Indiana was a squeaker -- the sound of leaking air, perhaps?

Yet the numbers still let a crack of light through the door. And we all know how hard it is not to walk toward the light.

Of course, the unscientific opinions of the great unwashed masses are deeply important at a time like this.

So, what say you?

...you look up and suddenly realize you are interviewing pediatricians.

We interviewed our second one today on our lunch break. The first one, a few days ago, was a little odd -- and I think that distracted me from the big emotional impact of what we're actually doing. Today's was much more accessible, and we walked out thinking, "Yes, this is the person who we'd choose to safeguard the health of our first-born."

That's heavy.

All the books say that when you've got a kid on the way (as I do, within a few weeks) the guy usually has his crisis near the end of the process. I'm not having a crisis -- and I continue to maintain a very macho notion that I'm totally ready (even though, of course, I'm not -- who could be?)... but it's interesting how your world shrinks dramatically as the date gets closer. The pediatrician visit was definitely a signpost.

Must have been something to me if I'm actually writing about it. Suddenly I feel like I'm writing on Nanci Oleson's "How's The Family" blog. But like most guys, I'm too out of practice with verbalizing my emotions, so it's kind of an ugly process. So before I subject you to more... < EOM >

You know, we are running out of insults.

Seems like when we were kids, we had a new cool insult word every week. (As someone often enough on the receiving end, I should know.) Dink, dork, dingleberry, dung beetle (science class was often a source for the insult-of-the-day). And those are just the D's.

As adults, the well dries up. We fall back on the same old standbys, like "jerk" and other more off-color options I can't write here lest I get a note from my boss.

Someone just flipped me a link to a list from Neatorama designed to give us some new (and printable!) options.

Lots of good nouns (I like "cacafuego" and "coccydynia"). But my favorite is probably one of the few verbs: "bescumber," meaning (ahem) "to spray with poo." Some possible applications I'm imagining:

• * "Bob, I prepare for these meetings in good faith, and all you do is bescumber my proposals. I'd like to see you put something worthwhile on the table for a change."
• * Look, I don't put myself out there on Match.com so I can show up for a blind date and have my life's ambitions bescumbered by the likes of you."
• * Honey, I'm not sure, but I think the cook may have bescumbered my pork chop." (This is a more literal application.)

(Thanks to Jo Easton for the link!)

I knew that if we included the song in our most recent Story Slam, it would spark a fresh round of curiosity, celebration, and trash-talk about central Minnesota's own self-appointed superhero.

Young Jeff interviews the Man of Granite (City)

When I pulled over, some local college students were working on a documentary. I gather it took a few years, but it eventually became this short film. I think the film benefits from its extended production timeline, since St. Cloud Superman evolves somewhat as years go by. This is definitely recommended viewing.

The song arose partly because of the complicated reaction to the MPR story. The story was an open-ended portrait of a local character; but to some, St. Cloud Superman is a jerk and a dangerous threat. Who am I to issue a verdict? (Though state records at the time showed he is not, as some have insisted, a registered sex offender.) The song was an attempt to capture the contradictory and controversial enigma that is St. Cloud Superman.

This latest Story Slam (theme: "Achilles' Heel") seemed an appropriate radio debut of the full-band version:

St. Cloud Superman is well-documented on the web. Here's a taste:

• * He has his own MySpace page (Latest headline: "Whoever threw that Big Gulp at me, you totally missed.")
• * He reportedly got into a tussle a few years ago with police at the State Fair
• * He has been joined on his corner (peaceably) by Spiderman and (not-so-peaceably) by Darth Vader
• * In October of last year, he physically stopped a man from jumping off a bridge in St. Cloud and committing suicide. The man had started talking to him because he recognized him, even out of costume.

Vindication at last?

Google around a bit. Plenty of chatter out there (including his alter ego, which has never been much of a secret).

What do John Lennon, Steve Jobs and Nobel Prize winner Francis Crick all have in common?

Just thought I'd add a few more thoughts on this topic. One reader sent me some interesting evidence in support of LSD's mind expanding powers. First, it was apparently a big influence on Steve Jobs. During his younger years "Jobs experimented with LSD, calling these experiences 'one of the two or three most important things he has done in his life.'"

Genetic Scientist Francis Crick had a breakthrough while tripping. "He often used small doses of LSD . . . to boost his powers of thought. He said it was LSD . . . that helped him to unravel the structure of DNA, the discovery that won him the Nobel Prize."

And while the Beatles song Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds wasn't actually about LSD . . . It's widely thought that the ground breaking Revolver album was heavily inspired by the band's use of the drug.

Pair that with this story from our recent Story Slam. Dave Good tells a tale about one guy who's habit of taking the stuff didn't yield such "positive" effects. Check it out:

Albert Hofmann, the father of LSD died this week. He lived to be a 102. Throughout his life he had great faith in the power of his drug to help people deal with mental problems. He also openly detested the recreational use of the drug by the youth movement in the 1960s.

Listening to the remembrances of his life and work I started thinking about what a mixed bag his invention was. Some say it opens your mind to a greater consciousness. And it has been the inspiration for great art and cultural movements. But plenty of people have also had bad trips, and the drug has been used in some horrible ways.

After a raid on some labs in 2000 the drug has been on the decline. But it'll probably have a resurgence sometime down the road. What do you think? Is the world better or worse for the invention of this powerful chemical compound?

We already had one round of this when the President signed the bill, but the media (Associated Press, for example) today is taking another run at the "What will people do with their checks" question.

If $600 - $1,200 worth of impulse shopping at Wal-Mart sounds attractive, the big blue behemoth is offering to cash people's checks for free. (For many people, though, the "check" will actually be a direct deposit right into your bank account. Wal-Mart, however, will still be happy to take their money.)

Seems like, hmmmm, In The Loop already took a run at this question a couple months ago. But media momentum impels me to revive our contribution to the conversation:

Now that the grand moment is almost upon us, what'll you do with yours?

On this dismal Minnesota day I thought I would post something pretty and happy to cheer us all up. Where better to turn to than Sony's latest epic advertisement? Watch Miami get foamed.

Truthfully, I'm not even sure what they were selling in some of these. I've been told that the Bravia is a high definition television but the first time I saw the "Balls" ad, I thought they were hyping a color printer.

Which leaves me wondering, is all the effort worth it? I recently found out that the balls commercial was pretty pricey, but actually cost less than a $40 million dollar Chanel ad featuring Nichole Kidman. But then again, by making a commercial people will seek out on YouTube, e-mail to friends and even post about on their blogs . . . maybe it's worth it.

Does anybody here know what the average dollar to dollar return on an advertisement is? How do commercial companies know when their ad does a good job selling a product and when it's just entertaining eye candy?

Remember that tomato that scientists mixed with fish genes? The one that was made to stay fresh longer, look better and bounce like a tennis ball when dropped? That tomato freaked out a lot of people, myself included.

But to be honest, I almost never stop to check if my tomatoes are natural or one of these genetically modified "Frankenfoods". In the U.S. there is no mandatory labeling of GM veggies so being picky about my produce takes time and money. I'm usually short on both.

And it looks like I'm not the only one.

Global food shortages have forced many previously picky countries to start importing modified crops. Japan and South Korea have been using GM corn for soda and other products. Even Europe, who has been a long time protester of modified crops, is talking about deregulating the Frankenfoods. All this after the FDA recently approved the sale of food derived from the offspring of cloned cows.
There is a strange upside to all of this. It might be good for the US economy. We're one of the top producers of these crops and a boom in the market is a boon to our farmers.

Still, the idea of a genetically enhanced diet leaves a bad taste in my mouth. But I guess I better get use to it. In the future, genetically engineered food will probably be old hat. I'm sure we'll have a whole new set of ethical quandaries to worry about.

We knew it would come to this. Forgoing the complicated primary process with it's delegates and super-delegates, presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama decided to finish this race the old fashioned way . . . with a dropkick to the head. Check it out:

I guess the pundits were right. This long campaign left no democratic candidate standing. But none of them could have seen this guy coming.