While listening to Black Sabbath’s Volume 4 album, I began to put together a list of the best rock singers/frontman in music history. In no particular order, here is what I came up with:

- W. Axl Rose (Guns n’ Roses)
- Ozzy Osbourne (Black Sabbath, solo)
- Chris Cornell (Soundgarden, solo, Audioslave)
- Freddie Mercury (Queen)
- Steven Tyler (Aerosmith)
- Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden, solo)
- Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin, solo)
- Layne Staley (Alice in Chains)
- Mike Patton (Faith No More, Mr. Bungle)
- Lemmy Kilmister (Hawkwind, Motörhead)

This year I’m taking the time to post my choices for the 2006 election. I’m going to list each race and give a quick explanation as to why. I am not totally happy with my selection of choices, but I think I did the best I could.

UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE 3RD DISTRICT

•(Republican) CHUCK AHNER Overland Park
•(Reform Party) ROBERT A CONROY Shawnee
•(Democrat) DENNIS MOORE Lenexa

This was a very tough choice. All three candidates have large percentages of their platform that I am totally against. That being said, Robert Conroy is against gay marriage, and I refuse to vote for someone named Chuck without the last name Norris. My vote goes to Dennis Moore.

FOR GOVERNOR AND LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR]

•(Republican) JIM BARNETT Emporia SUSAN WAGLE Wichita
•(Libertarian) CARL KRAMER Wichita KALOR A HEBRON Derby
•(Reform) RICHARD LEE RANZAU Wichita ELLEN L VERELL Meade
•(Democrat) KATHLEEN SEBELIUS Topeka MARK PARKINSON Olathe

This one was easy. I am supporting my party’s candidates, so my vote goes to Carl Kramer, and Kalor Hebron.

SECRETARY OF STATE

•(Democrat) DAVID HALEY Kansas City
•(Libertarian) ROB HODGKINSON Stilwell
•(Reform) JOSEPH L MARTIN St Marys
•(Republican) RON THORNBURGH Topeka

I’m supporting Rob Hodgkinson for Secretary of State

ATTORNEY GENERAL

•(Republican) PHILL KLINE Topeka
•(Democrat) PAUL MORRISON Lenexa

Kline is a religious nut who wanted to do fishing expeditions in abortion records to “save our children.” My vote goes to Paul Morrison.

STATE TREASURER

•(Republican) LYNN JENKINS Topeka
•(Democrat) LARRY WILSON Topeka

Well, Lynn Jenkins is the CPA in this race, and even Wilson says she’s a good administrator. So I’m going with Lynn Jenkins.

COMMISSIONER OF INSURANCE

•(Republican) SANDY PRAEGER Lawrence
•(Democrat) BONNIE SHARP Kansas City
•(Libertarian) PATRICK WILBUR Lawrence

Patrick Wilbur is getting my vote because he’s anti-regulation.

STATE REPRESENTATIVE 27TH DISTRICT

•(Republican) RAY MERRICK Stilwell

Merrick votes against gay marriage. Therefore, I will not be voting for anyone in this election.

STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION 3RD DISTRICT

•(Republican) JOHN W BACON Olathe
•(Democrat) DON WEISS Olathe

I have to vote for the candidate who believes in evolution. That would be Don Weiss.

CHAIR, BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

•() CHARLOTTE O’HARA Overland Park
•() ANNABETH SURBAUGH Overland Park

Because of her support for lower taxes, her opposition to anti-smoking laws, and her desire to use private jails for inmates, I am voting for Charlotte O’Hara.

AUBRY TOWNSHIP CLERK

•(D) PATRICIA S FISCHER Stilwell

I’m voting for Patricia S. Fischer.

Shall ROBERT E. DAVIS, Leavenworth, Position No. 7, Kansas Supreme Court, be retained in office?
No.

Shall STEPHEN D. HILL, Topeka, Position No. 1, Kansas Court of Appeals, be retained in office?
No.

Shall LEE A. JOHNSON, Topeka, Position No. 2, Kansas Court of Appeals, be retained in office?
No.

Shall PATRICK D. MCANANY, Overland Park, Position No. 4, Kansas Court of Appeals, be retained in office?
No.

Shall NANCY LANDIS CAPLINGER, Topeka, Position No. 6, Kansas Court of Appeals, be retained in office?
No.

Shall HENRY W. GREEN JR., Leavenworth, Position No. 7, Kansas Court of Appeals, be retained in office?
No.

Shall JERRY G. ELLIOTT, Lawrence, Position No. 8, Kansas Court of Appeals, be retained in office?
No.

Shall GARY W. RULON, Olathe, Position No. 9, Kansas Court of Appeals, be retained in office?
No.

Shall TOM MALONE, Wichita, Position No. 11, Kansas Court of Appeals, be retained in office?
No.

Shall MICHAEL B. BUSER, Overland Park, Position No. 12, Kansas Court of Appeals, be retained in office?
No.

Shall PETER V. RUDDICK, Olathe, District Judge, 10th District, Division 1, be retained in office?
No.

Shall JANICE D. RUSSELL, Olathe, District Judge, 10th District, Division 7, be retained in office?
No.

Shall STEVE LEBEN, Fairway, District Judge, 10th District, Division 8, be retained in office?
No.

Shall ALLEN R. SLATER, Olathe, District Judge, 10th District, Division 9, be retained in office?
No.

Shall KATHLEEN L. SLOAN, Overland Park, District Judge, 10th District, Division 10, be retained in office?
No.

Shall THOMAS H. BORNHOLDT, Olathe, District Judge, 10th District, Division 11, be retained in office?
No.

Shall KEVIN P. MORIARTY, Lenexa, District Judge, 10th District, Division 14, be retained in office?
No.

Shall DANIEL W. VOKINS, Olathe, District Magistrate Judge, 10th District, Position 4, be retained in office?
No.

JOHNSON COUNTY
Shall the following be adopted? Shall the Johnson County Park and Recreation District issue general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $75,000,000 to acquire land for park purposes within the boundaries of Unified School District No. 229, Johnson County, State of Kansas (Blue Valley School District), and to develop thereon soccer fields, training and community facilities, concessions, restrooms, general maintenance facilities and all related appurtenances, all pursuant to K.S.A. 19-2862j, K.S.A. 19-2874 and K.S.A. 10-101 et seq.?

NO. Soccer sucks and I don’t want to pay for it.

USD 229 BLUE VALLEY
Shall the following be adopted? “Shall the Board of Education of Blue Valley Unified School District No. 229, Johnson County, Kansas, be authorized to increase its local option budget for the 2007-2008 school year by an additional 1% of its state financial aid and be continuously and permanently authorized to adopt a local option budget, for the 2007-2008 school year and for each school year thereafter, in an amount not to exceed 31% of the amount of state financial aid determined for the current school year, for the purpose of using the additional local option budget authority for student instruction?”

YES. Seems ok to spend their grant money any way they want.

The title says it all.

For the third time in five years, I will be attending James Randi’s conference in Las Vegas called The Amaz!ng Meeting. This year’s topic is “Skepticism and the Media.” I addition to being biased and sloppy, the media tends to lack a skeptical point of view on outrageous claims. It was only last year that ABC’s Primetime Live wasted America’s time with an “investigation” about a supposed faith healer. The reporter, one John Quinones could be heard on Coast to Coast AM expressing his total belief in what amounts to the oft-debunked “psychic surgery.” Yet, in the year 2005, it was still a “news” story. We need skepticism in the media more than ever.

On a semi-related note, I registered as a “Bright”, on the official Brights website. I’d suggest checking it out, even if you don’t think you can participate. It would be nice to see how many critical thinkers this country really has.

I have to declare a Guns n’ Roses Tuesday. I was listening to some modern “metal” bands on XM Radio this morning, and they pretty much all sounded like ass compared to Guns n’ Roses. I need some good music.

With a North American tour announced, and a Chinese Democracy release date, I am declaring today a Guns n’ Roses Wednesday. With today being an otherwise dreary day, why not celebrate the best hard rock band of my lifetime?

Like anyone with an email account, I get my fair share of Nigerian scam emails. I usually delete them, but sometimes I respond with a snarky comment.

I received an email the other day, responded with a quick “How do I know this isn’t a scam like all the other emails I get?”. That’s it. Nothing more. How could the scammer really think I was interested.

Well, I underestimated the stick-to-it-ness of the Nigerian scam, for I received a reply, and a copy of an “ID Card” for verification.

Let me know if you think if he is legit:

Last night, one of the greatest men to have ever participated in baseball, passed away at the age of 94. That man is Buck O’Neil. He died less than a year after the Baseball Hall of Fame committed an egregious error by not enshrining him with other baseball greats. I can’t possibly due justice in describing just how great a baseball man Buck was. Check out Ken Burns’ “Baseball”, visit the Negro League Museum, and maybe you will have a hint of how great he was the game.