THIS is a CLOSE-UP?

With all the current name-calling and mud-slinging between "representatives" of the NAACP and the Tea Party, why don't we take a moment to indulge in a fun thought experiment, courtesy of Tim Wise at AlterNet : What If The Tea Party Were Black? It would make for some interesting programming at MSNBC, that's for sure.

An injection of funny into your day. Click on the link underneath this classic Will Ferrell bit for more. The Committee Ep 1: Bad Dog w/ Alison Brie & Rich Sommer from drew_pearce

"I'm Not In Love" by 10cc is one of the best '70s AM radio hits ever. And one of the most complex, according to this documentary:

From this month's issue of Psychology Today : 80% of swears uttered by Americans consist of one of these ten words: 1. F*ck 2. Sh*t 3. Hell 4. Damn 5. Goddamn 6. Jesus Christ 7. Ass 8. Oh My God 9. B*tch 10. Sucks Together f*ck and sh*t account for anywhere from a third to a half of all uttered profanity. Now, I would have to think that c*nt and motherf*cker would be higher on that list (and would fit the one-word parameter better than "oh my god," which doesn't even sound like a swear to me), but I guess not. That's what research gets you, folks...time and money spent on counting sh*t.

And now we arrive at 1997. Lots going on: I had just started seeing a new girlfriend, and my time at Boomers (where I DJ'ed) and Michigan Wherehouse Records (where I was an assistant manager) was winding down. I was teaching Intro Psych at Kirtland Community College as an adjunct, writing record reviews for CM Life , and generally having a great time in my mid-20's. Didn't everyone? Oh, and there were some shows, too: Prince (Emancipation Celebration) [State Theatre, Detroit 1.13] Fiona Apple [St. Andrew’s Hall 4.3] The Cardigans [St. Andrew’s Hall 4.4] Morphine [Clutch Cargo’s 4.12] 89X Birthday Bash (Beck, Soul Coughing) [Phoenix Plaza, Pontiac 5.28] H.O.R.D.E. Fest (Neil Young, Morphine) [Pine Knob 7.27] Gus Gus / Lamb [St. Andrew’s Hall 7.28] Soul Coughing [St. Andrew’s Hall 8.3] Del Amitri [Clutch Cargo’s 8.14] David Byrne [Royal Oak Music Theatre 8.18] John Fogerty [Fox Theatre, Detroit 9.13] David Bowie [State Theatre, Detroit 9.21/9.22] The Tea Party