Evanescence's second studio album, The Open Door,  isn't bad but after 3 years I was expecting a little more. 3 years and it sounds like the album didn't fall to far from the Evanescence tree.

The Open Door starts out promising. 'Sweet Sacrifice' gives you a nice Goth-rock kick in the pants. Singer Amy Lee's voice sounds as good as ever with dashes of sorrow and hope. The band continues to deliver on the second track and first single, 'Call Me When You're Sober.' It's after this song that you begin to realize that this might be all that Evanescence has to offer.

Don't get me wrong, there are some bright spots on The Open Door.  Besides the first two tracks, 'Cloud Nine' and 'Weight of the World' keep the foot tapping. But neither will knock you out of your seat.

If you're a fan of Evanescence's first record Fallen then you will probably buy and like this second record because, well, it sounds like the B-side to their first record. This record would impress me more if it came out a year ago. At least then I could say 'well their a young band and they can improve' but after 3 years...If this is the best they can put out for their second record then the 3rd time around might mean you'r closing the door.

I don't want to sound like a dick but, where are all the hurricanes? This supposed season of more massive hurricanes is coming to an end (I'm pretty sure that hurricane season in the Atlantic comes to an end this weekend). Tuesday, it was snowing in Charleston, SC.

Last year we had just some of the most devastating hurricanes of all time. Katrina, Rita, and Wilma just to name a few. This year...not a whole lot. To be honest, I left South Carolina back in August and this was the first year, since I'd been there, that we weren't on hurricane alert every weekend.

Personally I'm glad that this has been a quiet hurricane season. Not only because of the lives and land that were spared but also because it shuts up all the yahoo alarmists screaming about global warming and the end of the World.

Now I'm not saying that global warming isn't happening. It is and we need to take measures to reduce greenhouse gases and change the way we live in industrialized nations. Not only to save our planet but also from a security point of view. Besides, I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm tired of having the money I've worked for go to oil companies, Hugo Chavez, and Royalty in the Middle East.

However, the folks who were blaming the last hurricane season on President Bush among other things are not getting such a tall soapbox anymore because of the lack of hurricanes threatening the US coastline. I think this is a good thing. Not only because it saves lives but also because I'm tired of hearing it. The folks who were screaming about the end of the World were doing it while flying from one place to another. Planes take gas guys and that doesn't help.

Last week I was back in Northern California, Sacramento to be specific, for work. It was a little different. I guess it usually is when you're at a nice hotel with money to spend during a very nice time of year.

It's a little strange going to Sacramento on business. It was a little like the conquering hero returns...bitches.

In any event, it's not quite the Sacramento I remember. It seemed more promising, it seemed more sophisticated, it seemed a little bit better.

I wonder what he was thinking. He being Bruce Arena, former manager of the US National Team. You know, the one that choked and was miss managed during the World Cup this past summer.

Coach Arena, who now runs the New York Red Bulls, was doing some really bad color analysis for ABC during the MLS Cup along side Dave O'Brien (the main play by play guy during the World Cup who is pretty terrible in his own right) and Eric Wynalda.

While Arena struggled to speak quickly the two teams on the field the New England Revolution and the Houston Dynamo were tearing up Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, TX. In particular Taylor Twellman and Brian Ching.

The reason I wonder what Coach Arena was thinking is because while he picked Brian Ching to go to Germany he never played this prolific goal scorer and he didn't even pick Twellman who was last seasons MLS MVP and Golden Boot winner.

Twellman had a few great chances during the MLS Cup and finally found the back of the net in the second overtime only to see the equalizer scored less than a minute later by Ching.

The match went into a shootout and who else but Brian Ching delivered what turned out to be the game winning penalty kick.  

So I wonder, was Coach Arena sitting up in the press box beating himself up over not playing Ching and for not picking Twellman? I hope so. Let's hope the next US National team coach puts a premium on scoring goals and playing those who can deliver.

A couple of years ago I read an article by Michael Phillips in the Wall Street Journal. It was about a Marine in Western Iraq who jumped on a grenade and later died from his wounds. Phillips later put out a book called The Gift of Valor.

Today President Bush announced that the Marine that Phillips wrote about, Cpl. Jason Dunham, will receive the Medal of Honor.

Below is the review that I wrote of the book in August of 2005:

THE GIFT OF VALOR

It was a pretty intense and sad article. I remember reading it last year while I was living downtown. The article was so popular tat the writer, Michael Phillips, wrote a book about it-The Gift of Valor.

The book goes into much more detail about the events of that day. At times it is hard to keep track of people due to the fact that Phillips uses first names and last names. I know what he going for by using both names but I found it at times confusing.

The book is also very difficult to read because of it's detail. I know more about brain surgery now then I ever wanted too and I'm sure those were just the highlights. It also doesn't pull any punches with combat injuries either. It doesn't make any bones about the fact that 'War really is Hell.'

At the end of it, you can't help but appreciate what these people do and go through. From the grunts to the Hospitalmen to the pilots (big props to the medics on board too) and to the doctors. These people do some pretty amazing things 7 days a week.

I'm not going to tell you how Cpl Jason Dunham died...read the WSJ article attached. I will tell you that he has been nominated for the Medal of Honor.

The Democrats win control of Congress, Donald Rumsfeld resigns, Ed Bradley dies, and I've spent most of the week working in a trailer.

So what did you do?

Elections, yeah whatever. I still gotta pay taxes and the last time I checked the only thing that really separates the Republicans from the Democrats is the R and D in front of their names.

Rumsfeld. The War Rockstar turned Senile Old Man. He was a better Secretary of War than of Defense.

Ed Bradley died. Bradley was a reporter on 60 Minutes since 1981, He worked at the network for 35 years. He was in my opinion a baller. He asked tough questions, fought for eye contact and started his career when being black wasn't exactly an asset.

The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas is known for its pool. It, as I've been told, has plenty of scenery. They also apparently charge you or take deposits for everything under the sun.

And I keep seeing an ad for Gears of War which has that song from the end of Donnie Darko.

It's just all a little strange.

Mad World by Gary Jules

All around me are familiar faces
Worn out places, Worn out faces
Bright and early for the daily races
Going nowhere, Going nowhere
Their tears are filling up their glasses
No expression, No expression
Hide my head I want to drown my sorrow
No tomorrow, No tomorrow

And I find it kind of funny, I find it kind of sad
These dreams in which I'm dying, Are the best I've ever had
I find it hard to tell you, I find it hard to take
When people run in circles it's a very very
Mad World, Mad World

Children waiting for the day they feel good
Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday
And they feel the way that every child should
Sit and listen, Sit and listen
Went to school and I was very nervous
No one knew me, No one knew me
Hello teacher tell me what's my lesson
Look right through me, Look right through me

John Higgins the business editor of Broadcast and Cable magazine an industry trade magazine was on NPR's On The Media. He was talking about NBC's announcement of NBC Universal 2.0 which I covered in an earlier blog.

Chris Anderson is the Editor and Chief of WIRED magazine. He wrote an article back in October 2004 where he talked about The Long Tail. In short it's a term coined to describe the change in marketplace economics of scarcity to abundance. This past summer Anderson released a book by the same name and dived deeper into this new economic structure.