So many things to talk about today.

1) I would like to wish a Happy Birthday to Shamrock Seamus Shamsquatch. You should take the time to wish him one as well.

2) My new article for the City Wire is up on their website. You can read it here.

3) Dave called me yesterday and informed me that Gogol Bordello has a new album out. Well, sort of. The album doesn’t come out until the 27th, but they have released it digitally only through iTunes until the 27th. You can also find it via any number of file sharing torrent sites. I can tell that I am getting older because I don’t want to deal with the troubles of finding a decent copy via file sharing. Back in my day we had AudioGalaxy. People labeled music what it actually was. You didn’t think you were downloading one thing and open it to discover that it is actually advertising for some kids website building business. Needless to say, I have started buying my music. Well, for the most part. It is just easier for me. Plus, with the iTunes gift cards I get from My Points and random cards given to me at Christmas and Birthdays, I don’t really pay for it.

Anyways, what was I saying? Oh, yes. Gogol Bordello’s new album. From the 15 seconds of it that I have listened to, it sounds pretty badass. The other day I was thinking about having a Gypsy soul. Some people say they have a Gypsy soul and that explains why they have the urge to leave and move around. Pancake Land claims to have one. In the past she would say to herself “I want to be (insert destination).” and the next day she was on her way there. I was thinking about that urge to go and realized that I don’t have that. But, strangely enough, I do think that I have a Gypsy soul. Or at least Gypsy blood coursing through my veins. I know this because every time I hear Gypsy music, especially fiddle, something swells inside of me. Its like my blood is growing hotter and getting bigger in my veins. I feel powerful and nostalgic. Like the spirits of my Gypsy ancestors are possessing my body. It’s pretty intense.

4) I told Pancake Land that I want to get here something special for her birthday this year. It’s a milestone year for her and I want to get her something to mark the occasion. She has been wanting a Canon Digital Rebel for as long as I have known her and I suggested this might be what she would get for her birthday. Cameras like this are pricey and she was not having it. So we came to the compromise that if I buy one, it is our camera. A gift for her birthday (albeit an early one) and I have use of it whenever I please (since I spend more time behind a viewfinder than she does). I think it is fair. So we start looking at cameras. Holy Hell there are a lot of different digital SLRs out there. Even the Digital Rebel has like five different models to choose from. Since she is much better at researching things on the innernet, I sent her off on the quest for information. I had called a few places that sell cameras fishing for info, but when I asked the sales woman to compare the XSi and the XTi, and all she said was that they were both good, I knew that it was up to Pancake Land to gather any info of real value to our mission. Overall, most of the Canon cameras are pretty similar. One does one thing better than the others, but for the most part they are similar. The two negative things that people had to say about Canons are a) Shoots crappy in low light.  and b) Doesn’t fit in your hands comfortably if you have big hands. No problem. I am used to shooting crappy photos in low light and I use a tripod a lot. Done and done. Now the problem is actually finding the one we want. Wish us luck.

5) There is a dinner party in Lippincottonia tonight, so I imagine that I will doing prep work for that. Moving chairs, sweeping floors, hiding all of their crap. You know, the usual party preparation stuff.

I had better get ready to go. More soon. ~SC