Things are movin' kind of slow this morning after St. Patrick's Day.
It was a good evening, but I didn't really celebrate St. Patrick's Day. The W is owned by Irish, and they have a big celebration, but it's not really my style so I rarely attend. The drinking club was hosting a St. Patrick's Day party, combined with a Texas Hold 'Em Tournament and March Madness viewing. I would have gone out there, but instead I opted for the honky-tonkish Hillcrest Lounge and its quieter atmosphere, a jukebox I can trust, and big windows that look across a nondescript field. No green beer at "the Hill," just long necks.
I went there with my Dad and Uncle Joe. My mom and wife joined us for part of the evening. I only see Uncle Joe twice a year, now that he has moved from Detroit to Florida. I saw him much more frequently while growing up and spent a ton of time with him during college and law school, having lived a mile from him one summer and having lived with him another summer. We had a lot of fun those years. It wasn't unusual for Uncle Joe (a young widower), brother Dean, and I to grab a casual round at a local bar on, say, a Tuesday night, then end up back home with a karaoke machine and wondering how it got to be 1:00 a.m.
Anyway, when Uncle Joe comes to town, any other plans get shelved, and happily so.
I was able to repay a small portion of Uncle Joe's kindnesses last night. It seems he lost all his David Syme CDs (they were probably stolen). Uncle Joe was lamenting his loss, and I asked him if he had purchased "On Fire" and "Play It Again, Syme." He said yes, so I told him that I bought the CDs earlier this year and would burn them on a blank CD for him, which I did when we got back from the Hill.
What, dear reader? Are you thinking that I broke the law, ala Napster? I didn't. Here's the thing no one tells you in the debate about file sharing (and the record companies aren't exactly advertising is): Once you pay for a song, you don't have to pay for it again. You paid for the song, not the medium (tape, CD, album) it was on, so if you lose the medium, you can legally--and morally, I've double-checked with a patent lawyer/priest--obtain a free copy.
Did you buy a Peter Frampton album in high school that you can't play anymore? If you can get a free CD of the album, go ahead. You can't steal what you already paid for. Did you buy a Johnny Cash cassette that is now worn out? Ask your friend to burn the same CD for you.
Well, with that brief lesson in practical law, I'm going to end. I have an extremely busy day ahead of me: a full day at the office, kids' theatrical productions, two column deadlines, NCAA tournament, fighting off the need for a nap. I will be blogging, but it might a little on the light side.
One quick note: My apologies for the lack of fare these past two days. Things have been extremely hectic, and I simply haven't had time to do anything except work. I'm hoping thing return to normal soon.
Until next Saturday, may the basketball bounce your way.
