Today was a very important day.

Camille had her two-year checkup and passed with flying colors - our perfect 50th percentile in just about everything. She’s already meeting 3 year old milestones and the doctor was very impressed with her vocabulary and physical development. While that was good news, it was all things that we knew. It was after the doctor’s appointment where the surprise came in.

I dropped Ginger off at a meeting and took Cami to a post-checkup treat: Her first trip to a comic book store. We stood in the parking lot and she looked up at the building, filled with colorful posters and neon and she said “What’s this?” She repeated after me: “Comic book store.” We went inside, the bell rang and for the next 15 minutes it was a steady stream of head-turnings and “oohs” and “whoas.”

She was transfixed. The comics ran from floor to 7 feet high, neatly arranged in stacks just waiting to be ruffled by two-year-old fingers. Above the comics were shelves of toys, sculptures and cardboard cutouts. She ran from shelf to shelf, naming the heroes she plays with every day: Bat-man, Super-man, Spiya-man, Aqua-man (hey, the kid loves Aquaman, alright?). When she found a character she didn’t recognize, she said “Who’s that?” and I’d tell her the names and she’d quickly repeat. Starman, Supergirl, Captain America… I couldn’t get the names out fast enough.

After some searching, we found the small section of “for kids” comics. For an unknSuper Friends #3own reason, they were nestled right next to a very adult display of statues and DVDs. It was hard to keep her away from the not-toddler appropriate shelving, and harder to explain when she pointed to them and asked “What’s this?” to which I replied “For grown-ups.” She pointed again and said “Grown ups.”

We sorted through the kids books and settled on two cute issues: DC Comics Super Friends #3 and Tiny Titans #6. The Super Friends book is based on the line of action figures which she currently plays with, so she recognized the familiar faces. The Titans book is a very fun, very kid friendly title with even younger versions of the Teen Titans (Robin, Raven, Beast Boy, Cyborg, etc) and an expanded youth DC stable (Batgirl, a young Blue Beetle and other surprises). We also may have picked up two books for dad.

While we waited for Ginger’s meeting to end, I put Camille in my lap and read her two comics, back to back and she was riveted. Even though these were kiddie books, they were dialog heavy for a two year old. She loved them, and as I finished Tiny Titans, she asked for more. I was amazed.

I don’t expect Camille to be a comic book geek. It’s probably not the best label to slap on such a cute little girl. But I hope every now and then she’ll continue to indulge me - and we can bond over funny books for a long time to come.

Ginger and I made it out to see Wall·E tonight. It’s an intimate, slow burning animated film from Pixar, a studio known for their instant-appeal, large-scale features. While by and large (ha! an unintended movie reference) I really like Pixar’s back catalog, but with films like Finding Nemo I feel that the sentimentality is too forced, even for kids. But, that’s the nature of the Disney machine. Don’t get me started on the unnecessary, sometimes frightful imagery of their classic films.

That being said, I went into Wall·E knowing that I would like it. The bits I had gleaned from the trailers, advance reviews, the production stills and the sheer amount of positive hype meant that I was going to walk away impressed. But even with that foreknowledge I still felt that I had seen a truly remarkable movie and glad that we went to see it on the big screen.

While Camille is still too young to sit through a movie at home, let alone at a theater, this is the type of movie I know that she will cherish. It’s visually stimulating - perhaps with better art direction than any film I’ve ever seen - and it also has charming characters, smart storytelling and a big heart. While the designer in me loved to see the set pieces, the artistic in-jokes and the attention to the tiniest of detail, the father in me loved the film’s many simple messages and themes.

Definitely a must-see and a must-own, as I can’t wait to share it with my daughter. Two weeks until The Dark Knight…

To celebrate this very special day, I’m at work. But, I took a few minutes to throw together a July 4 mix, just for you.

→ Stream the mix

It would be an understatement to call the Super Hero movie genre close to my heart. It’s been a facet of our popular culture that I have spent far too much time obsessing over, analyzing and scrutinizing, since I was a child. In college, my senior exit show was a series of paintings portraying actors in their super hero fatigues from short run and failed TV shows and low budget films. These actors let the allure of playing an iconic figure ruin their careers. They put on the tights despite their better judgment. They got caught up in the fantasy.

The latest breed of Super Hero films has been a revelation. Going back to 1990’s Batman, the comic book movie has seen a renaissance through better scripts, larger budgets and better acting talent. There have, of course, been stumbling blocks (especially in the Batman franchise) but by and large these films have been enjoyable, if not world-class cinema.  The relaunch of the Batman franchise, Batman Begins, raised the bar even higher and with Marvel’s latest - Iron Man - a new standard has been established.

I enjoyed Iron Man from start to finish. It was a fast, fun movie that didn’t disservice the original material. While it was a cleverly updated version of the character, it bent over backwards to pay homage to the decades of pulp comics that preceded the new vision. The effects were all top-notch and didn’t distract from the (admittedly light) plot and complemented the overall tone of the film. But it was the acting that made Iron Man so different. There were no weak links (although why did director Jon Favreau cast himself as Stark’s driver?) and the A-list talent was able to flirt with camp without crossing the line into parody. I never would have thought of Robert Downey Jr as hero material - but with Iron Man, it’s all suit and attitude. Who knew that Gwyneth Paltrow could so easily play a supporting role without overshadowing the leads? It was one pleasant surprise after another. The relative meekness of Terrance Howard’s character was the only odd portrayal - but not a deal breaker by any stretch.

As a general rule, I consider Marvel’s pantheon of heroes to be strictly B-list. Maybe that’s part of the reason I enjoyed this film so much. I could care less about Iron Man. They could have completely rewritten the character, changed the suit and made him half-zebra and I wouldn’t have gotten upset about it. So I didn’t have anything to lose from a childhood-touchstone standpoint. Instead, Marvel made a fun summer action movie that didn’t leave die-hard comic fans disgusted or scratching their heads. And, it’s gotten me excited about their upcoming slate of films including a Hulk revamp in a few weeks as well as Captain America, The Avengers and (the inevitable) Iron Man 2. It’s time for DC to pick up their game.

Friday morning I came to the conclusion that our new bed is going to be a big problem. It’s just too comfortable. Getting up is near-impossible when you’re facing down a packed Friday. Somehow, I pulled it together and climbed out of my Sleep Number 45 cocoon.

Ginger spent the day at home with Camille, so I made the work drive solo and settled in for several coding projects. For once, I actually got everything done on my to-do list and feel at-ease going into the three day weekend. I built out a pretty cool Six Degrees of Separation template and CMS addition for my cable TV client, wrapped up some revisions to the New Orleans hotel and started work with a new client that specializes in marketing a large (and impressive) stable of authors. I also had an energizing meeting with a potential client about a great idea for a new social networking project. Very niche and based on good existing models. We’ll see what happens.

Headed home to meet the girls coming in from their second play date of the day. Chowed down on frozen pizza and then played with Cami in her room while Ginger took Millie for a walk. I hooked up my Telecaster for the first time in over a year and introduced Cami to the electric guitar and its best ally, distortion. She was not impressed. Night after night of strumming along on my acoustic guitar informed her that was how a guitar should sound. Now, it was wailing, screaming and her response was to cry “Fix it - Fix it!” while I played. Oh well, she’ll come around. Bath and bed ritual followed the botched one-man metal concert and Ginger and I went downstairs to clean and deal with the Millie situation.

Millie is my ten year old basset hound. To say it in a nice Southern way, Millie has never been right in the head. She’s special and we’ve made many adjustments in our lives to deal with her needs. Lately, she’s decided that the rugs should be used as latrines and with a very active two-year-old, that is not okay. We built a new, large dog run for her in the back yard. It’s fenced and mulched, with a layer of chicken wire underneath the surface to discourage digging. We went out to visit her with more food and water and shored up some of the defenses. Then, we left her outside for the night.

This is a very big deal for me - and I feel like I’m a horrible parent. She’s had ten years of living inside, being integrated into the family to the best of our abilities and now I feel like I’m abandoning her. And apparently, she feels that way too. Ginger and I fired up the Tivo Unboxed Into the Wild and sat on the couch with a bowl of popcorn and glass of sweet tea. And then, the barking began. Constant barking. And banging of wood and metal. And crying. Every ten minutes for the first hour, we’d stop the movie and check on her. She was digging feverishly, trying to work the corner of the gate open. Wanting to get caught in the act and brought inside. We held firm and she eventually went to sleep.

As for Into the Wild, Emile Hirsch was great. In fact, all of the performances were stand-out and I’m always a sucker for anything with Hal Holbrook. I could watch that man read Superfudge and be enthralled. Stylistically, I felt that it lacked focus. Too many visual devices were used that didn’t add to the storytelling and felt out of place. Some of the cinematography was beautiful. Some of the effects were pointless and served to dumb down a complex story.

But that core story is something that I’ve had a problem with since I read the book a few years ago and the movie only amplified my concerns. Into the Wild is the real-life account of an affluent new college graduate who gives up his material possessions and travels cross country, eventually arriving in Alaska where is goal is to live a hermit-like “natural” existence. Eating berries, shooting game - the epitome of roughing it. I have no problem with any of that. It’s very romantic and kind of sweet, if naive. When reading the book, I had the very clear impression that the kid was:

1. Spoiled. Spoiled to the point of being absolutely impossible to be around. Constantly criticizing his parents, society and anyone that would listen about how horrible the world was. This from a kid who had everything handed to him on a silver platter and had no concept of real hardship.
2. Mentally ill. While he excelled in academia, his social skills and easily developed obsessions indicated much larger psychological problems. In the movie’s overt attempts to glamorize his decisions and actions, I think the truth of much greater underlying problems was ignored.
3. A general, all around jerk. I feel bad writing this, as I know the book and movie were based on a real person. But the character portrayed in the book and movie had a smugness-level that would have been intolerable. The complete selfishness that he embodied while making his trek is so unforgivable that he immediately becomes unlikable.

The movie glossed over these problems, instead portraying the lead character as being a large-hearted and kind-souled misunderstood who simply knew more about life than you and me. I can’t help but feel that was irresponsible, but it’s a movie and I simply have to let it go.

So, did I like Into the Wild? Yes and no. I thought it complemented the book (which I still enjoyed more) in some ways and detracted from it in others. It was nice to see another take on the source material which is very engaging and worth new interpretations. The performances and soundtrack were superb. Eddie Vedder’s word-less chanting and wolf-like howling really emboldened some of the most beautiful visual scenes. But at the same time, it failed by simply glamorizing the main character. At two and a half hours, there were many times when the film felt long, if still serving as beautiful wallpaper. Taking the good with the band, I’d recommend a rent. If you’re interested in more of the Alaska part of the story, pick up the book.

Not a bad day, but a long one that would have benefited from more sleep last night. Cami was up at 6 and I relieved Ginger at 7. She looked so big in her strawberry-covered nightgown and her long hair that now stays tucked behind her ear for more than a few seconds. Of course, she pulls at it or dances and it falls over her eyes anyway. She’s getting better at amusing herself, reading books and playing with her toys. It’s a big help to us, as we don’t have to stay on top of her 24/7 - but it’s also a little sad that she doesn’t need us to entertain her.

Ginger spent the day with Camille, so I got dressed and headed into the studio, stopping at the post office (nothing in the PO Box), depositing a few checks and grabbing a snack on the way. Today was filled with working on client projects: a hotel in New Orleans, a major cable television channel and a medical technology company. Leftover pizza for lunch and lots of phone call follow-ups and code tweaks in the afternoon.

Moving the studio out of the house was a great move. With all that’s going on as the business grows, it would be very tempting to work on projects constantly. When the “office” was in the living room - I could have easily fallen into that trap. Now, I keep regular hours and try keep the minutiae of client work out of my mind. I don’t always succeed, but I try to keep home and family time sacred, as it should be

I grilled flank steak with mozzarella and peppers for dinner and nursed a Blue Moon. Camille ate like a champ and we headed upstairs to listen to music and play with her stuffed animals. While Bucky the bulldog danced with “Oscar Baby”, I bought a Dell D400 laptop on eBay to use as a test machine for the office. After her bath and bedtime ritual, I headed outside to shovel dirt in our basset hound’s new outdoor accommodations. Saturday was spent installing a new fence and all of its doggie-proof accoutrement. The last-minute work tonight was prep for her bed of cypress mulch that will be delivered in the morning. In her old age, she’s becoming less concerned with her house-breaking and that’s just not acceptable. So, she’s going to be an outside dog. Wish us luck as we try to withstand her barking.

Took a shower, folded some clothes and watched a bit of Lester Holt’s documentary on the crystal skulls. I never cease to be amazed at the world’s willingness to believe incredibly absurd things (UFOs, ghosts, that chicken nuggets might actually contain chicken). The sad sacks in this documentary were so depressing. The excuses they made to defend these artifacts from hard, real science would have been funny if they weren’t so invested. Still, I’m looking forward to seeing the new Indiana Jones movie and what they do with the motif.

Ginger’s making more felt hair clips (tonight is a really great elephant) and I’m in dire need of some sleep. Closing laptop and falling asleep to some Tivo’d Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law.

Dear Internet,

What to say? While we’ve kept in touch, I’ve spent the last few years speaking solely on the behalf of my clients. It’s about time I called you up and let you know what’s been going on with me, on a personal level.

The big news is, my wife and I have a baby girl. She turns two this summer and is our world. And to be honest, she’s the main reason I stopped writing. While I could make the excuse that business has been too brisk, that I can’t stand to look at a computer when I come home, that I just got tired of the whole blogging thing, truth is that I didn’t want to broadcast her life online. I wanted to respect her privacy (and besides, my wife does a fantastic job of mommy blogging and I simply can’t compete with that) and frankly, nothing else was going on besides tending to her.

As she’s getting bigger, I’m starting to reclaim more of my me time. Ginger and I have started watching movies again. I’ve discovered some amazing music. And my paper journal sitting in my bedside table is just kind of sad in the age of multimedia overload. So, I’ve decided it’s time to start putting some things online again: A rundown of my day (bo-ring), the food we cooked (lately fantastic) and snapshots of the pop-culture milieu that I wade through.

Just wanted you to know I was going to be around a little more often, and I’m looking forward to catching up. You know, on a personal level.

Yours,

Lee