Bo B is Blowin Up!

Bo Burnham has turned his home made music videos into his own CD and Comedy Central Special. Oh yeah and he is still only 18 years old. He started posting videos for his older brother and they just started blowing up. He has over 37 million hits on Youtube which is freaking insane. This kids voice is pretty weak, but he is very talented on the keyboard, and his rhymes are as witty as I have ever heard. If he was black kid free-styling he would be considered a prodigy. Though music is just his canvas for his sattirical humor, which as you probably know is my favorite. I have posted videos of him a few time before, but I was quite suprised when I saw him on Comedy Central last night. Some of his songs are repetitive but this kid has some serious talent. Check out his website in which it has all of his Videos. Below is one of my favorites, it may have been posted before, but I like this kid and I want to get him as much exposure as I can. I may even go buy his CD and I cant remember the last one I have actually purchased. Check him out.



This brings me to a question. What does everyone think of YouTube and what it has allowed for people to do? I think it is such an amazing medium, yes you will find tons of useless crap of teenage girls, and my roommate giving there Twilight book reviews, but as a whole it is a great way to be seen or heard if you actually have something to show or say. I love the idea of being able to bypass mainstream media and go directly to the source. I am sure it is only a matter of time before you have to pay to view videos on YouTube but it has to be one of the best Websites of all time.

Where The Wild Things Are...

One of the most beloved children's books of all time, written by Maurice Sendak, is coming to the silver screen. I have mixed feelings about it being taken from the realm of the reader's imagination - where it has remained for 45 years - and having Director Spike Jonze's vision of the story laid out in moving color, but the bottom line is that I'm looking forward to this film.

The film has been a long time coming. Apparently, the adapted screenplay was written by Jonze and Dave Eggers, the celebrated and youthful author of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. The first trailer for this film ran before The Grinch when it opened in 2000. When Jonze and Universal Studios didn't see eye-to-eye over Jonze's vision for the film, the project died and Jonze took it to Warner Bros. Rumor has it that Warner Bros. didn't like Jonze's product and threatened to re-shoot the entire thing in the past couple of months. Jonze patched things up by shooting a number of short, small scenes that apparently fortified the story line involving Max's relationship with the Wild Things. Now, the film is slated for an October 2009 release, and the trailer is running rampant before Monsters v. Aliens.

The conflict that I feel over the book being made into a movie is not unique. Apparently, Warner Bros. worked very hard to try to get Howard Berger, one of the most respected make-up and effects people in the film business who won an Oscar for his work in Narnia, to join the project. Apparently, they weren't comfortable with Spike Jonze's vision of 9-foot foam mascot suits over which animated faces would be inserted. Anyway, Berger, who loved the book and said it inspired him to work with effects in film bringing imagination to life, turned down the project, stating that he couldn't stand the idea of the book being filmed. Wow.

I just read the book to my seven month old son a couple of weeks ago. I don't think he gets it quite yet, but he did get a good look at Sendak's illustrations. My strategy is to give my son a few years of enjoying the book - my mother must have read it to me 1,000 times, easily - and then let him see the film after he has already developed his own imagination of how the characters sound and move. Then, he can enjoy the film without it ruining the magic of the book, or so I hope.

Allegedly, Sendak's story was going to be that Max, after being sent to bed without dinner, went to a land of wild horses. The legend continues that Sendak realized he couldn't draw horses, and he changed it to monsters, or "Wild Things."

Anyway, here's the trailer.

How Are You Going to Clean this Up?

Over the weekend, Vince Schlomi, better known for the awesomeness that is the Sham Wow, had a violent run in with a prosty. Schlomi claims that he was propositioned for sex, went back to his place where he gave her a thousand dollars for straight sex (Who goes to a prosty for straight sex anyways?) When he went in for a kiss she bit his tongue and wouldn't let got. Vince did what any sane man would do and started punching her in the face. The story can be found in full over at The Smoking Gun. I don't really know what to think about this story. If you cant trust a prosty who the hell can you trust? This guy is an absolute clown. I read that he tried to sue the Farrelly Brothers once for stealing the idea to Something About Mary, however the suit was dropped. He also has tried to sue the church of Scientology, and Anna Nicole Smith. All without any luck. Vince my advice for you first of all don't tongue kiss a prosty. Her mouth was probably wrapped around 14 cocks in the last couple of days do you really want to kiss that? Secondly, you are pimping the hottest product in America, is it really that hard for you to score a babe? Christ just the thought of laying a babe down over bedding made entirely of sham wows is making the hair on my neck stand up. I think the lesson to be taken for this is don't pay for pussy, unless you are in a foreign country like Mexico or Thailand.

Thanks Silver for the heads up on this one.

Excuse me I have to go take a Laettner and whipe my Christian

Have you guys seen that Vitamin Water commercial with Laettner shooting bottles in the trash like the doosh that he is. Of course you have it is only on at every commercial break of every god damn game. Well every time it comes on and that microwave timer goes off it sounds like it is coming from behind me and I think my microwave is going off. My microwave sounds exactly the same. Garsh I hate Leattner...still...even now...fuck him and his million dollar endorsements.

Brewers: Spring Training

So finally the Brewers are on TV. I showed up a bit late to this game against the Rangers it is 7-4 bottom of 8 crew on the MLB network. MLB network is fucking awesome by the way. Way to go file for bankruptcy and adding one of the sweetest networks to your line up charter, don't raise my rates please. A little heads up, there will be a few more spring training games on MLB network: Tues march 31st 8pm (night game you better watch) and I think sat April 4th day game. There are black outs and I heard Milwaukee is blacked out but the games should be on FSN. The season is getting close and the zipper on my pants is about to tear open I am so excited.
I would also like to thank Tasty for the well put together Brewer preview, I was going to do one but after reading his, I am glad I didn't, It would of read like Helen Keller updating her twitter while wearing boxing gloves.

Sorry to do this

But does anyone know anyone who is looking to sell a black topper for a Ford Ranger? I want one, let me know.

Well Now that the Tourney is Over...

My two favorite college basketball teams have lost in the NCAA tournament, my bracket is officially busted, so it is time to switch my focus to the Brewers. Excitement still seems to be high after making the playoffs for the first time in 25 years. Here is a little look ahead to the upcomming season.

The Brewers off-season was rather ho-hum. They signed a couple of veteran relievers and utility men. The biggest of names is hall of fame closer Trevor Hoffman. Hoffman is not a power pitcher so his age shouldnt be that big of a detrimant, however after last years big signing of Eric Gagne, Milwaukee is starting to look like a place where Hall of Fame closers go to die. He is already hurting this spring and will probably open the season on the DL. The biggest off-season news was the loss of argubly the two best pitchers to put on a Brewer uniform in the last 20 years in CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets. The losses will be felt pretty hard. Yovanni Gallardo and Manny Parra will be the new 1-2 starters for the Brewers. Although young and unproven, these guys have the ability to form a formidable duo. The back half of the rotation is filled with 4-5 starter types in Dave Bush, Seth McClung, Braden Looper, and Jeff Suppan. They also have Chris Capuano who is coming back from major surgery in the mix for when somebody goes down. I dont love the staff but I can see a team ERA around 4.7 mark and that will probably finish them in the middle of the pack in the NL. There bullpen should be improved. David Riske should have a bounce back season, Todd Coffey was the best reliever down the stretch last year and he should claim a roster spot. Carlos Villanueva should settle down in the 7th or 8th inning role. He isnt your typical late inning reliever but he is a steady force in the pen. They also have some younger guys waiting for a chance to prove themselves in Mitch Stetter, Tim Dillard, and Mark Defelice. The names dont blow you away but I have trust in Doug Melvin's ability to build a bullpen.

The real power of this team should be just that their power. In Braun, Hardy, Cameron, Fielder, and Hart they have five guys capable of hitting 25 home runs. Braun, Fielder, and Hart are coming off of down seasons, and they are just entering there primes. I expect big things out of these three. Hardy may regress a bit from last season but I still seem him capable of 20 hrs and 100 rbis. The lineup should be near the top in the NL. I also expect a big year out of Rickie Weeks. If you ignore batting average, a stat most GM's already ignore, Rickie Weeks is an above average second basemen. People always seem to fail to realize that this kid is only 25 years old. His best baseball is still ahead of him. If he stays healthy a 20 stolen base/20 home run season is not out of the question.

Last year the defense went from one of the worst in baseball to soemthng just above average. That difference is what I believe can explain a lot of there success last year. The defensive improvement can be traced to moving Braun to the OF and Bill Hall to the infield and the acquisition of Cameron in CF. They arent going to win any gold gloves but they are at least league average defesively at every position except first base. With the loss of there two aces it is imperative that the Brewers keep playing adequate defense.

It is hard to look at this team on paper and say they are a lock for a wild card or to compete against the cubs and cards for the divsion, but they are definatley an up and coming team. There lineup is loaded from top to bottom, and for the most part none of those hitters have reached there prime. They have a couple of the games best prospects waiting in wings in Alcides Escobar and Mat Gamel, so the pipeline to the big leagues appears to remain intact. They also have a rather deep farm system and 5 picks in the top 125 of this years draft so they could make another block buster deal. Roy Halladay or Jake Peavy could be this years CC if they Brewers remain in contention. I dont see them acquiring a big name until the off-season when arbitration raises may force them to deal Fielder or Hardy. Still Doug Melvin and the new ownership have done a great job taking this team to a laughing stock to one of the better run organizations in the league. I dont see them getting back to the playoffs but 88-92 wins doesnt seem to be that far out of the question. Health obviously will play a huge factor, as they Brewers again do not have a tone of depth like the big spenders do.

Below are some great sites to follow the Brewers.

Fan Graphs

Brew Crew Ball

Al's Ramblings