Tarantular

Post #742

2006-10-24T18:57:00.000-04:00

I thought that perhaps I should write a new pust since I just popped in over at the Weblog and made some comments on the Tuesday Hatred. It's been quite a while since I checked in over there, so I figured maybe I'd get a little more traffic than usual.

As I shiver a little in my office/babyroom I thought about Adam Kotsko and wondered if his legs were itching yet.

Speaking of itching . . . [dead end segue]

Beer.

It's good.

A person who says they don't like beer should be forced to drink beer until they like beer.

I just brewed and bottled what is called an Affligem Abbey Tripel. This beer originates in Brouwerij De Smedt, Opwijk, Belgium. I've never been to Belgium, but I like words ending in edt and ijk.

Yes, I brew my own beer.

And this makes me Mighty.

The Affligem rings in at a whopping 8.5% alcohol content.

Yea beer!

I've been brewing for 2 and a half years and this is the first Begian beer I've tried my hand at. The first beer that I brewed this fall was a barley wine. It has 9% alcohol but is supposed to stay in the bottle for a year. Realistically, it won't make it that long if I know myself. I figure at about 6 months or so (or sooner?) I'll need to "see where it's at". Inevitably this will lead to a, "Hey that's not bad," to a, "I'm too damn tired to go to the store and buy beer. Good thing I've got the barleywine in the cupboard."

Anyway, I wanted to mention that Affligem Abbey because I used a new method of introducing the yeast to the wort. Usually I'll just dump my packet of [dry] yeast into the bucket of cooled wort and let it do it's thing. This time, however, I made what is called a "yeast starter."

I overheard this guy at the brew store talking about the importance of using a yeast starter when brewing beer. He stated that anyone that is serious about beer competitions uses a starter. I thougth to myself that I wasn't really interested in contests, but if it makes my beer taste better I'm all about it.

With this beer I used a packet of liquid yeast--something I have only done once before with limited success. Liquid yeast packets have a little poutch in the middle called the "activator." You smack this thing, break it open, and then it activates the yeast. I let the packet stand at room temperature for about a day and a half. It expands as the yeast starts working, so it's kind of cool.

After the yeast is ready you boil a solution of
1/2 cup of dry wheat malt extract
8 ounces of water
2 hop pellets (any variety)

You boil this for 10 minutes and then let it cool to below 80 deg. F

I sanitized a 24 oz. bottle (you can use 12 oz.), taking care to sanitize the outside and the mouth of the bottle.

I poored in the cooled solution, followed by the liquid yeast and put in a stopper and airlock. [for those of you novices, an airlock is a cool little doohicky that you put on top of an airtight container and it bubbles when fermentation is taking place (basically, releasing oxygen).]

My book tells me that activity should begin within 12 hours, however mine seemed to take a little longer.

At any rate, I brewed my beer as usual (although the ingredients in this Belgian beer are a bit different than what I usually use) and when I was ready to add the yeast, I just dumped my yeast started in the cooled wort [your cooled batch of brewed beer].

I only just bottled this on Sunday, so it'll be about a month before I try one of these (2 weeks?). I'm excited to see the difference the yeast makes in quality, and to try my first homebrewed Belgian beer.

Beer, it's what's for dinner.

Abby

2006-07-21T11:56:00.000-04:00

Collect

2006-06-29T09:31:00.000-04:00

Vocatus atque
non vocatus deus ader-
it on Carl Jung's door

The Prison Question

2006-06-05T10:03:00.000-04:00

Big Boyz Bail Bonds
holds three offices in Baltimore;
their pen shows the addresses,
and their pen is pink and yellow.

Their competitors have names like
Come Get Me,
Break Out,
and Dem Boyz Bail Bonds.

I haven't thought much
about the prison question, but
I wonder if the Bondsmen's
feminine pens are aimed
to reach the same
target audience
as their macho man names.

The women who seek to secure
their sons' freedom, no doubt,
will remember a pink pen.
And no one, to be sure,
will skip out on businessmen
who answer to Big Boy.

The Blues

2006-05-22T23:37:00.000-04:00

Damn, the last two weeks of the Blues After Hours on WNCU have been amazing. The sets that Bob Brown picks are a stroke of genius. You really should check this radio show out. It broadcasts every Monday night from 8:00-11:00 p.m. e.s.t. You can get the webcast over the internet. This whole station is great. I find myself listening to it more than any other. Also on Monday nights is Blues Before Sunrise from 11:00 p.m.-4:00 a.m. This program is out of Chicago hosted by DJ Steve Cushing. This week they are playing music strictly from female blues musicians.

2006-05-09T15:37:00.000-04:00

Are you gettin lippy with me, Tonto?

2006-04-27T20:22:00.000-04:00

Visual proof that Abby, too, is a Chicago Bears fan.

Wisconsin

2006-04-21T22:19:00.000-04:00

Hey, can anyone in Wisconsin get me a job? You have a little time. Apparently Emily will be done with her Master's Degree next fall (fall of 2007). Then we would be free to leave--and believe me, we are both ready to get the hell out of the mild winters and hot sticky summers of North Carolina.

Can anyone get me a cheap house in Wisconsin by the job that you're going to get me? Preferably a 4 or 5 bedroom house with some land to roam. No more than 30 minutes from a city. On your marks, get set, go!

Kankakee

2006-04-21T18:28:00.000-04:00

I was wondering to myself, why doesn't everyone just move back to Kankakee. I figure I can at least work a shit social work job and like the town I live in. And maybe I can get some cheap art for my house over at the ONU art department.

I don't know if anybody's falling for it, though, even me.

Bears Offseason Update

2006-03-09T00:11:00.000-05:00

According to the Chicago Bears' website, there are rumors that they might pursue Pittsburgh's Antwaan Randle El in free agency as their number 2 reciever and a return specialist. This would give the talented but injury rattled Rex Grossman a good target to throw to. Along with Bernard Berrian who saw the some of the longest receptions last season, Randle El would give the Bears more speed and another deep threat at the reciever position.

Also helping out the historically struggling Bears' offense is the fact that they have already signed three of their offensive lineman out of free agency and it is only March. Their offensive line is pretty much set.

A healthy Grossman in the off season is another reason for Bears Fans to be excited. He seems to be comfortable with the offensive strategy and will be able to fine tune things prior to training camp. Look for the Bears offense to add an uncharacteristic punch to their aggresive and dominating defense.

Ahhhhh, Saturday

2006-03-04T21:53:00.000-05:00

While my wife lays in the bedroom feeding our daughter, her uncle sits in the living room reading a book about the civil war, a dog barks outside with a medium-sized-dog-sounding bark, and I read about Adam Kotsko shitting down people's throats. It must be Saturday.

Friday Mencken

2006-03-02T23:01:00.000-05:00

I have realized the difficulties in keeping up with a weekly column when one has a hard time even publishing a post per week. Nevertheless, here is the second installment of Friday Mencken.

The following is from A Carnival of Buncombe--a collection of mostly political essays. Talking about candidates running for office, this particular selection is from an essay entitled Bayard vs. Lionheart, published in 1920..

Neither candidate reveals the slightest dignity of conviction. Neither cares a hoot for any discernible principle. Neither, in any intelligible sense, is a man of honor. But it is one thing to yield to virtuous indignation against such individuals and quite another thing to devise any practicable scheme for booting them out of the synagogue. The weakness of those of us who take a gaudy satisfaction in our ideas, and battle for them violently, and face punishment for them willingly and even proudly, is that we forget the primary business of the man in politics, which is the snatching and safeguarding of his job. That business, it must be plain, concerns itself only occasionally with the defense and propagation of ideas, and even then it must confine itself to those that, to a reflective man, must usually appear to be insane. The first and last aim of the politician is to get votes, and the safest of all ways to get votes is to appear to the plain man to be a plain man like himself, which is to say, to appear to him to be happily free from any heretical treason to the body of accepted platitudes–to be filled to the brim with the flabby, banal, childish notions that challenge no prejudice and lay not burden of examination upon the mind.

It is not often, in these later days of the democratic enlightenment, that positive merit lands a man in elective office in the United States; much more often it is a negative merit that gets him there. That negative merit is simply disvulnerability. Of the two candidates, that one wins who least arouses the suspicions and distrusts of the great masses of simple men. Well, what are more likely to arouse suspicions and distrusts than ideas, convictions, principles? The plain people are not hostile to shysterism, save it be gross and unsuccessful. They admire a Roosevelt for his bold stratagems and duplicities, his sacrifice of faith and principle to the main chance, his magnificent disdain of fairness and honor. But they shy instantly and inevitably from the man who comes before them with notions that they cannot immediately translate into terms of their everyday delusions; they fear the novel idea, and particularly the revolutionary idea, as they fear the devil. When Roosevelt, losing hold upon his cunning at last, embraced the vast hodepodge of innovations, some idiotic but some sound enough, that, went by the name of Progressivism, they jumped from under him in trembling, and he came down with a thump that left him on his back until death delivered him from all hope and caring.

It seems to me that this fear of ideas is a peculiarly democratic phenomenon, and that it is nowhere so horribly apparent as in the United States, perhaps the nearest approach to an actual democracy yet seen in the world. It was Americans who invented the curious doctrine that there is a body of doctrine in every department of thought that every good citizen is in duty bound to accept and cherish; it was Americans who invented the right-thinker. The fundamental concept, of course, was not original. The theologians embraced it centuries ago, and continue to embrace it to this day. It appeared on the political side in the Middle Ages, and survived in Russia into our time. But it is only in the United States that it has been extended to all departments of thought. It is only here that any novel idea, in any field of human relations, carries with it a burden of obnoxiousness, and is instantly challenged as mysteriously immoral by the great masses of right-thinking men. It is only here, so far as I have been able to make out, that there is a right way and a wrong way to think about the beverages one drinks with one’s meals, and the way children ought to be taught in the schools, and the manner in which foreign alliances should be negotiated, and what ought to be done about the Bolsheviki.

What's in a Place

2006-02-21T20:23:00.000-05:00

My friends have been known to have good names for their houses. Like Entrance Ave. (pronounced intrints av). That's a great name for a place. A place that only lives in legend to me, for I never actually experienced the greatness that was Entrance Ave. It is like lore among my people. Tragedy. Drama. Laughter. Tears. Violence. A pissing couch. It had it all.

Then there was Atticus Hall. Aptly named that, for the cat called Atticus truly ruled the roost. Guests walked in fear of a strike from his claws without provocation. Atticus was a dickhead really. But Bryan loved him. At least I think he did. If so, he was the only one. Atticus Hall was also known for holding the First Annual Fukomori Foundation. I got second place. I still have the framed 2nd place award that was never signed by Mr. Fukomori. I guess Atticus wasn't the only dickhead, eh? I hope you read this Fukomori!

And who could but forget River Drive? I suppose some people would like to, like the downstairs neighbors, but heh, you can't please everyone right? Trigger. That's all I've got to say.
"Trigger's Doghouse is the place to be, Trigger's Doghouse come on follow me to Triggers, Trigger's. Trigger's, Trigger's, Trigger's, Trigger's. Trigger's Doghouse it's so much fun. Trigger's doghouse come on everyone to Trigger's, Trigger's, Trigger's. Trigger's, Trigger's, Trigger's." That was the theme that made me famous. It's been all downhill since then.

Old Farm Midcourt didn't exactly roll off the tongue, but it was definitely the best set up. Our neighbors were tolerant. Random Friday Nights were a thing of brilliance. We should all just move to some college town and do something like that again.

Well, I feel like for the first time, I live in a place that has a great name. Burwell Avenue. It feels good in the palate and sounds kinda tough. I figure a place with a good name's gotta be a place for a good party. So with Adam R.'s help, I feel there should be an event here. Perhaps Thanksgiving time, perhaps not. It could be called something like, Jason and Emily's Thanksgiving (Halloween, 4th of July, June 19th, etc.) Extravaganza. There could be a clown and a sack race and bunches of other cool stuff. Aren't you excited?

Friday Mencken

2006-02-17T17:18:00.000-05:00

I have decided to publish a weekly column called the Friday Mencken. For now I will start off doing a quote from Mencken, but it should morph into something more.

"A man's women folk, whatever their outward show of respect for his merit and authority, always regard him secretly as an ass, and with something akin to pity."

--from In Defense of Women

Look at this!

2006-02-08T00:08:00.000-05:00

I LOVE BREAKDOWNS!

Broome County Public Library, 01/28/06

2006-01-28T12:53:00.000-05:00

Gladys sat at the edge of the coffee table and leaned over Estelle.

"I was making six or seven a day," Estelle whispered, "knitting scarves and caps for different stores around town. But my arthritis has become so bad I had to stop."

"I know so many people with arthritis." The women were dressed in the old style, wearing dark sweaters over drab dresses, their hair pinned back tightly. Estelle wore a wool overcoat and a red scarf with a subdued pattern. Everything about them suggested that they had never owned pants, and driving cars was a remarkable deal.

They spoke in hushed tones because we, all three of us, were in a library. I was seated close by them, and I eavesdropped as their conversation turned from knitting to arthritis to craft shops in town (the lady in Johnson City is nicer) to Estelle’s divorce. She stayed in Colorado for a while after she and her husband broke things off.

“I’m so unhappy with the religious right right now, I’ve pretty much turned away from the Church,” Estelle said.

“Oh, that’s sad.”

“I still believe in God.”

“Oh, of course.”

“It’s just that there are so many of them. There’s one God who wants war, one God who wants peace, one God who says the poor have to take care of themselves, one God who—”

“You’re going on and on.”

“Oh yes,” Estelle said. A girl rapped on the window behind us and ran away giggling. “What happened? I guess someone knocked on the window.”

“I was so mad at God when my son died,” Gladys intoned, hunching even further over Estelle.

“When your son died.”

“I was so, so angry at God. I can’t tell you.”

“Oh.”

“But the Bible says if you believe and are saved. . . . You just get so disillusioned.” Their conversation continued at a sincere and meaningful level for several more minutes until Gladys, who had run out of things to say about the choir, reverted to a platitude about still having a mission, which was why she was still here. And, somehow, the conversation returned to knitting.

“Knitting is a marvelous form of psychotherapy.”

The library was unusually active. A man with downs syndrome stood at a table several feet away, staring at a stack of books as if he’d forgotten what they were meant to do. He seemed really magnificent, almost cherubic, in his white sweatpants and tank top. Finally, he picked up the books and hugged them to his belly. He ambled away like that.

Next to me a young woman wearing a Riverdance tee shirt sat down to scan through some books about horses. She had just finished a book about training dogs. After a while she stepped away, then returned smiling broadly. She had another horse book.

And a sharp-looking man dressed like a hip-hop kingpin took a seat and read Newsweek. Estelle and Gladys continued talking.

“What have you got?” Estelle asked. Gladys showed her the videotapes she was borrowing from the library.

“I see, funny stuff. That Milton Berle. You know, I always tell a joke I think I got from Milton Berle. It’s pretty short. I always tell jokes quickly. This man has a job delivering a penguin to the zoo, but on the way his truck breaks down. ‘Oh no’, he thinks, but then he sees his friend coming and his friend drives a truck, too. So he waves him down and his friend says no problem, he’ll take the penguin. The man is very grateful and says, ‘Just remember, the zoo closes at 5’. Well, later on the man is driving home happily when he sees his friend walking down the street with the penguin following just a few feet behind him. The man quickly pulls over. He’s very excited. ‘What happened’, the guy says, ‘I told you he had to get to the zoo by 5’! ‘Don’t worry about it, the friend says. We went, he had a great time, and now we’re going to the movies’! Ha, ha,” Estelle laughed, “I just think that’s cute.”

A young boy wanted to look at Wired but his mother told him that it was a grown-up magazine. “Who cares,” he said. “I care,” she responded. “This is going to take forever,” the boy said. There was an article in Wired that featured Burning Man Festival, and a photo spread showed a fulsome girl with her breasts painted blue.

Behind where Gladys perched a heavy-set, poor-looking man sat down with a paperback novel written by Anne Rice. The women kept up their chat, despite his proximity. Estelle’s brother was a musician with the local symphony and the Cooperstown opera, and that meant she had to spend a lot of time taking care of her mother, but her own health wasn’t great, and her mother clearly favored her brother, who was also divorced (from a violinist who’s mother was a psychiatrist which made Estelle think they were a neat family) and, even though her brother really is busy, with the garden too, she was not excited about having to look after her mother.

The chairs at the library can rightly be considered an event. The chairs make sense of things, become a fulcrum of the community. After a while, Estelle excused herself and Gladys returned to her seat. The boy whined, “Mom, can we go home? I’m tired.” A woman across from where Estelle had been sitting screwed up her lips as she read a harlequin romance. Urban fashion suddenly made sense; bright yellow fabric with camouflage patterns render a person see-through in such a colorful society.

Gladys was sitting alone and had fallen asleep. There were plenty of people browsing the library’s video collection, but I was the only person in the chairs when her son came to pick her up.

“Hey, Sweetie,” he said, touching her arm lightly. Gladys awoke.

“I met the most lovely lady,” she told the man. “We talked for quite a little while. She’s having a bit of a row with her mother, who isn’t treating her well.”

“Really?” said the man. “That’s too bad.”

Gladys looked over to where Estelle had been. “She isn’t here now.”

“Have you seen Becky? I dropped her off at the Salvation Army. She was going to walk here and meet us.”

“No, I haven’t.”

“I’ll see if I can find her, and then we’ll come to pick you up.” He walked away, stopped between a rack of books and adjusted his shoe, went on. Two girls were playing hide-and-seek. A woman moved her lips as she read.

More self promotion

2006-01-27T10:42:00.000-05:00

I hope you'll take a minute to read the new poem I wrote, called "The Future Killer." It's my best yet, and I spent several hours writing it. Thank's chiefjason for allowing me to advertise here pro bono.

Rossiya

2006-01-24T09:05:00.000-05:00

For those that have ever been to Russia or are interested in Russia, they are tearing down the Rossiya hotel that bordered Red Square. In this article they refer to it as an eyesore, but I remember kind of liking it. Oh well.

Also in the news were two bomb blasts in Iran. Read about it here.

HL Mencken

2006-01-24T06:01:00.000-05:00

So, you know that Adam and Stephanie--Cardinal--are performing an operetta about HL Mencken on April 8th, and of course you're gonna be there and all. But do you know anything about HL Mencken? Well I sure as hell don't either, so I went and used my $20 gift certificate for Barnes and Noble that I got for Christmas from my wife's brother, Matt, and ordered two books authored by Mencken. The first, In Defense of Women, seems to be the better known of his works and was easy to find cheap, so I hooked up with that. The second, A Carnival of Buncombe, seemed like a good pick mainly because of it's title, so I "put that in my cart" so to speak.

Another thing you might not know is that I got the only bootleg copy of one of the songs that Cardinal will perform on April 8th. It's got me on guitar if I remember right. Yeah, that'll probably sell for a good chunkachange here pretty soon.

What am I reading right now you ask? Well, I'm about three quarters of the way through The Idiot but seemed to have been distracted from it. I came across some old notes from college--the notes from my semester in Russia and two notebooks from systematic theology. I even broke out a little Marion in there. The book I'm currently reading the most is The Wounded Land by Stephen R. Donaldson. It's a series I read in high school that I am enjoying again the second time around. Donaldson's actually a pretty good author if you feel like taking a break from all of your Socrates and Bacon and Lacan and what not.

Hm. Bacon and Lacan. Sounds like a sandwich.

Hey Adam

2006-01-17T20:39:00.000-05:00

Hey Adam. I think you should damn ride your bike over to my house.

Jason

Cardinal

2006-01-13T14:01:00.000-05:00

Cardinal, I guess, is now officially the musical collaboration of Stephanie Barber and me. So far, Cardinal has written an operetta about HL Mencken. You can see it on April 8, in Baltimore. Click the image for details.

Publishing Genius

2006-01-13T11:46:00.000-05:00

I am delighted to use The Tarantular to unveil my new web space. The Tarantular gets over 15 visits every day, which will surely bolster my internet presence. I hope everyone likes Publishing Genius. Poems daily, archives, and links to the best poetry journals. At Publishing Genius, we publish genius.

I'm An Administrator

2006-01-04T14:58:00.000-05:00

My name is Adam T. Robinson, and I'm an administrator.

Pure Bush League

2006-01-03T12:22:00.000-05:00

Jason Lee had an error last night at 3rd base, struck out once, and worked a walk. I bat him third because he's hitting .290, but he didn't come through last night in several clutch moments. I like his patience at the plate, though.

Here's the batting order for today's game:

Adam Robinson 2B 0.407
Dmitri Lutsker OF 0.182
Jason Lee 3B 0.290
Stephanie Barber C 0.348
Bill Brower OF 0.182
Benji Bergstrand SS 0.327
Craig Griffin OF 0.130
Bethany Hamann 2B 0.125
Alan Robinson P 0.091

The second half of the lineup looks pretty weak. That is wholly thanks to Jeff Snowbarger taking his big bat and going AWOL. Apparently, he likes to watch "Friends." I considered putting my old roomie Jonathan Burks in to pitch because he hits slightly better than my brother, but Alan has better control and today's ump is finicky. Also, we're playing in a hitter's park, today.

Abby Lee

2006-01-02T12:59:00.000-05:00

Abby's got a new post on her blog. You should check it out.

Update: I apparently remain unscathed, despite the tenor of the post.

NYC Police Officers go undercover at protests

2005-12-22T08:13:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure what to make of this. My initial reaction is to 1984-out -- so Orwell was off by a couple decades -- but is there some justification for it?

Dear Sǿren --

2005-12-21T12:32:00.000-05:00

Do you think, after officially hurting a person's feelings -- and by "officially" I mean destroying a major portion of their life's hopes and dreams, not just, like, kissing a different girl -- it's best to completely break off contact with the wounded person, and do so spitefully, unexpectedly, and especially after there is a considerable investment? Would you recommend a person does this if he or she wants to someday patch things up completely? Won't a break like that make all the parties involved more interested in a make-up?

SO Really Remorsefully Yours
Baltimore, MD

Yes, SORRY, I think it worked for that Prodigal boy, and it could work for you. But are things that bad? You want to find that out first. But who am I to know? I broke it off with that foxy Regina Olsen for much less than hurt feelings.

Merry Christmas

2005-12-21T09:40:00.000-05:00

Word to the wise--Don't move over the holidays, it's depressing. Also, don't jump off a building, that's depressing too.

Three cheers for the transit workers in New York City. Seems like you're gonna get screwed whatever you do. But hey, that's the American Way. Merry Christmas.

A Link

2005-12-15T09:28:00.000-05:00

Funny stuff. Sub in Jason, Emily and Abby and it's perfect.

I posted this on May 14th, 2005...

2005-12-13T21:58:00.000-05:00

TOOKIE WAS EXECUTED ON 12:38am on December 13th, 2005

Saturday, May 14, 2005

SAVE TOOKIE!

SAVE TOOKIE!

Please sign this petition to grant clemency to Stanley "Tookie" Williams.

http://www.petitiononline.com/stw4804/petition.html

"The Beginning In the spring of 1971, when Tookie was 17, he was in a very different situation. He was a high school student from South Central Los Angeles. He had a fearsome reputation as a fighter and as a "general" of South Central's west side. And, around that time, Tookie, along with Raymond Lee Washington, created what would one day be a super-gang, the Crips.Back in the day when Tookie and Raymond founded the Crips, many of the young people of South Central Los Angeles were involved with small gangs. Those gang members roamed South Central taking property from anyone who feared them, including women and children.

To protect the community, Tookie and Raymond organized the Crips.Growth By 1979, the Crips had grown from a small Los Angeles gang to an organization with membership spread across the State of California. By this time, Crips had also become just like the gang members they had once sought to protect themselves from -- Crips had become gangbangers who terrorized their own neighborhoods.Soon the Crips lost both their leaders: in 1979, Raymond was murdered by a rival gang member, and, that same year, Tookie was arrested. He was charged with murdering four people.

In 1981, Tookie was convicted of those crimes and placed on death row.Life in Prison In 1987, Tookie began what became a 6 1/2-year stay in solitary confinement. After two years there, Tookie began to look at himself. He focused on the choices he had made in his life and then committed himself to make a drastic change. The long, difficult process he undertook to rebuild his character put him in touch with his true spirit, his own humanity. Only then could Tookie finally begin to care about the many children, mothers, fathers and other family members of this country hurt by the Crips legacy and by its explosive growth. The gang is now in 42 states and on at least one other continent: South Africa. Youngsters in Soweto and other South African cities have formed the Crips copycat gangsTookie Today Tookie greatly regrets the violent history of the Crips -- particularly how so many young black men have hurt each other -- and he wants to do what he can to stop it.

The Tookie Speaks Out Against Gang Violence book series for elementary-school-age children is the first fruit of his longing to prevent young people of every color from becoming gangbangers, from ending up in prison, crippled by bullets, or killed.Tookie is determined to make amends for having been a co-founder of the Crips. He intends to try in every way he can to guide those youngsters who have imitated him away from the road that led him to death row where he faces State execution. "Don't join a gang," he tells children in his books, writing from his San Quentin cell. "You won't find what you're looking for. All you will find is trouble, pain and sadness. I know. I did."

I TRIED...

What's up Doc?

2005-12-12T15:50:00.000-05:00

It has been two years since I visited the doctor's office. Two years. And I even have insurance. The only reason I went today was to renew my physical for work. They didn't do a whole lot. You know the usual weight, blood pressure, take deep breaths until you pass out routine. I was a little fearful I would have to turn my head and cough, and a little more fearful that I would get a finger shoved up my pooper, but no none of that. I did get a little prick in my arm to check for TB (tuberculosis), and the nurse penetrated my skin with a flu vaccine. The little flyer about the vaccine said that one of the possible allergic reactions was anaphylactic shock. So as I was leaving the doctor's office and walking to my car I was imagining that I was short of breath and that I could feel my passages closing.

All in all, I guess I'm pretty healthy. Apart from the 20 pounds I've gained in the last year, the unhealthy food that I eat, and the general lack of exercise in my life, yup, pretty healthy.

THE BEST GIFT YOU CAN RECIEVE FOR CHRISTMAS

2005-12-11T14:36:00.000-05:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HANNUKAH (Not sure when start date is),
KICKIN KWANZA, and a Happy Entrance into 2006!

The best holiday gift you can ask for is a Rock Rumbler. A Rock Tumbler is a prime example on how technology and the arts collide.

Mechanical Enguinity + Rock Tumbler + Rocks =

Cool necklaces, pendants, gifts for friends who like rocks, gifts for friends who like a certain color and you have a rock that is one of those colors, and rubbing stones.

And you ask how, well...

1. Take a small to medium sized pebble, rock, or stone and insert it in the Rock Tumbler. (as forementioned, place IN)

2. Close Hatch (Close Hatch...Richard...Hatch..)

3. Turn on Rock Tumbler (listen for noise...just listen)

4. Allow for friction to take its toll on your rock (Minimum 6 hours. This is why not everyone has rock tumbler. If you have a basement or live in secluded area, you are ok but if you are in the suburbs like me, do it at 10am-4pm, Monday to Friday )

5. Turn off Rock Tumbler (Listen for silence...if you do not hear anything, you can stop now)

6. Open Hatch (Not the one on LOST)

7. Take out rock and observe. Look for smoothness, color, and general aesthetic beauty criterium. (You will know...and I mean it...you will know if it is a good rock or a bad rock...just trust your gut...the deep down...the buddha)

8. If rock suit your needs, then go on your way and enjoy it. (Show it to friends and strangers who look interested in rocks or tumbling)

9. If rocks does not suit your needs, throw it in a lake. (Not at the former Emily Lake, in a lake, such as Opossum (Carlisle, PA), Kerr (Henderson, NC), or Deep Creek (Deep Creek, MD))

10. Repeat (It is like riding a bike, just get back on and start pedaling...rocks).

They are sold at stores where you would also purchase bottlerocket kits.

The Pickle

2005-12-05T13:41:00.000-05:00

Did Adam Robinson delete his blog? I could see him doing this in a state of drunk-on-Nati-Bo frenzy.

Really, though, it's just not there.

Not-Posting

2005-12-02T19:28:00.000-05:00

Well well well, it's been a while since I've posted something of substance hasn't it? I know that your expectations are at an all time low now, so I feel confident that this post will be read by all of my readers who are so loyal as to check The Tarantular every afternoon at 3:25 p.m.

The joy of not-posting has been a staple for every blogger I know except for Adam Kotsko. (Oh, he'll "take a break" for a few days, a weekend here and there, and maybe a week if he has a paper due or something; but even then he'll comment on other people's posts. That guy is dedicated let me tell you.) Not-posting was made popular by Adam Robinson over at The Pickle. His days of not-posting were inspired by his inspired idea to have everyone control his life and tell him what to do. He created this website, The Life of Adam, where readers would give him ideas of what he should do with his time. He learned how to crochet, wrote a song, read Paul in the bar, did drunken yoga and lots of other silly stuff. Then all of a sudden The Life of Adam was no longer living. I guess he just couldn't stand to have his life dictated to him by a bunch of idiots like us. So the website became defunct (although I think it still appears as a heading if you google Adam Robinson) and he basically stopped posting on The Pickle. We were all glad when Go Brewers went by the wayside and we witnessed the ascendency of The Pickle once again (although I must admit it's been kinda weird ever since--I guess Baltimore does that to you).

Cap'n Pete has enjoyed long periods of not-posting mainly precipitated by important life events--his wife's pregnancy, the birth of his son, Harper, and now his attending to grad school in Georgia.

My not-posting all started when I first began my blog. As a "chief" in the Eckerd Youth Alternatives organization, I would go on 2-4 week backpack or canoe trips that would have me away from the computer (obviously) for long periods of time. So yes, I was not-posting before it was cool to not-post. I have carried on this long not-posting tradition through job changes, marriage, pregnancy, birth, and all of the periods of laziness in between.

I remember this one time when I first moved to my current house (somewhere around March of this year) when I was posting almost every day, visiting other blogs and "getting my name out" and trying to have a go at creating a "serious blog." It just didn't stick. I wasn't cut out to be a serious blogger. I don't have the dedication nor the stamina.

My most recent bout of not-posting was brought on by a two week vacation, hosting my family for Thanksgiving and of course my usual laziness and lack of interest. During my vacation (with my wife and our 6-week old daughter mind you) we drove from North Carolina to Michigan overnight and stopped in at my ole pal Chief Ryan's place. We drank Busch Light and played rummy and had an all around great time. After that we headed north, over the Mackinac bridge in high winds (apparently they lose a few cars over the bridge each year) and up through the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We hiked a bit near the Pictured Rocks National Shoreline and then headed over to Mercer, Wisconsing to visit my good buddy, Holmes, and my friends Craig, Mark and Zac. We hiked around a bit, enjoyed some good Wisconsin brewed beer (New Glarus is a damn good brewery!), lit a campfire and had an all around good time.

Next we headed down to Madison to stay with Jeff and Laura. I love Jeff and Laura. They compliment each other so well. They are both a bit crazy in their own way which makes them much more enjoyable to be around. Laura enjoyed holding Abby and practicing her baby talk while Jeff rolled his eyes told her she sounded stupid. On Thursday, Laura and Emily and I found some good bargains at the St. Vincent DePaul's and then met Jeff for lunch at a mediterranean restaurant. They had good tea.

On Friday we drove down to Chicago to visit Benji and Sarah and to take in Russ's bachelor party. On the way we to Chicago, we stopped in New Glarus, Wisconson and toured the New Glarus Brewery. It was just o.k. and I was a little perturbed that a six-pack at the brewery cost more than what I had payed in the grocery store the previous night. I really don't get that. 6 bucks for a six pack seems pretty reasonable and one ought to be rewarded for going to where they brew their beer. In fact one ought to get free beer, but alas they did not offer it as such.

Anyway, I digress. We helped celebrate Russ and Jia at his bachelor party by singing him songs and playing Russajeopardy where you would yell "Fruss!" to answer with a question. Fruss! is derived from "For Russ." Get it?

I would go on and tell you about Russ's wedding and about how we played football beforehand, but I am experiencing blog fatigue and am about to be called for spinach lasagna. So Word to yo motha and all that.

Peace.

I am thankful for...

2005-11-25T15:08:00.000-05:00

I have been blessed with great friends, an amazing girlfriend, and loving family and most of all I am thankful for...

1. The Ravens
Ok, so we are 3-7 and are pretty much fighting for a sweet draft pick. However, ten years ago we were without a football team in Baltimore and my Sunday's were spent raking leaves and wondering what it was like to wear an overpriced replica jersey or pay $8 for a watered down beer. Thanks Ravens!

2. The President
I know you are all wondering why I chose G.W. and it is for one reason...I can be President one day too. If he can do it, I can do it, and do it better.

3. Polly-O String Cheese
I have been trying to eat less fatty foods but love to have a delicious snack. Enter Polly-O String Cheese...fun, yummy in the tummy, and a great alternative to tater tots and cheese fries.

4. New Music
The Decemberists, Ditty Bops, Old Crow Medicine Show, North Mississippi Allstars, Matisyahu, The Bridge, Benevento/Russo Duo, and so much more. New music breeds energy into my soul, opening valves of enlightenment into my life.

5. My Go-To Sweater
I know it will be comfy and I know what it goes with in my wardrobe. It is a light wool, grey, with green stripes that go horizontally. I like to wear it to movies, semi-upscale restaurants, and to family gatherings. It is my Go-to sweater.

What are you thankful for?

Gas

2005-11-17T13:05:00.000-05:00

I think gas is great
In all forms
Especially the kind that comes out my ass

2005-11-16T09:29:00.000-05:00

I am in a particularly sour mood this morning. I suppose it is because I was in a particularly sour mood from yesterday, the first day back to work after a 10 day vacation. Who was that poet who talked about a permanent vacation? David Lee Roth? I don't remember. I wish I could be a stay at home dad, or work a job that I actually enjoyed. Ayy me, I just want people to leave me alone. People are fucking stupid. I suppose I think that because I'm in a particularly sour mood this morning.

Theology

2005-10-26T01:00:00.000-04:00

The Tarantular would officialy like to express it's interest in, and support of, Feminist Theology. Further more, we assert that Rosa Parks was a feminist theologian and would like to memorialize her with this post.

Mountain Dew "All Night Long"

2005-10-25T23:21:00.000-04:00

The Tarantular would like to give it's official endorsement of Mountain Dew MDX Energy Drink just because this commercial is goddamn funny as hell. The "Sunglasses at Night" is not nearly as funny. But forgiving that, you should go out to your local grocer or independent gas station owner and buy Mountain Dew MDX . . . just because.

Hooker Lane, Powerball Senator

2005-10-21T08:53:00.000-04:00

According to a NY Times story this morning, there's a suburban street in Connecticut named Hooker Lane, and the residents aren't too happy about it. They support a motion to change it to Stonebrook Lane.

Sheesh.

I mean, sure, I understand that the snickering probably gets old, but we need these people to carry the fight, otherwise sooner than later we'll change the planet Uranus to -- this will be terrible -- like, Edgewood or something.

And what do you think of Judd Gregg, the Republican Senator from New Hampshire, winning $853,492 in the lottery yesterday? What's up, New England?

Speedy Lee

2005-10-20T14:20:00.000-04:00

It was round abouts February when I got a speeding ticket while transporting one of the guys on my caseload. It was for 70 in a 55 and the copper wasn't having any mercy for the fact that I worked with "troubled youth" and was late for a meeting. A month later I had to drive all the way to Gates County--armpit capital of North Carolina--in order to "get help", a.k.a. get my ticket reduced so my insurance wouldn't go up. After this I started driving slower--10 miles over the speed limit at the most.

Then there's Katrina and jacked up gas prices, yadda yadda yadda. I hear this thing about how any speed over 50 mph is giving you increasingly bad gas mileage. So I've slowed down to about 5-7 miles over the speed limit. Sometimes I even drive the speed limit. I can drive 55.

The thing about driving the speed limit is that, instead of passing all of the people driving "slow", you are the one that's getting passed. It's quite cathartic actually. You don't even have to really pay attention to what your doing. I have a 17 mile commute to work and back. I'm never in a hurry in the morning, so why drive fast? That extra 2 or 3 minutes in the car is another song that I get to listen or another story on the news.

So I encourage you to try it out. Drive the speed limit. It saves on gas, reduces the risk of tickets, gives you more time to listen and makes you think about why the hell you're in such a hurry in the first place.

And for the record, I am jealous of those of you that get to ride the train or the bus. You bastards.

Bears

2005-10-16T16:05:00.000-04:00

Man the Bears were fun to listen to today! Pummeling the struggling Vikings 28-3, the Bears had two great offensive series' resulting in touchdowns. Although his fumble at the beginning of the game was enough to piss anyone off, Kyle Orton's 16 completions to 8 different receivers for 2 TDs certainly made up for it.

The Offense showed up, baby! Jones, despite his knee injury, rushed for 89 yards and 2 touch downs. Mushin Muhammad (5 recs. for 48 yds.), Des Clark ( 4 recs. for 19 yds. and 2 TDs) and Mark Bradley (1 rec. for 15 yds.) made plays from the receiver core.

And ohhh the D-fence! When Urlacher sacked Culpepper on the Minnesota 1 on 4th down (leading to one of the Bears TDs), ohhhh man. Urlacher had 2 sacks, 8 tackles and 1 assist. Awesome game! Damn can he play! He was backed up by Harris and Idonije, both with key Culpepper sacks. The secondary was active as well, breaking up plays and forcing turnovers. Charles Tillman and rookie Chris Harris both had an interception.

The Bears were firing on all cylinders with Special Teams making big plays as well. Bobby Wade returned a punt from the Minnisota 2-yard line for 49 yards setting up the second Bears touchdown. And Special Teams blocked a second half field goals attempt that kept Minnesota to 3 points.

I have to go tend to Abby now, but Wow, the Bears played good today.

How'd your team do?

Her name is Yoshimi...

2005-10-14T06:02:00.000-04:00

FLAMING LIPS

YOSHIMI BATTLES THE PINK ROBOTS, PT. 1

Her name is Yoshimi

she's a black belt in karate

Working for the city

she has to discipline her body

Cause she knows that

it's demanding

to defeat these Evil machines

I know she can beat them

Oh Yoshimi

They don't believe me

But you won't let those

Robots defeat me

Oh Yoshimi

They don't believe me

But you won't let those

Robots eat me

Those evil natured robots

they're programmed to Destroy us

She's gotta be strong to fight them

So she's taking lots of vitamins

cause she knows that

It'd be tragic

if those evil robots win

I know

She can beat them

Thunder Marie Robinson

2005-10-12T14:45:00.000-04:00

Realizing that dogs are people too, The Tarantular extends our deepest sympathies to Adam Robinson for the loss of his friend Thunder. Rest in peace little one.

I think it's cool that Abby and Thunder share the same middle name.

Cuppa Joe

2005-10-12T11:23:00.000-04:00

Is it the weather? Is it fatherhood? Is it the autumn equinox?

Whatever it is, I've been downing loads and loads of coffee this week. Usually I'm good for a cup or two/day at work, but this week I've been averaging 4 or 5 cups. It's only 11:25 a.m. and I'm on my third already.

I am interested in your coffee habits. Do you partake of the java? Are you an addict? What's your favorite brand? My favorite coffee seems to be the kind brewed at a small, locally owned, out of the way gas station. You can just taste the labor and care that went into making it. Mmmmmmm.

BOOB TUBE

2005-10-04T11:10:00.000-04:00

Does anyone watch TV? I watch three shows: The Office, Family Guy, and Nip/Tuck (sometimes McGuyver if I work from home).

I just do not think TV could get worse. MORE CHANNELS, MORE SHIT! Does anyone remember Scrambles? Playboy channel with the main TV knob on channel 2!!! What a move, what a secret! Oh the joy of a blurry nipple...

A few observations:

1. Bill Nye the Science Guy has an adult oriented latenight show
2. I really like the Geico commercial with the Cave Men
3. The weather channel playes Phish sometimes
4. Would you buy steaks, sold on TV?
5. Esteban infomercials say a lot about the state of commercialism for minorities!

~T.

Abby Lee

2005-09-30T11:30:00.000-04:00

It happened on Monday morning. I am officially a father. Life is good.

Go to Abby's site here to read the birthing story and see some pictures.

I will also make a link, but for some reason all of the links are at the bottom of the page. I have no idea why this happened or how to change it back. I think it was probably Troy's fault. Aaaarrrggghhh.

I have Gas...

2005-09-26T11:20:00.000-04:00

Mood: Pissed
Reason: Going into Work
Day: Monday
Time: To get this written

I have Gas. Right now, in my 1995 Nissan Maxima wallows 4.8 gallons of 87unleaded, $3.05 gas. If you did the math correctly you should have come up with $14.64 (I blame only myself if I did the math wrong).

$14.64. A little or a lot?

On one side, it cannot get you...

1. 5 Gallons of Gas- $15.25, look for change between the seats.
2. Sodas when dining at Ruby Tuesday's, priced at $1.99, it adds up!!!
3. 2 Movie tickets- I would not see Emily Rose, I did.
4. 1 movie ticket and a popcorn and soda but just one of the aforementioned items
5. A Hooker- they have no where to put the change! If you know of a $14 hooker, call me.

Now on the other side it can get you this...

1. A 2 topping, large pizza with tip for driver
2. 2 Baltimore Orioles tickets when using your expired college ID on a Friday night (you can spend the $4.64 on vendor peanuts, just make sure you get salted ones not unsalted, salted.
3. 2 Pitchers of Yuengling- you actually should get a domestic-er beer. (ie. Coors, Miller). For some odd reason, a beer from 2.5 hours away is not domestic but Heineken is...domestic?
4. A new board game- Risk is fun and so is Connect 4.
5. A minimum waged employee in MD for 2 hours of service. $6.15 x 2 = $12.30

Well, what do you think? Does $14.64 get you anything these days? I mean 5 gallons of gas only drives me 125-150 miles. That is only the distance to Philadelphia, Arlington, and Hancock, MD. Did the world get smaller?

The open road warriors of this world are being squeezed by the tank and limitless journeys are not traversed. I have Gas...Fuck Gas...

AltizerDystopiaBirth

2005-09-21T09:12:00.000-04:00

I suppose it was because I recognized the name Altizer as a prominent name (rather than Anthony Smith or Adam Kotsko) that I actually read this longer of posts--something I must admit I do not normally do (sorry guys). But it got me to thinking.

I've been reading a number of dystopias lately. I thought of one in particular--This Perfect Day by Ira Levin. This is one of those dystopias where society is trying to create humans that are all similar and unquestioning. They do this mainly by a regimen of mandatory injections that occur on a monthly basis. These injections not only control the outbreak of disease and viruses, but they also control the hormones (resulting in birth control and a lack of sexual desire) and dull the senses of one's individuality. The injections are accompanied by visits to a "therapist" who monitors how each individual is doing. If there is odd behavior or an individual begins to question things a little too much, then there injections will be adjusted, or they will get an extra "treatment." Everyone in this society also wears a bracelet that they touch to various screens in order to enter a room or purchase goods, thus tracking the movements of each person. After an arduous struggle, the main character, Chip, and his girlfriend find a way to avoid the injections and make their way to an island of "incurables" or others who are not on the "grid." Upon arrival, Chip is disheartened by the fact that he has to work in a mine and share an apartment with another couple in order to make ends meet. He is disgusted by the fact that most of the people who escaped to the islands have accepted this lot in life and have taken to drinking lots of whiskey and wine and watching bad television--thus dulling their senses once again.

There is more to the book than that, but I was reminded of it this morning--particularly the part of the "revolutionaries" succumbing to whiskey drinking as a way of life. I realize that after having "escaped" the bondage of my conservative religious upbringing--by actually thinking and engaging God through thought and through theology, and by, oh my God, drinking alcohol with a bunch of other lunatic artists/writers/theologians--I have settled for mediocrity. Whereas drinking used to be just an excuse to get together and be creative, now it's just an excuse. And it's not just that, it's the avoidance of the encounter with the Almighty. Oh there are moments of clarity each year--like when I reread The Sickness Unto Death last winter--but these are few and far between. I think that the dulling of one's senses can take various forms, but at it's heart is a refusal to encounter God, or a denial that this encounter is necessary.

When Altizer talks about repression,

for now “God” can clearly be understood as the source of our repression, as the very speakers of God can no longer speak of God without actually evoking our repression, and evoking the ultimate power and ubiquity of that repression.

I think about a repression that I understand as having been self imposed, or at least that has been accepted without question. But it seems that what Altizer is saying is that exactly at the point of this repression is where the opening for a revolutionary theology lies:

Now it is not accidental that God has now disappeared from our theological language, or from our critical theological language, as nothing is now more damning or more self-destructive than actually hearing God, or hearing that God who is now spoken in a hearable theological language. This, too, is historically unique, but it opens up a whole new theological path, and just as once we could know God as the God of absolute judgment, now we can know an absolute or an absolutely ubiquitous repression whose only source that we can name is God, and whereas once the way to God was through an absolutely guilty conscience, now the only manifest way to God is through an absolute impotence or repression, or that repression which only now is all in all.

I think that there is something to this, however without seeking the struggle and seeking the encounter with God, then one's repression is just simply that.

On a not entirely unrelated note, my wife had her first strong (i.e. painful) contraction this morning--an indication that she may be close to going into labor. She is due on Sunday, so it's about the right time. I can't believe how exciting (and scary!) this is.

I'm a Hopeless Indie Guy

2005-09-20T14:04:00.000-04:00

I cringed at the track listing for Adam Kotsko's new mix CD, and then faced my depression in what I'm writing now. I'm not facing it completely, though, because I'm too scared to post it at the Pickle. I'm sort of hiding out at The Tarantula, if I can call Jason's blog that, if I can call him Jason.

This woman, right -- this genius, actually -- actually rolled over in my bed and, facing me, said, "Are you an indie rock guy?" She said that to me! She said it coyly, as if to say, "It doesn't matter how you respond. I mean, I'm already in your bed."

But my thoughts started raging. I think she asked, believe it or not, because when we snuck into my bedroom, my roommate thoughtfully started blasting Wilco's album, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. That was conscientious of him; he wanted to dampen any noises he feared might come from, you know, the act of lovemaking. But then I sang a long a bit, because it's true what they say: I am an American aquarium drinker. I do assassin down the avenue.

And then she asked me was I an indie rock guy and it wasn't hard to answer, "No, I am not," because, after all, I know who The Arcade Fire are but I don't know what they sound like. And you can't be an indie rock guy nowadays without feeling something about Trans Am, but I just don't. I've tried and I don't. So "no," I said, and I meant it.

But the truth is, I don't "have" anything else. I am not well versed in Brazilian music, which of course is what you have to be into if you were once an indie rock guy but aren't anymore. I really like OS Mutantes; I mean, I'm not insane -- but I don't own any of their stuff on colored vinyl. You know I'm crazy about Daniel Johnston but he's as insane-guy-tape-trader as I get. I can name two songs I really like by Aaron Copeland, though.

But when it comes down to playing music while painting a wall, I don't know which Thelonious Monk record to put in, or if I'm going to get made fun of for playing a '60s dance album from Tahiti. I do know that if I play Sufjan Stevens someone is going to say, "This music is so sad" and I'll go, "Yeah, but listen to this build." And if I play Pistolero everyone will talk about their first time listening to the Pixies.

It's like Camus said in his posthumous novel: "You love [indie rock]. It's all you have." And so, I mean, ick. But I guess I have to forgive Adam Kotsko his list, don't I? I do, but with the admonition to, please, get really crazy about Braziliam music and then send me a mix tape.

Al Jazeera animated take on Katrina

2005-09-17T10:29:00.000-04:00

Cartoon

Switching in the Rail Yards

2005-09-17T01:56:00.000-04:00

You may notice that I have a new site on my blog roll. I came across this site the other day and thought it was pretty cool. This guy works in Toronto for the Canadian Pacific Railway. He just writes about his job and his family. He seems like a good guy and definitely has cool kids.

Trashy

2005-09-16T12:16:00.000-04:00

I don't know if your neighborhood is much like mine, but apparently it is the culture to just discard your used McDonald's wrapper, Dorito's bag, Coke can, etc. wherever you are at. Yeah, that's right. You are walking down the street drinking a hug and you gulp the last bit down. What better place to get rid of it than in someone's yard? Every week I have to pick up trash in and around my yard. Dispicable. At first I thought I was being targeted because I'm a white dude. But that theory was quickly denied as I looked around at my neighbors' yards. Same thing. Trash everywhere.

This week I was particularly suprised to find some bicycle handlebars in my yard. Handlebars? Honestly! What's next, a muffler?

So if you are missing some handlebars to your bike, come on over and get them.

WTMD and me...

2005-09-15T08:34:00.000-04:00

FALL FUND DRIVE

My employer and favorite radio station in Baltimore is conducting their Fall Fund Drive. Please go to www.wtmd.org and give a listen to us online. We are an NPR station that plays some kickass stuff! Here are the artists we played during our drive home lastnight...

Drive By Truckers

Michelle Shocked

Paul Weller

Gratful Dead

Paul McCartney

Keane

Eastmountain South

Kate Earl

Matt Nathanson

John Scofield

Ray Charles

Goldspot

Beck

The Cure

Billy Miles

Jason Mraz

Los Lonely Boys

The Fray

Ben Lee

LIVE ON, PUBLIC RADIO!!!

2005-09-13T21:48:00.000-04:00

Here's a big thanks to Chief Troy (Pharm house) for making this blog not suck quite as much as it has been sucking.

what can i say? blogging's just really not my forte.

on a not entirely unrelated note, I bowled a 161 today. That's better than half as well as you can possibly do! Now that's pretty damn good I think.

Vermont

2005-09-12T04:20:00.000-04:00

After visiting Vermont last weekend, I have decided it is one of the top places to live in the United States.

Here is my reasoning:

1. Picture above

2. Emily Lee grew up in South Hero, VT, worked at some kickass cottages, and got married in a small church that spawned the creation of the Bergstrand Trio

3. The maple syrup is delicious

4. The band Phish started at Goddard and UVM.

5. I sometimes like to believe marijuana is grown better there but I cannot prove this.

Are you ready for some Football?

2005-09-11T12:01:00.000-04:00

I sure as hell am! After following the Chicago Bears through much of their off season, I am excited to see how they look in a real game scenario. With a top ranked defense and some new offensive weapons, the Bears might just pull off a win on the road in Washington.

Emily and I are driving down to Raleigh to catch the game. The Fox station here will be televising the Carolina Panthers game, and there is no bar close by that has the NFL Sunday Ticket. So off to Raleigh we go.

Who's your team?

Aaargh. Another bad country song.

2005-09-07T18:40:00.000-04:00

Have your heard the song Arlington by Trace Adkins? Yeah, this song is horrible.

Goddamnit! It's not o.k. for these kids to be dying! For what?! The fucking suits? Shit.

I HEART THE PIGSKIN

2005-09-07T09:21:00.000-04:00

FOOTBALL SEASON IS ALMOST HERE...

Will the Pat's be dethroned?
Will a Raven go to jail?
Does John Madden really make sense?

All of these answers and many more...Football baby, it's back!

George Bush Doesn't Care About Black People

2005-09-03T08:57:00.000-04:00

The only real reason I watched the NBC concert for hurricane relief last night was for Harry Connick Jr. A New Orleans native, Connick has been helping NBC out by touring the city and providing a raw, real and heartfelt commentary on the catastrophe. The relief concert included a number of stars who appeared on stage in pairs reading scripted comments and information about the hurricane. Mike Myers and Kanye West appeared together. While Myers read his script, West followed up with an angry rant about how the media has been covering the hurricane catastrophe. "I hate the way they portray us in the media. You see a black family it says they're looting. You see a white family is says they are looking for food."

West went on to address his own feelings about the racism. "It's been five days because most of the people are Black; and even for me to complain about it, I would be a hypocrite because I tried to turn away from the TV because it's to hard to watch. I've even been shopping before even giving a donation. So now I'm calling my business manager right now to see what's the biggest amount I can give; and to just imagine if I was down there and those are my people down there."

Mike Myers looked a little bewildered as West continued his unscripted comment. "To anybody out there that wants to do anything that we can help with the set-up that America's set up to help the poor, the Black people, the less well off - slow as possible. The Red Cross is doing everything they can. We already realized how a lot of the people who could help are at war right now fighting another war. They've given them [The U.S. Army] permission to go down [to New Orleans] and shoot us."

Here's a partial video clip that catches the "Bush doesn't care about black people" comment.

We want more!

2005-08-25T13:09:00.000-04:00

This guy needs a new album!

Troy's Three to Tango to...

2005-08-18T11:43:00.000-04:00

The Bridge

www.thebridgemusic.com

The Bridge is one of Baltimore’s premiere up and coming bands. Fusing Bluegrass, Funk, Jazz, Rock and Electronica over a solid foundation of Folk and Blues, this quintet has quickly gained themselves a diverse and devoted following. This ensemble, comprised of guitar, bass, mandolin, human beat-box, saxophone and drums, uses their unique instrumentation and broad range of musical tastes to bridge the gap between tradition and innovation.…An old school blend with new school flavor.

"Happy, dirty, and fun all at once. The Bridge is a jam band with an urban soul."

The Decembrists

www.decemberists.com

"I'm a poor, drunken orphan with nowhere to go but the grave," wailed a waifish and non-plussed Mr. Chris Funk as he lay supine by the railroad tracks. The crate of records he had been cradling in his nubile appendages now lay in pieces on the ashen ground, his complete collected recordings of sixties psychedelic luminary Rick "Paisley Dave" Rigmore scattered hit her and yon like so many dead leaves beneath a diseased elm. Noting his neglect to accredit this phrase to its rightful owner, chief engineer Jenny Conlee, her accordion neatly strapped to her back, stepped lightly from the caboose and corrected his negligence with the aplomb only an immigrant Hungarian could muster: "Dylan Thomas, sir! Please move along!" But it was too late: an indelible bond had been soldered in that moment of recognition. A few hours later, in a Turkish bath, they revealed their stories to one another between sips of a strange, tangerine liqueur. Not far from that spot, however, two young military dignitaries (Rachel Blumberg, Nate Query), appropriately lathered, overheard our two heroes' stories.

Was it chance, then, that lead the four unsuspecting bathers to seek to return their soiled undergarments at the same kiosk where worked the poor, bespectacled Colin Meloy? One can surmise all one wants, but the truth should be known that, after adopting the moniker The Decemberists, these five wan vagabonds began playing their peculiarly styled pop music in various concert-halls and brothels all across the globe.

Holy Moses and the High Rollers

www.hmhr.net

Holy Moses and the High rollers is a true experiment with influences near and far. The band revives elements of jazz, rock, reggae, blues, folk, funk, and latin. Each member's influences can be distinctly heard in their music. Each style has been rearranged to help design and define their sound. The High Rollers' music appeals to all ages and crowds and has never failed to deliver.

The High Rollers have been gaining a growing fan base and notoriety. Most notably, HMHR has played at the 10,000 Lakes Festival 2005 (Detroit Lakes, MN), Microbrews for the Environment 2005 (Boulder, CO) NewWestFest 2005 (Fort Collins, CO), Earthfest 2004 (Fort Collins, CO), and University of Vermont Spring Fling 2002. They have shared the stage with national acts such as The Motet, Railroad Earth, The Jennifer Hartswick Band, Frequinox, Dave Chappelle, The Breakfast, Catch a Fire, Caveman, Wasabi, and Blitz Dynette. Their mission to grow musically and creatively is apparent in every song, whether old or new. The High Rollers have an insatiable appetite to share their music with everyone who is willing and able to take this journey into the inexplicable experiment that Holy Moses is undergoing.

2005-08-17T23:32:00.000-04:00

the little hippie sat kissing my wife as they sat comfortably under the computer screen. surrounded by white washed walls and an El Salvadorian harbor. Segovya sat playing volleyball on the beach. the flags were unfurled and the bells rang out. Hooora! Hooora! and the crowd went red and wild.

sitting under the tree, the little hippie sang softly a song and knitted socks for her daughter. the night was cool . . . cool in a way that comes after a southern spell of hot steamy days. the first cool evening that you actually enjoy sitting on your porch, drinking, staring, talking softly. an Israeli speaks to me about his pet goldfish and how envies their simple existence. he is a mechanic in Jerusalem.

pay the rent!!! this is a reminder for those of you that have not payed your rent. granted, it is past the middle of the month, but we understand each other, don't we. sometimes it is difficult, existentially, to actually pay money for shelter. helter shelter. the envious man under the sign agrees.

love thyself, love thyself geometrically and judiciously and theologically. logic is a funny word isn't it?

chronologic. the logic of the chronos. the days, the rain, the diminishing light. painful it goes as painful it comes.

scotch and water

2005-08-16T23:04:00.000-04:00

i'm tired of capitalization. it makes me feel egotistical. like when i capitalize any word, I feel like i am positing myself too much. do You know what I mean? I've seen people writing comments and (more commonly) instant messages without capitalizing. and God Forbid: not using proper, punctuation; furthermore.

what I would really like to say (ah, how the cogito does not pull out of it's settlement so easily) is that I have taken to drinking single malt scotch again. it's a habit I picked up, ironically, in Scotland (yes, places should be capitalized . . . probably) when I spent about a week in Edinburgh (pronounced edin-bura). I stayed at this hostel that I don't remember a whole lot about that served as a hub to my journeys around the city.

yes, ironbru did come in handy. i enjoyed some of the hand pulled ales that were fairly plentiful around the city. but first, i thought i would try various single malt scotches (as Scotland has many)and find what I liked. i walked from bar to various bar and asked for single malt scotch. glenlivet glenellen glenfidich (which i kind of like) darwinie mccallan mccallan mccallan.

yes, i am currently drinking 10-year-old McCallen single malt scotch, distilled and aged in Scotland, and made for a west coast store that I choose not to name at this time. McCallen single malt scotch is usually sold at a liquor store as a 12-year-old Single Malt Scotch for 30 or 40 dollars. the 10-year old at the affore-non-mentioned store sells for 20 bones.

McCallen was one of my favorites out of the single malt scotches that I tried while in Edinburgh. i also at fish and chips, toured the castle, and took at least two ghost tours. i spent the day with a family from a church, and we walked their dogs around some hill. i walked through a cemetary. and i walked. and i walked.

and i am drinking scotch and water Right Now.

YOUR COMMENTS ARE DESIRED AND ENCOURAGED, NO MATTER HOW TRIVIAL, VULGAR, INAPPROPRIATE OR UNRELATED TO THE CURRENT POST

chiefjason

Ice Hole!

2005-08-15T23:30:00.000-04:00

It seems that someone had an "earthshaking" experience as a chunk of ice flew through their roof. I saw this brief news story tonight on a local Raleigh news channel about a man who had been sitting in his chair and got up for a minute. Next thing he knows, he hears a noise "like Hiroshima" and his chair has been destroyed by an ice chunk that apparently fell from an overflying jet airplane.

This is not the first time that a block of ice from an overhead plane has come ripping through someone's roof. It happened in 2004 to Constance Cotter of Lynn, Massachusetts. Constance says she thought her house was falling down. The ice left a hole 2 feet by 4 feet in her ceiling.

It happened on June 13th in Japan.

And in Portsmouth, an airplane's loo was taking a leak.

Airdisaster.com tells us another story about it happening in Auckland. There is also an informative discussion about "blue ice" incidents that follows.

Then there is this story (and this story) in the Santa Cruz Sentinel that quotes another website as saying "there have been at least 27 documented blue-ice incidents nationally in the past 24 years."

Then Susan Selzer of Long Island swears she has a guardian angel watching over her.

Then there's Dave Crandall of Tweaknews.net who has nothing to do with falling things from airplanes, but who created this pretty cool modification to his computer. He calls it Project Blue Ice. This is pretty interesting actually.

Word.

Benji, Beer and Babies

2005-08-05T21:14:00.000-04:00

Benji and I call each other about once or twice a month. We end up talking about a lot of different things, but we always talk about home brewing. We have a tradition of sharing a homebrew while talking on the phone. He'll say, "Here's to you." And I'll say, "Here's to you." And we'll have a drink. The first time we did this I think we talked for about two hours and shared a forgotten number of beers.

I called Benji today on my way home from visiting a family that lives in Knightdale. It's about an hour drive home so I figured I'd call people. I talked to Jeff and Laura too. Alas, I did not have a beer to drink on the drive home, but Benji and I spoke about life while Elli (a.k.a. Eleanora Annabelle Bergstrand (sp?) was cooing in the background. Elli can apparently wave to people and say, "Hi." There are at least 6 documented cases of this. She is also fond of dogs and so far has gotten out, "Da." That's pretty damn good if you ask me!

I shared how Emily was doing. The baby is kicking quite a bit these days. I'm pretty sure she can already say the alphabet. I put together a crib last week--it's quite a cool crib, kind of old looking and very sturdy. It's also a transformer--it changes into a double bed down the line. Nice!

We talked about our most recent brews. He had brewed an IPA and said it had gotten better with age. The Porter I brewed was just delicious. I bottled it in 22 oz. bottles and have enjoyed each one. I took one to the guys at the brew store and they said the really liked it. I gave two to Mr. Hallmark--a teacher at camp who also homebrews. My friends Katie and Troy from Baltimore had a couple at my house. I'm bringing a few over to Phil and Liz's for dinner tomorrow night, and I'm taking the rest to the baby shower next weekend. This beer is getting some mileage!

Tonight I'm going to bottle the IPA that is in my fermenter (a 5 gallon bucket). I just got these blue glass litre bottles that seal like the Golsch bottles. I am very excited about these. Mr. Hallmark's logic about 22 oz. bottles is that "you never drink just one, right?" So carrying this logic even further, a litre bottle makes a whole lotta sense. He's gone to kegging his beer. I myself am just going to keep using bigger bottles. I suppose that growlers are next.

Perhaps I'll share a beer with you. You should come over to my house.

Ireland

2005-08-01T23:44:00.000-04:00

I think Ireland is a funny country

Discuss

This is Sooo Adam R.

2005-07-31T15:14:00.000-04:00

Adam called me on Friday night so I could help him look up a cheap airline ticket to Baltimore. He doesn't have internest access at his apartment and figured it would be quicker to call me than to wait the 10 minutes hold time for the airline. 15 minutes later, I still had not located him a good rate to Baltimore.

Funny thing is, Adam, rather than flying to Baltimore, was suppose to be going on a date with this girl he's had a crush on for five years. He describes her sexiness in many different ways.

He also realized that Jeff and Russ were coming over on Saturday and that it might be weird for them to show up at his apartment and find him missing.

I'm not sure if Adam was drunk or not, but he wasn't at work, so odds are he was sober . . . or at least hung over.

Incidentally, I had friends over from Baltimore last night. Hmmmmm.

Do we sense a theme?

2005-07-30T00:33:00.000-04:00

who's drunk?

Speaking of Nipples

2005-07-29T15:52:00.000-04:00

Contributor implies contributing so...

I play fantasy golf. Yup thats right. It's just like Dungeons and Dragons. You are assigned a golfer each week and it is your job then to act, speak and golf like that golfer. It really sucks when you're assigned Chris Dimarco, what with that Big ass Butt of his and all.
Dick Pride is kinda fun to be but it get's old fast. But man, when you get assigned John Daly, it's the best. You just have to drink and smoke all day. And you have to play aggresively, like take your 0 iron from 260yds out and just try to stick it on the green. David Duval is the easiest to mimick on the golf course however.

I'm kidding about the Dungeons and Dragons similarities. I do however play fantasy golf. Three different kinds actually. I play Pick-a-Pro where you pick one pro every week. The amount of money your pro wins is how many points you win. You can pick each pro only one time. If you have the most points at the end of the season you win these...

Fantasy golf is a bit different. You get an allowance of $1,000,000 each week. You have to buy 5 golfers. Dick Pride usually costs about $75,000. Tiger Woods is always $300,000.

Not since Tecmo Super Bowl have I known so much about a Professional sport. I know Driving Ditances, GIR percentages and putts per green. I watch golf every weekend wondering how my teams are doing. It's made the sport so much fun.

Now that I'm thinking about it, it might be more fun to play Fantasy Golf the Dungeons and Dragons way, just so long as when I'm Phil Mickelson, you don't call me Phil Nippleson.

2005-07-29T01:01:00.000-04:00

Havana, Oh Havana

Clemens, Lee, Nipples

2005-07-28T20:20:00.000-04:00

I was just looking at the stats for Major League Baseball. All sidled up to my desk with a big wad of grape Big League Chew in my cheek I looked over the Chicago Cubs pitching staff. Maddux is quite impressive. So is Zambrano. Leicester? Not quite, but I don't think he's found his groove yet. Dempster has had some good games and could be considered our number 3 pitcher.

Speaking of pitchers, have you seen Roger Clemens pitch this year? Damn! He pitches with a mission. Leading the league in ERA with a 1.46 average, Clemens has pitched 142 games allowing only 96 hits, 27 runs (23 earned) and 5 home runs. Roger is 42-years-old and this guy is HOT. Somebody slap him with a popsicle!(especially when they play the Cubs)

I must say, though, that Derreck Lee is my man! Not only is he my cousin, but he is having the best season of his career. He's been in the league 9 years and is putting up some numbers like he never has before. Leading the league with a batting average of .364 (career best of .282), he is tied for 1st as the home run leader with 32 yard balls (the most of his career) and is in 5th place for RBIs with 82. My other cousin from The Brewers, Carlos Lee, is right above him with 84 ribees.

Which reminds me when I was in high school. I played ball with this guy who had a red growth on the lower part of his ribs. It didn't seem that cruel to call him Triple Nipple. He really didn't seem to mind that much. I honestly don't remember the guy's name, but he used to like to eat sunflower seeds when we were both sitting on the bench(I was the backup catcher and occasionally used pinch hitter and pinch runner). He thought it made him look cool spitting all that shit out of his mouth. Me, I just ate them whole and got tired of them quickly. Never have been a big fan of sunflower seeds. Still, I always kinda liked Triple Nipple. He was a good guy . . . for somebody with three nipples.

I Grok, Gorss

2005-07-26T11:39:00.000-04:00

There are so many reasons to search with Grokker, not the least of which is to entertain your inner Heinleinian. Google might be better, but for now Grokker is more fun.

And for some reason, it seems more feminist.

2005-07-25T23:15:00.000-04:00

Does anyone recognize where this is at?

The Baby Shower from God The Father Herself!

2005-07-25T22:19:00.000-04:00

YOU ARE INVITED

To a Baby Shower!!!

My brother and sister-in-law are throwing us a baby shower in Maryland on Saturday, August the 13th. This has got to be one of the coolest baby showers ever! There will be beer pong and horseshoes and "baby shower bingo." Emily's parents and brothers and sisters will all be there.

You should come. Are you coming from Chicago?

Or perhaps Milwaukee? (Richmond isn't much farther from us than Raleigh).

Ithaca?

I'll be bringing a homebrewed Porter that is most delicious. Hopefully I'll have an I.P.A. ready as well. Hell, Benji and Bill oughta come just for that!

Did I mention there would be Beer Pong?

R.S.V.P. in the comment box or to my personal electronic mail account.

I love you.

West Virginia here we come

2005-07-15T12:43:00.000-04:00

My wife and I leave this afternoon for a weekend music festival near Morganstown, West Virginia. Chief Troy was able to swing us free tickets and VIP status, so it should be an enjoyable and economical weekend. No bottles allowed, so cheap brews in a can are the ticket. It's how I like to roll.

During my absence, feel free to use this space however you might see fit.

The H was O

2005-07-14T19:55:00.000-04:00

I was over at the H was O--the blog formerly known as the H is O--and was browsing around as I do every now and again. Honestly it's been a few months since I've been over there, but I was deeply humored, as I always am by the H was/is O and excited about their creativity. God this blog is hilarious! I've always wondered to myself what my connection is to the creators of The H was O. Is it just a tenuous relation brought on by Adam Kotsko's Weblog and Robinstein's The Pickle. I always thought so . . . until I noticed The Tarantular Chief Jason was on The H was O's blogroll. I was shocked and surprised and . . . well, pleased (I was similarly surprised just the other day when I found The Tarantular blogrolled over at a house falling in the sea). This leads me to believe that my connections with The H was O are more than tenuos, more than just happenstance. This runs deeper.

Or perhaps The H was O just wanted to extend a hand of friendship out to lousy ole chiefjason. All I have to say is

You guys are Great!!!

I feel like I have new friends popping up all over the place.

Thus, I shake hands with The H was O. Now we are friends.

Who is Chief Jason?

2005-07-07T00:20:00.000-04:00

After a long stint of blogging out of sheer obligation, I've recently been enjoying the interactions with fellow bloggers Cap'n Pete, Adam R., the green Wuxiruss and freshly-back-on-the-scene Jared Sinclair. Sinclair's most recent post made be laugh quite a bit, especially since I didn't realize chiefjason was such a mystery.

At any rate, it's nice to feel good about my immediate blogosphere of influence these days, as well as a little guilty about going to bed an hour and a half later than I wanted to. Yes, it's nice to feel a little guilty.

The Cubs Suck

2005-07-06T13:02:00.000-04:00

The Brewers rule.

Update: The Cubs and the Brewers suck.

-chiefjason

My Weekly Post

2005-07-05T22:20:00.000-04:00

I went to a show at The Brewery down by NC State with Emily and her friend last Saturday night. The headlining band was Silvertide--who we did not stay to see (although the lead singer commented on my chops as we made our way to the car. I thougth that was nice and kind of wanted to watch them play afterall. Alas, late and drunken and pregnancy).

The opening act was a local band called Bombbox. They were a four piece act that played some catchy candy rock tunes along the lines of third eye blind. The lead singer had some sweet vocals with a nice upper range while their bass player laid down some impressive bass lines. The guitar work was catchy, simple, not overdone. The drummer was off beat at times.

They were followed by a band called Oliver Black. My least favorite band of the night, Oliver's lead singer ruined it for me. She was a shorter, rounder version of Britney Spears, singing like Joan Jett and seemed to be experiencing a combination of whiskey and speed. Seriously, she could whale some vocals, but her stage presence was just too much. Very annoying. I personally think she has some deep seated psychological issues.

The band that I came to see did not fail to impress. Pepper's Ghost. Their songs are melodic with nice guitar work and very cool harmonies. Based out of Philly, these guys know how to put on a good show. Their stage presence harkens back to the showmanship of the Stones and the Beatles. Straight up, good feelin' rock 'n roll and not ashamed of it. Check out their website here.

The Brewery is a very small venue and they like to play it loud. My ears were ringing for the next day and a half. The fact that they offered Pabst Blue Ribbon in a can really made the night for me. I feel good drinking a PBR or six.

Word.

My biggest flaw

2005-06-27T00:00:00.000-04:00

My biggest flaw is that I have been and always am too focused on the present moment. I cannot take a step back, analyze a situation, and then discuss, respond, etc. I am always reactionary. Always. This plays itself out too often and too well in my job. I work with families of "emotionally and behaviorally disturbed" teenagers. WTF? Can someone show me a teenager that isn't emotionally or behaviorally disturbed in some way? If you can, then that is disturbing. The most disturbing thing is that teenagers can be "disturbed" simply because they are teenagers. But their parents don't have that excuse. Yes, I often relate to parents that are far more emotionally disturbed than their "disturbed" teens.

So back to my biggest flaw. I react. To situations, to people. I think it is mostly my facial expressions and partially my words. But I alway think back on a situation that happened and think, "why the hell didn't I say this that or the other thing?!!" And I always come up with something better.

I have learned to trust myself in my own reactionariness. Which is why I distrust blogging. I have too much damn time to think. But not really. When I comment, I comment in the moment. I react. And then I click the damn button and there it is, in print. Of course I think of better things to say 10 minutes later, but by then it is already too late.

Perhaps I will regret this post.

Update: I regret this post.

Home is where your wife is

2005-06-22T20:42:00.000-04:00

I figure everyone should get a chance to see where someone lives. So here's some shots of our front porch. I particularly like our bushes. They are gnarled cedar-like trees.

bush

2005-06-22T20:40:00.002-04:00

rail

2005-06-22T20:40:00.001-04:00

front

2005-06-22T20:40:00.000-04:00

porch

The Streets

2005-06-13T17:07:00.000-04:00

If you're from the Streets, like I am, you'll already know that Adam has posted today. See, I'm always up on what's going on. I was even an early commenter on the most recent post at good ole Rob Schunneman's most excellent t-shirt site.

Seriously, I have my finger on the pulse of the world wide web. Seriously.

Which makes sense, since I did invent the internet . . . or rather the idea behind it.

sense since scents cents

(for instance, that was a complete senstence, for instance)

2005-06-11T15:41:00.000-04:00

Emily's mom (also drunk).

2005-06-11T15:37:00.000-04:00

This is a grrreat picture of Emily's dad (my dad in-law). We just got finished drinking all afternoon in Santa Cruz.

2005-06-11T12:20:00.000-04:00

Word.

Word to the Logos Legos

2005-06-04T01:06:00.000-04:00

I decided to smoke a cigarette tonight. I know Emily would be mad at me, but it was just a nice night for a cigarette, sittin on my front porch in the dark. The kids were out and about and having a good time, probly gettin in a little trouble. The air was a little damp and cool, but not too damp and cool, if ya know what I mean.

I also watched an episode of Malcolm in the Middle at midnight tonight. The dad and the youngest son decide to build a lego city in the living room. The little son wants to make it a utopia and then becomes the dictator of the lego civilization, plotting to destroy his father with a lego army. This goes on for about three days until mom comes in the door, trips on a lego car, falls, and destroys most of the major buildings in the town . . . in slow motion.

So logically I do a search on the internet for "legos." That is when I found "The Brick Testament." Various verses of the bible acted out in lego scenes. It's really quite beautiful. You really should check this out. It'll make your week. My favorite one is when Mary asks the angel how she will bear the Christ child not having had sex with a man. He answers that the holy ghost will come upon her.

Word

you make bath-time lots of fun

2005-05-29T11:36:00.000-04:00

Now I'm not saying I would ever shop for myself at bath and body works, but my wife happens to have these two products that I use more than she does--the eucalyptus and mint foaming bath and bath salts. I've always been a sucker for a hot bath and a good book. Seriously, I'll spend forty five minutes just soaking and reading. So I took a bath after work the other night for the first time in quite a while. I used the foaming bath and decided to throw in some bath salts for an extra touch. After reading Franny and Zooey for about forty minutes I decided it was time to enter back into real time. In the post bath hours before bed, I couldn't believe how relaxed and stress-free I felt. So so nice.

I have been reading Salinger's Franny and Zooey strictly because I took The Catcher in the Rye with me on the plane to California last weekend and after finishing it I immediately started reading it over again. Once I got back to the house I figured I hadn't had enough of Salinger yet, so I picked up Franny and Zooey. My copy of this book was given to me on my 24th birthday by Bill Brower with the note, "on your way to the Eastern Philosophy chair in hell." I thought that was nice. Not too many people have given me books as gifts. Bill knew me well enough to know that I would love that book--the budding ascetic that I was. After finishing it back then, I immediately sought out and read The Way of the Pilgrim and then found a copy of the Philokalia in some small town Minnesota bookstore along the Mississippi river (this was while I was spending time in a Russian Orthodox monastery).

I suppose my move out to North Carolina was in many ways an attempt at asceticism--an attempt that seems to have mostly failed. Or has it?

The Bergstrand Trio

2005-05-15T01:16:00.000-04:00

The Bergstrand Trio was spotted at the wedding of Emily Lake and Jason Lee, providing music for the consumption of their audience. Benjamin Bergstrand himself provided the lead for "Annie's Song" (available on page 121 in Rise Up Singing) while strumming along on his mandolin. Adam Robinstein played a mean guitar with a sweet opening riff. He was nervous and cute as ever. Monica (pronounced moan-ika for those in unfamiliar places) added in a beautiful complmenting harmony to Bergstrand's lazy and friendly style of singing.

Lee proudly exclaimed, "those are my friends," to anyone who talked about the song.

Lee claims that after having aquired a new instrument called a bouzouki on his honeymoon, he is hoping to become the fourth member of the Bergstrand Quartet.

One wonders when their first practice might be . . .

Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever

2005-05-15T00:52:00.000-04:00

I wear a ring of white gold around my left "ring" finger. I have never worn a ring before except for about a week when I tried having a pinky ring.

The 8mm thick solid white gold ring shimmers in the sunlight and reflects an image of myself when I look in it, slightly distorted and funny looking. It is comfortable and I like the extra weight on my hand. The weight is new, yet somehow familiar, like I knew it should have been there all along. I like to play with it--twisting it and polishing it, paying attention to getting it clean when I wash my hands. I like my ring. It is a new and exciting part of my body. Just as much as my wife is a new and exciting part of my self.

I had the privilege of writing my and Emily's vows for the wedding.

I have reprinted them here, for the rememberance of those who were there, and for the convenience of those who were not:

I _______ freely give myself to you ________, to be your life mate.
To wander through this life together
Through valleys and upon mountains
Through shadow and through light
Through joy and through sorrow
Through good times as well as trying times

I promise to daily give of myself to you; to cultivate a selfless and pure love between us, so that we might share our love with those around us.

And just as Jesus Christ laid down his life as on offering for us, so I give my life to you.

Seriously, I can't believe I'm married. It's surreal. But very cool.

Word.

DaaBers and DA BIG IDEA

2005-04-26T23:04:00.000-04:00

So I'm watching the last of the Cubs game right now. Cincinnati is winning 11-8 going into the Bottom of the 9th, Bartosh (the Cubs 7th pitcher of the game) just struck out the last batter (Dunn) to end the Top of the 9th. Seem like it's been a pretty goddamn good game, one you wished you were at.

But that's not what I'm posting about. I posting about Daabers. You know, the Chekago Bers.

How 'bout those draft picks? A powerhouse running back and two speedy wide receivers. Let's hope the offensive line can step it up to add the . . . (hold on)

>>>Ronny Cedeno just got his first major league hit with a single to left and a run driven in. It's 11-9.<<<

So back to DaaBers. Howsabout those draft picks?

>>>Awww damn, the 3rd out. Hollandsworth grounded out. I'm impressed with the Cubs. Although they definitely have some issues going on in the pitcher position, our other guys are gettin the job done. Although still a loss, it is a loss with 13 hits and 9 runs. They also spread the wealth around with 9 different guys getting the hits and 5 of those guys driving in the runs. Even when we get outs, much of the time we are putting the bat on the ball and the ball into play. That's how you win games.<<<

Can we talk about the Bears now? With a workhorse running back, two speedy wide receivers, and a ready to go Rex Grossman at QB, their offense just might have the spark it needs. If the offensive line can step it up (perhaps an effective off-season training program in Kankakee, Illinois?) they might just have the one-two punch.

So here's DA BIG IDEA:

Now I know I got some friends who are some good Bears fans, and I sure as hell don't get to see these friends that often. We should pick an away Bears game that isn't too far away. Meet on Friday night (or Thursday night?) in that city. Take in the sites on Saturday. Get crazy for the Bears on Sunday. Rest (or work if you gotta) on Monday.

So yeah, like a four day weekend with a Bears game as the climax. How can you go wrong? I figure since this is my idea, I get to put in the first suggestion for the game. My first instinct was to pick the Redskins game on September 11th, but that's pretty close to when my baby is due, and the date doesn't seem to have any GOOD luck. So my official pick is the December 11th game in Pittsburgh. Seems we could find some cheap accomocations, similarly cheap bars, and freeze are asses off to watch the Bears and the Stealers pound it away. Sounds like good bonding time to me.

2005-04-21T23:35:00.000-04:00

Baby Lee

2005-04-21T23:33:00.000-04:00

Isn't this freaking amazing? Emily and I went in on Wednesday for her first ultrasound. I was astonished as I watched our baby's heartbeat and saw it's limbs and head and bones. All this inside of her belly. What a mystery!

Baby Lee sucks its thumb.

Harper J. Bienko

2005-04-19T22:17:00.000-04:00

Again, congrats to the Cap'n and crew. Go here for a photo of the young lad and some brief words from the Cap'n.

Also, congrats to the Cubs for winning handily today.

And a "too bad" to the Brewers for blowing a 6-0 lead.

Oh yeah, and congrats to the Catholics for your new Papal Head.

A Baby!!!

2005-04-19T14:17:00.000-04:00

The Tarantular would like to congratulate Josh and MaryJo Bienko on their freshly born child. We are excited to hear more details (name, weight, etc. etc.)and updates on baby life.

Yeaaaa Baby!!!!!

Spring Posting

2005-04-18T22:08:00.000-04:00

I do believe that I have myself proven that the myth of increased blogging in the spring is false. My beer and my front porch already have more pull than the laptop in my study. Thus the longer gaps in my posting.

So I have given in to the baseball enthusiasm and purchased the entire Major League Baseball season on internet audio for only $14.95 (living in North Carolina and not having cable, this seems to be a good option to follow the Cubs). This is an interesting thing since I "simultaneously" listen to a baseball game over live audio stream, say, from WGN radio, while watching the gameday update from MLB.com, which shows the current batter (with the balls and strikes and where the pitch landed in the strike zone), as well as a picture of the field with the names of the defensive players and their positions, and the names of the offensive players at bat/on base. Thing is, the audio is usually behind the updates of the visuals . . . but sometimes the audio is ahead. Like I said, it's interesting.

Anyway, I watched the Cubs lose a close one with Loecester blowing a 5-5 tie, walking the first two batters in the 8th, then hitting the next (ending in a 7-5 loss). Then I watched the Brewers lose to the Dodgers 7-3. All in all, a depressing day for baseball.

Tall Tees vs. Tight Rolling

2005-04-18T19:32:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure where you live (although if I had to guess it'd be Chicago, Milwaukee or Ithaca) but I wonder if the fashion of tall tees has caught on. Not being familiar with how or where fashion trends start, I'm willing to admit the possibility that this trend started in North Carolina. Noting the many backward ways of my Carolinian compatriates, however, I somehow doubt it. If you are not familiar with the tall tee fashion, it is basically a plain t-shirt that is usually 2 sizes too big and that hangs down to the wearers knees or ankles. I have typically seen tall tees worn in black or white with an occassional pink thrown in. This fashion is prevalent among young black males in my area.

I find this trend very silly. I watched a young man - probably about 14 years old - walk down the sidewalk across the street from my house. His hair was braided, black tall tee down to his ankles, and he was making punching motions in the air, like a boxer sparring. He approached my neighbors (a man, wife and young daughter lounging in their yard) kitty corner from my house, and was confronted about something. I made out the word "hooligan" but didn't hear anything else. I wondered if the tall tee wearer was related to these neighbors and noted that he obviously knew them in a familiar way. Whatever the case, he turned quickly and walked back from wear he had come, again shadow boxing.

I couldn't help but laugh to myself as this boy - looking like a nubian princess with a long black dress - hiked up his pants, karate'd the air and strutted down the street. I wish I could have it on video tape to show him five years down the road. Surely he would realize how utterly ridiculous he appears.

Just like me, when I was 14, with my tight rolled jeans. Where the hell did that fashion start? North Carolina?