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So, the exciting news: I am finally returning to the land of my birth! I went to college in the 90’s in the southwestern corner of Canada, went back to Portland after, then returned to marry my Canadian sweetheart and start a family. We’ve decided that now (despite all the bad news about the American economy) is the time to move our family to Portland and start building our life there.

I have missed Portland badly over the last five years, and kept doing my show on KPSU (recording it at home & sending it online to the station) in anticipation of moving back there. That time will come at the end of this month! I’m really looking forward to doing more interviews with both local and touring bands, going to shows and independent films (I’ve had to wait & rent most of the good films I’ve seen, as I’ve been living in the suburbs exurbs… and forget about seeing live music), seeing my family more (most of them live there), and enjoying the architecture and scenery of what Popular Science magazine named America’s Greenest City.

The downside to this move is that there will be a lag time between when I move, and when Jenn and Sydney come to join me. I miss both of them after only an 8-hour shift at work, and I’m not looking forward to being apart from them for an extended period of time. I’ll also miss my job. I’ve been working in a small store, just over the US border in Sumas, Washington. It’s been the hardest work for the least amount of money (and career momentum) that I’ve ever done, but the people I’ve worked with over the last two years have made it worth it.

I know that this is the right move for us, and in the meantime, I will, as they say, “get by with a little help from my friends.”
artist - song - album :: extra info

Thee Oh Sees - Ghost In The Trees - The Master’s Bedroom is Worth Spending A Night In
(myspace | @ Tomlab)

Slug A - Something Like Gravity - Roots and Becomings
(myspace)

Annuals - Sore - Wet Zoo EP
(website | myspace | @ Ace Fu | Sore video)

El Perro del Mar - Glory to the World - From The Valley To The Stars
(website | myspace | last.fm)

Dosh - If You Want To, You Have To - Wolves And Wishes :: out May 14
(website | myspace | last.fm)

Matt Hinkley - Blue Grey - Matt Hinkley
(website | myspace | last.fm)

Headman - New - Catch Me
(website | myspace)

The Long Blondes - Here Comes the Serious Bit - ”Couples”
(website | myspace | last.fm)

Sun Kil Moon - Moorestown - April
(website | myspace | Mark Kozelek: website | myspace)

The Lovely Sparrows - Department of Forseeable Outcomes - Bury the Cynics
(website | myspace | @ Daytrotter | last.fm)

Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin - I Think I Wanna Die - Pershing
(website | myspace)

The Breeders - It’s The Love - Mountain Battles
(website | myspace | @ 4AD)

Unicycle Loves You - Highway Robbery - Unicycle Loves You
(website | myspace | last.fm)

This is Ivy League - London Bridges - This is Ivy League
(website | myspace | last.fm)

Evan Voytas - We’d Be Good Together - Introducing Evan Voytas EP
(website | myspace | last.fm)

Sally Shapiro - Jackie Junior (Junior Boys Remix) - Remix Romance Vol 1
(website | myspace | last.fm)

The Heavy - Colleen - Great Vengeance & Furious Fire
(website | myspace)
mp3s:

Thee Oh Sees - Ghost In The Trees
El Perro Del Mar - Glory to the World
Headman - New
The Long Blondes - Here Comes the Serious Bit
The Lovely Sparrows - Department of Forseeable Outcomes
Unicycle Loves You - Highway Robbery
This is Ivy League - London Bridges
Evan Voytas - We’d Be Good Together
Sally Shapiro - Jackie Junior (The Junior Boys remix)

 While I really enjoy Christmas–the food, the music, the time with family, the food, the presents, it seems that we’re always chasing some unattainable ideal. Maybe we remember that overwhelming giddy feeling that we had a few Christmas mornings during our early childhood, and spend every year trying to recreate that by spreading our time and money too thin.

For years, we’ve talked about how odd it is that we celebrate God arriving as a vulnerable, tiny child, sleeping not in a crib, but a feeding trough, by spending money we don’t really have, often out of obligation, thus putting not only our families in a bad position, but our economy as well (unless you’re a big box retailer). But we don’t really know how or why we’ve gotten to this point as a culture, or a way out of it.

Here’s a couple things you might be interested in if you’ve been thinking about this:

Episode 148 of This American Life is dedicated to the subject of Santa Claus. The first 8 minutes of the show, Ira Glass investigates the origins of Saint Nick and his connection with modern Christmas celebrations. You can listen by going to this page here.

Morgan Spurlock, who made the documentary “Super-Size Me,” has a new film out, called “What Would Jesus Buy?”. He came to Portland a month ago and spoke at Cinema 21 before screening the film. He also stopped by the Imago Dei church to talk with Rick McKinley about the film. Rick is involved with a movement called The Advent Conspiracy, which aims to celebrate the birth of Jesus by giving of ourselves the way that Christ gave of himself, and giving in a relational way, rather than in a consumerist way.

Morgan Spurlock interview with Rick McKinley (about 15 minutes in)
What Would Jesus Buy? movie site

I don’t, by any means, have all of this figured out yet, and I love celebrating Christmas. But I’m hoping that by next year, I’ll have figured out an even more awesome way to celebrate it. I’m feeling a lot in my life lately that I want to “be the change I would like to see in the world.” Whether it’s giving people great music to listen to, figuring out how to be more environmentally responsible, or being a good parent. So I guess I’m hoping that next year, one of my gifts I give away is a really great way to celebrate Christmas.