The Ultimate Fighter 28 Woman Welterweight cast analysis

On Saturday night, I started seeing some whining about woman Welterweight fighters who aren't in the cast of The Ultimate Fighter 28. I said on yesterday's podcast that as soon as I got the cast list, I would take a detailed look at the cast. I got that list last night. When I saw the list of 28 fighters who were at May's tryouts, I said on my podcast the UFC would have a tough time coming up with eight fighters to fill out the cast because there were too many fighters who could best be described as "retreads" or "suspects" as opposed to "prospects". These are fighters who have proven to be terrible but they came to the tryout hoping that the low talent level of 145lb fighters would work in their favor. It looks like the UFC agreed with my assessment as only six of the eight fighters in the cast were at the tryouts. Most of the retreads didn't make the cut and that's what all the whining is about. Now I am going to look at who made the cast in alphabetical order. Marciea Allen is 36 years old from Sioux Falls, SD. Her record is 7-2. She's mainly a boxer but she has fought for Invicta and WSOF. For me, her age alone would disqualify her. I want young fighters on the show. She's a good athlete but that doesn't make her a good fighter. And all her fights have been at Bantamweight. Macy Chiasson is 26 years old from New Orleans. Her record is 2-0. One of the TUF requirements is to have three pro fights. This is not a hard rule so stop whining about it. She looked really good in her last fight in Invicta and she is a Welterweight. I thought she would make the show. Pannie Kianzad is 26 years old from Denmark. Her record is 10-3. I think most fans have seen her in Invicta. There are two sides to her career. In her early career, she fought at Welterweight. But she fought at Bantamweight in Invicta. I think she has done better fighting the lower competition level in Europe. That is not unusual for European fighters. Katharina Lehner is 28 years old from Germany. She was not at the tryout. Her record is 7-1. I didn't think she looked very good fighting Sarah Kaufman in Invicta. She has fought in both weight classes. As with Pannie, her looks were probably a factor. Leah Letson is 25 years old from Milwaukee. Her record is 4-1. She wasn't at the tryout but she's already under UFC contract. Her most recent fight was a win in Invicta as a Welterweight. Obviously she was spotted there. Bea Malecki is from Sweden. She has a 3-0 amateur record. Her fights were at 155. Obviously they saw something they liked at the tryouts. It shows me that they were trying to avoid bringing in retreads. Larissa Pacheco is 23 years old from Belem, Brazil. Her record is 11-2. Both of those losses were in the UFC. The last time we saw her she broke her arm losing to Germaine De Randamie in 2015. She's had one fight in Brazil since then. She's still young which probably helps her. But until I see her, I dunno. Julija Stoliarenko is from Lithuania. Her MMA record is 4-2-1. Last year she fought for the Japanese mixed rules company SEI*ZA. It's a weird concept and they seem to like to bring in foreigners. The fights are on an open mat so it's not MMA. Again this shows me they were trying to avoid retreads. I think the cast is a mixed bag at best. But I have said for years there aren't enough qualified 145lb fighters for a Welterweight division. That's still true. Most of the whining I have seen is about Cindy Dandois. She had a fight in the UFC that I am sure she got through her friendship with Miesha Tate. Her performance was so bad that she was released immediately. Why would they want her back? The answer is they wouldn't. So I don't know what the whining is about. She blew her opportunity. You might say that they are giving Larissa Pacheco a second chance. Larissa is ten years younger than Cindy. It's like I said. I think they were trying to avoid bringing in fighters that they already knew weren't very good. And I am well aware that some poor fighters have devoted fans. So maybe the problem is with goofy fanboys whining about crappy fighters.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Robert & Johnny

Artist:Robert & Johnny
Song:We Belong Together
Album:We Belong Together





We Belong Together was the only big hit for the doo wop duo of Robert Carr and Johnny Mitchell. In the video, Mitchell is the one with the guitar. Though they were billed as from The Bronx, it appears that Mitchell was born in Detroit and went to high school in The Bronx. In 1954, Carr was a member of The Royal Tones who were all students at Morris High School in The Bronx. They auditioned for Atlantic Records VP Jerry Wexler. They would have got a contract but one of the members couldn't get parental consent. So The Royal Tones split up and group leader Eugene Tompkins formed The Limelighters with Carr and Johnny Mitchell who sang and played guitar. And Mitchell and Carr began to write songs together. The two signed with Hy Weiss' Old Town label and they were billed as Robert & Johnny. They recorded plenty of songs which are all on this Ace Records comp. But We Belong Together was the only song that caught on. It reached #32 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1958. Robert & Johnny continued to record on Old Town and then Sue until 1963. And it looks like Carr quit the music business at this point. It looks like Mitchell moved back to Detroit. He was a member of The Majestics, The Freeman Brothers who were neither brothers or named Freeman. The duo was Johnny Mitchell and Gerald Williams. And the other group he was in was The Four Hollidays. Nothing Mitchell tried seemed to work. We Belong Together turned out to be his only big hit. Here's Robert & Johnny performing We Belong Together on Dick Clark's Saturday Beech Nut Show Apr. 12, 1958.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast July 8, 2018

UFC 226 review and my current take on TUF 28.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Emily Whitmire vs Jamie Moyle

Here's the match video of Emily Whitmire vs Jamie Moyle from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. This aired on the UFC Fight Pass prelims. This fight was at Strawweight. Emily was on TUF 26 which was for Flyweights. Before that, she fought at Strawweight. So it appears that she agreed to appear on TUF 26 if she got to move to Strawweight afterwards. Jamie has been revered by delusional internet fanboys since her Invicta days despite not being a very good fighter. She's mainly a wrestler and her striking is not professional level. Jamie recently moved to Team Alpha Male. We'll see if that helped. Jamie's problem was Emily is four inches taller with a significant reach advantage. They were both very tentative in round one. It's like they were fighting to not lose as opposed to fighting to win. Neither was aggressive enough in round one. It was like five minutes of light sparring. I scored it 9-9. They both need to do more. Round two wasn't much better. I again scored it 9-9. The judges scored round one 10-9 for Emily and round two 10-9 for Jamie. So does either fighter want to win or do they just want to screw around for 15 minutes. Emily scores a takedown early in round three and she does enough to win the fight. Ref Jason Herzog kept warning her to get busy. I didn't see anything from Emily to make me think she can beat anyone good. And maybe it's time for Jamie to consider a new career path because she isn't any good at fighting. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-June Carroll and Alice Ghostley

Artist:June Carroll and Alice Ghostley
Song:Time For Tea
DVD:New Faces





New Faces of 1952 was a successful Broadway show that launched several careers of newcomers who became better known later. The producer of the show was Leonard Sillman. He had produced these kinds of shows since the 30s. The show has no story. It's a series of sketches and musical numbers. Eartha Kitt made her Broadway debut in this show. Others in this show who went on to success include Alice Ghostley, Paul Lynde, Robert Clary, Carol Lawrence, Ronny Graham and Mel Brooks. The song Time For Tea was performed by June Carroll and Alice Ghostley. June Carroll performed occasionally but she was mostly a songwriter and the sister of Leonard Sillman. Her husband was Oscar winning screenwriter Sidney Carroll (The Hustler). And she is mother of composer Steve Reich. So June not only performed in New Faces of 1952 but she wrote many of the songs in the show. Like many of the performers in this show, Alice Ghostley made her Broadway debut in New Faces of 1952. Alice was best known for playing Esmerelda in the sitcom Bewitched. There was an original cast album released by RCA. Jasmine released it on CD but Time For Tea isn't on the CD and it's out of print anyway. However the song is on the 2009 Sony Masterworks digital release. But Sillman turned New Faces of 1952 into the 1954 film New Faces directed by Oscar winning art director Harry Horner. The cast is the same and it is available on DVD and on Youtube. June Carroll died in 2004 and Alice Ghostley died in 2008. Here's June Carroll and Alice Ghostley performing Time For Tea in a 1954 TV production of New Faces of 1952.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast July 7, 2018

TUF 27 Finale review.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Montana De La Rosa vs Rachel Ostovich

Here's the match video of Montana De La Rosa vs Rachel Ostovich from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. Both fighters were on TUF 26. I don't like either of them. They are not UFC caliber fighters. I guess it's more of a question of who is worse as opposed to who is better. That's what happened at the TUF 26 Finale. They both beat awful fighters. Round one was five minutes of nothing. It was light sparring. I couldn't score it. I'd call it 9-9. Both fighters caught an earful from the corners between rounds. Round two was better but not much better. Finally in round three, Montana takes Rachel down and eventually wins with a rear naked choke with less than a minute left in the fight. The win doesn't convince me that Montana can beat anyone good. But it certainly confirmed what I have known since she was in Invicta. Rachel is a terrible fighter who got into the UFC with her looks. And because of that, she will get more opportunities to prove herself in the UFC. Of course the UFC would deny this. They are lying. I wouldn't have had her in TUF 26 in the first place. Enjoy the video!

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Roxanne Modafferi vs Barb Honchak

Here's the match video for Roxanne Modafferi vs Barb Honchak from last night's UFC show in Las Vegas. As I said yesterday on my podcast, the big question about this match is Barb Honchak anything close to what she was when she was Invicta champ. We now know the answer to that question is no. Look, a fighter can't take three years off and then return at age 38 and expect to be the same fighter. Meanwhile, Roxanne has improved mainly because her coach John Wood won't allow her to do anything foolish. At the start of round one, Barb was getting the best of striking exchanges. So Roxanne took her down and controlled Barb from top position. She didn't do much with it. I thought Barb's striking was more effective than Roxy's ground control so I scored the round 10-9 for Barb. Wood told Roxy to go for a takedown early in round two and she could get a finish. And that's what she did. The position was perfect for a ground and pound finish. A few years ago, Roxanne would not have punched Barb under any circumstances. And she said after the fight she didn't want to punch Barb. But Wood knows this and he kept yelling at her to keep punching. Eventually the ref stopped the fight and Roxanne Modafferi wins by TKO. And as I said, it's all thanks to Wood who won't allow her to be foolish. I'm not convinced she can be a title contender. But she's a better fighter today than she was when she was living in Japan. This fight did convince me that Barb Honchak should have never returned. She's not who she used to be. But she has at least one more fight on her UFC contract. I'd like to see her retire but fighters are very stubborn. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Timbuk 3

Artist:Timbuk 3
Song:The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades
Album:On The Charts: I.R.S. Records 1979-1994



I'm sure most music fans remember The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades but know nothing about the artist. Timbuk 3 was the husband wife duo of Pat and Barbara MacDonald. The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades was a top twenty hit in 1986. It was a one hit wonder. Pat MacDonald met Barbara while she was a student at the University of Wisconsin in 1977. Both are Wisconsin natives. They married and moved down to Austin, TX and got into the music scene. Pat MacDonald had written songs for others including Stewart Copeland of The Police. Stewart's brother Miles Copeland owned I.R.S. Records. Stewart frequently suggested artists for the label. Timbuk 3 signed with I.R.S. and the album Greetings From Timbuk 3 was released in Oct. 1986. The single The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades reached #19 on the Billboard Hot 100. Though the video made the song look tongue in cheek, MacDonald says the song is supposed to be a serious warning about the potential of a nuclear holocaust. Timbuk 3 recorded four albums for I.R.S. but they were unable to score another chart hit. You can get The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades on this budget comp of I.R.S. hit singles. Timbuk 3 recorded three albums after leaving I.R.S. and they divorced in 1995. Pat MacDonald has recorded solo and he leads a couple of bands. Barbara now calls herself by her maiden name Barbara Kooyman and she has recorded three solo albums. Of course Timbuk 3 will forever be known for the one hit wonder The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades. Here's the video for The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades by Timbuk 3.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast July 6, 2018

TUF 27 Finale and UFC 226 preview and a podcast exclusive; women who should be in the UFC Hall of Fame.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Motors

Artist:The Motors
Song:Airport
Album:101 70s Rock Anthems




The Motors were an early example of what became New Wave music. Airport was a top five hit in England in 1978. They split up soon after that. Lead singer Nick Garvey and bassist Andy McMaster were in the popular band Ducks Deluxe. They left in 1975 and Garvey formed The Snakes with drummer Ricky Slaughter (born Richard Wernham) and Robert Gotobed. They released one single and Gotobed left to form The Wire. McMaster replaced him and The Motors was the new group name. They added guitarist Bram Tchaikovsky (born Peter Bramall). The key development was McMaster started messing around with synthesizers. And that distinguished The Motors from punk bands or even a pub rock group like Ducks Deluxe. With the help of legendary BBC DJ John Peel, The Motors signed with Virgin Records. Airport is from the 1978 album Approved By The Motors. This was their second album. It reached #4 on the British Singles chart and it got US airplay too. It's a memorable song but I don't think most fans remember who recorded it. Unfortunately Tchaikovsky left soon after that to start his own band. He scored a top 40 US hit in 1979 with Girl Of My Dreams. Garvey and McMaster brought in bassist Martin Ace and drummer Terry Williams from the group Man. After the 1980 album Tenement Steps was unsuccessful, The Motors split up for good. There is a Motors comp CD available. But I think most fans will only want Airport and you can get it on this 5CD various artists budget comp. Garvey released a solo album in 1982. McMaster had success as a songwriter before The Motors and he returned to that after the split. I guess The Motors are now forgotten pioneers of New Wave. But Airport is certainly a memorable song. Here's the video for Airport by The Motors.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast July 5, 2018

Asuka vs James Ellsworth, UFC fight announcement and a podcast exclusive; the origin of Amazing Kong.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Iron Maiden

Artist:Iron Maiden
Song:Run To The Hills
Album:Somewhere Back In Time: The Best Of 1980-1989




Iron Maiden has been one of the most popular and durable hard rock bands. They were most popular in the 80s with songs like Run To The Hills. In North America they were an album and touring success. There was never a hit single. They did have hit singles in England. Bassist Steve Harris formed Iron Maiden in 1975 after he left his previous group Smiler. The name Iron Maiden is from the Alexandre Dumas classic novel The Man In The Iron Mask. Harris is the main songwriter. Early versions of the band weren't working out. But Iron Maiden signed with EMI in 1979. The first lead singer of Iron Maiden was Paul Di'Anno. He was a good singer but he had a cocaine problem. He was fired after the 1981 album Killers and the tour to support it. He was replaced by Samson lead singer Bruce Dickinson. Iron Maiden went on a brief tour to test Dickinson. Then they recorded the 1982 album Number Of The Beast. The other newcomer to the band was drummer Clive Burr but he was soon replaced by Nicko McBrain. Guitarists Dave Murray and Adrian Smith were part of Iron Maiden for a few years. The album was very successful. It was certified Platinum. Run To The Hills was their first top ten hit in England. One thing that might have helped was accusations from Christian groups that Iron Maiden were Satanists. It wasn't true but that could have spiked album sales. The success continued for the rest of the 80s. The decline of Iron Maiden began in 1990 when Harris and Smith disagreed about the band's direction. Smith left and then Dickinson left in 1993. This budget comp covers Iron Maiden's prime years in the 80s. Blaze Bayley replaced Dickinson. He got mixed reviews from fans and he left in 1999. Dickinson returned and so did Adrian Smith. Iron Maiden still tour today and they released a CD in 2015. Currently they are touring Europe. So I think it's fair to say that they have been very durable. Here's the video for Run To The Hills by Iron Maiden.

Joanne Calderwood vs Kalindra Faria added to Aug. 25 UFC show

Ariel Helwani of ESPN reported this afternoon that Joanne Calderwood vs Kalindra Faria has been added to UFC Fight Night 135 Aug. 25 at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, NE. This fight will be at Flyweight. Of course Joanne is a very popular fighter from Glasgow, Scotland. She trains at Tristar in Montreal. She is 33 years old with an 11-3 record. Even back in her Invicta days when she was winning all her fights, I thought that she was a one dimensional kickboxer. It's fine to be a kickboxer if she has good takedown defense. But that's been her downfall in the UFC. We haven't seen her for a year so we'll see if there is any improvement. It may not matter for this fight because Kalindra may be the most inept fighter in the UFC. She's 31 years old from Sao Paulo, Brazil with an 18-7 record. She's 0-2 on the UFC but I had seen her before that. Her last fight tells you everything you need to know. She rocked Jessica Eye with a first round head kick. She could have finished that fight. But she didn't seem to know what to do and she lost by split decision. I expect if Kalindra loses this fight, she gets a one way trip to Palookaville in the Brazilian regional circuit.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Asuka vs James Ellsworth

Here's the match video of Asuka vs James Ellsworth from last night's episode of Smackdown. As you have probably heard, it wasn't much of a match because there will be a rematch next week. Ellsworth did his usual shtick which included among other things sexist comments and stalling. Asuka's only mistake was getting impatient and chasing Ellsworth around the arena resulting in a double count out. We got a taste of Asuka beating up Ellsworth. Her airplane spin was comedy gold. Carmella was at ringside mostly yelling at Ellsworth. She did ram Asuka into the ringside barrier after the match was over. Then Smackdown GM Paige told Ellsworth he can't run from Asuka anymore because next week's rematch will be a Lumberjill match. The Smackdown women's locker room will surround the ring. Not all of those women are friendly to Asuka so I do expect more shenanigans. But I also expect Asuka to clobber Ellsworth. And there isn't a stipulation yet for Carmella vs Asuka at Extreme Rules. How about Ellsworth suspended in a cage? Check out the video and I'll see you here for next week's rematch.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Alejandro Escovedo

Artist:Alejandro Escovedo
Song:Castanets
Album:A Man Under The Influence





If you are a fan of roots rock, you probably already know about Alejandro Escovedo. He mixes several musical genres but mostly he's a straight ahead rocker. He has resisted attempts to commercialize his music. He was born Jan. 10, 1951 in San Antonio, TX. His half brothers are legendary musicians Coke and Pete Escovedo meaning Sheila E. is his niece. Escovedo started out in the punk rock group The Nuns in San Francisco. He moved to Austin in the 80s and he has been a big part of that music scene ever since. Escovedo switched to roots rock with Rank and File and True Believers. He first recorded as a solo artist in 1992. He signed with Bloodshot Records in 1999. Castanets is one of Escovedo's more popular songs. It's from the 2001 album A Man Under The Influence. The song is about a woman who wants to play the castanets but she has no sense of rhythm. The album was produced by Chris Stamey of The dB's. Musicians are Joe Eddy Hines and veteran session musician Mitch Easter on guitar, Mac MacCaughan on keyboards and Jon Wurster on drums (both guys are from Superchunk), Mike Daly of Whiskeytown on bass and Tres Chicas on background vocals. Escovedo stopped performing Castanets when he found out President George W. Bush had it on his iPod. He brought it back when Bush left office. Escovedo suffered for many years from Hepatitus C. A benefit album and shows helped pay his medical bills. He has recovered and Escovedo has recorded for Concord's Fantasy label since 2010. His latest CD Burn Something Beautiful was released in 2016. It was produced by R.E.M.'s Peter Buck. Escovedo is currently on tour. Roots rock fans should check him out. Here's Alejandro Escovedo performing Castanets on the Feb. 10, 2017 episode of Austin City Limits.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jimmy Eat World

Artist:Jimmy Eat World
Song:The Middle
Album:Kerrang! 3: The Album





The Middle is to date the only top ten hit for Jimmy Eat World in 2001. They are still around but they have bounced around several record companies. I think most music fans remember The Middle but none of their other music. Jimmy Eat World is from Mesa, AZ. Lead singer and guitarist Jim Adkins and drummer Zach Lind were childhood friends. They formed Jimmy Eat World in 1993 with guitarist Tom Linton and bassist Mitch Porter. The band name came from Linton's brothers squabbling and Ed Linton drew brother Jim Linton as a monster eating the world. They released an album on a local label in 1994 and that got them a deal with Capitol Records. Rick Burch replaced Porter. Their 1996 major label debut CD Static Prevails was produced by Drive Like Jeru drummer Mark Trombino. He produced their first three albums. They recorded two albums for Capitol. By the time the 1999 CD Clarity was released, Adkins knew Capitol had lost interest in them and he didn't think the album would be released. It was after Lucky Denver Mint appeared in the Drew Barrymore film Never Been Kissed that Capitol released Clarity. And then they dropped Jimmy Eat World. They recorded the album Bleed American and signed with DreamWorks Records. The Middle reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was certified Platinum. When they weren't able to get Trombino for their next album, they brought in Foo Fighters producer Gil Norton. Meanwhile, DreamWorks was sold to Interscope. The 2006 CD Futures, the 2007 CD Chase This Light and the 2010 CD Invented were on Interscope. They didn't do as well as previous albums and their contract ran out. For the 2013 CD Damages and their latest CD Integrity Blues, they signed with the Canadian label Dine Alone with RCA distribution in the US. Jimmy Eat World will begin touring in July. Bleed American is available but expensive. And The Middle is probably the only song that will interest most fans. You can get it on this 2CD various artists budget comp from the magazine Kerrang!. Here's the video for The Middle by Jimmy Eat World.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Kristin Chenoweth

Artist:Kristin Chenoweth
Song:I Say A Little Prayer
Album:Promises, Promises: The New Broadway Cast Recording




Kristin Chenoweth is a very versatile performer best known for her Broadway work. But she also has extensive film and TV credits and she has released several CDs. She was born July 24, 1968 in Broken Arrow, OK. She grew up singing in church.She started performing in regional theater while attending Oklahoma City State University. She earned a bachelor's degree in musical theater and appeared in beauty pageants. She was planning to study opera when she decided to move to New York to pursue a career on Broadway. She made her Broadway debut in the 1997 production of Steel Pier. But the role that made her was Sally in the 1999 revival of You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown. She won a Tony and Kristin has been going strong ever since. She was also nominated for a Tony for paying Glenda The Good Witch in the 2003 show Wicked. Another successful appearance was in the 2010 revival of Promises, Promises as Fran Kubelik. Promises, Promises is based on the 1960 Billy Wilder film classic The Apartment starring Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine. It is one of the greatest comedy films of all time. Neil Simon turned it into a musical with songs by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. The original 1968 production starred Jerry Orbach and Jill O'Hara. Rob Ashford directed and choreographed the 2010 revival. He won a Tony for the 2003 revival of Thoroughly Modern Millie. Kristin starred with TV star Sean Hayes. I Say A Little Prayer was one of two Bacharach-David songs that were added to this production. The show ran for about a year and the Broadway Cast album is available as a budget CD. Kristin continues to perform on Broadway. She was nominated for a Tony for the 2015 show On The Twentieth Century. Along with recording several CDs and appearing in films. Kristin has had success on TV. She had her own sitcom in 2001. She has been a regular on The West Wing, Pushing Daisies, Glee and she currently appears on the NBC sitcom Trial and Error. She currently records for Concord and she will tour in August. Her latest CD was released in 2016. Here's Kristin Chenoweth performing I Say A Little Prayer on Regis and Kelly Live Apr. 28, 2010.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

Artist:The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Song:False Pretense
Album:Don't You Fake It





The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus (RJA) is probably best known for their 2006 major label debut CD Don't You Fake It. Their music is best described as screamo which is emo music with screaming vocals. They are from Middleburg, FL led by lead singer and main songwriter Ronnie Winter. He started the band in 2003 with guitarist and childhood friend Duke Kitchens. Winter says the band name was chosen from random words suggested in a band meeting. The original version of RJA released a CD independently. When they had difficulty getting a record deal, they basically split up. But Winter and Kitchens brought in Elias Reidy on lead guitar, Joey Westwood on bass and Jon Wilkes on drums. This is the band that signed with Virgin Records. Don't You Fake It was produced by veteran producer David Bendeth who probably gave them a more polished sound than what they had. Face Down was a top 40 single and Don't You Fake It was certified Platinum. Their albums since then haven't done nearly as well. The 2008 CD Lonely Road was produced by Howard Benson who has produced Hoobastank and Seether among others. The album did not do as well. RJA wasn't happy with Virgin's promotion of the album and they left for Universal's Collective label. Matt Carter replaced Reidy.  They released an EP and a CD on Collective but they didn't sell. Carter and Kitchens left RJA to be replaced by Josh Burke and Ronnie Winter's brother Randy Winter. Wilkes then left and was replaced by John Espy. Since then they have recorded on their own label. The CD Awakening was released Mar. 2018. They are currently on tour. Here's the video for False Pretense by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Cobra Starship

Artist:Cobra Starship f/Sabi
Song:You Make Me Feel...
Album:Night Shades





After bassist Gabe Saporta left Midtown in 2005, he started Cobra Starship as a solo project. He turned it into a band after it started to have success. Cobra Starship scored two top ten hits including You Make Me Feel... in 2011. The story goes that Saporta had a spiritual awakening during a trip to the Arizona desert. This inspired him to leave Midtown and record as Cobra Starship. While recording his 2006 debut album While The City Sleeps, We Rule The Streets, Saporta formed a band so they could tour. Members were Ryland Blackinton on lead guitar, Victoria Asher on keyboards, Alex Suarez on bass and Nate Novarro on drums. Cobra Starship's big break came when they recorded the theme for the film Snakes On A Plane. It was a big enough hit that Cobra Starship toured and they got a record deal with Atlantic's Fueled By Ramen label. They scored their first top ten hit with Good Girls Gone Bad featuring Leighton Meester in 2009. You Make Me Feel... is from the 2011 album Night Shades. It reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100. Though Saporta normally writes and produces everything, You Make Me Feel... was written and produced by Steve "Steve Mac" McCutcheon who has had success in his native England. The guest singer is Jenice "Sabi" Portlock of the girl group The Bangz. She is a dancer who has unsuccessfully attempted a singing career. It looks like she was signed to Warner Bros. at one time but I don't think much came from that. Cobra Starship toured to support the album. Saporta was also involved in a 2014 Midtown reunion. After Blackinton and Suarez left, Saporta decided to disband Cobra Starship and quit the music business. He formed the management company TAG/The Artist Group. From what I could tell, they own an art gallery in Florida. Here's the video for You Make Me Feel... by Cobra Starship featuring Sabi.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast June 29, 2018

Bellator 201 preview and new fight announcements.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Brian Lynch

Artist:Brian Lynch
Song:Further Arrivals
Album:Unsung Heroes





Trumpeter Brian Lynch was a long time member of Eddie Palmieri's band and he was also in the final edition of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. So it's not surprising his music is a mix of post bop and Latin jazz. He was born Sept. 12, 1956 in Urbana, IL and he grew up in Milwaukee. Lynch has a degree from the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music. He moved to San Diego and was in Charles McPherson's band. Then Lynch moved to New York in 1981. He played with Bill Kirchner, Horace Silver and the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra. At the same time, he got into the Latin scene and he was in Hector LaVoe's band for four years. Lynch began working with Eddie Palmieri in 1987 and he joined Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers in 1988. And he made his recording debut as a leader in 1986. In the 90s he toured with Phil Woods. And he became Palmieri's musical director. Lynch recorded as a leader for Criss Cross and Sharp Nine. In 2010, he started his own label Holistic MusicWorks. Unsung Heroes was the first album on his new label. Lynch says the album is a tribute to trumpeters who were great but aren't as well known as they should be. Hence the title Unsung Heroes. Though Further Arrivals is an original composition, most of the songs were written by those Unsung Heroes like Joe Gordon, Tommy Turrentine, Charles Tolliver and Louis Smith. The band is Vincent Herring on alto sax, Alex Hoffman on tenor sax, Rob Schneiderman on piano, David Wong on bass, Pete Van Nostrand on drums and Vicente "Little Johnny" Rivero on congas. Lynch was so pleased with the album that he released a second Unsung Heroes in 2013. Lynch's latest CD Madera Latino: A Latin Jazz Interpretation on the Music of Woody Shaw was released in 2016. He regularly plays New York clubs and sometimes tours. Here's Brian Lynch performing Further Arrivals in the recording studio 2010.

Kanako Murata vs Angela Magana added to Aug. 12 RIZIN show

RIZIN announced today that Kanako Murata vs Angela Magana has been added to RIZIN 12 Aug. 12 at Dolphin Arena in Nagoya. This fight will be at Strawweight. Kanako was an amateur wrestling ace at Nihon University. She was recruited to RIZIN by Olympic wrestling champ Saori Yoshida. She is 24 years old and her record is 7-1. Her one loss was a huge mistake. Kanako really really really wanted to fight Rin Nakai. Everyone tried to talk her out of it partially because Rin is a lot bigger than her. After Kanako lost, and she gave an awful performance, she still wants a rematch. Part of the problem is RIZIN has been concentrating on Atomweight and they even farmed Kanako out to PANCRASE and DEEP. Until they figure out what to do with her, RIZIN has brought in gaijin fighters to face Kanako. In May, she beat Lanchana Green on RIZIN 10. Now they bring in Angela Magana of all people. Of course Angela is a veteran fighter. She used to be a decent fighter but injuries have really slowed her down. She was on TUF 20 and then she lost all three of her UFC fights. She had a two year break due to injury. One would think that at 34 years old, enough is enough. Retire already. I guess even Invicta doesn't want her. The one good thing about Angela is she can talk and hype a fight. But I don't think she can fight anymore. That makes her a perfect gaijin opponent for Hanako. Well, that's how RIZIN looks at it.

Maycee Barber vs Jamie Colleen to main event July 17 DWTNCS

Maycee Barber

It was announced today that Maycee Barber vs Jamie Colleen will main event the July 17 edition of Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series (DWTNCS). This will be at Strawweight. Maycee Barber is the kind of fighter I would prefer to see on DWTNCS. She is 20 years old from Fort Collins, CO. She has won all five of her fights at LFA. Her latest win was over Audrey Perkins at the May 4 LFA show. Now she has a chance to win a UFC contract. This will be Jamie Colleen's second chance. She won over Mallory Martin on the Aug. 15, 2017 DWTNCS but she did not get the contract. I remember that fight and I don't think either fighter looked good. Jamie is 32 years old from Philadelphia. Her 4-1 record was mostly for King Of The Cage. She was a highly touted prospect in the Philly area and I guess that's how she landed in DWTNCS. I had heard of her too. But there comes a point that a prospect becomes a suspect. And Jamie may have crossed that threshold. Remember the winning fighter is also competing the other winners for the UFC contract. Just winning the fight isn't enough. And you can watch the show on UFC Fight Pass.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Midland

Artist:Midland
Song:Drinkin' Problem
Album:On The Rocks





Midland scored a top five country hit with Drinkin' Problem and their debut album On The Rocks was released Oct. 2017. The band has a retro vibe. Even the album cover and the band's clothes have a 70s look to it. Though it is claimed Midland is from Texas, they met in Los Angeles. Jess Carson and Cameron Duddy had a band. When the band split up, Duddy met Mark Wystrach and they decided to form a band. The three met at Duddy's wedding in Wyoming. The three played together and decided to form a band and move to Texas. The name Midland is after the Dwight Yoakam song Fair to Midland. They released a single in 2015 and that got them a deal with Big Machine and producer Shane McAnally who is best known for producing Kacey Musgraves. The single Drinkin' Problem and an EP was released Oct. 2016. The single reached #4 on the Country Singles chart. Midland wrote the song along with McAnally and his frequent songwriting partner Josh Osborne. I guess the song was a surprise hit because now they had to record an album. On The Rocks was released Oct. 2017. Midland wrote most of the songs with McAnally and Osborne. They produced along with studio guitar ace Dann Huff. The album has done OK. They got a couple of Grammy nominations. Midland is currently on tour with Little Big Town and Thomas Rhett. I am sure they will record new music after the tour. Here's the video for Drinkin' Problem by Midland.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast June 27, 2018

Review of last night's DWTNCS match and my take on the WWE UK tournament.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Antonina Shevchenko vs Jaimee Nievera

Here's the match video of Antonina Shevchenko vs Jaimee Nievera from last night's Dana White Tuesday Night Contender Series. The winner of this fight competes with the other fight winners for a UFC contract. Of course Antonina is the older sister of UFC Flyweight Valentina Shevchenko. Like her sister, Antonina is a kickboxer and she doesn't have much MMA experience. Antonina's original opponent dropped out due to a knee injury. Jaimee was brought in on very short notice. She is a Bellator veteran and she fought for LFA a few weeks ago. The one thing anyone should learn from this fight is any opponent of Antonina should stay out of the clinch. Her knees are lethal. And that was Jaimee's big problem. She tried to take Antonina down. But that didn't really work. She was pooped by the end of round one and had a cut over her eye. The size difference was also a big factor. Look, that's what you get with a late replacement. Antonina continued to dominate in round two and it was only a matter of time before Herb Dean stopped the fight. I thought the fight could have been stopped sooner but it hardly matters. The fight was about what I expected. And Antonina did earn a UFC contract partially because the UFC needs women Flyweights. It doesn't make Antonina a hot prospect. For one thing, there's no such thing as a 33 year old prospect. Obviously we need to see Antonina fight at a higher level. So she did great and she got the contract. Let's see who she fights next. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Budos Band

Artist:The Budos Band
Song:The Volcano Song
Album:The Budos Band





Funk fans should check out The Budos Band. They call themselves Staten Island Soul and they are part of the Daptone Records retro soul movement. The formation of The Budos Band came out of jam sessions with Antibalas. So there are also African music influences. The band membership changes quite a bit because the musicians all play sessions. They also play on a lot of Daptone recordings by Lee Fields among others. The 2005 album The Budos Band was produced by Daptone owners and Dap-Kings members Gabriel Roth and Bosco Mann. Tommy "TNT" Brenneck co-produced and plays guitar and co-writes most of the songs. Other musicians include Andrew Greene and Michael Irwin on trumpet, Neal Sugarman of the Dap-Kings on tenor sax, Daisy Sugarman on flute, Jared Tankel on baritone sax, Mike Deller on organ, Daniel Foder on bass, Brian Profilio and John Carbonara Jr. on drums and Johnny Griggs, Duke Amayo, Rob Lombardo and Dame Rodriguez on percussion. The Budos Band have recorded five albums. Burnt Offering was the latest in 2014. They are still around playing occasional gigs in the New York area. And as I said, the members play on other Daptone albums. Here's the video for The Volcano Song by The Budos Band. Classic animation fans will recognize that the animation in the video is from the 1942 Superman cartoon Volcano produced by The Fleischer Brothers.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast June 26, 2018

Preview of Antonina Shevchenko on DWTNCS.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bone Thugs-N-Harmony

Artist:Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
Song:Tha Crossroads
Album:The Collection Vol. 1





Bone Thugs-N-Harmony has proven to be one of the more durable rap groups. They topped the charts with Tha Crossroads in 1995 and they are still around today. They are from Cleveland formed as the Band Aid Boys in 1991. They changed that to B.O.N.E. Enterpri$es in 1993. They all have the name bone in their names. Members are Anthony "Krayzie Bone" Henderson, Steven "Layzie Bone" Howse, Byron "Bizzy Bone" McCane and Charles "Wish Bone" Scruggs. Stanley "Flesh-n-Bone" Howse joined later. He is Layzie Bone's brother and Wish Bone is their cousin. They released the 1993 album Faces Of Death with Layzie Bone's older brother Kermit Henderson producing. It didn't look like they were going to go anywhere when rapper Eric "Eazy-E" Wright agreed to check them out. He signed them to his Ruthless label and their name was changed to Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. Their 1994 EP Creepin om ah Come Up did very well with hits like Thuggish Ruggish Bone. It was certified 4XPlatinum. While they were getting ready to record an album, Wright died of AIDS on Mar. 26, 1995. The group was concerned about their future. But Ruthless continued to support them and the album E. 1999 Eternal was released in 1995. The album and the single Tha Crossroads was a tribute to Eazy-E. Tha Crossroads topped the Billboard Hot 100. Most of the album including Tha Crossroads was produced by Tim "DJ U-Neek" Middleton. The girl group featured at the start of the video is called Tre'. The album was certified 4XPlatinum. The success continued with the 1997 album The Art Of War and the top five single Look Into My Eyes. It was also certified 4XPlatinum. They went into decline after internal strife with Bizzy Bone. Also Flesh-n-Bone was convicted of a gun charge and jailed. Breakup rumors plagued the 2000 CD BTNHResurrection and the album didn't do as well as previous albums. Bizzy Bone was fired after the 2002 CD Thug World Order and their Ruthless contract ran out. It looked like Bone Thugs-N-Harmony would end. The guys turned to solo projects. They reformed in 2006 and signed with Koch (now E1) and then they started their own label with Warner Bros. distribution. There was some talk of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony retiring. But they released an album last year and they are touring. This comp CD covers their first two albums. Here's the video for Tha Crossroads by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle

Artist:Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle
Song:A Whole New World
Album:The Best Of Peabo Bryson





Though Peabo Bryson had success as a solo artist, he was mainly known for his many duets with female singers like Roberta Flack, Natalie Cole and others. His only number one hit in his long career was this 1992 recording of A Whole New World with Regina Belle. It was from the Disney film Aladdin. Bryson and Celine Dion scored a top ten hit in 1991 with the theme from Beauty and the Beast. So Disney decided to try and repeat that success with Aladdin. The songs for Aladdin were written by Alan Menken and Tim Rice who stepped in after Menken's long time partner Howard Ashman died. The song is performed during the film by Brad Kane and Lea Salonga. The recording by Bryson and Regina Belle plays over the end credits. It was on the soundtrack and released as a single with a video. It topped the charts in 1992. Both singers were under contract to Columbia and the song appeared on solo albums by both. The record was produced by veteran producer Walter Afanasieff who had worked with both singers previously. And the two had recorded together before. Veteran session musician Michael Landau played the guitar solo. The Aladdin soundtrack is available on CD. For most of Bryson's career he recorded for Capitol and then Elektra. He only recorded two early 90s albums for Columbia. Time Life released a career spanning Bryson comp CD in 2006. Unfortunately, that is out of print. So this 2004 budget CD that covers Bryson's Columbia recordings is recommended. You can also get A Whole New World on Regina Belle comps and Disney CDs. Maybe there should be a CD of all of Peabo Bryson's duets because he recorded plenty of them. I guess I'm asking for too much. Here's the video for A Whole New World by Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Terry Callier

Artist:Terry Callier
Song:Ordinary Joe
Album:The Collected Terry Callier



Though songs like Ordinary Joe were critically acclaimed in the 70s, Terry Callier never had commercial success. So he retired from music in the 80s. Encouraged by British DJs like Giles Peterson, Callier returned in the 90s and played jazz festivals until his 2012 death. He was born May 24, 1945 in Chicago. Childhood friends included Curtis Mayfield, Major Lance and Jerry Butler. He started out in doo wop groups. After releasing a 1962 single on Chess, Callier was discovered playing Chicago folk music clubs by Prestige Records producer Samuel Charters. The album The New Folk Sound Of Terry Callier was recorded in 1964 but it sat around until 1968. The story was Charters misplaced the masters. Callier continued to perform in clubs but he started to concentrate on songwriting with Jerry Butler's Chicago Songwriters Workshop. After a couple of his songs including the 1972 hit The Love We Had (Stays On My Mind) were hits for The Dells, Callier released three albums on Cadet Records produced by Earth, Wind and Fire's Charles Stepney. Ordinary Joe is from the 1972 album Occasional Rain. Though these albums were critically acclaimed, they didn't sell and Cadet dropped Callier in 1976. After two unsuccessful albums on Elektra Records, Callier retired from music in 1983 to work as a computer programmer at the University of Chicago. Callier returned in the 90s after Acid Jazz Records owner Eddie Piller discovered his music and brought him to England. He started performing again and Callier signed with Giles Peterson's Talkin' Loud label in 1996. This career revival continued as Callier became a regular on the jazz festival circuit. There was no Acid Jazz or Smooth Jazz in the 70s. I guess Terry Callier was ahead of his time. This budget comp covers his Chess recordings. Terry Callier died from cancer on Oct. 27, 2012 at age 67. Here's Terry Callier performing Ordinary Joe at Bratislava Jazz Days in Bratislava, Slovakia 2009. The flute solo is by Gary Plumley and the piano solo is by Chris Kibble.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast June 23, 2018

UFC Fight Night 132 review.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Ji Yeon Kim vs Melinda Fabian

Here's the match video of Ji Yeon Kim vs Melinda Fabian from this morning's UFC show in Shanghai. This fight was at Flyweight. Kim is a Korean kickboxer who lost her UFC debut at Bantamweight and then dropped to Flyweight and won her second fight. Melinda is from Hungary. She was on TUF 26 and she fought to a draw on the TUF 26 Finale. This fight gave me a better idea of where she is. And that's nowhere. Kim is a very experienced kickboxer so she wanted to keep the fight standing. Melinda is supposedly a wrestler. Her father is a wrestling coach. But she never tried to take it to the ground where she might have an advantage. There was no way that Melinda was going to win a kickboxing match with Kim. So I don't understand her strategy. I scored the fight 30-27 for Kim. I thought she won easily but not dominantly which did not surprise me because she's not a finisher. But the judges fave Kim a split decision win. I looked at the scorecards and I didn't see any consistency. Round two was close but Melinda needed to do more. So I guess she's not so good. And maybe Kim would be a good opponent for Jessica Eye. She gave a good performance. Enjoy the video!

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Xiaonan Yan vs Viviane Pereira

Here's the match video of Xiaonan Yan vs Viviane Pereira from this morning's UFC show in Shanghai. This fight was at Strawweight. Yan is from China. She won her UFC debut over the now released Kailin Curran. I didn't expect Viviane to be any better. She looked terrible losing to Tatiana Suarez in her last fight. She got into the UFC as a late replacement and she doesn't belong in the UFC. The story here was Yan had a significant size advantage and Viviane couldn't do anything about it. Other than Yan breaking Viviane's nose, it was three rounds of light sparring and Yan won easily. I don't know if she is any good because both her opponents have been terrible. I was not surprised as I know Viviane is awful. But it didn't tell me if Yan is any good. Check out the video!

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Jessica Eye vs Jessica-Rose Clark

Here's the match video of Jessica Eye vs Jessica-Rose "Jessie Jess" Clark from this morning's UFC show in Shanghai. I had some UFC with my Tim Hortons. There were three women's fights on this show that were all different levels of blah. None of these fighters seem capable of finishing or dominating a fight. Light sparring is all they can seem to do. Jessica is a veteran fighter who did poorly at Bantamweight. So now she is fighting at Flyweight which is her natural weight. She won her first Flyweight bout against a terrible opponent and the fight was awful. I was hoping that Jessy Jess would give her a better show as she may have some potential. It didn't happen. It was three rounds of boring light sparring. Jessy Jess said afterwards she was knocked loopy during round one and she was never the same after that. And that would explain why she didn't do much of anything. But it doesn't explain why Jessica played it safe and settled for a unanimous decision. Why not show you can finish a fight? Well, you know what they say. A win is a win. I'd like to see how that works against a higher level of competition. In fact, there was another fighter on this show who is a very good kickboxer that might be a very interesting opponent for Jessica. Want to know who it is? Stay tuned and enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Tina B.

Artist:Tina B.
Song:Honey To A Bee (Latin Rascals remix)
Album:Disco Box Vol. 9: Dance Machine





Tina Baker is probably best known to Freestyle fans as the wife of pioneering producer Arthur Baker. Normally she sang background vocals on all his productions. She had her greatest success as a solo artist with the 1984 single Honey To A Bee especially the Latin Rascals remix. Today the song is considered to be an early classic of Freestyle. She was born Tina Klein in Brooklyn, NY. She led her own band as a teen. She met Arthur Baker when he was an aspiring DJ in Boston. They married and she appeared on most of Baker's productions on Tommy Boy and other labels. Tina got a record deal with Elektra and released the 1984 album Tina B. She wrote and produced the album with Baker and his partner John Robie. Honey To A Bee was a dance hit at the time. But a 1986 remix was an even bigger hit in clubs. And today that version is most memorable. The remix was done by The Latin Rascals Tony Moran and Albert Cabrera. Moran is one of the more prolific producers of Freestyle. You can get Honey To A Bee on this various artists budget comp. Tina B. continued to release occasional music on her husband's label Criminal Records. It looks like she has her own label now and she has gotten into mixing opera with contemporary pop. I don't know if there's much of a future in that. But she is well remembered by dance music fans for one song. Here's a video for Honey To A Bee by Tina B.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast June 22, 2018

UFC Fight Night 132 preview.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bebe Rexha

Artist:Bebe Rexha f/Florida Georgia Line
Song:Meant To Be
Album:Expectations





Bebe Rexha's debut album Expectations was released today. She started out as a songwriter and after some hits including Meant To Be, she is poised to become a big star. She was born Aug. 30, 1989 in Brooklyn, NY to Albanian immigrants. Her family moved to Staten Island when she was six. As a teen, she won a Grammy Day songwriting contest. That got her a manager Samantha Cox who sent her to songwriting classes. She met Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz in 2010. Fall Out Boy was on hiatus and he started Black Cards. Bebe was lead singer. They released a few singles but Bebe left before an album could be recorded. Bebe signed with Warner Bros. She also wrote the Eminem and Rhianna hit single Monster. She starts releasing singles. Her first top ten hit was Me, Myself & I with rapper G-Eazy in 2015. This is on his album When It's Dark Out. So she's doing a lot of guest appearances. Then in 2017, she releases two EPs, It's All Your Fault Pt. 1 and Pt. 2. Meant to Be is on the second EP. It reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. It sounds like a Florida Georgia Line song with her vocals tossed in. They are probably the hottest group in country music so I understand why she would want to work with them. She also toured with them. Then she announced plans to release a third EP in the series. It looks like Warners told her it's time to release an album. Expectations is being released today. Meant To Be has been tacked on at the end of the album. We'll see where she goes from here. She has potential but she needs to have her own musical identity which she doesn't have yet. The single I'm A Mess was released last week. Here's the video for Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line.

2018 People In Motion show moves to Variety Village

Me with the Permobil tech gurus

The biggest thing at this years's People In Motion show is that it moved from the CNE to Variety Village. I live in South Etobicoke so that's a longer trip but I could use the regular TTC. The problem with the CNE is they had to have shuttle buses at Bathurst station because the streetcars aren't accessible. No such problem getting to Variety Village. I took the subway from Kipling to Victoria Park and there was a bus that goes to Variety Village. That same bus goes to Warden station which is not accessible. Someone at the show asked me about that when I told them I took the subway and bus. I always plan in advance if I haven't been somewhere before. And the PIM website had the directions. It seems the TTC is starting a program where someone will travel with a Wheeltrans user and teach that person how to use the regular transit. I stopped using Wheeltrans years ago because of the wait. Not to mention the ODSP discount that City of Toronto has started. Yup, I now have a Presto card. When I get to the show, the show is in the Variety Village gym. I go to Permobil because I need their tech gurus to go over my powerchair. We have had ongoing problems with the rear casters. They tell me these new casters will fix the problem. So far so good. They did a few other things but that was the main thing. I posted the above pic to thank the Permobil guys. I am also talking to their marketing people about doing some demos. The one thing we talked about is the Assisted Device Program hasn't kept up with advancing technology. And I have two new products that use new technology.






Exgel Seat Cushion

Everyone has a preference for seat cushions. I prefer gel but I keep having to massage the gel so it doesn't congeal. With the Exgel cushion from Japan, that will no longer be necessary. The gel will redistribute automatically to its original form. All kinds of products have been developed in recent years to eliminate pressure sores. This looks like a real solution. As I said, this product is made in Japan. And they have several varieties for the chair of your choice. And the cost depends on your choice. The Canadian distributor is LBAC Solutions in Concord. Their rep told me they are working on ADP approval. Who knows if it will ever be approved? If it was, I would order one of these tomorrow. You can contact LBAC at 1-855-275-9711. Their website is currently under construction.





Keeogo exoskeleton

So I'm sure it won't surprise you that I have seen exoskeleton technology at these shows in the past. Usually the ones I have seen are strictly prototypes and are unlikely to ever go into production. So I was very happy to see that Keeogo is trying to take the exoskeleton into production. It's still cost prohibitive but maybe if we can get programs like ADP to embrace taking this technology mainstream instead of worrying so much about nickels and dimes, maybe we can get folks with spinal cord injuries walking again. I would like to do that. The thing that impressed me about Keeogo is they had a Keeogo user demonstrating the product. She isn't a company owner or product developer trying to put on a dog and pony show. That's the kind of practical application I have been looking for in an exoskeleton. While I was at the show, I registered for Keeogo's testing program. And I will likely write about my experiences. I have already spoken to Keeogo and I am very interested in this. You can do that too. Go to keeogo.com and you can register on their homepage. You can also contact them at 1-866-443-1010. They are located in Quebec but they have local care providers for the testing. This should be very interesting.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Lynne Arriale Trio

Artist:Lynne Arriale Trio
Song:Tones For Joan's Bones
Album:Inspiration





Jazz pianist Lynne Arriale was discovered in the 90s. She has recorded several albums with her trio including this 2002 album. She was born May 29, 1957 in Milwaukee. She has a Masters degree in classical music from the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music. But she was drawn to jazz by Keith Jarrett, Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea. Her big break came when she won the 1993 Great American Jazz Piano Competition. That got her a record deal with DMP. Lynne is also a member of the faculty at the Jamey Aebersold Summer Jazz Workshops. After three albums on DMP, Lynne moved to the Swiss label TCB. Her version of the Chick Corea song Tones For Joan's Bones is from the 2002 album Inspiration with Jay Anderson on bass and Steve Davis on drums. Both guys are veteran sidemen. Davis is also an instructor at the Aebersold workshop. She continued to record with this trio after she left TCB for Motema. Lynne last recorded in 2011. But she still tours and she is currently a Professor of Jazz Studies at North Florida University. Here's the Lynne Arriale Trio performing Tones For Joan's Bones at JazzOpen in Stuttgart, Germany 2002.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast June 20, 2018

New RIZIN fight announcements

KING Reina vs Kaitlin Young added to Aug. 12 RIZIN show

RIZIN held a press conference today to announce several fights including KING Reina vs Kaitlin Young on RIZIN 12 at Aichi-Dolphin Arena. This fight is at Welterweight. Reina is 21 years old with a 9-1 record. Because of her size, there isn't anyone for her to fight in Japan. And that's why I think she should move to the US. She would get better training and competition. Unfortunately she has a pro wrestling style king gimmick with a crown, robe and teddy bear that sells a lot of merchandise in Japan. Does she want to be a gimmick or a fighter? She has potential to be good but not as long as she remains in Japan. Promoters keep bringing in foreign opponents and most are awful. Reina won her last two fights over Korean kickboxers debuting in MMA. That's a waste of time and her talent. And though I know Kaitlin Young is popular, she's not really an MMA fighter anymore and she's a Bantamweight. Of course Kaitlin is from Minnesota. Her claim to fame is she won a Hook 'n' Shoot tournament in 2007 featuring a head kick KO of Miesha Tate. That got her fighting on TV in Elite XC and later in Invicta. After a 7-9-1 record, Kaitlin moved to Thailand and she has an 11-1 kickboxing record. She's always been a good kickboxer. She just wasn't a good MMA Fighter. And she hasn't fought MMA since 2014. If Reina takes Kaitlin down, she should be able to finish her especially with her size advantage. Reina also says with a Shoot Boxing match coming up, she's been practicing kickboxing a lot. Who is next to come out of the woodwork to face KING Reina?

Rin Nakai vs Shizuka Sugiyama added to July 29 RIZIN show

RIZIN held a press conference today to announce several matches including Rin Nakai vs Shizuka Sugiyama for RIZIN 11 July 29 at Saitama Super Arena. This fight will be at Flyweight. Most fans should be familiar with Shizuka. She's a DEEP JEWELS veteran. Her record is 16-5-1. When she first started she looked like she could be a big star especially with her looks. But then she started to lose. And it's not so much that she lost but she looked terrible in losing. At one time it looked like she would retire and move to Australia. But Shizuka did return. She's done OK but she's a midcard fighter who beats who she should beat and loses to better fighters. Her main training is karate. She's not very good on the ground. She won her last fight over Sachiko Fujimori on the June 9 DEEP JEWELS show. Fujimori came out of retirement for that fight. I saw on Twitter that Shizuka plans to retire after this fight. I'm not surprised. She's married and probably wants to raise a family. Also most Japanese fighters are Atomweights. There are very few Flyweights. Rin is probably the only Flyweight Shizuka hasn't fought. And Rin is a better fighter than Shizuka with her judo skills. Rin's one big flaw is she gets off to slow starts and invariably loses the first round before she gets her act together. She can beat anyone if she's aggressive. That's why she lost her two UFC fights. She fell behind in both fights. This is a mental block that neither Rin or her trainer Wild Usami seem to be able to remedy. One problem is she lives way up in Shikoku and she doesn't have access to advanced training facilities or decent sparring partners. They have to fly her in for fights. Since we last saw Rin in RIZIN Dec. 2016, she's had some injuries though she did beat a Korean kickboxer on a DEEP show in Feb. She would be an elite fighter if not for that one big flaw. She should win this fight.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Alvin & The Chipmunks

Artist:Alvin & The Chipmunks
Song:The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)
Album:Chipmunks Christmas




1958 was a big year for Ross Bagdasarian. As David Seville, he scored a number one hit with Witch Doctor. Then he scored a second number one hit with The Chipmunk Song. And those chipmunks are Bagdasarian's legacy because they are still around. He was born Feb. 27, 1919 in Fresno, CA. His cousin was famed playwright William Saroyan. The two wrote the 1951 Rosemary Clooney hit Come On-a My House. Bagdasarian did some acting most notably as the piano player in the 1954 Alfred Hitchcock film Rear Window. This led to the minor hit Alfi and Harry based on the 1956 Hitchcock film The Trouble With Harry. But then he bought a tape recorder that allowed him to vary the recording speed. That led to the 1958 #1 hit Witch Doctor. While driving in Sequoia National Park, a chipmunk dashed in front of his car. That inspired Alvin & The Chipmunks. He was very smart to give them individual personalities. It wouldn't have worked if it had been generic. The Chipmunk Song topped the charts in 1958 and it became a Christmas perennial. Bagdasarian recorded all the voices. He signed with Liberty Records. Though other Chipmunks songs charted, Bagdasarian never had another big hit. He didn't need it because he turned Alvin & The Chipmunks first into a comic book and then The Alvin Show TV series in 1961. Ross Bagdasarian died on Jan. 16, 1972 at age 52. His son Ross Bagdasarian Jr. runs the company today and he continues to produce films and TV shows. Here's David Seville with Alvin & The Chipmunks performing The Christmas Song (Christmas Don't Be Late) on The Ed Sullivan Show Dec. 13, 1959.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-UFO

Artist:UFO
Song:Lights Out
Album:The Best Of UFO





Though they never had the commercial success of other hard rock bands, today UFO is considered to be very influential on bands that followed. Lights Out may be their signature song. UFO was formed in London, England in 1968 as Hocus Pocus. They were lead singer Phil Mogg, guitarist Mick Bolton, bassist Pete Way and drummer Andy Parker. They changed their name to UFO in honor of the London club where they were discovered and signed to Beacon Records. They recorded two albums. The second one was more space rock with a 26 minute track. They wanted to get back to hard rock so Bolton was replaced by 18 year old German guitarist Michael Schenker. Schenker was in an early version of his brother Rudolf's band Scorpions. And UFO signed with the larger Chrysalis Records. They began to get momentum with their next two albums. But it's the 1977 album Lights Out that really broke UFO internationally. Savoy Brown keyboard player Paul Raymond was brought in for this album. The album was very successful and Lights Out is one of their more popular songs. The success allowed UFO to tour the US and record two more albums which did well especially in England. But Schenker wasn't getting along with Mogg. He left in 1978 to form Michael Schenker Band. The 1980 album No Place To Run didn't do as well. Raymond was replaced by Neil Carter. Then Way left after the 1982 album Mechanix to form Fastway. Billy Sheehan replaced him. But things weren't going well and UFO split up in 1983. Mogg formed a new version of UFO in 1985 and a version of the band still records and tours today. Mogg recently announced that UFO's 2019 50th Anniversary tour will be his last as he will retire. It is not known if UFO will continue. This comp is a good intro to their music. Kirk Hammett of Metallica and Dave Mustaine of Megadeath are among those who credit UFO as a major influence. That is their legacy. Here's UFO performing Lights Out at the Roundhouse Theater in London June 12, 1977.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast June 18, 2018

WWE Money In The Bank review and new UFC fight announced

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Carmella vs Asuka

Here's the match video of Carmella vs Asuka for the WWE Smackdown women's Championship from last night's Money In The Bank show. Of course the big story is the return of James Ellsworth which led to Carmella winning. The match was fine but the ending was beyond stupid. I'll explain that in a minute. Asuka's biggest challenge was getting a decent match out of a very limited wrestler. So what did Asuka do? She sold Carmella's offense though Carmella did very little. Asuka ran herself into the post. I don't know if Carmella even touched her. And Asuka threw herself outside of the ring. She took bumps to try to make Carmella look half decent. Those self inflicted bumps led to all of Carmella's offense. Some complained that Asuka sold too much. But she wants to make her opponent look good. It's just that trying to make Carmella look good is an impossible task. Of course her awfulness is part of this angle. I expected shenanigans with Ellsworth but I didn't think it was executed very well. He shows up in an Asuka costume to distract Asuka. Her reaction was understandable at first. But it took too long to develop. And then when Ellsworth unmasked, Asuka's reaction should have gone from shock to "Oh, it's the doofus". She should go back on the attack. But instead Asuka just continued to stand there with her mouth open and Carmella kicked her from behind for the win. And the funny part is the cameras missed the kick. They showed it on replay and it looked awful. I have no problem if the finish was believable...but it wasn't. It was illogical and stupid. If a finish needs to be explained maybe a different finish should have been done. I'm sure tomorrow's Smackdown will give some direction. Enjoy the video!