Isis - Backlit (Live - Sweden, 2005)

Here's an excellent live version of Backlit, one of my favorite songs from the band Isis. Isis was one of the pioneers of the post-rock/post-metal/avant-garde metal/experimental genre whose sound, along with bands like Neurosis and Godflesh, was greatly influential for many other artists that followed (Pelican, Russian Circles and Cult of Luna to name a few).

Unfortunately Isis decided to break up after their tour this past summer. I highly recommend checking out their catalog: from the heavy 'Oceanic' to last year's incredible 'Wavering Radiant', the musicians of Isis truly constructed massive yet controlled sounds with each release focusing on a central theme where there is a continuity to both the music and lyrics.

"Always object, never subject."

Lionel Messi - Simply the Best

In lieu of tomorrow's all-world clash (more commonly known as 'el clasico') between Spanish superpowers Barcelona and Real Madrid, here's a really nice highlight clip of Lionel Messi...the best soccer player on the planet - war Barca!

Zlatan Ibrahimovic's Amazing Goal - AC Milan vs. Fiorentina (11-21-10)

An excellent half-bicycle goal by Swedish international/AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic:

Bill Hicks on who's really in control...

"I have this feeling, man, cos you know there's a handful of people actually run everything. That's true. It's provable, it's not a fucking-I'm not a conspiracy nut. It's provable. A handful, a very small elite, run and own these corporations, which include the mainstream media. I have this feeling who's ever elected President, like Clinton was, no matter what your promises you promise on the campaign trail, 'blah, blah, blah', when you win, you go into this smoky room with the twelve industrialist capitalist scum-fucks who got you in there, and you're in this smoky room and this little film screen comes down, rrrrrrrrrr, and a big guy and a cigar (po po) 'Roll the Film'. (po po po) And it's a shot of the Kennedy assassination from an angle you've never seen before...that looks suspiciously of the grassy knoll. And then the film, the screen goes up, and the lights come up, and they go to the new President, 'Any questions?'

'Ah, just what my agenda is?'
'First we bomb Baghdad.'
'You got it.'

-Excerpt from Bill's performance at the Laff Stop in Austin, Texas (1993); included in the 'Rant in E Minor' CD (1997).

Films - Random Lists & Reminders

• Revisit Alfred Hitchcock's catalog
• See Akira Kurasawa's classics
• Go through Clint Eastwood-directed films
• View any and all Paul Newman films
• View any and all Robert Shaw films
• View any and all Robert Mitchum films
• Check out Stanley Kubrick's early films
• View any and all Gene Hackman films
• Documentaries...
• Revisit films by: Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Sam Peckinpah, Sergio Leone, Paul Greengrass, Christopher Nolan, Werner Herzog, David Lynch, David Cronenberg, Wes Anderson, Joel & Ethan Coen, David Fincher, Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson, Danny Boyle, Ken Burns, Darren Aronofsky, Sam Mendes, Ridley Scott, Michel Gondry, Roman Polanski, George Roy Hill
  
• Check out more films directed by: Andrey Tarkovskiy, Chan-wook Park, Takashi Miike, Oliver Hirschbiegel, David Lean, John Sturges, Terry George, John Boorman, Ingmar Bergman
  

Footage of the last Thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger)...and possible 2009 sighting?

The thylacine was a large carnivorous marsupial that was once native to Australia, but later survived on the island of Tasmania. It is now considered to be an extinct species due to intensive hunting and the last known thylacine died in 1936 at The Hobart Zoo in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. A truly amazing creature and a shame it was hunted to extinction.

Here is footage from 1933 of the last-known survivor of the species:



This is a short clip from a man who claims this is footage of a living thylacine that he recorded in 2009:

Short Clip on Percy Fawcett and The Lost City of Z

This is a clip that discusses Col. Percy Harrison Fawcett, who was a former British military officer turned Archaeologist and South American explorer who disappeared (still under unknown circumstances) during an expedition to find the ancient lost city "Z".

Fawcett had been on numerous expeditions to map several jungle areas in Brazil and Bolivia on behalf of the Royal Geographic Society. He had studied many historical records and mapped out different regions of South America and became convinced that a lost city existed in Brazil's Mato Grosso region. In 1925 Col. Fawcett, his son Jack and Jack's friend Raleigh Rimell set off in search of the city...they were never heard from again.

There are, of course, many theories regarding the fate of Fawcett's final trek into this uncharted territory: many have speculated that one of the local tribes had killed them (more than a few of the native tribes near where Fawcett and his team vanished were known to be hostile). Falling prey to one of the many deadly animals in the Amazon, disease and even natural causes could all be possibilities as well. Following his disappearance, it is estimated that almost 100 people have either died or disappeared themselves searching for Fawcett over the years. The debate continues to this day over what really became of the eccentric explorer, so determined (almost to a maddening degree) to find the lost city that many have argued that he never had any intentions of returning to Britain and that he was to start and live in some sort of mystical commune in the jungle.

Percy Fawcett is truly a pioneer, a fearless and legendary British explorer and certainly the last of his kind. I strongly recommend reading about Col. Fawcett and his various expeditions, especially if you have an interest in exploration, adventure or mysterious disappearances. David Grann's excellent and captivating book The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon, is a great place to start.

Sergio Martinez vs. Paul Williams, KO of the year!

This must be the leading candidate for KO of the year...and maybe the decade! Middleweights Martinez and Williams fought last year with Williams winning a split decision. The rematch turned out to be quite different as Martinez threw a devastating, lights-out left hook in the 2nd round to retain the WBC middleweight title. Martinez now will certainly be considered the best 160-pounder, but who does he fight next? There may not be many takers after this performance...

Eric Boulton vs. John Erskine and a comment on fighting

Early candidate for NHL fight of the year as Eric Boulton and John Erskine really go at it. I'm not sure about the history of these two but there seems to be no love lost as they trade absolute bombs - good scrap.

It's actually good to see hockey fights back on the upswing - I have been a hockey fight fan for a long time and I def. believe it's the lesser of two evils in such a fast and violent sport. There is a fighting code amongst the players and rarely does a combatant in a hockey fight get seriously injured. If you take fighting out of the game, there will be more opportunities for stick retaliations, which would be far worse for the game.

So let the guys drop the gloves, whether it's to protect a teammate, set a tone or to light a fire under your team after falling behind - I've yet to see anyone leave their seat as a result of a fight breaking out and it clearly gets the fans fired up...plus, if they continue to be as entertaining as the Boulton - Erskine battle, keep 'em comin'!

The first play set the tone...

Last night was one for the books in terms of Monday Night Football performances. After a pre-game scuffle where two Washington Redskins defensive backs taunted Eagles receive DeSean Jackson, the Eagles decided to set the tone...on the very first play from scrimmage! Michael Vick drops back and fires a laser to Jackson who beats LaRon Landry for the TD. A perfectly-timed call by Andy Reid and the Eagles offense to go after Landry, who was one of the players instigating Jackson in the warm-ups, on the very first play.

It no doubt set the tone and fired up the Birds, in particular the record-setting performance of Vick, who was flat-out unstoppable, with six (!) total TDs and over 400 yards of total offense. A dominant performance by the entire team against a division rival, this merely hours after Donovan McNabb signed a 5 yr, $78 mil contract extension. It was almost too good to be true, and even when the Redskins scored a TD here and there, they were never really in the game. Let's just hope that the Eagles can stay healthy and focused, as they have a short week leading up to yet another crucial NFC East clash, this time against the New York football Giants.

Halladay Wins 2010 NL Cy Young Award

No real surprise here as Phillies ace Roy Halladay wins the NL CY Young in a unanimous decision today. Roy was dominant in his starts and had quite an unforgettable year in his first season with the Phillies. He's an absolute beast on the mound and more than lived up to the incredible hype that surrounded him prior to his arrival.

His technical skill and competitiveness are off the charts scary, which match his no-nonsense approach to the game and uncanny ability to block out any distractions no matter the situation. Ohh, and his numbers from this season speak for themselves - lead the National League in wins, complete games, shutouts and innings pitched. Throw in both a no-hitter (in the playoffs) AND a perfect game in the same season and you have the best pitcher in the majors on your team.

Congrats to Roy Halladay, an incredible athlete and all-around class act.

Radiohead - Let Down (Live) (New York, 12-19-97)

One of my favorite songs from one of my all-time favorite bands. I still have no idea why I haven't seen Radiohead live yet, but it needs to happen soon. I have been a big fan of Radiohead ever since I was completely blown away the first time I heard 'Ok Computer'. I hadn't heard anything like it and thought the entire CD sounded as if it was composed inside of a spaceship! In my opinion the whole album is just about flawless, and Let Down may be my favorite track.

The lyrics are some of the best they've ever written; there's just something about this particular song - one of the most moving in their catalog to date - a shame they rarely play it live...can't wait to see what Radiohead have coming in the future.

Joe Hart with the save of the year!

Manchester City's Keeper Joe Hart is having quite a season in the English Premier League. He may be having the best season of any keeper in the top division and surely will be among the best goalkeepers in the world. He is athletic, has great vision and hands and also comes up big on set pieces and PKs. This is one (incredible) example of why England's future looks bright between the sticks...

Books to Check Out, Part I

Currently reading Love All the People: The Essential Bill Hicks, which is excellent, and then moving on to Exploration Fawcett: Journey to the Lost City of Z,those interested in Fawcett's story should also definitely check out The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon.

Now making a list of books to read in the future:

• The Tiger, John Valliant
• Underground, Haruki Murakami
• True Crime: An American Anthology, Harold Schechter
• Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad
• Darklore Volume 3, Greg Taylor
• A Short History of Nearly Everything, Bill Bryson
• JFK: The CIA, Vietnam, and the Plot to Assassinate John F. Kennedy, L. Fletcher Prouty
• House of Leaves, Mark Danielewski
• Life and Fate, Vasily Grossman
• The Sheltering Sky, Paul Bowles
• The Beach, Alex Garland 
• Cloudstreet, Tim Winton
• Far Tortuga, Peter Matthiessen
• The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
• Blood Meridian: Or the Evening Redness in the West, Cormac McCarthy
• Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer (P.S.)
• Outliers: The Story of Success

ESPN 30 for 30

To commemorate their 30th anniversary, ESPN decided to create a series of documentaries where outside filmmakers would each do a story from that time-frame. Now, I haven't seen every one that's been aired yet, but I can say that the ones I have been able to check out are engrossing programs that pull you in from the very beginning.

I can't say enough as to how thought-provoking and well-made these films are...just do yourself a favor and start watching this outstanding series - it doesn't matter what sports you're into, and there's no order in which to view them.

After only seeing the first 10 minutes of 'The Two Escobars' I was hooked! 'A Night in Vegas' and 'Once Brothers' (the incredible story of the friendship between Vlade Divac and Drazen Petrovic that deteriorated after Yugoslavia split and a war between Serbia and Croatia broke out) followed and I'm now looking forward to 'The Best That Never Was', which features the quick rise and even quicker fall of star RB Marcus Dupree.

Sidney Sam's incredible one-timer

Sidney Sam of Bayern Leverkusen with a volley for the ages! An absolute stunner...check the view from the goal cam - a perfectly-hit rainbow into the corner.

Zambidis vs. Chahid in a K-1 war

This is one of THE best K-1 fights I have ever seen...correction, one of the best fights ever...period. Mike Zambidis and Chahid throw non-stop bombs in an absolute war in K-1's World Max 2010 - a must-see for any fight fan! Announcer Mike "The Voice" Schiavello's commentary is off-the-charts and makes the fight that much more dramatic; just crazy all-around.

'400. The Paterno Way!'

It didn't look promising early on in today's Penn St. - Northwestern game. They looked sluggish and the offense had no consistency at all; basically a first half to forget.

Then, the comeback began...a huge reversal of fortune for the Lions in the second half as they punished the Northwestern defense; McGlion steps in and throws for 4 TDs; Royster and Redd both rush over 100 yards. This win also tied for the biggest come-from-behind victory for Penn St. under Paterno.

But the real story was the achievement of Paterno getting his 400th victory; a living legend who has been the school's head coach since 1966! As is his demeanor, he shunned the spotlight and chaos afterward - already discussing upcoming opponent Ohio St. in the post-game interview. And so, a big congrats to Joe Paterno on winning his 400th college football game today - it couldn't have happened to a classier guy.

Photo source: http://msn.foxsports.com/collegefootball/story/Paterno-wins-400th-career-game-thanks-to-Penn-State-rally

Fedor - Reign of the Last Emperor HL

Excellent video of Fedor Emelianenko - still the greatest MMA fighter in the world!

Schweinsteiger releases the Kraken!

Bastian Schweinsteiger with an absolute laser against Werder Bremen. Rumors have him coming to England...