Tickety-boo

I discovered recently that "tickety-boo" is a word. It's of British origin and means "in good order, fine." I plan on using this word as much as possible, and I encourage others to do the same. Here's a sample dialogue:

"How's it going?"
"Tickety-boo. You?"
"I don't know what that means."
"That's tickety-boo with me."
"I find your use of this word tiresome."
"Ah, well. Hope your day is tickety-boo!"

Iconic bands I don't like

There's an interesting message board discussion over at Donewaiting.com about unpopular music opinions. Here's my top three overrated artists of the past 30 years:

1. Morrissey/The Smiths
2. Bruce Springsteen
3. Social Distortion

The National

I'm a sucker for melodic, mellow indie rock, and The National's new album, Boxer, satisfies me like a consecutive three hours of sleep (a good thing). Matt Berninger's baritone is soothing and addictive, yet not cloying as he sings of relationships on the brink of implosion and the malaise of white-collar middle-classdom on songs such as "Racing Like a Pro":

You’re pink you’re young you’re middle-class
they say it doesn’t matter
Fifteen blue shirts and womanly hands
you’re shooting up the ladder

Your mind is racing like a pro, now
Oh my god it doesn’t mean a lot to you
One time you were a glowing young ruffian
Oh my god it was a million years ago

Sometimes you get up and bake a cake or something
sometimes you stay in bed
sometimes you go la di da di da di da da
til your eyes roll back into your head

Your mind is racing like a pro, now
Oh my god it doesn’t mean a lot to you
One time you were a glowing young ruffian
Oh my god it was a million years ago

You’re dumbstruck baby
You’re dumbstruck baby now you know

The tracks have no dynamic builds or swells to speak of, just an organic steadiness that somehow doesn't become tiresome. There's some Brit-pop influences, with much less of the alt-country feel of some of the five-piece's earlier work. And it doesn't hurt that the band originally hails from Ohio, and that Sufjan Stevens contributes on piano. Definitely in my top five favorite albums of 2007 so far.

Pick it up at your local record store or DRM-free at emusic.

Sheena Liam is a punk rocker

Liam Jacob Oliphint

6/20 at 11:39 pm, 6 lbs, 6 oz. Awesome.

Bizarro world

At this point in the pregnancy (8 1/2 months), I assumed I would be tending to Kate nonstop-- back rubs, foot rubs, late-night runs to get ice cream, etc. Instead, I woke up at 5:30 this morning with my left eye sealed shut from pink eye. Half an hour later, Louie got up and started vomiting all over the floor. So Kate became the caretaker. Meanwhile, her energy level is high, she feels great, looks great.... Something is wrong with this picture.

Louie

Everyone says once a baby arrives, the household dog is deemed insignificant. I don't deny that this new child will be infinitely more important than my domesticated animal who occasionally licks his own genitals and sometimes sleeps upside-down, but I don't foresee forgetting about Louie any time soon. In fact, I see him as the future best friend of my future son.

So don't worry, Louie. I'll still be around. Stop eating grass.