tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54243292012-01-31T14:20:41.177-06:00Baseless OpinionsBalancing on a fine razor, with NSFW on one side and legitimate drivel on the other.Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.comBlogger6741100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-79518666736625148532012-01-31T14:20:00.001-06:002012-01-31T14:20:36.976-06:00
This One's For the People
I've been thinking about politics a lot lately.
Weird, I know. I mean, honestly, who thinks about politics these days?
At any rate, one of my weird friends who is also thinking about politics mentioned something interesting today, about the fact that the federal deficit has been one trillion dollars (yes, that's with a T) each of the last four years.
And this wonkyBrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-58947298713826948152011-12-03T20:49:00.001-06:002011-12-03T22:15:50.071-06:00
The Crimson Tide Deserves to Play in the National Championship
I know that there have been dozens - nay, hundreds - of sports commentators, newscasters, and laymen talking about the reality of this year's BCS National Championship game. And while I haven't bothered to do any real research at all about the topic, I'd wager that some of them think that Alabama shouldn't be ranked number two in Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-80674170598018995282011-11-08T09:01:00.003-06:002011-11-08T09:01:41.729-06:00Maybe A Flat Tax Ain't Such a Bad Idea After All
Brian and Kirsten (April 2011): Dear IRS, we owe you $176. Please find enclosed check for same. Love, us.
IRS (May 2011): Dear Brian and Kirsten, you owe us $1097. Please enclose check for same. All the best, IRS.
Brian and Kirsten (May 2011): Dear IRS, We believe your math is off. Enclosed is proof. Please review. Thank you, us.
IRS (Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-55624460637027679622011-11-06T07:46:00.001-06:002011-11-06T07:47:10.419-06:00
So, Apparently it's NaBloPoMo
Or "National Blog Posting Month," for those of us who can't construct words from abbreviations.
Apparently I've been supposed to have been posting on my weblog every day.
Really? People do this? I mean, people with jobs? Like, the full-time kind? I can barely find the energy to post once a month anymore, let alone daily. Good for those who can, I suppose, Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-5138253923299363132011-10-09T10:24:00.001-05:002011-10-09T10:24:19.242-05:00
You Know What? No, I Don't Think Your RSS Feed is for Me.
The more I think about RSS feeds, the more I realize that I've been basically pawning all of the automated action of the collectors/reader and the content distributors on my friends and people that I follow on Twitter or Facebook, or chat boards. Rather than actively signing up to become a passive receiver of custom content, I just Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-89488918176894714372011-09-23T20:22:00.000-05:002011-09-23T20:22:59.699-05:00
The Great Scrabble Drinking Game
Last weekend Kirsten and I got out a couple of board games to play in the evenings instead of watching television or surfing the Internet (you'll notice it's a Friday night as I post this...you know...on the Internet. We fell off the wagon fast).
Anyway, we played Scrabble and I got totally skooled. Like, 395-100 or something. But the upside was that I Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-39586810371509995392011-08-21T20:04:00.003-05:002011-08-21T20:18:00.689-05:00In Which My Overconfidence is Showing
I have found that a great way to while away the hours without finding any real joy in life is to take classes in University College at Wash U. I keep kicking around ideas like registering for a doctoral program (like the semi-useless but relatively costly Doctorate in Public Policy Analysis at SLU), or going back for another bachelor's degree (slightly moreBrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-21771568252439865702011-07-30T20:34:00.000-05:002011-08-02T09:09:38.079-05:00I Told My Wife She Looked FatAs I write this, Lorelei is engaging in one of her weird eating habits - she has decided that she doesn't like frozen green beans unless they're still frozen. She's nomming on some frozen french-cut green beans. Frozen. Eating. So weird.An actual conversation from the other day:Kirsten: "I look so bad - look at this pooch!"Brian: "It's not really a pooch. You Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-17193747088949476492011-07-19T13:08:00.005-05:002011-08-02T12:25:53.641-05:00It's a Time Warp!The Pittsburgh Pirates are now in first place on July 19th, about 5 days after the All Star Break. The last time that happened was 1992. For the sake of tickling your noodle, the last time the Pirates led their division this late in the season they were in the NL East - because there there was no Central Division in either league.Since the last time the Pirates led their Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-30474148813025708072011-07-13T20:28:00.003-05:002011-07-13T20:50:56.127-05:00Ode to the Region's Largest Grocer*Dear Crestwood Schnucks employee,Much as I appreciate the sentiment - No, I do not think I will be back soon.In fact, I do not think I will be back at all.Please indulge me whilst I explain:When you have but two active registers,Plus the self-checkout,It is bad form to send one cashier to the customer service counterFor bills and coins.When you have but two Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-83953923010777727592011-06-15T15:10:00.004-05:002011-06-15T15:30:05.190-05:00I Must be an Idiot, but Now I Want a SliceSo, this poor talk show host in Australia tries a joke out on His Holiness the Dalai Lama.Firstly, why was the Dalai Lama, the holiest man in yellow-cap Buddhism, on the Australian version of Good Day LA? Secondly, why is the host not as good a sport as the guy getting made fun of?Thirdly, was Bill Murray there to claim his eternal happiness?For you Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-89422421535855542102011-06-09T13:36:00.003-05:002011-06-09T13:53:55.785-05:00Can We Even Pretend to be Surprised Anymore?A few months ago, Albert Haynesworth had the misfortune to be correctly identified by the driver he punched in the face after a bit of bad driving by...well, by Mr. Haynesworth. I immediately found my high horse, got up on it, and wrote the following on my Facebook page:"I have said it before and I will say it again: Washington Redskins, you asked for Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-21201750551510357722011-05-24T16:29:00.002-05:002011-05-24T16:30:02.579-05:00I'm on a ROLLAn MSPaint roll, anyway.I call this "Portrait of the Artist as a Strange Man." I'm all about derivative titles.Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-34653867884110470242011-05-03T10:38:00.001-05:002011-05-03T10:38:47.668-05:00On the Cardinals RelieversSo, I'm sitting here thinking, "Man, that bullpen is absolutely terrible day in and day out."And as it turns out, I'm only kinda right.The Cardinals' relievers have the following stats and rankings:Relief ERA: 2.96 (6th NL)Inherited runs scored: Saves: 8 (tied 9th NL)SVO: 16 (1st NL)BS: 8 (Worst NL)SVPCT: 50% (T-14th NL)L: 8 (Worst NL)Innings: 91.1 (6th NL)BAA: .253 (Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-72026224510686969022011-04-15T14:34:00.004-05:002011-04-15T14:40:11.718-05:00Well, This is WeirdBecause MS Paint is much more fun these days:Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-61215666418036219322011-04-02T22:23:00.005-05:002011-04-02T22:51:16.945-05:00Bitch be Trippin' SPHERES*How awesome were the ancient Greeks? Pretty awesome.In high school - or for some of us junior high school - we learned about the rough history of Ancient Greece. Maybe we read the Iliad and Odyssey, and if were really lucky the Aeneid (read the part where Virgil explains how Aeneas's descendants magically include the patron of the poem, then the link will make sense. Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-75068114225306130692011-03-11T20:14:00.004-06:002011-03-11T20:41:53.672-06:00The Things I Don't Know Far Outnumber the Things I DoI spent a lot of time tonight trying to figure out how to say things to my wife. I never really know how to put certain feelings or thoughts into words that make sense. What I see in my head are emotions - fear, worry, love, concern, anger, joy - and they sort of flow past my mind's eye without any sense of language attached to them.And so Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-71035580769655040792011-01-04T14:48:00.003-06:002011-01-04T14:57:41.191-06:00Couldn't Happen to a Better GuyRich Rodriguez, the one-time golden boy of West Virginia University football, has been fired by the University of Michigan for being, generally, a bad coach.And I can't say that I'm unhappy for him.In December of 2006, I wrote this:...any coach who leaves his team/school/employer, especially after saying he'd stay, deserves the wroth I hoped God, or Fate, or Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-75880758336554695442010-12-21T10:09:00.002-06:002010-12-21T10:17:21.696-06:00MetroLink, and why it Don't Go NowhereLooking back at the original MetroLink line in St. Louis, (Forest Park to East St Louis) let's all remember how it had to be put together on a shoestring budget in order to get voter approval. Look at the crossties at the Central West End station sometime - rotting from the inside out, because they're 50, 60, 70 years old. Every single piece of the originalBrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-55933282615188525412010-11-05T20:56:00.003-05:002010-11-05T20:58:51.613-05:00Lame PostBy a HUGE nerd.That'd be me.Two links for original Star Wars art and character design by Ralph McQuarrie.http://www.sillof.com/C-SW_mcq.htmhttp://www.nerdcore.de/wp/2010/02/25/ralph-mcquarries-star-wars-portfolios/Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-29593274780949699212010-10-10T09:23:00.002-05:002010-10-10T09:32:38.895-05:00Distractions are Hard to Come ByEvery now and again, I find that Lorelei is a really simple creature - she eats, she sleeps, she poops - and she's easy to distract. I'll take her for a walk on my shoulders around the neighborhood, or to the park, or the playground. And she'll flap her hands up and down and let me know she's happy, or she'll flop over and let me carry her. Simple. Easy.But nowBrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-70132372693477124832010-09-23T13:04:00.003-05:002010-09-23T13:14:31.190-05:00Wait...Where does this Train go Again?After seeing yet another person (probably my third this week, and easily my 10th this month) get confused by the knowledge that there are two different metrolink lines, with two different sets of destinations, I am tempted to oppose any future metrolink expansion on the grounds that St. Louisans, are just too dumb for light rail.Honestly, I wonder how the Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-43013825226283398702010-09-08T20:24:00.001-05:002010-09-08T20:31:35.958-05:00Fear and Loathing in Las MeccaSo, I frequent a couple of chatboards here in the Ess Tee Ell, all of them centered around political debate (or what passes for it today, anyway) and current affairs in the region, state, nation, and world.And it seems that there are two groups of people on these internet chat boards:The first are reasonable, from all sides of the political spectrum, who are willing Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-7735331728146380542010-08-26T13:05:00.003-05:002010-08-26T13:08:39.674-05:00Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants. Die UnhappyAlright, it's gotta be said. Kirsten has pointed out time and again that I eat badly. And of course, she's not the only one: Sean used to say I was the only person he knew who ate fruit straight from a can. Countless co-workers have said that my love of Hungry Man's one-pound microwave dinners was "weird," "nauseauting," or on at least two Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-43736541977588303642010-08-16T21:17:00.001-05:002010-08-16T21:22:50.037-05:00Mark it DownThere are currently 20 million Pakistanis who are affected by the flooding that has turned Pakistan's Punjab province into a wet and muddy deathtrap the last two weeks. Cholera is starting to break out, as lack of sanitation turns what was previously "only" a dysentery outbreak that followed the natural disaster into a real public health emergency for the survivors. Tens of Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-8237349620286369682010-08-10T22:02:00.002-05:002010-08-10T22:21:55.514-05:00Celebrating my own ShortcomingsEvery so often, my wife and I (though mostly her) like to blog about our culinary accomplishments. A roast duck here, a neat salad there, maybe something involving potatoes. We're both decent cooks, and we can put together a fun meal when we want to.Witness this incredible dessert. I'd never thought of ricotta as a sweet cheese until I had some that was so Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-51189493014713296542010-07-31T19:17:00.001-05:002010-07-31T19:20:31.180-05:00Yeah, it's that SeriousYou ever try feeding a baby? It's difficult - all of those jokes about kids getting more gmisch on themselves than in their stomachs are true. They might actually be understated.So I'm paying bills online (did you know you can do that? Technology is awesome!), and from over my shoulder in the dining room, I hear this:"Here comes the train! Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-4665607974327196812010-07-08T22:49:00.003-05:002010-07-08T22:55:57.739-05:00I Wrote ThisSo, I'm driving home from the office tonight after running some errands back there. It's maybe 7:30 or so, and I was listening to Lorelei sort of sniffling in the back seat. She was tired, and a little hungry, and was starting to go a bit over the edge from happy baby to OH MY GOD I WANT MY MOMMY baby.So I promised her I'd tell her a story.Problem is, I don't know any good stories -Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-62188142834121923042010-07-06T14:22:00.002-05:002010-07-06T14:25:48.007-05:00I'm not a MarxistBut I do play one on the Internet.An interesting tidbit of information that came from a local newspaper's forums:According to the US Census Bureau, income for the middle fifth of households has remained basically stagnant since 1998:(using 2008 dollar figures)Since 1990, the middle quintile's income is up 5%. By comparison, income for the top quintile is up 33%.A good question Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-76411752271555132082010-07-03T11:09:00.002-05:002010-07-03T11:21:01.952-05:00Like an ant, only more susceptible to RAIDI've been so busy the last several weeks at work that I'm not sure how I managed to make it through. Normally, I don't mind being busy - but when being busy means putting everything else in your life on hold, it gets draining after forty days. Now I know how Noah felt.Except at least he was on a boat.Biblical humor aside, part of what has so flustered Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-67224123741552258112010-06-19T21:36:00.001-05:002010-06-19T21:38:37.902-05:00Gawd I'm OldSo, tomorrow (in aboout two and a half hours) will be my first Father's Day.Weird.What's even weirder is that I wouldn't mind receiving a necktie as a gift. When I was a kid, I certainly saw myself as a father (also taller, and slightly more muscular). And I saw myself as a grownup. But I did not see myself as being the kind of fellow who got excited by this season's new Geoffrey Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-62079075529961830822010-06-12T21:16:00.004-05:002010-06-12T22:18:42.920-05:00USA Beats England 1-1Or somesuch.I tend not to pay attention to various sports out there - hockey, basketball, soccer, tennis - generally, the ones at which I have zero skill, as opposed to the ones where I have a slight modicum of skill. Also foosball, but that's much more rarely televised than those previous four.But when championship season rolls around, for any sport, I perk up and pay Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-27718924813823006852010-05-29T19:43:00.002-05:002010-05-29T19:54:07.523-05:00Ah, Merlot. The Wal-Mart of Wines.So, Kirsten and I decided we've finally finished with our most recent fast-food binge, and we're going to move back to cooking more of our own meals. Our most recent food trends have had a lot to do with Kirsten being sick for basically the last two and a half weeks, but she's getting better, so our diet is, too.Side note: Despite how badly Kirsten thinks we'veBrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-62706841683403319962010-05-16T20:03:00.002-05:002010-05-16T20:38:35.135-05:00Do This Eight More Times and I'll Officially be a HandymanSo, I gained a series of great new skills today.As part of my efforts to do minor rehabbing on the house to make it more valuable when we re-sell it, I spent a few hours today Dry-Lok'ing the basement where the old Dry-Lok had flaked away (my realtor said it would be a good way to make it seem as if tehre's no moisture problem in the Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-81010147441812076842010-05-12T18:51:00.002-05:002010-05-12T19:48:38.342-05:00A Long Time ComingSo it's been slightly over three weeks since I last made a post to this weblog. I don't know that I've ever gone that long without a post. I may have, but that doesn't mean I know about it.But that doesn't mean that nothing's happened.Firstly, we've moved. We're listing our house as soon as the realtors come by and we sign the agent agreement this weekend. There are still Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-9221983272736537942010-04-20T20:17:00.002-05:002010-04-20T21:12:34.198-05:00Dude, I'm not Richard KarnFive years ago or so, Kirsten told me that she was sick of staring at the same off-white (eccru? bone?) walls of our apartment, and wanted to paint. I called the landlord of our apartment complex, who told us that was a very nice, but very bad, idea. So we started the process of looking for a house in the fall of 2005. We got ourselves a lender, got a realtor, Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-83109475878854788342010-04-16T22:04:00.002-05:002010-04-16T22:09:44.422-05:00Some People are so SelfishSo, it's around 10 PM at night, which is way past my old man bedtime, and there's a helicopter circling the neighborhood. Apparently there's some sort of manhunt going on, but that whirlybird is going to wake up the baby soon if they aren't careful.My request to the community is this:1) If you are a police department, please start flying those black helicopters, which Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-79223910149565144562010-04-10T19:52:00.003-05:002010-04-10T20:14:31.473-05:00Yeah, it's a Game-ChangerNot long after Lorelei was born, I promised myself (on Facebook, natch) that the birth of my daughter, no matter how great she was, wouldn't change me from the person I was - I wanted to always be a guy who loved football and power tools.And I like to think that I still am.But now that she's older, and started to react to the world around her, I find myself being more andBrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-41608682769744723852010-03-30T08:53:00.006-05:002010-03-30T09:29:39.655-05:00Why do we Even Care Anymore?Ricky Martin is gay.Lance Bass is gay.Clay Aiken is gay.Look, folks. I get it - sometimes, a gay public figure remains closeted for a long time, because he (or admittedly, in the case of superhottie Portia de Rossi, she) hides it well, or doesn't fit the stereotypical mold of what a gay person "should" be.I'm looking at you, Neil Patrick Harris.But in the cases of theBrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-91453668722798966752010-03-28T09:15:00.002-05:002010-03-28T09:35:57.999-05:00An Introspective RetrospectiveSo, I turned 30 years old on Friday.I haven't really put a lot of stock into birthdays in a while - not since at least my 20th. I'm not entirely sure why, but it might have to do, simply, with the fact that I'm a boring little shit. I've never been particularly good at keeping in touch with people who aren't always within about 4 feet of me (Sean can attest to thisBrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-55024797790793316732010-03-20T20:29:00.003-05:002010-03-20T21:18:48.242-05:00See, This is Why I Don't Gamble on College SportsI've been casting about hither and yon in an attempt to find something to post about this week, and it's been kinda hard. Kirsten has taken the wind out of my sails with two videos of Lorelei being adorable (well, one video of Lorelei being adorable, and one of her being vomitous), so kid-related blog posts are out. The cats haven't done anythingBrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-59232320346660676932010-03-14T10:19:00.003-05:002010-03-14T10:27:22.188-05:00Honey, Keep the Cats IndoorsSo, some bird of prey has taken up residence in my very urban neighborhood. I was driving down Osceola Street on my way to get some Sunday doughnuts, and this bird (which had been happily chewing on a squirrel) took off and roosted in a nearby sweetgum tree.I'm unsure of the species - I'm relatively certain it's a juvenile red-tailed or Swainson's hawk, but if anyone Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-66198880041242152762010-03-13T20:47:00.001-06:002010-03-13T20:49:06.204-06:00Brief UpdateKirsten has decided that being a mother and housewife is a major enough status change to justify shutting down one blog, and creating a new one on WordPress.Her new blog is here: http://adventuresofanurbanhousewife.wordpress.com/.Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-2782319098886208792010-03-11T18:33:00.003-06:002010-03-11T18:48:18.284-06:00Sorta Like Julie and Julia, but Less French.So, Kirsten and I have been cooking more, as we cut financial costs out of our life, whut cuz mah wife ain't workin' no more an' all. While the downside is that we spend a lot less time at great restaurants like Chimichanga's Mexican Restaurant or The Original Crusoe's, it also means we get the chance to try new things.Like, say, stew.Before about a Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-59972200449655262142010-03-03T21:41:00.004-06:002010-03-03T22:04:04.717-06:00People, Please: Fill Out Your FormsSo, something not a whole heck of a lot of you might know is that I moonlight as a Kaplan teacher. It's not a particularly glamorous job, but it puts a few extra bucks in my pocket and it keeps me out of trouble on weekends. Sort of like midnight basketball, except that I'm so old that midnight is way past my bedtime.True story: Before I took this job, I Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-12276013486991861112010-02-24T20:30:00.002-06:002010-02-24T20:46:32.076-06:00Oh, See, That's Just AdorableI swore this wouldn't happen. I swore it. I told myself, "Brian, thou shalt not." I made God, in my head, and He told me in His infinite wisdom not to do this thing.But I have failed my self-God. I have lost track of all those things I thought I hold dear and I have failed.I have fallen completely, totally, head-over-heels in love with my daughter. I mean, I Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-33391979776342168722010-02-10T21:27:00.002-06:002010-02-10T21:51:02.648-06:00Difficult SnobberyThere's a pair of pubs in St. Louis that are both called Growler's - though they're not similar architecturally, they do share a menu and they both have an awesome beer club, probably one of the best in the nation. It may be hard to believe, but there are people who go out and rate these sorts of things. They tend to be fun people who die young.Cirrhosis of the liver aside, Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-23386313445204412782010-02-07T15:48:00.004-06:002010-02-07T15:55:26.608-06:00Obviously, this is a Lie.A fortune cookie from a company that has obviously never met the cats in my house.When I first opened this, my first reaction was, "Oh bullshit."Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-50298824738192942932010-02-05T15:24:00.001-06:002010-02-05T15:38:24.271-06:00I Have a Brazilian!Two of them, in fact.At least, according to this map from Google Analytics.Now, I should point out that neither my esteemed visitor from Porto Alegre (in the south) or Teresina (in the north) stuck around very long, nor did they read much. That makes sense, of course, as this blog is not written in Portuguese, and as I have learned from past experiences, online translators Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-88424177928932635152010-02-04T18:58:00.004-06:002010-02-04T21:18:09.093-06:00You Know What? Don't Read this One......or at least, don't read it at work, where a member of the clergy could see it over your shoulder, or near your mother.Now that the warnings are out of the way...Some years ago (in 2007, to be precise, which is in fact three years ago, not "some," but "some" is a more fun adjective to use, so just bear with me), I wrote two posts basically focusing on how Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-33540744576395012532010-01-29T18:54:00.000-06:002010-01-29T19:04:17.767-06:00You Know, It's WeirdOne of my biggest concerns about being a father is the idea that I might get to be too detached - I don't want to be that dad who's sitting in his easy chair, watching a football game, drinking a beer, and answering in monosyllabic grunts whenever my kid(s) ask(s) me something(s).So I was really quite worried that Lorelei would forget me while I was out of town this last Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-685905050903067882010-01-14T10:10:00.001-06:002010-01-14T10:53:18.422-06:00Legitimizing the IgnoredNot like the brazen giant of Greek fame,With conquering limbs astride from land to land;Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall standA mighty woman with a torch, whose flameIs the imprisoned lightning, and her nameMother of Exiles. From her beacon-handGlows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes commandThe air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame."Keep ancient lands, your Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-48088888723510186502010-01-08T20:27:00.000-06:002010-01-08T20:38:47.282-06:00Well, That's DisappointingSo I'm laying in bed with not a whole lot going on at the moment, and I got to thinking about Bowl Season (like every other red-blooded American man).It's been a rough year for me this year. I got pretty psyched up about Marshall playing in a bowl for the first time in like five years (let's ignore that it was the Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl for the moment), but then I Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-90571382845876019732009-12-17T22:45:00.000-06:002009-12-17T22:57:09.586-06:00You NastyI have cleaned up befouled riverbanks. I have mud-wrestled. I have dissected cats, sharks, and pigs. I have handled human remains. I have had nasty bouts of food poisoning. I have seen, and cleaned up after, dogs with hemorrhagic gastroenteritis. I have given enemas to cats. I have performed laminectomies on rats, and sliced the brains of mouse pups in slices measured in Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-17056270902708944132009-12-09T17:37:00.000-06:002009-12-09T17:47:03.762-06:00It's ALIVE! And ASLEEP!"So, Kirsten and I, more Kirsten than I, have been wondering how best to keep the baby asleep when she was, you know, awake. We tried a lot of things - nursing, soothing, shushing, nursing, cooing, nursing, blankets, nursing - but nothing worked. All we've gotten so far is a baby who spits up a lot and a wife with sore boobs.And, let me assure you, neither of those Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-44186394152317273142009-11-23T13:22:00.000-06:002009-11-23T13:27:50.599-06:00Well, Now it's a ThreequelMy mother emailed me yesterday asking for martini recipes. Apparently, I make the only martini that my father has ever liked, and considering his track record, that's saying something.So below are two martini recipes that I very much enjoy:The classic vodka martini:Take dry vermouth (I use Martini & Rossi brand), pour a half a splash into a martini class. Slowly roll Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-59558268532456712672009-11-21T18:57:00.000-06:002009-11-21T19:14:06.557-06:00It's Something Like a SequelWhen Kirsten and I found out she was pregnant, she asked me to give up beer - she was becoming something of a coin-o'-sewer of the stuff, and I think she knew she'd be jealous of me if I were able to continue to drink at will, and she wasn't.So I tried to give up the sweet sweet muscle juice, I really did - but, in the end, I failed at least once or twice. I knew Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-9975668270919608902009-11-14T08:07:00.000-06:002009-11-14T08:09:47.226-06:00Maybe I Could Stuff 'em all in a Camry?You know those cards you can buy for people that say, "In the year of your birth, the most common dog name was...the cost of a gallon of milk was....the top song on the radio was..."? I wanted to get something like that for my daughter. But I wanted to make it a little more real.So I need to find a box big enough to place inside a few unused coins, a Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-62237071992371019632009-11-08T04:04:00.000-06:002009-11-08T04:05:10.352-06:00Look out, WorldI am now a father.Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-31618656978287017092009-10-31T23:00:00.000-05:002009-10-31T23:12:56.383-05:00Why I Want to be a Good FatherPeople often say that pregnancy is the most beautiful time in a woman's life. This is a LIE. She is uncomfortable, she is in pain, she has digestive upset that would make a bad comedy writer blush, she gets arm hair. The headaches never stop. The back pain is cinematic in its aspirations.Things swell, and change color, and generally look different. She gains Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-63996050687060178772009-10-20T18:09:00.000-05:002009-10-20T21:41:51.244-05:00I Wonder if I'll Ever Tell My Daughter About ThisWe're at the point in the pregnancy (or, rather, Kirsten is) where being kicked by the baby is no longer a cute adorable flutter, but is instead a wickedly-powerful roundhouse to the navel. Every now and again I'll hear my wife go "oof!" while our little female version of Chuck Norris (hopefully without the beard with the fist in it) gives her a Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-33448390868787124382009-10-13T21:12:00.000-05:002009-10-14T18:11:32.149-05:00Speaking of No-Talent HacksSo, Kirsten and I were watching TV tonight in order to avoid facing the fact that we're having a baby in a month and are completely unready...Sorry, I digress. Back on topic, we were watching an ad for that new USA show White Collar, and I thought I recognized an actress whose image flashed on the screen.And I did!Turns out it's Tiffani Thiesen. Not the one that I Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-38072634137146182582009-10-09T20:56:00.001-05:002009-10-09T20:56:58.856-05:00OH MY GODhttp://www.getyourbuckleon.com/Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-58906883581857218452009-09-26T21:03:00.000-05:002009-09-26T21:10:16.654-05:00You Know What? Kids Would Love ItSo, Kirsten and I made pasta e fagioli the other day, and are still working on the leftovers - hooray for modern refrigerator techniques!Anyway, I bring this up because our pasta e fagioli had a cheese base, instead of the traditional chicken stock or tomato paste/pasta sauce bases. Really, we made mac and cheese with beans.And this got me thinking - shouldn't Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-84285507135861644062009-09-19T20:23:00.000-05:002009-09-19T20:24:00.531-05:00A ProclamationHereon, let it be known that Schnucks Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies are superior in every measure to Chips Ahoy cookies. Spread the word throughout the land!Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-4831434463672658592009-09-16T06:37:00.000-05:002009-09-16T06:43:56.726-05:00But That's the Only Reason I Travel!I'm currently sitting in the Baltimore/Washington International Airport D terminal, waiting for my flight to get ready to start boarding (which will actually be in about an hour, so I've got time to kill).First off, let me say that this is a sketchy kind of airport. I mean, Baltimore by itself is a sketchy kind of city, so it shouldn't surprise anyone that theBrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-32806573947618172422009-08-29T17:06:00.000-05:002009-08-29T18:06:09.634-05:00Well, Shit.Kirsten broke her foot the other day, taking a tumble down the steps on our side porch. Normally, our safety light above the porch turns on, which helps us see our way up (or down) the steps on the side porch, our primary ingress and egress point for the house.However, on Wednesday night, this was not the case - and so Kirsten took a spill. Apparently, she rolled her foot forward in Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-2742474709543567482009-08-14T20:45:00.000-05:002009-08-14T21:03:57.886-05:00I've Been Betrayed by the Local GreengrocerLast night, while Kirsten was working out at 2Schae Cafe, the cafe where she's the nominal manager (and at this point one of only two non-ownership employees), I spent the evening hanging out with her. I do this a lot, since she works evenings three nights a week, and it gives us time to just chill together.Anyway, she decides that she wants to try to Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-67927611185425565722009-08-04T11:53:00.001-05:002009-08-04T12:02:22.046-05:00Adventures in Rachael Ray-ingYesterday Kirsten and I agreed to make this awesome-looking (and, awesome-tasting) chicken shepherd's pie out of Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book. It seemed simple enough, and after a trip to the store, we were ready to cookify this thing.Part of the recipe calls for a portion of store-bought shredded carrots, but I figured that was a total waste of money - better to Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-24614947176539688252009-08-01T16:57:00.000-05:002009-08-01T16:59:43.068-05:00Berney was WRONGIt needs to be said that, despite the large amount of leather she wore at the time, and despite the protestations by people like Mr. Berney Peng, Carrie-Anne Moss is not attractive, not even in The Matrix.I am SO glad I got that off my chest.Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-56612687640128709492009-06-28T14:06:00.000-05:002009-06-28T14:13:54.320-05:00We Should All Grow Beards in TributeIn a shock to the early-morning infomercial world, TV pitchman Billy Mays died last night at his home in Tampa, Florida. While an autopsy has not yet been performed, Mays was on an aircraft that had a hard landing last night when its tire blew out, and a portion of the aircraft ceiling fell and struck Mays in the head.Mays probably didn't think it was much of Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-76159829408234449352009-06-10T16:44:00.001-05:002009-06-11T09:58:46.199-05:00Why Can't They Just Kill Themselves Instead?Today some gun nut shot up the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., shooting a security guard in the back before being downed by two other guards. The shooter, James von Brunn, is in the hospital, and I can't help but hope enough that he lives long enough to go to jail for the rest of his life.James von Brunn graduated from Washington University in StBrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-5863974390061147172009-06-04T17:01:00.000-05:002009-06-04T17:02:33.846-05:00Why I Don't go Grocery Shopping in ChinaTiananmen Square was 20 years ago today.Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-13929562755681036962009-06-01T13:55:00.000-05:002009-06-01T14:08:12.413-05:00Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor SunsetKirsten and I are sitting in Palm Beach International Airport (built 1988) right now waiting for our flight to Atlanta, which will eventually connect us to St. Louis. We've been in Palm Beach over the weekend for a good friend's wedding, and are about to head home.I take that back. "About" is a very loose term, so I'll attempt to define it here: We are Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-66436174411652678462009-05-18T09:40:00.000-05:002009-05-18T09:52:18.311-05:00How Morbid am I, Really?So, over the weekend one of Washington University's most generous donors threw himself off of a bridge in St. Charles County. His body has not yet been found, so his official status is "missing/presumed deceased."The very first thing I did when I came into the office this morning was to look at his gift record and see if he had any outstanding pledges or bequests which Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-82634886729724330172009-05-08T14:20:00.000-05:002009-05-08T20:46:51.332-05:00This is Messed up and Hilarioushttp://raymondo.chickennation.com/2007/01/08/0042/Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-41635402292922194702009-05-05T08:49:00.000-05:002009-05-05T08:50:33.212-05:00The Literary Education You Never WantedA haiku, besideshaving seventeen word partsreferences seasons.Wikipediasays that this is instead somekind of senryu.Here, some food for thoughtAnd ten seconds you have lost.Refrigerator.Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-50101444510135469352009-05-04T20:57:00.001-05:002009-05-04T20:59:51.199-05:00Leetspeak has Infiltrated the Highest TowerMy mother just sent me an email with the included text "wth?"Next thing you know, she'll call me and say "roffle."Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-28375082022752497352009-04-21T21:25:00.000-05:002009-04-21T21:26:56.164-05:00New Halfbakery IdeaThe "Idiot" Button: Just like an ignore list, but more fun.An addition to the Internet Bulletin Board button pantheon that would add a person to a new list - the "Idiot" list. Rather than ignoring someone, which removes their posts' text from your view (except when quoted, oddly), the Idiot list would simply put a slightly-large-font header at the top of their internet forum Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-8955118219150954762009-04-16T06:15:00.000-05:002009-04-16T06:34:13.017-05:00Ten Dollar CoverSo, last weekend was Easter, the holiest day for Christians and the third-holiest day for zombie lovers (think about it). Kirsten and I went to church at a joint called Saint Mark's - a great-looking old brick church in the St. Louis Hills neighborhood.One of the things I remember from Boy Scouts is Scouts' Day, the day in which the members of my scout troop would serve as ushersBrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-44309139046319964262009-03-31T14:34:00.000-05:002009-03-31T14:36:05.052-05:00Film at ElevenInteresting news: A recent study has shown that Pop Tarts are flammable.Bad news: I recently set my toaster on fire.Good news: I get to buy a new toaster!Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-796578401311079062009-03-30T20:04:00.000-05:002009-03-30T20:27:21.796-05:00Gawd, It's Been a WhileSo, I recognize that it's been a long time since I made a post (I'm putting up a lot of these apologetic posts over the last few months).We've been busy in our house. Since I last posted, we've discovered we were pregnant.Yay!Except, and I'll be totally honest here, I'm absolutely terrified. I mean, I was never really around kids when I was...uhm...a...kid....and I Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-91982299867581297572009-03-10T13:27:00.000-05:002009-03-10T13:28:14.330-05:00Things I'm Ponderin'1) Have you ever seen a baby pigeon? Outside of a french restaurant, I mean. Despite the huge numbers of pigeons fouling our statues, parks, and shoulders, I haven't - I don't even think they exist. It's like pigeons reproduce through mitosis. And did you know that Mike Tyson trains pigeons? Does he train them to bite off other pigeons' ears?2) Why do so many straight women Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-58402633260850348602009-03-08T17:30:00.000-05:002009-03-08T17:32:43.809-05:00We're Sorta Like GenesisMy wife and I are both Guitar Hero nerds (though neither of us will ever be able to find the orange button). She has her favored band name - Microwave Ferret. I have mine: Awesome McGee.We finally bought a second WiiMote and have now formed a two-guitar supergroup:AWESOME FERRET!Surely the recording industry will soon beat down a path to our door.Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-87084908588609022962009-03-04T22:36:00.000-06:002009-03-04T22:50:39.002-06:00Mea Cul...ah, Screw ItI must admit that I'm not always the hardest-working fellow. I kill time on the internet, like most folks. It's not all that uncommon, especially in Missouri, to screw around at work sometimes.I worry, though, that sometimes I do it too much. I don't mean that I'm not doing my job, because I am, and frankly, I'm damned good at it. But I still feel like even though I'm Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-1665220770693051892009-02-21T18:45:00.001-06:002009-02-21T18:47:24.173-06:00My Dad Almost did This as a MajorSomething that is no secret to anyone who's been spying on my computer is that I am something of a photography hack. I'm not really any good at it, but I like to take pictures - that whole "Take a picture, it'll last longer!" snark is true in the era of everyone living long enough to forget everything they've ever done.Alzheimer's, I think, will one day be Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-25544573822403974312009-02-11T08:56:00.000-06:002009-02-11T09:04:45.169-06:00It's Been a WhileI know it's been a while since I posted anything substantial here, and I'm sorry for that - I really am. Things have been busy lately, though, so at least I have an excuse (no matter how weak).Firstly, Kirsten totalled her Camry in early January. She hit a patch of black ice and slid across a thankfully-deserted highway into the median. Apparently motor vehicles and concrete Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-36588556312619924242009-02-03T19:07:00.000-06:002009-02-03T19:08:04.384-06:00Overheard"My fart smells like rotten produce."Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-66166215428921246102009-01-19T20:09:00.000-06:002009-01-19T20:10:44.504-06:00Overheard"OH MY GOD DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE OH SHIT THERE ARE SO MANY FUCKING GREEN NOTES OH MY GOD FUCK FUCK FUCK!!!"*pause*"FIVE STARS BITCHES!"-Kirsten, playing "Sweet Home Alabama" on Guitar HeroBrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-18857426700760031222009-01-11T12:52:00.000-06:002009-01-11T13:06:40.854-06:00I'm Moderately More Attractive than Gene ShalitSo I've had some downtime this weekend, which is a new thing for me. I don't know if I necessarily like it, because I feel like I haven't gotten much accomplished, but it is what it is.One of the things I've done is watch some movies I'd been meaning to catch up on. So I've got that going for me, which is nice (points to the first person who knows Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-32189226294428243102009-01-02T10:47:00.000-06:002009-01-02T10:57:36.873-06:00The Sports, they Draw Me InI've gotten to thinking the last couple of weeks about whether the collegiate football that we watch during the season - the big games, with the big-name teams, is really the best football out there. I mean, Big 10 teams and Southeastern Conference teams dominate the airwaves every week from August to November, but are they the best teams or do they just have the best Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-85627277482582959612008-12-25T07:17:00.000-06:002008-12-25T07:18:05.317-06:00I'm not Wearing any PantsWhen you're done being sick: Merry Christmas!Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-66664790567662913592008-12-21T08:14:00.000-06:002008-12-21T08:26:42.158-06:00Well, it Could Be WorseKirsten's been sick lately, with a bug we think she may have caught from the Starbucks at the Galleria Mall. She and her friend both have the same symptoms of the illness, and they only time they spent together was at the mall, and the only food they ate was at the Starbucks there. So, while it's admittedly a guess, it's fairly logical.Food poisoning, for me, is always a Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-12154716136328854722008-12-11T13:33:00.000-06:002008-12-11T13:46:13.685-06:00I'm Thinking NudityAs mankind looks back over the television age, one of the things they'll probably ignore (except Kevin Nealon, but that's just because he can't get work elsewhere) is the evolution of TV commercials.Back in the early days, commercials were often built into television programs, the same way many are built into radio programs today - the host would take a break to talk about how Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-69413529868900068332008-12-10T16:44:00.000-06:002008-12-10T16:49:47.026-06:00Yet Another Good Reason to Learn JapaneseBesides finally being able to understand what's going on in those tentacle porn movies, I mean.Not that I watch those. Or know what it is. Or have ever heard of it.Look! Behind you! A well-timed diversion!*phew*Moving on, I discovered this YouTube video today, while I'm supposed to be hard at work on my business trip to Pittsburgh.It's like a Japanese Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-63107175543046639532008-11-26T10:13:00.000-06:002008-11-26T10:18:00.837-06:00Because it's Funny, That's WhyOne of the reasons Steve Martin is viewed as such a comedy god is that he took comedy from the one-liner business ("I'm so boring, my girlfriend won't even buy me a down coat because I'd be wearing myself") into the story-telling business. Before Steve Martin, the jokes were simple and put together in no real order. Now, any comedy show is basically a one-hour Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-22242889737495137452008-11-11T10:12:00.000-06:002008-11-11T10:21:04.184-06:00Fashion DisastersWhile we may often joke that Victoria has no Secrets left, there is apparently one trick left up her sleeve - rhetorically, of course. It appears that there have been a rash of cases of VS bras causing rashes.I should start by saying that I will never, never suggest to a woman that she go bra-less. It's not because I want her to have firm support for the sake of comfort or Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-44599262711282321642008-11-08T09:55:00.000-06:002008-11-08T13:24:36.393-06:00Why We Need More Music Education in our SchoolsMusic education budgets are often the first or second thing to go when a school feels a financial pinch, but studies frequently show that music makes children better at math or more likely to score.However, the real benefit of music education is that it leads to things like this video:Very few videos really make me happy - but this one definitely Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-40301724608304340772008-11-04T09:45:00.001-06:002008-11-04T09:45:36.850-06:00I've Been PurgedBackstory:I moved to St. Louis City in 2002, and registered to vote there. Had no problems voting.I moved to St. Louis County in 2004, and registered to vote there. Had no problems voting (the City and County are separate entities, making St. Louis one of the few independent cities in the country).I moved back to the city in 2006, and registered to vote through the Motor Voter Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5424329.post-6316427895495210292008-10-24T20:31:00.000-05:002008-10-24T20:47:21.418-05:00When the Cat's Away...The mice will smoke cigars.I've had a pretty busy week this week, planning a large dinner (the largest my work unit puts on, with around 280 guests) for scholarship recipients and scholarship donors on Thursday. I was at work from basically 8 to 6 or 7 every day this week, and last night I was at the Ritz-Carlton until around 9:00 pm, for the dinner.All day each day until Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01813922636259368822noreply@blogger.com1