Looking forward to this game! Check back soon for details. Battlefield 3 drops in late 2011, just in time to make your holiday gift list.
The Atlanta Thrashers are heading to hockey’s homeland. Get excited Canada!
Manitobians(?) celebrated the return of hockey Tuesday, as the NHL announced True North Sports and Entertainment acquired the Atlanta Thrashers. The move is pending approval by the NHL Board of Governors in June, but something tells me hockey’s days in the ATL are numbered. When the Thrashers move, it will be the first NHL relocation since 1997. Winnipeg previously had a team, which relocated to Phoenix. For those of you pre NHL 95, Google Winnipeg Jets and check out out those sweet uniforms.
Could this be a sign of things to come? In the mid 90s, teams from smaller Canadian markets started migrating south to the promise land that was the U-S-A. In the midst of an economic crisis and with the NHL still relevant to only a small portion of the US, does it make sense to have teams in Atlanta, Phoenix and Florida? I would not mind seeing the NHL grow in smaller Canadian markets, as long as those cities can support the team. Just please, do not steal my NJ Devils.
Phoenix can’t move back to Winnipeg now, but maybe Quebec will take them. Then the old Nordiques (Avalanche) can play against the new Nordiques (Coyotes). I would hate to be working at Elias and have to keep track of team records.
If you are in Winnipeg, tickets go on sale tomorrow at 1pm. The to-be-determined Winnipeg team will play its games in front, NHL fingers crossed, 15,015 screaming Molson drinkers at the MTS Centre.
TSN Announces Winnipeg Jets Move to Phoenix
Puck Gate – Great One Steals Last Puck in 1995
The summer is here and tax season has ended. There are those out there who owed the IRS money and those still recovering from the payment made in April to cover taxes in 2010. My name is Dennis, I am a Certified Public Account (CPA) from the Keystone State and I will be writing a column from time to time to help you save and do a better job at understanding your finances.
As a tax and finance professional, I hate to see the looks on the faces of my clients when I tell them they owe money to the IRS. This is especially bad when they owe a shit ton of money to the Federal Government. But I am going to tell you right now that owing the government money at tax time is a good thing. As long as you owe less than $1000 the government doesn’t care (owing more than $1000 could have penalties associated with it).
Let that soak in for a second. So now you have to ask yourself something, ”Do I want the money now or do I want it later?” A lot of professionals will tell you, take the money now. I would tell you the same thing. I am going to be frank with you. Americans don’t do a good job saving. There are too many temptations out there. Having the government take a little out each month even if you are not getting interest on it could mean the difference between that new boat or a summer vacation for you and your family. So how do get the government to be your bank if you want it?
Go to your employer and change your W-4. The calculation is always an estimate so here is some good general guidelines for homeowners with mortgages and renters.
Go with breakeven if you can save on your own or the other two if you want the government to do the saving for you. Good luck. If you have any questions in relations to savings or finance feel free to e-mail me at DGtheCPA@gmail.com
–DG the CPA
13 Assassins is for anyone who enjoys an authentic samurai flick. I’m talking straight from Japan, not the Tom Cruise / Last Samurai knock off.
Here’s the simple plot, a group of samurai’s bands together to take down a sadistic lord before he can rise to power. The movie is set in feudal era Japan and feature top notch cinematography.
13 Assassins clocks in at 141 minutes and is a classic samurai action film. Some may think it drags in the beginning, but this is a necessity to set up the well written story. Sit tight and enjoy the first 100 minutes of background and brawls. The final 40 minutes is where this film shines with the an unbelievable action sequence. Its nice to see a movie deliver without the use of special effects. The director does a fantastic job making you feel as if you were watching firsthand.
I recommend 13 Assassins to anyone who enjoys a Bruce Lee or Wu-Tang film.
13 Assassins is being distributed by Magnet Releasing. Its available on demand or in select theaters.
Official Trailer
UFC Vet Chris Lytle and the Indianapolis PD are seeking support in opening the country’s 2nd instructional PAL gym devoted to MMA. The goal of the club is to provide children and veterans academic support and mentoring along with MMA instruction.
Vote every day at the link below or via texting 106352 to “PEPSI” (73774). Voting ends May 31, 2011.
Sorry for the hiatus, but life’s been busy. Last weekend we had paintball and I’m trying to get this in late on a Friday night before going to catch Lombardi on Broadway.
Outside of the NBA & NHL playoffs, not a whole lot to catch up on in the sports world. The Yanks and Red Sox battle it out in what seems to be a monthly Sunday night ESPN game, but does anyone watch games this early in the baseball season?
Sunday nights have been stacking up as the best night on TV for awhile, but never can I remember such a stacked line up across multiple channels. Lets get right to this weeks must watch list –
Game of Thrones – Sundays @ 9pm on HBO
Everyone is buzzing about HBO’s new top billed series. Last week’s episode was the best out of the 4 and really set the tone for the series future. I’m a fan thus far and am looking forward to this weeks episode entitled “The Wold and the Lion.” If you have missed the first few episodes, go back and catch up On Demand, as you will need to figure out who’s backstabbing, sleeping with and aligning with who. Look for more alliances to grow and crumble as the plot thickens for King Robert’s throne. Official Site
Treme – Sundays @10pm on HBO
Quick history lesson – Treme is a neighborhood of New Orleans with a rich musical tradition of brass-bands and was hit hard by hurricane Katrina. Treme, the show, takes place post Katrina and focuses on the struggles of the a diverse group of New Orleans citizens. Episode 4 of season 2 premieres Sunday night and is worth checking out for past fans of The Wire, jazz music and good TV. Treme was created by David Simon (The Wire) and Eric Overmeyer. Simon continues his brilliance with Treme. If you are familiar with The Wire, you will recognize many of the same actors giving stand out performances as musicians, lawyers, cops and residents. Treme can be dark and gritty, the show flows like a documentary of the hard ships and opportunities post tragedy. This is where it strives, where Simon and Overmeyer make you feel as if you were looking through a NO residents eyes. While Treme gives you an inside look at the lack of recovery and support in New Orleans, it really shines in appreciating the sounds of the big easy. Local musicians make guest appearances pefroming classics, and the sound track is worth picking up.
Check out TV’s best show Sundays @10pm on HBO.
Also on Sunday Nights –
The Borgias – Sundays @10pm on Showtime – Nearing the end of season 1, episode 8 entitled “The Art of War,” premieres Sunday night. Watch as the corrupt Pope and his family try to fend off an invading French army.
Breakout Kings – Sundays @10pm on A&E – The best non-premium channel show, A&E’s Breakout Kings is nearing the end of season 1. Episode 11 sees a murdering schizophrenic con escape and focus his attention on a TV anchor. Tune in to see the Cons and Cops hunt down the killer before its to late. While each show has the same basic story line, each episode further develops the con and cop characters. The relationship and interaction between the 3 cons and 2 US Marshalls is what makes Breakout Kings worth watching.
Opening this Weekend on the Big Screen
One to Watch with Your Girlfriend / Wife – Bridesmaids
One to Watch with Your Boys – The Priest
One to Watch With Anyone – Everything Must Go
Have a great weekend!
Stonesthrow record artist Aloe Blacc recently appeared on BBC Radio’s Live Lounge. Blacc is best known as the artist who gave us the opening theme to HBO’s popular “How to Make It In America.” On the show, Blacc performed his 2 hit singles “I Need a Dollar” and “Loving You is Killing Me” along with covering Jay-Z’s 99 Problems. The cover of 99 Problems fuses AB’s soulful voice and Kanye West’s “Cant Tell Me Nothing” rugged beat while mixing in the sounds of James Brown. Worth a listen and if you need the MP3, check out this “Downtimers” article.
1Xtra Live Lounge Official Site
Pick up the album featuring “I Need A Dollar” and “Loving You Is Killing Me” from Amazon on the cheap –
Circa 2008..I picked up this t shirt at Agent Aloha on South St. Agent had some hottest counter culture t shirts 8 – 10 years ago, repping brands like local celebrity, Obey and pre JCP Zoo York. Unfortunately, Agent closed up shop a few years back and is now just another lame South St t shirt spot.
T Shirt design courtesy of Upper Playground.
Rocking this shirt today in honor of Steven Seagal’s influence on MMA. Seagal has been training with the famed Blackhouse gym and has effectively instructed 2 of their top fighters the front kick technique.
At UFC 126, middleweight champ Anderson Silva ended Vitor Belfort’s night with a Seagal taught front kick.
Last night, with Seagal part of his crew, former Light heavyweight champ Lyoto Machida separated UFC HOFer Randy Couture from his teeth and ended his legendary career. Of note, Belfort trains under Couture at XTreme Couture in Vegas and it maybe time to bring in Mr. Miyagi to help defend the crane kick.
While many doubt the true influence of Seagal, you can’t doubt the fact both Silva and Machida shouted him out for teaching the technique. I would not put it past either Blackhouse fighter to “play” with fans, but for now we’ll give the Marked for Death star his due.
GIF’s courtesy of the UG.
I spent the last 24 hours in the dirty. Between doing an autograph signing with The Bus and getting on the plane, there were a few hours to kill. A new “hobby” has become to check out local eateries that were featured on Travel Channel’s Man vs Food. My girlfriend and I ate at 2 on a trip last summer to San Diego – Phils BBQ and Lucha Libre Gourmet Taco Shop..both delivered. MvF host Adam Richman swears the Vortex as the best burger joint in the city, so I decided to check it out.
I hit up the Vortex Bar and Grill in the Little 5 section of Atlanta. Little 5 is a cool area with a lot going on. College kids, hipsters, business men were all intermingling, reminded me a little of New Hope on a Saturday. Back to the bar, Vortex is known for burgers and their wide beer selection. There’s a separate drink menu for beer and liquor. They also have an affinity for Whiskey..who doesnt?
On the front of the menu there are all kinds of rules and etiquette, which pretty much comes down to what they call an “Idiot Free Zone.”
Vortex beer list is online, link below. Usual suspects, great imports and local gems were all available. I get excited thinking about the hours that could be spent sampling all.
I ordered a Yokohama Mama Burger medium rare – a burger topped with jack cheese, a special teriyaki and a grilled pineapple. This will be the only time I say I blew the side order by getting sweet potato fries, in this case, I should have gotten the potato salad. The fries were good, but I read great things about the potato salad..I froze up under the idiot free rules. The burger was amazing. I am not a big fan of burgers, mostly because I hate the grizzle that sometimes accompanies 1. This burger was grizzle free, full of flavor and juicy.
Next time you are in Atlanta and want to avoid the tourist traps, check out the Vortex. 2 locations, with 1 in Midtown and the Little 5 area. Thank you Adam and the MvF staff for continuing to deliver local favorites.
For rules, menu and other cool stuff..check out their home page
While enjoying some Malayasian fare in Philadelphia last evening, I was introduced to Microsoft’s Photosynth app. Out now for the iPhone and PC, this app expands your photo taking to a 3D world.
Photosynth works by allowing a photographer to shoot a bunch of shots from a single perspective and then “magically” stitches them together for you to share via the web. Get ready to see your friends vacation photos in 3d.
While the heart of the app is for mobile devices (coming soon for Android and RIM), your personal camera and Microsoft’s Image Composite Editor combine to make powerful tool for creating and sharing the 3D experience.
Just Another Day In the Woods
Top of Tokyo Tower
View from Eiffel Tower
If you are looking for a new camera, check out the Panasonic Lumix LX5. As a casual hobbyist and avid traveler, I have been impressed with the Lumix 5′s older brother the LX3. The LX5 should give you the horsepower required to start sharing your 3D memories.