Memorial Day

I finally feel like I got a weekend. All it took was an extra day.
We celebrated my brother's 6-year lung transplant Anniversary Thursday by going to TGIFridays and watching Ric Flair's retirement match from Wrestlemania. How bout that modern medicine?
I took Miette to the Lisle Memorial Day parade yesterday. It takes a lot to dissapoint Miette, especially when she's not sure what she's looking at, but damn, what a sorry sight. It was about 9 entries long. There were three bagpipers and their associated drummers, but not a one played, and though 7 of the 9 enries were police and fire vehicles, not a one blew a horn let alone ran a siren. No one threw candy.
The mayor of Lisle gave her a flag. I am angry at myself for not having said anything to him. If you've read this blog, you know that my neighborhood's fire hydrants do not work. He knows about it and has done nothing to help fix the problem. I saw him walking toward us and I made up my mind when he asked how we were doing that I'd say, "Fine, just so long as a fire doesn't break out here". I chickened out. We both walked home silently. Her stunned by the parade's lameness, me stunned by my own.
Then I took her for a slurpee.

Indy 4

To the Naysayers (Lindberg): I liked it.

Damn, that Live Hot Karl Podcast is FUNNY!

Listeh now at hotkarlpodcast.com.

Pairs well with Erectile Dysfunction

So, my sister-in-law had a Martha Stewart Living Spread-worthy wedding in Paso Robles, CA. Central Coastal CA's Wine country on an Olive Farm. It was positively lovely. Everything about it was. The people, the setting, the tasteful decor they concieved of and executed, me in my bow tie. Everything. The food was excellent. They sent everyone home with a bag of warm donuts and milk.
Highlights included my Daughter as a bridesmaid, my wife's Matron of Honor toast, Live performances by Jackson Browne and Cory Chizzel & the Wandering Sons, and my dad walking in on 2 people fucking in a portapotty. You can see from my fan-favorite photo how lovely it was.
The day we left paso, my pregnany wife and in-laws wanted to hit some wineries. We had my brother and daughter in tow.
Kiki was pregnant, so not about to taste a bunch of wine, so she made me do it. I hate wine tastings. I hate attempting to appreciate something I don't care for. What I hate most of all is feeling like I am in a Cialis commercial. Soft rock plays, silver haired dudes in polos swirl wine in glasses with weathered women on their arms. Golf swings are discussed. Tshirts and fleeces in earthy and burgundy tones are purchased.
Last time we went to Paso, we were at a winery called Summerwood (Zing!) when I threw a moss-hued fleece over my shoulders and mimed a golf swing. I looked up and my wife, and her sister and her sister's then-boyfriend and in my loudes non-yell, I asked, "Honey, did we remember my dick meds?"

Dupe Fiasco

So, I really enjoyed Lupe Fiasco's first release, and Revenge of the Nerds II. Also, I tremendously enjoyed Gnarls Barkley's release from a couple summers ago. I didn't want to miss the bandwagon this time so I bough both new albums after I saw some very positive reviews.
Both Suck. Bad.
Lupe's second is a microcosm of what happened to Kanye West. It took him one album to become what it took Kanye 3 to: A simpering "victim" of success. It's as if once the billion-dollar spotlight shines on these guys, they figure it all out and spend more time preaching about how much they know about the state of the world than anything else. At least Kanye's third (Graduation) has an enjoyable track or 2 (far less than his previous 2 albums). Lupe's is a uniformly dull statement about how awesome it is to be a star and how dumb it is to be a gangster.
Gnarls Barkley's second sounds like B-sides to their first. Nothing beyond that. I could make one great album out of the 2. Worse? I paid for both. Makes me wonder why I do.
Ross turned me on to Hype Machine (hypem.com). It's an excellent vehicle for finding great rare stuff to download. But by the time I'd heard of "Smell yo' D!ck", the free downloads had all dried up. What a hilarious song, though.
Converse to most of this, I want to go on Record and say that MF Doom's "Kookies" is the finest song written about internet p0rn, and specifically the clandestine enjoyment of said material while your other is sleeping. The hook is the old Sesame Street credit theme with a vicious beat. Go find it on Hypem.

Where to Begin?

Okay, so I've been neglecting you. Suffice it to say that I've been balls-deep at work. I've had 2 trips to SF for work, a noce 5-day interlude in paso robles, CA, and my Daughter's third birthday hence. I'll start random and get specific...