Obama-Biden ‘08: Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

I got a few things from griffinhousemusic.com in the mail today and remembered that I haven’t mentioned Griffin enough, since I stopped writing my crappy little music reviews way back when. Although he may not have realized it, with a name like Griffin House the man was always destined for fame and/or notoriety. It’s a spectacular name.

Griffin was leaving Miami around the time I was arriving. One of my best friends there had an older brother, who got him listening to Griffin our freshman year when I’d barely started to realize there was good music other than the few bands I liked from what the top-40 schlock stations play. So it took awhile for the southern rock, or alt-country - whatever they’re selling him as - to grow on me. Griffin knows how to write a catchy tune, and his lyrics strike such a good balance between plain and poetic. Again I’ll link griffinhousemusic.com, with the suggestion that if you like “alternative rock” (or any of the samples playing on his website), you’d be hard pressed to do better than Griff.

To establish that I’m not a clueless fanboy, a complaint about Flying Upside Down, Griffin’s latest album. “I Remember (It’s Happening Again)” is a single - I always hate when an artist I like releases a single, and it’s one of the few tracks I skip. I have no place to talk and no expertise in the matter. Further, if it gets people talking and grows Griffin’s audience, all the better. But as a person who cares about lyrics, “I Remember (It’s Happening Again)” is… well, kind of silly. If you’re a person who thinks that war is never justified or that America should defend her interests only within her own borders, you’ll adore the lyrics. If not, you may find yourself digging the tune and shaking your head at most of the words.

There you have it, a complaint. As for the rest of the album, tracks 1, 3-6, 12, and 13 are great songs - some upbeat, some not… some about God, some about “the ladies,” all of them genuine Griffin. There are a handful of dupes from Homecoming or previous releases, but it happens. It wasn’t enough to keep me from ordering the disc, despite having bought a FLAC version of the album last year. I’m not sure whether I like Flying Upside Down as much as Homecoming or Lost + Found, but that’s not much of an issue considering that I love all three. Check out the man’s website!!

I woke up at 11:45 to the sound of Hilliard’s tornado siren - something that’s always annoying, but greatly preferred over the potential alternative of waking up to a tornado showering you in broken class and neighborhood refuse. I started to turn on the radio, then thought maybe that was a terrible idea since my bedroom is on the second floor. I unplugged the radio instead, and hurried downstairs to grab my wallet, phone, and keys.

Halfway down the basement steps the siren was ending its cycle but the thunder and lightning would have none of that quitter’s attitude. Fortunately my flashlight was sitting out in the living room from yesterday’s surround sound wiring adventures, and I found room for that in my hands, all the while expecting tree limbs and cattle to come bursting in from all sides. “Why would you turn around for the flashlight?!”, the audience moans. Good thing I don’t live in a big-budget action film.

Short story shorter, there was a sound in the basement I did not ever want to hear: dripping. One of the entry points for what looks like a Brinks wire is also an entry point for water. Doggone it. In the basement CD101 will only come in audibly if I hold the radio, which I realize is probably unacceptable as I’m standing there in a horrendous thunderstorm holding a wired electronic device next to my face. Now that I’m about to go back to bed I can see that the leak downstairs is a result of the north side of the house getting freakin’ steamrolled with rain. This is no consolation.

Man. I thought the worst of the storm was past here 20 minutes ago, but the foundation-rattling thunder just keeps keepin’ on. So much for a good night’s sleep. Is that hail? Delightful.

Lately I’ve been busy being “grown up” - and the oddest thing is how natural it all seems until I stop and think about it. Coffing’s jet-setting about the cosmopolitan city of St. Louis at an athletic training conference. One of the guys just bought his first new car. One of my sisters is gettin’ hitched. And, the Saturday before last I moved out of the apartment and into a house.

So, if you rely on me as your fount of nerdiness and have grown parched of late as I’ve run off in other directions, a thousand apologies. Somehow I managed to miss for an entire week the announced pricing for the 2009 Dodge Challenger. See, I read somewhere that they would start “under $30,000,” and I knew a 6-cylinder model was part of the mix. This had me assuming that, instead of buying one next fall about fifteen seconds after I pay off the Mazda, I would have to mope about the fact that any Challenger with three pedals and a HEMI was stupidly expensive. From the press release:

The U.S. MSRP for the all-new 2009 Dodge Challenger R/T is $29,995. Featuring the new-generation 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 engine, the Dodge Challenger R/T produces an estimated 370 horsepower (276 kW) and 398 lb.-ft. (540 N•m) of torque when paired with the standard five-speed automatic transmission.

Pricey? Yes, but not as horrible as I expected. Purty? Yes again. Sadly, manual transmission isn’t an option for the $22,000 base model, and it sounds like you’ll have to cough up another $995 for stick-shift on the R/T. Miserable. I’ve always wanted to drive a noisy, beautiful American muscle car before we burn up all our gas or the EPA forbids anything bigger than a golf cart. Don’t make me buy a BMW 128i in 2009, Dodge! Let’s see some financing promotions and racing stripes on the Challenger R/T, or I’ll do it!!

The newest version of espn.com’s college football preseason poll is out, and the Bucks are back on top.  I’m not too sure how I feel about this development.  I suppose it is something that the Buckeyes likely deserve due to returning talent, history of winning seasons, etc…  One thing that I don’t want to hear about all season is how Ohio State is overrated, can’t beat SEC teams, blah blah blah.  Ohio State is primed to be the first team in the Big Ten’s rich history to win the Big Ten title three years in a row.  It should be a fun and interesting season, we’ll see how it all turns out.

Not often have I watched an episode of a TV show that was advertised as “Don’t miss!” “You’ve got to see it to believe it!!!” and all the rest without being disappointed. But, once again The Office doesn’t disappoint! Let’s keep the spoilers vague for the poor fools who missed tonight’s episode for whatever reason…

Michael was more tolerable than he’s been since the Jan & Michael meltdown episode. Still, I’m not ready for the character to be happy all of a sudden - he’s been way too awful a person for the last three or four episodes. As for the season-ending surprises, they were funny, moved along a couple of plot lines, and didn’t leave terribly annoying cliffhangers. Kevin in particular was hilarious, and the new HR rep looks to be an enjoyable addition to the show.

That said, before the strike cut things short I was hoping this season would be the last. I hope that whatever the writers have in mind for season five lives up to what they’ve done so far, ties things together nicely, and then brings the series to a close. I don’t want the usual tired on again/off again muck in the Pam and Jim storyline, I don’t want to watch current characters get stale or less-interesting new ones filter in like clockwork, and I’d really rather they not milk this cash cow. I’m crazy, I know.

Who knew that, at this very moment, the state of Idaho is in danger of being devoured by a titanic Peregrine Falcon? It’s amazing the things you learn thanks to the 50 State Quarters program.

For instance, Esto Perpetua is Latin for “Gah! It’s back!!”