Friday Feels Like A Jailbreak

It's friday and I am feeling only what I imagine an inmate must feel as he approaches the day of his release. Not only am I looking forward to the weekend (which starts at approximately 2:08, but also the two week Christmas Break that is barely off into the distance. Too many good things going on.
1. it almost snowed last night
2. Christmas is approaching
3. Friends are having babies
4. Tonight I am going to drink and bet on NBA basketball
5. Christmas music feels appropriate for the first time today
6. I will be back in Indiana in two weeks
7. There are already presents under the Christmas tree
8. IU beats Kentucky this weekend
9. My beard is making amazing progress

A couple funny things happened recently at the "brain factory". A 7th grader...lets call him Simon was telling a story amongst a small group of classmates. Simon is not exactly "with it" and words and statements occasionally fly over his head...even things that come out of his own mouth. His story...
"Yeah me and Michael were out in the woods jacking around and he was messing with this stump and then he kept on "jacking off" and we hung out for a little longer and we "jacked off" some more and then we met up with Kyle and we all "jacked off" for a while and then we went home."
Amazing the will power it takes for an adult to not break out into laughter at such an account.

An 8th grader had recently broken his wrist. I asked him how long he has the cast for. His answer...
"I don't know...we are going to the urologist today to see whats going on"
Middle School kids are funny little idiots!

The Holiday Sampler Is Back Again Bitches

In the spirit of the season and in memory of Those Are Red Pants I am offering the Red Pants Holiday Sampler CD. A few took me up on the offer last year...I hope some will take me up on this year. The disc will include tracks filled with words and music. Good words and good music. All you have to do is list your address in the comments section listed below...you will receive the disc by Christmas...if I accumulate enough motivation to visit the post office in the next couple weeks. I will not list the tracks because Christmas is about suprises...a disc full of surprises. Word!

**if you have trouble posting in the comments or do not want your address posted for holiday burglers email your address to
elicash23@gmail.com
thanks

John K. Samson Singing a Propoghandi Song Called The Gift

John K. Samson of the Weakerthans was first a member of the band Propoghandi. Propoghandi got the lyric thing right. They just missed it on the music. Or maybe I shouldn't say that...not everyone likes the music I find great. This is a great version of a song written by his previous band.

Explosions In The Sky

Explosions In The Sky. I am listening to this band for the first time tonight...for the first time...as I type this in my living room. After searching the internet for free songs that I could download and finding a number of various songs off of various albums I am now listening. And three songs in I am enjoying myself. On my couch...in my living room. and I can't believe how much I like them. They have no words. They do not sing or rhyme. Just guitars and piano and chimes and percussion and reverb and background droning sounds. They are not a jam band...I repeat that...they are not a jam band. Jam bands make me nausesous...They remind me of Sigur Ros without Icelandic gibberish.
You see I have just grown tired of the music I have right now in my collection. I have worn Band of Horses, Sunset Rubdown, Iron and Wine, Beirut to the nub and even though I can listen to Two Gallants every day...I am starting to grow tired. I am going through that "nothing sounds good to me" period that we all enter into after we have been spoiled with great releases in the previous months.
Give this entire song a chance. You have to be in the right mood for it, but truly it is good. Have a listen.
Apparently, the opening song on Friday Night Lights is by Explosions In The Sky. I find this very odd, mainly because a band like this is virtually unknown to the television world. But they are from Austin Texas...maybe thats the connection.
If you haven't started watching Friday Night Lights you need to. It might just be in the top five all time in non comedy television programs. Catch up on NBC.com.

Explosions In The Sky [mp3] A Song For Our Fathers

Page France-Chariot

I like Page France. I think they are a good band. I like this song. I think it is a good song. And its not just because it looks a if it was recorded in Gries's basement.


AN UPDATE ON THE ALBUM OF THE YEAR VOTING
THERE IS A FOUR WAY TIE BETWEEN TWO GALLANTS, IRON AND WINE, BAND OF HORSES AND BRIGHT EYES.
AWESOME
THERE ARE ONLY 26 DAYS LEFT TO VOTE SO ACT FAST!!!

Shut Up Ray Lewis We Still Know You Killed Someone!

I try to avoid social commentary and especially the parallels between sports and real life, but today I cannot help myself. It was nice rooting for the Patriots last night without the monitary reward that surrounds sports betting. You see I had already lost my 40 dollars on that one (for some reason I felt a 20 point spread would be easily covered). It was also quite amusing watching the Ravens continuously shoot themselves in the foot. Ill-timed time outs and penalties for mauling wide receivers down the field. It felt like a comic book where the hero always wins...and the villan always flounders. Hand it to the Ravens for their valient effort. They ran the ball, exposed weaknesses in the Patriots defense and put themselves in a great position to win the game. The atmosphere felt right for an upset. But 'twas not meant to be. Kyle Boller, on cue chucked the ball into triple coverage like he was throwing the ball to Randy Moss...only he wasn't. The interception that changed the game. After the Pats came down and scored on the pass to Gafney, after the time out and penalty on 4th down, after Bart Scott threw a temper tantrum and then the refs flag and the clock read zeros the bitching began. Here is where my parallel comes in. Its always someone elses fault. Its the refs, there is a conspiracy, my coach called a timeout.
If Samauri Rolle needs to call out a ref for calling him "Boy" when that is exactly what he is acting like...let him. So much bitching and complaining. Just like we tell those hell raising 6th graders. If you want to act like a child we will treat you like one. So the Ravens did everything in their power to take the credit away from the Patriots. You think the Patriots actually give a shit about being undefeated...they want to win every game yes...but I dont think being 16 and 0 is a priority. Just winning the last game of the year.
The best part about it is no matter how much those guys on the Ravens bitch...the scoreboard stays the same.

It Was Cold This Morning And That Made Me Happy

My car sputtered to start this morning. It felt like winter and I can only imagine that is why the engine hesitated for a moment. I had the same feeling less than an hour earlier when my television alarm woke me from my warm sleep. I love winter. Its hard to say because I love the change of seasons and the beginning of every season finds me making the same sort of comment, but I think winter is my favorite of them all. The music sounds better. The Red House Painters, The Weakerthans, The Long Winters, Nirvana Unplugged...whiskey tastes sweeter (thank you, I am aware that 90% of my posts involve the pastime of drinking)...the memories a little more memorable. I got my scarf out of the closet today. Still don't really own a winter coat and thats alright. I was cold and I did not complain.
Here are a couple of winter songs for you. Don't know if they make you think about cold weather and snowfall, but they do it for me.

The Weakerthans [mp3] Our Retired Explorer (Dines With Michel Flucault In Paris 1961)
Jens Lekman [mp3] Black Cab