Free Friday Ear Food - Portugal the Man

Ah yes, that wonderful day again, Friday. That means no more work, drinking uncontrollably, prepping for football partying, this week in particular, Halloween, and of course, free music. This week I'm bringing you music from the Northwest, all the way from Alaska, where the music is as trippy as the Northern Lights.

The band: Portugal the Man. The sound: indie pop, w/ some psychedelic rock if you listen to their earlier albums. The great thing about them, they have hours and hours of music on myspace to indulge in, but today in particular I'm suggesting their most recent album from back in March of this year, American Ghetto.

Check it out here.

If you like it, you will find there is plenty of music to love from these guys.

I'm quite upset these guys played in Birmingham a couple of weeks ago and I missed it. I saw the poster up the night we saw Local Natives, and after a long week of concerts, I was just too damn tired to go to a 3rd. Maybe next time.

Enjoy.

Careful Auburn, "It's a Trap!"

As Auburn heads into Oxford this weekend to take on the Ole Miss Rebel Alliance, many people in the sports world are calling this a trap game. And with Admiral Ackbar leading the Rebel Alliance into battle, I can't help but remember this scene from Return of the Jedi.



Is Ackbar sending out a warning from a galaxy far, far away? Only time will tell.

College Pick 'EM - Week 9

Lou is Back!!!!

I just figured out this cat was in my Auburn Experience Class.

Betting Lines

For those of you that like sports betting, I've got some interesting Auburn lines that I found.

The sports books have been getting Auburn wrong all year. I got Auburn to win the BCS championship preseason at 100 to 1 odds (my 25 dollar bet pays out $2500 if we can pull it off). Fast forward eight weeks and the odds are 3.5 to 1.

If you go to sportsbook.com they put out some Auburn lines today that look like easy money. First off they have Cam Newton paying out almost even money on odds to win the Heisman race at -120. I would have thought he would have been more like -400 since by all accounts he is the clear front runner and only needs to stay healthy to wrap it up.

Auburn is only favored by 5.5 over UGA. UGA lost to Colorado. UGA is 4-4. UGA lost to USC by 11 to Arkansas by 7 and Miss State by 12. Auburn beat all of those teams and yet we are only favored by 5.5. I know AJ Green is a badass but I think we will be able to win by at least a TD against UGA at home.

Then there is the iron bowl line. Alabama is favored by 8! The balls!

To take look at the lines go to sportsbook.com and click on the "Games of the Year" tab under NCAA futures.

Gameday Condo for the UGA Game?

I think we should rent a gameday condo for the UGA game. We need to get on this really quick. They told me last week when I was looking that it was $600 for the weekend or saturday plus a $50 cleaning fee. I think this is pretty reasonable if we can get 10-12 people to go in on it. Thoughts???

Pick 'Em Results

The results are in and Auburn is #1 so everyone gets 13 points and a BJ! WDE!

But seriously, here are the results for last week (check for accuracy).

Billy went 7-10, and hit his parlay for a total of 10 points.
Roy went 6-10, and hit his parlay for a total of 9 points.
Heath went batted 50% and missed the parlay for a total of 5 points.
Yours truly did awful w/ my crazy picks and went 4-10, no parlay, 4 points.

Not sure how to mix this new system into the previous w/ missed weeks and what not. Any ideas? Start over from here? Add in previous wins w/ a drop from each?

Bill Simmons - The Sports Guy

Perhaps I've been living in a hole - actually, I have and it's called my office - but I've only recently become familiar with Bill Simmons - The Sports Guy. This guy brings a fresh, irreverent, and witty spin on sports and pop culture. His podcast, The BS Report, is one of the top downloaded podcasts currently online, and his mailbag articles and blog posts are a riot. Here's a sample:

Q: I'd be willing to bet every dollar I have that JWoww will be the most famous female wrestler in the WWE in five years or less. Her persona is already league-ready -- "You wanna stay, you can get your ass beat!" WWE needs to JWoww. Your thoughts?
-- Ryan W., Pelham, N.H.

SG: I received that e-mail two months before JWoww made her debut on TNA Wrestling (last week). Some things are just meant to be. Here's where I think the "Jersey Shore" cast ends up five years from today:

JWoww: WWE women's champ
Situation: Host of the Food Network's smash hit, "We Have a Situation."
Vinnie: Porn star (not even a performer, a STAR).
Snookie: Celebrity Fit Club on VH1.
Paulie D: Host of "Celebrity Piercings" on MTV.
Sammi & Ronnie: Either breaking up or getting back together
Angelina: Porn performer.

Q: I was thinking about how ESPN has "ESPN New York" and "ESPN Boston" and then it crossed my mind: Why not have a few others such as "ESPN LeBron," "ESPN Favre" and "ESPN Tiger"?
-- Joe R., Summit

SG: Yes, I received this e-mail two months before we created the "Heat Index." We already have ESPN Tiger: It's called ESPN.com/golf. And we already have ESPN Favre: It's called ESPN. But I agree with Joe: The more special sections, the merrier. For instance ...

"ESPN Sordid" -- An ACC basketball coach being investigated by the NCAA for paying players? ESPN Sordid. An NFL star accused of texting pictures of his junk to a female reporter? ESPN Sordid. A baseball star sued for giving someone a herpie (to steal a phrase from Paulie D)? ESPN Sordid. All the bad stuff would go here.

"ESPN Rip City" -- Wall-to-wall Blazers coverage delivered in the most ingratiating way possible for those soccer mom fanatics from Portland. That's right, gushing hyperbole about every Blazer combined with vitriolic attacks on every media member who dares to cross them! Running features include, "Brandon Roy vs. Michael Jordan: Closer Than You Think," "Why Wesley Matthews Was a Bigger Summer Signing Than LeBron" and "Oden vs. Durant: This Isn't Over Yet."

"ESPN England" -- I pined for this page after hearing that Wayne Rooney wanted out of Manchester United. If Rooney jumped to Manchester City, as rumored, it would be like Jeter jumping to the Mets this winter -- only if Jeter was in his prime, grew up in New York and had to leave because of a hooker scandal, and also, if baseball was the only professional sport that anyone cared about in America. So why didn't we have Soccer Marc Stein or Soccer Adam Schefter chasing down this story, or Soccer Chad Ford writing one of those "Five Possible Landing Spots for Rooney" columns? Where was Soccer J.A. Adande with a "If Rooney Goes to Man City, It Would Be Like Kobe Going to The Clips Multiplied by 100" column? Why don't we have an ESPN Trade Machine for soccer? (Or in this case, an ESPN Transfer Machine?) We need this page. Like, right now.

Q: I'm a teenager and I just lost my virginity. The first person I am telling is you.
-- Joe, Chicago

SG: I bet it took longer to type that e-mail.

Anyway, that's just a small sample. Unfortunately, he spends a lot of time on the NBA but he is definitely worth checking out.

Here is the website for his podcasts and here is his ESPN page. Enjoy.

Free Friday Ear Food/First Listen - Kings of Leon - Come Around Sundown

Whats up music freaks! Today we have a special Free Friday Ear Food that is itself a first listen! Kings of Leon just released their 5th LP, Come Around Sundown this week. From the reviews I have read, the hard core fans are continuing down a road of disappointment, and the masses are eating it up. Multiple reviewers are comparing them to U2 with this album having an epic sound that will reach around the world.

I'm not so sure I agree with the U2 comment, and I do see where the KoL-heads would be upset (see my Margot rant a few weeks ago), but I will say that I have never been a fan of KoL until now. I have liked the radio hits, but when I listened to their previous albums, I never got anything out of it. This album finally changed my mind about them, and proves they can put together a complete album of songs that satisfy many different musical desires like Southern Rock, Indy Rock, 50's Doo Wop, and even back porch country rock, and still make it all seem coherent. 

And to top it all off, the band is streaming their album at their website, a genius tactic every band should incorporate. Take a listen, and enjoy.

Ski Bums

Want to be a ski bum? Why not sell off everything you own (minus your skis) and head to one of these towns and live forever. We run into them every season. They come in all forms. Tall men wearing cowboy hats feeding their dogs chicken wings out back, short men who think they are God's gift to fooseball, and old weathered men who take all your money in poker. Who wouldn't want to be these guys?

If you think this is the life for you, then maybe you are wondering just which town holds your future life. Well Pete Thomas of GrindTV.com has done some homework, and here are his top 5 towns to become a ski bum:

1. Bozeman, MT
2. Jackson Hole, Wy
3. Salt Lake City, Utah
4. Whistler-Blackcomb, British Columbia
5. Telluride, Co

Here's the link for the full article.

Margot Live Sessions

Consider this a pre-Free Friday Ear Food. I have talked about his band several times now, and finally have something to show for it. The band recorded some live sessions, a la Radiohead Live From the Basement, and posted some videos over at donewaiting.com along with mp3 downloads. It's only 3 songs, so don't get too excited, but head on over >>>>>>>>>>>HERE<<<<<<<<<< and check out what I have been rambling about.

Want to permanently alter the course of your life?...

...drink this beer

Seriously. This nectar of the gods is a life changer. If you can't see it in the picture it's name is O'Fallon Pumpkin Beer.

Pumpkin beers are kind of common this time of year but none of them are that great. If you have ever tried Blue Moon's pumpkin beer than you know what disappointment taste like. But this one will not let you down. This seasonal beer is like liquid 5.8% alcohol pumpkin pie. Your liver will thank you. I found it a Bruno's and at $10.99 a six pack is def a little pricey. But if your half Jewish like me you can just empty out a six pack of Natural Light and replace its contents and only pay $5.00. Mazeltov!

TeeeeeeeeeShirt Tiiiiiiiiime Dos!

I got them to take the rankings off and put a question mark at the end of difference

TeeeeeeeeeeSHIRT TIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIME!

Front^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Back^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

This is my t-shirt idea for the LSU game but I'm having problems finding someone to print it.

College Pick 'EM

So we have missed out the past couple of weeks. Seems like everyone has a lot going on in life at the moment. Since I am doing a pick 'em pool at my office, I'm just going to throw up our 10 games every week b/c it's easy. Our guy only does 10 games and makes them all TV games so its easy to keep up with on gameday. So, without further ado:

11:00 AM ESPN------Mich St.@Northwestern                               MSU -5.5
11:00 AM ESPN2-----Syracuse@W.Virginia                                   WVU -14
11:00 AM CBS--------Notre Dame vs Navy (neutral field)                ND -6.5
11:20 AM CW21------Ole Miss @Arkansas                                    ARK -10
2:30 PM CBS----------LSU @AUBURN                                         AUB -6
2:30 PM ABC---------Wisconsin @Iowa                                          IA -6
2:30 PM ABC---------Nebraska @Oklahoma St.                             NEB -5.5
6:00 PM ESPN--------Alabama @Tennessee                                   ALA -16.5
6:00 PM ESPNU------UAB @Miss. St.                                           MSU -19.5
7:00 PM ABC---------Oklahoma @Missouri                                    OK -3      

Want to get crazy? Let's mix things up a bit and throw in some bonus games. Thursday night is UCLA@Oregon and Friday night is So. Florida@ Cincinnati. Let's play this as a parlay, i.e. you must get both games right to win. Pick both games right and you win 3 points, only win one or no games, no points at all.

Thurs 8:00 PM ESPN-------UCLA@Oregon                OU -21.5
Fri     7:00 PM ESPN2------So. Florida@Cincinnati      Cincy -8.5

This means you need to at least pick the parlay by Thursday (I usually forget things like this)! Oh, and all times are Central DST (sorry Heath). Good luck!

Free Friday Ear Food - Foals

So after a week off (enjoying myself in the Hawaiian sun getting drunk on the beaches and married on the volcanoes) I return with some free music to stream this Friday away. Today, I'm introducing you to a band from the small British town of Oxford (where Radiohead is from), a band by the name of Foals.

I honestly can't remember if Roy introduced me to this or if I introduced it to him, but either way it is now being shared with you. However, I do remember that upon first listen of this album, I came away with mixed feelings, but after multiple listens I am pleased to share it with you guys, so give it a chance.

Enjoy!

That Funky Christian Music

Dude at my office has this as his ring tone, so I hear this multiple times a day now, and I have to say, I find myself singing that Funky Christian Music more often than I would li-i-i-i-ii-i-i-ii-i-i-i-ii-ke. Enjoy!

Local Concert - Local Natives/The Original Marty McFly

Me, Roy, Jones and our significant others are hitting up WorkPlay tonight to see the Local Natives rock our faces off. Be there or be square. Check the link to listen to their debut album, Gorilla Manor, there's a nice cover of the Talking Heads' Warning Sign on there.

In other news, Eric Stoltz (Lance,the heroin dealer from Pulp Fiction, and that dude with the fucked up face in Mask) was the original Marty McFly. Head here to see the footage. Eric really got the shaft here. Fox goes on to have a great career,  while Lance's last role was playing a child molester in The Butterfly Effect. Now 25 years later when he finally gets over it, some jackass decides to rub it all back in his face by putting the footage on the 25th Anniversary Edition BluRay of Back to the Future. Something tells me the royalties aren't going to make up for a failed career.

Here are some memorable quotes to maybe help boost his morale:
Rocky Dennis:
"Don't worry, Mr. Simms. I look weird, but otherwise I'm real normal. Everything'll be cool"
Lance:
"Are you talking to me on a cellular phone? I don't know you, who is this? Don't come here, I'm hanging up the phone, prank caller, prank caller!"
Lance:
"Am I a nigger? Are we in Inglewood? No. You're in my home. White people who know the difference between good shit and bad shit, this is the house they come to. Now, my shit, I'll take the Pepsi challenge with that Amsterdam shit, any day of the fucking week."

George Miller:

"Take off your clothes, just like we do at bath time. You too, Evan."

McLuvin

http://early-onset-of-night.tumblr.com/post/1206666159/say-hello-to-mechanically-separated-chicken-its
Here is a link that gives a little info on how McNuggets are made. I couldn't figure out how to get the picture to show up here, but it doesn't look too appealing.

Great Denzel Washington Impersonation

If you are Facebook friends with Daniel Painter, excuse me, Daniel Paintwah, then you've probably seen this clip of Jay Pharaoh impersonating Denzel Washington. Or maybe you haven't. I don't care. Regardless, here it is and it's pretty damn funny so give it a chance.

Park City, UTAH Skiing

So the kickball league emailed me this:
Gokickballers,

This has been a great year, we have more than doubled since last fall. What better way to cap it off than a ski trip to Park City Utah. I have been using Lifestylez ski trips for the last ten years. It is by far the best deal you will find. The condos are top notch with slope side access. I am going to have a meeting about the trip at Innisfree next tuesday October 12th at 8pm for anyone interested in getting more details.

Where: Park City Utah

When: February 3rd - 7th

Cost: $328 plus tax and Registration fee ( a lifestylez fee) Typically around $50 for these.....

Rentals: $18 a day ( typically around $35 but we get half off)

A deposit of $50 would need to be made within the next few weeks with the remaining balance being paid around december, we will go into more detail at the meeting when I have a better idea of who all is interested in going.

The price is based on 4 people rooming in a 1 bedroom condo, usually 1 bedroom and then 1 sleeper sofa, Condo's will have a kitchen, den and porch. Along with a hot tub in the complex.

You can view more info on the trip and concert line up at http://lifestylez.com/1011-college-alumni-trips/park_city/default.aspx

There are usually around 1000 other college or alumni that attend these events from around the country.

Airfare is not included in the price and will need to be secured separately.

I promise, you will not be disappointed.

Cheers,

Austin

GKB

$378 for lodging and lift tix is what I'm talking about. Especially since we paid 275 for lift tix alone at telly. I'll have to check in to it if any are interested let me know.

Tiny Angel's Wings NSFW

This is a quickee that really made me laugh. Enjoy.

I can walk now!

So this is what I had done last Wednesday! Work Sux

College Football Pick'em Results Week Four

Of course you guys can go back and make sure I didn't make any errors. It is a pretty tight race so far.

And the winners are...
Texas AM
AUBURN
UConn
Ole Miss
Miami
Illinois
Colorado State
Navy
Washington State
Indiana
Tennessee
Michigan State
Va Tech
Oklahoma
Arizona State
Colorado
Washington
Notre Dame
Alabama
Oregon
Iowa

Records this week:
H. Green 11-10
Roy 11-10
Roach 7-14
Billy 7-14

Skiing In Durango, CO

The UA Student rec center is sponsoring a 4-day ski trip to Durango Mountain Resort. The cost to non-Rec Center members, i.e., you guys, is $950. I'm not sure what all that includes but I'm assuming is is just lodging and lift tickets. I've sent them an email requesting more information but I have yet to get a reply. Round trip tickets to Durango are currently $450 for that time period so it would be around $1300 per person if we had to purchase the tickets ourselves. I can't remember how much our previous trips have been but I seem to remember the cost always being in that ball park. Anyway, it's something to think about.