I’m actually posting this to test out whether I can do a video podcast.  In case you haven’t noticed (and judging by the stats, you haven’t,) I have a neat little Podcast over at iTunes.  Whenever I post an original piece of music here on my blog, it automatically gets added as an audio podcast on iTunes.  You can subscribe by clicking on the “iTunes Podcast” button on the right sidebar. Oh, and it’s free!

Well, I am attempting to see if I can add a video podcast as well.  If this sounds very geeky and if I lost you 5 minutes ago, you’re finally starting to understand what a conversation with me is actually like.  Either way, I hope it works, and I hope you enjoy the short (23 second) video.

In case my choice of fonts isn’t obvious enough, I’m totally excited about this.  I even managed to set it up so that it looks über-good on the iPhone and iPod Touch.  Just navigate to www.indiebear.com on your iPhone/ iPod Touch and there you are.  I’ve attached some screenshots below.  By the way, no one is more shocked than me that I got this to work!

All right; I’ll give it a shot. Um, let’s see: My crystal is glowing? No? OK, how ’bout, Michael York is picking me up and we’re stopping by Farrah Fawcett’s place to have fish and plankton and sea greens and protein from the sea? That sucked too? Well, the hell with it; I’ll just try to find some Sanctuary and work on my Peter Ustinov impersonation.

OK, hopefully you’re both still with me. As I stated, today is my last day at work. I’ve had this job for almost five years, so I’ve managed to get attached to the people I work with. It’ll be tough to leave that. They did get me a card though, so that was nice.

But the best part about the last day of work? The big cookie…definitely the big cookie. What, there’s no cookie?

I knew these people hated me.

Patty & I then went over to her folks’ place for lunch. We were running late because I needed to comb my hair and pick up my accordion. What, you don’t think I have an accordion? Have you read this blog? Trust me, THIS geek has an accordion. I love spending Easter with my family. Plus, I continued the time-honored tradition of biting the head off of Patty’s chocolate bunny when she’s not looking. (Why yes, I am 8 years old, why do you ask?) OK, I was just joking around and I did give her my untouched bunny in exchange, but I’m still gonna need a place to crash until this whole thing blows over.

Other than that, it was a good day to just relax and read the paper. Unfortunately, I read a rather disturbing story about a local cab driver who was stabbed by his 15 year-old passenger when she couldn’t pay the $22 cab fare. You can read the story here. Luckily the driver is going to be OK. According to the article, “The driver was stabbed with a kitchen knife in the neck, leg and buttocks.” At first I wondered how he got the buttock wound; then I realized that if someone is attacking me with a knife, at the very least, I’m farting on them.

Scientific American recently posted an article about some researchers in Berlin who digitally reconstructed the face of 17th-18th Century super-stud and musical genius, Johann Sebastian Bach (uh, no relation to that woman who played Daisy Duke or that tool from Skid Row.) Bach is the guy who wrote (among other things) “Toccata & Fugue in D Minor” (you’ve heard it in countless old horror movies) and “Air on a ‘G’ String” (no snickering from the Percussion section!) Oh, and he also fathered 20 kids. Dude!

According to the article, this is what Bach looked like when he wasn’t wearing his peruke (or “wig”)

And of course, people would travel from miles around just to hear his famous catchphrase: “Diplomatic Immunity!”

I’m always fascinated by these kinds of stories (mostly because I don’t get out much.) It reminds us that these people weren’t just statues and portraits; they actually lived, breathed, and often smelled bad…just like most of us musicians today.

I’ll be in the shower.

but I’ve never felt like, “well, I’m getting older. Better learn how escrow works.” The only slightly weird thing is, I am the same age as my dad when I was born. (OK, now I feel a little old!)

It’s different for me, though. Mom & Dad had two kids before me, whereas Patty & I have two neurotic cats and two dogs that like to eat dental floss if given the opportunity. Unlike my dad at 37, I’m probably several years away from telling a child, “Hey don’t touch that!” and “Hey, that’s a felony!” (can’t wait, though.)

Unfortunately, dad died before he got to see what a fine, upstanding citizen I’ve become. (Seriously, I’m standing while writing this.) I learned a lot from him in the 18 too-short years I knew him: Always be nice to women, Always work hard at something you love, and treat people the way you’d like to be treated (although, I think he stole that last one.) Hopefully, I can live up to that.

I actually took the day off on my birthday. I don’t know why I never thought of doing that before, but trust me, it’s the only way to go. Patty & I spent the whole day together, I did some recording, and of course, cake was involved. And not just any cake, Patty made a perfect German Chocolate cake with a coconut-frostingy-type frosting thing. I think it was frosting. Oh, she also got me the new Futurama movie, which by the way was freakin’ awesome! I’ll bet the geeks at Best Buy were intrigued by the woman buying a Futurama DVD. Back off, Poindexter; she’s already got a geek!

Best. Birthday. Ever.

“Geeks,” although apparently a little defensive, simply have an unnatural focus on specific disciplines. I’m more of a “Music, History, Computer” Geek. If I would actually start paying attention to grammar, you could even call me a “writing geek” (don’t hold your breath.) Those who call me a “Smelly Geek” do not get fruit cup. You see what I did there? “…do not get fruit cup” is a line from the Mel Brooks movie, High Anxiety, so I’m also a “movie-quote geek,” too, I guess. (How I ever got married, I’ll NEVER know.) Incidentally, I smell fine…like clean laundry, even.

Admittedly, I’m probably more of a “music geek” than anything. I grew up in a musical household, I’ve been playing piano since I was a li’l tow-headed demon boy, and my Dad was Irving Berlin. (Uh, that last one is a lie, by the way.) So, I’ve been paying attention to music my whole life; but no matter how much I learn, I’m always more interested in what I don’t know yet. As a result, I’m probably doomed to be a “music geek” for the rest of my life. Which is fine, but you should feel a little sorry for my wife (everyone does…I’m cool with it.)

Well, anyway, back to the nerd quiz. I took the quiz and did pretty well. You can see my results here.

Geez, with scores like that, you’d think I’d be employable. Apparently, I qualify as a “Cool Nerd King,” which incidentally was also my nickname in high school, except for the “cool” and “king” parts. I’m very pleased and horrified by the results. It was either this, or actually HAVE a social life growing up. Well, at least I wasn’t wasting time playing Monopoly.

Oh, and I never ate paste. Only Elmer’s Glue for this geek. Peace!