Tommy Ran's 20th Anniversary show

We don't really need another vanity joshi show but veteran referee Tommy Ran Decided to celebrate her 20th anninversary in joshi by producing her own show on Wednesday at Shin-kiba 1st Ring. As long as she doesn't make a habit of it. Forget about the card you might have seen before the show. You know what they say about a card being subject to change. All the matches were supposed to be a tribute to all the companies Tommy worked for and except for the first obvious comedy match, the show was pretty decent. So congratualtions to Tommy Ran on her 20th anniversary in the joshi business. Here's the results of the show.

TOMMY RAN 20TH ANNIVERSARY - 12/28/05 - Shin-kiba 1st Ring
AJW MEMORIAL:Bolshoi Kid def. Mikiko Futagami in 13:29
A TO Z MEMORIAL:Mika Nishio - 20 min. draw - Leona
LLPW MEMORIAL:Eiger def. Obacchi Iizuka in 11:08
YOSHIMOTO PRO MEMORIAL:KAZUKI & Sachie Abe def. The Bloody & Fang Suzuki in 2 of 3 falls (Bloody over Abe in 33 sec., Abe over Bloody in 54 sec., KAZUKI over Fang in 15:12)
Kana def. Ayumi Kurihara in 11:01
Jaguar Yokota, Yumiko Hotta & Hiroyo Muto def. Nanae Takahashi, Hikaru & Saki Maemura (Jaguar over Maemura in 19:27)

baby-M's retirement show

The final M's Style show of 2005 was baby-M's retirement show and was on Dec. 23 at Korakuen Hall. The show started with Mariko Yoshida being awarded the Lady Gong 2005 MVP award. Yoshida then finished off Cherry in short order. baby-M teamed with MIKAMI and defeated Dick Togo & GAMI in her retirement match. The main event is part of this M's Style general manager angle between AKINO & Hikaru. AKINO took the offensive by knocking Hikaru out with a kick to the jaw. Hikaru was carried out on a stretcher and taken to hospital. Was it an angle? It's hard to tell. Ayako Hamada ran in and was upset because of the sudden death of Emiko Kado in ARSION and she didn't want that to happen again. AKINO beat her too. Ayako then berated M's Style wrestlers Ayumi Kurihara, Leon & Bullfight Sora to show a little backbone and take charge of things in M's Style. We'll find out soon enough if this is an angle. There may be something going on that we aren't aware of and they have to replace Hikaru in the angle. Good luck to baby-M in her retirement. Here's the results of the show.

M'S STYLE - 12/23/05 - Korakuen Hall
Mariko Yoshida def. Cherry
Aja Kong & Ayumi Kurihara def. Toshie Uematsu & Ran YuYu
Amazing Kong def. Bullfight Sora in 9:51
BABY-M RETIREMENT MATCH:baby-M & MIKAMI def. GAMI & Dick Togo (baby-M over GAMI in 12:34)
Ayako Hamada & Michiko Ohmukai def. Leon & Tsubasa Kuragaki (Ohmukai over Leon in 11:07)
AKINO def. Hikaru in 8:01
AKINO def. Ayako Hamada in 5:48

Yahoo LAUNCHCAST song of the day

Artist:Fred Hammond
Song:That Ain't Nothin'
Album:Speak Those Things;POL Chapter 3


Fred Hammond is one of today's premier black gospel artists. And he makes a lot of music as a singer, writer, arranger, producer and owner of his own label. He was also Executive Producer of the recent film The Gospel. He makes great funky music from his studio outside Detroit.

Yahoo LAUNCHCAST song of the day

Artist:The Rascals
Song:Groovin'
Album:Anthology 1967-1972


Another big hit from the psychedelic 60s, Felix Cavalleri's group The Rascals took a decidedly jazzy turn in the 70s and left the mainstream.

Today's physiotherapy & new joshi DVDs

I picked up the mail on my way out and received some new joshi DVDs in the mail from my Aussie pals Amy Action & Bliss Inc. They're about the only ones selling this product who take the time to put the DVDs in boxes with full colour covers. And the DVDs are cheap too. So go visit the girls at http://www.wrestlegirlz.com/ and invest in some top notch entertainment. I'll try and write reviews of the videos shortly. I showed the covers to a couple of guys at the hospital and they thought the Yumi Fukawa videos must be pornos. Yeah, Yumi is sexy as hell but she can kick your butt too.


I feel like I'm starting to make some real progress in physio especially with the walking with canes. I did more with that today than in previous sessions. We'll keep working at it when I go back to Lyndhurst on Tuesday.

Yahoo LAUNCHCAST song of the day

Artist:Otis Redding
Song:Security
Album:Otis!


Another great track from one of the greatest R & B singers ever.

Yahoo LAUNCHCAST song of the day

Artist:Miles Davis
Song:Pharoah's Dance
Album:The Complete Bitches Brew Sessions


Miles Davis' Bitches Brew is one of the most influential of jazz albums and really started the jazz/rock fusion movement back in 1970. It was also the first jazz album I ever listened to many years ago. Miles was always ahead of the curve and I think now the supposed jazz experts realize that Miles was a genius and Bitches Brew was brilliant. Most of the musicians on Bitches Brew had their own successes and credit Miles for that. This 4CD box set of The Complete Bitches Brew Sessions comes in a metal box and is a must for any jazz fan and I do have it in my collection.

Yabushita to defend title at Smackgirl MMA show

Smackgirl has announced that Megumi Yabushita will defend her Open Weight Championship against an opponent to be announced at the Feb. 15 Korakuen Hall Smackgirl show. Paging Erin Toughill.

Yahoo LAUNCHCAST song of the day

Artist:Al Green
Song:I'm Still In Love With You
Album:Anthology


Any R & B fan would love this 4CD box set from this great singer. Al Green & Willie Mitchell were always one of the best singer/producer teams anywhere. And they've teamed up again recently to produce great new Al Green CDs for Blue Note Records so check those out too.

JD Star's Christmas show

JD Star had a rather unusual show yesterday at Shin-kiba 1st Ring. The start of the show had eight wrestlers come to the ring to draw lots dividing them into two teams. The red team was Shuu Shibutani, Fuuka, Sachie Abe & Nanae Takahashi. The blue team was Kyoko Kimura, Mika Nishio, Kana & Saki Maemura. They would participate in an Elimination Match. But first, GAMI & Fang Suzuki defended the TWF Tag Team Titles over The Bloody & the returning Yumi Ohka. GAMI made Ohka submit with the figure four leglock in 29:47.

The Elimination Match was not a tag match but a series of 10 minute time limit singles matches. It seems the way it worked was a wrestler was eliminated with a loss or a time limit draw. I guess this way certain wrestlers don't have to job. First, Nanae Takahashi defeated Saki Maemura in 4:21. Then, Takahashi vs Mika Nishio ended in a time limit draw. so both are eliminated. Then, Sachie Abe vs Kyoko Kimura ended in a time limit draw. Kana defeated Fuuka in 6:20. Shuu Shibutani defeated Kana in 7:08 to give the win to the red team. All through the match wrestlers interfered from the outside to break up pins. I guess they did that to give the match more excitement. It seems like pretty goofy booking to me. If you do a match like this, wouldn't you want the best wrestlers in the ring at the end? I also don't like it when draws eliminate wrestlers. It makes the whole thing anti-climactic. So it was a Merry Christmas for JD Star fans and hopefully they enjoyed the show.

The Bloody & Fang Suzuki discuss retirement

The Bloody & Fang Suzuki went to the Nikkan Sports office yesterday to discuss their retirement show on New Year's Eve at Shinjuku FACE. Both of them said they wanted to go out with a bang and The Bloody said that many of her fellow wrestlers would be there and she wants to put on a good show for them. Retirement shows are usually very sentimental but the two said that they will fight to the end against Mayumi Ozaki & Dynamite Kansai in the LSD 2005 match. Fang said she plans to use her head and the 2005 seconds effectively. Fang says she is retiring due to a hernia in her cervical vertebrae. The Bloody is very happy to be retiring in perfect health. I can't believe The Bloody is only 28. Neither has any firm post retirement plans but both hope to finish their careers with a victory.

Maid Machines added to GIRLS DOOR show

Whattaya know? The Masked Housemaids or Maid Machines or whatever have been added to the New Years Eve GIRLS DOOR show at Shinjuku FACE. They will face Megumi Yabushita & Michiko Ohmukai. That will probably be a decent match.

More Hustle foolishness

Yesterday's Hustle house show at Korakuen Hall had a six person tag match. Erica, Margaret & Susumu Otani Jiro vs Darcon Z, Jaguar Y & Yasuda Tadao. Jaguar pinned Erica for the win and then as you will be able to tell by the pic gallery, there was a dance routine. Oh yeah. Erotic Terrorist Yin Ling announced her retirement from Hustle. Yesterday was her final show. I'm sure you'll all miss her.


http://sportsnavi.yahoo.co.jp/fight/other/photo/200512/25/a04/index.html

Christmas dinner in Uxbridge

The other day, one of my fellow patient friends from Lyndhurst asked me to come to his house for Christmas dinner. His name is Ted. Needless to say, when you're in a wheelchair, going anywhere can be a logistical nightmare. And Uxbridge isn't across the street. So the main issue was transportation and if I could solve that, I would go. Our mutual friend and fellow patient Godfrey called me on Saturday and asked if I wanted to go to Uxbridge with him. I said I would get back to him. After confirming a couple of things with Ted, I called Godfrey back and told him what we were going to do and that I was going. Of course one of the big problems is I can't get the power chair into a car and I don't have a backup manual chair. There would be one other hurdle once I got to the house and I will explain that in a moment. Let's just say I did a couple of things I hadn't done before.


Godfrey and his girlfriend Tara arrived at my place at 2PM. I went down to Godfrey's car in my chair and transferred into the front seat of the car. I hadn't done that before but it was no big deal. Godfrey took my chair up to my apartment and locked up. So what am I going to do when I get to Ted's house? First, they have a chair lift from the garage to the main floor of the house. Second, Ted has a couple of wheelchairs that I can borrow while I'm there. So we're off to Uxbridge. It's a long trip but traffic was pretty good. The other problem was that there are 13 steps going from the main floor down to Ted's family room. He was very concerned about that because he knows I can't walk but he has a cane and a walker. Just because I haven't navigated stairs doesn't mean I can't do it. I have walked with canes and a walker so I felt that if I was careful, I would be OK. So with everyone watching me like a hawk, I went down the stairs very slowly with one hand on the bannister and the other with a cane. It went very well and everyone, including myself, was very relieved. I used the walker to get to the sofa in the family room. Obviously once I did that, I was confident about doing it again and I knew I could do it in the first place anyway. You have to be that way or you'll never do anything. We went back upstairs for traditional Christmas dinner with turkey and everything. The dinner was great and then we went back downstairs to watch one of Godfrey's DVDs.


When it was time to leave, it was snowing heavily in Uxbridge. Visibility was poor so Godfrey had to be extra cautious on the road back to the highway. There was snow and heavy traffic on Hwy. 401 but there was no snow in the city. It was just raining a bit. Godfrey went up to my apartment to get my chair and I transferred out of the car into the chair. So a successful but complicated road trip. Many thanks to Godfrey for his help and I look forward to our future business dealings. And special thanks to Ted and his family for their hospitality to all of us. We all enjoyed ourselves and we greatly appreciated the invitation. It meant a lot to us.

Yahoo LAUNCHCAST song of the day

Artist:Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers
Song:I Want You To Be My Girl
Album: The Doo Wop Box


Classic 50s doo wop that still sounds great today.

Yahoo LAUNCHCAST song of the day

Artist:10CC
Song:I'm Not In Love
Album:10CC's Greatest Hits


Biggest hit from one of the more interesting and complex pop groups of the 70s. 10CC's Kevin Godley & Lol Creme went on to be major innovators in the music video industry.


Merry Christmas & Happy Channukah to everyone out in blogland. My friend Ted & his wife have invited me to their home in Uxbridge for Christmas dinner. That'll be a long trip. Our mutual friend Godfrey is picking me up this afternoon. I'm not going to let this chair prevent me from going places and doing what I want. Talk to ya later.

Let's all go to Hustle

Here ya go, folks. Here's a link to Sportsnavi's gallery from today's goofy Hustle show. It's Erica (Aja Kong) & Margaret (Amazing Kong) vs Jaguar Y (Jaguar Yokota) & Docron Z formerly Arisin Z (Ayako Hamada). Ayako lost her mask at her last show so they've changed her name. Jaguar has been made to look like a cat of some sort. Ayako & Jaguar won the match. On a non-joshi note, former WWE stiff Kenzo Suzuki was on the show and his wife Hiroko has been named GM of Hustle.



http://sportsnavi.yahoo.co.jp/fight/other/photo/200512/24/b04/index.html

Yahoo LAUNCHCAST song of the day

Artist:John Coltrane
Song:Blue Trane
Album:Blue Trane

This all time classic also features Miles Davis.

Yahoo LAUNCHCAST song of the day

Artist:Derek & The Dominoes
Song:Bell Bottom Blues
Album:Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs


Fabled supergroup best known for the pairing of guitar legends Eric Clapton & Duane Allman. Probably Clapton's best work because Allman was there to kick his butt. Of course Allman died soon after in a motorcycle accident.

Today's physiotherapy

We tried a bike machine at physio today. They have a couple of different machines. I didn't like this one much because my size 12 clodhoppers were too big for the pedals and kept slipping out. I also kept sliding off the seat though transferring into the seat was no problem. I like the MotoMed a lot better because I can stay in my chair and the feet attach to the foot pedals with ankle straps so it doesn't matter how big my feet are. We also continued with various leg lifts and also walking with canes. I was very happy with the walking today. Lyndhurst is closed on Tuesday for Boxing Day so I will return next Thursday.

More matches announced for New Year's Eve GIRLS DOOR show

GIRLS DOOR has added more matches to their New Year's Eve show at Shinjuku FACE. Other than the main event of Tomoko Watanabe vs Ayako Hamada, the card looks pretty underwhelming. A couple of weeks ago they added a handicap match with Kumiko Maekawa vs Police & GIRLS DOOR GM Yoshihiro Tsurura. If you recall, Maekawa nailed Tsurura with a chair at the first show. It's the kind of match that annoys me so I figured I'd wait until more matches were announced. All the new matches appear to be vets vs rookies except for another appearance by the masked wrestler Do Monar who on the first show was dispatched by Maekawa in two minutes. There are two more matches to be announced. Maybe The Housemaids will return. Here's the updated card.


GIRLS DOOR - 12/31/05 - Shinjuku FACE
Shinohara vs Do Monar
Kaoru Ito & Ayako Sato vs Aja Kong & Kyoko Kimura
Cherry vs Commando Bolshoi
Kumiko Maekawa vs Police & Yoshihiro Tsurura
Tomoko Watanabe vs Ayako Hamada

Yahoo LAUNCHCAST song of the day

Artist:Julian "Cannonball" Adderley
Song:Work Song
Album:Them Dirty Blues

Classic track from one of the all time great jazz sax players. I believe this also features Cannonball's brother Nat Adderley on trumpet.

Yahoo LAUNCHCAST song of the day

Artist:Herbie Hancock
Song:The Egg
Album:The Complete Blue Note Sixties Sessions


I don't have this 5CD box set but it is definitely worth getting.

Christy Hemme speaks about her firing from the WWE

Christy Hemme posted the following last night on the message board of her website. Her situation was very similar to Daniel Puder. She won a contest and was making too much money. So instead of asking her to take a pay cut, they sent her to OVW in order to force her to quit. When her reaction was exactly the opposite of what they expected, they fired her anyway. I didn't like Christy and I hate the Bimbo Search but it's pretty obvious that she gladly did whatever she was asked and it's a hell of a way for the WWE to treat someone. BTW, there are already rumours that Dixie Carter has been in contact with Christy so don't be surprised if Christy turns up in TNA after the non compete clause runs out.


Hello everyone! Thank you so much to everyone who has and is still supporting me. Even though the partnership with WWE and I did not end very will (sic), I am truly thankful for the experience. All I can say at this time to clear up some of the rumors, there was no battle over money. Money was never my motivation for working. Truth is that I was completely dedicated to the company and believed in everything I was doing. I trusted it. I was willing to put my personal life aside to give everything I had to what I was doin and become better wrestler/performer. I was told that I was a budget cut and creatively they didn't have anything for me. I am very disappointed in the WWE, where I learned a very important lesson. I am a very determined person with a huge amount of engery for my life and my career. Everything happens for a reason and anything that has happened in my life that has knocked me down has only built me back up stronger. I feel stronger than ever and I am hungry for this huge future before me. Again, THANK YOU soooo much to everyone who has believed in me and is supporting me.

Today's physiotherapy

It's always funny when a little snow falls and the traffic goes all to hell. That's the way it was on Wheeltrans. My ride going home was a half hour late and that was a long trip home. There's not even that much snow. It's scattered flurries. Lately in physio, we've been concentrating on leg lifts and walking with canes. It's going pretty good and I'll return to Lyndhurst on Thursday.

Dianne Reeves getting noticed in film Good Night and Good Luck

The following is courtesy of Reuters. I've been a Dianne Reeves fan for over 20 years and it's always nice to see someone that good get some mainstream recognition. Instead of wasting your money on flavour of the month jazz singers, invest your time & money with someone as reliable as Dianne Reeves. You can't go wrong with great talent.


Close, but no Globe, for jazz singer Dianne Reeves
By Steve James
14 minutes ago


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Jazz singer Dianne Reeves wonGrammys' for her last three albums. Unfortunately, she won't be setting a Golden Globe on her mantlepiece soon.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. recognizes only original songs, and Reeves performs jazz standards on screen throughout George Clooney's film "Good Night, and Good Luck," which just picked up four Golden Globe nominations.

Her renditions of tunes like Nat "King" Cole's "Staighten Up and Fly Right" and Cole Porter's "I've Got My Eyes on You," are used by director/actor Clooney to punctuate scenes and add pointed commentary to his film about TV newsman Edward R. Murrow's ideological battle with Sen. Joseph McCarthy in 1950's red-baiting America.

"I can't complain," says Reeves of the lack of Golden Globe recognition for her performances, in which she performs in 50's-style dresses with a jazz combo in smoke-filled clubs.

After all, the film has given new visibility to a singer who has been around for years, but recognized little outside a coterie of traditional jazz purists.

"I got a call from George Clooney's office asking for a video of me signing 'How High the Moon,"' she told Reuters in a recent telephone interview. "I then left for Asia and when I came back I had the job."

Working with Clooney was intriguing, she said, not least because he is the nephew of Rosemary Clooney, a singer whom Reeves has long admired. "George adored his aunt, and during the whole recording he told us stories about her.

"I did an event with her one time, she was a nice woman. Apparently she told George she liked the way I sang.

"She was one I looked up to as a singer who had the ability to be a great story-teller,' said Reeves. "In recent years I have looked for material with stories. I am inspired by that."

This is not Reeves' first movie appearance. She was in 1991's "Guilty by Suspicion" with
Robert De Niro but sang only one song, "Easy Come, Easy Go."

However on "Good Night, and Good Luck," there is a whole CD's worth of songs -- chosen by Clooney -- which have now been released as a soundtrack album by Concord Records.

"George Clooney is so bright and intelligent but down-to-earth and has that Kentucky spirit that makes it fun," said Reeves, of the 2-1/2 days she spent working on the movie set.

One thing Reeves wants people to know is that although she was born in Detroit and was influenced by the Motown sound, she is not related to Martha Reeves of Martha and the Vandellas.

"I get asked that all the time," she said, adding however that jazz funk keyboardist George Duke is a cousin and her uncle, Charles Burrell, a double bass player, was one of the first blacks to play with the San Francisco Symphony.

Yahoo LAUNCHCAST song of the day

Artist:Jefferson Airplane
Song:Somebody To Love
Album:Hits

One of the best songs of the psychedelic era from one of the best groups. Not to be confused with the pathetic Jefferson Starship incarnation that came much later.

Yahoo LAUNCHCAST song of the day

Artist:Billy Porter
Song:Use Me
Album:From The Corner of Broadway & Soul

This is Billy Porter's third CD but the first one to get noticed. Porter is a Broadway performer who grew up singing in church in his native Pittsburgh. Like Heather Headley, he's taking his Broadway experience and applying it to his gospel/soul roots. It's a very effective combination. Check him out.

Nanae Takahashi returns at Flash 7 show

It was about a year ago that Nanae Takahashi blew out her knee while winning the WWWA Singles Title from Ayako Hamada. The injury forced Takahashi to drop the belt to Kumiko Maekawa and she has been on the shelf since appearing on her best friend Momoe Nakanishi's retirement show on Jan. 8. Then All Japan Women closed and Takahashi & Hikaru opened their own booking office called Flash 7.

Takahashi chose Sunday's second Flash 7 show to make her return to the ring in front of a full house of 602. Her opponent was her old tag partner Ayako Hamada. Not surprisingly, Ayako concentrated her attack on Takahashi's knee with low dropkicks. Then Ayako threw her outside the ring and continued to attack Nanae's knee. Ayako's older sister Xochitl Hamada joined in and the two of them busted Takahashi open with chairs & barbed wire bats. Ayako gave Nanae a Frankensteiner on the announce table and followed it with a power bomb. Takahashi came back with a Shining Wizard and the Nanarack for a near fall but Ayako won the match in 29:06. Nanae Takahashi is considered a major ace in today's joshi business so her return was greeted warmly by fans. I think she's a very good wrestler who has become a main event performer by default because most others aren't very good.

After the match, the soon to retire Kumiko Maekawa came down to the ring to challenge Nanae Takahashi to a match. Not only do these two have unfinished business in the ring but it is well known that they don't like each other for real. This match will likely happen at the upcoming KO Productions show in a couple of weeks. Here's the results of the Flash 7 show.

FLASH 7 - 12/18/05 - Shinjuku FACE
Natsuki*Head - 17 min draw - Kana
FOUR WAY MATCH:Jaguar Yokota def. Nozomi Takesako, Cherry & Tomoka Nakagawa in 18:53
Dynamite Kansai & Yumiko Hotta def. Chikayo Nagashima & Saki Maemura (Kansai over Maemura)
Hikaru & Meiko Satomura def. AKINO & Leon (Hikaru over Leon in 26:24)
Ayako Hamada def. Nanae Takahashi in 29:06

Yahoo LAUNCHCAST song of the day

Artist:Dizzy Gillespie
Song:Haute Mon
Album:Duets

One of the all time greats of jazz, John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie was known for his humour and the odd appearance of his flugelhorn but the truth is he was one of the few jazz musicians of his era who was a serious student of musical theory and much more sophisticated than ever given credit. A true musical genius.

Dec. 17 G-SHOOTO womens MMA results

The main event of Saturday's G-SHOOTO show didn't last very long. Sambo queen Megumi Fujii polished off her Korean opponent Dahle Jeong in 19 seconds with a sleeper hold. Jeong was in a traffic accident on her way to get her license on Thursday but she was OK and obtained the license. The Korean's training in tae kwon do & ju jitsu was no match for the renowned sambo queen Fujii. Veteran Masako Yoshida won her match and so did Akiko Inoue. All matches were scheduled for two five minute rounds. Here's the results of the show


G-SHOOTO - 12/17/05 - Shinjuku FACE
CLASS C+ STRAWWEIGHT BOUT:Akiko Inoue def. Yukiko Seki by unanimous decision
CLASS C+ STRAWWEIGHT BOUT:Masako Yoshida def. Kayo Nagayasu by unanimous decision
CLASS C+ 61KG BOUT:Hitomi Akano def. Tama Chan in 1:27 of round 1
CLASS B 50KG BOUT:Misaki Takimoto def. MIKU in 3:08 of round 1
CLASS B 55KG BOUT:Megumi Fujii def. Dahle Jeong in 19 sec. of round 1

Christmas party in the co-op

We had a Christmas party last night in the co-op. I guess that's what separates co-ops from regular apartment building. Of course it's mostly for the kids. But I went up to chat with some of the other residents and the building management. Of course they had free food. That's always the best kind. Of course folks are very curious and ask about what I am doing in a wheelchair and I tell them. That doesn't bother me. Kids in the building are always asking about the power chair. I just tell them not to touch it. These days I just tell them all to read my blog. We have a new interim manager in Dawn and she asked me about starting a blog and I gave her instructions. I bugged Marlon about fixing something for me. He seems to like playing Santa. It looks like all the kids enjoyed the party and all the adults enjoyed blabbing to each other. It's always good to meet new people and I'll see them around the neighbourhood.

Yahoo LAUNCHCAST song of the day

Artist:India.Arie
Song:Video
Album:Acoustic Soul


India Arie Simpson is the daughter of former NBA player Ralph Simpson. No wonder she's so tall. India.Arie came on the scene a couple of years ago with this great song about self image. She said the song was a result of the guys reaction to music videos they were watching while in the recording studio. It was a huge hit and made her a star. She has a lot of talent and her Neo Soul sound will give her a long career in the music business. Check her out.

Paul Tracy to run NASCAR Busch Series races

The following is courtesy of MRN Radio Racing One. Paul Tracy in NASCAR is a big deal to Canadian NASCAR fans mainly because he will force the media, esapecially TSN, to cover NASCAR better than they do now. TSN won't carry Busch Series races now. Tracy's prescense will force them to do so. I know that seems stupid and TSN would never admit that but that's how they think.

Tracy Sets Sights on NASCAR

J.J. O'Malley
RacingOne Contributor
Posted Friday, December 16, 2005


The ARCA RE/MAX Series began three days of testing Friday at Daytona International Speedway, allowing Erin Crocker, Burnie Lamar and a number of other young drivers to get their first laps around the historic 2.5-mile oval in preparation for the February 11 ARCA 200. It also allowed open-wheel champion Paul Tracy to get his first laps in preparation for a partial NASCAR Busch Series campaign."I’m hoping to run a few NASCAR races next year, and Andy Hillenburg has been real helpful by letting me drive his ARCA car today, just to get the experience of Daytona, what it’s like on the high banks," Tracy said. "Then, we’ll be back here right after New Year’s in the Grand American test for three days (January 4-6). I’m just trying to get a lot of different experience with a lot of different cars, to keep myself busy.""Today was my first time here in a stock car. I ran a Cup car at Michigan, one of Richard Childress’ cars, but obviously, this is a lot different. I ran my first 10 laps and I think we were sixth quickest, so I’m pretty happy with that."Tracy hopes to run six-10 races with the Biagi Brothers in the Busch Series, including both Daytonas, Talladega, "Mexico City for sure," Las Vegas and Indianapolis, along with one NEXTEL Cup Series race, possibly at California Speedway."I’d like to mix in a few short tracks, too," Tracy said. "It all comes down to the team finding some sponsorship."

Yahoo LAUNCHCAST song of the day

Artist:The Beach Boys
Song:Sloop John B
Album:Good Vibrations:30 Years of The Beach Boys


This 5CD box set is the one to get for evry big Beach Boys hit.


It looks like the streets have been cleaned so it's time to go out and see how the weather is.

Visit to new doctor & today's physiotherapy

We didn't get the big snowstorm last night so I was able to go see my new doctor Dr. Matthews this morning. Her office is about ten minutes from my apartment, She seems very nice and I'll see her again next month after she gets my medical records from Dr. Pliamm. She has to do some bureaucratic paperwork for me too.

The snow started coming down by the time I left for Lyndhurst this afternoon. We picked up a patient I know from Lyndhurst at the infamous Queen Elizabeth Centre nursing home. Nobody wants to end up at that place. He says he's starting to get his act together and hopes to find housing soon. I told him to take what he can get and he should be OK. He doesn't really belong at that place. He should still be at Lyndhurst. But turning over patients is what it's all about in our hospital system today. It didn't used to be like that. Am I glad I found my own apartment.

Physiotherapy went well today. We did the usual leg lift exercises and walking with canes. I sure was pooped. I guess that's a good thing. The snowstorm is in full swing. It's supposed to last all night. Traffic on the way home was bad. I'll see what things look like in the morning. I'm not looking forward to this. I'm back at Lyndhurst on Tuesday. Oh and they're having a Christmas Party in the building tomorrow night. Who doesn't love free food?

M's Style's baby-M retirement show on Dec. 23

AKINO, Ayumi Kurihara & Bullfight Sora visited the Nikkan Sports office today to promote the Dec. 23 Korakuen Hall M's Style show that will be baby-M's retirement show. AKINO will face Hikaru in the second of a series of matches to determine who will become the M's Style General Manager upon the company's second anniversary in April. AKINO said Hikaru is an insolent upstart and AKINO will end the unpleasantness and be the GM in April. Ayumi Hurihara will team with Aja Kong against Toshie Uematsu & Ran YuYu. Ayumi has had problems with Toshie before but vows to get her revenge this time. Sora will face Amazing Kong and wants to prove her her increased power regardless if she wins or loses. Good kuck, Sora. You'll need it. In her retirement match, baby-M will team with MIKAMI vs GAMI & Dick Togo. Paper tape will be sold at the show so fans can celebrate baby-M's wrestling career. Here's the lineup for the show.


M'S STYLE - 12/23/05 - Korakuen Hall
Mariko Yoshida vs Cherry
Aja Kong & Ayumi Kurihara vs Toshie Uematsu & Ran YuYu
Bullfight Sora vs Amazing Kong
baby-M RETIREMENT MATCH:baby-M & MIKAMI vs GAMI & Dick Togo
Michiko Ohmukai & Ayako Hamada vs Leon & Tsubasa Kuragaki
GM DETERMINATION MATCH II:AKINO vs Hikaru

Yahoo LAUNCHCAST song of the day

Artist:Ruth Brown
Song:Lucky Lips
Album:Miss Rhythm:Greatest Hits And More


One of the best R & B singers of the 50s was also one of Atlantic's biggest stars. And she's still around today.

Now we're supposed to get the big snowfall this afternoon. At least I can go see my new doctor this morning. I'm not looking forward to tomorrow.

Sendai Girls looking for trainees

Sendai Girls has again sent out a call for trainees on their website. They are looking for girls at least 15 years old who will graduate from junior high next June. Applicants should send a resume along with a head shot, a full body shot, a bathing suit shot and a guardian release form. Applicants will be interviewed and will have to pass a physical examination. Those accepted will live at the Sendai Girls dojo in Sendai.

Yahoo LAUNCHCAST song of the day

Artist:The Kinks
Song:Lola
Album:Lola vs. Powerman & the Moneyground


The Kinks were always one of my favourite British groups from the 60s mainly because of Ray Davies' sense of humour. This was from the late 60s.

Today's physiotherapy

I had to go to Lyndhurst a little early today to see the social worker about some bureaucratic paperwork. It's a little cold today but we're not supposed to get any snow until Thursday. Physio went pretty well today. They had to empty out the gym for some event so patients were exercising in the hall. We did some exercises with a ball designed to improve control in my legs. My left leg didn't want to cooperate. The parallel bars weren't available due to the chaos in the gym so I walked with a couple of canes. It was OK but I prefer the parallel bars as I can work with them for a longer time period. I will return to Lyndhurst on Thursday and I will see my new doctor on Thursday morning. I'm still waiting for my new chair.

Yahoo LAUNCHCAST song of the day

Artist:Wilson Pickett
Song:I Need Somebody To Love
Album:Wilson Pickett's Greatest Hits

One of the best soul singers from the 60's, Pickett is still around today.

Launchcast wasn't working yesterday. Yahoo has fixed the problem.

It's very cold outside today. At least there's no snow...yet.

T-1 announces second joshi show

Last summer, the T-1 mobile phone company sponsored their first joshi show. T-1 held a press conference today to announce they would sponsor their second joshi show on February 23, 2006 at Shinjuku FACE. T-1 rep Futami was in attendance along with wrestlers Chikayo Nagashima, Kaori Yoneyama, Yuna & Nozomi Takesako.

Futami said that the first show turned out very well and fans have demanded a second show. The truth is the gate was weak but promoting joshi shows is a good way to promote the joshi news service T-1 provides to their customers. Of course he said this second show would be better than the first. The first two matches announced are Chikato Nagashima vs Kaori Yoneyama and a rookies match between Yuna & Nozomi Takesako. Nagashima & Yoneyama both cut promos. Nagashima said something about wanting to prove herself as the ace of the company. Yoneyama talked about how hard she is training and of course she will win.

Futami said that he would like to get Kumiko Maekawa to revive the WWWA Singles Title for the show but the two don't see eye to eye so he might not be able to do that. They had a disagreement at the first show but Futami claimed that was smoothed over and he's not even upset that Maekawa is working for GIRLS DOOR. Among companies participating in the show are JWP, OZ Academy, IWA Japan, Guts World, M's Style, Breath, K-Dojo & CPE.

Yahoo LAUNCHCAST song of the day

Artist:Anita Baker
Song:Good Love
Album:Giving You The Best That I've Got


Anita Baker became a huge star in the mid 80s with a jazz/soul sound that was the complete opposite of the type of sound that normally is played on the radio. Anita is a tremendous vocalist very much influenced by the late great Dinah Washington. She also writes & produces most of her own material so like Aretha Franklin & Oleta Adams, she's a great musician too. Anita took a few years off to raise a family but returned last year with a new CD on Blue Note Records. It's great to have her back.

Yahoo LAUNCHCAST song of the day

Artist:The Beach Boys
Song:California Girls
Album:The Best of The Beach Boys


This will warm you up if it's cold. Classic song from Pet Sounds.

WWE releases Yoshihiro Tajiri

The WWE announced on their website that veteran Japanese wrestler Yoshihiro Tajiri has asked for and received his released. The announcement was removed from the site because Tajiri will make his final appearance on this Monday's RAW. Tajiri recently signed a three year contract renewal with the WWE. Last week he wrote in a Japanese newspaper that he was burnt out with the travel schedule and still upset about Eddie Guerrero's death. Tajiri has a young family in Japan and wants to spend more time with them. He has also expressed interest in the past of becoming a journalist and I expect him to pursue that. He has a 90 day non compete clause but it's not yet known if he plans to remain an active wrestler. Tajiri became a star in North America while he was in ECW. After ECW went under, Paul Heyman recommended him for the WWE. He's a very good wrestler with martial arts moves and his signature Tarantula hold. He's been stuck in RAW's midcard mainly because of his lack of size but he's a very reliable guy and that's why the WWE re-signed him. You know that Tajiri is a veteran and will always give a good performance. The WWE will miss him because they do have to have good solid guys in the midcard. A lot of the younger guys don't cut it. I wish all the best to Yoshihiro Tajiri with whatever he does in the future. He was always entertaining and I'll miss seeing him on TV.

Snow fun out there

We got over 10 cm (5-6 inches) of snow overnight. Erika asked me this morning how I was going to get around. It's summer in Australia.LOL I did OK. Maybe in the future I'll wait for the streets and sidewalks to be cleaned. I noticed from my apartment window that the streets are being cleaned now. I almost got stuck going up a couple of curbs and the chair does slide around a bit in deep snow. I don't want to hit any walls. But that's the way the weather is here so I will have to deal with it. It was interesting.

Yahoo LAUNCHCAST song of the day

Artist:Bill Evans
Song:Spring Is Here
Album:The Best of Bill Evans


Excellent track from the late great jazz pianist. Not to be confused with Bill Evans the sax player. The title is appropriate because guess what? It's snowing and I have to go out now. I will post something a little later about the WWE release of Yoshihiro Tajiri.

Today's physiotherapy

First of all, my wheelchair guy Rich called me yesterday and says I will have my new power chair by the end of next week. We'll do the exchange at Lyndhurst. I saw my primary nurse Lorna today for the first time since discharge and she seemed pretty pleased with my progress. She was my primary nurse back in the spring when things were really tough. She made me do stuff that I really didn't want to do at the time but turned out really well. She helped me a lot and I will always appreciate that. Another nurse Tim was there too. He normally works weekends. A real nice guy and strong as a horse.

Physio went OK today but I am getting a little impatient with the progress. I almost think that I have reached a plateau. I told William that I would like to do more to strengthen my knees and my quads. So we will likely do more knee bends and some leg lifts with weights. He wants to do more walking with the parallel bars. We'll try that but I have my doubts about the effectiveness. I don't like it when I do leg movements and there's no control. So I'd like to work on getting more control and stop flopping around. I'm not looking to do easy exercises but I want to do things that I feel are working. And I get bored easily too. I'll return to Lyndhurst on Tuesday. I have to see a couple of other people while I'm there.

Yahoo LAUNCHCAST song of the day

Artist:Miles Davis
Song:All Blues (Live)
Album:Seven Steps:The Complete Recordings 1963-1964


This is the latest in a series of Miles Davis box sets that Columbia has released recently. I knew that Miles recorded a lot but they sure have a ton of stuff in the vaults. It doesn't look like they'll ever run out of material.

Yahoo LAUNCHCAST song of the day

Artist:Kierra "Kiki" Sheard
Song:You Don't Know
Album:I Owe You

Every once in a while, a new singing talent comes along and blows everyone away. Such is the case with 18 year old gospel singer Kiki Sheard. She certainly has the pedigree. Her mom is Karen Clark Sheard from legendary gospel group The Clark Sisters and her grandma was gospel legend Dr. Mattie Moss Clark. Kiki clearly learned her lessons well as she really delivers the goods on this Rodney Jerkins written & produced song. A major talent worth checking out.

Today's physiotherapy

I got over to Lyndhurst for physiotherapy early today. Wheeltrans kept changing the pickup time but it was early so it didn't matter much. Getting there early gave me time to blab with some of my fellow outpatients like Josh, Bruce & AJ and I also took the time to join the Canadian Parapalegic Association. I have to see Patricia the social worker next week to fill out some forms so I went to see her to make an appointment. I asked Rich about my chair and he said the girl at the office who traces that stuff just came back from holidays so he'll let me know in a couple of days. We worked on the usual exercises in physio today; posture, leg lifts, some standing and walking with parallel bars. I was yakking about computer security with a couple of the guys while waiting for my ride. Download a free spyware scanner today. I'm back at Lyndhurst on Thursday and we'll keep working at it. Also, I found a new doctor today. It's about a ten minute trip from my apartment and I will see her next Wednesday.

It's yet another new joshi promotion

Guess what folks? We had another announcement today of yet another new joshi puroresu promotion. Just what we need, eh. Veteran wrestler GAMI held a press conference today in Tokyo to announce she's starting a new promotion in January called THE WOMAN complete with logo. GAMI has been running a few stand alone shows under the M's Style banner this year and now she wants to make a big splash of her own...or go broke trying. GAMI says that she agrees that there are a lot of joshi promotions but that THE WOMAN will be different because she plans to offer a more comedic wrestling show. Not surprising considering GAMI is known as a comedy wrestler. I guess she hasn't watched any NEO shows lately. The debut show will be on January 6 at Shin-kiba 1st Ring. GAMI will face Toshie Uematsu in the main event. Too bad neither of them are main event wrestlers. The rest of the card will be announced later and GAMI is hoping for a favourable reaction to this from the other companies and wrestlers. The plan is for THE WOMAN to run one show a month at Shin-kiba 1st Ring and GAMI is aiming for a sell out crowd of 350. That's a very nice goal but is it realistic considering the continued dilution of the joshi business and the number of new promotions that have started in recent days?

Penny Banner back home

My good friend and pro wrestling Hall of Famer Penny Banner sent the following today. Cross your fingers folks and the cancer will be gone.


Hello everyone.........

First of all, I want to thank all of you who have called me.. sent me cards...e mails and beautiful plants/flowers..I love you all ! ! ! I am truly blessed to have such great friends and fans.
I went to the Doctor yesterday for the staple removal....sure feels good w/them gone. There will be a mini poll set up for you to guess how many..YIKESS ! ! ;-)
The Pathologist report showed that my cancer began in the fallopian tubes. This sort of cancer is treated the same as ovarian and peritoneum cancer..It is in the advanced stage #3..and is curable. However, as with all cancers they will not know for sure until AFTER THE CHEMO treatments.
These treatments will begin at the beginning of the year and should be one time a week. YES....he did say I would most likely lose my hair. I hear sometimes it comes back curly and thicker...I need that ;-)
I still feel just fine, and will probably get back in the pool around February..I was released today to do ONLY arm exercises...and can begin driving this coming Friday. Yippee
Love and Hugs to all of you, thank you for keeping me in your prayers..........and Merry XmasPenny

Yahoo LAUNCHCAST song of the day

Artist:John Coltrane
Song:India
Album:The Complete 1961 Village Vanguard Recordings


Fantastic track by what is called the "classic" John Coltrane quartet;John Coltrane-tenor sax, McCoy Tyner-piano, Jimmy Garrison-bass, Elvin Jones-drums. This famous club date is available as a 4CD box set and is worth getting for any jazz fan.

Erika Watanabe announces retirement

JWP's Erika Watanabe announced her retirement at Saturday's JWP show at Shinjuku FACE. She has been diagnosed with an illness and will retire at the January 22 Cinema Club show. She said she had not been feeling well lately. Erika is 27 years old and made her debut on Jan. 23, 1998. She did leave the joshi business for a couple of months in 2003. At the time her work ethic was questioned but she did return and now Erika is forced to retire.

WWE releases Christy Hemme

The WWE released Christy Hemme today. Christy was the 2004 WWE Diva Search winner and had posed in Playboy as well. She had recently made a determined effort to improve her ring skills and posted the following on her website saying she was planning to train full time at OVW. Her release seems awfully strange to me. It's either one of two things. Maybe the office was against Christy going to OVW full time and she balked at whatever they wanted her to do. The other and more likely possibility is money. Remember she earned $250K in her first year.


Hello everyone! It's been a while since the last update and I am so sorry! You all mean the world to me and I appreciate the support! I want everyone to know that I am serious about becoming a better wrestler and to really do that, I need to focus on training. With that said, I am going to take a break from traveling with Smackdown to train in Louisville, Kentucky at the Ohio Valley Wrestling School. I am going to stay ther for as long as it takes to come back and kick some ass!!! I have one goal in sight and that is to grow at this craft that I have fallen in love with. Thank you so much to everyone who is supporting me. I promise I will make you proud! Remember to keep watching Smackdown on Friday nights at 8pm on UPN!!

Yahoo LAUNCHCAST song of the day

Artist:The Doors
Song:Light My Fire
Album:The Doors Box Set


One of the top groups of the 60s and one of their biggest hits.

Ken Kennedy out for six months

WWE rising superstar Ken Kennedy suffered a torn lat muscle and will be out of action for six months. Kennedy suffered the injury on last week's European tour. It is said to be much more serious than Batista's similar injury. Kennedy tried to work through the injury but it was much too painful. He will have surgery later this week. It's too bad. Kennedy was getting a major push and was going up the ladder very quickly.

OZ Academy lineup announced

There seems to be a trend in joshi of not announcing complete cards in advance of the show. Chigusa Nagayo & GIRLS DOOR both did this recently and now Mayumi Ozaki is doing the same at the Dec. 11 OZ Academy show at Shinjuku FACE. She is calling it the OZ Surprise and says that fans will only know the surprise wrestlers when their theme music plays. Here's the lineup such as it is.

OZ ACADEMY - 12/11/05 - Shinjuku FACE
Oz Surprise vs Azumi Hyuga
Oz Surprise vs TBA
Oz Surprise vs AKINO
Aja Kong & Mariko Yoshida vs Hikaru & Ayako Hamada
Mayumi Ozaki, Chikayo Nagashima & Carlos Amano vs Dynamite Kansai, Amazing Kong & Meiko Satomura

Full card announced for Flash 7 show

Flash 7 announced the full card for their Dec. 18 show at Shinjuku FACE. The big news is the return to action of Nanae Takahashi after bring out for almost a year with knee surgery. Her opponent will be her former tag team partner Ayako Hamada. The two held the WWWA Tag Team Titles a couple of years ago. The rest of the card has a couple of gimmick matches. One has a four way match featuring Jaguar Yokota and three rookies. There's also a big vs little tag match. Here's the complete lineup.

FLASH-7 - 12/18/05 - Shinjuku FACE
Natsuki*Head vs Kana
FOUR WAY MATCH:Jaguar Yokota vs Cherry vs Nozomi Takesako vs Tomoka Nakagawa
Chikayo Nagashima & Saki Maemura vs Dynamite Kansai & Yumiko Hotta
Hikaru & Meiko Satomura vs AKINO & Leon
Nanae Takahashi vs Ayako Hamada

Tomomi wins in Pancrase

Veteran kickboxer Windy Tomomi won today in her Pancrase debut at Differ Ariake. She defeated Sayaka by TKO at 2:14 of round one.

Yahoo LAUNCHCAST song of the day

Artist:Clifford Brown
Song:Wee Dot
Album:The Best of Clifford Brown

Yahoo LAUNCHCAST song of the day

Artist:Dexter Gordon
Song:Daddy Plays The Horn
Album:Daddy Plays The Horn


One of the most enduring sax players in jazz, Gordon moved to Europe in the 60s after spending time in jail on a drug charge. He is best known for his Oscar nominated performance playing a variation of himself in the film Round Midnight. He was always great but that film made Gordon popular again.

Main event announced for Feb. 3 Smackgirl show

Smackgirl has announced that they are doing a joint show with G-
Feminino at Kitazawa Town Hall on Feb. 3. They are calling it FF2. The
first announced match will be a Brazilian Ju Jitsu match between Keiko
Hattori and Megumi Yabushita. Hattori has a black belt in ju jitsu and
competed in the 2004 Pan American Games. Of course Yabushita is well
known for her pro wrestling and mixed martial arts exploits and was a
judoka before she got into the wrestling business. This match will be
the main event of the show and it should be a pretty good match.

Partners announced for Indy Trial main event

The partners for the tag team main event for the Dec. 9 Indy Trial
debut show at Shinjuku FACE were announced. Aja Kong selected Kumiko
Maekawa as her partner and Hikaru selected Misae Genki as her partner.
Hikaru was at the press conference and said she plans to show Maekawa
that things are different from their AJW days. She promised "a bloody
battle". Well, she is hyping the show.

baby-M announces retirement

Masked wrestler baby-M has announced that she will retire on the Dec.
23 M's Style show at Korakuen Hall. baby-M is probably the smallest
wrestler ever in joshi puroresu.

Kumiko Maekawa announces retirement

33 year old veteran All Japan Women wrestler Kumiko Maekawa announced
her retirement today. Her primary reason for retiring is she doesn't
like freelancing. That's what she has been doing since AJW closed last
spring. She had considered retiring last year but decided to stick
around and see what life is like after AJW. She didn't like it.
Maekawa was the final WWWA Singles Champ and it appears that she
intends to bring out the fabled red belt for her self produced
retirement show at Korakuen Hall on March 26. It was suggested that
Nanae Takahashi would be an appropriate opponent for her retirement
match but Maekawa isn't ready to announce that yet. Those two don't
like each other for real.

Yahoo LAUNCHCAST song of the day

Artist:The Four Tops
Song:Something About You
Album:The Ultimate Collection


The best from Motown.

Just wanted to mention that Penny Banner is now at home after successful surgery and is waiting for some test results.

Today's physiotherapy

A funny thing happened on the way to Lyndhurst today. A Wheeltrans bus going from Variety Village to Lyndhurst broke down in the middle of Eglinton Ave. near Don Mills Rd. The bus I was on was running early so he stopped to pick up the passengers and drop us all off at Lyndhurst. William & I worked a lot today on my left shoulder blade. There's still a lot of weakness on my left side affecting my reach among other things. I told William that I know the weakness is there but it's invisible to most people. You can see I'm in a wheelchair. Obviously I'm more concerned about strengthening my legs & trunk as that will help me with walking. So I did some squats, worked on a portable staircase and walked with the parallel bars. My knees are still pretty bad. It went pretty well and I will return to Lyndhurst on Tuesday.

Yahoo LAUNCHCAST song of the day

Artist:Herbie Hancock
Song:Three Bags Full
Albun:The Complete Blue Note Sixties Sessions


Herbie Hancock is a jazz musician who goes from jazz to rock to experimental electronic music. I like him a lot better when he sticks to jazz as he does with this track.