Music I can't get enough of

I picked up Firewater's latest, "The Golden Hour," last week, and though I've had about 9 different discs to peruse since then, I still keep coming back to this record. It's really cool, very loose and worldly, yet so very accessible. This is my first exposure to Firewater, so I thought I'd share with you as well.

Kudos to the idea of traveling around and making music with whoever shows up, regardless of whether you speak the language or what your expectations are. Check out the video below to get a taste of why the album, then the two samples down below should help move you to hear more. I think this might be my obsession of the year.



“Borneo”

"Three Legged Dog"

Why I prefer not to fly

I hadn't intended to write about traveling, but this article made me chuckle and sigh at the same time.

My wife and I like to drive for trips. We drive from our home in northwest Arkansas to my parents' home in South Carolina, or our annual beach trip (which is mighty unlikely this year, given that my mom's in the hospital and so many of the older ones are gone), or my occasional pilgrimage to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

When we drive, we see the country and get a feel for the landscape. We also use a lot of gas, which makes it more expensive a way of getting around nowadays. [And no, we don't have SUVs - seriously not my style.] Even though we're using the highways, we chat with others at rest stops and see various displays of kindness and cluelessness, probably in an equal enough measure. And you can't just stop the plane and get off when you see something interesting, like the Spam Museum or Crazy Debbie's Fireworks and Bait Shop.

Damn sure you can't find that last one in an airport terminal. (If you could, I'll bet it would be in Texas. Just sayin'...)

So is that the essence of why I do not prefer flying? No. The essence is all about control - I have the control of my time, not someone else. I don't mind the whole TSA experience (I usually wear loafers) except for the silly shit; yeah, my hair gel + contact lens solution is so dangerous it can only be contained by a Ziploc baggie, and god forbid I try to take a soda through, I must buy one at 250% above cost in the terminal.

And I have medical equipment in my bag and on my person, so I have to go thru the hand search every time (they can't wand me). That's OK, I can deal with that. I've yet to meet even a grumpy TSA agent that didn't react favorably to a smile and a friendly greeting.

But de plane, de plane... I always want to moo, loudly, when boarding and deplaning. I no longer check my luggage (I've been well taught by Delta and others, thank you), so I'm limited to what I can carry on (or gate-check). If I have to change my ticket, it costs me an extra $100 or more. My long legs do not enjoy confinement, yet there's no way I can afford a more comfortable seat in first class. They won't let me play my mp3 player (which has no wireless capability) because it could affect the navigation systems, yet the airlines are testing cell phone usage during flights, and you can imagine how much better THAT is going to make the whole in-flight experience.

And remember the nice TSA agents? They're sweethearts compared to airline employees. Ye gods, I've not seen a more depressed set of people since I worked in tech support. And they're also charm proof, which sucks for me.

Wonder why that industry is in trouble all the time?

Like they needed my endorsement, but…

.. go see “Iron Man” anyway.

I just caught it tonight (yes, it’s been a while since I’ve left the comfort of my Netflix queue/Redbox/couch for the cinema, much less paid for a night movie – oh, the pain!) and it was quite masterful. Robert Downey Jr. basically IS the movie, and he carries this one quite well, able to be serious while also displaying his quirky sense of humor. I really do wonder how many of his lines were improv. The SFX were gorgeous, and kudos to the digital systems at the theater, as I never felt it was too loud and never saw artifacts or any evidence that it wasn’t film on the screen.

The baggage that Downey carries with him from his wilder years wraps around his portrayal of Tony Stark quite well, adding nuance to his mannerisms and a knowing look in his eyes. For example, watch Downey’s eyes in the scene near the end when Pepper Potts (the lovely Gwyneth Paltrow) is prepping him for a press conference and he reminds her of that night, and she reminds him that the rest of that night didn’t go very well for her. The flash of charm quickly doused by sober reality, and then the walls come back down.

And don’t miss Stan the Man’s cameo – the man behind the creation of many of the Marvel heroes, surrounded by bunnies (and in a bit of a costume himself) at a benefit that Downey’s character attends on the spur of the moment.

I’m excited that Marvel has already released plans for “Iron Man 2.” There were quite a few little loose ends left dangling that fans of the comic will definitely pick up on, such as the Ten Rings reference and the government agency with the unwieldy title of Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division. By the end of the movie, they just go by the acronym, giving one of the younger audience members several rows in front of me a bit of a thrill; “Cool!” was his somewhat un-whispered response.

Yeah, Marvel rules. Good times.