1927-2007
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Friday, September 28, 2007
Tagged by Tish - My Desktop
Tish did it to me again...another meme. But I kind of liked this one. Not that I haven't liked the others. Well... Anyway... This one doesn't embarrass me too much. I have to show off my desktop. Here it is!
Sorry it's not what you might expect. No half-nekkid girls. Files in grid-like perfection. Something just boring about it all. But let's take a closer look (click it to big it...)
First off--the desktop picture. It's on a rotation that changes on a schedule. Currently from the folder of pictures I took 2 years ago on the Oregon coast during my trip to Portland to see the Stones with Just.A.Girl. Gorgeous scenery, great company!
Lots of stuff you might expect--a couple of folders of symphony stuff (colored for easy access). Upper right corner has alot of downloaded files piled on top of each other. I generally access them from a list. A bunch of HNT and OsShirt and OsShirt tour stuff. As for the rest of the file names--good luck with trying to figure out what the rest of them are!
Here are the meme rules:
Upon receiving this tag, immediately perform a screen capture of your desktop. It is best that no icons be deleted before the screen capture so as to add to the element of fun. Here’s how you can do a screen capture (it's SO much easier with a Mac--when will you ever learn?):
Sorry it's not what you might expect. No half-nekkid girls. Files in grid-like perfection. Something just boring about it all. But let's take a closer look (click it to big it...)First off--the desktop picture. It's on a rotation that changes on a schedule. Currently from the folder of pictures I took 2 years ago on the Oregon coast during my trip to Portland to see the Stones with Just.A.Girl. Gorgeous scenery, great company!
Lots of stuff you might expect--a couple of folders of symphony stuff (colored for easy access). Upper right corner has alot of downloaded files piled on top of each other. I generally access them from a list. A bunch of HNT and OsShirt and OsShirt tour stuff. As for the rest of the file names--good luck with trying to figure out what the rest of them are!
Here are the meme rules:
Upon receiving this tag, immediately perform a screen capture of your desktop. It is best that no icons be deleted before the screen capture so as to add to the element of fun. Here’s how you can do a screen capture (it's SO much easier with a Mac--when will you ever learn?):
- Go to your desktop and press the Print Scrn key (located on the right side of the F12 key).
- Open a graphics program (like Picture Manager, Paint, or Photoshop) and doing a Paste (CTRL + V). If you wish, you can “edit” the image before saving it.
- Post the picture on your blog. You can also give a short explanation on the look of your desktop if you want. You can explain why you prefer such a look or why it is full of icons. Things like that.
- Tag five of your friends and ask them to give you a Free View of their desktops as well.
- Add your name to this list of Free Viewers with a link pointing directly to your Desktop Free View post to promote it to succeeding participants.
People who have already pimped their desktop: Francine of La Place de Cherie Chez Francine Bloggishi Unchained Melody LadyJava’s Lounge Mariuca Revellian Dot Com|Desktop Emila’s Illustrated Blog Spiff, The Spaceman Rolando Brown Baron The Kat House Views From the Back Row add yours here after doing this tag
I tag the following great bloggers.
Of course, you know THAT ain't happenin'! But feel free to steal it!
Pass It On
I usually don't pass these inspirational sorts of things on here, or even by email. But I got this recently, and it struck me particularly strongly. Perhaps because of personal experience. Perhaps because of the concept of "passing it on". Whatever. I just felt that I needed to pass it on to you...
A man and his wife were awakened at 3:00am by a
loud pounding on the door.
The man gets up and goes to the door where a
drunken stranger, standing in
the pouring rain, is asking for a push.
"Not a chance," says the husband, "it is 3:00 am
in the morning!" He slams the door and returns to bed.
"Who was that?" asked his wife.
"Just some drunk guy asking for a push," he
answers.
"Did you help him?" she asks.
"No, I did not, it is 3:00 am in the morning and it
is pouring rain out there!"
"Well, you have a short memory," says his wife.
"Can't you remember about
three months ago when we broke down, and those two
guys helped us? I think you
should help him, and you should be ashamed of
yourself!"
The man does as he is told, gets dressed, and goes
out into the pounding rain.
He calls out into the dark, "Hello, are you still
there?"
"Yes," comes back the answer.
"Do you still need a push?" calls out the husband.
"Yes, please!" comes the reply from the dark.
"Where are you?" asks the husband.
"Over here on the swing," replied the drunk.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Boobie HNT
This will be one of my more serious posts, even for HNT. And it's not often (ever?) that I let the Mystery Guest get top billing. Today, it's worth it.
It's that time of year that the 6th Annual Blogger Boobie-Thon takes place. October 1-8, 2007. For those less informed among you, Boobie-Thon was started as a way to raise money for breast cancer research.
When I first heard about this in 2005, I thought, "Gee, what a great idea! HNT on an expanded level!" Since then, it's become much more than a tittie-fest. I think it's a statistical impossibility for an individual to not know someone affected by cancer. A friend, a co-worker, a relative, someone we've met online. In any and all cases, IT SUCKS. One year ago, I can honestly say that it had not yet crept into my life. What a difference a year makes. Dad was found to have bladder cancer (since excised, and he's doing fine, thank you). A friend in real life was found to have a lump in her breast (which was found to be benign, thank God).
And then there's the bloggers. Just a day or two ago, the 15 y.o. daughter of a former HNTer had brain surgery to remove a tumor that quite possibly is cancerous. Another one has made numerous mentions of her thyroid cancer which seems to have returned. Another has leukemia. But October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and we have a couple within our community who have been diagnosed with it. Mermaid Girl is a young, single mother who was diagnosed earlier this year. She has surgery scheduled for a couple of weeks from now, where, as she says, they'll probably take a large portion of both breasts. The girl is not yet 30.
And then there's the woman known as Evening. She used to blog under a different name. She has shared the most intimate feelings and details as she learned about her cancer early this year, her incredibly brave decision to undergo a double mastectomy, and her amazing, ongoing recovery. She had to make her site private, but she's more than willing to invite you. Just email her at: tmevening@hotmail.com
She has held nothing back in her descriptions of her fears and inhibitions. She has continued to participate in HNT (only missing one, maybe two, weeks). She has posted post-surgery pictures to show the results of her surgery. She is continuing with her breast reconstruction. Most of it was done at the same time as the mastectomy, but she's recently received implants to improve her shape, which is still a work in progress. And she's still waiting to get nipples. That sounds so weird, but it's a fact of life. She's got no nipples. Yet. And there's scars. Ugly scars. But life-giving scars. Want to see?Click on the pictures up above. She wants others that might have to go through this to see that surgical techniques have made things far less monstrous or disfiguring as even she feared. She was also afraid that she might scare people with the pictures. So here is your warning--AN ATTRACTIVE, SCARRED, STILL SOMEWHAT MISSHAPEN, NIPPLELESS WOMAN IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CLICK-THROUGH! But she's alive. (Sorry--the reconstruction pictures have been taken down. If you really need to see them, you can probably email Evening and request them. She might send them to you.)
Breast cancer doesn't discriminate. It likes all races, all genders, and will ravage the bodies that it infests. There are constant strides being made in finding a cure. But there's plenty yet to be done. Check out Boobie-Thon. Consider a donation to get yourself to the bare boobies site. You'll see some HNTers over there. OsShirt was even seen there last year! Or if there's another place you'd rather send your money, do it! There's plenty of groups out there that will be happy to take it! To get you into the mood, Evening asked some people to send her some boobie shots as a little taste of what you might find on the official site. You can check them out at Beautiful, Beautiful Boobies. Hopefully, someday we'll have to come up with a new reason to show off our boobies!
Guess what? It's all boobies over at "...the Other HNT"! And NSFW, as usual...
Continuing the boobie theme...Tricia has come up with some Blogger templates show support for breast cancer awareness and issues. Examples below. If you're ready for a new look for your site, if even for just awhile, then you might consider one of these! Contact her for the template code--she's even willing to help you out if you're unsure what to do!
It's that time of year that the 6th Annual Blogger Boobie-Thon takes place. October 1-8, 2007. For those less informed among you, Boobie-Thon was started as a way to raise money for breast cancer research.
Says Melissa Connolly, 2007 coordinator, “If someone’s going to ogle my goods, they can at least make a donation to save boobies and lives!”The main page is work safe, with links to take you to covered boobies and bare boobies. To get to the bare boobies, you need to make a $50 or more donation to one of the charities listed on the site. You then receive a password to the bare site. All this starts on Oct. 1st.
When I first heard about this in 2005, I thought, "Gee, what a great idea! HNT on an expanded level!" Since then, it's become much more than a tittie-fest. I think it's a statistical impossibility for an individual to not know someone affected by cancer. A friend, a co-worker, a relative, someone we've met online. In any and all cases, IT SUCKS. One year ago, I can honestly say that it had not yet crept into my life. What a difference a year makes. Dad was found to have bladder cancer (since excised, and he's doing fine, thank you). A friend in real life was found to have a lump in her breast (which was found to be benign, thank God).
And then there's the bloggers. Just a day or two ago, the 15 y.o. daughter of a former HNTer had brain surgery to remove a tumor that quite possibly is cancerous. Another one has made numerous mentions of her thyroid cancer which seems to have returned. Another has leukemia. But October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and we have a couple within our community who have been diagnosed with it. Mermaid Girl is a young, single mother who was diagnosed earlier this year. She has surgery scheduled for a couple of weeks from now, where, as she says, they'll probably take a large portion of both breasts. The girl is not yet 30.
And then there's the woman known as Evening. She used to blog under a different name. She has shared the most intimate feelings and details as she learned about her cancer early this year, her incredibly brave decision to undergo a double mastectomy, and her amazing, ongoing recovery. She had to make her site private, but she's more than willing to invite you. Just email her at: tmevening@hotmail.com
She has held nothing back in her descriptions of her fears and inhibitions. She has continued to participate in HNT (only missing one, maybe two, weeks). She has posted post-surgery pictures to show the results of her surgery. She is continuing with her breast reconstruction. Most of it was done at the same time as the mastectomy, but she's recently received implants to improve her shape, which is still a work in progress. And she's still waiting to get nipples. That sounds so weird, but it's a fact of life. She's got no nipples. Yet. And there's scars. Ugly scars. But life-giving scars. Want to see?
Breast cancer doesn't discriminate. It likes all races, all genders, and will ravage the bodies that it infests. There are constant strides being made in finding a cure. But there's plenty yet to be done. Check out Boobie-Thon. Consider a donation to get yourself to the bare boobies site. You'll see some HNTers over there. OsShirt was even seen there last year! Or if there's another place you'd rather send your money, do it! There's plenty of groups out there that will be happy to take it! To get you into the mood, Evening asked some people to send her some boobie shots as a little taste of what you might find on the official site. You can check them out at Beautiful, Beautiful Boobies. Hopefully, someday we'll have to come up with a new reason to show off our boobies!
Well, in keeping with the spirit of things, here's my man boobie. Up close and personal.
Guess what? It's all boobies over at "...the Other HNT"! And NSFW, as usual...
Continuing the boobie theme...Tricia has come up with some Blogger templates show support for breast cancer awareness and issues. Examples below. If you're ready for a new look for your site, if even for just awhile, then you might consider one of these! Contact her for the template code--she's even willing to help you out if you're unsure what to do!
Monday, September 24, 2007
Sunday, September 23, 2007
8 Random Things
I've done this a couple of times, but it's always good to force yourself to dig a little deeper, regardless of how boring it might be! I was tagged this time around by Some Mexican Chick.
The rules:
1. Link back to the blog that tagged you. Thank you Chick!
2. List 8 random facts about yourself;
3. Tag 8 people, listing their names, linking to their blogs, and asking them a question they have to answer on their blog;
4. Let them know they’ve been ‘tagged’ by commenting on their blogs.
Eight Random Facts About Me:
The other part of the tag that SMC included was a question for each of her "tagged" to answer. My question was, "You've inspired a multitude of people to reveal themselves through Half-Nekkid Thursday. However did you come up with that idea and how long do you plan to keep it going?"
The easy answer to the first part can be found here, about halfway down the page ("The Beginnings"). How long will things continue? As long as people are interested in doing it. We get new people joining in every week, and we slowly lose some each week. Obviously, it peaked out about 18 months ago, with over 300 people doing it at the time. But the number has remained steady at around 100 each week for quite awhile. I think there will be a day when we'll have a splendid finale. Maybe to be replaced by something else. Maybe not. It'll be a wait and see.
The rules:
1. Link back to the blog that tagged you. Thank you Chick!
2. List 8 random facts about yourself;
3. Tag 8 people, listing their names, linking to their blogs, and asking them a question they have to answer on their blog;
4. Let them know they’ve been ‘tagged’ by commenting on their blogs.
Eight Random Facts About Me:
- I still have my canceled checks from 1979 (first year of teaching). For you young'uns...back in the day, the bank sent you back all the checks you wrote each month.
- I can wiggle my eyebrows independent of each other, or together, if necessary.
- I rarely wear a watch, and find that I don't miss it. But when I do wear one, I find I check it excessively.
- I have never had a migraine headache.
- I have addressed an audience of almost 20,000 people (that's almost 40,000 eyes!).
- I have 38 blogger's phone numbers stored in my cell phone.
- I have chased down a car of punk kids to return to them the bag of garbage from McDonalds that they tossed out of their window at a stop sign.
- My second toe is longer than my big toe. Nothing spectacular about that. Just random.
The other part of the tag that SMC included was a question for each of her "tagged" to answer. My question was, "You've inspired a multitude of people to reveal themselves through Half-Nekkid Thursday. However did you come up with that idea and how long do you plan to keep it going?"
The easy answer to the first part can be found here, about halfway down the page ("The Beginnings"). How long will things continue? As long as people are interested in doing it. We get new people joining in every week, and we slowly lose some each week. Obviously, it peaked out about 18 months ago, with over 300 people doing it at the time. But the number has remained steady at around 100 each week for quite awhile. I think there will be a day when we'll have a splendid finale. Maybe to be replaced by something else. Maybe not. It'll be a wait and see.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Hesitant HNT
Well, I've been going back and forth about whether I wanted to post this picture. It's taken with my phone and its quality isn't very good. And it's a little blurry. And I don't particularly like posting pictures that aren't decent quality. I know it's not something you'd expect from me, but there ya go.
This week's Mystery Guest is a teacher (notice how many of them we have around here?) who enjoys Goth/Metal music. Ever have a kick-ass teacher like that? And she's a Mac user! How can you not like that?? She's hardly pretentious, but can often be found running around her apartment topless. Apparently the roomies don't mind. She's been doing HNT for a few months, but didn't know that she needed to let us know! Needless to say, she's gained a few more readers than she used to have!We'll reveal who the MG is on Thursday afternoon, but as always, feel free to drop her a line if you think you know who it is!
So just who is our Mysterious Teacher this week? That would be Kate from over at "Kate's World"! If you haven't stopped by before, you really should! Tell her I sent you!
"...the Other HNT" has a couple of ties to last week's. There's a sports related one again, and the clarity that comes with patience! And some others! As usual, it's NSFW. If you stop by (and many, many of you do...), please leave a comment for your fellow HNTers!
With the official first day of autumn coming this Sunday, the days are certainly cooling down around here. We had our first substantial rainfall last night since early/mid June. It was wonderful! The leaves are beginning to turn in the valleys, footballs are in the air, and the nights are getting quite chilly. After the nasty hot weather we had this summer, I'm really looking forward to this!
Monday, September 17, 2007
Early Morning Realization
I had to run some early morning errands. On my way home to shower and change for work, I stopped off at McDonald's drive-thru for the two-breakfast-burrito combo meal (I know, but sometimes it just feels RIGHT...). As I came to the window to pay, the nice McDonald's girl flashed her cheery McSmile at me and asked how my day was.
They screwed up my order. I think it's going to be a long day...
Update: The day actually wasn't too bad! Nothing terribly great or bad happened, so I guess things evened out some!
Go here and do the "Fill In the Blanks" thing! Please.
- "Fine."
"That's good.
"No, I take that back. It's too early to tell. This could very well be the high point of my day."
"Well, I'm glad I could be part of it!"
They screwed up my order. I think it's going to be a long day...
Update: The day actually wasn't too bad! Nothing terribly great or bad happened, so I guess things evened out some!
Go here and do the "Fill In the Blanks" thing! Please.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
All sorts of stuff...
Lots of stuff to talk about...in no particular order:
I'll admit it. Part of me thought that it was possible that O.J. Simpson didn't do it. I've been screwed by the justice system, I figured it was possible for him too. I know--I'm much too much of an optimist. I mean, this guy was a Heisman Trophy winner! And he saved that cat from the old lady's apartment in the "Towering Inferno". How could he possibly be a bad person?
After hearing about his week in Las Vegas, and subsequent arrest, I've come to the conclusion that it's time for me to cross over to the other side. And that the guy is severely clueless. To hear him try to "explain" things is so comical it's sad. At least no one was killed this time around.
Toyota is running commercials on NBC's Sunday night football broadcasts where two guys drive around the country, filming high school football games, and the hype/tradition/rabidity of local teams. This past week they were in Helena to film my old HS in preparation of the game with the crosstown rivals. Footage should show up in a couple of weeks. Who knows? You might see me on national TV! (though I wouldn't put money on it...)
Fire season continues here. I had to unload the symphony equipment truck this afternoon, and the smoke had a "fresher" taste to it. Nothing at all like what we had most of the summer. I hadn't heard of anything nearby, but there was much more of a campfire smell. Come to find out that there was a grass fire on the west edge of town, and 500 residents were evacuated. It was contained within hours, but not before destroying some outbuildings. No residences were destroyed. All officials involved feel that if the winds were just a bit stronger, then it would have definitely burned out some of the residential areas on that side of town. As it was, power was out for roughly 3000 homes on the west side of town. Scary stuff!
All my important football teams won this weekend. Yay!
Symphony concert last night was our opening concert of the new season. IT WENT GREAT!! I honestly don't remember when we've put together an entire concert that went as smoothly and "perfectly" as last night. I hope it's a trend that will continue through the season!
The last Alive @ Five of the year was a good time. But damned chilly! Go here to read a column from one of our local reporters. He considers our possible disbanding as the "end of an era". Hmmm... Seems to be alot of that "end of an era" stuff going on these days.
Here's some pics of the evening (click 'em to big 'em!):
Before we even get started, I'm injured. This was nothing more than a very tiny scrape that just bled and bled and bled. Sort of added an Alice Cooper/Gene Simmons thing to the night. It was also an omen...I drew blood on three out of four days this past week. My shins look like I was practicing my wrist-slitting technique.
This week marked the two-year anniversary of the loss of my first camera. You remember. The one that some kid asked to use to take pictures of us while we were playing. The same kid I haven't seen since... This time around, I had relatives available to use the camera! BIL2 snuck up on stage early on in the evening to snap a few pics.
Mom & BIL2. Dad & BIL3
Towards the end of the night. The end of an era? Hard to say. No one has turned in their music or anything like that. "When" we come back, I'm sure it'll be different. How different is yet to be seen.
So how was YOUR weekend?
I'll admit it. Part of me thought that it was possible that O.J. Simpson didn't do it. I've been screwed by the justice system, I figured it was possible for him too. I know--I'm much too much of an optimist. I mean, this guy was a Heisman Trophy winner! And he saved that cat from the old lady's apartment in the "Towering Inferno". How could he possibly be a bad person?After hearing about his week in Las Vegas, and subsequent arrest, I've come to the conclusion that it's time for me to cross over to the other side. And that the guy is severely clueless. To hear him try to "explain" things is so comical it's sad. At least no one was killed this time around.
Toyota is running commercials on NBC's Sunday night football broadcasts where two guys drive around the country, filming high school football games, and the hype/tradition/rabidity of local teams. This past week they were in Helena to film my old HS in preparation of the game with the crosstown rivals. Footage should show up in a couple of weeks. Who knows? You might see me on national TV! (though I wouldn't put money on it...)
Fire season continues here. I had to unload the symphony equipment truck this afternoon, and the smoke had a "fresher" taste to it. Nothing at all like what we had most of the summer. I hadn't heard of anything nearby, but there was much more of a campfire smell. Come to find out that there was a grass fire on the west edge of town, and 500 residents were evacuated. It was contained within hours, but not before destroying some outbuildings. No residences were destroyed. All officials involved feel that if the winds were just a bit stronger, then it would have definitely burned out some of the residential areas on that side of town. As it was, power was out for roughly 3000 homes on the west side of town. Scary stuff!
All my important football teams won this weekend. Yay!
Symphony concert last night was our opening concert of the new season. IT WENT GREAT!! I honestly don't remember when we've put together an entire concert that went as smoothly and "perfectly" as last night. I hope it's a trend that will continue through the season!
The last Alive @ Five of the year was a good time. But damned chilly! Go here to read a column from one of our local reporters. He considers our possible disbanding as the "end of an era". Hmmm... Seems to be alot of that "end of an era" stuff going on these days.
Here's some pics of the evening (click 'em to big 'em!):
Mom & BIL2. Dad & BIL3
So how was YOUR weekend?
Friday, September 14, 2007
Going into the weekend...
The sport-themed HNT seemed to go pretty well! Thanks to all of you who participated. Thanks, of course, to all of you who participated without the sports theme too! Halloween falls on Wednesday this year, so that will probably be the next theme. I'll let you know for sure in a couple of weeks.
Go here and do the "Fill In the Blanks" thing! I only got three people to do it (one by email). More of you have stolen it than answered it!
I hope to have some pictures up from our gig on Wednesday night. Just no time right now. I will say that the temperature was in the low 50s with a hint of breeze for the night, and I was dressed for the 70s. A mighty chilly evening! I think we played quite well, in spite of the cold. Not the large crowd that we had hoped for, but we all had fun anyway!
There are some of you that expressed interest in being the Mystery Guest. I currently don't have anyone for the upcoming weeks. If you have the interest, now's the time to do something about it!
For whatever reason, it seems that Yahoo has been down all morning (including IM, Yahoo and Flickr). Grrr...
I have been quite silent on the fact that one of the teams in the Notre Dame/Michigan game will come out of it with a 0-3 record. Who'da thunk it?
I won't be around much until Sunday afternoon. Stage set-up and rehearsals for the symphony concert Saturday night (Elgar Cello Concerto and Berlioz' "Symphonie Fantastique" for those who are interested). Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
Go here and do the "Fill In the Blanks" thing! I only got three people to do it (one by email). More of you have stolen it than answered it!
I hope to have some pictures up from our gig on Wednesday night. Just no time right now. I will say that the temperature was in the low 50s with a hint of breeze for the night, and I was dressed for the 70s. A mighty chilly evening! I think we played quite well, in spite of the cold. Not the large crowd that we had hoped for, but we all had fun anyway!
There are some of you that expressed interest in being the Mystery Guest. I currently don't have anyone for the upcoming weeks. If you have the interest, now's the time to do something about it!
For whatever reason, it seems that Yahoo has been down all morning (including IM, Yahoo and Flickr). Grrr...
I have been quite silent on the fact that one of the teams in the Notre Dame/Michigan game will come out of it with a 0-3 record. Who'da thunk it?
I won't be around much until Sunday afternoon. Stage set-up and rehearsals for the symphony concert Saturday night (Elgar Cello Concerto and Berlioz' "Symphonie Fantastique" for those who are interested). Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Pigskin HNT
OK--let's talk college football. One of the things about living in Montana is that we tend to be isolated. When it comes to football, we are a long ways away from the NFL (Denver and Seattle are the nearest) and from big-time colleges. Closest big ones are Idaho (lousy team), Boise State (Smurf Turf!), Washington State (Go, Cougs!) and Washington (home of the Huskies). But none of these are known necessarily for the rabid gameday activities as those of the Big-10, SEC, Big East or others.
What we get around here are the teams from the former 1-AA. And my team, the Montana Grizzlies, have been its most consistently dominant team over the past two decades. They have the longest running streak of playoff appearances, and are generally considered one of the top 4 teams in the country on a regular basis. It's considered a "poor" season if they lose early in the playoffs, or in some years, if they don't make it to the championship game.
Oh, what's that you say, Os? Championship game? Playoffs? Yes, the FCS (Football CHAMPIONSHIP Subdivision, formerly the 1-AA) has a playoff system, and a real, undisputed National CHAMPION! This is what makes small college football so much more exciting than it's bigger cousin. And it's the same playoff system that ALL football leagues, from Pop Warner to the NATIONAL FRIGGIN' FOOTBALL LEAGUE use, except for the FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision)!! Big college football is a totally different game. Maybe politically correct in that everyone gets a chance to play. In other words, if you've got a season record of 6-6, then you deserve to go to a post-season bowl game. WHAT??? 6-6?? Big school presidents say that the playoff system won't work. Of course not! There's no money in it. Corporations won't throw money at schools to play in their little bowl game. Or that it takes away from the academics and the "student-athlete". Give me a break! They're lucky to have players who can read at a junior high level! Big college football is all about the big bucks. And a training league for the NFL to become overpaid gridiron gods (or their underlings).
Back to the small schools... For anyone who hasn't experienced small college football--you don't know what you're missing! There's alot more ownership of the team, there's a "family" feeling at the games, traditions, tailgate parties, and always good seats at the games (as opposed to sitting 10 stories above the action). And for anyone who thinks that the smaller schools can't play with the big boys, just ask Michigan, Colorado, Northwestern, Rice, Iowa State or Northern Illinois, all of whom have lost to the "lesser" division within the past two seasons.
For my fall sports activity, you can usually find me in front of the TV, watching whichever local small college team I can. Usually the Griz (UofM), while listening to the radio broadcast of the Carroll College Saints. But occasionally, it's the other way around. Here I am watching a replay of the game winning field goal in Carroll College's 2005 NAIA National Championship (third consecutive out of four). Wearing, of course, my official UofM slippers!
No, it's not the same as being at the game, but if the beer is cold (and it always is) and the game is good (and it usually is), then I'm a pretty happy camper. I have a feeling that you'll be hearing alot about both the Griz and the Saints on this blog. Their respective national championship games are once again on the same weekend in December in Tennessee. Are you guys ready down there?
Even this week's Mystery Guest got into the sporty football spirit! I happen to know that she's a big fan of her local NFL team (but I can't tell you who that is yet!). She's sort of new around here, but certainly enjoys HNT! From what I've figured out about her so far is that she's sorta quirky, but in a good way! She's probably been to your site--she leaves lots of comments! I'll be revealing her on Thursday afternoon, but she'd love to hear from you if you think you know who it is!
I have to reveal the MG a tad earlier than usual, since I won't be online for the rest of the day. She's the cute and quirky ~D of "T.I.L.D.E."! Stop by her place--she's also a soccer fan!
"...the Other HNT" has some new participants, and a couple of "regulars". Definitely NSFW, but feel free to stop by and check out your fellow HNTers! And leave a comment or two!
Busy week from now through the weekend. I'll be here and there, but pretty much away from the computer, and with the Symphony. Still lots of stuff to write about. I'll get to it as soon as I can! Have a great weekend!
What we get around here are the teams from the former 1-AA. And my team, the Montana Grizzlies, have been its most consistently dominant team over the past two decades. They have the longest running streak of playoff appearances, and are generally considered one of the top 4 teams in the country on a regular basis. It's considered a "poor" season if they lose early in the playoffs, or in some years, if they don't make it to the championship game.
Oh, what's that you say, Os? Championship game? Playoffs? Yes, the FCS (Football CHAMPIONSHIP Subdivision, formerly the 1-AA) has a playoff system, and a real, undisputed National CHAMPION! This is what makes small college football so much more exciting than it's bigger cousin. And it's the same playoff system that ALL football leagues, from Pop Warner to the NATIONAL FRIGGIN' FOOTBALL LEAGUE use, except for the FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision)!! Big college football is a totally different game. Maybe politically correct in that everyone gets a chance to play. In other words, if you've got a season record of 6-6, then you deserve to go to a post-season bowl game. WHAT??? 6-6?? Big school presidents say that the playoff system won't work. Of course not! There's no money in it. Corporations won't throw money at schools to play in their little bowl game. Or that it takes away from the academics and the "student-athlete". Give me a break! They're lucky to have players who can read at a junior high level! Big college football is all about the big bucks. And a training league for the NFL to become overpaid gridiron gods (or their underlings).
Back to the small schools... For anyone who hasn't experienced small college football--you don't know what you're missing! There's alot more ownership of the team, there's a "family" feeling at the games, traditions, tailgate parties, and always good seats at the games (as opposed to sitting 10 stories above the action). And for anyone who thinks that the smaller schools can't play with the big boys, just ask Michigan, Colorado, Northwestern, Rice, Iowa State or Northern Illinois, all of whom have lost to the "lesser" division within the past two seasons.For my fall sports activity, you can usually find me in front of the TV, watching whichever local small college team I can. Usually the Griz (UofM), while listening to the radio broadcast of the Carroll College Saints. But occasionally, it's the other way around. Here I am watching a replay of the game winning field goal in Carroll College's 2005 NAIA National Championship (third consecutive out of four). Wearing, of course, my official UofM slippers!
No, it's not the same as being at the game, but if the beer is cold (and it always is) and the game is good (and it usually is), then I'm a pretty happy camper. I have a feeling that you'll be hearing alot about both the Griz and the Saints on this blog. Their respective national championship games are once again on the same weekend in December in Tennessee. Are you guys ready down there?
Even this week's Mystery Guest got into the sporty football spirit! I happen to know that she's a big fan of her local NFL team (but I can't tell you who that is yet!). She's sort of new around here, but certainly enjoys HNT! From what I've figured out about her so far is that she's sorta quirky, but in a good way! She's probably been to your site--she leaves lots of comments! I'll be revealing her on Thursday afternoon, but she'd love to hear from you if you think you know who it is!I have to reveal the MG a tad earlier than usual, since I won't be online for the rest of the day. She's the cute and quirky ~D of "T.I.L.D.E."! Stop by her place--she's also a soccer fan!
"...the Other HNT" has some new participants, and a couple of "regulars". Definitely NSFW, but feel free to stop by and check out your fellow HNTers! And leave a comment or two!
Busy week from now through the weekend. I'll be here and there, but pretty much away from the computer, and with the Symphony. Still lots of stuff to write about. I'll get to it as soon as I can! Have a great weekend!
Monday, September 10, 2007
The fork in the road looms ahead...
Wednesday night, In Cahoots with the Mob Rules Horns (yes, it’s still an ungodly long name) will play for the last Alive @ Five event of the summer. That’s the beer and music thing downtown that I’ve mentioned on numerous occasions on this blog. This is the third year in a row that we’ve been the last act of the summer. It’s usually a pretty good crowd, since it’s the last one. The weather is forecast to be cool, but nice, and no rain. There will probably be 1500 or so people there.But more to the point—it might be our very last gig. It could be the end of an era. Or simply a chance to regroup and re-energize. At this point, we just don’t know. There are a couple of issues that need to be resolved. Nothing earth-shattering, but nit-picky things. I’m not sure that any of us wants to disband. I may be wrong. But there’s no question that taking a break will be a good thing. It worked for the Eagles, the Rolling Stones and the Who—it should work well for us too!
The fact is, we’ve gotten stale. The fire has somewhat died. The public might be thinking so as well. For the past two years, we were voted as the best band in town. This past week, another band was voted into that spot. And deservedly so. Still, one has to wonder if it’s another sign that the end is nigh.
We have been together for well over 10 years. We have played for some of the best parties in town. We have played for some real stinkers. We have had 4 kids born, two of us have gotten married, and memories to last us forever. Frankly, these are some of my very best friends.
If things work the way I hope, we’ll get together again after the holidays, and work up some new material, and maybe some additional members, and be new and improved and ready to go for the summer. As I’ve mentioned before, I can also see this as being the last gig for us. I’d hate to see that, but it’s a possibility. One that would be difficult to deal with. I’ll keep you updated…
Because we’re playing Wednesday night, I won’t be able to post HNT on time, so I’ll have a trusty, reliable substitute do it for me. If you plan to submit something for the anon site, try to get it done ASAP!!!
The other busy thing going on this week is the symphony. We have a concert on Saturday night, so that means rehearsals and set-ups all week. Another reason why I’m not around much this week. I’ll try to have more info up for that later.
It was 30 years ago today...
I really love running across stories like this one. Not only for the historical aspect, but that it answers a question I have long wondered about regarding the immediate moments, post-event.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Fill In the Blanks...Again!
I've been going through some of my old posts in the archives (you guys should do that to--my archives, that is. I don't care about yours. haha!). Anyhoo...I ran across this one and remember that it was a bit of fun (and an ego boost!). And since there's so many more new people that didn't get to join in on it the first time around...here's your chance. Of course, if you filled it out before, feel free to do it again! I'll post the general results when I get some answers...
- I _____ Osbasso.
- Osbasso is _____.
- If I were alone in a room with Osbasso, I would _____.
- I think Osbasso should _____.
- Osbasso needs _____.
- I want to _____ Osbasso.
- Someday Osbasso will ___.
- Osbasso reminds me of _____.
- Without Osbasso _____.
- My memories of Osbasso are _____.
- Osbasso can be _____.
- The worst thing about Osbasso is _____.
- The best thing about Osbasso is _____.
- I am _____ with Osbasso.
- One thing I would like to know about Osbasso is _____.
- Osbasso should go and _____.
- Osbasso _____ me.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Itchy, Burny, Tired HNT
I have a confession this week...this picture was actually taken in March of this year. It's part of my woefully neglected 365 project over on Flickr (I have all sorts of new respect for those who can continue that, including ~Kell~, Insatiably Sassy, Phain and Leesa!). For me, it provides a nice archive to dip into when necessary.
And I find it necessary this week. Another confession...I haven't had a decent night's sleep in about five days. Weird dreams, moving from the bed to the couch and back again, waking up with leg pains. I know I've whined here on occasion about the smoke, but I think it's finally taken its toll on me. Not just the heavy, ashy days, but the hazy days that almost look clear. Just enough smoke in the air to breathe in, or to squint through. Still plenty of great sunrises and sunsets, but two straight months of this is enough!
So this is what I look like with my itchy, burny, tired eyes. Hopefully the fall will bring some quick relief!
I'm really excited about this week's Mystery Guest! I would imagine that many of you are oblivious to her existence--she tends not to comment here that she's up. She's actually coming up on the first anniversary of her first HNT!
This MG has a couple of kids, a new job, and a great looking tattoo! She's seen Neil Diamond in concert, and can sing all the words to "Sweet Caroline" (but really, can't we all??). She also knows all the words to Sir Mix A Lot's "Baby Got Back". No accounting for musical tastes!
I'll be revealing her Thursday afternoon, but if you think you know who she is, be sure to stop by her place and say hi!
This week's MG is Oblivion, from "Day In the Life of Oblivion"! Stop by and say hi!
"...the Other HNT" is fairly light in submissions this week... I'll attribute that to the long weekend. Still NSFW though! Be sure to stop by and leave some comments!
As mentioned here last week, and for weeks before on his own site, Lecram claimed today as the day to show off your sarongs! If you remember last year, he even had an extensive "how-to" post on exactly how to wrap and wear the thing. Be sure to check out his list of participants--there's sure to be some non-HNTers joining in as well!
Don't forget that NEXT week will be the SPORTS HNT! Go here for the details on that (go to the bottom of the post).
Thanks to those of you who joined in on the Dorky Tuesday this week! This was a one-time deal. Well, maybe once a year. Dork on!
And I find it necessary this week. Another confession...I haven't had a decent night's sleep in about five days. Weird dreams, moving from the bed to the couch and back again, waking up with leg pains. I know I've whined here on occasion about the smoke, but I think it's finally taken its toll on me. Not just the heavy, ashy days, but the hazy days that almost look clear. Just enough smoke in the air to breathe in, or to squint through. Still plenty of great sunrises and sunsets, but two straight months of this is enough!
So this is what I look like with my itchy, burny, tired eyes. Hopefully the fall will bring some quick relief!
I'm really excited about this week's Mystery Guest! I would imagine that many of you are oblivious to her existence--she tends not to comment here that she's up. She's actually coming up on the first anniversary of her first HNT!This MG has a couple of kids, a new job, and a great looking tattoo! She's seen Neil Diamond in concert, and can sing all the words to "Sweet Caroline" (but really, can't we all??). She also knows all the words to Sir Mix A Lot's "Baby Got Back". No accounting for musical tastes!
I'll be revealing her Thursday afternoon, but if you think you know who she is, be sure to stop by her place and say hi!
This week's MG is Oblivion, from "Day In the Life of Oblivion"! Stop by and say hi!
"...the Other HNT" is fairly light in submissions this week... I'll attribute that to the long weekend. Still NSFW though! Be sure to stop by and leave some comments!
As mentioned here last week, and for weeks before on his own site, Lecram claimed today as the day to show off your sarongs! If you remember last year, he even had an extensive "how-to" post on exactly how to wrap and wear the thing. Be sure to check out his list of participants--there's sure to be some non-HNTers joining in as well!
Don't forget that NEXT week will be the SPORTS HNT! Go here for the details on that (go to the bottom of the post).
Thanks to those of you who joined in on the Dorky Tuesday this week! This was a one-time deal. Well, maybe once a year. Dork on!
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road
Tickets went on sale online for the Bozeman show at 10AM, local time. I got to the right page, and started refreshing my window at 9:58, just in case they opened a smidge early. You need to do that to get a jump on the crowd. At 9:59:45-ish, I got in! I ordered 6 tickets (the max) for me and some friends. At the higher price of $87.oo (plus fees). Damned cheap for Elton John, I'm thinking. I type in their robot-detecting code "word". The next screen up screams "ERROR--server too busy". WTF??? The short story--I ran into that same screen for a full 43 minutes. It would let me tantalizingly close to purchasing tickets, even to the point of "searching" for my seats. But then the "ERROR--server too busy" window would come up. At 10:43 AM, local time, I got a new window:
I checked eBay, and there's pairs of floor seats available for both Missoula and Bozeman. Starting bid @ $500. I hope they choke on them.
"There are no tickets available at the price or quantity that you have requested"
I even went back to try to purchase tickets in pairs, or even as singles. Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. I believe that every hick Montanan that ever got laid to an Elton John song was online this morning. Myself included. Ignore the fact that I was late for work (I've got great bosses..).I checked eBay, and there's pairs of floor seats available for both Missoula and Bozeman. Starting bid @ $500. I hope they choke on them.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Dorky Tuesday!
Well, I have to apologize... These aren't the dorky pictures I was planning on using. Believe me, there's plenty to be had! My plan was to find the right pictures, scan this afternoon, and sit back and bask in my dorkiness.
Instead, I spent it looking for scanning software, or something that I could do to scan... Not sure what's wrong, but I spent all my time doing that, rather than gathering the "good" dorkiness.Above you can see me in the 5th grade, complete with the Nehru shirt (I had like 5 of them) and the handmade Indian beads, made in Japan. My fashion consultants? Davy, Mick, Mike and Peter. The Monkees, of course! And probably the height of dorkiness for these purposes--the all-boy choir in 8th grade. White turtlenecks, blue vests and black pants. Can you imagine how many of us got beat up?
Over here in the purple (paisley, at that!) is the 8th grade picture. Braces. The "smile" to try to hide them. Not sure what was going on with the hair, but it's the same hair that everyone had. And the nose had not yet been broken...Finally, not so much dorky, but it's the look I had for my last three years of high school. Puberty must have hit, because it's only 18 months after the purple picture. Perfectly coiffed hair, braces were gone, a bit of a tan, and dammit, I was somewhat skinny!
As mentioned above, it's not as dorky as I had intended, but I don't doubt for a minute that you guys will make up for it for me! Looking forward to all that you've got!
Sunday, September 2, 2007
That was fun!
Thursday, Sept. 13th - Sports HNT!
Well, I had a somewhat long post here, but when I re-read it, I realized it was incredibly boring. So--we had a gig last night. It was GREAT! No boobies, like last year, but lots of bugs. Here's some pics (click 'em to big 'em!)--
what's he looking at?
In other good news from the weekend, all my local teams won, except for MSU, who played Texas A&M. They didn't stand a chance, but then again, they're the "enemy", so who cares? Go Griz!
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