Edwin MacPhisto

Denver looks entirely unimpressive. Way too much space in the middle of the field, and they're folding on every important down. They haven't looked this bad all year, have they? I can't remember lapses like these.

"I know you wish you lived the life of Brokeback Mountain" is awesome.

I loved 'em in 10th grade. I still listen to Siamese Dream once or twice a year, and I'm fond of the quieter moments on Adore ("To Sheila" is probably the simplest, best, least embarrassing song they ever wrote). I have absolutely no interest in any material they'd put out or tours they'd do.

Two songs, 20 minutes apiece. "The Fighting Blue Hens Are For You And I" and "Our Incorporation Laws Evade Justice In Some Roundabout Ways."

Holy crap, Virginia beat UNC. I know UNC is not even close to last year's team, but after getting absolutely shitkicked last year, I had no expectations of UVA winning tonight. The team has still collapsed terribly against Fordham and Western Kentucky, but they're learning, and rebounding so, so much better than they have in the past three or four seasons. I love Dave Leitao as coach--he's developing players in a way Pete Gillen never could. UVA only has three or four guys (Singletary, Adrian Joseph, J.R. Reynolds, Jason Cain) who I'd consider ACC-caliber players, but he's making it work. He'll have them back in the tournament in a year.

Yuck. Sufjan Stevens should be around for a while to come. He's cresting now with Illinois, and seems to be sliding nicely into the role that a lot of people saved for Elliott Smith before he pwned himself.

Pretty much how I feel. I voted for "seen the movie, all in his head" for the reasons you outlined, but I think it's obviously a better and funnier story if he actually did do it all.

The Beach Boys/Brian Wilson's Smile has got to get some recognition, as people had been attempting to piece a version of that together for almost forty years until he released it last year. In more recent history, I think people are right to say that the Use Your Illusion discs were more anticipated even within the GnR universe. I'd also suggest Nirvana's In Utero and, on a shorter timeframe (as things always are with rap), Doggystyle. Both followed absolutely huge albums, and Nirvana and Snoop had to be the biggest artists in their respective genres at the time.

Actually, I think they do play it a bit. I've seen them three times, and both of the times that I saw them at a non-festival, they played it. Great encore, and really one of my favorite songs of theirs.

That's him. I dug this episode. Really cool encounter with beloved character actor M.C. Gainey, which was a great to make a real sort of "first contact" with the others. Liked his introduction ("when you walk into someone's home, do you take of your shoes, put your feet up, go into rooms that aren't yours"); it was cold, and it gives the impression that the others have been there for a very, very long time, so much so that two months is barely a wink. Between this week's episode and last week's episode, I'm majorly torn on how supernatural this whole situation is. Last week had too many perfect coincidences; this week was matter-of-fact, realistic, and seemed totally straight-up. The Jackback was okay, if absolutely predictable in every way. I maintain that they're not that necessary any longer, but it was good to get some resolution on what happened between his wife and him. Still, there was so much more meat on the island with what was happening now--Jin and Sun's conversation, Charlie, Hurley, and Sayid chilling out in the bunker--I would have loved for those moments to get more time.

Great thread. I'm making a go at replacing too much take-out with cooking for myself more often over the next few months, and this stuff will be a big help.

There are hundreds upon hundreds of colleges out there, Matt. Community college is obviously one option, but there are a shit-ton of public universities that don't cost a whole lot. You're not going to go to Berkeley for free, but maybe you'll find something at, I don't know, Southeast Missouri State. All of the people I know who joined the military because they didn't know what they wanted to do or had no other options loved it for the first few months, and then started the countdown till they could get out. If it's not what you want to do, you're not gonna like it.

This was the funniest thing I had read in days. I had no idea that it related to wrestling, but it was sublime.

Not sure if this or "most anticipated album in rock and roll history" is the overstatement of the year.

I wanted to punch every member of Blonde Redhead in the crotch when I saw them open for Interpol. Their sound was mixed terribly and I didn't like that warbly man-woman thing's approach at all. I think a lot of this depends on how you're defining "quite a while," and "popular." Queens of the Stone Age have been around for eight years already (R is my favorite album of theirs, by the way). They'll make it to ten no problem. "Popular" is a tough term too; are we looking at longevity, sales, or some combination of both? Oh, my spinning head! On Interpol: I'm not really sure how they'll fare. They've put out two relatively acclaimed albums that have both been pretty popular for albums coming out through Matador, but I think both are floating around 400,000 copies sold at this point. They can probably maintain that level, but I'm not sure they go much higher without some breakout single. Death Cab/Gibbard are in a similar situation, but their latest has gone gold (500,000 copies).

Zing! Whitaker has already crossed the line from being manipulative to creepy. I was really impressed with how the episode ended; I think that moment, with Vic not being able to lie to Lem about something really, truly terrible, is a great way of showing how Vic's approach to, well, everything, has changed over the past two and a half years. I don't know if he's going to be able to convince Lem that he didn't kill Terry, or if the Strike Team is just going to have to deal with all that being on the table. I hope it's the latter.

I love the basic, harsh RZA production style, but I also love "Gravel Pit." Which, as previously mentioned, also sports a great video. Their best work in the 00s, I think.

My one qualm with this season thus far is that the timeline is shaping up to be very similar to last season. This year's airport hostage crisis is last year's Secretary Heller and Audrey held captive in a factory, both of which seem to be diversions to a much greater end...both groups using live broadcasts...I liked last year's "Marwan springs a new disaster every three or four hours," but I hope that's not where this year is headed.

Jack Bauer's long lost twin brother. Make it happen.

Mole

They'll get a lot of mileage out of her meeting up with Jack after thinking he was dead for so long. Or maybe blow her up, like everyone else. I kinda like having all the continuity from last and previous seasons in modest-to-small parts (hopefully Wayne Palmer will be around some more, too), as opposed to the past few resets, especially last year's.

Didn't Savannah State go winless last year, too? Poor guys.

Most of the gore/violence isn't that affective, in my opinion. The movie isn't boring, but it isn't exactly thrilling either. The first half is pretty much hilarious and deplorable. What I remember as far as gore goes: It's no worse than the Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake, which I actually found more visceral (if less funny).

Lisztomania, 5 minutes ago, a favorite of mine. Roger Daltrey of the who as composer Franz Liszt, battling a vampire/nazi/zombie Richard Wagner for musical fame and the survival of the German people. I don't think it's on DVD.

Carnival wins so far. I'll enjoy the break.