That was pretty rude of me to start out trying to praise Ted Leo and end up posting Hold Steady videos. Truth is, Ted Rocks. I mean, really rocks.

He deserves his own post. 

I was poking around youtube looking for some Ted Leo videos to share.  I was thinking that some of you might like him: He is a terriffic guitarist, a great singer,  tremendous performer, and original to boot.  But I couldn't find anything with great sound on youtube.  Fustrated, I clicked the insta-relief button that is the Hold Steady google,  and found this video that perfectly captures what THEY are like on stage. It's not the same without the crowds  impromptu fountains of beer, but the band is pretty must just like that.

Update:  I found a good youtube video of a song that more in line with what I thought I was getting into when I bought Ted Leo's well reviewd Tyranny of Distance  AllMusic says I got the right one, but I like the sound of the songs below, and whatever ones YahooRadio played for me a few years back,  better. 

Shit, I shouldn't have broke the HoldSteady seal. Here's a good recording of one of my favorite songs of theirs. You got to make it to the bridge at 1:20 and the other at 2:50, if you do that, you will understand why I love them. And you'll understand a lot about Holly, the girl whom their three albums revolve around.

The JustAformentioned www.edsbs.com led me to a bevy of transformers related redubs.  The first five are hillarious.  

Dan from Nebraska has written a spiffy little 4 point pitch simulator. The rules are precisely like Grandma likes them. Note, however, that although this is a four person game, the scoring is done cut-throat style: You are not on the same team as the person across from you.

Also note that in 5 point pitch  the deck contains one Joker that is worth another point if it is captured. It is always trump and not worth any game.  The Joker can capture a 2-10, but loses to Jacks, Queens, Kings, and Aces.

That is all

  The clip below is the Promo for the big fight this weekend between Joe  "the Welsh Dragon" Calzaghe and  Mikkel "The Ghost" Kessler.   I found it while reading the very promissing  Bad Left Hook blog, which is the lone boxing blog in the SBNation.  Sports Blog nation is a collective of blogs including Every Day Should be Saturday and DawgSports. 

The guys at Bad Left Hook had this  to say about the gravity of this fight

There is not a more important, more necessary fight on the schedule, and I count Cotto-Mosley and Mayweather-Hatton in that statement. This one will prove, definitively, who the best is in this weight class. It's been Calzaghe for a long time. Mikkel Kessler could go one of two ways against Joe: He could be the dragon slayer, or he could just be another Jeff Lacy.

They are using the words "important" and "necessary" the way I used the word "meaningful", and therfore I heartedly agree.

I also mentioned a while back that I hate Floyd´s propensity for blather.  When I wrote that I felt like I should give him credit for speaking more plainly than some others, like Vivian Harris, but now I am not so sure.  Vivian presumably speaks English as a second language, and took a few beatings for having a woman´s name.   Meanwhile, Floyd remains the kind of guy who gives himself a nickname. Check out his latest incomprehensible inanity here, as he responds to a question about his experience on Dancing with The Stars.

People were nice. And actually, I was the only one on the show that was the best at what he do because I don't really know the race  car driver, but he's not the best race car driver. Some of the people were actresses weren't the best. And you had like Mark Cuban, he's not the richest billionaire. So, I was the best at what I do. Obviously, I'm in the sport of boxing and what I do.

There is something depraved about multi millionaires who speak like twelve-year-olds. Makes me sad. And not just in the "that moron is rich and I ain´t" sort of way either. Somewhere along the line he made a choice to behave like amoron, and everybody around him either encouraged him or bit their lip.

BAH!

Florida is Tokyo, Georgia is Godzilla

The Inspiration for that vido can be found here and here.

Needless to say it's been a great Fall. Beginning with the McMinn Wedding and ending with the Cocktail Party Celebration Victory.   Last week Corrie suprised me twice, first with a trip to Athens to See the Hold Steady, and second with a suprise party at Velocity, where we all watched the Georgia game.  Awesome.

Photos abound here (gallery added to sidebar).

I don't know if it's just the logical falacy speaking, but I think our lack of expectations gives Georgia a good chance against the Gators this year.

Corrie took me to Athens thursday night to see the Hold Steady.  Talk about a double whammy surprise!  Awesome. They finally played up to their 'legendary bar band' expectations.

Last night we went to see the Cigar Store Indians, who never disapoint. Except last night. They didn't have a drummer.  Hmmmpf. It was almost worth it though, just to see Rich try to get his head around the idea of a band without a drummer.

Speaking of revolutionary ideas, I saw Chuck D in athens. he walked past us while we were eating at the Last resort.  Or at least I think I did.  I hope I did, since I have been bragging about it since.

An old Colleague sent me this, citing my "thing for hippos".

Corrie and I are getting into Midlake, on the strength of Andy's reccommendation:

I had this week off so I went to FernBank to check out the Frogs.  Very Cool.

Then we checked out the Impresionalist exhibit at the High.  Very cool.  Cezanna, Monet, Manet, Degas and a bunch of others.     It was very educational.

Watched most of the fourth season of Six Feet Under, and saw "We Own the Night" at the theater.      It was less predictable than I expected. But good, as I expected.

Speaking of movies,  Dennis Lehane's "Gone Baby Gone" is out. I forgot all about it.   I don't believe it follows the book very well.  It sounds like Ben Affleck wanted to make his own Mystic River, so he drained all the witty goodness from a different Lehane book.   Forgivable, perhaps, had he not screwed with Bubba Rogowski, started mid series, downplayed Angie, and most of all, Screwed with Bubba. 

Corrie is taking me somewhere today. She told me to pack for the night. I have no idea where....Exiciting.

No, the Hip arn't coming the Athens. I purposfully under introduced those tour dates, so don't feel bad.

Hey I had a great dinner at Miguel Torres again.  Here is what I had.

Filete de vacuno con roll de lengua rellena de pate de camaron en salsa de brandy

Mero grille con salsa de hierbas verdes y pure horneado e zuccini, nuez y tomate confitado

Turron frio y nugatina con salsa de brandy al habano

Which Translates to:

Fillet of beef with language roll filled with pate de camaron in brandy sauce 
Mero grille 'sauce with green herbs and puree of baked zuccini, walnut and tomato confit
Turron cold and nugatina with brandy sauce to Havana cigar

A couple of notes:  Dollars to donuts that 'launguage roll' was cow's tongue.    "Pate de Camaron" is  mushy shrimp.    Mero is Sea Bass, I think.    There was no cigar, it was essence of cigar.

Let me just say that the Cow's tongue thing was bothering me when I it was an unfortunate aftertaste, but when I decided to attack it head on, it was damn good.  I think I had mentioned the "green herbs and puree of baked zuccini" before as "green stuff, and mushy zuchini".  

None of these items sound great in english, but that ain't the fault of the translation:  The dishes are in fact unorthodox. But man they taste gooooooood. That desert rocked.

Not that I ain't stoked to be on the next flight back to the states.  Speaking of which, I gotta run......

Floyd got knocked out of Dancing with the Stars.  He looked pretty bad to me, and I´m an expert.  

 Of all the things I don´t like about Floyd, the one that annoys me most is his total disregard for coherant sentences.  "I´m just glad to have reached this plateau" he said , after being voted off the show,  as if his appearance on the show was a function of his past dancing achievements.   Idiot.  The sum of his dancing career is Barely beating and Synthetic Wayne Newton, and then losing to a spice girl.   His logic  reminds me of someone:

Anyhow, this concludes the Slowdow´s coverage of Dancing With the Stars.   Unless Hatton goes on it next year.  That would be so cool.

In other new, my sister Kristina called to let me know she saw the Tragically Hip in Hollywood last night.  No, this doesn´t mean that I have made a fan out of someone, her husband is Canadian and therefore she didn't have a choice.  I am still chopping wood as the promotion manager of this band, who remain number 1 on my list of´ 'Bands I wish were playing in my city right now':  My friends have upgraded their oppinion from hostile rejection to pityfully aloof.

The band who holds the top spot in my list of  Best Rock Conerts Ever, is Dinosaur Jr.   Here are the canidates for  "The best Rock Concert I have ever seen, part two. And Part Three, and Part Four".

11-20 Millvale, PA - Mr. Small's
11-21 Buffalo, NY - The Town Ballroom
11-23 Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club
11-24 Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club
11-27 Washington, DC - Black Cat
11-28 Raleigh, NC - Lincoln Theatre
11-29 Knoxville, TN - Blue Cats Live
11-30 Asheville, NC - The Orange Peel
12-01 Jacksonville Beach, FL - Freebird Live
12-02 Orlando, FL - The Club at Firestone
12-03 Athens, GA - 40 Watt Club
  (What else is there to do in December?)

12-05 Memphis, TN - Young Ave. Deli
12-06 New Orleans, LA - House of Blues
12-07 Austin, TX - Emo's
12-08 Dallas, TX - House of Blues
12-09 Oklahoma City, OK - Diamond Ballroom
12-11 Iowa City, IA - Picador
12-12 Omaha, NE - Slowdown
12-13 Kansas City, MO - Voodoo Lounge at Harrah's Casino
12-14 Denver, CO - The Ogden Theater
12-15 Aspen, CO - Belly Up

Finally, and while on the topic of promotion, I give you the Chimichange Riots

UPDATE:  No, the intro to that song doesn't sound anything like Shadowy Men From a Shadowy Planet, I don't know what you are thinking.   BTW, That's Steve singing.  Talk to him about the audio quality.

This Saturday Night Vic Chesnut is playing at the Earle. Not Sure if I we are going to make it.  Should be a good show.

Friday the 27th the Cigar Store Indians are playing at Smiths Olde Time Bar.  I think the crew should go to this.  Email being sent to crew right now.

Brian Regan on Nov 9th. Between The Newlyweds and Corrie and I, we have 8 tickets.  6 Are Together.  I have reserved two for Ed and Kory.  Rich, you want the other two?

Cotto v. Mosley on Nov 10th, I would like to buy the fight at have people over to watch it.  No charge.