Wednesday, September 23, 2009

New Beginnings

The Gentleman's Lodge will be entering a new platform within the next few weeks. Stay tuned for updates....

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

The Wally Power 118'

94' Sailboat

When you first see a boat like the Wally Power 118, you are forced to come to terms with the fact Yachts are the second coolest creation, next to Wine & Bowties. You are also forced to realize that you will never probably own a 20 million dollar yacht, but if you are lucky you may be able to afford one of their smaller vessels, like the Wally Power 47.

Wally 47

They began making boats in 1991, where they tried their hand in the sailboat market. With, success toward the year 2000 they have able to branch out into other markets such as snow skis and power boats. I know, weird product line right? Sail, Power, and Snow Skis? I think any and all questions are answered once you take a look at the time put into one of these incredible works of art.

Wally Power 118

The hull of the 118 WallyPower has been developed from the Wally R&D program including testing in the SSPA tanks in Gothenburg, Sweden, and aero dynamics testing in the Ferrari Wind Tunnel in Maranello, Italy. The deep 22-degree deep V-hull shape and straight stem bow were designed to cut through the nastiest conditions at sea.

Hand crafted everything.

I don't need to tell you that The Wally Power 118 has a maximum HP of 5,600. I definitely don't need to tell you that that HP is derived from 3 turbine (jet) motors and 2 gas engines. But, I will tell you that every hand crafted detail on this boat was looked over once, twice, and again a third time.

The interior bulkheads and cabin soles are made of the finest wood and veneer skins. All of the kitchen and bath appliances are made from a carbon fiber base to cut down on any unnecessary weight.

Ski

The paint finish is metallic dark green, and changes reflections and color depending on the light and surrounding environment. The Wally Power living areas have been designed as one continuous element. The open space incorporates three areas, from stern to bow: the saloon, the dining/seating area, and the navigation cockpit. There is a 360-degree view from the dining area.. The dining and lounge cockpit is forward of the superstructure for privacy, and away from the heat of engines. Two fore dining tables can be mechanically lowered into place in the bow.

A different approach to an outdoor living room.

Inside, the owner’s stateroom is forward, lighted by a top skylight, and has a king-size bed and side cabinets. Two identical guest cabins have queen-size beds and en-suite bathrooms. The stainless steel galley, which includes the crew mess, has an oven, stove, and refrigerators.

The Giga-Yacht, starting at 350 feet.

So, like I said before this "thing" is sure to turn heads at any harbor around the world. As you can tell from frequent maritime posts on this site, I am a strong believer that the being on a boat in the water under any circumstance can be therapeutic. You don't necessarily have to be on the multi million dollar Wally Power boats. Go rent a sailboat and go boating with some friends, it's the coolest way to spend $100. Don't be the idiot cutting people off though. Seriously.

Stay on-board Gents.

J.E. Albert

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

The BluePrint 3

The BluePrint 3

I would like to first of all say, what took you so long Jay? I was able to find a leaked copy, which Jay-Z directly addressed to MTV saying that he wants people to just hear his music, downloading it legally, or not. He said to MTV News in an interview on monday, "I'm excited for people to hear the album. I'm very proud of the work I've done, so enjoy it." I figured I wouldn't get in trouble for posting this, CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE BLUEPRINT 3 ALBUM. His approach is a smart one, first of all, for all of you marketing majors out there, he spreads his image, sound, and likeness to a large international audience. The die hard fans are going to buy his album, the people who like his music, but don't want to spend $16.99 on the BluePrint 3, will do doubt download it illegally. By expanding his audience, things like commercial spots, print ads, billboards, merchandise, etc will become more lucrative over time. In terms of sound, the production quality is incredible. On American Gangster, he used a lot of hi-treble and loud percussion instruments in his beat compilations, The BluePrint 3 is closer to the Black Album or even Vol. 1.


Jay-Z kills it on "Hate", where he raps, "Why I never see em' at the Clear-port? Why I always hear they at the airport? While I fly daily like I'm in the Air Force." The vocal talent of Alicia Keys is apparent on "Empire State of Mind". Can't hate on Keys. The song has classic Jay-Z flavor. On the opening track, "What We Talkin' About", he says, "I don't run rap no more, I run the map." Although The BluePrint 3 wasn't at the same level that a lot of bloggers and music critics expected it to be, It is a success and will have a few songs on the sop 40 list most definitely. People are critical of Jay's decision to stay in the Rap game. On the Swiss Beats track titled "On To the Next One" he raps, "Used to rock a throwback, ballin' on the corner. Now I rock a tether suite lookin' like an owner. No I'm not a Jonas, Brother I'm a grown up." For an artist that is 40 years old and just finished his 11th album, staying this up to date with the latest music trends is an incredible achievement. The Album will be released in stores on September 11th. On the same day he will be performing a live performance at Madison Square Garden. Tickets will be $50, a small price to watch Jay-Z Live. Not to mention 100% of the ticket sales will go to the widows of firefighters that were killed in the 9/11 tragedies. I guess I've answered my own question which was, what took Jay so long for this album? The answer is, it didn't, it was released right on time. At the end of the day, the 5oo million dollar rapper has a nice cushion to fall back on if his record deal with Live Nation ever goes sour. Since I couldn't interview him, I thought Bill Maher would do a pretty good job for me...


Stay musically diverse Gents.

J.E. Albert

Thursday, August 27, 2009

2011 Mercedes Benz E Class

Join recently married Dieter Heinz on a windy road trip up Mt Soledad to see if the 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class is all it's cracked up to be!! J.S. Meinzer on photo detail.

New front end design.

C. Mason on the lens.



Stay on the Autobahn Gents.

J.E. Albert

Sunday, August 23, 2009

The Official 2009 Street Scene iPhone Application

The official app for Street Scene 2009 in San Diego California on August 28th and 29th. Be sure to download the app before the show to get it for FREE!


Street Scene 09 from Useful Creativity is the first in a line of premium, fully customized iPhone applications that provide all the tools and info you need for an event.


TWITTER
Custom Twitter client finds Street Scene related tweets and pulls them into one convenient thread! All official tweets (@street_scene) are colored orange. You can also send a tweet from the app and the official hashtag #SS09 is automatically added so your tweet is seen by other fans!

- Follow http://www.twitter.com/street_scene
for news about Street Scene!

- Follow http://www.twitter.com/smeinzer
for news about the app!


LINEUP
Want to know more about the bands at Street Scene? Check out the Lineup page to see pictures, check the wikipedia, and listen to and download tunes from your favorite bands. Be sure to click on the picture to see a full size shot of each band. Also, don’t forget to add alerts for the bands you want to see so you get a push notification when they go on stage.


SCHEDULE
Built for ultra convenience while you are at the festival this is a constantly updating schedule so that you always have the most current info on when your favorite bands are playing. Touch the star to mark the artist to receive a push notification when they go on stage.


PARKING
If you are driving, just find a parking lot in the list and touch the “take me here” button to find the lot on a Google map, then touch “Route” to get directions directly to that lot.

INFO
This page has all the info for anything related to Street Scene. From general guidelines to what to bring, the info page has it all.

EVENT MAP
This is an interactive map! See who is playing on each stage while you are at Street Scene. Want to see who is coming up? Just tap the stage and the map moves over to reveal the next two bands coming up on that stage.

TROLLEY
For the trolley, we’ve given you the schedule and map and even marked the stops to get off at.

MARK/FIND MY CAR
When you are at a concert the last thing you want to think about when you are leaving is where you parked your car. With the Find My Car feature all you have to do is touch “mark my car” to record your vehicle’s location then just touch find my car to see exactly where you parked it.

PHOTO WALL
Check out Street Scene photos from fans and post your own! If you want to see more just tap the reload button at the top. Touch the photo to see a full screen version.

NOTIFICATIONS
Get a push notification from Street Scene and want to know what it was? Go to the notifications section to see a list of all the alerts you have received so far.

Summer music festival guides are changing. iPhone apps are now offering the best way to find the information you need about an event. Useful Creativity is focused on providing the best tools to make your experience as easy and enjoyable as possible.


****FREE UNTIL AUGUST 28TH THEN CHANGES TO REGULAR PRICE OF $1.99****

Give it 5 stars gents.

J.S. Meinzer

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Kickin' it Old School

Vans Off The Wall Color Pack

Pharell Williams in Vans

...for the one girl that reads this

I think every guy/girl has owned at least one pair of these suckers. From the 70's the Van's skate shoe has provided a timeless sneaker that can be used to pump down the coast highway or just wear to dinner. I'm not exactly sure your date or mom would like this particular color, however, Kanye makes this type of thing work on a daily basis so if you are so inclined... The "Off The Wall Pack" includes all of the original colors; blue, green, yellow, and red. The Era, Slip On, Old Skool 77 and Mid School 77 will all be including this color pack into production. I suppose I approve of this fiasco.

Stay Off the Wall gents

J.E. Albert

Sunday, August 16, 2009

New York: a gentleman's perspective

I strive to include you in the events and occurrences that I encounter on a daily basis. Maintaining this blog and being a kid aren't exactly the easiest things to balance. I hope that this video can be a representation of that. Shot on the fly, as always.



Stay in frame gents.

J.E. Albert

Friday, August 14, 2009

Paella: Humble Origins, Elevated Genius

If you cooked this on a first date.......

Farmer's Market has the best veggies

Try to find the oversized skillet

A:B doing his thing

Paella is widely considered Spain’s national dish. It is the perfect example of how most of the world’s greatest food was born out of necessity. Paella was originally created as a peasant dish that combined dried fish with rice, vegetables and potent mixture of spices. The combination of proteins and vegetables greatly differ by region. Paellas are comprised entirely of meat and some seafood, it is not uncommon to see a mixture of seafood and various meats. The name Paella actually refers to the wide shallow dish used during the cooking process. In order to cook authentic Paella two ingredients are absolutely necessary, paella style rice such as Bomba or Calasparra and Saffron. Don’t let the price of Saffron discourage you, a little bit goes a long way. If you are having trouble finding the right type of rice try a specialty store, Arborio rice could also be used as a substitute. This recipe basically features every single type of meat and seafood I could find at the store. Feel free to omit any ingredients that don’t agree with your pallet, or by all means grow a pair and step out of your comfort zone.

Summer Paella
This recipe is designed for a traditional Paella pan. If you can not find one use your largest skillet and reduce the recipe amounts by about ½.

Protein
-½ lb Shrimp (Shell On-they taste so much better this way)
-½ lb Calamari (Whatever is available; rings, tentacles or steak)
-½ lb Halibut (any firm white fish will work for this)
-1 lb Clams and/or Muscles
-1 lb Chicken Drumettes (the little mini legs work great for this one)
-1 lb Pork Spare Ribs (Bone In)
-¼ lb Chorizo

Veg
- 1 Onion (chopped)
- 4 cloves Garlic (minced)
- 1Shallot (minced)
- 2 Serrano Peppers (minced)
- 2 cups Green Peas (de-shelled)
- 1 cup Roasted Red Pepper Strips (chopped) * Save a few strips un-cut for a garnish
- ¼ cup Flat Leaf Parsley (chopped) * Reserve some of the parsley for a garnish
- 1 Lemon (cut into wedges) *Save for a garnish

Spice
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 2 pinches Saffron
- ½ Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- ½ Teaspoon Ancho Chile Powder
- ½ cup Dry White Wine
- Olive Oil (I wouldn’t use extra virgin for this because it will burn)

Rice
- 4 cups Paella Rice (Bomba preferably)
- 6 ½ cups Stock (Chicken or Seafood)

Paella is a step by step process, if you stray from the plan there’s a good chance you’ll end up with something that looks neat but doesn’t deliver. The recipe calls for each item to cook separately, the cooking times are not meant to cook each item completely because all the ingredients will cook through during the last 20 minutes of cooking.

Cooking Instructions:

- Heat the pan on medium high add 1 tablespoon of olive oil & add the chorizo, let the chorizo brown to render some of the fat, Once cooked remove the chorizo

- Add the chicken & pork to the pan, cook for about 12 minutes occasionally turning each piece to ensure even cooking, remove from the pan after browned.

- Add shrimp, calamari & halibut & sauté, occasionally turning each piece to ensure even cooking. Remove ingredients after about 5 minutes.

- In a small sauce pot bring stock to a boil and turn off heat. Add saffron to the liquid and let steep.

- Heat a medium sized sauce pot on medium heat, add clams/mussels and white wine and cover. Let steam for about 4-5 minutes. Remove the clams/muscles and combine remaining liquid with stock.

- Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the paella pan, add onions and garlic sauté until translucent about 6-7 minutes (adding a pinch of salt can speed this up). Add the remaining vegetables and cook for 2-3 minutes.

- Add the partially cooked chicken/pork to the same pan and cook for 8-10 minutes (stir occasionally)

- Add the rice to the pan and stir to coat the rice. Then add the stock mixture Let cook for 10 minutes. (Do not stir the paella once you add the stock because it won’t produce a good crust)

- After 10 minutes of cooking add the shrimp/squid/fish to the rice mixture cook for 10 more minutes.

- Finally add the mussels/clams to the nearly cooked rice.

- Turn off the heat and cover with tinfoil, let steam for about 5-10 minutes. (Don’t worry there is still some liquid, the rice will soak it up)

- Gently fold all the ingredients together and garnish with roast red pepper, parsley and lemon wedges.

Don’t worry if the bottom layer of rice burns a little bit, this is actually the best part. Like all recipes, times are not exact, so pay attention and you shouldn’t have any problems. Invite a group of your friends and show them you can cook more then a just a burger.

Shout out to Carlos Mason for the legendary photog.

Step your blogs up gents.

Chef A:B

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Summers in NY

New crib loftin'

Warhols

SoHo

Madoff, would still be on the 17th floor, but
he didn't take breaks from work...

Dillion's

Big apple sesh

Bello Mafio

Boycotting belts

cvh & em

Returning from NYC for the second time this summer, cleared my mind and re defined my idea of what really being successful is about. Don't think that this means that you should abandon all previous ideas and theories. It just means in a time where things are evolving at a rapid pace, it's nice to spend some time with people that don't piss you off, and draw inspiration from a different location. However, this trip was different from the last one. A tight budget and 4 days for peasure/business gives you little time to enjoy things like; shopping, bottle service, Canal Street bartering, etc... The goal; to go on a PR tour through the Hamptons while getting to enjoy the city for a couple days. Ironic isn't it? Going to the city was more important than staying longer in Southampton. There was a good reason though. Last time with Grizz, I was unable to shoot any HD video, and this time I was accompanied by a Canon XL-A1. Great compact shooter. Upon color correction, rivals the HVX. Without turning this into too much of a nerd spotlight, NY has to be one of the most Cinegenic (totally made that up) cities in the world. I will just let the video speak for itself. That will be posted in the next couple days. I feel relieved to come back, look at my city and town from a different point of view, and push forward with my personal goals. Try it. I know often there are articles in the Lodge posted about cars, clothes, gold toilets etc.... These things are all great, and I for one need them to stay sane and enjoy living on this planet, and certainly abandoning all responsibilities would be foolish, however... There IS a time to lean back, enjoy a new place and absorb the world like a sponge. I enjoyed SoHo, Central Park, and everywhere in between.I walked the streets of New York, like a washed up Californian, pushing through the crowds and unruly children to film the creative shots that have become buried under newer business speculations and the obsession of staying on top of bills. Lost under a pile of paper work and contracts, the old days of walking around and just filming people and watching the world are gone. For me at least, my dry streak ended after this trip. I used my cinematography degree and gathered some great shots. What I can offer you today is one piece of advice and one one piece only; Take breaks so you can work harder, nobody wants to work with a grouch and no one can grow as a person under constant stress. Believe it or not, that business trip you keep telling yourself you'll go on when you have enough in the savings to expand your network, is the key to making those accounts roll in. That is the key to success. You have to spend a little, to get your mind right. Do this by leaving whatever you are doing immediately and get out! Tomorrow isn't soon enough. Enjoy the photos. They were shot by a very lovely and talented Chelsea Vanhouten.

Stay inspired Gents

J.E. Albert

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Movie Review: Brüno

SBC

Questionable in Certain Communities

Brüno

I anticipated Brüno to be a little more than it was. Everyone knows that guys have penises, can we at least agree on that much? I don't think that Sasha Baren Cohen got the memo on that factoid prior to the making of this film. In fact I would say that his main objective as a film-actor in Brüno was to show/integrate his genitalia into as many scenes as possible. I will say that a few scenes, I almost fell out of my, crappy-velvet-seed-stained bucket of a chair (I had a $25 gift card for AMC, don't judge me.) There were a few funny guest appearances including Guns and Roses guitarist "Slash" and musical guest Sting. The Elton John appearance later on in the movie was actually pretty amusing, however the movie lacked a certain raw production. Part of what was so funny about Borat, was the fact that they had somewhat amateur film equipment and sloppy editing. I feel as if Bruno is much more commercialized. Like you are watching a feature with actors in it, like the film "Best in Show". It's like a "mock-umentary". I'm not going to tell you not to see it because I do applaud Sasha on one part of his humor. His ability to show the true nature of some people in America is remarkable. For instance, some people may watch a scene and say that he is being over the top or rude or crass, etc.. however, if you look at the person opposite him, you will see he's been able to gather evidence for his personal social opinions through their stupidity. He's able to make a bigot or a racist become comletely out in the open about their opinions and political slant. You can actually see how stupid some people are. Brüno may appear the moron, but it's really his all star cast that makes you question rational thought altogether. Does this make any sense? Just see the movie I guess. I give it 3.5 out of 5.0.

Stay (partially) clothed gents.

J.E. Albert

Thursday, July 30, 2009

A Day at the Races.........

Your Doom.

Spectacle.

Box.

Going to the races is like going to prom for the first time, the girls are over dressed, you always lose too much money, and it's never as good as you thought it was going to be. First of all, I have this weird suspicion that I missed the sign that said, "Attention, middle aged men and women with leather tan skin, please feel free to act as intoxicated and inappropriate as possible." This seemed to be the theme of the day. These people's plastic surgeon had to be either blind, or in fact not a surgeon at all, but a plastic toy manufacturer. Although this may sound crass or over the top, I cannot help, but comment on certain social situations, such as a day at the Del Mar Racetrack. The only way to do this type of deal is from a sky box. Luckily I was separated from the people traveling from East County, who came to sit on a 100 degree paddock and talk about how much horsepower their tractor motor has, while they obnoxiously bash all of the people who are actually there placing bets. Yes, thats right folks, only at the Del Mar Racetrack. But, even with all of the distractions around, when those horses come out of that gate, part of you gets into it, wether you want to admit it or not. I happened to win one trifecta, and the rush of winning has to compare to getting pulled over by a CHP officer or ........ getting caught cheating on a math test, I would say it's somewhere in that ballpark. If you haven't gone to the races this year, don't let the cheery folk from east of Barona Casino scare you away. Go enjoy a day at the track, I guarantee you will at least get a funny story out of it. Don't get sucked into the statistics of these horses/jockeys, you will bet all of your rent money and lose on a horse named "Trail Mix".

Stay with the Boxed-Trifecta Gents.

J.E. Albert

Thursday, July 16, 2009

The Future in Your Hand



Useful Creativity is a new brand that my business partners; Shelby Meinzer and Carlos Mason have created with me, that focuses on the creation and marketing of iPhone applications that are aesthetically pleasing as well as functional. Our first app will be the Official San Diego Street Scene 09' Application. This app will be an interactive guide to the concert, from the lineups, to band bios, even direct connections to the iTunes store. The best part for you all is that it's free. Free as in go to the iTunes store next friday and download it for nothing, not even a penny. Whether or not you attend Street Scene this year, this app is great for artist updates and information on what's going on downtown during and around the time of the event. I've included a couple first release images of the app right here in this post......

Main.

Lineup.

Direct Twitter Integration.

It seems that the timing for a venture such as the one we are involved in, couldn't be better timed. We just hope you like the product.

For more information on Street Scene 2009 please visit

Stay touch-screen gents.

J.E. Albert

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Sneaker Profile: Kanye West

Showing the kicks at Fashion Week Paris


Interesting spread.


Kanye West seems to be synonymous with many things, stupidity being one of them. I'm also pretty sure that almost all of the 5 people that read this blog think he is stupid/a moron. So why buy into his shoes? He teamed up with the head of Louis Vuitton's design team, Marc Jacobs to design a futuristic and comfortable sneaker. I'm not exactly sure if you should buy into Kanye the "shoe designer", but Kanye "the ballsy guy", has to be considered. It worked enough to get LV behind him. Being a fan of Kanye West is like being a fan of Patrick Bateman from American Psycho. It's completely acceptable, but also understood that it's mainly out of a weird and confused pity. I think that is the center of most people's fascination with Kanye West. How crazy can he get? My guess is that we will continue to see more very odd behavior and career decisions from West as time goes on. But like I said, with the wacko publicty that comes with Kanye, the pity soon follows. I guess at the end of the day, no one should feel bad for him for any reason other than the fact that he's completely insane. When you market a pill that "allows your fans to be more like you", it's most likely time for a reality check (I didn't make that up), however that insane mentality and outlook on his career has allowed him the large scale of success that he's attained. Who can market a fake pill and make money off of it? Mr. West. If there is a lesson to be learned from his ridiculous behavior and comments (....George Bush hates black people....), its that sticking your neck on the line, can help you in certain situations. Like his attitude toward his rapping career, his outlandish shoe designs may contribute to personal achievements in some social situations for Kanye and you. There. I'm not endorsing his ridiculous space boot, but if I saw you wearing them at a party, I wouldn't be mad. I'd probably ask you where you got them, and then told you where you could have got them for cheaper.

Stay kick fresh.

J.E. Albert

Sunday, July 12, 2009

UFC 100 RECAP


If UFC 100 proved anything last night it's that it would be in everyones best interest to stay as far away as humanly possible from Dan Henderson's right hand, that no welterweight in the world has any business whatsoever stepping in the cage with GSP, and that Brock Lesnar is the single most terrifying individual I've ever seen.

Henderson vs Bisping

The U.K.'s Michael Bisping's first mistake was running his mouth and his second mistake was circling to his left leaving him susceptible to Henderson's sledgehammer right. The majority of the fight was a standup boxing match with Bisping circling the ring while throwing occasional punches, Henderson continuously stalked him while loading up his right hand. The only real action in the fight was when Henderson decapitated Bisping and followed it by pummeling Bisping's lifeless skull just for good measure in the second round. The convincing Henderson victory will now lead to debate for a possible rematch with reigning middleweight and pound for pound juggernaut Anderson Silva.

GSP vs Thiago Alves

Georges St. Pierre continued his campaign for pound for pound supremacy with a convincing victory over always dangerous Thiago Alves. GSP set the fights pace, stayed out of Alves' range, and took Thiago to the mat at will en route to another dominant unanimous decision victory in the octagon. Alves and his one dimensional muay thai striking attack was smothered by St. Pierre's out of this world jedi skills. The only real question left after this fight is if Georges will get the chance to face Anderson Silva for supremacy of galaxy.

Brock Lesnar vs Frank Mir


If you weren't the slightest bit disturbed by this match then you were either too drunk or a 1980's slasher movie villain. Duke Nukem aka Brock Lesnar was the proverbial mean big brother you never wanted and thankfully never had. Lesnar skipped the foreplay and immediately took Mir to the ground were he imposed his will via knuckle sandwich throughout the first round. By the time the second round began Frank Mir's face looked like it was sponsored by The Spaghetti Factory. The second round, much like the first was completely dominated by Lesnar and his frightening ground and pound. Pinning Mir to the cage, Brock unloaded right hands into Franks face until referee Herb Dean stopped the match. If you are a disgruntled fighters wife looking to cash in on a serious life insurance policy I suggest you get your hubby to fight Lesnar. If not, the only thing that belongs in the cage with Brock other than Fedor is a pissed off grizzly bear brandishing a buoy knife. Other than that I don't see anything or anyone stopping Lesnar's reign of terror anytime soon. Be afraid.

Stay lustful for blood gents!

E.L. Healey

Saturday, July 11, 2009

UFC 100 PREVIEW


Brock Lesnar vs Frank Mir

Saturday night marks the culmination of The Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir death match reunion world tour. The two men will square off for the second time in the octagon for the UFC Undisputed Heavyweight Championship at the Mandalay Bay events center in front of a packed house. This time around Lesnar's turning the dial up on his death ray fists from severely wound to full blown genocidal nuclear meltdown. With Brocks intentions of going completely Chernoble on Mir's face, Frank must focus strictly on his superior jiu-jitsu game if he hopes to survive the onslaught. Although Mir holds the advantage in experience and submissions, I think Brock's overall athletic superiority matched with his wrestling, size, and unbelievable knockout power will prove to be too much for Mir. From the beginning of round 1 Lesnar will set the pace and tone for the entire fight. I predict a Lesnar TKO victory in the 2nd or 3rd rounds.

GSP vs Thiago Alves

The second title fight of the evening pits UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre against what "everyone" is calling the biggest test of his career in Thiago "The Pitbull" Alves. To say GSP is on a roll is a drastic understatement. Georges has only two career losses which each have been avenged in brutal chainsaw massacre fashion. St. Pierre is arguably the most complete mixed martial arts fighter ever and he's certainly done nothing to make me argue. But if imitation is the greatest form of flattery than GSP should be tickled pink because Alves has been kicking the sh!t out of everyone with a pulse. Alves is athletic, huge, and is a Mike Tyson'esque muay thai striker with a great spawl. Thiago usually relies on his freaky power and aggressive striking to overwhelm his opponents and make them ponder alternative career paths. Unfortunately for the Brazillian he has never faced anyone with as lethal a resume as GSP. St. Pierre will show up Saturday with a gameplan ready to dismantle the Alves time bomb. His superior conditioning, gameplan, wrestling, and striking accuracy will prove to be too much for Thiago. Barring flash knockout I'm picking GSP by TKO or submission in the 2nd.

Stay in your seats Gents.

E.L. Healey