We wake up in the sunshine every day

I have no idea why I ever bought Absolutely by the Young Dubliners. None. But here it is, my next album on Declan, staring me right in the face.

The Young Dubliners play this sort of Celtic influenced catchy rock that's easy to listen to but provokes no thought whatsoever. I've always liked my music to make me think about stuff so this whole album is pretty forgettable (especially the terrible cover of "Ooh La La" at the end).

I will add, though, that I bought Absolutely when I was working as a photographer and spending several hours a day driving around in my car. I listened to the album several times in those days when a little mindless music wasn't always a bad thing.

I don't care how you feel about the war

You should check out this story regardless. It's full of beautiful photos and the small but compelling stories of everyday people (be sure to check out the slide shows). It will probably make you cry but it seems like war should be a little sad, don't you think?

New York, New York, it's a wonderful town! The Bronx is up and the Battery's down.

O.k., now that I have all my clearances, I bring you photos from my New York City trip. I was too busy having drinks on Friday and most of Saturday to actually take pictures so we begin after seeing my friend Andrew's play on Saturday night. I went to high school with Andrew (we even went to prom together but that's another story) but I hadn't seen him in almost eight years. I knew I needed to visit people in NYC but when I heard he was directing a play, I timed my trip accordingly.

Now when I think of Andrew, I picture this:

Yes, this was his senior picture.

Or this:


So seeing him in New York blew my mind. He seemed all growed up. It was great to see him involved in theater - something he's always loved. I also forgot what an awesome laugh he has. It made me think about all my friends and how great they sound when they laugh. They're like big, loud snowflakes. Think about it...

Anyway, after the play, a bunch of us went out to catch up on things. It was great talking with everybody and Andrew once again seemed so much older than the teenager I remembered. Then, I told him I wanted to get a photo of him for my mom and he did this:


Some things never change.

Later, we went out for karaoke (my favorite) and I got another photo:


So that was about it for Saturday. Sunday, we woke up just in time for the New York City Marathon. It goes right by Josh's apartment so we sat on the fire escape and cheered on all the runners. Here are Josh's roommates Jon and Stephanie out on the fire escape:

They're married. Aren't they cute?

First, the Kenyans went by:


Then everybody else:


I also snapped some photos of Josh and his new girlfriend, Kelly. She was totally fun and we tried not to gang up on Josh too much. Don't they look all Midwestern and wholesome?


And here's the schmoopy version:


Kelly also gave me a list of yarn stores to go see on Monday while all my friends were at work. I don't have pictures because honestly yarn shops are only exciting if you care about yarn. It was like a little scavenger hunt, though, and I got see a lot of the city. There was also that taping of the Colbert Report which was a lot of fun. I also shouldn't forget Nancy. She and her roommates were at most of these things I just somehow didn't get pictures of them. Sorry Nancy, I'll get your photo next time.

Noooooooo!

The end is nigh, folks. The end is nigh!

According to this story, Fox is cancelling Arrested Development. Yes, it's another instance of a show being too awesome for the world as it meets an untimely end. I thought the second season was even better than the first, too.

I will miss you Gob.

I do not want to spend Christmas with Ms. Granola Suicide and her spawn

Do you know what I like almost as much as sad and British music? Sad and British movies based on books by sad and British writers. Throw in a sad and British soundtrack and you have a mind blowing convergence of sadness - and Britishness.

So make a cup and tea and pretend you love the queen as you listen to the soundtrack to About A Boy, a lovely movie based on the Nick Hornby book. The soundtrack is a collection of songs and short instrumentals by Badly Drawn Boy that makes for a beautiful but slightly melancholy album. "A Minor Incident" is perhaps the best song on the album. Everything has a lazy Saturday feel to it. It's nice, just like that cup of tea you're drinking.

Best photo ever!

I just had to share this picture with those of you who haven't been lucky enough to see it yet. Yes, that is a boy jumping on a trampoline with a goat.

Twelve- year-old David Valentine of Miami Township, Clermont County plays with Blessing, one of his two goats, in the backyard of his home Thursday afternoon. Some neighbors have complained about the goats, Blessing and DJ, but David's parents say that the goats are the best thing they have found to help David deal with his ADD. The Cincinnati Enquirer/Glenn Hartong

And so I quit the police department and got myself a steady job

I really shouldn't have to write much today other than that I listened to Abbey Road by The Beatles. If you are a fan of any kind of music you should seek out The Beatles in general and Abbey Road specifically.

But as we do with so many great things, I'd grown overfamilar with this album and had all but forgotten it. I'd forgotten the great bass line that makes "Something" extra special and the great sound in Paul McCartney's voice as he sings "Oh! Darling." Even sillier songs like "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" and "Mean Mr. Mustard" sounded fresh after such a long absence.

Damn, this is a good album.

**********

As you might have figured out by now, I am indeed back from New York City. I had a mighty good time and I will post pictures and the like soon. First, though, I have to figure out if I am actually allowed to mention by name or show photographic proof of Josh's girlfriend. I think she might be wanted by the Feds. Just kidding, they're just being schmoopy.

Open hearted surgery never works

I'm leaving for a long weekend in New York in a few hours. This is my third trip in the last couple years so I'm starting to feel comfortable with how everything works. Yeah, I can take the bus from LaGuardia to the 2-3. No problem.

I'm going to try and listen to some albums while I'm traveling but I'm not sure if that's really going to happen. So for now I'll leave you with today's listening, the abundantly named Abandoned Shopping Trolley Hotline by Gomez.

Most of us have heard Gomez even if we haven't heard of them. They recorded a cover of The Beatles' song "Getting Better" that Phillips Electronics used in their commercials around 1999. Think about it really hard and you'll remember.

Even if you can't remember, this album will help. It's a collection of outtakes and radio performances and it also features the aforementioned Beatles song. And that's pretty much the reason why I bought the whole album.

I think I actually own all of Gomez's albums but this one is my least favorite. It's just random and lacks any sort of cohesiveness. It sounds like a bunch of stoned guys just playing their guitars and grooving for way too long (which is what it is). This is probably the closest I'll ever come to owning a Phish album.

So if you want to own that "Getting Better" cover you can probably buy it on iTunes these days. You need to be a really big fan to buy this Gomez album. Believe me, there are better ones out there.

Just shouldn't ever have to be this hard

Who: Me and Jeff Tweedy, lead singer of Wilco
What: An embarrassing non-encounter
Where: The Blue Note in Columbia, Missouri
When: 10/7/95 (according to the internet)
Why: I had toilets to clean

If you'll think back to my blathering about A Ghost Is Born, you'll remember that I bought today's album, A.M. by Wilco shortly before I left for college. Well, shortly after I started college I got a job as a cleaner at a club called The Blue Note. It paid minimum wage, but I could get into the shows for free. I was loving my Wilco album and I was totally excited when I found out they were coming to The Blue Note. Cleaning was more fun on days when there was a band in town that I liked. They would wander around and you could maybe mingle a little. Very cool.

For the embarrassing part, though, you need to know a little of the layout of the club. The cleaning closet where we kept our supplies was in a little hallway that led to the men's bathroom. There was no other door to the men's room but that usually wasn't a problem because there was no one around during the day.

No one except Jeff Tweedy.

So as I'm buzzing around all excited about the Wilco show, I decide to pop into the cleaning closet to get a new mop head. When I turn the corner, through, I realize I'm standing just a few feet away from Jeff - using the urinal. Stealthily (I like to think) I slink into the tiny cleaning closet and stand there as quietly as possible until Jeff leaves (he did wash his hands). He seemed pretty occupied with the job at hand so I don't think he noticed me (or at least that's what I choose to believe). Overall it's not the most embarrassing moment ever, but it's still the closest I've ever been to Jeff Tweedy.

So what does all of this have to do with A.M.? Not much. It's a great driving down a dirt road kind of album. I especially enjoy it when I'm in the Ozarks. If you're a recent fan of the band, you might be surprised by how overwhelmingly country they sound on this album. "Box Full Of Letters" is a good song in any genre, though.

God give me style and give me grace

Declan offered up A Rush Of Blood To The Head by Coldplay for my listening pleasure today which Mr. Amazon says was released on August 27, 2002. I'm not going to go on and on about Coldplay tonight because I'm a little sick of them, too. This album was their second release and is my second favorite. In fact I'm liking each of their new albums less each time. We'll see what it's like by the time they get to their fifth one.

Good stuff? "Green Eyes" and "Clocks" are great. I also have a huge soft spot for "The Scientist." At the other end of things, I tend to skip the last three or four songs. It just starts to sound a little repetitive.