Not all company towns are horror stories. In the wake of Zaha Hadid winning the Pritzker Architecture Prize, a lot of attention has fallen on her few designs that have actually been built. As a matter of fact, up until five years ago, the only Hadid design that had been built was the fire station that she designed for the Swiss furniture maker vitra.

In 1981, a major fire destoyed most of vitra's manufacturing plant. In the aftermath of the fire, vitra hired Nicholas Grimshaw to design a a new manufacturing hall that would be as well designed as the products being built in it. Following the completion of the new hall, vitra hired Grimshaw to design a master plan for the vitra complex. As a result, the vitra manufacturing complex in the German city of Weil am Rhein is studded with buildings designed by Frank Gehry, Tadao Ando, Hadid and Alvaro Siza.

If you can't make it to Basel to see great corporate architecture, stop by Columbus, IN. Columbus, a city of 39,000 midway between Indianapolis and Louisville, is the home of Cummins, Inc.. Cummins manufactures engines, primarily engines for electrical generators and the like. One of the missions of its foundation is to serve and improve the communities in which Cummins does business and a visible way that Cummins has done this in Columbus is through architecture.

In addition to impressive corporate structures designed by the likes of Kevin Roche, the Cummins Foundation has also supported the building of impressive public buildings like the post office (also by Roche), the city hall, the Cesar Pelli-designed Commons and buildings by Eero and Eliel Saarinen.

Madison skywalk offends Cesar Pelli.

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Saturday, March 20th ñ In Madrid. The first day after a trans-Atlantic flight is always more about sleep than actual sight-seeing. Nonetheless, we did manage to get a bit done. We purchased soccer tickets for Atletico Madrid, the ìotherî Madrid team. I suppose they are a bit like the Mets ñ occasionally good, often bad, and completely overshadowed by their cross-town rival, Real Madrid. The game itself was a game where the home team thoroughly outplayed their opponent (Real Betis), but still managed to only win 2 ñ 1. During the game, a section of the stadium was dedicated to a memorial to the March 11th victims. At various times, people would bring in various protest banners, with slogans like ìYour war, our deathî. I donít know whether I believe that sentiment is naÔve or wise. We saw several other street (particularly at the Atoche train station, but also elsewhere) memorials to March 11th.

Sunday, March 21st ñ Went to the local flea market. In the end, the highlight of the shopping trip was chocolate con churros. The Spanish do know how to make good hot chocolate. We ended up eating chocolate con churros three times on the trip. Wanted to buy plantnerd a nice silver ring with an enormous cobra. For some reason, she didnít want it. Afternoon was spent in the Reina Sofia museum (home of Picassoís La Guernica, a painting which I donít find terribly impressive in person). We also went to the park and visited the Madrid Botanical Gardens. The evening was spent consuming incredible quantities of meat at a Uruguayan restaurant.

Monday, March 22nd ñ Took the train to Cordoba and saw the Mezquita. A truly interesting building (mosque turned into a cathedral). While mosques turned into cathedrals was a common theme in Andulusia, this particular mosque manage to retain much of its Moorish character. In the end, Cordoba was probably my least favorite of the 3 big tourist cities in Andulusia (Cordoba, Seville, and Granada).

Tuesday, March 23rd ñ Went to Seville. This is a fairly large city and didnít have any old European feel. Still, it is the location of the Alcazaba, a fairly impressive palace started by the Moors and added onto by the Christian kings. Parts of it are still used as a royal residence. Seville also has a large cathedral (the 3rd largest in Europe by some measures). It is not particularly impressive, except for the sheer amount of square footage. Well, maybe thatís not fair, but I do find the major German cathedrals more impressive.

Wednesday, March 24th ñ Went to Granada. Granada is home to the Alhambra, a fairly incredible old fortress and palace that was home to the last Moorish leader before the reconquest was completed in the 15th century. The palace, in particular, is an amazing piece of architecture.

Thursday, March 25th ñ Largely a day of rest, though we did visit the small town of Ist·n. Ist·n is remarkable for itís location (in a small valley in the mountains just 15 kilometers from the coast) and compactness. Despite itís closeness to the Costa del Sol, it appears that it does not attract many tourists (they have created their own postcards, so it isnít completely devoid of tourism). There isnít anything specific to see, but it is a beautiful example of a small mountain village.

Friday, March 26th ñ Went to Ronda, home of modern bullfighting. While the bullring is interesting, the town itself is more interesting. The old part of the town is split by a large gorge, making the geography quite unique. Due to the wide variety of things to see, Ronda is a nice place to go. Nearby are the Roman ruins of Acinipo. There isnít a great deal to see there (except for a partially restored Roman theater that apparently was too big for the local farmers to cart off), but it is still a nice setting. That night it was back to Madrid, where we made our only real food ordering mistake. There were many times when we ordered items without really understanding what we were getting (though we did manage to avoid the tripe), but the sweetbreads of lamb was a bit over the top. Of course we knowingly ordered the partridge. I would recommend that you skip both the sweetbreads (tastes too much like liver) and the partridge (simply uninteresting).

Saturday, March 27th ñ On Saturday, our luck with spectacular weather came to an end, as it snowed and rained in the morning. When we looked at the forecast, we saw 50s, 60s, and 70s, so the snow was a bit of an unpleasant shock. I guess that demonstrates the deficiencies of using 5 day forecasts before a 9 day trip. The highlight of the day was a trip to the Prado. The Prado is probably my second favorite art museum (after the Art Institute of Chicago). Other than a good selection of Spanish art, including El Greco, Velazquez, and Goya, it also contains one of my personal favorite paintings ñ Boschís Garden of Earthly Delights. This particular Goya is now on my favorites list as well. That night, we consumed large quantities of local alcohols (licor de MadroÒo, wines, vermouths, but alas, no Monkey Anis) and ate tapas. We had tapas at various other times, but this night, that is all we ate. By the time that you have a drink and a tapas at three different places, you are generally not only full, but also a bit tipsy. Not a bad state to be in, and it isnít terribly expensive.

Sunday, March 28th ñ Snowing and raining all day. Oh well. We went to the Thyssen-Bornemisza museum, a nice private museum, in the afternoon. While it is not primarily American art, this museum does have more American art than any other museum in Europe that I have have ever been to (short of purely modern art museums). This museum probably isnít essential, but it is pretty solid. That night, we went to the Real Madrid game. Real Madrid is essentially the New York Yankees of the soccer world. They are considered the richest sports franchise in the world, and it shows in their roster. For the Atletico Madrid-Real Betis game, I recognized the names of 1 player on both rosters. For the Real Madrid game, I recognized 6 players, including 3 FIFA player of the years (covering 7 total player of the year awards as they have the only 2 three-time winners). If that werenít enough, they have the man formerly known as Mr. Posh Spice, David Beckham, who will now be known as the man with the golden locks. He is so popular in Asia that Real Madridís website comes in Spanish, English, and Japanese. He wasnít as impressive during the game as Ronaldo, who had 2 goals, an assist, and another shot that was blocked, but led to a 4th goal. In the end, the team of superstars played surprisingly like a team and dominated Seville 5 ñ 1. After the game, we stopped by the Irish pub (that advertised college basketball earlier in the week) and somewhat surprisingly found ourselves watching the end of the KU-Ga Tech game. The few Georgia Tech fans were the loudest, but appeared to be outnumbered by KU fans (well, some of the KU fans may have been Syracuse fans in reality). At least a few were true KU fans as they recognized the dire situation created when Jeff Hawkins was substituted for Michael Lee (after he fouled out). Of course all the actual fans were outnumbered by the other English speakers (primarily from England) who didnít care a lick about the outcome of the game. This game marked the second KU tournament game I have watched or listened to in Europe (the first being the KU win over Syracuse in 2001 on the Armed Forces Radio Network).

In short, Ronda, Granada, Madrid - good. Seville, Cordoba - ok. Tapas - good. Monkey Anis - just weird. Irish pubs and Georgia Tech - bad. Costa del Sol - way too British (or apparently German if you go to the German resort towns). The man with the golden locks - way too sexy.

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As Carlos noted here, the Irish Pub is everywhere and, thankfully, there's a backlash brewing.

Naturally, the first bar in Afghanistan to open after the defeat of the Taliban was an Irish pub.

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The Wall Street Journal reports that restaurant managers across the country are strip-searching employees because somebody on the telephone told them to do it. According to the article, employee theft costs U.S. businesses $31.5 billion every year in shrinkage. I'm glad people out there are still listening to King Missile.

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Apparently Rik Smits isn't much of an anomaly. According to The New Yorker, the Dutch are tall and growing taller.

The weekend before last, I went with my friend Scott to the WIAA Division 4 boys basketball championship game between Randolph and Hilbert. Randolph won its third straight Division 4 championship and finished the season undefeated. Division 4 is Wisconsin's smallest division, but Randolph's team always seems to feature an abnormally large number of tall players. So, during one of his interviews, Scott asked why Randolph's players were so tall. The response? We're Dutch.

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Gothamist, one of my favorite web logs, picks up on punk rock aerobics. This exciting new exercise program requires a certain kind of record collection, as A New York Daily News reporter found out.

This explains why you never see a fat punk. Oh, wait...

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It wasn't always the best year -- I could have done without the home loss to Richmond or the conference road blowouts. But shutting down Hearnes Center was fulfilling, and taking a higher-seeded team into overtime in the regional final ain't nothing to sneer at, either.

I'm going to miss Big Gravy something fierce, though.

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The Wisconsin Historical Society tried to delay me in my quest to see the Jayhawks by scheduling a meeting on Friday morning, but I was able to hit yhe road by 11 am and make it to my aunt and uncle's house by 5:00. I had some cheese and crackers and we hit the road for the Dome. Our seats are in the lower section of 140, a section that's not very high up kind of far from the court. Naturally we're surrrounded by a fair number of people that we know.

The game on Firday was fun, but the second half really dragged. Since our section is in the corner, it's impossible to tell how much noise the Jayhawk fans are making. It just does not get loud over there. I hope we're doing OK in terms of noise. From my perspective, the refs just looked horrible in the second half, especially towards UAB. In the first half the bad calls seemed much more even, but a lot of times I could see really clearly what was happening.

The day between games is always hard for me. I essentially spent the entire day at my aunt and uncle's house watching TV, eating, and spending some time in their exercise room. We ended the day with a desultory game of cranium.

Now, there's GT. We're leaving in a little more than an hour for the dome. I'm strangely calm. In the past, I would have been nervous, wanting the Hawks to win more than anything. Right now, I just wnat our boys to play good and, if they do, I don't think we'll have anything to worry about.

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The 'Hawks finally tell it like it is. No, they didn't buy into the Self system until late. No, not everybody thought Roy Williams was fair. Yes, we should have visited Wayne Simien in the hospital. Damn you, Jebus!

Right now my tummy is the home of many many butterflies.

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...always makes me queasy, so the cartoon that used to be here is at this link. In fact, two days have made the whole damn thing a lot less funny, so don't bother.

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...want to know how St. Louis is going, Hellx. Did the Blazer blood spatters reach all the way up to your section of the stands?

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i wonder how many other girls i dated turned out like this...

By Kathleen Mulcahy
The North Platte Telegraph

A North Platte woman was arrested Friday on two counts of theft for allegedly forging the signatures of a non-profit organization on two loans.
Stacy Merz, 31, was program director of First Call for Help, a non-profit information-referral agency funded by United Way. It serviced 18 counties in Southwest Nebraska.
Merz has reportedly been fired, and the agency has ceased operations.
Lt. Rick Ryan of the North Platte Police Department said the board became suspicious of Merz when she refused to show them financial reports.
President of the First Call for Help Board Myrna Liebig said the boardís financial committee looked into the finances and discovered the loans.
Liebig said, ìShe had originally taken out a loan for $5,000 and informed us that the bank had forgiven that loan. We later found that the loan had increased to $14,000.î
The bank that issued that loan was First National Bank.
Ryan said the ongoing investigation had discovered two loans on which Merz allegedly forged the boardís signatures.
He said, ìShe was using the agency to funnel money through. She increased the first loan, but then she couldnít pay it back. So she took out another to pay that one.î
Liebig said the agency closed early last week.
The attorney for the board of First Call for Help, Kevin Gaughan, said, îThe board hasnít decided whether they will dissolve or not, but they are leaning that way.î
Liebig said they hoped to have another agency take over the operation.
First Call for Help has been in operation since 2000, and Merz was the director for two and half years.
First Call for Help assisted people who needed to find information about service agencies. They could refer people to legal services, support groups, and agencies that could help with rent or transportation problems.
Liebig said Merz was the only employee, so when they fired her they had to close their doors.
ìShe was in such deep denial that anything was going to happen to her,î Liebig said. ìWe couldnít even announce we were closing because of the investigation.î
Ryan said, ìShe was trying to keep up with the Joneses and got in over her head. Paying for one loan with another loan finally mushroomed out of her control.î
The North Platte Police Department will be issuing more search warrants to discover if Merz had allegedly taken out loans at other institutions, Ryan said.
Merz was arrested, processed and released Friday.
The two counts are felonies and carry penalties of from one to 20 years in prison.

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Dr. No remembers parents in Towanda invoking the notorious BTK Strangler. She figured it was an urban legend to scare kids into staying away from Wichita. But the Wichita Eagle is reporting that he's writing letters and taking credit for an unsolved 1986 killing.

The letter was mailed to the Eagle, which looks as if it acted appropriately.

Now, under genre rules, an FBI profiler haunted by her last case and played by Ashley Judd must go undercover as a prostitute to catch the monster. In the process, she'll discover she's just like him.

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Buy Merle Haggard's houseboat.

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There was a story in the LJW today with a sidebar talking about how the Jayhawks were one of the "movers" on Yahoo!'s Buzz Index yesterday. The operative word here is "yesterday".

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I've been listening to NPR today while I'm programming, and just finished listening to a long interview with Richard Clarke. (click to get to a RealAudio feed of the interview) Yesterday, I was hoping Bush wouldn't get elected for a second term. Today, I'm hoping someone throws him and his cronies in jail.

Goddamn, politics makes me angry sometimes.

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A group of University of Wisconsin students filed a class action lawsuit against university area bars today. The students are arguing that the University of Wisconsin organized a cartel of downtown bars to artificially keep drink prices high in areas around the University. This lawsuit is the latest battle in a war over student drinking that started about two and a half years ago.

Shortly before the start of the 2001-2002 school year, the chairman of Madison's Alcohol License Review Committee (ALRC) proposed creating a special entertainment district to curb binge drinking. The plan would have banned drink specials and increased the capacity of bars offering alcohol-free entertainment. Shortly after this suggestion became public, a new ALRC subcommittee began meeting. The sub-committee's initial recommendation was that self-regulation by bar owners was preferable to a city regulations.

Over the next six months the ALRC subcommittee worked to develop a plan to limit binge-drinking, but almost as soon as the plan was released parts of it came under attack and students "on fixed incomes" turned turned out to oppose restrictions on drink specials. After month of rancorous debate, a divided city council eventually adopted the ALRC's plan.

With the arrival of summer, and the departure of many students, the debate quieted down for a couple months. Then, in July, came fireworks to rival those of Rhythm and Booms when it was revealed that the UW Memorial Union has alcohol sales of $1.34 million annually. The UW Chancellor proceeded to criticize bar owners for offering specials and claimed that the UW ran a responsible establishment inspite of the fact that it sold 46 ounce "Big Gulps" of beer and hosted $30 all-you-can-drink football bashes (second item).

Shortly after the start of the 2002-2003 school, the UW and downtown officials reached an agreement: downtown bars would limit drink specials on Friday and Saturday nights and the impact of the change on binge drinking would be studied. The results of the study, released about a week and a half ago, found the impact of the ban to be inconclusive.

I can't wait to see what happens next.

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BitterLemons.org won't make the situation any less confusing, but it will help you understand the issues involved from both a Palestinian and Israeli perspective.

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As Dr. No and I settled in for a night of turkey burgers, Angel reruns and Willie Nelson, we decided martinis would be a top-notch idea. So I got to shakin' them. And I got a little carried away. I filled our tumbers until they looked like healthy-portioned glasses of water. We conferred and agreed: They were too much martini for either of us to handle. But we couldn't waste all that vodka. What to do? The eventual solution: We found a small Tupperware container to hold our martini leavings. They're now nestled next to a box of soy milk in our refrigerator.

James Bond we ain't.

Did you folks know there's a vodka called Thor's Hammer?

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It's really fucked up that a sporting event can have such a negative effect on me. Right now, I can't think about anything else except for the fact that I only have a little over three days before I go down to St. Louis. I'm trying to decide whether having KU play in the first game is good or not. It's good if KU wins; then I'll be able to just enjoy the second game. It sucks if KU loses. But playing in the second game is no fun, either, because then I worry all through the first game about the KU game.

Even though I'll die if KU loses, part of me wouldn't mind KU losing. If KU loses to UAB, that means I won't have to go through the horrible day between games. If there's one thing worse than the week between every second round, it's the day between games. I don't think anything in this life quite matches the ennui that one feels while waiting for the second game.

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So the outstanding question: Hellx, how was "Dawn of the Dead?" I just saw American Splendor, so I'm hoping to complement it with something stupid.

Check out Harvey Pekar's never-updated weblog.

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So we could still lose as early as Friday against the very tough Blazers. Let's make that clear.

But that said: Is winning amid a weakened region where both the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds lose early a bit shameful? To my mind, no. Every single year over the past 15 years we've faced the top seed we're going to face. I don't remember dodging a great team over the past decade. Nobody took out the Glenn Robinson-led Purdue for us. Or Duke in all the times we met it. Or Arizona last year. If the chips fall well and we have to face a bunch of lower-seeded teams... well, shit. Not our fault.

I just wish folks would stop comparing this year to a year that was more than 15 years ago. Jesus, people. Can you say "premature?"

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Everybody's favorite movie maker may weather the shit-storm of cultural controversy yet again with a movie about the Maccabees. The impending preplanning pre-furor brought this question to my mind:

If you could make a mytho-historical epic, with the sole intent of generating the most vehement social apoplexy, what film would you make and why?

Now I've thought about this, and I'd enjoy making a movie about the battles of Thermopylae (hordes of demonized Persian/Iranian protestors in homophobic, effeminate dress, killing-but-not-conquering the Spartan riot-police) or Tours (hordes of demonized, headdress-wearing black Muslims vanquished by war-like Frenchmen), or a futility-of-war picture, young men snatched from their precious youth to kill and be killed without purpose, in the same vain as "The Thin Red Line", set during the American Civil War. However, I've decided on this one: a sympathetic treatment of the Rise & Fall of Caesar, where evil senators & money-hungry equestrians must be subjugated to save the masses from democracy and chaos.

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Apparently, not only do Ms. Spears and I share a penchant for the sweet and sour goodness of an Arnold Palmer with lunch, we also shop at the same stores. Red Light is about 4 blocks from my house. I got my halloween costume there.

I have no idea what this means either.

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Let's welcome our old friend Max Fortitude aboard the ol' blog. It's hard to say how he came to lurk here -- he might have been that guy who knocked back a few shots of Old Crow with Hellx after that rockin' thrashin' Belle & Sebastian show, or perhaps he's Garmr's nude figure-drawing model. (How else to explain his many portraits of well-muscled barbarians, their loincloths flapping in the wind?) But he's nevertheless been a contributor for many months and has earned the right to post to Norlos. A dubious honor, to be sure, but one of the few in my power to bestow.

Some of you might note that previous people who have been invited onto the blog have never found the time to post again and blew us off. Some of you might also be jerks.

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Hear we're blowing out Illinois-Chicago right now. Not that we'd know. The brain trust at CBS is giving us East Coast games -- Pitt and Central Florida, 29-27 at halftime, anyone? -- and we're not amused. We went to Bay Ridge -- Bay Ridge! -- looking for a satellite feed. No dice. Brooklyn ain't college ball country. Sure is great if you're into Bon Jovi, though.

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From the NYT:

Mr. Peanut plays basketball, dances and promotes Planters' snacks as low in carbohydrates in a new ad campaign intended to portray him as fun, social and friendly and the snacks as good for any occasion.

The online version of the article describing Planters' attempts to update its image uses the above image, but the paper version shows Mr. Peanut dunking on the Maryland Terrapin and the Duke Blue Devil. Since the Jayhawk is obviously holding its own against Mr. Peanut, is this a good omen for the Jayhawks?

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In his own words:

Kim Dae Jung is unusually mean-spirited.Ý Kim Young Sam is a dirt-bag.Ý Kim Ja Jung is the evilest of all South Korean capitalists.Ý We need superior seeds for our crops.Ý Bring here Japanese factories when they are closed down.Ý The United States is our mortal enemy and at the same time, our teacher.Ý We sent in the army to save the Hwanghae Steel Mills from the thieves who ran it.Ý I admire the capitalist legal systems. The law exams in Japan and South Korea are exemplary.ÝÝ

I sincerely suspect none of this is true. Either that, or The Dear Leader is fucking batshit.

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Woo-hoo! I got my tickets to the Brewers' home opener against the Astros today. Unfortunately, though, it looks like I won't see either Clemens or Pettitte pitch on Good Friday.

Ahhh, I can almost taste the phoenix burger from Rosie's Waterworks in my mouth now. Rosie's phoenix burgers feature bar-b-que sauce and green olives. It's weird. That combination doesn't sound too special, but, once you try it, it creates this strange hunger that can only be sated by the phoenix burger.

Mmmm, sausages...

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...too fucking early?

1. The lady at the gas station tells me to "have a good night" when I get gas.

2. The soundtrack for the drive in is not drive time shock jocks making dick jokes but instead Derek & the Dominoes, vintage Pink Floyd, and Phil Collins singing about a "night of confusion" and "not much love to go 'round".

3. The gym's not open yet.

4. They haven't turned the lights on in the parking garage (!?).

5. You discover the neighborhood brewpub plays reggae music on its patio 24 hours a day, which you've never noticed before because even at 6am traffic is too noisy to hear it unless you're right under it.

6. You beat the East Coasters to work even when you are 3 time zones away.

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Award-Winning Rocker Brings "The Voice" to Chukchansi Gold

COARSEGOLD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 16, 2004--Internationally renowned for being one of music's most undeniably distinctive vocalists, and dubbed "The Voice" by musicians and critics worldwide, Bad Company's Paul Rodgers will bring his unparalleled rock 'n' roll pipes to Chukchansi Gold Casino on Thursday, Mar. 25 at 8 p.m. and Friday, Mar. 26 at 9 p.m.

Widely known as the founding member and voice behind the Grammy winning hit Feel Like Making Love, as well as Runnin' With the Pack, and Shooting Star from rock super group, Rodgers has also enjoyed international success with his band Free (All Right Now) and The Firm, a collaboration with Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin fame (All the Kings Horses). He garnered a second Grammy nomination with his solo CD release, Muddy Water Blues, in 1993. In 1999, the musically versatile artist was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Los Angeles Music Awards Association.

His unusual repertoire of blues, ballads and rock garnered from his many musical ventures continue to thrill audiences worldwide. Don't miss the brilliant rock 'n' roll vocals of Bad Company's Paul Rodgers when he brings his one-of-a-kind sound to Chukchansi Gold Casino on Thursday, Mar. 25 at 8 p.m. and Friday, Mar. 26 at 9 p.m. Call (866) 7 WIN-WIN (946-946) or visit the Chukchansi Gold Express Gift Shop for ticket information. Guests must be ages 21 or older to attend.

The Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino is owned by the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians and is operated by Cascade Entertainment Group. It is Central California's newest gaming and entertainment destination located in the beautiful Sierra foothills near Yosemite National Park. The casino features 1,800 slots, 46 table games, and offers first-rate fun.

CONTACT: Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino
Jennifer Gaebe, 559-692-5285
pager: 559-261-7667

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Wisconsin Assembly Bill 63 would allow a pharmacist or other medical practitioner the option not to provide medical services if he or she has a moral objection to those services. The legislation was introduced because of a case where a woman went to K-Mart and was denied prescribed birth control drugs by an an asshole named Neil Noeson.

I'm not calling Neil Noeson an asshole because he referred to fill the prescription. While I believe that medical providers should be obligated to provide legally prescribed services, I also respect the right of an individual to be a conscientious objector. No, Neil Noeson is an asshole in my opinion because he refused to even transfer the presciption to another pharmacy.

Some of you may be curious what the asshole Neil Noeson's rationale was. Neil Noeson's written statement on this issue said that he "objects to participating in any way in the dispensing of drugs that may prevent the implantation of a fertilized human ovum." Now I'm not a doctor, but I'd have to guess that there are a large number of drugs out there that, while they're not contraceptives, may prevent the implantation of a fertilized human ovum and if he followed this protocol strictly he would be severely limited in the number of drugs that he could prescribe. Am I right, jebus?

If Neil Noeson doesn't object to, say, prescribing a blood thinner that may affect the, I don't know, endometrium or something thereby preventing pregnancy. What about if she were taking birth control because she was on Accutane and a pregnancy may result in a seriously disabled child? There are just way to many bodily reactions to drugs that could possibly affect or prevent a pregnancy or important reasons why a pregnancy should be prevented for me to even conceive of a pharmacist could act so that he does not prescribe any drugs that may prevent a pregnancy.

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The Kansas City Star has an article today about KU's first round opponent titled "Flames helping school's visibility grow". The article essentially just listed the ways in which UIC is trying to enhance the school and its reputation. Part of me was disappointed and part of me was relieved when the article didn't mention Stanley Fish.

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As we've discussed before, the TV show Married to the Kellys has brought up KU in the past. So I was intrigued when the blog's visitors stats showed several people arriving after searching for a "Married to the Kellys" blog. It turns out the show is based on a real family, and two of the sisters maintain a blog. The first question: Is the real family, as is the fake family, fans of Kansas basketball?

Apparently, they are, even discussing our shameful February blowout loss to Nebraska. Also like a show, a relative brings Jell-O to family functions, and when there's trouble the whole family gets together to help. The broccoli-cauliflower-raisin casserole is, however, a complete lie.

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I don't know when I became such a big zombie-phile. To put it simply, I love zombie movies. That's why I was excited when garmr posted a link to the new Dawn of the Dead movie on the Passion thread. Things only got sweeter when I was invited to go to a screening of Dawn of the Dead tomorrow. I can't wait. The only thing that bothers me is that the movie's website lists the population of the fictional Everett, WI as 750,000. Milwaukee, Wisconsin's largest city, only has a population of 597,000.

I kill zombies in my spare time on my Nintendo GameCube.

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