Last Update - April 19, 2010 at 4:11 AM EDT
Junior's 'Reading And Viewing List' for April 12 through April 14, 2010 includes a sampling of items I visited, and wanted to share with you, that were posted to the web during that time.
Within this list (in reverse chronological order), you'll find posts that preview the National Hockey League's 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Those posts concentrate on the first round matchup that interests me the most, the 2010 Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series between my Washington Capitals and the Montreal Canadiens. Also included in this batch are the usual articles on what's going on in the world of music, racing and comic book super hero movies.
I've already done a 2010 Rally Turkey Preview roundup for you WRC fans. 2010 Chinese Grand Prix Preview entries are coming up for followers of Formula One racing. We'll have to wait and see if I end up having time to do a separate post for that, or they end up in the next regular 'Reading And Viewing List'. The review list for each will probably get their own.
April 14, 2010
Could this be the Year?
By Justin Creech at CapCentre.net
Could this be the year the Capitals take the lessons from the last two springs which saw them loss two heart breaking Game 7’s at the Verizon Center and finally put it all together and raise Lord Stanley’s Cup?
My answer; a resounding yes...
Hayley Atwell Cast As 'Captain America' Leading Lady,
Peggy Carter
By Josh Wigler at MTV's Splash Page
Captain America, it's time to fall in love — British actress Hayley Atwell has been cast as leading lady Peggy Carter in "The First Avenger: Captain America."
Atwell will play the British love interest of Steve Rogers in director Joe Johnston's upcoming superhero film for Marvel Studios...
Capitals/Canadiens: Match‑up Overview
Posted by David M. Getz at Japers' Rink
Match-ups are at the core of any playoffs series, and the first round series between the Capitals and Canadiens is no exception. Here's how we see the two teams stacking up in seven key areas:...
Joss Whedon To Rewrite 'Avengers' Script
By Blair Marnell at MTV's Splash Page
Following yesterday's report that Joss Whedon is in final negotiations to direct "The Avengers" feature film, numerous outlets have confirmed the initial story with one more critical piece of new information coming to light.
According to Variety, Whedon will also rewrite the script for "The Avengers" based on Zak Penn's previous draft. Penn has a long history of adapting Marvel's properties into films...
2010 Renault Roadshow to open in Spain
Posted at Formula1.com
Since its launch in 2004, Renault’s Roadshow programme has thrilled millions of Formula One fans, in cities across the globe including Moscow, Rome and Mexico City. This year’s Roadshow tour will begin this weekend, during the opening round of the 2010 World Series by Renault at Spain’s new Motorland Aragon circuit.
Ferrari unconcerned by engine strife
Posted at Formula1.com
While their F10 is certainly a frontrunner, it’s no secret that Ferrari have been plagued by engine troubles since the start of the season. In Bahrain the Italian team changed the V8s on the cars of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa after finding slight reading abnormalities, while at the recent Malaysia race Alonso - and both Ferrari-powered BMW Saubers - were forced to retire after engine failures.
After carrying out extensive analysis back at their Maranello factory, however, Ferrari’s engine and electronics department boss Luca Marmorini is relaxed about reliability and is confident that the engine’s poor record is the result of extraneous circumstances, rather than a symptom of something more serious...
Ritchie Blackmore Celebrates His 65th Birthday Today
By gbarton at Classic Rock
It seems inconceivable to us fans reared on Deep Purple and/or Rainbow, but legendary guitarist Ritchie Blackmore is 65 today.
Blackers – born Richard Hugh Blackmore on April 14, 1945 in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset – will doubtless be raising a flagon or two of medieval mead in celebration.
And it looks like new music from the man and his partner, Candice Night, is on the way...
April 13, 2010
Classic Badlands Albums Featuring Jake E. Lee
To See Reissue April 27th
Posted by Nightwatcher at Nightwatcher's House Of Rock
On April 27, Rock Candy Records will reissue hard rock band Badland's long out of print first two albums, 1989's self-titled release and 1991's Voodoo Highway. Both albums will be available for purchase at the label's website...
The Peerless Prognosticator is ON THE AIR!!!
-- Eastern Conference Quarterfinal: Caps vs. Canadiens
By The Peerless at The Peerless Prognosticator
We are LIVE at Peerless Central, surveying the landscape, searching every corner, scouring the fine grains of sand that are the bits of information that will lead this prognosticator to provide YOU, the discerning reader with the only pick you will need as the Caps begin their journey, their expedition, their quest, if you will, that hopefully will end this June with a Stanley Cup and a half-day off of work for Caps fans to attend a parade in downtown Washington...
Alexander Semin: "We Need to Get Through the First Round
as Quickly as Possible"
By Dmitry Chesnokov - Posted by tuvanhillbilly at Japers' Rink
Your good buddy and mine Dmitry Chesnokov was able to snag a quick interview with Alexander Semin. Here is a translation of the article which will appear in tomorrow's edition of Sovetsky Sport...
Getting Ready for The Habs
By Hockey Mom at Musings Of A Hockey Mom
...All the goalie talk aside, success for either team in this series will most likely come down to Washington's penalty kill (and staying out of the box, Alex Semin) or the Habs' impressive power play. The Canadiens' power play, which features the likes of Mike Cammalleri, ranks second behind that of Washington's (which of course boasts some of NHL's hottest snipers in Nick Backstrom, Alex Ovechkin, Mike Green and wrecking crew)...
Caps introduce standing-room-only tickets
By Dan Steinberg at D.C. Sports Bog
I'm not sure anything illustrates the changing times better than this: the Caps are offering standing-room-only tickets for the playoffs. For $100. And you can bet people will buy them.
As of now, tickets are only for sale for Games 1 and 2 against Montreal, but they will probably be offered throughout the playoffs. There are only about 100 standing-room slots per game. This is the e-mail that went out about the seats...
Paddy Lowe Q&A: Ride-height clarification will not harm McLaren
Posted at Formula1.com
Ride-height control systems have dominated Formula One racing’s technical chatter in recent weeks. But following the FIA’s reiteration of the rules, McLaren’s engineering director Paddy Lowe isn’t concerned about how the British team will be affected. In a Vodafone McLaren Mercedes 'Phone-In' session, Lowe also discussed their strategy decisions during qualifying for the Malaysia race, the strengths and weaknesses of the MP4-25 and this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix...
Jose Theodore named playoff starter
By Tarik El-Bashir at Capitals Insider
Jose Theodore has been named the Caps' starter by Coach Bruce Boudreau, who added that his No. 1 netminder will have a longer leash than he had last spring when he was replaced after one game.
"I told Jose last week, and he knew he was gonna be the starter, and he's earned it," Boudreau said...
Capitals/Canadiens: Breaking Down the Match-Up
By Becca H at Japers' Rink
As the Capitals and Canadiens prepare to do postseason battle for the first time ever, there are plenty of tried and true storylines getting tossed around - the top two power plays in the League going head to head, Ovechkin in a hockey mecca, the return of Theodore to Montreal, etc.
After the jump, a quick and dirty guide to some of the head-to-head match-ups we'll be seeing come Thursday night...
Life on the road - how teams cope with flyaway races
Posted at Formula1.com
With the opening four rounds of the 2010 Formula One season all flyaway races, it has been well over five weeks since the teams’ cars have been on home soil. Life on the road may sound glamorous, but without the home comforts of the factory it's a challenge for teams to keep their cars in tip-top shape. Renault explain the measures they take to ensure their R30s remain fit for action...
Ratt’s DeMartini Answers 10 Questions About… Ratt!
By gbarton at Classic Rock
It’s the first in a soon-to-be-legendary series of quickfire Classic Rock interviews. And, with trademark sensitivity, we’ve given our new Q&A session the moniker of... Know Your Shit!
The subject of the first Know Your Shit is Ratt guitarist Warren DeMartini (pictured). We asked him 10 quickfire questions about his band...
Mickey Rourke's 'Iron Man 2' Performance
Inspired By Death Of His Dog
By Blair Marnell at MTV's Splash Page
As an actor, Mickey Rourke has gained a reputation for his hard-edged roles in films like "Sin City" and "The Wrestler." However, outside of the film industry Rourke is an outspoken animal activist and a well known dog-lover — characteristics that helped motivate his upcoming role as Whiplash in "Iron Man 2."
According to The Daily Express, Rourke used pictures of his deceased pets to stimulate his emotional performance while on the set of "Iron Man 2."...
Bad Company: Then And Now
By Xavier Russell at Classic Rock
I first saw Bad Company supporting The Who at Charlton FC in 1974, but that day belonged to openers Montrose. It was Bad Company’s headlining performance a couple of years later, at The Great British Music Festival in London’s Olympia on January 2, 1976 that caught my eye.
Back then Bad Company were riding high in the charts. The success of 1974’s self-titled, debut album (five million copies sold in America alone) and 1975’s Straight Shooter (three million copies sold) meant the band had established a firm base. Now Paul Rodgers and Co. were in town promoting their third studio outing Run With The Pack (one million copies sold) and headlining two sold-out shows at The Great British Music Festival (January 2/3, 1976), which ran for four nights. The other headliners were Status Quo on December 3, 1975. Barclay James Harvest and Procol Harum (January 1, 1976)...
The Columnist and the Old School Fan
By The Peerless at The Peerless Prognosticator
Let me preface this with a little personal history. I arrived in Washington in 1984. One of the first things I did upon moving into my apartment and getting phone service (we didn’t have the Internet back then) was to procure tickets for Washington Capitals hockey. The first game I attended happened to feature the Stanley Cup finalists from the previous year, the Edmonton Oilers, who the Caps pasted that night, 9-2...
Hockey Mom Style Alert: Facial Hair En Vogue for Men
By Hockey Mom at Musings Of A Hockey Mom
Yes fellas, it's that time again. The best time of year to be a hockey fan and if you're of the male persuasion, a time for low-maintenance manscaping. One of the many great playoff traditions for the players involves not shaving their beards from the start of the playoffs until they are eliminated or hopefully, hoist that beautiful big Cup at journey's end...
April 12, 2010
Latvala to take on the Nürburgring
Posted at WRC.com
Jari-Matti Latvala will make his circuit racing debut on 15 May when he tackles this year’s 24-hour race at the Nürburgring at the wheel of a Ford Focus RS prepared by students from the University of Cologne.
The BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team driver got his first taste of the demanding German circuit when he competed in Saturday's second round of the VLN (Veranstaltergemeinschaft Langstreckenpokal Nürburgring) Endurance Championship, after which the 25-year-old was enthusiastic about the infamous 'Green Hell'...
Piecing Together Ryan Reynolds' 'Green Lantern' Costume
By Jill Pantozzi at MTV's Splash Page
It can be argued that a comic book character is 50 percent superpowers and skills and 50 percent costume. If you don’t have a great outfit, you’re just a guy running around in long underwear. Attire can make or break a superhero, and as Ryan Reynolds could soon find out, attire can make or break a superhero movie, too.
According to SlashFilm, Reynolds’ "Green Lantern" suit will be mostly computer-generated visual rather than actual clothing. The rumor appears to have been confirmed by DC Entertainment Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns, making this one of the first attempts at a fully CG suit in the genre...
New and Old Media Together on Local Air
By The OFB Team at On Frozen Blog
Just a few of you were tuning in to the Masters this weekend while some local hockey media convened in the posh studios of Federal News Radio in Northwest Washington, to chat up the Caps’ remarkable season on Jonathon Warner’s ‘Saturday Night Caps.’ (Our own Mike Rucki coined that program’s name!) We had great fun, and as usual, we learned a lot from our colleagues in new and traditional media. And we had some laughs. Jonathon Warner has been terrifically supportive of new media...
*Dan, Jr. / Junior's Eyes Note: Cool video included.
Backstrom named Third Star of the Week
Posted by J.P. at Japers' Rink
"Although the final four games of the season were meaningless for the Washington Capitals, Backstrom didn't take anything for granted. He had 3 goals and 6 assists to get to 101 points, his first 100-point season in the NHL. The 22-year-old set career highs in goals (33), assists (68), points and plus-minus (plus-37)."
- NHL.com
Washington Capitals Stanley Cup Playoff Notebook: Preface
By Eric McErlain at Off Wing Opinion
...individual goals count for little with everyone focused on bringing Washington its first Stanley Cup. So yes, there was exaltation when Semin tallied his 40th goal in the first period. But while it might be possible for somebody to have mixed feelings after Ovechkin and Green were kept scoreless during the balance of a 4-3 shootout loss, the overriding buzz in the locker room after the game was one of anticipation.
The preliminaries were over, and now the real business was at hand.
Standing in the locker room after the game, it was hard not to remember just how different the end of the regular season could look here in Washington, and just how far the organization has come in such a short amount of time...
Caps vs. Canadiens Playoff Round 1 Match-Up And Storylines
By Usually Frustrated Caps Fan at Mark's Musings
So it's set, first faceoff Thursday evening, 7PM at Verizon Center. Caps versus Habs, first round of the 2010 playoffs. The story lines abound and this should be a good series. Each team's 2009 - 2010 regular season record against the other being an identical 2-1-1. So let's see if we can identify the top story lines that will be discussed and debated over the next week or so in conjunction with this series...
Renault: We can move ahead of Mercedes
Posted at Formula1.com
After winter testing, most were predicting a tough season ahead for Renault. However, three Grands Prix into 2010 and they lay a healthy fifth in the standings after a second and a fourth-place finish. Not content with exceeding media expectations, technical director James Allison now has Mercedes GP firmly in his sights, as he explains...
Michael Schumacher: We’re improving step-by-step
Posted at Formula1.com
Three races into his much-anticipated comeback season and Michael Schumacher has scored just nine points from a possible 75. Not only that, the seven-time champion has been out-qualified and out-raced all the way by young Mercedes GP team mate, Nico Rosberg.
It may not be what the pundits had predicted, nor surely what Schumacher had expected, but the 41-year-old German insists all is going to plan and that he and the team are improving all the time, as they head to Shanghai for this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix...
Jack Bruce : Cream Will Never Reform Again
Posted by Nightwatcher at Nightwatcher's House Of Rock
Planet Rock is reporting Cream bassist Jack Bruce has revealed that his former band will never reform again.
Speaking to the BBC about his autobiography, Composing Himself (released in February), Bruce revealed that he nearly reunited with Ginger Baker and Eric Clapton in 2007 but the reunion never materialized and it will now never happen...
Moody-Murray Monsters Of Rock: Full Details Announced
By mdome at Classic Rock
Moody-Murray Monsters Of British Rock are to play shows later this year. And who are this lot? Read on…The band features former Whitesnake pair Micky Moody (guitar -pictured left) and Neil Murray (bass) ex-Wishbone Ash guitarist Laurie Wisefield, Heartland vocalist Chris Ousey, ex-Thunder drummer Harry James, plus keyboard player Michael Bramwell, from the hit musical We Will Rock You...
On Washington’s Very Winning Ways
By pucksandbooks at On Frozen Blog
I’m still trying to get my brain around 121 points. But not everyone is.
On Saturday night I enjoyed another fun and keenly sharp analysis session in the studio of Federal News Radio, for ‘Saturday Night Caps,’ alongside Jonathon Warner, Brian McNally, Dmitry Chesnokov, Ben Raby, and Lisa Hillary. Greg Wyshynski called in from his northern Virginia home. Greg’s brain on pucks is a great one, but he suggested that there was...
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