Yes, it's true. I just had a cup of coffee with Nick and he will be one of the judges for this week's Budweiser Singing Summer Sendoff, Saturday, September 13 at Brannigan's inside the Stillwater Plaza Hotel. We had a great conversation about the Rejects' new album, "When the World Comes Down," the state of the music industry and even T. Boone Pickens -- all of which will be shared in an article in the near future. I even got an exclusive look at a video for one of the new songs called "Mona Lisa" and I must say, even though the sound of the track is a little bit different than what most fans would expect, it is a great song.

Anyway, stay tuned to Stillwater Scene for the article and get ready for the new album. Also, come on out Saturday if you'd like to meet (or even be judged by) Nick. It should be a blast!

Jared

Okay, some of you (and you know who you are) like to get me talking about reality TV and my sheer disdain for the medium. It makes you laugh that I can't like something even when I haven't seen it. I have tried, on a very few occasions, to sit through an entire reality show, but they just don't do it for me. First off, I am a writer and I feel that if you are watching a reality TV show, you are letting studios and stations think that writers are not necessary to the creative process (even though storylines on reality TV are thought out as well). I think we all learned a valuable lesson from the writers' strike earlier this year, except those who thrive on reality TV, of course. I've tried American Idol, Survivor and some of those so-called celebreality shows on VH1 and E!, but nothing of the sort is my cup of tea.

So, some of you ask, what do I watch and I rattle off a laundry list of favorite TV shows. Many of which most of you have never heard. So, I figured I'd go day by day with the current TV lineup and let you know how to get inside my television head. Maybe this way we can discuss whatever turmoil some of my favorite characters are going through.

Monday: Normally TNT has a 4-5 hour marathon of Law & Order and you can't beat that, until House starts on FOX. House is probably the most popular show I actually watch, but it is great. House is a drug-addicted, smart-ass genius who has some of the best one-liners on TV and also has no qualms about wanting women half his age. Gotta love him!

Tuesday: This is a packed night with three legal dramas and a little slathering of David Mamet. Mamet is well-known as one of America's greatest living playwrights and, The Unit, his first foray into television, albeit a little different from his normal topics, shines with the brilliance of his trademark snappy, biting dialogue. The Unit follows a group of special forces soldiers on their secretive missions, but also throws the spotlight on their families at home and the real problems that military wives must go through on a daily basis. Starring Dennis Haysbert (24's President Palmer and Major League's Cerano) it is a great show that combines the cool explosions for men and dramatic tension that women can enjoy.

The three legal dramas include Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (I love me some Benson and Stabler... plus Ice-T and Richard Belzer are in it -- Bonus!), Shark starring James Woods as an acerbic prosecuter heading up a high-profile crime unit in Los Angeles and finally my favorite legal drama on television -- Boston Legal. For anyone who thinks Boston Legal follws the same tradition as every other legal show out there, let me tell you that you are WRONG! Boston Legal explores many current and controversial topics (the war, abstinence only teachings in school, etc.) with its own special touch. Starring James Spader (one of the most underrated actors of all time) and William Shatner (yes, Captain Kirk), Boston Legal mixes fun, ridiculous circumstances amongst the serious consequences of everyday life. There are beautiful lawyers, two men who are married and sleep together (but never have sex), a blowup doll created to look like another lawyer in the firm, a quirky man who hops, squeals and pops, and a cross-dressing lawyer who tried to sue You Tube! If you have never seen this show, watch it once and you will be proclaiming yourself to be Denny Crane!

Wednesday: Of course, my old standby Law & Order normally has new episodes this night but there is another show that stole my attention a couple of years ago and hasn't let go even through a couple of major cast changes -- Criminal Minds. This show follows the Behavioral Science Unit of the FBI as they scour the country chasing serial killers and other criminals in their own special way. It is pretty much a strict procedural show, but it does feature a look inside the characters a little bit at a time.

Thursday: Okay, so I am one of about 12 people in the country that still watches ER but I started watching it with my mom when George Clooney and Noah Wyle were on it so I can't stop. Another show you have to witness first hand to really understand is Burn Notice. Although it debuted last year, and I watched the whole thing, USA is repeating the whole first season in preparation for the second season which starts in July. Burn Notice stars Jeffrey Donovon as Michael Weston, a former spy who uses his skills to help people in Miami all while trying to find out why he got burned (or fired). The show uses voiceover quite a bit, which normally I am not a fan of, but with Donovon's dry delivery and sheer badass-ness, it really adds to the show's humor. Catch last year's episode Thursdays at 10pm on USA.

Friday: This is the night where I get to learn about all the reality TV crap without actually watching it. And I get it delivered by a comedian who hates watching it as much as I do. Joel McHale and the Soup on E! is 30-minutes of the funniest stuff you have to see again and again. I never miss this show! VH1 even has their version of the show, which is pretty good too, called Best Week Ever. But for you vampire fans out there, I also like Moonlight. It is nothing too far away from regular vampiric lore, but it's pretty fun.

Saturday is normally reserved for movies and reruns, but...

Sunday: What better day than the sabbath could you feature a good-guy serial killer and a fake psychic? Dexter is a forensic pathologist who specializes in blood for Miami police department, but in his spare time he kills people. This show originally aired on Showtime and CBS picked it up during the strike to air past episodes but it has got me hooked, especially since Dexter is in a strange conversation and game with another serial killer that they haven't caught yet. Fun stuff! Psych, also a stolen show from the USA network, features James Roday as a fake psychic who somehow begins working cases with the Santa Barbara police department. It can be silly at times... okay, most of the time, but I love the pop culture references.

That pretty much wraps up the current lineup. Of course there are several shows that I could go on about that have been cancelled recently like Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (the best show on TV in the last 10 years) and Jericho (Nuts!). I could also go on and on about shows that have been on hiatus due to the writers' strike and may not come back until next year like 24, Dirty Sexy Money, Friday Night Lights (the best show on TV now), Life, and others. I wil; save that for another time. Maybe when the new season start rolling out.

Check your Tivo people and try to catch up!
Jared

Here is the full press conference held today at OSU by Mike Holder, athletic director, about the decision to let Sean Sutton leave the Cowboy Basketball program. Watch and feel free to leave comments. How do you feel about the change?

http://www.news9.com/global/video/popup/pop_playerLaunch.asp?vt1=v&clipFormat=flv&clipId1=2343717&at1=News&h1=EXTRA

I guess I should say no team is perfect since the Giants won the Super Bowl a little while ago and ended the Patriots' hopes for an undefeated season. Congratulations to former Cowboy RW McQuarters and his fellow Giant teammates. Even though it was a low scoring game, it was exciting up until the end, and that is what I look for in a sporting contest.

As for the halftime show, I am surprised that facial hair can grow on a corpse that has been dead since the mid-eighties, but Tom Petty proved me wrong there!

Have a great week everyone!

Last night marked the kickoff event for the Central Oklahoma Roller Derby Association's (CORDA) Mutiny On the Waters Roller Derby and it not only thrilled and excited the crowd in attendance, it also excited them about great things to come.

Two teams from Oklahoma City made the trek (and it sounds like only a few of the ladies has heard of MapQuest) to Stillwater on a nearly perfect Sunday to battle it out on the rink at the Payne County Expo Center. As audience members walked in, they were greeted by Whiskey Wheels, a member of Stillwater's first roller derby team Angels of No Mercy who recently injured herself during practice and was unable to don the quad skates. Upon entering the make-shift arena, they could easily see the rink and chairs surrounding the area. The wooden bleachers also served as seating for the audience and even the two teams during the bout.

The audience was also welcomed by the pleasing sounds of the Dominick McClenny Band on stage as they found their way to the concessions area, merchandise tables, information booths or their general admission seats. Some chose the metal chairs around the rink, others opted for the bleachers and still others stood with the homemade signs and Viking helmets. It was an interesting crowd to say the least. Team members from both squads were warming up by doing laps around the rink, joined by the occasional referee and even young roller derby girls in training.

Then the annoucners made their way to the center of the rink along with the referees and began the match. From the get-go, it was obvious there was a little competitiveness between the two teams, Valkyrie Vixens and Cell Block 9, as verbal sparring and some friendly bump-and-shove came into play before they even lined up at their starting marks. And then, they were off.

The announcers explained the rules at the beginning of the bout, and the audience seemed to really catch on after a couple of jams (and maybe a few beers), because later in the match, the crowd really got into it. The bleachers and metal chairs were rocking while their favorite roller girl made their way around the track to score points and occasional taunts to the opposing team were thrown out, such as "How did that concrete taste?" after a member of Cell Block 9 fell hard to the ground. It was also nice to watch as faces in the crowd went from thinking "What are we doing here?" to "This is awesome! When is the next one?"

At the end of the bout, the Valkyrie Vixens were victorious vixens with a score of 105-84 over Cell Block 9. It was a great night of sports entertainment and can even be a fun family outing most of the time. I hope and encourage all of you that didn't go to attend the next Stillwater bout February 24 at the Payne County Expo Center.

The year 2007 is coming to a close and it is time to break out all the "best" lists and award shows for all the major media outlets. Time Magazine has already jumped out of the gate by announcing Vladimir Putin, the man who restored Russia to a leading role on the world stage by  taking Russia from chaos to a position of importance in the world today, as their Person of the Year.

In an annoucement made earlier this week, managing editor Richard Stengel added that another person was voted into the prestigious spot by the readers in an online poll -- J.K. Rowling. What?

Okay world, you choose: a man who turned Russia around and is in the process of lifting it from discredited politicos OR a hack author of kid's books who may or may not encourage wickedness in children with her loved-around-the-world magical saga. Just because she made a dumptruck full of money doesn't catapult her to Person of the Year status. Just because she "ended" her Harry Potter series doesn't mean she deserves to be on the cover of one of the world's most prestigious news magazines. By the way, I predict another HP book will magically appear as soon as Rowling's stardom starts to slip away. Predicted title: Harry Potter and the Has-Ben Witch of Words.

Did Dr. Seuss ever get Person of the Year? How about Shel Silverstein? They have shaped and moralized children for years and never been recognized as Person of the Year so why does America think this British wanker deserves it? Because Amazon had 50-Gazillion preorders for the last book in the HP series? Give me a break!

Who would you choose as Person of the Year? I nominate myself, of course!

So, I know I already say it all the time, but I'm getting old. How do I know this? I was wearing a pair of jeans the other day and had a blowout in the rear. Thankfully, I was home at the time, so it wasn't embarrassing or anything. But as I took them off to replace them, I realized they were the last pair of pants that I owned in high school that I could still fit into. Yes, I said it, high school! For some of you, that was yesterday; but for me, it was fifteen years ago. The even worse part was that these jeans made my ass look great! How? I don't know! Maybe they were Travelling Brotherhood pants or some crazy crap like that, but seriously: my ass + those jeans = greatness!

Ayway, the blowout made me start thinking about what other "blowouts" I have had since high school. Unfortunately, that is a blog for another time. I guess I should be happy I can still wear the same shirts that I wore in high school. This weekend may be a "dress like you did in high school" weekend for me. For those who get to see me, enjoy!

For all the rest of you mugs, Happy Christmas and a Merry New Year!

Okay, so I finally broke down and got a MySpace page! I have been getting barraged by many, many people to get one, so here! Are you happy now? As frustrating as it is to admit that I have a page here, it is also equally frustrating to design these damn things, so don't criticize me yet. I'm working on it.

Anyway, to Johnny Dallas and Jewel and Shannon and Kat and Coleman and Billie and all those others whose names I can't think of in this stream of words, I am here. Now what?