PEACEMAKER





As if on command
Our dog
Wedges between us
To stop the fight

His eyes plead
To make peace

And I remember
How precious
Time is to him

Brody Action Shots

Is Pink Floyd is wasted on teenagers?

After buying The Final Cut on vinyl the other day, I have come to the realization that Pink Floyd just might be wasted on the young. I was a hardcore Floyd fan (meaning I listened to their music all the time) when I was like 16 years old. As I have gotten older they have definitely taken a backseat to other stuff (much like Billy Joel and Def Leppard did). Not to say I have ever officially rejected them--my listening priorities just changed. I assume based on conversations with friends that this tapering off of Floyd consumption as you get older is a pretty common affliction.

Which brings me back to my question/conundrum: somehow when you hit your 30s, 40s, etc., or (worse) come home from war, does Pink Floyd's music somehow take on a special relevance? The overarching theme of so many of their songs is holding on to your dreams in the face of daunting challenges. But how can you really appreciate this until you've had to fly solo and figure out who you are and how to stay true to that person? How can you fully appreciate this message until you've lost someone you dearly love? And most importantly when it comes to Floyd, how can you appreciate them unless you have felt yourself going slightly insane at some point? Afterall, so many of the characters in their songs are deeply disturbed. How can you really "get it" unless you've contemplated shaving your own eyebrows?

This all hit me when I was listening to the "Gunner's Dream," a song about a man who survives war to come home to a place where "You can relax on both sides of the tracks ... And no one kills the children anymore." Despite the safety his homeland provides, he cannot shake the memory of his comrade killed on the "corner of some foreign field." This soldier death haunts the protagonist so horribly that "Night after night /Going round and round my brain/ His dream is driving me insane." (Full disclosure: I've never fought in a war and I hope I never have to. But I am assuming that if you've actually been through something similar, this song has profound relevance in your life.)

What was funny listening to this in my home on Sunday, after having been through my share of bad times and good times, is that all I remember from listening to this song when I was 16 was Roger Water's screeeeam at the end. Not that it's still not a cool scream, but what leads up to it is much more moving. The part of the "Gunner's Dream" though that I think is an excellent example of how you need to lose a little to really appreciate Floyd goes like this:

After the service when you're walking slowly to the car
And the silver in her hair shines in the cold November air
You hear the tolling bell
And touch the silk in your lapel
And as the tear drops rise to meet the comfort of the band
You take her frail hand
And hold on to the dream.

It's all there and I never knew it. The vivid details. The tragedy. And the fight to hold on to what matters most when it would be so much easier to give up. I missed all of it the first time around. But not this time. This stuff is so much more powerful when you're a little older (and a little more sober!). Anyway, if you've put Pink Floyd on the back burner like I did, I encourage you to break out one of those albums and take heed of the dream!

I am a Samurai

So I lost five pounds. Which aint bad considering I started my workout regiment the week before Thanksgiving. Figure I actually would be at about 10 pounds less if it weren't for the 32 bottles of wine I drank and the 45 pounds of cheese meat and pasta. Anyway, my goal is to be a Samurai and instill fear in any man who dares to look into my eyes. When I lose about 20 more pounds, grown men will turn to lumps of crab bisque if they cross me. Hai-yah.

yeah dog

Happy Thanksgiving

The Cheese and The Macaroni

Clinton Portis' Thursday interviews seem destined to become Redskins folklore. Portis' many characters provide a needed comedy relief each and every week. Can you tell me another professional athlete that willingly sets himself up to be on ESPN's "Not Top Ten Plays"? Some people are annoyed with Clinton's antics, but I assume most aren't. His sense of humor is a breath of fresh air admist the T.O.-saturated media.

For those that aren't hip to #26's beat, Portis creates a new character each week to answer reporters' questions during what is supposed to be the pro-bowl RB's regular media session. Sample characters include Dollar Bill, Sheriff Gonna Getcha, and the currently MIA, Jerome from Southeast.

These characters explore the issues that keep us all up at night like:

* Who took Dollar Bill's 20 Gs? And was Warren Sapp involved?
* What was Jerome from Southeast doing in an underground poker party with A-Rod?
* Who won the gold medal for gymnastics at the 1998 Summer Olympics?
* And can the Sheriff name any Led Zeppelin songs?

Anyway, I guess this all means that Clinton is starting to feel very comfortable in Washington. And to me that is good thing. He is an outstanding talent on the field (weird socks and all) and I hope he continues this absurd behavior (in DC) for as long as he is a player in the NFL.