We have two family birthdays in the last week of May, so today was shopping day. As far as I know, neither they nor their wife/mother reads this, so I think I’m safe in saying that I got a recent slack key CD by Kapono Beamer and the Silva Anniversary comedy album from Frank DeLima, both for my brother-in-law. DeLima is a local comedian who does ethnic humor unflinchingly and with no targets left untouched; he’s a riot.

Then I picked up an iPod Nano for Mom to give to my niece (1Gb; she’ll just have to delete and download if she wants to vary her choices), and I got her 5 colorful tubes to slip over the widget.

While shopping I selfishly picked up the new Neil Young album “Living with War” and the new Dixie Chicks album “Taking the Long Way.” It’s interesting; I was shopping at the Navy Exchange, and I found multiple copies of both of these albums with no trouble. Apparently commerce trumps ideology as far as the military’s store is concerned.