Things that make you go hmm

Every once in a while I get overloaded with things that don't make sense. It's like they pile up and I have to clear them out of my head to maintain my sanity. I'm talking about the things that make you go hmm. (And sorry if you now have that horrible C&C Music Factory song in your head.)

First, something serious. Last week Hamilton County Coroner O'dell Owens did some outreach in the schools. His message? If you get involved with drugs, you'll end up on a slab in his office.

In an interview about his school visits, Owens stressed the fact that the city's homicides are overwhelmingly tied to the drug trade. "Unless you're involved in drugs, our city is a safe place," he said. "You don’t see people getting shot when they go to Palomino or to the Reds game."

That same night, I went to the Reds game and saw the mayor walking around with ... his bodyguard. Hmm.

So, did you lose power last Thursday? Me too. The next day I watched a newscast at work, and the anchor said something to the effect of, "If you're still without power, stay tuned for updates." Hmm.

Is it me, or are people making way too big a deal about American Idol Taylor Hicks' gray hair? The pop culture world is all aflutter with people wondering if and when he'll dye it. Some Web sites reported prior to last week's finale that he already had. My question: Who cares? Plus, did America really need to see David Hasselhoff weeping when Mr. "Soul Patrol" was declared the winner? Hmm.

Finally, back to that Reds game I went to. It was Felipe Lopez bobblehead night, and I was all excited to see what the shortstop would do at the plate. Last season on Wily Mo Pena bobblehead night, Wily Mo hit two home runs, the second of which was a walk-off to win the game. So what did Reds manager Jerry Narron do? He benched Lopez! (Can you see them in the Reds marketing department? He did what?!!) Felipe eventually did get some playing time that night, but by then, the bobblehead magic was gone. Hmm.