#199. Potential High School Reunion

If I decide to go to the reunion, then I'm going to ask you to the ballgame.

#198. 2009 Supplemental Draft

Holy crap! For the first time, I'd say the WWE Supplemental Draft was more important than the regular draft, if not for the sheer size of it than the gigantic moves and question marks it raises. To wit:

Raw
Mr. Kennedy - Maybe they actually have a plan for him this time (that untimely injuries won't negate), but this has got to be the biggest mistake of the draft. He's got far more potential on Smackdown than he does on Raw, and Kennedy is a star you don't want to continue wasting.
Primo & Carlito - Actually not as bad as I'd thought, because I'd only seen Carlito's name originally, and you don't want to split the team you just named to the unified tag championship. But Smackdown has long done tag team wrestling better.
Nikki & Brie Bella - Don't really see why they had to move one way or the other.
Chavo Guerrero - Flunked out last time he was on Raw. You really think he'll get better this time?
Hornswoggle - He'll do the same routine either way. Or maybe Kennedy could get his revenge from the whole McMahon-has-a-son angle. The Little Bastard takes a mean Kenton.
Festus - This is pretty much the end of his tenure with WWE.
The Brian Kendrick - Primed for more exposure on Smackdown, but drafted to Raw, where he'll have nothing to do but wait for the axe.

Smackdown
Cryme Tyme - Your strongest tag team, away from the brand with the tag team titles? Seriously?
Alicia Fox - Well, whatever, right?
Mike Knox - Probably a smart move.
Candace Michelle - Torrie Wilson's long-awaited replacement.
Ricky Ortiz - Do they see real potential in this guy, or a chance to burn him off?
Layla - Smackdown has all the fun.
John Morrison - Losing Kennedy is probably worth it if the brand gets the next best thing.
Dolph Ziggler - Aside from a terrible name, he's actually pretty good in the ring. But this is probably another burn notice.
Charlie Haas - Back home, hopefully with stuff to do that doesn't completely involve impersonating legends. Charlie Haasdown!

ECW
Ezekiel Jackson - If splitting Zeke from Kendrick gets one of them some real exposure, it might have been worth it. But then, ask Elijah Burke how well it turned out for him...
Zack Ryder - Former Edgehead and nameless tag team wrestler from ECW (I forget what he was originally billed as), probably another cyal8ter.
DH Smith - Might they finally do Hart Foundation 2.0?
Natalya - Lookin' good...
Shane Helms - Looks like a good time to become ECW champion, buddy.

The biggest shocks were about who wasn't moved, namely Christian and Evan Bourne, but I guess WWE wants to see where their momentum takes them in ECW.

Hopefully next time I won't talk wrestling, but WrestleMania 25 is out on DVD 5/19, about a month away. Maybe I'll post again before then...

#197. 2009 Draft

The 2009 WWE draft did this:

Raw
Triple H (not surprised)
Big Show (hopefully they can do something with him this time)
MVP (the biggest question mark of the draft)
The Miz (breaking up Miz & Morrison was necessary and inevitable)
Matt Hardy (breaking up the Hardys was also a good thing)
Maryse (funny that this is finally happening)

Smackdown
Chris Jericho (woohoo!)
CM Punk (woohoo!)
Melina (back home!)
Rey Misterio (ditto!)
Kane (see: Big Show)

ECW
Vladimir Koslov (hopefully a comparable move to Mark Henry's)

Smackdown is the winner, I'd say, a chance to be more dynamic, less predictable, which is always the point of the brand, while Raw is always supposed to be top-heavy (that's what they keep saying, every single year). The only problem is, the very thing the fans complain about they perennially underestimate, the power of Smackdown. If MVP succeeds, they'll cheer him. But if CM Punk succeeds, I wonder if they'll even notice.

Back when the supplemental draft is announced.

#196. WrestleMania 25 Was Tonight

So, WrestleMania was tonight, and at Wrestleview, at least, it was predictably not enough. Still, I thought what I read was interesting as shit. But I'm usually stupid like that...Can't wait to see!

#195. WrestleMania 25 Preview

WrestleMania 25 being two days away at this point, I just want to get a word in, as I usually do, and remind the Theoretical Reader that I'll have input when the DVD is released later on. But the card look absolutely phenomenal. When did Triple H ever have a main event lined up for himself like this? Oh, right, the last time he was at odds with a former member of Evolution. But this one with Randy Orton looks like it's going to be one of the better main events of the recent past. Cena-Edge-Big Show should also be worth checking out, certainly to see a reprise of Cena-Edge on the grand stage, but to see how Show performs in a big match situation, his first title shot at WrestleMania since 2000. It goes without saying that Shawn Michaels-Undertaker is at least worth the price of admission, and then you've also got the battle of the Hardy brothers, the tag team unification bout between Miz & Morrison and the Colons (love to have John Morrison in the spotlight, and that Carlito finally have his featured position as well), and a Money in the Bank match that might depart from the usual script. Plus, Chris Jericho and divas, lots and lots of divas...Personally, I think JBL-Misterio is a little tacked on, but both guys deserve to be on the card so I'm not complaining. Am I forgetting a match?

That's all for now...

#194. Death of Test

Shocked to hear about the death of Andrew "Test" Martin. He's the first wrestler to die whose career I got to follow the whole way through.

#193. U2, Finnegan

With the new U2 album out, I ought not just to let you walk away (sorry, that's a Hootie reference) without relating a bit of trivia, which begins with me trying to track down one of their songs I've had stuck in my head for years, but had trouble placing. I was convinced it was 'All That You Can't Leave Behind' era, but it turned out to be "Bad," from the underrated 'The Unforgettable Fire' (and found on two other releases as well). Just one of those songs in the U2 canon whose title isn't very direct.

Anyway, because vof the liner notes, Finnegan, the Line of the Dead gets its provisional chapter titles (and outline) from the "Bad" lyrics (which I had to track down) and "A Sort of Homecoming," whose lyrics grace said liner notes.

'No Line on the Horizon' is a keeper, too. More rocking than past efforts. I'm still working on it.

#192. Butterflies and Hurricanes

Oh, and wrote a follow-up to "Heath Lange" after all, called "Butterflies and Hurricanes." Realized it means more as a sort-of prelude to the much-hoped-for eventual Bandit comic than anything else. Not much hope for work at this point. But it was a better week for it.

#191. Finnegan, Wrestling

I was just wondering what someone would think if they happened to stumble upon this blog. Oh, I don't be to belittle my beloved Theoretical Readers, either here or at my latest poetry blog, just that I was reading through my old colleague (at Paperback Reader and Dead Letter Quarterly) Derek Koch's Live Journal, and he seems to actually write about his life there. Weird! But I've been blogging longer, Koch!

One of my main projects at the moment has been compiling a reasonably complete record of the films I've watched in my lifetime, at least the one I've really cared to remember (favorably), which will eventually extend to a year-by-year best-of survey. Believe it or not, but I've got movies to cover every year to the '40s. I've seen my share of films, certainly not everything, and I've still got crazy ambitions, but I dedicated the last year to catching up with some of the most glaring omissions, which helped when completing the latest version of my favorite films at Lower Decks, where I made them suffer through a list of 300 (and yes, '300' was on it).

Anyway, enough of that. Another project has sort of supplanted the writing of The God-Slanter at the moment, a book that might actually get me some interest, one in a series of three, really, called Finnegan, stemming from my recovery of a dragon-ball at work last week. If it works out like I hope, soon all will know.

Or, I will revert to my previous plans for the dragon and simply throw it at coworkers. It's spring-loaded, opens on impact.

"Finnegan, attack!"

Oh, and WrestleView has been atwitter about the career and fortunes of Paul London, and for what it's worth, I'm in the lot with ECW recapper David Stephens (I think the ECW/Smackdown show I attended last year coincided with the first ECW he recapped), who will support London to the bitter end. Christian apparently made his big return on ECW rather than Smackdown, which to my mind is sort of appropriate. But he may prove himself out, or maybe just elevate ECW once and for all. Or maybe Jack Swagger will do that. Or Paul Birchall (ha! he's another Rodney Dangerfield. or Paul London). Personally, good luck to London in his future endeavors. I'm concerned once again for his former tagmate, The Brian Kendrick. Unless he can still parlay his exceptional matches last year with Jeff Hardy into something bigger (now that, y'know, Hardy has been heavyweight champion), I don't see his future matching his potential. Once again. Still, I'm excited for WrestleMania 25 in just a few short weeks now...

#190. Girl Crazy, Heath Lange

If she simply wants to drive me crazy, she's doing an excellent job of it. I'm a coward, I know, and as much as I want this to work, I'm frightened that it will. It's impossible and possible at the same time. Do you understand how terrifying that is? I've wanted nothing but her for two years, and it seems more likely and less every day. I want to share everything with her, and I want to share nothing. Would she still like me if she knew more?

...

Anyway, wrote "Heath Lange" for my Borders Write Club, and by the end of the session I felt as if I'd made a huge mistake, yet again, another chance and another rejection for what I am and what I could never mean to others. I'd vowed to quit the club, but now I'm having seconds thoughts. Do I write more loosely? Is that a betrayal? These are eternal questions, damning ones, and just more of the things floating through my head.

Yay!

#189. Colin Farrell

Huge props to Colin Farrell for the In Bruges Golden Globe win. Last year I preferred Cassandra's Dream, but I definitely see if one performance is singled out beween them, the nod goes to In Bruges.

Also, discovered Dave's World is in the midst of hitting DVD. Woot!

#188. Fall In Their Place, TNA, Mr. Kennedy

I've started a third poetry blog, called Fall In Their Place, partly because I just missed blogging poetry, partly because 2009 will be a big writing year for me. I'll be working on The God-Slanter throughout the year, plus my coworkers are restarting their Write Club, and I'm using the first session to give myself a little boost for that project. It should be fun.

TNA, for the record, seems to have put a decent PPV together in the upcoming Genesis, while WWE put a whoppe on with last month's Armageddon, where Jeff Hardy finally became a heavyweight champion. While everyone pays attention to MMA, my heart's still with wrestling. Mr. Kennedy, meanwhile, seems to have found himself in a decent movie in Behind Enemy Lines III: Colombia, which I look forward to checking out, plus The Best of Starrcade is finally being released. I had made a vow to make this year one to start saving some money for a change, but between this, a bunch of CDs (how quaint!) I want to get, and the usual, I don't know. It's a long year!

This was just a quick note to get the blog into the new year. Hopefully I'll be back soon to chat more, O Theoretical Reader!

#187. Book, Hancock, Eddie Guerrero

It's kind of weird. This was supposed to be my grand return to NaNo, but instead, a new computer problem knocked me out again. Problem is, I think this time, I am going to have the gumption to write the new story anyway, outside of the November stunt. I've become more and more convinced that The God-Slanter has become the bridge The Cloak of Shrouded Men could never be. If nothing else, it is going to be a lot harder to peg just what genre it fits in, despite a number of elements that once again would make it very easy for Borders, say, to stick it in Sci-fi/Fantasy. But to give you an idea, it's more inspired by Melville and Swift than what you would find in that section of your local bookstore. What's more, I'm even interested in possibly putting feelers out for actual publication. Crazy, I know. But one way or another, I'm confident that the next book I write will be first book in the long-gestating Lance Nolan opus.

I'm sorry, but in the six years I've been writing here at Scouring Monk, I don't think I've ever mentioned that one. You would certainly have had the opportunity to investigate certain elements of the story, but it's just something too important to so casually let fly. On the other hand, an equally important part of my literary future, the comic Bandit, I can tell you if that you saw Hancock, you would have become familiar with a startling number of similar details.

That's all you get!

Still watching wrestling, got the new Eddie Guerrero DVD set, started watching it. God, I miss that man, but knowing his legacy lives on and that even this retrospective can't possibly cover everything there is to watch of his career is a comfort. The man lives as long as his memory does. And every time I add a little bit of it to my own, I feel that much more privileged.

Hey, and what about more personal details of this personal life? Sorry. I think too much to need memorializing that much here. If I were still working on the poetry project, maybe you'd know more. (And maybe, when I get the computer issues resolved, you'll get more of that after all, because I miss it.) But for now?

So long. Keep the fish coming.

#186. Freak Out

Sort of freaked out at work and bought the four remaining copies of my book, sick from a number of things, some related to the book, some related to reasons why the economy stinks so much (read: management culture, or if you will, Dilbert). Anyway, much as part of the reason I eventually quit Paperback Reader, I got tired of the poor treatment the book got in the store, either by staff or perhaps in a final twist, by some random customer (though I doubt it).

Still excited for next month so I can get to work on the story that's going to blow the lid on my philosophy once and for all, though the spate of poetry over the past year certainly did a good job getting most of it across. Yay!

#185. ROH, Wrestling, Creative Directions

Just checkin' in. I meant to write here about the Ring of Honor 'Best in the World' DVD I got a few weeks back, along with the Mr. Perfect retrospective. On the weekend, I got 2003's Bad Blood, the one with Goldberg-Jericho, but more importantly, the first time Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels squared off. Seriously, I don't know why that match isn't more famous. Even granting the knocked off ending, it's probably better than this year's WrestleMania retirement match, except for that ending.

I figured out today that I'm doing NaNo again this year, after the skip that happened last year for various reasons. I've got a new story, a lightning bolt if I must say, that I'm pretty excited about. Along with the Wounded Knee script, the myspace Permanent Interlude, and the latest Star Trek story, I'd say I'm in fairly good creative shape at the moment. Momentum! Hopefully! I also figured out a new angle on the Peter Pan sequel I've been mulling over for the past few years, an important facte that redefines the whole project, gives it a center, but essentially sticks with the same theme I'd been playing with. If you liked Spielberg's Hook, it would make sense to you.

#184. Jeff Hardy, Brian Kendrick, How I Got These Scars

Jeff Hardy and The Brian Kendrick had a terrific match on Smackdown this week, kind of justifying Kendrick in a title match tonight, just in case people were wondering. It's great thathe's finally getting his chance to shine, and that WWE is smart enough to give him an opponent he matches up with so well. Will Paul London get a chance like this? I doubt it. But at least one of them does.

Tomorrow's my last "Weekly," while Friday is my second "How I Got These Scars." I've got boatloads of things I'll be writing about in the new column, which is appropriate enough, while I'll still be keeping a log of the comics I read, if not stricty for the record then definitely for my own awards season. Change happens!

#183. Paperback Reader Over, PWI 500 2008, Lower Decks

Hey, officially quit the column at Paperback Reader. I just got fed up with the utter lack of attention, either from Bart or from readers (probably a combination of both). He seriously thought improving the site meant, at least for a while, changing the design every few months. Maybe, a few years from now, it'll be everything it could be. But I doubt it. And I don't want to sink with the ship.

Anyway, PWI's new 500 finally arrived a few days back, and of course Randy Orton was number one. The whole issue was refreshing, like the editors have started realizing some of the mistakes they've made in the past, a glaring one being unable to accurately report the heavyweight titles of WWE (the big problem of the annual I ordered at the same time), or being able to pick the top wrestler (RVD, Dead Malenko, Chris Benoit, you were all mistakes, of varying degrees) when they had an minor favorite in mind. They could have easily put Samoa Joe on top, but instead went with the right choice, and seemed to work through the rest of the list accordingly.

But don't cry for me over quitting PBR. I have a new column at Lower Decks, a site (earlier known as the original Section31.com) I've been writing for and visiting for close to a decade. "How I Got These Scars" will hopefully be more successful than "Weekly."

#182. Yes I Am Falling

Waiting for this year's PWI 500 to arrive means you are being spared for a little while longer continued thoughts on pro wrestling. So instead I'll note that Yes I Am Falling concluded after eleven chapters at myspace, a fair bit earlier than I'd thought, but it seemed to run its course. Not to fear, I'm already plotting a follow-up, something a little less dense, a bit more, shall we say? fun. YIAF wasn't that much fun, either for me to write or for its theoretical readers to, well, read. Still, it did what I set out to do, and now I have another short story under my belt. Yay!

#181. Yes I Am Falling, Fringe

I've gotten four chapters into Yes I Am Falling, which is somewhat remarkable because after the first installment, it took a few days for me to get back to it, but then I discovered a new writing pattern, at least for this project, which revolves on getting about a page done per chapter, which seems to be easy enough, and it works well with the morning sessions I can devote to it.

A buddy of mine at Lower Decks has taken the initiative to relaunch the site, and he pencilled me as a columnist for Mondays, after I'd expressed interest to chip in, which will make that two Monday columns...I've also volunteered to review the new J.J. Abrams series Fringe. Now I have to make sure I'm going to be able to actually watch it...

Hey! One more word on Sadie! Her last night at Borders while she was saying her teary goodbyes, I'm pretty sure she said she would be back to buy my book (I've done all sorts of graffiti in the copies at my store). She hasn't yet, and I'm more and more convinced that she should already have moved to California by now. I'm not saying I misunderstood her or necessary anticipate her visiting here again very soon...Just that, yeah, I'd love to see her again...Stop it! Be happy! It'll be okay!

#180. Paperback Reader Returns

In the turnaround of the century, I'm writing my column at Paperback Reader again. I guess I figured because I was writing the column anyway that I might as well start putting it up officially again. I worked out a few bugs, refined some things, and even made a picture of myself for the column image. So, yay!

Sad, sad, sad that Sadie's last day at Borders was on Friday and I get to potentially never see her again. In many ways, I handled the whole emotional arc over the course of July (and in the poems), but it still doesn't exactly make it easy for the countless ways it still sucks. This, um, will probably be my last blog about it...