Because it gets so hot here in the Phoenix area during the summer when the kids are out of school, one of our major decision points in deciding where to go on vacation (if we take one), is, are there playgrounds there? Well, there are playgrounds lots of places. But really good ones -- with interesting play structures for the kids and shade and seating for the adults -- those are harder to find. Even on the internet, where the reviews and rankings can be brief (or with little detail for visitors). Even, dare I say it, for where I live. So I decided to start PlayMapped, a website devoted (mostly) to reviews of playgrounds from all around the country. That's right -- not only are there Phoenix playground reviews, but you can find reviews of, say, Seattle playgrounds or San Diego playgrounds. The website is young, so there aren't many reviews, though I'm working on adding some more. But as I have no intentions on giving up on Zooglobble (more music reviews this week!), and I haven't figured out how to get by on 3 hours of sleep, I need your help. I know there are lots of readers here scattered all across the country (and world) who like, value, and have opinions on playgrounds just like I do. If you're able to write even one review on a local (or distant) playground, I -- and other parents -- would be very grateful. Details on what I'm looking for are here -- it shouldn't take up much of your time, and you'll get a couple links back on PlayMapped for your time. So there it is. Hope you enjoy PlayMapped, hope you'll come back, and hope you'll add to the discussion. (And if you need more inspiration, just check out my list of songs for playgrounds.)

I can now associate 3 goose-bump moments with "Falling Slowly" from the move Once. The first two I mentioned here -- hearing it for the first time when I saw the movie 2 1/2 years ago, and seeing it win Best Song at the Oscars a couple years ago. The third? Well, it's courtesy of Strict Joy, the latest album from The Swell Season, the duo of Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. It's a fine album (recommended for all those who dug the Once soundtrack), and some versions of the album come packaged with a live CD and DVD recorded for a show in Milwaukee in May 2008. The live album is excellent, too, and features, of course, a take of "Falling Slowly." Featuring an 8th grade school choir. On DVD (and to a lesser extent on the CD), the audio is too heavily weighted toward the band, which means the full effect of the choir is muted. Thankfully, low-grade video that isn't miked into the soundboard captures it a lot better. Yay, YouTube! The Swell Season - "Falling Slowly" (Live, featuring the Whitefish Bay 8th Grade Choir) [YouTube] Seriously, this one little gesture may do as much to nurture a lifelong interest in the arts in those kids as hundreds of hours of music classes. (Recognizing, of course, that they wouldn't have had the opportunity to do this without, collectively, hundreds of hours of music classes.) After the jump, they cover a Pixies song. One of my favorites, and one I would not have been expecting to feature on Zooglobble. (Warning: possibly a dubious choice to cover with an 8th grade choir.)