Happy Halloween...Eat Lots of Candy and Puke

Just thinking back to old Halloween memories today. Old costumes. I was John Elway, a Jawa, a Clown (brutal), a ghost, my brother and sister were both pumkins. In college I was a satanic nun and a beer man (gave out Schlitz the entire night). In the 8th grade we went around annoying adults by ringing doorbells and screaming "Trick or Treat". I ate too much chocolate and pizza then went home and had my first dip (Kodiak) with my step brother. This was not a good move. I vomitted...projectile so violent I missed the toilet and hit the back wall. I then passed out on the family room floor.
Another year we were accused of throwing eggs at some scary Bosse dudes. A couple brothers (actual siblings) one was named Shelby...cant remember the others. I just remember fearing for my life...especially after I told them to "Shut it!" and scrambled for my car keys to get into my car. It was fun cause we didnt get beaten to a pulp.
Anyway...Happy Halloween!!!!

Ryan Adams [mp3] Halloween Head

Who Will Fall On Sunday?...The Colts.

8-0 vs 7-0. We've all been looking forward to this matchup since the end of the AFC Championship game last year. To this point neither team has been challenged. Although Indianapolis really hasnt played anybody other than Carolina and Jacksonville their schedule is probably a little better than the Patriots who hasnt played anybody but Dallas and San Diego. The resounding difference in the two teams right now is the fact that New England has absolutely handled every team they have played. Whether it is the 6-1 Cowboys or the 0-7 Dolphins. You know a team is kicking everybodys ass when people start saying that it is "unfair to rub it in like that" sniff sniff. Tom Jackson of ESPN put it best. "if you dont like it...Stop it".
The Patriots are 6 point favorites and that scares me a little bit. And by a little I mean a lot. Enough to where I think I will stay away from this one. Indianapolis has the best passing defense in the NFL and will be Brady's first real test. The number one passing offense vs the number one passing defence. So as they say...something has to give.
With the two team comparison comes the inevitable quarterback comparison. This year Tom Brady is putting up numbers I challenge you to try to put up on Super Tecmo Bowl with the 49ers.
Brady is leading the NFL in every possible passing category. He is on pace to obliterate records and he is working towards his fourth Super Bowl title. He has thrown for 2431 yards at a 74% accuracy and a Quarterback Rating of 136. His 30 TDs and 2 INTs are the best through 8 weeks in the history of the NFL. But to be objective he has only faced one passing defense in the top 10 (Dolphins).
Mannings numbers are less impressive but still effective. His quarterback rating is 102 and he has thrown 13 TDs to only 3 INTs. He also has only faced one top ten passing defense (Bucaneers).
The game is in the Dome and all that does is make it a level playing field. I dont think it gives the Colts too much of an advantage other than the fact that they dont have to brave the New England elements. It gets chilly in November and Peyton doesnt like that cold weather.
It will be a close game. The Patriots will not cover the spread but will win a squeeker.
Patriots 38 Colts 35

Lateral, Lateral, Lateral, Lateral, Lateral, Lateral...Win

This could be the single greatest ending to a football game...ever.

I Am A Full Grown Man

I don't know much about the band Phosphorescent other than the main guy behind it is named Mathew Houck. He sings folk like songs. He's been compared to Will Oldham as well as Neutral Milk Hotel. Musically you can kind of hear what they are talking about in regards to the NMH comparison. His voice isnt typical and maybe thats why I like it. This song is off the album Aw Come Aw Wry which I have recently purchased and enjoy. They just released a new album and I havent heard any of the tracks off of it yet. I like this song and the rest of the album is also pretty good.

Phosphorescent [mp3] I Am A Full Grown Man (I Will Lay In The Grass All Day
I think its those weird backround noises that get the Neutral Milk Hotel references. I dont know what the hell that instrument is thats playing the feedback type sound. Also the horns. I like it though.

If you do like this you might want to check out Bonnie "Prince" Billy. Its sort of sad bastard music and sometimes thats alright.

SWEEP!

Its a good Monday to be a Boston sports fan. The Patriots look unstoppable going into this weeks matchup with the Indianapolis Colts and the Red Sox are once again World Champions. Thats an odd thing to be able to say..."once again World Champions" and that fact made it easy to jump out of bed at 6am. It wasn't much of a series though. For as close as the Rockies were at times they still didnt feel like a threat. After seeing their lineup with Tulowitski and Holliday and Atkins and Hawpe and Helton I want to say that is as scary of a lineup as the Yankees. It just goes to show how mismatched the two leagues are right now. The Rockies were without a doubt the best National League team this year and they weren't even close to the Sox.
Starting pitching carried us through the entire playoffs. Beckett is a given and is unhittable, but to me the big story is the others (Schilling -old-, Dice K -good for MAYBE 5-, and Jon Lester -awesome last night-). When you can get 6 solid out of your starters your bullpen looks a lot better, even though Okie cost me a little cheese I still have love for the guy (cursed hime for a good 5 minutes last night).
Manny and Papi are going to be there...we know that, but how about the others...
1. Mike Lowell- How can one be so unnoticable with 120 regular season RBIs, give me Mike Lowell over any third baseman in the Big Leagues (wont even mention his name because he is a selfish fuck...and a LOSER)
2. Jacoby Ellsbury- You made us forget about Coco Crisp and how terrible he is (bye Coco)
3. Dustin Pedroia- Stud! He tells his teammates to put on their goggles because the laser show starts at 830. Thats badass!
4. Julio Lugo- The guy hit .387 in the series! Hits on his head were called off after this series.
5. JD Drew- One big hit against the Indians spread amnesia over the nation.
6. Kevin Youklis- The guy makes like $400,000 and you could not get him out this week.
7. Jason Varitek- LEADER
Talk all you want about payroll. You've got to have everybody doing their part and we did. Its a good country we live in. Everyone has an opportunity to make money and pay the best to play for them. Yeah our payroll is 143 million, but we're not going to give back any wins.
(on a side note I would like to start a petition to get the World Series back on NBC commentated by Bob Costas and Vin Scully)
*I cant stand to hear Jeanne Zelasko open her mouth one more time*
*Tim McCarver could you please talk a few more innings about Paul Byrd's double windup*

I Love Jim Maloney Like a Fat Boy Loves Cake!!

"How Many Donut Holes Could You Eat in 3 Minutes." OK, so here's how it went down today at the first annual Doughnut Eating Contest outside the Donut Bank at Green River Road and Lloyd Expressway.

Twenty-six-old Jim "The Boston Nut" Maloney ate 44 donut balls in 3 minutes and beat 22 other contestants — from a burly motorcycle rider named "Tiny" and a 45-year-old Green Bay Packer fan from Kenosha, Wis., to a pair of rail-thin college coeds.

The $1,000 prize money went to Maloney's favorite charity, United Way. But here's the kicker.

Maloney, an employee of Gibson General Hospital in Princeton, Ind., and a fan of the Boston Red Sox, thought he was losing.

"The girl across from me (USI student Katie Henderson, nicknamed The Birthday Girl because Friday was her 20th birthday) had accidentally dumped a bunch of her doughnuts on the ground, but I didn't know that. I was trying to catch up with her. I thought she was way ahead."

Like many of the contestants, Maloney smashed each yeasty ball "to eliminate the air," then swallowed hefty bites with gulps of milk.

The event was cosponsored by radio station WSTO-FM as part of a promotion to celebrate Donut Bank's 40th anniversary.

Company president Chris Kempf said his father, Harold, started Donut Bank in "a little bitty place next to Pigeon Creek on First Avenue in 1967," a building that eventually began sliding toward the creek.

"My grandpa had delivered bread and my dad always wanted a doughnut shop. He came up with the name Donut Bank. He thought it was the coolest name. You could easily play on words, like 'Our dividend to you is quality' and "Your interest is in our product.'"

Harold Kempf, no longer running the business, started with a dozen or so varieties of doughnuts and created his own unique Fruit Fritter using chopped pecans, apples, some orange and cinnamon.

"Today the business (the 8th local shop is under construction and there are plans for two more) has evolved," said Chris Kempf. "Now there's cappuccinos, lattes, ice-blended drinks, cakes, bagels and gourmet coffees."

But the No. 1 seller remains the simple glazed doughnut.

Bill Lynch, an assistant cheerleading coach in town from Wisconsin for a competition, said he heard about the contest on radio and was prepared to donate his winnings to USI Habitat for Humanity, which is helping build a subdivision for victims of Evansville's 2005 tornado.

"I have doughnuts every single day," the 45-year-old Lynch quipped."But if this were beer I'd be in better shape."

You're The Best Around...No Ones Ever Gonna Keep You Down

The New Pornographers--The Bleeding Heart Show @ Pitchfork Festival

We were at this festival. I think this was the last band we saw play because we didnt feel like staying for De La Soul just to hear them play Me, Myself, and I. See there we are...we are one of those people on the left...

Some Songs for a Pretty Shitty, But Great Fall Day

I don't know where you are right now, but in the heart of the Midwest it is a beautiful Fall day. Maybe not the "beautiful Fall day" you might expect with all its blue skies and "hang out in the park all day" temperatures...its just your run of the mill, rainy as hell, not a patch of blue in the sky, sit on the window sill and be thankful you are indoors type of day. My favorite kind of days. The kind of day you wouldnt mind taking off at noon and pouring a glass of whiskey that should say you are an alcoholic but only means that you are enjoying your freedom today. Maybe watch The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown or Halloween, or make a vat of chilli throwing in anything you can find from the refrigerator. You might want to put on some good fall music and sit around talking about Trick or Treating when you were little or jumping in a pile of leaves your grandpa helped you rake. Say that its not too late to go buy a pumpkin and carve it...or to organize a Halloween party. Enjoying the feeling of self imposed exile. A "snow day" in the middle of Fall. If you feel like taking a nap...I encourage it. Hell, bake some cookies and eat them all.
Think about braving the elements later tonight and watch a high school football game. It doesnt matter how bad the teams are you cant beat High School Football on a Friday night. You have all day tomorrow to sit inside and watch football and post season baseball.
For now here is some fall music...just some songs that fit the soundtrack for a beautifully shitty day at the end of October.

The Beatles [mp3] Eleanor Rigby
I love to listen to the Beatles when it is raining. I dont know what it is...it goes back to when I was little riding in a minivan listening to Beatles tapes.

Mark Kozelek [mp3] Rock N Roll Singer
I think its his voice that reminds me of the fall. Dont know why, but I think you all know what I am talking about.

Johnny and the Moon [mp3] All Things Gonna Come Back Around
Just wanted to add a song from a cd I just purchased. I like these guys. I spoke of them earlier. This song reminds me of Tom Petty.

The Gambler [mp3] Autumn Winds
What is a fall mix without the theme song to the season. Greg Brinkmeyer is the gambler and this song is quickly becoming a classic...just if people would listen to it...SO LISTEN TO IT! please.

"I love you too, but I'm going to mace you in the face"

Well its been out for a while but for some reason movie theaters dont want to pick it up right away for fear that no one will want to see it. At least this is the case in small cities and towns that are not Chicago in the Midwest. Finally The Darjeeling Limited is in a theater in St. Louis and I look forward to seeing it sometime this weekend. Havent truly looked forward to going to a movie since I saw Wes Andersons last movie. You see Wes Anderson, seems to me, to be one of the last original directors out there. In fact, he might just be the most original. He creates worlds that dont really exist and I like that. You know that a movie is great if you quote it every time you get together with your friends.

Another Member Of Wolf Parade Makes Music Better Than Most Human Beings

So you've got Sunset Rubdown and Swan Lake and Handsome Furs...what else could you really ask for from the core group Wolf Parade? Johnny and the Moon is another off shoot of said band. One that sounds nothing like the great music put out by the others, but still pretty amazing. Johnny and the Moon is led by Dante Decaro of Wolf Parade and they are from Canada, a country that is single handedly saving music. This song is pretty great and worth listening to 5 or 6 times in a a row.

Johnny and the Moon [mp3] The Ballad Of Scarlet Town
**REMEMBER: if you want to download this song Right Click (PCs) Cntrl Click (Macs)**

I Got Those Worried Blues...

Its days like this when all I want to do is sit inside and listen to old Bob Dylan albums. A Free Wheelin Bob Dylan, Times They Are A Changin, Blonde on Blonde, Blood on the Tracks...on random, repeat all day long. There is just something about the early days of fall with all its overcast skies sweatshirt mornings that make me want to skip the entire day and listen to music through headphones. Today I am tired of new music and will not listen to any of it. There is something great about hearing a band play for the first time...but then again it doesnt get much better than Bob Dylan, does it? Stare at the clock so the day doesnt go by so fast.

Bob Dylan [mp3] Seven Curses

The World Series 2007

You know I barely enjoyed the first 5 innings of game 7 last night. There isnt anything worse than thinking that your actions have anything to do with the end result of a game. I started eating popcorn in the fourth inning and that obviously was the reason Dice K's fastball dropped from 95 to 88 and the reason Garko hit a 900 foot double. In the 5th I felt like I was on the verge of an anyurysm and it didnt help when Matsuzaka was throwing underhand after Manny made (in retrospect) a game saving play off the monster. I love Joel Skinner. Thank you for holding Wesley Snipes at third. Okajima was awesome and with one year under their belts I believe that he is the most valuable export out of Japan this year. When Papelbon is in the game it makes me want to throw bricks through car windows. Hittting 98 on the gun will do that for you.
The Rockies have to scare you just for the fact that they dont know how to lose. I don't think I have ever heard of such a run. There is something you have to respect about that team. They field the baseball and they really are a TEAM in every respect. Sure you have Holliday and Helton, but in the scheme of stars in the league they are down on the chart. Tulowitzki is kind of similar to me as a shortstop except he doesnt make many errors and I made a lot and he hits a lot of bombs and I hit very few. Clint Barmes has got to be kicking himself right now...because he could absolutely play. Those "freak" injuries are tough.
I won't make a prediction on this one...for fear of a jinx, but you know whats going to happen in this one.

Dropkick Murphys[mp3] Dirty Water

M.I.A-Paper Planes

M.I.A. isnt typically someone I would listen to, but there is just something about her that I enjoy. Good beats and good songs. Her first two albums are overated but still good. Take a listen to this song off of her newest album. Its called Paper Planes. Plus she is kind of nice to look at....sometimes you have to listen to something a little different.

PAPER PLANES-M.I.A.

Despite What You've Been Told

This has been an unbelievable stretch of new cd releases. I cannot remember the last time this many good albums came out at one time. All of them absolutely solid. Iron and Wine and The Weakerthans and Sunset Rubdown and Beirut and Band of Horses and Two Gallants and Radiohead. Out of all of those I might just say that Two Gallants nudge out Sunset Rubdown as my favorite of them all (barely because Random Spirit Lover by Sunset Rubdown if sweet). I won't go into why I love it so much. I find myself saying that a lot of albums are amazing. I just dont waste time writing about the ones that are shitty. Here is a great video from one of the better songs on the Two Gallants new self titled album.
Despite What You've Been Told

The Best Hitter In Baseball

I love Manny Ramirez. Unconditionally. The guy has done enough great things for the Sox over the years that if I find out tomorrow he is a terrorist bomber it wouldnt bother me. Sure he should have had a triple last night if he wouldn't have walked to first base. He is goofy as shit. He hides in the Green Monster. He wants a trade every year. But you cant name a hitter who is more clutch than him. Pujols is probably the best hitter in baseball...all around, but he's not more clutch than Manny. Bottom of the 9th game on the line give me Manny. Leave Albert on the bench like his manager did in the All Star game. On top of that Albert has some sort of inferiority complex that seems to plague many St. Louisans.
99.9 % of big leaguers who pose after homeruns like Manny end up with the baseball seems embeded into their back. But its Manny. And no one seems to mind too terribly. I still can't believe someone doesn't drill him. It doesn't bother me. The pose...the walk towards first before entering into his slow jog. He is hitting .471 this ALCS with a couple bombs. 6 walks. Three with the bases loaded. He can do whatever he wants. Red Sox fans have learned that is what you get with Manny. Along with the .313 career average 490 homeruns and 1604 RBI comes a personality unlike anyone else in baseball. The guy can absolutely hit. So keep hitting em Manny. Keep posing. It only pisses off men from 45-60. The rest of us don't mind.

Radiohead's Third Best Album Is Amazing

I think it is important to mention how amazing the new Radiohead album is. You go on their website and digitally download the entire album for any price that you want. It almost seems too good to be true and I am kind of wondering what the catch is, but I did it anyway. I paid 10 pounds which I later found out is only 5 dollars after I was kind of panicked when someone told me that it was upwards of 20 dollars. In the end I guess I gipped them.
In Rainbows is great music. Sit and think about who Radiohead sounds like. Thats one of the things I love about them. I cant answer that question. This record isnt as good as Kid A or OK Computer, but it is still better than a lot of music out there. Its funny to talk about how good an album is and in the same breath say that the band has two other albums that are better. Oh yeah and The Bends isnt too bad either. Here is the last song off the album...kind of reminds me of Street Spirit.
...I guess 10 pounds is 20 dollars...whatever

Radiohead [mp3] Videotape

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia

There have been four television shows in the last 10 years that are worth your 30 minutes of couch time. The Office, 30 Rock, Arrested Development and It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia. Its Always Sunny is on Thursday nights at 9pm on FX. It's hilarious and inappropriate and rediculous and hilarious.

ITS TIME FOR HALLOWEEN MOVIES

I don't want to say that we are forcing fall this year, but with the weather not cooperating, The Golden Dome crumbling, and the Sox with their back against the wall, my mind has been elsewhere. Halloween is approaching and its the one time of the year I can get into Horror Movies. The good, the bad, the terrible...during the second half of October they are all great. I called on my movie correspondant, The Gambler, to give a rundown on some Classic Halloween flics for the season. Check it out.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Gambler's Top 5 Halloween Movies

I have been a movie fan all my life and I have been a horror movie fan since 1984 when I first saw A Nightmare on Elm Street. I know this topic was discussed last year on REDPANTS, and trying to distinguish between my favorite Halloween movies and the best was a bit of a challenge. However, in doing so, I realized that 2 if not 3 of my favorites are included in this list

5. Night of the Living Dead
4. An American Werewolf in London
3. Psycho
2. Halloween
1. Frankenstein

All five films were groundbreaking, each one spawning remakes, sequels, & countless counterfeit copies(films trying to capture the the spirit, but failing in the process). All five took horror in a new direction and redefined it at the same time.

Look at your main characters:
-A re-animated corpse
-A mentally deranged stalker
-A schizophrenic motel owner
-A werewolf terrorizing the streets of London
-A group of zombies feeding on human flesh

Many will disagree with this list, but let me defend it with a few words. 3 of these films are not frightening by today's standards. However, at the time of their release they shocked and terrified audiences around the world. And they stand up as classics to this day.
1. FRANKENSTEIN

-Frankenstein paved the way for the Universal Studios monster movies from the 1930's to the 1950's
2. HALLOWEEN

-Halloween was the most successful independent movie ever until the late 1990's
3. PSYCHO

-Psycho is considered to be Hitchcock's masterpiece (This is from the guy who gave us Rear Window and The Birds)
4. AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON

-American Werewolf proved you can morph a human into a wolf without the use of CGI
5. NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD

-Night of the Living Dead incorporated so many thematic elements into the story, you almost forget you are watching a horror movie

There are hundreds of horror movies out there and I try to watch as many as possible throughout the month of October. I've watched 6 this past week. These are just 5 popcorn pleasing films I think every Halloween fan should watch before the 31st of October.
THANKS TO THE GAMBLER. "LOOKS LIKE YOU ROLLED...SNAKE EYES"

LETS GO RED SOX! LETS GO RED SOX!

Big game tonight. I'm alright with the decision to start Wakefield in game four. If we can't beat Paul Byrd then we dont deserve to win this series. The Indians have scared the shit out of me from the beginning. There is something about Cleveland in October that doesnt sit real well with me. I dont know what it is...I just dont feel like the Sox have had any luck there. Manny will have a huge hit tonight. He's got to! Wakefield has to deal though. Throwing butterflies up there. Got to pray for a stiff breeze in his face

LETS GO RED SOX! LETS GO RED SOX! LETS GO RED SOX!

Dropkick Murphys [mp3] Tessie

Is There A Ghost-Band Of Horses

This is the best 13 word song I have ever heard.

Tom Brady vs. Tony Romo

I have a hard time justifying this comparison. Especially in a 48-27 route. The only reason I want to do so is to tell you all the reasons I think Tony Romo is a hack. Sundays game showcased two of the most potent offenses in the NFL. Billed as a matchup between Randy Moss and Terrell Owens it really became a quarterback clinic ran by Tom Brady. 31/46 388 yards and 5 touchdowns without an interception. Its amazing how easy he makes it look. He did it last year with a bunch of "nobody receivers" he is doing it this year with arguably the best wide receving corp in the league. If its not Moss its Stallworth. If its not Stallworth it is Welker. On top of it all he is modest...a great team guy...and he doesnt throw teammates under the bus like some quarterbacks will do (reason 1). Said Tony Romo after Sundays lost. "I would like to see what would have happened if there wasnt a hold on that 4th and 1. The game was over with that holding penalty." Nice Tony.
Tony Romo thinks he is Hollywood (reason 2). Dates Carrie Underwood. Kind of too big for his britches...and you know he hasnt really done a thing yet. Always smiling...appears to be having a good time...all the time (reason 3). I am always weary of the guys who are "always smiling"..."cutting it up" even in a loss. Makes me wonder how much they really care. His numbers were average 18/29 for 199. A couple touchdowns and a pick. Never really made the big play though.
So it looks like Randy got the best of TO. Brady got the best of Romo. And the Patriots got the best of the Cowboys. I wonder...who America's team really is.

My Typewriter Is Freezing...But I Wrote These Songs

Just received a couple new cds in the mail. If you want the songs on your computer just (Right Click) or if you have a Mac (Cntrl Click and Download File.)
So listen to a couple of the exceptional songs on the disc.
Ce N'est Rien [mp3] Ode To The Old Roman Fashion
Ce N'est Rien [mp3] Go Fly A Kite Little Susie

Okkervil River--Love To A Monster

So someone had a great idea. They would meet up with great artists on the street and have them play an impromtu song or two for the camera. It's called The Take Away Shows
Jens Lekman, St. Vincent, Final Fantasy, Elvis Perkins, and Okkervil River all play songs. Love To A Monster is one of the songs Will Sheff (Okkervil River) plays and here it is...

visit here to see more
www.blogotheque.net/takeawayshows/

Beirut-The Flying Club Cup

The Flying Club Cup is Beirut's new cd. I didn't buy his first one, Gulag Orkestar because I thought it sounded too Eastern European...and it did. Different sounding music is a good thing though, and I didnt realize it in regards to his first album. Anyway, after I bought the Lon Gisland EP I was hooked. Elephant Gun and the version of Scenic World were great and I played Elephant Gun like 3,000 times in a row...because its that good.
I love albums that feel like whole albums; not just a mix cd. The Flying Club Cup is full record. No song blares out as exceptionally better than the rest. All the songs go together quite nicely. Zach Condon is a young fella, but his music feels a lot older. He plays the trumpet...which I think is cool.
The story is, that he was orignially from New Mexico, went to Eastern Europe where he travelled around with a bunch of musicians...gypsy style...and took a liking to it and BAM! there you go, two and a half albums with horns and accordians and tamborines. I enjoy gypsy like music...you just dont hear much of it these days.
Give this album a chance. Don't be so quick to judge. Its really quite good.

Beirut [mp3] The Penalty

Band of Horses--Cease to Begin

I cant help but think that anything Band of Horses did right now would be great. Ben Bridwell could sing the dictionary and it would be easy on the ears. Cease to Begin is the new album that came out yesterday. They threw a couple country sounding songs on this album and they are sweet (General Specific and Marry Song). A sophomore cd is a tough one. But their's is pretty great. So if you believe The Funeral is the only song the Band of Horses have done you should first listen to the rest of Everything All The Time and then pick up Cease to Begin. I am jealous of people listening to them for the first time. Here is a track off the new album.

Band of Horses [mp3] Ode to Lrc

Eddie Vedder Is Still Better Than Indie Rock

Its easy to forget about the truly great iconic rock stars of the 90's. New music keeps coming. The term "Indie Rock" (which is a terribly annoying little label) has taken the place of "Grunge" and real rock stars have gone the way of the Dirt Shrew. Now bands are bands. Their lead singers are invisible. Quiet chess players at Starbucks.
Don't forget about Eddie. Pearl Jam is still the greatest live band on earth. That band has signified various points in our lives. Whether it was listening to Ten the summer before our freshman year of high school or No Code sending us off to college they have been with us every step of the way.
Into The Wild is a new Film by Sean Penn. Intelligent, introspective youth on a journey of self inspection. I think I might be past the point in my life where the storyline of a 20 year old embarking on an Alaskan journey to find himself is at all appealing. But Sean Penn directed and Eddie Vedder wrote the songs. It can't be that bad...can it?
Eddie Vedder does the entire soundtrack...by himself. If this came out ten years ago I would have asked the simple question..."why does anyone else try to make music?" Today, with all the other music clouding my vision, it took a second to realize how good the cd really is. And its good. Brings back the old days. And the old days, were good days. Its nice to remember them.

Eddie Vedder [mp3] Rise

I Once Picked My Nose Till It Bleeded...

Here are a slew of Ralph Wiggum lines. Ralph Wiggum is funny.

-My knob tastes funny.
-Hi, Principal Skinner! Hi, Super Nintendo Chalmers.
-And I want a bike and a monkey and a friend for the monkey.
-Eww, Daddy, this tastes like Gramma!
-I bent my wookie.
-Lisa's bad dancing makes my feet sad.
-That's where I saw the Leprechaun. He tells me to burn things.
-Daddy, I'm scared. Too scared to wet my pants.
-My cat's name is Mittens.
-This snowflake tastes like fish sticks.
-Slow down, Bart! My legs don't know how to be as long as yours.
-When I grow up I wanna be a Principal or a Caterpillar.
-Principal Skinner, I got carsick in your office.
-Dear Miss Hoover, you have Lyme disease. We miss you. Kevin is biting me. Come back soon. Here's a drawing of a spirokeet. Love Ralph
-My cat's breath smells like cat food.
-He's gonna smell like hot dogs.
-Miss Hoover, I glued my head to my shoulders.
-When I grow up I'm going to Bovine University.
-I ate too much plastic candy.
-I found a moon rock in my nose!
-You have the bestest Dad. He read me a story about Chinese food.
-Miss Hoover, there's a dog in the vent.
-Me fail English? That's unpossible.
-My face is on fire.
-The doctor said I wouldn't have so many nosebleeds if I kept my finger out of there.
-Your hair is tall...and pretty!
-It tastes like ... burning.
-I'm Idaho!
-And when the doctor said I didn't have worms any more, that was the happiest day of my life.
and one I heard tonight..."I flushed a potato down the toilet and now we have to move"
quotes are from comedy2.com

Early In The Morning Everyone's Scared Of Us...

Its a great thing to be able to hear good music...to be able to recognize good music without having a critic tell you why it was great or why it fell short of the random standard he has set. I have huge problems with music reviews...at the same time I cant pick up a Spin Magazine and not flip to the back to see what they had to say. So here is a song. Untouched by the critics. Untouched by hype or preconceived notions...
If a great song is written and is never pumped into the mainstream was it a great song?
The answer is of course...Yes.

Ce N'est Rien [mp3] While We Dress Like Dirt

Three Songs For a Friday

Have a Good Weekend. Here are three songs for the day.
(IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO PLAY THE SONGS DOWNLOAD QUICKTIME...THE LINK IS UP AND TO YOUR RIGHT)

Extra Glenns [mp3] Somebody Elses Parking Lot
John Darnielle singing.

Clem Snide [mp3] No Ones More Happy Than You
I have a video in my mind for this song. It involves two guys on top of a funeral home, dumping coffins off of the roof. The people bounce out of the coffins with smiles on their face. Sick? Yes. Disturbing? Maybe. Brilliant? No, just mostly disturbing...

Band of Horses [mp3] Is There A Ghost
This album comes out on Tuesday...cant wait!!

Jesus Don't Want Me For a Sunbeam

And so the story goes...
I have found Christ...I was driving down the highway through Illinois as rain trampled my car, listening to someone singing about perpetuated fear, peeling my eyes to stay awake and then...as Illinois became every farm in Indiana everything stopped. The rain paused and the words blurred and my vision was sharp. Raindrops on my windshield slid together and formed a sentence...when I was 8 or so I used to pretend these drops were little pac mans eating pellets...now those same raindrops form sentences that reveal my black hole fate. The water drops moved like tiny bits of mercury on the counter of a science class and they spelled out a simple sentence. "I am the devil and you are coming with me." After getting past the amazment of what I was witnessing I felt overcome with a panic that only a sentence from satan written in water on the windshield of your speeding car could produce. The sky's clouds parted and I could only think that this was a sign...thunder vacuumed and lightning put to rest...this must mean something...it must mean that my time had come. At this moment, a moment of my finest distress, I thought it was a good time to start looking for God, or Jesus or someone in a beard or a dress or in an androgynous pair of slacks...to my amazement I did not have to look very far...finding God was not as difficult as I had anticipated. I mean I always heard about people finding Jesus...You hear about it every day. It is usually after they get caught cheating on their wife or letting their thousand dollar a day cocaine addiction ruin their relationship with their sons and daughters or getting caught in a restroom stall with another man, but I guess I always assumed that they had been looking all along...that the fact that their back was against the wall was just a coincident. I mean I had words spelled on my windshield and then the clouds parted...I was in the worst kind of trouble and I prepared myself for a long, long search.
So imagine my suprise to find Jesus two minutes after I decided to look. He/She/It was lying peacefully under a tree eating what appeared to be a bagel with cream cheese enjoying what was turning out to be a beautiful sort of day. He looked content, but thoughtful. I was excited and I yelled..."I have found Christ!!!"
and all he/she/it said was "But I wasnt lost."

Two Gallants Two Gallants

The Two Gallants new self titled album is maybe their most well rounded yet. Their first one, The Throes, was great, full of energy, angst...kind of made you want to throw a brick through the other guys window. Their second, What The Toll Tells, fell a little short with me. The album had some standout tracks like Las Cruces Jail and Age of Assassins, but as a whole it just seemed like patchwork. This new record is great. One track doesn't stand out above all the rest. But they are all solid. It sounds to me like they are starting to figure it out. They vary tempos from song to song, just not as abruptly as before. A review explained the Two Gallants' music as if punk rock was invented in Oklahoma. I think that is a good assessment. Go buy their new album....now!

Two Gallants [mp3] Despite What You've Been Told

Red Sox...Round 1

Time to talk some post season baseball and the great early round matchups. As much as I would love to say the Red Sox are the team to beat this year I am going to go with the Indians. They scare me to death. Carmona and Sabathia are filthy and they have an entire team of professional hitters. They have 6 guys that can hit the ball out of the ball park led by Travis Haffner who could hit 5 in a series if he gets hot. Glad the Yankees got that draw.
But lets move on to more important series. I love it when the Sox play the Angels. Dave Henderson off Donnie Moore, 1986. I was 8 and I almost jumped as high as Hendu did after he hit that go ahead bomb. The sweep in 2004. Good memories.

The Matchup--Red Sox vs Angels
The Sox have the superior team on paper. Dangerous hitting up and down the lineup. Beckett, Dice-K, Schilling, Papelbon. An overpriced Right Fielder who can make 38,000 friends if he decides to turn it on in October. Not to mention that Manny is back and David Ortiz is David Ortiz. The bullpen is key...Its nice to be able to throw Beckett 6 strong and then rely on the best bullpen in the game today...Delcarmen, Okajima, and Paps.
The Angels have the wheels and Vlad Guerrero, who is the best hitter in this Series. They have one chance to get a game and that is with Kelvin Escobar going against Dice-K. Escobar has the nastiest stuff on the Angels outside of F-Rod. Dice K might be a little tired because he throws from the time he wakes up until the time he goes to bed and post season baseball here isn't quite like playing against Tom Selleck in Mr. Baseball.
John Lackey is their ace and goes in game one, but he is going against Beckett and we all know how clutch he is in post season (Yankees).
Give me Curt Schilling in the post season until he is 50.
The Outcome--Sox in 4

The cool air of October, a Red Sox lead, Fenway Park...and Neil Diamond.
Neil Diamond [mp3] Sweet Caroline