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