Lincolnite

Downtown hotel plan hits snag How this is handled will say a lot about our community. For my part I may contact the business and land owners to offer my research services to help them battle any potential abuses of eminent domain. I really want to help them, but current "life circumstances" may prevent me from doing as much as I would like.

Some people think the United States is run by a giant, sinister government that sees everything you do and knows everything about you. This hypothetical government is capable of just about anything. To them I say: yeah right. (All joking aside, this is rather disturbing news.)

Kudos to FoxNews for the creative name of the link to this story: SpongeBob GayPants?

Hey kids, learn to clean up after a tsunami the FEMA way!

Am I the only one who thinks this Reuters headline's double meaning isn't an accident? Bush Begins New Term, Vows to End Tyranny

Among the many proposed economic development drivers being promoted right now in Lincoln, a new convention center is one of the most publicized and praised. Indeed, Lincoln's current major convention facility, Pershing Center, is a steaming pile of poo compared to many of the newest convention and entertainment facilities in the country. (Compare to Qwest Center in Omaha, for example.) But let's not fool ourselves and think that if we build it, they -- people with overflowing wallets, that is -- will come. As The Brookings Institution notes, nothing is certain when convention centers drive economic development strategy.

Daisy loves pig ears.* There are now dozens of tiny little chunks of pig carcass scattered throughout the house. Yum. *For those of you who don't have pets, pig ears are exactly that: dried (and sometimes seasoned) pig's ears sold at outrageous prices to dog owners who, for whatever irrational reason, love to spoil their dogs.

I stumbled across Skywave Radio today. It's a quirky little station out of Brighton, UK. They seem to play a mix of pop and lite punk. If you have Winamp or another program capability of playing streaming internet radio, check it out.

I hope you all are getting a chance to enjoy this beautiful day. Could there possibly be a more iconic winter day? It's cold, there's a fresh blanket of snow, and the skies are sunny and clear. Fantastic. The only thing I can possibly find wrong with today is that the snow is way too dry to build a snowman. But that fact made it a heckuva lot easier to shovel, so there's no way you're going to hear me complain. Daisy is enjoying the day by laying in the sun that is pouring into the kitchen. The missus is out braving the Saturday crowds at Hy-Vee. And me? I'm sitting at the computer gazing out the window rather than getting any work done.

I upgraded the system to Expression Engine 1.2.1 today. Post comments here if you notice any new wonky behavior. (Excepting, of course, expected wonky behavior from the fact that the site is still in an alpha stage.)

Do you absolutely hate Fox News? Well now there's a solution! I am torn between (1) thinking this is yet another example of just how lame partisans can be; and (2) thinking this is yet another example of just how creative a really dedicated group of individuals can be. I'm actually leaning toward 2... Still, I can't help but wonder: Shouldn't the anti-Fox types be out hugging trees, saving whales, or protesting the fact that some imprisoned terrorist had to suffer through regular Cheerios with 2% milk this morning, rather than the Honey Nut Cheerios and skim milk he requested?

You may notice that I finally added search capabilities and a member login form to the column on the right. Neither is very pretty right now, but I'm trying to work on function before form. Also, there still isn't a way for people to become a website member without my intervention. I'll get there ... eventually. This upcoming three-day weekend will give me an opportunity to get some stuff done on the website. I hope.

The Missus and I ate at The Oven last night. I'm not typically the Indian food type, so I wasn't all that enthusiastic about going. The Missus, on the other hand, was adamant. So we went. Gotta maintain a happy home life, y'know? I'm glad we went. For one thing, my chicken tikka mahkani was very tasty. But beyond the food, The Oven has a nice atmosphere. And it is always good to see a local restaurant succeed. One of these days I will get around to writing a review of The Oven in Eat Lincoln. One of these days.

After 5 long years, the new dietary guidelines for the country were released today. Fruits and dark green vegetables are good. As is looking to fish and beans for protein. Avoid deep fried and sugar-laden products, and try and exercise every now and then. Truly earth-shattering. Anyway, I'm still waiting for the revised pyramid thing.

I could use some help understanding all the furor over the Randy Moss "Moongate" incident up in Cheeseheadland. What's the big deal? He didn't actually drop trou. The act was relevant (Packers fans are prone to mooning the opposing team's bus). Relative to much of what professional athletes get away with, a faux-mooning seems pretty tame. Drugs and violence are OK, but mime mooning is beyond the pale? Obviously I don't know what the hell I'm talking about because pretty much every commentator and columnist thinks Moss should be flayed, flambeed, and fed to the sharks. Can anybody shed light on this for me? [update]Moss has been fined $10,000 for his actions.[/update]