The "I'm Still Here" Ramblings

So....I'm still here. I know it seems like I just throw up some NFL picks every week (which I do), but I still care about the half dozen of you fair readers out there. Since I have the week off from DOA, I will give you some extended ramblings. On with it.

Of course, I have to start with the NFL picks, so let's review last week (winner in italics)

Seattle over San Francisco (No way the 49ers win in Seattle...no way)
Dallas over Atlanta (Where is Matt Schaub when you need him?)
Miami over Buffalo (I don't think that defense will let JP Losman beat them)
Green Bay over Detroit (FIRE MATT MILLEN!!!)
Minnesota over NY Jets (I think the Vikings can sneak in the playoffs with an easy schedule)
New Orleans over Washington (If I were Joe Gibbs, I would be wishing to see cars make left turns again)Baltimore over Cleveland (Duh!!)
St. Louis over Oakland (The Rams did score 27 points against the Bears)
San Diego over Kansas City (Did you know Marty-Ball hasn't won a playoff game since '93?)
Chicago over Tampa Bay (Duh 2!!!)
Jacksonville over Tennessee (After the Jags destroyed the Colts, look out)
New England over Houston (Tom Brady is pissed after being dominated by the Dolphins)
Pittsburgh over Carolina (The Panthers aren't that good....at all)
Denver over Arizona (Jay Cutler is coming along nicely, eh?)
NY Giants over Philadelphia (I think the Giants have just enough)
Indianapolis over Cincinnati (Simply because the Colts are at home, and they desperately need a win)

10-6 last week, which brings my record to: 100-78 (.562 winning percentage).

Other thoughts on Week 15:
-How about Alex Smith having his coming out party against Seattle? I'm like a proud papa for this kid.
-The Colts looked like the Colts on Monday night, much to my relief.
-The Bears are going to be hurting in the Playoffs if Tim Rattay can tear them up.
-All Vince Young does is win football games.
-Buffalo will be good next year.
-How do you think Brady Quinn will look in Raider black?
-San Diego still looks really, really good.

And now the picks for Week 16 (home team in bold)
Green Bay over Minnesota (Ugh...The NFL Network didn't pick a good one)
Kansas City over Oakland (LJ is pissed, even though he leads the league in carries...what?)
Chicago over Detroit (Duh!!)
Tennesse over Buffalo (I just can't bet against VY write now)
Atlanta over Carolina (So much for my pick of the Panthers to get to the Super Bowl)
Indianapolis over Houston (Duh!! again)
Tampa Bay over Cleveland (Why not?)
Baltimore over Pittsburgh (The Ravens will still beat the resilient Steelers)
Jacksonville over New England (The Jags are a different team at home)
New Orleans over NY Giants (Tough one, but I love Drew Brees)
Washington over St. Louis (I have no idea)
San Francisco over Arizona (Of course I'm gonna pick the 49ers)
San Diego over Seattle (The Chargers are good, and the Seahawks aren't)
Cincinnati over Denver (The Bengals will bounce back in a big way)
Philadelphia over Dallas (I'm gonna have to take the Eagles)

Wow, I only picked 4 home teams. Ummm...I guess we will see.


And now onto some other ramblings...

So, after January 1st I wll be out of work. My bosses decided to eliminate my position. It happens. I'm not really too broken up about it, to be honest with you, my fair readers. It will work out the best for all those involoved.

Big news on the newspaper front, as I have cancelled my South Bend Tribune, to start getting the Chicago Tribune. Hey, I love the South Bend paper, but I can get the Chicago paper delivered to my house for less. It just makes sense.

Christmas time is here, and I generally loathe the holidays. It just seems that they drag out so far. But, I must admit that, now that I have a child, their is something special about this time of year, indeed.

Don't forget to visit DOA on January 1st to see the year end extravaganza!!

Currently:
Listening to: Tragically Hip, Beatles, Led Zeppelin
Reading: Skinny Legs and All by Tom Robbins
Watching: Okonokos by My Morning Jacket

The NBA is in full swing, and believe it or not, I have been paying attention. Let's run through some of the things that I have been following:
-A.I. finally gets traded to the Nuggets. I think it is a good deal for both teams, but I just don't think that it makes Denver better than Dallas, San Antonio, Phoenix, or the Lakers.
-The Commish is switching back to the old ball. It was a dumb move to switch in the first place.
-The Bulls look like they might run away with the East. I mean, who will stop them. Orlando? New Jersey? Detroit? Maybe....maybe not.
-Now that Minnesota is out of the running for AI, they need to move KG. He deserves to play for a winner.
-How about those Knicks? Two straight buzzer beaters after the brawl.

I wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!! Mahalo....Good night and good luck.

The New December Ramblings

So...another missed week of the NFL. Another week without a post from your humble narrator. Sorry. Let's get to the NFL review from Week 13 first. (winner it Italics)

Baltimore over Cincinnati (After their total domination of the Steelers, it's hard not to pick the Ravens)
San Diego over Buffalo (The Chargers, with Merriman back, are downright scary)
Chicago over Minnesota (Rex's jawing is a moot point, it's the defense that speaks volumes)
Kansas City over Cleveland (No one is talking about the phenomenal season Larry Johnson is having)
Green Bay over NY Jets (I don't know why.)
Indianapolis over Tennessee (The Titans just don't have enough)
Arizona over St Louis (Who's ready for a 42-35 shootout?)
New England over Detroit (Why hasn't Matt Millen been fired yet?)
New Orleans over San Francisco (Sean Payton probably has to be Coach of the Year at this point)
Washington over Atlanta (Two of the biggest enigmas this year. Why not?)
Oakland over Houston (The Raiders D is pretty damn good. Ask LT)
Miami over Jacksonville (I just can't get behind the Jags)
Dallas over NY Giants (Tom Coughlin has lost this team, and Eli looks like a dog seeing a card trick, completely baffled)
Pittsburgh over Tampa Bay (Why not? The Steelers have to beat somebody, right?)
Denver over Seattle (I like Jay Cutler, and I predicted this was the week it would happen)
Carolina over Philadelphia (When will Carolina start playing like Carolina?)

Another damned 8-8 week. Current record is 90-72 (556% winning percentage). Still pretty good. Now for the picks for Week 15 (home team in bold)
Seattle over San Francisco (No way the 49ers win in Seattle...no way)
Dallas over Atlanta (Where is Matt Schaub when you need him?)
Miami over Buffalo (I don't think that defense will let JP Losman beat them)
Green Bay over Detroit (FIRE MATT MILLEN!!!)
Minnesota over NY Jets (I think the Vikings can sneak in the playoffs with an easy schedule)
New Orleans over Washington (If I were Joe Gibbs, I would be wishing to see cars make left turns again)
Baltimore over Cleveland (Duh!!)
St. Louis over Oakland (The Rams did score 27 points against the Bears)
San Diego over Kansas City (Did you know Marty-Ball hasn't won a playoff game since '93?)
Chicago over Tampa Bay (Duh 2!!!)
Jacksonville over Tennessee (After the Jags destroyed the Colts, look out)
New England over Houston (Tom Brady is pissed after being dominated by the Dolphins)
Pittsburgh over Carolina (The Panthers aren't that good....at all)
Denver over Arizona (Jay Cutler is coming along nicely, eh?)
NY Giants over Philadelphia (I think the Giants have just enough)
Indianapolis over Cincinnati (Simply because the Colts are at home, and they desperately need a win)

I just don't feel much like writing today. I have pumped out about 2400 words for DOA in the last four days, and I still have a review to finish before the weekend. Mahalo, Good night and good luck.

The Random Ramblings

Yes, I know. It hurts. I have had to limit myself to one blog a week, due to my hectic writing schedule. But, changes could be on the horizon, so we may get back to the old days of 2-3 posts a week. But, until then, we'll just have to get used to one huge post a week. Okay. Are we cool?

So, the Thanksgiving holiday came and went without much noise around my house. My wife and I took advantage of the surprisingly warm weather, to take care of some outdoor projects that we needed to finish. Of course, the warm weather has now left, and we are expecting 2-6 inches of snow here in Northern Indiana in the next couple of days. Such is life.

The NFL has been a study of the classic "any given Sunday" theory this season. It has been tough to pick games this year, and I just have to stay focused. Anyway, let's go over the picks from Week 12 (winner in Italics)
Miami over Detroit (I never thought Joey Harrington would be part of a 3 game winning streak)
Dallas over Tampa Bay (If Peyton couldn't beat them, what chance does Gradkowski have?)
Kansas City over Denver (Look for the Jay Cutler era to start next week)
Arizona over Minnesota (The Vikings' freefall continues)
Carolina over Washington (Not a good week to be Jason Campbell)
Cincinnati over Cleveland (Can the Bengals still make the playoffs?)
NY Jets over Houston (The Texans are about hopeless)
Jacksonville over Buffalo (I have no idea)
New Orleans over Atlanta (Tough to pick between two struggling teams)
Baltimore over Pittsburgh (The Steelers' aren't making the playoffs..deal with it)
San Francisco over St Louis (Why aren't more people talking about a .500 49ers team?)
San Diego over Oakland (Over/under on TD's for LT=4)
Chicago over New England (I just want the Bears to win so bad)
NY Giants over Tennessee (Can Eli right this ship?)
Indianapolis over Philadelphia (Now that the Colts have lost, look for them to blow out the Eagles)
Seattle over Green Bay (I think?)

So not bad at 10-6, including a three game sweep on Thanksgiving. Giving me a total of 82-64 (.569%). Getting better, getting better.
Some other random NFL notes.
-Alex Smith has a better passer rating than Brett Favre, Eli Manning, and Ben Roethlisberger. Just thought you should know.
-The Chargers just continue to find ways to win. The Oakland D is pretty stout, eh?
-The Bears need to get it together if they want to win a playoff game. Let's hope Good Rex makes an appearance.
-The Dolphins are hot, but their isn't going to be room for them to make the Playoffs.
-The Colts look good, and I really like their strategy with Joseph Addai. He still looks very fresh.
-The Patriots aren't going to the Super Bowl. I can't see them beating the Colts, Chargers, Cheifs, or Broncos right now.
-Was the Junior Seau broken arm the most disgusting sight of the season? Yes.

Let's take a look at Week 13, with home teams in bold.

Baltimore over Cincinnati (After their total domination of the Steelers, it's hard not to pick the Ravens)
San Diego over Buffalo (The Chargers, with Merriman back, are downright scary)
Chicago over Minnesota (Rex's jawing is a moot point, it's the defense that speaks volumes)
Kansas City over Cleveland (No one is talking about the phenomenal season Larry Johnson is having)
Green Bay over NY Jets (I don't know why.)
Indianapolis over Tennessee (The Titans just don't have enough)
Arizona over St Louis (Who's ready for a 42-35 shootout?)
New England over Detroit (Why hasn't Matt Millen been fired yet?)
New Orleans over San Francisco (Sean Payton probably has to be Coach of the Year at this point)
Washington over Atlanta (Two of the biggest enigmas this year. Why not?)
Oakland over Houston (The Raiders D is pretty damn good. Ask LT)
Miami over Jacksonville (I just can't get behind the Jags)
Dallas over NY Giants (Tom Coughlin has lost this team, and Eli looks like a dog seeing a card trick, completely baffled)
Pittsburgh over Tampa Bay (Why not? The Steelers have to beat somebody, right?)
Denver over Seattle (I like Jay Cutler, and I predicted this was the week it would happen)
Carolina over Philadelphia (When will Carolina start playing like Carolina?)

Now for some other ramblings.

Still working on some year end stuff for DOA. It's pretty cool to have a column, and be able to use the space how I want. It just takes a lot of time to pump out a column a week.

The ACC/Big Ten Challenge was again dominated by the ACC this week. Poor Indiana played their guts out, falling just short to Duke, and Ohio State was outlasted by North Carolina in a track meet. At least Purdue beat a surprising Virginia team, otherwise things would have looked really bad.

I don't care about all of the Notre Dame haters out there. The Irish will get a BCS bid, and that is that. People love to watch the Irish on TV, and they bring in a ton of money, and fans. Just let it go, and hope they break their decade long bowl futility.

Currently I've been listening to a lot of Screaming Trees, My Morning Jacket, Colour Revolt, and a ton of stuff from 2006. Still reading the same stuff, and not watching a hell of a lot of TV.

I'm still not writing about politics. Their I feel better.

I'm here to take a stand against hippies. Much like Cartman, I despise hippies. They stink. They think everything is "cool". They listen to shitty music. They stink. They dress terribly. The women don't shave. They smoke way too much pot. They are unmotivated. They stink. They always say that you're not really "free". They are way into conspiracy theories. They stink.

Why all the hatred for a fun loving, peaceful group of people? I don't know. A reader of the blog, read a recent DOA column and wanted me to elaborate on my disdain for hippies. I guess it is a pretty irrational hatred, and I even know of a couple of hippies and they seem pretty cool.

But, I have been hanging out, and hippies have ruined good times for me. And when I go to a concert, their always seems to be a damn hippie faction playing hacky-sack, and taking up way too much space.
Now, I feel better for getting that off my chest.

Everyone enjoy their weekends. Mahalo. Good night and good luck.

The Thanksgiving Ramblings

So, another year, another Thanksgiving. I just know I will dread this year's Christmas season. I have seen decorations up at stores since Halloween. Why do they try to make Christmas come earlier every year? Oh yeah, money. Duh!

Anyway, with that in mind, let's get on with some extended holiday ramblings, including a sneak peek at my year end awards.

Let's go through the NFL picks from Week 11. (winner in italics)
Baltimore over Atlanta (The Falcons remain an enigma)
Houston over Buffalo (I have no idea)
Chicago over NY Jets (The Bears will beat the Jets, much the same way the beat the Giants)
New Orleans over Cincinnati (The Bengals' freefall continues)
Miami over Minnesota (The Dolphins' are playing better, as of late)
New England over Green Bay (If the Pats lose, then should we be worried?)
Kansas City over Oakland (I believe Art Shell needs to call Jeff George. Seriously)
Pittsburgh over Cleveland (The Steelers might be the best 3-6 team ever)
Carolina over St. Louis (The Panthers are starting to hit their stride)
Philadelphia over Tennessee (No way Vince Young beats Dononvan McNabb)
Tampa Bay over Washington (Another I have no idea game)
Detroit over Arizona (Kitna can throw, but can the defense stop anyone)
Seattle over San Francisco (Hasselback might be back, and so might the MVP)
Indianapolis over Dallas (Until they lose, I can't pick against Colts)
Denver over San Diego (Marty-ball doesn't do well in Denver)
NY Giants over Jacksonville (The Jags can't hang with the Giants)

So a middling 8-8 this week, bringing my totals to 72-58 (.553 %). Not too bad, but not too good either. Well, anyway, here are the picks for Week 12 (home team in bold)
Miami over Detroit (I never thought Joey Harrington would be part of a 3 game winning streak)
Dallas over Tampa Bay (If Peyton couldn't beat them, what chance does Gradkowski have?)
Kansas City over Denver (Look for the Jay Cutler era to start next week)
Arizona over Minnesota (The Vikings' freefall continues)
Carolina over Washington (Not a good week to be Jason Campbell)
Cincinnati over Cleveland (Can the Bengals still make the playoffs?)
NY Jets over Houston (The Texans are about hopeless)
Jacksonville over Buffalo (I have no idea)
New Orleans over Atlanta (Tough to pick between two struggling teams)
Baltimore over Pittsburgh (The Steelers' aren't making the playoffs..deal with it)
San Francisco over St Louis (Why aren't more people talking about a .500 49ers team?)
San Diego over Oakland (Over/under on TD's for LT=4)
Chicago over New England (I just want the Bears to win so bad)
NY Giants over Tennessee (Can Eli right this ship?)
Indianapolis over Philadelphia (Now that the Colts have lost, look for them to blow out the Eagles)
Seattle over Green Bay (I think?)

Now that we have that out of the way, here's some other rambling stuff.

Had my latest column posted on DOA this week. I am very proud of the work, so do check it out. Speaking of my column, I will doing my own awards for the end of the year, and here is a sneak peek of 4 albums that will make my TOP TWENTY of 2006:
Brian VanderArk-Angel, Put Your Face On
TV on the Radio-Return to Cookie Mountain
The Strokes-First Impressions of Earth
Bernard Fanning-Tea and Sympathy

Some other categories will include classic ones like: Single of the Year, Comeback of the Year, Overrated Artist of the Year, Worst Album of the Year, Best "New to Me Music" of the Year, Biggest Surprise of the Year. I really look forward to writing that column, so be prepared for a long one.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because of the food. My wife and I do a good job of alternating between her family and mine, ever year. That way we save ourselves a decision. We just remember where we went last year, and that is that.

And with that, I will wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!! Good night and good luck.

The "Weekend in Sports" Ramblings

So, a tremendous weekend of sports awaits us. Too bad, I might be too busy to enjoy it all. Anyway, let's start with some NFL picks, home team in bold.

Baltimore over Atlanta (The Falcons remain an enigma)
Houston over Buffalo (I have no idea)
Chicago over NY Jets (The Bears will beat the Jets, much the same way the beat the Giants)
New Orleans over Cincinnati (The Bengals' freefall continues)
Miami over Minnesota (The Dolphins' are playing better, as of late)
New England over Green Bay (If the Pats lose, then should we be worried?)
Kansas City over Oakland (I believe Art Shell needs to call Jeff George. Seriously)
Pittsburgh over Cleveland (The Steelers might be the best 3-6 team ever)
Carolina over St. Louis (The Panthers are starting to hit their stride)
Philadelphia over Tennessee (No way Vince Young beats Dononvan McNabb)
Tampa Bay over Washington (Another I have no idea game)
Detroit over Arizona (Kitna can throw, but can the defense stop anyone)
Seattle over San Francisco (Hasselback might be back, and so might the MVP)
Indianapolis over Dallas (Until they lose, I can't pick against Colts)
Denver over San Diego (Marty-ball doesn't do well in Denver)
NY Giants over Jacksonville (The Jags can't hang with the Giants)

Of course, we have Michigan-Ohio State on Saturday. My pick-Ohio State 17-13.

The NBA is in full swing, and here are a few observations of the games I've seen so far:
-The new ball sucks. I have never seen so many shots hit the back of the rim, and go in. Turnovers are up, shooting is down, and scoring is down. Mr. Stern, it's time to go back to the old ball.
-Kevin Garnett is still a force, but until he gets out of Minnesota, he won't taste the playoff this year.
-The Bulls still lack a consistent crunch time scorer. Hello, Corey Magette?
-The Lakers are going to be just fine.
-The Heat are really, really old.
-LeBron and the class of '03 continue to impress.
-The class of '06 looks lost.
-The Celtics need to fire Doc Rivers....now.

My Indiana Hoosiers lost to Butler the other night, and they better blow out Indiana State tonight, or I might start to get worried.

That is all I have for everyone, good night and good luck.

The November Ramblings

Yeah.....No NFL picks last week. Sorry about that. I have no picks to review, but I still have some ramblings for those fair readers out there.

I watched my beloved Indiana Hoosiers almost lose to Lafayette last night at Conseco Fieldhouse, and all I can say is: They better get better. Any Big Ten team would have had the Hoosiers beat last night. Hopefully, it was just first game jitters, and they can stop Butler tonight.

I am actually kind of glad I didn't pick games this weekend. I probably would have went 6-10. I mean you have the Browns, Jets, Texans all win in the same week. You have got to be kidding me. Some other notes from Week 10:
-The Bears beat the Giants. I don't want to hear about how many injuries the Giants had and all that crap. The Bears were simply better in the second half, and Eli crapped the bed.
-This year's edition of the Colts looks more and more like a true playoff team. A team that has to run the final six minutes off the clock to secure a win, now that can come in handy in January.
-Finally, the Redskins will bench Mark Brunell this week. This came about a year too late.
-The Pats are in a bit of a free fall, right now...look for them to run the ball a whole lot more in the coming weeks.
-The Bengals are DONE!
-The Chargers could have been blown out, but came back nicely. They still aren't elite, yet. And remember who their coach is.
-With Minnesota still struggling, Atlanta remains the only enigma team right now. I just don't know what to think of them.
-Alex Smith's numbers: 14-20 136 yards 0 td o int
-How about the A-Train hooking himself up to the rejuvination machine for Buffalo?
-My record, having missed two weeks, is 64-50(.561 winning percentage)

The Democrats now control both houses of Congress. I'm not going to talk politics right now, but check my newest review for DOA, which should be posted some time this week.

Just got the new album from The Killers in the mail (thanks DOA!) and I'm not too sure what to make of it at this point. It is very anthemic, but Brandon Flowers' voice is just a little too warbly for my taste. Anyway, a full review for that will be posted some time next week on DOA.

No real news to report on the homefront. My beautiful wife and daughter are great, and they remain my reason. The weather has been typical and everything is fine.

Just trying to think about all the scenarios that can play out for the BCS is driving me crazy. Just do a stupid tournament and get it over with.

My writing schedule has become incredibly hectic. Not only do I try to keep this strange little blog going, I write a review for DOA every week, and a column for DOA every week. For someone who has a full time job, and a family, this is a lot. Not that I'm making excuses, but please try to understand. I will have picks for the NFL games on Friday, as well as some other random thoughts.

The "Surprise Monday" Ramblings

Since tonight's Monday night game is so uninteresting, I thought we would go ahead and give you some surprise Monday ramblings, including some quick takes on my birthday and CD's I received.

First, though, let's go over Week 9 in the NFL (winners in Italics)
Atlanta over Detroit (I think Michael Vick might have this whole passing thing figured out)
Cincinnati over Baltimore (A gut pick. I think this is where McNair shows us the truth)
Green Bay over Buffalo (The key to Green Bay is their running backs, not Brett Favre)
Dallas over Washington (Are fans of Tony Romo going to call themselves Romosexuals? Huh.)
NY Giants over Houston (Has trap game written all over it, but Giants will pull it out)
St. Louis over Kansas City (This week's I have know idea game)
Chicago over Miami (We will find out just how good the Bears are next week taking on the Giants)
New Orleans over Tampa Bay (Brees and Co. bounce back after getting smacked up by the Ravens)
Jacksonville over Tennesse (Who told you Leftwich was done? Yeah...I was right)
Minnesota over San Francisco (Bounce back needed for wounded Vikings)
San Diego over Cleveland (The Browns have been feisty this year, but the Chargers are too good)
Denver over Pittsburgh (Big Ben's lost season gets even more so)
Seattle over Oakland (Boy the Monday Night Football guys really know how to schedule games, eh?)
Indianapolis over New England (Deserves own paragraph)
The Colts game didn't go quite like I thought it would. I mean Adam Vinatieri misses two kicks? Tom Brady throws 4 picks? This Colts team scares me a little more than last year's team. They have played in a bunch of close games, and they lived through the "undefeated" talk last year. They might not be better, but they have won all of their games this year, and that says something.

Anyway, sitting at 6-7 going into tonight's game. Seattle better win. I can't handle another sub .500 week.
Other notes from Week 9:
-The Bears aren't going to win too many games turning it over 6 times.
-Brett Favre continues to baffle.
-The Texans had a chance to upset the Giants, but those kind of upsets aren't happening in Giants Stadium.
-Atlanta and Minnesota-Still Enigma teams
-Crazy ending to that Redskins-Cowboys game. Tony Romo was solid, though, and I still look for good things from the Cowboys.

And now for some other, completely random ramblings.

Had a great weekend with my wife, and daughter. The Mrs. and I went out to dinner, and that was about it. A mighty mahalo to Mr. & Mrs. Brew for taking care of her so we could have a night to ourselves. Spent Sunday raking leaves, playing with my daughter, and helping around the house. The only game I watched straight through was the Colts-Pats game. I should spend more time watching football, if only for all you fair readers out there, but I have ESPNews, I have NFL Network, I get the Sporting News. I feel that I'm fairly well informed. So there.

I had a good haul this weekend, as I bought 4 records (two on my own, two courtesy of a gift card) and received one as a gift. Here's my quick takes on all five. Enjoy.

The Who-Endless Wire
"At least it's not an embarrassment." After my first full listen, that was the best thing I could say about it. Nothing really jumped out at me, especially the nine songs that precede the mini opera "Wire and Glass". But now that I am growing more familiar with it, I find some songs growing on me. I think after a while, I will grow to appreciate this record more. But, it won't make my top ten (or twenty) for the year.

Razorlight-Razorlight
Didn't this used to be a rock and roll band? Since when did Johnny Borrell want to be Neil Finn? There are some good songs on this album, but the band seems like they have lost their "balls". This album comes off as pretty banal adult alternative. A disappointment, to be generous.

TV on the Radio-Return to Cookie Mountain
Weird. Transfixing. Odd. Beautiful. Quirky. Intense. All of these adjectives can be used to describe this album. Probably one of the most interesting albums I have heard, and one of the best of the year, easily.

Primal Scream-Give Out But Don't Give Up
This is their first album after Screamadelica, and it shows them having a hard time coming up with a good follow up. Out of the five I bought since Friday, this is the one I have listened to the least. But, not up to standards for this band.

Screaming Trees-Sweet Oblivion
This is the album I listened to the most over the weekend. Just great rock and roll, with a great singer in Mark Lanegan. I love the way this sounds, even 14 years after it was released. It makes me sad, now to think of all the other bands from the Seattle scene that were more popular than these guys. This record now sits comfortably in my top 25 albums of the 90's. Simply fantastic.

So, no need to do an edition of currently, since I am listening to everything above.

Today, my first feature for DOA appeared. It is called Just Below the Mainstream. The next installment should come next week, and I think you will all like it. It is a piece I have been working on for months, which now has been whittled down to about 1800 words. I am really excited to see it published on the web.

College basketball is right around the corner, and as much as I love it, I don't feel well enough informed on all the other teams (besides Indiana) to do a preseason poll. I will however write quite a bit about it, once the season gets into full gear.

I found myself listening to Bob and Tom the other morning, for some reason. For those of you unfamiliar, Bob and Tom host a nationally syndicated morning show based out of Indianapolis. I was surprised, though to find that they are still so consistently funny. I used to listen to them, up until about 4 years ago, when I moved within 5 minutes of where I work, and they are still funny. Check out there site for more info, or a station in your area.

I can't wait to read the next installment of Simmons' column on ESPN. I just love it when the Colts beat the Pats, and he starts rolling out the excuses (tipped balls, Dillon's fumble, Harrison's 2nd TD). Believe me, either he will write 5,000 words of excuses, or we won't hear a peep. Despite that, I still love to read him.