Happy Birthday Little Sister

I sure do wish I knew where you were. Today is your birthday. You won't even see this. I saw a number from a payphone on my caller id last night. Was that you? Well, for what it's worth, Happy Birthday.

I get a word of the day e-mailed to me everyday. I shit you not; this is today's:

small beer \SMAWL-BEER\ noun

1 : weak or inferior beer

*2 : something of small importance : trivia

Example sentence: The player was fined $10,000 by the league for his comments about the opposing pitcher, but that's small beer when you consider his $15 million salary.

Did you know? "Small beer" dates from Shakespeare's day. The Bard didn't coin it (he would have been just a child in 1568, the date of the first documented instance of "small beer"), but he did put the term to good use. In Henry VI, Part 2, for example, the rebel Jack Cade declares that, when he becomes king, he will "make it felony to drink small beer." In Othello, Desdemona asks Iago to describe a "deserving woman." Iago responds by listing praises for ten lines, only to conclude that such a woman would be suited "to suckle fools, and chronicle small beer"; in other words, to raise babies and keep track of insignificant household expenses. Desdemona quickly retorts, declaring Iago's assertion a "most lame and impotent conclusion."

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

I'm very sleepy this morning. The show at Darkroom last night featuring Strategy Game, The Assembly, and The Ladies and Gentleman was a rootin tootin dancin good time. Today I'm tired.
Tonight your's truly will be performing in that little band with two M's in it's name:


Friday August 5 at Subterranean
Tankboy Presents

Rockit Girl
Milk At Midnight
The Evil Queens
Corsaire

Doors: 8:30pm
Show: 9:30pm
$8 cover
2011 W. North Ave.
Chicago, IL

A tired cliché states "every rose has its thorn." With a combination of bitter sweet melodies, infectious rhythm and lyrics that sting with rip-your-heart-out reality, Rockit Girl's interpretation seems to be that every rose is a thorn. Chicago's Milk at Midnight is intense, intelligent, amusing and instantly likable. The Evil Queens have been compared to Quicksand, Kiss, Fu Manchu and Six Finger Satellite. Comparisons aside, people have one thing to say about The Evil Queens, "They rock." Opening is Corsaire, whose music is about love, death and everything in between.

If I could have my wish I would bring a suitcase of blue blockers to hand out to those in attendance tonight. As it is, I am not prepared for that. However, I encourage anyone who has a pair to wear them or any other form of eye protection. You will be a part of something. Thank you.