PETA Gets Points For Publicity, But...

...are their stunts effective? I really want to know.

I respect protesters across the globe. Even when I disagree with the protests, I love seeing people stand up for what they believe in. When I see Americans protest, I am thankful that I live in a country where it is possible to do so without fear of being jailed. When I see people protest in countries where they do not have freedom to do so, I admire their bravery.

But PETA...does a mostly naked person in downtown Nashville (photos courtesy of Cotter) wearing nothing but panties and barbecue sauce really get a point across? I respect vegetarians and I try to keep my meat consumption to a minimum. One day, I might consume even less (or more), but I doubt my eating habits will be affected by a public stunt.

Just wondering.

Happy "I Have To Say I Love You" Day Is Coming Up

USA Today's Pop Candy asks how you intend to impress your love this Valentine's Day.

Can you beat Lloyd Dobler's boom-box scene?

It's hard to believe Valentine's Day is coming up in a couple weeks -- maybe that's partly because several Christmas trees still linger by the curb on my street. In any case, USA TODAY has just launched a search for readers' romantic gestures, and I figured some of you may want to contribute.

Me? I once took my love to a Chuck Klosterman book reading. (Wait. That might have been for our anniversary. Still...) This year's plans are still unknown but I hope that I can raise the bar a bit for once.

I've never been one to embrace the whole idea of showing my love with cards and flowers just because it happens to be February 14th. My Finnish friend says that in her country, the day is approached more as a day to celebrate friendships than romance. I like that idea a lot.

I'd rather be the American romantic who brings home cards and flowers at random times throughout the year. Sweet nothings whispered based on nothing more than the urge to bring a smile to my love's face seems much preferred to doing it because it is the day that everyone else does it. But that said, it's been a long time since I have brought home a card or a flower for no good reason. Life has been busy and exhausting lately and my lovely wife deserves a big show this year. Broke or not, this year had better be good.

I wonder if Chuck Klosterman will be in the area?

She's Two, What To Do?

My littlest has just doubled her age. She's as cute as ever and quite the smart little cookie. No longer does her big brother run the house without challenge. She may be smaller, but she holds her ground now. Her mother and I have loved watching her find her personality.

But how to celebrate her big birthday today? Nashville must have some fun things going on that she might enjoy. The Nashville Chamber Singers are holding auditions today. We could try out.

PETA is staging a naked protest downtown at lunchtime. We'll probably skip that though.

Einstein is a Dummy is performed today and The Wooten Brothers play tonight (maybe I'll teach her to sing "Brick House").

In all seriousness, the best idea is storytime at our local library. We've done that a few times before. But we are at home and the car with the car seats is not with us today, so we'll just spend birthday number two hanging around the house and playing with her big brother.

One thing is for certain - there is birthday cake for later this evening. Yum.

Hendrix, pre-Purple Haze

Jimi is in the back-up band on guitar. And I'm not sure I'll ever hear "Shotgun" the same way ever again. The choreography is a work of art. (Note: Some art makes me giggle.)

On Wynonie Harris

I've been spending a lot of time lately listening to Wynonie Harris and other popular jump blues artists from the '40s and early '50s. Tonight, I found a great piece on him by rock historian Ed Ward.

Big thanks to Pete of WRVU's Nashville Jumps radio show for turning me onto this music in the first place.

Or I'll Just Play Through The Pain Anyway

Three days with the scratchy throat. Two days drinking the blue help-the-scratchy-throat stuff. Let this be the day that it all clears up.

So that I may play in the snow later this week with my kids and get sick all over again.

Wintry Mix, On The Way

Thu 35° | 28°

Fri 37° | 17°

I can't wait.

Oops!

While tidying up before bed, I just got my keyboard drunk. I thought the empty bottle was in my right hand and the almost empty one was in my left. While walking from the couch to the kitchen, I turned my right hand just so as I passed over the laptop. What was that sound I heard? The sound of liquid obeying gravity and falling onto my powered off laptop's keyboard.

Hurriedly, I ran a cloth over the keys and then turned it on for a test spin. So far, so good. But the alcohol on its breath is none too pleasant.

What should I do now? (Or what should I have done immediately following the spill?)

Ugh. Well, off to bed for me. I hope I have a working laptop in the morning. Otherwise ugagrad1995 is gonna be way pissed at me.

[Update: All is still working fine the morning after. The space bar is a bit sticky but otherwise functional. I figured it was time for a proper cleaning and popped up one key to get started. Man, it's filthy underneath! But now I can't get that key back on. I may just take it to a computer repair shop and ask them to give my laptop a thorough cleaning.]

No Post Too Unimportant

I'm home from work and reading blogs while the TV is turned to C-Span. It's just background noise and I figure that a little bit of political knowledge will find its way into my big brain without too much effort on my part.

I can't concentrate too much on my blog reading though because the guy at the podium sounds just like Tim Conway. I keep looking up expecting to catch some zany comedy skit.

Unhappy Meals

Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

That, more or less, is the short answer to the supposedly incredibly complicated and confusing question of what we humans should eat in order to be maximally healthy.

... more>>

Kid Turns 70

A funny age to turn, 70, and despite misgivings I have gone ahead and done it... more>>

Three Year Old With Camera

(click for full size)

Eat Your Camera

Sites that you wouldn't think are popular but are:

Bed jumping pics at bedjump.com

Running from camera pics at runningfromcamera.blogspot.com

So, why not big ad dollars at eatyourcamera.com?



Maybe not. ;)

But I do think it's a funny picture. Especially clicked and enlarged.

Excellence

I Wish I Was Born By Centrifugal Force

There is a patent from 1965 for that very method of baby delivery. As Nerve.com states, "It's like the worst state fair ride ever."