• Fergie is on the cover, reminding us of the unfortunate and sexist pattern evident in the covers of Rolling Stone. Men are normally pictures on RS from the shoulders up, looking generally wise and awesome. Women on the cover of the Rolling Stone are pictured in a wider shot that generally backs out far enough to include the crotch. These women don't wear much, and there's really no doubt left in your mind that these are intended to be objects of sexual desire. C'mon, RS, what is up with this?
• "The Hot List" - a little column that is a staple of Rolling Stone and normally provides a quick summary of things that RS thinks are cool and current - takes up a full page and is entirely about someone whose only reason for fame is that she's the most popular girl on Myspace. She has the most Myspace friends. For real, that is why she is in this magazine.
• A huge section in the middle of former "hot" RS covers, indended to drive home the point that, as Klake says, "girls are meat."

I am glad I didn't plunk down the $100 to have them send me this stuff for the rest of my life. That would be like paying good money for herpes simplex.

In the background, behind me and my lovely wife, you can see a front-load washing machine with some suds and textiles inside. It is washing the guest sheets. We had some friends over on Homecoming Weekend and it rocked verrily. We all went downtown to see Guster play for free in front of the Old Capitol building and they were superb. I got to the full "concert" experience: a neat band, drunk youngsters, and occasional pot smell from nearby concert goers who apparently are not enjoying a cigarette. Pot is a troublesome thing at concerts because sometimes you walk through someone's pot cloud and then the current song - whatever it is - sounds like Pink Floyd's "Interstellar Overdrive". Yes, I kid you.

What's that sticking in through the window? That appears to be a tuba. While we were killing time at the Dublin Underground bar before the concert, the U of Iowa alumni band came in and played for beer. Did you know I know all the words to the Iowa Fight Song? This is true. Let's go Hawks.

On a shelf in the corner is a ukulele. Man, that thing is fun to play with. I am looking to spend 15 to 20 bucks on an electronic device with which to tune my uke. Any suggestions? I would like to be able to try this out before I buy it.

Did you know that poetry is an enjoyable thing? The key is to try reading it aloud. That's the Norton Anthology of Poetry back there on the mantle, next to the clock.