Moving...

Hey all. I've decided to move my blog (and begin posting again).

You can access the new blog (easiest) at blog.mikedominice.com.

top 5 tuesday

Here it is again! Of course, I haven't really made a lot of progress in between, but I feel I must continue today to sate the appetites of all those adoring fans.

List 1: Mike's Top 5 Favorite "Christian" Bands:
--> I know that the term "Christian Band" is kind of in flux, and sensitive to most people, so cut me some slack and lets not be controversial.
1. Disciple
2. Red
3. Anberlin
4. Kristian Stanfill
5. dc Talk (its old school, the new birds have knocked 'em down on the list. . .)

similarly . . .

List 2: Mike's Top 5 Favorite "Secular" Bands:
--> The devil's music.
1. Muse
2. U2
3. Dream Theater
4. Opeth
5. Alter Bridge

List 3: Mike's Top 5 Favorite Guitarists:
1. The Edge (U2)
2. John Petrucci (Dream Theater)
3. Mark Tremonti (Alter Bridge)
4. Mark Lee (Third Day)
5. David Gilmour (Pink Floyd)

top 5 tuesday

Today I'd like to start a new tradition, hopefully it will keep me a bit more regular with my postings.

I'm calling it Top 5 Tuesday, and I'm going to compile a few lists of regular things to share that you will all come to love and adore.

List 1: Mike's Top 5 Favorite Bands of the Week According to His iPod:
--> Determined by bands with the greatest number of songs in the top 25 most played of the week.
1. & 2. Tie between Muse & U2
3. Dream Theater
4. Fee
5. A four way tie between 30 Seconds to Mars, Kristian Stanfill, Alter Bridge, and Aerosmith.

List 2: Mike's Top 5 Favorite Songs of the Week According to His iPod:
--> Determined by top 5 most played songs of the week.
1. & 2. Tie between "Plug In Baby" and "Starlight" by Muse
3. "Magnificent" by U2
4. "These Walls" by Dream Theater
5. Tie between "Burn for You" by Fee and "Moment of Surrender" by U2

List 3: Mike's Top 5 Reasons Money is Horrible:
--> (see Top 5 Reasons Why Mike Needs To Be Less Materialistic, soon to come)
1. There's never enough of it.
2. It never comes in fast enough.
3. It's not edible.
4. It doesn't grow on trees. (Related to #2, I guess.)
5. Money . . . so they say, is the root of all evil today.

after the hiatus / and i'm broke

I hate apologizing for not blogging, but I do feel an explanation is required as to why there has been a substantial lack of posting my yours truly.

Finals. And a new job.

Hopefully, that's about all the explanation you need (mostly because that's all you're gonna get).

Anyway, continuing on.

One of the things that frustrates me the most is that when I have a lot of spare cash lying around, I have no idea what to do with it. However, when I'm short on cash, or when I'm trying to save money (as is the case currently), I can easily find all manner of things upon which to blow inordinate amounts of dough. I'll refer to both situations as 'broke' simply because I have no money to spend on smaller things.

I'm currently in the market for a Boss DD-20 Giga Delay twin pedal. It's essentially the last part to complete the sound package I would 'need' to be exactly where I want to be in terms of effects.

Normally the DD-20 retails for around $220, but I'd like to find one on Ebay for around $100. So far, I've found quite a few of them, but they've all been going for around $120. I really don't want to spend more than that.

It takes some patience. The good thing is that the DD-20 is not necessary to the way I play; the digital delay features on the Boss GT-3 I currently use fulfills that role within my sound adequately. The DD-20 would simply take me to the next level; modularizing the delay and packaging it in a more controllable unit.

I can wait; time is on my side.

let's make sum noyez

One of my favorite things to do when I'm jamming on my own is making noise; I mean, really just making random, a-melodic noises. Not really notes, mostly just scratching and flicking and scraping about to see what kind of textures and moods I can create.

Adding some echo-delay or modulation effects like phasers, flangers, or wah is usually a necessity to get really cool effects. My personal favorite is to tap on muted strings, creating small clicks that, when delay is added, sound like clockwork. Secondary favorite: doing long, slow pick scratches on the lower strings with wah and delay at the end. Sounds like a rocket going off.

It's nice if I can put some kind of chord set to repeat endlessly on a computer or keyboard, and put the noises on top of that to add some interesting color to extended length chords that may have been a bit boring on their own.

What's been really fun is playing with other people who'll do the same thing. Then you can switch doing the noise and playing the "music".

top five: concerts

Whew. The past week has been crazy, and finals are coming up, so things aren't going to slow up for a few more days. Finals start next week, so a week after that, the pressure will be off.

In the meantime, I thought I'd continue blogging. As you have probably noticed, I'm going to see U2 and Muse in October in Charlottesville with my girlfriend, driving with a couple from WEC, Jake and his wife, and meeting a slew of others when we get there.

YAY. <-- (imagine that multiplied by about a billion)

This show is going to be amazing, and with that in mind, I'll share with you my top five favorite concerts that I've attended.
***
(5) The Devin Townsend Band, Dark Tranquillity, Opeth @ the Norva in Norfolk, VA
***
One of the first bigger shows I went to on my own. Hadn't heard of DTB or Dark Tranquillity, I went to see Opeth. I was pleasantly surprised by both of the openers. Devin Townsend is one of the more interesting personalities in progressive rock to be certain, and his music speaks for itself. Dark Tranquillity started getting me more into the melodic death metal arena, and is still my favorite in that genre. Of course, Opeth was phenomenal. Their stage presence is not impressive, but if you're going to see Opeth, you're going for the music, not the stage antics. Very memorable show. Tim was there.
***
(4) Dream Theater, and the other bands that don't matter @ Pier 6 Pavilion in Baltimore, MD
***
Seeing my all time favorite band for the first time ever in Baltimore was so awesome! Tim can attest that I was probably giggling with glee when they came out on stage. They could have played anything and I would have been more than satisfied with their setlist. I absolutely love it when they do their "play-a-cover-in-the-middle-of-one-of-our-songs" thing, hearing something from The Wall during "Surrounded" was my personal favorite. It was worth the drive, well worth the money, and well worth the wait.
***
(3) Tool, with some other crappy band @ the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, VA
***
My brother and I (notice a trend here?) hiked up to Richmond to see Tool. We're both big fans of their music, and their performance certainly didn't disappoint there, but both of us were utterly blown away by the visual elements of their show. They had 4 screens behind them and 3 screens above and towards the wings of the stage, all playing synchronized video to their music. Then, for the one of the last epic-length tracks from their latest albums, two of their circular light rigs above the stage began to move around, shining their lights: they were like UFOs! It was freaking amazing, and then when things couldn't get any better, lasers came out from the stage. One interesting note is that while we had nosebleed-section-ish seats, they allowed us to see images that were projected onto the white stage floor that we wouldn't have seen had we been in "better" seats.
***
(2) Blue Man Group @ Broadway in New York, NY
***
For band spring trip in high school one year, we went to New York City, and the best part of the trip was seeing Blue Man Group. Their show is beyond words; you have to see it for yourself. Their house band has one of the more interesting instrumentations: a drummer, a Chapman-stick player, and a pedal steel guitar player, all playing the craziest tribal rock that you'll ever hear. Plus, their show is hilarious.
***
(1) Van Halen @ the RBC Center in Raleigh, NC
***
What can I say, my girlfriend loves me. She bought me tickets to see Van Halen for my birthday last year, and what an adventure! Taking a hot chick to see a rock legend, complete with Eddie Van Halen's still explosive and innovative guitar playing and the original frontman, David Lee Roth, made for the most fun I've ever had at a concert.
***
(0) U2/Muse @ Scott Stadium in Charlottesville, VA
***
I'm putting this on the list preemptively, as I still get close to wetting my pants just thinking about this. It's much too far away. I'm anticipating that it take the top spot.

There you have it. With this subject in mind, I am quite disappointed that I am missing Gov't Mule twice this summer: they are going to be in Denver the week before Keren and I go on vacation to Colorado, and they are going to be in Richmond the day we arrive back from vacation. It is just not meant to be, I guess. Even more of a disappointment since I missed them at the Norva last fall.

easter and guitar at wec

Things went awesome for the Easter services at Waters Edge Church.

Needless to say, things were a complete success, judging by the number of people standing up during the services signifying they had made a decision to follow Christ. That, of course, makes all the practice and waiting and practice and practice SO worth it.

To try to keep with the music theme of things, I'm gonna review things from a music point of view.

Awesome.

The Waters Edge band, I may say, has never sounded better. After seeing a couple vids of performances during practice, everyone looked awsome, and sounded better. The drummers for the beginning were one of the coolest openers for a Waters Edge service.

I was quite satisfied with my playing today. Of course, playing the U2 song, I was in my element completely. Even with the percussion additions, things still kept quite in the neighborhood of where I like to hang out in terms of technique and content. The two worship songs we did, "Happy Day," and "From the Inside Out," are two of my favorites that we do. Thusly, I know exactly what I want to play throughout the song, and feel confident enough to grab little ideas for improv everywhere.

I got exactly what I wanted out of my Tele for each and every moment of every song. Especially, the dual pickup control allowed me to do some awesome volume and tone control that I don't necessarily do normally. I had my bridge pickup turned up all the way, and my neck pickup turned up to about 3. What this allowed me to do is to have a nice full lead tone during times that I was being loud, playing on the bridge pickup. If I wanted to drop the gain down a bit, I'd switch to the neck pickup, and the juice going to the preamp model goes down and the sound gets cleaner. In-between for both pickups. She sang beautifully for me.

I also used the wah pedal to get a further add some tone control since I don't like to mess with my tone knobs. During the last part of the sermon where I'm in the background over the hymn and Stu's speaking, I threw the wah down all the way to spread the tone along the EQ spectrum and make things muddy. I varied it a bit to get add a touch on dynamics here and there, but I rode the low end for the majority.

I had a video camera with me most of the day Saturday during practice and today. Got lots of candid moments with people, and I'll try to get that edited and posted for your viewing pleasure within the next couple of days.

music review: They Make Beer Commercials Like This EP

Weird name for an album, but it is an EP: "They Make Beer Commercials Like This", even weirder band name: Minus the Bear. Totally dig it.

A little indie band out of Seattle, this band has a sound that is familiar at first, but after a few listens, surprises you with little details.

Something about them makes you think they're not quite taking what they're doing seriously, almost like the way they play is a joke.

This band comes courtesy of a Scott757 recommendation.

**********************************************
Song by song drive by:
**********************************************
1. "Fine + 2 Pts"
Excellent, fun little riff that drives this song. I love the little synth line that runs throughout the song. I love the way the song transitions to the bridge, really a nice touch to change the feel of the song, then bring back the chorus riff at the end. Definitely a sing-along chorus. This song is as great an opener as could be asked for. Favorite song on this EP.

2. "Lets Play Clowns"
I really love the way the two guitars complement each other. I haven't heard a band such similar guitar tones so distinctly in a long time. Great driving chorus, right up my alley. Great little time change riff. Definitely a favorite.

3. "Dog Park"
Good change of pace for this EP. Another piece of great guitar work, especially with the arrangements between the two guitars. Chorus work especially. Over way too fast for me.

4. "I'm Totally Not Down With Rob's Alien"
Great little drum machine intro. Nice jazz influences coming in on the guitar work during the verses. I really liked the heaviness of the chorus. The song doesn't quite keep my attention for the whole time.

5. "Hey! Is That A Ninja Up There?"
Yes, that's the name of a song. Great little confusing time changes at the beginning to keep you on your feet.

6. "Pony Up!"
I really like the weird breakdown part in the middle with the fast playing. Acoustic guitar was a really cool touch, organ too.
***********************************
Musically, there's a lot to be interested in. Definitely not for the casual listener. I think you'll like it more if you play guitar.

Not my favorite album I've listened to recently, but the band has perked my interest, to say the least. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt as this is an EP and not a full-length release, but a little more variety would have been appreciated.

Lyrics are nice and cryptic, but a dark sarcasm is at work here for sure. These guys have an interesting sense of humor.

Every one of you should check out Lala.

but i digress

Let's go somewhere unmusical for a second.

Anyway. Pet peeve.

Vanity plates. I think they're cool. I think they're very cool, indeed. However, if it is not obvious with a few moments of contemplation what your vanity plate means, then ex-nay on the oke-jay. It's not funny or amusing or even fun if no one else on the road can understand your coded message.

Inside jokes are included in this rant. If only a small group of people are going to get your license plate, that group had better be tailgating you every time you leave your house. I don't see the point in this case.

Rant over. Music next time.

my mu2e(s)

So, now that I've got my tickets to see U2 and Muse in Charlottesville, VA, I can safely say that I have never been as excited about seeing a concert, ever. Even when I got to see the DT for the first time, or even when I went to see Van Halen with David Lee Roth last year, the anticipation for this coming show in October is just about too much.

Part of this may be that I've never bought tickets for a concert this far out before. It's six months away! A whole half a year. Wow.

I've already started preparing myself. U2's discography is playing at a nearly constant rate .

Also, if it weren't enough that I was going to see the single greatest influence on me as a musician, they're touring with one of my other top 5 (or so): Muse. If you haven't checked them out, you need too. Recently, they've gotten some fame as their song, "Supermassive Black Hole", was featured in the recent film adaptation of the novel Twilight. However, as any fanboy would say, I must say that that is far from their best work. If I had an album to recommend, I would say you should start with their 2004 album Absolution. Brilliant. And rockin'. And British.

Those moments where U2 has not been playing have been filled with Muse. The number of bands from the U.K./Ireland area that occupy my top bands list has been steadily growing over the past couple of years. Sorry for the lack of patriotism, I should listen to some country this week.

a follow up

Just to let everyone know, I am still absolutely in love with my new Tele. You have to play a guitar for a while to really get a feel for how it responds to things like control changes, weight shifting, string bending, and speed.

I love my new Tele. I don't think I can say it enough. Every touch, every strum, makes me feel like we were made for each other. All of the above mentioned aspects of guitar-dom are found in levels exactly as I wanted.

She is indeed a beautiful thing, but I'm looking to improve upon her. I want to do something non-stock that would make her a one-of-a-kind. First things first, probably a cosmetic mod: replacement pickguard. Something kind of artsy, just to make me feel like I've got a start on a unique axe.

On another note, I think I am going to commit to going to see U2. I've loved their music for too long and who knows how much longer they're going to be doing this. Rumors of Muse opening for them have me drooling doubly. And, they're coming to Charlottesville on Keren and I's anniversary in October. Seems like a sign, eh?

skipping

I have a major confession to make.

I am a chronic song-skipper. It is, of course, a huge problem. I don't know what got me started, or how long I've been like this, but I do know that it has gotten way far out of control.

I'm not talking about skipping around to find a certain song on my iPod, I'm talking about listening to a song about 80% of the way through, then skipping.

I am going to make a commitment this week to listen to a song all the way through if I get more than a few seconds through it. It's going to be hard, it's going to be tough, but I'm hoping that I'll be able to see it through to the end of the week.

Maybe next week I'll commit to listening to whole albums.

music review: no line on the horizon

In recent times, I haven't anticipated an album quite as much as I have U2's latest work, No Line On the Horizon.

Man crush alert. I listened to more U2 when learning to play guitar that I did any other band, so The Edge holds a special place in my heart. I usually hate using "influences" type references, but The Edge's style (not necessarily in a gear way, just technique) really affected the way I love to play now.

That being said, with U2 I tend to stray away from reviewing lyrics, as I enjoy their cryptic nature and don't try to take too much meaning from them.
*******************************
Track By Track:
1. "No Line on the Horizon"
A nice fast one to start out the album. I think it definitely puts a good impression of what the rest of the album will be like: a turn in a different direction along with a little experimentation.

2. "Magnificent"
My favorite song on the album. The Edge does some awesomely lyrical work during the instrumental breaks in this song that just make me want to kiss him. Very singable. A "stomper" as I like to call them, just a step above a toe tapper. My foot comes off the ground during this one. Great Edge solo, he does a lot with very little. I love the way Adam Clayton keeps a groove in this song. I love the the irony in the lyrics, that love can hurt so painfully, but is also the only thing to fix those deep wounds.

3. "Moment of Surrender"
This gospel-flavored song fakes you into thinking it is going to be a "Stuck in a Moment..." or "Sometime You Can't...". I'd definitely say that this may be one of the more passionate Bono performance's on the album, if not of all time. It's a little darker of a ballad than I've come to expect from them, but I do like it. My only complaint is that it's a little long and doesn't quite hold up the momentum in a way that keeps my interest. Another great solo by the Edge evokes hints of "A Day in the Life", but speaks volumes over the chords.

4. "Unknown Caller"
The melodies in this song will surprise you each time; the chord changes are not standard and will take you to a completely unexpected place each time. I really enjoyed the computer references in the lyrics.

5. "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight"
My favorite one to sing on the album. I love the little tiny eastern influences that show up throughout the chords and melodies. Feels like the most traditionaly U2 song on the album.

6. "Get On Your Boots"
I did not like this song the first few times I heard it. Then, after blasting it through car speakers with the windows down, it started to grow on me. If you see a silver Taurus/grey Cougar with some idiot screaming "Sexy Boots..." you'll know its me. Sounds to me like it should be played right after "Vertigo".

7. "Stand Up Comedy"
This song, more than any other on the album, harkens back to the Achtung Baby/Pop era of hard rock-inspired riffs and full chord instrumentation. I can't wait to see The Edge stomp through this one.

8. "Fez - Being Born"
A little Brian Eno electronic/ambient collection starts out, followed by a primarily instrumental-focused track. Makes me a little anxious, like I'm being chased. I love Bono's wailing over the more instrumental parts, it adds an emotive depth that perfectly seals the mood.

9. "White as Snow"
This is a really beautiful and poetic piece. I love the dynamics that Bono puts in his voice. I really appreciated the use of a traditional song with different lyrics/rhythm/melody, although it almost distracted me from the song itself because I kept trying to insert "O Come Emmanuel". I thought the drums at the end could have been left out.

10. "Breathe"
Wow, what a rocker. If "Magnificent" wasn't on the album, this would be the favorite for Mikey. I can't help but band the head during this one. Best listened to at ear-splitting volume. I dug the little twist on the last chord of the chorus progression, I definitely expected a more cliche ending - I should've learned by this point in the album. Again, I really want to see the band play this one live.

11. "Cedars of Lebanon"
A great way to end the album, taking the dynamics way down. The one profanity is not neccessary. The little guitar groove at the end is one of my favorites. Probably a really heavily Brian Eno written piece.
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Brian Eno definitely has his fingerprints all over this album. That fact makes it difficult to tell what innovation is the result of growth on the band's part or if the new eccentricities incorporated into the sound are just a consequence of the producer.

My favorite thing about the arrangements are the surprising chord progressions. After working themselves into a bit of a chordal box in the past, this album showed they had quite a few surprises left to show the world. Some turns the melodies take (like in "Unknown Caller" and "Magnificent") completely baffled me, caught me off guard, and kept me wanting more.

I recommend getting the version with the bonus tracks (iTunes has them I know for sure). I may fancy the new mix of "No Line on the Horizon" a bit more than the original, and the dance mix version of "Get On Your Boots" is just plain fun.

I also liked that The Edge got a few more solos than he has in the past. While he's not a virtuoso player by any means, I think he creates hooks and melodies through his axes that speak volumes over their tunes.

My only complaints for the album:
- It doesn't have any of the anthemic tracks that they've always managed to pen. None of the songs really stand out the way "Vertigo", "Beautiful Day", or "Mysterious Ways" have in the past re-inventions of the band.
- The one profanity seems superfluous. It seemed forced, just like . . .
- . . .The lyrics. They also seems a bit forced at times. But, this isn't really a breakpoint for me, I'm really too busy listening to The Edge.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the album. I didn't have high hopes after hearing "Get On Your Boots" for the first time, but as that song has grown on me and the rest of the album has showed its colors, I think this one will stand against the trial of time and become one of my more beloved U2 albums.

From a purely guitar perspective, this is The Edge's best work. Maybe he wasn't as innovative as he has been in the past, but his solid style is truly the key the U2's sound and structure. I can't wait to pick this album apart with his playing.

the next generation

Today I came to a realization.

Whenever people talk about "the next generation", they are referring to the next group of young people who will live to take up the torch from the older people. Until recently, I have counted myself among that group.

However, I guess now I am getting "old" enough to no longer belong to the group known as "the next generation". I've passed into the "current generation", or whatever they're called; they're not actually important enough to have a title. If they had a title, it would be "the people who used to be the next generation".

I'm not thinking about having kids any time soon, but the kids that I see are now the people I am working for, the people for whom I will strive to create a better life.

I feel old. No offense to those older than me, and any comments about "you're only 21!" will be promptly deleted.

my favorite band doing a song by another favorite band

Sorry for just posting another video, but the past couple days have been rather hectic.

Yes, this is a guilted post.

However, this video is my favorite band, Dream Theater, performing part of one of the greatest albums of all time. I have the entire concert on DVD, and they play the whole album. My favorite band, playing one of my favorite albums.

on a less serious note

this song rocks.

stuck in traffic and pain

Yesterday I had a conversation with some guys in class about traffic.

When I first moved to the Hampton Roads area, I thought I had experienced traffic through living in crazy D.C. and overcrowded Honolulu. However, nothing could have prepared me for the ridiculousness of the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel.

I'm not sure anyone really knows why it gets backed up, and I'm sorry for the poor soul who swerves too fast or doesn't break fast enough, causes a minor accident, and backs up the bridge for eight and a half miles.

Initially, traffic would drive me absolutely nuts. I would get bored, get angry, or even get tired. I was so incredibly tired of being stuck in pointless traffic. However, after three years of trucking it across the bridge to get to school, I have finally become accustomed to the traffic, and I expect it to be bad all the time. I know that mostly likely, it is going to be there, it is going to be horrible, and it is going to delay me.

I discussed this with the guys in class, and they said that I was probably thinking about traffic with the right attitude. Heck, now I think rush hour traffic has its good sides: I've listened to numerous audiobooks, sermons, and music albums while going in and out of first gear on Interstate 64 Westbound. For me, its not rush hour, its time alone to relax, pray, and/or chill out to some tunes.

Stu's sermon on Sunday and Community Group this evening made me think about this traffic, and how it is kind of like the pain in our lives. In John 16:33, Jesus said that "in this world you will have trouble." This means that because of the godlessness in the world, things are going to get bad. Not necessarily now or soon, but things will get bad. We shouldn't be surprised by the horrible things we see on the news or by the accidents, downfalls, and pain we experience in our daily lives. However, knowing they are going to come is probably the best thing.

Just like I knowing that there is going to be disgustingly long traffic on my way to Yorktown from Norfolk enables me to prepare my heart and soul for the experience and benefit from it, Jesus says that knowing that pain is going to come in this world is going to allow you to be prepared and strengthen yourself through a relationship with him. The passage in John also contains the good news, too: Jesus says to "take heart! I have overcome the world."

Though the traffic may be bad, and the pain may be deep, knowing is half the battle. So take heart! Jesus has overcome this world, and the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel.

a very serious condition.

I have never missed having a guitar as much as I have the past couple of days.

I've had too much time on my hands, and no strings with which to pass it. I had too much stuff to take back to the apartment in Norfolk after Spring Break and a guitar didn't make it onto the car. What a bad, bad idea.

I may have to make a slight detour on the way to community group tonight and pick one up. I thought I'd be OK until Wednesday band practice, but I am totally not going to make it.

I've been listening to a lot of new music that I'm enjoying quite a bit, and learning lots of stuff in terms of ideas of what to play, and style stuff to try out, and melodic hints I'd like to explore . . . BUT I HAVE NOTHING. Nothing at all.

a break during spring, part eye vee: the final chapter

Thus ends what could be the last Spring Break for Mike Dominice, ever. A very sad thing, but exciting nonetheless, mostly due to how productive I was during break, getting to jam with some new people, and a new job to boot.

Mondays are always really easy, I only have about 50 mins max of class, usually a bit less, then the rest of the day I usually devote to scheduling/budgeting time for the rest of the week. Since this week is pretty slow, this took basically, uh, no time at all. The rest of the day was devoted to gaming, reading, and getting a bit ahead on notes for the rest of the semester.

Short start to a week, but I have advising and stuff like that this week, getting ready for next semester, which is a scary, but really cool thing. The end is near! Yes.

Short start = short blog. Sorry.

Currently listening to Oceansize. These guys sure know how to be weird.

a break during spring, part eye eye eye

Today, I got the great news that I have an internship! After months (well, longer than a year if you count from last job search season) of searching, applying, and interviewing, the search is over. It is absolutely my ideal job, doing exactly what I want to do, and in a perfect location to boot!

Took my Tele out for a swing. She's so awesome. I think I'm in love . . .

Also walked the dog, fancying myself the Dog Whisperer after I watched that show for about two hours yesterday. The Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and The Science Channel form a triumvirate of distraction and a black hole of wasted attention. But I love it so much . . .

After my great news, I was Mr. Handyman. I took care of some honey-do's at my parents house; getting some cool posters hanging in the awesomely developing music room and hanging some lights for my Mom on her deck. It feels good to be productive.