The Best of Us Can Find Happiness in Misery

If you’re a big Fall Out Boy fan like me, I’m sure you’ve been more than content listening to any of their past albums. Heck, we were even blessed with one early last year, Infinity on High, as it has since gone double platinum, and is their most successful album to date. From Under the Cork Tree was a GREAT album as well. Basically anything FOB produces manages to succeed.

And if you are like me, upon listening through IoH numerous times, identifying with the lyrics, and just singing along when no one’s around, you probably have felt some sort of, well, emptiness. It was such a great album that you wished it never ended. Such a great piece of work is usually not followed up by something for a few years. I am glad that I discovered today that our wait as fans is ALMOST over.

Have I been out of the loop. I stopped looking for info after I had heard rumors that the new album wouldn’t be until early ’09 tops. A 2 year wait is pretty standard and acceptable. But out of curiosity today, I was doing some research only to find that Fall Out Boy’s new album, Folie a Deux, is arriving on Election Day, November 4th! What really sparked my interest was last night on 97X they played the first single off of the album, “I Don’t Care,” and I was instantly hooked. So I was like, so is this off of the live album ****? We had been hearing FOB guest appearances on other records, such as with Timbaland and a cover of Michael Jackson’s “Beat It.” Much to my joy, I found out about the new album! I can’t wait to get it, and of course, vote!

For your enjoyment, I have found the song on Youtube. It’s not a music video, but rather just the song set to a picture (which may be the album cover art!). Enjoy!

Catchy melody, biting lyrics, and a solid, steady beat with the effective drum work… as always. Why change a good thing?

Feel… The Heat… RAYS.

This could be the game which defines this magical season, and hopefully turns the recent woes of the Rays around. After being shut out 2 games in a row, the Rays finally scored some runs- but not many. As his been the case most of the year, they manage to score enough.

So it was tonight, the night of what many considered the franchise’s most important game to date. They needed a win, as all of the sudden, the Red Sox closed a sizable 5.5 game lead to .5 a game. This one was for the lead, a lead that had been the Rays’ for months. Dan Wheeler, one of the more dependable pitchers in the bullpen came on in the bottom of the eighth. The unthinkable happened. Jason Bay launched one over the Green Monster. Goodbye 3-2 lead. Goodbye game. Goodbye division lead. We didn’t even have to worry about Troy Percival this time.

Not so fast.

Enter Johnathan Papelbon, one of the most reliable closers in the league. The way things have been going for the Rays lately, they seemed destined to lose another heart breaker, perhaps begin the closing chapters of a season tragedy instead of a romance.

Enter Dan Johnson. Briefly played earlier in the year due to some injuries, but has been down in the minors. He was supposed to be in the starting lineup for the Rays. He was late due to flight delays and that dreadful Boston traffic. Talk about a home field advantage. Manager Joe Maddon had no choice but to leave him on the bench, but he told him to be ready.

Calmly and coolly, he faced Papelbon. Calmly and coolly he delivered a deflating blow to the sold out crowd at Fenway, where fate always seems to bite the team that lets the Sox hang around.

Silence. 4-4. Tie ballgame. Eduardo Perez, then delivered another drive off the top of that Green Monster. He was on second before the ball hit the cutoff man. Then Dioner Navarro finally drove in the first man of the night who was in scoring position. The Rays went 1-15 in that category tonight. The one that counted the most, making the difference.

It was then left up to the veteran gunslinger Troy Percival, looking to avenge a blown save from the day before. He walked the first man, and all of the sudden the winning run at the plate. Who wasn’t thinking walk-off?

Bend but don’t break.

A timely strike out and a skyscraper of a pop out by David Ortiz put the Rays one out away from finishing the fight. A hit and it was tied. Do or die. And Percival finally delivered a shut out inning for the first time in, well no one can remember. But it doesn’t matter right now. The job was done.

Boston’s dominance in Beantown is dead and the division lead is still in tact.

Most importantly, hopes for a division crown live on.