Dan Gould

In the past two years or so I have moved strongly away from jazz as my interest in blues has expanded greatly. While I'd never stop listening to jazz, I definitely spend more listening time with blues artists of late and in fact when I went to the new and improved Blue Note Records shop on Saturday, I managed to drop $100 without once looking in the jazz section. So that gets me to wondering, assuming that for the vast majority of us, jazz is our number one musical genre, what is your number two? And as a follow up question, is there any chance that your number two could move up and supplant number one? If you had to live without one of those genres you enjoy, which would it be?

Last week I tried to spark what I thought would be a long-running, really interesting discussion about the music HERE but it didn't go very far. I do have an idea for a poll but it probably won't spark much discussion, its more informational than anything else. No, its not about the World Series, its a musical question.

Seriously, I could only see her going clockwise and could perceive no change or in any way "make it change". Its quite interesting to me in that, going through the list I would easily self-identify as "left brain" but at the same time I've had it drilled into me that the creative/improv/"in the moment" element of Voice Overs required "right brain" activity. In fact, before practice sessions, we would sometimes do improv sessions to sort of prime our right brain into action (such as a round of "Whose Line" games such as "props" or "titles only").

What was the question? I was mesmerized by her rack.

Its not just a question of slumps, its a question of who is hitting well vs who is hitting like a maniac. Here are the stats: If Youk hadn't played in the ALCS, do they win? Can you say the same thing about Lowell? And Youkilis doesn't have a Gold Glove at 3B but he sure as hell knows how to play the position and there wouldn't be little if any drop off between them. My best guess is that Youkilis gets the start twice in Colorado, Lowell once.

Well, having looked at the stats of the Rockies starters, I don't see them having much of a chance. In fact, I see it a lot like the 2004 Series - mediocre pitchers waiting to be slaughtered. None of them have a very high strikeout rate (Francis is best) and they all allow well over a hit per inning (not including the young fireballer). I think the Rockies have to get a big time performance from the two starters that weren't even with the team most of the year, which means they have to handle the post-season, and Fenway park, much better than Sabathia and Carmona did. On the other side of the coin, the Rockies do have a dangerous lineup, so the Sox have to pitch effectively. I have to wonder whether Tito will make the call to use Wakefield in Game 2, on the theory that you can't have Wakefield and Mirabelli in the lineup while Youkilis or Lowell are also on the bench. Or better yet, maybe Wake is still battling his back/shoulder blade issue and will actually miss the Series or not be available to start. I'd be fine with Lester getting a start. Wakefield in Game 2 though sets up Schilling to pitch Game 3 and 7. But I don't think that it will go that far. Sox in five is my prediction.

Sounds like she was asked a question, and answered it matter-of-factly. Of course, it might be different if she had called a press conference just to make that announcement. I heard that story too but am cynical enough to think it could have been a "plant". More importantly, what does being gay have to do with "finding true love"? Is the report incomplete? Was her entire answer "Dumbledore is gay" or did she say "Dumbledore is gay, so just so you know, he's looking for true love with a man"? It may very well have been a plant simply because, for whatever reason, she wanted to "out" the character. Why she couldn't do it in the books is the real question.

I'm in for $10.

The only way I'd go to one is with the intention to piss him off so much he would storm off in a huff and refuse to return. It would be the best I'd ever heard from him. Wow....you don't even like Fort Yawuh? The fact that Keith Jarrett sucks only serves to make his obnoxious stage personality that much more worthy of derision. YMMV, of course.

FWIW, Cadence was selling a CDR by a New York organist, Seleno Clarke. Eric Alexander is on the live recording made at Smoke. They explicitly identified it as a CDR and a check on the website shows a price that is lower than full retail but not exactly extra cheap: $12.

The only way I'd go to one is with the intention to piss him off so much he would storm off in a huff and refuse to return. It would be the best I'd ever heard from him.

I remember when my roommate Freshman year introduced me to the Dead Kennedys. "Kill The Poor" became an immediate favorite.

I know Pedroia played some SS before, but I'm pretty sure he's stuck with 2B since early in his minor league days. And anyway, I don't see Youkilis not being a major liability at second base, as he'd probably show even less range than he would in the OF! I remember though that Mientkiwicz played second base a time or two when he was on the team - but it would be a really weak right side with Papi looking like a statue at second base. Maybe you move players around based on the left-right match ups? Aah. Its just not going to work. Probably the only way to keep everyone in the lineup is to ask Lowell to play SS and just deal with the diminished range. If you're lucky you use positioning to make up for it, and at least Mike is sure-handed with the glove if he reaches it. Alternatively, I'd rather sit Lowell and keep Youk in the lineup because he is so hot. The team has done great ever since Lowell was moved into the five spot and Drew was dropped to six, but I think you've got to ride the strongest horses and right now, its Youk that has to be kept in the lineup, and you hope that Drew steps in for Lowell. The alternative is Youk out and Drew batting second behind Pedroia but that's a really weak lineup with Varitek hitting six behind Lowell. It used to be that you worried about Papi hurting the team with his defense instead of worrying about a big hit to the offense in an NL park.

I have to say I am very concerned about how the no-DH rule will effect our lineup in Denver. Back in 2004, it was Ortiz replacing Millar - an important, but not crucial, bat. Trot or a younger, better Varitek could take his place. But with Papi at first base, either Youkilis or Lowell has to sit, and both of them are critical parts of the lineup. The alternatives would be asking Lowell to play shortstop, which would definitely hurt the team defense, or maybe Youkilis to play rightfield in place of JD, but that is probably an even worse choice with the size of the outfield there. Maybe the best hope is that Drew keeps up his decent post-season and maybe he can replace Lowell for a couple of those games. Its really a pick-your-poison sort of situation having to sit either Youk or Lowell though. Major advantage to Colorado, or disadvantage to us. And you can't even use Youkilis off the bench as a pinch hitter until you are ready to sit Ortiz and put Youk in as defensive replacement. At least with Youk at third, you could use Lowell off the bench in a key spot and end up using Cora at third later on. I really don't like this at all though.

Well there ya go. In reality, he only rooted for the Sox to somehow "prove" his baseball acumen.

I don't know if me and Goodie are pals but since we are pulling for the same team (I assume) then I guess we're allies now. You know, its occurred to me that it took the greatest of daggers through the heart (the 2003 ALCS) for the Red Sox to get to the promised land the very next year. Maybe history will repeat and the Indians will make 2008 their own 2004 magic carpet ride. Aside from the Cubs, no other franchise deserves it more.

Maybe, maybe not. Had he scored, the momentum could have kept going in favor of the Indians. We can never predict how that shit would have played out. This is definitely correct, because tying the score would have taken the fans out of the game at Fenway, at least to an extent, and maybe has an effect on the Sox hitters, too. Plus you never know how a missed opportunity weighs on the mind of a team, particularly on the road. Doubts creep in, and the next thing you know you've grooved one down the middle. I bet that if the Tribe had tied the score, Betancourt retires the side in order, and anything might have happened after that.

What a contemptible piece of shit.

Thanks to Paul for linking this thread in the Weather Channel "smooth jazz" thread, as it gives me a chance to post about a jazz sighting that really surprised me a few years ago. February 2006, coming back from a Wedding in Tampa we stopped at a Mickey D's outside of Orlando and I was absolutely blown away when I realized that Dexter Gordon's "Cheesecake" was playing.

My Cleveland friends have my sincere sympathy as I've had my heart ripped out and stomped on many times before that streak of pain finally ended. I do think that the Indians are well-situated to get back to the playoffs and with a core of strong young players, hopefully they'll use this experience, take some motivation from it, and get it done next time. They'll have a huge step up if only Sabathia and Carmona get a harness on their emotions and pitch like they can. Having said that, I also have to say that there isn't much to defend or complain about when your team takes a 3-1 lead and proceeds to allow your opponent to outscore you 30-5 over three games and allow 13 hits a game, too. On this game in particular, despite the final score, it was one of the tensest Game Sevens I have ever watched, with so many critical moments. The Lofton situations - well, I understood the argument that maybe his hand got in there but the fact that in that situation, he never argued, suggested to me that the tag did get him, or else Lofton simply knew when the ball beat him to the base that he would be called out. We've all seen those calls before, sort of a close corollary to the "neighborhood play" - you're dead to rights when the ball arrives, you get called out. As for Lofton not scoring - well, for years Red Sox fans would complain about their third base coach for sending guys to their doom ("Send Em In" Kim comes to mind) but I've never seen a situation where a bad decision to hold up a runner would lead to a post-season of angst. Did anyone else think that Lofton was running kind of weird? Like his hip or knees are bothering him? He didn't really look like he was even getting out of first gear as he was approaching third base. It must really kill the Tribe fans that the final dagger through the heart was delivered by Betancourt, so untouchable for the last two months of the season and throughout the playoffs, and when it was absolutely critical to keep it a one run game - and then to keep it a three run game - he got crushed by little Dustin Pedroia. I think the WS will be very interesting - I am already hearing about the Rox being the same type of team as the 2003 Marlins. Super young, got hot at the right time and rode a wave of feeling as if you couldn't lose all the way to a championship. Jayson Stark has already picked them on that basis. I know that they won 2 out of 3 at Fenway in June, but for one thing, that was at the very nadir of Schilling's season. I think he made one more start against the Braves and then went on the DL. So you can throw out that start, at least to an extent (I am fully aware though that he could blow up the same way on Thursday). Beckett's start is unlikely to be repeated too - that was his first loss of the season, and he was simply due to have a stinker. I do know one thing for sure: the Rox may have impressive pitching, but they didn't face the Red Sox lineup, which is a long ways away from the one the D-Backs put out there. But whatever happens, its been a great season. I'll just be extra happy if they can keep it going and get another ring, because I've seen more than a couple of obnoxious Yankee fans who like to tell Red Sox fans to enjoy the wait until 2090 to win another crown. Shutting them up will be the final step - we beat them in 2004, took the Division title, now their team may see major changes without Torre, and another championship would put a little distance between us in the category of "21st Century Baseball Titles". Me likey!

Hasn't there been a discussion before of the fact that they occasionally use (or used, I haven't watched with the sound on in a very long time) jazz that we'd all recognize as not of the smooth variety? Funny that they'd program and market a smooth jazz comp.

Actually Coltrane isn't so big - about 40 pounds is all. He gives away a good 25 pounds to Gracie but is such an alpha male that he easily dominates her. But he's really the perfect size since he just slips between me and my wife in our queen size bed. Any bigger and one of us would be in the spare bedroom.

First they get Billy Mueller to throw out the first pitch of Game 6, and they've got Kevin Millar for Game 7. I guess that's cool and all, it was Millar who kept saying to anyone who would listen "All I'm sayin' is, don't let the Sox win tonight. Cuz if the Sox win tonight, then you got Petey, and then you got Schilling, and anything can happen in Game 7" before Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS. But if you really want to rub it in to the Indians before Game 7, don't you have to find Troy O'Leary and run him out there? Pedro and O'Leary killed the Tribe the last time they went to the final game of a series against the Sox in 1999. The sight of the guy whose two homer/7 RBI night ended your season 8 years earlier is much worse than getting Beckett's ex-squeeze to sing the Anthem, doncha think?

Pretty surprising "exclusive" in today's NY Daily News: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball...kees/2007/10/21