The Kraken

Birthday

2007-04-27T11:36:00.000-07:00

This Sunday I hit the big 39. It's my last full year as a thirtysomething, and with luck it will be the year I become a father. I'm hoping fatherhood will take some of the sting out of hitting 40, but I kinda doubt it. The upside is that due to a concerted effort on my part, I'm in better shape physically than I was in my 20's.

It's a cliche to whine about getting older, so let's move on. In the 80's and early 90's, I was a solid devotee of what was then referred to as "independent" music: Replacements, R.E.M., Husker Du, etc. In fact, the Huskers played Houston on the night of my senior prom, but I didn't go. I had already rented a date and a tux, so it was too late for me to back out of the big dance. However a classmate of mine named Karen Adkins went to the show and I've been jealous ever since. The Huskers were touring behind Candy Apple Grey, an album that I still listen to regularly, and by all accounts the show was fucking awesome. Considering that they broke up less than a year later, let's just say that I didn't make the smart choice that night.

I finally saw Bob Mould this year at SXSW, and I'm no longer jealous of Karen Adkins.

I should note that Bob Mould alone with an acoustic guitar was still louder than some of the full-band punk shows I've been to. Jumping Jesus, that cat can play.

American I-dull

2007-04-27T11:31:00.000-07:00

Good Christ I'm bored with this season. They need to add some "game of death"-style hurdles to get me interested again. The show has gotten seriously stale. I respect the talents of a couple of them, but as with previous seasons I could never see buying one of their albums. Or downloading one, whatever.

Laura Schavrda

2007-04-11T10:38:00.000-07:00

Our friend passed away on Feb 24, 2007. She fought the leukemia like a champ for 11 months, but at the end her body finally just gave out after having endured a bone marrow transplant (aided by stem cells; thanks for nothing, George W.) and numerous rounds of chemotherapy.

Thomas Hobbes wrote that life is "nasty, brutish and short". Maybe so, but L managed to accomplish a lot with her short life. She married a good guy, created a beautiful child, and left many many people happier to have known her.

I expect nothing less than a full and blessed life for her husband E and baby LJ. The way I see it, God owes her one.

Domo arigato, Mrs. Roboto.

This Is Not Me

2007-02-10T08:44:00.000-08:00

I wish I could say that I have some master plan for this web log, but I don't. I'm really just waiting for my wife to finish getting ready so we can head to the bank and move some cash around.

Online banking? We don't need no stinkin' online banking...