My Review Blog

Final Launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery

2011-03-04T09:02:00.000-06:00

This is the last time you will see Discovery rise for the stars and this is how it does it:
44,000,000 Horsepower
12,500,000 newtons produced and for 124 seconds
2,800,000 pounds of force per rocket booster

Another view: http://gizmodo.com/#!5769527/this-is-the-last-launch-of-the-space-shuttle-discovery

Windows 7 God Mode

2011-03-01T09:23:00.000-06:00

Interested in having every Windows 7 operating system control at your fingertips in one folder? I am and this is a great tweak for Windows 7. It is called God Mode. It was discovered a while ago and is a cool option to have. By creating a folder on your desktop (or anywhere for that matter) and renaming with a certain text string, you can have a single point of contact to change anything and everything on your computer. Here is how to do it:

Create a folder on your desktop (or wherever).

right click, choose New, choose Folder

When available to name it, put the following string in:

GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}

When you hit Enter it will name the folder God Mode and change the icon to a Control Panel icon.
Done. Open it up and every Control Panel option for Windows 7 is at your fingertips.

Enjoy.

Shuttle Challenger - 25 Years Ago Today

2011-01-28T11:13:00.000-06:00

President Ronald Regan's Memorable Speech

Text of President Ronald Reagan's address to the nation after the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger, which killed seven astronauts. It was delivered from the Oval Office of the White House at 5 p.m. EST on Jan. 28, 1986.

Ladies and gentlemen, I'd planned to speak to you tonight to report on the state of the Union, but the events of earlier today have led me to change those plans. Today is a day for mourning and remembering. Nancy and I are pained to the core by the tragedy of the shuttle Challenger. We know we share this pain with all of the people of our country. This is truly a national loss. Nineteen years ago, almost to the day, we lost three astronauts in a terrible accident on the ground. But we've never lost an astronaut in flight; we've never had a tragedy like this. And perhaps we've forgotten the courage it took for the crew of the shuttle. But they, the Challenger Seven, were aware of the dangers, but overcame them and did their jobs brilliantly. We mourn seven heroes: Michael Smith, Dick Scobee, Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Gregory Jarvis, and Christa McAuliffe. We mourn their loss as a nation together.

For the families of the seven, we cannot bear, as you do, the full impact of this tragedy. But we feel the loss, and we're thinking about you so very much. Your loved ones were daring and brave, and they had that special grace, that special spirit that says, "Give me a challenge, and I'll meet it with joy." They had a hunger to explore the universe and discover its truths. They wished to serve, and they did. They served all of us. We've grown used to wonders in this century. It's hard to dazzle us. But for 25 years the United States space program has been doing just that. We've grown used to the idea of space, and perhaps we forget that we've only just begun. We're still pioneers. They, the members of the Challenger crew, were pioneers.

And I want to say something to the schoolchildren of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle's takeoff. I know it is hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. It's all part of the process of exploration and discovery. It's all part of taking a chance and expanding man's horizons. The future doesn't belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave. The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we'll continue to follow them.

I've always had great faith in and respect for our space program, and what happened today does nothing to diminish it. We don't hide our space program. We don't keep secrets and cover things up. We do it all up front and in public. That's the way freedom is, and we wouldn't change it for a minute. We'll continue our quest in space. There will be more shuttle flights and more shuttle crews and, yes, more volunteers, more civilians, more teachers in space. Nothing ends here; our hopes and our journeys continue. I want to add that I wish I could talk to every man and woman who works for NASA or who worked on this mission and tell them: "Your dedication and professionalism have moved and impressed us for decades. And we know of your anguish. We share it."

There's a coincidence today. On this day 390 years ago, the great explorer Sir Francis Drake died aboard ship off the coast of Panama. In his lifetime the great frontiers were the oceans, and an historian later said, "He lived by the sea, died on it, and was buried in it." Well, today we can say of the Challenger crew: Their dedication was, like Drake's, complete.

The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and "slipped the surly bonds of earth" to "touch the face of God."

Darkest Day in 372 Years

2010-12-20T11:14:00.001-06:00

The lunar eclipse will happen Tuesday morning at 12:33am Central Time (tomorrow). The full process will take about 4 hours and should end around 4am Central Time. So why is this the Darkest Day in 372 Years? The last eclipse to fall on the Winter Solstice (which this is and which is also the shortest day of the year) was in 1638. I am not sure but I doubt many of you were around to see that one so this is a bit of history for us all.

Things to accomplish during this time:

Locate the moon (hint: it's in the sky above you)
Around 1:41am the whole moon should be covered.
Now is the time to start your freakish rituals and consume...well...what you need to consume.
Dress like Barney the dinosaur and call yourself pretty in purple.
Violent rituals have also taken place during lunar eclipses. Do what you will but I do not recommend it.

So around 4am you should be completely spent after all the fun you have had torturing small animals or dressing as your favorite cartoon character to appease the gods (gods of what I am not quite sure).

Enjoy.

Body Browser by Google

2010-12-16T10:24:00.000-06:00

Google has release Body Browser. Sounds a little dirty but it is really a cool application. You will need Google's new Chrome Beta installed to use it but I think it is worth it. You can view the skeletal, endocrine, cardiovascular and other systems of the body with this tool. Below is an image of the skeletal system.

Along with this you can move the image, resize it and phase in different systems all at the same time. Clicking on a bone or a system part will bring up a tool tip showing what that system part is called.

At this time I cannot seem to find any detailed information about each body part but I think it is pretty new so I am sure that will come with time.

Have fun and enjoy this application by Google.

Link: Body Browser

A drop of water at 10,000 frames per second

2010-12-14T09:37:00.000-06:00

Humpty Dome Collapses

2010-12-13T07:33:00.000-06:00

As most of you have surely heard by now the roof of the Metrodome collapsed from snow on Saturday night. I even got a chance to drive by it and see it on the way to the U of M Gopher hockey game (a venue whose roof was safe and sound).

If you have not seen the video, click on the link: http://gizmodo.com/5712693/watch-the-metrodome-collapse-from-the-inside. What is almost better than the video though is the comments from loving fans all across our nation.

My favorite quote: "The roof collapse had nothing to do with the snow. It happened because the Vikings suck so hard."

iPad Generation 2?

2010-12-10T09:43:00.000-06:00

It is an early rumor but the iPad 2 looks like it is on the horizon.

From Gizmodo:

We've heard these rumors in bits and pieces before, but today Reuters reports with conviction that the next will have front and rear-facing cameras, a higher res display, and will start production in the early months of next year.

Reuters cites multiple supplier sources, two of whom said that production would begin soon for iPad 2. The next generation of Apple's tablet is expected to be thinner and lighter, with an improved screen resolution that will can hopefully keep up with the iPhone 4's retina display. Most importantly, it will add a front-facing camera to allow for video chat.

It's everything you would expect, given Apple's track record of yearly product updates. But the more confirmation I get about an iPad 2 FaceTime camera, the more I start saving up my pennies. [Reuters]

The Hunger Games Trilogy

2010-12-09T13:30:00.000-06:00

The Hunger Games Trilogy includes The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay (of which was released in August of 2010). All three books come in right at 400 pages and are well written.

These are the first books I have read by Suzanne Collins and I did enjoy them. I think I read all three in under a weeks time. There are a lot of reviews out there about the under development of the characters but I think, based on the audience intended, that under development of characters and a better storyline are OK.

Breakdown of the story:

Post apocalyptic America called Panem
An over reaching government that controls 13 districts, all which cater to a different "profession" (mining, tailoring, farming and so on).
70+ years ago the districts stood up to the government and were pushed back and nearly wiped out.
The Hunger Games is the punishment for this quell. Every year a child is picked to represent each district in a fight to the death in the main capital. The survivor and the survivors district reap the benefits of the win for one year (extra food, fuel, etc). The survivor must then go on to train next years pick for the Hunger Games from his/her district.
Katniss is the main character who stands up and takes the place of her younger sister when she is picked to be in the Hunger Games.

And this is where the fun starts. As a reader you side with Katniss immediately and want her to succeed while always thinking there is no way out of this alive for any of them. There are some quirky teen issues thrown in but for the most part the book is paced well and the story is well told. This goes for all three books.

The bad (but good) part is Collins gets you sucked into liking some of the other contestants. As a reader you identify with them, get to know them, get to like them and all the time knowing...they are more than likely going to die.

The books are well worth the read and won't take up much of your time. Yes there are other books out there with the same precedence such as The Running Man but I think I like the characters and the idea in these books much better. Pick them up or get them at the library (if you can tear them from the tween who currently has it in his/her hand).

US National Debt

2010-02-02T10:16:00.003-06:00

Democrat or Republican you have to understand how fast our debt as a nation is mounting. With the Presidents new budget being released with another $1.4 Trillion over the next decade we cannot afford to continue this destructive behavior.

US National Debt Clock

See the link above and watch the numbers in real time. You will be amazed.

One more note: Please look at the specific number for Debt per Citizen and Debt per Taxpayer.

A Successful Car Company...

2010-01-28T14:28:00.002-06:00

That did not take a government bailout? Is that possible? No...couldn't be. Well, actually it looks like Ford is making $$ in 2009. Jump to the link here!

Pelosi, Reid and Obama (not necessarily in that order)must be licking their chops. This means more taxes for them! It must be time to level another tax on a successful company so as to "drive" them straight into the ground.

In response to the tax hike that is inevitable in Ford's future, Ford's spokesperson Mike Rowe (of Dirty Jobs fame) should go go to Washington and play Senator or Speaker for a day. If that job does not make him feel dirty, I don't know what else will. He might even clean "house".

iPad

2010-01-28T10:13:00.007-06:00

It looks like the new iPad is on it's way from Apple. To me it looks like a big iPhone (as well as to others). I wish I had more thoughts on it than that. A comment was made on The Independents web site (and I quote): "Apple could sell a turd on a stick and the trendy folks would be killing each other in the streets to be the 1st to get it."

That may be but I do think Apple has had some ingenious products. I think this may just be the first of new things to come from Apple in this genre.

Apple's pricing can be seen here on the left. A bit expensive and makes me wonder if people will leave their laptops just to pick this up as a replacement. I am not so sure.

If you would like to see the new iPad you can make the jump here.

New Baby Name on the Popularity Rise?

2009-08-11T10:56:00.003-05:00

I realize I have not blogged in a while and then all of a sudden I do twice in the same day. There are some things I just cannot pass up though.

The first part of this article feigns at the amazement that more babies are not being born now because of the euphoria that was the BO win 40 weeks or so ago.

The last paragraph really amazes me how fast the baby name Barack is moving up the charts. Hmmm...Barack Johnson, Barack Smith, Barack Olson, Barack Larson, Barack Kindseth....oh...maybe not.

Jump Here

FANGles Clinton...bitter?

2009-08-11T08:41:00.003-05:00

Bitter might be a word quite undervalued in this situation. Fangles (AKA Hillary) Clinton might be a bit on edge after her husbands trip to North Korea...maybe? Check out the video link where she snaps at a bad translation from a student asking a question at a Congo Q & A session. HA!

'I'm Not Going To Be Channeling My...

Barbara Boxer - Call me Senator

2009-06-19T14:06:00.003-05:00

Barbara, you are an over inflated bag of poo. Get over yourself and stop disrespecting the military. It is what these people do that allow you to work hard to be a "Senator". If it was not for our military men and women throughout the years, you would be picking weeds in a back alley in some communist run country praying for a quick demise. Give them the respect they deserve.

Here is the video:

Saving their life wasn't enough...

2009-01-28T07:54:00.005-06:00

I need to understand how people think.

A US Airways flight takes off and hits a flock of birds. The flight crashes into the Hudson river and, because the pilot did everything right, no one was killed. A miracle! Everyone is happy, the pilot is revered as a hero and all the passengers are saved (save bumps and bruises).

Having my life after an ordeal like that would be something I would be more than exstatic about. I would hope the people on this flight would be to. Yes, they lost personal belonings, yes they lost their Blackberry's and iPhones but they have the most important thing...their life.

Obviously that is not good enough. Some on this flight want more than the $5000 compensation that the airline is offering. I have a hard time believing I would take any money from the airline. The crew saved my life in a situation no one on earth could control. I get to see my wife, my kids, my parents and the rest of my family again. I have been given another chance...

Sounds like their personal effects are what they are worried about. Some talk about emotional distress but why should the airline pay for that? It wasn't like they released a flock of doves in a peace rally at the end of the runway as the plane was taking off. Nature brought the plane down.

They interviewed one lady on the plane and she says it how I hope to God I would:

Amber Wells of Charlotte says she's so thankful to have survived and to be with her 9-month-old daughter, Rayley, that she hasn't had time to think about her belongings.

She says she lost $2,000 of nursing equipment and a laptop computer, as well as a checked bag and a carry-on bag.

"Everything that's gone can be replaced," says Wells, 34, a senior manager for NASCAR. "My life cannot be replaced."

Well...read the article. Hopefully you find it as pathetic as I do.

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2009-01-26-us-airways-river-crash_N.htm

Blagojevich...it's not only his hair that is crazy...

2009-01-26T09:11:00.002-06:00

So is the rest of him. Blago actually considered Oprah to fill Obama's U.S. Senate seat. He is quoted in the Fox News article as saying "She seemed to be someone who would help Barack Obama in a significant way become president," he said. "She was obviously someone with a much broader bully pulpit than other senators".

She is A TALK SHOW HOST! Although she does have as much experience as Obama in the Senate. That would be...none.

There is also this from the article: "The governor worried, though, that the appointment of Winfrey might come across as a gimmick and that the talk show host was unlikely to accept." Gimmick? Nah...couldn't be a gimmick. Not for a straight shooter like Blago.

One more hint Mr. Blago might be nuts...he was voted 114-1 to be impeached by lawmakers from Illinois. These are people on his side of the political fence.

OMG...October 31st...For Real?

2009-01-05T14:27:00.002-06:00

I will have to come up with something new for my blog. I am embarrassed how long it has been. Not that anyone reads it but I think it is good for my mental health.

I'm Voting Democrat....

2008-10-31T14:11:00.002-05:00

http://www.verticalblu.com/

Norm Coleman, Al Franken and CREW...oh my...

2008-10-31T08:09:00.004-05:00

Al Frankens newest ad has really gotten the dander up of the Coleman campaign and from what I have read they have good reason to be upset. Here is why:

The ad says that a bi-partisan watchdog group has named Coleman the 4th most corrupt politician in Washington. The "bi-partisan" group is C.R.E.W. or Citizens for Responsibilty and Ethics in Washington. The term "bi-partisan" is used rather loosely.

The board members at CREW are as follows:

Daniel Berger - Senior Partner, Berger and Montague - Donated $44,500 to Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee since July 3rd, 2007
John Luongo - Lightspeed Venture Partners - Donated $2000 in May of 2007
Melanie Sloan - Current Executive Director of CREW - Sloan has served under Charles Schumer and Joe Biden in the past.
Louis M. Mayberg - President and Co-Founder of ProFund Advisors LLC. Has not done any recent contributing lately but check out his past contributions. Almost (D) including Biden for President in 1987: http://www.newsmeat.com/fec/bystate_detail.php?st=DC&last=Mayberg&first=Louis. He is a big supporter of Joe Lieberman and even contributed $2000 on November 21, 2003 to George Bush: http://www.newsmeat.com/fec/bystate_detail.php?st=MD&last=Mayberg&first=Louis. Also in this link is a contribution to the RNC for $2000 in 2006. He goes both ways...I wonder what he is after?
Craig Kaplan - Rabinowitz, Boudin, Standard Krinsky and Lieberman. This one speaks for itself. Check out the link for all the contributions to (D)'s including more than $30,000 in July of 2008 to Obama: http://www.newsmeat.com/fec/bystate_detail.php?st=NY&last=kaplan&first=craig
Erwin Chermerinsky - Professor of Constitutional Law. More of the same. Contributes to (D)'s: http://www.newsmeat.com/fec/bystate_detail.php?st=CA&last=chemerinsky&first=erwin

All six board members at CREW contribute regularly to the (D)'s. This is not bi-partisan in any way, shape or form.

Melanie Sloan (in an interview on the CREW website) states: "We have no ties to the Franken campaign," she said. "When Franken was on Air America, I did appear on his program as did other people." This is true. Many people did go on Frankens program. She was on there more than 50 times (Minnesota Democrats Exposed website).

Now, yes, MDE obviously has their own agenda and it is not pro Democrat. Why I mentioned this is because on MDE's site, they list out all 50 links to the radio shows Sloan and Frankin had together. When you click on them...the CREW website locks you out. Someone trying to hide something?

Check out the site listing all the radio appearances: http://www.minnesotademocratsexposed.com/2008/07/01/mn-gop-press-release-crew-a-partner-in-the-franken-campaign-front-group-board-member-contributes-to-franken-as-organization-attacks-senator-coleman/. These appearances are from October 2005 through February 2007. Almost once a week. The "I did appear on his program" statment seems a bit understated.

Read this blog that focuses on Sloan's response to Norm Colemans lawsuit: http://citizensforethics.org/node/35239

So...if "fourth most corrupt" is, as Sloan puts it, "isn't exactly accurate", then who here is lying?

Norm Coleman has filed a defamation suit at this time. I should say so. I just hope he sticks with the suit whether he wins or loses on Tuesday.

I Demand You Tell The Foo Fighters...

2008-10-09T08:33:00.003-05:00

The next time I purchase a song from iTunes. I am purchasing the license in order to play this song aren't I? Does this sound ridiculous? Of course it is, but The Foo Fighters, Jackson Browne and Heart are all demanding that the McCain campaign stop playing their music. On the other side, Sam Moore is also asking the same from the Obama campaign. Ummmm....they legally paid for licensing for any number of songs to play. Shut...Up...

The Foo Fighters actually put out a statement that said "...To have it appropriated without our knowledge and used in a manner that perverts the original sentiment of the lyric just tarnishes the song." Are you kidding me?

So The FF wants to know every time a song is "appropriated"? Ok...I better see an article tomorrow morning with a similar statement mentioning my name. I am heading out to iTunes to buy "My Hero" today. I cannot wait to see my name on all the major news organizations! How exciting!

Look, it's ok to be anti-McCain but don't put out really stupid statements such as this. It just makes you look...well...like a rock band.

Link to the the news story is here.

Lawrence Welk Disturbed

2008-10-08T13:49:00.002-05:00

Thanks to MVO for this one. It is as disturbing as she says...but dang funny. Enjoy:

Saturday Night Live Got Something Right For Once...

2008-10-08T13:33:00.000-05:00

Stories of the week...

2008-08-12T17:53:00.008-05:00

I could fill pages and pages of this blog with stories that are already out there about people and human interest. I am not going to do that. What am I going to do is show you a few things I have found today and maybe comment on them...here we go.

The Spanish Basketball Team.

This is a "what were they thinking" scenario. I am sure they meant no harm but because they did it, I think it's kind of funny. Here is the picture that they ran in a full page advertisment for the Beijing Olympics. Notice they are making slanty eyes?

Link to full story here.

The USA 4x100 Freestyle Relay Team. Can you say "French Toast"?

Because of copyright issues I cannot post the actual video. You can read the article and watch the relay (which if you have not seen it by now you must live in a cave with Osama. Oh...and Osama called and he just watched it recorded on betamax so he has seen it too).

Jump to the video here.

Yawn...

Does anyone care any longer about a presidents race (if you do care, you probably go noodlin' for a past time and whistle Dixie while brushing your tooth)? Does anyone really care if it is a man or a woman? Does anyone care how tall a presidential candidate might be...whoa...this guy does. He wrote an entire article on it. He gets paid for this? I have the imprint of a qwerty keyboard on my face because I read more than three lines of this blather. Click here to fall asleep immediately.

Bombing stopped in Georgia...except over there...and maybe over there...oh, hey...bomb that house over there too...

Russia ordered a cease fire but no one is listening. Was it a real order or just more of a guideline? It must be official because it was a televised order...right? Click here for the story.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

2008-05-29T08:53:00.003-05:00

Though not my favorite of the, now, four Indiana Jones movies, I cannot say this one was a dud. I rather enjoyed the subtle humor, the action was good (I do think there could have been more) and the characters were good.

Overall I enjoyed Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I know a few people who have not seen it yet so I won't spoil. I will say that this movie is in true Indiana form. Chase scenes, nasty bad guys/girls, humor, light romance, lots of bugs and Indiana Jones being himself.

Personally I watch movies from a purely "I want to be entertained" side of things. You could probably critique this movie to death (two well groomed parallel roads in the virgin Amazon rain forest for the main chase scene) but why? Why not sit back, get the chill up your spine when you hear the IJ theme music for the first time in 20 years, enjoy your popcorn and let the action unfold.

Harrison Ford shows his age a bit at the beginning but it does not take away from the movie. He actually starts to look younger as the movie goes on. Karen Allen is back and she also looks older but since we have not seen her since Raiders, well, she is older. I really liked John Hurt in this movie. He plays 'Ox' (Professor John Oxley) who basically goes crazy after discovering the first Crystal Skull. He brings some good humor into the film.

Shia LaBeouf is pretty good in this film. Not to give to much away but I wouldn't doubt that he is being groomed to be the next Indiana. I will let you all decide.

In a nutshell, I thought the movie was fun. If you break it apart and look for things to pick at, you will most likely not like the movie. I suggest you not do that. It is fantasy, why would anyone expect that the movie should fall into real world scenarios? None of the IJ movies do, none of the Star Wars or Mummy movies do. Why should the Crystal Skull be any different?

Dead Heat - Joel Rosenberg

2008-05-17T01:15:00.003-05:00

I just finished reading Dead Heat and the book is really well done. It finishes the series and is action packed all the way through. You do need to read the other four in the series (The Last Jihad) and they are just as good.

America is attacked and we don't know who to blame. Countries around the world go on alert, armies start moving into place and political jockeying is happening everywhere.

What will the President of the United States do? Who will pay for the attacks on US soil?

You will not be able to put this book down. I think I read it in 8 hours. This is a real life scenario that could be played out at anytime and I think that is what makes this book so frightening.

Go get it. You will be glad you did.

Space Interactive Map - Popular Mechanics

2008-05-09T07:24:00.004-05:00

Ok, if you are complete nerd like I am...you should like this. It is an interactive map of space flight from 1957 to present. Click here to see it!

Global Warming ruined my haircut!

2008-05-07T14:18:00.003-05:00

Al Gore will have you believe this is an SUV spewing global warming gases. I am thinking its a volcano. Either way I am sure Americans will be blamed for it: Chile Volcano

Does global warming cause earthquakes too? Japan Quakes

Oh...no, the Myanmar Cyclone. That is global warming: Myanmar

The Obama/Clinton race is over? That must be global warming!

Global warming causes incest. It made this guy a monster (he denies it): Monster I dunno...like he says, he could have killed all the children he had with his daughter but since he didn't...he is not a monster. I am going to send him a Hallmark fathers day card.

Global warming changes Microsoft business direction! Go!

Dang global warming...it ruins everything.

National Anthem Like You Have Never Heard

2008-04-30T07:18:00.002-05:00

If you enjoyed Roseanne Bahr's version of the National Anthem, then don't listen to this. Thanks to my Dad for sending this on. These five little girls (look to be 10 and under) sing like angels.

Boycott Time Magazine

2008-04-18T06:41:00.006-05:00

Time Magazine should be ashamed of themselves. Using the bloodiest battle in WWII at Iwo Jimo against a true threat (the Japanese, not Global Warming) to promote their "green" views.

I hope there are surving vets that find the editor of this magazine (Richard Stengel) on the street and pummel him. From my favorite quote in the article, I believe they will:

Donald Mates, an Iwo Jima veteran, told the Business & Media Institute on April 17 that using that photograph for that cause was a “disgrace.” “It’s an absolute disgrace,” Mates said. “Whoever did it is going to hell. That’s a mortal sin. God forbid he runs into a Marine that was an Iwo Jima survivor.”

You can read the entire article here.

Hillary...You have to be kidding me...

2008-04-17T22:54:00.005-05:00

I watched a live CNN broadcast today of Hillary stumping to a women’s group in Pennsylvania. I only caught bits and pieces of her royal thighness but one item was very interesting.

Hillary was talking about college debt and what she would do to eradicate it. We don't want our college graduates to come out of school with debt. No, that would be...well...what nearly every college graduate has ever done.

So, Hillary's solution. Ready for this? Community Service. You gather up huge amounts of loans, hopefully graduate with a decent GPA and then to pay it off you can clean up garbage from interstate ditches for 2 years. Insanity has completely set in.

I don't know about you, but I do know there are a lot of medical students that rack up $40k, $50 up to $100k in school loans. It takes them quite a while to pay them off but they eventually do it. I imagine that our more talented doctors would quite enjoy scraping deer carcassas and raccoons off our rural side roads. Maybe to keep in practice they can perform an autopsy or two.

Look, Hillary, I know you are reading this. Stop drinking the Kool-Aid and come up with a real plan. In fact, you don't need a plan. For many years these kids have racked up these school loans. The honest ones pay them back and the less than virtuous do not. Let the banks take care of it and let their credit rating suffer. I am not sure why I and every other Joe taxpayer should have to bail their lazy butts out. The smart kids defer the payments until they die and then leave the burden to their kids anyway. I wish I could do that with my mortgage.

Oh, and one more thing. You spouting off about pulling the troops within 60 days of you being in office. Dumb. That Iranian bastard leader is sitting over there maniacally laughing and building up his troops on the border of Iraq. He adds a few more thousand every time you and Obama Bin Laden talk about withdrawing the troops from Iraq. When we get out, he goes in. You want complete instability in the Middle East and gas prices that equal one arm and one leg per gallon? Then pull the troops.

Presidential Candidates

2008-04-16T06:56:00.006-05:00

Although I do enjoy the Dems beating each other up left and right, I cannot stomach the ick that oozes from the wounds. The filth, the lies and the elitism that runs rampant through this campaign is of heroic proportions.

Hillary has put out her "First 100 Days in Office" plan. Tighten your safety belt because here we go (I have her plan and then following is my version of the result):

Immediate troop withdrawls from Iraq - Iraq implodes, USA gets attacked by extremists fresh from the strip clubs
Roll back the Bush tax cuts - You think gas costs are bad? Wait until the tax cuts go away.
Un-veto bills for stem cell research - More government spending is needed. We should make nothing private or "for profit". That would be...capitalistic of us.
Government funded health care for citizens - Citizens of the US. Open your wallets and say "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh". I am not sure I want to be a "citizen". In this connotation is sounds like I would be part of a master race. Oh wait, I think that is what she is after.
Close Gitmo - Perfect. Now we can treat our captured enemy combantants to a scone and Starbucks at the Waldorf.

All this in the first 100 days. Wow...dare to dream.

Obama bin Laden - Michael Gerson, Op-Ed Columnist from the Washington Post wrote exactly how I feel on March 5th of this year. You can read it here. Please read it...

Basically if either of these two makes it into the White House we are doomed. Hillary and Bill will once again rule the land under sex, lies and videotape (and no, the sex would not be between Hillary and Bill).

I am not sure we would ever see Obama as when he is not sipping Champaign with the upper echelon, he will be jet setting in Iran having milk and cookies with Ahmadinejad.

Good luck America...we are going to need it.

Goodbye to Florida

2008-03-27T23:12:00.002-05:00

We leave tonight for home. I understand there is rain and snow to welcome us back. My parents left for Adel this morning and are coming back sometime next week (to MN). We had a fun week. The kids lived in the pool and loved the beach. We buried Evan in the sand and Claire and I collected shells. We did a lot of work on the house too. Swept the garage, painted the fans, fixed the power, cleaned the pool, had a new pool cover cut and installed, killed some ants, trimmed some trees, did some homework, watched some movies, and with all that we still found time to go to Captain Curts for crab legs.

It will be nice to come home. Nothing is better than home even if it means normal routine and work. We need that (although the kids have slept like logs down here).

See you all on Monday!

The Eagles Are Back in Florida

2008-03-24T14:40:00.002-05:00

The eagles are back and they have had a chick. This is one of his/her initial flights. The next picture is of him/her roosting.

Upcoming Movies

2008-02-22T07:08:00.006-06:00

Thought you might find this interesting…

2008

May 16 – Narnia Price Caspian

May 22 – Indiana Jones

August 1 – The Mummy-Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

August 15- Star Wars-The Clone Wars (animated)

November 21 – Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (and such a good day for it to come out). See below for sneek peek.

2009

May 15 – Angels and Demons

May 22 – Night at the Museum 2 – Escape from the Smithsonian

June 26 – Transformers 2

July 1 – Ice Age 3

October 3 – Toy Story 3

2010

May 7 – Narnia – Voyage of the Dawn Treader

May 21 – Shrek Goes Fourth

2010 TBA

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
The Hobbit

2011 – TBA

The Hobbit - Sequel

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

2008-02-22T06:53:00.002-06:00

On November 21, 2008 the sixth installment of the Harry Potter seriers will be out. I am excited and depressed at the same time. Just as I did not want the books to end, I won't want to see the movies end. Enjoy the sneek peek below.

Lunar Eclipse 2/20/2008

2008-02-21T08:58:00.000-06:00

This was the full lunar eclipse taken from my bedroom window.

Lunar Eclipse 2/20/2008

2008-02-21T08:57:00.000-06:00

What Shenanigans Is This?

2008-02-01T08:51:00.000-06:00

Now, I realize I might be thinking a bit on the naughty side here but a picture says a thousand words. In this case though...it takes way less words to wonder where Obama's right hand might be. By the look on Hillary's face I would say its in the "O"zone Layer. Global Warming be damned...

Picture courtesy Chris Carlson/AP

Need I Say More

2008-01-22T08:52:00.000-06:00

Copper Scroll - Joel Rosenberg

2008-01-05T13:32:00.000-06:00

The Copper Scroll is the fourth book in the series of The Last Jihad by Joel Rosenberg. This is a good read and a fast one. Jon and Erin are now married and think they are giving up politics and adventure forever in exchange for a new quiet married life.

That is until a near and dear friend is assassinated. His final words are pleading ones that ask Jon and Erin to find his killer. This plea leads Jon and Erin on a new adventure for the copper scroll and to unlock its secrets. Its secrets lead to an eventful ending where you will not (and neither do they) believe what they find.

Microsoft Offers Free Game for Xbox Live Holiday Problems

2008-01-05T13:10:00.000-06:00

Microsoft was disappointed with how Xbox Live performed over the holiday so it is offering a free game from the Xbox Live Arcade. See story here.

Basically, MS said sales were so good and demand so high, Live could not offer the bandwidth MS felt should be deserved from Live subscribers. More details on the free game are on their way in the coming weeks.

In kind of a weird turn of events I came across this on the Xbox website. This advertises Family Game Night with some additional fine print: Play with the kids in an Underpants Slam. Now, I personally think that sounds...well...weird.

Iowa Caucuses-Obama and Huckabee

2008-01-03T21:02:00.000-06:00

The Iowa caucuses are finally behind us. It seems like the poor people of Iowa had to put up with this for four years. I think in some cases they did. Obama was not really a surprise and I love the fact that Hillary is in third behind Edwards.

I really believe that people are not going to have another Clinton in the White House. Not because of Hillary directly, but because the WH has been soured by families that have taken over. George H Bush (4 years), William Jefferson Clinton (8 years), George W Bush (8 years) and then another Clinton? I don't think the American people can stomach another of the same family in the WH.

I don't like the fact that Huckabee won the Republican caucus though. I think he is a left of center conservative that is pulling the religion card to get the Evangelical vote.

I do like the fact that Fred Thompson was third. The fact that he spent months in Iowa, did a 50 city bus tour and put out this video to the Iowa voters, and I never heard a word about him because the media focused on Huckabee and Ron Paul (more towards the Democrat than Republican). The fact that we heard so little about Thompson and he still received 14% of the vote and is in front of McCain and Ron Paul is enlightening. Where was Gulliani in all this?

I am leaning toward Thompson myself. I think he is the quiet outside chance to win the republican vote and I really believe he is the most no nonsense Reaganized Republican out there. He is the only candidate who has shown us plans for fixing the IRS (flat tax), how to fix immigration and he will be tough on the war on terror. I also think he can bring conservatism back to its roots. For to long, conservatives in Washington have been beaten back by the left and we have no one that will stand up to it. I believe Fred Thompson will not be beaten back and I think he just might be the one person who can bring conservatism back to where it belongs.

Gift Card Swap - LeverageCard

2007-12-27T10:49:00.000-06:00

Get gift cards you might not need for Christmas or a Birthday? Try this: LeverageCard

LeverageCard is a site where you can swap or purchase gift cards. For some cards you will need to know what the balance is, but most calculate it automatically.

The Ezekiel Option - Joel C. Rosenberg

2007-12-27T09:45:00.000-06:00

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

2007-12-27T08:15:00.000-06:00

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

Hillary: A world class genius?

2007-12-21T12:50:00.000-06:00

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

2007-10-23T13:51:00.000-05:00

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

2007-10-09T07:39:00.000-05:00

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

2007-10-03T06:44:00.000-05:00

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

2007-10-01T10:15:00.001-05:00

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

2007-10-01T09:14:00.000-05:00

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

2007-06-03T09:29:00.000-05:00

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

2007-05-16T09:57:00.000-05:00

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

2007-05-04T06:49:00.000-05:00

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

2007-05-02T07:42:00.000-05:00

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

2007-04-23T19:20:00.000-05:00

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

2007-04-09T21:05:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-07T22:01:00.000-06:00

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

2007-02-07T21:54:00.000-06:00

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

2007-02-03T13:26:00.000-06:00

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

2007-01-27T22:27:00.000-06:00

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

2007-01-27T12:24:00.000-06:00

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

2007-01-26T18:47:00.000-06:00

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

2007-01-25T21:53:00.000-06:00

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

2007-01-15T08:35:00.000-06:00

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...

2007-01-15T08:26:00.000-06:00

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...

An Anniversary Dinner at Copper Bleu

2006-11-20T19:45:00.000-06:00

#1 (and only) wife and I decided to partake an anniversary dinner (42nd) at Copper Bleu in Lakeville. We have dined there before with mixed results, my good, her bad. Tonight, all bad. I was advised by a co-worker whose husband works in the food industry that Copper had taken a tumble but I decided to give it a shot because of a pretty good meal there several months ago.
With great regret (because the ambiance and overall good feel of the place lends one to hope for the best) it was to put it mildly, average. I honestly have had better at Perkins.
The prime rib was dry and over-garliced with an, out of a can, string onion accompaniment. The signature mashed potatoes prepared at your table were presented by a kid who, I am sure, had been shanghied from the dishwasher and told to bring the "fixins" to the old pair at table #20. They were cold and I have done better with an Ore-Ida bag with a salt and pepper shaker. A major disapointment with what I thought was a delight last time.
The missus had a shrimp/combo stir-fry that resulted in her leaving a couple of shrimp on the plate. An unheard of occurance since she has been known to hurt people who stood between her and shrimp.
Cold and tastless is not a way to achieve culinery immortality.
The unremarkable Wine was $9 a glass, but was still the saving grace, because after two the food was a lot better.
As you can probably tell from this post I was severely disapointed, PO'ed actually.
An $80 dollar bill should have been a lot better.
If you are looking for a typical Minnesota "not much taste" meal this is a good place.
If you are looking for real sophisticaction and a grab your taste buds experiance, regretably this is not the place.

Trumpet Overpass

2006-10-17T23:28:00.000-05:00

Can anyone tell me what a trumpet overpass is? Seriously.

And look out while pumping the brakes. You might skid off the road due to a crack in your windshield. Keep your cars personal space in check too. That is very important.
Good luck on your test AM.

Eagan High School Swimming

2006-10-17T22:22:00.000-05:00

Few people know that I am the assistant coach for the greatest ladies swim team in all of Minnesota (and probably the world). When people do find out they say "wow, that's great" or "gosh, that must be fun". They really have no idea.

Are these swimmers world class...no. Are these divers Olympic bound...probably not. But it is not in this context that I use the word "great". Greatness is sparked by the people you surround yourself with, how you act, how you treat others, your family and by true determination to be the best you can be at any one point in time.

It has been my privilege to coach a fantastic group of girls for the past two years. Tonight we had our last home meet for the seniors and it was tough for me. They are a group of young women who epitomize the word great and I know they will go on to a great future.

To the smiler, to the wall flower and to the one that swims every lap. To the funny friend, to the 30.4 second 50 freestyler to Calvin and Hobbes and to the sour patch kid, I tip my maroon and gold hat. You ladies hold a special place with me and I will miss you. Come back and see us at the pool anytime you like.

And lets not forget the support staff behind this group of ladies. Without their parents, none of this could happen as smoothly as it does. They are the work horses behind the scenes. From the timing table to the bagels and to the great food at the end of every home meet. Hats off to you. I have never experienced anything like what you do for this team. Your support and hard work are greatly appreciated. Thank you. You are the best.

I am looking forward to the remainder of this year, sections and state. Next year will be new challenges, new FRESHMAN, tears, great swims, bad swims and another set of seniors that will come and go (and Steve, Terri and I hitting the water again). I don't want to dwell on that. There will be a time and a place all to soon.

Be good, stay smart and never let a rabid badger grab you by the ankle (hey...the whole thing can't be serious. That would not be me!).

'night...Karlito Bandito...

2006-10-09T21:24:00.000-05:00

I understand there are some new readers to my site. No one visits much...I think. I am really not looking for millions of people to read it, I just want whomever does read it to enjoy it. That is really what it is all about...isn't it?

So...on that note...

iTunes is a pain. Truly. I buy music, I store it on my PC and then want to make an MP3 disk of it. Easy enough? I am sure this is new to no one but it still gets my undies in a bunch (some times multiple bunches). In order to make this MP3 disk I need to burn an audio CD (waste of a good CD), then rip it back to iTunes (more of my time gone...bye bye..see ya later) and then burn a new MP3 disk (another CD). I am out $.59.

I know. It's not much but it is my time. Apple...U SUK. More protectionism in this world is not something I need from Apple. I get enough from our government. Protect me from myself so I do not self destruct. Does anyone really think that protecting me from creating an MP3 is really going to solve the worlds issues? Didn't North Korea just set off a nuke? Protect me from them and leave me to my MP3's.

I know...copyright laws and all that. I paid $.99 for that song! I should be able to drop kick it into a bucket of water if I feel like it.

What smells? Rotten APPLE. That's what smells.

Trials and Tribulations

2006-09-29T06:51:00.000-05:00

Spring brings many wonderful new things to Minnesota. Flowers, cuddly baby animals, mosquitoe bites and the occasional multi-car pile up. I bring up the multi-car pile up because of the one fact that; the first spring rain leaves an oil slicked road that tends to act more like a skating rink than a major highway.

It is instinct now that Minnesotans slow down for this initial spring rain because they know the cars will be like three year olds on ice skates. These are trials and tribulations that we must endure as Minnesotans. Most of us figure it out, some sooner than others, traffic starts to flow and the next time it rains it is business as usual.

It is now September and many rainstorms have come and gone. Umbrellas have been stowed away as the arrival of cold air and the possibilty of snow loom on the horizon. Does that mean there will be no more rain? No? You sure? Of course there will be. Some drivers in MN tend to forget this when it has not rained for two weeks in the middle of September. They are sure the next thing they will experience is three feet of snow and rain is pushed solidly from their thoughts.

Driving home from work three nights ago, I experienced this forgetfulness during a rainstorm in Lakeville. I have driven through southern Georgia where blinding rains make you pull over to the side of the road. You have no choice. It is as if someone drops a piece of butcher paper on your windshield and makes you drive 60 MPH.

Oddly though, this was not the case on my way home. It was a moderate rain and hard at times but nothing that would cause the circus act under the bridge that I saw. People were pulled over trying to get under the bridge. The pulled over at angles so that the two lane highway turned into one lane and that lane was available if you straddled the dashed lines.

I continued past wondering what I was missing. I started to panic. What if they saw something I didn't? Maybe J-Lo was signing autographs under the bridge. I started frantically looking out my windows. Nothing. Leaves...but it is Autumn. Rain...obviously. Clouds...again, obviously. That was it. No hail, tornadoes or special appearances by J-Lo.

I continued driving and within a 1/2 mile of the bridge I was out into blue skies and speedily on my way home. I will never understand this UBP (under bridge phenomonen). It escapes me because you can only ever fit one, maybe two, cars under a bridge.

Some would call this human nature. To panic and risk life and limb to save your car. I call it Minnesotan nature but most of the time I call it weird.

Al Franken Sighting!!

2006-07-14T18:29:00.000-05:00

My wife and I, while navigating downtown Minneapolis, ran into (not over, although the thought crossed my mind) none other than Air America's own Al Franken. He was looking a bit more gray, a bit more disheveled and sporting a backpack while standing on the corner, no doubt spouting lies and other garbage, just off Hennepin Avenue.

My wife noticed him first saying, "Wow, that guy looks like Al Franken." I said "That is Al Franken." Note: He looks nothing like the picture above. I kept driving and, honestly, I am surprised I even remember the brief encounter. Maybe a nice gallon of prune juice and an Ex-Lax will help me purge the memory from my system.

St. Louis Missouri

2006-07-13T07:13:00.000-05:00

This is a new realm for me. Never before have I reviewed an entire city. Actually, I was only in downtown St. Louis so it was not the ENTIRE city.

Downtown St. Louis is an arid, desolate wasteland. There is nothing. The first day I was there I asked about finding a movie theatre. They looked at me like I was from another galaxy. I found the nearest theatre to be 10 miles away.

In the first hour I was approached by two nice young men asking for change for a $10 bill. So I opened my wallet and was beat over the head and robbed. Not really, but that would have happened. How dumb do I look. 30 minutes later I was asked if I had any change. I asked "Change of underwear, change of mind? What kind of change?" He left me alone. He probably thought I was crazier that he.

At one point in my trip I went to "The Mall". It was two blocks from my hotel and is a four story mall with a lot of shops and food...100 years ago. Now there are five stores open and one restaraunt in the food court. There is also a ghetto Walgreens on the fourth floor. No escaltors and one dirty elevator is all there was to get up there. I sacraficed...I needed munchies and batteries.

I stayed at the Renaissance Grand Hotel. This is a very nice hotel with very nice ammenities for about $149/night. Good food and good service with clean rooms in a lousy location. It is the main stay place for any convention at the Americas Center so I guess it needs to be where it is.

The glutton for punishment that I am, I wandered out of my hotel and 10 blocks away to go to dinner at an Italian restaraunt. The food was fine, nothing special. On the way back I saw two horse drawn carriages and no cars and no people. St. Louis: Population 348,000 people and on a Saturday night, for 10 blocks I see no one? Are they in their caves at night or what?

I also visited the Arch. The arch is cool but getting up to the observation deck is another barrel of monkeys. $10 gets you the opportunity to be sandwiched in with four other people in a space the size of dixie cup. It is an egg shaped "pod" that elevates you 600+ feet to the top where another 1000 people are crammed onto the observation deck trying to look out of rectangular port holes located at a height where your knees have a good view of the city.

Overall St. Louis was OK at best. Weird mostly, but if you can get past the weirdness there are some nice buildings and cool things to see.

Royal Pacific Resort, Orlando

2006-07-03T09:53:00.000-05:00

Submitted by Doug Kindseth:

Last week we took our 10 year old granddaughter to the Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Studios theme park in Orlando Fl. Aside from the incongruity of a pacific theme on the east coast our granddaughter enjoyed the pool immensly. The rest of the shebang, hotel, park(s) etc were pretty much a bore, a very expensive bore at that.
The hotel was $275 per night for a Days Inn size room that was slightly shabby and marginally dirty. Not hugely shabby or dirty, just slightly so. The food was a joke, very expensive and tastless to the point that we were angry about it. The Hamburgers at the poolside "shack" were actually quite good, and ironically were the only reasonably priced pieces of food available. The "gourmet" restaurants were uniformally bad, but with poor service to make up for it.
The parks, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure were ok but were about as standard as can be with the usual rides abundant at any park. The Dualing Dragons ride was worth the price, however, and it alone made the trip. It is a absolutely great ride and you should bring along clean underwear for this one because it will make you gasp. My daughter and I were the only two with the cajones to ride this one and we were weakneed when we finished. Terrific fun!!!
Overall the 4 days there were ok. Very overpriced, VERY overpriced but if you have budgeted for it it can be fun, especially the parks. I would stay in a nearby hotel at a much reduced overnight rate but in central Florida touristrap land they will get you coming or going, so be prepared to spend money any way you go.

Bluetooth Keyboards

2006-06-27T16:29:00.000-05:00

There a few Bluetooth keyboards out there today. These are a few I have tested. In a nutshell, all are OK. Nothing stands out but they all work fine.

The I.Tech Virtual keyboard has a killer Cool Factor. For the most part it works pretty well. Not to bad to setup and seems to register keystrokes better than the two I will review below. The real problem I am having with it is I cannot see the darn keyboard with the lights turned on! I had to wait until 7pm here at work one night to really test it.
It is rechargable and will give you about 2 hours of typing time. It will also form the ends of your fingers into mushroom caps from beating on your desk for 2 hours straight. It does shut off the second you pick it up off the table. This is a built in feature so you (being the uninformed user) don't burn your retina out trying to figure out how it works.

Next is a keyboard created for the Blackberry. This device is called the Coolmir and is produced by a company called Man and Machine. Their slogan is "everything we do is cool". I am not sure what they had in mind calling the keyboard the coolmir though. Cool...ok I get that. Mir...is Russian for Peace? Hmmm...Cool Peace? Maybe Cool Piece? Who knows.

This is a neat device though. It rolls up on itself and stores neatly in a little carrying case. M&M states that it will get 15 hours of use (which blows away the competition) but it is wired. This is not a big deal as it sits right next to the Blackberry anyway. I must note that this keyboard will only work with USB Blackberry devices (6000 and 7000 devices). If you have a BES you must also allow permission to attach the keyboard to the Blackberry and only works on BES 4.0 or higher.

Installing it is a pain. Once installed, you must invoke the program for your BB first or else the keyboard thinks you are charging it with the BB instead of wanting to key with it. I wish it would just recognize it. Not the case. Once you get past this it works good. The keys are little less responsive then on the I.Tech but on the good side, your fingers won't swell to the point you can't get your wedding ring off.

Feel the Freedom! Whatever. This is a true Bluetooth device that works good with the Blackberry. It even has its own built in Blackberry stand. Cooooool. The keyboard runs off two AAA batteries that seem to last quite a while.

This device is the easiest to install and responds pretty well to keystrokes. It runs the same price as the Coolmir at $99.99. It is compact, folds over and fits into its own little case.

This has been the best device, to this point, for the price and I would recommend it to anyone whose thumbs are starting to grow from all the BB keying they are prone too.

Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi Dead

2006-06-08T07:07:00.000-05:00

I hope your virgins are 350 pound male gorillas. Bye.

Movie Review: Over the Hedge

2006-06-05T06:55:00.000-05:00

My 2 1/2 year old and I went to see Over the Hedge this weekend. It was a wonderful movie with all the cute cuddly creatures you could possibly want. There is plenty of humor for the adults and enough low level (burping) jokes for the kids.
The kid quotient (for me anyway) was about 4 out of 5. He asked to leave about 1/2 way through the movie. So I threw him in my lap and gave him some popcorn and nay a peep was heard from there on out (until he bonked his head on the chair next to me. Crying ensued but the credits were rolling so...who cares).
The bear in the movie (Nick Nolte) can be a little bit scary but isn't Nick Nolte scary in real life too? One shocker for me was Avril Lavigne playing "Heather" the daughter possum. I did not expect that. She did pretty good I thought. She brought some of that teen angst to the role of "daughter possum" but it was toned down so very bearable.
The movie is only 1 1/2 hours so most kids can sit through it (minus potty breaks and the occasional sour patch kid melt down). So bring anyone you know and enjoy the movie. It really is fun for all. Plus, if you are in a bad mood walking into the theatre, that nutty squirrel will pick you right up. He is hilarious.

Gaylord Palms Resort - Orlando, FL

2006-05-23T23:49:00.000-05:00

Last week I visited Orlando, FL for the Wireless Enterprise Symposium. While attending this event I was extremely happy to stay with the great folks at the Gaylord Palms Resort - Florida. The Palms is located about 3 miles from Disney World and about 20 minutes from Universal Studios by bus(a car would take about 3 minutes).
While there I stayed on the 9th floor over looking a 4 acre atrium. It was spectacular to say the least. To the left is a picture outside my room!

The atrium consisted of three restaurants (including a seafood restaurant on the water), an alligator and turtle pond, a Ben and Jerry's, shopping, a wedding chapel and a fort. Yes, a fort. You can see it in the picture.

Alligators, Turtles and Rocks oh my. It was very neat to watch them in the little habitat. On Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday you could feed them...or be fed to them. Whichever you prefer. Either way there was no cost, so that's a bonus. Only thing was is that they bound the alligators mouths with electrical tape. Steve Irwin would have a fit. Beauty Mate!

The rooms were very nice, the Dasani was free (in a round about way) and the service was top notch. I would stay here again in a second! The food? Did I mention the food? No? Fantastic!

Everything about the hotel was wonderful. The outdoor pools, the convention center and the mini-golf were all something to behold. This is really a place for families to stay.

Below is a picture of the family pool. Notice the giant octopus with the water slide going down his middle? Awesome. The kids loved it (so did JJ!) . You can visit their site here.

Go! You will not regret it. Your wallet will never speak to you again but you will find that it is totally worth it.

Bye.

Main Street Cafe

2006-05-07T20:44:00.000-05:00

If you ever are in Siren, Wi. for, well, whatever, you must stop in at the Main Street Cafe. This, in downtown Minneapolis or Chicago, would be called a "greasy spoon". For a sleepy little town that hops like crazy (come fishing opener) in the summer, this is good food. I had a buttermilk pancake just this morning that was the size of an airplane tire. It was huge...and it was good. $2 for this airplane tire is a steal. You get three for about $4.75. Good luck eating them.

The clientele are what you would expect. Friendly, outgoing and small town. They are the best. Smoking is allowed because it is not Hennepin County. If you don't like smoking, don't go. To tell you the truth, I saw people smoking but never noticed any smoke. In other words, don't worry about it. Just eat!

Huge portions, great people, great service and good food. Go. Located, where else? On Main Street in downtown Siren, Wi.

Movie Review: King Kong (2005)

2006-04-21T17:23:00.000-05:00

King King (2005) is a fantastic movie. It is a little slow at the beginning due to some character development but I forgave that. I liked all the characters. Naomi Watts steals the performance (next to Kong that is) to the point where no one else in the movie really matters. Jack Black also does a great job as Carl Denham, the over ambitious movie producer.

Carl takes a crew of sailors and his cast to Skull Island where they encounter Kong. From the moment they come across this island the adventure and the action starts. Folks, from this point on the actions does not stop. I was literally glued to my chair. I realized later I spilled my pop and really could not get up. I slept in that chair for three days.

Kong falls for Ann Darrow (Watts) and does anything and everything to protect her. Everything is a threat, in his eyes, to his new "special" friend. We are talking humans, giant bat things, T-Rex's, small mammals, the occasional fruit fly, taxi cabs and bi-wing airplanes. I think she should have stuck with Kong instead of kissing that Driscoll (Adrien Brody) character. Jack Driscoll had a bigger nose and much smaller feet than Kong (if you know what I mean).

I would highly recommend this movie. It is action packed, intense and has some scenes that kids should probably not see (like Darrow kissing Driscoll). There are some head squishes (it is an island full of dinosaurs...someone, you know, is going to get stepped on) , shooting, stabbing, kissing (as I mentioned before) and other icky violence.

Rent it or buy it. Peter Jackson did another great job on this movie.

Review: Samsung X497 by Cingular

2006-04-21T16:47:00.000-05:00

In a word...Junk.

Book Review: Missing Persons

2006-04-19T16:25:00.000-05:00

I finished this book a couple of weeks ago, it was plenty good. Steven White has written a series of books about Alan Gregory. This one is like the 30-11th or something in the series.

The book takes place in Boulder, CO, the former home of JonBenet Ramsey. This book has may indirect references to JonBenet's murder. The teenage girl who is one of the missing persons (she maybe have been kidnapped or ran away, get the book) is a former classmate of JonBenet's.

Anyway, lots of people go missing. The people have no apparent connection to one another. There is a good cop, a bad cop, and most of all a story and is interesting enough that I looked forward to getting back into the story.

Oh, and there are a few people with mental illness in the book, which is always entertaining for me :)

I liked it enough that I'm going to get a few more of the series of eleventy-seven to interact with soon.

Jason

Review: Air Tran Airways

2006-04-18T21:48:00.000-05:00

I flew ATA from Sarasota to Mpls last Friday the 14th of April. This was the best and worst flight I think I have been on.

The best because from Sarasota, FL to Chicago I was on a brand new plane. It was very comfortable and every seat had XM Radio. The crew was very responsive, young and really a breath of fresh air. From Chicago to Minneapolis I was on one of their older planes, but again, a fresh crew, XM in all the seats and just an overall great experience.

The worst was the turbulence in and out of Chicago. I will never blame this on an airline. I have never been thrown around that much on any flight. Even one of the attendants mentioned she had never been on a flight so rough. There are always different reactions from the passengers on these kinds of flights. I was annoyed, some people had quick screams and then the two girls (12 and 9) sitting behind me laughed like they were on a roller coaster. I even heard one say "Wow, that was a good one". All I could do was smile...until my head bashed into the window again.

Book Review: Transfer of Power - Vince Flynn

2006-04-18T21:32:00.000-05:00

Awesome. What more can I say. From the first page this book takes off and never lets go. Mitch Rapp is in standard butt kicking form and I think would give a ninja a run for his money.

Synopsis: A nasty terrorist and his band of followers take over the White House. After killing hordes of Secret Service and a number of innocents things finally settle in and demands start to be made. The President is trapped in his secure bunker while these events take place. The terrorists need the President in order for their ultimate plan to unfold. How they attempt to get to the President is where a good portion of the book centers on. Rapp makes his way into the White House and with the help of a few unlikely hero's he saves the day. Flynn focuses on how ruthless and hypocritical Islamic extremists are and breaks down what they are capable of.

This is the second book of Flynns and I would highly recommend it.

Review: Wagon Wheel Flea Market

2006-04-09T18:42:00.000-05:00

I am on vaction in Florida this week and the first Sunday we are here we always go to the Wagon Wheel Flea Market in St. Petersburg, FL. This should be called the Wagon Wheel Flee Market because immediately when you drive in, you should turn around and run for your life.

The was a quote in Star Wars, A New Hope by Obi Wan when him and Luke come across Mos Eisley Space Port. Obi says, "You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villany...except at the Wagon Wheel Flea Market." Now, this last excerpt was left out of the original movie but let me assure you, it was originally in there.

Walking through the aisles of junk, oh I mean "surplus items" is something to behold. There are lots of items that are really hard to determine the legitimacy. Stolen? Mmm, who really knows for sure. I am not sure who they would have stolen this from. Junk yard maybe? Some homeless guy? Don't get me wrong, there are some things that I bring home. Golf balls, socks (not used) and wallets. Of course, you can pick up a bra or thong but I would not advise it.

The caliber of people that visit here are the standups of society. I saw hundreds of people and about 3 teeth amongst them all. There was a woman who screamed the whole time she walked through the aisles. That was something to behold. I saw lots of cute middrift shirts on 300 pound girls. My retinas fell out.

The best are the long haired hippie freaks with no shirts, jean shorts and hair to their rears. This gentleman usually have a rugged looking woman going through the aforementioned bras and thongs and then a child with a nice mullet and a right ear pierced.

Did I mention all the wonderful smells too? No? Well I am not going to either. Some things in life are not worth reliving. Well, that is all from FL for now. I am sure there will be more to come. Hope you all are having a nice time in MN. See Ya.

Wisconsin Wins 6th NCAA Title

2006-04-08T21:25:00.000-05:00

Wisconsin wins their 6th NCAA title and their first since 1990. This gives the WCHA their 5th win in a row! Tom Gilbert scored the winning goal in the 3rd period on the powerplay to rope the game in.

Way to go Wisconsin!!

Samsung A900 Sprint POWER Vision Cell Phone

2006-04-04T17:29:00.000-05:00

Sprint was kind enough to send me an A900 POWER Vision cell phone and from what I have experienced so far...I really enjoy it. Not like I enjoy pickled pigs feet or the occasional raw egg, but more like how I enjoy a good sneeze followed by another good sneeze. This phone has many nice features and I am only going to touch on a few of them.

The first is that is looks like a RAZR and smells like a RAZR but it is definetly not a RAZR. The A900 is solid. It feels good to hold on to and I have not dropped it once (and that is saying a lot). It has a nice bright screen, good sound and an easy to navigate menu system.

It has a 1.3mp camera and the lens actually rotates so you can take those upside down self portaits that you have always wanted to take. Example 1: Does not exist because I put a password in wrong and now I cannot change it in order to send myself the picture to my e-mail. Nice feature...not.

The A900 also has a color screen on the outside so you can see the time, music that is playing, coverage and battery life. Along with the color screen on the outside are the forward, back and pause/play button for the music you are listening too. Works fine but you really need the USB headphones to get the full range. The onbaord speakers are ok but at the same time...they suck.

Live TV is also an option on this A900 POWER Vision phone. It does not take much time to get to the option but it will cost you $9.99 a month to watch TV. It will cost you $2999.99 to fix the large dent in your car from where you hit the tree. It gets expensive but...oh the quality!

You can import your own music or you can choose the option to order music from Sprints site. At $2.50 a song all I can say is "What a steal!" No I mean really, they are ripping you off. $2.fitty a song? You know how many Zagnuts that will buy? No? Me neither. I as hoping you would know. The speed of the download is ok and you do have the option of downloading the song to your PC. So if you are made of money (or have it on loan from Sprint and they are paying for it) go ahead and splurge.

There is also a menu funtion called OnDemand which gives you all the information relative to the zip code you are in. Sports, weather, maps, movies, TV Guide and even the dictionary. Wow...I can't remember the last time I needed a dictionary while I was tooling around St. Paul. Glad it is at my fingertips now. Just in case I need to speel somthing rite.

Overall I do like the A900 cell phone. I wish I could keep it and I really wish Sprint would pay for it forever. That would be darn nice of them. Maybe if they read this blog? Pipe dream! It sells for $349.99 but with all the contracts and other garbage it sells for $199.99. Oh ya, plus $9.99/month for the TV, $2.50 per song, $14.99/month for the online access and I am sure there are some other monthlies that can be thrown in that I have yet to discover.

BUY IT!! Live the online revolution in your car, ignore your family and lose your job all to watch live TV on a 1" x 2" screen. Ahhh, technology!

The Bishop in the West Wing

2006-03-29T16:34:00.000-06:00

This is my first post here.

"The Bishop in the West Wing" is a book by Andrew Greeley This book isn't so much novel as it is a propaganda piece for the DNC (Democratic National Convention). The propaganda is mixed thoroughly into a story about the White House, and it's new President, a democrat of course. He's the most wonderful, intelligent, wise, caring president ever. Yes, ever. Oh, I should also mention he is an Irish Catholic Guy from Chicago. Somehow, we are suppose to think that he is not a crooked politician from Chicago. Now, I know people from Chicago. Bribes make Chicago work. You want your driver's license, you'd better hand the county employee administering the test a couple of saw bucks or you'll be back tomorrow testing again. Imagine writing a story about how fair and accurate the elections and judicial system in Cook County Ill is to the citizens of Chicago. Good grief. Aside from that, the book is filled with references to W stealing the election from Algore and the corruption of the courts in Florida. The author apparently completely forgot the election that Old Man Kennedy bought for JFK in Cook County. Nixon actually had a reason to sue and didn't, Algore sued and, well, now he's a Unibomber reject lecturing to colleges.

But I digress.

The book almost completely failed to hold my attention. Apart from the liberal silliness, the story was weak. I didn't really care why the poltergeist (oh yeah, the White House is haunted for a while when the President first takes office and a bishop from Chicago is staying in the West Wing to banish the poltergeist) was there, who it was, or when it would leave. The most entertaining part of the book was waiting to see what sort of DNS inspired nonsense the author could dream up and pass off as good story telling. And that was so unbelievable that it wasn't worth the wait.

Anyway, don't read this book. It is, in a word, ungood. Unless you are a long haired, maggot infested, dope smoking liberal type; then you'll love it.

Wait, I did learn one thing; poltergeist is from German and it means 'noisy ghost', or 'playful ghost'. But I like etymological nonsense like that.

Jason

PS - The book I'm in the middle of now is good, but I'll be darned if I can recall the name. I'll post when I'm done with it.

Apology

2006-03-27T21:40:00.000-06:00

I have been way into the NCAA Hockey Tournament and have not been reviewing much. There is a two week break before the Frozen Four so now you have all my attention back (for the next two weeks anyway).

Frozen Four is Set

2006-03-27T21:25:00.000-06:00

The Frozen Four in Milwaukee, WI is all set. North Dakota will meet BC and Wisconsin will meet Maine to decide who will play for the National Championship.

The WI/Cornell game was a great battle of defenses and goalies. The Cornell goalie stopped over 60 shots in their 1-0 loss to Wisconsin (3 OT and the second longest game in NCAA Tournament history). It is behind great goaltending (Elliot) that Wisconsin should prevail in the NCAA Tournament. Maine is a goal scoring machine though so the big test is coming. Can Elliot make the stops when it counts? He sure did against Cornell. Elliot went 11 periods without letting a goal past. Maine has scored 11 goals while allowing 5 goals against and WI has scored 5 and let 0 past.

North Dakota will also be counting on Parise to stop everything thrown at him. BC is also another scoring juggernaut having placed 10 goals neatly in the back of opposing nets in two games and keeping both Miami and BU scoreless. North Dakota has also scored 10 goals in the first two games but Parise let 3 goals past him. This is going to be fun to watch!

NCAA Regional Finals Day 1

2006-03-25T23:00:00.000-06:00

Boston College met, slapped around and embarassed Boston University today 5-0 to move on to the Frozen Four.

North Dakota and Holy Cross also went at it this evening but Holy Cross could not be the giant killer two nights in a row. They played a good game but in the end, NoDak won the game 5-2.

Tomorrow Wisconsin meets Cornell and Maine plays MI State.

NCAA 1st Round - Day 2

2006-03-25T15:20:00.000-06:00

Six games today with one already finished up, two more in progress and three more later on the afternoon and this evening.

At 11am this morning Michigan State took on New Hampshire in the East Regional. Michigan State tallied their one and only goal at 2:14 into the first period. MONEY BACK PLEASE! Yawn. No other goals were produced and the Spartans move on with a score of 1-0 over New Hampshire.

Wisconsin is beating up on the Beavers 3-0 and it is heading into the 3rd periond. Those Beavers better get busy.

Harvard and Maine are in the middle of a game but at this point I do not have a score. Cornell and CC will play at 4:30pm as well as the two Regional final games between NoDak and Holy Cross and BU and BC.

NCAA 1st Round - Day 1

2006-03-25T00:05:00.000-06:00

Who showed up to play Holy Cross tonight? I think it was the small fries that play between periods at the Gopher games. If it is true about what the coaching staff said, that the team had put the WCHA playoffs behind them, then you sure would not know it tonight? The Gophers lost 4-3 in overtime to Holy Cross. Holy Cross played well and the Gophers did not. No more to say. The #1 rated team in the country gets shot out of the sky and is the first #1 seed in NCAA history to lose to the 4th seed. Of course it is the Gophers this happens too.

North Dakota looks like the team to beat. They were very strong riding on goals from TJ Oshie and Drew Stafford (left) tonight. They stomped Michigan handing them a large plate of loss with a side dish of ass whooping. 5-1 was the final score from Grand Forks tonight. Holy Cross will meet NoDak tomorrow (well, tonight now) night but I think the anomoly that is Holy Cross will meet their doom. NoDak is just too good.

Elsewhere tonight more serious spankings were handed out by the two Boston teams in the tourney. BC clobbered Miami-Ohio 5-0 (why were they in the top 3 in the nation for so long?) and BU knocked down, stepped on and then wiped the ice with Nebraska-Omaha (bottom left) with a final score of 9-2.

BC and BU will meet tomorrow night at 5pm for the final of the Northeast Regional.

Other games tomorrow are the start of the Midwest and East Regionals. Wisconsin plays Bemidi State (1:30pm), Cornell goes up against CC (4:30pm), Harvard plays Maine (2pm) and New Hampshire plays Michigan State (11am).

I am not going to win my work pool...damn.

NCAA Regionals

2006-03-24T18:05:00.000-06:00

Let the games begin!!

Boston U has beat Nebraska-Omaha 9-2. Boston has set an NCAA record for most goals scored in a game.

U of M and Holy Cross are playing now.

NCAA Regionals

2006-03-22T08:52:00.000-06:00

Here is the TV schedule for the West and MidWest Regional games this weekend.

Go Gophers!

NCAA Men’s Hockey Tournament Television Broadcast Schedule

Friday, March 24
5 p.m. - FSN Live: NCAA Hockey Pregame (from Grand Forks, N.D.)
5:30 p.m. - Minnesota vs. Holy Cross (FSN)
8 p.m. - FSN Live: NCAA Hockey Post- and Pregame
8:30 p.m. - North Dakota vs. Michigan (live on FSN and ESPNU)
11 p.m. - FSN Live: NCAA Hockey Postgame
11 p.m. - Minnesota vs. Holy Cross (tape-delayed from 5:30 p.m. on ESPNU)

Saturday, March 25
1:30 p.m - Wisconsin vs. Bemidji State (FSN)
4:30 p.m. - Colorado College vs. Cornell (FSN)
7 p.m. - Minnesota Wild vs. San Jose Sharks (FSN)
8 p.m. - NCAA West Regional Final (ESPNU)
9:15 p.m. - FSN Live: Wild Postgame
9:30 p.m. - NCAA West Regional Final (tape-delayed from 8 p.m. on FSN)
12 p.m. - FSN Live: NCAA Hockey Postgame

Sunday, March 26
5:30 p.m. - NCAA Midwest Regional Final (tape-delayed from 4 p.m. on FSN)

WCHA Playoffs

2006-03-22T08:12:00.000-06:00

The WCHA playoffs have come and gone. They were all great games and it was a fun weekend for hockey in St. Paul. I was lucky enough to attend 3 of the 5 games and I had a great time at all of them.

SCSU and Duluth started the weeked with the play in game on Thursday night. SCSU dominated the game from start to finish. Duluth never should have made it this far. SCSU won the game 5-1.

The Friday 2:30pm game was played between NoDak and Wisconsin. This was a fun game to watch (especially from center ice). This was anyones game to win at anytime. Goals were exchanged one for one and both teams played very well. I thought Wisconsin actually played a little bit better but they had a hard time keeping Earl off the ice. He even got a penalty for diving. Who gets that anymore? NoDak won the game 4-3 to propel them into the WCHA championship game.

That night the U of M Gophers matched up against SCSU to see who would meet NoDak in the final Saturday night. SCSU came out on a mission and scored like like there was no goaltender in the net. In fact, with 5 goals allowed in just over a period, we needed to check to see if Briggs was breathing. He was taken apart by the Huskies.

Goals were matched 2-2 in the first period and then SCSU broke it open in the 2nd with 4 goals. 5 minutes into the period, Briggs was replaced by Frazee. He did not do much better as SCSU scored 3 more goals on him.

The score was 6-5 going into the 3rd with the game going back and forth until Hooton (SCSU) beat Frazee and made the score 7-5. The crowd was bummed. Goldy Gopher fled to his hole and the cheerleaders left for a beer. As the last cheerleader left, Irmen came out of nowhere and scored goal number 6. Then with 14.6 seconds remaining in the game Potulny scored his 4th goal of the evening and the 7th goal of the night to tie it up.

When the next Hobey Baker winner (Ryan Potulny) scored his hat trick, the crowd went crazy. It took the Xcel staff 10 minutes to clean up the 150 hats and millions of Red Baron beads thrown on the ice. What nitwit gives Red Baron beads to a bunch of Gopher/SCSU fans at the second game of the day, at a venue that serves beer and on St. Patricks Day. Where did they think these beads would end up? Well, they ended up on the ice, on other peoples heads, and in the protective net that surrounds the ice.

After the 7th goals was scored you can imagine the uproar from the crowd. It was deafening. This is when Jen calls me. I am glad she called, I just could not talk to her for about 5 minutes. This is when the crowd calmed and we went into the break before overtime. She was very excited to talk to me about the game, only problem was, I was pretty much hoarse from screaming. It was a very in depth conversation, as I am sure you can imagine.

The overtime kicked off and the Gophers continued to buzz the SCSU net. Many scoring opportunities passed and the puck finally left the SCSU zone. It entered the Gopher zone, was picked up and a very soft goal (like a fluffy pillow, on a fluffy bed floating on the fluffiest cloud) was scored on Frazee to win the game. The previously filled, screaming lungs of the Gopher fans deflated so fast that oxygen masks fell from above to keep everyone from passing out. It was over, 8-7 and SCSU would go on to face NoDak in the final where they would eventually lose in a good effort, 5-3.

The Gophers then played Wisconsin in the 3rd place game. The Gophers didn't even show up. They lost the match 4-0 and it was actually the most boring game I believe I have ever witnessed. That is all I have to say.

WCHA First Round Playoffs

2006-03-12T21:42:00.000-06:00

Sunday brings the final games of the WCHA first round. North Dakota finds its legs and beats an up and coming Mankato team 3-0 to advance to the Final Five.

UMD and DU are also playing and as of this post UMD is crawling all over DU with a score of 4-1. Denver is in deep trouble and looks like they may not make the Final Five and will also lose a bid for the NCAA's. USCHO already shows DU out of the NCAA's and this game is not even over yet. That cannot be good. Click here to see the new bracket as of now.

St Cloud and CC are also playing and probably are in the 3rd period by now. I have no score at this time. I am looking though!

Outside of the WCHA, Bemidji State comes up with a huge game over Niagra (4-2) to win the CHA tournament for the second year in a row. Minnesota will play (at this point) the Bemidji Beavers in the first round of the NCAA tourney. With this win the Beavers bounced Niagra out of the NCAA's. I think the headline should read "Niagra Falls to Beavers". Get it? Falls? Niagra Falls? Oh forget it...there is no humor in blogging.

Found the SCSU and CC game. SCSU just scored at 6:50 in the third to go up 2-1! Go SCSU! Yahoo Sports Radio is where I am listening to this. The Internet is the greatest.

SCSU wins 3-1 at CC! SCSU will play UMD in the Play-In game on Thursday 3/16 at the XCEL Energy Center. UMD beat Denver tonight 5-2. I am heading to the Thursday game and what a battle it will be.

Final Five:

Play-In Game (3/16 @ 7:30 pm): SCSU and UMD

Friday (3/17 @ 2:30 pm): Wisconsin and NoDak

Friday (3/17 @ 7:30 pm): Minnesota and SCSU/UMD

Go Gophers!!

Dining at Osteria i nonni

2006-03-12T21:21:00.000-06:00

On Saturday night #1 wife and I decided to take a 2nd mortgage on the house and dine at i nonni. It had recieved near rave reviews in the Mpls St Paul Magazine and being partial to good food we decided to give it a go. It is a very nice establishment with fine ambiance and a great wine list. At $12 a glass for a mediocre Barbera that barely covered the bottom of the glass the breadth of the wine list was sort of moot since I was reluctant to take out a 3rd for a second glass. A young lady named Nicole was our server and we never lacked for anything. The term jonny-on-the-spot was coined for this server. The olives and bread came standard and heavenly would be an appropriate term for both. The olives (done by them) are the closest thing to wedding nights for sheer pleasure and I had a bunch. The big greeks are the best but all were wonderful. #1 wife had an evening special salad of veggies with toasted pine nuts and goat cheese. I can't say she liked it but it is the first time she has ever licked a plate in a first class restaurant, and growled at me when I asked to taste it. Count 1 fan for the salad. She then had the spinach risoto w/shrimp and artichoke hearts which was met with considerably less enthusiasim, basically a thumbs down and the offer that I could taste all I wanted. That is always a telling sign. In my particular case I had the old Italian favorite, a pork shank with an unidentified side of something which I couldn't make out in the dark. The side of garlic potatos and mushrooms was acceptable but not for $6 bucks. Oh did I say it was all ala-cart. Yup the bill went up farther than a than a teeny boppers skirt, and faster too.

Overall though the experience was very nice and the food very good. We would not hesitate to go back especially with a little more experience with the menu.
6 stars out of 10

What a night in WCHA Hockey Playoffs

2006-03-11T09:53:00.000-06:00

Final Scores from Game 1 of the WCHA Playoffs

Duluth upsets Denver in OT 3-2!! Huge Upset!!

Mankato upsets North Dakota in OT 3-2!! Another upset but the way Mankato is rolling it is not a suprise. North Dakota has lost its edge and maybe peaked to early in the season.

St. Cloud State upsets CC 2-1. Wow...another shocker! All three of these losses were against the home team.

Minnesota upends Alaska-Anchorage 7-4. This was a lopsided score but the game was not. AK really played well and the Gophers came out flat. Potulny gains his third hat trick of the season and fourth of his career. Gordon also had two goals on the night. They meet at Mariucci again tonight at 7pm CST.

Wisconsin rolled over Michigan Tech 4-1.

Outside of the WCHA a HUGE upset was Alaska-Fairbanks shocking Michigan State 2-1 in the begining of the CCHA tourney.

What a great night in Hockey! You can see the USCHO projected NCAA bracket for March 10th here.

WCHA Tournament Round 1: