CURSIVE

The kids were talking about “bad” words.

“I know the 'S' word,” offered Lana.

Before she had finished her sentence, Sebastian had revved up his own.

“Oh, I know, I know! It's 'stupid'!”

“Yes,” continued Lana, “And we're not allowed to use it even though daddy sometimes does.” She said this in the melodic, lawyerly tone with which a ten-year old girl will say such things. It was fairly charming.

Sebastian had more to add to the conversation.

“I know the 'F' word.” I was prepared to be charmed again. “It's 'fuck'!”

I was... “Wait, what?”

“Fuck!”

I missed a beat, and Lana noticed I was off rhythm. “What does that even mean?” she said.

I asked Sebastian where he had learned the word. I asked more as a diversion than anything else.

Well, apparently one of his seat mates in kindergarten last year had access to the outer reaches of the “bad” word list, and had shared it with him.

I was actually pretty impressed that he'd sat on it for all this time...

WE PLAYED A SHOW AND NO ONE CAME

A couple of weeks ago, I got an e-mail from brain coral. I won't say it was frantic, because he doesn't do “frantic”-- let's say it was heightened.

And with good cause-- word had come through the wire that of Montreal was going to be playing a late-January show at the 9:30 Club.

I answered excitedly (because I do do “excitedly”), and within 5 minutes, we had our tickets.

As the days passed, I continued to check the status of the show, and tickets continued to be available. I was beginning to think that I was seriously overvaluing of Montreal's currency. Maybe 3 years on from Hissing Fauna, and a bit bewildered by Georgie Fruit, the indie kids had all moved on.

I checked again today, and it looks like it's finally sold out.

Not that it has much bearing on brain coral and me. You'd find us stage right in the rafters whether it was sold out or we were the only ones there...

TAKE OASIS

Reading the Murmur entry in the 33 1/3 series.

I'd recommend it highly if you've ever had a relationship with Murmur.

I'd recommend it even highly-er if you've ever had a relationship with a vintage cassette copy of Murmur...

NIC FIT

I sure hope that Vamp Weekend's Contra doesn't stir up any shit with my copy of Sandinista!

WHITE-WINGED DOVE

It's our wedding anniversary this weekend. I'll leave it to you to deduce from these ingenious clues the number.

I love you, dear...

CHK CHK CHK

Advising a ten-year old to use fewer exclamation points in her writing feels grammatically responsible but spiritually incorrect.

So listen to me, Lana.

But don't listen to me, Lana!

CONTRADICTION

If Vampire Weekend were a movement, I'd hate it for sure.

Got no particular beef wif them as a band, though...

ALL DOWN THE LINE

The Jersey Turnpike reminded me last week just how much I love Exile on Main Street.

Thank you Jersey Turnpike, you magnificent bastard...

HE WANTS TO LOVE AND HE WANTS TO CARE

Sebastian was sprawled across our new king-size bed this morning, which he had clambered into at some point during the night.

The boy has been tired these last few days. The collective weight of a recent birthday, the holiday season, and a quick whirlwind trip to New York has caught up to him and bowed his little shoulders a bit.

I looked at him as I passed through the bedroom. I dodged creaky floorboards, stifled a cough, then paused to watch his eyelids flutter in the gathering daylight.

“Hi daddy.”

If anyone ever comes to measure my success, let them start right here...

CARROT FLOWERS

Cable has taught me tonight that Carrot Top's Chairman of the Board is a better movie than the 2nd X-Files...

WHAT IS AND WHAT SHOULD NEVER BE

I was at BOOKOFF in Manhattan this past weekend, looking over the used CDs. A copy of the Led Zep Mothership collection caught my eye. Two discs, ten bucks.

I carried it around with me for a while, but ultimately I didn't get anything more than a $3 Beulah CD.

I have a burgeoning non-ironic interest in classic rock, but when push comes to shove, I'm not willing to pay for it.

Tom, you need to move down to NOVA and be my motherfucking classic-rock pimp...