MAYBE IT'S HIS HIS BRAIN THAT WAS LEFT BEHIND: This Tim LaHaye character, co-author of the wacky LEFT BEHIND fantasy series, is so nutty it's almost stupefying. I'm reading this article, and about every 15 seconds I'm thinking, "You've *got* to be freakin' kidding me!" Who takes this guy seriously? The answer: a whole fuckload of people do. Your neighbors. My neighbors. Our president? Dunno. I've never heard him weigh in, but it wouldn't suprise me.

DRESSED UP LIKE A MASTERPIECE: I've long been a fan of Josh Rouse. Back when I was at RollingStone.com I happened across his stellar debut, DRESSED UP LIKE NEBRASKA. Before long I had the pleasure of doing a 'phoner with him (special to Laurel: sounds dirty -- but all it means is I conducted a phone interview with him), and I found Josh to be humble, smart, and a pleasure to talk to. When he came to Chicago to play the Empty Bottle, my brother and I snatched him up after his show and took him back to my deck for a beer. He played us a few demos that would find their way onto his second album, and he proved to be as cool a guy in person as he'd been on the phone.

Anyway, he's five or six albums into his career now, and I've remained a fan throughout. But not too long ago I bought a copy of his latest, SUBTITULO, off iTunes, and the longer I've had it on heavy rotation in my headphones, the more I have to say: This is his masterwork. If you haven't checked out Josh yet, you really ought to. And if you're looking for a place to start, just about any song off SUBTITULO will do. Like heartache? Josh has you covered. Hopeful? Ditto. The guy's channeling something as real and beautiful and awful as life itself.

THANKS FOR NOTHING: What the heck is Lou Dobb's point? How hard is it to be a hand-wringer? What does he suggest we do? Here's a newsflash: The Middle East is one giant sandy Gray Area. There is no path without conflict. And blaming the U.S. or its citizens, or...whoever he's blaming...is not worth a hill of beans. Phooey on Louie.