NOW PLAYING with Scott Sowers

One of the big news stories of the week gave some gloom and doom end of days fear for people around the world. No, it doesn't have anything to do with any particular presidential candidate being elected and the possible ramifications, in fact the story doesn't even contain the words "McCain," "Obama," "Palin" or "Biden," as tough as that may be to believe.

This news came from Switzerland with the European Center for Nuclear Research turning on its impressive new particle collider. As scientists watch subatomic particles traverse the 17-mile course 300 feet underneath the Swiss countryside near Geneva, they are hoping to learn more about the origins of the universe.

But with the potential for a big discovery also came the fear by many of unspeakable tragedy, with perhaps a black hole forming to swallow everything in existence.

Well, so far so good.

They turned it on around 4:30 a.m. our time on Wednesday and I'm still here to write this, but it got me thinking, if I did know the world was ending, what would be some of my biggest regrets? What would I still want to do that I haven't already done?

Now, if we did actually know the world was ending surely none of this could happen because the panic and hysteria would be too great, but still it was a fun list to make, a "bucket list," if you will.

Current band I never saw in concert: There are about a million bands I've still yet to see, but one that tours still rather frequently is The Who, one of my favorite all-time acts, and some of the forefathers of hard rock. Though they're sans Keith Moon and The Ox, John Entwhistle, Roger Daltrey and Pete Townsend still know how to put on a stellar show (from the video clips I've seen) and at their advanced age still show tons of that raw energy and panache on stage that made them famous so many decades ago.

Band I wish would reunite so I could see them: This one is a toss-up between Phish and Pink Floyd. While the latter may never reunite again despite the one-off performance at Live 8 a few years ago, the former seems like a matter of when, not if. All four members of Phish have indicated their desire for hitting the road together again after a three-year break-up, so hopefully it happens soon. Just last weekend they were all guests at a wedding of a friend and all four grabbed the wedding band's instruments and played a mini-Phish set of sorts. Clearly the ball is rolling on that one.

U.S. city to visit: I've always had a desire to visit the Pacific Northwest, and Seattle seems like my kind of place. Technically I've been there before with a stopover in the airport en route to Anchorage, but never gotten the chance to see the city. Everything I've read and heard leads me to believe it's gorgeous with just the right kind of weather on a summer afternoon that cements it as one of America's great cities. My dad always raves about it, so I know it's somewhere good to go. Second on this list would be San Francisco. The West Coast has a lot of great places, but sadly I've barely scratched the surface on just a couple of them and need to spend more time out there.

Foreign city to visit: Cape Town, South Africa might be it. This rugged outpost at nearly the bottom of the world seems like where the wild meets the urban and where several cultures mesh together to form one, though one that still has deep divides. Perhaps I can live out my dream of going to the 2010 World Cup in this country (that is, if we're still around by then), but if not I'd at least love to head down there and do something crazy like diving with great white sharks and swimming with penguins. There I could take in the history of Nelson Mandela, one of the most extraordinary figures of our time, who spent 27 years in prison on nearby Robben Island.

Foreign country to visit: Now, if we're looking at just the countries and all the culture they have to offer outside of just one urban area, then somewhere I need to go is New Zealand. I had always wanted to visit if only for the fact my dad's sister lives there and has ever since I can remember, but the "Lord of the Rings" film trilogy only cemented that. Have you seen the landscapes in those films? That's pretty much the real stuff. The stunning beauty of the land – from tall mountains, to deep ravines to raging rivers – is all something begging to be explored. Plus, it would be fun to do some sailing there, as the Kiwis are some of the best in the world, always tough contenders in the America's Cup.

Sporting venue to visit: Yeah, I haven't been to Fenway or Wrigley and it would be nice to go there, but if I had to pick one, it would be Lambeau Field on a Sunday afternoon. Get there way early in the morning to do some tailgating with what I hear are the friendliest folks in the NFL, then head into the most hallowed ground in football. This is the place of Lombardi, Starr and Favre. The mystique of this enormous stadium in a tiny city in central Wisconsin is something I understand every true fan should take in. Secondly, I'll throw a curveball here, and say that I want to visit is La Bombonera stadium in Buenos Aires. The home of the Boca Juniors soccer club, this stadium is renowned for maybe being the loudest in the world with some of the most passionate fans in the sport that resonates with the most passion around the world.

There are many, many more things I still need to do and see, but I think this is a pretty good start.

Hopefully, I'll have time before I'm swallowed hole (get it?).
- www.gwinnettherald.com

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