Rock the Vote, Please - Right Now

Ladies and gentlemen, GTBers, FOGTB, and gheorghies: I have a quick favor to ask.

I need your vote.

No, I'm not running for office.  Neither is Clarence.  Neither is Igor.

I need you all to vote on one side of a pending decision I need to make.  It's crucial. It's critical. It's totally asinine.

It's controversial.  Well, it's totally not, at all, but it's a subject that's hotly debated 'round these parts.  And I sense that I already know the snarky answer, but I'm going to ask, anyway. Postcount and all.

My little sister reached out to me last night. She received as a Christmas gift from her husband four (4) tickets to a big concert in a big city.  She now has two extra tickets to it, and she asked if a date and I would want to accompany her.

(If you translate that as: she spent a month looking for a better companion and failed... well, so did I.)

So, here goes.  Should I make it happen, or should I let it go?
There's a Clash song that paraphrases that sentiment, but this sure as shit ain't The Clash, for obvious reasons, or I wouldn't bother asking.

So it's more like this: Should I be in a New York state of mind, or should I leave a tender moment alone?

Yeah, that's right. It's Billy Joel.
Cue the B&B video when Beavis says, "Oh . . . it's Rush."  Sorry, guys.

He's a Hall of Fame act I don't think I've ever seen. I say "think" because lately I've reviewed a few festival lineups of yore and realized I have watched bands play that I would have otherwise told you I'd never seen.  Like the Foo Fighters, Radiohead, and ATCQ.  Huh. Getting old.

He has his once-a-month residency at Madison Square Garden. A cool concept made more impressive by playing 72 months in a row, all sold out.

Okay. Here's the deal:

• February 20
• It's a Thursday. Bad because I have class that night, good because I don't have work the next day.
• It's at MSG. Never seen a show there. I don't think. (Saw a hoops game with Marls. Thanks, Marls.)
• He's a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer. 
• Probably my only shot to see him.
• It's undoubtedly a fun time.
  
• Plus, NYC afterwards.
• Though I am going to be in the City a month or so later for Dave's birthday.
• WHICH YOU SHOULD ALL GO TO. Brooklyn 3/28.
• Setlists look to my Billy Joel taste, with the most tunes from the 3-album pinnacle of The Stranger, 52nd Street, and Glass Houses.
• I'd have to fly up and back, most likely. Ain't a backbreaker, ain't free.
• And stay over.  Same story.
• And missing class... doable, not ideal. I'm missing a week later for a conference (plus DBT's with GTB).
• Most importantly, I do actually enjoy BJ's music.  Not my favorite by a very long shot, but I'll know virtually every song, and I'll have fun.
• No clue how good the seats are. Don't have the lead to ask my sister before deciding.

I'm usually a sucker for a singular opportunity.  But I'm on the fence on this one.  Looking for a helping hand here.

Please cast your vote, all gheorghies!

RnR HoF GhE OrG HiE

Here is the list of nominees for the next batch of inductions to the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame and the Gheorghies that Clarence associates with them.

1. The Paul Butterfield Blues Band (Rootsminer)

2. Chic (baconbaking)

3. Green Day (Clarence)

4. Joan Jett and The Blackhearts (Whitney)

5. Kraftwerk (Dave)

6. The Marvelettes (Shlara and KQ)

7. N.W.A. (Mark)

8. Nine Inch Nails (Squeaky)

9. Lou Reed (TR)

10. The Smiths (rob)

11. The Spinners (TJ)

12. Sting (Danimal)

13. Stevie Ray Vaughan (Mr KQ)



14. War (Marls)




15. Bill Withers (Zman)


Don't question it.  Embrace it.  And vote for the five you believe should get in.

Gheorghe Votes: The Atlantic 11 Poll, Week 2

Gheorghe: the Blog is now a voter in Dan Steinberg's weekly Atlantic 11 poll, a ranking of the local college hoops teams (the image below is blatantly ripped right from Dan's DC Sports Bog). Here's last week's poll results. Below you will find my ballot for this week, with a few snarky comments where appropriate. Enjoy, or don't. I don't really care one way or the other.

1. Georgetown (2-0) 
The Hoyas finally play a real team today (Monday), facing #11 Kansas in the Maui Invitational. Once the game is done, Georgetown will actually head west, to wrap up some unfinished business with those punks from the Bayi Rockets.

2. Virginia (3-1)
The Cavaliers dropped a game to TCU lost week, 57-55, but then defeated Drexel by the aesthetically unappealing final of 49-35. Both teams shot abysmally (is that a word?) in that game, with the Cavaliers winning solely on the strength of 14 more made free throws than the Dragons.

3. Virginia Tech (3-0)
Someone let me know when the Hokies actually play somebody. East Tennessee State, Monmouth and FIU don't count. Well, don't mention FIU to George Mason though, they might beg to differ on that one.

4. Old Dominion (3-2)
Blaine Taylor's squad only lost by 10 to the #2 team in the country, Kentucky. For right now, that gets you a lofty spot in these rankings. Lose upcoming games to Vermont and East Carolina and the Monarchs will drop accordingly.

5. George Mason (2-2)
The Patriots lost to Isiah Thomas' team. As the kids say, LOLZ. If Mason plays a school from Florida that goes by an acronym (FIU, FAU), they will lose. Proven fact. Hope they don't have USF on the schedule. Or UCF. Hold on...all these damn Florida schools go by acronyms.

6. VCU (2-2)
The Rams are one of many (all) CAA teams struggling out of the gate. We'll call it a Final Four hangover. On a related note, the #HalfBid4CAA hashtag has been born.

7. Maryland (2-2)
Terps got absolutely worked by Iona out of the MAAC Sunday, losing by 26 to the Gaels. Mark Turgeon is very mad. You don't want to see Mark Turgeon when he is mad. He actually has a personality then. Maybe he should teach that to Randy Edsall.

8. Richmond (3-1)
Spiders had a two win week, albeit with wins over Sacred Heart and Hampton. But, it's early, and this poll has some truly turrrrible teams, so it keeps them ranked. Plus, I'm lazy.

9. George Washington (1-1)
The Colonials allowed me to judge a dunk contest at their Midnight Madness event. That earns them a 9th place vote. It's my ballot, I'll do what I want (cue Cartman "Maury" clip). Name to watch: GW guard Tony Taylor, from Sleepy Hollow, NY. He's the Rip Van Winkle of A-10 hoops. I have no idea what that actually means.

10. William and Mary (1-5)
I don't care how much they suck this year, they will always be my vote for 10th place. Fun stat rob just sent me: "Tribe has a 57:98 assist to turnover ratio." That's good for 309th in the country (out of 345 D-1 teams). Awesome work, fellas.