Published writer, compulsive reader, Old School Whovian, Match Game enthusiast, NKOTB fan, data hoarder, and - surprisingly, given that list - married with four kids. Welcome to my take on life, fatherhood, entertainment, and whatever strikes my fancy. Enjoy!
Sunday, October 17, 2010
My Farm(ville)
On a trip to my friend Erv's house in Loves Park (IL), he introduced me to Farmville. Farmville is a game played primarily through the social networking site Facebook. While you grow and harvest your own crops, you depend on friends to help fertilize your farm, purchase your products and send you gifts.
Here's my farmhouse, as it appeared when I first bought it.
My FV home. I love the clothesline and cat, I think they're just the right touch.
As with most things that become popular, The Haters Hate. Farmville is now the subject of scorn from 'true' gamers, among others, and has been parodied online.
Oh well. I like it. A LOT. Not only is it fun to play, it really does encourage socialization online. Moreover, it relaxes me. Sometimes, as dorky as it sounds, I imagine this is a second home of mine, one where nature and hard work trump the noise and bustle of the city.
Here's some pics I took of my farm over the summer.
My FV home. I love the clothesline and cat, I think they're just the right touch.
So . . . is the mammoth statue too much? {actually, because I like to relax on 'my' farm, I try to make it relatively realistic. I plant crops native to this region, avoid things like banana trees, and put the mammoth there just to get the pic.}
I wanted the greenhouse forever, but when I finally earned enough to buy it I was disappointed to learn it was merely a prop and not functional.
Eventually, I'll get a shot with the crops full grown. I didn't realize I hadn't. Here's my farm as it appeared earlier this month. The barn is to the right, the dairy barn to the right front. The brown building near my home is my bakery. Behind it and to the left is the chicken coop. My pigpen and horse stable are on the bottom right, and the yellow building is my nursery. My beehives and garage are located in the upper left, out of the shot.
Notice my blimp?
Saturday, October 16, 2010
FB - June 8th through Flag Day
June 8th
Expect the Wonk.
"No, no, no. Ice can burn, sofas can read. It's a big universe." - the 11th Doctor
I'm in Rockford IL, helping my friend Ervin organize some paperwork for his business. A nice ride down, aside from near constant rain.
Went to WalMart with Erv and found something Lisa & I have been looking for (w/out luck) back in Milwaukee. Then we grilled out and enjoyed a dinner of steak, potato, mushroom/onion, corn and dinner rolls. Time to get cracking again on that paperwork.
Last years #1 MLB draft pick Stephen Strasburg did just fine in his debut. He gave up four hits in seven innings, gave up two runs, and struck out *14* while notching his first win. Yikes. Quite impressive.
June 9th
You know Erv really needed help with his office if he sat there quietly while I sang along to NKOTB as I typed. Currently playing - Call it What You Want.
ESPN is reporting that Nebraska has agreed to jump ship and join the Big Ten.
"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it."- Aristotle
June 12th
Ford has officially killed its Mercury line
"Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them." - James Baldwin
"How often in life it is a truth that we have no time for our friends but all the time in the world for our enemies." - Leon Uris
June 13th -
RIP the long running comic strip "Annie"
I believe it is my right as a man to snatch as many toppings from a frozen pizza as I like before it enters the oven. If you object to this, get yer own pie.
June 14th - Flag Day
The NY Times is reporting that Roger Clemens allegedly paid for PED's w/ $ from a charitable foundation. If true - and there is no evidence beyond hearsay - it would lead to felony charges.
Expect the Wonk.
"No, no, no. Ice can burn, sofas can read. It's a big universe." - the 11th Doctor
I'm in Rockford IL, helping my friend Ervin organize some paperwork for his business. A nice ride down, aside from near constant rain.
Went to WalMart with Erv and found something Lisa & I have been looking for (w/out luck) back in Milwaukee. Then we grilled out and enjoyed a dinner of steak, potato, mushroom/onion, corn and dinner rolls. Time to get cracking again on that paperwork.
Last years #1 MLB draft pick Stephen Strasburg did just fine in his debut. He gave up four hits in seven innings, gave up two runs, and struck out *14* while notching his first win. Yikes. Quite impressive.
June 9th
You know Erv really needed help with his office if he sat there quietly while I sang along to NKOTB as I typed. Currently playing - Call it What You Want.
ESPN is reporting that Nebraska has agreed to jump ship and join the Big Ten.
"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it."- Aristotle
June 12th
Ford has officially killed its Mercury line
"Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them." - James Baldwin
"How often in life it is a truth that we have no time for our friends but all the time in the world for our enemies." - Leon Uris
June 13th -
RIP the long running comic strip "Annie"
I believe it is my right as a man to snatch as many toppings from a frozen pizza as I like before it enters the oven. If you object to this, get yer own pie.
June 14th - Flag Day
The NY Times is reporting that Roger Clemens allegedly paid for PED's w/ $ from a charitable foundation. If true - and there is no evidence beyond hearsay - it would lead to felony charges.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Facebook - the first week of June
June 1st
Dave Cullen, the author of 'Columbine', left a comment on my blog's review of his book.
Al and Tipper Gore Break Up After 40 Years of Marriage
A school bus on the way to Fernwood Montessori tipped over near Chase & Oklahoma today, injuring at least 3 children. I saw the bus on the way to work today. Originally, because of the time of day and the location of the crash, there was some fear it was Smiley's bus. Thankfully, it wasn't, and all of his school's buses arrived safely.
Gasp - a Tues w/ out AI or Lost. I hope Glee is good. It's gotten a little heavy lately, w/ the wheelchair and long-lost Mom storylines. Plus there's the whole Kurt is gay and angry plotline - what's up w/ him? He's got a loving and supportive father, a great teacher, friends that adore him, and plenty of talent. That kid has a great support system - quit whining already.
June 2nd
God bless Progressive's roadside assistance program. It may just be the smartest purchase I've made in years. I blew a tire today on the way to work and once again they proved their worth. By my count that'd be three tows + that would have come out of my pocket since the 1st of the year.
Ken Griffey Jr has retired. One of the most exciting players of our era, and IMO the best of the '90's, Bonds be damned. I'm proud to have seen him play. See you in Cooperstown.
"A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul." - George Bernard Shaw
June 3rd
RIP Rue McClanahan, age 76.
I just finished 'Savages' by Don Winslow. It was very good and deserves a full write-up on my blog; hopefully I'll find the time soon. It's brutal, violent, sexy, and well, savage. Winslow doesn't just use the English language, he manipulates and twists it like play-doh to create the mood and thoughts he wishes to express. I envy his talent.
The mistake that cost him a perfect game was a lousy call, but on the bright side history will remember Armando Galarraga's game in a thousand trivia books.
Well damnit, I have a column published in the Journal-Sentinel today and no one told me. Go out and buy a copy, ok?
Back from Lu's Daisy Scout bridging ceremony, and it was actually quite fun. Congrats LuLu!
June 4th
The cable guy failed to show this AM, which put my day on hold. When I gave up on him Parker and I got my paycheck, went to the bank, made a few stops, and returned home with crickets for the turtle, some goldfish for Smiley, a Beta for YaYa, and Hannah Montana wrapping paper for Lu's gifts. *allegedly* Time Warner will now be here btwn 3-5.
We own a hollow kids table that has a removable top. During Smiley's sleepover his friend decided to use it - as a urinal.
RIP UCLA coach John Wooden
RIP local jeweler Marv Hussar
June 5th
Lisa and her crew are en route to Hammond, IN to see a New Kids on the Block concert. Meanwhile, we've extended Smiley's sleepover, and I took the boys to three libraries, a store, and finally to Little Caesar's for dinner. BTW thank heavens for LuLu; her Mommy skills have sure come in handy.
A man said to the universe:
"Sir, I exist!"
"However," replied the universe,
"The fact has not created in me
A sense of obligation."
After dinner we watched the DVD's the boys got at the library, then I packed them off to bed. 90 minutes of chaos later I had to go hard core: I shut off every light on the 2nd flr, pulled up a chair, and sat insidethe bedroom door to stamp out so much as a whisper. I think I may now have the house to myself (well, Lu's up, but she's fine). A Torchwood/Primeval marathon it is!
I can't think of a rational or legal reason why the mosque shouldn't be built near Ground Zero. But my gut says this is wrong, a slap in our face disguised as a display of 'tolerance'. If they had any notion of respect or appropriateness they'd cancel their plans, just as if we valued our civilization we'd stop accepting such slights.
June 7th
We watched "Kate + Eight", the new Gosselin show, and the 1 hr Kate special that followed. I think the woman is high strung & I wouldn't choose her company, but she's a fine mother & certainly loves her kids. Most of the flack thrown her way comes via America's long established policy of hating the successful, esp. if they happen to be women. For the record - I hate the new hair. She was hot, now (IMO) not so much.
Today is the MLB draft, w/ the 1st and supplemental rounds to be broadcast on the MLB Network. I'll be at work, but I'm DVR'ing it. From 11 pm on I intend to be camped in front of the TV, Baseball America in hand, enjoying the hell out of it. Dorky? Well, yes, in a way. But sexy too, no?
[re: an internet article about 'ugly ducklings' who grew up to be 'beauties', complete with before and after pics] Yeah, uh, I hate to break it to you, but except for the last woman on the page, y'all grew up to look just as doggy as you were as kids. Woof-woof. What's the point of this article? To crush the hopes and dreams of all the Ugly Ducklings out there?
Jeff Suppan was released by the Brewers today. Kudos to the organization for admitting defeat and letting him go, but major props to Jeff for the class he shows in his statement.
Dave Cullen, the author of 'Columbine', left a comment on my blog's review of his book.
Al and Tipper Gore Break Up After 40 Years of Marriage
A school bus on the way to Fernwood Montessori tipped over near Chase & Oklahoma today, injuring at least 3 children. I saw the bus on the way to work today. Originally, because of the time of day and the location of the crash, there was some fear it was Smiley's bus. Thankfully, it wasn't, and all of his school's buses arrived safely.
Gasp - a Tues w/ out AI or Lost. I hope Glee is good. It's gotten a little heavy lately, w/ the wheelchair and long-lost Mom storylines. Plus there's the whole Kurt is gay and angry plotline - what's up w/ him? He's got a loving and supportive father, a great teacher, friends that adore him, and plenty of talent. That kid has a great support system - quit whining already.
June 2nd
God bless Progressive's roadside assistance program. It may just be the smartest purchase I've made in years. I blew a tire today on the way to work and once again they proved their worth. By my count that'd be three tows + that would have come out of my pocket since the 1st of the year.
Ken Griffey Jr has retired. One of the most exciting players of our era, and IMO the best of the '90's, Bonds be damned. I'm proud to have seen him play. See you in Cooperstown.
"A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul." - George Bernard Shaw
June 3rd
RIP Rue McClanahan, age 76.
I just finished 'Savages' by Don Winslow. It was very good and deserves a full write-up on my blog; hopefully I'll find the time soon. It's brutal, violent, sexy, and well, savage. Winslow doesn't just use the English language, he manipulates and twists it like play-doh to create the mood and thoughts he wishes to express. I envy his talent.
The mistake that cost him a perfect game was a lousy call, but on the bright side history will remember Armando Galarraga's game in a thousand trivia books.
Well damnit, I have a column published in the Journal-Sentinel today and no one told me. Go out and buy a copy, ok?
Back from Lu's Daisy Scout bridging ceremony, and it was actually quite fun. Congrats LuLu!
June 4th
The cable guy failed to show this AM, which put my day on hold. When I gave up on him Parker and I got my paycheck, went to the bank, made a few stops, and returned home with crickets for the turtle, some goldfish for Smiley, a Beta for YaYa, and Hannah Montana wrapping paper for Lu's gifts. *allegedly* Time Warner will now be here btwn 3-5.
We own a hollow kids table that has a removable top. During Smiley's sleepover his friend decided to use it - as a urinal.
RIP UCLA coach John Wooden
RIP local jeweler Marv Hussar
June 5th
Lisa and her crew are en route to Hammond, IN to see a New Kids on the Block concert. Meanwhile, we've extended Smiley's sleepover, and I took the boys to three libraries, a store, and finally to Little Caesar's for dinner. BTW thank heavens for LuLu; her Mommy skills have sure come in handy.
A man said to the universe:
"Sir, I exist!"
"However," replied the universe,
"The fact has not created in me
A sense of obligation."
After dinner we watched the DVD's the boys got at the library, then I packed them off to bed. 90 minutes of chaos later I had to go hard core: I shut off every light on the 2nd flr, pulled up a chair, and sat insidethe bedroom door to stamp out so much as a whisper. I think I may now have the house to myself (well, Lu's up, but she's fine). A Torchwood/Primeval marathon it is!
I can't think of a rational or legal reason why the mosque shouldn't be built near Ground Zero. But my gut says this is wrong, a slap in our face disguised as a display of 'tolerance'. If they had any notion of respect or appropriateness they'd cancel their plans, just as if we valued our civilization we'd stop accepting such slights.
June 7th
We watched "Kate + Eight", the new Gosselin show, and the 1 hr Kate special that followed. I think the woman is high strung & I wouldn't choose her company, but she's a fine mother & certainly loves her kids. Most of the flack thrown her way comes via America's long established policy of hating the successful, esp. if they happen to be women. For the record - I hate the new hair. She was hot, now (IMO) not so much.
Today is the MLB draft, w/ the 1st and supplemental rounds to be broadcast on the MLB Network. I'll be at work, but I'm DVR'ing it. From 11 pm on I intend to be camped in front of the TV, Baseball America in hand, enjoying the hell out of it. Dorky? Well, yes, in a way. But sexy too, no?
[re: an internet article about 'ugly ducklings' who grew up to be 'beauties', complete with before and after pics] Yeah, uh, I hate to break it to you, but except for the last woman on the page, y'all grew up to look just as doggy as you were as kids. Woof-woof. What's the point of this article? To crush the hopes and dreams of all the Ugly Ducklings out there?
Jeff Suppan was released by the Brewers today. Kudos to the organization for admitting defeat and letting him go, but major props to Jeff for the class he shows in his statement.
A Book and a Movie
I've finished "Bad Blood", a Virgil Flowers mystery by John Sandford I read entirely on a Nook. It was great start to finish, and those last fifty pages - whoa.
"30 Days of Night: Dark Days"? I didn't even pay for the rental, and I *still* want a refund.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Facebook - the last week of May
MAY 24TH
As Lost departs, some good news: Glee has been picked up for a 3rd season. Yes, they're still in the 1st, which means we have at least two more years to watch.
No doubt mold exposure has health consequences, but HGTV is on & the steps taken to contain & remove a *small* amount of mold seem insane. Then a revelation - the contractor started out in asbestos removal. As that biz declined, the owner says they morphed to mold removal & "got the word out about the dangers". Huh. You'll excuse me if I think that translates to "stoked America's paranoia to keep the $$ coming in."
St Adalbert Alumni - Today I ran into Miss Hutch== for the first time in 20 years. Her hair was cut close to the scalp, with a pencil thin ponytail running down her skull to her shoulders. Not quite the traditional look of a Catholic school principal, eh?
May 25th
President Obama said that we rely too much on gadgets. He gave a passionate speech about technology, but he had to stop when the teleprompter broke. - Craig Ferguson
Just finished "The Little Stranger" by Sarah Waters, a ghost story set in the countryside of postwar England. Waters is a heck of a writer, and her prose sings. Here's the problem: there are literally ~ 9 pages of action in the 463 pg novel, almost all of it retold by a third party. I suppose the last line of the novel is supposed to 'unlock the secret' of the house, but is it worth the effort to get there?
I DVR'd a Torchwood marathon on BBC, the first time I've had a chance to see this Doctor Who spinoff. Much darker than Who, but so far the acting and writing are top notch. The negatives? As usual writer/creator Russell T. Davies tries hard to push his personal beliefs on the audience, which always gets on my nerves.
We're watching the finale of DWTS [Dancing w/ the Stars], and in particular Kate Gosselin's 'rise to the heavens'. May I just say - WTH??? Lisa and I burst out laughing, as did Tom Bergeron, and probably most of America. Oh Lawdy.
Nicole won Season 10 of DWTS, and she deserved the title. The whole finale was over the top but fun to watch. OTOH, American Idol sucked. Bowersox's 'Black Velvet' was impressive vocally but she looked (let's be honest) like a clydesdale in that black dress. Yikes. Meanwhile Lee brought his C game at best. Bowersox will/should take the crown of a crappy, crappy season.
"Studies have shown that a strict dress code fosters a safe and stable learning enviroment with fewer instances of gang violence and vampirism" - Glee
MIB: Am I [wrong]? They come. They fight. They destroy. They corrupt. It always ends the same.
JACOB: It only ends once. Anything that happens before that is just progress. - Lost
May 26th
The only thing worse than fiction that ignores the moral ambiguity of our world is fiction that creates ambiguity where there is none. Sometimes right is right and wrong is wrong, and watching a character struggle with obvious moral decisions doesn't inspire me: it tells me the author is lazy and ignorant of his characters motivations.
I post this [a link to a Doctor Who disappearing Tardis mug] for no other reason than I saw it on FB and suddenly remembered I owned one as a kid, although it was a much plainer design. I think I paid just as much tho' ($14.95) and that was 20+ years ago!
[re: Fergie's 'London Bridge'] I'm just saying: if you're a heterosexual man and can make it through this video without needing a box of kleenex and a cigarette chaser, then uh, maybe that time at Band Camp wasn't just to satisfy your curiosity. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Aw, man. RIP Art Linkletter, age 97.
Lee wins American Idol?! I didn't see it coming but he's got a great commercial voice & should do fine. Congrats! As for the finale as a whole, wow, the average age of the performers was what - 81, 82? Joe Cocker, Bee Gees, Michael McDonald? Now I love me some BeeGee's, but overall this skewed far older than the audience they want/need, no? Loved seeing Alanis tho'. We should've named one of our daughters after her.
May 28th
Last night I started/finished Stephen King's new release "Blockade Billy", the story of a star MLB catcher that has his records erased forever after he does a little something . . . out of the norm. It also includes the story "Morality". An enjoyable, quick read. B+
Actor Gary Coleman is dead at age 42. RIP.
TV show's don't normally scare me - what am I, ten ? - but Torchwood may be the exception. Case in point, the episode 'Countrycide'. How the hell was that shown on broadcast TV, even in the UK? Folks being skinned and eaten for dinner, corpses everywhere - c'mon that was NUTS.
Got home from work, set the sprinkler out in the backyard for the kids, now cooking dinner and reading Rex Stout. A good afternoon/early evening.
Fed the kids, then took YaYa to the mall to get a new remote from Time Warner & somehow got suckered into spending $6 on scented hand sanitizer at Bath & Body Works. We got home in time to see the last 3 innings of the Brewers game and Hart's walk-off homer. Now I'm settling in for a night of Rex Stout and reruns of 'Justified'.
(radio station) The Brew is no more, ditching its 80's format. And I'll have to change my radio presets, since Smooth Jazz 106.9 has dumped jazz. Dangit.
May 29th
This morning we put our cat Billy, age 15-16 years, to sleep. Many, many tears to start this day. RIP Big Bill - you were The. Best. Cat. Ever.
RIP Dennis Hopper
Angelcakes, our remaining cat, just made a circuit of the house, I'd imagine looking for her friend Billy. She meowed to get my attention but fled rather quickly; sad. On a brighter note, I just watched Corey Hart blast his 2nd homer of the night, a sure HR the second it left his bat.
Congrats to Roy Halladay on his perfect game for the Phillies. (he would later pitch a no-hitter in the post-season)
Thanks for all the kind thoughts today. We didn't cxl any of our plans, hoping to keep the kids minds focused away from Billy. Lisa, Smiley and YaYa went up north to visit friends; LuLu went skating w/ a friend and to a party; I did some yard work, went grocery shopping, wrote, read, and watched baseball. Still, a shitty day.
May 30th
The more you put in a brain the more it will hold - Nero Wolfe (Rex Stout)
I finished "The Father Hunt" by Rex Stout today, a mystery centered around a paternity case. Not the strongest of Stout's plots, but otherwise a typical Nero Wolfe mystery - which is to say, a great read.
May 31st
I just finished writing and submitting a piece for the Journal on a computer with a mouse that doesn't track and a copy of Word that error'ed out and lost the complete first draft. I'm not even sure the attachment was correct, because that was finicky too. Jeez, except for the fact that I was clean, safe, & sitting on my butt, it was one step up from coal mining.
As Lost departs, some good news: Glee has been picked up for a 3rd season. Yes, they're still in the 1st, which means we have at least two more years to watch.
No doubt mold exposure has health consequences, but HGTV is on & the steps taken to contain & remove a *small* amount of mold seem insane. Then a revelation - the contractor started out in asbestos removal. As that biz declined, the owner says they morphed to mold removal & "got the word out about the dangers". Huh. You'll excuse me if I think that translates to "stoked America's paranoia to keep the $$ coming in."
St Adalbert Alumni - Today I ran into Miss Hutch== for the first time in 20 years. Her hair was cut close to the scalp, with a pencil thin ponytail running down her skull to her shoulders. Not quite the traditional look of a Catholic school principal, eh?
May 25th
President Obama said that we rely too much on gadgets. He gave a passionate speech about technology, but he had to stop when the teleprompter broke. - Craig Ferguson
Just finished "The Little Stranger" by Sarah Waters, a ghost story set in the countryside of postwar England. Waters is a heck of a writer, and her prose sings. Here's the problem: there are literally ~ 9 pages of action in the 463 pg novel, almost all of it retold by a third party. I suppose the last line of the novel is supposed to 'unlock the secret' of the house, but is it worth the effort to get there?
I DVR'd a Torchwood marathon on BBC, the first time I've had a chance to see this Doctor Who spinoff. Much darker than Who, but so far the acting and writing are top notch. The negatives? As usual writer/creator Russell T. Davies tries hard to push his personal beliefs on the audience, which always gets on my nerves.
We're watching the finale of DWTS [Dancing w/ the Stars], and in particular Kate Gosselin's 'rise to the heavens'. May I just say - WTH??? Lisa and I burst out laughing, as did Tom Bergeron, and probably most of America. Oh Lawdy.
Nicole won Season 10 of DWTS, and she deserved the title. The whole finale was over the top but fun to watch. OTOH, American Idol sucked. Bowersox's 'Black Velvet' was impressive vocally but she looked (let's be honest) like a clydesdale in that black dress. Yikes. Meanwhile Lee brought his C game at best. Bowersox will/should take the crown of a crappy, crappy season.
"Studies have shown that a strict dress code fosters a safe and stable learning enviroment with fewer instances of gang violence and vampirism" - Glee
MIB: Am I [wrong]? They come. They fight. They destroy. They corrupt. It always ends the same.
JACOB: It only ends once. Anything that happens before that is just progress. - Lost
May 26th
The only thing worse than fiction that ignores the moral ambiguity of our world is fiction that creates ambiguity where there is none. Sometimes right is right and wrong is wrong, and watching a character struggle with obvious moral decisions doesn't inspire me: it tells me the author is lazy and ignorant of his characters motivations.
I post this [a link to a Doctor Who disappearing Tardis mug] for no other reason than I saw it on FB and suddenly remembered I owned one as a kid, although it was a much plainer design. I think I paid just as much tho' ($14.95) and that was 20+ years ago!
[re: Fergie's 'London Bridge'] I'm just saying: if you're a heterosexual man and can make it through this video without needing a box of kleenex and a cigarette chaser, then uh, maybe that time at Band Camp wasn't just to satisfy your curiosity. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Aw, man. RIP Art Linkletter, age 97.
Lee wins American Idol?! I didn't see it coming but he's got a great commercial voice & should do fine. Congrats! As for the finale as a whole, wow, the average age of the performers was what - 81, 82? Joe Cocker, Bee Gees, Michael McDonald? Now I love me some BeeGee's, but overall this skewed far older than the audience they want/need, no? Loved seeing Alanis tho'. We should've named one of our daughters after her.
May 28th
Last night I started/finished Stephen King's new release "Blockade Billy", the story of a star MLB catcher that has his records erased forever after he does a little something . . . out of the norm. It also includes the story "Morality". An enjoyable, quick read. B+
Actor Gary Coleman is dead at age 42. RIP.
TV show's don't normally scare me - what am I, ten ? - but Torchwood may be the exception. Case in point, the episode 'Countrycide'. How the hell was that shown on broadcast TV, even in the UK? Folks being skinned and eaten for dinner, corpses everywhere - c'mon that was NUTS.
Got home from work, set the sprinkler out in the backyard for the kids, now cooking dinner and reading Rex Stout. A good afternoon/early evening.
Fed the kids, then took YaYa to the mall to get a new remote from Time Warner & somehow got suckered into spending $6 on scented hand sanitizer at Bath & Body Works. We got home in time to see the last 3 innings of the Brewers game and Hart's walk-off homer. Now I'm settling in for a night of Rex Stout and reruns of 'Justified'.
(radio station) The Brew is no more, ditching its 80's format. And I'll have to change my radio presets, since Smooth Jazz 106.9 has dumped jazz. Dangit.
May 29th
This morning we put our cat Billy, age 15-16 years, to sleep. Many, many tears to start this day. RIP Big Bill - you were The. Best. Cat. Ever.
RIP Dennis Hopper
Angelcakes, our remaining cat, just made a circuit of the house, I'd imagine looking for her friend Billy. She meowed to get my attention but fled rather quickly; sad. On a brighter note, I just watched Corey Hart blast his 2nd homer of the night, a sure HR the second it left his bat.
Congrats to Roy Halladay on his perfect game for the Phillies. (he would later pitch a no-hitter in the post-season)
Thanks for all the kind thoughts today. We didn't cxl any of our plans, hoping to keep the kids minds focused away from Billy. Lisa, Smiley and YaYa went up north to visit friends; LuLu went skating w/ a friend and to a party; I did some yard work, went grocery shopping, wrote, read, and watched baseball. Still, a shitty day.
May 30th
The more you put in a brain the more it will hold - Nero Wolfe (Rex Stout)
I finished "The Father Hunt" by Rex Stout today, a mystery centered around a paternity case. Not the strongest of Stout's plots, but otherwise a typical Nero Wolfe mystery - which is to say, a great read.
May 31st
I just finished writing and submitting a piece for the Journal on a computer with a mouse that doesn't track and a copy of Word that error'ed out and lost the complete first draft. I'm not even sure the attachment was correct, because that was finicky too. Jeez, except for the fact that I was clean, safe, & sitting on my butt, it was one step up from coal mining.
Star Island by Carl Hiassen and White House Diary by Jimmy Carter
A few days ago I finished "Star Island" by Carl Hiassen, an entertaining but forgettable novel about a spoiled pop star. I'm now ~ 150 pg's into Jimmy Carter's "White House Diary", which would mark the 4th bk on his Presidency I've read in the last 12 months. It's fascinating stuff, and at some point I'll devote a blog post or FB 'note' to some talking points about the text.
Royette Pickett November 28, 1942 - June 15, 2010
In mid-June Lisa's Aunt Royette passed away.
Royette, who was named after her father, was a genuinely kind woman who lived on her own in a senior apartment building while struggling to control the diabetes that took her life. She enjoyed Native American memorabilia, doll collecting, arts and crafts, and anything to do with Elvis and cats.
She also took a special interest in her grand-nieces, and more than once she had LuLu and YaYa spend the night. She seemed especially close to YaYa, and it was a fondness that was reciprocated. You can glimpse some of the love she had for my children in the pictures below.
Her death marked the beginning of a rough summer, and to my shame I failed to record her passing here. She deserved better. She was a good person, and we miss her. We really do.
Rest in Peace Aunt Royette.
I have fought the good fight.
I have finished the race.
I have kept the faith.
2 Timothy 4:7
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Facebook May 19th - 23rd
May 19th
Any dog'll turn
Nine bleeping losses in a row [for the Brewers]. Macha has to go. Not because he's the worst manager ever, or because replacing him will magically save the season. He should go because in baseball fans *believe* it will make a difference, and the fans pay the bills. This is even more true here in Milwaukee, where the dramatic Rogers/Kuehn switch took us all the way to Game Seven. So - who's the eventual replacement?
Lost didn't tape this week, for whatever reason, but I finally just finished the episode on ABC.com. GREAT GREAT episode, a wonderful lead-in to the series finale this Sunday.
re: the sinking of a S. Korean naval vessel: "The truce prevents Seoul from waging a unilateral military attack." Are you kidding me? North Korea TORPEDOED one of your warships and KILLED your citizens. I'd say the truce is worth jack shit.
May 21st
Lisa & watched a show on Ruby Ridge; what a needless waste. Then, we watched testimony from OR v Beagley, a case of alleged negligent homicide against parents who refused med treatment for their 16 yr old son. IMO, another case of the gov't overstepping its bounds. Gov't doesn't shrink or remain stagnant, it perpetually grows, like a cancer. I shudder to think what burdens our great-grandchildren will live under.
Yikes! The Girl Scouts just charged my card $200 towards summer camp - that'd be $200 I can't spare - despite the fact that I took care of that bill months ago. They've reversed the charges ("for now") but I need to redo some of the paperwork (?!) for the camp. Apparently a large chunk of the application was lost, & so their computer records are incomplete & I was charged as part of a mass billing . . .
Read the best books first, or you may not have a chance to read them at all. - Henry David Thoreau
Babysitting my (soon to be) Godson TJ. Took him for a walk in the stroller with Lu and Ginger, stopped at a local playground, then spent time in the backyard. He seemed the happiest outdoors, breaking into huge grins for Lisa & the girls. Now he's asleep in the bouncer, but he's been a little grumpy. From experience I'd say he's teething or constipated. Or he's po'd about the Brewers losing AGAIN; Lord knows I am.
May 22nd
Yest. morning Ginger's babysitter (a family member) suddenly tried pawning her off on another relative. When I heard this I called and asked about the sudden change of plans. She claimed this was what we'd agreed on [so not the case] "It's the information I was given," she said. "From who?" I said. "The President of Wakey-Wakey-Make-It-Uppy?"
I just walked Ginger and LuLu to the gas station so Lu could spend some spare change on candy & whatnot. On the way home she pumped her fist. "Yeah!" she said, seriously giddy. "Daddy I've never spent my own money at the gas station. This was great. THE best moment of my life." :)
While at the Dollar Store today I ran into a Milwaukee man who was featured on "Hoarding: Buried Alive" He was there w/ his two foster children. I asked if he'd been on 'that TV show', intentionally avoiding its name, and he said yes. His kids got very excited & said they were stars & wanted to make a movie now. I said I was glad the show helped him and we went on our way.
Cleaned the house all afternoon, capped by MAJOR fit by YaYa a few minutes ago. The kid deserves an Oscar, honest and truly. What a freakin' drama queen; you'd mistake her fits for outakes from Hostel. Alas (for her) we didn't give in and made her clean our room & take out the trash. Unfortunately alll the dust of the cleanup set off a major asthma attack for Lu, but she's back in action now.
I think it's sad that a real-time Brewers publication brags about having in the lead in the bottom of the ninth, then fiinshes the post with "Let's hope the Brewers can hang on!". Yeah, let's hope. Geesh, things went south here quickly, didn't they? {they lost the game lol]
[reacting to horrible anti-Christian comments on a scientific article about Copernicus} As usual, the anti-religious zealots swamped the comments on this article. Note that they only seem to attack Christianity; perhaps because we won't cut off their head if we find their notions heretical.
May 23rd
"They're not vampires. Like I said, they're fish from space." - The 11th Doctor
[on plans to outlaw drop-side cribs] What a perfect storm of crap: a gov't that doesn't know its boundaries and a group of yahoos taking a *miniscule* sample size and using it to dictate policy to the masses. ALL my kids slept in drop-side cribs and not once did we have so much as the faintest hint of trouble; then again I took more time assembling the crib than I did putting up my HDTV, which is probably the difference here.
80 degrees outside, a backyard baking in the sun, a kiddie pool set up and in full use - and Ginger comes outside wearing a swimsuit, snow boots, and a winter cap with tassels.
Lisa said something very insightful. She said that since Kate Gosselin is so damn stiff and difficult to watch on her gigs on DTWS, Entertainment Tonight, etc it's proof that her persona on J&K+8 was genuine. "She isn't a good enough actress to fake being real," Lisa said. And you know, she's right.
If all economists were laid end to end, they would not reach a conclusion.- George Bernard Shaw
RIP Jose Lima
A moment ago Smiley was crouched in the sandbox. He was barechested & tan, with khaki-army(ish) pants slung low, & his blonde hair was in a near crewcut. He was filling a containter with sand, & on his face was a barely disguised look of fatigue/contempt for his lot in life. I laughed. "Jeez Smiley," I said, "You look like an extra from Platoon. All you need is a cigarette dangling from your mouth & a chopper overhead"
Too much chaos here to watch the Lost series finale in 'real-time', so I'm DVR'ing it. I'll watch it once the kids and the Mrs. are asleep, so I can enjoy every second. One near disaster: Lisa walked into the living room to find the kids had shut off the recording of the pre-show to put on Disney. Lousy buggers!
I spent some time w/ a friend before watching Lost, and he p*'d me off by blasting Lost as 'mainstream' (as if that's an insult) and all but an opiate of the masses. Here's what I think: I think anyone who watches 'The Cleveland Show' and literally LOL's at the lame, mildly racist 'comedy' is someone whose opinion on TV matters for poop.
Any dog'll turn
Nine bleeping losses in a row [for the Brewers]. Macha has to go. Not because he's the worst manager ever, or because replacing him will magically save the season. He should go because in baseball fans *believe* it will make a difference, and the fans pay the bills. This is even more true here in Milwaukee, where the dramatic Rogers/Kuehn switch took us all the way to Game Seven. So - who's the eventual replacement?
Lost didn't tape this week, for whatever reason, but I finally just finished the episode on ABC.com. GREAT GREAT episode, a wonderful lead-in to the series finale this Sunday.
re: the sinking of a S. Korean naval vessel: "The truce prevents Seoul from waging a unilateral military attack." Are you kidding me? North Korea TORPEDOED one of your warships and KILLED your citizens. I'd say the truce is worth jack shit.
May 21st
Lisa & watched a show on Ruby Ridge; what a needless waste. Then, we watched testimony from OR v Beagley, a case of alleged negligent homicide against parents who refused med treatment for their 16 yr old son. IMO, another case of the gov't overstepping its bounds. Gov't doesn't shrink or remain stagnant, it perpetually grows, like a cancer. I shudder to think what burdens our great-grandchildren will live under.
Yikes! The Girl Scouts just charged my card $200 towards summer camp - that'd be $200 I can't spare - despite the fact that I took care of that bill months ago. They've reversed the charges ("for now") but I need to redo some of the paperwork (?!) for the camp. Apparently a large chunk of the application was lost, & so their computer records are incomplete & I was charged as part of a mass billing . . .
Read the best books first, or you may not have a chance to read them at all. - Henry David Thoreau
Babysitting my (soon to be) Godson TJ. Took him for a walk in the stroller with Lu and Ginger, stopped at a local playground, then spent time in the backyard. He seemed the happiest outdoors, breaking into huge grins for Lisa & the girls. Now he's asleep in the bouncer, but he's been a little grumpy. From experience I'd say he's teething or constipated. Or he's po'd about the Brewers losing AGAIN; Lord knows I am.
May 22nd
Yest. morning Ginger's babysitter (a family member) suddenly tried pawning her off on another relative. When I heard this I called and asked about the sudden change of plans. She claimed this was what we'd agreed on [so not the case] "It's the information I was given," she said. "From who?" I said. "The President of Wakey-Wakey-Make-It-Uppy?"
I just walked Ginger and LuLu to the gas station so Lu could spend some spare change on candy & whatnot. On the way home she pumped her fist. "Yeah!" she said, seriously giddy. "Daddy I've never spent my own money at the gas station. This was great. THE best moment of my life." :)
While at the Dollar Store today I ran into a Milwaukee man who was featured on "Hoarding: Buried Alive" He was there w/ his two foster children. I asked if he'd been on 'that TV show', intentionally avoiding its name, and he said yes. His kids got very excited & said they were stars & wanted to make a movie now. I said I was glad the show helped him and we went on our way.
Cleaned the house all afternoon, capped by MAJOR fit by YaYa a few minutes ago. The kid deserves an Oscar, honest and truly. What a freakin' drama queen; you'd mistake her fits for outakes from Hostel. Alas (for her) we didn't give in and made her clean our room & take out the trash. Unfortunately alll the dust of the cleanup set off a major asthma attack for Lu, but she's back in action now.
I think it's sad that a real-time Brewers publication brags about having in the lead in the bottom of the ninth, then fiinshes the post with "Let's hope the Brewers can hang on!". Yeah, let's hope. Geesh, things went south here quickly, didn't they? {they lost the game lol]
[reacting to horrible anti-Christian comments on a scientific article about Copernicus} As usual, the anti-religious zealots swamped the comments on this article. Note that they only seem to attack Christianity; perhaps because we won't cut off their head if we find their notions heretical.
May 23rd
"They're not vampires. Like I said, they're fish from space." - The 11th Doctor
[on plans to outlaw drop-side cribs] What a perfect storm of crap: a gov't that doesn't know its boundaries and a group of yahoos taking a *miniscule* sample size and using it to dictate policy to the masses. ALL my kids slept in drop-side cribs and not once did we have so much as the faintest hint of trouble; then again I took more time assembling the crib than I did putting up my HDTV, which is probably the difference here.
80 degrees outside, a backyard baking in the sun, a kiddie pool set up and in full use - and Ginger comes outside wearing a swimsuit, snow boots, and a winter cap with tassels.
Lisa said something very insightful. She said that since Kate Gosselin is so damn stiff and difficult to watch on her gigs on DTWS, Entertainment Tonight, etc it's proof that her persona on J&K+8 was genuine. "She isn't a good enough actress to fake being real," Lisa said. And you know, she's right.
If all economists were laid end to end, they would not reach a conclusion.- George Bernard Shaw
RIP Jose Lima
A moment ago Smiley was crouched in the sandbox. He was barechested & tan, with khaki-army(ish) pants slung low, & his blonde hair was in a near crewcut. He was filling a containter with sand, & on his face was a barely disguised look of fatigue/contempt for his lot in life. I laughed. "Jeez Smiley," I said, "You look like an extra from Platoon. All you need is a cigarette dangling from your mouth & a chopper overhead"
Too much chaos here to watch the Lost series finale in 'real-time', so I'm DVR'ing it. I'll watch it once the kids and the Mrs. are asleep, so I can enjoy every second. One near disaster: Lisa walked into the living room to find the kids had shut off the recording of the pre-show to put on Disney. Lousy buggers!
I spent some time w/ a friend before watching Lost, and he p*'d me off by blasting Lost as 'mainstream' (as if that's an insult) and all but an opiate of the masses. Here's what I think: I think anyone who watches 'The Cleveland Show' and literally LOL's at the lame, mildly racist 'comedy' is someone whose opinion on TV matters for poop.
Not My Preferred Drink
I caught Junie having a tea party in her room. Her drink of choice (which she was chugging liberally)? The pail of water we'd used to mop her floor.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Facebook May 8th - 18th
May 8th
Came home from work and, wanting to get some repairs done on the porch roof, promptly sliced my thumb on a utiity knife. Don't worry, I stopped the blood flow - by accidently crushing a tube of asphalt sealant while I headed inside, thereby covering my hands, forearms, & shirt with a layer of black tar that took 20 minutes to scrub (75%) off. Ah, well. Saved me a stitch or two I suppose.
Jody Gerut hits for the cycle! Congrats to Jody, the first Brewer since Chad Moeller to accomplish the feat. [btw I was at the Moeller game in 2004 w/ my friend Carlos - I caught two foul balls!]
"Big, big mistake. Huge. Didn't anyone ever tell you there's one thing you never, ever put in a trap. Not if u vaulue your continued existence, if you have *any* plans about seeing tommorow. There's one thing you never put in a trap . . . ME." The 11th Doctor, "The Time of Angels"
Milw's top mental health adminstrator *intentionally* houses female patients with known, violent male offenders to 'reduce violence'. This would explain the # of sexual assaults at our mental health complex. So would this: the adminstrator is a man who uses his position to punish & degrade women for the sake of his sick masturbatory fantasies. Given that his actions have destroyed the trust in our mental health system, and led to sexual assaults and the violent rape of a pregnant woman, he needs to face criminal charges, for negligence or whatever else they can scrape together. Once he belongs to Jerome or Rick or Mr. Big, let him argue his stance about the 'lesser' violence of sex. assualt.
May 9th
This morning my mother-in-law took Lisa out for breakfast. When Lisa said it wasn't right that her Mom pay for the meal, and certainly not on Mother's Day, this was her Mom's response: "Don't worry about it. In twenty years when you're changing my diapers, I'll Just take an extra dump and call it even."
May 10th
RIP Lena Horne
re: a negative critique of Betty White's SNL episode: This critic is on crack. Of course many of the skits exploited her age - Duh! She's 88 years old. What are you supposed to mine for comedy, her thoughts on social security? It was the first SNL I've watched in years and I thought she did marvelous. She has such great comedic timing, and that kiss - McGruber is a lucky man!
May 11th
The Big Ten has extended offers for the following schools to join the conference: Missouri, Rutgers, Nebraska, and Notre Dame. I think Nebraska would be a nice fit, and I guess Rutgers expands the B10 reach into the NY area. I'm told MO is a fertile recruiting ground for the Badgers, so screw adding them, and I'd pass on the Irish. We'll see how it turns out.
Jury duty all day, then came home to horrible children. Seriously. Horrible. Children. I sent them all to bed just after six with no supper. If they're lucky and actually show some compassion and regret, they might qualify for meals by June. July is more likely.
May 12th
Tuesday's Glee was a downer, wasn't it? Quadraplegics (sp?), John Mellencamp and Kurt going all boo-hoo over a Dad who CLEARLY loves his son despite their differences. Nut up kid. Ah well. Neil Patrick Harris guest stars next week. Should be a hoot.
Finally saw last night's Lost. I'll cop to being a little confused, which is unusual; sometimes what I 'know' turns out to be wrong, but I always walk away with a gist of it down and a decent theory in my head. I'll need to mull this one over.
May 13th
If you're in need of a good (albeit violent) drama to fill up your TV screen, take a gander at 'Justified' on FX. I've watched the first 8 episodes via On Demand and I've enjoyed every show.
May 14th
Horrible news. Dano Plato's son, who by all accounts has strugged to deal with his mother's legacy in the decade since her death, has committed suicide. RIP.
A 42 year old actress has stepped forward claiming Roman Polanski had sex with her when she was 16. It should be noted that the legal age of consent in Paris, where the alleged sex took place, was (is?) 15. However, since she claims he forced himself on her, the age of consent is irrelevant. I'm not sure I buy the rationale behind her stepping forward now, but it certainly isn't good news for Polanski.
The Missouri legislature has given approval to strip Mark McGwire's name from the highway they named in his honor. What a sh*t move. Ugh. On the other hand, former Brewers manager Ned Yost has been named the manager of the KC Royals. Congrats to Ned, and all the best.
May 15th
So, let me get this straight: the Twins intentionally walked the bases loaded to face my man Arod, a HOF'er and notorious Twins killer. Brilliant. Congrats to ARod on the game winning shot, and for passing Frank Robinson on the all-time HR list.
May 16th
Lisa was super po'd at me yest. So after work, w/ our kids dispersed to relatives, I took her out for dinner and drinks, followed by a moonlight ride by the lakefront. With her again loving the Dslap, I finally got down to enjoying Saturday night the way it was meant to be spent: w/ a new episode of Doctor Who on the TV. ;)
re: "Ashes to Ashes" I saw an episode of this show last night on the BBC and while it was very good, I thought it was awfully similar to "Life on Mars". Well, it turns out it's a spin-off. A female police detective is shot in the present day and awakens in 1982, where she leads a second life as a detective in that era. Putting aside the time travel stuff, it's a solid police procedural.
LuLu is seriously in love with Justin Beiber. She has posters on her wall, and she asked me to help her enter a Teen Beat contest to win his teddy bear. She's so cute - for weeks afterwards she'd ask me if she'd 'won yet'. :)
re: Taio Cruz's "Break Your Heart" I couldn't get this song out of my head yesterday, and caught myself humming it while a customer was droning on. Oopsie. BTW - Ludacris seems to appear on every song produced in North America. He's the Jude Law of the music biz.
May 17th
Milwaukee, stick a fork in [DJ's] Bob & Brian. I used to love 'em, and they did their schtick - blue collar/everyday Milwaukee Joe - better than anyone. But now they're rich, 50 yr old guys who live in the burbs; they're guys who have to google pop culture references, who refuse to play ANY music, & who pander to the stick-in-the-butt Zayban (sic). Enough. And please, don't even get me started on this 'Reheated' B.S. [where there show is repeated later in the day]
May 17th
To every yahoo that went around Milwaukee yesterday saying "Whoo-hoo! Summer's finally here!" - thank your karma for the fifty degree weather today. I 'preciate it. :)
"Constantly choosing the lesser of two evils is still choosing evil." - Jerry Garcia
Seven losses in a row for the Brewers, including an entire homestand. This team sucks right now. Yikes. Let's start a FB pool - barring a 180, I say Macha is fired by May 25th. [I was wrong; he lasted the season before being fired]
May 18th
Timbaland coulda stayed home - Justin carries this song. "I'll take two # 3's/ that's a whole lot of you and a side of me/now is it full of myself to want you full of me?/ . . . Do you like it well done? 'Cuz I do it well/'Cuz I'm well seasoned if you couldn't tell"
Last fall the city used stimilus $ to tear up my lawn. They replaced a functioning, intact gas pipe w/ more of the same, wiped out the small hill in front of my porch & destroyed my grass. I was set to cut the new lawn today for the 1st x - so naturally the city returned & dug it up AGAIN. They left a note on my door saying it was just to ck & see if they'd done the work right. America, your gov't at work.
Came home from work and, wanting to get some repairs done on the porch roof, promptly sliced my thumb on a utiity knife. Don't worry, I stopped the blood flow - by accidently crushing a tube of asphalt sealant while I headed inside, thereby covering my hands, forearms, & shirt with a layer of black tar that took 20 minutes to scrub (75%) off. Ah, well. Saved me a stitch or two I suppose.
Jody Gerut hits for the cycle! Congrats to Jody, the first Brewer since Chad Moeller to accomplish the feat. [btw I was at the Moeller game in 2004 w/ my friend Carlos - I caught two foul balls!]
"Big, big mistake. Huge. Didn't anyone ever tell you there's one thing you never, ever put in a trap. Not if u vaulue your continued existence, if you have *any* plans about seeing tommorow. There's one thing you never put in a trap . . . ME." The 11th Doctor, "The Time of Angels"
Milw's top mental health adminstrator *intentionally* houses female patients with known, violent male offenders to 'reduce violence'. This would explain the # of sexual assaults at our mental health complex. So would this: the adminstrator is a man who uses his position to punish & degrade women for the sake of his sick masturbatory fantasies. Given that his actions have destroyed the trust in our mental health system, and led to sexual assaults and the violent rape of a pregnant woman, he needs to face criminal charges, for negligence or whatever else they can scrape together. Once he belongs to Jerome or Rick or Mr. Big, let him argue his stance about the 'lesser' violence of sex. assualt.
May 9th
This morning my mother-in-law took Lisa out for breakfast. When Lisa said it wasn't right that her Mom pay for the meal, and certainly not on Mother's Day, this was her Mom's response: "Don't worry about it. In twenty years when you're changing my diapers, I'll Just take an extra dump and call it even."
May 10th
RIP Lena Horne
re: a negative critique of Betty White's SNL episode: This critic is on crack. Of course many of the skits exploited her age - Duh! She's 88 years old. What are you supposed to mine for comedy, her thoughts on social security? It was the first SNL I've watched in years and I thought she did marvelous. She has such great comedic timing, and that kiss - McGruber is a lucky man!
May 11th
The Big Ten has extended offers for the following schools to join the conference: Missouri, Rutgers, Nebraska, and Notre Dame. I think Nebraska would be a nice fit, and I guess Rutgers expands the B10 reach into the NY area. I'm told MO is a fertile recruiting ground for the Badgers, so screw adding them, and I'd pass on the Irish. We'll see how it turns out.
Jury duty all day, then came home to horrible children. Seriously. Horrible. Children. I sent them all to bed just after six with no supper. If they're lucky and actually show some compassion and regret, they might qualify for meals by June. July is more likely.
May 12th
Tuesday's Glee was a downer, wasn't it? Quadraplegics (sp?), John Mellencamp and Kurt going all boo-hoo over a Dad who CLEARLY loves his son despite their differences. Nut up kid. Ah well. Neil Patrick Harris guest stars next week. Should be a hoot.
Finally saw last night's Lost. I'll cop to being a little confused, which is unusual; sometimes what I 'know' turns out to be wrong, but I always walk away with a gist of it down and a decent theory in my head. I'll need to mull this one over.
May 13th
If you're in need of a good (albeit violent) drama to fill up your TV screen, take a gander at 'Justified' on FX. I've watched the first 8 episodes via On Demand and I've enjoyed every show.
May 14th
Horrible news. Dano Plato's son, who by all accounts has strugged to deal with his mother's legacy in the decade since her death, has committed suicide. RIP.
A 42 year old actress has stepped forward claiming Roman Polanski had sex with her when she was 16. It should be noted that the legal age of consent in Paris, where the alleged sex took place, was (is?) 15. However, since she claims he forced himself on her, the age of consent is irrelevant. I'm not sure I buy the rationale behind her stepping forward now, but it certainly isn't good news for Polanski.
The Missouri legislature has given approval to strip Mark McGwire's name from the highway they named in his honor. What a sh*t move. Ugh. On the other hand, former Brewers manager Ned Yost has been named the manager of the KC Royals. Congrats to Ned, and all the best.
May 15th
So, let me get this straight: the Twins intentionally walked the bases loaded to face my man Arod, a HOF'er and notorious Twins killer. Brilliant. Congrats to ARod on the game winning shot, and for passing Frank Robinson on the all-time HR list.
May 16th
Lisa was super po'd at me yest. So after work, w/ our kids dispersed to relatives, I took her out for dinner and drinks, followed by a moonlight ride by the lakefront. With her again loving the Dslap, I finally got down to enjoying Saturday night the way it was meant to be spent: w/ a new episode of Doctor Who on the TV. ;)
re: "Ashes to Ashes" I saw an episode of this show last night on the BBC and while it was very good, I thought it was awfully similar to "Life on Mars". Well, it turns out it's a spin-off. A female police detective is shot in the present day and awakens in 1982, where she leads a second life as a detective in that era. Putting aside the time travel stuff, it's a solid police procedural.
LuLu is seriously in love with Justin Beiber. She has posters on her wall, and she asked me to help her enter a Teen Beat contest to win his teddy bear. She's so cute - for weeks afterwards she'd ask me if she'd 'won yet'. :)
re: Taio Cruz's "Break Your Heart" I couldn't get this song out of my head yesterday, and caught myself humming it while a customer was droning on. Oopsie. BTW - Ludacris seems to appear on every song produced in North America. He's the Jude Law of the music biz.
May 17th
Milwaukee, stick a fork in [DJ's] Bob & Brian. I used to love 'em, and they did their schtick - blue collar/everyday Milwaukee Joe - better than anyone. But now they're rich, 50 yr old guys who live in the burbs; they're guys who have to google pop culture references, who refuse to play ANY music, & who pander to the stick-in-the-butt Zayban (sic). Enough. And please, don't even get me started on this 'Reheated' B.S. [where there show is repeated later in the day]
May 17th
To every yahoo that went around Milwaukee yesterday saying "Whoo-hoo! Summer's finally here!" - thank your karma for the fifty degree weather today. I 'preciate it. :)
"Constantly choosing the lesser of two evils is still choosing evil." - Jerry Garcia
Seven losses in a row for the Brewers, including an entire homestand. This team sucks right now. Yikes. Let's start a FB pool - barring a 180, I say Macha is fired by May 25th. [I was wrong; he lasted the season before being fired]
May 18th
Timbaland coulda stayed home - Justin carries this song. "I'll take two # 3's/ that's a whole lot of you and a side of me/now is it full of myself to want you full of me?/ . . . Do you like it well done? 'Cuz I do it well/'Cuz I'm well seasoned if you couldn't tell"
Last fall the city used stimilus $ to tear up my lawn. They replaced a functioning, intact gas pipe w/ more of the same, wiped out the small hill in front of my porch & destroyed my grass. I was set to cut the new lawn today for the 1st x - so naturally the city returned & dug it up AGAIN. They left a note on my door saying it was just to ck & see if they'd done the work right. America, your gov't at work.
An Impressive Rescue
Yay! The first of the 33 men trapped in a Chilean mine since August 5 has arrived at the surface in a rescue capsule, and were greeted by hugs and cheers.
Family Night - Marmaduke
For Family Night this week I rented the live action "Marmaduke" and made cajun style salmon cakes with rice and broccoli. Cue the standard kid reactions to unknown food, but they all tried it. Heck, Livvie even liked it. But the best, most honest reaction to my meal? Smiley took a big bite, swallowed, and said "It taste yuck. Me feel like I 'ave to 'uke"
Cleaning Junie's Room
We just cleaned Junie's room. She really is 1/2 of the 'bookends' - like YaYa, she's a hoarder. Unlike GC, however, LK also destroys.
One drawer had 1/4" of rice crispies; another was coated with orange kool-aid powder she rubbed into the wood.
Spilled nail polish & paint.
Broken toys.
Rotten apples.
Broken CHINA.
It took two 13 gal. garbage bags + 2 laundry baskets and 2 LAWN & GARDEN bags to clean up the mess.
[Ok, to be fair 1/2 of the garden bags were devoted to toys I jettisoned, so I guess *that* doesn't' count.]
online comment: LOL, so did LK scream as you cleaned?
reply: no, she was content to see her servants at work.
YaYa's Silly Bandz
This picture, taken October 3rd, is of YaYa's silly bandz collection. Silly Bandz are thin elastic bracelets/rubber bands that are manufactured in different shapes - cars, animals, and the like. They're peaking in popularity right now and are highly collectible in elementary schools, where they're traded like baseball or Pokemon cards.
As you can imagine, they aren't quite as popular with teachers :)
Monday, October 11, 2010
Facebook - May 1st thru the 7th
MAY 1ST
Not to decide is to decide.
I'm 12 ft into digging a 2ft deep/30 foot long drainage trench w/ no shade in sight. Anyone want to come over and help? For gosh sake's I'm a fat guy - I'll have a heart attack any second
"When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up." - C.S. Lewis
The [BP] oil spill in the Gulf is horrendous, & the enviornment will suffer needlessly. But to those who claim this is *the* reason to abandon drilling: unless you live w/out a car, plastics, lawn mower, etc - YOU NEED OIL. We can continue to delude ourselves that letting other countries pump oil for us is somehow saving Mother Earth (?!), but its not. Plus all the economic & security reasons . . .
Just finished watching "Victory of the Daleks", ep. 3 of this season of Dr. Who. It features Winston Churchill, a devilish Dalek plan, and Spitfires (!) in a dogfight around the moon LOL. Grand. Good to see the new team jettison Davie's obsession w/ stamping out the Dalek race; this ep. made it clear the Daleks are back & here to stay.
Rented a movie but Lisa's already asleep & I'm pooped from digging. I might call it a night. Got a lot done in the yard (but not everything) the kids went to Home Depot for the monthly project w/ Grandma J, Lu went to a swim party, & we set up the sandbox & pool. Tonight Smiley's the only kid home. We've enjoyed the heck out of our 'quality' time w/ him. Life is good. It'd be better with $, but it's good all the same.
MAY 2ND
Helen Wagner, the actress who's played Nancy Huges on 'As the World Turns' since 1956! has passed away. She was 91. RIP.
I'm trying hard not to be the snarky pre-2009 Danny, but the populace isn't making it easy. Before work I waited in a 7 person line at a convenience store. Along comes an elderly woman, who cut in front of 4 of us with her Hoveround. She shot us a glare and *announced* that she is elderly & hence will assume that spot. Hey, lady, why does it matter to you how long you wait in line? You've already got a seat.
MAY 3RD
Government does not solve problems; it subsidizes them. - Reagan
"What people say behind your back is your standing in the community." - Edgar Watson Howe
Unions in Greece are threatening to strike rather than agree to curtail gov't spending. BTW, I skimmed an article in yesterday's NYT claiming that part of the problem is that Greek citizens hide much of their income from the tax man, presumably leading to a short change of gov't funds. Of course, if taxes were fair there would be less societal acceptance of the cheating. Or not.
On this day in 1791 Poland established Europe's first national constitution - only the second such document in the world (after our own). Konstytucja Trzeciego Maja
LuLu just called from school asking for her inhaler. I know people from my school days are rolling their eyes and remembering me as a hypocondriac (sic), but things change. I've missed two days of work in 12 yrs, & while I'll keep the kids home to go see a concert or a ballgame, I'll be damned if they'll stay home for any illness that isn't fatal. But her asthma/allergies are becoming an issue . .BTW, her inhaler was in her backpack, right where I"d put it. She just hadn't seen me put it there.
"This'll be OK. I'll just do the thresome tonight, then break up with her. Bit ungentlemanly that, but then it's a threesome. Not exactly Romeo & Juliet, innit?"
The [Modjeska) youth theatre group has folded. YaYa audtioned for them a few years ago, and we have fond memories of several of their productions. Ugh. Dangit.
MAY 4TH
This morning's [tongue in cheek] status update from a FB friend & local cop: "I met a 14-year-old girl on the Internet. She was clever, funny, flirty and sexy, so I suggested we meet up. She turned out to be an undercover detective. How cool is that at her age?!"
lU had trouble breathing when she woke up & so they were late for school. The secretary gave them detention when I dropped them off, which set YaYa off in tears. Whatever. My kids have served more detention than all the members of the Breakfast Club put together. I consider it almost a badge of honor at that school - if you avoid it altogether you are,IMO, a meek and servile tool of the Man.
I'm done w/ the ditch for today, or more precisely the 10 ft part of it that runs in the narrow gap between my shed & the neighbors fence. Good news there - the neighbor came out and said his fence was encroaching on my lot by 14", and asked me to help him move it this weekend. So, if I don't finish by then, I'll have a lot more elbow rm to dig .
P--s on you AI for running overtime AGAIN and cutting off the end of Glee. Buy a g'damn watch already.
RIP Ernie Harwell
MAY 5TH
You know how I know Glee is a great show? Because every Wednesday morning I wake up to take the kids to school, think of the show I watched 12 hrs before, and break into a huge grin.
Cinco De Mayo is so different in this neighborhood. Back on Mitchell Street it was parties & fireworks & guys stalling traffic by driving around w/ huge Mexican flags hanging out of their cars and leaning on their horns. Here, there's not a whisper. I much prefer it, of course, but we did do one half-a*s but well intentioned nod to the event: the family enjoyed the take home Taco buffet from Taco Bell. BTW, if you think "going to Taco Bell had nothing to do with Cinco De Mayo", nuh-uh. Lisa pimped the idea all day as a cheap way to feed the family and discuss the holiday, and I finally caved. Not so cheap either, when feeding 6 people.
MAY 6TH
*spoilers* I finally got around to watching this weeks Lost. THREE principal characters killed off in a single episode - what other show would have the ba**s to do that? The death of the Kwon's was moving, as was Jack's last speech with Locke in the hosp.It was good to see Sayid shake off the 'fugue' - and wonderful to hear Jack named, however unofficially, as Jacob's successor. Wow.
Grim Reaper by Steve Alten will be released 10-10-10 *AND* will feature Bridgett, a friend of mine, as a character (two characters, actually) Leigh Nelson and Bridgett Deem. Her family Doug, Parker, and Autumn will be characters as well. You can pre-order copies now from Barnes and Noble!
MAY 7TH
Borders enters the E-Reader fray with the Kobo, priced $90 less than B&N's Nook.
[on the retirement of local newscaster Mike Miller] Danny Trivia: In 2005 I was late for a flight to DC and hurried down the aisle of a packed plane. I whacked Miller in the head with my carry-on as I passed him. He was clearly annoyed. Later when he saw me at an invite only GOP dinner he did an actual, classic double-take. That was the first and last time I've seen that action outside of a cartoon.
Where war and woe and wonder/Have been known frequently/And by turns bliss and despair/Have changed places suddenly
Not to decide is to decide.
I'm 12 ft into digging a 2ft deep/30 foot long drainage trench w/ no shade in sight. Anyone want to come over and help? For gosh sake's I'm a fat guy - I'll have a heart attack any second
"When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up." - C.S. Lewis
The [BP] oil spill in the Gulf is horrendous, & the enviornment will suffer needlessly. But to those who claim this is *the* reason to abandon drilling: unless you live w/out a car, plastics, lawn mower, etc - YOU NEED OIL. We can continue to delude ourselves that letting other countries pump oil for us is somehow saving Mother Earth (?!), but its not. Plus all the economic & security reasons . . .
Just finished watching "Victory of the Daleks", ep. 3 of this season of Dr. Who. It features Winston Churchill, a devilish Dalek plan, and Spitfires (!) in a dogfight around the moon LOL. Grand. Good to see the new team jettison Davie's obsession w/ stamping out the Dalek race; this ep. made it clear the Daleks are back & here to stay.
Rented a movie but Lisa's already asleep & I'm pooped from digging. I might call it a night. Got a lot done in the yard (but not everything) the kids went to Home Depot for the monthly project w/ Grandma J, Lu went to a swim party, & we set up the sandbox & pool. Tonight Smiley's the only kid home. We've enjoyed the heck out of our 'quality' time w/ him. Life is good. It'd be better with $, but it's good all the same.
MAY 2ND
Helen Wagner, the actress who's played Nancy Huges on 'As the World Turns' since 1956! has passed away. She was 91. RIP.
I'm trying hard not to be the snarky pre-2009 Danny, but the populace isn't making it easy. Before work I waited in a 7 person line at a convenience store. Along comes an elderly woman, who cut in front of 4 of us with her Hoveround. She shot us a glare and *announced* that she is elderly & hence will assume that spot. Hey, lady, why does it matter to you how long you wait in line? You've already got a seat.
MAY 3RD
Government does not solve problems; it subsidizes them. - Reagan
"What people say behind your back is your standing in the community." - Edgar Watson Howe
Unions in Greece are threatening to strike rather than agree to curtail gov't spending. BTW, I skimmed an article in yesterday's NYT claiming that part of the problem is that Greek citizens hide much of their income from the tax man, presumably leading to a short change of gov't funds. Of course, if taxes were fair there would be less societal acceptance of the cheating. Or not.
On this day in 1791 Poland established Europe's first national constitution - only the second such document in the world (after our own). Konstytucja Trzeciego Maja
LuLu just called from school asking for her inhaler. I know people from my school days are rolling their eyes and remembering me as a hypocondriac (sic), but things change. I've missed two days of work in 12 yrs, & while I'll keep the kids home to go see a concert or a ballgame, I'll be damned if they'll stay home for any illness that isn't fatal. But her asthma/allergies are becoming an issue . .BTW, her inhaler was in her backpack, right where I"d put it. She just hadn't seen me put it there.
"This'll be OK. I'll just do the thresome tonight, then break up with her. Bit ungentlemanly that, but then it's a threesome. Not exactly Romeo & Juliet, innit?"
The [Modjeska) youth theatre group has folded. YaYa audtioned for them a few years ago, and we have fond memories of several of their productions. Ugh. Dangit.
MAY 4TH
This morning's [tongue in cheek] status update from a FB friend & local cop: "I met a 14-year-old girl on the Internet. She was clever, funny, flirty and sexy, so I suggested we meet up. She turned out to be an undercover detective. How cool is that at her age?!"
lU had trouble breathing when she woke up & so they were late for school. The secretary gave them detention when I dropped them off, which set YaYa off in tears. Whatever. My kids have served more detention than all the members of the Breakfast Club put together. I consider it almost a badge of honor at that school - if you avoid it altogether you are,IMO, a meek and servile tool of the Man.
I'm done w/ the ditch for today, or more precisely the 10 ft part of it that runs in the narrow gap between my shed & the neighbors fence. Good news there - the neighbor came out and said his fence was encroaching on my lot by 14", and asked me to help him move it this weekend. So, if I don't finish by then, I'll have a lot more elbow rm to dig .
P--s on you AI for running overtime AGAIN and cutting off the end of Glee. Buy a g'damn watch already.
RIP Ernie Harwell
MAY 5TH
You know how I know Glee is a great show? Because every Wednesday morning I wake up to take the kids to school, think of the show I watched 12 hrs before, and break into a huge grin.
Cinco De Mayo is so different in this neighborhood. Back on Mitchell Street it was parties & fireworks & guys stalling traffic by driving around w/ huge Mexican flags hanging out of their cars and leaning on their horns. Here, there's not a whisper. I much prefer it, of course, but we did do one half-a*s but well intentioned nod to the event: the family enjoyed the take home Taco buffet from Taco Bell. BTW, if you think "going to Taco Bell had nothing to do with Cinco De Mayo", nuh-uh. Lisa pimped the idea all day as a cheap way to feed the family and discuss the holiday, and I finally caved. Not so cheap either, when feeding 6 people.
MAY 6TH
*spoilers* I finally got around to watching this weeks Lost. THREE principal characters killed off in a single episode - what other show would have the ba**s to do that? The death of the Kwon's was moving, as was Jack's last speech with Locke in the hosp.It was good to see Sayid shake off the 'fugue' - and wonderful to hear Jack named, however unofficially, as Jacob's successor. Wow.
Grim Reaper by Steve Alten will be released 10-10-10 *AND* will feature Bridgett, a friend of mine, as a character (two characters, actually) Leigh Nelson and Bridgett Deem. Her family Doug, Parker, and Autumn will be characters as well. You can pre-order copies now from Barnes and Noble!
MAY 7TH
Borders enters the E-Reader fray with the Kobo, priced $90 less than B&N's Nook.
[on the retirement of local newscaster Mike Miller] Danny Trivia: In 2005 I was late for a flight to DC and hurried down the aisle of a packed plane. I whacked Miller in the head with my carry-on as I passed him. He was clearly annoyed. Later when he saw me at an invite only GOP dinner he did an actual, classic double-take. That was the first and last time I've seen that action outside of a cartoon.
Where war and woe and wonder/Have been known frequently/And by turns bliss and despair/Have changed places suddenly
Franklin's Still MIA
I cleaned the toys off the lawn & raked it all. I moved their playhouse & everything in it. I went through the compost pile. I trimmed the weeds by the trampoline. i moved the trampoline itself and searched underneath. No Franklin. Maybe he skedaddled 'neath the shed, but if he did he's SOL. Lisa wants to think he's quote "truckin'" end quote on down to Humboldt's pond, & I guess we'll let that myth stand. :(
Kinky Boots and LaRoux
In other, happier news: Saturday Lis & watched "Kinky Boots", a Brit film about a man who inherits his father's failing shoe factory & tries to save it by making custom made boots for drag queens. Surprisingly non-camp, the film is predictable but sweet and entertaining. We also picked up LaRoux's album; other than the techno 'Bulletproof', the CD is very mellow, not at all what we expected.
Quote
It is wise to remember that you are one of those who can be fooled some of the time - Lawrence Peter
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Facebook - the end of April
APRIL 23RD
Smiley hooked his hands like a cat on the prowl & said "Claws it" over & over. He then started grabbing his, er, junk, still saying 'Claws' & pointing at the TV. 'Go pee," I said. "No!," he said, "Claws it 'en pee." "Pause the TV?" I said. "Yeesssss!" he said, & ran to the john. He gets his point across somehow/someway. He may not be able to speak well, but he apparently has the rhyming thing down pat.
"We have to believe in free will. We have no choice." - Isaac Bashevis Singer
APRIL 24TH
I had big plans in the yard for this day off, but it's been rainy and dreary all day. Lisa took lulU hiking with the Daisy scouts, YaYa is camping w/ the Brownies, Smiley is w/ Grandma, and Ginger was content with having the 2nd floor to herself. So I've spent *hours* watching the NFL Draft and finishing 'God's Spy', a novel by Juan Gomez-Jurado. Not the morning I had planned, but I'll take it.
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison
Read Smiley "Just a Bully" ( G & M Meyer). I expected the PC "Boy is bullied, he stands up to him, Bully is Exposed as Coward & Backs Down". Nuh-uh. He FIGHTS him, wins, becomes a cool kid, & the bully becomes a target himself. More realistic, but yowsas, is that always a good thing? While you're at it, for 'realism' why not have him knock up his girl & get a job under the table to avoid paying child support? Jeesh.
Since the Nook has a built in MP3 player and access to Barnes & Noble's inventory, here's a little idea. Wouldn't it make a whole heapin' helping of sense for a user to be able to purchase and download music or whole albums to their Nook?
In retrospect, the day seem like a waste. After a morning spent on the NFL draft I dropped Lu off at a bday party, bought some soda, then returned home to watch a) Bucks-Hawks b)Lakers-Thunder c) bits of STL-SF (MLB) and d) an all-new Doctor Who. YaYa did watch Dr. Who w/ me, so I suppose that counts as 'bonding'. That salvages part of the day, right?
[re: Hawking's warning against contacting aliens] I would agree that it's short-sighted and dangerous to seek out a species w/ technology far more advanced than our own. Life isn't Star Trek. But that's not going to stop people from trying.
APRIL 25TH
"It's always a big day tomorrow. We've got a time machine. I skip the little ones." - Matt Smith's Doctor
[re: The Dr. Who episode "The Beast Below"] I have to revise my opinion of the episode. I missed some of Soffat's subtlety yest., and on a second viewing it really develops Smith's portrayal while telling you something about the Doctor himself. Matt Smith's quite good; more of a 'Old Soul' than Tennant, but with a dry and enjoyable sense of humor. I like him. I'm not digging his sonic screwdriver tho', or the high varnish look of the Tardis exterior.
Ladies, if your Facebook status is "It's Complicated" it's really not. It's simple, you have a sh*tty boyfriend/ husband, and you're co-dependent.
I think the joke [an allegedly anti-Semitic joke by National Security Advisor James Jones) is pretty funny. Common sense says there was no intent to malign Jews, since it was told in front of a pro-Israel group. There is a serious f*ing lack of humor in the world today; it's PC this, PC that. The Obama administration has been less than grand to Israel and they deserve criticism for that; but as for this joke - what the f* ever.
APRIL 27TH
The word I can never, ever seem to spell correctly: convenient
Productive day off so far. Wrote & submitted a piece to the Journal, spent some time w/ Lisa, took Ginger w/ me to Home Depot, just got done patching some cracks in our sidewalk and . . .well, sh**, I don't know the construction vocab: redoing a 3x3 square of 100 year old concrete that had cracked and caved in. Now, pending a disaster in the drying process, it looks as good as new. [fingers crossed]
Marriage resembles a pair of shears, so joined that they can't be separated; often moving in opposite directions, yet always punishing anyone who comes between them." - (Adam Smith) I used this quote in the best man toast at my sister's wedding.
YaYa and I had an argument this afternoon that matched one I had with my parents almost thirty years ago. Subject matter, volume, regrettable angry statements, you name it - it was eerily word for word at points. Afterwards she lost the glasses she's had for ONE day (found them later). We're good now but sh*t. That was depressing. On the plus side, the column I wrote this morning was accepted by the Journal.
AI was surprisingly good, wasn't it? From what we saw (we missed Mike's song) the weakest performance was Bowersox, and she wasn't 'bad' at all. There may yet be hope this season. OTOH, DWTS minus Kate just wasn't worth it. We fast forward-ed (sp?) it this week. Sigh. Maybe if Edyta was still on the show . . .
i Lisa watched today's Oprah on the DVR. In one segment a woman was happy to say she'd signed Oprah's ridiculous "contract" to ban cell phone use in a car (even w/ hands-free sets). How did the viewer break her 'habit'? Why, by cranking up the volume on her radio to eleven and singing along as she drove. Because THAT isn't more distracting than carrying on a conversation.
APRIL 28th
My latest column will appear in tomorrow's Journal-Sentinel. I'll post this again later just to be obnoxious, but you've been warned - buy one!
APRIL 29TH
We sent Lu to school today in her full Daisy Scout uniform. An hour later she called us from the office; there is no Daisy meeting today and she sticks out like a sore thumb. Oops. It's certainly not our worst error tho'. A couple of years back we sent both girls to school dressed to the 9's for Pajama Day and, well, I think you can see where this story is going :)
If you do the things you need to do when you need to do them, then someday you can do the things you want to do when you want to do them
Just finished putting a new (well, 'new to us') storm door on the back door. Now if only I'd remembered to buy a closer for it . . .
C'mon really?? This week the UN elected Iran to its Commission on the Status of Women, handing a four-year seat on the influential human rights body to a theocratic state in which stoning is enshrined in law and lashings are required for women judged "immodest." What a world.
APRIL 30TH
Richard Dawson on Match Game '74: "[Brett Summers] doesn't drink as much as she did. We slowed her down - we bent her funnel."
Saigon fell 35 years ago today.
Smiley hooked his hands like a cat on the prowl & said "Claws it" over & over. He then started grabbing his, er, junk, still saying 'Claws' & pointing at the TV. 'Go pee," I said. "No!," he said, "Claws it 'en pee." "Pause the TV?" I said. "Yeesssss!" he said, & ran to the john. He gets his point across somehow/someway. He may not be able to speak well, but he apparently has the rhyming thing down pat.
"We have to believe in free will. We have no choice." - Isaac Bashevis Singer
APRIL 24TH
I had big plans in the yard for this day off, but it's been rainy and dreary all day. Lisa took lulU hiking with the Daisy scouts, YaYa is camping w/ the Brownies, Smiley is w/ Grandma, and Ginger was content with having the 2nd floor to herself. So I've spent *hours* watching the NFL Draft and finishing 'God's Spy', a novel by Juan Gomez-Jurado. Not the morning I had planned, but I'll take it.
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison
Read Smiley "Just a Bully" ( G & M Meyer). I expected the PC "Boy is bullied, he stands up to him, Bully is Exposed as Coward & Backs Down". Nuh-uh. He FIGHTS him, wins, becomes a cool kid, & the bully becomes a target himself. More realistic, but yowsas, is that always a good thing? While you're at it, for 'realism' why not have him knock up his girl & get a job under the table to avoid paying child support? Jeesh.
Since the Nook has a built in MP3 player and access to Barnes & Noble's inventory, here's a little idea. Wouldn't it make a whole heapin' helping of sense for a user to be able to purchase and download music or whole albums to their Nook?
In retrospect, the day seem like a waste. After a morning spent on the NFL draft I dropped Lu off at a bday party, bought some soda, then returned home to watch a) Bucks-Hawks b)Lakers-Thunder c) bits of STL-SF (MLB) and d) an all-new Doctor Who. YaYa did watch Dr. Who w/ me, so I suppose that counts as 'bonding'. That salvages part of the day, right?
[re: Hawking's warning against contacting aliens] I would agree that it's short-sighted and dangerous to seek out a species w/ technology far more advanced than our own. Life isn't Star Trek. But that's not going to stop people from trying.
APRIL 25TH
"It's always a big day tomorrow. We've got a time machine. I skip the little ones." - Matt Smith's Doctor
[re: The Dr. Who episode "The Beast Below"] I have to revise my opinion of the episode. I missed some of Soffat's subtlety yest., and on a second viewing it really develops Smith's portrayal while telling you something about the Doctor himself. Matt Smith's quite good; more of a 'Old Soul' than Tennant, but with a dry and enjoyable sense of humor. I like him. I'm not digging his sonic screwdriver tho', or the high varnish look of the Tardis exterior.
Ladies, if your Facebook status is "It's Complicated" it's really not. It's simple, you have a sh*tty boyfriend/ husband, and you're co-dependent.
I think the joke [an allegedly anti-Semitic joke by National Security Advisor James Jones) is pretty funny. Common sense says there was no intent to malign Jews, since it was told in front of a pro-Israel group. There is a serious f*ing lack of humor in the world today; it's PC this, PC that. The Obama administration has been less than grand to Israel and they deserve criticism for that; but as for this joke - what the f* ever.
APRIL 27TH
The word I can never, ever seem to spell correctly: convenient
Productive day off so far. Wrote & submitted a piece to the Journal, spent some time w/ Lisa, took Ginger w/ me to Home Depot, just got done patching some cracks in our sidewalk and . . .well, sh**, I don't know the construction vocab: redoing a 3x3 square of 100 year old concrete that had cracked and caved in. Now, pending a disaster in the drying process, it looks as good as new. [fingers crossed]
Marriage resembles a pair of shears, so joined that they can't be separated; often moving in opposite directions, yet always punishing anyone who comes between them." - (Adam Smith) I used this quote in the best man toast at my sister's wedding.
YaYa and I had an argument this afternoon that matched one I had with my parents almost thirty years ago. Subject matter, volume, regrettable angry statements, you name it - it was eerily word for word at points. Afterwards she lost the glasses she's had for ONE day (found them later). We're good now but sh*t. That was depressing. On the plus side, the column I wrote this morning was accepted by the Journal.
AI was surprisingly good, wasn't it? From what we saw (we missed Mike's song) the weakest performance was Bowersox, and she wasn't 'bad' at all. There may yet be hope this season. OTOH, DWTS minus Kate just wasn't worth it. We fast forward-ed (sp?) it this week. Sigh. Maybe if Edyta was still on the show . . .
i Lisa watched today's Oprah on the DVR. In one segment a woman was happy to say she'd signed Oprah's ridiculous "contract" to ban cell phone use in a car (even w/ hands-free sets). How did the viewer break her 'habit'? Why, by cranking up the volume on her radio to eleven and singing along as she drove. Because THAT isn't more distracting than carrying on a conversation.
APRIL 28th
My latest column will appear in tomorrow's Journal-Sentinel. I'll post this again later just to be obnoxious, but you've been warned - buy one!
APRIL 29TH
We sent Lu to school today in her full Daisy Scout uniform. An hour later she called us from the office; there is no Daisy meeting today and she sticks out like a sore thumb. Oops. It's certainly not our worst error tho'. A couple of years back we sent both girls to school dressed to the 9's for Pajama Day and, well, I think you can see where this story is going :)
If you do the things you need to do when you need to do them, then someday you can do the things you want to do when you want to do them
Just finished putting a new (well, 'new to us') storm door on the back door. Now if only I'd remembered to buy a closer for it . . .
C'mon really?? This week the UN elected Iran to its Commission on the Status of Women, handing a four-year seat on the influential human rights body to a theocratic state in which stoning is enshrined in law and lashings are required for women judged "immodest." What a world.
APRIL 30TH
Richard Dawson on Match Game '74: "[Brett Summers] doesn't drink as much as she did. We slowed her down - we bent her funnel."
Saigon fell 35 years ago today.
Franklin is MIA
I came home from work to find that the kids had taken Franklin, our pet turtle, out in the yard to play. They *also* went to bed w/out taking him back inside. With the possum prowling around, I'm not sure he was even around to be found by the time I was done w/ work, but I scoured the yard w/ a work light and an extension cord. No luck. He's still MIA. He's been part of the family since Feb '05, predating Park. Damn.
Ooof
Early this morning, near midnight, I pocket texted my supervisor endlessly for nearly 15 minutes, prompting her to write me a pleading yet snarking message to stop. Bet that'll go over well on my next review.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
My Day
Not the greatest day in the world. A headache, a dinner out w/ grouchy kids, and some other schtuff that wasn't the greatest. But I did get a a call back from Chicago re: a potential job, thank God. In other news, I've decided to ditch the TV version of 'Dexter'. It is a good show, well acted/written, but I prefer the books. So why waste X amount of hours watching it when I could watch something I'll love?
March 30th - April 22nd
MARCH 30TH
So we get the van back, Lisa takes it out to go shopping, (forgetting her phone in the process) and I get to work on cooking dinner. Cue a phone call from a store's landline - the van's battery was dead and Lisa was stranded. LOL - gotta love life.
With the school play in the rearview mirror, this will be the first Tuesday in weeks we can finagle "Family Night". On the menu: an early dinner of ribs, baked beans, fresh cornbread, and steak fries. Then we'll play a board game or two, watch the DVR'd Kid's Choice Awards, and finish by Lisa reading a few chapters of Anne Frank to the girls while I read to the little ones. Then, adult time: AI, DWTS, Lost, V.
"What it lies in our power to do, it lies in our power not to do." - Aristotle
"Nothing makes you a better parent than getting rid of your kid(s) for a couple of days." - ZITS, 2007
5:27 PM - Dinner would have gone a lot better if a)Ginger hadn't dissapeared halfway thru the meal (not that we noticed) b) YaYa hadn't slammed down her milk cup in a huff, splashing it everywhere c) LuLu hadn't revolted everyone by wiggling a loose tooth for all to see and - last but not least: If Smiley hadn't forced himself to vomit TWICE at the table rather than *try* the beans or ribs. Sigh.
Word back from the garage. $600 to fix the Escort. Or, as they'd say in France "$600 I don't f*ing have."
APRIL 2ND - There's a big fire somewhere in the neighborhood. The street and our backyard are tinged with a drifting haze of smoke, the odor is quite strong in the house (we have the windows open), and sirens have been going off for a good five to ten minutes now.
I'm boiling six dozen eggs for our annual dyeing extravaganza. Then, its off the net for the rest of Good Friday - and from noon to three no TV, radio, computer or playtime here in honor of Jesus' sacrifice.
APRIL 5TH - Here's a comical Danny-esque moment, but courtesy of Lisa: She went out to the van, then sent the kids in saying the battery was dead. Oh, she was furious - all that $ we'd spent and now the alternator or battery was kaput! After a few minutes tho', I realized the keys she'd handed me, the keys for the van . . *weren't* for the van. Once I went out w/ the right ones, it purred like a kitten.
APRIL 6TH - A celebrity sighting this morning on 'Match Game '74' : Al Ferrara, a former L.A. Dodgers outfielder, appeared as a contestant. He stated his profession was "freelance piano dealer".
APRIL 11TH - It looks like the plane crash that killed the Polish President was another casualty of history. He was on his way to commerate Katyn, where 22,000 Poles were gunned down by Soviet secret police in WWII. The Russians have been assholish about it, and there is talk that demands to divert from the airfield were viewed as a political manuever, not a safety issue.
APRIL 13TH - Dear Lord it's like the perfect storm: DWTS, American Idol, Lost, Glee, V, 19 Kids and Counting- all new, all tonight. I can hear the Black Eyed Peas in my head: Tonight's gonna be a good good night . .
DWTS - sad the yummalicious Edyta is gone, but what a great hour of dance. AI - boring. Tim was good, Andrew needs to go. What's up w/ Ryan? He's jacked up & rude lately. Glee - great reset episode, bringing the core character conflicts back into play. Love the Vogue clip. Lost - like the Hurley stuff, p.o'd at Desmond for f'ing up Locke in the flash-sideways. 19 Kids - love when the Duggars and Bates get together.
APRIL 16TH - Watching "9 by Design" on Bravo, a reality show about two home designers in NYC who have six children and another on the way. It seems like a fun family and a loving marriage, and their design asthetic is very sharp. It's well worth watching.
I finished reading 'Matterhorn', a new novel about a Marine company in Vietnam. It's *very* good, but IMO not the definitive example of Vietnam War fiction; I think James Webb's 'Fields of Fire' impacted me more.
I also polished off "The Third Option', the 1st book I've read by Vince Flynn. It was good, but I think it was a 'tweener' - an installment in a series where the characters actions accomplish nothing but setting up the next book.
At work I met a customer who claims to be a psychic. She came up to me and said my aura was 'brillant' and 'stood out from across the store' and that I was a 'very old soul' who had lived 'many, many lives'. It's a shame I don't believe any of that schtuff. For once, it was nice to be complimented for something other than my looks and intelligence.
APRIL 17TH - Wanna feel like a hero? Take a call from ur daughter saying she was using Walgreen's phone because Mom ran out of gas & lost her phone & I have to pee but McDonald's locked their bathrooms & we're stuck & it's dark & I have to pee real bad. Then ride to the rescue & have the kids clap & cheer & call out your name. Think they'd feel the same if they knew they were stuck cuz I'd been too lazy to stop for gas earlier?
A 112 year old yearbook has been found at MHSA. Note the error in the headline -unless I'm missing something 'highs' school is a boo-boo.
Argh, the link doesn't post pretty. Anyhow, an Australian cookboo has been recalled for a recipie that includes 'freshly ground black people.' Yes, they meant pepper, and yes, it was a typo. Yikes, what an oopsie.
We rented and watched Britany Murphy in 'Deadline', in large part because I wanted one last hurrah with my late, great List of Five-er. It was a boring movie w/ a bad script, and while she looked super fine in her crack-a-licious way, at the same time she also seemed very sickly. It might have been the character, but IMO and Lisa's, there was a certain sheen of "Time's Running Out" on her face.
"NJ man charged with purposely vomiting on 11-year-old girl, father during Phillies game". Classy.
Less than one hour until the U.S. premiere of Matt Smith's debut as the Doctor - followed by an all new hour of Graham Norton! [dabbing tears of joys from my eyes]. 'Tis a wonderful world, innit?
The verdict on Matt Smith's Doctor? He's no Tennant - let's make that clear - but he is well and truly The Doctor. I'm going to like this kid. Moffat's script was strong, there were some great lines, and new companion Amelia (Amy) Pond is surprisingly hot; think Leela but with red hair and wearing a policewoman uniform. It's going to be a great season.
APRIL 18TH - "George Washington racks up 220 years' worth of late fees at NYC library for 2 unreturned books". Both books were due Nov 2, 1789.
You know what (irrationaly) irks me? Ads that say "Reason # 61 Widget is better." I understand you want to give the impression there's a gazillion reasons your product/idea is better, but I dare you, I double dog dare you, to list 60 other reasons - and if you can, why the hell aren't you telling me the #1 reason? Isn't that what I'd most like to hear?
APRIL 21ST - Madonna + Glee = the best hour of American TV last night. Well done! Unfortunately, the Bowersox love caused AI to run over their time, which in turn cut off the last few minutes of Glee. #%#$ I'm seriously close to ditching AI this season. If I wanted to be bored by folks with bad teeth & dirty hair I'd watch Celebrity Rehab.
Lost - trumped by Glee last night, but still a great hour of TV. PseudoLocke is wrong. Jack is not 'with' him; his refusal to leave the island is clear evidence he's Locke's foe. And it looks like Sayhid may just be redeemed. Unless the rules of fiction writing have changed, he lied when he said he murdered Desmond. The plot thickens.
If you ever find yourself trapped in my house starving to death, fear not. After emptying the fridge and the pantry, and sacrificing the cats/turtle/fish, just rummage throught my couch. Last night I found whole slices of pizza and forgotten bags of Christmas cookies, along with scissors, knives, and several screwdrivers.U know, on 2nd thought, try the couch *before* eating my pets.
Would like to borrow, w/ a guaranteed return w/in a week: 1. a copy of "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' 2. CD of "Middle Cyclone" by Neko Case. 3. Glee soundtracks (someone - cough Anne cough - was supposed to get me a copy, but there ya go) 4. One MILLION dollars. I'll need that last one for more than a week tho'.
If you want a good laugh, pick up "Emails from an A**hole" by John Lindsay. I made the mistake of reading this at work and laughed until I damn near pis**d my pants. Ah, who are we kidding? I did tinkle. But just a little bit. You could barely even tell. I hope.
Fireworks at the dinner table. YaYa sassing Lisa, Lu taunting YaYa, Smiley refusing to try his food, Ginger wandering off and shedding her clothes for no reason. For the first time ever we sent the kids to bed without supper - each and every one of the ungrateful little mooches. By 6:15 they were in bed for the night.
APRIL 22ND - Just finished the novel 'Snuff' by Chuck Palahniuk, the author of 'Fight Club'. I'll spare you most of the details and just say its about an attempt to film the world's largest gangbang, w/ a paternity issue thrown in for good measure. It was entertaining, although after awhile the subject matter begins to wear on you. I did guess the 'twist' of identity at the end, so points to me.
It was the first 20-0 game in the bigs since 1900, and a great victory for the Brewers.
If you ask someone why their cause is important, why does it matter *to me, to us, to the world* and they begin by saying "Well, uh, it's a microcosym for. . ." I call bullsh*t. If you can't string together 20 words to justify your belief in X or Y or Z, shut up and go home.
With the 23rd selection in the 2010 NFL Draft, the Packers have selected OT Bryan Bulaga, Iowa
Congrats to Seth Aaron Henderson on winning season 7 of Project Runway! It was a well deserved win, as he presented a really unique, eye-catching collection. A fitting end to a good season - certainly better year than that LA monstrosity aka Season 6.
So we get the van back, Lisa takes it out to go shopping, (forgetting her phone in the process) and I get to work on cooking dinner. Cue a phone call from a store's landline - the van's battery was dead and Lisa was stranded. LOL - gotta love life.
With the school play in the rearview mirror, this will be the first Tuesday in weeks we can finagle "Family Night". On the menu: an early dinner of ribs, baked beans, fresh cornbread, and steak fries. Then we'll play a board game or two, watch the DVR'd Kid's Choice Awards, and finish by Lisa reading a few chapters of Anne Frank to the girls while I read to the little ones. Then, adult time: AI, DWTS, Lost, V.
"What it lies in our power to do, it lies in our power not to do." - Aristotle
"Nothing makes you a better parent than getting rid of your kid(s) for a couple of days." - ZITS, 2007
5:27 PM - Dinner would have gone a lot better if a)Ginger hadn't dissapeared halfway thru the meal (not that we noticed) b) YaYa hadn't slammed down her milk cup in a huff, splashing it everywhere c) LuLu hadn't revolted everyone by wiggling a loose tooth for all to see and - last but not least: If Smiley hadn't forced himself to vomit TWICE at the table rather than *try* the beans or ribs. Sigh.
Word back from the garage. $600 to fix the Escort. Or, as they'd say in France "$600 I don't f*ing have."
APRIL 2ND - There's a big fire somewhere in the neighborhood. The street and our backyard are tinged with a drifting haze of smoke, the odor is quite strong in the house (we have the windows open), and sirens have been going off for a good five to ten minutes now.
I'm boiling six dozen eggs for our annual dyeing extravaganza. Then, its off the net for the rest of Good Friday - and from noon to three no TV, radio, computer or playtime here in honor of Jesus' sacrifice.
APRIL 5TH - Here's a comical Danny-esque moment, but courtesy of Lisa: She went out to the van, then sent the kids in saying the battery was dead. Oh, she was furious - all that $ we'd spent and now the alternator or battery was kaput! After a few minutes tho', I realized the keys she'd handed me, the keys for the van . . *weren't* for the van. Once I went out w/ the right ones, it purred like a kitten.
APRIL 6TH - A celebrity sighting this morning on 'Match Game '74' : Al Ferrara, a former L.A. Dodgers outfielder, appeared as a contestant. He stated his profession was "freelance piano dealer".
APRIL 11TH - It looks like the plane crash that killed the Polish President was another casualty of history. He was on his way to commerate Katyn, where 22,000 Poles were gunned down by Soviet secret police in WWII. The Russians have been assholish about it, and there is talk that demands to divert from the airfield were viewed as a political manuever, not a safety issue.
APRIL 13TH - Dear Lord it's like the perfect storm: DWTS, American Idol, Lost, Glee, V, 19 Kids and Counting- all new, all tonight. I can hear the Black Eyed Peas in my head: Tonight's gonna be a good good night . .
DWTS - sad the yummalicious Edyta is gone, but what a great hour of dance. AI - boring. Tim was good, Andrew needs to go. What's up w/ Ryan? He's jacked up & rude lately. Glee - great reset episode, bringing the core character conflicts back into play. Love the Vogue clip. Lost - like the Hurley stuff, p.o'd at Desmond for f'ing up Locke in the flash-sideways. 19 Kids - love when the Duggars and Bates get together.
APRIL 16TH - Watching "9 by Design" on Bravo, a reality show about two home designers in NYC who have six children and another on the way. It seems like a fun family and a loving marriage, and their design asthetic is very sharp. It's well worth watching.
I finished reading 'Matterhorn', a new novel about a Marine company in Vietnam. It's *very* good, but IMO not the definitive example of Vietnam War fiction; I think James Webb's 'Fields of Fire' impacted me more.
I also polished off "The Third Option', the 1st book I've read by Vince Flynn. It was good, but I think it was a 'tweener' - an installment in a series where the characters actions accomplish nothing but setting up the next book.
At work I met a customer who claims to be a psychic. She came up to me and said my aura was 'brillant' and 'stood out from across the store' and that I was a 'very old soul' who had lived 'many, many lives'. It's a shame I don't believe any of that schtuff. For once, it was nice to be complimented for something other than my looks and intelligence.
APRIL 17TH - Wanna feel like a hero? Take a call from ur daughter saying she was using Walgreen's phone because Mom ran out of gas & lost her phone & I have to pee but McDonald's locked their bathrooms & we're stuck & it's dark & I have to pee real bad. Then ride to the rescue & have the kids clap & cheer & call out your name. Think they'd feel the same if they knew they were stuck cuz I'd been too lazy to stop for gas earlier?
A 112 year old yearbook has been found at MHSA. Note the error in the headline -unless I'm missing something 'highs' school is a boo-boo.
Argh, the link doesn't post pretty. Anyhow, an Australian cookboo has been recalled for a recipie that includes 'freshly ground black people.' Yes, they meant pepper, and yes, it was a typo. Yikes, what an oopsie.
We rented and watched Britany Murphy in 'Deadline', in large part because I wanted one last hurrah with my late, great List of Five-er. It was a boring movie w/ a bad script, and while she looked super fine in her crack-a-licious way, at the same time she also seemed very sickly. It might have been the character, but IMO and Lisa's, there was a certain sheen of "Time's Running Out" on her face.
"NJ man charged with purposely vomiting on 11-year-old girl, father during Phillies game". Classy.
Less than one hour until the U.S. premiere of Matt Smith's debut as the Doctor - followed by an all new hour of Graham Norton! [dabbing tears of joys from my eyes]. 'Tis a wonderful world, innit?
The verdict on Matt Smith's Doctor? He's no Tennant - let's make that clear - but he is well and truly The Doctor. I'm going to like this kid. Moffat's script was strong, there were some great lines, and new companion Amelia (Amy) Pond is surprisingly hot; think Leela but with red hair and wearing a policewoman uniform. It's going to be a great season.
APRIL 18TH - "George Washington racks up 220 years' worth of late fees at NYC library for 2 unreturned books". Both books were due Nov 2, 1789.
You know what (irrationaly) irks me? Ads that say "Reason # 61 Widget is better." I understand you want to give the impression there's a gazillion reasons your product/idea is better, but I dare you, I double dog dare you, to list 60 other reasons - and if you can, why the hell aren't you telling me the #1 reason? Isn't that what I'd most like to hear?
APRIL 21ST - Madonna + Glee = the best hour of American TV last night. Well done! Unfortunately, the Bowersox love caused AI to run over their time, which in turn cut off the last few minutes of Glee. #%#$ I'm seriously close to ditching AI this season. If I wanted to be bored by folks with bad teeth & dirty hair I'd watch Celebrity Rehab.
Lost - trumped by Glee last night, but still a great hour of TV. PseudoLocke is wrong. Jack is not 'with' him; his refusal to leave the island is clear evidence he's Locke's foe. And it looks like Sayhid may just be redeemed. Unless the rules of fiction writing have changed, he lied when he said he murdered Desmond. The plot thickens.
If you ever find yourself trapped in my house starving to death, fear not. After emptying the fridge and the pantry, and sacrificing the cats/turtle/fish, just rummage throught my couch. Last night I found whole slices of pizza and forgotten bags of Christmas cookies, along with scissors, knives, and several screwdrivers.U know, on 2nd thought, try the couch *before* eating my pets.
Would like to borrow, w/ a guaranteed return w/in a week: 1. a copy of "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' 2. CD of "Middle Cyclone" by Neko Case. 3. Glee soundtracks (someone - cough Anne cough - was supposed to get me a copy, but there ya go) 4. One MILLION dollars. I'll need that last one for more than a week tho'.
If you want a good laugh, pick up "Emails from an A**hole" by John Lindsay. I made the mistake of reading this at work and laughed until I damn near pis**d my pants. Ah, who are we kidding? I did tinkle. But just a little bit. You could barely even tell. I hope.
Fireworks at the dinner table. YaYa sassing Lisa, Lu taunting YaYa, Smiley refusing to try his food, Ginger wandering off and shedding her clothes for no reason. For the first time ever we sent the kids to bed without supper - each and every one of the ungrateful little mooches. By 6:15 they were in bed for the night.
APRIL 22ND - Just finished the novel 'Snuff' by Chuck Palahniuk, the author of 'Fight Club'. I'll spare you most of the details and just say its about an attempt to film the world's largest gangbang, w/ a paternity issue thrown in for good measure. It was entertaining, although after awhile the subject matter begins to wear on you. I did guess the 'twist' of identity at the end, so points to me.
It was the first 20-0 game in the bigs since 1900, and a great victory for the Brewers.
If you ask someone why their cause is important, why does it matter *to me, to us, to the world* and they begin by saying "Well, uh, it's a microcosym for. . ." I call bullsh*t. If you can't string together 20 words to justify your belief in X or Y or Z, shut up and go home.
With the 23rd selection in the 2010 NFL Draft, the Packers have selected OT Bryan Bulaga, Iowa
Congrats to Seth Aaron Henderson on winning season 7 of Project Runway! It was a well deserved win, as he presented a really unique, eye-catching collection. A fitting end to a good season - certainly better year than that LA monstrosity aka Season 6.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)