In Over My Head

Ok, I have decided not to give you the top 10 albums of all time. I simply don't want to spend that kind of time putting together a list that is not going to be definitive anyway. So what I have decided to do is to give you a list of my 10 favorite albums. I won't claim that they are the best of all time (although I think a few of them would make that list). So we'll start off with 10-5 today.

10) Counting Crows - Recovering the Satellites
In my opinion, this is the most diverse and artistic album put out by the Crows. You get some fairly heavy music, some easy acoustic and a few jazzy songs all in one album. Very well done and one that I go back to often.

9) The Black Crowes - The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion
How can you not like good ol' southern rock 'n roll? The Crowes absolutely rock out on this album. With Chris Robinson's wailing voice and the awesome blend of the guitars, you can't help but find yourself jamming to this underrated album. Give it a listen.

8) Coldplay - X&Y
I am very hesitant to put this album in my top 10 and it may one day drop out, but I have a good feeling about this album. I have probably listened to it in its entirety about 15-20 times and it seems to get better with each listen. That is a good sign in my book. Also, I hear a lot of Radiohead and U2 in the album, which is a big plus -- what two bands would be better to emmulate? For those of you that know me, the two songs that have been on the radio thus far are good, but not necessarily my favorites. There are some real gems on this album.

7) U2 - Achtung Baby
Part of me thinks this album is ranked too low in this top 10, but regardless, this is an amazing album. U2, while always maintaining their own identity, has tried over the years to redevelop themselves and Achtung Baby is probably the album that had the most success in doing so. It has a very unique sound and yet Bono's unmistakable vocals tied together with Edge's haunting guitar riffs keep the album grounded. An incredible piece of work, especially considering that the band nearly broke up right before they put this together.

6) Radiohead - Amnesiac/Kid A
Get used to seeing Radiohead in the top 10. They are definitely my favorite group and deservedly so. Their ability to recreate themselves every album or so (and doing it with incredible success) sets them apart from everybody else. I group Amnesiac and Kid A together as one simply because these two albums were recorded at the same time but released at different times. However, the same sound is woven through both of them and it is incredible. Upon first listen (or second or even third) most people would write these off. But if you give it a chance, you discover what a great piece of work this really is. It is very "keyboard-heavy" but they do it quite well; I am almost certain that this album inspired Coldplay's X&Y album.

So that wraps up 10-6. Let me know what you think and if you haven't given these albums a try, you should. More to come.

This gets me hoppin' mad

Teacher told to revise creationism lesson plan

What makes me mad about this article is the fact that people claim that Creationism is a religious belief, not scientific fact. They claim that evolutions is scientific fact. This, in fact (no pun intended), is completely absurd. Even the most devout evolutionist will tell you that evolution is NOT a fact; that it is only a theory. Therefore, if evolution is a theory, Creationism MUST be taught as well. If you want to get technical, one should not be conveyed as a better theory than the other, either. Many would argue that there is much more evidence for Creationism and a young earth than evolution and an old earth.

Folks, what it boils down to is this: evolution is the prevailing religion in the science world, and because we are such a liberal society, the religion of evolution has been taught as fact, and our nation has been blindfolded. Not many topics make me as angry as this one.

Recommended Music

As you may or may not know, I am referred to by some as a music snob; that is, that I think my music is better than everybody else's. And while I do think my music is better than everybody else's, I don't feel like I am a snob. So over the course of the next few days (or weeks), I am going to reveal the top 10 albums of all time (according to ME). I will try to give a little insight about each album and you can let me know how much you agree (or disagree). For those of you that know me, you may already know what the #1 album of all time is.

Yankee$

Is it just me or does everybody hate the Yankees? They have the biggest payroll in the majors -- I forget the stat, but their payroll is bigger than __ major league teams combined. That is sad to me. This is the problem with professional sports. Money is the determining factor. Whoever has the most can get the best. That's what I love about college...all the college can offer (legally, anyway) is a scholarship. For those that are proponents of paying college kids who play sports, I say wake up and smell the destruction. Once players are being paid, it will forever alter the integrity of the sport and the little guys like Boise State, Utah, or Bowling Green will never be able to stand a chance.

Somehow I went from the New York Yankees to Bowling Green. To finish my earlier thought, the Yankees should win the World Series every year. EVERY SINGLE YEAR. If they don't win it every single year, they should hang their head in shame. They have the best players, so they darn well better have something to show for it. And the fact that they are struggling right now makes me smile.

Initial Blog

I am sitting here on my couch, enjoying my laptop with my new wireless network and watching the 2001 Auburn / Florida football game. Auburn won that game 23-20 against the 2nd ranked Gators. I was actually at that game and that might be the best college football game I have ever been to. Auburn won on a last minute 45 yard field goal by Damon Duval. The rain was coming down in sheets and the wind was blowing something fierce. What a finish.