Legend of a Mind

All in

2012-02-08T04:11:00.003-06:00

Yet another banner night down at the old ink mines.
Unbalanced night editor takes matters into own hands
and goes on final power trip... ??? Only time will tell. ;-X

'Scuse me while I kiss the sky!

2012-01-31T00:03:00.008-06:00

Came across this image on Facebook recently and thought it was worth a post.
Governor Palpatine is in deep shit at the moment between the recall election and corruption probe from his days as the Milwaukee County Executive. It just killed me that he never even referred to the recall during his recent State of the State address.

How's my drinking? Dial 1-800-EAT-SHIT

2012-01-10T13:51:00.005-06:00

Hope you all had a Merry Festivus! ;) I used the image at left as my profile pic recently on Facebook and thought I'd share it on here as well.

For the first time since moving here, I had Christmas day off from work and actually got to have dinner at a friend's house that night. :-D We also watched the Bears/Packers game on their flatscreen TV, which was way awesome even though Chicago lost.

My first column at The Daily Mess

2011-11-28T17:00:00.002-06:00

I recently wrote my first-ever personal column for the paper. It appeared in print Nov. 9. It was fun writing it and I received some nice compliments and feedback. I hope you enjoy it!

Night owl editor roosts in Ashland

You don’t know me but I am at your home or business every day. For the past three years, I have had the privilege of designing the front page of your newspaper five days a week. It is a huge responsibility and one that I take very seriously.

Night watchman. Night nurse. Night editor. (That last one is me, by the way.) I have always been what is commonly referred to as a “night owl” so I suppose it’s only fitting that I finally have a job with the word “night” actually in the title. Of course, I do more than just lay out Page 1 at The Daily Press. On any given night I am responsible for 6-12 other inside pages, including the Milestones page and Page Two. It can be very challenging and at times frustrating when the technology and/or equipment don’t function as expected, but it’s always rewarding.

And never dull! I have had many amazing newspaper experiences since taking my first job out of college at The Times-Press in Streator, Ill. I have ridden on a fire truck in Portage, explored the underground remnants of an all-but-forgotten speakeasy in my hometown, gone on a hair-raising ride-along with a very nice member of the Columbia County Sheriff’s Dept., and written a first-person account of my eye surgery (radial keratotomy). My job at the Press doesn’t involve reporting so now my adventures in journalism revolve around the newsroom, pressroom and making that dreaded deadline. But believe me, that’s excitement enough these days.

Although I have had a colorful work history outside of journalism, including a period when I both delivered prescription medicine for a pharmacy and worked as a clerk at a liquor store (I used to enjoy the look I would get from strangers when I told them my line of work was drugs and alcohol), I’ve mostly held the title of some sort of editor at the five newspapers for which I have worked: production editor, feature editor, associate editor, etc. I have a B.A. in journalism with a news/editorial emphasis and a minor in English from Northern Illinois University, the first in my family to obtain a college degree.

Looking back, I think writing and editing were in the cards for me from childhood. I certainly had an early love for the written word. I enjoyed writing so much that in grade school I used to copy out pages from books I found on the living room shelf (“Ivanhoe” was one, I recall). I would write sentences onto lined notebook paper just to see the words come out of my own hand. The gift of a Smith-Corona typewriter one Christmas opened up a whole new world of possibilities.

I can remember when I was in third or fourth grade putting together my own little household publication, typewritten and hand-illustrated or featuring pictures cut from my mom’s Good Housekeeping magazines. My little newsletter contained stories about what my mom was cooking for supper, what my stuffed animals were up to and what rotten things my younger sister had done to me that week. I also had several international pen pals from a variety of locales, including China and Nigeria. (It’s strange to think of that now and the pleasure it afforded me because no one has “pen pals” anymore. Stupid e-mail!)

I grew up in northern Illinois and resided in my hometown of Ottawa for 37 years before moving to Madison in 1998, the year Wisconsin celebrated its sesquicentennial and the year I discovered the magic that is Big Top Chautauqua. I was there that wonderful October night at the Madison Civic Center when those marvelous folks performed “30^th Star.” It was everything I had been told and more because it combined two of my favorite interests: history and music. I fell in love with the whole Big Top experience and instantly became a fan for life. I was so excited later when I bought the CD for “30^th Star” and discovered it had been recorded at that very performance. In fact, a friend who was with me that night swears she can hear me hooting and hollering between numbers. I wouldn’t be surprised.

I then lived in Mineral Point, a jewel of a town nestled in the heart of Wisconsin’s “driftless area,” for eight years before taking my current position here in Ashland. If you’ve never been there, I highly recommend it. The Fall Art Tour, Gallery Night, Shake Rag Alley, Pendarvis, the recently restored opera house – Mineral Point is an amazing place. I know, I sound like a commercial, but I really mean it. And I am sure it will be the topic of a future column.

I had visited the Chequamegon Bay area many times before ever making it my year-round residence. I had friends who owned property in Bayfield and often came up for extended vacation trips and even quick (despite the long drive!) getaways for a few days. I will never forget the first time I drove up here from Madison. The closer I got to Bayfield, the more excited, enthused and enthralled with the gorgeous scenery and natural beauty I became. It still takes my breath away. The ride up the peninsula from Ashland to Bayfield and beyond is still one of my favorites more than a decade later, except now I am fortunate enough to be able to make that drive whenever the mood strikes me.

Candace Ferguson is the night editor at The Daily Press.

Halloween Vacation 2: Front Yard of Fright

2011-11-08T01:59:00.010-06:00

Yeah, I know Halloween is over but I was in Rockford that night.
So sue me! :-)

Anyway, here are some more photos from my trip! These are all from that awesome house on a side road off U.S. 6,
a couple miles west of Ottawa.

Halloween Vacation 2011

2011-11-07T01:51:00.008-06:00

I saw this cool Halloween house right off U.S. 6 on my way into town. They had their entire front yard decorated with the most inflatables I have ever seen. I stopped Monday as I was leaving and took some photos from the street. ;-)

A homemade spooky Halloween chocolate treat on a stick hand-delivered by Keelan all the way from Seneca. XOXO It was very good, too! And yes, I totally bit the skeleton's head off. LOL

Heather Crazy's pumpkins always turn out so well! She has many years of practice!!

A ghostly late-season flowerbed. West Sigh-eed! ;-)

The Rockford contingent is heard from! LOL And Hollywood serves breakfast all damn day, y'all!

Autumn wanes in the Illinois River Valley

2011-11-07T00:54:00.007-06:00

An idyllic late October day in O-Town.

Summer of our discontent

2011-08-18T03:40:00.005-05:00

There have been major changes at work and I have a new boss who just started this week. My old boss left in June, right around the same time that the only other person who knows how to get the paper out also quit. Guess who has been holding the fort all summer? ;-)
I am exhausted! LOL My checking account is happy tho and so is my landlord, so it hasn't been all for nought, which is a good thing considering what I have been through the past few months. I will try to find the time to blog about that soon.
It looks like I may finally get the chance to write some stuff for the Ashland paper. The new commander in chief, Wanda, wants me to do a column and possibly even a weekly local history feature, kinda like I was doing for The Daily Planet in O-Town. I am excited about that!

Bizarro world

2011-04-03T13:52:00.005-05:00

Yesterday afternoon I went out to the garage to hop in my car, headed for the convenience store. When I entered the garage, the first thing I noticed was the neighbor's car running with the overhead garage door 2/3 of the way open. Then I realized the upstairs neighbor lady was sitting in the driver's seat with her eyes closed!

There were bags of groceries inside her car and a six-pack of plastic 20-oz. Dr. Pepper bottles laying on the ground on the passenger side, although the door on that side of the car was closed. One of the bottles had come out of the six-pack ring set and was lying some little ways off from the rest, as if the whole six-pack had just been dropped on the concrete floor.

There were also plastic bags filled with groceries on the outside steps leading to her apartment entrance. I had seen those on my way past as I walked to the garage, but this was nothing unusual. I can think of half a dozen times I have walked by their back steps and seen groceries or laundry or other crap sitting out there, waiting for them to come back down and retrieve. I know she doesn't get around that well and her son is pretty shiftless, so I suspect she has to tote everything upstairs herself and makes several trips. She brings some up, rests, then comes down for another load.

Anyway, back inside the garage, I waved at her, thinking she would open her eyes when she heard me shut the entry door and open the overhead door on my side. She didn't budge, but I could tell she was alive because the light from the garage window was shining into the front of her car and I could see her breathing. I picked up the stray soda bottles and placed them on a metal chair sitting on their side of the garage.

I kept glancing over at her car to see if she was showing any signs of waking up. I opened my car door, got in and started my car. I kept looking over at her but as far as I could tell, she never moved. Now, every time I encounter this woman out in the yard or wherever, I always manage to startle her, she says, even though I have tried not to. There were several times when I don't know how she didn't hear me coming as I purposely made noise so she would. Anyway, I figured if I tried to wake her up, I would undoubtedly scare the shit out of her. So I ran my errand.

I left the garage door open so there would be plenty of ventilation (;-) and came back within 10 minutes. I thought, if she is still there with the car running now, I am going to knock on the passenger side window and find out WTF even if she craps her pants in the process. LOL When I pulled into the garage, her car ignition was off and the soda bottles were gone. But when I pulled up parallel to her car inside the garage, to my amazement, I saw that the neighbor was still there sitting in her car, apparently sound asleep! I repeated my performance of trying to get her attention as I got out of my car, shut the door, etc. She never opened her eyes!

When I walked to my porch I saw the plastic bags were gone from their back steps as well. So her son came down, shut the car off, gathered all of the groceries from both the car and the steps, and carried them in the house, but he left his mother sleeping in their car out in the garage?! Again, I say, WTF?

Epilogue: About a half hour later I heard her thumping up the stairs. So I guess all's well that ended well. As I mentioned before, I know she doesn't walk that well so I understand why she is so loud when she goes up and down their back stairs (which are right over my back hall and right outside my bedroom), but her son is like Clem Kadiddlehopper up there. I think I have posted before that my nickname for him is Stompy Jr. LOL

Hey douchebag, GFY!

2011-03-30T13:22:00.006-05:00

The Pope and Gov. Scott Walker are on the same stage in Miller Park before a Milwaukee Brewers game in front of a sell-out crowd. The Pope leans towards Gov. Walker and says, "Do you know that with one little wave of my hand I can make every person in this crowd go wild with joy? This joy will not be a momentary display, but will go deep into their hearts and they'll forever speak of this day and rejoice!"

Walker replies, "I seriously doubt that. Come on, with one little wave of your hand? Show me!"

So the Pope backhands him and knocks him off the stage.

Snott Wanker!!

2011-03-24T14:43:00.002-05:00

'Nuff said!

It's Saint Patrick's Day!

2011-03-17T13:15:00.004-05:00

So get your drink on!!

Why what is happening in Wisconsin matters to everyone

2011-03-04T15:48:00.009-06:00

Some revealing comments gleaned from the 'Net on the current struggle in Wisconsin:

From The Maddow Blog, Madison teacher Nathan O'Shaughnessy wrote:

OK, for those of you out there that still don't seem to get the importance of this "budget" bill, and its effects on the education of our children ... let me try to break it down:

Once again, whether or not you think teachers and other public employees are overpaid, whiny, and a "bunch of clowns", the issue is not about our pay and benefits. I knew full well getting into the education field that I would not be making six figures (in fact, it's not even close). I have said to people in the past, and it is still my personal feeling, that I would be OK biting the bullet and paying some more for my health care for example. (By the way, we have foregone effective raises in exchange for decent benefits for at least the last decade.)

The issue at hand is being able to sit down at the table, in good faith, with my employer and bargain ... not only for what is beneficial for me, but also for what is beneficial for the school district, for taxpayers, and for the learning conditions and effective school environments for the young people I teach. The larger issue is the fight against the destruction of the middle class and the harming of working people and families everywhere. This, ultimately, is a fight against our political system becoming an oligarchy run by the wealthy few.

This legislation is not about balancing the budget. It is an attack on working families and the middle class in general. It is an attack on our schools. Wisconsin has had the awesome tradition of having some of the best public schools in the nation ... that is about to be a thing of the past. I am amazed by the argument that "well. since I do not have bargaining rights, that others have lost their jobs, that others cannot afford health care, then these public employees should lose their rights too." What has happened to people's sense of humanity and what is right?

From The Washington Post on Feb. 23 by Ezra Klein:

The problem with trying to game out Gov. Scott Walker's negotiating style is that the guy doesn't seem like much of a negotiator. Another politician would've taken the concrete concessions on pensions and health-care benefits, threatened to revisit the collective-bargaining ban in the spring if any of the unions failed to make the promised concessions and thrown himself a parade. But not Walker.

Instead, he's rejected every compromise that's been offered - and his allies are starting to notice. The State Journal, a paper that endorsed Walker, has advised him to take a deal. David Brooks has criticized him for an "unbalanced" approach to cuts. Andrew Sullivan, whose initial position was sympathy for Walker, has turned. And it's easy to imagine the prank-Koch call getting a lot of attention in Wisconsin and looking like one more piece of evidence that the governor is approaching this as an ideologue rather than just an executive. The first nonpartisan poll suggests Walker's position isn't as popular as he - and many others - initially thought.

A few days ago, the question was: How long can the Democrats hold out? Increasingly, it's how long Walker can hold out.

And Andrew Sullivan from The Atlantic, who initially supported Walker, had this to say in a recent column:

Last night, I heard on Fox News from Stephen Hayes that Wisconsin governor Scott Walker had run on a platform to end collective bargaining rights for public sector unions. I can find no evidence of this in the public record. It isn't on his campaign platform where he deals with "government spending and reform". It's clear that he vowed to slash pay and benefits for public sector unions. But not end their collective bargaining rights on everything but wages. There's no reference to any such bid in the final gubernatorial debate.

Here's another substantive piece on Walker's positions on public sector unions from before the election. (NOTE: Original article provides link.) Again no mention of collective bargaining. The same can be said about his State of the State address on February 1.

Why does this matter? If you campaign on one platform and then suddenly up the ante, you cannot cite democracy in your defense. And there is something bizarre about Republican commentators who cheered on Tea Party protests against a clear Obama campaign pledge - health insurance reform - suddenly decrying public protests against something a politician didn't campaign on.

Imperial Walker

2011-02-25T23:03:00.002-06:00

Revised Wisconsin State Facts

State Bird: Robin
State Tree: Sugar Maple
State Flower: Wood Violet
State Fish: Muskellunge
State Asswipe: Scott Walker

KOCH WHORE

2011-02-25T13:35:00.006-06:00

Wis. Gov. Scott Walker abruptly cancelled his breakfast meeting with Superior Days delegates from the northland this week and sent one of his lackeys instead. This was the first time in the annual event's 26-year history that a sitting governor failed to meet with the business, community and civic leaders from the state's northwest corner. Well, I guess he is pretty busy these days. He probably had to take a phone call instead!!!

For those of you who have been living under a rock for the past week, Walker got punk'd on a prank phone call from Daily Beast editor Ian Murphy in which the online journalist pretended to be conservative billionaire David Koch who, along with his brother, poured millions into Walker's campaign last year.

On the call, Walker said he expected the anti-union movement to spread across the country and he had spoken with the governors of Ohio and Nevada. Murphy (pretending to be Koch) seemed to agree, telling Walker, "You're the first domino."

"Yep, this is our moment," Walker responded.

The impostor also told Walker he would treat him to a good time in "Cali" once he "crushed these bastards." The remarks illuminated Walker's private relationship with David Koch. He and his brother, Charles, own Koch Industries Inc., which is the largest privately-owned company in America and has significant operations in Wisconsin.

Murphy told The Associated Press he carried out the prank to show how candidly Walker would speak with Koch even though, according to Democrats, he refuses to return their calls.

Walker's budget bill also allows his administration to sell power plants that heat and cool state buildings to private companies without any bids. Critics have seized on that provision, saying they are convinced the Koch brothers' business interests would be able to buy power plants on the cheap, and then profit by running them and driving up the price of energy.

Koch Industries has denied any interest in buying the plants. Republicans tried to privatize Wisconsin's power plants in 2005, but the plan was vetoed by Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle. (And to think I didn't like Doyle!)

Immediately after taking office, Walker also pushed for legislation that would limit damage awards in lawsuits against many businesses. Koch Industries lobbied for the bill, and Walker signed it into law last month. Walker is also seeking passage for another Koch Industries-backed bill to weaken state regulations by giving him the power to approve all rules proposed by agencies, a proposal that is moving quickly through the Legislature.

Scott Walker is thoroughly deserving of the ignominious appellation I used as the title of this post!

To listen to the entire audio recording of Walker's hopefully actionable conversation with the fake billionaire, click here for Part 1 and here for Part 2.

Magenta sunrise

2011-02-11T20:35:00.002-06:00

Here's a photo I took early last Friday morning (Feb. 4) out my back door. :-)

Super Bowl XLV

2011-01-31T14:14:00.007-06:00

Since the Bears lost to Green Bay in the NFC championship game on Jan. 23, I have had to endure all manner of torture at work. Not only have I had to (in the interests of fair and balanced reporting) run stories and photos about the evil Edam empire, but I have been forced to listen to hours of time-wasting chatter about a lame entry in the stupid Packers parade that is planned for the day before the Super Bowl. Grrr! All I can say at this point is...

GO STEELERS!!!

Go Bears!!

2011-01-19T14:05:00.009-06:00

In light of the historic NFC championship matchup this Sunday between the Green Bay Fudge Packers and the Chicago Bears and because of all of the trash talk I have to put up with at work (LOL), here are a couple of anecdotes I'd like to share. This one was sent to me today by HeatherCrazy:

Two boys are playing hockey on a pond in a Chicago park when one of the boys is suddenly attacked by a crazed Rottweiler. Thinking quickly, the other boy takes his hockey stick, shoves it under the dog's collar, twists it and breaks the dog's neck, saving his friend.

A reporter is standing by, sees the incident, and rushes over to interview the boy. "Young Cubs Fan Saves Friend from Vicious Animal" he starts writing in his notebook.

"But I'm not a Cubs fan," the little boy replies.

"Sorry but since we're in Chicago, I just assumed you were," says the reporter and starts writing again. "Sox Fan Rescues Friend from Horrific Attack," he writes in his notebook.

"But I'm not a White Sox fan either, " the little boy responds.

"Sorry but since we're in Chicago, I just assumed you were," says the intrepid reporter and starts writing again. "Bears Fan Rescues Friend from Horrific Attack," he scribbles in his notebook.

"I'm not a Bears fan either," says the boy.

"Oh... I assumed everyone in Chicago was either for the Cubs, Sox or Bears. What team do you root for then?" the now confused reporter asks.

"I'm a Packers fan," the boy replies.

The reporter starts a new sheet in his notebook and furiously writes... "Little Bastard from Wisconsin Kills Beloved Family Pet"

And here's one I stole (and judiciously edited) from the Facebook wall of a coworker:

A Bears fan, a Packers fan and a Seahawks fan are climbing a mountain and arguing about who loves his team more. The Seahawks fan insists that he is the most loyal.

"This is for the Seahawks!" he yells, and jumps off the side of the mountain.

Not to be outdone, the Bears fan is next to profess his love for his team. He yells,"This is for the Bears!" and pushes the Packers fan off the mountain.

LMAO! GO BEARS!!

Christmas is a comin'

2010-12-18T05:24:00.004-06:00

Christmas is only a week away now and I haven't sent out one card, dammit! I have the next two days off, however, so I am going to try to get some stuff mailed out.

Despite my usual procrastinatory (I may have just coined a new word, folks... LOL) ways, I have already received two awesome packages in the mail, one from my sister in Illinois (which I did open while we were on the phone and which was absolutely crammed with wonderfulness, including clothes suitable for work and new jammies) and one from my friend of more than 25 years, Heather Crazy, which I have not opened yet because I am saving it for Christmas Day). :-)

I am really looking forward to having a three-day weekend for both Christmas and New Year's. I owe this welcome respite to the fine young lady I just spent four days training on the labyrinthine secrets of the night desk at the Press. Dani will be flying solo on Dec. 23 and 30 so I can try to regain my tenuous grip on my sanity. :-)

Hope you're all keeping warm and well. Happy Christmas!

Our first blizzard of the season! LOL

2010-12-11T21:36:00.006-06:00

I took these photos out my front picture window (how appropriate!) this afternoon. We have had high winds and tons of snow all day. Right now the temp is 17 but the 36-mph winds make it a wind chill of -2. Fucking brrrrrrrr!!

We are under a winter storm warning until tomorrow night and it looks like it's going to snow every day next week but Wednesday. Yup, winter has definitely arrived in northern Wisconsin and it's not going anywhere for about five months! U.S. Hwy. 2 has been declared impassable between Sanborn Avenue (on the edge of town) and Hwy. 13. OMG! Do you know what that means? We're cut off from Washburn! LOL

Our first snow of the season

2010-11-29T02:32:00.004-06:00

I recently purchased my first digital camera so I now have the luxury of snapping useless photos around the house. ;-) I took a few shots out my back door on Nov. 23, the day of our first significant snowfall here in Ashland, Wis. The above pic is looking toward the neighbor's garage and yard.

The camera is a Nikon CoolPix L22 and I have been quite pleased with it so far. I bought it at a local Radio Shack franchise (Omer Nelson) and got an awesome deal as it came with four pkgs. of batteries and a 4GB memory card. I had been wanting one for quite some time and I was going to a concert in Chicago so I thought it was a good time to splurge for one.

BTW: Yes, I know I do need to put some kind of finish to the story about my trip to Madeline Island earlier this summer. I actually have a draft post I have been working on and I will try to post that soon.

PS. The photo currently on my blog header is another view out my back door on the same day.

The rest of the story

2010-08-17T00:39:00.007-05:00

So when we last left our story I was waiting in line for the ferry over to Madeline Island to attend the annual music camp concert at Woods Manor. As we sat there chatting, a couple came over and stood about eight feet away from our vehicle and began to argue. As I mentioned, there is no A/C in my boss's car so of course we had the windows down. The disputatious pair proceeded to carry on a heated discussion about their finances and future prospects. It was juicy fare and we couldn't help but overhear the whole thing. LOL

Finally, it was time to board the ferry so they hopped into their car, which was a convertible. When we drove onto the ferry, the argumentative couple were directly across from us, but one row over. At first, we thought we were going to be treated to more melodramatic entertainment, but then a large pickup truck with dually wheels squeezed in alongside us and not only could we not hear the conclusion of the argument, we couldn't even get out of our vehicle to enjoy the scenery (not to mention the breeze!) on the way over. :-(

When we got to the island, we parked near the shops in La Pointe (the only town there) and checked out a few of the shops. One of the coolest was Imagine Gallery & Studio. I saw several things I would have liked but managed to refrain from spending any money. It was pretty hot and we walked several blocks down past the museum and into another shop. They had some cool windchimes, but again I decided not to fork out any cashola. My companion noted that the concert venue was a few blocks from our present position so we should return to the car, which was parked in the opposite direction. Silly me, I thought we were going back there in order to drive to the concert. But noooooo. Instead we stopped at the car so she could drop off her purchases and then we started off again on foot. Sigh.

As it turned out, we were right across the street (kitty-corner) from the infamous Tom's Burned Down Cafe. I had seen this place on a previous visit to the island about 10 years ago, but hadn't realized it was actually open to the public. LOL Yes, it's that bad. It has to be one of the most bizarre drinking establishments I have ever patronized. Fully 3/4 of the place is open to the elements (which I can only presume exempts them from the recently enacted statewide smoking ban) and it resembles nothing so much as a derelict pirate ship run aground on a small-town corner. The denizens of this sailor's saloon are a motley crew consisting of bony, sun-burnt sailing bums dressed in cut-offs, tank tops and/or bikinis plus a few hapless tourists. We definitely fell into the latter category. I can't remember now what my boss ordered but I had a Mike's Hard Lemonade, which I ended up having to chug as she suddenly announced we should get going to the concert venue.

It was a hot and unfortunately for my sorry, out-of-shape ass, an uphill walk to the venue from the bar. It was definitely scenic, however, as we took a sort of hidden path behind the Bell Street Tavern complete with vintage lamp posts. As we approached the grounds to Woods Manor, it was shorter to cut across this drainage ditch. My companion "lepped" across yon ditch with no problem; however, I was not so fortunate. LOL I promptly fell to my knees following an ill-timed jump and had the embarrassing experience of crawling out of the ditch, dirty, disheveled and sweaty. :-( To her credit, my boss never batted an eye and we proceeded across the lawn, under the curious eye of several lawn patrons seated nearby on blankets.

The large tent set up for the concert had been advertised as "climate-controlled," but the reality was somewhat different. It was nice and cool when we sat down (esp. after the humid hike to get there), but then once the event began, the emcee announced that due to the fact that they were recording the concert for public radio they would be turning the A/C system off during the actual performance. (It was pretty noisy, I must admit.) Well, needless to say, I was none too pleased. And my apprehensions turned out to be well founded as by the time the first song was over it was pretty warm in there.

I had the program around here for a long time, but now I can't find it and I guess the songs they played are pretty irrelevant to my purposes here. It was a very nice concert and I enjoyed the music thoroughly. But damn, it did get hot during the tuneage. We strolled outside during the intermission and walked over by the main building there at the music camp. It was a very beautiful setting. We ran into some friends of my boss there who had taken their boat over from the mainland for the concert and were spending the night on their boat on the island. They were really nice.

After the concert, during which my boss took a few photos for the paper, we got in line for the next ferry. There weren't too many cars on the return trip and we never saw the battling couple again. Hopefully, they resolved their difference and had a lovely evening.

As we cruised over the Big Lake toward Bayfield, my boss suggested we have some dinner in Washburn at the Steak Pit, which was where my car was parked. I was totally up for some chow so we headed to the restaurant once we landed. We got to sit out on the back deck and enjoyed the sunset and our delicious sandwiches. I had a Wisconsin burger (with plenty of cheese, naturally!) and a rum and Coke with an iced tea on the side. :-)

The Mad Isle

2010-08-07T03:42:00.004-05:00

The view from the back deck at The Steak Pit. We were there about sunset so it looked very much like this.

So it's taken me awhile to get back to you... so sue me! ;-) Here's what happened:

I was running late (as usual) and sped through Washburn looking for the huge Steak Pit sign on the main drag because that's where we were meeting. I had seen that sign a million times but had never tried to find the actual restaurant, which was several blocks off the beaten path, down by the marina. Despite the road closed, construction ahead signs, I kept going and finally spotted the sign farther up than I remembered.

I turned right in the direction the sign pointed, toward the lake. I found the place and the parking lot was almost empty. I surmised (correctly) that they didn't open until suppertime. One of the only vehicles in the lot was a large pickup truck with longhorn steer horns gracing the hood, so I knew chances were this was not my boss's vehicle. LOL I decided to park over against a fence by what looked like an apartment building or condo. I glanced over and spotted my boss in her car several stalls away. She confirmed my suspicion that the Steak Pit didn't open until later, probably around 4. We laughed at the cliched signage depicting a large raw steak near the entrance.

We took off in her car and headed to Bayfield. It was pretty hot and to my utter horror, her vehicle did not have air conditioning. I was very glad I had brought some tea with me as I soon had a coughing fit due to the high levels of pollen and my undoubted early stage emphysema/undiagnosed asthma. We got to Bayfield and headed down to the ferry landing. We were using the ferry pass from work so that was cool. We got in line because the next ferry was leaving in about 15 minutes.

To be continued....

Living the Northern Summer

2010-07-09T02:58:00.006-05:00

Summer on Madeline Island aka Michael's Island, the only one of
the 22 Apostle Islands with year-round residents.

On the Mad Isle!

My post title is actually the name of a great 1992 album by Michigan native Jim Chappell. Highly recommended! BTW: I am going to the Madeline Island Music Camp's annual concert this Saturday and I plan to blog about my adventures. We're going to the legendary Tom's Burned Down Cafe and Lord only knows where else. Stay tuned. ;-)

I hate my computer!

2010-06-22T01:27:00.013-05:00

One of the four ferry boats that make the 20-minute trip back and forth from Bayfield to Madeline Island all season long. That three-story Victorian with the cupola on the hill is the Old Rittenhouse Inn, an historic bed and breakfast on (where else?) Rittenhouse Avenue in the heart of Bayfield, Wis.

My computer is screwed, dude! Someone or something (a Chinese spambot, perhaps?) has hacked my Hotmail account and stolen/pilfered my address book. It is empty! All of my contacts are gone. This happened on Thursday, May 27, the day, as it turned out, my sister was arriving from Illinois. And as she was my first house guest since I moved here in late September 2008, quite a bit of long postponed cleaning had to be done in the days leading up to her arrival. So more stress, I did NOT need!

I only found out about it as soon as I did because my friend, HeatherCrazy, had already opened a spam e-mail sent to her ostensibly by me that morning using my Hotmail account telling her about this great new iPhone I had just purchased. It referred her to a link to learn more about said phone. I don't think anything bad or malicious happened if you clicked on the link, I think it just took you to an ad for this phone.

Anyway, my friend knew right away that I didn't send that stupid message and that something must have happened to my account. Hell, I don't even own a cell phone, let alone a $600 iPhone like the one this e-mail claimed I have! When I called her on her lunch break that day, she told me about the e-mail. I was both freaked out and pissed off!

Luckily for me, whoever it was didn't change the password, so I was able to access the account, and lo and behold, a couple of puzzled people who hadn't heard from me in years but were still in my damn address book had replied. They no doubt wondered why the hell I was bothering to write to them after all this time bragging about my expensive new gadget. :-( Needless to say, I was none too pleased and wrote back immediately trying to explain. How mortifying. But I was actually surprised by how many people were taken in. They never gave it a second thought, I guess, since to all intents and purposes the message originated from my actual Hotmail account. Sigh.

One friend, Lynne H. (yes, Stan, she actually does live in Rockford!), forwarded an e-mail from her son about a similar occurrence to his Hotmail account, which happened somehow through Facebook. My Hotmail address is the one I have registered with Facebook and I am convinced this is what happened to me as well. I did change the password and some other security stuff on that e-mail account and I have not deleted it. I was going to change the e-mail I have registered with Facebook and then I thought: Wait a minute! What am I doing? Giving them another e-mail address to ruin? I don't think so! They've already gotten all they can get from that one, so why provide them with a fresh account to plunder.?! ;-)

It gets better: After the dust settled from my sister's five-day visit, I tried installing IE7 with the idea I would then move up to IE8. Apparently, this was not the proper way to go about things because now Internet Explorer won't open at all! When I double click on the desktop icon, it takes forever for anything to happen and then it opens a blank window for 2 seconds and closes. I haven't been able to upgrade it to IE8 through Mozilla but then again I couldn't open jackshit on the Web all last weekend. My computer sucks right now! It is so slow and so messed up that I am seriously thinking about just wiping the hard drive and starting over from scratch!

PS. I did have a really special Memorial Day weekend this year. My sister, Anna, drove up from Flatland (aka Grand Ridge, Ill.) and stayed from Thursday night until Tuesday morning. I had a 4-day break from the ink mines and we had a nice time. :-) She cooked a pot roast and we went to a place I have been wanting to check out: the Black Cat Coffeehouse here in Ashland. It was kickass caffeine! We prowled the Chequamegon Food Co-op, haunted Saint Peter and Paul Cemetery at sunset in Moqua, walked the beach at Cornucopia and perused the aisles at Washburn Hardware on beautiful Hwy. 13.

On Saturday, we took the ferry over to Madeline Island and cruised around the whole thing, including Big Bay State Park. Anna dreamed of owning a house on the island and she took a few snapshots here and there, but it was only after she had left that I realized we hadn't gotten a photo of both of us somewhere... anywhere...the entire time. The beachfront shops at Cornucopia, for example, would've been perfect. One of us should have thought to ask a passerby to preserve the Kodak moment, dammit!

I considered buying a digital camera before her arrival but decided I couldn't swing it. (The camera I have is a 1980s Canon EOS, and it needs film and a new battery.) So I don't have any actual shots from our trip to Mad Isle. :-( However, I am going to try to set aside some cash and get a digital camera because they are not that expensive anymore and it would be so much better. I might actually want to upload some cool nature pix or scenic shots from around the region, which would get me out of my apartment once in awhile. ;-)

Big time

2010-05-08T03:23:00.006-05:00

Big Top performers (clockwise from bottom left) Corey Carlson, Phil Anich and Cheryl Leah sing their hearts out at the historic theater in Ironwood, Mich.

The Blue Canvas Orchestra performing "Moon Songs and Moon Shadows" in Ironwood, Mich., on 12/30/09. That's Big Top Chautauqua regulars Tom Mitchell on the drums and Bruce Burnside playing the banjo. I will post some pix from the Mineral Point gig as soon as they are available.

I drove into my garage Wednesday evening after a 294-mile return trip from Mineral Point. I took a slightly different and more direct route on the way home, shaving off about 35 miles or so from the drive. However, that still didn't make up for the stupid blunder I made on the way down resulting in my nearly visiting La Crosse. LOL

The Blue Canvas Orchestra was in rare form and it was a truly magical evening in the newly restored MP Opera House. This was the first time I had seen the entire "Moon Songs and Moon Shadows" show featuring the music of Paul Simon and Cat Stevens. I really enjoyed it! Phil Anich was amazing as usual, the band sounded wonderful and Jack Gunderson nailed his solo on "Bridge Over Troubled Water." It was evident that they were really having a good time up there and their enthusiasm and joy were infectious. The sellout crowd gave them a standing ovation and they actually came back on for an encore, which they obviously had not planned on at all since they did a song they had already sung earlier in the show.

It was wonderful to see some friends I had been missing for so long. :-)

A well deserved vacation

2010-04-26T01:35:00.007-05:00

I am about to embark on my first vacation since moving here 17 months ago. :-) I am heading down to Mineral Point to see the Big Top Chautauqua peeps perform their "Moon Songs and Moon Shadows" show for the grand reopening of the newly restored MP Opera House. I'll be hanging out there for several days and visiting some friends. I am so excited! I haven't been any farther than Iron River (28 miles away) since moving to Ashland, so it's going to be nice getting the heck outta here for awhile.

I'll see ya when I see ya.

Disgusting neighbors update

2010-04-22T03:06:00.008-05:00

Slap a 4-inch-thick layer of white and dark green cat fur on top of this
and you have some idea of what I am on about.

I got home from work halfway early tonight for a change and as I was pulling into the alley, I saw that the car belonging to my upstairs neighbors was also arriving home at the same time. I hit the button on my automatic garage door opener and pulled in. When I got out of my car, I saw that it was the younger member of the Hogwalla Tribe, Stompy Jr. He said he wanted to tell me he had fixed their toilet. (That's another story entirely and one I don't feel like getting into at the moment.) He said it proudly and with a big smile as though it were good news. I was not at all pleased as this meant the landlord had not followed through as he said he would.

And I instantly knew it had been done to avoid a visit from said landlord, who would undoubtedly discover they are harboring an illegal feline, in violation of their lease. I then brought up the offending takeout box, which is still out there in the garage, by the way. It has merely been moved from the top of their P.O.S. car to the seat of the nearby broken down recliner pushed up against the wall. Baby Huey explained that the leftovers were his "mom's idea" and that now they knew what had stunk so bad in the car. Har-har.

With as much tact as I could muster in the circumstances, I asked him why it was now residing on the chair. He muttered something about how, yeah, they should really throw it away and acted like it was just hilarious. I told him how I had looked inside the box thinking his mother had simply forgotten her food from a restaurant at which they must have just dined and was horrified to see its contents. I also explained that I simply did not understand why it had not been thrown away by now. He had no intelligible reply.

I then told him that as it involved an electrical hazard, the situation with the toilet was unacceptable and intimated I would be contacting the landlord. He just stood there with a stunned look and again had nothing to say. I hit the button on the wall, closing my garage door, and thanked him for that informative update.

Open letter to the neighbor Gods

2010-04-19T00:19:00.008-05:00

My upstairs neighbors just love to grill out!

Dear Powers of the Universe Who Keep Sticking Me
With Shitty and Uncool Neighbors,

Knock it off already, will ya?!! LOL

I could write a novel about the neighbors I had the joy of living next door to for 8 years in Mineral Point. The ones who rode their souped-up golf carts through the yard, around and around the house, belching noxious black smoke out of their exhaust pipe; the one who was weird but OK for a few years until he lost his marbles and kept accusing me of lying and doing things I was not even doing; the creepy one who snored so loud it sounded like a jet engine and I could hear it through the wall, across the landing and all the way in my room; and the ones who hooked their Halloween decorations up to my electricity with a super long extension cord. :-(

When I moved here I had such high hopes. I thought, wow, maybe I'll finally get some cool neighbors who I actually want to hang out with. But oh nooooooo! Instead I get the northwoods version of some messed up hillbilly hawgs. They don't seem to know how to close a door properly, they romp and stomp up there and drop what sounds like bowling balls right over my bed when I am trying to sleep. Their decrepit washing machine in the basement is so noisy when they are running it (which seems to be almost every day) that it makes the press at work seem soothing in comparison.

But it's the garage that is really starting to piss me off. It's a two-car garage and we share it. Their side looks like a candidate for redneck garage of the week. Junk, old tires, ruined furniture, bags of cans and crap everywhere. The son, Stompy Jr., decided he could fix their shitty vehicles in there and he's got oil and Lord knows what else slopped all over the floor on their side. It stank out there for months until it got cold enough to kill the smell .... somewhat. I call it the hog wallow!

For awhile they were trying to put some of their shit on my side of the garage because, of course, there's plenty of room on my side because I'm not a pig. Or at least, not as much of a pig as they are! I would just move the offending item back over to their side each time. Finally, I threw this one dining room chair that they seemed to want me to have right out in the middle of their side so when they went to pull the car in they would have to get out to move it. They got the message. I was tempted to draw a white chalk line down the middle of the floor, kinda like the Munsters when Herman and Grandpa were fighting and they divided the house up into two halves.

So I just got home a few minutes ago and was bringing groceries in from the car. I noticed a take-out container sitting on top of their car, right where it had been when I left for work 10 hours ago. I foolishly peeked inside and recoiled in horror when I spied what looked like a slice of pizza covered with cat fur. WTF?!! Why in the hell would they just leave it there? Tomorrow is garbage day, for crying out loud! I shudder to think what their apartment must look like. I swear to Christ, if I see one cockroach, I am going postal on their sorry slobbo asses!!

Coldplay cures my hot flashes

2010-04-03T01:37:00.004-05:00

Oh brother, I can't, I can't get through
I've been trying hard to reach you, cause I don't know what to do
Oh brother, I can't believe it's true
I'm so scared about the future and I wanna talk to you
Oh, I wanna talk to you
You can take a picture of something you see
In the future, where will I be?

Are you lost or incomplete?
Do you feel like a puzzle, you can't find your missing piece? Tell me how do you feel?
Well, I feel like they're talking in a language I don't speak
And they're talking it to me

You tell anyone who'll listen, but you feel ignored
Nothing's really making any sense at all...

LET'S TALK!

Erin go drink! LOL

2010-03-17T04:29:00.009-05:00

After yet another incredibly stressful evening down at the ol' ink mines, I am decompressing with plenty o' rum and, in my own small way, celebrating Saint Patrick's Day. A couple pints of Guinness Pub Draught would have been nice, but I am really just glad to be home in me jammies. ;-)

FYI: Two of my co-workers have observed in the past (and again tonight) that I seem to be jinxed because anything that can go wrong -- be it an ad, a software issue or even the damned editorial cartoon causing an error in Adobe, like what happened tonight -- will go wrong when I am there. It's been over a week now since I have not been behind the proverbial 8 ball practically from the moment I walked in the door at work.

Today the power went out all over town for about 25 minutes, which was not a good way to start my day. I had been there for about half an hour and was right in the middle of placing the ads on my pages. Someone who dummies the paper had to leave early and there were ads missing and other frustrating BS to deal with. There are some nights when I am truly amazed that the paper ever gets out at all!

Honestly, I am very thankful that I have any job right now, let alone a full-time gig with health insurance. And I do try to keep that fact in mind when things are going awry at work. I love Ashland and the Chequamegon Bay area. The natural beauty, I must admit, tops even Starved Rock and the three other state parks near my hometown in Illinois.

I do have a new strategy for coping with the madness that is my job: His name is MrCheddar. LOL He is a cat I met on Facebook and his profile photo showing a red tabby dressed in a flag sweater never fails to make me chortle with laughter. So taking a tip from Howard Moon, a silly character from one of my recent fave Britcoms, The Mighty Boosh, I have the aforementioned photo as my desktop wallpaper at work and on my nearby cork bulletin board. LOL The really funny thing is that it does seem to help.

At this point, I am willing to try anything so long as I don't again threaten to kill a certain procrastinating co-worker if he doesn't have his Business Monday story done when I walk in the door on Sunday afternoon. True story and not one of my finer moments. Sigh. I must say I was under extreme duress at the time, but there were definitely better ways I could have handled the situation. LOL

Happy Saint Paddy's Day to one and all!!

PS. I know I've used the accompanying image before, but it was just too perfect for the occasion. ;-)

Erin go bragh!

2010-03-15T01:50:00.004-05:00

Faith and begorrah, 'tis that time o' year once again when all good Irish folk celebrate the blessed birth of Saint Padraig! So hoist high your flagon of Guinness draught stout and toast the fair Emerald Isle!!

Random hearts

2010-02-12T22:17:00.007-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day!! Have a sweet time, everyone. ;-)

Thursday night owl

2010-01-22T01:12:00.007-06:00

And once again it's the start of my weekend, my Friday night. :-) My work schedule often feels like a parallel universe. For example, my paid holiday is always the day before everyone else. At Thanksgiving, my holiday is on Wednesday because there is no paper published on Thursday. But I have to work on Thanksgiving Day because there is a paper on Friday. Christmas and New Year's work the same way. It's disorienting, to tell you the truth.
In addition, the typical workday ends at 5 p.m. when most people are home making dinner, getting on the Internet, watching TV, etc. In my world, anywhere from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. is my 5 p.m., which means I usually stay up pretty damn late, like 3-4 a.m., every night. (Thank God for adult swim, which has become my nightly companion. LOL Venture Brothers is a trip and I adore The Mighty Boosh!)
I am also going through "the change of life" as my mom always referred to it and am seeing an acceleration in symptoms, such as much bigger hot flashes and major trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, etc. Consequently, I feel tired all the damn time.
My job is pretty stressful anyway, but when you factor in all of the changes and cutbacks that have occurred over the past year, plus the pending switch to a paid Internet site (which is definitely going to impact my workload!) and the hits we have taken in advertising, resulting in a much smaller and tighter paper -- not to mention my own personal bullshit and baggage of nigh on 50 years, it does tend to wear one down a mite.
Hmmm, where am I going with all of this, eh? Well, as I posted on Facebook the other day, I feel as though I am becoming a sleep vampire. :+= And I thirst...

Happy 2010!

2010-01-01T14:49:00.004-06:00

Well, another year lies before us, folks. Let's try to make it a good one! Things are certainly bad all over in so many ways right now, but in spite of it all, there are also wonderful things happening every day. And no matter what is wrong in our lives, we all know each of us has a lot for which to be thankful. I think we should make an effort to be grateful every day for the blessings we enjoy.

(And if that's no use, there's always self-medication.)

Happy, happy, joy, joy to the world!

2009-12-25T17:32:00.004-06:00

Meowy Christmas, peeps!! ;-)

I have this for my desktop wallpaper at work and my avatar on Facebook. LOL

Strange planet

2009-12-16T02:37:00.009-06:00

Had to go back in to work at almost 1 a.m. to solve a problem that I apparently created, but for which I have no rational explanation. LOL (I am serious -- if my life depended on it, I could not explain how Page 3 got saved as the Milestones page, which is always Page 7.) This was only the second time in over a year that I have had to drive back down there to fix something I had screwed up, so I guess I shouldn't be so hard on myself. Sigh...

A very weird night all around, even for the Press. Park Falls was not able to send out their pages correctly and it put everyone behind. Then the next thing I knew, I was involved -- via one of the IT dudes, which ate up about 20 minutes of my precious deadline time and, unfortunately, was all to no avail as the pressmen had to use the original PDFs they had received.

Suffice to say, I am drinking a bit, am completely wound up and will not be going to bed anytime soon. So it seemed like a good time to post a new photo on here. I am looking forward to three days off at Christmas, though I will be staying here in Ashland. It's been well over a year now since I have been back to Ottawa and seen my friends and family. I guess I will have to wait a bit longer to see Cheryl, Scott, Pam, Robin, Anna and my silly brothers. Oh, shit. I am about to fucking cry now. :-o

PS. I quit smoking on Nov. 1 (after my bout with the scourge: H1N1) and I almost stopped and bought a pack tonight on my way home the second time from work. That's how bad a night it was. I am very glad I did not give in but even now, I am so sorry to say, I want one. Damn you, party likker! ;-)

Season's eatings

2009-12-05T16:55:00.005-06:00

Hope the holidays bring you many delicious gifts under the yum-yum tree!

Have an awesome Thanksgiving!

2009-11-23T11:18:00.004-06:00

Once again, it's that time of year when we all count our blessings and thank the Great Maker for the good and positive things in our lives. Here are some of the things I am grateful for:

-- recently surviving the H1N1 virus and accompanying prolonged high fever,
-- still having a job (albeit, at times, an extremely frustrating one!) with health insurance and benefits in these very uncertain times, especially for newspapers,
-- all of my dear and wonderful friends, far and wide,
-- my pretty terrific apartment here on the nicest street in Ashland, and
-- having a computer to type this on!

I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday, full of friends, family and fellowship, not to mention turkey with all of the trimmings and a big slab of pumpkin pie with Cool Whip!!

Happy Halloween from Gwig!

2009-10-20T03:12:00.006-05:00

Gwig, the Vampyre King! LOL

Yes, Halloween has finally arrived in Pet Society, the game I have been hooked on since shortly after joining Facebook in June. I have been saving up the gold coins you can earn in the game for weeks now with my favorite holiday in mind. This is the second week the Pet Society shops have offered Halloween items (like clothes, wallpaper, decorations, etc., all for your virtual pet's pad) and I have been on a wild shopping spree. LOL I can't wait to see what they roll out next week!

Above you will see a photo of Gwig's new (and as far as I am concerned, permanent!) Halloween lair. I even bought an extra large room so I could make it super awesome. Note the spooky wallpaper, gravestone, festive cake, witch's broom and skull candy bucket. Some of the decorations even glow in the dark when Gwig turns off the light switch. Can you believe this shit? LMAO

And right now all of the trees in the park are bare and when you bump into them they shower you with Halloween treats. Seriously, dude. I wish they had parks like that here. Ashland Parks and Rec. Committee, get on that, pronto! Not to mention the spooky glow-in-the-dark fish you can catch in the pond. Or the haunted tree in my front garden that bears Halloween candy instead of fruit. It's too much fun!

Takin' the easy way out

2009-10-15T11:44:00.005-05:00

I started to write a long and thoughtful post about my life, circumstances and whatnot, but hell, I don't have time for that this morning. ;-) So here is a freaky feline foto for ya instead. LOL Enjoy the sublime weirdness!

Rocktober once again, peeps!

2009-10-02T03:34:00.004-05:00

Me likey this time o' year! 'Nuff said...

Autumnal Ashland

2009-09-19T16:29:00.008-05:00

This gives you some idea of what the drive to Bayfield on Hwy. 13 is like in the fall.

Fall foliage near Ashland.

The oredock approach in autumn.

September view of the Lake Superior shore.

It's September and I'm officially another year older. The fall colors are starting to arrive and there are already leaves blowing down the street. I love this time of year! (In spite of what comes after it ... or maybe even because of it.) Anyway, it seemed like a good time for a new post and some new photos of the northland.

Snow joke!

2009-08-29T03:33:00.009-05:00

Alright, this beats everything! Tonight at the paper (yes, I had to work another freakin' Friday, folks!) I was standing by the back door outside the pressroom and I looked up at the outside light and saw what looked like snow flurries. I thought, WTF? Surely not.

Now it had been raining off and on all day and it was noticeably chilly when I stepped out on my back porch to leave for work. However, I still couldn't believe my eyes. After all, it's August, y'all!!

But the more I watched it come down, the more it looked like snow. It was floating down and very tiny. Not coming down hard and fast like sleet either.

Then I saw a couple of the press dudes coming and asked them to take a look. Both area natives, they immediately said it was definitely lake-effect snow. Granted, it didn't hang around long and, of course, nothing stuck to the ground, but, dammit, it is WAY too early for this shite! LOL

Addendum: I neglected to mention that as I was watching the 5 p.m. news (on my VCR) on NBC, the weatherman said the conditions were perfect for lake-effect snow, but then he went on to say that it was probably too warm and after all, this was August, etc. LOL I did a double take and rewound the tape because I couldn't believe my ears. Too bizarre! Sure makes ya wonder what that nasty beeyotch Mother Nature has in store for us this winter here in the northland. ;-)

Another challenging evening at "northern Wisconsin's morning newspaper"

2009-08-19T04:11:00.012-05:00

From the top of the first page,
to the end of the last day...

Confusion that never stops,
Closing walls and ticking clocks...

You just want somebody listening to what you say.

Coldplay
from the albums X&Y and A Rush of Blood to the Head

Skating away...

2009-08-10T02:26:00.009-05:00

...on the thin ice of a new day.

And as you push off from the shore,
won't you turn your head once more?
And make your peace with everyone.

For those who choose to stay
will live just one more day
to do the things they should've done.

from the album "Warchild" by Jethro Tull

Rampenfest

2009-08-06T02:19:00.007-05:00

One of the "press monkeys", Brian Z. (Code Name: Ziggy), gave me the link to this video a few weeks ago and I just now watched it via Quicktime. :-) I don't want to say too much here and spoil anything for anyone, but I would just like to say this is quite the clever little, ahem... documentary.

www.rampenfest.com

If you don't want to download the entire video on Quicktime (which is what I did), you can watch it on YouTube. (However, you will have to watch it in segments because of the bandwidth restrictions on there.) Anyway, just type in "rampenfest" or "giant ramp in Bavaria." That should work. LOL

Kind of blue

2009-07-31T02:29:00.009-05:00

Sigh...

Stewart vs. Cramer

2009-07-16T02:35:00.007-05:00

Game, set and match to Mr. Stewart, I believe. ROFLMFAO!! Check this out!

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-july-14-2009/lenny-dykstra-s-financial-career

A change of scene

2009-07-14T15:22:00.008-05:00

Howdee, everybody!
I got sick of looking at the fireworks so here's a new image for your perusal. I recently joined Facebook and am totally hooked on this game Pet Society that you can play for free on there. At left is Gwig, having tea in his shamrock-themed kitchen. LOL
You create your pet from scratch, selecting from many different features including their eyes, nose, ears, coloring, etc. Then you have a house and you can earn coins to buy stuff to furnish it with. You feed your pet, bathe it, etc., plus there are different activities like hurdle races that earn you more coins.
BTW: Gwig is named after a baby Ewok from Star Wars. LOL I have the stuffed toy of it from the original release of Return of the Jedi.
My other recent addictions are Kemp's Caribou Coffee ice cream and Blue Diamond BOLD Wasabi and Soy Sauce almonds. (And no, I don't eat them at the same time! LMAO)

Happy Independence Day, America!

2009-07-05T18:05:00.005-05:00

Fireworks over Lake Superior at Ashland, July 2008.

Hope everyone is enjoying a relaxing and convivial 4th of July weekend. I am thankful for those who founded our country and for having the day off from the paper. LOL Catch ya on the flipside!

Moonheartgirl's weedking...I mean, weekend update

2009-06-27T02:22:00.011-05:00

Greetings, one and all!
It's been a while since I posted anything and so much has happened that I thought it might be kewl to do a summary using bullet points. LOL Here goes:

Finally filed my 2008 income taxes. I'd be getting a tidy bundle back, too, if I didn't owe so much in back taxes from when I was self-employed. :-(
I've been enjoying the hell out of The Daily Show and Colbert Report lately. Did anyone catch Stephen in Iraq? It was too funny! Love his new 'do. LOL
Have had to take five so-called furlough days at work to date and it looks like I will have this coming Monday off without pay as well. Sigh. I just keep telling myself how lucky I am to even have a full-time job with benefits right now.
I have filed for unemployment for the aforementioned furlough days and it looks like I will get something for my efforts. Yay! BTW: It sure doesn't seem very cost-effective to make us take these days off and then have people filing for unemployment. As one of my coworkers shrewdly pointed out, TPTB will undoubtedly close that loophole somehow in the future. :-(
I have been talking to other people who have lived here a long time about how it seems to get light out so early and I am happy to report that I am not crazy. It really does! The other morning I was up at 3:50 and happened to go outside and you could already see the dawn coming up! WTF? Hell, the damn birds start singing at 4 a.m., I swear! LOL Ahhhh, exotic life in the northland. PS. I keep reading in the police report about bear cubs sighted in town. Dang it! I want to see them. ;-)
Is anyone else sick and tired of hearing the GOP whining, crying and carrying on about every move Obama makes? You lost, folks. Get over it already! Suck it up like we all had to for 8 miserable years. It is so sad that many of them really do seem to want him to fail. Oh, and Fox News -- blow me!!
It was quite the to-do at work Thursday night when Michael Jackson died. For one thing, everyone in the building wanted to make sure I knew about it for the next day's paper. Plus, we first heard about it on the local radio station and it was some little time before AP ran with it. (I had the rare thrill of seeing a FLASH come across the wire.) So McNugget (a silly pressman) kept coming up front to see if it was official yet. He was actually gleeful about it, while I was honestly too busy to care at the moment. I certainly am fed up with the media frenzy already. Jeepers! I was flipping around the channels this afternoon and every station seemed to be running MJ-related programming: CNN, HLN, MSNBC, VH1, MTV... hell, I even saw them talking about it on ESPN at one point! WTF?! Poor Farrah! She died first and was the top story for a few hours. Today she was relegated to a single-line mention in the crawl on CNN. It was all Jackson, all day long.
I am now up to more than 6,000 hits on this blog. Will wonders never cease?
I finally went to a dentist and learned that I didn't lose a crown after all. In fact, there was still half of a tooth in there... all jaggedy and shit. The newfangled digital x-rays were horrific in that I could really see exactly how bad my teeth are. LOL The dentist performed a root canal on the spot to save the tooth and now I am scheduled for a deep cleaning/planing/torture session next month. So far, my insurance seems pretty good from work. Keep your fingers crossed!
FLED SANFORD: That's how The Daily Show described South Carolina's magician governor with the world's best disappearing act. And that was before the scandal broke. They also depicted him on a milk carton. LOL Now there's a story with legs. It ain't over yet, folks!
I gave in and joined Facebook today. LOL Given my track record (Yahoo 360, Buzztime and Nick.com, just to name a few), I predict its demise within a year. LOL And by "demise," I don't necessarily mean the site will completely die. I just mean it's the beginning of the end, the sure sign of decay, the long, slow descent into crap.

Will add more soon!

For some reason the bullet points dropped out when I switched templates. Sorry about that. :-(

Coldplay catharsis

2009-05-17T02:09:00.004-05:00

After getting absolutely hooked on Coldplay's "Talk" video (which, incidentally, you can scroll down and watch on this blog), I recently purchased two of their albums: "X&Y" and "A Rush of Blood to the Head." Now I can't stop listening to them! In addition to the aforementioned tune, among my fave tracks are " Speed of Sound," "Fix You" and "Clocks." If you haven't heard these guys yet, check them out on YouTube. They are most excellent!

Awesome Ashland!

2009-05-07T12:44:00.008-05:00

The famous Soo Line oredock at sunset.

Downtown Ashland's lumberjack mural honoring the region's logging era. It's painted on the side of an actual J.C. Penney store, too. Timberrrrrr!

Ashland's Main Street and Bay Theater at night.

An oreboat chugs into Ashland.

Chequamegon (pronounced Sha-wah-muh-gun, by the way) Bay at Ashland.

Squidmania

2009-04-21T13:24:00.005-05:00

Happy Squidbillies Vol. 2 DVD Release Day, y'all!

Hell yeah, I got me sum strange! I went and pre-orderified that there sumbitchin' new DVD picture box set featuring them good ol' Cuyler boys. I can't hardly wait to get me that digitalized shiny metal circle for mah TV lookity box. LOL

I am planning my own private release party (complete with Glug, mutated chicken wings, old thermometers and party likker, of course) for this weekend cuz I should have that puppy by Friday. Wooo-hoooooooooo!!

An Ashland landmark at risk

2009-04-17T02:44:00.011-05:00

Take a good look, folks, because this historic structure is rapidly deteriorating and has been deemed a safety hazard. It's been slated for demolition for several years now and someday they probably will tear it down. Or blow it up! LOL Unfortunately, with all of that concrete and steel, dynamite could be the easiest way to accomplish that sad end.

To quote Warren Nelson's "Ore Dock Pockets" song from 30th Star, an ore boat "comes easing on into its landing."

Here's a cool old photo of the ore dock from 1930.

Here comes Peter Cottontail...

2009-04-12T14:04:00.005-05:00

...leaving his trademark bunny trail!

HOPPY EASTER, everyone!!

Bite the heads off a couple of wabbits (preferably chocolate) for me, will ya? ;-)

Happy Easter, 2009!

2009-04-10T02:06:00.008-05:00

Believe it or not, yours truly will be setting the Lord's table this Sunday morning, folks. Yes, I somehow got roped into altar guild duty at St. Andrew's. LOL It's a long story, but as it stands, I will be there bright and early on Easter morn, measuring out the sacramental wine and counting the Communion wafers. Then it's off to work for a fun-filled evening of getting the good people of Ashland their morning newspaper. ;-) Thank you, God, that Ashland still has a daily paper! Amen.

Ashland's artistic side

2009-04-05T05:52:00.009-05:00

Here are some of the downtown murals for which Ashland is known. Depicting scenes from the city's history, they were painted by Kelly Meredith and Susan Prentice Martinsen between 1998 and 2005. The murals include scenes of lighthouse keepers, lumberjacks, early grocers and pioneers who settled the region. One of the most amazing murals (pictured directly above) stretches half a city block and portrays sailors, soldiers, airmen and marines from different eras. All of the faces are based on real veterans who have lived in and around the Ashland area.

Radiohead

2009-03-28T00:54:00.007-05:00

Blagojevich blasts critics, tax hike in radio gig

CHICAGO (AP) — Live from Chicago: It’s impeached, ousted former Gov. Rod Blagojevich! The former Illinois governor filled in as a local radio talk show host Wednesday, a morning gig complete with Elvis Presley introductory music, rants against the government and a lineup of sympathetic callers and guests.

In one of the show’s weirder moments, Blagojevich even chatted with the comedian who plays him in The Second City’s ‘‘Rod Blagojevich Superstar,’’ a comedic spin on the politician’s downfall that’s a takeoff on the rock opera ‘‘Jesus Christ Superstar.’’

‘‘I feel like Laurence Olivier meeting Hamlet. ... This is big for me, so it’s a little surreal. I wonder how surreal this is for you?’’ comedian Joey Bland said. Surreal, indeed, but just the latest twist in the Blagojevich saga, the downward spiral of a self-styled reformer whom lawmakers impeached and kicked out of office in January after his arrest on federal corruption charges.

‘‘It was the fastest two hours I’ve ever spent. It went real fast. I wish I had more time,’’ Blagojevich said afterward, mobbed by TV cameras outside the studio as he stopped to sign autographs. Blagojevich filled in on WLS-AM’s ‘‘Don Wade and Roma Morning Show,’’ which has an average of 400,000 listeners, while the regular hosts were off this week. Program director Bob Shomper, who said the former governor did a ‘‘wonderful job’’ for his first time, added that he might consider Blagojevich for future fill-in duty.

‘‘He’s definitely not afraid of the microphone,’’ Shomper said.

The radio stint was likely a welcome diversion for Blagojevich as his criminal case is about to heat up. U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald has until April 7 to get a grand jury indictment or ask for an extension.

Blagojevich was arrested in December, accused of trying to sell or trade President Obama’s vacated U.S. Senate seat and attempting to pressure the Chicago Tribune to fire editorial writers who were calling for his impeachment. He denies wrongdoing.

Blagojevich said he wanted to be Fitzgerald when the Second City comedians asked what part he’d like to play in their spoof.

‘‘I think I’d like to play the U.S. attorney, and I’d be real nice to the governor,’’ Blagojevich said.

On air, Blagojevich was quick to poke fun at himself when the morning news anchor asked whether the radio headphones he was wearing would muss up his signature helmet of hair.

‘‘I brought my brush. I can comb it as soon as we take a break. ... I’m not governor anymore; it’s a smaller brush,’’ Blagojevich said.

Blagojevich also acknowledged he was somewhat out of his element, quipping that hosting on radio was ‘‘harder than being governor.’’ He grew more comfortable after flubbing his title as ‘‘former governor’’ when he introduced himself at the start of the show.

He went on to rant about being ‘‘hijacked’’ from office, claiming a ‘‘political fix’’ in which lawmakers wanted him out of office so they could raise taxes. He also criticized Gov. Pat Quinn’s proposed income tax increase to fix an $11.5 billion deficit.

Quinn said he listened to about 30 minutes, and then told reporters at a news conference in Springfield: ‘‘He’s yesterday’s tomatoes.’’

On the radio, callers and guests gave Blagojevich a sympathetic ear, including CNN’s D.L. Hughley, who has had Blagojevich as a guest on his show.

‘‘I liked you right off. ... You didn’t work out the way we wanted it to, but I think you’ll land on your feet and things will get better from here,’’ Hughley said.

Blagojevich alluded to his legal troubles, saying he had challenges ahead but had faith in the outcome.
‘‘I’m going to trust in the truth and, as it says in the Bible, the truth shall set you free,’’ he said.

Not one to miss a chance at self-promotion, Blagojevich also plugged the book he was writing about politics but joked the words weren’t exactly flowing like water.

‘‘I’m on page three,’’ he said.

Pole cat

2009-03-25T12:47:00.012-05:00

These awesome pix were taken by none other than the mayor of Ashland, Ed Monroe. He called the paper last Sunday asking if any of the reporters were in, but as is often the case, I was the only one in the whole building at that time. He told me there had been this cat stuck up on a light pole for two days and he said the poor feline had finally been rescued by Xcel Energy (our local power company) personnel. He said that he and Xcel had been getting calls from the public all weekend about this poor cat.

I think he was hoping we would do a story, but with the recent crackdown on overtime at the Press, I knew there was no way that was going to happen. Normally, there is a reporter there for part of the time on Sunday - whoever is on the weekend rotation comes in to finish up their stuff for Monday's paper. But Chad already had all of his stuff done and he wasn't coming in. And I knew I didn't have the time to go running out to cover it and I am sure I would have gotten into trouble with my boss if I had.

Speaking of trouble: I didn't know it was the mayor on the phone at first and I must admit I was rather short with him, as I often am with people on the phone on Sundays, my toughest day of the week. I haven't a second to spare to get the damn paper out on time and it seems like we always get the most annoying and idiotic calls then. People must think there is someone there 24/7 just waiting to cater to their every whim. They'll call up asking to put in an ad for the next day's paper (which is just ludicrous) or they want to know why they didn't get a paper last Friday, stuff that I have no control over. I realize most of the time they don't know any better, but it's still an irritating distraction for which I have no time.

Anyway, Mr. Monroe did not tell me he was the mayor, but as soon as he said his name, I knew who he was and a cold chill ran down my spine. Although I hadn't been downright rude to the poor man, I hadn't exactly been all that nice or friendly either. I thought, oh great, now I've done it. I am dead meat for being brusque with the mayor. LOL

But he was very cool about it and said he had some photos of the kitty rescue and asked if we would be able to use them. After we had arranged that he would e-mail the photos, I told him I couldn't promise anything, that I would try to get something in, blah-blah-blah. I mean, the front page is pretty well planned out as far as what is going on there when I arrive. My boss leaves me a daily log with all of the local stories and photos on it and there usually isn't much room to improvise. BUT... when I saw his photos, I couldn't believe how great they were! I knew immediately I had to get them in.

There were a total of four, showing the cat during various stages of its dramatic rescue. I was able to use the best two (the same two I have posted above) in COLOR, mind you, on Page Two. For those of you unfamiliar with The Daily Press, Page Two is a digest page with a main feature photo, a bunch of news briefs, the lottery results and the police and fire reports. But even if there is an ad on the page, there is always a five-col. news hole toward the bottom which we use for a variety of purposes. He had sent a little write-up with some of the background info, so I incorporated that into a longish caption and ran both photos as large as I could - a three-col. and a two-col.

A little later, I was standing by the pressroom door on my smoke break and the perfect caption slug (the ideally clever boldface phrase preceding the actual cutline) popped into my head: Pole cat! LMFAO!!

Here is the complete caption as it appeared in Monday's paper:

Stranded feline rescued by Xcel Energy

POLE CAT - Ashland Mayor Ed Monroe received a call Sunday from resident Margaret Green about a cat that had been stranded on a power pole at 16th Ave. W and 6th St. since Saturday. He contacted Dick Sobtzak, a manager at the Xcel Energy office, who agreed to check the situation out. Sobtzak called his technician on duty, Brian Thewis, who responded as soon as he finished another call. Monroe said the situation was serious "not only because of the danger to the cat, but because of a potential power failure if the cat came in contact with the wires." Ashland police officers Michelle Tudor and John Fangman showed up for traffic control and to locate the owner of the cat. The cat is now doing fine and is recuperating at home.

My new great-nephew

2009-03-22T14:01:00.003-05:00

Meet Charlie! He was born in December in Denver to my niece Abby. His alien pal is named Norman and apparently they are inseparable. LOL

A tip of my green bowler hat to James Cagney

2009-03-18T01:48:00.011-05:00

Happy Saint Patrick's Day to my fellow Irishmen and to those who are kindred spirits:

After eight years of Catholic grade school, I made it a point to wear plenty of green on the playground today. ;-) Right down to my tie-dyed, lime green, peace sign earrings. Didn't want anyone to stomp on my toes, after all. (I couldn't locate any of my shamrock earrings, even though I know I have seen them around here recently.) Not too bad a night, although I did have to give the PDF server what for.

I happened to catch a James Cagney movie tonight on TCM that surprisingly I had never seen before (and believe me, I have watched a lot of his films!) called Shake Hands With the Devil. Released in 1959, it tells the story of a young American medical student (played by Don Murray) in Dublin who gets caught up in the Irish rebellion (against the Black and Tans, Stan!) of 1921. Cagney plays a physician from the college of surgeons who happens to be an IRA leader in his spare time. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would certainly recommend it to any Cagney fan or student of Irish history.

The high temperature has been in the mid-40s to upper 50s here the last few days and it sure feels like spring is finally in the air, but unbelievably there is still snow in the yard. Thank goodness we are free from the flooding folks are experiencing in southern Wisconsin and in Illinois! I guess it's a good thing so many of you in LaSalle County own boats. ;-)

Prepare for the wearing of the green!

2009-03-12T19:52:00.008-05:00

I have tonight off because I have to work for someone tomorrow night. So I thought I would change things up around here for Saint Patrick's Day, which is less than a week away now. Erin go bragh!

BTW: We didn't get quite the snowfall they were predicting the other day, but it was bad enough. About 4 to 6 inches worth, I'd say, with a nasty wind and nippy temps down below zero. It's supposed to get up to 47 next week. We shall see...

Curse you, Punxsutawney Phil!!

2009-03-10T10:00:00.006-05:00

I hate to say it but we're under another winter storm warning here and they're talking about 7 to 14 inches of blowing and drifting snow, plus a little sleet and freezing rain mixed in for good measure. So the above image could be my reality at this time tomorrow.

Now please excuse me while I kick some groundhog ass! You and your miserable shadow are dead meat, marmot!!

Stupid groundhog!

2009-03-06T05:42:00.018-06:00

My upstairs neighbor, Carol.

During the last couple of days we have enjoyed temperatures in the mid-40s and some of the ubiquitous (look that one up, Stan) snowbanks have begun to shrink. For the first time in what seems like forever, the huge chunks of rock-solid black ice have fallen off from behind my tires. So silly me, I thought maybe there was a chance we were coming to the end of what has been a long and arduous winter. Then last night one of the crazy pressman (code name: Joey) casually mentioned that March and April are the months when the Chequamegon Bay area gets the majority of its snowfall. Yikes!!!

SPOILER ALERT!!!!

PS. Early April Fool, y'all! None of the photos I have posted recently depicting surreal amounts of snow were taken here in Ashland. They are from Quebec and were sent to me by my crazy friend, Lynne. ;-)

Although, I must say, we do still have quite a bit of snow piled up around here. And the woman who lives upstairs (code name: Romp and Stomp) is really named Carol. Plus, the back door in the one photo bears an uncanny resemblance to my actual rear entrance, right down to the absence of an exterior storm door, style of door handle and the faux raised panels. I would wager $10 that they are the same model or at the very least were manufactured by the same company.

Welcome to my world!

2009-03-03T12:08:00.004-06:00

Doo-doo-doo, lookin' out my back door...

RIP, Rocky Mountain News

2009-03-03T11:20:00.008-06:00

Just 55 days short of celebrating their newspaper's sesquicentennial, Denver's Rocky Mountain News staff published their final edition on Feb. 28, another devastating blow to those of us still gainfully employed in the newspaper business. When I informed my colleagues after reading the story on AP, they were shocked and saddened. One of them remarked, "Maybe we should all just shoot ourselves." And that's about how it feels to know you are part of a profession that is slowly dying off.

I will never forget how sick at heart I felt in December when I read that the Chicago Tribune, a paper I grew up reading and always admired, had filed for bankruptcy. And there have been plenty of casualties since: 33 of the nation's top daily papers have recently sought Chapter 11 protection, including The Philadelphia Enquirer, The Star Tribune in Minneapolis, and the Los Angeles Times. Hell, even the New York Times is struggling and was forced to do what was once unthinkable -- put ads on its front page.

The really strange thing about all of this is that newspapers are more popular than ever, especially among young people. However, they aren't paying subscribers. Apparently, they are all reading their news on their local newspaper's Web site without paying a dime. What's that old adage... Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free? Looks like the Noobster and others in his position as publisher are wise to look to the Internet for revenue-producing solutions.

PS. Sorry I stuck you with Blago for so long. I read last night on the wire that he signed a six-figure book deal. Maybe his wife won't have to stop buying her cosmetics at Neiman-Marcus after all.

Bye-bye, Blago!!

2009-02-06T13:52:00.012-06:00

Well, it took awhile, but Illinois finally got rid of its latest gubernatorial huckster cum national punch line. Nice job, Illinois Senate! That unanimous vote looks mahvelous on you.

When I saw the bulletin slugged "URGENT" appear on the AP wire that night at work, I busted out laughing. The king is dead! Long live the king! ;-) Let's just hope Patrick Quinn isn't cut from the same stained and soiled cloth.

Meanwhile, I hear Blago's looking for a new job -- been shopping his stellar resume on late night talk shows and whatnot. Well, I have the perfect gig for glamor boy: spokesman/media whore for the Hair Club for Men. Or, judging by the above photo, perhaps he should pursue a career as a magician and master of prestidigitation... he certainly made his political future disappear! LMAO!!!

MEDIA CIRCUS FREAK

2009-01-28T03:37:00.013-06:00

I published the above Associated Press photo in Tuesday's paper with the boldfaced slug I used as the title of this post. LOL I ran it by one of the sports guys (code name: G Money aka Slick) first and he saw no problem with it. I was quick to point out that the article referred to Blago's self-imploding behavior as a "media circus" and that it mentioned him as craving attention and adulation, so I figured I was on pretty solid ground. My boss (nor anyone else, for that matter) never said a word when I got to work today, so I guess I got away with my little jump page jab at my home state's highest (actually, if that were literally true, it would explain a lot) elected official. ;-)

When I saw the interview where Blago basically compared himself with Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., I said to myself just wait until Jon Stewart gets a hold of this. And boy, was I right! On Monday night's Daily Show, Jon led with that very same clip. Yikes! Also, I must admit a certain amount of glee when I read that Mrs. Blago had lost her cushy, six-figure job. My reaction, particularly in light of the current economic crisis: BOO-FUCKING-HOO! LMAO!!!!!

I need to write an opus about my own much less than six-figure job, so I pledge to do that very soon. As crazy, frustrating and challenging as my position is, I am ever grateful to have landed this job when I did. And extremely thankful to even have a full-time job with benefits at this particularly horrific time in our nation's employment history. Every day seems to bring a fresh tale of massive layoffs and cutbacks.

Let me take this opportunity to say I sincerely hope that Madame X is doing OK at her new job (wherever that may truly be) and that each of us manages to survive this current economic downturn. Ah hell, I sincerely hope that all of you get past this fucking shitty epoch and reach a place of peace and tranquility (whatever that may mean to you individually).

In the meantime, I raise my brimming glass to the next governor of the Land of Lincoln. May he or she bring nothing but honesty and integrity to the job.

PS. I'm sorry, but Roland Burris has absolutely no sense of integrity. Whatever looks good chiseled on that mausoleum, eh, buddy?

PPS. I'm now up to more than 4,500 hits and I just wanted to thank my regular readers for keeping the faith. I certainly don't post as much as I would like (or need) to, but you must admit, it's never been a boring journey, ;-)

Get over yourself already, Blago!!

2009-01-10T13:41:00.016-06:00

Soon-to-be-ex-Governor Rod "Pants on Fire" Blagojevich, former Lego hair model
(Thank you, Stephen Colbert!)

There is a question I've been asking myself for weeks now as this whole Blagojevich thing continued to snowball: Does this man have absolutely no sense of shame? (I should have realized the obvious after the sonuvabitch went ahead and appointed Roland Burris to President-elect Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat.) Well, after yesterday's defiant performance at his truly bizarre press conference, the answer evidently is a resounding no!

For crying out loud, you incredibly narcissistic asswipe, just give it up already. You are only embarrassing the entire state, bringing derision and ridicule to the people you are supposed to serve, and making Illinois the punchline of every late night talk show monologue.

After that resounding 114-1 impeachment vote in the Illinois House yesterday, you would think the man with the "chinchilla head cosy" (another of Colbert's witty Blago hair jokes) might at least consider keeping a low media profile, if not actually resigning. But oh noooooo, that's not how this douchebag rolls! He is obviously going to go out with both barrels of BS blazing. So in my opinion, he deserves all of the heaping helpings of shit coming his way from the media, his fellow politicians, comedians, pundits, bloggers and anyone with an ounce of moral outrage.

Speaking personally, I can't wait for the historic trial slated for Jan. 26 in the Illinois Senate. Hang 'em high, folks!

PS. And in case you were wondering about the identity of the lone loser who voted against the impeachment, it was Rep. Milton Patterson, a Chicago Democrat. According to AP, "Patterson said later that he was not defending anyone, but that he read the impeachment committee's report and wasn't comfortable voting against the governor. 'I went by my own gut feeling; it's as simple as that,'" Patterson is quoted as saying. He also claimed to just be "doing my job." Well, all I can say to that is, I hope Mr. Patterson will be "comfortable" at his ultimate destination: the 9th Circle of Hell, along with all of the Nazis, war criminals, etc., who were just doing their jobs.

May auld acquaintance be forgot!

2009-01-01T09:22:00.004-06:00

Happy 2009, gang! It won't be long now.

While I was out...

2008-12-31T12:45:00.007-06:00

...Christmas came and went! LOL Hope you all had a wonderful holiday. I got some kewl stuff in the mail from several kind residents of LaSalle County, enjoyed catching up on the phone with some of my friends, had a few drinks and a steak dinner. Plus, I had four days off in a row (practically a vacation, I tells ya!), though I didn't get to spend them as I had planned.

I had intended on posting something here either Christmas Eve or Christmas night, but never got around to it in time before the mother of all colds hit me like a ton of bricks. Yeah, I ended up coming down with some mutated strain of bronchitis/bubonic plague on Christmas night and have pretty much felt like shit every day since.

I stayed with some friends in Bayfield that night and later in the evening I could tell I was getting sick. When I got in bed, I couldn't sleep, was freezing my ass off (which is unusual for me) under the covers and could not get warm for hours. Then I finally drifted off around 1:30 a.m. only to wake up two hours later boiling. My throat was all raw and scratchy, and I could feel my inner ear when I swallowed (never a good sign for me), so I knew I was in for it.

I never did get back to sleep the rest of the night; I just tossed and turned and watched some DishTV. It was snowing when I got up around 6 and all I could think about was getting home to my own bed -- 25 miles away. I knew neither my condition nor that of the highways were likely to improve as the day wore on, so I got up and started packing.

When I went outside to load my car Friday morning, the cold air felt so good. In fact, it didn't even seem cold to me at all and the snow was just melting off my car as I was brushing it off the windows. I started thinking that maybe I had such a high fever my body heat was melting the snow, but then my friend told me the temperature had actually risen during the night. LOL

Anyway, I made it home OK (though some alarming dashboard warning lights came on while I was going through Washburn) and I didn't leave the house again until Sunday when I had to go to work. That was not a pleasant experience at all, as by now I had developed this hacking, dry cough and was so exhausted from not being able to get any decent sleep that I could hardly see straight. Unfortunately, there are only three people who know how to do my job: me, my boss (who had just covered the night desk on Thursday and Friday), and Chad, who was out of town visiting family. So I just had to suck it up and get that paper out, which I did!

Somehow I made it through the next two nights as well, even though I felt progressively worse each day. By Monday night, the virus from Hell had migrated up to my sinuses and my nose had transformed into a spigot. Jeepers! I haven't had anything like this in years. It was coming out like Niagara Falls. I went through an entire box of Kleenex during a 12-hour period and was up pretty much all night -- again! Tuesday morning, my nose and the skin surrounding it were bright red and sore as the dickens. I looked like W.C. Fields on a three-day bender. LOL

I dropped some cash at the Medicine Shoppe before work yesterday though and ingested a wide selection of pharmaceuticals (including swigging Tussin right out of the bottle at my desk!) last night to keep the beast at bay. Now I have today off, at least, and I am so thankful! I do feel somewhat better, especially since my cough has greatly improved. My nose and lips are still fairly crusty at the moment, but this too shall pass. ;-)

Take care, everyone!

(D-IL) WEED

2008-12-12T04:03:00.012-06:00

You guys, I about shite myself when I saw all of the wire stories Tuesday afternoon on AP about Blago. WTF?!! Up to that point, I had not heard a single thing about the whole shameful mess, so I was pretty shocked, mortified, embarrassed (and somewhat amused), to say the least.

There were so many sidebars and whatnot that (with my managing editor's approval) I gleefully ran an entire page in the next day's paper about that megalomaniacal toe-rag with the header "ILLINOIS' GUBERNATORIAL SCANDAL".

There were articles about the three previous governors who went to prison (Ryan, Walker and Kerner), plus stuff about Obama and the prosecutor Fitzpatrick, It was a bloodbath and Blago deserves every fucking minute of it! Up until presstime tonight he was still trying to act like everything was just hunky-dory and it was business as usual at the ol' Governor's office.

I used a color photo of that racist SOB taking the oath of office in Springfield with his apparently foul-mouthed wife holding the Bible. (In fact, it is the very same AP photo shown above.) For the caption kicker in boldface, I soooo wanted to put, "LYING SACK OF SHIT", but I settled for the slightly less inflammatory "OATH BREAKER". LOL

What a blot on the Land of Lincoln landscape! I predict that he will finally figure it out and resign tomorrow. (If not, he is seriously delusional and must be trying for an insanity defense.) The handwriting is on the fucking wall, asswipe. Get the fuck out of town!!!

'Tis the season

2008-12-02T11:45:00.007-06:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

We still don't have a ton of snow or anything, but there is a light dusting now and we seem to get some flurries every day. Many people have their Christmas trees and decorations lit up at night and there are Christmas-y ads in the paper and on TV. I applied a Christmas skin to my Firefox browser over the weekend.
A couple of wreaths magically appeared on the walls at work the other day and there's talk of putting up a tree in the newsroom. I've even been hunting around here for some decorations to put up (so far, without much success) when normally I could give a rat's. What's up with that? Am I actually getting into the Christmas spirit here...just a teeny-weeny bit?

Bah, humbug!!

LMFAO!

"I fall asleep counting my blessings..."

2008-11-28T00:18:00.009-06:00

For all of you trivia buffs, that was Bing Crosby in the film, White Christmas, folks. When I was thinking about writing this blog entry tonight at work, that lyric ran through my mind so I thought it would make a nice post title.

Well, another Thanksgiving holiday has come and gone. Although I spent mine alone and had to work from 3 to 11 or so, I have so many things in my life for which to be thankful. For starters, I have a great new apartment in a new city and a full-time job doing something I halfway enjoy and for which I went to college.

And I have many wonderful friends, without whom I would never have made it here to begin this new chapter in my life. So right now I want to serve up a huge casserole dish heaped with gratitude to:

The good people of Trinity Episcopal Church, Mineral Point
Father Bob and Barbara
Father Ward, Andrew, Pep and Jim from St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, Ashland
Pam, the best sis-in-law evah
Robin
Scott (aka Wot)
Carolyn
Kathy
Mark and Dorothy
Diana and Tom
Randy, the U-Haul dude
Mrs. B.
Claire and Rex
Susanne
Cheryl

If I forgot anyone, I sincerely apologize, but it's getting late and I'm pretty tired. One more thing I did want to mention, however -- my Thanksgiving dinner consisted of a Marie Callender's turkey pot pie, which I told Chad about when I first got to work today because he asked me what I had. (It was actually good and, of course, I put shredded cheese in it after smashing the crust in like I always do.)

Well, I was so surprised and pleased when Chad came back to the office this evening bearing a plate of chow from Rick's house. He said they thought I should have something besides a pot pie on Thanksgiving. :-)

There was a little bit of everything on there, including yummy white meat, dressing, wild rice, potatoes, green beans, sweet potatoes and ... are you ready for this? DUCK!! LMAO

When Chad told me there was duck on the plate too, I just had to ask if it was turducken!! Then a little while ago after I got home I was watching the Stephen Colbert Christmas special and there was a turducken reference on there as well. LOL Thanks, you guys!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

2008-11-26T03:18:00.014-06:00

This time of year always reminds me of that infamous episode of WKRP where they tossed live turkeys out of a plane over Cincinnati. Les Nessman's Hindenburg disaster-style commentary was priceless, but the most memorable line came from Mr. Carlson. When the doomed turkeys began hitting the sidewalk "like wet bags of cement," a horrified Carlson swore, "As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly!"

They don't make 'em like that anymore, folks. And what really sucks is if you happen to catch reruns of this show now (or even if you buy it on DVD, I hear), the original soundtrack music is gone, replaced by lame-ass copycat tunes or second-rate garbage that Dr. Fever would never have played. And all because some greedy suits won't release the rights to the music without getting paid some exorbitant fee. Stick it to the man, baby!

I was done with the paper tonight by 10:30, which totally ruled! My priorities have been made abundantly clear to me and I am on a mission to get the paper out on time at all cost. From here on out, I am a deadline-seeking missile. Let nothing stand in my way! Devil take the hindmost ... as well as proper grammar and punctuation. LMAO!

Hooray for Captain Spaulding!

2008-11-21T03:36:00.010-06:00

And the train conductor says 'Take a break Driver 8,
Driver 8, take a break,
We've been on this shift too long' ...

OK, here's the gist: After a most stressful 10 hours at work, during which I comported myself with utmost discretion and diplomacy despite the odious presence of a certain procrastinating asswipe, I am extremely thankful to be home in my warm apartment, surrounded by my kewl stuff, eating a garlic crust pizza, watching Animal Crackers (starring the Marx Brothers) and enjoying a few Bacardi and Diet Cokes.

Went through two more boxes tonight and finally found my Squidbillies DVD set! Yee-haw!! (I have Early Cuyler on my desktop at work, actually.) Now, if I could just find my hair dryer and my Big Top Chautauqua cap.

It's supposed to be pretty dang cold this weekend and I need to do laundry. We'll see if I feel like hauling my stuff out to the laundromat or not... Might go out again this weekend. K is supposed to call and let me know the scoop.

Hope you all have some yummy plans for Thanksgiving. I am going to make exciting Thanksgiving tacos! It's become my tradition when I stay at home instead of visiting family/friends in Illinois.

Did anyone catch Denis Leary on The Daily Show? I can't wait until Rescue Me starts again, dammit! I have watched that show since Day One and I can't wait to see what happens to Tommy Gavin next...

Alright, nighty-night, folks!!

Ol' Man Winter at the door...

2008-11-20T13:34:00.011-06:00

Knock, knock...

Who's there?

Olman.

Olman who?

Ol' Man Winter, dude!! You'd best get them longjohns out of mothballs right quick!

Yeah, I know, that was a really lame knock-knock joke, but I don't have the time at the moment to think of anything better. LOL
It's been much colder here the last few days and we've had more snow flurries. Even though by some fluke the sun is shining right now, winter is definitely right around the corner. In fact, I can hear that bugger comin'. Good thing I have those nice warm Spongebob jammies and slippers, eh? ;-)

First night out on the town in Ashland!

2008-11-15T22:27:00.012-06:00

Greetings from further north
than most people care to live:

Tonight I met a couple of friends from work for a few drinks at the Deepwater Grille on Main Street. It was really fun and I am so glad I went. ;-) I had not been out anywhere yet (except for the grocery store, Wal-Mart and the Super Wash laundromat) since moving here, so I was quite excited about the evening and was not disappointed.

My intention was to buy them at least one round of drinks, especially for Chad, who bailed me out so many times when I was first starting out, but they had a tab started and ended up paying for mine, which was very nice of them.

I have to tell you, I had a total heart-stopping moment when I spied one of the Big Top Chautauqua performers further down the bar. I happen to have a framed photo of myself with this individual, own his solo CD, etc., and am pretty much of a groupie, so I was really shitting a brick when I saw him there. It was too funny...

OK, here's the GbV song running through my head at the moment and it's most appropriate:

I Am a Scientist

I am a scientist - I seek to understand me,
All of my impurities and evils yet unknown.
I am a journalist - I write to you to show you.
I am an incurable,
And nothing else behaves like me.

And I know what's right,
But I'm losing sight,
Of the clues for which I search and choose,
To abuse,
To just unlock my mind.
Yeah, and just unlock my mind.

I am a pharmacist,
Prescriptions I will fill you;
Potions, pills and medicines,
To ease your painful lives.
I am a lost soul,
I shoot myself with rock & roll.
The hole I dig is bottomless,
But nothing else can set me free.

Even a cursory analysis of those lyrics will reveal several layers of meaning. ;-) If you haven't yet discovered this little gem by Sir Bobert, Stan, I highly recommend it for what ails ya. You'll find it on their landmark 1994 release, Bee Thousand.

Ny-tol!

Tater,

JotWU

A night to remember

2008-11-05T03:48:00.005-06:00

Well, we were all witnesses tonight to history being made. I just happened to have a front row seat. ;-) It was a very long and stressful night at the paper and I didn't get outta there until almost 1:30 a.m., but it was so worth it. Everyone did such a great job and the final product is something I was proud of. That front page, with its huge 72-point headline -- "History is made" -- is apparently destined for framing and (I've been told) will soon grace the walls of The Daily Press.

I was so wired by the time the jump page came through the rip that there was no way I was going right to bed. Came home, made a drink and watched the hour-long, live, election night special with Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. Ahhhh, the perfect way to end my wild night.

Good night, America, and good luck!

Rock the vote!

2008-11-03T11:54:00.005-06:00

My fellow Americans,

Now hear this...

If you haven't already done so, get out there and vote tomorrow! Fight the power!!

Have an eerie All Hallow's Eve, everyone!!

2008-10-31T15:57:00.008-05:00

A horrifying hats off to Heather Crazy for creating this ghoulishly groovy pumpkin tribute to Guided by Voices. Already known in GbV fan circles for her annual pumpkin tributes to the band, which were featured on various Web sites, she carved the image shown above for one of her jack o' lanterns in 2004 when the band broke up.

I have been listening to GbV a lot again recently and even played Frostman Road, (a homemade compilation CD for which I took the cover photo several years ago right down the road here on Hwy. 13, in fact!), at work the other night on the boombox conveniently located right next to my desk. LOL I had observed that the pressmen and sports guys sometimes have tunes going in their respective areas, so I thought I would follow suit.

Anyway, I hope you all have a great time tonight - whatever mischief you decide to get up to! ;-)

PS. A very HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Sir Bobert and Carolyn!!!

Weener Howlin'

2008-10-30T02:58:00.019-05:00

Happy Hallowe'en to one and all!

For some strange reason, I have always invented my own words for things. When I was a kid, apparently I used to call cowboys on horses "moo-cows on hoe-dih-dee-dahs". And according to reliable accounts, in my bizarre parlance, Halloween was known as "weener howling". LOL I have no idea why.

Anyway, it's getting horrifyingly close to my favorite holiday of the year and I just wanted to take this opportunity to post another kewl pic and wish you all a very spooktacular All Hallow's Eve and/or Samhain. ;-)

I must say, a big part of the reason I am up so late tonight is that I am stoked over my most excellent performance at work. ;-) I sent the proof for Page One at 10:15 p.m., which Carole, the typist/proofreader for the evening, promptly declared a new record. I am not sure if she meant overall or just for me. It definitely was the latter! LOL I am really feeling comfortable and confident at work now and it's so awesome.

I have Halloween night off and plan to do something fun, despite having to (regrettably) "hide" from the trick-or-treaters because in my present circumstances, I can't afford to hand out candy to several hundred costumed youngsters, which is what I was told to expect here on Chapple Avenue. Apparently, my new street is a hotbed of Halloween activity.

I have been listening to some wonderful music tonight, especially "30th Star" by the amazing Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua, headquartered in nearby Washburn. This original musical production, written by the talented Warren Nelson for the state sesquicentennial in 1998 (the year I moved to Madison, as it happens), recounts the fascinating story of Wisconsin's history accompanied by vintage photographs and meaningful lyrics. I love this stuff! I was actually present at the Civic Center in Madtown for the live recording of this show on Oct. 23, 1998. My friend, Claire, swears she can hear me hootin' and hollerin' in the background when she plays the CD. LOL

It's now nearly 3:30 a.m., even though my PC keeps telling me it is only 2:28, thanks to W and his idjit advisors, who decided to fuck with Daylight Savings Time. You all better vote for Obama ... if only to keep McSell-out and his she-devil outta there. 'Nuff said.

Nighty-night.

PS. ... There is a page, it's still unwritten. Why can't you find ... time in your busy schedule ... to pick up, for God's sake, when we call you back to the lake?

Guided by Voices live, from Universal Truths and Cycles

I fucking did and I am so glad!

PPS. A truly ghoulish thank-you to The Young Flyer for providing the boo-tee-ful image of her family's Halloween castle made from gingerbread. Sistah, you rawk!

Drunken punkin

2008-10-26T12:03:00.005-05:00

Dang, those gourd-dam hooligans will not stay off my front porch! I will never get these steps clean...
Uh-oh, look out! Fire in the hole!!

BTW: I made a few changes around here again so the color scheme would be more in keeping with the autumn season. I sure wish Blogger would add some holiday-themed templates to their selection. That would rock! (Hint, hint!)

The secret lives of jack o' lanterns...

2008-10-25T00:48:00.005-05:00

Wooo-hooooooooooo!! Apparently all of the pumpkins in the neighborhood partied on my front porch last night!

Halloween is nigh!

2008-10-24T02:14:00.004-05:00

Ghastly Greetings from the Shores of Gitchee Gumee!!

I really don't have the time or gumption to post much of anything right at this moment. I just wanted to give you guys a new photo to gaze at. LOL

ENJOY!

I have arrived!

2008-10-06T23:43:00.005-05:00

HI, FOLKS!

Well, it was quite an adventure getting here, but I am finally moved into my new apartment and am back online as of this afternoon. Due to circumstances way beyond my control, I was forced to wait an extra day before making the drive up, which did not make me a very happy camper.

And despite my best efforts (including two rummage sales) to purge my earthly belongings, it still took two U-Hauls to get me and my 5 tons of stuff to Ashland. But strangely enough, as it turned out, I had an Episcopal priest driving each of the moving trucks. Plus, when we got here after a grueling 7-hour trip, total strangers from my new church (including my new parish priest's son and two vestry members) helped us unload everything.

When she heard about my two heavenly roadies, my new boss seemed fairly nonplussed. Then I really freaked her out by telling her that God sent me here. And do you know what the real kicker is...? After everything I've been through to get to this point in my life, I truly believe that. So don't mess with me, St. Stan or Mother Madame Superior. LOL Will write more soon. Take care everyone.

PS. And yes that is an actual photo of the first 14-foot truck being backed up to my front door last Monday afternoon.

Fall is in the air!

2008-09-17T13:15:00.008-05:00

I have always wanted to see the fall colors up in Northern Wisconsin, but my visits to Bayfield always coincided with "Old Last Night" at the Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua, which takes place the weekend after Labor Day. And unfortunately, the autumn foliage isn't in its full glory up there until a few weeks later, so I would always just miss it. Well, it looks like I will finally get my chance this year! ;-)

(Image from visualparadox.com.)

Feel like I'm ridin' the short bus to Squirrel Nutkin Elementary School

2008-09-09T15:11:00.011-05:00

Don't you hate those safe driving campaigns they always run when the kids go back to school? It's like, go ahead and aim for the little shits all summer when they're out riding their bikes and skateboards in the middle of the street, but now that they are all safely tucked away in school for most of the day, we all need to be told to watch out for them. LOL

Anyway, I liked this photo and I've been saving it until now to post. Plus, I am feeling fairly "nutty" today, what with all of the rummaging through my belongings going on as we gear up for the big blowout porch sale this Saturday and Sunday. ;-)

A grizzly fate

2008-09-03T18:57:00.007-05:00

Damn, looks like Stephen Colbert was right after all! I better watch my step in the Chequamegon National Forest around Ashland.

If you go out in the woods today,
you're sure of a big surprise.
If you go out in the woods today,
you'd better go in disguise.

For every bear that ever there was
Will gather there for certain because
Today's the day the teddy bears have their picnic.

And guess who's on the menu! ;-)

{BTW: If you're having trouble reading the print on the sign, click on the photo to see a larger image.}

(Thanks to my friend Lynne H. in Rockford for sending me this timely warning.)

Only eight short years ago...

2008-09-03T18:38:00.005-05:00

Sometimes it's difficult for me to believe I've lived here in MP for eight years, but then I look in the mirror and can no longer deny the passage of time. Yessirree, a lot can change in eight years.
Back in March 2000, a Southwest Airlines plane arriving from Las Vegas overshot the runway in Burbank, Calif. The wayward jet crashed through an airport fence, careened across a street and ended up next to a Chevron station.
But that's not the most amazing thing about this photo. Check out those gas prices, gang! Behold, the madness of King George!!

More Ashland photos

2008-08-31T11:24:00.008-05:00

Ashland's Breakwater Lighthouse on Chequamegon Bay. The hexagonal lighthouse is 58 feet high and was first lit in 1915. (By some odd coincidence, the same year Stan first got lit. LMAO!)

Built in 1916, the last remaining Soo Line iron ore dock juts out over Lake Superior at Ashland. There were originally four ore docks, each a quarter-mile long. As of late 2007, this historic dock was slated for imminent demolition, as its owners, Canadian National Railroad, are concerned about possible liability issues for the aging concrete and steel structure. (It was still there as of my recent visit, however!)
FUN FACT: The Ashland High School athletic team goes by the name the Oredockers. This could make for some interesting taunts at football games by the opposing team, I would imagine. LOL

Here's the Lake Superior shore in Ashland on a winter's morn.

The Great White North

2008-08-25T11:22:00.009-05:00

In response to a request from our very own Devil's advocate, Stan, who wanted me to post a photo of what the winters are like up in Ashland (the flipside of the summertime view I previously posted), here is a shot of the ice road across Lake Superior leading to Madeline Island, about 25 miles from Ashland.

It doesn't always get cold enough for the lake to freeze, but most winters the locals get to take advantage of this (to me, terrifying) alternate route to the largest island in the Apostle Island chain, as well as the only one with a year-round population. When I first saw the ads for that A&E program, Ice Road Truckers, I immediately thought of Madeline Island. LOL

I have taken the ferry over (a 25-minute ride) and visited the island with friends. Two Episcopal priests, as it so happened. One was a woman named Judy, whom my friends always jokingly referred to as "Judith Priest." LOL

Here's a little background on Madeline Island from Wikipedia:

"The island can only be reached by ferry during the summer months; in the winter, ice usually becomes too thick for ferry traffic. The last ferry runs of the season are typically some time in mid-to-late January, though in recent years the ferry has run well in to February, and in 2006 ran the entire winter.

When ice conditions allow, the "ice road" officially opens to vehicle traffic from Bayfield across the frozen surface to Madeline Island. The ice road is traditionally marked by Christmas trees and is officially an extension of County Highway H. If ice is too thin for automobile traffic, but too thick for ferry traffic, access to the island is by airplane, snowmobile and windsled only."

If you're of a mind to, you can learn more about the rich history of Madeline Island here.

All signs point north!

2008-08-24T23:49:00.007-05:00

Sunset over Lake Superior in Ashland, WI - Summer 2002

NOTICE of INTENT to VACATE said PREMISES:

All concerned parties having now been duly informed, this is an official announcement: As of Aug. 22, I am the new night editor at The Daily Press in Ashland, WI! Woooo-hooooooo! (pinches self) When do I assume my new duties, you ask? ASAP! We agreed it would be no later than Oct. 1. If I get the apartment I want, I am looking at a mid-September move date (checks pulse) and a nervous breakdown sometime in the next two weeks. ;-)

I truly believe this whole thing was meant to be (for reasons I will delve into in a later post) and that somehow I have been preparing for this major leap of faith for quite some time, perhaps without even really being aware of it. I have wanted to move up there since I first visited friends in the area in 1999, and I have made many memorable trips back there over the last 9 years. Ashland is right on Lake Superior and not far from Bayfield and the Apostle Islands.

Bloody hell! Having computer problems.... will post more soon!!

"It's the rapture! Go git mah Jesus wig."

2008-08-03T13:29:00.008-05:00

Here's an awesome tribute to Ruby Jean "Granny" Cuyler from Squidbillies, the best show on Adult Swim. Granny is voiced by the talented Dana Snyder who also can be heard on Aqua Teen Hunger Force as Master Shake. Just for shits and giggles, here's the Wikipedia description of Granny:

"Early and Lil's grandmother is purple, hangs from a walker, and has only five tentacles for unexplained reasons. Granny is a devout Christian and regularly sees visions of Jesus, though like the rest of her family she does not shy away from violence or foul language. Aside from being an apparent nymphomaniac, she is also frequently rattled and unclear about her current whereabouts."

Now after viewing this twisted video, some of you (specifically those who know what I have been doing to earn a living for the last year and a half) may be puzzled by the paradoxical irony of it all. However, if there's one thing I've learned in my nearly 48 years on this planet, ya gotta maintain a sense of humor about most things. Otherwise, you end up old and crabby before your time. (Just like my ex-husband...LMAO!!)

Summertime makeover

2008-08-03T12:49:00.006-05:00

In case you hadn't already noticed, I've been busy this weekend sprucing things up around here. ;-) In the upper righthand corner, I added a poll for all of you "dorkside" aficionados. (You know who you are!) And if you scroll to the bottom you will see my latest TOP 10 list, plus the Turner Classic Movies "Summer Under the Stars" photo booth widget.
The latter offers different photos and a fresh video daily highlighting TCM's featured star for that day. Today it's Gregory Peck, but I was surprised and a little disappointed (even though I have it on VHS) to see they weren't showing To Kill a Mockingbird. That is one of my all-time favorite films and probably Peck's greatest performance - certainly his greatest role.

DO NOT FEED THE TROLLS!

2008-08-02T15:04:00.021-05:00

"In the late 1980s, Internet users adopted the word 'troll' to denote someone who intentionally disrupts online communities. Early trolling was relatively innocuous, taking place inside of small, single-topic Usenet groups. The trolls employed what M.I.T. professor Judith Donath calls a 'pseudo-naïve' tactic, asking stupid questions and seeing who would rise to the bait. The game was to find out who would see through this stereotypical newbie behavior, and who would fall for it. As one guide to trolldom puts it, 'If you don’t fall for the joke, you get to be in on it.'

Today the Internet is much more than esoteric discussion forums. It is a mass medium for defining who we are to ourselves and to others. Teenagers groom their MySpace profiles as intensely as their hair; escapists clock 50-hour weeks in virtual worlds, accumulating gold for their online avatars. Anyone seeking work or love can expect to be Googled. As our emotional investment in the Internet has grown, the stakes for trolling — for provoking strangers online — have risen. Trolling has evolved from ironic solo skit to vicious group hunt."

The above two paragraphs are taken from a disturbing yet fascinating new article from The New York Times Magazine about the secret lives of Internet trolls. The writer, Mattathias Schwartz, delves into the hidden motivations, aspirations and machinations of this increasingly malevolent and anarchic subculture.

Anyone who has ever frequented a message board or other online forum has probably come across at least one troll. I have witnessed troll behavior ranging from mildly annoying to downright infuriating (not to mention patently pathetic). However, the kinds of things described in the aforementioned article take trolling to "a-hole" new level.

Why do trolls spend so much time and energy messing with people they've never even met? As one who has indulged in some fairly mild trolling over the years (one memorable instance of which resulted in a certain much-despised poster being banned from a site - mission accomplished!), my own motivation to heckle someone is always driven by what I perceive as malicious, inflammatory or otherwise unacceptable online behavior on the part of my intended victim.

Schwartz, on the other hand, offers this equally valid if somewhat dire explanation:
"...while technology reduces the social barriers that keep us from bedeviling strangers, it does not explain the initial trolling impulse. This seems to spring from something ugly — a destructive human urge that many feel but few act upon, the ambient misanthropy that’s a frequent ingredient of art, politics and, most of all, jokes. There’s a lot of hate out there, and a lot to hate as well."

BTW: here's an insightful observation by Schwartz that I wish a certain newspaper publisher would keep in mind when policing his own blogs:
"All vigorous debates shade into trolling at the perimeter; it is next to impossible to excise the trolling without snuffing out the debate."

In the end, Schwartz's conclusions only serve to reinforce what I have long held to be true - Don't feed the trolls! He writes:
"The willingness of trolling 'victims' to be hurt by words ... makes them complicit, and trolling will end as soon as we all get over it. ...trolling will stop only when its audience stops taking trolls seriously."

Read the complete article by Mr. Schwartz here.

Abandon hope, all ye that enter here...

2008-07-17T23:54:00.011-05:00

...which is my rather sardonic way of welcoming all and sundry to my humble online abode. ;-) The recent heat wave, not to mention some things going on in my personal life at the moment, put me in mind of Dante's Inferno.

I am rather wound up tonight and thought it was about time I posted something on my blog, for criminy's sake. LOL Even if it's basically just a new photo.

By the way, this isn't just ANY photo. The above is one of the last known images of the ill-fated neon sign which featured so prominently in many a Guided by Voices concert. I snapped this in April 2000 at The Annex in Madison, WI, shortly before the sign was destroyed by an overzealous (and undoubtedly drunken) fanboy.

So what does it mean, you ask? The phrase - "The club is open" - is a partial lyric from setlist staple, "A Salty Salute," off of GbV's seminal 1995 effort, Alien Lanes.

Long live Rockathon!!

Who says church can't be fun?!

2008-06-30T12:22:00.016-05:00

The following announcements actually appeared in a church bulletin or were delivered verbally at a church service:

Miss Bertha Belch, a missionary from Africa will be speaking tonight at Calvary Memorial Church in Racine. Come tonight and hear Bertha Belch all the way from Africa.

Our youth basketball team is back in action Wednesday at 8 p.m. in the recreation hall. Come out and watch us kill Christ the King.

Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Don't forget your husbands.

The peacemaking meeting scheduled for today has been canceled due to a conflict.

The sermon this morning is Jesus Walks on the Water. Tonight's sermon: Searching for Jesus.

Barbara remains in the hospital and needs blood donors for more transfusions. She is also having trouble sleeping and requests tapes of Pastor Bob's sermons.

Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our community.

Smile at someone who is hard to love. Say "hell" to someone who doesn't care much about you.

Don't let worry kill you off – let the Church help.

A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall. Music will follow.

At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be "What is Hell?" Come early and listen to our choir practice.

The senior choir invites any member of the congregation who enjoys sinning to join the choir.

Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.

For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.

Potluck supper Sunday at 5 p.m. – prayer and medication to follow.

The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.

Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10. All ladies are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the B.S. is done.

The low self-esteem support group will meet Thursday at 7 p.m. Please use the back door.

The eighth graders will be presenting Shakespeare's “Hamlet” in the Church basement Friday at 7 p.m. The Congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.

Weight Watchers will meet at 7 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use large double door at the side entrance.

The Associate Minister unveiled the church's new tithing campaign slogan last Sunday: "I Upped My Pledge – Now Up Yours."

Our next hymn is Angels We Have Heard Get High.

Announcement in the church bulletin for National Prayer and Fasting conference: "The cost for attending the Fasting and Prayer Conference includes meals."

(Special thanks to TheYoungFlyer for passing this along!)