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Three weeks until it begins anew
It's only January, but two early frontrunners for my top 10 CDs of 2008 were releases this week from two Georgia-based bands: The Whigs' Mission Control and the Drive-By Truckers' Brighter Than Creation's Dark. Also, Atlanta band The Selmanaires have just released another excellent CD, Throw in local bands the Black Lips, Manchester Orchestra and Dead Confederate, and it's a really great time for rock in the Atlanta area. — In sports we demand excellence, rings, etc. Many among us become peeved at anything short of a title or the No. 1 position. And yet in so much of our pop culture, so many Americans are happy to accept, again and again, vapid mediocrity (or worse) and pure hype. Two words: American Idol. — And one more entry in my I-just-don't-get-these-times file: In this week's issue of Sports Illustrated, in the Pop Culture Grid on page 27, one of four athletes surveyed is Cleveland Cavaliers guard Daniel Gibson.
Off-duty Wayne County deputy snared in prostitution sting
A Wayne County deputy was among 18 people arrested in a call girl sting over the weekend. Sheriff Warren Evans tells The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press the unidentified deputy faces misdemeanor charges and his police powers are suspended. The off-duty deputy was ticketed during a sting targeting prostitutes and pimps who used an Internet site to advertise escort services. An undercover female deputy answered and set up a rendezvous when the deputy called the cell phone of one of the women being detained. The caller offered to pay for sex acts and was ticketed for solicitation. Fifteen women will be arraigned on misdemeanor charges Monday. Two men suspected of being pimps will be charged with pandering _ a four-year felony.
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Dale Jr. completes NASCAR's perfect start
No shootout winner has gone on to win the Daytona 500 that season since Dale Jarrett did it in 2000. Also, let's not forget that Saturday's race featured only 23 cars for 70 laps. Among those not eligible for the race since they didn't win a pole last year or have never won this race were: Defending Daytona 500 champ Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch and Jeff Burton, among others. Still, Earnhardt's perforamce was impressive. So what did we learn from Saturday night? 1. These guys can drive these cars. No doubt these cars don't handle as well. It will be interseting to see what happens with a 43-car field but the worries about a chaotic race went unfulfilled. There was a four-car crash but you're going to have that in restrictor-plate race.
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