Getting a Read on Presidential Candidates

And then there were three ....

Mitt Romney's surprisingly early announcement that he was bowing out last week left John McCain as the Republican candidate for president. Mike Huckabee didn't get the memo. I think it's because he's waiting for the Lord himself to deliver the message.

That leaves McCain, Obama and Clinton.

The good news for me is that I'd be happy with any of the choices. As a lifelong Democrat, I'd obviously rather see one of the latter two. But I have a ton of respect for McCain. And, hey, he actually sent me a signed photo with a birthday wish, part of my wife's 40th birthday present.

By now, you know where all the candidates stand on the issues. But where do they stand on literature. I'm talking books. Basically, what do they read? Well, last summer AP asked all the candidates to name the last book of fiction they read. There were still more than a dozen back then. (Where did you go Mike Gravel?)

These are the books named by the remaining three candidates. Can you match the book to the candidate?

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson.
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin. (Yes, well all know this is not fiction, but apparently the candidate doesn't know it).
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway.

Good luck. If you want to cheat, or check out your guesses, then click to the posting on PhiloBiblos from last year. It lists all the then-candidates and their choices. No surprise that the most-mentioned author on the list is John Grisham. And it wasn't a surprise to me that Dennis Kucinich is the most avid reader of the bunch.

Thanks for all the fish, and the book recommendations
Speaking of Grisham, his Playing for Pizza is one of the several books that have been recommended to me over the last couple weeks. One of the neat things about this blog it has led to several conversations -- online and offline -- about books. As you can tell from the books I've read over the last year or so, I'm wide open to trying anything out. Thanks to GepDawg for suggesting Under the Banner of Heaven. I've put a hold on it at the library. Meanwhile, it's back to The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon, who just happens to support Barak Obama.

On the same Michael Chabon fan site, I found this very exciting news. The Coen Brothers are considering writing the adaptation to Chabon's last book The Yiddish Policeman's Union. Wow, Yiddish was one of my favorite books read last year as was No Country for Old Men, the Coens' last movie. (See the whole Distractions Favorite Books (Read) in 07 list).

Ever wonder who those top 10 reviewers on Amazon are? Ladies and gentlemen, meet Grady Harp, who has reviewed more than 3,500 books, movies and CDs for the giant online seller. In fact, he probably reviewed two books while you were reading this (way too) long blog post.

You might not have read 3,500 books, but you surely know some of the classic first lines of famous books. Or do you? Test your literary knowledge at this site.

What I'm thankful for ...
OK, so why the big focus on politics AND books this week? Because this is a huge week in the Distractions' household. If you've followed my blog at all, you know my wife's young adult novel As If Being 12¾ Isn't Bad Enough, My Mother is Running for President! hits the stores officially today (if you're reading this on Tuesday, Feb. 12). Check out her Web site or her blog Wild About Words, which has been active in advance of the launch date.

Here's a description of the book from the School Library Journal.

“Vanessa Rothrock is much like any girl her age. She studies hard for spelling bees, loves her best friend, hates P.E., frets about her flat chest, and has a crush on the most popular boy in school. In other ways, she is very unusual. Vanessa has a bodyguard and fan mail. And her mom has little time for her because she is the governor of Florida, running for president. Likewise, this book is much like others for this audience. It is written in friendly first person and teaches nice lessons about growing up. When Vanessa and the candidate receive death threats, the girl's concern for her mother's safety is tender and adds an exciting mystery and climax to an already compelling story. Readers learn about the political process and motivations of people who work in this milieu despite the considerable risks and sacrifices. Information is woven seamlessly into the narrative. Vanessa's mother runs on a Democratic ticket, and the book is clear about the issues that motivate her, particularly gun control.” —Amelia Jenkins, Juneau Public Library.

So this week I'm thankful for all the success that I know my wife is going to have with this book and the rest of her career. She has the talent. And she works really hard. She deserves all the success she gets.

So buy the book, be a Grady Harp and write a (positive) review.

Playlist 11 -- Picture This!

Those who may recall Playlist 8, when I mentioned Alison Bechdel's Fun House, know that I'm not a huge fan of the graphic novel format. I don't have anything against the medium. I've just never read them. Heck, I didn't even read many comic books as a kid. But, by pure coincidence, I found three that I had heard about at my local library a couple of weeks back. I breezed through all of them in a few days -- and they each wowed the heck out of me.

Jame's Sturm's America: God, Gold and Golems by James Sturm.
Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi.
Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return by Marjane Satrapi.

Let's start with Sturm's novel, broken into three distinct scenes -- a tent revival meeting in the early 1800s, a mining town in the late 19th century and a barnstorming Jewish baseball team in the 1920s. I can't really comment on the artwork other than to say that it changes slightly, and appropriately, with each story. These vignettes are charged with emotion. Sturm's text and drawings capture the faith and agony of the couple who show up in Kentucky with a dreadful secret. And you can sense the desparation and greed in the drawings of the mining town's hard-scrabble men. The best piece, though, is the third one, which follows the Stars of David, an all-Jewish baseball team that eventually aligns itself with a huckster and promoter.

While Sturm turns his eyes on American's history, Satrapi chronicles her life growing up in a Westernized, intellectual family in a turbulent Iran. First, it's the revolution, then the war with Iraq. The young Satrapi is sassy and pushed by her parents, and grandmother, to speak the truth. When they fear for her future, Satrapi's parents send her out of the country. The second book recounts her struggles to find herself and to live up to her family's expectations, before she finally returns to Iran. Both Perspepolis books capture the fear, confusion and frustration of living under a Fundamentalist regime. Not just a great graphic novel, but a great memoir.

These wonderful books have sparked my interest in graphic novels. And, as luck would have it, The USA Today column Pop Candy offers this list of the 25 Essential Graphic Novels. Persepolis makes the list (as did Fun House). Has anyone read any graphic novels on the Pop Candy list? Or any other ones you'd recommend?


Angels of Destruction and Can't Take it With You EP. Marah.
Been listening to a lot of loud music in the past couple weeks, starting with this new one from Marah, along with the band's 2007 EP. I think my favorite Philly band is struggling a little right now. These songs aren't bad. In fact, there are some good ones -- Hard Up, Coughing Up Blood and Wilderness. But Marah hasn't put together a consistent effort since 20,000 Streets Under the Sky. And Angels fails to rank with their other best efforts Kids in Philly and Let Cut the Crap and Hook up Later Tonight. Still, it's worth the few bucks it'll cost you to download it at eMusic.

Recently Pop Headwound reported that the band was going through some personnel changes on the eve of their European tour. There's no evidence of canceled gigs on their Web site, so the shows must be going on, albeit with a couple new members. Maybe, this is a good sign. Upheaval has led to the band's best work in the past.

In the Future. Black Mountain.
My favorite album of 2008 so far. This album is heavy. I've heard critics call it "stoner rock." but don't believe it. Yes, Black Mountain's songs evoke Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Blue Oyster Cult and even a little Emerson, Lake and Palmer. And they sing of witches and tyrants (and slog on with their nearly 17-minute epic Bright Lights). But this is not one long metalfest. This is a band with diverse influences and skills. Just listen to Angels (eMusic calls it reminscent of Neil Young), Evil Ways and Queens Will Play. A little bit retro? Hell yes. But it sure is a lot of fun.

Some other tunes I've been digging this past week ...
-- Do You Realize? The Flaming Lips. Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. Wayne Coyne is a wise, wise man.
-- Gemini Cusp and Thermal Treasure. Polvo. Today's Active Lifestyle. I'm still not sure what "math rock" means, but these guys do it really well.
-- Heavy Metal Drummer. Wilco. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Overheard this on my wife's computer (she was tuned to WXPN) and it brought a smile to my face.

Petty Thoughts on Super Bowl XLII

Back after a short hiatus from blogging. In fact, I've spent little time on the Web at all. This means I missed opportunities last week to comment on all the Super (Bowl and Tuesday) hype. In advance of the big game, I had planned to blog on Tom Petty's decision to perform at the Super Bowl halftime show.

I've been a fan of Tom and the Heartbreakers for many years now. I always love Petty's songwriting and the band's tightness. One of my favorite concert memories is seeing the band back up Bob Dylan in the mid-80s. But I most admired how Tom could maintain mainstream rock success while not being a pawn to corporate America.

You can see why his decision to play the Super Bowl concerned me. Also, let's face it, the Super Bowl halftime has produced some awful drek. Maybe this list or this list will refresh your memory.

I thought the band's performance was solid, though not great. The song selection was predictable -- I Won't Back Down, Running Down a Dream were obvious choices. I'm sure the NFL suggested them. I found it ironic that a show billed as Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers included three songs from Petty's first solo album (Free Falling was the other tune).

Controversy?
Still, my initial thought was: Nice job, Tom. I saw nothing problematic with the performance. The Heartbreakers didn't blow me away, but they were a nice diversion from watching two evil franchises playing the game. I didn't like the now-cliche group of mostly young bouncy women running to the stage at the start of the set, but overall, it was not an embarrassing performance. And that's what I feared.

I was shocked when I searched the Web this morning to find Petty embroiled in a very Ashlee Simpson-like controversy. Apparently, there are some people who think Tom was lip-syncing and that the band's four-song set was recorded earlier in the week.

Come on.

Really?

Look, I don't have the time, or desire, to watch the performance again. But I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. Tom wouldn't be the first to lip-sync, though. While Janet Jackson's lip-synch isn't shocking, there are rumors that Paul McCartney and ZZ Top both mailed it in, too. If Tom and the boys did the same, I'd be mighty disappointed.

In case you missed the performances, you can catch them, along with commentary on Stereogum. Let me know whether you think he's lip-syncing. The blog also shares that Tom Petty's age was the sixth most requested search on Google the next morning.

Ad-nauseum
So with little interest in seeing either team win, the only other thing to watch out for was the funny ads. But where were they? Maybe I missed something, but I didn't see one commercial that generated the next day "did you see that" water cooler conversation. There was nothing like these classics. Agree? Disagree?

I liked the eTrade ad with the baby on the Web cam, though it was a little creepy, however not as creepy as some of the ads on this disturbing, yet also hilarious, list.

What I'm thankful for ...
This week, I'm most thankful for family and friends. And for the end of the NFL season. It was a very disappointing one for us Philadelphia Eagles fans. My attention can now go to the off-season -- free agency and the draft.

And while on the E-A-G-L-E-S, I'm thankful for the fan who posted an open letter on Donovan McNabb's blog explaining how he (as well as me and most Eagles fans) appreciate McNabb's commitment and that we're not a bunch of louts booing him and pushing him out of town. McNabb, in his usual classy way, responded to the blog post.

Now, Mr. Reid, go out and get us some playmakers!

Get outta my way Rudy!

The I Don't Get It feature is on the disabled list. Instead, here is a midweek list of some random musings, headlines, links and other tidbits.

Damn you Rudy Guliani! Is it because I included you in inaugural I Don't Get It along with Hannah Montana? After 37 hours of not eating, I was looking forward to (salivating for is more like it) an egg sandwich and French fries at our local Too Jay's restaurant. When we got there, though, it was impossible to get in. The deli was packed with Young (and Old) Republicans. Turns out Too Jay's was one of Rudy's stops in his Florida blitz. I listened to Rudy for a few minutes, lost my appetite, then went to a different Too Jay's several miles away. Since he's basically ignored all the previous primary states, I expect to see a lot of Rudy here in South Florida over the next several days.

Did you know that my egg sandwich choice was healthier than a bran muffin? It's true, according to a recent article in Men's Health -- Health Foods That Aren't. But here's some even better news. According to WebMD's Healthy Foods for Brain Power, coffee is good for your brain!

But if you do go for the egg sandwich, make sure you hold the bacon. I'm not saying this because I'm a vegetarian. You don't want to accidentally eat one of the famous Pigs in Literature.

Annoying cell phone users
How about those self-centered people with cell phones who continue on with their conversations, regardless of the people around them? I've seen it a lot lately at the gym, people on the treadmill or elliptic machine gabbing away as if there is wasn't anybody right next to them. At the supermarket the other day, one woman held a full conversation as the cashier checked her out. Never said hello. Never said thank you. I find these people incredibly rude. Just shut up for a few minutes. Be a decent person. I don't want to hear about your medical appointments, your argument with your sister, or your plans for later that night. Check out the great blog Jew Eat Yet? where Jeff Tweedy's brother-in-law kvetched about this recently.

Where's my Ricky Watters jersey?
Patriots and Giants in the Super Bowl? I can't root for either team. I guess there's hope for the Eagles if the Giants, just 8-8 a year ago, are in the Super Bowl. I still think the Giants are not that much better than the Birds. And though I hate to say, they've played well for the last few weeks, particularly Eli Manning.

In the meantime ... Did you ever spend mucho bucks on a shirt of someone on your team, then a year later find him either cut, traded or gone via free agency. What happens to all those jerseys? People still wear them, apparently. Spot the jerseys at this very funny Web site.

What I'm thankful for ...
Oh, I got my egg sandwich (sans bacon) eventually at a GOP-free Too Jay's. But that wasn't all. I topped off with a wonderful dessert. This week, I'm extremely thankful for the Too Jay's Banana Dream with its chocolate chips and walnuts and chocolate icing over rich banana cream.

Playlist 10 -- You Shall Know Our Vasectomy!

The time spent in airports and hotels this past week allowed me to catch up a little on my reading. But before this week's Playlist, a little reminder: Don't be shy. Click the comment button. Let me know: What are you listening to? What are you reading?

Oxford American's 9th annual music issue.
As if attempting to complete your meal with supersize fries, several magazines provide readers with bonus CDs and/or DVDs to complement their content. I particularly enjoy two specific "literary" magazines that do this with their "music issues" -- The Believer and Oxford American. What makes Oxford's music issue stand out is that it doesn't just toss together a CD of indie rock or confessional songwriter types and call it a music issue. The issue carries the same well-written pieces this quarterly Southern magazine is known for. It delivers some of the artists you have heard about (Dwight Yoakam, Percy Mayfield and Thelonius Monk) along with a collection of long-lost nuggets from those artists who you may recall, but can't tell why. Or, quite frankly, you've never heard of. This wonderful mix tape isn't stuck in one genre or one era. Teddy Grace's jazzy blues of "Hey Lawdy Papa" from 1939 sits between Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks and that extremely nasty Betty Davis. But you don't just get the songs. You get the story behind the songs, and the artists -- the sad, addiction-riddled life of the powerful folk singer Karen Dalton as well as the rise and demise of the Parchment Prison Band. Great stories that fill these otherwise unknown songs with life and passion. And there are other great articles, ranging from a tale of Dylan's recording of Blonde on Blonde to this piece on the "blog band of the moment" culture of indie rock.

Upcoming music releases to look forward to ...
So who is the blog band of the moment? It appears to be Vampire Weekend, who are all over the blogs and, now the mainstream like the St. Paul Pioneer Press list of 5 bands to watch. (Note, you have to register for free to read the Pioneer Press article)
I guess if they're in the newspapers, they're so over now. Truth is, Vampire Weekend's blend of African- and classical-influenced pop is very catchy and comes with the Distractions' seal of approval (based on their Mansard Roof EP). In the blog buzz, the comparison they most often get is to Graceland-era Paul Simon. Definitely check out their self-titled album when it drops on January 29.

I'm also looking forward to the soon-to-be-released heavy riffs of Black Mountain and the heartful, Cat Power sound-alike Thao Nguyen. You can hear some of Thao's music here.

And a final interesting music-related read before we move on ... Can you really trust a list of 120 essential pop albums when Beyonce and Ghostface Killa are on the first page? Maybe. There are some otherwise interesting choices in the Telegraph's list.


You Shall Know Our Velocity! By David Eggers.
I'm making my way through the David Eggers' catalog backwards and hope to eventually get to his one book that everyone has already read -- A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. Though I haven't read all his books, I'm a huge Eggers fan. His McSweeney's publishes some terrific books and magazines and a kick-ass Web site. YSKOV is a modern tale that has a classic feel to it. The characters are trying to give away $32,000 in a week while traveling around the world. Sounds easy, but not for our characters, particularly Will who can't get rid of the pain, voices and little librarians in his head. It's a book that moves at a fast pace, as the boys jaunt from to places like Senegal and Estonia, but also stands still. The book opens with ....
Everything within takes place after Jack dies and before my mom and I drowned in a burning ferry in the cool tannin-tinted Guaviare River in East Central Colombia with forty-two locals we hadn't yet met.

Makes No "Diferentia" to Me
Or Pour the Coffee, Pass the Eggs, Let's Read About My Vasectomy
Since Distractions has a smaller circulation (I'm just guessing here) than the Palm Beach Post's 200,000+ (on Sundays), I think it's safe to share. I'm married to a writer, an incredibly gifted writer. But living with a writer means that your life, warts and all, is sometimes shared in print. Our attempts to kill bugs, clean the house, raise two boys, etc. have been great fodder for wonderful articles by my wife. But when she asked me: Can I write about your vasectomy. I said sure, but where's the humor in this horrific event? I asked just one thing. Leave my name out. So my wife did that, referring to me throughout the article as "Hubby," which would've been great if the editor didn't decide to "out" me in a PHOTO and caption on the article, which ran on the front page of the newspaper's Sunday Accent section! At least the online version leaves out the photo.

Scrimshaw and Acme Pale Ale
Both of these beers from the North Shore Brewing Company are light-tasting, refreshing beers that I highly recommended. Scrimshaw, a Pilsner, in particular, has a very subtle, yet rewarding, taste. Good stuff!

And, finally, some songs I've been digging this past week.
-- Walk Where He Walked, Golden Smog, Down by the old Mainstream. Super song, underrated super group.
-- Suite for 20 G, James Taylor, Sweet Baby James. It has folky guitar, soulful horns, call-outs to the various instruments, basically summing up 70s soft rock in one song (and it's on the quintessential soft rock album).
-- Psychotic Reaction (live), Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Playback. Drummer Stan Lynch takes over vocals on this Yardbirds-sounding tune .
-- Anti-Love Song, Betty Davis, Betty Davis (and the Oxford American music issue CD). Miles' former wife put out two classic funky rocking albums in the 70s, then disappeared to Pittsburgh. I hate to repeat my adjectives, but this stuff is Nasty -- capital N.

Playlist 9 -- Trivia, Heads, Ween, 1908

In honor of the top item on this week's playlist, I'm footnoting several trivia tests throughout the blog. You can find the answers at the end.

Brainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs by Ken Jennings.
This book, published in 2006, follows the Jeopardy champ's long run on the show, which would be fascinating in and of itself. But Jennings also gives a history of trivia and the interesting characters who build their world around it. There's the early radio quiz shows and the Canadians who created Trivial Pursuit, which leads to the sad story of Fred Worth (1). And Jennings fills the book with the trivia nuggets that are footnoted throughout the book -- with answers at the end of each chapter (Hence the reason for this week's post footnotes). A fun, captivating read. Jennings is a very good writer, has a keen wit and never takes himself too seriously. I look forward to his trivia almanac, which should arrive in stores next week.

If you liked this book, here are some other things you may enjoy.

-- Ken Jennings blog.
--Word Freak: Heartbreak, Triumph, Genius, and Obsession in the World of Competitive ScrabblePlayers by Stefan Fatsis.
--The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World by A.J. Jacobs.

Sedano Show Blog -- Politicians and Athletes.
So, have you wondered which athletes the current slate of presidential candidates are most like? Of course not. But Jorge Sedano, host of a sports talk show on Miami's 790 AM has. And he blogged about it in his latest post. Very interesting. Probably the only time the names John McCain and Allen Iverson will ever reside in the same sentence. A couple dead-on selections -- Huckabee as Kurt Warner and Hillary as Alex Rodriguez. Here's my suggestion. (Note. Although I say this, you need to know that I have a lot of respect for Dennis Kucinich, so while it's a cheap shot, it's one done with love). Anyway, how about Dennis Kucinich as Eddie Gaedel? (2)

The Name of this Band is Talking Heads. Talking Heads.
I'm not a big fan of live albums. But this one is a killer. It covers two specific time periods 77-79 and 80-81, an era that I consider the band's peak -- before Jonathan Demme, big suits and heavy MTV video rotation. In fact, if you only have one Talking Heads album, I suggest that this one be it. It captures the vibrancy, funkiness and, yes, weirdness that doesn't reveal itself as much on their studio albums. The second disc, covering the later period, has an expanded band, which includes the inventive Adrian Belew on guitar.

La Cucaracha. Ween.
Speaking of weirdness. Just like the Ween boys themselves, this CD, their first in a few years, is all over the map. Gene and Dean go from the mariachi garage rock of "Fiesta" to the smooth jazz/R&B vibe of "Your Party." But the album's high point is the 10-minute epic "Woman and Man" that builds into a jam that sounds right off of Santana's first album, which has that memorable title.(3) And it all comes with Ween's craziness and sophomoric humor. Don't take it from me -- even the Lord listed it as his 12th favorite album of the year. [FYI -- Don't click the previous link or listen to La Cucaracha if you're easily offended.]

Other songs I was digging this past week ...
-- The Treasure (Take One), Stephen Stills, Manassas. Stephen and the band rock on this song.
-- Cloudscape, Phillip Glass, Koyaanisqatsi. I don't know why, but this haunted me this past week.
-- Won't Be Home, Rhett Miller, At the Fez 2001 (bootleg). Rhett Miller is a great songwriter, love hearing the Old 97s tunes stripped down.
--Anyone Else But You, Moldy Peaches, Moldy Peaches. The original version of the catchy tune all over the movie Juno.

Smithsonian Magazine article on "1908."
Want to know how fascinating 1908 was? It started with the first ever ball-drop in Times Square. The Wright brothers made major advancements in flying. Adm. Robert Peary set out for the North Pole, while some other guy(4) claimed to have already reached it. Disposable razors and vacuum cleaners made their debuts. The telegraph hinted at a future of wireless communication. In a 14-month voyage, the Navy showed its might, but made friends around the world at the same time. All of this is captured in Jim Rasenberger's engaging article.

FYI -- You need to get the January issue to read the article. The link only goes to a Web piece about the article, but interesting nonetheless.

One final note
A big thank you for the reminders about some books that I accidentally left off my list of favorites read in 2007. The list has been updated.

1. Fred Worth wrote numerous trivia books and sued the makers of Trivial Pursuit. Even though almost 30% of the questions in the original board game came from Worth's books, he lost his suit. Read Jennings' book to find out how "Philip Columbo" played a role in this story.
2. Eddie Gaedel was the dwarf who was famous for his one plate appearance in a major league baseball game in 1951. What was his number? You'll have to read this week's Wikipedia link to find out.
3. Easy one. Santana's first album was named "Santana."
4. Dr. Frederick Cook claimed to reach the North Pole before Adm. Robert Peary.

Playlist 8 -- Juno, Simpsons, Rollie, Gong

For the first time in ages (thanks to all the holiday days off), I got to the movie theatre and took time to watch a movie at home. Both were excellent and lead off this week's Playlist, which also includes a couple Web sites, a crazy old space rock band and an exciting basketball game.


The Simpsons Movie. I wondered if this would be a jumping the shark moment for Homer and the gang, which they've avoided so well for 20+ years. But not to worry. This is more than just an extended TV show. Hilarious movie that, like the show, gets in a lot of little jabs at "the man" and the general hypocrisy of our society. Oh, and Bart goes full monty on us.

Juno. Yep, I was at a real movie theater -- and not just to drop my kids off. I was hoping to see No Country for Old Men, but with teen-ager (and fellow Arrested Development fan) in tow, we decided on this quirky, well-written movie. First off, the movie avoids all the usual stereotypes. The characters have depth. And it shows how a girl who isn't sure "what kind of girl she is" maturely faces all the challenges ahead of her. And it's damn funny. I see Oscar nominations in its future, at the very least for screenwriting.

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel. This memoir by the Dykes to Watch Out For cartoonist was my first graphic novel. Bechdel covers her childhood and coming of age as a lesbian, but the book mostly deals with her father's dark secret (he was bisexual and had a thing for boys). This was certainly interesting and an easy read, but ultimately I found it a bit too depressing. I found myself breezing over all the literary references. (Remember, I am only the writer of a junior high school level blog).

Tacky Christmas Yards -- the Blog. Those of you who remember I Don't Get It 2 know I love Christmas decorations only if they're done tastefully. But thanks to inflatables, everywhere is looking a lot like a White (Trash) Christmas. Just this week, I found this blog devoted to pictures of tacky Christmas yards -- along with the author's lists of violations. So if you've put away your Christmas decorations, stop on over and start making plans for next year.

Search for D.B. Cooper. It's been 36 years since Dan Cooper parachuted out of a hijacked airplane with $200,000 in cash. The FBI wants to know if you can have any information on where to find him.

Gong. Best of Gong. I was jonezin' for some prog rock and I found this band I had never heard of before -- and I know my 60s/70s music pretty well. It's pretty crazy -- parts pre-Phil Collins Genesis, a little early Floyd, dashes of Zappa and the Mothers, and a pinch of Spinal Tap (only because they did a trilogy of albums based on the adventures of space traveler Zero the Hero and wrote numerous songs about gnomes). Gong has survived for more than 30 years with rotating musician and the band naming changing to Mothergong, Gongzilla, Planet Gong ...

Bethel College 95, Northwood 94. After running into the Bethel team the night before at Sweet Tomatoes, I decided to take my younger son to see a college basketball game -- not NCAA, but NAIA. Didn't matter. These guys were good. We started rooting for our local team Northwood -- coached by Rollie Massimino -- as they built up a 26-point lead. But we couldn't help cheering on Bethel as they scrapped their way back to a 92-92 tie before winning it with three William Walker free throws in the last 11 seconds. And all this for a total of -- $8 ($3 for children, $5 for adults).

And why Chester Arthur on the link this week? It's about time ol' Chester, our 21st president, got some love. We need politicians who can bravely stand up against the hands feeding them for the good of the people, as Arthur did when he championed civil service reform.