'Rich and Almost Famous' by Rich Miller | People and things that need a better 2012

Thursday, January, 2012
Written by Rich Miller, talent network news staff
Twitter @rmillertime24
Photo Source Credit: And Her Little Dog Too
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It's 2012 now, 2011 is in the books.  It was a great year for me as I took a lot of major steps in almost every aspect of my life. Towards the end of 2011 I needed a break from writing, I actually wrote more before I had this blog, go figure. I'll get a little more personal in upcoming posts, but it’s a New Year now and for some a chance for a new beginning.  Many are hoping to lose weight, quit smoking, or just be an all-around better person.  Many will lose focus and give up faster than a Republican nominee.

Here’s a list of people who need to have a good 2012:



Ray Lewis:  Lewis is getting up there, and I’m curious how much he has left in the tank with this being the Ravens best shot at a Super Bowl in years. Plus with Gadhafi, Bin Laden, and Kim Jong Ill all dead, the market for potential psychopath dieticians of second and third world countries is at an all-time high.  The time is now for Lewis to have a realistic chance to do something in his field after football.

Justin Timberlake: Dude, come on. You could be good at music or suck at acting. Stop making Best Buy commercials with Peyton Manning and the San Diego Chicken, and make another catchy album, so I can have something in common with the girls I date again.

Kody Brown:  Bad enough you’re a Mormon reality “star”, but four wives is a lot of headaches.  He should look into Bayer or Tylenol endorsements.  He could co-star with Donald Trump.

Kris Humphries: I’m not sure if he saw the show because I haven’t, but there’s no way he didn’t see the video.  At least he married on his talent level.

Andy Reid: It wasn’t his call to invest more in Nnamdi Asomugha and Vince Young than his entire group of linebackers, yet he insists on taking the blame.  The Eagles have a lot of talent, but need to be restructured.

Steve Pederson: Your hiring history is skeptical at best. Wife beaters and compulsive liars typically don’t have solid resumes, but you sir: your cup is half-full.

Anyone who participated in Occupy Whatever: You shat in a bag for a few months, yet Wal-Mart still stands. What were you trying to accomplish again?

Everyone wants to have a good year; here are some things I would like to see in 2012:

• The next seasons of American Horror Story and Walking Dead to be as good as last season.
• Improved hockey helmets so I can watch my favorite players actually play instead of seeing their brains get turned into mashed potatoes.
• Jerry Sandusky stumbles and falls awkwardly backwards onto a wooden post.
• Hangover 3. Just to see if they would change anything this time.
• A plow truck in Mt. Washington. Oh and a cab on Carson.
• More Facebook gym check-ins.  Seriously keep reminding me you work out.  I don’t want you people getting lazy.And finally…Lots of snow at Seven Springs, lots of good friends and cherry bombs during Pens games at Carson City Saloon, lots of short skirts the first nice weekend in April, and many more talented musical artists coming out of this fine city.

'Rich and Almost Famous' by Rich Miller | Blue Slide Park' Tour Spins Mac Miller Back to the 412

Thursday, Decmber 15, 2011
Written by Rich Miller, talent network news staff
Twitter @rmillertime24
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Mac Miller’s Blue Slide Park Tour concluded this weekend at the North Shore’s Stage AE in front of a packed house anticipating the return of Pittsburgh’s new face on the hip-hop scene, and he did not disappoint.  Miller brought tons of energy put on a great show for the crowd, and his excitement for this show somehow over matched the collective excitement of the nearly 3,000 in attendance.  I was backstage for the show and actually was one of the first people Mac saw before he took the stage.  He was clearly overwhelmed with emotion when he invited me and several other people standing in the hallway on stage for Donald Trump during the encore.  This is what makes Mac cool.  Not because he invited guys on stage, every rapper does that.  In fact to quote my younger brother Timmy who was with me, “Clearly the more people you have dancing behind you, the better you are as a rapper, and even if you suck you still have the people.”  But because I was a tall white guy wearing a North Face who would have stuck out like Lindsay Lohan in church.  I respectfully declined telling him he would have to go on without me.


I wanted to make this a real professional write up, but it would be a total injustice to the type of night it was.  At one point I was standing in VIP next to Wiz Khalifa’s mother and Sally Wiggin.  Sally is a very social person to say the least.  Although she may have had a contact high, this would be totally justifiable given the circumstances.  Sally actually wasn’t looking bad for a woman of her age…yeah I know I must have been high too. There were all sorts of local and upcoming rappers roaming around, and various other local celebrities.  It was sort of like a house party meets a family reunion.  Mac had plenty of support from the 412.

The opening act was a local group called “The Come Up”.  I had never heard of them before, but they were good.  They had a few catchy songs, but what I liked was the originality, it didn’t sound like generic rap, which is the first step in me liking you.  Next up was Casey Veggies from Los Angeles.  I had some problems with his act, most notably his name being Casey Veggies.  I’m not sure how you can expect to be taken seriously as a rapper if your name is reminiscent of any type of edible platter, but Veggies is giving it his best shot.  I would have given him a pass on his name if his music weren’t reminiscent of Casey Anthony.  And by that I do not mean he killed it.  I mean I’d literally rather listen to Casey Anthony rap.

Finally, Mac and his people made their way to the stage.  Timmy and I followed as if we were a part of it.  It was kind of/not really/somewhat like something out of “Almost Famous”, but this article is kind of/not really/somewhat like something out of “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”.  Take a deep breath, think about it, ok, now keep reading.  He started the show with a few of his early You Tube hits; the opener was the song “Best Day Ever”.  He went on the perform “Spins”, “Nike’s On My Feet”, “Kool-Aid and Frozen Pizza”, “Senior Skip Day”, and “Knock-Knock”.  He then grabbed an electric guitar and jammed some classic hits by Biz Markie and Sublime, showing off some real skills while playing it behind his head.  Mac then went into songs off of Blue Slide Park including my favorites “Under the Weather”, “Man in the Hat”, and the title track from the album.

He then of course finished with “Donald Trump”, one the songs credited with projecting him into the mainstream.  He already had a lot of people behind him, so I kept to my word and watched from the side of the stage.  The show ended and honestly was just as good as I expected it to be, but it was what happened after the show that really impressed me.  I learned earlier on that the night before he had donated $50,000 to Make-A-Wish in the middle of his show.  Once again outside of his dressing room after the show I overheard a parent of one the guys on his team talking about this, and how his goal is to make a difference for kids and other less fortunate people.  Also about some of their future plans with charity and giving back.  I asked if it was something new he was trying to use his celebrity for, or something that he had in mind from the beginning.  He said it was always a goal of Mac’s to make a positive change in the word.  As this conversation was ending Mac emerged from his dressing room cheesing like the cheeky bastard he is.  He slapped hands and chatted briefly with a few people as he passed through their ongoing…safety meetings.  A few people wanted to talk music and doing projects together, it really was like how many rappers portray it in their songs, random musicians waiting around after a show to ask for help getting to the next level.  He politely brushed them off to make his way to a family and some little kids to sign autographs.  It was another classy move by a classy guy.

We hung out and chatted around for a while before Timmy and I suddenly got the inclination to go to Eat 'n Park.  Maybe we were influenced by the joy we saw in Mac getting back to his roots.  Maybe we were influenced by the magic in the air…from the safety meetings.  Either way we felt like a breakfast smile was a fitting end to the night full of hip-hop and Sally Wiggin. I don’t think anyone would argue with that.
 

'Rich and Almost Famous' | Weekly Mixed Bag by Rich Miller

Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Written by Rich Miller, talent network news staff
Twitter @rmillertime24
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Welcome to the third helping of our new weekly column titled 'Rich and Almost Famous' by new staff writer Rich Miller. His column is a mixed bag of creative opinions on all that is entertainment and sports. You can follow Rich on Facebook and Twitter @RMillerTime24. 

It is Thanksgiving week once again, my all-time favorite week of the calendar year. Not just because of the great food and the family time, but this glorious week somehow seems to take on a bi-polar personality. Thanksgiving Day, of course, is all about friends and family, giving thanks for the great things in life. The other days of this week however:

First we have what is now known as White Wednesday, the biggest bar night of the year. Tonight, there is a good chance you will have the uncomfortable misfortune of sitting next to someone you may not have liked too much in high school, but fret not, do what I do and take advantage of the situation by buying them shots until they can do no more. Find solace in the ultimate revenge of making them sick on Thanksgiving. Yes, I'm awful, I know. If you find yourself sitting next to me tonight, you've been warned.

We then have the social experiment that is Black Friday. It is the only time when it is completely acceptable to shove down old women to get the last 55" LG LED HDTV for 30% off. Personally I would rather go to an occupy Wall Street or UC Davis protest, the people there are much more friendly.

On with life…

* Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore are the latest Hollywood divorce case. The 15-year age gap clearly played a role in this as the two obviously had very different interests. For example, she's interested in quiet family time and he's interested in having sex with other women.

* In other marriage "news," Kristin Cavallari, who is engaged again to Jay Cutler, is talking smack on the Kardashians for being attention whores. Hello pot, meet kettle:
http://gawker.com/5860527/kristin-cavallari-declares-war-on-the-kardashians?tag=kardashians

* The Super Committee could not solve our national debt crisis. Somewhere Rick Perry is sitting in a dark room thinking…Maybe, just maybe, we should call on Super---man.

* North Korea has opened its borders to tourism. The national slogan was changed to attract tourists and the lyrics are from the song Hotel California: You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.

* Happy trails to Regis Philbin. Regis is calling it quits this week after almost a lifetime on Live. Live was the go-to show if I was ever awake early enough in college to watch it. He even made Katie Lee Gifford slightly tolerable at 9 a.m., which is not exactly someone you want to see when you first wake up. Just ask Frank Gifford.

* The greatest hockey player in the world returned to the league's already best team Monday, check out my article on what really makes Crosby the greatest at his position here:
Crosby's Return Not All About Offensive on talent network news.

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Crosby’s Return Not All About Offensive

Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Written by Rich Miller, talent network news staff
Twitter @rmillertime24
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From the moment #87 touched the ice Monday night all eyes were on him, even those of the Islanders.  That’s what makes Crosby such a difference maker; other teams have to account for him every shift.  This could not have been any more evident after his first goal.  Initially Crosby was deep in his own end helping behind his own net, but when Deryk Engelland cleared the defensive zone to Pascal Dupuis on the half-boards, Crosby hit speed burst.  The rest is history.

That type of speed from the center position is unusual, unheard of, and unbelievable. It makes defenders have to back up, which means they cannot join odd man rushes, which means less scoring chances for the opposing team.  It makes opposing centers focus on #87, instead of their wingers.  It makes everyone wearing black and gold jobs a little easier as well.  Crosby covers so much space on the ice defensively; it lets the Penguins defenseman have the ability to be more aggressive.  As a defenseman there is no greater solace than knowing your center will be there to help you.

Not only do the Penguin defensemen get a chance to expand on their abilities, but the wingers do as well.  Less time spent back checking as a winger means more time trying to find open areas on the ice in transition. If you find open space, Crosby will find you.  This is where wingers with great speed and skating ability, i.e. Pascal Dupuis, become immediate threats.  Dupuis is one of the few people on the ice that has enough speed to skate with Crosby. Dupuis by himself is an average player at best, but with Crosby opening up space for him and less defensive obligations, Dupuis becomes very dangerous.

Finally, the person who will benefit more than anyone else from Crosby’s return: Marc Andre Fleury.  Fleury faced 29 shots last night from a porous New York team, but not many were quality chances and he was more of spectator whenever Crosby was on the ice.  Already arguably the best net minder in the game, Fleury now has three exceptional two way players covering the center of the ice, with arguably the best overall defense directly in front of him as well.  Crosby’s return already has people talking about scoring races and Hart trophies, but the one award I would definitely be willing to bet on is a Vezina for Fleury.


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'Rich and Almost Famous' | Weekly Mixed Bag by Rich Miller

Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Written by Rich Miller, talent network news staff
Twitter @rmillertime24
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Welcome to the second helping of our new weekly column titled 'Rich and Almost Famous' by new staff writer Rich Miller. His column is a mixed bag of creative opinions on all that is entertainment and sports. You can follow Rich on Facebook and Twitter @RMillerTime24.

 'Rich and Almost Famous' by Rich Miller

* It seems as if Justin Bieber has some game with the ladies, so I have found it hard to believe he hooked up with one of the girls from 16 and Pregnant. Have you seen Selena Gomez? Bieber’s attorney Howard Weitzman (Jewish name so has to be good) has confirmed Bieber will be taking a DNA test very soon to clear his name. Assuming Bieber is cleared: Weitzman intends to seal the deal by suing the pants off of the self-proclaimed Bieber baby mama for the bad publicity. Maury?  http://youtu.be/jzX1nxpnKZ4

* Blue Slide Park is now the #1 album in the country. You’re welcome Mac. http://www.theboombox.com/2011/11/10/mac-miller-may-be-first-indie-rapper-to-hit-no-1-in-16-years/

* Unfortunately people cheat, the cheated upon typically will find out, subsequently so does everyone on Facebook. Kat Von D decided a small novel was easier than 19 status updates: https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150394420646162

* I’m not the only one who hates Twilight, so does one of the stars: http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/blogs/procrastinator/5957444/Why-Robert-Pattinson-hates-Twilight 

*I was so close to calling the Houston Texans the best team in the AFC, but then Matt Schaub broke his foot and is now out for the year. At this point, a rematch of Pittsburgh and Green Bay in the Super Bowl is a realistic possibility. Pittsburgh has shown they have the offensive formula to beat New England, plus have a much better defense. Home field advantage could be the key to this match up however. And despite the two wins I feel they are still a better overall team than Baltimore, and would beat the inconsistent Ravens in the playoffs. Cincinnati and the Jets could be threats, but really who else is left from the AFC? Green Bay is practically a given, they are seriously that good, even in a superior NFC.

* Rick Perry, mind freak: http://youtu.be/cmi_p1iLs3g

* Friends don’t let friends be epic fails: http://youtu.be/L-Rpl710oEg. And if you’re friend is missing they’re probably just playing Call of Duty.

* I was stunned to learn Bob Costas would be interviewing Jerry Sandusky on NBC’s Rock Center, apparently so was Costas, learning of the interview only 15 minutes before they spoke. To what purpose Sandusky and his defense team agreed to do this completely defies all conventional logic, yet I digress. Costas masterfully grilled Sandusky repeatedly with remarkably blunt questions. Sandusky admitted to at the very least being an alarmingly creepy old man, yet maintained innocence telling Costas he was not a pedophile. It took him seventeen seconds to say, “I am not sexually attracted to young boys”; in my book that’s sixteen and a half seconds too long.  Eight alleged victims have come forward, with more rumored to have spoken with police. The evidence is mounting against Sandusky.


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'Rich and Almost Famous' | New Weekly By Our New Writer Rich Miller

Wednesday, November 09, 2011
Written by Rich Miller, talent network news staff
Twitter @rmillertime24
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'talent network news' would like to welcome Rich Miller (The Champagne of Bloggers) to the staff as one of our new writers. Rich resides here in Pittsburgh and we present to you 'Rich and Almost Famous,' his column that is a mixed bag of creative opinions on all that is entertainment and sports. You can follow Rich on Facebook and Twitter @RMillerTime24.

 'Rich and Almost Famous' by Rich Miller

* Mac Miller's new album titled "Blue Slide Park" was released Tuesday. For the 19-year-old rapper, who was born in Point Breeze, his debut album is an outline of how he got his start in music and his Pittsburgh roots. A mix of upbeat lyrics and rifts in the title track and also the problems on transitioning to the life of fame in the song "Missed Calls." So far the early reviews from Facebook and Twitter are calling the album a total hit and that Mac is a star-in-waiting. Those who have been following Mac on YouTube of course already knew that.

* TMZ posted a headline that Kim Kardashian is telling friends she is "so distraught that she can't function." The headline should have read "business as usual in the Kardashian house."

* In unrelated related news, Reggie Bush has had his best two games of the season since Kardashian divorced the basketball player guy. Coincidence?  I hope not - I just picked him up off of waivers.

* For me, the best show on TV right now is The Walking Dead. Last week's episode was a perfect example, with an awesome mix of storyline and gore. It is completely different from the typical zombie shows and movies. The attention to detail is unreal and the storyline is very deep. Check it out Sunday nights on AMC. 

* The Penn State scandal hits home for me. Not only as a PSU alum, but as a former athlete. We were always taught success with honor. It was the code. This week, high ranking officials and the icon of the campus broke the code. There are so many emotions that I could use to describe how I feel, but I think disappointed is the most appropriate. There is so much more to the prestige of Penn State than it's football team and their coaches. I can only hope now that the whole scandal is torn apart and fully investigated by the people who should have been involved nine years ago.  And then those who are deemed guilty not only are fired, but prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law...including Paterno.

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