Monday, June 29, 2009

Wimblemania!

Wimbledon is in full swing, and that means lots of folks are catching "Wimblemania". Wimblemania is a word coined by Will. It refers to the phenomenon observed on tennis courts across the world during the two weeks of the year Wimbledon takes place. Folks who haven't played tennis in years see Wimbledon on TV, then decide to get their 30 year old wooden rackets out of the attic and hit the courts. I observed a man with such a racket just last Saturday making sad efforts to hit a tennis ball off of a rebound wall.

Meanwhile, all of England appears to be crazy over Andy Murray, the Scotsman who is playing well and may have a shot at taking the championship.

They're so crazy over him that a Scottish band called "Rock, Salt & Nails" has written a tune called "Volley Highway" (aka the Andy Murray song). I've heard it repeatedly over Radio Wimbledon, which broadcasts from the grand old tennis tournament via the internet. Here's the song on youtube if you want to take a listen. It's pretty catchy!

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Hooters Hot Sauce

I decided to mix up the the pizza routine and make a buffalo chicken pie. For this recipe, you just use buffalo wing sauce instead of pizza sauce, and then add chicken as your primary topping. I had been advised to use Hooters sauce because it is thicker than most other buffalo sauces, and therefore works well as a pizza sauce. We checked out a number of sauces at the grocery store, and sure enough, the Hooters was the thickest. Upon inspection of the ingredients, we found out why. It's because the number one ingredient in Hooters sauce is...butter. The resulting pizza pie was tasty, though perhaps not so healthy.


The Heat is On...

Glenn Frey would be proud of our weather in Sacramento this week-end.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

The Day The Music Died II - An Ode to MJ

Michael Jackson has passed at the age of 50 and 50 years after it died the first time.

My first album ever was Michael Jackson's Thriller. It was especially cool because my brother gave it to me on Christmas morning in 1983 when he received two copies (tapes) and Mom and Dad convinced him he should give one of them to me.

That was the beginning of music for me - if you don't count the Kenny Rogers and Waylon Jennings in the old Ford pick-up truck. The journey continues.

Billie Jean and Beat It changed the musical landscape back in '83. Combined they were #1 for 10 weeks that Spring. Nestled between them was the still overplayed Come On Eileen by Dexy's Midnight Runners that pales in comparison.

I recently repurchased the Bad album because my previous CD had somehow spotted and would no longer play. It is way too good of an album to not own so I needed to order a new copy.

In recent decades he was perhaps somewhat strange - but I think he'll always be considered the King of Pop - a title well-deserved in my opinion.


Queen of Hearts

Juice Newton made the title Queen of Hearts especially famous on her 1981 album "Juice"



Will Hansard, currently residing in Jonesboro, preferred Juice's compilation album, "The Juice is Loose" to listen to Queen of Hearts along with the rest of Juice's hits.

Fast forward to 2009 and there is a new Queen of Hearts. Stephie! We played several rounds of the card game Hearts when Rick and Barb were out recently and Steph won them all.


(click to enlarge to see the scoring evidence a bit more)

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Happy Father's Day!

Here's an quick shout out to all the Dads.

This is Rick and Jack from thir recent visit.




And here's Dad and I from Bill's Wedding.




People sometimes ask Bill and I - Does your Dad smile? I found evidence in a recent set of pictures Mom gave me!




Happy Father's Day!

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Like Chants?

Here's your chance to get likely all you'll ever want or need - plus about 90 extra...for only 99 cents. You guessed it - an Amazon special.

99 Essential Chants at Amazon.com for 99 Cents

Have a peaceful week-end!

Quilted in Nebraska

We've got a few quilt crazies among our blog readers so here's something I saw in the Wall Street Journal - the same one the Winter and Starbucking appeared on the cover of recently.

There's a new exhibit at the International Quilt Study Center & Museum
The quilts featured in the new exhibition "American Quilts in the Modern Age, 1870-1940" showcase diverse examples of quilters' creations from a time of disenchantment with modern life. The exhibition will be on view from May 23 through November 15, 2009.



Should I found myself in Nebraska before the exhibit closes you can bet that I'll stop by.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Sprinkler Repair

One of our sprinkler heads in the back recently broke. It was tough to fix but fortunately I had help!



Monday, June 15, 2009

Four Bucks is Dumb?

McDonalds certainly got plenty of attention with their Seattle based "Four Bucks is Dumb" campaign - which actually began months ago. I guess in the world of advertising and public relations attention is good - so long as it isn't so bad that it affects a company's reputation.


Here's a sampling of their "Fourbucks (Starbucks) is Dumb" propaganda.




or a bus...



You've got to ask yourself... which is dumber... spending $4 on a Latte at Starbucks...or $3 on a Big Mac at McDonalds...

Friday, June 12, 2009

Sept. 11, 2010 - Lawrence, Kansas: Jackets vs. 'Hawks!

Georgia Tech has agreed to play Kansas in football in a two-year series that will start in 2010.
The Jackets will play in Lawrence, Kan. next season, tentatively scheduled for Sept. 11, and the Jayhawks will play in Atlanta in 2011, tentatively scheduled for Sept. 17.

The teams haven’t met since the 1948 Orange Bowl.
“Coach (Mark) Mangino and his staff have built Kansas into an annual contender in the Big 12 Conference,” Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson said in a statement. “I know there are high expectations for them this season and next year’s game in Lawrence will be a challenge, to say the least.
Tech has not played a Big 12 opponent since defeating Baylor in 1993.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

"Coyote Public 2: Get Uglier" is Threatened

BURBANK, CA—Telling the movie-going public that it had "better start falling in line," executives at Touchstone Pictures announced Monday that if they do not immediately see a significant increase in box-office receipts they will not hesitate to produce a sequel to the 2000 film Coyote Ugly.

The original movie—which follows a small-town girl who supports her songwriting dreams by taking a job as one of many scantily clad barmaids at a New York City hot spot—was widely considered by critics to be a vapid cultural travesty. According to Touchstone Pictures president Peter Zaiff, however, if the nation doesn't continue to blindly accept all products distributed by the entertainment industry, he'll produce a sequel to the film that "makes the first Coyote Ugly look like On The fucking Waterfront."



"We are dead serious, you assholes," Zaiff said. "You're going to like what we tell you to like, end-of-fucking-story. Now fill up those seats, or so help me God, it's Coyote Ugly II: Get Uglier."

For six months you won't be able to do so much as buy a cup of coffee without having to stare at ads for this pile of puke," Zaiff said. "We'll inundate you with so many promotions and cross-promotions, you'll see the logo in your nightmares. "

- This story is a synapsis of the full story from The Onion

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Meeting Penn & Teller

We had VIP seats to see Penn & Teller last night and the show was fantastic! Afterwards we got to meet them both. I'd been saving a Starbucks cup featuring a quote from Penn. He was surprised to see the cup and happily signed it for me. His cup quote is, "Hypocrisy is annoying but not evil. Someone who says one thing and does another has doubled their chances of being half right." We also had both Penn and Teller sign our souvenir program.









Tuesday, June 02, 2009

ACC - Big East Challenge Scheduled!

Two key things you need to know.

1. The ACC is 10 - 0 in this challenge having never lost.
2. Georgia Tech - with the distinction of finishing last in the ACC this year was not invited since the ACC has 11 teams vs. the Big 10's ten (go figure)

2009 Big Ten/ACC Challenge Schedule (times and networks are TBD)

Monday, Nov. 30 Penn State at VirginiaTuesday,
Dec. 1 Maryland at Indiana
Michigan State at North Carolina
Northwestern at North Carolina State
Virginia Tech at Iowa
Wake Forest at Purdue

Wednesday, Dec. 2
Boston College at Michigan
Duke at Wisconsin
Illinois at Clemson
Florida State at Ohio State
Illinois at Clemson
Minnesota at Miami (Fla.)

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