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Concert Flashback: Fiona Apple

06fionaappleIn 2002, Fiona Apple began working on her third album.  After many false starts and scrapped recordings, Extraordinary Machine was finally released towards the end of 2005 and, in the summer of 2006, Apple went on a tour to support it.  She came to Chicago in July, with Damien Rice as a supporting act, and played at the former Meigs Field airport, now going by the name Charter One Pavilion.

Rice opened the show and, truth be told, I can’t tell you anything about it.  I can’t even tell you a Damien Rice song, let alone what he may have played that night.  Following that, Apple came out and, displaying her typical stage fright, performed admirably, if not timidly.  Once again, I don’t remember much about this portion of the night either, but I must have enjoyed it enough to sign up for a repeat performance a few years later.

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Good Friday Playlist

To celebrate Good Friday and the whole Easter season, I put together a special playlist for the non-podcast part of my commute home Friday night.  Can you find the theme?

 

One of Us Joan Osborne Relish 4/18/2014 3:37 PM
God Tori Amos Under the Pink 4/18/2014 3:41 PM
Connecticut’s For F*cking Jesus H Christ and The Four Hornsmen of the Apocalypse Jesus H Christ and The Four Hornsmen Of The Apocalypse 4/18/2014 3:45 PM
You’re a God Vertical Horizon Everything You Want 4/18/2014 3:49 PM
Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth With Money In My Hand Primitive Radio Gods Rocket 4/18/2014 3:55 PM
Personal Jesus Depeche Mode Violator 4/18/2014 3:59 PM
Right Here, Right Now Jesus Jones Living In The 90’s (Disc 1) 4/18/2014 4:02 PM
Personal Jesus Johnny Cash American IV – The Man Comes Around 4/18/2014 4:05 PM
Just Like Heaven The Cure Greatest Hits 4/18/2014 4:09 PM
Heaven Warrant Monster Ballads (Disc 1) 4/18/2014 4:13 PM
Tears in Heaven Eric Clapton Unplugged 4/18/2014 4:18 PM
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#234 – Will Ohman

Will+OhmanName: Will Ohman

Rank: 234

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 2011-2012

Will Ohman signed a 2 year deal with the White Sox on January 8, 2011.  He joined the bullpen for a team expected to compete for a division title, but which instead unraveled under the watchful eye of Ozzie Guillen.  Ohman was competent, putting up a 4.22 ERA in 59 appearances.

2012 was worse for Ohman.  Under new manager Robin Ventura, the team was actually contending, spending most of the season in first place.  Ohman, however, saw his ERA jump up to 6.41.  As June was coming to an end, so was his time on the White Sox.  He was designated for assignment on June 27 and eventually released on July 3.

Ohman’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:

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Book 7 (of 52) – The Fault In Our Stars

The Fault In Our Stars - John Green

The Fault In Our Stars – John Green

Author John Green delivers a tale of a young girl suffering from cancer who meets a boy and finally starts to live her life like a normal teenager.  A shared fascination with a recluse novelist helps bring the two together and gives them something to focus on when real life becomes too real.

The Fault In Our Stars, soon to become the latest young adult novel to hit the big screen, was an easy read and, for the most part, a good one.  I could have done without the crazy author subplot, but it didn’t detract too much from the overall tale, which was pretty strong.

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Book 6 (of 52) – Veronica Mars: The Thousand Dollar Tan Line

Veronica Mars: The Thousand Dollar Tan Line - Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham

Veronica Mars: The Thousand Dollar Tan Line – Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham

When Rob Thomas first started hashing out the Veronica Mars movie, he had a story that he wanted to tell. Before he got too far along in the writing process, though, he decided he needed to tell a different story first, one which reintroduced the characters and set them in place going forward. That is what we got last month as the Veronica Mars movie. That original story, though, now comes to us in novel form, thanks to Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham.

Before we go any further, a spoiler warning. There is no way to discuss the book without revealing where the film left the characters. If you haven’t seen the film, and assuming anybody happens to be reading this, you have been forewarned. Turn back now while you still can.

The book picks up a few months after the end of the film. Veronica is back in Neptune and running her father’s business while he recupperates from the accident that killed Deputy Sachs. Business is slow until she is hired by the town’s chamber of commerce to help the inept sheriff solve the case of a missing coed, which threatens the town’s spring break business. While the sheriff butts heads with the Nancy Grace stand-in, Veronica investigates the original missing girl, a second one is reported, one which brings back some unresolved issues from Veronica’s past.

As a backer of the Kickstarter campaign that enabled the film, I guess it is safe to say that I am a Veronica Mars fan and this novel should be right up my alley. Well, it certainly was. Graham, working from Thomas’ story, managed to capture the essence of these characters that, for some reason, have managed to endure for all these years. The future of Veronica Mars as a live action franchise still remains to be seen at this point. If it were to live on in novel form only, this first installment gives one hope for that future.

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GlobalFit III: Week 40

Y3Week40Overall, a disappointing week, with only 2 days crossing the mythical 5000 step barrier.  Monday got things off to a good start thanks to the Warner Brothers studio tour and a trip to the NerdMelt theater to see some comedy.  Tuesday’s low total was due to a final low-key day in LA that was spent taking in a taping of @Midnight.  Wednesday was a disappointing day, thanks to a cancelled flight that left me stranded at the airport for 16 hours.  Thursday I arrived back home and then went to work, despite feeling sick all day.  The rest of the week was nothing but disappointment.

Total steps: 29,796

Weekly average: 4256.6

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Book 5 (of 52) – Mere Mortals

Mere Mortals - David Mack

Mere Mortals – David Mack

In the second part of the Destiny trilogy, the Enterprise and the Aventine work on discovering the wormhole that the Borg are using to invade the Alpha quadrant while the crew of the Titan tries to deal with the Caeliar and their decision to trap them on their world, just as they did hundreds of years ago with the crew of the NX Columbia.

Mack spends most of this middle portion of the trilogy on Erika Hernandez, captain of the Columbia, as she first tries to escape from the Caeliar and then works to assimilate with them, which enables her to live for hundreds of years and encounter Riker and the crew of the Titan.  As a standalone book, this doesn’t have much to offer.  Very little actually happens, as it is mostly setup for the finale.  Hopefully, it all pays off.

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Concert Flashback: Tegan & Sara

05tegan&sara

The night started early, as I left work a little early to head down to the city to Rock Bottom in order to catch the end of Game 3 of the ALDS, with the White Sox looking to sweep the Red Sox and win their first post season series since the 1917 World Series.  After the game, which, of course, the White Sox did win, Tina, Andy, and I hopped on the Red Line and headed north to Wrigleyville to check out Tegan and Sara at the Metro.

Apparently, there were 2 opening acts, neither one I remember or have even heard of.  To be honest, I don’t remember much about the show at all.  The album they were touring in support of, So Jealous, is one of my favorites and I’m sure I enjoyed the performance.  But, my favorite baseball team was headed for the ALCS, I’d just been to two playoff games, and the Weezer and Foo Fighters show was earlier that week.  It’s all sort of jumbled together at this point.

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GlobalFit III: Week 39

Y3Week39

The week got off to a disappointing start, with an opening day trip down to US Cellular Field coinciding with the onset of an illness that kept me home from work on Tuesday.  Wednesday was the first day of the trip out west and, thanks to a walk around San Diego and a trip to the USS Midway, I logged my first day over 10,000 steps since late September, a mere 27 weeks ago.  Thursday and Friday also broke past the 10,000 step plateau.  Saturday crossed 5000 steps thanks to a drive up the coast to Los Angeles and a trip to Dodger Stadium.  Sunday, thanks to a trip to Hollywood and the walk of fame, once again blew past the 10,000 step mark.

Total steps: 60,216

Weekly average: 8602.3

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#235 – Neil Allen

frontName: Neil Allen

Rank: 235

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 1986-1987

Neil Allen joined the White Sox on February 13, 1986 along with Scott Bradley and an unknown minor leaguer from the Yankees in exchange for Ron Hassey, Matt Winters, and two additional minor leaguers who would never be heard from.  Allen started the ’86 season in the bullpen, but was given a chance to start after developing an effective offspeed pitch.  He was moved in to the starting rotation on May 4th and put up a 7-2 record with 3.82 ERA before going down with an injury that, for all intents and purposes, ended his season in July.

1987 started with Allen penciled in as manager Jim Fregosi’s third starter.  Things went south quickly, though, as Allen went 0-7 in 10 starts before being banished back to the bullpen.  Things boiled over in a shouting match with Fregosi in early August the led to Allen demanding to be released.  By the end of the month, the White Sox complied with his request, sending him on his way and ending his career on the south side.

Allen’s numbers in a White Sox uniform were:

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