To the moon, Alice...(or not)

So I was going to write up something deep and meaningful today about the relationships in my life and how I have such a great group of friends...

Then this story came along. Sure, it may not be heart-felt, warm, and fuzzy, but it is, in a word, AWESOME!

Take a look:

Public to decide fate of Bonds' record-breaking ball
By MARCUS WOHLSEN, Associated Press WriterSeptember 17, 2007

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- The fate of Barry Bonds' record-breaking home run ball is now in the public's hands after its buyer announced Monday he was taking votes on whether to give the ball to the Hall of Fame, brand it with an asterisk or blast it into space.
Fashion designer Marc Ecko revealed himself as Saturday's winning bidder in the online auction for the ball that Bonds hit last month to break Hank Aaron's record of 755 home runs. The final selling price for No. 756 was $752,467, well above most predictions.
Ecko had not even taken possession of the ball before setting up a Web site that lets visitors vote on which of the three outcomes they think the ball most deserves. He plans to announce the final tally after voting ends Sept. 25.

"I bought this baseball to democratize the debate over what to do with it," Ecko wrote on the Web site. "The idea that some of the best athletes in the country are forced to decide between being competitive and staying natural is troubling."

The 35-year-old Ecko is known for his pop culture pranks, including an infamous Internet video that showed him apparently infiltrating an airport tarmac and spray-painting graffiti on Air Force One. The incident turned out to be a hoax.

But the auction house that handled the sale confirmed that Ecko is indeed the ball's buyer.
"This transaction is happening and is going to be done by the end of the day," David Kohler, president of SCP Auctions, said Monday.

Kohler called Ecko's decision "brilliant" and said he had already visited the Web site and voted to send the ball to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.
Matt Murphy, a 21-year-old student and construction supervisor from New York, emerged from a scrum with the ball on Aug. 7. He decided to sell it, he said, because he couldn't afford the tax bill that would result from holding onto the ball.

Some tax experts said Murphy would have owed hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes based on a reasonable estimate of the ball's value even if he had never sold it. He may also have faced capital gains taxes as the ball gained value.

"This either makes him a lunatic or a genius, one of those two," Murphy said when told of Ecko's actions. "I'm leaning toward genius."

Murphy said he planned to vote to send the ball to Cooperstown.

Ecko himself said he voted to brand the ball with an asterisk, a reference to the belief of some Bonds detractors that the Giants slugger's record is tainted by his alleged use of performance-enhancing substances. Bonds has denied knowingly using performance-enhancing drugs.
Ecko said what really interests him is seeing what happens when an "American Idol" approach comes together with a serious public debate over drugs in sports.

"My vote really doesn't matter," said Ecko, who identifies himself as a New York Yankess fan. "The American public will tell us what to do with it."

On the Web:
Vote 756 here!

I think that's brilliant! For the record, I voted for the asterisk to be branded on the ball.

Four times.

Maybe they'll put an asterisk next to the poll results, too.

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: "Old Time Rock & Roll" by Bob Seger

Well, I wouldn't say I've been missing it, Bob...

Sometimes, no comment is necessary...check out this news story:

Skip work, make babies, governor says
By James Kilner

ULYANOVSK, Russia (Reuters) - The governor of a central Russian province urged couples to skip work Wednesday and make love instead to help boost Russia's low birth-rate.

And if a woman gives birth in exactly nine months time -- on Russia's national day on June 12 -- she will qualify for a prize, perhaps even winning a new home.

"It's normally something for the home -- a fridge or a television set," Yelena Yakovleva at the Ulyanovsk regional administration press office, said.

"It doesn't matter if it's a girl or a boy."

Newly-weds Karina and Anton Bukhanovsky walked hand in hand down the main street of the regional capital of Ulyanovsk. They live in St Petersburg but traveled to Ulyanovsk to soak up the atmosphere Wednesday.

"I used to live here," said Karina, aged 19.

"We plan to come back on the same day next year and try for a baby and the prize nine months later," she said.

Anton, aged 21, kissed her gently on the cheek and they strolled off arm in arm.

Regional governor Sergei Morozov told employers to contribute to a Kremlin campaign to boost the birth rate by giving couples Wednesday off to have sex.

Russia wants to reverse a trend in which the population is shrinking by about 700,000 people a year as births fail to outpace a high death rate boosted by AIDS, alcoholism and suicide.

This is the third year Ulyanovsk region, famous as the birthplace of Soviet state founder Vladimir Lenin, has dedicated a day to encouraging couples to produce more babies.

Prizes will extend equally to unwed women who produce children on the right day, though the biggest prizes will go to married couples.

On Russia Day this year, a family won a jeep after their fourth baby was born on the holiday.

Next year, the top prizes will include an apartment, Morozov told Reuters. "We need more people," he said.

This year a record 78 babies were born on June 12 at the main hospital in the regional capital of Ulyanovsk, beating the 2006 total of 26, said chief doctor Andrei Malykh.

"The scheme is working. People want the prizes," he said.

There's a joke in there somewhere...I'm sure of it. I think I'll just go with this one:

"Peter. What's happening...yeah, I'm gonna need you to go ahead and stay home from work September 12th..."

Put that in your TPS report.

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: "The Ocean" by Led Zeppelin

Grr...argh...

Irony...sometimes it's subtle. Other times it's like the proverbial bull in a china shop...

It was six years ago that the twin towers in New York fell after the brutal, brutal terrorist attack. Tonight, on CNN they were doing a little tribute to that fateful day to help remember the events of that day. All in all, a noble gesture.

What wasn't so noble, however, was the news crawl that was making its way across the bottom of the tv screen. While images of the collapsing buildings filled most of the screen, the news on the bottom was informing me that Kayne West is blaming MTV for Britney Spears's recent poor performance on Video Music Awards.

I sat staring at the tv in disbelief. How could they let this go on? As the two complete opposite ends of the news spectrum shared screen time, I just got angry. Why are Kayne West's comments on Britney Spears and MTV newsworthy? What difference does it make? Ordinarily, it's easy enough to just ignore such a thing, but when it was on screen up against the most defining moment of our generation, it just stood out as a horrible hypocrisy. It felt like a joke that might air during an episode of The Soup. I couldn't believe it was really happening.

Ugh...so frustrating.

Anyway, I guess the lesson to be learned from this is to try to remember the things that matter...

Or at least ignore the other stuff.

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: "More to Life" by Stacie Orrico

Not the Tyrannosaurus sort...

Ok, it has been a long, long time since I've found the energy and desire to write. Sometimes, though, you just have to stand up and defend something for which you feel strongly.

It was a football game oh-so-long ago that got me riled up to write, and so it is only fitting that football would end my six-week drought.

Rex.

Three little letters have caused a city to fight amongst itself. Sports columnists in the city are calling for Rex's head, and everyone seems to hate this guy. I, frankly, am tired of all the Rex-hate. Our beloved Bears have an amazing defense and a lot of talent on offense. It's a shame that poor Rex is drawing all of the attention. I can't imagine the pressure he's got to be under. Thankfully, the Tank Johnson and Devin Hester off-season circus drew some of the attention away from Rex, but until flashy #23 does something out there, I think that all of the angry, judging eyes will continue to be on Rex.

How about a little support for our QB? I mean, do we have a better option? Is Brian Griese supposed to be some sort of savior? Can Kyle Orton bring back the neck-beard and lead this team?

The answer is clearly "no." Rex is capable of making big plays. Remember last season after the first six weeks? There was talk of Rex being an MVP candidate. Sure, I know that he's no MVP, but he's clearly our best option and can make the big plays.

Up against a tough Charagers team, he struggled a bit, but he really didn't have a bad game. If not for a bad bounce on a muffed punt, I think that the Bears could have won that game. Against the Chargers, no less. One of the best teams in the league. Let's see how things go this week against K.C.

So even if no one else is saying it (other than Lovie "Rex is our guy" Smith), Rex has my support. I hope that he can find that guy from the first half of last season and quiet the many, many critics. Go get 'em, Rex!

Besides...it could be worse. We could have this guy throwing for us:

(remember that dodgeball footage I spoke of oh-so-long ago? Yeah, that's it. Sorry, Kevin.)

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: "Dead" by My Chemical Romance

They probably learned that trick from Bill Clinton...

So as I was flipping through the channels on the television last night, I made a bizarre discovery. I came to channel 40, American Movie Classics (AMC, for short) and a movie was just beginning. It featured a leather-clad Halle Berry prancing about fighting crime like a cat.

Yes, Catwoman was part of the lineup on the American Movie Classics channel...

Catwoman.

An American Movie Classic?

I figured that it must just be a fluke, an anomaly. Checking the schedule for the channel today I see that Hard To Kill, starring Steven Seagal, is on tonight. I'm sorry, but the only classic thing that Seagal has ever done is make mediocre (at best) movies while squinting. Seriously, I wonder if he can even see where he's going most of the time. And don't worry, if you miss the airing of Hard To Kill tonight, they're replaying it again tomorrow afternoon.

I wanted to look into this station a little more, so I visited their website. I discovered something a little unusual. Nowhere on the website do they refer to the station as American Movie Classics. It's only called "AMC." Perhaps someone there wised-up to the "un-classic-ness" of its current state and figured they should drop the full name in favor of the less specific, more forgiving abbreviation.

That opens up a whole new slew of crappy movies to the programming schedule. I guess the trick is just to redefine the terms when the present ones don't suit your current needs. Sure, it may be the cheap way out, but what could be more classically American?

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: "Trapped in the Drive-Thru" by Weird Al Yankovic (It's National Drive-Thru Day Today!)

Watch out for that wrench...

With all this time away from the blog, there's so much that I could talk about here. I could focus on that crazy decree from the Pope, the fact that this new movie "Who's Your Caddy?" is likely a sign of the apocalypse, Prison Break becoming my latest addiction, or the ongoing saga of Michael Vick.

Lately I've had something slightly more hilarious on my mind: Dodgeball.

On saturday I watched my roommates and a bunch of friends participate in the National Outdoor Dodgeball Championships. I would've liked to play, but I figured it'd be pretty embarrassing if I were to aggravate my injury and have to explain that to my boss.

As I have previously stated, seeing people get hit with things is very entertaining. When Steve went in to sign up the team, he said that the park district employee warned him that the game wasn't just about throwing and catching, but there was a lot of strategy involved. Now, I had wondered how much strategy could really be involved. I figured the guy was all talk and just trying to fill up an empty bracket. I was wrong.

The first match that they competed in was against a group of guys who had obviously done this many, many times before. They even brought a radio with mp3 player with them and set it down on their side of the court so that they could have some pumping techno music to aid their dodgeballing efforts. (It gave me flashes to The Big Lebowski...) These guys (we dubbed them "The Swedes" due to their yellow and blue jerseys) steamrolled over our team knocking out all 6 competitors without losing any of their players. I found the whole thing hilarious as our team looked like the rookies that they were. If it was any consolation, though, our team had some amazing jerseys (white shirts with a big, red target on the front). The next match wasn't much better, as we lost again, only knocking out one player from the other team. It was looking to be a very long day.

When all was said and done, the good guys got their act together and started playing well. They ended up taking second place in the division by the end of the tournament, losing in the championship match to the aforementioned "Swedes." I've got some hilarious video footage from the day including one of the most errant throws ever caught on tape. It's possible that it's still sailing off course...

The funniest part about the dodgeball tournament, however, was the people. Some people took it so very, very seriously. I felt pretty sorry for the refs who were judging these events. They were constantly berated for the calls that they would make or not make. I guess that when things get competitive, it doesn't matter the source of the competition. People just hate losing.

Me? I'm pretty used to it.

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: "Satisfaction" by Benny Benassi

Just keep your pants on, ok...

Did you know that we're smack dab in the middle of Nude Recreation Week? Sounds fun, no? This would be a good time to take on the most extreme sport of all time...Naked Cactus Tackling. (I once gave that as an answer in a game of "Loaded Questions" to the question, "What is the most extreme sport?")

Anyway, I'm sure you can find your own way to celebrate.

Over the weekend I attended a wedding and came to a conclusion. No, it has nothing to do with love, marriage, or weddings. It is simply that Avril Lavigne's new hit is quite possibly the most obnoxious song ever recorded. The DJ at the reception played it at one point very loudly and it drove me up the wall. I don't have any point to this. It's just something that needed to be said.

So I'm sitting at home today enjoying the "I Love the 90's" marathon on VH1. Reliving things like Sir-Mix-Alot, Arrested Development, and Reservoir Dogs is just good fun. Why am I not at work, you ask? Well, it was not too long ago that I was diagnosed with hip bursitis. Turns out that was incorrect. I visited the orthopedic specialist yesterday to have a follow-up appointment. He promptly started poking and prodding at me, and said that there was "no way" that I had bursitis. The shooting pains and numbness in my left leg were much more consistent with sciatic nerve damage.

So that's what I now have, or at least now I know that is what it is. I suppose it is what I had all along, after all.

So I find myself out of work for 3-4 weeks now, once again taking full advantage of work's short-term disability program. I like to think that I am the BGC's version of Fred Taylor. Productive when healthy, but accident prone.

Still, I'm grateful, once again, that I work for a company that doesn't fire me for being so injury prone. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to stop celebrating and go put some clothes on.

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: "Cantaloop" by US3

I think I may be falling apart...

So in my most recent trip to the treatment center, I was diagnosed with something called "hip bursitis." Unfortunately, the "hip" that it refers to does not mean cool or stylish, it's referring to that area of the body in which the leg meets the torso. (Incidentally, isn't "torso" a fun word?)

Apparently, there are these things called "bursas" in the body that provide a cushioned gliding surface between body tissues. I've managed to damage one of them on my left side. When the doctor asked me if I've fallen or bumped my side lately, I recalled recent events in which I couldn't see where I was going and walked into a railing very hard, and the next day I slipped on a frisbee in a blacktop parking lot. I suddenly thought to myself, "My, my...I sound very clumsy."

So I find myself in a good deal of pain lately whenever I stay on my feet for any length of time. Additionally, I get the bonus of having my left leg numb up as well. This morning in the shower it got so bad that I had to just sit on the floor of the tub for a bit to recover. Fun times.

So yes, I've hurt my hip. If I wasn't feeling old enough before, I certainly am now. Fortunately I am surrounded by supportive, helpful people who wouldn't poke fun at me as I dreadfully approach the big 3-0. Oh wait...

So approach this weekend with caution. You could be next!

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: "Kiss" by Tom Jones

Nobody knows...the trouble I've seen...

I wasn't really sure what to write about today, but I just received (from a very reliable source) a little story that I thought was rather amusing. I'd like to entitle it:

"Now THAT's thinking outside of the box...or cell (in this case.)"

An Old Italian man lived alone in the country. It was early spring and he wanted to dig his tomato garden, but it was very hard work as the ground was hard. His only son, Vincent, who used to help him, was in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his predicament:

Dear Vincent,
I am feeling pretty badly because it looks like I won't be able to plant my tomato garden this year. I'm just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot. I know if you were here my troubles would be over. I know you would be happy to dig the plot for me.
Love,
Dad

A few days later he received a letter from his son.

Dear Dad,
Don't dig up that garden. That's where I buried the bodies.
Love,
Vinnie

At 4 a.m. the next morning, FBI agents and local police arrived and dug up the entire area without finding any bodies. They apologized to the old man and left. That same day the old man received another letter from his son.

Dear Dad,
Go ahead and plant the tomatoes now. That's the best I could do under the circumstances.
Love you,
Vinnie

That's pretty resourceful, no? Kudos to Vinnie for finding a way to get the job done in spite of his incarceration.

Now if we could only get the rest of those lazy criminals in prison to do likewise...

Have a great 4th, peoples! Don't lose any fingers...

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: "Beautiful World" by Collin Hay

Careful, I think it's up to something...

Simple. Over the weekend I was thinking about simplicity a bit. I think that when it comes down to it, I am a pretty simple man. I have simple pleasures, simple tastes, and many people would argue that I am rather simple-minded.

I'd like to think that's not necessarily a bad thing. It is because of this simplicity that I find the following clip so absolutely hilarious. It comes from some Japanese game show, and the more I watch it the funnier it becomes. Take a look:


And as if that wasn't funny enough, take a look at what someone with a little creative editing skills was able to accomplish:


hehehe...

I figure that I must be simple to enjoy that so much. And if you find it as hilarious as I do, you just might be simple, too. (With a minimal amount of searching, you can find all sorts of variations of that clip...try searching for dramatic squirrel and you'll see.)

Anyway, I suppose I'm just enjoying the simple things today, like the fact that the sun is shining and the temperature is nearly perfect. Perhaps you can take a little joy in something simple today as well.

Or at least get a chuckle from that shifty eyed varmint.

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: "Simple Lessons" by Candlebox

I hear that kilts are mighty comfortable...

"Aye, fight and you may die, run, and you'll live... at least a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willin' to trade ALL the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they'll never take... OUR FREEDOM!"

So Paris Hilton has been freed from jail. I figure she can relate to ol' William Wallace now.

No?

Yeah, you're right.

I'm a little confused why this is such a big deal. Rumor has it that some networks were ready to pay her $1 million to get the first post-jail interview. When sanity returned, however, they dropped the offers and tomorrow night she will speak to Larry King for free. How very fortunate for Larry.

As for me, I'm through thinking upon the spoiled heiress. No more will I talk, rant, or write anything about her, unless it has to do with the fact that her recording of "Stars Are Blind" was actually halfway decent. I'd encourage you to do the same.

Then, from her nonsense, we'll all have our own "freedom."

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: "Hey There Delilah" by Plain White T's

You're not an ordinary fella...

Oi...what a day yesterday. Was too busy to find time to write, but that's ok. You forgive me, right?

So I flipped open my little calendar to see if today's "holiday" would inspire me in some sort of way. It marked today as "Stupid Guy Thing Day."

It's as if it was watching my life last night...

The other day I spoke of Dance, Dance, Revolution (DDR). Well, last night a buddy of mine came over and brought it with him. It didn't take long to get completely wrapped up in the game, and soon there were a bunch of grown men (ok, that's arguable) competing on this game and talking trash like we were outside playing ball or something. At one point it got so competitive that one player was calling out the other one, "Dude, don't bounce when there's no arrows! That's distracting!"

It...was...AWESOME!

Ordinarilly, I'm not so competitive and I think that getting so wrapped up in a game is a little weird. Last night, however, I saw how truly hilarious it can be.

So is that a "Stupid Guy Thing?" It might be, but the clincher was deciding (after 2:00 a.m.) that we should go out for burritos, only to find that Tapatios was closed.

Ridiculous.

Yet totally fun.

Which I think perfectly sums up "Stupid Guy Thing Day."

So do something ridiculous, yet totally fun, today. You owe it to your inner stupid guy. (For those of you who aren't a stupid guy on the outside as well.)

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: "Good Intentions" by Toad the Wet Sprocket

Rob Van Winkle was so cool...

So last night a little something happened that may have changed the course of my life forever...

I finally played Guitar Hero!

Oh my gosh! What an amazing game! It was so fun to rock out to tunes like Cherry Pie, Rock This Town, Monkey Wrench, etc... If Josh hadn't kicked me out of his place I'm pretty sure I'd still be rocking out right now.

Of course, I am now torn between the passions of trying to become a true Guitar Hero or a Dance Master (Dance Dance Revolution). A man divided between two such passions will surely fail to achieve either, right? It's a tough decision, and I fully intend to waffle between the two. For the record, I think that DDR still might be more fun, but the fact that Guitar Hero doesn't leave you a sweaty, smelly mess when you are done is a pretty big plus.

It's only a matter of time until these two powerhouse rockin' games are combined into one uber-game in which you must dance and jam at the same time. It's probably on that day, my friends, that Jack Black will probably be named president of the world and the world will rock as never before.

Speaking of rocking as never before (and hopefully never again), here's a video clip of Vanilla Ice and some Ninja Turtles getting their groove on! Go ninja, go ninja, go! (This song came on last sunday while I was at Jimmy John's having lunch. True story!)



Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: "In My Place" by Coldplay

I think that Vegas has the buffalo as an 8-1 favorite...

Ok, first, I'd like to apologize for "The Devil Went Down to Georgia." I love that I lucked my way into linking that song to the site for yesterday's little musing, but I don't know how to have it not automatically play. So odds are strong that it started playing again while you're looking at this, and you'll just have to scroll down and pause it. I'll look at the code a bit and see if I can change it, but that's rather doubtful, since I have no idea what I'm doing...(I think it worked!)(No, it didn't, and I'm giving up on trying to figure it out, so I've altered the settings so that only one "musing" shows at a time. That should help.)

Ok, today I'd like to share another little video clip that my dad sent my way. It's an amazing display of the "family" instinct that exists even in nature. I'll preface this by saying that the little buffalo survives. So while you might be tempted to stop watching and wince occasionally, stick it out. It's not gruesome, I promise. The video is about 8 minutes long, and if you watch through to the end it's totally worth the time spent.

Check it out:



King of the jungle? I guess not always.

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: "Free" by VAST

Oh, fiddlesticks...

Welcome to just another manic monday, folks. However, this monday is not like other mondays. No. Those other mondays pale in comparison to this monday, for today kicks off National Fiddlers Week!

Naturally, it leads me to think of The Charlie Daniel's Band playing "The Devil Went Down to Georgia." Great song.

Kind of a strange song, though. If I understand it correctly, the devil was behind in his "soul collecting" and decided that trying to strike up a deal over a fiddle contest in Georgia would help him meet his quota.

Now, don't get me wrong, but there's got to be a better way, no? You'd think he could just plop in for a visit in the audience at a showing of The View and there'd be more souls than he could handle right there.

Still, the devil decided to square off against our young protagonist, Johnny, in a fiddling contest. Johnny fiddles his booty off and wins, putting the devil in his place, even swearing at him, before claiming a golden fiddle as his reward and taunting him with a possible rematch.

Then the lyrics go on to make no sense whatsoever...

Wouldn't a golden fiddle be too heavy too play, anyway?

So what's my point? None. Just wanted an excuse to try and link you to the song: (This might not work, I haven't tried it before.)






Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: "Waiting for Tonight" by Jennifer Lopez (I like tacos and burritos!)

Hmm, usually the blood gets off on the third floor...

So as I was coming back from my Lunch Break: Extended Edition today (absolutely killer mexican buffet at La Magdelena's on mondays, wednesdays, and fridays...if you're ever in the area) I heard a familiar tune on the radio.

It was Peter Gabriel's classic, "Solsbury Hill."

Most songs that I hear trigger some sort of memory or emotion. This one has a pretty funny connection. Whenever I hear this little ditty, I think of a video that I saw on the internet.

This video, to be precise:


Now, for any of you who have seen The Shining, you know that trailer doesn't really give you a good idea of what the movie is really like. It's actually quite creepy, not the light-hearted little romp that is presented so cleverly there.

I guess it's all a matter of perspective. Looking at things slightly skewed can drastically change the what you see. Sometimes even making it less frightening. Give it a shot!

Have a great weekend!

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: "Rebirthing" by Skillet

Now there's a frood who knows where his towel is...

So some ancient dead dude (likely Socrates) once said, "Know thyself - and thou shall know all the mysteries of the gods and of the universe. "

Hmm, interesting. Having read The Hitchhiker's Guide, I already know that the answer to The Ultimate Question of Life, The Universe, and Everything is "42."

Still, I'm rather certain that I don't completely know "myself."

But I'm still learning. For example, I learned last night that when it comes down to it, I simply find the lure of lists irresistible.

Given the opportunity to go to bed at a decent hour, I found that my extra time was commandeered by the television. You see, on Comcast Sports Channel (home of your Chicago Bulls, Blackhawks, Cubs, and Sox) was counting down the Top 50 Best Damn Unforgettable Plays in Sports. It was crazy! I found myself glued to the set awaiting amazing play after amazing play. (For the record, the Cal-Stanford/Band play was #1, beating out poor Buckner.)

And as if that weren't enough, as that show ended at midnight, a new list was just beginning over on VH1 (home of bad reality television and Behind the Music specials). They were counting down the top 40 Most Awesomely Bad Break-Up Songs. From the moment that list kicked off with "Total Eclipse of the Heart" by Bonnie Tyler, I was hooked again. For two hours I watched and listened to awful song after awful song while comedians riffed on the ridiculous lyrics. ("Toni Braxton wants me to unbreak her heart and uncry these tears...Toni, that's UNpossilbe!") The list wrapped up at 2:00 a.m. with the ultimate in Awesomely Badness, Milli Vanilli.

Did anyone realize that "Blame it On the Rain" was a break-up song?

You can blame it on the rain
Cause the rain don't mind
And the rain don't care
You gotta blame it on something

Anyway, that's beside the point, this is supposed to be about me learning about myself, right?

So what is it about a countdown that is so irresistible? I'm not certain, but for some reason I just can't ignore them. Perhaps it's a matter of trying to guess what should be on the list. Perhaps it's the fun of the inevitable discussions that follow such a list. Perhaps I just need to get out more...

Probably that last one.

Too bad there was no VH1 around for Socrates...next time that Bill and Ted kidnap him, they should bring him to 2007.

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: "Red Red Wine" by UB40

Mmm, caramelicious...

I've just finished downing my third caramel frappuccino this morning...I feel slightly jumpy. I could probably dominate a game of whack-a-mole right now.

Over the weekend, I learned that there are actually a few people who still read this little blog. Believe it or not, that's encouraging. I'm not really sure why I even do this. It started off as a way to vent a bit and express what I was feeling or share something I had learned. It didn't take long to develop into generic randomness, though, where it seems to be stuck now.

Another thing that I learned this weekend is that when a little child grabs you by the hand and asks you a question, you simply have to say, "Yes."

What is it about kids that drops people's guard and makes us happy? Maybe we just catch a glimpse of innocence and want to help foster it before it is lost forever to "growing up." (Although we all know that kids aren't necessarily "innocent.") The ravages of time wear away at the simple happiness that is present in kids. When they're not screaming, yelling, or crying, that is.

Still, as I skipped through the church building holding hands with this little child I couldn't help but be filled with joy, no matter that we went outside in the drizzling rain to look at a balloon. For some reason, it just seemed right.

Perhaps if we took a few minutes each day to just simplify and look at the world through the eyes of a child, we could all find little "joy moments" like that. Give it a shot.

Or, failing that, pound a few frappuccinos. That'll get you going, too.

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: "The Water Buffalo Song" by Superchick (originally a Veggie Tales tune...keeping with the "kids" theme of the day.)

Let's just put some happy little trees over here...

Today marks National What You Think Upon Grows Day. It makes me tempted to really try and think upon a time machine to see if one will just uproot itself from the ground. That'd be pretty sweet.

Actually, though, it reminded me of a little something I read in the book of Philippians:

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."

So think some happy thoughts today. They just might sprout into full-blown joy.

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: "Viva Las Vegas" by ZZ Top (I like this version best, and welcome home, Steve.)

You might get to rock...

Oi, rough night for sleeping. For some reason, I just could not get to sleep last night. Maybe it was the heat, maybe I'm stressed out, maybe it's because things didn't go "just so" during the test run of the "outdoor theater" last night. One thing is for sure though...

It's not because I just got my Scrubs season five dvds!

Last night before cashing in I watched a couple of episodes of comedic brilliance, including "My Half-Acre," better known as the air-band episode.

So for your viewing pleasure, check out these clips, and just try not to smile.





Go ahead...rock out with no instrument in sight. You know you want to...

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: "Hey Hey" by Eric Clapton

A priest, a rabbi, and person with his foot in his mouth walk into a bar...

Tempus fugit - time flies (also a rockin' tune from Yes.)

A frenzy of activity here, a frenzy of activity there, a frenzy of activity everywhere. I've been very busy and just haven't found the time or desire to write lately. Seeing as last week was National Etitquette Week, it only seems appropriate that I wouldn't chime in here, anyway. What do I know? Still, so much has happened over the last two weeks, I'm not even sure where to begin now...

I think that I might be growing as a person...(no, not just getting fatter.)

Allow me to explain...

I was discussing "comedy" last night with a friend. We both tended to agree that all great comedy has to have some degree of tragedy or uncomfortableness associated with it. Sure, seeing someone fall down or get hit with something will always be funny. That's physical comedy and has immediate payoff. There's another, darker, type of comedy that I truly appreciate, though. It has a tendancy to make you uncomfortable at first, but the more you think about it the funnier it becomes. That's where the comedy goldmine really resides, for my money.

It's not for everybody, though. Some people really don't like that "uncomfortable" humor. Being able to tell when making an off-color joke is "ok" is a skill that I'm still developing. For instance, a little while back a perfect situation presented itself for me to make such a joke. It popped into my head and I thought, "Oh, this is a gimmee. If you're going to get set up like this you've got to swing, right? It's a sure-fire home run." But it wasn't. It would've been a little inappropriate and I managed to keep my mouth shut for once. For once...

See, though? That's growth, right? Don't get me wrong, I still put my foot in my mouth so much that I'm actually getting used to the taste of the soles of my shoes. (Not so good. I should probably layer them with some sort of sweetner.) With just a moment or two of thinking I can recall at least four occasions in the last day or two in which I did just that.

Still, though, like Dr. Leo Marvin said to Bob Wiley (I'M SAILING!!!), it's all about baby steps. Baby steps out the door. Baby steps on to the elevator. Baby steps to keeping my foot out of my mouth. Baby steps to personal growth.

Of course, Dr. Leo Marvin ended up flipping out and wound up in a mental hospital. Hmm...

So, with a "comedy" focus today, I think I'll offer you a good, clean joke:

A man sees a sign in front of a house: "Talking Dog for Sale." He rings the bell and the owner tells him the dog is in the backyard. He goes into the backyard and sees a black mutt just sitting there.

"You talk?" he asks.

"Yep," the mutt replies.

"So, what's your story?"

The mutt looks up and says, "Well, I discovered this gift pretty young and I wanted to help the government, so I told the CIA about my gift, and in no time they had me jetting from country to country, sitting in rooms with spies and world leaders, because no one figured a dog would be eavesdropping. I was one of their most valuable spies eight years running. But, the jetting around really tired me out, and I knew I wasn't getting any younger and I wanted to settle down. So, I signed up for a job at the airport to do some undercover security work, mostly wandering near suspicious characters and listening in. I uncovered some incredible dealings there and was awarded a batch of medals. Had a wife, a mess of puppies, and now I'm just retired."

The man is amazed. He goes back in and asks the owner what he wants for the dog. The owner says, "Ten dollars."

The guy says, "This dog is amazing. Why on earth are you selling him so cheap?"

The owner replies, "He's such a liar. He didn't do any of that stuff."

Hope y'all had a great Memorial Day!

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: "Dosed" by Red Hot Chili Peppers

(cough) Ahem...

AAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

...

Tension breaker.

Had to be done.

That is all.

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: "Breathe" by Disturbed

It's no Michigan J. Frog...

Sometimes there just aren't enough words...

Watch and be confused.



Although...I think I need some Skittles. Hmm, maybe they're on to something.

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: "Man in the Mirror" by Michael Jackson

Here kitty, kitty, kitty...

Ok, so I know that I’ve been rather infrequent, at best, with my random little musings recently. A thousand apologies to anyone who actually cares. Lately, however, on this road of life I feel like I’ve been careening from one place to another. Maybe it’s the excessive workload I’ve been dealt. Maybe it’s the unbelievable collapse of the Bulls. Maybe it’s something that you, oh reader, have done. (Just kidding.) For some reason, lately, I just haven’t been my usual exuberant, whimsical self. I’m sure it’ll turn around.

I was thinking about “secrets” a bit today and the phrase came to mind how when a secret is found out how some refer to it as “letting the cat out of the bag.”

What does “letting the cat out of the bag” have to do with revealing a secret?

Letting the cat out of the bag…

Think about it for a bit. Are you having the same realization that I had? Apparently at some point in time people kept cats in bags for some reason, and it’s safe to assume that the cats were not too pleased with their captivity and became riled up. At some point, those cats had to be let out of the bag.

It’s pretty easy to imagine what happened when those cats when the realized their newfound freedom. I’m sure that they bit, scratched, and clawed at whatever they could find when they got out, wreaking much havoc.

And someone (a brilliant someone, no doubt) recognized this and turned “letting the cat out of the bag” into an allegory for the revelation of a secret, no doubt a secret that had some consequences at the time.

Of course, doing a little bit of research I find that the origin of the phrase is likely linked to older times at the market. Apparently, one trick that sellers in the market used was to put a cat into a bag and sell it off to buyers under the impression that they were getting a pig. Smart consumers would always open the bag to ensure that they were getting what they were paying for. It was all an attempt to defraud the buyer, as cats were not nearly as valuable as pigs. (Mmm…bacon.)

Personally, I like my explanation better.

All this to say, I love the English language. You should too. It’s really quite hilarious when you think about it, and that’s no secret.

Have a great weekend!

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: “With A Little Help From My Friends” by Joe Cocker (Wonder Years Theme)

Where's MJ when we need him...

I’d like to take a minute to talk about media bias. No, no, no…I’m not talking about anything political. I’m talking about the radio broadcast for the Chicago Bulls.

After youth group tonight, I quickly got out to my car to race home (observing all posted speed limits, of course). I turned on the radio and tuned in to 105.9 to hear how my beloved Bulls were faring against the top seed in the East. Neil Funk (awesome name, gotta love the Funk) and Bill Wennington (I once saw him at a Subway!) give a very spirited broadcast, but it can be a little misleading. Let me break it down how I was caught up to how the Bulls were doing…

One of the first things I heard as I tuned in was a monster block by Tyrus Thomas. The Bulls ran the other way with the ball and Thabo “Snuffleufflegus” Sefolosha got an open look in the corner. He missed the shot and it was described thusly:

“Oh, that could have been a dagger!”

The Pistons gained the rebound and were able to score at their end. The announcers announced that it was now a 15 point lead. I thought to myself, “Wow. The Bulls have a big lead. Great!”

The Bulls then got the ball back and scored again. It was said that they were on a little bit of a run and could take some momentum into game three and could be putting Detroit “on the ropes.”

Sounds like a Bulls’ lead, no? Needless to say, but I’m saying it anyway, when they finally announced the score I was very disappointed to hear that my Bulls were not doing well at all.

It seems that they were more than just a little bit biased in how they were reporting what was going on in the game. Their enthusiasm and excitement for their home team made what they were saying very misleading.

So what’s the point? I suppose there’s the obvious issue of being sure of your words and not let your emotions be more prevalent than the fact, but where’s the fun in that? As for me, I’ll take the blatant hyperbole everytime. Anyone can give the facts, but give me someone who can make even a Bulls big-time collapse sound fun.

That kind of hyperbole is better than a thousand Renaissances combined with a ninja-pirate raid on Hollywood.

With bumper cars.

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: “Harlem’s Nocturne” by Alicia Keys

Don't do it, Spiderman! Don't...

Yawn…stretch…midnight showings of movies make me sleepy.

Last night I headed out to the theater and saw the latest Spiderman movie. It was pretty good. There was probably more crying and musical numbers in the movie than I would have preferred, but Bruce Campbell played the ultimate French waiter. I think the movie felt like a collection of good moments, some even great, but as a whole it just didn’t flow together too well. Not a bad movie, but probably the weakest of the series.

Still, there’s a sequence midway through the movie that is just bizarre. I imagine many people will hate it, but I think it was rather funny. It doesn’t really seem to “fit” with the style of the rest of the movie, but you can’t deny the funny of it.

I suppose I have to give it 3 stars, and it’s loads better than the latest installment of Superman.

Now, it’s naptime. Have a great weekend, and watch out for falling meteorites.

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: “Ordinary” by Train

Kilroy was here...

So as I was working the other day, a song came on my dPod, as it typically does. I continued working and rocking out just a bit as I really listened to the words of this song for, perhaps, the first time. The song? "Mr. Roboto" by Styx.

Ok…the part that caught my ear was when he sang, “Thank you very much, Mr. Roboto, for doing the jobs that nobody wants to.” I asked myself…

Is this a song written to robots that do menial tasks?

So today I looked into it. Here’s what I found:

“The song tells part of the fictitious story of Robert Orin Charles Kilroy (ROCK), in the rock opera Kilroy Was Here. The song is sung by Kilroy (as played by keyboardist Dennis DeYoung), a rock and roll performer who was placed in a futuristic prison for "rock and roll misfits" by the anti-rock-and-roll group the Majority for Musical Morality (MMM) and its founder Dr. Everett Righteous (played by guitarist James Young). He escapes the prison by overtaking a Roboto prison guard and hiding inside the emptied-out metal shell. The Roboto is a model robot which does menial jobs in the prison. The song may be understood as Kilroy's dedication to the robot that, through being sacrificed in such a way, allowed Kilroy to escape the prison.”

As Hurley would say, “Uh, dude?”

So once again, here’s to imagination! Even when it’s just weird…

No, especially when it’s just weird.

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: “Remedy” by Black Crowes

Of course he can outrun Superman...

I often wish that life would imitate the movies more. I love the movies. I like good movies. I like bad movies. The only movies that I really can’t find a way to enjoy are the utterly forgettable movies...movies that offer nothing good, nothing bad…nothing worth remembering. It doesn’t take much. Just give me one good scene, one good location, one good hero, or one good villain.

So it is with a little bit of surprising sadness that I bring you this news (of which you’ve probably already heard):

Rosie O’Donnell has announced that she will be leaving “The View.”

Now, it may shock and disturb you that I said “with sadness” that I bring this news. You’re right to be shocked, disturbed, angry, and possibly a little hungry. Rosie and “The View” are two of my least favorite things in this world. Go ahead and look back over some of the things I’ve written and they surely make appearances in a negative fashion periodically. Maybe even as much as Dr. Cox rips on Hugh Jackman. (Doubtful.)

So anyway, why am I sad? Well, like I said about life imitating movies, “The View” with Rosie made for a powerful duo of villainy. Every time that Rosie opened her mouth and said something outrageous, she supplied heroes all over the world with something to combat. She regularly brought forth the drama. She’s going to have to find a new irritating platform from which she can be heard.

And what about “The View?” In Rosie’s absence, who will rise up and provide a common enemy for which the forces of good can unite? Some say it might be Whoopi Goldberg. Other rumors have Roseann Barr filling the ample sized seat.

I don’t know who it will be, but one thing is for certain…”The View” is still 100% pure evil.

Someone better call The Flash.

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: “Mississippi Queen” by Mountain

Einstein should have bought a fedora...

So I recently read a quote that got me thinking a little bit. (Just a little bit. Don't worry, I didn't hurt myself.) The quote went a little something like this:

"Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited by what is...imagination is boundless."

That may not be an exact quote, but it's pretty close. (I can't find where I read it earlier...sue me.) Anyway, what makes that quote more interesting is knowing who said it...

Albert Einstein.

Yes, the man who brought us the theory of relativity and confused beginning physics students everywhere embraced the importance of the imagination.

That got me to thinking about another great thinker: Bill Watterson. Sure, he may not be as well known as "Big Al" but he has brought something into the world that has done a wonderful job displaying the wonders of the imagination: Calvin and Hobbes.

I've spent a lifetime enjoying that amazing cartoon so I thought I'd share the strip that inspired my email address. Take a look:

Beautiful stuff, no? It almost brings a tear to my eye...

So let your imagination run wild! Let it run as wild as good ol' Einstein's hair.

(Yeah, I decided to try playing around with pictures a bit...)

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: "Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble" by Deleriou5

It's like this and like that and like this and uh...

“Where’s the sunshine, Rob?”

I was asked this question a couple of times over the past few weeks in which I felt the need to take a break from this thing. A little time off was needed to recharge my batteries and give this another go. So here we are…whether you like it or not.

Something really strange is happening right now as I type. I’m listening to an interview with sweet old lady on the radio. Her name is Beverly Broadus Green. The interesting thing about this lady (or at least one interesting thing, I’m sure she’s fabulous) is that she is the mother of Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr., better known to the world as Snoop Dogg. (Yes, the one and only D O double G.)

It’s just odd to think that Snoop comes from somewhere…and that they still care about him and his ghetto-licious ways.

Less odd than that, however, is that our beloved Bulls swept the reigning champions of the NBA, the Miami Crybabies…er, I mean Heat. Yesterday’s game was exciting to watch as it stayed pretty tight up until the very end when the Heat fell apart faster than a game of Jenga being played by three year olds. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a collapse. After the way the Heat played those last three minutes, they should seriously consider changing their name to the Miami Tepid. As a professed “Dwayne Wade Hater,” this was just too sweet.

I find my enthusiasm building rapidly for the “Baby Bulls.” In fact, we can probably toss the “baby” part of that little moniker. As Vince Vaughn would have said in Swingers, "They’s all growns up!" This team is looking better and more focused with every game and I’m really psyched for this upcoming series with Detroit, although I’m a little disappointed that we’re not meeting them in the conference championship due to the bizarre new seeding system the NBA has decided to implement. Still, the Bulls look to have one of the toughest roads to the title, so there will be no doubt when they win. That ought to have us all feeling bright and shiny.

So there…there’s your sunshine. Bask in it. Bask in it like a snake on some hot pavement. (Ok, so my analogies are a little rusty…give it some time.)

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: “Right Now” by Van Halen

What a nice fellow...

It’s official…I miss my Mustang. These last two days have been rather beautiful outside and it has led me to miss cruising around with the top down of that ol’ 1990 Mustang 5.0 LX convertible with some good tunage blasting out of the tiny subs in the trunk.

Ah, good times…it never really even mattered where I was going in that car. Just driving it was a pleasure. Still, I don’t really miss the gallon of gasoline that it consumed every eight miles while driving. While it was a fun car to drive, it certainly was not efficient and would be costing me a small fortune with the current gas prices.

Does it seem like the world is getting ruder? Most of the time it really does feel that way. I was even having a discussion last night about the youth of this country and how they’re getting bolder and are willing to mouth off to just about anyone. It seems like it wasn’t an issue as much in the past. Kids who mouthed off got smacked around and learned to keep their traps shut.

Anyway, today a story came to my attention that suggests a little bit of the opposite and it’s good for a laugh. Check out the manners on this burglar:

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Florida (AP) -- A gunman robbing a convenience store allowed the clerk to call 911 and apologized after the woman said she might be having a heart attack. But he still took $30 and cigarettes, authorities said.

The masked man entered the Kangaroo Express store early Saturday in this Orlando suburb and pointed what appeared to be a semiautomatic handgun at 60-year-old clerk Mary Parker, according to surveillance audio/video released Thursday. He demanded access to the safe, but she said she didn't have the keys.

He told her to empty the cash register into a bag. He then pulled up a stool for her to sit down and told her he was doing this because no one would hire him and he had bills to pay.

She started hyperventilating and pleaded with the gunman for help.

"I have heart trouble. Help me," Parker said.

"I'm sorry, ma'am," the gunman replied.

"I have heart trouble," Parker told him.

"Ma'am, it's going to be all right," the gunman said.

"I'm probably going to have a heart attack," Parker said.

"Oh my, ma'am, please do not have a heart attack. Please do not have a heart attack. Please don't, ma'am," he said.

The gunman let Parker call 911, and when the store phone didn't work, he let her get her cell phone. She told the operator she was having a heart attack, but didn't mention the robber. She then sat back down on the stool.

A customer came in and, without seeing the gunman, tried to calm Parker. She handed him the phone, and he spoke to the 911 operator.

The gunman then reappeared and told the man to get into the beverage cooler.

He then grabbed his loot and apologized again.

"You have a good day. I'm sorry this had to happen. I'm sorry. God!" he moaned. He then went out the door.

Police said Parker is OK.

Sounds like progress to me, or at least a step towards progress.

Enjoy that sun! (Thanks for bringing it back, Frank!)

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: “Good Vibrations” by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch

Man, that goalie is pissed...

Boo! It’s Friday the 13th. Don’t be scared. It’s just another day. (Happy 29th, Nat!) In fact, because it is the first Friday the 13th of the year, it’s a special day…

Back in 1982, a woman in Michigan had a run of bad luck. Her alarm clock did not go off as it was supposed to (or so she claims) and as a result she was late to just about everything all day long. She kept telling people throughout the day that her alarm clock didn’t go off and it didn’t take long for her to realize that excuse wasn’t cutting it. Consequently, she started making things up and blaming anything and everything that should could for all of her shortcomings of the day.

It seemed to be working.

That day? Yeah, it was a Friday the 13th also. So it was back on that first Friday the 13th in 1982 that Anne Moeller came up with the idea for a new national holiday:

Blame Someone Else Day. (The first Friday the 13th of every year.)

So how ‘bout that? Anything goes wrong today…just shift the blame. You were late to work? Just say that you had to save that busload of orphans from going off a bridge. No one can blame you this day.

Just remember that while you’re shifting blame away from yourself, other people are free to shift from themselves on to you.

It’s really a vicious cycle.

And if you’re not happy about it…hey, don’t blame me.

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: “Iris” by Goo Goo Dolls

Like you're so tough...

It’s been documented that I’m rather scared of dolls. (They freak me out, man!) I may have something new to add to the list…

As I headed out of work and passed by the dumpster to unload some trash, I received quite a startle. Apparently, a little squirrel was in the dumpster near where I threw my garbage. It was not pleased at my attempt to discard my waste.

I did not know that squirrels could screech like that… It cried out in anger towards me like a spoiled child and leapt out of the dumpster, causing me to scream like a little girl. Sure, it wasn’t a strong moment for me, but I gathered myself, quickly looked around the parking lot to see if anyone saw or heard me, and then proceeded to strut my way to my car since no one was around…(score one for me!)

It was actually a little invigorating. It was a long, rough day at work and I was dragging as I left the building. The little “scare” helped wake me up a bit just in time to struggle through traffic on Golf Road.

So maybe getting scared is an “ok” thing every now and then. It can serve a good purpose…on occasion.

So long as there’s no dolls involved…
Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: "You Got What I Need" by Biz Marky

Oh the weather outside is frightful...

So Hate Week has now come and gone, and today we move forward into the blissful time afterward with…snow?

Aren’t we in mid-April now? (Yes, yes we are.) As I struggled through traffic this morning I couldn’t help but wonder why everyone seemed to forget how to drive in this weather. It wasn’t that long ago when it was like this on a day-in day-out basis. For some reason, however, people in the northwest suburbs of Chicago panicked at the sight of the soft, fluffy, white snow falling from the sky and hit the brakes. Travel times skyrocketed and traffic reporters were gleeful as they had something to talk about again. Oh well, I guess it’s good that someone gets some enjoyment out of the snow.

In other news, the father of Anna-Nicole Smith’s baby was identified…and I’m already tired of hearing about it.

Happy wednesday, peoples!

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: "Coming to America" by Neil Diamond

What's in the box...

I hope that your Easter weekend found you well. Other than a shot to the gut from the sleep-deprivation fairy, I’d have to say that it went pretty well in my neck of the woods. (How do woods have necks, anyway?)

Day #6 of Hate Week has arrived (it’s almost over…) and today my agitation is centered on…well, not being sure what to write about right now.

Yeah, I think that’ll do.

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: "Bust A Move" by Young M.C.

Fahrenheit 41...

Day #3 of Hate Week...I hate broken furnaces. We learned last night that the furnace at Primrose was broken. When I awoke in the morning, the thermostat read 41 degrees. Yikes. Fortunately, thanks a little known hero (like Hiro from Heroes or Dwight Schruut from The Office, great episode last night...) named Dave the heat has returned to Primrose and we're almost back up to 60 degrees at this point.

And there was much rejoicing. (Yay!)

In the news of the bizarre, here's a little tidbit from this blog's favorite lunatic, Michael Jackson:

Apparently, Michael (Miss Jackson if you're nasty) would like a giant, 50-foot tall robot replica of himself to be built in the Las Vegas desert to roam about and welcome incoming planes. He's even interested in making the robot capable of shooting laser beams out of its eyes.

...

I'll just let that sink in for a second...

Just when you think he can't get any crazier, here's this idea. Seriously, doesn't this sound like the beginning of a bad sci-fi movie? Eventually the robot gets hit by lightning and goes on a crazy killing spree. Eventually Godzilla shows up and kills the robotic Jackson before returning to rest in the sea.

Crazy...

So it's Good Friday today. Go ahead and get your church on this weekend.

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: "I Will Call" by Among Thorns

You should familiarize yourself with the elephants first, dude...

Carrying on with day #2 of Hate Week, I'd like to mention that I hate the fact that they've replaced the Mountain Dew in our work vending machine with Diet Barq's Root Beer. What a shame...

Today I'd like to draw your attention to a fellow named Matt. Matt is an ordinary fellow from Australia who loves video games. He even mananged to score a job making video games. After a while, though, he grew tired of this profession and decided he wanted to see the world. In an effort to keep his friends and family attuned to where he was going and what he was doing, he took along a video camera and began recording himself dancing in the various locations around the globe that he was visiting.

What started out as a small, fun project got noticed by Stride, makers of the ridiculously long lasting gum. The people at Stride contacted Matt saying, "We like what you're doing. We want to help you."

Behold!

You can read more about Matt there and see his videos as he dances all over the world, it's really very cool. I defy any of you to not have your spirits lifted as you watch...it's impossible.

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: "Candy Everybody Wants" by 10,000 Maniacs

And, of course, Hugh Jackman...

National Hate Week…why does such a period of time exist? Is it a time to vent? Are we really supposed to express hate during this week? I mean, just look at the word:

Hate (v.) to dislike intensely or passionately; feel extreme aversion for or extreme hostility toward; detest.

So as I did a little digging into “Hate Week,” I discovered it’s not real at all. It’s from George Orwell’s novel 1984. The general effect behind Hate Week was to rally the people in a way so that they “would unquestionably have torn [captured enemy soldiers] to pieces” if given the opportunity.

Yowsa. Sounds like a ”fun” read.

Anyway, seeing that April 4th-10th is Hate Week on the calendar, I thought I’d spend a little time sharing something that has been the subject of my hate lately:

Bad advertising.

Every time that I see a bad commercial I begin to question whether or not I should have studied advertising and be producing commercials. The idea that someone, actually many people, get paid to come up with, direct, and produce these ads is absurd.

I hate to pick on you, Burger King, but I’m afraid you’ve been slipping lately. While I loved the bizarre commercials featuring that dude in the giant King costume, your newest ad turns my heart more sour than a lemonhead dunked in liquid sorrow. If you don’t know the commercial I am referring to, it’s a recent ad in which a man is taking a bath and says to his wife, “Hey, guess who I am…Spongebob No Pants,” as he stands up from his sudsy bath and is covered in bubbles.

He then just gives her this look as if to say, “Gee…look how clever I am.”

Bad, Burger King, bad! (Whaps BK on the nose with the rolled up newspaper of good taste.)

This commercial just rubs me the wrong way, but I suppose that they say bad publicity is still better than no publicity. Maybe I just don’t get it…

Man, if Orwell only ever really knew what evils the future would hold…

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: “In the Ghetto” by Elvis Presley

Hail to the king, baby...

Firstly, a gold star for Kent in lieu of bonus points…(There, now no more crying!)

Today marks a wonderful, wonderful moment. No, I’m not referring to the fact that it is the birthday of the man that brought us such film gems as Dr. Doolittle II, The Nutty Professor, and Norbit: Eddie Murphy. (Still, he gave us The Golden Child, so I should cut him some slack.) While it may be “Donkey’s” birthday, that’s not the subject of my current excitement. I’m referring to the fact that today we (finally) finished taking inventory at work. It has been the source of my tiredness lately and the reason I wanted to take some time off from the writing that you little monkeys seem to enjoy for some reason. Anyway, inventory took much, much too long, but nobody, at any point, resorted to cannibalism, so there was much rejoicing. (Yay!)

It’s been a very, very busy few days, but I’ve managed to learn a few things in the process:

1) When working ridiculously long hours, it’s very important to have a good breakfast, and Richard Walkers’ apple pancakes are great.
2) Integrity matters.
3) There’s not a power in the ‘verse that can keep Kaylee from being cheerful. (Ok, so I already knew that one…but it never hurts to be reminded. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, you’re needin’ to get yourself some Firefly.)

But about that integrity…

Last night at youth group, we were looking in chapter 20 of Proverbs and noticed that “integrity” seemed to be a theme throughout the chapter. One verse spoke of a king whose throne was being upheld by “steadfast love and faithfulness.” I think that’s a great vision of integrity right there. Here you have this king, who rules over his people. (It’s good to be the king.) He doesn’t have to be “nice.” He’s the king. Yet when he rules with “steadfast love and faithfulness,” his people respond and “uphold” the throne.

That seems to be a pretty good indication of integrity, no? How you treat people when you don’t need to treat them at all mirrors the attitude of your heart.

So how does your reflection look?

On a completely unrelated note…tomorrow kicks off National Hate Week.

Oh boy…

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: “Wonderful Life” by Gwen Stefani

And here's my wife, Mogan Fairchild! Yes, that's the ticket...

Ok, so I said I wasn’t going to write any more this week, but then you all had to go and cry about it, so here I am, ready to feed your habit. Or maybe I’m just a compulsive liar. (Bonus points to people who aren’t named Kent who recognize the title of today’s column.)

The truth is that I find myself feeling, as they said in Patch Adams, “excessively happy” tonight. And before you even ask, no, I am not on Valium. It’s just been a goofy kind of night and I have heard a few catchy tunes that have given me the urge to sing a bit. (No, I’m not a singer, but if you hum a few bars I can fake it.)

So my thoughts have turned musical. I just want…I just want to sing. (No, no…stop that! Stop that!) I thought I’d throw out a list of songs that I think would be hysterical to hear done as karaoke. Here they are…the top five songs I’d love to hear sung by someone who has no serious vocal talent!

5) “Chop Suey!” by System of a Down (Come on, who can resist a song that has fast-whispering and contains an exclamation point in the title?)
4) “She Bangs” by William Hung (Ricky Martin who?)
3) “Hold On” by Wilson Phillips (Harold and Kumar forever changed this song for me.)
2) ”Beyond the Sea” by Bobby Darrin (Anybody can pull off this crooner. And it’s a fun one to sing. I know I’ve been guilty of belting it out while in the car.)

And #1) “Yellow Ledbetter” by Pearl Jam (Seriously, you can’t understand a word that Eddie is saying in this song.)

So search for that song in your heart, find your melody, or some other musical sounding cliché. Life just seems happier with a little background music, and that’s no lie.

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes

Nell Carter says "Gimme a Break"...

Due to some craziness of schedule, the blog will be taking the rest of the week off.

Feel free to visit others in my absence. I won't get jealous...much.

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: "No More No Less" by Collective Soul

Oh, be careful little mouth what you say...

Obvious: (adj.) easily seen, recognized, or understood; open to view or knowledge; evident.

So I took a little flak this weekend for using this little word “obviously.” It was in church on Sunday when a few of us were discussing some stuff upon which we did not all agree. So when I stated my case and said, “Well, obviously….” Others took some offense to it.

What’s the big deal? So perhaps I didn’t have all my facts straight and may have been a little bit wrong. Yet throwing out that simple, little adverb changed my idea from a simple point of view into a pompous, arrogant one.

I realized my error pretty quickly, which (naturally) led me to start throwing the word around with even less care. I was declaring that everything was “obviously” correct as the way I see it just to stick it to those who were part of the discussion.

There was a lesson to be learned, for sure. Be careful what you say. The bible says in Matthew chapter 12 that “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”

Yikes.

Obviously, I need to work on that.

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: “Leave You Far Behind” by Lunatic Calm

The Hatter is MAD...

Happy birthday to me. Happy birthday to me. Happy birthday, dear Roberto. Happy birthday to me.

Yeah, it’s my birthday, along with celebrities Keira Knightley, Amy Smart, and George Lin. (Ok, so George isn’t a celebrity…yet.)

Take a moment to celebrate on my behalf, and as a gift to myself for turning the big 2-9 I am choosing not to write any more today.

And a very merry un-birthday to you.

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: “Build Me Up Buttercup” by Herman’s Hermits

Party on, bandito-style...

WOO HOO! It’s spring break time for a lot of people…and this story has a man who knows how to celebrate!

TOKYO (Reuters) - A Japanese man angry that a new apartment building put his house in the shade was arrested after shooting about a dozen bullets at it with a competition rifle.

Police said the man apparently fired at the 11-storey building, which was completed last October, from a window on the third floor of his house, a distance of roughly 164 feet.

"He felt the building management didn't take a sincere attitude toward his complaints that the building was keeping sunlight from reaching his house," a police spokesman in the western city of Kyoto said.

Nobody was injured in the shootings but walls, railings and two lights on the apartment building were damaged.

Seriously, though, those railings had it coming…just sitting there with that smug look on their faces…

People are crazy, and God bless them for it. It gives me a reason to laugh.

Enjoy your weekend, and spring break, peoples!

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: “Listen to the Rain” by Evanescence

007 373 5963...

If there’s a better way to kick off International Goof-Off Day than three guys staying up all night playing Mike Tyson’s Punch Out on the original Nintendo, I haven’t figured it out…

I think I’m learning a little something about perseverance. We’ve been fighting Mr. Tyson over and over and over again, and he’s repeatedly kicking our butts.

We’ve reached that bargaining stage now…”Ok, first person to knock him down gets a burrito.”

This is too good.

As they said in Galaxy Quest…

NEVER GIVE UP! NEVER SURRENDER!

At least nobody’s lost an ear yet. Gotta go. It’s my turn.

Happy Thursday!

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: “I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson” by DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince

Despite "The Producers," it's not just for Hitler...

Woo hoo! It's the first day of Spring!

Ahh, spring…the time of year when a young man’s fancy turns to, well, I don’t remember. You see, I’m beginning to feel like I’m not so much a young man anymore, what with the persistent injuries and the fact that I’m almost 29.

But hey, it’s springtime! It’s time for the sun to make its glorious return and make the outdoors pleasant again. I, for one, can’t wait for a chance to get out to play a little disc golf again, back spasms permitting. (I know, I know…give it time. I’ve heard it from everyone by now: I’m an idiot for rushing back to the basketball court.)

But looking ahead at the weather report, I’m seeing a lot of rain in the forecast. I suppose that’s the flipside of spring, isn’t it? It’s either rain or shine. What does the weatherman know, though? (Coincidentally, the movie “The Weatherman” is really depressing and boring.)

Ready for the application? Here it comes…it’s through the rain that nature is nurtured and brings forth the great beauty that we all get to appreciate. Sure, we don’t care for the rain so much, but it brings forth joy in the after effects.

Much like nature, in life we must bear through the “rainy” days in order to experience the great “beauty and sunshine.” Sometimes it is only through some suffering that we can grow enough to reach new peaks of joy. Through a little sacrifice can come much happiness.

So enjoy the rain, knowing what will follow.

And then enjoy the sun.

Then it doesn’t even matter how wrong the weatherman was.

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: “Glory of Love” by Peter Cetera

Well, I guess he was ok in True Lies...

Confusion: (n.) disorder; tumult; upheaval; chaos.

Life has been finding me a little confused lately. I feel like I am juggling too many things at once and am rather frenetic. For some reason, as I started to think about the word “confusion,” I decided to look up everyone’s favorite Chinese philosopher, Confucius. (Hey, they sound similar, so sue me.)

I was led to a quote from him that seems incredibly poignant at this moment. Take a gander at this little doozie:

“Life is really simple, but men insist on making it complicated.”

It’s got me thinking, in another very hippy-sounding moment…SIMPLIFY, MAN!!!

Seriously, though, when you’ve got a bit of obsessive compulsiveness in you, as I’m pretty sure that I do, (the fact that I have dictionary.com as a “favorite” in my internet explorer is a solid indicator) perhaps one just needs to remove some of the life obstacles that aren’t really necessary.

We worry so much about many things that don’t really matter, and it only adds to our stress and confusion.

For instance, as I sit here and watch the Conan O’Brien show before going to bed, Tom Arnold is coming out as the next guest. Seems like a natural place to start some “life-obstacle removal.”

Tom Arnold…[shudder!]

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: “Chantilly Lace” by The Big Bopper

I bet Fred Taylor and I could be best buddies...

So Sunday came and went, and I started thinking to myself, “I’m feeling pretty good. I think I may play basketball tonight. I had even found my old basketball shoes that I thought I had lost. All signs are pointing to a successful return to the courts at Calvary.”

Remember that back injury I had? Yeah, turns out it wasn’t quite done healing yet. Less than five minutes in to the first game, I find myself feeling an all-to-familiar “ping” in the muscles of my back. Unlike like the commercials for Southwest Airlines where people get super-excited over the “ping,” I knew right away that this “ping” was not of the good variety.

Like an idiot, I finished playing in that first game, but just gave a half-hearted effort throughout it. Since I’m normally only playing at about 75% as it is, it makes it more like a 37.5% hearted effort. I made my way to the sidelines and began to fume about my own idiocy.

It was at that point that I had a very interesting discussion about whether or not Godzilla could defeat Superman. (I’ll not spoil you with the outcome, but let’s just say it didn’t go so well for the man in tights.)

Anyway, I got to realizing, WHY AM I SO DUMB???!!! This was much, much too soon to try and return to playing ball after a debilitating back injury, and I was a fool to even attempt it.

As a result, I’ve spent much of today receiving shameful stares and disapproving shakes of the head from people who aren’t mad…just disappointed.

So today, I offer you these words of encouragement:

HEY! YOU’RE SMARTER THAN ROB!!!

Granted, for some…oh, who am I kidding…most, if not all, of you already knew that. Still, it’s good to hear it out loud. So maybe you can get somebody nearby to read it to you out loud. You could take turns. Sounds like a fun game.

You’re welcome.

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: “Put Your Lights On” by Everlast with Santana

I can HEAR Jimmy...

So, I recover from my wonderful back spasms and manage to work a whole two days before coming down with some nasty flu symptoms.

This stinks.

Currently, I lead my NCAA tournament pool, though. So I guess that’s good. And anytime that Duke loses it’s a good thing.

The other day I was asked, “What comes to mind when I mention ‘Dust in the Wind’?”

I promptly responded, “YOU’RE MY BOY, BLUE!” The funny thing is that after that the next item to pop in my head would be “All we are is dust in the wind, dude.” Bill and Ted were so deep. I’m sure that’s exactly what Kansas had in mind when they wrote the song.

It got me to thinking about how quickly hearing something can transport you instantly to someplace different in your mind. For instance, when I hear “My Hero” by the Foo Fighters I feel charged up to take on just about anything. If you’re driving in your car and you hear that guitar solo from “Freebird” you can’t help but speed up. I’m pretty sure that a little Enya will lower your blood pressure.

It’s amazing what effects music can induce.

Now, if only there were something I could listen to that would make this flu bug disappear…

Maybe “The Macarena” would work. That song scares anything away.

It’s probably not worth it though.

Let’s go Yellow Jackets!

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: “Moondance” by Van Morrison

Et tu, Brute? Beware the ides of March indeed...

I thought I had a pretty positive idea for what I might write about for today. Then disaster struck in the form of a movie. I have always maintained that Bio-dome was my absolute least favorite movie. Today, a new champion arose to dethrone the Pauly Shore and Stephen Baldwin debacle as the biggest waste of my time that I so desperately wish I could have back. After seeing this movie, I was fuming.

Thursday afternoon I saw Borat: Cultural Learnings of blah blah blah ruin Rob’s brain.

Granted, amidst the 84 minutes of run time there may have been a total of three minutes that were a little funny, but the other 81 were not just unfunny, they were absolutely disgusting and offensive. Don’t get me wrong, I love me a little dark comedy too, but this movie absolutely went over the line. I would’ve turned it off early on, but I had heard from two different sources, who I used to think were reliable, that there was some REALLY funny stuff in it. So I waited it out, expecting the “funny” scene to present itself. When the credits finally rolled, I got on the phone and berated the aforementioned sources for a solid 15 minutes. I have never wanted something ripped from my brain so bad in all my life. (And I saw the Matrix sequels…)

If only that Haitian from Heroes could come make me forget those 84 minutes…

There was one scene, and if you’ve seen it you know exactly which one I’m talking about, that was way beyond disgusting. My buddy who I was watching the movie with had gotten up to go to the bathroom just before this scene had started. When he came back he said, “What did I miss?”

I was speechless. Literally. No words could depart from my lips. I’ll let this settle in for you for a minute. This is me we’re talking about. I pretty much always have something to say about anything, but for this moment I was frozen and I couldn’t muster up anything.

Ugh…so frustrating.

I suppose the lesson learned from this is that I should go with my instincts. Next time I think, “Gee, I think I should turn this off,” it’s getting turned off.

The other good thing is that I feel a little better after ranting a bit. I think I’d like to end on a positive note, though. So positively do not see this movie. Your brain says thank you.

Incidentally, fun episode of Lost, and Claire sure was a cutie as a brunette.

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: “The Promise” by When In Rome

I feel betrayed...

Today marks one of the most misleading international holiday names out there. Today is International Pi Day. (I could really go for a slice of French Silk pie right now…well, not really. I just ate a delicious cinnamon roll.) The point is, it’s not that sort of pie. March 14 is International Pi Day, referring to the mathematical constant that is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter in Euclidean geometry. (I have no idea what I even just said…)

So for those who care, here’s pi to 100 digits!!!

3.1415926535897932384626433832795028841971693993751058209749445923078164062862089986280348253421170679

Wow, wasn’t that fun?

What do you mean, “No?”

Ok, fine. Instead, I’ll leave you with a bad joke about pie:

Little Johnny and his family lived in the country, and as a result seldom had guests. He was eager to help his mother after his father appeared with two dinner guests from the office. When the dinner was nearly over, Little Johnny went to the kitchen and proudly carried in the first piece of apple pie, giving it to his father who passed it to a guest. Little Johnny came in with a second piece of pie and gave it to his father, who again gave it to a guest. This was too much for Little Johnny, who said, "It's no use, Dad. The pieces are all the same size."

I guess the lesson is to be happy with what you’ve got, even if it’s just some irrational real number, like pi. (Hey, it makes the engineers and math teachers happy…)

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: “99 Luftballoons” by Nena

You know what they say about all good things...

It is with a daunting sadness that I begin to write for, you see, today marks the end of ten-day era. Today is the last day of my mini-retirement. Tomorrow it is back to the grind for me. My Valium-induced vacation has come to an end and it is time to once again work.

You can begin to feel sorry for me now. (Thanks…you’re the best.)

It’s been fun, and I’ve learned the following few truths about being home-ridden:
1) Daytime television is awful. There are no two ways about it. It is very possible the “The View” will bring forth the end of the world.
2) You can kiss your sleep schedule goodbye as you stay up later and later and periodically nap throughout the day.
3) As a final laugh from Murphy and his uncaring laws, the weather will become beautiful as soon as you return to work.

I suppose the important thing is that I was given a chance to recover and my workplace was very cooperative. So I feel very grateful the job that I have.

So take a minute today and be thankful for some of the little things that work in your favor. It makes the bigger things a little easier to handle.

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: “Have It All” by Jeremy Kay

Insanity runs in my family; It practically gallops...

Let’s take a minute to give it up for farmers. I believe it is their fault that we suffer through this daylight savings time nonsense. They don’t want to get up at 4:30 in the morning, so we tell them that it is 5:30 and it’s ok all of a sudden. On behalf of all of you who had to get up earlier than normal today I’d just like to say, “We want our hour back!”

And as an amusing little story for anyone who’s ever seen O, Brother, Where Art Thou? I had another “Rob’s brain runs off” moment. I went in for a haircut yesterday at Sportclips (and all they had on was women’s basketball…so disappointing) and fully entrusted the stylist, Donna, to do whatever she thought would look good with my hair. She gave me a cut and then began to style it, recommending that I use pomade on it instead of gel, mousse, or hairspray. I was instantly transported in my mind to a Walworth’s where I began to think, “I don’t want Fop, dangit! I’m a Dapper Dan man!” If you don’t know what that means, stop what you are doing and go watch O, Brother, Where Art Thou? You will not be sorry.

Ok…tangents aside…

This weekend marked a big event in my life. It marked a dynamic change in a relationship for me and someone special to me. It was a time in which I said those three little words that are so hard to say to someone so close to you. The words were tough to come by, but I managed to sputter them out:

“You were right.”

(Sorry, folks, it wasn’t those “other” three words.)

Let me just say that if you have the chance to see the classic movie, Arsenic and Old Lace, take it. Very, very funny movie. Sorry, Dad, that I didn’t listen to your recommendation for all those years. I’ll say it again…you were right. (See, now you’ve got it saved on your voice mail AND on the internet. Consider it an early birthday present…)

It got me to thinking a little bit about something we discussed in the 20-Somethings class (or as I like to call it, The Leftovers) at my church. We were discussing the idea of how to determine what kind of people do we listen to and learn from in our lives. We agreed that as a “younger” group we have a tendency to ignore those who are older than us when they try to give us advice. We say things like, “Things have changed,” or, “You don’t know what I’m going through.” We have a tendency to prefer to hear advice from our peers.

The truth of the matter is that we should listen to our elders. They have been there before us and generally want what is best for us. I know this now.

And all it took for me to finally get this was watching this old movie after a friend recommended it to me. Who knew?

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: “Land of Shame” by VAST

I think that my feelings would be best explained in a monologue...

Ok, folks, buckle up. Today’s blog is about to get heavy.

But first, something embarrassing that I have to get off of my chest. The other day while flipping through channels, I came across Superstar, the movie. The movie is based off of the Saturday Night Live sketch that stars Molly Shannon as Mary Catherine Gallagher, a nervous catholic schoolgirl who, when she gets nervous, sticks her hands under her armpits and smells them like this. (You all know what I’m talking about, right? Please say you do.) Anyway, Will Ferrell is in the movie too, and that’s my excuse for why I didn’t immediately change the channel.

Don’t judge me.

Anyway, there was a line in the movie that was very, very funny, and also carried a pretty hefty message to it. Let me set up the scene for you. (Granted, I only saw part of this movie once, so I’m bound to some slight inaccuracies, but I’m not about to watch that movie again.)

There was this guy driving on his motorcycle heading out of town, attempting to flee from his problems. He was in love with Mary Catherine Gallagher, but her heart seemed to have been won by another man. As this guy cycled down the road, an image of “God” appeared on the road (played by Will Ferrell in full on robes and beard) and directed him to turn his bike around and go back to her. The man on the bike stopped and said to “God”, “But she’s in love with this other guy. Should I really go back to her? I don’t think she likes me.”

It was at this point that “God” said to him, “Are you serious? I’m frickin’ God. I appear to you in the middle of the road and tell you to go back and you’re not sure if it’s a good idea? You think that I’d lead you astray? Man, why did I create people so insecure?”

I’m sure that’s not exactly how the lines went, but you get the idea. Why are we insecure? Everyone is gifted and talented in certain ways, yet we are so unsure of ourselves and feel insecure when other people point out our weaknesses.

But do we need to feel insecure? It says in the book of Psalm 139:

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

You see, God created us to be exactly who he wanted us to be. There is no one else like you who’s been created for the purpose that you have been created. So it should be with great confidence that you live your life. It will not be easy, but you can toss those insecurities aside.

So live confidently. Sometimes it may even take seeing part of a ridiculous movie to help you get the point. In the end, you were created even for that.

Much luv,
Rob
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Song of the Day: “This World” by Caedmon’s Call