New Dad Balancing Act

The Little Screen: Food, Inc. and The Cove

2010-01-04T14:02:00.000-08:00

Aside from football, my entertainment choices this past weekend fell toward the documentary spectrum. First, I watched , which has gotten a ton of publicity since its release. I expected at lot of information about all of the chemicals in the majority of foods available in supermarkets. What surprised me was the amount of time spent detailing the links between the major food manufacturers and the government. I'm not going to waste time listing off all the foods that are bad for you, but I do suggest that anyone with any interest in our food supply and its long-term consequences check this one out.

The second doc I watched is . The film tells the story of how each year thousands of dolphins are slaughtered in a town in Japan. Fisherman lure in the dolphins, capture them in nets, and sell the top ones to amusement facilities. The rest - really, the majority - are killed in an isolated bay. Japan contends that they have to kill the dolphins because they are diminishing the amount of edible fish available to fishermen. But then they try to sell the dolphin meat, which is highly toxic because of the levels of mercury. It's alternately heartbreaking and ridiculous, as well as suspenseful as the film crew uses special ops tactics to plant cameras and expose the slaughter. Great film.

I also watched Four Christmases, which was about Kristin Chenoweth's cleavage. It also starred Vince Vaughn, Reese Witherspoon, and a promiscuous granny. You're better off checking out the documentaries.

Bookshelf: Death Troopers by Joe Schreiber

2009-12-30T17:06:00.000-08:00

As a child born in the 70s and raised in the 80s, the initial Star Wars trilogy is finely woven in my make-up. I've seen all three films countless times and know my share of useless trivia about the characters, planets, etc. But for me, aside from the movies and my childhood action figure collection, that's where my involvement ends. I never had a desire to dress up or debate hypothetical if character X fought character Y scenarios. Fun movies, fun characters, end of discussion.

So, why for all that is pure and good in this world did I decide to jump into the extended Star Wars Books universe? Books about Han Solo's kids Chewbacca's grandparents? Not interested. But then I see a book called Death Troopers by Joe Schreiber with a cover depicting a bloody stormtrooper helmet dangling from a hook. The idea: What if Star Wars collided with zombies? Oh My God! That sounds amazing! Walking dead? Stormtroopers? If there's one thing that's missing in the Star Wars universe, it's torn out intestines and detached mandibles. Gore, my friends.

So I get the book. I read the book. And then I get angry with myself. Did I really expect a George Lucas licensed product to extend the limits of safe entertainment? Sure, the author has the liberty of creating new characters and then bumping them off. But it was still so disappointing. Perhaps if I was younger, it might have blown my mind. I'm sure my expectations got the best of me, but that cover . . . so much promise.

The lesson here is to leave well enough alone. A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi -- sticking with the basics.

Guided By Voices Vs. Danny Tanner

2009-11-16T13:36:00.000-08:00

The Big Takeover is the best music mag out there -- don't bother to argue because you can't win. Despite being published just twice a year, each big issue crams more quality info, interviews, and reviews than you'll find in 6 months of any other magazine. I've discovered more great music through Jack Rabid and company's words than I can count. So it's with great anticipation that I wait for Issue 65 featuring a Sonic Youth cover story, which is due any day now. If you aren't a subscriber, I can't recommend highly enough the great value of a $20/4-issue subscription.

Story Time (and the basis for the title of this post): I was flipping through my box of back issues a few weeks back and came across issue #39, which features Guided By Voices on the cover. The issue came out in 1996, so it was after the double-shot of greatness that is Bee Thousand and Alien Lanes. As I was scanning the pages, my oldest daughter came up to me and said, "Why are Danny Tanner and his friends on the cover of your magazine?" Now, for those who don't know, Danny Tanner was the character played by Bob Saget on Full House. After absorbing this hilarity, I asked if she thought Danny Tanner played music, as I was reading a music magazine. Her response was that no, Danny didn't play music, but Uncle Jesse (John Stamos) did. Why wasn't he on the cover? I explained that Uncle Jesse had been on many magazine covers, just not this one. Satisfied, our exchange ended and playtime resumed.

My point in relating this story is that now I realize that I not only have to teach my children all the stuff I'm expected to teach them as a parent, but I must also make time to classify and explain the cultural significance of a band like Guided By Voices. If I don't, I risk losing my children to the dark side of pop culture. Danny Tanner is on notice.

Bookshelf: Michael Koryta - Tonight I Said Goodbye

2009-11-12T07:53:00.000-08:00

Our local free weekly had a story about Michael Koryta a few weeks back in preparation for Bouchercon, the annual mystery writer's convention, which took place here in Indy this year. Koryta, a Bloomington resident, is still in his 20s and has already written several well-regarded novels. His first, Tonight I Said Goodbye , won an award in 2003 for being the best first novel in a private investigator series. So it was after reading the aforementioned story that I decided to check out the book. Jacket quotes from Lee Child and Ken Bruen, two of my favorite mystery/thriller writers, added to my level of intrigue.

The novel tells the story of private investigator Lincoln Perry and his partner Joe Pritchard as they investigate the apparent suicide of another PI, and the disappearance of the dead man's wife and daughter. Like all good mystery novels, nothing is ever as it seems, and the plot twists and turns well. The characters are fleshed out and you get a really good sense of the relationship between the two principle characters. All in all, very satisfying. Koryta's writing is seamless, so the book reads quickly. My only qualm is that it all felt a little too safe -- a bit PG-13 when my expectations for this kind of story veer more to the R side of the equation. My preferences, I know, but I hoped for something a bit more hard boiled. I wanted a little more danger, more of that feeling like something was truly at stake. That said, I'm certainly going to check out Koryta's other books. I'm especially interested in Envy the Night, his one stand-alone novel not in the Perry/Pritchard series.

Mystery readers out there, who are some of your favorites?

Pop Album of the Year: fun - Aim and Ignite

2009-11-09T12:45:00.000-08:00

The Format released the best album of 2006, Dog Problems [CD on Demand]. Really, one great song after another. Time Bomb, She Doesn't Get It, Oceans -- pick one, you can't go wrong. Then the band split and co-founder Nate Reuss started fun. Aim and Ignite [CD on Demand], that band's first album, picks up where Dog Problems left off but ups the songwriting even more. The first three songs, Be Calm, Benson Hedges, and All the Pretty Girls are about as perfect an opening trifecta as on any album in recent memory. Each song brilliantly pushes those pop song brain pleasure sensors that instantly get you humming, but with a complexity that is astounding. Set closer Take Your Time (Coming Home) is the most cathartic song I've heard since Okkervil River's For Real, but better because it's so joyous. fun are on tour in early 2010, including a stop here in Indy with Jack's Mannequin in February. Can't wait to see how these stunning songs translate live.

And We're Back!

2009-11-08T07:29:00.000-08:00

Okay, so it's been about 2 years -- but I'm inspired and it's time to get this moving again. To sum up, here's what's happened since my last post:

1) Got new job, sold house, and moved
2) Bought new house
3) Lost new job, sold house
4) Moved back to Indiana
5) Had third child - a boy, this time

Caught up? Good.

Let's start off easy: We Are Golden, the first track on Mika's most recent album, , is ridiculously catchy in a kid-friendly way. I popped in the disc on a recent trip to the library and daughter #1 started smiling and bopping her head immediately. We proceeded to listen to the rest of the CD -- also good -- but that first song was like kiddie-crack. Every 2 minutes the request came from the back to replay the first song. And I obliged. The song is addictive and, to be honest, I'd much rather she get hooked on this song than the Phil Collins song from Tarzan she played over and over again for about 2 weeks. Song-latching is not an uncommon event with Daughter #1. The first experience was with Tiger on a Treadmill, or Number 7, as she called it, from Josh Fix's . We listened to that one over and over and over again, which was fine, because that's one of the finest pop albums in the past 10 years. I'm not kidding -- you should get it. Absolutely amazing.

Time to go.Things to do, books to read and music to listen to -- and I will get to them, much to discuss -- and kids to take care of as best I can. Oh, and NFL football today. How could I forget?

We're Coming Back

2009-08-21T13:10:00.000-07:00

New Dad Balancing Act will be back in September 2009.

Stay Tuned . . .

2008-01-30T10:45:00.000-08:00

New Dad Balancing Act is undergoing a rebranding effort. In the future, the site will have more focused thoughts, namely parenting, music, and to a lesser degree, movies and books. No more top of the head musings, cause really, who needs that?

Top 10 Albums of 2007

2007-12-12T16:07:00.000-08:00

1) Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga: I always liked Spoon but I never loved them. This disc made me love them. A phenomenal album with one great song after another.
2) The National – Boxer: Not as immediate as Alligator but stronger and more cohesive. I play this one a lot at night.
3) Arcade Fire – Neon Bible: Win Butler and Co put so much passion into each and every song. Even at the end of the year, I’m still amazed at how cathartic this disc can be.
4) Bruce Springsteen – Magic: Speaking of passion and catharsis, Bruce is the king. My favorite song from the album changes weekly. I’m on Long Walk Home this week, probably because the little one loves it. Can’t wait to see him in March.
5) Bloc Party – Weekend in the City: I’m in the minority, but I like this one more than their first.
6) Josh Ritter – The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter: The guy just keeps getting better with each album. I love the looser feel of this one compared to his past discs.
7) Okkervil River – The Stage Names: Such a tremendously consistent band. I’m convinced they’re one accidental radio hit away from being superstars.
8) Miracle Fortress – Five Roses: Absolute pop bliss. I know I’ll be playing this one a lot during the long, cloudy, Midwest winter.
9) Future Clouds and Radar – s/t: Two discs of great pop from the former Cotton Mather. Sure, a few songs could have been cut, but the overall quality makes the quantity forgivable.
10) Menomena – Friend and Foe: I love when I hear something new each time I play a disc. I had those moments with Friend and Foe more than any other album this year.
Honorable Mention: Loney Dear – Loney, Noir; Mika – Life in Cartoon Motion; Jason Isbell – Sirens of the Ditch; Tegan and Sara – The Con; Explosions in the Sky – All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone

Alponkey or Donkaca?

2007-12-09T14:20:00.000-08:00

Appears I didn't have the time I thought to keep this thing going. Oh well. I do the best I can.

So, the title: I think of odd things when I'm bored. While considering that a zebra crossed with a donkey is called a zedonk, it got me thinking what an alpaca crossed with a donkey would be. Would it be an alponkey or a donkaca? The wife likes the latter; I'm more for the former.

Another thing: Who reads books based on TV characters? You don't get enough Monk on TV so you want to read more of his adventures? Or Jessica Fletcher? That show was on for like 27 years. What has yet to be covered?

I'm working on my Top 10 CDs for the year. Should have it up mid-week.

Back From Hiatus

2007-11-07T20:10:00.000-08:00

People – to be specific, those with one child or none at all – often ask me whether two is more difficult than one. The answer: No. Busier, yes. But harder, not really. We know what we’re doing now. Before we freaked out over little things; now they roll off with little concern and minimal fanfare. Fussy baby? Not hungry, not sleepy, diaper okay, then it must be the teeth. It helps, too, to have a generally content baby, which little one #2 most certainly is. The second time around has definitely been less draining. The sleep deprivation was almost nonexistent, routines and schedules were adhered to respectably, and little one #1 was a fantastic help. It’s quite amazing what a 2-year-old is capable of doing.

Life’s been busy. Children, work, grad school – it requires some discipline to keep everything juggled. I’m not saying I have it, but my point is that I’m aware of the need for it and I hope to lock in on a formula soon, hopefully before I finish my degree next August. And, of course, I love my fall TV. Then again, we’ll see how long that lasts with the writer’s strike. My two cents to the execs: You’re losing the publicity battle and you’re logic is flawed. You don’t have an adequate model to gauge future online revenue? Make some assumptions, keep it conservative, and make a decent offer. The writers aren’t asking for the world. Such ego, it’s ridiculous.

On a somewhat related note, my DVR box is apparently starting to die, which means I need to start watching the 50 hours I still have recorded. SO MUCH PRESSURE! I’m supposed to get a new one in the mail in the next week or so, and that thing will stare at me incessantly. Pushing me, telling me to watch that Sci-Fi mini-series I recorded almost two years ago and still haven’t seen. I want to watch it! I do! But there’s only so much time, and when I’m already 2 weeks behind on my Friday Night Lights and still haven’t watched Season 1 of Jekyll, that mini-series falls a notch on the priorities list. Maybe I’ll catch up over the holidays. Wishful thinking?

Spending a lot of time in the car, I have managed to keep up with the flow of new CDs. How great are the newest Spoon and Okkervil River discs? And how ridiculously overrated is The Field’s From Here We Go Sublime? I can’t remember the last time I saw such a terrible case of critic groupthink overkill. I love the new Springsteen – can’t wait to see him live, which I’m assuming will be in Spring of 2008. A disc getting a lot of spins from me is Sensory Lullabies: A Tribute to Jellyfish. Most tribute discs are hit-and-miss, but the relative unknowns who supply their takes to Bellybutton and Spilt Milk do a great job. Why has Andy Sturmer never made a solo disc? I’d buy it in a heartbeat.

Please Stand By . . .

2007-10-13T07:05:00.000-07:00

Decided to take some time off -- 6 months to be exact. Another little one now, so time is even more precious.

The worst thing to happen to the homeless -- besides losing everything -- is the creation of the debit card. I never have any change on me; I hardly ever have cash.

More to come . . .

Career Opportunities

2007-04-09T16:00:00.000-07:00

I was a loser when I graduated from college. Somewhat oxymoronic, I know, but it’s true. College was over and I wasn’t prepared to do what came next, which was to get a real job. I wanted to work on Saturday Night Live, but I had no idea how to make that happen. Instead I jumped into the glamorous world of waiting tables, earning lousy tips in a cheap college town, and coming home smelling like death, which was hard to avoid in the seafood franchise in which I spent my time. For many of the people with whom I worked, the job was like an intergalactic way station: A bunch of twenty-somethings biding their time until they figured out life’s next chapter, or, to complete the metaphor, the transport on which they would depart to destinations unknown, hopefully with better clothes, a list of goals, and a plan to pay down their student debt. For others, it was one in a line of never-ending bottom-end jobs -- waiter, retail clerk, barista, house painter. Then there was “Rick.” “Rick” decided that, after spending four-plus years in college and spending all that money on tuition and housing, waiting tables was going to be his full-time career. And he was proud of his decision. “Rick” calculated how much he could earn at optimal efficiency plus what he could earn on the side doing odd jobs. One day, he said, he was going to open a coffee shop, which was bound to go out of business when a Starbucks eventually opened its doors across the way. I don’t know if his plan ever came to fruition, but I can say this with all certainty: “Rick” was koo-koo. Starbucks kills all comers; that’s just the way it is. You can’t slay the beast with tip money and a dream. As for me, things worked out okay, but I do wish I’d been more focused.

Groovin in the Galant: Sloan – Never Hear the End of It

An Apology

2007-04-08T11:43:00.000-07:00

Okay, yesterday's post was the lamest thing I've ever written here. I know I don't write as much as I hope to, but throwing something like that up here is just bad form. I try to put at least some thought into my ramblings. I'll make every effort not to let that happen again. Moving on . . .

Happy Easter!

(I'll post more when, as I said, I've gathered my thoughts.)

Groovin' in the Galant: Crowded House - Farewell to the World

The Plan

2007-04-07T16:39:00.000-07:00

So, I'm spending the weekend relaxing. I took yesterday off, and didn't have class today because of the holiday. And tomorrow is all holy stuff and family time. Yes, I've got work to do -- a couple of papers, some backed up homework, a video for the job, and getting ready for little one #2, but I made the decision to shelve it for a couple of days. Now I hope it doesn't bite me.

I'm glad baseball is back. I genuinely like the game and its history. What I like most may be the fact that you can almost always find a contest on TV, so when you're looking for something to watch without the full mental committment, it's there, helping life move along. And isn't that what we all want? Well, some people may really dig gourmet popcorn. I like the stuff, just not always the price tag. There's a place in Broad Ripple that sells killer stuff.

I'm going to go relax some more now. Maybe catch up on episodes of Friday Night Lights, which is a great show that people need to start watching before NBC axes it. I hope they bring it back for next year.

The Who & The Hip @ Conseco 3/6/07

2007-03-07T16:59:00.000-08:00

Good show at the Fieldhouse last night. The sound, which occasionally is a problem at the arena, was good, and the show was extremely punctual – in fact, I can’t recall another concert I’ve ever been to in which the timing was so precise. I guess when you’ve been at it for this long, all the bugs should be worked out.

The Tragically Hip, long one of my favorite bands, took the stage promptly at 7:30 and played a tight, 8-song set. Gord Downie and the guys played four new songs off their just-released in the U.S. disc, World Container, and four classic Hip tracks. Of those, Grace, Too was particularly lively.

Roger Daltrey, Pete Townsend, and the rest of the band came out right at 8:30, launching in to I Can’t Explain, followed by The Seeker. The set list for this leg of the tour has been the same at each stop, but that didn’t deter. The band mixed in old classics with several songs from Endless Wire. I could have lived without ’80s hits You Better, You Bet or Eminence Front, opting for anything off The Who Sell Out or Quadrophenia, both completely ignored. Nevertheless, it was great to see these legends live, still vital and energetic.

Side Note: I got the little one to sing the “Who-Who-Who-Who” part of Who Are You this morning. Duets with my Daughter, coming soon to a retailer near you.

Groovin’ in the Galant: Modern Skirts - Catalogue of Generous Men

I'm One (Plus One)

2007-02-26T16:44:00.000-08:00

Yes, I know, been a while. Moving on . . .

The little one turned 2 a few weeks ago. I still can’t believe it has already been that long. We celebrated by having a small Elmo-themed party in the basement with 5 or 6 of her little friends (or kids around the same age with whose parents we tend to socialize). Cake and juice were distributed, along with little treat bags. She had a good time, although I could tell she was a bit stunned for the first 30 minutes or so while she figured out how all of her friends were in the room at the same time. I took some pictures and video; it was nice. She really amazes me of late – her speech has gotten exponentially clearer and she’s forming sentences; her agility has increased (i.e. she runs everywhere). The baby days are over. She’s a little girl now, or “little person” as she sometimes refers to herself, and so much fun to be around.

I know this is super-late, but congrats to the Colts. I’ve lived here in Indianapolis for about 8 years now, and I had never seen this city so jovial and unified. It was fun to be around.

Next week is a big event on my calendar – The Who and Tragically Hip at Conseco. I’ve wanted to see the former for many years, but it never seemed to work out. As for the latter, they haven’t played here in Indy since the Trouble at the Henhouse tour. The last time I saw them was in Ft. Wayne for Music at Work. I know the set will be truncated, but a little is better than nothing. And the bonus – I got a free ticket. Of course, I just found out that the Hip are returning in May to the Vogue, but Little One #2 is due right around then, so making that show is highly unlikely.

On the audio front, I love when discs I’d put off listening to in 2006 finally make the rotation in 2007, and end up being favorites. The two that have made the leap thus far in ’07 are Mew’s And the Glass Handed Kites and the Dears’ Gang of Losers. From what I’d read about Mew, it just didn’t sound like my thing. But I love their weird hybrid of Cocteau Twins, Sigur Ros, and shoegaze – very anthemic. I was even more surprised by Gang of Losers because I didn’t really care for the Dears previous disc, No Cities Left. NCL had some good songs, but much of the album felt overlong – I always felt drained after a listen. Gang of Losers tightens up everything, which is all for the better.

I watched the Oscars last night even though the only films I saw nominated for anything were Borat and Superman Returns – have I ever mentioned how horrible I thought that one was? How do you make Superman that boring? Anyway, I thought Ellen did a nice job – she kept the proceedings light, which helped since the show was almost 4 hours long. I really liked the Will Ferrell/Jack Black/John C. Reilly bit, and Seinfeld always cracks me up. Still too much filler, though, particularly those goofy dancers, the sound effects choir, and the requisite film montages. Did anyone else notice that the foreign film montage made it seem like most foreign films revolve around people trying to kill each other? And Robert Altman won the “those who have died” clap-off. Kudos.

I read Guy Delisle’s Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea this weekend. Interesting graphic novel -- definitely the most I've learned about the country.

Groovin’ in the Galant: Splitsville: The Complete Pet Soul

How Do You Like That?

2007-01-22T17:12:00.000-08:00

I know I’m three weeks late, but happy new year to everyone. I hope 2007 is even better than 2006, unless 2006 was the best year ever for you, in which case I hope that 2007 somehow measures up. I’m being realistic.

Back in October, I said I thought it would be a Bears vs. Colts Super Bowl. In some miraculous way, I was right, which in hindsight, of course, makes me wish I was a betting man. But if I had put down a few bucks, you know it would have gone another way. In any case, I’m really happy for the home team and glad to see the Colts get to the big game. It will be nice to root for a team rather than just hoping for a competitive match-up and decent commercials.

As an avowed TV junkie, I’m glad to see that most of the big shows are gearing up for their spring runs. Battlestar Galactica, Veronica Mars, and Heroes all resume this week, with the rest of my favorites launching in early February. The show I really got into over the holidays was Friday Night Lights. I’d been storing up the episodes on my DVR from the start of the season, and now I’m hooked. Great characters, good writing – but I just read in EW that it’s still struggling for ratings. I hope that NBC brings it back next year. It’s definitely better than Studio 60.

While I’m on NBC shows, I need to mention something about Saturday Night Live. I’ll admit that I love the show – I always have. Even in its darker days, it was one of my must-see viewing experiences. I wanted to be on the show. In some ways, I still do. My point: I have no problem labeling myself an SNL apologist. I always give it the benefit of the doubt. That said, is there something in Keenan Thompson’s contract that stipulates that the Deep House Dish sketch must be one every other week? It is never funny. I know the writers like to create characters and push them – some of the best in the show’s history were last half hour additions, like Wayne’s World, that took off. But his character, DJ Trashbag, or whatever he’s called, is not funny, has never been funny, and the sketch will never be funny. So now you have my two cents, for better or worse.

Does anyone have a ticket to the Who and the Tragically Hip at Conseco that they want to give to me? A (relatively) cheap seat is fine. I just want to go.

Groovin’ in the Galant: Oasis – Stop the Clocks

Top 10 Albums of 2006

2006-12-18T17:02:00.000-08:00

Here we go again. Below are my Top 10 of the year.

1.The Format – Dog Problems: Great pop CD. It’s the closest thing to a Jellyfish disc in a long time. Meticulously constructed songs and tremendous harmonies – I know I’ll be playing this one for years. Time Bomb is my song of the year.
2.The Hold Steady – Boys and Girls in America: Everything it was hyped to be and more. Chillout Tent is my second-favorite song of the year.
3.Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s – The Dust of Retreat: I obsessed over this one for almost a month. I’m not sure why, but the fact that they’re a local product impresses me even more.
4.Jon Auer – Songs from the Year of Our Demise: Definitely worth the 5-year wait. Auer’s voice has always been one of my favorites. Now both Posies have released stunning solo albums -- the other being Ken Stringfellow’s Touched, which is still an all-time favorite.
5.Pernice Brothers – Live a Little: Joe Pernice’s best set of songs since The World Won’t End.
6.Phoenix – It’s Never Been Like That: The band’s output before this disc never did anything for me. INBLT changed everything. Catchy song after catchy song.
7.Midlake – The Trials of Van Occupanther: This disc makes me feel like I should grow a beard, don a mohair sweater, and add wood paneling to my basement walls. That’s a good thing.
8.Josh Ritter – Animal Years: Strong disc with amazing lyrics.
9.Lindsey Buckingham – Under the Skin: Not what I expected, which has made each listen even more rewarding. Can’t wait to hear his next one in 2019.
10.Hot Chip – The Warning: I went from indifferent, to intrigued, to very impressed with The Warning. The songs wormed their way into my brain.

Ye Olde Cassette Tape

2006-11-30T13:28:00.000-08:00

As a kid, I looked forward to my parents going out on Saturday night. Not because I got to have a run of the house – though that was nice – but because of what they frequently brought back for me. In Miami , the two main music stores were Peaches and Vibrations (later Coconuts), followed by Specs in the tier below. My parents made a habit of stopping at one of these stores towards the end of their evening. One, sometimes both, would pick up a new tape –dad enjoyed classic rock and Al Jarreau; mom preferred the smooth sounds of Barry Manilow or Melissa Manchester. Fortunately, they would often pick out a tape for me as well. Sometimes these selections were perfect – Peter Gabriel’s So or ELO’s Out of the Blue. Other times not so much – The Osmonds’ Brainstorm and The Alan Parson’s Project’s Eye in the Sky come to mind. To this day, I still find it hard to believe that they actually paid money for the former. Maybe they didn’t. I suppose it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that some early 80s burnout record store clerk just wanted it out of his sight, thus he gave it to them at no charge. Sure, it’s unlikely, but I feel some urge to absolve them of the purchase. The Osmonds just don’t fit in with the rest of the selections. Even their misguided decision to buy me Jermaine Jackson’s self-titled 1984 release had some logic behind it.

Anyway, I was thinking the other night about what had happened to all of my cassettes. I still purchased them occasionally into the early 90s, usually when I could pick up a promo for $1-$2. But at some point, they all disappeared. Fully aware of my pack-rat tendencies, I find it hard to believe that I just pitched them. I recall selling a large box of them to a used music store during college. Yet I know I kept the ones that still made it into the rotation. Perhaps they just wore out. Maybe someone stole them in college and it never registered. I’m going to go with that explanation. Everyone had something stolen in college, right? I’ll never forget going to the front of the computer lab to pick up my printouts and returning to my chair to discover someone had lifted my leather jacket. I couldn’t believe the audacity. The jacket was so not cool, it was impossible for me to fathom how anyone would want it.

Groovin’ in the Galant: dios (malos)

The Time Crunch

2006-11-20T15:21:00.000-08:00

I started grad school a few weeks back, which has greatly altered my free-time schedule. I do, however, have to say that I’m thoroughly enjoying my re-entry into the world of student life. I’ve got a schedule, and as long as I stick with it, everything is manageable. I may not be able to attend to this thing as often as I like, but that’s a small price to pay. Anyway, school is fun, which is something I never thought I would admit again. But the Exec MBA program I’m in is tailored to people about my age and in my state of life, so it works. I’m perfectly okay with giving up my Saturday’s for a few years. It’s all about the long-term goals. Yes, it’s less time with the wife and little one, but it all works out.

As for the little one, she’s entered into a bit of a testing phase with us, seeing what she can get away with. Not unexpected, given her age, but interesting nonetheless. Examples include standing on furniture as we tell her to sit down, throwing things (including food), and refusal to follow directions. Of course, she gets away with very little. The wife is a teacher of the disciplinarian variety, and I follow her lead, so the acceptance rate of unacceptable behavior is quite low. As I said, it’s an interesting time.

I know I’m not alone in saying that I can’t wait for the long Thanksgiving break. I really need some down time – no pressures, no concerns, just face-stuffing time, courtesy of a turkey and assorted accoutrements.

I finally got a copy of The Hold Steady’s new one, Boys and Girls in America, and it is, without a doubt, my top album of the year. I can’t stop listening to it.

Confession

2006-11-01T06:44:00.000-08:00

I once saw Kenny G in concert. With my mom. That is all.

Groovin' in the Galant: Cursive - Happy Hollow

Superconnected

2006-10-20T16:09:00.000-07:00

Honestly, I’d forgotten what it was like to go to a concert. Last night’s Broken Social Scene performance at the Vogue, my first live music outing in some time, and my first time seeing them since SXSW 2004, was a thundering reminder of why I love the rock show so much. The band was fun, loose, a little sloppy, a little self-indulgent, but, ultimately, a blast. Not too many bands have a grasp on the organic, play-with-heart dynamic that BSS display on stage. Was it perfect? No. They had some sound problems, Kevin Drew cut off Almost Crimes midway through the song, which left Amy Milan looking a bit puzzled, and some in the crowd disappointed. Still, those things were easily forgiven because of the catharsis of the show as a whole. Well worth the ringing ears.

On the opposite end of the music spectrum, I’d like to restate my feelings on the undue praise many power pop bands receive. My reason: The Rewinds. As I have mentioned before, I love this style of music. My favorite band is The Posies. I love Sloan. I love Superdrag. My issue is that too many bands that make this style of music receive comparisons that are unfair to the bands to which they’re compared. One review for the Rewinds, for example, refers to the band being reminiscent of Sloan and Superdrag. Sorry, but no. The Rewinds make decent but unremarkable pop songs with very little trace of Sloan or Superdrag in the mix. As I’ve said before, there’s a big difference between exhibiting craft and creating memorable songs. The Format’s new CD, Dog Problems, is an excellent example of the latter. I doubt highly that there will be a better pop album this year. Great songs, great hooks, great craft, but, most importantly, memorable songs. Please, power pop aficionados, how about a little discretion when making reviews? It’s a great style of music, but not all of it is good. And . . . scene.

Update on the little one: She’s really into running, which includes me running. She’ll begin running in circles, but stop to say, “Daddy, running!” because she wants me to do the same. So we run in circles. Very cute, and I can use the short bursts of exercise.

Groovin’ in the Galant: Hot Chip – The Warning

Let's Talk TV (and Books)!

2006-10-16T16:49:00.000-07:00

I’m a TV junky. I’ll admit it. It wasn’t always like this for me, but in the last few years, I’ve become almost reliant on the nightly entertainment. If it’s Tuesday, then I’m psyched for Veronica Mars. Wednesday, still addicted to Lost. Thursday, The Office. And Friday I settle in for Battlestar Galactica. And that’s not including the reality shows I watch and other must-sees (namely How I Met Your Mother, the second best sitcom on TV). Maybe it has something to do with being a parent now, but come 8:00, I’m ready to shut off my brain and be entertained.

That said, I’ve been sampling many of the new Fall shows. One that I liked – Smith – is already done. Another that I’m enjoying is Friday Night Lights, although the ratings are apparently not that great. Two of the higher profile shows are Studio 60 and Heroes, both on NBC. I’ve watched the first 3 episodes of each, but am only willing to continue with Heroes. Studio 60 is obviously smart, but the writers have made all of the characters so serious and self-satisfied that they just aren’t any fun to watch. The show is about the behind the scenes of a comedy show – you’d think that some of these people would just lighten up. They work in the television industry; it’s not cancer research. Heroes, on the other hand, is fun. As long as the writers keep the story arcs manageable, I’m happy to watch for a long time. Working with a superhero premise provides a lot of options – character introductions, character deaths, alliances, etc. I’m definitely digging it.

I also mentioned books up top. Dorchester Publishing started a Hard Case Crime line last year that is fabulous. The company puts out a mix of old, out-of-print novels, along with brand new, first time available stories. The first one I read was Stephen King’s entry, The Colorado Kid, which was interesting, but a bit unsatisfying. Fortunately, that entry is not indicative of the rest of the line. I’ve since read novels by Donald Westlake and Ed McBain, and I’m currently reading Bust by Ken Bruen and Jason Starr. All have been tight, fast, noir thrillers. And the covers are awesome. I can’t wait to read more.

And for those wondering what’s up with the little one, she learned to say her middle and last names this weekend. The middle name came out of the blue. The last name was more of an effort, but then she started running around the house, yelling it over and over. She’s also begun to learn the alphabet, making it from A to G, although occasionally losing the E. Plus she knows Tylenol, which is weird.

Groovin’ in the Galant: Ben Kweller – Ben Kweller

A Sad "Party" and Reconsidering Football Predictions

2006-10-11T16:08:00.000-07:00

About a month ago I said that I thought the Dolphins looked competitive – this was just after their close defeat to the Steelers. Well, I retract that statement now. They look terrible and they’ll be lucky if they win 6 games. What a disappointment. Sports Illustrated, or one of the other big publications, had the team as a Super Bowl pick. Not gonna happen. After 1 month, I’m picking Bears vs. Colts in the Super Bowl. Not such a stretch, I know, especially with the Bears. But they look ready to beat everyone. As for the Colts, I know they have problems – their run defense is about as bad as it gets. Still, for some reason I think that the dominos are going to fall in the right order this year – upsets and seeding come playoff time -- and they somehow make it to the big game. At least that’s what I’m going with for now.

Remember World Party? Karl Wallinger, who is basically the whole band, did a show at SXSW last spring, and there was some moderate renewed interest in the band. Well, I just found a copy of Dumbing Up, their last studio album to get released. In a word: Insufferable. Really, just torture. I think it’s time for Karl and his “band” to fade out before more people hear DU. I’m content with my copy of Goodbye Jumbo and a handful of other songs over the years (notably Ship of Fools).

We’re about 1 week away from the Broken Social Scene show, my first concert outing in some time. Should be a good time.

Anybody know where Glenn Medeiros is? The guy had a Manilow-like hit in the 80s with Nothing’s Gonna Change My Love, and then faded away. He’s like a swarthy Rick Astley. The wife has been reminiscing of late, and that song came up. We found the (quite dull) video on YouTube – a beach, puffy hair, Z Cavaricci pants – but that’s about it.

Groovin’ in the Galant: Heartless Bastards – All This Time

Telephone Cords Are Not For Eating

2006-09-28T14:49:00.000-07:00

For a while, it seemed that everything went in the little one's mouth. These days, it's the things I really don't want to see there, like telephone cords and dirt. Nothing toxic, fortunately, but not ideal. Better than the dog, though. He decided to chomp on one of the Little People toys -- now the princess is an amputee and the prince is off riding his horse. Sad times.

If this seems a bit disjointed, I apologize. I'm not thinking on the clearest level at the moment. The reason -- Amish Friendship Bread. I'm 32 and I'd never had it before until last week. Why didn't anyone tell me this stuff existed? I could be so much fatter! But happy, yes, so happy.

One of my favorite bands, Sloan, had a new CD come out in Canada last week. No word yet on a U.S. release date, but it better be soon. Lots of great stuff coming out in the near future. The Pernice Brothers new one, Live a Little, is getting great early reviews as their best since The World Won't End. And the Tragically Hip have a new one out next month as well.

I finished a really taut thriller yesterday. John Connolly's Bad Men was a great read. Very gritty and tense. I'll definitely have to check out his other books.

Groovin' in the Galant: Long Winters - Putting the Days to Bed

Toy Fads

2006-09-20T16:04:00.000-07:00

The new, top-secret, 10th anniversary edition of the Tickle-Me Elmo came out this week. Called TMX, toy retailers are banking on it being one of the big must-have gifts for the holidays. Now, the little one loves Elmo, as I believe I’ve mentioned before. She has watched Sesame Street just once, but after receiving a book featuring the character, she started looking for him everywhere. Not an hour goes by without some mention of Elmo, whether he’s on her diaper or on a balloon at the grocery store. Still, the wife and I hadn’t really thought much of looking for the toy. Well, Grammie would have none of this Elmo indifference, and yesterday the wife informed me that she received two calls proclaiming that a TMX had been victoriously procured. I can’t say I’m surprised, but I suppose I expected a little more drama.

As a kid, I recall two times when mom made it her goal to acquire the big holiday toys. Once was during the Cabbage Patch craze. The fact that I much preferred Star Wars action figures and Atari Games didn’t really factor; “caring” parents had to find the dolls. So I got one, and it was quickly placed in the back of my closet. I don’t recall much being made of my actions, likely because it wasn’t really about me. Mom had a mission. The second time was at the height of the Nintendo frenzy. The game was Mike Tyson’s Punch Out, and that time I was invested. Super Mario Brothers, Legend of Zelda, Metroid – all fine games, but not the kinds that got me out of bed on a Saturday morning. But Punch Out –that was another story. I remember going to Toys R Us with my mom several times, each trip coming up empty. A few times we called ahead, only to get there just a bit too late. After several failed efforts, it seemed like it wasn’t meant to be. But one random call to Kay-Bee Toys changed everything.

It was a Tuesday night. The mall wasn’t crowded and, somehow, the legions of people looking for Punch Out had taken a collective unexpected breather. Perhaps they, too, were sensing that the quest was doomed. What Fools! There, hoisted on the rack, 5-deep, as if it was any other game, its cellophane wrapper glistening, was Mike Tyson’s Punch Out. We walked in, paid the tab, and walked out. The joy and satisfaction were great, but what caused the strongest elation was the relief that the journey was over. The game was in our possession – although I wouldn’t get to play it for three more, very tough weeks. Perhaps when the little one is older, something out there will get the juice flowing. For now, I’m content to let Grammie have the fun.

Anything related to Jellyfish always piques my interest, so it was with great delight that I saw that Roger Joseph Manning Junior’s solo CD, The Land of Pure Imagination, was released this week in the U.S. Issued last year in Japan as Solid State Warrior, the disc got several good reviews, but I wasn’t about to fork out the $50 to get the import copy. But for a $13 price, I’m more than happy to part with the cash. Three songs from the original version were replaced, which is always a bit dubious, yet not so alarming as to keep me from making the order. It should be here next week, along with The Monster at the End of the Book, a classic Sesame Street story for the little one. I love getting (good) mail.

Groovin’ in the Galant: Phoenix – It’s Never Been Like That

Pigskin Makes Me Happy

2006-09-12T14:50:00.000-07:00

I don’t think I can stress enough how happy I am that the NFL season is underway. The NBA is great come playoff time, and MLB has always been my first sports love – although in recent years I’ve enjoyed reading and talking about the game more than watching it. Not sure who to blame for that. But football makes me swoon. And the fact that my team, the Dolphins, look to be a playoff contender certainly ups the excitement. Of course I root for the Colts as well, but the old bonds die hard. I am a Miami kid, after all. So what’s my take after Week 1? Dallas isn’t as good as everyone thinks they are, it’s going to be a VERY long season for the Raiders and Packers, Arizona might actually have a shot at the playoffs, and Pittsburgh is still the toughest team out there.

One of the most joyous aspects of Sunday was having the little one next to me as I tuned in. Obviously she didn’t know what was going on, despite my providing semi-regular play-by-play. But watching her watching me was such a warm experience. Plus, we got in a little extra pattycake during commercials.

A most exciting development is her full annunciation of mommy and daddy. She has been calling us mayee and dayee, so we asked her to say mommy and daddy. A day later the change took hold. Probably nothing shocking, but to us it has been amazing. She has also begun mimicking the wife as she exercises, which is quite entertaining.

It’s not going to happen – cost, logistics, responsibilities – but I would love to see Jersey Boys on Broadway. I picked up the official cast recording and have really been digging it. My obsession stems from seeing the short performance on the recent Tony Awards. The part when each member of the group came out to their microphones during Who Loves You gave me chills.

Speaking of music, I’ve listened to a couple other really great discs in the past 2 weeks. Dog Problems by The Format is tremendous. A little bit Jellyfish, a little bit New Pornographers, produced by one of the Redd Kross guys – it’s unbelievable. Best pop disc of the year. Also great is Powder Burns by the Twilight Singers. The first few Twilight Singers CDs didn’t click with me, but this one harkens back to the best of Afghan Whigs. Powder Burns is muscular and catchy – a great listen.

Groovin’ in the Galant: Midlake – The Trials of Van Occupanther

Ho Hum

2006-08-28T15:31:00.000-07:00

I watched some of the Emmy’s last night. Colbert and Stewart were great, and the Office and Jeremy Piven won, so that was nice. Otherwise, ho hum. Now I’ll wait patiently, watching my Arrested Development Season 3 DVD, for the fall schedule to start. A couple of promising shows look like they’ll be worth checking out, but really I’m most excited for new Lost, Veronica Mars, and the aforementioned Office.

The little one started day care part time a few weeks ago. A little rough going – the naps are off somewhat, different diet, and some crying when I first drop her off – but she seems to be adapting well. Not a tear was shed this morning, so we’re definitely making progress. I think it’s going to be good for her to be around other kids. Her vocabulary is really expanding. It seems like she trots out a new word or phrase every couple of days, with the most recent being “sit down” and “pajamas.” And she’s beginning to string words together, like “Play, Jake,” which means she wants to play with the dog.

I finished my second-favorite book of the year last week, Jancee Dunn’s But Enough About Me. I tore through it, and then the wife did the same two days later. Extremely entertaining and funny, the book was a lot of fun. I hadn’t thought of Ton Sur Ton clothes in a long time.

I haven’t been in much of a concert mood of late. Shows by As Tall As Lions and Margo and the Nuclear So and So’s have come and gone without me putting forth an effort to attend. Sufjan Stevens is scheduled for next month, and even though I love Illinois and have been enjoying the Avalanche as well, I think I’ll skip it. Maybe I’m just saving up my energy for October’s Broken Social Scene show, which I refuse to miss.

Groovin’ in the Galant: Tom Vek – We Have Sound

Thank You, Jim Boggia

2006-08-01T11:54:00.000-07:00

I listen to a lot of, for lack of a better term, "alternative" pop. Maybe I should call it no-radio pop, because there's no way most of it will ever get airplay. Anyway, despite what the fine folks at Not Lame say, much of it is mediocre. Many groups aspire to the sonic heights of Jellyfish, but most fall somewhere around Owsley -- excellent craft but lacking that something special that begs repeated listens. So when I do hear an artist or band that reaches those upper levels, it's especially pleasing. Released last year, Jim Boggia's Safe In Sound is one of those rare albums. With a little help from Aimee Mann, Michael Penn, Wayne Kramer, and even Emmit Rhodes on the disc's best track, Let Me Believe (Evan's Lament), Boggia has crafted one of the best pop albums in years. Great songs, amazing production -- the CD is top-to-bottom killer. Go find it.

What's up with the little one, you might ask? For one, she's fun, fun, fun. Her latest thing is to hold our hand and run around the house as we yell "Go, Go, Go!" She interprets this as "Doe, Doe, Doe," which makes it more cute. She's also loving what she calls woo-woo, which is when I toss her in the air and yell, "Whooooooo!" And the vocabulary keeps building. Her favorite thing to say right now is "Up please," at times when she's already up. When this is pointed out to her, she says "down," followed by immediately requesting to go "Up please" once again. A fun cycle, albeit repetitive.

Groovin' in the Galant: Mates of State - Bring It Back

Reappraising Billy Joel

2006-07-25T13:21:00.000-07:00

Until I reached my twenties, there was no performer I’d seen more in concert than Billy Joel. As a member of a middle-class, South Florida, Jewish household, being a Joel fan came as naturally as eating matzoh on Passover – it was part of life. I still clearly recall my first Billy Joel concert experience: Second row of the balcony at the now-closed Fort Lauderdale Sportatorium, my mom and dad, along with my friend Eric and his parents. I was 8 years old, and it was the Nylon Curtain tour. I still recall the look on Eric’s face when Joel started playing Only the Good Die Young, as if it was some b-side nugget that had rarely, if ever, been performed live. I remember getting caught up in the swell of Scenes from an Italian Restaurant, not really knowing what a bottle of red and a bottle of white meant. The night was magic.

Thus began a pattern. Every 2 to 3 years, Joel would make his trip down to Miami, touring for his latest album, and in the audience I would sit. The Innocent Man tour -- 2-plus hours of awesome doo-wop pop. Was The Bridge a good record? Not really, but that didn’t stop me from begging my parents to take me once again. And on it went. My last Billy Joel concert experience was the River of Dreams tour, which I witnessed here in Indianapolis. Beside me sat my girlfriend, now my wife. And the experience was different. My tastes had begun to change in high school. The pop music of my childhood faded to the background, while the pop of the early ’90s broke through. Joel gave way to The Posies, XTC, Trashcan Sinatras, Lloyd Cole, and Jellyfish. In retrospect, that final show was the end of our relationship. I was officially saying goodbye to the man whose music defined my youth. Thanks for the memories.

But now comes 12 Gardens Live, Joel’s surprisingly rousing 2-disc live set. Listening to the album, all those childhood memories come roaring back. The man sounds great and the set list is fantastic. Absent are overplayed hits like Pressure, Uptown Girl, and Tell Her About It, replaced with older gems like Zanzibar, Vienna, and She’s Right on Time. I didn’t even notice the omission of The Stranger until well after the disc was over. My only qualm is the inclusion of punch line We Didn’t Start the Fire. Perhaps All for Leyna instead? To quote Mr. Bueller, that would have been so choice. Still, it’s great to hear the piano man back in top form. And for those who have maligned Joel’s output over the years, 12 Garden’s Live is a great reminder of the man’s sterling back-catalog of pop music. Listening to this disc, I feel like a kid all over again.

Awesome Book Alert!

2006-07-13T10:41:00.000-07:00

Pagan Kennedy's Confessions of a Memory Eater is the best book I've read this year. In a slim, unbelievably well written 170 pages, she creates memorable characters and a tremendous story. I've been thinking about the book frequently since I finished it earlier this week. I can't say enough. Great, great book. I'm now moving on to Paul Malmont's The Chinatown Death Cloud Peril, which by almost all accounts is a lot of fun.

Maybe it's because I thought there was a lot of great music last year, but I'm having a harder time finding my favorites this year. Aside from Neko Case and Josh Ritter, nothing really stands out yet. Band of Horses is okay, but I didn't love it. Same with Destroyer and even the new Drive By Truckers. Granted, I still have a stack of stuff I've yet to really dig into, notably Jon Auer's solo disc. The album I'm most looking forward to right now is the new Long Winter's disc. I loved the last one.

Groovin' in the Galant: The Replacements - Don't You Know Who I Think I Was?

Fact or Fiction

2006-07-08T09:36:00.000-07:00

I could try to reasonably explain my absence from this thing, but that's way too boring. So here's what I'm going with:

While trying to recreate scene-for-scene the video for Pat Benatar's classic Love is a Battlefield, starring toddlers, geese, and the turtle I found in my yard the other day, I pulled several muscles in my back and legs while demonstrating the elaborate choreography. I have thus been laid up for the better part of two months, receiving all my meals by straw and remaining conscious enough only to watch various episodes of So You Think You Can Dance and to play with the little one. Satisfied. Didn't think so.

Ah, the little one. Not so little anymore. She's scooting all over the place, expanding the vocabulary, and becoming obsessed with Elmo despite never seeing the show. She received an Elmo book as a gift and that was all it took. Now she looks for him everywhere, from her diapers to balloons at the store to clothing. "Melmo" as she calls him is everywhere, but he didn't get an Emmy nomination, though neither did Lost, or Kristin Bell, or any number of other deserving shows/actors. Seriously, the Emmy's are the biggest sham of an awards show, even worse than the Grammy's. At least that show doesn't try to extend olive branches to artists outside the mainstream. The Emmy's, on the other hand, throw in a few surprises every year just to get hopes up but then always revert to the same tired shows and actors. Off soapbox . . . now!

New Snow Patrol - Disappointing. Not bad, but nowhere near as good as Final Straw.

Groovin' in the Galant: Centro-Matic - Fort Recovery

As I Was Saying . . .

2006-04-22T10:35:00.000-07:00

Well, I disappeared for a bit. Got busy, got lazy, got another year older. Started mowing, digging beds, planting shrubs, buying trees. Life goes fast -- not always time to type a few words.

Lots of baby changes that I would have kicked myself had I missed. Fortunately, I didn't. She's taller, can identify elephants and monkeys, gives uncoerced hugs, says "Hi" to everyone at the grocery store, and got her first haircut. Yes, there was more, but the listing above will suffice.

I read a good book (Creepers by David Morrell -- excellent thriller, lots of unexpected turns), and I read a boring book (Dreamland by Kevin Baker -- lots of characters, none that were particularly interesting.) I finally saw the 40 Year Old Virgin, which was funny but way too long (I've heard the rated version is better), and Hostel, which is horror the way it should be made -- unflinching and entertaining. I do enjoy the horror.

And then I listened to music, a ton of it. A brief rundown of a few that warrant mention:

Rhett Miller - The Believer: Disappointing. A couple of okay songs, but otherwise no flair. And I really like the Old 97s and enjoyed his last solo disc. A couple of rehashed 97s songs, a lifeless cover of Jon Brion's I Believe She's Lying from Meaningless (still so awesome), and a couple of tracks too slick for their own good. After this and the last 97s CD, I'm a little worried.

Sons and Daughters - The Repulsion Box: Incredibly addictive and quite surprising. Love the Cup, their last one, I didn't even like. This one has tons more hooks, and healthy aggression. Recommended.

Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood: The most plays in the CD player this month. Her fantastic voice is a given, but the songs are all strong and grow with each listen. My favorite CD so far this year.

Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins - Rabbit Fur Coat: Not as great as some have made it out to be, but still a handful of fantastic songs. Rise Up With Fists and Melt Your Heart are my favorites, plus the Handle With Care cover is fun.

I'm way behind on my listening right now and there's so much to hear. I'll get to them all eventually. Most anticipated: the new Drive-By Truckers, and the Matthew Sweet/Susanna Hoffs covers disc, which both just came out. And, of course, the long in gestation Jon Auer solo disc, Songs from the Year of Our Demise, which I've read is amazing. Can't wait to get it when it comes out in a couple of weeks.

I'll try to be more frequent with this thing -- I know at least 2 of you like the diversion at work.

Groovin' in the Galant: Mogwai - Mr Beast

My Angel Now Wears White Shoes

2006-03-30T14:19:00.000-08:00

Monday was a big day for the baby. We went to Stride Rite and bought her first pair of real shoes. Well, maybe it was a bigger day for us. Anyway, very cute white shoes with a single buckle. Her initial reaction was confusion, not being used to the added weight on her feet. She stood in place for a few minutes, then ventured side to side. After about an hour, though, she got the logistics down, walking with purpose and comfort. The baby definitely seems bigger now. Along with the shoes, the wife has been putting bows in the little one's rapidly growing hair. Pretty soon she'll be running. Sigh.

I finally subscribed to The Big Takeover this month. I've been buying the magazine for years at Borders, but after Jack's editorial a couple of issues ago on the difficulties in receiving money from vendors, the time had come. As a mail junky, it will be pretty exciting to get that first issue in a few months. If you've never read BTO, you're missing out on the best music mag out there.

I'm not getting all the Nicolai Dunger press. Dunger is supporting Rhett Miller on tour, with two shows coming up at the Music Mill in April. I've seen several pieces pop up recently, many making the Van Morrison comparison. To my ears, he's more like the late Chris Whitley but with weaker songs. At least that was my opinion after listening to Tranquil Isolation and This Cloud is Learning a while back. Perhaps his new one is better.

Groovin' in the Galant: Belle & Sebastian - The Life Pursuit

Cooked Chicken Little

2006-03-23T14:15:00.000-08:00

Kevin Covais was mercifully booted from American Idol last night. Maybe it's just me but the send-off montages at the end of the Wednesday shows reminds me of the movie The Running Man. "Buzzsaw was a noble warrior . . ." Probably just me.

The vocabulary just keeps growing for the baby. New entries: tired and shoes, plus she's working on banana. She's also able to identify her fingers and toes now. I wish I still learned at that rate.

For my money, there's no more talented muppet than Dr. Teeth. (This bizarro Larry King moment brought to you by Selsun Blue.)

Definitely feeling a little goofy today. Had a 5-minute laughing fit about Snakes on a Plane today, and it wasn't the first time I'd read about the upcoming movie. Something about it just tickled me today.

I had a dream last night that the wife put my Art of Modern Rock book in the washing machine. She said it needed to be cleaned. Makes sense. Phenomenal book, by the way, though it's likely dry clean only.

Groovin' in the Galant: Spinto Band - Nice and Nicely Done

Melody Always Finds Me

2006-03-22T13:52:00.000-08:00

Lots of great moments this past weekend. I finished our taxes, which turned out well, found a used copy of the La's self-titled (and only) CD -- something I'd been after for a while since my cassette went the way of the dodo -- and scooped up all of the dog's petrified crap from the lawn. Okay, maybe the last one wasn't a great moment, but it was surprisingly satisfying. What was even more satisfying about that stretch of time was watching the little one walking outside with the wife. It was her first bipedal experience outside the house and you could see the joy in her eyes. Plus the huge smile, like she was thinking, "I didn't realize you could do this here, too!" What's the old saying about rediscovering the world through your child's eyes? I'm a believer.

Excellent showing by most of the contestants on American Idol last night, although a friend pointed out that the arrangement of I Walk the Line that Chris performed was taken from the band Live. My bet is on Lisa going home tonight, though Bucky or Kevin are more "deserving." Nice voice, but she's lacking in charisma; definitely the most forgettable person left. We shall see, though with a new Veronica Mars on plus a new Lost getting the DVR treatment downstairs, I won't technically be seeing.

Groovin' in the Galant: Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - Hammersmith Odeon, London '75

Vocabulary, Idols, Islands, and Secrets

2006-03-16T13:19:00.000-08:00

The baby's initial vocabulary is quite interesting. Yes, she's got the ma-ma and da-da down, along with hi. But the next set of words isn't the basic cluster of ball, book, baby, etc. Instead, she's latched on to cheese, neigh-neigh, Jake (the dog), and yeah. Makes me wonder what's next.

Melissa McGhee was kicked off American Idol last night, which wasn't much of a surprise. Hopefully next week Kevin Covais will get the boot. I'm sure he's a nice kid but he's the one contestant most obviously out of his league. Then again, every year one person sticks around much longer than they should.

I have to give Michael Bay credit; The Island was pretty good. I've never seen Pearl Harbor, but Armageddon was one of the worst movies ever, so I had low expectations for this one. I was pleasantly surprised. Interesting story, good leads, decent action -- good popcorn entertainment. I wonder why it did so poorly at the box office.

The first time I came across Frank Warren's PostSecret project was about a year ago via the Web site. In a nutshell, people send him postcards, artfully designed, with secrets. Lots of fascinating statements, some hilarious and others disturbing. Now at bookstores is a collection of these postcards, which I read through the other night. Like Found (based on the magazines), PostSecret really makes you wonder about other people's lives.

Groovin' in the Galant: Laura Cantrell - Humming by the Flowered Vine

I've Got Two Ears, One, Two

2006-03-13T15:47:00.000-08:00

The baby is now identifying several of her body parts, most notably her feet, hair, ears, and belly. The last one she doesn't just point to, but rubs multiple times. It really is amazing to watch the pieces come together. She is definitely understanding a lot of what we say now. Words like lunch and dinner prompt particular joy, almost on par with the way her face lights up at the mention of Cheerios.

The wife and I watched a terrific, albeit depressing, documentary this weekend. Enron - The Smartest Guys in the Room clearly lays out the rise and fall of the company while focusing on the 3-headed monster of executives at the top. What they got away with for so long is hard to comprehend. And though it's not the focus of the film, you really feel for all those people who lost everything. I believe the movie was nominated for an Oscar but lost to the Penguins.

I thoroughly enjoyed Nick Laird's Utterly Monkey, which I finished this weekend. The novel was very engaging and had some great characters. Laird has a comfortable writing style that makes for an enjoyable read even when it seems like not much is happening. Recommended, especially if you're a guy between 20 and 40.

Groovin' in the Galant: Youth Group - Skeleton Jar

Fallen Royalty

2006-03-09T13:50:00.000-08:00

While battling a minor case of insomnia the other night, I popped in The Aristocrats DVD to see what all the fuss was about. Verdict -- filthy, yes; funny, not really. The comedians enjoyed talking about the joke -- ad nauseum, in fact -- but I didn't find it entertaining. I think my main objection to the film was that, after the first 20 minutes or so, there wasn't enough left to explain stretching it out for another hour. The story, for the most part, was over. I'm sure comedians loved it, but an inside joke is only so fascinating.

The baby has learned how to blow kisses, which is adorable. She's also discovered ears, yanking on mine whenever possible. Also, the wife picked up the fabulous 1-year portraits we recently had taken. That's about it.

A few discs I've spun in the CD player of late:

Tragically Hip - Yer Favourites: A 2-disc retrospective of songs selected by fans. Further proof of what a great, great band they are. Plus two new songs.

Pilotdrift - Water Sphere: Some kind of crazy amalgamation of every musical style in existence. My opinion ranged from intrigued to frustrated. When I found out the lead guy from the Polyphonic Spree championed these guys, I tended toward the latter.

Copeland - In Motion: Arena rock hiding out as emo.

Steamkings - Marmalized: A CD from about 5 years ago produced by Jon Auer. What were you thinking, Jon? I don't know how you could listen to the lead singer's voice for that long without snapping. Maybe you did.

Groovin' in the Galant: Mazarin - We're Already There

Four-Car Pile-Up

2006-03-07T15:16:00.000-08:00

I still can't believe that Crash won the Best Picture Oscar, as well as best original screenplay. You only have to watch the first 20 minutes of that movie to realize it was written like some kind of "edgy" freshman drama workshop on tolerance and morality. I can't say which film should have won -- with the baby now I don't see much in the theatre; in fact, the only other nominated pics I saw were King Kong and The Constant Gardner -- but I can say with full confidence that Crash wasn't even close. Congrats Hollywood on rewarding yourself. Off soapbox . . . now!

We're switching the baby to a new once-a-day napping schedule. So far the change has resulted in minor tumult, which is to be expected. Adult or child, an alteration in sleep patterns would throw anyone. My favorite change the past few days is her total identification of me as da-da. She'll come around the corner from the family room to the kitchen where I'm standing and say, with purpose, "da-da." I'll say, "yes, sweetie, what is it?" And she'll hand me a piece of paper she's torn from a catalog and walk away. Good times.

Watched Broken Flowers this weekend, which was another excellent entry in the recent Bill Murray filmography. Offbeat and entertaining.

Groovin' in the Galant: Dream Brother - A Tribute to Tim and Jeff Buckley

Patriot Games

2006-02-27T14:51:00.000-08:00

Aside from our neighbors having their TV tuned in while we visited their newborn, I did not watch a single minute of the Olympics. Take that, NBC! I just wasn't interested. Perhaps it's the lower profile athletes, or maybe it's how the games are marketed. I don't know -- could be that they're boring. Instead I spent my time watching American Idol -- sue me, I LOVE that show -- and letting the baby chase me around the house. Her giggles when she thinks she's getting close to reaching me are priceless. Her newest word is either cheese or cheerios, with bets going toward the former.

Skipped the Rob Dickinson show to watch the brother-in-law swim in the state finals. Family first, after all. No regrets, especially because by 10 pm Friday night I was deliriously tired. The wife said I was talking nonsense at one point.

Had some great luck at the used book stores this weekend. I've become addicted to the Marvel Essentials trade paperbacks, picking up about a half dozen or so in the past month. Of the Spider-Mans, I had Volumes 1, 2, and 5. So what do I find? Volumes 3 & 4, plus Jim Boggia's Safe in Sound disc, a copy of Graham Masterson's The Manitou, and the complete USA Trilogy by John Dos Passos for $1. Good times. Also watched The Thin Blue Line finally, which is a tremendous documentary.

Groovin' in the Galant: The Move - Message from the Country

Sensitive Choppers

2006-02-21T15:30:00.000-08:00

I feel so bad for the little one. When she cries after drinking from her cup, it's a sure sign that the teeth are charging through. As for pain she endured well, last week was her 1-year doctor's appointment and she didn't even squeal when they pricked her finger for the first time. I used to dread that moment as a child -- I'm still terrified of needles. I hope she is better at dealing with that than me. Her mom doesn't seem to mind, so there's hope.

Great show this weekend. Matt Pond PA played a tight one-hour set, rocking much harder than I anticipated. The new songs sounded great, but the highlight for me was New Hampshire off Emblems, which is my favorite song from the band. The most surprising part of the night was opening band dios (malos). I knew very little about the group when I walked in, but left with their latest CD. Their psych-pop mix was terrific, with shades of Beach Boys to Grandaddy.

We've been catching up on a few movies lately. Cinderella Man was far better than I expected. The trailer made it seem very cliched and shmaltzy, but the finished product was high entertainment. I'm not a big fan of Ron Howard's films -- the emotions always seem so manufactured -- but this, in my opinion, is his best. Also watched Elizabethtown, which had all the elements of a Cameron Crowe film -- earnest characters, big speeches, quirky dialog -- but didn't quite work. It had heart, yet the pieces were sloppily assembled. I saw moments of great Crowe movies (like Almost Famous and Say Anything), but not the craft. Finally, I watched Eraserhead for the first time. Um . . .what the hell?

Groovin' in the Galant: Kathleen Edwards - Back to Me

One is the Happiest Number

2006-02-17T13:49:00.000-08:00

We celebrated the baby's 1st birthday last weekend. Some local family and friends stopped by and it was a fun couple of hours. I took a lot of video and snapped several pictures -- most when she was eating the cake. It was the first time she had eaten any real sugar, so I expected her to make a face and be appalled. Not the case. After a couple of small bites, her handfuls got progressively larger. She enjoyed the cake quite heartily. The baby and the wife (mostly the wife) opened many presents, the majority being toys, including two tricycles. The blocks have been a hit, as has the baby doll that sucks its thumb. That has provided many laughs for some reason. Another gift she received was a Sesame Street toy in which characters pop out of doors -- or trash cans in Oscar's case -- and sing songs. These have been around for years. The strange development with this toy is that when the music plays, she nods her head like she's listening to metal. Not sure where that came from, but it's cute.

On the opposite end of metal, I'm going to see Matt Pond PA Saturday night at Birdy's. Several Arrows Later was in my Top 15 of 2005. dios (malos) opens.

Groovin' in the Galant: Sparklehorse - It's a Wonderful Life

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Lazy

2006-02-09T13:52:00.000-08:00

Been a busy couple of weeks. I'd like to say that it's intirely because I've been swamped. Truth is, I was swamped last week -- this week, just unfocused and lazy. Enough about me.

Tomorrow is the baby's 1st birthday, which is hard to believe. How she has changed the past 12 months astounds me. She's a walking, talking (kind of), expressive little person, pointing at bananas because she wants one, identifying horses by making a neigh sound, and playing a version of tag with me that covers a small geography of the family room. The formula is over, replaced by real milk. It's going to be quite amazing to see how Year 2 shapes up.

So what was I doing the past 2 weeks? To sum up: basketball, playing with the baby, and reading, of which here's a rundown:

Grimm's Grimmest - Entertaining. I love the dark side of children's stories (although these are definitely not for the wee ones).
Bat Boy Lives by David Perel - A nice compendium of Weekly World News stories.
Miss Misery by Andy Greenwald - A quick read, and moderately entertaining, but something about it felt false.

Rob Dickinson, former lead singer of Catherine Wheel, is coming to Birdy's. I'm soooo psyched! His first solo disc, Fresh Wine for the Horses, is very good.

Groovin' in the Galant: Nada Surf - The Weight is a Gift

Walking and Talking (kind of)

2006-01-28T10:51:00.000-08:00

Well, she doesn't need us anymore. The baby is walking without fear, across rooms and flailing her arms. It really is hard to believe. She's not a little baby anymore. She is, but it seems like an invisible barrier has been crossed. All that's left now in the early stages is the talking. It's going to be so weird when she blurts out a "hi, daddy" one of these days. For now, we're treated to ma-ma and da-da, and a host of other unidentifiable sounds. The wife and I have been reflecting a lot lately on how much she has changed this past year. Yes, parenting is hard, but there's nothing quite as rewarding. I love being a dad.

Strange weather here in Indy. Our second straight day of 50 degree weather.

I didn't make it to the Fiest and Jason Collett show last week. I suppose I could come up with a bunch of excuses but the basic reason is that I was simply tired and I wanted to spend time with the wife. I did, however, find time to watch Murderball, which was a great documentary about quadriplegic rugby players. Really fascinating look into a world I knew nothing about.

See ya, Ron Artest.

Groovin' in the Galant: Husker Du - Flip Your Whig

Walk Unafraid

2006-01-24T13:14:00.000-08:00

This weekend I had what may have been my best day ever with the baby. She was so much fun! We played some, she played by herself for long stretches, she ate everything I gave her, she napped well. She even had a couple of extended laughing spells, which are always a joy. It was one of those days when I felt like my heart wasn't big enough to hold all of the love I felt for her. Hard to believe she's almost a year old. And she's walking on her own, but more on that another day.

I read a few days ago that the new Heather Graham show on ABC was cancelled after just one episode. Can't say I'm surprised. I didn't see it, but the reviews made it sound like a Sex in the City rip-off where her character can't seem to find Mr. Right. Sorry, but she's Heather Graham. When someone is that gorgeous, it's just not possible to believe that she has a hard time meeting someone.

Tricked, by Alex Robinson, is a terrific graphic novel. The story follows six interlocking characters and it reminded me of a Paul Thomas Anderson's Magnolia in some ways (minus the frogs). The ending was a little too pat for me, and I thought the Nick character could have been better defined. Still, very engaging and highly recommended. I'll definitely have to check out Box Office Poison, which I've heard is also good.

Groovin' in the Galant: Motion City Soundtrack - Commit This to Memory

Hangin' With Zod - Buying in Bulk

2006-01-18T13:26:00.000-08:00

It's time for another episode of Hangin' with Zod.

Man: Good afternoon, sir!
Zod: Earthling! Zod requires entrance to your store!
Man: May I see your membership card, please?
Zod: Um, Zod left it in his other pants.
Man: Well, you'll need to see the service desk for a temporary replacement.

10 Minutes Later

Zod: (flashing card) My name is General Zod! I am an executive member! I get 2% cash back on all purchases. Kneel before Zod!
Man: Thank you, sir!

Zod grabs cart and walks toward bakery section

Samples Person #1: Hello, sir. Would you like to try our granola?
Zod: Granola makes Zod thirsty. Zod wants ruggaluh!
Samples Person #1: Have a good day.
Zod: Are you ignoring Zod? Kneel before Zod!
Samples Person #1: Good afternoon, sir. Would you like to try our granola?
Zod: What? Zod has already answered your question!
Samples Person #1: Have a good day.
Zod: Zod is frustrated by your robotic response. Zod is very close to vaporizing you. Turning you to dust. Ending your . . . wait! Is that salsa over there?

Zod rushes away

Samples Person #2: Hello, sir. Care to try some mango salsa?
Zod: (stuffing two crackers with dip into his mouth) Zod loves salsa! Where can Zod purchase this item. Zod kneels before salsa!
Samples Person #2: Just down the aisle, sir. Only $6.99 for a 64 oz. jug.
Zod: Mmmmm. It's tangy and sweet but still packs a spicy kick.
Samples Person #2: Thank you sir. Have a good day.
Zod: (to himself) Zod must not get sidetracked. Zod is here for specific items: frozen burritos, tp, a new rug for the powder room, and gingko biloba.

Zod stops in his tracks.

Zod: Nobody told Zod that the new James Patterson book was out! Zod is plotzing now.

Next on Hangin' with Zod - The Babysitting Gig

Groovin' in the Galant: Jose Gonzales - Veneer

Is Meat Murder or Yummy?

2006-01-17T14:27:00.000-08:00

The wife, during the first few months of pregnancy, craved protein. Meats, cheeses, eggs -- they were all she wanted. The baby seems to have inherited that quality. While it's sometimes difficult to get her to eat veggies, she inhales the protein like it's water. I guess we don't have to worry about her being strong.

American Idol is back tonight. Yes, the music is lousy, but I have to watch. It's the chicken and dumplings of winter TV -- comforting, unsurprising, and, somehow, satisfying.

How is it that the Golden Globes is such a big awards show when the statues are voted on by less than 100 people? Personally, if I won an award on that scale that only 25 to 30 people thought I deserved, I don't think I'd feel that honored.

Check out these cool art wallets at Poketo.com.

Also, there's a really fascinating article at LAWeekly.com about Eric Red who wrote one of the all-time great horror flicks, Near Dark. Apparently, he's nuts.

Groovin' in the Galant: Stars - Set Yourself on Fire

Beating a Dead Horse

2006-01-16T16:39:00.000-08:00

The Colts choked. The Steelers came to town and clocked them -- simple as that. Definitely a tough game to watch -- and I'm not one of those blue-in-the-blood huge fans. Sure, I root for the hometown team, but my NFL heart is still Dolphins orange and teal. Still, on days like yesterday, it's nice not to feel the world crushing my sports soul.

The baby was quite cranky over the weekend on account of a bunch of new teeth popping through. Almost overnight at least 2, and possibly as many as 4, new choppers sprouted. She didn't want to eat much and every little thing set her off. Fortunately, she seems to be back to her happy self today. The winter has been tough on the little one; I wish she could get through 2 full weeks without something nagging her.

I took a trip down memory lane this weekend, picking up the Essential Spider-Man, Volume 1 and Volume 2. Ah, a time when comics were simple, when they were fun to read and not a psychological ordeal. I can't wait to get the other volumes. I did a lot of reading this weekend, finishing Paul Ford's Gary Benchley, Rock Star (an entertaining, quick read with several laugh-out-loud moments), and tearing through The Quitter by Harvey Pekar (more brilliance from him), and Me Write Book by Graham Roumieu, which was one of the funniest things I've read in a long time. Bigfoot's memoirs, if anyone is interested, and it's hilarious.

You gotta get a CHANDELIER!

Groovin' in the Galant: The High Dials - War of the Wakening Phantoms

Kirk's House of Monkeys

2006-01-12T13:24:00.000-08:00

Back when I lived in Virginia, I worked with a woman who, to be delicate, wasn't the brightest bulb. In hindsight, I should have been nicer to her. I'm not excusing my behavior, but when you interact with someone on a daily basis whose life choices frustrate you severely -- for example, she and her husband could hardly pay their bills (he barely worked), but they went out and somehow bought a Porsche because someone they knew had one -- sometimes it's hard to be good.

One day some co-workers and I came back from lunch and she was standing by the back door of the office near the parking lot. This is a serious (for her) conversation she and I had:

Woman: Where'd you all go to lunch?
Me: Kirk's House of Monkeys
Woman: What?
Me: Kirk's House of Monkeys. It's a new place a little bit North of here.
Woman: Why is it called that?
Me: Because all of the servers are monkeys.
Woman: You're kidding.
Me: No, I'm totally serious. All the servers are monkeys. They've been trained to take orders using a numbered keypad.
Woman: That's amazing!
Me: I know. The service isn't great, obviously. And the food is pretty basic, burgers and sandwiches. But it's really all about the experience.
Woman: I'll say.
Me: If you go, you do have to consider that you may not be eating in the cleanest environment. Health code regulations have been the biggest obstacles so far. Occasionally, the monkeys will stop working and huddle in a corner to pick bugs off each other.
Woman: Gross!
Me: Well, they are monkeys. Another problem I've heard they have -- and this didn't happen when we were there -- is that every now and then one of the male monkeys will begin pleasuring himself in the dining room.
Woman: No!
Me: Yeah, and that's when the floor manager has to come out and taser them.
Woman: That's horrible.
Me: I know, but again it's all about the experience.
Woman: Maybe I can take my husband there for Father's Day.
Me: That's a good idea. On Sundays they have a path of hot coals you can walk over to enter the restaurant. He might like that.
Woman: Wouldn't that burn his feet?
Me: Well, they're hot, but not that hot. The owners certainly don't want lawsuits on their hands.
Woman: You said it's just North of here?
Me: Uh-huh. Up 45 a few miles. Nothing else is around it just in case one of the monkeys escapes and the owners have to capture it.
Woman: (pulling out pen and writing on hand) Kirk's House of Monkeys.
Me: The owner is a guy named Kirk Douglas. Runs it with his son Michael, who trains the monkeys.

A week later, she came to my cube to ask me for directions and if I knew the phone number. She hadn't been able to find it in the phonebook. You can probably guess what happened next. But she didn't learn.

Next time on True Stories of Gullible Co-Workers: Professional Wrestling and Action Figure Modeling Camp.

Groovin' in the Galant: Black Mountain

From Bottles to Blowholes

2006-01-11T13:49:00.000-08:00

The baby seems to be quite happy with the bottle to cup formula switch. The only drawback is that when she's done with a sip, she tosses the cup aside, which causes a small spill. The wife is already planning a mopping schedule to counteract the puddles.

I read today that sometime last week a woman in Israel married a dolphin. Reminds me of those old Tim Kazurinsky monkey sketches from Saturday Night Live. I hope the woman signed a prenup because dolphins are notoriously unfaithful.

Speaking of SNL,the Onion AV Club has an interview with Fred Armisen, one of the funniest guys on the planet.

Lost returns tonight, which is good. Veronica Mars does not, which is bad.

Groovin' in the Galant: Tsar

Sick of Food

2006-01-10T13:39:00.000-08:00

It's been a week of food-related changes for the baby. First, we started diminishing the amount of baby food she eats and replacing it with ordinary adult food. Then we began working with her on feeding herself, picking up new spoons to help encourage a smooth transition. Finally, she is now receiving her formula in a cup instead of a bottle. The first two changes are due to her constantly spitting out her baby food. The intention is to maker her more invested in the process. She should enjoy eating; I certainly do. So far it has worked. As for the last change, we decided it was time to wean her from the bottles. She hasn't been that attached to them lately anyway, so this probably won't cause much grief.

Yesterday was the first time she played peek-a-boo with us and she was the one hiding. It happened while the wife was feeding her dinner. The baby would lift her bib over her head and hide behind it before quickly dropping it down and laughing. She repeated the game later on in the evening with a book (The Foot Book to be precise. Or maybe it was Polar Bear, Polar Bear. Damn my faulty memory!).

Some weird dreams for me lately, at least one (according to the wife) that had me laughing in my sleep. Pretty vivid, too. In one, Scott Baio's character from Arrested Development, Bob Loblaw, was making me a pot of coffee out of toilet water.

I didn't include Broken Social Scene's recent self-titled CD on my year-end best-of list because, well, it just hadn't made an impression. I liked it, but I couldn't point to specific songs or moments that really stood out. Several spins later, I'm finally getting it. The disc is definitely dense and sprawling, but the songs really are terrific. Top to bottom, I think it's even better than You Forgot It In People.

Some other recent listens of note:
Wilco - Kicking Television: A, ahem, kicking live set. The tracks from A Ghost is Born, especially, are significantly better live. They sound fuller and more impressive, and the musicianship is more front and center and not buried under the technology.
James McMurtry - Childish Things: This one got a lot of year-end praise, but I don't get it. The lyrics are great - particularly the title track - but the songs are boring.

Groovin' in the Galant: Apollo Sunshine

In Her Shoes

2006-01-08T07:29:00.000-08:00

Robeez are a brand of shoe designed to help infants as they learn to walk. I'm not sure how their design promotes increased ability, but that's the selling point. I can confirm that they have elastic at the top to keep from being pulled off as easily -- an important point because every other type of shoe we've put on the baby has come off within minutes of making it on, not to mention the socks. I should also point out that they have leather soles, which is a high-quality feature of adult shoes. Anyway, the reason I bring up shoes is that, apparently, the baby has very small feet. At her age she should be easing into size 5-6. What she is, in fact, wearing is a size 3-4, and she has room to spare. What's that old saying about babies with big cheeks and small feet? Okay, there is no such saying, but you can't fault me for trying to encourage a coined phrase.

Within the past couple of weeks, the baby has become more intrigued by the dog. Specifically, she likes to get close to it, grab its hair, and then scurry away flapping her arms for me to pick her up. She's not scared -- it's just a new kind of game for her. (New games also include handing me her toy phone to take her calls, placing the blue donut on my head and then removing it, and handing me her baby doll to hug.) Our dog is extremely well behaved but I'm still very cautious with the baby around him. He just wants to lick her. Still, what happens the first time she grabs his sensitive ears? I prefer to err on the side of protective dad.

Groovin' in the Galant: The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society

Praying for Immunity

2006-01-04T16:12:00.000-08:00

I suppose I should have known this would happen: The baby gets sick, thus I get sick. The wife is left out of the equation because she has some kind of super powers when it comes to sickness. In college, I had mono for 3 weeks before I was diagnosed; she never so much as sneezed. Anyway, the baby has been sick for what seems like months. The truth is that she got her first cold at Thanksgiving and has since cycled through two more. I've remained germ free so far, but the way I'm feeling right now doesn't make me optimistic that this bug is going to leave me untouched. Oh well, I'll live. I know some doctors say that the longer a baby remains illness-free, the better. On the other hand, some say that they need the exposure to help build their immune systems. Whatever the case, it would be nice if she got through two weeks without a coughing fit.

I've pointed out before that I'm a recent convert to Veronica Mars. Great, great show -- definitely one of my top 3 right now. Turns out that if I had been paying attention when the show first started last season, I wouldn't be playing catch-up now. The show's creator, Rob Thomas, is the guy behind one of my all-time favorite short-lived series, Cupid. I would never have let it get this far if I'd had that information up front. I feel so foolish.

On the concert front, I'm not surprising anybody by saying that Indianapolis isn't the hottest spot for interesting acts. Many of the good tours frequently bypass the state, and this time of year is especially harsh. So it was with great surprise that I saw that Feist and Jason Collett are coming to Birdy's at the end of the month. I will gladly lay down my money for a chance to see these two members of the Arts & Crafts stable. Andrew Bird is scheduled to play in Bloomington next month, but that 90 minute drive is just too much for me these days.

Groovin' in the Galant: Manic Street Preachers - The Holy Bible

We Prefer to Call It the Changing Room

2006-01-03T17:19:00.000-08:00

The family took a trip North for a few days over break to visit some relatives. The reason this is of consequence is that it was the first time that we've taken the baby on any kind of overnight trip. I know some people don't think it's a big deal to hop on a plane or drive for hours with a baby, but we've opted for caution. Plus, unlike many babies, ours isn't too fond of the car seat. Too much to do, too much to see.

So after a couple of hours in the car during which she was exceptionally well behaved -- we timed it right by leaving after her morning nap -- we arrived. After a few hours of visiting, playing, opening gifts, and so on, it became obvious that the little one was in need of her afternoon nap. I set up the Pack 'N' Play in the room in which we were staying so she could be put down. Well, her room at home is extremely dark. The room we were staying in was dark, but not quite as enveloping. As a result, her afternoon nap was unsuccessful.

What to do? The girl definitely was going to need her sleep, not just at nap time but during the night as well. She needed a quiet, dark space. As it turns out, attached to the room was a walk-in closet. Now, before anyone starts bellowing, this was a large room connected directly to ours. The Pack 'N' Play fit easily. And with a door and an absence of windows, it was a perfect place to lay the little one down. So, in summary, our daughter slept in the closet. We, however, prefer to call it the changing room. Most importantly -- because this really was the reason for our decision -- the baby enjoyed peaceful and refreshing naps and solid nighttime sleep. The moral -- sometimes you have to improvise. Plus it makes a good story to tell her when she's older.

Groovin' in the Galant: Crooked Fingers - Dignity and Shame

Sabbatical Over

2006-01-02T14:34:00.000-08:00

Today is the last day of my 2-week hiatus and I tried to make the most of it. I picked up a few high-quality X-mas chocolates on clearance, browsed a book store, sampled a new BBQ restaurant (Squealers - awesome!), and even caught a movie (The Ringer - not awesome). I was somewhat bummed out yesterday thinking about the end of my break, but today I'm okay with the conclusion and am ready to return to my routine. I've got it pretty easy when it comes to the end-of-year vacation issues, so I should never complain.

The baby has been a joy, as always. The most exciting development was that she took her first few steps Christmas morning. She was standing with her hand on the chair in the living room, took her first step, clapped, and then a second. At that point a look crossed her face like "what the heck just happened" and she proceeded to settle on her rear. It's happened only one other time since but she's certainly gaining confidence. Her other new venture is to try and climb stairs. I followed her up one day just to see how far she could go. She got to stair #5 before getting tired. I'm not encouraging her to keep trying, but I was curious.

So what else have I been doing? Watched some TV on DVD (News Radio Seasons 1 & 2 - even funnier than I remembered; a couple episodes of Firefly - quite boring, actually; and Season 1 of the new Battlestar Galactica - great), read a few books (Kung Fu High School by Ryan Gattis, The Areas of My Expertise by John Hodgman, and Nerd Girl Rocks Paradise City by Anne Thomas Soffee), and enjoyed the family. Finally watched Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, too. Best Tim Burton movie in years.

Groovin' in the Galant: Trashcan Sinatras - Fez

Happy New Year

2005-12-25T14:34:00.000-08:00

My best to everyone for a happy and safe 2006.

I've been quiet here for the past two weeks -- mostly enjoying the free time to spend with the wife and baby. Been reading a lot, listening to music, watching movies, spending time with family, and so on. I'll begin posting on a regular basis again next week.

Groovin' at Home: Rogue Wave - Descended Like Vultures

New Dad Top 10 Albums of 2005

2005-12-16T10:32:00.000-08:00

I'm such a follower, but damn if this isn't fun following!

1)New Pornographers - Twin Cinema - Best pop album of the year, hands down. The songs took a few more listens to sink in when compared to their previous two releases, but that makes them all the more lasting.

2)Sufjan Stevens - Illinois - As I mentioned earlier, he's the king of book reports. An astounding disc.

3)The National - Alligator - I wasn't a huge fan of their last disc but this one converted me. Along with Sufjan, the only CD this year that as soon as it was over, I immediately had to start again.

4)Andrew Bird - And the Mysterious Production of Eggs - Tremendous melodies, tremendous lyrics, and man do I want that Nervous Tick Motion of the Head to the Left print.

5)Sigur Ros - Takk - The valedictorians of crescendos, Sigur Ros put out the best headphones disc of the year. No disc provided more chills per minute.

6)Okkervil River - Black Sheep Boy - Down the River of Golden Dreams was introduced to me at SXSW 2004 and I played it non-stop. This one is even better.

7)Maximo Park - A Certain Trigger - Punk-pop fun. Apply Some Pressure probably tallied most plays of an individual song this year.

8)Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Not much left to say about this band. I'm still jumping to this one.

9)Jesu - Jesu - Strangely addictive noise. Not my normal cup, but just when I thought I'd had enough, I went back and listened some more.

10)Bob Mould - Body of Song - Mould's first disc since the demise of Sugar that I've truly enjoyed.

The Next 5: My Morning Jacket - Z, The Love Hall Tryst - Songs of Misfortune, Low - The Great Destroyer, The Hold Steady - Separation Sunday, Matt Pond PA - Several Arrows Later.

Groovin' at Home (I'm off work for the next two weeks, so the groovin' will be more domestic): Rob Dickinson - Fresh Wine for the Horses

Freaky Casserole

2005-12-14T15:01:00.000-08:00

An adult would never think of eating a bowl of kiwi, barley, and peas as a normal meal. So why do we feed babies such concoctions? Thing is, the little one doesn't seem to mind. Certain goulashes -- such as spinach, yogurt, and blackberry applesauce -- prompt noticeable joy. I suppose in the long run such feasts are a positive in that they expand the baby's palette, thus making the child less picky as it gets older. And when you hear about parents feeding their 1-year-old a happy meal, you realize how much worse it could be. I didn't eat much besides hamburgers and cheese and peanut butter sandwiches until I was ten. Not exactly the pinnacle of nutrition. It has taken me until my 30s to try a lot of foods, which is somewhat pathetic. I'm diggin' the wheat berries, though.

Is it illegal to write on money? The term "hush money" came up in conversation the other day and my brain immediately jumped to "blush money." What if you wrote words or phrases on dollar bills that made the current owner sheepish to hand them over? The terms wouldn't necessarily have to be that blue -- although the more so, the greater the level of discomfort -- but just clinical in nature. So you're at the store and you're paying for a candy bar. The clerk tells you it's going to be .70. You hand her a one dollar bill that has the word "scrotum" written across George Washington's head. It would certainly make buying a candy bar more interesting, if infinitely more juvenile.

I got the new issue of Magnet today and picked up the new Big Takeover earlier in the week. Nothing pleases me more than having extended time off and hundreds of pages of music writing to read through. I'm a very content man right now. I will have my list of the top albums of the year up this weekend. The writers at the Onion posted their lists yesterday.

Groovin' in the Galant: Metric - Live It Out

When You Put It That Way . . .

2005-12-12T16:01:00.000-08:00

Busy weekend in babyland. Saturday night we attended the first birthday party of a friend (colleague, peer, whatever) of the little one. Pizza was enjoyed by the adults while the babies discussed politics, balloons, formula consistency, and how it was about time the Hoosiers crushed the Wildcats. Good fun for all and I got a frosted cookie out of the shebang. Sunday the wife and I attended a Christmas party held by one of her employers at a Japanese fusion restaurant. No baby this time -- a friend came over and watched the tyke. It was the first time the wife had sushi in almost two years -- it's a no-no when pregnant. We avoided the sake but the Sprite was quite potent.

I read today that Miami Heat coach Stan Van Gundy is resigning to spend more time with his family. I don't know if that's true or not considering the rumors have been circulating for some time that Pat Riley might want to step back in. What struck me about Van Gundy's quotes from the press conference was when he stated how few days he got to spend with his family during the season -- something like 45. With four kids he felt it necessary to be more available. He specifically mentioned that he has a 14-year-old daughter and that he has only 4 more years to spend with her before she's gone. That comment got to me. I never really thought of parenting in that sense before. Eighteen years is a long time, but when I think of how quickly just this year has gone, it really makes me consider how important it is to make the most of the time I have to be with my child. In a sense, it is a countdown.

Today was my last Monday of work for the rest of the year, which is so choice.

Groovin' in the Galant: The Rosebuds - Birds Make Good Neighbors
From Birds Make Good Neighbors - Boxcar - MP3

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it. . .Okay, That's Enough Snow

2005-12-09T11:14:00.000-08:00

Seven-plus inches fell at my house between yesterday afternoon and this morning. My shovelling experiences have been limited the past couple of years but mother nature certainly got its money's worth from me this morning. Can't complain -- maybe tomorrow when my muscles realize they were all used up. Driving certainly wasn't an easy task yesterday. Some people spent up to five hours in traffic. Any news on when that flying car is supposed to be ready? I probably can't afford one but I do have a couple of Alex Rodriguez signed baseballs I can use as trade.

I'm fine with the cold weather -- something I frequently explain to people who question why I would leave Miami for Indiana. What I don't enjoy is the subsequent sinus issues I deal with every year. I've been fighting something disgusting for about a week, which I blame entirely on this weather. Like lava flowing through my brain is how I describe it. (Similar to what it's like to eat at El Sol downtown, but the lava is in my stomach instead. This is a bad feeling.)

The baby is completely back to her old patterns, so huzzah! Two good naps a day, eleven to twelve hours of sleep at night, good times.

Grammy award nominations were announced yesterday and once again they're absolutely ridiculous. The Emmy's are an out-of-touch awards show, but the Grammy's make them look like the Pulitzer prize in comparison. I could go on, but this piece in the National Post sums it up (via Largehearted Boy)

Groovin' in the Galant: Two Gallants - The Throes

Baby. What Baby?

2005-12-06T18:08:00.000-08:00

Today was one of those days when I barely got to see the baby. I spent a little time with her this morning before work, and then got home in time to put her to bed. Kind of a bummer, to be honest. Oh well, I should be home much earlier tomorrow.

People keep asking us what we're getting the baby for the holidays. I've already purchased some books and a toy, but other than a special plate and glass for cookies and milk, I think we're done. We could wrap an empty box and put a bunch of bows on it -- I'm sure she would enjoy that more. The same thing is in store for her first birthday. It's not like she's excited about it -- as if she knows. Isn't it really just a photo opportunity for family and friends?

As a Florida Marlins fan (yes, I was born and raised in Miami, so it's true), this team purge is making me ill. Other than Dontrelle and Miguel Cabrera, it appears that everyone's on the market. They've been talking about needing a new stadium down there since, well, forever. The fact that all the political yahoos couldn't get anything done is such a disgrace. South Florida certainly isn't a cheap place to live -- the money is there -- and even the people who don't have money try to act like they do. The place is a paradise of the financially oblivious. Okay, I'm done.

Groovin' in the Galant: Marah - Kids in Philly

Baby Bears and Killer Abs

2005-12-05T15:49:00.000-08:00

Seems obvious now, but the reason the baby's sleep patterns have changed recently is the medicine for her ear infections. As the wife put it, it seemed like she suddenly had ADHD. The schedule should get back to normal soon -- she received her final doses today. If she's still not back to her old patterns by the end of the week, we'll probably trade her in. That or use her as down payment on a Segway. Those security guards at the mall sure look cool zipping around.

The baby has started growling at us because she thinks that it's scary. We've dubbed her the bear-baby when she unleashes her fury. When she and I play peek-a-boo, I sometimes make some noise, which she has apparently latched on to. So now she will stand in front of us and growl. We, in turn, act suprised. Two to three seconds later, the pattern repeats. This goes on for about 10 or 12 rounds before she is distracted.

Is it me or does that abs guy, John Basedow, look like some relic of the 80s adult film industry? Maybe it's the feathery hair; there's just something about his commercials that are off kilter. Perhaps it's the way he's always standing partially profile so you can really see his abs, like his torso is frozen that way from flexing for so long. If I recall correctly, I even think his videos were only available in VHS until recently. Makes me long for the days of Tony Little.

Finally got a copy of the new Big Star CD, In Space -- so, so disappointing. All of the reviews were middling, but I still hoped for the best. A couple of better-than-average tracks; otherwise it's filler. Guess I'll stick with the classics.

Groovin' in the Galant: Redd Kross - Third Eye

New Daughter Balancing Act

2005-12-03T06:54:00.000-08:00

The baby has started standing without holding on to nearby furniture. I'm not sure she realizes she's doing so, but it happens several times a day now. Walking is just around the corner. We'll never be able to keep up with her then. She's almost 10 months old, so I believe this puts her right on schedule. Speaking of schedule, is it around now that babies begin to skip their morning naps? At first we attributed her sleep changes to her cold, but now that she's mostly over the illness, we're wondering if she's ready to give up the morning routine. She's upstairs talking in her crib now despite all signs showing that she was tired.

Something that really amuses the baby is when I take off my glasses. I think she thinks that they're part of my face, so when she sees me without them it always makes her laugh. I decided to wear my contacts today and she was grinning at me most of the morning. She checked behind my ears for the arms of the glasses, which was quite cute. I've begun calling myself New Daddy when I don't wear my glasses -- something I totally stole from My Name is Earl -- but it works, I suppose.

Slate put this article up a few days ago; it's an interesting take on Alan Moore's Watchmen.

Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck finally had their baby, which I believe they named Violet. You two lovebirds let me know if you need any tips. I think I'm finally getting the hang of this parenting thing. You're both welcome to drop by for dinner any time, just give me a few minutes notice so I can put all of the toys away. And sorry, but no smoking in the house, Ben.

Groovin' in the Galant: Devendra Banhart - Cripple Crow

Winter Teeth

2005-11-30T15:52:00.000-08:00

The baby's top four teeth are really coming down now and she's started using them to bite her finger foods. The Teddy Puffs, rice cakes, and little balls of cheese now go down the pipe in portions. The teeth look too big for her mouth; it's hard getting use to the site of them, though I'm sure it's stranger for her to feel them coming in.

The cold seems to be subsiding. She's slept well for the past two nights and the coughing is now down to a minimum. Her ears seem fine as well. The girl appears to be almost completely back to her old self, which is a relief.

The only other major change is that she's about to graduate from the Size 3 diapers to the Size 4s. The 3s have become just a bit too snug. With her weight now hovering around the 22 pound mark, she's right on target for the change.

I'm a day behind, but congrats to the Colts for the big win Monday night.

Anybody notice Danica McKellar (Winnie Cooper from The Wonder Years) on How I Met Your Mother the other night? Good to see that she's still around. I know she's some kind of math genius but I'd certainly rather be an actor than a math whiz. I'm sure the catering is better.

I was able to listen to the Light Footwork's upcoming CD, One State Two State, the other day and now see why it's popping up on some year-end best-of lists. The disc is great -- infectious pop with lots of interesting detours within the songs. The band reminds me of Beulah but with male/female vocal tradeoffs. Fans of Blake Babies might like it as well. The CD's official release is next Tuesday but you can pre-order it now from their Web site. I give it the New Dad seal of approval.

One last thought -- I believe my palette has expanded beyond my expectations. Your basic pasta dish used to be a staple of our diet. We revisited just such a meal the other night and were astounded by its lack of flavor. Never again, I say. Never!

Groovin' in the Galant: The Go! Team - Thunder, Lightning, Strike

Amoxicillin, You Sweet Orange Nectar

2005-11-28T15:37:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately, the baby's cold turned into a pair of ear infections. Fortunately, our wonderful doctor had Saturday morning office hours, so our anxiety over her first official illness didn't last long. The magic potion -- the drug in the title. It really was unbelievable how fast the baby responded to the medicine. "Pain in my ears? What pain? This stuff tastes great! More, please."

The long weekend was great all around. Summed up, we did a whole lot of nothing. I think I took a nap every day, even on Sunday when I said out loud, "I really don't want to nap today." Five minutes later I was out. I stayed up late (for me, past 10:00), watched a ton of TV (Ali G, Season 1 - hilarious; a couple of episodes from Season 1 of Veronica Mars - fantastic show; lots and lots of football), and read a little here and there.

I love the year-end best of lists, which have started pouring out. I'm especially keen on the music best-ofs because everyone who puts together one of the lists has a couple of acts listed that I've never heard (The Light Footwork?). I think I'll put one together as well, though I probably won't get it out for a few weeks. My top 3 are pretty easy to rank; after that is when I think it gets interesting.

Groovin' in the Galant: The Hold Steady - Separation Sunday

Happy Black Friday!

2005-11-25T10:09:00.000-08:00

The retail stores are hopping today! The crowds were jostling for position at the CVS this morning. The teenage girl in front of me scored a sweet multi-pack of tampons while the painter behind me was lucky enough to snag a bag of peanut M&Ms. I was there to pick up a new nasal aspirator for the baby -- I know, awesome gift. In truth, the little one developed her first cold on Wednesday and has been having a hard time with the congestion. I also had to fill out several forms to buy a bottle of Children's Tylenol cold drops. Tis the season for meth, after all.

I couldn't believe it when I opened the paper this morning -- Nick and Jessica have offically called it quits. Way to steal Thanksgiving's thunder, you two! Talk about selfish. You couldn't wait for Christmas eve? In addition, ABC has confirmed that this will be the last season for Alias. Oh well, it had a good run. Maybe new cast addition Balthazar Getty can get a job as Charlie Sheen's long lost brother on his CBS sitcom.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.

Groovin' in the Galant: Robbers on High Street - Tree City

Clap Your Hands Say Dada

2005-11-21T19:07:00.000-08:00

The baby started clapping this past Thursday and hasn't stopped since. We had been trying to show her how to do this for some time, and the pieces have finally come together. I'm thinking the touchdown sign might be a good next step. She's been holding her toys over her head a lot recently, so this might be an easy progression. And with all the football I watch, especially as we head towards Bowl season and the last few months of the NFL season, I feel like my plan is entirely plausible. Or maybe we'll just jump to the electric slide.

About 100,000 copies sold later -- I know I'm slow on the catching up -- I finally started listening to Illinois by Sufjan Stevens. I doubt there's anything I could say about this disc that hasn't already been said. In any case, I will throw in my two cents: He's good. It's like if while every artist in the music industry was writing a book report this year, he was compiling a treatise on the concept of writing a book report, and at the same time redefining the boundaries of the genre. So he's the king of book reports.

Lots of family coming in this week, thus I may only post a couple of times. Thanksgiving is at our house this year. We've got the baby, so we hold all the cards. Bwahahahahahaha!

Groovin' in the Galant: Josh Rouse - Nashville

Worst Song Ever (At Least This Year)

2005-11-17T20:20:00.000-08:00

I'm fairly certain I heard the stupidest song of the year today -- Chicken Payback on Free the Bees by A Band of Bees. I know some people like this song (and the band) -- the reviews have been favorable in general -- but the whole "let's sound like we recorded in the 60s" vibe doesn't work for me. And I love power pop, post-pop, whatever you want to call it. I'll put it this way: If I ever had to listen to more than one CD from the Rainbow Quartz label in a day, I'd go bonkers. The music is fine but I question the reasoning behind always looking to the production styles of the past to create music for the present, without adding enough to make it not sound derivative. I'll step off the soap box now.

To balance out my comments, here are three great CDs that I've been listening to this week:
Iron & Wine/Calexico - In the Reins
My Morning Jacket - Z
The National - Alligator

The National CD, in particular, is phenomenal. Definitely one of my top 5 this year.

Switching subjects, I'm loving Lost this year. It's even better than last season. I haven't been this riveted to a show since the first season of Alias.

To get 10 years of free satellite TV, the people of Clark, Texas agreed to change the name of their town to Dish. Ten years of free TV? Boy, the people of Depends, Idaho must be kicking themselves now.

Gift Ideas
My bit yesterday about the Born to Run Ultimate edition got me thinking that now's a good time to point out some excellent gift ideas for the people in your life. I'll try to put something up each time I post over the next few weeks.

Today's Suggestions: Seinfeld Seasons 5 and 6. The wife already knows that these are my top two requests this season. Both are released next Tuesday, November 22. For the mega-fan, there's a collector's set with a puffy shirt.

For similar tastes, the boxed set of the first two seasons of News Radio is discounted at Amazon right now. News Radio was one of the great unheralded sitcoms -- terrific cast, sharp writing, but NBC never knew where to put it on the schedule.

Groovin' in the Galant: The Magic Numbers

At the Weigh-In

2005-11-16T17:26:00.000-08:00

The baby had her 9-month appointment last week. The verdict: almost 22 pounds and 26 inches. The girl is definitely solid. As a result of her eclipsing the 20 lb. barrier, I flipped her specially designed mattress to accommodate her growing frame. I'm not entirely sure what the difference is -- more support I suppose -- but that's what the instructions for the mattress said to do when the time came.

Indiana weather for you: It was 65 and rainy yesterday; today it's 33 with flurries. I had hoped to mow one more time, but that all depends on whether we warm up enough this weekend.

Alas, Arrested Development has been cancelled. Great show, and at least it made it through 2.5 seasons. With so many people lamenting it's demise, I wonder how it could have suffered so in the ratings.

The Ultimate edition of Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run came out yesterday. I was very tempted to pick it up, but am holding off until the holidays -- maybe I'll get it as a gift. The obvious selling point is the live DVD, which I'm dying to see. If the footage exists, Columbia should put out a live DVD from every tour, especially the period between 1975 and 1981 when Springsteen was riding high on BtR, Darkness on the Edge of Town, and The River. Fans would snatch them up without hesitation.

Groovin' in the Galant: The National - Alligator

The Price of Fame

2005-11-14T17:44:00.000-08:00

We went to Sawasdee, our favorite Thai restaurant, this weekend. The baby instantly became the center of attention, with most of the restaurant staff (I'm not exaggerating) coming out at some point to say hello. Midway through dinner the owner came over and asked if it was okay for one of his employees to take a picture of the baby. We didn't see the harm, so a small woman who spoke no English came out and snapped a few pics with her phone. We've been joking since that the baby is going to be huge in Thailand, ending up on a billboard or detergent package like Homer Simpson.

Assorted other family drama this weekend that I won't go into, but I will say that I'm glad I live where I do.

I went 0-for-2 this week as far as interesting live shows are concerned. First was Marah on Wednesday; then Bob Mould Saturday. Both were intriguing but I just couldn't muster the energy to make the trips. As for Mould, we had company so my excuse is legitimate. But this is the second time now that I've bailed on Marah. I've heard that their live shows are amazing and the closest thing to a small club Springsteen show (aside from a small-club Springsteen show). In addition, their new disc, If You Didn't Laugh You'd Cry, is getting their best reviews since Kids in Philly. Maybe next time. Doors were at 9:00, opening band at 10:00, so I was looking at around 11:00 before the brothers came out. I guess I'm finally getting old. The prospects for John Wesley Harding on Thursday are increasingly dim.

Groovin' in the Galant: Spoon - Girls Can Tell

Oh Pampers, My Pampers

2005-11-10T19:40:00.000-08:00

Maybe it's just our experience, but Pampers are exponentially superior to any other diaper on the market. It's like Puffs tissues compared to other brands -- so much better. Costco, a store I love with all of my heart and soul (this is no understatement), used to carry Pampers but replaced them with their Kirkland brand. Just so you don't think I'm some kind of diaper elitist, we did try the Kirkland brand (as well as some of the other basic brands on the market). Despite the fact that this new brand is made by Pampers for Costco, there are still enough small differences that I'm sticking with the real deal. Most notably, the Kirklands have extra material (I'll call them wings) that doesn't fall right. I commend Costco on their effort but unfortunately, my big-box wholesale friend, the effort isn't enough.

Here's a piece in Newsweek by Albert Brooks, in my opinion one of the funniest people on the planet.

Two pandas in Thailand were married this week. Thousands of people attended the ceremony. Sure, rub it in the faces of all the gay pandas. The Bible explicitly says that marriage is between a man and a woman . . . (is my sarcasm dripping enough?)

Other bloggers do this better, but I couldn't resist pointing to a great BitTorrent of a Jon Auer show from 2001. Posies, after all . . .

Groovin' in the Galant: Jesu - Jesu

Wallace Fry's Bed-Tucking Service

2005-11-09T17:39:00.000-08:00

Something I whipped up . . .

Medium Shot of woman thrashing in bed, unable to get comfortable.

Voice Over: Tired of only average nights of sleep? Tossing and turning, the sheets never seem to feel right? Well, now there's help!

Woman sits up in bed, interested.

Cut to: Shot of man in short-sleeved white dress shirt, grey pants, standing in the doorway holding a clipboard.

Voice Over: Presenting Wallace Fry's Bed-Tucking Service!

Man walks in, smiles, and sets clipboard at the end of the bed.

Voice Over: Each one of our certified staff has been trained in the 14-point Swedish bed-tucking technique known as Drisow, which was personally taught to Wallace Fry during a secretive excursion to the old country in 1978. Following our step-by-step system, each of our bedside technicians will ensure your maximum comfort to guarantee that you have a pleasant sleep. At each visit, a technician checks for crucial elements such as temperature, pillow density, hotspots, chafing, pinpricks, and statistical probability of uncomfortable rubbing.

Shots of tech checking all of these things. Close-up of tech using ruler to measure something.

Voice Over: After surveying your situation, the technician will walk you through our checklist, identifying trouble spots along with providing suggestions for improvement. At the end of each 30 to 45 minute inspection, our certified technician completes the process by signing the form and tucking you in for a full restful night of sleep . . . all for the low daily price of $14.95! As an added bonus, our technicians will end each bed-tucking with a goodnight kiss on the forehead, just like Mom used to do! Say goodbye to bad nights of sleep once and for all! And say hello to quality sleep, thanks to Wallace Fry's Bed-Tucking Service!

Disclaimer: Wallace Fry's Bed-Tucking Service is not responsible for items that disappear from your home nor cameras that may be hidden in your ceilings, walls, or bathrooms. Call Now!

Groovin' in the Galant: Shearwater - Winged Life

Mental Acuity

2005-11-08T17:10:00.000-08:00

Evidence suggests that the dog puked last night but might have subsequently eaten his regurgitation. Some experts say that the average dog (mine is an 11-year-old cocker) has the mental acuity of a 2-year-old human. Incidents like this make me question that theory.

Do bands really think its still clever to include hidden tracks on their CDs? I think they're more of a nuisance than a bonus, especially if they include 10 minutes of empty space before getting to the song. It's time to do away with it. Nonsense, I tell you! Nonsense!

The baby was still sleeping this morning when I left for work so I didn't see her until I got home this afternoon. This is a first. I'm all for her developing a new sleep pattern -- I'd rather be up with her at 7 than between 5 and 6 -- but I did miss starting my day with her happiness.

Following the recommendations on Bookslut, I read Black Hole by Charles Burns last night. Very engaging graphic novel. The story is about some Seattle teenagers in the 70s and it compellingly addresses themes like alienation and sexuality. Excellent story and great art, which is something I don't usually notice as much as the narrative. I'm glad it lived up to the hype (as compared to Craig Thompson's overrated Blankets).

Congratulations to the Indianapolis Colts for finally beating the New England Patriots last night. I stayed up way too late to watch the game and am a zombie as a result today.

"Neil Diamond is coming! Can you believe it! Neil Diamond is coming!" -- a woman at the office brimming with glee at the recent concert announcement.

Groovin' in the Galant: Capitol Years - Let Them Drink

Is it Nap Time Yet?

2005-11-07T19:07:00.000-08:00

The baby must be going through a growth spurt. How else to explain her napping schedule the past few days? She's averaging about 3 hours each afternoon! Even then, she can barely make it to her 7:00 pm bed time. She's also a little congested because of the four teeth breaking through her top gum. That on top may be contributing to her sleepiness.

I finally got around to listening to Son Volt's new CD, Okemah and the Melody of Riot. Without question, it's the best album Jay Farrar has made since Trace. He's wisely avoided those melody droughts that have plagued much of his output since then. I'm really enjoying it.

It's official -- I'm a Footballer's Wives addict. I watched the first season on DVD this weekend and got hooked. It's pure, trashy soap, but I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. Definitely over-the-top but not so preposterous that I lost interest, which is what happened when I tried to watch the first season of Nip/Tuck. I don't get BBC America, so I have to rely on the DVDs. Apparently they're through Season 4 already. Season 2 comes out in the U.S. next month.

Groovin' in the Galant: Holopaw - Quit +/or Fight

Ditching the Cel

2005-11-03T14:35:00.000-08:00

I'm officially done with my cellular phone! My contract is up and I called our provider to cancel our numbers. I can't tell you how liberating this is. We originally got the phones when we moved into our new house 2 years ago because the cost of a local line with the company that services our area was ridiculously high. After the baby was born, we bit the bullet and got the landline. But now the chirping in my pocket is gone. No beck and call for me! Do I sound elated enough? Sure, having the phone was a convenience. But I lived without one for a long time before signing the contract, and I can do it again. I did get the wife an emergency phone -- with the baby it made sense. As for me, it is over. Let the celebration begin. (Anyone know the official lyrics to the Ewoks song? That's what is going through my head right now. I know it starts with something like Yub Yub.)

Today is the first day since Sunday that my teeth aren't hurting. So much candy and dried fruit that I apparently overtaxed the choppers. Still, that didn't stop me from buying a couple of bags of Halloween clearance candy at Target. I did, however, drop the leftover Whoppers in the community bag at work this morning. Since tasting the Dark Chocolate Malted Milk Balls from the South Bend Chocolate Company, other candies of that ilk no longer hold much interest for me. I swear I could eat those things every day.

A rancher in Maryland reported that about $75,000 worth of bull semen was stolen from his farm. I guess I'll have to cancel my eBay auction.

It's now legal in Denver to have small amounts of marijuana. I wonder how long it's going to take now for some band to relase their "High at Red Rocks" live CD.

Groovin' in the Galant: Wheat - Hope and Adams

Tickets for a Losing Team

2005-11-02T18:50:00.000-08:00

We were planning on going to the IU football game this weekend against Minnesota. That is, until we found out how much tickets were going to cost. That is, especially after we found out how much a ticket was going to cost for a 9-month-old baby. The price? $35 each. Apparently, the university has also done away with family tickets this year. Um, I realize that there's a renewed interest in Indiana football, what with the new coach and a return to traditional crimson and creme and a somewhat interesting offense. To summarize, they're actually competitive. But $35 a ticket is way too much for a team that hasn't had a winning season in something like 12 years. Thanks, but I'll sit this one out.

It was reported that 1.5 million people in China are thought to be descended from one man. Somewhere the Shawn Kemp brood is laughing (that is, if they're getting any child support). 1.5 million -- that's nothing.

Donald Rumsfeld is hinting that the U.S. may increase its presence in Iraq in December. Merry Christmas members of the armed forces!

War Sluts!

Hipeponymous, the greatest hits collection from the Tragically Hip was released this past Tuesday. The selling point is that all of the tracks have been remastered, plus the inclusion of two new songs. It's intriguing but at $50+ a little steep. I'm going to opt for the DVD only, in the much more reasonable $12-$15 range.

Ruined Dog

2005-11-01T16:41:00.000-08:00

Here's the funniest for sale post I've seen in a while:

Items For Sale: Free registered Brittany Spaniel
Liver and white 4 year old Brittany, dog is very friendly and playful and from great set of hunting dogs. Gave to someone and got him back as he ruined him, (GUN SHY). My brother now has him and found he couldn't cure the problem and wants to give him to someone for a pet or breeding. Call Justin at XXX-XXXX(Plumbing shop).

Dang dog ain't good for huntin' no more! Want a wus dog as a pet? Take him, he's yours. Unfortunate, to say the least. Speaking of dogs, mine hasn't thrown up in over a week!

Yesterday was the baby's first Halloween. We dressed her up as a princess (although one trick-or-treater who came to the house thought she was a ballerina). Next year we'll take her out to get candy, which I will then eat -- a perk of being the dad. I made a point this year of mostly buying candy that I dislike as an incentive to give it out faster. The Nerds were flying out the door.

Groovin' in the Galant: Harvey Danger - Little by Little

Kingdom of Meh

2005-10-31T16:13:00.000-08:00

I watched Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven the other night. Essentially, it's his "can't we all just get along" film, with lots of violence for the summer crowds. It wasn't a bad movie; it just wasn't a good one, either. Orlando Bloom is fine but someone with a bit more emotional heft would have improved the title role. What he lacks is most evident in his scenes with Liam Neeson and Jeremy Irons. Irons, especially, really chews the scenes. The film is juiciest when he's on-screen. And Scott needs to give the slo-motion scenes a rest. After a while I thought I was watching a John Woo movie (minus the doves).

This woman started talking with a British accent after suffering a stroke. When my grandpa suffered a stroke, he starting insisting that all newspapers be removed from his sight and that Toledo, Ohio was a dead town (he ran his finger along his neck as he said this to emphasize that he really meant it).

The wife is on a health/budget kick, which I'm all for. So this weekend we experimented with meals that utilized texturized vegetable protein (TVP for those in the know) and wheat berries. Both were enjoyable and certainly cost-efficient. The bulk aisle at Wild Oats is really quite daunting if you don't know what you're looking for. I spent most of our time there "going fast" with the baby (see earlier post for clarification).

It was a busy baby weekend. I set up the upstairs baby gate and installed the new 20lb-plus car seat, which we decided to put in the Camry because it's bigger, thus switching cars. It made sense to do so, though I'd really gotten use to the leather seats, 6-disc changer, automatic everything, sunroof, and so on. But the Galant is fine. Before we bought the Camry to replace the Honda, I kept saying I'd drive a cheap car as long as it had a decent AC, a CD player, and got decent gas mileage. Using that logic, this is a step up. I'm easy to please in that regard.

Groovin' in the Galant: Laura Veirs - Year of Meteors

From Out of Nowhere

2005-10-27T10:50:00.000-07:00

Don't worry, this isn't a Faith No More post (but you can't go wrong with Angel Dust).

I don't think anyone at the start of the baseball season expected the White Sox to win the World Series. Sure, they would be improved. Their starting pitching was especially solid. But with the core of position players not that experienced, the likelihood of them winning it all seemed miniscule. Well, congrats to the Southsiders. I had hoped for more of a fight from Houston, but as I said in an earlier post, the team seemed destined.

Craig Wedren, the lead singer/songwriter of Shudder to Think, just released his first solo CD, Lapland. Anybody know anything about it? I always enjoyed StT's bombastic rock and "what the heck?" lyrics. Some of Wedren's greatest work has been for soundtracks. His 80s-style songs for Wet Hot American Summer -- one of my favorite movies -- were spot-on. The soundtrack to First Love, Last Rites was also pretty great.

I was listening to a fun World Party bootleg on the way to work this morning. Anybody know where Karl Wallinger is these days? The Web site hasn't been updated in years. I'm fairly certain that Dumbing Up, the band's last CD, wasn't even released in the U.S. I couldn't even begin to calculate how many times I've listened to Goodbye Jumbo over the years.

The commercials are teasing that Gary Hogeboom's "true" identity may be revealed on Survivor tonight. I hope that it's before he completely decays before our eyes. I don't know how he thought this strategy of lying all the way through was a good idea. In a related story, Brian, who was voted out last week, says he isn't gay. Okay, but he does use a lot of jazz hands for a straight guy.

Going Fast

2005-10-26T07:59:00.000-07:00

The baby is usually very well behaved when we go shopping. With so much to look at, people to charm, and things to listen to, she's rarely bored. I, on the other hand, often need to be distracted when I'm at a store that elevates my level of boredom. At Target I'm a shopping machine, always engaged. At other stores that lack points of interest, I'm less content. It was in such a scenario this past weekend at crafts store JoAnn Etc, that I began "going fast." Baby is in cart (securely strapped in, I must add), daddy finds empty aisle, and daddy pushes cart at elevated speed. Baby squeals in delight as we "go fast" and daddy is tickled by the baby's enormous smile. Same scenario last night at Michael's (again, crafts store), and again we went fast. We occasionally would stop at the mirror aisle and wave at our reflections, but otherwise we tore down the aisles with purpose. Tremendous fun and all for a good cause.

I have officially given up on the Amazing Race this season. It's bad TV. I'll check back in when they revert to the original format. A show that I'm growing more impressed with each week is the US version of The Office. The writers have done an excellent job of pulling the show out from the shadow of the UK series. Of particular note is how well they're rounding out the character of Michael Scott. He's still a buffoon, but scenes such as the one in last week's episode in which he hands out Halloween candy establish that he is human. The Dwight character, I'm not so sure, but he's funny. I do hope, however, that they don't stretch out the Jim-Pam (Tim-Dawn) relationship too long. Hopefully NBC will keep the show on for a while -- it's not like they have too many other quality comedies.

Baby Chatter

2005-10-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

The best parts of my day are when I see the baby first thing in the morning, and then when I walk through the door in the afternoon. The genuine happiness she displays when she sees me is enough to make everything else on my mind fall away.

I took some great pictures this weekend, including the first one in which I was able to get her two front teeth. The picture is great -- her huge cheeks look tiered. I also took a couple of she and the wife in their matching velour track suits that are cute. The wife snapped a great pic of the baby standing at the window by the front door. What I need now is a shot of her waving. I taught her to do that a couple of weeks ago, and she does it all the time now.

The baby has been working harder at getting our attention the past few days as well. The raspberry noises and high-pitched squeals are quite frequent. I'm surprised her lips aren't tired.

The standard sitcoms have never really done much for me, but I'm really enjoying How I Met Your Mother. The "group of friends" formula is pretty basic, but the cast is great (especially Neil Patrick Harris, who is hilarious), the writing is sharp, and the show has a lot of heart. Bonus points for using a Nada Surf song on last night's episode. CBS has it scheduled in a cushy time slot between King of Queens and Two and a Half Men, which both get good ratings, so I expect it to be on for a while.

I was not aware of this, but apparently the letters W and Q are against the law in Turkey.

C.C. Deville of Poison is being sent to jail for a DUI conviction. He should have been sentenced years ago for his role in Unskinny Bop.

Levels of Embarrassment

2005-10-24T19:30:00.000-07:00

On my way home from work Friday I saw a man walking on the shoulder of the highway with a gas cannister. My assumption is that his car ran out of gas. I've mentioned this to the wife before, but I can think of nothing more embarrassing than running out of gas when driving your car. I'd rather wet my pants at work. At least if that happens, people are more likely to sympathize with you then mock you -- at least not to your face. Perhaps you have a serious problem. And until you get yourself home to change, you can walk around with a sad look on your face, which will tell people that this isn't just an accident. Personally, I doubt anyone would have the nerve to ask about it.

Now if you run out of gas, the only explanation you have is that you were too stupid to look at the dial on your dashboard. If it does happen, your options are to either call a tow truck, or do the walk of shame to the closest gas station. And if you call the tow truck driver, you know the guy is loving it, and not just for the fee.
"Hello, I need a tow. Yes. Well, my car ran out of gas. I know what the E stands for. No, I did not think E meant excitement. Yes, I agree. Cars don't run on excitement. Maybe Pontiacs."

Unbelievable sports day yesterday. Three great football endings (San Diego/Philadelphia, Dallas/Seattle, and Denver/New York), and then Scott Podsednik's walk-off HR to end Game 2 of the Series. The guy doesn't have a single jack all year in over 500 at-bats, then sends one out to end the game. Seems like the Sox are destined.

Jammin' in the Camry:
Disc 1: New Pornographers - Twin Cinema
Disc 2: Ash bootleg from 2001
Disc 3: Sigur Ros - Takk
Disc 4: Johnny Society - Life Behind the 21st Century Wall
Disc 5: Idlewild - Warnings/Promises
Disc 6: Teenage Fanclub bootleg from 2005

No More Magic Beetles

2005-10-21T20:22:00.000-07:00

Brian got kicked off Survivor last night, so there won't be any more comments like the one that inspired the title of this post. Everyone loves magic beetles, especially people in Argentina.

Kneel Before Zod

2005-10-20T19:06:00.000-07:00

I while back, some friends and I discussed the what-if scenario of General Zod from Superman II regaining his powers, but as part of his parole being forced to live a mundane, earthly existence. He still had his powers, he just couldn't use them, so it was a constant struggle for him to assimilate into society without letting his ego and superpowers get in the way. Anyway, it would be a running segment called Hangin' with Zod. Each week a camera would follow Zod around as he did the things that everyday people do. One week would be him waiting for a plumber; another would be his trip to the dentist. I've decided to include below the transcript for the first episode -- Hangin' with Zod - New Tires.

Scene opens with Zod, wearing his customary black, one-piece outfit, arriving at the tire store in his Toyota Corolla.
Sales Clerk: Good afternoon, sir. How can I help you today?
Zod: Hello, earthling. I require new tires for my automobile.
Sales Clerk: Sure, I can help you with that.
Zod: Kneel before Zod!
Sales Clerk: I'm sorry, what was that?
Zod: Err, nothing. Continue.
Sales Clerk: Okay, do you know what size tire you need?
Zod: That is a foolish question! Zod must have the most powerful tires.
Sales Clerk: Well, for an '89 Corolla, we've got only a few options.
Zod: Zod requires Yokohamas!
Sales Clerk: Unfortunately, sir, we don't carry that brand. This is a discount tire center.
Zod: Yes, of course. Zod sometimes forgets that he is on a budget.
Sales Clerk: I can set you up with a set of Firestones. It's a good tire.
Zod: What will that run Zod?
Sales Clerk: You're looking at about $300 for the four.
Zod: Puny earthling! Zod can't afford that! Kneel before Zod!
Sales Clerk: You want me to kneel before you?
Zod: For $300 in new tires, inferior being, I expect satisfaction.
Sales Clerk: I'm not going to do that.
Zod: I could incinerate you in seconds.
Sales Clerk: Sir, if that's a threat, I will be forced to call the police.
Zod: No! Zod is on probation. Zod can't go back to that place.
Sales Clerk: All right, sir. What's your price range?
Zod: Do you have layaway?
Sales Clerk: No.
Zod: Zod can spend $200. Kneel before Zod!
Sales Clerk: What was that?
Zod: I didn't say anything.
Sales Clerk: Okay . . . well, we've got a deal on 40,000 mile Generals that will run you $208.
Zod: Free lifetime balancing and rotation included?
Sales Clerk: They are.
Zod: Zod is agreeable. Here are my keys.
Sales Clerk: Should take about 30 minutes.
Zod: Zod will be next door at Dollar General buying Goldfish crackers and juice boxes for his American Idol party. Zod loves Fantasia.

Next Week: Hangin' with Zod - Trying on a New Suit

I'm genuinely excited about the Astros/White Sox World Series. I really thought the Astros were in trouble after their collapse in Game 5. The team, especially Roy Oswalt, showed a lot of character by putting that potential disaster behind them. I suppose I'll root for Houston, if only for Biggio and Bagwell.

John Wesley Harding is scheduled to play at Second Story in Bloomington next month. It's a Thursday, so I may be able to muster the energy to make the drive. Wes is one of my all-time favorite performers, having seen him at least a half-dozen times over the years. I've still got his new Love Hall Tryst CD sitting on my desk, but I should get to it shortly. His book, Misfortune, is pretty great, too. One of the more enjoyable reads this year.

Sad news that the Bigger Lovers are disbanding. Their last show is scheduled for November 5.

Candy Note of the Week: I found the limited edition Kit-Kat Mint at the store yesterday, and it is delicious. The flavor is quite subtle, and it doesn't leave an unusual aftertaste like some mint candy. I highly recommend it. My original intent was to find bags of dark chocolate M&Ms, which are supposed to be available again until mid-November. No such luck. If anyone spots them, please let me know. They were my chocolate of choice this summer.

Now maybe my non-profit, Cookies for Prisoners, can gain some momentum.

Oh, Wilma

2005-10-19T17:45:00.000-07:00

"Grammie" is not coming, sadly. Hurricane Wilma, now on record as one of the strongest storms ever, forced her to cancel her flight up for the weekend. I can't believe the season is at the letter W. To put it in perspective, Hurricane Andrew hit in mid-August of 1992. Apparently, if any more storms develop this year, the classification system moves to the Greek alphabet. Wherever it hits, I hope everyone stays safe.

As a follow-up, here is what I ended up buying for the baby. She seems to be enjoying it -- although not as much as the box it came in. Looks like I bought it at a good time -- it was about $7 last week plus free shipping.

Everyone who knows me is aware that The Posies are my favorite band. Two new stories on the band are up today, one from Paste, the other from the Seattle Weekly (courtesy of Largehearted Boy). Jon says his solo disc is coming out in March. I thought his songs on Every Kind of Light were strong, so I'm even more anxious now to hear the long-delayed release.

Staying in Seattle, has anyone heard the new Long Winters EP?

Three Harryhausen Sinbad films for $16. Don't say I'm not generous.

Now maybe my non-profit, Pets for Prisoners, can gain some momentum. (Wait, wasn't that once a subplot on Oz?)

That Sinking Feeling

2005-10-18T06:42:00.000-07:00

I'm not a Red Sox fan, so I can't imagine what it must feel like for the Houston Astros and Astros fans this morning. One out away from the team's first World Series, your closer -- who's been nearly untouchable -- on the mound, and one swing later a two-run lead is a one-run deficit. Talk about a punch to the gut. The players can say all they want, but it's going to be tough for them to forget what happened last night. I'd be surprised if it wasn't a seven-game series now.

Yesterday was School on Wheels day for me. It's a great cause and definitely worth checking out. Plus, it's Oprah approved!

The surest sign of political dissent in Norway is when the cake starts flying. I had heard that gangs of thugs roam the streets of Oslo with boxes of eclairs. Of course, everyone already knows about their problem with trifle snipers.

Now maybe my non-profit, Bidets for Prisoners, can gain some momentum.

Anyone know about the new Tim & Jeff Buckley Tribute CD, Dream Brother? Pitchfork has a review, but that's all I've seen on it.

Weekend Notes

2005-10-17T06:29:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone (am I being too optimistic that I have readers?) had a good weekend. Here's a story I intended to point out last week about new recommendations for babies. It makes sense to me. I don't know where we'd be without the pacifiers. Does anyone know where the term "binky" came from? I don't call the pacifier that, but it's a pretty common word.

In other weekend baby news, we seem to have finally found a finger food that works. The wife picked up some baked sugar snap peas at the grocery store, and the baby has adapted wonderfully. I know about the fruit and veggie puffs, but they're made with wheat products, which is something we want to avoid for while because I had some issues with wheat when I was a child. We've been told that the longer we put off introducing foods with wheat, the less likely it is that the baby will develop a reaction to them.

Batman Begins, one of two movies I saw this summer in the theatre (Star Wars III the other), comes out on DVD tomorrow. I liked the movie, but I can't say I loved it. I liked the dark reboot of the character, I thought the Scarecrow was very cool and scary, and the acting was mostly good. But that extra something that makes a movie great just wasn't there for me. Maybe I need a second viewing. That's what it took for X2.

Jammin' in the Camry:
Disc 1: Marah - Float Away with the Friday Night Gods
Disc 2: Supergrass - Road to Rouen
Disc 3: Silver Jews - Bright Flight
Disc 4: Wheat - Per Second, Per Second, Per Second . . .Every Second
Disc 5: Idlewild - Warnings/Promises
Disc 6: My Morning Jacket - It Still Moves

I haven't heard the new MMJ yet, and with new CDs out this week from Marah and Silver Jews, I felt like going back in the files a bit.

I usually run about 3 to 4 weeks behind on listening to the new stuff. That's why I've got Illinois, Rob Dickinson, and the new Broken Social Scene still sitting on my desk. So, I finally popped in Takk, the new one by Sigur Ros, and all I can say is Wow! Great disc.

An Apology

2005-10-15T20:02:00.000-07:00

In hindsight, I'm not too happy with the negative slant in a few of my posts the past few days. I'm going to make this a positive place from here on. Not much to say today other than what a great day for college football. That USC/Notre Dame game was outstanding. I wasn't really rooting for either team, just a good game. They didn't disappoint.

I love seeing the baby interact with other babies her age. So fun.

Finally listened to the new Supergrass CD, Road to Rouen, today. Interesting disc from Gaz and the guys. It's really growing on me.

Newsworthy

2005-10-14T06:55:00.000-07:00

In our paper this morning was the small story that Peter Mayhew, who played Chewbacca in the Star Wars films, is going to become a U.S. citizen. Why is this important? Is he the first Wookie to gain citizenship? Does this mean the Ewoks are next? I've heard the taxes on Endor are pretty steep.

Where is Rick Moranis? Making country music? If I had 20 guesses, that wouldn't have been one of them.

The Heartland Film Festival begins today with some typically snooze-worthy flicks. I'm all for family fun, but most of the films shown around town just suck the life out of me. A family film doesn't have to be watered-down, neutered shmaltz. And Grandma Peabody has, of course, scored the coup of the festival by securing an interview with Dakota Fanning. Seriously, how can anything film-related be taken seriously when the resident movie critic is about as easy to please as my cocker spaniel getting a full bowl of Nutro Senior.

Didn't realize I was so prickly today. And on a Friday, yet.

Soft Ball

2005-10-13T18:08:00.000-07:00

I wonder about the state of the toy industry when I am unable to find a plush ball for the baby at the toy store. Seems like such a simple thing. I wasn't even able to find a Nerf, which was shocking. But I did get her a wonderful pant-suit . . . well, a fleece onesy with padded feet. Couldn't resist the Guffman reference.

I know I'm not the first person to comment on it, but yikes does the Amazing Race suck this season. Aside from the dad and his three daughters, I'm not too fond of any of the family units. I hope this is a one time thing for the show, but it's pretty miserable TV, at least compared to seasons past. Doesn't mean I won't watch though. I'm such a TV junkie now. The DVR is working overtime.

Candy Note of the Week: My jaw dropped all the way to the sparkling white, wide-aisled Target floor this weekend when I saw that they had bags of Limited Edition Tootsie Roll Vanilla Flavored Midgies. It's almost miraculous that this product even exists. I always thought the packs of flavored Tootsie Rolls were produced as some kind of contractual obligation. The fact that one flavor, MY flavor, has been singled out for its unequivocal delicousness is like finding out that the short story you wrote for a friend's e-zine just so he'd have some content has been optioned by Quentin Tarantino. A perceived afterthought is gold, baby, GOLD!

One last thought -- Does anyone actually like Black Rebel Motorcycle Club? I tried to listen to their newest disc, Howl, because I'd heard it was a departure from their first two feedback-drenched albums, which I thought were boring. Well, it's a departure, but it's still boring. BRMC is the kind of band that people think they should like, but I don't know a single person who can name one memorable song. I suppose it's harder to fade away when you've been on the cover of Magnet.

Tasty Cake

2005-10-12T19:35:00.000-07:00

The wife had one of her book clubs at the house last night (The Historian for anyone who cares), so I was charged with putting the wee one to bed and keeping the dog out of the literary maelstrom. With several hours to myself -- it felt somewhat like a sleepover party with me as the only participant -- I was able to put in a movie that I knew I'd have to watch alone. Layer Cake, starring rumored new James Bond, Daniel Craig, was a surprisingly good entry in the British crime ouvre. I don't usually enjoy those types of movies -- Guy Ritchie's flicks being the most egregious example of style over substance -- but this one had a twisty script, good performances, an interesting soundtrack, and most importantly, very few of those ridiculous characters that are too cool or always one step ahead of the game (or at least don't advertise it with every unnatural line reading). I'm interested in seeing if Craig really does become the new Bond as there is something dangerous about him. What has been lost in that franchise is the fact that James Bond is a LICENSED KILLER. He should be a bit scary.

Bill Simmons, the Sports Guy on ESPN.com, is one funny writer. I'm reading his book, Now I Can Die in Peace, which is a collection of many of his columns about the Red Sox from 1997 through their World Series victory last year. I just finished the one about Rich "El Guapo" Garces and was practically crying. I'd forgotten what a great character that guy was. Simmons has a lot of friends with nicknames -- I'm kind of jealous. It's like a sports fan mafia.

Completely random, but I love the way the employees at Chik-Fil-A respond when you say, "Thank You," by replying, "My Pleasure."

G-G-Get Me Out of Here!

2005-10-11T10:39:00.000-07:00

The wife walked into our little one's room this morning to find her standing in her crib, hands wrapped around the bars like a prisoner. The baby has been pulling herself up for about 2 weeks now, yet this was the first time she tried out her new ability in her crib. Not that we have a lot of experience but she does seem pretty strong for an 8-month-old. This is a really great time in her development. She's a lot of fun and you can just see the wheels turning. It's going to freak us out when she starts talking (real words -- not the blah blah blah, dadada, mamama she serenades us with now).

I read Ice Haven by Dan Clowes last night. Great little book. It revolves around a group of characters in the fictional Ice Haven. It's quirky but with enough depth to resonate long after you're through. I don't read much in the way of comics/graphic novels these days, but I've always been a fan of his work. Definitely worth checking out.

So no Yankees, no Red Sox. Personally, I'm hoping for a White Sox-Astros World Series. Something different to spice up the fall classic.

Welcome to New Dad Balancing Act

2005-10-10T19:30:00.000-07:00

After much deliberation, I've finally gotten started with the blog. What can I say but that I've jumped on the bandwagon (bandwagonesque?).

So what's my purpose? My mission statement? I don't know -- I just felt like having a place to discuss my experiences as a new dad while balancing all the things that make me happy, hence the title. Do I, for example, want to go see the My Morning Jacket show later this month despite it being on a Sunday? Hard to say. As the Seinfeld episode pointed out, it's important to have my wind-down time. I've got a few weeks to think it over. I know the wife won't care, but will I be a zombie at work on Monday?

If anyone actually finds this, drop me a line. I'm curious to see where this goes.

What I'm Jamming to in the Camry:
Disc 1: New Pornographers - Twin Cinema
Disc 2: Superdrag boot from 2000
Disc 3: John Vanderslice - Cellar Door
Disc 4: Wheat - Per Second, Per Second . . . Every Second
Disc 5: Empty
Disc 6: Nada Surf - Let Go