2006 winner

OK, so this post about bands of the '80s was my most popular post last year.




I'm guessing that it's the most popular, because there were 11 commments. And that's what makes blogs great...comments. Don't be shy.

Ze Frank

If you haven't watched Ze Frank, you're in for a treat. Here he is on the state of the union address.

And don't just skip it because it's about politics. Watch it because the guy is funny and has great expressions.

He's one of a growing number of people that are using do-it-yourself video to broadcast their own voice.

Pure inspiration

A year ago Pulitzer prize-winning humor columnist Art Buchwald checked himself into a hospice to die. But it didn't work out, because he didn't die.

So he went home and re-launched his legendary Washington Post column and wrote a book about almost dying called "Too Soon to Say Goodbye."

As the Washington Post has said, "For most people, dying is a milestone. For Buchwald, it was fresh material."

Buchwald finally succumbed to kidney failure last week on January 17th. A few minutes after his death, The New York Times launched this video that begins, "Hi, I'm Art Buchwald, and I just died."



The whole video is worth watching. But as for the big questions in life, Buchwald says the biggest question of all is not "Where are you are going?" Instead, it's "What are we doing here in the first place?"

At the end of his life he still wasn't sure of the answer to that question. But his best guess was that he was put on this earth to make people laugh. "If you can make people laugh, you get all the love you want."

His biggest regret? He never made Richard Nixon's enemy list. And he tried. Hard.

Life is insane. We get old. Our health suffers. It's tragic and full of unknowns. There are no guarantees. But life is also fascinating, a great adventure, hysterically funny, unspeakably beautiful and an incredible privilege.

I don't know exactly what I'm supposed to be doing here on earth. But whatever it is, I want to do it with the same joie de vivre as Art Buchwald.

Cousins

We had this portrait made as a surprise for Mombo and Pops for Christmas. You would not believe the level of organization and luck we had getting all 13 grandchildren to show up at the portrait studio on the same day and in the same city. It came out GREAT.

We need a uniter

I don't want to look backwards. I don't want to hear from a politician that continues to divide us and blame the other side...no matter how much each side deserves the blame.

We need a great uniter. A real leader. A person that does not speak or respond in a manner that fans the flames of our hatred and our fears. We need a genuine human being who will bring us together and rebuild our faith in ourselves and our freedoms and our place in the world.

I don't want to go back to the same old politicians, no matter how much they may deserve to move up the ladder. It's time to move on.

That's why I'm really excited about Barack Obama's announcement today.

Pick the true leader

More troops

Evolution of Dance

I know YouTube hasn't been around that long, but this one is already and oldie but goodie from YouTube. If you haven't seen it yet, have turn up the sound and have fun!

Neighborhood Par-tay

We threw a spur-of-the-moment party on New Year's Eve eve. As you can see, we didn't have any fun at all. Click the picture to see it larger...don't we look festive?

Betsey gets the award for best shoes.

Robin, Ian and Ryan came for the weekend. Robin and Ryan made Robin's famous pizza.

Drew had a ball getting out all the old toys - hot wheels, wooden swords, sleds, you name it - for Ryan and he to play with. Ah...just like old times.

Oh, and Ryan looks JUST like Ian. which you could easily see if Ian were looking up and wielding a wooden sword in this picure. We lucked out on this visit. Ian did not make kippers for breakfast on any of the days he was here.

Now it all makes sense