T-minus 8 hours and counting

As I type this, we're eight hours from checking in the hospital for Jen to be induced and our daughter to be born.

Hopefully by this time Monday night, little (To Be Named Later) will have arrived and all y'all will have gotten photos or met her personally.

Thanks for the support.

And, no, I'm not freaking out yet. Calm and cool. Very Zen.

Nash, hit the newstand ASAP

The Price Was Right

Exactly right in the Showcase Showdown, for only the second time in TPIR's history ...



If you're wondering why Drew Carey wasn't more excited, it seems there was about a 30-minute delay between the bidding and the reveal. Somebody in the audience shouted out the exact bid and producers met to decide if it was kosher to continue.

Why didn't I find these shirts sooner!?!

https://www.compressmerch.com/merch/scripts/prodList.asp?idCategory=46

Monday

When Jen is induced on Monday, here are some names we won't be considering ...

JoyceLynn Aryan Nation Campbell, Honszlynn Hinler Jeannie Campbell and Adolf Hitler Campbell.

Good names for a trio of toddlers? Heath and Deborah Campbell think so. The Holland Township couple has picked those names and the oldest child, Adolf Hitler Campbell, turns 3 today.

This has given rise to a problem, because the ShopRite supermarket in Greenwich Township has refused to make a cake for young Adolf's birthday.

"We believe the request ... to inscribe a birthday wish to Adolf Hitler is inappropriate," said Karen Meleta, a ShopRite spokeswoman.

The Campbells turned down the market's offer to make a cake with enough room for them to write their own inscription and can't understand what all of the fuss is about.

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/today/index.ssf/2008/12/holland_township_family_angry.html

Year of Scott coming to an end

With only 16 days left in the Year of Scott, I just wanted to thank y'all for checking out my sporadic foray into blogging.

It's amazing to think of all the changes I (and y'all my good friends and family) have gone through in 2008. Babies, a marriage, new jobs, Craigger's cancer and all the other stuff made 2008 one we'll all remember for the rest of our lives. Thanks for sharing it with me.

I suspect the blog will continue. But be prepared for posts about changing diapers.

Hooray Joe Barton

SB's boss makes headlines today

WASHINGTON - Taking aim at a BCS system he said "consistently misfires,'' a member of Congress planned to introduce legislation Wednesday that would force college football to adopt a playoff to determine the national champion.

Rep. Joe Barton of Texas, the ranking Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, didn't specify what sort of playoff he wants — only that the BCS should go.

"In some years the sport's national championship winner was left unsettled, and at least one school was left out of the many millions of dollars in revenue that accompany the title,'' Barton said in a statement released ahead of the bill's introduction. "Despite repeated efforts to improve the system, the controversy rages on.''

He said the bill — being co-sponsored by Reps. Bobby Rush, an Illinois Democrat, and Michael McCaul, a Texas Republican — "will prohibit the marketing, promotion, and advertising of a postseason game as a 'national championship' football game, unless it is the result of a playoff system. Violations of the prohibition will be treated as violations of the Federal Trade Commission Act as an unfair or deceptive act or practice.''

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/28161939/

Steelers 20, Cowboys 13

Deshea Townsend scores the game-winning TD against the Cowboys ... sending Scott and Nash into delirium and making Brownie and Steve C. curse in disgust, realize the inferiority of their favorite NFL team and acknowledge the superiority of the Black & Gold.

Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown

The original airs next Monday. But until then, I'll chuckle at this version as done by the cast of Scrubs.

Yes, it's a couple of years old. And parents, watch out for the risque language ...

Happy Repeal Day

75 years ago today Prohibition was ended in the USA.

Cheers!

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-12-04-prohibitionrepeal_N.htm?csp=34

The Prop 8 Musical

How many celebrities can you name in this video?

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

Dave + Jack + Jimmy = Awesomeness

Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds join Jack Johnson to sing a Jimmy Buffett song ...

Sunday's biggest hit

Wes Welker, meet Ryan Clark of the Pittsburgh Steelers ...

Black Friday

This madness that is the Black Friday shopping frenzy must be stopped.

The deals aren't that good, are they? They certainly aren't good enough to justify this ...

A Wal-Mart worker died after being trampled when hundreds of shoppers smashed through the doors of a Long Island store Friday morning, police and witnesses said.

The 34-year-old worker, employed as an overnight stock clerk, tried to hold back the unruly crowds just after the Valley Stream store opened at 5 a.m.

Witnesses said the surging throngs of shoppers knocked the man down. He fell and was stepped on. As he gasped for air, shoppers ran over and around him.

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2008/11/28/2008-11-28_worker_dies_at_long_island_walmart_after.html

Think about that for a second ... people were in such a rush to get into a freakin' Wal-Mart that they killed a man.

I've often wanted to push my way out of a Wal-Mart, but never into one.

Success!

I ran up to the cabin on Saturday. After only seeing a doe on Saturday afternoon, and nothing on Sunday morning, I decided to go to my stand by the pond earlier than normal.

About 30 minutes after I got there, I heard something running through the leaves. "Another damn squirrel" was my first thought. Then I saw a deer.

"Geez, another doe" ran through my head as I slumped back into the seat.

Then I saw the second deer. A buck.

Immediately, the heart rate jumped. He ran behind a small clump of trees, which let me raise the rifle with him seeing it. He slowly walked from my left to right. Once he cleared the last tree in the clump, I squeezed the trigger.

He ran about 15 yards and fell over.





My brother says I should have let him go. I guess he doesn't want any summer sausage, breakfast sausage or chili meat.

The perfect Christmas gift

I think I'm buying one of these for everybody I know ...

Gov. Palin, could we reshoot this interview?

The Belgians are ruining everything

As most of you know, InBev (the world's largest beer company) bought Anheuser-Busch earlier this year.

Today, the company's new logo leaked on the Internet. And it sucks.

Old on the left, new on the right ...



When were in St. Louis this summer, Craig and his buddy Tom were saying people in the Lou would quit drinking Bud over the sale to them dirty furriners. I thought that was silly. However, I support a boycott of all AB products now for two reasons. 1. This logo is horrible and 2. Their products aren't that good anyway.

The importance of hunting

Great article in this week's Sports Illustrated about the importance of hunting in keeping the natural balance ...

http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1148866/index.htm

Giving Up on God

No, no. Not me personally.

But that's what Kathleen Parker, a Washington Post columnist, says the GOP must do.

To be more specific, the evangelical, right-wing, oogedy-boogedy branch of the GOP is what ails the erstwhile conservative party and will continue to afflict and marginalize its constituents if reckoning doesn't soon cometh.

Simply put: Armband religion is killing the Republican Party. And, the truth -- as long as we're setting ourselves free -- is that if one were to eavesdrop on private conversations among the party intelligentsia, one would hear precisely that.

The choir has become absurdly off-key, and many Republicans know it.

At this point, I should mention Parker is a conservative columnist who writes for National Review.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/18/AR2008111802886.html

Stardust's revenge

Somehow, I missed this back in August. Boyd Gaming, the company that imploded the magical Stardust Hotel and Casino to build a mega-resort that none of us could afford, has stopped work on the project due to the poor economy.

As much as I hate the economy being in the dumpster, it serves Boyd right for destroying a Las Vegas landmark that was home to several Party Squad vacations.

Boyd Gaming suspends construction work on Echelon project

Deer 1, Me 0

After a day and a half hunting, the deer won this round.

I thought I'd show y'all what I stared at for several hours this weekend. Here's my deer feeder. On Saturday, I had five does under it. No bucks.



In the distance there is the "big pond" as we call it at the cabin. I jumped about 40 wood ducks off it last weekend. On Saturday, they were back. We've never seen ducks on this pond. Never. I'm considering taking a shotgun up there once duck season begins. Who needs to hit a rice field in Walnut Ridge when you can shoot ducks off a pond in the heart of the Ozarks?



And I took this photo simply because I know Jen loves this hat.

This one's for Brownie

Drinking the Dallas Cowby Kool-Aid ...

Further proof of the best fans in the NFL

"It was one of the pointers of the game, like, 'Damn, are we giving away free towels tonight or something?' " Thomas said. "It was something we discussed on the sidelines....For a [rival] team like that to be able to get a hold of tickets? I mean, how can you do that?"

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dcsportsbog/2008/11/redskins_on_the_fan_turnout_di.html

My last attempt at swaying Nash

Good enough for the Rooneys, good enough for all of us!

Trendsetters

I don't care what anybody says, Sean, Sean and I started this trend with our Boston adventure ...

Mancations: Guys get away to make memories, sustain friendships

Guns a gray area for McCain, Obama

For my boy Nash ...

BOSTON (AP) — John McCain supports background checks for buyers at gun shows and has his name on a law restricting special-interest group advertising, two positions strongly opposed by the National Rifle Association.

So how'd he end up with the group's presidential endorsement? By running against Barack Obama, whom NRA leaders accuse of wanting to put the firearms industry out of business.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iws_NUP4CywbKPEd1Czf0PY8NWVAD93QQH6G0

Sacked by the Market

OK, this left an empty feeling in my stomach ...

An adviser says Dan and Art Rooney are making progress. But even if they do manage to cobble together a deal, hurdles remain. Three-quarters of the league’s 32 teams would have to approve a transaction. While every owner admires the Rooneys, not every one is likely to back a highly leveraged sale of a Rust Belt franchise in the teeth of a recession in advance of an expected labor showdown in 2011.

So the Steelers and the league are left attempting, in the words of one lawyer involved, “a high-wire act in an alternative universe.” There are the N.F.L.’s rules. There’s the economy. There’s the powerful history. And there’s the family itself. The five Rooney brothers have 29 children to account for, not to mention an identity wrapped up in the franchise. For proof, try lifting “Ruanaidh” (Gaelic for Rooney), a family memoir that Art Jr. self-published earlier this year. The book runs 483 pages, or some 400,000 words.

“Your emotions are, You never want to get out of the Steelers,” Art Jr. told me a few weeks after the September conference call. “But you know the facts. The grim reaper is right down the street.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/02/sports/playmagazine/112colbiz.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&ref=sports&pagewanted=all

Joe? Where are you Joe?

A perfect microcosm of the utter FAIL of McCain's campaign ...

It's time!

Tonight at 7 p.m. If you can't catch it then ...

UCA in the NYT ... unfortunately

Two killed on my old college stomping grounds ...

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/28/us/28arkansas.html

Ah, geez, don't get my hopes up

On Thursday, an ESPN.com writer who covers the AFC North has picked Pittsburgh to make the Super Bowl this season ...

Big Ben-led Steelers won't be stopped in weakened AFC

Don't they know I'll have a newborn in the house by then? I can't be yelling and screaming during a Super Bowl this year!

Ultimate proof Palin is not smart

How else do you explain a Republican VP candidate wearing a "Vote Democrat" scarf at a campaign event?

Remind me not to defend Arkansas in the future

The next time I hear somebody talking about the hicks and hillbillies living in Arkansas, I'm afraid I'll have to shrug my shoulders and STFU.

That's because a University of Arkansas poll revealed a whopping 20 percent of Arkies believe Obama is actually a Muslim.

But, on the bright side, 55 percent oppose Act 1. Originally touted as a way to keep gay couples from adopting children, it's been written to prohibit unmarried heteros who live together and single heteros from adopting as well. That means, God forbid, anything happens to me and Jen and this passes, then my mother wouldn't be able to adopt her granddaughter.

http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/2008/10/poll_watching.aspx

Political Compass

All this political talk here and on Nash's blog got me to thinking. Maybe my views have changed. So I visisted PoliticalCompass.com to see how I scored. Here's my chart ...

I heart Hines Ward

Sunday feature on Obama

I was struck by the candid comments Obama made in this article. And I think we all agree with this one ...

“If voters are similarly polarized and if they’re seeing two different realities, a Sean Hannity reality and a Keith Olbermann reality, then we’re not going to be able to get done the work we need to get done,” Obama said.

Working for the Working- Class Vote

Once again, Steelers > Cowboys

Once again, the mighty Steelers have bested the dirty, loathsome Cowboys. This time, it's in Sports Illustrated's stadium rankings. Pittsburgh's Heinz Field was rated second-best in the NFL, behind Green Bay's Lambeau Field.

Oh, what's that Cowboys fans? You say the Cowboys will move to No. 1 when when that affront to good taste that Jerry Jones is building opens next season? Not so fast.

According to the survey, Cowboys fans themselves said Dallas fans aren't that smart when it comes to football. A whopping 6.8 percent said their fellow Dallas fans had "Poor" or "Below Average" football IQs. That's compared to just 3.9 percent of Steelers fans.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/specials/fansurvey/2008/index.html?bcnn=yes

A baby name we won't be considering

A new father has secretly named his baby girl Sarah McCain Palin after the Republican ticket for president and vice president.

Mark Ciptak of Elizabethton put that name on the documents for the girl's birth certificate, ignoring the name Ava Grace, which he and his wife had picked earlier.

"I don't think she believes me yet," he told the Kingsport Times-News for a story to be published Tuesday. "It's going to take some more convincing."

http://www.wbir.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=66550&catid=2

McCain booed ... at his own rally

McCain and Palin spend day after day whipping up the anger and paranoia among the GOP, then when McCain says Obama isn't the anti-Christ he's booed by his own voters ...



In my last post, Nash commented and asked "Is this really a self-proclaimed libertarian in charge of this blog?"

Yes, I still consider myself a libertarian.

But I'm disgusted at the Rovian tactics John McCain, an honorable and principled man, resorted to in an attempt to win this election. This is a man who lost the South Carolina primary in 2000 to GW Bush thanks to a smear campaign. Yet now, thanks to a crashing economy, he resorted to the tactics once used against him. My gosh, the man repeatedly mentions William Ayers in every stump speech, yet he didn't have the cahones to say it to Obama's face. I took that as a sign that McCain knew it was a distasteful tactic. That video above confirms my suspicion.

The 2000 version of John McCain has got to be deathly embarrassed by the 2008 version. The sad thing is John McCain 2000 would have been a great POTUS, if he'd just been the same person this election season as he was then I think he'd have won. And probably won easily.

Man, I totally can see reasons to vote for McCain instead of Obama (experience being first and foremost). But this campaign and the GOP followers have debased political discussion in the USA. Every American is dumber for having lived through this election thanks to the mouthbreathers forwarding e-mails that actually claim the Bible predicted Obama is the anti-Christ, or that he's a super-duper secret mole controlled by Islamic fundamentalists.

The past week has completely turned me off of McCain. So if people can vote against Obama because he's black, or the anti-Christ or Osama bin Laden's BFF, then I can vote against McCain because he led us down this path to idiocy instead of sticking to, you know, the issues.

And that's a shame, because I voted for him in the 2000 Arkansas primary. If John McCain 2000 was running now, I'd consider voting for him again. But this 2008 version of him won't get my vote.

Springsteen on this year's election

Normally, I don't give a damn about the political statements issued by celebrities. Their opinions are no more valid or informed that yours or mine.

That said, Springsteen gave a poetic and inspired speech on behalf of Obama recently ...

All I want for Christmas

Authentic Guinness® Home Pub

There are plenty of reasons to raise a pint to the Irish. Saint Patrick, the Blarney Stone. One of the greatest occurred in 1759 when young Arthur Guinness founded a brewery at St. James's Gate, crafted a hearty, distinctive stout, and won a place in our hearts forever. Celebrate the 250th anniversary of that first delicious keg with our exclusive, once-in-a-lifetime gift. The folks at RiRa Pubs will design a fully functional, traditional Irish pub and build it in your home in 2009. It will be crafted from historic Irish architectural elements and authentic Guinness artifacts. There's also a VIP trip for two to Dublin with first class airfare, luxury accommodations, and insider access to the magic still being made at the historic working St. James's Gate brewery. (All members of your party must be at least 21 years of age.) Plus fresh Guinness Stout for your pub. For an entire year.

A toast! To calling 1.877.9NM.GIFT for more information, detailed terms and conditions, and to order! Sláinte!

©2008 GUINNESS & Co. Always Drink Responsibly.
Item
Authentic Guinness Home Pub
Price $250,000.00*
OCBF9_NMO3605

http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/sitelets/christmasbook/fantasy.jhtml?cid=OCBF9_NMO3606&cmCat=christmas&icid=NMCBpage79

Jen's Alexis story

Jen writes about our cat ...



http://jensamom.blogspot.com/2008/10/aint-no-sunshine-when-shes-gone.html

And thanks to everybody for your kind words. We appreciate it.

R.I.P. Alexis

Jen and I just got back from the vet a little while ago. Alexis is gone.

We woke up Sunday morning and she wasn't able to walk very well. She was stiff-legged and kept tumping over after a few steps.

We took her to the emergency animal clinic, they gave her an anti-inflammatory shot and we hoped it would help. It didn't. By the time we went to bed Sunday night, Alexis could barely get around at all. It was heart-breaking to watch. We carried her to the food bowl and litter box so she wouldn't walk.

This morning, the vet said it could have been a variety of things - neurological or cancer being most likely. The chance of getting her back to where she was 48 hours ago was slim. Rather than risk putting her through a lot of procedures with little chance of success, we chose to ... you know.

Alexis had been in Jen's life for more than 18 years. She'd been in mine for 10. Today is a heart-breaking day for us. We already miss her.

Things I think I think (CFB version)

1. Do you ever think Tim Tebow's older siblings just get sick and tired of him? I mean, they've got to right? It's just natural. Especially when they see signs like this ...



2. Speaking of Tebow, if everybody in the stadium and watching at home knows he's going to run a shotgun sneak to the right side of the line, then Houston Nutt can probably cipher it out as well. Urban Meyer = fail on that play call.

3. While Ole Miss fans are probably still celebrating, they fail to realize this is Classic Nutt. His teams always manage to beat a team it shouldn't, but also lose to a team it shouldn't. We've seen this with OM already. Lost to Vandy, but beat Florida. (And you can point to Vandy's record all you want, but it's still Vandy.)

4. Forget the AP, USA Today or any other poll you see. The best CFB poll comes to us via SportsJournalists.com ... click here . If nothing else, it's the funniest to read each week.

5. Georgia's shellacking at the hands of Alabama should put an end to all the ridiculous (Insert random color here)outs. If you have to schedule a whiteout, blackout or redout to get your team and fans excited, something is fundamentally wrong with both. This rule would not apply to something truly original, like if Cal-Berkeley scheduled a tiedyeout or a rural school had a camouflageout. Those would be awesome.

Magic 8 Ball Prediction
Will Arkansas cover the spread (currently 24.5) against Florida this Saturday?

(Views expressed by the Magic 8 Ball do not necessarily reflect the views of this blog, the blog owner nor this post's author. Advice from the Magic 8 Ball is for entertainment purposes only and not for actual wagering.)

Bonus Drink of the Week — With an 11:30 a.m. kick in Fayetteville following two skullcrushings, I'm sure some Arkansas fans are worried the "atmosphere" for this Saturday. As we all know, "atmosphere" is code for "number of rowdy drunks in the stands." Not to worry, we're here to help. Get a red plastic cup, fill it with ice. Pour DeKuyper Peach Tree Schnapps over the ice until the cup is half full. Top with Sunny D. Drink. Repeat until you feel atmospheric.

Palin debate flowchart

Slow Internet connection? Blame John McCain.

John McCain is an AT&T guy; Barack Obama is a Google guy. And that’s one of the most important policy differences between the two.

Think of the Internet as working at different layers. There are all the pipes that go into your home, and then there’s all the stuff on your screen—from e-mail to eMule. The telecom companies like AT&T control the pipes; the software companies, like Google, create the stuff.

In an ideal world, both these layers would be sites of great innovation and creativity. But in the United States, that isn’t so. The software industry may seem like a team of Gandalfs, constantly producing magic. But the average telecom company resembles Jabba the Hut: it moves slowly and slobbers a lot.

The United States created the Internet, but it’s the rest of the world that can really use it. People in Japan are twice as likely as Americans to have broadband connections, and their pipes are ten times as fast. Compared to France, U.S. Internet access is twice as expensive and one-fourth as quick. Since 2000, the United States has gone from fifth in the world to twenty-second in broadband penetration. We have become a nation of buffering YouTube videos.

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2008/0808.thompson.html#Byline

Sorry for the lack of posts

I have decided to suspend my blog posting until Congress is able to put together a financial bailout package to save our nation's economy.

Either that or I've not had anything worth sharing. Such is life these days, as I'm spending spare minutes working on the den (still!) and watching Jen expand.

"America's Most Wanted" is in town filming this week ...

http://www.swtimes.com/articles/2008/09/26/news/news01.txt


And Tony Alamo was arrested ...

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iM_k_Z5_nC3gb0btse0fgEAFl4RAD93EKF201

Pastafarians 1, Westboro Baptist Church 0

For some odd reason, the Westboro nutjobs decided to protest in downtown Little Rock today. They're the family/cult devoted to Fred Phelps who go around protesting at the funerals of homosexuals, soldiers and anybody not in their cult.

But in Little Rock, they were met with a band of Pastafarians. Dressed as pirates, they counter-protested. And the Phelps whackos packed up and left.

Bonus points for the Pastafarians: Today's protest was held on Talk A Like A Pirate Day.


http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/2008/09/way_to_go_matie.aspx

Road trip!

The surviving members of the Grateful Dead and the Allmans will be playing a benefit for Obama at Penn State.

If nothing else, Obama's musical tastes are better than McCain's.

How to protect your car in a hurricane

Photo from KTRK's Web site ...

They've declared war on the media ...

and it's time for the media to fight back. Or so says a Philadelphia Daily News blogger.

So how do we fight this war? Let's change the rules! Here are some suggestions:

1) From now through Nov. 4, let's not make fact-checking a secondary task, but our No. 1 duty -- the thing that belongs on Page One, not on A17 (and in the upper corner of our Web sites, as soon as a new ad or dubious claim hits the airwaves.) In an era when campaigns have enormous control over the message and the news cycle, fact-checking in the one value-added service that only a newsroom can bring, a real contribution to the democratic process. We've seen in 2008 that we're not keeping the candidates' honest, but WE can go over their heads to the public.

2) Now is the time to lose our pathological fear of the word "lie." It's not only a perfectly good word in the English language, but it's the best word when a politician says "red" and the undisputed truth is "green." We talk and talk and talk about our right to a free press in America -- well this is what a free press is all about, when we are free to decide when someone is empirically dishonest and to tell our community all about it.

3) This one isn't my idea -- it was Marc Ambinder's, I believe -- but it's a great suggestion so I'm going to pass it along. Increasingly, campaigns are developing "commercials" that aren't even broadcast but appear only on their Web site, with the main purpose that we then write stories about them. Let's not. If they want people to see their video press releases, there's plenty of ways to do that without involving us.

4) Ditto for the candidates' families. They don't want us to cover their kids -- so we shouldn't. That means no more stories about Bristol Palin's pregnancy, but also no more stories about Palin's son fighting in Iraq, or puff pieces about her raising a special needs child (like this one) or cute photo spreads of the Obama kids, etc. A rule is a rule.

5) In our diminished state, journalists need to think of ourselves as less as competitors and start thinking of ways that we collaborate more often, with our common goal of amplifying the truth and reaching as many voters as possible in the next seven weeks. When one news organization has a scoop that peels away the layers of deception and spin, 2008 is the time to stop the old games of ignoring it or cutting down, and let's all push it forward. (It's too late for this time, but in 2012 I'd love to see something like the Arizona Project for presidential elections, when newsrooms pool their resources to get the full measure of the candidates.) The ability to divide and conquer is one reason that candidates get away with their lies.

6) Think outside the box -- way outside the box. Make truth-telling our crusade, but don't make it deathly dull -- call ourselves "The Truth Party" and post our own Internet "campaign ads" disproving THEIR campaign ads on our Web sites -- and for God sakes make them funny. Remember what Janice Joplin/Kris Kristofferson said, that freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose. If there was ever a time to be free, to experiment, to be in a war and actually fight back, that day is today!

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/attytood/Theyve_declared_war_on_the_media_--_so_its_time_to_fight_back.html

Can I get this on a shirt?

I might need to order this

Found this logo at an online tee shirt shop ...

@#$%&* Construction Masters!!!

So we're having a closet built in the den for extra storage. I thought about doing it myself, but decided to hire it out so it'd be done right.

As usual, dealing with Construction Masters is maddening. Here's a summary of my day today ...

"Sure, Scott, we'll be there Monday morning between 8-9." - Friday at noon.

"Well, I don't know where the crew is I gave the job to. I'll send a second crew right over." -10 a.m.

"Sorry, we got hung up at the shop getting supplies." - 1 p.m.

"Well, looks like we'll need to go get some extra 2x4s. We'll be back in half an hour." - 1:45 p.m.

"Did the boss say this would be a one day job?" - 3:10 p.m.

"That's about all we can do for today. We'll be back tomorrow morning between 8-9." - 4:37 p.m.

You know what "That's about all we can do for today" means? Carrying in some drywall and paneling. Stacking 2x4s outside. Pulling quarter-round and molding. Taking some measurements.

For that, I spent a vacation day.

We Are Everywhere II

No matter which party wins the November election, a Steelers fan will be VP.

That's right, Joe Biden and Sarah Palin both share a rooting interest in the mighty Pittsburgh Steelers.

Palin ...

She relishes moose burgers because "they taste better than beef with no chemicals, steroids or hormones." She adopted the Pittsburgh Steelers because of the team's success in the 1970s and because there are no major professional teams in her state.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/columnists/vassilaros/s_517252.html

Biden ...

On Friday night, when Obama and Biden met Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh, Biden recounted how "Old Mr. Rooney" -- Steelers owner Dan Rooney -- dispatched some players from his championship team to the hospital room in Wilmington where Biden's two toddler sons, Beau and Hunter, were recovering from the accident. They brought the boys an autographed football as a Christmas present.

"And I have been a Steelers fan since that day," Biden told Tomlin.

"Not much has changed," Tomlin responded.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/31/AR2008083101954_2.html?referrer=emailarticle

Who says there isn't common ground between the two parties!?!

I heart The Daily Show

Especially when it points out the hypocrisy of political hacks ...

Never Again

What'd you do Wednesday night?

I spent two hours in Hell, or as it's known in Fort Smith "The Growing Kids Consignment Sale."

Angie said we just had to attend. There were bargains galore. Strollers that go for $300 new sell for $50. Kids' furniture, clothes, diaper bags, you name it they've got it.

On the plus side, the people running this thing are sticklers about what they accept for the sale. Teeny little stain? Nope, won't accept it. Missing a button? Sorry, no thanks. And, thanks to Angie putting Jen's name on some of her own kids' clothes, we got to go on Wednesday night before it was open to the general public.

On the minus side, it was overwhelming. Here's a photo of the setup from the sale's Web site (yes, it has a Web site) ...




(Click on the photo and you can get a bigger look at it.)

Now if Wednesday was like that photo, I'd have been fine. But imagine a few hundred women, dozens of kids running loose and a sprinkling of men carrying the piles of clothes being bought. And I do mean piles. People were using 50-gallon trash cans as shopping carts and were filling them up.

Naturally, these women were ruthless too. They'd nudge you with the strollers they were buying to get you to move when they wanted to look at something. I had one woman ask me if I was going to buy a diaper bag ... that I was holding in my hands! (We did buy it. Laura Ashley, $10 and in perfect condition.)

Luckily, the next time there's one of these sales I won't be attending. I'll pull a Jason and say "Sorry, but somebody has to stay home with the baby."

I thought of Sean (and Sean)

On storm stories, TV reporters are required to interact with the weather and become, potentially, human sacrifices to it.

This makes weather reporting different than every other kind of breaking TV news story. No one covers a house fire by rushing into the burning building, or reports on a war by doing stand-ups in the middle of a tank battle.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/01/AR2008090102740.html?hpid=topnews

So TV guys, why do y'all insist on standing out in the rain and wind? I mean, aside from the ratings.

I'll miss you most of all, Comfy Chair

When I was a kid, we had a hound dog named Red. One day, he was gone and Mom said Dad had taken him up to the cabin. Our yard, despite being a double lot, was too small for him she said. And at the cabin, he could chase rabbits and have more fun.

I never did see that dog again.

Hopefully, the same won't happen to Comfy Chair.

I loaded her up on the Jeep today for the trip to the cabin.



Once we got there, I put her in a place of honor in the bedroom my branch of the family sleeps in during hunting season. In fact, she's right next to my bunk now.



So after years of dedicated service, countless football games on TV, hours and hours of PlayStation, thousands of meals eaten while sitting on her and lots and lots of naps, she's now retired to the country. Where, hopefully, she'll have several more good years serving as a spot to sit while putting on hunting boots and post-hunt napping.

(And yes, Jennifer is horrified the slip cover was that grungy.)

Kung Fu Panda

Took my niece to see it last night so mom could go play bridge.

I give it a C.

An older kid probably would have liked it better. Erin spent most of the movie playing with her bracelet that lit up when you press a button.

(Sorry for the lack of posts, but this Fort Smith Classic drama is wearing me out.)

Shameless pimping

My fearless forecast for this season (Super Bowl prediction included) ...

Arkansas won't go bowling this season

We are everywhere

From Pittsburgh to Fort Smith to Beijing for the Misty May-Treanor/Kerri Walsh gold medal ceremony ...



Here We Go Steelers, Here We Go.

Age-induced fear

We started softball season this week, and I had a moment where I thought "Damn, is this what it means to get old?"

It wasn't that I was sore the next day or that I couldn't do what I was able to do last year. It fact, it wasn't anything physical at all. Instead, it was all mental.

You see, playing coed softball you get these guys trying to recapture their glory days of high school baseball. They step to the plate and crush the ball. And, occasionally, they'll crush it right back at the pitcher aka me.

I've had close calls before. Jen was there for several of them. Line drives right at my head. Ones that I was just able to get a glove on before being decapitated. I've had guys intentionally try to hit back up the middle when their team was losing. I've taken linedrives off my thigh, whiz between my legs and knock my cap off.

This year, however, it felt different.

Going into the first game of the year, I was worried about getting injured. Hell, I was scared. That was new. That was unexpected.

At first, I thought turning 40 triggered some new "Be careful" mode. Then, I wondered if I wasn't subliminally worried about getting hurt while Jen was pregnant. I couldn't figure it out. So I did what every guy does in that situation, I told myself to quit being a baby and go for it. I can protect myself if another rocket comes at me.

Through three games over two nights, no line drives yet. Only two more months to go.

RIP LeRoi Moore

As y'all know, Jen and I are big Dave Matthews Band fans. The band's saxophonist died tonight.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dave Matthews Band saxophone player LeRoi Moore, one of the group's founding members and a key part of its eclectic jazz-infused sound, died Tuesday from sudden complications stemming from injuries he sustained in an all-terrain vehicle accident in June. He was 46.

Moore died at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, according to a statement released on the band's Web site. The statement did not specify what led to his death.

Moore was initially hospitalized in late June after the accident on his farm outside Charlottesville, Va. He was later discharged and had recently returned to his Los Angeles home to begin a physical rehabilitation program when complications forced him back to the hospital on July 17, the band said.

Galina Shinder, a nursing supervisor at Hollywood Presbyterian, said the hospital could not release any details.

Ambrosia Healy, the band's publicist, said the band's show Tuesday night in Los Angeles was not canceled. Saxophonist Jeff Coffin, who played with Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, had been sitting in for Moore during the band's summer tour.

Moore, who liked to wear his trademark dark sunglasses at the bands' live concerts, had classical training but said jazz was his main musical influence, according to a biography on the band's Web site.

"But at this stage I don't really consider myself a jazz musician," Moore said in the biography. Playing with the Dave Matthews Band was "almost better than a jazz gig," he said. "I have plenty of space to improvise, to try new ideas."

Lead singer Dave Matthews credited Moore with arranging many of his songs, which combine Cajun fiddle-playing, African-influenced rhythms and Matthews' playful but haunting voice.

The band formed in 1991 in Charlottesville, Va., when Matthews was working as a bartender. He gave a demo tape of his songs to Moore, who liked what he heard and recruited his friend and fellow jazzman Carter Beauford to play drums, and other musicians.

The group broke out of the local music scene with the album "Under the Table and Dreaming." The band won a Grammy Award in 1997 for its hit song "So Much to Say" off its second album "Crash." Other hits include "What Would You Say," "Crash Into Me" and "Satellite."

The band won't be the same without him.

I've always wanted to be a rancher

So maybe I should look into getting a mini-cow ...

Just right for the garden: a mini-cow

Think about it, all the free milk Jimmie Jo can drink, fertilizer for my tomato plants and I won't have to mow the yard. Sure, the mooing might get annoying, but who'll be able to hear that over a baby crying?

Meet our daughter

The original plan was to upload video of today's ultrasound. But the tech screwed up the DVD, so we don't have any video.

However, we do have photos.

No, I won't be one of those parents who foist pictures of their kids on everybody. But, hey, it's our first photo of our first child. This was taken right before she started sucking her thumb.



Most importantly, the ultrasound revealed all is right inside the womb. Everything looks normal, which is all we really cared about.

And, NO, we won't be telling you her name. She'll hear her own name before any of y'all do. We have to have some secrets during this process.

How'd you spend your Sunday?

I spent mine on my knees, installing laminate, engineered, composite, imitation hardwood flooring in the den. It sucked.




Once I got a few rows installed, it actually got easier. The problem was the weather. I was using a jigsaw to cut boards, but it started raining Sunday afternoon. Since I didn't want sawdust all over the house, I was doing it outside. The rain put a kibosh on that.

So I thought I'd finish it up Monday morning, but it kept raining.

Hopefully, I'll get it finished before too long.

Oh, and what was Jen doing while I was working?

I am stylish

Remember that earlier post about shorts and a blazer?



Yeah, I wore that Saturday night to Rolando's for Angie's birthday dinner. I was stylin' and profilin'. And didn't get any odd looks (except from Steve, Jason and Nash).

Nike does good commercials

I'm not a fan of the NBA, so I'm not that interested in the USA Olympic basketball team.

That said, NIke put out one hell of a commercial for the team by using Marvin Gaye's National Anthem from the 1983 NBA All-Star Game as the soundtrack.

Olympic guilt

I love the Olympics. I think it started watching Bruce Jenner winning the decathlon in the 1976 Olympics. (How sad is it that young people only know him as the step-father to the Kar-dazzz-ian family?)

But I'm conflicted with the Beijing Olympics.

By watching, am I kinda, sorta turning a blind eye to the genocide in Tibet, slave-labor factories, restrictions on dissidents and heavy restrictions on journalists? Or, as some foreign experts suggest, will the Olympics help to foster change in China by exposing the nation to the rest of the world?

Of course, the biggest problem will be the time difference. Beijing is 13 hours ahead of East Coast time. So all the good events (aka live and not the sappy features done by NBC) will be happening in the middle of the night.

Years ago, I'd have just stayed up all night watching. During the last Summer Games, Jen and I stayed up until 5 a.m. one night watching canoeing. Not whitewater canoeing, but flatwater. And some crew events. It rocked.

But I'm too old for that these days.

What do y'all think?

Earlier this summer, I saw an article in Esquire about wearing shorts with a blazer. I thought it looked pretty cool (full disclosure: I was a hardcore preppy once upon a time) and have even considered trying it. But only once the temperature drops below 90. No way am I putting on any sort of coat when it's 104.

Now, the NYT has an article about the trend ...

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/31/fashion/31shorts.html?_r=3&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=slogin




So am I crazy? Would I look unbelievably stupid dressed like that?

Should you drink with your kids?

Interesting article in Time (and it even has an Arkansas connection) about ways to prevent binge drinking in teens by letting parents drink with them ... kind of the way it's done in foreign countries.

Our friend Mark once told Jennifer and I about letting his two children drink as they were growing up. His son asked for a beer at 12 or 13 and he let him have one, thinking that if he drank it around his parents it wouldn't be a big deal once he got older. Sounds like Mark was right ...

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1816475,00.html

Pubs in peril

I miss going to Papa's. But it's not high beer prices keeping me away, it's the smoke. Not the case in jolly ole England ...

LONDON (AP) — Raise a pint to the old British pub: Dark-paneled, fixed on the English landscape — and, more than ever these days, empty.

Beer sales in British pubs have slumped to their lowest level since the Great Depression, including a 10 percent drop in pints drawn in just the past year, an industry group said Monday.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hNk_VoQeywApudn_ScR4rJB3VrLgD9273BU01

Avoid the ham

On Sunday, I spent the evening puking, thanks to a case of food poisoning.

Through a process of elimination, the culprit had to be a piece of lunch meat I had on a wrap.

Deep down, I think Jen was a little glad I got sick. After all, she's been dealing with morning sickness for a few weeks now. She was probably glad I was the one with my head in the toilet instead of her.

I hate the previous owner of our house

With the baby en route, the den is going to go from the man room/PS3 haven to an office and (eventually) playroom. We didn't want the old lousy carpet out there, so I'm going to rip it out and install hardwood flooring out there.

After Thursday night, I decided to get a jump on pulling up the carpet out in the den. Mainly, I wanted to see how difficult it is going to be and check the condition of the old garage floor. It didn't take long for things to get complicated. Why? Because of this ...




Yep, that's right. Parquet flooring underneath the carpet. Flooring that's in pretty good shape.

So now do we just go with that or put hardwood down on top of it?

UPDATE: All the old carpet is gone, as are the two (2) carpet pads that were underneath. What I thought was a wooden floor underneath turned out to be some sort of tile, laid directly on the cement garage floor.

And Peppas thought the Cowboy was wild

Chicks kissing at the Cowboy in Fort Smith don't compare to this ...

ATHENS (Reuters) - Nine British women were facing prostitution charges after being arrested at the weekend for taking part in an oral sex competition in the Greek holiday island of Zakynthos, police said on Monday.

Six British and six Greek men, including two bar owners, were also charged in the incident, which took place at Laganas beach in the south of the Ionian island, which lies off the west coast of mainland Greece, police said.

The women, who came to the popular resort on holiday, had been paid to take part in the competition, which was video recorded and was to be posted on the Internet, police said.

The men were charged with encouraging obscene behavior.

In recent years, Laganas has established itself as one of Greece's most popular destinations for twenty-something holidaymakers and is known for its wild party scene.

Around 15 million people -- a fifth of them British -- visit the eastern Mediterranean country each year, drawn by its soaring summer temperatures, azure waters and sandy beaches.

http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN1441724120080714?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews

8

As most of y'all know, today is my wedding anniversary. Of course, given the amount of alcohol consumed at the reception (you know who you are), perhaps you don't remember July 15, 2000, all that well.

Anyway, I just wanted to thank Jen for eight great years of marriage. Every day I'm thankful you came into my life.

I love you.

(This counts as a card, right? Or do I still need to run to the Hallmark shop?)

Another Squad vacation ends

Well, OK, it wasn't really a vacation since Jen and I were sleeping in our own bed. But it was still good to see some of the usual suspects.

It was a typical reunion. Lots of laughter and love with some beer and pizza for good measure.

Highlights of the three-day weekend included:

• Peppas rolling into town with a keg of Yuengling (the best American beer you'll ever taste) for the party and several cases to tide us over for a few months.

• Brown's laughter turning into a wheezing fit.

• Dr. Kevin (Sacramento's top-rated relationship expert who is on air from 4-7 p.m.) telling our waitress from Varsity she should dump her boyfriend, and giving solid reasons why she should.

• Watching somebody struggle through a fierce hangover on Saturday.

• The hilarity of CZ's dad and uncle at the shower on Saturday night.

• Staying up late so I could be sure to wake Sean up off the couch, so he could wake Tammy up so she could be at the Tulsa airport by 6 a.m. on Sunday

• The surprise baby shower at Calico County.

• Nash being the first out and me second out in an impromptu poker tournament Sunday night, while Peppito and Mrs. Nash split the $80 pot.

• Sitting up with Brownie and Kevin until 3 a.m. on Sunday night/Monday morning, at which point they and Samantha left for the Tulsa airport. Good talk, fellas. Good talk.

Wish the Martins could have made it. Wish SK could have made it as well. Maybe next time we'll be able to get everybody together.

Matt Jones busted

Not pot, but felony cocaine possession.

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/breaking/news-article.aspx?storyid=113418&catid=17

Guess Jen won't be wearing that Jaguars' jersey this fall, because he'll get cut by Jacksonville after this. But, on the bright side for Steve and Brownie, with a felony arrest Jones is now eligible to play for the Dallas Cowboys.

Borat was in Fort Smith

Seems mixed martial arts will be skewered in his next movie ...

In Fort Smith, the city's convention center hosted "Blue Collar Brawlin"' the next night. Fort Smith police Sgt. Adam Holland said 18 off-duty police officers provided security at the event.

During preparations, Holland said organizers told him a character named "Straight Dave" would goad a planted audience member into the ring for a fight. The two men would then wrestle, rip away some of their clothes and share a brief kiss reminiscent of one between Baron Cohen and Will Ferrell in the film "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby."

Producers said "there would be a romantic embrace," Holland said. "They said it was kind of to essentially make fun, poke fun at wrestling - two guys rolling around on the floor, all sweaty."

Instead, an elaborate array of mounted and handheld videocameras caught the crowd of 1,600's reaction as the two men "went right up to the line" of the city's morality laws, Holland said. The two men stripped down to their underwear, kissed and rubbed on each other, the sergeant said.

The audience, as well as local fighters drawn to take part in the show, became enraged.

"It set the crowd off lobbing beers," Holland said. "They had beers in plastic cups. Those things can get some distance on them actually."

Holland said it took officers about 45 minutes to clear the convention center, as the two actors sprinted away through a specially set-aside tunnel.

Those in attendance were told by several signs on display that they'd be filmed, Holland said, and signed waivers before the event.

http://news.aol.com/story/_a/fake-ark-bouts-showing-men-kissing-draw/n20080707181609990001?ecid=RSS0001

I might be sick

The storied Pittsburgh Steelers football franchise has been secretly shopped to potential buyers amid continuing divisions among the five sons of the team's founder, Art Rooney Sr.

http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB121546397767833575-lMyQjAxMDI4MTA1NzQwNjczWj.html

I'll now curl up in the fetal position under my desk and cry.

Steelers again dominate the NFL

Dan Rooney is voted the owner with the best reputation in the league ...

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=williamson_bill&id=3424282

While Hines Ward was voted the smartest non-QB offensive player in the league ...

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=williamson_bill&id=3429516

A post I never expected to make

It's July 1. And I'm freaking freezing to death.

It's one of the side effects of Jen's pregnancy. She's hot, and constantly bumping the air down. Not because she's big, but because of the melange of hormones coursing through her body.

In the car, she cranks the air to the coldest setting and puts it on the second-most powerful setting. Normally, when we're in the car, I know to turn the air down after a few minutes because Jen gets cold. It's one of those little things that becomes a habit after 10 years of being with the same person. But now, when I do it out of habit, Jen immediately reaches back over and cranks it back up.

Now that we've got the new 3 1/2 ton air conditioner, we can crank that bad boy down to refrigerator-like levels of cold. Jen just went to bed and asked me to bump the air down. The thermostat read 75 when I walked up to it. So I had to lower it to 73 to get it to kick on.

So here in a few minutes, I'll crawl into bed and pull the comforter up to my neck. It's getting to the point that I've considered pulling my fleece pants and slippers out of the closet.

The joys of Jimmie Jo/Jimmy Joe

Jen puked not long ago, like 30 minutes or so.

This morning sickness is an odd thing. For one, I didn't realize it could happen at night, as you're going to bed. I mean, it's called "morning" sickness. Not "random times of the day" sickness.

Jen has gotten sick three times so far. I think that equals the number of times she puked in all the years prior to that.

Tonight was odd. She's laying on the couch and gets up for bed. When she does, she coughs. And that caused her to get sick.

Luckily, she got to the bathroom in time. Being the concerned husband, I dutifully stayed in the bathroom while she was heaving. Since her hair is too short to need to be held, I got a washcloth and rubbed her back.

Oddly, the sound of her getting sick didn't turn my stomach. Maybe I'm already psychologically adjusting to the future grossness I'll endure as a father.

(BTW, the names on this post are not in the running for actual names of the baby. When Jen and I would see kids acting up at the mall or at restaurants, we used to say "our kid won't do that." Eventually, we started using Jimmie Jo/Jimmy Joe as a way to refer to our future child, since depending on the spelling it can be a girl or boy.)

Tomatoes

First tomatoes of the season are ready.

A couple ripened while we were in St. Louis with the Martins, but now I'm getting two or three per day. Since this photo was taken, I've picked eight more organic beauties.

These are a little small (and a little green) compared to what's coming off the plants now. But they are firm and flavorful. I honestly don't know how people eat hothouse tomatoes out of season. They just have zero taste compared to what you get in the summer.

HVAC and the den

Sorry again for the lack of posts. It's been a busy week. Busier than I expected.

On Tuesday, the guys showed up with our new heat and central units. Our old AC unit was a Chrysler. The company quit making AC units in the mid-1970s, so it was time for a new one.

They also removed the old wall unit heater in the den and installed duct work out to that room. Previously, the man room (aka SK's suite) would be freezing in the winter and sweltering in the summer. But, now, with real windows, a wall and duct work it's an actual useable space.

The crew was four guys, one of which was a high-school or early-college age. He got the crappy job of crawling through the attic. As Nash can tell you, our attic is not a fun place to be on a summer day. I felt sorry for the kid.

I've got a new ceiling fan to install this weekend. And I've got to patch the hole where the wall heater was located. In a couple of weeks, the carpet comes up, paint and new flooring follows that.

RIP

First Jim McKay, then Fort Smith's Charlie Jones, then Tim Russert. That trifecta of announcers dying in a span of six days was a shock.

Sure, McKay and Jones were getting up there in years. But for those of us of a certain age, McKay and Jones were the voices we first associated with sports. Russert dying at 58(!) was even worse because 58 ain't old anymore.

And, now, the guy those of us of a certain age associate with standup comedy has died. I honestly don't remember the first time I saw or heard Carlin. It was probably during my teen years when I discovered how to jerry-rig the Atari attachment on the back of the TV to get scrambled HBO. But I do know I've always enjoyed his act, even when I didn't agree with all his views ...

Groupthink

The statewide Harley Owner's Group motorcycle rally is in Fort Smith this weekend. About 5,000 people are in town riding their Harleys all over the place.

Tonight at dinner, I pulled up to a light and four guys on motorcycles were in front of me. Three of them were riding the exact same motorcycle. You know the kind. They had stretched front-forks and were going for an "American Chopper" look. But beyond that, the paint scheme on each one was exactly the same. The fourth guy was the rebel of the group, he'd added some grip covers with black fringe to his chopper.

As I sat through the interminably long light, I started trying to think of a time when I'd ever drop $20,000 to $30,000 on an exact replica of something my buddies have. I mean, I understand the whole "Hey, let's all get motorcycles and ride them around together." That kind of seems like it could be fun. But not riding matching motorcycles. That seems odd.

Once upon a time, I wanted a Harley. I'm talking back in the 1980s before everybody's dentist and attorney had one. Now, however, I want a moped ... oh, I mean a scooter ... like a Vespa.

For one thing, it would save on gas. And, frankly, I think it'd be kind of fun. Though it would be difficult to strap a baby seat onto one.

Of course, if I get a moped these days I'll have to get one with working brakes. I don't own any Pony sneakers to use for Flintstone-style braking like I did on the moped I owned back in the early 1980s.

Back on the radio

After, what, about two or three years, I'm back on the radio. But not permanently.

One of the co-hosts of the morning show on ESPN 96.3 FM quit. Seeing an opportunity, I e-mailed the remaining host (and station manager) and offered to sit in with him. After all, a one-man radio show is boooooooooring for the listeners and the host.

It won't be a permanent deal. Tommy is getting a ton of great resumes. Some even from former ESPN producers and guys in big markets stuck doing late nights or weekends. Plus, I won't have much time for a second job here in a few months.

I started Wednesday, which meant I had to drag my sorry tail out of bed at 6 a.m. instead of the crack of 10 a.m. like usual.

Not fun. Not at all. I usually only wake up that early when I'm going hunting. And certainly not during a week when I'm at the office until 11 p.m. each night because my writers are covering All-Star Games in Fayetteville.

The heartbeat

Jen and I had a doctor's appointment yesterday.

(Yes, yes, I know she's the one who had the appointment but I plan on attending all of them so I think "we" had it.)

Anyway, we heard the baby's heartbeat for the first time.

Unlike on TVs and movies, it's not easy to find. The nurse kept having to move the sonar thingamajigger trying to locate Jimmy Joe/Jimmie Jo (our unofficial names for him/her). When she finally found it, it was faint. You really had to know what you're hearing to recognize it.

The nurse said the heartbeat was strong and fast (which is normal). She guessed it was around 150 bpm, which according to old wives' tales means the baby is a girl.

The coolest helmets in pro football history

Don't blame me for which helmet is No. 1. It's science, baby. And you can't argue with that.




http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Review-The-11-Coolest-Helmets-in-Pro-Football-H?urn=nfl,86651

DMB

Very likely won't get back to the blog for a week or so.

Jen and I are heading out of town to see the Dave Matthews Band in St. Louis. Naturally, we'll be crashing with the Martins.

After a few days there, we're heading down to Walnut Ridge to hang out with the in-laws for a couple of days.

When we get back, we've got some major home remodeling to start. And a complete replacement of our central heat and air units.

A belated happy birthday

Sean, I'm sorry I forgot to blog about your birthday. I should have.

So a happy belated birthday to my friend and yours Sean [redacted by the Secret Service].

As you know, Sean is a [redacted] who works for [redacted] in Washington D.C. But don't let his Capitol Hill gig fool you, Sean is good people, especially when he's not taunting me about the availability of Yuengling (a great beer), even though he roots for the Dallas Cowboys.

So next time you need a tour of [some building in D.C.], Sean is your man. He'll even work cheap, you just have to ply him with cold beers after the tour.

Cheers, Sean.

The Coming Energy Wars

Plant your gardens, buy a scooter and stock up on canned goods, because Goldman Sachs says we'll cross $200 a barrel oil within six to 24 months ...

http://www.newsweek.com/id/139395/output/print

So everybody knows, right?

About the news, that is. Y'all know about it now, don't you?

That explains the dearth of posts this month. I've been afraid of spilling the secret.

So now this blog, which was dedicated to my turning 40, has yet another reason to continue for the foreseeable future.

Tomato time

Those are my tomatoes. The first photo is from my cherry tomato plant. The second is from my tomato bush.

We've also got some bell peppers ...



And, of course, Jen's roses ...

I heart Keith Olbermann

No wonder the Yankees are in last place

There's a squirrel on the right field foul pole at Yankees Stadium!!!




This is not a good omen for the final season in the House that Ruth built.

Think gas prices are high now?

Just wait until 2010.

A leading oil expert said he expects $12 per gallon gas by then ...

http://www.businessandmedia.org/articles/2008/20080521145247.aspx

Yes, Peppas, I do think the Amish will own the nation. They're the only ones equipped to deal with the coming end of oil.

A quiz

Is this photo from ...

A. A concert
B. A political event

If you answered "B," you win.

That's from an Obama rally in Portland, Ore., this past weekend. Police and city officials estimated the crowd at 75,000.

Seventy-five thousand people to hear a politician speak!?! In 2008!?! That's impressive, no matter where you fall on the political spectrum.

Waste not, want not

Eye-opening story from the NYT on the amount of food Americans waste.

While there are food riots in some nations (not to mentions a lot of hungry people right here in the USA), about 27 percent of edible food winds up in landfills ...

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/18/weekinreview/18martin.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&pagewanted=all&oref=slogin