Cast No Shadow

To follow-up previous posts, regarding upholding America's ideals, I think Rep. Jim Moran (D) summed it up best on Hardball. He was referring specifically to the 'torture report' recently released by the Senate Armed Services Committtee: "...what troubles me more than anything is not the personal culpability, it‘s the damage they did to our reputation throughout the world. These kinds of actions were more damaging to our side in the war on terrorism than anything al Qaeda has been able to achieve. That‘s what troubles me. Waterboarding is torture. Torture is illegal in terms of international law. It‘s ineffective. You don‘t get reliable information. And in fact, what we do will be done by others against us when our troops are captured. And you know, it does set us back in this war of values and principles and ideals. Our strongest weapon in the war on terrorism is our Bill of Rights, our Constitution, our values and principles. And we violate them, we lose that moral h

How much longer must we endure King Cheney? In the latest news regarding Federal law which requires the outgoing White House to turn over records (estimated at 300 million emails) for the Nation Archives, Cheney has stated that he "alone may determine what constitutes vice presidential records or personal records" and "how his records will be created, maintained, managed, and disposed," without outside challenge or judicial review. Obviously he's got something to hide, and I hope groups like Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington ( CREW ) and the National Security Archive continue winning their legal battle for transparency in a time when many distrust the government to do the right thing. OBAMA's platform this past year has been all about unity, hope, and change, so why are so many gay activists upset about his appointment of Rick Warren to give the invocation at the inauguration? Even though their opinions differ, it should be no surprise,

A new favorite! We had such a good lunch yesterday with Rick at the newly opened Vietnamese Garden that we had to get take out this evening! For lunch or dinner, man! The food is in generous portions, fairly priced, and very very fresh (no MSG). Tonight we did appetizers: Cha Gio (fried egg rolls) and the Potato Fritters (yam and carrot). I don't know what's in their homemade sauce, but its good on everything! At lunch Laura had the Bun Cha Gio Thit Nuong (noodle bowl with chicken) and I had the Bun Bo Hue, a spicy beef/pork soup. I really like the rice noodles used in Vietnamese cooking. LA and I split a jasmine green tea, and for dessert had a coconut pudding. Before yesterday, I don't think we had much experience with Vietnamese food--mainly Thai--and we like it a ton now! Not to mention its only 1 block away! The location isn't the greatest, being around the corner from Colorado Ave, so there's not much drive by traffic from tourists...its kind of a fas

There is a lot of fear surrounding OBAMA these days...is he a socialist, is he too liberal, is he even an American, but I don't think we've feared the current government enough. America went to war with Iraq 5 years, $580 billion and 4200 lives ago. We went to war based on information that the Iraqi government and its leader, Saddam Hussein, had Weapons of Mass Destruction. No one can argue that the information was solid: there were no WMDs. No argument. Most Americans ( 58% ) believe it was mistake sending troops to Iraq. Even former White House Adviser Karl Rove, agrees now that if it was clear that Iraq had no WMDs, we would not have gone to war: "Absent [WMD's], I suspect that the administration's course of action would have been to work to find more creative ways to constrain him like in the 90s," But asked about Rove’s comment during an interview with ABC News Monday, Cheney said “I disagree with that.” He continued "What [special intelligence

Boy is Bush's popularity really increasing on his way out the door! And people say Sarah Palin had it bad: Bruni sues over nude bag picture Lawyers for Carla Bruni, wife of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, have filed a lawsuit against a company for selling a bag featuring a nude image of her.

Sometimes you look at art and wonder where on earth an artist derives their inspiration from...it could be everyday life, active imagination, or in Shepard Fairey's case, matchbook covers. Good artists borrow, great artists steal. Obey Tyrant (borrowed): Cold Chillin (outright stolen): It sorta ruins the mystique of an artist, epsecially when most elements of the penguin looks to be directly ripped off. Of course, matchbook covers were rarely copyrighted, so the images are just out there for anyone to steal, copy, be influenced by, or just sell outright as their own. I read one story about an 'author' who obtained books whose copyrights had run out, changed a few key words for modern times and resold the digital books. Ingenius.

I've been busy of late, photographing and listing over 100 items for eBay. I still have listings to do today, but got all my pictures taken yesterday. Most of it is from 2 separate Craigslist purchases. I still have 2 Lego Millenium Falcons to build, but after building the Star Destroyer Monday afternoon, I need a break! I read that the best time to end an auction is on Sundays between 4-11pm PT, because I guess everyone is home at that time to bid on stuff. Otherwise they're at work and not supposed to be on eBay or out and about with better things to do. We'll see in 5 days if I timed it right, but the stuff I'm selling should do very well. I talked to my boss yesterday and it looks like we'll have work until July 09 and then it all dries up for a year or 2, so LA and I will have to figure out what we're going to do. But we have to make it through the markets first. As of right now, its looking like: Mempis, Greensboro NC, Jacksonville, Buffalo, Louisv

Things are finally settling down after 2+ weeks without a day off...anyway, here are the photos of our new furniture straight from IKEA. First is my office--new counter height project desk and 2 side mounted Lack Bookshelves: Our designer vinyl toy collection looks great in the living room on the Expedit Bookshelf: And finally the Malm bed and headboard:

Despite being overwhelmed at time, we did finish all we set out to do before all our company came on Wed night. The Phelps' drove in from Wichita and my mom flew in from FL that evening, and really the only thing I didn't get to do was hang my wire in my room, which will require the use of the Pythagorean Theorem. Anyway brunch was wonderful, and Dick & Merrily both stopped by for that, and Sarah & Tobi drove down for the day. LA made her famous Breakfast Casserole, we drank mimosas, and we had strudel from "Like No Other" Bakery. Lunch was a little hit-and-miss. We under-ordered the sides, but had plenty of honey ham, beef brisket, and pulled pork, however Front Range's famous Banana Pudding wasn't set, and therefore a little runny. Here's some photos (and I'll post some of our new Ikea stuff soon) (click on the slideshow to see larger photos)...

We've crammed so much stuff into the past 2 or 3 days its not even funny....put together platform bed and bookshelf, washed/waxed VW, washed Honda & replaced rotor button (still getting misfires), fixed the jammed cd player, groceries, dinner at Dick & Merrily's, raked leaves, swept garage, unpacked suitcases, picked up artwork at Edifice, errands at Home Depot, met Merrily at the antique mall, Hobby Lobby for Cmas decor, listed an Obey print on eBay, picked out another piece of furniture for the office, and there's probably several things I'm forgetting, not to mention, We're Not Done!

Yes, we finally made it home. We left Tues at noon from Williamsburg and got in this afternoon at 3pm, with plenty of daylight to unload the autos. Man that's a long trip! And to make it longer, my cd changer got stuck and wouldn't eject, right in the middle of Ken Burns' The War! I had to rely on radio through Kansas (not much frequency there) and my mp3 player on my phone. We stopped last night in Abilene, KS at the newish Holiday Inn Express. Nice bedding, a hot tub, and those yummy cinnamon rolls! We ate at the Brookville Hotel and wow. That's what we needed last night. The menu last night (its family style) was 1/2 skillet fried chicken, biscuit, sweet & sour cole slaw, mashed potatoes & gravy, relish, cottage cheese, creamed corn, and ice cream! Talk about good ole home cooking. Unfortunately we forgot our leftovers in the fridge and came home to no food in the house. It was a good trip overall, and a great year. We accomplished alot around the

I don't know if we're in OH or IN tonight...we just drove . We had a lengthy stopover at Ikea in West Chester and managed to pile the cars to the breaking point.....rocking chair, 2x bookshelves, platform bed, headboard/shelves, 2x tall chairs, project desk, plus other misc items. Its a long drive home from here, about 16 hours, compounded by the fact neither one of us can see out of the rearview, and I have to bend over to see my passenger side mirror. Thankfully the town we're in tonight has an older, but updated Holiday Inn with nice bedding and a big bathroom, and less than a mile south on 41 was an Outback. I knew we hung on to those giftcards from Dad & Jenny for a reason--a night like tonight! We enjoyed a couple of bacon wrapped filets with asparagus and some adult beverages to wash down the road dust. The dogs have been out sniffing and got to see 3(!) rabbits, so they'll sleep good tonight. Boots is ready to cuddle and fight tonight, and I'm look

Last week wasn't particularly bad...the work went smoothly and we drove down to Chesapeake to meet the rest of our group at a Japanese steakhouse for dinner. Its just the fact that I spent all weekend sequestered in our hotel room doing write ups each day. Today was supposed to finish it all off, but now I think I'll have to take paperwork home with me :( My 2nd write up of the day turned into a resurvey, which meant an hour drive to the survey and an hour back. In addition, my Check Engine light on the Honda CR-V has been on due to 3 cylinder misfires. I finally bought a new distributor cap & rotor, but had to run to Lowes for a tiny screwdriver to get the cap off. And I have no idea how to remove the rotor! You'd think it would pull straight off, but NO. So I just replaced the distributor cap, reset the Check Engine and took the CR-V out to do a close survey. Check Engine came back on....same 3 cylinder misfires. I also had to come back to the hotel, because before an

We're right on schedule to get out of Williamsburg and head home next week sometime. We've been having a good time around here....Colonial Williamsburg was a little bit of a bust, but not as much as Virginia Beach. Aside from the Cape Henry Lighthouse, PI Pizzeria, and the Neptune statue, much of VB feels like any other tourist beach town. We did get some fresh seafood at Berrett's here in CW, though overpriced a little. We also explored the growing VA wine industry with a tour & tasting at the Williamsburg Winery.

New Art Addition: 2 Cents' 'SF Ate My Heart' exclusive to Gallery 1988 in San Fransisco. I already have Love & Hate by the LA based street artist. (PS--Gallery 1988 is having a 15% off sale, which more than takes care of shipping) While we're so worked up about politics, our falling economy, Iraq, and our own little lives, there is virtually no US news coverage of the DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo). A quick Google news search reveals 36,000 news articles in the past day regarding the current civil strife. That's a great thing about BBC World News on NPR...they have such an international focus, realizing that no country is an island and we only ignore world issues at our own peril. I hope all the Obama-mania dies down soon; I think some people (especially in other countries) have some unrealistic expectations of him. I just want him to get into office and get to work. I heard Desmond Tutu (a South African Bishop) hope that Obama would a

Well the election went my way! Obama is now the President Elect, Udall--that "Boulder liberal"-- won the Senate seat, and outlandish Proposition 48 was soundly defeated (even in El Paso County). Tell me what I've had to be excited about in my generation's history. The fall of the Berlin wall happened when I was 10 in '89....what's been really monumental since? I was moved by McCain's acceptance speech. He seemed to speak from the heart and I really did like him and his political views, but as previously stated, the GOP and President Bush made winning almost impossible for him. If he had run at a different time, maybe 4 or 8 years ago, he would've gotten my vote. Now was just not the time for McCain. I was also moved in a different direction during McCain's acceptance speech when a portion of the crowd booed Obama's election. That was completely disgraceful and unpatriotic. Democracy chose our leader and we should be cheering that democra

Please identify the following: Top: Crop Circle 2nd: Single Plant Cell 3rd: Mars Surface Bottom: Person That's right, if Colorado Amendment 67 (2014)--the Personhood Initiaive--  passes, a 'person' is defined from the moment of conception, granting that fertilized egg constitutional rights. Ridiculous. The right to bear arms? Freedom of speech? What about a life insurance policy and collecting benefits in the event of a miscarriage? And in the event of a miscarriage, should a death certificate be signed (even without a birth certificate)? HOV lanes? If the mother smokes/drinks is that a crime against a minor? Unbelievable.

Since last year's one-time benefit reunion of Led Zeppelin, full reunion rumors have been running rampant. Zep is one of the greatest rock bands in history and I'd probably sell my right arm for tickets to see a reunion of Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and Jason Bonham (sitting in for the late John Bonham on drums). Well, we have confirmation that there will be a Led Zeppelin reunion. Sort of. After a bluegrass disc and tour with Allison Krauss, Robert Plant has stated that he didn't want to tour "for at least the next two years", but this isn't stopping the rest of the guys who are rumored to be auditioning singers such as Steven Tyler (Aerosmith), Myles Kennedy (Alter Bridge), and Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters) among others for a new record and tour. Worth my right arm? Nah. But if this pseudo-reunion happend, I'd definately be there! AFP MTV.com BBC.com RollingStone.com

It took us 3 long days to drive from the Springs to the east coast, and when we got here, we weren't really settled, since there was a mixup with the work. We originally got a hotel down in Chesapeake (the whole area is called Hampton Roads), but the work was mainly in Newport News and Williamsburg. So we worked 3 days out of a Towne Place Suites before moving up to a Residence Inn in Williamsburg. The RI beats TPS hands down. So we spent most of Saturday packing up the hotel, loading the car, driving an hour north, unload the car, and hope that a 2-bedroom became available for more room than the 1-bedroom (plus no oven in the 1-bed). So we didn't even unpack that day. Sunday we got word that a 2-bedroom was available, but we wouldnt get the Platinum free upgrade, so we declined the offer and got started on unpacking and settling in. We also managed to have some fun Sunday and found some nice shops nearby, including a well-organized comic shop (I picked up Wolverine 41 ), the N

When such a man as former Sec of State Colin Powell, who enjoys an 80% approval rating, makes such a strong, well-thought & well-spoken endorsement , its hard to ignore or argue with. I would have to say I agree with the Republican & Ret. General. [ Bold font has been added] I have said to Mr. McCain that I admire all he has done. I have some concerns about the direction that the party has taken in recent years....I was also concerned at the selection of Governor Palin. She's a very distinguished woman, and she's to be admired; but at the same time... I don't believe she's ready to be president of the United States , which is the job of the vice president. And so that raised some question in my mind as to the judgment that Senator McCain made. On the Obama side, I watched Mr. Obama...And he displayed a steadiness, an intellectual curiosity, a depth of knowledge and an approach to looking at problems...And also, in not just jumping in and changing every day, bu

Who knew what a tank of bad gas could get you.... Let's see...a few hard starts on Monday resulted in an in-traffic break-down. I thought it could've been the battery, but the VW would not start. So I called around...several places were booked through the week, which was unacceptable since we were scheduled to leave on Wed. Heuberger Motors said they could get me in on Wed, which was close enough; I just wanted my car looked at/fixed. Wed. at 330pm, Heuberger called and said it might be Friday before they looked at it. I went ballistic and called the service manager, who really didn't seem to give a rat's ass. I think its bad policy to say Wed, and call that late in the day and say it might be Friday. I told him I'd arrange for a tow somewhere else and never buy a car from Heuberger. Still didn't care. What a jerk. So I had to pay that tow bill and get another tow to Al Serra VW. Dan over there called me at 9am this morning (and several other times toda

My new candidate--even though he's Canadian (I found it in an old Marvel Wolverine comic):

Here's a quick run-down of stuff we saw and things we ate in Santa Fe: Trader Joe's : cheap wine! where else can you get bottles for about $3? and its good too! Doc Martins (Taos): good food, horrible service. our server was 3 weeks into the job and it showed. LA's and my drinks didn't arrive until after lunch was served. inexcusible. FX-18 : nice little modern gallery in Taos. we bought a couple gifts for people, but not much art and no vinyl toys despite Ugly Dolls in the window. El Farol (on Canyon Rd): at dinner there after LA got her tattoo. wonderful tapas including a tuna tartar with a guacamole base. turkish pork skewers were perfectly spiced. good desserts too. Design Warehouse : modern furniture and accessories including the Herman Miller Aeron chair. the furniture was pricey (but well designed and comfy) but the accessories were moderately priced, so there's something for every budget. Doodlets : wacky gift ideas like an inflatable moose head

From the AP : "The Senate Select Intelligence Committee is looking into allegations from two U.S. military linguists that...National Security Agency interceptors routinely monitored and recorded the private calls of U.S. military personnel, Red Cross and other humanitarian workers; personal discussions that had entertainment value — pillow talk or phone sex —were shared among intercept operators , they said.... The recently adopted eavesdropping law requires the government to get court permission to listen in on American phone and computer communications anywhere in the world. However, the previous version of the law only required attorney general approval ." Gonzales continues to be a thorn in Bush's side. Who's administration enacted that law? And who's party confirmed the attorney general? It's a poor reflection of Bush's judgement: "I don't like it when a friend gets criticized. I'm loyal to my friends. All of a sudden this fellow, who

Here's a little slideshow of Sarah with little Phoenix or Eowyn!

Quick post on our whereabouts: an actual vacation! We're staying 2 nights in "enchanted" New Mexico, right on the Plaza! No dogs, no cat, no work! What a concept! We've been to several galleries, saw the Loretto Chapel (the one with the stairs), and lit candles at the Catherdal of St Francis of Assisi . The Institute of American Indian Arts had an extensive Fritz Scholder exhibit that we enjoyed. We've eaten at La Casa Sena and Coyote Cafe , but the Dragon Room at Pink Adobe was closed last night by the time we sauntered from dinner, cigars in hand. Details to follow....out for another day (Dad: havent forgotten about The Shed; we're doing lunch there today)

I'm very tired of the lame duck, non-leader George Bush who has really tarnished politics in general. Only 1/3 of Republican in the House voted for the bailout plan, even after a 745am press conference during which he said: "This bill provides the necessary tools and funding to help protect our economy against a system-wide breakdown. The bill will help allow access to credit so American families can meet their daily needs" [Is it really a good thing we rely on credit for our daily needs?] "Without this rescue plan, the costs to the American economy could be disastrous." [Just like Iraq had WMD's and was a threat to America's security?] Why should we trust some 3 page plan he's cooked up that will miraculously fix our troubled economy? Why are we giving banks $800 billion so we can get credit to buy daily needs? The Economic Stiumulus Act was supposed to fix things, and that only cost $152 billion. If its really about "main street" how abo

Well, I got a response from Lamborn at least from his office, though it was a generic email response. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for something real. We'll see. Speaking of politics, we're going to Dick & Merrily's tonight to watch the VP debate. Mostly I'm going in part to know what they'll be talking about on the next SNL, since I was a little lost on the Katie Couric spoof last week. I think I'm leaning toward Obama right now....the Republican party is really disappointing in its response to the New York Times article about campaign manager Rick Davis' ties to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, saying "Whatever The New York Times once was, it is today not by any standard a journalistic organization" Its' their traditional strategy and its turning me off to McCain/Palin. Also, Colorado Springs, home of Focus on the Family, is such a conservative bastion that I just want to throw a wrench in the machine they've created. I'm tire

Dear Congressman Lamborn , I am writing to thank you on your choice to vote "No" on the proposed bailout measure. Even though my IRAs took a 6.5% hit, I think voting down this measure secures America's future in the long run, and may punish those responsible for the current mortgage crisis. What is the status of, and how are you voting for HR 3781--Biodiesel Promotion...Act? The reason I ask is that my wife and I drive a combined total of around 1200 miles a week in our job. We purchased a 2006 Volkswagen Golf Turbo Diesel for its superior gas mileage (up to 45mpg) and long lasting diesel engine. Sometimes it is hard to find biodiesel in the different cities we travel to. Some biodiesel is used cooking grease and we currently fill up in Colorado Springs with grape-seed from Acorn Petroleum. In promotion of biodiesel, I think the federal gas tax should be lowered in proportion to the amount of bio products in biodiesel. If the fuel is B20 (20% bio) I think the federa

I'm almost at the end of rebuilding my old Lego collection. Recently, the more I build, the more pieces I'm missing. That's not to say I'm running out of pieces...I have a 2 gallon ziplock full of just black and white pieces. But some pieces are becoming increasingly hard to find, due to age (this set came out in 1989) and neighborhood boys (like all my monkeys and ghosts are missing). Last night I put together one of my last big sets, the Black Seas Barracuda, a Lego masterpiece of set building. For one, its a PIRATE set, and incredible line. And this thing is HUGE....4 section hull, 2 tall masts, 8 figures, an amazing set, but just too big to display and too nice to let sit in a cardboard box in my basement. So its up for sale over at eBay. So go take a look, and if you like it enough to want to purchase, comment on my blog and we can skip the middleman (you might even get a discount on it).

The Foo Fighters show a few weeks back (the 2nd show) was amazing and worth the extra wait and hard work we had to endure to get there. Can you believe we bought our tickets last March? But the General Admission seats at Red Rocks Amphitheater were well worth it as well. We arrived in Morrison at 6pm when doors opened, and picked seats 7 rows up, stage right. We sat next to some very nice people who brought an entire dinner with them to the concert, and had some leftovers to share including rotisserie chicken, french bread, 2 cheeses, and grapes. Such was the atmosphere at the show. Dave and the boys played a humongous 2 hours and 15 minutes at one of the most gorgeous concert venues in the country with perfect weather that evening. They opened with 'our' song, Times Like These and blistered through all the hits and great tracks like All My Life, The Pretender, Let It Die, Long Road to Ruin, Cheer Up Boys (Your Make Up is Running), an incredible solo sing-along s

I am writing to let you know about my horrible experience in Plato's Closet, Colorado Springs on North Academy. I made a special trip to bring in desired clothing and was very put off after receiving less than acceptable service. I have been a frequent customer of this Plato's Closet, and have never really enjoyed my experience but tolerated it to clean out my closets and get a little cash. This particular visit however, left me with an arm full of clothes, frustration, and time wasted. Today, September 17th at 1005am, I came in with a small amount of items, including men's fall and winter,women's sweaters, and a formal prom dress worn only once. Upon arrival at 10:05 a.m. I was greeted with the regular, "have you sold here before?". I was asked if a 25 minute wait was acceptable, and it was since I did not have an appointment until 11am. Forty minutes later (both girls were working on one very large drop off) I let the sales girls know that it had been

After eating Taco Bell soft tacos for so long, one begins to forget how good tacos are supposed to be. Last night I made soft tacos (with Taco Bell seasoning), but MAN they were great! We had a full spread of fresh tomatoes, lettuce, Tapatio hot sauce, Horizon Organic sour cream, and drinks, of course! LA still likes her vodka/mineral water; Perrier makes a naturally flavored lemon sparkling water. I have recently started on Cuba Libres , a strong rum & cola, made with lime juice, and white rum. After dinner we adjourned to the patio on a cool autumn night and smoked a nice sweet cigar, an Acid Blondie from Nicaragua. We smoked and talked, played with the dogs, & watched the cat chase bugs until it was too chilly. Then it was dessert: halved peaches sauteed in cognac, topped with sour cream. Wow. What a dessert! And what another meal to celebrate being home!

We still can't seem to find a great non-chain steak house in KC. A travesty, right? Well the in dependant Nielsen group met up and ate at Phillips Chop House the other night. And let me tell you, I don't think anyone was very impressed. First off, my whiskey sour was made with a pre -made mixer I could've bought in the grocery (unlike McCormick & Schmick , which was handmade). All the sides were great, including my scallops on the side. However, a medium-well filet of beef should be slightly pink in the middle, but what I received was Well Done, as well as everyone elses , except for the guy who ordered Medium (which looked Medium Rare). The flavor was much better than Plaza III, but Houston's has so far been the best steak in KC so far. Down the road, between uptown and the Plaza, in the Crossroads District is a little place my dad turned us onto, Town Topic. HOLY COW. Best burgers I've had. They're a larger tastier meatier version of a White Kastle or

What Would Jesus Do? Probably not join a militant group in India and kill a Hindu religious leader, sparking even more violence . Isn't that against one of the Commandments? If you have problems with a great classic rock song, instead of changing the lyrics to make them family-friendly, just choose a different song! Instead of "I'm gonna give you every inch of my love" Leona Lewis sang "..every bit of my love" and altogether dropped "Shake for me, girl, I wanna be your backdoor man" at the Olympics closing ceremony . And Jimmy Page was a part of it! I'm sorry but the Zep is such a sellout now...first Cadillac commercials and now this. I might understand a paycheck for some music over a commercial, but to completely change lyrics to a great song just for a buck? What happened to rock 'n roll? And to appease the Chinese? "I always believed in the music we did and that's why it was uncompromising." Jimmy Page I'm

If you're going to try to be a funny politician, at least be original. Last night on Jay Leno, McCain quipped that he was so old (how old is he?) that “My social security number is 8.” That was an obvious rip-off of the Simpsons episode (The Mansion Family Season 11, episode 12) when Mr Burns is filling out a medical form: "Let's see, social security number … naught, naught, naught … naught, naught, naught, two … Damn Roosevelt!"

Can you believe that after NPR ran this story about women's beach volleyball at the Olympics, some way-too-conservative people took offense at Holly McPeak's (3 Olympic showings with 1 bronze medal) comment that "It really is the most functional uniform for beach volleyball."??? Get a life! It's beach volleyball! What do you want them to wear? Apparently, 1 listener wanted them in one-pieces, an option they do have. Sheesh. Nevermind the men wear swim trunks. Nevermind men swimmers are shirtless. Nevermind women's gymnastics uniforms leave little to the imagination.

In my opinion, the bipartisan election process is a disgrace to democracy. There are only 2 voices...you might as well flip a coin. Some would say that to vote Independent is to throw away your vote. Well, I'm going to stick it to the man in 08 and vote Independent for Ralph Nader. Yup, he's running again, but I'm sick of elections where I feel like I have to vote for the lesser of 2 evils. If enough people refused to buy into the Republican/Democrat way of running the election (have you seen any debates? or read/watched current media?), then maybe some actual issues would be addressed instead of repetitive rhetoric. I think Nader has some great views on certain current issues, and on ones I disagree with, at least he has a clearly stated position. Some guys won't give you a straight answer. He stands for: Full medicare for all Living wage Cutting the bloated military budget (contract fraud) Taxpayer subsidies to big corporations Bailouts to crooked Wall Street f

I just finished rereading Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest , and our great 40th Anniversary Hardback Edition at that, with included author's sketches. I remember I had a hard time getting through it the first time, but either time or rereading made the 2nd time much more comprehensible. I didn't get as lost being in the Chief's head as I did the first go round. I still compared it alot to the movie, which I really enjoy, but still prefer the book and the minor variances in scenes like the fishing expedition and the very end encounter with Nurse Ratched. If you didn't make it to the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art the last few months, you missed a great exhibition by Chakaia Booker entitled Rubber Made, consisting entirely of used auto and bike tires. The textures she creates is simply amazing, some pieces looking like they were constructed of feathers, and others were melted, fusing the rubber together and lending more shape to birds and candles

I found this at Stuff on Brookside : What Would Jesus Do? Probably not open fire with a shotgun during a children's performance. From the police affidavit of the Unitarian Church shooter : Adkisson "stated that he had targeted the church because of its liberal teachings and his belief that all liberals should be killed because they were ruining the country, and that he felt that the Democrats had tied his country's hands in the war on terror and they had ruined every institution in America with the aid of the major media outlets," investigator Steve Still wrote. What Would Jesus Do? Probably take Rick Warren's stance on the upcoming election in a recent interview with Melissa Block on NPR : "You have a right to promote whatever view you hold, and you have a right to try to convince me that I ought to change my mind....I think one of the things I've tried to do with evangelicals is to get them to not deny their pre-existing agenda but to e

It was just as well that the Flobots had to reschedule their performance at the Power and Light District last night, because I don't think I could've handled standing on my feet for a few hours. Laura Anne got up early, so naturally I followed suit half an hour later. And by early, I mean I got up at like 545am and started on a big day of paperwork at 630am. I am down to 13 Write Ups, but did survey today, adding 2 more (including one double). I worked for several hours, then we had to go run some errands to Wal Mart and Kinko's, then fixed 2 resurveys, and finally ended up at the worst addressed apartment complex I have ever seen in my 6 years. The entire complex had to be walked, every vestibule checked, with several building types and each vestibule with its own individual street address. To top it off, the unhelpful building manager called the cops on us, but it was easy to explain to them what we were doing and who we were with, so they left us alone. I did get three p

Dennis and Debra (Dana's parents) came up to KC for a little getaway this week, so we've been hanging out with them. First up was a dinner at Houston's down on the Plaza. No lie, I had the biggest pork chop of my life there--at least 3.5" thick! They bake it for a while first, then grill it! Wow. And my Boulevard Wheat went perfectly with it. Laura branched out and got the maui rib eye, but I think both her and I are too accustomed to the filet's tenderness to really enjoy another cut 100%. I had the couscous for a side--first time I had tried it. It was...different, but I ate it all. It was served cold, something I was not expecting, but the fresh mint & tomato really made it work. After work yesterday, we met up with Dana's family again at Vinino's down at the Power and Light District for some great Italian. Laura and I split the manicotti, which was tasty, but Debra's tortellini was a little better. Dana's calzone looked OK, but