Way to go Exxon?
Not sure if this is true or not, but if it is....it's hilariously scary.

Oldest Ever Pro Baseball Player
This story made me smile.

94-year old John "Buck" O'Neil, one of the stars of the great Negro Leagues, played in a minor league All-Star game on Tuesday night. He lead off the top of the first inning for the West (a walk), and then a mid-inning trade had him starting off the bottom of the inning as well. Horray!

Giant geese and other oddities
Just when you get that "ok, the web is as odd as it can be" feeling, along comes your discovery of the Large Canadian Roadside Attractions website. And once again, life is happily surreal.

I love eggs!
Oh my, there are no words. Crank up the music for this lovely song. Odd with a capital "huh?"

There is no intelligent life...
...in the U.S. Senate. Check out this discussion of the Internet by the senior senator from Alaska. God help us...

It's big brother calling...
I find this article very disturbing.

Apparently AT&T have instituted a new policy that says they -- not their customers -- own customer's confidential information and can use it "to protect its legitimate business interests, safeguard others, or respond to legal process."

In addition to tracking viewing habits of customers of its new video service (which, apparently, cable companies aren't allowed to do), they apparently think nothing of providing warrantless access to customers' e-mail and web browsing.

This, to put it mildly, is unacceptable. We will be shopping for a new DSL provider this weekend.

On newsstands now!
Hot off the presses is the July, 2006 issue of DownBeat magazine featuring not one, but two pieces by that fabulous jazz critic (and my beloved husband), Forrest Dylan Bryant. On page 22 and 25 you'll find two pieces -- one a review of a concert by the SF Jazz Collective and the other a profile of Marcus Shelby. Go, Forrest, go!

Warning...terrifying commercial ahead
I have no words.... Check out this commercial for Folger's coffee. Be afraid, be very afraid.

Design is dead
I know that's been said throughout the ages, but the the American Institute of Architects have announced the Best Buildings of the Year and they all, without fail, suck. They are cold, dismal, and completely without style, grace, or charm. Help us.

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....