Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Duit

For those of you that don't speak Gaelic (which I'm assuming is everyone), the title of this means "Happy St. Patrick's Day." Hope everyone had a good one. I know I did - mostly because I didn't hear anybody say "Everyone's Irish on St. Patty's Day." That saying has always bothered me. Not everyone is Italian/Portuguese on Columbus Day. Not everyone is Black on Martin Luther King Day. So why is "everyone Irish on St. Patty's Day"???

Anywho, off my soapbox. For a blast from the past, here's a picture from last St. Patrick's Day, which was Morgan's first. She was 2.5 months old at the time.



Fast forward to Morgan's second St. Patrick's Day - i.e. today. She's now 14.5 months (see how I did the math there?!?!?).


They just grow up so fast, don't they? You can't tell here, but we were mostly wearing matching pants as well as green polo shirts. Only, one of our pants didn't have pink embroidered flowers on them. Guess whose??

Happy St. Patrick's Day again.

Best of 2008

At long last, and because I know you cared, here are my picks for the best albums of 2008. That doesn't, of course mean that they ARE the best albums of 2008, as we all know how subjective people's music tastes are. Just that they are my favorite. Anyway, here goes...

HONORABLE MENTIONS:
- Body of War: Soundtrack (some filler, mostly good, partly great)
- Liam Finn: I'll Be Lightning (would be ranked higher if the sound of the album captured the energy and intensity of his live show)
-Foo Fighters: Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace (sounds, well, like the Foo Fighters. not exactly blazing any sonic trails here)
- Jeff Ament: Tone (would be much higher if not for Doug Pinnick - he kills the album)
-Steven Malkmus: Real Emotional Trash (maybe higher someday - I haven't listened to it enough)

#10 - The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound. I really like their sound. They definitely have a throwback sound for a modern, post-punk band. I just wish the sound was a little meatier, but I think that's a production thing. I expected more from Ted Hutt (see later).

#9 - Pennywise - Reason To Believe. For an album released in a gimmicky style (free download through MySpace), this is a damn solid album. Return to their early-90s sound, and sorta reminds me of Unwritten Law (before they really started sucking). Solid punk rock album.

#8 - Flogging Molly - Float. Dynamite album. Definitely their best. More "punky," more political, a little darker. None of the sea shanties. Awesome from start to finish.

#7 - Josh Ritter - Live at the 9:30 Club. At this point, Josh Ritter could probably record himself slaughtering puppies and it would make my top ten list. Great live EP - I just wish it was longer. Captures his live sound very accurately, and it's the only live thing he's put out to date that captures music from his best, and most recent, studio album.

#6 - Lupe Fiasco - Lupe Fiasco's The Cool. Okay, technically it came out in December 2007, but it's close enough. I've gotten away from a lot of hip-hop in recent years, but Lupe is the real deal. I like his flow, I like what he is rhyming about, and I like the beats, especially those by Soundtrakk. Look it up.

#5 - Kings of Leon - Only By the Night. I only caught on to these guys late in the year, so otherwise it may be higher, but this is a great album.

#4 - Street Dogs - State of Grace. This album is a home run. Mike McColgan was the best thing to ever happen to the Dropkick Murphy's, and this album proves why. Better than anything that DKM have done in a decade. There isn't a weak song on this album. If you think you like DKM, listen to this album. Lyrically, it's probably the best album of the year.

#3 - Trever Keith - Melancholics Anonymous. Maybe I'm biased because I'm of anything Trever (and Chad) do, but I really think this is a great album. First album I've really heard in what I'd call the post-emo genre. Really shows Trever's influences (heavy on The Cure). Too bad this one hasn't been widely released (though it is available for download at treverkeith.com).

#2 - Jackson United - Harmony and Dissidence. I really can't understand why JU hasn't blown up. This is a hell of an album, with a great sound and great songs. Better than the other major album Chris Shiflett was featured on this year, that's for sure.

....DRUM ROLL PLEASE...

#1 - Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs. I listened to this album once when it first, and then I didn't listen to it again for a few months because I wasn't thrilled the first time through. I'm not sure what I was thinking, because once I dusted it off, it's been hard to put down. It is louder than older stuff, and there are some really great bass grooves on this album (and you know my affinity for really great bass grooves). It's not their best-selling album, but it's certainly their best album.

There you have it, kids. Now gotta clear some space for 2009. I hear there is new Pearl Jam coming out this year, so guess what #1 will be.....

Cheers.

Hey, It's Me Again!

What has changed since we last spoke? Well, for starters, Morgan turned one. I still can't believe she is a year old. Truth be told, I still can't believe she's MINE!! (That's not an implication of infidelity on Natalia's part...just me not coming to grips with the fact that I actually have a kid).

Here are some pictures...This is one of the first pictures taken of Morgan on the day she was born. For those who weren't in the loop at the time, she was born at Winchester Hospital, but was sent quickly to Children's Hospital in Boston because she was born A)anemic and B)suffering from a severe case of meconium aspiration. It's still tough for me to look at pictures from those first days.

Anyways, fast-forward one year:
...and here we have Morgan just before her first birthday, wearing Daddy's Stanley Morgan throwback jersey. It's amazing how many guys I know don't make the connection between the name on the back of the jersey and my daughter's name...and how many women I know that don't realize that there was actually a guy with the last name Morgan that played for the Patriots. Anyway...

We don't have many pictures of Morgan's actual birthday celebrations on this computer, so I'll upload more later. Also, I'm pretty close to finalizing my list of my favorite albums of 2008, because I just know you're dying to find out...

Back in a while...