It don't mean a thing...

I had this dream where I was walking around and ran into Duke Ellington. He told me that he really liked my shiny shoes, and maybe we should go eat something other than a salad. So we did. He told me that maybe I should play his music so others could hear it. So I said I would.

This is an inside joke. It'd be great to be a part of one someday, wouldn't it?

In all seriousness, this quarter is fantastic. Put "Ellington at Newport," on your ipod, grab a steak and a mug of hot water, and buy "Duke Ellington Meets Coleman Hawkins" entirely with Washington D.C. quarters. It's the perfect way to celebrate.

Confronting Mortality

My grandma is not well. She's been in and out of hospitals and rehab centers the past few weeks. Heart issues, lung issues, etc. Apparently, she has two tumor-looking items in her lungs, which at her age, are manifestly untreatable. Needless to say, the prognosis is not good. At least she remains in pretty good spirits, considering the circumstances.

I'm not one to be too emotional in private. I can probably count on one hand the times I've been genuinely angry, same goes for extremely sad, to the point of it being externally noticeable. I typically try to run on a pretty even keel. With that in mind, I'm certainly not going to make any sort of melodramatic appeal in the public format of this blog. But as you can imagine, it's shitty, especially since I have a pretty small family in the first place. I don't have any siblings, and neither does my mom. I have an aunt and an uncle on my dad's side, as well as two cousins. And when you take into account the fact that my grandma has always been more of a part of my nuclear family than my extended, once again, it's fairly sad.

But then again, she kind of seems okay with getting out of here. It's no way to spend life, cooped up inside, not being able to do the things you once did. Being reliant on others for basic things.

In another twist to my weekend, I ended up spending an hour and a half of my Saturday afternoon sitting with my dog at an emergency pet hospital. It turns out he has a herniated disc, so he got some drugs and has been put on a strict regimen of "bed rest." Now I'm not one to go overboard on dogs as some do. I've never viewed my dog as some sort of child that I have to take care of, rather, he's more of a friend that just sort of hangs out all the time. I don't carry pictures of him in my wallet, or dress him up in dog sweaters or any of that nonsense. But it was very disconcerting to hear him yelp and gingerly walk around on his hurting legs. When I took him to the vet, he had this look on his face like he felt bad he was making me take him to get looked at (law school is insanely busy right now).

Like I mentioned earlier, it's a small family, and whether you want to admit it or not, the dog is part of it. We've had him since I was 12, and as my dad likes to say, he's been the "constant" in the ever changing seas of life. Doesn't ask for much, save some food, walks, and attention. He seems to be feeling better, and the vet indicated he should be good to go in a week or so. At the time though, it was very disconcerting.

It doesn't help that suddenly, my assignments at school have gotten extremely long and extremely involved. Add the stress that necessarily accompanies the minutiae of daily life, and it's been quite the weekend. Everything could be worse though, I suppose.

On a bit of good news, the Twins signed Joe Crede to play third base. I think this was a wise move. I told my grandma this on Saturday, she agreed. She was quite excited to watch a replay of Scott Baker's near perfect game on Saturday afternoon. See the previous post, add that story to it. Sometimes, an idiotic ballgame is just what you need.

Thank You Baseball Gods

Two posts in a day, I know, I know. I really do have better things to do, but this story demanded commentary. And I did do better things, I'll have you know. Just ask me about federalism and slavery.

I read tonight that Ken Griffey Jr. has decided to sign a one year deal with the Seattle Mariners. Of course, if you were a boy growing up in the 1990's and followed baseball, you will always regard Griffey as a Mariner. It just was the way it was. Those years with the Reds were like an abyss. No one really cared.

Now, no one can question my devotion to the Minnesota Twins. I dare anyone to try. It is 100%, tested by the fiery hell of the mid to late 1990's (Scott Stahoviak?), vindicated in that glorious 1991 season (I was in kindergarten) and the rejuvenation of the new millennium. But aside from games at the Metrodome (subject of a future sentimental post), the stadium I have made the most visits to are Seattle's Safeco Field. And if I recall correctly, I once saw Griffey play there in 1999. My great aunt lived in Seattle, and whenever we would go to visit her, I would make sure to catch a few games. And I'll admit it, I liked it. I liked watching baseball outside, in a beautiful stadium (one more year, one more year). And I always thought the Mariners had a cool logo.

What is so glorious about this decision by Griffey is the concept of loyalty. I don't know how many baseball fans are out there, but the sport has been ransacked by disgusting displays of pure financial gain and irresponsibility. I would point to John Smoltz as the most recent victim. Here's a man who has pitched for the Braves his entire life, more than 20 years. And now, in the twilight of his career, he goes and signs with the Red Sox. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Loyalty. Loyalty is key.

Kirby Puckett. Need I say more? Of course not.

This decision by Ken Griffey Jr. is a demonstration of loyalty, that most precious of intangibles. A decision, on his part, to forego the ease and convenience of playing in Atlanta to return to his spiritual baseball home. If I were a true Mariners fan, I would be crying with joy right now.

Sports are an irrational phenomenon. No one on the Minnesota Twins knows who I am. Absolutely no idea. They play baseball because it is their job. It's like waiting tables at Denny's, or selling life insurance. Major League Baseball is a business, and I posit that most players today don't have loyalty to their specific team, because of that same reason. What is best for me? That most American concept of individual self-determination. The irony, of course, is that baseball is not a game of individual self-determination. Sure, the individual players play important roles, but the prime importance is on the team, not the individual. Without quality defence, or players to get on base, or pitchers to get people out, the single MVP player is worthless.

Of course, the reality is that for the great mass of people who follow baseball, it is anything but a business. It's not a way of life, but for many people, their specific team is an intensely important part of their life. It's a personal thing, through and through. I think of my own family, my grandpa used to take my dad to Twins games at the Old Met. He got him into the 1965 World Series. And ever since I can remember, my dad has been taking me to Twins games. Every summer, we drive to Matt's, have a greasy burger, go park, walk to the Dome, buy a program, sit in the upper club, order a Coke in a souvenir cup (recently that has changed to Summit), get a Dome Dog, and watch the game. It's the quintessential American relationship. Father and son, baseball, yada, yada, yada. Whatever else you want to throw in, but it's also a relationship between the game and the individual.

I think that's why true fans of the game shower such love upon players who reciprocate that relationship. Those players recognize that important relationship. They get it. I daresay they understand an essential part of the game that is often times, in this day and age, limited only to those linked via goodwill and affection.

So cheers to you Mr. Griffey, on behalf of true baseball fans everywhere. You did a good thing.

Album of the Week: Raising Sand

As a general rule, I look upon cross-genre duet albums with a critical eye. One might say I'm automatically cynical even. So when I hear that Robert Plant, legendary rock god frontman of Led Zeppelin, is doing a cross-genre duet album, I am immediately cynical. And on a more personal level, somewhat internally wounded. For those of you familiar with the epic mastery of Led Zeppelin (and you better damn well be), the thought of Robert Plant doing some sort of nancy-pancy made to order bullshit is a thought almost too unbearable to comprehend.

When I looked and saw the second name on said cross-genre duet album, I must admit my hopes were raised a bit. I dried my tears and decided to give this a shot. I'm not typically one for making grandiose, broad, over-arching pronouncements on any particular topic. I think that is presumptuous and typically only gives one part of a story. But I feel comfortable in broadly stating that Alison Krauss has one of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful, voices I've ever heard. I have an album of her and Union Station, and it is fantastic. And damn can she fiddle.

It's hard to juxtapose in the mind or ear, Robert Plant's primal wails of Led Zeppelin yore with Alison Krauss' ethereal melodies. Thankfully, Plant turns off his rock and roll button, and puts on his folksy-country hat. And man, the result recorded on this album is something else.

As I indicated previously, I could happily sit and listen to Krauss sing out of a legal dictionary for days on end, and this album showcases her absolutely stunning voice. She could sing a phone book, or a dental manual, or explain your tax evasion in song form, and it would still be gorgeous. To hear her singing with Plant is initially kind of like getting punched in the ears, you have no idea that what you're hearing is real. Their two voices surprisingly blend with uncanny ease, but there's a haunting undertone to nearly all of it. It's like you can feel the tension between their styles, and both artist is consciously having to suppress themselves. Every once in a while though, you can hear some of that individuality come out in the open, bubbling up from the unconscious. I can't remember what track, but there's this one part where Plant sings a stanza, and he just kind of forgets where he is at the end, and he comes off sounding like he's ready to melt some faces with Jimmy, John, and John Paul. I heard one reviewer comment that this album has the feel of a courtship dance between the two performers. I overwhelmingly agree.

When you think about it, this record actually has a logical basis. American blues, which formed the basis of the Led Zeppelin sound and was instrumental in the development of bluegrass, is the common language of both Plant and Krauss. And Zepp always had a very strong interest in acoustic folk music. You listen at nearly all of Led Zeppelin III, or songs like "Battle of Evermore," and you'll hear that folksy sound. Similarly, you listen to Alison Krauss and Union Station, and you hear a very progressive strand of bluegrass. So I suppose, it's kind of like they're meeting in the middle.

My favourite track thus far is "Please Read the Letter." Interestingly enough, it was co-written by Plant and Jimmy Page (lead guitar for Led Zeppelin) for one of Plant's prior solo albums. I think it would have been really sweet if they could have brought Jimmy in to play some acoustic or mandolin on this piece, see how he would interpret it.

All in all, this is a pretty quiet album. Pretty standard bluegrassy instrumentation, being guitar, mandolin, banjo, bass, drums. Not all of the instruments are on every track though, so it remains a quiet album. That's one of the very odd things, hearing Plant sing so softly. You realize that he actually has a very pleasant voice. A great track to showcase that is "Polly Come Home," which is just mesmerizing. It's got this extremely somber guitar-drum background, which contrasts with these very emotional vocals. Another great faster piece is "Gone, Gone, Gone," which has some grant Plant-Krauss action. Here it sounds like Krauss is a little outside of her comfort zone, trying to keep up with Plant's more natural rock instincts.

Anyways, I'm not going through every track on the album, but they're all great. So in summary, if you're looking for a bizarre way to spend an hour or so, check out this album. But also, if you are looking for an hour of simply fantastic, interesting music, I would check this out. Highly recommended.

New Suit

GQ says a dark blue suit is the kind of suit that makes every man look good. Accordingly, in an effort to make myself look more like the competent member of the legal profession that I am, I recently put down some serious coin on a new dark blue suit. I picked it up today from the tailors.

It is badass.

It may have taken me nearly 23 years, but well-fitting clothes are a wise investment.

Excited.

I'm excited too. Spring training starts tomorrow.

I'm anticipating a good season.

Album of the Week: Bandwagonesque

Hi folks. Are you being crushed under the weight of work, research, and mental anguish? Are you sleeping little and stressing lots? Has coffee replaced blood as your predominant bodily fluid? If so, you need to chill out a bit, grab a scotch, and listen to Teenage Fanclub's "Bandwagonesque."

Just who is Teenage Fanclub? No frekkin' idea. I was talking music with this crazy dude at my dad's house party a few weeks ago, the dude was in his early 40's I'd say, had a huge ponytail, and played steel guitar in an old time honkytonk/rock fusion band. I told him he had to listen to "Kind of Blue" he told me I had to check out Teenage Fanclub. Behold, I left the party, was wasting time at a record shop, and I find the aforementioned album. So I bought it.

What I really like about this album is that it is a straightforward rock album, but it has little references to other styles. Definitely a grunge vibe going on, which probably makes sense since it was released in 1991. However, it does away with Nirvana style angst, and instead uses a much more melodic approach.

I don't want to call this is a pop album, because it's devoid of most all the bullshit that characterizes modern pop music. Really sparse instrumentation, pretty much guitar, bass, drums, but they get a quite rich sound. Listening to the album, you just get the sense that the group is using a very robust musical palette, if you get what I'm saying. It creates a great rock vibe, which I think is best described as even steven. You know, there are those other references, but for the most part, this album is just great melodies and great music presented in a very pragmatic rock format. It's not angry music, it's not super sad music, it's just music for that huge chunk of moderation left in the middle.

This group is Scottish, so of course, the lyrics have that British twinge to them, which I think really helps to add to a unique rock sound. I know I just said the album was one for that great mass of moderation, but I think if you check this music out, you'll agree that it is a distinctive moderation.

Bottom line, if you're sitting around and aren't looking to get super pissed, and aren't looking to wallow in self pity, I would check this album out. I bought it kind of on a whim, and I think it's fantastic music.

RED Card

I was at Starbucks this morning, poring over my property assignment and Sixth Amendment cases. I couldn't help but notice, there's currently a promotion at Starbucks where if you "purchase" a Starbucks RED card, Starbucks will donate 5¢ every time you make a purchase with it. This is the AIDS awareness program that Gap, Apple, and other trendy companies like to expound. Basically, it's a gift card, right? No different from any of the other gift cards, but this one comes with a 5¢ donation.

Now, I don't want to belittle or slander Starbucks, because frankly, I can't probably afford any more run-in's with them for fear of being blacklisted. And plus, Starbucks has long had my back as my preferred study/conversation/hang out spot. But I find this RED card odd.

Undoubtedly this is a worthy cause. But it seems to me to be a bit of a cop out on the part of Starbucks. Now, I went on their website and checked out their social responsibility page, and it seems fairly bulky. But basically, with this program, they're transferring any sort of moral culpability onto the consumer. If I were to go up to CEO Howard Schultz and say, "Well, how come you're not giving this amount to the RED campaign?", he could just turn around and say, "Don't blame us, people aren't using their RED cards." It just seems to me to be sort of a lame way to make a philanthropic statement. If you as a company want to make an investment in some sort of charitable cause, make an investment that you can fully stand behind. That seems like a more convincing show of social responsibility. Making your philanthropy that blatantly dependent on others doesn't quite convince me.

I think the best show of corporate social responsibility has to be Target, where 5% of their profit is automatically given back to the community. There's a set goal, a solid commitment of a certain percentage. I think other folks interested in being "socially responsible" should follow that lead.

New Phone, New Capabilities!

Hi folks. I purchased a new mobile phone today, which I suppose in itself isn't big news. However, this directly affects all of you, in that I can now send and receive up to 200 text messages each month! I've probably done like 10 of them today, showing off to folks that I could indeed do so, so this month's limit is now at 190.

Point being, I will now be available at times when a traditional call just would not be feasible. Like a noisy baseball game, or something like that.

Of course, I can also get email on this thing too, so feel free to use that if you don't feel like eating up my quota. Given the number of calls I receive on a regular basis though, I'm sure none of this will be a problem.

I still haven't quite figured the damn thing out, but I'm pretty sure it can control my car or fire a laser beam or something. I'm kind of hesitant to press too many buttons, because I don't really want to inadvertently start some sort of nuclear confrontation while trying to check the news.

Life is full of small challenges.

Beer of the Day: Boulevard Irish Ale

No particular reason why. It's really quite good, and it brings back a lot of good memories from T-Bock's in Decorah.

Winter in Notts

I found this photo on the BBC "Day in Pictures" feature, and of course I had to post it. Anyone who knows anything will realize why. Sorry the photo is so small, but you'll have to take up your objections with the BBC.

Profound Insights, Wisdom, Etc.

1. When you sit down and think about it, chicken fingers really sound like a pretty macabre food. No one wants to eat fingers of any sort.

2. Have you ever noticed that to a dog, the entire planet is literally a giant toilet? The more I thought about it, the more sense it makes. I mean, why limit yourself to a chunk of porcelain when you could use the Yosemite Valley? All natural, compostable, what's the big deal?

3. Whenever you order pizza, regret inevitably follows

4. When you have graduated from college, and you go try to spend Christmas gift cards at American Eagle, you will feel like a giant tool

5. I think the only good reason to watch the Super Bowl in the future is to check out the new commercials for the upcoming Twins season. Aside from going to parties that involve free Mediterranean food and free beer, but the party doesn't require that you actually watch the game.

Maybe this will be a new recurring segment, much like the "Album of the Week" feature. Feel free to add input, or your own profound insights.