Invasion of privacy?

Although I post frequently here about my kids, it tends to be very surface stuff. I’ve kept it that way even though I could write books about the joys and frustrations and inspiration and despair that go into being a daddy and the many ways in which the kids engender all of those feelings.

A lot of parents blog a lot about their kids, however. Some of them are remarkably good at it. But I’m not them.

My kids are entitled to their own identity, offline and on. Victoria’s teetering on the brink of adolescence, and if there’s anyone who guards her privacy more than an adolescent girl, he/she probably works for the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Do I have the right to violate her and Hooper’s privacy by writing more about them than I do? Yeah, probably. But is it the right thing to do? No, not for me and not for my kids, I don’t think it is.

So why write about them at all? Because besides my wife they’re the most important people in my life, and so much of what I do every day revolves around them. And some of it is so cool that I have to fight the temptation to share it.

But holding back is my choice, and after six years of blogging here I’m content with it. That said, if I were going to blog a lot more about my kids, I could find some good arguments for it in this.

Pressure Boys reunion

I was a fan of the Pressure Boys from the moment Tony Plutonium brought me a copy of their cassette “Jump! Jump! Jump!” when he came up to New York to visit in the summer of ‘83. They were a band way ahead of their time, and suffered the fate such bands usually suffer.

Last weekend they did two reunion shows at the Cat’s Cradle in Chapel Hill to raise funds for cystic fibrosis, which lead singer John Plymale’s daughter has. Sadly, I couldn’t make either show. But a bunch of people shot video and have posted it to YouTube. Here’s Tony’s shot of the song “Is This Normal?”

Enjoy.

UPDATE: Peter Cashwell (May 5 entry, “You’re Living In My Town”) on the Pressure Boys reunion: “Clearly, the music scene in Chapel Hill in the 1980s was like a cross between Laurel Canyon in the 1970s and the royal house of Thebes in Oedipus Rex.”

Champions

I missed it because I had to work, but Victoria’s Buttercups soccer team won out last night to close the season undefeated at 7-0-1. They won 4-2 against the team they tied earlier. V. didn’t score but was very happy with her play.

Up next: Wrangler-McDonald’s. And then a well-deserved summer rest.

Movies vs. real life, cont.

In the movies, sunshine kills vampires and makes ghosts disappear. In real life, unfortunately, the evil spirits and the Undead tend to be a great deal more persistent.

Who’s the fastest gun?

The Associated Press, apparently.

7:30:00 P.M.: Polls close in North Carolina.

7:30:05 P.M.: AP News Alert:RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Barack Obama wins Democratic presidential primary in North Carolina

And that’s about all the Election Night stories I have to tell.

A loss in Iraq

Local blogger Patrick Eakes has lost a relative in the fighting in Iraq. My prayers go out to the family.

Buttercups 7, Sharks 3

The good news: Victoria scored. The bad news: she gave up mumble goals as keeper.

And the ‘Cups are 6-0-1 with one regular-season game remaining and the Wrangler-McDonald’s tournament coming up.

Some things really are more important than winning

I dare you to read this without tearing up.

(h/t: Athenae at First Draft)

Buttercups 3, Red Hot Chili Peppers 2

Last time, the Buttercups romped; this time, it was a much more closely played game.

V. started on defense, then spent much of the 2nd half as striker. She came agonizingly close to goals three times, once on a shot that went just wide and the other two on heroic saves by the Peppers’ keeper.

We’ve agreed that if she scores a goal, we’re going out for milkshakes after the game, so she was pretty bummed about not having knocked one home. After the game, we tried to go to Ben & Jerry’s for their free-scoop day, but the line was forever so we went and paid regular price at Coldstone (better ice cream, in my opinion).

With two makeup games remaining, the ‘Cups remain undefeated at 5-0-1. And we’ll be playing in the Wrangler-McDonald’s tournament Memorial Day weekend.

Cold front

Stepped outdoors this morning to find myself in the midst of a perfect autumn day.

Oh. Wait.

En fuego

Mr. Sun! is on fire right now with some of the best music clips from my misspent youth. Go listen and learn.

Well, if, by “beautiful,” you mean Tweetie …

In line to check out at the grocery store today, I see that the cover of Us Weekly features a photo of what it calls “Hollywood’s most beautiful baby.” And, y’all, that baby looked exactly like the obnoxious host of MSNBC’s “Hardball,” Chris Matthews.

I’m just sayin’.

Pensive

Not much to say right now, really. I’m meeting Tony for lunch tomorrow and looking forward to that.

OK, this is (probably) a first

When two reporters for Cleveland’s Plain Dealer newspaper were tossed out of a public county commissioners’ meeting for asking what one commissioner viewed as an impertinent question, the paper’s editorial board responded with a singing editorial.

Want to laugh?

Go here.

Then go here.

Then go here and here.

Oh, you will laugh. I never promise that, but I’m promising it now.