The life and thoughts of a midwest geek

Texts from Dog

2013-04-04T23:45:00.001-05:00

textfromdog - Tumblr

Holy cow! There's still traffic here

2013-02-22T17:05:00.000-06:00

I haven't updated in a while. I got an email requesting I remove the links of attribution from a post I did a while back linked from forensicscience.org. I hate wrongful persecutions but Google was being a dick about their links. Stupid Google.

While I was here, I noticed that this blog was still getting traffic, quite a bit more than I expected to see. I miss you guys a lot. My 13 year old is 13. She doesn't want me to write about her anymore. Seems she's a teenager. I don't remember approving that. Hm. My 9 year old is growing up so fast. I remember looking at her just last night and noticing that yet another pair of pants are too short. Again, I don't remember approving that either.

I have been itching to blog again, both here and OhCaptainPoker. I'll see what I can do. I've got a lot to say but blogging at lots of places was hard. A good friend of me reminded me that I needed to experience more and report less. The goal should probably be to find some happy medium.

Drop me a note and let me know you are here. I'd love to see who still out there!

Consider giving

2012-01-25T08:26:00.000-06:00

I have a few blogs. Not the worlds largest following, but I know there are still people who stop by here now and then. I'd like you to consider helping me out. Here's a link to my cousin's fundraising page. She's running a marathon. My cousin has been inspiring me for a few years now. The death of her mother, my aunt, from cancer, inspired her to take up running.

Read the story.

Please consider giving.

Thanks!

Happy New Year!!

2012-01-01T00:26:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday!

2011-11-09T18:57:00.001-06:00

Today is Mauer's 1st birthday. Congrats buddy! That makes you 7 right? I think the accidents can stop any time buddy :-)

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T09:00:00.000-05:00

From my cube to yours, Happy Halloween!

Blogger for iPhone and stuff

2011-10-13T17:58:00.001-05:00

I need to play with this app much more than I have.

Is there anyone still out there? It's been a very long time and I really miss writing.

An unacceptable word

2011-07-27T07:22:00.001-05:00

I think we all knew this was true.

When science is ignore - the price of wrongful convictions

2011-06-29T11:47:00.003-05:00

Created by: forensicscience.org

Links removed at the request of forensicscience.org. Seems google was hounding them for link buying or something. Stupid google.

The Perfect Night

2011-06-04T21:24:00.001-05:00

Zombie Apocalypse: Be Prepared

2011-05-19T13:05:00.000-05:00

Saw this on Facebook and figured it needed to be spread everywhere. It's that important :)

In case you didn't know, the CDC is prepared for zombies...are you?

Sigh

2011-04-20T06:45:00.001-05:00

I was ready for spring but sadly, it, along with summer were cancelled for 2011.

As read in Facebook, welcome to the new ice age.

The Return of the Awesome Window

2011-04-19T14:03:00.000-05:00

It's back!

Surest sign of spring: Play Ball

2011-04-01T16:25:00.001-05:00

While I suppose technically yesterday was the season opener for some teams, today is the season opener for the only team that really matters.

Win Twins!

As is my tradition, my special Twins tie makes it's return to the work attire. New this year: the lanyard!

At 6:05 today, the crack of the bat returns. Play ball!

Repeat after me...

2011-03-17T13:13:00.000-05:00

From twitter: Japanese nuclear worker on the news: "I am prepared to die to avoid meltdown." Say it with me: I will not complain about my job today.

My 2011 Oscar Predictions!

2011-02-26T23:31:00.002-06:00

I just made my 2011 Oscar Predictions! Make yours with the Official Oscar iPhone App.

Please keep in mind, I think I've only seen 5 of the movies nominated. See if you can name the 5. With two kids and a Mrs...Oscar caliber films...are they on the outside of a Happy Meal box? I didn't think so.

Short Film (Animated): Day & Night, Teddy Newton
Documentary (Feature): Inside Job, Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
Short Film (Live Action): The Confession, Tanel Toom
Documentary (Short Subject): Killing in the Name (I chose this one because that's a kick a$$ song from Rage Against the Machine - like I've seen a short documentary not produced by employer this year...geez),
Film Editing: The Fighter, Pamela Martin
Actor in a Leading Role: Jeff Bridges, True Grit
Sound Editing: Tron: Legacy, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle and Addison Teague
Actor in a Supporting Role: Christian Bale, The Fighter
Foreign Language Film: Biutiful, Mexico
Actress in a Leading Role: Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Sound Mixing: True Grit, Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff and Peter F. Kurland
Makeup: The Wolfman, Rick Baker and Dave Elsey
Actress in a Supporting Role: Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit
Animated Feature Film: How To Train Your Dragon, Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois
Music (Original Score): How To Train Your Dragon, John Powell
Visual Effects: Alice in Wonderland, Ken Ralston, David Schaub, Carey Villegas and Sean Phillips
Art Direction: Alice in Wonderland, Production Design: Robert Stromberg, Set Decoration: Karen O'Hara
Writing (Adapted Screenplay): True Grit, Written for the screen by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
Music (Original Song): I See the Light (from "Tangled"), Music by Alan Menken Lyric by Glenn Slater
Cinematography: True Grit, Roger Deakins
Costume Design: Alice In Wonderland, Colleen Atwood
Writing (Original Screenplay): The Fighter, Screenplay by Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson. Story by Keith Dorrington &
Best Picture: True Grit, Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen and Joel Coen
Directing: True Grit, Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

http://bit.ly/d7ZWc2

Rhetoric - Please be careful because I'm losing the ability to bite my tongue

2011-02-21T12:47:00.000-06:00

This blog has been pretty quiet for a while. I have, for the most part, been pretty much self-censoring and while blogging about my kids can be a ton of fun, my 11 year old isn't really very much interested in having her life shared with the Intertubes. Preteens - who knew they were a handful?

I'm slowly losing my ability to self-censor and bite my tongue. I wander, pace, hem and haw each day about blog posts I should write. The topics of the world, thoughts on tech and the lovely world of politics both here and abroad. The is the life and THOUGHTS of a Midwest geek.

This caught my attention today. It has to do with the unrest in Wisconsin, my neighboring state. Before you become unglued and think this thought I'm gonna mention has anything to do with my picking sides, please stop yourself and read this. I'm not picking sides and if you accuse me of picking sides, I'll just call you an ass. It's my blog and I have the write to point out that you are an ass. Thanks.

Here's what I heard this morning on MPR (Minnesota Public Radio) while driving into work. I wish I had caught who said this but alas, I was driving and I missed that part. I think (actually I'm pretty sure) this guy is not a fan of the new governor. He said, and I quote "What the governor needs to understand is that this is a democracy and in a democracy you negotiate."

OK, I really don't care what side he's on but statements like this just piss me off. I hear statements follow this pattern, "The [Person I don't agree with] needs to understand that this is a democracy and in a democracy you [verb]" all the time.

Why does something this simple statement tick me off? Well it has to do with the fact that the word democracy is a word that has a definition. Believe it or not, that definition does not require the use of negotiations. There are two main types of democracy - direct and indirect. In a direct democracy, you vote on literally everything. We all vote to make decisions. In an indirect democracy, we elect representatives to cast a vote for us. One vote represents many people.

While negotiation can occur, it is not required of a democracy. Hell, we never have to discuss anything in a democracy. All that needs to occur is a vote.

This pisses me off because these types of statements sole purpose is to make the other person look bad/evil. It's literally a lie and akin to name calling, albeit less obviously so. While it could be said that in a civil society, we seek group consensus to make sure we are trampling over other people's ideas and beliefs, and to accomplish this we negotiate, but to say someone isn't playing well in a democratic society is just plain ignorant of the meaning of the word.

Ugh.

So maybe I'll take the gloves off once and while. I miss doing this. Rhetoric can be fun. Back in the day, I used to coach/judge public speaking. One subject I was very passionate about was the solid use of language, rhetoric and reason. Seriously, you want to beat someone soundly in a debate, point out these kinds of errors and soon enough, your opponent is spending all of their time trying desperately they have a real point to prove and not just hot air.

There's plenty of hot air today.

When dads keep the magic alive

2011-02-04T16:56:00.000-06:00

Volkswagon has been doing an excellent job with their commercials lately. At least the web based ones. I'll just let you enjoy this video.

Sound advice

2011-02-02T11:50:00.000-06:00

see more funny videos

How to spot a southerner

2011-01-21T08:14:00.001-06:00

They would start talking about the end days when the thermometer reads this.

Minnesotans notice it being a little extra chilly.

Wear a hat people. Hathead is a badge of honor when your nuts are freezing :-)

I have a dream...

2011-01-17T18:42:00.000-06:00

I took this photo almost 3 years ago. I've always found the speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. to be one of the most important speeches ever given. It's message was so powerful, but often, so misunderstood.

It is rare for me to stage my photographs. I find it more challenging to find and shoot things, just the way we find them. In this shot, however, I think the message is clear. My young daughters shoes seen as she looks onto the spot where this great speech was given. We need to teach our children important messages as this one before they are forgotten and we repeat more mistakes from the past.

Let's remind ourselves and teach our children, what it truly means to be free. Free at last.

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."

***I owe the Father of Five a response to how my brined turkey went at Thanksgiving. I'm so sorry I didn't get back to write it up properly, but for the record, it was the best turkey I've ever had. So tender and juicy, I'll never make one again another way.

Countdown to Christmas! It's Christmas eve, um eve

2010-12-23T08:19:00.001-06:00

Of course they get crazier as the big day approaches. Gangs all here! Looney Tunes rock!

Countdown to Christmas

2010-12-22T14:31:00.001-06:00

One of personal favorites. I love what Dogbert is dreaming of. Almost there! Happy holidays!

Countdown to Christmas

2010-12-21T08:12:00.000-06:00

I only get to wear these a couple of weeks a year! Hope you are having a Geeky Christmas Season!

Remind me

2010-12-20T16:33:00.000-06:00

Why did I leave Las Vegas? A view from slow going (mostly stopped) drive home.