Randomness on Halloween

We’re in the thick of another glorious sporting weekend, but before putting the puzzle together, we have to shake all the pieces out of the box.
Before that happens, I have some extremely scattered and out-of-nowhere thoughts on this gloomy (at least in NYC) Halloween day. The freaks will most certainly be coming out tonight, on the one day of year when making a complete ass of yourself is not only expected, but probably a little bit encouraged, and also the only time on the calendar when girls can get away with wearing stuff that would normally provoke nothing but stares and judgment on any of the other 364 days of the year. This, of course, can work both ways (meaning it can be either good OR bad). This is why, thankfully, we have the power to just … look … away. Unfortunately, this is sometimes easier said than done. Whatever happens, keep in mind that one option is to drink so much that you can forget anything bad that happened, and recall only the good. On to the madness! (not all of this will be about sports, as I promised of course when I started this thing to occasionally write about other stuff. Thanks for being patient, non-sports nuts).

• You like classic rock? Of course you do! Question for you – is the greatest number of best rock bands over the history of music from the states or the U.K.? Holster that metal piece all you overzealous American patriots! Sure, a plethora of excellent bands have formed and put out music right here in our own backyard (Van Halen, The Doors, Aerosmith, the short-lived but brilliant early career of Guns ‘n Roses). But England will always be able to lay claim to Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Cream/Clapton, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks and Pink Floyd. Obviously, there are about a zillion more examples to cite on both sides, but those are some of the heaviest hitters. To look back on a time when all of these previously-mentioned bands were creating their art and touring the world, and compare it to the music industry now, is to simply become utterly depressed. It’s very hard to say how we got here from there. Entire books and theses probably have been and are being formulated on that very topic. But the debate about which side of the Atlantic is winning (has won?) the ‘best bands’ war is fun, even if pointless and ridiculous on a ‘what does it really matter’ level. My two favorite rock bands are a split for U.S. vs. England – Van Halen and Led Zep. It’s impossible to choose one over the other, so I won’t. But I will say this – The first six albums of VH’s career, in other words the ‘David Lee Roth’ era, are some of the most unbelievable albums ever put out, even 25-30 years later. The raw, no-polish-needed power, the harmonies, Eddie’s guitar work, the vocalizing, DLR’s charisma as a front man – there was nothing Van Halen couldn’t do. And I only wish I was old enough at the time to fully appreciate it (I wasn’t). Thanks to the magic of the internet, it’s much easier nowadays to get a sense for how things were in an era gone by, even if you weren’t there for the first go-round. U.S. or U.K.? Thoughts? Weigh in? Yes, no, maybe so?

• Another Saturday afternoon of college football glory is in full throttle. Nothing too out of the ordinary is going down as of now, except that No. 4 Iowa had to come roaring back from a 24-14 deficit against unranked Indiana to score 28 unanswered fourth-quarter points for the win. Florida is leading Georgia by a fairly comfortable margin, and pretty much everyone else that was supposed to win in the early games did so. No. 5 USC vs. No. 10 Oregon tonight is the big game today, taking place at 8 EST. Suspended Ducks senior running back LeGarrette Blount might be reinstated as of next week, after his season-long suspension in Oregon’s 2009 opener for punching a taunting Boise State player immediately after the Broncos’ home victory. Apparently, rules are arbitrary and can be altered at any time! This is the magic of rules – there are no rules to enforce that rules cannot be changed. Well, at least not as it applies to the NCAA. Hey don’t get it twisted, I think a season-long suspension was kind of ridiculous to begin with. But flip-flopping on rules whenever you feel like it just because a team is having a better-than-expected season is also kind of silly.

• Phillies and Yankees are tied at one game apiece in the World Series. Somebody will be leading 2-1 about 6-7 hours from now. As a Phillies fan, the mere thought of this series makes me want to block my ears, close my eyes and just start yelling nonsense. How tense have these first two games been? For different reasons, this series means a ton for both of these franchises. Enthralling stuff. I’ll be able to talk about it better later. Not now. Please. Not now.

• For anyone wondering why my blog is called ‘playapresident,’ – well, there’s no excellent reason other than the fact that true, dyed-in-the-wool, older east coast hip hop is my calling card (and has been for quite some time). Notorious B.I.G. is just one of many artists whose work will live on in infamy, and as he so aptly appropriated in his remix of ‘One More Chance’ – ‘Lyrically, I’m supposed to represent; Not only a client, I’m the player president.’ Much love. At some point, I’ll delve more deeply into the essence of true hip hop – what it entails, the different sub-cultures within the culture, the birth, progression, and unfortunately ongoing death of it. Lots to say, so little time. In the meantime, what exactly is happening with music today? I’ve never felt so disconnected from it in the same era where we have more access to it now than ever before. Can anyone explain this?


Have a fun Halloween Saturday night, and stay away from Freddy Kruger, Jason, and generally anyone lunging toward you with a deadly weapon, if at all possible.