FAREWELL, 44 (video).

"...but knowing that here on earth, God's work must truly be our own."

I shot and edited this short on my phone a year or so ago, with the musical assistance of Jeremy Long and the voices of MLK, JFK, Winston Churchill, and others. Most of the time, when I rewatch something I've done, I'm very critical and self-aware of the many things I would do different and improve on. But this...I gotta say, I'm still proud of this little iPhone 5 film we put together about the personal and the universal . This may indicate a specific point in time...but I am reminded, again and again, of the importance, especially at critical points in our lives, of standing up. Of standing up.

To fight for the rights of all who wish to be free, to be free. And to never surrender.

Farewell, 44.

Our older children's childhoods have been spent as citizens of a country led by President Obama, an era that is now ending. Much has happened. I believe in a thankful spirit and fostering a spirit of gratitude. Mr. Obama, thank you for eight years of service. Just like family, you don't always have to agree in totality to respect, to love, and to acknowledge the commitments and spirit of service a person devotes their life to. Oh, the vid's three minutes. If anyone wants a director's cut three hour version, let me know. I stole the title from Jeremy Long's track. He did the music. Stud. Farewell, 44. You did a lot of good.

ART OF THE START.

The children have been plotting out summer business plans; one hundred percent of which are some variation of selling items roadside.

Our daughter has had several ideas that hold promise, such as carefully working out a budget and profit/loss analysis for goods like homemade cookies ("two for a dollar") and lemonade ("fifty cents a glass").

Our son has also put a great deal of thought into his profit ventures, though his price points are slightly more aggressive. If any of you are driving past our place later this summer and have an extra seventy dollars for a cup of water, well...that's the price of doing business. With him.

As his parent, I look forward to appropriating a portion of any profit. I would urge you to purchase a tall glass of water. And one each for any passengers. Maybe you'll even get a discount. Then again...probably not. And don't even think of asking for extra ice cubes.

VIDEO GAMES (RIVER STYX EDITION).

VACCINATIONS.

I've listened to some good tunes today. Started with Tchaikovsky, then Charlie Parker, The Strokes in the afternoon, Vaccines driving - LOVE not only their most recent LP, but the rest of their back catalog as well. But when I was outside earlier tonight, sprawled on ground, watching the muscular moon bully its way through clouds, I had to close the day out with Colin Stetson's To See More Light. The incredible saxophonist's 15-minute opus is just stunning in its ferocity and beauty. My favourite memory of listening to it is still a December evening a while back, with @jem_long from a high-up hotel, watching the outside unfold from within. But this was a good moment too. @wandervogelsoul you must hear on proper listening device. You will love it. Or you will not. No in between. Happy weekend, all :) ____ #44artinprocess #colinstetson

A photo posted by Joseph Long (@josephivanlong) on May 21, 2016 at 12:19am PDT

HONEST COMPLIMENT OF THE MORNING.

Hey!
he exclaimed incredulously.
I didn't know you started growing white hairs in your beard!!

Yep.
I said smugly.
Takes a long time to learn how to grow them.

5 SONGS THAT WERE PRETTY GOOD TODAY.

So I listened to three songs today that were really REALLY good, but I'm gonna save those for later. The five I listened to that were PRETTY good were: 1 human performance / parquet courts (that rhythm section...) 2 weathered / jack garratt (thanks, @countessbecca for making introductions to his lo-fi dreamy electrosoul) 3 the orange monkey / pj harvey (slowly becoming one of my fave records of hers) 4 rushing / nada surf (like their brethren Spoon, still going strong as ever) 5 sad robot world / pet shop boys (timeless) Also, I listened to the newest Weezer alum, which I'm finding a bit dreadful, aside from one or two numbers. Anything else PRETTY good being danced or driven to today? ____ #jackgarratt #pjharvey #parquetcourts #nadasurf #petshopboys #5songstoday #5x2016

A photo posted by Joseph Long (@josephivanlong) on May 19, 2016 at 9:43pm PDT

LEMONY SNICKET ADVICE.

“Are you ready?" Klaus asked finally.
"No," Sunny answered.
"Me neither," Violet said, "but if we wait until we're ready we'll be waiting for the rest of our lives, Let's go.”

― Lemony Snicket, The Ersatz Elevator

One of my favourite bits of advice ever. Go make a happy weekend.

GET UP AND GO, YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO IT.

Get up and go, for a while. I was going to use a new #Radiohead track, but they were being really lame about getting back to me with the licensing, so I went with old bud Jase Lytle. FTW. Thanks pal. ____ #JasonLytle #skatepark #battlegroundwa

A video posted by Joseph Long (@josephivanlong) on May 12, 2016 at 9:38pm PDT

Normally I listen to #Rachmaninov or #Haydn in the morning. But today at 6.30am I decided to go with either #Radiohead or Weird Al. I won't tell you who I went with, but I had forgotten what a great song I Think I'm a Clone Now is. The day started bright and everything ended up mostly in its right place. When will they duet together? ____ #weirdal #toughchoice #battlegroundwa #bikelife #music

A photo posted by Joseph Long (@josephivanlong) on May 11, 2016 at 9:45pm PDT

Battle Ground Skate Park

Little joys: discovering that Franz Ferdinand, fave since 2003, released an entire album last year that completely skipped under my radar until now...a collab with #Sparks niftily titled "FFS." And it's pretty decent. Now for an F. Ferdinand / Radiohead joint effort. How about "FFR?" Bouncy, skittering melancholy. Yes. ____ #Radiohead #franzferdinand #pnwlife

A photo posted by Joseph Long (@josephivanlong) on May 13, 2016 at 11:38pm PDT

THIS IS ALIVE.

Look!
he screeched, racing over to pick a tiny, shiny object off the city sidewalk.

What is it?
I asked, hoping it might be a billion dollar coin.

I found a paper clip!
he yelled ecstatically.
I can build a lot of different stuff with it! 

And stuffed it into his pocket, eyes alert for the next treasure to be found.
____

I have so much to learn still from children.

A KID / KID A(T) SKATE PARK MINUS THOM YORKE.

It has taken me fifteen years, but I am starting to like Radiohead's Kid A. I knew I would at some point. I loved The Bends, OK Computer, Hail to the Thief, and most everything else, including Jonny Greenwood's cinema scores and Thom's solo surprises, but #KidA has been a very, very slow-grow on me. But after a long journey, I am finally getting there. Hail to the chief. Queue National Anthem. Now go listen to their new track. It's good the first time around. ____ #Radiohead #2016music #longviewwa #skateparks

A photo posted by Joseph Long (@josephivanlong) on May 3, 2016 at 6:57pm PDT

Longview Skate Park

I'LL TAKE YOUR JEWELRY TOO.

"If anybody finds money..."

he announced loudly as I herded a group of children along downtown sidewalks.

"...give it to me and I'll buy us all something."

STEF CURRY RIP CITY.

Do you wish Stef Curry played for the Blazers? he asked. Yes. I said. I kinda do. ____ #Blazers #stefcurry #damianlillard

A photo posted by Joseph Long (@josephivanlong) on May 1, 2016 at 3:48pm PDT

STEF CURRY REEL.
Kids,
I said.
Pay attention: this is one special kid. Peeps gonna be payin mad props for decades.

TRADER JOE'S TRAVELS AND A LITTLE DAVE RAMSEY ADVICE.

Sometimes we discuss the notion of going on a date to southern Italy, or Copenhagen, or St. Petersburg. But usually we end up going to Trader Joe's. Usually Vancouver, but sometimes northwest Portland if we're super adventurous. ____ #wheninrome #traderjoes #freecoffee

A photo posted by Joseph Long (@josephivanlong) on Apr 8, 2016 at 11:21pm PDT

DAVE RAMSEY CREDIT CARD.

Look Daddy!
he said excitedly, directing me to the display in the camera store window.
Tripods! I've been meaning to get a tripod! How much is that one?

Let's see...
I said, checking it out.
...this one is two hundred and ninety-nine dollars and ninety-nine cents. Almost three hundred dollars.

Oh.
he said, excitement still high.
Two hundred and ninety-nine dollars and ninety-nine cents? I don't think I have two hundred ninety-nine dollars and ninety-nine cents saved. I think I have...fifty-one dollars and thirty-six cents, or maybe fifty-two dollars and eighty-four cents.

Well,
I said.
Keep saving and you'll have enough soon if that's what you'd like to get. Especially if that dollar hanging out of your pocket doesn't fall out onto the sidewalk.

It's okay,
he said.
I'll just look for a really good tripod for ninety-nine cents.

Cool.
I said.
I'll take one of those too.

FILE UNDER: THINGS I'VE LEARNED TODAY.

Daddy,
he said.
Guess what? Adolf Hitler was 56 when he died, and that was also the same age that Abraham Lincoln was when he died, so he was just a little bit older than you! Fifty-six!

Oh.
I said.
I will be 40 later this year, so it seems like that's still a little ways off.

Yeah.
he said.
If he hadn't died than he would have been 57 next.

Yep.
I said.
That's also a little ways off.

UNDERWORLD IF RAH.

risen.

My son and I got into a huge fight today over the merits of the new Underworld release Barbara Barbara, We Face a Shining Future. I have been a fairweather fan of the Brit electronic pioneers for years, occasionally loving, often ambivalent, but find this current release to be their best in a decent while. We were enjoying a good wrestle earlier while track 2, "If Rah," was playing, when he extricated himself from leaping on my face to run over and turn it OFF. "I don't like how they're just repeating the same thing over and over," he explained. As a fellow self-expressed electronic music aficionado, it was surprising to hear him say this, and disheartening in the extreme. I quit playing with him and threatened to put on John Cage. Children can be so temperamental. ____ #underworld #barbarabarbarawefaceashiningfuture #44music

A photo posted by Joseph Long (@josephivanlong) on Mar 28, 2016 at 10:53pm PDT

BLURRY PHOTO COUPLED WITH MOSTLY INSPIRING MESSAGE JUST WAITING TO BE TURNED INTO POSTER.

"Sometimes, you don't shoot for something because you know you'll make it.

Sometimes, you simply shoot because you know that every day you shoot you'll get a little bit closer and someday, SOMEDAY...you WILL make it.

Or you won't. That's a possibility too, in which case your time could probably have been spent practicing something else more likely to pay off."

- me

CRASH COURSE TRIPLETS (THE FAULT IN OUR STARS IS PROBABLY ONE TESLA COULD HAVE FIXED).

Not trying to be mean,
one of them said.
But I think Hank Green is smarter than his brother John.

I also think,
the other one said.
That Hank is better looking than John.

Yeah.
the first chimed back in.
And he explains things better than John.

I have to admit,
the other one said.
That he does. Or actually he doesn't. I think John does. Maybe.

You know what?
one said.
I bet Daddy could be a triplet with them!

Oh yeah.
the other agreed.

How's that?
I asked.
I mean, we're all kind of awesome, but how specifically are me and Hank and John alike?

Well,
they pondered.
All three of you talk really fast when you're talking about history, and all of you wear short-sleeved shirts, and you like to read newspapers like they do, and you have curly hair.

Yeah.
I said.
I guess we are kind of triplets.

MEAN MAN DAD NO GO JOE.

"Daddy won't let me watch the G.I. Joe movies,"

I heard him explaining.

"...because he doesn't want me thinking that violence is super good or something, so I'm just going to make my own stop motion movie with G.I. Joes and there's going to be a lot of fighting in it."

____

I just can't wipe the smile off my face. I'm sort of awesome...right? Or is that him?

VIDEO: SURRENDER (THIS IS FIVE).

BERNIE SANDERS STYLE.

"I'm brushing my hair like Bernie Sanders today."

STAND BY ME?

Our five-year old, shooting around with pals on the basketball court:

"I used to be a 49ers fan, but now I LOVE the Panthers. I love them. They're my favourite team now."

In his defense, I'll probably stick with my oft-used and sometimes successful strategy of pulling for whoever is down going into the 4th quarter. But at this point? Go Mile High. Divided houses make for great banter. Canter strong, Broncs. Just stay a little bit down after three. That way I can truly root for you at the end.

IOWA.

It used to be Star Wars. And sometimes still is. But now our evenings are filled with queries, observations, op-eds, and diatribes of the political sort (at this juncture, Palpatine and crew seem more palatable than many real life counterparts in the Senate, as well as those running who have only a vague notion of what a Senate is). Anyway, the campaign has filled our household with vigorous proclamations and many, many, MANY trips to the mirror by our five-year old to comb out hair, squint eyes, purse lips, and practice faux-Trumpspeak, though he sounds more like a gravel-throated Jeff Spicoli auditioning for a Smurfs commercial. It is not homage.

I am compositing a handful of our son's comments and statements over the last 24-hour period. Why? Because. It's never too early to start paying attention to your country's governings and processes.

...POLITIK 2016.

"YES!! (pumps fist, yells at dinner table upon hearing early numbers from Iowa). Bernie Sandrews is defeating Donald Trump AND Ted Cruz because he has 49! Daddy, can I look up funny pictures of Donald Trump? When I see a picture of him it just cracks me out. Can I look up pictures of Donald Trump punching a beach ball? Can I see if there's any pictures that are half Donald Trump half Ted Cruz? Does Donald Trump have a mom? If he does is she nicer than him? Is Ben Carson still a doctor since he picked himself to be president? What will he do for work if he's not President? Can he still be a doctor? Would people still call him doctor if he was president? Why doesn't he still want to be a doctor? Ted Cruz sounds like Kermit the frog. Why does Donald Trump not like Ted Cruz? Why does Ted Cruz sound so mean? I wish I could vote because I would vote for Bennie Sandrews because he's the oldest and says the most good things. I might vote for Rand Paul too, but probably Bernie Sandrews. Or both. What is Donald Trump's father's name? Was he not very nice either? How old do you have to be to be President? What if Ted Cruz was one hundred and sixty-five years old?"

And so on. Adults: don't think your meanness goes unnoticed, and it is not excused because you are in pursuit of a higher office to 'do good.' You are on notice.

Ecraison l'infante. Good night, and good luck to all.