Jack White’s Solo Album, Blunderbuss: reviewed by a White Guy

Released last week by Sony, I finally got round to picking up a copy and having a good listen today (assignments and bullshit).

Well done Mr White [applauds]. This is White’s first solo album release on his independent recording production Third Man Records (shared with his other bands such as the Dead Weather and various other independent prodigies), and according to these guys, the album almost didn’t happen. The story goes that a bunch of songs were pulled together and then recorded for the sake of recording them, and suddenly a fully fledged LP was on the books. A bit of the magic Jack White touch and refinement and this monster was unleashed.

The album defies what I thought might have happened, with songs being pulled from all over I worried it might feel disjointed and more like a strange Greatest Hits collection rather than an album. But it’s well-rounded, nicely mixed and … just damn brilliant. White sticks mostly to lead guitar or piano on the recordings, although on I Guess I should go to Sleep, in true Third man fashion, he also slaps about on his guitar case for percussion.

Most of the material on here shifts between blues based folk and country rhythms and powerful blues-rock. White’s lyrical skills continue to astound me on every new piece of material, whether he’s telling a story or just reciting ironically simplistic sentiments, it’s all good. The album is interesting in this sense because you can hear influences from his White Stripes days, as well as his more recent bands, like The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather. All are excellent bands and the album really shows his maturity as an artist. I guess you could say the maturity was really always there but this is a great artifact in testament to that maturity.

There were a few pre-release singles, including the strangely downbeat yet infectious Love Interruption, and the Stripes-esque hard rock piece, Sixteen Saltines. These really added to my anticipation of the album and I can confidently say my expectations were not let down.

[Also if you end buying a copy of the CD, have a look at the strangely funny illustrations done with the Sony symbol on the booklet. Very cleverly done.]

Mocking the mocks: the futility of mock drafts

via ESPN Page 2

For the last few months, I click to open NFL.com and the other NFL-news websites, but there is nothing to read. For the last month at least, “mock drafts” have dominated NFL coverage. “Big Board Mock”, “Consensus Mock Draft”, “Final Mock Draft”, “Seven Round Mock”, “Superduperawesomecrazyoneofakind Mock Draft”. But here’s the truth: Mock drafts are stupid. They are pointless, inaccurate, and should not be taken seriously. But many do, despite the fact that the word ‘mock’ is half of the name.

Yes, there are NFL experts out there that scout and study the players, and write up mock drafts accordingly. They analyse the team needs, the team position financially and draft-wise, the current age of their players on the roster, etcetera. I do not doubt their expertise and their knowledge in the field, but as good of a job that the experts might do with regard to all of that, they simply do not know what any specific franchise is planning. Sure, that team needs an offensive lineman, their offensive line is getting old, they are in perfect place to take so-and-so offensive lineman with their current draft position and it fits.

Back to back: handing out some awards for the 2012 NBL Champions

They say as hard as it is to win a championship, it’s even harder to win it again the next year. You lose guys to other teams, unable to afford their now exorbitant salaries. Guys live it up a little too much in the offseason. Guys who sacrificed for the goal of winning it all begin to feel they should be getting a little more props, more shots, more money, more minutes, more everything. And then every single night when you take the court, you have a bullseye on your back. You are the Champs, and everyone wants to take the scalp of the biggest boys on the block.

Last night, the Breakers overcame all of that and repeated as WORLD CHAMPS (of Australia-New Zealand). Congrats boys. Y’all deserve some props. So I present to you THE OFFICIAL* NBL GRAND FINAL AWARDS CEREMONY.

*Not actually official

And In Today’s Edition Of “This Is Why The Terrorists Hate Us”: Why I Love My iPod Classic

Technology is by definition constantly changing, updating and outmoding itself. However every few generations, certain items become instantly and lastingly iconic. The Model T Ford, McDonald’s “Big Mac”, the pen, and for our generation, the iPod is one such creation. However when you say iPod to people, chances are they aren’t picturing a sleek new 5^th gen touch.

The iPod Classic is, for the following reasons (apart from obvious functionality and battery life claims) the most superior personal listening device of all time (of all time!)

In defense of Allen Iverson: a fan’s testimonial

More than 30 tattoos, tightly woven cornrows, oversized clothing, recorded a rap album so explicit it was never released. No, Double Technicals has not turned into a rap forum. The above description is actually a portrayal of, in my opinion, the most misunderstood player, and my favorite player of all time – Allen Ezail Iverson. The most iconic figure to ever dribble a basketball, and if you laugh in disagreement, fuck you and stop reading because this article won’t be for you. Screw MJ’s shrug against Portland, give me that swagger step over Tyronne Lue. Once on top of the basketball world in 2001 and considered the best player in the game, somehow, my hero has morphed into a thug who is undeserving of a job. Call me a sensitive bitch, but this infuriates me. Let me provide you with some quick facts and imagine you do not know which player I’m referring to:

• 24368 points
• 26.7 ppg career average (6^th all time)
• 29.7 ppg playoff average (2^nd all time)
• 2001 MVP
• 11 time all star (All Star MVP in 2001 and 2005)
• 4 time NBA scoring leader
• 3 time All NBA first team
• Led his team to the NBA finals with a starting lineup that included Aaron McKie, Jumaine Jones, Tyrone Hill and Dikembe Mutombo. (Not exactly a stat, but if there was ever a “most unbelievable accomplishment” stat, this would be it)

“If your kid goes out and blows somebody’s head off because Allen Iverson has said he was going to blow somebody’s head off on wax, then you’re doing a bad job as a parent.” – Iverson told “The Philadelphia Inquirer” when talking about the song “40 Bars” on his upcoming rap album.

NBL Grand Final Game 2: Living And Dying By Hero Ball

"Sweet 'mo, bro"

People watch sports for a variety of reasons. Some watch if for the pure aesthetics of the game: the joy one gets from watching Andres Iniesta execute a perfectly weighted chip pass into the box; the raw aggression of Blake Griffin taking on a 7 foot tall center 10 feet up in the air and then slamming the ball all over his face; or a tight spiral from Tom Brady to a streaking Randy Moss 40 yards downfield.

Others watch it for the sense of community one gets in being a supporter of a team. Those nights spent mingling with fellow fans at a pub before the match and bellowing “YOU’LL NEVER WALK ALONE” after a victory.

But similarly thrilling to me is watching an athlete at the absolute peak of his abilities. When they come through so often that you EXPECT them to come through every time, and then they continue to deliver above and beyond what anyone expected.

Jackie Robinson: Sixty-Five Years On

To commemorate the sixty-fifth anniversary of Jackie Robinson becoming the first African-American to play major league baseball in the modern era, players in all of last Monday’s games donned Jackie’s famous number 42.

This fitting tribute was in recognition of a watershed moment not just for baseball but for American society as a whole. Robinson’s breaking of the colour barrier not only helped usher the game towards the modern, diversified form we know now, it much more importantly served as an inspiration for the Civil Rights Movement that was to come and paved the way for black athletes to succeed at the highest degree.

God, America’s Team, and the Dallas Cowboys’ 2012 NFL Regular Season Schedule

Currently the best thing about the Dallas Cowboys…

Last week I had a conversation with a friend at the cinema, while waiting for our movie to start. We were discussing religion, all aspects of it. We discussed belief, faith, morality, organized religion, Islam, Christianity, the whole lot. About ten minutes into the conversation, I learned that my friend was an Atheist. I was troubled, not because he was an Atheist, but because of his incredibly strong conviction to believing that there was no God. So I had to ask the bone-crunching, teeth-grinding, magical question, “How is it that you are so convinced that there is no God? Why do you find it so ridiculous to believe?” As expected, I received the whole “There is no evidence, therefore I shall not believe” spiel. Before I could reply, the movie started and the conversation died.

What my friend failed to understand is that religion is not based on evidence. Religion is premised on faith. It operates outside the need to have evidence. This begs the question; what exactly, is faith? Faith is having trust or confidence in someone or something. It is the belief that something will happen, or that someone will pull through. It is based on understanding, on belief, without the need for proof and evidence.

Sports fanaticism is often compared to a rollercoaster ride. You have ups and you have downs, often in the same season, sometimes in the same game. Living a life of a Dallas Cowboys fan, I couldn’t agree more (although there have been more downs than ups lately). Year after year, season after season, high hopes and optimistic predictions are met with disappointment and shame. The Dallas Cowboys are a group of well-paid professional athletes, with some of the best training equipment and coaching that professional football has to offer. The Dallas Cowboys have the most glamorous stadium in which to play football; Cowboys Stadium. They have the largest fan base in professional American Football, and a glorious legacy of past dynasties. They are also a bunch of underachieving shits.

A Super Serious El Clasico Preview: How Real Madrid Can Turn The Tables On Barcelona

You won't wanna miss this one

This weekend the famous Camp Nou hosts the latest fixture of biggest rivalry in world football right now: El Clasico. Barcelona vs Real Madrid. Jose Mourinho vs Pep Guardiola. Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi. Two of the biggest clubs in the world, two of the best managers in the world and two of the best players in the world going head-to-head in the most anticipated La Liga fixture of the 2011/12 season.

And what a crucial fixture it could turn out to be. According to the ESPN Soccer Power Index; Real Madrid – with their four-point cushion – currently have an 81.4 percent to win the league. A victory or a draw would be a fantastic result for the league leaders, boosting this percentage dramatically (up to 99.2 percent for a win, 91.1 percent for a draw) while a defeat plummets Mourinho’s chances at a first major trophy to 61.2 percent with four games remaining.
History – and indeed recent Liga form – points to a Barcelona victory being the most likely outcome, with Guardiola’s record an impressive 9-1-4 in his past 14 games against Madrid. That sole defeat was a 1-0 result in the Copa del Rey final last season – and Mourinho is going to need that game tape on repeat while drawing up his latest assault on the Catalan fortress.

Mourinho needs to take what he learnt from his only victory with Madrid over Barcelona and apply it this weekend. Here are three key things I think the Portuguese manager needs to do if Los Blancos are going to win this match:

Media vs Athletes

"Come at me brah"

Skip Bayless. Internet Troll. What do these 2 phrases have in common? Well, surprisingly, nothing. Skip Bayless is worse than an internet troll. He’s closer to a scumbag. Internet trolls are actually somewhat entertaining. I guess the only thing these 2 have in common is that the common public understands not to take either of them seriously. All kidding aside, let’s get to the bottom of an ongoing debate that will last longer than Steve Nash’s career: Media vs Professional Athletes.

Usually, I give as much attention to ESPN as I give to my partner, which is not much at all. But just like how my penis cannot help but respond to my partner, my brain couldn’t help but respond to Skip Bayless and Jalen Rose going at each other on ESPN First Take.