i didn’t necessarily see a lot of my dad growing up. he wasn’t a deadbeat or anything; far from it. he worked the second shift (2:30 - 10:30) at the local corrugated paper plant, meaning i was in bed by the time he got home. during the week, the most i probably saw him was the five-minute car ride from our house to school. i’m not resentful, not in any way. his back-breaking labor allowed me to go to a expensive college, and has allowed me to have a job where i make money while sitting, vs. sweating, like he does.

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so, i’m trying to be better about posting content that i actually come up with, vs. just borrowing things from other sites. trying to be less meta, if you will. however, for those who are as appalled by joe morgan specifically (and by the murdering of the english language, in general) as i am, this must be shared:

hat tip to firejoemorgan, of course.

so. i know two things. first, capitalism is a good thing. and, second, things are usually more complicated than they appear. but, on the cusp of $4 per gallon of gas…

Republicans block Democrats’ attempt to impose windfall profits tax on oil companies

oh, and:

Separately, Democrats also failed to get Republican support for a proposal to extend tax breaks for wind, solar and other alternative energy development, and for the promotion of energy efficiency and conservation. The tax breaks have either expired or are scheduled to end this year.

super.

(courtesy of the supposed red star. natch.)

for some reason, i’ve always been drawn towards live music. even before my days in the band (c’mon, it’s been a while since i mentioned that), i’ve loved the raw sound of a live performance, vs. the perfection that can be generated by studio recordings. it actually might have been this double-disc set that turned me on to live performances– from jim morrison’s extended scream in “backdoor man” to the extended organ solo in “moonlight drive,” i was suddenly aware of how cool a live take on a known song could be.

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aaaah, downtown. how i’ve missed you. the reasons are numerous, but here’s one of my favorites: watching people nearly get schmucked crossing the streets that intersect nicollet ave. well, okay, that’s just a side benefit.

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