Turning Your Blue Eyes Red and Your Blue Skies Gray: June '06

Geez, I can't believe the year is halfway over. So far 2006 has produced some very fine music, and in honor of reaching halftime on the calendar, I offer you an expanded version of the monthly must-listen list.

1. Drive By Truckers - Gravity's Gone
   
2. The Raconteurs - Hands
3. Evangelicals - Here Comes Trouble
4. Pearl Jam - Life Wasted
   
5. The Boy Least Likely To - I'm Glad I Hitched My Apple Wagon to Your Star
6. Modern Skirts - Pasadena
7. The Zutons - Valerie
8. Levy - Rotten Love
9. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Snow (Hey Oh)
   
10. Office - Wound Up
11. The Flaming Lips - The Sound of Failure
    
12. Claxico - Cruel
13. Belle and Sebastian - Song for Sunshine
14. Portastic - I Want to Know Girls
15. Ted Leo/Pharmacists - Little Dawn

Bonus Track:

2006 Top Albums So Far

Pearl Jam - Pearl Jam

Josh Rouse - Subtitulo

Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers

Honorable Mentions:
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium
The Flaming Lips - At War with the Mystics
Stereophonics - Live from Dakota
Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not

PS: Pearl Jam fans, don't forgot to watch/tivo PJ's appearance on VH-1's "Storytellers" this weekend. Normally I only watch VH-1 for it's "I Love the 80's"-type shows, but this one looks promising. Maybe we'll even get a soundtrack CD. I know the Counting Crows episode found its way to a CD release, and we all know Pearl Jam is not one to shy away from releasing a live disc. Cross your fingers!

HEAT!!!

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=260620006
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=jackson/060621
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2006/news/story?id=2493982

CANES!!!

http://carolinahurricanes.com/
http://www.nhl.com/scores/boxscores/417_3_boxscore.html
http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20052006/GS030417.HTM
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/playoffs2006/index?conf=cup
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/playbyplay?gameId=260619007
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/hockey/nhl/boxscores/2006/06/19/20517_boxscore.html
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/hockey/nhl/specials/playoffs/2006/



***Even more from the day after***
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/playoffs2006/columns/story?columnist=burnside_scott&id=2492153&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab1pos1
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/playoffs2006/columns/story?columnist=melrose_barry&id=2492094&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab1pos2
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/playoffs2006/news/story?id=2492068
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/playoffs2006/news/story?id=2493334

And quite possibly the best picture taken all season...

Dear Girl from the Register of Deeds Office this Morning:

Hi,

We don't know each other, but I need to let you know something: You are absolutely one of the most beautiful girls I have ever seen in my life. I was only in the office for about 10 minutes this morning to look up a deed before my hearing, but that was more than enough time to be awe-struck by your radiant good looks. I tried my hardest not to stare, but there was more than one occasion where I just couldn't help it.

We never did have one of those "our eyes meet awkwardly for one brief moment so I look away really quickly and try to act like I was looking at something else" moments though, so maybe you didn't notice. That's probably for the best, because I would terrible if I came off as creepy or in any way made you feel uncomfortable. And besides, from what I could tell, you were very busy - you even had the "I spent a lot of time on my hair this morning, but I just have so much to do, I'm gonna put it in a ponytail to keep it out of my face" look going on, which was awesome by the way.

If I had had more time, I promise I would've come up with some lame to reason to talk to you (which I'm sure you would've seen right through). But alas, my time was short, and I had to leave before I could collect my thoughts enough to form a coherent sentence. And when I went back after my hearing (yeah...I did actually go back), you were gone.

I just thought I should tell you.

Our Government at Work

During those seemingly endless months of unemployment that occupied my life in late '05 and early '06, I sent a lot of resumes to the federal government. A lot. People had warned me that the government operated on a slightly longer timeframe than most employers when it came to contacting new hires, and I was OK with that. I had rejection letters and callbacks (mostly rejection letters) show up several weeks or sometimes even months after the closing deadlines for some positions. And I was OK with that.

But today I was blown away.

Not only did I receive a phone call this morning from one agency in DC wanting to set up an interview, but when I got home this afternoon, I had a shiny new rejection letter in the mail from another.

Keep in mind I haven't mailed out a single resume since January. So there.

Duke is just making it way too easy lately....

First the lacrosse rape scandal, and now this (from espn.com):

Ex-Duke star Redick charged with drunken driving

J.J. Redick, a likely first-round pick in this month's NBA draft, was arrested early Tuesday on charges of drunken driving.

Redick's Draft Status

The NBA draft is scheduled June 28 in New York City. How the arrest will affect Redick's draft status is unclear. "I think that these things hurt anybody's draft status," an Eastern Conference GM, who wanted to remain anonymous, told ESPN.com's Andy Katz. "They do in my eyes. I take these things seriously. That's too bad." Redick had previously pulled out of scheduled workouts with Orlando and Boston this week. Previously, he had worked out for Golden State, Utah, Houston and Seattle. Among the teams reportedly interested in Redick is Houston, which has the No. 8 pick. Redick's agent, Arn Tellem, doesn't believe this incident will affect Redick's draft status. "Absolutely not," Tellem said. "Everyone knows his character and his body of work during his four years where he's been a great player and person at Duke. He has handled himself well on and off the court." Tellem added that he is confident that Redick will be drafted between No. 7 and No. 14.

Redick, The Associated Press Player of the Year, also was charged with unlawful use of highways for making an illegal U-turn.

Redick, who has a Virginia driver's license, lost his driving privileges in North Carolina for 30 days, police spokeswoman Kammie Michael said.

The 21-year-old Redick was released on $1,000 bond shortly after being taken before a Durham County magistrate. He is to appear in court July 17. The arresting officer wrote in his report that Redick had "very glassy eyes, strong odor of alcohol coming from breath."

Redick had a blood-alcohol level of 0.11. The legal limit for drivers in North Carolina is 0.08.

"I regret what happened last night, and want to apologize to my family and the Duke community for the incident," Redick said in a statement issued by the university.

Redick finished his career as the leading scorer in Atlantic Coast Conference history.

"J.J. knows he made a mistake and regrets it," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said in a statement. "He represented the very best in college athletics and exhibited outstanding character at Duke the last four years. He is and will continue to be a credit to the Duke basketball family. As his friend and his coach, he has my total support."

Redick's agent, Arn Tellem, added: "J.J. is an outstanding student athlete of the highest character. He is an exemplary role model and a credit to his family and the entire Duke community. This is nothing more than an isolated incident. Everyone who has come into contact with J.J. as a student and an athlete knows the quality person he is and will continue to be."

Redick was arrested soon after 1 a.m. when he turned around as he approached a license check point near the Duke campus, Michael said. He pulled into a parking lot of an apartment complex after police pursued him.

"There wasn't a chase. He didn't run from them," Michael said. "He was pretty cooperative."

Redick, who won the 2006 Wooden Award as the nation's top college player, shot 47 percent from the field, 42 percent from 3-point range and 85 percent from the free throw line in leading Duke to a 32-4 record. He finished his career with 2,769 points and 457 3-pointers. Redick holds the NCAA career record for 3-pointers.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Forever Young?

Not that I really need an excuse to reference a Rod Stewart song title, but I thought this was pretty funny. I went to Subway for lunch this afternoon after being in court for the better part of the day, and as such, I was wearing a suit and was completely clean-shaven. (Confession time: on days where I don't go to court, I usually sport just the tie and khakis, and every once in a while I can manage a day off from shaving and still look presentable. Anyway....)

So as I walk in, the girls behind the counter are busy restocking/cleaning/etc as there were no other customers in there. I wasn't really eavesdropping, but the terms "graduation," "summer vacation," and "final exams" were being thrown around freely. These were high schoolers. But when the one girl stepped up to take my order, she started openly flirting with me...I could barely request some of that delicious new pepperjack cheese as she wouldn't stop talking about how nice I looked all dressed up.

But here's the kicker: she thought I was her age, in a suit trying to land a summer internship or something.

Not that she was that hot, or that I would ever (probably) pursue a high schooler even if she was hot, but at the time I did get a certain satisfaction from knowing I can still potentially pass for being in my upper teens. Then later I realized that one of the only advantages to this trait is, well, being able to pick up high school girls.

And that made me a little sad.

Too Punk to be Metal, Too Metal to be Punk: May '06

Did anyone else catch that 4-part "History of Heavy Metal" documentary on VH-1 last weekend? I do have a tendency to sucked into shows like that, but this one was actually very good and very well done. Anyway, here's a bunch of songs from bands that were not featured in that special. And no wise-cracks about a certain hip-shaking Latina pop star appearing on this month's edition. If you say that's not one of the catchiest f-ing songs you've ever heard, you're only lying to yourself.

1. Pearl Jam - Marker in the Sand
2. Stereophonics - Maybe Tomorrow (from Live from Dakota)
3. Flamingo Star - Only Dancing
4. Drive By Truckers - Easy on Yourself
5. The Black Keys - Meet Me in the City
6. Shrift - As Far as I Can See
   
7. The Twilight Singers - Andiamo
8. Arcade Fire - No Cars Go
9. Voom:Voom - Baby
   
10. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Dani California
11. N. Lannon - Hollow Heart
12. Nino Moschella - Didn't You See Her?
    
13. Silver Scooter - New Orleans
14. The Stills - Destroyer
15. Wolfmother - Dimension
16. Beirut - Postcards from Italy
17. The Coup - My Favorite Mutiny
18. David Mead - Chatterbox
19. Shakira w/ Wyclef - Hips Don't Lie
20. Bombay Dub Orchestra - Mumtaz (The Ornament of the Palace Mix)