TiVo to the Rescue?

My poor wife is obsessing about the Boston Marathon these days. And though it’s being broadcast live next Monday on ESPN2 from 11:30am-2:30pm, we don’t get that channel up here in the frozen north. So I’m appealing to you, my American friends.

The low-tech option: could somebody tape ESPN2’s coverage and mail us a videotape? I’ll be happy to pay whatever you think is fair.

The high-tech option: if you have TiVo and some way to get the video to your computer and a DVD-R drive, could you make us a spiffy DVD and mail it to us? Again, I’ll pay whatever you think is fair.

Please help me to keep my wife happy!

What’s So Good About It?

Brooke and I attended the Good Friday service at our church today. These two hymns mean more to me than any Mel Gibson film ever could:

O sacred Head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down,
Now scornfully surrounded with thorns, Thine only crown;
How pale Thou art with anguish, with sore abuse and scorn!
How does that visage languish, which once was bright as morn!

What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered, was all for sinners’ gain;
Mine, mine was the transgression, but Thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Savior! ’Tis I deserve Thy place;
Look on me with Thy favor, vouchsafe to me Thy grace.

[…]

What language shall I borrow to thank Thee, dearest friend,
For this Thy dying sorrow, Thy pity without end?
O make me Thine forever, and should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never outlive my love to Thee.

— attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux (1091-1153)

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

— Isaac Watts (1674-1748)

Concerts I Want To Attend In The Short-Term

For someone who considers himself a bit of a music junkie, I attend relatively few live shows. I’ve averaged maybe three a year over the past five years or so. I’m really hoping to change that, especially now that I’ve seen a couple of shows with Carla and Josie.

So here are a bunch of shows that I want to go to this year. Note that I have no idea when (or even if) any of these bands are coming to Toronto. If you know something, enlighten me. Just for kicks, I’m also going to suggest a song from each band, so that if you haven’t heard of them, you might, ah, be able to, uh, find someone who owns a legal copy of the song, and, er, you know, ask them to let you hear it.

  • Spoon — The Minor Tough, from A Series of Sneaks (1998) — My favourite band, these SOBs haven’t played my town since September 2002.
  • The Apples In Stereo — Baroque, from Velocity of Sound (2002) — I’ve never seen these guys live, and since I’ve been listening to them a lot lately, I would like to. Spoon once opened for them, or maybe it was the other way around. That would be a great double bill! UPDATE: Coming May 3 to the Horseshoe! Who’s coming with me?
  • Pedro The Lion — Rapture, from Control (2002) — I’ve been getting into Pedro in a big way lately. So soulful at times but edgy, too. Great spiritual music, and very cathartic for me. UPDATE: Coming June 24 to the Horseshoe! Who’s in?
  • The Shins — Caring is Creepy, from Oh, Inverted World (2001) — I actually saw The Shins a few years ago opening for Modest Mouse. I was so dumb I thought they were called The Chins. Now I would pay money to see them again.
  • The Postal Service — The District Sleeps Alone Tonight, from Give Up (2003) — This is a side project for Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard and Dntel’s Jimmy Tamborello, so it’s unclear whether they’ll tour. They apparently did tour just after Give Up came out but it’s unlikely that they’ll get up here without a new record to promote.
  • The Oranges Band — OK Apartment, from All Around (2003) — I’ve known this band since their singer Roman was filling in on bass for Spoon. They opened for Spoon on some US gigs but for some reason, the entire band ended up selling Spoon merchandise here in Toronto and not playing. They are an awesome band and really nice guys and you need to discover them right away.

Secret Millionaire

The big story around here this morning is the $30-million lottery winner who waited almost a year before claiming his prize, saying he “didn’t want to do anything rash.” Now while most of the media seem baffled by this guy, I can totally understand. Wouldn’t it be cool to be a secret millionaire? Just to know and keep it to yourself, and see how people treated you, before the big news got out and everyone wanted to be your friend?

I think Raymond Sobeski is a smart man. He’s had almost a year to figure out who his true friends are, so that when people around him start cozying up to the millionaire, he can just smile to himself. Enjoy your winnings, Raymond!