Get your candy here!

All Hallows' Eve... as a kid it doesn't get much better than people giving out free candy. I think I did the trick-or-treat thing until I graduated high school. As a junior and senior, I remember my friends and I getting strange looks from people as we walked up to their houses. Just put candy in my sack sucker! Please.

The Washington Post has an article today about the best and worst of Halloween candy. Kit Kats, Hersheys, Three Musketeers - YEAH!!! Mary Janes, raisins, peanuts and pennies - BOO!!! People need to take some pride in what they give out for Halloween. If you're going to give out shitty candy, you might as well turn off your lights and lock your door because you're wasting kids' valuable candy gathering time. I guess people like that were never kids themselves.

This is the first year since moving out of my parents' house (almost 10 years ago) that I don't live in an apartment or condo - so the door actually opens up to the outside world, not a hallway. Tonight the light will be on at Casa de Gus and Milky Ways and Three Musketeers are on the menu. Holla!

This week's late night TV lineup

Jimmy Kimmel Live

• Monday - Justice
• Thursday - Thurston Moore

Late Night w/Conan O'Brien

• Tuesday - Zappa plays Zappa
• Wednesday - Manchester Orchestra

Late Show w/David Letterman

• Wednesday - Go! Team
• Thursday - Ryan Adams
• Friday - Jay-Z

Hooray Friday!

- More Prince than you can shake a purple-colored stick at... MOKB provides us with a surprising number of "When Doves Cry" covers.

- Not sure how I missed this last week. Ever wonder what the original track list for Neil Young's Chrome Dreams was? Aquarium Drunkard enables us to listen to what many expert think. Then, they blow the doors off with some more Neil Young love.

- I can't believe it. Hall and Oats announced their 2007 tour and the DC area gets no love. Damnit! Philly's the closest and that's a bit too far for this guy. I saw these guys when I lived in South Cackalacky (8th row) and they were honestly pretty entertaining. Brooklyn Vegan quenches our thirst with the dates and some videos.

- The Verve just needs to accept the fact that all they'll ever be known for is "Bittersweet Symphony". It's a quality song and then to make matters worse, they used it for the end of Cruel Intentions when an innocent and hot Reese Whitherspoon drives off into the sunset. In any event, NME has their first new track in 10 years (until Oct 28th). Thanks to Product Shop NYC for the knowledge.

- Looks like the Radiohead-way is catching on. The Liars are offering up Liars Sessions, an EP of sorts containing 4 demos for free here.

Hot cheesey goodness!

The grilled cheese sandwich - simple, yet oh so yummy. My sister and I were lucky because we grew up with the Grilled Cheese Making Master. Yeah, it's pretty much the only thing he can cook (until recently), but our Pops sticks to what he's good at. One word of advice though - make sure you ask him to make it WAY before you're hungry. Good

things come to those who wait - and you'll be waiting about 30 minutes for this little slice of heaven.

What's the point? The 1st annual Oakland Regional Grilled Cheese Invitational was held yesterday in California. No, I don't live in Oakland... hell, I've never been there. But I came across this on the San Fransisco Chronicle website and it brought back memories of growing up. RatBat Bear reminisces when listening to Neil Young, but not this guy.

I honestly didn't know it was such a popular sandwich, but with regional invitationals in Austin and NYC, the national event in LA, and a website with rules, photos and grilling tips, I guess I was wrong.

The streak continues

No, I'm not referring to the Colorado Rockies. I've received an overwhelming (by overwhelming, I mean 2 or 3 people) response to last week's news about the acquisition of Murphy, so here's an update...

Although the LOML and I still think dogs are cool, we came to the quick realization this past weekend that ours is definitely not perfect. While this was a tough concept to grasp at first, we both agreed that it was a very good thing that it happened early on in dog ownership. It started on Friday when Murphy decided to whiz in the house while we were eating dinner... and then gave a repeat performance on Saturday... and then 3 times (starting at 6:30am) on Sunday... and then one more time on Monday. What the hell is going on? Why does this dog feel the need to squirt every time it's on carpet?

But then came Tuesday - and what a glorious Tuesday it was. No whizzing, no worries. So the streak began yesterday... let's hope it continues.

For those of you with kids...

or are thinking about having them, start saving now! Either that or hope that they are super smart and get full scholarships to college. The New York Times had an article yesterday on how college costs are increasing faster than inflation (according to a report by the College Board). That's ridiculous! Reading this prompted me to head to my alma mater's website and check out the current rates. DAMN - and that's for a state school! I sound like an old man saying this, but that's a hell of a lot higher than what I paid to party... I mean learn.

In all seriousness, this is cause for concern. Those who are just trying to advance and make a better life for themselves are now going to have to put them, or their parents (or both) behind the 8-ball financially just to pay for college?? And we're not even talking about law or medical school. I don't know about anyone else, but that doesn't make a lot of sense to me. I'll bet if you could go back in time and ask the founders of some of these institutions if that's what they invisioned for higher education, you would get a lot of strange looks.

With all of that being said, I like to think of myself as an opportunist. So I'm going to start working on establishing The Gus University directly. Who's in?

This week's late night TV lineup

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

• Monday - Sara Bareilles
• Wednesday - Ben Harper
• Thursday - Interpol

Tonight Show w/Jay Leno

• Monday - Bright Eyes
• Tuesday - Editors
• Wednesday - Paolo Nutini
• Thursday - Chris Cornell

Late Night w/Conan O'Brien

• Monday - Andrew Bird
• Wednesday - Flight of the Conchords
• Thurday - Mooney Suzuki

Lat Call w/Carson Daly

• Wednesday - Jamie T.
• Thursday - Peter Bjorn and John

Late Show w/David Letterman

• Wednesday - Ben Harper

Hooray Friday (a day late)!

- The soundtrack to the Bob Dylan biopic I'm Not There (out Nov 21st) looks almost as intriguing as the film itself. 2 discs full of Dylan covers by artists such as Cat Power, Iron and Wine, Jeff Tweedy, Mark Lanegan, Stephen Malkmus, Jim James, and non other than John "F-ing" Doe? Count me in! I am fuel provides the tracklist and a taste of what's to come with a little ditty from Eddie Vedder and the Million Dollar Bashers before the Oct 30th album release.

- Same blog, different goodness. I am fuel also hooks us up with mix of favorites from EPs. I haven't given it a whirl yet, but with the likes of Wilco, Ambulance LTD, Bishop Allen, Iron and Wine, Oasis, The Black Keys and Pete Yorn getting some love, I definitely will.

- It seems like I'm always singing the praises of NPR and there's a reason for that. World Cup Cafe from WXPN has an interview and a 4-song studio performance of Iron and Wine's Sam Beam posted. Get after it!

Sorry for the shortness of this, but I'm hung-over..

Dogs are cool...

and now I understand was all of the fuss is about. Neither the LOML nor I ever had one as a pet, but we do now. Murphy Brown is the newest addition to the Gus "R" Us clan. F-in' sweet.

This week's late night TV lineup

Tonight Show w/Jay Leno

• Tuesday - PJ Harvey

Lat Night w/Conan O'Brien

• Monday - Fionn Regan
• Tuesday - Ghostland Observatory
• Wednesday - Mute Math
• Thursday - Spoon

Last Call w/Carson Daly

• Monday - Honorary Title
• Wednesday - A Fine Frenzy
• Thursday - Teddybears

Late Show w/David Letterman

• Thursday - Band of Horses

"Boy, that's your problem!"

Got it hand it to JoePa for a pretty quick comeback (especially for an 80-year old), who had an "incident" on the Penn State campus last week. For most people that age, an "incident" would probably mean that they soiled their undies. Not good old JoePa, who apparently has taken up a part-time job as a traffic cop.

For those who have no idea what I'm referring to, check out today's article in the Centre Daily Times. Even with the Nittany Lions way out of the National Championship picture, it's good to see that the fire still burns strong in JoePa. Mrs. JoePa must be a very satisfied woman.

This week's late night tv lineup

Late Show w/David Letterman

• Wednesday - Queens of the Stone Age

Late Late Show w/Craig Ferguson

• Monday - Shout Out Louds
• Wednesday - Modest Mouse
• Thursday - Tori Amos

Tonight Show w/Jay Leno

• Monday - The Shins

Late Night w/Conan O'Brien

• Tuesday - The Black Lips
• Thursday - Klaxons
• Friday - Fionn Regan

Last Call w/Carson Daly

• Monday - Mat Kearney
• Friday - Morrisey

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

• Monday - Modest Mouse
• Tuesday - Justice
• Wednesday - Datarock
• Thursday - Jose Gonzalez

Hooray Friday!

- An Aquarium Drunkard has My Morning Jacket covering Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit" and a few Steve Earle tunes worth checking out.

- NPR continues to give me live music to stream while wasting the days away at work. The past week was a barn-burner with Josh Ritter, Jose Gonzalez, Okkervil River, Animal Collective and Iron and Wine getting some love on NPR's Live Concert Series. Looks like Spoon and the New Pornographers will be popping up in the next few weeks as well. Stay tuned...

- I've never been a Smashing Pumpkins fan, so their pseudo-reunion meant next to nothing to me. Reviews of their current tour are average at best and MOKB doesn't hold back either. I like the way they went about it though - they blasted the Pumpkins, but then gave some suggestions to improve the show. Not that Billy Corgan is reading, but still.

- The Flaming Lips are projecting a March release for their latest experiment, the film Christmas on Mars. If this is going to be anything like their concerts, you might want to start preparing your brain for sensory overload directly. Thanks to You Ain't No Picasso for the report.

- If you don't know what I'm talking about when I refer to the Flaming Lips concerts, check out the pics on MOKB from the Monolith Festival. The post also has a few tracks, to include their cover of Pink Floyd's "Lucifer Sam".

Mmmm beer...

While playing catch up on my magazine subscriptions, I came across information I wish I had at Max's last weekend. "The World's Best Beers" article in Men's Journal lists the top five beers in 6 categories/styles. This doesn't mean that you have to go out and try all 30 beers in one night... but if you decide to make a go at it, give me a shout and I'll belly up next to you at the bar.

In any event, rankings were determined by surveying beer industry gurus (I don't remember seeing that as an option to major in college). I've already copied this list and keep it in my back pocket - you never know when you're going to make a B-double E-double R-U-N, beerun.

Pale Ales

1. Firestone Walker Pale Ale
2. Sierra Nevada
3. Mirror Pond
4. Dogfish Head 60 minute IPA
5. Ridgeway Bitter
   

Stouts and Porters

1. Deschutes the Abyss
2. Guiness
3. Stone Smoked Porter
4. Bell's Kalamazoo Stout
5. Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout
   

Belgians

1. Saison Dupont
2. Rochefort 10
3. Ommegang Three Philosophers
4. Russian River Damnation
5. St. Bernardus Triple

Wheat

1. Aventinus Doppel Weizen-bock
2. Ayinger Brau-weiss
3. Allagash White
4. Penn Weizen
5. Widmer Hefeweizen
   

Lagers and Pilsners

1. Lagunitas Pils
2. Victory Prima Pils
3. Stoudt's Pils
4. Trumer Pils
5. New Belgium Blue Paddle

Radiohead update - Oct 10th release??

In Rainbows is the title of the new album and it's coming out in 10 days... I think. I'm not going to try to explain it, because it's Monday and chances are I'll mess it up. So I'll pass you onto Brooklyn Vegan, Metro D and Pitchfork for the details.


*** UPDATE - In my travels through the blogosphere, I discovered that The Rawking Refuses to Stop! posted a bunch of new songs that Radiohead was testing out during last summer's tour all the way back in July. It looks like TRRTS! only missed 3 tracks that are in the album to be released on the 10th. Check them out if you want here... I'm going to try to wait 8 days for the studio version.

Weekend recap

Besides the Eagles not showing up for their Sunday night game against the Giants, this weekend was a good one. The Phightin' Phils finishing their blistering late season run to win the NL East probably tops it all. My friend's bachelor party is a close 2nd. We never made it to a nudey bar, which is probably a good thing because we experienced so much more in B-more...

• 2 rows of Yankees' fans that were directly behind us getting booted from the Yanks/O's game
• Max's - possibly the best all-around bar I've been to
• Magic Hat Celebration ??? (can't remember the last part) - A delicious beer that cleanses the palate while clearing the sinuses. You'd never know that 10% of that bad boy is alcohol until you're face-down on the floor
• The girl that pounded beers faster than guys... that was until she threw up in the bathroom
• A 3-way lady lip lock. I would have thought I was dreaming/drunk if I didn't see the pictures the next morning

This week's late night TV lineup

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

• Tuesday - Mark Ronson
• Wedesday - Nick Lowe

Tonight Show w/Jay Leno

• Monday - Tori Amos

Late Night w/Conan O'Brien

• Monday - VHS or Beta
• Thursday - Bloc Party
• Friday - Animal Collective

Last Call w/Carson Daly

• Tuesday - Paolo Nutini

Late Show w/David Letterman

• Monday - Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals
• Friday- Iron and Wine

Bachelor Party prep

I'll be honest, bachelor parties scare me a little bit... which was one of the reasons I didn't want one. Something about being with a group of guys drinking... I have a hard time turning down shots even when my liver and brain have thrown in the towel.

Anyway, I'm mentally preparing for tonight's activities. A stop to the bank for a wad of George Washington's and I'm off to B-more. Here's to hoping I don't feel like this lady tomorrow.

Horray Friday!

For the 3rd week in a row, posts have been fairly non-existent due to the house and office moves. I've also become fairly obsessed with the Phightin' Phils as they bum-rush the Mets at the top of the NL East. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that everything returns to normal next week, although I'm heading to B-more for a bachelor party this weekend so it may take me a bit to recover from the impending debauchery. Enough sniveling though, let's get after it...

- Of Montreal covers Neil Young's "Harvest Moon" in their upcoming digital only EP. Check it out on Aquarium Drunkard. I definitely favor the original, but I'll give them points for trying.

- Pink Floyd nuts take note before shelling out your greenbacks for the 40th anniversary release of The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. MOKB has a review of the rerelease and whether or not you really need it.

- I'm seriously digging Iron and Wine's The Shepard's Dog. A nudy bar is one of the few things that could keep me from their concert at the 9:30 Club this Saturday and it just so happens that's where I'll be instead of the concert. Oh well, maybe I'll ask the DJ to spin one of their tracks in between Beyonce's "Bootylicious" and the Divinyls' "I Touch Myself". Blogs are for Dogs has a couple of tracks posted here.

- The Austin City Limits TV schedule through next year has been released. There are definitely some dates that I'm marking on my calendar. Ultra8201 provides the nourishment.

- Does anyone else remember the actress Gina Gershon and did anyone else think she was hot? If you answered yes to both of those and don't want your image of her ruined, don't look at this from Brooklyn Vegan. I guess she finally realized that she's not the greatest actress and has taken up music. She has a handful of dates scheduled and dammit, not a one is in the DC area. A funny comment about the picture from BV, "they look like porn versions of the olsen twins!" Now my mind is sidetracked thinking about the Olsen twins doing porn...

This week's late night TV lineup

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

• Tuesday - Sea Wolf

Tonight Show w/Jay Leno

• Wednesday - Bright Eyes

Late Night w/Conan O'Brien

• Monday - Rilo Kiley
• Wednesday - Devendra Banhart
• Thursday - Bjork
• Friday - Jose Gonzalez

Late Late Show w/Craig Ferguson

• Wednesday - The National