10 best moments of the Champions League so far.

Tomorrow I’ll be taking a vacation day, as everyone should, so I can watch Manchester United face Barcelona in the biggest game in club soccer, live from Rome at 2:30 ET. The two best teams in the world in the finals, no reason to complain about that. Here is to a good game!

Ok, taking the premise offered by Bill Simmons and Kevin Wildes on the 5/25 “B.S. Report” podcast that instead of developing new tv programs that inevitably fail, they should remake a television series in the way that Hollywood remakes old films.

Their example was do redo Cheers, but set in Chicago. Same, or similar, story-line — just a new setting, updated characters and a premise that has already succeeded.

Kevin’s shortlist of casting ideas was centered around the solid and perfect fit of Vince Vaughn as Sam Malone. He’s a Chicagoan could make insane money as the star of “Cheers” and still make films in the summer. His other options (Rosie Perez as Carla, Michael Cera as Woody, John Hodgeman as Frasier) could use some work, in my opinion.

The other caveat in this is that it would be a more diverse cast than the original cheers (they suggested Cedric The Entertainer as Norm or Cliff) and I’m adding that it has to be reasonable. Can’t have a cast of A-listers and big names.

So, keeping with this idea, here is my first season of “Cheers,” set in Chicago.
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The Bootheel, from Springfield, Missouri, are set to release their first album, “Gold Tops” this summer. Featuring members of El Minotaur (rip), the Bootheel plays “aggressively midwestern” rock ‘n roll, with nods to country, blues and beer. Think: Your favorite hardcore band takes up fishing.

The album was recorded at Electrical Audio in Chicago, Illinois (That’s Steve Albini’s place for those who don’t know) by Electrical engineer, and ex-Springfieldian, Jon San Paolo.

I developed some material for the band: CD Art, Disc Art, Promotional Posters and various merchandise. You can find more about The Bootheel at their myspace.

Here are some previews of what is to come. Note: Subject to change (esp, the release date).

Disc Packaging:

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Time for the yearly Riders of Rohan poster. Riders of Rohan is a bicycle club in Springfield, Missouri. More combinations of death and bicycles!

Using Stefan Kjartansson’s lovely typeface: Reykjavik