tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52050772025-07-24T12:05:47.143-04:00<strong>Intemperate ruminations, served with beer</strong> <br><br><br> <em>"You can't fool a bar mirror."</em> &#151;Ernest HemingwayDavehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17306707217543025042noreply@blogger.comBlogger851125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5205077.post-74634919649679427802009-05-19T19:49:00.006-04:002009-05-19T20:53:13.968-04:00

Dear Devoted Reader of Suds & Soliloquies,I apologize. This note should have been written earlier. You deserved better. But, on the other hand, if you are a reader of this site, you've had plenty of reason to expect you would be treated shabbily, right?Anyway, this post is simply to inform you that S&S is no more. Toast. Dead. Kaput.In other words, I will no longer be updating this blog, in

Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17306707217543025042noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5205077.post-3292261530242385392009-03-26T22:27:00.007-04:002009-05-15T12:20:05.048-04:00

I just got my hair cut and a new pair of glasses (before my vision insurance dies on Tuesday). And then it occurred to me I now look kind of like a fatter version of Cory Doctorow. See for yourself.And today I even went to a panel on copyright and fair use. (I'll blather about that in another post.) Next thing you know I'll start writing wacky sci-fi stories and pimping them on Boing Boing.

Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17306707217543025042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5205077.post-29291088575675345542009-03-09T04:02:00.004-04:002009-03-09T04:17:37.997-04:00

Give me a job, give me securityGive me a chance to surviveI'm just a poor soul in the unemployment lineMy God, I'm hardly aliveMy mother and father,My wife and my friends,I see them laugh in my faceBut I've got the powerAnd I've got the will,I'm not a charity caseI'll take those(Long nights, impossible odds)Keeping my eye to the keyhole, if it takes(All that to be just what I am)Well I'm gonna be

Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17306707217543025042noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5205077.post-14306506302483357482009-02-19T13:56:00.003-05:002009-02-19T14:01:32.641-05:00

So, yeah, it finally happened. As of 9:30 this morning, I don't have a job. It isn't all bad. I didn't much care for my job anymore because it had changed into something I wasn't hired to do nor much interested in (cutting and pasting bits of HTML code into the most user unfriendly web content software ever devised by man or demon). After months of the Bobs prowling the hallways, the work

Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17306707217543025042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5205077.post-30867246332369732252009-02-18T12:18:00.005-05:002009-02-18T12:42:16.708-05:00

File under "Hasn't Our State Suffered Enough?":Company brews up Kid Rock beer, nearly 400 future Michigan jobsThe Michigan Economic Growth Authority approved Tuesday a state tax credit valued at $722,957 so that the Michigan Brewing Company, a Webberville-based brewer of craft beers, can produce a new product line: a craft beer for musician Kid Rock. Of course, the idea that MEGA somehow helps

Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17306707217543025042noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5205077.post-36517678486421272022009-02-17T18:00:00.000-05:002009-02-17T18:00:32.772-05:00

As I wait to find out whether I've still got a job -- the current rumor is this Thursday is D-Day -- preparations for the annual Mardi Gras party continue apace. Job or not, I see no reason not to laissez les bons temps rouler as usual.Yes, the auto industry is moribund, resulting in a rising tide of unemployment around these parts; the stupid and evil federal government is taking over what's

Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17306707217543025042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5205077.post-32939163210385229172009-02-13T12:01:00.003-05:002009-02-13T12:06:47.380-05:00

Down with war. Down with torture. Down with inflation and funny money. Down with the police state. Down with the American empire.

Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17306707217543025042noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5205077.post-89582004081422495712009-02-09T12:39:00.001-05:002009-02-09T12:45:13.669-05:00

Last week a number of bigwigs were let go from the home office, management responsibilities were shuffled around, and it was announced that layoffs of littlewigs would be forthcoming within the next 30 days. So while I'm still employed for the moment, it's only because the axe has yet to fall. It's theoretically possible I'll survive, but as noted in the first installment of "Live-Blogging the

Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17306707217543025042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5205077.post-78344350356864533462009-01-30T10:23:00.003-05:002009-01-30T10:27:04.863-05:00

Super Bowl. Super. Bowl. SUPER BOWL!SUPERBOWLSUPERBOWLSUPERBOWLSUPERBOWL.Super Bowl.Sorry, I just had the sudden urge to steal some intellectual property&copy;&reg;&trade;.

Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17306707217543025042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5205077.post-78420263392648547302009-01-21T11:30:00.000-05:002009-01-21T11:31:08.321-05:00

Recently my girlfriend asked me what the definition of a depression is. I told her there isn't one, which is true, but now I'm thinking of the old line that says a recession is when your neighbor loses his job; a depression is when you lose your job.Based on my reading of the tea leaves, I put it at 90% that I will be involuntarily unemployed around this time next week.The tea leaves include

Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17306707217543025042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5205077.post-66342279140661892262009-01-18T23:47:00.001-05:002009-01-19T01:36:11.492-05:00

I finally have a little time to write something about my recent trip to L.A. To summarize my impressions:The weather was relatively cool for L.A., but it was much better than Michigan's recent subzero temps (file under: duh)People for the most part were surprisingly friendly.The place is the very definition of "sprawl" -- mile after mile after mile of "stuff."The geography was confusing (to me,

Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17306707217543025042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5205077.post-11571762100842645032009-01-13T16:42:00.000-05:002009-01-13T16:44:01.966-05:00

WASHINGTON -- President-Elect Barack Obama called on Congress to quickly pass a new fiscal stimulus package that would provide nearly $100,000 trazillion gaquillion frijillion in an effort to revive the U.S. economy, which some experts believe has entered a recession."Every economist I've ever heard of agrees what we need now is significantly more government investment to offset the negative

Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17306707217543025042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5205077.post-37548440567885492892009-01-03T13:43:00.003-05:002009-01-03T13:49:53.902-05:00

Internet access has been more difficult than I anticipated, possibly because of my ancient network card, but I've been uploading some pics of L.A. exploits on Facebook, for anyone who gives a damn. Dive bars, cowboy guys, the (postgame) Rose Bowl, and other incidents and accidents are there. More to come, no doubt.

Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17306707217543025042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5205077.post-48744934736742283542008-12-31T00:37:00.000-05:002008-12-31T00:37:36.341-05:00

I'm heading off to Los Angeles for the next week, where I'm hoping for somewhat better weather and the chance to visit some fine Hollywood dive bars. I'll have the laptop, so if I have the time and opportunity I'll do a little blogging. In the meantime:Catch you in '09.(Thanks to Verd.)

Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17306707217543025042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5205077.post-50276491904733239452008-12-29T23:14:00.001-05:002008-12-29T23:14:09.319-05:00

On the night of December 20, hundreds of Santa Clauses descended on the Motor City to bring Christmas cheer, excessive alcohol consumption, and public urination to a downtrodden city sorely in need of a pick-me-up... or at least some "economic stimulation."It was my first year as part of this disparate crowd, united only by the fact we were all wearing Santa suits (or reasonable approximations

Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17306707217543025042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5205077.post-70684062665347150792008-12-21T15:31:00.002-05:002008-12-23T11:12:14.608-05:00

Layoffs. Bankruptcies. Bailouts. 2008 has been a pretty rough year. And now on top of all the bad economic news, you're supposed to buy Christmas presents for your friends and family? Yeah, right!Luckily, with all the carnage going on around us, it has somehow actually become cool to save money. So to make sure you stay hip and with it, Suds & Soliloquies is happy to present: The Cheap Bastard's

Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17306707217543025042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5205077.post-38363082962571599272008-12-12T14:12:00.003-05:002008-12-12T15:03:09.806-05:00

Scene: The Fleetwood, sometime around 2am.Me (wearing a dashiki and Santa hat): You know what you should see is on iTunes? That Cat Power cover of "Space Oddity." It sounds awesome.Matt: Yeah, it's not on any of her albums. Maybe iTunes...Random Dude From The Next Table (turning around): You can't get it anywhere. She's coming out with a new album or EP in January and it's supposed to be on there

Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17306707217543025042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5205077.post-77183356975395169292008-12-09T16:06:00.001-05:002008-12-09T16:08:08.635-05:00

The office Christmas party is a potluck lunch. On a Thursday.

Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17306707217543025042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5205077.post-27348164616546650762008-12-02T21:57:00.001-05:002008-12-02T22:13:06.415-05:00

A bucket of 20 breaded chicken wings is now $6.99 with my Kroger card, instead of the $5.99 it used to be.That's it. I'm working on my bailout plan to take to Congress.

Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17306707217543025042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5205077.post-8184364759822329942008-11-26T16:40:00.003-05:002008-11-26T16:43:54.382-05:00

I don't know about you, but it's a traditional Thanksgiving around here: turkey, stuffing, cranberries, pumpkin pie, beer, and, of course, the Detroit Lions getting murdered on national TV.Happy Thankgiving to my many, many readers. Don't eat too much, don't get too drunk, and... ah, hell with it, it's a holiday. Stuff yourself and get wasted. I'm going to.Then get ready to pick up some Christmas

Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17306707217543025042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5205077.post-9038770584478841222008-11-21T16:24:00.001-05:002008-11-21T16:25:12.493-05:00

"When your team is winning, be ready to be tough, because winning can make you soft. On the other hand, when your team is losing, stick by them. Keep believing." --Bo SchembechlerGo Blue! * Thanks to whoever uploaded this pic to the Big Ten Network, where I stole it from. Your cat is cute and it's completely awesome you named him "Hemingway."

Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17306707217543025042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5205077.post-81917025286443657442008-11-20T17:15:00.000-05:002008-11-20T17:15:25.288-05:00

It's well known that Ann Arbor is, well, environmentally conscious. In fact, there are more Earth worshippers here than Christians, Jews, and Muslims put together, I think. So it is in that spirit that I present... your 2008 edition of Recycled Ohio State Jokes. Enjoy!Brought to you, as always, by Neal and BobQ: Two third graders were standing next to each other. One was an Ohio State fan and

Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17306707217543025042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5205077.post-7911149076396724512008-11-20T11:31:00.003-05:002008-11-20T11:57:30.559-05:00

T-minus... what, something like three months? Then Lost returns to ABC for its fifth season. Official trailer below:Season 4 comes out on DVD December 9, which is good since I can't remember what the hell happened six months ago or whenever it was when the season ended. On an unrelated note, here's a 25% off of something coupon for Borders. And a 30% off of something coupon, but you need to

Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17306707217543025042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5205077.post-53100532221315718682008-11-20T10:46:00.000-05:002008-11-20T10:46:30.015-05:00

OK, who wouldn't love to tee off all Jedi-style on Darth Tressel, only without the virtuous, sissy Skywalker act of mercy at the end?Aw, c'mon! Cut off his other hand, Luke! And his legs! Go go go hate hate hate killkillkill! More like this:Alas, it's the Michigan Wolverines who are more like the Black Knight this year, and so all I'm hoping for Saturday is a chance for the team to bleed all over

Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17306707217543025042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5205077.post-16232854851661942442008-11-04T14:18:00.006-05:002008-11-04T14:41:29.670-05:00

Being a principled nonvoter on Election Day is a little like being a turd in the punchbowl. At least that's how all the people running around today blissfully participating in the American civic religion of statism view it: I'm a downer, a loonie, a crank, a jerk.They may have a point, in my case. I readily admit to the personality flaws of impatience and irritability, particularly concerning

Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17306707217543025042noreply@blogger.com0