Tuesday, March 30, 2004
Song Quote of the Day:
I don't know why she's riding so high
She ought to think right, she ought to do right by me
Before she gets saying goodbye
She ought to think right, she ought to do right by me
I think I'm gonna be sad, I think it's today, yeh
The girl that's driving me mad, is going away
She's got a ticket to ride
She's got a ticket to ride
She's got a ticket to ride
But she don't care
This Day in History:
In 1842, a Dr. by the name of Crawford Long first used Ether as an anesthetic during a minor operation. This replaced previous methods of anesthetic like a hard hit on the head, boatloads of liquor, turkey dinners, or old episodes of Donahue.
In 1867, then Secratary of State William Seward agreed to purchase a barren patch of land of snow and ice from Russia for $7.2 million. Ridiculed at the time, the transaction was referred to as Seward's Folly. Now it's called Alaska, and the oil supplied by Alaska has by far outweighed whatever cost we originally had to pay for it. It'd be similar to a "friend" that you secretly hate selling you his used couch and finding out that the back of the couch was loaded with Diamonds.
In 1870, the 15th amendment was declared in effect, granting black men the right to vote. Additionally, Texas was re-admitted to the Union, having been kicked out for constantly bragging that "everything is bigger in Texas". Having been humbled by Alaska's "girth", Texas promised to behave from then on out. (Of course, as we all know, it was an empty promise and they continue to be full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. )
Oh, and that entire Civil War thing might have played a part as well.
In 2004, Mom celebrates one of many birthdays yet to come. Happy Birthday Mom. Thanks for keeping me in line all those years. Thanks for caring enough to get angry when I uttered the infamous line of "I'm not going to need to know about African Bushmen when I'm working on the assembly line", in poor poor defense of a failing grade in Social Studies. thank you for showing me the definition of grace, class, and civility. And manners too. Accountability. Basically, thanks for everthing that is good about me, since you instilled them within me over all of those years.
I remember when I was little and we lived in South Fargo. We had a Wrought Iron table and chairs, for whatever reason. I remember when I sat down that the back of my shirt would constantly get caught in the Iron decorations of the chair, and you'd have to come over and get me loose. Thanks for that too.
Thanks for my sister, too. (though at the time, I had wanted a brother.) She's OK, I guess. If you like that entire "having a sibling" thing. (That's sarcasm for those that didn't pick it up. I love my sister, but not in the Kentucky kinda way. )
Thanks for teaching me how to ride a bicycle, and for your meatballs that have proven to be impossible to reproduce, much less the apple crisp or the pork chops, and countless other meals.
Shakespeare Quote of the Day:
"I have a kind soul that would give you thanks, and knows not how to do it, but with tears"
King John, Act v, Sc.7
Word of the Day:
Segue (Seg-WAY) N. 1. Music.To make a transition directly from one section or theme to another.
2. To move smoothly and unhesitatingly from one state, condition, situation, or element to another
Passion of the Christ Review:
All of those expecting something different than what has already been said might as well move onto the next session, because there really isn't anything new to say. It's a 2-3 hour film watching a man turned into hamburger meat; it doesn't really qualify as entertainment. It's similar to that end to Schindler's List, yet I wouldn't put it into that realm of film. To borrow from a conversation I had with one reader, I appreciate the sacrifice that he made for future Christians, but it doesn't mean that I really want to see or re-live it.
The historical, cultural, and religous importance of that moment is pretty obvious; without it there is no Christianity. However, as I sat there with my wife beside me, crying at the visual spectacle of the brutality forced upon this Rabbi...well I realized it was NOT a date movie, and hardly the type that was going to increase my chances for marital congress later.
Graphic scenes notwithstanding, there were things about the movie I DID like. Such as the display of Mary's feelings toward her son's punishment. It was no different than any other mother watching their child being tormented. But that was what made the scene...that even though Jesus was this and that and the Son of God and all of these other titles, he was MAN, and a man borne of a human mother, who had all of the anguish of a parent helpess but to watch their child suffer. SPOILER ALERT!: Jesus dies near the end of the film.
I also liked how they portrayed the Devil, a wandering spirit who was ever-present, tormenting and taunting Jesus throughout the ordeal, not to mention his merciless haunting of Judas at the beginning of the film. that said, I have my own perception of how things went down (as everyone else does)a nd like to think that the Devil is a bit more subtle. That, however, is being rather picky.
While watching the film I kept an open mind, but at the same time looking for any signs of anti-semetism. Did I find anything? Well, if by portraying some (not all) Jewish High Priests as the men who condemned Jesus to death...then yeah. But I would have to then ignore the High Priests who raised their voices in opposition, the Jewish people along the street crying at the brutality (granted some were cheering as well), and the Jew who helped Jesus carry the cross and defended Jesus as best he could.
Going by the movie portrayal at least. The movie is only one man's vision and depiction of what happened according to the bible. It's not a documentary. Don't fall into that misconception. There are those that probably have, like the nutball who sent the Synogogue the threatening letter I mentioned a week or so ago. It wasn't the movie that made him do that...he already had his own opinion of Jews before he saw the movie. He more than likely simply pulled out what context supported his belief and discarded the rest. Is he dangerous? Certainly. But just as much to himself as he is to others.
It's like my wife's rabbi said....there are many different paths to God. Wether it be Judaic or Christian or Hindu or YES, even Islamic...it's my belief you end up at the same person. Or thing. Or entity. Whatever God might be. What is right for me is not right for you, and what is right for you isn't necessarily right for me. So I'm not going to impose my will and way of life onto you. If you wanna know about it, I'll provide whatever information you miht want, and if you act now, I'll throw in a free Wyoming State Jell-o Mold! (Get it? Wyoming is square, thus you'd be getting a square pan in which to....ah, heck with it. )
Week of Bachelerhood, Days 2-4
Despite my protestations in the most recent post, I was able to settle into a certain amount of comfort over the weekend, being all by myself. Did I clean? Oh, heavens no. BUt I did create a fictional player in my new baseball game, and was able to guidem him through multiple seasons to the point that he was 43 years old and had achieved Hall of Fame status. That and watched aStar Trek marathon,and some other various movies, not to mention grocery shopping!
And what would any bachelor be without his Pizza Rolls, Drumsticks and buffalo wing sauce, a few frozen pizzas, and a 5 for $2 deal for Mac and cheese? vegatables? Pshaw. RIGHT. maybe if some of them are on the pizza, MAYBE. Otherwise, those will just have to wait until the kids get home.
My solitude was interrupted late Sunday night, however. The wife normally drove until shortly after Midnight, and then they found the closest hotel to stop in for the night. This had an unexpected benefit, as the hotel rooms were typically half-price at that point. So it was not unexpected that she called me Monday morning at 1:30am. What WAS alarming was that she reported the van had suffered a blown tire, and they had been stranded on the side of the road for 2 hours until a trooper found them, and was kind enough to help them by putting on the spare tire. Thankfully, everyone was fine, and noone was hurt in any way, but my own mood had shifted.
I was comfortable with the idea of my wife and children travelingnad seeing America, and visiting the in-laws 2,000 miles away. I had even become comfortable with my own -mini-vacation without them. But once she mentioned it, all I could picture was all of the car accident scenes in all of the movies I had watched, and pictured our van rolling over and over. The thought scared me, and I felt each and every mile between myself and them. And so now I'm counting the hours until they return,and am not sure that I'll be able to relax completely until they've returned safe and sound.
The thought of losing not only one of them,but all of them would simply be too horrible on so many different levels. I've been left to imagine this week as what life would be without them at all. And while it's nice to walk around the house after a shower without having to worry about traumatizing anyone, it is of no consolation at the prospect of never hearing those musical giggles or the evening requests to be tucked in. The rest of the week will be torment for me.
Sports
My own Chicago Bears made a rather small move, in trading for FB Bryan Johnson in exchange for a low round draft pick. If he's starter grade and we pick him up for a 6th round pick, that is fine by me. But I know knothing about him, other than that he most likely isn't the same Brian Johnson who is the lead singer for AC/DC.
BUt even if he is, we've had a hole at lead singer for some time now, so it's a decent pick up.
The other possible joke is that even if he is the lead singer for AC/DC, he'd probably still be better than some of the stiffs we've put on on the field before. I'm just waiting on the draft at this point.
there is talk that they want to sign or trade for a veteran pass-rusher at DE, but they already have 2 young DE's who deserve a chance to prove that they can do the job and have shown potential for both now and the future. With so many other positions being filled with backup quality players (DT, OT, OLB, S, CB) I would rather they concentrate on that than trading away draft picks to add depth at positions already filled.
On the other hand, there is probably a reason the GM's have their job and I have mine.
The Twins are about to start the season, and I am anticipating a banner year for hot dog consumption. The thing that really scares me is the Victory Sports/Twins Channel vs the Cable companies issue. they are involved in a brouhaha over who should pay for it to be available on the basic cable service rather than on a premium or even a pay per view service. the real loser in this is of course, the fans, since they won't be able to see the games until it's resolved one way or the other. I don't know anything about the negotiations, but I have a gu feeling that both sides are going to standfirm until the season has already started and see who gets blamed more...the Twins or the cable companies. Once that happens, one of them might be forced to give in. We'll see how it shakes out, but it could be painful for some time.
HOMETOWN HOT-NESS
Hometown Hotties Week 4!
OK, here's the deal. I maintained a master list of the lasses I had chosen, and kept record of them throughout the decision making process. Everything from the oringal choices, and put a slash through the names of the girsl I had cut until I finally had the 10 for that week. ONce the results were posted, I put a star next to the ones that I had selected, and a star next to the ones that has been cut as well. Apparently in my absence I have misplaced that list.
Thankfully, I have this page, so I can recreate much of the lost information without problem.
But it still bugs me that I can't find it. Grr.
Anyway, results for week 3 have yet to be posted, but we can go back to the week 2 results and see how we (I) did there.
Heidi of KS made it, and she was my first choice. Can't argue with logic there. Krstyl of FL was my 2nd finalist, and she made it as well. But Brandi of TX and Jasmine are missing, so I'm 2 for 4 so far. Gina of CA made it as well, and for good reason. So 3 of 5.
I have conflicted feelings about Lizzy of WI making it. Yes, I voted for her, and she certainly deserves to move on based off of her physical atributes, but secretly I had hoped that she wouldn't make the cut so I would not have to worry about a Packer fan winning the competition. C'et la vie. 4 of 6 so far.
next I chose Angelica of TX, and seeing her in the winners list does my heart good. Well, maybe not my heart, but you get the idea. A review of her pictures confirms why she made it.
Pamela of NJ made it too, and that brings my list of successful pics to 6. Tara of MT was a late cut,a nd in retrospect, I'm glad she made it. That was probably a bad decision on my part.
Carrie in TX, my apologies to you. What I didn't see to include you, I have no idea. Maybe it was the 2nd picture, which reminded me too much of Anna Kournakova. (As you might remember, OVER-RATED) Heather of KS, it was your 3rd picture that while very nice, showed too much bone for my particular tastes.
Kimi of Fl, I have no defense whatsoever. I apologize.
In looking here at the week 4 participants, we have some major work to do. However, I will say that there are only 9 spots available, because there won't be any list that I make that does not include Erica of FL, found in row 9, spot 6.
Music
my sister was kind enought supply me withthe most recent Norah Jones CD. And while there again, all that needs to be said has already been said (not as good as the first, though decent; Plenty of country influence --bad-- including a duet with Dolly Pardon-indifferent-) I will say that it gets better with repeated listenings. It also turns out that it's her birthday today as well, at the ripe age of 25.
Obviously a woman who could win a few Hometown Hotties contests herself, if she wasn't so busy writing some truly inspired music.
Misc.
I have my system back finally, but it will still be some time before I can update on a daily basis, as I need to load my own software on it. Additionally, It is woking off of Windows ME, since the repairer didn't have a Win 98 boot disk to work from. (I don't have the memory space available for anything newer, alas. Maybe the Father-in-law does, though. We'll find out. At worst, it will get me by until something better comes along. (PLEASE LET SOMETHING BETTER COME ALONG.)
Need something to ogle?
Well, here I ahd hoped that you read the Daily Update for the articles, but apparently not.
check out this site, the wife (ex-wife?) of Astros First Baseman Jeff Bagwell, Shaune Bagwell.
But lets be clear, I am not telling you to check out Gallery 8. Nudge nudge. Wink wink.
Goodnight, and pleasant dreams.
I don't know why she's riding so high
She ought to think right, she ought to do right by me
Before she gets saying goodbye
She ought to think right, she ought to do right by me
I think I'm gonna be sad, I think it's today, yeh
The girl that's driving me mad, is going away
She's got a ticket to ride
She's got a ticket to ride
She's got a ticket to ride
But she don't care
This Day in History:
In 1842, a Dr. by the name of Crawford Long first used Ether as an anesthetic during a minor operation. This replaced previous methods of anesthetic like a hard hit on the head, boatloads of liquor, turkey dinners, or old episodes of Donahue.
In 1867, then Secratary of State William Seward agreed to purchase a barren patch of land of snow and ice from Russia for $7.2 million. Ridiculed at the time, the transaction was referred to as Seward's Folly. Now it's called Alaska, and the oil supplied by Alaska has by far outweighed whatever cost we originally had to pay for it. It'd be similar to a "friend" that you secretly hate selling you his used couch and finding out that the back of the couch was loaded with Diamonds.
In 1870, the 15th amendment was declared in effect, granting black men the right to vote. Additionally, Texas was re-admitted to the Union, having been kicked out for constantly bragging that "everything is bigger in Texas". Having been humbled by Alaska's "girth", Texas promised to behave from then on out. (Of course, as we all know, it was an empty promise and they continue to be full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. )
Oh, and that entire Civil War thing might have played a part as well.
In 2004, Mom celebrates one of many birthdays yet to come. Happy Birthday Mom. Thanks for keeping me in line all those years. Thanks for caring enough to get angry when I uttered the infamous line of "I'm not going to need to know about African Bushmen when I'm working on the assembly line", in poor poor defense of a failing grade in Social Studies. thank you for showing me the definition of grace, class, and civility. And manners too. Accountability. Basically, thanks for everthing that is good about me, since you instilled them within me over all of those years.
I remember when I was little and we lived in South Fargo. We had a Wrought Iron table and chairs, for whatever reason. I remember when I sat down that the back of my shirt would constantly get caught in the Iron decorations of the chair, and you'd have to come over and get me loose. Thanks for that too.
Thanks for my sister, too. (though at the time, I had wanted a brother.) She's OK, I guess. If you like that entire "having a sibling" thing. (That's sarcasm for those that didn't pick it up. I love my sister, but not in the Kentucky kinda way. )
Thanks for teaching me how to ride a bicycle, and for your meatballs that have proven to be impossible to reproduce, much less the apple crisp or the pork chops, and countless other meals.
Shakespeare Quote of the Day:
"I have a kind soul that would give you thanks, and knows not how to do it, but with tears"
King John, Act v, Sc.7
Word of the Day:
Segue (Seg-WAY) N. 1. Music.To make a transition directly from one section or theme to another.
2. To move smoothly and unhesitatingly from one state, condition, situation, or element to another
Passion of the Christ Review:
All of those expecting something different than what has already been said might as well move onto the next session, because there really isn't anything new to say. It's a 2-3 hour film watching a man turned into hamburger meat; it doesn't really qualify as entertainment. It's similar to that end to Schindler's List, yet I wouldn't put it into that realm of film. To borrow from a conversation I had with one reader, I appreciate the sacrifice that he made for future Christians, but it doesn't mean that I really want to see or re-live it.
The historical, cultural, and religous importance of that moment is pretty obvious; without it there is no Christianity. However, as I sat there with my wife beside me, crying at the visual spectacle of the brutality forced upon this Rabbi...well I realized it was NOT a date movie, and hardly the type that was going to increase my chances for marital congress later.
Graphic scenes notwithstanding, there were things about the movie I DID like. Such as the display of Mary's feelings toward her son's punishment. It was no different than any other mother watching their child being tormented. But that was what made the scene...that even though Jesus was this and that and the Son of God and all of these other titles, he was MAN, and a man borne of a human mother, who had all of the anguish of a parent helpess but to watch their child suffer. SPOILER ALERT!: Jesus dies near the end of the film.
I also liked how they portrayed the Devil, a wandering spirit who was ever-present, tormenting and taunting Jesus throughout the ordeal, not to mention his merciless haunting of Judas at the beginning of the film. that said, I have my own perception of how things went down (as everyone else does)a nd like to think that the Devil is a bit more subtle. That, however, is being rather picky.
While watching the film I kept an open mind, but at the same time looking for any signs of anti-semetism. Did I find anything? Well, if by portraying some (not all) Jewish High Priests as the men who condemned Jesus to death...then yeah. But I would have to then ignore the High Priests who raised their voices in opposition, the Jewish people along the street crying at the brutality (granted some were cheering as well), and the Jew who helped Jesus carry the cross and defended Jesus as best he could.
Going by the movie portrayal at least. The movie is only one man's vision and depiction of what happened according to the bible. It's not a documentary. Don't fall into that misconception. There are those that probably have, like the nutball who sent the Synogogue the threatening letter I mentioned a week or so ago. It wasn't the movie that made him do that...he already had his own opinion of Jews before he saw the movie. He more than likely simply pulled out what context supported his belief and discarded the rest. Is he dangerous? Certainly. But just as much to himself as he is to others.
It's like my wife's rabbi said....there are many different paths to God. Wether it be Judaic or Christian or Hindu or YES, even Islamic...it's my belief you end up at the same person. Or thing. Or entity. Whatever God might be. What is right for me is not right for you, and what is right for you isn't necessarily right for me. So I'm not going to impose my will and way of life onto you. If you wanna know about it, I'll provide whatever information you miht want, and if you act now, I'll throw in a free Wyoming State Jell-o Mold! (Get it? Wyoming is square, thus you'd be getting a square pan in which to....ah, heck with it. )
Week of Bachelerhood, Days 2-4
Despite my protestations in the most recent post, I was able to settle into a certain amount of comfort over the weekend, being all by myself. Did I clean? Oh, heavens no. BUt I did create a fictional player in my new baseball game, and was able to guidem him through multiple seasons to the point that he was 43 years old and had achieved Hall of Fame status. That and watched aStar Trek marathon,and some other various movies, not to mention grocery shopping!
And what would any bachelor be without his Pizza Rolls, Drumsticks and buffalo wing sauce, a few frozen pizzas, and a 5 for $2 deal for Mac and cheese? vegatables? Pshaw. RIGHT. maybe if some of them are on the pizza, MAYBE. Otherwise, those will just have to wait until the kids get home.
My solitude was interrupted late Sunday night, however. The wife normally drove until shortly after Midnight, and then they found the closest hotel to stop in for the night. This had an unexpected benefit, as the hotel rooms were typically half-price at that point. So it was not unexpected that she called me Monday morning at 1:30am. What WAS alarming was that she reported the van had suffered a blown tire, and they had been stranded on the side of the road for 2 hours until a trooper found them, and was kind enough to help them by putting on the spare tire. Thankfully, everyone was fine, and noone was hurt in any way, but my own mood had shifted.
I was comfortable with the idea of my wife and children travelingnad seeing America, and visiting the in-laws 2,000 miles away. I had even become comfortable with my own -mini-vacation without them. But once she mentioned it, all I could picture was all of the car accident scenes in all of the movies I had watched, and pictured our van rolling over and over. The thought scared me, and I felt each and every mile between myself and them. And so now I'm counting the hours until they return,and am not sure that I'll be able to relax completely until they've returned safe and sound.
The thought of losing not only one of them,but all of them would simply be too horrible on so many different levels. I've been left to imagine this week as what life would be without them at all. And while it's nice to walk around the house after a shower without having to worry about traumatizing anyone, it is of no consolation at the prospect of never hearing those musical giggles or the evening requests to be tucked in. The rest of the week will be torment for me.
Sports
My own Chicago Bears made a rather small move, in trading for FB Bryan Johnson in exchange for a low round draft pick. If he's starter grade and we pick him up for a 6th round pick, that is fine by me. But I know knothing about him, other than that he most likely isn't the same Brian Johnson who is the lead singer for AC/DC.
BUt even if he is, we've had a hole at lead singer for some time now, so it's a decent pick up.
The other possible joke is that even if he is the lead singer for AC/DC, he'd probably still be better than some of the stiffs we've put on on the field before. I'm just waiting on the draft at this point.
there is talk that they want to sign or trade for a veteran pass-rusher at DE, but they already have 2 young DE's who deserve a chance to prove that they can do the job and have shown potential for both now and the future. With so many other positions being filled with backup quality players (DT, OT, OLB, S, CB) I would rather they concentrate on that than trading away draft picks to add depth at positions already filled.
On the other hand, there is probably a reason the GM's have their job and I have mine.
The Twins are about to start the season, and I am anticipating a banner year for hot dog consumption. The thing that really scares me is the Victory Sports/Twins Channel vs the Cable companies issue. they are involved in a brouhaha over who should pay for it to be available on the basic cable service rather than on a premium or even a pay per view service. the real loser in this is of course, the fans, since they won't be able to see the games until it's resolved one way or the other. I don't know anything about the negotiations, but I have a gu feeling that both sides are going to standfirm until the season has already started and see who gets blamed more...the Twins or the cable companies. Once that happens, one of them might be forced to give in. We'll see how it shakes out, but it could be painful for some time.
HOMETOWN HOT-NESS
Hometown Hotties Week 4!
OK, here's the deal. I maintained a master list of the lasses I had chosen, and kept record of them throughout the decision making process. Everything from the oringal choices, and put a slash through the names of the girsl I had cut until I finally had the 10 for that week. ONce the results were posted, I put a star next to the ones that I had selected, and a star next to the ones that has been cut as well. Apparently in my absence I have misplaced that list.
Thankfully, I have this page, so I can recreate much of the lost information without problem.
But it still bugs me that I can't find it. Grr.
Anyway, results for week 3 have yet to be posted, but we can go back to the week 2 results and see how we (I) did there.
Heidi of KS made it, and she was my first choice. Can't argue with logic there. Krstyl of FL was my 2nd finalist, and she made it as well. But Brandi of TX and Jasmine are missing, so I'm 2 for 4 so far. Gina of CA made it as well, and for good reason. So 3 of 5.
I have conflicted feelings about Lizzy of WI making it. Yes, I voted for her, and she certainly deserves to move on based off of her physical atributes, but secretly I had hoped that she wouldn't make the cut so I would not have to worry about a Packer fan winning the competition. C'et la vie. 4 of 6 so far.
next I chose Angelica of TX, and seeing her in the winners list does my heart good. Well, maybe not my heart, but you get the idea. A review of her pictures confirms why she made it.
Pamela of NJ made it too, and that brings my list of successful pics to 6. Tara of MT was a late cut,a nd in retrospect, I'm glad she made it. That was probably a bad decision on my part.
Carrie in TX, my apologies to you. What I didn't see to include you, I have no idea. Maybe it was the 2nd picture, which reminded me too much of Anna Kournakova. (As you might remember, OVER-RATED) Heather of KS, it was your 3rd picture that while very nice, showed too much bone for my particular tastes.
Kimi of Fl, I have no defense whatsoever. I apologize.
In looking here at the week 4 participants, we have some major work to do. However, I will say that there are only 9 spots available, because there won't be any list that I make that does not include Erica of FL, found in row 9, spot 6.
Music
my sister was kind enought supply me withthe most recent Norah Jones CD. And while there again, all that needs to be said has already been said (not as good as the first, though decent; Plenty of country influence --bad-- including a duet with Dolly Pardon-indifferent-) I will say that it gets better with repeated listenings. It also turns out that it's her birthday today as well, at the ripe age of 25.
Obviously a woman who could win a few Hometown Hotties contests herself, if she wasn't so busy writing some truly inspired music.
Misc.
I have my system back finally, but it will still be some time before I can update on a daily basis, as I need to load my own software on it. Additionally, It is woking off of Windows ME, since the repairer didn't have a Win 98 boot disk to work from. (I don't have the memory space available for anything newer, alas. Maybe the Father-in-law does, though. We'll find out. At worst, it will get me by until something better comes along. (PLEASE LET SOMETHING BETTER COME ALONG.)
Need something to ogle?
Well, here I ahd hoped that you read the Daily Update for the articles, but apparently not.
check out this site, the wife (ex-wife?) of Astros First Baseman Jeff Bagwell, Shaune Bagwell.
But lets be clear, I am not telling you to check out Gallery 8. Nudge nudge. Wink wink.
Goodnight, and pleasant dreams.
Comments:
Post a Comment
