NFL Week 8 Power Rankings

Everyday, the NFL is starting to look more and more like baseball. Teams getting blown out, teams that are indestructible (see Colts and New England), and teams that are perennially bad. Some teams are already dreaming of the Super Bowl and others are already looking to next season and it's not halfway yet.

1. New Orleans Saints (6-0)
When you can go into Miami, and come back with a win after being down 24-3 while throwing three interceptions, you deserve to be the best.

2. Indianapolis Colts (6-0)
Not any team has come close to scaring Indy, but look for some harder fought games down the road for this dominating football team. Look for two hard games against Houston, a collision against New England, and one against the Broncos. Then we'll see how good Indy really is.

3. Denver Broncos (6-0)
Denver's magical run may come to an end in Baltimore or Pittsburgh, both teams on the rise, while Kyle Orton can't play like this forever.

4. New England Patriots (5-2)
Perhaps, maybe New England was over at the beginning of the year. Unfortunately, think not. This team is as good as ever. Karma over the Tennessee game will come back to bite Belichick soon, however.

5. Minnesota Vikings (6-1)
The Steelers are on a roll, and Minnesota shouldn't beat themselves up for losing to them.

6. Cinncinati Bengals (5-2)
They got embarrassed at home by a dominant team flying under the radar and everyone jumped ship? Why? Because it's Ohio.

7. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2)
Two elite running backs in Pittsburgh have helped the Steelers win four in a row, when most teams just want one elite running back.

8. Dallas Cowboys (4-2)
We may see a return of the Tony Romo media circus ever since he's found Miles Austin as a beautiful replacement to Terrell Owens.

9. Arizona Cardinals (4-2)
Three hard fought wins, one decided by a yard, proves that the tough Arizona team from last year has made a triumphant return.

10. New York Giants (5-2)
Eli is struggling, as are the Giants right now.

11. Green Bay Packers (4-2)
An easy schedule can't hide the fact that the Green Bay offense is very, very good.

12. Atlanta Falcons (4-2)
Atlanta is quite the Jekyll/Hyde team. After dominating San Francisco, Atlanta gets dominated in Dallas. Go figure.

13. Philadelphia Eagles (4-2)
You can't lose to JaMarcus Russel's Raiders a week ago and expect to be in the Top 10, even if you beat the lowly Redskins.

14. Houston Texans (4-3)
This weekend's game was a hard-fought one, which showed us a lot about this Houston team. Two back to back wins may show this team finally becoming one of the top 10. They need a statement in Buffalo to prove that, however.

15. Baltimore Ravens (3-3)
Baltimore may have dropped three, but eventually their defense will wake up. Then it will be lights out for their opponents.

16. San Diego Chargers (3-3)
The Chiefs are quite pathetic, yes. Infighting has begun in Kansas City, yes. But San Diego still humiliated the Chiefs. This team still is a questionable pick, however.

17. San Francisco 49ers (3-3)
Their defense held one of the NFL's leading offenses in the second half. Alex Smith dominated their defense in the second half as well. Things are on the up for 'San Fran'.

18. New York Jets (4-3)
It's the Raiders. Settle down New York and realize that Sanchez needs to stop throwing interceptions, and Rex Ryan needs to stop eating Doritos.

19. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-3)
Jacksonville's cakewalk schedule will continue to roll out the red carpet, as they play the Titans on Sunday, and likely go 4-3. This team is, however, not very good.

20. Buffalo Bills (3-4)
The Bills are hot, but have an uphill battle this week against a stout run defense and an electric offense in Houston.

21. Chicago Bears (3-3)
Jay Cutler must be on pace to throw a world record in interceptions. Things are bad in Chi-Town, but if the Bears lose to the Browns, it'll be a world of hurt for Lovie and Da Bears.

22. Miami Dolphins (2-4)
I am sick and tired of this overrated Miami team. Yes, they scored quick in New Orleans, but their offense isn't built to last more for a quarter with that wildcat gimmick and their defense is spotty at best.

23. Seattle Seahawks (2-4)
What an old, boring football team.

24. Carolina Panthers (2-4)
I heard a rumor about Jake Delhomme trying to ki...nevermind. Jake is far from the "Snake" we knew back in the day.

25. Oakland Raiders (2-4)
One thing I have learned about the Raiders in 2009 is that you shouldn't criticize them. Tom Cable WILL find you. But I will say JaMarcus Russell is the biggest bust in the last twenty years.

26. Detroit Lions (1-5)
At least Detroit is playing with some heart...I mean, they've got *something* to build on.

27. Washington Redskins (2-5)
Things have deteriorated for Washington over the course of the season, and will, most likely, continue to as the Zorn circus continues to roll on.

28. Kansas City Chiefs (1-6)
Props to Larry Johnson for calling out Kansas City for being a bunch of bums. Well, without the three letter gay slur, of course. Thanks, Twitter!

29. Cleveland Browns (1-6)
At this point, Mangini might want to make sure his house has a good alarm system. Those Browns fans are, well, he'll find out soon if he leads the Browns to their worst season since they came back.

30. Tennessee Titans (0-6)
Well, I knew that Tennessee would be this bad this year. Did anyone else? Doubt it.

31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-7)
At this point, Tampa is begging for good ol' Jon Gruden back. There's a great chance Tampa may go 1-15.

32. St. Louis Rams (0-7)
The wheels are spinning but the car ain't moving.

Muse's New Album

...is not so good.

Very disappointing.

Outside of the amazing "Unnatural Selection" and "Exogenesis", everything that made Muse unique is...gone.

Odd. It was as if the album was made directly for people who heard Supermassive Black Hole in Twilight and liked the funky style. I mean, where's the falsetto ("New Born") or even the screams (think "Hyper Music"). Maybe if Muse's heavier side showed up like "Assassin" or "Plug In Baby" I'd be more satisfied. But it's lackluster.

"Undisclosed Desires" is like a lost Justin Timberlake song and "I Belong to You" is like Maroon 5. Seriously, what is going on Bellamy's head. This is the most commercial album I've heard in a while.

Full review coming soon.

To quote Thom Yorke, "I Might Be Wrong"...

I was at a Texans game the other night. After seeing a 4 year old child on a leash, I've made the assumption that our times are not as messed up as we think they are. How can it be any different than the 1950s when people couldn't walk outside without worrying the Kremlin was going to drop an A-bomb on their idealistic town?

We're all so scared of the world, and how "back in my day, we could spend all day outside and not worry about being kidnapped". Unfortunately, we're all way too aware because of tabloid news and television stations who make their news on the gruesome. And you all pay their bill so they can scare you. Ironic, isn't it?

It's really not any different. People are deathly scared of their children being taken advantage of "child predators". Why is it they are only scared now? Seriously, mental disorders are not "new". These mentally unstable people have always been alive. They've always been taking advantage of situations. They haven't been publicized by the news and parents until recently.

For example, I'd hate to live in the 50s. Between worries about the Atomic Bomb, yeah, you could go outside if you didn't come back inside without worrying about your father beating the living crap out of you. How's that for the "good ol' days"? Kids were safer out of the house then, and in my opinion they still are.

Hypocritical parents are to blame. How can you expect to discipline your kids when you lack discipline and screw their lives up? Seriously, divorce is awful on a child's psyche. Don't be a hypocrite and THINK about your children before you act stupidly by divorcing. You made the decision to have kids and you have to suffer so that kid can grow up and be happy.

Simply, our fault is we are way too aware. Let's all go back to being ignorant again, shall we? Life would be a whole lot simpler, and I think we'd all seem a whole lot smarter.

Maybe I'm way off base and our time really is whacked out. But I'm pretty sure I'm right on.

Wow, by the end of this post it's looking more and more to me *the parents* are the one who need to be on leashes.

Chevelle Sci-Fi Crimes 4.5/5

To quote online music database Allmusic’s review of Vena Sera, "Anyone left looking for a little more, well, they’ll be left looking." This quote describes what’s held Chevelle back for years and what makes Sci-Fi Crimes such a massive success. Chevelle successfully does that little bit more on their latest album, and the result is their most distinguished and exceptional album in their catalogue. Nearly abandoning the cliché loud/soft dynamics and overused angst-ridden vocals, Chevelle has settled for a more experimental sound much pulled away from their past albums-even the massive success of Wonder What’s Next. But fans won’t be left missing the early days of Chevelle, they'll only be left eager to hear more. Sci-Fi Crimes shows Chevelle’s persistence to be something more than mindless alternative rock. The guitars and dynamics merge with Pete Loeffler finally coming into his own vocal style, backed up by layers of raw distortion. Guitar solos emerge among songs that previously would have been left bare. Acoustic songs and interludes are put in place of filler songs (Midnight to Midnight and An Evening with El Diablo come to mind). There’s simply no below average songs on Sci-Fi Crimes; you can easily listen to the CD from start to finish without skipping a song. Chevelle does everything that they've done right on past albums, and doesn't do what they've done wrong before. This album's mixture of grit and groove will be enough to let Chevelle fans embrace this album, and all music fans to embrace this band.

Muse may very well save rock music...

I've been enamored by one of the most over-the-top and absolutely ridiculous rock bands recently, and this band happens to be a three-piece band from Britain with a fairly large back catalog. I've always been exposed to Muse however, I remember hearing Time is Running Out and not being impressed when it was new, and then hearing Black Holes and Revelations after it was given to me from some free release thing somewhere. But whatever the case, and however you may feel about Muse, it's amazing that they've gained as much popularity as they have. Muse is no normal "rock band", they are a hybrid of borderline alternative metal, art rock, progressive rock, and electronica. Not to mention, lead singer Matt Bellamy likes to sound like Radiohead with his insane falsetto and his unique voice. But it's amazing that this band has gained as much popularity as they have. A band that has been touting their new album-"The Resistance" as an amazingly over-the-top album with a "three-part symphony" shouldn't have gained as much popularity as they have.

In Britain, they've sold out Wimbley Stadium every time they play, and now they are opening up for U2 in America, with a lot of people I know going to see Muse foremost, and U2 just so they can say they've seen U2. With all of these garbage rock bands and rap music we've had to wade through since the beginning of the decade (Nickelback and Soulja Boy come to mind), it's pretty astonishing to see a band that actually makes fun, original, and actually makes "albums" that are meant to be played as an "album" gain as much popularity as they have.

That's why I think Muse may be the band to help save rock music. The end of all this "emo", "post-hardcore", "post-grunge" crap led by bands like Saving Abel, Nickelback, and Anberlin is coming, and I can't wait if radio and the masses will willingly indulge bands that have ballooned recently like Muse, Silversun Pickups, Shinedown, and Mute Math. But don't forget the awesome new songs by Chevelle and Alice in Chains that have been dominating airwaves too. Maybe there's a bit of hope, that's why I'm putting it all on Muse and hoping they'll be the band to save rock music.

The Beginning of Something...

I've been told by a variety of people that I should get a blog, and I figured it'd be a good way to get a lot of anger out, and well, my voice out on the internet, so I think it's a good idea in all actuality. I'll try to keep it updated and use it as an outlet about music, everyday life, politics, and other things I'm interested in.

Try and keep up.