Megatron!

This really happened on the first week of the season, just ask my wife.  

She wouldn't talk to me for days after that.

The Eat @ Shrimpy's 2014 Year in Review

We'll get back to the AC/DC discography review shortly, but first, the annual "year in review!"

I have combed through my reviews this year to bring you a best of list.  If you neglected my recommendation the first time*, follow the links to re-read the reviews and make some post-New Year’s purchases.  If I neglected something, or you think I ranked one too low, please let me know in the comments, we’ll start a dialogue.

Please note, that this was a pretty lean year in terms of spending as legal bills were a major hassle, so the lists may not be as extensive as in years past.  I invite you to help me flesh out those lists with some of your own favorites.

*Where I have failed to provide a previous review there will be a small blurb as to why I included that particular thing.

Concerts:

1.  Clutch

That's it, one concert last year.  Jeez.  Luckily next year starts with a bang as Black Label Society is coming to Syracuse in January!

CD’s:

1.   Black Label Society: Catacombs of the Black Vatican
2.  Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band: Goin' Home
2.  Dio: This is Your Life
4.  Black Stone Cherry: Magic Mountain
5. Slash: World on Fire

Comic Series:

I read no new comics this year (I know, it's a shame).  I did pick up a few trades though, and in no particular order, my recommendations are Invincible, The Goon, Chew, Atomic Robo.

Seriously, those four books are awesome, go pick them up!

Video Games:

1. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds - 3DS

2.  Mario Kart 8
3.  Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (Review coming soon!)
4.  Pikmin 3
5. Diablo III

So what are your favorites? 

Riding the Pine

I may have been the king of leaving high scoring players on my bench all season.  I feel his pain.

Megatron?

Sometimes, the real conversations you have during fantasy football are the scariest conversations.

He Sees You When You're...

Remember that, kiddos.

The Math Doesn't Add Up

Week One

Standings:

Shrimp:		Assorted Freaks:
The Masked Shrimp	0-0	The Slugomatic	0-0
Fred	0-0	The Wormy Guy	0-0
The Masked Shrimpette	0-0	Mr. Happee	0-0

Schedule:

The Masked Shrimp v. The Masked Shrimpette

The Slugomatic v. The Wormy Guy

Fred v. Mr. Happee

What is that above the strip, you ask?  Well, every "week" within the Fantasy Football schedule, I'll provide the standings, as well as the schedule of who plays who for the upcoming "week" (week is in quotations because the number of strips within each particular week will vary).  

Album Review: AC/DC – Stiff Upper Lip (2000)

Overview: 

I have a confession to make, this was my first AC/DC album, yes, before Back in Black, before Highway to Hell.  I still have a bit of a soft spot for this album, and while it’s a little long and tends to overstay its welcome by the end, I still hold it in very high regard.

Tracks you may know: 

Stiff Upper Lip – One of my favorite tracks in the catalogue, a killer riff with a great solo about halfway through the song.  AC/DC at its finest.

Tracks you should know:

Come and Get It – There’s something about hearing Brian Johnson growl the challenge “come and get it” that makes me very confident he’d have my back in fight.

All Screwed Up – A fast moving romp of a song, not quite “Rocker” level, but the guitarwork on this one is cleaner.

My personal favorite:

I have to go with “Stiff Upper Lip”.  If you listen to no other song on this album, listen to that one. 

Album rating: 

A great album (I am a little biased, I admit) that just builds on their late career resurgence.  By now the myth of AC/DC was just as important as their output, and their output was phenomenal.

8/10

Kicker

Fantasy Football Tip #251: Always check to make sure the player you're picking up is in the league.

The Sad Truth

Note, this was written before the start of the season, when the dominance of the Dallas offensive line was not a sure thing.  It's nice being able to look back on these and see where things were three months ago.

That being said, I wasn't the only one that thought Dallas was going to be terrible this year, and I'm a Cowboys fan!

Not so New Comic Review: Guardians of the Galaxy (1991) #58

                Last issue ended with the arrival of the High Evolutionary.  This issue starts with Talon attacking the High Evolutionary (of course).  This does not go over well as The High Evolutionary is well equipped to deflect any attack.  When the rest of the Guardians fail to heed the pleas of Ripjak to actually think for a second and stop just attacking without a clear reason, Yellowjacket (the only member of the team that knows who the High Evolutionary is because of her time spent in the present day where he was more of a fixture) stops them herself.  She then explains to them who he is and why he should be trusted. 

                At that point The High Evolutionary and Ripjak decide that Vance is the only one that can help them take on Bubonicus because there is no more room in Ripjak’s ship for the whole team (his ship has superior technology but no extra seats so they are going to use that).  Talon gets all butt-hurt about not being allowed to go but the rest of the team supports their leader.  It is then revealed that because of Vance’s bodysuit that he will be impervious to the disease that Bubonicus uses as a weapon.  To fight him, Vance and Ripjak need to team up!  The rest of the Guardians, despite now knowing that Ripjak is not the enemy, still don’t understand why Vance would work with him. 

                Now, on a distant planet, Bubonicus is striking again.  However, he is taken by surprise as Vance is among the populace (though the rest of the people are dying, so I guess they were just the bait?).  Ripjak, meanwhile is in his ship and shoots at Bubonicus to disorient him before jumping down to engage him face to face.  Ripjak and Vance fight Bubonicus until an explosion shows that both Bubonicus and Ripjak have disappeared, leaving Vance alone.  The High Evolutionary has saved the citizens of the planet at least, but that is it.  There is no actual conclusion to this storyline.  Bubonicus and Ripjak are out there…somewhere.

                Back on the ship, Vance comes to find out that while he was out there saving lives, the rest of the Guardians have decided that they’ve had enough of being a team and are all taking a sabbatical.  Aleta has decided to stay behind with Vance to rekindle their relationship, but everyone else has left to do their own thing for the time being. 

                As we finish up this issue, we focus on Starhawk who comes across a beaten and broken Silver Surfer floating through space. 

                Next Issue:  Who did this to the Surfer, and is this the end of the lover’s quarrels between Vance and Talon? 

The Cost of the Steal

This may or may not have actually happened.

Album Review: AC/DC – Ballbreaker (1995)

Overview: 

AC/DC continued to ride the high from The Razor’s Edge with their most consistent album to date.  Nearly twenty years later, and the band was only getting better.

Tracks you may know: 

Hard as a Rock – Probably the most standard AC/DC track on the album, so it makes sense this would be the track that was well known. 

Cover You in Oil – A relatively traditional AC/DC track with a great chorus.

Tracks you should know:

Boogie Man – A rich, bluesy track, the likes of which we haven’t really seen in a while. 

The Furor/Hail Caesar – Pick one, they’re both very similar, but they are great songs on an album full of quality.

My personal favorite:

The Furor – It’s a very danceable beat, coupled with something that probably pissed off a lot of Germans, you can’t go wrong!

Album rating: 

The Razor’s Edge was good, Ballbreaker was better. 

9/10

Wrong Fantasy

A fight over nipple clamps?  Yup, sounds about right.

Purple Attack

Sometimes, the heaviness that is talking about character flaws of football players needs to be broken up by Sluggy talking about bean dip.

*Note: this was at the beginning of the season when Ray Rice was only suspended for two games, before the video and before Roger Goodell became especially adept at talking out of his ass.

Not so New Comic Review: Guardians of the Galaxy (1991) #57

                So, at the end of the last issue, we found out that the Guardians are basically responsible for the suffering of millions of people, no not the readers of their comic, the population of a planet that has been hit by a plague.  Apparently Ripjak, the supposed interstellar serial killer is actually an interstellar mercy killer, snuffing the lives of the afflicted before they can suffer that same fate to the diseases ravaging their world. 

                Of course this means nothing to the Guardians who continue to attack Ripjak until Yondu (again, the only Guardian worth a damn) forces them to stop.  Of course this is a perfect time for Talon to start fighting with Yondu, because Vance was busy I guess?  Anyway, the fighting stops when Ripjak tells his origin to the guardians, beyond what they already know I guess.  He explained how he came to be the Kevorkian of the future and finally Vance realizes that Bubonicus is the true villain here (remember Bubonicus from that one issue that featured the Galactic Guardians?)  Apparently Martinex told Vance about him and even uploaded some info to Icarus, but no one on the Guardians does their homework, so no one knew of him.  Vance, trying to make up for being a dumbass and missing the correlation, is willing to let Ripjak aboard Icarus in order to learn more about Bubonicus, which pisses off Talon (of course). 

                We now take a break and head out to deep space where Starhawk has found Hollywood.  Starhawk wants to know about his parents, but Hollywood doesn’t want any part of helping him, so of course, in grand Guardians of the Galaxy tradition, they fight.  Of course, while they fight, they also talk so when they eventually stop pummeling eachother they help eachother.  I am not sure whether West is unable to draw two people having a normal conversation or whether Gallagher refuses to write that.  They seriously spent three pages beating eachother up in order to have a conversation.  That’s lazy.  In the end, Hollywood suggests that Starhawk find the Silver Surfer, that he may be able to help find Starhawk’s parents, or at least point him in a direction to get the search started, and they part company.  Starhawk then leaves Hollywood with the chunk of info that “Doom lies beneath his dome”.  If you remember, Hollywood has been searching frantically all over the universe for Doctor Doom (or Wolver-Doom as he is now known) and it appears that he was in the same spot the whole time.  Great detective work Hollywood. 

                Back on the ship, everyone is finally looking at the info on Bubonicus (which, by the way, comes in the form of a hologram and most likely a narration, so they didn’t even have to read about him, super laaaaazy).  They learn some more about Bubonicus, even calling up Martinex for his input (weren’t he and Vance mad at eachother last issue?) and they all start to argue about the validity of a plan that involves teaming up with their enemy to fight a greater enemy (they’ve apparently never read a Marvel comic) until out of nowhere, who shows up but the High-freaking-Evolutionary!

                Next Issue: It’s High-Evolutionary hijinks as we finish up this story-arc.

Stolen

Yes, this actually happened. 

Yes, I still occasionally hear about it.

Album Review: AC/DC – The Razor’s Edge (1990)

Overview: 

A lot less filler equals a much better album this time around.  In fact, instead of going out with a whimper, AC/DC goes out with a bang on The Razor’s Edge as the last three songs are some of the strongest on the album.

Tracks you may know: 

Thunderstruck – Have you ever seen a sports movie?  Then you’ve probably heard “Thunderstruck”.

Moneytalks – More good fun from Angus and the crew as the hook gets you and never lets you go.

Tracks you should know:

Let’s Make It, Goodbye and Good Riddance to Bad Luck and If You Dare – The best closing trio of songs on any AC/DC album in their career, incredibly solid and leaves you feeling satisfied instead of cheated (like the ending of the last few albums did).

My personal favorite:

If You Dare – I don’t know why this stands out so much, the backup vocals maybe…it’s got a creepy vibe to go along with the great riff.  The best closing song in their catalogue.

Album rating: 

Back with a vengeance.  One of their best albums and the best of the late 80’s for sure.

8/10

Draft Party

Are they asleep, or did they commit ritual suicide at the prospect of a three hour Musburger-called game?  

That's a valid question.

The Hand You're Dealt

Yup, Shrimpy is an old-school Carolina Panthers fan.  Kerry Collins for the win!

Not so New Comic Review: Guardians of the Galaxy (1991) #56

                Somehow, someway, the Guardians always wind up escaping certain death at the last moment.  This time, after Ripjak has blown up his base, after detailing his origin to the Guardians first, of course, it is revealed that Vance teleported the Guardians back to their ship just before the explosion, because of course he did.  Once back on Icarus, Vance and Talon have yet another fight, before everything starts acting normal.  Yondu and Yellowjacket take Aleta to the infirmary to recover from her attack by Ripjak, while Martinex calls Vance on some sort of holographic video phone.  He chides Vance for breaking the quarantine around Mars, as well as questioning him about Charlie’s frame-job from a few issues ago.  Instead of having a conversation like a normal person though, Vance blows up at Martinex, one of his oldest friends and partners, and then tells him to not look into the goings-on.  It’s a level of trust that probably should be expected at this point in their partnership, but Vance could have very easily said that “Charlie was framed and we’re going after the real villain”.  Bam.  Done.  That was not difficult and it took less time than his little speech did.  I don’t know why Gallagher wants us to hate Vance, but it’s working. 

 

                We then get a quick update from the prison warden who basically blames the Guardians for everything (even though he promised not to), and this makes Charlie mad, then sad because it reminds him how rough he had it for all of a couple days I’m assuming.  Nikki then cheers him up and it’s romance rekindled!

                Wait, wait, wait.  It’s time for another Talon and Vance fight.

                Okay, now that that is out of the way we cut to Ripjak in his ship.  It turns out that his motivation for destroying these worlds has more to do with ending their suffering than actually killing them.  He is an interstellar Jack Kevorkian basically. 

                Back on the Guardians’ ship, Yondu is trying to heal ALeta by doing some sort of spiritual cleansing thing…and it works.  Yondu is consistently the only member of the team that has any real worth. 

                The Guardians show up at the planet that Ripjak has managed to make his way to.  Of course, a fight ensues, where Ripjak attacks the Guardians and surprise, surprise, he’s winning.  While he is kicking everyone else’s ass though, Yellowjacket shrinks down and blindsides him, knocking him down.  When he gets up though he shows the Guardians the error of their ways as the denizens of the planet they are on continue to die from a plague, writhing in pain and fear. 

                Next Issue: The Guardians made the wrong decision…go figure.  Now we get to see them deal with their foolishness, and I would be willing to put money on another Talon-Vance fight.

Pull Your Punches

I'm not going to point any fingers, but this may or may not have been a conversation I had before the draft in my league.

Album Review: AC/DC – Blow Up Your Video (1988)

Overview: 

Blow Up Your Video was well received, especially after the debacle of the last two albums, but it still fell under the “can they play anything else?” umbrella that has followed the band throughout their career.  That being said, the energy from the band is and always has been undeniable.

Tracks you may know: 

Heatseeker and That’s The Way I Wanna Rock & Roll – They are lumped together because they are so similar.  They are not bad songs, but like the rest of the AC/DC catalogue, they are interchangeable. 

Tracks you should know:

Meanstreak – The best track on the album, and one of the best of the Brian Johnson era.

My personal favorite:

Meanstreak – A walking beat and a killer guitar lick make this the best track on the album, by far.

Album rating: 

Looooooots of filler tracks on this one don’t make for a great album. The critics and general public may have liked it, but aside from a few tracks I’d rather listen to any other album.  This is probably my least favorite, and their most forgettable album.

3/10

'Tis the Season

Okay, I've been touting this as a big deal for a couple weeks now, and here's why.

1.  Every storyline I have done has been completely written in advance.  This is the first time I am writing the story as it happens, so this story has not be completed yet as the final week of the fantasy football season just ended.

2.  This is the longest story I have created to date.  Seriously, it will be going until June at least as it's 

currently constituted.

3.  Because this is a storyline that is based around an actual fantasy football season, it is very topical, most of the jokes, in fact will be little reminders as to what has happened in the current football season.

Note: You may not like fantasy football, or football in general, but I ask that you refrain from checking out until June.  This is still Eat @ Shrimpy's, so it's still going to be the same level of hilarity you're used to.