Failed Presidential candidate Ron Paul has planned an alternative rally to the Republican National Convention. Paul’s rally, to be held at the Target Center in Minneapolis, is supposed to focus on his message of limited government (of which I am a fan).

It’s a shame that Congressman Paul’s campaign was neglected by the major networks. The media has really shaped the current Presidential campaign and it’s disgusting. Any American out there who is looking for real “change” isn’t even allowed to hear different opinions by the American media. How many of the major media conglomerates are allowing the Libertarian or Green Party to join the debates? FOX isn’t. CNN isn’t. CBS isn’t. ABC isn’t. MSNBC isn’t. Speaking of NBC - I can barely watch their programming any more as their entire schedule of programming is so one-sided in favor of Obama that it might as well be funded out of the Obama campaign!

I know these media companies stick to some format that requires X% of the national polls to be in favor of your campaign, but they know that American masses are mostly sheep and vote for either R or D. Why not change your debate regulations to reflect the fact that there needs to be more than two views of how to move forward? Why not have regulations that allow the four political parties with the highest polling to be involved in the debate? If the Republicans get 44% and the Democrats get 44%, then the media should look to that remaining 12% of the opinion polls to see which third party candidates people are supporting.

All I know is that for a Republican and a Democrat to run around America saying “Change, change, change,” is completely ridiculous. What’s the definition of insanity? Always doing the same thing and expecting a different result. So America - keep voting Republican and Democrat and see if you get a different result…lunatics.

After what seems like an eternity, Sirius Satellite Radio and XM have been approved to merge by the Federal Communications Commission. This is at once both good and frightening news. Good news because there was no reason to stop these two companies from merging in the first place and - as a combined organization - they may have the ability to become a profitable company. Frightening news because the merger plan has taken over 18 months to be approved.

What the hell is wrong with our government that it takes 18 months to approve the merger of two extremely small companies? Sad, really…

And it’s funny how politics makes strange bedfellows. The biggest personality on satellite radio is Howard Stern - someone who has been critical of the Republican administration for quite some time now. Who cast the deciding vote to allow the merger? A Republican. The Democrats on the FCC were looking to bog down the merger with such a massive amount of needed extras that it would have looked unappealing for any company.

In the end, as a consumer of satellite radio I’m happy. I’ve been thinking of giving up the service since Howard Stern is one of the main reasons that I even have Sirius and he’s only on a small fraction of the time due to a ridiculous vacation schedule. But now that the two companies have been allowed to merge - I’ll probably stick around for a little bit longer!

In the mean time, check out New Jersey Carpet Cleaning for the best carpet cleaning in the Garden State!

The seventh season of UFC’s The Ultimate Fighter featured a lot of great fighters. However, there can only be one champion. At the end of a pretty intense season, it was Amir Sadollah who became the new Ultimate Fighter. TBLWrestling.com and XHeadlines.com recently had the chance to sit down with Amir for an exclusive phone interview. The discussion covered just about everything from the Ultimate Fighter - from life in the house, to the insanity of the Jesse Taylor situation, and everything in between! Amir shared some great personal inside and viewpoints that are must-hear! Unfortunately the audio quality is horrible in the first few minutes, but stick around and keep listening to this exclusive interview!

As some of you may know, JerseySmarts.com is part of a larger network of sites including two wrestling and mixed martial arts sites: XHeadlines.com and TBLWrestling.com. Both of these sites have begun collaborating on interviewing some of the famous faces in the wrestling and MMA world. To that end, please see the interview below - the first of TBL and XH’s exclusive interview series!

July 16, 2008 — C.B. Dollaway made a name for himself as a pretty tough dude on UFC’s The Ultimate Fighter. We recently had the chance to conduct an interview with him discussing his upcoming fight with Jesse Taylor, the show on Spike, and current weight-class talk in MMA, among other topics! Enjoy!

C.B., thanks for joining TBLWrestling.com and XHeadlines.com! We’re talking to the finalist of The Ultimate Fighter Season 7, one hell of a fighter who showcased his ability throughout the season.
What was it like being in the house with 15 other dudes for so long?! From what the cameras didn’t show us, who was it that you got along with most, and who did you have problems with? Who did you
feel, besides yourself, was the best fighter in the house?

The living circumstances were not all that bad. You get used to the cameras and other then the fact that the guy you are befriending could be your opponent. I got along with everyone, Pat Schultz and Matthew Riddle were likely the funniest cast mates. I was actually one of the last people on my team defending Jeremy May. I thought the best fighters were Jesse Taylor, Tim Creduer, Gerald
Harris and Brandon Sene seemed tough.

While on the show, Forrest Griffin noted that he couldn’t stand you because you were “cocky, and you backed it up.” How do you respond to his words?

WOW he noticed me? He really was busy with his team and he and I had little to no interaction. Being first pick somehow made me a favorite and from that people thought I was a jerk. I could not control much on that show.

Speaking of Forrest, what did you make of the two coaches on the show? Rampage Jackson admitted in the beginning of the program that he’s never coached before in his life. Did you learn a lot from Quinton, and how do you feel both coaches did in their roles?

I think Forrest did his homework and the results paid off for him. It is impossible to get 8 guys ready (simultaneously) and not know who they are fighting and when. Our coaches did the best they could and what they could not teach us in the ring they taught us from their
life experiences.

How did you feel about having to fight Amir Sadollah twice? Walk us through your two matches, including your strategy and approach. Were you trying to avoid the submission the second time around?

Initially I knew Amir was durable. I go into these modes where I am moving forward and trying to destroy my opponent. I need to pay more attention to them and what they want to do to me at this level. Amir was tough and hung in to win a tough first fight. Second fight. well he caught me again the same way. I worked on not getting into that position but really it all happened so fast. I am focused on doing what I need to do to get better and put the loss behind me.

C.B., one of the most popular topics of discussion when it comes to the UFC and MMA in general these days is the change in weight-classes that has been proposed and “accepted” by some. Dana White has made it clear that the UFC does not support the newly-proposed weight classes. How do you feel about the proposed changes verses what the UFC does?

I leave that stuff up to smarter men then me. I am a fighter and if Dana and my management want me to put on a few pounds and fight at a higher weight I will. I want to fight the best fighters in the world and I thank the UFC for bringing me into the organization where that will be possible.

What do you make of the Jesse Taylor situation, and what are your thoughts on his character?

He really is a funny guy and his poetry was classic. I think he has a problem when he gets drunk and I am glad he got that under control. He said something at the beginning of the show that stuck out to me. He said in life he always gets to the finish line and fucks up. I think doing that on national TV was a turning point for him. I hope he has trained hard, unfortunately for him I have to use this fight to show the world and Zuffa I belong at the UFC.

Finally, speaking of Jesse, we know you have your next UFC bout scheduled for this weekend as you take on him. I know you’ve been working very intensely to be in great shape for the match. What’s your strategy and approach and how do you think the fight will go?

I am a better fighter on the feet and unless I stopped evolving since college and he continued I am the better fighter on the ground. I need to avoid the lay and pray and this fight should go my way.

C.B., we want to thank you for giving us some of your important time as you prepare for this huge fight, and we wish you the best in the octagon against Jesse!

Thanks and thanks to MTX Audio, LG Sports Marketing and AZ Combat Sports.

About a month and a half ago the Atlanticville (a local Long Branch-area paper) ran an article about Eatontown’s decision to file a complaint against the state regarding the latest round of COAH regulations that were issued. This type of stuff makes me bang my head against the wall and wonder why any of us pay taxes to such a ridiculous system. What’s the problem here? Well, even though it is a bit long, I’ll let the article explain:

According to a series of proposed amendments to COAH’s current round-three regulations, Eatontown’s affordable housing obligation jumped from 92 units to 447 units, Tarantolo said.

“Where are we going to build [the 447 units]?” Tarantolo asked, adding, “I have no idea.”

According to Tarantolo, COAH officials used a geographic information system (GIS) to map out the available land in the borough where affordable units can be constructed.

A GIS is a system that collects various forms of statistical data and maps it according to its geographic location.

“When they worked out the new numbers, they did it using the GIS to determine the number of acres that were still green in particular municipalities,” Tarantolo said.

“As it turns out, COAH just arbitrarily took green space and said this should be developed and some of it should be for affordable housing.

“The GIS labeled some of our parks and open space as buildable land. We suspect they made a mistake.

“The parks and open space are already registered with the state as not being able to be built,” Tarantolo said.

If COAH removes the acreage from the borough’s parks and open space from the vacant-land calculations, Eatontown will see a significant reduction in its affordable housing obligation, Tarantolo said.

Let me put that in layman’s terms for everyone out there. The state used a system that said designated “green spaces” (i.e. parks and protected wildlife area) are okay to build affordable housing units on. Are you f’ing kidding me? Someone at the state was paid to sit down and figure out a new formula for affordable housing and they produced Round Three of COAH by saying that green spaces are legit for building on? What?!

This is the kind of stuff where in ancient Rome you’d find yourself in the Colosseum with some pretty big cats. In New Jersey, though, we reward our morons by giving them taxpayer-funded raises and one of the most ridiculous publicly-financed benefits packages in the nation. Way to go, New Jersey!

Why is this so hard for people to understand? If you want to provide increased housing options for our existing residents, then you need to start redeveloping brownfields across the state. For those of you that don’t know, brownfields are former industrial lots that need serious environmental attention before they can be rebuilt. Many community based groups are doing a magnificent job of making former warehouses into usable community facilities or housing units. Just look up in Paterson where there are a growing number of housing options (yet still not enough).

As for COAH - it might be time to throw it out the window. The system is obviously broken when we are counting our preciously scarce open space in as “buildable lots.” Frankly, it’s that type of idiocy that gives this state a bad name. Fire the person that dreamed up this farce and start again. Now!

Sometime in May I ran across this article which I thought would be interesting to share: Can restaurants go green, earn green? The article talks about the link between a sustainable food service industry and earning profits. It begins by talking about how Ted Turner is moving his Ted’s Montana Grill restaurants towards a greener future. From the article:

…you won’t find a plastic straw or cup in any of Ted’s Montana Grills’ 55 casual dining restaurants. The straws are made from biodegradable paper. The menus are printed on 100% recycled paper. Even the cups are cornstarch.

Cornstarch cups and paper straws? I’m not sold on those ideas just yet.

Anyway, if you get the opportunity try to read this entire article. There are some interesting tidbits in there about the cost of energy for restaurants and the cost of wasted energy for the entire restaurant business. Also, the article talks about some other eco-friendly moves that some food servicers are undertaking. I thought it was an interesting read - I think you will, too.

Lipstick and Dynamite: Piss and Vinegar is a 2005 documentary by Ruth Leitman that follows around some of the women wrestlers from the 1950’s - 1970’s. Thanks go out to my uncle for passing this DVD on to me over a year ago - I only recently had the chance to watch it and I’m glad that I did. As a wrestling fan, I’m always interested in learning more about the beginnings of the sport when it existed as part of the local carnivals or as sideshows. For their part, women wrestlers were an even bigger attraction than the regular men wrestlers.

Leitman interviews women wrestling legends like The Fabulous Moolah and Johnny Mae Young. Current wrestling fans are sure to recognize those two WWE Hall of Famers, but I found myself most intrigued during the documentary by the women like Gladys “Kill ‘em” Gillem. Gillem was, in today’s terms, a jobber - or a wrestler whose “job” it is to lose and make their opponent look great in the process. Also, the bitterness that some of the older women wrestlers have towards Moolah is interesting. As one of the women wrestlers put it, “Moolah loves money. That’s the perfect name for her.”

I certainly wouldn’t begrudge anyone from making money at their chosen profession, but some of these women are definitely bitter about Moolah’s long-term success. The women wrestlers commented on how Moolah and Young’s presence in WWE in the early 2000’s in actual wrestling matches takes away from the accomplishments of the women’s wrestling movement. I don’t know if I necessarily agree (especially when groups like TNA are bringing back real women’s wrestling). By the way, Moolah passed away last year so some of these topics are a moot point now.

Fans will enjoy hearing the stories about one of the original promoters of “girl wrestling” and how he manipulated the sport so that his wife could retain the title. Moolah talks at length about her disgust for this guy and how she was glad to take the title from his wife and then put him out of business. At that time, Moolah became the number one trainer, promoter, and booker of women wrestlers in the world.

I have to recommend this DVD to any wrestling fan who thinks more of the sport than just a generic set of moves leading to a generic ending to a generic match. This is a DVD that follows around these women wrestlers and talks about the many hardships that they had to endure during the early years of their business. If you enjoy knowing more about the wrestling business than just what you see on Monday, Thursday, or Friday nights, then you’ll enjoy this DVD.

Let me begin by saying that I watched the Battlestar Galactica miniseries about two months ago so my memory isn’t as sharp as it could be on this topic. I didn’t have strong feelings one way or another one the miniseries and I only watched it because for some odd reason it kept popping up on different mediums that I frequent (online, radio, television). The premise of the miniseries seems compelling and if I have it down right it goes something like this: humans created these robots called Cylons to help them out with everyday “stuff” (think the Jetsons). As in all good science fiction stories, the Cylons got smarter and began to kill the humans which led to the obvious war between humans and robots and the obligatory ceasefire when the robots chose to get up and live somewhere else.

The miniseries begins with the robots essentially going back on that promise and blowing up all of the humans (some 20 billion) except those who are in the Battlestar Galactica (which, incidentally, was about to be retired from the fleet) and other spaceships. The total number of humans up in the air during the attack and thus alive? A little less than 50,000. Going from 20 billion to less than 50,000 in one day is a pretty bad day on the battlefield, don’t you think?

Get that? The only humans remaining are those who are on the spaceships, which have now formed their own fleet and are desperately trying to avoid the robots so they can save our species. To avoid the robots, the humans use an FTL (faster than light) jump.

In order to form some type of respectable government, the politicians that are in space look to the senior-most official to assume the role of President. This happens to be the Secretary of Education which causes a great deal of angst among the hardened military officials who were literally minutes away from retirement before the robot attack. They don’t want to take orders from a glorified school teacher and can you blame them? The writers of the miniseries added a twist in this particular area by making President Roslin both the last remaining figure of governmental authority and diagnosing her with breast cancer. She, like the rest of the human species, is in literal race against the clock.

There are some interesting back-and-forth scenes between President Roslin (played by Mary McDonnell) and Commander Adama (played by Edward James Olmos). The first victory for the President is convincing the Commander that with almost the entire human race wiped out, the war is over and Battlestar Galactica needs to head into “save our asses!” mode. I made that phrase up, obviously.

The miniseries also has three other intriguing aspects. First, the robots have figured out how to look and act just like humans and they have spies planted on the ships. In fact, some of these spies may not even realize that they are robots until they are remotely activated. Second, these humans are not Earthlings. These people hail from an “earth” called Caprica and are part of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol (of which Earth is not a member). And the third, and related, intriguing aspect of this show is that some of the people up in space know about our Earth and think it is a legend. Nonetheless, the crew dedicates itself to finding Earth as the last hope to preserve the human species (though I assume that we’re all living pretty fine on Earth without these people).

The show was kind of fun to watch, but it had too much inside-speak for my liking. Maybe if I get a chance to watch it again I’ll understand more of what is going on during the show. If you’re into this sort of thing, then I would recommend giving this miniseries a shot; if not then I don’t think you’re missing too much in terms of pop culture by not watching! This miniseries served as the basis for the Battlestar Galactica show that is on the Sci Fi Channel now so you may want to catch a few episodes before you decide whether or not this is something that you’re interested in watching.

Did you know that I own two wrestling websites which are operated by two magnificent webmasters with little interference by me? Creating wrestling websites is how I got my start in the online world and I’m glad that both of my current webmasters and master of the game. The other day I was browsing on one of my websites and noticed a post about Total Nonstop Action coming to New Jersey. Being a fan of the product, I had to click on it to see what was going on.

Total Nonstop Action is the alternative brand of professional wrestling to the worldwide leader, World Wrestling Entertainment. The production value isn’t as good (they tape from the same location every other week and produce two weeks’ worth of shows from one setting) and the weekly television show is sometimes burdensome to watch, but the action in the ring is amazing. They have a guy named AJ Styles who does the most ridiculous stuff that I’ve ever seen. See for yourself:

Pretty amazing stuff, huh?

TNA will be in New Jersey at Convention Hall in Asbury Park on Friday, August 8th and at the Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton for their annual “Hard Justice” pay per view on Sunday, August 10th. Lucky me - I bought tickets for each show.

Today begins the second straight week of vacation for Howard Stern and his Sirius Satellite Radio crew. I’m just about done with this guy and his completely ridiculous schedule. I’ve said on this blog before that Howard used to be the voice of the working man and now he works a 4-day per week, 4-hour per day work schedule where he pretty much gets an additional week off each month. The voice of the working man? I think not.

One of my friends made the comment the other day that you can tell in Howard’s voice how he doesn’t even want to be there any more and I couldn’t agree more. The shows have been lacking lately, though I will give him credit because every once in a long while he hits a home run (usually something that has to do with Artie and his disastrous health). There are a few issues that confuse me about Howard and his current deal, though…

For example, Sirius Satellite Radio ran a promotion to get new subscribers this spring leading into the summer months where their announcer clearly said, “And you won’t want to miss Howard Stern this summer!” Really? We won’t want to miss Howard this summer? Because I’m pretty sure that he’s only worked like two or three, 4-day work weeks this summer (that’s 8 to 12 days).

Also, how can the higher-ups at Sirius justify the $100 million per year expense on this guy when he works such a reduced schedule? I understand that the $100 million is to be used for his channels in addition to his salary, but when the company is on the verge of losing a talent like Bubba the Love Sponge, you have to wonder why so much money is funneled into The Howard Stern Show when it clearly is not using the money correctly (why don’t their microphones ever work right the first time).

Speaking of money, don’t tell me that Stern isn’t bringing in a ton of excess income on his channels. Subscribers to this commercial-free service are treated to frequent 10 - 15 minute non-live content breaks during the show. In other words, we get propaganda from the Howard 100 News team, commercials, and full-length songs (which is incredibly insulting considering the dozens upon dozens of music channels that are truly commercial free). Some of that money can be spread around, you know.

Anyway, it’s ridiculous that Stern is floating by on a contract that is designed for someone to NOT float by. I hope Mel Karmazin reigns this guy in because with his current attitude, the ridiculous amount of commercials, and his current schedule, Stern may actually be hurting the satellite radio movement more than helping it.