Thought for the Day: The Way Things Aught To Be
May 9, 2005

First things first:
For the record, I would like it explained to me why, when given antibiotics, I still feel like crap. Alas, and alack.

This weekend was my brother's bachelor party, and that meant indoor paintball. Apparently, I got pretty good by the end, because I studied combat tactics with Capt. Bart Mancuso. Namely, I understood flanking and the importance of a double tap. Plus, no one expects the guy in the NTN sweatshirt to do anything. Oh, and by the way, those things to hurt, way more than you might think, but the use of "bonusballing" is a great name for what amounts to piling on.

For the record, I am not any fun. In case you were wondering, it was confirmed Saturday night at Tequila Rain.

A thanks to all of you who helped me with clean up duty yesterday, I think it's actually better than when I started, though if anyone else would like to pitch in, you know where to find me.

I think the kids did well in the APUSH test, they seem happy, then again, it's not July. I was way off on my suspected DBQ topic era, so they were a little peeved, despite the fact that I clearly threw a disclaimer in there, but oh well, they still did well since Vietnam did come up in question 5. By the way, I have learned that I can deflate a room lightning quick with just one read on one question. Not that I meant to, it just sort of happened.

---

So, I was pondering, I made my best of the 1990s CDs, but what about the best of the first half of the 2000s (The Aughts, the DoubleO's, what the hell are we calling this decade anyway?) I humbly submit to you my 2-disc set, "The Way Things Aught To Be"

The Rules:
* All songs released on an album between 2000-2004
* No more than one song per artist, no matter how much you want to double up.
* Must fit on two standard 80 minute CDs.
* Beyond that, it's stuff I like, but also stuff I thought other people would know. I'm not trying to expand anyone's musical tastes here, if it happens, bully.

For the record, I found this one much harder than the 1990s exercise earlier this year, which I think speaks for distance and staying power. (It also proves to me I was right and that the Discovery Channel should have let me pick the 100 Greatest Americans, which then could have been voted on by the masses. Yes, I am clearly still bitter about that.)

Disc 1:

1. "Beautiful Day" by U2-2000 (4:03)
It's such a perfect opener of things. You almost feel like it was meant to begin something. I still remember having this in the car when I was student teaching, and as it would play as I would drive over to Churchill, every day would seem a little bit easier. I mean, it wasn't, but at least it felt that way.

2. "Hanging By a Moment" by Lifehouse-2000 (3:37)
Yeah, what can I say, I am a sucker for prom themes. Lifehouse is one of those guilty pleasure bands that I am now convinced only exists to write songs to be stolen to be used in CBS show promos.

3. "Country Grammar (Hot...)" by Nelly-2000 (4:48)
Yes, I know, it makes no sense, but I really like Nelly. I am not a St. Lunatic, nor to I have a self-adhesive bandage fetish, but I like the efforts of Mr. Nelly.

4. "I'm Like a Bird" by Nelly Furtado-2000 (4:07)
I kind of think I may have done this just for the hilariously rough transition between song 3 and song 4. Well, that and memories.

5. "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)" by Fuel-2000 (3:58)
For the record, for four years I had no idea what the name of this song was, I just presumed it was the new song by Fuel. Imagine my surprise. Thank you Bonnie and thank you iTunes.

6. "Easy Tonight" by Five for Fighting-2000 (4:08)
I miss hockey, hockey named bands get a free-pass, even if the Kings aren't in the playoffs this season.

7. "Yellow" by Coldplay-2000 (4:28)
Do not forget what a revelation this song was back in 2000, when ABC co-opted it for promos that ran during Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? You guys remember WWTBAM, right? It was that show that was on all the time in the early 00s on ABC. You guys remember the ABC yellow card promos right? Sports Night? That was a good show, no?

8. "The Space Between" by Dave Matthews Band-2001 (4:01)
Black Hawk Down. Yep, used in trailers for Black Hawk Down. No, I don't understand it either.

9. "Why Georgia" by John Mayer-2001 (4:29)
Well, because I often ask myself if I am living it right? I still don't know and I still can't find 85 to drive up, so maybe some answers will never come.

10. "Flake" by Jack Johnson-2001 (4:40)
It's just such a weird song, but it does prove my theory. If you can seemingly organically incorporate a steel drum into your song, do it, people will like it. Plus, the album has a great title.

11. "Rollout (My Business)" by Ludacris-2001 (4:34)
Ahh yes, my bizarre obsession with Luda. Then again, I have never been referenced as a foot note in a U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision, so maybe there is something here. I shouldn't like this song, it's nothing more than a litany of extravagant purchases in line with the hip-hop lifestyle. Then again, it makes a hell of a ringtone.

12. "When It's Over" by Sugar Ray-2001 (3:38)
Admittedly, I played this song today at the start of APUSH, not because the lyrics were correct, but the concept of "When It's Over" seemed apropos and the gang seemed to concur. Sugar Ray writes a good summer song, when their frontman isn't kicking ass on Rock and Roll Jeopardy! or hosting Extra.

13. "All You Wanted" by Michelle Branch-2001 (3:37)
Ahh yes, the anti-Britney. You know, wrote her own songs. Played her own guitar. Didn't seem ruined by commercialism. Well, it was a nice idea while it lasted and then morphed into Avril.

14. "Side" by Travis-2001 (4:01)
One of the hardest decisions to make on the whole list, which song by Travis would I pick. There are a number of good choices, but when I winnowed it down to one, I went with the one that sticks with me. The concept of Fran's concert banter eventually leading to a math concept leading to song lyrics has always struck me funny.

15. "She's on Fire" by Train-2001 (3:49)
Yes, I'm the idiot that likes Train. I figure Train is just a 2000s version of Journey. I see and hear some weird parallels, but the good news is, I didn't pick the overplayed ones, nor did I pick the AT&T Cingular commercial!

16. "The Middle" by Jimmy Eat World-2001 (2:48)
There was a period, not immediately after 9/11, but shortly after that, where this song was damn near ubiquitous. I don't know why, I can't explain why, but I do still like it a lot.

17. "When I'm Gone" by 3 Doors Down-2002 (4:21)
3 Doors Down have to go down as the most successful rock band of the millennium so far, at least of the bands that did not have a major reputation before the turn of the decade. Heck, they were generating singles off Away from the Sun for almost 18 months, that's pretty solid. I will grant you, the inspired tribute to military families video for this song probably didn't hurt their standing with a nation that was very receptive to that feeling at the time.

18. "Somewhere in the Middle" by Dishwalla-2002 (3:42)
I bet you didn't know Dishwalla had more than one song. Seriously, you totally didn't know that. There's no way. Because no one ever remembers that. But listen to this one and you'll see that clearly they were a two hit wonder. And they are totally ripping off the U2 idea of songs that make you wonder if they're about a girl or about God.

19. "8 Mile" by Eminem-2002 (6:01)
Representin', straight D, no chaser. Yes, "Lose Yourself" is probably the better song, but I love the bass line of this one. 734 fo life. (OK, actually, I'm 248, actually, I was 313, then I was 810 in high school, then I was 248, and then I went 734 when I moved to AA, and then I went back to being 248 after college, but my cell is 734, so I am 734, yo.)

Disc 2:

1. "The Only Way (Is the Wrong Way)" by Filter-2002 (5:13)
Yes, I heard it first in a Hummer commercial. Sue me, it's still a good song. (P.S.: Title of Record came out in late 1999, which is why "Take a Picture" hit in early 2000. Since I used this justification to get it into the 90s music tournament, I am not going to countercheat to suit my own tastes. Besides, TOW(itWW) stands up nicely on its own.)

2. "Breathe" by Télépopmusik-2002 (4:42)
I think this was in a CSI episode. I know it was in a Mitsubishi ad (which lead, in part, to the creation of one of my favorite weblogs) Why yes, there is a pattern here. Apparently, the rest of the album is very hit or miss for people who liked the song.

3. "Extreme Ways" by Moby-2002 (3:59)
This may be a reflection of my enjoyment of the Bourne films more than a reflection on Moby, but I digress. It's a kicking tune. Plus, it was used by NBC as Michael Phelps theme music during the 2004 Summer Olympics. Yes, I was paying that much attention.

4. "A Thousand Miles" by Vanessa Carlton-2002 (3:56)
Oh, admit it, before you heard it 937 times in three days, you kind of liked it too. Do not, however, try to find a version of Miss Carlton without studio sweetening. It's a bitter fruit.

5. "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)" by Jason Mraz-2002 (4:18)
I'm going to forgive the trucker hat, because at least he has been funny when he's been on VH1 talking head specials. Plus, he actually made Joey Harrington look semi-competent, which, of course, is the biggest miracle of them all.

6. "Here Is Gone" by Goo Goo Dolls-2002 (3:59)
See, this is the kind of thing that happens when I spend all day working with 14-year olds. My musical taste suffers. That, and I always think that John Resznick still longs to be Paul Westerberg.

7. "A Sorta Fairytale" by Tori Amos-2002 (4:06)
I have always enjoyed Tori's work, which I firmly place blame on EA's shoulders for that one. But this one is my favorite of her songs, and I can't really explain it, because I think she has written better songs, but I just really like this one.

8. "This Love" by Maroon 5-2002 (3:28)
Dude, remember, before it was played into oblivion, you probably liked this song too. OK, maybe not Greg, but that's because Greg hates because he loves. To Hate. (1) Plus, I still want to hear what happened on the KidzBop version for the lyrical cleanup. Do they clean up double entendre?
(1) Line courtesy of Mark Coen and will now be used as Greg's official calling card on TFTD.

9. "Hands Down" by Dashboard Confessional-2003 (3:08)
See Disc 2, song 6. Seriously, apparently liking the work of Mr. Confessional made me "the coolest teacher ever." Which, we all know is a lie, but you know, it's nice to know that kids still understand the hyperbole. Oh, and if you have not heard the version which pairs Sr. Carrabba with R.E.M.'s Mr. Stipe is quite tremendous. It's almost like Michael was having fun. By the way, how did a teenage girl heartthrob emerge out of Boca. Shouldn't he be well liked by old people instead?

10. "Blinded (When I See You)" by Third Eye Blind-2003 (4:21)
Why didn't this song get more play? It's as good as anything 3EB wrote back in 1997, if not more so. I cannot understand the fickle musical tastes of American radio listeners. Then again, if I could, I could make some serious serious cash money. That would be pretty cool.

11. "Stacy's Mom" by Fountains of Wayne-2003 (3:19)
America still loves Ric Ocasek. It's just that simple. That or we really miss the 1980s.

12. "World on Fire" by Sarah McLachlan-2003 (4:22)
Of the post 9/11 songs that are knowing post 9/11 songs and not ones that rode along in the wake (I am looking at you Mr. Adams.), this is probably my favorite, just because it's very hard to question Sarah McLachlan's earnestness. There's also something to the fact that McLachlan, as a Canadian, has some distance from the events, but is still clearly affected by them. It's a song larger that just that one autumn day, which is what a song that reflects on events should do. Plus, if you have not seen the video, it's something else.

13. "I Don't Want To Be" by Gavin DeGraw-2003 (3:40)
Oh, apparently I like One Tree Hill. No, of course not. Clearly this is from Scrubs. But part of where I'm goin' is knowin' where I'm comin' from.

14. "The Way You Move" by OutKast-2003 (3:56)
Yes, I know, it should have been "Hey Ya". Screw it, I liked this one better. Plus, I like spelling that goes so quick

15. "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" by Jet-2003 (3:38)
If America misses the 80s, Australia misses the Kinks. Not that there's anything wrong with that. It's not like they stole the Kinks' hair or anything (damn you Rooney). I am not sure this song could be any simpler, which is why I think it works.

16. "Seven Nation Army" by The White Stripes-2003 (3:53)
Oh wait, a song that is simpler. I still don't know why I am going to Wichita, but what the hell. Plus, I finally got the White Stripes, which made me feel better about myself.

17. "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" by Green Day-2004 (4:24)
I had to sneak "Wonderwall" on here somehow. Mission accomplished.

18. "Float On" by Modest Mouse-2004 (3:30)
Summer 2004. Who knew Modest Mouse would be it. Well, other than the kids in my IR class. But seriously, what did Stackpoole know?

19. "Mr. Brightside" by The Killers-2004 (3:45)
"Change Your Mind" is the better song from Hot Fuss, but since I have only heard it in an ad for The Amazing Race, I'll have to go with this instead.

20. "Take Me Out" by Franz Ferdinand-2004 (3:59)
You know, on the plus side, they have made teaching World War I easier for an entire generation of high school freshmen. Plus, they're Scottish, so they have that going for them, which is nice.

So that's it, that's the list. Have at it with your umbrage.

That's all for today, until the next time,
I am Craig Barker, sliding back under the weather.

Thought for the Day: More like real life than imagined
May 4, 2005

First things first:
The 2004-05 NHL Secret Season has been cancelled. Why, you ask? Well, it all stems from this:

"So is this technically fanfic, and if so may I mock you publicly?"
--Greg

"Oh goodness Greg, you're right. I've become what I hate. I have to stop. Thank you for calling me out on it. That's it, the rest of the Secret NHL season is hereby cancelled, thanks to Greg's dose of reality."
--Craig D. Barker

"It took a public mocking from Greg to stop this? How many times have I told you how scary this was?"
--JQ

"Yeah, I'm giddy with power now, and nothing good can come of that. I think the proper way to tell me to cram it would be to play out the season and also write up the press conferences.

And decide outcomes with a d10, of course."
--Greg

Nope, sorry Greg, I realized about three days ago that this was way more fraught than I anticipated and honestly, when I saw the word fanfic, I knew I had a problem and needed to stop. So thank you my friend for this form of blog intervention.

By the way, a thank you also to all of you whom answered my DC related questions. It is appreciated.

Now a little bit about my AP classes this year.

Every year I worry about my AP classes. I am hyperprotective of them, and I think it stems from that they are being asked to take a class that is theoretically three years ahead of where they should be, and so you don't know what's going to happen. These are bright kids, they are a tremendous group, and I love that they are not only individually unique, but collectively quirky. We're to a point where we have inside jokes and bizarre memes that we get. This is my third group, and I can genuinely say that I have never felt better about a group going in, which is as it should be. As I get better at doing this, in theory, the classes should be better prepared. Now, don't misread me, I love my first 35, because they were in the lifeboat with me and we got through the fog OK. And I love the `06s because they exceeded the expectations I had for myself and for them. But the `07s are an amazing group. They're funny, they're clever, and they're exceptionally hard working. I have no doubt that they're going to take this thing out, but that is largely dependant on what the essays are on this year's test. No matter what happens though, I am proud of them, because they have shown me that hard work does pay off, especially when it's combined with some exceptional talent.

I have been sick pretty much since Friday night and the urgent care doctor tonight confirmed that I am "sick". So I got that going for me, which is nice.

That's all for today, until the next time,
I am Craig Barker, inching closer to the gates out.

Thought for the Day: Capital ideas
May 2, 2005

First things first:
The 2004-05 NHL Secret Season rolls on...I was out of town, so I only got to see bits and pieces and sadly, TFTD reporters were on vacation, so we only have scores.

Saturday's Games:
Boston 4, Toronto 2 (Bruins lead the series 1-0)
Glen Murray had a pair of goals, including an empty netter as the Bruins took an early 1-0 series lead.

Detroit 5, Nashville 1 (Red Wings lead the series 1-0)
Brendan Shanahan's had a hat trick while Kris Draper had a pair of assists as the Red Wings jumped out early on the Predators and never looked back to go up one game in the series.

Sunday's Games:
St. Louis 2, Calgary 0 (Blues lead the series 1-0)
Pavol Demitra's goal with 3:12 left in the third period snapped a scoreless tie and Barret Jackman added an empty netter as Chris Osgood turned away 27 shots from the Flames, allowing St. Louis to steal home-ice advantage in the series.

New Jersey 2, Tampa Bay 1 (OT) (Devils lead the series 1-0)
John Madden continued his playoff hot hand, finding the top corner past Nikolai Khabibulin with 15 seconds left in the first overtime as the Devils upset the defending Stanley Cup champs to take a 1-0 series lead.

Tonight's Games:
Toronto at Boston (7:30 PM on CBC and ESPN)
Nashville at Detroit (8:00 PM on ESPN)

Tuesday's Games:
New Jersey at Tampa Bay (7:30 PM on ESPN and CBC)
St. Louis at Calgary (10:00 PM on ESPN and CBC)

---

I had my whole weekend in DC ready to be blogged about, but then I realized, I really would just be doing it for my own ego. I do have a couple of questions/notes to my DC folks.

1). What happens to the cherries that show up on the cherry blossoms?
2). I love the walking time maps that you can find all over. And the signage, amazing. I never got lost the whole weekend, even with my maps occasionally being in the trunk.
3). Why didn't I ever pay a toll on the Dulles Toll Road?
4). Could the National Mall be any more crowded?
5). Is the entire city under construction?
6). I presume I lucked out that weekend traffic is nice, and that weekday traffic is not so much?

That's all for today, until the next time,
I am Craig Barker, smack in the middle of the week of Hell.

Thought for the Day: No, seriously, they're amazing dogs...
April 29, 2005

First things first:
The 2004-05 NHL Secret Season rolls on...

Thursday's Results:
Toronto 6, Philadelphia 0 (Maple Leafs win series 4-3)
Trevor Kidd made 32 saves and Owen Nolan opened and closed the scoring as the Leafs put off the start of spring in Ontario for at least two more weeks. Philadelphia's 0-4 night on the power play was summed up by a disappointed Jeremy Roenick "The way we played tonight, we couldn't have found the net even if we had Google." During the post-game press conference, Roenick took time to announce his retirement and subsequent signing with ESPN as a hockey analyst/game show host. "It just seems like a natural for me, doing some work behind the desk with Barry and Chicken Parm, and then hosting ESPN's new lifestyle competition show Dog Show." Roenick was quoted as saying. "Have you ever seen Shanny's rotweillers? They're amazing!"

The win was not without controversy in Toronto, where several in the local media felt that Pat Quinn was running up the score to save his job, while others in the local media felt that Pat Quinn was running up the score to get fired from his job. The only thing the media agreed on was that Pat Quinn is fighting for his job. Or not.

Nashville 2, San Jose 1 (2OT) (Predators win series 4-3)
Steve Sullivan broke through to open ice early in the second overtime of the night, targeted a spot top shelf, and blistered a 25 foot slapshot over Eugeni Nabakov's shoulder at 3:14 of the second overtime to give the Predators a 2-1 victory over San Jose and a series victory over the top-seeded Sharks. "It was just a good feeling," Sullivan noted in a post-game interview, "Legger [Predators center David Legwand] found a seam and put it right on my tape and then it was just a matter of making things happen."

The victory marks the first playoff series won by Nashville, who now travel to Detroit for a Sunday game that will feature a rematch of a 2004 first round playoff series. "We're headed to Hockeytown." Legwand, a Detroit native noted. "It's not an easy place to play, and they are rested coming off the Oilers series, so we hope we can just go in there and give them all they can handle and perhaps steal one before heading back to Music City."

St. Louis 4, Vancouver 3 (Blues win the series 4-3)
Chris Pronger's blue line slapshot with 3:47 left in the third period gave the Blues a four games to three series win and sent Pacific Division champion Vancouver to early Saturday tee times. Pronger's goal was not without controversy, as it was the second goal on a five-minute major which stemmed from a call of boarding against Trevor Linden against the Blues' Reed Low. "It was a crap call, and it was a crap call because of what happened back in October. Bettmann couldn't beat me in the boardroom, so he had his stooges embarrass me on the ice." an angry Linden told reporters in the locker room. "It's utter crap, and anyone here tonight knows it was."

The Canucks had just gone ahead on a Brendan Morrison goal, which came at 13:45 of the third, rousing the GM Place from a nervous pallor to an explosive cacophony. On the ensuing faceoff, the puck moved into the Vancouver zone and was tied up along the board, where Low was about to play it when he was checked by Linden. Low proceeded to collapse into a heap on the ice and play was whistled dead. When the smoke clear, Linden was called for boarding and the Blues went on a five minute power play. They immediately capitalized with a Dough Weight wrister 32 seconds into the power play, knotting the game at three with just 4:42 left on the clock. Quickly seizing the moment, the Blues set up the power play and a pass from Barrett Jackman to Pronger was turned into a streak of black by the Blues' captain, putting St. Louis ahead for good. The Blues move on to face Calgary in the Western Conference semifinals.

Saturday's Games:
Toronto at Boston (3:00 PM on NBC and CBC)
Nashville at Detroit (7:00 PM on ESPN and CBC)

Saturday's Games:
St. Louis at Calgary (4:00 PM on ESPN and CBC)
New Jersey at Tampa Bay (8:00 PM on ESPN and CBC)

That's all for today, until the next time,
I am Craig Barker, ready for D.C.

Thought for the Day: I've created a monster...
April 28, 2005

First things first:
The 2004-05 NHL Secret Season playoffs...

Tuesday's Results:
Philadelphia 4, Toronto 3 (2OT) (Series tied at 3-3)
San Jose 5, Nashville 1 (Series tied at 3-3)
St. Louis 1, Vancouver 0 (Series tied at 3-3)

Wednesday's Result:
New Jersey 6, Montreal 3 (New Jersey advances 4 games to 3)

Krzysztof Oliwa had two goals, including the game winner, while John Madden had three helpers and the Devils stormed to a rousing 6-3 victory over Les Bleu, Blanc, et Rouge. New Jersey will face Tampa Bay on either Saturday or Sunday night, while President's Trophy winner Boston will get the winner of tonight's Toronto-Phildelphia tilt on .

Thursday's Games:
Philadelphia at Toronto (7:00 PM on ESPN) (Series tied at 3-3)
Nashville at San Jose (10:00 PM on ESPN2) (Series tied at 3-3)
St. Louis at Vancouver (10:30 PM on ESPN2) (Series tied at 3-3)

Saturday's Games:
If San Jose and Vancouver win:
Toronto/Philadelphia at Boston (3:00 PM on NBC and CBC)
New Jersey at Tampa Bay (7:00 PM on ESPN and CBC)

If San Jose and St. Louis win:
Toronto/Philadelphia at Boston (3:00 PM on NBC and CBC)
Calgary at Detroit (7:00 PM on ESPN and CBC)

If St. Louis and Nashville win:
Toronto/Philadelphia at Boston (3:00 PM on NBC and CBC)
Nashville at Detroit (7:00 PM on ESPN and CBC)

(Look, I think I realize now that I screwed up the NHL calendar, because there's no way that the NHL would leave the schedule in this much flux (actually, the NHL might) going into Saturday night. Forgive me, I didn't think that I was going to go all in on this thing.)

That's all for today, until the next time,
I am Craig Barker, ready for D.C.

Thought for the Day: How we got here, the 2004-2005 NHL season
April 26, 2005

First things first:
Since I seemed to have aroused some discontent with how the NHL playoffs I am reporting on here on TFTD are going, perhaps some back story is in order:

Knowing it was in the best interest of sports fans everywhere, days after the World Cup of Hockey, ESPN applied the muscle it has and forced an agreement, a luxury tax with cost certainty. We don't know how it happened, but Gary Bettman's repeated assertion that he fell down the stairs, repeatedly, at the negoiations made us wonder. Nevertheless, it was a great campaign, as a number of the league's legends decided to call it quits at the end of the season, Messier, Roenick, Yzerman, Hull, Francis, and Chelios, the league began an extensive thanks for the memories promotion, which took the country by storm, or not. Seemingly by sheer force of will, Mark Messier found the old magic time and again, and Jaromir Jagr's regrown hockey hair (losing a bet with Barry Melrose on New Year's eve, he went on a scoring tear and learned that apparently, it was actually the hair.), led the Rangers back to the playoffs and a first round date with Boston. The biggest disappointment of the year was Colorado, who, without Peter Forsberg, missed the playoffs for the first time during their stint in Denver.

2004-05 NHL Secret Standings

GP W L T OTL PTS
1 z*-Boston 82 45 18 12 7 109
2 y-Tampa Bay 82 45 23 6 8 104
3 y-New Jersey 82 44 23 8 7 103
4 x-Toronto 82 46 23 10 3 105
5 x-Philly 82 39 23 10 10 98
6 x-Montreal 82 41 29 4 8 92
7 x-Ottawa 82 43 23 10 6 90
8 x-NY Rangers 82 27 40 7 8 88
9 e-NY Isles 82 38 25 15 4 87
e-Buffalo 82 37 33 8 4 86
e-Pittsburgh 82 30 32 16 4 80
e-Florida 82 30 33 15 4 79
e-Atlanta 82 27 42 8 5 67
e-Washington 82 25 46 8 3 61
e-Carolina 82 20 42 14 6 60


Western Conference
GP W L T OTL PTS
1 z-San Jose 82 44 18 12 8 108
2 y-Vancouver 82 46 25 6 5 103
3 y-Detroit 82 44 24 11 3 102
4 x-Calgary 82 44 28 3 7 98
5 x-Dallas 82 41 26 8 7 97
6 x-Edmonton 82 38 28 10 6 92
7 x-St. Louis 82 39 30 6 7 91
8 x-Nashville 82 37 30 11 4 89
9 e-Colorado 82 32 26 16 8 88
e-L.A. 82 30 25 18 9 87
e-Phoenix 82 32 27 16 7 87
e-Minnesota 82 30 30 20 2 82
e-Columbus 82 26 44 8 4 64
e-Anaheim 82 29 35 10 8 59
e-Chicago 82 15 53 8 6 44


Joe Sakic won the scoring title, Rick Nash won the Richard Trophy.

That's why we are where we are. New Jersey dropped Les Habs in game six in Montreal with a three goal flurry in first two minutes, led by John Madden and Scott Gomez. Pivotal Game 7 tomorrow night at the ConAir. In last night's other game, Calgary closed out the Stars at the AAC thanks two a pair of goals by Mr. Iginla.

Tonight's games:
Toronto at Philadelphia (7:00 PM on ESPN)
San Jose at Nashville (7:00 PM on ESPN2)
Vancouver at St. Louis (9:30 PM on ESPN2)

(You know, this is a lot more complicated than I anticipated it being.)

That's all for today, until the next time,
I am Craig Barker, getting my red on.

Thought for the Day: Round 2! Game On
April 25, 2005

First things first:
* Woo hoo, great Saturday. Pistons roll over the Sixers, the Lions take Mike Williams (all hail Millen, Millen is life.) and the Wings closed out the night with a three-goal rally in the third (including that beautiful one from McCarty, seriously, who knew?) to put them ahead. So, who will the Wings play in the second round. Vancouver's up 3-2 on St. Louis, Calgary's up 3-2 on Dallas, and Nashville is shocking San Jose 3-2, so we'll see. (By the way, for those of you having trouble tracking this year's NHL playoffs, Boston swept the Rangers 4-0, Toronto's up 3-2 on Philly, Montreal is up 3-2 on the Devils, and Tampa Bay swept Ottawa 4-0.)

* Mike Williams. Well, I mean, I guess when the value falls that far down, you have to take it, but wow, three wide sets, Joey is out of excuses.

* So the rest of this is going to be about teaching. It's not intended to rant or rave, it's just some things I have been thinking about.

Point 1: The NEA lawsuit against the Bush Administration about NCLB and unfunded mandates has me torn in two directions. On the one hand, as a "good government" believer, I can't stand unfunded or underfunded mandates. On the other hand, as a teacher, I can't stand the idea that, my union is arguing, on some level, that educating poor children, minority children, rural children and underserved children isn't part of our core mission as teachers and as public schools. On the one hand, I am not convinced that testing is the be all, end all solution of accountability (especially because I don't think testing looks at what the child came into the year with and what progress was made during that year.), on the other hand, I don't think anyone should be trying to legislate through the courts. On the one hand, I think that NCLB has some flaws which need to be addressed (like the statistical impossibility of 100% pass rates in every school in America without a really low bar), on the other hand, I think this lawsuit makes a lot of teachers look whiny.

Point 2: Which brings me to my idea, how to convince a vocal majority of Americans on the importance of good teachers and the difficulties inherent in the job (unlike this).

Ideas I had included:
* Year-round school (with teachers paid commiserate to their extra hours.) (Actually, I wouldn't mind a little longer school year, like an extra two weeks, I wouldn't have had to condense Watergate down to a one-page review handout for my AP kids.)
* The European model where the lowest achieving students are cut off from college prep at the age of 13 and steered into vocational tracks, allowing America's test scores to rise in comparison to the rest of the developed world since that is what they look at. (Seriously, why doesn't this ever come up when they do those comparisons to the rest of the developed world. And if teachers are liberal and the media is liberal, really, why doesn't this get more publicity. If you compared our top 50% of students to the developed world, we would likely be right there. But this is America, and everyone deserves a chance to succeed, right? Actually, I do believe in that, I just wish we could compare apples to apples is all.)

I have some other ideas, but not for now, or not for this forum.

Point 3: Remember kids, you have a right to free speech, but that speech may have consequences. I genuinely don't know how I feel about this issue, because I can also see this both ways.

Really, that's about all I have.

That's all for today, until the next time,
I am Craig Barker, getting my red on.

Thought for the Day: Brief and brief
April 21, 2005

First things first:
Happy San Jacinto Day!
* Saturday will be crazy. Thanks to the two goal, two assist effort of the Captain last night, the Wings have a good shot of closing out the Oilers on Saturday. Thankfully, the game is on at 7:30 on ESPN (after the draft is almost done for the day), so you can line up NFL Draft-->Pistons/Sixers-->Red Wings/Oilers. That's a quality Saturday. Oh, I also have to slip an APUSH review session in there somewhere.

* By the way, also of note, but Niklas Kronwall has been a revelation in the playoffs, it's like what happened with Tayshaun two years ago.

* It's official, Rick Santorum is an [expletive deleted, replaced with "less than brilliant public official"]. Why exactly would you go after one of the things that people actually like about the U.S. federal government. Well, I mean, I know why he would, but you get my point. Some people have their pet issues, apparently one of mine is free access to weather reports.
Fave quote from the article: "'If someone claims that our core mission is just warning the public of hazardous conditions, that's really impossible unless we forecast the weather all the time,' [the weather service's director of strategic planning and policy Ed] Johnson said. 'You don't just plug in your clock when you want to know what time it is.'"

* Remember kids, when you want to defeat Texans, actually make sure your gun works properly.

* Hmm, which is worse, penguins going through airport security, or penguins storming the beaches of Normandy?

That's all for today, until the next time,
I am Craig Barker, outta here.

Thought for the Day: America jumps the shark: Revised
April 20, 2005

First things first:
So, with a little more thought, I have further revised the list:
Now out:
Amelia Earhart
Charles Lindbergh
Hugh Hefner
Madonna
Babe Ruth
Billy Graham
Bob Hope
Chuck Yeager
Johnny Carson
Marilyn Monroe
Steve Jobs
Steven Spielberg
Frank Sinatra
Frank Lloyd Wright

Now in:
Charles P. Ginsburg (doesn't have a Wikipedia entry, but the guy who invented magnetic videotape is big in my book.)
Chester F. Carlson (invented the process we call Xeroxgraphy. That, my friends, is a great American.)
Emily Dickinson
Frederick Law Olmsted (I liked the idea of adding a civic architect instead.)
George Eastman (Photography, very good stuff.)
Hyman Rickover (he immigrated to the U.S. when he was five years old, so I can let it slide.)
J. Willard Gibbs (the science inclined made a good case in my mind.)
Jack S. Kilby (woo boy, the integrated circuit.)
James Fergason (you may have never heard of him, but he began the revolution in LCD technology.)
James Watson (co-discovering DNA also makes you big in my book.)
Luther Burbank (woo hoo, potatoes!)
Maya Angelou (I was swayed by Raffy's arguments)
Noah Webster (gave us American English and our dictionary!)
Norman Borlaug (Geoff said it: "Norman Borlaug should be on the list. Saving a billion lives should get you something.")
Philo T. Farnsworth (how could I forget the guy who invented TV!)
W. E. B. Du Bois
William Faulkner (I decline to accept the end of man...Man will not only endure, but prevail...)
Willis Carrier (the man who invented air conditioning. Aww yeah.)

There, I feel a bit better about the list I have now:
Abraham Lincoln
Alexander Hamilton
Alfred Thayer Mahan
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Jackson
Audie Murphy
Benjamin Franklin
Bill Clinton
Bill Gates
Carl Sagan
Cesar Chavez
Charles P. Ginsburg
Chester F. Carlson
Clarence Darrow
Colin Powell
Douglas MacArthur
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Earl Warren
Eleanor Roosevelt
Elvis Presley
Emily Dickinson
Ernest Hemingway
Eugene V. Debs
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Frederick Douglass
Frederick Law Olmsted
George C. Marshall
George F. Kennan
George Eastman
George Gershwin
George Patton
George Washington
George Washington Carver
Harriet Ross Tubman
Harry S Truman
Helen Keller
Henry Ford
Henry Kissinger
Horace Mann
Howard Hughes
Hyman Rickover
J. Willard Gibbs
Jack S. Kilby
Jackie Robinson
James Fergason
James Madison
James Watson
Jesse Owens
Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Stewart
John Adams
John F. Kennedy
John Glenn
John J. Audubon
John Marshall
John Muir
John Wayne
Jonas Edward Salk
Joseph Smith Jr.
Justin Morrill
Katharine Hepburn
Luther Burbank
Lyndon B. Johnson
Malcolm X
Margaret Sanger
Mark Twain
Martin Luther King Jr.
Maya Angelou
Neil Alden Armstrong
Nikola Tesla
Noah Webster
Norman Borlaug
Oprah Winfrey
Philo T. Farnsworth
Ralph Bunche
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Richard Feynman
Richard Nixon
Robert E. Lee
Robert F. Kennedy
Robert Frost
Ronald Reagan
Sam Walton
Scott Joplin
Susan B. Anthony
Theodore Roosevelt
Thomas Edison
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Paine
Ulysses S. Grant
W. E. B. Du Bois
Walt Disney
Walt Whitman
William Faulkner
William Levitt
William Lloyd Garrison
Willis Carrier
Woodrow Wilson
Wright Brothers

I do seriously wonder if the Discovery Channel is going to look at this list and say "OK, you know what, America is clearly a nation of morons, so you know what, let's get a real list and educate."

That's all for today, until the next time,
I am Craig Barker, happy everyone else is peeved too.

Thought for the Day: America jumps the shark
April 19, 2005

First things first:
And I thought all I would have to be mad about was staying up until 1:00 AM to watch the Wings lose 1-0 in overtime to Edmonton. But then no, this came out, and all of the sudden, a 2-1 series lead is nothing compared to this idiocy.

Remember when I complimented Canada that at least it was able to come up with a list of the 100 Greatest Canadians, something we couldn't even do. Well, we did it. And well, we're idiots.

OK, here's the list. Remember, AOL users were heavily involved.
Abraham Lincoln
Albert Einstein
Alexander Graham Bell
Alexander Hamilton
Amelia Earhart
Andrew Carnegie
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Audie Murphy
Babe Ruth (George Herman Ruth)
Barack Obama
Barbara Bush
Benjamin Franklin
Bill Clinton
Bill Cosby (William Henry Cosby, Jr.)
Bill Gates
Billy Graham
Bob Hope
Brett Favre
Carl Sagan
Cesar Chavez
Charles Lindbergh
Christopher Reeve
Chuck Yeager
Clint Eastwood
Colin Powell
Condoleezza Rice
Donald Trump
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Eleanor Roosevelt (Anna Eleanor Roosevelt)
Ellen DeGeneres
Elvis Presley
Frank Sinatra
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Frederick Douglass
George H. W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Lucas
George Patton
George Washington
George Washington Carver
Harriet Ross Tubman
Harry Truman
Helen Keller
Henry Ford
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Howard Hughes
Hugh Hefner
Jackie Robinson (Jack Roosevelt Robinson)
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Jesse Owens
Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Stewart
John Edwards
John Glenn
John F. Kennedy
John Wayne
Johnny Carson (John William Carson)
Jonas Edward Salk
Joseph Smith Jr.
Katharine Hepburn
Lance Armstrong
Laura Bush
Lucille Ball
Lyndon B. Johnson
Madonna (Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone)
Malcolm X (Malcolm Little)
Marilyn Monroe
Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens)
Martha Stewart
Martin Luther King Jr.
Maya Angelou
Mel Gibson
Michael Jackson
Michael Jordan
Michael Moore
Muhammad Ali (Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr.)
Neil Alden Armstrong
Nikola Tesla
Oprah Winfrey
Pat Tillman
Dr. Phil McGraw
Ray Charles
Richard Nixon
Robert Kennedy
Ronald Reagan
Rosa Parks
Rudolph W. Giuliani
Rush Limbaugh
Sam Walton
Steve Jobs
Steven Spielberg
Susan B. Anthony
Theodore Roosevelt
Thomas Edison
Thomas Jefferson
Tiger Woods
Tom Cruise
Tom Hanks
Walt Disney
Wright Brothers (Orville & Wilbur Wright)

Now, for people who actually have read a history book lately, here's my pruning of the list:
Abraham Lincoln (stays)
Albert Einstein (stays)
Alexander Graham Bell (out, he was on the Greatest Canadian list)
Alexander Hamilton (stays, even if he wasn't born in America)
Amelia Earhart (stays, for now)
Andrew Carnegie (stays, even though he was born in Scotland)
Arnold Schwarzenegger (goes, wasn't born in America)
Audie Murphy (stays, maybe)
Babe Ruth (stays)
Barack Obama (you actually have to DO SOMETHING to make the list)
Barbara Bush (again, see Obama)
Benjamin Franklin (stays)
Bill Clinton (stays)
Bill Cosby (out)
Bill Gates (stays)
Billy Graham (stays)
Bob Hope (stays, even though he was born in England)
Brett Favre (no f'ing way)
Carl Sagan (stays)
Cesar Chavez (stays)
Charles Lindbergh (stays)
Christopher Reeve (sorry, nope)
Chuck Yeager (stays)
Clint Eastwood (out)
Colin Powell (stays)
Condoleezza Rice (out, nothing personal Condi)
Donald Trump (no, no way)
Dwight D. Eisenhower (stays)
Eleanor Roosevelt (stays, because she actually has work to stand on)
Ellen DeGeneres (sorry, Ellen, you're funny, but no)
Elvis Presley (stays)
Frank Sinatra (stays)
Franklin D. Roosevelt (stays)
Frederick Douglass (stays)
George H. W. Bush (he was a freaking ONE TERMER!)
George W. Bush (can't make the list, we don't have enough data)
George Lucas (if this were 1998, he'd be on the list. Sorry George)
George Patton (stays)
George Washington (stays)
George Washington Carver (stays)
Harriet Ross Tubman (stays)
Harry S Truman (stays)
Helen Keller (stays)
Henry Ford (stays)
Hillary Rodham Clinton (goes, we only have room for one politically connected New York senator and I have made my choice)
Howard Hughes (stays)
Hugh Hefner (stays)
Jackie Robinson (stays)
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (nope, first ladies don't just get coattail duty)
Jesse Owens (stays)
Jimmy Carter (stays, the Nobel Peace Prize helped)
Jimmy Stewart (stays, because Mary insisted)
John Edwards (A freakin one term senator from North Carolina, no way)
John Glenn (stays)
John F. Kennedy (stays)
John Wayne (stays)
Johnny Carson (stays)
Jonas Edward Salk (stays)
Joseph Smith Jr. (stays)
Katharine Hepburn (stays)
Lance Armstrong (nope, sorry, can't do it, I am a fan, but no)
Laura Bush (invoking first ladies rule)
Lucille Ball (sorry Lucy)
Lyndon B. Johnson (stays)
Madonna (nope, even if she is a Michigan "alum")
Malcolm X (stays)
Marilyn Monroe (stays)
Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens) (stays)
Martha Stewart (No, no way!)
Martin Luther King Jr. (stays)
Maya Angelou (sorry, nope)
Mel Gibson (nope, sorry, no way)
Michael Jackson (What the Fuck? Out)
Michael Jordan (stays, grudgingly)
Michael Moore (nope, sorry, even if he is a Michigander)
Muhammad Ali (Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr.) (stays)
Neil Alden Armstrong (stays)
Nikola Tesla (stays)
Oprah Winfrey (stays)
Pat Tillman (sorry Pat, your story is good, but not 100 Greatest Americans good)
Dr. Phil McGraw (Oh, please, who the, no!)
Ray Charles (sorry Brother Ray)
Richard Nixon (stays)
Robert F. Kennedy (stays)
Ronald Reagan (stays)
Rosa Parks (vastly overrated, gone, sorry)
Rudolph W. Giuliani (no, not even the best New York mayor)
Rush Limbaugh (No, No, No.)
Sam Walton (stays)
Steve Jobs (stays)
Steven Spielberg (stays)
Susan B. Anthony (stays)
Theodore Roosevelt (stays)
Thomas Edison (stays)
Thomas Jefferson (stays)
Tiger Woods (sorry Tiger, nope)
Tom Cruise (Hell no)
Tom Hanks (Hell no)
Walt Disney (stays)
Wright Brothers (Orville & Wilbur Wright) (stay)

By my count, that gives me 26 replacements, so let's get to work (with Wikipedia links for some of the more obscure choices as well as some of the less obscure).
Alfred Thayer Mahan
Andrew Jackson (he is on the $20 for a good reason people)
Clarence Darrow
Douglas MacArthur (He's more than just the "I Shall Return" guy, you know)
Earl Warren (Love it or hate it, the Warren Court made America as we know it. Oh, and he sort of helped build up the UC system.)
Ernest Hemingway (He kept his sentences short. They were short. I need a drink.)
Eugene V. Debs (look, someone had to stand up for socialism.)
F. Scott Fitzgerald (Wrote the great American novel, it's that easy.)
Frank Lloyd Wright (quick, name another U.S. architect. No, he's Canadian.)
George F. Kennan
George Gershwin
George C. Marshall (the Marshall Plan, seriously, people, read a book!)
Georgia O'Keeffe
Henry Kissinger (he has at least one more Nobel Peace Prize than you do. Except maybe you Mr. Carter, Mr. Roosevelt, Mr. Wilson, Mr. Bunche, ok, a few of you.)
Horace Mann (public schools, right or wrong)
John J. Audubon (we all like birds, right?)
James Madison (you know that constitution thingy? He sort of wrote that. No big whoop. You'll put Dr. Phil on the list, but not the guy who invented the U.S. government.)
John Adams (vastly underrated)
John C. Frémont
John Marshall (are you familiar with judicial review? You know, the reason we get laws appealed to the USSC. Well, that would be John's doing. No, because you're too busy putting Rush Limbaugh on the list.)
John Muir (part of the reason why the American West is still sort of pretty)
Justin Morrill (if you went to a land grant university, you have Mr. Morrill to thank for it.)
Margaret Sanger (a controversial choice, but you know, what's a list without controversy.)
Ralph Bunche (all of you who have negotiated a peace treaty between Israel and one of its neighbors, please raise your hand. Mr. Carter, would you please stop doing that.)
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Richard Feynman (he understood physics so you didn't have to)
Robert E. Lee (how in the world did General Lee not make the list. Seriously, I thought that our Southern friends would have made sure that he and Dale Sr. would have made the list.)
Robert Frost (I think this is anti-Red Sox backlash)
Scott Joplin (we should try to honor a number of different eras of popular American song here)
Thomas Paine (OK, so Rush Limbaugh, no problem, but the guy who did the same thing first, and better, nowhere to be found. Idiots.)
Ulysses S. Grant (bad President, but man, what a general.)
Walt Whitman (I think Homer Simpson worked to keep him off the list.)
William Levitt (Do you live in suburbia? Well, now you know whom to thank.)
William Lloyd Garrison (like a blogger 165 years ahead of the curve.)
Woodrow Wilson (That's Dr. President to you. You know, the 14 points, no, no, we'll leave him off the list.)

Congratulations America, you're a bunch of idiots. This is what happens when you combine the evils of list making with the evils of mob rule. The Founding Fathers warned you about this!

That's all for today, until the next time,
I am Craig Barker, enjoying the rights I have on Patriots' Day.

Thought for the Day: Three rivers, seventh place
April 18, 2005

First things first:
Starry starry night...
* This past weekend was TRASHionals. The short version is that we left the L at 3 PM, made it to Pittsburgh by the third inning, but didn't get to our seats until the fifth because parking is, well, it's just not pleasant. We had some nosebleed action going on, but it was a good time and it was good to see the gang. As someone suggested, I think we're about two years away from TrashMasters becoming a barbeque with a trivia contest.

* Proof that bonus conversion and points per game are not all they are cracked up to be. Thanks to one bad game against the eventual finalists (Riders of Lohan) and one sloppy close game against our friends from Arizona State, The Keenans were kept out of the top bracket this year and set out to be the best seventh place team ever, which I think we accomplished. Some days, the breaks go your way, some days, they do not. It happens, we had a good time, the questions were great, and we now once again go back to looking for the new fourth Keenan.

* The folks at TRASH did a great job with the set. If you're interested in looking for a quality trash set that has good pyramidality, interesting questions, and is well written, this should be your exemplar. A kudos to all of you.

* As I stated, if you have any interest in the Ninth Annual Keller Cup One on One (Academic) Tournament over Memorial Day weekend, email me (link's over there.) If we get sufficient outside interest, we'll likely put it together. Otherwise, well, Jason, we'll send you the trophy, finally.

* If you missed it on Wednesday, a bizarre harmonic Jeopardy! convergence as the gentleman who beat me in the UToC, Rick Knutsen was crushed by the guy who beat me in 1998, Dan Melia, in their second round game. It's going to depend on Dan's opponents, but he is looking poised to make a run here.

* Woo-hoo, weekend where I'm in the D in April. I am shocked and stunned. That means an AP review session in the morning on Saturday and NFL Draft coma Saturday afternoon! Plus, Michigan night baseball on Friday night!

* At present, which body has a higher average age:
The College of Cardinals (all members, not just the under 80s)
The United States Supreme Court
The Correspondant Lineup from 60 Minutes.

* If you are not reading De Stijl, you really should be. Victoria's return from hiatus has been a wonderous gift and her writings either make me think, laugh, or often times both. Also, Today's Odd Amazon Discovery will scare you all the way.

* I was disappointed in the Red Wings performance on Saturday, even though I didn't get to see much of it. I know it's gauche to complain about a win, and certainly going to Edmonton up 2-0 is nothing to sneeze at, but when you're the #3 seed and you were ten points better than the Oilers during the regular season, you should not be outplayed by them. I thought that Joseph was solid, if not spectacular, and clearly I am worried about the minutes that Chelios is logging, but he seems to just have a motor that won't quit. We'll see how it goes tonight with Game 3 up at Skyreach.

That's all for today, until the next time,
I am Craig Barker, living the dream.

Thought for the Day: Well, maybe the Jets.
April 13, 2005

First things first:
Starry starry night...
* So, I was thinking about doing a write-up about the ICT and then I realized, I didn't care. Well, wait, let's back that up. I realized you wouldn't care. I didn't see a single match, didn't hear a single question, and know nothing of what happened besides what went on in the D-II stat room. So, my ICT writeup would end up being the most boring thing ever. Besides, it's not like my posting my opinion will change anyone's mind on the subject. So, basically, I said forget it, let's get on with our lives and try to do something productive instead, like work to make next year's tournament better.

* New Orleans was nice, but I have pretty much given up on ever seeing any part of the city during an ICT other than the host site itself. It makes it far less disappointing that way. I did add another state, which I believe puts me at 39 for 50.

* Great random moment today: The iTunes was on shuffle and it played "WTF Kenneth", which of course, has one of my favorite R.E.M. lines of all-time: "Withdrawal in disgust is not the same as apathy." I hope that reference isn't too dated for my younger readers.

* Team name I wish I could make use of, since it really would only work for this weekend: Opus Dei and the Knights.

* By the way, I really hadn't said anything about the passing of Pope John Paul II, but that was largely because I did not know what to say. I guess the one thing I thought of was that sometimes the office makes the man, but in some rare cases, sometimes the man makes the office. I do think in his passing, we have seen the problem with trying to run any large organization, not only will you not succeed in making everyone happy, you will also be roundly criticized by those you failed to make happy. In this case, not even the doctrine of papal infallibility can save you, so what hope does anyone else running a massive organization have?

* I just was reminded by ESPN that the NHL playoffs would have started tonight. Which means in four days, I would be theoretically bitching about the woeful defensive lapses of the older players, but would not yet have given up hope. That's for round 2.

* If you get a chance, this article (part 1 and part 2) is fascinating to me as a teacher. Why? Do you know how hard it is to learn 150 new names a semester? Now imagine that where you don't recognize half the names or have any idea where to start on pronounciation. I firmly blame Kathie Lee Gifford for the run on Cody, but I have no idea where we got Alexandra from at the top end. Now, that said, when I look at the list for the future (here) two things strike me.
1). The Irish are clearly winning out.
2). Never underestimate the power of the NBC Thursday night block as a source of names (both Will and Grace and Phoebe!)

Also, way to go Groces for being ahead of the curve with Nora, though I still think Youppi! would have been far more entertaining and pro-Quebec.

That's all for today, until the next time,
I am Craig Barker, all shook down.