BEST OF '07 ALBUMS: NUMBER 10

ERA VULGARIS by Queens of the Stone Age

It's rockin' good fun mixed with kick your ass tunes! You can't help but put a smile on your face when your listening to Era Vulgaris by Queens of the Stone Age. Each song is catchy and even when the hook is small the songs get stuck in your head for days. I had a chance to see these guys in concert this year and man do they bring it.

BEST OF '07

It’s that time of year. All of the bloggers, magazine writers, and official media are putting together their “BEST OF ’07 LISTS.” I wanted to get out of the gate early with my Best Albums of the Year.

You will find several notable albums missing from my top ten: There’s no boring Radiohead. There’s no trendy Arcade Fire. There’s no overrated Kanye West.

Trying to avoid being biased and yet not wanting to be pretentious either I think I have been completely fair in my assessment. You be the judge...

I will post a new album each day until I reach number one. So let's get it started...

For The Shoppers...BLACK FRIDAY

Want to know what the hot deals are for the day after Thanksgiving? Well there is a site up now that has all of the ads posted before they are officially released. Usually these ads are held until November 19th in order to keep the competition fair between the stores...but for a sneak peak check out

www.blackfriday.info

My Morning Constitution

People used to complain all the time about how they got 10 hotdogs in a package, but buns only came in packs of 8. Really made no sense to a consumer, but to a company it makes plenty of sense (cents). If you have 10 hotdogs, you need 10 buns. So what does the average customer do? They buy two packages of buns.
Well this morning I was eating one of my favorite breakfast treats; strawberry pop-tarts with no icing. (I know, I’m a freak)
Anyway, it occurred to me that there are only 4 packs of pastries in each standard box. 8 total treats. In a tradition work week you wake up, fix a quick bite to eat, and head to work 5 times. Monday through Friday for some, but hat can be varied. Either way, over 75 percent of the business world works 5 days a week. So why not fill Pop-tart boxes with 5 little packages of treats. One box would simply equal one work week.
I just don’t understand the logic behind the thinking. Maybe someone can explain it to me.

For now, I will just keep on buying my pastries 5 boxes at a time. That will give me 4 full weeks of treats to grab as I head out the door.

Oh yeah, for anyone wondering why I like the ones with no icing…I like to heat them in the toaster and then cover then with butter and let it melt through the crust. YUM!!!

OUT!

Time Is On Our Side

One of these days I will stop writing posts about the WGA strike. But right now it’s so fresh on my mind that I can’t seem to stop.
With the end dates for many of our favorite shows on the horizon I wanted to do a special post about how we can fill our time waiting for the strike to end. I’ve come up with a list of 5 series that you should Netflix and watch as the networks fill their schedules with mindless reality programs and repeats.

1. Freaks and Geeks: The most realistic look at how bad high school can be for some students. Filled with humor and overflowing with vigor this show is all about heart. There’s some good news for those you interested in this series. And there’s some bad news. Good news is: it’s only one season and you can rush through it in no time. The bad news: it’s only one season and was prematurely yanked from the air.

Perfect for fans of: The Wonder Years, The O.C. and The Big Bang Theory
Extra Tidbit: Created by the guy who brought us 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked-Up

2. Veronica Mars: If for nothing else than to see Kristen Bell before she blows up into one of the biggest entertainment stars in the world, watch the show. It is funny, snappy, witty, and full of great mysteries. And if you can’t afford the time to give it three full seasons, just watch the first one. It ranks up there with season one of Lost and season one of 24 for best premiere season of a new show.

Perfect for fans of: Chuck, Heroes, and any mystery series or book
Extra Tidbit: This show has fed actors into so many other shows like Big Love, Heroes, Moonlight, and Smallville.

3. The Wire: The most realistic cop/crook show on television. This cutting edge series follows Baltimore cops and its most dangerous drug dealers on a cat and mouse chase over 5 season. (The 5th one premieres on HBO early next year)

Perfect for fans of: The Sopranos, Homicide, and NYPD Blue

4. Battlestar Galactica: I know, I know. It’s too geeky for you. But hear me out. Try it. Watch the 2 part mini-series that started it all. If you aren’t sold after those few gripping hours then you never have to watch another episode again. But if you love it as much as I suspect then jump right on into season one and follow the greatest human struggle/political parallel/action-adventure series to ever be on television.

Perfect for fans of: The West Wing, Lost, and Firefly

5. Brothers and Sisters: This show is only in its second season, but there is no doubt in my mind that this series is going to be around for a long time. Sally Field is amazing as the matriarch of this large family. When her husband dies a few skeletons fall out of his closet leaving the family divided and only those bloodlines to bring them back together. Calista Flockhart is also pretty great, leaving her Ally McBeal days way behind her.

Perfect for fans of: Grey’s Anatomy, Cane, Dallas, or The West Wing


Others to catch up on:
The Sopranos: (You know you always wanted to watch it)

Scrubs: (I’ve never met someone who didn’t like this show after giving it a chance)

The Office: (You personally know everyone of these people. And each episode can bee seen 10 times and you’ll still see something new)

Lost: (I will never leave you alone with this show)

Dexter: (This show is seriously the best show you have never heard of)

An Article From LA TIMES About The Strike

The writers' strike will take an immediate toll on television viewers' favorite programs, dealing a setback to shows that are written day-to-day -- such as Jon Stewart's "The Daily Show" -- as well as scripted programming already underway or about to go into production.
Soap operas are expected to be the first to disappear since many can write only one month ahead and most have episodes to last them only until the end of the year. But during the 1988 strike, producers wrote in place of striking writers, and soaps stayed on the air.
Prime-time scripted series have episodes through mid-January or early February, depending on how many reruns they space out in the next few months. Unscripted shows -- such as "Survivor," "The Amazing Race," and, when it returns in January, "American Idol" -- would continue uninterrupted.

Here's a look at where many shows stand:


Syndicated Shows
"Ellen"
Decided not to tape her show Monday in support of the striking writers. Some writers on her show are guild members. Monday's and Tuesday's shows were taped last week, a spokesman said. DeGeneres has yet to decide whether to go ahead with further shows this week.

Late Night
"Colbert Report,""The Daily Show" and"Saturday Night Live"
Will go into repeats immediately.

"The Tonight Show" and"The Conan O'Brien Show"
Will go into repeats immediately.

"Jimmy Kimmel Live"
Staffed with WGA writers, so it would probably go to repeats. But Kimmel could also decide to wing it and do the show himself.

"Nightline"
Will remain live and in originals.


ABC
"Desperate Housewives"
Has nine episodes written, which should last through the first week of December.

"Grey's Anatomy"
13 episodes of 23 episodes written, 11 of which have been shot and six have aired. This means there are five more episodes in the can.

"Boston Legal"
Will have 14 or 15 of 22 episodes completed.

"Lost"
Expected to have eight out of 16 episodes ready.Midseason, none have aired yet

"Dirty Sexy Money"
Expected have between 11 and 13 episodes completed.

"Brothers and Sisters"
Expected to have either 11 or 12 episodes completed.

"Eli Stone"
Will have 13 of 13 ordered. Midseason premiere date is undetermined.

CBS
"CSI: Miami"
Will have 13 out of 24 episodes completed.

"Criminal Minds"
Will have 12 of 22 episodes completed.

"Moonlight"
Expected to have 11 out of 12 episodes completed; has not received an order for a full season.

"Jericho"
Will have seven of seven episodes.

NBC
"My Name is Earl"
Has 13 out of 13 episodes completed.

"Medium"
Will have nine of 22 episodes completed.

"30 Rock"
Has nine out of 22 episodes completed, with several days of shooting for the 10th episode scheduled for this week.

"Friday Night Lights"
Expected to complete 15 of 22 episodes.

"Scrubs"
Expected to complete 12 of 18 episodes.

"Journeyman"
Expected to complete 13 of 13 episodes; has not yet received an order for a full season.

Fox
"24"
Will have eight or nine out of 24 episodes completed. Midseason, none have aired yet.

"K-Ville"
Will have 10 of 13 episodes completed.

Sci-Fi
"Stargate Atlantis"
Expected to go on as scheduled.

"Battlestar Galactica"
Has 10 hours of episodes, plus a two hour movie to air this Fall.

"Eureka"
Will be affected.

FX
"Thirty Days"
Completed, not expected to be affected.

"Nip/Tuck"
5th season, the 22 episodes were planned for two cycles: 14 to run from now to February and eight next year. All 14 in the first cycle have been written. So, only the second cycle could be affected.

"The Shield"
The final season is written, no date set for airing.

"The Riches"
Seven of 13 are written, reportedly good through Dec. 10

"Dirt"
Production is underway, and it could be affected.

"Rescue Me"
fifth season, just announced, would be affected since production is expected to start in early '08.

"Damages"
No word yet on whether it would be picked up

HBO
"Entourage" and"Big Love"
Are currently in the writing stages and were scheduled to air in the summer of 2008.

"True Blood" and"12 Miles of Bad Road"
Have begun production.

"The Wire"
Completed and will air as scheduled.

"In Treatment"
New series will air as scheduled.

Showtime
"Dexter," "Weeds,""Californication" and"Brotherhood"
Have ended or will be ending their season runs.

"The Tudors"
Second season returns in late March, completed production Nov. 1 on 12 episodes.

A new Tracey Ullman series
Five-episode series is shot.

A Tiger, A Strike, and A Saw

Rose made his debut for the Tigers last night and all I can say is DAAYUM. (That’s DAMN southern-style for those of you who missed that one.) He was three steps faster and three feet higher than everyone else on the court. I haven’t seen a player at Memphis that much better than everyone one else on the court since Penny Hardaway. Hold on Tiger fans. This is going to be a wild ride.

The writers strike is now underway in Hollywood. Fans of scripted shows like Grey’s Anatomy, Lost, and House are about to be heart broken. The biggest losers in all of this, besides the viewers of course, are the new shows. Programs will low to middle ratings might not be back. This includes Reaper, Chuck, Life, Journeyman and more. We won’t see the effects of the strike immediately, but as the shows head into their usual winter breaks they likely won’t return. Some shows like Heroes have even filmed alternate endings so that the final episodes can serve as season finales.
If the strike goes over a month (and it looking like it could last up to six) then shows like Lost and Medium will have to decide what to do. Lost only has 8 of its 16 episodes completed and the show runners were all seen on picket lines yesterday.
The immediate casualties were late night talk shows like The Late Show and The Tonight Show which went dark on Monday because their skit writers are on the picket lines. Some of those shows could come back as early as next week though, just in a different format. Likely gone will be monologues, skits, and top ten lists.
The only medium not affected will be reality shows. Look for more offerings than usual from the networks. And if the strike goes too long CBS might even bring back Big Brother for a winter edition.
No matter what happens, it is a very sad event. But I do feel like this is an important strike and the issues that the WGA are hung up on are very relevant.

I went to see SAW IV last week. I have to steal this review title from someone. The movie should be called SAW-IT-B-IV. As in, it’s basically the same movie all over again. A few cool deaths, a gruesome autopsy, and an open ending. I did like it better than the second one though. The ending on this one was a bit more flimsy and slightly more confusing than I would have liked. I think the horror genre is in need of a new kick-start though, something fresh. Much like Scream did in the 90’s I hope something comes along soon that takes the movies to another level.

Is it just me or is it really freaky that Thanksgiving is just 2 and a half weeks away. I mean, where has 2007 gone?

OUT!

STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS

We are a city torn. Race divides us deeply. Politics tear our city apart. Stadium plans widen this gap. Conservation and transportation even separate us.
We just elected a mayor that had the balls to stand up on a podium after winning his 19th term and call out the “haters and players” that voted against him. Mainly he meant white people.
We are determined to keep a Ford in office no matter what. Whether it’s law breakers like John or Ophelia or the moron Edmund, we can’t seem to have an election without giving one of these undeserving “leaders” a say so in the downfall of Memphis. And when a good, upstanding, deserving man like Harold Ford Jr. runs we can wait to NOT cast our vote for him.
The state of our city is dire. We are on the brink of social and economic collapse. Even the people charged with the nutrition of our youngsters are void of any goodwill and honesty. We are near war in our streets.
This week a man chased and shot down a carjacker. The criminal put a gun in the 70 year old woman’s face and her son decided to not stand by helplessly. He took the law into his own hands. Good for him…but bad for our city. These could be the last days.
But these days won’t be our last. A saving grace is on the horizon. From New York to Texas to downtown Memphis, a blanket of security is coming our way.
Just when we thought that the end was upon us I have seen a tie that will bind us all; a bridge to the gaps that we have created and maintained. This comforting force…
The University of Memphis Tigers basketball team. I can’t remember ever feeling a buzz in the city like there is right now. That sense of pride is taking back over. And just for a couple of months our attention will be turning from the desolate situation we find ourselves in. That attention will tune into ESPN or CSTV or WLMT or CSS. And that hateful energy will be transformed into something positive. Something great. Something to be proud of.
This prediction doesn’t depend on wins and loses. Its ability to be fulfilled rests of the shoulders of all of us who consider ourselves fans.
So stand up. Get ready. The best thing to happen to Memphis since Dick Hackett is coming next week. COME ON BIG BLUE- LET’S GO!

5 Most Overplayed Artists On Radio

In No Real Order:

1. Fergie: “Big Girls Don’t Cry” is one of the worst songs that I have ever heard in my life. The lyric “miss you like a child misses their blanket” makes me cringe. Really, you sat in a studio and wrote songs and that’s the best line that you could come up with?

2. Daughtry: I read about this new dish they’re serving over at FM 100. You take a touch of Creed, throw in some Nickelback cheese, and squeeze a twist of everything that makes American Idol suck ass and what do you have: The recipe for Crap. Crap called Daughtry.

3. Nickelback: That Rock Star song is breaking all the rules. I don’t get it. Most songs call mention drugs, suicide, or anything too sexually graphic. Yet this fool sings about having cheap drugs delivered by his drug dealer, which he keeps on speed dial. Yet there is no bleeping, no cutting out words, no censorship. And you’re trying to tell me that record companies don’t run radio stations…right.

4. Foo Fighters: Most people will argue with me on this one, which is fine because that’s why I write on here. But hear me out. Every song sounds the same. They have a few good hits, but if we played a game where I played a 2 second snip of 10 Foo songs the average radio listener wouldn’t get 5 of them right. Besides Monkey Wrench I feel like this band has put out the same single 19 times.

5. Pink: She can be hott. She can be ugly. She can be a dirrty skank. But no matter how she looks that day one thing remains the same; her music sucks. Yeah, there are a few catchy tunes. I still sing to that Pill song when I hear it. And I like her bad attitude. But she gets played over and over again and I don’t understand why. It’s as if her record label put the radio stations up to it…oh wait.

I'm Back!!!!

I haven’t blogged in a while. I’m sorry about that, but some watchful eyes at work made me not want to risk it. I like my job and I need the money so I figured if it were the blog or my livelihood that had to go, I would choose the blog.

But that aside, I’m back and determined to pick up the blogging where I left off. Beginning with the new television season. All of the new shows have premiered and I can’t wait to hear what everyone thinks of them. I want to give my run down of the best and worst of the new season. Plus I will give you my new list of best shows on tv. READY?

Best New Shows:
1. Pushing Daisies: A month into it and I haven’t been disappointed yet. Sure, the fairy tale isn’t as captivating as Grey’s Anatomy or House, but it is a different kind of show. It requires total suspension of disbelief. And when you finally let yourself go completely it is a magical ride. Lee Pace is perfect as the pie maker and Chi McBride is the best sidekick of the season.

2. Samantha Who?: Christina Applegate has been abused and misused since her days as Kelly Bundy. But she finally has a starring vehicle as wonderful as she is. If you haven’t discovered this comedy yet, check it out on Monday nights on ABC. It is a really good time.

3. Private Practice: I know many people hated the backdoor pilot. I liked it. Then a lot of people liked the season premiere, but I hated it because of the total lack of chemistry. Now the chemistry is better and the show has my complete attention. And my least favorite character in the pilot is now far and away my fave: Cooper. His longing for Violet is as close to a real life situation as you can find on television.

4. The Big Bang Theory: Is the sitcom making a comeback? Two of the 5 best new shows on television are sitcoms. This one is a little more formulaic than Samantha Who, but it is equally funny. Sheldon is instantly one of the most endearing characters on any of the new shows. Check this one out.

5. Dirty Sexy Money: The Darlings can be a pain in the ass sometimes, but they are all kept grounded by Peter Krause’s Nick as he fights a daily internal conflict about how much of his soul to give this wealthy family. An overlying mystery about who murdered Nick’s dad is intriguing and Blair Underwood is a great cast addition giving this show even more flair.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:
- Chuck: Funny and plenty of room to grow. This might easily be in the top 5 by the end of the year. Too much sidekick Morgan though and the show is instantly shot.
- Reaper: The characters are all great. The freak-of-week is more like freak-of-the-weak. Ray Price as the Devil is a perfect thing of beauty. But the show still hasn’t made me care about Sam and Andy and their not-so-relationship.

WORST NEW SHOWS:

1. Cavemen: No explanation needed.

2. Carpoolers: Remember what I said earlier about the return of the sitcom, well scratch that after seeing this show.

3. Life: I just couldn’t get into this one. The show’s main character is way too quirky and a little too much for me to handle. His partner is too much like Michelle Rodriguez for me.

4. Journeyman: Um, thanks, but no thanks.

5. Viva Laughlin: Canceling this one is the second smartest move that they could make at CBS. Firing whoever ordered this show to begin with is the first.


TOP 10 SHOWS ON TV RIGHT NOW:
-That means Battle Star Galactica, Lost, The Shield, and The Closer aren’t on here

1. Brothers and Sisters
2. Dexter
3. The Office
4. Grey’s Anatomy
5. Desperate Housewives
6. House
7. Pushing Daisies
8. How I Met Your Mother
9. Samantha Who?
10. Private Practice

Most Improved Since Last Season:
Desperate Housewives

Going The Wrong Way Fast:
Heroes

Big Brother Power Rankings # 5

Sorry I have been so bad about blogging lately. I will be back into the habit very soon, I promise. Big Brother has been very good the last two weeks and some of the things that transpired have made for a big change in the power rankings.

1. Jessica
2. Daniele
3. Zach
4. Eric
5. Evil
6. Jen
7. Jameka
8. Amber

Amber is a cry baby and won't win. She would have Dustin and Jameka's vote in the final two, but that's it. Evil is at number 5, but if he makes it to the final two then I think he will have a really great shot at winning the money. Zach moves way up this week because the guy is basically a fly on the wall and he is waltzing to the final two. I don't think he will make it, but I wanted to show the guy some respect and bump him up a bit for a week.

OUT!

Big Brother Power Rankings #4

Thank goodness that Eric is still in the house. With some new alliances and a few twists in game strategy the rankings are a bit different this week!

1. Jessica
2. Jameka
3. Amber
4. Eric
5. Dustin
6. Jen
7. Evil
8. Daniele
9. Zach


Zach is last because he has no chance of winning. He could go to the final two out of dumb luck, but he wouldn't get a single vote. Even agains Evel Dick he would get out voted.

OUT!

Hey Now

Haven't written the past couple of days. Some of you know why. I won't spell it out on here, but if you'd like to know, ask. It's not a big deal and it's not personal. Its just been a little tough to get online lately. I will do my best to keep it regular on here, I swear.

Hey, if Eric goes home on Big Bro tonight then I will not be happy. In fact I may just stop writing about it on here at all because I might not be watching the show tonight. CBS has seriously screwed the pooch on this one. I think there is going to be a huge backlash if a stupid banner sends Eric home.

What's with this heat? Did I fall asleep and wake up in New Orleans or something. Richard visited last week and I think he brought this shit back with him. Its too hot and I want it to be winter.

Hey, the cubs aren't in first any more. I jinxed them. I guess my nickname now is billy goat cree.

Out!

Ving Rhames' Dogs Kill Man

Normally this wouldn't be huge news. Dog attacks are pretty common. But there are two reasons that I am putting this on my blog. First of all, the publicity surrounding Michael Vick makes every dog story stand out. But the other is that the dogs that killed the man were mastiffs. Just like Brutus. So much for the gentle giant theory huh.

The details are still coming in, but apparently Rhames had four mastiffs and they attacked one of Rhames' handlers. The handler was the staffer responsible for the upkeep of the animals. It is not known what, if anything, caused the dogs to go on the offensive. Either way it is a very scary story and if you are mean to me I will get Brutus to come and lick you to death.

OUT!

The Top 25 ESPN Coaches Poll for the 2007 football season has just been released. While I don't completely agree with the rankings I think that the top two teams are indisputable, but NOT SO FAST as Corso might say. Michigan is going to have a say-so in this thing.
Below is the poll. Beside some of the teams are my predictions for their records. Some of the teams even have a list of games that I think they will lose.
Below the poll is a list of other area teams of interest and their predicted record.


1. USC (11-1, loss @ California)
2. LSU (11-1, loss to Florida)
3. Florida (10-2, losses to Auburn and @ Georgia)
4. Texas (9-3, losses to TCU, Oklahoma, and @ Texas A&M)
5. Michigan (11-1, loss to Wisconsin)
6. West Virginia
7. Wisconsin
8. Oklahoma
9. Virginia Tech
10. Ohio State
11. Lousiville
12. California
13. Georgia
14. Auburn
15. Tennessee (9-3)
16. Rutgers
17. UCLA (9-3)
18. Penn State
19. Nebraska
20. Arkansas (8-4)
21. Florida State
22. TCU
23. Boise State
24. Hawaii
25. Texas A & M

Other Predictions:

Memphis (6-6)
Ole Miss (5-7)
Notre Dame (6-6)
Miami (7-5)


National Champion: LSU

Surprise Teams: TCU, Hawaii, and Georgia Tech
Biggest Drops: Notre Dame and Texas

Much improved: Memphis, Kentucky, and Oklahoma

GO CANES!

Chris O'Donnell Has a Great Idea

Chris O'Donnell is starring in a new "limited" series that starts this week. The show will run for six hour long episodes. What he wants to do next is what's really interesting. He would like to be on a 24 hour series. No, not the show 24. He would like to be on a show that has 24 episodes. One season. And then the show is over. And the story is told. The End.

He thinks this idea would open up several doors. First it would bring in some top named actors who otherwise wouldn't consider a television show. Secondly it would allow fans of the show to have closure sooner rather than later. He used Lost as an example of a show that never really gives any closure. He also believes that the storytelling would be tighter and the story arcs more creative if there was a real end in sight for writers.

I believe the guy might be on to something. I certainly don't want all television shows to go this way. I think that would basically end the golden age that television has been experiencing the last five years or so. But I think the idea is great because it certainly would open itself to a larger viewing audience. One that may tune in to a story if they know there is a beginning, middle, and end.

I think the show 24 would have been a perfect premiere for this type of series. The show has certainly gone down in quality every year since. Nevertheless, I believe that all kinds of new, exciting, creative ways of telling stories through an hour long weekly show could be conceived with this format.

What do you think? Would you watch a one-season series? What would matter more, a big named star or a unique story-telling device?

OUT!

BIG BROTHER POWER RANKINGS # 3

I am writing this with no knowledge of who won HoH. I intentionally didn't watch the showtime show last night because I didn't want to spoil it for anyone. Therefore these rankings are based solely on my perception of who has power in the house and who has one foot already out the door.

Kail and Jen should be the bottom two, but they aren't. Why? Well they have bother managed to be nominated the last two weeks and both of them have managed to make it through. So their cat like lives give them a slight edge over Zach, whose only friend just got booted out last night.

Daniele remains near the top right now because she still has Dick protecting her, BUT, and this is a BIG BUT, if Jen or Kail get HoH for this week then Dick and Daniele could easily both be on the block again. She isn't int he top spot anymore though because her biggest alliance in the house just got sent packing.

Eric has managed to play the game and stay under the radar. Jessica has stayed under the radar, but isn't really playing the game. But neither of them are a target and that is why they head the rankings this week. Jameka finally took a step out into the spotlight this week, but it was a negative light in which she is basking in. The whole "God has the game all figured out" thing is enough to scare some people and might put a bullseye on her back.

The biggest mystery right now is this: How does the house feel about Amber and all of the crying? Do they think she's sweet and want to keep her around or are they tired of the constant water works and eventually want to get rid of her? This is why she finds herself in the middle of the pack right now.

And Holly, I hate to say I told you so, but Nick was in last place on the last power rankings for a reason. He was just caught between a rock and a hard place and we too big of a threat to too many people. I hope you find a new favorite player!

And with that, here are the Power Rankings for this week!


1. Eric
2. Jessica
3. Daniele
4. Jameka
5. Amber
6. Dustin
7. Evil
8. Kail
9. Jen
10. Zach

OUT!

May I Ramble?

Been in one of those moods the last few days. I don't know if it's because Jason just moved out and I am adjusting to living alone or what. Something strange is certainly going on in my brain. Hell, something strange is going on everywhere. Here it is, August, and the Chicago Cubs are in first place. What other signs do you need?

I feel like I am at that point where I just need a major change. The last few times I felt like this I ended up moving. That's not really an option at this point, but if it were I'd have to strongly consider it. I don't hate Memphis like I used to, but a different flavor might be refreshing for a while.

I have one friend who is such a habit maker. She has a set routine and she follows it precisely. I admire her for that. But I couldn't live like that. I have another friend who is a bit of a free spirit. Easy come, easy go. She looks for adventure and takes it by the horns. It's a refreshing way to live, but one that I have never been able to bring myself to. I like control too much and if I am just going the way the wind takes me then I feel out of control. So am I really stuck somewhere in the middle?

One thing that I've noticed is that I get more like this in the summer than any other time of the year. They say that most people are effected by the winter time, but I know that the summer is harder on me. I don't enjoy summertime at all. Never have. I like cold weather, football, winter clothes, AND TWINS. Did I mention that the Cubbies are in first place.

Man, Brutus is growing like crazy. I need to take him to be weighed. If I had to guess I would say 80-85 pounds. He turned 6 months old yesterday. I once heard of someone referring to their dog as "my little slice of Heaven". I'm pretty attached to Brutus, but if I ever refer to him as my little slice of Heaven please load me up in the car and drop me off at Backstreet.

I had a great birthday. First I got to spend the day with my family. I had my favorite meal, lots of drinks, and a ton of fun. Beth and I went up and swam and visited. Good Times. I then came back and went out with some friends to RP Tracks. I had way too much to drink (thanks steph, beth, and justin). I enjoyed just hanging out with everyone. I got some pretty great gifts too. The most interesting gift was from Katrina and Holly. They got me the electronic version of catchphrase. Can we say game night? But that wasn't the most interesting thing. The interesting thing was a bottle of foamy soap from one of those smell good body places. (The name slips my mind) Anyway, Katrina has a bottle in her bathroom and every time I have tried to use the stuff it shoots straight out and onto my shirt. Maybe I'm a moron. Maybe I'm stronger than I think. But either way, the stuff smells good, whether it's on my shirt or my hands. So I think it is officially the girliest gift I have ever gotten, but it stands proudly in my bathroom.

I am worried that I may have ruined a great movie for myself. I have been waiting in such high anticipation for the new movie Superbad. But my expectations are so high that I am scared to death that I am going to be disappointed. Either way, mark August 17th on your calendars. I want to get a huge ass group of people together to go see it. Even if I walk away being disappointed I will always have the memory of the first time I saw the trailer and how I almost laughed myself right out of my seat.

Anyway, with the Cubs in first and the summer dog days upon us I think I am going to try to write more posts like this. I like taking a few minutes every so often and just writing about what's going on. For those of you coming to game night Saturday night I think you're going to have a great time. Also, check out the blog next week because I will be posting a review of The Bourne Ultimatum.

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Big Brother

Will Daniele and Nick have to say goodbye tonight? My guess is yes. I think that the votes will be tallied and only one person will vote for Nick to stay in. That person will be Daniele. Unless of course America forces Eric to vote out Kail. If that happens Eric is might end up being caught this time and it could out him as a turncoat against his alliance.

I am thinking about starting a drinking game with Big Brother. Much like the one the guys played with Jen earlier this year when they took a shot every time she used the word "I." Except, I am going to take a shot every single time they show someone crying on Big Brother 8. So, don't bother calling me after the show. I'll be sloshed.

The power rankings tomorrow will look a little bit different no matter who wins head of household tonight. The alliance of seven is very strong and Kail, Jen, Nick, and Zach are going to all find themselves low on the totem pole.

Tonight should be good. Can't wait to blog more about it tomorrow.


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Memphis Shows

Man, thanks to the new Snowden Grove Amphitheater the Memphis/North Mississippi area has been flooded with good shows. I think this is great for the region. Starwood, the huge amphitheater in Nashville, was recently shut down and this has really helped bring some good shows to the Mid-South. The fact that Snowden is pulling in shows also means that Mud Island has some serious competition and will likely begin trying to book more big ticket acts.

Here are some sweet shows I'm looking forward to...by the way, if you missed The White Stripes last night, you missed an amazing live show.

Queens Of The Stone Age New Daisy Theater 8-7
Ben Kweller Newbys 8-23
Live/Collective Soul Snowden 9-30
Velvet Revolver/ Alice in Chains Snowden 10-09
Smashing Pumpkins Mud Island 10-25

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