For Kristen

It's our wedding anniversary today. (And it's Sean's birthday!)
I gave Kristen three gifts, and she gave me permission to share her favorite one with the world. Let me preface all of this with a word of caution: if you have not seen the movie Nacho Libre, the chances of you understanding what I have done are slim.

Microsoft has this new experimental software called SongSmith, and I think it is pretty sweet. You can sing into a mic and the software will detect the key you're in and generously supply you with a solid-gold karaoke backup track.

Instead of my own voice, I injected Nacho's heart-felt ballad to Encarnacion into the SongSmith. This is what it pumped out.

* Note: It loses the beat halfway through, but don't fret; it finds the beat again just in time.

Goodbye, Maurice

Maurice was hit by a snow plow on Oxford street last Wednesday. His initial prognosis was negative, but not unmanageable: a broken femur. We were able to spend the weekend comforting him here at home. Today was going to be his surgery. The surgeon found that his shoulder had snapped as well, causing nerve damage and complicating Maurice's prospects for recovery. It made sense to let him go.

We'll miss you, Maurice.