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Monday, September 30, 2013
Picked Up The Pen To Write A Little Wrestling Note....
Has it really been that long? Was the last thing I wrote on this blog a full report on last year's Wrestlemania event? Have I not had a clear thought or interest in the world of pro wrestling since then?
Did I need to re-introduce myself to the industry again with a clearer sense - one not tainted by the bitter taste of swallowing "sports entertainment"? Was it time for me to let go of a thirty-plus year intimate and loyal relationship that I had with psychology, or did I need to sell my soul to the devil and realize that at the end of the day, the profits of the almighty dollar spoke in a much louder and deafening tone that artistic value and tradition?
Was it time for me to evolve emotionally and intellectually? Did I need to jump on the train for the greater good? After all, as a former promoter myself, isn't success measured by growth of the product?
Was it time for me to conform and play by the NEW rules of the game? Was it time for me to realize that we were now in 2013 and not in 1985? Shouldn't I be embracing the WWE's trail-blazing accomplishments in achieving the impossible and turning itself in to a multi-billion dollar empire when everyone said it couldn't be done?
Maybe it was time for me to realize my place in the business, ... or lack of.
Maybe it was time to look in the mirror and realize that I wasn't the same person I was when I broke into the business in 1992. Maybe the reality needed to set in that the last time I ran my own show was in the beginning of 2007. Perhaps it was hard to swallow the pill that MY best days in this business - whether it be meetings in the WWE offices, writing for the "Apter Mags", working behind-the-scenes in WCW, pioneering the first ever interactive pro wrestling radio and television show, "...And Justice For Brawl", or trying to help TNA Wrestling grow an audience as booker of a small northeast promotion called NWA Cyberspace - were far behind me?
Maybe I looked out into the independent circuit and realized that I don't recognize any of these names anymore, and none of them have any clue who I am. After 20 years in this business, my friends are few and far between, and my credentials are as old as the paper it's written on. I can walk into any indy show and not a single person will know my name or any of my accomplishments. They have no idea the years of experiences I carry with me, as I'm just another blurred face in the crowd.
How does this old school guy stay relevant today? A guy who broke in at a time where he helped protect kayfabe. A guy who earned his stripes the hard way, long before the technological and social media age - when business was conducted by talking and sealed with a handshake. When the strength of your networking abilities and passionate work ethic determined how far you could go in this business. When only a few and chosen were invited to be a part of the "secret society".
Maybe it's time for this guy to move on? Sit back and enjoy the show for what it is...and I have. I've watched it through the eyes of my seven-year old son. I see his passion for it. I wrestle with him on the floor and see glimmers of myself at his age. My dream come true was never to work for the WWE, but to share those moments with my own kid.
But as he gets older, he gets more curious. He hears the stories. He hears people refer to me as "DieHard". He finds the old photos. The scripts, the tapes, the articles, ... the WORK I put into the business. Not only does he want to know about those days that I worked with the n.W.o., but more importantly to him, he wants to know why I don't do it anymore.
And I really don't have an answer. Did I really walk away? Did the business use me for all it could and spit me out like so many other forgotten names and legacies? Did I run out of places to go, or money to throw away on an event where it would be impossible to even fathom breaking even? Why do I no longer have a relationship in a business where I dedicated 20 years of my life?
Because in reality, just as Vince Russo warned me on so many occasions, there is NO FUTURE in pro wrestling.
How many indy workers have you seen that should be on TV and aren't? How many talents gone to complete waste? How many workers who have lost their true perception of reality thinking that one day they'll get "the call"? They hold onto that dream forever and refuse to let it go, meanwhile they've lived an entire life in denial. And for anyone who knows me, knows I'm the last person to tell anyone to stop chasing their dreams. I'm the poster-boy for never giving up. After all, where do you think the name "DieHard" came from?
But this is the pro wrestling business, and the only reason anybody spends their life chasing this dream is because they are in a fucking coma! It will NEVER happen. It breaks my heart to see so many talented guys and girls working on getting noticed for a business where nobody is looking. Try-out camps have become a part of the business. When the fuck have you ever heard of "sport" who takes money from prospects just to get looked at? This isn't a real sport where you have 30 teams in a league, and the minors, with high school and college scholarships. There's ONE team with a small roster, and it's a traveling circus. And if you don't make that ONE team, then all your hopes and dreams have died in an instant. And I say one team, because the other one is doing so financially bad, they might be out of business by the time this little rant is posted.
Holy shit, I really wasn't planning on writing this much...
Long story short, I don't hate the business nor what it has become. I miss it, but I understand it... NOW, I "get it". But it's been a really long time since I wanted to work for the business. I've been there, and done that. Yet I've recently realized, that my new goal is... having the business work for ME!
There may only be one team to play for, but there are always going to be millions of fans to entertain.
I don't have a full plan yet, and anything I do is going to be treated like my "side bitch". This business doesn't deserve my full dedication anymore. I've already given it 20 of the best years of my life. But the next time my son asks me about my involvement in the wrestling business... I'm gonna have a much better answer for him.
Posted by DieHard Derek at 2:08 AM
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Tuesday, January 15, 2013
My Thoughts and YOUR HELP with WWE Legends of Wrestlemania for PS3
So "Santa" brings my son a Playstation 3 for the holidays. Naturally, he also slides a copy of WWE '13 in his stocking. Surprisingly, I found a copy of WWE Legends of Wrestlemania in my stocking- The shock! How did that end up in there?
Anyone who knows me, knows how much I cherish the original era of Wrestlemania. What I wouldn't do for it to be 1985 all over again! And thanks to Playstation 3, I can live out my fantasies every night, roughly around 10pm - when my wife and kids call it a night. I can lock myself up into the "man-cave", jump into my imaginary Delorian, fire that bitch up to 88 mph, and BOOM - I'm back to my youth!
I'm not going to give you a review of the game. Come to think of it, I'd be kind of an asshole if I did, considering that it was released in 2009. What I want to share with you is my experience - not as a gamer, but as an avid fan of the era; a person who lived though what is now legendary history.
Perhaps I'm taking it too literal, but I have a problem reliving some of the greatest moments when some of the key participants are absent from the game, especially when some of the names chosen to be immortalized in this game either only appeared at a handful of Wrestlemanias, or their contribution to the legacy isn't really all that important - thus, questioning why they would be considered a "Legend" of Wrestlemania.
I realize that many of you are below the age demographic that I'm looking to reach with this rant. Most of you were introduced to the business during the Attitude era, and consider that the greatest era of all time - and arguably, you may be right from a business perspective. I look at the Attitude era now and can't get over that it was 15 years ago. And if you think that's a long time, then my focus on this "Legends" rant precedes that era by another 15 years. That's right! I'm going back to the beginning - 30 years ago. How many of you can say you actually remember that vividly? You're probably saying, "Here comes some rant from a grumpy old man." And to that I respond, "Fuck You! I'm doing it anyway! Respect your elders, shut that hole in your face, and learn something. Shit is about to get real!"
Here's a few names that are in the game that I happen to disagree with:
ARN ANDERSON - I love Arn as much as the next wrestling purist, and U have always been dying to select him as a character in a video game. Unfortunately, Arn isn't a Mania legend. He only appeared in on one and the highlight of his match was Rick Martel was the split of Strike Force on the other side of the ring.
BAM BAM BIGELOW -Initially, I couldn't remember a single Bam Bam match at Mania with the exception of his first round loss to One Man Gang in the title tournament at Mania IV. Then it dawned on me that he actually closed a Mania in a heavily publicized main event against NFL legend, Lawrence Taylor. We all know how that turned out, and it pretty much plagued the rest of his career. It's nice having him on the game, but NOT a Mania legend.
BRITISH BULLDOG - I didn't realize how many matches the Bulldog actually had at Wrestlemania as a singles competitor -none that I would probably want to watch again-, but I would have preferred to see him enshrined along with his partner Dynamite Kid as The British Bulldogs.
DUSTY RHODES - Dusty had one Mania match - a mixed tag with Sapphire as his partner. Nothing really worth remembering. He may be a legend of wrestling but NOT a legend of Wrestlemania. There is no purpose to having him in the game unless you are booking a fantasy dream match, to which I still say, I have never heard anybody come up with a dream match that pitted someone against Dusty Rhodes.
HUNTER HEARTS HELMSLEY - Before you get outraged, let me explain. "Hunter Hearst Helmsley" is NOT a Wrestlemania legend...Triple H is. Hunter introduced us to Sable and jobbed out to the Warrior at Mania 12. Triple H, even in 90's DX form should have been included rather than this flake with no history.
JIMMY "SUPERFLY" SNUKA - You can't say WWE legends without somebody mentioning Snuka. Never had a key match at Mania - with the exception of being numero uno on Undertaker's streak, nor did we ever get to see the infamous Superfly splash. It's great having Snuka as an option in fantasy warfare mode, but there are other's who deserved the spot more.
KAMALA - Surprisingly, another guy who never had a Wrestlemania match, at least until the gimmick battle royal at Mania 17, but really, that wasn't really a match. I love the option of having him in a video game, but referring to him as Mania legend is a pretty far stretch.
MICHAEL HAYES - This got the biggest "What The Fuck?" out of me. How is this even remotely possible? It's not like they even put him in as Doc Hendrix, but he's rammin' and jammin' like a Freebird. I don't ever recall being in a coma and missing the Wrestlemania where the Freebirds wrestled. I guess this is so I can relive that epic NWA encounter between Hayes and Dusty. Quick, pass me my controller!!!
Again, including these names didn't necessarily bother me, but it did leave me scratching my head. What did bother me, was the omission of wrestlers who are undoubtedly Mania legends:
RANDY "MACHO MAN" SAVAGE - How can you utter the word Wrestlemania and not immediately think of Macho? I understand that at the time he was blacklisted from the WWE and his name is taboo upon the lips of a McMahon. Savage is one of those rare breeds who inspired many to pursue their dreams in the wrestling business...including me. Students of the game, study his epic encounter with... oh yeah...
RICKY STEAMBOAT - Another name left off the legends list. How is that possible? But yet, they didn't forget to add Michael Fucking Hayes!
TITO SANTANA - This guy had the first ever Wrestlemania match. He's held multiple WWE championships, and has at least eight Wrestlemania's on his resume. No dice, huh?
PAUL ORNDORFF - Main event of the first Wrestlemania...not good enough? Look back at his legendary feuds with Hogan. Who do you think kept ol' red and yellow at the top of his game pre and post Mania?
DEMOLITION - You have the Legion of Doom in the game. What? You couldn't find a spot for two more guys with painted faces? You found a spot for Michael Hayes! Just out of pure curiosity, LOD is the ONLY actual tag team featured on the game. So, who am I supposed to pair them up against if there aren't any other teams? Demolition was the best tag team WWE had for a while, and a little Wrestlemania video game burn would have been a nice tribute.
EARTHQUAKE - Kamala made it. Bam Bam made it. Fucking Michael Hayes made it. No love for the Earthquake? Too many fat guys on the roster already? Got the tattooed one; The redneck prison guard one; The southern lisp one with a patch on his belly; the Japanese one by way of Samoa; and the token black one; but not room for one more? Oh well, at least we got Bundy! FIIIIIIIIIVE!
HAKU - You may ask "Why Haku?" I say, "Why not Haku?" First off, he was awesome...duh! King Haku, Islander Haku, lost the tag team titles with Andre at Mania 6 Haku... Haku kicks ass!
RAZOR RAMON - Did we forget the Wrestlemania 10 ladder match? Of course not, because HBK got on the game. So did Michael Hayes. But not the bad guy? Come on Chico, this guy should have been on the game. It's not like I was asking you to have a match where he has to drunkenly climb a ladder and try reaching for a bag of cocaine.
DON MURACO - Why Muraco? Because I want Muraco! Mr. Fuji is in the game, and I'm hoping there is an unlockable episode of Fuji Vice.
***UPDATE: I Need YOUR Help!!!***
After doing some research, I learned that the video game may have some unlockable characters, including a few names that I just mentioned - but I have yet to get any confirmation. Does anyone out there know about the hidden characters and how to get them? If so, I'm willing to offer a small reward!
Post your comments here on the site, or hit me up on Facebook or Twitter with the info. If it proves to be true, I'll get in contact with you regarding getting the prize into your hands.
And for the record, all offers are off if I end up getting another variation of Michael Hayes!
You can interact with DieHard Derek by following him on Facebook and Twitter.
Posted by DieHard Derek at 9:00 AM
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Wednesday, November 14, 2012
n.W.o: The Revolution - DVD Review
The n.W.o. – it's hard to believe how long it's been since its inception. And while leaving one of the most profound marks on pro wrestling history, it amazes me how seldom it is referred to in today's WWE Universe.
This DVD doesn't do any better. It's nothing more than a short cliff-notes narrative documenting their place in history, yet completely misses the mark of detailing the true impact and influence both on-camera and behind the scenes that changed the business.
After producing two compelling in-depth reality documentary style DVDs in the Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels Rivalry and the recent CM Punk: Best In The World titles, WWE did a piss-poor job in capturing the true essence, aggressive nature and legitimate pressure that struck the industry as a whole during this era. This DVD is nothing more than a crash course on what the n.W.o. was and who the players were.
Before I go any further, let me state and advise to anyone interested in purchasing this DVD, that I am reviewing the blu-ray edition. Not because I wanted to watch Eric Bischoff's perfect hair bounce, and not to watch Hulk Hogan's terrible matches in high quality, but for the additional 90 minute Legends of Wrestling roundtable discussion that is NOT included on the standard DVD. This roundtable (as seen on WWE Classics on Demand, hosted by Gene Okerlund and featuring Jim Ross, JJ Dillion, Kevin Nash and Michael Hayes) is worth the price of the set alone and makes up for ALL the faults on the actual documentary.
n.W.o: The Revolution is a short documentary the compiles and rehashes a TON of old interviews that are at least 10 years old. The bulk of the DVD recycles interview bits with Eric Bischoff (2003), Hulk Hogan (2002), Scott Hall (2002), and Vince McMahon (2009). It's obvious that the dated Hogan and Bischoff interviews were used due to their current affiliation with TNA Wrestling, but the lack of new content and recent comments takes away from the importance of the storytelling. These sound bytes were recorded during a time when WWE was still overly protective with the information they released to the public. Their most recent efforts provide a closer and non-filtered look into the true nature of behind the scenes storytelling, and by using the recycled material; it takes the viewer out of the moment.
On the flip side to that coin, there is an entire generation of fans in the WWE Universe who probably weren't even born during the Monday Night Wars and who can use this DVD as their first introduction to the new World Order and their place in history. Not to mention, they have probably never seen the re-used footage before – so it's all new to them anyway.
Maybe I'm being a little over-critical on the choices of production, as there are many new interviews with talents who were actually apart of the time such as Booker T, Billy Kidman, Bill Demott, Kevin Nash, Diamond Dallas Page, Sean Waltman and Dusty Rhodes – but they were still underutilized in the production of this DVD. On a refreshing note, there is some great input by current WWE stars Cody Rhodes – who discusses what it was like being an 11 year old fan whose father was working for WCW, monitoring the ratings, and ultimately joining the n.W.o. on-screen; Matt Striker – who was a young aspiring wrestler in training heavily influenced by the times; and Joe Henning – who watched his father wrestle the last great years of his life wearing n.W.o. colors.
The other bone, which I find bigger to pick, is with how the telling of the story was actually executed. Rather than give it the gritty "True Hollywood Story" treatment, it was more of a polished celebration that gently covered controversial topics as if it were being taught to an elementary class. The kid gloves weren't only on, that were double strapped and extra padded. It plays as a compilation of n.W.o.'s greatest hits and archived interviews, which is ultimately a huge disappointment, considering what we have grown accustomed to based on the efforts put out in the rivalries series.
This DVD is full of denial. If you can read between the lines, it clearly says that Vince McMahon wishes the n.W.o. was his creation. It eats him alive knowing that something so brilliant wasn't his own. There is barely any talk of how the n.W.o. revolution almost killed WWE's business. Barely any talk of the WWE's fear of losing talent. And there is never any talk from those who were on the WCW roster who were opposed to control and politics that came with the n.W.o.
Very early into this DVD, I found myself getting bored and hoping for it to be over with. I knew the product I wanted to see, and was well aware that I wasn't going to get it in this installment. This DVD feels like it was designed for the new generation of wrestling fans who may have heard of it but really didn't know of its true impact to the business because it is rarely referenced to on WWE programming. And the reason for that is clear – the n.W.o. almost killed RAW and the WWE, and Vince refuses to praise it and how good it really was. Had it been his own creation, we never would have heard the end of it and would have seen more reincarnations over the last decade.
Another creation Vince can't take credit for and one that he has never had the opportunity to prostitute under his logo is Sting. I actually loved seeing the praise for how much Sting meant to WCW and the entire n.W.o. angle because it feels like a last ditch effort begging for Sting to end his career in the WWE rather than TNA. It still baffles me that Sting has never worked a day in his life for Vince McMahon, and that fact alone eats away at his core. Vince McMahon may be convinced that he is the almighty God of the wrestling world, but Sting is the one guy that God could never get on the payroll.
Admittedly, the WWE was forced to acknowledge their efforts and failed attempt to resurrect the n.W.o. in the WWE in 2001, claiming that it was just shell of itself that didn't vibe with the fans. As Booker T says, "You can't blame Vince for trying to squeeze the last bit of juice."
As it closed, I felt there was a huge chunk missing that was never covered, in terms of the shoot style of storytelling that it influenced. Not only in the hands of the n.W.o., but in how it pushed the WWE into the "Attitude Era", namely with Degeneration-X. Yes, it's mentioned, but its significance really isn't recognized. Breaking the fourth wall – or in this case, the kayfabe- is perhaps the greatest signature of the era. It is what really turned Monday Nights into a war. The rules were thrown out of the window, competitors were acknowledging each other on television, and the curtain that protected an exclusive world was pulled in front of the public. This DVD basically summarized the success of the n.W.o. as being cool bad guys, without an explanation of the real mystique.
Fortunately, the roundtable discussion on the blu-ray covers it ALL and asks the burning questions real enthusiasts want to ask. For more information on what the roundtable covers, check out this mini-review of that piece of content: WWE Legends of Wrestling n.W.o.
What are your thoughts/reviews on the DVD? Do you agree or disagree with me? Post your comments below and feel free to share this review with your friends.
You can interact with DieHard Derek by following him on Facebook and Twitter.
Posted by DieHard Derek at 8:48 AM
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The n.W.o. Roundtable Discussion and The Information That SHOULD Have Been On The DVD
If you read my n.W.o: The Revolution DVD review, then you know it's not worth your money. But if you're still inclined to make the purchase, then be sure to spend your money on the blu-ray edition with the additional 90 minute Legends of Wrestling roundtable discussion that is NOT included on the standard DVD. This roundtable (as seen on WWE Classics on Demand, hosted by Gene Okerlund and featuring Jim Ross, JJ Dillion, Kevin Nash and Michael Hayes) is worth the price of the set alone and makes up for ALL the faults on the actual documentary.
Here are some of the key points worth noting:
-Kevin Nash talks about his and Scott Hall's contract negotiations with WCW, and how they were offered more than "Sting money" – which was a term Sting's contract of 750K per year , which no one else was making in the early days of WCW.
-Another term that fans are smartened-up to is "Favored Nations" – which is a clause added to a contract stating that if another performer receives better terms, the said individual is entitled to equal compensation. After learning this, Nash tells the story of how Hall's agent already had the clause in place for him as a former Intercontinental champion, and how Hall pushed for Nash to sign as a former heavyweight champion at 1.2 million so that his contract would get bumped up as well.
-Nash discusses talks he had with his pregnant wife. His decision was based on more money and less days; a smaller ring; and older guys on the roster which would result in less risk of injuries. He admits to going to Vince out of loyalty and asking him to match it, but Vince declined because had he made the exception for him, he'd have to do it for a number of other performers on the roster.
-Interesting clips of some rehashed Eric Bischoff interviews where he calls out the early 90's WWE product for being too animated and to cartoonish. He also admits that the n.W.o. concept was not completely original and was a rehash of a New Japan angle.
-An interesting point is brought up, as such in what the chances were that Hall and Nash's contracts with the WWE would be up within five days of each other. This was an opportunity to fulfill inter-promotional dream matches.
-Nash talks about the WCW office not "getting" the n.W.o. gimmick. Merchandising wanted to do combo packs selling their t-shirts. In order to keep it real, Nash wouldn't allow it. He took the shirts and sold them to fans on the street.
-Jim Ross discusses the lawsuit filed by the WWE against WCW for intellectual property. He then goes into talking about when they decided to swerve the fans by announcing that Razor and Diesel would be returning to RAW, and how WCW panicked and offered Hall and Nash an additional 400K each to their contracts – causing WCW to pay 800K to sign two guys who were already signed. No wonder WCW went out of business.
-There is talk of Hulk Hogan not wanting to turn heel and potentially ruin his legacy. They also mention how the back up plan was to have Sting join if Hogan decided to balk on the idea – yet, Sting didn't want to do it either. Nash says Hogan was smart enough to hear the boos and knew the business well enough to make money with it.
-If this roundtable does anything other than give a first-hand look at that the strategy and impact of the n.W.o., it gives a newfound respect for Eric Bischoff. He was an underdog who took the chance and the fight to the Gods…and won…at least for 83 weeks.
-Michael Hayes talks about the WWE locker room and their conflicting jealousy and fear of going out of business. He also mentions the concern for the employees at WWE headquarters who would have been unfortunate casualties of war.
-Jim Ross also mentions that the n.W.o.'s affect on the Monday Night Wars forced enhancement matches to disappear, because management was now forced to micro manage every segment for star power. So much, that WCW's attempt to spoil Mick Foley's pre-taped title win backfired when 800K fans switched the channel to RAW and killed WCW's 83 week streak.
This is just a few examples of could have made the n.W.o. dvd great, and makes us question why these topics weren't covered or talked about in greater detail in the actual documentary. It never covered how the n.W.o. helped build new stars such as Diamond Dallas Page, Booker T, Goldberg and reinvent an aging Sting.
There was so much potential left on the table and omitted based on poor choices by the dvd's producers. But if there is any salvation to wrestling fans, it's THIS roundtable discussion that gives you more in 90 minutes of discussion than the actual assignment itself.
What are your thoughts/reviews on the DVD? Do you agree or disagree with me? Post your comments below and feel free to share this review with your friends.
You can interact with DieHard Derek by following him on Facebook and Twitter.
Posted by DieHard Derek at 8:40 AM
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Wednesday, November 7, 2012
The Four Horsemen Say "4 More Years For Obama ..... WOOOOOOO!!!"
Posted by DieHard Derek at 8:53 AM
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Tuesday, October 23, 2012
CM Punk : Best in The World DVD Review
If you follow my writings or know a little bit about my history, you'd know that CM Punk is not a favorite of mine. About a year ago, I wrote an article entitled, "CM Punk is a F*cking Douchebag", which talked in detail about the time I had the opportunity to work with him while I was the booker at NWA Cyberspace.
For the most part, I got a ton of heat from the fans. Mostly ass-kissers who were telling me to stop whining like a little bitch, yet those same ass-kissers have never done ANYTHING in this business to even warrant an opinion. I told it exactly the way it went down, and what my dealings with the future WWE champion was like. It's a true story, and even though I was the employer and he was the employee, most fans marked out and took the side of their hero. Personally, I could care less. It is what it is, and at the time, it was business - something a mark wouldn't understand.
The reason I bring that up is because I don't want any reader of this review to think that I am somewhat (if not fully) biased towards my review of CM Punk's new WWE DVD release, "Best In The World". Like my previous story, I am here to tell it like it is. My job is simply to observe and report - no more, no less. I kept an open mind when watching the DVD and was professional enough not to let my own personal experiences blur the lines of my integrity. With that said, I think you'll enjoy my review and perhaps find a few surprises along the way.
The documentary starts with a black title card, spelling out the voiceover passage from CM Punk himself. It reads:
"I'm a guy for all intents and purposes should have never made it to the WWE."
"I've had roadblock after roadblock…thrown in my way. But not only did I get passed those roadblocks. I did it by flipping off the people that put up those roadblocks."
"I feel that I have a responsibility to the younger wrestlers on the roster, the ones who aren't signed yet. And the future of pro wrestling as a whole to help make this place better and to change this place. I certainly can't do it by sitting on my couch in Chicago".
With that opening narrative alone, I automatically assumed we were in for a self-indulged ego trip. Here is a guy who was walking out of the company just over a year ago because his face wasn't on the plastic cups and lunch boxes. The same time last year, people we giving me shit for the article I wrote, calling me a whiny bitch because I was paying THIS GUY to do a job for MY COMPANY and he was difficult to work with. But the night that he cut that epic promo that supposedly changed the business, nobody ever once called him a little whiny bitch who couldn't get a stable spot on the roster, so he planned on walking away on July 17th, 2011.
Who is this guy? The king of the indies who got his WWE contract and was convinced he was better than the rest. Meanwhile his career didn't do shit for the 5-6 years he was on the roster. Oh, but let's blame creative, who had nothing for him. Now all of a sudden, because of one shoot promo, he thinks he's a locker room leader? He thinks he can make the WWE a "better place"? He thinks he's the best in the world? Well, after watching this two-hour documentary…maybe I was wrong?
Unlike most of the DVDs in the WWE catalog that are hosted by Matt Striker and some clueless diva, this one felt, dare I say, "real". It was produced like an MTV reality show mixed in with the gritty hard hitting E! True Hollywood Story formula. It clearly showed Punk as who is really is – a loner in his own world.
Having the experience of working with him before, it's an accurate vision and portrayal of an angry young man hell-bent on proving his critics wrong. Just as I had seen with my own eyes, a man who keeps to himself in the locker room with his earphones drowning out everything around him…including those who are working with him, paying him and who need to give him direction. It makes you think that Punk does what he wants because he truly thinks he is bigger than the business. He has that Shawn Michaels swagger from the mid-90's. The one where Shawn would tell anyone and everyone , including Vince McMahon, to go fuck themselves and that the product sucks and needs to change. If that's the reputation Punk was shooting for, at least he's in good company. The difference is, now he needs to prove himself just as Shawn did.
CM Punk's life story is at times heartbreaking, yet it serves as a good motivational and inspiring piece. A kid whose blood family lost interest in him, so he proved the world wrong and created his own family from a group of friends whose sofa he took permanent residence on. Knowing this now, it's easier to understand why he is who he is, and why his outlook on life is so narrow. But now that we know this, he's shown us his cards and we can see into his "thousand yard stare", revealing that there are chinks in his armor after all.
On a personal note, although I may not have known his story prior to working with him, I can say from experience that I was one of those people who saw his raw talent and wanted to give him the opportunity to shine. But he shut out the world. Even though we weren't looking to exploit him, we wanted to give him a place where he could do what he does best. I'd call it a character flaw. He'd call it a defense mechanism.
I like how Punk talks about the similarities between him and Rowdy Roddy Piper. I had never examined the comparisons between the two until he brought it up in the DVD. Not the biggest guys in size, but they had the biggest mouths and drew the biggest heat to sell-out crowds.
After learning that he was initially self-taught in the craft of pro wrestling and performed in the wildly popular backyard federations, you could easily see the confidence, passion and determination of a kid destined to chase down and tackle his dream. The home movie footage is almost a prophecy of what was to come later in his WWE career.
I was surprised to see WWE dedicate so much time to establishing his friendships with Colt Cabana and Chris Hero. It was an "out-of-suit" approach that is rarely seen in WWE videos unless those talent are part of WWE's alumni. I applaud the WWE for taking the chance on emphasizing the importance of Punk's indy matches with Cabana and Hero, because without it, the story could never be complete. Those matches are what helped shape his character, his origins and his fan-base. His epic encounters with his best friends and their travels around the country are stuff of legend, and a missing element in today's generation. Punk proves he earned his stripes the "old school" way, and even though the territories no longer exist, they treated their travels as if they did. That alone earned a great deal of my own respect, and now I know he was more than just an over-hyped indy dreamer.
Joey Mercury describes Punk as "unapologetically confident". He continues to say, "I didn't like him but I respected him. He was smug an arrogant. He wasn't always the best in the world, but he believed he was". Ironically, that was the same CM Punk I met and worked with. I'm a big believer in first impressions, and the impression that I got from him was that he was a fucking asshole. But if you ask anyone else about their first impression upon meeting him, they'd give you the same exact answer.
Again, I was very impressed with how the WWE covered Punk's time in Ring of Honor. Although the WWE didn't directly give ROH the props they deserve, Punk did more than enough in paying tribute. His time in the organization is full of cherished memories, epic matches and his first home in the wrestling business. I loved hearing about his brutal matches with Raven and his legendary encounters against TNA superstar Samoa Joe. I almost sensed that WWE regretted not signing Joe when they had the chance. As much as I love seeing Punk in the ring against Daniel Bryan, can you imagine the business WWE could do with Punk vs. Joe?
Seeing Punk as WWE champion inside of a ROH ring was a humbling experience for the viewer as much as it was for the man himself. You feel as if you are witnessing and sharing his experience in coming full circle. It also makes you wonder how much WWE acknowledges his achievements in Ring of Honor and why they continue to hold him back from performing at that level. Granted, Punk has aged and his style has been modified to better suit who he is today, and they type of experience the WWE roster offers him with their form of entertainment rather than a pure form of wrestling. But when the product is slipping and suffering, and Punk is your top guy, shouldn't you listen to him when he can offer valid recommendations? Isn't that how WWE re-grew their balls and formed the attitude era? It's been almost 20 years, aren't they due for a resurgence? Why not let Punk lead the way? Oh right… because Triple H is just as much of a cockblocker as Vince is. Nice way to keep it in the family. I guess the "E" in WWE stands for EGO.
Speaking of egos, one of the most eccentric pieces of this documentary is hearing from Paul Heyman , as he discusses in detail what it was like working with Punk in OVW. Call him what you want, but there is no denying the scary eye for talent Paul Heyman has implanted in his head. Pair that with a tongue that has no filter, and you're looking at a mad genius. Sure, Heyman is notorious for promoting above and beyond the realms of reality, but when you splice in opinions from the doubters such as Michael Hayes, Scott Armstrong, Triple H and even the beloved John Cena, it only strengthens Heyman's case for being dead on right about his judgment.
Heyman talks about how much Punk hated being trapped in OVW. Granted, these days EVERYONE goes the developmental system before getting called up to the main roster. It's not like the days when you made a name for yourself in the territories, got press in the "Apter Mags", or had some kind of TV experience working for the opposition. Everyone goes through re-development and re-packaging. But it was Paul Heyman who fought and said, "Change absolutely NOTHING about CM Punk…including his name". Heyman knew the importance and the impact of leaving CM Punk intact.
CM Punks literally owes his career to Paul Heyman. What you see today on Raw is NOT a storyline. Punk is a true to heart Heyman guy, and in this DVD you see exactly how Heyman takes him under his wing and guides him through the turbulent and political criticisms that haunted him by saying he would never be called up to the main roster. You grow eager to hear more about Punk's education through Paul Heyman, how he turned the negative indy stigma into a positive fighting drive to redemption, and the influence of being branded a "Paul Heyman Guy".
When I listen to doubt and criticism of Michael Hayes and John Cena, I realize that I shared the same perception of CM Punk. I easily gave up on a guy because I didn't have the patience to deal with his bullshit. I knew what I wanted to get out of him, but I didn't take the time to "get" him. I realize that trying to work with CM Punk without getting to know and understand CM Punk is like watching a movie from the middle. How do you expect to follow that story if you don't know where it came from or how it all started? How can you invest in moving forward when you haven't invested in the taking the time to understand the legends? And by sticking to his beliefs, no matter how many bridges he burned or people he rubbed wrong along the way, he is changing the course of what the face of the WWE should be. As they said in the DVD, his attitude may have "hindered his growth, but not his heart".
Around the 55 minute mark in the DVD, CM Punk was already on the WWE roster competing for the re-imaged ECW. At that point, I figured now the ass kissing and "fluff" of the DVD will begin. They will do away with the origins story and push how hard he worked and the great matches he had once he got called up, then nonchalantly take credit for giving him the global exposure to become what he is today. Same old WWE bullshit, right?...WRONG!
Just because he was called up doesn't mean it was smooth sailing for him. After all, why fueled his rage that led to his shoot promo? What did he endure for six years before he decided to walk away from everything he has fought so long and hard for? Would the WWE allow him to be so critical of their use of him on their own product?
Well, they do. And CM Punk discusses his frustrations during his six year run, starting with his first meaningless ECW championship win and on to his first World Heavyweight title win on the Smackdown brand. You still hear the criticisms of how those within the company felt he tarnished the belt and wasn't positioned to be "the guy". Basically, his reigns were to appease the fan-base.
Skepticism and underlying blame is volleyed back and forth from Triple H saying, "The title doesn't make the guy. The guy makes the title", to Michael Hayes stating the Punk "having the title was not the drawing factor", and ultimately in his own defense Punk retorts with, "The focal point should always be on the title", which I completely agree with.
On the flip side of the coin, Triple H and Hayes have their points. Was CM Punk just a fan favorite who wasn't strong enough to carry business? Was it too soon to bless him with the pressure of being a brand champion? Or did CM Punk underestimate the responsibility of being the top draw for the company? Here is a guy so eager to be the best in the world that perhaps the only achievement he made was becoming his own worst enemy.
Punk was no longer in his own world. He was in the WWE Universe. A universe that had legends such as The Undertaker, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, John Cena and Chris Jericho to name a few. Legends and icons of the business who looked at him saying, "Who the fuck is this guy and who the fuck does he think he is?... .It doesn't matter what he did in front of 400 people on an indy show, this is the WWE, where history is written". And while I feel Punk's sentiment when he literally gave away the title because the Jericho/HBK program needed it more than he did – I understand it from a business point of view. Triple H clearly states that Punk was not going to be "the guy" He was simply going to be "the guy with the belt in the middle of the card".
Maybe that was the wake-up call Punk needed, or maybe that was the gasoline he wanted to set a bigger fire?
After winning the title for the second time, he tells the story of Vince McMahon approaching him with the challenge of "being a heel". In hindsight, it was an opportunity to take the dog off the leash, but at the same time it unleashed the locker room asshole I warned you about before. The problem with Punk is that he thinks the rules don't apply to him. Although I too am a firm believer that rules were made to be broken and the only way to prove them wrong is to go against the grain. Punk admitted to becoming very opinionated and not wanting help from the creative teams. He would tear up their written scripts in their face. And while Punk makes for a fascinating heel, I think the real challenge would be to force him to remain a babyface.
It's easy to draw heat. It's easy to tell the fans to fuck off and spit in their faces. The real challenge is being a good face. It's easy to be hated, but it's hard to be loved. Look at John Cena. He's the textbook good guy, and people still take big wet shits all over him. Even before Punk recently turned to the darkside, he spent the better part of 2012 as a weak babyface. He just can't do it. Sure they fans bought into his rebellious theories and his anti-establishment stance, but at the end of the day, they were still cheering for a guy who was doing what HE wanted to do for the good of him and him only. He's the first admit that he's not a role model. But have you ever tried being one? Have you ever embraced the love of the fans? All you know I heel. All you speak is heel. All you do is heel. If you aren't pissing people off, you can't do anything else. Pull on their emotions, not just their anger. THAT makes you the best in the world. I "get" that it's not your gimmick, but until you've tried and succeeded, you can never fully achieve your claim.
There are very few people who know the real Phil Brooks. And as much of an asshole as I think CM Punk is to work with, I respect his loyalty to his friends. In an emotional story told by Joey Mercury, he had succumbed to the demons of drugs. He lost his job with the WWE and his was on the verge of losing his home. In a heartbeat, Phil Brooks wrote him a check and bought his house out of foreclosure. While it's not a story that would make headlines or change the course of the WWE Universe, it changed my perception with a sense of humanity that I personally didn't think this man had in him. Would he do it for anybody else? I don't know? Does he believe in charitable causes? I don't know. But I do know he did it for a friend, and by doing so, there is a part of him that healed his own wounds. Wounds that have been blistering since his family turned his back on him. Again, proving people wrong- that you CAN choose your own family.
Finally, as the documentary draws to a close, we hear everything that led to the contract negotiations and the "pipe bomb" promo that somewhat changed the landscape. I say somewhat, because the product is piss poor as we speak and the effect of the promo fizzled within months due to the inept booking of the WWE creative team. It could have had the lasting power of the n.W.o. , but not only did creative drop the ball, they also kicked it away.
After watching the infamous "pipe bomb" promo again, I realized how good it really was. I knew it then, but I KNOW it now. I knew I was witnessing an "event" when it happened live, and as time has passed I shit on WWE for not capitalizing on the momentum.
It was interesting to know that CM Punk resigned his deal with the WWE halfway through was expected to be his final show at Money In The Bank, and we can only wonder what would have become had they not come to terms. But I am glad they did. I have appreciated what Punk has done in the last 300 plus days as world champion. I believe he truly not only wants to change the company, but the business as a whole. I believe in his disgust of sports entertainment and his purists beliefs as a pro wrestler. Now that I know his history better, I believe in him as a locker room leader and a big brother to younger stars. I believe he is the last of the "old school mentality" guys (with the exception of Dolph Ziggler, who has the tools to be a mega star). I believe he can change the game and that he can lead the cavalry. I still believe that CM Punk is a fucking asshole…but I now believe in CM Punk, and there is a good chance he may in fact be what he always claimed to be…the best in the world.
What are your thoughts/reviews on the DVD? Do you agree or disagree with me? Post your comments below and feel free to share this review with your friends.
You can interact with DieHard Derek by following him on Facebook and Twitter.
Posted by DieHard Derek at 1:37 PM
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Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Stephanie McMcahon Shows Her Boob
Don't get too excited. She didn't bare it all like when her Daddy used to pimp out his divas to Playboy magazine. Actually, it's a pretty old picture that was sent to me.
The Billion-Dollar Princess, Stephanie McMahon, shows off her ten grand boobs. Well, at least one of them - so that's about five large worth. Unfortunately, it's not in the dirty fashion we all hoped. This was more of a "wardrobe malfunction". I'm not insinuating that Daddy's little head of creative gave the fans a peek for a cheap pop on purpose. She saves that for the locker room!....
Don't give me that fucking look! Do you seriously think that Triple H was the first wrestler that Stephanie McMahon fooled around with? Isn't there a taboo story about why Randy Savage is blacklisted from the WWE? Let's ask Vince about that one. Oooooooh yeah!
This is one of those pro wrestling bloopers that happened during a RAW broadcast and luckily for us, there was an aspiring amateur photographer sitting ringside to snap this one off with his Kodak. Apparently, he (I'm taking a wild guess and saying it was a "he" because no "she" in her right mind would pop off for an opportunity to catch Stephanie assume the position with Triple H - then again, these are the same minds that came up with that Fifty Shades of Grey bullshit), must have thought that he was the fly on the Marriott room wall watching these two in a familiar position. As you can tell, this wasn't the first time Stephanie had her head between Triple H's legs.
Long story short, here is a pic that was shared with me, so now I share with you. If you've already seen it, there's nothing more I can do for you. You wanna do one better? Get me a pic of her other boob!
Posted by DieHard Derek at 2:13 AM
1 comment:
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Dawn Marie - Still Hot After All These Years
I would still jerk off to Dawn Marie. That's not a diss to her. If anything, it's a huge compliment. I can still look at her and say to myself, "I would ruin that ass!"
Give me a fucking break. I'm a guy and this is guy talk. This is what all you dudes say when you look at the WWE Divas, TNA Knockouts, Up and Coming Indy Wrestlers that compete in female wrestling promotions like WSU... or any other female for that matter. You don't gawk at them and say, "She's a helluva wrestler. Good technician. Solid promos. Can't wait to see her next match". Absolutely NOT! It's all about how hot she is, how big her tits are and how they jiggle when her body hits the mat, and how you'd like her to bounce that sweet ass on her your lap. I've heard some of these perverts even go as far as saying that they'd drink a mile of a woman's piss just to see where it came from. You nasty motherfuckers!
The bottomline is that as a former WWE Diva and ECW original, Dawn Marie has pretty much fallen off the pro wrestling radar. Last time anyone really heard from her, she was being accused of scamming money out of the Wrestler's Rescue charity organization that she co-founded. Which, by the way, is total bullshit. If she's guilty of anything, it's trusting people. But who wants to talk about politics when you have a rack like that? Let's get back to the point before I lose my erection.
Even though Dawn hasn't spent much time in the limelight, it's understandable because she's now a full-time mother. And I'd just like to thank those kids for making that boobage so much more desirable. You talk about MILFs? You can add Dawn Marie at the top of the food chain. Amazingly, she is one of the few notable divas that has never sold herself out and taken it all off for profit. Damn her for having such integrity.
The closest thing you may have seen was when Dawn Marie flashed her boobs on WWE Smackdown wearing pasties. I ran into Dawn over the winter at one of those over crowded pro wrestling conventions in New Jersey, and she was still looking as hot as ever. She hasn't lost it a bit. So what if she's a little bit thicker. That's just more Dawn Marie to enjoy. I've been a big fan of hers since we first met back in 1996. We've done a bunch of work together over the years, and I'm looking forward to doing more. There is absolutely no reason why this hottie should be forgotten.
My question to you wrestling fans is, where does she rank amongest the all-time WWE divas, or all-time female wrestling personalities? People still go banana flavored ape shit over Tammy "Sunny" Sytch, but she's equally hot, got naked with a bunch of other crack whores, and is at least a Hall of Famer. It's understandable. Tammy deserves her props. But back to the question, and taking into consideration how hot she still is, where does Dawn Marie rank?
Click the link if you're interested in seeing some old rare candid pictures of Dawn Marie
Posted by DieHard Derek at 12:29 AM
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Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Lanny Poffo - A Real Fucking Genius
Here we go again! I don't know what Lanny Poffo is more famous for - being Randy Savage's brother or being that overly gay jobber in the WWE. That's no swipe at gay people. I know plenty of them, and there is no denying that when Lanny pranced around the ring he was really expressing himself freely. You gotta call a spade a spade here. It is EXACTLY what it is.
But now, I'm calling him a fucking liar. Lanny should be ashamed of himself, riding on the memory of his dead legendary family so that he can sneak his way into the WWE Hall of Fame. And who is there to challenge him? Nobody that still has a pulse. Hell, his mother barely has one. How disturbing is it that Poffo dragged his 85 year old mother into a YouTube video to back up his LIE? You just have to love how Lanny coaches her through the video - "We were at the mall, right mom?... Dad loved the Olive Garden. Didn't you steal some breadsticks in your purse mom?... And Randy said he wouldn't go in unless we all do, right? Just like the Von Erichs". And Judy says, "Who the fuck are the Von Erichs?"
Do you really want a ring that bad Lanny? Does it mean that much to you to be known as WWE Hall of Famer Leaping Lanny Poffo? Would you really cockblock everything your brother achieved in his career for your own selfish motives? Angelo Poffo was a legendary grappler. Your brother is perhaps the most admired worker in the history of the business. And you,... well, you're just you. An enhancement talent in the 80's, Mr. Perfect's sidekick bitch in the 90's, and fully a paid contracted roster talent for WCW in the 2000's who never saw a single minute of TV time. That's your legacy? Really?
Randy may have said something to that affect. He may have even said it word for word, to put a smile on the face of his aging dad and to pat the back of his lackey brother. And so, you would actually prevent the WWE from honoring his legacy just so you can slip yourself into the Hall and be remembered as a fucking leach? WOW! And who is going to say it isn't true? Other than the four Poffo's at Olive Garden that day, two which are now dead, and one who wishes she would have drowned you at birth - who else is there to support your claim? Oh, let me guess. You have an Olive Garden waiter that was a witness?
And what kind of douchebag throws in his political views into a video where he tries to clean up his own mess? Typical Republican bullshit. You made a lying video to defend your lie and then lie about how your political party did nothing wrong to this economy while hinting that your current President is a terrorist. You're some piece of work Lanny Poffo! A real American douchebag. What kind of fucking person are you? This has nothing to do with your political views, because everyone is entitled to their own. But maybe next time you need to preview the video before you post. Maybe you need to get some cue cards for your mother so we don't see you coaching her and practically winking at her on camera. Maybe you should tell the truth for once, and stop trying to parade yourself as someone who mattered or did anything in this business. Stop trying to be remembered for things you didn't do or achieve. It's sad to see this and even sadder to see you stand in the way. But I guess that's what makes you a "genius".
Here's a poem for you:
There once was man named Savage.
Whose brother was less than average.
He'd prance in the ring while doing his thing,
but his skills smelled worse than corn beef and cabbage.
Now he desperately wants to be in the Hall of Fame,
but his plan couldn't get any more lame.
He'll ride the legacy of his father and brother,
while making videos where he's coaching his mother,
and lie to fans saying they only wanted to be inducted by family name.
He's embed these lies in his head.
And the only ones who can challenge him are already dead.
Nice try you fucking genius,
now why don't you go eat some penis,
and just let your brother be inducted alone instead.
Posted by DieHard Derek at 11:02 AM
2 comments:
Friday, June 1, 2012
Dawn Marie Goes Topless At Wrestling Show?
So I get this pic sent to me from a fan who runs a site featuring rare pics of female wrestling personalities in the buff. Now I know there are tons of girls who have striped it all down for the pages of Playboy (boring) and others who started their careers before wrestling doing softcore porn (much better). But it's not often that I hear of a talent who took it all off in the middle of the ring.
Sure you have your WEW wrestling groups where they had strippers named G.I. Hoe cat-fighting with more seasoned girls like Annie Social for an NC-17 audience. But I guess I missed the event when former WWE and ECW diva Dawn Marie ripped her shirt off in the middle of a ring.
After closely analyzing the picture, I'm pretty confident it was Dawn showing off her boobage. At first, I thought it may have been during an episode of WWE Smackdown because the ring ropes were all blue. But looking closer, you see the short walkway to the ring and the production lights on the floor. Immediately, the low budget flag scores a ping. Was this back in the ECW days? Not to mention, Dawn's jiggle meat is considerably smaller than they are today. For those not as familiar with the former WWE diva, you can check out a few WWE sanctioned pics below.
Back to the investigation, I doubt this was shot an indy show. First off, who would show their tits for $50. Well, maybe Missy Hyatt. Secondly, indy shows can't afford production lights. Could this be for the XPW organization? I doubt it. That would have been in between gigs from the original ECW and her stint in the WWE. Vince normally doesn't like hiring girls with a "blue" past. Then again, this was the attitude era - a time when Vince pimped the shit out of his girls.
The other thing that strikes me funny is that this looks more like a screen cap than it does an actual photo. So some perverted mark shot this from their TV screen - meaning that this moment was actually broadcast somewhere. Was it live TV? PPV? or home video?
Have any of you ever seen this pic before? Do you know when and where it was taken? Do you know the organization? And do you know where I can find more?
Thanks to DieHard Wrestling fan Billy Stanford - we now know it was from a WWE Smackdown event.... Here is the video clip!
Posted by DieHard Derek at 11:33 AM
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Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Ric Flair To TNA: "Wooooo!!! I'm Gettin' The Fuck Outta Here"
It's a damn shame what has become of the legendary "Nature Boy" Ric Flair. I wrote a piece on it a little over a year ago at other pro wrestling blog, and I got some serious shit for it from the fans. They were all like, "You need to show him so more respect.. He's a legend and can do whatever the fuck he wants...You don't know him personally and what he's going through".
Seriously? Fuck you. I call it like I see it, and it ain't a lie if it's true. Since retiring from the WWE, your so-called role model reneged oh his retirement promised, screwed Highspots out of tens of thousands, shit all over the wrestling fans, made a fool of himself and his legacy in TNA, and then proceeded to fuck them over too. WOOOOOO! Ain't that some shit!
Seems like Dixie Carter has smartened up and may be on the verge of cutting ties with the legend who can't afford to pay his bar tabs. You know things have gotten bad when sources in the TNA locker room are saying it's at a point where it's not worth keeping Flair around.
Since joining TNA, Flair has been banned and cut off from numerous establishments in the Orlando area where TNA tapes it television shows and hosts most of their pay per view events. There was an incident at the Hard Rock Cafe at Citiwalk where he's been banned from drinking. There are also countless stories of Flair hitting up talent for money, asking for them to pay for his drinks, running out on massive tabs, and even stories of establishments contacting the TNA offices seeking payment for his scams. Flair's antics are ruining a ton of TNA's local business relationships. And why is that? Because the champ doesn't give two fucks about TNA Wrestling.
He sees TNA as a glorified indy company and thinks Dixie Carter is a money mark. He figures his boys will get him his overblown payday and the young starts will mark out just to be around him. Well the jig is up motherfucker! Nobody wants you around anymore. His boys shrug him off and tell Dixie they have no way to control him, like he's some retarded child off his meds. The locker room doesn't want him around and are wondering what the fuck they ever saw in him. And management finally started calculating their math to figure out that between his lack of drawing power and the lack of ratings, his 30K per appearance pay isn't worth it.
WrestlingInc.com reports that Spike TV sources have reported that there have been a number of requests from the network for TNA to keep Flair dressed and not have him "near nude" and bleeding at his age on TV.
This isn't the Four Horsemen days where that Horse shit would fly. Ric Flair is no longer the star he was in the 80's. He can't get away with the antic of his styling and profiling. He's no longer the central figure on television and there is no reason for him to be living the gimmick outside of the ring. The Ric Flair we all know and love, died during the Monday Night Wars.
You think he cares if Dixie hands him his pink slip? He's got the WWE wrapped around his finger. They just signed his daughter Ashley to a developmental deal and went through flaming circus hoops to put another Hall of Fame ring on his finger. Dixie puts a stiletto in his ass and he bounces right into the WWE. Yeah, he'll have to work a little more for his paycheck, but he won't be homeless just yet. Ric Flair doesn't respect TNA or Dixie Carter, and treats them like a joke knowing that he always has the WWE to fall back on.
How is TNA supposed to grow as a company when they have guys like Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan bleeding them of their money and creativity because they are just literally stealing the money TNA needs to survive? Flair laughs behind Dixie Carter's back and says to his boys, "This mark is gonna pay me because I'm Ric Fucking Flair and she don't know any better!... She knows my name and knows I'm a legend. She needs me to make her company".
Uh, sorry Ric. She needs you to get the fuck out! Dixie Carter is trying to run a business here and she has no time to babysit a pitiful old man whose had more marriages than world titles. Ric Flair no longer draws crowds, no longer draws ratings and can no longer helps build a promotion using the credibility of his name. His name isn't worth a cup of warm piss. Maybe to the indies or the local convention scene, but to a major promotion like TNA Wrestling, he's nothing but a financial and liable cancer.
Yeah, I fuckin' said it!
Posted by DieHard Derek at 12:30 AM
2 comments:
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Bloody Terri...Bloody Terri....Bloody Terri...
Maybe I've seen Paranormal Activity too many times. I was trying to work the ol' Bloody Mary magic here so I can be haunted by a topless Terri Runnels. No luck! Fucking movies, always making it look easy!
How many of you actually remember Terri Runnels? It's been a while since she was last on any mainstream wrestling programming, and WWE doesn't give her the occasional nod to remember her contributions to the build of the divas division. No, she didn't wrestle or do anything monumental - but she was one of the original divas who helped bring sex back into wrestling.
When WWE Hall of Famer Tammy "Sunny" Sytch was strutting around the WWE as the most downloaded woman on AOL, it was Terri Runnels standing along side Sable in her shadows. It was like a major league pitching rotation. Sunny was the ace, Sable was the all-star, and Terri was a veteran stud.
She turned heads as Alexandria York in the early days of WCW, but she gained worldwide recognition when she adopted the moniker of Marlena, the golden statuette shaped arm-piece of her then husband Goldust (Dustin Runnels). At the time, the WWE had been producing an edgier spin off to their WWE magazine, entitled RAW Magazine. The publication mirrored the new attitude era and pushed the erotic envelope with spreads of their women that represented a Playboy layout - without nipples and pink meat. It was the WWE's version of late night Cinemax skin flick. All tease, no pop. But it was the closet thing to seeing our fantasies of these wrestling vixens come true.
After her stint in the WWE, Terri fell off the radar, and began doing the regular convention tours. She wasn't much of a news maker - except for the time that she beat the shit out of a money mark promoter named Jason Blaustein who tried to stiff her on pay, and then a few years later during her very public and very ugly break up with former ECW original cast member, New Jack. The split between the odd couple got so nasty that New Jack exploited a side of Terri we had never known. Accusations of STDs, bi-polar disorders and drug abuse ravaged the internet for weeks. I don't what New jack was talking about...that sounds like the recipe for a fun party girl!
Back to the picture, Bloody Terri. From what I understand, this was shot at a small local indy show where Terri was playing the role of manager for some fat-ass mark who thinks he's king shit on the indies. For a veteran female who never spent a day in her professional career as an active wrestler, why would she give herself a blade job like this for a small indy show that drew less than 200 fans? And if the gossip that New jack was spreading was true, why would she risk spreading her STDs to the locker room, event crew and fans (some of which are small children). Obviously, I don't know her the way New Jack knows her - but if what he says is true, Terri could have more diseases than the Outbreak monkey.
Does it suck to see someone who was once so successful desperately cling on to their fame at the cost of blood? Do some of you see this as dedication to her craft? Or is this a case of someone who desperately needs attention? What do you make of this bloody mess?
Posted by DieHard Derek at 4:34 PM
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I know you can never read too much into how a team does at the start of the season but I think for RSL this year you can. First they will have two hugely important matches in CCL against a top level opponent in Tigres that should help get them ready for MLS action. Second, the first 6 matches are huge as 3 of our 4 home matches before the May to mid June grass replacement at Rio Tinto will take place in the first batch of matches. So let's take a closer look at those first 6 matches:
- Opening Day – at Orlando FC – Sunday, March 6th
- You can expect a very full house in Orlando for their kickoff of their second season in MLS, in fact they are trying to again get 62,000 plus fans into the Citrus Bowl. Last year RSL was unable to take advantage of a Kaka red card and settled for a 1-1 home draw on July 4th. In a battle of teams that embrace lions, RSL should be able to win the battle of Prides to open the season on a positive note.
- Home Opener – Seattle – Saturday, March 12th
- Every match with the Sounders has been a battle as the two sides seem to bring out the best in each other. Over the last 5 years we are 6-2-5 facing the Sounders, 4-1-0 at Rio Tinto Stadium. With the Sounders adjusting to life without Obafemi Martins there may be no better time to lay a beat down on them than our home opener. A early match that will have points on the line that could decide playoff positioning.

subset: commoncrawl


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The decision was taken at the MCA managing committee meeting recently. "Dr DY Patil Stadium will hold the Mumbai-Gujarat Ranji match this season," said MCA's joint honorary secretary Dr PV Shetty.
Vijay Patil, the brainchild behind the state-of-the-art stadium, welcomed MCA's move. "It has taken a while, but I am happy. We have always been wanting official cricket to come to DY Patil Stadium and are happy that first-class cricketers can now avail the world-class facilities at our stadium.
It's not only a good development for the venue, but it is also great for fans in Navi Mumbai, who can now watch quality cricket here," said Patil, who is also the vice-president of the MCA. Incidentally, the venue was awarded the 2009 India vs Australia ODI, but rain washed out the tie.


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I don't know to take as compliment or insult...
I never been told I was "cute" till now; only hot or gorgeous etc.
I always thought there are levels to beauty... cute being least?
Maybe I am getting older and do not look as good? or maybe I just have no clue! lol
I never give guys reason to think I am interested in them. I am very shy. SO there is no need for them to ever say any remark on "how I look" or "how I am "
Most Helpful Girl
It's a compliment. I seriously doubt guys have the same grading scale you do for what each comment means. Mainly it means they find you attractive and want you to respond to them. Personally I think "hot" is way overused and not necessarily the kind of look that attracts sincere guys that would be interested in you as a girlfriend, but that is just me.00|00|0
I never thought of it like that. I do not want to attract the wrong men anyway. Thank you for the insight!


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Senate Bill 306 would resume executions in North Carolina and abandon the Racial Justice Act
Recently proposed Senate Bill 306, which would resume executions in North Carolina and abandon the Racial Justice Act, is a terrible bill and I urge everyone to oppose it. Still, it provides us an opportunity to consider the evidence on what works in criminal justice (or doesn't work). Recent public opinion polls demonstrate that when voters are aware of the evidence, they reject the capital punishment system because it fails the basic tests of fairness, efficiency and accuracy.
First, Sen. Thom Goolsby's bill runs contrary to his commitment as a fiscal conservative. Ample evidence shows that the death penalty costs us millions every year in defense, prosecution and court costs. This is not unique to North Carolina. The death penalty is a financial burden in every state that uses it, and is a significant reason for repeal in six states in the past six years – and several more states are moving in the same direction. A recent poll showed that 68 percent of voters in North Carolina support replacing the death penalty with life in prison without parole, if offenders were required to work and pay restitution to their victims' families. Clear majorities wisely supported abolishing the death penalty if the money saved were spent on crime fighting and victim services, a more productive use of our scarce resources.
In addition, defendants who are accused of capital crimes in North Carolina are three times more likely to be sentenced to death if they are African-American when the victim of the homicide is white. Homicide research demonstrates that the vast majority of murders are not cross-racial, but that death sentences are disproportionately cross-racial due, in part, to elaborate methods of disqualifying minority jurors in capital cases.
In cases tried under the N.C. Racial Justice Act, defendants demonstrated that prosecutors barred African-Americans from their juries. Just as in the Wilmington 10 cases, the Racial Justice Act defendants were tried by overwhelmingly white juries. They revealed handwritten notes from prosecutors describing prospective jurors in racially biased terms. Goolsby's bill ignores the continuing struggles to reduce the vicious impact of racial bias in North Carolina.
Evidence also demonstrates wrongful convictions. Death sentences are imposed by a system that makes mistakes. Five innocent men have been released from death row since 1999. Innocent people may serve decades in prison before their wrongful convictions are uncovered. Just ask Joseph Sledge, who served 34 years in prison for murder before authorities performed DNA tests that support his claims of innocence. Sledge is still in prison awaiting a new hearing. Many other inmates will never get the chance to prove their innocence, because evidence in their cases was long ago lost or destroyed.
Finally, we are rightly concerned about the grief and suffering of homicide victims and their survivors. Research demonstrates that family members of homicide victims are not well served by capital trials. While the media reports cases where family members call for the death penalty to avenge the loss of their loved ones, other victims' families do not receive media attention and they pursue justice in other ways. They are better served by programs that help them with funeral expenses, counseling and lost wages than by a racially biased capital punishment system that incarcerates the innocent along with the guilty.
Restorative justice programs, particularly victim-offender mediated dialogue programs that are victim-driven, offer survivors who wish to participate opportunities to find some comfort for their grief. Victims' survivors are not well served by a racially biased criminal justice system.
If crime is about injury (and it is), then justice should be about healing (not vengeance), or at least providing space for the possibility of healing to begin. As a survivor of violent crime myself, vengeance did not serve my need to heal.
The evidence shows us what works and what doesn't work. Therefore, we reaffirm our commitment to equality, accuracy and justice as we strive to provide meaningful support to crime victims. The evidence is clear and guides us toward fairness and equality – and away from questionable executions – and opposition to SB 306.
Kimberly Cook is a professor of sociology and criminology at UNCW and is co-author of the recently published "Life After Death Row: Exonerees' Search for Community and Identity," with Saundra D. Westervelt of UNC-Greensboro.


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Skip to comments.Stem cell breakthrough to treat liver damage
Posted on 10/08/2005 11:55:08 AM PDT by LibWhacker
LIFE STYLE EXTRA (UK) - British scientists have successfully repaired patients' damaged livers by using bone marrow stem cells from their own blood.
The victim is first injected with a drug which stimulates their bone marrow to produce extra stem cells. The stem cells are then harvested from the blood and injected into a vein or artery leading directly to the liver.
Although the researchers are unsure what the cells then do they seem to help repair any liver damage, reports New Scientist.
The finding raises the prospect of regenerating diseased livers and avoid problems with current liver transplants where the patient's body rejects the foreign organ.
Stem cells are special cells which have not yet become totally specialised to one role in the body. The techniques developed to isolate these cells are regarded as being among the most important recent scientific discoveries.
To obtain the cells the patient is given an injection of a chemical called GCSF (granulocyte colony stimulating factor) which stimulates their bone marrow to produce extra stem cells.
After five days on the drug the patients blood is screened for cells bearing the surface protein CD34 which marks them out as stem cells.
These are then extracted from the blood, concentrated and injected into the patients portal vein or hepatic artery - both of which feed blood directly to the liver.
No one is sure exactly where these cells go or what they do - but they appear to home in on and help repair any liver damage.
The liver function and general health of three out of five patients given the treatment improved significantly within two months of treatment, according to liver surgeon Nagy Habib of Imperial College London, who heads the team conducting the trial.
He presented the findings at a seminar in London hosted by the London Regenerative Medicine Network. The two patients whose health did not improve showed no ill effects from the treatment.
One patient in his early 60s had a chronic condition called primary sclerosing cholangitis which progressively damages the livers bile ducts.
"At the outset he had jaundice, was vomiting blood and had ascites swelling caused by fluid around the liver," says Mr Habib.
Two months later his jaundice had disappeared while levels of albumin a marker of healthy liver function rose to normal. Magnetic resonance scans showed the swelling had also gone down.
Mr Habibs team are hopeful they will gain approval to conduct a follow-up trial on 18 more people with liver disease.
This time Mr Habib hopes to refine the technique by isolating specialised stem cells he calls "livercytes" and multiplying them outside the body for about two weeks before re-injecting them.
An added benefit of the treatment is the stem cells can be harvested from the blood rather than from bone marrow - which is a painful procedure.
Other researchers in Japan are close to publishing the results of a similar study on 10 patients using stem cells to treat liver failure - but their technique involves extracting the cells directly from the bone marrow.
Adult stem cells offer great promise in medicine as they may generate the full spectrum of cell types needed to repair a damaged organ.
Using adult stem cells will also avoid the ethical problems associated with even earlier cell types. Embryonic stem cells can be made to develop into any cell type in the body - they would offer the ultimate flexibility.
But their only source is from aborted tissue or discarded test-tube embryos - and several campaign groups have vowed to fight any law change permitting the widespread harvesting of stem cells in these areas.
About 5,000 people in the UK are awaiting organ transplants - and for many an organ will almost certainly not be found in time. Patients will inevitably die waiting for a suitable donor
Another medical miracle NOT brought to you by embryonic stem cell research.
No babies were killed. The "smart people" aren't going to like that.
This could be even better than embryonic stem cells if this is successful. Since the cells are coming from the patient, there may be less of a chance of rejection over the long run. Honestly, I don't know since I haven't read any of the research, but it would seem plausible. I still have much hope for stem cells from fat. If that works out, then when my wife tells me to go get exercise, I can say that I'm am simply building up a good store of stem cell material, just in case:)
Wow! This sounds like a great medical breakthrough! Praise the Lord!
What's so special about the liver, anyway? Why could this not be done with every organ, or even the entire body... Just flood the body with stem cells and... Presto!... We're all young again. Nawww, can't be that simple. :-(
May God bless these scientists/doctors and help them to learn more.
Hepatocellular carcinoma is a nasty, nasty thing. This sounds wonderful. Wish they'd done it years ago.
"Stem cell breakthrough to treat liver damage"
Now Ted Kenedy will live forever.
This development is not too surprising...the liver is an
organ that regenerates all the time....there are always
molecules running around it that start regeneration processes...
The kicker here is that the "stem cell" can be "convinced" to become a liver cell or function like on...
Would like to see if the fibrosis, and general congestion of
the liver could be reversed....like if the blood would flow
easier through it....
Just another step in the understanding of how incredibly complex biological systems (feedback, regeneration, etc) are...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.


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India's Right of Replyduring the General Debate of the 71st session UN General Assembly on September21, 2016
Mr. President,
I take the floor to exercise the rightof reply in response to the long tirade of Pakistan about the situation in theIndian state of Jammu and Kashmir.
The worst violation of human rights isterrorism. When practiced as an instrument of state policy it is a war crime.
What my country and our otherneighbours are facing today is Pakistan's long-standing policy of sponsoringterrorism, the consequences of which have spread well beyond our region.
Mr President,
Only last week, the internationalcommunity honored the memory of thousands of innocent victims from around theworld, who lost their lives not far from here in New York fifteen years ago ina most horrifying terror attack.
The world has not yet forgotten thatthe trail of that dastardly attack led all the way to Abbottabad in Pakistan.
The land of Taxila, one of the greatestlearning centres of ancient times, is now host to the Ivy League of terrorism.It attracts aspirants and apprentices from all over the world.
The effect of its toxic curriculum arefelt across the globe.
It is ironical therefore that we haveseen today the preaching of human rights and ostensible support forself-determination by a country which has established itself as the globalepicentre of terrorism.
Shortly before Pakistan gave itshypocritical sermons in this august house today, its envoy in New Delhi wassummoned in the context of the most recent of the terror attacks in Uri thatclaimed 18 Indian lives. That terrorist attack is part of a trail of continuousflow of terrorists trained and armed by our neighbour and tasked to carry outterrorist attacks in my country.
What we see in Pakistan, Mr. President,is a terrorist state, which channelizes billions of dollars, much of itdiverted from international aid, to training, financing and supportingterrorist groups as militant proxies against it neighbours.
Terrorist entities and their leaders,including many designated by the UN, continue to roam its streets freely andoperate with State support. With the approval of authorities, many terroristorganizations raise funds openly in flagrant violation of Pakistan'sinternational obligations.
Even today we have heard support by thePrime Minister of Pakistan for a self-acknowledged commander of a knownterrorist organization Hizbul Mujahideen.
Pakistan is a country with a democracydeficit. In fact it practices terrorism on its own people. It extends supportto extremist groups, it suppresses minorities and women and denies basic humanrights including through draconian laws.
As a democracy India is firmly resolvedto protect all our citizens from all acts of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. Wecannot and will not allow terrorism to prevail.
Finally, Mr President, we have heardPakistan, whose nuclear proliferation record is marked by deception and deceit,talking about restraint, renunciation and peace.
Similar false promises it has made to us- the international community – on terrorism. Perhaps renunciation of lies andself-restraint on threats could be a good place for Pakistan to start.
I thank you Mr President.


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Event/TV Permitting
Call for Volunteers
Five Points Jazz Festival
Volunteer Opportunities
Saturday, May 20, 2017
Thank you for your interest in volunteering for the 15th Annual Five Points Jazz Festival. Without the help of people like you, we could not make this event as successful as it is. Please note that the festival is rain or shine. Please apply to volunteer below. All volunteers must sign the Volunteer Waiver and Release. If you have any questions and/or would like additional information, please contact Holly Porterfield, Five Points Jazz Festival Volunteer Coordinator, at email@example.com or 720-201-1481.
Morning Set-Up, 6:45 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
Morning Set-up Attendants (15 volunteers)
The Morning Set-up Attendant positions are physically active positions that require facilitating smooth vendor traffic flow throughout the festival as the vendors are transporting their materials in and out of the event. This volunteer role is critical to the safety of vendors, volunteers and the public during these processes.
• Welcome vendors as they arrive and provide assistance to them as they are setting up
• Direct vendors as they are transporting booths and supplies into and out of the event
• Keep vendor traffic pathways clear at all times
• Provide vendors with a map of the event to locate bathrooms, concessions, etc.
• Report cars within the area to be towed
• Set up chairs in front of stages and in concessions areas
• At 11 a.m. strike any no-show vendor tents
Signage (8 volunteers needed)
Event signage helps communicate with and direct attendees.
• Post signage for areas including: Medical Services Tent, Kids Zone, Stages 1 – 8, Alcohol Zones, Information Tables, Concessions, Restrooms, etc.
• A list of signs and several maps will be given out to volunteers to post at the correct locations before 10 a.m.
Volunteers for Festival Hours, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Greeters and Information Specialists 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. (FULL) and 2:30-7:30 p.m. (FULL) (12 volunteers per shift)
Your key responsibility as Greeter and Information Specialist is to welcome every attendee entering the event and to answer any questions he/she may have.
• Welcome guests to the event
• Become knowledgeable about where stages, concessions, Kids Zone, and restrooms are located and to answer questions intelligently
• Point out maps that will be located throughout the Festival
Runners and Floaters 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. (FULL) and 2-6:30 p.m. (FULL) (4 volunteers per shift)
These are extra volunteers to assist on an as-needed basis. If all positions are covered the floaters can provide relief for other volunteers, as needed. For this position, we are requesting all runners to have a car at the event in the case that additional materials need to be picked up.
• Provide backup support to all areas of the event
• Provide support to attendees as needed
• Deliver ice to stages, vendors, and volunteers as needed
Stagehands 10 a.m.-3 p.m. (FULL) and 2:30-7:30 p.m. (FULL) (8 volunteers per shift)
Stagehands will work directly with the Stage Manager to ensure that all artists feel appreciated in providing music for the event and have whatever they need to perform at their best. Stagehands will rotate to different stages as acts are changing to provide assistance when needed.
• Help performers configure stage in the manner they desire
• Load and unload band equipment to and from trucks
• Assist bands as needed
• Provide any other assistance the stage manager may deem necessary
• Answer festival guests' questions and provide directions to festival attendees as needed
• Smile and provide pleasant customer service
• Lift and move heavy music and sound equipment
• Will require standing for extended periods of time
Photographers 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., 1:30-4:30 p.m., 4:30-7:30 p.m. (FULL)
Photographers will be responsible for capturing images/video of festival attendees, musicians, vendors and volunteers dancing, playing, working eating, and celebrating throughout the day. Volunteer is responsible for and must provide his/her own equipment.
Festival Day Wrap Up and Tear Down, 6-10 p.m.
Trash removal, tear down 6-10 p.m. (20 volunteers)
Assist in cleaning up after the festival. Everything will need to be cleaned out of the festival area and put into designated pickup areas. Our goal is to restore the festival area to as good as (if not better) condition as prior to the festival.
• Remove all chairs and stack them in designated areas
• Remove trash from along the streets, alleys and sidewalks within festival area
• Remove and stack barriers
• Assist vendors to pack up and move out of the festival


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University of Richmond Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Jacque Fetrow will become the 15th president of Albright College in Reading, Pa., effective June 2017. Fetrow received her undergraduate degree from Albright College and will become the first alum to lead the institution.
"Jacque has provided critical academic leadership at Richmond and had a remarkably positive impact on our academic programs and administration," said President Ronald A. Crutcher. "At the same time, this is an exceptional opportunity for her and for Albright, and I know she will be an outstanding leader for her alma mater, just as she was at Richmond."
Crutcher cited Fetrow's work particularly in the area of faculty leadership and governance, which included the formation of a faculty senate. She recruited outstanding deans, including Patrice Rankine, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences; Jamelle Wilson, dean of the School of Professional and Continuing Studies; and Martha Merritt, dean of International Education. Fetrow has also played a critical role in the University's developing strategic plan, co-chairing the team that is focusing on the critical topic of academic excellence.
"We are fortunate that Jacque will continue to provide leadership and assistance to our strategic planning process through late spring before becoming president at her alma mater," Crutcher added.
"I am humbled to have been asked to assume the presidency of Albright College, and I am looking forward to returning to my alma mater to work with the talented faculty and staff I have met there," said Fetrow. "It has been a great honor for me to serve the University of Richmond as vice president and provost. I am proud of the work we've done together. I retain a deep and abiding respect for the many high caliber and high quality individuals who are the heart and soul of the University of Richmond."
Fetrow has served as Richmond's chief academic officer since July 2014. Prior to that she spent 11 years at Wake Forest University, where she served as dean of Wake Forest College, the Reynolds Professor of Computational Biophysics, and dean of the graduate track in structural and computational biophysics. She has also held research positions at the Scripps Research Institute, a faculty position at the University at Albany-SUNY, and post-doctoral fellowships at MIT's Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and the University of Rochester.
The university will make plans to begin a national search for its next provost in the coming weeks.
# # #


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British Food Fortnight: YorkshirePosted on: 09 September 2008 by Gareth Hargreaves
This year's event is set to be the biggest yet with activities ranging from the wild to the practical.
19th September - 28th September: York Festival Of Food & Drink
Bring your baskets and fill them up with incredible foods, regional and exotic. Other attractions will include 'Celebrity chefs and children cooking lunch'; 'Yorkshire Produce Market' with a wonderful open-air market operating in St Sampson's Square and lots more. Visit www.yorkfestivaloffoodanddrink.com for more information.
20th September: Experience Local Life, Sheffield
Experience locally produced meats and ice cream at The Aga Shop in Sheffield. Contact Anne Horton on 0114 266 2856 for more information.
24th September - 28th September: Selby Care Home Invites Local Community To Celebrate Locally Grown Produce
Firth House in Selby has invited the local community to a British Food Day to highlight the variety of local produce grown in Yorkshire on 24th September. On 28th September the local community is invited to afternoon tea, which will include cakes made by the residents. Contact Joanna Nurse on 01757 213546 for more information.
26th September - 27th September: Wakefield District Community Food & Health Team's Food Tasting & Recipe Sharing
Wakefield District PCT's Community Food and Health Team will be using fresh, seasonal, locally grown produce to cook up a British Food Fortnight feast. Contact Beverley Juniper on 01977 665 844 for further details.
27th September - 28th September: Holmfirth Food & Drink Festival
Holmfirth is the place for food lovers as the annual Food and Drink Festival takes place. A fabulous food market is open each day with stalls throughout the town offering a range of mouth-watering delights. A food demonstration kitchen in the Market Hall will give visitors the chance to watch the experts while drinking local beers provided by local bars. Contact Maria Wilson on 01484 225 852 or see
www.holmfirthfoodanddrinkfestival.com for more information.
5th October: Beverley Town Council Food Festival, East Yorkshire
Enjoy a family day food, festivities and fun in the Market Place! There will be a variety of stalls selling local produce, cookery theatre marquee (admission free), street entertainment, charity BBQ, competitions and much more. Contact Helen Watson on 01482 308 311 for more details.
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News : iYogi to Manage Spectranet's Customer Facing Network
#contactcenterworld, @iyogi
New Delhi, August 5, 2014 -- IT services firm iYogi said it has entered into a strategic partnership with Spectranet to deliver solution for customer network management and technical support for Spectranet's home and business customers in India.
Spectranet provides high speed broadband services to individuals as well as enterprises.
With Spectranet Tech Assist, managed by iYogi, the firm's broadband home customers will get instant 24x7 support for all connected devices including computers, peripherals, smartphones and other digital devices through unified platform and customer contact center, iYpgi said in a release.
Tech Assist is a technical support service for Spectranet's Broadband customers powered by FOX (Fiber Optic Xperience), the firm added. It is based on iYogi's SaaS platform - Digital Service Cloud.
The service will improve customer satisfaction and create new revenue opportunities by providing trouble-shooting support for such calls.
#contactcenterworld, @iyogi
Posted by Veronica Silva Cusi, news correspondent
Source: http://www.business-standard.com
Related Editorial
- Unpaid Salaries, Pink Slips: The Story of Lesser Known Indian BPOs
- Indian Tech Support Company Denies Scamming Consumers
- Lewiston Call Center Picked for Indian Company's 1st US Expansion
- Now, You Can Text Your Grievance
- Freshworks Acquires Chat-bot Start-up Joe Hukum
- Cloud Telephony Platform Exotel Partners with Zendesk
More Editorial From iYogi
About iYogi:
iYogi is a global on-demand services company that provides software and comprehensive tech support for consumers and small businesses in United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, GCC states and India. iYogi''s proven global delivery model, including proprietary Digital Service Cloud and highly qualified technicians, is designed to manage the increasing dependency on complex technology for consumers and small businesses.
About Spectranet:
Spectranet is an Internet service provider which offers cable and wireless broadband services to residential customers across India by partnering up with local cable operators who manage the networks, payments and after sales service.
Published: Wednesday, August 6, 2014


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RAYSTORM Gameplay 1 iOS / Android
By: TAITO Corporation
Genre: Action
Video Tips
Let's play RAYSTORM! This is part 1 of my walkthrough guide for the iOS game, RAYSTORM by TAITO Corporation.
I will update this post with more tips and tricks, so please bookmark this page and keep on checking in!
If you have any questions, feel free to ask for extra help in the comments section.
Hit like if this helped you!
Visit RAYSTORM walkthrough page for level videos, tutorials, cheats and more.
Gameplay Questions
Questions related to gameplay of RAYSTORM iPhone game.


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Haven't joined yet? Join MYX |
Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez:~Making product lines to earn more money.Demi Lovato:~Giving away her money to pay people for their treatment.Okay. Hi people. I've just want to know why you haters have reasons to "HATE" her. She's just want to help other people. You haters should BACK OFF. Lovatics are here for Demi and we're her "WARRIORS".
nkacut po sya.. haixt.. that's enough I'm tired.. and yuhh.. that's my comment.. all her 13 new songs.. haha.. I LOVE this ALBUM so much..
would still hate her.. your heart is beautifully made but WITHOUT THE LOVE, it's nothing.. I'm seeing NEON LIGHTS every time I look at her and I always feel like I've NEVER BEEN HURT when I listen to her.. Demi is MADE IN THE USA and she's so perfect, inspirational and strong and I'm so proud of her.. I LOVE HER.. she's my hero.. so, listen to this album, coz it's the best.. Thank You.. :))
oh, I HATE IT.! bkit hnde buo yung comment cu.? aaarrgghhh.. I didn't know na my limit pla.. haixt
I love the songs in this album.. it's so perfect and meaningful.. you guys who hate Demi must listen to them, just IN CASE your feelings change. and if it does, then you'll be a WARRIOR and Demi's gonna be your NIGHTINGALE at night. and if your feelings don't change, you're not one of us, we're TWO PIECES, and I REALLY DON'T CARE, coz I know we'll never be SOMETHING THAT WE'RE NOT... oh my gosh, I think I'd have a HEART ATTACK. I'm gonna be a FIRE STARTER, and I SHOULDN'T COME BACK to you if you


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Sep 14, 2011
CSE Report on Distributed Database
This is a computer science project report on distributed database which can be also used by other engineering branch like IT, MCA etc as per requirement. A distributed database is a database that is under the control of a central database management system (DBMS) in which storage devices are not all attached to a common CPU. A distributed database can reside on network servers on the Internet, on corporate intranets or extranets, or on other company networks. You can also Subscribe to FINAL YEAR PROJECT'S by Email for more such projects and seminar.
This report focus on types of Distributed Database, homogenous distributed database system, Client/Server database architecture, heterogeneous distributed database systems, distributed processing, transparency gateway agents etc. Use this report for your reference and study only.
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Final-yearproject.com is one stop for all your project needs. You can find projects and seminars related to Electronics, Electrical, Civil, Mechanical, MBA, Pharmacy, Computer Science, IT, Bio-Tech, Robotics, Telecom, Wireless, Automation, BCA, MATLAB etc. You can Like us at Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Google+.


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Question: When proteins are separated using native gel electrophoresis size shape
When proteins are separated using native gel electrophoresis, size, shape, and charge control their rate of migration on the gel. Why does DNA separate based on size, and why do we not worry much about shape or charge?
View Solution:
View Solution:
Answer to relevant QuestionsWhat are the differences between a DNA library and a cDNA library? Suppose that you are a prosecuting attorney. How has the introduction of the polymerase chain reaction changed your job? What are the key differences between DNA microarrays and protein microarrays, and how they are used in research? What health conditions are linked to malfunctioning immune systems? What characteristics are shown by cancer cells?
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