The word "literally" is used in the modern world far too much, and always wrongly. It's normally dropped into a sentence in an attempt to add emphasis to a description. But given that most descriptions are metaphorical in someway, it just becomes nonsense. Witness: "It was so hot, I was literally melting to death".
So much is this the case that I've been having a hard time trying to work out how to use it correctly in a sentence. Ignoring the obvious: "this French word literally means...", I guess there is two ways. Firstly, add it before a non-metaphorical description - "he was literally six foot three" - but that is dull, and pointless. The second way, I think, is to add it before a description that while is commonly understood to be a metaphor, in this instance, it is not: "the frozen lake was literally as cold as ice". There's something quite pleasing about that, but such sentences are likely to be rare.
This is really more of Alex's area. Any thoughts?
Monday, June 30, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Have posted a couple of things on Project Brainstorm in the last week. By all means, have a peak.
You may also notice I've added labels to posts here. I suspect you definitely have by now.
You may also notice I've added labels to posts here. I suspect you definitely have by now.
Monday, June 23, 2008
George Carlin died yesterday, aged 71. He was the link from the era of Lenny Bruce, but unlike Bruce (and Richard Pryor and Bill Hicks and Sam Kinison and others that came after) came past drug addictions and obscenity trials to be active, successful and, most importantly, funny well passed the retirement age.
Anyway, I picked this bit as a tribute because I love the build to the final punchline. At 64 years old, George Carlin was still balancing on the line between social commentary and clever word play. He never slipped into ranting for its own sake, nor do he tire of satirising America and Americans of all political persuasions. A genuine loss, to comedy and common sense.
Anyway, I picked this bit as a tribute because I love the build to the final punchline. At 64 years old, George Carlin was still balancing on the line between social commentary and clever word play. He never slipped into ranting for its own sake, nor do he tire of satirising America and Americans of all political persuasions. A genuine loss, to comedy and common sense.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Last night, Wayne, Ad and I went to watch Pro Wrestling NOAH's first ever UK show. NOAH are one of the top two Japanese promotions, and are the only one to really looking to expand into other markets. Aside from one rubbishy show in Oxford a few years ago, this was (incredibly) my first live wrestling event. It was really great.
The first thing I realised is how much more involved I got with the matches, compared to watching on DVD. I won't often audibly react to recorded wrestling, but I must have jumped out of my seat a dozen times last night, and involuntarily shouted variations on 'oooohh' or 'woooah' countless times more. To be expected, perhaps - the same thing happens with live comedy - and NOAH's high-impact style naturally creates such reactions.
Wayne and Ad agreed with my basic point about Japanese wrestling - compared to it's US equivalent, the standard is consistently high, and the performers are generally much harder working. In almost all the matches, it would be hard to argue that the guys weren't give the effort the audience hoped for, and frequently exceeded it. Match of the night was clearly KENTA and Ishimori vs. Bryan Danielson and Eddie Edwards. This was exhausting just to watch: nearly 30 minutes in length, they built through the first fifteen minutes with the opening flurries and the heat section on Ishimori, before they hit the finishing straight of finishers and finishers and finishers. Everything was at top speed and super smooth. KENTA made me wince about fifty or sixty times with these brutal kicks, and his finishing knee strike to Edwards probably broke his face - no mean feat since I'm pretty sure he broke his face early in the match with a nasty looking kick.
This match totally sold me on Danielson as 'best in the world'. From immediately establishing himself as heel, drawing boos from an audience that would have gladly loved him, and following that up acts of cowardice that drew further ire from the crowd, I realised that not only is he the best technical wrestler on the planet, but he's now the complete package.
The other top match was the main event - Kenta Kobashi and Go Shiozaki vs. Mitsuharu Misawa and Naomichi Marufuji. Just to be so close to two of the most celebrated wrestlers of the last twenty years was AWESOME - Misawa may be broken down and Kobashi is also showing his age, but really that just added to the richness of the match - they play the tired, grizzled veterans, and while they may only have a couple of weapons in their arsenal, but they both use their strikes to maximum effect. Kobashi's corner chops drew a standing ovation. Meanwhile, Marafuji works for four men, bumping around the ring, acting as a huge jerk to Kobashi, and then running the length of the entrance ramp, leaping over the top rope and delivering a huge, breath-taking dropkick. Go's game too - his moonsault, for a big guy, was glorious.
The rest of the card featured a number of very good matches - Nigel McGuinness was really great in his tag match, and I really enjoyed opener Joel Redman vs. Atushi Aoki. Morishima was working injured, regrettably, because I really wanted to see the future company ace in full flow. That said, his one big lariat was killer.
The event was recorded, and I'll probably buy it on DVD. I suspect, if I hadn't seen it live, I wouldn't have thought it were quite so great. The juniors tag, in particular, would certainly have been judged too long and slightly overkill-y. But I did - and I'm all in favour of anything that make me enjoy things more.
The first thing I realised is how much more involved I got with the matches, compared to watching on DVD. I won't often audibly react to recorded wrestling, but I must have jumped out of my seat a dozen times last night, and involuntarily shouted variations on 'oooohh' or 'woooah' countless times more. To be expected, perhaps - the same thing happens with live comedy - and NOAH's high-impact style naturally creates such reactions.
Wayne and Ad agreed with my basic point about Japanese wrestling - compared to it's US equivalent, the standard is consistently high, and the performers are generally much harder working. In almost all the matches, it would be hard to argue that the guys weren't give the effort the audience hoped for, and frequently exceeded it. Match of the night was clearly KENTA and Ishimori vs. Bryan Danielson and Eddie Edwards. This was exhausting just to watch: nearly 30 minutes in length, they built through the first fifteen minutes with the opening flurries and the heat section on Ishimori, before they hit the finishing straight of finishers and finishers and finishers. Everything was at top speed and super smooth. KENTA made me wince about fifty or sixty times with these brutal kicks, and his finishing knee strike to Edwards probably broke his face - no mean feat since I'm pretty sure he broke his face early in the match with a nasty looking kick.
This match totally sold me on Danielson as 'best in the world'. From immediately establishing himself as heel, drawing boos from an audience that would have gladly loved him, and following that up acts of cowardice that drew further ire from the crowd, I realised that not only is he the best technical wrestler on the planet, but he's now the complete package.
The other top match was the main event - Kenta Kobashi and Go Shiozaki vs. Mitsuharu Misawa and Naomichi Marufuji. Just to be so close to two of the most celebrated wrestlers of the last twenty years was AWESOME - Misawa may be broken down and Kobashi is also showing his age, but really that just added to the richness of the match - they play the tired, grizzled veterans, and while they may only have a couple of weapons in their arsenal, but they both use their strikes to maximum effect. Kobashi's corner chops drew a standing ovation. Meanwhile, Marafuji works for four men, bumping around the ring, acting as a huge jerk to Kobashi, and then running the length of the entrance ramp, leaping over the top rope and delivering a huge, breath-taking dropkick. Go's game too - his moonsault, for a big guy, was glorious.
The rest of the card featured a number of very good matches - Nigel McGuinness was really great in his tag match, and I really enjoyed opener Joel Redman vs. Atushi Aoki. Morishima was working injured, regrettably, because I really wanted to see the future company ace in full flow. That said, his one big lariat was killer.
The event was recorded, and I'll probably buy it on DVD. I suspect, if I hadn't seen it live, I wouldn't have thought it were quite so great. The juniors tag, in particular, would certainly have been judged too long and slightly overkill-y. But I did - and I'm all in favour of anything that make me enjoy things more.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
I wanted to show you my favourite sketch of all time.
It is this.
In other news, Andy and I have finally, seriously, started writing a show. It will be awesome.
It is this.
In other news, Andy and I have finally, seriously, started writing a show. It will be awesome.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Couple of short thoughts. I'd say in that they are in no particular order, exept that seems unlikely for a list of items. At the very least, they are in order of 'position in list'. Onwards:
I just submitted a paper to the Journal of Public Economics. This would be my first actual attempt to get something published. I expect at best a number of revisions, and most likely a rejection, but both will be helpful and give me some useful feedback.
There is a certain programme on television. It is Huge, and I am led to believe it is Fraternal. I don't want to hear anything about it. I don't want to know the names of anybody in the show, or which manufactured controversy they've decided will interest people this year. Radio and TV will doubtlessly attempt to thwart me by dropping reports in to news bulletins, as if things that happen on TV shows are actually news. This morning, I managed to cover my ears with my hands in time. Next time, I may be holding vases. I'm either going to have to give up the mainstream media, or give up my job as human dais.
I hate it when I agree with Tories.
I just submitted a paper to the Journal of Public Economics. This would be my first actual attempt to get something published. I expect at best a number of revisions, and most likely a rejection, but both will be helpful and give me some useful feedback.
There is a certain programme on television. It is Huge, and I am led to believe it is Fraternal. I don't want to hear anything about it. I don't want to know the names of anybody in the show, or which manufactured controversy they've decided will interest people this year. Radio and TV will doubtlessly attempt to thwart me by dropping reports in to news bulletins, as if things that happen on TV shows are actually news. This morning, I managed to cover my ears with my hands in time. Next time, I may be holding vases. I'm either going to have to give up the mainstream media, or give up my job as human dais.
I hate it when I agree with Tories.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
From BBCs 'Have Your Say':
Added: Saturday, 26 January, 2008, 07:35 GMT 07:35 UK
Terrorists don't bother me.What does bother me is the likes of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown who have presided in systematically running Britain down to the level of a third world country. Our reputation is in tatters, our economy is at a low all time level, we are no longer a key player in world economics, our country has been allowed to stagnate and droves of migrants allowed in to enjoy what we have provided for our kind causing stress to the NHS.The worst government Britain has ever had.
Sir Herbert Scroggins, Edgeley, Stockport, United Kingdom
AAAAHAHAHAHA.
I know, I know, pointing out one ridiculous bigot on a Have Your Say page is redundant. Still entertaining, though.
Added: Saturday, 26 January, 2008, 07:35 GMT 07:35 UK
Terrorists don't bother me.What does bother me is the likes of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown who have presided in systematically running Britain down to the level of a third world country. Our reputation is in tatters, our economy is at a low all time level, we are no longer a key player in world economics, our country has been allowed to stagnate and droves of migrants allowed in to enjoy what we have provided for our kind causing stress to the NHS.The worst government Britain has ever had.
Sir Herbert Scroggins, Edgeley, Stockport, United Kingdom
AAAAHAHAHAHA.
I know, I know, pointing out one ridiculous bigot on a Have Your Say page is redundant. Still entertaining, though.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Tonight was the final Wheatsheaf show of a large number of the Imps: Andy, Bex, Paul, Schuller, Rachel, Joe, Robin, Sophie. I am quite saddened by it. Many have been in the Imps for the majority of my three-plus year stint with the group; several I consider to be amongst my best friends. They represent some of my best memories from Oxford, and I can't begin to estimate how much of a hole they will leave in my life next year.
Guys, I truly, deeply, honestly love you all. Some day we will do it all over again.
Guys, I truly, deeply, honestly love you all. Some day we will do it all over again.
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Haven't put up anything interesting for a while, but little of actual interest has happened. Planned to have a day of watching loads of wrestling (as the Lord intended of the Sabbath), so here I present...
Craig's Day of Watching The Professional Wrestling Log of Words and Thoughts
The story so far: Of late, I have mainly been watching my two favourite Japanese indie promotions, Zero-One MAX and Kaientai-Dojo. Of my most recent batch of DVDs, I have one K-Dojo show left to watch. That will occur later.
Looking through my hard drive, I appear to have one Ring of Honor show (a north-east US independent promotion that is, by some way, the biggest and most celebrated indie in the country), and one WWE PPV that I'm really not all that interested in. WWE shows vary dramatically in quality, but there's one match I've been sold on, so I'll probably skip to that at some point. There's a couple of unwatched matches from New Japan's April 13th show, including the the Tanaka vs. Kanemoto that's being heavily praised.
What else? A 4-DVD set of the best 20 lucha libre matches of the 1990s, as voted by on the DVDVR. Awesome. I've seen some of the matches before, but there's also some real hard-to-find matches on that list that I've wanted to see for ages.
But first, I'm on the second day of the GPWA's 2007 Differ Cup, a junior heavyweight tag team tournament featuring representatives from NOAH, and loads of smaller indie promotions. The final, the main event from this show, will be DDT's HARASHIMA and Kota Iibushi vs. K-Dojo's Madoka and Kengo Mashimo, which should be great. But first to plow through the undercard.
12:10pm: Show opens with the two Big Mouth Loud shoot-fight guys who were knocked out in the first round against two other indie guys who I don't know. Fun and kicky, and a nice story - two shooters target the smaller opponent, finally isolating from his larger partner who has been saving him from defeat. Nothing else particularly interesting in the first half - a tag with TAKA and Kikuchi that was less than the sum of its parts, and a ten-man tag with Marafuji and Minoru Fujita that was entertaining but forgetable.
13.30pm: Second disc goes in. This should be better. El Dorado's Hercules Senga and KAGETORA versus Osamu Namiguchi and Ikuto Hidaka. I'm a huge Hidaka fan, and this match didn't disappoint. Loads of actions, high flying, Hidaka using his rookie partner as a weapon. Cool. The Ring of Honor world title was then defended in Japan, with then-champion Takeshi Morishima against K-Dojo's KAZMA. My general impression going into to this is that its a total mismatch. Morishima's the guy who will beat Misawa within a year to win the GHC title, and has been dominant in matches in NOAH and ROH. KAZMA's one of only two heavyweights in K-Dojo, but isn't the ace or champion. And that's how the match played out. KAZMA got some offence in, but I never felt like he was close to winning. Morishima moves up a gear in the last couple of minutes, and easily finishes him off. Good story, if not the best wrestling contest because of it. What a paradox.
A small break of several hours occurs, while tasks are done and girlfriends are entertained.
18.00pm: Time to watch the final before I make some dinner. Rightfully so, the match features four of the top names in Japanese indie wrestling in 2007, including K-Dojo's champ Mashimo and DDT's champ HARASHIMA. Mashimo sells a weak leg from his semi-final, which occupies the early focus of the match, before the switch to the heat section on Iibushi. But the finishing stretch (at it is a huge stetch) is the really exciting part. All four work in all of their big moves except for Mashimo's brainbuster, which Iibushi keeps avoiding. Finally, Madoka takes HARASHIMA out with a super-fast tope suicida, and Mashimo lands his knockout blow. This match is really what is great about Japanese indy wrestling - hard work, exciting sequences of moves, stiff kicks. Plus, it managed to not seem like overkill, which happens a lot in big indie singles matches - seemingly endless repetition of moves until one finally gets a win. Here, the tag team structure allows multiple near falls, as each team's partner's are able to stop their opponents winning by breaking up pins. The selling was good too, unlike many indie matches, where guys take a load of offense, and then pop up as fresh as at the beginning of the match.
19.54pm: Put WWE Judgement Day on. I'll be skipping over it pretty fast. Cena vs. JBL was all psychology, and was good because of it. I would have prefered a brawl, but there was nothing wrong with what they did. I'm not a huge fan of the WWE surprise-finisher ending, and with better finishing stretch, this would have been great. Kane/Punk vs. Miz/Morrison was energetic, but pretty short and formulaic.
20.30pm: Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels is the match I wanted to see. I loved their Wrestlemania XIX match in 2003, so I knew this would likely be good. The early section featured some great sequences and matwork. What I liked about this match was the variety of counters both men found for each other signature spots - Jericho's dropkick, Michaels' kip-up, Jericho's Lionsault and then Michaels' counter to the Lionsault. And Jericho feigning injury, given the backstory, to avoid Michaels' finish was a nice touch. The Jericho/HBK/Batista feud is pretty much the most interesting thing in the promotion, and the lack of good guy and bad guy definition is what is doing it. Quickly watch the women's three way - this was good by Diva standards. I've been a fan of the WWE women for a while, especially when they just let the girls go out and wrestle. Mickie James and Melina are the best the division has to offer at the moment.
I'm not interested in anything else on the show, so I go and do the washing up.
22.40pm: The January 6th 2008 K-Dojo show goes on. Quite an unusual show, in that there's a lot of participation from guys from other promotions: Osaka Pro, El Dorado, Big Japan Wrestling, Michinoku Pro, Zero-One MAX and Dragon Gate are all represented. That's basically everyone, ever. Short clips of the first couple of matches. The MEN's Club vs. OMEGA six-man was as fun as Oishi/Asahi tag always are - a bit of comedy, lots of cool flying. The hardcore match between Inematsu and Toshima and the two heavily scarred guys from BJW, Sasaki and Miyamoto, was by no means the most crazy deathmatch I'd ever seen, but it was a significant change of pace for K-Dojo. Dive to outside through table? Check. Powerbombs on barbwire board? Check. Miyamoto taking a facefull of lighttube glass as Inematsu smashes one right in across his chest? Check. Miyamoto is really something. He bumps huge, has great looking non-deathmatch offense and does everything at top speed, even before all the hardcore stuff.
23.40pm: Dragon Gate's BxB Hulk and Shingo Takagi vs KAZMA and Taishi Taiazawa was fine, but forgettable. BxB Hulk flippery is amazing though. It's like gravity isn't trying as hard. I must get some Dragon Gate. Yoshito Sasaki and Masato Tanaka from Zero-One MAX vs. Kengo Mashimo and Madoka was next, and this is the one I was excited about. I fully expect finishers overkill, but it should be a riot (watches match). Hey, I wasn't wrong! It went: matwork, screw it, finishers. However, it didn't feel like overkill. For instance, Tanaka number one finisher was enough to win the match - in other matches, he'd hit that four or five time before it got a pinfall.
0.25am: Main event time - OMEGA vs. TAKA, Handsome JOE and Great Sasuke. Quite the notable pairing in TAKA and Sasuke. This was entertaining, but I wouldn't say actively good. OMEGA pulled out all their rudo tactics and interference on the way to victory, which was the main story. Highly entertaining show overall. I hope they're not losing TV coverage - they are such an excellent little indie.
0.51am: Still got a bit of life left, so lets work through some stuff on the hard drive. First up, a trios from Mexico's CMLL between Sagrado, El Volador Jr and La Sombra vs. El Hijo Del Fantasma, El Valiente and La Mascara. This is from 30th April of this year, and its totally great. The first two falls are just non-stop graceful lucha libre - the sort of wrestling that can only be described as beautiful. Loads of dives, loads of armdrags, loads of very happy minutes watching. The third fall slows down a little, and there's about a five minute section that is the only thing letting the match down. Great finishing section though. Mascara rolls through a pin attempt into a campana submission on Volador, Sagrada then eliminates Fantasma with a moonsault, Valiente does his amazing no-hands top rope springboard moonsault to the outside, and Sombra counters Mascara going for the same thing he did on Volador with a roll up pin.
1.40am: Last thing, I put on the episode of ECW I started in the week. CM Punk wins a shot at Kane's ECW title later in the show. Some other stuff I didn't care about. Oh, CM Punk's against Kane later in the show. It was actually pretty good, and the crowd were hot for it. I don't get what they are doing with Punk - his push seems slightly in limbo. It's a shame, because he's putting on consistently high quality performances, and in the meantime, the crowd seem to be turning on him.
Finally done: 2.05am. Sleep now. A good day.
Craig's Day of Watching The Professional Wrestling Log of Words and Thoughts
The story so far: Of late, I have mainly been watching my two favourite Japanese indie promotions, Zero-One MAX and Kaientai-Dojo. Of my most recent batch of DVDs, I have one K-Dojo show left to watch. That will occur later.
Looking through my hard drive, I appear to have one Ring of Honor show (a north-east US independent promotion that is, by some way, the biggest and most celebrated indie in the country), and one WWE PPV that I'm really not all that interested in. WWE shows vary dramatically in quality, but there's one match I've been sold on, so I'll probably skip to that at some point. There's a couple of unwatched matches from New Japan's April 13th show, including the the Tanaka vs. Kanemoto that's being heavily praised.
What else? A 4-DVD set of the best 20 lucha libre matches of the 1990s, as voted by on the DVDVR. Awesome. I've seen some of the matches before, but there's also some real hard-to-find matches on that list that I've wanted to see for ages.
But first, I'm on the second day of the GPWA's 2007 Differ Cup, a junior heavyweight tag team tournament featuring representatives from NOAH, and loads of smaller indie promotions. The final, the main event from this show, will be DDT's HARASHIMA and Kota Iibushi vs. K-Dojo's Madoka and Kengo Mashimo, which should be great. But first to plow through the undercard.
12:10pm: Show opens with the two Big Mouth Loud shoot-fight guys who were knocked out in the first round against two other indie guys who I don't know. Fun and kicky, and a nice story - two shooters target the smaller opponent, finally isolating from his larger partner who has been saving him from defeat. Nothing else particularly interesting in the first half - a tag with TAKA and Kikuchi that was less than the sum of its parts, and a ten-man tag with Marafuji and Minoru Fujita that was entertaining but forgetable.
13.30pm: Second disc goes in. This should be better. El Dorado's Hercules Senga and KAGETORA versus Osamu Namiguchi and Ikuto Hidaka. I'm a huge Hidaka fan, and this match didn't disappoint. Loads of actions, high flying, Hidaka using his rookie partner as a weapon. Cool. The Ring of Honor world title was then defended in Japan, with then-champion Takeshi Morishima against K-Dojo's KAZMA. My general impression going into to this is that its a total mismatch. Morishima's the guy who will beat Misawa within a year to win the GHC title, and has been dominant in matches in NOAH and ROH. KAZMA's one of only two heavyweights in K-Dojo, but isn't the ace or champion. And that's how the match played out. KAZMA got some offence in, but I never felt like he was close to winning. Morishima moves up a gear in the last couple of minutes, and easily finishes him off. Good story, if not the best wrestling contest because of it. What a paradox.
A small break of several hours occurs, while tasks are done and girlfriends are entertained.
18.00pm: Time to watch the final before I make some dinner. Rightfully so, the match features four of the top names in Japanese indie wrestling in 2007, including K-Dojo's champ Mashimo and DDT's champ HARASHIMA. Mashimo sells a weak leg from his semi-final, which occupies the early focus of the match, before the switch to the heat section on Iibushi. But the finishing stretch (at it is a huge stetch) is the really exciting part. All four work in all of their big moves except for Mashimo's brainbuster, which Iibushi keeps avoiding. Finally, Madoka takes HARASHIMA out with a super-fast tope suicida, and Mashimo lands his knockout blow. This match is really what is great about Japanese indy wrestling - hard work, exciting sequences of moves, stiff kicks. Plus, it managed to not seem like overkill, which happens a lot in big indie singles matches - seemingly endless repetition of moves until one finally gets a win. Here, the tag team structure allows multiple near falls, as each team's partner's are able to stop their opponents winning by breaking up pins. The selling was good too, unlike many indie matches, where guys take a load of offense, and then pop up as fresh as at the beginning of the match.
19.54pm: Put WWE Judgement Day on. I'll be skipping over it pretty fast. Cena vs. JBL was all psychology, and was good because of it. I would have prefered a brawl, but there was nothing wrong with what they did. I'm not a huge fan of the WWE surprise-finisher ending, and with better finishing stretch, this would have been great. Kane/Punk vs. Miz/Morrison was energetic, but pretty short and formulaic.
20.30pm: Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels is the match I wanted to see. I loved their Wrestlemania XIX match in 2003, so I knew this would likely be good. The early section featured some great sequences and matwork. What I liked about this match was the variety of counters both men found for each other signature spots - Jericho's dropkick, Michaels' kip-up, Jericho's Lionsault and then Michaels' counter to the Lionsault. And Jericho feigning injury, given the backstory, to avoid Michaels' finish was a nice touch. The Jericho/HBK/Batista feud is pretty much the most interesting thing in the promotion, and the lack of good guy and bad guy definition is what is doing it. Quickly watch the women's three way - this was good by Diva standards. I've been a fan of the WWE women for a while, especially when they just let the girls go out and wrestle. Mickie James and Melina are the best the division has to offer at the moment.
I'm not interested in anything else on the show, so I go and do the washing up.
22.40pm: The January 6th 2008 K-Dojo show goes on. Quite an unusual show, in that there's a lot of participation from guys from other promotions: Osaka Pro, El Dorado, Big Japan Wrestling, Michinoku Pro, Zero-One MAX and Dragon Gate are all represented. That's basically everyone, ever. Short clips of the first couple of matches. The MEN's Club vs. OMEGA six-man was as fun as Oishi/Asahi tag always are - a bit of comedy, lots of cool flying. The hardcore match between Inematsu and Toshima and the two heavily scarred guys from BJW, Sasaki and Miyamoto, was by no means the most crazy deathmatch I'd ever seen, but it was a significant change of pace for K-Dojo. Dive to outside through table? Check. Powerbombs on barbwire board? Check. Miyamoto taking a facefull of lighttube glass as Inematsu smashes one right in across his chest? Check. Miyamoto is really something. He bumps huge, has great looking non-deathmatch offense and does everything at top speed, even before all the hardcore stuff.
23.40pm: Dragon Gate's BxB Hulk and Shingo Takagi vs KAZMA and Taishi Taiazawa was fine, but forgettable. BxB Hulk flippery is amazing though. It's like gravity isn't trying as hard. I must get some Dragon Gate. Yoshito Sasaki and Masato Tanaka from Zero-One MAX vs. Kengo Mashimo and Madoka was next, and this is the one I was excited about. I fully expect finishers overkill, but it should be a riot (watches match). Hey, I wasn't wrong! It went: matwork, screw it, finishers. However, it didn't feel like overkill. For instance, Tanaka number one finisher was enough to win the match - in other matches, he'd hit that four or five time before it got a pinfall.
0.25am: Main event time - OMEGA vs. TAKA, Handsome JOE and Great Sasuke. Quite the notable pairing in TAKA and Sasuke. This was entertaining, but I wouldn't say actively good. OMEGA pulled out all their rudo tactics and interference on the way to victory, which was the main story. Highly entertaining show overall. I hope they're not losing TV coverage - they are such an excellent little indie.
0.51am: Still got a bit of life left, so lets work through some stuff on the hard drive. First up, a trios from Mexico's CMLL between Sagrado, El Volador Jr and La Sombra vs. El Hijo Del Fantasma, El Valiente and La Mascara. This is from 30th April of this year, and its totally great. The first two falls are just non-stop graceful lucha libre - the sort of wrestling that can only be described as beautiful. Loads of dives, loads of armdrags, loads of very happy minutes watching. The third fall slows down a little, and there's about a five minute section that is the only thing letting the match down. Great finishing section though. Mascara rolls through a pin attempt into a campana submission on Volador, Sagrada then eliminates Fantasma with a moonsault, Valiente does his amazing no-hands top rope springboard moonsault to the outside, and Sombra counters Mascara going for the same thing he did on Volador with a roll up pin.
1.40am: Last thing, I put on the episode of ECW I started in the week. CM Punk wins a shot at Kane's ECW title later in the show. Some other stuff I didn't care about. Oh, CM Punk's against Kane later in the show. It was actually pretty good, and the crowd were hot for it. I don't get what they are doing with Punk - his push seems slightly in limbo. It's a shame, because he's putting on consistently high quality performances, and in the meantime, the crowd seem to be turning on him.
Finally done: 2.05am. Sleep now. A good day.
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