Way to Go Bush!

Don't you just love it when a photo op goes horribly wrong?

Some Things About Swings

USA Today claims that swing sets are disappearing from American playgrounds---this can't really be true, can it? The swing set can't really be disappearing, can it? The swings always were (and still are) my favorite piece of playground equipment. Some of my favorite things about swings (in no particular order):

1. The feeling of flight.
2. Pushing the swing to its edge, how hi could you go.
3. Spending my recess during 6th grade pushing Becky B. on the swings. Sure it was a one-sided relationship but that didn't matter to me.
4. Swinging in the park late at night when the whole town is sleeping.
5. Swinging in the dark with your eyes closed.
6. Feeling the jerk of the swing set when you swing just a little too high.
7. The power of being in charge of your swings speed and destiny.
8. Pretending to be Superman while lying belly down on the swing.
9. Testing your limits by jumping off a moving swing (the higher the better).
10. Laughing at the other kids who are too afraid to jump from their swings.
11. Giving younger cousins and nieces and nephews their first push on a swing.
12. Sitting on the swings while being drunk with college friends, discussing the meaning of life at 3 in the morning (and being told by the cops to move along).
13. Did I mention pushing Becky B??

USATODAY.com - The great American swing set is teetering

Religion and Politics

An interesting article from Washington Monthly about evangelicals becoming frustrated with the Republican Party. The whole time I was reading the article I kept wondering who is playing who? At their most ideal, both politics and religion should be about making the world a little better....but it seems like the bigger concern is winning for the sake of winning.

"When Would Jesus Bolt?" by Amy Sullivan

Ok, which one of you 18 people is it???

BBC NEWS | Health | Cancer hope over breast gene find: "One in 18 people has an extra nipple, which can look like freckles or moles."

I really want to know who is holding back....actually odds are there are more than one of you that I know that have the extra nipple. Come on let me know. I don't have to see it, but you should at least have the courtesy to tell me that you have the triple nipple!

Here is another fun list from the BBC of things that were not known one year ago.

Constitution, I Don't Need No Stinking Constitution

Why the hell is Bush still in power? Does no one care about their rights? Have we finally gotten the crappy, dishonest, power-hungry government that our apathetic nation deserves?

Turtles Rule

One of the things about work that frustrates me is that everything happens so fast. There only seems to be time to react instead of think and plan. My brain is definitely prefers to be much more turtle like.

Movie Review: Walk the Line

Went and saw a sneak preview of Walk the Line tonight...it was fantastic. It was much more about the relationship between Johnny Cash and June Carter than I expedted. It only focused on part of his life (1944-1968), but I guess that is when the most dramatic bits happened. The movie did a good job exploring the creative process; little flashes of something became inspirations for songs, and then the songs developing more fully. Jaoquin Pheonix and Reese Witherspoon were great and mesmerizing, and I still can't believe that it was them singing in the movie...absolutely amazing---but they had great material to work with also.

Why would Cheney resign? My Theory

So its starting to look like the leaky Plamegate fiasco might end in some indictments. They are even starting to mention that Cheney could possibly be indicted or he might resign. The Republicans would probably love it if they could clear Cheney out now, face it the guy does not have a chance of being president in 2008 (too many people hate him, don't trust him, and/or think he is about to drop dead). So why not get someone new into that Vice-President position to make them look presidential---maybe someone that couldn't normally get elected, (i.e., Condoleeza Rice). They would have to replace Cheney before the 2006 elections so that the Democrats couldn't interfere with the approval process.

Yes, I'm probably headed toward the deep end of conspiracy thinking....but frankly nothing much surprises me about Bush and his right wing cronies.

25 Most Influential Music Artists of the Last 25 Years

CMJ posted a pretty good list of bands for an old guy like me. I was a college radio DJ from 1986 to 1991 for KUMM. I kid you not about the radio station name, our unofficial slogan was "the only station that puts KUMM in your ear. Many of these bands on CMJ's list formed the core of my shows.

Reviewing CMJ's list I'm wondering why The Cure is missing. They were definitely one of the most influential college/alternative band of that time period. Other possible bands that should have been included are: Camper Van Beethoven, Jesus and Mary Chain, Love and Rockets, Stone Roses, B-52's, Bahaus, INXS, James, Psychadelic Furs, Liz Phair, Dinosaur Jr, Sebadoh, Lemonheads, or Yo La Tengo. Some of these are personal favorites, while others are just holes I see in the list. Who do you think is missing?

Five Pairs of Soiled Shorts

Go Buckeyes!!!!

The Columbus Dispatch - OSU Football: "five pairs of soiled shorts from revel- ers who didn’t make it to the bathroom"