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The Ezekiel Option - Joel C. Rosenberg

If you enjoyed The Last Jihad and The Last Days by Joel Rosenberg, chances are you will enjoy The Ezekiel Option.

The following is a brief synopsis of the book:
With Saddam Hussein and Yasser Arafat out of the way, a dazzling era of security and prosperity seems to have come to the Middle East. With the help of an American president trying to spread freedom and democracy, the Israelis and the Palestinians have signed a historic peace agreement. Violence is down. Their economies are booming.But a new evil looms on the horizon. A dictator is rising in Russia. Iran is feverishly building nuclear weapons. A new Axis of Evil is emerging, led by Moscow and Tehran. And Jon Bennett and Erin McCoy - two senior White House advisers - find themselves facing the most chilling question of their lives: Is the world rushing to the brink of an apocalypse prophesied more than 2,500 years ago?

I did enjoy this book. I liked the characters (by now you are really getting to know them) and the further development of Jon and Erin. Jon Bennett is really coming into his own and taking matters into his own hands. So much so that at one point in the book he goes toe to toe with the POTUS. The fall of Russia and radical Islam is end game in this book and Rosenberg really maps out the path to their destruction very well. The secondary story of Jon rescuing Erin is also a thrill ride (although a bit on the "um...I am not sure that would happen" side).

Pick these books up at your local library or Barnes and Noble

How to frazzle a telemarketer

This would do it. Thanks to Steve B. for sending this along.

Hillary: A world class genius?

Former President Clinton says his wife is a "world-class genius" when it comes to improving the lives of others.

Really. Lets see about that.

Hillary flunked the DC Bar Exam back in the 70's. She then took it again in Arkansas (much higher pass rate in AR) and passed.

Her health care plan, under then husband and President Bill Clinton, failed miserably.

Hillary openly admits she "screwed up" as first lady but will do better as President.

Look at the picture above. She cannot even pose for a camera straight up and down because she is so crooked!

Ultra-liberal New York Times columnist Bob Herbert said that Hillary's husband Bill Clinton "is so thoroughly corrupt it is frightening." It is, of course, almost impossible to separate Bill from Hillary in this regard, because their careers are so intertwined and because so many of the corruptions in Clinton's past specifically involved projects on which Hillary was actively involved.

There is no honest explanation for Hillary's killing in the cattle futures market, when she made about $100,000 very quickly on a $1,000 investment just at the time when brokers appeared to be curiously post-dating and probably re-allocating trades to benefit favored clients.

Remember that Hillary Clinton actually was cited by independent counsel Robert Ray for making false statements at a 1995 deposition. They are part and parcel of a voluminous record of lies that she has been caught making through the years on matters big and small, for reasons apparently ranging from the most nefarious to the most petty.

For bad judgement and a lack of smarts, I am voting NO for genius status at this time.

Gophers Off to an Average Start

The season started off with a rip and a roar for the Gophers beating RPI and Michigan to take the Ice Breaker Invitational at the Excel Energy Center. A comeback win (down 3-0) of 4-3 against RPI made for a great battle against a ranked Michigan hockey team (whom the Gophers also beat 4-3).

Then came CC (at CC). The Gophers skated hard in the first period of game 1, they looked great and went into the locker room tied 1-1. Then the Gophers went home. They looked like they ran 5 miles between periods.

Well, they are a youg team and game 2 did go into overtime before they were beaten 2-1. I did not get a chance to watch as I was murdering other Halo 3 players for 6 hours straight with my Gravity Hammer. Yes, that sounds dirty but it's not. Your mind is in the gutter...

Grand Forks and a Bunch of Girl Swimmers

The coaches survived the first trip to Grand Forks for the Eagan High School Girls Swim Team. It began with a bus ride, leaving on Friday morning at 10:00 am. The bus was late, it was a regular day of school and there was a pep fest about to happen for homecoming. It was, to say the least, a lot of kids in a very confined space. It was also raining so we couldn't go outside.

The trip up was uneventful but that all changed as we got to the hotel and ready for our evening. We ordered Pizza and we actually got all the pizza's correctly. Kudo's to the pizza place, that never happens when the pizza count rises above 3.

After pizza it was time to round everyone up and make sure they were in their rooms. The hotel did a nice job of splitting us all up and making it nearly impossible for the coaches to keep tabs on everyone. We saw some peaking around corners at the other end of the hallway, some running out of their rooms because their toilets mysteriously plugged and some who "just wanted to make some popcorn". "GET BACK IN YOUR ROOM".

The meet went pretty well. It would have been a much nicer pool had it been on the MN side of the border. Varsity swam well and took 3rd place. JV did really well and took 2nd by 3 points (I think). There were a lot of time drops and for the most part I think everyone had a lot of fun.

The bus ride back was quiet. Movies were watched, food was eaten in Fergus Falls and songs were sung (and danced to - which the bus driver put a stop to). We returned just as Homecoming was letting out for EHS. I have never seen so many kids walk home from a dance. Strange. It was about 11pm...WHERE ARE YOUR PARENTS?!?

Great job ladies. Looks like we might make the trip again next year. Go Cats!

Transformers - IMAX

Transformers, the movie based on the kids toy created by Hasbro. Seems silly to make a movie about something like this. I remember them as a kid and they barely transformed. It took to much time to get them from a car to a robot. How can they make a movie about this?

Well, they did make a movie and then they added it to IMAX. This combination...well...was awesome. In fact, it was sensory overload. Action packed from the start, this movie rocked and rolled to the very end. It had it's slow moments such as when Sam, played by Shia LeBeouf (Holes), was looking for his grandfathers 1930 glasses. They attempted to interject some humor into this scene but it really did not go well. More annoying banter between teen angst and parental cluelessness.

Now enter Megan Fox (Mikaela). Mikaela plays Sams high school love interest. If she was at my high school, I would never have left. Holy Moly.

The nice thing about this movie is there are no crummy love scenes. There is an "almost" when Transformers are battling all around them, the scene slows down, the music dies off and they look deeply into each others eyes (Sam cradling the Allspark (fate of the world) in his hands) where Mikaela says "No matter what happens, I am glad I got into the car with you". Then Sam runs off. Good...no icky kissing, hugging or other violence in a movie where it would not have made sense.

The Transformers were awesome. The CG was flawless and the transformations were fluid and quick. Transforming from jet fighters (in full flight) to a running Decepticon was really fun to watch. It happened so fast I was just blown away. The Transformer commentary on humans was a little silly but I guess it fit into the overall storyline. Although, yes Optimus, we are a brave and determined race. Thanks for noticing.

My suggestion, if you have seen Transformers, go to the IMAX. If you have not seen it, go to the IMAX. Yes, your ears will bleed and your eyes will drain from their sockets but...damn. It is so worth it. Check out times for the Apple Valley Zoo IMAX Theater here: http://www.imax.com/minnesota/

Upcoming Blogs

Transformers - IMAX
Golden Gopher Hockey Starts Up for 2007-2008 Season
My trip to Grand Forks, ND - Yes, twice to ND in a week...

Ramada Inn, Fargo ND

I usually don't have many nice things to say about Fargo. I am sure it would have a more pleasant area secured in my head if I didn't drive up there and back in 48 hour (or less) time frames.

We visited this weekend for the wedding of Heidi Erickson and Doug Nelson. It was a wonderful wedding (except for my hyperactive 3 year old) and a great reception. The reception was held at the Ramada Inn Suites in Fargo. A very nice facility.

We also stayed here overnight and I must say, the room was clean (exceptionally), the food was good and the service was good. $99 got me an overnight stay with a wetbar, king size bed and a great shower. I usually shower for about 3 minutes, but I was in for a good 15 minutes on this one. It had a massaging shower head....ohhhhh, nice.

Here is the hotel. The mall is across the street and there are a lot of food options close by.







Here is the room (not ours, but close to it). Very nice with a really big window that would have had a nice view if it were over looking something other than prairie land and construction.

Overall, a very nice stay and I will stay here again if I find a need to be in Fargo, ND.

Jax Cafe

Jennifer and I recently visited Jax Cafe in downtown Minneapolis for our 10th anniversary dinner. We had never been there and we were not sure what to expect. It was wonderful. It is strange though that it is very casual and very upscale all at the same time.

Jen and I were dressed business casual, there were people to our right in jeans and t-shirts and people to our left in bow tie. There were also prom dates there. A very interesting atmosphere.

Jen picked the crab rolls for the appetizer and I think to this day I can still taste them. There are no words for how good these little rolls from heaven are. Buttery love stuffed with crab surrounded by a crisp "taquito" type roll up (I just drooled). Instead of flowers, these should be given to the ones you love on Valentines Day. Christmas, birthdays, mothers day, fathers day...everyday.

Ok, ok...yes, they are good but what helps them along is the ambiance, the staff, the dinner, the people and, did I mention, the crab rolls? Jax is a dining institution that you should visit with no doubt in your mind. A full meal including wine and beer (with tax) was a bit over a hundred dollars. A very fair price for the great experience that is Jax Cafe.

Spidey 3

Well #1 wife and I bit the bullet and went to see Spiderman 3 at the big, big screen at the Muller theaters in Lakeville. Wow!! that is a screen and half and a gorgeous theater. Any big time movie that you want to see should be viewed on that screen or the I Max at the MN zoo. Just a great experiance and one I would recommend to anyone.

The movie sucked.

Toby McGuire was a cute wimp in #1 and ok in 2, now he is just a wimp. I have never bought him as a superhero and after 3 tries not at all. I am one of those fellows who has to believe the character to, well, believe in the character. I bought his namby pamby goodness in #1 but his wussy evil in #3? com'on. And the villains. Com'on again. I've seen nastier grandmas although Thomas Hayden Church's Sandman was not bad. He lent a certain vulnerable heavyness to his absurdly unlikely thug. Do not even ask how he became Sandman as you will start to snigger.

And Kirsten Dunst is simply not cute enough to be a super-hero's main squeeze.

In these types of movies one must suspend your usual values but this one really requires suspension of Herculean proportions.

In Star Wars you became one with the characters. Even the villains were identifiable. In short you bought them. Here not at all. I bought the DVD's of the first 2, I won't be buying this one.
Doug

The Poet - Michael Connelly

A fantastic serial murder whodunit. I thought I had this murderer pegged three times and...I was wrong. No, just because the name of the book is "The Poet", the killer was not Robert Frost or T.S. Eliot. Although, "The Poet" does leave evidence in the form of poems from another famous poet.

Connelly jumps away from his every day detective hero, Harry Bosch, in this book and picks up on an (I think) more interesting character. Jack McEvoy is a Denver crime reporter with the stickiest assignment of his career. His twin brother, homicide detective Sean McEvoy, was found dead in his car from a self-inflicted bullet wound to the head--an Edgar Allen Poe quote smeared on the windshield.

That is all I am giving you. It is a fantastic book...if you like this genre.

I am about 1/2 way through the follow up to The Poet called The Narrows. So far it is pretty good but not up to speed with The Poet. Harry Bosch picks up where McEvoy left off. Can't say more here because I want you to read The Poet and not know the ending!

I have read one other by Connelly called City of Bones. Also, ok, but not in line with The Poet. He really pulled The Poet out of thin air and it worked!

Read it, you will not be disappointed.

PCMag.com

Although there is good information on this site...OMG, is there a lot of ads. It is so distracting that I almost feel dirty when I visit the site. If you are prone to flashy light, squiqqly lined carpet induced siezures, then this might not be the site for you.

www.pcmag.com is the site. Beware of ad overload.

A Night at Lindy's

A few weeks ago #1 wife and I spent a night at Lindy's Prime Steak House,
3610 Old Snelling Rd N
Arden Hills, MN (St Paul)

I have been there several times over the last 30 years and have never ever been disappointed. Well, never been thrilled either. The steak is terrific. Flat statement, wonderful. But that is all there is. If you are a drooling carnivore you are in heaven. You get a salad to start and some wonderfully good bread, then STEAK. Oh you do get a great helping of really (really, really) good hash brown potato's (that's right hash browns) but that's all.

I have recommended to all who would listen that something else be added, carrots, asparagus, wood chips, anything, but to this point all is STEAK . To his credit the manager Bill Merrill is, as we speak trying to add some verve to the menu.

The ambiance is good, all old line wood and falling farmhouse, (it sort of leans to the left), the bar is a delight as long as you like very close quarters and you overlook a, well you do not overlook much but then, well, then.

The steak is @ $30 per, whatever you order, there are only 3 choices, and they are done to your desire. It is always done exactly to your choice. After 50 years at the same location and doing the same thing they know how to finish a piece of meat. If you order medium you are going to get exactly that. Great. The service is attentive and very competent.

No wait time or waving frantically when the wine runs low.
Their wine list I cannot address because, since I had to drive home, (you remember I was with #1 wife, who does not drive at night [a total wuss]) I could not really get into it.

Overall.
6 stars out of 10. the steak is 8 but the lack of vegetable or any type of accompaniment does take away from the enjoyment of the evening. The whole thing needs just a little bit more.
Oh, if you mention my name to the manager Bill Merrill, and that you have seen this review, I am sure he would take 10% of your bill, I think, maybe, sort of.
Doug

Welcome to Florida

It has been a while since I have blogged but I have now found some time while I wait to do some other work. The family is in Florida visiting G'ma. 80+ degrees most days. Golfed a couple of times too. It has been really nice weather. Poured this afternoon. As my dad would say, "Like a cow peeing on a rock." Once that was over, Evan and I went swimming.

We made a trip to the ER this week after Evan touched a hot burner on the stove. Blistered two fingers but he is coming around fine. He likes the "glove" I put on him each night. Claire is fine. She seems to like the weather and is a very happy young lady. Jen is trying to get some reading done as am I. I am currently reading The Poet. Very good book but disturbing. Serial killer detective story.

I am also doing some work down here for XCEL Products. They have kept me very busy. I do most of it after hours. All web developing stuff. Boring to most people.

Golfed today. Course was wide open with no one on it. Lots of sand (which I spent a lot of time in) and water. I saw two naughty turtles doing...well, what turtles do. That was about the highlight of my round.

My dad came down this week and stayed the night with us. We all went to Captain Curts (local crab shack). It is a yearly staple for us. Sooooooo good.

That is all for now. We come back in a little less than a week. I am not really looking forward to the weather but it will be nice to come home. Bye!

Global Warming - I'm Melting

You may not like it, you may think it's conservatives poo pooing AlGore and his PowerPoint of filth, and you may think Manhattan will end up under twenty feet of water by 2020. If you think this...you are wrong. Yes...I said it. It's my blog, so there.

Read on all you nay sayers:
Global Warming is Natural

Read some more:

Al Gore is a Green House Gasbag - I really could not say it better.

And:

Global Warming, the Cold, Hard Facts

I have never believed it and I never will. For all those people saying the planet is warming...good. It is six below zero outside my front door. When it warms another .2 degrees by 2020, then maybe I can go outside in a t-shirt.

The last "little ice age" led to famine, war and disease. This was at the same time as the Dark Ages. Remember that? Read history much? It got cold and it was quite difficult to grow crops and feed all the people. This was due to the earth cooling. I personally do not need a rabid squirrel biting me because it thinks I am an acorn. The plague is something I can do without.

Bring on the warmth. Crops will grow, people will flourish and there will be love surrounding us...ok, maybe not love everywhere. Just most places...Like Best Buy and the Italian Pie Shoppe....mmmm, I Fries!

Gophers vs. Alaska Anchorage Game II

Return of the Rodents

The Gophers swept the SeaPuppies this weekend with a second win in AK of 2-1. Not a shining win, but a win none the less. This put them back to #2 in the nation (I think everyone else and there mother split or did not play this weekend).

The mighty Gophs have the week off and then travel to Colorado College. This will be a good test for them (seeing that they swept CC earlier this season).

As for the Fighting Sioux and the ugly bar situation that three of their players are in...
http://www.uscho.com/news/id,13672/UNDIssuesPlayersStatementOnTavernIncident.html
You can't be serious...NO...I...I won't believe it. College students drink and are nasty to the police? ITS ALL LIES!

Gophers vs. Alaska Anchorage

Well, the Gophs got back on track with an 8-2 win over the sorry Seawolves. Now, I never count out the Seapuppies because they can put up a fight in the WCHA Final Five. Every team may beat them soundly (although they swept NoDak then in the next meeting tied and lost, split with CC and split with MN State) but you can never count them out.

We will see how the mighty rodents do tonight. It is on at 10:50pm CDT so if you want to listen you will have to do it on the radio at WCCO 830 since there is no TV. I bet it is warmer in AK then it is here right now.

Saturday Night Stink - Gopher Hockey

Well...the first sweep for ND when visiting the Minnesota Gophers. I got to the game late with 10:34 left in the first and it was 2-0 NoDak. My teeth nearly fell out. I couldn't believe it. Then, in the next 10 minutes, the Gophers scored three, unanswered power play goals. The crowd was crazy, the Gophers looked great and then...Frazee let a bouncing puck get past him. It was a clearing attempt from the Sioux (shorthanded) and it came from the other end of the ice.

This goal spelled doom for the Gophers. Frazee was pulled and Briggs took his place in the net. The Sioux routed the Gophers with 5 unanswered goals to win the game, 7-3. The thing that chaps me is that the Sioux played good hockey but not great. They bogged themselves down with penalty after penalty and the Gophers could not capitalize. Yes, the Gophers scored three powerplay goals on the evening, but there must have been a dozen or more penalties on the Sioux.

Overall, the weekend was a poor effort at best. Now the Gophers head to Alaska for a couple of games and they are on the road for a total of seven in a row before meeting at home with St. Cloud. Hopefully they can find their winning ways...

Oh and NoDak, when you yell "OVERRATED" at Mariucci, just remember the current win/loss record. Gophers are 21-5-3, North Dakota is 15-11-2. They may change as the season closes out, but right now, the Gophers are rated what they should be....#1 BABY!!

Friday Night Mites

North Dakota 5, Minnesota 3

Mites, because this is how the Gophers are playing on Friday nights these days. The first period against NoDak showed the Gophers raging to a 2-0 lead and it looked like they could not be stopped. In the 2nd period, however, the Old Dutch Lil Chippers showed up and NoDak took them to task.
Everyone looked terrible in period 2 and 3. I found myself saying aloud "That is the worst game I have ever seen". Thank the hockey gods for Saturday nights because it seems the Gophers can win on Saturday (at least lately). I am heading to the game tonight along with some NoDak fans (BOOOOOO) and I am hoping the furry little Midwestern varmints can give me something to cheer about.

Sioux Visit the Gophers

It is hockey night with one of the biggest rivalry's in college hockey. Friday night has been tough for the Gophers the last couple of weekends and this is a good time for them to step it up and show the country what they are made of. They have an excellent core of skaters that, really, should have no problems beating back the struggling Sioux. More to come after tonight's game!

Ask A Ninja #32 - Ninja Dates

I think I will start posting these when I see them. I like the "Ask A Ninja" clips. They are quite funny. Just press play! -Karl

Book Review - Bringing Down the House

This is the book about the MIT whiz kids that won millions in Vegas over a 3-5 year time frame. Blackjack was the game and they mastered the odds and a few other ways to win. It is a great read and I would suggest picking it up.

If you know me personally and want to read it, call me and let me know. My dad has it now.

Bye.

It has been a while...

Lots has happened since...well November 20th is when my dad last blogged. I last blogged October 17th! That is terrible. What has happened...well, we had another baby, I finished up for the season with the Eagan High School Girls swim team, had my birthday, had my sons birthday, Christmas, New Years and a Baptism. There were a whole lot of other little events in their too. Like procuring my XBox 360...SWEET.

Just got done blowing snow. Finally we have snow. Where the snowmobiles are, there is no snow (which figures). I am glad we have some. It is pretty out. Ahhh.... The really nice thing is I don't have to work today so I did not have to drive in this. I am sure my outlook on this snowstorm would be different if I were driving around in it.

Valentines is coming up! Ready for it? No? Me neither. But I will be.

Gopher hockey is still cruising. Yeah, they lost to WI...so what. They were going to lose at some point. They split in WI so that is a big plus. We are heading to the Gophers and North Dakota Fighting Sue games in a couple of weeks. We have our fantastic babysitting all setup and we are ready to go! St Cloud is in February...I think they will be the tougher of the two. Check out all the Gopher information here.

More later, hopefully before 3 more months go by...