The Wizard of Speed and Time

Best line from far too much time on the net today...

2008-09-08T20:14:00.000-05:00

Imagine the fun that right-wing, fundamentalist Christians and their henchmen bloggers would have if 17-year-old mother-to-be Bristol Palin were black. Sam Fulwood

Home with a sick Scooter

2008-09-08T08:41:00.002-05:00

I've been attending church potlucks basically since I was born. And nothing makes them more memorable than you child throwing up all over the table. Twice.

Needless to say she's home with me today.

Not much, you?

2008-09-01T17:22:00.002-05:00

A nice relaxing 3 day weekend here. All we did was:

Clean the apartment
Have Nick's birthday party at Chuck E. CHeese's
Write an article for my Business Finance class
Spend 5 hours for the FFL draft
Put in all the rosters to Fox Sports
Mess with the schedule
Go to church
Begin my Business Finance homework
Get a haircut
Do the laundry
Do the dishes
Volunteer to be Nick's Den Leader
Put off my Accounting homework until tomorrow
Buy a new lunchbox

So now all I have to do in the last remaining hours of this 3 day weekend is

Cook dinner
Get the kids to bed
Finish my Business FInance homework
Start my Accounting homework
Submit my article, after making the changes suggested by the other members of the group
Finish the laundry
Put away the clothes
Get to bed before I have to wake up.

Finance and Accounting/ Contacts and Torts

2008-08-12T20:06:00.002-05:00

I start taking classes on Tuesday night with Business Finance. Wednesday night is Financial Accounting Analysis. Of course these are core classes that everyone who gets an MBA must pass. Just like Contracts and Torts in law school.

Of course, between my first contracts class and torts class Nick was born. I don't expect any sort of life changing event this time around.

A happy drugged out painful day

2008-08-07T19:07:00.002-05:00

Two very important things happened today. My appeals to T. Boone must have worked because I was accepted into the Professional MBA Program at Oklahoma State - Tulsa. They have approved me to start as early as Aug 18th. I'm thinking I'll take just a few classes this semester while I get Tulsa Winch to approve paying for the whole thing. They are already on the hook for $2,000 per calender year, so I'll start there.

And also today I had an oral surgeon rip out one of my back molars. The crown that was on it had cracked at eventually 70% of it was gone. So he gave me a choice: rip it out now or try to reattach the crown with a less than 50% chance that it will stick (necessitating yanking the whole thing out anyway). I decided to have them pull it out. So right now I'm flying on pain meds. What fun?

Another good reason to drink good beer...

2008-08-02T10:11:00.002-05:00

Cheap beer will get you stabbed. Click here for story.

Ok, so it's really a fight over money. But $10 would only get you a 6 pack of Grimbergen. And that's $10 well spent.

Just doin' my part

2008-07-22T20:28:00.002-05:00

Since I'm looking to go to OSU-Tulsa it wouldn't hurt to give T. Boone a plug on the blog.

For the best parties...

2008-07-20T21:32:00.002-05:00

Just got back to the apartment after another weekend filled with parties. On Saturday, the Sapulpa Boys and Girls Club held an event where everyone could come and use the facilities (indoor pool, gym, jupiter jumps) and get free food for the cost of admission of whatever you wanted to give. Since I was bringing the whole family I didn't want to be to chintzy, so I gave over $5. Not much, but since they were asking for pocket change I didn't feel that bad. The kids had a great time in the pool. But we were a little surprised at the very low (10 people) turnout. Then again it was like having the whole place to ourselves.

But the real party took place this afternoon. A member of FOAM, Larry Smith, invited everyone in the group and their families to his home for a pool party. And what a party. Larry made barbecued brisket and hamburgers while the FOAMers brought side dishes, desserts, beer and mead. The food was excellent. The beer and mead were heavenly.

But the kids really enjoyed the pool. Nick, Scooter and another girl (around age 9) were the only kids there. Nick had a blast sliding down the slide. While Scooter was the darling of all of the folks around the pool. Larry spent a good amount of time chasing Scooter in the pool as Mr. Crabs, from which she would gleefully paddle away. It was all very relaxing and quite enjoyable.

So if you want to have a great time this summer, hook up with your local brew club.

What would Joe McCarthy do?

2008-07-18T22:51:00.002-05:00

Not a fully formed post. (As if any of them are). But I was fiddling around on Wikipedia and came across an interesting fact about Joe McCarthy. The only other thing that he seems to be known for is his opposition to the death sentences handed down to the Nazi perpetrators of the Malmedy massacre. I sure politics played into it, but he argued that since the confessions that these men signed were given under torture that the hearings were unfair and unbecoming of America and its rule of law.

Many of the torture techniques that were used against the Nazis are very similar to the rough interrogation techniques used at Gitmo on the enemy combatants.

If McCarthy, one of the most strident right wingers ever, refused to accept torture on Nazis (the modern day all purpose villain) who gunned down 88 unarmed American POWs and left their bodies in a field to rot, would he have green lit the types of trials and conditions that W is using now for people who were simply handed over to the US for a bounty?

Nick, Pokemon Pusher

2008-07-18T22:22:00.002-05:00

Last week was a most interesting week as far as Nick was concerned. When I picked him up from camp on Monday, he said that a fellow kid gave him twenty dollars because he liked him.

This immediately set off warning bells in my head. I stopped and asked him to explain what happened. The story then changed. He got twenty dollars from another camper by selling him twenty Pokemon cards. As I probed deeper into the story, Nick tells me that a kid came up to him and asked to buy twenty Pokemon cards for ten bucks. Nick then haggled it up to twenty. But he couldn't tell me who this kid was and the details of the actual arrangement were kind of sketchy. I asked where the money was. Nick said that he had put it on his account at the canteen. None of this sat well with me.

All night I was going over the transaction. Who sends their kid to day camp with $20? What kid pays $20 for Pokemon cards? Since Nick wasn't able to give me more detail, was there something else going on?

The next morning I had some questions for the staff. First, I did find out that Nick put twenty dollars on his canteen account. And I also learned that another parent was very upset since her kid squandered his weekly lunch money buying Pokemon cards from Nick. At first I was going to let Nick decide if he was going to keep the money. But once I found out that the other kid was only six, I made sure that he gave it back.

And it's good to know that my son was responsible for a note being sent to all of the parents, stating that the Boys and Girls Club is in no way responsible for money your child wastes unless you give the money to the camp canteen with instructions on how that money is to be used. A proud day.

Of course this happened the very day after Nick was presented with the God and Me badge for Cub Scouts at our church.

Good Neighbor?

2008-07-05T13:47:00.003-05:00

Talk radio has been a buzz about the Joe Horn shooting controversy. In short a man killed two burglars as they exited from his neighbor's house. A grand jury refused to indict him. In reality, I'm not that surprised since Texas has a very strong Castle Doctrine statute. It includes the right to use deadly force when someone is fleeing the scene of a burglary. There was also a racial aspect to the shooting (victims Afro-Hispanic, shooter white) and the fact that the victims were illegal immigrants who were members of a home theft gang.
I've been trying to decide where I come down on this. On one hand I don't want to return to the days of the old west. But on the other hand, I'd like to have a neighbor like Joe. He called the cops and when I looked like the criminals were getting away he stopped them. And based upon the laws of the State of Texas, what he did was legal.
But is it right? I've always thought that deadly force should be a last resort when other options have proved fruitless. He put himself into the equation. He could have stayed in his own house, where he was completely safe. However, I like the fact that he entered the equation. He saw something that was wrong and was not afraid to challenge it. How he challenged it may be questionable, but he did something.

Almost a year

2008-06-28T10:44:00.002-05:00

This weekend marks the 1 year anniversery of my being contacted by Tulsa Winch. That being the case, I've started to look back at the year a see how its going.

Well the easiest thing to note is that my first year in Oklahoma has been much better than my last year in Illinois. The difference in working for Greer as opposed to Ennis is night and day. I love my job. And even better they seem to love me. In fact, my boss has been trying for to get the company to pay for an MBA from OSU-Tulsa. They value my input and take my suggestions seriously. Quite a change from what I've dealt with for those previous few years. And by the way, I'm making more money too.

On the home front, I think the kids have adjusted well. Scooter is turning into a little cowgirl. And Nick, is having fun with new friends from school and his summer camp. They also like that the apartment complex has a pool. Sarah and I both feel quite cramped in the apartment but for different reasons. Sarah misses her garden, I miss the basement (brewery and office). Also the really isn't a place where one of use can get away from the kids. But on the plus side, we don't have to take care of a 80+ year old house anymore. And it's cheaper to rent the apartment. We're looking at houses, but until we get our finances back in order (way to much on the credit cards and medical bills), we're probably not going to move 'til next summer. But we are no longer living paycheck to paycheck, figuring out which bills we can afford to pay. I'm just glad my gallbladder waited until I was in Tulsa to blow up.

We like the church that we hooked up with. Nick and Scooter both enjoyed VBS while Sarah and I have both joined the bell choir. I've also begun to associate with the local beer club.

The only negatives seem to be the heat (not as bad as advertised, but not that pleasant), almost no beer culture (3.2 beer is king), Shakespeare is a delicacy for the local fleas and ticks and being so far way from family. Everything else should take care of itself.

GMAT finished

2008-06-14T17:05:00.003-05:00

This morning, I woke up early and went to town to take the GMAT. Since the program that I'm looking to get into is not the most competitive, I was hoping to get somewhere in the neighborhood of 570-580. After the smoke cleared, I walked away with a 620, which puts me in the 74 percentile.

Not bad for being out of school for a while.

What is ...?

2008-05-19T19:38:00.004-05:00

Well, the Jeopardy interview was today. And overall I think I did OK. The written portion was pretty easy (I knew 48 of the 50 cold), the interview went well, but I missed two answers in the short game. So I don't know how bad that hurt me.

In the end, at least I still have a chance of getting on the show. If they want me anytime over the next 18 months they'll call and I'll go. At least I got a pen

Minor leagues, sometimes major fun

2008-05-04T21:22:00.002-05:00

This Saturday, I had two free tickets from work to go to the Tulsa Talons which are the local arena football team. But they aren't in the Arena Football League (AFL), they're in the AF2 the minor league of the AFL. So I wasn't going expecting much. But the tickets were free and I cannot abide giving up free stuff.

But I was most concerned about Nick having a good time. Although it may be considered child neglect here in Oklahoma, I have not taught Nick to appreciate football. I've tried, but he gets bored with it.

Yet, arena football is perfect for 7 year old boys. You're close to the action. The game goes fast, it's non-stop. The game is skewed to the offense so there is a lot of scoring. You really don't have to pay attention to every play as the teams start in scoring position anyway. Nick had a blast.

Of course, this was helped along by the fact that he was sitting next to the grandson of one of my co-workers. Wesley is turning 7 next month and the boys spent most of the night shouting, blowing on their air horns, smacking each other to prove their toughness and general mayhem. Plus whenever Tulsa scored or the other team had the ball, he was encouraged to scream and make as much noise as possible.

All of this was in contrast to the trip to the Tulsa Drillers. Now we did go a little too early in the season and it was cold. But Nick only lasted 4 innings before he started to ask if we could go home.

Tests for cash and prizes

2008-04-26T17:55:00.002-05:00

In the next 60 days or so, I've got some tests coming up which could have a serious impact on our lives. First, on May 19th, I'm heading down to Dallas to interview for Jeopardy. I passed an on-line test and so they want me to go to an interview and test game. I'm so psyched. I've wanted to be on Jeopardy ever since I first saw it, all those years ago.

On June 14th, I'm going to take the GMAT so that I can get into the Executive MBA program at Oklahoma State Tulsa. I've already traded e-mail with an advisor and with my JD and business experience I probably will get in. But I need to take the GMAT.

Ma's got some sewing to do.

2008-04-13T16:40:00.002-05:00

A lot of scouting activity this week. First of all, Nick is now a Bear Scout. He got the promotion at the camp out that we went to this weekend. Second, Nick earned his God and Me medal. We should be seeing this in about a month.

But back to the camp out. It was a very interesting time, some good, others not so much. First of all we hadn't had a den meeting in the last few weeks so details were a bit scarce. And these were important details, things like: food; time; plans; etc. So Nick and I went to the John Zinc ranch at 10 am on Saturday. That was the original time we were given 3 weeks ago and with no other time, that's when we got there. Of course, no one else was there from his troop. We were told at the registration booth that his pack was expected around noon. We were also told that the camp had moved us to a different site. So the time and place were wrong.

To kill the time, and since Nick did not have a sweatshirt like I told him to bring, we headed into town and stopped at a Wal-Mart for provisions and a heavy shirt. When we returned at 1pm there was some activity at the site. The Boy Scout Troop representatives were there. But no Cub Scouts. But at least we could get the tents up and that's what we did. But Nick was bored out of his mind. Once we were settled, we played some war but that only killed 10 minutes. Nick took a short hike with the Boy Scouts but he didn't seem to have much fun. The camp out was turning into a disaster.

But thankfully, Taylor and his dad showed up. Taylor is one of Nick's best friends. He's in his class and den. For the rest of the day wherever Nick was Taylor was. And whatever Taylor was doing Nick was doing. They ran around and chased each other, told each other jokes, shot each other with marshmallow guns, and just had a ball.

Around 4, the Webelos showed up and the boys just started going wild. This was what I was expecting. The boys had a great time. We cooked hot dogs and marshmallows over the fire. Hiked to a fort and had a grand time. As night fell we watched the space station fly over and had the ceremony making the boys the next level up.

The tents, however, provided no cover from the wind and the temp dropped into the mid 30s. Damn it was cold waking up this morning. But Nick seemed to sleep OK. We left at 7:30 and made it home in time to get to church.

One side note. When I started packing I pulled out my old camping backpack with the frame. It's been a while since I used this. And while I was packing it, I felt something in the pocket flap. It was a note from Dr. Andrews staying that I shouldn't swim the first week at Camp Ma-Ka-Ja-Wan in 1985. It also had six merit badges: Pulp and Paper; Mammal Study; Camping; Farm Mechanics; Canoeing and of course Swimming.

Hooray for the Repeal

2008-04-07T22:25:00.003-05:00

75 years ago today, 3.2 beer became legal and it was the beginning of the end of prohibition. Click here for more details.

I, however, am drinking a full strength homebrew to celebrate the occasion.

Can't leave well enough alone.

2008-04-05T10:10:00.002-05:00

Last night, I signed up to take the GMAT on June 14. If all goes well, I plan to apply to the Executive MBA Program at OSU-Tulsa for classes beginning in January. But much of it depends upon what I score on the GMAT.

Even the best positive spin can't help this story

2008-04-01T21:47:00.001-05:00

From the Times: Max Mosley, the president of the FIA, has said that he spoke in German during a sado-masochistic orgy with five prostitutes not because he was fantasising about being a Nazi but because several of the prostitutes involved were German speakers.

Sometimes the truth just won't set you free.

Openning day

2008-03-29T14:18:00.002-05:00

Sunday night the baseball season starts. I am choosing to ignore the games in Japan this week. But this presents me with a problem. I will not be able to watch or listen to any White Sox or Cubs games that are not shown nationally. I can listen to Cardinals, Royals or Ranger games. But it's not the same.

On the plus side, the whole family is going to the Driller's game on Friday the 11th. So we will be able to see live baseball.

The Book of Vice

2008-03-29T13:46:00.002-05:00

This week I checked out Peter Sagel's Book of Vice from the Sapulpa Library. I was a little surprised that it was there, as the Sapulpa Library is tiny. But they must have a soft spot in their hearts for NPR hosts.

The book itself is engaging, I devoured it in two days. It tells of Sagel's tourist trip through a variety of vices including wife swapping, gambling, pornography, consumption and lying. The chapters, while always entertaining were a bit uneven. Self-deprecation only goes so far. Of course, no one is interested in talk to you at the wife swapping party if they don't have a chance of getting it on with you and your wife.

The chapters where he, and occasionally his wife, do get involved with the subjects are by far the most readable. Gambling is most fun when you have money on the line. His interviews with porn star and strippers seem to have the same themes.

But even when he's just documenting lying and consumption, Sagel was able to keep my interest. And I now know the best way to serve vodka at a party. Plus you can never go wrong with exploding tit cakes.

The Good Son in Law

2008-03-29T13:27:00.003-05:00

For a long time, Harry has wanted to set us up with a web cam so that we can do video conferences with Sarah and the grandkids. But for a number of reasons, things were just not working out. But things change.

Two weeks ago, Sarah's mother and brother came to visit. We were all a bit crowded, but we had a good time. One of the gifts that they brought was a web cam, exactly like the kind they had. We set it up and were able to show the kids to Grandpa.

However, I still had to permanently set the camera up. Because to test it, I simply plugged it into our front usb ports and set it down in front of the monitor. Of course, since the speakers were right behind it they had some feedback and echo problems. So this weekend, I finally hooked the cam up right. This meant moving the desk and cleaning the bedroom. But it's done and tested.

St. Patrick's Day

2008-03-17T19:35:00.001-05:00

Star Wars vs. Saul Bass

2008-03-12T17:18:00.001-05:00

Star Wars vs. Saul Bass

2008-03-12T17:15:00.001-05:00

Star Wars as a 60s action film.

Does this help?

2008-03-01T14:28:00.001-06:00

According to Yahoo, this file comes from the Clinton campaign. Would you trust the Joker on who to vote for?

Who exactly would be persuaded by the fact that a killer clown, a crazy marine, a washed up PI and a psychopathic killer wants Hillary in the White House?

And yes I know Jack is supposed to be cool and all, but just what the heck does he know about politics?

Update - Family news

2008-03-01T14:06:00.003-06:00

Well February is over and we got some good news. Sarah has finally found a job. She's working for Life Senior Services doing something. I'm really not sure what her responsibilities are. But they're going to be paying her what she was making in Illinois. So that's a good thing. Hopefully we can start paying down this mountain of debt we have.

Nick soccer team played its first game today and came away with a 4-4 tie. Not bad considering they were down 4-0. Nick still needs to work on his skills, but he's having more fun. He's also selling cookie dough for school.

Scooter is working on getting potty trained, which is go since she's going into daycare when Sarah starts working. Scooter is currently on a Lion King fix, but that may be over in favor of dinosaurs. However, in playing dinosaurs with her today, I was the mommy dinosaur and she was the baby dinosaur. Scooter instructed me that her dinosaur needed to eat and take a nap. So we really were playing house.

Kansas City was fun, but I didn't win anything at the competition. In fact my beers scored kind of low. I'm going to have to plan my next brew better and work really hard on sanitation. I've got a few ideas but I'm probably not brewing again until the big brew in May.

This is us

2008-01-26T14:57:00.001-06:00

They take their youth sports seriously here in OK.

2008-01-26T13:19:00.000-06:00

This week's Tulsa Urban Weekly, the local equivalent to the Chicago Reader, ran an article describing just how insane some folks around here are about youth sports, specifically football. You can find the article here. The article details the youth programs around the two most dominant football powerhouses in the state. It is fiercely competitive, even though these kids are six and seven.

On a personal note, I experienced some of the same dedication, but luckily without all of the driven competitiveness. Today, I signed Nick up for soccer at the Sapulpa Soccer Club. The club itself is part of USYouth Soccer. The club has some decent facilities, including some dedicated soccer fields and a bunker. We ordered his uniform, and once Nick gets on a team we just need to call in to the uniform store with his number. They'll put it on his jersey and shorts. Pretty cool.

When Nick played in Berwyn, we were lucky to get a t-shirt and we had to shoo the softball teams off the field. And if we stayed too long, baseball teams then shooed us off. So this level of interest and support is quite new to us.

Wish I could have done that

2008-01-21T21:40:00.000-06:00

I have tore through few books as quickly as I went through, A.J. Jacob's The Year of Living Biblically. It is quite a good read. Jacob, who self describes himself as Jewish the way the Olive Garden is Italian, set out to follow every law set down in the Bible. He does this partially out of curiosity, partially out of showing how next to impossible that sort of thing is.

In doing so Jacob, an admitted agnostic, has a very interesting social commentary. The rituals seem to connect him more to the faith of his past, in a more direct way than he anticipated. By focusing on not lying or the Sabbath, he is forced to confront the very shallow nature of modern society.

Another great facet of the book is that, even when it would work for an easy joke, he refused to simply use those who's faith and practices are way out of the mainstream be the needless butt of the joke. He goes and takes the time and effort to get to know creationists, the Amish, those who slaughter chickens and snake handlers. In doing so he makes them much more like us and less foreign.

And as interesting, he shows his own struggles for faith and spirituality. Jacob realizes this and assembles his own faith council. A diverse body of religious tutors and mentors which help guide him. These guides help keep Jacob grounded to the fact that this more than just a set of rituals for him to pretend in. Which helps the book transcend the travelogue.

But unfortunately, the ride slows considerably when he sets his sight on Christianity. And it is in this very aspect where it slows. When he is in his own faith, Judaism, he seems to get more out of the rituals as a link to the past and he is able to internalize them into himself.

Unfortunately, one of the major aspects of Christianity is the removal of many of the rituals which he is now engaged in. This since there are almost no new acts to do, and since he barely believes the message in Judaism, he does not seem to get nearly as much out of his time with Christian Bible thumpers.

To somewhat counter the effect of his unbelief in Christianity, we learn more about his wife and their attempt at invetro. This begining of new life sets the course for the last part of the book. And while it was interesting, it brings up the question, just how has this challenge changed him in the long run? I really would like to know if he still follows the Sabbath or, as he shows in the book, how easy it is to go back. As he admits that he Google searches himself sometimes, A.J. go ahead and drop a note.

My apartment encourages reading

2008-01-15T22:33:00.000-06:00

This Christmas I received a nice gift card for Amazon and used it to purchase 4 books. And I've already read through 2 of them. (I've also used the Designing Great Beers book as well, but there's a lot more in that one.) And I was wondering just why I was able to get through these books as quickly as I did. And then I realized what it was. My apt makes me read more.

Well one fact about my apartment in particular. The computer is in the master bedroom. This small fact truely redefines my late night activities. Since Sarah cannot get to sleep with the monitor on, I've almost entirely abandoned my late night web surfing habit. And since I refuse to go to bed before midnight, I have more time do do some reading while I drink my beer. (See I'm getting some use out of that book.)

But both books, A year of living Biblically and Heat while starting great ended a little flat. I'm sure I'll blog about both of these soon, cause there is a lot to say. But right now Sarah is about to kick me out of here. I think I'll start on the last book now.

No more metal

2008-01-03T20:50:00.001-06:00

Today I finally got the last remnants of my surgery removed. The doc took out the 12 staples in my gut. However, I'm not quite up to full speed yet as he applied some glue and bandages to the same spots. But it's a lot better than the staples.

A funny thing happened on the way to the 20th

2007-12-14T17:28:00.000-06:00

As I posted last time, I was scheduled to have my gall bladder out on Dec. 20th. But I will not be needing that appointment anymore. As I had it removed on Wednesday.

I had a severe gall bladder attack which lasted from 11pm on Tuesday until I went into surgery at 7pm on Wednesday. Since this was not the scheduled surgery, I was held for two nights at St John's in Tulsa. I was only released this afternoon.

On the whole, I still feel like crap. But I know longer have the sharp pain of an infected gall bladder. Instead I have the dull pain of abdominal pain from the surgery. I hope that it gets better.

There is only one funny story from the hospital stay. And it's really not that funny, nor is it a story. My surgeon made me get up and walk around the floor to help get my stomach back into shape. While walking I struck up a conversation with the floor chaplain, and since this was a Catholic hospital he was a Priest. And he was a nice guy and every bit a professional. Expect there was something about how he was dressed which I found extremely funny. He wore the standard black shoes, black pants, black shirt with the white collar that you would expect. But he had on a huge silver belt buckle, which reminded me that I'm not in Illinois anymore.

Eviction

2007-12-07T16:07:00.000-06:00

Well, my gall bladder is being evicted. I meet with the surgeon today and we scheduled the operation on Dec 20. What this will do to our Christmas plans is any one's guess.

Mr. Magoo Beer Commercials

2007-12-06T17:01:00.001-06:00

Drunk himself blind, what a shame.

It's Every Cuss Word We Know

2007-12-04T09:38:00.001-06:00

Pretty self explanitory

Oh the power I wield

2007-11-29T10:20:00.000-06:00

Until Tuesday morning, I didn't realize that all by myself, I had the power to disrupt American Airlines flight schedule. It started Tuesday morning, when I was scheduled to go to Santa Ana for my bi-weekly trip to Greer. Right as the plane was about to board, I started to feel a little diarrhea, come on. So, I quickly went to the newsstand and bought some pepto and a vitamin water. I went to the bathroom before I got on the plane and figured that was that.

The first leg of our trip was Tulsa to DFW, a mere 40 minutes. I figured if I could make this part of the trip, the pepto would kick in and everything would be alright. And my plan seems to be working, through takeoff and most of the flight, no problem. But with about ten minutes to go, I begin to feel a rumbling in my stomach. Ok, I think to myself, lets just get this over with and land. So I get up and head to the bathroom.

As I near the back of the plane, I see one of my co-workers Beth. We nod but I don't waste time exchanging pleasantries. As I open the door, something very unexpected happens. I threw up. Do you remember the vomit scene from the Exorcist? I covered the bathroom with vomit. It went flying out of me with an urgency I had never before experienced. It even came out of my nostrils. This was quite a shock to me as I had not felt any indications that I would throw up. But after that, I actually felt better.

However, the plane that I was on was scheduled to continue through to Denver. Well the crew decide that they could not get the bathroom cleaned in time for that to happen. So the airline had to get another plane, and all the passengers had to get off at DFW. I wonder how much my vomit cost them?

Of course, as I felt better I thought I should keep going. Come on, I thought, the worst is over. I mean I've got nothing in me left to puke. But I was wrong. Shortly after takeoff on the two and a half hour flight from DFW, it starts all over again. And I spend most of the flight, including landing, in the bathroom. Of course all this puking and diarrhea makes me dehydrated. Which over the course of two hours sends me into shock by the time the plane lands. Plus two hours of vomiting starts to cause my abdominal muscles tp cramp. Needless to say, by the time we get to Santa Ana I'm going to the hospital.

At the hospital, they give me fluids, but won't let me wash out my mouth which is dry as a bone and covered in dehydrated vomit. But that's not the worst. The doctor once he discovered that I had some abdominal pain, was concerned that it wasn't the vomiting that caused the pain. Perhaps, he thought, the pain was appendicitis. So he wanted to check for that. With a barium enema.

Now the cruelity of ordering an enema on a guy whose got things shooting out his butt at mach 2 is almost unmatched. And the tech, was as nice as a guy could be, for someone who has to give enemas.

The good news is that I don't have appendicitis. But I was order to have bed rest and I came home Wednesday. Actually my boss wanted to send me home on Tuesday, but I didn't think it would be a good time to fly. I had already wrecked to AA planes. I'm not sure they would have let me board.

Scooter the songbird

2007-11-06T22:58:00.000-06:00

On Friday, Scooter's third birthday, we took the kids to Chuck E. Cheese. They loved it. We enjoyed it. We had a coupon, two hours for $20. And they came home really tired.

On the way to Chuck E Cheese, we were driving in the van and the CD in the player was one of Sarah's mixes. The first song was "American Pie". Catchy tune. Don't know all the words, but I know the chorus pretty well. And so does Scooter. Cause out of the back seat comes "dadaadadada this will be the day that I die." And she's got pretty good pitch too.

I thought that was impressive. But on Sunday she did even better. The Church that we are joining in Tulsa is Christ The Redeemer LCMS. Scooter doesn't pay much attention during the service. She colors and plays in the pew. The service is quite different from Concordia, they believe in high church here. We use kneelers and the pastor sings the Introit and Kryie. This Sunday as Scooter was looking at the coloring books, I realized she was singing the Kryie. The pastor's part.

What's Kobe doing at the Costa Mesa Hooters?

2007-10-25T22:41:00.000-05:00

My team in Oklahoma and Santa Ana, consists almost exclusively of men. Most of which are married. So, we traditionally go to Hooters, a tradition started by my boss, for one dinner. Well tonight I took the crew to the Costa Mesa Hooters which is roughly 10-20 minutes from our hotel. It keeps everyone happy.

Well, tonight there were weird things going on at the Costa Mesa Hooters. First, as we were sitting down, one of the TVs caught fire. So the manager had to run out and use the fire extinguisher. Of course, this covered half of the restuarant with a fine white powder. My crew briefky debated if the air in the restuarant was not worse than the air outside and thus contemplated the usefullness of opening a window.

Dinner came and things went back to normal when a low murmur worked it's way through the crowd. In the back of the restuarant, someone who looked a lot like Kobe Bryant was seated and eating. I had a clear look at him, and he did look exactly like Kobe. But what the hell is Kobe doing at the Costa Mesa Hooters? It simply made no sense.

But by shear luck, we left at the same time as he did. And when he got into his prestine white Bentley, we all agreed that it actually was Kobe. And while that was cool and all, it doe not answer the question. What's Kobe doing at the Costa Mesa Hooters? The world may never know.

Of Christ and outdoorsmen

2007-10-25T22:36:00.000-05:00

This last weekend, as a way to get myself into the congregation, I attended the men's retreat for Christ the Redeemer Lutheran. We stayed at Camp Lutherhoma, in Telaquah, OK which is about an hour and a half southeast of Tulsa. We had the camp to ourselves, but we still had meals from the staff.

The team building portion was interesting as it got 10 men, of which I was the youngest, to get up and move around to do activities. I think we all enjoyed it but by the last one we we're ready to call it a day. The study we picked, however, was not all that good. We went through Max Lucado's book Next which can be sumerized in 4 sentences and is not very deep nor very instructional. But that was the text and we went through it. By the fourth chapter we were just going on autopilot.

But I learned that I was in Oklahoma and not in Berwyn. First, after dinner on Friday (Cowfalo= 50% Buffalo and 50% Beef burgers) and Saturday, we all retired outside to drink beer and smoke cigars. In fact, beer and cigars was listed on the items to bring sheet. Second, I was asked if I was planning to go fishing in the Illinois River during our free time on Saturday. When I responded that I had never been fishing, one of the leaders brought out one of two spare rods that he brought and said I should come. And I caught the biggest small mouth bass for the group. Third, on the last night as we were drinking, and the others were smoking, I was asked what did I like to hunt. They did not ask if I liked hunting. When I said that I had never been hunting, they looked at me as if I had said I had never had a bowel movement. The possiblity had just never entered their minds. And now I've been invited to go duck hunting this season.

I've taken up smoking

2007-10-25T22:30:00.000-05:00

Well, not really. This week I've been in Orange County for my job. All around us, but not close enough to physically be dangerous, are wildfires. When we leave our hotel, it smells like a raging campfire. Ash falls like snow. I haven't needed my sunglasses as the smoke makes the sun shine an eerie orange.

Even flying in, the normal smoggy haze was replaced by a thick opaque dirty brown. I've probably "smoked" a packs worth of cigarettes without getting the nicotene rush. I feel cheated.

Computer back up

2007-10-14T14:41:00.001-05:00

It's kind of hard to do a lot of things on your computer without a keyboard. And losing the mouse doesn't help either. But that's been our situation ever since we came to Tulsa. Somehow our keyboard and mouse have not been in any of the boxes we've unpacked. "It's gotta be here somewhere" we would tell ourselves.

No, it doesn't. After a month of unpacking and using the very old laptop, which I borrowed from Phil in 2001 to do some work on a vacation, I finally broke down and went out and bought a new keyboard and mouse.

Now I can get the rest of the desk set up. The apartment saga continues.

Nick: Smart and Outdoorsy?

2007-10-06T21:12:00.000-05:00

Well, Nick has had quite a few weeks here in Sapulpa. He's done really well at school and has made several new friends. He's been to a birthday party for a classmate and has begun playing football during recess.

As for his grades he's doing well. During his last reading test, he posted a score showing him to be at a third grade second semester level. So he's more than a year up in reading. His math score is also good, being just below third grade level.

But he has also joined a paramilitary organization, the Cub Scouts. And he really likes the meetings and good to do stuff. So it should be a lot of fun over the next few months.

Tulsa State Fair

2007-10-06T21:02:00.000-05:00

Tulsa, by pretty much every possible measure, is not a state. This does not prevent the organizers of the Tulsa State Fair, which has taken place this past week.

Despite the inherant issues with the name the fair was quite enjoyable. My work gave us some free passes and so we headed out to the fair with my boss and our engineer. Everyone had a good time. Nick got to ride some rides, Scooter got to look at many animals including Zebu and horses. Sarah go a chance to meet some of my coworkers and their families. And I got a free gun lock.

Yes the Tulsa police were giving away gun locks to whomever wanted one. And no, I don't own a gun, and it was all I could do to not laugh when I saw the big basket of gun locks with a sign saying "Take One, Courtesy of the Tulsa Police". And my natural instict to take whatever is given to me for free and not wanting to disobey a police order, I took one. Can you imagine getting a free gun lock in Illinois. I don't think so.

Tulsa and Orange County

2007-09-23T19:15:00.000-05:00

Now that Sarah is here, my employer has told me that until we finish moving our plant from Santa Ana, CA to Tulsa, I will be spending every other week in Santa Ana. I knew something like this would be in the works when I took the position. And it makes sense. But it's weird that by the end of next week Sarah will have spent as much time in Tulsa as I have and she came two weeks after Nick and I did.

Am I a Sooner or a Cowboy?

2007-09-23T19:05:00.000-05:00

Folks in Tulsa don't really talk about Pro Football. They don't really talk about baseball. They wouldn't know a hockey conversation even if they were in the middle of it. Office small talk revolves around college football. By the end of my first week, I could tell who roots for which team. They decorate their offices and cubes to show their loyalities.

Western only plays one sport, basketball, at a national level. And it doesn't play it well. I am surrounded by red and orange. I don't know what to do. I'm thinking I might have to go and get an MBA at OSU so that I will be acknowlegded on Monday mornings.

Gettin' settled

2007-09-23T19:01:00.000-05:00

Well, the apartment is beginning to take shape. Most of the boxes have been unpacked but there always seems to be more.

We've been taking in some of the local flavor here, including the Creek County Fair. Nick really liked the rides, while Scooter enjoyed the kids area. They both had their first corndog, Nick loved it, Scooter not so much. But the fried twinkie was great.

It's now official, I'm certified

2007-09-03T15:56:00.000-05:00

My results from the Beer Judge Certifacation Program have finally come. And I scored high enough to be a certified beer judge. This was my goal, as it is the highest level I could have obtained with the number of judging events I've done. In order for me to get to the next level, Master Beer Judge, I will need to judge another 10 or so events and retake the test. I don't forsee that happening very soon.

Unlike Illinois, where there were judging opprotunities almost every other month, Oklahoma has only one BJCP event in the whole state. And I doubt I can convince Sarah to let me drive down to Texas just to judge beer. I'll have to wait a least a month before I can bring that one up.

Everyone's finally in Tulsa

2007-09-03T15:47:00.000-05:00

After two weeks apart, the boys and girls in the family finally met up and drove down to Tulsa. We purchased a collapsable car luggage carrier that I'm sure we'll get a lot of use out of. It nicely holds our largest suitcase, areobed (thanks Clarks), and two smaller duffel bags. The drive itself was uneventful, but getting started was hard. I had hoped to leave around 6ish but we didn't get going until 10. Various things, both planned and unplanned, held us up. So we didn't get to Tulsa until 10:30. The kids didn't get to sleep til after midnight.

But on the plus side, we're all together in a tiny hotel room while our apartment is getting ready. Just one week of this madness. I hope.

I'm Ok in OK

2007-08-25T20:57:00.000-05:00

Well Nick and I made it to Tulsa. And after a nasty bout with some stomach flu which put me in the emergency room, things are getting to normal. Nick started school this week and seems to be responding nicely to Oklahoma. He likes his school and his teacher.

Work is going well. They're sort of keeping me under wraps until they make the announcment that the plant in California is coming to Tulsa. But I've been given a bunch of work to keep me busy until the announcment.

But Tulsa seems to be much like a smaller, cleaner and more polite Chicago. We have most of the same things here that we had in Berwyn. But there are some small differences. When they were building the highways here they decided that the proper amount of space needed for merging onto the highway is 5.75 feet.

We've been to the Air and Space museum. And while it is much smaller then the Adler, you can touch pretty much everything. Which includes climbing into the cockpit of a actual f-14. Pretty cool.

And the homebrew store is huge. I think I'll be staying here a while.

Star Trek Meets Monty Python

2007-08-17T21:55:00.001-05:00

Very Silly indeed

The value of beer

2007-08-02T22:32:00.000-05:00

Last weekend I helped my in-laws move from Pottsville, PA to Niles, MI. For those who don't know, Pottsville is the home of Yuengling Beer, the oldest continiuosly operating brewery. In fact, for their first year there they lived basically across the street from the brewery. Another thing about Yuengling is that they distribute on the East Coast. And they don't distribute to Michigan, Illinois and/or Oklahoma. Everytime we went for a visit, I had to take the free tour and get some beer.

It's good beer.

So they are moving from the heart of Yuengling Country to a place where they can't get it at all. Well as insentive for getting me to help, I was promised beer. So we get there, we unload the truck, we bring it all inside and awaiting me is... a six pack?

Now, my in-laws are not drinkers. But come on. Heck, I got almost a whole case of great mircobrews from Phil when I helped him move. Yes, I did give him a list of brands, but he came through with the beer.

Nick's last T-ball game

2007-07-25T22:48:00.001-05:00

Look for Nick's new trophy when we all get together. The Twins season is over.

By way of Springfield...

2007-07-25T22:40:00.001-05:00

OK, I'm a huge geek. I drove to 63 and Oak Park for no other reason than to gawk at the Simpsons movie stuff at a 7-11. Click here for more info. Which is good since I had exactly $.05 in my pocket. But I did have my camera. Best. Convience Store. Ever.

Where the wind goes sweeping cross the plains..

2007-07-25T22:36:00.000-05:00

Well, goodbye Illinois. Hello Oklahoma. I've decided to take a position in Tulsa which means I'm moving the whole clan next month. Help me, I'm insane.

Tough call

2007-07-09T22:30:00.000-05:00

Over the Fourth, the family went to see Rataouille. It was a great flick, more for adults and foodies than kids. No annoying cute sidekicks. No pointless songs. Just wonderful. Nick has proclaimed it his favorite of all time.

I've been thinking of it for a couple of days, and I still put The Incredibles on top.

Death of a League

2007-07-05T22:47:00.000-05:00

No not the FFL. We have outlasted yet another league since NFL Europa has been sent out to pasture. Click here for story. But on the upside, my London Monarchs, Raleigh-Durham Skyhawks and Birmingham Fire caps are even more collectable.

Maybe not.

Lego Millenium Falcon Stop Motion

2007-07-05T22:36:00.001-05:00

Pretty Cool

The other red meat

2007-05-30T22:54:00.000-05:00

At Ennis, I have become friends with the international sales director, Gerhardt. Recently he came back from a multi-country trip in Africa. And he brought back some biltong which is basically a type of jerky from South Africa, but made with native animals. This particular biltong was made with Kudu.

Apparently, I mentioned that I would basically try almost anything once. So, Gerhardt brought some Kudu biltong for me to enjoy. And naturally, I tried it.

It was delicious. Moister than most jerky, but with a nice spicy and peppery flavor. I ate the whole bag. It ruined my dinner. But quite nice.

Beasts of Bourbon

2007-05-22T22:18:00.001-05:00

I heard about this band on Sound Opinions. And while the video sucks, I can't get the tune out of my head.

Nick the Theologian

2007-05-22T21:39:00.000-05:00

Every night when I tuck Nick into bed we say prayers. I read two from a prayer book for children, then Nick says the "Now I lay me" prayer. For those not familiar with the prayer it goes like this:

Now I lay me
down to sleep
I pray the Lord
My soul to keep

If I die
Before I wake
I pray the Lord
My soul to take

God bless everybody
Amen.

But recently he's taken the rote memory prayer and changed it. Usually he will switch the last words of the verses, making it:

Now I lay me
down to sleep
I pray the Lord
My soul to take

If I die
Before I wake
I pray the Lord
My soul to keep

God bless everybody
Amen.

Besides messing up the rhyme pattern, it unwittingly brings up an interesting point. Just when does your soul belong to God? By switching the words the first verse offers his soul to God and the second prays that God will not simply discard his soul upon death. Very deep.

Of course, this completely flies over his head. He's just doing it to mess with me.

Nick learns a valuable lesson. It pays to stay during the rainout.

2007-05-17T21:11:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday, a series of events happened which allowed Nick and me to go to the Sox game against the Yankees. One of my vendors at work had scheduled a training seminar at the Cell and included were tickets to the game. Our company had reserved 3 seats, but since we were busy and the weather was bad nobody went.

So at 4 o'clock I get a call. My vendor has a boatload of tickets. It seems that almost nobody came to the event. They were expecting 30 odd people and about 5 showed. To keep the night from being a complete loss, he invited my entire family. But since Sarah wasn't quite feeling well, we decided that she would stay home with Scooter. So after dinner, Nick and I ventured to the Cell.

But alas, there was no baseball played on that lightly rainy night. But everything we wanted to eat or drink was provided to us. Even though we saw no baseball, we had a nice time. And since I mentioned that this was Nick's first Major League game, they bought him a t-shirt and a jersey. A $95 dollar jersey!!! I don't have any shirts that are $95.

Most Average

2007-05-17T20:59:00.000-05:00

Once again, Illinois comes in first at being in the middle. According to the AP, Illinois is the most average state. Click here for story. In other words we're more like everyone than anyone else. Not too smart, not too dumb, not too poor, not too rich. Just happy in the middle.

Pug bowling

2007-05-10T03:25:00.005-05:00

It may be cruel. It is funny.

Star Wars ! What really happened after the Deathstar blew up

2007-05-10T03:25:00.003-05:00

Star Wars Help Desk

2007-05-10T03:25:00.001-05:00

Funny.

Brainiac - Microwaves - Newton's Cradle

2007-05-10T03:02:00.007-05:00

Neat

Mahnahmuhnah!

2007-05-10T02:25:00.001-05:00

No reason

Chris De Burgh - Don't Pay The Ferryman

2007-05-02T20:51:00.001-05:00

Coyote's gotta eat

2007-04-04T19:47:00.000-05:00

Sometimes when you're downtown in the Loop you get a little peckish. So you stop into Quizno's and grab take a seat. Even if you're a coyote. Click here for story. Of course, I would have preferred Potbelly's.

MLB makes a really stupid ruling.

2007-03-26T22:49:00.000-05:00

For about twenty years Craig Biggio of the Astros has been involved with a non-profit group called the Sunshine Kids which helps cancer stricken youth. And as a way to show his support he has worn a pin in his cap during pregame warm ups and spring training games. But that was apparently a problem with MLB, which has declared that the pin must go. Click here for story.

Paul Lukas has it right when he writes "It takes a very special brand of chutzpah to tell a future Hall of Famer to stop supporting cancer patients. Forget about players on steroids -- the real problem, apparently, is kids on chemo. And that's just the beginning of MLB's cluelessness here. According to this account, "a league official, having watched the Astros-Devil Rays game on the local Houston Fox Southwest feed, sent word to Kissimmee that [Biggio] must remove [the pin]. A picture from that game was faxed to the Astros, who informed [Biggio] of the league's request." Whoa, TV and faxes -- they sure caught him red-handed! Apparently the miscreant who employed these high-tech investigative tools was unaware that Biggio had already been wearing the pin on his cap for nearly 20 years."

BJCP

2007-03-26T22:47:00.000-05:00

The exam is finished. I think it went pretty well only two things that I know are wrong. Hopefully I can get 70 points and get certified.

No longer a single parent.

2007-03-17T13:07:00.000-05:00

From Monday through Thursday, Sarah was down in Springfield getting some training for her new job. This left me home with the kids for the better part of four days. The good news is that everyone survived. No major disastrers befell us and we seemed to get through the week alright. But the kids were happy on Friday morning when, they woke up to find that momma was home.

And she even let me sleep in this morning. Yea!

DMC spells no victories for me.

2007-03-17T13:00:00.000-05:00

I had hoped to do better at the Drunk Monk Challenge. But none of my beers placed. And for the third year in a row, I didn't win anything in the raffle either. So it was disappointing for me as a contestant.

But as a board member of the UKG and sponsorship coordinator ,the DMC went great. We had more entries this year than ever before. And despite the size of the show, it all went very smoothly. The raffle made over $1,100 and we had enough prizes to cover three pool tables with marvelous swag.

Even the beers I judged were well made this year. Some excellent brewers out there. I just hope all goes equally good for me when I take the BJCP exzm on March 25th.

Long time no post

2007-03-09T19:18:00.000-06:00

Hey, I'm not dead. Just been really busy. The DMC is tomorrow and I've got a party tonight for out of town judges. I anticpate a great deal of drinking. Ta

To better things...

2007-02-05T21:30:00.000-06:00

So the Bears lost. It's ok. Why?

In 9 days, pitchers and catchers report for the Cubs. In 12 days, pitchers and catchers report for the White Sox.

Everything will be alright.

What would Chewbacca do?

2007-02-05T21:19:00.000-06:00

The answer is beat up on the tour operator. Down by Hollywood and Vine there are folks who dress up in costumes for tourists to take pictures with. They usually demand some cash, and this make some of these guys alittle aggressive. So when a tour guide asked a Chewbacca performer to stop harrassing his group. Chewy shouted "Nobody tells this wookie what to do!" and headbutted him. Click here for story.

Maybe he'll use the Chewbacca Defense. It's worked before.

Bears Lose

2007-02-05T21:18:00.001-06:00

Daaammn

Frylock is going to be pissed

2007-01-31T19:22:00.000-06:00

The good folks at Cartoon Network had a great idea for a stealth marketing campaign for the upcoming Aqua Teen Hunger Force movie. They placed little light up panels showing Err flipping the bird.

Nice and cute. The problem is that they failed to tell the good folks in Boston, who seem to be taking this whole war on terror thing seriously. Not knowing what these things were the cops closed several streets and tunnels and sent in the bomb squads. Click here for story.

The best part about the story is how AP tries to explain just what Aqua Teen Hunger Force is. "Turner Broadcasting, a division of Time Warner Inc. and parent of Cartoon Network, said the devices were part of a promotion for the TV show "Aqua Teen Hunger Force," a surreal series about a talking milkshake, a box of fries and a meatball." Meatwad, not meatball.

King of Swag

2007-01-23T18:33:00.000-06:00

My brewclub The Urban Knaves of Grain sponsor a homebrew competition every year called The Drunk Monk Challenge. This is a relatively large competition, receiving around 450 brews each year. And judging 450 beers, while I wouldn't call it work, takes a great deal of time and effort. And it takes a lot of judges, around 75.

So how do we get and keep our judges? Well we feed them and give them free stuff (SWAG!!!) And with 75 judges and nearly 90 prizes for winners, that's a lot of swag. And this year, as DMC Sponsor Coordinator, I'm responsible for all the swag.

So if anybody, and I mean anybody, has a contact at any sort of brewery, brewpub, brew shop, beer bar, or any place having to do with beer let me know pronto.

BEARS WIN

2007-01-21T17:31:00.000-06:00

YEAAAAAHHH!

More?

2007-01-08T20:56:00.000-06:00

As I was going through my brewing books in preparation for starting up an American Pale Ale this Sunday, I was struck with the question. Just how many recipes do I have? Well, in the brewery I have 7 different brewing books. Counting quickly, I tallied 735ish recipes. Now some of these recipes are similar if not the same. But they are published in different books, so I counted them as their own recipe. I also included other things like mead, cider, sake and any other home fermentation recipe.

But then I remembered my magazine collection. I had several years of Zymurgy and BYO brimming with recipes. After quickly counting them, I was over 1,200. Now assuming I make 5 gallon batches, that's 6000 gallons. US law allows for a brewer to brew 100 gallons worth of beer per year. So it would take me over 60 years to brew every recipe that I have. Now that's a lot of beer over a very long time.

The funny thing is, I've been creating my own recipes for the last year or so.

Scooter's vocabulary increases

2007-01-03T21:15:00.000-06:00

Scooter keeps spitting out new words every day. But today word takes the cake.

For her Birthday, Scooter received a Hello Kitty rug. This afternoon, Sarah had been cleaning the kids rooms and she rolled up Scooter's rug so she could sweep. She did not, however, replace it as she was called away to do something else. So this evening, after dinner, I take Scooter into her room to change her diaper. She points to the spot on the floor where the rug should be and says "Hello Kitty".

Still no grandma.

Happy New Year

2007-01-01T14:21:00.000-06:00

I'm sick. I've eaten too much. I've stayed up way too late.

2007 sounds a lot like 2006.

2006-12-29T23:08:00.000-06:00

Pulp Fiction - Short Version

F'ing short. F'ing cool.

Joys of cross country travel

2006-12-29T22:53:00.000-06:00

Now I know why Dad used to get us up at 5:00 in the morning to drive to the farm. It wasn't just to miss traffic. It's just easier driving when the kids are asleep. Nick was fine, but Scooter was a pain in the butt. Now keep in mind that she only knows about 50 words, and the only relevent one she could come up with was "Mommy".

Every 10 to 15 minutes. But that's just the average. Sometimes it just went on and on. Of course Sarah could not hear Scooter. So the SOP went like this. Scooter would say "Mommy". I would tell her to wait. Scooter, believing that "wait" means "immediately state request again, perhaps at a higher volume", would again say "Mommy". I would tap Sarah on the leg and once I have gotten her attention I point to Scooter. Sarah would look back and try to decipher what Scooter wanted. Not an easy task when pretty much everything in the van was "Mommy".

Doctor?

2006-12-22T15:56:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone check out this PDF. Click here for file. Look under Doctor of Ministry, see anyone familiar?

Proof that Detroit is truly evil

2006-12-14T17:33:00.000-06:00

Do we really need this. A Mustang Station Wagon!!!

2006-12-14T17:19:00.000-06:00

It's a good thing the twins were taken away

But alas it didn't matter

Blackhawk's toying with me again

2006-12-14T13:32:00.000-06:00

Earlier this year the Hawks were playing inspired hockey. They started real strong, but then they began their fall. Havlat went down, Vrbata went down, Handzus is out for the season, Khabibulin went down. They lost a slew of games. Finally they fired Yawney.

But a new day seems to be dawning. They hired Savard and in seven games have gotten at least a point in every one. Havlat and Khabibulin came back and tonight they play Detroit. Let's hope they can keep it up.

Now that's dedication

2006-12-14T13:25:00.000-06:00

This week I've come down with a sinus infection. I couldn't swallow anything bigger than noodle and when I talked it sounded like I've smoked three packs a day for 20 years. And did I say home from work? You bet I did, I'm no fool.

But since we did have some bankers coming in to evaluate our production processes, why you send bankers to do that is anyone's guess, I dragged myself to Niles for the meeting.

I should hang the new ceiling fan, but Rock Island isn't that far...

2006-11-16T20:50:00.000-06:00

Saturday, Sarah and Rebecca are going up to Gurnee Mills to get a head start on their Christmas shopping. Nick and Scooter are spending the day with Grandma. Which leaves me all alone. So, I planned to get some things done around the house, like putting up the new ceiling fan Sarah bought.

But...

I got an e-mail from Steve McKenna, Beer Judge Teacher. Apparently the beer club in the Quad Cities, Mississippi Unquenchable Grail Zymurgists, or MUGZ, is holding their annual Land of the Muddy Waters Homebrew Competition on Saturday. And they're looking for judges. And I'm a judge. And my Porter should be ready by Saturday. And if I judge I can get my porter entered into the competition. And they'll feed me and serve me good beer to drink for free.

And I'm going to Rock Island on Saturday.

Not a good way to get your name on CNN.com

2006-11-14T23:47:00.000-06:00

It's a familiar story, two airline passengers get a little too frisky during a flight. But these folks simply could not leave well enough alone. Eventually their antics lead to an arrest. Click here for story. The best chuckles are in the affidavit including the line "Persing was obversed with his face pressed against Sewell's vaginal area. During these actions Sewell was observed smiling."

Strange publicity stunt

2006-11-14T23:24:00.000-06:00

I understand Elvira Arellano's desire to stay with her son. I understand her desire to stay in the US. I understand her seeking sanctury in a west side church.

But I don't understand the whirlwind press junket that her 7 year old son is on. He's supposed to be in school now, but instead he is going to Washington DC to try and hand deliver a letter to President Bush. He's been to LA to be on "The Cristina Show," a popular Spanish TV talk show taped in California. And today he showed up in Mexico City and appeared before the Mexican Chamber of Deputies to ask them to pressure Washington to stop the deportation of his mother.

Two things confuse me about this. First, Elvira has been saying all along that the reason she wants to stay is so that she can be with her son. I understand that having him do these things may work toward the long term goal of having her stay with him. But since it is clear that he can go to Mexico and come back anytime he wants to, the real goal is to have him stay with her in America.

But the plea to the Mexican Chamber of Deputies is more confusing. Now I don't have a transcript of the speech, but isn't the message I need Mexico's help in keeping my mother out of Mexico? Please whatever you can do, don't allow them to send my mother here.

54 bottles of beer on the wall, 28 bottles of Cider

2006-11-14T23:00:00.000-06:00

This weekend bottled the porter which I hope to enter in the St Louis Brews Happy Holiday Homebrew Competition. It tasted nice and robust going into the bottle, but it might be a bit over the top an have moved into a stout. On Saturday I'm going to take it to The Homebrew Shop and let Ed give me some guidance.

I also blended and bottled 2.4 gallons of hard cider. To sweeten it up I blended in pear and peach nectars. It also was tasty going into the bottle.

This of course has left my fermenters empty. And a fermenter is a terrible thing to waste. I'm hoping to brew sometime around Thanksgiving, and have good stuff for the January competitions and Christmas.

2006-11-03T21:28:00.000-06:00

Weird Al Yankovic-Bob

All in pallindrome

What is that Pastor Haggard?

2006-11-03T21:09:00.000-06:00

The Rev. Ted Haggard, who has resigned as one of the nation's top evangelical leaders, admitted Friday he had contacted a male prostitute for a massage and bought methamphetamine. You'd have to be living under a rock t onot know this story. If so here it is.

My question is this: what kind of person buys drugs and doesn't take them? What kind of person hires a male prostitute and doesn't have sex?

Time heals all beer?

2006-11-03T21:02:00.000-06:00

In March, I made a helles that was drinkable but had way too much diactyl (a buttery taste which is a flaw from incomplete fermentaion). I asked around for advise, but no one seemed to have a solution for my beer. So it languished at the back of my fridge. Until...

Sarah's brother Andrew can by in September. He asked if I had any homebrew, and the only thing that was ready was the helles. He tried it and declared that it was quite good. Confused, I sampled it. The beer was good. So I entered it as an Octoberfest in the CBS Spooky Brew Review. And it took a second place.

Another time waster

2006-10-15T14:42:00.000-05:00

You Are a Centaur

In general, you are a very cautious and reserved person.
However, you are also warm hearted, and you enjoy helping others in practical ways.
You are a great teacher, and you are really good at helping people get their lives in order.
You are very intuitive, and you go with your gut. You make good decisions easily.

What Mythological Creature Are You?