he's on the move

it seems my friend brittan is on the move to omaha. it will be nice to have him closer. the move should happen in about a month.

in other news, i received a survey in the mail from my auto insurance company. i had intended to get to it right away or shortly thereafter. well, its priority kept getting pushed down on the list. but yesterday morning, i did finally fill it out. it did not take that long. it was not that hard.

what i gather from the survey i received in the mail: 1: since there really was no time frame on the survey (but i did get a reminder in the mail), i gave it neither the importance or urgency i should have. 2: it was so easy to fill out that i was almost ashamed for not having done it sooner. 3: it did not take that long to do. i'd say the total time i spent on it was in the neighborhood of 7-8 minutes.

**this will shortly turn into a rant** since i work at gallup and do telephone surveys all day long, i new this survey could have been completed faster had it been done by phone. someone would only have to spend 3-4 minutes AT THE MOST on the phone. so now when i call people and they request a survey mailed to them, i'll give them this information. and i can only assume they won't like hearing it, not because it's true, but because they didn't have the decency to be honest and say they didn't want to do the survey in the first place. they won't like hearing it because that means their lie has just backfired. and then, caught in their act of dodginess, they will become angry. and at that point, i imagine many a person to hang up or start yelling at me.

people are so passive and indirect and dodgy. avoid, avoid, avoid. put it off and get away. it's sad. and that's why i like calling the new york cab drivers out there. if they don't want to talk to me, they tell me so QUITE directly. cheers . . ..

30jun07 today's quote

times have not become more violent. they have just become more televised.

-marilyn manson-

29jun07 today's quote

i have not failed. i've just found 10,000 ways that don't work.

-thomas edison-

28jun07 today's quote

age does not diminish the extreme disappointment of having a scoop of ice cream fall from the cone.

-jim fiebig-

27jun07 today's quote

hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all.

-sam ewing-

an excellent answer

this was in the february 2007 issue of beeradvocate magazine:

Q. i'm taking part in a local beer-drinking contest. it is the first one in our neighborhood, ever. i myself am onl 5'9" and 185 pounds, and part of a five-man team. i'm probably the smallest guy in the competition. i have a pretty good tolerance for beer, i believe, but i have never had to drink beer as fast as i m going to have to for this competition. it is a quarter-keg race with four people of the five-man teams drinking at all times. the fifth man is a sub. the kicker is that you cannot throw up or you are disqualified. are there any tips you can give me to "hang with the big boys?" anything helpful would be appreciated. thank you. -bill in new jersey

A. yeah, i have a tip for you: you're all pathetic.

i had a good chuckle over the answer beeradvocate gave this guy. you see, they are purists. their motto is "respect beer". the answer they gave bill in new jersey relates to their disposition of the normal, typical beer drinking done in the states. they are not for crappy beers, $.50 draws, or drinking to get drunk. the big breweries put out cheap, low grade beer. like most things american, it is marketed to be consumed excessively. i like the magazine. it gives beer the right credibility it deserves.

cheers . . ..

26jun07 today's quote

in critical moments even the very powerful have need of the weakest.

-aesop-

25jun07 today's quote

never ruin an apology with an excuse.

-kimberly johnson-

bucking broncs, bike rides, a new theater experience, and a garage sale craziness

friday night i went to clarkson. clarkson is a small town just west of highway 15, between columbus and wayne. there is an amazing nursery there, the bluebird nursery. http://www.bluebirdnursery.com/ this weekend was czech days in clarkson. i rode up with trish (who invited me). i got to partake of my first rodeo. they are unique, let's say. i can see how people get excited over them. i had two favorite events. first, there is an event where a three man group attempts to put a saddle on a wild horse, one guy rides it across the arena, dismounts, and then runs back across the arena in the fastest time they can. my second favorite was the steer wrestling. a guy jumps off his horse onto a grown calf (not yet an adult, but still pretty big) and wrestles it to the ground. the goal is to get the steer on its side. such wild antics! i give my first rodeo two thumbs up.

then there was a street dance. there was a live music to be had. but it was ALL country, no rock. i learned quite a bit about swing dancing. trish is an awesome teacher. it was sooooo fun learning how to do swing. i can't wait to get out to the pla-mor and do some more. after the dance, i drove back to lincoln. i got to bed around 3am.

ben and i went to the new theater next to yia yia's last night. we watched hot fuzz. it was the second time we'd seen it. ben sukraw was there with us as well. the experience was great. the theater shows "second showing" movies for only $4. they also have a bar inside. ben (taylor) got quite a bargain on his scotch he paid $5 for. what would you say ben? were there about 2 1/2 - 3 shots worth in there? it was a lot! food is also sold there. the coolest part about the theater though, is that they have couches and recliners to sit in. nice and comfy. there are tables and chairs also. i think the theater is a good idea and i hope it really takes off.

went to a house show at dan p's. a band from new hampshire, a band from (i think) illinois, and a couple other bands played in the basement. it was a good time. the first band i heard sounded amazing. excellent punk sound, crowd involvement, no cursing. it was quality. i got home around 1am, chatted with ben, and then played old school nintendo for a couple of hours...got to bed around 3:30am.

cycling has been great lately. it always is this time of year. this summer has been a typical nebraska summer so far - lots of humidity and heat. i'm the weirdo that likes this kind of stuff. the more the merrier.

jonathan had people over after church. he had made a huge batch of pasta goodness and some other veggie concoction that was equally amazing. something like ten people were there, a nice and diverse crowd. everyone left all at once. i feel bad for leaving jonathan with the mess to clean up.

ben taylor made out like a bandit on garage sale bargains this weekend. he found these awesome AWESOME chairs for $10 for them both. they were made in 1929 and the guy who had them took a basket weaving class once and wove this super cool backing and seat on them out of a sort of wicker material. it's more like twine, really. i need to get photos of them. they are great. he also found a rather tall bookcase for cheap and also some roofing supplies too. the davy's found some nice adirondack chairs for cheap and a really nice tv armoire (heavy enough to require both bens and me to lift into the house). i did not go garage saling but now wish i would have. something, apparenty, was in the air and it was causing people to get sweet deals on things.

as usual, i'm currently torn between doing one thing but not being able to do another thing because of it. i really want to be at the pla-mor right now trying to put together what i learned friday night. but it is 80's night. not that 80's night automatically trumps swing dancing, but a friend wants to come down for the first time. i told him i'd be glad to hang out with him there and am thusly, obligated to 80's night. now there is no problem with this. the problem lies with my inability to be okay with "missing out" on something. all is okay though. the upcoming week will be filled with anticipation of swing dancing on sunday. weeeeeeee!

i'm still not sure what i'll be doing on july 4th, but i'm narrowing it down. the dogsled trip in antarctica to bring fireworks to the researchers at the southern-most point of our earth has been cut. we'll see where i'll be this year. i just want to take it easy and have a more relaxed 4th than i've had before.

well all, i'm out. time to shred some dance floor. cheers . . ..

24jun07 today's quote

the truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it.

-flannery o'connor-

23jun07 today's quote

what a happy and holy fashion it is that those who love one another should rest on the same pillow.

-nathaniel hawthorne-

LOL @ today's quote

it's so funny and so miss piggy. last night, ben had his carey grant movie night (number three). he showed north by northwest. there were some parts that were quite racey. i was surprised for a film from the sixties to have such content. now, it's NOTHING compared to today's "standards", but still makes you say, "oh my!". it was a fun time.

this morning, i mowed the grace chapel lawn again. when i was regularly mowing the lawn last year, i'd ocassionally do it barefoot. i like to do things barefoot. so i did that today - mowed barefoot. i anticipate having green feet for a couple of days. ha ha!

while mowing, a police officer stopped and said i had to put my shirt back on. apparently, my chiseled, arnold-like body was a distraction for lady drivers in the round-a-bout. ... ... ... okay. that didn't happen. ha! i'm in a joking mood today.

off to work here in a little bit. work has been nice this week. not the respondants i get on the phone though, i don't mean that. i mean work has been nice in that i have a majority of my hours in already. this makes for a carefree weekend. w00t! after work, i shall be attending a dance in clarkson. i'm not for sure if it's a street dance or not, but that is my hope.

i'm in really good spirits today. shall you have the same good spirits. cheers . . ..

22jun07 today's quote

beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it may be necessary from time to time to give a stupid or misinformed beholder a black eye.

-miss piggy-

been away from here too long

with the move, and no instant access to the internet, it has been hard to keep up the daily posts. plus, it's summer. and i'm out enjoying that. cheers . . ..

21jun07 today's quote

rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time.

-john lubbock-

20jun07 today's quote

it's a paradoxal and profoundly true and important principle in life that the most likely way to reach a goal is to be aiming not at the goal itself, but at some more ambitious goal behind it.

-arnold toynbee-

19jun07 today's quote

he who builds a better mousetrap today runs into material shortages, patent-infringement suits, work stoppages, collusive bidding, discount discrimination... and taxes.

-h e martz-

18jun07 today's quote

people will accept your idea much more readily if you tell them benjamin franklin said it first.

-david h comins-

17jun07 today's quote

some people walk in the rain. others, just get wet.

another day in the books

i woke up early today after a night of moving in, working, yard game playing, cleaning, and movie watching. the light shown through the windows as if it were 10am or so. but it was only 7am. ah, i love summer. here's a rundown of the day.

went to prayer group.
helped set up for the grace chapel garage sale.
went to jonathan's for a chat. (had a hard boiled egg, too).
took in five months worth of recycle.
met up with ben at our new apartment.
made a number of runs from his place to the new apartment.
my mother called and notified me she was on her way to lincoln. (in typical fashion, with my grandmother, my sister, and little notice).
introduced said mother, grandmother, and sister who arrived with little notice to the davy's and to ben as well.
ate at la paz. mmm...
went to a candy store. (my mother bought ben and i three different kinds of fudge).
took them all to my new apartment. (they all said nice things of it).
went back to the davy house and chilled.
made another trip with ben to the new apartment. (ben and crystal also came along).
a bird somehow managed to land his poop on the dashboard in my car. (i have no idea how he did it. i should have had you roll the window up ben!)
then off to grace chapel to mow and trim the yard.
had a few doughnuts.
hopped online.
found out mr wizard had died.
blogged.
began to think of how to wind up the night.

my day was eventful and full. i hope yours was as well. i will see you when i see you next, unless i don't. cheers . . ..

mr wizard died

RIP mr wizard. you were the man.


an oooold mr wizard video^


the intro i remember as a kid^

mr wizard was the coolest show. he was a scientist (and an old guy) and he did these super cool experiments that taught you a lot about science when you were young. he made science cool. i'm sad he has passed. cheers . . ..

16jun07 today's quote

clothes make the man. naked people have little or no influence on society.

-mark twain-

i'm glad i asked him who he was

last night after work, i went to a concert at knickerbocker's. the killigan's played. they're a band which tries to be irish. musically, they pull it off. lyrically, they're getting there. vocally, nope. the vocals are a definate fake irish-ness. but the whole experience is great. they rock out really well.

i saw a guy there that looked like my friend craig. he looked vaguely familiar. after the killigan's finished playing, i went outside (ben and paul were there too). familiar, craig-looking guy was there. he commented on my alkaline trio tshirt. "awesome shirt, man!" i asked him if he liked the trio. since he was walking the same direction ben and i were walking, we had an awesome conversation about alkaline trio and some other bands.

the topic of ben and i working at gallup, came up. familiar guy, whose name is kenny, said he worked there about two years ago. my friend craig, whom kenny looks like, used to work at gallup for about two years. i asked kenny if he knew craig. he said he knew craig and actually owed him a little money. it turns out that kenny moved into craig's old house on 18th and washington when craig moved out. some of the utilities weren't switched out of craig's name and craig was stuck paying for some.

now here's a little lead in before i get to the really cool part about running into kenny. i had been to a number of parties at the 18th and washington house when craig lived there. craig's a fellow bmx-er and it was fun to ride over there and screw around on the bikes. i remember one night in particular when i made a batch of my world famous green lizard. it's an alcohol concoction that is quite the crowd pleaser and has always been a staple at parties hosted by myself and people i lived with. i had made a batch earlier that day and taken it to an annual eyecare specialties gathering. nobody drank any of it there though. so i toted it home and wondered what i would do with it all. **sidenote** the green lizard was in one of those orange cooler things with a white lid, the kind you see at soccer games and such. they're pretty big. **end sidenote** i find out later that there is a party at craig's. i inform him i'll be bringing over something special. i rode from 11th and g to 18th and washington on my bmx bike carrying this big orange cooler. it was not easy. the green lizard was a big hit. for some reason or another, i left the cooler at craig's. okay. now back to last night, returning to the part where kenny has just told me he owes craig a little money.

since kenny lives at the 18th and washington house now, and since i've never gotten that cooler back, i asked if there just happened to be one such cooler still there. his eyes grew ten times their normal size. "YOU WERE THE ONE THAT NIGHT THAT BROUGHT THAT AWESOME STUFF!!!" "man! that stuff was so awesome! i drank too much and puked all over the basement. i had to tell a friend to take the stuff away, it was too good." by these comments, i was laughing pretty hard. one, because of the excess of enthusiasm kenny had, two, because of the puking all over the basement part, and three, because of the randomness of this encounter where i run into someone who was at a party that i attended nearly two years ago. these kind of connections always blow my mind. so weird. well, it turns out that kenny no longer has the orange cooler but i'm to talk to molly about it. kenny knows molly. i know molly. does this ever end? kenny turned left a block before ben and i had to so we said out goodbyes. ben shook his head. "you know everyone in lincoln scottie." i laughed.

i like crazy, random stuff like the conversation with kenny. you just can't write that kind of thing. have a good day all. cheers . . ..

15jun07 today's quote

millions long for immortality who don't know what to do with themselves on a rainy sunday afternoon.

-susan ertz-

beer myth: dark beers are more alcoholic and bitter than pale beers

judges, sound the buzzer for this is a wrong answer.

taste and beer color have little correlation. color is determined by the type of malted barely used in the brewing process. for example, pale malt produces a golden beer while black patent malt creates a black beer.

different malts do impart unique flavors and aromas ranging from caramel to coffee to biscuits to smokiness. malt provides the sweetness in beer while playing no role in bitterness. hops are the bittering agent in beer but hops play no role in determining color. thus, dark beers can be bitter (imperial stouts, for example), or sweet (like oatmeal stouts), or smoky (rauchbeir), or balanced (like schwarzbier, mmm!). it is solely based on the ratio/type of malt and hops used.

furthermore, color plays no role in alcohol strength. during fermentation, yeast converts sugars, leached from the malt, into carbon dioxide and alcohol. the greater the amount of malt (sugars) and the longer the yeast is allowed to consume it, the higher the alcohol content. yeast plays no role in deciding color. and thus dark beers range widely in alcohol potency.

similarly, dark beers need not be any more filling than pale beers. heaviness is determined by the amount of residual sugar remaining in the beer. and nope, color and residual sugar aren't related either.

hope this enlightens. cheers . . ..

14jun07 today's quote

everybody gets so much information all day long that they lose their common sense.

-gertrude stein-

soon to come: occasional posts on beer

being somewhat of a beer aficionado, i've decided to share some of my wisdom on the subject. stay tuned. cheers . . ..

13jun07 today's quote

a good man would prefer to be defeated than to defeat injustice by evil means.

-sallust-

12jun07 today's quote

go not for every grief to the physician, nor for every quarrel to the lawyer, nor for every thirst to the pot.

-george herbert-

11jun07 today's quote

cats regard people as warmblooded furniture.

-jacquelyn mitchard-

the weekend wrap

thursday night - birthday party

friday night - baseball game, fireworks, missed putt putting (got there just as they closed), late night coffee house randomness chat

saturday - napped in the sun at pioneer's park, old nintendo video game downloads, found out zion church burned down, birthday party in seward

sunday - church, great time at the davy's, work, chill time at the mill.

that brings us to the present. it's a bit after 7:45 in the pm. i've finished a pineapple smoothie and it was quite good. some dude was in the bathroom when i first arrived. i had to go REALLY bad and he was in there FOREVER. no worries though, i didn't have an accident. i'm going to chill out here for a bit longer. then, i'll head over to get some boxes for the move. and finally, tonight is 80's night so i must go dance the night away. cheers . . ..

10jun07 today's quote

that's the secret of entertaining. you make your guests feel welcome and at home. if you do that honestly, the rest takes care of itself.

-barbara hall-

did someone say boobies?

here are two boobies. *snicker* i just felt like being a second grader. cheers . . ..

09jun07 today's quote

skepticism, like chastity, should not be relenquished too readily.

-george santayana-

just to clear up

the top pic is the smiley i've discovered. the bottom pic is the smiley with drawn in finishes so as to give you an idea of what the 4: is. have a good one! cheers . . ..

08jun07 today's quote

you can dance anywhere, even if only in your heart.

some crazy japanese game show

it's like a play, i guess. there is some really unique slow motion things. and they act in reverse too. what a cool idea too.

http://www.noob.us/humor/japanese-human-art-why-is-my-girlfriend-mad/

cheers . . ..

07jun07 today's quote

you cannot dream yourself into a character, you must hammer and forge yourself one.

-james a froude-

i bring a new smiley to the table

i discovered this at work not too long ago. i personally like it a lot and will be using it a lot.

4:

see?

okay, let's turn it on its side and make it bigger.



now can you see it? cool, huh? cheers . . ..

06jun07 today's quote

the right to be heard does not automatically include the right to be taken seriously.

-hubert h humphrey-

the adventures of the litle koala

old, old school nickelodeon cartoon! i remember this show from when i was little. i would love to have days off school (or be sick) so i could watch all the cool shows on nickelodeon. it's sad that now the shows they play are just plain terrible.


the intro^


one of the episodes. cheers . . ..

05jun07 today's quote

reading, after a certain age, diverts the mind too much from its creative pursuits. any man who reads too much and uses his brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking.

-albert einstein-

somewhat of a twist on things

i've been invited by friends to partake of a bible study. it will be a different kind of study than i, or anyone else is probably used to. i will be the only christian there. this makes me a little hot under the collar since i will no doubtedly be looked to for answers and clarification. i'm no pro at this christianity thing. my faith is pretty simple. i pray that the spirit will lead and shine through me so the others will get a glimpse. i ask for your prayers on this, as well. i might change some minds on some things, but i can't change a heart. only the spirit can. i'll keep everyone posted on what's up.

it's late. i'm still sore. just my legs though. to bed i go. cheers . . ..

04jun07 today's quote

do not judge men by mere appearances, for the light laughter that bubbles on the lip often mantles over the depths of sadness, and the serious look may be the sober veil that covers a divine peace and joy.

-edward chapin-

soooooo sore

after playing seven hours of paintball yesterday, i am as sore as sore can be. it is awfully hard to get up and down stairs, worse yet to get out of a chair, because my legs are so sore and hurty. my arms are sore from toting a paintball gun around all day and crawling around. there are muscles i didn't know i had that are now sore. running, jumping, sliding, crawling, ducking, dashing, yelling, sneaking, slipping...continually doing that for a stretch of time takes it out of you.

it was SO fun though! my brother came along and we just had a blast. he's always been pretty good at the sport (must run in the blood, lol). he played very well. it was great to see him so excited after each game talking about how he did this and tried doing that. i think he had a really good weekend. he showed up friday night and we went to the "a street house" and played hand and foot. benjamin caught on very quick. he and dave won. thus again proving that when mel and i are on a team playing hand and foot, we will place second...or last for you pessimists. benjamin left saturday night back to ctown. he called and had gotten a warning outside of seward for doing 3 over in a 40mph zone. 3 over! he called me to tell me how gay he thought that was.

i got back not too long ago from work. i'm pooped, but i don't want to retire just yet. tonight is 80's night but i can't dance being this sore. i could go and just hang out, but i think i'll make the phone calls and let everyone know i'm going to skip this one. this has been a great weekend. cheers . . ..

03jun07 today's quote

why isn't there a special name for the tops of your feet?

-lily tomlin-

02jun07 today's quote

there is no kind of dishonesty into which otherwise good people more easily and frequently fall than that of defrauding the government.

-benjamin franklin-

can't they spell?

the other day i received some junk mail (in the form of a credit card application) addressed to a mr scoottie broxterman. scoottie huh? it gave me a chuckle and reminded me when my good friend brittan rosendahl received a catalog addressed to brootan rosenfetch. talk about butchering!

it's the first day of june today. awesome. june means summertime. have a sa-weet day all. cheers . . ..

01jun07 today's quote

frisbeetarianism is the belief that when you die, your soul goes up on the roof and gets stuck.

-george carlin-