Archives for category: hooray!

Mele Kalikimaka!

December 26, 2007 //

… or, as we might say on the mainland, Merry Christmas!

Christmas is such a strange time for those of us in vocational church ministry. Advent is supposed to be a season of watching and waiting, but because this is one of the “Big Two” seasons of the church (Easter being the other one) it’s more like a season of hustling and hurrying. I’m not complaining, mind you; this is all part of the territory of church work. It’s just that it can make things more difficult to find moments of deep reflection, quietness or joy.

It was a happy surprise yesterday when our family had a chance to visit Christmas Card Lane up in Rancho Penasquitos, not too far from our home. Before visiting, I had my doubts. My father-in-law lives in what is basically a mandatory massive Christmas light display neighborhood. It’s kind of fun for our daughter, but all I can think of is the massive electricity bills. Last year, my father-in-law blew out the electricity in half of his house.

However, what we found in Christmas Card Lane was a neighborhood of mostly hand-crafted, personalized displays. Sure, there were plenty of lights but, clearly, the focus was on the larger than life “Christmas Cards” families had made and put into their front yards. How can seeing Charlie Brown and friends not put you into a good mood? Whenever I hear Luke 2:8-20 being read during the Christmas season, I hear Linus’ voice.

Snow White was our daughter’s favorite:

I’m partial to Calvin, myself!

May the joy that came down from heaven fill your heart to overflowing!

Categories community, design, family, hooray!, just grinning

Don’t Call It A Comeback! An Indie Trifecta

December 13, 2007 //

Although I have lamented the death of the indie record store, my hope has been restored by my recent discovery of M-Theory Records right here in San Diego. The store is not nearly as big as, say, Amoeba Records in Hollywood, but still keeps a great selection of indie rock on hand. While I often dread encountering the stereotypical snobby indie record store clerk, the staff at M-Theory is friendly, without being overbearing; definitely, no sense of being judged when you bring your music to the counter. Support independent music!

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We had to make a trip out to Los Angeles earlier this week to get some things ready for Christmas here at church, and I stopped by the aforementioned Amoeba. They also have a pretty nice staff; once, they gave my daughter a free Amoeba t-shirt. In fact, she recognized the store by said shirt during our recent visit. In their massive used section, I was able to find a copy of Dirty by Sonic Youth for less than five dollars. Makes flipping through their mountain of discs worthwhile!

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To complete this independent music troika, check out my friend’s interview with Sufjan Stevens from a few years back — right before Sufjan became the international indie heartthrob composer that he is today (watch part six of “The BQE” below). Joshua’s writing is what inspired me, in part, to try it out on my own.

Categories community, hooray!, indie, music

Thanksgiving, Detroit Style

November 20, 2007 //

We’re back in Michigan this week, to celebrate Thanksgiving with my folks. It’s been awhile since they’ve seen their one and only granddaughter, and they are loving it. We are catching up on some much-needed rest this week (after all, there’s not really much to do around here other than rest).

As all Michiganders know, Thanksgiving means family, turkey and a Lions football game. My Michigan sports fanhood has been put to the test over the last couple of years. It’s great and all that the Red Wings and Pistons have compiled impressive regular season stats, but when it comes to the post-season, both teams find new ways each season to crush our collective hopes & dreams. Don’t even get me started on U of M. After tanking it early and then mounting a faux-comeback this season, at least they had the decency to put themselves out of contention before bowl season. Usually, they string us along until some New Year’s Day bowl game and then flop.

…which brings us to Thanksgiving. Usually reliable in their wretchedness, the Lions started the first half of this season with a roar. But, after back-to-back losses to the Cardinals (ugh) and the Giants (double ugh) it looks like the typical cycle of denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance has begun all over again. With the resurgent 9-1 Packers’ defense offering bounties on the most-sacked QB in the league (and the Goo Goo Dolls playing the halftime show), things are not looking good for the Lions.

In case all of this bad news has cast a pall over your Thanksgiving weekend, I offer to you this video of Frank Caliendo. I’m no fan of Mad TV, of which Caliendo is an alum, but this series of sports impressions is amazing stuff. It’s not just that he mimics the voices of such notable announcers as John Madden, Jim Rome, Bill Walton and Charles Barkley with such accuracy, but he captures the eccentricity and quirks of each personality. Seriously, his riff on Detlef Schrmpf is worth the price of admission alone.

Categories family, hooray!, just grinning

Ninjabread Man, You Could’ve Been A Contender

November 13, 2007 //

Although it’s not always very “current,” I have updated my Currently Enjoying page. And, in the interest of balance, I will also share what I am currently not enjoying as well…

We love our Wii! Every game we have played — from the OG Wii Sports to Cooking Mama — has been fun and inventive. That is why, when I saw the cover of Ninjabread Man at Blockbuster, I had to rent it. The Gingerbread Man reimagined as a sword-wielding ninja? Brilliant! Said ninja attacking monster cupcakes and reducing them to jam? Almost perfect! So, eagerly, I brought the game home.

I suppose it had to happen sometime, but this was my first Wii letdown — and it was a doozy. Perhaps my anticipation drove my expectation past reasonable levels, but this game is just plain awful. The controls are utterly unresponsive. Instead of the gory jamfest I was hoping to incite, I found myself instead leisurely strolling into one cupcake attack after another. The poor Ninjabread Man cannot seem to stop himself, so I regularly fell off of each obstacle on which I was supposed to land (in order to get any further). The old school graphics, instead of being charming (like so many of the other Wii games), were choppy and grotesque. In fact, some of the old school NES games we downloaded on the Virtual Console were more aesthetically pleasing — even the blocky, pixelated world of the original Zelda.

Don’t judge the Ninjabread Man by his cover. He can promise the world, but the proof is in the pudding (or lack thereof).

Categories boo!, design, games, hooray!, reviews

Did You Just Hear That?

November 10, 2007 //

Being a t-shirt junky and a fan of sometimes-obscure indie rock, I couldn’t help but smile at this “Music Snob” t-shirt. While none of these albums might qualify as “bluegrass synth” or “skate folk,” here are a couple of albums I have been enjoying lately.

After heralding a new age of Gypsy/indie rock (was there an old age?) with last year’s Gulag Orkestar, twenty-one year old Zach Condon has brought Balkan back with his latest release, The Flying Club Cup. It’s kind of hard to describe this album in a compelling way — Condon doesn’t sing, he croons; the album is, apparently, an homage to French music; there’s more accordion than on a Chicago push polka album. And yet, I’ve really been enjoying TFFC. In fact, I can’t get Nantes out of my head.

I wish Heresy and the Hotel Choir by Maritime had come out a couple of months ago, because it is packed to the hilt with what would be amazing summer driving songs. Although often billed as an indie supergroup (…featuring members of The Promise Ring! and The Dismemberment Plan!!), Maritime has crafted a set of lovely pop gems that stand up in their own right. Listen for yourself at Battle of the Midwestern Housewives.

New wave is the best and, apparently, Scandinavia agrees with me. Others fond of Kings of Convenience, The Whitest Boy Alive and (of course) the mighty New Order will probably rather dance to Pet Grief by The Radio Dept than talk with you. Pet Grief is more synthy and less shoegazer than past efforts, as evidenced by The Worst Taste in Music, but is much more than an 80s nostalgia trip.

Categories hooray!, indie, music, reviews