The other day, I was at Spec’s for Mynx’s birthday. I was sitting with Hanford, discussing various things; we would occasionally have words with the table next to us, who had moved over to give us their other table.

As they got up to leave, one of the girls looked at us and said to us (and her friends): “I farted and lit a match.”   (Spec’s certainly brings out the best in people, in many senses.)  In reply to this, her female friends giggled and said, “well duh, you needed to cover up the smell!”

We present males, however, got all excited and immediately demanded to know:  “did it work?!?!!!”

Today is Tom’s birthday. No, NOT the guy who is everybody’s friend on Myspace. I’m talking about Jefferson. He is 262 fingers old. If you know me, then you know that I’m an avid Jeffersonian and that today is on the calendar for me every year. Yes, he was not perfect (re: Sally Hemmings/paternity issues.) But he was a hell of a guy nevertheless. A little recap of some of his accomplishments: –wrote Declaration of Independence at age 33 –arranged the Louisiana Purchase –arranged Lewis/Clark expedition to survey natural resources of the L.P. –vice-president and president of U.S. –architect –classical musician –inventor –his personal library was the beginnings of the Library of Congress –founded the University of Virginia –trade commissioner in France –superb naturalist and botanist –Secretary of State under Washington –author of an amazing document on religious freedom –badass gardener –governor of Virginia –decided that our system of money should be based on the decimal system (yep, that was him) So when we all sit around and complain about some of the ordinary pedestrian b.s. that annoys us, look at old Tom, think about how much potential each person has, and ask yourself: What Would Jefferson Do?

p.s. go read him.