Backward and inside out

Hard to impress

[This post was written by Simon's uncle David]

When I loaded up the inventive Arcade Fire video to show my eight-year-old nephew, I wasn't sure what to expect. Aside from being a coming out party for HTML5 and a vehicle for Google Chrome (since it runs correctly only in that browser), the video is both innovative and the logical next step for music videos given the evolution of the social Web.

But is the video ground-breaking in the eyes of a third-grader who probably assumes all devices should have the ability to video chat and play Angry Bird? Not really.

It went something like this:

David: [clicks play]
Simon: Oh, I know this song.
David: Okay, but just watch.
Simon: It's just a guy running.
David: But look how he's standing outside your house. And when he spins around, the perspective of your whole block spins with him.
Simon: It's okay, I guess.

January sledding

Simon laughs at Jay The Hack Master

3G network

The scene: We are playing games in the basement after dinner. Simon asks a question that neither Aunt Marnie nor Uncle David can answer.

David: I don't know, sorry.

Simon: Can you look it up on your iPhone?

David [feeling lazy]: I could. But I'm not getting any wifi down here in the basement.

Simon: But aren't you on the 3G network?

Simon the pianist

Location: The dinner table. Uncle David is describing the scene at El Pinto, the 1,000-seat Albuquerque restaurant that has become a community institution.

David: Every politician who stops through New Mexico goes there. And every rock star and movie star. They have photos of the wall of every famous musician in the world hanging out there.

Simon: Was Beethoven there?

Following this conversation, Simon delivered a magnificent piano performance.

Tempting Teal is not dull and boring

If Simon could paint his bedroom any color, it would be Tempting Teal, which, as he explains, is a "bright and lively" color made by Glidden.