulders. "What's wrong?"

Sean didn't answer. He looked away. "Five fights in a month; what's going on?" Again, he didn't talk. "Do you have any remorse?" Again, no answer. "Is there something you're trying to tell us?" Sean was silent again.

Brian sighed and rubbed his head. He kept wondering what to say. "Perhaps we should call your mother and Julie. Maybe we should take you out of the hockey program."

Suddenly, he heard a choke and a sob coming from his son. "What is it?" asked Brian. He could see the kid was trying to hold it in. The boy loved hockey. Perhaps that was why he was choking up. He wrapped his arm around Sean's shoulder again. He was barely able to hold it in.

"They... c-called me... a..." He couldn't finish. He broke down into heavy tears and hugged his dad tightly. With a heavy heart, Brian hugged his son back, letting him cry it out.

"Just let it out," he said.

"They called me a fag!" Sean shouted.

"Thanum an Dhul," Brian said to himself. "Why?"

"Cuz of m-mom and J-Julie," he replied. Brian could already tell his son was not gay. But his mother, well... she'd been partners with another woman since he was about 3 or 4. It was not Klaudia or Julie's fault he was apparently being bullied.

"What have they been saying about you and your moms?" asked Brian. He listened as Sean listed off several offenses; truly horrible things to say, that no one, especially not 10-year-old kids, should be saying. "And how long has this been going on?"

"Since I was 7," said Sean.

That long? This is too much. And since he already knew Klaudia and Julie had moved to Naperville, perhaps it was better for Sean that he attend school there. "We'll get you out of here," he said.

Sean looked up at his father, who pulled him up and back into the office. "You don't have to worry about Sean's punishment," said Brian.

"Why not?" asked Sister McCauley.

"I think it's best if he attends a public school," he said. "I'll have him enrolled at a school in Naperville."

"Oh, that's such a shame," said Sister McCauley. "What else?"

"I'll keep him in the hockey program he's in," said Brian. "He loves that game and his friends are in that program. You don't mind, do you, Sister McCauley?"

"I suppose if it's the wishes of his father," said Sister McCauley, "I will pray for you."

"Thank you very much," said Brian. With a nod, he led Sean out of the office of the parish school and out to his police cruiser.

It was then he noticed someone walking past him. He didn't look very threatening or suspicious. "Oh, hi," said the man. He handed a card to Brian. "That's a Shotokan Karate symbol," he said. "We just started the dojo. The teacher's great. He doesn't guarantee a black belt, but we think you might learn something."

"Well, I'm not sure about myself," said Brian. "Perhaps Sean would be a better fit. He's had some issues lately, though not entirely his fault."

"Great! Just call the number on the card!" said the man. He walked away as Brian put Sean in the front seat of his police cruiser. He didn't know it, but Sean's life had changed... forever.

Hit the Ice

His entire life had led up to this moment. All that blood, sweat and tears shed from pee-wee to high school to college had all led up to this. The consistent, heavy and excited heartbeat pumped in his chest. He closed his eyes and tried to relax for a moment. But he had a red Indian head sweater on. It's hard to relax when you've grown up cheering for this team and find yourself playing for them.

"Alright boys, let's go!" He heard the call. He stood up from his locker and followed his teammates out of the locker room and down the tunnel. He grabbed his stick and waited for the cue to go out. He could hear the music and roaring of the crowd muffled by his location. he waited for a moment until his teammates started walking out. A couple guys were patting them on the back while they stepped out.

Then he heard the loud horn. Now he knew it was real. The music had changed and he stepped out of the tunnel, high-fiving fans who were sitting on both sides of the tunnel. He maneuvered through the benches and then took a small but giant step.

As soon as his skate hit the ice, he felt a rush of adrenaline and he skated out, taking warm-up laps on his team's end of the ice. He looked out at the sea of red, all making their noise for him. He could barely even hear the PA announcer, introducing the starting line-ups. But then... "Left wing, number 19, Scott... DOLAN!!!"

Unable to control himself, he smiled the widest smile he'd ever smiled. Charged up and full of energy, he skated over to the blue line and lined up for the national anthem.

A Statement

Cobi Jones said this match was a statement match for the USMNT in their 6-1 victory over Belize. In a way, yes, it was. I kinda thought it was more of a statement for Belize, but hearing Jones saying that the US was saying it was the dominant team in this tournament made sense. This was very much a dominant performance by the US to take their first Gold Cup match.

Instead of Wondolowski, this time three other players scored. Michael Orozco, Stuart Holden--a great goal after his recent knee injury--and Landon Donovan. Donovan looks like he's starting to get back into rhythm after his little missing period. The defense was exceptional. They really recovered after that one goal that I'm sure Belize fans will be looking back at with pride.

Speaking of which, you have to give credit to Belize. They had to hold a fundraiser just to get to the Gold Cup! This truly was a David-and-Goliath match in favor of the US. It's not something American fans are really used to. But I can see, as the FSC commentators mentioned, American fans wearing Belize colors for the rest of the tournament.

Now the US has to watch out for Cuba and Costa Rica. Costa Rica has a strong team and this match won't matter. However, in another sense, it will. Three points are very important. If the US ties or loses to Costa Rica, those three points will be really important. However, I don't see the US losing in the group stage. I do think the US will beat Costa Rica and Cuba.

This game just ratchets up the confidence factor for the US. We'll see what happens in the coming games, but I do think it will be successful for the US.

So Far, So Good for Team USA

It's halftime in Portland right now and the USA leads Belize 3-1. It's actually been pretty evenly matched so far. Credit to Belize for playing their hearts out against the US, but the US has been playing well, too. Chris Wondolowski (not Wondowlowski!) already has a hat-trick! Belize has been keeping the US in check so far and even managed to score. A credit to them and the US had better not underestimate them. Belize has been playing great defense. 

Against an opponent like this, you'd expect the US to have a 5-goal lead by now, but Belize held them scoreless for the first 10 minutes. The US really started to wake up late in the half. I expect Klinsmann to stress that the US play their passing game and be more aggressive. It will be the same for Belize.

I'll see you at the end of the match where I'll have my short little analysis.

On the Ice

A cloud of spray was thrown from the ice as Sean skidded to a stop near the boards. His Minnesota opponent also stopped and slammed him into the boards. Sean grunted from the impact, but not in pain. Several Minnesota fans got up in his face on the other side of the boards. He could hear them taunting him and his Wisconsin Badger teammates. He ignored them.

His stick clashed with the Golden Gopher defenseman. But he was unable to move. With a little elbow move, he knocked the Gopher player off of him. Now he went after the puck. The Gopher grabbed at his red sweater--essentially the Detroit Red Wings home sweater with the word "WISCONSIN" going down from the right shoulder to the left hip. Sean wristed the puck away to his captain and cousin, Jimmy.

Now the Badgers had possession of the puck and streaks of red sped down the Mariucci Arena rink. Sean looked up at the scoreboard for a second. Four minutes left and the game was tied 3-3. It seemed like only a minute ago Minnesota was up 3-0. Man, he loved comebacks.

By now, Jimmy had passed to Ritchie on the right wing. His nickname is the "Oneida Rocket". It's not a joke. The man is full-blooded Oneida and fast as hell out on the ice. He sped down the ice with puck in hand and prepared to shoot on goal. However, the goalie was watching him. "METOXEN!!" Sean shouted.

Ritchie noticed him and passed to him. Sean wristed a one-timer at the goalie. He watched it fly through the air, its spin propelling it. The goalie reacted as quickly as he could, but Sean could see it wasn't good enough. The puck flew past the goalie and into the net.

"YEAAAH!!" His shouts were the only sounds in the entire arena. The crowd had fallen silent. Just to rub it in, he showboated in front of the Badgers' hated rivals.  He would have given a certain gesture, but he had class. And the Minnesota crowd didn't deserve a gesture like that.

However, the most important things was that the Badgers were up 4-3. In four minutes, they would vanquish their hated rivals.

US Soccer and the Gold Cup

It's been a while since I've written anything about US Soccer. But the Red White and Blue begin their quest to knock off the Mexican in the CONCACAF Gold Cup team tonight in Portland against Belize. The game will be telecast on Fox Soccer. The past two Gold Cups have seen the Mexican team dominate the US in the final. The 2011 final saw the ousting of then-head coach Bob Bradley who was replaced by Jurgen Klinsmann. At the time it looked like Mexico was going to dominate CONCACAF for years to come and the US was going to end up relegated to second-place.

My, how times have changed.

Instead, Mexico have been struggling throughout the Hex and the US has been flying high. Their only loss this year was against Honduras on a hot afternoon. Mexico has yet to break out of a funk were they've tied most of their matches, even in their impenetrable fortress Estadio Azteca. That included a scoreless draw against the hated Gringos.

Now, with Mexico losing 2-1 in their opening Gold Cup group stage match against Panama. The blood is in the water and the CONCACAF sharks can smell it coming from the hated giants. Tonight the US will take on Belize in what looks to be a decisively pro-US  crowd in Portland, home of Timbers Army (although that might not matter. Panama defeated Mexico in a pro-Mexico crowd in the Rose Bowl). Long-time American superstar Landon Donovan will lead a high-class "B" team in their quest to win the Gold Cup for the first time in six years.

However, Belize won't go down quietly. They've already made waves with the President of Belize's FA declaring that he wants his team to embarrass the American team. Strong words coming from a country making its first Gold Cup appearance.

However, the US should be wary and they should not take them lightly. The US has been on the winning side of several big-time upsets themselves, especially Landon Donovan. Indeed, according to some words by Kyle Beckerman, they're not taking Belize lightly. The "Jaguars", as they're known, once held Mexico scoreless back in 2008 before Mexico pulled away for a 2-0 victory. Indeed, even Canada lost to Martinique. It's possible this Gold Cup might be a tournament of upsets.

But the US has an advantage with big-name stars and a few part-timers on this team. This is could be a B+ team, if you want to call it that. It's not just Donovan, who's making his first MNT appearance in over a year, but Oguchi Onyewu and Stuart Holden, both MNT regulars before knee injuries temporarily halted their careers. Also in the mix are Mix Diskerud and Kyle Beckerman. Diskerud shows serious promise for the national team while Beckerman is solid, but not World Cup material.

Either way, it looks to be an interesting match tonight. I expect the US, boosted by a pro-US crowd to break the chain of upsets, but Belize will keep it close. I don't make predictions, so I'll just watch and see what happens.

Frustration

I happen to be one of millions of people my age who can't get a  job. We do all the right things; we apply, we interview well, we make a very good impression, but nothing ever comes our way. WHY!? What's wrong with us? Is it my attitude? Right now, I have no clue. It's getting so, so frustrating  when you think you have the right qualifications for a job and someone says "No" and doesn't tell you exactly why. I've changed my attitude. I tried to "Hit the pavement", but nothing works. We keep getting told to "just get a job" and it's not that easy.

I wish it was that easy. I have a college degree and had a great internship last year where I found some contacts. I even had two interviews back in March. I got nothing. I left my resume at stores and restaurants. I had interviews there, and I still got nothing! I've been yelled at for not getting a job. Why would someone blame me for not getting a job?

Of course, I'm not sure how much of it is my fault. I'm not lazy, I'm a hard worker. And I'm not entitled. Just going for the past several months without so much as an offer is humbling. My reason for making this is frustration. And one can't blame me for being frustrated with a never-ending job search. I'm a twenty-something out of college who can't find employment. At all.

And there are millions of me. And it's only getting worse.

They Mean to Win WIMBLEDON!!

In all seriousness, congrats to Andy Murray for winning Wimbledon yesterday. Seventy-seven years since the last Brit won the prestigious tennis tournament since Fred Perry back in 1936. It's kind of like the Cubs' streak, but unlike the Brits, the Cubs have no chance of winning the World Series... ever.

With that out of the way, I am constantly reminded of Monty Python's "Science Fiction Sketch" where tennis-playing alien blancmanges turn the entire population of England into Scotsman. The only man who stands between the blancmanges and their dastardly attempts at winning Wimbledon? A Scotsman named Angus Podgorny. Looking back, I can't help but laugh now that a Scotsman, Murray, has proven the Pythons right and wrong at the same time!

I wonder what the Pythons are thinking right now...

I Want Out

I want out.

... But I can't.

I'm stuck here, wasting away and I can't do anything about it. I try to get out, but nothing's working. I want to be free so bad, but I have nothing at all to achieve it. I want to do things on my own, but I'm being held back. It's like I'm a prisoner.

No, I'm not a prisoner. But I am confined. I'm not able to spread my wings. I'm stuck. I said that already. I see my freedom in sight and then it's slammed shut on me without even so much as a warning or a shout. I try to call for help, but no answers. I feel like a teen, but I'm older than that. My situation is worse. I was free. but now...

How long am I going to be stuck here for? I don't want to see my life pass before my eyes while I'm stuck sitting here. I fill my imagination with images of freedom, but I know I can't go to those places, not while I'm stuck here. I'm not a prisoner, but I feel like I am one. I'm oppressed by these four walls that surround me.

If only I had the means to escape. If only someone would send me a sign, or a rope, give me the chance to break free, be on my own. To let me live the life I want to live so desperately; to go where I want; to see what I want; to do what I want. Instead, I'm stuck here, and there's little I can do about it. Please.

I want out.

To live my life alone.

To do things on my own.

To live my life and to be FREE!!!

Blackhawks Free Agency updates

Today is the first day for free agency in the NHL. Already we've seen some big moves, like longtime Ottawa Senators captain Daniel  Alfredsson moving to the Detroit Red Wings. Meanwhile, the Blackhawks haven't been as loud, but there have been some moves so far.

Viktor Stalberg and  Ray Emery have left the team. Stalberg is reportedly signing with the Nashville Predators while Emery is going to the Philadelphia Flyers. At the same time, Michal Rosival and Handzus have each signed extensions with the Blackhawks. We're going to try and watch for more updates as they come in, so stay tuned.

Update: The Blackhawks have re-acquired goalie Nikolai Khabibulin. The "Bulin Wall" as he's known played for the Hawks from 2005 to 2009, and was let go before the Hawks' 2010 Stanley Cup title run.

Resistance Legal Clinic

Since foreclosures are a big problem, especially among low-income individuals and families, it's hard to deal with it.  However, Resistance Legal Clinic helps individuals and families who are dealing with foreclosures. More information is available at facebook.com/ResistanceLegalClinic or you can e-mail them at resistancelegal@gmail.com.

Chasing the Swordswoman

"Blackhawk! Transform!" In a flash of light, 22-year-old Tommy Driscoll, an American studying abroad in Munich, transformed into the henshin hero "Blackhawk". As soon as he transformed into his costume he broke into a run. In a red, black and white flash, he ran up the wall of a building, jumped onto the rooftop and started to run again.

His HUD flashed and beeped off to the left of his visor. He pivoted and jumped off the roof, landing on another one in a swift action. His shirttail billowed, kept in place by a red belt that blended in with the top of his sleek suit. "Where are you?" he said to himself. His quarry was moving in all directions. Or at least that's how it appeared to be, there was no street grid here in Munich.

As he approached the edge of one building, he ran faster. He could see that his quarry was getting closer. Now he had them. He ran faster and leaped off the edge of the building. For a moment, he simply sailed through the air without anything to use. Then he pressed a button on his belt and a pack teleported onto his back. He pressed the same button and massive wings spread out and he glided down to the street.

As his boots touched the ground in the park, the pack disappeared. Now he was in Englisher Garden. There was no place for his quarry to hide now. His HUD beeped again and he found them trying to run. Immediately he broke into a run again. He pressed the button, summoning the wings again and he took off, propelled by small jets.

As soon as he found his quarry, he began to land. He could see them looking up at him as he came down right in front of them. As soon as his boots touched the ground he put his arm out to hinder their progress. "We need to talk, Schwertkampferin."

"About what?" asked the swordswoman. Her armor shone in the moonlight with an ethereal air about it. it was Elvish armor, but she was purported to be human. Bits and pieces decorated her armor and a visor covered her eyes, but her mouth could be seen. And she did not look happy.

"Your Elvish friends came after me," he said. "Why?"

"Because you interfered," she replied.

That answer was not good enough. He slammed his gloved hand against a tree, causing it to shake. "Is that all?" he asked with anger bubbling to the surface. "If this is about how I tried to help, that's utter bull****. You know as well as I do they didn't mention you one bit."

"My battle has been with the Elves," she replied. "No one else is to interfere, not even Der Hauptmann. And you of all people should know Der Hauptmann is not to be trifled with."

"I was trying to help," he said. "We're still very much alike."

"I am nothing like you," she said.

"Bull****," he replied. "We're more alike than you're willing to admit. Rumor has it your civilian form has no powers and transforms into you. It's the same with me. The only difference between us is that you  use magic, I use technology. You're a swordswoman and I'm a martial artist. In the long run, we're both superheroes. Might as well help each other out, right?"

"At least I did not steal the name, coloring and stripes on my costume from an ice hockey team," she said.

"Shut it," he replied. "But if you want to play that game, fine. You're just a grown-up version of Sailor Moon,  a little girl's fantasy brought to life."

"I have fought the Elves for 1,000 years," she said. "If anything, they wish to be me."

"Who, the girls? Because I can clearly see that."

"Your attempt at humor is not funny," she said. "And another thing, you claim that you are a better superhero because you never attack first? You broke your own rules when you fired your laser at the Elves. Do not tell me it was because I had already been attacked. Your attacks were unprovoked. You truly did bring this upon yourself."

Blackhawk opened his mouth (which she could see under his black helmet and visor)  but he closed his mouth. He had no response. Instead he pushed off and glared at her from under his visor. "Tell them to leave me alone," he said.

"It is too late," she said. "Now that you have provoked them, they will attack all of the superheroes in Germany." She grabbed something from her armor and threw it to the ground. A large cloud erupted and Blackhawk was consumed by it. He activated his faceplate so he did not breathe it in.

When the smoke cleared, Schertkampferin was gone. He groaned in anger, silently cursing her.

Happy 4th!

Happy Fourth of July, everyone! Might as well have some fun today! Go see some fireworks, have a BBQ/grill, and LIVE FREE OR DIE!!!

Sorry, I just got into the mood. But still, you live in the first democracy in the modern world! Act like it! If you don't like what the government--local, state, or federal--TELL THEM!!! Speak your mind, you have your freedoms! No human, company or government can take them away!

Okay, enough of that. We're supposed to be having fun today, so I'll let you go and have fun.

Blackhawk's Fight

Tommy Driscoll, AKA "Blackhawk"--named so because his superhero costume pretty much lifted the colors and stripes of the Chicago Blackhawks--face down his Elvish enemies. His HUD beeped as he looked at his opponents; five of them. he pressed a button on the side of his helmet, making a facemask cover him up. "Stay out of our way, human," said one of the Elves. "Our battle is not with you."

"It became my battle as soon as you attacked me and the city," Blackhawk replied. Man, that felt badass!

"Get him!" said the Elf. His underlings advanced on Blackhawk. But Blackhawk stood his ground, refusing to budge even one millimeter. Swords and magic-powered energy staffs were pointed at him. One hit could short-circuit his suit and leave him vulnerable. But with his martial arts expertise, he could take them. Then an Elf lunged at him, swinging his staff at him. He blocked the staff and countered with a right straight to the Elf's face.

Now all hell broke loose and Blackhawk found himself fighting tooth-and-nail with the Elves. There was no doubt in the 22-year-old's mind they were tough. These are guys out of a fantasy novel or Norse mythology, not Santa's Little Helpers. Five Elven staffs swung in his direction, but he jumped and flipped out of the way. He landed on a table in the square and pointed his right arm at the elves. He pressed on a button on his glove and a laser cutter erupted from the glove. The elves were too fast and he didn't get a chance to block the staff that whacked him in the chest.

Though not in total pain, he still hurt from where they hit him. His teeth grit in determination and he got back up. It wasn't that bad, anyway. He glared at the elves who'd come for him. "You should have stayed away from us, young human," said the lead Elf. "But now you will face the consequences."

"I don't think so," said the superhero. He stood up, spread his legs out and prepared to take on the elves. The staff of the one to the leader's right began to glow. Blackhawk bent his legs more and prepared to strike. The Elf pointed his staff at Blackhawk but in a quick move, Blackhawk jumped, spun and knocked the staff out of the Elf's hands and then finished him off with a punch to the face.

With the Elves coming at him, he didn't wast a moment, kicking an onrushing elf in the solar plexus and ducked under another one, standing up at the right time and tossed the armored Elf into one of the tables. Two down. He turned to face them and made a "Bring it" gesture.

The Elves came forward, but Blackhawk did not move. He grabbed one Elf's staff and punched him in the face and then took hold of the staff and swung it and the Elf into his comrade. A resounding "OOF" could be heard coming from the Elves and now there was one.

However this Elf pointed his staff at Blackhawk and fired at his feet. The resulting explosion sent dust and dirt flying that obscured Blackhawk's vision. After jumping out of the dust he noticed the lead Elf and his underlings had disappeared. He'd won, but now he had more questions than answers.

The Goal

Sweat dripped off Scott's youthful face, hitting the ice. The shaft of his stick dug into his thigh, although he couldn't feel it, what with the pads he was wearing. He watched the referee skate over to the circle where his Blackhawks teammate Andreas Badstuber stared down his Boston Bruins opponent. The opponent already had his stick on the ice. The fans kept chanting "LET'S! GO! HAWKS!" along with the organ.

Scot placed the blade of his stick on the ice. He shut the sound of the crowd out as best he could, but he could feel the palpable excitement. The referee waited for a moment while Badstuber and his opponent waited. Then referee dropped the puck. The German Badstuber fought with his opponent for a second before he passed the puck back to right winger Tom Collins.

Immediately the Bruins went into a defensive set-up while the Blackhawks spread out to look for an opening.  Collins passed back to defenseman Brent Logan. Then Logan passed over to Scott on the left side. One of the Bruins moved in to cut Scott off. However, Scott shook the puck up and then juked past the Bruin defenseman.

Seeing no shot, he passed over to Collins again, who had a shot. Collins wound up and FIRED!

BLOCKED!

Scott could see the puck above his head. He reached up, knocked it down to the ice and put it on the blade of his stick. The 22-year-old American skated around and passed to Badstuber in the middle. Badstuber put a shot on goal that missed. Then Scott went back to the net and picked the puck up. On a whim, he let a wrister go on the Bruins goalie,

SCORES!!!

The United Center crowd went insane, mixed in with the blaring horn. Scott could barely hear anything, but he screamed at the top of his lungs, raising his arms in the air as his teammates skated over and hugged him. Now "Chelsea Dagger" filled the arena as they skated off the ice. Scott looked up and saw the score, 2-1 Blackhawks over the Bruins with 5 minutes to go in the second period. He settled on the bench and watched the action unfold with a now confident Blackhawks team and crowd behind them.

Analysis: Traditional heroes vs Henshin heroes

I'm going to say this flat-out: I like superheroes. I don't think there's ever been a time in my life when I didn't. Superheroes tap into something that makes us feel special. We want to be these people with amazing powers and abilities. Even when their emotional turmoil is not handled well we'd rather be in their shoes. They're the ultimate in escapist fiction, even when (or unless) they're commenting on the state of our society.

However, there are two types of superheroes: Your average born-with or acquired superpowered being and the henshin hero. Now I know what you're thinking; "What the hell is a henshin hero?" To put it simply, a henshin hero is a hero who transforms. They don't have superpowers but it's their suit that gives them the powers. The word "Henshin" is Japanese for "transform". You can probably tell that these kinds of heroes are popular in Japan. Think Kamen Rider, Sailor Moon, Super Sentai (better known in the US as "Power Rangers") and even Iron Man.

Wait, Iron Man? But you just said "Henshin" is Japanese! I never said the Japanese invented the "Henshin hero". It actually dates back to Captain Marvel, who debuted back in 1940. A kid named Billy Batson gained extraordinary powers from a wizard. All he had to do was shout "SHAZAM!" and become a Superman rip-off named Captain Marvel. And of course there's Iron Man, who doesn't have superpowers until he puts his Iron Man suit on.

The Americans may have invented the Henshin Hero, but the Japanese turned it into an art form. They're primarily a TV medium, but there are manga/anime exceptions like Ninja Science Team Gatchaman and Sailor Moon.

In order to transform the henshin hero must use a device and an incantation. This is followed by an elaborate transformation sequence that seems to leave the hero open for attack but in some cases, the transformation is instantaneous. The sequence is simply eye candy to fill time.

So now that we know how a henshin hero typically operates, let's get down to business. In a way, henshin heroes have an advantage over traditional heroes. In essence, they're "Part-time superheroes". Unlike Batman, Superman or Spider-Man, they're only superheroes for a couple of minutes per day. You usually don't see a "which one is the real mask" conflict in henshin works because the superhero really is the mask. They don't work as much as your average powered hero does. The exception to this that I've seen are heroes like the X-Men or Thor, because the X-Men are literally born with their powers and Thor, well, he's a god.

This transformation factor also gives the henshin hero a bigger advantage. Whereas most average powered heroes wear their costumes under their street clothes, the henshin hero simply has to deactivate his/her costume before they can blend in with their surroundings. It's harder to catch them and find their secret identity.

Of course, this is where the henshin hero and average hero can overlap. I do think that the average powered hero could look at the henshin hero and see that their transformation can give them an advantage. They could build their own transformation device that allows them to store their suits in whatever hyperspace they come from. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like that's going to be used very often.

Still, I think that American powered heroes can learn from the henshin hero. The henshin hero is not "better" than the powered hero, they just have their own advantages. The two can certainly overlap and I want to see that happen some time.

Hockey Withdrawal

It was bound to happen. They say all good things must come to an end, and hockey season had to end. Of course, I am very happy with the result. It's just the shortened season and the lack of good baseball (on the South Side, anyway. The team on the North Side is a Minor League team) has made me miss hockey season... a lot.

So what are the symptoms of hockey withdrawal? Let's see here, it's really hard to describe, but I've been searching a lot on YouTube, Google and writing characters equally obsessed with hockey. Other symptoms include sighing, lethargy, boredom, healthy heartbeat and moodiness. The symptoms may vary, but the best treatment is to remind yourself that hockey season starts soon.

Unfortunately, that may take a while so until then, try to keep busy with your job or other duties. Try watching soccer or WNBA basketball. If absolutely necessary, go on YouTube and look at hockey videos to tide you over or play NHL video games if it's absolutely necessary. Remember, don't get too worked up over the lack of hockey! We still have time to prepare for the next season!

A Short Date

Note: On occasion I'll post little short stories like this one if I can't think of a topic to write about.

Outside people walked by in the falling snow. Ritchie watched them in a psuedo-trance ignoring many of the people in the cafe. His fingers tapped the table in a disjointed rhythm, at least as he could tell. For the most part he wanted some time to himself. It was the height of hockey season at UW-Madison and he was busy, busy, busy. He didn't really have time to go out into the city and do what he wanted to, but he was taking full advantage of his opportunity.

A commotion broke him out of his trance. He turned to see his teammate Sean leaving with his girlfriend, some Venezuelan girl named Maria. Reading their lips he could tell they were having fun. They gave each other a kiss that made Ritchie feel a little bit of envy. He wanted someone like her. He didn't want Maria. She and Sean made a great couple even if they did butt heads from time to time. He just wanted someone who would be supportive and independent at the same time.

"Is this seat taken?" A female voice broke him out of his trance again. He looked across the table. 

"Janet?"

"Of course it's me!" she said with a laugh. "Who did you think it was, Mr. Oneida Rocket?" He scoffed a little bit at his nickname. It wasn't a meaningless nickname. Not only is he full-blooded Oneida Indian, he's fast as hell out on the ice. 

"Sorry," he said, looking at her. He felt thankful to meet a fellow full-blooded Iroquois, even if she is Canadian... and a figure skater. What is it with hockey players and figure skaters, anyway? "So how was your day?"

"It was good," she said. "My coach wanted me to work on my spins. I had to stay at the rink longer than I hoped. What about you?"

"Hockey practice was easy today," said Ritchie. "Coach had us rest up before we start really working for the series this weekend against Minnesota. Are you here with anyone?"

"No," she said. She looked at him with her beautiful Indian eyes and said, "Except you."

Ritchie smiled. The day just got better.

Give Pirri a Chance

Hawks fans knew there was going to be a bad break-up after winning the Stanley Cup. It happened the last time and it was going to happen again. The Hawks parted ways with fan favorites Dave Bolland, who scored the winning goal in Game 6 of the Cup Final and Michael Frolik, the only NHL player to score two penalty shots in the NHL Playoffs. Luckily this time, the break-up won't be as bad 2010 and it looks like the Hawks will be poised for another run in 2014.

However, Bolland and Frolik will have holes to fill. Still, the Hawks have plenty of talent among their prospects to fill the gaps. One name being tossed around is Brand Pirri. The Toronto native scored the most points out of any player in the American Hockey League last season, scoring 75 out of 76 total points for the Rockford IceHogs. GM Stan Bowman has been saying multiple times that Pirri's time is due, so I won't be surprised if he shows up as the second line center for the Hawks next season.

Also important is the Hawks draft picks and non-draft picks like Drew LeBlanc. It'll be interesting to see if LeBlanc gets a chance next year. Also available is winger Ben Smith whose coming out party happened to be Game 3 of the Cup Final filling in for Marian Hossa. However, the young winger showed he's more than capable of playing for the big team, especially considering he score the winning goal of Game 6 against the Canucks in the 2011 Quarterfinals.

I'm not scared about the Hawks next season because I know that they have plenty of talent to repeat. After a rough couple of seasons, GM Stan Bowman has redeemed himself and has shown he knows how to build a winning team. We'll just have to wait and see what happens next year.

Morsi Must Go

Mohammed Morsi was elected by the Egyptian people with a mandate to improve the economy and run the country better than his predecessor, Hosni Mubarak. Unfortunately, Morsi has become an embodiment of "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss". Instead of running a secular democracy, Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood swept in a new constitution that enshrines Sharia law as the law of Egypt. His power grabs, stifling of the free press and various outrages have only made it worse.

Not only that, with unemployment at 13% in Egypt, he's done nothing to help the economy. Even if the Muslim Brotherhood did help bring Mubarak down, their corruption makes me think they only latched on to the popular uprising in 2011 to get into power. Now it's clear that they made a miscalculation. 

If Morsi knows what's best, he must step down as President of Egypt, and the Muslim Brotherhood should disband. It's clear that Islamist and even religious government have no place in modern society either in the Middle East or anywhere around the world. Right now the world has to wait and watch to see what will happen to Morsi's government.

Review: White Wizzard's "The Devil's Cut"

Over the past half-decade, there has been a movement within the Heavy Metal community inspired by a lot of the metalcore and screamo bands popular today.

Well, negatively inspired, anyway.

Quite frankly, a lot of metalheads don't like a lot of angsty Screamo and Metalcore bands (even if there are some pretty goods ones in the mix like Shadows Fall). In response, there's been a growing movement among some metalheads inspired by a lot of the early-80s pre-glam and Thrash metal scenes, particularly the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM). The New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal might not be much of a genre-changing movement yet, but some bands like Enforcer, Holy Grail and Cauldron are becoming very popular.

One of the leaders of this movement is LA-based White Wizzard. Emerging from LA with their self-titled EP and single "High Speed GTO", the band, led by bassist Jon Leon, are easily one of the best bands of this movement. Their 2010 album "Over the Top" introduced me to them and the movement while I was at my college radio station WIDB. I loved every single minute of it.

However, because Jon Leon has a reputation for being very demanding, the band has gone through several line-up changes over the years. Naturally, they've become the butt of a few jokes because of their inability to keep a stable line-up. Part of this is why I was so disappointed with their 2011 sophomore effort "Flying Tigers". It didn't have the same punch as "Over the Top", the lack of excellent solos and exceptional songs doomed the album from the beginning.

In 2012, however, they settled on what may be a stable line-up of vocalist Joseph Michael (who also happens to be Ronnie James Dio's cousin!), guitarist Will Walner and Jake Dreyer as well as Leon and drummer Giovanni Durst, who'd been with the band since "Over the Top". With all that background info out of the way, it's time to review "The Devil's Cut".

White Wizzard's sound is very Iron Maiden-esque, especially at the beginning track, "Forging the Steel". You'd think you'd purchased an Iron Maiden album listening to it for the first time before it leads into the blazingly fast "Strike the Iron". The first time I heard it, I thanked the Metal Gods for this. It's fast, energetic and it kicks your ass the way Metal's supposed to.

The album itself is varied. The second track "Kings of the Highway" is a Judas Priest-esque ode to freedom on the open highway, and more of a mid-paced track. All of the tracks vary between high-speed cookers and mid-paced tracks. This variation works well and prevents the album from getting dull. However, since I like my Metal just like my auto racing--fast and loud--my favorite tracks are the fast ones.

Since this is only their second release with a full line-up (Over the Top had two guitar tracks but one guitarist, the other was Jon Leon), the band really shines here. Guitarists Jake Dreyer and Will Walner weave a complex and melodic twin guitar attack right out of an Iron Maiden album. Their soloing also compliments each other and as the Wizz promised, the solos are straight-up shred fests that more than make up for the disappointment that is "Flying Tigers". And as usual, Giovanni Durst lays down the beat, varying between a monster and a simple drum beat. It's this variation that makes him one of the better current drummers in metal. As for Joseph Michael, he's not the same as the vocalist on the Wizz's last two albums, but he's solid and is more than capable of hitting the high notes.

The lyrical content here is a little more down-to-earth than the previous two, which included fantasy songs like "Iron Goddess of Vengeance" and the Starman mini-concept album on "Flying Tigers". While there are lyrics that are fantasy-inspired, they're purely metaphorical rather than direct. However, Leon's typical freedom-loving lyrics are in full display here. "Strike the Iron" is basically a 6:46-long pep speech, as are most of  the songs here. This isn't angsty metal here. Of course, there's also plenty of songs about METAL on here. Hey, they're inspired by '80s metal, are you surprised?

As for the band's playing, these guys are tight. It seems as if, barring another ego-driven meltdown, Jon Leon has found the line-up that sticks together for the Wizz. All the right buttons and notes are hit on this album. As mentioned previously, Dreyer and Wallner are fantastic, and they could potentially be the next David Murray-Adrian Smith or about as close as they can get. I feel that the Wizz might finally be hitting their stride. "The Devil's Cut" may not be perfect, but I feel it is certainly one of the best metal releases this year. Time will tell if The Wizz are selling out arenas and big concert halls like they should be.

Score: 8.5/10