Football fever! The greatest tournament in the world has returned and my eyes are glued to the TV. I have been watching excessive hockey and basketball playoffs, as well as plenty of baseball recently, but these games seem insignificant compared to the global stage of the quadrennial soccer tournament. The simplicity of the sport makes for great viewing, placing the athleticism of the competitors in focus and the game structure, two uninterrupted halves, limits our exposure to the dreaded corporate advertising that dominates American sports; how glorious to feel like a fan instead of a consumer!

The games are being played in South Africa and are dominated by the swarming buzz of the deafening vuvuzelas, a plastic horn played constantly by the fans. The effect is exciting and unnerving, building tension through the matches, which thus far have been characterized by good play, good commentary and good officiating. Over the next four weeks, euphoria and heartbreak will crash like waves over nations. A goal is a miraculous spring of pride for some and a devastating abyss of bleakness for others.

I was encouraged by the US team’s 1-1 draw against the British Empire yesterday; they played well and came very close to winning the contest a few times, but one point will suffice for now. If this team puts together a run deep into the tournament, perhaps the sport will gain a domestic audience and MLS will build its reputation as a world-class league. It remains the most popular recreational youth sport in America, but is overshadowed as a spectator sport by everything else, including NASCAR. I hope that one day, professional soccer will receive the respect it deserves here. I have dreams for a premier rugby league too, but that may be more of a stretch…

USA! USA!

Our Lifetime Movie is complete! Our amazingly talented group of friends, led by director and editor Michael Civins, wrote and starred in our very own Lifetime-channel inspired movie. It is the story of Rebecca, a girl in an abusive relationship, finding her voice as a stand-up comedian. I play Charles, the wheelchair-bound “sit-down” comedian who spreads the wings of Rebecca’s dreams…

Love Is No Laughing Matter

In the month that I have subscribed to it, Rhapsody has improved my life two main ways; in class, whenever a student mentions a song, I can almost always cue it up immediately and create a lesson around it (they believe I am a sorcerer) and in the car, where i can drive for hours and never hear a song I’ve heard before. My six hour drive home from the Cape seemed shorter for my playlist, which was built from albums in the “New This Week” section, including Jack Johnson, LCD Soundsystem, Black Keys, Band of Horses and The National. All of it so good and inspiring and free (for the price of $10/month) to listen to whenever I want. How could I ever be expected to keep up and purchase each of those records? They all need to be heard and enjoyed. And how would I ever have found Abigail Washburn and Shanghai Restoration Project’s beautiful “Afterquake” without a related artist section under The Postal Service?

There is so much amazing music out there and most of it has been buried by radio and labels. When a tiny minority decides what everyone else will listen too, it is never in music’s best interest. When the listeners are given the freedom to choose, it is not corporations but music itself that will prosper and return to its original purpose of communication and community. We have been losing sight of music’s true value for years and have convinced ourselves that it is a commodity like toothpaste or lighbulbs or swiffers, but it is not. It is a primal expression, our howl at the sky, that synchronizes and blends individuals into a emotional omni-state. We need access to everything to find the music that inspires and represents us and Rhapsody is simply the most efficient means of hearing anything anywhere anytime.

Tennis, Golfing, Boating, Beaching, Cocktails, Croquet, BBQ, Family and Friends make for a quintessential Cape Cod long weekend. Despite the haze and burning smell from the Quebec forest fires, the air still has that sea-salty sweetness to it and brings me back to the summers of youth, spent engaged in all aforementioned activities for months at a time… Today I am lucky to find one or two weekends a year to spend in Osterville, but every day there is a master class in relaxation. This Memorial Day weekend’s tasty tease of summer has whet my appetite for the next few months, which will include travel, relaxation and recreation in Maine, Vermont, Italy, Spain, France and of course, Brooklyn!

Caitlin sent me a link to an interview with Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com discussing his upcoming book. She wrote this note:

This interview reminded me of you because you’re happy and enjoy spreading happiness to others. That’s why I love ya!!

That is probably the nicest compliment I’ve ever gotten! What else is there besides happiness? It is the only real currency… all else is just a means of achieving it. And who better to spread this message than one of the richest men in the world? He gets it; he has accomplished more in the technology and business world than most and has virtually unlimited wealth, yet his overarching theme is the pursuit of happiness. His philosophy is based on culture and promoting positive experiences, for vendor, customer and employee, being transparent with everybody involved in the process, thus building trust and a stable, self-sustaining relationship. Win-win-win. The game is not about maximizing profits, but about maximizing happiness. He values friendship and cultivates his “tribe” with a party-hearty lifestyle, fueled by vodka, redbull and other assorted happy-makers. Being connected, both to people and to a larger purpose in life, is essential in the quest for a life fulfilled.

The link included an offer to receive an advance copy of the book, to be published on June 7, for bloggers. That’s me! They sent two copies, with the suggestion of a giveaway, and so I will give a copy to the first two comments with an idea for how we can spread Supergood! culture and maximize happiness in a new way.

Mt. Holly is a typically beautiful Vermont retreat, and nestled among the mountains and forests and fields is the recently purchased home of Sarah and Eric (Saric). It is anti-Brooklyn. Peace and tranquilty reign and life thrives in all shapes and sizes; it is actually possible in this country setting for humans to feel a part of the natural order rather than its oppressor. I appreciate what the city offers and need it in my life, but the occasional escape to an outpost of serenity is vital to my sanity.

Congratulations Saric on your amazing property and thank you for generously sharing it. You picked a winner and I look forward to visiting often.

On April 20, an explosion on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico caused a massive leak a mile below the ocean’s surface. It was clear then that we were witnessing an historical catastrophe, and now, three weeks later, the oil continues to flow unchecked into our environment. Estimates of the damage have varied from bad to horrendous, and now there is video of the underwater oil geyser spewing forth its toxins into the environment. It is devastating. Having failed to contain it with a giant structure lowered to the seabed, BP admits that it’s arsenal to stop the leak is limited and includes a last ditch effort of shooting junk — actual human waste — into the hole in hopes of stopping it. While I am a fan of anything that works, this clearly demonstrates how unprepared the industry is to deal with their own environmental disasters.

Who is to blame? Everyone is pointing fingers and looking for a scapegoat. BP! Halliburton! The US Government! Each of these players had a role in this specific instance, but I think it comes down to our global obsession with petroleum. We have become oil fiends incapable of evaluating the true cost of our addiction. Not only does it wreak severe havoc on our natural environment with leaks and greenhouse gases, but we engage in war–as in destruction and murder– for its control. It is the basis of our economy, which relies on the illusion of cheap energy.

While I would love to believe that this disaster will be a wake-up call and will shift our dependence, I am highly skeptical that we are capable of this necessary change. We will probably continue our unabated consumption just as our artificial lifeblood currently gushes into our true lifeblood.

I was an Economics major in college and anytime I tell people that they find it funny–probably because my job is playing music with kids instead of making money with money. I never had any interest in joining the corporate workforce but still found Econ the most interesting department at Middlebury. It incorporated so much about humanity, from history to psychology to our core values. The focus was usually money, but the how and why made the topic endlessly engaging. Stephen Levitt is an economist who brings the study into new realms; he sees the discipline as general tools to study human behavior rather than simply the flow of money. In his book Freakonomics, he tackles a wide variety of subjects, from the somewhat misaligned incentives between real-estate agents and the sellers they represent, to the corporate structure of a crack gang, to the sad realities of the American school system and the relative lack of influence that parents actually exert on their childrens’ lives. He writes in a refreshingly politically incorrect way, demonstrating that statistics often counter conventional wisdom and shedding light on subjects we only think we understand.
I then picked up Moneyball, a book I’ve been meaning to read for years, which looks in-depth at the subject of baseball and the shifting status quo in our evaluation of players and potential. Again, statistics are the epicenter of this change, moving from a talent scout’s subjective interpretaion of skills to a numbers-based approach that has proven successful in this expensive market.
Both books use the tools created by economists to describe the world we live in and enlighten our perceptions of the untruths of conventional wisdom.

Video is the new light show in concerts. While seeing Phish’s lights is an unparallelled experience, a great video show is compelling in ways that lights cannot be. Jonsi, in his solo break from Sigur Ros, performed with one of the most innovative video concepts I’ve ever seen. Using six projectors on multiple screens combined with a stunning set, the effect was magical. The crowd was awed by the technical wizardry (literally oohing and aahing), as well as the extreme dynamics of the beautiful music. Jonsi’s voice is unique and the music he creates is perfectly suited for his ethereal tones; it would have been enough on its own, but combined with the awesome animation and projection mapping, the experience was unforgettable.

3D technology is everywhere and I think we can safely say it has proven itself beyond a gimmick. It truly enhances the visual experience even without the original cliched application of sharks and other objects popping into your face. Phish 3D is the best look I’ve ever had at my favorite band, bringing the audience onstage with incredible depth and perspective, allowing visual details that would be invisible to anyone at the show and some that would be unseen even in a 2D format; I saw what their “farewell” show in 2004 simulcast in a theater, and this blew it away. Watching Trey’s fingers rip the guitar from 5 feet; peering over Page’s shoulder as he navigates his keyboard universe; watching Mike’s hair and seeing Fishman smile is such an unbelievably fun way to experience a concert. Of course, something is definitely lost in comfortable cinema seating, and being a part of a crowd’s energy can’t be enhanced or even remotely replicated by wearing magic glasses… which is why I was fortunate to see the Bloody Bloody Band play immediately after.

Post-show on Sundays, the cast and band of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson have been throwing together a comedy and music variety show and, being the amazingly talented group that they are, the nights are brilliant, featuring great stand-up comedy with a sizzling band blowing up the tiny space at Jimmy’s No. 43. It is an hysterical dance-athon and sing-along that reminds me of mankind’s innate love of fun.