Why my hip-hop posse would include Johnny 5

Johnny 5 The founder of the Flobots, Johnny 5 builds a repertoire of songs that have a voice communicated through masked patriotism for a nation we do not know. I don’t do lyrics, so I’d need someone to help put together some potent rap-styled slander. Zack de la Rocha A current collaborating member, Zack de… Continue reading Why my hip-hop posse would include Johnny 5

A Drum Circle Arrangement of “Galang”

I’m imagining some possible scenarios where I could lead a drum circle into a sort of performance.  Most facilitated drum circles enter into spontaneous or random rhythms and are then led to compose the music.  I would really like to lead people (sometimes naively) into known songs.  There’s an extra sense of excitement when you… Continue reading A Drum Circle Arrangement of “Galang”

As a Multi-Millionaire…

My wife and I like to think strategically about our future.  Planning and foresight can save you a lot of grief and work in earnest. In the event that we should become multi-millionaires in the future, we want to make sure we know what we’re going to do with the money.  The following is an… Continue reading As a Multi-Millionaire…

Zune 30 Pandemic

Oh, good grief! I awoke this morning to find my Zune in a less than pleasing way. I was concerned that the number of times I’ve dropped the device had finally caught up with me and I was paying the ultimate price. However, I decided to check out what was being said online about this… Continue reading Zune 30 Pandemic

A Comment on the Weather

I got a Christmas card from the nice folks at the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) – the Climate Witness division. You may recall the article I wrote for them concerning the pitiful state of Lake Lanier (speaking of which, the scientific review of my story is now available). The card reminded me of… Continue reading A Comment on the Weather

Scientist Poop and the Epic Fail

Our son recently contracted Streptococcus within his person. We’re all familiar with such things, but the signs of this particular infection alluded us. We knew he had a stomach ache, but little else. The stomach ache became chronic and Balthazar the harbinger used is poo oracle to let us know something was truly wrong. We… Continue reading Scientist Poop and the Epic Fail

The Horrors of the Obama Administration

This week’s “The Pain” comic tells the story – probably from my area of the world – of Obama’s election. When I first perused it, I had assumed Mr. Kreider was not a fan of Obama. For this one, you need to read the Artist’s statement which raises the comic wit. …watching Obama’s luminous acceptance… Continue reading The Horrors of the Obama Administration

A Baby Changes Everything

Remarkably, the biggest change at the Gradin household is simply in our perception. There are all sorts of things that change when a new child is born into your family. Your free time dries up, your bank account empties, you become more selfless. But when you already have an older child, the thing we noticed… Continue reading A Baby Changes Everything

Smallest, and Newest Member of the Empire’s Finest

Guess who has the coolest costume on the block? Balthazar does! His best (and only) Uncle-figure went all out and got together a suit of youth Storm Trooper gear for Balthazar this year. He’s been working on it for a while now and it’s finally finished. Sunday, he brought it over and we had an… Continue reading Smallest, and Newest Member of the Empire’s Finest

Cloudberries

From the folks that brought you surströmming, a kind of fermented herring, comes something a bit different to entice your palate! When I first heard “cloudberry,” I thought it a playful term for flatulence. Turns out, it’s an indescribable fruit found in northern latitudes. It’s rare, and rather difficult to cultivate as I understand. The… Continue reading Cloudberries