Spinning in a Miasma

Dead Blog Walking?

2008-12-21T18:09:00.000-08:00

Is it time to kill my second blog? Maybe. Now I do facebook, and a little twitter. Tough mostly facebook. More people see my posts there than ever looked at this thingy.

But facebook has its shortcomings. The blog could fill another nitch.

If only I had anything to say.

My end of year subject will be music. Send me your best record of the year nominations. If anyone still looks at this thing.

Beat Beat Beat on the Dodgers

2008-10-04T01:16:00.000-07:00

Boswell urges on Cubs partisans, invoking the same team of destiny that we who bleed blue have invoked many times over the past 24 hours:

In Game 3 of the 2004 ALCS, the Red Sox were battered to the ground in their own ballpark by the Yankees, 19-8, humiliated by their own ineptness and consigned to the netherworld by every fan they thought had loved them.

They were alone. They had only each other, a band of Idiots. Then they won and won -- eight victories in a row, building each day on their sense of pregnant destiny, until they had swept a superb 105-win Cardinals team in the Series as if St. Louis wasn't even allowed to present a lineup card.

That's where the Cubs are now.

Of course, Boswell points out that the Scrubs are almost surely doomed. He's no dummy. But just the same, he sees the magic that could be:

Now the Cubs need to sacrifice a goat, slap a few pundits and wake their fans, who at this moment stand at the edge of the cliff, pondering the familiar view.
If the North Siders want to win the Series this year, not just reach one for the first time since '45, then lose with dignity to the better league, they need something special. They need a magic cloak, a powerful mojo, an event of their own creation that makes them feel calm, invincible and chosen. They need to beat, beat, beat on the Dodgers.

Go, Cubs, Go

2008-10-01T05:23:00.000-07:00

Trib columnist Rick Morrissey, looking for some doom facing the 97-win Cubs, picks on the classic Steve Goodman Cubs anthem, "Go, Cubs, Go." I hate to say it, but he's right--it is a dreadful song. Nonetheless, to kick off the playoffs, here's a 2008 slide show to Goodman's song:

But truth be told, Goodman's best Cubs song is not "Go, Cubs, Go," but "A Dying Cubs Fan's Last Request":

NJ Apple Picking

2008-09-29T18:28:00.001-07:00

...and to Emily

2008-09-27T04:27:00.000-07:00

[i can't view this video on the glacial internet connection I am using so if it is really bad, I apologize]

100 Years is Plenty

2008-09-24T04:41:00.000-07:00

Nice column about the Cubs in today's Post; here's a snippet

There is nothing quite like the North Side of Chicago in a pennant race, with all those day games in the crisp autumn sunshine, the way God intended, and the stately old stadium in the middle of a stately old neighborhood, with fans filling every seat in both the stadium itself and the surrounding rooftops, and with Ron Santo up in the radio booth, living and dying on every pitch.

John McSame

2008-09-01T05:11:00.000-07:00

John McCain is quoted in the Washington Post (from an appearance on Russert's show) on whether he differs from President Bush. This quote reminds me of the incredibly effective ad Ann Richards ran against Clayton Williams, in which she destroyed him merely by quoting his own words to the voters. John McSame in his own words (OK, from 2005, but so be it):

The fact is that I have agreed with President Bush far more than I have disagreed. And on the transcendent issues, the most important issues of our day, I've been totally in agreement and support of President Bush. . . . My support for President Bush has been active and very impassioned on issues that are important to the American people. And I'm particularly talking about the war on terror, the war in Iraq, national security, national defense, support of men and women in the military, fiscal discipline, a number of other issues. So I strongly disagree with any assertion that I've been more at odds with the president of the United States than I have been in agreement with him.

First Ride

2008-08-30T17:24:00.000-07:00

B learned to ride a 2 wheeler today. First video, courtesy of J below.

Summer Pix 2

2008-08-30T03:55:00.001-07:00

Dee on American Girl on Kojo

2008-08-28T18:46:00.001-07:00

D.Miasma made the Kojo Nnamdi show today, pointing out the irony of Hillary Clinton using Tom Petty's "American Girl," in her campaign. The link to today's show is here (Dee's comments are discussed with about 25 minutes to go in the show.)

Dee's email to Kojo:

Hey Kojo,
Love the show.

On the subject of listening to the chorus but overlooking the lines, I noted that one of Hillary's rally songs was Tom Petty's "American Girl," which seems inspiring until it gets to this line: "God it's so painful when something that's so close is still so far out of reach..."

Summer Pic 1: Tired Yet?

2008-08-27T02:46:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday Jean & Joan

2008-08-23T17:10:00.000-07:00

Brother G sends this birthday video.

Stay Positive

2008-08-07T05:55:00.000-07:00

After searching Craigslist to no avail (all buyers, no sellers), waiting outside with other scalpees with not so much as a nibble, and giving up and walking half way back to our rental house, I was pretty sure I was not going to see the Hold Steady in Austin last night. So when D. Miasma picked me up, and I said, "let's swing by one more time to see if the scene has changed," it was really really blind hope.

Met by blind luck. I asked two women near the line if they had tickets to sell, and one stuffed one in my hand and then rushed off. Providence, I tell you. Stay positive.

And wow. My review: I was not worthy. They blew me away. The energy is unbelievable. Frontman Craig Finn doesn't really sing, doesn't really scream, but froths up the crowd with dark or compelling or delirious stories. (NPR/WXPN called it "lyrically dense storytelling.") Problem is that if you stand up close (thanks, Dave) and you don't know the stories, you don't get all the expressiveness and frothmaking. I'm definitely going back to buy the rest of their discography to get ready for the next show.

Over the Cliff

2008-07-29T21:14:00.001-07:00

Saw the Old 97s at the 9:30 tonight. The first part of the show was fairly uninspired. Maybe it just took awhile for the newcastle to kick in (for them or for me?). But when they hit their cover of Jon Langford's "Over the Cliff" (below) the show really took off. Highlights from there included a positively Simon-and-Garfunkel version of Murray Hammond's Valentine, and the classic closer Time Bomb. But the apogee was the close of Over the Cliff, brought to you here courtesy of You Tube:

Back Talk

2008-07-21T09:41:00.000-07:00

[Me to B after he called me a "fool"]

Me: Hey, don't call me a fool, Punk.

B: Well, don't call me punk, Fool.

Grand Finale

2008-07-04T19:21:00.000-07:00

As kids, we always used to ask whether it was time for the Grand Finale during the fireworks. It was a term we never used in any other context. So, here is the Grande Finale of tonight's fireworks on the national mall. If you listen closely, you just might hear B asking if this is the Grand Finale.

2008-07-02T18:32:00.000-07:00

Did you hear, the cops finally busted Madame Marie
For tellin fortunes better than they do
For me this boardwalk life's thru, babe
You oughta quit this scene too

--Bruce Springsteen, “4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy).”

R.I.P. Madame Marie.

Video of the song that made her famous here.

[Posted by D Miasma]

B is Chris Farley

2008-06-29T15:33:00.001-07:00

[B and I watching the Euro finals this afternoon]

B: Hey, dad: you remember when Darth Vader held his hand up and used the force to choke that guy from like ten feet away?

Me: Yes?

B: That was awesome.

Ann Richards Keynote 1988

2008-06-21T11:43:00.000-07:00

Looking for other things, I found the audio of the famous Ann Richards keynote address from 1988. It's most famous for the line "Poor George. He can't help it. He was born with a silver foot in his mouth." (Video of that line here.) But Ann was also famous for her invocation of her "nearly perfect" granddaughter, Lily as an inspirational representative of all future generations. Here's a snippet from the keynote, that could have been written for this election:

So, when it comes right down to it, this election is a contest between those who are satisfied with what they have and those who know we can do better. That’s what this election is really all about. It’s about the American dream -- those who want to keep it for the few and those who know it must be nurtured and passed along.
I’m a grandmother now. And I have one nearly perfect granddaughter named Lily. And when I hold that grandbaby, I feel the continuity of life that unites us, that binds generation to generation, that ties us with each other. And sometimes I spread that Baptist pallet out on the floor, and Lily and I roll a ball back and forth. And I think of all the families like mine, like the one in Lorena, Texas, like the ones that nurture children all across America. And as I look at Lily, I know that it is within families that we learn both the need to respect individual human dignity and to work together for our common good. Within our families, within our nation, it is the same.

Twee Primer (Last Tullycraft Post)

2008-06-18T17:31:00.000-07:00

That last band wasn't bad, I just can only take so much twee.

--Tullycraft audience member downstairs at the Red and Black bar watching the Celtics lose game 5.

To explore Tullycraft is to run head long into the world of Twee. Although I have heard, and been tempted to use the term, I never really understood Twee. So riding in this morning, I thought I'd take the time to do some research on Twee and make a post. On Twee, I might call it.

Turns out that the Washington Post beat me to it, with a Tullycraft hook no less. So rather than make my own swing at it, here's a link to the WaPo Twee Primer.

Needless to say, my own experience with Twee starts, as Sean from Tullycraft does, with Jonathan Richman.

Holiday House Shout Out

2008-06-18T05:32:00.001-07:00

Good on Scotty McClellan for giving a shout out to Tarrytown burger joint Holiday House in his tell some book about the Bush Admin. This was my local burger haven as well. Nothing beat going with childhood friend Monte Warden (he would pay) to grab a hickory burger and a Dr. Pepper at Holiday House on a summer afternoon. Going back as an adult, I realized the food wasn't all that, though my dad swore by it to the end. (I think Holiday House closed when the shopping center in which it sat was bought by an animal rights activist who disapproved of beef.) The Chronicle review fairly caught it:

Flame-kissed and floppy, Holiday House's signature cheeseburger stands up to its reputation as an old-fashioned burger of the drugstore variety.

Tullycraft Live Blogging

2008-06-15T21:31:00.000-07:00

OK, not live. I just got home though.

Annals of Mr. Miasma hipness at rock and roll show:

Me [to lead singer of Tullycraft]: So, are you in the band?

He made up for it by being unfamiliar with "Baltimore."

Wow, though, what a show. I'm thinking it's time for a family vacay in Seattle planned around a Tullycraft show on their own turf.

Tullycraft Today in Our Nation's Capital

2008-06-15T04:33:00.000-07:00

Here's another Tullycraft vid. This one, like most of the You Tube posts, shows pasty folks drinking beer and moving clumsily to well-crafted pop songs. These are my people.

Ignore the National Polls

2008-06-13T12:12:00.001-07:00

So the nation-wide polls say it is a close race. According to yesterday's CNN poll of polls, Obama has a slight lead, 47-43. But if George Bush's elections taught us anything it is that the national popular vote doesn't matter, its the electoral college that is the real score card. So what happens when you break it down by electoral votes?

According to my favorite, electoral-vote.com, Obama is winning big, 304-221 [it takes 270 to win]. Note that the Old Dominion is the only state that is currently considered a "tie." This website simulates election day, awarding a state to whomever is leading, regardless of how slim the lead.

CNN has it much closer (and probably a more reasonable way of looking at it this far out)--Obama has 190, McCain 194, with 154 "toss up" electoral votes.

This is the race to watch, not those nation-wide polls.

Tullycraft - Sunday in Our Nation's Capital

2008-06-12T11:02:00.000-07:00

Tullycraft, one of my fave groups of janglers, plays in DC Sunday at the Red and Black bar in DC. The song videoized above comes from their new record Every Scene Needs a Center.

Mmmmmm

2008-06-08T12:26:00.000-07:00

J commenting on D's lunch, a mishmash of brown rice, fresh peas, and other mystery ingredients:

Seriously--it looks like she already digested it.

Sick of Myself

2008-06-07T19:31:00.001-07:00

W.G. on the Texas Democratic Convention

2008-06-06T04:43:00.000-07:00

Our favorite video reporter (are those new glasses?) video blogs on the Texas Democratic State Convention, and takes a shot at my Governor's eyebrows.

McCain in the Everglades? Huh?

2008-06-06T04:34:00.000-07:00

Did I get this right: John McCain is touring the Everglades today, to call attention to his voting against funding for . . . wait for it . . . restoring the Everglades! I guess the point is that he's a fiscal conservative, but there might be ways to make him seem tight fisted without slapping the environment in the face. (One way would be to oppose the Bush tax cuts, which he once voted against, but now supports.) What's next, a tour of emergency rooms to highlight his opposition to heath coverage for all?

Adelante con Obama

2008-06-03T19:00:00.001-07:00

Zing!

2008-06-02T17:37:00.000-07:00

As I was absent-mindedly singing "Party in the Woods" by Jonathan Richman during clean up this evening:

J: What are you singing?

Me: Party in the Woods.

J: Why are you singing it?

Me: 'Cause it's in my head, I guess.

J: Um, could you keep it there?

Kelso on McClellan (and Bush)

2008-05-30T04:33:00.000-07:00

Wow-Statesman humorist John Kelso has a comi-tragic column on the whole Scott McClellan tell-some book brouhaha. Kelso, like many others, points out that the genesis of the book is likely McClellan being lied to and being asked to lie to the press (read: American people) about the whole Valarie Plame affair. But Kelso, who normally confines himself to milder (read: funnier) political discourse, veers into a serious point, sharply made:

The book says the president ignored the intelligence that said the war would be a disaster and started it anyway because he thought only wartime presidents achieve "a legacy of greatness."
Greatness? Here's Bush's legacy: a national debt of $9.4 trillion; a worldwide lack of trust in the U.S. government; a dollar so weak it's changed the meaning of the expression, "Your money's no good around here, mister"; and an economy so lame that in tony Santa Barbara, Calif., they've created special overnight parking lots for people who have lost their homes and have to spend the night sleeping in their cars.

47.5, Thanks for Asking

2008-05-26T04:34:00.000-07:00

Funny story in The Post about hybrid drivers being competitive about gas mileage. It is infectious. I love to drive extremely slowly, using only the electric motor. You get killer mileage, though the kids (I would never do this with Mrs. Miasma in the car) usually scream "Move it, Grampa" after a few minutes.

Blogitis

2008-05-24T03:14:00.000-07:00

So, it's been awhile. I know, I've been thinking about you. It's not that I don't want to visit you. Sometimes, though, I just don't know what to say. And then it's even more awkward, which makes it harder to say anything meaningful. Do you see what I am saying?

In fact, I've been feeling guilty about not coming to visit. And when I do, my reaction is to become defiant, all "what right does it have?" "What about my feelings?" "I'm pretty busy, you know."

There are lots of excuses. I have been busy. The kids hog all my time. The computer is never free. B broke his leg. J has been playing soccer like a maniac. I planted a lawn. In the good old days, those wouldn't be excuses, they would be photos with shot-at-pith taglines. Now they are just reasons I don't sit down and spew.

But the truthiest truth is that I haven't had all that much to say. I fear that banality, the kudzu of after forty suburban life, has smothered the blog-worthy life items. I got nothing.

So, it's type or get off the blog. The next few days will tell.

Aaaa-Braham!

2008-04-16T17:51:00.000-07:00

Brother-I-L Michael stars in this vid, part of the 48 hour film contest, in which contestants have 48 hours to put together a video according to various specs. M plays the Lincoln-o-phile, and composed the music, including the two great hits at the end.

It's Tee Ball Season (Goooooo Red!)

2008-03-29T11:43:00.000-07:00

Spring Broke Update: Old Rag Climb

2008-03-25T17:43:00.000-07:00

So we did make it out of the house for Spring Broke. We made it all the way to the top of Old Rag. According to the National Park Service, the Old Rag circuit is 8.8 miles. Climbing to the summit required serious rock scrambling, a feat the kids relish. We took the "easy" way back which is 4.5 miles of well-worn trails and a fire road. The kids did a great job all the way, though we all got a little crabby for the last mile or so. Some photos from along the way:

Picture of what we think was the summit from about half way up.

Sibling harmony. Even if pretend.

Wind picking up as we got higher. Note Jordy's birthday shirt.

Getting closer to the summit!

It's cold at the top!

A More Perfect Union

2008-03-22T11:24:00.001-07:00

I missed Barack Obama's remarkable speech last week. So B and I watched it and put it on the speakers outside so D could listen in. By the end, I had to explain to B why I was tearing up. Listening, it was hard to think of anyone else who could credibly give it. I have heard, in person, a number of speeches by Rev. Jesse Jackson, an incredible orator. In many of them he addressed some of the same themes: the need to address the lingering sources of racial hostility and how economic justice for all renders racial scapegoating inert. But Obama can tell the same story (or perhaps a refined version) with a credibility--to all races, I hope--never seen before. So here it is for anyone who has (whether by choice or vocation) 37 minutes in front of a computer.

Spring Broke

2008-03-15T05:41:00.000-07:00

Welcome to spring break. My daughter tells me we are the only family in Northern Virginia not going to the far reaches of the Disney-defined world. We might go to the Mint, or Old Rag, or the Mighty Midget, or Chancellorsville, or good old Shenandoah National Park. So sad.

Kite Day

2008-03-09T17:44:00.000-07:00

Beautiful windy day here in ONC. We hauled out the kite and headed down to the Mall. Forgot the camera, but the cell phone captured this one:

W.G. Selby and Brokaw Wander UT Campus

2008-03-08T08:44:00.000-08:00

Following up on the Heck Yeah video below, Brokaw and Selby wandered the UT campus and talked the Texas primary. This clip ran before the Texas primary, of course.

Heck Yeah!

2008-02-29T17:23:00.000-08:00

W. Gardner Selby on MSNBC with some guy called Brokaw.

The Tribulation Time Will Come

2008-02-26T04:32:00.000-08:00

Ironic that just after moshing with Peter Blackstock, we learn that his No Depression magazine is being shuttered after the next issue. ND was born the journal of the alt-country universe. It's name was an homage to the Carter Family song made famous to a new generation by Uncle Tupelo. It later broadened its theme to try to encompass all flavors of Americana, and each issue is filled with stories, and reviews, and ads addressed to bluegrass, alt-country, country, and other inidgenous musical flavors.

ND is the only magazine I subscribe to; have from the (nearly) the beginning. To be honest, I get it for the ads as much as anything else. Each month, I dog ear the pages hawking the CDs I want to buy, then supplement that with the reviews and other stories.

RIP No Depression.

I'm going where there's no Depression
To a better land that's free from
care
I'll leave this world of toil and trouble
My home's in heaven
I'm going there.

Last Reviers Post - Again

2008-02-24T06:50:00.000-08:00

I didn't mean to post again, but I just discovered on the web excellent pictures that chronicle the events of night 1 of the Reivers reunion. Early on, an exuberant fan is caught in post-song ecstasy. Later, a series of photos (this one, and this one, and this one, and this one) captures the ritual arm waving and head thrashing to set-closer Secretariat. Man, those fans are insane.

Spare the Rock Goes Big Time

2008-02-23T04:43:00.000-08:00

Our friends at Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child have hit the big time. They can now be heard on 93.9, The River in Northhampton, MA and Brattleboro, VT.

Spare the Rock is the creation of Bill Childs, a former colleague at UT Law and the firm. Each Saturday morning he and his daughter Ella spin tracks of music that might appeal to kids and adults alike. For some time they have been on Valley Free Radio, which had a very unreliable webcast. Now that they are on the River, we hope to be able to put them on every Saturday morning.

Last Reivers Post

2008-02-19T18:06:00.001-08:00

OK: here it is, the last Reivers post. DKP wrote an excellent review of the reunion show on popmatters.com. The one thing missing from the review was the sentiment that Dave pinpointed after the second (and last) show: the reunions brought closure. I am not quite sure the circumstances, but I think I among many others missed the last Reivers show back in 1991. I have long thought that I was at a Grains of Faith show that night. In fact I thought, erroneously, that the GoF show was their last and I had been forced to make a choice between favorite bands. Not so, say the experts, but I do recall feeling bitter about not seeing the last show. No longer.

Reivers Review (Not Mine)

2008-02-11T12:42:00.000-08:00

As I ponder how to desribe this weekend with words, the Statesman has a terrific review. One addendum I'll offer: the knowing, meaningful smile between and among band members was always one of the things I liked best about my favorite bands, particularly the Reivers and Grains of Faith. It suggests something special exists between them of which we share only a tiny part. Which somehow makes the part they are sharing, the music, all that more meaningful.

Reivers Update: (Most of) In Your Eyes Live

2008-02-11T06:24:00.000-08:00

Reivers Reunion Part XLII

2008-02-08T13:45:00.000-08:00

KUT has posted the audio of the Reivers' appearance yesterday for those who (like me) could not listen live.

Reivers mania is building. One day until the first show! We're gonna party like it's 1991.

Taking on the Old Master (in Scrabble, Jr.)

2008-02-08T04:32:00.000-08:00

Reivers (Zeitgeist) Reminiscing Part II

2008-02-06T16:14:00.000-08:00

Speaking of the "last night" of the Continental Club, Peter sends along this set of photos from that fateful night in 1987. Dee Miasma speculates that in the first photo the curly haired guy in the second row between Cindy and Kim is yours truly.

Reivers Reunion Part III

2008-02-04T16:19:00.001-08:00

Michael Corcoran captures the zeitgeist of the Reivers, c. 1985 in a column Friday:

Talk about chemistry; the interplay between John Croslin's deadpan growl and Kim Longacre's angelic harmonies sounded like a merger between the Velvet underground and the Mamas and the Papas. Bassist Cindy Toth, so shy offstage, would lose herself in the rhythms, while Garrett Williams, more musician than drummer (though he could smack the skins with the hardest of rockers), pulsed in tune with Croslin's muscular guitar. This was a dynamic band of four individuals — two men and two women — who melted together in song.

Corky also tells the story of the last night of the Continental Club, something I've been struggling to put to words. It was an epic night. Although I missed chunks of the show after a friend got tossed for barfing on the dance floor (unrelated, I am sure, to the "We Merve Sinors" sign over the entrance), I was able to talk my way back in the back door to see some of the Zeitgeist show. Delerium was the order of the day, as it often was during packed Zeitgeist shows. I pushed back up to the front, and just floated wherever the crowd allowed. So long as I never got too far from Kim Longacre.

Reivers Reunion Part II

2008-02-04T07:48:00.001-08:00

Dave posted this comment on the earlier post, and I thought it worth repeating here. The list reads like a dream Saturday night from 1989. I might have followed Araby with Sound and the Fury, not for literary reasons, but because I used to thrash to those two songs harder than any others.

Too many folks around here either lost the old Zeitgeist/Reivers LPs in a flood, or never heard 'em (!).Here's a 20-song comp I made for some friends this morning (had to include all the hits, so no room for too many deep cuts). Man these songs sound good:

Second Chance
Araby
Freight Train Rain
Blues Eyes
Translate Slowly
Electra
In Your Eyes
Ragamuffin Man
A Test
Lazy Afternoon
What Am I Doing?
Star Telegram
It's About Time
On Green Dolphin Street
Your Secrets Are Not Safe
Dragonfiles
Over And Over
What You Wanna Do
It's All One
Walking The Cow

Yum

2008-02-03T08:25:00.000-08:00

Had the best meal of our lives last night at Citronelle. It's hard to say, but perhaps the best part was the mini lobster burger. Citronelle was ranked best restaurant in DC by Washingtonian Mag, and we are here to tell you the ranking is well-deserved. Yum.

Alpha Male

2008-02-02T06:17:00.001-08:00

Victor expressed his dominance by plopping down on Sadie's bed this week. Sadie couldn't help but join him.

Predicting Perils

2008-02-02T05:55:00.000-08:00

W. Gardner Selby has a column this week on the perils of prognosticating primaries (with a Texas twist, natch). Of course, even micro pundits such as yours truly (see Horse Race) need not be reminded how wrong polls can be. Although we predicted that Obama would win South Carolina, we never suspected he would double Hillary's total.

Which brings us to this possibility: we could be in a primary that matters. Seems like decades since that has been true. But this year, Virginia comes just one week after Super Duper Tuesday. And with no candidate likely to have sewn it up by then, the campaign will turn to the Old Dominion (among other places). Which means I will need to decide something, I suppose.

In Texas this week, I saw several Obama ads, which I have to admit were inspiring. Sad to think I can be swayed by a 30 second spot, even one featuring Larry Tribe, but I thought the commercial did a nice job of positioning Obama as politically transcendant.

In the end, I will almost surely vote on one criterion: electability. I am not nearly as dour about the candidates as Debris (though I am equally glad to send Rudy back to private life). So what matters to me is who will beat the McCain juggernaut in November? That requires some predicting, unfortunately. And we know how well that goes.

Clear Skies (and Blurry Pictures)

2008-01-25T17:57:00.000-08:00

OK, so this did not come out quite as planned. Below is the photo from the plane back to DC tonight. It was a crisp crisp winter night. The plane engine itself was beautiful and slightly fantastic. Add the sparkling cities below and it was really something. OK, maybe I'm just happy to be home, but here's my cell phone camera attempt to capture it:

Horse Race

2008-01-24T17:37:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite websites is www.electoral-vote.com. Every day it has updated state-by-state polling data. Admittedly, this tends to focus me on the horse race rather than the issues. But even the kids are into which states are going which way.

Our interpretation of the data today: Obama will win South Carolina handily and then get crushed on Super Duper Tuesday. Of course, that depends on what kind of bounce he gets from his SC win, but with California, New York, Massachusets, and New Jersey (to name a few) trending Hillary's way, she may go a long way to locking up the nomination on February 5.

(Partisan update: Brendan has abandoned his support for Romney, whom he now dubs a liar. He's a Barack man all the way. Jordan is steadfast in her support for Hillary.)

All Hail the Dark Lord

2008-01-23T05:40:00.000-08:00

Brendan's quote of the morning:

Mom, I have a new nickname. It’s “Nasty B, the Dark Lord of Awesome."

(I was disappointed to learn that this may have come from the Suite Life of Zach & Cody.)

Did I Mention We Got a Dog?

2008-01-22T18:47:00.001-08:00

Master of the Garden

2008-01-21T18:37:00.000-08:00

Tonight Dee Miasma will undoubtedly have the dream where it is finals and she hasn't attended class all semester and she can't even find her classroom. That's because she starts school tomorrow. That's right, she's going to become a Master Gardener. (Not to be confused with a Gardner Master, as Maddie is.) If I had thought about it, I'd have gotten her a Trapper Keeper for the first day of school.

Introducing Sadie

2008-01-20T15:23:00.001-08:00

We will work on getting better pictures . . ..

Vulgar Past

2008-01-19T16:51:00.000-08:00

For some reason, dabbling with my old guitar led me to the Vulgar Boatmen tonight. So, for old times' sake, here is a VB clip:

Romney Convert

2008-01-09T05:42:00.001-08:00

The kids are getting wrapped up in the presidential race. Jordan M. stayed up past me watching results, pulling for Hillary. Her little brother even got into the action, watching speeches until 9 pm. We had to send him to bed, though when watching Mitt Romney, he declared "I'm for this guy, even though he's on the bad guys' team!"

Zeitgeist Reunion Part 1

2008-01-05T12:58:00.000-08:00

Peter Blackstock, Founder and Publisher of No Depression Magazine writes of the pending Reivers reunion show in Austin:

[I]t looks like February 9 is the date for another big-time reunion, at least from my own personal perspective -- that's the tentative date for the first show by Austin band Zeitgeist (later known as the Reivers) since October 1991. Most folks for whom music is a central focus probably have a band that, at some point or another, changed their life; Zeitgeist was that band for me. Suffice to say that if you're in Austin for the show next month, I'll see you there.

Count me among those for whom Zeitgeist changed their lives. After my first band love, The Commandos, the Reivers gave me a reason to come home to Austin from college every chance I got.

I discovered Zeitgeist when my friends Jeff Kuhn and Josh Ellinger came to the U of C to see me my first Thanksgiving away. Jeff brought Translate Slowly, which we played over and over on the record player.

I remember my first show. It must have been as soon after that Thanksgiving groove as I could make it home. It was at The Beach, now the Crown and Anchor. The stage was about 6 inches tall. All the boys, smitten with Kim Longacre, smashed in front of her, singing her soaring melodies right back in her face. We thought we were hilarious, she may have felt otherwise.

I must have seen them fifty more times. Reivers shows became the organizing principle of my life. Many many times, Mr. Blackstock was there, too. So, anyhoo, I'll see you there, Peter.

In Your (Pre-Teen's) Eyes

2007-12-31T18:55:00.000-08:00

At the end of a wonderful NYE dinner, I happened to sort my itunes by most-often played songs. Since J.M. has control of the computer most often, it is a most-wanted list of teen idols. Miley Cyrus leads the way, with her alter ego Hannah Montana and High School Musical not far behind. A couple of pleasant (read: proud) surprises. Two of the top ten are Dixie Chicks songs, including the incredible cover of Bruce Robison's Travelin' Soldier. But the true pride comes from the appearance of The Reivers in the Top 10. Coming in at #6 is In Your Eyes (click below), a Reivers' classic. Huzzah, J.M.

Hawai'i Part 1

2007-12-31T12:38:00.000-08:00

Hawaii was funtastic. Here's D Miasma and J Miasma fresh off the snorkeling at Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve.

It was a-mazing. Within seconds of donning a mask, you find yourself face to face with extravagant and exotic fishies. We may have even seen a reef triggerfish, a.k.a. the humuhumunukunukuapua'a. The highlight of the snorkeling was undoubtedly spotting a sea turtle.

Happy New Blog!

2007-12-31T12:23:00.000-08:00

New Year, New Blog. Cheers, all.