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If the quote in the title (in reference to The Strokes ‘Soma’) of this post doesn’t get you the check out these music reviews from kindergarten kids, then maybe this excerpt will:

In reference to the song “You Stood Out From The Crowd” by The Salteens:

MA: Do you like the song?

Ana: This is my bracelet that my mom gave me. You can’t have it.

MA: It’s very nice. What do you think of this music?

Ana: I heard this song in my class. But I wore my dress and I wore my jacket.

MA: Felipe, do you like it?

Felipe: Oooooh! Oooooooh!

Alejandro: He’s pretending to be monkeys. And monkeys can’t talk!

MA: Ok. Monkey, can you tell me in monkey language if you like it?

Felipe: Ooooh! Oooooh! (high, squeaky voice) I don’t like it! I like to climb a tree!

If the quote in the title (in reference to The Strokes ‘Soma’) of this post doesn’t get you the check out these music reviews from kindergarten kids, then maybe this excerpt will:

In reference to the song “You Stood Out From The Crowd” by The Salteens:

MA: Do you like the song?

Ana: This is my bracelet that my mom gave me. You can’t have it.

MA: It’s very nice. What do you think of this music?

Ana: I heard this song in my class. But I wore my dress and I wore my jacket.

MA: Felipe, do you like it?

Felipe: Oooooh! Oooooooh!

Alejandro: He’s pretending to be monkeys. And monkeys can’t talk!

MA: Ok. Monkey, can you tell me in monkey language if you like it?

Felipe: Ooooh! Oooooh! (high, squeaky voice) I don’t like it! I like to climb a tree!

It’s taken me a full two weeks, after my abysmal pigskin prognosticating in which I went 4-10, to summon up the courage to post another round of weekend picks. Last time, I went up against 50/50 odds, up against the toss of a coin. I lost, with the coin getting 6 of 14 correct.

This time I go up against what I consider will result in a sure victory for me. I test my NFL picking skills against the skills of an NFL Neophyte, a mere babe-in-the-woods. This week I take on my 10 year old son, who chooses to know nothing about football.

So, here are the picks this week. (MP) indicates my picks, (CP) indicates Cameron’s:

Texans at Bills MP: Texans CP: Bills
Redskins at Panthers MP: Panthers CP: Panthers
Rams at Bears MP: Rams CP: Rams
Chiefs at Bengals MP: Bengals CP: Bengals
Cardinals at Browns MP: Browns CP: Cardinals
Ravens at Dolphins MP: Dolphins CP: Dolphins
Falcons at Saints MP: Falcons CP: Saints
Giants at Eagles MP: Eagles CP: Eagles
Jaguars at Titans MP: Titans CP: Jaguars
Chargers at Broncos MP: Chargers CP: Chargers
Jets at Colts MP: Colts CP: Jets
Vikings at Raiders MP: Vikings CP: Raiders
Lions at Seahawks MP: Seahawks CP: Lions
Packers at Buccaneers MP: Packers CP: Buccaneers
Cowboys at Patriots MP: Patriots CP: Cowboys
Steelers at 49ers MP: Steelers CP: 49ers

If I lose this week, next week I go up against my interpretation of cloud formations.

Only 13% nerd. A very tolerable level of nerdity, if you ask me. Find out how Nerd you are here.

My test results:
You answered “yes” to 13 of 100 questions, making you 87.0% nerd pure (13.0% nerd corrupt); that is, you are 87.0% pure in the nerd domain (you have 13.0% nerd in you).
Your Weirdness Factor (AKA Uniqueness Factor) is 26%, based on a comparison of your test results with 378675 other submissions for this test.

The average purity for this test is 73.7%.

I have a thick head of straight, fine hair. For as long as I can remember, it’s been the same style, same look. Parted on the side, combed back off the forehead. Also, for as long as I can remember, I’ve used gel to keep it in place. Over time, I have become far too dependant on the gel, to keep my hair in place. Too much in place, I realise, but, over time, it’s gotten to the point where I couldn’t go out without the gelled-hair.
But no more! Today I went gel-less for the first time in years. Yes, the hair was all over the place, all floofy and whatnot. All down over my forehead and straight and floofy. I don’t particularly like the feel of hair on my forehead, but by god, I’m gonna stick with it.
Let’s see where this gel-free head of hair takes me.

But it’ll do, pig. It’ll do.

At the cenotaph today, a couple of things struck me:

1) it’s rather neat to hear the low rumble of a few hundred people mumbling The Lord’s Prayer.

2) the song “God Save The Queen” fails me on both counts (or I fail it?). I don’t believe in God, and I don’t respect the divinity, or observance, of royalty.

3) I’ve further pinpointed what it is about the Remembrance Day ceremony that gets to me, emotionally. It’s when the veterans, each one, comes up to the monument and salutes. I imagine them, in that salute, remembering a particular awful memory, momentarily reliving the extraordinary hell of losing a friend or comrade, or the less-extraordinary hell of wet boots in the midst of gunfire, or the hell of whatever. That moment of salute, when the old soldier is once again the soldier he once was, rips a bit of my heart out of me.

Of all the ‘holidays’, Remembrance Day is the one that means the most to me. Really, it is the only one I can stand behind and endorse. It’s the only one that moves me. The religious holidays are nice for getting together with family and friends, but to my non-believing mind, they don’t have much of an impact. Thanksgiving is okay, but there is that ‘we stole your land’ vibe to contend with. Canada Day (our wedding anniversary, btw) is always fun, and does a good job at instilling the patriotic feeling, but it’s just a carnival.

Remembrance Day, though, is Honest and True.

I wonder what kind of soldier I’d have been in a combat situation. I would hope that I’d be the type who was among the first up the hill, or the type who’d sacrifice my life for others. I suspect, however, that I’m more selfish, more cowardly, more analytical than that. Of course, it’s because I’ve lived my life completely in a safe and secure country that I can afford to be selfish, cowardly and analytical. I wonder how I’d perform in a combat in which I truly believed I was fighting for right. I don’t know. For that lack of knowledge, I am thankful.

What I do know, though, is that I get very emotional at the Cenotaph when the old soldiers march and the bus of ailing veterans drives by. I appreciate true and honest sacrifice.

This is something of a confession: I’ve always appreciated the acting stylings of Jason Bateman. His talent, I thought, always was better than any TV show in which he could be found. Perhaps I’m confusing ‘talent’ with ‘ability to convey his likable personality’, but whatever it is, he made bad shows better.

Now he is in the new Fox sitcom Arrested Development, along with Jeffrey Tambor (of Larry Sanders fame), David Cross (of Mr. Show fame) and other quirky, enjoyable castmates. [I feel so Matt Rainnie, gone link crazy!] I saw my first episode (the series’ second episode) last night, and I found it quite funny. I recommend everybody check it out quickly, as I fear it’ll be cut down and cancelled soon by lack of viewership. This is the norm for most shows that don’t stick to the basic rules of sitcom success.

This is something of a confession: I’ve always appreciated the acting stylings of Jason Bateman. His talent, I thought, always was better than any TV show in which he could be found. Perhaps I’m confusing ‘talent’ with ‘ability to convey his likable personality’, but whatever it is, he made bad shows better.

Now he is in the new Fox sitcom Arrested Development, along with Jeffrey Tambor (of Larry Sanders fame), David Cross (of Mr. Show fame) and other quirky, enjoyable castmates. [I feel so Matt Rainnie, gone link crazy!] I saw my first episode (the series’ second episode) last night, and I found it quite funny. I recommend everybody check it out quickly, as I fear it’ll be cut down and cancelled soon by lack of viewership. This is the norm for most shows that don’t stick to the basic rules of sitcom success.