Great Commercial for NHL

I'm tired and going to bed. A friend posted this on Essie's Facebook account and I thought it was worthy of sharing. Good night!

R is for Redneck

Evey once in awhile a trip into town renders a chance meeting with some of the local folks which is always a delight, because of how ass-backward their perception of life is. I was pumping gas into the old Metro last night and heard a bass-thumpin stereo. That in itself wasn't unusual. The kids often deck their cars out with expensive speakers, and it's common to hear one of these high schoolers driving down the street with his shaded windows up and the bass a thumpin'. I always enjoy this actually, because you know in that kid's world he is the coolest cat in the country. Hell, we all need that chance in our life to be cool. So this feller last night drove into the gas station parking lot with his bass a thumpin'. I could see through his windows and this wasn't a kid. It was a middle aged man, bald, no tint on his windows. He had his stereo up very loud with his bass dial set to the highest level. The White GT he was driving was stylish... Nice mags... But as he opened his car door to pump his own gas, it became very clear he was just a bit um... Well, the word poser comes to mind. This guy missed his chance to be cool a long time ago. It wasn't 50 Cent or Too Short that was rockin' the bass from his speaker box... It was Toby Keith. Sorry pal... You just lost all street cred. And this is for you:

Veteran's Day Meanderings

I woke up this morning at 5:30 to let Loo outside. He is a German Shepherd who is in our care this week until Thursday, and truly one of the greatest dogs of all time. He has a hankerin' for Beggin Strips and will do just about anything you ask of him to obtain one or two of those delicious treats. He's like Scooby Doo... Sometimes he has to be bribed with two "Scooby Snacks." But my point is, I swear this dog speaks English. If I tell him to make a goofy face for a Beggin' Strip, by golly he sticks out his tongue and crosses his eyes. Amazing. Essie and I made a video last night from the this blog's Consumer Reports dept. with Loo as the star. As soon as it gets edited, I will be sure to post it. Today is Veteran's day, and of course I want to acknowledge all of those who have done this country a wonderful service by serving in the Armed Forces. I appreciate the scarifices and the valor... I love this country with all my being, and I can't think of a way of life any different than the one I am living. This is all because of the Veterans and I am extremely thankful. I wish I had enough money to buy each and every one of you a beer today. By the way, Eric who was in the Marines has a great post at his site if you want some Veterans' Day inspiration. One of my favorite veterans is MIA so to speak... Haws left for Nairobi, Kenya last week, and I haven't heard from him for a few days. We chatted for a bit while he was in Dulles Airport awaiting his flight. He was to go on a safari this past weekend, and I totally anticipated hearing about it, or at least getting some pics in my inbox. But nothing yet... God's speed to you brother... Hope all is well in your base camp.

Burn After Reading

I was getting ready to post something truly amazing but... Essie can't find her notebook that has everything important in it. That in itself isn't a problem, at least for me, except that while that shenanigan is ensuing, I have absolutely NO ability to concentrate for more than a second or two at a time. She is swooping from room to room in a desperate search, and is obviously super inconvenienced by this tragic loss. Thus, every time I think I am going to begin this post, my attention is quickly diverted back to her and her lurid situation. I tried making a joke to relieve some of her stress. "John Muhammad is going to be executed in 19 minutes and you think you have stress?" It drew a feeble smile, but otherwise didn't make a ripple in the intensity of her search. She was already on her way to the kitchen to search through the silverware drawer again. Jumping at the chance to write with the two-second window she was giving me, I got back into position to start this post. I had thought of the perfect opening line for what I wanted to post about, and I was just about to apply it to words... "I found my jewelry notebook," she said as she rushed into the room. Her voice had a hint of relieved happiness to it but not total elation. "I still can't find the notebook with the kids' Christmas list in it." Her search continued. In an effort to help her out, I felt around on the keyboard shelf that was underneath the desk, just above my knees. The shelf, once slidable (and used) when I had a PC, has been broken for several months now. The slide rail doesn't work anymore and it just sits there sans keyboard. It has become a narrow cave in which things that get left out on the desk too long get shuffled away to. I could feel what was there... A CD without it's case, some loose papers, earphone wires... A pair of dice, my Zippo... Dust... But no notebook. It didn't matter. She was already back in the kitchen. I gathered my thoughts and just about started typing the first words of my amazing post. I was immediately interrupted by Essie again, who came into the room with a bowl and a spoon. Apparently she gave up her search, at least long enough to eat some instant oatmeal... And to talk to me. That was 10 minutes ago. I have no idea what we talked about because I am next to the television and it's volume is about 20% louder than she is when she talks, and I do not read lips. I literally maintained the conversation by reading her face and saying "Ok", and "Cool!" and nodding occasionally, and I was able to do this the entire 9 minutes it took her to eat her oatmeal. Now she is off drawing bath water, and it looks like I will finally have that golden window of time to write this incredible post. The unfortunate thing is... I have absolutely NO idea what I was going to post about.

John Muhammad: You are on the Clock

The DC sniper is set to die tonight at 9:00 PM in Virginia. It hardly seems fair that he is given warning.

The Curse of Number 27

It seems that the Chiefs have finally done some housekeeping. They cut Larry Johnson today after he returned to the team following a 2 week suspension for making inflammatory gay comments on his Twitter account and then again to reporters the next day when members of the press asked him about it. That... And for all the other trouble he has gotten himself into during his storied career in Kansas City, including two different incidents last year involving women at nightclubs. Oh... And for being an insubordinate asshole. And... For almost breaking Priest Holmes's franchise rushing record. He was only 74 yards away, you know. Chief fans, who generally hate this horrid piece of human feces, would have been sick with anti-pride had he accomplished that. So much in fact, that if it had happened in Kansas City, the fans would have booed him. So it looks like Larry Johnson will be starting from scratch somewhere else. Good riddance! All's well in the land of the CHIEFS! Right?! Um... Wait a minute... Hold on... Uh-oh. Even though the Chiefs faithful are doing a victory dance tonight, the joy will be momentary, because this isn't going to end well. Why is that, you ask? Because you know that son of a bitch is going to land in the offensive backfield of some other AFC team real soon, probably in the West, and torment our defense for the next 3 or 4 years. Because being just 30 years old, Larry Johnson has at least that many good years left in him. And because he hates the Chiefs and their fans as much as the Chiefs and their fans hate him. Because he seems to fit the profile of a person who holds a long and meaningful grudge who is already plotting his revenge. Revenge that will be served cold... Like the frozen Arrowhead turf in late December... I hate to say it, but I don't share in the joy the other fans are having about this. I already know how this story is going to end. Larry Johnson is going to get the last laugh.

I Stole This

From Grouchy Old Cripple who's blog I found while scrolling through Big Tom's blogroll: Click photo to enlarge Maybe with a little luck, I could win a Pulitzer.

I Heart Tory

Click photo to enlarge Nobody has more heart than my daughter Tory. She proved this once again today as she played with some of Essie's beads...

I'm Bleeding, but at least it's Black and Gold

I haven't read the forums or the newspaper chats, but I am assuming that Hawkeye fans are predicting the apocalypse. That's how it goes in the Hawkeye State... The fans live and die with U of I sports. When the Hawks are winning, no matter how ugly, all is good in the land of Oz. However when the great house of cards takes it's inevitable tumble, fans tend to hit the panic button. Fingers get pointed and names get called. It's an ugly reality in the world of Hawkeye sports... A fact I wish wasn't so. I do not plan on reading the paper. At least that's how I feel right now.. It's been a Sunday morning ritual of mine to sift through the Des Moines Register's Sunday online edition and read all things Hawkeyes. Tomorrow... Well I just don't know. Every article is accompanied by a comments section which allows Hawk fans or anybody else who wants to, to sound off about the article. There's been a lot of talk about the Hawkeyes' national powress lately, and everybody seems to be on the opinion that this is the year of the Hawk, like God has a special plan for our beloved football team. A 12-0 season is inevitable, and the only question is, what team will Iowa play in the national championship game... Or will they be unfairly dissed by the fucked up system that is the BCS? That of course is the chatter when the Hawks are winning. But I know these fans. All is not good in Oz right now, and this single loss is going to bring down the house. Ridiculous statements will be made about the play calling on the field, Ricky Stanzi's injury, and 100 reasons why we suddenly need to shake up the coaching staff and get some heads rolling. Never mind the 13 game winning streak, and never mind the good times associated with the said streak. With the house of cards in a bundled mess on the floor, nothing is right with Iowa football. Iowa fans love their team, but they cannot take a loss. Grateful Dead lyrics come to mind... I used to love her, but it's all over now. Obviously I do not feel this way. I have had a wonderful ride within that 13 game winning streak, and I cannot wait to see how the Hawks rebuild from this loss when they play the Buckeyes next week in Columbus. Even if they lose next week which is obviously possible, I will hold my head up high. If you would have told me in August that the Hawks were going to finish the season 10-2, I would have been elated... Especially with their difficult schedule. If the wheels fall of completely, and the Hawks also lose their final game to Minnesota, then I will still be excited about a record of 9-3. Barring a premature trip to the NFL most of this Hawkeye team will be back next year, with a more relaxed schedule. 9-3 will still bring a great bowl game, in some sunny location, probably after the first of the year. More importantly, 9-3 will set the table for a very exciting 2010 college football season. But I'm not throwing in the towel yet. Kirk Ferentz knows what he is doing. He has had this coaching staff intact for over a decade now, and they will gel through this, and more than likely come out smelling like a rose. Maybe this loss was a good thing, the week before the Big Ten showdown in Columbus. Nothing will open a team's eyes like an unexpected loss, and because Stanzi's injury doesn't seem to be too serious (cross my fingers) the Hawks should go into Columbus running on all cylinders. Of course that's the optimist in me. Personally, I think that the Buckeyes are one of the most perennially over-rated teams in the nation. I really expect Iowa's coaching staff to use this loss as a positive and to go into the Ohio State game angry and with purpose. The defense should be starving after this loss... Hungry enough to eat up Terrelle Pryor, the virtually untested sophomore quarterback that runs the Ohio State offense. Once again, that is the optimist in me. Meanwhile, the pessimist in me is just really hoping that this is the case. Or maybe it's my Hawkeye blood?

Consumer Reports dept.

Axe makes some pretty bold commercials. Apparently applying a little bit of their body spray to your torso can be a dangerous act... It seems to set off some hormonal reflex within the female gender that can't be controlled, and virtually makes you a target for all the women who are in your general vicinity. Especially those women who are clad in bikinis, and incidentally way too hot to normally notice such a feeble existence as yours. If this stuff actually works, it is worth 100 million times more than the 4 dollars each bottle sells for at Wally-World. It's platinum for pennies, a literal genie in a bottle. I thought I'd give it a try to see if it actually works. I stood outside the mall and sprayed a healthy amount onto my shirt. I made sure I did this when no body was watching because... Well... Holy crap that would be embarrassing as hell if somebody saw me doing that just before I walked into a mall. So non-chalantly I gave myself a healthy spray, threw caution to the wind, and entered the building. I made a slight cringe as I stepped forward, knowing I was unleashing a tidal wave of male pheromones. I imagined the movie theater scene in Outbreak, when the guy coughs in slow motion and his tainted germs are released into the immediate atmosphere to those helplessly around him. If these Axe commercials were true, then I knew I had to brace for what was going to happen next. I entered the mall in motion picture slow motion. Then with one giant step forward without any possibility of turning back, I made the metaphorical forward plunge. After all, I figured, what's the worse thing that could happen to me... I could end up like that poor guy on the commercial?

I walked steadfast into the mall. Several women were in my general vicinity, and I eyed them surreptitiously. Evidently they hadn't caught a whiff of me yet... But perhaps I was still up-wind. Surely the air inside the mall moved toward the exits, one of which was just a few yards behind me.

I strode gallantly past the girls making sure to get close enough so that they couldn't escape my alluring aroma. I was a little surprised that I didn't even garner a look-up. I could smell the Axe spray I had shot onto my body... Why couldn't they? I noticed a fresh cookie kiosk nearby... Perhaps I thought, that the smells of the cookies were stronger than the spray on my body, and I was just in the wrong part of the mall. I walked deeper into the mall, away from any food kiosks. Along the way I passed several beautiful women. Not one of them looked at me, or gave me any indication that I was even a small part of their interest. I was beginning to think that this Axe spray - women attraction thing might just be a bit fabricated.

Could it be that I hadn't been generous enough in my application of Axe body spray?

I had to find out. I went to the center part of the mall where the grand piano sets next to the fountain. Despite the people gathered on benches and the kids tossing pennies into the pool of water, I took off my shirt and stood there. I took out the spray, and shot the remainder of what was in the bottle onto my bare chest. Then I dropped the bottle, and put my arms straight out, palms upward, slightly higher than my shoulders... Just like the guy in the commercial. Then for dramatic effect only, I began to spin around... With my eyes closed I imagined the throng of women closing in on me from all sides...

I'm going to end this post by saying that those Axe commercials are BIG FAT lies. When I did open my eyes I was not surrounded by a throng of man-hungry women, but instead a large mall security guard who seemed intent on ushering me outside. The looks I got from the women who were near me were not pleasant or aroused, but more like super disgusted. Those who had children were shielding me away from them like I was some child eating jungle beast, and I barely got my shirt back on before Mr. Mall Security pushed me out into the busy parking lot.

In conclusion, this consumer report finds that the Axe commercials are mis-leading and also a misrepresentation of the product. A consumer has no advantage in getting laid by using Axe body spray any more than he'd have if he were to spray on his father's Old Spice cologne. In fact, he might have a better chance of getting laid using the Old Spice because he'd be able to save the 4 dollars to spend elsewhere... Like on a cheap bouquet of flowers... At the very least the consumer probably wouldn't get that dreaded look of disgust.

Foiled Pack of Deliciousness

Perfect!

Thoughts of Random

It's too cold to be outside without long sleeves on, and it's already dark at 5:30. I guess I might as well get used to it, another summer is in the books. Nonetheless, I have fired up the ol' charcoal grill with anticipation, as I have two big hamburger patties wrapped up tight in foil along with the obligatory shadow of sliced green peppers, potatoes and carrots. Where I work they call these Hobo Dinners, but I have always called them Foil Packs. Whatever they are called, there is nary a more delicious meal to be served, anywhere. I would eat them on a plane, and I would eat them in the rain. I freakin' love Foil Packs. Essie is working hard in the back room making jewelry for a craft sale that is coming up in a few weeks. She is quite good at making beaded bracelets and ear rings with sterling silver components, and hemp necklaces too. It's just something that she picked up a few months ago, and has developed quite a knack for making very unique and artistic jewelry. It's all for sale... So if you have a mother or an aunt, girlfriend or a wife to buy for this Christmas, I'm sure we could work something out... I'd be happy to ship it! The Usual Suspects is on television... This might be my favorite movie of all time. It's one of the few movies ever made that will make me stop what I am doing to sit and watch. That is unless there are Foil Packs on the anticipated horizon. Aint nothing gonna get in the way of that favorite delicacy...

Football Fantasy

Maybe it's the Iowa Hawkeye in me, but I am totally in love with football right now. Of course it might also be that I am poised to take over first place in my Fantasy League tonight. (Actually, if tonight's game wasn't even played, I still would move into first, as I have enough points banked this week that there is no virtual way I could lose... Nor escape the residual slide from second place to first in my league.) Being a 14 team league, this is no small accomplishment. But anyway... The Hawkeyes are the only team in the nation with a 9-0 mark... Bet you didn't know that. Despite that, and the fact that they have what is power-ranked as the 7th toughest schedule in the nation, they are getting almost no love from the national media. No team in Big Ten history has won at Penn State, Wisconsin, and Michigan State in the same year as Iowa has this year, except Michigan who did it in 1997. That same year Michigan went on to become the AP National Champion (Nebraska won the coaches poll, a year before the BCS went into effect.). If Iowa knocks off Ohio State in Columbus in a couple of weeks, that mark will be unprecedented and put Iowa in a class all their own. Ironically, the two Big Ten teams that Iowa does not play this year are the two worst teams, Purdue who is 3-6, and Illinois who is 2-6. So, to eliminate Iowa from the National Championship conversation seems a little premature at this point, especially based off of their supposed weak schedule. The national media loves TCU, Boise State, Oregon and Cincinnati. The same media shuns Iowa despite this little discussed factoid: No team on that list has beaten more teams with a winning record than Iowa. Take a look: Number of opponents defeated that currently have winning records Iowa 6 Cincinnati 4 Texas Christian 4 Oregon 3 Boise State 2 Let it be known that TCU has not beaten a single team slotted in today's Top 25. On the other hand, no team on this list except for one has beaten more teams in the top 25 than Iowa, who has beaten three, two of which were on the road. (Penn State, Wisconsin, Arizona) The exception is Oregon, but all three times the deed was done within the comforts of the Ducks' home stadium. (Utah, California, and USC). Cincinnati and Boise State have each beaten one current team ranked in the top 25. So... National media... Where's the love? Ok, on the lighter side of life, back to baseball... I laughed at this article and immediately thought of Len, the only person who leaves comments on this blog, and the resident Cardinals fan: Mark McGwire To Teach Cardinal Hitters At What Point In Swing To Evade Congressional Questioning. Gotta love the Onion. Ok, that's all for now. Essie just made some hot chocolate, and I have a game to watch.

I am too tired to write about anything else

So I am going to list the last 10 Cd's I have bought. Would love your comments... 10. Matisyahu Youth 9. The Blues Brothers The Definitive Collection 8. Office Space Movie Soundtrack 7. The Cramps Psychedelic Jungle 6. The Dictators Manifest Destiny 5. Eddie Vedder Into the Wild 4. Johnny Paycheck The Soul and the Edge 3. T. Rex Futuristic Dragon 2. Yngwie J. Malmsteen Trilogy 1. Yngwie J. Malmsteen Trial by Fire

Holy Shit...

Getting access to the Internet around here has been an insane and impossible task. It'd been easier to remove a fish hook lodged in the mouth of a crocodile, I swear... A fully awake large crocodile which hasn't eaten in about three weeks... Sitting on a pile of freshly laid eggs. But somehow I finagled it. It took me calling and getting our own Internet provider aside from the one I used to get from work, for the reasons I blogged about earlier. After the gentleman struggled for 5 hours setting it up, he left and it hasn't quite worked right since. In fact, it hasn't worked at all. I have spent the last two days switching wires, resetting modems, resetting routers, and switching the same wires. Tonight I pirated work's office router, which seems to be a good thing because suddenly and at last, I seem to have hit the right combination. For the first time in about three weeks, we are able to use high speed wireless Internet in my home. Tomorrow night Essie and I are driving to Des Moines to the first Halloween costume party I have been to in years. It should bring some photographic moments, as the reputation preceding this event is beyond legendary... I will be sure to post the madness. I have so much I want to say, having been absent for so long. I will let this be it for now, and catch you all up in good time, I guess. There is no way I would be able to tie it all together. The Hawkeyes are shocking the nation, and the Chiefs finally won a game a couple of weeks ago, the Cubs haven't lost in weeks, and hockey has been good to me too. In the non-sports world, I picked up a couple Yngwie Malmsteen CD's at a local thrift store for about a buck apiece last week that are in near new condition. That in itself would have been a 5000 word post, had I had access to the Internet. But I guess I will save you the drama... And maybe tell you the story that is associated with YM on a later date. I'll just say that sometimes I look back on my life and just ask myself how in the world did I pull that off. Tomorrow morning, with hopes of improving my hearing, I am having that procedure done where they drip candle wax into the ears to break up the earwax build up. That should be an extremely interesting procedure, and I look forward to to hearing real voices again, and not just the ones in my head. There's so much more... It truly is good to be back online. Have a safe and happy Halloween, everyone!

Dont Ask... Don't Tell

Essie and I have been playing a new game... It's called Truth or Derriere. We made it up this past week and a half while sans Internet. It's really easy to play: Essie asks me a question, which I usually opt not to answer, and take my chances with her derriere. It's a nice warm interlude to the coming winter which seems to be just around the corner... And I get to keep all of my secrets! Ah... Soooooooo good to be back online...

Does Anyone Leave Comments Anymore?

I have not gone away... Or abandoned this blog. We have had some internet issues here at home as a direct result of somebody sucking all of the available bandwidth while playing online games a week or so ago. (It wasn't me.) I am connected to a wireless modem that I share with a few other households, plus the office computers, and because we live so far away from any town, there isn't a direct line that supports DSL out here. So, we are forced to use satellite internet, and unfortunately, it doesn't come with unlimited bandwidth. One day of gaming will suck up the month's allotment, as we all found out a week and a half ago... The good news is that we are slowly able to get online again, and the better news is that come next week, I wont have to rely on work's internet at all, as Essie and I will be connected to our very own hook-up of satellite internet. This will prevent this idiocy from ever happening again, I hope... Unless I get suddenly start playing World of Warcraft... Which, I hear, is addictive as crack cocaine. But that scenario not being likely, I think from here on out there shouldn't be too many problems. So yeah... Don't be a stranger. I haven't gone anywhere.

Hammer of the Gods

I built a fire tonight, the first one of the season. It created a beautiful backdrop for a cozy evening... Essie is making jewelry, and I am flipping back and forth from the Capitals/Flyers game on Versus and the baseball game on TBS. The scene in Minnesota must be pandemonium. It's the top of the 12th, and the Twins are tied with their divisional rivals, the Tigers, 5-5. I almost went to that game... But as fate had it, by the time I got around to calling the box office for a ticket this morning, the game had already been sold out. I was in Minneapolis already, an able witness to the Brett Favre circus that occurred the night before, fighting a hangover/lack of sleep combination that made my brain feel like it had been snapped in a mouse trap. Despite the morning cobwebs, it was a night I wont soon forget... Sports in Minneapolis are at a frenzy state right now. The Vikings are playing with the force of the mighty Thor, and the fans are whipped into a surrealistic and hypnotic state fueled by this frenzy like sharks in a sea of blood. The Vikes are the real deal... This I am now convinced of... And all the drama created by the retirement/unretirement of Brett Favre this summer has been forgotten. Watching Number 4 pick apart his former team amidst a human sea of purple will go down as one of my all time favorite sports memories... And I have a few. Viewing the game from a neutral standpoint made it all the more alluring, but also made me feel somewhat like an impostor... After all, what is a Chief fan doing at a sports event that is probably the single most hyped up game in the history of the Minnesota Vikings... Or Monday Night Football for that matter? I can't imagine that the Roman Coliseum ever rocked as loud and voracious as the Metrodome did last night. Throw in the fact that the Twins are battling for the final play-off spot tonight against the Tigers (which the Twins just won by the way, in the bottom of the 13th) and it would be easy to say that Minneapolis, Minnesota is the single most important place in the world right now in the world of sports. Wow. So yeah, I tried to get tickets to the baseball game tonight, but it wasn't in the cards. (I guess I could have squandered up to the Metrodome tailgating area and tried my hand at scalping, but that would have meant standing in the cold rain and probably dishing out two or three times the original value of the ticket.) Already tired, I decided instead to just come home, get in an afternoon nap, and enjoy the game(s) on TV next to the coziness of a fire while cuddling up with my sweetie... I LOVE this time of year.

North Dakota Traffic Control

From my inbox this evening... YeeeeHaaaaaw!

Opening Night

Back at work today... And what a day it's been. Just got home and missed the Capitals opener, but see that they pounded the Bruins 4-1. Essie has given me the OK to get the NHL season ticket on Dish, but I haven't pulled the trigger just yet... $160 is a lot of money that could be useful elsewhere... And it's not like we got it laying around. Still, the allure is SO strong. I think if I had Tivo, it would be a no-brainer. That way I could at least guarantee seeing the games when I work late, as I did tonight. Turns out the game was on Versus, and I could have watched it had I been here... Things seem to go like that, huh? Yes they do... That's a big ten-four good buddy! Maybe I should forgo the NHL season ticket, and upgrade to Tivo...

Sick Day

Essie stayed home sick yesterday with a nasty stomach virus. Well, I got it too, and today we both stayed home. It was the first time that we both stayed home together when we were both actually sick... Heh... And as you can imagine, it was a pretty uneventful morning and afternoon here in the ol' cabin in the woods. (I'm sure the house smelled of sickness and near-death.) The entire day was spent asleep, with Essie on the couch, and me in the bedroom. Finally, late this afternoon we managed to get ourselves up and around, and started the sanitation process. We made a quick jaunt into town to get some chicken soup, crackers and 7-Up. We left the windows open while we were gone so the house could air out. Essie made a great point as I dipped into my soup. "Why is it that when you are sick, the things you are never hungry for, sound so delicious?" So true... I thought. I never crave chicken soup. I feel well enough to consider going to work tomorrow, and Essie says she feels the same. I have the lower inevitible lower back pain that one gets from laying in bed all day, but overall I am just a little bit of stretching and a dose of Advil away from feeling normal... Aside from the tiredness that has engulfed me. It's 8:15, and Essie has already gone to bed... Which is where I am heading soon.

Un-American Gothic

Essie came across this article tonight and passed it my way.

It seems that on a recent trip to Spain, President Obama and the First Lady took time out of their schedule to pose for a photograph with the Prime Minister's family. Apparently the photograph is causing an uproar in Spain, because the PM's teenage daughters are Goth.

Now... I have never heard of Gawker, the website which posted the article. As far as I can tell it is amateurish at best, or with the benefit of the doubt at least a poor translation to proper Spanish. The post accompanying the photo is horribly written if not a bit confusing... However the comments following the article are great, a reflection of real Goths weighing in with heart-felt remarks. For instance, this quote: Their parents seem pretty cool about it...

And I love this guy who calls the girls out:

Goths don't smile, he says.

Awesome, dude. Your point is taken. (But apparently Goths DO have giant satellite TV dishes?)

Goths seem to take a lot of pride in their vampirish appearance and I like the fact that in order to be Goth, one must abide by a strict rule regiment. It seems they are always trying to out-Goth each other, and even have websites which not only show off their Gothness, but even lets John Q. Public cast a vote to rate each person's Gothniticity.

When I first saw the photo of the Prime Minister's daughters, I had to look hard to see what was relevant. Essie pointed out to me the slouching figures of the girls and their long black dresses. I could see a dab of heavy make-up and that devilish grin on each of their faces, but as far as Goths go, I can't imagine that they would score very high on Goth or Not. (I'm sure they toned it down a bit for the photo with the American President, possibly at their father's request.) Also I was struck that these girls were 13 and 16, as the article states. At initial glance, I would have taken them for women in their 30's. I guess that's what Gothy make-up will do for ya.

Mom might do pretty good on her own on Is It a Man or Woman?, if in fact that was a website that did exist. She reeks of feminine-macho-masculinity in her black dress and tights and her face resembles Roy Horn, the man-wife of Siegfried Fischbacher of Las Vegas fame. I hope she doesn't get mauled by a tiger. That would be tragic. (I wonder how Goth's react to tiger-maulings... I bet most would think they're cool.)

President Obama meanwhile, looks exactly like the cardboard cut-outs that you see in the novelty shops in downtown Washington.

Despite the terrible writing, I think that the article is trying to say that papa Prime Minister is trying hard to keep his daughters out of the public eye of his country and that he may even be a bit embarrassed of the "lifestyle" his daughters have adopted. The author, Pareene understands the girls' choice to be Goth, and might even be Goth himself as he states, It is a natural part of life, becoming a teenaged goth. I wonder if he also understands that it is a natural part of teenage life to go to school and learn how to write.

Hmmm... Maybe Gawker is hiring.

Ahhh... Love the smell of the weekend...

I had this song in my head for over an hour now. For the life of me I couldn't place where I had heard it before, or who sang it. Finally, after I couldn't take it a second longer, I put a line of the lyrics I could remember into the Google search engine, and was relieved to find out that it was good ol' Johnny Cash. It was definitely one of those Duh! moments. Essie and I are kicking it with my daughter this weekend plus her two young grandsons, so I most likely wont be on until early next week. I definitely plan to post a little more regularly then... Until... Here's Johnny: Where the road is dark and the seed is sowed Where the gun is cocked and the bullet's cold Where the miles are marked in the blood and gold I'll meet you further on up the road Got on my dead man's suit and my smilin' skull ring My lucky graveyard boots and a song to sing I got a song to sing, it keeps me out of the cold And I'll meet you further on up the road. Further on up the road Further on up the road Where the way is dark and the night is cold One sunny mornin' we'll rise I know And I'll meet you further on up the road. Now I been out in the desert, just doin' my time Searchin' through the dust, lookin' for a sign If there's a light up ahead, well brother I don't know But I got this fever burnin' in my soul Further on up the road Further on up the road Further on up the road Further on up the road One sunny mornin' we'll rise I know And I'll meet you further on up the road One sunny mornin' we'll rise I know And I'll meet you further on up the road. Have a GREAT weekend... Go Hawks!

Wrapped Around my Linger

A friend stopped by tonight. With a case of Miller Lite. By the way, does Miller, or Budweiser for that matter, have exclusive rights to the spelling of "Lite?" It has no other meaning in that context of spelling than for a description for a beer with drinkability. Does it? Is that word in the dictionary? Is it exclusive to beer? Anyway, Tom stopped by with a full case, which we managed to put a big dent into. Thankfully there will be no driving tonight, so rest assured, no additional dents... I'm not such a drinker these days, contrary to my obvious drinking these days, but I had a rot gut full of emptiness, that needed a tank full of gasoline. A case of beer is exactly what the doctor ordered. (How cool would it be, if my doctor actually prescribed to me a case of beer?) Ok, since this conversation keeps wrapping itself around itself, I am signing out and going to bed. Ciao world. I've missed you.

Slow and easy wins the race

Yes. Indeed it does.