Why would anybody go on The Bachelorette? Let Duke grad Ben Sands explain it to our alumni mag. He comes off like a good guy in this article, though I never watched a single episode of the series*.

His best quote: "While I gave the decision a lot of thought, in the end it came down to a simple rationalization: I aspire to lead an interesting life, and this experience qualified." A good rationale one could use for a good many experiences.

*Don't think I'm taking the high-culture high ground here. I've got my TiVo set for Real World: Austin tonight. I aspire to watch people on TV who lead interesting lives. That means you, Nehemia.

So - think for a minute - who could possibly be last years highest paid Australian entertainer? Nicole Kidman? Or Russell Crowe perhaps? Or how about Mel Gibson? Well, according to Parade Magazine, it's none of those because the answer is....

Having decided I'm NOT a celebrity who's privacy they have to worry about, Cafepress have reinstated all the items in our store bearing the Scaramouch photograph, including the ever popular “Scaramouch After Dark” pillow. Shop till you drop.

http://www.14to42.net is a photo collection of old advertisements of the sides of buildings in NY. The photographer also has details about the buildings and the companies advertised.

The original sign included a chain and lock that wrapped around the vent pipe and appeared to secure the bicycle to the pipe. Life magazine printed a photo of the wall in the Oct. 6,1972 issue and it was used on the cover of Parsons catalogue in 1974.

Where were we on this one? Get your "Don't Shoot! I'm Not Brazilian" t-shirt here.

I'm sure many of you have heard of shop dropping (Hell, Scaramouch may have posted about it already) Renegade public art where artists "deposit" something in a store instead of "lifting" it. The Mussolini action figure was an example of this. Anyway it's made CNN already, and AdJab thinks that advertisers will soon start using the tactic.

How long before YesBut Creamed Corn and Evil Rich's Refried Beans hit the shelves?

In many fields, the expectations game works. If critics aren't expecting a great movie, they can't be disappointed. In debates, politicians are often judged not against one another, but against expectations of themselves. Even blog entries can set the bar low in a self-deprecating opening line.

But this game doesn't work for space travel. Why has NASA been going around telling everybody about a faulty sensor in the fuel tank? And why do they seem OK to launch without it? I have no idea what a sensor is or does, but I wouldn't feel comfortable blasting off into space when anything isn't functioning.

These quotes from Discovery vehicle manager Scott Thurston don't inspire confidence (from CNN):

"That's like trying to predict lightning -- you know it's going to strike, you just don't know where."

Some of the work the engineers have done -- including redoing the grounding -- "should help with the issue, if that was the issue."

"We're two-failure tolerant."

I don't think another shuttle crash would somehow seem more acceptable because expectations were managed.

Outdoor Fun...

5) The ultimate pool gadget. Check your lap time by looking through your glasses.
4) Know someone going on a trip? These passport covers make a cool gift.
3) Have your morning coffee on the porch with a weird little friend.
2) Got a pool? Want to put a bar in the middle of it?
1) And finally...I have died and gone to couch potato heaven - the Sun TV.

Bernard Goldberg has written a book called 100 People who are Screwing up America. check out the top 10:

10. Ralph Neas, president of People for the American Way
9. Jonathan Kozol, education scholar and author
8. Paul Krugman, columnist at The New York Times
7. Margaret Marshall, chief justice, Massachusetts state Supreme Court
6. Jimmy Carter, former Democratic president
5. Anthony Romero, American Civil Liberties Union's executive director
4. Jesse Jackson, Democratic African-American activist
3. Ted Kennedy, Democratic U.S. senator, Massachusetts
2. Arthur Sulzberger, publisher of The New York Times
1. Michael Moore, filmmaker

Two fun facts...Bernard says these are the people who, among other things "have made America a nastier place than it ought to be". Interestingly enough, here is an interview Bernard gave to the National Review. Within the article, you will notice Bernard tells the interviewer he would like to strangle him.

Within the same interview, he mentions Michael Moore is number one on his list partly because of statements he's made like "Americans are possibly the dumbest people on the planet". Dig deeper on Bernard's hit list and you'll find Matt Kunitz, the creator of Fear Factor. So much irony, so little time to report on it.