Keywords by David Yonke

Check out this amusing video on YouTube. I don't know how I came across it but I was looking for something about U2 and this popped up. Amazing editing job.
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Last night was my daughter Dana and her husband Matt's 1-year anniversary. We went over to their house for dinner, along with the rest of the extended family, and then watched a video of the wedding. (The happy couple are going to Chicago for the Labor Day weekend to celebrate their anniversary, otherwise they would have celebrated by themselves last night, Dana informed me.)
It's amazing that a year has passed already. The video was great, extremely well done by a real pro, Ron Matanick of Toledo.
It's hard for me to watch myself on video but I guess the cameras do not lie, right? I got to watch my stint with the band, playing guitar at the reception on a couple of songs including "Margaritaville," which my pastor loves to remind me of ... all in good fun (I think). I had a blast.
The Jimmy Buffett tune is not the most spiritual choice of songs, but it's one of the few that I know how to play ;-)
Going to Matt & Dana's, I missed the opening night of the Democratic National Convention and Michelle Obama's speech, and I also missed the Nine Inch Nails concert in Toledo.
Kind of an odd combination of misses.
I'm not a fan of NIN but that group puts on an amazing show, one of the most expensive and elaborate productions you'll ever see. You've got to give credit where credit is due. And my friend John is the promoter so whenever he's in town I enjoy hanging out with him backstage.
Trent Reznor, the band's lead singer, was supposed to do an interview with me but he blew it off. I know his voice is raw and he needs to rest it but I sent him questions by email, so he could have typed out his answers if he truly cared about selling tickets and promoting his own show. I guess the word on the street about him is true, he's a bit of a pompous jerk. I don't usually believe the gossip because I've found firsthand that it's often wrong, but this could be a case where it's right.
Not that I care personally about interviewing Reznor, but his failure to come through made it a hassle to write an article in advance of the show. The interview was on, then off, then on, then off. I waited 'til the absolute last minute and when he didn't write or call I had to scramble to come up with something interesting and then stayed up writing 'til the wee hours of the morning.
I write music articles for fun and to make a little extra money in these tough economic times. But the NIN scenario was a royal pain and not worth the time or money. I did the best I could, however, with what I had. Here's the preview article.
As an example of the kind of guy Reznor is, he recorded one of his albums in the L.A. house where Manson's followers murdered Sharon Tate. Then he called the studio "Le Pig," mocking the words scrawled on the Tate mansion wall in blood. Great sense of humor, huh?
When he moved to New Orleans, he moved into a former funeral home. The guy apparently has a death fetish.
Rod Lockwood reviewed last night's concert. Here's a link.
Note that he said there were about 3,000 people at the show. This is a group that used to sell out 20,000-seat arenas. Nine Inch Nails is getting a bit rust-covered.
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Sylvania, Ohio
August 26, 2008

Here are a few notable quotes from Nobel Prize winners...

* Werner Heisenberg, the inventor of the Uncertainty Principle in quantum mechanics, composed this epitaph for his tombstone: “He lies here, somewhere.”
* Al Gore, 2007 Nobel Peace Prize winner: “The future will be better tomorrow.”
* Niels Bohr, 1922 Nobel Prize in Physics winner, explaining why he had a horseshoe above his door: “I certainly do not believe in superstition. But you know, they say it does bring luck even if you don’t believe in it!”

-- From David Pratt's book The Impossible Takes Longer; The 1,000 Wisest Things Ever Said By Nobel Prize Laureates (Walker & Company, 2007)

1. The Large Hadron Collider Rap, by Michigan State graduate and science writer Kate McAlpine. Check it out here.

2. Skinny white French teen Matt Rach playing incredible Jimi Hendrix riffs in his bedroom. Click here.

3. Furniture salesman rapper.

4. My daughter Lisa playing Fergie in a terrific church version of "Glamorous" with a message -- keep an eye out for the senior pastor, the Rev. Jeremy DeWeerdt, as the blonde haired rapper in an oversized jacket. Click here.

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Sylvania, OH
Sept. 8, 2008

The Rev. Joe Wingo, founder of Angel Food Ministries, gave a talk last night about his group that provides groceries at reduced prices for needy families -- starting as a small program run out of his house to now feeding 500,000 families nationwide every month.
He said that when he was a teenager with long hair, he asked his dad if he could use the car. His father said yes, if he got a haircut. When Joe responded that Jesus had long hair, his father replied: "Yes, and he walked everywhere he went."
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Washington, D.C.
Sept. 20, 2008

By Andy Borowitz

In their latest bid to beef up their pitching rotation for the 2009
season, the New York Yankees today signed Iraqi journalist Muntadar
al-Zeidi to a three-year deal worth $32 million.

The right-handed al-Zeidi, 28, impressed the Yankee scouts with his
performance in Baghdad yesterday when he threw both of his shoes at
President George W. Bush.

While neither of the shoes hit their target, both throws "had great
velocity and good movement," said Yankee owner Hank Steinbrenner.

"The first shoe was high and outside but the second one was right down
the middle," Mr. Steinbrenner said.

The Yankee boss said that he was also impressed with Mr. al-Zeidi's
fighting spirit when Secret Service agents tackled him.

"That could come in handy when we have a series with Boston," he said.

(Andy Borowitz is a comedian and writer whose work appears in The New
Yorker.)

Thanks to John Gibbs Rockwood for bringing this to my attention. I'm only sorry that the Indians didn't get him!

From David Letterman's book of Top Ten Lists:

Top Ten Signs You're in an Unsafe Airport

10. Parking lot has sign: NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR CARS DAMAGED BY FALLING AIRCRAFT.

9. Machines sell insurance just for your time in the airport.

8. You see a limo driver holding up a sign: AVOWED TERRORIST.

7. Mary Jo Buttafuoco walks through metal detector without her bullet setting it off.

6. The ground crew is bringing the jet fuel to the plane in their cupped hands.

5. At check-in, agent reminds you you're limited to two carry-on explosives.

4. Runways have passing lanes.

3. As you board plane, gate attendant says, 'You poor s.o.b."

2. Cheering crowd has gathered in lounge around a pilot doing ten shots of Stoli in a row.

... and the No. 1 sign you are in an unsafe airport...

1. Hijackers are allowed to preboard.

(I'm going to miss my daily New Yorker cartoon catalogue. I should get a new one for 2009).