I Could Have Just Gone Home and Watched a Movie...

But I didn't. I worked a full eight hour shift yesterday (overtime) and got off at 10:30 p.m.. Krista was out of town, and I didn't feel like just going home and sitting around the house by myself. What to do. Well, I felt like playing some poker, so why not. I headed out to the Card Club at Canterbury Downs. The place was packed, but I had driven out, so I decided to get on the list, hang out and wait for a spot at a table.

At about midnight, I got a spot at a 3-6 hold'em table and started sizing up the competition. This was a much better game than the 2-4 I had played at Canterbury in the past, or as my brother calls it, "no fold'em hold'em.". No getting rivered by some dink that should have folded before the flop. For the first hour or so, things were going OK. I would win a bit here and there, but paying my blinds, and a number of hands that didn't improve on the flop were starting to diminish my funds.

Then it happened. I was in late position, just to the right of the button, and was dealt 8,9 suited. There were many callers, but no raises, and I called. Here comes the flop. 9, 9, Jack. Very nice. Everyone ahead of me checked. By this time I was able to tell what the guy sitting to my left was going to do when the action came to him. He would always have chips in hand if he was going to call or raise. He had chips in hand, so I checked as well. He bet, and this chased a couple of people out, and when the action came to me again, I raised. Right away I was wishing I hadn't. I was sure that I had given my hand away, and that everyone would fold. I should have waited for the turn card, and the higher bets. But everyone still in stayed in. Wow. Now I was worried that there were some pocket pairs out there that were waiting for a third card. Time for the turn. Another 9! I had four of a kind. Everyone checks, and it comes to me. Mr. easy-read to my left has his chips in hand, so I check, and he bets. Two callers, and it is to me. I raise. Easy-read calls, one more caller, and a fold. Down to three of us. Last card, the river. Queen. Doesn't matter, I still have the best possible hand. First guy checks, easy read has his hands on his cards. He won't be betting this time, so I will. He folds. The last player says he wants to see my Jack, and calls. Jack? He thought I had two pair when I check raised. He flips his cards, before I can. He has Queen, Jack. I flip my 8, and he smiles, I flip my 9, and his jaw drops. Nice pot. Just in time too. I would have had to leave if I hadn't won soon.

But that was just the beginning. Three hands later I flopped a full house. Next hand, flopped two pair, that turned into a full house on the turn. Next hand, flopped my third full house in a row. I was able to bet the hell out of that one since no one thought I had great cards for the third hand in a row. Next hand, I flopped a pair of aces that held up to the end. Again bet like crazy.

The rest of the night was a little more even, but the chips kept slowly piling up in front of me. When I left, I had made more in six hours of poker than I did with my eight hours of overtime.

No clue what I just said here? Check this out.

Foo Fighters South of the Border

And I'm not talking Dave Grohl and Co. A group of UFOs were spotted and captured on tape by a Mexican Air Force plane. Seeing the video, it seems clear that this was not some sort of natural phenomenon. The objects were in formation, and at one point came around to surround the plane. They were first picked up by radar, and then on tape when the plane switched on its infrared camera. The objects were not visible to the naked eye.

This sort of sighting that really, really, really piques my interest. Well, all sightings do, but particularly those that are clearly not natural phenomena. What is frustrating is that those are the ones that are never explained. I am still waiting for a better explanation for the Phoenix Lights. The "A-10 Warthog decoy flares" story just doesn't cut it.

Twinkle, Twinkle Little (er, big) Extrasolar Planet

We know that there are planets out there, around other stars. We even know where some of them are. But we have never seen one, or have we...

It Could Give a Guy Tendonitis...

The always interesting and educational John Hardy teaches us how a few different cultures count (and have counted) on their fingers.

Oh How Time Flies.

Well, It was just about one year, one hour, 18 minutes and 11 seconds ago that I succumbed to the incredible pressure. I think I have done a good job of keeping my original promise. What can you expect for the coming year? More of the same. Although I may actually get around to making those changes to the look of it all at some point.

I almost feel bad about this....

Almost. He did all but ask for it...

So, did I do well, or poorly?

Jason continues this meme. Sure, I'll bite. The ones I've read are in bold.

Beowulf
Achebe, Chinua - Things Fall Apart
Agee, James - A Death in the Family
Austen, Jane - Pride and Prejudice
Baldwin, James - Go Tell It on the Mountain
Beckett, Samuel - Waiting for Godot
Bellow, Saul - The Adventures of Augie March
Brontë, Charlotte - Jane Eyre
Brontë, Emily - Wuthering Heights
Camus, Albert - The Stranger
Cather, Willa - Death Comes for the Archbishop
Chaucer, Geoffrey - The Canterbury Tales
Chekhov, Anton - The Cherry Orchard
Chopin, Kate - The Awakening
Conrad, Joseph - Heart of Darkness
Cooper, James Fenimore - The Last of the Mohicans
Crane, Stephen - The Red Badge of Courage
Dante - Inferno
de Cervantes, Miguel - Don Quixote
Defoe, Daniel - Robinson Crusoe
Dickens, Charles - A Tale of Two Cities
Dostoyevsky, Fyodor - Crime and Punishment
Douglass, Frederick - Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
Dreiser, Theodore - An American Tragedy
Dumas, Alexandre - The Three Musketeers
Eliot, George - The Mill on the Floss
Ellison, Ralph - Invisible Man
Emerson, Ralph Waldo - Selected Essays
Faulkner, William - As I Lay Dying
Faulkner, William - The Sound and the Fury
Fielding, Henry - Tom Jones
Fitzgerald, F. Scott - The Great Gatsby
Flaubert, Gustave - Madame Bovary
Ford, Ford Madox - The Good Soldier
Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von - Faust
Golding, William - Lord of the Flies
Hardy, Thomas - Tess of the d'Urbervilles
Hawthorne, Nathaniel - The Scarlet Letter
Heller, Joseph - Catch 22
Hemingway, Ernest - A Farewell to Arms
Homer - The Iliad
Homer - The Odyssey
Hugo, Victor - The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Hurston, Zora Neale - Their Eyes Were Watching God
Huxley, Aldous - Brave New World
Ibsen, Henrik - A Doll's House
James, Henry - The Portrait of a Lady
James, Henry - The Turn of the Screw
Joyce, James - A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
Kafka, Franz - The Metamorphosis
Kingston, Maxine Hong - The Woman Warrior
Lee, Harper - To Kill a Mockingbird
Lewis, Sinclair - Babbitt
London, Jack - The Call of the Wild
Mann, Thomas - The Magic Mountain
Marquez, Gabriel García - One Hundred Years of Solitude
Melville, Herman - Bartleby the Scrivener
Melville, Herman - Moby Dick
Miller, Arthur - The Crucible
Morrison, Toni - Beloved
O'Connor, Flannery - A Good Man is Hard to Find
O'Neill, Eugene - Long Day's Journey into Night
Orwell, George - Animal Farm
Pasternak, Boris - Doctor Zhivago
Plath, Sylvia - The Bell Jar
Poe, Edgar Allan - Selected Tales
Proust, Marcel - Swann's Way
Pynchon, Thomas - The Crying of Lot 49
Remarque, Erich Maria - All Quiet on the Western Front
Rostand, Edmond - Cyrano de Bergerac
Roth, Henry - Call It Sleep
Salinger, J.D. - The Catcher in the Rye
Shakespeare, William - Hamlet
Shakespeare, William - Macbeth
Shakespeare, William - A Midsummer Night's Dream
Shakespeare, William - Romeo and Juliet
Shaw, George Bernard - Pygmalion
Shelley, Mary - Frankenstein
Silko, Leslie Marmon - Ceremony
Solzhenitsyn, Alexander - One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
Sophocles - Antigone
Sophocles - Oedipus Rex
Steinbeck, John - The Grapes of Wrath
Stevenson, Robert Louis - Treasure Island
Stowe, Harriet Beecher - Uncle Tom's Cabin
Swift, Jonathan - Gulliver's Travels
Thackeray, William - Vanity Fair
Thoreau, Henry David - Walden
Tolstoy, Leo - War and Peace
Turgenev, Ivan - Fathers and Sons
Twain, Mark - The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Voltaire - Candide
Vonnegut, Kurt Jr. - Slaughterhouse-Five
Walker, Alice - The Color Purple
Wharton, Edith - The House of Mirth
Welty, Eudora - Collected Stories
Whitman, Walt - Leaves of Grass
Wilde, Oscar - The Picture of Dorian Gray
Williams, Tennessee - The Glass Menagerie
Woolf, Virginia - To the Lighthouse
Wright, Richard - Native Son

So, what does all of this say about me? No clue.

That Thing Got A Hemi?

Jason posts about television advertising, and the type of ads he hates. He also mentions the one ad that made a difference in his life. The VW ad that introduced him to the music of Nick Drake. This we have in common.

We also have in common a distaste for the ads that seem to pit us against one another. Husband against wife and child against parent. In addition to those Jason mentions I'll add the Dodge Hemi commercials. Pat, a couple of other friends and I had an e-mail exchange a while back about how much we hate these ads. You know the ones, where the wife likes the Durango because of the DVD player so she doesn't have to pay attention to her kid, and the husband loves the power of the hemi despite the fact he has absolutely no need for it, other than to compensate for what he must be lacking... They scoff at each other behind their backs while talking to their friends. If beer commercials attempt to make you think that beautiful women will fall all over you if you drink their beer, to whom is Dodge selling? People that hope for a loveless marriage? Or are they trying to appeal to those unhappy couples? Yes you too can find common ground in the Durango, it won't help, but it is common ground.

Then there are the J.C. Penny ads with the screaming-mess-making-kids, and the father trying his hardest to ignore them, asking "Where is your Mother?" Well, there is a sale on at J.C. Penny, she's a woman isn't she? This one actually offends me. It should offend everyone. Men can't take care of kids, women can't help but shop, the father is too lazy to try, the mother doesn't give a shit, she's going shopping.

I love great television commercials. Every year Krista and I go to the British Television Advertising Awards at the Walker Arts Center (it isn't the actual presentation of the awards, but they play all of the award winners), and there are still some really great ads being produced. Just not here. It has been a long time since there has been a commercial on American Television that I really liked. There used to be quite a few around the time of the Nick Drake/VW ad. I liked most of the VW ads of that time, and I also liked to Mitsubishi ads that followed. The Mitsubishi ads weren't quite as "deep" as the VW ads, but they had excellent production value, were visually pleasing, and featured some great music. One spot that left me feeling conflicted was the H2 ad that used "Happy Jack" by The Who. There may not be a product that I hate more than the Hummer H2, but I was drawn to the ad. A friend of mine thought that the ad betrayed the spirit of the song, because the H2 is a huge status symbol. It is the car that everyone is supposed to want. This is one of the reasons that I hate the H2, but in the ad it isn't portrayed that way. The "Happy Jack" kid finds his own way to win the race. While this doesn't totally jive with the song (Happy Jack was always happy, no matter what other people did to or thought of him) it isn't a bad message. The problem is that the spirit of the ad doesn't jive with the reality of the H2 either. But the ad is really well done. The song and the story don't quite match, and they they miss the reality what they are selling, but it is well done, I love the song, and I like the spirit of the story of the ad. What can I do.

You Think That's Bad...

Jaquandor has questioned the wisdom of the way I secured my entry for "Image of the Week" while he was on hiatus. I offered my defense in his comments. Now, at least I'm not this guy. I wonder if he is one of the motorists Jaq encountered on his trip to America Jr.

Welcome Back, and Congratulations!

Well, Jaquandor is back from his break, so I guess that means I will need to come up with something of my own for A Blog of His Own. In the meantime, it seems congratulations are in order. I hear Jaq will be handing out cigars...

Burst of Weirdness (on Friday even!)

Still picking up the slack for you know who...

Ever need to send a message, but you are just not quite sure how? Next time, use this guy's chest!

Just attempting to keep up Jaq's regular features is tough work. I don't know how he manages to post all that other stuff as well. I tip my hat.

Move Over Britney!

As long as I am picking up the slack, I thought I would add to Jaq's semi-regular feature of women for whom Ms. Spears is not fit to serve as a foot-rest while they receive a pedicure (scroll down a bit in his sidebar to find the other honorees). I've been waiting for this one, but Jaq hasn't gotten around to her, so I am taking things into my own hands. I present to you, Salma Hayek. 'Nuff said.

Image of the Week

Well, it is Thursday, and you know what that means. It is time for Jaquandor's Image of the Week feature on his Buffalo Blog. But, it seems that he has decided to take a week off from posting, so I got you covered.

Last Friday Morning(or Thursday Night depending on how you look at it) I had to work at midnight, and that meant that Downtown Minneapolis was lit up for me (it is usually dark when I go in at 3:00AM). I love Downtown Minneapolis when it is lit up at night, I find it to be one of the coolest skylines around.

I had my new digital camera with me, so I thought I would snap a quick shot. I turned off the flash, and used the slow-shutter feature. It came out just about as I had hoped. Hey, at least I wasn't talking on my cellphone...

Just before Easter?

Seems like quite a bit of work for a couple grand. Not to mention the one-way ticket straight to Hell...

Yes, I'm still here...

That Buffalo Blogger takes a quiz. Why not, I don't have anything real to post right now.

1 :: Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 18, find line 4. Write down what it says:

"Hold down the Shift key and type B. Finale adds a B to the chord"

2 :: Stretch your left arm out as far as you can. What do you touch first?

Darth Vader.

3 :: What is the last thing you watched on DVD? On actual TV?

On DVD: Monty Python's Flying Circus: You're No Fun Anymore
On actual TV: Excluding work, and watching a bit of news at home, Arrested Development.

4 :: WITHOUT LOOKING, guess what time it is:

12:36 p.m.

5 :: Now look at the clock; what is the actual time?

12:40 p.m.

6 :: With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?

The furnace just kicked in

7 :: When did you last step outside? What were you doing?

About 2:45 this morning, coming home from a poker game.

8 :: Before you came to this website, what did you look at?

I am going to assume that "this website" refers to where I found this quiz, so the answer would be the the website that you are looking at now.

9 :: What are you wearing?

Nothing. No, wait, I mean a white t-shirt, jeans, and socks.

10 :: Did you dream last night?

I'm sure I did, although I don't remember any of it. The last dream I remember was Wednesday night. I was working on a film with John Woo and Jackie Chan. We were shooting along Minnehaha Creek.

11 :: When did you last laugh?

I chuckled this morning while watching Monty Python, but I laughed out loud quite a bit last night at the poker game.

12 :: What is on the walls of the room you are in?

Yellow vapor barrier.

13 :: Seen anything weird lately?

About a month or so ago on my way to work, I saw a strange trail down the center of the street (the street had not yet been plowed, and as it was three in the morning, I was the fist to drive in the fresh snow). After about two blocks, I came upon some sort of animal dragging a dead squirrel. The animal looked somewhat ferret-like, but I couldn't tell for sure what it was. It would stop to look at me, but refused to move out of my way, until I honked my horn, when it ran into someone's yard, still dragging the squirrel.

14 :: What do you think of this quiz?

Not usually my thing, but what the hell.

15 :: What is the last film you saw?

In the theater: Secret Window. I was disappointed. I saw the ending about twenty minutes into the movie, and hoped I was wrong, but I wasn't. Depp and Turturro were superb however.

At home: The Day the Earth Stood Still

16 :: If you became a multi-millionaire overnight, what would you buy first?

That is tough. I think it would be a Honda 599. One can never have too many motorcycles.

17 :: Tell me something about you that I don't know:

Hmmm... Lets see, Holy cow! Look over there, what is THAT!?

18 :: If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do?

Annihilate religious radicals.

19 :: Do you like to dance?

If I've been drinking, and the music is good.

20 :: George Bush: is he a power-crazy nutcase or someone who is finally doing something that has needed to be done for years?

What Jaq said: Both, which is what really scares me.

21a :: Imagine your first child is a girl; what do you call her?

I can't remember what Krista told me to think.

21b :: Imagine your first child is a boy; what do you call him?

See 21a

22 :: Would you ever consider living abroad?

Yes, but like Jaq, for limited periods of time. There are many places I would like to live for short stints if I didn't have to worry about income.

Seriously though, what about Teen Wolf Too?

This week the folks at The Onion AV Club interview Jason Bateman, the star of Arrested Development. If you aren't watching this show, you should be. It is the best new show out there, or at least the best new show that I am watching. OK, it is the only new show that I am watching, but it is really, really good. What I would like to know, about which Mr. Bateman was not queried, is why we were not better warned by Fox that we NEEDED to watch on Wednesday of last week. The new episode that aired on Wednesday was the set-up for the episode this past Sunday. Now, Fox may have mentioned that Wednesday's episode was new, but if they did, I missed it, and in turn the new episode.

Power to the People! But what if the People are idiots?

Well, it is on its way. The push to amend the Minnesota Constitution to LIMIT civil rights cleared its first hurdle yesterday. Well, it was hardly a hurdle. The bill passed 88-42 in the Minnesota House of Representatives. Hopefully it will encounter more resistance in the Senate. If it gets through the Senate, hopefully the people of Minnesota will have the wisdom not to amend the Constitution to limit rights. Though I don't see much hope there. Pat had a great post in the issue of gay marriage about three weeks ago (Uh, Pat? Are you still with us?). His post pretty much sums up my position on the whole matter.

I do not believe that your sexuality is a choice.

I do not believe it is a sin.

I do not believe that it will diminish the meaning of "Marriage." Anyway, who cares? Well apparently quite few people. Many of those opposed claim that they do not want to see the definition of what a marriage is to change. Most are liars. The truth is that they do not want to see ANY legal status for gay couples.

The legal ramifications are, in my view, the most important aspect of the whole issue. There is now a custody case in Minneapolis involving a lesbian couple. Well former couple. While some of the problems in this case do not seem as though they would be helped by the legalization of gay marriage (attitudes of the Chinese government, and the legal guardian changing her mind about seeking parental status for her partner), it isn't hard to imagine a scenario where legal gay marriage would help simplify things.

So lets just legalize civil unions for gays and give these civil unions all the legal rights of married heterosexual couples. Oh right, separate but equal. Many gay couples want the "marriage" designation. What to do, what to do...

Here is what to do:

Remove "marriage" from the whole debate. The prevailing argument is that "the Bible defines" marriage as the union of one man and one woman. OK, so that makes marriage a religious issue. Separation of church and state right? Aaron's new deal: The government will recognize civil unions. Gay, straight, doesn't matter. As far as the government is concerned it is a civil union. You want to get married in a church? Fine. Get married in a church, call it a marriage, call it a culpaloo, call it whatever the hell you and your church want to call it. As far as Government is concerned it is a civil union. That moves the entire "definition of marriage" thing away from government. Let the churches deal with it.

Broadcast? Who needs it?

I see via that Buffalo Blogger that Lynn Sislo is annoyed with the way that Fox is airing the current season of 24, (in addition to an apparent drop in the quality of scripts). Jaquandor has a good point about the complications of stretching 24 episodes over 32 weeks. Fox doesn't have much choice but to air them with a few extended breaks here and there (unlike poor Futurama which they royally screwed). Reruns are not an option with 24, so Fox is probably doing the best they can. But I have a better way! The proper way to watch 24 is the way Krista and I do it. DO NOT watch when it airs on TV. Wait for the DVDs to become available, and place them all at the top of your Netflix rental queue. We plowed through the first two seasons in about two weeks apiece. We averaged two episodes a day. With no commercials that comes to about an hour and twenty minutes. One problem is forcing yourself to turn off the DVD player, and not moving right on to the next episode, and wasting your entire day. Also be careful to ignore the promos for the current season while watching The Simpsons. "WHAT! NINA IS A BAD GUY?!?!?!?"

Netflix rentals make up the majority of our viewing, other than Sunday nights on Fox and That 70s Show (which is suffering this year). We started out with all of the original Avengers, moved on to Star Trek TOS, the first season of 24, the Spielberg SF Channel mini series Taken, the second 24, and now we are starting on Monty Python's Flying Circus (Which Krista doesn't find nearly as amusing as I do) and Star Trek TNG.

Adventures in Cooking

If Scott is planning any more experiments in the kitchen this week, I hope for his sake that he is not a Pisces.

May The Force Be With You...

Speaking of Sean, I see that he (and in turn I) totally scooped Wired (no link to the Wired bit, it isn't on the website yet) on "Obi-Shawn" Crosby and His H-Wing. Also check out the rest of Road Squadron, it's just so geeky-cool.

Cutting Through the Crap

The Buffalo Blogger was wondering when a comment turns into a post on your own weblog. Well, you are reading one.

On his Buffalo Blog he points to a post from Steven Den Beste offering solutions to spam and web ads that can slow down that vital browsing that you are doing. SDB's browsing solution seems like a lot of work to me. At home I use Safari, and I never have troubles with pages pausing during loading (I do have this problem at work however using IE). Safari also has a great pop-up blocker. I am not sure how it compares with EarthLink's (which is in use by the Buffalo Blogger) or other such tools. It allows pop-ups to which you navigate, but blocks those that pop up or under when loading the page. I do not seem to notice it blocking anything it shouldn't, but maybe I am, and just don't notice... Safari also has built-in spell check (and it works better than the spell check that blogger has built in) which is a great asset for dolt's like me. I don't like to get into the whole Mac vs. PC thing, but Safari is one great argument (albeit a small one) in Apple's favor. To be fair, I haven't used any of the alternative browsers on PC, such as Opera or Mozilla etc.

As far as spam goes, I almost never get it at home. Not sure if RoadRunner has blocking software or not. I do get a shitload at work. Most of it is blocked, though I still have to delete it (which can be interesting, when you get to see that you have gotten an average of 100 spams a day) but ten to twenty still manage to get through daily. The most frequent one these days encourages me to become a man of the cloth, which I first saw via Sean awhile back.

Indecision

Well, since Christmas, I've been trying to decide what to buy with the cash I was given as gifts from various people. I am stuck between a point and shoot digital camera (I still need to save a bit more for the one I want) and a nice ukulele.

I have been leaning towards the digital camera. I want something small and portable that I can take with me wherever I go. It will not replace my SLR on trips or when I am feeling artistic (I love the options my wide angle and telephoto lenses give me), but it would be great for those times when you just need a camera and don't have the SLR because it just isn't practical.

But now the uke has started gaining ground again. On his Buffalo Blog, that Buffalo Blogger points out this post from John Scalzi asking which songs should be uked. That in turn led me to this, and this, and this. Here is a complete list.

Welcome and Right On!

To your left you will notice two new additions to my blogroll. The first is a good friend from college, and bad-ass-bassist, Mark. Mark and I spent a fair amount of time together back at the day, between Jazz Band, Jazz Combo, and just hanging out. We have been out of touch for too long a time, and I was pleased the other day when I found out that a mysterious e-mail was in fact from Mark.

The second is Mix-Master-Dorf (aka Patrick Mixdorf). I'm not sure if I am the first to refer to Pat with this moniker, but I am taking credit for it. I know Pat from a few meetings via mutual friends, tall tales, and numerous e-mail threads. His is a brand-spanking-new weblog.

Both of these fine individuals responded to the list of 100 albums I noted below, and both shared my viewpoint, and expressed it in a much better fashion than I. Mark's response is here, and I think Pat attempted a response in the comments at the bottom of the list, but I do not see it there, so I will add it at the end of this post.

What really bugged me about the list, which I completely neglected to note in my previous post, was the hypocrisy. He claims to impart upon us his infinite wisdom of why these albums are undeserving. In doing so he takes on the roll of the music critics he reviles. He is a music snob. His reason for disliking so many of these albums is that they, in his opinion, don't live up to the hype that other music snobs attach to them. I hope my response did not come across as so much music snobbery, as me offering my opinion. Many, many people that I hold in very high regard often exhibit what I consider questionable taste in music. But that's OK.

Here is the Response of Mix-Master-Dorf.

Like the music critics you claim to revile, your self-righteous and patently self-gratifying attempt at telling people what music they should enjoy comes across as mean spirited and most importantly misses the point of music altogether.

The best albums and music have a visceral appeal. An unbiased opinion (if such a thing is even possible) may show those albums to be crap, but if it floats your boat, who cares.

Like great literature, some albums ought to be listened to because they played a significant role in the development of music. Anyone whose ever read (or tried to read) Ulysses by Joyce knows that great literature can be incomprehensible crap. The same may hold true for Coltrane and Davis, but that doesn't mean it's not worth a listen.

If you own them because you think you must, you're an idiot, but if you bought them out of a sense of exploration or personal growth, good for you. Maybe they weren't what you expected, but you're better for having tried.

But your honor...

Um...

24 Reasons You are Wrong

Here is a list of 100 albums some guy thinks you should remove from your collection immediately. Many he listed are from artists it is in fashion to hate or be sick of. I agree with a few of his choices, disagree with many, and am not familiar enough with others to make a judgment. Some of the commenters really take offense. While the list doesn't get to me like some of them, I felt compelled to offer my rebuttal. Here are a few of the more obvious reasons he is wrong. Thanks to Sean for the link (I think).

U2- The Joshua Tree. Well, I agree that Bono is much too self righteous, but The Edge is too cool for school. And this is not a bad or even over-rated album. Leave it right where it is.

Nirvana- Nevermind. Over-rated? Yes. But still a good album. If you don't already own it, don't sweat it, but if you got it, keep it.

The Beatles- Let it be. Screw you pal. It seems to be cool to hate this album. I disagree heartily. The "Naked" release is better, but even the Spectorized version gets five stars from me.

Miles Davis- Bitches Brew. I don't own this album, but I have heard it on a few occasions (but not for quite some time). While not high on my list of to buys, he is overreacting.

Pearl Jam- Vs. Not their best (if you only buy one Pearl Jam, buy Yield) but still a good album.

Beck- Midnight Vultures. Are you kidding me? "Christina Aguilera of the indie set." Sure, except for the fact that Mr. Hansen is a fucking musical genius.

The Who- Tommy. I hope my sister is sitting down while reading this.

Beastie Boys- Paul's Boutique. Often hailed as their best. I prefer Check Your Head, but still a great album.

Red Hot Chili Peppers- Blood Sugar Sex Magik. A band that is cool to hate. You probably don't need more than one RHCP CD in your collection, but this is a good album.

White Stripes- White Blood Cells. Wrong answer. This is a great album, five stars. But I see from this entry I see that this list was compiled back in '02. I guess he was right about closing the book on Jack and Meg though, that Elephant disk went nowhere...

Dave Brubeck- Time Out. If this guy wants to get rid of his copy, buy it from him. It is a masterpiece.

John Coltrane- Giant Steps. What the ftuyhjnokmhg,jk... Sorry I fainted there for a minute. If this guy doesn't have the ability to appreciate anything more complex than big band music it isn't your problem. Buy this album.

Morrissey- All recordings. I don't own any, but I know some people that this will piss off, so I put it in here.

Jane's Addiction- Nothing's Shocking. Blah blah blah... Another band that it is cool to hate. I am starting to wonder exactly who the poseur is here.

Tori Amos- Under the Pink. Wrong. Another five star album.

Green Day- Dookie. Yet another band that is cool to hate. Someone said this album was analogous to a can of Pringles. One tasty pop song stacked on another. They were right. Dookie is a stack of great thee-minute pop songs. And there is nothing wrong with that.

Sarah McLauchlan- Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, Surfacing. He's right about keeping one, wrong about it making a difference. Remember that "Building a Mystery" song? That was on Surfacing. Fumbling Towards Ecstasy is the keeper.

U2- War. No! No! No!

The Beatles- Sgt. Peppers Lonely Heart's Club Band. While I tend to think that this one is a bit over-hyped in its importance, it is still one of the best.

Grateful Dead- All Recordings. Now, I'm by no means a deadhead, but they did make worthy contributions to music.

Bob Marley and The Wailers- Legend. Well, he said it himself. It is a fine album. It's not my fault his friends played it into the ground.

Sublime- Sublime. Again, very good album. And again, not my problem he has bad non-musical associations with it.

Beastie Boys- Check Your Head, Ill Communication. Check Your Head is great, and Ill Communication is very good. Keep 'em.

The Doors- The Best of The Doors. WRONG!

Water, water everywhere... Well at least there used to be.

NASA announced today that they have enough evidence to conclude that water was once abundant at the Opportunity landing site. While this was a big and important announcement, it is hardly a sunrise. This is exactly what scientists have long suspected, and what the rovers were sent to confirm. The evidence comes in the form of a rock that exhibits layers of sediment containing salt, and other minerals indicative of a body of water that has evaporated. What is important about this discovery is that it tells NASA where to look for signs of life in future missions.

Starship Stacy and the Vector Kings

Here are a few photos from the gig. I guess that was over two months ago, but here they are anyway. Thanks to Jon Murphy for providing them.

Dan and me, laughing about something. What, I'll never tell.


Krista gets sooooo excited when she plays.


No more laughing!


Krista finally proves that she can do two things at once.

Ah, that's the stuff...

Hello is anyone still here? The past couple of weeks have been wearing me down a bit. This is due, I think, to quite a bit of overtime, along with other work related frustrations, lack of sleep (what sleep I have had has been less than restful), lack of exercise etc. etc. etc. All of this has led to me spending my waking hours in a daze. And not a good daze. A large part of my problem may have been cabin fever, and that my friends may be at an end. I can smell it.

This weekend Krista and I managed to all but finish up the electrical work in our kitchen, so I feel like I actually accomplished something, which helps. We pulled out the grill for the first time this year, and cooked-up some tasty burgers. I started up the bikes yesterday to blow out the cobwebs, and that helped improve my mood immensely. Today I couldn't resist, and logged about 15 miles. Hopefully this all signals an end to the funk I've been in. Tomorrow I hope to get back into my regular exercise routine. What a difference one weekend can make.

Rattlesnake Rhumba!

You know all those goofy names for groups of animals? Well, now you do (thanks to Sean via Language Hat). I issue a challenge to any of my readers who happen to be poets, to create a poem using as may of these as possible. Now.

Mark your calendars and buy some mylar.

On June 8 of this year Venus will make a rare transit of the Sun. The end of this transit will be visable across most of the central and eastern US. If you miss it you will have to wait eight years, and then you will have to travel to Japan, or taking a swim in the middle of the pacific. After that, it's another 105 years. I am hoping to get some good photos that I will provide to you free of charge. Lucky you.

Ladies and Genelmen, The Beatles!

It was forty years ago tonight that The Beatles made their American television debut on the Ed Sullivan Show. 73 million (a bout 2/5 of the US population) tuned in to watch the Fab Four offer outstanding performances of five songs. The Albert and David Maysles documentary of The Beatles first visit to the US was re-released last week with additional footage, mostly screaming fans I've been told (I have not purchased this one yet). Also available is a two disk set containing all four Ed Sullivan episodes, in their entirety, on which The Beatles appeared. Any Beatle fan should seriously consider this purchase. In addition to the Beatles performances it offers a glimpse of what the American public was watching in 1964. It leaves me wondering "that's entertainment?" It goes to show that the current pant load on television is nothing new. There are some things on the disks beyond the Fab Four that make it worth it. Including the American Television debut of Davy Jones (yes, of the Monkees) with the Broadway cast of Oliver, Cab Calloway, and the commercials.

Money Money Money Money

This started out as a comment on a certain Buffalo Blog, but..

Jaquandor is annoyed with a school supplying all students with PDAs.

I, like Jaq, have no objection to spending lots of money on education. Lots of it, but when things like this come up, I shake my head. There were some schools here in the Twin Cities that complained that there was no money to buy flags for the classrooms. The solution? Why, point a camera at a flag, and broadcast it via the schools closed circuit television system. This equipment was very new. Far better than what I worked on in college, and some of it better than what I currently use at work. I would grant the possibility that the equipment was purchased before the budget woes, but this district has been complaining about funding and class sizes for a while, even before our state budget crunch. Now, I don't object to the students learning video production, but it is not essential to education. It should certainly be a lower priority than hiring, or retaining an additional teacher.

Wasteful spending really gets me, especially from organizations that are constantly complaining about funding. Our local public broadcasting stations are another example. I am in support for continued funding for public broadcasting, but I will NOT contribute to their fundraising. Salaries for the workers (some at least) are outrageous. Union employees, in a position similar to the one I hold, earn nearly double what I do. I don't know this as a firm fact, but I do have it from a very reliable source. Capital expenditures are also an issue. All state of the art, all the time. Equipment must be replaced at some point, but the use it or lose it budget system in schools and other government facilities has to go away.

That is all, I think...

Tenor Madness

I see now that my man Sonny Rollins received the John Coltrane Lifetime Achievement Award during last night's Grammys. Rollins is one of my favorite jazz musicians. As jazz saxophonists go, imho, he is second only to Coltrane. If you are interested in checking out some of this cat's work, I recommend Saxophone Colossus, Tenor Madness (featuring John Coltrane), and Sonny Meets Hawk, where Rollins teams up with another jazz sax great Coleman Hawkins. I own a limited edition print of the photo above. It sits matted at the frame store awaiting the frame I want to come in stock.

And the award goes to...

Well, I didn't watch the Grammys last night. I haven't even looked over the list of the winners, and I really don't care who won. I did scan through the tapes of the show at work this morning for the performances, and there were some very good ones. The show started off with the Beyonce and the worlds funkiest Jehovah's Witnesses. Prince is a truly amazing musician and performer. He may be one of the top ten guitarists in popular music. Dave Matthews, Sting, and Vince Gill did a wonderful rendition of "I Saw Her Standing There" in honor of the Beatles President's Award. Other notables were the White Stripes, Outkast, and Foo Fighters with Chick Corea.

I can't watch the Grammys anymore. Have not been able to for a while. I get too angry. As the night goes on and the awards are handed out to the wrong nominees, or the deserving performer isn't even nominated, my blood starts to boil. I get acid reflux. I start yelling at the television. Maybe if they cut out the awards... I would even suffer through the Justin Timberlakes and Celine Dions to catch the great performances.

Next up, Djork

Amanda (AKA Djork, Phrogrrl, Mrs. Boyd etc. etc.) also accepted the Five Question Challenge. Like Dan she is blogless (Really dear sister, isn't it time you got one of your own? If you did, maybe next time you get tonsillitis you won't be so bored). So, me being the charitable type, here are here responses.

1. You are currently applying to grad schools. Which is your top choice, and why.

Washington University in St. Louis. I don’t know if I can articulate why though, just a gut feeling I got one day that I should apply there. I’ve never been to St. Louis, I had never heard of their faculty, but something just clicked I guess. I should start hearing from programs any day now. It’s quite nerve wracking.

2. Name your top five albums of all time, and your top five of the past five years.

Five only five???? Let me start off by saying this question kinda sucks because most of the music I truly cherish came out about 8 years ago. So by answering the second part of the question honestly some of my favorite music in my collection like the Rentals the return of, Weezer blue and Bjork’s post must go unrecognized. That said I will continue.

1. The Who, The Kids are Alright
2. Pearl Jam, Yield
3. Tori Amos, Little Earthquakes
4. Thelonious Monk, The Best of Thelonious Monk
5. Radiohead either The Bends or Ok Computer, I always have a hard time deciding between the two!


1. Beck, Sea Change
2. Flaming Lips, Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
3. White Stripes, White Blood Cells
4. Eels, Daisies of the Galaxy
5. Beck, Midnite Vultures

mmmm, looks like another tasty beck sammich!


3. You are a poet, but did you know it? Just kidding. If you could spend a week at any point in time, anywhere on earth where and when would it be.

My week would begin in 1985 at the Twin Pines mall parking lot. I would knock out Marty and Doc and then I’d hop in the DeLorean with my buddy Spenser (the newest addition to my harem, a 17 year old emo boy from Grimes) and make our way to Summer 2004 on the road to California. Thanks to the Flux Capacitor we would arrive in no time at all. Upon arrival I would meet my pen pal Jeaux (pronounced Joe) and spend the week on the beach learning to surf. At night we would go to stellar Hollywood parties and hang out with all the artsy-fartsy types. Well, not for the whole week though because due to my amazing talent for picking up new abilities I would perfect the art of Surfing in two days flat. Everyone would be amazed and start hounding me for autographs and surfers
would be challenging me to competitions. But I’m not down with so much attention and I’m not really competitive, so to get away from it all, we would make our way to Big Sur and I would find a nice little place to hide away and
never return to the “frozen wastes of Iowa.”*

*the phrase “frozen wastes of Iowa” was seen in the London Tube on a poster ad for a mystery book being released while I was there with the Wartburg English Department, Mayterm 1999. We all had a good laugh and then returned to Iowa to see the joke was on us.

4. I am going to recycle this one, kind of. You live in Des Moines. Apart from family, name three really cool things about Des Moines.

Well I can easily name three things that WERE cool about Des Moines; the old property, the River Hills, and “nowhere”--a park that used to be south of the capital building where my friends and I used to hang out. But now all of these things are gone, demolished, filled in, paved over, built upon. “There are places I remember”. . . How depressing. But now, now, hmmm. . .

I-80, I-35, and the internet

No, just kidding, okay I will try, really, I will. . .

The Des Moines National Poetry Festival is cool. I have had the opportunity to listen to and to meet some good contemporary poets the years I have been able to attend.

The parties. Probably due to the lack of good bars or decent clubs in town most of the real action is in the apartments and rented houses of the 18-24 year olds around. This age group is pretty rad right now, they have good taste in music, movies, books, and clothes. Nothing like the dorks I grew up with. The music they play at the parties is way better than the crap at the so-called clubs in Des Moines and you can actually hear it. We usually burn or dub mixes for people to dance to, with everything from Weezer to rappers whose names I don’t know. There is always plenty to eat and drink and everyone looks out for each other. And everyone likes each other or at least respects each other--unlike the frat parties. And unlike the bars I actually meet people instead of just get ogled by the desperate chumps from the meet markets--though my evil eye glance is pretty effective at keeping them away. And I am more of a party-goer than a bar-hopper anyway.

Now, I know I can’t really say that the parties here are specifically different than those elsewhere but I do think the fact that since there is no other outlet for the cool people in Des Moines to really have a good time affects the effort that goes into our parties. Maybe it’s just that I love my friends that much (sniffle) but the times I have had here are way better than the parties I have been to, like say, in the Twin Cities--again, it could be the people. Though I am sure if Aaron and Krista had a party, it would be a freaking blast.

Sadly the only other thing I can think of is seeing movies. I get to see all the hollywood stuff for free since I still whore myself out to Carmike Cinemas every weekend. And we also have a couple theaters which focus on the “independent” works, and I don’t mean the Cinema 3. The Fleur Cinema and Cafe is a nice joint and the Varsity plays some good flicks too.


5. Ewan, Beck, and now Billy Boyd. Who is next in this line of torrid celebrity affairs?

Bill Murray. . . unbelievable as it may seem, a couple of years ago I got the idea in my head that he would make a great date. What is it about him you ask? Something about the way he would break into sprints at random in Rushmore, I think, or maybe the charming personality of his character in Stripes. BUT, then Lost in Translation comes out and I find someone has access to my innermost thoughts. So maybe since that’s “been done” I will get back with Giovanni Ribisi instead, he’s more my type anyway. He and I had quite the affair way back when, during his My Two Dads days.

Well I went a little overboard on answering, but I really am freaking bored here. I have been at home for like four days--which normally would be cool but considering the state I am in I’m miserable and have no choice but to entertain myself. I think I will go watch some more Spaceghost now.

Dan Steps up to the Plate

Dan has taken the Five Question Challenge. As he does not have his own blog (Hmmm, maybe you should create your own blog Dan, what, with this ten month satirical coming up) I am posting his answers here.


1. You have long had a love of maps. When did it all start.

Love of maps began probably studying the Atlas intensely while riding in the back of the station wagon on family vacations. My brother & I would quiz each other on state capitals, city populations, highest point in the state, etc. I still retain many of those facts and I also still LOVE looking through the pages of a good Atlas.

2. What is your favorite Beatles song?

"Favorite Beatles Song" is a completely transient call--it really varies. I tend to have ones to which I am "sympathetic"--ones that I feel are really connecting to me, relative to other Beatles fans. In the past, I've really really dug "Lovely Rita," "Strawberry Fields," "For No One," "You Won't See Me," "Martha My Dear," "Ob La Di Ob La Da," and others too numerous to list, of course. Currently, the one I think of the most is probably "She's Leaving Home." Beautiful melody--wonderfully arranged & performed. And the lyrics blow my mind--what the hell was a 27-28 year old single male rock star doing writing a song like that?

3. If you were offered an all expenses paid climb of Everest (including all training), with no guarantees of safety, would you do it?

Sadly, no. Unfortunate you asked me about that type of trip, specifically. If you were to have mentioned nearly any other "expedition" opportunity--Patagonia, Mongolia, Pacific Coast Trail, Northwest Territories, African backroads, etc. etc. I would have said, "Yes" in a heartbeat. But, alas, though I love mountains and hiking in mountains, I do
have a fear of heights. And I know just enough about the Everest expedition to be aware of the ladder-accross-the-crevase trick to know that I could not get myself to cross.

4. If you had to choose one musical artist to be erased from history, who
would it be?

Hopefully just erase their music, not the artist... but I would choose Toby Keith. Actually, go ahead and erase the artist.

5. Just who is Daniel Guitarra?

Read all about Daniel Guitarra here. I can tell you little you can't learn there.

We're Moving! I got a great deal on some land...

Here is a new twist on the name-a-star-after-your-loved-one-scam. Be sure to read the terms on the "about us" page. Now, you all know I love Mars, but if you've got $15+ you want to drop on me, just let me know, and I will start up a wish list on Amazon.

Again with the questions...

Once upon a time, a Buffalo Blogger answered five questions. In turn, he offered five questions to anyone willing to answer. I was one of the willing. Those who answered correctly gained super magical powers, and sailed into the west. Well, I'm still sitting here, but the kindly Buffalo Blogger has offered a second chance, so here it goes.


1. Name three things that are either cooler or better in Des Moines than the Twin Cities.

Traffic. While I have been largely able to avoid the Minneapolis rush-hour headaches (buying a house fairly near work, the hours that I work etc.) the times I do have to deal with traffic suck.

Lower cost of living. Especially housing. For what we paid for our house, we would have been able to buy a much larger house in Des Moines. Although working in television, what I earn would be significantly less in Des Moines. Whaddaya gonna do?

I guess that a third would be that it is quicker to get out of town to some good twisty motorcycle roads. Boy, that was tough coming up with three...

2. Here's a hypothetical near-and-dear to Bills fans, adjusted for you. God presents you, a Vikings fan, with this choice: the Vikings will either go to the next five consecutive Super Bowls and lose them all, or they will win the Super Bowl next year and go 1-15 each year after that. Which would you rather happen?

Definitely go to the next five and lose. That would provide five great, exciting seasons, capped with a let down that personally I would not find all that disappointing. I would be much more disappointed by one 1-15 season than a string of Super Bowl Losses, let alone four 1-15 seasons. Of course my opinion might change by that fourth Super Bowl loss...

3. You win an one-week, all-expenses paid vacation to your choice of destination within one of the following states: Nebraska, Montana, Delaware, Maine, Alabama, and South Dakota. Where do you go?

Since you left Alaska off the list (which would have made this the obvious choice), I'll take Maine. The Down East/Acadia region. Rent a motorcycle for a little self guided coastal tour, do some whale watching and just general taking in the sights, breathing the salt air, and take rolls and rolls of photos.

4. A few years ago, the American Film Institute came out with its list of the 100 Greatest American Movies, which can be read here. What is the highest ranking film on this list that you hate and would be perfectly happy never seeing again in your life?

This is a tough one. There are some truly great films on the list, and some that are highly over-rated. There are also quite a few that I haven't seen. I'm not sure if there is one on there that I have seen all the way through, and truly, deeply hate. The highest ranking is at number 55, The Sound of Music. Not a fan, but I wouldn't say that I hate it. It is the highest ranking, at 55, and I really don't care if I were to ever see it again. Now, move down the list to number 71 and you have Forest Gump. Blech. Highly over-rated, and I would even say I highly dislike it, maybe even mildly hate it. But number 72... At number 72 you have Ben-Hur. I must admit I have never seen it all the way through, but I have seen large portions of it, and I have hated nearly every bit of it. The epic scale of the movie is impressive. The sets, action sequences etc. are all finely done, but the dialogue and acting are abhorrent. It makes me want to drive ice picks into my ears. I cannot comment on the score, as I have never watched long enough to get a good sense of it (maybe Jaquandor has some insight here), but not even the best score could save this film for me. So, I would have to say that Ben-Hur is the winner.

5. Did Yoko really kill the Beatles?

No. So far Mark David Chapman, and cigarettes... Oh, you mean cause the end of the group. No. She may have been a contributing factor, but there were so many other issues building to a head, starting around the time of Magical Mystery Tour, that the end was unavoidable. On the upside, all of this turmoil gave us some of the greatest popular music ever.

Now, anyone who wants to answer five questions from me, just ask. I dare you.

Free Advice

Don't taunt Old Man Winter. Just don't do it. Last week when we dropped to 24 below, I did just that. Well, the temps warmed up, but we got nearly a foot of snow from Sunday into Monday. Now, tonight will likely be the second coldest night in over a year. Here are some photos of our snow.

You all are welcome to come over and enjoy our patio. Cold beer is on me.




The snow piled around the perimeter of our driveway.




And here is where Krista "fell" in the front yard.

Now, a foot of snow may not seem like much to a Buffalo Blogger, and he may say as much on his Buffalo Blog, but coupled with the temps, it isn't much fun.

This is a test. Please ignore.

Rap Back!

Commenting is back, via Haloscan. All previously posted comments appear to be lost in the ether(net). Which is too bad. But we must soldier on! I am confident that you, my readers, will post new comments better than those that came before! Of course, I suppose that leaves me with the task of creating posts worthy of commenting...

Shit!

Well it appears that my commenting has flat-lined, and past comments are gone forever. A moment of silence please. I will be adding a new comment system soon. Thanks to everyone for their great comments in the past, and I hope to see more when I have something up and running again.

Hey Winter! Is this the best you got old man?

This morning when I left for work the thermometer read -18, and wind chills were dipping below -40. It has since dipped to -24. Only 60 degrees from my minimum motorcycle temp. Depressing.

Ready? On the count of three. One, two...

How not to free your car from the snow. Before clicking on this link, have a seat, and set any beverages safely out of reach. This is the funniest thing I have seen this year. Warning to my dial-up readers, the file is about 14MB, but it is worth it.

Thanks to Dan for the link.

Opportunity Knocks. Will Mars answer?

The Opportunity Rover has landed and is sending back pictures. What we see is much different than anything we have seen from the Martian surface before. There are little green men there! OK, not really. But we do see our first bedrock outcropping from Mars. This should offer some insight into what has taken place in the red planets history. The Opportunity doesn't face the airbag problems that Spirit did, so it should get moving a little more quickly.

Speaking of Spirit, JPL thinks that they are on the trail of what caused the failure last week. While it may be a few weeks away, the controllers are confident that they can get Spirit rolling again.

First chance I get, I'm heading to Tosche Station to pick up some power converters!

OK, now I know that I will not be trading in my Civic when we get a new car. I'm gonna do this.

link via interact.

Having been some days in preparation, a splendid time is guaranteed for all...

Don't forget to come out to The Camden Coffee Company tonight to catch Starship Stacy and the Vector Kings. We will be performing a set of Beatles music starting at about 7:30 or so. This is an all ages show, and there is no cover, so you have no excuse. Messrs. J. And H. Assure the public their production will be second to none, and of course Henry the Horse dances the waltz!


(FYI we will not be performing Being for the Benefit Mr. Kite!)

You call this cold???

Well, when I woke up this morning it was -11, with a wind chill of -40. A bit on the warm side, but the show must go on. Today marks the start of the St. Paul Winter Carnival, the nation's oldest and coldest winter celebration.

This year I am going to find that damn medallion (every year there is a medallion hidden somewhere in St. Paul, with clues to its location given in the paper over the course of ten days). Of course I say that every year, but my knowledge of St. Paul history and geography is a bit anemic, so by the time I figure out where the medallion is hidden the area is swarming with die-hard hunters, so I just give up.

This year is the first in over a decade that the carnival has featured an Ice Palace. Check out a live look at the palace here.

Congratulations to the soon-to-be-working stiff

Jaquandor (who blogs about Buffalo on that Buffalo Blog of his) has landed a job. Sure, it's just a pit stop on the way to the best sellers lists, but you gotta buy paper and ink to get there. Oh, and food. Yeah, you need to buy food too.

Wait... Worry... Who Cares?

The time is near. According to Lance Henriksen Magic the series Millennium will be released sometime this year on DVD. I am quite excited with this news, as this is one of my favorite television shows of all time. Northern Exposure is also rumored to be out on DVD sometime this year. By the way, my birthday is July 4th.

This is who we are.

Syracuse Lutefisk

Buffalo Blog, Buffalo Blog, Buffalo Blog, Buffalo Blog, Buffalo Blog, Buffalo Blog, Buffalo Blog, Buffalo Blog, Buffalo Blog, Buffalo Blog, Buffalo Blog, Buffalo Blog, Buffalo Blog, Buffalo Blog, Buffalo Blog, Buffalo Blog, Buffalo Blog, Buffalo Blog, Buffalo Blog, Buffalo Blog, Buffalo Blog, Buffalo Blog.

Explanation here.

Starship Stacy and the Vector Kings

Coming up Friday, January 23, Krista and I will be joining former 44 band-mate Dan Hylton for a set of Beatles covers. Dan will kick things off with a short solo set, then Krista and I will join in. If you know the words, feel free to sing along.

Chewbacca, What a Wookiee!

Wouldn't it be cool if there were truth to this? If it comes to pass, party at my place, and the beer is on me.

Link via A Wretched Hive of Scum and Villainy.

Lights... Camera... Action!

OK, so there is this list of 100 movies making the rounds in the weblog world. I'm not sure if there is some criteria for the films on the list or not. The only purpose seems to be to highlight the ones you have seen in bold, and figure your percentage. I, in my love of lists, have done so, but I am taking it one step further. I am rating those that I have seen recently enough (or enough times to remember them well enough) on a scale from one to five stars.

1. Godfather, The (1972)
2. Shawshank Redemption, The (1994)****
3. Godfather: Part II, The (1974)
4. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The (2003)***
5. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The (2002)****
6. Casablanca (1942)*****
7. Schindler's List (1993)
8. Shichinin no samurai (1954)†
9. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The (2001)*****
10. Citizen Kane (1941)
11. Star Wars (1977)*****
12. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)*****
13. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) *****
14. Rear Window (1954)
15. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back *****(1980)
16. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)****
17. Memento (2000)****
18. Usual Suspects, The (1995)
19. Pulp Fiction (1994)*****
20. North by Northwest (1959)
21. Fabuleux destin d'Amelie Poulain, Le (2001)*****
22. Psycho (1960)****
23. 12 Angry Men (1957) †
24. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
25. Silence of the Lambs, The (1991)
26. Buono, il brutto, il cattivo, Il (1966)
27. It's a Wonderful Life (1946) ****
28. Goodfellas (1990) *****
29. American Beauty (1999)*****
30. Vertigo (1958)
31. Sunset Blvd. (1950)
32. Pianist, The (2002)
33. Matrix, The (1999)***
34. Apocalypse Now (1979)*****
35. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
36. Some Like It Hot (1959)
37. Taxi Driver (1976) ****
38. Paths of Glory (1957) †
39. Third Man, The (1949) †
40. C'era una volta il West (1968)
41. Fight Club (1999) ****
42. Boot, Das (1981) †
43. Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (2001) (Spirited Away)†
44. Double Indemnity (1944)
45. L.A. Confidential (1997) ****
46. Chinatown (1974)
47. Singin' in the Rain (1952)
48. Requiem for a Dream (2000)
49. Maltese Falcon, The (1941) †
50. M (1931)
51. All About Eve (1950)
52. Bridge on the River Kwai, The (1957)
53. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) *****
54. Se7en (1995) **
55. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
56. Cidade de Deus (2002)
57. Raging Bull (1980) †
58. Wizard of Oz, The (1939) *****
59. Rashemon (1950)
60. Sting, The (1973)
61. American History X (1998)
62. Alien (1979) ****
63. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
64. Leon (The Professional) (1994) †
65. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) *****
66. Vita bella, La (1997) (Life Is Beautiful)
67. Touch of Evil (1958) †
68. Manchurian Candidate, The (1962)
69. Wo hu cang long (2000) (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon) *****
70. Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The (1948)
71. Great Escape, The (1963) †
72. Clockwork Orange, A (1971) *****
73. Reservoir Dogs (1992) ****
74. Annie Hall (1977)
75. Amadeus (1984) *****
76. Jaws (1975) *****
77. Ran (1985) †
78. On the Waterfront (1954) *****
79. Modern Times (1936)
80. High Noon (1952)
81. Braveheart (1995)
82. Apartment, The (1960)
83. Sixth Sense, The ****(1999)
84. Fargo (1996) *****
85. Aliens (1986) **
86. Shining, The (1980) ****
87. Blade Runner (1982) *****
88. Strangers on a Train (1951)
89. Duck Soup (1933)
90. Metropolis (1927) *****
91. Finding Nemo (2003) †
92. Donnie Darko (2001) †
93. Toy Story 2 (1999)
94. Princess Bride, The (1987) ****
95. General, The (1927)
96. City Lights (1931)
97. Lola rennt (1998) (Run Lola Run) *****
98. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
99. Notorious (1946)
100. Sjunde inseglet, Det (1957)
† Coming soon (or at least somewhere in my vast rental cue) via Netflix, or in the case of Spirited Away, sitting on my DVD palyer waiting to be watched.

I appears that I scored a measly 55%, but that was still good enough to edge out Jaquandor. Looking at the rating that I gave, it may appear that I am rather generous with the stars. This is not at all true. This list is made up of what are widely considered to be great movies. It also may have to do with the fact that I am very discriminating in the movies that I see. Most of the movies I do see end up being three or more stars.

Can't... Resist... Magical... Moving... Pictures...

Could someone show this guy the "power" button on his set?

Mars, Mars, Mars...

As President Bush prepares to announce his new space initiative pointing towards Mars, the Spirit rover could start roving the red planet as soon as today. But the NASA rover is so-far bucking the trend for Mars landings. It is only the fourth successful Mars landing. Why such a low success rate? America's Finest News Source takes a look.

Two words... Instant Karma

Jaquandor beat me to this. If the allegations are true, the behavior of George Harrison's doctor is despicable. The mere fact that the doctor would bring his family to meet Harrison (if it was without Harrison's permission) would seem to me to be a breach of confidentiality. If the doctor did ask, well that is just an utter lack of class. The doctor has now offered to put the guitar up for charity auction. The Harrison family has rejected this offer, and in their position I think I would feel the same way.

Well, I'll be...

It appears that the artist's conception in my previous post IS accurate after all.

I'm not sure why, but it still seems out of whack to my eye. Maybe it is because the representation of our Sun is little more than a point that causes the discordance between what is, and what is perceived. In the original the Sun is 3 pixels across, and in my mock-up (reduced here for space) the massive star is nearly 600 pixels across. All apologies to the artist.

It was THIS BIG

Some interesting star news. But the real reason I am linking this is the "artist's conception." It is noted that the picture is to illustrate the comparative size of this massive star to our own Sun. The massive star is believed to be 150 time more massive than our Sun, and about 200 times the diameter. Just looking at the drawing I would have to say that the artist has greatly exaggerated the size of this star in her "conception." I will look at this closer when I get home from work, and can put the image into Photoshop to determine how close this comparison really is. Stay tuned.

We've Got Spirit, Yes We Do

I'm a little late with this, but I've been out of town, so too bad. NASA's mission to Mars has reached a milestone. The rover Spirit has landed safely, is up and running, and ready to get to work. Spirit has already started sending some great images back. Check NASA/JPL for the latest images.

This is only the fourth mission to the Mars surface to make it past Martian defense systems. Europe's Beagle lander appears to be lost (apprehended). NASA hopes to raise the tally to five later this month with Spirit's twin rover Opportunity.

I know you are, but what am I?

This may be of interest to Jaquandor. I know what a fan he is.

Well, it looks like Jaquandor made a trip to Home Depot for some paint and new wall paper. Check out his new look.

Well shit.

We saw Return of the King this weekend with some friends. I loved it. As with most everyone else there are things that I wish had been included, but nothing significant enough to sour the movie for me. Of course if I had my way, there would have been six five-hour movies to tell the tale, but alas that could not happen.

On the positive side, the visuals were outstanding as expected. The battle scenes were wonderful, and the landscapes breathtaking. The actors turned in wonderful performances, particularly Sean Astin. The Oscars are the one remaining major awards presentation in which I have any faith left. If Astin is not at least nominated, all hope is lost. Elijah Wood was also wonderful, and Peter Jackson did an excellent job conveying the burden the Ring was to Frodo.

Of the three movies Return of the King may have presented Jackson with his biggest challenge. Fellowship and The Two Towers had a fair amount of material that could be easily stripped away. ROTK has much less of this type of material. A good case for inclusion can be made for much of the material that Jackson chose not to include, or gloss over, but a good case can be made for the material that was included. So, all in all, I really can't complain. Here are some of the things I do wish had been included.

*The Mouth of Sauron. This is the one item I feel would have added quite a bit of drama and emotion to the movie. The Mouth of Sauron presenting Frodo's armor, and the despair that it brought would have been wonderful. I also think that it could have been done in a way that would have made the audience question the fate of Sam and Frodo (at least for those not familiar with the books).

*Saruman. I expected the scene at Isengard to be abbreviated, but I was hopping for at least some confrontation and the breaking of Saruman's staff.

*More Gimli! I agree with Jaquanor's wish to see more of the dwarf's hand to hand combat prowess.

*The Rangers. I don't think it would have been too much to include the Rangers arriving with Elrond, and follow Aragorn through the Paths of the Dead. This would have added to the uniting of the Men of middle earth.

*One complaint about the visuals. All four of us who saw the movie on Saturday agreed that the scope of Minas Tirith was lost in the attack on the city. The orcs' catapults appeared to decimate (yes, reduce by one-tenth) the city.

*One big MISTAKE come during the crowning of Aragorn. In the shots of the four hobbits, Sam is the tallest. Um, Merry, Pippin? I honestly cannot believe that Peter Jackson missed this one. It would have been fine if no reference had been made to their growth, but to include the Ent Draught in the special edition of TTT, and forget it at the end?

As I said, overall, I loved the movie, and I expect that I will like it even more after seeing it again. I hope that some of the things I mentioned make their way into the special edition DVD.

If you have any interest in Berlioz (yeah, I know we hate the French) get your bad self over to Byzantium's Shores. Jaquandor has a great series of posts in honor of Hector's big two-oh... oh.

Need last minute gift ideas?

Shy away from these. The AV Club just announced their Least Essential Albums of 2003. While I hope I never accidentally hear anything off the Creed tribute (hell I try not to accidentally hear any actual Creed), I may have to see if I can track down a copy of the Chuck Barris album on vinyl. For a friend. Really.

Research Volunteers Needed.

I have discovered an odd phenomenon. In the rap backs for at least one of my posts, there are two sets of comments. I think it has to do with the type of browser. But I'm not sure. I am also not sure if it is an ongoing problem, or has been fixed by BlogOut.

So here is what I am asking of you, yes both of you. Please leave a comment for this post giving your OS, and Browser info.

For your participation you will be compensated with a free one year, on-line subscription to this weblog, and a fee of $0.25 will be paid to you. To collect your fee, please e-mail a self addressed stamped envelope to the address at the bottom of your screen. Please allow four to six years for delivery.

Most excellent.

This story has been pissing me off from the get-go. First Janklow claims that he had to fly through the intersection at 70+ miles per hour because of a car in the oncoming lane. Excusemewhat? He maintained this story, despite his passenger never seeing this "phantom car." Then it turns out that he has quite a history of reckless driving, including almost hitting someone else running the same stop sign. Oh, did I mention this is not the first time he has blamed a phantom car? Then the judge decides that his driving history will not be admissible (with the exception of the incident at the same intersection). Why? How is it not relevant?

His story changes as the trial nears, and he claims that his running the stop sign was the result of low blood sugar. He claimed to have not eaten for 18 hours (he forgot to eat). At the time of the crash he was returning from a barbecue. Several witnesses testified that they had not seen him eat. Although at the time of the crash he told EMTs that he had eaten. OK, lets assume that he hadn't eaten, and his blood sugar was low. This still does not make him any less guilty. It is his responsibility to be sure he fit to drive. A tired driver is not absolved because of lack of sleep. A drunk driver is not absolved because of the alcohol.

Janklow will be sentenced in January.

OK, who decided that it was a good idea to let this guy drive anything?

Phneh indeed!

I was meaning to comment on this issue, but Jaqandor beat me to it. It seems that the are some individuals that are offended by the use of the terms "master" and "slave" in computer jargon. This has to do with having more than one device on a particular bus. One has its jumpers set to master and one to slave. But it appears that we should remove these words from the lexicon because someone has chosen to be offended by their use. These words are not racial slurs. Sure they could be used in an offensive manner, but we are talking about computer hard drives here. I don't think that hard drives are able to be offended, at least not yet.

While we are at it, can someone suggest a new word for me to use in describing the color of my car? A while back Krista, in her handling of all manners of office work for the music school for which she teaches, received a call from a parent who had a complaint about one of the teachers. It seems that this teacher was referring to the chalk board as a "black board." It was an actual black chalk board. This offended the woman (I cannot recall all of the details of this incident, so maybe Krista will rap at us). This made me crazy. To appease this woman are we no longer allowed to use the "black" as a descriptor? My car is black, Krista's is silver. When talking about our cars we refer to them possessively rather than by their color. But if we did refer to them as "the black car" and "the silver car," would somebody be offended? If they were, I think that might offend me. I'm not joking about that either. If someone were to claim that I were "racially insensitive" by using the word "black," I would not only be offended, I would be royally pissed-off. My friends and coworkers are not offended by the use of the word black, even in the context of race. Most refer to themselves as being black, not African American.

So why are some people offended? I think Jaquandor nails it. They choose to be. Read his relating of an episode of days of yore where one individual became offended by a word devoid of meaning, and it's manner of use devoid of context.

Bench Favre!

So, I wonder if the cheese-hat-wearing fans across the border are clamoring for Favre to be yanked after that wonderful Thanksgiving Day game.

Hopefully the Vikings will have a good game this Sunday in St. Louis, and the so-called "fans" will lay off my man Daunte. Kudos to Mike Tice for getting pissed off, and basically telling these "fans" where to stick it. After one off game two weeks ago, and a mediocre game this past Sunday, fans were booing when Culpepper took the field in the second half. Culpepper is the top-rated QB in the NFC, and third overall in the NFL. And some fans want him benched.

The real problem seems to be the offensive line not playing up to their potential. Culpepper is being hurried, and the running backs have nowhere to go. The good news is the defense is looking good, so if the offensive line can get their act together we'll have a real team again. And that's the key. Everyone playing at the top of their game all the time. The Vikings have real talent in all areas, and if they play the way the can, I think they can win a Super Bowl. But what do I know.

Oh, and to all you whiny fans, lay off Moss too. There have been a lot of people complaining about Moss not making more out of short passes. I don't know if you have noticed, but in these short pass situations there are usually at least three defenders on top of him the second he hauls the ball in. Just making the catch is good enough for me. But again, what do I know.

Check one two, check one two...

I know I have been lax in posting lately, and it will likely continue for a few weeks yet. I just wanted to take this opportunity to point out a strange google search that brought someone to ABOHO. The fact that ABOHO turned up in this search is not strange, but I thought that the search words were a bit odd.

Way to go R2! Watch out for that HAL cat though. He seems a bit hinkey.

I hear what the singer sings. It is my gift, it is my curse.



Peter Watts to my Frank Black pointed out this 80's lyric quiz the other day. I scored a whopping 123.5 (point 5?). I was just talking about earbugs (ok it was a couple of weeks ago) and this quiz reminds me as to why I am so susceptible to them. I often can hear a song once, and have a substantial portion of the lyrics down pat. This is particularly annoying with those annoying pop groups. I have to work with the music at work, and I am stuck with it for days. At least I am able to force my wife to share in my agony through my horrendous singing...

By the way, I hope that Jaquandor answered number 73 correctly. And I take a twisted satisfaction knowing that Dan will correctly answer number 19.

A couple quick space links...

So long Voyager.

Biggest solar flare ever...

Please stand by. Posting will resume shortly.

Come On...

You should have that checked...

Well, the coronal mass ejection is on it's way. Hold on tight to your cell phones. I'm sure my comments will be affected in some way, they seem to go down with the slightest breeze. A few years ago, Krista's pager service was knocked out for a couple of days by a solar storm, and this one sounds like it is going to be a biggie.

It looks like we will have cloudy skies here in the Twin Cities, but if you have clear skies tonight, get out and look for the Northern Lights.

How about catching the aurora in Cuba? Well maybe not this time, and not just because it would involve illegal travel. But back in 1859 the biggest solar storm ever recorded allowed just that, as well as causing a bit of trouble with the high tech contraptions of the time. Read about it here.

The image above comes from SOHO (The Solar and Heliospheric observatory). Here is a screen saver that provides near real-time images of the Sun from SOHO.

"I Love It!" She Said

Krista's new ride.

Oops!.. I did it again

Ever get an earworm? You know, those songs that get stuck in your head, sometimes for days? For the longest time Ms. Spears had a strangle hold on my brain. Chili's jingles also often plague me. For the exorcism of these malevolent musical maladies, I usually try to get a more appealing song to force the worm out. Too often though this humming to myself will not work, and I am stuck with it until I can gain access to a more apt aural antidote. The most persistent may require a full dose of Beck's Odelay.

Most of the time though, I don't mind the infestations, as they tend to be songs I enjoy (Mitsubishi commercials usually fall into this category). They can even help when there is no stereo around. Friendly earworms are always welcome on long motorcycle rides.

So what are some of your earworms, and how do you get rid of them?

(cross-poted to Collaboratory)