names are strange things.. i feel like they determine personalities to a certain extent.. because most people end up accepting their name past a certain age, right? or do a lot of people get them legally changed?

assuming that most people are satisfied with their names, it would seem that a name is a formative thing.. my personal example would be that i have always been a strange kid, and i have a strange name.. i obviously think that there are opposite examples (b/c dave was a strange kid too, and his name was dave), but then you end up with a add-on, like “smart dave” or “crazy dave,” (he’s had both nicknames :)

anyway, i was having the thought, because what if the girl i marry was happy with her name, and it was a pretty straightforward name, and i was happy with my kind of weird name. i want to name my kids sort of strange names (not over-the-top weird, like japhanaya.. just a little different), because i thought it was a good experience. but she might want to do the opposite. what a problem.. if we had two kids, would i name one and she the other? but then wouldn’t we play favorites?

these are the thoughts that are troubling me on a saturday evening before our portland show. that and my heart hurting.

last night i went over to my cousin’s house to eat dinner and hang out with his twin 3 and half year olds.. the kids know that I am in a band and always ask me to play guitar for them, so i brought one over.. i ended up playing accompaniment as they ran through a litany of childhood classics (if you’re happy and you know it, twinkle twinkle, happy birthday, the wheels on the bus, etc..) i didn’t really know how to play the songs (it turns out they are all a combination of 1, 4, and 5 chords), and didn’t remember most of the words, but they anchored the performance, singing multiple verses on every song..

then i got to thinking:

how do you teach your kids all the verses to those songs? because i don’t know anything past the first verse.. do you look it up on the internet? (it must be either that or buying a book or something).. those songs are the standards of childhood melody, but it strikes me as weird that they continue to be passed on.. am i going to teach my kids those songs? would i be a bad parent if i didn’t? what if i taught them some bob dylan instead? “like a rolling stone” has a bunch of verses that a lot of people forget about..

strange.

TRADEGY STRIKES THE SPEECHWRITER ABODE

by “tragedy,” i mean alcohol, and by “speechwriter abode,” i mean dave and misha’s bodies.. that’s right, ladies and gentlemen, right now is dave lowensohn’s official 27th bday, and that means that the two of us have been drinking for the last many hours (sorry mom.. it’s dave’s bday.. i had to celebrate :)

“that’s great misha, thanks for the update,” you’re saying.. . “but what does it mean for us?”

several things:
1) you get to hear about our night: it was a good night.. it involved “the family guy,” a mini keg of grolsh beer, our world class rhythm section, and dave’s butt being squeezed by multiple women at the same time.
2) we’ve settled on the details of our “dave and misha turn 50 extravaganza:” here is what the day is going to look like:
3 to 6: Left of Santa Monica Pier, Big Deans: 1615 Ocean Front Walk. (310) 393-2666.. here is the description… “Big Dean’s is an afternoon must-stop. Pretty much the entire local population stops in there at one time or another during weekend days. The outdoor seating area faces the bike path, the cocktails are inexpensive and the tuna sandwich is delicious. It’s not a wild place, but it is hard to beat when time to take a break when it’s time for a late-afternoon break.” We’ll either be at BD’s, or just in front of it on the beach.. we’ll look roughly how we do on the internet.
6 to sunset: Chez Jay 1657 Ocean Ave. (310) 395-1741.. here is the description… “Chez Jay has been around for decades. In a no-frills manner, it has entertained Hollywood stars, local legends and those just lucky enough to know about it. A favorite haunt of Henry Kissinger, Chez Jays is recognizable by the gigantic conch in the parking lot. Inside, it has sawdust on the floor and because the bar sags in the middle, drinks rest at an angle.” we’ll be in here having a good time, and will go out to the beach just before sunset to enjoy the view and make ourselves healthier (elaboration on that point to come).
after sunset: Loews hotel.. not sure of the number.. it’s located south of the pier, and from 8 till 11pm there is a jazz band and a bar.. what more could you want..

i think dave is actually drunk enough to post his cell phone number on the internet, (which i am wholeheartedly endorsing :) so i’m going to bid you all adieu, pass him the laptop, and see the brave on saturday.

hayduk.
misha