wow. alou just hit a big, big home run. he's great.

final off day, before a 12-games-all-against-contenders-to-close-the-season stretch, so i've taken the day to watch the cubs, and to watch the gold medal baseball game (i know two of the australians...woof) and to eat just-add-water pancakes.

yesterday marked the final release in the history of guided by voices, half smiles of the decomposed. i'm not convinced it's a particularly great outing and, when i'm hesitant initially, that usually means it's pretty weak. i'd say that, of the four (five?!) since mag earwhig!, this one ranks behind earthquake glue and isolation drills, even with universal truths and cycles, and way ahead of do the collapse.

a few weeks ago, the chicago dates of the final guided by voices tour went on sale. in a stunning (to naive me, anyway) happening, new year's eve tickets (the final show) were gone within about six minutes, and december 30 tickets (with former member toby sprout, the penultimate show) lasted maybe ten minutes.

i had emailed my friend charles, who i don't talk to or contact much, about coming to the show. (he's off saving the world while i'm drinking beer and listening to rock and roll music. he won't be back until the following december, as it happens.)

he was vaguely eloquent, and i've reprinted his words, only because that means there's less for me to write:

"I have heard the sad news. It really broke me up whenI read it initially, but now I've calmed some. How does the new record sound? I imagine family will send it to me soon, but I don't know if I'll be ready to listen to it any time soon. Anything that PrestonSchool of Industry's formation and Franz Ferdinand (editor's note: i like franz ferdinand) becoming a buzz band didn't tell us about indie rock dying has now been cemented by one of the greatest bands of the last 20 years. Sadly, I won't be in town until Dec of 2005, by which time I imagine a lineup looking like Pollard, Sprout,Demos, MacPherson, Mitchell and Fennell on tambourine will be touring the greater midwest. Perhaps they'll be under a different name. And playing Hazzard Hotrods songs...but gbv is gbv.Still, man...end of an era. My favorite band sinceFeb 1995. Sad."

i think the highlight of the new record is "girls of wild strawberries" or "a second spurt of growth" or "asphyxiated cycle."

a note: gurs did wrangle up three tickets (one above the maximum) for the new year's eve show. as a group, we managed to find ourselves six for the tobin sprout finale. i don't anticipate i'll be able to talk for two weeks after those two are through.

because i'm a megageek, i'd like to discuss my fantasy football team. they're willie's destroyers, named after the famed (and intimidating) northwestern mascot. we are starting 2 RBs, 2 WRs, TE, QB, PK and Def this season. this is our first year of doing the league 'keeper' style. I've kept three running backs, Ahman Green, Michael Bennett and Domanick Davis, from last year's non-playoff club. (maybe a first-round exit last year? perhaps)

i'll have the seventh pick sunday night. if all goes well, trent green will fall to me. or marc bulger. otherwise, i'll probably be looking at eric moulds or anquan boldin (i'll have to research if he's hurt, or injured) or, if i'm feeling really stupid, kellen winslow or jeremy shockey.

two teams kept their defenses from last season. one kept his kicker (v-jiddy, but still, his kicker!)

and, by the way, the baseball willie's destroyers have jumped into first place. woof.