My Next Thirty (Eight) Years

So, I had a birthday this past weekend.  I have now completed 38 laps around the sun.  The same day was my 20 Year High School Reunion.  As I have been driving around my home area of Southeast Florida for the last week, it has got me to thinking:  As I turn 38, what knowledge have I gained?  As I have now been out of high school since the summer that "Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves" was released, what can I pass on to future generations that I have learned in this life? So, I came up with this list, which I will give one item for each year:

1. Try not to wash a thumb drive.  It can give you a panic attack.  (This actually happened to me today.)

2. Don't go to bed angry.  You won't fall asleep, which will in turn make you angrier.

3. Your significant other is not a mind reader.  No matter how well they may know you, it is still imparative to let them know if something is on your mind.  I have always said, "If YOU don't tell me, I don't know."

4. Leave as little open to interpretation as possible.  It will keep you out of SO many awkward situation.  And as fun as it is to give the "awkward turtle" hand signal, it's more fun to not do that.

5. HUGS.  ARE.  AWESOME.  It's as simple as that.

6. Working with teenagers will teach you more about yourself than you will ever teach them, by a country mile.

7. Next time you have popcorn, cut up an apple and mix it in there.  The taste result is nothing short of genius.

8. There will come a day when you WILL say the same things about kids that your parents said about you when you were a kid.  It's the circle of life; get used to it.

9. Learn how to love unapologetically.  It's AMAZING what it will do for you on multiple levels.

10. Like my mother always told me, "Try as many things as you can.  As long as it doesn't hurt you or anyone else, it's OK." (I would like to add, "and within the law". Just sayin'.)

11. Two words: Courtesy.  Flush.  Learn it.  Love it.  Live it.

12. There is an entire world outside your door.  Explore it every once in a while.

13. Your beliefs are your beliefs.  That doesn't necessarily make them right or wrong; they're just yours.  And there's nothing wrong with that.

14. TiVo/DVR's are one of man's greatest inventions.  So are iPods, the wheel, fire, and Wi-Fi.

15. Bullying ANYONE is just plain wrong.

16. Only ask questions that you actually want the answers to.  Because you WILL get them.

17. I should have done this list when I was younger.  38 things is a LOT.

18. Marriage is one of the few things that, no matter what anybody tells you, people's advice should be taken very lightly.  It's like snowflakes: each one is different.  What works for "everybody else" may not work for you.

19. Pay attention.  To EVERYTHING.  Details make all the difference.

20. It doesn't matter if it's cliche or not:  Send the women in your life flowers every once in a while.

21. Just because you are not a poet or a musician, you can still be profound.  Just speak from what you feel, and the rest will take care of itself.

22. Turn signals are a WONDERFUL thing.

23. Making someone laugh and/or smile is one of the most awesome feelings in the world.

24. ALWAYS have a "Plan B".

25. The original "Looney Tunes" cartoons will hold up FOREVER.

26. Be passionate about SOMETHING.

27. Sometimes, activism is simply doing what you believe in without having to tell anyone about it.

28. Everyone is the same.  No one is better than anyone else.  We all came into this world the same way, and the end result is the same for everyone.

29. Own and embrace your birthday and age. Trust me: it makes getting there a WHOLE lot easier.

30. If you are talking, more often than not, you are not listening.

31. MTV, VH-1, BET, and CMT will not show videos all day EVER AGAIN.

32. Your family is SO much more than the people that you are related to.

33. Rollercoasters are AWESOME.

34. It's OK to apologize.  There is no statute of limitations on doing so.

35. There is a difference between debate and argument, but in both cases, it's alright to admit when you are wrong.  And it is also alright to change your point of view from time to time.

36. Learn about other cultures by actually visiting them.  The Internet and TV can only do SO much.  Traveling makes memories that last a lifetime.

37. Michael W. Smith said it right: Friends are friends forever.  No matter how far they are from you geographically, never let them go in your heart, in your prayers, and in your thoughts.  The right ones are there no matter what.

38.  And this could be the most important one of all: Learn how to say "I love you" to each and every person you interact with socially.  ESPECIALLY IF YOU MEAN IT.  Whether it is a friend, a family member, a person you go to church with, or even someone you just think needs to hear it.  "Love your neighbor as yourself" isn't just a quote from the Bible; it's a lifestyle for all of us.  It will amaze you just how good it will make you feel.

Well, it's late enough, my dear reader.  I hope this entry finds you well, and if you are not, I hope this entry picked you up a little.  And know that I love you.

BB

An Open Letter To Sports Fanatics

(Remember that this does not reflect each and every one of you.  You will know if this applies to you.)

Dear Sports Fan(atic):

I see a lot of things going around these last few years that disturb me.  Things that disturb me on a level that hurts me to my very core.  Sure, things like Global Warming or the lack of peace overseas, or just Kim Jong Il in general qualify under this category.  But there is this one thing that makes me fear for the future of humanity on a level that is only reserved for Skynet.

It is the sports fanatic.

I understand that everyone has their favorite teams.  Lord knows that I make no bones about what teams I support.  If you didn't know at least one of them, you probably don't read much of my blog, or follow me on Twitter, Facebook, or listen to The Clubhouse With Rob And Cody each and every Tuesday night on Ustream at 8 PM Eastern/5 PM Pacific.  But there is something I have learned in my many years on this planet.  Wisdom that I would like to impart to the sports fanatic.

But before I do that, let me explain something.  If you have noticed, I am purposely using the phrase, "sports fanATIC".  Using the word "fan" is a shortened version of the word "fanatic," but I honestly believe that losing those last four letters COMPLETELY changes the meaning of the word.  For those of you that are "sports fans," this open letter may not, and probably does not, apply to you.  Feel free to keep reading, and then lavish me with praise on this subject.  For those of you that are "sports fanATICS," get ready, because it's on the way.

Here is a nickel's worth of free advice:  YOU HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE OUTCOME OF THE GAME/PERSON'S CAREER/ANYTHING ELSE TO DO WITH THE TEAM.  Sure, you can argue that if you stop supporting said team/artist/athlete, they may lose in the long run.  But understand that your world should not start and end with the performance and win or loss by said entity.

Sports and entertainment are meant for just two things: escapism and to take your money.  You are meant to enjoy said event and root for the team or artist that you prefer.  What that does NOT mean is that you have the God-given right to infringe on someone else's right to support something that you do not.

I understand the concept of the rivalry.  As a Gator fan, I have many friends that support Florida State (and even a few Georgia fans), but that does not mean I have to take the time to talk trash to them and put the dirty laundry of their players on the front lawn of every fan I come across.  When I was younger, I was that type.  If my team lost, I was almost impossible to be around.  Luckily, I had a friend tell me at about the age of 20 that in the end, it's not that big of a deal.  Be happy when your team wins, do an "aw, shucks" when your team loses, and that is IT.  SERIOUSLY.  THAT.  IS.  IT.

Whether your team has 9,000 championships or has never one a single one, it doesn't matter.  Wear the colors, even sport something with the number of your favorite player on it.  Show spirit; it's awesome.  But just because someone else doesn't have the same beliefs and allegiance as you does not make them a lesser person, nor does it make the players/artists/bands under that banner any kind of racial, sexual, or any other kind of slur that you feel this overwhelming need to thrown.  I see too many people out there that feel it is their moral and social obligation to tell you how great their team is, and if you are their opponent, how much your team sucks for not being their team.  Many of you will say, "But Rob, you live in DALLAS.  It's different there."  Trust me, it's not.  Yes, it's bad here, but this is an epidemic that is in every corner of the globe.  Watched a soccer match recently?  A couple of years ago, I even saw bad sportsmanship in a game of collegiate squash.  COLLEGIATE SQUASH.  What's next, the World Chess Championship marred by a scandal of players dipping the opponents pieces in unsavory things?

I also understand the concept that when these individuals sign to do that which they do, they understand that there will be public scrutiny.  But human decency should also play a role here.  They will be role models to people across the globe, but that doesn't mean that it's OK to take shots at their families.  That doesn't mean that it's OK to throw things at them.  That doesn't mean that you should shout hateful things to provoke them in a litigation happy society.  If ever there was an example of walking a mile in someone else's shoes, this is it.

So, support that which you love.  Be happy in the victories, be encouraging in the losses, but most of all, it all comes down to two very powerful words, that we ALL need to understand.

GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP.  Here are a couple of tips before I close:

- Be polite during a game.  Win or lose, if you are with someone supporting the opposition, remember what we used to do in little league.  Shake their hand and genuinely congratulate them on a good game.

- Don't walk up to people YOU DON'T KNOW and talk trash about the logo on the apparel that they are sporting.  You are asking for events that are unnecessary.

- Be careful on what you put out there for public consumption.  You would be amazed on how many times what people have put on Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, and other places just makes me plain SAD.

- You never know whom you know may support the things that you are going out of your way to bash.  And if they return fire, remember that you brought this on yourself.

- Basically, STOP THE TRASH TALKING.  It's juvenile and unbecoming.  Remember how we started this thing.  You had nothing to do with the outcome.  You are basically living vicariously through someone else's performance, and it just doesn't suit anyone well.

I hope this has served some of you well.  If I have offended you in any way, please go back and read this post again.  There is no offense intended, just some friendly advice.

Until next time...

BB

Rob Reviews Movies: Tron: Legacy

Been a while since I reviewed a movie, but I feel the need here to try to get back in the mode.

Since I retired from the DJ\Karaoke business, I have been spending a lot of Saturday night with some good friends watching movies I missed out on in theaters due to time constraints.  It has also been a time for us to start whittling down on the "Sharla List".

Sharla Parker is a good friend of mine who is the youngest of the circle of friends that I spend the most time with, and has missed seeing a lot of good movies.  Therefore, we have created a list of movies she has to see.  Yes, the list is long and distinguished, but we ARE getting there. So, do not expect a TON of new release reviews.  Some may be twenty years old, but it's about what I have watched recently.  In some cases, the review will come down to the question of "Does the flick still hold up?"

This week, though, I went off of that not-so beaten path, and watched a flick that I was TOTALLY bummed to miss in IMAX at the theater with "Tron: Legacy".

Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) leaves his son for work in 1989 and disappears.  His son, Sam (Garrett Hedlund) follows a strange lead that ends up with him in The Grid, a "world" his father discovered 25 years earlier (If you didn't see "Tron" you don't have to in order to keep up.  Plus, it TOTALLY doesn't hold up.), now controlled by a new villain.  Sam must fight to not only get back to our world, but save the one he's in.

Going into this film, I was worried about a watered-down, all eye candy, version of the original.  I was pleasantly surprised to find a good story with great visuals, and even the IMAX sequences were included in the correct aspect ratio on the Blu-Ray.  There was never a time in this film where I felt the story dragged, and even the subplot (won't ruin it here) helped enhance the story that was already there.  Daft Punk did a GREAT job with the score (they even cameo in the film), and even has tempted me to purchase it.

So, on a scale from 1 to 10 (10 being the best), I will give this a 7.  Would have ranked it higher, but not a lot of people want to embrace their "inner geek".  Mine lives on the outside.

Hopefully, I will have at least one of these for you each week.  So, until then...

BB

New Releases For The Week Of April 3rd, 2011

Three posts in one week? What is this, some kind of shenanigans?


New Movie Releases We Didn't Get To On The Show:
- Born To Be Wild: Animals and stuff.

- American: The Bill Hicks Story: If you know ANYTHING about stand-up comedy, you know this name. A guy who was taken too soon, a talent that was completely different than anything anybody else was doing at the time, and a guy who was highly respected in the community. I am highly interested in this.


DVD/Blu-Ray Releases We Didn't Get To On The Show:
- Taxi Driver (Blu-Ray): Travis Bickle. One of the great all-time film characters. If you haven't seen this film, do yourself a solid.

- Sarah Palin's Alaska: Because you can see Russia from there.

- Life Unexpected: The Complete 1st and 2nd Seasons: Interesting concept of a girl who shows up on the doorstep of two people who haven't been together for a LONG time and lets them know she is their daughter. Problem is that it's on The CW. Is that network still a thing?

- Degeneration X: One Last Stand: I might check this out, but I want a definitive anthology here.

Hope you all enjoyed last night's episode. If you misssed it, you can still get to it on the archive. Just go to the show's website, click our logo and you are on your way!

BB

Grading WrestleMania XXVII

I will try to make this a regular feature on my blog, but I'm not guaranteeing anything.  Now, if you want the full skimmy, make sure you listen to The Clubhouse With Rob & Cody each and every Tuesday night on Ustream!

What we are going to do here is give a grade to each match on the card, in the order they actually happened last night.  Original?  No.  Do I care?  Also, no.

U.S. Title Match: Sheamus (c) vs. Daniel Bryan

Since this didn't happen (it was a dark match that wasn't for the title, but it was still a lumberjack match that turned into a battle royal for the lumberjacks won by The Great Khali), I still wanted to put it here anyway.  Because that's how I roll.

Grade: Incomplete

World Heavyweight Title Match: Edge(c) (With Christian) vs. Alberto Del Rio (With Brodus Clay)

Wow, Vince.  Way to make sure that this is a belt you didn't invent by burying it at the bottom of the card.  Especially since this match was a LOT better than it had to be.  A lot of finisher attempts and reversals, and what I feel was the exact right amount of outside interference.  But I don't believe Christian could Tornado DDT Brodus Clay.  Phsyics just don't work out here.

Grade: B+

8 Man Tag Match: The Corre (Tag Champs Heath Slater & Justin Gabriel, Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett, and Ezekiel Jackson vs. Santino Marella, The Big Show, Kane, and Vladimir Kozlov)

Kozlov was attacked by The Corre at Axxess, so he was replaced by Kofi Kingston.  Well, that's ONE way to get him on the card.  (The rematch for the IC title would have been another, along with a Tag Title defense, but that would make too much sense).  The time it took me to type this is longer than the match itself.  This could have been done on "Superstars," for the love of the Almighty.

Grade: F- (That's right.  An F-.)

Rey Mysterio vs. Cody Rhodes

A few high spots here that I didn't expect to see out of this match.  Rey coming out in his "El Capitan de Mexico" outfit gives this bonus points.  Did like Cody blocking the 619 halfway in.  Also good to see Cody get the win

Grade: B-

Randy Orton vs. C.M. Punk

I never thought I would say this, and I did last night: Punk should NEVER WORK FACE AGAIN.  His heel character has really come a long way, and both of these guys worked well last night.  Only one groan (all of a sudden, Randy has to sell the knee before he kicks Punk), but a GREAT finish in a match that had some great moments, and was a LOT better than it should have been.

Grade: A-

Jerry  "The King" Lawler vs. Michael Cole (With Jack Swagger, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin was the special guest referee)

We lost the feed during this match, so I just have to go with the ending, when we got the feed back.  Without Austin, this fails miserably, especially with Lawler not being able to use the piledriver.  I now have to concede that Cole is the GM, which makes this even lamer.

Grade: D+ (only because of Austin does this not go worse)

Triple H vs. The Undertaker (No Holds Barred)

Still don't understand why this was where it was on the card.  I had such majorly high expectations for this match, and it started out REALLY strong.  However, it seemed like the longer it went, the more it just kind of waned.  A FOREVER finish, and we never got to see the sledgehammer used.  Granted, HHH using the Tombstone and not letting "Old School" happen were great spots (and a LOT of false finishes), but the ending still bugs me.  And no HBK shenanigans?  I'm kind of torn on that.

Grade: B-

6 Person Mixed Tag Match (Trish Stratus, Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, & John Morrison vs. Lay Cool & Dolph Ziggler)

I'll give this match a little props here: Congratulations to Snooki for showing a little athletic prowess here.  Made me wonder if she trained with Kelly Kelly.  Quick match, and the guys never got involved.  Not even Vickie really had a reason to be there.  And THIS ranked above HHH/Taker on the card?

Grade: B

WWE Title Match (The Miz (c) vs. John Cena)

The entrances were AWESOME, although it seems like Vince is doing everything he can to keep Cena face in the fans' eyes (the choir, the red, white, and blue, the "all about the kids").  The crowd was DEAD by this point, and I think it affected the match itself.  Riley has pretty much become a non-factor to The Miz, who has really become over as a MONSTER heel.  It was also good to see The Miz retain.  I think we all anticipated The Rock's shenanigans, but him Rock Bottoming Cena kind of took a bit of the heel heat away from last Monday night.  Kind of ended the Showcase of the Immortals on a whimper, but still not a bad match.

Grade: B-

That's it!  Remember to tune in tomorrow night to interact with Cody and myself LIVE!

BB

New Releases For The Week of March 27th, 2011

Caution!  There may be multiple entriest today!

Movies In Theaters This Week We Didn't Get To On The Show:

- In A Better World: The Golden Globe and Oscar winner for Best Foreign Film (which I called) as a father deals with both problems in a war torn country and a son that is being terrorized by a bully.

- Cat Run: Two childhood friends start a detective agency.  It's like Encyclopedia Brown, but grown-up and with hot women.  Kinda.

- The Elephant In The Living Room: A documentary about people who have exotic pets.  If none of them are a miniature giraffe, I'm out.

DVD/Blu-Ray Releases We Didn't Get To On The Show:

- All Good Things: Kirsten Dunst falls in love with Ryan Gosling, who may or may not be a killer.  And not in a "Valley Girl" kind of way.

- In Plain Sight: Season 3: Mary McCormack is a good lookin' lady.  And she was on "The West Wing".

- Made In Dagenham: It's like "Norma Ray" in Britain.  And something tells me that it was pitched that way.  Also based on a true story.

- The Secret of NIMH (Blu-Ray): Part of me wants to re-watch this, but another part of me fears that it won't hold up.

- Big Time Rush: Your kids know about this.  It's OK that you don't.

- UFC: Best of 2010: Or, "SPIKE TV about 19 hours a day".

Music Releases We Didn't Get To On The Show:

- Sum 41, "Screaming Bloody Murder": These guys are still kicking.  And for you trivia kids: The name of the band comes from the fact that they formed on the 41st day of summer.

- Unwritten Law, "Swan": The guys that brought you "Seeing Red" release new material.  That's all I've got.

- Wiz Khalifa, "Rolling Papers": When the only song you have will be played on "Dr. Demento" in five years, that's what you've got.  Just sayin'.

Stay tuned!  May have something else for you kids later today.

BB

New Releases For The Week Of March 20th, 2011

Hey!  We've got stuff to put in here!

DVD/Blu-Ray New Releases Not Covered On The Show:

- Stand By Me: 25th Anniversary Edition: Seriously, if you (or anyone you know) haven't seen this film (Sharla?), do so.  It's a little piece of greatness, and shows you that Stephen King doesn't always do horror.

- The Sandlot (Blu-Ray):  Pay no attention to the sequel.  This is one of the great movies of our time, and severely unappreciated by the public in general.  And it's INCREDIBLY quote-able.

- WWE Elimination Chamber:  This will always have that special place in my heart, due to this being the first PPV that Cody & I did the live pre-show for.  Did I mention that you can attend our next on on April 3rd at Fox & Hound in Richardson, Texas for... WRESTLEMANIA XVII?  There, I just did.  Get the information from our website:

http://www.theclubhousewithrobandcody.com/

- 2011 Daytona 500:  If you would like to relive NASCAR's Great Race, you now can.

Music New Releases Not Covered On The Show:

- Jennifer Hudson, "I Remember Me": And in a few years, that will be the list.

- Josh Kelley, "Georgia Clay":  Don't let the fact that he is Mr. Katherine Heigl fool you.  Dude's got talent, and you should check his stuff out.

- Ke$ha, "I Am The Dance Commander + I Commander You To Dance: The Remix Album":  So, there's THAT.

- Kirk Franklin, "Hello Fear":  Like him or not, the guy can make a gospel album.  "GP are ya wit' me?  OH YEAH, ME AND THE CHURCH AIN'T GOIN' NOWHERE!"  I commander you to dance.

- Michael Card, "An Invitation To Awe":  One of Christian music's godfathers keeps getting it done.

- Panic!  At The Disco, "Vices & Virtues":  These guys know how to title a song, but I only really know one of their songs.

- The Strokes, "Angles":  A lot of buzz is surrounding this album (it's been over 10 years since their debut with "Get Free" if you can believe that), so I may check it out.

- Tommy Shaw, "The Great Divide":  The latest from the guitarist from Styx.  Don't be fooled, though: dude's got pipes, too.

That will do it for this week!  Hope you are all well, and don't forget to click on our website above so you can join Cody & I each and every Tuesday night for an ALL-NEW episode of The Clubhouse With Rob & Cody on Ustream at 8 Eastern/ 5 Pacific.  If you have missed any episodes, you can also listen on our archive there as well!

BB

New Releases For The Week of February 6th, 2011

Yeah, buddy!  Got this done two weeks in a row!  That's how I roll, yo!

Let's get to it, and again, all of the new releases we have are in your local DVD store...

- I Spit On Your Grave (2010): Because you know what needed to be remade?  "I Spit On Your Grave".

- Columbo: Mystery Movie Collection 1991-1993: Oh, and one more thing...

- It's Kind Of A Funny Story: A kid winds up in a mental institution, and of course, Zach Galifinakis is there.  Stuff ensues.

- Thelma & Louise: 20th Anniversary Edition: If this was a book (and who knows, it could have been), it would be on Oprah's Book Club.  Bet me.

- Tamara Drewe: A young lady turns an artists commune upside down.  And yes, she is hot.  But she didn't used to be.  Moving on...

- Middle Men: A tale of the dudes that came up with the idea of putting nekkid pictures on the internet for money.  Luke Wilson is in it.  And yes, I said "nekkid".  You knew exactly what I was going for there, so don't deny it.

Don't forget to listen to The Clubhouse With Rob & Cody each and every Tuesday night at 8 Eastern/5 Pacific on Ustream!  The website is www.TheClubhouseWithRobAndCody.com so be there!

BB

New Releases For The Week Of 01/30/2011

Welcome to what has become a monthly update!  (Really, I'm trying to do this weekly, but stuff happens.)  Again, the only thing we are updating for you is DVD and Blu-Ray releases, so here we go!

- Airwolf: Season 4 - Sure, this was a cheap rip-off of "Blue Thunder," but it was still cool.

- Mean Girls 2 -  I think only one of the actors came back for this, so even the "there were so many unanswered questions at the end of the first one" argument doesn't work.  Plus, it aired on ABC FAMILY.  And I'm told that it's almost the same exact script done with different people.  I'm told anyway.

- 10 (Blu-Ray) - OK kids, you wanna see what we thought was scandalous back in the day?  Here you go, even in High Definition.

- UFC 123: Rampage vs. Machida - Memories, in the corners of my mind... I think even Vince gets this stuff out quicker.

- A Woman, A Gun, & A Noodle Shop - A Japanese remake of "The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly" if I'm not mistaken.  If I am, whatever.  These aren't all going to be home runs.

More coming next week (I hope).  For those of you that are local, I hope you are doing alright with The Snowtorious B.I.G. we are living.  And don't forget to listen to the show, 'cuz there are some HUGE announcements coming!  The Clubhouse With Rob & Cody is where YOU want to be!

BB

New Releases For The Week Of 01/02/2011

I hope all of you had a great New Year's celebration, and let's get this thing started!

Again, this week, the only new releases we did not cover on The Clubhouse With Rob & Cody were in your local DVD/Blu-Ray stores, so here's what we've got:

- Top Chef: D.C.: My wife watches this show, so I put this in there for her.  Hey, SOMETIMES she reads this thing.

- UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velasquez: Given recent events with Lesnar, this fight takes on a different light when you watch it now.

- Gone With The Wind (Blu-Ray): I had to watch this movie in 7th Grade American History class with Mrs. Lapay.  It took us a week.  I vowed to never sit through it again.  I haven't.

- Catfish: This is the flick that starts out with a dude who meets a chick on-line and goes to visit her.  Then apparently, things get odd.  When reviews say, "This is the film Hitchcock never directed," that tells me two things: 1 - I am intrigued, and 2 - Hitchcock didn't direct a LOT of films.

- Howl: This is a film where the versatile James Franco plays Alan Ginsburg, and the title comes from a very controversial poem he wrote that got him caught up in an obscenity trial.  I'm interested.

- Gun: This is a drama that is set in the drug trade.  The only reason that I put this here is for the cast: 50 Cent and Val Kilmer.  You read that right.

That's it for this week.  Make sure you join Cody and I each and every Tuesday night at 8 on the east coast and five on the west coast.  Get there from our website and enjoy!

BB