with only the clothes on our backs...

¡El otoño está aquí!

2008-10-10T06:50:00.000-07:00

Yea! I get to have the man turn off my sprinklers today! This is a truly special day every year, in that it marks the last weekend in which I have to do yard work. It may also indicate the approaching winter, which I am also happy for, as the sooner we get to December 31st, the sooner I am one more semester away from being let go of the prison which is grad school.

¡Feliz otoño!

Big Sis gets High!

2008-09-07T18:15:00.000-07:00

I guess I just couldn't help the sensational headline. This past Labor Day my sister came out to visit me and my wife in Denver! Thanks to the good people at United Airlines for overbooking my flight, I was able to bring her out for virtually nothing to spend the weekend with us. Gotta love the "compensation" airlines give you. If you are flexible, you can make out like a bandit. Anyway, had a great time with her, though the time was limited. We spent that Saturday just "seeing Denver" - fortunately the Dems had left town the day before and the roads were reopened for us. First we headed out to that mecca of a concert arena that is Red Rocks to finally "tour" the place properly. Then we headed down town, making the obligatory stop in the Democratic Party's souvenir shop, making donations in return for buttons. Go Obama! He's not an old white guy.

Luckily, we happened upon the "Taste of Colorado" fair that was taking place in down town. The gated off streets made for easy traversing of the square and really gave us something to do! We didn't "taste" anything, because that requires tickets, which are easily procured but frustratingly spent. A "taste" is something like one or two tickets (note that the exchange rate is something along the lines of the Belgian Frank - $5 USD = 13 tickets) but the lines are so long that by the time you get to the front, you are hungry as all get out, and you don't just want a taste...you want to EAT! Sooo...instead we traipsed around town until we were tired and headed home.

After a day that couldn't be beat, we headed home and delighted in sharing a little piece of what we do whenever the wind isn't blowing and it is nice outside. This most venerated pastime involves three chairs, a deck, a fire pit, several beverages and a beautiful sunset over the Rockies.

We had a great time and I can't wait to do the same thing in her neck of the woods.

The Best Radio You've Never Heard

2008-07-04T08:42:00.000-07:00

Ok - big shout out to my friend Shannon for this link to an amazing poscast/music blog called "The Best Radio You've Never Heard". Check it out.

80 minute long free music compilations which feature intriguingly mixed rock and rock-based music from a variety of artists that in other contexts might be considered incompatible. Genres, rhythms, moods and artists are seamlessly blended together to produce listening experiences you can only dream about finding in traditional radio. BRYHNH includes favorites and new discoveries from both familiar artists and those you wish you'd heard before, downloaded twice monthly to your computer or iPod. Ranked #7 in The Digital Podcast Top 100 Podcasts for 2005 and # 3 Classic Rock Podcast for 2007 by about.com
Compiled and Mixed/Edited by Perry Bax/Chicago/USA. The Best Radio You Have Never Heard Podcast might just be your ticket to radio paradise!

Only here can you find a host who gets out of the way of the music, posting high quality (no high end hiss on this podcast) music in hour long show format that really is stuff you've never heard before. And before I hear from you that this music is all weird stuff that noone wants to hear anyway, I urge you to check it out. Only here can you find Tesla doing a cover of the Stones' "Mother's Little Helper", or Tori Amos playing "Smells Like Teen Spirit". But its not all interesting covers - as I type this, "How Soon is Now" by The Smiths just came on. Gotta love it.

The good news is that this guy is up to 89 volumes, so by the time that the RIAA stops him for some unknown reason, we'll all have about 100 hrs of interesting mixes on our ipods - just remember to change that setting to "keep all episodes" as this may not be around forever.

Honeymoon Book

2008-06-19T17:39:00.000-07:00

Check it out here. (Beware, it may take a long time to download)

Weird

2008-06-08T11:56:00.000-07:00

So I am sitting here on a Sunday afternoon, weeding through my pictures (somehow during the Mac adoption process, we ended up with many duplicates in our iPhoto book with no good way to remove them, save for looking at every photo one by one...but I digress), and I came upon the most surreal picture of my dog.

This was taken by my wife at the Conifair - a nice little community fair in Conifer, CO *get it?.

She seemed cool with these rabbit dog things petting her - still kinda weird though.

Honeymoon Pictures...at Last!

2008-06-08T10:28:00.000-07:00

Hello family and loyal readers! Elizabeth and I are back from our Island getaway and are finally getting around to getting these photos out on the web.

Given the number of photos we took, and the storage on blogger, I've opted to post all of them to albums on Facebook. Below are links to each of the increasingly misnamed albums from our Honeymoon:

Album 1 of 2, Album 2 of 2, Album 3 of 2

Check them out and feel free to make comments!

Beer of the Month

2008-05-14T16:57:00.000-07:00

One of Elizabeth's coworkers is massively perceptive. She figured that two kids of German ancestry would enjoy a subscription to the Beer of the Month club as a wedding gift! So, as a service, I have decided that the least I can do is advertise these under-appreciated microbrews in a short post when I enjoy one of the craft brews that arrives at my doorstep.

First up is a mixed six-pack from Hook & Ladder Brewing Company. The first bottle I pull out is "Backdraft Brown". Now before I go on, I understand that this is ripe for areas of abuse "backwash brown" if I don't like it, et cetera. I will keep this to a minimum.

Backdraft Brown is described as "smooth, refreshing and loaded with flavor." "Specialty malts balanced with just the right amount of cascade hops give it a roasted taste and beautiful brown color."

At initial pour, I am surprised at the body it has - so many of these microbrews are thin when bottled, letting the drinker pound one into the back-end of a glass with no ill effects. As you can see, I inadvertently ended up with quite a head!

As for taste, the label does not misdirect. The taste is full but smooth, with a mellow roasted taste that doesn't leave a bitter aftertaste behind to nag you into eating something to clear your palette.

This reviewer gives it two beer bottles up!

I am wed.

2008-05-12T07:31:00.000-07:00

Howdy loyal readers. Many of you may know that I have been engaged for over a year now. Well I am happy to say that the process is now complete! Elizabeth and I were wed on the 26th of April in an awesome outdoor wedding at the Muckenthaler Mansion in Fullerton, CA. The day was just perfect. A little hot and bright during the ceremony, but that made the evening that much more enjoyable as it didn't ever get cold.

And then the after party began...25 or so of my closest friends and family got onto a shuttle bus we chartered and headed to the Rocking Taco and then the super swank Continental Room in downtown Fullerton. To keep the queasiness at a minimum, I have only posted pictures were we look bright and shining.

Ok. Blogger is being a bitch, but you can check out more here.

2008-04-08T16:40:00.000-07:00

My lack of activity on this blog should not leave my readers with the false sense that I no longer see or hear the humor that is the real world around me. In fact, every day there are a number of ideas that are internalized, chuckled at and placed on the shelf entitled "I should blog that". Alas, getting ready for a wedding and going to school leads me to not have a lot of time for anything but those two tasks.

With one of those items nearly behind me, it is timely that I post something funny...or at least funny to me.

Doing my homework the other day, I came across a string of titles that, at least in my own perverted mind, made me chuckle.

The following strategies appeared, in print..

Synthetic Short Put
Bull Put Spread
Top Butterfly Spread
Top Straddle
Strangle

hmmm... should I be repeating these?

and finally...
A Short Zero Premium Collar Using Oil

I'm a long way from Jr. High, but I couldn't help laugh at these.

Oh, and by the way, these are all legitimately spoke of strategies used on Wall Street using option securities.

I really have nothing to say that is funny...

2008-03-28T08:47:00.000-07:00

I promise. When something interesting or funny happens to me, you all will be the first ones to know. Right now I have high hopes for my bachelor party (which I am off to in a little bit). Once I come back, I am sure that I will have pictures of surf, sand and 30 year olds drinking like they are in their 20's.

Peace.

Yahoo! and Microsoft - All But Inevitable?

2008-03-08T12:57:00.000-08:00

While I tend to not put a bunch of stuff on my blog related to what I do, I thought that this one was particularly interesting, while serving the dual purpose of being a placeholder for the video while I write my midterm on the subject....

Enjoy!

Sorry to be so silent!

2008-01-13T16:09:00.001-08:00

So I know that I have been so silent that I have probably lost all of my 2 readers, and for that I apologize. I have been very busy in school, as well as the holidays, etc....and I guess I just lost the desire to write. But for those that care, I am now officially done with half of my MBA program - yea!

I have been meaning to post this picture - I love technology! I live 1000 miles away from my niece, but I can watch her via webcam and interact with her. It is especially funny to see her peer behind the screen to see if I am back there.

Anyway, will try to post more stuff as it happens.

Promise.

Funny Headline of the Day

2007-10-04T11:26:00.000-07:00

I know that most bloggers have a rule about not reblogging things they read, but this one was too funny to pass up. The headline "Mr. Potato Head in Australia ecstasy bust" says it all.

Craig - do you still have connections in Ireland that we don't know about?

Big shout out to my dad

2007-09-23T21:01:00.000-07:00

Hey Dad - thank you for raising me right. Thank you for putting a wrench in my hand and having me learn how to fix a sprinkler system. Today I spent a few hours replacing a busted zone valve. While I probably could have just replaced the innards, it was too old to find replacement parts. So I dug in and replaced the whole thing. And it works. Pretty darn well. And for $20.00 it is a lot cheaper than a plumber.

Star Sighting!

2007-07-17T17:01:00.000-07:00

So anyone who knows me knows that I generally don't go ga-ga over movie stars, but I have to share with you the following story. It's a beautiful sunny summer day in Denver, and I am early for a golf game at a municipal golf course in the northwest part of the city. It isn't a bad course, but let's just say that it wasn't designed by the Golden Bear...think $40 with a cart and that's the level we're at.

I go into the "clubhouse" (loose terms here) and find the restroom to change into a pair of shorts and who do I find tending to the loo? Bill "its in the hoolee" Murray! And then immediately I realize that this is a terrible place to meet a movie star. It's nearly impossible to reach out and shake a hand, or say anything, without being super-duper weird.

Fortunately as we came off of the turn at 9 holes, he was finishing 18, and one of my partners had the balls to bother him. So with the groundwork laid, I calmly approached him and thanked him for "Lost In Translation" - which if you haven't seen it, check it out. He has come a long way since Caddyshack.

Ironic* Garbage

2007-07-06T12:01:00.000-07:00

It has been about a year since Liz and I decided to experience the great outdoors that is Colorado. We marvel at its beauty as we drive down the highway. We regularly just state, outloud, without provocation that this is simply the best place in the world to live. So with this in mind, we packed up our things in the family truckster and set off for the wilderness. Those long time readers may remember the stories of last year's venture into the woods, and those that don't, find the soaking wet tale here.

As for the camping trip, this year the weather was much more enjoyable, and proved to be just as picturesque as we remembered it, save for the wetness. We did enjoy a fantastic six mile hike through the park, and it was returning from this hike that we both spied the worst piece of litter either of us had ever seen.I think that the label is self explanatory. What kind of idiot procures a bottle of water from the Rocky Mountain Conservancy, and then litters with it???

* I hesitated to use the word ironic because of its elusive meaning, and the fact that almost noone, even those with multiple college degrees can seem to use it correctly. To those grammar nazis (most of which are my near and dear friends and family - I don't care if I use it wrong...)

Today's Creepy Ad

2007-06-28T10:17:00.001-07:00

New Stuff to Read

2007-06-21T17:33:00.000-07:00

If you are under 30, or use the Internet even half as much as Liz, this is hillarious!

For one day only!!

2007-04-23T06:05:00.000-07:00

So today is the day! As a few of you may know, by brother has recently taken a job as a flash animator, and his current assignment is to create a short 15 minute interactive game for the internet. So, a new reoccuring post here at the blog will be a notification of when there is a new game on the site authored by Ken.

So point your browesers to http://www.dailyrage.com and build your own Frankenstein. And do it fast, as it is only up for one day!

Ok, so business travel can be cool

2007-03-27T18:16:00.000-07:00

Check this out. I just returned from Las Vegas, where I spent a day and a half marketing for my job. Now before I hear the collective groans of "oh, Las Vegas.." and put up with the "whatever happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas...", rest assured that 1) Vegas is a soleless berg in the middle of the desert, and 2) the day began at 4am when I woke up to catch my flight from Denver, so it can be reasonably determined that I was exhausted by the time this story happened.

So Andy and I are standing in line at the Palms hotel, well maybe it wasn't quite a line, but a gaggle of people waiting to see the next check-in helper, and Andy is called forward to receive the key for his room. I am hailed down by the next attendant, when some other guest (who obviously had his head too far up his own ass to notice), walks in front of me and is helped. With a look of "oh well" because, really, the day was over, and I was happy just to be close to changing out of a suit, I join my business partner at the counter. I look up to find that the hotel manager is the person checking us in - he comments on the rudeness of the other guest, and says that they [the Palms] as the "nicest rooms in Vegas" and that he would get us "a nice one for our troubles". Now tuck this away for later use - my inconvienance time was about 15 seconds.

We are provided with keys and are told that we are on the 50th and 51st floor respectively. Having traveled a lot, and stayed in a number of hotel rooms, this isn't a big deal to me. As we get off the elevator, it still hasn't hit us yet. So we part ways and state to each other that we will call to rendezvous later for Memphis Championship BBQ (a whole different story).

As I put my key in the lock and open the door, I am greeted with a sense of shock and awe that was probably along the lines of what Georgie Bush was looking for in his recent crusade. There is no bed in sight. In front of me lies was we conservatively estimated at 1,500 - 2,000 sqaure feet of Vegas hotel real estate! Walking into the penthouse suite that I am to call my "room" for the night, a feeling of "is this right?" swells inside me, at which point I beat it into submission and remind myself that it is, in fact a Monday night in Vegas - not exactly a high day for room demand.

Andy rings me, and of course his corner penthouse is just as cool as mine, with a jaccuzi that is filled from the ceiling, three plasma tv's and a sitting room! As I don my terricloth robe and flip through the television, I recall the lesson of the day, which is that event for a couple of non-gambling businessmen in town for one night, Vegas can still impress you. Oh, and don't cut in line!

Some stats from the Palms website:

View the Vegas skyline at eye level from our Penthouse Suites. High atop the Palms & Fantasy Towers, these suites are custom designed to party with LCD and plasma screen TVs, Jacuzzi® tubs and, of course, wet bars.

* Up to 3,000 square feet
* Jacuzzi Tub
* LCDs and Plasma Screens
* iPod® Hi-Fi Equipped
* Full Wet Bar
* Living Room
* Walk-in Closet
* Capacity: 65

Published Rack Rate: $3,000
Chris' Rate: $79.00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2007-03-17T17:38:00.000-07:00

Being partially Irish (Grandma's name was Conners after all), I feel obliged to post a short note about our day and evening. Having spent the day on Friday learning to ski (don't worry, a descriptive post about this will be forthcoming), I rolled out of bed, sore to the bone, to spend the day with my fiancee and our dog Maggie. Liz set us up to be part of one of the largest St. Patrick's day parades in the country! Maggie and 19 other greyhounds, all rescues from the track, walked down revelers who were already more drunk than I even plan on being at all this evening. Walking down the street, we realised that this was the place for us - but after a well deserved nap.

We are up from the nap and are on our way out. We are sporting our green, and are ready to go to what I am sure is the least authentic Irish pub in all of Denver - there won't be nearly enough 80's music to make it like the real thing.

Jannelle Fuller is CUTE

2007-03-04T09:59:00.000-08:00

I may be 2 weeks behind here, but I thought that this picture deserved to live forever on the internet. Hopefully, in 20 years when Jannelle types...pardon me, thinks, her name into Google (we'll all be employees by that time), this picture of her at Valentines Day 2007 will emerge.

Funny Picture of the Day

2007-03-04T09:53:00.000-08:00

So I know that I am a terrible blogger. I never seem to have time to upload the funny things that I find in my daily life. And when I do, I usually find that my fiancee has the ability to make it funnier. Period. So with that, I am resorting to launching a new service - Funny photo of the day. My one rule is that it can't be lifted from fark.com (which if you haven't been to, its a fantasitic news aggregator with snarky commentary.

Today's offering comes to us from some Belizian travel site that I have since forgotton.

I think it is funny. What do you think?

Status Update

2007-02-13T13:07:00.000-08:00

So I am not sure if my three readers are up to speed on this yet, but on Sunday we had a bit of an accident with Maggie. Liz took her to the dog park by our house to run and play, and unfortunately was bitten pretty badly by a Siberian Husky. It is a long, painful story that I really don't care to relate more than I have to, but on the bright side, she seems to be acting just like her old self...sleeping heavily, all day long as I watch her from my home office.

Would you buy this?

2007-01-12T07:49:00.000-08:00

It's about ten to 9am, and I have a meeting to go into, so I will keep this short. Among my various insurance industry news, I found the following story, about a Bloomington photographer who is searching for State Farm employees to create a racy, Women of State Farm calendar. The project is in the vein of a number of different calendars that have been created for various catastrophes--but speaking from first hand experience, the list of female insurance workers that I would want to see in racy poses is about as long as my little finger. The Carol's and Sandy's of the insurance world are just not cut out for it.

Key quote from the article: "He didn’t know how many applications he’d received, but said he would need a lot more."

Yea! Grades are in

2007-01-11T21:24:00.000-08:00

Despite a major blizzard, it appears that the University has opted to indeed hand out grades for this, my first semester of business school. All four of my readers (thank you family), will be happy to know that I passed with flying colors - they will allow me to come back for more punishment in just a few days.

Anyway, lots going on in my life, but most of it is either chronicaled on Funundrum, or Cuscotopia. Both are being regularly updated in between cleanings of the house that Christmas exploded all over, so I recommend checking them out.

Cuzcotopia, a.k.a Perusin´

2006-12-30T15:41:00.000-08:00

¡Hola de Cusco!

We are finally here. After a long journey that included a stop in Central America and two plane rides, we have arrived in the ancient city of the Incan people. Liz is doing a fantastic job chronicalling the journey, so I won´t repeat everything. Check out Cuscotopia for most of the breaking news of our vacation. I just wanted to make everyone aware that the blog is being updated, and we are checking email intermittently, so drop us a line and we will respond.Having a fantastic time and looking forward to the Macchu Picchu experience, which begins on the 2nd of January.

Hasta!

Winter Blizzard of 2006 - SNOW DAY!

2006-12-20T19:30:00.000-08:00

So, for all of you family and friends that are worried that we are buried in 20 inches of snow, you are correct! Let's all hail the magic of the blizzard, who's magical powers removed a MBA-level Economics final exam from my already full plate, and gave me an excuse to use my new car! Pictures below for all to see. Now, realize that it only started snowing at around 6am, and these pictures were taken at 5pm.

Snow day tomorrow, and then we will be on our way home for Christmas! Can't wait to see family and friends. In the meantime, enjoy these glipses into Colorado life.

Turkey Day 2006

2006-11-24T14:28:00.000-08:00

This Thanksgiving, I have a lot to be thankful for. While my blog may not talk about half of the great things that are happening in my life, I assure you that they are indeed there. This year has seen me and Liz move from sunny San Diego to temperate Denver, a great job that I actually enjoy going to everyday, the start of my MBA studies and now, a real live niece! I am truely thankful for all of these things.

This Thanksgiving was a smashing success. Given that the Christmas holidays are just weeks away and we will be going home at that time, we decided to have Thanksgiving at home here in Colorado. Our friends Andy and Jennie were also not going home to California, so we were determined to have the best low stress holiday ever!

As you can see by the photographic evidence, the evening was great! Mom helped out tremendously via telephone and video conference (ask me how!) and the stuffing was something that my Grandma would have been proud to eat.

This last photo really encapsulates Thanksgiving for me. This is a picture of the video chat that I had with my sister and her new daughter Janelle. Ain't technology grand?

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!

requiem for an iPod

2006-11-24T13:49:00.000-08:00

Chris Arehart's iPod, 3 1/4 years old, was lost into the great beyond on Sunday the 19th of November, in New York City, New York.

Chris's iPod traveled extensively throughout its brief life, having been at his master's side on a near daily basis. Chris's business travel required his iPod to be ready at a moment's attention, armed with a steady supply of Coltrane, Dave Matthews and The Beatles--played loud enough to drown out the most determined baby travelers and talkative fellow passengers alike. It seems fitting that Chris's iPod was lost on assignment, having been brought into this world solely to provide for distraction during a week-long business road trip with Chris's boss.

Chris's iPod was loyal, hardworking and a credit to Steve Job's name. Never ill, or infected with a terminally weak battery which seemed to afflict so many like him, his extended warranty was claims free at time of his passing.

As we mourne the loss of Chris's iPod, we can take comfort in the fact that the purser of United flight 700 to Laguardia is able to offset her recently reduced pension plan with a lucrative career as an eBay reseller.

Services were carried out on Friday, the 24th at the Best Buy in Lone Tree, CO, where a new, 80 gig black Video iPod was brought into this world to carry the torch left behind by our departed friend. Overseeing the ceremony was Mitch, who in his infitite wisdom upon hearing the tale of Chris's iPod's last days, was quoted as saying "Wow. That sucks."

Yes, Mitch. It does indeed suck.

In lieu of flowers or symapthy cards, please redirect charity in the form of cash, check, international money order or paypal to Chris.

The Man..named? U.N.C.L.E

2006-11-18T07:58:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, November 16th, 2006, at 11:29am a new person was brought into this world. With her husband by her side and her family waiting with bated breath down the hall, my sister Michelle gave birth to her first child, Janelle Fuller.

More later on this, but I thought that I would get some pictures up there for you all! mom is doing well and is now at home.

Attention Friends and Loyal Readers

2006-10-16T21:47:00.000-07:00

I am not dead. At least, I don't think so. However, absolutely NOTHING has happened to me that anyone of you may be interested in hearing about, that hasn't been covered by Funundrum. To read about the front row seats at the Killers, go to her bog. To see the breast cancer Cambell's cans that I pointed out, see Funundrum. So there. Besides, she is significantly funnier.

After midterms, I will attempt to have something happen to me...other than overwhelming relief.

No, its COLD...DAMN COLD

2006-09-23T17:42:00.000-07:00

As you may already know, I recently took on the task of converting my parent's old family videos onto DVD. I swear, by the time I will have done them all, the DVD format will be dead, and I will have to start all over again.

One of the side benefits of this project is that I can pretty easily make still snapshots where there was no camera other than the video. I present you with my dorky mug in the summer of 1991. Maybe this explains my facination with Back to the Future.

Myers-Briggs me!

2006-09-18T15:01:00.000-07:00

So it's about 4:00pm on Monday, and work is winding down. I figure I will go onto my MBA program's message board and see what's shakin'. Maybe they will have come to their senses and changed the menu from lemon crusted salmon to something that I will enjoy scarfing down in 20 minutes. An lo, what do I find? An assignment! For tonight. I swear to freaking God, I don't understand what this professor thinks! How am I really to do this assignment (which wasn't there last night, or even at noon when I found out about the salmon??) when I am at freaking work.

So anyway, it happened to be a Myers-Briggs questionnaire, and here are the results.

Question to my 5 loyal readers is whether this rating sounds like me or not. I leave it up to you.

ESTJ
Extroverted (E) 70% Introverted (I) 30%
Sensing (S) 58.54% Intuitive (N) 41.46%
Thinking (T) 57.14% Feeling (F) 42.86%
Judging (J) 55.17% Perceiving (P) 44.83%

"Administrator". Much in touch with the external environment. Very responsible. Pillar of strength. 8.7% of total population.

Raise your hand if you are being marketed to.

2006-08-29T21:14:00.000-07:00

The other night, I was flipping through the channels on my Tivo and noticed that a new channel had appeared that I had never noticed. It called to me with the simple name The Tube. Clicked on the listing and was instantly catapulted into the world of, wait for it, music videos! Staring back in my face was a Talking Heads video, followed by Franz Ferninand, and then the Doors! Unfortunately the next video was the Bee Gees, so it isn't exactly perfect.

I am stoked! The co-creator of MTV has struck out on his own, having seen his fantastic creation pummelled to death by the likes of Pimp My Ride and Kevin Federline's ugly mug, and created a new station that bridges the gap of VH1 and MTV, all while actually showing just music videos. That's right. No reality shows, game shows or news. Music. All the time. Coupled with moving pictures.

Thank you Tube. I will be your champion and spread the word to all the the late 20 somethings and early 30 somethings in the land.

Wow - Newman's Own is WEIRD

2006-08-29T20:36:00.000-07:00

So I grew up eating lots of iceberg lettuce salads...I mean, hey, those bag salads weren't even around when I was growing up. And on top of those salads, the elixer that made them taste like..well, anything, was Mr. Paul Newman. For years I read the back of the bottle, not quite sure of who this Newman guy was--I had never seen The Sting or anything else he had been in. In fact, for a number of years, I think I actually thought that he simply made Italian Dressing from the basement of his home, occasionally brewing up a batch for a friend at Christmas...(if you have ever read the back of the bottle, this is HILARIOUS).

Anyway, Liz was kind enough to point out the excellent, if not weird copy on the back of the new "Low Fat Sesame Ginger" dressing.

The Great Salad Dressing Balloon Race. An armada of balloons loaded with Low Fat Sesame Ginger. The starters gun - Bazoombah! They all rise majestically into the air. Newman's Own Balloon, with fewer calories, more taste and secretly propelled by charity, flies faster than Kraft and further than Wishbone. First across. First on the ground. El Piloto quaffs mucho quaffs of Newman's Own Low Fat Sesame Ginger in victory. A medium light Italian starlet, daughter of Butch Cassidini, named Bitch Cassidini, leaps into the balloon basket, kisses Piloto, her lips smeared with Newman's Own Low Fat, she murmurs, "You taste of Sicily, of Vesuvius, of Naples, baby", and patting his fanny she whispers, "and no fat."

What?? I can't even articulate how weird and surreal this copy is. Well, let me try:

1. I don't know if I am more creeped out by the phrase "El Piloto quaffs mucho quaffs of Newman's Own Low Fat Sesame Ginger in victory", or the fact that they refer to El Piloto's lover as Bitch Cassidini!

2. I haven't been to Italy, but I am pretty sure that Sesame Ginger isn't a staple in the palate. So what's with the Italian Stallion storyline?

3. I desperately want to use the phrase "secretly propelled by charity" once in my life, hopefully referring to myself. But I won't have the cape or Clark Kent-esque spectacles. Or maybe I will.

I do highly recommend the dressing though - only 1.5g of fat per serving! And tasty. Any Nathan, all the money goes to charity. It automatically makes you a better person.

Fat Bastard.

2006-08-25T14:43:00.000-07:00

In my career, I tend to run across some interesting statistics. More importantly, I tend to keep a pretty good feel on the pulse of corporate America, and the issues that they tend to be up in arms over. The following stats are taken from a corporate research paper - not an email forward complaining about the cost of gas.

In 2005, Lee Raymond, the former CEO of Exxon Mobil, was paid $34,457 per hour*.

In 1993, Lawrence Rawl, the CEO prior to Lee Raymond, and who retired on May 31, 1993, was paid $1,508 per hour*.

That’s a 2,184.95 percent increase.

Is Lee Raymond 22.85 times better a CEO than Lawrence Rawl? Is the company 22.85 times harder to run?

Total compensation for Lee Raymond in 2005 was $70,134,830.

Total compensation for Lawrence Rawl in 1993 was $2,929,056, based on annualized annual compensation of $2,279,707, plus long term compensation of $649,349.

I am not calling on all five of my readers to boycott gas, or write their Congressman, but simply to ponder these statistics and wonder what happened? When you are thinking about one-uping the neighbor with a bigger house, or truck, or vacation, think about ExxonMobile. Their standard response over the last 13 years has been that they pay to obtain and retain the best talent with a commensurate market rate.

Maybe it is time that society chills out and stems the tide of one-upmanship that has led to this type of ridiculous excess. Fat Bastard - I want my money back!

The Human Abstract Returns!

2006-08-10T22:29:00.000-07:00

They say that pictures say a THOUSAND words. Well, let me throw this one on you...

My brother and his band "The Human Abstract" (see the links to their site on the right) played the same venue that countless huge acts have played before (The Doors, Velvet Underground, Rolling Stones...) It is late. Let the picture speak for me.

BBQ Madness! In action

2006-08-06T21:21:00.000-07:00

So we have just discovered this fantastic new miniseries of a show on the Food Network, which is hosted by Alton Brown, called "Feasting on Asphalt". Basically Alton and a crew of guys are traveling around the country for one month, leaving from South Carolina, and ending up in Los Angeles. Their mission is to interview real people and experience true "road food". The only rule is that they can't step into a national chain, and aren't allowed a major interstate...back roads only. So far it has been an interesting show - one that I recommend highly, if only for its inspiring quality.

Watching the show the other night, the guys ended up in North Carolina, interviewing a father and son with long established roots in Barbeque. That's right, North Carolina vinegar based BBQ. I looked over at Liz, and with a twinkle in my eye, stated that "I would make me up some BBQ pork tomorrow!" So that's what I did. With my love's help making the sauce, and excellent book on BBQ with excellent techniques and recipes, we accomplished, in eight short hours, the pulled pork shoulder you see here. And man, it was GOOD!

Thanks Alton.

Comparison dog!

2006-08-06T21:17:00.000-07:00

I have been reminded by Liz that I must post a comparison picture to Santa's Little Helper so that everyone can see how pretty my Maggie is.

Even though her nuclear piss is now on my downstairs carpet, we still allow her in the house...

Endorsements that don't quite work

2006-07-29T08:25:00.000-07:00

I funny understand the idea of being the "offical sponsor" of a nationally recognized event or organization...like AIG being the official sponsor or Manchester United. But sometimes it just doesn't work. This truck is in my office parking lot at least twice a week, most likely filling up the soda machine. It has been pointed out that the picture is a bit small to see the joke. It is the official vending machine company of NASCAR.

You be the judge...If I am going to spend the kind of money it takes to emblazen the image of my sponsorship on the side of my trucks, I want the sponsorship to matter...I don't know, maybe I am just not midwest enough.

Really?

2006-07-29T08:19:00.000-07:00

I don't know what this guy is running for, but I wish I could vote for him!

Summer of Kenny!

2006-07-29T07:56:00.000-07:00

So I know I have been a bit silent recently. Mainly because my girlfriend keeps stealing all of the interesting things that happen to me...and I let her...because she is funnier than I am. Right now, all I have are a few pictures. I have some video, but it was soooo loud at the show that my camera couldn't handle it! I will try again when he comes back through town at the beginning of August.

The show was great to see - while not my "scene", I can appreciate well performed music of any style. These guys will go far.

To hear samples of The Human Abstract, click here.

My dog!

2006-07-21T20:19:00.000-07:00

Many of you have commented that Maggie looks a lot like Santa's Little Helper. You decide.

Kevin Smith Rocks!

2006-07-21T07:48:00.000-07:00

All of you avid readers of Entertainment Weekly may know that the recent Superman movie has been in development for something like 8 bajillion years, and there was always a buzz that Kevin Smith, famed director of Clerks and Mall Rats had been approached to write a script for the film.

Attached is a 20 minute video that is worth your viewing time. I know that Internet surfing is the ultimate in ADD - changing pages every 30 seconds, but take the time on this one, and remember to waive your mouse everyone few minutes, lest your screensaver ruin the show.

Larry King...war reporter??

2006-07-10T07:24:00.000-07:00

This morning my assistant told me that a building had collapsed in New York City. Being in the insurance industry, my immediate thoughts were "do we write that?" followed shortly by "damn, I hope that this isn't a big deal - I am looking forward to a good bonus this year..."

What I learned, which you can read for yourself here, was that it was an apartment building on the Upper East Side that contained a few doctors offices and a hair salon. A few injuries, but nothing bad as of yet.

But the key quote is from Larry King, who just happened to be on the scene.

"I saw a lot of smoke, people scurrying everywhere," CNN talk show host Larry King, who happened to be on the scene, told reporters. "There was one huge boom. ... It sounded like a bombing would sound, like the bombing of London in World War Two."

The last time I checked, Larry isn't British, and wasn't in London during the Blitz. I can appreciate his attempt at a correllary to describe the sound to those who have never heard an explosion before, but really - for that to work, you have to compare it to the sound of something of which most people can identify....London bombing. Come on Larry.

Happy Fourth of July

2006-07-05T20:47:00.000-07:00

Happy Fourth everyone! We are fresh back from the Rocky Mountain National Forest after four days of camping bliss... Well, it rained a good deal, and Andy says that he will never forget the death march through the rain, but nonetheless, it was a lot of fun.

All the pictures for your pleasure - here.

BBQ Madness!

2006-06-26T19:47:00.000-07:00

Below you can read the story about how we got this thing home. But I thought that this would be a perfect candidate for a time lapse. No dad, it isn't a warehouse, but it was fun making it.

Why Liz is smarter than me...

2006-06-26T14:48:00.000-07:00

So the other day Liz and I went to the store to purchase a new BBQ. Having been put to shame by my friend Andy's grill, as well as having endured one too many ruined meals on my old POS, I broke down and spent the $250 required to have 'nice' things. In this case, a super-duper, 4 burner job with an extra side burner! Thinking things through to almost the appropriate level of completeness, I asked the stock boy how big the box would be for my new toy, as I have an Acura that can't handle large things (ask me about the patio furniture...). He walked us over and showed it to me, and without even blinking an eye, I immediately ascertained it's exact dimensions, volume and weight - all without even knowing the exact dimensions of the car it was to fit into, and decreed that it would indeed "fit."

Fast forward to the car. Upon lifting this monsterous box into the opening in my TL's trunk, I immediately realized the error that I had made. Thoughts of having to call in a favor from a coworker with a truck race through my head, as I begin to make mental plans to go and test drive that SUV that I have been meaning to look at since the last Home Depot incident...(the patio furniture). While I am desperately trying to figure out at what angle this bloody, oversized box will go into the car, Liz just remains at the side of the car, thinking quitely.

As we lift the box down, back toward the floor, a very nice Coloradian (If that ain't a word, I am going with it..like Maritan) with his SUV calls to us from his window - "you guys need some help? I live near here and wouldn't mind helping you get that home.." At this point, I am really close to saying yes! But Liz has another idea, and thanks him but politely declines his help.

At this point, Liz, the one with the significantly higher SAT scores than me, says "Why don't you just unpack the box?" And with that, my face moves fluidly from the look of frustration to enlightenment, and then breaks down into complete disbelief - and I admit, that had she not been there, I would probably have either, a) taken the SUV guy up on the offer of a lift, or b) ended up watching the sunset while waiting for my buddy with the truck.

I love this kid!

2006-06-16T12:23:00.000-07:00

This was just emailed to me with the caption "and you thought you were the only nerdy kid". This kid has me beat hands down. The most I ever wanted was a Star Wars theme party in the park...and I got it! Thanks again Mom. I distinctly remember licking frosting off of Han Solo's little plastic butt.

The News Hour with Jim Lehrer Birthday!

Can you say "idiot?..."

2006-06-05T20:24:00.000-07:00

This is a little out of order, but I needed to blog this guy. I captured a few shots of this dork at Kenny's graduation. I don't know what is worse, the slick bak hair, white Dior glasses, the iPod Nano around his neck, or the awful clothing...you be the judge.

Liz's Day

2006-06-04T11:19:00.000-07:00

More time lapse goodness. Here is Liz "working". Notice the flash games....

Meet our new friends!

2006-06-04T10:06:00.000-07:00

So the other day, (I believe that it was Memorial Day weekend) Liz and I decided to have Andy and Jennie over for a back yard, turning snags on the barbie event. Little did we realize that the recipe for "Rum Swizzles" would taste SOOOO good. Just ask Jennie here.

And here - fasinated with pictures from our trip to Argentina.

Cheers mate!

2006-06-03T09:34:00.000-07:00

Top marks to the first of my three readers that places this blast from the past picture. Leave a comment!

Techno JOY

2006-05-31T18:56:00.000-07:00

I also have techno joy. This is a convergence of techno joy in my video camera (which does time lapse) and Youtube, which lets me post this for free!

Enjoy.

Garden of the Gods!

2006-05-29T14:27:00.000-07:00

So, with nothing better to do, Liz and I decided to journey down to Colorado Springs to see the "Garden of the Gods." Having been there before during college, I was sure that the cheesy name did not do the area justice. If you have never been, it is very impressive.

The wait is finally over!

2006-05-29T08:22:00.000-07:00

5/29/2006

Christopher Arehart
1245 Evergreen Terrace
Springfield, USA

Dear Chris,

Congratulations! We are very pleased to offer you admission to the Leeds School of Business Evening MBA program for the fall of 2006. We’re enthusiastic about what you will bring to the program and know that your classmates and the Leeds School will benefit from your participation and contribution. Welcome to the Leeds community!

(insert details here....)

Best Regards,

Anne Sandoe-Thorp

Director, MBA Admissions & Marketing
Leeds School of Business
University of Colorado, Boulder

Sorry!

2006-05-28T09:43:00.000-07:00

So, having been shamed into returning to my blog by both my family and friends, I am returning to posting. Lots of stuff has been going on, but none of it really seemed blog worthy (meaning: funny).

But LOTs of stuff has happened, and I guess I need to catch a couple of people up.

First, Mom turned 60 this year and my Dad's present was to come out to Denver for a few days for her birthday! Greeted by a rare snow flurry (snowing at Easter - can you believe it?) we saw the sights of Denver, many of which we hadn't even seen yet. Unfortunately, the US Mint tour gets booked up as bad as Alcatraz (3-6 months in advance), so we had to scratch that off of the list. But the Colorado Historical Society was great - learned a lot about the history of the state, and got to ride a horse! (see inlay) I think that Mom had a good time - I know that I did. And to the kids of her elementary school class, my most humble appologies...I am sure that you were greeted with a pleathora of stories about Colorado history, Lewis & Clark, etc--just listen, you may learn something.

So after that, we went and did something that even Mark Summers of "Unwrapped!" fame hasn't done - visited Hammond's Candy and Confecionary for a factory tour! - on account of being Obsessive Compulsive about germs...The tour was, well, I can't help it! It was SWEEEET.

15 years later!

2006-03-23T20:41:00.000-08:00

Thank you Harry!

Happy Birthday to me...

2006-03-18T16:43:00.000-08:00

So I know that I have been remiss in posting my birthday. I am constantly reminded by my better half that I should get these pictures up for all to see.

Had a fanastic "all birthday" weekend here in Denver. It was a bit weird not to be home to visit with my family on my birthday, but we still managed to have a good time.

We started off the weekend with a trip to "El Chapultepec", a dive bar in downtown Denver. Apparently, this bar has been around since 1951, and has survived through the downturn and subsequent upturn of the Downtown district. Unfortunately, no pictures from here, because it really is the type of place where a camera screams tourist, or worse. Best story of the night there is a tie between the group of six older men playing a game of cash poker in the back room, shouting intermittently, "Angela - we need some more drinks! I'm buying - and pick something out for yourself!" and the story of the man at the end of the bar who had obviously been sitting on his stool for quite a while. We order our drinks, and no sooner do we have our $1 drafts in hand, five paramedic/firemen in complete gear enter in the front door, asking who had called them. Remember the drunk at the end of the bar? He finishes his drink, and right as the men are leaving, figuring it was a false alarm, the man pipes up with "that was me...my chest hurts...hic.."

Once the combo started, we had a great time. Snow coming down outside, and smoking straight-ahead jazz inside.

So on my actual birthday, we didn't have cake, as the jazz bar really wasn't the venue for candles and such. But the following night, Liz made me a great cake (lemon, with cheesecake flavor frosting) and we opened presents!

What did I get for my birthday you say? Well, mom and dad did a great job of sending a care package that reminds everyone where I am from.

Michelle sent me a very nice card and some fantastic shots of us in San Diego (which are now on my cube wall at work, next to the post cards of home). She also gave me somthing else, but you will have to ask her about it. (Here's me talking to her while on break from snowshoeing!) For more on the shoeing adventure in four part harmony, see Liz's blog here.

And, drumroll please! Liz gave me a fantastic gift! A coffee maker that has to be the coolest coffee maker ever. Put the beans in, set the time and, voila! Coffee is ready when I wake up.

All in all, a fantastic birthday weekend. I wish that I could have spent it with all of you readers, but your birthday wishes from afar helped me have a fantastic time in my new home.

David Gray Show!!

2006-03-18T09:23:00.000-08:00

So it was six months in the making, but I finally got to go see David Gray in concert here in Denver. It was a fantastic show on the part of the band, but the crowd was kind of crap. Lots of white zin drinking people, lots of sitting, which I was a bit disappointed with. But the new album is a bit on the slow side anyway.

We were really f*&^ing close.

Yea! New house!

2006-02-26T09:18:00.000-08:00

It has been a few days since the last post, primarily because I was waiting for THE CABLE TV MAN. (read in the voice of Raymond Burr in "Delirious"). He did finally come, and now my house has moved one step closer to being a home.

First Day at Work

2006-02-18T09:04:00.000-08:00

Ok, I admit that I am chronicaling my life litterally one day at a time, but until it isn't novel any longer, the posts shall continue.

The first day at my new job was pretty good--really like syllabus day at school. Not really a whole lot of work happens. You find your desk, meet your teacher, read the syllabus, go to lunch and then home.

Have you heard those stories from people who seemed to manage to walk to school in a blizzard every day, up hill in both directions? Well, that was me...kinda. The night before the first day of work, we got about 3 inches of snow, which we needed to make our way through in the morning. I know that this isn't much news for people who live on the east coast, but it is still a heck of a first day.

Notice...Change of title for this blog

2006-02-15T16:02:00.000-08:00

So after a longer than expected road trip, Liz and I have made it to beautiful Denver, CO. This morning was a bit hectic. We arrived late last night at the Residence Inn that the company is putting me up in while I close on my house, and after a room change due to no internet access in the first room, were able to hit the hay at about 11:30. Up today bright-eyed and bushy tailed--well, not exactly, we met our realtor at the new house and had a final walk thru of the property. Everything looked as we expected--repairs that we requested were completed and we were ready to go! After a brief stop by WAMU for a cashier's check that was bigger than any check I have ever written, we went to the title company for the closing. Now, I know that may of my readers have purchased a home, or have heard the stories from others. In Colorado, there is no standard "escrow". This state does what is called a "table closing" where litterally all interested parties sit around the table while the title agency goes through all of the paper work. The ratio of signatures required between buyer and seller is about 171/8. No joke--I asked the title agent how many signatures I would be signing, and she replied with"about 100 or so...we had someone count once."

So, after signing everything, including the digestive system of a badger (If you can't read the document, just hover the mouse over the bottom right corner of the picture and when the box shows up, click on it to expand the picture to full size.)..right...after we signed everything, we were informed that WAMU was having problems with their wire transfer computer system, and that it could be a little while.

A little while has now turned into tomorrow, as the business day is over. I am just glad not to be the couple that I am purchasing the home from, as they were waiting to go to another closing on their new home!

The best part though about the meeting was that I was able to ask them why they were moving..I mean, with a view of the Rockies from your porch, who would ever leave. I had a bet with Liz that they were expecting another child (they already have a 5 year old). I lost. Turns out that they are just "running out of room" and "hated giving up the view." When I asked if they had purchased a bigger home, they said "no, not really". The kid currently has both downstairs bedrooms...I am not saying that they shouldn't buy a different house, but maybe they should buy the kid less stuff.

Anyway, given that we no longer live at the beach, I hereby rechristen this site "random musings from a porch looking at the Rockies". Or something like that. Maybe I can be chic and use an acronym-RMFAPLATR...no too long. How about just the first bit, but with no vowels? "rndm msngs"...stay updated for the new title shortly.

We are glancing at Denver!

2006-02-14T17:35:00.000-08:00

Oh my god. The glow is getting brighter and more expansive. It must be
Denver! Yea!

Liz is craving a ham and miracle whip sandwich and all I want to do is get
up and stretch my legs.
--------------------------
Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld

Oh my god

2006-02-14T17:27:00.000-08:00

We are never going to get there. We have been on the road from durango for
what seems like an eternity. The signs keep promising denver in under 60
miles, but I think that they are taunting us. We can see the orange glow
of city lights ahead, but if that isn't it, we're going to break down in
tears.

Chris and Liz
--------------------------
Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld

Almost there-

2006-02-13T20:49:00.000-08:00

So I have limited abilities to blog well on this BlackBerry device. We have
been driving all day from Las Vegas and are within striking distance of
durango, our stopping point for this evening.

Lessons learned on this leg of the trip?

When the desert says, "I am providing you with the choice of burger king or
mcdonalds for dinner" you choose one of them lest ye be going hungry for
the next 150 miles.

More later
--------------------------
Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld

One of the coolest videos on the internet

2006-01-30T18:23:00.000-08:00

Now, I know that I am supporting the concept of "viral marketing", but this is really neat.

http://www.honda.co.uk/civic/

Skip the intro and click on "Watch" at the bottom of the screen. Don't forget to watch all three sections of the rehearsal.

I LOVE the internet

2006-01-25T18:30:00.000-08:00

More pictures

2006-01-25T10:58:00.000-08:00

Pictures of my new house..I hope!

2006-01-25T09:55:00.000-08:00

So lots of people want to see the place I have an offer in on -- to satisfy everyone, I am going to post them all to the blog!

liz really wanted to get me this for xmas

2006-01-14T18:23:00.000-08:00

The evidence mounts

2006-01-08T22:16:00.000-08:00

Ok - so many of you loyal readers may know about my theory that the "slouch" is now in style. So we have mannequins that are preset in "slouch" mode, and now we have jeans that are trumpeting the fact that it is indeed COOL to slouch.

Happy New Year!

2006-01-01T22:14:00.000-08:00

So around October or so Liz and I decided to start making plans for the new year. Living in the middle of 'tool central', we decided that we definitely needed to make our way out of town. So where to go? Not enough time for somewhere super exotic -- but Ensenada, B.C. seemed to fit the bill! Perfecto Garcia!

Liz was so excited when we arrived that she could hardly hold back her exitement! They have Thrifty's icecream!

Night one! Hussongs Cantina. Given the 75 retail stores selling shirts and assorted branded clothing, I gave this place less than 50 percent chance. Man, was I wrong...this place was actually a local place. The guy to my right in the picture is about as local as they get.

Fast forward to New Year's Eve - day time. In just about every cruise ship's excursion list, La Bufadora is included as the one thing to do or see in town. So we trudged out, mainly because we had to indulge in the pure kitsch factor. Turns out for a crevase in the rocks, it was mildly entertaining. And excellent people watching.

And Happy New Year! We plopped our asses into a few seats at "El Patio" which actually was the first bar that I ever did belly-up to in college (as a wee lad of 18). Small place with many tv's we were fortunate enough to have had one of them tuned to central time -- allowing us to watch the ball drop at 11pm. So with that out of the way we proceeded to drink until around 11:50, when we remembered that our hotel was having a party in their bar that had been scoped out previously as a possibility. With not much happening at El Patio, we walked back across the street to our hotel and entered what can only be described as a "From Dusk Til Dawn" type of feeling, but extremely friendly...Liz could probably describe it better. We quickly ordered two drinks, and with drinks in hand counted down the new year in Spanish with a motley crowd of locals -- no college kids or assorted American tools. We were probably the only two gringos in the place. I am immediately accosted by some Mexican middle aged woman with a firm "Feliz Ano!" and subsequent friendly hug, even before I could get to Liz! Needless to say, it was a pretty cool and surreal experience.

Shitty Car

2005-12-24T14:14:00.000-08:00

Click on picture to see the carnage!

OK -- so this one needs a little bit of explanation. My brother is an animation major, and he was over at our parent's house with his electronic tablet. So I drew this silly little picture and animated the car crash.

Kono's Quote of the Day

2005-12-23T09:49:00.000-08:00

"Have you considered a dessert tray?"

I love this one

2005-12-22T12:17:00.000-08:00

It would help if we had a photo.

Brian Willis shows up

2005-12-21T23:06:00.000-08:00

Not to much to report on this -- Brian is a good friend from before highschool (I think 6th grade, which would make that about 15 years). He came into town and stayed with Liz and me for a few days before Christmas.

Beethoven's 9th Symphony Review

2005-12-20T13:05:00.000-08:00

Wow!!! This guy does not deserve the link traffic, but I had to post this. It actually reminds me of an episode of The West Wing, where Josh insists on posting to an internet message board, and hilarity ensues. Read the dribble that the music critic has to offer, and then check out the comments. For those that aren't familiar, Martin Wright is the conductor of the Master Chorale, and Jahja Ling is the well respected conductor of the Symphony. Watch them duke it out with the other bloggers!!

Messiah

2005-12-20T12:43:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! This has been a heck of a season - I am finally getting to sit down and write a couple of blog entries. The Master Chorale had a full plate this holiday season, starting with Mahler's 2nd Symphony, a breif respite, and then powering through Beethoven's 9th Symphony and Handel's Messiah. They are all over now, and I am more thankful than ever to not be performing. I think that it will take me at least a few months to get all of my voice back after using it so much.

Performances were overall very good. Local press covered the Messiah, which we performed four days in a row - check out reviews here and here.

For Liz - you voiced your opinion of the "standing" at the Hallelujah Chorus..here is what the director had to say..

"One fan was King George II, who stood during the "Hallelujah" chorus. Legend has it that George stood because he thought he was hearing the voice of God. When the king stands, everybody does, and to this day, audiences stand to recapture that moment. But Wright explains that the king simply needed to stretch his legs. He shrugs off the myth that keeps audiences rising to their feet.

"At that point it's nice for the audience to stretch their legs," Wright says."

And to prove I was there...

Calvin Cont...

2005-12-08T22:44:00.000-08:00

Calvin's Snowmen

2005-12-08T22:40:00.000-08:00

Music alert!!

2005-11-29T22:07:00.000-08:00

For those in the Southern California area, here is something to go to this weekend...

http://www.museumofmakingmusic.org/events/saxes.html

I'm famous!

Cost of the holidays

2005-11-28T21:40:00.000-08:00

So I know that I must be the last person on the planet to have seen this study, but I think it is fantastic! Key quote: "It will cost your true love 6.1% more - Estimated price of '12 Days of Christmas' gift list up sharply due to gas, gold prices and bird flu."

Read all about it here:

funniest ebay-er ever

2005-11-21T19:08:00.000-08:00

Ok, so ebay is really the coolest thing in the world. Everyone has seen the commerical for ebay where the nagging girl friend says to her boyfriend that "no one would ever want his lime green Gremlin" - cut to the guy who has EVERYTHING lime green...ok, so there is the set up.

Meet ronald3102 (click here for his ebay profile) Click on an ebay item on the right. Any item. You will find a person who absolutely ADORES zebra print.

Here is a sample of some of the items purchased within the last 90 days:

New ZEBRA Faux Fur Cushioned FOOTSTOOL Ottoman & Fringe

Halloween Purple Pimp Outfit, with Zebra Stripes

Vintage Bowling Shirt XXL Womens and XL Mens (Matching!!)

Really, there are too many to mention:

Zebra fur clock
Zebra Print Lampshade
Faux Zebra Rug (in shape of hide!!)
Zebra costume for their cat
Zebra Calculator (there's a zebra on the cover!!!)

And about 200 more transactions. The only deviation being Nike Air Jordans and New DVD's, mostly horror.

So. We have a guy, in love with a large woman, who LOVEs the Zebra print, as does his girl. They even bowl together. In matching ZEBRA!!!! Oh my god.

Ebay item of the day

2005-11-08T17:13:00.000-08:00

I love ebay so much. Mainly because I can sell my crap to others who will pay a premium for it. Also, because they have the greatest examples of Engrish out there. Check out this post (click soon before it goes dead)

My favorite part is that if you look closely, the item for sale is clearly a flute, not a sax...

Konos Quote of the Day

2005-11-07T14:27:00.000-08:00

"Can we order from your payphone?" - I can only guess that they were tired of standing in the remarkably long line that is always snaked out the door.

Reviews of Mahler 2nd

2005-11-07T13:50:00.000-08:00

So I am home sick today (cough cough) and have all the time in the world to blog.

Many of you readers (of which there are 5) know that I performed in the San Diego Symphony's presentation of Gustav Mahler's Ressurection Symphony, his second out of nine completed symphonies.

I have been battling a cold since Wednesday this week, praying to make it throught the concert. Well, I did get to sing it once -- on Friday evening, my voice held out and it was sublime! Unfortunately, my voice gave out on Saturday and I called in sick for the Sunday afternoon show.

Apparently the San Diego Union Tribune had some fine words to say about our performance. You can read them here.

I just thought this sign was funny...

2005-11-06T17:51:00.000-08:00

I LOVE this guy's taste

2005-11-05T14:25:00.001-08:00

For those of you that are just glancing at this post, I am posing next to a Chevy Cavalier...that's right, a Chevy Cavalier. I guarantee that this tool spent more money tricking out the car than he spent on it.

Hypocrite on the 5 Freeway

2005-11-05T14:25:00.000-08:00

Self explanatory. Save the earth 8 mpg at a time.

Hurricane Update

2005-10-24T18:08:00.000-07:00

We're all watching the hurricanes this time of year. I thought that with all of the awful weather channel reporting (insert picture of stupid reporter standing in 130 mph winds), we should link to a well articulated story from a reputable news source. NPR of course! Read "Fear and Awe at the Hurricane Center" here.

Check these guys out

2005-10-19T21:24:00.000-07:00

Turns out, Tuba Quartet music is pretty bitchin. Check them out here.

enter the vagina

2005-10-09T11:15:00.000-07:00

This is an old picture I took in a Children's Museum in Chicago. I thought that it was pretty funny, though I managed to keep my amusement to myself, unlike the 15 year olds that kept walking in and out of the curtain - I can only assume that they were trying to figure out what it was like to 'enter the vagina'.

My old college president - up to it again!

2005-10-07T08:49:00.000-07:00

Looks like our old friend James Ash, former president of Whittier College (at least 7 years past now) is STILL a meth-head. Read all about it here before the link goes bad.

Anyone else find this amusing?

2005-10-04T17:29:00.000-07:00

Funundrum can be credited with this one. I happened to have the picture on my computer.

hola!

2005-09-29T13:32:00.000-07:00

Given that most of the people that read this blog are receiving emails and post cards from either ´´funundrum´´ or myself, I don´t think that I have much new to add to the blog. Except that I am posting from a small hotel (that really has a hostel like feel) in the small town of Porto Iguazù, Argentina. That in and of itself is a reason to post. Oh, and I wish that I spoke Portugeuse, because I could easily give you a ´´ç´´.. Or I could tell you that I had my first empañada, so I could use the ñ key on this weird keyboard.

We are having a fantasitc time here.. Nursing a bit of a hang over due to the three bottles of wine and as many litres of Quilmes beer that we had last night over dinner. We met two people from London here in our hotel, Peter (who was from Newcastle, where they make the beer, and who by the way HATES Newcastle beer) and Heidi, who is also from outside of London. They were on their seventh month of traveling consistently. They didn´t actually live here, but they also didn´t have a home. They had bought a around the world ticket and were slowly making their way from London to Austrialia via every bit in between. Fantastic people who make you want to save for a year, quit your job and do the same thing. We ate fantatic Bifé de Lomo (the nicest cut - like a Filet Mignon), drank great Argentinian wine and made the owner of the Parillia very happy with our request for two more bottles of wine ´´to go´´ and promply paid the $200.00 bill. Oh, by the way, that is $68.58 US dollars. For four people. Liz and I paid $17.14 each. This is why I love Argentina and am coming back as soon as possible. I can kind of understand their spanish, because it isn´t full of slang and spoken at a rate of a million words per minute.

Ok, well it is now a quarter to 6pm and is time for afternoon tea. Need to find some food to hold us until dinner time at 10pm.

Just a reminder..

2005-09-18T19:56:00.000-07:00

As my friend Skye is quick to point out, I live a pretty tough life.. Living this close to the beach can be a chore, especially with neighbors like ours. However, I keep pointing out to him that I have to get up and leave everyday to go to work during the best part of the day...

We got our bags for Argentina

2005-09-18T11:06:00.000-07:00

Ah, Che Guevara...you have graced the walls of so many college students who haven't the slightest idea who you are..

For those of you that want to know more, click on the link below:

http://www.time.com/time/time100/heroes/profile/guevara01.html