Bean Bag Chairs...

I don't know who this is, but she sure looks happy. Almost TOO happy. And why not? She's sitting in a bean bag chair! Who wouldn't be happy?

My family had a bean bag chair. My mom made it. It was black courderoy. It was ultra-comfy. My brother, sister, and I would fight over who got to sit in it. It was also super-close to the TV, perfect for young, growing eyes.

One of these bad boys combined with a hand-knit Afghan (the blanket, not the people) was the epitome of comfort. Of course, that comfort was ruined when my brother and I were rough-housing and one of us tackled the other on top of it, exploding it and releasing millions of little styrofoam beads into the atmosphere.

Life at our house was never quite the same. We never got another bean bag chair. I can't be sure, but this is probably why my parents eventually got divorced several years later. You see, they always tell kids of divorced parents that it isn't their fault, but let's face it, most of the time it is.

I Wanna Talk 'Bout Music S'more, M'kay?...

Those of you who own an I-Pod or some type of MP3 player may understand this post. I listen to mine primarily in the car to and from work, always on shuffle. There exist certain songs that I'm prone to skip more often and certain songs I never skip. Before I start, let me just say I love all the music I own. My albums are like my babies, just without all the diapers and breastfeeding. Having said that, here are the ones I'm most prone to skip:

• Anything by Buckwheat Zydeco. Fun stuff, I'm just not always in the mood.
• Certain Professor Longhair songs. My I-Pod seems to favor these, so I hear them more than I'd prefer.
• Certain instrumental musicians like Ramsey Lewis and Oscar Peterson. Again, a mood thing.
• "The Girl From Ipanema" by Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto. Pretty song, but tends to be too mellow for me.
• "I've Got A Bike" by Pink Floyd. It's insane and I like it, but only in small doses.
• Occasionally I skip Donovan songs, but only certain ones.
  

Stuff I never skip:

• For some reason I never skip the two Bob Marley songs I have and I'm not a fanatical Marley fan.
• I never seem to skip Los Fabulosos Cadillacs songs.
• I never ever skip "The Obvious Child" by Paul Simon. That song gives me chills each time I hear it. The drums? Come on!
• I never skip They Might Be Giants songs.
• I never skip "Black Betty" by Ram Jam. Probably one of my top one-hit wonder songs.
• I never skip Tenacious D songs.
  

More Thoughts About Internet Dating...

Yes, I can hear your collective groans (*cough*Vikki). You're thinking, "Aw, shit! Not more bellyaching about how hard it is to find a girlfriend, you whiner!" Not to fear. I was inspired to do this post by Anne over at Two Can Anne. For those of you who haven't checked her out, she is, if not one of the most irreverent bloggers, certainly one of the most prolific. She's spent some time as of late bemoaning the low quality of men to be found via these dating sites. She has no idea! She should check out the crop of Northern Michigan women on Match.com. Whoa!

Anyway, I used to dabble in internet dating until I realized I was having minimal success considering the money I was paying. I've compiled an easy guide detailing key words or phrases that should be red flags when it comes to pursuing someone online. They include:

• I enjoy long walks on the beach. This is about as lazy a cliche as you'll find. I live near a shitload of beaches and, according to Match.com, they should be teeming with these supposed "long-walkers". Strange thing is, I never see them. They also aren't limited to coastal areas or places with lots of lakes. You'll find many of these people in Oklahoma and Nebraska, too.
• I like NASCAR and Tractor Pulls. OK, I guess I could tolerate one or the other, but not both. The two together create some sort of toxic sludge that I'm gonna do my best to avoid. Women like this are rampant in these parts.
• Any profile that mentions Jesus more than 50 times in one paragraph. I don't really need to explain why this one is a non-starter, do I? Cool.
• I don't want someone who plays games. You see this one a lot. I have the sneaking suspicion that the person that writes this is actually a huge game player. And what's so bad about playing games? Are they saying no more "Chutes & Ladders"? What about "Candyland"?
• I love to travel. Obviously. Who doesn't love to travel. Again, lazy. These women usually claim to love camping, too.
• I just got out of a serious relationship. Translation: My ex is a psychotic stalker, so consider yourself warned.
• I am easy-going. This is usually a good thing by any count. The problem is 50% of the people that say this confuse easy-going with boring-as-hell.
• I'm looking for something serious. This woman wants to have babies immediately. If this is not your desire, run for the hills!
  

Fun Fact...

I know there are fans of both "The Daily Show" and musical group "They Might Be Giants" that read this blog. Did you know that TMBG wrote the intro music for "The Daily Show"? Neither did I.

I love it when there is crossover between two things I really like.

**Edited to add: Apparently, Bob Mould wrote it, but TMBG performed it. I stand corrected. Thanks to Bryan for pointing this out. See the comments for more...

The Office...

This show is too fucking good.

I can't wait to see what lies ahead once the two branches merge. There's the obvious Jim/Pam/Roy/Karen (who also had a bit part on "Freaks & Geeks" as female bully, Karen Scarfoli AND is the real-life lovechild of Quicy Jones and Peggy Lipton) love quadrilateral. It seems Jim will be Dwight's boss. We may get to see more of Ed Helms character.

I may be premature, but this show may just be the heir apparent to "Seinfeld".

Who'da Thunk...

...that a single word could bring down a Senator. "Macaca", today my heart belongs to thee...

By the way, nice get-up, cheese-dick.

I-Pod Summary...

I haven't done one of these lately, so here's the last ten songs I heard:

• The Mollusk - Ween
• Goodbye Baby - Elmore James
• You And The Clouds Will Still Be Beautiful - XTC
• Bold As Love - Jimi Hendrix Experience
• I Love Your Lovin' Ways - Nina Simone
• Waiting For The Great Leap Forward - Billy Bragg
• I'm Yours, You're Mine - Morphine
• Swing Low, Sweet Cadillac - Dizzy Gillespie
• Hey Pocky A-Way - The Meters
• Had A Dad - Jane's Addiction
  

Barring Any Earth-Shattering Developments, My Last Rummy Post...

It just struck me who this guy reminds me of...

Simon Bar Sinister from the old Underdog cartoon!

I hate to pile on the guy. Wait a second, no I don't. I fucking love it!

Fun With Crossing Things...

When you cross CNN's Lou Dobbs...

...with a batch of Blueberry Muffins you get...

...the Pillsbury Doughboy!

Gut-Laughter...

I have it on good authority that the new Borat movie is laugh-out-loud hilarious. I may actually see this one in the theater. In preparation, I have enjoyed re-runs of "Da Ali G Show" on HBO the last two nights. It's one of those shows that makes me laugh so hard I can't breathe. Not many things can do that. Even a great show like "Seinfeld" couldn't do it. Sure, it made me laugh, but not uncontrolably. Here are a few other things that have made me gut-laugh:

• Chappelle's Show
• The Aristocrats (the movie)
• George Carlin
  
• South Park & Team America: World Police
  
• My sister telling stories about working in daycare.
• The Daily Show
• Bill Hicks
• I'm sure The Simpsons did, but it's been a while.

There are probably a few more, but these are the ones I could think of off the top of my head. I'd love to hear about others. Laughing is one of my favorite pasttimes.

The Faces Of Rumsfeld, A Pictorial History...

Baffled...

Insistent...

Indignant...

Pinching off a loaf...

Getting the fuck outta Dodge...

Now git, you rat-shit bitchfuck...go on, git! You heard me, Scram!

5,000...

It came to my attention that over the weekend I eclipsed the 5,000 visitor mark. I must say, I feel a lot like Jesus. Although I'm not feeding you fish and bread, I'm honored to serve up pointless observations and cursewords to my hungry visitors. In honor of this occassion, I'm going to add a few names to my blogroll and thank them for their support:

Teri has been a frequent commenter here for a while. I sense that she doesn't like Dubya much, either. She is a Family Tree Junkie (thus the name of her blog). She has put me in the "Less Normal Folks" category on her site. I wonder what I have to do to get into the "Downright Deranged" group.

Nobody has a blog about nothing. Apparently I rank as one of his favorite blogs. Don't ask me how that happened. There is an attractive picture up there today of a dead mouse surrounded by leftover Halloween candy.

Sans Pantaloons seems a little off-kilter, in a good way. He does nice, short posts and likes Borat, which is a good omen. Be sure to join him in a game of "Hide The Banana".

I should also take a moment to point out another link to a fellow Elmhurst native, my buddy, Geo, who has dedicated his site to his passion: popular culture. This guy watches even more bad TV than I do. As usual, I will NOT be alphabetizing my list, so deal with it!

Memories Of Paste...

Man, this shit was WACK!

(This post is dedicated to my buddy, Mark.)

Buck Up, Georgie...

Don't cry. Look at it this way. You had a nice run. Your Republican buddies ran cover for you as long as they could. It just wasn't meant to be. We all feel your pain, you schmuck.

You have no idea the agony I was in yesterday. Some construction worker had accidentally cut our cable, so there was no internet or TV in our office yesterday. For a political junkie like myself it was torture. Election days are like the Super Bowl for me. I know it's all bullshit and that these people are a bunch of power-hungry assholes, but I still get into it. Call me a glutton for punishment.

I was sure glad to see some people go (Santorum). I'm still holding my breath on the alleged Webb vistory and it sure would be nice to see Ted Steven's protege Conrad Burns go down. Also, that weiner in Arizona, J.D. Hayworth lost. Good stuff...

!@#$&%...

Sorry about the lack of posts today. I just had my internets restored after some yo-yo cut our cable over at a nearby construction site. However, I have a different version of what really happened...

The Bush Administration knows how influential my blog is and they know that the posts I WOULD HAVE done today could've played a large part in turning the tide in today's election. They knew that I had to be silenced. They sent some of their goons to disrupt my service and squelch my progressive words of wisdom. Am I misguided? I don't think so. This is what six years under President Fuckbucket has turned me into.

There...

Is this enough incentive for you people to go and vote these bums out? He's giving you the finger. Are you gonna take that?

Please. Pretty please with Stem Cells on top. Go out and vote. Show these hypocrite bastards that we think their policies are ruining our country. Ignore all the punditry who will tell you the race is tightening and that it's too close to call. It's all bullshit. We will prevail. They suck and they need to know it. Let's give him the finger right back. What a worthless prick...

**Edited to add: I know we don't get to vote Dubya out, but it sure would be nice to have at least a trace of accountability, something the current Republican Congress has been derelict in providing. Stupid assholes...

My Weekend...

The happy couple.

I left Friday morning and drove through blizzard-like conditions, all the while questioning the wisdom of an outdoor wedding in November. Fortunately, we were far enough south that the snow didn't touch us. We had a blast. The ceremony and reception were at this old barn. It was an "autumn harvest" theme. There was a live band, a bonfire, lots of liquor (we finished all the beer), and plenty of laughs.

I know I promised some tuxedo pictures, but the one time I asked someone to take a picture of me with the bride and groom, it turned out like this:

Anyway, thanks to Guido & Heidi for a wonderful time. For more details, visit Frank's blog...

Fucking Miami...

Well, so much for an undefeated season. That was ugly.

And Frank, I don't know about you, but I didn't see a lot of gut-mustering going on.

Sorry. I Couldn't Leave For The Weekend With Two Serious Posts At The Top Of The Page...

Who's up for some giant wieners?

There, now I can go...

Two Tribute Posts In One Day?...

Today is my mom's birthday.

You know, often we attribute heroism to people like generals or sports figures. Other times it's for singular acts, like rescuing someone from a burning building. I'd like to talk about a different kind of hero.

My mom is one of the unsung heroes you'll never hear about. She has always been a champion for people that are experiencing some kind of pain or turmoil in their lives. She started out as a social worker for DCFS in inner-city Chicago. After taking time off to raise three kids, she decided to return to school part time to get her Master's Degree, despite a prior mediocre record as a student. She ended up graduating #1 in her class at Jane Addam's at UIC. Since then she has worked tirelessly to ease the suffering of countless people. She has worked at a VA hospital and a halfway house for recovering addicts. She worked with mothers who were considering putting their child up for adoption and advocated "open adoption", a new approach where the child knows both sets of parents (to varying degrees). Currently she works for a hospice as a bereavement counselor. Those of you who know Social Workers know that, like teachers, they don't get paid jack for what they do.

In the late '90s, my mom travelled to Liberia in western Africa as a volunteer, doing peace and reconciliation counselling for people that had endured years of civil war. Unfortunately, she had to be evacuated out after five months when violence re-erupted. She continues to support some of the people she met there, helping them pay for schooling or setting up businesses. She has also volunteered in Ghana. She is the kind of woman that can always be counted on to help.

Apart from her career history, she is one of the kindest people I know (and I'm not just saying that because she's my mom). She is the queen of thank-you notes, most of them completely unexpected by their recipients. She is the ultimate gift-giver. She is funny as hell and has an infectious laugh. She has always encouraged me in all the wacky shit I've wanted to do. I couldn't have asked for much more in a mother. So, go ahead and call me a "mama's boy". I wear it as a badge of honor.

This will be my last post until Monday. Y'all have a great weekend and hopefully I'll have some good wedding pics. To the Georgia Girls, if you think I look cool in my skiing pics, wait til you see me in a tux. Hot stuff!

My Pal Guido...

I have a buddy named Guido. I've mentioned him a lot. He's the guy that I drove around the U.S. and Canada with for five months. He's the one that has the restaurant in Chicago. Here he is doing his best Willem Dafoe impression in Fort Worth, TX. He and I have been friends since sixth grade. Saturday, he is getting married. I was honored to be asked to stand up with him.

Guido is one of those people that I can feel 100% at ease around. We talk at least once a week despite the fact that I now live 300 miles away. He makes me gut-laugh (a lot tougher task than you'd think). He is also skilled at deep, intellectual discussions. He was that guy in high school that everyone knew and you either liked him or couldn't stand him. We have shared a lot of great times. I wish him and his fiance, Heidi, a lifetime of happiness.

They are going to have their ceremony outside. In November. In Michigan. I'm interested to see how that goes...

Holy Fuck!...

There's a goddamn bat flying around in our office as I type this! No joke!

This is the second time this has happened. The last one took forever to catch.

A Completely Random Story That Involves Cat Poo...

Well, Blogger isn't letting me put up a visual aid at the moment, but fuck 'em. I can still tell a story, right?

Around about age ten, my family got our first cat, Tigger. He was a good cat. A bit of a loner, but we all loved him. One day we noticed him walking a little funny. It was if he was walking on his hind tippy-toes with his ass way up high. He seemed to be suffering some discomfort. It looked as if there was something sticking out of his butt, but we didn't really want to investigate further.

We told my mom, who took a closer look. It looked like the end of a string. Without any other bright ideas, my mom began to tug at the string. The cat was pissed, but he didn't run away. She continued, trying to do things "band-aid"-style, in one quick motion. The cat voiced his disapproval:

"Meeeeeeeeeeeeooooooooooooowrowrowooowwwwwwwwwww!"

Translation: "Shit, lady! Knock that shit off! That fucking kills!"

About twelve inches of string came out, encrusted with fecal matter. It reminded me of when we used to try to make homemade rock candy on a string and little concretions would form. Turns out the cat had gotten into the garbage and swallowed one of those strings used to tie up a pot roast.

Hateful Neighbors...

For the first time in my life I have friendly neighbors.

I grew up on a great block in Elmhurst, IL. It's the only home I lived at as a kid. We never moved. There were lots of kids my age. All the parents hung out. It was a blast. The only bitch was that our house was stuck right in between the two most miserable, hateful families on the block. On the one side was a middle-aged couple with no kids. They were of Scottish descent and on St. Patricks Day they would fly a red flag. I later found out that this meant they hated Irish people (there was an Irish family we were friends with living on the other side of them). They belonged to a bagpipe marching band. He carried the flag and she was trying to learn to play the pipes. Each night during the summer they would wait until we sat down to dinner to practice by marching up and down their driveway. Have you ever heard someone trying to learn bagpipes? You can probably imagine how bad it could be, kind of like the sound of a cat being raped. Then they'd have the nerve to yell at us for playing basketball in our driveway because it was too loud.

On the other side was a mother and her grown son. She was a bitter woman that would always have one complaint or another if she ran into us outside. At one point she asked my mom to pay $10 for new curtains in her garage because she said our cats had shredded them. For one, there were many "outside" cats in our neighborhood that could have done this. Second, our cats were declawed. We suspected her son was under some sort of house arrest because he only left the house to go to work and then came straight home. That's the only time we saw him outside.

How do you guys like your neighbors?

Zip It!...

Note to Senator Kerry: Will you please just shut yer big yapper until after the election. Do not try to be funny. You ain't now and you ain't never gonna be!

Before all my leftie friends start thinking I've gone to the dark side, perish the thought. However, I think it would be a disastrous mistake to nominate Kerry again. He is more intelligent, more experienced, and more eloquent than Dubya, but he still couldn't fucking beat him, even given all we know about the lies and misdeeds of the Bush administration. Blame it on e-voting or anything else, but in my mind, it shouldn't have even been close.

Oh, and to you Republicans that are trying to make hay of this, fuck you too, you hypocrite bastards!