Musical joy!
The new release from jazz pianist Cyrus Chestnut is just that...pure joy. Called Genuine Chestnut this CD is just fabulously fun. It's solidly played, life-affirming, wonderful, light happiness for the ear. Buy this one, you'll love it!

There's a magazine for everything...
Forget Practical Horseman or The Doors Collectors magazine. If you want specific, check out Church Production magazine. Billed as the "Educational Magazine for Houses of Worship Covering Audio, Video, and Lighting Technologies," this seems to be geared towards those scary Baptist mega-churches with congregations the size of towns.

The ads in this magazine are obviously specialized for the audience. Audio mixing boards with headlines that read "Expand your Ministry," (of course, when I think preaching I think sound systems worthy of Madison Square Garden). One video system has the header "Talk about intelligent design..." (no comment). How about "is your praise music getting more complaints than praise?" or "it takes more than faith to hold up a top quality projector."

Wow...I had no idea.

In praise of creative pranks
This prank is hilarous. Complicated, complex, and something of a sociological experiment at well. But definitely interesting. Bravo!

It's time to fight again
Bush and his cronies have renewed their fight to write into the constitution an amendment banning gay marriage. All I can say is, fight it. It's ludicrous that so-called celebrities should be allowed to be married for 2-days while loving couples with a 25-year relationship have to fight to get health benefits. It's wrong, and it must be stopped.

Write your elected officials telling them not to buy into this form of legalized hatred. Donate money to causes that are fighting for equal rights (my two favorites are theHuman Rights Campaign and the Lambda Legal Defense Fund).

Whatever you do, don't just sit back and hope for the best. It's time to fight again!

Who is fabulous?
The fabulous Jonathan Spencer, a dear friend and the current Jeopardy champion. He won last night's episode with his lethal knowledge of playwrights.

I cannot wait for tonight to see if he can repeat. It was tremendous fun to see such a truly wonderful person do something so cool. Go, Jon, go! (But I must admit, in spite of the fact that we were convinced he was going to win -- it was tremendously nerve-wracking to watch.) Tonight I must fortify myself with wine for the ordeal. We are so proud of him!

Is glamour dead?
In a wonderful article on glamour by Carina Chocano in the LA Times she explores how our definition of the word has changed over the years. By comparing the golden days of Hollywood to cardboard mini-stars like Paris Hilton, she demonstrates how we've lost all sense of what used to be glamourous.

My favorite line, "The contrast between what is glamorous now and what was glamorous in the days of Cary Grant and Norma Shearer says much about how American society has changed. Glamour used to present an idealized version of adulthood. Now it presents an idealized version of adolescence."

Do you argue?
Do you and your significant other argue? My husband and I don't really, except when I'm insane with PMS and he's trying to be nice and I accuse him of pretty much everything under the sun. (I honestly don't know why he puts up with me!)
However, if you and your sweetie argue, chances are you'll find this amusing. And even if you don't argue, it's still danged funny.

It's superhero day
First the stunning revalation about Batwoman and now this! The folks at 1000 words have once again come up with a great idea. This time it's superheroes and old masters. Great stuff.

Oh the humanity!
Hello Kitty goes iPod. And the world collectively drops about 10 IQ points.

Guy lit
As an alternative to "chick lit" there's now guy lit, apparently about immature losers who hate their jobs, drink too much, can't find a girlfriend, and don't really care. My favorite line from this article: "Women won't read these books unless there is some hope of redemption, some effort these guys make to change. And men won't read them because, well, real men don't read."
All I want is a plot, people!

Fun with endless photos
This is cool. It's a crazy ass, never-ending photo mosaic thing. Just keep clicking, it just goes on and on and on....

The Glaucoma Hymn!
Sometimes something comes along that makes me so happy I'm giddy. The Glaucoma Hymn is one of those things. It's so awful that I love it. Happy, happy, happy, that's what I am. The entire website it atrocious, and was voted one of the worst of 2005. You can check out the other winners...uh....losers as voted by Web Pages That Suck. Trust me, every one is a dirty, stinking gem. I love the one from the Vatican especially.

Happy, happy, happy!

Love the chintz!
I know that your home "makes a statement." Whether that statement is "I'm so rich I can afford to make my house look like a crumbling Tuscan ruin" or whether it's "look! I have no taste!" is a mystery only your visitors can unlock. But this book review made me laugh. I'm not a "house whore" (though given the ability to buy a house I'd become a total decor addict), but I know people like this.

Songs that make you go "Ack!"
Well, CNN voters have chimed in on the worst songs of all time. I must say, they certainly picked some winners....uh....I mean losers. Number 1 is the apalling "You're Having My Baby" by Paul Anka. Is your least favorite on the list?

Huh?
The Fourth Bad Writing Contest has been won (or lost, as the case may be). Check out the atrocious winner here.

Finally!
Yes, finally Christians are fighting fire with fire. Check out these wonderful ads from Faith in America urging people to stop hating homosexuals in the name of religion. The are fabulous, and very much needed.

Name that tune
Everything you ever wanted to know about Muzak. Actually, this story is quite interesting. More so than their music...

Aw, those poor, persecuted Christians
Imagine how terrible they feel. Being picked on and maligned. According to them, Tom DeLay was ousted as majority leader not because he broke the law, but becaust he is a Christian.

While reading this article, I swear I could feel my blood pressure rising. I must be one of those who "despise the cause of Christ" because I don't do the whole god thing. Never mind that you don't need religion to give you a moral backbone (Thou shalt not kill. Duh!), never mind that I believe in the whole Golden Rule thing and I also believe everyone has the right to worship (or not) in their own way. Never mind that I am a member of the ACLU, which is dedicated to protecting the Constitution and, especially, the Bill of Rights (remember Freedom of Religion folks?). Nope, I am the enemy.

Poor things, I feel so sorry for them. So sorry that I feel the need to give a bit extra this month to the Human Rights Campaign which actually understands so-called "Christian" concepts like, compassion, acceptance and, above all, love.

Dream trip
Oh to be filthy rich! This article on seeing the Northern Lights as a dream trip has me totally jealous. I wanna go!

What he said...
Why do I love Jon Carroll? (In a perfectly platonic way, tinged only by a huge case of writer's envy.) Because he says what I think. Read this.