A Bit of Everything... & A Lotta Nothing

Video of the Week

2011-12-05T09:58:00.000-06:00

What... in the world.... Probably the saddest thing is I actually really like that song, big fan of Skrillex, and perhaps even sadder (I know I used saddest already), is that I kind of had nearly the same mental picture in my head the first time I listened to it.

Picture of the Week

2011-11-18T07:00:00.001-06:00

I love this

2011-11-17T18:39:00.002-06:00

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

COUNTDOWN

Smoke

2011-11-17T07:00:00.003-06:00

Smoked meats Round 1... Smoked a pork shoulder, it was - alright. Good smoke flavor, decent bark but not as fall apart tender as I would have liked. I think it needed a bit more time. Round 2 this weekend with EFMMCACA (more on this Monday) and hopefully I'll have it at a good place where I am primed and ready for Chiefs football Turkey day weekend.

Occupy This Blog

2011-11-16T07:00:00.001-06:00

From my FB status this AM:

the occupy movement is a good idea in theory, It's annoying that my marginal tax rate is higher than some making more money than they know what to do with, It's annoying that tax loop holes exist that allow corporations that make a pile of money here to not be taxed here, I'ts annoying that some pay absolutely nothing to the cause, but trying to get the rich to throw in more of their money to the cause by sitting around a park like a bunch of hobos looking for a handout is like trying to explain how terrible McDonald's is while plowing through a McRibb

I kind of want to expand on this rant a bit. It is no secret that the tax code/structure in this country is totally f'd. I see three big problems as I stated simplistically above: Multi-billion dollar corporations make a killing in the US w/o paying a dime in taxes due to loop holes. Proportionally, folks making lifetimes worth of money don't pay near what I pay, the famous example: Warren Buffet says he has a lower marginal tax rate than his house keeper. And finally there is a large percentage of people who pay nothing, or virtually nothing, into the system. Among other things, all of these things need to be addressed to get our country's revenue stream back up to what it needs to be. Spending has to come down no one disputes that, but revenue has GOT to come up as well. It's business basics folks, cutting operating expenses is nice, but at some point revenue has to be adjusted up as well.

Occupation folks... I'll say it. You are not revolutionaries. You are not visionaries. You are not representing the so called 1%. What you guys are doing is ruining it for everyone and giving the whole process a bad name and bad image. You spent too much time on Twitter following 'revoulutions' in other countries... to put that in perspective though those countries were at about a 3 and the people were trying to get them to a 5 as far as quality of life is concerned. The US is probably at about a 7 on average... so hate to break it to you but as you sit in your camp on your iPhone no one feels too sorry for you. Bumming around a park for weeks not working, not trying to find work, not contributing to a solution through action is only exacerbating the problem. The rich feel like they already pay too much into entitlement programs and by turning yourselves into hobos in a park you are only angering them further. Change in this arena is not going to happen through this kind of demonstration or protest. It's bigger than this. It is a fundamental flaw in our government as a whole where politicians in Washington are more concerned with covering their own ass and securing their own job for the next term that they honestly could care less about the people. Face it, the Federal Government is now a business. They are a real estate conglomerate (landlord) and we all pay them rent (taxes). President is the CEO and the Congress is the Board of Directors. They "represent" the shareholders, but in reality they want a payout for themselves and position next term. Until this problem gets fixed and elected officials actually start acting like elected representatives of the people then nothing is going to change.

This is the kind of change that SHOULD be the focus of protests etc. rather than the pity party that is taking place now. A stand like that would really address the problem rather than a consequence of the problem.

A rant I know... but as I've said before, the political process today really frustrates me and when I here interviews and read things from and about the 'Occupy' protests it angers me because I get the impression that many have no idea what they are even doing there or what they are even protesting.

Rant over...

Weekend Update

2011-11-01T07:00:00.000-05:00

The weekend was truly bittersweet. First with the a few positives: Got coat #2 on baby girl's walls and it looks pretty good. Color looks great and it's one 'big ticket' item that is off the To Do list, which is a relief. Second, got Battlefield 3 and cracked into it on Saturday, to say this game is awesome is an understatement. A bit harder than MW in my opinion, but a lot of fun. Had a Saturday night Fright Night with friends that included the comedy/horror movie Hotel Hell and the true horror flick, Paranormal Activity. Sporting KC won big 2-0 in the first game of playoff action. AND just last night KC Chiefs won a HUGE divisional contest against the San Diego Chargers.

and now... the bad...

KSU got destroyed by OU on Saturday, at the close of the first half it looked promising 20-17, OU made adjustments and proceeded to rack up 40+ unanswered points.. brutal. On Sunday, the Yellow Light of Death invaded and claimed the life of my PS3. So I got to play my new game for a total of... about 4 hours before death took this machine. But hey for $150 + shipping costs Sony will fix it... Also got called for jury duty, more on this later...

All in all the weekend was productive and the bad wasn't 'that' bad I suppose but, I really like my video games so that was a pretty bad one for me.

Weekend Update

2011-10-24T18:07:00.000-05:00

Weekend came and went pretty quick... Baby's room got 1 coat of paint done, which was a pretty big thing to check off the ol' to do list. This little task identified two little observations: 1) paint with primer = joke still need two coats, don't care what they tell you at Lowes. 2) tape = waste of time, the $15 I spent on a paint brush may have been the best $15 I've spent in a long time. If you have even a reasonably steady hand don't waste time taping. I taped our entire house in Denver and I can honestly say (wife will back me up here) we had more mistakes due to tape bubbles, uneven tape lines, and ripped paint when pulling tape down than I did when I did it with hand and brush. Coat 2 will be going on this weekend and then that HUGE to do will be done and done.

Of course with weekends in the Fall comes football, Saturday was the Sunflower State showdown, or as it were, the Sunflower State Beatdown. KSU beat down KU 59-21... a fantastic game and I honestly loved it even more simply because it was KU and it's always good to beat the in state rival. However, the next 3 weeks is essentially the Big XII's murderers row with Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Texas. Ask me pre-season and I probably tell you 1 W and 2 Ls ... maybe even 3 Ls. However, with the way Snyder has these kids playing I can honestly say that 3 Ws is not entirely outside of the realm of possibility and that is certainly the outcome that I am hoping for. Chiefs pulled off a pretty impressive W against an improved Raiders team not only did they get the W but they pitched a shutout, which in this day and age of reasonable parity and guys that can bomb 50 yard field goals, is impressive regardless of the team you are playing.

Got a bit of family time in as well with a trip to Topeka to see the in laws, which was, as always, a good time.

That's pretty much it. Remainder of the weekend was spent with laundry and lazy couch TV time, which frankly is always an essential piece of any weekend that is worth a darn.

Picture of the Week

2011-10-18T07:40:00.000-05:00

Our puppies are ridiculous.

Video of the Week

2011-10-17T07:00:00.000-05:00

wow....

Alpha...Mike...Foxtrot

2011-10-16T07:00:00.003-05:00

I may take November off...

October 25

November 8

Modern Warfare 3 is, as the name states, the 3rd installment of the Modern Warfare series from Call of Duty and I can't wait. MW2 was great so I very much look forward to the 3rd part of the story. While the multiplayer and online games is where the real investment is because of the replayablity. I am hooked on the storyline from MW and MW2 and am really looking forward to seeing how the events of MW2 evolve into the 3rd "episode". That being said... my excitement over MW3 is only a fraction of the excitement I have for Battlefield 3. I've never played or purchased a Battlefield game. But from what I've seen in previews and the limited multiplayer Beta... I may have found a new love to replace the CoD franchise. Something that I really didn't think would be possible. The graphics, even in Beta, were great and the destructible environments were amazing. Tree in the way + RPG = no more obstruction. I will be buying both. Taking days off for both. And sleeping less for a few weeks after release. I'm sure I will have some comments on each (probably more comments than most will care to read) after playing each.

More Beer

2011-10-14T14:07:00.000-05:00

Not trying to make this a beer blog by any means, but the hunt for new and unique beers is one of my more interesting hobbies. Accordingly my beer list should now be pretty close up to date and, aside from making me appear as a raging alcoholic ,it is growing to what I consider to be pretty impressive and pretty diverse. I thought about an attempt to rank them... but that would not be very useful because I found myself giving everything 3s and 4s... maybe I'll try that at a later date, but for now it's just a list. Any questions about any of them feel free to ask!

Picture of the Week

2011-10-14T07:00:00.002-05:00

Letter of Apology

2011-10-13T07:00:00.007-05:00

To Whom It May Concern,

I would like to apologize for my past transgressions and frankly ignorant criticisms of Soccer. These were poorly timed and uninformed critiques of a sport I did not understand. As I watched the Men and Women's World Cups I have grown a bit more and more fond of the sport. I now have a great deal of interest in the local club's performance and standings.

My understanding of the rules are still at the most basic of levels which will undoubtedly lead to inappropriate displays of exuberance and poorly timed and poorly rationalized outbursts of misdirected anger toward players and officials (a second apology here because I've watched football with similar passionate, yet knowledge limited fans and nonsensical outbursts about strategy/officiating/play are super annoying for those that actually 'know' the sport, so sorry again). Lastly, my skill of actually playing the sport is likely at about the 5-7 year old level (at best).

Again I apologize and hope my past does not impact my potential interest in this sport moving forward.

With regret & sincerest apology,

Ben McMahan

Avengers

2011-10-12T08:56:00.001-05:00

Excited doesn't even scratch the surface of my emotion for this movie.

Life Update

2011-10-12T07:00:00.001-05:00

Blog maintenance has been less than sub par but we got a new look a new name and I'll try again to reboot and do a better job with updates, rants, pics, videos, rants and nonsense (yes I know I said rants twice, I'm a fan of ranting).

ANYWAY... life update. Life has been pretty boring since I last left, well as boring as life can be when you are expecting a tiny human to enter your life (due Jan 3). Needless to say, life has been less than dull between furniture, car seats, paint, and general preparations... crap, babies need a lot of stuff. And try as I might I honestly can't call any of it "unnecessary" in fact I'm finding the contrary point is true and there are likely several things that we are missing on the list that will need to be acquired later. Anyway... I'm sure I'll have some updates as the day gets closer. At this point in time we'll go with super excited and super nervous at a 50/50 split. Work is work, travel has slowed a bit, but still there, not really anywhere out of the ordinary. Coolest trip has been Paso Robles, CA though home of Firestone Walker Brewery, probably my number 2 or 3 favorite brewer. Two nights of sampling was pretty amazing.

Bacon Sunflower Seeds?

2011-10-11T13:05:00.000-05:00

Not as good as I hoped they would be... :(

Adventures in Vegitarianism

2011-10-11T07:00:00.002-05:00

Was walking through the grocery store a few weeks ago and as I passed by the tofu, I said to myself, self, I think we should give this a try. So I picked up a brick, pretty proud of myself for stepping outside my chicken and beef lifestyle. However, I soon realized that while it was pretty awesome that I had some tofu... I really had no clue what in the hell to do with it. To Google I went.

Attempt one was to the Grill and BBQ sauce. My thinking here was smokey grill + strong flavors of BBQ sauce would mute be the most approachable and mask any tofu taste more than any other method. This was actually very tasty. I went at it just as is, but I think with some additional fixins this would have been even more of a winner. Attempt two was a bit more 'traditional' I went with the stir fry, tofu veggies, rice, the standard fair. Again pretty good, I think my choice of sauce was the fatal flaw in this one... sauce I chose just wasn't that great so kind of ruined the whole experience frankly.

Final attempt was the scariest because it took something sacred... tacos. This was by far my favorite prep meal. Tofu, rice, black beans and cilantro was pretty delicious. This one goes in the keeper pile for sure. Let the tofu marinate in some spicy enchilada sauce sauteed it up and simmered in sauce a bit, warm corn tortillas and was ushered into flavor country. Now to be clear I am not, nor will I ever, give up meat. Ever. Steak, breast, loin, ground you name it it's all delicious. However, Every once in a while a change of pace is nice and it's fun to try something new. Tofu was one new thing that was a pretty successful experiment. I'll for sure be using this product again.

Top 5 Beers... Ever...

2011-10-10T08:46:00.003-05:00

...or at least until I taste something better, which... really could be any day.

#5 - Boulevard Chocolate Ale

Set all the hype around this beer aside (I do have 1 bottle left...current Ebay price $60) ... I enjoyed this beer a lot and frankly how much I enjoyed it was a surprise to me, surprise enough that it earns a spot on my top 5 at least for now. It's gone now, but will be back in Feb. It's stay here will be highly contested as the fall beers come into stores.

#4 - Firestone Walker Velvet Merlin

Just when I thought Guinness was at or near the gold standard in this category into my life came Velvet Merlin (formerly Velvet Merkin) graced my palet. Pretty phenomenal, light and extremely complex flavor profile, needless to say while at the brewery I drank several of these and am pretty bummed that it likely will never reach MO.

#3 - Green Flash Imperial IPA

Hops. Hops. Hops. Very good double, really not much more to say here.

#2 - Bell's Hopslam

There's a reason this beer goes for $18-20 for a six pack it really is that good.

#1 - Firestone Walker Double Jack

My gold standard to which all beers are measured. A very controlled aggression when it comes to the hops on this double. It's there, you know it's there, but it doesn't beat you over the head. As another note, the beer has far more alcohol than the taste shows... making it a proceed with caution brew.

Top Beers to Always Have on Hand:

#3 - Boulevard Wheat

#2 - Miller Lite

#1 - Stone IPA

Video of the Week

2011-10-09T08:06:00.015-05:00

This is just pretty amazing... wow. I think skydiving would be a rush enough but this guy went flying full on flying squirrel.

More videos on his YouTube page: Jeb Corliss

Clear Eyes, Full Hearts...

2011-07-23T20:27:00.000-05:00

Can't Lose. Except on TV. A couple weeks ago the NBC series Friday Night Lights went away, leaving a hole in my TV lineup. I honestly grew to really really like this show. The cast in my mind was fantastic. For my money I don't know that there's been a better High School coach ever than Eric Taylor. Kyle Chandler was awesome in my opinion. He was a softy at heart but on the outside he was gruff and grouchy as they come. The story lines sometimes got a bit ridiculous and took the whole "High School Football God" thing to, at times, unrealistic levels. But all in all I thought that it was fair. And while I was sad to see it go the one thing that made me very happy was that the show ended on its own terms. Unlike so many shows where the audience, network, advertisers, or whoever lose interest (**cough** Heroes) I feel like Friday Night Lights went out in a good way, it was a bittersweet ending in a way but you felt like it everything was okay and didn't feel like there were any loose ends. I'll really miss the show a lot, hopefully NBC (or some network) will get a good show to at least attempt to be a fill in.

Video of the Week

2011-07-12T15:56:00.000-05:00

Kenny... Powers

Kenny Powers - The K-Swiss MFCEO (UNCENSORED) from Michael Bay

I wish...

2011-07-11T13:18:00.000-05:00

I wish I could say my lack of posting because I was doing something super important... it wasn't I just needed a break, but I think I have a few things to say so I'm back.

Finding Nemo

2011-04-28T10:37:00.000-05:00

The other night I made my first voyage into the pool at the gym and I must say it exceeded expectations. It was a fantastic and oddly calming workout. I absolutely knew that I had done something my arms, shoulders, chest etc were on fire and my heart was going a 100 miles an hour, but it was almost enjoyable unlike lifting and running (not quite at the point where I find running "enjoyable", it's more a necessity considering my love of good food and good beer). Anyway, swam laps for 30 min and by the end was finally starting to get the rhythm back so I didn't either swallow half the pool or pass out from lack of breath during my freestyle laps. I will be adding swimming 2 - 3 times a week to my weekly routine hopefully it'll change things up a bit and it will for sure be a good thing to do come July. I do need to figure out flip turns and get a different set of trunks so I look a bit more legit out there. Gotta at least look like I know what I'm doing.

30 Day Music Challenge

2011-04-27T14:01:00.000-05:00

Day 13: Song from Your Favorite Album

I've covered this one 100 times... my favorite album (at least to date) is Eminem's Recovery. Picking just one song from it is the challenge. I'll go with Cinderella Man, but really I feel like the whole album is one song.

Megamind

2011-04-27T11:35:00.000-05:00

Today perhaps the greatest and most diabolic political scandal of all time has been resolved.

A bit of back story... This plot began August 4, 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Convinced that her unborn child would once be in a position to lead the USA as president, the mother and doctor of one Barack Hussein Obama II drafted a Hawaiian birth certificate; thus ensuring that his rise to power 5 decades later would not be thwarted by something as trivial as citizenship questions about eligibility for office.

Fast forward to April 27, 2011. After much posturing by both sides the rumored and mysterious "long form" birth certificate was presented to the public.

My reaction: So what. Who cares. How much time was wasted on this while the country flounders in nearly all areas that, I don't know, "matter."

As I've said before, I'm not pro Red or pro Blue, I'm pro common sense, so lets go with Purple since colors seem to be way to go these days. But this whole "Birther" thing is/was an embarrassment to the country. In this day of 24/7 media and everyone knocking their own grandmother to the ground for the chance at their 15 min. is it really plausible to believe that humanity in general is capable of the type of massive cover up that would be needed to fake a president's citizenship status/eligibility for the office of the president? I mean think about... this plan would have had to have been hatched 5 decades ago, how many people would have had to have been paid off? Politicians and celebrities can't hide anything... at all, no matter how personal. Affairs, drug use, slips of the tongue, slips of the nipple, you name it it is a headline 5 seconds after it happens. For that reason I never gave much traction to the whole thing, if there was evidence to prove he wasn't eligible someone would a have rolled over long long ago. Plus if he was declared ineligible, that leaves us with Biden and who really thinks that would be a better option at this point?

I just sincerely hope that this thing is now put to bed and the government can begin work on things that are actually important. I hope they stop the petty bickering and fighting and do their job, which contrary to many of their beliefs is not to rile people into a frenzy and play partisan only games. Both sides are at fault and these past years have been an absolute train wreck of uncooperative behavior that should have all politicians on both sides of the aisle embarrassed.

As an aside, with this all important issue now seemingly resolved potential presidential candidate Donald Trump has now moved to questioning the president's college records... come 2012 is Trump is given any legitimate consideration whatsoever I seriously may move to another country for a while.

30 Day Music Challenge

2011-04-26T08:58:00.001-05:00

Day 12: A Song That Relaxes You/Puts You to Sleep

For this one I went instrumental. While there's lots of songs out there that are pretty relaxing, few things are more soothing and relaxing than a well played piano. I love the piano and wish I could play. When it comes to piano there are too many greats to even begin sorting through them, but for me my favorite piano solo comes from a punk band... which is very odd but it just further proves that even though their "main" form of music may not sound "talented" to some, most are very musically talented. For example Corey Taylor can scream with the best of them while belting out most of Slipknot's heavy hits, however switch gears and check out Vermilion Pt. 2 and his smooth vocals, you'll never believe it's the same guy. Anyway, I digress, for my favorite piano solo I'm going with the hidden track on Pennywise song Bro Hymn Tribute. The song is buried a few minutes after the last track. I actually bought the Full Circle album in college just for this song, but lost it... and I don't think you can download just the piano solo on iTunes. It's very long, but very good.

Things I Learned This Weekend...

2011-04-26T08:58:00.000-05:00

My new KC church gets EXTREMELY full on Sundays of note and thus minimally early arrival will result in standing room only.
After: 3 weeks with no caffeine (detox), a general cut back in coffee intake, a sacrifice of soda and energy drinks (lent), downing a Rockstar will result in jitters and a trembling of the hands. NEVER had that happen before, I guess that means that my blood is actually blood and not Taurine and Caffeine
Game of Thrones on HBO continues to get better. Pretty sure next week's episode is going to be amazing.
If you aren't wearing a mini-dress in P&L you're just going to feel out of place... even if you're a dude.
The new Rockstar Energy/Juice drinks are not good... Monster is still the king of energy drinks.

30 Day Music Challenge

2011-04-25T11:06:00.001-05:00

The weekend was full of errands and cooking so no posts, so to make up for it I put a couple on this one and they both have to do with the radio. Radio has been dead to me for awhile now, mainly because I'm pretty sure most stations have a standard 12 song play list and anyone that listens longer than 40-60 min is just S.O.L. With the invention of Pandora and it's gloriously customizable bounty of musical awesomeness I have little use for the radio, with the exception of AM radio which gives me my sports talk for a few hours a day.

Day 10: A Song You Hear Often on the Radio

It seems like every time I turn on the radio this song is on, it's catchy and I used to actually kind of like it. But now I find it annoying and even hearing just a few bars of it gets the hook stuck in my head for hours. Rihanna, S&M

Day 11: A Song You Wish You Heard on the Radio

I'm going independent on this one, Borrow Tomorrow's, Wake Up. Great song from a band I had the privilege to see many times in Chicago, I also hung out many a night with the lead singer Chris Jerles. Anywho, I've written about these guys and I like their sound a lot. This is a live version of one of my favorites, if you like it, you should absolutely check them out on iTunes.

30 Day Music Challenge

2011-04-21T14:47:00.000-05:00

Bonus Day 8b (Day 9): A Song That Reminds You of a Certain Event

Sticking with my High School days, easily one of my favorite things about High School was camping and this song was one that got a lot of air time at our camp sites. Not sure why, I mean it is a great and lessor known Smashing Pumpkins tune, probably because it was buried on the soundtrack to a failed move, Lost Highway. Anyway, the song is really good and we hit repeat and just let it go... so much so that I haven't heard it for probably 10 years and I still knew most all of the words. So if you like the Pumpkins this is one that is absolutely worth downloading.

30 Day Music Challenge

2011-04-21T14:39:00.000-05:00

Day 8: Song You Know All the Words To

It was the High School ski trip to Keystone when I first hear this song on the radio and from that moment on it was nonstop. I think in the year that followed I probably heard this tune roughly 7,543 times and after that much air time trust me when I tell you... a song sticks with you. The video is also hilarious, but point of order... old man crashing through a sky light like that would have shattered both hips, and elbow, and possibly his coccyx. Kryptonite, by 3 Doors Down.

30 Day Music Challenge

2011-04-20T12:04:00.000-05:00

Day 7: Guilty Pleasure

No contest this one goes to Taylor Swift. Much like yesterday's song and the one before, my love for Taylor's music may come as a surprise. But it's there and I like it. A lot. She's just a good singer, no bones about it. And you can really feel what she's singing about, she sounds like she cares. Anyway, my go too guilty pleasure song of hers is December.

GoT

2011-04-19T16:24:00.002-05:00

Link above has some scribbles on Episode 1.

Busy Weekend

2011-04-19T11:10:00.000-05:00

Weekend came and went entirely too fast, went to the homeland for an early Easter celebration. Despite the fact that there were snow flurries on the drive... snow flurries have no place in the month of April, that's just nonsense. All was well, good beers to sample, good times with everyone, the kiddos are getting big fast.

Got home Sunday and watched Game of Thrones premier, which was awesome. Just as good as I'd hoped, episode 1 was a bit slow, but I think it set things up nicely and is doing a pretty good job of painting the scenes. Can't wait for more.

The long whirlwind of a weekend meant taking Monday afternoon off to tend to the lawn, which grew a ton over the week. But I got it wrangled back to a manageable length and got the first round of fertilizer on so hopefully, the lawn will improve this year... the joys of home ownership.

Week ahead is one of menu planning, hosting our first holiday meal this weekend as the inlaws come up for Easter. Should be as fun as last weekend, so that'll make for two solid weekends in a row.

30 Day Music Challenge

2011-04-19T11:01:00.000-05:00

Day 6: A Song From A Band You Hate

Hate is a pretty strong word when it comes to music I think all music has merit and I can honestly say that I can find an appreciation for any artist or song, I may not like it, but I can generally find redeeming qualities for about anything. That being said there are artists that I'm not a big fan of, bottom line they are just not my cup of tea. Katy Perry fits in this category. I just find her to be a bit overly "gimmicky" for lack of a more eloquent way of describing it. It's this distinction that makes me a bit uneasy about the fact that I really kind of like her song ET. I have no idea why, lyrically it's ... well... disturbing, really disturbing. But still, like it or not, I'm drawn to it, it has a solid beat and is catchy, it's hooked me in, and I really don't like that it has done that. Anyway if you haven't heard it, here it is...

30 Day Music Challenge

2011-04-18T13:30:00.000-05:00

After a week of sickness and banking school projects last week the blog fell to the back burner, which was needed particularly since it was one of the things I did instead of working on my GSB paper so it was done early. But the projects are done, I'm not as sick so the song challenge continues...

Day 5: A Song That No One Would Expect You to Love

I'm jumping around a bit here, but I had some song finders block so figure, it doesn't really matter the order all that much... This one I have to thank Mr. James Reyes when I first heard him playing this I thought he was nuts and was wondering when the strobe light, fog and glow sticks would come into play (sadly there were no glow sticks) anyway I digress... The song is Take over Control by Afrojack. It's techno or trance or electronic dance, whatever you wanna call it, it is not a song that would normally grace an iPod comprised largely of alt rock(ish) bands, but it is there and is played more often than you would probably think. Trace music is very good to run too which is how the whole thing started, but then I made a Pandora station based on Afrojack and just listen to it randomly during the work day. A bank examiner, listening to techno while working, figure that one out...

Break

2011-04-13T13:20:00.000-05:00

No blog posts this week, but will be back with the music challenge next week.

I'm onsite for work in Omaha, NE and between work and frantically trying to finish my Banking School project there is little time for song searching, although song searching is far more fun than evaluating bank funding strategies. It seems that I am older than I was in college, but not any wiser, I've still managed to wait until the last minute and will be burning the midnight oil, 5 Hour Energy, coffee and sunflower seeds tonight to finish my project which is due by 11:59:59 PM on Friday. I'd like to say I learned my lesson this year and will get my projects done in a more timely fashion next year... but I'm more a realist than an optimist.

Blog will return on Monday.

Waaasaaa.....bi

2011-04-10T16:52:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago when traveling to DC we went to a pretty unassuming little place, it was Monday night so I was tired from dealing with travel and NOT getting my Great American Bagel. Anyway, I figured a quick burger and some water and I'd be good to go (water) cause I was trying to conserve funds. However, I walk through the door and I'm immediately slapped across the face with 'Special: Bell's Two Hearted Ale, American IPA Pints' well so much for conserving funds, I could not in my right mind pass this draft up. It's okay, we'll make up for it on the menu, sandwich or burger, keep it simple, keep it cheap. I was all set on a delicious sounding (and healthy Turkey burger, to those who scoff, travel as much as I do, eat as much take out and restaurant food and you'll go turkey too every once in awhile). It sounded good had some roasted red peppers and other things to spice it up a bit. At this point I should have put the menu down, but curiosity and a being board of waiting on the waiter got the better of me and I took a look at the rest of the menu. And thats when I saw: Wassabi Crusted Meatloaf. The battle was lost before a shot was fired. This was such a unique and intriguing menu item that I could not say no.

I am happy to say that i chose wisely, this was amazingly delicious, but LOTS of wassabi so if you are not a fan then, stay away from this dish because it is full on wassabi, but it all worked and was very very good. It is something that I really want to try to replicate, although I've never actually done anything with wassabi in my own kitchen. And to be honest this was the first time I'd had it in a dish outside of sushi.

30 Day Music Challenge

2011-04-09T10:29:00.001-05:00

Day 3: A Song That Makes You Sad

I don't like this day, mainly because music is suppose to be an escape and is suppose to make you happy, motivated, really any emotion but sad. But I suppose that that being said there are a lot of songs out there are touching and have heart wrenching lyrics, May Angels Lead You In by Jimmy Eat World comes to mind. Another song that I find sad, although it doesn't really "sound" sad musically but if you listen to the lyrics it is pretty sad, Inside the Fire by Disturbed. I've talked about this one before, but it's about the lead singer for Disturb's battle with depression and thoughts of suicide after finding his girlfriend had committed suicide in their home. Song is twisted in a way, but lyrically it is gripping and pretty genius way to express feelings, thoughts, and emotions on such a topic. Alas, though in my mind there has been only one song that independent of an event, meaning I just heard it on the radio, got me a bit misty eyed. It's an amazing combo of a touching topic and heart tugging vocals the original was done in 1961 by Wayne Cochran and it was good... but add the angsty voiced Eddie Vedder combined with those lyrics and this is a guaranteed heart grabber.

Pearl Jam, Last Kiss

30 Day Music Challenge

2011-04-08T10:29:00.000-05:00

Day 3: A Song That Makes You Happy

This one was another tough one, because really if you're listening to a song it should make you happy, with the exception of Cowboy Troy. Since me and my friends all have a pretty deep love and appreciation of music it's tough to pin point just on song to pin with a smiley face. My first instinct immediately went to Bobby McFerrin, Don't Worry Be Happy, but I thought that I should maybe put a bit more thought into it because that seemed to be a bit too obvious (although it is a happy little tune). This has added difficulty because a lot of music I frequently listen to has darker undertones to it, sadder, desperate lyrics, not EMO... I don't go that far. But to quote a friend there's a lot of "Angst." At the end of it all, the dust settled and there was one that ended on.

O.A.R., Crazy Game of Poker, I had the good fortune of seeing O.A.R. in a free mini-set in downtown Chicago a couple of years ago. The set was fantastic and just when I thought it was over they unmistakable intro to this song... and they rocked it. The beat, the tempo, you can't help but smile and sing along.

It's My Turn to Play with Batman

2011-04-07T12:17:00.002-05:00

The clock is ticking and if a deal is not reached by midnight Friday the Federal Government of the United States of America will shutdown due to no budget.... I'll repeat that, the Federal Government of the United States of America will shutdown due to no budget. We aren't talking about a Pizza Hut closing because the owner bungled the budget and they had no operating capital for the year. We are talking about the federal government, the governing body of the great US of A. How is it that an organization can not reach an agreement or *gasp* a compromise? I whole heartedly believe that the problem lies squarely on the shoulders of the political party system and the machines that they drive. The pendulum of democracy now swings so far to the right AND left that common sense and the interests of the country at large, and more to the point the constituencies of the elected officials, has gone by the wayside.

This budget squabble is just one example of many: the Federal Government is one of the largest employers in the country, so effectively the members of Congress are the Board of Directors do they honestly think it is in the best interest of the people they represent (employees) to shut the government down? Absolutely not. But the members of congress, in their infinitely increasing pettiness, are essentially holding the budget hostage to propel their own partisan agendas. Too far apart on budget cuts... and all agree the deficit is out of control, split the difference and agree to revisit additional cuts/spending in 2012. Problem solved. Have a nice vacation. I know it sounds overly simplistic, but seriously how/why is it any harder than that? Is it worse than not cutting enough? Is worse than cutting too much? Both sides get 50% of what they want, they tie, and American Government (Democracy) is not further elevated as a potential laughing stock.

B instead of working to a logical compromise, the two sides (now three if you count tea party) are more focused on winning this game of chicken, they are like pre-school children fighting over a Batman action figure, the country. The country and its well being are not a pose-able figure with kung fu chop action and a spring loaded grappling hook. It is a land made up of hard working men and women who at the end of the day just want what is fair, what needs to be done, and bottom line what makes sense. Heaven help us if there is a "real" problem in the near future that requires Government action. Because with this current group's inability to work together for the greater good, I have serious concerns about how any material problem would be handled, or ... not handled.

30 Day Music Challenge

2011-04-07T11:57:00.000-05:00

Day 2: Least Favorite Song

Wow... another fast ball down the middle. Least favorite song is a tough one because I like a lot of music spanning many all types, rock, rap, country, you name it. But the more I thought about it if you like a lot of music you probably dislike a lot as well because you start to listen more and more critically so that you don't a) go broke mortgaging your house to Steve Jobs and iTunes or b) go to jail pirating music from some corner of the internet. So with that I will say I have my fair share of songs that get the dislike button in Pandora, many of these though aren't "bad" they're just bad for me. But there are some artists that I really don't care for, as much as I wanted to put Bieber or Rebecca Black on here I just couldn't because they are catchy and I get the appeal, I mean, I won't be downloading any Bieber anytime soon, but I'm not ruling it out in the future if he manages to pay someone to put together a good tune. I think gimmicky artists are the ones that annoy me the most and fall into the unsavory or least favorite category. The perfect example of that is crowned my least favorite...

Cowboy Troy, I Play Chicken With The Train

Now embedding was disabled for the video apparently they don't want just anyone to be able to stream this chart topper from their website all day for free. The guy took a chance I'll give him that, but I can't take you seriously when you brand yourself as a "hick-hop" artist. I mean certain things do not mix. Oil/Water, Politicians/Logic, etc. So I put a link here if you'd like to check out the calamity that is known as "hick-hop". But warn you... it was the least favorite so I won't have hurt feelings if you don't watch, but for every person that didn't watch Audience of One, I flicked Dublin's ear... how does that make you feel?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUPK9z59yUc

The Beer List

2011-04-06T13:55:00.000-05:00

Check the page bar above for a new list - this list is going to document my beer travels no commentary, just a list of what I've had, (brewery - beer).

Would love to hear suggestions for beers I should try and comments on beers you've tried from the list that you liked.

GoT

2011-04-06T13:13:00.003-05:00

New post on GoT page about the preview that was on HBO on Sunday... less than 2 weeks until the premier.

30 Day Music Challenge

2011-04-06T13:02:00.001-05:00

Stole this from a friend and fellow blogger Tina Johnson, author of 'But Anyway...' and since I've been doing a horrible job of posting lately... I'll give the series approach a try. Basically, 30 questions, 30 days all about music.

Away we go...

Day 1: Favorite Song

They really aren't screwing around here, kind of kicked this one off with one of the hardest questions on the face of the planet. I've written about music on here a lot and have substantial evidence to support the fact that my favorite song changes with the breeze. As my fellow blogger did, I retreated to iTunes in hopes of getting an easy answer, Wake Up by Three Days Grace occupied the top spot based on number of times played. But honestly I don't think that would be it, at all, frankly I can't believe that's my top played song, that's very odd. I think my iTunes lies. With iTunes failing me I ran to Pandora for a hope of salvation. Based on a perusal of my many Pandora stations one band and one song came up time and time again as the 'seed' selection for nearly all of them.

Rise Against, Audience of One. I know this is a newer song and thus is likely to get some scrutiny as being elevated to "favorite" status, but really it came down to one song lyric that I just find brilliant and is one reason I love this song and this band:

We're all ok, until the day we're not.

Enjoy.

The Dog Ate my Blog?

2011-03-22T14:50:00.000-05:00

I had to try... been doing a pretty horrendous job as of late on the blog. No real excuses other than pure laziness. Starting tomorrow I'm going to try to right the ship and get back on track (at least for a little while).

Let the Clensing Begin

2011-03-05T14:40:00.000-06:00

So today is Day 1 of the Standard Process diet and clense. The first 7 days are basically an experiment as a vegitarian along with some supplements and pills. I'm 1/2 a day in and hopefully it won't be too brutal, so far so good. More updates to come...

Weekend Construction

2011-03-01T20:01:00.000-06:00

My Mom and Dad came up to KC this weekend and there was some much needed construction going on in the house. I'm not a fan of clutter, and this quirk which conflicts greatly with my desire for stuff (I'm full of contradictions like that, just ask my lovely wife)...I digress... so anyway in an effort to cure at least at a bit of organization to our clutter, shelving was in order and while we were at it we figured why not build a workbench, you know, just in case I feel the need to make some stuff. I think the bench turned out pretty great, a bit more organizing needed and I need to get a peg board or some other sort of tool organizing system, but all in all I've got a pretty nice set up, just need a project now...

In addition to the garage project, ahead of schedule... the basement got some shelving too which will be a big time help keeping the totes an nonsense accessible. It was a fun weekend, got to visit a lot with the folks and had a nice dinner at Cascone's for my Mom's birthday. Next weekend we'll get things organized and then try to figure out what to build next.

Puppies Doing Puppy Things

2011-02-22T07:37:00.000-06:00

Food

2011-02-21T09:33:00.001-06:00

Beth got a new camera and it's way better than her old one so that means, logically, pictures being taken of everything. To that end, here's our Valentines day dinner (on the actual day, at home)

The apps... HyVee pretzel bread with some cheddar, pretzel bread is amazing and I pretty much can't walk by the HyVee bread aisle without picking some up.

The Beverage... Boulevard Chocolate Ale, I've already written on my love of this beer, so I won't re-invent the wheel here.

The meal... Whiskey Cedar Plank Salmon, sauteed spinach, and pureed cauliflower.

2/20

2011-02-20T07:00:00.004-06:00

Wow... two years of blogging, absolutely NEVER thought I would keep this thing up for two months, let alone two years. Now I have multiple pages and semi-regular content. Below is a trip in the way back machine to post #1. I think the blog is still fairly random, a bit more rant focused but I think that's probably pretty therapeutic in its own way.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2009

So it Begins...

Well here it goes (again) I'm going to try my hand at a blog and this time I'm going to try very hard to stick with it. This will be I believe my 3rd or 4th attempt. A word of warning, this blog has potential to be pretty random in nature. I really don't have a "theme." So with out further a do. Here we go...

The Problem with Running is...?

2011-02-17T10:23:00.000-06:00

I think after two(ish) years of running I've figured out a possible answer to this question... it is frustrating. Running is probably the most frustrating sport/activity I've ever done.

And I think that it's a problem of scale.

A mile in a car is not that far at all, generally it's a minute away but in terms of running, a mile is a full 5,280 feet. This vast difference in perspective is frustrating for a lot of people, myself included. To add to this basic perception of distance, the frustration of scale impacts everything since everything is, in its simplistic form, based on the mile. For example, improving from 10 min/mi to 9:30 min/mi... should not be a problem I mean it's 30 seconds, I mean the average person can hold their breath longer than that (yes I broke out the stopwatch for this and hit 30 seconds with ease... I'll wait while you try ... ... ... ...) this seemingly short duration makes running extremely frustrating because improving times by even 1 or 2 seconds is extremely difficult.

I know, I know, improving time is a function of running faster, which is related to cardio health, muscle, etc. Again though, the scale comes into play. 1/2 a mph is roughly what it takes to drop from 10 min/mi to 9 min/mi. One HALF of one mile per hour. In terms of perception this should not be hard, 1/2 a mph is not that fast.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy running (I'm a glutton for punishment) but the frustration of trying to improve at it is a heavy weight. All of this is probably nonsensical... but the rant and getting it off my chest makes me feel a little better.

Embarrassing Correction

2011-02-17T07:21:00.000-06:00

Was just informed that I'd been butchering the title of my current reading material... It's the Song of Ice & Fire series not Song of Fire & Ice... Sorry George...

Chocolate... in Beer? Pt II

2011-02-16T08:55:00.001-06:00

As promised here is the review... I'm going to lack the vocabulary to do this beer full justice, but in a word: amazing. I was skeptical at first about just how the chocolate flavor would come through in this ale but it there and it is very subtle, yet very noticeable. I know that is a massive contradiction but it's true. But at the drink you taste a regular ale crisp and delicious, but then as it travels back you the smooth and rich dark chocolate flavor hits the back of your tongue and then it finishes with a slight hoppy bitterness. It's very complex and a real thinking beer because there is just so much going on flavor-wise. Bottom line is that this is a beer that lives up to all the hype and I am thrilled that Boulevard has announced that they will release this again in Feb 2012. A lot of people are thrilled because the beer sold out in KC VERY quickly, for example a bar tapped a keg of it yesterday at 4:00. It blew empty in 32 minutes. So I am thrilled and sad that I bought 2 bottles, one was enjoyed on Valentine's Day and the second... well that is TBD. The sadness comes from that I need to drink bottle #2 soon, but I know once I do that it is gone till 2012.

V-Day Dinner

2011-02-15T08:38:00.000-06:00

For Valentine's Day this year the wife and I ventured out to Michael Smith Restaurant for dinner. This jewel in KC is owned by Michael Smith who is a James Beard award winner (think cooking version of one of the entertainment four: EGOT). This is definitely and upper scale restaurant and I'd put it in the fine dining category. All those things being said though, the price tag, while higher than your average night out, wasn't really that brutal considering the top tier chef and quality of the meal. The other thing that was very nice was that even though this is fine dining, the menu was extremely approachable. And by approachable I mean that it was not pretentious and overly flamboyant with chef speak, I got the distinct impression that the chef was going to let the food wow you and not try to impress you with detailing prep styles and using obscure ingredients that could overwhelm a diner. The food was prepared and presented in such a way that you knew you were about to eat something special, something that you couldn't even attempt to duplicate at home, but it was all very recognizable and felt very comfortable.

We did the 6 course tasting and as I've said before, at these types of dining establishments the tasting menus are the way to go. In this case though I would recommend stopping at the 5 course. The sixth course is a cheese course and it was good, but in my opinion not worth the extra cheddar (pun inserted for wife's amusement). If you feel better about ordering one entrée, I'd recommend the Eight Hour Pot Roast, I know it's Pot Roast and that sounds so incredibly pedestrian, but it was so very good, the duck was a very close second. But again... I would highly recommend the tasting - you'll get what the chef thinks is best and who knows you may get something that isn't even on the menu...

All in all I loved this restaurant and it instantly, instantly (it had me at the appetizer course) vaulted into my top 3 dining experiences (1) Topolabambo, 2) Michael Smith, 3) Delmonico). I would highly recommend this as a great occasion restaurant, one that I will absolutely be visiting again.

Video of the Week

2011-02-14T17:38:00.002-06:00

This embed probably won't work for long due to copyright nonsense, but for as long as it does... here's the reason I watched the Grammy's Eminem and Dr. Dre; However.... Skylar Grey was an amazing surprise, the girl can flat out sing - amazing voice.

**UPDATE: Rumor is that the song being sung by Rihanna and Eminem is Love the Way You Lie Part II which will be on Rihanna's upcoming CD.

Grammy's

2011-02-14T15:54:00.001-06:00

So I watched the Grammy's last night after a several year ban on the program due to my disappointment with winners. I was intrigued this year however because there were several performances that I thought would be very good, and let's face it it's all about the performances now, the occasional award is handed out merely to keep up appearances. Several observations before I rant....

Bob Dylan. You are a legend. You were exceptionally great in your day, an inspiration, and an icon; but please stop. That performance was painful to watch. It's time to hang up the harmonica collect some lifetime achievement awards, swear at kids on your lawn, take naps, etc. etc. etc.
J-Lo and Marc Anthony... I'm really unsure if that was an actual fight or a scripted ruse, but it made me uncomfortable.
Dr. Dre is the amazing. That CD will be pre-ordered on iTunes
Eminem... was awesome.

Okay, now that that is done, let me tell you why I hate the Grammy's and may never watch them again. It's because they are stupid and no I'm not going to hate on Lady Antebellum, I actually kind of dig that song. Arcade Fire. Seriously? Arcade Fire winning Album of the Year? Now, virtually unheard of people upset folks all the time in the Grammy's so that's not the part that necessarily angers me, well it does, but that's not what angers me most. Arcade Fire won Album of the Year, THE biggest award of the night for the BEST Album... of the Year. What I don't understand however is how they can win the Best Album of the year, beating possibly my favorite album of all time Eminem's Recovery, but yet Arcade Fire didn't even win Best Alternative Music Album; that honor went to the Black Keys. So you don't have to be a genius to see my confusion... Arcade Fire didn't even make the best Alternative Album... but yet they made the Best Overall Album? I think the guys that run the BCS moonlight as the Grammy People in the off season. That is the only plausible explanation. You know who should be really pissed? the Black Keys. I mean hell they beat Arcade Fire head to head at their own game, I think they should claim Album of the Year. Do I think Eminem should have won? Absolutely. But I wouldn't have necessarily been as disappointed in the people who run the award show if it would have went another way. I just really don't see how you can justify a process that turns out results like this, that are so clearly outside the realm of rational. Congrats... I probably won't watch in 2012, I'll just catch the performances on YouTube or DVR.

Chocolate... in Beer?

2011-02-10T09:00:00.002-06:00

I haven't tried this yet... but I am extremely excited to crack open this latest Boulevard collaboration, Chocolate Ale. Rest assured I will absolutely comment on its taste in a later post.

Flash Mob

2011-02-10T08:50:00.000-06:00

Not a KU fan. Period. But even I can't deny that this is pretty cool and worth sharing. I really want to go to a game a the Fieldhouse, I've heard it's an experience

Super Bowl XLV ... Last Post on This

2011-02-09T11:16:00.001-06:00

One more post on the Super Bowl, which I forgot about earlier. I think there needs to be a rule change. And it's not a rule that would impact the game. Media needs to be restricted from on field access for about... 15-20 min after the conclusion of the game. I searched for a picture but couldn't find one, but immediately after the game Rodgers was swarmed by the media vultures, the poor guy couldn't get to shake hands with Tomlin, Big Ben or celebrate with his teammates. If you saw the shots of him you could readily tell that he was less than thrilled with the crowd of parasites looking for their picture or sound bite. It's sad and a tragedy that the media has to ruin what is and will be his greatest sports accomplishment: his first Super Bowl victory. The media can wait, a picture maybe worth a thousand words... but I don't think the quest for a picture should intrude on a man's moment.

Also have to say, I like the possibilities for a re-match next year, both teams are young and very solid in nearly all facets of the game.

Rank Em

2011-02-08T09:18:00.000-06:00

Energy drinks are quite possibly my favorite drinks. No kidding. While most people don't like the "energy drink" taste and only tolerate it when Comrade Vodka is in tow. Me, I love the "energy drink" taste, actually I think I now prefer energy drinks to pop, I would rather crush an energy drink than a Mt. Dew or Diet Coke. So that being said I'll rank my Top 3, one thing you will not find on this list is Red Bull, Red Bull is a joke. The can is the same price, has the same ingredients, but is half the size. You don't have to be Einstein to know you are getting hosed on that purchase. Brand-wise I'm Monster all the way, although a Rockstar did sneak it's way into the Top 3.

1. Monster Khaos - this orange beverage is delicious tastes a lot like orange pop, generally I love this one and it is an absolute staple on road trips that are in excess of 4 hours. Denver/Chicago to Clay Center/Topeka, it was 2 packs David Sunflower Seeds, 2 Monster Khaos, a tank of gas and we were good to go.

2. Rockstar Citrus - this is awesome and a special treat, kind of hard to find though which is the main reason it stays out of the top spot. Taste-wise this one is the best tasting drink, in my opinion.

3. Monster Lo-Carb - this is my staple, my absolute go to drink, my security blanket. They have it everywhere, it's good its taste is ... ehh... a bit more "energy drinky", but it gets a nod in the top 3 because it's always there when I need it and consistency is worth something.

New Page!

2011-02-07T11:26:00.003-06:00

Added a new page above... GoT Posts... Josh DO NOT Click Here. This page is dedicated to the upcoming HBO Game of Thrones series, I'll talk about the books here in the main blog, but since my brother is such a die hard fan of the books and also an avid blog follower I will not run the risk of exposing him to anything related to the HBO series. At the same time... I can't resist talking about the show, which I'm predicting will be one of HBO's best. So that being said for those interested, I'll direct your that way whenever theres something new up there and despite my excitement I'll try my best to do so discretely so as not to tempt my brother.

So ... there's something new there check it out.

Super Bowl XLV

2011-02-07T10:07:00.000-06:00

Another Super Bowl success, gotta say this was the first time in awhile where I really didn't care who won the game, I liked both teams. So that being said I was glad to see Green Bay pull it out and honestly now that Aaron has one I will likely be rooting for a repeat next year, if for no other reason then maybe, just maybe, that will quiet the Favre comparisons. We had some friends over and it was good times, as always, and as always... way too much food was eaten. Below is my contribution to the fare a little 7-layer Mexican dip. For reference the yellow is just Sour Cream with food coloring.

And my favorite commercial of the evening, I don't count the Darth Vader kid cause that one came out last week and they showed a butchered version of it last night:

K-State in the Big Game!

2011-02-06T09:12:00.000-06:00

Video of the Week

2011-02-03T15:26:00.002-06:00

I know this is 2 videos this week but this was too hilarious and awesome to pass up. Leave it to dad to help the little fella out. Not going to lie at the age of 29, 95% of the time I walk through an automatic door I pretend I am using the force to open the door and of those times I'd venture that about 30% of the time I make a subtle and discrete hand motion. Nothing showy just a quick flick of the hand at about waist level.

May the force be with you, always.

Video of the Week

2011-02-01T07:11:00.000-06:00

I've put some of FreddieW's videos up on here before, the guy does some pretty amazing things on YouTube this one is one of his newer ones and doesn't disappoint. I especially like his videos because they are action based and he's done several that are based on the first person shooter style of video games. As always if you like it you should check out his YouTube Channel for more great videos.

Puppies Doing Puppy Things

2011-01-31T11:04:00.000-06:00

This is not a staged photograph...

Life Update

2011-01-28T09:36:00.000-06:00

T'has been a pretty uneventful January really which is somewhat surprising to me given that it's a new year. The one exciting event though was the planning of a vacation to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. There's about 15 of us that will be taking over the resort in June and I think it has potential to be pretty awesome. Hopefully I can get some diving in inbetween trips to the bars....

Other than that work has been busy but manageable, Banking Schools projects are awful, but I'm halfway done only 2 more to go. Travel will start to kick up in Feb. which is a pain, but it will bring some new projects which will be good.

Working out again finally... took way too much time off so while it's not like starting over, it may as well be. Planning on running another 1/2 marathon in April, so better get in gear.

Beth is good she had a birthday this month which was a good time. Finally got to attend the annual Jakle birthday meal at Kiku's after a long trend of missed meals. And I caught my shrimp.

Puppies are a pain as is to be expected with 2 boxer puppies, yes they are over 1 year old, but pretty sure boxers are considered puppies until about 3. Which oddly enough probably corresponds to the number of years that they will have taken off of my life (each).

Been playing a lot of CoD Black Ops, which is probably a terrible thing to do with my spare time considering I am WAY behind in my reading of Song of Fire and Ice.

Some things I am looking forward to in 2011:

April...Game of Thrones on HBO... Josh you will groan here, but I can't wait, and if you change your mind you can come to our premier party that will be complete with mugs of ale and turkey legs...think about it...

11/11/11 & 09/10/11 No specific reason other than the numerical significance of them

Rank Em

2011-01-27T09:03:00.001-06:00

Today we are going to go with ... ranking ... three things I would take to a deserted island, and they have to be: 1 CD, 1 Movie, and 1 food item that I will have to eat for the rest of my days.

The CD. This is a tricky one because I am an eclectic music listener and therefore my "favorites" change like the weather. However, as far as an entire album that I would want to have with me to listen to on repeat for decades I would choose.... Eminem's Recovery, if you recall this really shouldn't be a surprise because I've written on here before about my affection for this album. To me it has it all and as much as I listen to the tracks it just doesn't get old.

If I though a CD was difficult, a movie is nearly impossible. I love TV but I LOVE movies. I will even watch a bad movie just so I can say I've seen it and thus intelligently and justifiably tear it down for how terrible it was. At the end of the day though through all of my lists and pining I had to go with Shawshank Redemption it was very very close and titles such as 300, Watchmen, and Caddyshack were right there. Shawshank is a classic and one that I seem to watch whenever it is on TV no matter what.

Of all the items on this made up list, Food item was an absolute no brainer. Hawaiian Pizza (from Minskey's if we want to get super specific). This is not only delicious but it is absolutely perfect. Bread? Check. Fruits/Veggies? Check. Protein? Check. Dairy? Check. Warm it up you have lunch and dinner, cool it down it's a nice little breakfast. I'm not even joking I think I could eat this type of pizza for every single meal for the the rest of eternity and not get tired of it at all.

What would you choose? 1 CD, 1 Movie, and 1 food item?

Video of the Week

2011-01-24T14:51:00.001-06:00

Some video clips... most are dumb but the baby one is awesome, this kid is brilliant. Forward to about 0:50 second mark.

Rank Em

2011-01-21T12:35:00.001-06:00

Sunflower seeds are something that I've grown quite fond of recently. I used to chew these things nonstop in baseball but then after High School they kind of went away, which was probably a good thing considering the amount I consume now I can only imagine how much I would have devoured during late night paper writing sessions. I rediscovered them though after college when I needed something pass the time while driving, they're great at keeping you up because they require effort, as an added bonus aren't horrible for you, and won't require a bathroom break. Now back in the day there was pretty much one option, the standard salted snack now however... wow the flavor combinations are pretty limitless... as you'll see below. So as I struggled to come up with something to write about for today I decided I'll rank my top 3 sunflower seed flavors:

#1 - Interstate B8: Bloody Mary: Hands down best sunflower seeds I've ever tasted, I really can't imagine what will dethrone this juggernaut because these are amazing.

#2 - Jim Beam: Jalapeño: Just the right amount of spice to let you know it's there but it won't beat you over the head.

#3 - David: Chili Lime: Love this new one, great flavor just the right amount of chili and lime

Gym

2011-01-20T07:45:00.005-06:00

As I mentioned earlier I joined up with 24 Hour Fitness a few weeks ago since I hate running in the cold and given recent vacation plans, more on this later, I figured it high time to drop some lbs and get my act together. Now for those who've never been to a commercial gym, it's... well lets just say it's an experience. This isn't my first adventure with a gym, since I was a member of a gym while in Chicago. However, this gym is A LOT different. Now I won't go into comparing the quality, cause the one in Chicago cost WAY too much so it was super nice... but you paid the price for the super nice. 24 Hour is ehhh... okay but it's cheap and well it does the job. The patrons however is where the differences start... I swear I picked the meat head gym. I've never seen a collection of so many people who are either a) trying to get on the Jersey Shore or 2) trying to impress ladies (and not in a good way). Now, getting ripped is all fine and good we'd all like to have a 6-pack and some sweet biceps. But I swear an nearly break out in laughter when I see some of these fools lifting. For example... saw a guy yesterday pry 5'10" maybe 185 throw 6 plates (45 lbs) on EACH side of a squat bar. Normally I don't like to gawk at people in a gym cause it's just kind of creepy, but understandably a man of this stature stepping under that kind of weight was either going to be awesome or a NSFW YouTube video. He got it off the rack which was further than I thought this would go. Then he proceeded to squat, 2 inches down. And this type of thing happens all over the gym, guys throwing on stupid amounts of weight and not even doing the exercise correctly. Could I throw 225 on the bench press and knock out some 4 in. down bench presses... probably but that's not how the lift is done, so I put on my 125 and do it... 125 is a bit embarrassing and not nearly as cool looking as 225 but I'm not going to get injured and I won't end up unable to scratch my ear from messed up flexibility. I think gyms should hire the most annoying comedian they can find that will just go around and publicly embarrass these guys, calling them out each and every time they are performing an exercise incorrectly, you get a few free passes, but the repeat offenders are clearly marked and let the ridicule begin.

Perhaps they have special T-Shirts for them... Pink ones that are baggy

Video of the Week

2011-01-19T07:38:00.000-06:00

The Best Breakfast Ever...

2011-01-13T09:30:00.002-06:00

This looks both disgusting and delicious ... at the same time...

Working Out

2011-01-12T23:38:00.000-06:00

Started working out again after far too long of a "break." Pretty much status quo, I do a race, then I take a week off that turns into 6 months... For sure not the way to go about things, the extreme soreness in my legs and arms is evidence to this fact. So new year, new gym, new race. I joined up with 24 hour fitness and it's not too bad, pretty sub-par when compared to the gym in Chicago, but at 1/2 the price I suppose a bit of a drop off is to be expected. Anyway... Got a new race coming up in April the Ward Parkway Half-Marathon. For better or worse I'm trying a new training regime this time around. I decided to go with Hal Higdon, which is a running guru that a lot of people use. This one is going to be a different one for sure since my last workouts just said, "ehh... go run 3mi Monday, 4 mi Wednesday... and so on" This one is far more structured and has different workouts, 400m speed things, tempo runs, strength training, and all sorts of "fun" stuff. It's taking a bit of getting used to going away from what I've always done but hopefully the results will be there in the end. Doing a lot of the work on a hamster wheel (tredmill) because I hate running in the extreme cold, if it drops below 40 I'm done with the outdoors. So far things are looking good, I'll keep things posted in the next few weeks once I get deeper into it.

New Books!

2011-01-08T09:44:00.002-06:00

Updated the Book-It page to my current and future readings. Song of Fire and Ice is awesome, my only wish is I was a faster reader and that I wasn't so easily distracted by TV.

Friday Video of the Week

2011-01-07T16:13:00.001-06:00

I've got a new favorite band. I know I jump around a lot on bands, but I have a feeling this one will have some staying power. I modeled a Pandora station around them and I can honestly say there has not been a song of there's yet that I have not liked. I plan on purchasing their entire catalog in the very near future. Below is their video for one of my favorites off their newish album Appeal to Reason. Now, I say newish, because it's been out since 2008 but I only discovered its awesomeness last year. Now I'd heard them before with 2004's Swing Life Away, which was a good tune, I mean I put it on the custom mix for the DJ to play at my wedding reception, but it really didn't hook me. It was 2010 in Minneapolis when I heard their song Savior and I got hooked. Guess I should pry tell you the band's name huh, the band is Rise Against and if you like the song below I recommend you fire up your Zune and get your hands on some more of their stuff, it's great (People still use Zunes right?). They're a bit political, which may turn some off, but even if you don't agree with the lyrics from a political perspective, you can't deny the music is fantastic.

Bow Ties & Eagles

2011-01-06T10:18:00.001-06:00

"I'm a Christian, I've made mistakes myself, I believe fervently in second chances," Carlson said on the show. "But Michael Vick killed dogs, and he did [it] in a heartless and cruel way. And I think, personally, he should've been executed for that. He wasn't, but the idea that the president of the United States would be getting behind someone who murdered dogs?" - Tucker Carlson, Fox News

Now, I'm not even going to get into the hypocritical nature of the first sentence with respect to what follows. First and foremost what Vick did was awful, disgusting, and well, just grab a Thesaurus and keep the list going, but.... in a time were celebrities get what is essentially a free pass (how many times has Lohan gone to "rehab" when you or I would be in jail", Vick went to prison. Fort Leavenworth prison. He did real time in a real jail. He was not in jail for 4 hours and released because of "crowding" he was in prison for 2 years. To put this in some additional context... Donte Stallworth a WR in the NFL drove drunk in Florida, and killed a pedestrian and his sentence was 30 days in jail of which is plea agreement said he need only serve 24 days. I'm not going to get into the debate about which crime is worse or if a human life is worth more than an animals I mean God knows I love my dogs and often times treat them like my kids, the example is merely to provide some context of two recent and high profile NFL crimes.

I think Vick is a good story, and I truly hope that he remains on the right path and truly fixes his life. Right or wrong Vick doesn't appear to have many skills outside of his God given football talents. So the NFL, in my opinion, did the right thing. I think keeping him out of the NFL would have exponentially increased the possibility of him turning back to a life of criminal or at a minimum morally questionable activity. A lot of people say that prison is to keep those who are to dangerous for society away from society and to rehabilitate those who need a nudge back onto the right path. If that is true people need to stop waiting for the other shoe to drop on Vick. You don't have to support him. But one really should realize that he served his time and is trying now to pick up the pieces.

The thing that probably bugs me the most about Tucker Carlson is I would bet Mr Carlson his bow ties against my video games that before Obama was involved in this equation he had absolutely no opinion whatsoever on Vick. Or at a minimum his opinion was inline with most sports fans; his resurgence on the field this year has been amazing to watch, what he did 2-3 years ago was appalling, and hopefully he truly has turned the corner in his life for the better. Or something along those lines. But with Obama involved, well, that changed everything and the ante needed to be raised. What he said was said for shock value and meant to further stir the pot of discontent for the current administration. Carlson later retracted, saying in the heat of the moment he over spoke, or whatever nonsense word he used to describe it. I think he knew exactly what he was doing the shock value of the statement got him in the news for a few days and served as an arrow in the quiver to, I dunno draw the conclusion that the President hates puppies, who knows. He should, if he hasn't already, apologize to Vick. Because from where I sit Vick is at least making an effort to improve, unlike some celebrities.

Lunch Time Posts

2011-01-05T12:18:00.002-06:00

Hopefully this'll start a trend of more posting, trying to do one or two over my lunch. I suppose we shall see.

Twain Censored?

2011-01-05T11:47:00.004-06:00

Recently Mark Twain's works have come under fire for his use of the work "nigger." Now as a white male, even typing that word is a bit uncomfortable for me, so I can at least see a bit of the understanding for "why" the word would raise eyebrows. However, editing it out of these works is irresponsible and greatly reduces the messages and themes of the books.

For starters for those unaware I was an English major for awhile in college and even after the change to Finance I stuck with it and got a minor; one class I took was African American Literature. Now does taking an African American Lit class make me an expert? Absolutely not, but I have read a lot of works written by and about African Americans, many of which were about slavery, post slavery, or the civil rights movement. So while this does not in any way make me an expert by any stretch, I think I have a fair bit of context with which to draw and frame these works, and ultimately the use of the word.

Basically, the use of the word "nigger" and its appropriateness comes down to context. And the central question of: Is the use of the word ever ok? In this case Twain is wrote a work based in a historical time period where this word was widely used. And it was used in the manner in which he wrote it. While works of literature can be interpreted many ways and only the author truly knows how he/she meant for something to be read, I offer my interpretation and "justification" if you will for the use of the word. Twain use the word was meant to set up the great divide between the African American slaves and the white men. Not only were these men slaves to the white men, they were further degraded by being called not by name alone but by "Nigger ", such as Twain's character "Nigger Jim". Now this right off establishes the great chasm between the races and spotlights the extreme racism of the time. Flash forward to the end where along the way it is apparent to me that the best friend and the most decent human is in fact Jim. The irony being that the individual who was thought to be, frankly in the minds of the white people of the time a "lessor" person, ended up showing more compassion and humanity than any other character. This realization to me drives home the idiocy of the racism that was common place at the time. By changing the use of "nigger" to "slave" the initial racist tones and ultimate divide between the characters is watered down. Jim was a slave, so by calling him "Slave Jim" they are only scratching the surface of the initial improbability of the impending relationship between the two characters. This watering down effect ultimately, in my mind, lessens the impact of the friendship that grows between the characters. And frankly cheapens the works as a whole.

On the other hand, some believe that Twain was a racist and his prolific use of the word and exaggerated characteristics of the Jim character were solely meant to be racist. As you see above, I disagree, but that should be for reader to decide. By editing this word out in my mind someone, somewhere is deciding for me that Twain meant for them to be racist and therefore the word must be removed, and if removed it will have little impact. I feel the impact loss is huge. In my mind there are many other places and mediums where this word is used in a far more damaging way, I hope they reconsider and leave these works alone and let readers interpret for themselves the message Twain was trying to deliver.

A panelist on CNN actually said something I agree with with respect to the teaching of these works in school. The word shouldn't be removed just so it is more politically correct, if a teacher is not prepared to have a serious racial and cultural discussion with students then they should not be teaching the book. Face it getting a student to re-read a book they've already read that only has approx. 219 words changed later in life is tough, hell it's a struggle to get them to actually read it the first time.

Ok need to stop before a I go any further, kind of got on a Lit paper type rant there, in fact I could probably write a 5-10 page lit paper on this topic very very easily.

A New Year

2011-01-03T08:09:00.000-06:00

So it's a new year and with a new year comes resolutions. And I resolve to be a better poster. As with most resolutions there will likely be bouts of failure as shiny objects and new video games take my attentions elsewhere. However, my resolve will be to post more regularly.

Finished Product

2010-12-03T09:47:00.000-06:00

Not sure if I ever actually posted a finished pic or not... but here are the cornhole boards.

No Excuses

2010-12-03T08:53:00.003-06:00

No real "reason" for the break in posting... chalk it up to laziness I suppose.

NCAA

2010-12-02T08:53:00.000-06:00

I'm not going to spend a ton of space on this but... there has got to be some changes in the NCAA. Really two main things have just happened that prove, in my mind, beyond a shadow of a doubt that the NCAA is one of the most corrupt organizations in America that is so focused on money that they will throw common sense, logic, fair play out the window.

Cam Newton. NCAA ruled he is eligible because it was his dad, not him, that was asking for the cash. While unfortunate that a parent would exploit their son like that, the NCAA has set a dangerous precedent. Oh... so it was mom and dad that was trying to get paid? Well by all means, go ahead and play. Basically this now means that every shady parent of a blue chip recruit will be walking around like a bellhop, extending an expecting hand. Now I'm not so down on humanity that I think this scenario is the "norm" which is exactly why I think the NCAA missed a golden opportunity to say, "Enough is enough" there is no grey area here. If you accept, or in this case, attempt to accept money or other compensation as a collegiate athlete there are consequences. One has to really really wonder if there were other motivations here, with the SEC title game and a BCS title game looming... those games would not be near as exciting with a Cam Newton-less Auburn.
Second also involves NCAA and football and the BCS, now I could rant on my hatred of this absurd process for DAYS, but I'll say this. IF the projections are correct and Boise State (11-1) their loss being to a #17 Nevada ends up playing in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl against a 6-6 unranked Clemson who got WORKED by Wake Forest, Maryland, and... Presbyterian? This is an insult of epic proportions, and if it comes to pass I may boycott college football in 2011. I'm not even joking, as a fan I'm tired of this mess. I really think running up the score is poor form, but I honestly hope that IF given the opportunity Boise State hang as many points as possible on Clemson if that happens to be 100 so be it.

Dinosaurs

2010-12-01T10:39:00.003-06:00

Harry Potter Part I

2010-11-28T12:10:00.000-06:00

So after a much longer than anticipated the wife and I went to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I. To start, I will never go to another movie theater in KC again. The AMC Mainstreet 6 is phenomenal. A bar in lobby, comfortable seating, and best of all, you can order tickets online and pick your exact seat. Phenomenal. Anyway, back to the movie. Movie was great, every bit as good as I hoped it would be. As I've commented before, books to movies are always going to have holes, gaps, and changes - it's a given. That being said I feel like they did a pretty solid job taking this one from page to screen. I think part of it is because they have 5 hours to make it work versus the standard 2.5 hour run time.

I will say my favorite part, which is an odd favorite part, was the story of the three brothers and the deathly halllows. I thought the way they handled this very important story was pretty awesome. The only truly bad thing is that we have to wait so long for what is sure to be an amazing finale to this series.

Video of the Week

2010-11-20T07:28:00.000-06:00

Preview is finally here and it looks awesome.

Remember

2010-11-12T16:11:00.002-06:00

CoD Black Ops

2010-11-11T16:09:00.000-06:00

Every bit as good as advertised, for those who are interested in such things... 1AM bed times are not kosher. Actually glad to be out of town next week to catch up on my book.

iPod Fail?

2010-11-10T15:59:00.000-06:00

So everyone with an iPod and an active iTunes account has songs and/or artists on there that they would be, for lack of a better terminology, embarrassed if played in front of mixed company. But nevertheless, it remains on in your library and you dust if off every once in awhile and give it a listen when no one is looking. For me, it's Taylor Swift. Now, her stuff sounds incredibly odd when preceded by Rise Against, Three Days Grace, Breaking Benjamin, or one of many other relatively homogeneous bands that dominate my nearly 5 GB music library. I'm not even a huge fan of country music, I mean I listen to a lot of it and I appreciate it for certain. But it's not my go to genre by any means. But with her music, I think it's the voice. She just has a tone to it that is just really relaxing. Anyway... what prompted this was buzz on Twitter and what not about her performance on the recent CMAs, which I attached below. It was pretty awesome, I will say.

PS Stop laughing, you know you have something on your iPod that's right in this same wheel house....

New Video Game Day

2010-11-09T09:21:00.000-06:00

It's new video game day and I am very excited as I often am on this day. After my two previous video game desires got horrible reviews they were no gos on the the purchase front (one of which was borrowed and confirmed as a solid decision), I have high, yet measured hopes for Call of Duty Black Ops, I don't think there is any way possible for the storyline to beat Modern Warfare 2, but they did bring in some big guns for voice overs such as Gary Oldman. So there is potential, but with such a disappointing year in video games thus far, I've gotta approach this with caution. If preorders are any indication it'll be epically awesome or a colossal bust, because early indicators have it paced to beat MW2, which put up HUGE numbers. I'm picking this up after work and ... it'll likely be a late night/early morning combo.

Video of the Week

2010-11-05T09:37:00.002-05:00

Maybe the best video game commercial I have ever seen... Kobe? and Kimmel with an RPG? no talking frog or horse with creepy human characteristics can top that.

Picture of the Week

2010-11-03T10:41:00.000-05:00

Sign from the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear... hilarious and awesome, it is now my new desktop background on all PCs.

Election Day

2010-11-02T10:26:00.000-05:00

I truly and sincerely hope that the winners of today's elections will remember that they represent the people. The people are in need of some sanity. I hope they check there personal and party agendas at the door and do what is right. I'm really truly trying to remain positive about it but given the environment and the amount of mud that's been slung this campaign season, I see more of the same taking place and no true change. The preschool bickering has to end, compromises need to be made in order to make progress.

I'll be heading to participate in the process this afternoon, because as small as one vote may be in the scheme of things - if I want to criticize things I should probably participate in the process. Big thing on the MO ballot is the City Income Tax. I hope it's defeated and the city has to decide how to make what they have work. I understand there is a shortfall due to the commuter nature of the KC metro area and KCMO is in general a business center and not much for residences, but hitting KC residence who already pay property tax, vehicle tax, sales tax, etc. with another 1% is pretty tough to swallow. Other cities manage (I *think* KC and St Louis are the only cities with a tax, could be wrong on this point).

I will again renew my efforts to pay attention to politics given the new faces that will likely be in Congress, but as with the past - I can only take so much of watching preschool children fight over who gets to play with the Transformer.

A Game of Thrones

2010-11-02T08:12:00.009-05:00

**Book-It has finally been updated with a new book!**

Finally picked up a book to get back in the reading groove. Harry Potter was just so good that it has taken me some time to find a suitable follow-up. I really needed a series to keep me going (see gap in HP to now as Exhibit A). After many options were explored I picked up the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin. For those unaware HBO has picked this series up for a show beginning in 2011, probably after Boardwalk Empire and their teasers for this spurred my initial interest, it literally gave me chills. So after some light Google searching I asked my brother if George R. R. Martin (author) rang any bells with him, and low and behold he had and gave it two enthusiastic thumbs up citing it as an all-time favorite. The chills and his ringing endorsement led me to go ahead and just dive into it, despite it's hefty appearance at 800 pages (and that's book 1 of what is 4 so far...). 200 pages deep and I will say that I could not be more impressed, great writing, great story, fantastic all the way around - and I mean look at the guy, how can this guy not tell a good story? The story is fantasy but not too extreme. One thing I especially appreciate is how well us utilized names. Now, doesn't sound like a big deal, but I think I would be a huge fantasy fan if it wasn't for keeping the names straight. George does an awesome job of making names about 50/50 there are some made up names but also some normal names like Jon, Ned, etc. Which makes tracking storylines a lot easier. The storylines... don't want to give anything away but I'll just leave it at wow... I expected things to move slow in book 1 given it's 800 page length and the length of the series in general, but the storylines' hit the ground running very fast, which was fantastic.

If you're in the market and ready to invest some time, I'd highly recommend this as well - I'll update again at the end of the book, but 200 pgs in I doubt my opinion will change.

P.S. I'm predicting now that this will be one of the best series HBO has ever produced.

I Need a Hero

2010-11-01T10:12:00.000-05:00

Stumbled upon a fantastic new website: Hero Complex, site is part of the LA Times, and while generally I avoid all things California, this site is aweseome. Great news on Movies, TV, and Video Games so far the posts have been brief and focus on what the fans want to know with little of the gossip (although there is some). I'd absolutely add it to your daily website check.

PS Given the time this site is FULL of Harry Potter features

Video of the Week

2010-10-25T20:44:00.000-05:00

This video has me so very conflicted... I'm not sure if I should laugh or be a little excited? Probably because I can't tell if the girl is serious about thinking she's really flying.

New Page

2010-10-20T08:56:00.001-05:00

I added a new page to the top bar ^^^^ 'Race Results', made this one so I can post my results from races I run and keep track of them. Also, Garmin has a neat feature where I can post a summary of the race including the Google Map of it, kind of a cool feature. Times on the watch are unofficial though, times in the summary are the official chip times.

Texas Rangers

2010-10-20T08:17:00.001-05:00

This is a great story of a team the Texas Rangers celebrated their win of the MLB Divisional Series (which is kind of ridiculous, not that they won but that players celebrate this in the same manner as the World Series, but that's beside the point). The story really started when the Rangers clinched a spot in the Divisional Series, they did the customary thing that baseball players do and spray booze on each other, which is a waste for sure, but fun none the less. Well, as it's well documented and I believe I've talked about here too, one of the teams biggest stars, Josh Hamilton (one of my favorite baseball players), is recovering alcoholic and drug addict. So to avoid the temptation, he stayed on the field and did some interviews, rather than go to the locker room. This was pretty sad really considering his significant contributions to the team and the season. But for once, athletes surprised and actually did some good. The Rangers conducted their most recent celebration and playoff advancement with Ginger Ale. Josh got to participate. Which is a great thing, especially given the days of Albert Haynesworth, LeBron James and others' selfish behaviours. This team changed tradition to ensure that one of their own could participate. Hopefully others, individuals and teams, will take notice and put the team first (I put a link below).

Texas Rangers Josh Hamilton Celebration

Always Sunny

2010-10-19T14:54:00.001-05:00

I'm really not sure how I've missed this show for the last however many seasons, but I am really sad that I passed on this show. Always Sunny is one of the funniest shows on TV in my opinion, I will say the brand of humor on this show isn't for everyone, but I'll tell you it is right in my wheel house and I laugh hysterically each and every week. Not sure if I'm gonna try to get my fingers on the old episodes via netflix, iTunes or some other medium, but I do know that this show is on the DVR for keeps.

Picture of the Week

2010-10-19T08:00:00.001-05:00

The countdown is more official... less than 1 week until the Harry Potter Movie Marathon, 6 movies, one day, in preperation for the epic conclusion: