AJ Lee vs. the World

Posted in Sports by

Inspired by a recent comment made by the longest reigning Divas Champion AJ Lee, I decided to take a look at the potential rivalries that AJ could be a part of that could be huge. Like, Trish vs. Lita huge. Hopefully.

Whether you like her or not, AJ Lee’s presence in the WWE Divas division today has been a breath of fresh air (click here for extra reference). It’s been a while since a character like hers has been seen in WWE’s women’s division, and her success has been shown in her lengthy tenure as Divas Champion. So far, no one has been able to dethrone the Divas Champ, but here’s me thinking that she hasn’t quite gone through all the Divas yet…

She knows they're after her... look at that fear in her eyes. (SOURCE: Sean Kimmel's Flickr photostream)

She knows they’re after her… look at that fear in her eyes. (SOURCE: Sean Kimmel’s Flickr photostream)

Idea #1: vs. Paige
Also known as the IWC’s women’s wrestling wet dream, every wrestling fan is waiting for NXT Women’s Champion Paige to be called up to put CrayJ in her place. Besides Natalya who’s already had several shots for AJ’s title, the only other woman signed by WWE currently who could put on a wrestling clinic as well as AJ is Paige (as well as Emma, but more about that later). Paige was born and raised in the wrestling business and, if not made apparent by her flawless Scorpion Cross Lock, is a wrestling sensation. Her intensity is shown both in the ring and on the mic and while some claim her to be “stale” as a person, I disagree; she’s one of my favourite talents in WWE and I’m usually the type to like the Summer Rae’s in wrestling. Paige could make her main roster debut as the Anti-Diva who will finally put AJ in her place by capturing the Divas title.

Idea #2: vs. Summer Rae
Yes, AJ Lee has run through every Total Diva… except Summer Rae. Okay, so technically she hasn’t beaten Eva Marie or Jojo in a one-on-one environment, but I don’t think the E are too confident in putting either one in a singles match. Regardless, Summer Rae’s recent inclusion to the hit reality series has no doubt put her on AJ’s radar. Even if both of them are heel at the moment, a smart baby face turn for AJ (since she’s cheered out of the building all the time anyway) could work well against super heel Summer, who plays her bitchy role on NXT to perfection. Face AJ vs. Heel Summer could be taken in a Kelly vs. Beth kind of way, except the serious wrestler would be face and the model would be heel. If any of the “newbie” Divas have shown that they can work in the ring, it’s Summer bloody Rae. The thought of this rivalry is just… fantastic.

Idea #3: vs. Emma
Now, if AJ were to stay heel, then why not go against the new main roster babyface in Emma? AJ has steamrolled through most if not all of the face Divas on the main roster except for Emma. Emma’s infectious personality and character could definitely get the fans behind her, and AJ’s crazy prima donna personality would clash against Emma’s bubbly Strayan character. Like I said before with Paige, Emma is one of the Divas who could put on a clinic with the likes of Resthold Lee. Her wrestling move set is phenomenal and clearly inspired by the handsome Lance Storm. If you ignore all her Emma dance gestures in between her moves, she’s a solid wrestler. Put her and AJ Lee in a singles match together, and the greatness that was Paige vs. Emma at NXT aRrival or however you spell it could be re-created on the main stage.

Idea #4: vs. Tamina
The storyline that they’ve been teasing for the past few weeks and keep dropping because all of a sudden they’re friends again, Tamina turning on AJ Lee is inevitable; the deciding factor on how well it’s received, however, depends on how the ‘E make it. As much as I love Tamina as a person, character and wrestler, I don’t see wrestling fans getting behind her if she was to become the babyface of the tandem, so like #2, AJ Lee would have to turn babyface for this idea to work well. Tamina could get sick of all the crap she’s had to deal with regarding AJ and could brutally attack her, thus creating sympathy for AJ and effectively making her the face. Tamina has shown that she can put on a good match and with AJ Lee guiding her, the storyline and result of this could be fantastic.

Well, there are my predictions for your crazy-ass Divas Champion. If someone could do me a solid and message WWE Creative and be like “You should check out SolSat’s latest post. LOL.”, that would be great.

– by The Black Widow

How to Catch a Catfish

Posted in Lifestyle by

You just found the cutest guy/babenest girl on Tinder and you’re chatting up a storm with them. They seem so perfect for you… almost too perfect.

With the internet nowadays, especially online dating apps like Tinder and Blendr, one has to be very careful when getting close with someone you only know through an app or website. It could turn out that your guy that resembles Ryan Gosling turns out to be a whale named Brutus. Literally. A whale.

You could be talking to this if you're not careful... (SOURCE: Brian Henderson's Flickr.)

You could be talking to this if you’re not careful… (SOURCE: Brian Henderson’s Flickr.)

The term catfish was born from the film with the same name that played on the aspect of someone being fooled online… and thus, the term was born. The concept of catfishing is so popular that it has warranted its own TV show that reunites online lovers and figures out whether they’re real or not.

As a true investigative journalist, I went seeking a catfish on a dating app. I found one. It took me all of five minutes to figure out that I was being catfished and after I caught them out, I asked them questions as a journalist as to why they did what they did. I use the word “they” because I don’t know if it was a female or male that I was talking to.

“Knowing what people are like, they would never go for me,” he/she said.

I asked them if they would ever go that far that they make someone fall for them, and they replied emphatically: “Trust me, it has and I would never let it get that far.”

If you’re having worries that your seemingly special someone is actually fake, there a few handy tips to get around the situation without alerting the other person that you’re onto them:

Tip #1: Request a very specific picture of them
Assuming that you are quite close with this person, sneak in a very specific picture request from them. For example, if the person has a tattoo, ask them for a close-up picture of said tattoo. If they send you one, don’t be sold yet that they’re real – they might just had luck with stealing someone else’s pictures. If that person has shown you his/her cute nephew, ask for a cute picture of them two together. If they turn down either one of these seemingly simple requests, chances are that your lover is a fake.

Tip #2: Ask them details about their life, and then repeat
So your lover has a picture of them and their sister together, ask what the sister’s name is. Sandra? Oh that’s a nice name. Write that down. A week later, and you’ve happened to forget their sister’s name. “Oh what was it again?” Jenny. “Oh that’s interesting, because I thought her name was Sandra.” Caught out. Most catfishes don’t keep track of the lies they spit out so chances are you’ll catch them out with a well thought-out plan like that. And don’t fall for the “Oh Jenny is her real name, Sandra is her middle name” bullcrap. It doesn’t work.

Tip #3: Request meet-ups with no real intention of meeting up
You have doubts that your person is real, so do the simple thing and “go that step further in your relationship” – request a face-to-face meeting. If your catfish has a soul, they’ll politely turn down the meeting with an ignorant excuse of some sort. Go along with it, and then request another meeting. The same thing’ll happen, and you’ll know the answer. You’re being catfished. Sorry.

As always, be wary of who you talk to online. You can’t trust a pretty face on an app just because it’s, well, pretty.

– by The Black Widow

Tipping for Dummies: Round 4

Posted in Sports by

I missed most of round three (live) due to my other engagements. Errgh. I just want to sit home, watch footy and watch Doctor Who and get paid for it.

Everybody's favourite Tipping for Dummies!

Everybody’s favourite Tipping for Dummies!

SolSat’s predictions from round three: 5 of 8 (62.5%) Same score as last round. Dammit.

Friday March 28, 2014
Sydney Roosters vs. Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
The eagerly awaited 2013 grand final rematch kicks off this round of NRL action as the premiers face the runners-up. Both teams have had an equally impressive start to the season, however Manly will be looking to right the “wrongs” from last year and beat the Roosters.
SolSat’s prediction: Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
I am basing this purely on “we didn’t win last year so we’re going to get revenge and win this time.” Both teams are pretty on par with each other when it comes to skill and talent (the Pearce and Maloney duo is as effective as the Foran and DCE tandem) so I’m going to go with Manly on this one.

St. George Illawarra Dragons vs. Brisbane Broncos
The still undefeated Dragons who came very close to becoming wooden spooners last week clash against the Broncos who suffered their first loss of the season last week against the Chookies. The Dragons get a two-man bench extension to an otherwise unchanged side while Josh McGuire returns for the Broncos after suspension.
SolSat’s prediction: Brisbane Broncos
Okay so now I guess it seems I’m being biased but I’m really not. I think the Dragons are talented, no question about it, but I think their “luck” is going to run out tonight. The Broncos have stellar defense and a rough forward pack, they just choked in the last minutes last week. They’ll get back into form tonight with a game which will be contender for game of the round.

Saturday March 29, 2014
Canterbury Bulldogs vs. Melbourne Storm
In a game that sees no team with a real home advantage in Perth, the honestly disappointing Bulldogs will go up against the also-undefeated Melbourne Storm. The Doggies will have to pull out the big guns to get the win here but they are capable of doing so in high pressure situations.
SolSat’s prediction: Melbourne Storm
High pressure situation or not, the Storm are on fire. Ignoring the terrible accident with Alex McKinnon last round, the Storm had a phenomenal game and it truly shows you how dominant the Victorian team are. I expect a pretty solid win for the Storm.

New Zealand Warriors vs. Wests Tigers
The Warriors go up against the Tigers on Saturday in what would’ve been viewed as a “passable” game by the end of last year. Both teams (especially the Tigers), however, have made an emphatic point that they should not be written off so quickly, highlighted by their impressive wins last week.
SolSat’s prediction: Wests Tigers
I don’t know what’s happened to Farah’s team of Tigers… whether they’re drinking some of the magic water on Space Jam or what, but they are a totally different team. They are actually quite amazing to watch. I expect a pretty decent win over the Warriors here.

Parramatta Eels vs. Penrith Panthers
The western Sydney rivals collide in the last game of Saturday at Pirtek Stadium. Captain America starts in place of the injured Ben Smith while the previously injured Peter Wallace returns for the Panthers. Josh Mansour is still out with injury. Sadface.
SolSat’s prediction: Penrith Panthers
The same about the Tigers mentioned above could be said about the Panthers, except we know why they’re changed team – their off season. The Eels have it in them to win, no doubt about it, but I just expect a Penrith win here.

Sunday March 30, 2014
South Sydney Rabbitohs vs. Canberra Raiders
The Bunnies will once again play at ANZ Stadium as they take on the Raiders in Sunday’s opener. Both teams are coming off a loss last week and both teams have one win to their name so far. Greg Inglis has been named despite being taken out of the game in the early minutes last week, and Dylan Walker and Chris McQueen also return for the Bunnies. Shaun Fensom returns from suspension for the Raiders.
SolSat’s prediction: South Sydney Rabbitohs
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m tentative about this tip. If last week’s game for the Bunnies demonstrated anything, it was that they rely heavily on Greg Inglis. While their big man is back, the Raiders Edrick Lee is out, and that will play against them.

Newcastle Knights vs. Cronulla Sharks
The two teams on the bottom of the ladder with no wins to their name whatsoever play against each other at Hunter Stadium where one team is guaranteed a win. Both teams have been very disappointing in the early goings of the season and hopefully this win will bounce them both back up the ladder.
SolSat’s prediction: Cronulla Sharks
Even with Korbin Sims coming on for McKinnon (I love the Sims brothers), I don’t see the Knights taking the win here, however I do expect them to put up a good fight especially because they’re dedicating the rest of the season to McKinnon. God bless.

Monday March 31, 2014
Gold Coast Titans vs. North Queensland Cowboys
In the closing round game that is unfortunately not being played at 1300 SMILES, two of Queensland’s teams collide as the Titans host the Cowboys at CBUS Super Stadium. Zillman is out for the Titans while Aidan Sezer is in doubt. The Cowboys remain an unchanged side.
SolSat’s prediction: North Queensland Cowboys
In terms of overall form, the Cowboys have got it better, which is why I’m tipping them to win this one. Both of these teams are heavy final contenders so this could very well be a classic game.

My WordPress was playing up before so thankfully it’s working now; otherwise, no Tipping for Dummies would have been up for this round. And that would’ve been darn terrible.

– by Noah La’ulu

Riddle Me This, Batman

Posted in Opinion by

For most people, it seems hard to believe that we’re already four weeks into the first semester of Uni. For all intents and purposes ‘most people’ is a gross generalisation including anyone doing sciences, maths, nursing, sports, media and just about any course that isn’t forcing you to study philosophy.

For those of us poor souls who are studying the ‘Great infinite abyss’, it’s hard to believe we’ve survived this first month with The Riddler as our course advisor.

phil

Twice a week I rock up to uni and sit as my lecturer, my tutor and my peers intimately unravel the universe with questions like ‘What is thought?’ ‘How is thought?’ and say things like ‘Descartes’ theory of rationalism is sound in the knowledge that God is always able to perceive…’ blah blah blah.

I’m just that kid that sits in the corner with my eyes rolling in two different directions as the creepy voices in my head sing “round like a circle in a spiral, like wheel within a wheel…’ and blood drips slowly from the classroom walls.

Okay, so I may be dramatizing just a little bit, but if you were there you’d get it.

I am a person who, despite a deep-seeded hatred of maths and science, likes things to have answers. I like black and white, none of this ‘shades of grey’ crap.

Two plus two equals four. That is definite. Stop questioning it.

From what I’ve gathered so far, Descartes was just some guy who stood up one day, said “Cogito ergo sum” (which is Latin for “I think, therefore I am”) and impressed a bunch of other dudes who probably spent large amounts of time watching paint dry as an exciting alternative to listening to their mate Rene babble on.

A few years later, an Irishman named Berkeley put his Guiness down for a night to suggest that if a thing could be perceived it could exist, and everything existed because it was perceived by an all-seeing God.
Then a Scottish bloke named Hume came in, stirred shit up, argued with some other philosophers and then died just as confused as he was before he started asking questions.

Super.

You know what isn’t  great, though? I still can’t answer the really big, important questions about life, love and the universe.
Is a zebra white with black stripes or black with white stripes?
How long is a piece of string?
Do goldfish sleep?
Do Siamese twins pay for one ticket or two tickets when they go to movies and concerts?
Do bartenders have to go to another bar after work so they can unravel their problems on someone else?
What do I actually want for dinner tonight?
What was the best thing before sliced bread?

I need someone to explain this to me in a way that isn’t terrifying. As it is, my tutor is great but I’m at that point where I can’t even be sure that I exist, let alone any of you or the world we think we live in. The only reason I know God exists is because I’m drinking a cup of it right now; double shot cap, no sugar.

If you start freaking out (which is totally understandable), don’t stress too much.  You can come and stay here with me – we’ll get bunk beds and matching jackets.

Home sweet home...

Home sweet home…

– by Blaire Gillies (I think.)