Category: reviews with a 3 of 5 rating

video review : Paige VanZant versus Rachael Ostovich at BKFC 19

video review : Paige VanZant versus Rachael Ostovich at BKFC 19

Paige VanZant is the winner in looks; Rachael Ostovich looks like a tranny with all that fakeup on; but looks don’t win bare-knuckle boxing matches. VanZant is simply outstruck here; she gets jawed audibly hard in the fourth round; despite giving her opponent an extra coating of red lipstick by fight’s end.

The most notable part happens after the fight. VanZant’s smile flips to sulk as Ostovich is announced; Jeff Houston is a lot less annoying here than during the introductions; the winner. She (VanZant) walks off and out, leaving her team behind, perhaps to cry as her boxing career takes another hit.

my rating : 3 of 5

2021

audio review : Jam And Lewis [ Volume One ] ( album ) … Jimmy Jam And Terry Lewis

audio review : Jam And Lewis [ Volume One ] ( album ) ... Jimmy Jam And Terry

The title suggests a compilation of songs from the past, but this is a new album; the duo’s first ever after four decades of making music for other people’s. Some of those singers are featured here. Every song is by a different artist or group, in fact, with one flagrant exception.

That Janet Jackson isn’t included, and starting the whole damn set, is about as disheartening as recent rumors Jam And Lewis aren’t involved in her upcoming Black Diamond project. Unbreakable was underwhelming, yes, but they should never stop making music together.

Maybe if they had a new Janet song, they wouldn’t need to restore a 2005 Toni Braxton album reject, the inclusion of which makes me wonder how much of this set is actually new. Babylove; the best song and one true jam; sure is. It’s Time for another Morris Day solo album.

my rating : 3 of 5

2021

video review : Julio César Chávez Junior versus Anderson Silva at Tribute To The Kings

video review : Julio César Chávez Junior versus Anderson Silva at Tribute To The Kings

It was sad to see Anderson Silva end his once-impeccable UFC run with a knockout loss, but this is a good consolation. It can even be argued that his victory here is more impressive as Silva, in just the third pro boxing bout of his career, dominates a former WBC champion with over fifty wins under his belt.

It’s not a blowout; Chávez wins a couple of rounds and never looks to be in serious danger; but it’s a relatively easy win for Silva, despite one corrupt (Mexican) judge voting against him. Highlights include The Spider’s signature taunting in Round 3 and Canelo Álvarez congratulating him after the bout.

my rating : 3 of 5

2021

video review : Israel Adesanya versus Marvin Vettori at UFC 263

video review : Israel Adesanya versus Marvin Vettori at UFC 263

Marvin Vettori insists he won the first bout, but, unless he’s as delusional as Israel Adesanya suggests in his victory speech, there’s no denying this one. Despite a few takedowns, one of which includes a near rear-naked choke Adesanya is slick enough to spin out of, Vettori does considerably worse this time around.

A lot of fans were speculating and debating about who improved more since their Fight Night pairing in 2018. The answer is clear, though Adesanya seems to move like he’s still carrying his weight from the Jan Błachowicz fight. Perhaps his Zen-like demeanor is just brought on by those new nose-breathing techniques.

my rating : 3 of 5

2021

Adrenaline Shoc [ Smart Energy ] : Cotton Candy

Adrenaline Shoc [ Smart Energy ] : Cotton Candy

The flavor does remind you of Cotton Candy, at least when you first taste it. The aftertaste of this Smart Energy drink from Adrenaline Shoc is more similar to Smarties or Pez.

There’s “zero sugar” though and, aside from its suspect substitutes, the ingredients list, which include green coffee beans and ginseng root extract, looks surprisingly healthy.

my rating : 3 of 5

audio review : Eyes Wide Open ( song ) … The B-52s

This song, an ambiguous “love” song, sounds delightful during the chorus sections. “I don’t wanna clash,” a woman sings to her mate, “I don’t want to rehash the past.” That’s an interesting statement considering the funky 1970s-style disco beat.

If the whole song sounded like those two hooks; the second of which should’ve been extended to 16 bars with ad-libs; it would easily rank among the band’s best, but the rest, which sounds more like a long stripped-down bridge, is relatively boring.

my rating : 3 of 5

2008

audio review : Funplex ( album ) ... The B-52s

Bang : Frosé Rosé

Bang : Frosé Rosé

With a whopping 300 milligrams of caffeine per serving, this “potent brain and body fuel” is, according to the can, “not your stereotypical high sugar, life-sucking soda masquerading as an energy drink!” There’s actually no sugar at all, a major health benefit, though the inclusion of sucralose as a substitute isn’t much better.

The taste is hard to describe. I’ve never had Rosé (wine) but there are hints of grape, along with strawberry and maybe some Pez. It’s certainly sweet, thanks to the aforementioned sucralose, at least when you first start drinking. The sweetness seems to fade after a while. Drink it partially frozen to get the full conceptual impact.

my rating : 3 of 5

audio review : Revolution ( album ) … Paula Cole

audio review : Revolution ( album ) ... Paula Cole

Perhaps Paula Cole’s always been an SJW; go listen to her Harbinger debut; but she’s never manifested her advocacy to this degree. The war cry begins right out the gate with a call to action in the form of a bombastic speech by what sounds like an old black man. “We are deeply in need of a new way beyond the darkness,” he says before revealing the Revolution as a way to bring about a world utopia of “love”.

For Cole, it seems to have more to do with contemporary feminism; Shake The Sky calls for the uprising of women while Silent serves as an anthem for the so-called Me Too Movement; though she also takes on racism and other political issues. Still the album isn’t as musically radical as the aforementioned Intro might lead you to believe. Most of it sounds like Paula Cole, whatever that’s worth these days.

my rating : 3 of 5

2019

audio review : Courage ( album ) … Paula Cole

audio review : Courage ( album ) ... Paula Cole

Courage? I don’t know. Paula Cole decided to play it safe on this album. What we get, after nearly eight years, is a woman who’s mature and sophisticated, relatively stable even, in contrast to the church girl who got lost in religious babble (Amen) or the Lilith who threatened to bite off the head of her housemate’s penis with This Fire.

That latter set, easily her best, is what made the world fall in Love with her in the first place and we do get a small puff of that fiery edge here. She goes into her signature bawl at the end of the first single, another breakup ballad, entitled 14. “This mighty woman’s ready to explode,” she warns, though the “volcano” never actually erupts.

Still this prettier version of Cole who prefers sweeping jazz arrangements and lite reggae over bitchy rock anthems remains a talent. Even given these romantic themes, her voice is smoother than ever and she still has a knack for the kind of ballsy vocal melodies you don’t hear much in the brave new world of pop music.

my rating : 3 of 5

2007

Old Orchard Healthy Balance : Strawberry Watermelon

Old Orchard Healthy Balance : Strawberry Watermelon

This juice tastes like garbage. That’s not to say it’s nasty; it isn’t; just that its flavor is comparable to the sweet smell of trash. It also smells like trash; it’s probably the smell that causes it to taste that way; but without the repugnant stench that often comes with it.

Aside from that, the drink, from the Old Orchard Healthy Balance line, isn’t bad. It’s mostly water and apple juice, so the name is misleading, but there is some Strawberry and Watermelon juice added. No sugar though; just sucralose, which may be as bad for your Health.

my rating : 3 of 5

audio review : High Off Life ( album ) … Future

audio review : High Off Life ( album ) ... Future

Future is a rich man with a lavish collection of jewelry and several luxury cars; his money and fame attract so many “bad bitches”, it’s Hard To Choose One; so it’s no wonder he’s High Off Life. He’s also high on “green”. This, his eight album, serves as a soundtrack to his biography; at least the parts he wants us to know about.

Not that his heavily Auto-Tuned vocals are the highlight here. The best parts are the gritty Trap beats; those of us who can’t switch the “yellow Lambo” with the “green Ferrari” have to be careful not to blow our woofers with all this bass; though the set would be a lot less interesting without his singsong raps to set the scenes.

my rating : 3 of 5

2020

Phineas Gage [ A Gruesome But True Story About Brain Science ] ( book ) … John Fleischman

Phineas Gage [ A Gruesome But True Story About Brain Science ] ( book ) ... John Fleischman

This book; a True Story only in the sense most historical biographies are, meaning it’s based on what someone says other people said happened; is compelling at the start. That’s partly because it begins with the Gruesome; Phineas Gage is “world famous” for being cranially impaled by a tamping iron; instead of eventually leading into it.

Once the tale of his Horrible Accident is told, John Fleischman is left stretching the rest of Gage’s otherwise unexceptional life out with what comes across as an extended epilogue. He does so by digressing into detailed medical synopses and Science lessons regarding the Brain, comparing what we “know” now to what they knew back in the 1800s.

my rating : 3 of 5

2002