The word "bachelor" has been in frequent use in my vocabulary over the past few weeks.  This past weekend my wife and daughter were out of town visiting family and I had a "non-practicing bachelor" weekend.  I had a great time going to the movies, hanging out with friends, sleeping in late, reading comic books, watching the entire first season of The Office, and not showering until 6:00 PM.  It was great!  However, I will have to admit, I was very glad to see my girls when they got home.

Also, Next weekend will also be "STAGE ONE" of my brother-in-laws bachelor party as we will be traveling to Chicago to see the Robert Pollard show at the Metro.  I say "STAGE ONE" because this is just a small side trip and not the actual Bachelor Party-party that I will throw later in the year.  You hear that Peter...Get busy with your invite list and get it to me you punk!

My friend Patrick and I went to see V for Vendetta (which has the worst website for a big budget movie) last night. And I'll have to say, It was pretty good. I haven't read the graphic novel yet, but I plan to after seeing the movie. If you are a big fan of political issues like the conservative Christian right taking control of the government or the government instilling our media with fear tactics, then this movie is for you. Besides, it stars Natalie Portman, and she is just beautiful.

After the movie we met up with Patrick's girlfriend, Sara, to grab some apps. We had a great time talking about music, movies, and guys who eat bagels as a means to pick up girls.

Today I turned 33. So I guess that means it's my birthday. It's been a pretty good one too. It started off with a full breakfast prepared by my wife and daughter followed by cards and gifts. Then off to work where Blake took me out for lunch at my favorite restaurant, Thai Smile. Throughout the day, I received several phone calls from friends and family members and when I got home, there were tons of birthday cards full of cash and other good wishes. So not too bad. I'm thinking of being totally irresponsible by spending my birthday money on a new iPod, but I should probably buy a new suit for work. See that's the rub of being in your early thirties...still immature enough to think of a ton of ways to waste cash, but mature enough to know you shouldn't.
My friend Patrick turns 33 tomorrow so that means I'm one day older than he is. For those of you that know us both, this is why I'm so much more mature. Happy birthday you loser.

Faith and Comics: Many people often wonder how I got to be so cool. Well, to be honest, I had to be so that I could camouflage my inner-geek. Yes, it is true, I read comic books. Am I ashamed? Kind of. But not because I think the medium of comics is immature or lacking intellect. Actually, some of the best story telling takes place in the pages of comics. Hollywood knows this and has thrown billions into making live action movies based on comics: V for Vendetta, Art School Confidential, and Superman Returns are upcoming films based on comic books. Mostly I'm ashamed about being into comics because I know the stigma associated with comic book fans. But that's another post I'll focus on some other time.

Not only am I a fan of comics, but I'm also a person of strong spiritual convictions. I consider myself, what Frederick Buechner called, "a part-time Christian". Recently two comics that have gained much attention deal with biblical themes or have "Christian" characters: Testament and American Virgin. Testament recently released issue 3, and as the publisher's website claims, the book attempts to be " a series that exposes the "real" Bible as it was actually written, and reveals how its mythic tales are repeated today. " Does it meet it's goal? In some ways, but ultimately some of the parallels it attempts to draw between biblical stories and plot points are weak. It's still an interesting story and I'll pick up a couple more issues before I decide to stick with it or not. However, the book I'm most interesting in is American Virgin. The first issue comes out this Wednesday (3/8) and features the art of Becky Cloonan (artist for one of my favorite mini-series DEMO). Since it hasn't been released, I only have the solicitation to go by: Adam Chamberlain is a 20-year-old youth minister, a best-selling author, and most important, the head of a rabid national virginity movement. But practicing virgin or not...Adam is about to lose it. So I'm guessing that this book will deal with temptation on many different levels. If any of this sounds interesting to you, go to your local comic shop and pick up a copy on Wednesday. Then come back and post a review in the comments section. (Yes Patrick, the comment feature does work)

Beauty is subjective I guess...but I don't understand it. Last night I was looking through my wife's US Weekly and there were actual polls that people voted in to determine who looked better in a specific dress. That's right, A POLL to determine who looked better in a stupid looking dress: Jessica Simpson or some c-list movie star I've never heard of. Yes, people actually take time out of their lives to vote on important issues like this (I'm willing to bet the same people can't find the time to vote in their local mayoral election). This could be a sign that things are getting out of hand. But wait; I'm guilty of it too. I find myself watching TV and saying things like, "Wow look how bad Drew Barrymore looks in that green dress!" or "That WWE chick dancing with that goof-ball is on fire!" So I'm pointing the virtual finger of shame at everyone, including myself. The lovely lady to the left is Meg White of the band The White Stripes. I can't tell you how many times I've heard hipster indie rock dudes say how hot they thought she was. I'll let you make your own opinion and ask--is it because she's in a band? I guess that does play some role in it. I remember my friend JB had a big crush on Kim Deal of the Pixies/Breeders back in the day. Granted Ms. Deal was kind of cute back in 1989 before she got addicted to heroin and got all lumpy. I know everyone has their own tastes and opinions...but before you go online and vote whether Nichole Richie looks better in that denim skirt and Uggs (something I don't understand at all) than LeAnn Rimes, just remember this--I'm watching you and I'm secretly voting in my head that they both look better looking than you do.

My friend Patrick has been writing his column, Patchwork for the Harlan Daily Enterprise for the past year-and-a-half. He is currently in the process of publishing his first volume of collected columns to be released in the next couple of months. His column is consistently good and has even earned a Kentucky Press Association Award. This week's column is even more impressive since it references one of the most intelligent and humble men I know...me. So grab a bowl of pistachios and give Patchwork a read.

I've been using Pitas free web hosting for the past year and a half or so and it has served me well I guess. However I have to do a great deal of work to update my site and I want my domain name, bretfoster.com to be visible when you are at my site. So as the photo says, I'm looking for a simple and down to earth web hosting solution. Do any of you have any suggestions or recommendations? I've been looking at Yahoo and GoDaddy but any advice and/or input would be greatly appreciated. You can either e-mail me or post to the comments down below today's "Check It Out" section. Thanks for your help.

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Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope you and your special someone have a wonderful and romantic day together!

Guys, if you still are needing some last minute advice on how to handle this special day, my good friend Patrick's article may be of some help.

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Tomorrow, my daughter Lily Kate will turn two-years-old. However we celebrated yesterday with her grandparents and aunts and uncles. She had a blast opening up presents, eating cake, and showing off her new dance and singing routines. It's hard for me to believe that I am a father to a two-year-old little girl. The amount of love I have for her is unexplainable and overwhelming. We are blessed.

Tonight Sally and I celebrated Valentine's Day while Lily's aunt Kathy and her boyfriend Travis watched her. We had a fantastic dinner at Azur, a restaurant I highly recommend, and then exchanged gifts in the car. Real romantic....right? We were only gone for about two hours but it was nice to have some quality time together. Sally is a great wife and I'm a very lucky man.

Yes the big TV news of the day is the Super Bowl...but after the Super Bowl, I'm tuning to E! to watch #1 Single with Lisa Loeb. Have any of you seen this show? It's incredible. Actually, the show is really frustrating for me. I mean how in the world could Lisa Loeb be single and have a hard time finding a guy? She's only like the cutest girl in the freaking world. What's also frustrating is that you get to meet one of her ex-boyfriends who is a complete loser. Then you find out she dated him for seven years!!! Seven years with THAT guy? However, it becomes clear why she is 37 years-old and still single. She dates morons. Which is usually a result of low self-esteem or some other baggage that's not worth all the work and headaches. Despite all the frustration, the show is entertaining and it gives me the chance to watch a girl that I've had a crush on for ten years to demonstrate why she isn't worthy of my crush. You to can come to this realization Sundays at 10. Oh yeah, Steelers by six.

For the last four days, my daughter has been sick. I mean, on Friday she was "sick-sick", this weekend she was "whiny-sick", and today she is, "not well enough to go to daycare sick". For those of you who don't have children, let me just tell you; there is absolutely nothing worse than your kid being sick. When your kid is sick, you're riding on an emotional rollercoaster. One moment you feel utterly helpless then the next moment complete frustration with all of this being packaged in overwhelming guilt. I mean, you feel like the absolute worse parent. I don't mean like Courtney Love bad parent, but somehow you just feel like you've been negligent and could of and should of prevented the illness from ever happening. Well, we're going to the doctor this afternoon where I'm sure we'll get the same old story of, "It's a virus. We can't treat the virus, but you just need to make sure that she stays hydrated...walla walla walla." See, I'm taking her to the doctor. That makes me a good parent, right? Right?

Ladies and gentlemen, I proudly give you the jackass of the year, K-Fed! (click video on the left for proof)

G4's Attack of the Show does a great parody of K-Fed's video

My good friends at Thunderstruck have posted my annual list of the Top Ten albums of 2005. Other great albums that almost made the list were:
Sleater-Kinney - The Woods
Stars - Set Yourself on Fire
National - Alligator
Low - The Great Destroyer

You can also see my lists from 2004 and 2003 if you so desire.

Remember, feedback is always welcomed and usually deleted.

Happy new year!

Merry Christmas!

I'll be off for the weekend to celebrate the holidays with my family. I hope all of you have a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Festive Kwanza, or a Festive Festivus!

I'll be back next week with more updates and my final thoughts on the Holiday Season.

Happy Holidays Pt. 2: 10 days from Christmas...the tree has been up for two weeks now...shopping is in full swing...one office party down, two to go...we have received 22 "holiday cards"...we've had brunch with Santa (tears followed)...had one snow day...I've made my annual Christmas Mix CD, and it still didn't feel like Christmas, until Lily Kate started to sing "Jingle Bells" a couple of nights ago. Then it hit me...the magic of Christmas may be over for me, but it's just started for her. She is full of the excitement of the season. When we light the tree each morning, she cheers. When she sees Santa on TV she says, "Ho, Ho, Ho". Anytime she sees a wrapped gift, she is ready to open it whether it's hers or not! Christmas is no longer for me!! (Yes, that's a hard thing to accept as an only child). However, maybe now it will be even better. Now I get to see the excitement in her eyes. I get to be Santa. And the best thing of all, Lily and I will have a bunch of new toys to play with together! To be continued...

Christmas Subliminal:
Inspired by the message series at my church, here is my offering of musical Christmas cheer.

The Christmas Song - The Raveonettes
Winter Weather - Squirrel Nut Zippers
Let's Boogey to the Elf Dance! - Sufjan Stevens
Last Christmas - Jimmy Eat World
Mele Kalikimaka - Bing Crosby
Carolina Christmas - SNZ
Christmas Wrapping - The Waitresses
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - Death Cab...
Just Like Christmas - Low
Christmas Is Going To The Dogs - The Eels
Jingle Bells - Barenaked Ladies
Christmas Time Is Here Again - My Morning Jacket
And So This Is Christmas - John Lennon
Christmas Party - The Walkmen

25 years ago today...

God
(via Stereogum)

To be continued...

I'm currently absorbing* his graphic novel, Channel Zero which is an angry, yet fascinating look at American media, Christian extremist, and our apathetic society. This book is not for everyone, but I find it very interesting and very prophetic...maybe.

*As a reviewer at Amazon said, you don't really read Channel Zero, you "immerse yourself in it"

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

I'll be off with the family to celebrate Thanksgiving and the many blessings we have received. Thus, I willl not update my site for the next few days. My wish for you is to have a wonderful, safe, and tasty holiday.

My good friend Steve Beard of Thunderstruck.org wrote a nice piece on Cash for all of us to enjoy.

The Courier Journal's recent article on the band.

We had a nice dinner at home to celebrate or special day, but we will truly celebrate later this month when we go to Louisville to see Spoon play.

It's amazing the changes children go through. However, almost as amazing it the changes the parents go through. Since becoming a father, I've realized a few things:
1. I appreciate my parents so much more than I ever have. They did an excellent job raising me and I realize the sacrifices they made to make sure I had a good life and childhood.
2. I love my wife even more. Watching Sally be a mother is an honor. The patience and love that she has for Lily Kate constantly amaze me. She is a beautiful person. The parent I want to strive to be more like.
3. The most important thing I'll ever do is teach and raise Lily Kate. I can't express my feelings when I think about the responsibility of teaching Lily Kate the right things in life. What's important, how to have self-confidence, to be loving and giving.

Having Lily Kate has show me how I can become a better person. I see ways that I can improve myself by wanting to model for her the things I think she should learn.

They say having children put things in perspective. However, I think having children truly just deletes the importance of anything else. Yes....I love my daughter.

However, musicians aren't the only ones with the ability to create a product and publish it themselves. Inspiring authors can write the next great American novel, upload it to Lulu.com, and have people buy it and receive a perfect bound book in the mail. The author just sits back and collects royalty checks directly from Lulu. Publishing on demand for FREE!

Ever had a great idea for a t-shirt? Websites like Spam Shirt let's you create that shirt. Cafe Press allows you to take your ideas and place them on just about anything: t-shirts, coffee mugs, mouse pads, book bags, and even boxer shorts and sell them to the world. All you do is just figure the mark-up from their base price and collect the profits!

If it's true that complete artistic freedom is having total control, then technology has truly given us all the ablity to freely express and market ourselves.

And where were my boys, Guided by Voices? I mean, I'll argue and prove to anyone the simple fact that Robert Pollard is more important in the rock n' roll universe than Kurt Cobain ever will be. That shouldn't even be debatable.

Oh well, what is it they say about opinions? Everyone's got one? Well, that may be true, but they shouldn't really all count.

..................

In other TV news: I've watched a few new shows this week and the two that I've enjoyed the most are:

My Name is Earl
How I Met Your Mother

One of my favorite critics and bloggers, Jeffery Overstreet, interviews the cast and director, Joss Whedon.

ONCE AND FOR ALL: Here is an answer to the question I get asked all the time; Why is "colonel" pronounced "kernel"?

And I couldn't mention The Big Lebowski without insisting that you guys to check out the Lebowski Fest website for a festival near you.

Apple has announced the iPod nano. Like this was really necessary. I wonder who are these marketed towards. First off, people with normal size hands and less than sharp vision may find this little number hard to navigate. And with price point being $200 for a 2GB and $250 for the 4GB, why not spend the extra $50 and get a regular iPod with 20GB of storage. However, like all Apple products, it does look pretty darn sweet. Yeah, I guess I wouldn't mind having one. Apple also released iTunes 5 today. I'll have to download it and see what burning rights Apple has taken away from me on this update.

This morning I was up and out the door at 5:45am to attend the first meeting of the Men's Fraternity sponsored by my church. Give or take a few weeks, we'll be meeting every Wednesday morning at 6:00am from now until March 20, 2006!!!! It's a big commitment but I hope that after this time period, to come away with the idea of what it means to be an authentic man in today's world. I know, sounds a little weird. The way we are looking at this doesn't have the same "cult" feel nor does it seem to have any political agendas like some other men's organization. What's really kind of funny is that in the break-out group I'm in, I'm the only one that was ever in a real fraternity in college. We'll see how the two experiences compare.