Neutral ZoneDoubt

Maine Beer Co, Peeper Ale

2012-01-20T16:26:00.002-05:00

Date Consumed: 1/19/12
Brewery: Maine Beer Company
Beer: Peeper Ale
Style (always according to Beer Advocate): American Pale Ale
ABV: 5.5%
Cost: $6.49, 1pt, 9oz bottle, Dicicco's
Thoughts: Oh, no. Bad first sign - bitter hop smell right out of the bottle. It got better after a few minutes sitting - smells floral, even fruity. Maybe I can drink this? Eh. Too hoppy and gets a bit malty at the bottom of the glass. I think this is more a case of me not liking the type of beer than not liking this beer. (There's a reason all my previous entries land on the stout/porter spectrum.) The hoppines isn't so overwhelming that I can't down the thing and it doesn't leave any bitter aftertaste. Just doesn't float my boat. So I suppose I'm not the best source for opinion. (BA loves this beer.) I can get behind the brewery's commitment to local, environmentally sensitive brewing. Maybe a trip is in order?

2012-01-16T21:27:00.003-05:00

Date Consumed: 1/16/12
Brewery: Sixpoint
Beer: Diesel
Style (always according to Beer Advocate): American Stout*
ABV: 6.3%
Cost: $11.99, 4pk, 16oz cans, The Green Growler
Thoughts: Smells like pine and citrus, which is definitely the hop profile. Generally, I'm not an IPA, hoppy person, but I've been going for the black IPAs to see if the black can cut the hops. Here? Not so much. It's bitter, maybe bitter, unsweetened chocolate? But nothing really jives, leaving a little bitterness in the back of the mouth but otherwise dissipating quickly. Despite the higher ABV, it goes down quickly. No need to sip as there isn't much worth savoring. I'd say diesel is accurate. Just a note re: Sixpoint: They've risen to prominence quickly it seems, or perhaps it's just superb marketing, but I've yet to be impressed. This is probably the last time I go there.
*Correction: Sixpoint claims this is a stout, not a black IPA. Ehhhh, no.

The Word! #1

2012-01-15T14:06:00.002-05:00

I'm starting a new, hopefully weekly feature, to be know as The Word! (as in - of the Lord). The Mount Kisco United Methodist Church is down the street from my office, and they make awesome, pithy pitches to embrace God's love. If I'm able to get out and take a walk, I try to snap a photo of these. The results will be shared here. Without further ado...

Anchor Steam, Anchor Porter

2012-01-15T13:59:00.003-05:00

Date Consumed: 1/14/12
Brewery: Anchor Steam
Beer: Anchor Porter
Style (always according to Beer Advocate): American Porter
ABV: 5.6%
Cost: $11.99, 6pk, ShopRite
Thoughts: The first thing that stands out is deep fruit smell. Normally, I can't pick out specific "notes" (yeah, I'm striking that from future reviews), but darker, dried fruits, e.g. - raisins, cherries, are quite identifiable. I noticed them more in taste the second time I tried this one. Fortunately, they balance fairly well with the usual roastiness of the porter. Super easy to drink. Ideal carbonation for me. Though it may be a bit sticky w/ the aftertaste. Still, a very good drink from a relatively large brewery and easily available. Checked in w/ Beer Advocate, people love this beer.

Evil Twin, Christmas Eve...

2012-01-07T17:24:00.002-05:00

These are not expert, comprehensive reviews. They are ditties are straight from my journal, unedited.
Date Consumed: 1/1/12
Brewery: Evil Twin
Beer: Christmas Eve At A New York City Hotel Room
Style (always according to Beer Advocate): American Double/Imperial Stout
ABV: 10%
Cost: $8.99, Whole Foods
Thoughts: I will never describe a beer as "chewy." Beer is LIQUID. Also will not say "the nose." That said, I've started sticking my nose in the glass before drinking. So, what did I smell? Cardboard. Seriously. +lots of burnt malt. Taste? Burnt malt, cardboard. It actually wasn't that bad. Despite the ABV, I didn't taste or notice the ETOH. Perhaps was the small bottle (under 12oz). Went down easy, but nothing to distinguish the brew. Much rather take the less complex, but standard Guinness. Which isn't the same type at all. Whatever. I don't really know beer.

Harpoon, Spruce Tip

2012-01-07T17:02:00.004-05:00

Date Consumed: 1/7/12
Brewery: Harpoon
Beer: 100 Barrel Series, Spruce Tip Ale
Style (always according to Beer Advocate): Herbed/Spiced Beer
ABV: 7%
Cost: $8.50, 32oz growler, The Green Growler
Thoughts: One sweet, thick smelling beer, like bourbon w/o the alcohol content. Tastes mostly like it smells, mildly syrupy, like chilled bourbon. Carbonation's all on the back end, which leads to an off-kilter balance. The ABV kicks in after a glass +1/2. Not at all hoppy. I'll finish the growler, but this isn't anything I'd come back to. Oh, and this does not pair with cheese. Strike three.

Stone, Imperial Russian Stout

2012-01-07T16:52:00.002-05:00

Date Consumed: 1/2/12
Brewery: Stone
Beer: Imperial Russian Stout
Style (always according to Beer Advocate): Uh, Russian Imperial Stout
ABV: 10.5%
Cost: $7.99, 22oz, Peekskill distributor on Rte 6.
Thoughts: Is it strange the only Stone I find meh is Arrogant Bastard? Really like the Double Bastard though. So I have high expectations for them.I expected something more astringent given my experience with imperials. While you get a fair bit of ETOH up front, this goes down easy. Sweet chocolate, the opposite of Evil Twin, wafts up. This is flat-out a great beer. Definitely feeling the intoxication though. So maybe I should drink something else? (ed note: I went to bed.)

Stuff & Nonsense 2011

2012-01-07T16:37:00.001-05:00

The last few years I’ve felt wholly inadequate when it came to compiling year-end best of music lists. Fact is, I don’t listen to enough music to write with any authority. But I do fill my time with other stuff, perhaps too much of it with VH1 Top 100 countdowns that I’ve seen 10 times already. So here’s a list of 2011 stuff. Likes, dislikes, ephemera.

Favorite Mac Feature – Word’s Notebook Layout, which I just discovered writing this here list.

Favorite, Ambivalence-Inspiring Toy – iPhone. Obvious, yes. I’m now wired at home and not strong enough to avoid that little screen for too long. One rule: do not turn on the phone when I wake up middle of the night.

Album of the Year – The Decemberists, The King is Dead. It isn’t getting love from the list-makers. I don’t care. Rootsy Colin Meloy meets Gillian Welch and Peter Buck is heavenly.

Musical Bummer of the Year – Goodnight, REM. You deserve a quiet night.

Concert of the Year – PJ20. Seriously, you thought this was a contest?

· Runner-Up – Nields 20.

Live Song of the Year (tie) – Release, PJ20, Night #1. Love Boat Captain, Daughter – It’s OK tag, PJ20, Night #2.

Best Tailgaters – PJ20 fans. Went to Wisconsin knowing nobody, partied good for a weekend.

Most Aggravating Missed Sporting Event – World Junior Gold Medal Game, Russia v. Canada. Canada seemed to have the game well in hand. I changed the channel. Russia stunned the hockey world and made me hate myself.

Most Aggravating Cause of Missed Sporting Events – Fucking Cablevision. Why they can’t figure out their NHL Network feed, I’ll never understand. Verizon can’t come quick enough.

New Sporting Interest – English Premier League football. What a way to start the weekend. It’s on all freaking Saturday morning! Don’t have a side yet, but I do have a…

Favorite Footballer – Robin van Persie. Electrifying, flawless, not a diver, and yes, hot. I only hear/say his name with an accent, so it’s good I don’t have anyone with whom to talk soccer.

Most Stupendous, Mind-blowing, Exciting, Joyous, etc. Sporting Event Seen – US v. Brazil in the Women’s World Cup. Hands down.

Hockey Memory to Forget – Flyers v. Sabres, Eastern Conference Quarterfinal. I pick this over the Bruins loss because it was far more painful to watch a brutal Flyers team “achieve” something by backing into this series win than lose handily to a much better team.

Sporting Memory to Forget – Phils/Cards.

Hockey God – Claude Giroux. Duh.

Coolest Used LP Pick-Up – Metallica, Master of Puppets, original pressing, $15.

New TV Show – Homeland.

Old TV Show – Friday Night Lights. I know it just finished, but ESPN Classic does re-runs and I got to start over! Now have the box set thanks to my sisters. Clear Eyes, Full Hearts – Can’t Lose!

Most Unexpected Really Good Book – Into Thin Air. I’d assumed Krakauer was lame for some unknown reason. This was totally engrossing.

Really Good Book – Ghost Wars, Stephen Coll. Took me forever, really fucking dense, but brilliant reporting.

Most Endlessly Amusing Song/Video – Friday, Rebecca Black. I don’t even mind it getting stuck in my head because it makes me crack up without fail.

Discovered Food – Quinoa. Haven’t even figured out anything good to do with it yet, but I love bulk protein.

Other Bulk Protein Product – Unflavored whey protein from Whole Foods. The key to my smoothie revolution.

Baked Good – Strawberry Rhubarb pie from Meredith’s Bakery. Been eating this for years now, but never put it on a list. So there.

Best Beer (tie) – Rogue – Dirtoir, Stone – Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale.

Favorite Bankruptcy – Borders. I got a shitload of cheap books/cds from their store closing in Mount Kisco.

Clothing Item – Knit slippers from Rebecca, per my request. They’re a blanket for your feet!

Best Wedding – Hilary & Bob, of course!

Most Disappointing Movie – Margin Call. What are people seeing in this? There’s zero drama and some truly terrible dialogue. So happy I didn’t pay for it.

Best Movie? – I think Melancholia might be it so far. I can pick on some annoying bits, but overall it’s the best of the few films I’ve seen so far. And Kirsten Dunst is worthy of the hype.

TV Channel of the Year – BBC America. Cablevision finally jumped on it. Luther, Whitechapel, and yes, Star Trek: TNG marathons! Just missed The Hour though.

Ongoing BBC Addiction – MI-5, aka Spooks. Every time they kill off someone, I think the show will tank the next series. Wrong so far, but then I haven’t caught the final two series since Hermione Norris left.

Old Band I’ve Adopted – New Order. Strange, as I’ve been Joy Division fan for awhile. Eh, not that strange, I guess. Really only into the first three albums before they get too synthy for me.

Listening To Now – Bruce Springsteen, Nebraska LP.

Repurposing

2012-01-07T16:27:00.002-05:00

Apparently it's been over a year. I've had little itch to write, here or journal-wise. I think the idea of writing and big ideas is more appealing than doing. I don't LIKE to write, nor do I think I do it particularly well. Yet I've hit upon an unoriginal idea, really just transposition from my journal: beer. I can't stop trying new beers. It might strip away the money pit title from music soon. I won't say I'm a snob, but when imperial stouts become the norm, the usual grocery store fare gets real dull, real quick. Even Guinness is lacking (heresy!) at times. So I'll be updating this regularly with brief beer synopses when I try something. I may throw in a few off-beer posts, including some hockey commentary (Sweden wins the World Junior!), and maybe even some football(soccer) as that's quickly becoming standard Saturday morning fare, starting with a 2011 recap. How long I keep this up, well, we'll see how long I care. Right to it, then.

Publand

2010-07-05T18:52:00.008-04:00

Ireland may have been one giant pub crawl. While none stood out like that in-house pub’s Guinness in Connemara from 2003, there were some high, and low, lights. We’ll start with one of the last public houses on the trip:

The Crown Liquor Saloon – Belfast. Distinguished for being a favorite bombing target during The Troubles (along with the Europa Hotel across the street), it also serves a damn fine pint of Guinness. We got there a bit after lunch and snagged one of the few snugs in short order. Press the button and your waiter appears! All in all, it was a proper Irish meal – Guinness, Guinness and steak pie, chips, and sticky toffee pudding. Alas, no football, so we retired to the hotel bar for the England/Slovenia match. As for the hotel bar….

I did not take advantage of the drink specials, opting instead for something I’d seen during the week, but hadn’t tried, the new Guinness Black Lager. Now, I love my Guinness, and I love some black ales (‘sup, 1554?), so not much of a risk, right? Yeah, it was piss. There’s that initial smack of Guinness barley, and then…nothing. Seriously, two seconds and it’s as though you hadn’t drank a drop. Might as well go with the Budweiser (or Carling). At least those were two-for-one. Guinness should stick to, well…

Guinness. The Storehouse. So much cool, particularly the advertising exhibit, complete with commercial reels. But everyone knows the best part of visiting breweries is the free beer. Well, surprise! You get a glass on the way up, just to see if you like it. Heh. I didn’t go for the pour-your-own, as I can do that at home (sort of), and am lazy. It was perfect. I wandered about the Gravity Lounge, or whatever its called, running into Pearl Jam fans, looking out across Dublin, and downing one of my many pints during the trip.

I mostly followed my trusty guidebook for booze-hunting (note: it was straight beer this whole trip) and World Cup, and probably the best offering was The Porterhouse Brewery/Pub in Dublin. Another meal of pie and chips, along with a few of the in-house brews: Porterhouse Red, TSB, a rather bland, staid bitter. Also had their basic lager, Temple Brau, at The Temple Bar. Good enough. Only downer: the bartender told me there’s a sister pub on Wall Street. Lies. (Wall St. seemed an odd location to begin with.) If anyone can find a distributor in NY or the surrounding area, I may buy you a case.

I hit a few other pubs in Belfast: McHugh’s, down by the docks. Tried a couple of the Belfast beers. Very weird stuff. Thankfully, the bartended knew this and had me taste them first. Good guy. Also discovered I do not like panne cotta.

Bittles Bar, the literary pub. There’s a mural with six Irish writers in a pub. I figured on Wilde, Joyce, and (probably) Beckett. Struck out on the other three. Guinness and Irish stew/chips for lunch.

During a layover in Galway while waiting for the ferry to Inishmaan, the ferry worker directed me across the green to The Skeff for a lively World Cup crowd. I had a Bulmer’s, one of the ubiquitous ciders. I know we look askance at ciders and their ilk here, but they freakin’ love them over there. There’s also the bizarre practice of putting ice in the cider, as well as a few beers. I suppose you can’t water down Bud all that much anyway. Anyhow, one cider and a raucous crowd of Australians was enough for one afternoon.

The pub in Inishmaan. There’s only one. Bring cash, and come well before 8 if you want food that isn’t candy bars and Pringles. Hell, bring cash for anything on the island. No ATM, very few who do credit. Stuck with Guinness, as the options were standard (Carling, Bulmer’s, Bud).
So, the daily drinking schedule went as such: Beer with lunch, usually mid-afternoon. Nap time. A few more in the evening while watching the late World Cup match/prepping for Pearl Jam. Rinse. Repeat.

It took a week at home before I even touched a beer. Now, I’m happily raiding my very well-stocked fridge for Fat Tire, 1554, some homebrew from the Cow owner, and some Scottish stuff in cans. Really could go for some chips though.

Eh.

2010-03-07T21:22:00.003-05:00

It's a hell of a lot harder to watch hockey when you're fourth line is Betts-Laperriere-Asham than Toews-Richards-Nash. I rather miss curling as well.

I should go to bed soon, but, in honor of Muse at MSG, I feel like listing a few bands that suck.

Muse, Silversun Pickups (opener at MSG), Phoenix, Metric, John Mayer, Joe Jackson, David Gray (worst live act ever. well, maybe behind Blues Traveler), My Morning Jacket, Norah Jones (that could send me to bed), Them Crooked Vultures, Jamie Cullum.

Random list, and not near long enough. But the Fly Guys have beaten the Leafs, and I'm turning off the tv. Gonna spin a band that definitely doesn't suck: Shearwater.

Albums of the Decade

2010-01-01T12:12:00.010-05:00

I won't make any resolutions to blog more. Truth is, I suck at it. But I got taken up by all those decade-end lists, and couldn't resist.

1. Gillian Welch - Time (The Revelator)
Sheer perfection. Not sure what genre David and Gillian occupy, but it's something transcendent. I spent much of my senior year in college with this album on repeat, drinking Guinness and playing Snood into the wee hours. Rawlings' solos on the title track stopped me immediately and I couldn't do anything but listen. I probably could sing it right now. Obviously time, past, present and future is the theme. Both joy and sorrow, celebration and meditation, acceptance and resignation, cut across the tracks (pun unintended, but apt given the railroad references). I love being able to slip into despair and then jump up singin' rock and roll. Each song envelops me, an moves me regardless of the previous track's tone. Truly one of the best albums I've ever heard, and nothing in the past 10 years even comes close.

2. Andrew Bird - Andrew Bird and the Mysterious Production of Eggs
Talk about genre-bending. Bird hopped around from gypsy folk to Squirrel Nut Zippers swing and whatever the hell you'd call The Swimming Hour before landing square in a sound that is like no other. The violin and whistling are featured moreso than later albums, where the textures become more varied. I think this makes the album feel more, I don't know, organic than anything besides Weather Systems. As with my #1 pick, there aren't any missteps here, though I think he could've stopped with "Tables and Chairs," which very well could be my Song of the Decade. And how is something like "Fake Palindromes" so headbanging? Seriously, I think I could give myself a concussion hearing it live. Like the music, the lyrics are both bizarre and clear-eyed. Cnsider "Banking on a Myth" (ignoring misspellings): there's a guy I'd like to thank
he signs the checks and leaves them blank
he's the one

he says you don't have to walk a plank
the game is rigged, go fig your
slide show tanked, and your flagship sank

so we're taking all our myths to the bank
so just don't, don't forget to thank
we're taking our myths to the
drinking a fifth to the
we're taking all our myths to the bank, oh no

if you could just do him this favor
although it might involve child labor
join his entourage, give him a foot massage
from Star Search to the Philharmonic
he'll get you there with Hooked on Phonics
he's the one to know, doesn't matter if you blow
no, no, no, no, fact it's just the thing
he thinks we're needing
it's a lukewarm liquid diet they're force feeding
when the words we use have lost their bite
now they hit you like an imaginary pillow fight
oh, but it's all right, yea, cause you're inside,
and you're in tight

deals in commodities of the abstract sort
buys them in bulk but then he sells it short
talent, genius, love, even signs of affection
he floods the market, there's no price protection

and when his master plan is unfurled
there stands a handsome bid
on the weather systems, of the world

Prescient social commentary mixed with almost silly cultural references. It's classic Andrew Bird. While he's been expanding with loops and other assorted craziness since, Mysterious Production of Eggs is the brilliant high point in an already distinguished career.

3. Kris Delmhorst - Songs for a Hurricane
The first of two concept albums on this list. I bought Songs for a Hurricane at Olson's while visiting Hilary just after a hurricane ripped through the south. There wasn't power for the entire time I was there. It was a strange time in my life, which probably explains me leaving town to go hang out in the dark with friends.
Sure, KD is a fantastic lyricist, and a master of mood. But it's that voice. To borrow from Sports Night, it's smoky. There's earth in it. Appropriate for an album about the weather, eh?
I suck at talking about music, as I've proven thus far. Just go sit and listen to the thing, okay?

4. Nerissa & Katryna Nields - The Town is Wrong
The second concept album. The title track origianlly was recorded for the last Nields band album, If You Lived Here, You'd Be Home Now. It actually fit in that record too, a few of the songs being related to a fictional town, mapped out on the album cover. Then Nerissa Nields write a book based on the song. The songs here follow that book. I'm told the album is a far superior work of art. Even not having read the book, I can't argue.
Like #3, it came at a difficult time, and it fit in perfectly. Nerissa's always had an uncanny ear for melody (probably a result of rabid Beatles fandom). And I think anyone other than Katryna singing the words might not work. I'm not sure I even like "The Work That We Do," but Katryna does that thing (you know it when you hear it) around "temples to elephants" that, damn, I don't know, that thing that both takes my breath away and lets me truly breathe. One night I traveled from Detroit to Pittsburgh just for that moment, and wound up hearing "Haven't I Been Good" well before its album release. I knew then another brilliant record was coming. It runs the gamut from friendships and family, loss and redemption, questioning and faith in ourselves and each other. The sisters Nields deserve a better writer/reviewer than I.

5. The Jayhawks - Rainy Day Music
Melody, yeah. Half the time I'm not sure what the hell Gary Louris is talking about, unless he decides to tell a story, a la "Angelyne." Most everything is a feeling state. And feeling good is good enough for me. Well, it isn't always good, but who gives good goddamn? There are the usual love and longing tracks, as well as a kinda creepy one in "You Look So Young." But there's also a good deal more hope than usual ("Don't Let the World Get in Your Way," in particular.) Also, I think the title undersells the album. It's just as good on a breezy spring day/night.
I'll never understand why The Jayhawks aren't hugely popular. They may be among the most accessible music I know. Seriously. They're much more pop than alt-country, or whatever. Certainly, they're easier to digest than our next entry.

One day, I'll get to the rest of the list. Much of it has been written about a great deal more than my Top 5.

6. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
7. Arcade Fire - Funeral
8. Josh Ritter - The Animal Years
9. The National - Boxer
10. Pearl Jam - Riot Act

Tearing Down the Spectrum

2009-11-14T19:49:00.004-05:00

Pearl Jam played 130+ songs over the Spectrum run. So, what didn't they play? (The list includes anything on an album release, as well as single b-sides.)

Oceans
Release
WMA
Indifference
Pry, To
Aye Davanita
Hey, Foxymop...
Sometimes
Who You Are
Red Mosquito
Around the Bend
Brain of J.
Untitled (Red Dot)
Breakerfall
God's Dice
Thin Air
of the Girl
Sleight of Hand
Soon Forget
Can't Keep
Love Boat Captain
Thumbing My Way
Get Right
Help, Help
Bu$hleaguer
Arc
All or None
Comatose
Marker in the Sand
Big Wave
Army Reserve
Come Back
Man of the Hour
Leatherman
Brother
Sad
Hitchiker
Don't Gimme No Lip
Alone
In The Moonlight
Education
Black, Red, Yellow
U
Leaving Here
Gremmie Out of Control
Whale Song
Undone
Fatal
Other Side
Hard to Imagine
Wash
Dead Man
Strangest Tribe
Driftin'
Let Me Sleep
Dirty Frank
Just a Girl
Soldier of Love
2,000 Mile Blues
Evil Little Goat

=70, assuming I can still count.

I'd say the surprises here are: Oceans, Release, Indifference, Who You Are, Brain of J., Breakerfall, God's Dice, Comatose, Brother, Sad, Alone, Wash, Hard to Imagine

A few they almost played by listening to tuning and noodling: Come Back, Soldier of Love, Love Boat Captain

Songs I most wanted: Release, Indifference, Of the Girl, Love Boat Captain, Thumbing My Way, Sad, Alone, Undone, Wash, Fatal, Hard to Imagine, Just a Girl, It's OK tag for Daughter.
Only heard Sad out of those, but they could play a whole show of that and I'd be happy.

Guess I'll have to go to a few more shows, eh?

Ranking Backspacer

2009-10-19T19:57:00.002-04:00

Been listening to Backspacer almost non-stop, with the exception of spinning the newly-arrived Andrew Bird vinyls. Preliminary thoughts: It's fun. I know that's getting cliche already in the PJ review. But I'm right. It's a downright enjoyable record. Vs. it ain't, but I don't much care. It's honest, if not earnest, and I'm down with the angst-free PJ. All that said, there isn't much in the way of brilliance, though there ain't much crap either. The last few albums, hell, everything since Vitalogy has had it's moments of absurdity. Backspacer doesn't. It is the lean, mean fighting machine that PJ has honed through touring.
Anyhow, from worst to first: 11. Johnny Guitar. One of those strange Matt tunes where it seems like Ed has to work in the lyrics to fit the music. I would compare it to "Evacuation," but more accessible (a quality that distinguishes this album from Binaural and Riot Act).
10. The Fixer. Yeah, way catchy, and something to scream in the car. Still, the lyrics blow. I expect far more from EV.
9. Supersonic. A bit more thoughtful than like #10, but it's got a great breakdown where Mike and Stone play off each other, one of the only times we get Mike on the album.
8. Force of Nature. Didn't think much of it on first listen. I'm a sucker for the anthemic. This doesn't quite get there the way a couple later ones do, but it's close. EV seems entirely consumed by the idea of love and redemption throughout the album. It's a fine line to walk, staying away from the cloying. Again, we get some Mike.
7. Speed of Sound. It KILLS me to put this song so low. I was super-spoiled by the demo the band released. It was going straight to my Top 25. Then I got the produced, album version. Sounds like a "Low Light" rip off. It gets better each time I listen. Still, it'd be just above (below?) "Johnny Guitar" if not for the stunning lyrics. Sigh.
6. Just Breathe. I'm in the minority on this one, I know. I don't dig strings, for one. It is beautiful musically, yet a little too over the top lyrically, as noted in #8.
5. Gonna See My Friend. Damn, what a great opener. Very much like "Breakerfall" or "Life Wasted." Sets the tone for the entire album. Straightforward, simple rocking out.
4. Amongst the Waves. Yeah, Mike has the anthem mojo rolling. This song begs to be "Given to Fly." Not the lyrical equivalent. It doesn't soar (heh) quite as high. I can't wait to hear it live though.
3. The End. This was a highlight of the EV solo show this past summer, even never having heard it before. It's heartbreaking, and cuts out in the way The Office does prior to the theme music. (You know what I mean - just not playing to the funny.) As with "Gonna See My Friend," this song is a like a walk-off homer. Abrupt and wholly satisfying. A definite, and worthy, Into the Wild successor.
2. Got Some. I LOVE Jeff Ament compositions. He just rolls out the funk. First, this sounds most like a classic PJ song. Second, it's complex musically, without having the quick shifts of a Matt song. I like EV politcking too, and it's good to hear some challenges to our oh so hopeful current government. "Have you heard of diplomatic resolve?"
1. Unthought Known. EV premiered this at NJPAC in summer 2008. You knew it was classic, but Ed's strumming was repetitious. The dynamics on the album launch the song into the stratosphere. Someone on the boards explained the title's background. Basically, we have thoughts in the back of our consciousness, knowledge that we don't know we have, but still drives us. Being mindful, we can obtain tht information and integrate into our known selves. Psychologically, that has plenty of implications. The part that stands out to me, "Look for love & evidence,... That you’re worth keeping,... Swallowed whole in negatives,... It's so sad & sickening,..." It's the you're as sick as your secrets idea, but with the hope that, through searching and giving into the search, you can find reason and redemption. Who needs more than that?

Stuff & Nonsense

2009-10-18T20:06:00.004-04:00

1. Let's Go, Phillies!

2. I don't think I ever write without intent. I actually plot out posts. Flyers line-up analysis. Musical lists. These things mostly incubate in my brain and never see the light of the computer screen. At least my planned, abandoned mixes are written down somewhere.

3. I like lists. They give the random the appearance of order.

4. Tonight's beers: Left Hand Oktoberfest. One of the better fall seasonals, which isn't surprising given the brewery. Wouldn't mind a Deep Cover Brown Ale right now. Good that Left Hand is becoming easy to find around here. Now, when will I get some New Belgium 1554?

Blue Point's Oktoberfest. I love how everyone throws that 'k' into October. Now it's truly, authentically German. Eh, so far. There isn't much to it, certainly not enough to distinguish it among straight lagers, much less the other O'k'toberfests.

Hey, I just looked at New Belgium's site, and they have some where I'll be in NC on my birthday! Whoo!

5. Bottom 1st, V is for Victorino! on 2nd, 1 out, Utley's up. BEAT LA!

6. So, my birthday. Good times in NC, then FOUR nights of Pearl Jam at the Spectrum. That's right, FOUR! Songs I'd like to hear: Present Tense, State of Love & Trust, In My Tree, No Way, Fatal (yeah, right), Sad, Grievance, Untitled/MFC, In Hiding, Love Boat Captain, Go, RVM...
Do I care what they play? Not really..it's fucking Pearl Jam!
The only concern I have: How am I going to top this at 30 next year?

7. I'm eating pastry from Veniero's. Jealous?

8. 4-0!

9. The Strand no longer has a bag check. Stolen used, cheap books abound! Nah, I paid $13+ for Dexter Filkin's The Forever War. As if I don't have a book I committed to read and write about sitting on my shelf.

10. Nearly finished the Times crossword this week.

11. I am not enamored with the Fly Guys thus far. The problems that plagued them last year - not holding leads, indifferent play, turnovers in the defensive and neutral zones - remain. I don't know how they change that culture. I love Capt. Richie, and he leads by example on ice, and he's great for my fantasy team, but something's not translating. Here's hoping Pronger reams the team out. 'cause the Rangers are playing well, and the Pens aren't going anywhere.

12. Speaking of hockey, why the hell aren't there any games on today? This is the second dark day of the season. So when the NHL bitches about shutting down two weeks for the Olympics, why is anyone buying Bettman's kool-aid? Stop wasting these days in October, and quit your whining. And have the Flyers play more than 2 games in 11 days.

13. I love where I live. My coffee shop owner gave me a key/alarm code to use the store's internet for my fantasy draft. How many people can say that? Been here 5 1/2 years. No desire to leave. The only problem is the distance from my non-village friends. I don't see them near often enough, and I love being with them. Be it the city or several states away, it's far, particularly given my moodiness around travel. Most of the time, I can ignore this missing piece in my life. But then we spend a few hours hanging out, and I feel it when I get home. Not much to do to change this. God knows I'm not about to become a phone person. I dunno.

14. Backspacer is an entertaining album. Not the greatest thing ever, but a highly listenable 37 minutes. And "Unthought Known" is right up there in the PJ stratosphere. Only song I really don't care for is "Johnny Guitar." One of those weird Matt songs where Ed had to fit lyrics in, a la "Evacuation." And then there's the album "Speed of Sound" vs. the demo they previewed. It certainly went in a different direction musically. I'm getting used to it, mostly due to the lyrics being the same. But the album sounds like a "Low Light" retread.

15. Four more work days.

Griping. Hardly Gripping.

2009-09-23T06:35:00.003-04:00

Early morning awakening (psycho speak for insomnia) has produced one thing: a lame blog entry! Mostly, I want to make a list of complaints:
1. I can't sleep.
2. Pearl Jam's new album, Backspacer, was released on 9/20. I ore-ordered mine from 10Club (Screw Target. Give the band more money) on the first pre-order day months ago. The vinyl shipped yesterday (9/22). Grr.
3. 180 gram vinyl is lovely. But it limits how much music you can put on each side, so many new (re)releases take up two LPs. This drives the cost up to at least $25. Unless I go the city, I have to order over the internet. Add almost $8 shipping. Equals, well, you can do the math.
4. There is not one good music store in Westchester County.
5. I have stupid office coverage today. I don't know how anyone can tolerate working 9-5, or 7:30-5 in my case.
6. Fantasy hockey draft is tomorrow. 9pm. That's late.
7. Cablevision isn't letting me order Center Ice through the cable box. Now I have to call them. Yep, calling the cable company. You know how that goes.
8. My belt is too big, even with the new hole I punched in it.
9. Daniel Carcillo's contract/existence.
10. Money, money, money.

That is all.

PJ25

2009-08-15T16:54:00.003-04:00

As a reply to this, I actually tried to rank my Top 25 Pearl Jam songs. Here y'all go, minus commentary:

25. Grievance
24. Insignificance
23. Low Light
22. Man of the Hour
21. Leash
20. Off He Goes
19. Nothingman
18. Indifference
17. Untitled/MFC
16. Not For You
15. Release
14. Present Tense
12. Daughter (It's OK)
11. Footsteps
10. Go
9. Love Boat Captain
8. Fatal
7. Once
6. Sad
5. Rearviewmirror
4. I Am Mine
3. In Hiding
2. Immortality
1. State Of Love and Trust

You Are My Shirt

2009-08-01T12:39:00.002-04:00

In anticipation of The (Not So) Great Wilco post, here's a rundown of the band t-shirts I noticed at the Wilco show on 7/18:
Eddie Vedder (Who could that be?)
The Ramones
Rolling Stones
Misfits
Wilco (!)
Neil Young
Martin Sexton
Lollapalooza '08
Okkervill River
Bob Dylan
Bon Iver
The Hold Steady (Don't like 'em, yet find myself strangely entertained when on the radio. Also have a theory that they're this generations Counting Crows.)
Slayer
Dropkick Murphys
Donna the Buffalo
My Morning Jacket
Phish

I think Okkervill River wins as the least likely to be seen anywhere outside an OR show or Brooklyn.

Might try this experiment at the M. Ward, Mike Watt, Nels Cline, etc show again tonight. Over/Under on at least 5 Minutemen shirts?

This Is Not a Photograph.

2009-07-19T17:40:00.000-04:00

Been thinking a lot about the proliferation of photograph(er)s. In the age of digital cameras, it's easy. Everyone, everywhere, all the damn time. Last night at Wilco, a gaggle of girls pushed up to our primo position (alliteration unfortunate, but intended) to take some action shots of the band. The they slunk away, though not before one saw my EV shirt and said "You're a Pearl Jam fan!" - big points for her. What exactly is that, though? It's one thing to love Nels Cline, it's another to love taking pictures of Nels Cline and not pay attention to, you know, the music.

It's not that I'm opposed to easy access to candid/beautiful/etc. moments. I'm quite in favor. And I don't think it steals one's soul or anything. Although there are times I've not taken a picture precisely because it was a spiritual moment and it felt as though a picture would detract. I wanted to keep the essence of memory. Also, I reject the argument that photography/art, particularly in difficult periods, is just voyeurism that exploits pain and serves no purpose (see the documentary War Photographer).

Still, I wonder how much living we miss while trying to document our experience. Is a walk in the woods meant to be a series of pixels? On the other hand, taking photos on the trails today, I noticed a lot I've missed in the hundreds of other trips I've taken back there. And I can share those images with others who might never have the joy of seeing the real thing.

I have no answers, as usual. But I do have a link:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lindsey.r.allen/DamNTrails#

Komisarek Cost

2009-05-04T19:02:00.004-04:00

A follow-up on a couple days ago: SI's Michael Farber on Mike Komisarek's UFA price tag:

"4. Florida defenseman Jay Bouwmeester figures to break the bank when he becomes an unrestricted free agent July 1. So, what about the second-most coveted free-agent defenseman: Montreal's Mike Komisarek?

According to an NHL team executive, his organization initially viewed the right-side blueliner as a $6 million player but downgraded him slightly after his mediocre season. One problem is the rugged Komisarek brings virtually no offense into the equation. He is an upgrade over Scott Hannan, who signed a four-year, $18 million contract with Colorado in 2007, but with the salary cap poised to shrink in 2010-11, Komisarek might be worth closer to $5 million annually.

"It's tough to justify $6 million for a player without any offense (two goals and 11 points in 66 games)," the assistant GM says, "but then it takes only team.""

Nah, nah, na, na, na, Inquirer. The lonely blogger wins again!

UPDATE (a bit late): Toronto gave Komisarek a five-year deal with an annual cap hit of $4.5 million.

Worst Idea EVER!

2009-05-04T08:11:00.002-04:00

Dear God, no. You wanna talk about disrupting chemistry? How about consistency? And what about drivers in the Philly area. Yikes. Just ante up and give Biron a few years already. Christ.

These People Vote for Awards!

2009-05-03T13:31:00.002-04:00

A week later, the Flyers off-season plan articles are trickling in. Chuck Gormley's is well-reasoned, as usual. But the new guy to the Inquirer still makes me long for Tim Panaccio, whom I agreed with maybe 25% of the time. Here's my take on Sam Carchidi's assessment:

1. Yes, the Flyers need a clear the crease guy. Andrew Alberts was decent, and got better as the season went on, but he clearly was not enough. Ryan Parent is growing into this role and played extremely well with Kimmo Timonen, but still needs time to develop. I like Mike Komisarek quite a bit. However, there's NO WAY he takes $2.5 million. NONE. He'll make upwards of $5 million given his ability and the market for D-men this summer. Injuries and all.

2. Chemistry is tough. Clearly, the deal for Upshall and other waiver losses hurt. I don't have an answer for this one.

3. Yes. Another Metropolit type would help here. Honestly, I'm haven't seen the UFA list yet, but there's someone out there.

4. Here's the thing about losing Biron: There's no one else better in the free agent pool. The two goalies he cites are both career back-ups, despite their success when called up. These suggestions are incredibly short-sighted. Biron is proven, if far from perfect. I don't know what the team should do if they can't re-sign Biron, as there's no one out there better. And, no, Kari Lehtonen is not the answer. He's the most injury-prone, soft goaltender out there. And when was the last time Atlanta beat not just the Flyers, but Antero Niittymaki?

5. No, no, and no. First, Bouwmeester has not stepped up big-time in Florida. Part of that is playing on a shit team, but part of it seems to be his undefined style/personality. You wanna inject life into the room? This is not the guy. Plus, the sticker price will be huge as he's the prize on the market. The Flyers have offensive ability on the blueline: Timonen, Coburn and Carle.
I'm more than okay with dumping Lupul and Jones. In fact, I lead that bandwagon, but not for Bouwmeester.

6. I'll even go for trading Briere and his monster salary/injury history. I think Giroux is ready for that role. But why Gagne? He's a legit scorer, a top PK and PP guy, plays hard, and comes with a proper cap hit. He's beloved and been here for 10 years! We do need wingers to compliment the depth at center, after all.

7. I don't think the goalie pool is deep in this draft, but yeah, they got nothing in that cupboard. Maybe trade for a good prospect? Detroit's got some depth there.

8. Yep. This team needs Knuble. Not at $2.9 million, but I think he's a key cog still.

"It's Outta Here!"

2009-04-13T20:03:00.002-04:00

Bye, Harry.

http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?content_id=4122817&c_id=phi

February Music Madness!

2009-03-14T20:11:00.006-04:00

This is a far from an original idea, but I've decided to make a mix for every month of the year, to be posted here. Each will be compressed into a .rar file and made available for download via Megaupload. If you need help with either, let me know.

I'm trying to avoid obvious month-related themes/songs, e.g. - No "February" (Dar Williams) on the February mix. That said, the unifier for the February offering is it's length: 28.5 minutes.

I'm still fiddling with WinRar and getting it to arrange the songs in the proper order. So here's the tracklist:
1. Moons - Josh Ritter
2. How We Operate - Gomez
3. Thursday - Morphine
4. Tenuousness - Andrew Bird
5. In Hiding (Live, Hartford 2008) - Pearl Jam
6. Where Is My Mind? - The Pixies
7. Borrowed Bride - Old 97's
8. Illgresi - Sigur Ros

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=1TLUM0HM

March is moving in like a lamb, so give the next one some time.

Enjoy!

Of Caps and Call-Ups

2009-03-01T11:29:00.004-05:00

A lot of changes in Flyerdom the last few days, mostly related to Danny Briere's return. My first take: I feel bad we lost Metro and Vaananen, but we can easily recover from both. Metro was providing more punch of late, but he's replaceable by any number of folks from the Phantoms. Vaananen had dropped to the 7th D spot with Parent's return and strong play. Again, a spot to be filled by Phantoms as Kukkonen is back down on the farm, too. Word from the Inquirer today is that Nate Guenin will be the guy. Frankly, I'm fine with that. The latest complain about the D is that they lack a bruiser. Guenin is just that, and he's proved himself when brought up in the past few years. Yes, I lead the Nate Guenin booster club, and I'm happy he's back.

On to the not so good news: 1. Guenin's call-up resulted from Timonen still being sidelined by the flu. That's no good when we play the Fucking Devils.
Today's D: Coburn-Carle
Jones-Parent
Alberts-Guenin
I think this is a serviceable, if unspectacular group.

My biggest problem, and I'm sure most will agree, is the demotion of Claude Giroux, necessary to create cap space for Briere. Giroux has been fantastic since his call-up, leading a dangerous, scrappy third line with Upshall and Powe, and playing good minutes on the PP. I wish Homer would just come out and say this is a $$$ issue, rather than spewing nonsense about the good of the team. Bullshit. Jared Ross may be able to replace Metro, but there's a reason he went undrafted and Giroux went in the first round.

My stab at today's forward lines:
Richards-Gagne-Knuble
Carter-Lupul-Hartnell
Briere-Upshall-Powe
Ross-Asham-Cote

Hey, at least in the post-season the cap goes out the window.

As for trades, I hate the idea of acquiring Kari Lehtonen, a possibility that dolt Al Strachan was pushing on HNIC last night. Aside from having the weakest groins this side of Marian Gaborik, Lehtonen has a GAA over 3.00 and and SV% just over .900. Oh, and when was the last time he won a game against the Flyers? Scouting Flyers/Thrashers games alone tells you enough about Lehtonen. He's also know for a suspect work ethic and fitness problems. You really wanna give up JVR (35pts in 30 games) or even Lupul for that?

I don't think Jay Bouwmeester is realistic either. Hell, I don't think we need a #1 guy (and is Bouwmeester that yet?) when we have, oh, Timonen, Coburn and an emerging Parent. Bouwmeester also has the personality of...I can't think of anyone that dull or emotionless. Would that fit in this room? And what should we give up for someone who's a UFA in the summer, and would command a salary for which we don't have room under the cap? I think not.

Finally, I've abandoned my stance as a Steve Downie apologist. Homer (usually) does know best:
http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/03/01/more-trouble-for-steve-downie/

Phily Sees the 'Stache Light

2009-02-07T12:05:00.004-05:00

Via TSN.ca's "Backchecking" column: " The Toronto Sun adds Ian White's name to the long list of Maple Leafs who may attract attention before the trade deadline."

Yeah, only if he shaves that moustache.
Is that a Canadian thing? Both the Sens and Leafs seem to bond around the atrocity. Our Boys know better. And play better. Hmmm.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming. A mere couple days after my missive on Luca Sbsia, the Fly Guys did the right thing by sending him back to the WHL. According to the WHL website, Sbisa has a goal and 3 assists in 2 games, along with -2 and 2pims. It's early, obviously but 4 points in 2 games is excellent for a D-man in this league. Lethbridge is 7th in their conference and just a bit over .500.

With Sbisa gone and Coburn out with the flu, Ryan Parent got in his first NHL game the other night. He had an assist and was +1 over 19 minutes of play. That's decent given the team was shorthanded and less than spectacular against the B's that night. Coburn's back for today's rematch, so I dunno if Parent will play. I'll take him over Randy Jones any day. It's also unclear whether Mike Richards and Scottie Upshall will return. The papers say they didn't fly with the team to Boston, but may be available if they're feeling better. All due respect to Scott Hartnell, who played a great game on Wednesday, but he can't carry the team on his back. The Flyers need to be healthy, and get better play from the top couple lines, if they want to win today. Oh, and don't even get me started on the penalties. Oy.

Like sands through the hourglass...

2009-02-01T08:56:00.002-05:00

Did you know there is a goalie controversy in Philadelphia? I'm shocked. Shocked! It is February, after all.
Forget Mats Sundin and Peter Forsberg, this is the most media-driven story on an annual basis. The Fyers deserve some blame for not drafting/developing legitimate goaltending prospects. Still, I would like not to read about this until Biron comes crashing down in the playoffs.

Forget Foppa...and Sbisa

2009-01-30T20:56:00.005-05:00

Huzzah! Foppa will not be in the building!

Look, I love Peter Forsberg. The guy played like hell on wheels for 706 games, and that, along with some wobbly ankles/deformed feet, have landed him where he is today. I hate the media circus, and I can't stand Paul Holmgren keeping this door open, but I don't blame Forsberg for trying to come back. He's played through injuries his entire career. Clearly, he wants to play and wants to win. But it seems, finally, even Forsberg recognizes the difficulties of returning, for both himself and the team he'd choose.

As evidence, via Puck Daddy: "I considered returning to the Avalanche, but they are struggling (losing six of their past seven) and I didn't want to take any space under the salary cap. I didn't want to return to the Flyers after all my foot problems the last time I was there."

Go play for MoDo, Peter. Help Sweden to their next medal in 2010. We'll see you in the Hall.

Now, the Flyers have another, non-hypothetical roster issue: Luca Sbisa. Sbisa hasn't played since January 10. Tonight will mark his 6th straight game in the press box. Since Sbisa can't be sent to the Phantoms, the argument goes: he's better off staying in the box with the Flyers than risk offending his ego by sending him back to play 30-40 minutes a night for Lethbridge in the WHL. Frankly, this is bullshit. If Sbisa can't understand or handle the decision to have him play rather than sit, then he probably is mentally ready for the NHL anyway. And given his play on the ice, Sbisa's shown he's a pretty cool character. Sitting isn't doing any good for him or the team. An 18-year old needs to play, even in a league in which he'll dominate. And it isn't as though the Flyers will be hurting for call-ups if Sbisa isn't around. Remember Ryan Parent? Yeah, he's back, and has been for awhile, but down on the farm. Kukkonen's also available, as are capable, NHL-experienced guys like Nate Guenin and Danny Syvret. Also, when Sbisa goes back to the W, his salary comes off the cap, which the Flyers will need whenever Danny Briere returns. Honestly, I don't know what the team is waiting for at this point. Send Sbisa down and wait 'til next year.

Fopp Follow-Up

2009-01-24T09:48:00.000-05:00

Correct.

Oh, C'mon!

2009-01-22T18:13:00.000-05:00

This could be the worst idea ever.

Take the most injury-prone Flyer in history (other than Eric Lindros, of course), and substitute him for the most injury-prone Flyer this year. Really? Why not take on Rick DiPietro’s mammoth contract over and make him the #1 goalie too? The Flyers arguably have the best one-two punch down the middle in the league with Mike Richards and Jeff Carter. It’s already a question as to how well Danny Briere would fit as a third-line pivot. And the idea of Peter Forsberg, a Hall of Famer, centering Scotty Upshall and rookie Claude Giroux? Not so much. Then where does he go on the power play? How much will he cost and whom would they move off the roster? What happens when he goes down during the playoffs? Injuries crush teams in the playoffs, no matter how deep they are. Look, I’m all for adding a little more scoring punch, but there are plenty of serviceable centers or wingers that can be had before the trade deadline that make a lot more sense than Foppa.

The inception of this post actually came from e-mail with my brother about moves related to Briere’s return, and how the Flyers would get under the cap at that time. Now Holmgren has at least two more weeks to decide, but it’s still worth looking at now. They’ve already got a bunch of fourth line guys on IR in Kalinski and Josh Gratton. My feelin is another guy would go in a trade, as has been discussed all over the internet. Maybe Metropolit, Upshall, Asham. I think it’d be a shame to lose Upshall, as well as he’s played lately. I love his crash and bang, hard forechecking game and enthusiasm. Plus, he seems to be part of the youthful team core. Honestly, I’d rather them dump Lupul. It might upset the chemistry on Carter’s line briefly, but Lupul is far too inconsistent a player for his talent and salary. If he’s on a goal-scoring streak, he looks great. Otherwise, he’s a non-factor in all the areas where Upshall excels.

Briere returning also has implications for the defense. But I’ll get to that another time.

Will Oldham, or, Redeeming Kelefa Sanneh

2009-01-18T13:19:00.012-05:00

I can't stand Kelefa Sanneh. His brand of musical/cultural criticism relies on vaunting the obscure or undeservingly popular in columns filled with incoherent drivel. Between him and Sasha Frere-Jones, I worry for the future of musical coverage in The New Yorker. So color me surprised when I came across his New Yorker profile of Will Oldham, a.k.a Bonny "Prince" Billy. It was cleanly written, straightforward, not overly fawning, informative and (shocker) intelligble. And with that, I set out to educate myself about a guy whose nom de guerre makes me roll my eyes (not that that's a novelty).
First, I went to my usual source for hip album downloads, the Tsururadio Vinyl Preservation Society. I uncovered a vinyl rip of 2007's Ask Forgiveness EP, a collection of mostly covers. It's opening track is, aptly, "I Came to Hear the Music." Iron & Wine is a good comparison. Simple and wistful. But Oldham turns a dark corner on the next track, and continues down on "Am I Demon" - a Danzig cover. That's right, Danzig. You wanna get more crazy? The final cut, "World's Greatest," is an R. Kelly song, albeit filtered through a Lou Barlow lens. By all rights, this album should sound ridiculous, and yet it may the most singularly beautiful work I've heard since busting open Bon Iver's For Emma, Forever Ago. Unlike Justin Vernon, however, Oldham has an enormous back catalogue, one I don't expect to master.
Yet I couldn't stop at one, so I found this site, the Will Oldham motherlode. I decided on his most recent studio album Lie Down in the Light and the indie "classic" (says Mojo and P4K), I See a Darkness. I haven't given them their due yet, but at first listen, both seem to confirm Oldham's enduring genius - as if acting in Matewan weren't enough. A new album Beware! is out in March. I'll be there, despite the warning.
Thank you, Kelefa Sanneh.

As 2008 fades into our memories...

2008-12-31T22:21:00.007-05:00

It's New Years Eve, and Canada has topped the US in World Jrs., so let's get the lists rolling!

Songs of 2008

Bon Iver - re: Stacks. Really pick any song from this album.
Wolf Parade - Language City. Song of the year. I can listen all damn day.
Vampire Weekend - M79. "Ridin' though the park..."
Kris Delmhorst - Birds of Belfast. KD + Sad = Love.
Death Cab - Cath... Song #2 of the year.
Counting Crows - Cowboys. Great track from an inconsistent album.
Gutter Twins - Front Street. In contrast to the last song, I love this album all the way through. So I picked the last track.
The National - You've Done It Again, Virginia. If they're gonna put out an "EP" this good, what'll be left for the next LP? Also, check out the cover of "Mansion on the Hill."
Liam Finn - Better to Be. The album doesn't do his live show justice. He rips up every song.
Sigur Ros - Við spilum endalaust. Where have I been?

Albums of 2008
1. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago. Got its label release and all the attention this year, so here it is. Pure genius. Nothing else compares.
2. Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer. I know people think it's less than their first album, but it is their first one for me, so fuck 'em all. You wouldn't think I'd go for the proggy stuff, but you'd be wrong. All I listened to for the two months prior to my Pearl Jam Renaissance.
3. The Gutter Twins - Saturnalia/Adorata. Greg Dulli is the Pied Piper. I'll follow him into the dark. And this stuff if plenty fucking dark. Still can't listen to the opening of "Idle Hands."
4. Death Cab - Narrow Stairs. Eliminate "Talking Bird," and this moves up a notch or two. I am so late to the Death Cab party, but I think that just means they've gotten better with age, thus justifying my near-ignorance.
5. Vampire Weekend. It's just so damned catchy. I can't resist.
6. Kris Delmhorst - Horses Swimming. Yes, I went for the EP over Shotgun Singer. I think the production on Shotgun eliminates the nooks and crannies of KD's voice a bit. Horses is pure and unadorned. Beautiful.
7. REM - Accelerate. Call it a comeback. I actually like much of the work since Hi-Fi, but this is by far the most consistent album since then. And it freakin' rocks out.
8. Sigur Ros. Yeah, that one. I'm too lazy to copy and paste the title. They're next on my must-see live list.
9. Radar Bros. - Auditorium. Check 'em out.
10. Dar Williams - Promised Land. Dar returns to form. And someone finally got the production right. Thank god.

Despite all of the above, this really was The Year of Pearl Jam. More on that later. That's all for now.

What to say?

2008-10-18T13:22:00.002-04:00

Not much good to say about Our Boys these days. Here's what I've got so far:
1. The Return of Simon Gagne. 4 goals in 4 games. Gotta love an 82-goal pace. He's both giving and receiving hard hits seemingly without regard for his head. That's huge. If anything, he's a step slow still, but a few weeks of real games should remedy that. He and Richie are the lone offensive bright spots for this team.
2. Luca Sbisa: The Second Coming of Kimmo Timonen. Wow. 18 years old? #19 in the draft? I know it was a big year for top-end defensemen, but you gotta wonder how this kid was still on the board for us. I compare him to Timonen in that they both do all the little things so well that you don't necessarily notice them. Neither get rattled. Both are smooth as all hell. I have a hard time telling them apart sometimes because you can only see the 4 on the jersey on tv. That's one hell of a feat. Now, 4 games doesn't a career make, and we'll need to see if he can sustain this level of play over 82 NHL. My suspicion is he can.
3. Ossi Vaananen. Appears to have returned to his pre-broken leg form. Nothing spectacular, but we'll take that.

The list of what sucks is too long to mention but a few things.
1. Penalties. The Colorado game was a little ridiculous by the refs, but still. Too many dumbass, thoughtless penalties.
2. Eminger, Kukkonen and Alberts. All have blown so far.
3. Team D. Do the forwards know they have to backcheck?
4. Transistion play. Nonexistent.
5. Skating. Does anyone know that they must do this?
6. Biron. No idea what the hell is going on with him. He's going down to early. He's constantly up and down, moving around when the puck is behind his net. It's weird from such a normally calm guy.

I'm not optimistic about playing the Sharks tonight, but one can hope, right?

Bye, Bye Berard

2008-10-05T12:04:00.004-04:00

The Flyers cut Bryan Berard and Jim Dowd, both casualties of the numbers game. Berard, as good as he was in the preseason, hasn't been particularly good in the past few years, and is a liability in his own zone. As I said before, his offensive ability wasn't enough to keep him around. As for Dowd, i think he was out the door when we signed Glen Metropolit. Good luck to the guy. He was a solid Flyer.

In other Flyers news - Jesse Bowl-of-Rice was released by the Blackhawks. His career pretty much ended when he crosschecked Ryan Kesler in the face last year. Dude always took awful penalties and never had much skill. I'll take Riley Cote any day.

That's all for now. Time for NHL Europe Day 2. Let's see how bad Tampa Bay can be today.

See Ya, Nasty Nate

2008-10-02T18:20:00.002-04:00

Guenin was sent down to the A today. Bill Meltzer echoes my sentiments from the other day.

Okay with Giroux starting with the Phantoms. John Stevens' reasoning is sound. Don't worry - he'll be up with the big boys soon.

Camp Cuts/The D

2008-09-30T19:20:00.004-04:00

No real surprises here. On the back end, the Boys already have a glut of NHL defensemen. The depth chart looks like this: Timonen-Coburn
Jones-Vaananen
Eminger-Berard
Parent-Kukkonen
Guenin

Here's what we know: The top pairing is set. Jones and Eminger aren't going anywhere, despite training camp injuries. Jones because we just overpaid for him to be a #3 (which he isn't), and Eminger because we foolishly gave up a #1 pick for him in draft day.

What's left: Vaananen has looked awfully good and seems to be recovered from the broken leg that set him back a few years. He should make the team. Berard also has played well, but I don't think we need a power play specialist who will need a contract we can't afford. A nice story, but that doesn't make the grade. I said it before, but I don't think Kukkonen gets any credit from John Stevens, despite his incredible shot-blocking ability and good play when others went down in the playoffs. I see them shedding his salary and letting him go to a team where he can play full-time (Holmgren's good about those things). Now, Parent. I think this kid has the potential to jump into a 3/4 role this season. He's spent his time in junior and the minors. It's his time. Finally, Guenin. I really, really like him. Without Hatcher and Smith, the Flyers don't have a nasty guy in there own zone. Guenin provides that along with very solid defense. No flash. I think he deserves more than being a first call-up. Unfortunately, we don't have room. Sucks.

Sooooo, my opening night D: Timonen-Coburn
Vaananen-Eminger
Jones - Parent

Only one thing left to say: GO PHILS!

Flyers Notes - Spectrum Farewell

2008-09-28T09:23:00.000-04:00

Let's get back in gear...

Nice Spectrum ceremony. Of course I was happiest to see my boy Primes. But I think Rico got the second loudest applause (after Clarke, of course). Best part was Ed Snider presenting Richards with his new captain’s sweater. I love this kid.

First Goal: Sweet pass ffrom Carter to Coburn coming out of the box.

Second Goal (PP): Good puck control by the line. Lupul snuck right into the slot for the pass form Hartnell.

Third Goal: Absolutely freaking disgusting.

Fourth Goal: Whoo! Second shorty of the day for Richie! Gags did some really nice work in the defensive zone to get #18 the puck.

Scott Hartnell seems to be going for the Michal Handzus look with that hair.

Sbisa is sick and smart handling the puck along with that skating. Can’t wait for a couple years down the line.

Gags doesn’t have his game legs yet. Smart, as always, but slower that normal.

Asham really chucks and was impressive in his fight with Lacouture.

Those are some hideous orange jackets.

Players I Think John Stevens Doesn’t Like: Steve Downie, Lasse Kukkonen

2008-08-10T18:19:00.002-04:00

So I'm laid up with what my nurse neighbor thinks is an ovarian cyst. Apparently, the prescription involves sitting around waiting for the thing to burst, at which point I will be "pain-free." As it stands, I can't stand up and move for more than minute or two without my stomach choking up. This thing prevented me from attending the Phillies game today, and I'm a little concerned that it won't let me go home tomorrow. Also, I haven't properly enjoyed this rainy, cool day. Indeed, I only have weather reports to tell me that it isn't ungodly, August hot.

I don't really have the energy to say much else. Well, except that I miss hockey. Big time. August sucks.

Eating Crow

2008-06-27T12:25:00.003-04:00

Heh. I just looked at my profile for the first time since I wrote it, and apparently I've been passing myself off as a male this whole time. Now I can take advantage of the female hockey blogger phenomenon.

So, word is we're re-signing Randy Jones for about $1.33 million over 3 years. We know I'm not a huge Jones fan, but this is a reasonable price and term for a guy who started to come on in the second half of last season. One of my questions about the guy is whom they pair him with. I think he needs a rock steady partner as he's prone to bonehead mistakes in his own zone. He skates well enough that he doesn't need a zippy guy alongside either. Thing is, he's a third pairing guy at this point at you can't team him with Parent (who should be on the second pairing with a solid two-way guy, likely whomever they get in free agency). Jones and Kukkonen maybe? They're not exciting, but at 10-14 minutes a night, they may not have to be.

On Riley Cote, I am officially revoking my original position. He worked his ass off and has earned the enforcer spot with the Boys. Look, I know he's never going to put up, well, any points, but he transformed himself from a thug to a defensively responsible fourth line plugger. He improved his skating over the season, much the way Michal Handzus (he's sucked since he left, but I miss Zeus) did after arriving with the club. I don't know who's in charge of that on the staff, but they should be given a hand. And so should Cote for proving me wrong.

Carter. If it's so close, and has been for the last week, when are we getting the freaking announcement?

I like the Thoresen qualification. That should be another inexpensive, well-deserved re-sign.

In other sporting news, we've determined that Rafael Nadal could very well be a pirate.

I'm off to Hartford in a couple hours for Pearl Jam. Wish me luck on the late night drive home.

Pre-Free Agency Flyers Notes

2008-06-25T09:07:00.004-04:00

Well, well. We're less than a week away from free agency, and the buzz in Flyerdom revolves around the re-signing of Jeff Carter and how we're going to upgrade the D. The papers all say we're close on the Carter deal, and I agree given we traded our other significant forward RFA in Umberger. My only hope is that they don't spend $5million per as was misreported in a Sportsnet article last week. That's way too much money for a guy who hasn't scored 30 goals yet. I'd rather see a longer deal averaging $4million + bonus clauses for meeting certain offensive targets.

More interesting than the Carter deal is what's going on with the D. Homer's been very aggressive picking up defensemen, leaving room for lots of speculation about whether a trade is coming, how he's going to re-sign RFA Randy Jones and who he's chasing in the free agent market. Let's break this down with some numbering.
1. A list of current defensemen: Timonen, Coburn, Hatcher, Parent, Kukkonen, Jones (RFA), Steve Eminger (RFA), Rathje (LTI), Danny Syvret, Nate Guenin (RFA - AHL), Janne Niskala (AHL), Gauthier (AHL)
A few notes: Eminger should be signed on the cheap given he hasn't been a stellar NHLer thus far in his career. He needs to prove he's worth the money this season. Who knows what's going on with Jones. I don't want them to overpay the guy, and would rather see them get the compensation from an offer sheet than try too hard to stick with him. He got better as last season went on, but I think his value has risen too far because of weak mid-tier free agent defensive talent this offseason. They can re-sign Guenin to a league minimum two-way contract and he'll be the same solid call-up or third pair stay at home guy. Personally, I'd like to see him get a shot in the bigs this season. He's done well in limited time thus far. Gauthier will stay in the AHL because we gave him too big a contract several years ago. Syvret is marginal and I know nothing of Niskala. Rathje ain't coming back. Hatcher's the big question. I'd rather see him retire and save us $3.5 million in cap space than play hald a season on a bum knee. When he played last season, Hatch was his old self, but he didn't play enough to justify his salary.

2. A potential trade: With all of these D, as well as some youngsters with potential (Bartulis, Ratchuk), I think Homer is stockpiling to make a trade for a #3-4 puckmoving D-man. He'd have to give up a roster forward plus other assets (picks/prospects) as well. I have no speculation on who he'd go after.

3. Free Agents. Forget Brian Campbell, Wade Redden. Mark Streit is probably priced out of our market as well. Dmitri Kalinen sucked ass last season and I don't wanna see him in the orange and black. Possibles: J-M Liles, Michal Rozsival, Mike Commodore, Ron Hainsey, Brooks Orpik. The only guy I'd knock off the list immediately is Orpik, who's strictly stay-at-home and probably raised his price too much with a good playoff run. Liles is interesting to me. Certainly, he sits the bill as a puckmover, but he's had an inconsistent career in his own zone. Paired with a solid defensive player, a la Parent, I think he could be a good option. Rozsival is a better all around option, but is coming off hip surgery and might cost too much. Commodore would be good if Hatcher doesn't come back from his knee problems as we'd be missing the snarl and solid #4 D. Hainsey's intriguing because he's bounced around and is a former first rounder who just came into his own under Ken Hitchcock in Columbus.

In short, lots of questions going into the silly season. I put my trust in Homer. He hasn't steered us wrong yet.

The Return

2008-06-11T11:00:00.008-04:00

Well, it's been over two months, and I'll admit I haven't given this blogging deal much thought. Occasionally, I'd feel a tad guilty that I'd abandoned it, but not enough to write anything. But today I'm avoiding doing work of any kind and thus have little else to do. so here we are. Since we're also about halfway through 2008, i thought i'd do a little year in review on various topics. First, we have music. It's been a darn good year so far, with new releases from Death Cab to Kris Delmhorst and more on the way (Richard Shindell, Winterpills, etc.). Some awards:

Best Album/Biggest Surprise: Wolf Parade – At Mount Zoomer
This is surprising probably only to me since I just got into the hipster music blog world recently and never had heard of them before. I downloaded a vinyl rip by chance and totally have been blown away, front to back. Language City

Best Debut: Vampire Weekend. Duh. I don’t think they’re the greatest thing since sliced bread, but it is one hell of a fun listen.
M79

Most Likely to Take Over for Vampire Weekend: Tyler Ramsey, A Long Dream About Swimming. He’s the guitarist for Band of Horses, whom I don’t much care for, but I really liked the solo stuff of his that leaked last year. I just got the album and am digging it a lot so far. Once in Your Life

Don't Call It a Comeback: REM - Accelerate. I'm not a hater of the last few albums like some. But considering they came after Hi-Fi, which may be my favorite REM album, they were bound to disappoint a little. Well, Accelerate rocks the house. I wish I were going to see them on this tour. It's gotta be a great show. Hollow Man. (Live at SXSW).

Comeback Dos: Nine Inch Nails – The Slip. Maybe it’s me, but maybe it’s Trent. I know NIN hasn’t gone anywhere, but I certainly haven’t been paying attention until now (same goes for the Times. though it seems if you release an album for free they'll do a feature on you.) I’m once again amazed that electronics can make such a hard noise. Oh, and it's a free download over at nin.com. Demon Seed.

Album from the Darkest Circle of Hell: The Gutter Twins - Saturnalia. Good lord, and you thought NIN was dark. Greg Dulli (Afghan Whigs/Twilight Singers) and Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees) take it to a new level. It's indescribable, really. Just listen. Idle Hands.

They're Not Indie Anymore, but They Sure Are Good: Death Cab - Narrow Stairs. Had to get 'em in here since the new album only has one weak song (Talking Bird. Yawn). Otherwise, it's perfect, and I'm not even a huge DCFC fan. But I don't think you can listen to Cath... and not want to come back over and over again.

Mild Disappointments: 1. Aimee Mann - Smilers. It's not a bad album at all, but a little unoriginal. Her albums are starting to run into one another for me.

2. Crows - Saturday Nights, Sunday Mornings. Again, not bad, but nothing revelatory. As long as it it took to release the damn thing, it isn't significantly better than Hard Candy (which I rather liked). There is some greatness, a la Cowboys. And Le Ballet D'or is way better than it's title suggests. But then there are massive duds like When I Dream of Michaelangelo, which is so bad it taints the song from which it took its name (Angels of the Silences).

Stuff I Don't Like That the Blogs Say I Should: Destroyer - Trouble In Dreams; Born Ruffians - Red, Yellow & Blue; Cursive.

Albums That Are Growing Slowly: 1. Kris Delmhorst - Shotgun Singer. Her voice gets a little lost in the mix, but I love almost all of the songs. She also has a new EP out that I need to buy. Now.

2. Old 97's - Blame It On Gravity. Haven't had enought time with it yet. Dance With Me caught on immediately.

The Predictably Perfect EP: Andrew Bird - Soldier On. It's hard to consider this an album, per se, since most of the songs have been floating around for the last year or so. But you can't deny the Andrew Bird. Covering Dylan's Oh, Sister.

Perfect EP That Really is an Album: The National - The Virginia EP. Released with their new dvd, A Skin, A Night, this has new, live and alternate take tracks. You must get it. This band is building on Boxer, a perfect album in its own right. You've Done It Again, Virginia.

That seems like enough for now. In another couple months I'll get to a Flyers (post)season review. Enjoy the music.

Back Where We Belong

2008-04-11T18:57:00.002-04:00

In about 10 minutes, the puck will drop on Game One of the Flyers/Caps series. Despite the majority of critics picking the Caps, I have complete faith in Our Boys to pull this one out. So I got my two hour nap in this afternoon, ate an offensive meal so as not to upset my stomach, and have the beer ready to pop the lid just as soon as the ref releases that puck at center ice. In other words, I'm ready to get Cup Crazy. Are you?

"Who are you without your sadness? Who am I without my shame?"

2008-04-06T21:13:00.003-04:00

So, the Flyers are in the playoffs, the #6 seed all set for a showdown with the Caps, of all teams. As hot as the Caps have been, this is a better match-up than the Penguins, whom we would've played had we lost to them today. I didn't pay a lot of attention to today's game because I was caught up in a game of Scrabulous (in which I acquitted myself well). And of course my viewing of the playoff-clinching game against the Fucking Devils was disrupted by a power outage a minute into the third with the Fly Guys up only 1-0. Thank god for my brother and text messaging.

Anyway, tonight I went to see Peter Mulvey at the Turning Point in Piermont, NY. I really like this venue as it's quite intimate and nearby. But I haven't gone in a few years because they can inflate the prices a good bit - do I really want to pay $35 to see Lucy Kaplansky when I can see her for free in Madison Square Park? Anyhow, Mulvey was only $15, and except for the strange staring guy sitting across from me, it was a perfectly lovely show. Strange staring guy kept looking at me until I engaged in a stilted conversation about steroids, Jim Thome, and my dislike of much prog rock, especially Geddy Lee's voice. Here's the set list, for any one interested. The new* songs were all pretty awesome: Shirt, The Knuckleball Suite, Dynamite Bill*, The Road to Mallow, Kids in the Square*, something about Alaska and windshields*, Health Food Girl*, Mailman*, Girl in the Hi-Tops, Black Rabbit, Hard Times Come Again No More, Wings of the Ragman, Peace, Love & Understanding, Sad, Sad, Sad (and Far Away from Home); encore - The Nearness of You.

okay, i'm to bed.

Accelerating

2008-03-30T09:18:00.006-04:00

On Tuesday, R.E.M. releases Accelerate to the masses. I've had a copy for about two weeks and the band released it on Facebook last week. So here come the articles. Compare and contrast today's Times piece with the rather patronizing review from this month's Paste (I can't find the article on Paste's nearly impenetrable site) or the kinda bland, but approving Rolling Stone review.
I, for one, love the album right off the bat more than anything since Hi-Fi. It rocks, plain and simple. It's decisive, a quality the previous few albums lacked in parts (though not always). It's also very short, and I don't know if I like that or not. It's like the Nields's "Jennifer Falling Down" - would it be a less perfect song if they tried to make it last longer than three minutes?

Other new music: Kris Delmhorst's Shotgun Singer, Yeasayer's All Hour Cymbals and Counting Crows' Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings. Kris's album is quite the meditative downer and the production on the more upbeat numbers resembles recent Erin McKeown, which is not my favorite. (Sam Kassirer of Josh Ritter's band produced.) Sometimes the unique quality of her voice gets lost in the fuzz, but overall I'm finding it very affecting, in a good, soul-exposing way. I need to spend more time with Yeasayer because I just picked it up Tuesday and Adam Duritz & Co. take precedence. As for the Crows, the album is solid. I prefer the rockinger Saturday Nights side, though the talking bit on the end of "Los Angeles" makes me wanna throttle Adam. Also, "When I Dream of Michaelangelo" is so banal as to take away from the title's reference, "Angels of the Silences." There's a lot of internal Crows reference on the album, by the way. On the other hand, I think "Cowboys," "Insignificant," and "You Can't Count on Me" rank right up there with some of the band's finer work. Go out an buy all three if you can.

Finally, I leave you with Mark Erelli covering Josh Ritter's "Rainslicker." Kate and I are seeing Josh in a couple week's at the Stone Pony, which can't be more awesome. And I'm going to one of my favorite venues, the Turning Point in Piermont, NY, for a Peter Mulvey show next weekend.

I'll get back to talking Fly Guys soon enough.

Birthday Wishes, Fly Guys and a Musical Update

2008-03-20T13:18:00.006-04:00

A Happy, Happy Birthday to Kate L.! She was history AND theatre major! Now she's quite the accomplished lawyer. But, most importantly, she's now and forever a Flyers fan! How can you not love her?

Fly Guys played a decent game the other night against Atlanta, even though they nearly imploded at the end like many, many other tilts this season. My brother said last night that Antero Niittymaki's crazy kick-save on Ilya Kovalchuk will save John Stevens's job should the Flyers make the playoffs. Despite that, I'm not buying into yet another "goalie controversy." Biron's the man. He's far more consistent, and is not to blame for the 4-game losing streak. That was a product of lackadaisical, disinterested team play that did not include forechecking, backchecking, puck support, clearing the defensive zone(!), etc. It's scary how easily this team gets hemmed into their own zone. Hell, I could diagram a breakout for this team and they wouldn't be able to execute it. That said, when they do perform well, they are fabulous in transition to offense. Ryan Parent, for example, made a beautiful block and quick pass out of the zone to set up the Prospal give and go with Briere goal on Tuesday.

Bands I've been listening to of late: 1. Vampire Weekend - I finally gave in and bought it at Book & Record. While I'm really enjoying it, I'm not buying into the hype. It's totally listenable and I can't get M79 or Oxford Comma out of my head. Yet it's hardly novel in terms of musicality. It's pretty stock Afro-pop, actually, except that the lyrics are sung in English and written by Columbia grads. In other words, the revolution hasn't arrived, but I'm not sure my listening self really cares.
2. The National - I think I already talked about my Boxer obsession (here's the opening cut), so this is just to say that I picked up Alligator yesterday. Thus, not much to say yet.
3. Yeasayer - Their stuff vaguely reminds me of Arcade Fire's Funeral in its propulsion and obliqueness. I haven't bought the cd yet because Bucks Co. hasn't acknowledged the band yet, but it's next on my list. Check out this cut (via Stereogum).

Cape May Pictures

2008-03-20T04:56:00.007-04:00

Beer beans and "Asian salad" (according to the bag. Dunno what was so continental about it.)

Beer bread. I ate a lot of this.

In the distance, the wreck of the S.S. Atlantus, one of those brilliant, inspired ideas: a concrete naval ship.

More of the Atlantus.

Phils Photos

2008-03-17T07:02:00.008-04:00

A few pictures from the wretched Phillies Spring Training game my grandfather and I attended. Finally clearing the field, which is like a smaller version of Citizens Bank Park. I had a great photo of them running the taro, but somehow deleted it.

Jimmy Rollins hits a lead-off, stand-up double up the line. This was the highlight of the game.

Chase Utley fails to drive in JRoll.

2006 MVP, Ryan Howard, also leaves JRoll hanging.

After Rosario plunks 3 batters in 2 innings, the Phils go on to lose 9-1. And it was raining.

"No retreat, baby, no surrender."

2008-03-13T13:04:00.004-04:00

We're not going to talk about the Flyers/Leafs series. Seriously. Oy.

No, no, let's get caught up on my life and music (not my music, because I don't even know where that trombone went). Location first: I'm in Florida visiting my grandfather. I hate Florida, but adore my grandfather slightly more, so there it is. Tonight we were commanded to my aunt's house for dinner. Commanded meaning I got an e-mail telling me when and where to be tonight without any inquiry as to my plans. Not that I had any, but I wouldn't have been above making up something. Tomorrow we see the Phils play the Braves in Clearwater. I encourage everyone to catch Spring Training at some point in their lives, though it might be more fun as an autograph-seeking youngster. Small stadiums, cheap(er) tickets and prospects. Why can't hockey do this for camp? Anyway, I'm back in PA overnight Saturday before heading to Cape May with the Steinbruecks on Sunday. I really can't wait for that. Good people and my favorite vacation spot.

Onto music: I've ordered the new Kris Delmhorst and assume it'll be sitting in my mailbox by the time I get back to NY. We have a nice little run of albums coming out in consecutive weeks, starting March 25 with Counting Crows' Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings, then REM's Accelerate, and finally a live album by Colin Meloy of The Decemberists. Others in that span include new Daniel Lanois and She & Him (Zooey Deschanel & M. Ward). I'm already behind on the new Stephen Malkmus, the Nields February project, Gary Louris and Radar Bros. This can be attributed to repeat listenings of The National's Boxer, all the Fingerlings albums by Andrew Bird and various Josh Ritter albums. (Sidebar: One of the things I love about Andrew Bird is listeing to the progression of songs from live infancy to album version. "Sweetbreads" to "Dark Matter," "Capital I" to "iMitosis," etc.) Other albums sitting on the shelf (for real, I organized my cds!): Dinosaur Jr.'s Beyond, Radiohead In Rainbows, Pavement Wowee Zowee, Sebadoh Smash Your Head on the Punk Rock, Warsaw, Echo & The Bunnymen Heaven Up Hear. And then there are the downloads. Again with the oy.

Finally, probably the biggest news: I'm reading a book! Yes, I've decided to use this break as a real break and read a real person's book, or at least a very geeky real person's book. The book: The Slave Ship: A Human History by Marcus Rediker. I read Rediker's Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea in college and still remember this very buttoned up, pearl-wearing woman freaking out in class because "This is communist!" I loved it, of course, both the book and her reaction. Point being, it isn't anything related to social work, school, my life, etc. So I'm going to get back to it now.

"And I can't believe this is my life."

2008-03-09T18:48:00.003-04:00

First off, Kate and I went to the Flyers game last night and had a rockin' good time. Ain't nothin' quite like that PECO Power Play! I am so happy to have been part of Kate's first Philly sports experience, and even happier that the Boys actually won. At some point I'll figure how to get the picture of Kate from my camera to here.
Next off, my brother and I are going to a Flyers game at the new Fucking Devils arena on the 28th. My brother's been something of a jinx on the team, so I might have to abandon him on the streets of Newark.
Then off, there's a sort of new Nields album here. Right click and Save Link as to download. Go to their blog for more info on the genesis of the project. I really don't care - it's more Nields for my library, and that's all that matters in life.
Final off, I'm 5 pages behind on my paper due Tuesday. You'd think I'd be stressed. But no. Hm. Grad student-itis?

"...a gaggle of flocks."

2008-03-05T01:59:00.005-05:00

All I wanted was to get home, have a New Castle and rest a little before the Flyers game. Then some stupid vacant building had to collapse, and I began a 4 hour journey home from classes in the city. First, I spent an hour sitting on an unmoving MetroNorth train before it occurred to me to find out why service had been "suspended indefinitely." After calling everyone I knew, I hatched a plan to get to Yonkers and hitch a ride from a friend there. The 1 train was "running," which in MTA terms means "stopping for 5 minutes at every stop because of signal problems." By the time I got on the Westchester Co. bus in the Bronx, my friend was gone and I was about to lose my existential self in Yonkers. Bonus: I got to ride through my old neighborhood and see old co-workers and clients. And, finally, the MetroNorth had resumed service when I finally got to the Yonkers station. I walked though my doorway with 25 seconds left in the first and the Flyers down 2-1, and minus Danny Briere from a shoulder sprain. Now it's 2:14am and I'm watching a tape of the 3rd period in which the Flyers appear ready to lose.

Flyers/Sabres on Vs

2008-03-04T06:02:00.004-05:00

A reminder to all Flyers fans outside the Philly area: game tonight against Buffalo is on Versus at 7pm. The game against Buffalo last week wound up a miraculous comeback and very rare shootout win, so I'd definitely tune in.
I have class today, but i'm exhausted. Second straight day i woke up in the middle of the night and stayed up for hours. Sucks.

On the Bandwagon

2008-03-03T06:18:00.002-05:00

With Kate's enticement of Scrabble and an absurdly early morning, I finally joined Facebook. I'm still not sure what the point of the thing is. It's not like anyone who knows me is going to learn anything new about me from it. And I suck at Scrabble, and probably that Boggle game too. That said, be my friend!

"...the rules are the first to go."

2008-03-02T12:03:00.003-05:00

I have completed midterm #1 and am gearing up for the Flyers/Rangers game in half an hour (on NBC). In the meantime, I thought I'd post the track listing to my newest mix, war & revolution. basically, i scoured (well, itunes' search engine did) my collection for songs containing war or revolution in the title. i found about 2 hours worth, and pared it down to one disc, tossing things like sufjan stevens's, "The Black Hawk War.........." (Seriously, this guy had to be some kind of post-modern english major with the ridiculously long and populated song titles).

1.Girl in the War - Josh Ritter
2. Gulf War Song [off mic] - Moxy Fruvous
3. War - Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
4. Start a War - The National
5. Soul's Not At War - Susan Werner
6. When the War Came - The Decemberists
7. It's A War In There - Dar Williams
8. Life During Wartime - Talking Heads
9. Post-War - M. Ward
10. I Fought in a War - Belle & Sebastian
11. War on War - Wilco
12. Between the Wars - Jeffrey Foucault
13. In Germany Before The War - Peter Mulvey
14. Missing the War - Ben Folds Five
15. Revolution - Francis Dunnery
16. Talkin' Bout a Revolution - Tracy Chapman
17. Revolution - R.E.M.
18. Revolution Rock - The Clash
19. Revolution - The Beatles

2008-03-01T14:06:00.000-05:00

I'm writing a good bit for school the next week or so, so posting will be light. As it has been anyway...
The Fly Guys are a few minutes from puckdrop against the Isles, a team that has had waaay too much success against us this year. If I didn't know better, my mantra would be "Who IS Richard Park?!?" They're a bit banged up too, so maybe that'll tilt the ice back our way. Make no mistake though, this game is big, as is tomorrow's against the Rangers on NBC. Dig in, peeps. One+ month to go.

I haven't had a chance to break down the NHL trade deadline yet, but I'll offer a little commentary on the Flyers' moves so far.
1. Vinny Prospal for Alex Picard and a 2009 pick. I wasn't hugely supportive of this, mostly because I grew attached to Picard during last year's struggles and see how teams tend to win the Cup just after Prospal leaves. But I didn't realize that Prospal was in the midst of a career scoring year with 29 goals. With injuries to Richards, Gagne and Lupul up front, the Boys need some front line scoring. (Aside: Did you know the Flyers now have 6 20-goal scorers so far? And that doesn't include Lupul, who's at 18.) As for Picard, Bill Meltzer noted in his blog that Picard's development had stagnated on the Phantoms as several guys have worked their way past him on the depth chart (Parent - I love this kid, Guenin). In TB, Picard will get the chance to prove he belongs in the bigs. I think Prospal played very well with Briere and Umberger in his first game against Ottawa on Thursday. They didn't get on the board, but generated a lot of good pressure in the offensive zone. I'm not ready to crown Prospal "the Answer" to Briere's inconsistency, but it looks good so far.
2. Jaroslave Modry for a pick. Well, I guess he was okay in the 2.5 games before he got hurt. Modry was supposed to stabilize the blueline a la Hatcher and maybe play the second PP unit. I like the move because it cost nothing, he's a UFA this summer and it made good sense at the time. Hopefully he won't be out long. Of course, while he's out, Kukkonen plays.
3. Patrick Thoresen off waivers. The only thing that bothers me about this is the kid wearing Primeau's #25. I felt he got short shrift in Edmonton, who sent him to the minors most of this season after some real nice work last year. Not an offensive dynamo, he can pot a few in streaks and is very aggressive on the puck. He's a very good fit on a line with Hartnell and Downie. They're not as dangerous as with Richards centering, but they are vicious checkers and proper Flyers.

The team has played a few excellent games in a row now (minus a period in Buffalo). I've been very impressed with Jeff Carter's new edge and he appears ready to pick up his slack after hearing his name all over the trade rumour mill. This kid has to play for a contract this summer, so he needs to pick it up. Umberger's in the same contract situation, but he couldn't possibly elevate his game much more. RJ's tearing it up this season, generating scoring chances with his speed and forechecking/backchecking like a monster.

That's it for now. Game time.

The Coen Oscar Bit

2008-02-24T17:31:00.004-05:00

I'm a Coen brothers fan, and, if I had my way, No Country for Old Men would win the Oscar tonight. 2007 was a great year for movies, even if I don't believe any of the Best Picture nominees achieved greatness (No Country got to really, really goodness). I'll confess I haven't seen Atonement because I'm committed (reaffirmed by Hilary) to reading the book first. Anyhow, I thoroughly enjoyed all the other films, from the semi-traditional inside man thriller Michael Clayton to the oddball (hello, Lille Miss Sunshine of the Year), Juno. There Will Be Blood suffered from PT Anderson syndrome with its disjointed-ness. Anyhow, the reason for this babble is to point you towards David Denby's look at Coen Bros. films in The New Yorker. Mostly, it's an ode to each reviewed film, but he makes the points about No Country that I agree hold it back from the pantheon. See what you think. I'm off to watch Away from Her prior to the ceremonies.

Oh, and Denby gets props for his title musical reference.

Another note: A Times article on sound editing and scoring discussed No Country and how the lack of extra soundtrack supports the film. I agree. I also thought the scoring for There Will Be Blood was ridiculous and overwrought and often interfered with my enjoyment of the film. So there.

2 of 20

2008-02-24T12:11:00.002-05:00

Wow, i must've fallen alseep after the first. Nothing to to do with the game. The last couple have been very entertaining, but i'm getting back onto a regular sleep schedule for the first time since November. Plus, who wants to see Mike Richards tear a hamstring and miss the next 3 weeks while the team lost its 10 straight. I honestly don't know what they should do at the trade deadline. I know whom they shouldn't go after: Brad Stuart (ain't been good since he left SJ); Rob Blake (no-trade clause, broken foot, awful season, huge salary); Phil Kessel for Jeff Carter - Kessel's flashier, had way more hype, but hasn't done anything yet to say we should give up Carter for him; Vinny Prospal - plays well for Tampa and sucks when he leaves that locker room.
As for Brian Campbell or Dan Boyle, it all depends on the asking price. No giving up lupul, umberger, hartnell. maybe carter. maybe. we'd have to be able to sign one of those d-men long-term. i'd rather get a high-end forward given what we have in the defensive pipeline. in that regard, i've been extremely pleased with Ryan Parent. he's just so smart.

In, uh, news(?): Jesse Boulerice has finished serving his suspension for crosschecking Ryan Kessler in the throat. If there is a god, he will never wear a Flyers sweater again.

JR Returns!

2008-02-21T06:45:00.002-05:00

Just read the Fly Guys will honor Jeremy Roenick before tonight's game for scoring his 500th NHL goal earlier in the season. i want someone right here, right now to tell me this isn't a classy organization.

Listen Here!

2008-02-21T06:19:00.002-05:00

1. Sam Amidon - All Is Well
I discovered him through some blog, likely Obscure Sound and picked up his previous album. It's a little Gillian Welch-esque in its low-key bluegrass and the quirks of Sam's voice. But he's quieter and less direct. Lovely and depressing. I worry some might compare him to Damien Rice, but do not heed any such critiques; there's no whining here.
2. Gary Louris - Vagabonds
Um, duh. When the Jayhawks/Golden Smog leader releases anything, you buy it. No major departures for him, but some different arrangement, along with a choir of indie faves on several songs. A little surprised not to hear any Mark Olsen given how much Louris was all over Salvation Blues last year. "To Die a Happy Man" is like Jayhawks meets Simon & Garfunkel. Good show.
3. Radar Bros. - Auditorium
Another Obscure Sound pick. The guy who writes this blog is great. I've only given a few songs good listens thus far, but I think they'll fit well into the rest of the indie rock world, only a little less poppy. More dark and quirky (yes, i know i used that earlier. it's 6:30am, okay?)

Can the Flyers Duplicate My Triumphant Return?

2008-02-21T05:24:00.004-05:00

Rhetorical, people. Rhetorical.
!go away for a bit and they lose 7 straight. What a streaky team. Just a few comments on the recent deals: 1. Vandermeer - I've said this multiple places, but I feel like Holmgren forced John Stevens' hand by dealing the guy, and that's a good thing. Stevens got too attached to #26, maybe from the Phantoms days. Dunno. But the guy was playing horribly and not on his game since he came back. No physical presence, bad D coverage and giveaways, and less offense than his ability. I'm cool with a pick. After all, we just gave up a 3rd-rounder for...
2. Jaroslav Modry. Now, he's shown offensive prowess from the point in the past and I can see him being on the second PP. But be real, he's a replacement for Hatcher's wonky knee. Modry's 6'2'', 220 lbs, so big and a little more mobile than Hatch. +2 on the Kings this year is a feat of epic proportions. 18+ minutes of ice time is nice too. Bill Meltzer has a nice post on the Flyer D over at hockeybuzz.com (ignore the rumour-mongering elsewhere on the site. Meltzer's good):

The Flyers have acquired soon-to-be 37-year-old defenseman Jaroslav Modry from the Kings in exchange for a third-round draft pick in the 2008 Entry Draft.

Modry's days as an offensive-minded defenseman are behind him, but with Derian Hatcher on the shelf for several more weeks, Jason Smith playing despite being significantly banged and the rest of the defense struggling, he could still offer some help.

Stevens indicated to Wayne Fish yesterday that he would likely continue to use Lasse Kukkonen as a fourth-line left winger and spot defenseman, but that may have changed with the team gaining approval to call up Giroux. On Sunday, Kukkonen got about seven and a half minutes of ice time, despite coming off an outstanding game on Saturday.

Stevens also appeared on Glen Macnow's radio program on WIP last night. The coach acknowledged some of the struggles that Jim Vandermeer has had but also defended the player. The coach pointed out that no player on the team can look himself in the mirror and say he's played his best hockey of late. He also pointed out "the many positive things Jimmy has brought since he's come back, with his physical presence and puck moving along with Kimmo [Timonen]."

While Stevens has shuffled around defensive pairings in the course of the last few games, he seems likely to go back to the same starting lineup he's been using.

.
3. Gagne's gone for the year. Not good, obviously, but a smart decision. I'm tired of this team messing with concussions.
3. Foppa. If the foot don't fit, do not acquit. Love the guy. Make sure your foot's gonna stick in a boot and come back next year when we have a real shot at the Cup.
4. Yes, that means I'm stating the Flyers have 0% shot at the Cup this season. This was a legit rebuilding season and it's worked. A good playoff round or two will do wonders for the youth.

Red, Left Ankle

2008-01-23T06:21:00.000-05:00

I suppose I'm glad I fell asleep before the first period ended last night. 7 goals from the Fucking Devils? Seriously? Johnny Oduya? Oy.
I tired to watch the game, but my long day blew that plan. On Tuesdays I get to spend the day at Lincoln Center, taking classes they don't offer up my way. I thought it'd be a pain in the ass (how provincial of me), but I rather enjoyed the process. Walking to the train station, an express to Grand Central, and a walk from GCT up to Lincoln Center. I could adopt such a lifestyle except for the cost. I spent $16 for a peek/off-peek round trip. Tell me how Bloomberg can implement this "congestion pricing" and hot decrease train fares. The MTA plans more hikes again soon too. Whatever. Classes were decent and the workload is relatively miniscule this semester. Best part of the day should've been my walk in the Park after lunch. I entered at Columbus Circle, noise-cancelling headphones blocking out everyone and everything, and wound around those large rock formations that look over the playground and ballfields south of the Sheep's Meadow. I'm thinking how pleasant it is to walk down stone steps, and...Bam! Rolled ankle, headphones flying and some loud cursing. My ankles roll fairly often, but not like this. I definitely strained some muscles/tendons/ligaments on the top. I've wrapped it in my spare ace bandage (never leave home without one!), but I don't know if I've done that properly or if I should ice/heat, how to judge swelling. Good thing I work in a hospital. After all that, I trained it (local, bleh) back home, screwed around and fell asleep. exciting.

Been watching movies via the internet to catch up on the year. So far: No Country for Old Men, Michael Clayton, Juno, Superbad, 4months, 3weeks, and 2days (partial).

I have music commentary to make up for too. Need to go secure some morning protein though.
Ankle Watch Update this evening.

I was right about everything

2008-01-16T06:36:00.000-05:00

My paper is done. Classes start Saturday. Got a peek at the syllabus for my Saturday class. Cakewalk assignments. I doubt the other two will be so easy. Plus, they're at Lincoln Center, so I become a mass transit commuter too. City folks, I'll do this every Tuesday. Let me know if you want to gather.

Remember when I said no one was talking up Downie's play in the recent run? Well, now they are.
Here too. Here three. The NHL on the Fly analysts pumped him up Monday morning too after another productive game against the Caps on Sunday. The Boys play Florida tonight. Last couple games got sloppy, even though they picked up 3 out of 4 points. Niitty's in net.

All Flyers

2008-01-12T08:51:00.000-05:00

Quickly...1. Hockey's Future has recapped NCAA prospects at the midpoint and singled out the Flyers' crop of college players as especially promising. Here's what they have to say:

"The Philadelphia Flyers have an abundance of collegiate prospects, many of who are enjoying or on their way to having career years. St. Cloud State sophomore Andreas Nodl leads the group with 24 points. Among those who the Flyers have also gotten outstanding production from are Providence College senior Jon Rheault, Minnesota State-Mankato junior Jon Kalinski, and New Hampshire freshman sensation James vanRiemsdyk. However, it’s two CCHA-based prospects who may be the most surprising of all. Michigan State sophomore Mike Ratchuk currently ranks second in the nation in scoring among defensemen with 18 points, while Notre Dame rookie Brad Phillips is a perfect 4-0-0 in his starts as the Irish’s backup netminder this season. His 0.75 goals against average currently leads the nation."

2. Mike Richards did indeed make the All-Star team. Surprisingly, the NHL also voted in Kimmo Timonen. I know I voted for him as a Philly fan, and I think others might be more deserving, but I like that people pay attention to him despite his low-key style of play.

3. The Flyers went 5-1 on the road trip. They won a few clunkers early on, but really turned it on against the Thrashers and Rangers (after the first period). This is not the team that folds in the face of minor adversity. I'm not gonna jump on the goalie controversy bandwagon either. Niitty's hot. It's okay to play the hot guy. And playing about 1/3 of the games is also appropriate for a decent back-up. No one ever said Marty Biron was 70-game goalie like Brodeur or Luongo. Folks need to chill.

4. The Downie chatter may go on forever, but I haven't heard anyone mention his four points in the last 3 games. In that time, his linemates, Richards and Hartnell, have amassed 10 points between them. Hmmm.

5. Last bit. Bill Meltzer has a nice midpoint breakdown of the team by position. He goes on a bit about Lasse Kukkonen, and I agree with his assessment. Forwards and coaching here. Defense and goaltending here.

Bob Clarke is a Selfish Bastard

2008-01-09T19:10:00.000-05:00

Seriously?
Clarkie, whom I always defended as a GM but rarely as a team spokesman, is professing his love for the Steve Downie sucker punch. There are so many things wrong with his, um, analysis, that I don't know where to begin. So I'll make one point. When Bob Clarke can't control his mouth, he's being as selfish as Downie is on the ice. While Clarke isn't the GM anymore, he does hold a position (Sr. VP, whatever that means) with the team, and thus speaks as a representative of the Flyers. And now he's stepped out and directly contradicted the current GM and coach, Paul Holmgren and John Stevens, both of whom flat-out condemned Downie's actions as detrimental to the team and not having any place in pro hockey. This puts Holmgren and the Flyers' front office in a bind. How can they divorce the team from Clarke's comments and not publicly rebuke the all-time franchise guy? This team needs to watch its public image. And Bob Clarke needs to sit his burnt-out ass down and shut up.

Surely without his own knowledge, James Mirtle supported my choice of Patrick Sharp for the All-Star Game. My sense of self-worth just peaked.

Let's Hear It For...All-Star Voters?

2008-01-08T12:33:00.000-05:00

Just got back from a 20-minute bike around the neighborhood. I don't have a picture of the bike to demonstrate, but it's a small, folding red thing that sits low to the ground. So it really works upper legs and thighs because my legs are so close to my chest. Also, I'm lazy these days and just about any sustained movement can be considered a workout.
I need to write another bit of my paper today, and I have the research sitting here for me to regurgitate, but my head isn't in it. My head isn't much for posting either, and my brother and i have already exchanged lengthy Steve Downie/Flyer-related e-mails today, so I'll keep it short.

Awhile back I gave my rant about All-Star voting and why fans are idiots. Well, leave it to them to show me up and get it right (i.e. - agree with me) for once.
Eastern Conference
Martin Brodeur
Andrei Markov, Zdeno Chara
Sidney Crosby, Vinny Lecavalier, Daniel Alfredsson

If I recall correctly, I didn't vote for Brodeur, Chara or Alfredsson - I think it was Lundqvist, Timonen (homer pick) and Richards. I will throw a fit on Friday if Richards isn't named to the team. I'll put him up against any center in the league as a complete package player. In any case, all of these players are deserving.

Western Conference
Roberto Luongo
Nicklas Lidstrom, Dion Phaneuf
Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, Jarome Iginla

I nearly nailed this list too, though I left out Datsyuk in favor of Paul Stastny (he was tearing it up earlier) and not sure if I went with Luongo. All the Red Wing love is a no-brainer, though in the past that hasn't deterred voters from giving into some kind of temporary insanity.

It's always interesting to see whom the league decides to put in the game, and we'll find out Thursday (West) and Friday (East). Last year Yannic Perrault made the team after going unsigned for the first quarter of the season and then turning into a scoring faceoff monster for the Coyotes (monster's relative in Phoenix). Then Chicago spent $1.5 million in the off-season, and Perrault's spent many nights sitting in the press box.
My sentimental choice for this year: How about ex-Flyer, Patrick Sharp? He has 34 points in 39 games, is +13 and leads the league in short-handed goals (7), all for $775,000 against Chicago's cap. I'm not saying Sharpie isn't a solid player, and I wish Hitchcock hadn't run him out of town, but I never thought he'd go at nearly a point per game. On the other hand, I doubt he'll ever be this close to the all-star game again.

Reminded #1: Hockey Geek

2008-01-03T19:18:00.000-05:00

what am i doing tonight? eagerly awaiting two full hours of deal or no deal and celebrity apprentice? shockingly, no. i'm watching the World Jr. quarterfinal between Russia and the Czechs. That's mildly geeky on its own, but not too distinguished. However, this game happened yesterday afternoon and I already know the result. The NHL Network's doing a replay. There aren't any Philly prospects in the game either. I just want to be prepared for tomorrow's Hockey Day in Canada tune-up. On the docket: 1. World Jr semi, Russia vs. Sweden. 2. World Jr. semi, Canada vs. USA. 3. Flyers vs. Fucking Devils. In a new twist, the US is the only team listed I haven't seen play yet because there wasn't any tv coverage this year. So I don't have a pick for that game. I'm going with Sweden over Russia in the early game.

As for Flyers prospects, its James vanRiemsdyk vs. Claude Giroux. vanRiemsdyk has torn up and still leads tournament scoring with 10 points. Giroux has played very well, but his line hasn't gelled and he doesn't have a boatload of points. Still, I've been very impressed with his physicality and willingness to get back on D. Given the right linemates, he'll be a very good playmaker for the Flyers soon.

While we're there, a little news from the big club: 1. Every single paper has the same article on Gagne being 95%, probably returning to play after the road trip ends next weekend. I think Briere and Knuble have been a little lost in the chemistry mix without Gags.
2. Potulny went down; Downie's come up. There's a little blogosphere buzz that Philly's showcasing Downie for a trade. Without ignoring his obvious behavioral issues, this would be an extremely short-sighted move. He's a first round draft pick and not yet comparable to Joni Pitkanen in terms of team frustration. Pitkanen played 3 years with the Flyers and the lockout with the Phantoms. Downie has played TWO NHL games and 22 AHL. So what trade value would he have anyway, being given up on so early by the big, bad Flyers? Paul Holmgren's a patient, thoughtful GM and he was in charge of the Downie draft. Downie's not going anywhere but across the parking lot.
3. The team waived Jim Dowd and Rory Fitzpatrick. I think both may be claimed, though Fitzpatrick's play this year certainly wouldn't warrant it. Dowd's been scratched for the last few weeks as young centers have taken turns auditioning on the 4th line. Unfortunately, I think this means Riley Cote's firmly entrenched on the active roster now. Fortunately, with some injuries on D, the team could call up Nate Guenin or Alex Picard. Picard was lost back there during the 6-game losing streak, but I know he's better than that. Guenin played so well in pre-season that I thought he should've made the roster out of camp. Picard has the offensive skills, but Guenin plays a much simpler, solid game. He deserves a shot.

Slush Fest

2007-12-30T19:33:00.000-05:00

good lord, what an awful game. it's like the players got out there, realized how bad the ice was and decided not to bother skating. yawn. turns out i was wrong about niitty though. he was fantastic and got a hard-earned shutout. Niitty's done well in his few turns recently, but I'm not sure I'll ever have much faith in him. I also won't go so far as to say I was wrong about Ruzicka, because even though he assisted on the Hatcher goal(!), he was also among the more listless skaters. Dude's talented, but not enough to overcome his slackass-dom. The assist came off a blocked shot rather than an actual pass. I thought Coburn, Timonen and Hatcher played well. Kukkonen is trying but looks injured. Vandermeer is steady but doesn't seem settled. He was much more aggressive, hitting and offense, in his first Flyers' stint. Fitzpatrick just sucks. I'm not gonna bother with the forwards. Blame it on playing yesterday or something.
There were many lame, borderline icing calls too, especially near the end.
Did I mention Philly won the game?
The Flyers don't play until Friday against the Fucking Devils. In between, World Juniors go into the medal round, the Pens and Sabres play outside and the calendar turns over again.

Finshing Off Florida/My Year in Reading

2007-12-30T16:50:00.000-05:00

Flyers/Panthers this early evening. Niittymaki in net. I hope they don't make him bail the team out like Biron did yesterday. Like I said, the boys did well blocking shots, clearing rebounds, etc., but Marty was under pressure the whole game. Niitty's usually good for one awful goal, so they need to not play so much in their own zone. Apparently, Upshall sprained his ankle against Tampa, but he said it wasn't bad and that he'd continue to play. In the meantime, Stefan Ruzicka's available if needed. I would argue that Ruzicka's never really needed.

James vanRiemsdyk finished yesterday tied for the World Jr. scoring lead with 3G, 3A. Good on him. The US has earned a bye in the medal round.

Thank the lord, CenterIce has the Philly game feed and not Florida with Denis "Potvin Sucks." Easily one of the league's worst tv "analyst." Only problem with Philly broadcasts is that they're meant for HD and thus are compressed on my tv. Jim Jackson's head gets very large and it's a bit like watching the player icons from Blades of Steel.

In other news, I finished a real person's book this afternoon. I think that brings the year's count to, oh, three. I will say I got a lotta bang for my buck, as all three (The Looming Tower; The Places in Between; and The Year of Magical Thinking) were excellent reads. The first on that list is quite the journalistic feat, and some of you may have read pieces originally published by The New Yorker. 6+ years later, it brought back a lot of the sadness and anger from the days surrounding Sept. 11. The 9/11 Commission Report was damning, but Lawrence Wright's tale infuriated me.

Finally, I took a spin over to The Flat Hat today after a local told me his daughter applied to W&M. Life has changed at the College. For example, I give you this note from the Police Beat:

"– A student reported a stolen parking decal from 100 Wake Drive. The decal was worth $275."

$275?!!

Contrasted with this one "– A student reported his bicycle stolen from 101 Wake Drive. The estimated value of the bike was $10."

Something's note quite right there. Also, a writer claims that one of those professor rating sites is a must-consulted during class registration. I would be one wary professor these days.

And The Flat Hat is now nationally recognized among college papers. And it publishes twice weekly. The $275 parking pass is less shocking, I know.

Cote Considered

2007-12-29T14:51:00.000-05:00

After another meaningless fight on his first shift, I'm wondering what purpose Riley Cote truly serves on this team. A quick glance at the stats reveals how little he contributes. He has one assist, 4 shots and is +1 in 24 games played. He averages 3:42 in ice time. He's spent 88:36 seconds on the ice and 78 minutes in the box this season.Cote's the definition of non-factor. Hell. the MOST he's played in a game is 6:56. He can't play in the last five minutes because he'd likely commit a penalty that'd get him tossed and his coach fined. He has no real offensive or defensive skills, so special teams are out too. TSN describes his flaws thusly: "Doesn't have any offensive ability, and is also a little shaky in the defensive zone. Cannot play regular minutes at the big-league level." His pros? "Is always a willing pugilist, and understands his role as a team player. Has good size and the ability to be a bruising physical presence." All for a potential career as "Part-time enforcer." And that's the problem folks. Philly's using him as their full-time enforcer and that isn't necessary. Maybe if he chose his spots better rather than throwing down with the opponent's "enforcer" a few minutes into the game (I hate those idiotic planned events.), I could give Cote the benefit of the doubt. But in the real world, let's face it, Mike Richards and Jason Smith are the guys who fight when the team needs a boost or a teammate gets reamed. This team is tough all over and has enough players to step up and fight when necessary. This also is a team that has issues generating offense at times. So why not ditch Cote and bring a fourth line with speed, grit and a modicum of offense? Keep Potulny up and let him play. I'm sure Cote's well-liked and a good teammate, but he doesn't do anything to justify his spot on an NHL roster

In the last two games, the Flyers have done well collapsing in front of the net on defense. Good job shot-blocking and clearing rebounds. I still don't like the shots for/against ratio, though they have taken advantage of their offensive opportunities. Lupul's streaking now (3 pts today), but I think folks need to be aware that this is m.o. He needs to prove he can be consistent over a season. (By the way, that was one lame penalty shot call, but we'll take the goal).

World Junior Update: All James vanRiemsdyk is doing is leading the tournament in points with 3 goals and 2 assists through nearly 3 games.
Canada/Sweden's been pretty even today, but now Sweden's ahead 3-2. Hmmm.
CenterIce ain't carrying any games this year, so there's no video coverage of the US until the medal round. Most other games can be see via channelsurfing.net, no proxy nonsense necessary.
Canada's going on the PP with about five to go.

UPDATE: Claude Giroux ties it on a 5-on-3! Whoo Potential Fly Guys!

FINAL: Wow. Sweden eats up a streak of blown plays and pots the game-winner with 13 seconds left. Giroux played well throughout, making a nice pass to set-up the breakaway first goal. He's stronger than I thought too and doesn't seem to have issues with digging along the boards. You know, you can't blame the Flyers' scouting department for anything in recent years.

Holiday cheer!

2007-12-25T18:05:00.000-05:00

I'm typing while importing my newest cds to itunes...and listening on my new noise-cancelling Bose headphones. Pretty amazing. Right, so we did xmas. The Loot Rundown: 1. cds - beirut (flying club cup); REM (live+dvd); Erin McKeown (lafayette-live). A slow season, but there are Book & Record bucks in there too.
2. A replica Team USA 1980 jersey (blue).
3. the headphones extraordinaire
4. a Slingbox. my brother's been talking this up for awhile, but i never gave it much thought. my parents, however, heard my bitching about not having the hockey package to watch while i'm here and got me one too. i now have to get a real internet hook-up at home, but the cost of that's part of the gift. so i can scam off comcast's excellent free movies on-demand while in NY, and watch centerIce when in PA (or anywhere else).
5. some under armour gear. again, not on my list or mind, but nice stuff.
6. various clothing, though nice stuff and not much. good show.
7. books i requested, except my dad ordered one on cd. he's not great with the attention span. this is dense, academic history too, so not so much for listening. 11 cds of laborers on slave ships. hee.
8. all manner of goodies, from pens to jelly bellys.

And then there's the ultimate gift as seen in the above photo. I can't begin to explain how cool it is....a freakin' game-used stick signed by its user, Keith Primeau! My brother found it. I'm pretty sure its from his Red Wings days as it's good ol' wood. Unbelievable.

so, a good xmas, material-wise. the aunt and uncle are here, so that dampens the soul of all who come in contact. still.

tomorrow: world juniors and game night/afternoon!
thursday: seeing one of my ex-pat friends, a visit to the dentist (filling's falling out), and then driving home.

Finally, from James Mirtle's blog, everyone loves an ugly jersey...

Merriment, etc.

2007-12-25T08:20:00.000-05:00

Happy Christmas to all who are into that. My family engages in a day-long process, emphasis on long. Right now I'm shuffling through 2007 discs on my ipod, using my dad's Super Duper Bose Noise-Canceling Headphones. They block out my aunt's voice. That alone makes them priceless.

Anyhow, for your holiday enjoyment, here's an excellent look at Mike Richards as compared to Bobby Clarke.

The Fly Guys face the Leafs at home on Thursday, and then they're off on the annual road trip. 6 games in enemy territory (did I really just use a war metaphor for sports? ugh.). They need to pick it up. All of what I wrote a few days ago still applies.

Other hockey: Don Cherry's an ass. Xenophobic, childish ass. Check out last Saturday's version of Coach's Corner. I love how Ron McLean, usually so patient with Cherry, rolls his eyes. William Houston of The Globe and Mail offers a good assessment of the segment.

Okay, I'm out to tackle today's Inquirer and NYT crosswords.

TV Timeout Update #2

2007-12-22T19:26:00.001-05:00

I like Alex Picard, but man, does he suck tonight.
Also, I know Rick Jeannerette is a broadcasting legend, but I have one word for him: Modulation.
Dude.

TV Timeout Update #1

2007-12-22T19:20:00.000-05:00

What a pathetic display.

Pre-Game Rant

2007-12-22T18:53:00.000-05:00

About 15 minutes from now, the Fly Guys take the ice for the last pre-Xmas game. They've lost their last five, blowing leads in the last two, which included the game I sat on the glass. What's wrong with them? Well, what isn't? With several periods' exception, they don't: 1. Forecheck. That lazy parabola with a stick out in the opponent's zone isn't a forecheck.
2. Support the puck carrier along the boards. This is most noticeable during bad power plays when the team can't seem to set up anything. Dump and chase doesn't work if only one guy chases and the rest loll about.
3. Clear the front of the net. This wasn't so bad last night, actually, but it has been a huge issue. The Devils game was a prime example. Take a stick, take a body. Something. And yes, the Flyers do better here when Hatcher's healthy and in the line-up.
4. Avoid idiot penalties. The PK is too inconsistent for so many damn foolish penalties.
5. Play for 60 minutes. A hockey cliche? You bet. Necessary to break the 35-point barrier? For sure.

Game time.

(Aside: I never knew much about Rachel Ray, but these fucking Dunkin Donuts commercials make me wanna stick a fork in her eye.)

NHC: Songs of the Year

2007-12-22T10:15:00.000-05:00

Several weeks ago, not being able to focus, I went over to WXPN and voted for my albums/songs of the year. My lists here will be a little different because I'm gonna include songs that weren't released on the official albums. I'll do albums soonish. For now, My Top Songs 'o the Year, not in order....
1. Mercy Street - Richard Shindell
This is what happens when one of my favorite songwriters covers one of my favorite songs. I love the original and its definitely my top Peter Gabriel tune. Unlike some of the other covers on South of Delia, Richard makes this song something both different and maybe even better than real thing. Such darkness. And Lucy Kaplansky harmonizing. What more does one need?
2. Australia - The Shins
The opposite of darkness. I'm pretty resistant to catchy pop songs (and thus not in with much of today's indie crowd), but The Shins have a remarkable ability to win me over. I love many songs on this album, more than their first two releases.
3. Neon Bible - Arcade Fire
Totally hypnotic, which is the point, I suppose.
4. Rumours - Josh Ritter
I think this song had the inside track because Josh used it so effectively on his pre-release video promo. Also, horn section.
5. Lay Your Heartbreak - Winterpills
I'll admit, this album got a little lost in the shuffle of early releases, so I only know the first half really well. What a perfect album opener though. The "sinking like a stone" bit gets me every time. Also, 3/4 time.
6. Trapeze - Patty Griffin
Her weakest album, but another classic song. Freaking Emmylou. Her and Patty rank right up there with Richard and Lucy.
7. Ocean of Noise (live) - Calexico
Not an official release, but you can find it on the web (though Hilary says there's a skippy version too). Is it weird that a band is covering a song on an album released this year? Foo Fighters covered "Keep the Car Running" too. That wasn't so interesting, but Calexico is brilliant. They bring up the horns and Joey Burns sings at his most languid. Calexico's is just as drak as the original, but it's also all their own.
8. You Are My Face - Wilco
Apparently, "Impossible Germany" is the most beloved cut amongst critics, perhaps because it's so reminiscent of "Jesus, etc." But I love how this switches between Wilco fluid, soft pop to all that angular guitar and vocal stuff that started popping up on A Ghost is Born.
9. Resurrection Fern - Iron & Wine
This album is all about atmosphere and so is the song.
10. On the Way Up - Peter Mulvey
For several years, I've waded through live Mulvey shows to find the best version of this song. Not that the Rapture one is bad, but Mulvey always changes vocalization live, and I like it better and stripped of production. So it was kind of him to release a whole album of solo, him and a guitar, takes on the Mulvey catalogue.

Others: 1. Andrew Bird - Pick a song, any song except "Simple X" from Armchair Apocrypha. Currently, I'm digging "Cataracts." He also has some non-album songs like "Self Torture" and "Giants of Illinois" that equal anything on Armchair.
2. Some real good cuts from Mark Olsen's Salvation Blues, including "Clifton Bridge" and "My One Book Philosophy."
3. Radiohead covered New Order's "Ceremony" on that thumbs_down web thing about a month ago. I have a lot of Radiohead ambivalence, but I'll save it from the Albums post.
4. Blogs pointed me to some people who have albums coming in 2008. I just bought that last album (2006) by samamidon. Quiet and beautiful for the most part, though he does of a little wacky bluegrass. I love "Tribulation." Stephen Malkmus's new one includes "Baltimore" that reminds me of his "Ballad of a Thin Man" from the I'm Not There soundtrack. I also enjoy the free Okkervil River covers thingy they put on the web.

World Juniors/Flyers Mid-Season Prospect Updates

2007-12-21T19:17:00.000-05:00

World Juniors are upon us, the early rounds starting 12/26. This is one of my favorites times of the hockey year as I love watching top prospects in action. Flyers fans have the opportunity to see #2 overall 2007 pick, James vanRiemsdyk (USA), Claude Giroux (Canada), Jakub Kovar (G - Czech), Joonas Lehtivuori (D - Finland), Mario Kempe (F - Sweden). Defenseman Kevin Marshall made it to Team Canada's tryout camp, but didn't make the cut. That's some healthy representation.
Anyhow, I thought it'd be a good time for Flyer prospect updates. Note: These are only junior/college/Euro players, so no one playing for the Phantoms (e.g. - Parent, Bartulis, Downie). Also, the numbering is insignificant. I just listed players as I remembered them.

1. vanRiemsdyk (UNH - Hockey East): 13GP - 6G-9A-15pts-14PIMs +4
A point-per-game pace is very good in NCAA hockey, especially for a freshman on a nationally competitive team. He didn't play a ton in last years World Jrs., but I expect he'll play a much bigger role on a lesser US team than those in recent years.
2. Claude Giroux (Gatineau - QMJHL): 32-24-31-55 +22
Once again, Giroux's lighting up the Q. He's second in league scoring, 2 points behind a guy who's played 5 more games (and is -8). Believe it or not, this is his first World Jr. tournament. He'll be with the Flyers/Phantoms next season.
3. Kevin Marshall (Lewiston - QMJHL): 33-7-15-22 +8 Being named to the Team Canada camp is a big deal, especially for a defenseman this year. Pretty nice for #41 in the 2007 draft.
4. Patrick Maroon (London - OHL): 32-17-31-48 He's all the way down at 12th in OHL scoring, but talk about a potential steal - 2007 6th round, #161. This kid's stepped up since Sam Gagner and Patrick Kane left the Knights for the NHL this season.
5. Mario Kempe (St. John's - QMJHL): 31-18-14-32 +2 Okay, so stats a bit more typical of a later-round draftee and in line with expectations.
6. Joonas Lehtivuori (Ilves Tampere - Finland): 31-5-11-16 I don't know much about him, but those are good offensive stats for D in the Finnish SM-Liiga. Looking forward to seeing him.
7. Jakub Kovar (Oshawa - OHL): 16GP -3.14GAA-.903SV% Again, don't know much, nor do I have a handle on what constitutes good/bad goaltending in junior hockey. He's also a rookie in Canadian junior, so that factors in somewhere too.
8. Andreas Nodl (St. Cloud St. - WCHA): 18-9-10-19 4PIMs +2 In his sophomore season, Nodl's not far off his scoring pace from his All-Rookie freshman year. What little I saw of him last season, I remember thinking he has impressive vision in the offensive zone. He's well-rounded too, and is a legit Flyers prospect. I'm not a fan of leaving college hockey early (this Okposo situation is lame) as I think player development happens slower there for most guys. Unless the WCHA suddenly turns to a crap league, leave Nodl there. Unfortunately, dude's Austrian, so no World Jrs. for him.
9. Michael Ratchuk (Michigan St. - CCHA): 17-2-10-12 28PIMs +1 Won the NCAA championship as a freshman last year. Hockey's Future ranks him as the Flyers' #7 overall prospect, behind only Ryan Parent on D. As for his future in the Flyers organization, see my notes on Nodl.
10. Rob Bellamy (Maine - Hockey East): 13-1-5-6 19PIMS -2 I have an inexplicable soft spot for the senior Black Bear, but he's about as marginal 4th line as prospects get.

Back to World Juniors...You can catch many of these games via TSN Broadband (find a Canadian proxy server and watch away!), and I'm assuming Team USA games will air on the Center Ice package as usual. This year's good news is that the NHL Network is providing full coverage of the medal rounds. You know what I'm doing next week.

Rivalry = Revelry

2007-12-09T13:45:00.000-05:00

Before I reply to some of last night's game, I should say it's been a rough week. Some family friends were killed in a car accident Friday evening. I've been surprised by how hard it's hit me. The funeral was today in western PA, and I'm here at home. This came on top of a week-long head cold and various other nonsense. I didn't even go to the Nields Saturday night. Classes end Saturday, but I've not been able to get it together and finish my final paper, so I asked my professor and the dean to take an incomplete and do the writing over the break. I really hate asking for any kind of exemption, but I think I needed it as I've been able to rest a bit this afternoon. Finally.

I'm watching the Versus semi-rebroadcast of last night's Flyers/Pens brouhaha. (My digital signal sucked and the cable guy fixed it today.) I saw game highlights when I woke this morning too. My thoughts: 1. Mike Richards got his 100th career point. I think he'll get to 200 a lot faster. Again, I prompt you vote him into the All-Star Game.
2. Good to see Lupul net the hat trick. He's been a non-factor lately after hitting everything that moved and buzzing around the ice early in the season. Consistency issues have plagued the kid in Anaheim and Edmonton (though some Oiler fans might say he was consistently bad). Maybe this will be a turning point.
3. Also good to see Umberger with a hat trick. Unlike Lupul, Umberger has played very well of late, but hasn't gotten on the scoresheet as often as he deserved. I think he's really stepped up his two-way play and consistency. He's a hard guy to play against, something you could not say last year.
4. Ben Eager must be feeling shame after that beat-down by 41-year old Gary Roberts. One of the Pens blogs has highlights and game reactions here. I think his final evaluation of the game is a little ridiculous. Fact is, the Flyers played a clean game, took it to the Penguins and won convincingly. The Pens lost their composure and engaged in the same thuggery of which the Flyers have been accused earlier in the year.
5. Prime Example: Georges Laraque's slide tackle on Marty Biron. What the fuck was that? You know, of all the dumbass penalties taken by Downie, Boulerice, etc., you can't say they were so totally away from the play. It reminded me of Darcy Tucker taking out Scott Niedermayer in the playoffs several years ago. The play was in the Leafs defensive zone, Tucker went all headhunter and drilled Niedermayer into the boards in the Devils d-zone. Niedermayer survived and so did Biron. But that doesn't make the play okay. Laraques tried to blow out the knees of a goaltender and easily could have done so. Pick an adjective - that was one of the dirtiest plays I've ever seen.
6. I like watching Crosby play. I love watching Philly irritate the hell out of him.
7. Nice to see Ryan Potulny back up. In the summer, I thought he'd make the team out of camp. Foot problems (good lord, not again) kept him out early and on and off with the Phantoms. When playing, he's on a point-per-game pace in the AHL. I've liked this kid since college when he played for Minnesota and I want him to get a fair shot.
8. Anyone else impressed by Kris Letang? What offensive instincts. We knew this from watching him at World Juniors and a brief stint with Pens last season, but it's a leap to bring it consistently in the big leagues. That makes a couple nice young D-men for Pgh, what with Ryan Whitney hiding in the shadows while developing into one of the league's best offensive defensmen.
9. Idiotic Line of the Night from Brian Engblom: Sergei Gonchar's really the "guy that stirs the drink" in Pgh. Dude, I know analysts are under pressure to say something new, interesting, or provocative, but when did Gonchar surpass Crosby as Best Player in the World?
10. This rivalry is much better when the Flyers win all of the games.

Year-end music lists are coming, but I'm exhausted and going to sleep now.

Game Time

2007-12-03T20:14:00.000-05:00

A few things, none of which include Flyers certain idiocy and supposed thuggery:
1. Lisa turns 30 today, so happy we wish her a happy one.
2. I loathe the NHL All-Star voting process. Fans should have to pass some kind of current-season knowledge test in order to vote. I mean, how many year did Sandis Ozolinsh start? The NHL only makes it worse by actually encouraging fans to vote multiple times. I know the game itself doesn't matter, and I'm not suggesting the league pull and MLB and base home ice in Cup Finals on something so inconsequential. Hell, I'm not suggesting anything. It is what it is. So why not play along, for the Fly Guys and the Flyers Wives Charities? Best of all: Mike Richards is deserving!
3. Nuclear power is a HUGE issue where I live, what with our area being in the immediate death zone of a plant that has failed every siren test I can recall since moving here. My town gets a percentage of its power from wind farms upstate, but wind, as profitable and practical as it is, is a very tough sell to downstate not in my backyard types. God forbid someone soaking in the ozone on Jones Beach glimpse a windmill on the horizon. Anyway, the anti-nuc crowd always seemed to be tilting at said windmills...until today. This one's gonna be fun.

"Long John, he's long gone."

2007-12-02T21:22:00.000-05:00

I've been slacking, I know. There are reasons -- perhaps the emotional ups and downs of watching the Flyers. Anyway, I was Googling people tonight and found some old friends. I'm still debating contact (old friends), but I figured that if I sent them a link to this thingy I should have some kind of profile. So I started building one. Really, I would like someone else to write it for me. Not only am I not a writer, I also suck at talking about myself. Contributions are welcome. I'm going to bed hoping no icy buildup for the morning commute.

Oy.

2007-11-17T21:05:00.000-05:00

So the Flyers get a goal 27 seconds into the third to cut the lead in half. That's momentum you can build on, or at least Mike Richards can since he's the only consistently decent player on the ice tonight. At the same time I'm thinking, "Biron's had a tough night. Maybe the switch to Niittymaki'll be okay." I can't describe how wretched the first goal against Niitty was. Seriously, go to nhl.com and watch the highlights tomorrow. Ridiculous. Really, I have no proper words. And then a pathetic five-hole giveaway. Jesus christ. Trade him for a draft pick and allow Boucher to play back-up. I don't think this is an overreaction anymore. Really. What is the benefit of hanging on to this guy anymore?

Semi-Live Blogging Flyers/NYR

2007-11-15T19:28:00.000-05:00

Denis Tolpeko's in the line-up tonight while Ruzicka's out. Good riddance, I say. Ruzicka's soft, inconsistent and rarely contributes despite many opportunities. I know he's a point per game guy in the AHL, but so's Denis Hamel, and that's the way I see Ruzicka going.

Lundqvist robbed Briere and then allowed a real softy to Jim Dowd. I love the team's enthusiasm when Dowd scores.

Heavyweight fight between Cote and Colton Orr. Great one, but I give Orr the decision.

Tyutin beats Biron cleanly. Nice shot.

I'm watching tonight's game on MSG since, you know, I live in NY. And I gotta give it up for Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti(sp?). Local broadcasts often feature some real homers and questionable play-by-play. I wasn't sure if Micheletti, who used to be rinkside on that brutal Caps tv team, could replace the great John Davidson, but he's impressed so far. Both he and Rosen know the game and strike a nice balance between commentary and calling the action. If only the NY networks would keep Stan Fischler off the air...

Ben Eager's easy to like, but dude, you have to hit the net on a 3-on-1. NY transitioned the miss into a typical Shanahan goal.

Some bad/phantom penalty calls on both sides. Flyers continue their strong PP play with a goal from Briere on the point. Richards won the draw clean back to Danny and he faked then ripped it.

Anyone else notice how Braydon Coburn's play has picked up during Hatcher's absence? We know the guy can skate, but he's playing smarter now. Some nice backchecking and he knows when to skate and when to pass it out of the zone. What a steal.

3rd Period - Always tough on thursdays as I switch between the game and The Office....

TOLPEKO!

Good PK to end the 3rd and get a point...on to OT...

Jesus, how many blocks does Kukkonen have tonight?

Really don't want a shootout - Lundqvist is money in shootouts. Fuck. Here we go...

Pisser. Good game though. I'm going to bed.

I'll Give You a Carter Today for a...

2007-11-15T17:14:00.000-05:00

TSN's Darren Dreger reported the NHL trade season could kickstart soon, and early talk has teams interested in Jeff Carter. Specifically, Dreger cites a rumour of Carter for Vancouver's Ryan Kesler. Frankly, there are a few reasons this one strikes me as unlikely.

1. Cap space. Carter costs $942,000 against the cap. Kesler costs $1.75 million, or almost double Carter. The Flyers only have around $1 million available in cap space.

2. Offense. Carter has 7 goals and 4 assists for 11 points in 17 games. He's a +8 and averaging 16 minutes of ice time. He also plays the PK and on second PP unit. Kesler has 3 goals, 6 assists in 16 games and is +2 while averaging 19 1/2 minutes. The Flyers average 24.6 shots per game, which ranks them 28th in the league. Vancouver is even worse with 24.5 SPG, or dead last.

3. Jesse Boulerice. Anyone remember why this guy was suspended for 25 games? Oh, right, he crosschecked Ryan Kesler in the face. No, there aren't two Ryan Keslers in the NHL.

4. Earlier in that same game, Scottie Upshall, who was still on IR, spent some time with broadcast team. He flat out said he was glad Vancouver matched Philly's offer sheet last year so that Kesler didn't come to the Flyers. RJ Umberger played with Kesler at Ohio St. and, reportedly, the two are not friendly. Upshall pretty much said no one on the team liked the guy. The Fly Guys seem to have developed nice chemistry in the room and on the ice. I don't see why Paul Holmgren would mess with that.

5. Given all of the above, the Flyers would probably want a lot more for Carter than just a straight-up Carter/Kesler deal. That doesn't jive with Philly's cap situation or fit Vancouver's need for lots more offense and defensive depth.

Soooo, to summarize, Carter costs much less, scores more with less ice time, plays all special teams and is a big part of the Flyers' team chemistry/youth surge - a group of guys who have no love for the potential trade return.

UPDATE: Tim Panaccio gets Holmgren denying the rumour on record.
Oh, and I cross-posted this entry (with minor edits) at Spector's boards.

2007-11-14T19:38:00.000-05:00

It's first intermission in tonight's Hawks/Blue Jacket's game. I've been tuning into the Hawks a little more this season as they have a little bit of that rising young stars quality that Pittsburgh had last season. The top line of Tuomo Ruutu-Patrick Kane-Jonathan Toews is as dangerous as any and a ton of fun to watch. Kane (17-7-14-21 +4) and Toews (15-7-7-14 +3) are 1 and 2, respectively, in rookie scoring and average 18 1/2 minutes per game. Toews has one of the goals of the year. They also have revitalized Ruutu, who's still only 24. Ruutu broke into the league with a very solid rookie season with 44 points in 82 games. He seemed to really arrive during the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, but then suffered a series of injuries that have held him back since the lockout ended. I don't see him as quite the Tazmanian devil, running everything in a different sweater anymore, and that caution limits his effectiveness. But with his linemates, Ruutu should be a decent #2-type center.

Honestly, the most impressive players to me so far are the D-pairing of Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook. Very dynamic. Both lots of speed and offensive awareness. I think Keith's better on the back end, but Seabrook ain't bad. They're both third-year players and Keith already averages 24 minutes/game. Eventually, the Hawks hope 3rd overall pick in 2004, Cam Barker, will join them to create a Top 3 any team would envy.

A couple former Flyers I liked also have found homes in Chicago - Patrick Sharp and Jim Vandermeer.

Finally, here are some entertaining ads touting the broadcast of Hawks home games in the Chicago viewing area (scroll down the page a bit). (Recently deceased owner Bill Wirtz refused to televise the team's games in Chicago because he thought it kept fans from going to games. Turns out, years of crappy teams, a crappy arena and crappy ticket prices really keep fans at home.)

All Richards, All the Time

2007-11-13T17:42:00.000-05:00

Looks like the world has discovered Mike Richards. From the Philly media:
http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/flyers/20071113_Surefire_Shot.html
http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/flyers/20071113_Richards_stars__but_dont_tell_him.html
http://www.courierpostonline.com/news/sports/index.html
http://www.delcotimes.com/WebApp/appmanager/JRC/Daily?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pg_article&r21.pgpath=%2FDCT%2FSports&r21.content=%2FDCT%2FSports%2FHeadlineList_Story_1089904
http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/101-11122007-1439563.html

Some others: http://v4.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=11026
http://www.tsn.ca/blogs/mckenzie/?id=222743 Scroll down

I didn't post the initial report because I adore Johnny LeClair and it's upsetting. I guess I could go on about players being people or the NHL's drinking culture, but I won't. It's sad.
http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/flyers/20071113_ap_formernhlstarleclairarraignedondrunkendrivingcharge.html

NHC: WTF?

2007-11-09T13:09:00.000-05:00

I just had someone who'd only met me half an hour before tell me that I'm too young to understand simplicity. Now, I'm not particularly sensitive about my age, but this proclamation offended me. I'm self-aware enough to know that I'm relatively young and know/understand relatively little. And I try not to make these kinds of judgments about those younger than I. Also,I don't think I lead an overly complicated life. Hell, all I really want is one good, solid night's sleep. Anyway. I'm putting the question to y'all. Do you think I appreciate simplicity? You can say no. I'm more interested in why and external corroboration/dispute if my internal state.

Tonight, the Kates and I are committing some kind of NYC cardinal sin by going to the same restaurant we frequented last weekend. As I noted then, the Veselka chili is well worth it. Then onto Webster Hall for Josh Ritter. We're going with Hilary's plan by enjoying ourselves and arriving at the venue around Josh's stage time, rather than standing out in the cold line. When I saw Josh last year, I was against the stage, staring up at Zack Hingerty the whole time. But I'm pretty sure Josh will captivate the entire room, so I don't much care about all that. Plus, it worked out so well with Andrew Bird...See, simplicity! Screw all that worrying about getting there early and shit. Ha!

Band I'm Into Today: The Twilight Singers, Greg Dulli's (Afghan Whigs) current project. The Afgham Whigs' Gentlemen is one of my favorite albums ever, but I never went beyond that with the band. Then I vaguely recall a hipster lounge-y period for Dulli that I wanted to like but never did. Yesterday I downloaded this show and I might have a new obsession.

So not an artist

2007-11-08T21:49:00.000-05:00

As you can see, I'm playing around with the template/format. If anyone knows how to go beyond the limitations imposed by Blogger, let me know. I'm certainly not committed enough to find out on my own.

If I finish my Assessment & Diagnosis assignment early, I'll talk about the Boys tomorrow.

If I Were Going

2007-11-08T20:59:00.000-05:00

Well, the Flyers are getting thumped, Gagne's out again with those "not a concussion" concussion-like symptoms and Sami's got a knee strain/sprain that'll cost him 7-10 days.
So I'm off to watch The Office and sleep.
Tomorrow: Josh Ritter!

"I'm free now..."

2007-11-06T18:02:00.000-05:00

TSN says Eric Lindros will announce his retirement later this week. I guess it's sad, though I have no love for Lindros after he whined his way out of Philly. Contrast Lindros with Jeremy Roenick and you'll understand our mentality. On the other hand, Lindros appears committed to righting the NHL Players Association ship, and I can't get too down on a union man. I wonder where/when dude got a brain, as he could barely string together sentences over most of his career.

My News: 'tis official, I am done with gas. or taking people's money for it anyway. sure, the tips were great, but...
anyway, i finished up sunday. sleep, ho!

NHC: Booth Tales

2007-11-04T10:14:00.000-05:00

Last night, Kate remarked how she'll miss my gas booth tales. This may be the last, though it's more awkward than funny:
Guy in full-serve: Hey, where have you been?
Me: I only work two days now.
Guy: Ah, that's why I haven't seen you.
Me: Yep.
(silence)
Guy: I don't have a wife anymore.
Me: Uhhh...
Guy. Massive stroke. In the hospital three weeks. can't eat/talk.
Me: Um. Sorry.
(long silence)
Me: That'll be $22.50. Thanks.

Christ, man.

"Hear the thunder of our chorus..."

2007-11-03T20:57:00.000-04:00

Somehow, I neglected to mention the impetus for the last post: the Flyers signed Patrick Maroon to a 3-year entry-level deal. Basically, this makes him our property whether or not he becomes a junior star. Otherwise, he could pull an Umberger a couple years from now and go back into the draft as a UFA. It's a protection move for the team.

Hilary went to last night's game and got to see our now-typical shitty first period, followed by an ass-kicking in the third. Niitty got his first win since whenever last spring. Richards continues to dominate. I love this kid. Whenever I get my old black jersey, it's gonna be him. Richy got the team going with a rockin' fight and then scored a goal. He and Lupul complement each other better than I would've expected. Lupul's not as soft as I thought and he really does have offensive skill. He made a beautiful pass on the Richards goal. I am concerned about both the slow starts and the PK. They've totally flip-flopped on special teams from last season. I don't know how long it's been since the Flyers had a dangerous power play. And it's about to get even better since Simon Gagne passed his concussion testing today. He can play Monday against the Rangers. That game's on Versus. I thought Guenin acquitted himself well last night and would rather he stay up with the big club when Jones comes back Monday. "Vote for" Rory doesn't offer much if Jones is playing and should be re-assigned to the Phantoms. I have a feeling they'll go with experience though and keep Fitzpatrick in the lineup. Finally, Bill Meltzer has a nice piece on one of the more underrated D-men in the league, Lasse Kukkonen.

Tonight I got to feel that good ole Tribe Pride at Veselka with Kate, Kate and Nicholas. Unlike my last visit with Lisa, no Ukrainian Christmas carolers(sp?) came to regale us. It also took us well over a week and 20 e-mails to settle the time, date and place. I don't know what that says about us. I do know that the chili at Veselka rocks. Get a bowl, not a cup, and some cheese. So, so good. Anyway, I was telling the Kates about this blog of unnecessary quotations. It's both funny and maddening.
On Friday, the three of us are going to Josh Ritter at Webster Hall. Will we be reduced to screaming, adolescent girls?

Change your clocks tonight. And batteries. Tomorrow's either my last or next to last shift in the booth. I have to write a 2-page paper that was due today and I forgot about, and, if I'm feeling, um, geeky, I'll write the next one too. Or I'll just do the crossword.

Youthful Boys

2007-11-02T17:53:00.001-04:00

In this summer's draft, the Fly Guys took Patrick Maroon in the 6th round. He's lighting up the Ontario Hockey League as rookie for the London Knights. The Knights lost current NHL Rookie of the Month Patrick Kane and hotshot Edmonton Oiler Sam Gagner to the show. Maroon has, rather unexpectedly, picked up the slack. His stat line: 15GP-12G-15A-27pts-17pims and +6. That's good for 6th place in OHL scoring. Great stuff.

So why not check out our other prospects? This list is far from comprehensive and does not include guys playing with the Phantoms.

1. James vanRiemsdyk, F, University of New Hampshire
3GP-1G-3A-4pts +2

2. Claude Giroux, RW
18GP-12G-17GA-29pts

3. Kevin Marshall, D Lewiston Maineiacs
16GP-5G-6A-11pts

4. Andreas Nodl, F, St. Cloud State
6GP-2G-5A-7pts Even

5. RJ Anderson, F, Minnesota
6GP-1G-0A-1pt +3

5. Michael Ratchuk, D, Michigan St.
5GP-1G-2A-3pts -2

6. Joonas Lehtivuori, D, Finnish Elite League
19GP-5G-4A-9pts

Injury Updates AND Best News Ever!

2007-10-31T13:13:00.001-04:00

Tim Panaccio's reporting that Derian Hatcher's having knee surgery and will be out 2-4 weeks. Remember he missed a game last week? I guess it's that. Only now Nate Guenin will take his place. Guenin played very well in the preseason and I felt he should've made the team over Jones, though Jones stepped up and has seniority. Speaking of, Jones was suspended 2 games for the Bergeron hit. No word who's skating for him tomorrow and Friday. My guess is "Vote for" Rory Fitzpatrick, who played for Hatcher in the aforementioned game. I think that's a better move than bringing up Parent or Picard as the Fly Guys' blueline can't go too youth-heavy.

Also nothing yet on Gagne's concussion testing today, but TSN says Upshall's playing Thursday.

Now, what you've been waiting for...In two weeks time, I will be gas girl no more! In an effort to keep my sanity, I've given notice on the job. Gone are the 6/7 days weeks. I'll be a proper student again. Oddly, this move was not only parentally approved (guess who's there when the loan money runs out in December), but almost suggested when I went to PA last week. My dad apparently wanted me to quit. For selfish reasons, he says, i.e. - I'll visit more - but still pretty surreal.

Jones Update

2007-10-28T23:08:00.000-04:00

As usual, Bob McKenzie makes sense of it all. I think Jones should be suspended a couple games. Clearly, the current punishment structure for these types of hits isn't working. 5-minute majors, 10-minute misconducts, game misconducts haven't deterred players from taking serious , dangerous boarding fouls. In fact, it seems the epidemic gets worse by the game this season. So, it's time to step it up. Maybe start with two-game suspensions. The NHL needs to do something. If nothing else, I'm sick of hearing that these "hockey hits" are an unfortunate, but unavoidable part of the game. If Bergeron couldn't walk right now, I'd lay money we wouldn't be hearing much of that nonsense today.

Update: Damn, the hockey blogosphere never rests. More sensible (i.e. - like me) analysis from James Mirtle.

NHC: Heindl's Story

2007-10-27T20:28:00.000-04:00

Hockey often prevents me from watching other things at their regularly scheduled times. NBC has taken pity on my sorry, hockey-crazed soul and put full episodes of The Office and Friday Night Lights on their site. They also put up rafts of other goodies, including deleted scenes. Since Halloween's only a few days away, start here with Dwight's musings on werewolves and his unfortunately named cousin, Heindl.

Bergeron Update

2007-10-27T19:09:00.000-04:00

From Tim Panaccio: "Bergeron has a broken nose and a concussion and has regained consciousness. He has full feeling and motion in all of his extremeities."

Thank God.

(I don't agree with Tim's assessment of the hit though. Jones was reckless. Period.)

Flyers/Bruins

2007-10-27T18:56:00.000-04:00

It’s hard to care about winning in a game like this. There’s no update yet on Patrice Bergeron beyond he was being evaluated at Mass General. No mention of regaining consciousness. I love hockey, but I hate these incidents. This is the third time this year a Flyer has made an indefensible and dangerous play. (I have the Boston broadcast on Center Ice, and I really hope the Philly crew isn’t trying to justify any of this.) Don’t crush a guy’s head into the boards when he’s obviously vulnerable! Jesus Christ. You can kill someone. You can break their neck, a la Brooks Orpik on Erik Cole two years ago. The guy has not moved his legs. From a spectator’s point of view, this is almost as bad as watching team personnel perform CPR on Jiri Fischer.

Jones likely will be suspended. The hordes will rise up and say that the Flyers are a dirty team, and that rules need to changes so the team/coach can be fined and “held accountable” for players’ actions on the ice. Fine. I honestly don’t think we have a dirty team/organization. Gagne, Richards, Kapanen, Timonen, Smith, Knuble, etc. The leaders are all solid guys. Jones has never had issues in the past and neither have most other guys on the team. (Downie and Boulerice have rap sheets going way back into junior, and I fault them for blowing the opportunity at reform given by the team. Downie’s a rookie, but this is the second go-around with us for Boulerice and I hope he never dons the Flying P again.)

This hit happens seemingly every day, and the only difference between Jones and the others early in the season will be the extent of injury. It’s a shame, because 99% of the time, he uses his brain and doesn’t follow through on that hit. I’ve never been much of a Jones fan. Hell, I like Patrice Bergeron and a number of Bruins players better than Jones. But he impressed me this preseason/early season with his intelligent play. He’s tied for third in the league at +8. One dumb mistake and, justifiably so, he loses the roster spot – when there are good, young guys (Guenin comes to mind) ready to jump in. But you know, this mistake costs Jones far less than the guy he hurt. Here’s hoping Bergeron’s okay and back on the ice soon.

A few notes on the rest of the game:

Great fight between Riley Cote and Shawn Thornton. Both of ‘em fast and furious in an even draw. Note to the Bruins: This Thornton has two more career points (12) than his cousin (you know, Joe, that league MVP you traded) has points (10) this season.

Knuble seems to be coming back on after dropping out of side during the home stand. He scored last game against Tampa and he’s doing nice work along the boards and in front of the net today. That’s what we pay him to do and he’s gonna have to work extra hard with linemate Simon Gagne out.

Good that Kessel blew the penalty shot. That was a bad call. On the replay, Kessel’s skate clearly makes contact with Timonen’s hand and the stick gets knocked out. I guess that isn’t reviewable once the ref’s called for the penalty shot. Don’t know for sure though. Anyway, all that aside, Timonen’s not an idiot, and he had gotten back with decent position on Kessel. No reason to throw a stick.

I really like the way the Flyers D collapses down around the net and yet still allow Biron to see the puck enough to make the save. They didn’t do this during the Florida swing. It’s a nice combo of solid goaltending and some stellar, fearless shot-blockers on this team with Kukkonen, Smith and Timonen.

The other thing that had to happen this year: Young guns stepping up. Lupul got his 4^th goal and Richards his 6^th (and 2^nd short-handed, I think). Jeff Carter has 6 as well. Four other guys have at least 3 goals on the season and another five have scored 1. That’s some nice balance. The only thing I’d like to see more is scoring from the D. Only Jones, Kukkonen and Smith (empty net after a brilliant block) have goals.

Despite Denis Potvin’s* claims, this is a good hockey team and not a bunch of losers in front of a great goalie.

*A good example of great players who are really fucking stupid. Philly has three more games against Florida. Thus, I will have plenty of opportunities to rail against Potvin. It’s a toss-up between his idiocy and Craig Laughlin’s (Caps analyst) voice for most hated color guy in the NHL. Though Terry Crisp (Nashville) is a buffoon too…

NHC: Gimme Indie Rock!

2007-10-25T20:50:00.000-04:00

In another life, I bemoaned Sasha Frere-Jones's most recent stab at music criticism in The New Yorker. Not being a critic myself, I didn't waste to much space. The good folks at Stereogum have jumped into the fray and pointed to the critique I wish I could offer.

If we've learned nothing else, know that I am so not a writer.

Wilkommen!

2007-10-24T17:08:00.000-04:00

Hello, Newfoundland! This is the new location to catch my very occasional musings. As the color scheme and link lists suggest, things will tend towards all things rink, with an unapologetic Flyers bent. You will find the much-circulated link to Jonathan Toews' sicko Goal of the Year So Far. (Eventually, I'll figure out embedding.) Music, rants, general Philly sportsdom will still pop a bit, and I'll put an NHC (Non-Hockey Content) note in those posts' titles. Helpful, no?
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That's all for now. I know you're salivating for more.

Soooo, it's my birthday and time for a pre-game nap. Flyers/Panthers, 7:30. Be there.