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VOL. 9 - ISSUE 4
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VOL. 9 - ISSUE 4
2016
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Blitz
INTELLIGENCE
5 Golf Nelson director likes direction of game, tournament. 7 Let’s Talk About Roogi The Texas Rangers have followed the trail of Rougned Odor from the get-go and things look to have come full circle. 8 Get Your Popcorn Ready This summer’s new releases are right around the corner and we let you know what to watch. 9 Hall & Oates The City of Brotherly Love gave us this duo 46 years ago and now we know what keeps them rocking. 10 Hungry We take on DFW’s best food one bite at a time. 16 Mecca Videogame Style Take a trip to the nation’s very first videogame museum in Frisco where you learn how everything came to be.
Publisher and Editor Staff Photographers Kelly G. Reed Dominic Ceraldi, Michael Kolch, Rick Leal, Sandy McAnally Features Director Staff Writers Amber LaFrance Paul A. Esquivel, Peter Gerstenzang, Frank LaCosta, Lance LeVan, Copy Chief Darius Williams Mark Miller Contributing Photographers/Artists Creative Director Keith Allison, Brian Kirk, Dan Lacey, Jette Stephens Karl-Ludwig Poggeman, Mick Rock, Mark J. Sebastian, JaBB Photo Editor Contributing Writers Darryl Briggs Steven Doyle, Shannon Elkins, Stephen Elliott, Andrew J. Hewett, Tyler Hicks, Cover Image Patrick R. Malone, Alan Sculley, Mark J. Sebastian Da’Vince “Dino” Wright, Kali Ah Yuen
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Darryl Briggs Model: Sydney Wardrobe: Electrique Boutique
VOL. 9 - ISSUE 4
Nelson’s Drago Likes Future of Golf and Tournament Salesmanship Club of Dallas
BY MARK MILLER – @MARKMYWORDSTEX
G
olf has had two major participation surges – in the mid-1950s thanks to people like former President Dwight Eisenhower and the legendary Arnold Palmer – and from the mid1990s to mid-2000s because of Tiger Woods. There’s no denying the sport has been in a bit of a slump since then. According to the National Golf Foundation, participation peaked in 2005 at 30 million people age 6 and older playing at least once that year. By 2010, it dropped to 26 million, plateaued at 24.7 million in 2013 and 2014, then dropped to 24.1 million in 2015. Some cite the personal and professional decline of Woods as a major reason. Others believe it’s more about the time and cost required to play. To help reverse the trends, the industry has incorporated several programs, introduced new concepts and cultivated new stars that have many, including Jon Drago, director of the AT&T Byron Nelson Championships since 2009, optimistic. “There’s a lot of resources and a lot of time being spent trying to grow the game that we obviously believe in as well,” said Drago, whose 2016 event will be held the week of May 16 in Irving.
“Recreationally it’s recovering nicely from where it was down a few years ago. I see it in my own kids. The things they’ve done with the PGA Junior League to bring more kids into golf and The First Tee Program and that sort of thing, I think we’re finally starting to see the results of that.” Though the overall numbers are down, the NGF reports increases among committed and beginning golfers, and in the number of people considering taking up the game. Additionally, interest in playing golf is at an all-time high with an estimated 37 million non-golfers saying they would like to try it. That may be due in part to places like Top Golf which have helped introduce the game in a non-intimidating way that may ultimately result in more people playing more often. “I think we’re just starting to see the benefits of all those programs and I think that will continue which is good for our business,” Drago said. Additional efforts to promote affordability and less time on the course also have helped, Drago said. This includes the United States Golf Association’s Play9 program and courses promoting practice layouts. “It’s a hard sport to learn and it’s easy to get frustrated,” Drago said. “So I think more places like where I play (Mansfield’s Walnut Creek Country Club) which has a three-hole loop or another course down that way that I believe has a six-hole practice loop you’re seeing more and more where you can have a lot of better, faster, cheaper access.” There’s also been the rise of young professional players including Dallas’ own Jordan Spieth plus Jason Day and Rickie Fowler on the men’s side and Lexi Thompson and teenager Lydia Ko on the women’s. Their presence could be why there were 2.2 million beginning golfers in 2015, close to the all-time high of 2.4 million in 2000, the year Woods won three major championships. The largest group of beginners last year was
Millennials which bodes well for the sport. “I think Jordan Spieth and Jason Day and Rickie Fowler and the way they play the game and focus on competition but even more importantly how they conduct themselves off the golf course is something that everybody can wrap around as good for the sport,” Drago said. Anything good for the sport will only help events like the Nelson and the Dean & DeLuca Invitational in Fort Worth the following week. Both events are in similar positions with newer title sponsors – the Nelson since last year and Dean & DeLuca in 2016 after nine previous years known as the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. While corporate sponsorships were rare in professional golf’s early years that’s not the case today. “There are a lot of tournaments that can’t exist without a title sponsorship,” Drago said. For the Nelson, which started under the legendary golfer’s name in 1968, that change came in 1988 with the GTE Byron Nelson Classic. That continued through 2002, the last two years under the banner of Verizon which had bought GTE. It became the EDS Byron Nelson Championship in 2003 which continued through 2014 when HP purchased EDS and stayed under HP through 2014. It will be under the AT&T name through at least 2021, two years after the event is scheduled to move to the new Trinity Forrest Golf Club being built south of Dallas.
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Drago said the biggest thing when switching title sponsors is how things are different perhaps most visibly the logo and corporate logos on-site. “Like anything, with a new title sponsor, you have a process of learning what’s important to each other and how to best go about making sure you can deliver on that because what’s important to AT&T is different than what’s important to HP,” he said. The key to a successful partnership is collaboration including numerous meetings throughout the year so there’s a balance between branding and running a successful tournament. “Last year was a great year in our inaugural year with AT&T,” Drago said. “We went through the process of re-branding the tournament and changing the logo (both in 2015 and 2016 when AT&T changed its corporate logo). We’re learning what’s important and who we operate with. I always use the term it was like going on a first date with somebody that lasted an entire year. “One thing that came up between AT&T and us is we want to be known as the most technologicallyadvanced, innovative tournament on the PGA Tour. We want to think of things that promote technology that grow the game of golf or things that have never been tried before. This year for example, concession pricing menus will be electronic. Last year featured technology where people could rent a phone plug-in to access multiple broadcast channels. Drago said the biggest differences between the previous and new sponsors are the personalities they deal with plus their target audiences. AT&T seeks more engagement with consumers while HP aims more for businesses. Plus it’s logistically easier to work with DFW-based AT&T, than HP whose key people are in California.
“What we’re most proud of is we’ve only had three title sponsors in our history,” Drago said. “Where title sponsors turn quite a bit, we’ve been very fortunate.
The timing and transition between sponsorships worked out great. AT&T wanted more presence in DFW after moving its headquarters from San Antonio. HP gave the Nelson leadership nearly two years notice of not renewing its contract allowing time to look for another. AT&T agreed to be the title sponsor before the final year with HP.
“We’ve been associated with a lot of great brands and had a great run with EDS and HP for 12 years. We’re looking forward to a long relationship with AT&T.”
“We see our job as selling them every day delivering on what we’ve promised so that they don’t ever want to leave,” Drago said. “We kind of see that as our job.”
Brand Development and Creative Marketing 469-877-1533 info@culture-hype.com
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VOL. 9 - ISSUE 4
The Rise of Roogie Odor
Keith Allison
BY PATRICK R. MALONE – @PATRICK_MALONE It was the site of the bronze medal game for the World Youth Baseball Championship. Mexico teed off against Venezuela for the final game at Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium in Taichung, Taiwan. Venezuela led 9-2 after 5½ innings before Mexico rallied. The game was tied 10-10 in the ninth when third baseman Fernando Perez hit a two-out single for Mexico. Shortstop Manuel Paez followed with a single to right. That’s when Venezuela gave up an error by right fielder Rainiero Coa, which scored Perez with the 11th and winning run. Venezuela lost 11-10. But out of the chaos, excitement and melancholy ashes arose the stardom of a second baseman. Rougned “Roogie” Odor, who finished a triple shy of the cycle, scored three runs and had two runs batted in. In seven games, Odor hit .536 with a .545 on-base percentage and .857 slugging percentage with nine runs, 12 RBI and five steals. He was fifth in average, behind now Minnesota Twins Francisco Lindor. Odor was named to the All-Star team as the best second baseman in the tournament.
A Star Previously Born Odor wasn’t just a star from this tournament, however. Like most professional players, the scrappy youngster began his journey as a baseball player at a very early age. “When I was little, I started playing baseball when I was 2 years old,” said Odor via the MLB.com Hickory Crawdad beat. “I would go to class and practice when I was growing up and hanging out with friends.” When Odor was about 12 or 13 years old, his father helped push him into seriously considering playing professional baseball. “My dad was a big part of keeping me on the right path – practicing every day, putting me in tournaments or leagues with teams that were older than me,” Odor said. Odor traveled at a young age for baseball. He visited Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Cuba and eventually Taiwan.
Rangers Knew of Him Early Taiwan is where it all started. The Texas Rangers had followed Odor’s career before his All-Star week ever began. They watched him play in Maracaibo. They did their due diligence on him and flew to Taiwan to see him play. SMARTER, SHARPER MEN
Less than two years later, Rangers scouts Mike Daly and Rafic Saab signed Odor to a $425,000 bonus. He finally was a professional baseball player. But his mission wasn’t over. In 2012, Odor spent his first full season at the Class A Hickory Crawdads affiliate. As a Crawdad, he hit .259/.313/.400 with 60 runs and 47 RBI in 109 games. He also stole 19 bases in 29 tries. That season, Baseball America rated him as the top defensive second baseman in the South Atlantic League and as the No. 11 prospect in the Rangers’ farm system. Roogie was promoted to High A Myrtle Beach and played 100 games for the Pelicans in 2013. During those games he hit .305/.369/.454. Odor hit 33 doubles, four triples, five home runs and 59 RBI. Oh, and he stole 27 bases on 35 attempts. And he wasn’t done yet.
Moving on Up to Frisco The Rangers also thought he was having a huge year so they promoted him to the Class AA Frisco Rough Riders, where he found himself the youngest player in the league yet again. In 30 games, Odor hit .306/.354/.530. He added eight more doubles, two triples, six home runs and 19 RBI. Roogie also stole five more bases out of seven attempts for 32 stolen bases overall. On May 8, 2014, Odor was called up to Rangers at age 20. Sixteen days later, he showed off the tools for which the Rangers scouts signed him. On May 24, Roogie hit two triples and had five RBI against the Detroit Tigers. Then, just a few months later, he became the youngest player in Rangers history to hit a grand slam. It was against Erasmo Ramirez of the Seattle Mariners. He spent the rest of the season manning second base, finishing .259/.297/.402 on the season.
Sophomore Slump to Start 2015 He started out the 2015 with mixed expectations. While some believe in the sophomore slump, others thought Odor could give Texas an immediate upgrade. Unfortunately for Odor, his season started out slow. Actually, slow might be a generous term. “The at-bats were not going the way he wanted or we wanted,’’ Rangers Manager Jeff Banister said to ESPN. “This is not unusual for players who are up at an early age.’’ Importantly, Banister still believed in Odor. He firmly proclaimed that Odor was going to be a
part of a “winning formula” for the Rangers for years to come. He just needed to figure some things out first. “I felt it was time for Roogie to go down and become the kind of player that got him here,” Banister told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Odor took the opportunity to find himself and embraced it. He was recalled to the Rangers on June 15, 2015 against the Los Angeles Dodgers and continued his torrid hitting. Roogie was back. He scorched his opponents to a tune of .292/.334/.527 with 18 doubles, eight triples and 15 home runs. He also had 52 RBI and 16 stolen bases. But it didn’t end there.
Shines Against Toronto The Rangers won the Western Division title and Odor was a major piece of that tasty divisional pie. He then showed the whole world what he was capable of and gave the Rangers a MVP-like performance in the American League Divisional Series against the Toronto Blue Jays. Never mind that the Rangers ended up losing the series 3-2, blowing a 2-0 lead. Odor was a force. He was pesky. He was scrappy. He was nasty. He was himself. That edge, that he’s quietly become infamous for, stopped by to say hello. Just ask David Price, who plunked him twice. In 21 plate appearances, he had a double, a home run, two RBI and a walk. He scored seven runs and put the Toronto defense on edge every time he was on the bases. He was even the cause of one of the craziest seventh innings in Major League Baseball history. Catcher Russell Martin hit batter Shin-Soo Choo with the ball while throwing it back to pitcher Aaron Sanchez. The ball sat there and Odor ran
home from third base. Choo didn’t intentionally interfere and it was just a sloppy throw. The ball was therefore live though umpire Dale Scott initially called it dead. But upon review he was called safe, which according to the rules, was 100 percent the right call. This followed with Blue Jays Manager John Gibbons protesting the game and the Toronto fans revolting by throwing beer bottles and trash onto the field. Damn that pesky Odor, to which Banister would probably shoot a smile and two thumbs up. “I love his edge,” Banister told the Dallas Morning News. “I love the edge of all of our guys. I take offense to anybody who doesn’t like the way he plays.”
Looking Forward to 2016 Today, with the 2016 season underway, there certainly are even higher expectations for the Rangers second baseman. He’s already made huge strides defensively and it has shown with a few highlight reel plays in the field. His bat started off slow, but it might be heating up. On April 14, he had his best game of the season with two huge doubles and two RBI. Odor’s future is bright. The now 22-year-old still has his best games ahead of him as the Rangers second baseman. And since he’s technically not a free agent till 2021, he has plenty of time to put up the numbers. He’s already become a fan favorite, potentially positioning himself as the face of the franchise. Roogie has come a long ways since he was an All-Star in Taiwan. Now, he’s looking to be an American League All-Star. Now, he’s looking to be the best in the league—AL MVP.
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Gregg Popovich – The Best Ever? BY DA’VINCE “DINO” WRIGHT – @DAVINCE13
T
he exalted one in San Antonio, Gregg Popovich is very much like a fine wine improving with age. The man has an impressive resume with five National Basketball Association titles and more career wins than five NBA franchises (Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Memphis Grizzlies, Toronto Raptors and New Orleans Pelicans/ Hornets). He is one of nine coaches in NBA history to eclipse the 1,000-win mark. Now that the NBA postseason is here, he has set his sights even higher.
Meeting Coach Pop On July 15, 1997, I was invited to a camp with the San Antonio Spurs. I can remember driving to the gym excited and rambling on about my dreams and aspirations about being an NBA superstar. At the time, the Spurs practice facility was located in the medical district of San Antonio. I remember being worried about being late and not having time to dress out and warm up. Driving up to the gymnasium I saw a sea of fans, reporters, agents and players walking to the gym and locker room area. I was two years removed from graduating from the University of West Virginia and in the best shape of my life. I knew in my heart that I was about to become a professional basketball player. Through high school and college I excelled with a nice mid-range jump shot and explosive leaping ability around the rim. My wife Tamica knew that this was my second opportunity to show the coaches I was ready for the next level. I thought that this was my chance to live a lifelong dream. The gym was packed with players I’d seen on TV and free agents trying out for the upcoming season’s team. The practice squad had room for four players and the Continental Basketball Association had teams looking for players too. My mission was to become a San Antonio Spur and in my mind I was ready to sign my contract. In walks Avery Johnson, David Robinson, Sean Elliot and Dominique Wilkins just to name a few attending the workout. They were like rock stars walking into a concert venue. Instead of competing for a roster spot I became a fan. I was told by a younger Coach Pop to work on the mental part of my game because that’s where the game is played. I made it to the second day before being let go by an assistant coach. But on that day I took something valuable with me. A mental approach to everyday life. That’s how Coach Gregg Popovich approaches each practice and game as head man in San Antonio. To know the make-up of a man, you must know where he comes from, his stock and his
upbringing. To understand how his mind works he has to be open and forth coming. Well not in this case. If you look back at Popovich’s coaching career you would see that he worked five years as an assistant (one season with Golden State) and has been the head man in San Antonio after the early part of the 1996-97 season. Coach Pop has a brilliant mind for personnel. “Basketball is a chess game and putting the right pieces in the right places is the difference between winning and losing in the NBA,” one NBA executive mentioned. “Gregg Popovich has transformed a mediocre team into the envy of the league.” No matter how old his starters become, he brings out the best in role players and in the competitive free agency market, Coach Pop adds and deletes the roster with a Bobby Fisher approach.
Getting Established Popovich’s NBA coaching career started as an assistant in San Antonio from 1988-92. Larry Brown was the head coach and his philosophy was to slow down the pace so time management would be the key between wins and losses. At this time the Spurs weren’t a very good team. In 1992, Popovich became an assistant with the Golden State Warriors under Don Nelson. “Coach Nelson’s philosophy was to open the game up for otherwise stagnant players to get a chance to score,” said Coach Pop. “He believed that when teams scouted his players, they have to scout the whole team not just superstars.” Popovich never played in the NBA, never was a head college coach or NBA head coach prior to taking the reigns in San Antonio. So how did he become the head man without any head coaching experience? Peter Holt was the key. Holt purchased the Spurs in 1994 and brought in Popovich to be the general manager and vice president of basketball operations. Holt knew the type of person he needed to run his organization. Back then fans and writers described the Spurs with adjectives such as boring and dull. Seems to me the “Spurs are boring” stereotype is pretty much dead. Coach Pop has never warmed up to the media to put it mildly. He’s done it his way and hasn’t looked back, overseeing the operation he established more than 20 years ago.
Winning Ways San Antonio was a wasteland for aging veterans to spend the twilight of their careers before retiring when Popovich took over. People thought he was crazy by drafting Tony Parker and Emanuel Ginobili. Why would he risk his career on unknown young players that played a “street ball” type of game? How could this type of talent work in a controlled system? Well Coach Pop understood talent and knows his system. Back then Parker was a 19-year-old firefly playing point guard for a professional team in France and was the French National team’s starter for the upcoming World Championship team. Ginobili was an Argentinian small forward who played fearless around the rim and brought international experience from playing on many championship teams. When the Spurs drafted Tim Duncan first overall in the 1997 NBA Draft they had their centerpiece for the future. The year before drafting Duncan the Spurs went 20-62 and David Robinson was injured for most of the season. Years earlier the Houston Rockets had Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson and were nicknamed the “Twin Towers.” With Robinson and Duncan the Spurs had their rendition of that mold. The Spurs won their first championship in 1999 two seasons after drafting Duncan as Robinson was getting ready to retire. Coach Popovich and the team won championships in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014. The crusty old coach (as described by some sports reporters) has seemingly emerged from the ether, brought a methodical style of play and a defense so effective that it stymied the fluidity of every offense it faced. And yes it even stopped the famed Triangle Offense of the Los Angeles Lakers with Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.
under Popovich is 1,244 wins and only 579 losses. Don’t forget that he has five NBA titles and six NBA finals appearances.
Coaching Future Stars Pop’s recipe for winning and approach to the game will have the Spurs as favorites to win or be near the top of the Western Conference every year. “My philosophy is simple,” he said. “I have a sevenstep process that our organization adopted. Culture, Accountability, Adaptability, Modesty, Selflessness, Success, Consistency and Efficiency.” The Spurs are set for the future after the departure of the big three of Ginobili, Parker and Duncan. In the 2011 NBA draft the Pacers drafted Kawhi Leonard from San Diego State University and was traded to the Spurs that night. Pretty shrewd move on Popovich’s part. Leonard was the NBA Finals’ MVP in 2014 and will be the centerpiece for the Spurs in the future. He’s the wing version of captain Duncan, very quiet and reserved but plays tough all over the floor. The team also added LaMarcus Aldridge to the roster which gives the Spurs a great chance to capture another championship. The Spurs under the guidance of Popovich have set a very high standard for success and will be in the mix for years to come.
As of this writing, the Spurs’ record (including postseason)
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VOL. 9 - ISSUE 4
Time to Strap in for Our
BY TYLER HICKS @TYLEREVANHICKS
summer of sequels and super-sized epics is set to begin. With so many viewing options bombarding your local multiplex, we’re here to help you narrow down your watch list to 10 noteworthy films.
Captain America: Civil War (May 6) Everybody’s favorite patriot kicks the summer off with a follow-up to 2014’s Winter Soldier, and this time he’s going toe to toe with Tony Stark aka Iron Man. When the pesky government attempts to reign in the nation’s superheroes, the Cap rebels, creating a rift between him and his arrogant, ironclad friend. With Black Panther and yet another new Spider-Man in the fray, Civil War aims to please both comic fans and action movie lovers. But when will our heroes stop fighting each other? First Batman and Superman, now this? Super friends can’t get along these days…
The Nice Guys (May 20) When we hear the names Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling, “hilarious” is not the first word that comes to mind. But if the trailers are any indicator, then these veteran thespians bring the acting chops and the laughs in the latest crime caper from writer-director Shane Black (Lethal Weapon). Hijinks ensue when Crowe’s hawkish enforcer teams up with Gosling’s goofy private eye to solve a missing person’s case, and, as if it weren’t cool enough already, the film is set in 1970s Los Angeles. Throw in some Rolling Stones and AC/DC on the soundtrack, and we’ll buy our tickets right now.
X-Men: Apocalypse (May 27) Deadpool said it best: “McAvoy or Stewart? These timelines are so confusing.” We couldn’t agree more, but, given the additions of Oscar Isaac and Olivia Munn, we’re willing to let the confusion slide and line up for this McAvoy-led X-Men flick. This time around, a terrifying villain who goes by the subtle moniker of Apocalypse threatens Professor X, Magneto and the whole gang with, well, the apocalypse. Expect plenty of explosions, melodrama, and the obligatory “whose side is he on?” mystery about Magneto. In short, it’s your typical, extra-entertaining X-Men movie.
Finding Dory (June 17) If you’re in need of a reprieve from the clash and flash of this summer’s superheroes, take a dive with Dory, the beloved Blue Tang from 2003’s SMARTER, SHARPER MEN
acclaimed Finding Nemo. Ellen DeGeneres and Albert Brooks return to bring the laughs for the whole family, but don’t expect the same vast ocean setting: director Andrew Stanton (Wall-E) recently confirmed that most of the film will take place in an aquarium. Still, he’s promised that many of the first film’s beloved characters will make appearances, and, this being Pixar, Finding Dory probably will blow every other film out of the water.
Trek to Wars, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and the rest of the rebooted Enterprise crew are back to take on a new batch of baddies. In Beyond, the third in the new Trek trilogy, the baddie is an alien Idris Elba, who looks to prove yet again that he really can play anyone – or, in this case, any thing. Plus, even without Abrams, the franchise is in capable hands: frequent Fast & Furious series director Justin Lin is in the driver’s seat, ensuring a wild, intergalactic ride for all.
Independence Day: Resurgence
Jason Bourne
(June 24) This sequel 20 years in the making has one noticeable blemish: no Will Smith. That being said, Jeff Goldblum returns, joined by Liam Hemsworth (aka Thor’s little brother), and, of course, a horde of peeved aliens ready for payback after their 1996 plans went awry. While the premise doesn’t drift too far from its predecessor’s story, that may be a good thing. Why mess with a winning formula, right? But let’s hope no one cops the famous “Welcome to Earth” line, because come on, no one can top Will.
Ghostbusters (July 15) Who ya gonna call? The new, all-female, allbadass Ghostbusters team! If anyone can match the caliber of the original 1984 cast, it’s the superb comedy quartet of Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, and SNL performers Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones. Plus, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Sigourney Weaver all make cameo appearances, and Chris Hemsworth tries to outdo his lil’ brother’s big summer with his role as the new team’s sexy secretary. With Paul Feig (Spy) directing, we’re confident that “reboot” won’t be a four-letter word for Ghostbuster fans this summer.
Star Trek: Beyond (July 22) While J.J. Abrams may have moved from
(July 29) Maybe, just maybe, this long-awaited follow-up will rid our collective memory of the letdown that was 2012’s unnecessary “companion film” The Bourne Legacy. You can count me among the people who thought that The Bourne Ultimatum perfectly wrapped up the original Jason Bourne trilogy, but with the dynamic duo of Matt Damon and talented director Paul Greengrass returning to the franchise, the sky is the limit. Plus, Julia Stiles returns, joined by Tommy Lee Jones, recent Oscar-winner Alicia Vikander, and Riz Ahmed from the 2014 thriller Nightcrawler. Looks like Bourne’s legacy will regain some much-needed luster.
Columbia Pictures
Suicide Squad (August 5) By now, you’ve probably heard plenty of creepy anecdotes about Jared Leto’s near-psychopathic method acting as The Joker. But the Oscar winner’s maniacal turn as DC Comics’ most terrifying villain is only one reason to get excited for this dour thriller. The starstudded ensemble includes Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman and Cara Delevingne, and, with Will Smith as the assassin Deadshot, this Squad has that extra dose of awesome that
20th Century Fox
‘TIS THE SEASON FOR SUNBLOCK AND BLOCKBUSTERS, as another
Warner Bros. Pictures
GUIDE TO SUMMER FLICKS
Independence Day: Resurgence will surely miss. Furthermore, the film’s biggest asset may be the man behind the camera: David Ayer of Fury and End of Watch fame. This’ll be crazy fun.
Sausage Party (August 12) This laugher may have the best cast of any summer flick even if they’re all playing assorted grocery store goods. In this R-rated extravaganza, the Frat Pack of Seth Rogen, James Franco, Danny McBride and Company voice fruits, veggies and hot dogs who desperately try to avoid being eaten by merciless humans. The film stirred up laughs and praise at the SXSW film fest earlier this year, and it’ll be a great companion piece to all of the dramatic offerings on this list and in the theaters. Just don’t take the kiddos to see this one.
VOL. 9 - ISSUE 4
MAY 2016
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The Not So Secret Life of
HALL & OATES BY ALAN SCULLEY ALANLASTWORD@GMAIL.COM
Last year marked a milestone in the career of Daryl Hall and John Oates – the 35th anniversary of their album Voices. Almost anything they can say about that album understates the impact it had on their career. “It’s a very important album,” Oates said in a recent teleconference interview with a group of reporters. “I would rank that probably in the three or four most important albums we’ve ever made for a lot of reasons. One, it was the first album we produced ourselves. It was a chance for us to stand on our own creative feet, for better or worse, which is always exciting and scary at the same time. For us, it worked out very well. It set the tone for what we would do for the decade of the ‘80s. It coincided with the birth of MTV and videos.” Until then, Hall & Oates had gradually been working their way into the public consciousness, releasing a string of albums beginning with 1972’s Whole Oates that showed considerable stylistic diversity, but in the process made it hard to pin down exactly what kind of music the duo was chasing. Still, the ‘70s gave them two big hits, “Sara Smile” and the chart-topping “Rich Girl.” But with their ninth album, Voices, Hall & Oates hit their musical stride with a tuneful mix of pop and soul (specifically the Philadelphia soul of the early ‘70s) topped off with just the right touch of grit. The sound connected in a big way with audiences, as Voices spawned four hit singles, including the chart-topping “Kiss on My List’ and Top 5 hit “You Make My Dreams.” “It’s almost like a perfect storm of creativity all coming together on that album,” Oates said of Voices. “It was, as I said, the first album we really produced by ourselves, so we felt like, OK, this is really going to be, we’re going to represent who we really are with no filter. That’s why that album (is special). It had a lot of good songs as well.” Voices became the first salvo in a run of albums that made Hall & Oates the best selling duo in rock history. The album Private Eyes arrived in 1981 and took the duo to new heights with a pair of chart
INTERVIEW topping singles, “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)” and the title song. Then a year later, H2O, became the most popular Hall & Oates’ album, selling more than four million copies in the United States alone behind the chart-topping hit “Maneater” and top 10 singles “One on One” and “Family Man.” The 1985 album Big Bam Boom extended the hot streak (“Out of Touch” became yet another No. 1 single), and the duo wrapped up the decade with a popular concert release, 1985’s Live at the Apollo, and the 1987 studio album Ooh Yeah! These days, Hall and Oates aren’t focused on making new music as a duo. They released only two albums in the 1990s – Change of Seasons (1990) and Marigold Sky (1997). And their last album of original music was 2003’s Do It for Love – although they released an album of soul covers, Our Kind of Soul, in 2004, a holiday album, Home for Christmas, in 2006 and had a concert film, Daryl Hall & John Oates: Recorded Live From Dublin, shown in theaters nationwide in February 2015. Instead, the past decade has seen Hall and Oates concentrate on their own projects. Oates has released a pair of solo albums over the past five years – 2011’s Mississippi Mile (a DVD, The Bluesville Sessions, followed in 2012 as a companion to that album) and 2014’s Good Road To Follow (made up of three five-song EPs, each with its own stylistic theme). He now has released a DVD to accompany that latest album called Another Good Road. “I went into a studio in Nashville with a lot of the players and singers who I perform with and record with. We cut it live,” Oates said of Another Good Road. “It’s kind of a documentary, a musical documentary.” Hall hasn’t been as busy recording. His 2011 release, Laughing Down Crying, was his first solo album since 1997’s Can’t Stop Dreaming. But he’s developed quite the franchise with his popular monthly Internet/syndicated television show, Live From Daryl’s House, in which he performs live with a guest musician on each episode.
Mick Rock “Right now, we have grown into a place where we’re very individualistic, more than we ever were,” Hall said. “We are our own people. I don’t think either one of us has any particular desire to sit in a room and try writing songs with the other guy. We didn’t even really do that that much through our whole career. “I mean, if I want to write a song, or record a song, I just go in and do it, and so does John,” Hall said. “I don’t call him up and say, come on and join me on this. It’s just one of those things. Life changes. People move on. Time moves on. People develop. They grow as people. The whole thing became more individualistic, I think, as you get older. All those factors are...I’m sure they lead to the separateness of us.” Except when Hall and Oates get together to perform at shows. The duo continues to maintain a regular touring schedule (including May 13 at Gexa Energy Pavilion in Dallas) and enjoys playing the songs that make up a deep catalog of well over 100 songs. In fact, Hall feels Hall & Oates is, if anything, better as a live act, than ever. Without hit albums to promote, the duo is able to craft a set that more fully represents their entire catalog, rather than weighting the set heavily toward whatever songs were current at the time. “Our set is varied,” he said. “It changes night to night, and it comprises of songs that we’ve written throughout our career. We’ll mix songs from 1972 with songs from yesterday. In that
respect, it’s a much more varied show and it doesn’t relate to just one moment in time or anything like that. “Our band, without any doubt in my mind, this is the best band we ever had,” Hall said. “A lot of these guys have been with us for a long time and there are a few new guys, but the combination is just the best. They understand us and we have a fantastic communication and understanding of the music, and so I think it’s better than it ever was. I guess that’s the best way I could put it.” In fact, as a live act, Daryl Hall & John Oates (as they prefer to be billed) have seen their popularity surge over the past five years or so. Hall knows exactly why that has happened. “I can say it very simply: Live From Daryl’s House. It all happens coincidentally with my show,” Hall said. “I think that I started, and as far as dealing with modern technology, dealing the digital age or whatever, dealing with the Internet, it happened because the Internet happened and allowed it to happen. “It’s a show that showcases me in a timeless way, working with young people, working with veterans, playing every kind of music you can imagine. I think that perception has carried over into a new perception of what I do with John as well. I really do see that there’s an immediate correlation between that show and the resurgence of our popularity.” WWW.BLITZWEEKLY.COM
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2016 Guide to Good Eats A BY KELLY G. REED – @BLITZWEEKLY
nother year has come and gone since our last Guide to Good Eats edition. The same question you ask yourself, so do we: “What are the best places to eat in DFW?” Everyone has their own suggestions, we have ours and within this section you’ll find a multitude of venues worth trying.
By no means is this list comprehensive. It’s just a guide. We believe you’ll make your own decisions. There isn’t a ranking. It’s listed alphabetically for quick reference. You’ll also see advertisements from establishments that are worth checking out. So yeah, give them some love too. Lastly without the efforts of Steven Doyle and Kali Ah Yuen a guide such as this would have never materialized. So to you two: Thank you for everything! Now on to the guide… I’m sure you’re ready to dig in! – Kelly G. Reed
AllGood Café There is nothing in Dallas as good as the chicken fried steak at AllGood Cafe. The menu literally is all good as well. Sure you can select from a short or full stack of the pancakes, and add a myriad of toppings such as fresh fruit or pecans. There are a few other options here you might try to slide the pancakes in for a heartier choice. The Hat Trick comes with huevos rancheros, peppered bacon and a short stack. But if you feel up to it, order the chicken fried steak and eggs, and ask to substitute grits for a short stack. Pay whatever extra they want to charge you. You will not need to eat again for a few days.allgoodcafe.com.
Babes The standard by which all fried chicken in the Metroplex should be judged. The location in Roanoke seems more authentic, but there are plenty of locations, including the cousin store, Bubba’s. Brined so it carries saltiness and served up with some amazing sides including fluffy biscuits and plenty of house-made cream corn. babeschicken.com.
Big Shucks
JaBB SMARTER, SHARPER MEN
Big Shucks is a casual seafood restaurant serving up favorites from oysters to its signature shrimp cocktail to the notorious crawfish. The seasonal dish of crawfish is available by the pound for market price. The dish is served fresh on a daily basis with the option to add a mixture of spices that adds a kick of taste. Offering a relaxed
atmosphere with indoor and patio seating, the environment all together brings a piece of the beach shore to the Metroplex. Big Shucks also has one rule for dress code: there is no dress code, come as you are! awshucksdallas.com.
Boiling Crab Prepare for a messy delight featuring pools of shrimp and a classy bib. The Boiling Crab sticks to traditional crawfish dishes with a twist adding in spices such as Cayenne pepper, garlic powder and a “secret ingredient” that brings an Asian edge to the flavor. The atmosphere brings the fisherman’s world to life with decorations, from nets to lighthouses to actual boats that give off signs to guests of a good time awaiting. The family-style seating arrangements with an exceptional table space invite guests to spend quality time with friends and family, enriching the overall experience. theboilingcrab.com.
Carmine’s Pizzeria Most folks are familiar with the name, however the one in Lewisville is one of the better kept secrets in the Metroplex. From the Greek salad to the lasagna to the largest pizza north of LBJ you will not be disappointed. Feeling lazy, order out? If you live in the area, they’ll deliver. Their garlic knots are sublime as well. carmineslewisville.com.
Celebration This home-cooking Mecca has been in business a fast and friendly 40 years serving up chicken fried steaks, meatloaf, catfish and southern fried chicken. The sides are sturdy and the chicken is light and crispy. For those with a “get in me belly” outlook on lunch, you may order as many plate refills as you can sample. celebrationrestaurant.com.
Chaat Café We always have enjoyed Chaat Cafe for its interesting take on Indian fare, especially the chaat which are snacks usually sold on the beach or on the roadside in India. Most are vegetarian. We particularly are digging the pani puri which are little crisped cups of broth and veggies. One interesting item Chaat does very well is wings. A bit spicy, the tandoori wings are a stand out among flappy competitors across town. Sold with a very un-traditional cup of ranch dressing. indiachaatcafedallas.com.
Coal Vines
The restaurant started up in 2006 by the owners of Nick & Sam’s, Joseph Palladino and Phil Romano. Coal Vines serves up a happy pie with plenty of fresh chef-driven toppings baked in a coal oven. The taste is reminiscent of pizza you might find in Brooklyn with a crisp thin crust and a flavorful sauce. There is a nice selection of pizzas on the menu, but we always seem to run to the off-menu house-made meatball. coalvines.com.
Deli News Deli News has been a Dallas mainstay for decades as it made its way to the current location on Preston Road in Far North Dallas. Procuring bread and pastrami from New York, this deli has defended its title as our city’s finest. Choose this hot sandwich along with a cup of matzo ball soup on a crisp fall afternoon, and you will experience nirvana. delinewsdallas.com.
Dumpling House This restaurant opened last August and is located in the back of the parking lot shared with the Bavarian Grill. Parking can be tricky especially on the weekends. Dumpling House features northern Chinese cuisine. Think dumplings, breads and buns as well as traditional Chinese style pancakes. As reflected in the name the go-to dishes include 13 different dumpling dishes. The Pork and Shrimp Dumplings are your best bet. Also try the Hot and Spicy Beef Tendon Soup. It’s the real deal. Add a Green Onion Pancake and you should be set. dumplinghousetx.com.
Ellen’s Southern Kitchen Grits really do rule here. Especially when infused with copious amounts of cheddar. But we are here for the pancakes, and Ellen’s does them very well. Choose the big pancake breakfast which comes with two pancakes, two eggs, two slices of bacon, two sausage links and hash browns. There are plenty of additions for the pancakes including roasted figs, fresh strawberries, blueberries and more. See if you can manage a side of those grits, too. ellenssouthernkitchen.com.
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Check Out Our Weekly Buffet: Monday - Steak Tuesday - BBQ Wednesday - Country Thursday - Italian Friday - Tex Mex
Chicas Locas
of Cabaret Royale 10723 Composite Dr • Dallas, TX 75220 (214) 350-0303 • ALWAYS FREE PARKING
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THREE BOUT A S G THIN TIFUL U A E B A N WOMA
SYDNEY Where is your ideal vacation spot and why? For me, I’d love to be on a beach with clear water while soaking up the sun because it is very relaxing and fun. If you could have one super-power, what it be? I want to be able to read people’s minds, so that I’ll always know what people think. I’ll always know the truth no matter what. We want to ask you out on a date. How do we approach you? Introduce yourself and make me laugh and you’re in!
Darryl Briggs Model: Sydney SMARTER, SHARPER MEN
VOL. 9 - ISSUE 4
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Kirin Court
First Chinese BBQ
For those willing to try new cuisines I recommend heading over to Kirin Court. Best known for its Dim Sum, which basically is brunch in Hong Kong. On weekends, the lines start pretty much as soon as the doors are opened. Grab a table with friends and the servers will offer you a variety of Cantonese dishes from a push cart. Each push cart has different specialties, so sample a dish or two from each cart. The dumplings and buns are the norm, the tripe and chicken feet for the daring. kirincourt.com.
One of the godfathers of traditional Chinese food restaurants here in the Metroplex. First Chinese BBQ opened its doors back in 1982 in Richardson and has grown over the years with other locations. First Chinese BBQ is cash only and BYOB. The Roasted Duck is amazing. The combination of the duck with barbequed pork and marinated chicken is a must. The fried noodle dishes are pretty damn good too! firstchinesebbq.com.
Dan Lacey
Fishmonger’s Seafood The Plano native, Fishmonger’s restaurant serves up crawfish specials with a side of entertainment and atmosphere. Specialty crawfish dishes include the traditional Crawfish Etouffee made with an original dark, spicy roux and Fried Crawfish served with crispy, lightly breaded tail meat. Each crawfish dish ranges at affordable prices from $8.95 to $11.95. Daily specials are offered fairly often with constant updates on its official Facebook page. The venue features just as many fish decorations as there are dishes on the menu. Wooden accents and simple decor also fill the restaurant to give it a comforting yet cool vibe, not to mention the live music just about every week! fishmongersplano.com.
Goodfriend Beer Garden and Burger House Home to some very delicious burgers, beer and, of course, chili. Pull up a bar stool, apply the napkin and dig into this brick red bowl of delicious beefy chili. goodfrienddallas.com.
Ivy Tavern This is home to the very best chili cheese fries. Seriously good chili cheese fries. Using a spicy homemade chili (and plenty of it) along with its own stringy pimento cheese, bacon and jalapenos. Enjoy this platter with a cold local beer. theivytavern.net.
Jimmy’s Food Store For many in Dallas, Jimmy’s Food Store located at Bryan Street and Fitzhugh is the Mecca of all things sandwich. On any given day (except Sunday) you will find a line of patrons waiting for their deli-case sandwiches to be prepared. A few of our favorites include the meatball, hot Italian and the muffuletta, which is the most uniquely American sandwich on the planet. jimmysfoodstore.com. SMARTER, SHARPER MEN
Malai Kitchen We love this West Village restaurant and do not dine here often enough. Each visit you will uncover a new gem that will have you singing its praises for weeks. Like the chicken wings that are Thai chili glazed with a sprinkling of sesame seeds for a one-two punch of flavor. Happy hour is from 4-7 p.m. weekdays and all day Sunday where these babies are a mere $5 an order. malaikitchen.com.
Nate’s Seafood Family-owned since 1988, Heavy Nate has served delicious Gulf seafood, crawfish, steaks and live blues music to the Dallas Metroplex. Offering crawfish in various forms, such as boiled or fried or atop of your etouffee, the combinations are tailored to satisfy your cravings. The atmosphere is just as colorful and fun as the outer neon pink paint of the building expresses. With wooden decor from floor to ceiling mixed in with paintings covering the walls and a touch of sea creature decor, Nate’s Seafood brings a homegrown twist to crawfish. Don’t forget to get your crawfish “Atomic” for a whole ‘nother level of spiciness! natesseafood.com.
Original Pancake House With many locations across Dallas, The Original makes insanely good pancakes. After all, it is in the name. Pancakes. We love that the blueberry pancakes are wonderful, but you also should try the apple pancake made with a single large pancake smothered with sautéed apples and cinnamon sugar baked, then given a treatment of a rich cinnamon sugar glaze. For a real treat go for the Dutch Baby which is a giant air-filled delight that is oven baked and served with lemon, whipped butter and powdered sugar. Nothing else quite like this. originalpancakehouse.com.
Remedy Across the street (literally) from BbBop sits perched one pretty fantastic old school-styled restaurant which likes to emulate a soda
fountain. Besides a pretty terrific grilled cheese and tomato soup combo, Remedy also has this seriously delicious fried chicken that has been simmered in its own fat before deep fried. You also will taste some of the best pie around the Dallas area. remedydallas.com.
Rudy’s Chicken If you enjoy a little theater with your dinner, Rudy’s is the place to check out. This Oak Cliff hot spot serves its fried chicken simple, hot and delicious. Served atop a few slices of white bread (presumably to soak up any extraneous grease) and a side of spicy peppers, Rudy’s is inexpensive and delicious. For less than three dollars you can get a meal of fries, two pieces of chicken and those peppers. The seasoning that is added after is salty and addictive. Be on the lookout for the entrepreneurial type who will want to sell you today’s catch in the parking lot. 3115 S. Lancaster Rd., Dallas.
Serious Pizza A throw-back to a New York neighborhood pizzeria, this very thin and very large pizza is smattered with good ingredients and a hefty amount of sauce. Serious wins a prize in a few pizza categories including best late night and largest. You may buy a single slice for about three bucks at 3 a.m. at this fairly new Deep Ellum dive. seriouspizza.com.
Truck Yard The Philly at the Truck Yard continues to satisfy us on so many levels. The big, meaty, in-yourface sandwich loaded with your choice of veggies and cheeses always is the right idea when you have extreme hunger that only can be dealt with by a two-fisted beef sandwich. texastruckyard.com.
Uncle Uber’s Sammich Shop Bryan and Kathy Crelly, who also started Uptown Bar & Grill, Fat Ted’s Bar & Grill, Pueblo Arriba and Rockwell’s Neighborhood Grill, operate Uncle Uber’s Sammich Shop to the huzzahs of the Deep Ellum neighborhood in which it stands. Making some kick-ass sandwiches (sorry – sammiches), Uber’s is staying true to its belief that each sandwich needs all the special love and care it deserves. uncleubers.com.
A Day in the Life of a VOL. 9 - ISSUE 4
BY SHANNON ELKINS – @SHANNONRACHELE
What’s better than a man-sized cold beer and made-from-scratch comfort food on a Friday night? The best draft beer in town and comfort food served up by a friendly and beautiful girl! There are a lot of misconceptions about what it is like to work in a restaurant where your appearance is a part of your job, but I want to serve up the inside scoop of what it’s like to be a Twin Peaks Girl. I’ll never forget the day I knew I wanted to see what being a Twin Peaks Girl was all about. I was there with friends watching a game. The atmosphere was so fun and welcoming; I decided to fill out an application right then and there! I was excited when the manager invited me back for an interview the very same week. I was so ready to get a taste of what it would be like to have the job. After completing the interview process, I soon found out that I was chosen to join the team. I was beyond excited! At this point in my life, I had worked with kids and taught dance classes. Becoming a Twin Peaks Girl was such a new and exciting experience. As someone who had no previous experience in waiting tables, I had to learn entirely new skills and step outside of my comfort zone to take on the new challenge. After being hired, the next step to becoming a Twin Peaks Girl was going through the training process where I got to shadow another girl and learn what it takes to be successful at the job. I remember being nervous and overwhelmed at first, but now I’ve been with the company for almost two years and it has made me a more confident woman than I was before. What does a typical day of work look like for a Twin Peaks Girl? When we are in our uniform, it’s important for us to be the best version of ourselves all the way around. This encourages us to eat healthy, exercise and maintain a girl-next-door appearance. When we arrive to work, we always begin our shift with a team meeting to discuss important matters and get excited for the day or night ahead of us. I always enjoy our team meetings because we just feel like family. I love getting the opportunity to talk with my friends before each shift.
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Girl experience of dining out and make it fun because at Twin Peaks we want everyone to have a great time. We’re known for our 29-degree draft beer, and we like being able to suggest our craft beer to guests. Before I began this job I didn’t know much about beer but now I can confidently explain what makes our beer special. In September 2015 our Barrel Aged Brown Ale won a bronze medal in Denver at the Great American Beer Festival. My two favorite beers, which we make at our brewery in the Irving store, are the Knotty Brunette and Dirty Blonde. When guests order a beer, one of my favorite questions to ask is if they want the Man Size or the Girl Size. It’s always such a great ice breaker. Speaking of breaking the ice, it’s important to be able to carry on conversations with our guests because we genuinely enjoy getting to know everyone and building relationships. I interact with a lot of different people at work such as families, couples on dates and groups enjoying a night out to watch their favorite sports. It is important being able to connect with everyone and have a radiant personality and charming charisma. Before I began my job, I was shy and reserved but I have broken out of my shell by interacting with our guests and becoming more confidant. I would describe myself as a typical girlie girl but at Twin Peaks we also have to be knowledgeable about all things sports, great food, cold beer and a collection of spirits when talking to guests. Who doesn’t love a girl who can talk about pretty much anything? The most difficult part about being a Twin Peaks Girl is learning how to multitask between your tables. There are some days and nights when we are taking care of a full section and it’s important to always keep yourself on track. Sometimes I work late at night or two shifts in one day, so when I get tired I stay positive and keep going.
Darryl Briggs
Something unique about being a Twin Peaks Girl is the Sisterhood of The Plaid which is the teamwork and friendships that brings all of us together. After our meetings, we get ready for our guests to arrive if it’s the lunch shift, or we walk around and mingle with the guests who already are in attendance for the dinner shift. Whenever a guest comes into our store we always are excited to greet them with a big smile! My favorite part of my job is when our guests become regulars and they make coming to Twin Peaks a part of their weekly routine. There is a warm ambiance to our stores that makes it a fun and cozy hangout for any occasion whether it’s drinks after work, birthday parties or a place to work from your laptop while enjoying a man-sized beer! Another important piece to making sure our guests have a great experience is greeting them at their table or the bar with one of our coasters and a friendly smile. I always enjoy being able to surprise guests with a friendly introduction, because it’s one of the aspects that make us unique. We take the
Even though being a Twin Peaks Girl is a glamorous job that allows us to showcase our personalities, it’s hard work and it takes someone who is strong and dedicated. I never imagined that I would be able to have what it takes to be a Twin Peaks Girl but I work with such a great team of people who always are there to help and contribute in the best interest of the entire team. Every single day on the job is a learning experience. We’re always learning from one another and striving to help out in any way we can. A consistent question I am asked by guests is about what else I do outside of work. The majority of us are full-time students, including myself. Twin Peaks stands as a strong stepping stone to get each of us to our destinations. I love how I work in an environment that allows me to also focus on school. Being in college is stressful, but when I come to work I get to focus on having fun with our guests, hanging out with my friends who I work with and making memories that will last a lifetime. If you’ve ever been to Twin Peaks then you can relate to all of the above. If you haven’t visited us yet, then I hope you’re excited to stop by for an ice cold beer and hang out with the Twin Peaks Girls. We’ll see you soon! Come enjoy our patio, watch an exciting sporting event or just come to see us! WWW.BLITZWEEKLY.COM
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The Nation’s First Videogame Museum Opens in Frisco
Songs About Death BY PETER GERSTENZANG – @HAPPYSPAPPY
BY STEPHEN ELLIOTT – @WHOISSTEPHENE The process was six years in the making but the vision started nearly 40 years ago. National Videogame Museum founders Sean Kelly, Joe Santulli and John Hardie played the Atari 2600, one of the first video game platforms, in the late 1970s. They didn’t know it at the time, but the building blocks started for the country’s first video game museum. Surprising to the industry’s foreground in the state of California, the museum opened in Frisco on April 2. For Kelly and the founders, support was not hard to come by. “We want you guys here,” said Kelly as he recollected his meeting with Frisco city officials. “We had a meeting with the city council and the mayor and they just loved the idea.” The $12 admission gets you full access to the 10,000-square-foot exhibit that takes you through the history of the gaming industry. Pong, PCs,
titles like Mario Kart are accessible on consoles from the Nintendo 64 to the Wii U. I spent some of my time playing X-Men Legends on the PlayStation 2, a game not played since my youth. But the museum’s backbone is the arcade room designed to look and feel like the arcades in the 80s. The room features classics like Pac-Man, Space Invaders and Mappy, just to name a few. Each ticket admission comes with four tokens playable at any game (you can re-up tokens with the retro token machine, staying with the theme of the room). Tallied on a scoreboard at the entrance are the high scores for each game. Think you can get your name up there? The museum seems never ending. Spending nearly two hours playing and exploring and I still felt like there was more to do (there is still so much to play!). Games and consoles will be interchanged as nearly 50,000 square feet of gaming are stored waiting for their chance to be played.
“This is 30 years in the making,” said Kelly thinking of the museum’s collections. “Between the three of us, we have the largest collection of video game hardware, software, documentation and memorabilia, by far.” And this is not your garden-variety ‘do not touch’ museum. Nearly every area has interactive or playable gaming systems. Pong is projected on a giant screen where you and a friend can play one of first sports simulation games. Various game SMARTER, SHARPER MEN
A
fter a recent checkup, I found myself on the receiving end of some pretty grim news from my doctor. I don’t want to get too explicit about it. Let’s just say that I’m no longer worried about a Donald Trump presidency. Anyway, the whole episode got me to thinking about death. Which, being a morbid soul, was no harder than getting Kirstie Alley to think about the countless varieties of Little Debbie snack cakes. So, being in this grave frame of mind, I thought I’d list some of my favorite tunes about being dead. No, nothing by Rush. That’s the stuff that makes you wish you were dead. But that’s a very good try.
Oh Death – David Johansen and The Harry Smiths
National Videogame Museum hand-helds, consoles new and classic all are on display put together by three guys and their personal collections. You’ll see glass displays with rare consoles and games like the Nintendo 64DD (only 10 released globally) and Pikachu-themed Game Boy Colors. The museum’s staged 80s rooms offers Duck Hunter on the Nintendo console giving you a time flash look and feel of a living room and a child’s bedroom from the decade.
Karl-Ludwig Poggemann
Every wall is covered with flawless artwork. Characters stemming from Sonic, Crash Bandicoot and others decorate the area above the multiplayer section. A life-like statue from Castlevenia sits near the arcade room (you can’t miss it). For the founders, this is just a place to share their ‘stuff.’ Kids from all ages played games made before they were born (…maybe even before their parents as well). Yet, maybe there is more to the museum than “play.” As Kelly said, maybe this will have a deeper impact to the gaming industry. “You know what’s going to happen here?” said Kelly on an encounter with his friend prior to the opening of the museum. “You are going to have an 8-year-old kid walk through here and this is going to inspire them to make the next great game 10 or so years from now.”
Of course, everybody is familiar with the Ralph Stanley take by now. But this former New York Doll’s rendition is so dark and petrifying it makes Stanley’s rendition sound like “Gimme Dat Ding” by The Pipkins. Word is David got the motivation from his manager who told him The Dolls were about to start touring again. And sharing the bill with Poison! A kind of living death so frightening, it could freak out a pack of zombies.
Tonight’s The Night – Neil Young This title tune about the overdose of Neil’s roadie is sloppy, badly recorded and sung by what sounds like a dog who’s just had a haircut with a ginsu knife. The positive side? That is the positive side. And for the people who hate it, Neil has stuck in a great joke. He opens the album with this tune, then closes with it. By then the naysayers are just praying to die.
Rock Me Amadeus – Falco It’s not easy to pick the worst record ever made. You can get stuck for days just listening to the gerbil-singing-on-crack that is Rihanna. But “Rock Me Amadeus” fits in better with our theme. Listening to deceased German singer Falco cough up ghastly nonsense syllables, like a cat with a terminal case of hairballs, isn’t just good background music for death. It’s like experiencing it while you’re still alive. Add obnoxious drumbeats that make you nostalgic for your worst migraine and it really is an abomination. Ten more points off for using Mozart’s name and trying get some highbrow cred. There is an antidote to this Kraut Rock, this Teutonic trowel full of aural diarrhea. Put on “Roll Over Beethoven.” Stat!
For A Dancer – Jackson Browne The great SoCal singer-songwriter has written so many songs about people dying, his albums should come with a discount coupon for Funeral Advantage. Still, this tune about death, sex and rebirth is eloquent and melodic. Handicapped only by the fact that you can’t dance to it. So the title is misleading. But you should hear the Dr. Dre remix. It’s dope!
Dead Homiez – Ice Cube One of those rare songs you can dance to while you’re grieving. All about a member of Ice’s crew who’s been shot. A terrible fate, but a day at the beach compared to listening to “Rock Me Amadeus.” Great groove, smart sampling, amazing poetry. With maybe a few points off for “I’ll tell you, life ain’t shit to fool with.” Which everybody knows was first said by John Keats. Ice, you gotta footnote that stuff.
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Bits of Wisdom…Ray Kroc It’s easy to have principles when you’re rich. The important thing is to have principles when you’re poor. As long as you’re green, you’re growing. As soon as you’re ripe, you start to rot. If you work just for money, you’ll never make it, but if you love what you’re doing and you always put the customer first, success will be yours. Luck is a dividend of sweat. The more you sweat, the luckier you get. While formal schooling is an important advantage, it is not a guarantee of success nor is its absence a fatal handicap.
Andrew J. Hewett chewednews.blogspot.com HAS NO CLOTHING BUDGET? Though Austria is known for having a non-prudish attitude, a woman there faces a fine up to 1,000 euros (about $1,350) for going around in public wearing only tennis shoes. Austrian privacy laws forbid release of her name, but she’s previously been seen naked shopping in a supermarket and at a gas station filling up her car.
Taurus: April 20-May 20 You’re proof we shouldn’t have participation trophies. You can’t help it though, you come from a long line of suck.
Leo: July 23-August 22 The universe unanimously agrees that offending and keeping you down is doing something right. Be a sport and take one for the team.
Gemini: May 21-June 21 Your girl watches so much porn with you that now she spits on hot dogs before eating one.
Virgo: August 23-September 22 Congratulations! You are the pride of America where common sense is considered narrow-minded, bigoted and judgemental.
Cancer: June 22-July 22 You’re the reason we don’t have a cure for cancer, AIDS but most importantly, flying cars. Dick.
Libra: September 23-October 22 Stop posting about how flakey your friends are, everyone knows you don’t have friends.
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“COLLARED” FOR HIS CRIMES A thieving dog in Clinton, South Carolina, was caught and stopped after being seen on security cameras coming and going from a Dollar General store, “shoplifting” pigs ears, beef bones, dog food, and treats. Cato the Husky must’ve known he shouldn’t steal? After each heist he’d go bury his ill-gotten-gains.
YOU’LL NEVER KNOW UNTIL ... Are you sure the airbags in your car are actually there? Costing more than $1,000 each, and removable from a car in less than two minutes, thieves in the United States steal around 50,000 airbags yearly, for a total net loss of about $50 million. Some repair shops steal customer’s airbags while their cars are in for repair.
Scorpio: October 23-November 21 Your co-workers might be smiling when you converse with them but they all have fears of you stabbing them in their sleep. Sagittarius: November 22-December 21 Sometimes in life it’s best to let events unfold. That being said, doing so for the last 20 years was probably a huge mistake. Capricorn: December 22-January 19 The stars advise that the next time you’re at an orgy, be the guy midway through who brings refreshments so that you’re remembered as the one who didn’t finish first.
Aquarius: January 20-February 18 Remember when you woke up because of the thunderstorm, sighed, and then made the long drive to your parents house to get in their bed… Pisces: February 19-March 20 Remember: With hard work and determination, you’ll be able to accomplish something someone with natural talent just did without trying. Aries: March 21-April 19 If it seems like your parents hate you, it’s because they do. They have been harboring a pretty intense grudge since a certain test came back positive. WWW.BLITZWEEKLY.COM
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MAY 2016
The Value of Human Life
VOL. 9 - ISSUE 4
BY PAUL A. ESQUIVEL @SOAPMANSUPREME
B
efore you read this, think of someone you love. Think of someone you couldn’t live without whether that be a parent, a son, a daughter, a friend or a spouse. Imagine if they were robbed of growing old and their life was snuffed out because someone did some drugs, got drunk then drove into them. That’s what happened the night of June 15, 2013. The man behind it all was Ethan Couch. It’s been reported that Couch’s blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit at the time of the crash. His actions took four lives, injured nine and the impact left families changed forever. It was around 11 p.m. in Burleson, Texas, when 24-year-old Breanna Mitchell’s Mercury Mountaineer spun out and crashed into a culvert. Eric Boyles, Hollie Boyles and Shelby Boyles had just finished watching a movie when they heard the commotion outside their home and saw the disabled vehicle and Mitchell calling for help. Mitchell used Shelby Boyles’ cell phone to call her mother. Shelby’s father picked up a mailbox that had been knocked over and took it back to his house. Just down the road a graduation party had wrapped up and Pastor Brian Jennings had loaded up his truck with chairs borrowed from the church. Brian’s godson Lucas and his friend rode along with him to return the chairs when they came on the disabled Mountaineer. Brian stopped and got out to help, telling Lucas and his friend to stay put.
I used to live near Burleson and still have friends who live there. I remember seeing some posts about there being a really bad crash on Facebook and it wasn’t unusual at first because you see those posts from time to time and then maybe the news reports it if there were fatalities or it has to do with traffic. Then news broke on how it was a drunk driver who was a kid and it wasn’t his first time being drunk and in a car. The more details that came out, the surer I was that this kid was going pay for what he had done. Then the phrase “affluenza” was said and everything flipped upside down. The outrage was there but what was crazy was how fast the outrage diminished. The outrage culture then became offended instead about the Duck Dynasty star at the time who began to say homophobic comments and lost his show.
Why do bad things happen to good people?
People in the towns of Burleson and Mansfield as well as the surrounding areas posted more about how mad they were at A&E than with the teen who got away with murder because he was rich. It was so frustrating to see but the apathetic attitude swept in fast. And why wouldn’t it? One thing the international media got wrong when reporting on the drinking and drug use of the teens in the area was that it was rare or something. The Mansfield/Burleson areas have no shortage of teens like Couch with classism attitudes. Maybe it’s the white flight to the area, or maybe it isn’t.
Earlier in the evening Couch had been drinking with some friends and was now in his truck headed straight for the group of good
The fire for justice all but burnt out until the cellphone video of Couch surfaced showing him partying, clearly violating his probation
These were good people just trying to do right by helping a stranger. It’s that Southern hospitality you know to be true despite the stereotypes of it being the “polite while sticking it to you” thing. These strangers’ paths crossed because they came together to help someone. It’s the kind of moment that allows you to see the good in humanity and gives you a sense of hope. But what happened that night also forces the question I’ve heard asked my entire life.
SMARTER, SHARPER MEN
Samaritans. He was speeding recklessly while playing chicken with other cars on the road when he came about the disabled vehicle and the ending is the one everyone knows now.
from the original sentence. No one in that courtroom believed Couch was going to stick to his probation and the video only proved what we already knew was going to happen. I am just stating facts and not bashing on either of the towns. I know great people who live there and proof of good honest people living there are the ones who lost their lives the night of June 15, 2013. Everything about Ethan Couch’s trial has proved to me a lot about America. It shows me classism exists and that rich people don’t have to play by the same rules as the rest of us. It showed me people who play by the rules get punished. It showed me that society gives rich white kids all the chances they want, saying they are troubled or need help, but poor minority kids are thugs up to no good or as Hillary put it, super predators, and don’t deserve any benefit of the doubt. It showed me the value of what a human life is worth. For Ethan Couch, a human life is worth just 180 days in jail. It showed me that the old saying is all but too true. “There is no justice, just us” and the capitalist created monster that feeds on greed will continue to be the ultimate decider in the courtrooms. I learned the courts don’t care about the truth or what’s right, just whose team is paid more.
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MAY 2016
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