The Knife makes some truly haunting electronic compositions on their new album Silent Shout, and i mean haunting in the "send chills down your spine because you feel trapped in a horror movie" sense. Maybe it's because the guy on the album cover looks straight out of The Hills Have Eyes. Or because i keep expecting Alex and his droogs to stop by for a bit of the old ultraviolence.

The Mini is down at the dealer getting "perma-plated". Supposedly this involves applying a teflon-like coating to the interior and exterior that guards against scratches and crap accumulation, but Veronica has taken a lot of flak for apparently agreeing to buy the stereotypical expensive and useless "undercoating" from a car dealer. We'll see how it works. I hope they wash the car before putting this stuff on ... i don't want to preserve its current layer of dirt for posterity.

Being somewhat (?!) of an anglophile, i'm a bit disappointed to see the whole Sven Goran-Eriksson as England national team manager episode coming to a close in the way that it is. To recap, Sven continued his string of very public boo-boos by making crappy comments about nearly all the players and managers in England to an undercover reporter, posing as a rich Arab intending to hire Eriksson. Given that the man has done basically nothing in major tournaments during his tenure (a quarterfinal appearance in the 2002 World Cup was his pinnacle, and has been mostly supplanted by more vivid memories of his tactical ineptitude in Euro 2004), he really deserved to be fired. However, fears about the impending 2006 World Cup in Germany and the ability of the squad to cope with a manager change at the last minute forced the English FA to reduce his punishment to having him resign after the tourney. However, he'll now be a lame duck manager in Germany, and the question is whether the squad will put their eggs in his basket if the going gets rough. He's no wizard of strategy, and it may be all too tempting for the players to write off their chances and blame him if they underperform. It's a damn shame, because England have a fantastic squad at the moment (Rooney is brilliant, Lampard and Gerrard are the engines in midfield, and Terry and Campbell are both rocks in defense), and this may be their best chance in recent years to capture a major trophy. At this early stage, i have to say it looks as if Brazil may be walking away with the cup. Again. I'm hoping for some surprises ... another solid showing by the U.S. perhaps? (possible) The young Netherlands squad making some waves? (doubtful) An African nation finally challenging for the title? (debatable)

As bitter as their rivalry with Chelsea was last year, and as heated as it may get next month, i have to say that Barcelona play some majestic football. Although they don't put a strong emphasis on defense and accordingly get embarassed at the back on occasion, they are offensive masterminds and can brilliantly and fluidly dissect even the stingiest of back lines.

Pre-sale tickets for the annual Coachella music festival go on sale tomorrow. The lineup hasn't even been announced yet. Rumors have included reunions of funky drug-mongers Happy Mondays (Shaun Ryder looks like a preserved, decapitated head in that Gorillaz video, i can't imagine him in full body) and noise merchants My Bloody Valentine. The latter might actually get me to go. V is trying to talk me into going if only to just chill at the hotel/rental while they hit the show(s), seeing as i'm not too keen these days on standing in a field for 8 hours baking and buying $7 water to hear one or two bands that will probably be coming to my doorstep eventually anyway.

I've never played any of the much-acclaimed SOCOM games on the PS2, and SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo on the PSP isn't making me think i missed much of anything. It's a decent co-op shooter in the style of Rainbow Six 3, but nothing super fantastic. I'm actually getting a bit peeved that the order i really want to give to my computerized teammate is never one of the options. I imagine the multiplayer is more engaging, maybe i'll give that a whirl sometime. If i can handle the inevitable "man, you suck!" comments from twelve year olds. Which reminds me, there is a brilliant video circulating the internet of a nine year old playing some FPS online and forgetting to turn off his mic while screaming at his mom to get him chocolate milk. Possibly fake, but i'm sure similar diatribes are heard in Halo 2 deathmatches quite frequently.

Turns out the touch screen Alpine head unit i've got my eye on is not available in stores until late spring/early summer, so my dreams of upgrading the car stereo are on hold for now. Oh well ... my Sirius is keeping me plenty happy at the moment.