Late-night post that went longer than I planned.

I was perusing Facebook this afternoon and came across a status update from an acquaintance, not really much of a friend. The update upset me, and I hurriedly copied it to use later in this post. This acquaintance wrote:

"Dear Lord Obama, please increase teacher salary or cut my taxes so that I can take home the money I earn instead of paying for the following: 1. Medicare and Medicaid (I pay for my own insurance, thanks ;-), 2. Some skank-meth-addicts 5th drug baby 3. Food stamps of those who will never do anything to pay society back. Love, C. Montgomery Burns." (name obviously changed)

I normally don't scoff at all when this stuff all too frequently appears on Facebook, but for some reason, this upset me. I'm not going to write a lot about this, but I will say a few things in my own little letter.

"Dear C. Montgomery Burns, shouldn't the free market determine your wages? Don't like what you're earning, get a different job or complain to the free market. Your 'letter' displays an alarming lack of compassion, not that compassion is commonly associated with conservatism or anything, but I'd expect a little more from you. You and I both, after all, spent two years of our lives trying to help people live better and happier lives. Not that the government necessarily needs to be the body to extend compassion to people, but history has shown that treating one another with compassion has not been high on mankind's list of priorities. What did James say about religion pure and undefiled? I feel like your views are shortsighted, not to mention selfish. You probably don't have any kind of preexisting condition which would preclude you from receiving affordable health insurance. You have a job, however low-paying the salary may be. You are fortunate and should consider yourself lucky. Everyone isn't that fortunate, however. And yes, people can and should work to improve their lot in life, but you do not know people's circumstances and are really in no position to judge them or determine how worthy they are of aid. But maybe you're right. Maybe we can't possibly worry about helping other people until we first worry about ourselves and make sure that we have all we want. Thank you for your timely Facebook status update."

It's been a good week for concerts. I saw two bands I had wanted to see for a very long time. Sunny Day Real Estate played a reunion show with the original lineup, playing mostly songs from their first two albums, and it was amazing. They sounded just like I hoped they would. They played with a lot of energy and intensity. They played a fantastic set and were very tight. The lead guitarist had a huge grin on his face throughout the entire show, and it always made me happy when I saw it. Having been a fan since I first heard them as a teenager (many moons ago), I never thought I would have a chance to see them live. I'm grateful I did. Then later in the week I saw Autolux with my boys Andrew and Whitney, and it was one of the loudest shows I've ever been to. Autolux were incredible and put out an incredible wall of sound for a trio. We were bombarded with sound, standing only a few feet from the small stage. Each member of the band was off in their own little world, doing their own thing, but they were always right with each other. The drummer, Carla Azar, was incredible to watch. She is an amazing drummer. During the set, she rarely smiled or showed any emotion. She seemed very focused, very into what she was playing, almost oblivious to everything else going on around her. Then after the show, she was at the band's merch table. Andrew, Whitney, and I dropped by because we wanted shirts. (I bought a band shirt for the first time since I saw the Wrens in Seattle in December 2005). At the table, Carla was smiling and laughing, very friendly. I told her I really enjoyed the set and thought the new songs they played were fantastic. (Their second album will finally be released after New Year - it's been over five years since they released their perfect debut album). I was pleasantly surprised with the difference in her on-stage and off-stage demeanor. Let it be know, I love Autolux. They put on an amazing show, and I hope to see them again someday. Hopefully my ears will have recovered by then.

In other music news, I have been listening to The XX a lot this week. I first heard them months ago on NPR, and I was very impressed then. The band consists of four 20 year old Brits. Their songs are quite low-key and feature a lot of back and forth, boy-girl vocals. I'm astounded that 20 year-olds are making music this refined and mature. They're not overcompensating for songwriting deficiencies with volume or enthusiasm. They just write very, very solid songs. Their debut album is perfect for listening to at night with a set of quality headphones. I recommend the song "Crystalised" as a good introduction.

I will now attempt to sleep so I can wake up, finish cleaning my bedroom and bathroom for cleaning checks, and play an intramural football game. Adieu.