Michigan loses 25-23 in season opener

Well, despite the lack of anything even resembling a major college QB, the Wolverines made it interesting in the end. The defense turned it around in the 2nd half. It was very obvious that this Michigan team is better conditioned than those in the past. Despite chasing Utah all over the field, the defense never looked exhausted or out of it. They put pressure on the Utes' QB and shut down the running game. Let's hope the 2nd half is more indicative of how Michigan's D will play this season.

As for the offense, well, it's a mess. The teams is lacking a QB capable of running the spread offense that Rich Rodriguez favors. It's obvious that until a different breed of QB comes to Michigan that this offense will struggle. Neither Nick Sheridan or Steven Threet looked good running the offense. Sheridan started out okay but threw a horrible, costly interception before the end of the first half that lead directly to a Utah TD. Threet overthrew almost every pass and hung onto the ball way too long. The running game could never get going because the pass was so ineffective. The offensive line was pretty pourous all game long.

I am hoping things improve before we take on the hated Fighting Irish, but right now it's hard to think they will improve enough by then to compete with Notre Dame.

You have no idea how much it hurt me to type that.

2008 Michigan Wolverines football

The Rich Rodriguez era has just begun up in Ann Arbor. So far Michigan's D cannot keep up with the speed of Utah's spread offense. I was really expecting more from the D. The Michigan offense has struggled but has not looked as bad as many had feared. It's gonna take while for the offense to gel; everyone knew that. But this defense has no excuse. They look just as slow and lost as last season.

As of now, it's 12-10 Utah early in the 2nd quarter and Utah as 215 yards of offense. Gulp!

McCain picks Sarah Palin

John McCain took a calculated risk by naming Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate. This is very clearly a move to win over over the female supporters of Hillary Clinton that have yet to accept Obama as the Democrat's nominee. In that sense, it is a shrewd move. On the other hand, she is woefully inexperienced, something McCain keeps hammering Obama himself about. And while it's true that she is only running for VP, it bears noting. As CNN's Paul Begala said, when you're 72 and you have had four bouts with cancer (as McCain has), you ought to choose a qualified VP.

We'll see how this all plays out, but I expect McCain to get a significant bump out of this and the Rupublican convention. I watched a bit of Palin's speeech today and thought she did well. We could be in for a very tight race.

Top 10 lesser known Beatles' songs

In no particular order and always subject to change:

I've Got A Feeling
When I Get Home
I Call Your Name
It's Only Love
Martha My Dear
You Won't See Me
She Came In Through The Bathroom Window
All I've Got To Do
I'll Be Back
Yes It Is

Celebrity news minute

Fame can be a cruel mistress and can eat up even the best relationship and spit it out in a New York minute. In sad and shocking news, it has been reported that former Saturday Night Live cast member Chris Kattan and his wife of 8 weeks have filed for legal separation. The news is sad because, well, a love story has seemingly come to an abrupt end. And the news is shocking because I would have sworn that dude is gay.








Not that there's anything wrong with that...

Obama picks Biden

Biden was who I wanted to get the Dem nomination for president, so I am happy in that regard. But I wonder how much this really helps Obama's candidacy. Biden is from the northeast and that area is pretty heavily doe the dems to begin with. I don't know how politically expedient this move is because I don't think Biden is going to bring a lot of voters over to Obama. With the Hillary supporters already threatening to stay home, I don't think this helps. I don't think Hillary should have been the pick, but I think she should have been given a little more public respect from the Obama camp. I do hope that Obama publicly announces a major role for her in his proposed administration. That may lead to some healing.

The old plagiarism charge against Biden is being brought up already. I am not sure how much damage it will cause since Biden acknowledged this long ago. But it is ammunition for the republicans and I fully expect them to use that and more. Biden's controversial quote about about Obama being the first "clean and articulate" african-american candidate is already being trotted out as well. What's so funny about that is that Obama obviously had no problem with what Biden was saying then, as he picked him as his running partner. But trust me, you are gonna be hearing a lot of white people telling black people how outraged they should be by what Biden said a while back. Classic stuff.

I am seeing a lot about Obama being ridiculed as the "Chosen One" by other camps. I don't get that charge at all because it was simply created by republican talking heads. It came about by what has been perceived as heavily slanted media bias towards Obama's candidacy. Whether or not such bias exists is irrelevant because Obama has had nothing to do with it. Obama has certainly not proclaimed himself as the "Chosen One" so why that is used against him personally, I don't understand. It is really a slam against the media but it has been twisted by others to actually be against Obama himself. Weird; you'd think if you really wanted to ridicule the guy that you would know the meaning of what you are saying.

For a, *ahem*, completely different take on Obama's candidacy, please check out my buddy Dave's blog by clicking right here. We may not agree on very much politically, but Dave is still my amigo. Rock on, Dave!

A good first day

Laurel did just fine at school, according to her and her teachers. When I picked her up she gave me a huge smile and an even bigger hug. She said she had fun and that they played and played and played (that's one of her patented sayings). The teachers said she did very well, smiled a lot and was outgoing. I asked Laurel if she listened to her teachers and she said yes. She said she didn't make any friends yet, but was nice to everyone. I told her that was a great start.

I am so proud of my little buddy. Mommy is too, of course.

We love you, Laurel!!!

Early success!

Laurel went to preschool this morning without a hitch! Turns out I was far more nervous than she was, for which I am grateful. She gave us a few last second hugs and then sat down to play Play-Doh. Barb and I quickly cut out of there and that was that. A few kids were balling, but she didn't seem to notice.

Now here's hoping that the rest of her day there goes well!

My Little Buddy

My daughter Laurel has her first day of preschool tomorrow and I am a nervous wreck. I am positive that she is going to freak out once Barb and I try to leave after dropping her off. Worse, I am so worried some other kid is going to be mean to her. She has had very little opportunity to play with kids her own age (she prefers my daughter's teenage friends anyway) so I don't know how she is going to handle herself. I probably shouldn't be worried; she's an out-sized personality herself and chances are she'll be the one that needs to be kept in line. But I do worry and I don't want anyone to ever hurt her little feelings. I guess I need to get over that because it's gonna happen a lot in her life, but it's hard for me to accept right now. The thought of someone treating her badly really gets me upset. Hopefully tomorrow will be rougher on me than on her. I'll definitely post an update tomorrow.

I love you, Laurel!

Some Madden highlights

I love this feature, where you can save your highlights and upload them to the 'net. I have not played a whole lot, but these are some of my better plays thus far.

In my very first game, Rams rookie WR Donnie Avery gets behind the 49ers' secondary and Marc Bulger is on the money:

EA SPORTS World: Madden 09 Video Highlight

In this one, played this morning, I took the 2nd half kickoff back for a TD to take a 10-7 lead. Playing in the snow looks freaking awesome:

EA SPORTS World: Madden 09 Video Highlight

Finally, in the same game, Chris Draft puts the game away. Rams win 24-7 after trailing 7-0:

EA SPORTS World: Madden 09 Video Highlight

Madden (and NFL Head Coach) released

I picked up the Collector's Edition of Madden '09, which also comes with NFL Head Coach. So far, I am hugely impressed. Keep in mind that Madden lost my business the last couple of years, so this is a big turnaround. These impressions are early, of course, but so far I am very pleased.

The first thing you notice is that Madden is flat out gorgeous. EA did an unbelievable job in the graphics department. The colors are maybe a tad bit flat to me (especially in comparison with NCAA '09), but overall the game is just beautiful. The audio is a mixed bag because the play-by-play announcer is really bad. He sounds like is he is reading his lines off of cue cards. But Cris Collinsworth (who I don't care too much for on real broadcasts) is excellent in his role as the color commentator. He really nailed it.

Of course what matters most is how the game plays and I am pleased to say that it blows NCAA '09 out of the water. The QBs are not all superhuman for one thing, and I can actually get pressure on the QB with my front four. I came around the end with Leonard Little in one game and absolutely nailed Vince Young. Just laid him out flat. It was so well done and looked so realistic that it was actually exhilarating. That sensation is completely missing from NCAA '09.

There are only a few problems I have with the game. First of all, the atmosphere is just blah. EA has never gotten this right in Madden and it needs to be addressed. That is one area NCAA '09 beats Madden. Secondly, as someone who really enjoys CPU vs. CPU, the running game in that mode is awful. The CPU can never get the running game going and they usually average about 1.5 to 2.5 yards a carry, which is not good enough. In the past I could simply adjust the CPU sliders and fix the problem easy as pie. But there are no CPU sliders in Madden this year, because instead they have introduced adaptive difficulty and they have human sliders. These work pretty well, EXCEPT for CPU vs. CPU users. There is talk that CPU sliders could be added in a patch, but I am not holding my breath because the game is getting almost universally good reviews (as it should). I don't know if EA will think it's worth the effort to add CPU sliders when everyone seems to love the game so much.

But the game is meant to be played, and it plays wonderfully. It still has little niggling problems left over from NCAA '09, like the ghost jukes and lack of sideline awareness. But it's not as glaring as it is in NCAA '09 and EA is already working on a patch to address these problems. Playing defense is so much more enjoyable in Madden as well. The defensive AI has not been dumbed down the way it was in NCAA '09. This means the game play is less wide open (which is fine for pro football) but you don't see the CPU defense doing incredibly stupid things to make the offense more potent, ala NCAA '09.

I have not played Head Coach yet, but it looks like it is incredibly deep and I have heard nothing but raves about it so far. Maybe that is how I will have to get my CPU vs. CPU fix this year. Still, it doesn't look as nice as Madden and I will have to do all the play calling, rather than just letting the game play out, so it will be a lot more time intensive.

But it really looks like EA has nailed their pro football games this year. I am a bit bummed because I prefer college football over pro, so I'd rather have NCAA '09 be better than Madden. But if NCAA '10 is equal to Madden '09, I should be very happy indeed.

The Great Albums, vol. 3: The Beatles - Rubber Soul

Folks, it just doesn’t get any better than The Beatles. They are widely acknowledged to have been not only the most popular band of the modern rock era, but also the best. Their music has proved to be timeless; nearly 40 years after their break-up, they are still essential listening and their influence can still be heard in modern music.

But picking a favorite Beatles’ album is a dicey proposition. Their albums were almost all universally strong, filled with classic songs and performances that delight people to this day. I am of the opinion that you can make a strong argument for no less than 5 albums in looking for the best one. (Note: I am referring to the original UK releases, not the American versions which often contained different tracks and track orders.) These top 5 are A Hard Day’s Night, Rubber Soul, Revolver, The Beatles (The White Album) and Abbey Road. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band, probably their watershed album, falls just short for me, as do the excellent Beatles For Sale and Help! In fact, in their entire catalogue, only Yellow Submarine is not a complete success, as it is filled with a lot of instrumental music from the film.

Despite the difficulty in claiming any one Beatles album is better than the rest, it has always been my opinion (and it remains so today, if a bit more tenuously than in the past) that Rubber Soul is the best. It marked a real departure for The Beatles as their songs became more introspective and mature. Heavily influenced by The Byrds and Bob Dylan at the time, Rubber Soul has more of a folk/rock feel to it than the earlier Beatles’ albums. It definitely finds the Beatles in a more experimental mode, especially with George Harrison showing his Eastern music influence by introducing the sitar in “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown).”

For Rubber Soul, The Beatles were in the midst of their “middle period” where they really honed their songwriting skills and moved beyond the more immature (but still brilliant and ground-breaking) rock and roll of their early days. The Beatles released 3 albums in this so-called middle period: Help!, Rubber Soul and Revolver. Each is a classic in its own right and many people to this day consider Revolver to be The Beatles’ peak. I happen to disagree, even if not by much.

In the early days of the Beatles, John Lennon was unquestionably the leader. By the middle period, however, it was clear that Paul McCartney had become his equal as a songwriter, and George Harrison was rapidly developing his songwriting skills as well. Each has glorious moments on Rubber Soul. The album kicks off with “Drive My Car,” a song jointly composed by Lennon and McCartney. The jaunty, humorous bent to the song signals the Rubber Soul will be different from past Beatles’ albums. That is immediately confirmed by the next song, Lennon’s “Norwegian Wood.” Written about a tryst with a groupie, the song is considered a confessional to the then-married Lennon’s wife, Cynthia. It is also well known for the aforementioned sitar as well as it’s own humorous conclusion.

McCartney is up next with his wonderful “You Won’t See Me,” full of beautiful harmonies and a compelling lead vocal. Lennon’s “Nowhere Man” follows and it is a stunner. Picking up where “I’m A Loser” (from Beatles For Sale) left off, the song tells the story of a lost man who doesn’t realize the world is passing him by. This song is often considered to be another confession by Lennon, confronting himself on what he felt was an empty life. Harrison’s first song on the album is the fine “Think For Yourself,” which benefits greatly from McCartney’s fuzz bass guitar. Another joint Lennon/McCartney composition, “The Word,” follows. Side 1 of Rubber Soul closes with a true classic, McCartney’s beautiful, Grammy-winning “Michelle.”

Side 2 kicks off with Ringo singing lead vocals on “What Goes On” which he co-wrote with both Lennon and McCartney. If there is a weak track on the album this is it, but it does show off some fine guitar work by Harrison and as always, the harmonizing is first-rate. A minor Lennon classic, “Girl” is memorable for Lennon’s lead vocal and playfully biting lyrics. McCartney pulls no such punches with the next song, “I’m Looking Through You.” Chastising a “changed” lover, lines such as “Love has a nasty habit of disappearing overnight” pretty much sum up the feelings of a song that many think McCartney wrote for his then girlfriend, Jane Asher.

Up next is another Lennon/McCartney collaboration and it’s one of the more timeless songs in the entire Beatles’ catalogue. Comprising mainly of Lennon’s lyrics set to McCartney’s music, “In My Life” is an absolutely lovely, introspective look at life, relationships and love and it’s message is just as powerful and meaningful today as it was back in 1965. McCartney and Lennon team up again on “Wait” and then Harrison makes a strong impression with “If I Needed Someone.” With it’s jangly guitars and brilliant harmonies, it’s the most obvious shout-out to The Byrds and their influence on the Beatles at that time. The album closes with one of Lennon’s patented jealous-guy songs, “Run For Your Life.” With it’s protagonist proclaiming, “I’d rather see you dead little girl than to be with another man,” The Beatles are a long way from “I Want To Hold Your Hand” territory indeed.

Rubber Soul was recorded in just 4 weeks and rushed out in time for release for Christmas of 1965. Critics immediately hailed it as a masterwork and it shot to the top of the charts in Britain, where it stayed for 8 weeks. In 2003, the album was ranked #5 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time list. In 2006, Time Magazine named it one of the 100 best albums of all time. Like nearly all of the Beatles’ music, Rubber Soul remains timeless and a testament to the incredible talent of The Beatles.