I've got more stories about the New York Stat trip, plus lots of pictures and videos linked here.

Theskinnyonbenny family had one long, full day to be tourists in Washington D.C this summer. We did the normal wandering around of governmental buildings and monuments.

Have you ever come back from a nice dinner to find a friend in the pool out back, naked as a jaybird, and both hands over his head, one holding a rusty machete and the other holding an open bottle of Patron?

The theskinnyonbenny family spent last week on Lake George, in upstate New York. Or I guess more accurately, we were on a little spit of the lake that dumps into a river. We could boat or drive to the lake, but poor landscaping prevented the picturesque view that we deserved as tourists from far away.

Are we entering a new golden age of music? For the past 10 years or so, I could count on one new album every 12-18 months that would really, really get me excited. Albums that were new, creative, great, and instantly excellent.

When I hear of a celebrity's texted/twittered penis pic, I usually check it out. Sure, you can call me names, but I think you're probably checking too. Greg Oden, Santonio Holmes, and now Anthony Weiner, covered though it was with stylish drawers. I'm a lightweight-expert at public figures who are just a little too proud of their wangs.

A gross little story about Whole Foods, meats, and the dangers of free samples.

On Sunday morning, I found myself in a half-awake, half-asleep dream. The premise of the dream was that somehow over the years, the traditions associated with Easter and the ones associated with Thanksgiving had become confused. And so I could see it clearly, I was there at Christ's crucifixion.

Funny kid story.

Monday night, I was sitting at a bar with Mrs. theskinnyonbenny. We were around the back side, where staff walked to get back to the kitchen. One of the waiters passed behind us, singing along with the speakers. He clearly reversed the "Everybody have fun tonight" and the "Everybody Wang Chung tonight" lines. It's not like those are unimportant lines. In fact, I couldn't tell you any other line in the song, but I wouldn't botch those.

I'm sure that everyone has had the fantasy of a gadget that would change the traffic lights from red to green as they pulled up to the intersection. I didn't know it until today, but there actually is such a thing.

Friday night, we went to a fundraising event at the Museum of the American Cocktail. Mrs. theskinnyonbenny has been a member of the museum for some time, and I was glad to get a chance to go. On the way in, I asked what the fundraiser was for.