when technology takes you old school

February 9, 2010

Stacy and I have a deal.  She carried/birthed/feeds Zachary, and I wash the breast pump every night.  I don’t quite remember how the details got hammered out, but clearly I had just read a very good book on effective bargaining techniques.

The pump is a fantastic invention for the working mom.  Baby gets fed on the cheap, once you negate the steep $250 in start up-costs.  It even comes with a fashionable carrying bag.  Stylish and practical.

What the pump is not, however, is tough.  You’re not supposed to put it in the dishwasher.  Technically, you can steam sanitize the thing, but it doesn’t hold up well to the constant barrage of micro-waves.  That leaves washing by hand.  Every…single…night.

So washing the pump is my job.  Bottles too.  It’s the least I can do (quite literally).

I really don’t mind the throwback of doing dishes by hand.  The ashy hands are a bit of a drag.  The main upside is that it’s given me the chance to rediscover one of my first loves: listening to basketball on the radio.  Now by “radio” I mean “radio broadcasts streamed over the internet to my iPhone”, but still.

Growing up I listened to just about every Blazers game on the radio.  620 KGW or 1190 KEX, depending on the era.  The Schonz would croon me to sleep on the nights I couldn’t quite stay up late enough to hear how the boys did.

Then I grew up and moved halfway across the country.  For some reason, there are not Blazers radio affiliates in Kansas.  I strongly considered dropping the 100 bones on the NBA broadband package this year so that I could watch all of the games.  In the end, I decided not to because (a) it’s pretty  much the busiest year of my life and (b) there were enough games on ESPN/TNT/ABC/NBATV to get me by.

Enter Plan B.  There is an official NBA iPhone app that streams all of the radio broadcasts.  At $10, the price was so right.  And as an added bonus, I am now not subject to the Blazers terrible, horrible, no good, very bad TV announcing crew. There are four commas in that last sentence, but absolutely no hyperbole.  They might be the worst TV crew in all of pro sports.

If you can’t find me on game night, just check the kitchen.  I’ll be the guy at the sink, washing dishes by hand and listening to play-by-play on the radio (sort of).  I’m retro.  Back in time.  A throwback to a bygone era.  Old school.

All thanks to the wonders of modern technology.

Renew and Restore

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the day my 4-year old became a libertarian

February 1, 2010

The other day, my 4 yr old found this magazine sitting in the rack beside the recliner.  For obvious reasons, it caught her eye.  She grabbed it, brought it over to me, and the following conversation ensued:

El: Dad.  What’s this?

Me: It’s a magazine.

El: But what’s this green thing.

El has been going through a “scared” phase lately.  Anything remotely fright-inducing gets fixated on for days, and is undoubtedly brought up in conversations around bedtime.

Me: It’s…uhhh…it’s a big green slug. [lie]

El: Oh.  What’s it doing to that man.

Me: I don’t know. [lie]

El: It looks like he’s eatin’ him. [busted]

Me: Yeah.  I guess it does, now that you mention it.

El: What does this say? [pointing to the headline on the magazine. this, i found out a

t

preschool parent/teacher conferences last week puts her ahead of the developmental curve.  most kids are a litt

le older before they realize printed words carry meaning.  and they're certainly much older before they're reading The Economist.  just sayin'.]

Me: “Stop! The Backlash Against Big Government”

El: [pointing to the big green thing] Is that Big Government? [what a brilliant child.  i think she gets it from her mother]

Me: [busted again] Yes.  Yes, it is.

El: Well, I don’t like Big Government.  It eats people.

Priceless.

Renew and Restore

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wednesday watchlist: things to teach the kids

January 20, 2010

The internet has given us many great things.  Two of my favorites: videos of kids falling down and videos of kids doing funny/amazing things.

My kids are amazing.  But sometimes parents get a little too smitten with their progeny.  We lose sight of the fact they might not be perfect.  The internet has shown me three areas my kids would have to improve in for them to achieve perfection.

  1. Hip-Hop Dancing -

    2. (h/t ryan k. via fb)

  2. Guitar Skills Accompanied by Singing and ridiculously Cute Facial Gesticulations -

  3. Speaking with a British Accent –

I think the key here as a good parent is not to push my kids too hard.  They may not reach the heights that the above three kids have soared to, and that’s ok.  Shoot, perhaps my kids will never acquire any of these three skills.  But you never know.

Renew and Restore

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wednesday watchlist: sick wit’ it

December 16, 2009

In early July 2006, I got sick.  Very sick.  The sickest I’ve ever been.  If the symptom was listed on a bottle of NyQuil, I had it to the max.  It was so bad that I had to back out of a work trip and spend 5 days on the couch.  When the 4th of July rolled around, I didn’t even smoke any meat.  Proof right there that something was seriously wrong.

There was a blessing to come out of the plague.  My time on the couch was well-scheduled in that it afforded me the opportunity to watch a nice chunk of the 2006 World Cup, including what was a very entertaining USA v. Italy matchup.  I had always liked and respected soccer, but that tournament helped me fall in love with soccer.  Those were the days.

If you wonder why I’m waxing sentimental about those good ol’ days, might I point you to excerpts from my Twitter feed on December 4, 2009.

Now that the Rose Bowl is sorted out, we cam move onto pressing international matters…like today’s World Cup 2010 draw. 8:48 AM Dec 4th from qTweeter

would love for the US to draw Italy or England. Def. want a piece of those cats. #worldcupdraw

aiight. here we go.. #worldcupdraw 10:55 AM Dec 4th from TweetDeck

USA v. ENGLAND…..HECKS YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH. Revolutionary war all over again!!!!!!! #Worldcupdraw 11:10 AM Dec 4th from TweetDeck

DANGIT!!!! Just realized Stacy’s family has a camping trip scheduled the day of England v. USA. *cough* i’m coming down with something 11:12 AM Dec 4th from TweetDeck

*headdesk**headdesk**headdesk** 11:13 AM Dec 4th from TweetDeck

For the record, I love my in-laws.  They are the best in-laws a guy could ask for.  They have given me the two greatest gifts a man could ever receive: Stacy’s hand in marriage and tickets to Star Wars In Concert.  And I love camping with them.  It’s very fun.

I. Love. My. In-laws.

That being said, I need to watch that match.  Need to watch it live.  It’s a matter of patriotism and pride.  Yeah, the US is probably going to get waxed in the match.  But in the unlikely event that we can earn a draw, or unlikeliest event that we pull out a victory, I need to see it.  Did I mention NEED?

I’m confident a solution can be mediated.  We are camping close to Wichita, and I plan on submitting an official request for a 4-hour day pass for the day of the match.  But in the event my request is denied, I need a backup plan.  I’ll be taking it back to 2006 and figuring out a way to get sick.  Very, very sick.  Desperate times call for desperate measures, which I now present you in the form of this week’s Wednesday Watchlist:

  1. Kick my clementine orange habit – Every winter, I start pounding those little suckers.  4-5 at a time, a couple of times each day.  That much vitamin C has to be turning my immune system into an impenatrable fortress.  That’s no good if you are trying to get sick.
  2. Stop washing my hands, and start eating with my hands – It’s sick.  But that’s the point.
  3. Open my mouth and dive into the blast radius when people sneeze – I might want to invest in some goggles.  It gets messy.

  4. Kiss as many babies as possible – Babies are disgusting.  They always have snot and drool on their faces, and they put everything in their mouths.  Oh, and they crawl all over the floor.  Gotta be a lot of germs for the taking there.
  5. Lick Stacy’s stethoscope, hospital shoes and white coat every night before bed – Great tactic, as long as she hasn’t delivered any babies that day.  I have my limits.

I’ll keep everyone posted during the negotiation process. I hope it doesn’t come down to enacting the above strategies.

Renew and Restore

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anticipating the roots of change

December 15, 2009

I might soon be awarding the title of “favorite band” to a new group. For the past few years, U2 has held it down. More than a lot of folks, I even appreciated their last album in spite of the fact that it doesn’t have a lot of radio hits. It seemed like they were trying some different things on the musical end, accompanied by lyrics that had some nice depth.

But for the past couple of years, a new crew has been creepin’. The Roots Crew from Philly, to be specific. They’ve always been on my broad radar. Well, ever since high school when they first started droppin’ albums to the mainstream. But it took some age and experience for me to really appreciate what they bring to the table as the hardest working group in hip-hop.

Lyrically, the group is prophetic. In terms of forthtelling (explaining a current reality), they do it better than anyone. Ultimately, this comes back to haunt them when it comes to mainstream success. I’ve heard a lot of white people express fatigue when they listen to The Roots. I get that. There is a lot in their lyrics that requires a certain amount of contextualization to get the full effect. It does take a lot of mental energy to listen to their lyrics and understand what they are saying. And then it takes more energy to deal with the issues of race and inequality that they bring up. So if you listen to music simply to be entertained, fine. But if you want music that will make you think, there you go.

On the music side of things, there are only two things you need to know: six of the groups seven members play an instrument, and one of those members plays the sousaphone (Damon “Tuba Gooding Jr.” Bryson). Listening to what they were able to do on Jay-Z’s Unplugged album and their own live album have convinced me I NEED to see them live in the near future. Their musical versatility has been on display this year on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and I’ve noticed that when they are invited to play with musical guests they bring a professionalism and uniqueness to the performance. Yeah, they do well when they play with hip-hop acts, but they also tear it up with artists of other genres as well. My favorite of all time is ?uestlove’s drumming with Sara Watkins.

For the record, I’ve yet to officially rearrange my rankings.  The Roots still need to drop their latest album.  According to their website, it was set to release 10/20/09.  Trust me.  It’s not out yet.  But when it comes out it could tip the scales. In the interest of fairness, I also want to catch both The Roots and U2 live this summer to help with this epic decision.

I’m also willing to accept written, verbal and in person pitches from members of either group.  Just in case they are interested.
Renew and Restore

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friday funkfest 23

December 11, 2009

Friday Funkfest. A recurring (almost weekly) flurry of quick hits, links, videos and thoughts. Clearly, the best way to waste time at work spend your lunch hour each and (almost) every Friday.

Leland Chee has a great job.  He is the gatekeeper of all things Star Wars.  A continuity specialist so to speak.  He makes sure everything in the Star Wars universe stays congruent.  Well, where in tarnation was Leland when this debacle went down?  Sheeesh.  I was willing to cut him some slack and assume he had a bad day back in 2008, but no. This wasn’t the first time a heresy farce like this was performed, nor was it the last.  As much as I love Chewbacca and Darth, I do NOT need to see them thrusting their hips.  Sick.

Tweet of the Week:

I wish Lord of the Rings fans would dress up as Gollum & stand in line for Precious looking confused. (@bonniegrrl)

Lyric of the Week:

Ain’t it funny/I got on all my clothes/And I can still sing

-Jill Scott on You Got Me from The Roots Come Alive

Renew and Restore

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reflection: star wars in concert

December 10, 2009

h/t Docking Bay 94

That trailer is interesting, but it doesn’t get me hyped. As a historical piece, it’s interesting. But it’s at a disadvantage for a handful of reasons. C3PO’s voice needs a little auto tune. Seriously wonky narration. Darth Vader and Obi Wan are using neutral-colored light sabers. The Star Wars logo is in blue.

There is one aspect of the trailer that stands out above the rest: the generic B-track music. A couple of chords gaining in volume and intensity. That’s it. In context, it’s not a big deal. This was the first trailer for the film, after all. But it’s still strange to watch without the iconic Star Wars music.

Last night I had the chance to experience that iconic music in a whole new way. My in-laws got me tickets to Star Wars: In Concert, and it was incredible. The Royal Philharmonic presented music from all six films. Synchronized montages from the films accompanied the music on what looked to be HD on a gigantic LED screen. I was blown away by the picture quality to the point where I really want a Blue-Ray player specifically to watch Star Wars. The icing on the cake had to be the lasers and choreographed lighting. For a dude who wore out a few VHS cassettes watching the films over the years, it was a multi-sensory joy. Oh, and it was narrated live by Anthony Daniels (C3PO).

I literally got chills on five separate occasions: when the show started off with the THX theme, at the first brass blast of the main theme, during Duel of the Fates, and both times the Imperial Death March was played.

The whole experience was just really well done, which it had to be considering how ridiculous attentive to detail we Star Wars faithful can be.  But the buzz on Twitter last night was mostly positive in spite of all our expectations heading into the night.

Random Thoughts:

  • My one criticism: not enough Chewbacca.  I could be wrong, but I only remember a single Wookie howl in the whole show.  Wookies are like cow bell…you can always use more.
  • There were so many kids at the show.  Good to know the legacy is being passed down to a new generation.
  • I can’t imagine the logistics of setting up a show like this.  It was in an arena, so the sound had to be big.  I noticed that every single instrument had a small mic on it.  Can you imagine being in charge of that sound board?
  • Not as many concert attendees in concert as I anticipated.
  • The show exceeded my wife’s expectations.  She’s not into the Star Wars thing, so that’s a win.
  • Darth Vader is the best villan ever.
  • The Imperial Death March LOOKS really cool when it’s being played.  So much precision from the strings.

If the show comes to your town, go see it.

Renew and Restore

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wednesday watchlist: scary puppets

December 9, 2009

Throughout my childhood, my parents did a good job of ensuring that the movies I watched were age-appropriate.  I wasn’t allowed to watch Gremlins.  I did get to watch Ghostbusters, but only when it came out on network television.  So even the edgier PG stuff had to be sanitized.

In hindsight however, there seem to be some incongruities in my parent’s philosophy.  I remember three films that were probably a little too scary for my young imagination.  I’m not sure how they got through the filter, but they were freaky with a capital “F”.  Kids in peril.  Giant puppets engaging in all sorts of sorcery and magical zaniness.  Oh, and let’s not forget David Bowie dancing around in a spandex jumper.

So the bad news is that I was clearly traumatized as a child.  The good news is that at least we can pinpoint the three reasons why I’m so weird.

1. The Labrynth:




Well, well, well.  If it isn’t the aforementioned David Bowie decked out with one of the most fantastic hair/outfit combos ever.  And he has a bunch of crazy puppets with him.  And he’s making that cute little baby cry.  And the lyrics of his song include the poetic, “Put that magic jump on me/Slap that baby make him free”. Okay, then.

2. The Neverending Story:

Snow! Peril! Horse sinking in mud! Zombie princess girl! Giant turtle sneeze! Crazy laser-eye creatures! Good thing that big fluffy white flying thing was so nice.

3. The Dark Crystal:

And you thought the main character looked strange.  Those skeletor bird lookin’ things are are scary enough in their own right, but then they go pumping that crystal voodoo through their eyes.  *shudder*

Reliving all these memories is probably going to keep me awake all night.

Renew and Restore

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nike hates america

December 7, 2009

Coleman (aka The Manny, aka @dahdscear) and I were at a Kansas City Wizards game a few months back when we got a notion. Wouldn’t it be cool if every World Cup year we each got an official US shirt* with our favorite current player’s name on the back? It’d be a cool deal because then over the years you could end up with a pretty cool collection. Not only would there be a timeline of how styles change over the years, but there would also be a way to remember my favorite player from each squad.

*In soccer, the “uniform” is called a “kit”.  The “jersey” is referred to as a “shirt”

I am set on getting a Landon Donovan shirt. I’m not sure where Coleman is at. He wanted a Tim Howard, but keeper shirts are different from the other 10 players on the pitch.

Now the shirts won’t come out until February, so we’ve been waiting with bated breath for info to leak via the internets. A little unofficial preview is always appreciated, with the notable exceptions of U2 albums and Star Wars movies.

With all of the hype surrounding our fashion plans, there was a pretty big letdown when the leaked shirt finally made its way online.

I first saw an unofficial mock-up over at Hillcrest Road and immediately sent a link with my thoughts to Coleman.

Me: Shoot me now.

Coleman: Here she comes, Miss America…

Me: My thoughts exactly…Image via www.simpsonstrivia.com

To the best of my knowledge, the only people to wear sashes on a regular basis are beauty queens and Mayor Quimby. I half expect Nike to announce that they are going to print the home state of each player on the sash. That would be so fitting.

Is it the worst US Soccer kit ever? Well, no. The faux denim joint with stars upchucked across the front was a disaster of biblical proportions. 1994 was the clear low point.

But, man. Adidas has released very stylish kits for 2010. Good lines. Clean designs. And Umbro rocks the snappy collar.  Even Puma comes through with strong offerings.

And Nike is giving us a sash.

If our flag had a diagonal line on it, I could accept a sash.

If the US Soccer team were actually a basketball team from Portland with a history of belly sashes, I could accept a sash.

But neither of those “sash-clauses” are a reality in this situation. I’m over here, trying to be a grade-A fan, and we in here talkin’ ’bout sashes.  Only in America.  You know Nike wouldn’t dream of pitching something like this to Brazil or Portugal.  Nike’s designers are perfectly capable of designing a slick kit.  My theory is they chose not to in this case.  Clearly, Nike hates America.

All that being said, I’m still springing for the Donovan shirt. I’m still going to support the squad, even if Nike hates America.

Renew and Restore

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friday funkfest 22

December 4, 2009

Friday Funkfest. A recurring (almost weekly) flurry of quick hits, links, videos and thoughts. Clearly, the best way to waste time at work spend your lunch hour each and (almost) every Friday.


If you are from Oregon, you’ve already seen this.  If you aren’t from Oregon, you’re welcome.

  • On Wed night I get to go to Star Wars: In Concert.  I remember seeing a commercial for the Portland show when we were back there in July.  I immediately jumped on the computer to see if the show was scheduled to come to KC, but it wasn’t.  Thankfully, they added dates and KC was one.  Stacy says she’s ready for the experience, but I’m not sure she knows what she’s getting into.  Will Darth Vader make an apperence as guest conductor?  Well, probably not.  But a boy can hope, cant he? (h/t adampaul)
  • Generational differences in how people viewed individual episodes of the Star Wars trilogy.
  • Not so much street cred for this big swinger.
  • Joe Posnanski’s breakdown of country music.
  • ESPN launched their World Cup 2010 site just in time for the draw today.  I’m not terribly optimistic that things will work out for the US.  In fact, a specific Star Wars quote keeps coming to mind every time I think of the possibilities: “I’ve got a bad feeling about this…”
  • The 5 most famous goal celebrations of all time…and some bonus material at the bottom of the page.
  • Are we really the most overrated generation in human history?

Tweet of the Week:

Spammers are stupid. That is all. (@blogwelldone)
Lyric of the Week:

There’re no escapin’ when
You’re whole philosophy is paper thin
In vanity
The wide road is insanity

-Freedom Time by Lauryn Hill

Renew and Restore

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