The Raconteur Daddy

When the Mountains Don't Move.

2015-01-29T15:42:00.000-06:00

When people talk religion online, I tend to stay out of it. I have good friends on both sides of the pew, people I wouldn't hurt or humiliate for the world. A few people know where I stand on my own faith, and I have not always been one of them. Suffice it to say that I don't believe anybody has it right, and if a person has never questioned their own moral judgement then they're probably doing it wrong.

My faith is like a sore tooth, I frequently find myself testing it, poking at it with my mental tongue trying to find out what feels right and what stings. At times this has led to doubt and consternation, but through internal Socratic method, I find my way back into a spiritual comfort zone.

I have been thinking lately of my journey of faith during my adolescent years. Social media has allowed me to reconnect with a handful of the people who shared that path with me, and as a result I find myself considering the various spiritual homes in which we now reside considering we walked the same road for awhile.

The church youth group that I attended during and just after my confirmation years was, in a word, intense. I witnessed impassioned prayer, protracted worship, laying of hands, speaking in tongues, and visions of God calling some of us to a life of prophecy. I was told by the youth minister that I would lead a ministry. Several of the people that I was involved with during that time have gone on to become spiritual leaders in their communities, but I wouldn't define myself as such.

I remember one intense session of worship when I was about fifteen years old. One of the other teens in our group, a young man about a year older than me, was legally blind. He wore those chunky glasses that people still sometimes call Coke-bottle-bottoms, but even with these his vision was profoundly damaged. During the meeting, another member felt that the Holy Spirit had called our group to heal this young man's blindness. We went about our task with a verve only achievable by hormonal teens in a frenzy of religious faith. We prayed, we sang, we performed a laying of hands, we reenacted the events of John 9:6 and made mud to put on his eyes.

When it was finished, his vision remained unchanged. We were still hopeful that he would be cured in God's time, but as the days passed our attention shifted to other religious experiences. Shortly after that evening, I went through the biggest crisis of my young life and ended up moving to a different city. I kept up a little contact with my friends from the old youth group, but I never knew what became of our own Bartimaeus.

Today, I find my thoughts returning to that evening like the sore tooth I referenced earlier. Why didn't God immediately heal that boy? If it wasn't in His plan to heal him, why were the others in our group so certain that it was? Doesn't this disprove the very idea of God speaking to us during prayer?

I don't believe so.

I believe that on that night twenty years ago, God did speak to our group, but our understanding of that message was skewed by our human desire to see first-hand an unambiguous miracle. Unfortunately for us, miracles are never so concrete. Rather, life has shown me that the miracles we experience are performed by a more artful hand, and require an open mindset for observation.

God did not call us to cure his blindness. God called us to BE the cure for his blindness.

God called a small group of His faithful to support and carry him through the darkness. He called us to be as dependable and trustworthy as a healthy pair of eyes. In our zeal, we attempted to perform an overt miracle, without considering the deftness of His hand.

It took me over twenty years to figure out what happened that night, and why. I hope that along the way somebody heard God's call to service for what it was, and that young man finally found his cure.

God doesn't want me to do stuff.
God wants me to be something.

P.S. I found my ministry. I shepherd a flock of three little sheep, but I believe they will change the world for the better.

Novel Review: On A Pale Horse

2013-12-05T12:28:00.001-06:00

On a Pale Horse by Piers Anthony
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The first time I read this book was during high school. At the time I really enjoyed it and went on the read the rest of Anthony's "Incarnations of Immortality" series and I have been a fan of that series ever since.

That was half a lifetime ago, and as the oldest of my children is rapidly approaching her own adolescence I find myself revisiting the literary highlights of my youth in order to provide her with suggestions for her own library.

On a Pale Horse explores some interesting viewpoints on life, death, and the nature of progresstion from one the former to the latter. It does so with a fun adventure, full of vibrant characters and a few moments of tongue-in-cheek satire. It does all this in a rather adolescent, heavy-handed sense of humor and a decidedly "naughty teenage boy" approach to romance and sexuality.

I liked the idea that good and evil are completely separate from wrong and right. And that much of the burden on the soul is put their because of the guilt a person takes on after doing what is right.

The mechanics of the world are interesting, and even though the author presents the ethical dilemma's of the characters a bit ham-fistedly, the overall product is enjoyable, and mostly appropriate for teenage readers, while being naughty enough to remain interesting in a "forbidden fruit" sort of way. His metaphor for cognition using the matchsticks seems a bit jarring throughout the book, and feels like it was forced in there after the fact to explain actions that really didn't need it.

I remember an interview with R. A. Salvatore in which he states (and I'm paraphrasing here) that he wasn't writing books to address all the subtle questions of right and wrong that we face in adulthood, but that his books are to address the bigger ideas that we try to grasp in our youth, and in such a way as to be understandable and interesting to someone of that age group. Anthony accomplishes this here, and my 14-year-old self would probably give On a Pale Horse a full five stars. My married, child-raising, adult self looks at the interactions and says, "Nobody acts like that".

I assign personalities based on the books of theirs I have read. I think Neal Stephenson would probably be condescending but also cool enough about it to be fun to hang out with. Patrick Rothfuss would be great to hang out with, but he's probably too busy today. Piers Anthony comes off as kind of pompous in a way that follows the artiste stereotype. Not that I've ever met the guy, but when his author's note is fully a tenth the size of the book, it comes off as a little full of one's self.

Overall, a good book for the right reader. And a fun series to revisit. Looking forward to joining up with Father Time in book 2.

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Novel Review: The Harsh Cry of the Heron

2013-11-25T11:09:00.001-06:00

The Harsh Cry of the Heron by Lian Hearn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I can see how some readers would be disappointed by this volume in the Tales of the Otori series. I thought that the system of "magic" in the original trilogy felt very organic and well done. When it was expanded and made more central to the plot of THCoTH, it felt heavy-handed and overdone. I did not like the cat spirit possession or the Ghostmaster power that were central to this books plot.

Fans of the Kaede character would also find this book disappointing. Characterized by her strength, leadership, and and devotion to Takeo in the original series, she spends most of THCoTH in the background. Her daughters, unborn at the completion of the original trilogy, are the major female characters here. Kaede emerges in the final act only to further disappoint her fans, and while her actions are central to the denouement of the plot, her actions feel wildly out of character.

However, I give this novel such a high rating for one reason and one reason alone: I am a tragedy junkie. I love tragedies. I love the feeling in the pit of my stomach as everything starts to go wrong for these characters. And this final book the the Tales of the Otori timeline is a tragedy on a grand scale.

View all my reviews

Moving Forward.

2012-04-24T14:44:00.000-05:00

It's been nearly six months since I've been on here. There's a completely new format for me to figure out, but I think I will like working with it. I should be able to spend more time online now, or at least in the very near future once we've gotten completely unpacked. Today was my day to spend with Peanut while the Trophy Wife was at work. In a reversal of the normal situation, Peanut dozed off on the floor during our play session, so here I am.

In the past six months (well... year actually... who are we kidding?) since I've been on hiatus I've had plenty of "hey I should blog about that" moments, but as is so often the case, I've forgotten about them or whatever events have spurred those moments have become irrelevant. The kids are healthy, wife is well, what else matters?

I am very exited to have my own kitchen again, however small. Even my wife was a little disturbed by the look of unfettered joy on my face as I unpacked and briefly held each and every one of my cooking knives. Unfortunately, the lack of space in the kitchen has forced us to relegate some of my favorite implements (toaster oven, rotisserie) to the storage unit outside, but it can always be accessed for special occasions.

I've also loved getting back into the swing of things at work. I've got plenty of advice for all you "Mr. Papagiorgio" aspirants out there. And God knows somebody needs to tell you the proper balance of panache and class that will improve the casino experience for you and the casino employees you encounter.

I haven't been reading as much as I would like lately, which should change as soon as Princess finishes school for the summer and we find our neighborhood library.

...and now Peanut has awakened, so until next time.

Here at last

2011-10-26T20:50:00.000-05:00

Peanut has arrived.

She was born on Sunday, October 23 at noon. She was 6 pounds 10 ounces at birth and 19 inches in length. Both the baby and mommy are doing well after a difficult birth. We are thankful to the talented group of doctors and nurses that helped bring her into the world.

Here are a few pictures.

Very quiet to start out. RacDad was pretty worried until she finally let out a squeal.

First Cuddle With Mommy

Princess was at a Girl Scout Halloween party earlier. Still in face paint.

RacDad with all the kids.

Bright eyes and a suspicious stare.

Daddy Can Cook: Plum Dumplings

2011-07-27T08:35:00.010-05:00

Sometimes I forget things. My forgetfulness usually takes the form of an aptitude to misplace small items. There is a running joke in my household that anything that is covered by a single sheet of paper is rendered invisible to me. I laugh along and call myself a rock.

Get it?

Paper beats rock.

Anyway...

My wife helps me out when I need it. She always seems to know where I left my phone, or my wallet, or the baby. But there are some things that I am not allowed to forget. These things are of such basic importance that I require constant reminders lest I forget them, even for a moment. She frequently reminds me that I am a wonderful father, a good man, and quite possibly the luckiest person ever to have married her.

I am also lucky to have been allowed to be a part of her family. She comes from Bohemian ancestry (Czech yourself b4 you wreck yourself) as well as English, Norwegian, Irish and a smattering of other nationalities. We've been spending a lot of time with her grandmother lately, who honored me by teaching to me the way of traditional Bohemian plum dumpling-making.

It starts, as most good things do, with potatoes.

Here is what you'll need

4 potatoes peeled, boiled, mashed, and cooled

2 to 3 cups of flour

1 egg

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup sugar plus 1/2 cup sugar for optional plum sauce

1 stick butter

7-10 ripe Black Beauty Plums (or 12-16 Italian Prune Plums)

Poppy seeds for topping

Add the egg and salt to the potatoes and mix well. Mix in the flour, one half cup at a time until the dough reaches the consistency of fresh ~~Play-Doh~~ non-trademarked children's modeling compound. It should be easy to mold, but not too sticky to manipulate. There's your dumpling dough.

Now take your plums, they should already be slightly soft, if not you can put them in the microwave for twenty seconds. Clean them with a wet cloth and roll them in a saucer filled with 1/4 cup of sugar. Wrap them in 1/4 to 1/2 inch of your dumpling dough and hand roll them to seal all the cracks. Sealing the cracks is very important otherwise your dumplings will open while cooking and all your plum goodness will be washed away. Put completed dumplings into a pot of boiling water and boil those suckers until they float.

While your dumplings are boiling, cut up a few plums (2 Black or 4-5 Prunes) and add the 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water and boil until the plums are very soft for a plum sauce topping.

Serve dumplings cut up, seeds removed, drenched in butter, topped with plum sauce or sugar, and very liberally covered in poppy seeds for the ultimate in Bohemian comfort food.

Toeing The Line Between Fun And Responsibility

2011-07-09T22:17:00.001-05:00

There are many reasons to love South Dakota. There is no state income tax. The Black Hills are beautiful both this and every other time of year. It houses some of the most fertile farmland in the United States. And it is super cheap to register your car. While these are all excellent reasons to love my home state, there is another that outshines them all.

Relaxed laws regulating the use of fireworks, at least in some towns.

That's right. This is a 4th of July post.

Yes I know the 4th was last week. This is my life now.

First I should give some you some of my pyrotechnical background.

As a child I had very little exposure to anything other than sparklers. I grew up in Rapid City and was always told that fireworks were banned in city limits for fear of starting a wildfire. My mother never much cared for them, so they weren't a part of our midsummer celebration. Before my late teen years I count only two experiences involving fireworks. Once was at the home of a family friend, while my mother and stepfather looked on in disapproval. The other was with my father, watching him fire off a few for my entertainment on a hill overlooking Fort Pierre before being shooed away by a police officer.

It wasn't until I was a young man of fifteen years, flush with the disposable income of a professional part-time dishwasher, that I was able to purchase seasonal explosives for my own use. Of course, the fact that they were illegal in town was part of the thrill of the occasion for me and my friends. Most of our time was spent finding a suitably hidden location for our combustible exploits. Each of us in the group was a young Prometheus, fleeing the wrath of those in power in order to experience the thrill of recreational fire.

Since those days I have grown up and found a career in the casino entertainment industry. One of the realities of said vocation is that holidays are for working. We are at our busiest on days traditionally reserved for leisure. And so, like many other holidays, my Independence Days are spent at work, helping other people relax and have some fun.

I've been blessed in many ways to be at the casino where I currently work. Not the least of those blessings has been my schedule. Along with great days off and phenomenal hours I was not scheduled to work on the 4th this year. This is the first Independence Day I have not had to work in ten years. That predates the both my marriage and the the birth of my oldest child.

I was finally able to spend the 4th with my family and it.. was.. AWESOME! We spent the morning touring potential homes and had a great family lunch at one of our favorite restaurants. We returned home to buy fireworks and start putting dinner together. My Princess and I put together a short pre-dinner home fireworks display to the great enjoyment of Chunky Monkey. Then we feasted on grilled brats with all the traditional summer sides. After Princess and I ignited the rest of our fireworks it was time to put my son into bed. Great-Grandma stayed home with Chunky Monkey and the rest of the family headed off to the city baseball field for the fireworks extravaganza.

Extravaganza is really the only applicable word here. The local show in this small town is absolutely world-class in every way. Put on by a local business owner (who also holds a Pyrotechnics Guild International license) at no cost to the city, this annual show is always the talk of this small town. I had heard it described before but until this year I had never experienced it. It began with a ground show. This year's theme was "Godzilla". Three different Godzilla monsters were made out of fire. They attacked Tokyo, also made of fire, only to face defeat at the hands of a battalion of tanks also made out of, you guessed it, FIRE.

And that was just the first act.

It was followed by an hour-long aerial show featuring massive sky-flowers, ground based fountains, and explosions that could be felt deep in the gut. All this was launched a mere 450 or so feet from where we sat. Calling it grandiose would be an understatement.

Ears still ringing and slightly singed, we finally staggered back to bed at a completely indecent hour. It was easily the best 4th of July I have ever experienced.

No matter where I end up in life, no matter how far away I make my home, I will always try to return back here in midsummer. These folks know how to celebrate the 4th.

A Preview Is Easier to Make Than a Movie.

2011-06-29T21:00:00.000-05:00

I've been lax in my blogging lately.

I make excuses. Maybe I'm suffering from writers block, maybe I'm too busy with the new job, or maybe I'm still discombobulated from all the change this summer.

And yet I feel guilty about my silence As if I am somehow obligated to my handful of (beloved) readers and the internet as a whole. I will try to do better.

During this transition period I have been listening to a lot of Coheed and Cambria, the concept-rock group out of New York, based on the recommendation of my good friend, The Professional Appreciator. I hope to encapsulate my opinions regarding the band for a future post.

I have also learned the exact art of producing genuine Bohemian Plum Dumplings from my wife's grandmother, and I will be passing the recipe on soon.

Before this big transition I read The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (again thanks to the P.A.). The second film adaptation of this book produced in the last three years is scheduled to hit theaters by the end of the year. I have two hopes for my upcoming review of the novel. First, that I manage to put it together before the movie comes out. Second, I hope that it is not nearly as superfluous as the most recent film adaptation.

Of course, Princess and The Chunky Monkey have been doing some very awesome and funny things. I hope to relate some of the stories of their summer adventures. And of course there is the upcoming third...

I plan to relate all of this intermittently throughout the summer. Plus some lessons learned both in the casino pit and in the oblivion of unemployment. I hope you'll enjoy it.

It It Over Yet?

2011-06-16T21:48:00.000-05:00

In a word... no.

But there is a light at the end of the tunnel. After six long months, I have begun work at a new job. I love being part of the opening of a new casino, and this new company that I am working for is great. It is so refreshing to get out from under the boot of corporate bureaucracy and back to working for and with actual human beings. I think I am going to be very happy with this company.

My new employment will mean some changes here at The Raconteur Daddy. First of all I will no longer attempt to produce new posts on a deadline. I hope to keep a high level of quality and feel that I can only accomplish this by posting only when I have something to say. I will also be removing the ads from my blog. I'm not a professional blogger, nor do I wish to be. Google and Amazon will have to find a way to continue doing business without my support, and I wish them all luck in doing so.

I have nothing but appreciation for all of you who have read this blog and hope you will continue to do so. I appreciate having the time to work through this transition period in my life and hope to come back soon with more to share.

Shouldn't There Be Tumbleweeds?

2011-05-19T11:02:00.000-05:00

In my wildest ego-fantasy I imagine hundreds of people all thinking the same thing. When is The Raconteur Daddy going to post again?

The answer is soon. I'm in the middle of a big transition in my life right now. In the next few weeks I should be starting a new job after being unemployed for six months. I am also preparing my home to be sold and packing our stuff to move back to South Dakota as part of the new job. If you're looking for a fairly new and well equipped starter home in a great family neighborhood just outside the Omaha metro area, let me know.

The 30 Day music challenge made for some filler, but the questions become somewhat repetitive and it seemed like a cop out to just get some pageviews without dedicating much time or thought into the posts. If I have the time, I'll get a few more days worth scheduled to post, and I hope to get some real posts up in the coming weeks.

Once I start the new job I will know how often I can write new posts for T.R.D. (Now I'm glad I didn't title this blog 'The Unemployed Raconteur Daddy') I hope to be able to keep to two a week, but it might drop to one or just be a catch-as-catch-can type of thing.

Thanks to everybody for reading, and I will soon return with more tales to tell.

30 Day Music Challenge: Day 15

2011-05-14T07:30:00.000-05:00

Day 15: What song do you hate the most?

Easy answer, but I couldn't tell you why. I've hated this song from day one and I always will. Thankfully it is no longer popular and I doubt it will ever make it into "classic 80's" airplay.

Horrible song, Horrible Band. 'Nuff Said.

30 Day Music Challenge: Day 14

2011-05-12T11:07:00.000-05:00

Day 14: What was your first music purchase?

That one I remember well. I had just started seventh grade and turned thirteen a few months before. I had some birthday money left over that my mom said I could use to buy whatever cassette I wanted. I don't remember what led me to choose this album. I wasn't a fan of the band (yet) and don't remember hearing of them until I got the album. Everybody I knew was snatching up Nirvana's Nevermind which had come out a few weeks before and I wanted to try something different.

Here's My favorite song from that album.

That's right. Despite my sheltered Midwestern upbringing and all-around uncoolness during my adolescence, I was a fan of Pearl Jam before they hit the big time.

Fun Fact: Despite the general assumption that Pearl Jam rode Nirvana's coattails to success, Ten came out weeks before Nevermind, it just took longer to become popular in the mainstream.

30 Day Music Challenge: Day 13

2011-05-11T07:30:00.003-05:00

Day 13: What son represents the 00's to you?

What kind of question is this? The 90's were hard enough to try to sum up. The first decade of the 21st century is was too recent to be able to pick a song that represents it well.

So instead, here's one of my favorite songs and videos of the decade.

There you go.

30 Day Music Challenge: Day 12

2011-05-10T07:30:00.001-05:00

Day 12: What song defines the 90's for you?

I'll start with the song this time, then do my best to defend it.

Here's how I figure it. This song protests "The Troubles" in Northern Ireland which began in the 60's but pretty much wrapped up in the 90's. The 90's also say the popularization of Grunge music with it's power chords and melancholy lyrics, which I think are well represented in this song. I also wanted to showcase one of the few Irish bands to be popular in the US in the 90s. I can only think of U2, The Corrs, The Cranberries, and Sinead O'Connor that fit that criteria.

The 90's also say the decline of the female rock vocalist. There has been a shortage of them for the past 10 years, which is as depressing a fact as I can think of.

30 Day Music Challenge: Day 11

2011-05-09T07:30:00.000-05:00

Day 11: What song defines the 80's to you?

Holy cow. I thought the defining song of the 70's was hard. Just an FYI, the following albums all came out during the 80's

Appetite for Destruction
Thriller
Hysteria
Slippery When Wet
Purple Rain
Like A Virgin
Back in Black
The Joshua Tree
Open Up and Say AHHH
1984
Pump
Born in the USA

Every one of those is iconic in it's own genre, and a few of them rise above classification. It was during the 80's that I became aware of music as an art form, and the music of that decade was the soundtrack of my childhood.

Here's the 80's defining song, IMHO:

David Lee Roth was the anthropomorphic personification of the 80's. Period.

30 Day Music Challenge: Day 10

2011-05-08T09:08:00.000-05:00

Day 10: What song defines the 70's to you.

This is actually a pretty tough one, since for me the 70 are experienced only through other people's experiences. So here's what I got for you.

So here's why. The 70's were a fantastic time for music. Many of the elder statesmen of music, all genres, were in their heyday during that time. There was a lot going on. Disco, while not my favorite type of music, could not be ignored during this decade.

Pinball Wizard encapsulates much of the feeling of the 70's. The style and theatrics are a nod to the disco culture, but The Who can only be defined as a rock band. Even Elton John, who's performance is the most iconic, was known at the time as a rock musician, rather than the glam pop persona he is today.

It is not the best Who song, nor is it my favorite song of the decade, but I think it represents the decade quite well.

30 Day Music Challenge: Day 9

2011-05-07T07:30:00.001-05:00

Day 9: What is the earliest song you can remember from your childhood?

There are a lot of them. Some I've mentioned in earlier posts. I remember this one from my preschool days. I have no idea why it was popular with a bunch of four-year-old kids, but there you go. It just goes to show that some things were "going viral" long before the internet existed.

Who knew John Oates, Kenny Loggins, Grizzly Adams, and Huey Lewis could make something so iconic together?

30 Day Music Challenge: Day 8

2011-05-06T07:30:00.001-05:00

Day 8: What was the last song you listened to?

Actually, I've been so busy that I haven't had too much time to listen to music. The last time may have been on Monday when I had to drive across town on an errand for he church. I know for a fact that I listened to this song on the drive.

This song is rapidly becoming my favorite Killers track. I like the dissonance that lurks just below the surface. And you just can't go wrong with Lou Reed

30 Day Music Challenge: Day 7

2011-05-05T07:30:00.000-05:00

Day 7: What song do you play when you're chilling out?

One thing I find as a grown up is that I rarely have time to chill out. One of the reasons that I'm doing this 30 day blog challenge is that I don't have time right now to sit and type out a long post. So I have to think back to the last time I've been able to just relax and enjoy some tunes.

That being said, I do feel more calm and relaxed when listening to some songs. Here are a couple of them.

I love the lyrics to that one. "We lived in the noise and the sweet amber poison." Reminds me of good times with good friends.

And Leonard Cohen is simply the coolest person ever.

30 Day Music Challenge: Day 6

2011-05-04T07:30:00.002-05:00

Day 6: What Song do you play when you're angry?

I've never considered myself an "angry person". When I do get frustrated or upset, it usually passes very quickly. I find that if I spend some time yelling at people in my mind, I am much more patient when I deal with them face-to-face. That being said there are some great angry songs out there.

Again, I feel that I need to post two songs here.

30 Day Music Challenge: Day 5

2011-05-03T07:30:00.000-05:00

Day 5: What song do you play when you're feeling sad?

Elton John had it right when it comes to sad songs. It feels so good to hurt so bad, and suffer just enough to sing the blues. Melancholy songs have been a staple of my listening palate ever since the days of puberty. Even today, when I am for the most part happier than ever with my life, I still get down occasionally. When I do, I love nothing more than to turn on some music and listen to the sorrows of others.

As an added bonus, here's another great one.

30 Day Music Challenge: Day 4

2011-05-02T07:30:00.000-05:00

Day 4, What song do you play when you're feeling happy?

Well there are a lot of them, but one of my all time favorite good time songs is right here.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, QVC presents, live in your living room, AC/DC!!!!!!!!"

Sorry about the inside joke intro. Unless you're the among the handful of people who got it.

30 Day Music Challenge: Day 3

2011-05-01T07:30:00.001-05:00

Not much time to talk today, but here is the song with the highest play count on my iTunes, as well as being a solid contender for my favorite song.

One of the best rock songs I've ever heard by a band who actually harmonizes! Awesome!

Thirty Day Music Challenge: Day Two

2011-04-30T07:30:00.000-05:00

Day Two of the Thirty Day Music Challenge. What song was #1 on your birthday?

There you have it. Boogie Oogie Oogie by A Taste of Honey.

I remember having a conversation with my daughter. She was asking which decade her family was born in. Her grandparents told her that they were born in the 50's, my wife told her that she was born in the 80's. When she asked me what decade I was born in I had to answer, "Daddy was born in the 70's. That's why I'm so funky."

Funky Indeed.

See you tomorrow for day three of the music challenge.

Thirty Day Music Challenge: Day One

2011-04-29T07:30:00.001-05:00

Hello Everybody. Thanks for stopping by.

Music has been a huge part of my life for a very long time. The first time I remember completely losing myself while rocking out to a song was when I was five years old. The song was "Robbie Robot" from Up With People's 1983 album, Live in Concert. I got the tape as a gift from my grandmother and listened to it on my Fisher Price Cassette player. I can still sing the chorus to that goofy song.

I saw this daily blog challenge on Cooper Avenue, a mommy blog that my wife introduced me to. I've been exceptionally busy these past few days and it doesn't look to be letting up for several more weeks, so hopefully this will allow me to put out some moderately interesting stuff even if I'm too busy to sit down and write a full post.

Here is the outline for the 30-day challenge.

MUSIC CHALLENGE
Day 1 – What Is Your Favorite Song Right Now?
Day 2 – What Song That Was No 1 When You Were Born?
Day 3 – What Song Has The Highest Play Count On Your iTunes (Or Other Music Player)?
Day 4 – What Song Do You Play When You’re Feeling Happy?
Day 5 – What Song Do You Play When You’re Feeling Sad?
Day 6 – What Song Do You Play When You’re Angry?
Day 7 – What Song Do You Play When You're Chilling Out?
Day 8 – What Was The Last Song You Listened To?
Day 9 – What Is The Earliest Song You Can Remember From Your Childhood?
Day 10 – For You What Song Defines The 70’s?
Day 11 – For You What Song Defines The 80’s?
Day 12 – For You What Song Defines The 90’s?
Day 13 – For You What Song Defines The 00’s?
Day 14 – What Song Was Your First 7”/12”/Cass/CD/mp3 purchase?
Day 15 – What Song Do You Hate The Most?
Day 16 – Post A Song From Your Favourite Artist/Band
Day 17 – Post A Song That You Want The World To Hear
Day 18 – What Song Makes You Want To Sing Out Loud?
Day 19 – What Song Makes You Want To Dance?
Day 20 – What Song Makes You Want To Rock Out?
Day 21 – What Song Is Your Biggest Guilty Pleasure?
Day 22 – What Song Gets Stuck In Your Head The Most?
Day 23 – What Song Reminds You Of A Person?
Day 24 – What Song Reminds You Of A Place?
Day 25 – What Song Reminds You Of A Happy Moment In Your Life?
Day 26 – What Song Reminds You Of A Sad Moment In Your Life?
Day 27 – What Song Would You Like Played At Your Wedding/Union?
Day 28 – What Song Would You Like Played At Your Funeral?
Day 29 – What Song Would You Consider To Be The “Soundtrack Of Your Life”?
Day 30 – Looking Back On Your Answers, What Is Your All Time Favorite Song?

So here goes.

My favorite song right now is probably Like A Friend from Pulp's This is Hardcore album. It's just a fantastic Brit-pop song with a great hook. I'll attach a video after this disclaimer:

I hate Pulp videos. I hate seeing how douchey their lead singer looks and acts as he sneers his way through the song. Nevertheless it is probably my favorite song right now and it has been for several years. "You are the cut that makes me hide my face. You are the party that makes me feel my age." is, in my humble opinion, one of the best lyrics ever written.

Here's the vid:

See you tomorrow with the number one song when I was born.