clanMcGraw.com

I can’t remember who sent this to me, but I thought it was bloggable:

1. Go to the Billboard #1 Hits listings.
2. Pick the year you turned 18.
3. Get yourself nostalgic over the songs of the year
4. Pick 5 songs and write something about how these songs affected you
5. Pass it on to 5 more friends.

I turned 18 in 1989, which was, unfortunately, dominated by the New Kids on the Block, Milli-Vanilli, Paula Abdul, and Richard Marx. Yeah… Go find them today. Anyways, I’ll start by telling you which ones of the songs that I couldn’t bring to memory:

When I’m With You - Sheriff
I’ll Be Loving You (Forever) - New Kids On The Block
(Unfortunately, this short list means that I could remember the other New Kids On the Block song, as well as Michael Damien’s 1 hit and all of the Milli-Vanilli songs.

Now… Tidbits about 5 songs from the list.

December 24, 1988- January 13, 1989: Every Rose Has Its Thorn - Poison - I grew up in the era of power ballads, and this is one of my favorites. I’ll still turn up the radio when I hear this song come on.

March 4 - March 24: Lost In Your Eyes - Debbie Gibson - This was the theme song for my Senior Prom.

December 9 - December 22: We Didn’t Start The Fire - Billy Joel - I listened to this song over and over and over just to learn all of the words. That’s how we did it before the Internet came along. I also love the video.

April 15 - April 21: She Drives Me Crazy - Fine Young Cannibals - I’m listing this item because it was the 2nd CD that I ever bought (Invisible Touch by Genesis was the first). If you look closely at the top songs, you’ll see FYC’s other hit.

December 23, 1989 - January 13, 1990: Another Day In Paradise - Phil Collins - If I’m in a melancholy mood, this is one of my favorite songs to listen to.

Who am I tagging? Everyone reading this.

This update is way overdue, but with the holidays and work, I hope you’ll understand.

Diane’s still in the ICU. She’s had some moments (Monday AM) when she was awake and coherent, but most of the time she has not been. The doctors had to draw additional fluid off of her lungs on Monday afternoon - 1500mL - to help her breathe. Amanda’s still with her, and the boys are being shuffled between family and friends. Thanks to all of you - especially my Mom & Dad - who have helped us out tremendously during this time.

Just got off the phone with Amanda. Diane’s being moved back to ICU.

Update: Diane’s been placed on a CPAP machine. Her CO2 levels are rising. If they continue to rise, then the next step would be a ventilator, which Diane was against.

Please keep her in your prayers.

Just got off the phone with Amanda. Diane’s becoming increasingly unresponsive. Her heart rate is really starting to fluctuate as well. Amanda’s wondering if Diane’s had a small stroke, based on some issues that she’s having being able to control her mouth.

Please keep Amanda and Diane in your prayers.

Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, who as a Democratic presidential candidate recently proposed an educational policy that urged “every financial barrier” be removed for American kids who want to go to college, has been going to college himself — as a high paid speaker, his financial records show.

The candidate charged a whopping $55,000 to speak at to a crowd of 1,787 the taxpayer-funded University of California at Davis on Jan. 9, 2006 last year, Joe Martin, the public relations officer for the campus’ Mondavi Center confirmed Monday.

Now I’m not a public speaker, and can’t speak to whether or not that’s a valid amount. It might well be, especially for a presidential candidate in the year before an election. But what kills me is what Edwards spoke on:

Poverty.

Professor Eric Faden of Bucknell University provides this humorous, yet informative, review of copyright principles delivered through the words of the very folks we can thank for nearly endless copyright terms.

Genius.

“I want a remake of Full Metal Jacket, but starring Sean Connery as the drill instructor instead of R. Lee Ermey.”

Random notes from the week / weekend:

I typically don’t watch award shows, and I didn’t watch the Academy of Country Music awards the other night. But I wish I’d seen this live (be sure to watch to the very end):

Tim McGraw, consider yourself an honorary member of clanMcGraw.

Does anyone have a belt sander that I could borrow?