Lazy days at the lake, reports are sparse.

El Hijo spent a long weekend at Greers Ferry Lake and is now sunburned.
I caught bits and pieces of the Cubs' games Saturday and Sunday.
Of course, it was a lost weekend, with the White Sox returning the Cubs' sweep from a week earlier.
At different times, the Cubs' pitching and hitting failed them over the weekend.
It's pretty clear they will have to trade for at least one starting picher.
The record now stands at 49-33 and have lost 5 of 6. St. Louis is just 2.5 games back and Milwaukee is 4.5 back.
The Cubs play four games in San Francisco starting tonight, before a HUGE weekend series in St. Louis. Carlos Zambrano is scheduled to come back for Friday's game against the Cards.

Do you know Guillermo Quiroz?

Probably not.
Anyway, he is the Orioles' catcher in today's game.
He came in to the game hitting .197, and Jason "PIEFUCKER" Marquis walked him to lead off the third, sparking a five-run Orioles rally.
It is absolutely maddening watching Marquis pitch. You see why Leo Mazzone and Atlanta were so quick to deal him, and Dave Duncan in St. Louis effectively gave up on him.
Awful.

Cubs lose 11-4 on a dreadful day at Wrigley.
O's take 2 of 3.
Cubs lead St. Louis by 4.5 games in the NL Central with an MLB-best record of 49-30.

Up next: Round 2 of the Windy City Classic, this time at The Cell on the south side. Cubs-White Sox, Friday at 3 (Comcast Sports), Saturday at 2:55 (FOX), and Sunday at 7 p.m. (ESPN).

Cubs sweep White Sox! Thoughts on a dominant weekend at Wrigley.

Results: Friday -- Cubs 4, Sox 3. Saturday -- Cubs 11, Sox 7. Sunday -- Cubs 7, Sox 2. The Cubs run their home record to an improbable 32-8 (.800 winning pct.) and have won 14 straight at Wrigley Field. The Cubs now lead the NL Central by 4.5 games over St. Louis and 6.5 games over Milwaukee. They have an MLB-best record of 48-28.



Stars of the weekend: Aramis Ramirez -- 4 HRs in three games, including a walk-off shot on Friday as the Cubs erased a 3-1 deficit. Ryan Dempster -- with Carlos Zambrano on the shelf, Demps stepped up and performed like an ace before an ESPN Sunday Night crowd, pitching into the ninth. He is now 9-0 at home. Jim Edmonds -- homered twice in the Cubs' 9-run fourth inning on Saturday. He continues to endear himself to the Cub faithful, a group who once hated his guts. Eric Patterson -- he went 2 for 3 with a HR and three runs scored on Sunday, after going 3 for 5 with two runs scored on Saturday. Jason Marquis, begrudgingly -- it wasn't all pretty, but Marquis gave the Cubs seven innings on Saturday for his fifth straight win, saving the bullpen. That was just what the Cubs needed on a day where runs were scored in bunches. A month ago, Marquis was close to being replaced in the rotation.

Concerns: The lack of control for Carlos Marmol. He pitched one inning on Saturday and walked three batters. That came after his disastrous outing in Tampa on Thursday. Cubs coaches insist he is wilder when he gets extra rest, but you have to wonder if he's not showing signs of overwork. Sean Marshall -- will he be able to answer the call when he takes Zambrano's spot in the rotation on Tuesday? Z was put on the 15-day DL Saturday with a shoulder strain.

Up next: Cubs host the Orioles at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Baltimore is playing surprisingly well, but you have to like the Cubs' chances at home.

Glossary/The Drams

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Brent's image is too volatile to be captured.
See more at my flickr page.

Glossary/The Drams

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Brent Best and Co.

Glossary/The Drams

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Joey, Kelly and Eric.

Glossary/The Drams

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Kelly and Todd.

Glossary/The Drams

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Glossary in action.

Pics and Review from Glossary/The Drams at White Water Tavern 6/14/08

A week late, I know. For posterity's sake...

I was there for both and am just now starting to feel myself again.
The White Water is a real dive, a hole-in-the-wall hotbox. By the end of each night, bands and audience alike were sweat-soaked, but I doubt many would have changed a thing.

Glossary continues to earn their label of Postcard's favorites. Their Friday set was as tight as I've heard them and included at least one new cut. They hit all the high spots from the last three records, and mixed it up enough so that there was little overlap in the two setlists. I don't remember if it was Kelly or Joey who indicated that in addition to the upcoming vinyl release of "The Better Angels Of Our Nature," they are hoping to get pressed "How We Handle Our Midnights" and "For What I Don't Become."

All night Friday, Jimmy kept teasing MMJ's "Evil Urges" on the keys. I called him out on it and told him they didn't have the guts to play it. Well, I was proven wrong, as they closed out Saturday's set with a version that sounded better to these ears than the original.

The Drams got the place jumping, opening the Saturday set with an inspired cover of "The Shape I'm In." On Friday they covered the Jayhawks' "Real Light," and closed the show Saturday with "Cortez the Killer." Highlights included "Hummalong," "Unhinged" and "You Won't Forget." Plus, we got "Trust Jesus" and "That Is All" for Slobberbone faves.

Kevin Kerby (Mulehead) opened both nights, the first with his band Battery and the second a solo acoustic set. I preferred the former. Also, Brent brought him up to sing the Kerby-penned "Josephine" on Saturday.

Cubs-Rays, Thursday, 6/19/08 -- Marmol implodes, Rays sweep

Result: Rays 8, Cubs 3. The Cubs continue to lead the NL Central by 3.5 games with a MLB-best record of 45-28. St. Louis was swept by Kansas City, 4-1 on Thursday.

What happened: Cubs relievers gave up seven runs in the Tampa 7th after the Cubs had scored three times to take a 3-1 lead.

The game turned when Carlos Marmol failed to retire any of the four batters he faced in the 7th. Marmol walked two and hit two batters to make it 3-2. Scott Eyre came in and immediately allowed a grand slam to Carl Crawford. Four of the five batters Eyre faced hit for extra bases.

Concerns: Marmol's lack of control. Even in recent quality appearances, Marmol has had trouble finding the strike zone. He was the most dominant reliever in MLB the first two months of the season, but perhaps is showing signs of overwork. The strain on the team of losing two of their key parts could also be showing, which is problematic coming into a tense weekend series on short rest with its rival.

Silver lining: Another strong outing from Sean Gallagher. The rookie allowed four hits and one unearned run in six innings, lowering his ERA below 4.

Up next: Cubs-White Sox in the crosstown clash at Wrigley today at 1:20. The Cubs appear to be reeling a bit without Alfonso Soriano and Carlos Zambrano and after being swept by the Rays. The Sox come in fresh off a sweep of Pittsburgh, and no doubt inspired as always for being the red-headed stepchild of Chicago baseball.

Cubs-Rays, Wednesday, 6/17/08 -- Zambrano injured?

Result: Rays 5, Cubs 4. The Cubs continue to lead the NL Central by 3.5 games with a MLB-best record of 45-27. St. Louis lost at home to Kansas City, 3-2.

What happened: Tampa got to Carlos Zambrano for five runs early, and the Cubs could not quite make up the difference against Andy Sonnanstine and the Rays' bullpen. Zambrano left the game in the 7th with tightness in his shoulder and is scheduled for an MRI today.

The game turned in: the Cubs' half of the 5th. Trailing 5-2, they loaded the bases with no outs and the 2-3-4 hitters coming up. But, they only managed one run on Ryan Theriot's fielder's choice. Derrek Lee struck out swinging and Aramis Ramirez hit a lazy fly to right on the first pitch. Geovany Soto made it a one-run game, leading off the ninth with a blast to left off Troy Percival, but the tying run never got past first base.

Concern: Zambrano. He hasn't quite been the same since that 130-pitch outing against the Dodgers at Wrigley. Now he could be headed to the DL. If that is the case, will it be another "Pitchcount-Gate" that wrecks a promising Cubs season. This Cubs team is veteran and deep, but I'm not sure it can survive losing an ace like Z without trading for an adequate replacement.
Names of potentially available starters that are flying around include C.C. Sabathia, Rich Harden and Ben Sheets. Any of those would be great in blue pinstripes, but there are injury concerns on two (Harden, Sheets) and the other has not performed up to his standards this year.

Up next: Cubs-Rays tonight at 6. The Cubs try to avoid the sweep with Sean Gallagher going to the mound versus James Shields, who throws a wicked right hand.

Cubs-Rays, Tuesday, 6/17/08

Result: Rays 3, Cubs 2. The Cubs continue to lead the NL Central by 3.5 games with a MLB-best record of 45-26. St. Louis lost at home to Kansas City, 2-1.

What happened: Evan Longoria threw out Reed Johnson on a bunt attempt for the final out, preventing the Cubs from tying the score. Tampa's bullpen was just a little better than Chicago's, as Troy Percival survived the ninth for his 16th save. Starters Ryan Dempster and Scott Kazmir were sharp, but both left early due to high pitch counts.

The game turned on: Longoria's play. A brilliant and daring try by Johnson, and it almost worked. Longoria bare-handed the bunt and skipped it across to first, where Willy Aybar somehow dug out the throw. Not normally a first baseman, Aybar was practically straddling the bag. There was contact between he and Johnson, and by rights Johnson could have steamrolled him and tried to knock loose the ball.

Other notes of interest: Cliff Floyd, a Cub in 2007, showed that he still has some of the greatest home-run power in MLB, murdering a high splitter from Dempster. ... Johnson took the bone-headed play of the night, getting caught trying to steal third with two outs in the 7th. ... Neal Cotts was the runner up, throwing errantly to first base after Akinori Iwamura's grounder hit off his foot and caromed high into the air. Cotts had no play, but threw anyway, allowing Iwamura to get all the way to third. He eventually scored Tampa's third run. ... Longoria flexed his muscle on an opposite-field blast, an easy swing that is a big reason he is considered one of the best young prospects in baseball.

Up next: Cubs-Rays tonight at 6 from the worst ballpark in America. Carlos Zambrano and Andy Sonnanstine are your starters.

Monday update -- Cubs take 2 of 3 in Toronto

Results: Cubs 6, Blue Jays 2 on Saturday. Cubs 7, Jays 4 on Sunday. Cubs lead the NL Central by 3.5 games over St. Louis with a MLB-best record of 45-25. St. Louis kept pace by taking the final two from Philly, though it lost Yadier Molina for a while in a nasty collision at home plate.

What happened: Saturday -- Jason Marquis put forth his second straight spectacular start, outdueling Roy Halladay, who is one of the most durable starters in MLB, yet only got through five innings. Former Jay Reed Johnson clubbed the big blow, a three-run homer in the Cubs' second inning.

Sunday -- It was Ted Lilly's turn for a quality start. The former Toronto lefty went six innings, allowing just one hit, walking five and striking out six. The Cubs scored three in the third, and blew it open with a 4-run 7th, capped by Aramis Ramirez's two-run homer.

The games turned when: Both Cubs starters put up a string of zeros. Toronto had been one of the best pitching teams -- particularly its starters -- all season, and the back-end of the Cub's rotation outperformed them.

Up next: Cubs at Tampa Bay, 6 p.m. Lou Piniella returns to the one city where he failed to have success as a manager. Now, the Rays are thriving with a bevy of young talent under manager Joe Maddon. Ryan Dempster vs. Scott Kazmir in a pitching matchup of two certain all-stars.

Cubs-Blue Jays, Friday 6/13/08

An abbreviated recap for this one, as El Hijo is recovering from last night's epic Drams/Glossary show.

Result: Blue Jays 3, Cubs 2. Cubs lead the NL Central by 3.5 games over St. Louis with a MLB-best record of 43-25. The Phillies beat the Cards 20-2.

I think the loss can most likely be attributed to Toronto's stone-pimp throwbacks they wear for Friday home games.



What happened: One bad inning was enough to sink the Cubs on Friday. In the third, Sean Gallagher gave up a two-run HR to Matt Stairs, and Scott Rolen followed with a solo shot.

The game turned when the Cubs failed to tie or go ahead in the 6th. They caught a bad break when Jim Edmonds' single deflected off the second-base umpire, forcing Kosuke Fukudome to stop at third. Eric Patterson singled home a run to make it a one-run game, but Ryan Theriot hit into an inning-ending double play. Toronto's bullpen shut down the Cubs the rest of the way.

Concerns: The Cubs home-road splits in batting average seem to worsen, and strikeouts were definitely a problem Friday. Cubs hitters went down 13 times.

Up next: Cubs at Toronto, noon today.

Braves-Cubs, Thursday 6/12/08

Result: Cubs 3, Braves 2, 11 innings. Cubs lead the NL Central by 3.5 games over St. Louis with a MLB-best record of 43-24. The Cubs finally got some help from Cincy, which defeated the Cards 6-2. St. Louis hosts Philly this weekend. The Cubs are now 29-8 at home, having won 11 straight at the Friendly Confines. Simply staggering.

What happened: Jim Edmonds tied the score with a ninth-inning home run, and Reed Johnson was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the 11th. Carlos Zambrano pitched seven solid innings, allowing only a two-run homer to Jeff Francoeur. The Cubs and Braves wore throwback unis from the 1948 season.

The game turned when: Edmonds homered. He had driven in Chicago's first run on a sac fly in the 7th. With the wind blowing out to left, he lined a shot that just reached the basket, a classic Wrigley Field homer. The Cubs had struggled against Tim Hudson, stranding runners and hitting into double plays to end two innings, but Zambrano kept them close long enough for the offense to come through. Scott Eyre got into and out of trouble in the 8th, with a little help from Carlos Marmol.

Concerns: Eric Patterson, typically a second baseman, got the surprise call-up from Iowa to start Thursday in left field in place of the injured Alfonso Soriano. This seems to indicate that Piniella will look to mix and match in left, perhaps even more than we could have expected. It will be interesting to see the lineup he drafts with a designated hitter tonight.

Up next: Cubs at Toronto, 6 p.m. Reed Johnson makes his triumphant return to Canada after being released by the Jays in the spring. The Cubs and Jays last met in 2003, when Toronto took 2 of 3 at the park then known as SkyDome.

Now playing: The Drams "Jubilee Dive" -- getting primed for their two-night stint at the White Water Tavern starting today. I am actually more geeked about co-headliner Glossary, but any project involving the legendary Brent Best of Slobberbone commands my respect and dollar.
The Drams

Braves-Cubs, Wednesday 6/11/08

Result: Cubs 7, Braves 2. Cubs lead the NL Central by 2.5 games over St. Louis with a record of 42-24.

What happened: Ryan Dempster pitched the team's first complete game in nearly a year, and the offense scored all seven runs in the first three innings. But the big news was Alfonso Soriano going down with a fractured finger on a hit by bitch from Jeff Bennett. Soriano will miss at least six weeks.

The game was out of reach when: Jim Edmonds singled home a pair in the third, making it 7-0. Dempster kept the Braves scoreless until the 8th, striking out 11 and walking zero. Considering he also gave a taxed bullpen the night off, it's a shame Dempster's efforts are overshadowed by the Soriano injury.

Concerns: The response to Soriano's injury is a major concern, from the perspective of the team, media and fans. This shouldn't be a death blow, but more on that below.

Up next: Cubs vs. Atlanta, 1:20 p.m. at Wrigley. The Cubs go for their 11th straight home win. Could we see more beanball today?

Now playing: Radiohead "Karma Police" -- inspired by the notion that Cubs fans' collective glee over the Cards' loss of Albert Pujols resulted in some kind of otherworldly correction. Probably just a coincidence. This opioid cut from Radiohead's pre-tedious days still gets play around El Hijo's casa.

Deep breaths, Cubs fans

Make no mistake, this is a substantial blow.
But, like Ol' Granny said, "All sickness is not death."
The fractured finger of Alfonso Soriano will not doom the Cubs' 2008 season.
Here's why:

• The Cubs have already played well without him, going 9-5 when he was out with a strained calf early on.
• To further flesh that out, yes, Soriano does produce an unusually high number of runs out of a no. 1 hitter. However, his OBP is not what you necessary look for out of that spot. Theriot, Fukudome or Reed Johnson would have a better OBP.
  
• Soriano doesn't pitch, and thus won't affect the NL's best ERA.
  
• I started making a list of players who would be a bigger loss to the team right now than Soriano: Zambrano, Lee, Ramirez, Wood, Marmol, Dempster, Soto(?), Fukudome(?).
• The lineup right now -- and virtually all season -- has been clicking from spots 1 through 8 and even 9. There are too many professional hitters on that roster to let this team go into a 25-man funk.
• With the steadying hand of Lou Piniella, I can't see this setback snowballing into another "OH NOES! IT'S THE CURSE AGAIN" moment.
• Micah Hoffpauir, secret weapon. Wait and see.
  

Braves-Cubs, Tuesday 6/10/08

Result: Cubs 10, Braves 5. Cubs lead the NL Central by 2.5 games over St. Louis with a record of 40-24. The Cards beat Cincy, but appear to have lost Albert Pujols for awhile.

What happened: Ted Lilly got off to a rocky start but recovered, pitching into the 7th for his sixth win. Greg Norton blasted a 3-run HR in the first. Omar Infante led off the second with a triple, but was stranded there and the Braves never seriously threatened Lilly again.

The game was out of reach when: Geovany Soto put one into the basket in left in the 8th, making it 10-5. Atlanta had threatened in the 7th and plated two in the 8th, but Soto's 11th HR -- a welcome sight after he struggled on the road trip -- seemed to ice the win.

Little things: Scott Eyre got one big out -- striking out Gregor Blanco to end the 8th in a one-run game -- but that ran his streak of scoreless appearances to 31. Lou no doubt knows his name by now ... The Cubs ran the bases well and stole three bases, with Kosuke Fukudome's swipe leading to an important insurance run in the 8th ... Reed Johnson continues to produce when he plays. He drove in a pair of runs, giving him a ridiculously high total of 27 RBIs for a guy who doesn't play everyday and usually hits 8th when he does, and he made a terrific running catch in front of the ivy early in the game.

Concerns: Bob Howry was unable to get through the 8th. Carlos Marmol came in for the final out of the 7th, using just 3 pitches. Wisely, Lou Piniella turned it over to Howry with a three-run lead. Unfortunately he couldn't hold it, giving up two runs on four hits. It would be GREAT if Howry could take some of the pressure off Marmol, and indirectly, Kerry Wood.

Up next: Cubs vs. Atlanta, 7:05 p.m. at Wrigley. The Cubs go for their 10th straight home win.

Now playing: My Morning Jacket -- "Evil Urges." Jim James and co. have not chosen the path of least resistance, mostly eschewing the reverb-y jams found on "At Dawn," "It Still Moves" and "Z." A couple of tracks even sound like Prince outtakes. That's not necessarily a bad thing, and overall I'm not saying there's not a lot of quality there. It's just going to take some time and a few more spins. http://www.myspace.com/mymorningjacket

Cubs-Dodgers, Sunday 6/8/08

Result: Cubs 3, Dodgers 1. Cubs lead the NL Central by 2.5 games over St. Louis with a record of 40-24.

What happened: Jason Marquis pitched into the 7th, outpacing Brad Penny. It was Marquis' most solid start of the season, and resulted in a season-low of cursing Marquis' name in El Hijo's casa. Carlos Marmol and Kerry Wood closed out the Dodgers in relief. Mark DeRosa homered and drove in two. The Cubs finished the west coast road trip 4-3. Not as good as they would have hoped after winning the first two in San Diego, but after being maligned for their home-heavy schedule, this was a good week for the Cubs.

The game turned when: Marmol got Jeff Kent to ground out to third with the tying runs on in the 8th. A two-out double by the hated Juan Pierre and a walk to Andre Ethier made for some drama, but Marmol got Kent to chase a sharp slider, grounding it to Ramirez who beat Pierre to the bag. Wood worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his 18th save.

Not too much was made of Carlos Zambrano's antics from Saturday's game. It did merit some mention in ESPN's Sunday Night broadcast, but the insufferable Joe Morgan didn't dogpile on Z. Late in the game, he was shown celebrating with teammates on the bench after a big out was recorded. Ryan Theriot got the night off.

Grey clouds: Derrek Lee and Geovany Soto combined to go 1 for 7 Sunday, ending a forgettable road trip for both. It took Marmol 36 pitches to get through 1.2 innings, further taxing one of the most used relievers in baseball. It would be great to be able to go to Wuertz in the 7th.

Up next: Off day on Monday before the Cubs host Atlanta for three.

Now playing: Glossary -- "The Better Angels of Our Nature" in preparation for their two-night stay in the Rock next weekend, for which El Hijo is muy pumped.
Glossary

Cubs-Dodgers, Saturday 6/7/08; Big Z loses his shit

Result: Dodgers 7, Cubs 3. Cubs lead the NL Central by 2.5 games over St. Louis with a record of 39-24.

What happened: Shaky defense cost the Cubs, and especially Zambrano, leading to 5 runs in the 7th for L.A. Derek Lowe and Zambrano dueled through 6 before Carlos gave the Cubs the lead with an RBI single. An error by Aramis Ramirez and what should have been an error on Ryan Theriot paved the way for L.A. Matt Kemp capped it with a three-run bomb to center, setting off Mt. Zambrano. Jon Broxton and Takashi Saito shut down Chicago in the last two frames.

The game turned when: Theriot dropped a great throw from Geovany Soto, allowing Juan Pierre to steal second with one out in the 7th. Perfect throw from Geo, and it could have snuffed the L.A. rally. Gotta make that play, Riot. Instead, Pierre was safe and the Dodgers scored 5 in the inning.

Flip your wig: After getting the hook, Big Z repeatedly battered a Gatorade cooler in the dugout. The FOX sideline reporter said on air that Carlos could be heard wreaking havoc on his way to the clubhouse.

Causes for concern: The defense. Theriot has 7 errors and should have 8. That's not going to cut it for a shortstop with no power. Also, the Cubs can't seem to get a call in L.A. Jeff Kent was ruled safe for an infield hit, and scored on the Martin HR. Replays showed he was probably out.

Much will be made of Zambrano's blow-up, but I think he gets a pass on this one. He got little to no support from the rest of the lineup, offensively or defensively. In the past, he has pulled similar acts when they definitely weren't warranted. Today's was understandable. Much has been made of Z's increased maturity this year, and this shouldn't be viewed as a big step back.

Silver linings: Forget the pitching line, this was another quality start for Z. He should have been in line for his 9th win through 7. Alfonso Soriano hit another bomb, his 15th of the year.

Up next: Cubs vs. Dodgers, 7:05 ESPN Sunday Night game. Cubs go for a winning road trip.

Now watching: NCAA Baseball Super Regionals.
Now drinking: Maker's Mark.
Now playing: The new Frightened Rabbit, "The Midnight Organ Fight" -- more on this later...

Cubs-Dodgers, Friday 6/6/08

So, I'm a pretty avid Cubs fan. I'll be posting about pretty much every game here because, frankly, there's not enough of this online.

Result: Dodgers 3, Cubs 0. Cubs still hold a 3.5-game lead over St. Louis and have the best record in MLB at 39-23.
What happened: L.A.'s Huroki Kuroda was stellar, and also benefited from the over-anxious Cubs swinging wildly at his diving slider. His 4-hit, no-walk, 11-K shutout was the best outing of his career and likely the best of any Dodger this season. Faceless Dodgers backup catcher Danny Ardoin drove in a pair of runs, causing much rejoicing in the Ardoin household and 18-team, NL only fantasy leagues everywhere.
The game turned when: Kosuke Fukudome was called out at first to complete a double play to end the fourth, though replays show he was CLEARLY safe. Easily. Ryan Theriot would have scored, tying the score at 1-1. The Dodgers added made it 2-0 in the bottom half, and the Cubs looked lifeless thereafter.
Silver linings: Sean Gallagher turned in another serviceable start, ensuring his spot in the rotation for another trip or two, at least. Walks led to a high pitch count, which resulted in him lasting just 5 innings. With all the strain on the bullpen lately, Gallagher really needed to pitch deeper. Overall, Cubs pitchers continued to excel at stranding runners on base, including Scott Eyre. He came in with two on and one out in the 7th, and struck out James Loney and Matt Kemp. That should help get him out of Lou's doghouse.
Causes for concern: Derrek Lee looks to be pressing, striking out twice on Friday. His average is dipping a bit. Alfonso Soriano struck out a couple of times where he missed the ball by at least a foot and a half, but with him you take the good with the bad. Kevin Hart continued to show why he should pack light and keep his apartment in Iowa.
Weird: Legendary Dodgers play-by-play man Vin Scully befuddled 99.7% of his viewers by referencing Rudolph Valentino, re: Russell Martin's sideburns and mustache. I'm sure that's what Russ was going for.
Up next: vs. Dodgers at 2:55 Saturday. Carlos Zambrano vs. Derek Lowe. A win would guarantee the Cubs a winning road trip.

Now playing: Beulah -- "Gene Autry." Inspired by the LA setting for tonight's game -- I've always thought this late, great band had a California feel befitting their roots, though NoCal as opposed to SoCal -- I gave a spin to several tracks from 2001's "The Coast Is Never Clear." See: http://www.myspace.com/beulahmusic

Intro

Hey folks.
I'm going to be sharing my highly anticipated thoughts here -- mostly tunes, politics, Cubs baseball and random sports and miscellany.