Don't Speak (I Came to Make a BANG!)

Ugh, it has been another busy week. Lots of stuff on my plate at work, plus we went to the Sox-Jays game Wednesday night. I'm pleased to say after the Jays lost a tough one to Josh Beckett and the Sox on Tuesday, they bounced back nicely and laid the smack down on Boston the next two games. Fenway Park looks incredible; they took out the glass in front of the .406 Club behind home plate and added even more seats. Every year, they fix that place up a little more. Deb and I were lucky to have a fairly nice night (around 60 degrees) for mid-April, too. Sometimes those early season games can be miserably cold.

Deb's getting psyched to run the Boston Marathon Monday. She feels pretty good and is hoping the weather will be a little on the cool side this year. Congrats to Deb on blowing away her revised fundraising goal of $3,500 for the Mass Adoption Resource Exchange, and thanks to everyone who contributed to the cause. Very impressive. I'll be out there hoping to see her at a couple of different points on the marathon course. This will be the first time I've tried to do it. When she ran in '98, I was at the Sox game with my brother and then saw her finishing afterward. Wish her luck...

Rocka rolla:

• After many delays, Mission of Burma's singles subscription series arrived in my mailbox Monday. The original plan was for subscribers to receive a single a week (in CD and vinyl formats) for eight weeks from Burma's upcoming The Obliterati album, but unfortunately technical delays led to a whole lot of nothing for a few months. Check out Clicky Clicky's fine coverage. But it was worth the wait, because the singles (comprising eight of the 14 songs on the new album, out in May) are very impressive. You can hear a song or two at the band's new Obliterati site. For a band that is renowned for its work in 1979-83, these guys have made some truly startling and relevant rock in the last few years.
• The Leafs are still winning, and with three games left in the regular season, they're still alive in the chase for a playoff spot. It's ridiculous. They've won the last two games in dramatic fashion in OT; Captain Mats Sundin had six points Tuesday night and has been carrying the team over the last month or so. Unfortunately, in addition to having to win their remaining games over Ottawa, Buffalo and Pittsburgh, they need both Tampa Bay and Atlanta to lose. Whatever happens, it has been an impressive run for the team and it bodes well for the future, because they've gone with a younger lineup to do it.
• I'm casting my imaginary NHL MVP vote for Joe Thornton, the former Bruins captain who was shipped off to San Jose in one of the worst trades in recent memory. The guys the B's got in return were three decent players (Marco Sturm, Brad Stuart, Wayne Primeau), but Thornton has only gone on to lead the Sharks out of the doldrums and into a playoff spot, while also tying for the league lead in scoring. Many have talked about Jaromir Jagr of the Rangers for the MVP, but I'd argue that he's been helped by a hot goalie and good coaching. Joe has done much more with much less.