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The Foley Files - The 1st edition

Posted: Dec 14th 2009 By: mikeiles

Hello everybody, and welcome to this first historic edition of "The Foley Files". I will do my besat to make this a weekly web log, and will hopefully do my best as well to do something about my personal dislike for the word "blog". Yes, I know it's the universally accepted word for these things, but using it just kind of makes me feel like I've somehow caved in to modern technology. It's bad enough that I'm actually typing this at a computer keyboard, as opposed to my time honored pen and notebook method...but I will do my very best to fight off the modern vernacular for as long as I can.

Let me make one thing clear from the start, as I embark on this web log journey. Some of you may have heard that I have a new book on the horizon - even if, with a publication date of September 2010, it seems to be WAY off on the horizon. I am largely done with the writing of the book, (with the exception of two really important chapters that I will need to finish before the holidays) and am proud to say that, to this point, all of it was done with pen and paper. That's it - just wanted to quash the rumor going around (perpetuated by JB on Impact) that I was typing it on a computer.

A few years ago, I did a weekly web log for WWE. Most of the time, it felt like a pain in the neck, scribbling away late in the night, trying to beat my deadline. But there were other times when I really felt good about what I wrote, like I was making a difference by having my perspective heard on important issues, whether they were wrestling issues or not. Alot of fans know that I have a variety of interests outside of wrestling. Some fans care about these issues, and some don't..which is fine. It just means that some fans will want to read the occasional web log that is not about wrestling...and some won't. For example, a couple of weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to be involved in a segment on "The Daily Show", where I stuck up for a young boy who was being teased in school for taking a stand on the gay rights issue. I was thrilled to do it,but realized that I had never actually spoken or written about my own personal feelings on that very issue. So I'm going to do just that in a few weeks. Maybe not everyone will agree with me, but at least I'll feel like I'm contributing to the conversation.

Of course, there will be plenty of wrestling news to talk about, especially with the imminent TNA arrival of Hulk Hogan. I've been pretty outspoken on the show about the Hulkster, but his debut will most certainly have people talking, and I have to think that having an icon like Hulk - literally one of the world's most recognizable people - is going to be a positive for TNA and the wrestling world in general. Whether or not his arrival is good for me personally, however, remains to be seen.

Speaking of that book "Countdown to Lockdown" that is off on the horizon...I may have actually written too much. No author wants to get rid of something he's worked hard on, even if getting rid of it is what is best for the book. So, I came up with the idea of taking some of these "Countdown" extras and offering them to wrestling fans on my web log. So check in with me every now and then on tnawrestling.com to see if there is a "Countdown" bonus. With the holidays almost upon us, I hope you enjoy the first of these little extras. Thanks for watching "Impact" every Thursday, and thanks for checking out this initial edition of "The Foley Files". Have a nice day.

Mick's Favorite Christmas Shows

As a well known Christmas aficionado, I'm happy that my selections can add some extra cheer to your holiday season. But don't ever think about hitting on Jessica Claus. She's mine.

Night of the Meek - The appearance of this 1960 "Twilight Zone" episode at the top of my list might strike many as surprising, especially because it was shot on the cheap when the "zone" needed to cut filming costs midway into its second season. But for me, the redemption of Art Carney's drunk department store Santa Claus is one of the wonders of the season.

Scrooge - They can remake the Dickens classic a hundred times, but this 1951 version of "A Christmas Carol" starring Alastair Sim as the cantankerous Scrooge is "the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be." But, for the life of me, why couldn't Tiny Tim have been a little tinier in this film? Poor Ebenezer looks like he herniates a disc while attempting to lift the well fed kid.

Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer - I still get goosebumps when I hear those jingle bells in the distance.

Santa Claus is Coming to Town - It is wrong for a married man to have a crush on a Rankin/Bass claymation figure? There's just something about that Jessica Claus - that startling transformation from prickly Sombertown schoolmarm to heavy lidded 1960's flower child that just makes me long for her.

Happy Days - 1974 Christmas Episode. Forget for a moment that Chuck, the oldest Cunningham child, seemed to vanish without a trace shortly after this episode. Forget also, that Waukesha, Wisconsin, the town to which the Fonz supposedly misses his bus, is about ten minutes from Richie's house in Milwaukee. Couldn't Mr. C have just driven him? Didn't the Fonz have his own wheels? Forget all that. Just remember that even the Fonz gets lonely from time to time.

The Grinch Who Stole Christmas - The animated classic, not the Jim Carrey movie - though that was pretty good, too.

Frosty the Snowman - Sorry kids, but if you listen closely to Santa's voice, you'll see he's actually the Burgermeister Meisterburger, villainous Mayor of Sombertown Plus, Carvelis "Whale of a Dad" cake is really just their Santa Claus cake turned on it's side.

Elf - No one throws a snowball quite like Buddy Elf.

Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol - A very faithful retelling of Dickens story, with a couple of added classic tunes that will have you wondering where you can find a little Razzleberry dressing or a little slice of wooflejelly Cake.

Santa Claus: the Movie - As Dickens himself might have said, had he seen this film - "it was the best of movies, it was the worst of movies". Granted, the second half, with Dudley Moore as the naughty elf and John Lithgow as the corrupt toy maker is almost unbearably bad - but the first half is filled with the wonder of both Christmas and Burgess Meredith.