Wouldn't that have been embarassing if I had worn my mohawk tonight?

So, I figured three and a half months between blogs was long enough to create a desire for more from my loyal readers (I'm talking to you Nathan).
Last Wednesday Brigitte and I went to see a band, Muse, perform at a smallish venue here in Nashville. It was basically a large ballroom with a capacity of around 1600. I did not expect much of a turnout for the event, but I ended up being surprised by how many people were fans of the band.
For those of you unfamiliar with Muse, I refer to them disparagingly as "Radiohead Lite" which infuriates Brigitte, but makes me giggle. If you like Radiohead and simply can't wait for new material, check out Muse and you'll feel like you are listening to a great Radiohead cover band that plays all of their songs badly because you don't recognize any of them...
Some background info on the concert...
When Brigitte was pregnant we had tickets to see Muse at an even smaller venue in Nashville but ended up not going due to concerns of the smoky environment and loud music and what that could possibly do to the baby. Therefore, when she heard they were coming back I simply could not say no (somehow going to see "The Incredibles" the night we were supposed to see Muse the first night did not satiate her desire to see them). Brigitte made me get up at the awful hour of 10:00am (I was in my summer sleep schedule at the time which meant that I went to bed between the hours of 6:00-7:00am) to get the advance order tickets only available to the three fans Muse has in the Nashville area. So, up I got, groggily stumbled upstairs to the computer and hurriedly tried to get in first (as far as I know, I was the only one to buy these advanced tickets) before the other two people sobered up. I was successful.
Onto the show...
Brigitte insisted that we leave an hour and a half early so we could get good "seats." It is important that you understand that due to our devotion the tickets that we were "lucky" enough to get were the general admission floor tickets...it was a large dance floor. Therefore, by getting there early, we ensured that we would be close enough to be surrounded by other sweaty, smelly individuals who did not have any concern for their feet or the actual sound quality of the performance (there were seats available in the balcony...they looked very cushy and they had people to help you to those seats with their fancy flashlights but they weren't available for pre-order because ceratinly the three of us who pre-ordered wouldn't want to sit while rocking).
We arrived in time to be able to easily spit on the band which I was promptly reminded that I was not allowed to do. We proceeded to stand there, uncomfortbaly, for an hour waiting for something to happen.
While we were waiting I noticed that the majority of the people who were filtering into this non-smoking environment were between the ages of "just hit puberty" to "just hit the age where I can legally get as drunk as I want, regardless of what my parents say about it." I was excited...
As it grew closer to the time for the opening band, The Likes, to come out and beg us not to hate them the venue began to play a lot of loud music which I did not know. Some members of the audience sang along, others talked loudly about how "awesome" it was that they had cell phone reception in the venue so they could continue to send text messages to their friends that I imagine went something like, "Dude! U wont believe what I did today. I got totally trashed and missed class. Dude! That prof is totally the suxors!"
Suddenly, in the middle of their message some obnoxious song came pumping through the speakers that everyone around us began to sing along to. I looked left and right and every person in the vicinity was nodding in agreement that this song rocked and that is was important that they sing along. Neither Brigitte nor I knew the song and I knew that I was in for a long evening.
After The Likes limped off stage (they actually weren't that bad) the audience began to buzz with anticipation of Muse appearing. After 30 minutes the buzz intensified...then weakened. It grew again 40 minutes after the opening band left stage ... then weakened. A full 57 minutes after the opening band left the stage Muse decided to grace us with their appearance.
Now, my thoughts on this are as follows: If it takes you 57 minutes to accomplish a change over, perhaps you should skip the opening band and not make your audience wait so long...
Muse began playing. They were loud and everyone sang along (except me...the sound was so bad that even the songs I recognized I couldn't comprehend). I was pretty close to deaf at the end of the show and between the crowd surfers and the psuedo mosh pit that sprung up near the end of the show I was in a pretty foul mood. However, I tried to put on a smile becuase I knew that Brigitte had had a good time.
To my surprise, on the way back to the car Brigitte yelled (because we were both deaf), that she didn't think that she needed to see them again. I asked why and she said that she thought that she had outgrown the "scene." I agreed. Somewhere between the age of 25 and 28 I seem to have gotten very old. The music was too loud, the sound quality was unbearable, the kids around us were obnoxious and my feet hurt.
I'm not sure how, or when this occurred. When we were living in Tallahassee, Brigitte and I went down to Orlando to see The White Stripes (another band she adores that I could do without). However, I genuinely had a good time, in spite of the way too drunk lesbian standing next to me who kept trying to burn me with her cigarette as she swayed along to the calming sound of "Seven Nation Army." While it was loud and filled with alcoholics, it was still fun. This show was not.
Therefore, I have come to the conclusion that I have officially grown up. I don't know when it happened and I'm not sure that I like it. When I saw the crowd surfers and the mosh pit my only thoughts were, "Oh, these kids don't know what it was really like back in the day," followed by anger that they were upsetting the show for me by thinking that I wanted their feet and / or butt in my face (literally) so that I could somehow assist them in having a good time.
My concert going days may be over. Or maybe I will simply have to hold out for the next Simon and Garfunkel Reunion tour. I imagine that I won't have to yell to talk to Brigitte when it is over.
Enjoy Arugula ... because that spinach will kill you!

I promised infrequent posts...

So, since I promised infrequency and have now fulfilled it I will post some random thoughts...

I am currently designing Sizwe Bansi is Dead, by Athol Fugard, at TSU and having a really good time doing it. It has been quite some time since I have had to serve as my own Master Electrician and it has been nice to get my hands dirty again. That being said, I look forward to being able to just be a designer again sometime in the future...

I recently read a news report that the re-launch of the Batgirl comic book is imminent and the major news regarding this is that the character is to be a lesbian. Apparently the character will be involved with a character from another comic. The thing that stuck out to me about this is that I am afraid that this is simply an example of sensationalism. While the comic industry has often been ahead of the times in terms of societal standards and accepted practices, this strikes me as simply trying to cash in on the notion that many young men (the primary readers of comic books) are fascinated with the notion of lesbian sex. I would like to believe that this is a step forward in homosexuals being accepted in our society, but I fear that it is simply another example of exploitation.

Apparently Michael Moore is being sued by a soldier who was featured in his film Fahrenheit 9/11. Moore used footage of an interview with this soldier (who lost both of his arms) in the film, although the interview was originally conducted by one of the major networks. Moore edited the interview to make it seem that this officer was upset with the handling of the situation and was being critical of the President in terms of the war effort. In the complete footage he says the exact opposite of this. I teach my students about ethical persuasion practices and this is a perfect example of unethical practices. While I understand that Michael Moore's films are propaganda, I assumed that he was as honest as possible in his choices. Whether I agree with all of his thoughts, which I often do not, I had respected his ability to create good arguments without resorting to the half-truths, or flat out lies of so many of our politicians. Apparently that faith was misplaced. I am disappointed.

If you enjoy Kevin Smith movies, check out Silent Bob Speaks. It was a quick read, and I was able to get through it in a day, so if you want to check it out, consider your local library.

I got the most amusing rejection letter in the mail today. While I knew that I was underqualified for the position I applied for, I decided to apply anyway ("nothing ventured, nothing gained"). When I found out who else had applied for the job I knew that I had no real shot (because I knew who they were, and no one in the industry has any reason to know who I am...yet). However, even with this knowledge I had to laugh at the rejection "letter." Previous rejection letters that I have received have certainly been form letters, but they were polite and to the point. One even mentioned specific things about me (after the form part). This "letter" was a postcard that had five choices of why I wasn't hired, with the check next to something along the lines of "We have hired someone else for the position you applied for." A POSTCARD with check boxes! At least send me a form letter in an envelope. I spent some time getting together an application for your position, the least you could do is use an envelope. I will try to scan the postcard and post it here for your enjoyment.

Evelyn is starting to walk. She is getting around pretty well and she is very proud of herself. We are proud as well.

Enjoy job hunting!

"Why can't you mix fashion with dental school?"

My first thought was that the girl who said this on Style Network's "How Do I Look?" was a complete moron. Her sister had apparently lost her fashion sense after entering med school and her sister felt as though she had lost her friend now that she was always in the library and wearing blue scrubs instead of being the "fashionista" that she used to be. I'm not a huge fan of fashion, big surprise I know, so my first reaction was that this girl should shut up, get over herself and find some real priorities.

Then I started to actually consider her question. Why must we focus entirely on one aspect of our lives at the expense of others? More specifically, why must I? I know that there are those out there who are able to separate their lives into categories and when they are at work they are at work and when at home they are 100t home. I have never been that way. Since the birth of Evelyn I have been working on it. I try to leave work at work, but there are days when I am simply incapable of it, either because I have to get stuff graded, I have to get the show designed or I am simply too mad at my students to do so.

I seem to have picked up on this flaw early on. In college I pursued a major that would let me take whatever classes I wanted so I wouldn't have to take extraneous courses outside of the English or Theatre departments. No Gen Ed courses for me. No more Math, Foreign Language. I didn't take anything that I, in the infinite wisdom of a 19-21 year old, thought that I needed. Certainly I had other interests, but I ignored them because I thought that if I didn't focus entirely on my field then I would not be successful. I subsequently advise my students to be as rounded as possible in their education. This line of thought extended beyond classes though. One of the major problems that Brigitte and I had was that I would always put work, meaning whatever show I was working on at the time, ahead of us. I would often be at the theatre until 3:00-4:00am working on a student production. While I certainly enjoyed working this way, it did nothing positive for our relationship. I was unable to categorize my life. I could only focus on one thing at a time.

In graduate school I wasn't much better, although it often went the other way. I ignored options for possible summer work because I wanted to spend that time with Brigitte. I would put off my homework until the last minute and stay up all night working once Brigitte was asleep. I think that, in part, I was trying to make up for the first part of our relationship. When in production I would simply not be home. I would stay at the theatre until 3:00am arguing with the director about whether or not his "vision" was coming across when I knew that Brigitte was waiting for me at home. It just wasn't at the forefront of my mind.

I have been thinking about applying for Law School for the last six months. I've always had an interest in the law and may have even pursued this before now if I hadn't been so single minded. However, I am worried that I won't be able to dedicate myself to my job, my wife, my daughter and school all at once. It is a failing of mine.

I have friends who are able to look into their future and say, "I want to be an expert in Ancient Near East Studies, have an MFA in Directing, a Master of Arts in Letters and maybe I'll throw some Law School into it." They will undoubtedly excel at all of them. Which brings me back to this silly girl's question, "Why can't you mix fashion with dental school?" I wish I knew the answer.

Enjoy Project Runway!

The Man Whose Arms Exploded

Having a child is really beginning to change my perspective on the media. I have always despised a great deal of the media, but having a child has made it worse. Now, I am aware that all of the books that I read, as well as the American Pediatrics Association, have recommended that children shouldn't watch any television before they are two years old, but even at that point what are they to watch? There is nothing on that is suitable for children outside of the strictly childrens programming. However, how can I possibly censor everything that she watches once she is old enough to purposefully change the channel (she already changes it now, but not intentionally, as far as I can tell).

I am currently watching the The Learning Channel, which I would have assumed was educational on some level, but as it turns out, is disgusting. The show I am watching is "The Man Whose Arms Exploded." He had 28 inch biceps. That's big. Cautionary tale? Perhaps. Gross negligence in story telling? Almost certainly. They are focusing almost entirely on the awful physical trauma he endured and I have seen a whole lot of blood so far due to his hematoma. Normally, I might have thought this would be an interesting channel to watch, but now I am thinking that this will be a fruitless exercise. Evelyn will not be able to watch anything at all...ever. Even cartoons have lost their innocence. Other than those shows which are focused entirely on the kids under two (who aren't supposed to be watching television anyway), the other shows are all so focused on being funny to adults that they seem to have lost their purity and I am concerned that perhaps they are too adult for her. The only other stuff I have found out there are shows like "Play With Me Sesame" which are so incredibly politically correct that I can't stand to watch it. Perhaps when Evelyn is old enough to watch these shows I will feel differently.

I am also sad to say that of all the music I listen to only Bob Dylan and They Might Be Giants are really fit for youth consumption (and Bob Dylan would almost certainly bore her to tears...literally). Every single band that I listen to, and that Brigitte listens to, uses foul language, or discusses inappropriate themes. I used to think that I would let my daughter listen to, or watch anything that she wanted. There was no reason to shelter her from the world. The earlier she is exposed to the world, the sooner she can acclimate to it and become de-sensitized. This is before I had a daughter. I find myself questioning my own choices and am trying to rationalize why I feel compelled to listen to and enjoy music, television, movies that I do not think are appropriate for her. If they aren't good enough for her, why are they good enough for me?

Finally, Brigitte and I were sitting down last night looking through MySpace (since I just started up the account) and she turns to me and says "We are definitely having our computer in the living room." We have previously argued over how much privacy to allow Evelyn when she is older, specifically as it pertains to computer usage. I grew up in an environment where I was pretty free to do what I wanted, when I wanted. This made me very self-reliant and stronger in many ways. Brigitte had a lot more restrictions which led her to rebel against those restrictions when she got to college. We still have no idea what the best approach is (and probably never will), but after seeing the people who suddenly want to be my friend because I signed up on the site (people who incidentally have Free Live Cams) or even some of the comments that we find on other people's spaces, we are starting to think that perhaps it will be later rather than sooner that we allow her to have this kind of freedom.

I tend to be socially liberal. I am confused by the things that I am feeling and experiencing, and my daughter isnt even 14 months old yet. I don't want to hide her from the reality that she lives in, but I also feel compelled to shape that reality into something that is more palatable to me.

Enjoy The Wiggles!

As promised...

My main thought today deals with the fact that my daughter, Evelyn, really likes to say the word Dada. My wife, Brigitte, is convinced that this has something to do with her undying affection of me. However, I tend to think that it has more to do with the fact that I have been berating Evelyn with the word from the moment that the nurse put her in my arms at the hospital. To substantiate this claim I use as evidence the fact that she does in fact point at me and says "Dada." However, she also feels compelled to point at our two cats, Ziggy and Zoidberg, and yell "Dada." We will walk through the grocery store and she will see a balloon of Blue from "Blue's Clues" and scream "Dada." She will find a piece of dirt on the floor and proclaim proudly "Dada." Finally, she will poop in her wonderful diapers, look up at the television, which is inexplicably tuned in to "Dora the Explorer" and clearly state, "Dada." You tell me. Does she know that I am dada, or have I simply succeeded in stunting her growth and damaging her long term by limiting her vocabulary to essentially one word and some simple noises?

Incidentally, did you know that Blue from "Blue's Clues" is a female dog. I understand that we live in an age where people are trying to break down gender roles and all of the books that I read on parenting discuss the importance of not raising your children with the idea of gender limitations intact, but shouldn't the female dog be pink? A baby blue dog should be a boy dog. I am greatly confused and disturbed. I have also decided that I hate almost all children's television. However, I have found a certain appreciation for a show titled "The Backyardigans" where these young, things...various animals run around pretending that they are something other than humanized animals and yell out "SOCCER!!!" when they are trying to be a "soccer monster." This leads to me wandering around the children's section of Barnes and Noble with a "Pablo" plush toy in my hand yelling "SOCCER!!!" much to my wife's chagrin.

Enjoy Journey. Don't Stop Believin'!

The Blogging Begins!

So, after due consideration and lengthy meditation on the subject, which is to say that I decided I enjoyed reading my friends blogs, I have decided to give it a shot myself. I can guarantee you absolutely zero percent:

• humor
• insight
• entertainment
• engagement

However, I can promise:

• infrequent postings
• rambling
• a general sense of unease with the notion that you, kind reader, will be judging my every thought and word

I take some solace in the notion that there will most likely be very few of you reading this at all. Therefore, with all of this in mind, my career in blogging begins. My thoughts will be random with no cohesive through line and will range in topic from work, family, music, politics, religion and most likely a good helping of what is wrong with childrens toys these days. Something along the lines of: Back in my day childrens toys didnt have to make so much god-awful noise

So, sit back, grab a beverage of your choice, take a sip and you will most likely be done with my thoughts.

Enjoy!