Part 1 https://m.soundcloud.com/daltonwb25/bs-show-wm-31-preview-part-1 Part 2 https://m.soundcloud.com/daltonwb25/wm-31-preview-part-2 Part 3 https://m.soundcloud.com/daltonwb25/wm-31-preview-part-3 Both: National Lampoon's Canadian Vacation: The Acorn Doesn't Fall Far Rusty - Chris Pratt Rusty's Wife - Julie Benz or Kristen Wiig Rocky (Cousin Eddie's son) - Bill Hader We both came to the conclusion that Chris Pratt led reboot of the National Lampoon's Vacation series would be perfect. Now it is possible that the world has just fallen in love with the Parks & Recreation star and just sees him as perfect for any reboot role (Jurassic Park and, possibly, Indiana Jones), but he makes sense. He's got the perfect blend of quick wit (see: Guardians of the Galaxy) and physical comedy (see: Parks & Recreation) that worked so well with Chevy Chase's Clark Griswold. Remember, Clark is an every man, some one who just wants to do right by his family and Pratt fits that role very well. The film will circle around Rusty (Pratt), trying to give his family the kind of vacation like his father had attempted so many times. Determined to be more successful, Rusty packs up the family for a trip to Canada, because what could go wrong there? Rusty's wife (played by either Kristen Wiig or Julie Benz) and his two kids are along for the ride as old faces appear such as: a grown up Rocky, Cousin Eddie's son, (played by Bill Hader). We felt Bill Hader (SNL) has a penchant for playing zany characters, so why not try his hand at one the zaniest men of all of cinema? He fits the role and has a different enough style of comedy that his humor won't run into Pratt's as the two play off one another. Wiig (Adam's choice) or Benz (Dalton's choice) as the under appreciated wife that Rusty really lucked into seemed perfect. The two women are beautiful and able to hold their own with strong male leads. Even though we did say "reboot", we felt keeping a similar plot line but not recasting the original characters (besides making adult versions of some) would make for more creative freedom for the actors to explore the archetypes and make them their own. Dalton - Smokey and the Bandit: The Bandit Rides Again Bandit - Matthew McConaughey Cledus Snow - Josh Lucas Smokey - Wayne Knight (Newman) Junior - Sam Rockwell Burdettes - John C. Reilly & Peter Dinklage Love Interest (Carrie) - Jennifer Garner For me, I've always felt McConaughey just reeked of charm. Even in the worst of his worst romantic comedies, he's got that "it" factor. With his recent uptick in popularity and, most importantly, credibility it feels like this is a perfect opportunity to make this film. McConaughey has that same kind of charm the Burt Reynolds did and it's not hard to see him taking off in the Trans-Am with a beautiful woman and a pack of state troopers not far behind them. Josh Lucas is an under appreciated talent that has the same likability of Jerry Reed. He's played a convincing southerner in Sweet Home Alabama and this could be his breakout role. The hardest casting decision was that of "Smokey", the officer who's quest to catch the Bandit never ends. Physically, I wanted someone who fit the same body build as Jackie Gleason and was old enough to be a curmudgeon of an old man. I think a key to what made the character so humorous was his reactions to be fooled by the Bandit and I see Wayne Knight (Seinfield, Jurassic Park) as someone who could pull it off. Just imagine the disgust he showed towards Jerry Seinfield towards a mustached Matthew McConaughey. As this cast has about 8 integral parts to it, I found people who I think fit the former actor or actresses role well and would be able to bring something fresh to the characters. I especially think John C. Reilly and Peter Dinklage playing off one another as the Burdettes would be comedic gold. I think making Dinklage more of the serious one and Reilly the buffoon makes for a compelling dynamic. Sam Rockwell just works as Junior. Rockwell is likable and that's the key to Junior. At no point is he ever seen as anything as humble and kind-hearted, I feel Rockwell could bring some real weight to the character and balance out some of the goofiness that was seen before. I see Knight and Rockwell playing off one another strongly as well. Finally, Jennifer Garner, to me she is what Sally Fields was at the time: a pretty girl that you could easily see running off with a charming fast car driver. She may have to play up the banter skills as Fields was able to keep up with the silver tongued Reynolds throughout and with the gravitas McConaughey now brings to the table, matching him is no easy endeavor. Adam: All of my feelings about remakes aside, I would enjoy seeing a remake of the classic comedy Airplane! Airplane! Is considered by many (myself included) to be the best comedy of all time, so I guess if it has to be done why not try a new take on such a classic? Personally, I'd have the general plot of the movie be very similar. Some parts would have to be more politically correct, but I feel the same general plot combined with my personal recommendations for a new cast would do the original justice. The Cast (major roles) - Striker: Paul Rudd I believe that Rudd could bring the same dry humor to the role of Striker, along with the same hilarious subtlety as Robert Hays. - Elaine: Amy Poehler I feel Amy Poehler would do a solid job in holding her own in getting laughs, much like Julie Hagerty in the original. - DR. Rumack: Will Ferrell Arguably the hardest spot to fill, as Leslie Nielsen was one of the best comedic actors of all time. My opinion of Will Ferrell has went down after his last few movies, however, channeling his older style and the same subtlety as Nielsen would more than do the role justice. - McCroskey: Jim Carey Lloyd Bridges's classic zaniness made this character one of my personal favorites in the whole film. Carey could bring his own craziness to this role to make it work. - Captain Oveur: Chevy Chase Peter Graves was great in his limited screen time, and it'd be refreshing to see Chevy do this role justice in the late stages of his career. -Murdock: Lebron James Kareem Abdul Jabbar was a pleasant hilarious suprise in his role, I could see Lebron's star power bringing people in and allowing him to show his funnier side would give the remake a nice boost. - 2 Jive Guys: Kevin Hart and Craig Robinson These 2 could really deliver on one of the more hilarious (yet very un PC) parts of the film. I am dying laughing now picturing it. That's how I'd approach a remake to the classic movie Airplane! It would be tough to live up to the original, but I feel this cast could get the job done. by Dalton Belcher
Friendship in the Bible The talented singer/songwriter, movie star, and media mogul Tim McGraw knows a thing or two about friends. It takes a whole lot of good friends to reach the level of success he has. Whether it is emotional support, spiritual guidance, financial advice, or even a good joke; friends can make all the difference. In one of McGraw’s songs, “I’ve Got Friends That Do”, it’s a song that is able to bring a sense of spirituality to friendship. “And I may not know what it's like/To send my only soul to save the world and watch him die/And I may not know how it feels/To hang there on the cross to prove that love is real/But I got friends that do, yeah, I got friends that do”. In the song, McGraw is singing of the love that God has for humanity and while he may not be able to understand it, he knows it was an act of pure friendship from God to him to save his life. It permeates our culture, friendship; actors like Will Ferrell and Seth Rogen have made a career of “bromance” films. They chronicle the forming of friendships that endure tribulations and make a positive impact of both parties. It’s not uncommon; Jesus had friends, 12 in fact. The disciples were known as his “inner circle”, but this is just another way of saying that they are his friends. Let’s take away the knowledge we have today that Jesus is the savior of the world and what is he? He’s more akin to a lunatic wandering the desert than a person worth following. Now, that sounds a bit rash, but to the outside world, that’s what that had to look like. Jesus’ teachings were radical and seeing that the predominant religion of the time was upheld by the Pharisees, who were less than happy to deal with what Jesus was preaching, it stands stop reason that anyone that stood with him would be looked at negatively. These were men who were stepping away from the only lives they had known into a world of uncertainty. They had no set home, they had to count on the kindness of strangers, and they had no idea what ramifications they would experience for following this man. When it you think about it, it was no small task, but this is why the disciples’ relationship with Jesus is a perfect picture of friendship. Certain disciples display different types of friendship that we see today. The Friend is Mightier Than the Sword? Peter is the emotional friend. He’s quick to react, a bit hot-tempered, but his intentions are usually pure. When Jesus cuts the ear off of the solider trying to apprehend Jesus, he shows that he is someone you’d want to have your back. The problem with Peter is that he is a bit too quick-on-the-draw when it comes to tough decisions. Peter denies that he is a disciple of Jesus three times and shows that he isn’t loyal to Jesus. While he was the first to defend him in his presence, once Jesus was gone, he turned his back. This is a common friend nowadays, someone who is your staunchest defender in front of you and then forgets you as soon as it’s convenient for them. Jesus knew Peter would deny him, he even told Peter this, in Mark 14:30 – “Before the cock crow twice thou shalt deny me thrice", Peter responds that he would never do so. It’s something we see happen a lot. Your friend promises you they’ll be there for you and you let it go (knowing they will let you down). The key to this friendship is how Jesus responds to Peter breaking his promise and leaving Jesus behind, with forgiveness. Jesus doesn’t let Peter forget his transgressions, he makes him confirm he loves him three times symbolically removing the three denials and then he forgives Peter. These friends, they aren’t ones to let your guard down around (not saying build a wall, I’m just saying do not put as much confidence in them as you might have otherwise), but never turn away from them, because they are trying to be a good friend, they just struggle with loyalty. Everyone has flaws and they are no different, it is key for one to be aware of this and not let this discourage them as a friend. The First to Follow, Last to Leave The first disciple to follow Jesus was Andrew. Andrew’s character displays one seen with many “first friends”. He’s practical, when Jesus feeds the crowd with fish and bread, it is Andrew who first notices the boy with the fish and bread and brings him to Jesus, but he also points out that it is clearly not enough to fulfill the needs of the crowd. This shows two very important characteristics of Andrew. He believed in Jesus, he knew that if anyone was going to be able to do something to help, it was Jesus. This is important in a friendship and often seen by your first friend. They were the first to see the special light in you, like Andrew was with Jesus, and they are the first to turn to you when the odds are seemingly insurmountable. Secondly, Andrew is pragmatic; he knows that the situation is less than ideal. Sometimes, we get ourselves into positions that just aren’t practical and we need someone to reel us back in. An “Andrew friend” never hesitates to pump you back up, but is always aware of the times when you need to be kept in check. The Friends We Choose Matthew was chosen by Jesus to start following him. He was a corrupt tax collector and Jesus saw something in him that he liked. There isn't a lot of interaction between the two found in the Bible, but their introduction demonstrates enough to show another way Jesus views friendship. Jesus knows that a tax collector is a thankless position. Many of them were corrupt and most were disliked by the people. The only reason they were able to get away with what they did (charging higher tax rates so they could take a cut), was because of protection by Roman soldiers. Jesus could have chosen any friend he wanted and he chose someone that was considered the lowest of the low, morally. Matthew had money, but his values were compromised. In life, there will be times when friends are not where they need to be, whether that be emotionally, morally, or spiritually and it is our duty as their friend to help them rise up. Jesus took in Matthew, he was a friend to him and Matthew went on to do great things. Matthew became a driving force behind early Christianity and gives one of the most accessible accounts of Jesus’ life in his gospel text. Not only does Matthew and Jesus’ relationship show that building friends up is important, but it teaches us that just because someone appears to be well to-do on the surface, it does not mean they aren’t lacking in another way. Matthew had riches, but he was missing something. When Jesus chose Matthew and he decided to follow, it was the change he had needed in his life all along. Friends We Love For everyone, there is one best friend. You may have a large group of friends, but only one will really stand out to you. Only one is one you would be willing to trust your family to. As I love to do, I’ll draw from another Country song (because they are the kind of songs that speak the truth). Darryl Worley’s “If Something Should Happen” is a song about a man who is having a possibly fatal surgery and is telling his best friend that he needs to know there’s someone there for his family if things go wrong. The song hinges on the fact that he knows there’s uncertainty in his future and there’s only one person he trusts to be able to fill his role with his family, to give his wife some comfort and joy (“But if something should happen/Stop in some time and say hello to Catherine/You and Marianne could always keep her laughing/She’s gonna need a lot of that”) and to teach his son the things a father is supposed to (“If something should happen/Oh promise me you'll take that boy out camping/Throw a line out in the water every now and then/Answer any questions that he has/Maybe once he gets older/You can sit and have that first cold beer together/And tell him a couple stories on his father/He's always known your my best friend.”). It’s this kind of friendship that is seen with Jesus and John the Apostle. It is known that Jesus had twelve disciples, but he also had an inner circle of four men that he was closer to than the others, John was a part of that group. When Jesus knows he is going to be hung on the cross, he wanted to know his mother, Mary, was going to be taken care of. It is not known for sure, but it is regularly assumed that Jesus entrusted the care of Mary to John. This is similar to the lyrics of the song, a mother (like a wife or a son) is one of the most important things in a man’s life and to entrust the care of that person is not something to be taken lightly. John is referred to as the “disciple that Jesus loved” which is as good as saying that John was his best friend. John’s love for Jesus is evident as seen when Jesus is rejected from a Samaritan village, James and his brother John asked if they should call down fire from heaven to destroy the place. John was actually willing to murder a full village of people with fire (not a very quick or painless death) because they rejected Jesus. It’s something that we can relate to, albeit on a less murderous level. When your best friend is rejected by a romantic partner or when they do not get the opportunity that they feel they deserve, that person is now your worst enemy. It’s why so many best friends are enemies with their best friend’s relationship partner, because they want to protect their friend and they know that they’ve let their guard down and could get hurt. Jesus tells them not to do so, but it’s the intentions that matters. They were a bit misguided, but they wanted to defend their friend’s honor and that’s something that we can take in and try to apply to our own lives. When your friend is in need, never hesitate to give them your full support. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!” (NIV) by Dalton Belcher If you ask most anyone older than the John Cena age group (basically anything up to preteen) if they watch WWE, they'll generally tell you no, even if they do. There's a reason teenage and college age students don't admit to watching the show anymore. It's because the show has become embarrassing to watch. Yes, it's scripted. Yes it's PG. Yes it's entertainment and we should be happy with what we get. But there is one problem to that thinking. WWE doesn't have to be TV-MA or even TV-13 to become a badge of honor like it was during the oft longed for glory days of the Attitude Era. It's not treating your older viewers with blatant disregard and, frankly, disrespect. January 28th, 2015 the WWE went to Philadelphia for one of their "Big 4 PPVs" the Royal Rumble and they did exactly what they shouldn't do. They insulted fans. Whether wwe wants to admit to the scripted nature of the show or not, most people know. The days of "kayfabe" are dead and for WWE to believe that a vast majority of the WWE Universe doesn't read "dirt sheets" and "rumored plans" is just silly. We know they want to push Roman Reigns as their top company star. We know they don't think internet darlings like Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler, or Dean Ambrose are top guy material. The problem is, they are (take those guys and look at Stone Cold Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels, and Mick Foley...the character comparisons are there) and fans like them. There's a reason when Daniel Bryan gets eliminated the crowd chants his name for a solid 5 minutes afterwards, knowing he won't come back. There's a reason people held on hope that WWE might finally listen and give them what they want: Dolph Ziggler and Dean Ambrose still had a marginal chance. The WWE wants to believe that the crowd won't get behind these guys (they already do) because they say their main demographic (kids) wants super heroes like Cena or Reigns. Which is somewhat ridiculous because most kids have short attention spans and whoever WWE puts the "machine" behind, they'll buy into. So when the dirt sheets started saying WWE wanted Roman Reigns to win, most fans sighed (did they REALLY not learn their lesson last year with Batista and the whole Yes Movement that the fans started?) and to many's dismay, they didn't. They even brought in the one man who can control a crowd as good as anyone ever, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, because they knew (they KNEW) that fans wouldn't accept their plans because they feel others (Bryan, Ziggler, Ambrose, Wyatt, even Goldust) are more deserving than Reigns. Then the crowd booed Rock and Reigns and cheered for Rusev (Russian sympathizer, kicker of military veteran's faces, and overall a terrible human being...character wise), because they wanted something other than what was they've been given with Cena for years. There's a reason Batman has like 5 different comic book lines right now and Superman's main one struggles, people want heroes with shades of grey (or at least a constant villain with kryptonite...looking at you CM Punk to John Cena). It's not that Reigns a bad wrestler or that he's not someone fans can't get behind, it's that WWE is forcing him down our throats and, frankly, who likes that? The kids whose parents pay 9.99$ a month for them to watch the WWE Network, they don't really care who gets to win or not so long as they see their favorite stars wrestle, because what kid is going to school tomorrow saying, "I'm so glad Reigns won, because he is primed for a bright future in WWE", they care about the spectacle not the results, while the older crowd actually pays attention to these details. So when WWE clearly spit in the face of their fans with tonight's main event, it was only poetic justice when the company that so desperately craves social media relevance was given the big "screw you too" from fans when "#CancelWWENetwork" started trending, complete with some NSFW language comments and screenshots of proof. Couple Notes of Interest... Curtis Axel never entered the ring so he was never eliminated (I assume we'll have a triple threat with him Reigns and Lesnar at Wreslemania?) WWE teased a Rhodes Brothers breakup (No more MeanDust?!?) and a Mizdow break up but didn't effectively use the rumble to do so. It's been done before but I don't think anyone would've complained if one of the two tag teams had one member actually eliminate the other (not almost eliminate them). Why no one grabs a chair or chills under the ring (Rusev) by going under the top rope in the Rumble is beyond me. Seeing Bubba Ray (Bully Ray) without D-Von and using R-Truth makes me wonder if they couldn't get a deal done with D-Von or if that'll work into a surprise return angle for him or if Truth is his replacement because WWE is being extremely racist and just throwing any old black wrestler in with Bubba to recreate the Dudley Boyz. Finally, ask anyone, ANYONE who they would've wanted to see as the final 3 and I almost guarantee that Big Show and/or Kane is not on their list. Even if they were working together and teasing dissension (please don't let this become a feud). Critical Analysis of an Album by Dalton Belcher Old Boots, New Dirt – Jason Aldean Just Gettin’ Started With “Just Gettin’ Started” the singer (and, by extension, Aldean) is kicking off a relationship (the focus of the album),with lines such as “I knew the minute that I picked you up/It was gonna be a wild ride” and “The way you look at me baby I don't know/If we even gonna make it to the party” The relationship is one based on passion, the song doesn’t even jumps in mid-relationship on a night where the two just can’t wait to see each other. Show You Off “Show You Off” is the continued story of the couple from “Just Gettin’ Started”. The focus moves from passion and intimacy to a need to “show-off” the pretty girl the singer is with. The chorus goes to say, “I just want to show you off/Drive em all crazy, watch all the boys hate me/Is that so wrong? Come on/I just want the world to see how lucky I am”. The singer is so proud to have such a pretty girl he wants to take her out and make other guys jealous. Burnin’ It Down “Burnin’ It Down” is a return to the intimacy seen earlier in the relationship, but it really heats up this time around. “We about to get a little tangled up right about now/So girl let's keep burnin' it down”. It’s a tune that displays a strong sexual overtone and borders into R&B leanings. Tryin’ To Love Me This is where the first relationship of the album ends. The singer is sorry and regretful for the lost relationship. This is the first true display of emotional immaturity as the singer recounts his misteps in the relationship, “I pushed and you pulled/Should have just fell into you/But I did what I always do, I always do”. He even admits that he watched the girl cry and convinced himself it was all ruse and now realizes she truly cared about him, “Didn't think those tears were real/Thought you were just trying to play me/I just stood there and let em fall/You were just loving me after all”. One has to wonder if the focus on passion and romance led to him not being open to the girl’s attempts to fix the relationship. “Wanted to talk but I walked away/Didn'twant to hear what you had to say/Stupid me, can't believe I never knew/The whole time you were just trying to love me”. It is one of the few moments Aldean slows down and bares his heart on his sleeve. He realizes the mistakes he made, but he also knows it’s too late for them.
Sweet Little Somethin’ The song is fast and hard hitting. The sorrow that once filled the singer is now replaced with a desire to get back into another relationship. This is the beginning of the second relationship of the album. The singer plainly makes his intentions known, “I need a sweet little somethin' like you girl/Standing there red hot, tied up little tank top/Looking like you must be straight out of the country/Honey, what I wouldn't do for a sweet little somethin' like you” and the song shows a more brash Aldean like the opening track. Laid Back It picks up right where “Sweet Little Somethin’” leaves off. It could even take place in the same general vicinity of the previous song. The singer is comfortably laying back with his girl and some friends. It’s evident that this relationship is more relaxed than the first and the singer is able to slow things down with this girl, “Out here way back, working on our laid back/Tell everyone you know/Sip it, tip it, pass it around/Let's light up this two lane town”. Tonight Looks Good On You It’s a bit more sensual than the previous two tracks proving a formula with the first six songs (Meet girl, date girl, get intimate with girl). This relationship is vastly different from the first, whereas that girl was one the singer wanted to use to make other guys jealous (“Show You Off”), this is a more intimate appeal to the girl’s attractiveness. “You ain’t got a dress that I don’t like/You ain’t got a pair of jeans that don’t fit you just right/There’s not a minute in the day/That you don’t knock me out, you don’t blow me away”. Even if the singer notes that the “night” looks good on the girl, the focus is on a personal, not communal level. Too Fast “I want to be the man that you thought I was/I want to be theman that made you fall in love/I can't undo everything I've done/But let me tell you right now/Baby, you're the only one”. This is a singer that is self-aware. He knows he’s someone that “lives [his] life too fast” and he wants to change to be a better man for his significant other. “The way it's been ain't how it's gonna be/Baby, starting right now, gonna give you the best of me”, Aldean begins to slow the album down and we move away from the relationship (it is safe to say that while this is an earnest appeal to fix the relationship, it doesn’t work and Aldean becomes reflective with the next tune). If My Truck Could Talk It’s all about what was. There’s the first relationship, “Twelve gauge, old Ford, buckshot floorboard, don't ask/Fence post, door dent, let's just leave it at that”. While not explicitly referred to, it’s about the damage that was done. The truck, the one constant for the singer, was damaged by the recklessness of that couple. Then there’s the second relationship, “Those two headlights, looked in her eyes, how she danced/Moonlit truck bed, two kids, enough said, yeah man/All that went on, goes on my own/It can go on and on and on”, it’s even sung in a slower tone than the first verse. The singer remembers more of the times with the girl from the second relationship, because he focused more on her emotionally than the intimacy. And, finally, there’s the beginning of a new look on life, “If my truck could talk I couldn't deny a word it said/I'd just smile and shake my head, yeah”. The singer is able to come to terms with what lies in his past.
Old Boots, New Dirt The singer is moving on in the title track, “Yeah, nothing helps you start again like/Old boots, new dirt, no reminders/I've got a feeling this town will get me over her/You've been through what I've been through man/Nothing feels better than old boots, new dirt”. Whereas he’s moving on from the second relationship, the singer realizes that hanging around will lead him into the same routines. The phrasing, “Old boots, new dirt”, implies that it’s a new start but not a new man. The growth is there and the intentions are right, but the singer hasn’t truly found his way “over” the past girl, believing a change of location is all he needs to move on. I Took It With Me The singer has stopped in his new town to realize what he’s done, “When I passed that city limit sign/I knew that I was finally on my own/So I put my foot down on the gas/To see how fast those wheels could get me going/Everything about that place made me who I am/But they say once you leave you can't go back again”. He knows he can’t go back to his hometown, but he brought some of it with him, the charactersitics he believes are good and will help him. Don’t Change Gone This is where he finally admits he is just moving away to avoid the girl, “Don't think about a thing just drive/Far enough til I find a change of scene/A new routine, I'd try anything/But it don't change gone, won't bring her back/She's moved on, and I'm stuck with that/I could change whatever I want/But it don't change gone” This is where he finally realizes that no matter what he changes, he’s going to have to come to terms with the break-up and he gives a small insight into what happened, “Headlights fading, nothing was breaking/She's gone”. Implying she left him and this is explored further in the next song. Miss That Girl The whole opening verse finds the singer holding onto memories of the second girls and regretting letting her leave him, “I found your silver bracelet in my backseat/That you left, it seems like yesterday/It's like I found a treasure when I held it/How could I have ever let her get away/I still got a faded picture on my rearview/It's almost like she's looking right at me/Somehow just like that, it all comes rushing back/She's right here the way it used to be”. There’s the final realization that the second girl might have been the one he should’ve held onto, “Knowing they'll never be another one like her, not like her/Kicking myself for ever letting her slip out of my world”. The second verse sees the singer acknowledge that he’s not really helping himself running from his heartbreak and sees him lament the fact that he is letting his world fall apart, “Way back then it felt like I had things together/Whenever she'd coming smiling through that door/But I've had one or two tonight/And it just makes me realize/That I ain't so together anymore”. Gonna Know We Were Here This is the problem with the singer, he cannot control himself. He’s still not over the second girl and he turns to a wild night with another girl, where he keeps saying to her (or to himself) that they’re going to leave their mark on the town, “And we may not be around in 20 years but the show gonna we were here/Yeah, the show gonna we were here”. There’s nothing more than a wild time wanted here, “I got the wild/You got the crazy/You know that's why I love you baby/Cause your motor runs just as fast as mine/Pedal to the metal, keep your throttle down all night/And we only get one life”, it’s a plea to live recklessly (like the first relationship) because the singer thinks this is how he will move on from the second girl. The singer knows people are going to talk about their wild antics and he wants to make it something worth saying (possibly hoping it will make it’s way around to the second girl) “People talk girl/You know that well/When they got a good tale to tell/Let's give them something they ain't never seen/A little rated R red-neck dream/Let's play the trail through the dirty south/Or give them something they can talk about” Two Night Town The previous song leaves the singer worse off than he was before. He realizes, he overstayed his welcome in his old boots, new dirt town and now he is remorseful. “Am I ever gonna turn my life around/I just spend three nights in a two-night town”. The singer admits that he’s been doing things he shouldn’t, “It was women, it was sinnin’, it was alcohol/It was everything the bible says will make a man fall/And I didn’t wanna little lord I wanted it all” in his attempt to get over the second girl. He begins to realize that he is the problem he’s been running from, “When am I, ever gonna learn to walk away/When the chips are down and the cards aint fallin’ my way/Why do I always gottastay to long till it’s too late?”. The second verse shows that he’s not been able to handle the end of the relationship, “With a bunch of lost souls just tryna get found/Girl I’ve been a little crazy since you walked out” and the third shows that he’s not ready to move on, “Sun’s comin’ up and I’m just goin’ down/But baby this pain is still hangin’ around/I think I’ll spend four nights in a two-night town” , falling back into the bad habits that he realizes he should quit.
Bonus Tracks Fast Lanes The singer is finding himself a little more this time around. He’s left a trail of damage in his wake and is getting closer to self-realization, “I need free and I need spacious”. It’s not exactly becoming a better person, but it’s becoming aware and honest about who he is, “I’m the reason they make fast lanes/My soul don’t roll like no slow train/I hang my old hat in a new place/But it won’t hang too long/Call me right or call me wrong/That’s just my thing/I’m the reason they make fast lanes”, he knows he’s not someone that can stick around for a relationship and (like the second girl) has become a person that drives away when things start to get serious, never staying in one place too long. “Yeah, I could feel her fallin’/But somewhere down the road was callin’/And my wheels started to turn/It won’t be the last time/And she ain’t the first” at this point the singer realizes what damage he does, but he just cannot help himself and knows he won’t be able to stop. Too Much You For Me While the singer’s been running from the second girl for the majority of the album, on this track he goes back home. It’s been a long journey back and when he returns, he finds that this is still not a place for him, “Hey this town is too much you for me/I can’t live around/All these memories/Seeing you everywhere I look/Is something I don’t wanna see/Girl, this town is too much you for me”. But coming home isn’t all bad, because seeing all the memories of what used to be with the second girl forces the singer to realize it’s time to let go or he’ll die this way, “I thought those days would never end/Looking back they sure did/I’m still living in ‘em and I’m dying every minute/Girl I got to move on” Ain’t No Easy Way This is where the growth finally comes to the singer. This could easily be seen as a meeting between the singer and the second girl, getting the closure he never got when she left him. “There ain't no easy way/For me to hear the things you need to say/But go on and say 'em anyway/Baby I can take it.” After she beings to tell him her reasons for leaving, she starts to get hesitant but he has grown to the point that he can say, “There ain't no easy out/We both know where this is goin' now/Once its rollin' you can't turn around/There ain't no way to fake it”. He’s become a wiser person, with all the trials he’s endured he’s gained perspective, “Life is hard but love is harder/And when love won’t go any farther/Tears won’t put it back together/Sorry don't make it no better”. It’s a man who realizes running from things is the “easy way out”, but it never really works. “There ain't no easy way./To look somebody in the face/And tell them your feelings have changed/And you can't do it anymore”, he knows what she’s going through is hard, but it’s a necessary thing to do. The singer shows that he understands he reasoning and can sympathize with he rsituation, “There ain't no easy way/You can try to keep on tryin'/Act like love ain't really dyin'/You can just hang on for so long/You can only be just so strong”. The ending of the song is the opening verse again, as the singer has found the resolution he needs and knows leaves us with the notion that “[he] can take it”.
“Old Boots, New Dirt” is an album about two relationships that are integral to the singer’s emotional development and how he grows as a man. It’s a road plagued with missteps and misfortune but one that eventually leads to maturity and wisdom. It’s the chronicling of a childish man-boy that develops into an understanding adult that can see his past faults with clarity and hope that he will be able to use the closure he receives from the girl in his second relationship to move forward in his life. The themes that persist the album are of “lingering in the past vs moving on” and “passion vs emotional maturity”. It’s a balance that the singer struggles to find a middle ground with, constantly falling into immaturity and a sense that running from his problems will work. It’s not until he hits rock bottom, and even then he is not completely grown-up, that he starts to mature and learn from his mistakes, culminating in aemotionally difficult conversation that he is able to sympathize with the girl who left him and sent him on the reckless path he travels. We're very excited to be Podcasting again and have a lot of big ideas that (schedule permitting) are going to make 2015 a great year for us.
Links below... Part 1 - https://soundcloud.com/daltonwb25/2014-bs-show-country-music-awards-part-1 Part 2 - https://soundcloud.com/daltonwb25/bs-show-country-music-awards-2014-part-2 Part 3 - https://soundcloud.com/daltonwb25/bs-show-country-music-awards-2014-part-3 1. A focus on stories. That's the true problem with the brand. It should be a focal point and hasn't been for awhile. 2. Less DQ finishes. People can lose clean, especially faces. WWE's tendency to rely on DQ finishes to avoid making a character look "weak" by losing is becoming a problem. If that's the only way to keep them looking "strong" there's a problem with the character already (like we said before...better storylines) 3. More Seth Rollins, Dolph Ziggler, and Cesaro. Less Mark Henry, Big Show, and Kane. It's not that we dislike the veterans on the roster, but it's clear WWE has a strong group of young wrestlers they could focus on and build upon. The future IS now. 4. A face authoritarian figure (Mick Foley). We love the authority, but going back into the same song and dance is going to prove itself difficult and creatively limiting. What more can the authority do right now that they've haven't done and it's not fresh in the audiences' minds? 5. Sting vs Taker or HHH. Only so I can see other guys get their deserved spotlight and it gets those guys out of the way. 6. Seth Rollins to get the WWEWHC and become the top heel by far. 7. Dolph Ziggler to be responsible for making the IC title mean something. In doing so having Bray Wyatt, Dean Ambrose, and others go after it. Making holding the IC title mean something and be recognized as important and a prestigious honor. AJ vs Paige (Divas) Rusev vs Big Show Nikki vs Brie (Loser is Winner's Servant for a Month Match) Uso's vs MeanDust Sheamus vs Miz (US) Cesaro vs Ziggler (IC) (2/3 Falls) Cena vs Orton (#1 Contenders Match) (HIAC) Ambrose vs Rollins (HIAC) Adam Spence: AJ Brie Usos Sheamus Cesaro Orton Rollins Dalton Belcher: Paige Nikki MeanDust Sheamus Ziggler Orton Ambrose We disagree , let us know your opinions in the comments section! Follow us at Adam_DaltonShow! by Dalton Belcher Just Gettin’ Started” by Chris DeStefano, Rhett Akins, Ashley Gorley Recently announced to be the new single, this one kicks the album off with some Country-Rock and is likely to be another #1 hit for Aldean. “Show You Off” by Neil Thrasher, Tony Martin, Brett Beavers Really catchy tune about taking your girl out to make all other guys jealous of what you've got. “Burnin’ It Down” by Rodney Clawson, Tyler Hubbard, Brian Kelley, Chris Tompkins It's not really Country, it's more Pop/R&B, but it's catchy and has been named the highest selling digital single of all time. “Tryin’ to Love Me” by Wendell Mobley, Hillary Lindsey, Neil Thrasher It's the first time Aldean dials back the Rock on this album and it's a standout. It's a unique look at a past relationship. “Sweet Little Somethin’” by David Lee Murphy, Ben Hayslip, Marv Green Probably the weakest song on the album, it almost has a techno beat to it, meshing with modern "bro-country" themes. “Laid Back” by Michael Tyler Spragg, Jaron Boyer, Adam Shoenfeld Not a stand out, not bad. This song is more generic than anything else, but it fits well with the other songs. “Tonight Looks Good on You” by Dallas Davidson, Rhett Akins, Ashley Gorley It's about wanting to take your girl out (sound familiar?), it's not a stand-out, but does sound like something that will be a hit if released. “Too Fast” by Chris Stapleton, Lee Thomas Miller One of the best songs on the album, Aldean sounds great on this track and the lyrics tell a good story of life on he road. “If My Truck Could Talk” by Wendell Mobley, Neil Thrasher, Andrew Pates Honestly, titles can be deceiving and this is one. It's more mid-tempo and serious than a lot of the album. Aldean recalls all the times he's had in his truck and what that would mean if it could verbalize those things. “Old Boots, New Dirt” by Lee Thomas Miller, Tom Shapiro, Neil Thrasher When you have a break-up, you wanna get away. Aldean puts his old boots, in new dirt and tries to move on from a past love on this title track. “I Took It With Me” by David Lee Murphy, Ben Haysli Aldean talks about leaving or being on the road quite a bit with this album, on this track he notes that all the things from his childhood became a part of him when he left. “Don’t Change Gone” by Neil Thrasher, Tony Martin, Michael Dulaney Another heartbreak song, but that's not a problem. Aldean sings as a man who is trying to change everything around him to get over a girl. “Miss That Girl” by Ross Copperman, David Lee Murph Two heartbreak songs in a row and it's hard to tell which is the better of the two. The imagery in this one is stronger and paints a vivid picture. “Gonna Know We Were Here” by Brett Beavers, Brett James Nothing mind blowing lyrically (a more relationship-focused "Tattoos on This Town" really), but Aldean challenges himself vocally at certain parts (specifically the bridge) and it's nice to see him trying to new things vocally “Two Night Town” by Tim Nichols, Brett James Without a doubt, the most "traditional country" song on this album. It sounds like something Waylon Jennings or Merle Haggard would've sung and Aldean knocks it out of the park. When he slows down and sings traditional country, he's hard to beat. Bonus tracks "Fast Lanes" by Josh Thompson, Adam Craig, Michael Howard The most confusing thing in Country music this year is how all 3 of these bonus tracks are bonus tracks, not album tracks. Aldean sings as a man who can't seem to stay tied down. "Too Much You For Me" by Vicky McGhee, Brian Davis, John Edwards This song feels like it would fit perfectly before "Old Boots, New Dirt". Aldean is a man ready to leave his hometown, because the memories of a past love are just too much for him. "Ain't No Easy Way" by Brett James, Terry Clayton, Kevin Mason One of the few slow tracks on the album. The guitars are dialed back and Aldean tells a unique story of a man who knows breaking up is going to be hard, but it's become necessary. Overall, it's probably not his best album, but it's not bad at all. It may be a bit more Country-Rock than preferred, but that's the way of most mainstream music today. 8/10 Stand-out Tracks: "Tryin' To Love Me", "Old Boots, New Dirt", "Two Night Town", "Fast Lanes", and "Too Much You For Me" by Dalton Belcher Being a Dallas Cowboys Fan (When We Win) When you're a Cowboys fan, nothing is better than Sunday (and the occasional Monday or Thursday but let's stick with Sunday for brevity's sake). You gather around a tv to watch America's Team. When we win, it's usually all on Tony Romo's shoulders (shush...don't tell ESPN, he's a good block of their TV time only when we lose). If we win, it's a mood changer for the whole week. Monday morning traffic isn't bad, it's a blessing giving you time to reflect on the victory. Monday night, you might pay attention to the game, you might not. It's really the victory hangover day for most of us. Tuesday, you set your fantasy lineup and mentally make a note never to bet against "Rowdy" Roddy White (a fantasy team without Cowboys on the roster because the stress that would bring is too great). Wednesday you start reading up on the next opponent, getting an idea of your mind of how the game should go. Thursday you watch Thursday Night Football, especially if the teams playing have significance to Dallas and their playoff race. Friday and Saturday you binge on high school and college football, but your appetite is never quite satisfied (even if Alabama destroys a rival SEC foe). Then Sunday comes around and you get your game day food with hopes that it's going to be another week of the same. Being a Dallas Cowboys Fan (When We Lose) When you're a Cowboys fan, nothing can be worse than a Sunday when you lose. You scream at the TV (I'm pretty sure they'll be the reason I develop a mild case of insanity). Romo makes the mistakes at the worst time. The defense blows coverages and there's almost always the "comeback". Dallas isn't content to lose in peace, no they almost always make a 4th quarter push. They play like Super Bowl champions for the first 14 minutes of the 4th quarter making you think that this'll be one of those great comebacks you'll see on NFL highlight packages for years to come. Then, just as they're a moment away from taking the lead and bringing you joy beyond belief, they blow it. There's a botched snap, a fumble on the one, a pick six that causes you to throw your delicious chicken sandwich down in disgust. Then comes Monday. Friends, family, co-workers, and even complete strangers that notice your Cowboys lanyard take a shot at you. You laugh them off, but they sting. The week drags on, by Friday you're ready to disconnect ESPN from you're cable. When Sunday strives you're just hoping you make it through the game with what little sanity you have left in tact. by Dalton Belcher
We opened with a small bit of Gareth, it shows that he wasn’t always such a cult-leading monster, but he is now so I’m not sure if this will change any of our opinions of him. Rick’s gone survivalist mode… “Go for their eyes first, then their throats.” They use flash bang grenades! How about Rick getting a shot in on that guy, even after being stunned by a flash bang grenade? Using the top of the train car to avoid attacks like Rick and Company were planning is very smart. Throat slashes like crazy. Then the two heart-stopping moments where Glenn almost met a violent baseball bat end…shew. Rick just has become the king of macho quotes, “Machete with a red handle…that’s what I’m gonna use to kill you.” Then we move to Carol, Tyreese, and Judith with a cliffhanger to start and episode. Carol doesn’t plan on staying with the group. Her character arc has been so interesting. Okay, good to know there’s still people with fireworks around. Could Carol saving the group be enough for Rick to let her back in? Carol covering herself in walker guts and walking with the herd is brilliant. Carol might be the coolest person ever. That explosion she caused allowing the walkers in and destroying Terminus’ defenses was brilliant. Rick cutting himself loose to unleash a violent knife attack on his would-be killers is amazing. Eugene is just a great kind of brilliance. He’s got a super country voice, spitting out such intelligent gibberish. Carol walking through the pain and suffering she single-handedly brought about was startling and effective. What a creepy visual, our heroes walking through slaughtered bodies. The person Glenn wants to save and set free ends up becoming a person he has he to kill before he turns (what a tragic turn, even trying to be a “good guy” backfires. Everything’s not so black and white anymore). Rick gunned down about 10 people from behind. He has become a person that will do the bad things so others won’t have to, going back to saving Carl. Carol’s journey through Terminus was terrifying. Then she ran into the cook of Termini (Termini Mary) and had a brawl in the “Candle Room”. Carol taking a shot at her leg, she is one bad woman. Carol cemented herself as the most awesome woman on TV when she left the walkers to devour Termini Mary. Tyreese made the one really stupid decision on the show taking his eyes off the Termini Redneck. Up until this point, nothing had bothered me about this episode, but if you’re not going to at least tie the guy to a board or something in that house, at least watch him! Tyreese busting through the door and manning up is at least somewhat better. As he screams “I won’t”, he beats the face in of the mouthy, Termini Redneck. There’s no cure? Or is there? Eugene, buddy, you are dancing around an answer. When Rick opened that train car, it was like a scene out of a war movie. The blood, carnage, and smoke rising. Carol and Daryl! Caryl…or is it Darol? Rick even cracked a smile upon seeing her, interesting how Daryl stepped aside to allow Rick to handle the situation; it’s understood now that Rick is the leader. Rick taking off in a dead sprint to Judith, Sasha and Tyreese reuniting, and all this with smoke rising in the background…just amazing. Eugene’s awkward mannerisms and faces are just hilarious. Was the ESPN “30 for 30” music playing during that scene? Abraham and Rosita going along with Rick (for now), It really shows how Rick’s become a de-facto leader for anyone he’s around. The closing scene of the Termini folk stuck in the train car (and not seeing Gareth die onscreen) implies to me that we haven’t seen the last of them. Morgan!!! Morgan!!! I have to wonder if he’s still crazy or if he has finally come to terms with reality. It’s interesting to note that a large portion of our scenes from the trailers were from this episode. From “The Talking Dead”, the hippy guy from season 4 was at the trough, very nice callback. Quotes - “We’re friends with the chick with the sword and the kid with the hat” - Carol “Gonna kill em” - Carol “You’re a good guy. That’s why you’re gonna die today.” – Termini Redneck Guy “Don’t. Let him turn.” - Rick “We gotta let those people out. That’s still who we are. It’s gotta be.” - Glenn “They raped and they killed and they laughed over weeks. You’re the butcher or the cattle.” –Termini Cook “Point it at my head.” – Termini Cook “Fire with fire.” - Eugene “They don’t get to live.” - Rick “I had to…I could.” 9/10 That is how The Walking Dead should be: action packed, violent and an edge-of-your seat hour of entertainment. We covered a LOT of ground; I personally thought may take half the season to do. It will be interesting to see where we go from here. I can’t justify a 10, because there were just a few moments where Tyreese’s behavior was a bit frustrating and felt like a plot device. Rick and Carol were the highlights for me; both were very cool in this episode. There was a bit of a theme set up for the show this season: How far will you go? We see how far the Termini and Rick have gone to save themselves and we now will see how this changes our group and shapes the rest of this season. by Dalton Belcher
Let me get some business stuff out of the way, I am a crazed fan of anything Robert Kirkman has produced regarding The Walking Dead franchise. I love the comics, I buy the video games, and I most certainly will be found Sunday nights at 9:00 ET, glued to my TV. But with this passion, comes knowledge, and I’ve heard somewhere that comes with some kind of responsibility, so I will do my best not to spoil anything from the comics when discussing the upcoming season of the uber-popular TV show. With that said, the show has strayed so far from the comics (Hello, Andrea…and Shane…and the Governor…and Dale…), that I doubt we’ll see the storyline I believe this season will be based on “Fear The Hunters” from the comics in similar form. Now let’s get to it! First off, the Termuni, Termunites, Ter-Mu-Knights?, have to be cannibals right? The cage Rick, Daryl, Michonne, and Carl ran past had what appeared to be what was left of a human in it, right? Surely it did and that means we are going to be in for an amazing season. It’s something you wouldn’t think about at first, but at some point the canned veggies are going to run out. What if the Termini (I’ve decided it’s this spelling!) are just ahead of the curve? I mean after all, not everyone has a skilled farmer like Hershel to rely on, or even Farmer Rick. Speaking of Farmer Rick, we have seen different sides of Rick nearly every season. First, he was a man protecting his family, then a man protecting a large group of people, then a Ricktator, then a grieving husband/father, then Farmer Rick, then a do whatever it takes to save Carl man, and that all led him to the man in the train car who steely said, “They’re messing with the wrong people…” So what do we get from Rick this season? More beard growth (we can only hope... Movember has come early this year!)? More violence? Or does Rick become a negotiator, realizing he and his lovable band of survivors are at a severe disadvantage? While I’m using segues like a true champ, let’s move into the group surrounding Rick. Does Carl become more of the child survivalist we’ve seen glimpses of? What is going on with Beth? Will Maggie and Glenn continue to be the shining light of humanity left in this apocalyptic world? Does Michonne function without her sword; on that note…does Daryl? Where’s Beth? Does Tyreese go “Hammer Time” on the Termini? And will we see Negan and Lucille? (If you don’t know who I’m talking about there, this is a free plug to the comics, they’re superb and Negan/Lucille have been a major part of a massive arc) Finally, who dies? It’s on all of our minds. We all have our favorites of the group and we have those we wouldn’t mind seeing go. It’s what keeps a lot of people tuning in. Will the Termini remove a couple of Rick’s group from us or even Rick? One thing’s for sure, this season is gearing up to be a major one, with the more momentum and a very intriguing storyline unfolding, we as viewers are going to be in for one wild ride. Also I will be posting reviews of each individual episode after viewing (probably Monday), so look out for those “DeadHeads”! by Adam Spence
I want to preface this by saying my purpose is not to bash the NFL, it is simply the reasons why I enjoy college football more than the NFL. In conversations with friends, I have always been met with a lot of odd looks when I say I like college football better than the NFL, so instead of just saying it's due to personal preference I have come up with 5 concrete reasons why I do. 5. Pageantry and Traditions. Whether it's the constantly changing neon colors of Oregon, or the classics such as those of Penn State and Alabama, uniforms in college football are just cool. This pageantry of uniforms get college football nerds like me in a frenzy. When one school announces it will unveil a new uniform, I have to go and give them a look. Different traditions across college football are another factor that just makes it fun. You can go to any stadium in the country on a Saturday and never see the same thing. Entering the field, or exiting it after a win is a different tradition and experience for every college team out there. 4. Rivalries. Texas/Oklahoma, Ohio State/Michigan, Auburn/Alabama, Florida/ Georgia are just a select few of the rivalries that make college football so riveting. You can feel the emotion and hatred that the players and fans feel during the other team during a rivalry game. Seemingly every college football team in the country has at least one rival, which often stems from schools who are in the same state and battling for state supremacy. Yes I realize NFL teams have rivalries too, but it is a bit different from college football rivalries. When you consider that most colleges recruit players in state (or surrounding states) the players on the team have a better appreciation of the rivalry and what it means. A player could get drafted out of a southern school to the Patriots, and have no clue what the Jets and Patriots rivalry means. 3. Regional Battles Since college football is broken up into conferences based on geographical location, and as stated before the majority of players come from the region that their college is located in, you get to see which region of The United States produces the best football talent. Conference games determine who is the best team in that region, non conference and bowl games often pit The North vs The South and The East Coast vs The West Coast. It's just intriguing to me to see how different the talent level is in different regions. 2. Coaching Schemes Unlike The NFL, where the same general offense is run across the board, college football offers a plethora of different coaching styles. It allows for match-ups between the spread offense vs perhaps a more pro style NFL offense. Some teams run the ball every down, some teams throw the ball every down, but almost every team has a different coaching style. Coaches stick to their schemes and put them to the test against other schemes. You get to see how the option running attack (like at Auburn or Georgia Tech) fares against an "air raid" offensive attack ( Texas Tech and Texas A&M). Seeing these coaching schemes working against each other provides a lot of excitement to me because you never know which one could work best against another coaching scheme. 1. Every Game Matters This is reason number 1, it's what keeps all of us fans tuning in every Saturday. Prior to this season, the top 2 teams in the country would play for the National Championship. This year there is a 4 team playoff, however in both systems every game has implications. It is almost impossible to be in contention for a National Title unless you go undefeated. This means that you must bring your A game against every team you play. If you do lose a game, you can only hope that the teams ahead of you lose so that you can take their spot. This to me is what makes college football: the upsets, the close games, the overtime games, and the blow outs all have meaning. You cannot clinch a playoff spot and sit your starters to give them rest. Every single game on a teams schedule matters. By Dalton Belcher
As I sit tonight listening to George Strait's "The Cowboy Rides Away: Live From AT&T Stadium", a live album from the record-setting performance. Strait has had an unprecedented run atop Country music, 60 number one songs which is an all-genre record and Strait holds the record for the most number one albums, gold albums, platinum albums, and multi-platinum albums in Country music. When you consider his all time success being up there with such legendary acts like The Beatles and Elvis Presley, it's hard to really grasp the success he's had. Strait came onto the scene in 1981 with his first top ten cut "Unwound" and from then on, "The Cowboy" has rode a massive wave of success. Over 30 years, Strait has managed to remain relevant and successful, whether it was crooning "Marina Del Rey" or his latest number one hit "Here For a Good Time", Strait has remained. In Country music, many have come and gone since George Strait, Garth Brooks peaked and took a self-imposed hiatus, legendary voices like Travis Tritt and Vince Gill can't boast the same sustained period of success, and even the acts that have been strong since the 90s (Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, and Tim McGraw to name a few) can't claim chart success or longevity like Strait. That's not to say he's just the King of Country Music, because of his staying power, it's a factor, but it's not he whole story. Strait was able to usher in a neo-traditionalist movement in the genre, that was (at the time) heavy on Pop elements. Strait starred in movies, but never "went Hollywood". Strait quietly went about his business being the industry standard for how an artist should conduct their business and how a person should remain humble through all successes and triumphs. He never discussed politics or the charity work he did (without PR, because that's really the most genuine way to do it), he just put on his signature cowboy hats and entertained millions upon millions. To say that another artist could ever reach a comparable level of success is a major undertaking, popular acts like Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean would need another 20 or so years of chart dominance and success. Others like Chesney and McGraw continue to make music, but have slowed down as both have seen success in the movie business and have taken a back seat to the new acts. What Strait leaves behind as he retires from active touring (but not recording albums, as he is still under contract for multiple more), is a legacy unlike any other and one we are not going to see matched anytime soon. One of our favorite comedic actors and (thanks to the top three movies we both listed) a large part of our daily vocabulary. Adam's List 10. Old School 9. Land of the Lost 8. Blades of Glory 7. Stranger Than Fiction 6. Step Brothers 5. Elf 4. Semi-Pro 3. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby 2. A Night at the Roxbury 1. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy Dalton's List Top 10 Will Ferrell 10. Land of the Lost 9. Blades of Glory 8. Old School 7. Semi-Pro 6. The Lego Movie 5. Elf 4. Step Brothers 3. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby 2. A Night at the Roxbury 1. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy We both agreed "Anchorman" is better as a whole, but Ferrell's role in "Roxbury" is probably his funniest to date. Send us your lists! We ranked our favorite Adam Sandler films, with plans to do more of these tops 10s in the future. Adam's List 10. Grown Ups 9. 8 Crazy Nights 8. Click 7. Anger Management 6. Longest Yard 5. Mr Deeds 4. Big Daddy 3. Happy Gilmore 2. Billy Madison 1. Waterboy Dalton's List 10. Grown Ups 9. The Wedding Singer 8. Click 7. 50 First Dates 6. Longest Yard 5. Mr. Deeds 4. Waterboy 3. Big Daddy 2. Anger Management 1. Happy Gilmore Both of us agree Waterboy, Big Daddy, and Happy Gilmore are among Sandler's best and funniest. Post us your top 10 lists! by Dalton Belcher
From the opening moments of the film, which play out more like a twisted Disney trailer with a cold opening that leaves you wondering “Is this part of Guardians?” “Is this another trailer?” and, finally, “Why is this so sad?” Guardians of the Galaxy pulls you in. Marvel has established themselves quite a track record of outstanding movies in the past couple years, notably with Captain America: Winter Soldier, Iron Man, and the blockbuster team-up Avengers just to name a few personal favorites. Guardians’ is an entirely different animal in its own right. Leading man, Chris Pratt, of NBC’s Parks & Recreation isn’t playing a brilliant philanthropist like Tony Stark or an All-American Hero like Steve Rodgers. Pratt’s Peter Quill is more Han Solo than hero and his ragtag bunch of enemies-turned cohorts-turned friends aren’t your run-of-the-mill side characters. This is where Guardians succeeds, it doesn’t reinvent the wheel, it paints neon with beautiful CGI and attaches and 80’s soundtrack to it that never felt out of place. Is it perfect? No. Is it Citizen Kane? Not really. But it never tries to be, Guardians knows it’s wacky and it plays to that strength. There’s the Bradley Cooper voiced “Rocket Raccoon”, Vin Diesel voiced “Groot”, Zoe Saldana’s green-skinned “Gamora” and “Drax”, a bluish Dave Bautista. The characters (apart from the Quill opening) don’t have flashbacks to tell their backstory, we don’t need them, they are nicely woven into drunken outrages and the team’s motivation for teaming up with Quill, instead of killing him and taking the highly sought after orb he possesses. The Avengers is serious, with apocalyptic implications and the stakes are just as high as Guardians, but when the wonderfully zany ending comes along, you realize it’s being handled just the way Guardians should be handled: with humor. Guardians ties nicely into the Marvel cinematic universe thanks to the outer space setting and the connections to other Marvel films (here’s hoping for a Guardians/Avengers team-up in the near future, because who doesn’t want Rocket Raccoon’s wise-cracking versus Tony Stark’s dry wit?) and because it balances story, character development, action, and humor so well. by Adam Spence
Since the final season of LOST aired on television, I have only watched T.V. for two reasons: sports and wrestling. For the most part, I never change the channel from SportsCenter unless it's Monday Night Raw time. Of all sports, college football has always been my favorite. I spend Saturdays in the fall glued to my T.V. watching all of the drama unfold across the country. Once college football starts, I become a little happier than I am all year (of course until Kentucky Basketball season). I love watching college football from all across the country, seeing the pageantry and traditions in sports in the different regions of the country. I have, being from Kentucky, always loved the South Eastern Conference the most. Football is just different in the south, this is apparent from all of the success the SEC has had in comparison to other conferences. Now the SEC has its own network, and I am salivating. I have watched the SEC network on and not so much off, for about a week now. I have had a hard time turning the channel. The teams in the SEC have been responsible for some of the best football games I have ever seen. To name a few would be hard, because seemingly every game is a classic. Thanks to the Network, classic games are constantly presented to fans. Besides classic games from the past, fans who want analysis are treated to an in depth view of EVERY team in preseason previews. The always entertaining Paul Finebaum Show is also a cornerstone of the Network. Call-ins from fans, analysis, and interviews from former players make for a very entertaining show. This is not even to mention that many games throughout the season will be featured on the Network. I'm just a fan, urging and informing others about something that has me very excited. I believe any fan of college football should check out The SEC Network, because as a fan myself, I have thoroughly enjoyed it. Recently, my grandmother had to have surgery that would require a couple weeks of recovery. My mother started back her job at the local high school and I was left with a seven-year-old and a three-year-old sister to contend with from 8 to 3 every day (barring school days). It’s not like I haven’t helped take care of my sisters before. I’ve made McDonald’s runs, I’ve babysat for a couple hours, and I would consider myself to be fairly adept at handling the two divas, but I was NOT prepared for my week of playing “Mom”.
I had another two weeks before my college semester began, so I was more than willing to volunteer taking on some extra responsibilities. I figured you get ‘em up, then you’d take them where they need to be and drop them off. Then I’d have some time in between for guitar and TV. I didn’t know that when a little girl wakes up and her mother leaves, she’s gonna carry around a picture of her mother everywhere you go that day. I didn’t know, that when you help your sister change into her clothes for the day, a ponytail being pulled by the shirt can become a painful experience and lead to a matter-of-factly, “Bub, no one changes clothes without taking the ponytail out first”. I also didn’t know that dropping your sister off at school would hit you in the gut and hurt as much as a bad plate of Mexican food. As the week (roughly a week and a half if we’re being exact) went on, I learned a lot about myself and my sisters. First, I am not patient. Second, they are less patient. I found myself dreading dropping the youngest one off at school because she cried the first two days, but on the third when she walked in and let my hand go tear-free, the walk back to my car felt like a somber marathon. Between fighting over whether Oreos are a suitable food for lunch and watching reruns of the “Singing Bee” on CMT betting pennies on who would win, I realized I want kids, I just want kids a long, long, time from now. Between the morning drama (why is there always SO MUCH drama with little girls?!?!) and the fights between the two (because, even playing beside each other and not speaking can turn into World War Sisters in seconds), I’ve gained so much appreciation for my parents and parents worldwide. I’ve also realized that playing “mom” is about as easy as putting a square peg into a round hole. The best part of the whole week was when my three-year-old sister remarked to her Granny and Mom, “Dalton puts my hair in a ponytail and it doesn’t hurt now! He’s better than you two!” now I can’t say whether that was her rewarding my effort or if I have miraculously become a master hair stylist, but I know it made my day and if you let them, sisters and brothers will do that everyday. We want to know what YOU think! Personally, we favor the Pop/Duncan combo, but it's hard to top the championship rings of Auerbach and Russell! Vote away! By Dalton Belcher All in all, I was excited for WWE's SummerSlam...the match card looked strong, with some potential show-stealers (Dean Ambrose vs Seth Rollins in a Lumberjack match and Dolph Ziggler vs The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship). As the PPV (Pay-Per-View) began and my texts to my fellow "BSer" Adam Spence, grew less and less coherent, I found myself truly enjoying the pay-per-view. No match was bad, in fact, I'd go as far to say all were good. When Ziggler won, I jumped off my blue exercise ball (which has become my seat-of-choice for television viewing nowadays...don't ask). When Seth Rollins beat Dean Ambrose with underhanded tactics, I was upset and nearly fell off the blue exercise ball (it happens far too often to admit). When the final image of the night was shown (a victorious Brock Lesnar) I sat back and was wholly content. I didn't have a major complaint like usual, I wasn't confused by the way WWE's creative team had booked the matches (as I normally am on Sundays, Mondays, and Fridays), I was just happy. Now maybe it's just myself becoming content with what they give me on the show or maybe I truly was joyful. Either way, I'm excited to see where the story-lines go on WWE's flagship show, Monday Night Raw. by Dalton Belcher
I am a WWE fan, it's probably not going to ever change. I'll complain about things they do and don't do that I dislike, but at the end of the day, I bleed WWE. Though, my passion for the product does not hinder my ability to see through some problems in how they book their show. Recently, WWE began a feud between their Intercontinental Champion "The Miz" and company "Show-Off" Dolph Ziggler. Now, I'm a fan of both wrestlers and I expected to see some standard WWE booking tactics (one distracts the other to cause a loss in a match and similar things), which I have. But then I stumble across an interview on the WWE app in which Ziggler details a relationship between the two of childhood friendship and two differing paths. Ziggler, the fan favorite, has scrapped and struggles for all he was given within the WWE Universe, whereas his opponent Miz has been given handouts and gone "Hollywood". It's not a new story, it's just run-of-the-mill, but it's effective. Ziggler did more to cause me to want to watch a match between the two in three minutes, than the company had done with time on multiple shows. I want to see Ziggler triumph. I want to see Miz finally get his comeuppance. And I've completely forgotten it's fake. For that wonderful moment of time after I watched the interview, I was 9 years old again and the ONLY thing that mattered was seeing this story reach a fulfilling conclusion. It was the feeling when my favorite wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin fighting the "evil" Vince McMahon and I wasn't the 20-year-old who watches the program with more cautious optimism and, instead, I was just enjoying it. This is a small scenario and, in the big picture of things, I was going to watch the match anyways, because I know the two will deliver an entertaining in-ring contest. Though I can't help but think, I'll enjoy it for a while after I watch it, but I won't remember it nearly as well months later. Whereas, if the story that is clearly existing and captivating had been told, I would remember it as fondly as I do Stone Cold today. Thank you to all who have generated traffic on this page over the past couple months of inactivity. Between a destroyed hard drive and hectic summer schedules for Adam and I, we've had to neglect some things and this (and our podcast!) have become two of the unlucky things. We plan to get back into the swing of writing and steadily producing articles for those who have followed anything we've done under the "B.S." moniker.
Thanks for your continued support and we hope to be back at it soon! - Dalton Belcher |