My heart beats faster than safe

I bought some Reds tickets a couple weeks ago in preparation for Josh and Harleigh's visit to Cincinnati ("The Kidneys of Rock and Roll") but so many things are conspiring against us. First, there is the weather. Earlier they said it would be all beautiful and nice but now the weather people say its gonna maybe rain. There's still time for that to change (again) but it's still bumming me out.

Then, there are the reality stars. Evidently there is a diabetes fundraiser this weekend that involves getting to hang out with reality television "stars." It ends with a trip to the Reds game on Saturday where for $20 one can sit in the bleachers with people like the Linz brothers from The Amazing Race or Coby from Survivor. My bleacher seats only cost $4, though, so I'm a much cheaper date.

As I'm willing to guess that I'm the only one who watches any reality TV, I'll be playing my own game of reality star bingo while sitting in the rain. This is gonna require a beer.

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How about another installment of New Music Monday? I'm proud to announce my discovery of the first sad and Swedish band. Yes, the country that has brought us incessantly perky groups like ABBA, Ace of Base and The Cardigans have finally produced a band with a mood to match their weather. And I love them.

I'm speaking of the Shout Out Louds and their 2005 album Howl Howl Gaff Gaff. Pay no attention to the title, it's an excellent album featuring sad love songs and pop sensibility. Those are pretty much my two favorite things. They toured in America a lot last summer and I'm kind of sad I missed them. Hopefully they'll come to the Midwest sometime so I can be sad and Swedish in person.

Tomorrow, on to the D albums!