Ups and Downs

Life is balance. You have the good and the bad.

-The Good: I got to see the Beautiful Kids Independent Shakespeare production of “Love’s Labours Lost” in dress rehearsal last night, and it was really good. A lot of parts were still very rough, obviously, but there are a lot of excellent performances from a lot of excellent performers in there, and the sum total is a very good show. If you’re free this weekend, get out and support them at the B.G. city park at 6 p.m., tonight through Saturday!

-The Bad: Work is kicking my butt, and my feet and ankles aren’t holding up as well as they have in the past. Oh, and we’re now getting “Cars” in the Director’s Hall this weekend. Agony.

-The Good: Anne will be coming on Friday! Yay! Lindsey on Saturday! Double yay! I got to see Amanda this past weekend! Triple yay!

-The Bad: Saying goodbye to Jess last night, as she’ll be leaving soon for Cleveland for the summer, and from there leaving for, well, the rest of her life. I wanted to make sure I got a chance to see her before she departed, so I could tell her just how much being her friend has meant to my life. I’m very grateful I got that chance, and Jess, if you’re reading this, know that I meant every word I said. Love you, dude, be safe out there, and kick some major butt!

-The Good: ECW relaunches this weekend with One Night Stand.

-The Bad: The card features Kurt Angle vs. Randy Orton. Doesn’t exactly scream “ECW,” does it?

-The Good: My copy of the Best of Samoa Joe arrived today via Amazon. I paid a lot for overnight shipping (I get impatient, okay?), but it was well, WELL worth it. If anyone out there has a Media Play/Sam Goody/Suncoast anywhere near them and even a passing interest in pro wrestling, you must own this. It's cheap and the matches on here are simply unreal. The Unbreakable match in DVD quality is worth the price of admission alone (don't believe me, click here), and that's just ONE MATCH. You also get EVERY PPV match Joe was in from his debut to Final Resolution, including the two A.J. classics, the Elimination X from Genesis, the Daniels rematch, the Sabin bout from No Surrender, and more. Plus Joe gives a lot of great interviews on everything from how he broke in to how he very nearly gave up on wrestling (NO!) before he signed with TNA (YAY!). Simply put, everything is complete, and there is not a bad match on this collection. GET ALL THIS!

-The Bad: John "Earthquake" Tenta passed away yesterday after a long bout with bladder cancer. He was only 42. Tenta was not only a really good big man who was consistently entertaining as a performer and as a character, but also a damn good man who loved his family and was exceedingly nice and gracious to his fans. The past few years he became heavily involved with the wonderful Wrestlecrap website, where he became a regular interview-ee and contributor to their forum, and even wrote the forward to the first Wrestlecrap book. When he was diagnosed, the fans of Wrestlecrap were the first people he told, and the outpouring of love and support was truly touching. Through all the hardships he faced as he fought for his life, Tenta continued to post updates and answer questions, and by all accounts never was anything but the most kind-hearted and giving of people to anyone he met. You never, ever, heard a bad word about Tenta. I enjoyed Earthquake the character, but I grew to like and respect John Tenta the man even more. His passing saddens me greatly, and I pass along my thoughts and condolences to his family, who he frequently spoke of proudly and who he put first above all. In the foreword to Wrestlecrap, he wrote, "Some people asked why I agreed to play the role of a fish man. The answer is plain and simple, if I hadn't, there were plenty of other people who would have. I just wanted to be able to provide for my family. I was just a guy trying to make a living. Take away my gimmicks, good and bad, and I'm just a regular person like you." Yes, John, you were, but no, you weren't. Your courage and kindness in the face of such hardship shows that you were, in fact, so much more than just a regular person. Rest in peace, Quake.

(Wrestlecrap has posted a particularly touching tribute right here.)