Peteoria

Music, music, music

2006-08-04T10:18:00.000+01:00

Before I take my absence from the internet world for a week I thought I would show you what I've been listening to recently.

I wanted to buy this album for a long, long time. I had heard good things about it but it was always stupidly expensive. A couple of months back I saw it in the HMV sale for £6 so snapped it up. Damn is this album great, I love it! The singer really reminds me to Ian Curtis from Joy Division and that can only be considered a good thing. This has probably been my most played CD since I bought it and I just wish I had picked it up sooner. I look forward to hearing more from Editors.

I can't say enough good things about Bloc Party. They are exactly the sort of thing I am into at the moment and there is not a bad track on the album. I even bought the remix version of the CD and enjoy that almost as much which is rare for me, remixes don't often do all that much for me. Banquet and She's hearing Voices are the stand out tracks but the whole thing is solid.

Now this is what indie music should be. Its such a fun album and you can't help but sing along while trying to do your best Geordie accent. The lyrics are ace and there is just something about shouting "that's enough" at the top of your voice. Anyone who has heard the album will know exactly what I mean, hey Andi ;)

It had to happen in the end, I've started to enjoy bits and pieces of country music. My parents are both very big country fans so I was pretty much bought up on a mix of that, 80's pop and classic rock. Noticing I was starting to miss the songs that my parents used to play I thought I would buy a few of the things that I was bought up on. I thought a good place to start with country was with the man in black, Johnny Cash. This best of is great, it takes you from the start of his career right to the end. His version of One by U2 is amazing, its just beautiful and like with his version of Hurt, he makes it his own.

The Hives are one of my girlfriends favourite bands and due to her knowing how much I like The Ramones she leant me this album. This is their first album and you can certainly hear The Ramones influence. I wasn't all that taken with it at first but after a few listens its certainly grown on me and I have asked if I could borrow some of their newer stuff. I like a bit of punk and this is some of the better "new punk" I have heard.

Walking on sunshine

2006-08-04T09:50:00.000+01:00

I'm going on holiday!

Ok, its to Southend which many wouldn't consider an exciting place to go away to but I cannot wait, I'm extremely excited by it! Its been several years since I last took a break somewhere and I think its certainly something I need. To make it even better Natasha is coming with me. I really can't think of anything better than being beside the seaside with the person who makes me happier than anything else possibly could. It's going to be fun!

So what else have I been up to?

Well "The Battle Swans" took a trip to Alton Towers the other week and what a day we had!

I had been to Alton Towers once when I was about 11 and didn't go on a thing. Up until recently I had a real phobia of fast rides and wouldn't go near them. My only experience of theme parks was going on log flumes and rapids. This time round however I decided to stop being such a child and go on everything I could. I had an amazing time! I went on rides such as Oblivion, Nemesis and my personal favourite Air. I now have a love for roller coasters!

Its really strange. In the past 6 months I have really changed as a person. For a lot of my adult life I have been happy but not necessarily living the life I should have been. I tended to do things that made others happy and didn't really think of myself all that much. Since being with Natasha and living with Sid I have really started to see what I want out of life and I certainly have those two people to thank for this. I'm genuinely happy with the way everything is going right now and I can't see that changing, the way I see it things can only get better (TM D:Ream).

I've been told by several friends and members of my family that they have seen a noticeable change in me. That I'm more confident, have somewhat of a spring in my step and don't seem phased by trying new things. I have to agree with that. I don't want it to sound like I led a meek existence before but I can certainly see the change in me and its all for the better. My life rocks and I've never been happier!

I know I say this a lot but I do want to update my blog on a more regular basis. Infact I've tried to update it a fair bit recently but with a combination of my RSI playing up and not really finding the right words to put down I've not been able to. Hopefully when I return from my holiday I can tell you about all the cool stuff I got up to.

In the meantime thanks to everyone in my life who made me smile these past 6 months, Natasha, Sid, Nick and Andi just to name a few. I'm glad your along for the ride and I'm sure the fun and games will continue for a long time to come!

Surely kids shouldn't be playing with this

2006-06-16T13:11:00.000+01:00

I promise I will do a proper post on here sometime next week but in the meantime here is anothe great video from YouTube. I have no idea how this was ever released!

We're heading for Venus, Venus

2006-06-06T10:53:00.000+01:00

This has made me chuckle, lets hope it does the same for you!

Are you ready?

2006-05-17T08:33:00.000+01:00

This is the official poster for WWE Vengeance 2006.

How I'm going to cope that week in June I do not know, first I get the DX reunion and then at the end of the week Superman Returns is released. June 2006 is certainly made for me!

And just for laughs, here is what I will look like when I'm old. Sort of like Frank Butcher but at the same time I look like a kind old gent, the sort that always has a boiled sweet in his pocket and will gladly tell a story about the good old days.

My top 5 albums of the week

2006-05-08T15:40:00.000+01:00

Since getting my own space again I've spent a lot time listening to music. It was hard to find the time before but now I don't have to worry about things like playing it when someone wants to watch TV or playing something that others don't like I can sit back and relax with a good tune or two on. I've really taken a step back in what I have been listening to and I have certainly found the sound that appeals most to me. Metal just doesn't do anything for me anymore and I've always been a big fan of rock and indie and that's certainly where my taste is these days. So every now and then I'm going to list the five albums I have had the most pleasure in listening to over the previous week. If you haven't heard of the ones I've listed then download them off the trusty internet or if you know me, ask me to do you a copy as its always nice to try out new things. So without further ado here is this weeks list!

The new album from Snow Patrol is even better than the last album. I must admit I was worried about this as I loved the last and didn't think they could better it, I was proven wrong.

I love Feeder and its nice to go back to Swim as this was their first release and they were a very different band back then. Its cool to see how they started and then listen to how they are now.

I blame my Dad for getting me into Suzanne Vega. he is a big fan and played her stuff a lot when I was growing up. She's a fantastic song writer and her stuff is always nice to play when you want to relax.

I love this album and don't play it nearly enough. Its one of those CD's I totally forget about but when I stick it on it just blows me away. Bernard Butler certainly made the right move when he left Suede, his solo stuff is fantastic.

Not a week goes by when I don't listen to some Third Eye Blind. They are certainly in my top 5 bands of all time and I've spoken about them before here. I love them and urge everyone to listen to them.

Superman Returns trailer

2006-05-03T10:42:00.000+01:00

The Superman Returns trailer was released yesterday and it doesn't disappoint! So what are you waiting for, get downloading!!

Superman Returns

Nothing but a good time

2006-05-02T10:28:00.000+01:00

Life is officially good for me at the minute. Everything seems to be going my way which I'm sure would worry some people into thinking that can only mean bad things are on the horizon. I'm certainly not like that, I like to embrace the good things that happen to me and if anything bad does come my way I try to roll with the punches and look for the positives.

I had a really great weekend. It all started Friday night (as most weekends do) with a trip to Oxford with Natasha. After a train journey which seemed to consist of every person in the world on one train and a comedic fall by myself which had me landing on two fellow passengers we arrived at Oxford around 5:20 (not sure why the time of arrival is important but I told you anyway!). From there we went straight to the cinema where we watched Silent Hill. I've only played the first game and haven't finished it but from what I have played the movie is very faithful with even some of the camera angles being identical. It was a really good film and one that got us both thinking at the end. After that we were obviously both hungry and went to a rather flash Chinese restaurant where we chowed down on some damn fine food. After a trip to a local pub we headed home and arrived back in Banbury about 11:30. A great night was had by both of us and it put me into a great mood for the rest of the weekend.

Saturday I worked with Sid at the comic shop which is always a good laugh. This weekend we decided to form a band, a hair metal band to be precise. We often come up with silly little ideas that never seem to happen but this seemed different, almost as if it was not something we wanted to do but rather something we had to do, that the world needed us to do this. So 'Air Metal was born and we have already got a full band sorted. Its certainly going to be interesting to see where this ends up, no matter what its going to be a great laugh! I may never be in Poison (the greatest band of all time) but I get to be in the next best thing ;)

Sunday was BAWA and due to the fact we haven't done a show in a while everyone seemed pumped up and ready to give it their all. I think we did just that. The show was a success and the public seemed to have a great time, they certainly got behind me in my match and that was a great feeling, to have people cheer for you and react to what your doing is a real compliment, it shows they have an attachment to you and are enjoying what your doing for them. It was my official return to the ring after an absence of a few months and I loved it. It wasn't the best match I've ever had but it wasn't a stinker either, I'm looking forward to getting rid of the "ring rust" and getting back to the standard I know I'm capable of.

And to top of a great weekend I had Monday off work due to the bank holiday. Yesterday was a quiet day for me, I had a bath, did some washing and watched some DVD's. It nice to sit back every now and then and just do nothing. But that day did have one exciting moment! WWE have just done a tour of the UK and I promised Natasha that next time they toured I would take her to a show. Well it turns out tickets went on sale on Friday and Natasha was online yesterday morning checking what was on over the year. I got a rather excited text from her saying the tickets were on sale so I made sure we got some. Normally WWE tickets sell out very fast but somehow we got lucky and managed to get floor seats about 6 rows back from the ring. The show isn't until November but its nice to have something to look forward to for when the weather gets a bit crap and there isn't much to do.

So that was my weekend, pretty eventful and certainly a lot of fun, I know there are plenty more to come!

Told you I'd be back

2006-03-23T14:55:00.000Z

Home sweet home

I'm due to leave my house on Sunday and in a couple of weeks time I'm moving into my best mate, Sid's place. Obviously I need somewhere to live between now and then so I am heading to "the last resort hotel", otherwise known as my parents place. To prepare for this I went to their house last night and sorted out my old room. Over the past year its not been cleaned and has been used to store all the things that you don't really want to throw away but don't want to keep either so you throw them in a spare room incase one day you need a them. Add that to the fact I left loads of my junk there and the room was pretty much full of crap. So I spent hours yesterday evening sorting through all the junk and putting it into piles of stuff to keep, stuff to throw away and stuff to sell at a car boot. Most of it was thrown, it really was complete junk and I have got the room looking a bit more liveable. All that's needed now is for my Dad to sort out the stuff of his in there and I can then move all my belongings from my current house before moving them again when I move to Sid's. Its going to be very strange living back there but at least I know its only for a couple of weeks, I would hated to have been there for more than a month.

I bet that you look good on the dance floor

While sorting my room I listened to the one CD I had on me which is the debut album from The Artic Monkeys. By god is that album great. They have been heralded as the next big thing in British music and from what I understand have the fastest selling British album of all time. They are even making big strides in cracking America which isn't the easiest thing to do. Every time I listen to the CD enjoy it even more, its just so good, its one of those rare albums which doesn't have a bad track. I have said in previous blogs how I was desperate for some music to come my way which was new and interesting, this is just that. I have always been a big fan of indie music but there was a long time where nothing was really happening in that scene. There is a real revival of sorts now when it comes to indie and I'm loving it, I just hope it continues and we get loads more new bands push through and get air play.

American Virgin

I'm a little behind on my comic reading at the moment but I did read the first issue of American Virgin the other night. I remember seeing this solicited in Previews but decided against ordering it but heard good things about it after it release so decided to give it a go. Warning, I'm about to give away spoilers regarding the first issue. Its about a guy called Adam Chamberlain who is in his early 20's and is a youth minister. He teaches about staying a virgin until you have met the right person and are married. Adam has a girlfriend who he intends to marry but she is away doing Aid work in Africa but it due back in a matter of days. Adam isn't without temptation though, he is often approached by groupies and even members of his own family set him up with hookers to try and take away his precious virginity. But Adam's faith is too strong and more often than not he shows the women tempting him the error of their ways. After a near miss with the hooker Adam is shaken and visits his sister, while there he sees on the news his girlfriend was captured by terrorists and executed, the issue then ends with Adam saying two words "fuck me". It was a great first issue and its definitely a book I will continue to buy, its going to be really interesting to see where Adam goes from here and how his faith is challenged.

So if you like the sound of the book go to your local comic shop and pick it up. Its written by Steven T. Seagle (no, not the fighting chef) who also wrote the excellent It's a Bird and drawn by Becky Cloonan who I understand is the artist on the popular indie book Demo (I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong). Its certainly going to be an extra monthly book for me!

Fin?

One more thing, if you fancy watching a film then see Tom Yum Goong, it stars Tony Jaa from Ong-Bak and will certainly make you think twice about stealing a Thai mans elephants

That's its for today but I will be back soon with no doubt funny stories from the weekend and if not that then just mindless ramblings like normal. Have fun and keep smiling!

Alive and kicking!

2006-03-17T14:40:00.000Z

Its been months since I last posted anything here and to be honest wasn't sure if I would ever get around to it. As alot of you who read this know, I have had quite a strange year so far but things are certainly looking up now, just one more hurdle to cross (otherwise known as moving house). So with that said, lets get blogging!

My blog has always been a mixed bag, whether I'm nattering about comics, music, wrestling or something else that pops into my head. I want to keep things that way, I have several interests so I'm just going to talk about what's on my mind and hopefully entertain you, my adoring public ;)

I haven't been home much in the past month, I've been out spending time with my nearest and dearest and have been having immense amounts of fun. Due to this I haven't had a chance to read much, play games or watch movies but its not generally a bad thing. Over the past four years I've been a little more isolated that I generally like to be. Its not that I haven't done anything and I've certainly not lived like a hermit but I got into a routine with my life which is something I really hate. Over the last month I have been out most evenings and its been great, I really feel like my old self again and can clearly see that I haven't been myself for quite a long time. Now I'm not saying I was unhappy but I certainly wasn't living my life the way I wanted to. Thankfully I have a great group of people around me who care and have managed to get the real Pete back, probably without even realising it. So with that said I want to thank Natasha, Sid and Andi, they are without question the 3 people I'm closet to and will always bring a smile to my face no matter what mood I'm in. I generally try not to let things get me down but recently its been hard to avoid it, but hanging with the people mentioned above has made me forget about the stress I was under and move forward. This past month I have found the missing pieces of my life and know that the future is going to be even better, I'm genuinely happy now.

That's going to be it for today but I want to get back to updating this site on a regular basis so hopefully next week you will see another post. In the meantime here's Superman being a bit of a dick.

Look, I've updated my Blog!

2005-12-09T10:06:00.000Z

Its 2 weeks until Christmas!! Is everyone ready? Are all the presents bought and wrapped? Probably not but don't worry, I'm there with you. I've bought Sarah's presents and that's it. The only reason I have managed to get hers is because she knew exactly what she wanted and made sure to tell me on a weekly basis until I bought them.

Over the past few years I have bought presents for loads of people and sometimes wondered why I bother. Its not that I'm annoyed that I don't get anything back, its that some people just don't seem to appreciate me giving them something, its like they didn't expect a present from me but are disappointed when they open up what I bought for them. So with that in mind I have decided to buy for my family, my girlfriend and about 3 of my friends, sod everyone else!

I've still yet to have my operation where I'm removed from my PSP, I love that thing! I'm currently playing through Pursuit Force which is hard but not so much that it puts you off playing. The best way I can describe it is a mix between Chase HQ and Spy Hunter. Its not the most complex of games but is a hell of a lot of fun. Its incorporates racing, blowing stuff up and jumping from vehicle to vehicle. Its like the opening ten minutes of a Bond film on loop. Its very good fun and something I recommend to all PSP owners (which seems to consist of me in my group of friends).

When I do have those rare moments when my PSP is not in my hands I am playing Smackdown Vs Raw 2006 on the PS2. Finally its looks like we have a wrestling game that is on par with the likes of No Mercy and WCW Revenge on the N64. I am slowly but surely working my way through the challenges as once they are done you get to play as The Million Dollar Man, now that's an incentive! Whats also great is its soon going to be out on the PSP so I can play it wherever I am, life is officially good!

I picked up the new Darkness album and I wasn't disappointed. Its just as good as the first and has been played to death at home and on my mini disc player. I am seeing them play live again in February and I can't wait. Of all the bands I have seen live in the past they are my favourite and will be the first band I have seen live more than once. This time I have tickets in the standing area so I'm sure I will enjoy myself even more this time around.

On to comics, I've been reading the same stuff that I normally do but that's by no means a bad thing. Like I have said on past Blogs, DC are on fire at the minute and are putting out some fantastic superhero stories. Infinite Crisis is proving to be awesome and all the other books are tying nicely into it. What I really love about DC at the minute is that you can just pick up a couple of books and know whets going on without getting too lost but at the same time you can read loads of their books and get so much more out of the Crisis. Like Sid has said in the past, the more DC books you read the more you will get out of the current storylines and that's very true.

To those of you reading this who are not involved in it, make sure you come to Woodgreen Leisure Centre in Banbury on Sunday as its the last BAWA show until February of next year. It would be nice to get a good crowd in to say goodbye to 2005. It will also be your last chance to see something for quite some time, I will leave it at that but if you turn up then you will find out exactly what that means. Its going to be an historic night in pro wrestling ;)

Total Nonstop Action?

2005-10-25T12:06:00.000+01:00

TNA had their big PPV on Sunday, Bound For Glory. TNA pushed this as their can't miss PPV and declared it to be their Wrestlemania. This is the first TNA PPV since the company got their Spike TV deal so it was a fairly important show. For me it seemed a little doomed from the start, when the main event is Jeff Jarrett vs Kevin Nash alarms bells do ring a little.

Problem number one, a day or two before BFG, Nash was in hospital (not sure why, that info has yet to be released) and called the TNA office to say he wouldn't be able to make the show. When one half of your hyped "main event" can't show you have to worry but then again you have to question a company who puts Nash in the main event when he has said time and time again his body is in a terrible state and he shouldn't be wrestling at this point in his life. Then you realise that this is TNA and their stupid decisions really shadow their good ones.

So TNA are in a hole, they have no one for Jarrett to defend the NWA Championship against and they haven't really built anyone up to be a replacement contender. The guys that are capable have all been buried by Jarrett on TV or are otherwise occupied in a different match on the show. You really don't want to change your card too much otherwise the fans will be pissed for not getting what they paid to see.

So TNA management decide to have a battle royale to determine who will wrestle Jarrett later in the evening. Not a bad idea but to do this they need to shorten one of the matches on the show. So what match do you shorten? You can't take time off the 30 minute iron man between AJ and Daniels as that would ruin the whole point of the thing, how about the Ultimate X match? Well no, the X division guys need time to hit their spots and look cool, this is after all what TNA think is the future of wrestling. Not that taking time off the Ultimate X match would of hurt it that much, it was after all a disaster.

For those of you who don't know the rules of Ultimate X, let me explain. Three X division performers are in the ring with a big red cable hanging over the top of it. From this cable hangs a big plastic X. The winner of the match is the guy who climbs the cabling and grabs the X and is crowned number one contender for the X division title. Its a bit like a ladder match but with all the sense taken out of it. If the rules were not bad enough, the plastic X fell off the cable twice during the match! The first time it was put back up and the match continued, the second time Petey "worst move in wrestling" Williams was stood underneath it and it dropped into his hands much to the shock of the fans and everyone involved in the match.

I know what your thinking, that sounds terrible. Well on the same show was Monsters Ball 2. The rules of this match are just as likely to end up in a future Wrestlecrap book. Basically you have four guys (in this case, Abyss, Rhino, Sabu and Jeff Hardy) and they are locked in a room for 24 hours with no food, water or sunlight. At the end of the 24 hours they are let out to wrestle. I can hear you all screaming for the DVD to be released now so you can see this amazing show! So, did TNA decide to take a few minutes off this match? Of course not, that would mean less time for Jeff Hardy to fart about and for Abyss to hit all 3 of his moves. No, the time was taken off the only match on the show I was interested in seeing, Samoa Joe vs Jushin "Thunder" Liger.

TNA decided to get Jushin Liger in for one show and I can't blame them, he is one hell of a talent and has been in the business for years. Old school fans will remember his time in WCW in the early 90's and he is just as good today. In Japan this guy is huge so there is excellent cross over appeal for TNA. Samoa Joe is great, stiff as hell but great, I love him and could watch him throw cruiserweights around all day long. His ROH work is really good and has had some great battles with the American Dragon, well worth a watch if you can find them. I was excited to see how this match turned out and was downloaded first thing Monday morning. Looking on the internet this was the match people were excited to see. So what do TNA do, they give the guys 7 minutes so they can make way for the battle royale! That's just terrible, TNA knew this was a showcase match and it could of been one of the matches that got people tuning in on Saturday nights to see more great action like this. I was gutted!

So the battle royale takes place with the usual WWE rejects like Kip James (Billy Gunn) Ron Killings (K Kwick), Rhino (Rhyno) and a few decent guys thrown in like AJ Styles and Samoa Joe. So who wins? Surely AJ could pull another good match out of Jarrett, or maybe Samoa Joe could remind Jarrett on how to wrestle a decent submission style match. But no, Rhino wins and is in the main event for the oldest title. And guess what happens, after the normal Jarrett match run in involving the likes of AMW and Team 3D (Brother Ray Deadly and Devon Deadly, that makes me smile every time I read it) Rhino wins and becomes the NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEW NWA Champion. Now maybe its just me, but if I'm running a wrestling company and am constantly pushing myself as a competitor to Vince the last thing you want to do now you have just gotten a TV deal is have Rhino, a guy that was a glorified jobber in WWE a few months ago, as your champion and flagship guy. Any casual fan and tunes in to see Rhino as "the man" will just laugh and go back to WWE.

I'm not saying WWE is perfect and that they get everything right but come on, at least they give the fans what they want to see most of the time and know who to market and how to do it. A lot of people may not like John Cena but it makes perfect sense for him to be where he is, the majority of fans love the guy!

Back in the day, fans used to always question who would win in a match between the NWA/WCW champ and the WWF champ, that's one of the things that made the wrestling wars so interesting. I really can't see anyone wanting to see Cena vs Rhino or Batista vs Rhino. TNA won't be competition to WWE if they have more shows like they did on Sunday. Rhino on top is not going to get ratings and I don't think anyone would even consider him to be in the same league as the top WWE talent.

Knockers

2005-10-12T11:06:00.000+01:00

Last week I actually heard something on the radio that made me excited about music again! On Radio 1 they played the new Darkness single which is called "One Way Ticket To Hell . . . . And Back". Its no secret that I love The Darkness and I can say without any doubt in my mind that they are the best band I have ever seen live, they rocked my socks off! There had been some speculation earlier in the year that the band was to split up after they fired Frankie (the bassist). Well those rumours have been put to rest and the new single is fantastic, its got everything you would want in a great rock n' roll song and even features a sitar solo. Its a truly great song and it makes me look forward to November when the new album is due to be released. At the live show I went to last year they played several new songs that are from the forthcoming album and each one was very strong.

I am still playing my PSP to death each day. I'm currently working my way through Metal Gear Ac!d and Ridge Racer. Both are great games and two that you should really own if you decide to buy a PSP. Metal Gear Ac!d is proving to be pretty taxing but not in the way that it puts you off playing, you get really want to go back and get past those taxing areas. Its been a nice surprise as, like I said in my last blog, it was a game I didn't think would be all that good, its certainly proved me wrong.

After the exciting task of mowing the lawn on Sunday I decided to get up to date on my comics. With all the excitement of my PSP I had fallen a little behind which is never a good thing. So Sunday I caught up and am now anxiously waiting Thursday's delivery when Infinite Crisis #1 ships. That's getting a little forward though, I'm going to go over a couple of comics I read on Sunday and point out some cool stuff that happened. There will be spoilers so if you haven't read certain things from the past few weeks you may want to avoid reading this next section.

Firstly I'm going to make mention of the fantastic ending to Donna Troy #4. This series was a bit of a dud for me, it seemed to do very little and it failed to make Donna seem like an important character that should be bought back to the main DCU, the end of #4 however proved me wrong. It turns out that Donna Troy now remembers all her origins and what's more important is that she remembers the Multiverse that existed before the original Crisis, she also knows that the DCU is still not as it should be, there are problems left over from Crisis that need to be fixed, this is obviously leading into Infinite Crisis. So at the end Donna decides she needs to get a group of heroes together to make things right. It was a very cool end to a lacklustre series.

Vigilante #1 was also a very good book. I wasn't expecting much but its set in Metropolis so the Superman fan inside me told me I had to order it. This Vigilante is not the same one from the early 90's, its a brand new take on the character. From what we see in #1 our "hero" is very similar to Daredevil in the movie. If someone gets away with doing something wrong then he will step in to make things right, by killing the villain. The writing is very good in this book and I think its going to be a very strong mini series. If it is released in trade then I think everyone should pick it up, I think it will work very well in that format.

Superman/Batman was bad as ever but it was cool to see Batman Beyond and Red Son Supes appear. Its been documented that you need to take this book with a grain of salt, not everything you read in it will impact the main DCU stories so appearances like this are cool to see, you know it means nothing more than a nod to the fans.

As I finished reading all my new titles I started getting up to date on my Flash back issues. I have gone back to #80 and am currently up to the early Impulse stories. Mark Waid is a great writer and handled Flash very well, John then took the reigns and made the book amazing. There is a lot of talk of Wally West being killed off and Bart Allen taking his place as The Flash in Infinite Crisis. While I would hate to see this I know the story is in good hands (Geoff Johns) so there will be a good reason for this to happen. I just hope that the rumours are true that Mark Waid will take over the book when this happens as you know going forward the book will be very good.

One last thing, Ong Bak, what a film! If you can watch it with someone who doesn't compare it to Jackie Chan films (a couple of you reading this know what I mean) then you will have a great time. There is no wire work which just makes it even more amazing when you see some of the stunts that take place. Great film and one that I will be adding to my movie collection very soon.

Its me, its me, its PSPete!

2005-10-06T11:44:00.000+01:00

I've had my PSP for a few weeks now so I'm going to do a review of the system and the games I own.

The console itself is amazing, I absolutely love it! I'm pretty sure that in the 3 weeks I have had my PSP I have played it more than I did my DS in the entire time I had it so I can say that I made the right decision in getting rid of my DS.

There had been many rumours before the PSP was launched over here that they were shipped with lots of dead pixels, that some of the buttons did not respond and that the console was very flimsy. I can't speak for other people but my PSP has none of these flaws, its perfect in everyway.

So what are the games like I hear you ask. So far I have 4 games and I will do a little review of each for you.

Burnout Legends
At first I was blown away by this game but after a few plays its become the least played of my collection. While there is nothing really wrong with Burnout on the PSP I get the feeling that Ridge Racers would of been the way to go with a racing game. Something seems to be missing from the PSP version of Burnout and I just can't put my finger on what it is, it doesn't seem to have the magic of the PS2 and Xbox versions. I may well trade it in at the weekend for Ridge Racers, I will have to read a few reviews.

Lumines

The crown jewel of my PSP games. Its just one of those simple puzzle games that grabs you right away and you end up being totally addicted. While the game does have simple graphics it does look really nice, the changing backgrounds really make you want to get further into the game. The music is also fantastic and really suit the game. If you have or are thinking about getting a PSP then this game is a must.

World Championship Snooker 2005
I love the Xbox version of this game so this was a must for me. The game is just as good as its big brother and just as addictive. The only thing that really lets it down is the loading time between shots. This isn't very long at all but when your used to not having them on the Xbox it noticeable. This really doesn't take away from the enjoyment of the game though and can easily be looked past.

Metal Gear Acid

I traded some bits and pieces in at Gamestation yesterday and decided to go for this. Its game I wanted to play but didn't really fancy spending £35 on due to being sceptical about the card based formula of the game. While I have only reached the second mission I can say that so far the game is very good. Yes MGA does not play like the other Metal Gear games but it contains the look and sound of these games. The card based system works particularly well and is not as clunky as many people expected it to be. If your a fan of the Metal Gear franchise you will love this game and I think you will embrace the different way of playing. If you enjoy using your brain and being tactical then again, you will really enjoy this game. If you buy this knowing it plays differently than other Metal Gear games and are willing to give it a chance then I think you will get a lot out of it.

So in conclusion the PSP has been a very, very good purchase and I'm really happy I went for one. With GTA, Raw vs Smackdown and Pr Evo Soccer 5 all coming out this year the future looks very bright for Sony's handheld. The great thing about the PSP is that it offers a totally different gaming experience to the DS so having both would not be a bad thing. For me though, the PSP is a better system as it offers me games I am more interested

Remembering what wrestling is

2005-09-30T11:32:00.000+01:00

Last night in conversation it was suggested that wrestling shows should have credits much like a film does listing the names of the performers and production crew who worked on the show. I totally disagree with this and last night I didn't really have a chance to explain why this would not work or help the wrestling business in any way. So today, I decided to use my blog to do just that.

For many years the wrestling business was very guarded, everything that was done in front of fans was put across as something real, this is still the case today and I will get to that soon. If two guys were feuding then they had to keep their distance from each other outside of the shows, if a face and heel were seen together in public getting along then the whole show would be ruined. It reminds me a of a great story from Bobby Heenan's first book. A group of wrestlers were in the lobby of a hotel when some fans saw them and decided to try to get some autographs. The problem was that the heels and the faces were all socialising together, as soon as they saw the fans coming into the hotel they got into a brawl with each other so as not to ruin the illusion that wrestling is real.

In the late 90's WWE did a promotional campaign where they used the slogan "get it?!". This was done due to the fact wrestling had gotten so big that many parents were in uproar about their kids being able to watch such violence on TV. WWE decided that it was in their best interests to let the parents know what they were doing was entertainment, that these guys were not really beating hell out of each other and that it was a show. While doing this WWE did not just come out and say the whole show is fake but just tried to get people to see wrestling for what it was, a fun show. While the walls were broken down somewhat the business is still very guarded and rightfully so. This gets me on to the whole credits argument.

Say WWE decided to put credits at the end of Raw where you saw all the wrestlers real names, this would ruin the whole illusion of wrestling. There are many fans out there, myself included, that know hell of a lot about what goes on backstage, the wrestlers real names, who likes who and everything else but there are just as many, maybe more fans, who don't know this stuff and really wouldn't want to. Wrestling is not a movie, you know going into a movie that everything is fiction, what your seeing on screen is not real. Wrestling doesn't paint itself that way. Wrestling is produced to make the view think what they are seeing is real, that although its entertaining these guys do not like each other. Many fans know that Triple H and Shawn Michaels are good friends but when they were feuding it looked like they hated each others guts, they made you believe that and it looked real.

A prime example of how credits could hurt is with the character Kane. When Kane debuted we were told that he was Undertakers younger brother and you could easily believe that. They were a similar size , their mannerisms were the same, there was no reason not to believe that they were brothers. If at the end of the show you saw the name Glen Jacobs next to Kane and Mark Calloway next to Undertaker you would instantly know they were not related and the whole angle would of been ruined for many people. The great thing about that storyline was it was so believable yet at the same time entertaining. You had the story of the forgotten younger brother coming to reclaim what he thought The Undertaker had taken from him. Another thing the credits would of hurt would be that you could look up Glen Jacobs name online and see that he was once an evil wrestling dentist and this would be yet another reason to see that the whole angle was just show, you would have no reason to get behind it when it was clear it was all fiction.

What's next if they bring in credits. Everyone would know that nothing they are seeing is real so why hide it? The announcers may as well tell you how a wrestler is executing a move, you could have backstage segments with two wrestlers who are supposed to hate each other working out their match and promos. It would of been terrible if on the big debut of Kane if JR said, some fans may remember that Glen Jacobs who plays Kane as Issac Jankem and the Christmas Creature. The whole believability of wrestling has gone out of the window.

The problem is that after several years of being a wrestling fan you know how everything works and look into things further than you really should. The thing is that there are many people out there who watch wrestling and believe what they are seeing. Like I said earlier, while WWE did break the kayfabe wall down a bit they didn't destroy it, had they done that then wrestling probably wouldn't exist today, what would be the point?

In the past few years wrestling has been getting back to its roots, the matches are more realistic as are the characters. WWE has been rebuilding the Kayfabe wall somewhat too and in my mind the business is better for it. When Chris Benoit won the title at Wrestlemania 21 it was a moment, even though many people know that the outcome is predetermined it seemed like Benoit had overcome the odds and won the title. If you were to see credits rolling at the end of the show that moment would be gone, you would be reminded what you are watching is not real and that the moment was fake.

When I started over thinking wrestling and getting too involved in not only watching it but doing it my passion started to dwindle. When I watched wrestling to only learn for my own matches and for things I could bring to BAWA all the entertainment disappeared. There have been a couple of points this year where I have considered quitting BAWA as it was ruining my enjoyment of watching wrestling as a fan. I knew too much about how things worked and I'm sure there are other people out there who have felt the same way. By having credits on wrestling it shows the fan that its all a work and you shouldn't believe what you are seeing. The biggest success in wrestling is making the fan think what they are seeing is real, why do something that will take a part of that away?

Sometimes, words are not necessary

2005-09-26T10:21:00.000+01:00

You pissed on his chair?! Thats fantastic!

2005-09-22T10:34:00.000+01:00

I don't really have one topic to talk about today so I'm juts going to ramble on and see what comes out.

I've not really felt myself the past couple of days, its like I have a cold but without the running nose and coughing. I just feel really lethargic and not quite with it although today I seem to be feeling better so I'm sure its nothing to worry about. There tends to be a point every year where I feel really burnt out and just want to sit back and relax, maybe its that time of year again.

I have decided to buy myself a PSP but it seems that shops and websites don't want me to have one as no where has any in stock. At lunch time today I'm going to pop to the videogame shops and see if they have any idea when the next batch is due and put my name down for one. There are a few UK versions on eBay but there is something in the back of my mind telling me to wait until they are back in the shops, hopefully that won't be too long.

Wrestling has been fun this week. Ric Flair is your NEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWW Intercontinental Champion and this was the highlight for me of last Sundays Unforgiven PPV closely followed by Matt Hardys leg drop from the top of a steel cage. With this match and the street fight from a few weeks ago between Hardy and Edge you have to wonder how they will top it, well the answer is a ladder match in two weeks time of the 3 hour edition of Raw with the looser being forced to leave Raw and the winner getting the money in the bank title shot. My prediction for this one will be Hardy winning and Edge moving to Smackdown where a much needed main event heel is needed. I don't see Matt Hardy becoming WWE Champion anytime soon but the idea of giving him at least a shot on Raw would be a nice way to say "sorry for firing you" and giving Hardy a chance to prove he can be at least an upper mid-card player.

Other than the normal reading I've been using some of my spare time to catch up on watching Angel. In the space of about 2 weeks I have watched series 3 and 4 and have just finished the first disk of series 5. Series 3 was great as was the first half of series 4, as soon as the beast was killed and Jasmine was introduced it seemed to go downhill. Thankfully series 5 has so far been great, the addition of Spike is very welcome and Angel and the gang running Wolfram and Hart is an interesting idea, I really look forward to seeing how things play out. On the same subject I recommend the new Angel comics by IDW and especially the Spike prestige format. Its a little pricey but for a Spike book written by Peter David you can't really go wrong.

Comic wise I haven't really read anything other than my standard monthly books over the last week or so. I'm waiting for a batch of Flash back issues to arrive that I ordered online so that will keep me going for a week or two. Other than that Infinite Crisis is now very close and I can't wait, DC have been on fire recently and I can't see anyone putting them out in the near future.

On TV over the past couple of months has been a show called Rockstar INXS. The whole idea of the show is to get a new lead singer for the band and each week a person is kicked off. Now I wouldn't normally watch something like this but being a fan of INXS I was interested to see who would get the job. What happens is that the fans vote for their favourite singer after a show of performances and then the 3 singers with the least votes are made to sing an INXS song. When all three have performed the members of INXS decide who is going to get the chop. I like this idea, while some of the say is in the fans hands it really comes down to the band to make the decision, this way they are not left with someone who they don't find all the suitable to the band. Well, this week the decision was made and a guy called JD Fortune got the gig (his name works on his own). While he has been quote cocky throughout the show he has the charisma and voice that totally suit INXS. The band will be starting a world tour next month and I hope to get tickets to see it.

Ok, that's it for now I think, catch you on the flip flop!

A kiss stealing, wheeling dealing, jet flying, limosine riding, son of a gun!

2005-09-15T09:53:00.000+01:00

Due to popular demand, otherwise known as Andi asking where it was, I am going to dedicate an entire post to Pete’s wrestling recommendation of the week.

Over the years wrestling has changed and at some points become so far removed from what is was back when I first became a fan. I consider myself very lucky that I grew up in the 80’s and was a part of the explosion that was Hulkamania but it’s not due to Hogan. The 80’s was an amazing time to be a wrestling fan and in my mind it will never be beaten from a pure wrestling standpoint. Everything was perfect back then, you had clear heavyweight contenders, an impressive mid-card and a tag division that meant something. What made it even better is that the rosters were made up of mostly “wrestlers” rather than sports entertainers and greener than green rookies like today.

Back in the day I loved the then WWF more than anything, but now looking back you cannot beat the NWA (who later became WCW) in the 80’s . I would go into detail about the transition of the NWA into WCW but that would take way too long and isn’t really relevant to what I’m taking about today. There are three reasons I love the 80’s NWA and they are The Horsemen, The Midnight Express and The Rock N’ Roll Express. Anytime you see a match with any member of those teams in it you know you are in for a one hell of a match.

Let’s start with The Horsemen. I’m taking about the original group of Ric Flair, Ole Anderson, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard and manager JJ Dillon. There have been many more incarnations down the line but they have never been able to recreate the magic of the originals although there will always be a special place in my heart for Barry Windham being a part of the team. Windham is someone who could and should have been a bigger name in the wrestling industry but for reasons I just don’t understand never quite got there. Windham was NWA champion but isn’t really remembered as being one of the greats, in my mind though he is definitely up there.

So, back to the original Horsemen. They were the total package, you had Flair as the charismatic leader, Ole and the powerhouse, Tully and Arn as the solid tag team but also great singles wrestlers and their business manager in JJ Dillon. What made the Horsemen so successful where that they were so different. Never before had there been a group of wrestlers that were so cool but hated so much. They looked the part in their designer suits and they also lived the part. When you heard Flair talk about buying the best money could buy, stealing kisses from girls and riding in limousines you knew it was true and the hatred you had for these guys was down to pure jealousy. The Horsemen set a standard that really hasn’t been beaten. There have been attempts to recreate the magic in teams such as DX and the now but you will never get a better group than the original Horsemen. There was no weak link, each man offered something different but could bring it all together into one amazing package.

Now, onto tag-team wrestling. The 80’s was by far the greatest time for tag teams and at times it was more exciting than the singles stuff. Let’s look back at some of the great teams from the 80’s. You had The Midnight Express, The Rock N’ Roll Express, The Road Warriors, The Rockers, Strike Force, The Brian Busters, The Orient Express, Brutus Beefcake and Greg Valentine, The Bulldogs and The Hart Foundation. That’s just naming a few of the great teams. You hear a lot of people complaining about the lack of a tag division these days and it’s very justified when you can look back and see how great it once was. There used to be big money in tag matches and that shows in how successful The Road Warriors were. Never, had there been a team that looked so real. When you see old NWA Road Warriors matches you really think their opponents are getting the living hell beat out of them, it’s truly a sight to behold. They were famous the world over and were one of the hottest commodities in the business for a long time. Its sad today to see the state of tag team wrestling but it does seem like WWE is trying to spark an interest again and I really hope it works. New teams like MNM and Cade and Murdoch are very promising, WWE are also pairing a few guys up who have been out of the loop such as Vis and Venis. I hope it works and the tag titles will mean something again.

So, my wrestling recommendation for this week is to try to find some wrestling from the 80’s and watch it, your really in for a treat. I understand that the high risk fast style of today is very popular with a lot of fans but I guarantee you will love seeing a pure wrestling match between Ric Flair and Dusty Rhodes or a great tag encounter between the Rock N’ Roll and Midnight Express. Wrestling matches made a lot more sense back then and wrestlers were much better off for it. Ric Flair for example is still wrestling today and is still better than a lot of the new young guys, it’s hard to imagine someone like AJ Styles still being able to steal the show when he is in his 50’s. Wrestlers today need to look back and learn from the people that came before them, its not about hitting a cool looking spot just to get a pop, its all about doing the simplest of things to get a reaction and being able to tell a story with what your doing in the ring.

So, to close, I recommend that you pick up the Ric Flair and Road Warriors DVD sets to see just how great the 80’s were. Both sets are two of my most watched DVD’s and are a great trip down memory lane.

My baby's got the bends, oh no

2005-09-13T12:00:00.000+01:00

As I have stated in my previous blog entries, there is nothing coming out in the world of music that is grabbing my attention at the minute and that's really sad. There was a time where a new CD I wanted was coming out on a weekly basis and I was having a hard time keeping up with and affording everything. I can only think of three new albums I have bought this year which are the latest offerings by Coldplay, Nine Inch Nails and Oasis. These three albums were amazing and arguably some the of the best material the bands have ever produced but I would love to buy something by a new artist, yet no one seems to be stepping up at the minute to take on the established acts.

Due to the fact there no new music for me to listen to I decided to take a trip down memory lane and listen to some CD's I have not put on in some time. I decided to stick on The Bends by Radiohead on Saturday and was reminded of exactly why I love the band so much. The Bends was the first Radiohead album I bought after hearing the amazing High and Dry on the radio and loving it. I had previous exposure to them through Creep and Anyone Can Play Guitar but had never been tempted to pick up Pablo Honey (the album from which those two songs were taken). The Bends is one of those albums that does not have a weak track on it, this is something I find with most Radiohead albums as a matter of fact. Its not one of those albums I can listen to just a small bit of, once its on I have to listen to the whole thing as its just that good and sounds as fresh today as it did back in 1995. I can't even pick a track on the album that I consider to be the stand out tracks as everything on it is just flawless and each offer different things. If I had to pick three tracks for someone who wants a taste I would probably have to choose High and Dry, Just and The Bends as that way you get a good idea of exactly what the album has to offer. I really feel that The Bends is one of those albums that will never get old and I can't recommend it enough, I really think no matter what your musical taste is you will get something out of it.

Radiohead are a truly amazing band who are far from scared to experiment and take their sound forward. I have bought every album since the release of The Bends (as well as picking up Pablo Honey) and just been amazed by how different each one is to the last and how they have often changed styles but kept the Radiohead sound very prominent.

If your reading this and thinking of checking Radiohead out then I suggest buying Pablo Honey and The Bends together and then work forward in order of release if you like what you hear. Albums such as Kid A and Amnesiac may be a little much for someone new to the band but are well worth the listen over time as they are truly great albums

Run, run as fast as you can!

2005-09-01T14:20:00.000+01:00

In my last blog I told you I had ordered a copy of ICO and that I would let you know what I thought in my next update. Well the 5 minutes I got to play were great but the game bloody freezes at the same point every time I play it. Not to be defeated I purchased myself another copy and the same damn thing happens, I was obviously not pleased. So I tried the game on a friends PS2 and it worked with no problems. It turns out that ICO has problems running on the slimline version of the console so it looks like the girl will be forever trapped in the castle :( I have managed to sell on both copies of the game so not everything is lost. Other than that I have finished Devil May Cry 3 and managed to achieve the Sage ranking with Steve Fox in Tekken 5 so gaming is going rather well.

Tomorrow is a sad day in the world of comics for me as the last issue of Flash written by Geoff Johns is shipped. Before I go on I will give you a bit of history about me and the Flash. I used to read the book back when it was written by Mark Waid and really enjoyed it but needed to cut down on what I was buying, Flash was unfortunately cut from my monthly comic order. Fast forward a few years and due to him writing a few books I collected I was buying more and more comics by Geoff Johns. His work blew me away and it was apparent he had a very big place in his heart for the DCU and the characters in it. I decided to needed to read more of his work and started to buy Flash again. As always with Johns it was amazing and left me wanting more so I decided to pick up all the back issues he had written and read them all in a matter of days. His work established Flash as my second favourite comic character (behind Superman) and I have since gone back further with the back issue collecting with my aim to go back to issue 1 of the current series. So far forward to today and tomorrow is the final issue of Flash by Johns and while I can't wait to read it and will be very sad at the same time. The next writer has some big shoes to fill (how to you follow Waid and Johns?) but I will stay with the book, I'm a Flash fan for life now.

Tonight I'm going to watch a couple of movies I think. I borrowed Kung-Fu Hustle from a friend so that's a definite and I may watch the first Superman movie, we will have to see what the time is as its quite an epic. I have the last two seasons of Angel on the way to me so there will be a lot of DVD watching at my house over the next couple of weeks, should be fun!

Wrestling recommendation of the week (a new feature in Pete's blog):

Keep your eye on Ken Kennedy on Smackdown, I have him pegged as the next big thing. He is fantastic on the mic (he does his own ring introduction for goodness sake), has a good build and size that's similar to The Rock and is really good in the ring. That last thing is the important one as many of the guys WWE has bought up to the main roster have been green as hell, Kennedy on the other hand has been wrestling for several years now and knows what he is doing. You heard it here first ladies and gentlemen!

Semi charmed kind of life

2005-08-19T14:57:00.000+01:00

So much for updating my blog on a regular basis huh! I'm just crap, its simple as that, there is no excuse that can hide the truth. So maybe I won't be updating my blog as often as I hoped to but I'm sure not going to ignore it. So without further ado, lets update!

I'm a little excited as I type this, why? I just saw actual completed footage from Superman Returns and by jove it was gooooooooooood. For those of you who don't know, next summer a new Superman film is finally going to be released. Brian Singer is directing (Usual Suspects, X-Men 1 and 2) so I have every faith that the film is going to rock the body that rocks the party! After seeing the footage I think this film will make me weep like a baby and I will no doubt have to see it a handful of times at the cinema. I hate to think what I'm going to be like a month or two before the movie is released, I'm full of anticipation already!

On to video games. I have been really getting my moneys worth from my PS2. So far I have finished God of War, Devil May Cry 1 and 2 and am currently working on the third instalment while at the same time having some great battles on Tekken 5 and Smackdown vs Raw. I'm really into platform-action-puzzlers at the minute as you can tell by the games I listed above. Due to this I decided to shell out on eBay and order myself a copy of ICO which is considered by many to be one of the best platform puzzlers out there. Once it arrives and I have played it I will let you know what I think.

Comics couldn't be better at the minute. As a long time fan of DC I am really happy about the fact they are living up to their potential and are finally using their characters in the right way. Geoff Johns is without question my favourite comic writer of all time, everything he writes just connects with me in a way no other writer has. I loved his Flash run so much I got a Flash logo tattooed on my arm and his Titans and JSA stories are just amazing. Green Lantern is getting off to a slow start but issue 3 really seemed to pick up pace and I have every faith that it will be a success for Johns. With his core titles and his work on the upcoming Infinite Crisis I think the future is very bright.

I'm really happy to see more people picking up DC books and more importantly enjoying them. They have always been second fiddle to Marvel (unfairly I think) but they are finally showing that their characters are just as exciting as those people are more aware of like Spiderman and the X-Men. DC have some of the best creators out there working for them so I really think they are going to go from strength to strength, its about time!

Music is still very slow, I've not bought anything in some time, infact I don't think I have bought anything new since I last talked music on this very blog. That sucks, I love my music but at the moment there is nothing out there that appeals to me.

In an ideal world a new Third Eye Blind album would be announced and I would have something to look forward to. I love this band, they have yet to record a band song in my opinion. 3EB have been going for several years but have so far only released 3 albums which I still love just as much today as I did the first time I heard them. I would much rather a band takes their time releasing new material and it be amazing rather than them churning out new stuff and it be a total let down. If you like rocky music with some quality relaxing tunes thrown in then I suggest you try out Third Eye Blind, they are definitely in my top 5 band of all time.

That's all for today, hopefully I will be back with more soon. Have fun!

Round one, fight!

2005-07-26T09:20:00.000+01:00

The last two posts on my blog have been solely about wrestling so today I'm going to do a quick rundown of my match at the weekend and then move on to other subjects. I love wrestling but I have other interests and things to talk about, I don't want this blog to be exclusive to one subject.

Right, so lets get the wrestling out of the way. The BAWA had their first big show of 2005 this past Sunday and in my opinion it was a success. Everyone worked hard and I think everyone went home happy. There were a few complaints that the main event was long but the crowd was made up of mostly non wrestling fans. One of the main complaints online these days by fans is that matches are too short so I think if we had a crowd of fans then they would of appreciated it.

The main event was the triple threat match I spoke about in my last post and I think we did really well. I've yet to watch the match back but when walking back to the locker room (its so cool to say that!) I felt really proud of what we had just done and feel it was one of the best matches the BAWA has ever put on. I may be wrong and change my mind when I see it but I felt and still feel great about it.

Ok, on to other things. Saturdays nights are now becoming gaming nights again which is very cool. Over the past few years our Saturdays were taken up by wrestling but since we have moved this to Sundays the Saturday nights are now used for other fun stuff.

Tekken 5 was released a few weeks ago and two of my friends (Sid and Andi) love this game. Each Saturday the evening starts with around 50 games of Tekken, which strangely always seem to end with 25 victories on each side. Sid and Andi are excellent at it and have been playing this series since the first game came out on the PS1. The last time I owned a Tekken game was when number 2 was out. I was terrible at it and gave up after a while and decided it wasn't for me. I found that the Dead Or Alive series were more my cup of tea and have been playing them ever since.

Over the past few weekends I have seen that with practice and patience Tekken can be quite the game so I decided to trade in some of my old Xbox games and get myself a PS2 and T5 (as it will now be known in this blog). I have only had the game for one evening so I am still getting to grips with the game. I have mostly been playing with King due to his wrestling fighting style and have so far learnt a few throws and high impact moves. One thing that disappointed me was the lack of a training mode similar to DOA's. In DOA you can select an option for the moves to be bought up on screen, when you execute the move the next one flashes up. I found this very helpful in DOA as it was a great way to learn the moves, I was hoping Tekken would have a similar feature. I am going to have to track down a move list online and do it the old fashioned way with print outs in front of me while practicing. I fully intend to get good at this game so I can give Sid and Andi some competition ;)

On to music. Its either me getting picky about what I buy or its that there is no good music coming out at the moment. We are over half way through the year and I have only bought a handful of albums. The only real standout CD's I have so far this year are the latest offerings from Oasis, Nine Inch Nails and Coldplay. All three of those CD's are fantastic and I highly recommend them, especially Coldplay. I think they get a bad rap for being dull and only releasing slow songs but their albums can be quite diverse. I truly believe if your a music fan you will get something out of a Coldplay CD.

Ok, that's going to be it for today otherwise I will be rambling on all day.

3 men, one ring (not like that, get your mind out the gutter!)

2005-07-22T11:51:00.000+01:00

I have decided that today marks the day where I am going to make an effort with my blog. Since I've been introduced to the world of blogs I have done a post here or there but nothing on a regular basis, I think that should change, I have stuff to say and whether you like it or not your going to listen!

This weekend I am wrestling in a triple threat match. To my knowledge I have only ever been in one of these matches and I wasn't wrestling as my main character in it. On a side note, I love the fact I'm at a point where I can't remember the number of certain matches I have done, it makes me feel like I've made it! Ok, back to point. In preparation for this match I have watched several triple threat matches from several different promotions to get some ideas. I do this for big matches no matter what the type, I think its a great idea to look back at what others did to get some ideas on what to do and of course what not to do.

I started with the old reliable WWE and the triple threat matches from last year between Benoit, Triple H and HBK. Man, these matches just blow me away but then again look who is in there. Triple H gets a lot of stick from "smarks" on the internet but I think its unfair, people just don't realise how great he is at telling a story and holding a match together. He plays it safe with his move set but makes sure everything he does serves a purpose to the match. You will never see Triple H do something for the sake of getting a pop, if it doesn't work for the story he is telling he won't do it. Then you have Shawn Michaels, again, he does everything for a reason, he will take a risk but it will be fundamental in the story of match. Since his comeback 3 years ago (yeah, I know!) HBK has been more careful a wrestler but he still entertains and has the crowd in the palm of his hands, its great that he has adapted so well to his new style. The last man in the match is Chris Benoit. Benoit is one hell of a wrestler but for some reason a guy that I have never been able to fully get behind. Don't get me wrong, the guy can g o in the ring and is one of the best workers in North America today, hell maybe in the world but I never see him as a main player which is probably due to his limited character development skills. For me Benoit is a guy you can use to make a main event wrestler, a stepping stone so to speak. Benoit is great to use in main events but not someone you can use to carry the company.

So after watching last years triple threat matches from Wrestlemania and Backlash I decided to take a look at some stuff from other promotions. Nothing really gave me any ideas but then after seeing the Triple H/HBK/Benoit classics there is not much more to learn, maybe I should of saved those to last.

The stuff I watched from WCW was very, very basic and not really with top class guys. The stuff from ECW was spot heavy and not really suiting the style of match that will be happening this Sunday. That's ECW though, you got a couple of good wrestling matches and the rest was just spots and violence. The more I watch ECW the less I like it. The recent One Night Stand PPV was great but I couldn't watch it weekly, I would be quite happy if that's it for ECW. I know lots of people want to see RVD vs. Jerry Lynn one last time but I say leave it in the past. Both guys have toned down their style since then and the expectations from the fans would be so high I think many people would feel disappointed.

So this Sunday the triple threat will take place and hopefully it will steal the show and make the crowd happy. It will be interesting to say the least and I'm really looking forward to it, its going to be a little different from what I'm used to.

Right, its almost time for lunch so I'm going dash. I will let you know my thoughts on the match next week.

A tribue to the king

2005-07-06T11:24:00.001+01:00

I'm sat at work, bored out of my mind so I decided to to update my blog (something I've not done in quite some time). I don't really have anything to say but what the hell, its times like this where things just come to me.

As I write this I am downloading a wrestling match I have been after for quite some time and one I have never, ever seen. That's quite rare! The match is an iron man match from 1994 between Bret and Owen Hart. I've never been a big fan of Bret, he was way too formulaic for my liking. Don't get me wrong, there are Bret matches I like but that's normally due more to the opponent that Bret himself. His iron man matches with both Shawn Michaels and Ric Flair are great, his Owen tribute with Benoit is great and his IC title match with Davey Boy Smith from Summerslam 92 is amazing.

Owen Hart on the other hand was a guy I have always loved. He was one of the first high flying wrestlers I saw as kid and I was amazed. Everything he did was crisp, everything he did had a purpose and you could always see the passion in his matches. Nowadays high flying moves and thrown around as often as Irish whips but back in the day they were new and fresh and with Owen there was always a reason for him to take that risk, it wasn't just to get a pop from the crowd. Owen was way ahead of his time and maybe that is why he seemed to be held back most of his career. Another reason could be that he was a nice guy, he had no ego and was just happy to be out there performing, he didn't need a title or main event spot to be entertaining.

I wrestle for a small upcoming promotion called the BAWA and it can be said I take a lot of inspiration from Shawn Michaels in not only my move set but also in my character. I like to think there is some Owen Hart in me too though. No matter who I wrestle or where on the card I am I always make sure I have fun and at the same time give the people watching a performance they will enjoy.

I'm not saying I will ever be as good as Owen Hart or Shawn Michaels but I can say I have learnt a lot from them just by watching their work. I had the opportunity to once thank Shawn Michaels for his work and the enjoyment I got from him but due to being taken too soon I didn't get the chance to say the same to Owen. Wherever you are Owen, thank you, you will forever be the king of hearts.

Trying a little harder

2005-05-13T10:54:00.000+01:00

Life is what you make it. That's a little saying that I like and it really is true, everyone can help you along the way but in the end its down to you to get the most out of your life. While not everyone will do everything they dream of its nice that we can at least try and make even a few of these dreams come true. What I don't get is when people don't try at all.

What I'm talking about is people who do the same old thing day in and day out. I get that we have to work, eat, clean and all the other boring stuff but that's still not excuse for not reaching for something more. The worst thing is when you see people who are just so unconfident and have no faith in themselves that they settle for the mundane.

There are a lot of unconfident people out there and its really sad, I know this from experience. When I was at school I didn't really have many friends, just one or two who I have since lost contact with. Obviously this is going to knock your confidence. I became pretty quiet and didn't really feel a part of anything. I had no real friends, no real hobbies, my life was just go to school and come home to watch TV or play outside on my own, not really the antics kids should be getting up to. This was clearly noticed by my parents who talked to me about it. At first I didn't listen (I was a teenager after all) and continued to live my life as I had before. Then one day it hit me, maybe my parents were right, maybe I should change the way I was.

So one summer holiday I got myself a fashionable haircut (trust me, centre partings and undercuts were in the 90's!), got some new clothes and decided when returning to school I would be new person and my god it worked. I just started getting involved more. I joined the cricket team, I spoke to people who I hadn't dreamed of speaking with before, I made some friends, my life changed just by me making a few small changes. I wasn't the quiet kid anymore, I was confident and had finally found my place. It showed that no matter what you can change yourself and it will make a big difference. Inside I was still the same guy in many ways, I still liked the same music and TV shows, I just let it out and made myself be noticed.

At the end of my school life and after leaving I made some fantastic friends that I still have to this day. I got more and more confident in myself and made a promise to myself that I would never be the shy, unconfident Pete I was before.

This is why its such a shame to see people my age being so down and unconfident. All it takes is that first step to change a couple of things and the rest is easy. Don't get me wrong, we all still have our unconfident times. When I first had to travel by myself to Bracknell for work I was petrified but I did it anyway and learnt it was nothing to worry about. The main thing, face your fears and just do what you have to do, it really works.

Your life is so short, it would be a big shame to not make the most of it, all you need to do is push yourself.

Music taste

2005-05-06T11:24:00.000+01:00

Music is such a big part of my life and means all manner of different things to me. I love different artists and songs for all manner of different reasons. This is something that all music lovers share. There is always a reason for loving a song whether it be an emotional attachment or just a great beat you can dance to. What annoys me the most about music however are peoples shallow minded opinions of someone else's taste.

Let me give you an example. Say your listening to Britney Spears and your a big fan of her music. Along comes your friend as asks "why are you listening to this, Britney Spears is crap". This annoys me so much! Its fair enough that not everyone likes the same stuff, that I understand, what I don't get is when you are told something you like is crap. Take my example for instance, I'm no Britney fan but I'm not going to tell someone buying her CD that she is shit and to buy some Megadeth instead.

Like I said earlier, different music means different things to different people. I have a very eclectic taste in music ranging from heavy metal too 80's synth pop. It all means something to me. Some stuff has really deep meaning for me and helped me through tough times in my life, others are just catchy tunes that make me smile. I get that not everyone is going to like my CD collection but they are not meant to, its all part of me. What I don't expect is for people to tell me what I listen to is rubbish and to listen to something else. That's why I will never tell someone what they are listening to is crap, I may not enjoy it but that person is getting something from it which is the most important thing.

My super obsession

2005-05-03T15:11:00.000+01:00

For those who know me know I'm a massive Superman fan, for those who don't know me you now now I'm a massive Superman fan.

I was once asked why Superman is my favourite comic character and to be honest, I had a bit of trouble answering it, it wasn't something I had ever thought of. Its not that there wasn't a reason, there are plenty so here goes.

Firstly some history. I started buying Superman comics on a regular basis in early 1992. I had been collecting comics for a couple of years before this and other than The Hulk for about 7 months, I had never gotten a comic based on one character each and every month. I was just picking up what looked cool in the shop no matter the character. I was still finding my way through the come world and had yet to really get a connection with one character. One day I decided to pick up a couple of issues of Superman that were on the shelf and really enjoyed it. I had past experience with Superman through the movies, cartoons and British reprints like most kids my age but had never gone further than that.

Unbeknownst to me, DC had plans to kill off the Man of Steel about 2 months after I bought my first issue. In my mine this was cool, I had started buying Superman on a regular basis and was being given a massive storyline to follow which taught me a lot about the character. When Superman died the characters looked back at his life and what he meant to them. They showed Superman to be this iconic character who would use his amazing abilities to help the people of his adoptive world.

Unlike what was said in Kill Bill, Superman is the disguise, Clark Kent is who his adoptive parents bought him up as. Yes he had amazing powers and abilities but he still had the never ending struggle of finding who he was and his place in the world. Clark is a mild mannered guy and has a lot of the flaws we all have. He has problems with the opposite sex, problems at work and can be clumsy. You can relate to Clark, he is a good guy doing his best to survive in the world and make the most of each day. The Superman part of Clark is a way he can do his best to make the world he lives in a better place for the people who embraced him.

There are many people in the real world with power of some kind, I'm not talking super powers but power all the same that can make the world a better place, some use it for that and others are very driven to do what's best for them. Superman is the former, he has tremendous power and uses it to help and set an example that this world can be a great place to live in, you just need to share what you have and everyone becomes better off.

Superman to me is an icon, he is a shining beacon that through all the crap in the world there is still hope and things can be changed. We don't have superpowers but we can make a difference, to me that's what Superman is trying to teach us. Everyone needs someone to look up to and learn from and if a kid picks up a Superman comic then they are getting just that.

There is a hero in all of us and Superman has shown that. Clark Kent was bought up the same way we are, he just happened to have super powers, you don't need them to be a hero!

Looking at the horizon

2005-04-29T12:30:00.000+01:00

I'm sat at work with very little to do. Its a Friday and for some reason no one ever reports computer faults on a Friday, maybe they think any problems they will have will vanish over the weekend so its not worth worrying about. This gives me an easy but very dull day.

I'm someone who likes to be occupied by something, I don't want to just be sat here staring into space, wondering what I will have for dinner and what I'm going to watch on TV later. Don't get me wrong, I think these things but that's not my life, unfortunately there are a lot of people out there who don't stretch themselves beyond this.

I have a variety of interests, some of which involve me sitting on my backside, others that need me to exert myself. I like that, I really don't think I could be one of those people who goes home after doing a job they hate but will never leave, watch some TV and eat the same processed crap they have had every other day of your life. If that's you and you don't want more then that's great, I don't want to offend you but that's not me. I'm not going to lie, I enjoy some stuff on TV, hell, if I miss the main WWE shows then I'm an unhappy camper but I need variety because after all, its the spice of life!

It days like today when work is slow and unproductive I like to look forward and see that I have plenty to occupy my mind on the horizon. This weekend for example is a pretty packed one for me with all manner of fun activities planned. I'm pleased I'm not one of those people who don't realise they are living the zombie lifestyle. Could I do more than I do? of course I could, we all can but at least I can look at myself and see I'm doing something!

Pete

RIP Chris Candidoo (no gimmicks needed)