Can't we all just Blog along?

Hi There Somebody

2011-04-30T16:56:00.001-07:00

Thanks to a four way tie in my last poll, I started doing research for a post on unusual names. You may not be able to tell this from the polls themselves, but they are completely random. I just pick topics out of nowhere without much thought. This may be hard to believe, but its true. I don't have anything planned for the post topics which its likely also hard to believe. Stop shaking your head. I will put the curtain back soon.

So back to the research. I just googled "unusual names" and thousands of options appeared. I clicked on a link with unusual place names to start. There sure are some interesting towns out there... If you're interested, some guy from Michigan did an article about it. Can you believe there's a town in Michigan named Hell? You can if you spent any time there in January. "Where you from fella?"
"Hell."
In certain parts of the country that might not go over too well.

There's a bunch of places called Hurricane. Most are in the south where they actually have hurricanes. The least likely place to have hurricanes called Hurricane is in southern Utah. Apparently they've got something called Laverricanes there though because that's the name of the next town over from Hurricane. I'm not sure how to spell Laverricane, but am pretty sure no one from there checks my blog too regularly to care. Laverricanians let your voices be heard!

In Washington we have a bunch of stuff named after Indians. Puyallup made the guy from Michigan's list. I was just there today buying milk and string cheese in bulk at Costco. The Puyallup Indians, and other local tribes, have fishing rights for clams called Geoducks pronounced gooeyduck. They are huge things. The size of a man's arm sometimes. If you've ever had clam chowder, you've likely had gooeyduck. Now that's an unusual name...

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Thanks for checking me out again. I'll be back again soon. Make sure to vote on the new poll. It's important, but I don't need to tell you that do I.

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A New Look?

2011-03-09T21:46:00.000-08:00

So I've simplified things a little. I hope you like it.

Also if you are Tweeps, you should check me out on Twitter. Can't you imagine how good my posts will be in 140 characters or less? I can. Wow...

Well, check back for more later. Who knows what's going to happen with the four-way tie in the last poll. Fun times to come...

It's Eclectic! Boogie Woogie Woogie

2011-02-23T16:27:00.000-08:00

I don't know the electric slide. I may have done it once or twice. When I was in college my roommates and I created a far superior dance that goes with about any disco song, but particularly well with KC and the Sunshine Band's "Get Down Tonight". That's a classic track. The dance involved several standard disco moves including some particularly effective walking/strutting. It was easy to do and the dance crowds usually followed easily. I could teach it to you if you want me to. Just ask.

Here's the song. Let me know if you want to know more.

Now for more serious matters. A couple of questions for you. Do you know the difference between string and twine? Is there one? I think there is, but I'm not sure that's definitive.

This is the largest ball of string (not twine):

It's located in Weston, MO. That's Missouri. I'm not a huge fan. Why do you always want me to show you? Show you what? This ball is string. DO NOT confuse this ball with twine. It's 19 feet around, by the way. That's 5.7912 meters for my Canadian friends. Eh?

I guess this ball of string (not twine) is a collection of old packaging string (not twine) that was collected over the years. Are you wondering why they collected that much string (not twine)? Me too.

So what's twine? Not sure. Apparently twine is a strong string or cord made of two or more threads twisted together. So twine is string, but string is not twine? Okay.

String is a cord usually made of fiber, used for fastening, tying, or lacing. I'm going to let you in on something. I think string and twine are pretty much the same thing. Here's the way I would describe them both from my experiences with each over the years: Twine is rough and unrefined, where string is typically softer and more suited for precise tying. Good enough?

I thought so.

You know that this topic won one of my polls in the past. It has been pending on the side of the blog for a while. Years maybe. I'm just here to serve after all.

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So, I'm back I guess. My wife told me that I should get back to the blog and I did. I have placed another pool on the top left. Take the time to vote. It's important. To me at least. But it should be to you. 'Til next time...

5 Things I Hate About Oregon

2010-06-24T19:46:00.000-07:00

My family and I recently took a short trip to Utah and Idaho. Both fine states. Unfortunately, we have to drive through Oregon to get there. Oregon is not my favorite place. Below are the five things I hate about Oregon:

1. Could we go any faster?

During the oil embargo in the 1970s the government reduced the speed limits in states in an effort to use less gasoline. When that law was rescinded, most states increased their speed limits in order to allow weary travelers quicker passage through their respective states. Oregon only increased their speed limit to 65 miles per hour. This is not a bad speed to travel through highly congested areas, but for those of you who haven't been there, Oregon is mostly small towns and open spaces especially in the eastern part of the state. So as you pass through farmlands and barren wilderness you can only do so at 65 miles per hour. This would not be as bad if the enforcement was not there, but of course patrols are always vigilant.

2. Full Service Gas...

I grew up in New Jersey which is the only other state besides Oregon that requires full service gas attendants. Growing up, I didn't mind other people pumping my gas. But, now with the use of credit cards at the pump etc. it just makes more sense to do it yourself especially when most stations have only one attendant. This weekend, in who knows where, Oregon, the attendant had me hold the pump myself because it wouldn't stay on automatically. I'm surprised I didn't get cited.

3. What's this barren wasteland? Oh, its eastern Oregon.

Whenever I drive through certain parts of eastern Oregon, I almost expect to see caravans of nomads a la Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, or hillbilly, backwoods militia men high jacking people on the freeway. To date, I have not seen this first hand, but expect to any time now.

4. Oregon stinks so bad I could only think of three things I really hate about it.

Well, this just goes to show how crappy it is. Since I live in Washington, I have an automatic distaste for Oregon. I'm not a fan.

2 Things I Like About Oregon...

1. No Sales Tax.

That's pretty good. They must go through a lot of pennies though. If I didn't charge sales tax,

I would round things so there wouldn't be so much change involved. Typical Oregon.

2. Pancakes.

There's a restaurant in Portland called the Byways Cafe that makes great breakfast. Especially the pancakes. Though they have great scrambles etc. as well. Thanks Oregon.

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Thanks for checking me out this week. Come back later for more great posts. Also, vote on the poll. Please? Don't make me beg... Hey, and if you follow me regularly why don't you get up on this crazy train?

Mike or Ike?

2010-04-24T15:38:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the democratic way that I allow the viewers of this blog to dictate post topics, today we will discuss Mike and Ikes. Or Mike and Ike. If you don't know the candy, go get some.

I like Mike and Ikes. Mostly at the movies. Sometimes at home. Rarely at work. Actually never at work. Maybe that's why work isn't that fun. I'll note that for later, but for now, our topic.

So, to start, there was never a Mike or an Ike. Never. There really isn't a good story or anything to go with it. That's what they tell us at least. Here's what Just Born, the company that manufactures Mike and Ikes, as well as many other fine candies, says about possible origins of the name: that it was a result of a company-wide contest, was named after a 1937 song titled "Mike and Ike (The Twins)" and/or after a Vaudeville act "Mike and Ike, We're Just Alike". Obviously none of those are suitable for such a delicious candy. So, I thought I would do some digging. As many of my long time followers know, my research team always excels in this type of situation.

Take a look at this picture from the early designs of their box:

It appears that Ike, on the right, was the son of an immigrant chocolatier. Determined to get out on his own, he came up with an idea for a soft chew candy, the opposite of something his father would favor. He slowly introduced the candy to his friends and family. As word spread, demand increased and Ike had difficulty satisfying the many new orders.

Conversely, it appears from the picture that Mike was from a wealthy family and, like Ike, was looking to make his own mark. They met after Ike's uncle met Mike at a mutual friend's party and told him about Ike's fledgling candy.

When they met, they didn't immediately hit it off, but Mike agreed to front Ike the money to expand the business. Mike got first billing. He had the money after all.

The business quickly took off from there. My research team tells me that though Ike had creative control of the candy, Mike exerted significant pressure on him. This led Ike to step away from the business for months and sometimes years at a time. Little did anyone know that Ike's initial rebellion against his father was caused by this same type of pressure. Ike'd go on long trips throughout the world to clear his mind and sometimes sample new fruits. This led to the introduction of new flavors to the series. Other times, he spent time at recuperative facilities.

Mike, on the other hand, was made for business. He didn't just succeed in candy, but in real estate and dance studios. Mike never married.

Ike settled into family life and found some solace there, but never found his idea of true happiness.

So: Mike. Though I do feel kind of bad for Ike.

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Thanks for checking me out. This post has been festering for more that a month, but it's here now in all its glory.

Make sure to check out the poll! It's important. Don't just lurk. Let your voice be heard. Make it known where you stand on the important issues raised here. If you don't others might. Or might not. Anyway, GO VOTE ON THE POLL!!!!! Thanks.

Name.... That.... MARSUPIAL!!!!

2010-03-27T14:16:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love marsupials? I sure do. Some questions: How do those little baby marsupials have the strength and determination to make it from the womb to their mommy's pouch? And, how can the mommy marsupial stand having a little slimy creature climbing all over her on its way into her pouch?

I don't know the scientific answers to these questions, but I think we all know the real answer: LOVE! Those mommy marsupials love their little slimy creatures so much they don't mind that they climb all over them on their way into their pouch. And those little slimy creatures know there's good stuff in that pouch and that the only way to get there is to bear down and go for it. That's a good lesson for all of us to learn. Thanks marsupials!

Now here are some of our heroes! All of the marsupials pictured below were once little slimy creatures that climbed into his or her mommy's pouch, so they are already very accomplished animals from day one. Let me introduce you...

This is Eugene.

Here's Paco.

We call this rascal Scamp.

Here's Nancy.

And baby Willem.

This guy's name is Harold but everyone calls him Whitey.

Watch out for this next guy. The others don't let him around much for obvious reasons.

Oh... His name is Irving.

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Well I finally did one of the coming soon posts. See... I'll get to it. What you may not realize is that the poll topics are chosen on a completely random basis which consists of me coming up with them as I contemporaneously create the new poll. It's not rocket science... Anyway, I don't usually know what I'm going to do with a topic when I make it a choice. Thus, it sometimes takes a while before I feel up to it. Thanks for understanding.

Anyway a new unscientific poll is up for your vote. Make it count!

Is this Neverland?

2010-03-05T15:44:00.001-08:00

Sometimes I walk a few blocks up the hill from downtown Tacoma to the county courthouse. Today while I was walking I suddenly entered what appeared to be Neverland. The Mad Hatter, the queen and those twin guys were there to welcome me. Here's a glimpse.

This was real! Just like those fields full of buffalo, longhorns and emu I used to see all the time.

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Check back soon for more posts.
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Are we Human?

2010-02-20T13:53:00.000-08:00

The term humanoid originated in the early twentieth century to describe things with human-like characteristics. I don't know what they called human-like things before 1912. Maybe they said things like: 'Boy, this here discovery reminds me of something, but I just can't place it' or 'Sure wish there was a word to describe this here fella'. You have likely deduced that the use of 'this here' was very common in the early twentieth century.

As you can imagine, humanoids come in all shapes and sizes. Well, as long as the shape has two arms, two legs, a torso and a head. I guess I should say they come in all sizes.

Early humanoids looked like this:

Hi. I'm Ardi!

and this:

I'm Lucy and Ardi ain't got nothin' on me!

Though the term fell out of favor in the scientific community after its initial introduction, the term humanoid has never fallen totally out of use. Some more recent examples of humanoids include these fine gentlemen:

They hope to one day understand you.

And these cross-over stars:

Nanu! Nanu! (some 2 year olds think the guy on the right is a cow. Be careful...)

Now... Humanoids can be man made as well. Just like these guys:

Hi there!.... Hi there!

And this gem:

Can you guess his weakness? Don't touch my handle!

Apparently, some people have trouble telling the difference between humanoids and actual humans.

Mom always said 'don't talk to strangers'

These humanoids have specialized head attire and one has a robotic arm:

But they do know how to rock!

Be particularly careful around this one:

Not sure what he's conjuring up here, but it doesn't look friendly.

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Well it's taken a while, but there you go. Was it worth the wait? I hope so. Anyway, check back in a week or so and there will likely be another post. I'm going to try to update at least two times a month. We'll see.

Check out the newest poll. This topic won the last one so the voice of the people does count for something here. Make sure to let your voice be heard!

Oh... and for those of you who regularly follow this blog, I know I have used Al Gore in a joke before in the Bankers post. He's just so versatile.

Umm...

2009-12-09T16:05:00.000-08:00

So when you get an email on your Blackberry and want to forward it to your other email account, make sure that you select the proper account. In my quest to be more mobil with my blogging, I enabled email blogging. I forwarded the message below to what I though was my work account, which turned out to be my mobile blogging account.

Strange thing is, some of you saw this before I did.

More soon....

Fw: BuDu Racing 2010 Multi-Sport Calendar

2009-12-09T10:55:00.000-08:00

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

From: "Deanna-BuDu Racing" <deanna@buduracing.com>

Date: Wed, 9 Dec 2009 10:31:17 -0800

To: <happychowjones@hotmail.com>

Subject: BuDu Racing 2010 Multi-Sport Calendar

	Greetings James! It is time to start preparing for 2010…Are you ready??
	Our 2010 calendar is posted, and if you register online prior to January 1, 2010, you will receive $10 off your registration fee. We are also sending out an email with a link to a survey on the website Survey Monkey, and would really appreciate you taking time to complete the survey. We will be randomly giving away registration coupons to 5 of the people who respond to the survey by January 5, 2010. Thank you in advance for taking time to do this.
	Sun Apr 25 – Mount Rainier Duathlon (long & short) Enumclaw Sat May 29 –Spring Festival 10K Run and 5K Run/Walk Moses Lake Mon May 31 –Spring Festival Triathlon and Duathlon Moses Lake NEW Sat June 12 Moses Lake Family Tri: For the Health of It! Sat June 19 – Five Mile Lake Triathlon Auburn Sat July 3 –Five Mile Lake Women’s Triathlon Auburn Sun July 11 – XTERRA Vashon Off Road Triathlon (still to be confirmed) Sat July 31 –Ellensburg Sprint Triathlon Sun Aug 1 –Whisky Dick Triathlon Vantage Sat Aug 28 – Lake Sammamish Triathlon Issaquah (will be USAT Sanctioned in 2010) Sat Sept 4 – Bonney Lake Triathlon (Olympic and Sprint) Sat Sept 11 –Lake Stevens Triathlon (Olympic and Sprint)
Are you still looking for a gift for someone? We are offering a holiday gift certificate available through December 31, 2009. Gift Certificate

We look forward to seeing you in 2010. Have fun training!

Deanna Muller BuDu Racing - Event Management www.BuDuRacing.com 206/920-3983

Just checking in...

2009-10-29T21:49:00.000-07:00

How are you? Good? I'm good too. Pretty good at least. October is a fun month. Some exciting stuff going on. Holidays. My birthday. Other people's birthdays.

Haven't blogged for a while. Just thought I'd check in with my devoted followers. Still hangin' in there? I hope so.

I'm trying to. Who isn't right?

It's started to rain out here in Washington. The rainy season. Summer was good though. Long days spent doing things people do in the summer. I like to swim.

What are you going as for Halloween? I'm not dressing up this year. Just not that into it anymore. I do like the candy though. Who doesn't. Thank you George Renninger.

Well, good talking to you. Sorry it's been so long since we've just chatted. It was nice wasn't it? I thought so too.

New World Man

2009-09-12T17:41:00.001-07:00

So I was just checking out my blog features and found out you can email blog posts. Since I've abandoned the blog for over a month now, I thought I would try something new.

I may just star emailing it in. I could also text it in if I want, but don't think that's necessary.

I am writing this post via email as my first test. Wonder if I can attach a photo?

Anyway, we'll see if this adds any life to my future posts.
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

I'll take "Four's a crowd" for $500...

2009-05-27T19:33:00.000-07:00

[Writer's Note: This post was published July 11, 2009. I couldn't figure out how to change it on here.]

In May of 2009 this Blog site had a four way tie on its weekly Poll...

What is Can't we all just Blog along?

Correct!

Thanks Alex...

So I don't know what to do... Sliders/Robber Barons/Game Show Hosts and Jumping on Trampolines?

Sliders are small hamburgers. Often steemed. They are regaining popularity now. Everyone seems obssessed with little burgers.

Here's a photo.

Robber Barons is a term for an industrialist who made a lot of money through unfair business practices.

Not robbers like this:

Robber Barons like this:

Starting with (from left to right) John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, Cornelius Vanderbilt, and J.P. Morgan

Game Show Hosts:

Alex Trebeck is the best game show host ever. He knows everything. Enough about game show hosts.

Jumping on Trampolines:

Jumping on trampolines is fun. When I was a kid growing up in New Jersey nobody I knew that was actually fron New Jersey had a trampoline. The only people that had them were transplants from the west. For some reason, I thought having a trampoline meant you were rich. I have since come to find out that they aren't expensive. I did have an exercise trampoline when I was a kid. Wasn't that great.

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So I started this post the end of May. I couldn't think of anything to say that was funny, novel etc. but I had to get it done. It was holding me down man. I had to break the chains and set myself free. This is what you get when you have a democratic voting system for post topics and a blogger who just comes up with choices out of thin air. Unfortunately, I don't have a set of rules that come into play when situation like this arise. Someday. I'm determined to bring more next time though. I have had a couple of ideas lately that may appear soon. We'll see.

I did put a new poll up on the top left for you to vote on. Take your time, think a lot, think of all the choices you've got, cause they won't be here tommorow, so vote a lot?...(Do you know where this poorly modified line comes from?)

Anyway, til next time.

The Dead Show!

2009-05-16T12:34:00.000-07:00

So I've liked the Grateful Dead for years. One of my favorite bands of all time. A couple weeks ago a friend of mine called me with an extra ticket to their show at the Gorge. Actually, we were going to go to their show in 2004, but Amber was pregnant with the triplets and I didn't want to be 2 + hours away in case she needed me. Turns out, she didn't have the kids for about a month after that. Chalk it up to missed opportunities and fatherly responsibility, I guess?

But, I wasn't going to miss them this time. After all, they're already down a founding member and a handful of keyboardists. And this wasn't just a Dead show, the Allman Brothers were going to be there along with the Doobie Brothers. Is it clear why I couldn't miss this show? (Though I don't necessarily like the Doobie Brothers, they do have a ton of songs in regular rotation on classic rock stations.)

Instead of giving you a complete account of the show, I thought I would address the highlights through 10 Questions About the Dead.

1. What are the Grateful Dead? The Grateful Dead are one of the greatest bands of all time okay.

2. So why do the just call themselves The Dead now? In 1995, lead guitarist, singer and songwriter Jerry Garcia died. Now when the remaining original members play together they are just The Dead.

3. How would you describe their music? I like to describe their music as American Rock. They incorporate rock, blues, jazz, country, bluegrass etc. into their songs.

4. But, aren't they just a jam band? No. They're a jammin' band.

5. What kind of people like the Dead? All kinds. I saw complete families, hippies, bikers and stoners at the concert.

6. But, don't all the fans take drugs? Pretty much. There were a handful of people there that weren't on something. In the old days there was a lot of acid and marijuana etc. Now it seems like its mainly just pot. Though in a somewhat troubling scene, there were two couples in front of us with a 5 month old and a 12-14 month old. One of the husbands came back and I caught: "you'll enjoy your walk much more if..." and then they were chewing, I should say biting into, some tablets that looked like Mike and Ike's but weren't. The left after that so I can't report on the effects. I just hope those babies made it to bed okay.

7. So, how was the concert? It was a good show. They sounded really good. The guitarist that fills in for Jerry is great. They played a diverse set heavy on the late 70's and 80's material with some other gems thrown in. They played for over 3 hours.

8. How were the other bands. The Doobie Brothers played first. We got there about the middle of their set. They played all of their hits and sounded good, but not interesting. The Allman Brothers were great. Warren Haynes, who plays Jerry's parts with the Dead also plays with them. They played 2 hours straight.

9. So, are you glad you went? Definitely. It was a great show. Even though I got a really bad headache towards the end and threw up out of the car window on I-90.

10. Would you go again? Yes. As they say, "There's nothing like a Dead show".

Here are some pictures:

Here's me. Notice the strollers and kids in the background.

Here's the view of the Gorge:

Here's the stoners that sat in front of us:

I think they just came for the drugs. They didn't seem to be affiliated with or interested in any of the bands.

Here's the band:

Here are some random Deadheads from the show:

I didn't take this picture, but they had better seats than I did.

Here's the blanket I sat on:

That's my leg!

Here's the view from where we sat:

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Thanks for checking me out this week. Sorry for the delay on this one. I started writing it last Saturday before the show with the intent that I would finish it up early in the week. Well, I tried a couple of times and didn't know where I was going with it. But, here it is. Check back soon for other great posts. I put up a new feature last week so I wouldn't forget what has been requested.

Also, check out the new poll and cast your vote. All I can say is that it's important. So VOTE okay. Last poll there was a four way tie, so who knows what you're going to get with that post. I don't know any other blog that allows as much reader interaction as this one. Use it or lose it...

The Art of the Deal...

2009-05-04T19:09:00.000-07:00

Alright, so can I brag a little? I know that I have set the bar pretty high here, but this might just raise it again. Possible? Yes!

So, Saturday came around as usual. On Saturday mornings, we clean. I handle a mean vacuum, but that's a topic for another day. We finished early. Before Maggie's nap. Made great time. Friday night Annie asked me for some glue to make a Mother's Day project for Amberlyn. (I presume that most of my readers are close acquaintances and therefore know my family, so for those of you from Waterloo, Ontario and around the world you will just have to bear with the personal references). Unfortunately, we didn't have any except for some rubber cement and you know what a mess that is.

Skip ahead to Office Depot. Now I spent some time as an associate at one of Office Depot's main competitors, OfficeMax. So, you could say they knew I was coming.

I saw it as soon as we got there. It was displayed on an endcap in the electronics. A clearance item, mail-in rebate, the "Last One". Let the negotiations begin. I was ready.

Then I waited. And waited. The kids were restless. I was chomping at the bit to get my claws into the unsuspecting Depot sales team.

I called on my negotiating idols.

Corleone

Trump

Spacey

I got the Department Manager. The Paper Department Manager...

She was frazzled already. They were busy. Did I mention I was ready?

I'll spare you the carnage, buy suffice it to say that I got the winning end of that deal.

The result: I walked out of there with a good laptop for... Ready? $200.00.*

My idols would be proud...

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Hey thanks for stopping by. I know you don't have much time in your day and I want you to know that I appreciate you. If it wasn't for you, who would read this? Anyway, check back soon for some new topics. I added a list of upcoming posts so that I can keep track of the ones I blatantly ignore. You can't always follow the voice of the people. But don't despair, your voice will be heard.

On that topic, make sure you check out the new poll on the top right. Every vote counts. Double votes count twice. Feel free to double up.

*So, they couldn't find the battery so they dropped the price in half. I did get her to drop the price an additional 10% before that happened. Also, the after market battery was only $68. So it's still a great deal, Okay?

J-E-R-K C-H-I-C-K-E-N

2009-04-13T20:57:00.000-07:00

Jamaica is an island in the Caribbean.

Early inhabitants of the region included Caribs, the Arawak and the Maroons.

Rarely does one forget to include the Taino Indians in that list.

Keeping up?

Charqui, the root of the English word "jerk", means dried meat in Quechua.

Hot peppers are combined with Jamaican pimento to make the Jerk seasoning.

Incans don't use Jerk seasoning.

Cherokees either.

Kentucky is known for their fried chicken.

Everyone loves fried chicken.

Not everyone loves Jerk chicken.

Well, these people do...

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Well, thanks again y'all. Not sure why Jerk Chicken won the last poll. I thought you would pick Happier Times for sure. Who doesn't like to think about happier times? I sure do. I love it. Feel free to take a stab and this week's poll on the top left. That's top right for those of you seeking relative accuracy. And don't forget to vote early and often. Unlike in national elections, we don't publicly frown on duplicate votes while secretly hoping for them.

Another thing: If you guys are reading this, shouldn't you add your name to the Followers List and "get up on this crazy train"?

How?

2009-03-27T21:54:00.000-07:00

[Quick Disclaimer: This is not a serious Blog. The content is comedic in nature and doesn't reflect the writer's racial views in any way. Got it? I didn't have to say this about Canadians, but I guess I do here.]

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One of the most important public service announcements of the last 30 years starred a brave Native American who took on a critical problem facing America. Take a minute to see for yourselves. Beware. The following video has been known to elicit uncontrollable crying and general bad feelings from all who watch it.

I hope you had a box of tissues nearby. I should have mentioned that before. I barely made it to the bathroom myself before my shirt was completely soaked.

Now take a moment with me to recollect this poor man's journey. It began in what appeared to be a pristine river. Our hero started out on an innocent canoe ride. (It must have relaxed him). Only to find refuse in the river. Going further it appears that he experienced a time warp into the 1970s, 1971 to be exact, landing in a major commercial port, passing evil factories and power plants only to find that perhaps that meadow that he was travelling to was overcome by highways and cars. Not to mention the litter. The place was riddled with it. His only recourse at the time was what many of us might have. The shedding of a tear.

That brings another question to mind: Was our hero crying because of modern society's negative impact against the environment or because of the complete unfamiliarity of his surroundings? I mean he probably left his squaw back in his village. With his two children Walks with Elk and Stands like Oak. If he really did take a time warp, which for all intents and purposes would have been the only way he could have arrived where he did, he would never see them again. Nor would he fit in with the kickin' styles of the 70's in his full leather Native American clothing, not counting certain pop bands of the era. Imagine the looks he got. That would be enough for most men to turn their faces in shame.

What became of our hero? Did he go on a scalping rampage? Trade skins for wampum? Get smallpox? We will never know. All I do know is that from now on if a crying indian comes up to me, I won't shun him. I will embrace him. He most likely just misses his family and is searching for a way back to his wife and children. To which I say: Happy journeys dear friend, happy journeys. In the meantime, I just need to figure out how to reverse a time warp. How hard could that be?

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Thanks for checking out this week's post. I hope to be getting back on track soon. Check out my new poll by the way on the top left. See it? Now, take a moment to think of all of your friends who might not be checking out my blog right now and vote for them. It's what a friend would do. Isn't it?

Was that February we just passed?

2009-03-07T12:23:00.000-08:00

So I realize that I am a month behind on my posts. I typically like to post once a week. I started to do eighties fashion a couple times, but stopped. I'm just not that into it. Move on already... Sorry to those of you pining for that post. Here's a picture I was going to use:

Those guys know what's hip...

As you may be able to tell from this picture, I was not necessarily going to write about fashion in the 1980s, but possibly fashion for people in their 80s. That may have been funnier, but I wasn't sure. Just in case, I looked for some 1980's fashion photos as well.

Here's an example:

We all wore Underoos in the 80s right? And check out those guns!

Okay... Here's another:

Reminds me of Beat Street...Not Breakin' or Breakin' 2 Electric Boogaloo... Beat Street

But, as you know, I seem to have taken February off. Maybe it was the inordinate amount of holidays for such a short month... Amber's Birthday, Valentine's Day, President's Day, Lincoln's Birthday, Washington's Birthday, Ground Hog Day, Boy Scout Day, Kite Flying Day, Umbrella Day, White T-Shirt Day, Toothache Day and Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk Day to name just a few.

February also has the Day the Music Died. That's the day when Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Big Bopper died in a plane crash...(They were rock and roll stars in the 195os. Rock and roll was genre of music made popular in the 1950s which was derived from the Blues among other things). I thought that was good to add from my readers who were born after 1985. They're still just little.

Alright... Here's a picture:

To top it all off, February is Black History Month. Add the study of Black History to the numerous of holidays and you have no time left for the sometimes frivolous, though always informative, posting that goes on here.

I don't think March will be as jam-packed. I'm not even going to look at my calendar...

That must be what this very fashionable octogenarian is doing...

Did I mention that Mardi Gras was in February...

Until next time...

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Hey, I really am sorry for not doing that Eighties Fashion post. With such a great response to the poll you would think I would have jumped right on it to please my readers. Nope.

Anyway, I have added a new poll on the top left where you can weigh in on your opinion as well as the opinion of as many dead people and pets that you should feel free to vote for as well.

Oh... In case you're wondering, February is really a packed month. There is literally a holiday every day of the month. And it's not only Black History Month but:

American Heart Month
An Affair to Remember Month
Canned Food Month
Creative Romance Month
Great American Pie Month
National Cherry Month
National Children’s Dental Health Month
National Grapefruit Month
National Weddings Month

Now you can see why I was so busy...It was Canned Food Month people...

Rock and Roll Fantasy!

2009-01-28T22:09:00.000-08:00

This week I wanted to give you a little something about my time in the entertainment industry. It's a tough nut to crack, that's for sure and I know that many of you harbor aspirations to be the next big thing. Everyone wants to rock. That much we know...

Life as a rocker wasn't easy. There's the practice, the rejection, the late hours. But it's worth it for the sake of rock, cool clothes and adrenaline rush from being on stage. And don't forget the babes. Hot Babes.

A few people already know about by rock and roll prowess. To some it has reached mythical proportions. (I should say that they think it's a myth that I even play guitar).

I started playing in my room in 8th grade. I followed the likes of the Beatles, Led Zeppelin and The Dead Milkmen. From there, I joined a few bands in high school. Epitaph, Jubilee Baha Brothers and Glucose Toad to name just a few. But I felt that there was more...

It all started my freshman year of college where I met Eric Hauck and Shad Smith. Who knew that three years later we would start one of the most amazing bands of 1997 and 1998.

THRIFTY SPACKLE

The summer of 1997 Eric contacted me and convinced me to bring my electric guitar to school with me that year. He knew I'd be ready to rock. That summer he penned such classics as All Ears, It's the Truth and Francis. All Ears later became a staple of our live shows. At our first full practice with Dan the drummer we knew it was something. We rocked so hard you could see the walls crying tears of joy. We were all drenched.

Our first show was in a pretty popular local hangout in Provo, the Roman Gardens' patio. You don't have to read that again. You read it right the first time. Pretty exclusive place. We rocked it with a Rentals cover band and Tim Boisvert. Impressive company, I know... Unfortunately, no footage remains from that show. The Rock Gods still weep because of it.

But then there was Mama's Cafe. THE place in Provo for hot bands to rock. I remember it was a week night. A well sought after date to be sure. It started with this:

All Ears:

Jim (Guitar), Shad (Vocals), Eric (Bass), Dan (Drums)

Have you sat back down? I know that got you to your feet. We played for about an hour that night. But my personal favorite was this gem...

Wonderful Spatula:

Who would have thought that a song about a kitchen device could be so moving and so rockin' at the same time. Sadly, only one other show exists. The BYU Halloween Bash

Now, along with my lead guitar duties, I sang a couple of my own songs. They were generally acoustic based and only sometimes turned from love songs to songs about Jews.
Here is one of them from the BYU show.

Don't Know:

I'm sure you noticed the raw emotion spewing out of me. As well as the pleas to the crowd not to leave because of the touching feelings that I'm sure were their reason for leaving early. Not to mention the impressive display of plaids that only a true rocker can get away with.

Finally, I will share one of the little known tracks. I guess we only played it one time, since until recently I didn't remember ever playing it, but it was a rocker and was about everyone's dream to be a Jellyfish.

If I was a Jellyfish:

The Rock Gods smiled on us that day in October. I probably even made out with a hot babe that night.

After the BYU show, Dan left the band on study abroad and we got a new drummer from the music department, but we had only one show left and it was panned by the critics and club management as being too loud. We never played live again. But there are these moments...and that's important. Now I dabble here and there and Eric does an annual Cul-De-Sac of Fire on the 4th of July, but nothing will compare to those days. The hits, the misses and the rock. Maybe we will have a Thrifty Spackle reunion sometime. But until then, it's just the memories.

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Thanks for checking out my post this week. Check back soon for new posts. One thing about the polls... They need more votes. A tie between three great topics doesn't work. That's why I keep encouraging you to vote for your neighbors, friends and dead relatives. Maybe now that ACORN will be getting a few billion of the stimulus money we'll get more votes.

If you want to see and hear more Thrifty Spackle including .mp3s that you can download to your Ipods check out http://www.thehaucks.com/ThriftySpackle/

Man's Best Friend?

2009-01-15T22:08:00.000-08:00

In researching for this post I learned quite a bit. Everyone knows that most dogs are pleasers. They just want their human masters to be happy. But what about those dogs that think they have a higher calling? They don't want to be trapped in a life of fulfilling their master's every need. For those dogs simply can't live under what they see as the totalitarian hand of man. We as humans need to tolerate them and embrace our differences. They deserve that much.

With that said, in an attempt to celebrate dogs and their diversions and accomplishments, I dedicate this post...

Dogs are natural athletes. They love to run and jump and play. Anything. They want to compete and show their chops. They also like to lick their chops, but that is another story. They do have large tongues... Back to the topic at hand. Take this dogs for instance:

Can you feel that intensity? What a winner! I can tell he's all about pushing the limits of competition. Feeling the adrenaline rush that comes with the struggle between mind and body.

I think you know what I mean... Take a look at these studs:

They're going all out baby! You can't deny them... No way!!!

Alright... Time to catch your breath... I mean it. I know you see what I see...

Focus:

Dedication:

Precision:

Hubris:

But don't get me wrong, dogs do enjoy human pastimes as well:

They Surf:

They swim:

They Hunt:

They play Poker:

And when the win, they know how to party:

But, just like humans, some can't hold their liqueur:

I think you understand where I'm coming from now. So lets embrace them. If you have a dog, let it run free, pull a sled, do an obstacle course once in a while. They deserve it.

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Thanks for checking out this week's post. And for voting on the poll. As you can see, a new poll has been posted. So if you would, please rock the vote. It's all you can do.

I know some of you might say, what happened to Hamburger Joints, wasn't there a tie for first in the poll? The answer is yes. But, I felt that it was the right time in to do this important post. Hamburger Joints may emerge gloriously one day, but for now, just take a minute and think..."Has my appreciation for the canine increased?" Enough said.

Hello...

2009-01-07T22:15:00.000-08:00

Hello my friends. I have missed you. With the free time over the holidays you would think I could have posted something profound for you...I had several ideas that seemed to fade.

I was going to do a year in review, but I think it's too late for that now...

I was going to do a post on December holidays, but that fizzled...

Is it still Kwanzaa? Be right back... Nope. That ended January 1...

I think I will ease into the new year. Nobody get stressed. Okay?

I will be back with more posts soon enough. I promise.

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I have decided to revert to my previous polling method. Check out the new poll that's up... I don't think I need to tell you what to do with that. Rock It?

Banker's Dozen

2008-12-11T21:14:00.000-08:00

This week I thought I would post about a group that plays a major role in our society...Bankers.

A banker is a person that you give your money to for safekeeping who in turn uses that money to make investments and generate a profit for the bank.

Here's a German banker in Iowa. Not sure what he was doing there, but he seems innocent enough. He probably kept most of the money from his bank in the vault for safekeeping.

A vault is a place where bankers keep money for safekeeping.

Here's one. The door is thick so that thieves can't come in. Unless you find a mathematical formula where the exact amount of vibration causes the vault to become unstable at an elemental level in order for thieves to walk through. Have I ever asked you if you watch Fox's new hit series Fringe?

When I think of bankers from the old days, I imagine them with armbands on their shirt sleeves.

Like this:

This is a store clerk. He's not real. Or a banker, but this is the best my research team could come up with. Great job guys.

This guy goes for a little more protection:

He's Zorro's Banker.

Nowadays, bankers wear their armbands in a little different place:

Doesn't that stretch them out?

Sometimes bankers meet the president:

Here's some with President Coolidge in 1923.

Here's one with President Bush:

I think this guy's in charge of something important. But, I'm not supposed to trouble myself with understanding such things...

Sometimes bankers have bad days:

There, there...

In the Great Depression, some had very bad days:

Don't try this!

I guess when the bottom falls out of this economy, our bankers might do it like this:

Don't do it Banker!!!!

I almost think of pulling the trigger after hearing this guy talk:

Who doesn't?

Well... and maybe this guy:

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Hi. Jim here. Thanks for checking out my blog. Feel free to leave your comments. My niece just started blogging again after a couple of months and my other niece said that reader comments can really inspire...I agree with that by the way...

Also, check out the new poll. Also if you decide to vote for a homeless Santa or two, go ahead. They might not have Internet access. So rock it for them!

Not a Dork!

2008-12-04T20:57:00.000-08:00

Just for the record...

Amber posted abou how much of a dork she is today. I couldn't agree more with some of her points.

I just want to make sure everyone that reads my blog knows that I am NOT a dork. No way. NO FREAKIN' WAY!

Nobody that knows as much about Fried Chicken, Carnies, Canadians and Nijas could possibly be a dork. And don't forget, the ULINE Catalog is not a catalog for dorks, it's a catalog for men. Really cool men....

Oh, and I just signed up for Facebook and I LOVE it!

That's not dorky right?

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I'm actually glad Amber posted on this. I didn't have a very good feeling about what I was going to post on so this gives me a mulligan I guess.

I have put a new poll up so I you could glance up to the right and select the answer best meets your thoughts on the poll, that would be great. Rocking the vote will never feel better.

I'm not quite sure about my next topic, so if you have suggestions, let me know.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-26T23:34:00.000-08:00

In thinking about Thanksgiving I decided to break with the typical format of this blog for some interesting quotes about Thanksgiving.

We all know the story about the pilgrams and indians. But while driving home today I heard an interesting quote from George Washington which sparked this post.

On October 3, 1789, George Washington proclaimed the first national Thanksgiving Day:

"Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor, and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness....

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions, to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually, to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed, to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord. To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and Us, and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best."

Thanksgiving was not necessarily a yearly holiday at that time, though many of Washington's successors declared days of thanksgiving. It was not until 1863, after the following quote by Abraham Lincoln, that Thanksgiving Day was held annually.

On October 3, 1863, in the midst of the Civil War Abraham Lincoln made the following statement:

"The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle, or the ship; the axe had enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years, with large increase of freedom.

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union."

Reading these quotes emphasizes the greatness of these men and many of our leaders. I have some favorite parts of both quotes, but rather than getting political, which I have vowed not to do after my one political post back in the early days of this blog, I will let you consider these powerful statement for yourselves.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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P.S. No need to worry. Even though this and my last post were very serious, I will back with lighter fare soon enough.

Ninjapedia!

2008-11-20T20:40:00.000-08:00

I told you a few weeks back that I know more about Ninjas than I can and still be safe in society. Now, I know this can be dangerous. Trust me, I do. But, I also know the interest level is high. And who am I to keep these truths from my faithful followers. Before going on, I will tell you this: READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!

And now, some little known facts about Ninjas...

Fact 1: Ninjas are human.

While they look super cool in those black Ninja suits and you can never see their eyes, Ninjas are humans. They do have eyes. In fact, their eyes are so powerful, that they can see fear oozing out of their victims. I've been told it looks like pink marshmallow fluff. Some are so advanced that they eat it on peanut butter sandwiches after slaying their victims.

They also have hearts that pump the ice-water that flows in their veins. The more experienced Ninjas have nitroglycerin in their veins. They've earned it. Do they bleed you ask? The answer is No. That's because they are never injured. They are so strong, fast and cunning that they never suffer carnage of their own. They only leave it in their wake.

Fact 2: Those aren't really Ninja suits.

One of the first things that differentiate Ninjas from other humans is that at age 5 their outer layer of skin mutates into a silky super cool protective outer shell. That's one of the reasons they are never injured in a fight. While not noticeable to the natural human eye if a Ninja ever suffers a blow from an enemy, the silky super cool protective outer shell becomes as hard as diamonds. Actually harder. You could CUT diamonds with it it's so hard. And because the "Ninja suit" is part of their bodies it never hinders their ability to annihilate their opposition.

Fact 3: Ninjas never sleep.

They use their down time to strategize, hone their skills and catch up on their favorite books. Because the number of Ninjas is limited to a select few, it is vital that they excel in all areas. If it were possible for them to be in our presence without killing us, they would enlighten us with their advanced learning and appreciation of the arts.

The lack of sleep allows them to rely more fully on their senses. As with their eyes, their ears are also more developed that the typical human. They can extend their hearing range to decipher enemy signals, chatter and out of market radio stations that help them maintain their advantage over their foes.

Fact 4: Ninjas especially hate Pirates.

While this fact is more widely known, it's important to consider. Pirates are the anti Ninja. They are lazy, dirty, foul smelling uneducated boobs. They also wear really stupid outfits. Who thinks a hook for a hand it cool anyway? And that eye patch? That's appealing. Fact is, Ninjas could kill all the pirates in the world in a matter of seconds. Their slothful manner is no match for a simple and precise Ninja attack. Why don't they kill them then? If there were no pirates in the world, it might lessen the respect and admiration that Ninjas enjoy because of the comparison. Plus they really like to think of new ways to rip on them. That's something else they do in their down time.

Fact 5: Ninjas are AWESOME!

There's no denying this fact. While we are lucky to be alive with the Ninja activity in the world, they truly are an essential element here on Earth. We are lucky to have their contributions to society. While they are often misunderstood because of their propensity to kill and the sheer efficiency that they use to dominate their enemies, they do have feelings. Even if those feelings are generally fury, rage and blood lust, they still appreciate it when we consider them.

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Well, I hope this was an education for you. You now know significantly more about Ninjas than most of the unsuspecting world around you. I will tell you one thing however. For your own safety, you must never speak of the things on this post. FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY! If this turns out to be my last post because of the information divulged, it was worth it. You may have noticed that I made it a point not to divulge any sources and made it sound like I made most of this stuff up. I did that for my own protection.

Make sure to check back tomorrow for a new poll. Every vote counts even if it's manufactured so Rock It!

Don't be afraid to comment on this post. One of the only things Ninjas aren't great at is navigating the Internet.

Oh.... Canada.

2008-11-13T20:45:00.000-08:00

I grew up in southern New Jersey. The bay was at the end of my street . A few blocks away there was a dock where I would fish, crab and try to give Alka Seltzer to seagulls. A ten minute drive and you were at the beach. South Jersey is a tourist destination for those in Philadelphia and the rest of the inland Mid-Atlantic region. Tourists were called "shoebies". This derived from the former practice of tourists bringing their lunches with them in shoe boxes at the turn of the century.

These are some modern shoebies on the Ocean City Boardwalk-If you look closely you can see someone actually eating out of a Puma box. I actually used to work at a Baskin Robbins that used to be underneath that theater on the left.

Unlike most of my friends, we took summer vacations. Oftentimes, those vacations took us to Ontario, Canada. On more that one occasion, we went to the same lake. I think it was Stoney Lake, it had something to do with rocks I know. There, we would fish and boat and boat and fish. My memory is vague regarding the Canadians I met on those trips, but I have had my research team find some interesting Canadian data for you.

First of all, though we think of Canadians as our happy-go-lucky friends to the north, they are competitive.

This guy's ready to rock!

This is the Canadian Table Soccer Team:

They look ready to me.

Unfortunately, they didn't win. Even with the headband.

Don't take it so hard Canadians! It's only Foosball.

Second, Canadians are diverse.

These geese try to spend most of their time in the U.S. It's cold in Canada!

I'm not sure how effictive this guy's going to be though...

I thought affirmative action was bad in this country.

Third, Canadians are conscientious...

They may not be too bright either if this sign is any indication.

And they take all of their citizens into account...

Too bad dogs can't read. I bet this would make them feel really special...

Finally, I guess some people don't like Canadians...

Hosers

It might be because of this guy....

He's got to be proud of the moobs though.

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Hi. Jim here. Thanks for checking out the blog. This would be nothing without you.

News: I've decided to change the poll. You'll notice there's a new question. Go ahead and rock the vote. I plan on figuring out what to do with it in time. IN. TIME. If you want to vote for some of your dead neighbors to make sure your answer wins, DO IT.

Finally... Schroll down to the bottom to see our new addition!

Quit Mouthin' Off!

2008-11-06T20:23:00.000-08:00

rant
n 1: a loud bombastic declamation expressed with strong emotion
[syn: harangue, ranting]
2: pompous or pretentious talk or writing [syn: bombast, fustian,
claptrap, blah]
v : talk in a noisy, excited, or declamatory manner [syn: mouth
off, jabber, spout, rabbit on, rave]

I don't think I rant-not according to this definition. I'm reluctant to even write on the topic. It seems to be a very common subject on blogs and I'm not sure I even want to participate. Why some people get off on demeaning or criticizing others is beyond me. I mean, aren't we all unique in our own ways. But no, there are those out there that always have to be the loud mouth idiot. They rant about politics, movies, cartoons, people with kids, people without kids, the list goes on and on.

Not me man. I am not going to rail on somebody just because they do something I don't like or do like for that matter. Can you believe that people make a living on rants? Lewis Black, Dennis Miller, Joe Biden. Idiots. There are blogs devoted to it. There are websites devoted to it. But not this one. No way. NO FLIPPIN' WAY!

Alright. I'm okay. Don't worry.

Puppies always help me feel better. The one on the right is sooo cute....

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Check out the new poll. I apparently phoned in the last one-unanimous vote and all. Don't forget to vote. If you need to take the day off to do it, don't feel bad, it's important.

I also added a new gadget. So if you don't want to comment and fully participate, you can just click on three choices to rate the post. Or you could do both....

That's an X word!

2008-10-29T20:50:00.000-07:00

The xanthippe had had it. It had been days since she had seen them. Looking daily for a xebec or something larger. Would they ever come and take her from the xenocratic hell that she suffered through? Her daily ascension of the xanthocaprous limbs in search of the weekly xenium had made her xenophobic at best. The others embraced them, fast engulfing her in their xenophilia. She was chosen because of her xenagogueery. She had pleased them in the beginning with her xenial nature.

Now, her only solace was her xylography and speaking with Chalo a xeme that accompanied her while she worked. Chalo was a rich gray, but her xanthopsia told another story. If only there were a xylotherapy she could try to bring some relief. Her xenopmenia always grew worse in times like these. But that was not her primary concern now.

She would stand daily looking, dodging xiphosurans hoping to see her saviors, hoping at the very least to meet a xiphias to end it all.

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I'm just going to say one thing: You asked for it.

On another note, check out the new poll! There will not be any more word options for the foreseeable future. Thanks for the increased turnout for the last one, it shows you that every vote counts. Rock it Baby!

Also, please leave your comments. I want to know what you are thinking. I will answer any questions in an upcoming post. Just think of me as your source for detailed analysis and expert commentary.

Also, check back later for upcoming posts on some topics you've requested. If you think of a suitable topic, suggest it. There's no bad ideas when your brainstormin'-that's from my favorite show on the Disney Channel.

Finally, the Definitions:

xanthippe--ill-tempered woman
xanthocarpous--having yellow fruit
xebec--small three-masted pirate ship
xeme--fork-tailed gull
xenium--gift made to a guest or ambassador; any compulsory gift
xenocracy--government by a body of foreigners
xenophilia--love of foreigners
xenophobia--fear of foreigners
xylography--art of engraving on wood
xenagogue--guide; someone who conducts strangers
xenial--of or concerning hospitality towards guests
xanthopsia--a visual condition where things appear yellow
xylotherapy--use of certain sorts of wood in treating disease
xenomenia--menstruation from abnormal orifices
xiphosuran--horseshoe crab
xiphias--swordfish

Don't we all feel smarter?

Carnies on 'Shrooms

2008-10-15T20:15:00.000-07:00

So thanks to a tie in the poll voting this week, we have today's topic.

While both Acrobatic Gymnastics and Hallucinogens are deserving of their own treatment, because of the tie, I have chosen to select a derivative topic incorporating elements of both.

Life as a circus worker during the depression and prohibition was bad. Apparently, the workers and performers during that time would take, drink and do just about anything for a high. But as long as they worked, they performed their gay antics for thousands of roaring spectators. But, were they all just a little off?

Take these clowns for instance:

They don't look particularly cheery do they? The guy on the top left is really putting his all into it though.

One of these acrobats is not like the others!

Who could blame them? Living in stock cars on meager wages, working long hours, placating the hoards? I'm not sure what hallucinogens might have been most popular. Unfortunately, my research team came up short on that one. But out of my own conjecture, I propose Peyote as popular among those from the southwest. LSD was discovered in the late 1930's but not popular among the masses until the 1960s so that's probably out.

Apparently, based on my research for this post, hallucinogens play a larger part in the viewing of circus events than they did in the past. What better way to enjoy high flying acts, but while flying high!

Does that guy in the middle look a little off?

P.S. Just as an aside for some of you out there: I probably know more about Ninjas than I can and still be safe in society. Look for an upcoming post on this. Don't worry, you'll still be safe after reading it. But, not that safe.

P.P.S. I have put a new poll up so again if you could please... ROCK THE VOTE!

P.P.S.S. I put a followers gadget up so you can see your very own picture on my blog and know when you need to rush over and see my new posts.

P.P.P.S.S Don't forget to scroll to the bottom to check out the Bunny Rabbit Picture of the Day! So Cute!

P.P.P.S.S.S I'm not a particularly huge fan of bunny rabbits, but they're just so squooshy.

P.P.P.P.S.S.S. Don't you have anything better to do than to keep reading?

P.P.P.P.S.S.S.S. Do I?

ULINE Day!

2008-10-09T19:20:00.000-07:00

Were you looking for some bubble wrap? Some packaging labels? Shrink film bags? Inventory labels? Steel Strapping Tools? Drainage Mats? Marble Mats? Dust Mops? Sweeping Compounds? Tilt Trucks? How about Basket Trucks? A Scooter Cart? Lockers? An Oil Waste Can? Biodegradable Packaging Peanuts? Cool Shield Bubble? Cable Ties? Twist Ties? Chinese Takeout Boxes? Shopping Baskets?

Now, don't get too excited... But, I am going to tell you about a place where you can get all of these items and thousands more!

It's the ULINE Catalog!

A few years ago, we got our first ULINE Catalog and it was a great day. It holds the keys to successful enterprises everywhere. It's chock full of items that are designed to improve lives. That's right. Improve OUR lives.

Now... If you're like me and can't wait to one day open your own warehouse where you can fully utilize the ULINE Catalog, then ULINE Day, as we call the day at our house when the Catalog arrives, rates up there with Columbus Day, Washington's Birthday and Christmas as "mark you calendar days".

But until that day when my ULINE dreams come true, I look at the Catalog...

As a matter of fact, oftentimes, in my dreams I am coasting along through MY Warehouse on my very own Scooter Cart!

Wishing you and yours a very Happy ULINE Day!

P.S. Don't forget to vote for other great Post Topics!

Chicken or Fried Chicken?

2008-10-07T21:51:00.000-07:00

I have written quite a few songs about chicken and fried chicken. Here's the lyrics to one (I don't know how to link audio file)--sorry:

I've got that fried chicken comin' down.

Fried chicken and it's comin' down on me.

It's comin down on me,

comin down around.

Comin'all over,

comin' up around the town, oh...

I've got it, comin' out my ears,

I've got it, cryin' a make me tears, oh..

I've got fried chicken comin' down on me.

Oh, I've got fried chicken comin' down on me

Fried chicken comin' down on me.

-Fin-

I am sure that translates well. If you want to hear it, tell me how to host or link an .mp3 on the computer. Okay?!

Finally, heres a little known way to fry chicken that I saw last night. Oven fried. I don't mean baked, I mean putting a pan of canola oil in an oven and adding the chicken. I am not sure what benefit that adds, but a lady in Tulsa says her momma taught her to do it that way.

If my momma told me to do it that way, I'm sure I would cook it that way too.

P.S. I will be having another poll to vote on topics for an up-coming post. Rock the Vote Baby!

Recomended Reading

2008-10-01T22:15:00.000-07:00

Okay. So Amber and I have been trying to get our kids to be better about keeping their rooms clean. I just came across a Blog by Deloris a room inspector that comes and inspects your kids rooms and sends email reports for the kids.

Check it out at http://inspectordeloris.blogspot.com

Fun with Chuck E.

2008-09-20T21:27:00.000-07:00

Fall is the busiest time of the year for us. Take today for example. With four kids who interact with other kids, there is at least one to twenty birthday parties a month (I might have exaggerated the high there). This morning the party was a Chuck E Cheese's. Chuck seems to be a nice enough guy, but the place is a mad house on a Saturday at lunchtime. Then add keeping track of four kids who are let loose to play the video games/rides, collect tickets for prizes, and fend off potential undesireables (this Blog is PG so I won't elaborate on this). The most frustrating part for me is the non stop multimedia "entertainment". Theres a anamatronic Chuck E that sings and dances, a "live" Chuck E, and the Chuck E that appears in short videos on multiple screens. By the end of it, all I want to do is run from that place.

My niece Emily wrote about running over a racoon on her Blog tonight. All I can hope for after Chuck E. Cheese is to see that mouse walking in the parking lot. You can't fault somone for running over a racoon that jumps out in the road, what could they say about a bloated mouse?

Why I Blog

2008-09-17T20:51:00.000-07:00

Well to start, I don't blog much as one can see by my whopping 4 posts. However, many do. My niece Emily says bloggers make better friends. Maybe that's why I do it. Or to see my thoughts published on the web in searchable content. Or to show off my kids (which is really the purpose of my wife's Blog-see above-the kids really are cute). Or to have an outlet for thoughts on pressing issues-I did post on politics once. Or to participate in what is becoming an overwhelming force in popular culture as well as news media. Or to think that anyone will actually read my posts. Or to hope, for hopes sake, that someone, anyone, will comment on my thoughts.

People used to get along just fine without Blogs. Now I can't surf the Internet without my playlist playing in the background.

My wife says that the only reason that I started a Blog was to create a playlist and booklist from Goodreads. After much thought on the topic-see above-I have realized that is the overwhelming reason for my blog.

It really is a kickin' playlist.

Politics?

2008-09-01T16:13:00.000-07:00

My dad has several websites and is an active article writer and commentator on just about everything. I don't view him as someone who is overly interested in politics or a die hard supporter for either party. You can see the link to his blog above. I guess that is where I get it.

I don't particularly like republicans or democrats. I am not affiliated with either party and probably won't ever be. But I do usually side with the conservative arguments.

This is what I think Obama is for: Socialism, the elimination of judeo-christian values in favor of government dictated ethics, expanding government control, etc. After all, according to he wife, he is not going to let us remain unengaged:

"And Barack Obama will require you to work. He is going to demand that you shed your cynicism, that you put down your division, that you come out of your isolation, that you move out of your comfort zones, that you push yourselves to be better, and that you engage. Barack will never allow you to go back to your lives as usual - uninvolved, uninformed..." (Speech in February, 2008)

"Barack knows that we are going to have to make sacrifices, that we are going to have to change our conversation, we're gonna have to change our traditions, our history, we're gonna have to move into a different place as a nation." (Campaign speech in Puerto Rico)

I'm not sure I want to change my history or traditions. And he's not talking about having ham instead of turkey at Thanksgiving. Oh, yeah and we can'tkeep the house at 72 degrees, eat whatever we want etc. It's bad for the country... (Those are things Obama has said)

He might be a nice enough guy, I don't know him, but I don't want higher taxes, more government spending for entitlements, weakened national security etc.

That said, McCain is not the complete opposite of that, but I do think that he will reduce spending, retain lower taxes, support the military etc.

As for any arguments about his running mate, I think the Obama campaign realized they shouldn't criticize Ms. Palin's experience when their No. 1 has even less executive experience. Well, he did chair a left wing education reform group with Bill Ayers for a little while. Does that make him qualified for the presidency? Oh, and he went to an Ivy League school and wrote for the law review. We can't forget that.

Anyway, that's what I think.

Kids' Reaction to Dad

2008-08-31T17:38:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure I deserve this reaction.

Still not sure what this will turn out to be

2008-08-30T17:30:00.000-07:00

I made a playlist, added a book list. I don't know what this will become, but I am putting all the gadgets on it.

I'm going to see what else is out there to add.

Hello?

2008-08-28T21:56:00.000-07:00

I just decided to start this on a whim. Blogs seem so fun, I thought I would give it a try. Not sure what I will do with it. We'll see.