Believe it or not, a lot of thought went into this piece that you see before you. So, it’s New Year’s Eve and I wanted to portray a change – a transformation old to new. The carpet on the top is, of course, the carpet from Overlook Hotel and the bottom is the photo of Jack the eternal Caretaker.

I think it came together quite nicely.

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When my wife and I first had to discuss the delicate issue of accepting or rejecting the idea of Santa Claus for and with our son, we were at odds.  Me, the dismissive skeptic vs. my wife, the ‘standard,’ American X-mas traditionalist.

I know some kids flip out when they find out Santa’s not real, but I have no tolerance for nonsense. Sure, I like the holidays: the get-togethers, the exchanging of gifts, pretty Christmas lights, cozying up with the family under a toasty blanket and watching Frosty the Snowman with a cup of marshmallow-full cocoa and some tasty Chex mix—all that fun, festive jazz. But I don’t go for the elaborate hoax that is Santa Claus.

My wife was for perpetrating the saga, just by default. Her argument was that it’s what everyone does, it’s ‘tradition,’ everyone his age is going to believe it and it’ll be weird if he doesn’t – and besides it’s fun. Makes sense…until you consider what’s actually involved in keeping this crazy myth alive.

My argument is that it’s just weird and pointless. Such a ruse. It’s not easy to pull off and it is definitely not fun. You have to build a web of lies that circle the main lie. Simply explaining why you see this half-ass doppelganger everywhere you go is near impossible. He’s a skinny, grumpy, short Santa over here, then he’s a fat, friendly, tall Santa over here. And the milk and cookies? The whole chimney-delivery system? That’s just taking things way too far. ‘Playing dumb’ is something I have a hard time doing—especially when I know the kid’s going find out eventually anyway. That only serves to ruin my standing as a smart, rational, sane man. What else is my kid going to think I don’t know if, as an adult, I can’t figure out that this clown with a beard and a hat is merely a caricature of an outdated concept?

Read the rest of Truth vs. Tradition: The Santa Question – by Rev. Shakes Spear at Baby Shower For Guys

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Stern has the uncanny ability to bring out the very best of nearly all of his guests, and musicians are no exception. Maybe it’s the ‘frustrated musician’ that lives inside him that makes him really appreciate musicians for their skills and abilities? Howard often talks about his lack of musicality and his inability to create something moving and beautiful—and the envy he has for those that can. He understands the time, dedication and discipline that musicians go through to create their art.

Sometimes Howard will reminisce about his early life and the impact music had on him and the shaping of his world view. When he tells Leslie West that he used to smoke pot in his room while listening to Mountain, or he tells Paul McCartney what the Beatles’ “Blackbird” meant to him as a young man growing up in a black community, how it moved him, you can feel the emotional connection. When Stern meets one of his childhood musical idols, he really is in awe. It’s refreshing to hear him get giddy and fawn over them like anyone else would, and the majority of his guests have a mutual admiration for Howard and they tend to give just a little bit more of themselves than they might in another setting.

Although a lot of people like music, it’s Howard’s true appreciation sets him apart from most other talk shows hosts. Howard isn’t necessarily looking to hear the latest hit. He seems far more interested in the motivation or inspiration behind the latest hit; what sparked the original idea, who the song is really about, where it was written, how long it took to compose, etc. The long-format interview gives him the chance to dig a lot further than, say, a Letterman or the eternally-shitty, cut-and-paste Leno ever could. Hell, Leno seems completely devoid of any insightful knowledge of his guests and he would never take the time or trouble to ask a musician (or anyone for that matter) an interesting or relevant question. Maybe NPR can offer an equally-long, in-depth interview, but it could never come close the delivering anything as entertaining, spontaneous and engaging as Howard.

Read the rest at Baby Shower for Guys – Howard Stern: Music Fan

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When Jay-Z was 11-years old, his father left him and the family. He claims, “If your dad died before you were born, yeah, it hurts—but it’s not like you had a connection with something that was real. Not to say it’s any better—but to have that connection and then have it ripped away was, like, the worst.”

Regarding the eternal struggle of trying to find a balance between providing for your family and spending quality time Jay-Z offers, “Providing – that’s not love. Being there – that’s more important.”

I’d question the real differences between the amount of pain a kid goes through with the loss of a known parent and the amount suffered by a child who never knows either one or both of their parents. I happen to be somewhere in between these  poor choices and I tend to think that having a father in your life – if only for a brief time – is far better than never knowing your father at all.

My dad was gone before my first birthday and he was always just a peripheral figure. He really had no important place in my life, nor did he seem to want one. I would see him maybe once or twice a year, usually for one of the ‘big two’ holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas and occasionally the end of summer, school shopping experience– which consisted of a trip to the mall, getting about $200 worth of clothes, having an awkward lunch and then back home to wonder when I might see him again.

Read the rest at Baby Shower For Guys

http://babyshowerforguys.com/home/content/article?id=52

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Check out this site I designed for the Soapmakers – theSoapmakers.net.

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With this design you can show some hippie love along with some hateful sarcasm.

How many times have you run across a stupid motherfucker? I seem to find at least a couple a day – but that’s just me. See, I kind of prefer people to be decent citizens of their community, but those people are becoming a rarity.

If you’re like me – and I pray to all things holy that you are not (it’s exhausting being this aware of and angry at your world) – you’ll want one of the many things that I have emblazoned with this sweet design. Get yourself a shirt, a keychain, button, or maybe a set of stickers. You know you want to. Don’t be afraid.

Get your “Have a Nice Day, You Stupid Motherfucker!” stuff today and make a bunch of new friends tomorrow!

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