In Part 2 of this week’s podcast, Tom and Mike debate the merits of being a one-legged
wrestler (guess which one of them takes the “having one leg is an advantage” position?), as well as discussing the future of boxing and professional football in light of the problems that currently plague those sports, particularly concussions. They also touch briefly upon March Madness and sing the praises of the wondrous restaurant known as Chik-fil-A.
After a two-week slowdown caused by other commitments, we’re back at full speed. 
Well, such as it is. Up first is a two-part podcast. Tom and Mike transition from one topic to another like the Frogger of yore diligently hopping across so many logs and lily pads.
In part one, we (eventually) discuss the tragedy in Japan and the cultural implications of same, the political situation in Libya and the impact at home, the decline of Comedy Central roasts, MacGruber, as well the timely issue of John DeLorean’s legal troubles! Plus, we have a brand-new theme song for the podcast! (Partially) enjoy the show!
Download: The Axis of Ego Podcast 03-21-11 (Part1)
From the narcolepsy department* comes this gem: Sixers color man Eric Snow suddenly falls asleep during a broadcast from a few weeks back. It happens over a minute into this clip, and most bizarre is the fact that he’s totally lucid just seconds before waking up in a very groggy post-doze state. Enjoy, dear readers:
Eric “Sleepy” Snow catches some “Z’s” during a rare Sixer “W.”
_____________________
I wasn’t originally planning on doing a SitCombat article this week. Two reasons: One, the NCAA Tournament takes precedence over my viewing schedule. Two, I thought 30 Rock was going to be another rerun this week. It turns out, it wasn’t. It makes me a little
uneasy to think that, unlike the Office, 30 Rock didn’t feel the need to air reruns during March Madness for the sake of not being able to draw its key demographic.
In any event, I’m going to review the two new shows from last night head-to-head.
Here’s the sitcom landscape for March 17, 2011:
Don’t worry. Baseball preview season is almost over, which means that we’ll be back to normal soon enough (and, hopefully, I will be able to go to bed before 4:00 AM every night-slash-morning). 
In the meantime, enjoy this look at the NCAA Tournament brackets of a man who follows college basketball only slightly more closely than he follows The Bachelor.
I make multiple brackets each season due to a combination of indecisiveness and cluelessness, with a dash of cowardice thrown in for good measure. The first of these brackets is my primary, or “Orthodox” bracket, so named because, although well-intentioned, it doesn’t have a prayer of winning. Let’s take a look:
The NBC shows are still in reruns, which could open the door for Archer to retain its title after a very strong showing last week. The Office offered up Andy’s fake seminar, 30 Rock refreshed our memories on Tracy’s battle with his wife’s reality television show, while Archer provided new fare and guest-star Rachel Harris.
Here’s a look at how things shook out for March 10, 2011 (with the appropriate “rerun penalties” doled out:
In light of, um, recent events, I thought now might be an opportune time to delve into the subject of awkward moments in the history of television / music / movies / etc.
This forgotten (or, in America, unseen) gem of awkwardness comes to us from a 1997 broadcast of Clive Anderson’s BBC talk show “Clive Anderson All Talk.” Better known as the host of the UK version of “Whose Line is it, Anyway?,” Anderson also hosted a successful chat program in Great Britain.
Anderson’s style was often not conductive to smooth interviewing, as his quick interjections prevented a long-form, thoughtful answer along the lines of what one might get from Charlie Rose or Dick Cavett. What’s more, Anderson routinely walked that fine line between good-natured ribbing and insult. I guess a better way to explain it would be to say that he would prod guests in a manner that might have been fine if he were good friends with the interview subjects, or if there were a pre-existing rapport.
On this occasion, he had an easy target.
The Bee Gees served as a punching bag for Anderson’s increasingly-pronounced ribbing throughout this mildly painful nine-minute interview. To be fair, Maurice (the one on the right, for those who don’t know one from the other) seems to take the whole thing in stride, but oldest brother (and de facto leader) Barry begins to take offense very early on at the constant interruptions and demeaning comments about the group’s most successful period. He begins to check out right around the three-minute mark. The nail-in-the-coffin moment comes when Anderson, playing off a mild attempt at self-depricating joke, says to Barry, “You’ll always be Les Tossers to me.”
Barry fumes for a couple of minutes, and then the real magic begins. Enjoy the awkwardness!
Recent protests and upheaval in the Middle East, juxtaposed against our own military presence in the region, call to mind yet again the far-reaching geopolitical implications of these events. Specifically, will the seeming democratization of that part of the 
world foster greater understanding between and among peoples, leading to a reduced threat of terrorism? Or will the uprisings themselves merely allow radical movements to bubble to the surface and, in some cases, replace America-tolerant dictators with regimes more hostile to our interests and security? And, is the extension of the PATRIOT Act a victory for strident opponents of terrorism, or merely yet another blow to our waning civil liberties?
With these themes serving as an apropos backdrop, I can think of no better time to present a lyrical analysis of Cascada’s “Evacuate the Dancefloor.”
Continue reading
Many thanks to those loyal Axis of Ego readers who recently emailed me to bid congratulations on my impending procreation. Some of you have also asked (very thoughtfully) where this precocious foetus is registered. Let me stop you there.
Yes, the wife did register said baby at all of the typical national-chain retail stores. Her registry includes every critical newborn essential, like the Bright Starts Teensy Turtle Cradling Bouncer (Blue), the BabyPro QuickServe Bottle, and four different varieties of stroller (for various terrains).
Fans of the A-of-E may find such gifts a bit pedestrian. Therefore, as a service to those wishing to lavish me with awesome baby gifts, I have set up my own registry here at our humble blog. But whether you’re looking for me, or that other pedantic, rap-obsessed wrestling fan you know, consider these truly inspirational baby gifts:
The Axis of Ego 
National Media Covers UR and VCU as Only They Can(‘t)
As the University of Richmond and Virginia Commonwealth University triumphantly earned their way into the Sweet Sixteen, the fact that both schools are located in the same
city has not escaped the watchful eye of the New York Times.
To be sure, many people in Richmond are merely overjoyed that the big, fancy folk at the venerable Old Gray Lady would write anything about the capital of the Commonwealth. Accuracy be damned! They said our name! THEY SAID OUR NAME!
Unfortunately, there are some problems with the piece.
Continue reading →
Share this: