Blog Archives
Pandemonium’s Playground is Open
A tornado unlike anything you’ve ever seen before is coming…
No, not that one. Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! will premiere on July 22nd at 9 p.m. ET on the Syfy network.
This tornado is filled with colossal upsets, trending dunks, dancing mascots and buzzer-beaters is finally touching ground in basketball arenas all across the United States today. March Madness, the wildest sports tournament in existence, is tipping off for the final 64 teams after a few teams were required to take an entrance exam for admittance earlier this week. From coast-to-coast, American companies will experience its lowest output for the year.
However, employee excitement levels will be off the charts.
Nobody has figured out an algorithm that is perfectly compatible for this tournament during any given year. That’s probably why sports fans anxiously await this momentous occasion. Any person has a shot at predicting correctly. The rationales for picking Team X or Team Y between Person A and Person B can see a variance as gaping as the Grand Canyon. And more surprising is that logic can and will only determine some of the results. The nature of March Madness is exactly that: madness. Therefore, each person’s bracket needs to have a few major upsets. There should probably be a Cinderella run by a mid-major. Mascot superiority and jersey colors will be determining factors. A few top teams will play exactly as expected. A 16-seed will never win.
As crazy as it reads, I strongly believe that a 16-seeded David will slay a Goliath sometime in the next few to several years. When this happens, the tournament will be deemed certifiably mad.
For some fun, listed below are a few highlights from my bracket:
- Every Iowa school (#7 Iowa, #3 Iowa State, #5 Northern Iowa) will win at least its first round game
- #11 The Dayton Flyers will see good fortune playing in Ohio, specifically in nearby Columbus
- #1 Duke and #2 UVA will meet in the Final Four for an epic ACC clash
- #7 Wichita State will shock the world and bring the entire state of Kentucky to tears en route to another Final Four
- #1 Wisconsin v #4 UNC will be must-see television
- The Arizona Wildcats will officially return to the college basketball summit by winning the 2015 National Championship with Sandra Bullock (“that wildcat behind the wheel”) sitting court side
Jim Nantz: You’re on.
Double Oh Yes
If you like a particularly famous British spy and dinosaurs (who doesn’t?), then then this blog post is perfect for you.
LEGO’s have had a surreal second life the past several years, amazingly different than the 1980s and 1990s. Long gone are the generic space ships, underwater settings and Old West corrals. No, the trend is to market and manufacture directly with famous brands and brand names like the Man of Steel, Batman, Pirates of the Caribbean and so forth. There are even miniature sets of the Sydney Opera House, for the more cultured adult.
Beyond the physical connective toys, its incredible theme park with multiple locations around the world, LEGO has successfully expanded into multimedia platforms, such as television (Star Wars), movies (The LEGO Movie) and video games.
Having been joyfully drawn back into all things LEGO by my nephew (including all of the offerings mentioned above), it seems appropriate that I drag him into a world unlike any other. It just took a certain movie being made for this summer to jump-start our imaginations all over again:
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The new poster has been rolled out:
(James Bond, Twitter)
November 6, 2015 is the theatrical release date, but this first teaser poster for Daniel Craig’s fourth film as James Bond that was recently released is the latest proof to the modern reality that blockbusters-in-the-making have tremendous and anticipatory fan followings given that today is only March 17, 2015. Spectre is, in fact, right in the middle of filming. And the buzz builds each day. Craig’s track record as 007 has been highly lauded and combining his skills as Bond with picturesque filming locations that have been disclosed by director Sam Mendes and the Broccoli family, Spectre is continuing to gain momentum as a genuine must-see cinematic adventure.
Dinosaurs, exotic destinations, LEGO’s, adventure, suspense, mystery, beautiful women and that perfectly mixed martini.
2015 will shake, not stir, the movie landscape.
P.S. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Recycling Success
7-nil.
FYI – Bayern Munich has scored 33 goals and conceded 3 in their last 9 games in all competitions.
For any Champions League match, that’s a startling final score. After dismantling Ukraine’s Shakhtar Donetsk following Müller’s successful penalty (and the fastest red card in tournament history) in the 4th minute on the friendly pitch at the Allianz Arena, Bayern Munich sent a clear message in their final game in the round of 16: Will Smith and Margot Robbie aren’t the only people in the world who are focused.
Last year’s devastating and embarrassing loss to eventual tournament champions Real Madrid in the semifinal still appears to be on the minds of the German leaders. 4th and 5th gears only. Pep’s Boys, regardless of potentially securing their 25th Bundesliga title with games in hand, will not rest until they can hoist their second Champions League trophy in three years. Or, in other words, winning the trophy that was the reason why Pep was hired as manager. As a matter of fact, they won’t rest until they get another historic Treble, like they did in 2013 with his predecessor Jupp Heynckes.
What are they doing to accomplish this? Oddly enough, it partially involves large buckets.
The goals are really piling up for Bayern Munich.
The Wilder Mind’s Electric Belief
So open up my eyes
Tell me I’m alive
This is never gonna go our way
If I’m gonna have to guess what’s on your mind
Banjos still tightly locked in their cases, Mumford & Sons recently released their first single, “Believe” from their upcoming album Wilder Mind. Still a little less than two months from its full release date (May 4th) and the previously folk-driven British band has expanded their sound with a flurry of electric guitars and pounding drums in the purest sense.
“Believe” is a departure from their folk rock style in favor of a climbing rock ‘n roll modus operandi. The reason for delaying a reaction to this highly-anticipated single for a couple days was to give myself the time to listen to it at my desk, in my car and at home with enough patience to evaluate the song’s staying power.
Verdict: There is something special here.
One of the big questions that comes to mind is whether “Believe” will be a standalone rock hit or if this album is telling a story in a similar tone and that this is simply one chapter in a musical journey the band describes as a/the Wilder Mind? If Mumford & Sons wanted to be the next Ramones, they would’ve never put the banjos down. There’s no doubt the folk-inspiration and sound with the banjo is great and will always be fantastic. The banjo will likely return in future albums in some form, but this band is so much more than just that one unique instrument.
Believe me.
Jimmy's Daily Planet 