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Look what we have here. Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, it is a truly special post. See once upon a time there was a great idea for the blog. It may sound like an MTV reality pitch, but in fact it was the real life exploits of a man known only as Dicky. Put a sarcastic, poignant, sometimes bitter man into an office setting and have him report back everything that got under his skin. And since Dicky pretty much fit that description, there would be no better person to man the "Gripes" section of the blog. If you missed his first performance, you really should read it (Earn This).

It was genious, and at the time I likened it to man walking on the moon. Like a junkie we wanted more. We needed more, but instead he went silent. And as time went by, his literary appeal grew. His lone gripe now stands as a testament to a different time, up there with The Great Gatsby and The Catcher in the Rye . We thought that might be it for Dicky as his legend grew to the point where he became a tall tale, just another Paul Bunyan or Johnny Appleseed, unsure if he actually existed or if we all just wished he did.

And so when I received an email from him on the morning of February the 16th, I didn't think anything out of the ordinary.

When what to my wondering eyes should appear/a title of "ETC" thus his intentions were clear/ I read the first line and it gave my heart a quick tick/ I knew it that moment it must be St. Dick/ My prayers had been answered, the scribe had returned/ he asked for a forum to speak, of this much he earned/ On Kobe and Lebron, he wished to shed light/ happy blogging to all and to all a good night.

The Lebron James vs. Kobe Bryant argument is no longer a competition. Lebron James is the best player in the NBA right now. Don't give me this best athlete bullshit, he is the best basketball player on the planet right now. There is nobody I would rather have take the final shot in a game than Kobe Bryant. Guy is ridiculously clutch, but I would take Lebron James over him on my team any day of the week and twice on Sunday.


He is a better scorer (league leading 29.9 pts per game) rebounder (7.1 rebounds per game) passer (8.3 assists per game) and defender (have you seen some of the blocks he has had this year?). Forget the false assumption that he scores so much because he shoots all the time. He takes fewer shots than Kobe and shoots a much higher percentage (51% compared to Kobe's 46%). He will undoubtedly be the MVP this year, and will definitely be in the running for defensive player of the year. His team has the best record in the NBA and look at the comparisons between their starting casts. Pau Gasol is a dominant big man and Andrew Bynum has shown the ability to put up 25 and 15 on certain nights. Lamar Odom and Derek Fisher are very solid role players. Take Kobe off of that team and true, they would not contend for a title, but they would probably still be the 6th or 7th best team in the west. The Cavs roll out Anderson Varejao, a 37 year-old Shaquille Oneal, who is often times painful to watch, JJ Hickson, Mo Williams (whos only job this year is to come up with new handshakes for Lebron and sometimes hold his jacket) and Delonte West. Match up the Cavs reserves against the Lakers reserves and it would be a 20 point blowout by the Lakers. Lebron has put up silly numbers with far less talent around him. The fact that this team has the best record in the league is just a testament to how good this guy actually is, and how much better he makes everyone around him.


So the only defense for Kobe is that he has titles. Lebron is 25 years old, still plenty of time to win titles, and by the way he is playing this year, he will have his first in a few months. Kobe won the bulk of his titles with one of the most dominant players of all time in his prime. Kobe is a great player, nobody is disputing that, but he has had serious help his entire career. He has had great coaches his entire career. You can't tell me Mike Brown is anything resembling a great coach. In previous years this argument used to be neck and neck but Lebron has done more than enough this year to prove that he is the best player in the NBA. Everyone has the right to make their own choice, but if I was picking a team I would probably take the guy who scores, rebounds, passes and defends better. Just a personal choice. When this season culminates in a title for the King the argument will be completely over. We are all witnesses.

Good job Dicky. You've earned a gold star. Or at least the ETC equivalent, a mustached shot of Nic Cage

We also had a nice response to Part 2 of the debates blog from a man we've come to know as the Pauper. Our readers from the beginning will remember the Pauper from his cross country journey of enlightenment (check the archives for his multi-chapter tale). As it turns out, the Pauper is also a very wise and informative movie critic. In case you were wondering his credentials to analyze mafia/crime/gangster movies, lets not forget that he sipped wine and discussed the merits of movie making with Coppola himself, something you can read about it here. Take it away Pauper.....

Quick Thoughts on these three debates

Please, name another movie in which you begin the movie in the mist of the epic battle scene without it being some sort of brief flashforward look at the climax of the film? I saw this movie for the first time with my history class as a freshman in high school. Mrs. Black-Unger, my history teacher, still leaves a pleasant taste in my mouth regardless of her other transgressions because of this single act. Gladiator was riveting from beginning to end because of the originality of the story coupled with its original portrayal of the Roman Empire (See stilted unnecessary British accents and big togas of old). It has a more natural good vs. evil at its core. Braveheart, while a classic war movie, does not build the kind of momentum that Maximus Decimus Meridius does under his enslavement. The love story in Braveheart and the squabbling Scottish nobles become somewhat tiresome.

At the risk of sounding like a film snob and a person that you would never want to have a beer with, a famous guitarist once said (paraphrasing) “the beauty of music is in the edges”. What Richard Thompson meant is that it’s the pieces that are not always consciously seen or heard that make something interesting. It’s the subtleties that define a work - sliding fingers along the fret board is where we find a work’s unique essence and its craftsmanship. This holds true for film as well as music. A lot of cinema is intangible and subtle as well – built by a director who plays with light, color, sound and movement to create a unique event distinct in its feel and structure. This is much the case with Ridley Scott, director of Gladiator(See dream sequences, colosseum at sunset, the muted tones of the first battle, the silence and darkness of the emperor’s palace, etc, etc, etc) and far from the case with Mel Gibson (who directs Braveheart if you were not aware). Gibson’s methods do not build for us a new world or impart any additional feelings – he only tells a story. A powerful one, don’t get me wrong but told in a less inventive, unoriginal manner. Subtlety is a lost art these days – (See TMZ)


Godfather is clearly better cinema in my mind. Without the Godfather, Goodfellas does not exist. Godfather defines a genre. It’s one of the few films you watch where you are transported to another universe where these characters actually exist. This is partially due to the incredible acting as well as scenes that are immortal (See Michael at Louis Restaurant). You had the perfect storm of acting bravado – the constellation of the aged veteran in Brando, an up and-coming Al Pacino and a popular, skilled and perfectly cast James Caan in the fiery role. They are the centerpiece of the film. Subsequently, the accessories and colors of this canvas are then filled in with cultural references that went beyond any movie of its time or since. Coppola builds a complex mural, if you will, of what it is to be an Italian-American, not just an Italian American mobster. A good friend of mine still makes his "gravy" just like Clemenza taught him.


My point on Reservoir Dogs/Pulp Fiction is simple. Try sitting through Pulp Fiction without saying "What the hell is the point of this?” Sure Tarantino wanted to submit his diatribe on potential for retribution among criminal types, but that doesn’t stop us from sitting in purgatory for a little while wondering where the hell he's going with this. The movies whole appeal is based on its professed "coolness" - It’s cool to see someone stabbed in the heart with adrenaline, its cool to see Samuel L recite scripture before all of his kills. Unfortunately for me, cool is not synonymous with quality. "Cool" reflects society more than it reflects any intrinsic value.

Thanks for the feedback guys. Stay tuned for the next posting as a major announcement will be made that may well change the face of the Winter Olympics for years to come. All I will say is this....Sochi, Russia better prepare for a Revolution. So until next time, as always...STAY SWEET!