The weekly collection of interesting reads from around the blogosphere.

This one may be a little short. I’ve been down with a respiratory infection and haven’t been keeping up on my reading like I should.

Hubs found a great photo of artist Liz Hickok’s latest work.  It’s colorful and there is always room for it.

With a longer take on this week’s post entitled "If This Shocks You…", here is Heather over at Clizbiz.

Funky Brown Chick takes us back to the first time she read "Oh, The Places You’ll Go". It’s quite lovely.

I really can’t do justice to an intro for HDW’s post about why she sometimes misses her small town.  You’ll just have to read it.

Ok, now that you’re back from that, here’s a little levity from In The Swim about IKICSI’s Monday.

This is a good report, but I couldn’t help but think, "Duh! Just like all aspects of the universe," when I read the headline: "There’s much more to bees than honey".

Listening to: Do Ya - Electric Light Orchestra

Here’s a little something to balance out the serious tone of the blog recently.

That’s right.  Did my mail-in ballot and send it off yesterday.  Civic duty? Check.

Now we all get to wait a week and a half and see if the country’s collective mind decides to ’stay the course’ or decides ‘it’s time for change’.

For one of several reasons why I went for the ‘it’s time for change’ in my voting, see Kath’s post about the happenings at the one debate between Marilyn Musgrave and Angie Paccione.  Granted, Michael Schiavo is not in Musgrave’s district, but he did have a legitimate question.  However, for Musgrave to leave and not talk to the people who are in her district and actually may vote for her? Tacky. You are an elected official in America. If you can’t handle the questions, the limelight and the scrutiny of the people who you represent, then resign. It’s that simple.

There is nothing more patriotic in my book than to ask ‘why’.

Listening to: Let’s Pretend We’re Married - Prince

It’s like my 80’s nightmare all over again.  Why can’t they all just get along?

Billboard reported that Andy Taylor has, yet again, left Duran Duran. Why? The same as last time. The band is heading in a direction he doesn’t like so he quit.  Oh, wait.  I’m sorry.  The "official" reason is there was an "unworkable gulf", which means that the monster, Ego, came to visit again.

Some of you may be surprised that I’m a huge Duran Duran fan, but it’s always been. It’s a thing that can’t be helped. Yes, I do own all of their albums — even the ones from the 90’s and 00’s (I like to call them the Naughties).  In fact, if you enjoy Duran Duran, but have lost track of their music, I would highly recommend finding a used copy of 2000’s Pop Trash. It’s an amazing pop album reminiscent of their 80’s music mixed with 60’s psychedelica and modern techno.  Unfortunately, Hollywood Records has already pulled it from their catalog, but you can find it on Internet stores that sell used items like Amazon.

The good news is that they are going back into the studio soon to record a new album.

Fine, it’s good news to me.

Listening to: Riddles - Joan Jett & the Blackhearts