The Great American Review Week: "Saudades De Rock" - Extreme

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The Great American Review Week - "Tradeables" by Fathead

If you may remember last month, I reviewed the new product by Fathead called Tradeables. I was not all that glowing in my review mostly due to the fact that I received three of the same Tradeable (Larry Johnson of the Kansas City Chiefs). Well, the good folks at Fathead decided that they wanted another chance here at TTFL by sending me an entire pack of Tradeables for review.

The standard pack (pictured above) contains five Tradeables broken down like this (according to the website):

• 1 Team Helmet (All 32 Teams available)
• 1-2 Authentics (25 Players available)
• 2-3 Game Time (125 players available)

To help differentiate between the Authentics and Game Time Tradeables, I'll offer a quick description. Authentics card not only offers a Player Fathead but also contains a small team logo Fathead and a second smaller Fathead of the same player in a circle shield-like design with the team and player's name in script in the circle. The Game Time card contains a single Fathead featuring the player in an action pose. Here's what I received:

• Green Bay Packers Helmet
• Tom Brady (Authentics)
• Eli Manning (Authentics)
• Clinton Portis (Game Time)
• Maurice Jones-Drew (Game Time)

Now, that I've had a chance to test and pour over the whole package, my opinion has definitely changed concerning the Tradeable product. I like the protection that is offered by the Fathead-stamped clear cellophane envelope that encases the new card sheets. The difference between the two types of Player Fatheads are pronounced and make either inherently more collectible.

Like before, the ability to move the cling from card sheet to new surface is still the same without any tearing whatsoever. Also, the only remaining drawback is the lack of associated player/team stats on the back of each card sheet. But that is really minor when you consider that the majority of purchasers will discard the sheet once the Fathead is removed.

One thing that I did not review which is included with the Tradeable purchase is the "Top Secret Code" which can be redeemed at Tradeables.com for Games and prizes. So, round out the entire experience, I went to the website to redeem the code.

After an initially complicated username login creation (due to the fact that the site uses the same Fathead customer database that is used for ordering products online), I entered my 12 Alpha-Numeric code and here's the first screen that I received:


The "Locker Room" site itself is basically a portal environment with individual widgets that you can move around on the page (although my browser never seems to let me but I have IE configuration issues). With the three column look, it's like an homage to the old Sport Pages of the last century. The game that I unlocked was Save The Cheerleader, an old-school 8-bit game while being simplistic, did make the old gamer in me laugh. Obviously, the point of the site to make you go back to unlock more games and other Fathead-associated stuff and based on my experience, I'll definitely go back.

Initially, I was leery of the $15 price point but when you include the differences between the card sheets and the online content, I would definitely recommend picking up one for the sports fan in your life.

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The Great American Review Week - "Too Cool To Be Forgotten" by Alex Robinson (Top Shelf)

Too Cool To Be Forgotten is the latest original graphic novel from one of my all-time favorite creators, Alex Robinson (Box Office Poison, Tricked). The story is about a guy named Andrew Wicks who allows himself to go under hypnosis in order to quit his addictive nicotine habit. While in his hyopnotic state, Wicks "travels" back to 1985 and his junior year in high school so he can stop himself from taking his first drag on a cigarette butt. But as the former Rosanne Arnold can tell you, there are some things that hypnosis uncovers that you may not want to remember. Thank goodness this book does not go down that same abusive road.

Robinson does a great job of mixing the all-too-familiar feelings of social awkwardness and poignant pain that comes with being a teenager. Characters are more than just stereotypes and the dialogue steers clear of using the dated pop-culture references or teenage-speak cliches. the pace of the book was quick and even at a shade under 130 pages, it was a relatively quick read.

The art is Robinson's forte. For those who only read the superhero books, Robinson's style may be considered odd. All of the characters look different (in a good way) and there are some layouts that could only be in the comic book medium. The splash pages are non-existant and the flow of the art from panel to panel and page to page makes reading the book almost effortless. A big plus is the cover of this hardcover, which is a sweet design marriage of the very familiar cigarrette soft pack of Kools and the overly trite yearbook signing phrase 2 Cool 2 B Forgotten.

If you're new to comics, a veteran of multiple Earth crisises or somewhere inbetween, you should read this book. Too Cool To Be Forgotten is an ideal piece of comic fiction with its compelling story and easy-to-follow layout Capes and tights stories can take a hike when compared to this book.

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The New Lara Croft Vaults Into the Foreground

Hello Gorgeous! The latest person to take up the Lara Croft mantle is not an actor or a model by trade. In these Olympic times that we're currently live in, it should only be fair to have an athlete - to be specific, a gymnast from England - step into the form fitting archaeologist suit. Her name is Alison Carrol and you can find out more on her leap into the world of make-believe at Yahoo!

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The Great American Review Week

This week here at TTLF, you're in for a real treat. To help me get off my ass and review stuff that I have be so graciously been given to review, I am throwing down the gauntlet and making a personal challenge to only post fanatical reviews for the week. The reviews will run the gambit from comics to books to CDs to other stuff. And the real winner from all of this is... YOU! Stay tuned..

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The Return of the Friday Favorite - "Blind Man" by Black Stone Cherry

Here's something to get your feet tappin' and your body rockin'. BSC will be releasing their new CD, Folklore & Superstition, this upcoming Tuesday. Their sound is like a mix of Southern Fried Rock and 70s Classic Rawk. Judge for yourselves - here's the first single, Blind Man:

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Viral Video - Olympic Snap

I saw this last night via my brother on LiveLeak but it has been taken down due to NBC copyright infringement. But luckily, Deadspin has an embedded video of the live stream of this stomach-turning incident.

Obviously, the injury is pretty brutal. But you gotta love a couple of things with this video. First, the fact that it was replayed as many times as when Theismann became a half-foot shorter in one leg thanks to the infamous LT sack. And that there are a team of five or six workers that are responsible for shielding the injured participant (and that those workers move strangely like riot police).

The only thing that is missing from this video that I liked on the LiveLeak version was the Aussie commentators voicing their disgust about replaying the injury over and over again.

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Gamer Pride - Madden 20th Anniversary Reebok Recline PHs

In honor of the Madden/EA Franchise hitting 20 years, Reebok has put all of the game covers on a Recline PH shoe for w hat I'm sure is a limited release. I can't find any other word on the shoe as far as release date or price point but if you want 'em, you gotta imagine that they'll cost about three times what this year's Madden release for the XBox 360 costs. Not bad for 20 years of service.

Pics from Solecollector.com (Top - obviously) and Deadspin (Bottom - from the Maddenpalooza Party in LA)

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Hey - Wha Happened?

Of all of the weeks to take a short vacation from the keyboard. August is supposed to be the boring or "dead" month of Summer before Falls begins but this past couple of days seems to bring tons of news from all corners of the Pop Culture world. Think of when the last time these events happened in the span of a couple of days:

• The death of two highly visiable Hollywood entertainers (Issac Hayes and Bernie Mac)


• The death of so many Olympic and World Records in Beijing


• The death (and possible resurrection) of Wolfmother, an up-and-coming band that contributed to the reimmergence of rock in American music

When you count that today is Madden 09 Day and that Metallica not only announced the completion of Death Magnetic but also tour dates for the first leg of their North American tour, August has become very newsworthy.

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New BS In The News

Just a quick note while I'm on a little min-eye vacation...

I'm back in the column writing business but with a new twist. The good folks at Patriots Daily have done the unthinkable and have given me valuable writing space on their site to offer not only my take on the Pats and their next opponents but that of pro columnists, forum posters and other cyber "analysts" (you know, the ones who use IMO in almost every sentence uttered). Here's what the site's editor had to say this morning (and yes, this is pure ego-stroking):

Britt Schramm will be our go-to guy for a new Friday morning feature that will be focused on the coming weekend’s opponent. Britt will look beyond the Globe and Herald scouting reports to see what’s really been happening with the next team on the Pats schedule. Britt’s another experienced, articulate blogger who’s devoted to the Pats, and I feel like we’ve been lucky to attract people like him, Tyler and Chris to the PD masthead this season. I can’t wait to get rolling.

The column name is still to be determined. But I can tell you that I am looking forward to working with Scott and the rest of the PD staff. I have a feeling that this is a start of a beautiful relationship. You can read the rest of Scott's post right here.

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A Very Refreshing and Fun What If...

One of my favorite all-time reads (in this decade or any other) are the "What If..." comics from Marvel. Just imagine being a kid and seeing Spider-Man become part of the Fantastic Four on a cover or reading Frank Miller warm up his Dark Knight Returns series by doing the same thing to Daredevil and Elektra. Or if Power Man and Iron Fist had their genders changed? Those things messed with my mind just by turning the status quo on its ear.

So, believe me when I say that there was something that made me feel the same way in last Sunday's Boston Globe. Charles Pierce crafted a thing of beauty by mixing his interview with the 1988 Democratic Nominee for President with a look of what might have been. I heartily recommend reading it if only for the way he weaves the newsmakers of today into this hilarious and thought-provoking tale of What If, which only hammers home the fact that the roads diverged lead to some strange but wonderful tales.

Click my very sad attempt at a homemade image to read more...

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The Rockin' Soul Show is Off The Air - But For How Long?

First reported by DCRTV.com then confirmed by FMBQ, Don Geronimo has left the radio airwaves once again yesterday. Here's what DCRTV reported yesterday:

Geronimo "Fired" From WOCM - 8/4 - A DCRTVer tells us: From the lady who answered the business line at WOCM, Ocean City, "Don Geronimo (right) is no longer with Ocean 98." Earlier, we reported that the DC area radio veteran and former WJFK-FM afternooner did not do his oldies show at 1 PM today. Says the mysterious Mr. Sorce: "They fired me for talking too much and adlibbing during live reads. Oh, and I wanted more than $10 an hour. All true, gotta love radio... Next move maybe sooner before later... but I did have fun for a month." WOCM Program Director Skip Dixxon will now extend his midday shift from 10 AM to 3 PM. Geronimo is rumored to be heading to Sirius XM. Stay tuned.....

It's too bad that the PD at WOCM was oblivious to what he was getting when he hired DJ Doni G for that shift. If he had heard anything recently by Geronimo, Dixxon would've known that the guy likes to talk, not only inbetween the records as well as the live commercials. That's part of his shtick. But this "firing" could also be construed as the usual MO that Geronimo uses when he torches a on-air gig before taking a new one somewhere else (as he has repeatedly mentioned on the air). It's too bad he couldn't use his "Already Gone" song when leaving.

So, for fans of a quality radio entertainment program, it's back to March 14th all over again waiting for a radio dial that has Doni G. talking on it.

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One-Sentence Review: “In This Life” - Jet Black Stare

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We're One Step Closer to Living In a George Lucas Universe

Coming AT-AT 'cha is the BigDog robot made by the good folks at Boston Dynamics. The demo video on the link provided (no embedding - sorry folks) does a pretty good job of selling the stability and manuverability of this gas-powered mechanical mule. But the cool part of the vid is the opening part where if you squint your eyes, you can almost see the Planet of Endor with this big AT-AT traversing the land.

PS - I know that it was a two legged version of the AT-AT called the AT-ST but to think that Lucas' ideas are not just pure fantasy is still pretty cool.

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Chavez Ravine has become "Mannyland"

Image courtesy of Boston.com

The original Red Sox Christmas present has just walked out the door; taking with him two others in a three-way trade with the Dodgers and the Pirates. the guy in return - Pirates OF Jason Bay. Not a big name but a solid occasional All-Star who's been in the NL all of his career. I had to let this whole idea of this trade sink in before commenting on it.

At first, I thought that the Sox gave up too much. Moss has shown brief flashes of being a solid player for years to come. Hansen, though, has gone from closer savior to 8th inning setup man with closer-quality to a BP pitcher. And while Manny was not hitting his usual .340, 30+, 70+, he was still a feared hitter and great protection for Big Papi. At best, they come away a wash on the deal; at worse, there are now bigger holes in both the batting order, less options from the bench and a dire lack of arms in the 'pen.

But after sleeping on it and reading some organizational insight from The Globe's Nick Carfaldo, it was apparent that this move was for the future good of the team. Manny definitely wanted out of Boston (based on his numerous quotables) and decided to hold his breath until he got his way. At least Bay is on the hook for one more year and is a total and direct opposite of a malcontent. In terms of fielding and base-running, Bay will be a solid upgrade; albeit not as adventurous or lackadaisical as the once patroller of The Wall's front lawn.

It's very hard to see a future 1st ballot HOF go to the Red Sox - Left Coast Division but it was obvious it will be the best for all in involved. The Sox can now concentrate on completing in the very tough AL playoff race, The Pirates start their perpetual Building for the Future (which they been doing since 1993) and the Dodgers get a solid clean-up hitter with so many quirks that the only place he could fit in is one where fantasy and reality are in constant flux.

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How To Leave a Job Without a Shred of Integrity 101 by "Prof." Tom Casale

Here's the course description from the Master of Career Suicide (he's the third from left in jailhouse stripes - a very foreboding attire, you might say):

• Learn how to trash your former co-workers and disgrace your former employer on your first day on your new job
• Discover new ways to dredge up old hot button topics by insinuating that evidence was suppressed by not only your employer but by its governing body
• Make baseless accusations about everyone from your co-workers to the subjects of your work duties without any proof whatsoever; all using the guise of "Keepin' It Real"
• Free up more time since there is no need to create a resume as you will become instantly unwanted by any company other than a gambling organization

Course references can be found here for those curious enrollees. You can contact the professor of Napalming Co-Workers and Killing Careers there.

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Comic-Con hangover

Due to the information outpouring during this year's SDCC, I've found that I do not have too much to say in a post. I have been messing around trying to come up with a New England Patriots GameDay Countdown clock (inspiration coming from Boston.com). After some searching, I found one at yourminis.com and have modded it into one that I can live with for right now. So, take a look below at the TTLF's clock and copy your hearts out.

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Wash Post Looks at Possible Subscriber Changes in a XM-Sirius World

It was almost destined to happen when it was first rumored last year. And with the 3-2 squeaker of an approval for the XM-Sirius merger, what happens next? And more importantly to some, when can XM people get Howard Stern on their boxes? Well, Frank Ahrens of the Washington Post offers his observations of the possible changes to subscribers on both sides of the satellite radio. Most of the article is pure conjecture at this time but here's something that I will keep my eye on:

The companies have said that they would freeze the $12.95-per-month rate for three years after the merger. In the letter to the FCC, XM and Sirius said they will create a number of programming options ranging from $6.99 to $16.99 per month.

· For $6.99 per month, subscribers can choose either 50 Sirius or 50 XM channels and add additional channels for 25 cents each per month.

· For $14.99 per month, subscribers get 100 channels: XM subscribers get mostly XM channels and can pick Sirius channels to round out to 100. A similar deal will be available for Sirius subscribers.

· For $16.99 per month, XM subscribers get all of their current XM channels and can add an undetermined number of Sirius channels. Vice-versa for Sirius subscribers.

· For $9.99 per month, subscribers can get a "mostly music" or "mostly news, sports and talk" package of channels.

· For $11.95 per month, subscribers can get a "family-friendly" package of existing channels from either XM or Sirius, which would block out such programming as Howard Stern and rap and rock channels with profanity-laced songs.

· For $14.99 per month, subscribers can get a "family friendly" package of channels from both services.

Yes, but you'll probably have to pay extra. In the letter to the FCC, the companies said that such "premium" programming will cost more. Stern is not identified in the letter, but he is Sirius's biggest draw.

If this pricing matrix is close to correct, count me as the first in line to buy the new satrad receiver for both house and card.

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Cartoon Network and WB Animation present "The Brave and the Bold" trailer @ SDCC

If you're a fan of Batman or classic comics/animation in general, you must be peeing in your pants about the new animated series "The Brave and The Bold". If that is you, then you may want to evacuate your facilities because here's the trailer for said series was premeired at San Diego Comic-Con courtesy of Cartoon Network and Warner Brothers Animation (video provided by CBR):

After watching it and you're hungry for more, go on over to Superherohype.com to read an exclusive interview about the series with Producer/Character Designer James Tucker and Voice Director Andrea Romano.

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The Fanatical Review - "The Apocalipstix (Oni Press)"

Title - The Apocalipstix

Publisher - Oni Press

Format - Digest-Sized; 144 pages

Cover Price - $11.95

What started out as a self-contained story in an anthology titled Rumble Royale from The Royal Academy of Illustration and Design and continued in a new story in 2007 Free Comic Day comic, The Apocalipstix finally gets its due in a digest-sized original graphic novel (or as the people who only speak in acronyms say, OGN) from Oni Press.

Hard rockers Mandy and the Mittens (Lead Singer Mandy, Drummer Megumi & Bassist Dot) were all set to make their big break when a strategically placed nukes rain down and practically wipe out the entire civilized world. Now, they have to travel cross-country to get to the big Battle of Bands concert. If they win, free gas to the next stop in the tour. But if they lose.. Well, let's just say that it's not pretty to say the least.

The Apocalipstix has something for everyone; lots of guns and exploding stuff for action fans, hot babes for the good girl fans, large ants for the sci-fi lover and even a love interest for the romance readers (you know who you are). The three-chapter book itself plays out like a breakneck Rock and Roll Mad Max road story with a slight dash of Xenozoic Tales for good measure. Ray Fawkes writes a mean action storyline with a decent cast of engaging characters with a fun dialog. And Cam Stewart outdoes himself by bringing his superb animation-flavored art and imbibing it with a sense of craziness. I was also impressed with Stewart's ability to draw each woman in the band differently; you'd be surprised how many artists in the industry fail to do that.

So, if you are tired of the latest in the cape-and-tights mega crossover or bored to death with those over-compressed six issues stories that should really only last three, you should definitely take The Apocalipstix for a ride.

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