Metallica- Enter Sandman (Smooth Jazz Version)

I stumbled upon this a few days ago and have been laughing quite a bit ever since.

Even though I feel like we feature this song all the time, this is a really cool, and incidentally hilarious version of Metallica's classic "Enter Sandman".

If you don't feel like watching the whole thing, by all means be sure to check out the first full minute. James Hetfield's vocals are used in this, and when he shouts to the crowd it's just riotous.

There's a pretty cool little solo that stays fairly true to the original while remaining decidedly jazzy.

Enjoy.

This Dud's For You

Not many of you will understand the context behind the title of this post so let me explain. Justin and I appreciate the loyalty and interest taken in our site by you, the readers. In particular, we try to incorporate suggestions by some of our most avid followers.

This is such an instance. One of my classmates at ND, and fellow drummer, hereafter referred to as "Dud's" submitted an excellent recommendation for song of the day several months ago. With arguably as much appreciation for music as myself he has identified three key elements usually comprised in great songs:

1. Key change

2. Saxophone solo

3. Cartoon duck

Ok, so it is really only the first two out of the three that find themselves in most good songs. The cartoon duck pertains only to today's song of the day by Billy Ocean entitled "Get Outa My Dreams, Get Into My Car."

Born Leslie Sebastian Charles, Billy never had a strong affinity for his birth name. His first single was released in 1972 under the name Les Charles but he still sought something different.

Growing up in Trinidad there was a local football team near him named "Ocean's Eleven" after the 1960 film of the same name starring the five members of the "Rat Pack." Billy took the surname from the football team and released his first album in 1976 under the name Billy Ocean.

Ocean's career began to take off under the new name and in 1984 his album entitled Suddenly marked the pinnacle of his fame. The song "Caribbean Queen" reached #1 in the US on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and won him a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance at the 1985 Grammy Awards. It became so popular that its title and lyrics were re-written for different regions of the world (African Queen and European Queen are alternate names for the song).

Several successful albums ensued including Tear Down These Walls, the 1988 certified platinum album through which today's song of the day was derived.

Thanks again for the tip, Dud's. Now if I could only get you outa my dreams and... well, you know the rest.

SportsIllustrated iPad Video

I came across this video per the recommendation of the creative director at my company. He is absolutely an Apple addict and he knows that I have a strong affinity for the company, too.

Several weeks ago when the iPad was first announced I remember having a conversation with him about our skepticism regarding the practicality of the product. We both agreed, at the time, that the iPad showed no real value for either of us nor could we see it ever providing any down the road.

To us it seemed like a cooler version of the Kindle, which neither of us had interest in anyway. Sure, checking email on a larger traveling device than an iPhone is cool but who would want to lug around such a large device?

Fast forward a few weeks after that initial conversation to when SportsIllustrated released a video about potential integration that the acclaimed sports magazine might deliver with the iPad.

The video is embedded below. Let's just say that both of us were 'wowed' after viewing it and might be inclined to purchase said device.

Construction To Begin On New Notre Dame Hockey Rink

The University of Notre Dame recently sent out a release with construction plans for the Charles W. "Lefty" Smith, Jr. Rink, Notre Dame's state-of-the-art hockey arena set for completion December 2011.

Click on the image above for a closer look as to where the building will be located. According to the University, the ice arena will be constructed in section 6H on the map, between Joyce Drive and Leahy Drive just north of Angela Blvd.

This coming Monday, March 15, will mark the first day of construction on the project. Over the span of the project new underground utilities infrastructure will also be added.

For a more detailed view of the affected construction areas and fencing confinements please refer to the official university release.

After a disappointing end to the 2009-2010 regular season the Fighting Irish icers will welcome the beginnings of their new home.

Embattled with injuries throughout the course of the year the Irish never managed to gel consistently. They were effectively on the NCAA "bubble" for most of the season but a string of late losses combined with an early exit from the CCHA tournament sealed their fate and absence from any further post season play.

Check back here frequently for progress updates on the construction project.

Americans Just Love Bacon

I enjoy bacon from time to time. It's very tasty and can make a nice addition at breakfast or on a burger of some kind. I just don't see a need to put it in or on everything.

I know everyone is concerned that we don't have enough artery-clogging garbage food in this country, but rest assured, the folks in product development have been hard at work integrating bacon into everything.

The latest product to join in on the bacon craze is Bakon Vodka, the first "premium bacon flavored vodka".

See what they did there? They misspelled it with a "K" to make it "Kool". You know it must be a classy product if it's misspelled.

Of course just adding a thoroughly unappetizing flavor to alcohol doesn't make it worse for you; it just makes it gross.

There are plenty of awful bacon-related products out there for people who crave heart disease but are too lazy to actually make the bacon themselves.

The chief offender is probably Baconnaise, billed as "The world's ultimate bacon-flavored spread".


To be fair though, I stumbled upon this awful product today from Sweden, Squeez Bacon.



I'll point out that these products, while disgusting, appear to only be flavored to taste like bacon, and don't seem to contain any of the actual meat.

But to those makers of Baconnaise who claim, "Everything Should Taste Like Bacon" I counter with, no, no it shouldn't.

Landon Donovan

Thanks to loyal reader and spotter of fun Internet stuff Eric for sending this my way.

For those who don't know, American soccer star Landon Donovan has been playing for Everton F.C. of the English Premier League on loan from the L.A. Galaxy of the MLS.

Donovan has been doing quite well starting 7 games and scoring 2 goals with 3 assists.

Donovan has expressed an interest to extend the loan as has Everton, but there's no word yet on whether that will happen.

Anyway, the brilliant part of all this is what Eric showed me on the soccer blog Who Ate All The Pies, a fine place to find highlights of games, pictures of players' WAGs (wives and girlfriends) and general chatter about the game. Below is the hilarity, pay attention to the caption.



Writer Chris Wright told a reader who didn't get it, "It’s just the kind of thing I reckon an American would holler given the chance."

It's without a doubt the funniest caricature of Americans I've ever seen and it filled my heart with great joy today. Hopefully you thought it was at least half as funny as I did.

Bill O'Reilly Flips Out (Remix Baby)

So, apparently the blog has been thoroughly abandoned by Brian and I. I admit, I've been checking it daily with no real ideas for things to post and secretly hoping Brian had added something.

Well, after far too much time I return with something that literally made me laugh out loud.

This clip is a little old, but I hadn't seen it until just now.

The original clip surfaced several years ago from an old blow-up Bill O'Reilly had while attempting to tape the closing to one of Inside Edition, long before the O'Reilly Factor aired.

He verbally abused his staff for some teleprompter issues and well, it led to vulgar hilarity.

This video is an amazing remix that shuffles O'Reilly's gaff into joy for everyone.

WARNING: This is extremely vulgar and says a certain expletive starting with the letter F over 50 times.