How to handle this situation?

I wrote a week ago about a girl that dissed me while we were dancing together. I felt like I wanted to say to her, politely, that was very rude. But a lot of people told me just to ignore her. While I mostly ignored her tonight, the girl did come over to me to say hello and goodnight, since she was leaving. So I said goodnight to her and turned away. I still feel that there must be a better way to handle this, let's hear your suggestions. Thanks! Oh by the way, I had a blast dancing tonight, I even got to slow dance with two hotties at one time. It was quite a fantasy.

Another reason that “Pork Fat Rules”

The BBC reports that rabbis in Israel have approved using "guard pigs" for Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Pigs, it seems have a better sense of smell than dogs, and Muslim terrorists generally have to avoid pigs, since if a Muslim touches a pig he is not eligible for the 70 virgins in heaven.

I kid you not!

Cow hit by train lands on farmer’s wife

A farmer’s wife in Turkey has been taken to hospital after a cow was hit by a train and landed on top of her. Read the rest of the story here.

What are you talking about, Warren Sapp?

I can’t help but feeling I missed Warren Sapp’s point when he was interviewed by Michael Irvin on ESPN Sunday Countdown. In fact, I couldn’t understand Sapp’s premise. I do know, it had something to do with him being a black man, the NFL office being slave owners, and something to do with the NFL not allowing him to promote himself. Other than that, I’m clueless. If anyone has a good explanation, drop me a line. Anyway, from what little I gleaned from Sapp’s discussion of the issues, I have several questions.

Warren, first, the league has fined you for your abuse of officials, and prohibited your dancing through the other team’s pre-game warmups. What does this have to do with either your being black, or your interest in promoting yourself?

Secondly, it appears that you envy previous rules in the NFL that allowed players (Emmitt Smith was shown doing this) removing their helmets after a touchdown and celebrating. Now, removing the helmet is a no-no. Why do you feel the need to promote yourself during a football game? Shouldn’t you be more concerned about focusing on your team, and the rest of the game? And since the rules prohibit all players, not just black men, from removing their helmets, what exactly is your point again?

Warren, send me an e-mail with the answers, and I’ll post them here. I think all of us would like to have the clarification. Thanks!

Libel? Or Not?

A blog attacking another blogger? What is libel exactly? Since I am not a lawyer, I have to rely on those more informed. First, read the horrifying charges made by Independent Media Center against another blogger, Charles Johnson of Little Green Footballs. Now read what Steven Den Beste says about how this is, in his opinion, as clear a case of libel as there can be, especially since Independent Media Center's charges against Johnson are all false. Scary stuff! (via Wizbang)

Lou Gehrig Smiles Down From Heaven

Golfer Tom Watson donated his $1 million prize to organizations fighting amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s disease. Watson’s long-time caddie was recently diagnosed with ALS. Class move by Tom Watson.

Atkins? Carbs?

Chef Marcus Samuelsson tells the New York Times his opinions about the current no-carb craze:

All this hype about how we eat, what we eat, when we eat it — it comes down to, first of all, How do you live? Do you exercise? Potatoes and rice have been the bulk of our food for thousands of years. But in 2003 it became a problem? Come on. There’s got to be a balance in your life. If you don’t have that, don’t blame the potato.

The Best Dessert I Ever Had

At dinner last night at Edwards Restaurant, I decided to splurge for dessert. They brought me a charlotte, I can’t recount to you the exact details of its construction, but you can see the picture below. The outside was a cylinder of mixed white and dark chocolate, the inside was a cake, topped by some coffee-flavored sauce, and of course you had the strawberries and other dipping sauce on the plate. I want another one!

Philadelphia Columnist Gets Official Comeuppance

When Philadelphia Daily News columnist John Smallwood attended an NBA referee training session recently, he thought it would be easy. Then, he failed a rules test and learned a few other things as well. Says Smallwood:

Still, while most of us accept that we can't play basketball at the level of Allen Iverson or Jason Kidd, we’re not as quick to accept that we can’t officiate at the level of a Tom Washington, LeRoy Richardson or Courtney Kirkland — the officials for the game at the Wachovia Center.

The truth is, we can’t, even though we think we can after every call we disagree with or question.

Forensic Scientist Says Bigfoot Is Real

A scientist has risked his reputation by declaring that fuzzy photographs and casts of footprints are in fact from a real creature known as Bigfoot. “I’m convinced there’s a creature out there that is yet to be identified,” said Jeff Meldrum, a professor of anatomy and anthropology at Idaho State University in Pocatello. And yet, the fuzzy photograph shown in this news story looks to me like a man in a costume.

Well, good luck in convincing others, Dr. Meldrum. The total absence of a carcass or live animal speaks volumes, to me. The fact that photographs are fuzzy and footprints can be hoaxed adds to my suspicion. One of the come-backs made by Bigfoot proponents is that grizzly bear carcasses are also extremely rare to find in the wild. Now, this is one of the stupidest arguments I have ever heard. Grizzly bears are known to be real because: a) there are clear photographs; b) there are the extremely rare grizzly bear carcasses found; c) grizzly bears exist in zoos; and d) hunters have killed grizzly bears.

A Map of Blogger Communities

Several cities have active blogging communities. In many of these cases, there is a central blog site, with an actual map of the area, and you click on the map, and discover who else is blogging in that area. For New York City and London, UK, the map takes the form of a subway map, and you click on the actual stations that the trains stop at, to see who is blogging in the area. At St. Louis Bloggers, you can see a list of other communities that have been set up. Much to my surprise, Madison, WI is on the list, a city approximately the same size as my home town, has an active blogging community, while here (Rochester, NY) I know of only nine blogs (plus mine), see the links at the right, although I’m sure there must be more.

Stalker Sues Britney Spears

A Japanese man, who was recently ordered by a judge to stay at least 300 yards away from Britney Spears, is now suing the pop singer. He claims that Spears’s bodyguards pointed a gun at him on a public street near the singer’s home, and this caused emotional damage.

Now, I’m not a lawyer, and I don’t even portray one on television, but here’s my opinion, for what it is worth. This is ridiculous and should get thrown out of court. You can’t allow a stalker, someone for whom a restraining order exists, to continue to stalk and sue when the stalkers victims uses bodyguards to ensure her safety. Let’s hope this gets thrown out of court, and that the stalker’s prey has more rights in this case than the stalker.

Chopsticks use may cause arthritis

A new study indicates that chopstick users may be more likely to have arthritis than non-users. May the forks be with you!

CD Review

Artist: Hilary Duff
CD Title: Metamorphosis

We haven't mentioned Ms. Duff in a few weeks here in this blog. Her new CD, Metamorphosis, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Album chart, and I got a chance to listen to it recently. Furthermore, we have excoriated (I learned a new word today) another young singer recently (here and here) in this blog. So I was not quite sure what to expect from Ms. Duff on her debut release.

First, I enjoyed listening to Metamorphosis. Although Ms. Duff does not have a great voice, and occasionally sounds a little flat, she usually uses her voice well. The songs are well sung and the voice is agreeable, not jarring as Clay Aiken seemed to me. The songs are generally upbeat tempo-wise, and usually upbeat lyrically as well. The lyrics reflect the wholesome image Ms. Duff has portrayed during her time as a celebrity. The songs are catchy little tunes, and I found myself tapping my toes and bobbing my head in time to the music, especially to the track “Sweet Sixteen”. I’m sure I will listen to Metamorphosis again. I give it a 7 out of 10.

Two Experiences Yesterday

After work, I went to meet some people I used to work with. These were people who had either retired, or who had been downsized from my company. It’s very strange to think that you can see these people almost every day for many years, and then some big corporate honcho decides that there are too many people working here, and then these same people become people you see once ever year or so. Nevertheless, it was a very nice and warm experience to hear what these people are doing now, and what’s going on in their lives. I had a very good time, and stayed longer than I had planned.

Later, I went out dancing. One woman that I have danced with many times asked me to dance. I was happy to dance with her. (By the way, this is a couples dance I am describing, not your typical club-type shake-your-booty dancing). After about 30 seconds, this woman said to me, “Would you mind when we got over there if I dance with Sam?” That had me tongue-tied. And before I could decide what to say, Sam had his own partner and the issue was over. Except that I was pissed. That’s just not kosher to ask someone to dance and then want to ditch him for someone else. But, since I was otherwise having a fine time, I decided not to let this woman’s offense bother me (much), after all, the way I look at it, this is her problem not mine. My problem, I guess, is what should I say to her next time.

YYMQIIA

You think you have had a bad day? Maybe, but, you’ve had a better day than the poor folks who received these Bad Scrabble Hands.

Table of Condiments

The table of condiments that periodically go bad. (via The Presurfer)

Mike’s Amazing Cakes

These cakes are just too good to eat. They don’t even look real. Yet they are. Check out the full collection and even order on of your own! (via r e e n h e a d)

Niagara Jumper charged with Crime

Kirk Jones, who went over Niagara Falls yesterday and lived to tell about it, has been charged with illegally performing a stunt, if convicted he could be fined $10,000. Why fine the man? Because Jones put Parks Commission employees at risk when they rescued him. Climbing down into the gorge to rescue someone isn’t exactly safe. It was a stupid thing for Jones to do.

According to most news sources, Jones is the second person to survive a fall over the Canadian Falls without safety devices, the first being a 7 year old boy in 1960. No one has survived a fall over the American Falls without protection. What is odd about these reports is that it is reported in many sources (here, and in a book by historian Paul E. Johnson, and in an article written by Bob Kostoff of the Niagara Falls Reporter) that daredevil Sam Patch survived a jump over Niagara Falls in 1829, and I would imagine that back then there was no form of protection used. The article by Kostoff indicates Patch’s jump was from a ladder near the Bridal Veil Falls. While Bridal Veil Falls is technically not American Falls, it is almost immediately adjacent to American Falls and has the same rocky base.

Pictures from my new Kodak DX6490

Here are some pictures I took in Charlotte, NY. There are pictures of the railroad, bridges, lighthouse and a cemetery. Grab a rice cake, enjoy the pictures, and if you happen to have any comments about the pictures (composition, performance of digital camera, etc.), please let me know.

A Football Joke

If you’re deep into football, you might enjoy the following joke. This happened during yesterday’s Washington Redskins/Buffalo Bills game. Late in the game, Washington had to use their backup quarterback, Rob Johnson, well known for being sacked more frequently per pass play than any other quarterback in history. Bruce Smith, also a Washington Redskin and Johnson’s teammate, is just 2 sacks short of the NFL career record. So as Rob Johnson took the field, Buffalo radio announcer Van Miller said (paraphrasing), “and Bruce Smith has just run onto the field play defense for Buffalo. No, Bruce, you can’t line up on the Buffalo side...”

David Blaine

Throughout human history, people have sacrificed greatly for causes they consider noble. But I can’t see any of that in David Blaine’s stunt. He sacrificed greatly, without a cause. This is stupid and abhorrent. If someone had come forth with an idea whereby he would plunge a knife into his chest, just an inch from his heart, as a publicity stunt, people would be apalled. And basically, this is what David Blaine has done, he has created a publicity stunt where he might have died, and where he did go through terrible physical sufferings, without a noble cause.

According to one Briton, as quoted by the BBC, "We've already been down once to see him and I think it's brilliant, what he's doing." Not everyone feels that way. Another Briton said “He is doing it to boost his ego, his popularity, and his bank balance — pure selfishness.”

More Info on the Kodak DX6490 Digital Camera

Two very positive reviews of the new Kodak DX6490 Digital Camera have now been placed on-line, one review at Digital Camera Resource and one review at Imaging Resource. I already reported here in this blog that I am very impressed with this camera, it is very easy to use and produces extremely good looking photographs.

Patrick Henry O'Rorke

Patrick Henry O'Rorke was born in County Cavan in Ireland in 1836. He emigrated to the United States, was admitted to West Point, and served bravely in the Civil War. At Gettysburg, Colonel O'Rorke led his men into battle, and was killed by a Confederate bullet. He is buried at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Rochester, and members of his regiment dedicated a monument to him at Gettysburg.

Soon, O'Rorke will have a beautiful new bridge named after him as well, crossing the Genesee River in at Charlotte in Rochester, New York, his adopted home town.

Undetected Asteroid Misses Earth

Last month, an undetected asteroid missed hitting the planet Earth, but came much closer to Earth than any other previous known asteroid (one quarter of the distance from the Earth to the Moon). The asteroid, the size of a bus, was detected hours after it wizzed by our planet. If it had hit the earth, it would have most likely done minimal damage. Nevertheless, who knows what bigger rocks are out there heading our way? Astronomers put more and more effort into detecting such asteroids every day. A chilling photo of the recent near-miss asteroid appears at APOD (Astronomy Picture of the Day).

Jim and Tim’s Duct Tape Fashion

What are all the Paris and Milan designers up to? Don’t check out this web site. But, if you want to know what people are doing with duct tape to make prom attire, formalwear, swimware, Scottish kilts and even underwear (duct tape underwear?? ouch!!), then this is the site for you! And of course, all duct tape fashions are Y2K compatible! And, one size fits all!

The blog Off On A Tangent also points out that Scotch is now marketing transparent duct tape. So far, no fashions have appeared using this new type of Duct Tape.

Red Sox Fans Riot

I can understand, although I don’t condone, rioting in Iraq. Its their country that has been occupied, it’s their lives that are affected.

I cannot understand, nor can I condone, rioting because of a baseball game. That is totally senseless. Fortunately, the good news is that a very small number of Red Sox fans were involved.

It’s About Time!

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Tanzania has finally banned the importing of second hand underwear. They fear that the underwear could bring in diseases. Welcome to the 21st Century, Tanzania. I know I’ll sleep better now!

Cubs Fans Angry At Fan Who Deflected Foul Ball

In Game 6 of the National League Championship, a fan deflected a foul ball away from outfielder Moises Alou, who was about to stick his hand into the stands and catch the ball. On the next play, Cubs shortstop Alex Gonzalez (yes, that Alex Gonzalez) drops a groundball that could have been a double play. And to make a long story short, the Cubs go on to lose the Championship Series, and fail to advance to the World Series (again).

The replays of this “fan touches foul ball incident” clearly show several things. First, the fan was not looking to see whether or not the ball could be caught by Alou, but he sure was aware the ball was coming real close. Secondly, several other fans sitting nearby are reaching for the ball as well. And finally, the fan did not reach into the field to deflect the ball, that would have been fan interference and the batter could have been called out. In other words, the fan was doing something many other fans were doing, and something that was perfectly legal.

So why be mad at the fan, Cubs fans? He didn’t do anything wrong! Yes, he could have pulled away and let Alou catch the ball. But he was doing what other fans have done — trying to catch a foul ball. Other fans on that very same play were doing the same thing! And of course, if the Cubs shortstop turns that double play on the next batter, none of this would be remembered. Seems to me, if you are going to blame anyone for the Cubs loss and failure to reach the World Series, the players and coaches should take the blame. They could have won that game regardless of the fan’s actions. But they didn’t.

The Chicago Cubs, in an official announcement, said the fan is not to blame. A classy move by the team.

Insultingly Stupid Movie Physics

You gotta love the site Insultingly Stupid Movie Physics. The site points out how in many movies, the special effects are in violation of the laws of physics, for example flashing bullets, and exploding cars.

Some insultingly stupid movie physics are so commonplace as to make it inefficient for us to rail about individual instances. They have become visual clichés and do for movies what verbal clichés do for literature. Really good movies like Casablanca don't need visual clichés to build excitement. They depend on less glitzy techniques like good plot, character development, and sparkling dialog.

Check out the movie reviews, where different movies are rated on their ability (or inability) to mirror the physics of reality. As one comedian once said, “Whoa, reality, what a concept!”

Blondes to be Extinct in 200 Years

The BBC reports that blondes will be extinct by 2202. A study by scientists in Germany show that the blonde genes will die out in the gene pool by then. But this is disputed by a British scientist, who says: “Genes don’t die out unless there is a disadvantage of having that gene or by chance. They don’t disappear.” (via Girl Meets World)

Clay Aiken’s CD Gets Mixed Reviews

A few days ago, we reported here that the new hit single by Clay Aiken was, well, mediocre at best. However, the critics who have now heard his entire new CD, Measure of a Man have not so kind htings to say. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “Measure of a Man is a soulless piece of studio hatchetry that robs Aiken of whatever charisma he may possess.” According to the New York Daily News, “only his fans will love Clay Aiken’s new CD”. And the Dallas Fort Worth Star Telegram isn’t exactly singing Clay’s praises either. Not all reviews have been bad, however, and we all know that Clay appeals to a certain demographic, and so his CD will be a huge hit.

Letter from Iraq appears in many newspapers with many signatures

Many newspapers across the country have published identical letters purportedly from a US servicemen in Iraq. The letters all have different signatures of US serviceman, and so far, the actual serviceman claims to have not written the letter, although each serviceman agrees with the content in general. The content of the letter is that the United States has done a fine job in post-war Iraq, and that the Iraqis generally appreciate what the US has done. According to the letter, “The majority of the city (Kirkuk) has welcomed our presence with open arms.” All of this begs the question, why isn’t the media reporting this, as it does seem to be legitimate news that the United States is well received in parts of Iraq. Personally, I’d like to hear examples of where the US has been well received in Iraq. I guess you can’t believe everything you read, nor can you believe everything you don’t read.

Congrats to Baseball for Fines

After the bizarre Game 3 of the American League Championship between Boston and New York, Major League Baseball handed out fines to four individuals. Baseball did the right thing, setting higher fines for players who were instigators, and smaller fines for retaliators. Lets hope that baseball returns to the grand game we know it can be, and extra-curricular bad behavior disappears.

Also, congrats to the NFL for telling Warren Sapp, in no uncertain terms, that they will not tolerate his prancing through the opposing team’s pre-game stretching. Sapp has done this in the past, Washington’s Lavar Arrington threatened to confront Sapp. The NFL, standing clearly in this case on the side of not allowing instigation by Sapp, threatened severe punishments and a 15-yard penalty to start the game. Needless to say, Sapp didn’t do his prance. Sapp called the NFL a “slave system”. Awww, you poor multi-million dollar slave, go work at Wal-Mart if you don’t like it in the NFL.

Introducing: The 18 cent piece

A mathematician at the Univesity of Waterloo, in Ontario, has decided that the best way to reduce the amount of change in our pockets is to have the United States create an 18 cent piece. If there was an 18 cent piece, the average number of coins we would get in change in a commercial transaction would be 3.89 coins. Currently, with no 18 cent piece, the average number of coins received in change is 4.7. The mathematician apparently goes through some very involved mathematics to come to this conclusion. I’m all in favor of reducing the amount of change in my pocket, but the mathematician didn’t address the psychological issues of an 18 cent piece, human beings would handle a 20 cent piece more naturally and easily than an 18 cent piece.

There was no recommendation given on whose likeness would appear on the coin, but for an 18 cent piece, a natural choice would be Peyton Manning.

And You Thought It Was Okay Not To Wear Underwear

Scientists have invented underwear — yes that’s right, underwear — that can detect a heart attack and call an ambulance. I know I feel safer already. Underwear — don’t leave home without it!

Kobe Bryant

Based on the testimony today in the pre-trial hearing, things don’t look good for Kobe Bryant. Does anyone think he has a chance to be found not guilty?

Swedes Baffled By Butter Filled Shoes

Reuters reports that tourists in Sweden climbing a mountain were left scratching their heads after finding 70 pairs of butter filled shoes at the top of the mountain.

Now, what’s so hard to understand about that? I can explain it easily. Piece of cake, no problemo! Check back here tomorrow for my explanation.

The Sad State of Mathematics Knowledge

This morning, while listening to the radio, the DJ was discussing a math problem that appeared on a quiz given by Mensa, which is an organization of people with very high IQs. The DJ, who admits he only has a high school education, was very proud of himself that he got the problem right. The problem, paraphrased, is:

A cross-country skiier goes 4 miles uphill at 2 miles per hour, and then 4 miles back down at 8 miles per hour. How long did this entire trip take?

When the DJs sidekick gave the answer of 2.5 hours, the DJ then had to look up the answer, and found out that the sidekick, not the DJ, was correct. Then the DJ proceded to explain his incorrect solution: the average speed is 4 miles per hour (wrong), and so that takes one hour (wrong again). Even if the speed was 4 miles per hour, that’s two hours for a round trip. Then a caller called up and informed the DJ that the average speed was not 4 miles per hour, he did the math wrong, the average speed is really 5 miles per hour — two mph plus eight mph divided by two — which is also wrong in this case, but according to the caller, if you use 5 mph, you get the right answer (wrong again). The DJ apparently had no clue as to why his sidekick got the right answer, even after she explained it, he couldn’t follow the solution. Nor could he see the errors in his own logic, other than the average was 5 mph (which as I said was wrong).

First, the fact that this is on the Mensa quiz implies that this problem is too hard for ordinary high school graduates. That is a very sad state of affairs, as seventh graders should know how to do this problem. This isn’t a hard problem. But secondly, it seems that a lot of people have learned that an average is a very useful thing, but they haven’t learned when or where to use it properly. And furthermore, the same students have not learned that logic can also be a very useful tool on these problems, even more useful than averaging for many problems.

We live in a technological society. Our society is much better off when people understand how to solve problems like this. Go hug a math teacher today.

Kodak DX6490

The Kodak DX6490, the newest of Kodak’s digital cameras, was released this week. I have been using this camera for all of a day now, and I have to tell you it takes great photos. I have used it at a soccer game, where the 10X optical and 3X digital zoom took fabulous pictures across the soccer field (an example is here), and in low light situations. I’m no photography expert, but this camera is very easy to use, and the results are worth it.

Why I Don’t Like The NHL

Opening night in the NHL. Twenty seconds into the first game of the season between Anaheim and Dallas, a fight breaks out! Less than two minutes later, another fight breaks out! Have a nice season guys, I'll be watching the other sports.

Okay, make up your mind, guys!

According to a new story at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the universe is shaped like a soccer ball. However, according to the British Broadcasting Company, it is shaped like a football. However, the scientists quoted by these stories actually say it is shaped like a dodecahedron. Okay, which is it really? Can’t we just get along?

Man’s Best Friend?

A Mexican man who was shot in the back and neck says his dog did it. Uh huh. Read about it here.

Congrats, Arnold! Condolences, California!

First, I wish Arnold and California well. I really do. However, I also feel that the California gubernatorial election was more of a popularity contest than a decision on who would do the best job as governor. It is my general feeling that people with little experience at any job (such as Arnold running a government) would best start out at an entry level job, rather than one of the top level jobs. Nevertheless, it wasn’t my decision to make, the people who do get to decide have decided, and so let’s get on with it. Let’s see what Arnold can do as Governor. We will be watching.

The Next Salvo In The Cola Wars

Israel Attacks Syria

Now Israel has expanded its attack to include Syria, I think the best solution to the entire problem is to cut the Middle East off the globe, tow it out to Mars or Jupiter, and let them destroy one another if they so choose. Otherwise, I don’t see where it will end.

Meanwhile, Benazir Bhutto, former Prime Minister of Pakistan, says that dictators have hurt Islam, they have given Islam a bad name, and speaking of fanatics, “their actions contradict the teachings of the prophet of Islam.”

Scientist Cuts the Perfect Cheese Sandwich

A British scientist has calculated the optimum thickness for a slice of cheese to make the perfect cheese sandwich, according to a study published on Monday. Read the entire story here.

Aren’t you glad that scientists are working on important problems?

Happy Yom Kippur

Best wishes to all who are observing this holiday.

Leopards Rule!

The Greece (NY) Odyssey junior varsity girls soccer team, the purple Leopards, continue to do well against teams that are in their class. Yesterday, they played a very gutsy ballgame against Holley, winding up with a 2-2 tie. Both teams could have had another goal, missing by inches. The Leopards had goals by Janelle and Ashley. My daughter Darcy appeared to be thrown out of the game — in reality, the refs ruled that since both Darcy and Bridget wore number 4, only one of them could appear in the game at a time. So the coach chose Bridget, who was indeed the better player. The coach was pretty angry over this decision by the refs.

As the season winds down, I'd especially like to mention the very solid play of several girls: Ashley, the speedy leftwing and leading scorer; Nicky, the scrappy midfielder who seemed like she was always around the ball; the starting back line, three extremely solid players that were very good at stopping their opponents: Sarah, Brittany and Shannon; and the fearless goaltender, Alex.

ESPN Sunday Countdown

Following the controversy created by Rush Limbaugh, and his subsequent retirement, ESPN Sunday Countdown's announcers had to address the issue. I particularly commend Tom Jackson, 17 year member of ESPN Sunday Countdown, for his angry rebuttal to Limbaugh. Jackson was angry that Limbaugh broke his promise not to bring up social or political issues on a football show. Jackson was angry that Limbaugh decided to make an issue of the color of Donovan McNabb. And Jackson was angry at himself for not reacting to Limbaugh's comments at that time. All of the announcers were very direct in admitting that they blew it, and ESPN blew it. Well, it’s okay, guys, it’s a human thing that happened, not to react until later. Thank you for showing your human side. I’m going to enjoy your show even more now.

To Rush Limbaugh: You have disgraced a fine network and shown your true colors. Contrary to the comments on your website, your right to free speech has not been taken away by the “thought police”. You have angered a lot of people, black and white, liberal and conservative. There is no “thought police”, there are individuals, millions of them, who decided individually that your comments were offensive and out-of-line. Regarding your comments that the uproar must be because you are right, that is also ridiculous, I have never seen people get upset because someone in the media was right, the uproar was because you offended people. Good riddance, Mr. Limbaugh.

14 Year Old Girls Will Not Like This

As much as it pains me to say it, I heard Clay Aiken’s new single, Invisible, on the radio today. And I thought it was a catchy tune, sung by someone who just doesn’t sing well. Now how can that be? After all, Clay Aiken finished as runner-up on the American Idol show. Then I heard the song again, and I had the same impression. He just doesn’t seem to have as much control over his voice as you would expect of a professional singer. He seems like he is slightly off on certain notes, or there’s not the right emphasis and emotion on a note. If you want to hear a singer use his voice extremely well to portray emotion, listen to Toby Keith’s song I Love This Bar about 2/3 through the song, when he sings the title line. And my son, who admittedly is more of an expert in singing than I am, because he has taken voice training for many years, agreed, he doesn’t think that Clay is a good singer either. I asked if Ruben Studdard, who won the American Idol competition, was a good singer, and he said yes. I admit I am quite surprised by this, but as I said about Hilary Duff, a catchy song and good looks will sell more than technical singing ability. Too bad.

A Salute To Radio DJs

Many of us grew up listening to the radio, hearing great music and great DJs. For me at least, those DJs were as much the stars as the musicians who were playing the music. You can find salutes to many of the great old radio DJs on the Internet. From The Presurfer, we learn of The Wolfman Jack Online Museum. It contains articles and memorabilia and sound tracks of the fabulous Wolfman Jack (shown at right). If you grew up in the New York City area, you might have spent many hours listening to Music Radio 77 WABC, and so you should check out the website devoted to this station. And no matter what radio station you listened to, you should check out the Reel Top 40 Radio Repository for more sound clips of great DJs from around the nation. I listened for countless hours to these men and women when I was growing up, and now I listen to the clips on the Internet. I love it.

Calling All Rochester (NY) Area Bloggers

I'd like to put together a list of Rochester (NY) area bloggers. If you know one or write one, please contact me. So far, there are three that I know of, this blog and two others in my list of Other Blogs: Can’t Think ... I’m Blonde and :hopeless:

Corporate Downsizing

At my company this week, people showed up for work and were told to go home. One large operation will be cut in half, and that means that half of the people who work there will be out of a job. In other departments, it has been known for a while that 50% of the jobs will be cut, and people just have to wait until the announcements are made in a few weeks. Supervisors have to tell workers that they are losing their job, and at the end of the day, the supervisors go to their bosses to find out if they will be fired. What a way to run a company! (My job doesn’t appear to be at risk at this time, but I’m still bummed out).