Stayin' busy but being free, simultaneously?

Here's some shorties for y'all, especially since everyone's been wondering, "What's going on with foocow?!" Hmm... something like that! :P

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The Wrens came to town last weekend and it was actually one of the best shows I have been a part of. While the vocals were not in the mix way up front (where I was), the music was still there and so was the performance. This is band that consists of late 30, early 40-somethings and they bring the energy like kids half their age. It was pretty intense. Mediocre pics can be found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/foocow/sets/72157594300907490/

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The live draft for my fantasy hockey league was insane. I have never been a part of a live draft before so it was a learning experience, as well as a lesson in awareness. All managers had 90 seconds to pick players and before you knew it, it was your turn to have your take at the remaining players in the pool. I did fairly well, though, coming out with a few big names as well as some repeaters from last season. Here's what my roster will look like on opening day:

CENTER

Robert Lang - DET - I had him for a sizable chunk of the '03-04 season and he really came through. He started out with Washington, I believe, then moved to Detroit midseason and really took form. Hopefully he's not getting up there with age and can still provide great stats in the assists department as well as the power play.
Jeff Carter - PHI - one of the "lower-class" rookies from last season that was outshined by the rest of the rookie class that included Ovechkin, Crosby, and Phaneuf. The tag team of him and Mike Richards should provide some good numbers on the power play in Flyerdom and he should have a pretty standard season for a wishy-washy team.
Ryan Getzlaf - ANA - There was a nice write-up in The Hockey News about the drafting and rookie class out of the Ducks from last year and this guy got a lot of buzz, so I'm really banking on him to turn it on with a team that has amazing potential for success in the West.

LEFT WING

Henrik Zetterberg - DET - One of the more consistent forwards in the game (definitely in the West) who will team up with Pavel Datsuk and have a tear on the opposition and make it hard to defend against such a great playmaker.
Mark Bell - SJ - Really benefitted from the rules changes last season and somehow came out on top in a terrible situation with Chicago. I remember there were a few times last season when I knew I lost weekly matches against a certain manager, simply because of this guy.

RIGHT WING

Marian Hossa - ATL - Of course I have to have a Thrasher on my squad... and what better of a player to have than the great Marian Hossa?! There's one thing that's certain about Hossa and that he will produce, no matter what. He's someone you can always count on to have some sort of say in the game.
Marian Gaborik - MIN - After his hold out from a few years ago, he hasn't quite materialized to be worth the hassle since. But with a new line-mate in Pavol Demitra, he's sure to produce some serious firepower in the great white north.
Colby Armstrong - PIT - Without a doubt Armstrong will go on an offensive slaughter with Sidney Crosby on his line. Anyone who will play with someone as gifted as Sid the Kid will benefit and Armstrong will be the go-to guy on this team when it's crunch time.

DEFENSE

Wade Redden - OTT - One of the top defenders in the game on one of the top teams in the league. Probably playing on a line with Andrej Meszaros, his plus/minus ranking will fly through the roof.
Zdeno Chara - BOS - It'll be questionble with him in Beantown this season, but he's sure to remain one of the top fantasy picks for defensemen. As a defender, he's still an offensive threat, and he's not afraid to get physical and rack up some penalty minutes.
Marek Zidlicky - NSH - I never intended to draft him, but at the time, I needed a sure-fire defenseman. I couldn't do any better and with him on a team as powerful as the Preds, you really can't go wrong. Not too bad.
Ed Jovanovski - PHX - There has been a lot of buzz about his signing in Phoenix in the offseason and I'm hoping that it's right. While he is aging, playing for Coach Gretzky, what's a better source of motivation for a player who can be an opposing offense's worst nightmare?
Niklas Kronwall - DET - Heir to the thone that is currently held by Nicklas Lidstrom. In the few games he played last year (as well as the Olympics), he displayed flashes of what's to come and this season will be his time to shine in Hockeytown.

GOALTENDERS

Mikka Kiprusoff - CGY - The cream of the crop when it comes to goalies. Last season's leader in shutouts. Last season's Vezina trophy winner. Possible contender for the MVP award. This guy is what kept the Flames afloat last year. He is a sure thing... at least I'm really hoping for it. I see no reason why to even be mildly considered about his status as one of the league's premier goalies.
Cristobal Huet - MON - Had one hell of a second half of the season. When Theodore was struggling, Huet siezed the opportunity and ran with it, subsequently causing Theodore's exit from Montreal. While there is wonder about his status about whether or not he is a one-hit-wonder, Huet has shown what he is capable of and I think he can shine throughout the season.
Mark Denis - TB - Talk about a gamble. He was the bee's knees when he was signed by Tampa early in the summer. After having a few rough seasons in Columbus, he finally gets the chance he's been looking for - to provide a reliable job in net and let the crazy offense of Tampa take over without worries. As opposed to their terrible situation last year, Tampa finally has an actual number one goaltender. Even if he isn't what everyone is making this guy out to be, he'll be getting a load of starts and providing stats when necessary.

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Project Runway's decision to go with a "final four" last week surely left some viewers with their mouths open. While some wonder why couldn't they boot someone, it is still a great remaining foursome to prove their worth. There's already talk about their Bryant Park shows and I'm staying away from those as much as possible. My pick for the winner? At this point, and because I love her personality, I say that Laura slays everyone and barely edges out Jeffrey. Michael Knight has the amazing potential to do some mindblowing fashion (yes, those two words can co-exist), I don't think he can pull through. And as for Uli, I'm just concerned that she's too much into patterns and "funness". We'll see. There are a few weeks ahead of us, and next week brings the much-loved reunion episode... can't wait!

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With PR and hockey taking over my life for the past few weeks, I am ashamed to admit that something got swept up in everything else... and that is the glory of Lost. Wednesday night at nine is the premier of the third season of this thrilling drama and I know I'll be glued to the television for sure. What will happen to the three who were captured? And the others - who exactly are they? And how will the rest of the survivors of Oceanic 815 deal with the loss of their three leaders - Jack, Sawyer, and Kate? And the arctic stuff at the end of season two?! Where will it start/stop?! I don't know, but I absolutely love cliffhangers and this show shells 'em out like no other.

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Thursday the fifth is opening day for the Atlanta Thrashers hockey season, and they'll start their campaign for the playoffs against hated division rivals Tampa Bay. Puck drops a little after seven, but I'm sure there will be a bunch of opening day theatrics in store for the fans and believers of Blueland. Do I even have to say how excited I am about the reality of another hockey season on the horizon? I mean, really?

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Slowly but surely that time of the year is creeping up on us. Halloween? Nope. The holidays? Nah. Coachella line-up speculation and rampant extreme rumors? Absolutely! While the line-up for the great desert event won't be announced until mid-February, ridiculous amounts of rumours (i.e. scrawlings on the bathroom walls of the Knitting Factory... in either NYC or LA!) will fly on the official message boards over at the Coachella website. Who will be the headliners in '07? There has been the perpetual thought that Billy Corgan is up to something in 2007... could this be it? Or will David Bowie and/or Portishead finally take the deserty by storm? And Gnarls Barkley played mid-day in the Gobi tent last year - could they make a triumphant return to close the Outdoor Theater in April? And we all know about Daft Punk's legendary set last time around... could they make a comeback and be the object of much swooning by, well, everyone? And is this the time for Boards of Canada to come out of their turquoise hexagon sun and reign supreme in the closing slot in the Sahara tent? Who knows?! But the rumors will circulate with much vigor in the coming weeks/months. I know I have my eyes open for something interesting.

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Wait, I've actually been listening to some new music, besides the same old rotation of Smashing Pumpkins and something from '01-'02?! You don't say? Here's what's tickling my fancy lately:

Silversun Pickups - Carnavas
Darkel (JB Dunckel, from Air) - Darkel
Snowden - Anti-Anti

For years (and I do mean years), as a member of the Atlanta music scene, I've heard bits and pieces about Snowden. Did I ever really subscribe to any of it? Not so much. But after hearing "Black Eyes" on WRAS the other day (for probably the 10th time, at least), I thought that it would be a good time to actually see what the deal is with these local darlings. After listening to the disc for the first time today, I have to give it up to Jordan and Company for providing such a new touch on the scene 'round here. I've never been too satisfied with the bands around town, and Snowden really provides a sense of hope for others to succeed and pound out something valuable locally. And I've even seen that they will tour with the new bloggers' sensation, iForward Russia! (yes, I used an 'i' before Forward because I am lazy and don't want to take the time to find an inverted exclamation point... but then I still have the time to write this massive parenthetical... how odd), in the coming weeks/months (can't recall immediately). Maybe one of these days I'll be able to catch Snowden at their home base of the Earl in East Atlanta. We'll see. But kudos to them for making the Atlanta scene a little more sonically interesting.

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So much for keeping this short!