In celebration of the upcoming holiday and the release of Independence Day: Resurgence, the sequel to the 1996 blockbuster that has waited twenty long years to see the light of day, this edition of “The Toy Chest” presents one of my favorite pieces of my toy collection – President Thomas J. Whitmore from the Trendmasters line made for the original film. Continue reading
Hello, readers, and welcome to my brand new music series, “For Unlawful Carnal Composition,” which each week will examine, well, songs about sex. Sex and music go together like few other things, and what better way to explore the most basic human desire than through the magic of song? Continue reading
In a modern cinematic landscape that is packed to the rafters with superhero, sci-fi, and fantasy flicks, sometimes a movie based on a true story is refreshing, even if that movie tells the depressing story of the worst economic disaster the United States has seen is generations. Enter The Big Short – a film about four men in the game of finance who exposed the quagmire of greed and stupidity that eventually dragged the country down into the housing market crash of 2008. Continue reading
“How many walkers have you killed?”
“How many people have you killed?”
“Why?”
~ Rick Grimes, when considering allowing a new person to join his group
Walkers. Biters. Lurkers. Roamers. Lamebrains. The undead. The walking dead. They go by many names, but for some reason on The Walking Dead, nobody ever calls them zombies. Regardless, in the post-apocalyptic world in which the monstrously successful show is set, they are the enemy…or at least they should be. One would think that in a world such as this, the remaining humans – no matter where they come from or who they were before the shit hit the fan – would all band together and become a united force against a common enemy. Continue reading
“I’ve been where you are before
No one understands it more
You fear every step you take
So sure that your heart will breakIt’s not how the story ends
You’ll be back on your feet again”
Although Richard Marx is mostly known for his monster power ballads and pop hits from the late 80’s, he was still churning out great music after the decade came to a close. To this day, Marx still writes music for himself, and for others, penning hit songs for other successful artists. What leads us to this week’s edition of Growing Up 90’s is “Take This Heart” from his album Rush Street, released in 1991. Continue reading
The Beer List is back this week at The No Seatbelt Blog with a review of a beer that I had for the first time a couple short weeks ago. The beer in question, that I spotted at my local liquor store, is Victory Brewing’s Moon Glow, which I had never seen before. The Victory catalog has done me well thus far, so their name alone holds quite a bit of currency when it comes to my incredibly indecisive nature when it comes to picking out a new beer to try. Continue reading
Although I could happily go the rest of my life without ever hearing “Jumper” again, Third Eye Blind’s debut record has always been a desert island album for me. Top to bottom, the album is littered with amazing songs. Lead singer Stephan Jenkins was an incredible storyteller and lyricist, and this record is a reflection of that talent. What may be my favorite song on the band’s breakthrough recording – and the bar is set high with songs like “Motorcycle Drive By,” “God of Wine,” “Narcolepsy,” and “Losing a Whole Year” – is “The Background.” Continue reading
This week’s edition of The Beer List marks the return of The No Seatbelt Blog to its regularly-scheduled programming after a week-long hiatus, as the hustle and bustle of work, school and wedding planning consumed my free time and sanity. However, I’m back in action with another beer review, and this time Ommegang’s Iron Throne from its popular Game of Thrones-themed series of limited-run brews. Continue reading
This week on Funko Friday, I’m finally welcoming my very first Deadpool figure into my varied collection of Funko’s Pop! dolls. I’ll be honest if it weren’t for my nerdy compadre Cory, who is a Deadpool superfan, I would likely have been oblivious to the character’s existence until the movie came out. And what a movie that was. Played PERFECTLY by Ryan Reynolds, the “merc-with-a-mouth” slayed audiences, myself happily included, with a full-throttle ride full of blood, guts, unbridled profanity, and even a mushy love story. Reynolds proclaimed that he waited over ten years to make this movie, and just to prove a point to that end, reportedly stole the character’s trademark suit from the set. Continue reading
“When we were young the future was so bright
The old neighborhood was so alive
And every kid on the whole damn street
Was gonna make it big and not be beat
Now the neighborhood is cracked and torn
The kids are grown up but their lives are worn
How can one little street swallow so many lives?”
The No Seatbelt Blog is getting serious this week on Growing Up 90’s with a song that has always been powerful but hits much closer to home these days. The Offspring has been one of my favorite bands since I heard their breakthrough album Smash in 1994. Album after album, the blindingly fast guitar riffs from the six-string maestro known as Noodles, the always-shouted vocals from lead singer Brian “Dexter” Holland, and the band’s ability to master both the hilarious and the heart-wrenching with their music have been an easy sell for me. Continue reading
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