Auld Lang Syne

Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we'll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?
And here's a hand, my trusty friend
And gie's a hand o' thine
We'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne



Happy New Year everyone!

It Must Be A Blonde Thing

This picture was taken at the Prefontaine Classic this year during the Women's 1500. Christin Worth stayed on her feet and went on to win the race. Don't tell me that "Blonde" jokes are not legit at times.

I am sorry, but that is funny.






(click picture to enlarge)

3000 Hits

Thank you for helping me join this exclusive club.

Player
Hits
Pete Rose
4256
Ty Cobb
4191
Hank Aaron
3771
Stan Musial
3630
Tris Speaker
3514
Carl Yastrzemski
3419
Cap Anson
3418
Honus Wagner
3415
Paul Molitor
3319
Eddie Collins
3315
Willie Mays
3283
Eddie Murray
3255
Nap Lajoie
3242
Cal Ripken, Jr.
3184
George Brett
3154
Paul Waner
3152
Robin Yount
3142
Tony Gwynn
3141
Dave Winfield
3110
Rickey Henderson
3055
Rod Carew
3053
Lou Brock
3023
Rafael Palmeiro †
3018
Wade Boggs
3010
Al Kaline
3007
Roberto Clemente
3000

http://tcbastron.blogspot.com
3000

Merry Christmas Everyone

1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And everyone went to his own town to register.

4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Luke 2:1-20 (NIV)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+2:1-20

Office Christmas Party

Today is our office Christmas party. Christmas parties are funny things. I would like to hear about other Christmas party stories, so tell me yours. Go.

TV Shows

I have a few TV shows that I really like to watch. My wife and I have our schedule through the week. Usually Monday night we watch Prison Break. That show has been very good, and we are eagerly awaiting the new season starting in March. We love Survivor, American Idol, Nip/Tuck, The Apprentice, and a few others.

Last night was the season finale of Nip/Tuck. We have been waiting all season to find out who "The Carver" is. It was a great ending with a lot of big twists. Here is the moment that "The Carver" was unmasked. http://myspace.com/thecarver He had just attacked Dr. Sean and was about to do damage. It was intense. Come to find out, there were 2 people involved in the whole "Carver" identity.

One of my favorite TV moments of the year though comes from the show The Apprentice. If you don't watch the show, you should know that if a team wins a challenge they are given a reward. The men's team had won a day in the recording studio with Wyclef. Here is the clip. It is classic. If you don't laugh, you are not human.
http://www.tvgasm.com/archives/the_apprentice/001329.php

More Cowbell

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Highlights From My Weekend

This weekend was filled with a lot of Christmas shopping. The malls were crazy, with people running everywhere. It is always funny to watch the men in the malls. They just look like zombies walking around. They have this blank stare that is like no other. It makes me laugh. The weekend went by too quickly, but there were a few highlights. Here they are.

1. As my wife and I were exiting one of the malls and entering the car garage I noticed that there was a huge fight going on between some of the cars. It was 8 girls fighting, and 4 girls were beating the crap out of 4 smaller girls. Two girls had a girl down on the cement and were stomping her head into the cement while the other girl was beating her with a high heel shoe. I noticed everyone was just standing there, so I ran over into the middle of complete chaos. I threw the 2 girls off of the one that was getting her head stomped. I then ran over to help a girl who was being pulled down the cement by her hair. The girl pulled the extensions straight out of the girls head. It was out of control. The girls kept just attacking these girls as I am trying to pull them apart. The fight continued down the garage. Three of the girls had been maced and were bleeding.
The girls that had beaten the poo out of the other girls ran to their car and started to get away. Just then a security guard came down and got in front of the car as it was leaving. The girl bumped the guys leg as she tried to get away. She then backed up and sped away. The other girls just lay there crying and bleeding. It was a wild time.

2. My fantasy football team the Prague Tologists won their playoff game. I am now on to the semifinals, where I will play my step brother Brian. We will see how that game goes.

3. Time for the newest baby update...We are in week 28 and 89 days to go until the due date. Here is the latest development with the baby.

The baby has grown 1/2 inch in just 7 days. The baby's muscle tone is gradually improving. Its hands can grip with some strength now. By now, the baby's body is composed of 2-3 percent body fat.
The baby's growing steadily as it prepares for its grand entrance. This week the baby weighs almost 2 pounds and measures about 14.4 inches from the top of its head to the bottom of its feet. The baby is acting more like a newborn now, opening and closing its eyes, sleeping and waking at regular intervals, and maybe sucking a finger. The baby may also be hiccupping, which you can notice as little rhythmic sensations in the belly.

89 days and counting...I am pumped.

This Just In!

I just wanted to update everyone on an emergency news flash. This morning I went and looked in the mirror and I noticed something horrible. I HAVE 2 FRICKIN GREY CHEST HAIRS. I am ruined. I am old.

I will have something else to post soon, but I just needed to get that off of my chest. LITERALLY.

Who Will Be The Next Apprentice?

Rebecca
OR
Randal


That is the question?
What do you think?

He's No Costas or Cosell

You've got to see this. This is hilarious. I am sure this guy had aspirations of being on ESPN someday or FOX Sports, but I don't know if he is going to make it. This is horrible. It actually hurts.

Sports Announcer

(Make sure you wait for the commercial to end)

Jim Rome

Jim Rome is one of my favorite talk show hosts. He knows a lot about sports and is super funny. I think he would be a great guy to hang out with and have a beer with. I have not been able to listen to his show for some time now because we can't pick it up out at our office. It really bums me out.

You either hate Jim Rome or you love him, but if you give him time he will grow on you. He is in your face, has some hilarious takes, and takes some abuse for his So. Cal flavor. For instance check this out...

http://www.frankcaliendo.com/foxsports/index.php?loadclip=week2
(wait for the clip, it is after the commercial)

Who Is The Carver?

Who is the Carver? This question has been bugging me for some time now, and I am growing impatient. For those of you that watch Nip/Tuck, you know exactly what I am talking about. For months now we have all been trying to figure out who this slasher is. Is it Christian? Is it Sean? Matt? Quentin?

I used to think it was Quentin, but I am not sold on that anymore. I think The Carver is Matt. Matt has been getting a little scary, and I think he has some severe anger built up. I could be wrong, but that is who my money is on.

Who do you think The Carver is? Why?

If you don't watch Nip/Tuck, you really should.

Can I Help You?

On August 27th of this year my great friend Chris got married. It was a great day. He and Amanda had a lovely wedding. Amanda looked beautiful and Chris looked smooth as usual. It was a great time of seeing old friends, telling and hearing great stories, having good beer and cigars, but most of all celebrating Chris and Amanda's wedding day. There were many great moments, but one really stands out.

On the day of the wedding a few of the groomsmen(Ben, Dan, and I) took Chris to get a few products we thought he may need for the evening. As we strolled the aisles trying not to draw a lot of attention to ourselves, we neared the needed products. Ben and Sife were kind of hanging back a few rows for some reason, but I was sticking by Hags at this important time. I mean, he was just about to invest in some fun products for his evening ahead. Just as we are entering the aisle we needed, the pharmacy clerk says, "Can I help you?" At the top of his lungs Chris responded, "Yeah, I am looking for some KY Jelly."

I swear that at that moment Target must have been dead silent, because Chris's voice literally echoed through the store. You could hear Sife and Ben start laughing. It was a great moment. Chris stood there looking at all of the enticing products just thinking about the fun he would have only hours from that moment. He looked like a kid in a candy shop. He gathered his products, we headed to the checkout, and we headed out.

It is a story that will be told for years to come.

Fellas, I know you are out there. Any additions to this story would be welcomed.

Baby Countdown

Today is a big day. Today marks 100 days until our baby's due date. Brittany and I are expecting a baby on March 18, 2006. We are very excited and can hardly wait for that day to come.

I feel as though I should have been writing about how my baby is developing. There are amazing changes that are occurring every day. So I have decided to start a countdown giving brief descriptions of the baby's development. So here is a run down of what has gone on in the last couple days.

Over the next four days, brain activity will begin in the baby's visual and auditory systems. The sensory systems are developing the kind of connections with the brain that will be useful for interpreting input after birth. While the presence of brain wave activity indicates that the baby has encountered a light source or that the baby's ears have intercepted a sound message, no comprehension is possible yet. This system needs practice just like all of the others.
By this time, eyebrows and eyelashes are usually present. Over the next couple days, the baby's fingernails will become noticeable.

This is all too cool. I will keep everyone updated. It is 100 days and counting, and it could be earlier. I am pumped.

Christmas Music

Every year around this time my wife and I purchase a new Christmas album. We have not purchased an album this year and I am looking for some advice as to what album to get.

Right now at work I am listening to the Beach Boys Ultimate Christmas. The Beach Boys can always brighten your day.I would like to hear from everyone as to what Christmas album they suggest.Talk to me.

It Is Cold Outside

Today I woke up and there was snow on the ground. This is the first time for St. Louis this year. I am not a big fan of snow, and I really don't like the cold. Right now I wish I was on the beach in St. Martin. Oh, how nice that would be.

Sometimes when life is really stressing me out, I close my eyes and go to the places that Brittany and I went on our honeymoon in St. Martin. The beaches, the restaurants, and the sunsets.

Calgon take me away.

EA Sports NCAA Football 2006

This last weekend I finally purchased EA Sports NCAA Football 2006. The game is everything that I hoped it would be. It is by far one of the best sports games I have ever played. I started a franchise, and I have chosen to go with the Rutgers University. Don't ask me why, I was just up for the challenge.

If you are out there and you have this game, please write and tell me what your favorite aspects of the games are and what team you like to be. I am also always looking for other good games so if you know of some please let me know.

Easy Like Sunday Morning

Today was a good day. It was a relaxing Sunday afternoon. Brittany and I went to church this morning. We had a guest worship leader. He did a great job. Pastor Jeff gave a great message once again. He is a very gifted leader and teacher.

After church we went out to a huge pumpkin patch and looked at pumpkins and some other fun stuff. Lots of cute little kids out there, and made me even more excited to be a dad here in few months.

After checking out the pumpkins we were off to lunch. We ate at Bahama Breeze. We had some calamari and split a Cuban sandwich. It was really good, but it jacked my stomach up.

From 3-6 pm I watch some NFL. The Broncos won again so that was a good thing and as of right now my fantasy football team is up by 21 points. I should win this week unless Carson Palmer has a huge game.

We just got back from a 3 mile walk. It was a good walk. The air is nice and crisp and it was good to get some exercise. I am off now to enjoy my last few hours of the day before I have to go to sleep. Then it is up and off to work again. Uugh.

Late.

I'm Back and Starting Out Slow

After being called out by my boy Hags I knew that I must return to my blog. I knew that I was letting people down. Every day I hear from people that they are upset with me because I have not posted anything for a long time. So I am starting up again. However, I have to take it slow or I feel as though I might pull something. So here it goes.

Tonight my wife and I ate Chinese food at a new Chinese restaurant. I had Kung Pao chicken and my wife had Sweet and Sour chicken. The food was excellent and I would encourage everyone to check it out. The name of the restaurant is Hunan King in Winghaven.

That is it for now. I can feel myself getting worn out. More to come later. I promise.

Tell all your friends, I am back.

Out.

Fueling Up

We all know that gas prices are out of control. We could all go on and on I am sure. However, let me tell you what really ticks me off. Not only are they getting a ton of my money at the pump now, but they are getting more than they should.

I have noticed that at least 3/4 of the places I fill up have a little scam going on and it really pisses me off. It is not a huge thing, but it adds up. It goes a little something like this.

I grab the pump and I begin to fuel. I watch the numbers, and before the gallons counter has even budged and before I have been given one drop of fuel, the price gauge already has me at about 5 to 7 cents. It is really starting to get to me.

Holla if you hear me.

Guess Who's Back

Yes, I'm back. Back again. Guess who's back? Tell a friend.

I am sorry it has been so long since I have written anything. My life has been crazy. Work is very busy, but that is a good thing. When I get home I don't really feel like getting near a computer.

I just wanted to let everyone know all is well. Brittany is doing well. She is in her 8th week of pregnancy. Our due date is March 18, which is very cool because that is my birthday.

My boy Hags gets married in two weeks, so I am pumped for that. It is going to be a good time in Des Moines.

Well, that is it for now. I will talk to you all later.
I will be looking for all of you in the comment section. I need some inspirtation. Give me some requests on what you'd like to hear from me and I will write about it.

Out.

Buffalo WIngs

I love buffalo wings and I have really been craving them lately. One of the things on my agenda today is to go somewhere and get some really good wings. I like my wings really hot. I am a ranch guy as well. Keep that nasty blue cheese away from me.

What do you all like with your wings? Ranch? Blue Cheese? Nothing?
Do you like them really spicy or just mild?

All I know is that I am eating some wings today. Gotta have them.

Out.

Big Annoucement!!!

Boo

My friend Boo came to visit us today. Boo lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado now and is a teacher. Boo used to play bass in my worship band back in Minneapolis. He is a great guy and I have not seen him in a couple years.

We had some mexicxan food that my wife made, along with some margaritas. They were good. We talked about life, and thought about old times. It was a great day.

Here is to good friends.

Trip To France

Today one of the guys in my office was talking about what he would do if he knew the world was about to end. His answer reminded me of a story.

I had just graduated from high school. My mom being the very nice person she is had given me a trip to France for 3 weeks as a gift. A few people from my high school and some other students from a local high school were going on the trip as well. This was my first experience with traveling over seas, so I was a little nervous.

Don't get me wrong, I love traveling, but anytime you are in the air that long, and over that much water, your mind can play tricks on you. The plane was huge. People all around me were discussing the fun things they were going to do once they got to Paris. The air was full of excitement. That is when I decided to break the ice with the girl sitting next to me.

Her name was Jamie, and she had just graduated from high school. She was a very pretty , and I was very glad she was sitting next to me. The plane turned and readied itself for takeoff. That is when I spoke.

I turned to Jamie who was sitting on my left and said, "Jamie, I know you don't know me, but that doesn't matter. I need to tell you something. We are going to be in the air for a long time, and we are going to be over a lot of water. If at anytime the pilot comes on and says we are going down or we need to make an emergency landing, YOU AND ME ARE GOING TO HAVE SEX BECAUSE I AM NOT GOING OUT LIKE A SUCKER."

She looked at me like she was scared out of her mind. She did not say a word. The plane blasted down the run and took off. As soon as the plane signal came on that it was alright to move, Jamie got up and moved. She never returned to her seat. Not once.

Was I smooth or what?

Good Times Ahead

Well, I just got back from losing another softball game. Our team is pretty poor. Somehow we find a way to lose every game. It is quite amazing.

Well enough of that. I have a lot to look forward to. I actually have Friday off, and my wife and I are going on vacation to celebrate our anniversary that was June 14. It will be a nice 4 day weekend. Relaxation, here I come.

After we get back, I have some other great stuff happening in my life. Brittany's mom, and one of her sisters are coming to visit us for a couple days. It will be a great time. We don't get to see Brittany's family often, so it is always a real treat to see them and spend time with them. I am really blessed to have married into their family.

The day Brittany's mom and sis leave, Brittany's other sister Echo is coming to visit. Echo's husband Brian will also be coming. Brian is a great guy. Him and I have a lot of fun together. We are a lot alike, and also can talk about how life is being married to a Mellott girl. Brian will be playing in a golf tournament with me, so that will be fun.

That brings me to more fun news. My sister and her husband will also be coming down to hang in St. Louis the same weekend. Javier and Stephanie are great and miss them. They live in Iowa so it will be great to see them as well. My sister Stephanie is the bomb, and she married a stud in Javier. Javier will also being playing in the tournament with us.

Last, but not least my boy Hags will also be joining us here in St. Louis for the tournament. Enough can not be said about my boy Hags. He is the man, and I miss hanging with him. Chris is actually getting married in August to a wonderful girl, her name is Amanda. Hags will be rounding out our foursome for the tourney, and is also our strongest player.

If you are wondering what tournament, I am glad you asked. This will be the 2nd annual Gregg Enderle Memorial. My step brother Gregg died a few years back of a heart attack at a very young age. His brother have started up this golf tournament that raises money for the American Heart Association. It was a great tourney this year, and looks to be far better this year. The tournament is July 9th. If you would like to play in it or donate to the foundation, please let me know as soon as possible. It would be great to have you play or have you donate.

Well, that is it for now. I have to go pack. I am very excited about my next week and a half.
Later.

Today Was A Pretty Good Day

Today was a pretty good day. Work went fairly well. One of our customers is probably going to be giving us a ton of business before the holiday, so things will probably be crazy this week. Today while I was at work I got to watch my friends discuss how they believe Billy Graham has some whacked theology, and how one of my friends will no longer give his ministry anymore money because Graham said he was a democrat. I have never seen the quotes, so I can't comment on it myself, but I would be disappointed to find out Billy was a democrat.

After work I grilled some steaks, and I must admit tonight was one of my better efforts. They were very good. My wife and I then discussed our plans for this weekend, and what we would like to do. We will be in the Ozarks this weekend at the Tantara resort. We are very excited. We have never been there before, and we have heard great things. We shall see.

That is it for now. I only have an hour or so before bed, so I am going to read. Have a good night everyone.

HOT!

It is so hot outside. You walk outside for two seconds and you are sweating. The humidity in St. Louis is out of control. I'm going to sit by my pool now. I need a cold beer.

Later.

Still Alive

Some people have been asking if I am still alive because I have not posted anything for some time. I am still alive. Everyone can now quit being so worried.

Word to all my peeps.

Attention Ladies!

Attention ladies! You may be able to fool us guys, but you can't fool everyone. Shame on you for even trying. Check this article out.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/HEALTH/06/20/fertility.orgasm.reut/index.html

You really wouldn't fake, would you?

Iowa Hawkeye Recruit

This kid is an Iowa Hawkeye Recruit. He is a junior in high school. Right now his first choice is the Iowa Hawkeyes. He plays safety, weighs 203 lbs, stands 5'11, and was clocked at 4.5 in the 40. Look out for the Iowa Hawkeyes.

This info comes to me from my friend Sife. He is a Hawk fanatic.

Iowa Hawkeye Recruit

Would You Rather #2

Would you rather have the ability to fly or the ability to be invisible?

Would You Rather

Would you rather have your body covered in scales or have your body covered in fur?

Anniversary #2

Today is my second anniversary. I remember two years ago watching my wife come down the aisle. She was beautiful. It has been a great year. We have both learned a lot about each other, and ourselves. Brittany is more beautiful to me than she was two years ago. Her smile and laugh makes me smile. Her laugh gives me energy and reminds me to not be so serious all the time. Her eyes still melt me. She is my melody and my harmony, all in one.

I love my wife.

Verdict

Michael Jackson was cleared on all counts. What do you all think? Was this a fair decision? Give me your takes.

Michael Jackson Verdict

The Michael Jackson verdict will be read 3:30 pm CST. Give me your call. Guilty or Not Guilty?

GO!

Toys

The other day in my office we were discussing some of the great toys we had a children. This made me wonder what other favorite toys were out there. Here are my top 5. They are not in any order.

1. Super Jock http://www.bigredtoybox.com/cgi-bin/toynfo.pl?jockindex
2. Roger Staubach Quarterback Machine
3. Rock'em Sock'em robots http://www.playthingspast.com/mtrocsocrobo.html
4. Stars Wars (my ships, action figures, Death Star...)
5. Electric Football http://shop.store.yahoo.com/dmart2/nflelfootbym.html

Safe Drivers

On May 27 I had a post titled "Who Are The Worst Drivers". In that post I commented on how people were always dogging me because I am from Iowa, and talking about how bad Iowa drivers are.

Here in just another article proving everyone wrong. The Iowa driving jokes can stop now.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/06/07/safe.driving.ap/index.html

2 in the top 10. Not too bad.

One Of Many Reasons

Here is a horrible story. This story is an example of one of the many reasons why my children would never attend a day care.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/06/07/van.death.ap/index.html

Is This A Great Country Or What?

It doesn't get any better than this: Jessie Jackson has added former Chicago Democrat congressman Mel Reynolds to Rainbow/PUSH Coalition's payroll. Reynolds was among the 176 criminals excused in President Clinton's last-minute forgiveness spree. Reynolds received a commutation of his six-and-a-half-year federal sentence for 15 convictions of wire fraud, bank fraud and lies to the Federal Election Commission. He is more notorious, however, for concurrently serving five years for sleeping with an underage campaign volunteer. This is a first in American politics: An ex-congressman who had sex with a subordinate .. won clemency from a president who had sex with a subordinate... then was hired by a clergyman who had sex with a subordinate. His new job? Youth counselor. IS THIS A GREAT COUNTRY OR WHAT?

Just Got Back

I just got back from golfing, and let me tell you how good it feels to be in the air conditioning. It is a hot one today. I shot a 98. Not great, but not too bad. At least I am getting better. It was a nice looking course.

Luna Bar

I have a question. I eat a lot of Luna Bars for breakfast. Now a Luna Bar is what they call a "Whole Nutrition Bar for Women". Do you think this is doing something crazy to my body? Is my chest going to start growing or something? What does this all really mean?

Talk to me.

Great Advice

I am approaching my 2nd wedding anniversary on June 14th. Being married is a great thing, especially if you are married to a woman as great as my wife. Marriage is something you really have to work at, but it is a great thing.

I love the advice that this old couple gives. Check out this story. This is what I call "living life together". Awesome.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050601/ap_on_fe_st/britain_record_marriage_1

Baby Names

My wife and I like to talk about baby names. In fact, we believe that we have come up with some great names for our babies if we have them some day. No, I can't tell you the names. They may be names that people like or they may not be. However, my wife and I don't really care. The one thing I do know is that our names will be better than Dee Brown's baby. Check this out.

ESPN's NBA analyst Dee Brown's wife is expected to give birth next month and they officially have taken the crown as the biggest Star Wars geeks in America. You see, the Browns have decided to name their baby boy, Anakin Walker Brown after the Star Wars character who becomes Darth Vader. Dee, from all of us, we're thrilled about the baby. Can't wish you and your wife more good luck and best wishes, but why name your kid Anakin Brown? What JarJar Binks wasn't available? What other names do you have to go through before you stop on Anakin? What did you skip over General Grievous or Lando? Were there no other Star Wars names you could select from? You can rip the people who dress up and wait for weeks in line, but when you name your kid Anakin you've crossed that unspeakable line.

After reading this story I have thought that maybe I am missing out on an upcoming trend, so I thought of some names for my future child.

1. Freddy Krueger Bastron (Nightmare On Elm Street)
2. Godzilla Bastron
3. Michael Meyers Bastron (Halloween)
4. Al Davis Bastron (Raider's Owner)
5. Lex Luthor Bastron (Superman)

I just want my kid to have a great name. With these names I feel like my kid would have something to shoot for. I have to give a big two thumbs down to Dee Brown and his baby name choices.

Thoughts?

Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day everyone. Remember to give thanks for what many people have done for us.

Get your grill on!

Who Are The Worst Drivers?

The office I work in gives me a lot of heat because I have lived in Iowa. I also take heat because I lived in Minneapolis. All I hear is "St. Louis is the greatest", or "Missouri is the most superior state" or most of the time "Iowa sucks". These comments range from everything to how girls look, sports teams, or many other things.

I mostly hear about how the Missouri Tigers would beat the Iowa Hawkeyes in football. After a comment like this is made you can usually find me with my head on my desk with tears rolling down my cheeks because I am laughing so hard. The poster that sits above my desk right now is not a popular poster. It is a sign reading "Missouri Football, We'll play ANYONE (that we think we can beat)". The picture behind this statement is a big chicken with an M on its chest. This poster has not gone over well to say the least.

Well, I just came across this article and I thought I would post it. This article once again shows that Iowa or Minnesotat are not inferior states. In fact it appears to be quite the opposite. Now don't get me wrong, I love St. Louis. It is a great city, with great people. I am merely posting this to "educate" my fellow workers.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/AUTOS/05/26/drivers_study/index.html

http://money.cnn.com/2005/05/27/Autos/test_scores/index.htm

I tend to disagree with Wisconsin being ranked so high. I have live in Eau Claire, and they are by far the worst and dumbest drivers I have ever seen.

Laura Bush

I like Laura Bush a lot. I think she is a classy woman, who carries herself very well. She is a pretty woman, and appears to have a great sense of humor. Is she possibly one of the best First Ladies we have ever had? Why or why not?

1000 Hits

I have reached 1000 hits for my blog site. I just wanted to thank all of you who have made me who I am today. This is a big day for me. I'd like to thank the academy, my parents, and my wife. My wife has stood by me and my blog through all of the hard times. Thanks for your patience and all of your support.

I will remember this day forever.

This Is A Must Hear

Today as I was trying to call one of our clients I accidentally dialed a wrong number. You must here the answering machine of this number. It is beautiful. Here is the number. Dial it now!
1.870.413.1377

I need comments on what you think.

Late,
Tim

Conspiracy Theories

Today we had a guy in our office who had some serious stories. This guy is a "name dropper". He is also so full of stories, you could sit and listen all day long. Today's stories were great. Here is a list of some of the stories told today.

1. A friend of his (who just happens to be a driver for our company) was secret service and was a body guard for President Lyndon B. Johnson. He says that he was in a car with this guy once, and they got pulled over. The cop saw who he was pulling over, and let him go. Remember this guy is a truck driver now.

2. Once this guy was at the old "secret service" guys house and a cop stopped by saying he needed to see all of his guns. The old "secret service" guy goes into another run and brings out a "barrel" full of guns. This guy says there must have been 100 guns or more.

3. The "secret service" guy once told this guy that he knew who shot JFK, but he could not say anything.

4. The CIA had JFK killed.

5. JFK's father was once shot in the leg in a hunting accident in Arkansas. The nurse that took care of JFK's father was none other than the future mother of President Bill Clinton. That is right folks you heard it first. This guy says that JFK's father is the father of Bill Clinton as well.

The day was full of theories and stories. I wish you could have all been here.

Hospital Visit

Talk about bad luck. Check out this story...

A criminal was captured after being admitted to a hospital and put in the same room with the police officer who had been chasing him. The burglar was admitted to the hospital with appendicitis and was put in the bed next to the police officer who was recuperating after gall bladder surgery. The policeman immediately recognized the burglar because he was part of a team that was investigating him for a string of local robberies. The officer had been hunting the man for two months, and the burglar has now been moved to a secure hospital and could spend up to six months in jail after recovering from the appendicitis.

www.commonwealthtimes.com

That is what I call bad luck.

Speaking of bad hospital visits. I will share a story about one of my favorite hospital visits in a few days. It is a story that a lot of my friends like to hear me tell.

Baseball Stadium Tour

Recently a guy in my office has been talking about his goal of going to a game in every Major League Baseball stadium. I too made the same goal a few years back. I have a long ways to go, but I will get there. Here are the stadiums I have been to.

1. St. Louis Cardinals--Busch Stadium
2. Chicago Cubs--Wrigley Field
3. Baltimore Orioles--Camden Yards
4. Detroit Tigers--Comerica Park
5. New York Mets--Shea Stadium
6. Minnesota Twins--Metrodome---worst place to watch a game ever
7. Seattle Mariners--Kingdome(old stadium, so really doesn't count)

If you have any suggestions for where I should go next, I would love to hear them. I know I am hitting Kansas City this summer. Where have you all been? What is your favorite place to watch a game?

Go Cardinals!

Old School

Here is an old school picture of my sister Stephanie and I. This was sent to me by my cousin Autumn. I believe this picture is from a Christmas at my aunt and uncle's house in Nebraska. It appears I really liked my gift. Check out the big smile. Ha ha.

You've got to love old school pictures.
Old School!

Wear It!

Something New Coming Your Way

Sorry I have not posted anything today. There has been no time, but look for something very new and fresh coming your way this evening. Make sure you check back. I am very excited about what I've got for you.

See you later tonight.

Viva la blog.

My Sister

My sister and I

As I have talked to people they have asked me to post more pictures and share about my family. So here you go. The picture above of my sister and I was taken at her wedding. It was a beautiful day. She is approaching her 3 year anniversary in July.

My sister Stephanie is the greatest sister alive. She is not only my sister, but one of my best friends. We have been through a lot together, and there is nothing that I would not do for her. My sister is 3 1/2 years younger than me. I don't know how she grew up so fast. It seems like yesterday she was just born. Now she is all grown up and married. She is married to a great guy. His name is Javier, but I call him the "Latin Lover". They have a great house that they just bought on 8 acres of land. They have horses that they show all across the state and nation. It is a beautiful place.

Stephanie is one of the nicest people you will ever meet. She has a heart of gold. I look up to her in more ways than she will ever know.

Cereal

This morning I brought a bowl of Cheerios to work. I have not eaten Cheerios in a long time, and let me tell you they hit the spot. To me the perfect bowl of Cheerios has a good amount of sugar on the bottom of the bowl. I like to look down at the spoon and see a nice amount of sugar mixed in with the Cheerios. It makes me happy.

Cereal is a great thing. You can eat it at any meal. It is not just a breakfast thing. It can be eaten for dinner, or is great for a midnight snack. I personally like the "sugar" cereals. My wife likes the boring, healthy cereals.

Here is my top 5 favorite cereals.
1. Fruitty Pebbles
2. Captain Crunch w/ berries
3. Trix
4. Life
5. Cheerios

What are your favorites? A lot of milk or a little milk? Favorite time of day to eat cereal?
Discuss.

Mom, Throw Down Some Money. The Ice Cream Man Is Coming.

You all remember when you were young and you'd being playing out in the yard. You could hear that little musical jingle from miles away. You would stop doing whatever you were doing, run inside the house and ask for some money. That is right, the ice cream man was coming.

A few minutes later, a man in a little van would roll up with his music playing and offer ice cream to boys and girls. It was a beautiful thing. You could get Bomb Pops, Fudge Pops, Pushups, or whatever. It would make your day.

Now that I am older I am bothered by the "Ice Cream Man". They usually look a little scary, and they roll around town playing music trying to lure little kids to them. It is a little scary, kind of like clowns.

Here is a great example of what I am talking about.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/trib/pittsburgh/s_333110.html

Absinthe

I am very curious about Absinthe. I would really like to try some. Is there anyone out there that has had it before. Is it good? What was your experience? I have heard that it is good.

http://www.moulinvert.de/history/history.htm

Talk to me people.

Driving With Jesus?

I guess this story shows that living up to the name Jesus Christ is a little harder than everyone thought. I have a feeling the true Jesus Christ could get the license. Do you think a guy by the name of Jesus Christ has those little fishes on his car?

http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/05/10/jesus.lawsuit.ap/index.html

I think the guy should consider changing his name. It doesn't seem to be really working for him.

Kentucky Derby

Today was the Kentucky Derby. I don't know how many of you actually care or if you even watched it. If you did not, you missed an incredible story. The story of an amazing little girl that died of cancer a year or so ago. She made her life goal as she struggled with cancer to raise money for cancer research by selling lemonade. Alex's Lemonade Stand to be exact. She raised close to 2 million dollars or something like that. It was an amazing story that really tugged at the heart.

The horse that was named after her, placed 3rd in the derby. The name of the horse was Afleet Alex. The horse almost won the whole thing, but just fell a little short. If you saw the story today, you had to root for this horse.

Health Class

I must have missed this day in Health class. I really don't remember this lecture.
Penguins? Are you kidding me?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/penguins_chlamydia

This is how they should have had the Penguin go out in the movie Batman. That would have been a great movie plot.

Watch That Booty!

There will be no more rump shaking in Texas. During March Madness I told a story about a UCLA cheerleader that about knocked me off of the couch with a little shaking. I then went on to encourage all the cheerleaders out there to shake them if you've got them.

Texas appears to disagree with me. There will be no shaking. ANYTHING!
Check it out.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/05/05/cheerleaders.law.reut/index.html

What has the world come to?

Cereal Box Prizes

Remember when you were young and you got a new box of cereal? Remember how fun it was to crack that box open, put your little hand in, and dig through the cereal in order to find the prize inside the box? Imagine being a five year old again, and opening this box of cereal.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7734025/

The Vonz

Since a lot of the voting on American Idol has not made any sense, I am guessing the trend will continue this week. Anthony sucks, but he will stick around because I guess the girls like him. Scott performed well last night, and I think he will make it through another round. Carrie sounded great. She sings at a totally different level than everyone else. Bo did another great job and so did Vonzell.

However, I think Vonzell is going home. She shouldn't. She can sing. Anthony should be getting on a plane and going home, but it won't happen. I am calling that there is another shocker, and Vonzell packs her bags.

We shall see.

Holy Cow!

What has the world come to? I want to meet the person that eats this.
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20050503/D89RMI981.html

Ice Cream

A few days ago my wife brought home a carton of ice cream. This was a real treat because we harldly ever eat ice cream. I like ice cream, but since Brittany doesn't really care for it, I don't eat it often. It just feels weird. I personally think ice cream is something you eat with someone else.

My personal favorite is peanut butter and chocolate. Baskin-Robbins has the best peanut butter and chocolate ice cream on the planet. http://www.baskinrobbins.com/IceCream/ I like Ben and Jerry's as well, but I don't think it comes close. I have two favorite spots to eat ice cream. One is in downtown Iowa City, Iowa. I can't remember the name of it, but it was nice little spot to stop, eat some cream, and talk. It had a little spot to sit up in the window and people watch. My favorite spot of all time was the little Haagen-Dazs shop in St. Martin. My wife and I got ice cream there every day on our honeymoon. The people in that shop were so nice.

I am not a fan of soft serve ice cream. A lot of people go nuts for it, but I just don't really care for it. It just doesn't seem like it is real ice cream. That is why when I drop in to DQ or something like that, I get the Mr. Misty.

What does everyone else like? What is your favorite flavor? One scoop or two? What brand do you like best? Soft serve or "real" ice cream?

Discuss.

Say It's Not True Paula!

Looks like Paula could be in some trouble.

Check it out.
http://drudgereport.com/mattid2.htm
Paula Abdul

Oh Boy

I am back from golfing. Ouch. Let's just say the wheels came off. I was doing very well for the first 3 holes and actually had a pretty good front 9. After that, everything was poop.

It was still a great day. The course was very nice and it was good to see Hags and Sife again. After golfing we had a great dinner at a very nice place called Martinis. Sife got a little attitude from the bartender, but we let that one fly. The restaurant made up for it with the food. Sife's chocolate cake was out of control good. It is a place that I am going to take my wife. She would like it.

Well, that is it. I am golfing again today with my dad at 4. Let's hope today goes better than yesterday.

Going Golfing

I am going golfing today with my friends Chris and Dan. Dan has a connection with the PGA president and he got us on a very nice course in southern Iowa. I hope I don't tear up the course too much. I will report the damage later. I have to run.

Late.

And They Called Me...

A month or so ago I was called a racist because of something I posted here on my blog. All I had done was post my favorite "black comedies" and people lost their minds. It actually ignited some serious discussion. People thought that I was being racist by calling these movies "black comedies" even though it's an actual genre.

I wonder what they would call this guy?
http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/04/28/eaten.by.lions.reut/index.html

Constantine Got Screwed

Okay, I was wrong again. Scott isn't going home. Constantine and his "Big Fat Greek Wedding" self is going home. My opinion is he got screwed. Sure he did not sound good at all this week, but he is far more talented than Scott or Anthony. Especially Anthony! That guy is so bad.

Anthony comes out and sings a Celine Dion song. The guy has a ton of vibrato and can't sing different styles at all. Why is he still around? America what are you doing?

The best part of the night was watching the drama from Paula Abdul. There she was crying her eyes out for Constantine. Maybe she had a thing for him. According to the news reports, it wouldn't be the first time.
Paula Abdul

If Anthony can make it this far, William Hung should have made the top 10. America please send him home.

End Of The Road

I predict that Scott is going home tonight on American Idol. I like Scott even though it appears he beat his girlfriend up once. That is not cool. However, the effort he has put in trying to prove his dad wrong has been respectable. If you all remember in the beginning of this season Scott said his Dad had told him he could never make anything of himself. I think he has proven his Dad wrong. The fact that Scott has made it this far and done this well should shut his father up.
He has a very nice voice, but it just isn't a winner.

Wedding Picture

Wedding Day

Some people have been asking me to post some photos, so here you go. This picture is at my wedding. Our wedding day was a great day. The weather was perfect, and everything was beautiful. My wife looked amazing. Our reception was in a beatiful location and the food was great.

Shaving

This morning as I was showering I was thinking about how much I hate shaving. Sure I like how it feels and how it looks after you are done shaving, but the process is what I hate. It is a very annoying process to me. I received some new products for Christmas that have made shaving not as bad, but I still am not a fan of it. The red bumps that I used to get on my neck from shaving are no longer happening thanks to the new product so that is a good thing, but I still prefer not to shave that often. In fact I am in desperate need of a shave right now. It is a good thing that I work in a relaxed work atmosphere. I just could not bring myself to do it this morning.

There are a few things I'd like to discuss when it comes to shaving...

1. Shaving in a mirror while in the shower--I must say I have tried this and I just don't like it. First of all I just feel as if I can see better outside of the shower. Secondly, I have never seen a mirror that really doesn't fog up in the shower. If you are one of the people that do this, please explain yourself.

2. Shaving products and the razor you use--Products are a must. I personally think you should use more than the ordinary shaving cream. I use a facial wash, then I use a pre-shaving oil that helps the razor glide, I then use a shaving cream, followed by a post shave lotion that prevents razor bumps. The brand of product I use is Anthony Logistics and I highly recommend it to everyone. I no longer get the irritating bumps and razor burn on my neck that I used to get. As for razors I use the Mach 3. There is not a better razor.
www.thegroominglounge.com

3. Bumps--I would like to know how many people deal with the irritating shaving bumps and razor burn. What are some of your secrets to a close shave and to a non-irritating shave?

4. Grain or Against the Grain--I shave with the grain. However, I know many people that believe they get a closer and better shave going against the grain. What are your thoughts? I know some people try to stretch their skin tight to get a closer shave, however this is not recommended.

Well that is it. I have given us some discussion points. Feel free to comment or add any questions that pertain to the topic of shaving. Girls, I would love to hear from you as well. I can't imagine shaving legs everyday or the other places you may or may not shave. Ladies, do you like a man with a clean shave? 5:00 shadow? lots of facial hair? Talk to me.

Pink

Pink is a color that many men are afraid of wearing. Some think it is an ugly color and others believe that wearing pink is a feminine thing to do. I personally have always had at least one pink article of clothing in my wardrobe. It may have been a pink t-shirt, a pink polo, or perhaps a pink cablenet sweater, but I have always thought the color pink is a sharp color.

I do believe that not every guy can pull it off. I don't even know what it really takes to pull it off. What is it that makes it okay to wear for some guys? I know at my office I take grief for wearing pink once in a while. However, I believe that one of the key essentials is confidence. A lot of guys are afraid of being called gay or laughed at for other reasons. I think it takes a strong and confident guy to pull it off.

I am interested in what people think about this topic. Guys, do you wear pink? Why? Why not? Girls, do you like guys in pink? Why? Why not?

Discuss.

The Virgin Mary Is In Chicago

It appears that the Virgin Mary has decided to make an appearance in Chicago. Check this out.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/04/20/mary.underpass.ap/index.html


I find this story to be very funny. To me the stain looks like every stain I have ever seen on a building. In fact it looks like a pee stain I left on the side of a building once. Nobody ran out to put pictures and candles out next to that stain.

Maybe this Mary appearance will help the Cubs win the series.

Quick Pick

I just finished watching American Idol and I predict that the bottom 3 will be Scott, Anwar, and Anthony. I believe Anwar will go home. I am still hoping it is Anthony, but I have given up hope on him being kicked off.

Who Am I

Today I sat and watched my friends discuss the songs from the 80's that they have been listening to lately, and their favorites from that time. Then it dawned on me. Why not share a song that I have been listening to a lot lately? So that is what I am doing.

The song is titled "Who Am I". It was recorded by the band Casting Crowns. It is a great song, and I think all of you should listen to it. It not only has a beautiful melody, and great vocal, but the lyrics are what I really like. I'd like to share them with you. I hope that they resonate in you, like they do in me.

Here they are...

Who am I?
That the Lord of all the earth,
Would care to know my name,
Would care to feel my hurt.
Who am I?
That the Bright and Morning Star,
Would choose to light the way,
For my ever wandering heart.

Not because of who I am,
But because of what You've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who You are.

I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean.
A vapor in the wind,
Still You hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, You catch me when I'm falling,
And You've told me who I am.
I am yours.

Who am I?
That the eyes that see my sin,
Would look on me with love,
And watch me rise again.
Who am I?
That the voice that calmed the sea,
Would call out through the rain,
And calm the storm in me.

Not because of who I am,
But because of what You've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who You are.

I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean.
A vapor in the wind,
Still You hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, You catch me when I'm falling,
And You've told me who I am.
I am Yours. I am Yours.

I am Yours.
Whom shall I fear?
Whom shall I fear?
'Cause I am Yours.
I am Yours.

Sunday

Just a quick entry. Today was a very laid back day, which is just what I like. It was 80 degrees this afternoon. My wife and I drove around and explored St. Louis and had lunch. We then went back to our place, made pina coladas and sat out on the deck.

This evening I will be watching "The Contender" and after that we are watching "Harold and Kumar Go To The White Castle." I hav heard that is a funny movie, so we will see.

That is it for now.
Late.

It's Been A Good Day

It is Saturday afternoon and so far it has been a great day. This morning my dad and I went golfing. I shot pretty well for me second time out this year. The new clubs my wife and my mom gave me for my birthday are very nice and actually have taken at least 5-7 strokes off of my game. After golf we went to watch my step brother's little boy play soccer. They won 3-0. Watch little kids play soccer is a trip. They just all huddle together and everyone just kicks as hard as they can at the ball.

After the game we went to Steak and Shake for lunch and I had a taco salad. It was a tasty little treat. I am now at home and I am going to finish laundry and watch Lord Of The Rings-Return Of The King. I have been trying to watch all of the movies that I have wanted to see while my wife has been in Florida. So I will have seen all of the Lord Of The Rings, Spider Man 2, and another I can't remember right now.

Brittany comes home from Florida tonight. I am very excited to see her. It is weird how different life is without her around. I am glad she had a chance to get away and hang with her friends. She has needed some girl time for some time now. However, I did find out that she smoked about a pack of cigs while she was in Florida. That is gross, and I must admit finding that out made me a little tense. We agreed before we started dating that she could choose smoking and we could be friends or that she could quit smoking and we could date. She has not smoked since then and now this week she chokes down a pack. I guess I will just have to deal with it. It is just harmless fun. However, I do think that her friends should step up and hold her accountable. It appears that a little girl time had a little negative influence.

I figure that it could be worse. The girls she was with are great gals, and if the worst thing they did was choke down some cancer sticks, then that is okay. However, if I see them on a Girls Gone Wild ad in the near future, then I guess that won't be so good.

Well, I better run. I have a movie to watch.

NFL Draft Busts

Check it out.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/2005/04/15/draft.busts/content.15.html

This sucks. My friend Trev, who I went to high school with, played football with, and ran track with is listed as one of the worst NFL draft picks of all time. I remember the day he was drafted. Mel Kiper said it was one of the worst picks he had ever seen.

Here Is Something Fun

Here is a little different approach to the NCAA tourney. Check it out.

http://www.muellertourney.com/tournament.asp

Amazing Stat

I have been reading "A Case For Christ" for the second time and was just taken back by a stat I read yesterday. There is a section of the book that deals with Jesus and how he fulfilled prophecies. Some people believe that Jesus merely fulfilled the prophecies by . Some believe that Jesus was one of many through out history who coincidentally fit the prophetic fingerprint.

Louis S. Lapides, M.Div., TH.M. who earned a Bachelor's degree in theology from Dallas Baptist University as well as a master of divinity and master of theology degree in Old Testament and Semitics from Talbot Theological Seminary is a man with an incredible background and testimony. Louis served for a decade with Chosen People Ministries, talking about Jesus to Jewish college students. He has taught in the Bible department of Biola University and worked for seven years as an instructor for Walk Through the Bible seminars. He is also former president of a national network of fifteen messianic congregations.

While being interviewed by Strobel, Louis was asked about the topic mentioned in the first paragraph. The question once again was--is it possible that Jesus merely fulfilled the prophecies by . Here is what Lapides said.

"Not a chance," came his response. "The odds are so astronomical that they rule that out. Someone did the math and figured out that the probability of just eight prophecies being fulfilled is one chance in one hundred million billion. That number is millions of times greater than the total number of people who've ever walked the planet!
"He calculated that if you took this number of silver dollars, they would cover the state of Texas to a depth of two feet. If you marked one silver dollar among them and then had a blindfolded person wander the whole state and bend down to pick up one coin, what would be the odds he'd choose the one that had been marked?"
With that he answered his own question: "The same odds that anybody in history could have fulfilled just eight of the prophecies."

This same statistical analysis was done by mathematician Peter W. Stoner. Stoner also computed that the probability of fulfilling forty-eight prophecies was one chance in a trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion!

Our minds can't comprehend a number that big. This is a staggering stat that's equal to the number of minuscule atoms in a trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, billion universes the size of our universe!

Lapides then says, "The odds alone say it would be impossible for anyone to fulfill the Old Testament propheices." Then Lapides concluded, "Yet Jesus-and ony Jesus throughout all of history-managed to do it."

To me that is amazing. If you don't believe in Christ that has got to make you think. What do you think? Let me know.

Late.

It's That Time

Once again it is time for my weekly prediction. However, this week it is with a heavy heart that I must admit I didn't watch the show last night. So, I am totally taking a shot in the dark.

With that said, I am going to predict that Anthony gets kicked off tonight. I don't know why I predict that because the kid keeps sliding by. The kid is lucky the girls like him, because he can't sing a lick. By the way my challenge to Anthony is still on the table. Anytime. Anywhere.

Carrie Underwood is still my favorite to win.

Bastron out.

Microsoft Sam

In the last couple weeks I have discovered something on my computer. It is Microsoft Sam. Maybe I have not been paying attention or maybe I just noticed it was the year 2005, but this Sam character is new to me.

For those of you that may not know what it is, let me explain. Under the control panel on your computer there is a speech option. You click on that and it will take you to Microsoft Sam. There you can type in any message and it will vocalize what you type in. It can be a lot of fun around the office.

Microsoft Sam has said many funny things in our office. If you are not using Sam, you need to be. If anyone else out there knows of any other things like this that can be used, please let me know. It helps take the stress away at the office.

Late.

Michael Jackson

I can remember the day that Thriller came out. It was the first album I ever bought. I had the big 33 speed record. It was amazing. I also remember when the video came out to Thriller. It rocked the music industry. It was the coolest thing I had ever seen.

I loved Michael Jackson. I had a poster of him in my room. I can remember how cool he looked. He was the shinizzle. I even had a school folder with Michael on the cover. My dad however was always telling me that Jackson was a freak and that someday we would see how different he was. I would get so mad at him. Not Michael. He is the greatest.

Well now it is years later and everyone knows how weird he is. Michael has found his way in to a heap of trouble, and things do not look good for him. I know that everyone is innocent until proven guilty, but so far I must admit the evidence is not in Jackson's favor. The guy who I use to admire and enjoy is now someone who creeps me out. If he has done the things he is accused of he needs to go to jail forever.

With all of the press about Jackson lately it has caused me to dig out all of his CD's. Looking at the titles and listening to some of the lyrics has given me some thoughts. Is he singing about little boys? Was he using other words at times to disguise his attraction to young boys? What do you think?

Here is a list of the albums and the songs, followed by what I think he is singing about or what I think he would say.

Off The Wall Album-
1. Rock With You--Come here little boy, I want to rock with you.
2. I Can't Help It--Maybe Michael is admitting his problem with this title

Thriller Album-
1. Baby Be Mine--Here is asking someone young to be his
2. Beat It--No comment necessary
3. PYT (Pretty Young Thing)--Explaining how he thinks young things are cute and pretty

Bad Album-
1. Bad--We know you are now. We should have been listening earlier.
2. The Way You Make Me Feel--Michael gets the warm fuzzy feeling from chilren sleeping over
3. Just Good Friends--What Michael tells all the kids. You will if you love me.
4. Smooth Criminal--Don't brag Mike.

Dangerous Album-
1. In The Closet--Not anymore.
2. Give In To Me--Or I will be forced to give you "Jesus Juice"
3. Dangerous--Here he is trying to tell us that he is. He wanted to get caught.

Invincible Album-
1. Cry--Maybe if I cry a lot nobody will think I am capable of bad things.
2. The Lost Children--All the little kids are lost. Direct them straight to my bedroom.

It is a sad thing and I feel very bad for the children that were a part of this. If he is guilty he had ruined children's lives. He deserves to be punished, and so do the people that worked for him that have held on to this information for so long. Michael Jackson would have gone down in history as one of the greatest musicians of all time. Now he will mostly be remembered for his crimes against children if he is found guilty.

What do you think? Is he guilty or not guilty?

Work

Help me. I am getting my a$$ kicked at work today. I have no time to post anything. Check back later today. Hopefully things will slow down a bit.

Late.

The Next Week

My wife leaves for Florida today. She is going down there to meet up with some friends that she has not seen in a long time. She should have a great time. Jen's parents have a place on the beach on the Gulf side, so that should be nice for them. Brittany is very excited, however she is very nervous about the flight.

Brittany's father died in a plane crash when she was 9, and since then flying on planes and her don't go very well together. I am guessing that she will have a couple cocktails with the next hour or two. Her good friend on a day she flies is usually Captain Morgan.

With my wife gone, this means a few things. One, I will get to stay up later than 9 pm. Britt goes to bed early because she gets up at 5 am for work, and she likes me to go to bed with her. Secondly, I will get to go golfing after work. Not that she doesn't let me, but I usually try to go home after work and hang out with her for the night. Thirdly, it looks like I will be making a run to the casino. Blackjack table here I come.

My wife thinks I am going to starve while she is gone. I think she forgets I lived by myself before we were married. I can guarantee that I will be eating a lot of steaks on the grill this week.

Okay, I better run. We have to leave soon to get her to the airport.

Saturday Update

Today was a great day. I went to the Cardinals game and had a great time. Even though they got crushed by the Phillies, it was still a great day. The sun was out, and it was about 80 degrees. It was a beautiful day for a ball game.

I ended up getting sun burned, but I don't care. I had a beer, and watched baseball. What a beautiful thing. My fantasy team that I am co-captaining with Hags is winning. It was just a great day.

What did everyone else do with their weekend so far?

I will talk to you all tomorrow. I'm out.

Saturday Afternoon

I can't post much because I am heading to the Cardinals game in a few minutes. I just got done doing my taxes for this year, and once again they win and I lose. I love paying taxes.

Go Cardinals.

More to come later, so check back.

Iowa Hawkeyes

It is on next year. Deal with it. Turn up the speakers and let it soak in. Some polls have the Hawks football team ranked at #2 in the nation next year. http://www.sportsline.com/collegefootball/story/8245608

http://fightmusic.com/mp3/big10/Iowa__Iowa_Fight_Song.mp3

Another great song that they play at the game is this...

http://fightmusic.com/mp3/big10/Iowa__In_Heaven_There_Is_No_Beer.mp3

Kinnick Stadium is a great place to be.

Great Shot

A few weeks ago I posted a clip from the Minnesota High School Basketball tournament. My friend just sent a new one to me today, so I thought I would post it. I had seen this before. The great thing about this shot was the fact that a news station went back the next day after the game and bet him he couldn't do it again in 5 chances. He drilled the same shot again on the third or fourth try.

Here is the shot...

http://media2.big-boys.com/media/greatbbshot.wmv

Trail Mix

One of my new favorite things to eat for breakfast is the Nature Valley Chewy Trail Mix Bar. I personally like the Apple Cinnamon bar. It has a great mix of almonds, apple, sunflower seeds, and cranberry. I urge you to try one. I think you will like it.

I would like to hear what everyone else chooses to eat for breakfast. Is it eggs and toast? A good old soda? Let me know. Maybe I am missing out on something.

That is it for now. I'll have something more to say later today.

I Almost Forgot

I just wanted to get my prediction in for who is going home tonight on American Idol. My guess is that Anthony is going home. I don't know how he has made it this far. He is by far the worst singer left. He must have a lot of girl fans.

Girls, please stop voting for him. He is no good. For goodness sake, I could be in the final 9 for American Idol if Anthony can. In fact, someone set it up. I am challenging Anthony Fedorov to a singing contest. Tell me when and where. I will be there with bells on.

Important News

I am proud to announce that my boy Kyle Fever has started up a new blog site. You can look forward to some very thought provoking conversations on Kyle's site. He just created it, so there is not a lot on it yet, but give it time.

Keep checking it out. Here is the site.

http://thinkslowly.blogspot.com

Show him some love.

Losing Weight

The older I get, the harder it is to lose weight. So when trying to lose weight I have to take drastic measures. One drastic measure I am taking is that I am trying to give up soda. For those of you that know me, you know how hard that will be. I love soda. I love Coke. I love Mt. Dew. They are a part of me.

I have cut back on soda this week, and I am getting headaches. It sucks. Not to mention the worst part. I am trying to cut back slowly so I don't die. I usually drink 4 cans of soda a day. Now I am drinking one regular Coke maybe, and one Diet Coke in the morning. The Diet Coke is the worst part of it. I hate Diet pop. However, to lose weight I have to make that choice.

My goal is to lose 10 pounds this month.

Gregg Enderle Memorial Fund Golf Tournament

As some of you know, about 4 years ago my step brother Gregg died of a heart attack. Gregg was a great guy, who was a lot of fun, and had a real zest for life. This year his brothers Brian and Matt are putting on the 2nd Annual Gregg Enderle Memorial Golf Tournament. This tournament is a great way to remember Gregg, and a great way to raise money for the American Heart Association. I would love to see people come to the tournament, have a great time, and raise money for a great cause. If you can't make it to play in the tournament, but would like to donate to the American Heart Assoication, you can do that as well. The contact information is on the Entry Form below.

Any questions, please let me know.

Enderle Golf Tournament
(click on form to enlarge)

The Pope

Okay, I have held off as long as I can on the Pope issue. I am still not going to go into it like I could, or how I want to, but I have to say this.

Please, no more pics of the Pope being carted around on his table. He does not look good. The man is looking very white, and very scary.

Do you think this many people would have come out when Jesus died? In fact the way I remember the story, nobody was at the grave of Jesus. Two women ran to the grave and nobody was there, including Jesus. Thousands of people are going to pay homage to the Pope and be at his funeral. Would the world have done the same thing for Jesus? To top it off, Jesus died for them, and the Pope didn't.

Okay, I have to stop.

Picking On Old People

How pathetic do you have to be to pick on a woman who is 105 years old? This story show how tough some guys can actually be.

http://www.thisislondon.com/news/articles/17686504?source=Evening%20Standard

The only thing that bothers me about this story is the fact that old people ize us everyday by being out on the roads. If I was in charge, I would have people turn in their driver's license at age 65. That is even pushing it. I may change that to 60.

Do you know how sick I am of seeing s that some old person has caused? Do you know how sick I am of getting cut off by some old person that can't see? They have to be stopped.

Holla if you hear me.

Today At Church

Today was a great day at church. The worship time was great, the message was relevant and got me pumped up for the week, there were at least 20 baptisms, but the best part was a testimony.

A girl who works in D.C. and who is a part of the Department of Homeland Security was back for a friends wedding. This morning she just shared a little bit about how God is moving in D.C. and how President Bush is as a leader. She talked about how President Bush takes his call very serious. She spoke of how he opens his day every day in the Oval Office with a time of personal devotion time. She spoke of how he is in constant prayer about our country and the decisions he makes daily. The woman spoke about how God is moving in D.C. and how the Holy Spirit is working in people's lives that work there in the political arena.

It was so refreshing to hear once again, first hand, how our President is seeking God's face.

Playstation 2

After a couple weeks of taunting and smack talking from my step brother about how he would kick my butt and take my money in playstation 2 baseball, I agreed to go over to his house last night to play.

I am proud to say that after about 10 games played, I won 7. There should be no more trash talking around the office for a few days.

I get's mine.

First Softball Game Of The Year

Last night was our teams first softball game of the year. Actually, it was a double header. We have been excited for this game for some time now. Why, I do not know. Last night was a rough night.

First, let me just say this though. I was decked out in my softball gear and I was feeling good. We played a team called "Hot Shots", and that was no joke. They kicked the crap out of us two games in a row. The smallest guy on their team was probably 6' 2" and 225. The rest of them were beer drinking fools, who were at least 6' 4" and 260 and more. They were huge, and they hit huge. These guys were sending moon shots at command. Some of the guys were hitting it out of the park and into the houses yards in the neighbor hood behind the softball complex. A few times they almost landed them on the decks of the houses. It was amazing.

Our team is a little different. We are all not that big. More than half our team is choking down cigs as they are running out to their positions on the field. After they have run the bases and can't even breathe, they hustle back to the dugout to choke down another cancer stick before it is time to take the field again. It is kind of funny to watch.

I was 1-4 at bat. Not a great night, but I made some plays in the field so that was good. However, the night ended badly for me. On my last at bat, the one I actually got the hit on I got to experience a pain I have never felt. As I ran down the first base line I felt as though someone had shot me in the back of my leg. No, I did not get shot, it was just the beautiful feeling of my hamstring tearing or pulling. I felt it pop, and let me tell you it did not feel good.

I came home and iced it for an hour. As I sat there, I thought about how far I have fallen. My body used to be in great shape. Now, it is just nothing. I could feel that I was slower last night. I didn't have the quickness that I used to have. Everything, just seemed to be running in a little slower motion. It is a sad thing. So there I sat, a 31 year old man, way past the prime of his life. Now I am left to see how long it will take this hamstring to heal. So for now, put me on the IR list.

Our team is 0-2. I have a torn hamstring. It is a good start to the season.

Favorite Black Comedies

Here is a list of my top 5 favorite Black Comedies.

1. House Party
2. I'm Gonna Git You Sucka
3. Don't Be A Menace In South Central While Drinking Your Juice In The Hood
4. Barbershop
5. Friday

Please feel free to comment on these movies or add any you think should be on the list and why.

Smoking Gun

This just in...

Could be trouble for Scott on American Idol. They kicked someone off the show last year for the same thing. It could be goodbye for Scottie.

http://thesmokinggun.com/archive/0331051_american_idol_scott_1.html

Irony

I may come across as a very non sensitive person after this question, but I have to ask. Does anyone else think it is ironic that Terri Schiavo died from her feeding tube being taken out after her heart stopped years ago from a chemical imbalance brought on by her eating disorder?

I am not trying to be mean. I was just wondering.

College

This is why I want my child to go to college someday. Who said everything you needed to know, you learned in kindergarten?

http://www.cnn.com/2005/EDUCATION/03/29/life.porn.reut/index.html

Do you think kids are starting to send their ACT and SAT scores to the schools they know have the best shot at getting them into porn?

Prediction

I am calling that Anwar goes home tonight on American Idol.

Just A Thought

Don't you just love taking a shower? It is a great thing. In fact, I even like the word shower. The word alone just sounds clean. This morning while I was showering surrounded by my wifes hundreds of soaps, shampoos, conditioners, and other products a thought occured to me. If they can come up with all of these different scents for women, why can't they come up with some for men? As I looked around my bathroom and house I could see soaps, lotions, candles, and other products all made for females. Why can't men get some soaps, lotions, and candles in the scents that we really enjoy?

Here were some of my ideas...
1. Freshly cut grass
2. Steak and Potatoes
3. The way it smells on a crisp Saturday afternoon during the College Football season
(guys know what I am talking about)
4. A freshly poured beer

What do you think? Which scents would you add?

My Weekend

This was one of the worst weekends I have had in a long time. It was a good day yesterday being with family, but I was sick and couldn't really enjoy myself. Here is how the weekend went down.

Friday-
After working the day with my head about to blow off from a headache, my nose so stuffed I couldn't breathe, and a fever of 101, I finally got out of the office a little after 5. When I arrived home I find my wife crying on the phone and already in her pajamas. She says she is depressed because she has no friends yet in St. Louis. Now I do feel bad for her, but it is hard at times because I don't see her making any attempt to make friends. Friends don't just knock on your door and say, "Hi, I'd like to be your friend". Anyways, my wife was in a bad mood all Friday night, we argued, and I laid in bed and watched TV. Great Friday night.

Saturday-
I woke up and still had my headache, fever, and my eyes watering so bad it looked like I was crying my eyes out. I had received some money for my birthday and wanted to go get some softball gear, and my wife had some stuff she wanted to return at the mall. My wife is also getting ready to go on vacation to Florida (yes, without me) with some of her friends so she was wanting to get some stuff for trip as well. So we headed out, and first stopped for some eats at the Cracker Barrel.
When we got to the mall everything was fine for a little while, but then it all fell apart. Let me break it down. We had agreed that my wife had $100 to spend to get a few things for the trip, but after she had spent that $100, she believed she could get more. Needless to say that did not set well with me. Arguing about money is the best. So we left the mall, and went home in silence not speaking for a little while. After the storm blew over I got to end my incredible day coloring Easter eggs. If that doesn't bring out the testosterone in you, I don't know what will. The only saving grace was that I got to watch the tourney while we dyed the eggs.

Sunday-
We tried a new church, and it was a great one. That was a good thing. We then had a great meal over at my Dad's house. However, I was feeling so sick I really couldn't enjoy myself. It was good to see everyone and be able to chat, but it would have been nice to not feel so horrible.

Monday-
Today has been a little better because I am starting to feel better. However, the first email I received this morning was from a friend who had just broken off his engagement. That is a bummer. I am guessing I don't feel as bad as he or his girlfriend do. Things will get married.

Here is to being married. Even though it is hard at times, it is the greatest thing in the world. Here is to March Madness, even though my Duke Blue Devils turned the ball over like 20 times and lost. Here is to horrible weekends. Here is to arguing about money. It is the best.

If you have any ideas about what I should write about, please let me know. If you want my opinion on something, just leave it under the comments and I will see what I can come up with. I have writer's block.

Late.

Good News

Friday has gone. Saturday has passed. It's Sunday. It's Easter Sunday.

Christ has risen. Christ has risen indeed.

Keeping It Real

I know this post is not going to be an exciting one, and probably won't attract a lot of comments, but I have to keep it real and be myself. So here it is...

Today is Good Friday. Think about what Christ did for you today and say thanks.

John 3:16-For God so loved the world, that he gave up his only son, and whoever believes in him shall have eternal life.


That is the good news my friends.

Sunday is coming!

Love Is The Killer App

After reading "Love Is The Killer App" for the third time I thought that I would post something about it and encourage everyone to go out and buy this book. It is written by Tim Sanders who is the chief Solutions Officer at Yahoo!. Sanders also consults with Fortune 500 executives and world-class brands on marketing and Internet strategies. I saw him speak at a Leadership Conference and he blew my mind.

"Love Is The Killer App" is a great book, and a pretty easy read on how to win business, influence colleagues, and make friends. It has really made me look at how I treat others and relate to people within the business world. I have told my coworkers, friends, and family about this book as well. It is the real deal.

Listen to what others have said...

"Sander's joy is infectious...Love Is the Killer App-trendy and smart, full of bits of advice and analysis-rings fresh, digitized business changes on that old-fashioned love song."
-Boston Globe

"This clever, creative, yet immensely practical book beautifully illustrates Carl Rogers's profound insight, 'That which is most personal is most general.'"
-Dr. Stephen R. Covey, author of The 7 Habits of
Highly Effective People

"Tim Sander's message that compassion in leadership is the key to success couldn't have arrived at a better time in the history of American business. This is an invaluable book; every manager should read it, study it, and the pass it along to a colleague he cares about."
-Ken Blanchard, coauthor of The One Minute
Manager

Some of you be asking what a killer app is. Sander's describes it as this, "it's an excellent new idea that either supersedes an existing idea or establishes a new category in its field. It soon becomes so popular that it devastates the original business model." He then goes on to explain that "love" is that killer app. He challenges us to become a "lovecat". That means offering your wisdom freely, giving away your address book and contacts to everyone who wants it, and always being human. The three necessary steps to getting there are: sharing your knowledge, sharing your network, and sharing compassion.

In the course of the book he challenges us to read more. Read everything you can get your hands on that pertains to your field, and stuff outside your field as well. Sander's says we should, "become a walking encyclopedia of answers for anyone who has questions". So since I have read this book, I have been reading more, been trying to share my contacts more, and have become more compassionate around the workplace.

I can't do this book justice by just writing about it. Just trust me, and go buy the book today. It is worth the money, and will change your life.

Be a lovecat.

Tube Or No Tube? That Is The Question!

http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/03/23/schiavo/index.html

Give me your opinions! Ready. Set. Go.

This Week On American Idol

Hold up. Not so fast. It looks as though there was a mistake with the voting, so the contestants will get a second chance at reaching their dreams.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/TV/03/23/americanidol.error.ap/index.html

My opinion is Mikalah Gordon is going home. It's too bad because she has a great personality and some charm, but the vocal wasn't there last night. Anthony should be going home, but he has too large of female fan base. Nikko Smith and Carrie Underwood got loose last night.

Bastron out.