Wastin' time!

I finally got the layout the way I wanted it to. Not only that, I found a script that produces random images from a folder. Not only do you get a brand new look on this six month anniversary of Leftover Chinese, you get a different banner on top each time you load! Yeah, its pretty trite considering the number of regular readers I have right now, but it was worth wasting a lot of time on this. I'll generate a bunch of banners for you in the next few weeks so that you will rarely get the same banner more than twice. Right now we're at 4.

The rest of today was spent obsessing over the extra space between this text and the table on the right. I tweaked and tweaked table widths, column widths, footer widths, and I still couldn't get anything to lie just below the banner. It turned out, my skyline picture from last sunday's post forced the table to be larger than I wanted it. The easy solution to that was to narrow the picture (albeit unproportionately). I think I got this design down finally...but will I translate this for the rest of the site? Probably...

The Girl is off to Washington DC today. I won't hear from her for five days. Do you know what that means? Yeah, nither do I. Let us wish her a safe trip to the nation's capitol. She wanted to read How to Overthrow the Government on the plane rides, but felt that reading that book on a plane to DC wouldn't be prudent...and that's why america sucks. Anyway, I promised to preserve her anonymity here, so I'll stop talking about her. Happy Trip, Girl!

I'm going to see Broken Social Scene tonight. They're sort of a Canadian indie supergroup (like Asia, or GTR). I haven't listened to the CD in over a month, but the show should kick ass nonetheless.

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Design issues...

I still can't settle on a final design for this front page, but I finally figured out how to get a table on the right side of the page. Now all four of you readers don't have to scroll down to see what else has come though my hands recently. Now the next problem is trying to narrow this middle table while the table on the right moves left with it. Notice the gap between the text and the tables on the right. We're definitely not optomized for an 800 x 600 desktop, but whatever...it looks okay to me. I figure...you don't really need to know the recent catalogue if you just want to read the entries...so if you're viewing at 800x600, you'll just see what you need to see. I'll figure out how to get the three sections together and within 800 pixel...eventually. For those like me who use 1024x768...I salute you. Anywho, I thought I could use body margins, but that didn't work. I guess this is a call out there for those design folks who may drop by in the next few days to read this. I'm open to any advice on the issue. Otherwise, here's the new final look...too wide for its own good...

I was looking for design tips when I found random blog. It's a site that sends you to a random blog. There are a few thousand in the database, so the content will definitely vary. Anyway, one of the random blogs featured a terror level meter. I looked at it and my immediate thought was...oh man...its a scared american...but then I actually looked at it and the terror threat is "Bert." I cracked the fuck up. In fact, I laughed so hard, I borrowed it from the guy. Thanks to Geek and Proud dot net, I can keep civilians in the know. Lets hope it doesn't rise to Ernie...

I rode bikes today. I remember using that term as a kid...you know, when you're playing with the kid down the street and he or she says: "lets go ride bikes!" Thinking back on the term, it seems really strange. I mean, it makes sense, but sounds weird to me these days. I guess the standard term has burned itself permanently into my head. Oh well, 15 miles in less than an hour. It felt good. On the way south, I had the wind to my face, so it was a good struggle to stay above the minimum. On the way back, I kept my pace closer to comfortable but taxing. Bottlenecks aside, it was a good ride. In between north and south, I saw some of the big boats...no sails though...I'd say more, but I'm cutting back on the city talk.

The first CD in this music expiriment came in. The expiriment features me purchasing the albums I hear songs from on my random Mp3.com sweeps. I figure inject some unfamiliar music into my catalogue. I'll choose one genre for a while and try to absorb as much as I can before I get sick of it....so.....

As featued in my catalogue, I got a new CD. This album kind of amazed me. The band is from Norway and they've recorded a few albums, but the one I got could be the only one in english. The arrangements blew me away. This music was written fairly well. I guess good musicians are still around. The singer had a very high voice, but not in that falsetto kind of way. He has very good vocal control. Although the rhythms were steady, the music still flowed. I'd say its worth a few listens when you want to sit back and stare at the ceiling. So, if you like intricate arrangements, girlish singing, and emo-esque lamentings....get John Maynard's favourites by the Poor Rich Ones.

Did you like the reading rainbow finish on that last paragraph? Sweeeeet.

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Pigeon Shit

It seemed like a nice day. The sun was out, it was breezy, not too warm to be walking out in full business casual wear, and kids were going to the baseball game. I got off the train and started on my way home. Then I looked down and saw it. Huge-ass blob of bird (probably a pigeon, or gull) shit on my pants. Yeah, on my pants...not the shoulder, not the head, not the shoe...the pants. It was falling down and I probably walked into it. Anyway, I tried to clean some of it off using leaves that hung from small trees on the sidewalk. Imagine being that tree...he'd probably say: "Hey look, part of my arm here is going to be pulled off so some kid can clean off birdshit." Anyway, I was fully disgusted by the time I got home and spot cleaned it with warm dish soap and paper towels. I should get the pants dry cleaned now out of fear (disease). Then again, you can't see the spot now, so it should be good, right? (comment if you're bacteria-adverse and think I'm in a sick situation here).

More design work was done today. I figured out how to keep the links on the left stay black, while letting the links on these posts stay brown. I'm a genius. Actually, I'm just a nerd who doesn't try hard enough to be a nerd.

Another three mile run comes and goes and the pain still lingers in my legs. I was able to get used to the pain after the first quarter of the mile, but I could still tell that the muscles still smart. The small consolation here is that these runs are getting easy. I felt like I did no running after my run (calf pain notwithstanding). I guess the biking and running combination is helping out my conditioning and endurance. That's a good sign. Now, if I can just get these calves off the pain game...

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Reverse chronological order (random .mp3 downloads continue)

Lacking sleep, feeling a cold, needed an evening of rest, I got the itch and went for a short bikeride. Six mile goal at a pace near or close to 17 MPH. Heading south, I stayed well above seventeen miles an hour. Heading back north, the breeze kept me at or around sixteen miles per hour. I was all set to bust out the final half mile of my short ride when I rode towards a kid standing on his seat, while powering his bike by rolling his tire with his back foot, not looking up. Good trick, kid....but don't work on it just after sunset while your riding downhill on the left side of the bikepath...looking down...lil' bitch.

I slept on the train back to town this morning. It was cloudy when I awoke. It was sunny when I fell asleep. Getting the curtains changed on you while you sleep can mess with your mind. At the same time, sitting backwards in a train backwards can mess with your mind, too. Actually, sleeping about three hours before the train ride can mess with your mind as well. Come to think about it...I was probably just messed up anyway. I'll eat salt and vinegar chips.

I helped The Girl buy a new bike yesterday. I took her to the same store I got my bike back in '98. Not much changed in the store: shop to the left, skis up on the platform, bikes everywhere in between. Looked at a bike, talked to a salesman, dropped the familar names, got the recognition...didn't get the friends and family discount. I wasn't trying for it, but it would have been a total score. Anyway, Casey's little brother worked in the shop. The kid was ten years old when I graduated high school. He's six years older now and looks like Shawn. Damn....it made me feel old because Casey and I used to kick it after he got of work in his Red Impala...Speaking of Casey, he's engaged. The weeding (yes, weeding) will take place next year....in New Orleans. Damn...sounds like an adventure. Congrats Casey...you're the fourth character from back in the day goes marriage style...but the first real close one. damn.

The Girl is convinced that I know everybody in the midwest.

I learned how to play Euchre this weekend. Its just another card game to follow the natrual progression of me learning games. First I learn the game quicker than most. Then start to figure out how the cards flow through the deals. Next, I usually win a few hands partly by luck...partly by figuring out the actual game. Then I start to think a little more, and win a little less. Finally, I suck...it has been that way forever.

One of the Girl's friends at the card party used to work with Jon. That's one degree of seperation between the girl and I (through Jon). On July 4th, we discovered 3 degrees of seperation between us (through Jake). The girl starts to suspect that I know everybody in the midwest....its like a real life friendster.

Also got to go back to Culvers for another jumbo butter burger basket. Its obligatory now. There are none around here. The sandwhich eats like a steak. I like steak. They still use plastic ketchup (catsup) cups. I filled out my second (2nd) comment card regarding the ketchup (catsup) cups. Well, sing along with me...chicken chicken chicken chicken chicken. Chicken chicken chicken chicken culvers butter burger.....(you know the rest)...

From up there, we went to chinatown for dinner. My guest knows a little bit of conversational mandarin, so the people were taken aback th...oops..when too far back. (Maybe half out of the two regular readers of this blog probably got that joke...I like those odds).

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From the Sky



This is a focused view of the south loop from the 96th floor of the John Hancock building. I took a few pictures.

One can see all of Chicago and beyond from there. You can see all the main streets in the area, the highways, and the interesting turns of the EL. Don't worry I didn't have one of those "we're so insignificant" moments up there. It is interesting, though to see how little there is beyond the downtown area. The city looks like it rises out of nowhere...like a wart.

From up there, we went to chinatown for dinner. My guest knows a little bit of conversational mandarin, so the people were taken aback that I didn't know any mandarin, but my white friend did. It was the first time I took a white person to a chinese restaurant where he ordered cooked fish. Awesome.

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Post Thursday Action

Went to see the Black Eyed Peas tonight (well, last night). As usual, the crowd was mostly white for this alternative hip-hop show. Plenty of asians, too. I was wondering why that was until they started dropping the term filipino, referring to Ap. Just another person representing the blood. We used to joke about famous filipinos (and/or pinoys) back then. I guess we never took the thought seriously. These days, we can. Now there are more and more of them. That's good. Note to self: get famous.

The opening band was the J Davis Trio. Think Cake with a hip-hop emcee who likes to stand behind vibes, flow fast, and play finger cymbals. The bass player loved harmonics though....almost too much. Either way, check them out...it should be a good listen.

On the way home we encountered two drunk girls who looked like they came from a club. Actually, one of the girl's wore a sticker on her short, short skirt that said Bar chicago, so they probably where. They looked pretty young and confirmed it by horsing around on the train. Imagine two scantilly dressed teenagers horsing around on a train...but larger. They had shared a Subway sandwhich and were throwing bits and pieces of each other. One of the girls remarked: "you're ruining my dinner!!" It was 12:30 in the morning. Dinner?!

Its almost 2 am...happy friday.

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Things I saw on the street today

Lets get back to trite observations. You know, the ones I used to lament about to the point where you wonder why you're reading this in the first place. Lets see....hmmm...In no order particular...the list.

Event: A family touring downtown chicago was crossing the street. The mom said: "Andrew, quit people watching and pay attention!!"

Trite Observation: Said kid is either a space cadet, or an evil, plotting child. Perhaps he's walked into traffic before because he spent too much time staring at strangers. Well, the kid was probably overwhelmed at what he saw in the big city. I say, let him space out and walk into traffic.

Event: A man walking down the street was wearing shorts. Visible from a few feet away were big scabs on his shins.

Trite Observation: The guy walked into barbed wire, or was running away from a dog and tripped over a small fence. Either that, or he owed his bookie quite a bit of money and the guy got his shins beat up.

Event: A mother pointed out a dog in a balcony to her small child. The small child started hopping up and down and barked at the dog. The bark was matched by the dog. They both had high pitched squealy barks.

Trite Obersvation: It reminded me of a kid who took tennis lessons from us a few summers back. He used to bark all the time. Maybe it was tourrets syndrome. Either way, when the kids started making fun of him, I felt kind of bad. We were wondering if the kid had a problem, or just barked for attention. A few months later, I was at a McDonalds and I heard barking. I turned around and it was the same kid. Conclusion, the kid had a problem...he's probably got a lot of issues now that he's probably old enough to be ridiculed..but at least he doesn't swear. Other conclusion: the kid I saw today doesn't have tourrets syndrome.

New, new haircut. This time I dropped $23 bucks on what amounted to be a trim. When I spend an enormous amount on a piddly thing such as a haircut, I just remind myself that I didn't pay for a haircut between the years 1978-1994, 1995-1996, and 1997-2000. Overall, I haven't spent much on haircuts at all. However, this wouldn't be an issue if had a mullet.

Last night I blindly downloaded .mp3 files from pitchfork and MP3.com. I just move my cursor around the screen, looked at the name and said...hmmm...whatever. Some where hit and miss. I purchased three cd's today based on last night's random collection. This should make for an interesting listen when I actually sit down and listen to the bands.

BEP later night....damn

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That Fuckin' Wind... (this post is so long, it deserves a few titles)

So the three day training cycle hits round two. In order to get in better shape for the marathon without worrying about the searing pain in my calves, I devised the plan that will take over the world. Well, not the world, but my marathon training world. I figure that since I can't go on a run for at least two days after the last run, I'll work on the upper legs and lungs another way. Enter the bike. Now, the cycle will be: run-bike-rest. We're not talking about a pansy bike ride up and down the block a few times. I'm shooting for a 15 mile minimum. Ideally 20 miles. Yesterday I did my first complete three mile run since this whole training attempt started. Today featured a bike ride. It was nice, save the fact that gusty winds can be pretty rough. Going against a stong wind takes a lot of work to get through. Its like that one Beavis and Butthead episode where they go to the trailer park during a tornado. They wheeled really slowly but where peddling really hard. Today was like that....but not as hilarious.

The Man and his Plan

Today featured a free luncheon. Some guy, known as 'the man' at a local financial services concern, gave us a talk. He talked about things he did...things to do...keys to success life. He's very positive guy. However, the guy was a total asshole and like to swear casually...it was entertaining at the least. Some gold quotes from the talk:

"Don't worry about what the fuck you did in college. The A students work for the B students and most of them work for the C students because the C students are the entrepreneurs."
"A Masters degree in business doesn't get you shit."
"If you're not going to look around and take a few risks, go to dental school, because you'll get bowled over."
"The dumbest people have the most money. For example, someone could be investing a lot of money. You know who has the capital in this country? Kindergarden teachers! *begin pansy voice* By day she's a kindergarden teacher, *change to sarcastic, heroic voice* by night, she's an investor."

I listened an hour of this kind of action and I was very entertained. Although people like him are just another reason I should ditch this corporate gig, I did take a few lessons from the guy. It made for a good lunch...that and I got to eat a free tuna salad sandwhich...EATEN TUNA SALAD SANDWHICH!

A little math for you

Time it takes to get to Fort Awesome by way of the EL = 40 minutes.
Time it took last night to get to Fort Awesome by way of the bus = 25 minutes.
Time it takes you to realize how awesome I am = instantly.

1991: A good time to be twelve

We're moving towards the dog days of summer. This is the best part of summer. It's still far enough from fall to get bored, still early enough to feel like there's a lot of summer left. Back in the day my friends and I would hang out unsupervised. This was during the 'late elementary - through middle school' years. We were too old / too cool to 'play outside'. We were too young to wander around the city alone. What kind of fun could we have? Well, we sat in a friends' basement...we played video games, ate snacks, drank mountain dew...and most importantly....we made home movies. Yeah, just like Home Movies, the cartoon....except instead of the clever dialogue, perfectly timed humor, and neurotic meandering, we had no dialogue, filthy language, fireworks, and a lot of violence. It was amazing. So anyway, Nick sent me a good flashback yesterday...this basically this described the moment that started the home movie revolution for us:

This day in 1991 was when police arrested jeffrey dahmer for finding body
parts in his milwaukee apartment.
Tomorrow in 1991, Dan Eimon, Ed Lo, Brian Haas, and Nick Vilione started
making home movies about it.

Well, they weren't movies about Dahmer during the latter half of his life. It was just a way for us to stage a fight scene. It was basic premises that we drew from our knowledge of the situation. Five thirteen year-olds watch this happen in the big city and conclude: he was probably violent when he was our age. So we shot "Jeffery Dahmer as a kid" one summer day. Nick played dahmer. Brian and Dan played his childhood friends. The scene was this: Brian and Dan playing basketball (we were in a basement and it was a mini rim)...Nick walks in...asks to play. Brian and Dan say no. Nick then asks why he can't play. Brian and Dan waffle a bit for a few seconds before Brian says: "you kind of suck." Nick says, "Oh I suck...do I?!!1," he then picks up a broom stick and starts swinging around. Dan was running away, Nick swings the stick, and produces what looks like the most realisic fake shot ever captured on amateur home video. After that, we were hooked on making action films. I'm not saying we have that sick fuck mass murderer to thank for the movie...but the situation created an opening for us to take our brand of humor to video. Hmmm...we're must have been a fucked up set of kids back then.

Useless info

The webcam is always on. Its pretty funny to look into my apartment when I'm not home....give it a shot.

(yeah, I've had a lot to say since the last post...but I've actually been busy)

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The Seventeen Mile Adventure


I slept in and went for a decent length bike ride reminiscient of the '98 summer. Back then I would ride for about two hours a few times a week to work out all the frustrations of the week. Anyway, this is what I stopped to see along the way. Hold the cursor over the images to get a caption.

























Do you want to see the fullsize? Click Here

So I got back, went to the roof to stretch out and cool off. I did my stretches and a few pushups. I turned to the south and looked at the condo buidling. All of the units have balconies for folks to come out and get a decent north view. Not a minute passed before a fat guy came outside without any pants on. I did not want to see this...not at all. So I walked to the northside of the balcony to imagine that it never happened. What a sick fuck.

At the Clark Street Fair, everybody's favorite chach bar, Jon Barleycorn, had a karoke thing set up. These two guys went up there to sing the theme song from Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. These steakheads just stood on the stage and didn't sing along. One of the guys looked like he was up there to be seen and nothing more. I would have stepped on stage to show them what a karoke performance really was, but it was daytime and I wasn't that drunk. Luckily, some guy sang Ratt's "Round and Round." That got everybody pumped up. Damn.

Check this commercial out! Click here One take...one shot...amazing stuff.

The workplace will change this week. Curses!

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Crawling out of bed at 12:30 pm can sure screw up your feel for the day

Zapped! was on today. Me and my buddy Jim used to always talk about this movie when there was nothing on TV. We always hoped that the movie would be on becuase it is what he considers to be a very good movie. Its probably as good as you can get with Chachie and the lil' kid from 'Eight is Enough'. Either way you look at it, its a perfect mix of teenage fantasy and gratuitous substance abuse. I'm not sure what they were thinking back then, but it seemed like the kids those days did nothing but smoke grass and mix mysterious chemicals together to see if you can control things in the air. Wait...kids still do that.

I got good and smashed last night. A few people showed up, but as usual, not too many people. A neighbor kicked it with us for a bit and she seemed pretty cool. We went to the bar in my neighborhood and as expected, it turned into a shark tank after 2 am. Its one of the few bars that stays open past two, so when all the chaches strike out in lincoln park, they come north for that last minute hook-up. Its pretty funny to watch this happen, because the ladies don't have to do much to get attention. Its like going to the fair...they stay one place and all the patrons walk around to try their hands. Seeing such effort is almost pathetic, but its funny nonetheless.

So as predicted, I was a little bit ill this morning, but that didn't stop me from attempting the four mile run. I managed to run most of it, but when I got the side cramps, I had to walk a bit. Its okay that I got the distance...and its an even more encouraging sign that I can run relatively pain free. I have to get on the bike more often between runs so I can get my cardio back into shape. I can't run as hard for as long as a time as I used to. Then again, as Brendan said one day...you're not 18 anymore and there's a whole lot more mass to move around these days. I guess I'm not a stick anymore.

ESPN Classic is airing the best of Milwaukee. Most of the scedule highlights big games from the 70's and early 80's. There hasn't been a monumental pro baseball or pro basketball game in over two decades. That's just sad. So they're showing three games and two sportscentries. There needs to be more from milwaukee sports history for this...but sadly, there isn't.

Hmm....a free day...feels like a book on the roof day.

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Summer nights and a weekend of independence

I'm finally going to use my rooftop balcony for what it should be: an outdoor arena to get drunk. When I moved in a year ago, I was confident that I would spend most of my free time at home on the balcony. I thought I would make a habit of sitting outside away from the hustle and bustle of the city, lost in my thoughts. However, it hasn't been the case and I look forward to hanging out up there tonight. I should resolve to go up there every day for the rest of the summer, but I'm probably too lazy. Anyway, a few friends are coming over to spend a laid back evening shooting the shit, watching the traffic, and staring at the gigantic body of water geologists refer to as a "lake." We may even get to see the last golfers finish their rounds...a golf clap won't be necessary if they finish strong...they won't even see us. Well, its their loss.

Weekends for the past four months have always consisted of either (i) family gatherings, or (ii) time with The Girl. I love spending time with both (i) and (ii), but I miss the lazy weekends in solitude. This will be a good chance to head out with folks I haven't seen in a while, or a chance to do absolutely nothing and be alone. Either way, I'm due for a weekend like this.

I've heard enough complaints to change my cell phone voice mail greeting. I was getting sick of the guitar riff, as well. The day I retired my Madison, WI cellphone number was actually a sad day. It meant that I had to retire the guitar riffed voicemail greeting. The guitar I used for that greeting was my first electric guitar ever. It got stolen that summer, so I refused to change the message out of respect for the stolen guitar. Thus, I make guitar messages as a sign of reverence to my glam rock red charvelle guitar...but I digress. How would one change his voicemail greeting if it has featured a guitar riff for the past two years? More guitar? A normal message? Yeah, right....

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Out of Nowhere

Today was your typical summer day. It was hot, humid, sunny, and I sat at work and enjoyed the cold, processed air keeping me cool. The sun was out all day and I pondered going for a run. Then at around 3:30, it got really dark really quick and I could hear thunder. I checked the radar and there was no precipitation. Hmmm....then it rained a bit...the storms formed over the city, I suppose. When the heavy, heavy rains came down, it made for another unique trip home on the damn bus. This time around it was hot and humid inside and we all had to shut the windows because it rained too hard. The pull cord in the bus was broken, so everyone who wanted to depart had to scream. The bus was standing room only. Well, I managed to put off feeling annoyed by something and got home safely...but it was pouring and miller lost his power....you know what? I just realized while typing this that you've heard way too much about my adventures going home from work. If I check back in the archives, I bet there are a few mentions about the bus ride home every few days. That's not to say the highlight of the working day is riding the damn bus...but I do mention it quite a bit. Could this be a cry for help about some hidden issue? Does the fact that the commute home can sometimes contain the most interesting event make my life dull? Um......sorta.

After a night and a day of obsessing over it, I've altered the look of the site enough. I have one more page to change, but I may just keep it the way it is for a while, so I can compare. Then again, it will probably bug me that it hasn't changed, so I'll most likely make the change before I sleep. So much for watching a DVD to cap off two straight days in front of a computer screen. Hmm...I should walk away from the computer now. I think I will....but for you occassional readers, I've reduced the front page from fourteen days of posts to only five...but I made the archives more convenient to get to...so take a look back if you haven't been here for a while...I give you the gift of convenience.

I hope you like the new colors. It may look pretty ordinary, but it took me quite a while to get things to line up correctly (and optimize for the 600 x 800 desktop window)...which means, I slaved over the new scheme so you're going to like it....heh.

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Don't burn your eyes

I wanted to make a little change. I noticed that the original color tones projected a dark feel. I'm a bit happier these days, so I figure try to relect it. However, all I did was a color scheme change and it probably looks damn ugly. Whether or not I do a full template overhaul remains to be seen. This new, new look puts the focus back on the words. Once I have a lot of time to kill to change the fonts, this should look a-okay.

In other site design-related news, the front page greeting you should automatically load this page within seconds. That way, you don't have to waste time staring at the page before you go to the next one. I'll periodically change the front picture and/or share a different piece of wisdom. I may make a few and rotate them week to week depending on mood. Whatever I do with it should be good fun for all four of you loyal readers. Drop me any other suggestions with this design and/or the opening page. I listen to what you'll have to say, but I probably won't care.

So I was making my bed this morning. Not a big deal, eh? Well, I live alone and rarely have guests over, so what's the point? Is it a compulsive need to keep the bed presentable in case an unexpected visitor tours the realm? Is it my inner-neat-freakness showing its ugly face again? I haven't been too keen on making my bed with a cover since I graduated from twin to full....but now I am. Hmmm....guess what? I just wasted 15 seconds of your time reading that pointless rhetorical question...but you can answer it if you still care by this point...I'm over it.

The next time I do a design change like this, I should probably leave it unexplained. Its more fun to wonder what the hell I'm thinking, eh?

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Who?

The Sucks have reportedly signed free agents. No, not any familiar names you would think they would go after. The days of getting a name like Cassell, Kukoc, Mason (when sounded like a good idea) and Payton are long gone. Brian Skinner and Erick Strickland? What about the soon-to-be former clippers players? What about the guards who used to tear the bucks apart every time we played them (Andre Miller, Corey Magette)? We've gone back to signing role players in hopes that they can pull it off on a regular basis. Usually if a role player has a good year, its the only good year they have as an everyday player...this won't be any different. To me, it sounds like the Bucks signed another Kenny Norman and Blue Edwards...I can't wait for this season to start.

In other sports news, tonight's all-star game turned out to be a pretty good one. In the days leading up to this, the millionaire crybabies were complaining that the game shouldn't determine home field advantage in the world series. Its not fair? Its not more fair than alternating home field advantage between leagues each year. This time around, I could tell the game meant something to the players. It seemed more intense and more strategic. Instead of letting the roster rip, the managers actually dug up match-up stats for this one. At the end, the NL players looked disappointed that they lost. I think the players may have realized something....

More sports you say? I managed to pull off another run this week. The soreness didn't show up too much during this jaunt. That's a good thing. It remains to be seen whether or not I can run again in two days, but this is a positive development in the least. I also noticed that I was able to get more of a spring in my stride if I brought my knees up higher and in front of me. Stepping down on the ground and pushing off felt more like riding a bike. Since my legs are more suited for bike riding, this stride gave me more bounce. The strange thing about it? While the different stride gives me more bounce, a lighter feel, and a faster and managable pace, it also works me harder. I must get on the bike on non-running days. Still...its a good sign.

Nothing but sports today folks...nothing but sports....

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Again?

A public notice was posted on the building for me to see when I got back home. It turns out the hot water/gas chapter isn't quite over just yet. The notice read something to the tune of: "Your landlord owes $35,000+ in gas expenses...we will cut off gas on the 24th if they don't pay...here's what you can do." Something tells me that this isn't another "bank miscommunication." Damn...and the dryers just got turned on. I'm sure the condo owners aren't happy about this....but now that I think about it...the building is pretty empty as it is...I wonder if there are any left.

Here's something that annoys me. Its when people lecture you about something and repeat themselves five, six, or seven times. They proceed to go in circles over and over again to make one simple point. In my book, the point has less weight if repeated over and over again. My mother does that all the time and I guess it runs in the family. Oh well...distance equals a buffer zone...thats all I have to say to that.

Here's something that disturbs me. Some New Yorker thought it would be a fun idea if he had males pay $5000 - $10,000 to go into a desert area in Vegas and arm themselves with paintball guns. Seems a bit excessive, but since they're hunting naked women who volunteer to do this...its disturbing. Yes, yes...there are women out there who would subject themselves to this barbaric act...paintballs hurt when you're clothed....how does that feel when you're naked. Is it worth the guaranteed $1000 to run through the obstacle course for these women to be treated like animals? Well...read the article and see the site...it may scare the hell out of you.

Article
The Sick Fuck of a Site

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The Word "Chinese" is way too searchable

If you click on the lil' icon below the list of links on the lower lefthand side of this page (it looks like a globe with a neon ring around it), you can track the statistics of this page. This doesn't track every single user who comes to this outhouse, er, outpost, but its a good way for me to see how many people aren't checking out my comings and goings. Anyway, one of the more fun things to look at is how some people find their way to the site by way of the search term. Any phrase on these pages are searchable and can be reached. There is a pattern, though as to how most random people find their way to this blog...take a look:

+ Chinese funny modern life
+ milwaukee chinese church
+ chinese gansta
+ Beloit, WI, Chinese buffet
+ Pictures of a Chinese Nerd
+ GOLD NECKLACE CHINESE SIGNS
+ dangers of leftover chinese

Do you see the pattern? Of course you do....none of these search terms have anything to do with what I've talked about over the past six months....so they probably wind up very confused one way or another. Other funny search terms always revolve around rims.

+ 2003 Chevrolet Suburban ON SOME 20'S

or this strange one:

+ pictures of girls in 1970's headphones?

Wha?!

So enter in any phrase you can think of...you may or may not wind up back here...its worth the trip anyway.

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Chicago Chapter : Year One

It was All-Star weekend 2002. Miller Park hosted the fiasco that was the All-Star game. I wanted to get my shit moved so I could watch both the homerun derby and the all-star game. For some reason, I scheduled my life around baseball last summer. Anywho, its been a year since I crawled out of the alcohol-laden binge and into what appears to be a boring corporate existence. In a span of the four weeks prior to moving to this city, I went from working at a restaurant, going out to the bars five nights a week and in the middle of that I watched the Brewers lose every night....to working in the heart of the Financial district of Chicago, going out to the bars a few times a month, and in the middle of that, I read about the Brewers losing almost every night. Its been a fun year of growth and here are some highlights/lessons from the Chicago Chapter: Year One.

- Getting a job thus saying goodbye to the freedoms and laziness of a college lifestyle.
- Moving to Chicago and realizing my wish to live in a big city.
- Learning about that all the fuss is about in this city.
- Juggling Credit Card Debt and taking a few hits because the move was expensive.
- KFC and IFC can make for an interesting summer night.
- Realizing that the Old Girl isn't worth trying to get back anymore.
- The Wiener Circle is awesome.
- Joinining the WWB = spending a lot of time.
- A casual acquaintence/co-worker drunkenly told me: "to get women down here, you need balls and moolah." Having not heard the term "moolah" used for years, it kind of floored me.
- Its nice to be financially independant.
- Internet dating is strange.
- Running into semi-psycho ex-dater in Madison one day...telling her that I needed to get back to the real world. Feeling like an ass for about fifteen seconds.
- Accompanying a female to her train stop but not getting her number after she drunkenly stared at me for a long time.
- Cab Rides can take up a big chunk of change if you go out regularly.
- Spicy Cheetos aren't a good breakfast.
- I can't go out in full-rage mode on weeknights anymore.
- Lincoln Park is for Chaches.
- Christmas!
- New Years!
- The Launch of TheLozone dot com.
- The Milwaukee Sucks suck.
- Runnin' with Tha 446.
- Bothering A Girl...her telling me she doesn't like phones...then calling me up unexpectedly one night...now she's The Girl.
- When you stop going out to the bars every weekend, your wallet stays a whole lot fatter.
- I miss having a car.
- Whistle Tips are the greatest invention.
- Weekend trips increase when The Girl lives in a different cities and babies are born.
- The Summer of 2001 Crisis finally settled, and I got out of credit card debt completely.
- I have a lot of distant relatives in this area, and I never see them.
- Give Guppies a little room to work with and they can take over an aquarium like that.
- My legs aren't built for running.
- Work is boring after a while.
- It may or may not be time to figure out the next step.

Well, this is a list of highs and lows from the last year, and now that I look back on it...I'm a pretty boring guy...I can just find a way to make the most unintersting things sort of interesting. Oh well.

NEW SOUND!

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Focus

So I promised a special lil' post commemorating the first anniversary here, but I got sidetracked. I had an idea on the way home from work and saw to its completion as soon as possible. When I hit a creative spike, I tend to want to finish it relatively soon out of fear that I'll lose the feel for what I was doing. Anyway I think it turned out a-okay. Its time to sleep...The special post may show up later today.

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I'm not an elephant, I must be an ass.

Ed: Hey ed...where do you sit on the political fence?
Eddie: Somewhere on the left.
Ed: Okay, then....well, take this TEST to see which possible presidential candidate your view agree with!
Eddie: Will do...shall I post my answers on this site?
Ed: Sure, I don't think the Feds are checking to see if you hate America.
Eddie: Okay then, I wonder what my brother will score. He's a self-proclaimed Libertarian.
Ed: I guess he'll have to check to see what he thinks.
Eddie: Okay then, I looking at my results, I feel that while I agree with Kucinich's views 100%, he's not moderate enough to win an election with the general public.
Ed: So what does that mean?
Eddie: On an idealistic level, I support Kucinich, but in terms of an agreeable candidate for Middle America, I'm a Howard Dean supporter.
Ed: That's good.
Eddie: Why am I talking to myself?
Ed: I don't know, its kind of strange.
Eddie: Okay ed...i'll stop talking to myself and i'll just post my results:

1. Kucinich, Cong. Dennis, OH - Democrat (100%)
2. Dean, Gov. Howard, VT - Democrat (97%)
3. Green Party Candidate (97%)
4. Sharpton, Reverend Al - Democrat (84%)
5. Edwards, Senator John, NC - Democrat (81%)
6. Jackson, Cong. Jesse Jr., IL - Democrat (77%)
7. Kerry, Senator John, MA - Democrat (76%)
8. Leahy, Patrick Senator, Vermont - Democrat (75%)
9. Moseley-Braun, Former Senator Carol IL - Democrat (74%)
10. Gephardt, Cong. Dick, MO - Democrat (74%)
11. Socialist Candidate (72%)
12. Biden, Senator Joe, DE - Democrat (72%)
13. Graham, Senator Bob, FL - Democrat (70%)
14. Feingold, Senator Russ, WI - Democrat (67%)
15. Lieberman Senator Joe CT - Democrat (67%)
16. Kaptur, Cong. Marcy, OH - Democrat (60%)
17. Clark, Retired Army General Wesley K "Wes" Arkansas - Democrat (59%)
18. Feinstein, Senator Dianne, CA - Democrat (50%)
19. Libertarian Candidate (47%)
20. Bradley, Former Senator Bill NJ - Democrat (42%)
21. McCain, Senator John, AZ- Republican (29%)
22. Buchanan, Patrick J. – Reform/Republican (24%)
23. Hagelin, John - Natural Law (21%)
24. Bush, George W. - US President (18%)
25. Phillips, Howard - Constitution (14%)
26. Vilsack, Governor. Tom IA - Democrat (2%)
27. LaRouche, Lyndon H. Jr. - Democrat (-10%)

Take the test!

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The Legs! They're Back!! they're really back!!

Ignore the heat, get off your ass, and enjoy the humidity. That's what I did today. Choosing sunset for my return run seemed like a most prudent idea, but it was damn hot out. However, I was able to run pain free for most of the run. It would have been a full two mile run (I'm coming back slowly, mind you), but a full stomach, humidity, and the heat cut it back a bit. So I learned a few things things from today's run: 1) I can run again, but need to take 'er easy, 2) I should start biking again, 3) A lot of people run near or after sunset down here on the lake path, 4) Sweaty chicks in sports bras and short shorts look exceptionally hott when its almost dark out. We'll see how well I ease back into the routine. I hope the whole calf thing will be the only setback here.

Today is 'jack up the utility bills' day. When I came back to town, I noticed that being gone for a few days stressed out the plants and fish a bit. There were too many hot days in this place with little relief. My Croton welcomed me back with leaves drooped straight down, and my fish seemed a bit worn out. Therefore, I left the living room A/C on all day so as to give these lil guys a bit of relief. I feel good about it, but I bet I'll let the fuckers bake when I get the bill at the end of the month.

I finally got to see what all that hoo-haw back in high school was about. I finished The Great Gatsby and actually liked it. Its a good book about the decade that was the 1920's set in an aristocratic social setting. I'd recommend it if you had nothing to read and wanted to hear about how a facade of riches can hide - er...I won't spoil anything for you...but the lesson here is:

READING IS FUNDAMENTAL!

Tomorrow marks the one year anniversay of the chicago chapter....stay tuned for a special post tomorrow!

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What is the deal with these Sunday trips home?...and other lessons of the elongated weekend

First, Amtrail decides to hit a shopping cart. Then the CTA lends me a ride in a bus that reeked of urine. The first half of today's trip back to the City of Hot Air went like this:
1) The Girl takes me to the station, and we're having a chill time,
2) I get my ticket,
3) I hear a loud voice,
4) A group of young Irish Lads step into the station and raise a ruckus,
5) One Irishman calls out the ticket window and orders a ticket from 10 feet away,
6) The Group of Lads chat up loudly and start flirting with an innocent traveler,
7) I notice that I can smell booze from ten feet away,
8) One of the lads puts his arm around another innocent traveler as she walks through the group, then kisses her head,
9) Innocent Traveler says: "Jesus Christ!",
10) The Girl wonders if they've been Festing it up,
11)I decide that I probably should avoid sitting in the same car as these gentleman of drumnken honor,
12) I got on the train,
13) One traveler yells at a passenger and throws her crutches into the stowage space,
14) Train starts to move,
15) We get to Sturtevant,
16) We stay there longer than usual,
17) We turn around and see some commotion in the car behind us,
18) Some people are moving back and forth, and the conductor seems to be engaged in lively conversation with one of the lads,
19) A policeman shows up on the scene and runs afoul of the Irish lads,
20) The policeman leads one of the lads off the train,
21) These people are on the other side of the bus are seen taking pictures of the train with their single lens reflex cameras,
22) The rest of the lads follow the excommunicated one out of the train,
23) The lads stand in the parking lot, turn around and begin to hurl inaudible insults at the engineer from twenty feet away,
24) The train starts to pull away,
25) The lads are last seen stumbing over each other as they walk towards the street,
26) I wonder how the hell those guys are going back to Chicago,
27) I laugh to myself and think of the possibilities.



This weekend was all about Minnesota. I support 'are' troops, too.



Birthday. A birthday celebration in 90 degree heat reminds us that it's never too hot to feel older.



Parade. Vets, shriners, horses, fat guys with tubas, and dairy queens...

[Scene Missing]

Outdoor picnic. Horseshoes, washers, corned beef dip, and my wifebeater tan.



Fireworks. I saw flashes and heard booms.

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The Portal of Evil has nothing but good things

Here's an early post because I shall be occupied and away from a computer for a while. Things are a bit slow going, but its okay, I don't have to work for the next five days. To keep things interesting in the meantime, I've resorted to a throwback activity from my library days. It is the Portal of Evil?. Originally, it was a post where one could find links to obscure, weird, and wacky websites in the net...I remember finding a site dedicated to women who punch each other in the stomach. Since then it has branched out to be a book club / internet club. Here are some interesting links I found:

Drive me Insane - This guy wired all of his lamps to his website and you can turn on and turn off lights, the hose, the plasma ball, the christmas tree...and watch it happen via a few webcams he set up in his house. I didn't thoroughly read why the guy is doing this, but he likes having no privacy, I guess.

Meg's Boyfriend Page - Some woman describes her short lived infatuations...then compares him to the ultimate crush: MacGyver.

Cupcake's Page - Wierd, wierd shit. This college-aged woman dresses up in a schoolgirl outfit and goes on adventures. The photodiaries are intentionally cheesy....but damn....its still messed up.

About Women - This guy takes pictures of women coming out of starbucks...and also takes pictures of women coming out of another coffee shop....then dares you to compare which cafe has the hotter customers.

These are just five of the many I've seen...so if you have a lot of time, check it out...people and computers can be a bad mix sometimes.

Don't forget to love America this weekend....but don't leave without giving her your phone number.

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This Being Dave



Its been a while since my last "this being ___" segment. Actually, its been a while since my first post of the sort. I'm going to try to get this feature going again. Anyway, this being Dave. We met back at college and after he realized that a cool person could actually come out of suburban Milwaukee, we became pretty tight. Whether it be a wingman, a beat box, or a partner for a spontaneous jam session about tits, Dave was the guy. We roomed together in the roach infested apartment on West Washington Ave. and haven't been as tight since. But it's okay....that doesn't diminish the value of the mayhem that went on between 1997 and 1999. We moved on and I find myself in the metropolis, while Dave got married (happy anniversary, steeles) and is happily livin' the life in his beloved Milwaukee. This post is for you, dawg.

Why did I come up to post this today? Well, I was burning a CD for Jake and titled the CD "Funk: Spraining Dave Steele's Ankles Since 1997." That's exactly what happened one night. We used to party quite a bit in a basement one-bedroom apartment affectionately known as "Vince and Jeff's." Anyway, early that school year, I was a pretty outgoing dude and didn't think twice about approaching a girl. Part of that can be attributed to cheap beer...but the rest can be attributed to Funk Power 1970. At Vince and Jeff's, I'd bring the CD along and somewhere in the night, we'd put it on and both of us would be dancing on air with the closest lady we could find. It didn't matter what shape we were in. Anyway, one night was progressing as described and around track 4, he crumpled to the ground. He got back up and realized that he sprained his ankle. I remember I was "busting game" heavily on some girl that night, but I decided to limp Dave back to the bust stop so he could catch the drunk bus back to the lakeshore. We were pretty hammered during that walk and all he could say was: "dude...you totally left your game with that girl..." over and over again. Team playas...that was my mantra then....then again, it still is. Other adventures included:

- Getting the idea to tag the walls in the stairwells of our dorm.
- Us stealing a sign that directed sports fans to a parking lot, getting caught, then Dave running down the street and into an underage drinking ticket three months before his twenty-first.
- At some party, some dude really wanted to kick my ass...Dave noticed this but didn't tell me about it...for a year...I guess I was totally unaware of the situation at the time.
- The time he thought carbon monoxide was abundant in our apartment.
- Both of us hitting on that girl who worked at Temple Garden and getting absolutely nowhere with her.
- Having the tap stolen from us during our party in the Spring of '98. (and I wished those dudes a good night, too)
- Talking about how to shield ourselves from news cameras in as many cultures and we could mock.
- Him excited to eat a Quiche...me telling him that word on the street was that real men don't eat quiche...him throwing it away ten minutes and three bites later.

....well, I could go on and on....all you need to know is that this is Dave.

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