Notes From The Chapel

Hey Yo.

So, Keith's wedding is later today. I'm his best man (apparently, the term "best" is being thrown around like confetti these days). I don' t really have a toast figured out yet, but I'm not too worried. I'll figure something out. I'm very, very, very tempted to steal Michael's toast from Phyllis' wedding on "The Office" ("Webster's defines 'wedding" as the fusing together of two metals...")

It came to me that the album I forgot to mention in my little list was Nine Inch Nails' "Year Zero". It's my favorite thing Trent Reznor has done since "The Downward Spiral". Actually, if you include his production of the Saul Williams album, and his guest appearance on what might be my favorite song of the year (El-P's "Flyentology", particularly the "Cassettes Won't Listen" remix") it was a pretty good year for Trent.

I finished the second season of "Lost" through the Netflix. I began watching the show mainly because Dwight Schrute likes it, and he was right about Battlestar Galactica. (For most people, that would be a joke, but I sometimes do make decisions based on things like that. I'm not sure if that's a healthy instinct or not). And I like it. But I do want them to, at some point, explain the fucking polar bear that attacked the castaways on the tropical island in the first episode. This show is worse than the X-Files at giving the viewers new mysteries before explaining the last two or three mysteries. I think that when I finish watching the third season I'm going to give "Heroes" a chance, if only because Jeph Loeb writes for the show.

The picture is of everyone's new favorite steroid user. I'm still of two minds about the Rocket being a cheater. On the one hand, it makes complete sense that the guy in his 40s with an ERA below 2 was juicing. It would actually be more surprising if he wasn't, if you really think about it. On the other hand, the notion that the greatest pitcher this side of Sandy Koufax was/is a steroid user is unquestionably jarring. I've accepted that the best hitter of all time who's name didn't start with "George" and end with "Herman Ruth" was/is a user, and to further have to expand my notions about this era and its defining players is vexing. I guess Clemens being an (alleged) user might be described as utterly credible and yet still so...disappointing? That's such an obvious statement that it borders on worthlessness, but it might be the best I can do at the moment. Of the rest of the names, I always disliked Andy Pettitte and Eric Gagne and Paul lo Duca, so I feel like the report just made somewhat irrational emotions suddenly become nearly rational. Which works for me.