tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36973662011-09-08T14:11:59.225-05:00Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.comBlogger1151100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-83645449357800440332010-04-21T06:20:00.004-05:002010-04-21T06:28:17.665-05:00

Lately I’ve been fascinated by the Hold Steady. And when I say “lately”, I mean maybe the past year. I was first introduced to this band by Tom, who had a writing class with the mother of (I think) the bass player. He sent a link to their video for “The Swish”.Later, Tom’s twin brother, and my best friend from college, Paul, sent me a mixCD he titled The Best of 2005. It took me a year to get

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-61534383216597682172010-01-26T06:00:00.001-06:002010-01-26T06:21:31.651-06:00

When I lived in Decorah, Iowa in the mid-90s, there was a bar there, probably from 1993 to early 1995 called Orrsey's. I won't go into the details on where the name came from, but it was Dave Orr's bar. The bar opened up soonafter I moved to Decorah, and actually had live bands just about every weekend. Most of the bands were of the cover variety, but there were a few bands that played their

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-5676080451913505932009-07-13T06:00:00.006-05:002009-07-13T06:15:59.499-05:00

I was looking on iTunes yesterday for some Dio tunes. I have not kept up with Ronnie James' namesake band, so I was shocked to find there were many albums released during the 90s by him. It sort of bummed me out that I had sold Lock Up the Wolves, since it was considered one of the band's better releases. I listened to some samples and thought they sounded pretty good. I was really getting into

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-9100960475061177002009-04-13T06:06:00.005-05:002009-04-14T06:01:52.425-05:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, look no further for the Hellmouth! I have found it wide open at the McDonalds off of I-44 in St. Robert, Missouri.It's true. We were rambling home from the folks' house yesterday when my youngest declared that she had to pee "REALLY BADLY!" We tend to utilize McDonald's for this task, as their bathrooms are cleaner than your average gas station variety. As I made my way down

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-83047474790632080292009-01-08T17:30:00.001-06:002009-01-08T12:31:48.325-06:00

I used to write with a few other people over at a blog called The Music is the Message. Then we got an offer to start writing for a bigger website called Pajiba, which started with movie reviews. I only read TKs posts over there, because, quite honestly, 1) I don't do a lot of research when it comes to watching movies, because there's hardly any movie I won't watch, and 2) I like reading TK's

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-5857310099445080622008-12-16T05:45:00.001-06:002008-12-16T05:45:01.065-06:00

Well my daddy worked the furnacesKept 'em hotter than hellI come home from 'Nam worked my way to scarferA job that'd suit the devil as wellTaconite, coke and limestoneFed my children and made my payThem smokestacks reachin' like the arms of godInto a beautiful sky of soot and clayHere in YoungstownHere in YoungstownMy sweet Jenny, I'm sinkin' downHere darlin' in Youngstown- "Youngstown" by Bruce

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-70812247540307835412008-12-06T15:15:00.003-06:002008-12-06T15:16:57.661-06:00

He does! I'm just sayin'...Let's go Florida!

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-91726039700489196282008-10-23T05:49:00.002-05:002008-10-23T05:55:56.001-05:00

It's funny. I enjoy the U2 EP, "Under a Blood Red Sky", but the final song on the album, "40", is not one I loaded into my iTunes.But Bono's intro here has been in my head the past few days:I am thankful for a lot of things. Thankful that I made it to 40. That I have a wonderful wife and two great kids. I'm glad I have a job, but I'm not sure I'm "thankful" for that. I still believe that you

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-41734920214122602802008-09-22T05:52:00.009-05:002008-09-22T06:12:44.593-05:00

Took the family to the Bailey-Chellberg Harvest Fest this past weekend. We had great weather. It was sunny and probably about 80 degrees. Plenty of trees to provide shade. Got to see a sheep get shorn, and a border collie kicked some duck ass, but other than that, it was pretty peaceful.The kids got these "Ranger" checklists. They had to go and find some items such as a pig, a horse, and a really

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-91112782341707437062008-09-16T05:24:00.002-05:002008-09-16T05:29:00.677-05:00

My friend, Tommy Tune, has decided to start posting some of his real-life stories and other written works over at editbeforeposting.blogspot.com. When I checked in yesterday, he had three stories up. These are the kind of blogs I like, "Slice of Life" sort of things. I've added his page to the sidebar.I've got a post coming up about the Drive-By Truckers over at The Music is the Message on

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-3197004395093448842008-08-17T20:30:00.001-05:002008-08-17T20:32:27.290-05:00

In 2006, this guy contacted us about Total Passover and being Jewish. Here are the results (we're about halfway down). Other than Kurt's quote, I think it's hilarious that Andy, the only Jew in the band, doesn't get quoted.

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-51518157432538792342008-08-13T05:14:00.005-05:002008-08-13T05:24:13.345-05:00

The game is called "Cornhole" or "Bags", folks. I prefer Cornhole. Yes, I do.You can check out the rules of the game here.I found this photo from a few months back. Check out our friend, G, and her throwing technique, while holding onto her dessert and beer:Cupcakes and wheat beer! The two tastes that go great together!

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-58488778835594111612008-07-15T05:43:00.003-05:002008-07-15T05:52:29.412-05:00

The social aspect of Middle School sucks, no matter where you live. Especially if you were a pimply-faced kid like me. I was weak. I got beat up. I lived in Germany from 7th to part of 11th grade. Middle School was 6-8 grades. One thing about living in Germany was you could go work for tips on the weekends and after school at the grocery store, more commonly known in the military as "the

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-3425820552200010632008-06-30T21:48:00.003-05:002008-06-30T21:54:16.584-05:00

I got invited to write with a buncha people over at this new site. It's all about Music and relating stories to music and such. This seems to be the only thing I'm into writing about lately, so I guess I checked TK's site about the right time. So if you like people writing about why they like music, then you should check it out. I'm not even sure how it's going to go down yet, but it should

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-55768431730879471752008-06-24T20:19:00.003-05:002008-06-24T20:41:06.869-05:00

Hi Kids!There's a new inhuman eating machine up after nearly a year. Click on the Inhuman Eating Machine link to the right. If you live in the Oakland area, this is basically a nice little review of the taqueria's and taco trucks in your area.Working through a shutdown this week and hoping to go to Oklahoma the week after, as long as the shutdown goes well.

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-76650359423043195512008-06-17T05:57:00.000-05:002008-06-17T05:58:45.056-05:00

What drives us to listen to different kinds of music? Do you listen to the same stuff you listen to as a kid? Have you stopped growing in what you listen to in music? Are you stuck in one genre?At age 2, I even remember that I was at my grandparents’ house, and I moved a chair over to the record player. Johnny Cash’s “Live at Folsom Prison” was going ‘round and ‘round, and I just wanted to

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-3782106536322458742008-05-24T09:38:00.005-05:002008-05-24T09:45:39.241-05:00

I took this picture yesterday around 3:00 p.m.: Can someone turn the damn heater on? It's late May, folks! How the hell is a kid supposed to go outside and enjoy swinging in these kind of temperatures?

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-49278921157771004412008-05-23T09:46:00.002-05:002008-05-23T09:49:20.174-05:00

Lately I've been spending time writing on a NING website created by a person I went to high school with in Germany. It's another social network, but it actually works much better than Myspace, and seems more customized than Facebook or Myspace. Fun. Here's a cross-post from that site.________________________________________________After I graduated from Davenport North High School in the

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-1769155889135447222008-05-13T05:58:00.003-05:002008-05-13T06:07:48.317-05:00

I borrowed the Nirvana "With the Lights Out" box set from the library the other day. It's got 3 CDs of rare stuff, outtakes, demos and what-not. It's also got a DVD of a bunch of home videos and some unreleased produced video footage as well. The last thing on the CD is them playing a cover of Terry Jack's "Seasons in the Sun." Kurt sings and plays drums, Dave Grohl plays bass, and Novoselic is

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-88258174325726260542008-05-01T21:32:00.005-05:002008-05-02T05:59:09.343-05:00

I heard about this incident on Wednesday, saw the video Thursday morning, and then have to comment on it. Will Leitch, as Costas tells you, is the editor of the blog, Deadspin. It's a blog based on sports, from more of a fan point of view, than say, the sports journalist's point of view. Sports journalism asks a lot of unnecessary questions, in my opinion. There's also a lot of presumption in

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-77918903764234957552008-04-14T05:38:00.006-05:002008-04-14T05:49:06.717-05:00

We walked down to the International Terminal in Houston's George Bush International Airport. I parted ways with my travelling companions temporarily to relieve myself in the Men's room.And that's where I saw the sign.Standing at the first urinal was a man wearing lemon-yellow pants, a black and lemon-yellow shirt, and a black baseball cap. Both of his hands were on some sort of cell phone/

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-58100568363222120342008-04-08T05:48:00.008-05:002008-04-09T06:41:14.466-05:00

I was catching up some reading over at Kissing Suzy Kolber where they had a mock draft on their pet peeves. Peeve #21 discusses Carly Simon's song, "You're So Vain," which reminded me of this story from my past.I attended Iowa State University for five and a half years. Looking back, I realize how educated I became during this time, not only by going to class, but also learning about the world in

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-67620120375226242782008-03-15T08:43:00.006-05:002008-03-17T05:58:19.791-05:00

I was planning to do a side-by-side preview with Uncle Rukies this year. I asked him to send me the top 2 teams of each division, with a paragraph of comments for each. However, he failed to follow instructions and instead gave a team-by-team review. Upon reading his submission, I realized that I still don't know enough about baseball (or really care to) to present such a detailed analysis. I

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-80902994694582531362008-03-07T18:49:00.004-06:002008-03-07T18:54:00.449-06:00

Sound of knocking on open office door.Uh, Boss, do you know if they were still looking for someone to go to China for two weeks? Because if they are, I'll totally volunteer. I think I can offer a lot of insight on this deal. Plus, I heard the lunches are great.No? Okay, well, maybe if they need someone the next time.

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-39972393086439402402008-02-29T20:26:00.004-06:002008-03-01T09:33:51.622-06:00

Maybe I'm behind the times. Oh well. If so, I'm sorry, but my main man in Ohio, Captain Riggs, said this song needs to be on the next Guitar Hero video game:The video portion itself kinda sucks. I mean, great dancing and all, but the performance on Conan O'Brien is what rock and roll is all about. Me, I posted the studio version because I like it clean.It's kinda disco, kinda 80's, but all

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-53346299608267508162008-02-21T23:03:00.003-06:002008-02-21T23:10:30.379-06:00

"In the Baltimore daily newspaper, miracles really happen that way"- The Jayhawks, "Baltimore Sun."Tequila Brad from the Drive-By Truckers list posted this gem. Man, the 16-year old in me came out in full force while watching that. Cops fucking with skateboarders. It's something that has driven me crazy for years. I got nothing against kids skating on sidewalks, downtown, as long as they show

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-16738255425590205002008-02-14T05:57:00.006-06:002008-02-14T06:07:19.033-06:00

I love this picture. I was hoping someone would pick up the essence of what you get when you set two sides up at the same table. This is perfect.In case you haven't been paying attention to the spectacle that is the steroid scandal, let me help you out. Clemens, the dude on the left, was a pitcher for various teams, including the Yankees and the Astros, and was pointed out as using steroids in

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-47006479052658424172008-02-08T04:53:00.000-06:002008-02-08T05:36:46.092-06:00

I don't usually talk politics, and its not like I'm widely read or anything, but everyone seems to be announcing lately who they are behind. Did the Kennedy's endorsement of Obama really help? Who knows. Mostly, I could give a rat's ass who "supports" a candidate, but if these people can spout their opinions, which are completely meaningless to me, can put them out there, then I guess I will,

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-12066026193827828592008-02-07T05:30:00.001-06:002008-02-07T05:59:50.302-06:00

Hoo boy, I can tell it's been a cold winter with a topic like that. Bear with me on this twisted train of thought.When my wife told me one evening a few days ago that Heath Ledger had died, I was sort of bummed. It's not like I was a big Ledger fan or anything. The movies he was in were pretty good. I really liked his acting in "Monster's Ball" and "Brokeback Mountain", and "A Knight's Tale" was

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-70100162095304890012008-02-03T21:32:00.000-06:002008-02-04T05:59:20.911-06:00

Sorry about the sorry edit on your photo, Pat and Jennifa, but I had to put the real record of the Patriots on there for you.Okay, so I'm an asshole for throwing this in the face of Patriots fans. But you Patriots fans have been the most collective bunch of assholes I've ever witnessed in a football season. Take the Sports Guy, Bill Simmons, a Boston native now living in California who writes a

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-10552285828111879152008-02-02T06:37:00.000-06:002008-02-02T06:41:04.501-06:00

Tom Cruise doesn't take vacations for your benefit. He's saving the world!Craziest shit I've probably ever seen in my life.

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-90071518391831035822008-01-25T05:32:00.000-06:002008-01-25T06:03:48.110-06:00

I thought my first post on this was sort of a crapfest because I didn't really get to the point. I blame it on not letting the idea bake long enough over a couple of days, and of course, the lack of coffee. As I reread it this morning, it wasn't too bad, just tangential rambling.So, here's hopefully a more focused effort:If you're an adult, you've got a lot of responsibilities. It just seems

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-27439325302826015392008-01-24T05:55:00.000-06:002008-01-24T06:08:59.847-06:00

Years ago I found a website run by D.J. Lance Lockarm. It had a picture of a sign that said, "Beware the Law" and someone had spray-painted out the word law and painted "CLAW" on there instead.The site allowed you to down three songs. At the time, I didn't know what to call these songs, because they were the vocals from one song placed over the top of the music of another song. When you know

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-49942468141416010472008-01-20T06:59:00.000-06:002008-01-20T07:04:23.413-06:00

"I'm like Sam the Butcher bringing Alice the meat,Like Fred Flinstone drivin' around with bald feet"- Beastie BoysRest in Peace, buddy. I know it wasn't your biggest role, but you were there during my grade school days.

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-35004011692967993912008-01-18T06:20:00.001-06:002008-01-18T06:31:13.138-06:00

I was going to say something about this earlier, when it first happened, but I didn't want to jump to conclusions. By now, you should have all heard the story about the three kids who went to the zoo and one got eaten by a tiger. Rumor had it that the kids had actually been taunting the tiger. Now, maybe you don't think that someone jumping up on a fence and waving his hands at an animal in

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-57467598816462868452008-01-17T06:04:00.000-06:002008-01-17T06:06:25.952-06:00

I don’t want to come off as a pompous asshole or anything over the next few posts, but there’s been a basic overall topic that I want to discuss that I will try to break up into some specific sections. If I pull it off, consider it a total coup d’état. Understand that I don’t believe myself above this stuff. I am well aware of my weaknesses. As a human being, I realize I have faults, as do

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-18457424762213888652008-01-08T06:09:00.001-06:002008-01-14T06:00:55.579-06:00

I think I've maybe told this story 25 times. At least.Some of you may know who Jeff Tweedy is, others may not. Back in the early 90's, there was this band out of Belleville, Illinois called Uncle Tupelo. Belleville is actually a suburb of St. Louis. Uncle Tupelo is given credit for starting the whole "Alternative Country" or "No Depression" music genre. Even though people like Gram Parsons and

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-56283379816231816492007-12-30T17:45:00.000-06:002007-12-30T17:48:57.107-06:00

What the fuck?  I was just upstairs getting some bagel recipes and checking the scores and I notice that the Broncos apparently scored a safety.  So shouldn't that say that in the Scoring Summary?  No, instead, it shows the Broncos scored 2 points due to a face mask penalty.  Maybe they'll fix it, but I've never seen anything like this.

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-49955071994959709842007-12-29T11:17:00.000-06:002007-12-29T12:50:15.472-06:00

In 1984, I lived in Germany, as I've mentioned ad nauseum here. I was in 9th grade at the time, and was huge into Van Halen and other metal bands.My dad had two buddies from High School, Ron Getman and John Crowder, who actually got my dad to go to school at Oklahoma State University.  Ron and John were in a band called Carp, with Gary Busey, who was the drummer.  I don't know how Ron found out

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-83981685260286563052007-12-25T16:22:00.001-06:002007-12-25T16:23:56.555-06:00

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-49202884359944346412007-12-25T10:50:00.000-06:002007-12-25T10:54:23.686-06:00

There's been a movement to get everyone to say "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays." Some would say that this is a Christian nation. I'd like to think otherwise. So, I've decided to go against both parties and declare "Happy Channukah" to those who wish me "Merry Christmas."Lady at the store: "Merry Christmas!"Me: "Happy Channukah!"Lady: "I'm not Jewish."Me: "That's okay, I'm not

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-71352539039049083632007-12-23T10:54:00.001-06:002007-12-23T11:50:48.831-06:00

I can't tell you how much I despise Christmas music. I really don't understand why there are so many versions of the same songs out there. The initial premise is that someone wrote a song to celebrate a certain holiday this time of the year, and the primary motive (other than making money, which, you must admit, is REALLY what Christmas is all about. In fact, side rant here, America's religion

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-23739958459699932632007-12-21T05:38:00.000-06:002007-12-21T08:04:20.480-06:00

Hey fellas! Glad to see you could make it back for a second day of stack testing. Looks like the high is going to be around 38 degrees. It sure would be nice to get all 3 tests done today. In fact, its pretty much imperative.Look, I know the plant shit the bed yesterday. I hope they're running better, or else this is going to be a short day for both of us. See, I was supposed to be off today and

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-2656677480546191342007-12-10T05:37:00.000-06:002007-12-10T12:54:17.744-06:00

Not very often I break out Styx lyrics, but to do it in a row is uncanny. From the same song and in sequence, even. I was over at Uncooked Meat and TK found someone who had this premise: Write a letter to your 13-year old self. So I thought I'd run with it.____________________________Hi.I'm sure you were somewhat taken aback when you recognized the block print on the envelope. Yeah, well, this is

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-9486865832332849902007-12-06T05:35:00.001-06:002007-12-06T07:30:08.795-06:00

My longtime friend, Garry, who I hung out with while I lived in Germany, got a scanner and sent me a couple of photos from what I suspect is either my sophomore or junior year in high school.Man, I was skinny back then. I think I just got my braces off as well, because those are as straight as my teeth have ever been (I probably should have wore my retainer at least another year).Unfortunately,

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-1953161615000187652007-12-04T05:52:00.000-06:002007-12-04T06:10:27.628-06:00

I work at a great company that is focused on all kinds of process and personal safety. We get alerts at least once a week, mostly from the guy who used to have my job, who now happens to be in a corporate job. You can learn a lot from some of the incident sharing, and I pass pretty much all of it along.However, once in a while you get a gem that is just too hard to let go without some kind of

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-24230433141728212032007-11-27T05:35:00.000-06:002007-11-27T06:13:26.817-06:00

Last night I was giving the kids a bath when I realized one of the kids had not flushed the toilet. This is really not that big of a deal, but still, after you stock the pond with brown trout, could you just flush it, please? It's just kind of an unpleasant thing to discover.Sorry I had to tell you about that, but that jarred the words, "That's nasty" in my head, which in turn reminded me of

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-85754379768982634852007-11-13T20:50:00.000-06:002007-11-13T21:27:37.707-06:00

I went to college at Iowa State University. In my first semester there, the fall of 1987, I didn't do so well on my entrance exams so I was forced to take Algebra, Analytical Geometry, and the lower of the two Freshmen English classes (104, as opposed to 105). I think I managed a "B" in all 3.Before classes actually started, I rushed fraternities and got into Pi Kappa Phi. They had a decrepit

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-82803731472276795692007-11-12T08:32:00.000-06:002007-11-13T00:03:18.975-06:00

So I came across this article the other day on the most quotable movies. Note that this survey was taken in Britain, so that's probably why you don't see as many Caddyshack lines in there. The fact that "I'll be back" is the most commonly used line is just a sad, sad commentary on British life. Although, I'm not sure how much better it would be in the States.Missing notable lines, or some of my

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-44579584315279071172007-11-02T05:55:00.000-05:002007-11-02T06:12:13.996-05:00

The kids made a killing on Halloween, and we only went down two streets. My kids are a little more creative than I was when I was a kid. Okay, so the Spiderman costume isn't that creative, but we made the boy a kickass robot costume last year out of a cardboard box, some weird formed fiberboard that came out of a light fixture box, and some flexible dryer vent, so I think that's good for at least

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-82677719901454506532007-10-26T05:35:00.000-05:002007-10-26T06:01:10.939-05:00

Sometimes I have memories pop back in my head during my morning routine in the bathroom. Other times I get great ideas, mostly work-related.This morning I was thinking about a time when I was a Freshman at General H.H. Arnold High School in Germany. I was just getting into heavy metal. I still always cut my hair pretty short, though. I was a greasy kid, and very skinny. I had a guy in my English

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-69202175233372582632007-10-23T05:32:00.000-05:002007-10-23T05:53:39.387-05:00

I turn 39 today. Big deal, really. I'm kind of with Dave Barry who says you don't need to celebrate your birthday after age 11, but I do admit that it is nice to get a gift, even if it's a little one.I just started a new beer blog, and if you read that, you know that my wife got me a membership at the Shoreline Brewery mug club. This weekend turned out to be a total beer fest, and hopefully,

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-62629663227400301892007-10-12T14:02:00.000-05:002007-10-12T15:05:53.593-05:00

We went to Syracuse last weekend. Took Friday and Monday off for travelling purposes. We went, for the most part, for Abbe's aunt's 75th birthday, but also to see other relatives of Abbe's. We had a lot of fun. All the kids in Syracuse have at least one orange shirt. Feeding the ducks some corn. We went to Dinosaur Barbecue. Good food, great beer selection. Abbe plays pattycake and enjoys a glass

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-20598093613306070912007-10-04T05:36:00.000-05:002007-10-04T10:11:32.687-05:00

I'll be out of touch for about the next five days. So here are some random thoughts: Congress Should Stop Fucking AroundThe House and Senate have been making resolutions condemning ads. Of course the Republicans started this when MoveOn.org put a full page ad in the New York Times calling General Petraeus, "General Betray-Us." They didn't think it was right to condemn the General. So they put

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-6037449420159584382007-09-25T16:04:00.000-05:002007-09-25T20:28:20.406-05:00

When my son started Kindergarten this year, they sent home some forms to join soccer or T-ball at the YMCA. He chose soccer. There was a spot on the form asking for volunteer coaches. I signed up, believing that I would be one of at least two coaches on my son’s team, but fully expecting to be saddled with the entire responsibility.And that’s what happened. I got the Blue team folder at the

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-76281163703112891182007-09-15T21:32:00.000-05:002007-09-15T21:57:47.939-05:00

That photo there is all you need to know about college football this weekend.  How did Michigan do against Notre Dame?  I don't care.  All I know is that Iowa State has beaten Iowa 7 out of 10 of the last meetings of these two teams.  I don't even give a crap that ISU didn't score a touchdown.  They didn't need to.  You know why?  Kirk Ferentz sucks!  Every year, Kirk's name pops up for possible

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-68424420399963654582007-09-15T10:34:00.000-05:002007-09-15T11:12:09.606-05:00

Back in the day when the primary sources of music were cassettes and LPs (records, vinyl, etc.), I used to make mixed tapes for friends. Unlike the primary character in the book/movie "Hi Fidelity", however, I did not make these tapes only for the fairer sex. I suppose my reason was two-fold: 1) I wanted people to understand that I had a very huge interest in music, and by giving them a mix

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-81335983016729200002007-09-07T20:32:00.000-05:002007-09-08T05:54:35.631-05:00

When I lived in Pensacola, and was still single, I was a bit frustrated with the place I worked, a paper mill. After being there about a year, I got a call from a recruiter to interview, of all places, at Trojan Condoms. The plant was located just outside of Richmond, Virginny. If you all remember the movie, "Pretty Woman," there's a line in there where Julia Roberts pulls out a chain of

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-34299574483403744112007-09-06T05:44:00.000-05:002007-09-06T18:03:28.336-05:00

I know people have bad days at work, and I would be silly to think that I am exempt from this. However, it seems that for as long as I've been a manager, it has never been smooth sailing. In my first job out of school, I was a manager, and I can remember being stressed there, but if I remember, I think I can just chalk that up to it being my first job where I wasn't given just simple tasks to

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-23387695811874563832007-08-30T19:04:00.000-05:002007-08-31T11:14:33.993-05:00

My son started Kindergarten this year, and I'm finding that I am more demanding than I thought I would be. Not as demanding as my wife, but I want my children to get a good education, and I expect that if people go into teaching, they do it out of love moreso than just to have a job.I think the public school system in our town is pretty good. We have to pay for all-day Kindergarten (KG), but I

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-17390766584857001402007-08-27T05:53:00.001-05:002007-08-27T06:13:13.415-05:00

Records ProjectThis is where I was as of Friday. You can't see it here, but I started with the Dwarves "Toolin' for a Warm Teabag" EP, which I only had to take one song off of, since the other 5 were already included on the "Lucifer's Crank" EP.That Draghounds LP was actually a nice rediscovery. Minneapolis band I saw once at the Gear Daddies' official last show in early August of 1992 at the

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-40366976428434412592007-08-14T09:28:00.000-05:002007-08-15T11:57:09.197-05:00

My wife sent me a link to this blog that had a Radio Shack commercial on it covering this subject. I had discussed this issue earlier in the year, and wanted to share my experience for those of you who wanted to do the same. I just wish I could post this info somewhere the people who were really interested in doing this could get it. Feel free to link to this, if you can.If you have a turntable

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-6095668320906779282007-08-14T05:40:00.001-05:002007-08-14T06:02:34.359-05:00

As I may have mentioned ad nauseum, I lived in Germany from the summer before I entered 7th grade until February of my Junior year of high school. During this time, I had various friends who influenced me musically.One guy I hung out with in 7th grade was Gilbert. I don't remember his last name. Gilbert's favorite bands were Rainbow and Deep Purple. Deep Purple was Gilbert's dad's favorite

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-3273230208681341422007-08-13T13:30:00.000-05:002007-08-13T19:08:33.682-05:00

I heard about this tool while listening to WXRT on the way home from Chicago on Saturday.Basically, it looks at your iTunes and then gives you shows in your local area (which, obviously, you can adjust). Looks like there are a lot of good shows coming up in the near future in Chicago, including the Drive-By Truckers on October 22, which also happens to be the night before my birthday.

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-81230402234833053422007-08-09T07:35:00.000-05:002007-08-10T14:01:36.785-05:00

The Steelers have hit an all time low. In an attempt to get people to stop mentioning how they paid off the referees to help them win Superbowl XXXIV, the Steelers have provided a distraction in Steely McBeam.Apparently, this is not the first time the Steelers have had a mascot. The mascot was named by a fan, who cited the name was not reflective of the Scottish heritage of western Pennsylvania,

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-63887262506243303642007-08-03T15:51:00.000-05:002007-08-03T16:00:29.160-05:00

Adam sent me the photo you see next to you. We figure it's painted on the wall of some Nike or other sports store.You should be able to see the full size if you blow it up. I'm wondering how accurate it really is. I find it hard to believe that all of Wisconsin is full on Brewers country. I know it works that way for the Packers, but not necessarily the Brewers. And that Cubs country could be

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-48571848445272216162007-07-30T05:51:00.000-05:002007-07-30T05:58:43.086-05:00

Apparently, it's true. Before Sham Rock Shakes became Total Passover, they had a song about one of Ingmar Bergman's movies. What was the name of that movie? Oh, right: "Persona."Yeah, that's the one.

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-90404919628062925152007-07-24T05:46:00.000-05:002007-07-24T06:20:54.051-05:00

You know, there's a fine line that you walk with opinions at times, and just to warn you, I'm about to walk it. But before I do, I want you to know 2 things:1) Michael Vick is a piece of shit for doing what he did to those dogs. I know he didn't act alone, he had friends help him out, but who do you think bought the land, had the 2-story house with basketball court and fenced in dog training

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-3308664605588271442007-07-20T13:41:00.001-05:002007-07-20T14:07:58.728-05:00

Have you ever been in a really deep sleep and then something wakes you up and it takes you at least 30 seconds to figure out what is going on? Surprisingly, I've received phone calls at night being a safety manager, but for the most part, I've geared myself to be prepared for this, so when it happens, most of the time I'm alert even before I pick up the phone.However, in 1992, I was living in

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-25047543872922183822007-07-17T20:41:00.000-05:002007-07-18T05:36:42.401-05:00

Dear Davenport North High School Class of 1987:I'm sorry to inform you that I won't be showing up for the 20th reunion weekend, starting on July 27. See, I got White Sox tickets for the 28th, and I don't even know who is going with me yet.I was about to reply to the email I got today to say that I would be coming, but then I remembered I had the tickets. I thought about giving the tickets away.

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-29599709733380694852007-07-16T05:51:00.000-05:002007-07-16T05:56:28.726-05:00

Right before the VEISHEA riots started on the campus of Iowa State University in 1988, the radio stations in Iowa couldn't stop playing J.J. Fad's "Supersonic." I just converted this gem to digital yesterday. Nothing fancy about the cover, just a plain white sleeve with the Ruthless Records label.The flip side is the same song without the "intro." Produced by Dr. Dre. Enjoy.

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-55987490976155630402007-07-13T22:10:00.000-05:002007-07-16T05:57:22.551-05:00

Hello darling.Surprised?Yes, it's me again.I have just returned from the island of Chandelier.What am I doing in town?Well, I'm glad you asked.I'm just passing through in search of the ever elusive Thunderbird.I got a job as a public relations man passing out handbills on Austin Street.Merely an effort to improve my financial situation,and ward off a case of the D.T.sSo farewell, my

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-9916285357461697792007-07-13T06:19:00.001-05:002007-07-13T06:24:27.430-05:00

My buddy, Adam, over at Ennui Central, built himself an avatar off the Simpson's movie website. So I didn't really do much this morning except make my own Simpson's avatar. I'll have some more stuff to post about Houston later. Anyone have a link to where you can make your own wii character? Or do you actually have to do this on the wii and take a picture of the TV?

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-19343644246045034252007-07-09T05:35:00.000-05:002007-07-09T06:04:34.606-05:00

We went to Missouri to spend time with my folks over the fourth. My sister moved to the same town about a year ago, and just had another baby girl back in January. As an added bonus, my grandma and dad's sister were also there, so we got to see them as well.I didn't do anything all that interesting, but I guess I missed the first night where my aunt was stirring shit up with my mom, which in turn

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-70447285450822678362007-06-26T05:37:00.000-05:002007-06-26T06:02:09.044-05:00

I got up and ran/walked this morning. Came home, did the usual hygiene thing, got a cup of coffee, and then ran into this gem regarding the cleanup around the financial district of 9.11.01. This line kills me:"But former OSHA administrator John Henshaw, who declared the financial district safe six days after 9/11, said his agency did not have jurisdiction over the firefighters and police officers

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-61563718287898567432007-06-25T08:40:00.000-05:002007-06-25T08:45:20.470-05:00

Here's a way you can stick it to Orville Redenbacher and his ilk: Refuse to buy artificially flavored popcorn. Not only will you be sticking it to the man, but you will hopefully be helping out future food-factory workers. From a National Safety Council email I received:The House Education and Labor Committee approved legislation June 20 to force OSHA to develop a standard governing worker

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-8110965862128263782007-06-21T05:13:00.000-05:002007-06-21T06:17:28.562-05:00

If you've got myspace, then you know that people can send out bulletins. These go to all your friends. One of these came through the other day, and most of the time, I don't really give a damn what they're about. My cousin sent one with the subject of "Why boys like girls." It was a list of about 25 items that what appeared to be "emo-boy" answers (sample: "How great she smells even if it's just

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-23154072778851811132007-06-15T05:09:00.000-05:002007-06-15T06:00:11.364-05:00

Everyone has values, or maybe you call them "rules" that you live by. I was thinking about writing a column concerning all the values that my father gave me while I was growing up. I think I basically came up with three, so instead it evolved into this. After reading some of these, you will probably realize, if you already haven't, that I am truly crazy.1. Go to school and do your best.Thanks

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-18343603214027992022007-06-09T21:50:00.000-05:002007-06-09T21:52:55.521-05:00

Holy balls! I was just listening to iTunes radio and came upon this gem from Luther Wright and the Wrongs:It's a total bluegrass/country re-vamp of Pink Floyd's "The Wall." From the samples, it sounds GREAT.Just thought I'd pass it along. You can't go wrong with a band name like that.

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-70485512782425981052007-06-09T07:05:00.000-05:002007-06-09T07:22:27.323-05:00

It has been absolutely nuts around here of late. In May, my work was severely hampered when my plant hosted a Plant Manager's meeting for a week. I was involved in some of the meetings and tours and after-hours events which prevented me from getting a whole lot done. Then we had the HSE folks conference in West Virginia, which I blabbed about missing the plane in another blog, followed by a week

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-45429030971991847802007-06-07T12:26:00.000-05:002007-06-09T07:25:29.851-05:00

So I heard about this article at the Slate website, saying that wine has become more popular than beer. It's a decent article, but I think that they go waaaay further than necessary to explain why wine has grown more popular than beer.You wanna know why people in America are starting to like wine more than beer? My friend, let me freely give you some opinions:1) Ladies prefer wine to beer. As a

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-50194041936974165302007-05-27T10:28:00.000-05:002007-05-28T06:26:17.051-05:00

I've been travelling quite a bit for work and vacation lately. Went to Cleveland to do an audit on a company that is going to take our special waste and recycle it. Which would be a lot better than the current practice of landfilling it. I dig it when I can work in some personal goals with the career ones. Nice to see that overlap.Met up with Uncle Rukes in Cleveland. Rukes is a friend from

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-27310407034046771172007-05-15T07:08:00.000-05:002007-06-09T07:20:49.157-05:00

Since I've been moving the records over to the digital format, I thought it would be neat to share some of the old treasures I've been uncovering, specifically, the seven inch, 45 r.p.m. records that aren't available anywhere BUT on the original 7" they came out on.The first one of these is Minneapolis' own RUN WESTY RUN. In the early 90's, these guys were Kings of the Twin Cities' rock scene. We

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-57574900020769643752007-05-12T07:30:00.000-05:002007-05-12T08:19:24.386-05:00

Last week, my company had a Plant Manager's meeting at our place, and one "activity" I got to be involved with was a Cubs game on Wednesday night. We actually rented two of the "skyboxes" where you have a room, food, and beer, as well as 15 seats per box. What a way to see Wrigley for the first time, right (or maybe you think sitting in the bleachers is the way to go? More on this later)?All 30

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-80814396118266190622007-05-02T10:38:00.000-05:002007-05-02T13:09:54.230-05:00

Okay, I don't care about this diaper-wearing, space shuttle-flying Nowak person or the wacky situation she's involved with, but I really don't care how the media paints her in this article, particularly this sentence:Fellow astronauts described Lisa Nowak as smart, hardworking and a good mother, but also selfish and unwilling to perform tasks for which she hadn't trained, according to documents

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-80366731997392089642007-04-30T05:47:00.000-05:002007-05-03T06:01:32.625-05:00

We did a lot of stuff this weekend. I had Friday off, so it was nice to be at home with the kids and dork around a little bit. Friday night, my wife and me went to the White Sox game with the company tickets. It was a little cold, so we had a drink in the Stadium Club and then did a round of the stadium before going to our seats. I got a couple of photos. Contreras on the mound. He walked a guy

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-91163362636815453872007-04-25T09:58:00.000-05:002007-04-26T05:10:56.832-05:00

There's really no need for me to even talk about the Virginia Tech shootings. Suffice to say that it was a horrible thing that happened, and my condolences go out to anyone who lost a friend or family member in that unnecessary turn of events.However, what completely baffles me is the search for "why this happened." Does anyone one need to spend time or money to get the answer, other than to

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-9918019309626735232007-04-16T14:13:00.000-05:002007-04-17T06:13:32.280-05:00

Yesterday, my wife asked me over coffee if I could choose one song to define my life, what would it be.This just made me laugh, because at any given moment, I'm hearing music in my head. My niece once said, "You could say the word 'the' and Jesse would come out with some song that referred to it." So for me to sum it all up with one tune would be pretty unlikely.Then, as I was checking my email,

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-39517904023341348772007-04-16T05:42:00.000-05:002007-04-16T05:52:38.104-05:00

I set up my amp and record player up in the basement. Set up the old computer, too. Went through, removed the programs I no longer needed and defragged the hard drive. Got a copy of Audacity (freeware) and set everything up. I even had some success recording my first LP song to digital. Only problem is, I think I'm only getting the left channel through the mic input on my sound card.In the

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-49739620321272258362007-04-15T09:47:00.000-05:002007-04-15T09:49:26.833-05:00

...

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-72202536982180885902007-04-10T05:59:00.000-05:002007-04-10T08:59:57.588-05:00

This is Jason Isbell. Doesn't he look happy? This apparently was taken shortly after he was told he was no longer in the Drive-By Truckers. For those of you who have never heard of the Drive-By Truckers (DBT for short), they are one of, if not, my favorite band. One thing that makes (or made) them unique was that they had 3 guitar player/singer/songwriters. Jason was one of the 3. He is probably

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-1957167209774818592007-04-04T05:44:00.000-05:002007-04-04T09:47:07.246-05:00

Here's where I think the standings will be at the end of the season:National LeagueI love minor league baseball. The only thing about the National League (or 4A) baseball system is that you have to pay admission prices equal to major league ball. What's that you say? The Cardinals are an NL team and they won the World Series last year? You're right. They won 86 games in the regular season, beat

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-16354080821485060192007-04-03T14:12:00.000-05:002007-04-03T14:43:10.714-05:00

I was never much of a baseball fan. Always looked like a bunch of standing around. My brother-in-law moved to St. Louis and started showing a big interest in the Cardinals about 5 years ago. So I started sort of following the Cardinals, but not really still understanding the sport, and still not really getting into it.A few years later, in 2003, my Dad moves to Missouri. He has every Cardinal

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-83267573013612165832007-03-31T07:15:00.000-05:002007-03-31T07:22:12.151-05:00

I posted this after the superbowl. Apparently the judge took pity on his liquored ass and decided he didn't have to change his name. Whatever. Don't make stupid bets in the future, Junior, especially when the bet doesn't include anything if you win.That's right. Apparently, this guy bet that if the Bears lost he would change his name to Peyton Manning. And if he won, he'd get the satisfaction

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-21351639422159003872007-03-28T20:38:00.000-05:002007-03-29T16:36:49.046-05:00

I went out to lunch with a guy I work with the other day. I work for a company that is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Shell. The oil company. I drive a Prius.That's right. It's like Jam Master Jay used to say about drug dealers: "The coolest drug dealers don't use the stuff they sell."So anyway, this guy was telling me that he read an article that said that the nickel in the batteries used on the

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-68197182022615719332007-03-24T22:37:00.000-05:002007-03-24T22:55:51.906-05:00

I can't remember if this was 1994 or '95. But when I worked for AlliedSignal in Postville, Iowa, we always had these great Christmas parties. You had your choice of a HUGE pork chop or prime rib, with all the fixin's, and of course, an open bar. The whole open bar idea at corporate events has become almost taboo, but not at AlliedSignal in the 90's, at least not in small town Iowa. I gotta

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-89997834490149230272007-03-21T05:41:00.000-05:002007-03-23T21:31:33.206-05:00

So I played in a couple of bands in my day, as well. Here's a rundown on that history:Blackmail Wiesbaden, Germany - 19861 showMembers: Michelle Montoya - vocals, Loren and Vernon Turner - guitars, a GI named Doug - drums, me - bass and vocalsMy first band, ever. I bought a bass about 2 years earlier. I could play guitar okay, but everyone was buying electric guitars. No one was buying a bass. I

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-32441400493498306912007-03-18T08:08:00.000-05:002007-03-20T05:44:35.857-05:00

Initially, I started out today's blog as sort of a Guilty Pleasure review of a band. However, I felt the need to preface this with my background, or where I'm coming from. If this is boring, I apologize. I just wanted everyone who reads to have a reference point so you would understand why I have certain opinions. I do this because there are times when I read reviews of bands, releases or

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-86709018213951745822007-03-17T06:13:00.000-05:002007-03-17T07:06:06.027-05:00

"So Ted, what are you doing tonight?""I heard they're having a party down the street at this dude's house who I know from my Psych class, but Tricia's gotta work on her art project. So I was thinking about going with her to Panera.""Hey, they got wifi there. Do you think I could come along and bring my lap top?""I don't see why not."Hell yeah, they got wifi at Panera. So come on down. Don't worry

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3697366.post-72901575396629124082007-03-16T07:00:00.000-05:002007-03-17T07:06:34.303-05:00

My wife took the kids to Porter Beach on Tuesday, when the weather was in the lower 70s. The first time she saw Lake Michigan, my wife said it reminded her of Pensacola Beach. I thought the same. Only we never saw a big sheet of ice in the Gulf of Mexico. Neat.

Jezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02130897549926261047noreply@blogger.com0