Allium Season

I'm not much of a gardener, but we did plant some allium bulbs a few years ago. One good thing about alliums is that they bloom this time of year, rather than in the Spring like many other types of flowers. Here's a photo from today. It might be a few days before 2005's allium "peak".

Someboody Loves Me

Here's another great thing about having kids. When I went to bed last night, I discovered that someone had left an Atomic Fire Ball under my pillow. That's so sweet.

I waited until this morning to eat it.

Today's Lunch: Bologna on Saltine

I've written about my lunches before (and if I could figure out an easy way to access my own archives, I'd link to one of those articles, but I can't at the moment) so I won't describe how they sometimes come into existence with today's post. But it is worth mentioning that today's lunch was a new experience. It was a baggie filled with saltine crackers and a piece of bologna sliced into small pieces. That is something I wouldn't have made for myself! I thought it wasn't going to be enough food, but it was tasty and satisfying.

Wipe Out!

On the way home from work this evening, I stopped first at the library. On the way home from there, turning north onto Taylor from eastbound Main, I wiped out on my bicycle. (All my journeys today were by bicycle.)

Due to the new grocery/shopping centre (just what we needed) at the intersection of Taylor & Main, the road is under construction and there is a section with a single narrow lane in each direction. I thought I would be nice to the traffic and pop up onto the sidewalk. But I hit the "lip" of the drive into the sidewalk at a bad angle, and there was a lot of loose, fine dirt there. I skidded and scraped up my leg, knee, and shoulder, getting a bit of road rash. I also skidded on my thigh, but my biking shorts seemed to save me from some damage there. The shorts are now worn in that area, with a pinhole on the one leg. Still wearable, in other words.

My Roughriders baseball cap was undamaged. (Or at least not further damaged. It's pretty worn already...)

When something like that happens, there's not much you can do besides hopping back on the bike without even dusting yourself off, and riding home.

No, I won't post photos of my injuries.

On Sunday, I teach bicycle safety to the Cub Scouts. Seriously.

2005 Dad and Me Camp

We had a great time. Click here for more photos.

9 Months, More or Less

How Star Wars Episode III Could Have Been Better

I saw the latest Star Wars movie last weekend, and I must say that I was mostly impressed. I thought it was quite well-done, especially in comparison to episodes I and II. But, with all the death and carnage, I thought of something that would have made it even better.

Warning: Minor Spoilers Follow

They could have had a scene where Senator Jar Jar Binks falls asleep in his little pod in the senate chamber. Unfortunately for J. Binks, during the climactic showdown between Yoda and Palpatine, Jar Jar is still in the chamber. You can use a bit of special effects and a bit of imagination, but suffice it to say that in the end, Jar Jar Binks could have been another casualty of the fall of the Republic.

Imagine the cheers in the movie audiences if that would have happened.

Painting the Bathroom

In something that has become a tradition, here's a photo of the bathroom in the process of being painted. I got to choose the colour, and I admit that I didn't give it a lot of thought. One thing that I considered is that I didn't want one of the lightest shades. But, since the room has no windows, I didn't want anything too dark. I was kind of thinking of a blue, but it looks a little more purple than blue. Oh well, that's not bad.

Should the Hosting Deduction Amount be Raised?

As I have been involved with an international exchange student program in recent months, I have been advised to write to my Congresscritter, in support of the "Youth Exchange Support Act". (See, for example, here.) If you weren't aware of it, if a family (or individual, I suppose) hosts an exchange student for the majority of a calendar month, it qualifies for a $50 deduction on US federal income taxes. This Act is an attempt to raise the monthly deduction to $200.

The main thing I look at when evaluating a proposed tax change is whether it would make the tax code simpler or less simple. It seems to me that such a change would complicate things a bit further, as it would make deductions, and knowing what they are, even more important.

Secondly, who would such a change benefit? Who hosts exchange students? I don't know any statistics, so please supply them if you have them, but I'll guess:

• Middle- and upper- income people
• People with children
• White people
• I am least sure that this applies, but just by going from the above, I am going to go out on a limb and guess Republican people.
  

Now, I am not going to claim that it's the poor need tax cuts at the expense of the rich. The poor pay very little income tax as of now anyway. (**I** pay very little income tax now anyway...) But I'm not sure I'd be in favour of adding another tax deduction primarily for people in my categories above, several of which happen to include myself. If an additional tax deduction is that critical to you, then maybe you aren't prepared financially (or otherwise) to host an exchange student.

I would rather the deduction be completely eliminated, and tax rates reduced ever so slightly so that total government income (or taxpayer outgo) is the same. While I am not going to respond in a group e-mail stating this, I wanted to go on record as being against the proposed tax change.

Wrens Concert Wrapup

Currently Playing: Engaged in Labor by Miranda Sound

Last night, at my brother's invitation, I went to a place called Little Brother's in order to see the band The Wrens play. He is something of a fan of that band, as before last night he said that they were probably his favourite contemporary band that he had not seen play live. But maybe he's seen so many bands play live that they're number 100 on his list, I don't know.

Also on hand were two opening acts: Miranda Sound and Troubled Hubble. Here are a few comments about the experience(s).

The Venue:

• I think it was the first time I've seen a band play in a place like Little Brother's. In the past, I've seen acts in concert halls, arenas, etc., where the place was set up to hold spectators for events. And, I suppose I've been to bars or events where the band was kind of a sideshow, and not the main reason why people went to it. This place was basically a run-down looking bar, but it had an area where (no more than a few hundred, I suppose) people could watch a band on a stage. There were some seats and tables, where we sat for the first two bands, but if you wanted to see for the Wrens, you had to stand.
• Judging from the stickers, I think the establishment and many patrons hold more liberal views than does the current administration.
• It was cool to chat with members of the bands before and after the show. I brought my camera along and asked if they had a policy against photography. The guy taking tickets suggested that I ask people associated with the bands. I saw a guy setting up a merchandise table. He looked like a typical attender of such an event -- he kind of had the "grad student" look about him. I asked if he was associated with one of the bands, and did they care about picture-taking. He said that he didn't think the guys from Troubled Hubble would mind. It turned out that this was the drummer from Troubled Hubble. Or, when my brother noticed Charles from the Wrens, and asked him to autograph an old Wrens album. We ended up chatting for maybe 10 or 15 minutes, and, if you didn't know any better, it would just look like the guys chatting. From the way he was dressed and spoke, I could have been chatting with a fellow father from my son's Cub Scout troop or something. I guess my point is that nobody gave off the image of the stereotypical rock star.
• We thought it started at 8:00pm. Instead, the doors opened around 8:00pm, the first band started around 9:00, the second around 10:00, and the third around 11:00, and ended a little after 12:00am.
• It was a little loud. Maybe I should be embarrassed to admit this, but I brought ear plugs. And used them. And was glad about it. The did have the effect of reducing the treble more than the bass.
  

Miranda Sound:

• My brother had worked with a few of the guys in this band at the radio station in college, and wanted to see them play. I'm not a music critic, and it's hard for me to describe musical styles. I would call Miranda Sound "rock", perhaps mentioning that it's rock as interpreted by people near 30 years old. I suppose you can call them "alternative", since anything that's not pop is "alternative" these days, isn't it?
• Upon first listen, I really liked them. I suppose that could change after listening a few more times. Also, I couldn't understand any of the words than anyone sang all night.
• After they played, I picked up a copy of their CD for $5. Sounds like a bargain to me. I even had all of the band members sign it. One of the guys (Billy Peake) was impressed by my CFL cap, and mentioned that someone (his uncle?) had been equipment manager for the Arizona Wranglers of the USFL.
• As I was standing around getting my CD autographed, I had an experience that I hadn't had for a while. A young woman started chatting with me, mentioning how much she liked the band and so on. (I certainly don't mean to imply that she was anything other than a friendly and talkative concert-goer.) But it still felt a little odd, so after a short time of that, I suggested that she chat with the band members and excused myself to the restroom.

Troubled Hubble

• Of the three bands, I liked this one the least. Unfortunately, I didn't have much time for them to grow on me, as their singer seemed to be coming down with strep throat, and they left after playing for about 20 minutes.
• Musically, they were a little bit like Miranda Sound, but different in ways that are hard for non-musical me to describe. They seemed somewhat more "silly" or "irreverent" in their approach. Usually, you'd think I'd enjoy that kind of approach, but for some reason I didn't care for it with them.
• What does their name mean? Is it related to the Space Telescope? I don' t know.
  

The Wrens

• The place filled up for the headline act and got their money's worth. My brother had commented how their more recent work was much more mellow than their earlier work, and as they were approaching 40 and beyond, they just didn't rock like youngsters. To me, it sounded like the misimpressions of someone who is still on the younger side of 30, but I was expecting a somewhat more "mature", mellow performance. Boy, were we wrong. They rocked. Charles was looking like anything but a Cub Scout parent. I was told that they played a lot of their older stuff, and very few of their more recent songs. My brother was surprised at what they played, but we later found out that they're planning on re-recording some of their older songs, and so that could be why they focused on the older stuff.
• While they were good, I and I didn't dislike them, I can't say that I loved them either. My lack of musical vocabulary is hurting me again, but it seemed to me that their "sound" included a high-pitched, out-of-tune guitar chords. This probably sounds like a major shot against them, but I don't mean it that way. It's just that there was something in their sound that keeps me from saying they're great. I certainly liked them better than Troubled Hubble.
• Daichi liked the Wrens best of the three bands.

All-in-all, it was a lot of fun. It's not something I'd want to do every week, but once in a while might be good.

Is it rude to take a flash picture at a concert?

Is It Rude To Take A Flash Picture At A Concert?

Outside the venue


Miranda Sound (no flash) -- I had never heard them before, but upon first listen, I liked these guys.


Troubled Hubble (no flash, somewhat stationary and tuning between songs)


The Wrens (no flash, almost artistic)


The Wrens (with flash) I hope nobody minded.