Michael Vick signs with the Eagles

Being a Va Tech Hokie myself, I have to admit I was as disappointed with the Michael Vick scandal as anyone. Vick almost single-handedly put Virginia Tech football on the map, and turned the program into a perennial powerhouse in college football.

So when Vick was found guilty for his role in a dog fighting ring, it was a tough pill to swallow. How could he have thrown it all away? Well, after serving 18 months in prison Vick was released in May and rumors started to swirl over whether or not the once superstar quarterback would ever step on a NFL field again. Well… the question has been answered, as Vick has signed a 2 year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Vick was once hailed as the next superstar quarterback with the potential to be one of the best ever, but after 2 years away from the game it remains to be seen just how quickly he can get back into shape and be able to make any sort of contribution to the Eagles who are still hunting their first Super Bowl victory (the team has made 2 appearances in the Superbowl in 1980 and 2004, but lost both games).

What are your thoughts? Should Vick have been allowed to play again in the NFL after paying his due to society, or should he have been hit with a lifetime ban for his animal cruelty actions? I, for one, say give the guy a second chance, but then again I am a bit biased being a Hokie myself.

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Michael Jackson dead at 50 from cardiac arrest

Michael Jackson, the King of Pop has died today. Michael Jackson suffered from a cardiac arrest and died today in Los Angeles.

Jackson was 50 years old, and was hoping to rejuvenate his carrer this summer with a comeback tour. The King of Pop was once the biggest thing on this planet, but over the past 10 years he had definitely fallen out of the pop world. The last time Michael Jackson had a serious tour was back in 1997, and he had not released an album since 2001.

Through his musical career, Jackson definitely was on top. He sold more than 750 million albums world wide, and won 13 Grammys for his work.

Despite his amazing musical achievements, his carrer will always be tainted by all the accusations of child abuse that were made against him. In 2005, Jackson was acquitted of child molestation in California, and has rarely made his way into the public eye since.

Michael Jackson was divorced 2 times, and leaves 3 children behind.

Despite all the craziness around his personal life, Jackson was still very famous around the world, especially in Europe. He had scheduled 50 London concerts between July and March… and they all sold out in just a matter of minutes, proving that Michael Jackson was, is, and probably always will be considered the true King of Pop.

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Christian Bale tirade on Shane Hurlbut

British actor Christian Bale is no stranger to bad press, and he is once again in the news today after an audio tape of a verbal tirade by Bale has been released.

The guy on the receiving end of the verbal assault was Shane Hurlbut, the director of photography for the Terminator Salvation film. The encounter went on for almost four entire minutes, and Bale used the f-word at least 37 times, and at one point threatened physical harm against Hurblut. It all started when Hurlbut apparently walked on set, and ruined the scene that was being filmed. The reaction was a bit intense, and Hale went so far as to threaten to quit the film if Hurlbut was not removed from the project.

The event apparently occurred just days after the actor was arrested and accused of assaulting his mother and sister in London. Definitely a week that I am sure the actor wishes he could take back.

You can hear the entire verbal assualt online. (just be warned, the language is not pretty!)

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Grateful Dead reunion tour 2009

OK, so admitedly I am a little late in writing about this, but earlier this week the remaining members of the Grateful Dead announced that they are going to reform for a 19 day tour across America starting in April with a performance at the Greensboro Coliseum on April 12th. Since the death of lead front man Jerry Garcia, the members, when they have played together have just gone under the name “The Dead”.

Joining the original members Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann will be Gov’t Mule / Allman Brothers guitarist Warren Haynes along with keyboardist Jeff Chimenti.

While the remaining Grateful Dead members have struggled to keep personal and artistic differences under control since the death of frontman Jerry Garcia in 1995, guitarist Bob Weir said that they have a “mind meld” going and look forward to bringing life back into the old material, as well as busting out new bags of tricks.

According to bassist Phil Lesh: “We’ve got some unfinished music,” Lesh clarifies. “We’re all still evolving in our own ways. You can always improve your playing. Let’s see what kind of a goulash we can make out of it. Besides,” he adds, “I just got two new electric basses.”

The tour comes following the group gathering earlier this year for an Obama benefit concert at the Warfield Theater.

Here is a list of all 19 of the Dead’s upcoming tour dates:

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George Carlin’s passing is the loss of a great comedian

This weekend I was very saddened to hear that comedic icon George Carlin had passed away. Carlin, was 71 and died of heart failure on Sunday.

As a kid, Carlin was definitely one of my favorite comedians. Maybe it was because my parents didn’t really want us watching his famed HBO specials. Lets face it… he wasn’t exactly known for his political correctness. But, as a kid, there was nothing better than watching an adult on TV saying all the words that were considered no-no’s” for us as children. Yes, I guess it is safe to say that as a kid it was the vulgarity that mostly attracted me to George Carlin’s comedy act.

But as I grew, I started to realize that there was more, much more, to his acts than just the bad words that used to create so much humor for me as a child. He was never afraid to say what was on his mind, and his insight were some of the smartest, well laid out ideas that I have ever seen from a person, much less a stand up comedian.

One of his most favorite routines was that of the “7 words you can’t say on TV”. Following his death, search engines have reported a huge spike in the number of searches for George Carlin’s 7 words you can never say on TV… so if you are one of those looking for this skit… enjoy it here:

So, I for one, will definitely miss Carlin, but the man definitely left a legacy behind him, and his comedy will be around forever for everyone to enjoy

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