IT'S NATIONAL ROUNDHOUSE DAY...NOW SALUTE!

After dropping two last week, we need a win tonight like a crackhead needs a hit. Everyone needs a win these days. The Celtics needed a win last night--got it relatively easy. Now they need one on the road. The Sox needed a win to take back first place. Got it thanks to, again, a ninth-inning winning run. Orioles are second, Yanks are second to last and the Sox are in first. All is right again. For now. David Cook needs a win if my lovely wife wants to watch him to lust her with his wild eyes anymore on "American Idol." Obama needs a win coming up if the Dems are gonna stand any kinda chance in the general election. We all need a win. We're a country that fuels off of victory...desperate for validation through success over another.

The Roundhouse jersey was pretty well received although some feared that it was a little "over the top" while Kool Aid just mentioned it was too busy and you can't read the name. As a fix, we removed the "CN" from the hat (because it would just require explanation anyway) and then brought the ROUNDHOUSE out with blood red. The original concept included a mushroom cloud, a Ford Festiva, a Yugo and an AK-47. I think this is pretty tame comparitively.The more I look at it, I like how the femur (as in the original design) takes the place of a bat and the skulls look like stacked softballs. Oh, and only a few people got the Warriors reference. Let me help you out. No, it's not Paul Stanley. No, those aren't Yankee pinstripes. Although elements of the character's outfits are said to be influenced by both the Yankee uniforms and KISS, those are the Baseball Furies--one of the most feared gangs in cinematic history. I mean, I'll take the Furies over Clockwork's droogs. These dudes were gangsta! gangsta!

I don't mind the Yankee influence. Whatever. That design is badass so the pinstripes stay. I mean, the Cubbies, Mets, Phillies, Marlins, Astros and Rockies all wear pinstripes so I ain't hearing you. Oh, that's right, it's a Yankee Universe. Or whatever Baby Hank was talking about. I should've tried putting Jeter and his cologne at the top with 23 daisies underneath him. Who has time for losing playoff games when there's a new cologne I gotta hock?

Tuesday, the new Roots and Portishead came out. They both hit relatively quietly which was surprising, but sales have been encouraging--especially on the Portishead record. I mean, when you take nearly ten years off, you're probably lucky to chart. The record itself is pretty meaty. We knew they couldn't really pull off the "trip hop" sound anymore because, well, the genre that they created (no debate necessary) over ten years back doesn't really exist anymore, but it's somber (just as one would expect), creepy (just as one would expect) and delightfully complex (just as one would expect). I like. To hell with all of these cats who are slinging garbage on this record. Go listen to your iPod. The Roots record, Rising Down, I'll be giving another listen today. Can't comment yet.

Going to San Francisco on Sunday for NARM. I'll make sure to wear flowers in my hair.

Stop frontin'.