Sports Guy, new Raconteurs, the Apple Empire

- New Bill Simmons mailbag column, which is hilarious as usual, especially the Responsibilities While Attending a Baseball Game, the men's room story from the Yankees home opener, and Simmons promoting his wife to be a sideline reporter. High comedy all around. Read the article.

- Broken Boy Soldiers is the new record by Jack White's side project, The Raconteurs. It's not too similar to the White Stripes' sound, but I don't think that's a bad thing. Solid record, although the 34 minute length is on the short side. Catchy tunes from start to finish, and I'm hoping the project finds enough time to put out another disc in the future.

Take a listen to: "Steady As She Goes", "Hands", and "Intimate Secretary" (courtesy of The Camera As Pen)

- Big buzz last weekend was the opening of the Apple Store on Fifth Avenue. I'm talking big buzz. All the Mac nerds in the New York metropolitan area were having a collective caniption. People waited in lines for hours to get in when the store opened last Friday at 6pm. In fact, the lines lasted pretty much all weekend from what I can tell. Crazy part: the store is open 24 hours. Wanna go get your broken iPod fixed at 3am? Go ahead. Need to purchase an iBook at 5am, you're taken care of. Also, it's completely underground The Jessica and I walked by there on Sunday afternoon, and the lines hadn't died down. Steve Jobs looks like a pretty smart guy right now, huh? In the meantime, check out this cool panoramic view outside of the store on Friday night. Not surprisingly, you'll need Quicktime in order to view it. Want more? Take a look at this time lapse of the store's first 24 hours. Apple will soon take over the world... right after Wal-Mart and the Mouse Ears.