maybe film and tv aren't your thing - check these out then

[DBacks]

Today, for my things to check out entry, I will move past the areas of movies and film and into the worlds of literature and music. There's more to life than baseball, and we should all be a little cultured, right? Anyway, let's get started. We'll start with books.

TERM LIMITS by Vince Flynn

It's the first book of a series, which I believe is now up to eight. All of the books are CIA/Espionage titles that focus on Agent Mitch Rapp. Now, let's be real clear from the beginning. These books aren't great literature. They're not winning any Pulitzer Prizes and they're a little too action-packed to show up in Oprah's book club, but they are entertaining and fun to read cover to cover. There's a reason they're always on the NY Times Best Seller's list. I believe every title in the series has reached number one, but I could be mistaken about that.

Anyway, Term Limits, the first in the series, is actually the only book that doesn't feature the CIA's super-agent. Instead, this title focuses on series regular, FBI Agent Skip McMahon, as he tries to track down a team of Assassins in Washington D.C. The Assassins are one by one eliminating Washington's most corrupt Congressman and Senators and exposing them for the rotten people they are. They are very good at their craft and what's even worse for the FBI, the public loves them. They are cleaning house in Washington and America is starting to believe that it's about time.

It's an interesting book where you as the reader don't know whose side to be on. It's a definite page turner and it leads into what I believe is the best book in the series, Transfer of Power. An action packed thriller about terrorist taking over the White House while the President escapes to a bunker below. It's a lot of fun to read.

The books are very "WOOHOO AMERICA RULES!" but in a very fair way. Flynn's assessment of America's mistakes, terrorists, and the religion of Islam are for the most part fair in my mind. He's a clearly a Republican and sometimes he lets it show but for the most part he delivers commentary that is right down the middle.

If you prefer your entertainment come from the written word, pick this one up and see if this series is for you.

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Now, let's dive into the world of music.

ALBUM: State of Mind
ARTIST: Raul Midon
SYNOPSIS: The rhythmic stylings of a blind musician.

Following in the footsteps of his idols Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder, Raul Midon is a musician with no sight but a fantastic sound. Midon, a guitarist rather than a piano player, excels to the point that even music legend Stevie Wonder comes in to duet with him on a track.

Midon's sound is unlike any other. It's natural and melodic yet unique. His lyrics are simple yet enjoyable: "Sunshine, when you're with me I can fly." "Everybody can be somebody, everybody is free to make a difference." "I wanna be rich, I wanna be happy, I wanna live inside a love that shines bright enough to last a lifetime."

His voice is smooth and his guitar skills are uncanny. The solos he breaks into are amazing for anyone, with vision or not. If you stop by a Borders, pop into one of those little preview machines and take a listen. I guarantee you'll like it. And because he's so unknown, you usually find the album for under ten bucks, and most come with a DVD of a performance from NYC.

The uptempo songs are fun to listen to the and the ballads are smooth enough to get your girls clothes off, so do yourself a favor and check out Raul Midon.

[Royals]

Radio head isn't my usual fare... but their innovative approach on their new album, In Rainbows, got even me to sit u and take notice.
http://www.inrainbows.com/
You can download it for whatever cost you want to pay. Want to pay nothing? Ok. Want to pay $2? Ok. It's all DRM free and worth a look.
The one thing I wish they had included was some kind of preview so you could listen to the music before deciding how much to pay, if anything.

[Cardinals]

Radio head isn't my usual fare... but their innovative approach on their new album, In Rainbows, got even me to sit u and take notice.
http://www.inrainbows.com/
You can download it for whatever cost you want to pay. Want to pay nothing? Ok. Want to pay $2? Ok. It's all DRM free and worth a look.
The one thing I wish they had included was some kind of preview so you could listen to the music before deciding how much to pay, if anything.

it was neat, but the songs on in rainbows aren't that great. Nude is pretty good, as is Bodysnatchers and a few others. On a whole it's not up to snuff with their usual catalogue, though I haven't been a fan of Hail to the Thief either so I'm not huge on Radiohead right now. bring back kid A and OK Computer.

[Mets]

Thom Yorke's solo CD Eraser is amazing. I prefer it to any other Radiohead album. Kid A is still their best though.

[Cardinals]

I prefer Eraser to all of them except OK Computer and kid A