Random thoughts and rambles, Friday edition

--The Dems are, surprisingly, playing this looming government shutdown very well, from a purely political sense. They have the House Repubs committed to a bottom-line number and so now any failure to agree can be blamed on ideology, not fiscal matters. But then again, "winning" in this case just means not looking quite as bad as the other side, which, in the end, is no way to govern.

--Of course, this is current fight is small potatoes compared to the looming issues of the debt ceiling and the 2012 (and thereafter) budgets. Kudos to Senator Pat Toomey (R, PA), with whom I do not believe I agree on anything outside the fiscal realm,  for chiding Repub members of the House for getting bogged down in ideology over, at most, a couple billion dollars. As Toomey has pointed out, the remainder of the 2011 budget (what they are about to cause a shutdown over) is insignificant crap compared to the fiscal freak scene that awaits us if we do not rein in spending and fix the debt crisis over the long term. Focus like adults, people.

--New power trio band has a name: the Mud Falcons, and a Facebook page. "Like" us, please?

---Playing in a new band, even with members whom you know, and with whom you have played previously, is always challenging, new, cool and different. Honestly it puts the greatest burden on Kris, the guitar player, because without an organ in the band, like we had in Mondo Topless, it's up to him to make more noise, and he is stepping up to that task in a big way. You wouldn't have necessarily thought that "We're a Bad Trip," a Camper Van Beethoven cover that we did in Mondo, would have made the organ-less transition into a Mud Falcons setlist, but we are ripping it. And Scott and I are doing our parts as well to enhance the new sound. Scott used the five-string bass last night at practice to great, booming-low-end effect, and I am locking into the bass even more than in Mondo, emphasizing the groove, over top of which the roar can coalesce. Good times.

--It's amazing how much more dynamics there are in a trio. That's simultaneously good and a challenge.

--Spring has finally sprung, which means that it's outdoor-volleyball season. This means a yard full of volleyball and friends a couple weekends a month. And lots of nomnomnom food and drink afterwards. Oh yes....

-- Spring also means that it's, once again, time for playoffs in the indoor rec volleyball league that I play in. Competition is good.

--"I'm pro-choice about everything" = a bumper sticker that may most closely state my political philosophy in the fewest number of words. But, then again, I have pretty much sworn off political bumper stickers. "Drum machines have no soul" and "Punk is whatever we made it to be [with pic of D.Boon]" are more my speed these days.

--I am hardly drinking beer at all these days. In fact, the only beers I've had lately have been when I've been out. Red wine or tequila, with the occasional foray into the single-malt scotch (but less and less as the weather warms up), seem to be the at-home drinks of choice lately. Which, I suppose, makes sense in light of....

--Eating paleo (see here for a post about that) is an awesome, ongoing work in progress. My wife has stopped her vegetarian (plus fish) ways of almost 30 years, and has joined me in the meat (fish and eggs too)/veggies/good-fat world. I learn a little more about it each week, and end up a little more doctrinaire about some of it (e.g., avoiding grains almost entirely now), and less doctrinaire about other aspects (e.g., full-fat dairy is providing a great energy source despite the purist paleo "no dairy" rule).

--This guy's blog is a great wonky, modern, non-doctrinaire take on paleo eating. I liked the old title, "Paleo Nu," better than "Archevore," though. It sounds more like a dinosaur now.

-- Mike Watt and the Missingmen tore it up last weekend at the North Star Bar in Philly. If I get time this weekend, I will blather on more about that one. Inspiring stuff. Coltrane!