Professor

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Posts posted by Professor

  1. I might be new to the being a substitute teachers, but if you list a job as "OGT teacher", I better be a OGT teacher. I, in no way, should be told "yeah, you are the ESL teacher. Oh, and you have to travel to a couple different schools. Thanks." when I arrive.

    The travel annoys more than the changing subjects. However, there is a difference in head space when you think you are going to watch kids take a test all day, to actually teaching.

  2. Impact Taping Spoilers

    Bobby Roode wins the TNA World Heavyweight Championship after turning heel with a beer bottle shot to James Storm.

    I just don't get it.

    I think it's pretty obvious:

    TNA hates making money from PPV's. So why leave this to the next PPV, when they can make Storm and Roode, look like idiots, and cause the few thousand people who bought BFG to say "If that's how they treat people who pay money, I'm never doing that again."

    That, or it's a swerve. It's TNA, their motto is: Impact Wrestling....if at first you don't succeed you didn't do enough swerves.

    It's not that.

    TNA is not a PPV company. They care about their TV product more, and I don't really have a problem with that. With TNA, the more people watching, the better. And 30,000 PPV buys is nowhere near their TV audience. At this point in time, Impact needs to improve before you can really sell PPVs.

    For me, it is more of a short-sided way of thinking. If you have Roode win the at Bound for Glory, you can set up a lot of things. Roode has a nice title run, while at the same time you are building up James Storm. You have a face/face build, with Storm being a subtle heel. Then at whatever PPV you can turn one heel (doesn't really matter which). Then you have a program going forward with a clear face/heel.

    Something that could have taken place over 5-7 months, took 2-3 weeks. While not a strictly TNA problem, it annoys so much when you had a chance for a great moment and you failed.

  3. It was really not a fun show. I'd say that it was pretty poor. Mainly, the crowd was horrible. Absolutely horrible. It killed the show for me as nothing beyond the ring spot really got a reaction.

    I tend to judge PPVs on my reaction right after it has ended. When this ended, my first thought was 'well, I just wasted three hours'.

  4. I don't know how much stock I put in the higher rating. Overall, it is coming off of Bound for Glory, with the great Bobby Roode build. So I could see a rise in viewers to see if Roode had in fact won. Also, the world title changed hands on a taped show. That is sure to draw some more hardcore fans in.

    Edit: Just looked at the quarter hour break downs. Main event was the lowest watched portion of the show. That is not a good thing. Also, Knockouts = ratings for some reason.

  5. Seriously. Fuck TNA.

    James Storm won the TNA title at the Tuesday taping. So, after spending the last 3-4 months building up Bobby Roode with the BFG series and video packages and promos to be the next world champion, you have him lose at the PPV. Then you put the title on his tag team partner who has been in the background for the last little bit. What the Fuck?

    Nothing against James Storm here. Just the decision making process.

    Yeah, I'm done.

  6. I just ran to the corner store for a bottle of ketchup. I had my headphones in and the cashiers thought that meant I could not hear anything else, so they carried on their "conversation". The "conversation" being a shit battle rap session about Lord of the Rings "Return of the King".

  7. There are few things more satisfying than a person getting busted for giving someone else the shaft. Three years ago, my old boss was fired for reasons that I wasn't given. Then a week later, I was given half a week's pay out of nowhere. It turned out he'd held back my overtime pay for the previous six months.

    It's a sweet feeling to see people like that get what they deserve.

    This is why I always keep track of my hours worked. I tend to not trust others with my money.

  8. I saw Ebessan & Delirious do that sequence in ROH during a four way with Jack Evans & Samoa Joe. Best part was the "local indy worker", who was bitching the entire time about being better than everyone in ROH but not working the card, got up in left when the crowd was going nuts for the slow motion action. Drew a huge pop from my section.

  9. So, I went to Sears which is where I got my glasses. Somehow, in the past two years, the price of my frames doubled. Not sure how that works. Also, like I said, my warranty ended at the end of August. I did not get a new set of frames as I was told they were no longer available. Which is true. However, they did not tell me that it was the color that was no longer available, and they carry five other colors of the same exact frame. So, instead of $15 they want me to pay $180. I called bullshit, but the person I now need to talk to is not in until Tuesday. So, I get to spend the next two days of my life wearing a pair of glasses held together with rubber bands and hope. SO MUCH FUCKING FUN!

  10. So as I am sitting here, reading an online article on my laptop, I hear a ping and then I can no longer see out of my right eye. My glasses broke for no goddamn reason. Now I am typing this with my face 2 inches from the screen as I am BLIND without my glasses. I have been trying to get a hold of anybody to give me a ride a drug store to try and find some cheap reading glasses I can temporarily swap the lenses into. Naturally, they are all at work or out of town.

    Add in the fact my warranty on the glasses ended last month, which I had the lenses replaces, but not the frames. And then they break withing a month. Call me a little paranoid, but the lady who changed my lenses and I have had issues in the past with her lack of skills. This is not going to be a fun night.

  11. I just had a rather disturbing thought. If I were to watch/read/listen to everything I have around the house that is currently on my 'to do' list, it would probably take about a year.

  12. No witty intro. I think this is the first normal set I have done. On with the show.

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    Because I Can by Daphne Willis

    Release Date - 2011

    Run Time - 36:39

    Cover Art - Uninteresting

    Reason for Rental - The only library featured pop album featuring a female vocalist.

    Listening Experience - I hear potential here. Willis has some vocal talent for the most part. A few hiccups here and there but nothing that made my ears bleed. What is really not quite there is the songwriting. I think she should ease up on being a singer/songwriter and focused on being just a singer. I think working with a seasoned songwriter would help her immensely. This album did not put me off for good. I can see myself giving her fifth or sixth (this was her third) album a listen to see if she reaches her potential.

    Score - Pass, but remember the name and check back in five years or so.

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    My First Holly Golightly Album by Holly Golightly

    Release Date - 2005

    Run Time - 56:39

    Cover Art - Simple, in a good way

    Reason for Rental - The song “Further On Up The Road”. I liked when Clapton did it, so I’ll give this a try. If it is a cover that is. Could be something else entirely. Let’s find out.

    Listening Experience - My library say this is rock. iTunes says that it is Alternative + Punk. This couldn’t be more Blues + Jazz if it tried. This would be a good album, but the production can make it a little hard to get through. The vocal mix is specially troubling, because you can really hear how good she can be on some of the tracks on the back half of the album (specifically “My Love Is”).

    Turns out this is not my first Holly Golightly album. When I was getting the image, I saw that I had gotten the album “Serial Girlfriend” from the library at some point in the past. The fact I did not remember the name says a lot.

    Score - I cannot call it bad, because it is not. Average seems right. This will be my last Holly Golightly album at any rate. Unless, I forget again.

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    What‘s The Time Mr. Wolf? by The Noisettes

    Release Date - 2007

    Run Time - 38:30

    Cover Art - Cheesy, yet it works.

    Reason for Rental - The cover art.

    Listening Experience - Meh. Nothing stands out on the album. Everything just sound standard. The vocals, guitars, lyrics; all standard. I don’t really have much more to say about the music itself. Instead, I am going to rant about people. Understand that just because you got something from the library does not mean you can treat the items like garbage. I could not listen to the entire album because it was way too scratched. Treat the items with respect. If you want to toss it around, go buy yourself a copy.

    Score - Completely passable.

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    Freaked Out and Small by The Presidents of the United States of America

    Release Date - 2000

    Run Time - 1:06:06

    Cover Art - Nondescript

    Reason for Rental - It’s the PotUSA.

    Listening Experience - This is the last album in my out of order run through the PotUSA catalog. I just don’t know what happened to them. Their first, self-tilted album is excellent. Fun, light pop songs that are instantly catchy and memorable. Most people still remember the band because of the song “Peaches”. Every album since just doesn’t have the same fun. It is just perplexing as the band sounds exactly the same. Yet, the fun just isn’t there. The most fun I had was when the song “Tiger Bomb” made me think of http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5kpZ9xPhPY.

    Score - Go into your closet, dust off your copy of their 1st album and listen to that. And don’t forget to watch the “Peaches” music video. It has ninja. Who doesn’t love random ninja fights?

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    Schoolhouse Rock! Rocks by Various Artist

    Release Date - 1996

    Run Time -

    Cover Art - Lost at some point.

    Reason for Rental - Special request by me. Was searching the system for some Ween and I got this.

    Listening Experience - I remember watching the Schoolhouse Rock! shorts while watching Saturday during their revival in the early 90s. I don’t know that I have seen them all, but I certainly remember all the more famous ones. This album does a good job of covering most of the better known songs, although I would have loved a rendition of “Figure Eight”. As with any covers album, some songs work (Blind Melon’s “Three is a Magic Number”), some don’t (Pavement’s “No More Kings”) but it is always a nice trip down memory lane. Except for “Little Twelvetoes”, which I do not remember at all. I honestly am shocked that the SHR! Team tried to introduce the cartoon viewing public to the concept of a base 12 number system. The Mathematic teacher part of me is really impressed by that.

    Score - At the end of the day I’d rather spend my money on the originals, which are available on a two disc set I believe. Heck, as soon as the album was done I went onto YouTube and watched a bunch of clips. Which then lead to watching Animaniacs clips. Which lead to watching Bill Nye clips. My night was killed, but entertaining.

  13. This is my third time doing this little column. You already knew that with the ‘#3’ in the title. You’d really think that I’d have a formula and stick to it. But no. I forget to explain the ‘rules’ in the first one, remember in the second and now break them in the third. Very uninteresting reasoning too. I was at the library, got called into work, grabbed several CDs off the shelving chart blindly. I have no idea what is in the bag sitting on the floor next to me. This should be interesting.

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    Whip It Soundtrack by Various Artist

    Release Date - 2009

    Run Time - 58:29

    Cover Art - Movie Poster

    Reason for Rental - It was on top of the soundtrack pile.

    Listening Experience - I like soundtracks. I think they are a great way to hear new artists all at once. Like the song on the soundtrack, check out their own album. I don’t think I would ever buy a soundtrack mind you, but they are always listenable. This soundtrack? I was not a fan. Going in, I knew three people on the soundtrack (.38 Special, Dolly Parton & The Ramones). Coming out, I only liked two. This soundtrack never had a theme and kept switching genres. I don’t like trance. I don’t really care for rap. I don’t care for whatever The Chordettes did to “Lollipop”. And I would be remiss to not make fun of the band name Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Seriously, who thought that was a good name?

    Score - This was never going to be a buy. At best it could have been a listen, but it is just pass. In fact, pass on everybody on here except Dolly & The Ramones.

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    The Golden Hour by Firewater

    Release Date - 2008

    Run Time - 53:49

    Cover Art - Very Yellow

    Reason for Rental - Shelving Cart Grab

    Listening Experience - To be honest, I cannot remember much. When I finished the CD, I put iTunes on random and six songs later, I cannot remember Firewater very well. However, what I am left with is a hatred for the lead singer Tod A. I do not know the man, but all I could think of when I heard his voice was “this guy just sounds like a douchebag”. I am a big vocal guy. I hate Rush because I cannot stand Getty Lee’s vocals even tho I know they are great musicians. So, Firewater could be the reincarnated spirits of Bach, Hendrix & Johnny Cash and I would still not be a fan with Tod A. on vocals.

    Score - If you can get past bad vocals, go ahead and give it a shot. If vocals matter to you, steer clear.

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    Scars on Broadway by Scars on Broadway

    Release Date - 2008

    Run Time - 44:57

    Cover Art - Bad

    Reason for Rental - Shelving Cart Grab

    Listening Experience - “Hey, I know that guy” was the first thought I had. Turns out, Scars on Broadway is a band made up of the drummer & guitarist/vocalist of System of a Down. Not the main singer, Serj Tankian,, but rather Daron Malakian who started to sing more on the Hypnotize/Mesmerize albums. I am a fan of System of a Down and enjoyed Malakian’s lead vocals on the aforementioned albums. As such, I enjoyed this album quite a bit. It doesn’t have the same energy as SOAD, but a few songs (Serious, Stoner-Hate, Chemicals) are catchy and memorable. Nothing is bad, some is filler that works in context of the entire album, and it is never boring.

    Score - Purchase. Even with the SAOD-lite feeling at times, the album is still an enjoyable listen.

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    Stubbs the Zombie Soundtrack by Various Artist

    Release Date - 2005

    Run Time - 38:19

    Cover Art - Retro

    Reason for Rental - Shelving Cart Grab

    Listening Experience - Before I started listening, I looked at the tracks listing and saw it was all covers of standard ‘oldies’. After google search, it turns out that this is a soundtrack to a video game of the same name. Cannot say I have listened to a game soundtrack before, so this should be fun.

    And it wasn’t. I think covers are a tricky thing to begin with. Sound too much like the orginal (Death Cab For Cutie’s “Earth Angel” or Ben Kweller’s “Lollipop”) and it all seems pointless. Sound too radically different (The Raveonettes’ “My Boyfriend’s Back or The Dandy Warhols’ “All I Have To Do Is Dream”) and it is unappealing. What is really sad is that normally I can find 1-3 songs I like on cover albums. I found nothing here.

    Score - Turn on your radio and tune in the oldies station. It’ll be better for you.

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    Light & Magic by Ladytron

    Release Date - 2002

    Run Time - 59:28

    Cover Art - I got nothing.

    Reason for Rental - Shelving Cart Grab

    Listening Experience - I was debating on if I should review this. This album, and really this band in general, is outside my realm. I don’t really go for electronica. It all seems over stylized and over produced. Add it a dash of “it all sounds the same” and you get me not caring. As with anything, exceptions can exist. I almost thought this would be one of them. The album starts out with promise. The first two songs were a pleasant surprise and I became more interested in the rest of the album. Three songs later and I was now waiting for the end. I’ll be honest, I barely listened to the last few songs.

    Score - Spinach. It has its fans, I am just not one of them. If you are Popeye, give it a shot.