The 2009 Most Awesome Things That Were Awesome Awards (And Some That Were Not)

Posted in Gaming, Movie Reviews, Music, Politics, Random, Sports, Television, World Events with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on Wednesday, December 30, 2009 by theclimaxan

It’s the end of the year, and there is no better way to justify your existence for the previous 12 months than to recap all of the things you liked and didn’t like, then post it on a blog for others to read. Trust me. Feels good man (insert feels good man frog). With that being said, I present to you the second annual “Most Awesome Things That Were Awesome Awards”. Nick Cannon, drum roll please…………..

Most Awesome Album of the Year

K’naan – Troubadour

K’ naan escaped Somalia during the civil war of the early 90’s with his mother on the day the American embassy closed its doors due to the escalating violence.  The two of them immigrated to Harlem for a short time before settling in Canada. K’ naan learned english through emulating  MCs like Nas and Jay-Z. Once he mastered the language he went on to open mic nights and local events, then broke through at a UN charity event after performing a spoken word poem that blasted the UN for it’s actions in Somalia. Troubadour is K’naan’s sophomore album, and it’s only a matter of time before everyone knows who this man is. Blending biography with poetry and a flow unlike any other, K’ naan takes hip-hop to a new level of artistic expression.  From start to finish this album is a lyrical journey through the beauty and the horror of his Somali childhood, to the triumphs he has achieved in his new life. If you appreciate hip-hop in any way then you have to own this album.

Runners Up: Wale- Attention Deficit; Cobra Starship- Hot Mess; Company of Thieves- Ordinary Riches; Kid Cudi- Man on the Moon; 311- Uplifter; Method Man and Redman- Blackout 2

Most Awesomely Bad Album of the Year

Brand New – Daisy

I love Brand New. During my teenage years and into early college I would’ve put these guys in my top-5 all time. Deja Entendu is one of the best albums of the decade. I hated Daisy. It is un-listenable noise. There are two/three songs I can even make it through before I have to shut it down.In every way imaginable this album was a step down in quality  for them. In vocals,  musicianship, and especially production. I understand they are trying to be themselves and buck the “scene”. I respect that, I really do. Because of this I wrote them a letter to show my respect:

Dear Brand New,

Yay. Congratulations. You’re different and super artistic. Now get back to making good music because you’re better than this.

Your friend,

A big fan.

Runners Up: Taking Back Sunday- New Again; Timbaland- Shock Value II; Owl City- Ocean Eyes; 50 Cent- Before I Self Destruct

Most Awesome Movie of the Year

District 9

It was a tight race this year in an overall great year for good movies. In the end it had to be District 9. I’ve been waiting for a sci-fi film like this for years. With a great script, superb acting and some of the best CG ever to grace the screen District 9 tells a tale of discrimination, tolerance and what it’s like to be on the outside looking in when all you’ve ever known is the opposite. When this came out on Blu-ray last week I watched it 3 times in 2 days if that tells you anything.

Runners Up: 500 Days of Summer; Star Trek; Coraline; UP; Away We Go; Avatar; Zombieland; Inglorious Basterds; The Hangover; Where the Wild Things Are

Most Awesomely Bad Movie of the Year

Knowing

I almost put Transformers 2 here, and that would’ve been fine, because it deserves the title. After some quick reflection of all the movies I’ve seen this year the true winner stood miles above the rest. So high it could in fact, be seen from space. Nicholas Cage is doing it on purpose now. He has to be. Knowing is actually a decent movie until the last act. From there it spirals into ridiculousness unlike any movie I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen The Happening. I know pain.

Runners Up: Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen; X-Men Origins: Wolverine; 2012

Most Awesome TV Show of the Season That’s Not LOST (tie)

Modern Family and Community

To prevent this from being an excersize in LOST fanboyism, I’ve decided to take LOST out of the conversation. Else it would win every year. That being said, TV was stellar this year. Especially for comedies. Modern Family and Community are two of the best written and acted shows on network TV right now and both are only in their freshman seasons.


Both draw influence from Arrested Development (esp. Modern Family), but they are also both very unique , especially in the department of characters. Ed O’Neal hasn’t lost his touch, and Joel McHale has transferred perfectly from the Soup to a sitcom. Whether Community sees a second season is yet to be determined, but Modern Family should be around for awhile. It might even make an Arrested-like 3rd.

Runners Up: Better Off Ted; It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia; Survivor: Samoa; Breaking Bad; Stargate Atlantis

Most Awesome Video Game of the Year

New Super Mario Brothers Wii


There were a ton of great games that came out this year, but none were as anticipated for me as NSMB. I’ve been waiting for a console 2D Mario game since Super Mario World (1991). Those are a lot of years of pent up hype and expectation and for this game to meet those and then some are more than enough to warrant a Game of the Year title. If you have a Wii and ever loved the classic Mario games then you should already own this. If not, find a friend that has it and dig in.

Runners Up: Assasins Creed II; Uncharted 2: Among Theives; Halo 3: ODST; Resident Evil 5; Modern Warfare 2;

Most Awesome Moment of the Year

Dude Lands Plane in the Hudson

Sully Sullenberger, despite his name sounding like something out of a 50’s era family sitcom, is the man. Not only did he save a plane-full of people, but he did it by landing the 747 in the Hudson River ( I also hear he was eating a sandwich and reading the Times simultaneously). No one died and there were only minor injuries. In a year dominated by the recession, Afghanistan, and the Swine Flu, this was an amazing feel-good event.

Most Awesome WTF? Moment of the Year

People Going Crazy Over Healthcare

What made these moments so awesome for me was how, no matter where you stand on the healthcare debate, these outbursts of rage from fringey-ignoramuses provided hours of laughter and heartache. Laughter because of their fact-less intensity, heartbreaking because of well, their fact-less intensity. I can debate principles all day with someone over healthcare reform, but you can’t listen or rationalize with someone who has no idea what they are talking about. During these town halls, there was A) no bill to even discuss and B) no proof the government was going to take away medicare or kill your grandmother. Nevertheless, it was entertaining to watch. As I fully support Americans right to freak out over nothing.

The Climaxan’s 2009 Lifetime Acheivement Award

Michael Jackson

When Michael Jackson died this year everyone had some sort of emotional reaction. Personally, I felt a sense of relief for the man who no doubt had been living in his own personal prison for quite some time. If you need a doctor to help you sleep at night then there are some serious demons at work. After he passed,  people celebrated his life and his work largely absent of the scandals of the past 20 years, instead focusing on his body of work and the positive things he had done. At first this bothered me, but I soon realized that, like with all celebrities and scandals, we only know what is presented to us in the media. After all, he never was charged for any crimes. The only thing that was certain was that he was troubled. Despite that he had an impact on millions of peoples lives via his music. Especially his early music.

Most Awesome Thing To Look Forward To in 2010

Maybe The Last Season of the NFL As We Know It

If you are a sports fan this should be on your radar and soon. If the NFL doesn’t reach a labor agreement by the Superbowl, then the 2010 season will go on without a salary cap. This in itself won’t destroy the NFL, it will simply turn the league into Major League Baseball for a season and teams like the Cowboys and Redskins will load up like the Yanks and the Sox while every other team will scramble to make ends meet. Once the 2010 season ends, if there is still no labor agreement then there will be a lockout. Meaning no NFL period in 2011. Other big changes that may be in store are the revenue sharing which will have a massive impact on teams like the Jaguars, Browns, and Vikings who depend on the system to survive. If that goes away then the NFL might go through an NHL like crisis where teams either go bankrupt or fold all together.

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Iron Man 2 Teaser Poster

Posted in Trailers with tags , , , , on Monday, November 30, 2009 by theclimaxan

Joblo.com has posted the first look at the Iron Man 2 poster featuring both Iron Man and War Machine. I absolutely can’t wait for this flick.

Check it.

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Intervention: It’s Time to Fix the Panthers

Posted in Sports with tags , , , , , , , , on Monday, November 30, 2009 by theclimaxan

Every now and then I will write about the NFL. Football is my favorite sport, and The Panthers are my favorite team. So with good reason I find myself with opinions on both with regularity. In the last year , my fellow Panther fans and I have witnessed our team fall from a dominant 12-4 to a pathetic 4-7. At first you may be like “OMG he’s such a fair weather fan”. I can assure you that I am not.  For years I have supported the off- the field decisions of the Panthers, I’ve backed Jake Delhomme and John Fox until the bitter end this season. After witnessing the terrible display of football between the Panthers and Jets this past Sunday it became abundantly clear.

It’s time to blow this team up, or at the very least do some precision blasting.

The first change isn’t hard to land on. John Fox and Marty Hurney must go. Overall they have done a great job building the Panthers into a legit franchise, but they haven’t been able to build them into a consistent franchise. The Panthers have had glowing issues since after the 2003-2004 Superbowl year, which if addressed then, may not have put the Panthers in the situation they are now. Issues such as WR depth behind Steve Smith, QB depth behind Jake Delhomme, in-consistent play calling, an aging defensive line etc. These are problems that were ignored or had band-aids placed on them over the years (see Keyshawn Johnson, franchising of Peppers). It was only a matter of time before they all  blew up in our face.  All of the great things the Fox/Hurney duo have accomplished have been undermined by their own stubbornness. The NFL is the quintessential “What have you done for me lately” league, and stubbornness will kill you and your franchise quickly if you allow it (see Tampa Bay).

With Fox gone who will replace him? The easy answer is Bill Cowher. Don’t get me wrong I would welcome his experience, but the overall philisophy would be the same. Both Fox and Cowher have the same philosophies. Defense. Run the Ball. Rinse. Repeat.  Minus Cowher’s one ring, they are essentially the same coach. Both began their coaching careers with early Superbowl appearances, both lost, both won just enough to make it through the rough years, both have had their jobs called for by the fans.The main difference? Cowher knew when to pull the plug on his QBs. Kordell Stewart was given his chances but when Tommy Maddox showed promise he was given the the gig. When Maddox went into the tank, Cowher quickly pulled the trigger on then rookie QB Ben Rothlisberger. John Fox let his personal feelings for Delhomme cloud his professional opinion. Sure Delhomme is the best QB on the roster, but who’s fault is that? The QB position has been the #1 downfall of the Panthers. If Cowher can fix it then the job is already his.

As far a coordinators go, I believe Ron Meeks deserves another year to show what his system can do, whether or not he gets it, is all dependent on who the coach will be. The defense has been spotty at times, but with players built for speed already in place, then its possible Meeks could still work out. Jeff Davidson however, better have his bags packed. Not only has he continued the inconsistent play calling of Dan Henning, he’s turned Steve Smith into a ghost. If Jon Fox stays put, Davidson should hopefully still get canned. I can’ t even venture a guess who the new OC would be if Fox goes. That would depend on the coach. If Fox stays, don’t be shocked to see Charlie Weis join up with his good pal John Fox.

The new coach, whether it’s Cowher or not, will make widespread personnel changes.  The easiest cut will be Jake Delhomme. His play this season has more than justified it. He’s a great person but his head just isn’t there any more, and a new coach will want his guy in there. The next step is to let Peppers walk or sign and trade him for a first round draft pick. With that they could pick up a young QB to compete with Matt Moore in training camp or pick a WR to compliment Steve Smith. Not to mention the gargantuan piece of cap space that will open up with him gone. An extra 20 million could help to shore up the D-line, the secondary and fan morale.

Speaking of defense, I think it’s time to switch the Panthers D-scheme to play to their strengths. Earlier in the decade the 4-3 worked great because of our D-Line and lack of linebacker depth. Now it’s the exact opposite. The Panthers are swimming in talented linebackers.  The 3-4 would be killer. Imagine opposing QBs wondering every snap against Carolina whether or not Jon Beason or Thomas Davis was coming on the blitz. With their speed the options would be endless and Meeks could even further indoctrinate his ball-hawk mentality with a wildcard 3-4. This would also help soften the blow of losing Julius Peppers and mask the inefficiencies that currently exist on the D-line.

The last thing, and the most petty of them all. Uniforms. I don’t want a wholesale change. Our colors, logo and all that jazz are fine. We just need a bit of an upgrade. We’ve been a franchise 15 years. It’s time we actually had a throwback jersey. It would also be a nice way to symbolize the beginning of a new era in Panther football. One that is desperately needed.

Again, these are all ideas coming from one disgruntled fan. They mean nothing, but they also mean everything. Fans make a team, and many of the suggestions I’ve made above are being echoed by countless Panther fans. If the current powers that be have a better plan then I welcome it, but it needs to include some serious changes. This region desperately needs the Panthers to not  only succeed but to win. It’s not just what we want, but what we’ve come to expect. Jerry Richardson built this team to be a winner. Now it’s time for him to take the next step.

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Why I’m Excited About New. Super Mario Bros. Wii

Posted in Gaming with tags , , on Tuesday, November 3, 2009 by theclimaxan

This is why.

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Obama, Afghanistan and You

Posted in Politics with tags , , , , on Tuesday, November 3, 2009 by theclimaxan

Barack Obama has gotten heat from his opponents on many things, some stupid, some very stupid, and some worthy of debate. I voted for Obama and I personally think there are some things he’s doing very well (international relations, attempting to move HC forward) and some areas I hope he improves upon (Geithner I’m looking at you). There is one issue he’s getting some serious heat for right now that I can’t help but voice my opinion on,  and that is how he is handling Afghanistan. I don’t know how you look at war, but sending 40,000 additional troops into battle isn’t something that should be taken lightly. There’s no doubt that additional troops are needed, but if you talk to anyone who has served in Afghanistan and they will tell you the same thing. It’s a complicated ass situation. Not only are you fighting the Taliban, you are fighting the terrain, the weather, an inept Pakistani government, and a makeshift Afghan “government”. Strategy is key in this situation, and it’s rush job decisions that have the United States in this situation to begin with. Dick Cheney levied some heavy criticisms on Obama last week, pretty much accusing him of ignoring the situation. Irony doesn’t even begin to describe his words.  Everything positive our military accomplished in Afghanistan directly after 9/11 was destroyed because the Bush Administration didn’t take the time to think about what they were doing. It was the epitome of “shoot first ask questions later” as we headed to Iraq and left a less than ideal number of troops to hold together a patchwork government in hostile territory. The worst part is Cheney’s words have been given credibility, and despite the obvious failings of his administrations Afghan strategy, there are still citizens who cling to their ideals as a legitimate solution. The definition of crazy is repeating the same activity over and over and getting the same results. Crazy got us into this mess, and if you think it will get us out, then, you’re crazy.

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Review: Where the Wild Things Are

Posted in Movie Reviews with tags , , , , , on Monday, November 2, 2009 by theclimaxan

This movie was at the tippy-top of my must see list ever since it was announced. When Spike Jonze took the reigns as Director I was even more excited, if only for the simple reason that his adaptation would have just as much personality and imagination as the book that taught me how to read. Where the Wild Things Are (the book) wasn’t very deep (it was only 10 or so pages long) but when I was 5 that didn’t matter. What mattered was how much it sparked my imagination. So with a simple piece of source material, Spike Jonze did what Maurice Sendak expected all of us to do when he wrote the original; use that imagination of ours.

Where the Wild Things Are is a simple film with complex elements. It’s a story about being a kid and all of the emotions that go along with it. The fear, the uncertainty, the happiness, and the sadness. It celebrates the power of your imagination but also recognizes the fact that you can’t hide from your problems, no matter how young you are. Which also makes this a story about growing up.  Despite the fact that this was a movie based on a legendary children’s book, I loved that Spike Jonze wasn’t afraid to take the story to the level that he did. Children will enjoy this movie, there’s a lot to be amazed by, but this isn’t a movie necessarily for them, it’s more about them, and the stages of growth we all experience.

Who would have thought you could pull that much out of a 10 page book.

Kudos Spike Jonze.

9/10

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2009 NFL Predictions

Posted in Sports with tags , , , on Thursday, September 3, 2009 by theclimaxan

I absolutely suck at predictions. I’m always wrong. Thankfully, I’m ok with that considering I’ve never claimed or had bestowed upon me the powers of foresight. Therefore, as a mere mortal, my guess is as good as yours, but possibly better than Skip Bayless’s. He’s an idiot. So, with a little NFL knowledge in my brain, a few pre-season games in the que, and an endless desire to pretend I know what I’m talking about, I present to you my 2009 NFL predictions.

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