The Bosque

Normally, if a customer requests parmesan cheese or red pepper for their pizza, drivers have to grab it from up front before leaving with the delivery. Sometimes, the cooks will drop a couple in the pizza box, but that's only occasionally.

On one of my runs tonight, I noticed that a customer wanted parm...but I didn't bring any with me. When this happens (and it does occasionally), I just bullshit the customer and tell them that it's in the box. Normally, they don't question it.

This customer did.

She only ordered one pizza, so when I came to the door with just the pizza, she asked if the parm was in the box. I said that I thought so. She then asked if she could check the box just to make sure. I said yes, knowing that more than likely, there would be no parm in there.

She looked in the box, then came back to the door and said, "Okay, it's there."

It's a miracle!!! Well, sorta.

I told my boss about it when I got back to the store...he told me that he dropped a cup in the box, as he was helping out in the kitchen cutting pizzas and noticed the request.

Whew! I don't know what I would have done if the parm wasn't there. I suspect that the customer might have gotten pissed...I probably would have just ran over to QT and bought a small can. But, I dodged a bullet today.

One of the last readings at Lambert Airport last night:



It was 70 at noontime...I was delivering at the time. It was warm and muggy, but very windy.

By the time I went to water aerobics at 5:45, it was 17.

They say we've got a big storm coming Thursday night...that would rock! Delivering in snowy weather is a huge money-maker.

Seen on the wall of a bathroom stall at April's office building this morning:

So I did buy Endless Ocean yesterday...I was surprised that it's only $30. Most new games for the Wii seem to be at $50.

I give it 2 thumbs up. It's easy to play, lots of fun and keeps you entertained. All you do is swim around in the sea, catalog fish and other animals, look at coral, listen to pretty music and take people down on diving trips.

I don't know who composes the various pieces of music on Nintendo-made games and the Wii, but it's just so awesome. My favorite piece is the one that plays when the Wii is updating news and sports...if I could make a loop of that for like an hour, that'd be sweet. The music created for Endless Ocean is no exception...very smooth and relaxing. And you can make your own soundtrack for the game by putting mp3s on an SD card and loading it into the Wii.

My only complaint with the game is using the Wii remote. Once you get used to it, it's not too bad...just kinda a pain in the ass.

It's funny...we now have 7 games for the Wii, most of them bought or received during Christmas. I've barely played FIFA '08, and I haven't played Big Brain Academy that much. In addition, I have two games I bought for the PS2: I haven't played March Madness '08 in the last few weeks, and I haven't even touched NBA Live '08 yet.

I'm retarded...but at least it's established that I'm not totally engulfed into gaming. :)

I want this game:



From Nintendo's website:

Endless Ocean is an underwater exploration through the pristine waters of fictional Manoa Lai Island. From the moment players experience their first dive, they’re introduced to a magnificent world of sun-pierced water, vibrant color, and flourishing sea life. With no time limits, point systems or possibility of failure, it’s a pick-up-and-play game for the entire family to enjoy. Intuitive controls and the game’s encouraging “explore at your own pace” approach create a momentary retreat.

The beauty of Endless Ocean is that players can do as much or as little as they like. The relaxed and calm atmosphere of the game gives divers the freedom to explore special locations such as shipwrecks and underwater ruins, discover and interact with sea-life, complete fish logs or simply relax in the soothing environment.

Check out the website. Seriously...does this not sound like fun? It sure does to me...might go pick this up with my Wal-Mart gift card later today.

...your drunk.

The full text of the following story is being posted due to the short lifespan of stories on newspaper websites and because this story appears to be one that might be updated later.

From today's Post-Dispatch: Cigarette ash litters scratched Formica tables. Sneakers stick to floors soaked with stale keg beer. A metal band leaves eardrums throbbing. And the wall-to-wall neon seems bright enough to leave a sunburn.

On some nights, North Main Street is college bar central in St. Charles, where places jump with folks hunting down a cheap beer buzz.

That shouldn't be a problem when bars are selling $1 beers and giving free drinks to women.

But new liquor code restrictions targeting the so-called Madness on Main may take the life out of the party.

"What is stopping somebody from dancing on the table going to accomplish?" said Ralph Hust, 32, of O'Fallon, Mo. "Anytime you've got ... people down here drinking, stuff like that is going to happen."

While Hust stood at a table tipping back beers with his pals one night last week, city officials sat in a board room a few blocks away enacting new rules aimed at curbing binge drinking and rowdy behavior.

The rules take effect as part of St. Charles' latest revamping and enforcement of its liquor code. Several bars on North Main are being required to generate half their revenue from food sales by the end of June.

The city also banned below-cost booze sales, dancing and sitting atop bars and tables, and bar games or contests that offer drinks as prizes.

EARLIER PROBLEMS

But the city's crackdown actually began more than two years ago after Main Street gained a reputation as a hotspot for bar hoppers. Police beefed up foot and mounted patrols in 2006 to cut down on hundreds of incidents involving street brawls, underage drinking and public urination.

And while city officials acknowledge that the problems on Main have been reduced since then, police say they still responded to more than 90 incidents there in the second half of 2007 that were similar to problems in 2006.

Fifteen places in and near a three-block stretch of North Main serve liquor, and applications are pending for licenses for two more.

There are other businesses on the stretch as well, but the area differs from the more genteel Main Street farther south down brick-paved streets.

There, in restored 19th-century buildings, is a flourishing historical shopping and arts district featuring specialty and craft stores that attract locals and tourists by day.

City officials and some business owners say the new liquor rules are designed to keep that atmosphere intact at night.

But at least one bar owner says the rule requiring revenue from food will force him out of business because he has no knowledge of how to run a restaurant.

"My business has not been a troublesome bar," Justin Donahue, owner of the Lounge, said in a letter to the City Council last week. The food regulation "destroys my life's ambition of being a successful business owner, and will put me in financial ruin."

Marc Rousseau, owner of R.T. Weiler's, says the new rules won't have much effect on his business because he doesn't allow table dancing and has never sold a drink below cost. He pays about 60 cents per beer, so his Tuesday night $1 beer specials should be spared.

"There really has never been madness," Rousseau said. "In my view, it's never really been a problem."

A QUIET NIGHT

On Tuesday night, groups of 20-somethings trickled in to R.T. Weiler's shortly after 9 p.m. to score $1 beers in ice-filled buckets. They crowded into leather booths, grooving to hip-hop jams in their seats, occasionally standing up to dance.

The crowd was tame. Nobody hopped up on the tables, though a few women in short skirts danced provocatively with each other in a booth while one lifted up the other's skirt.

Police on patrol said last Tuesday was a quiet night.

But when the temperature rises by spring, they said, it could be an entirely different story.

Danielle Rynd, 23, of St. Peters, said most people, including herself and friends, come down to Main Street Bistro only for the drink specials. If the city eradicates them, she said, people will go elsewhere to drink cheaply.

"They're going to lose a lot of business because of the drink specials," Rynd said. "This place is going to be dead."

When Kyle Worthen heard about the new rules, he was worried it could cost him more to go out with friends.

"If I have to pay full price for drinks, there's no way I'm going to be able to come," said Worthen, 21, a Lindenwood University sophomore who sipped Bud Selects with his pals last week. "They think it's crazy down here, but this is a college town."

It's hard for me to feel bad about St. Charles. I like St. Chuck, but it's in a strongly conservative county. And quite frankly, I'd rather see those people come to St. Louis...we'll gladly take their money. Of course, it's a long drive from St. Chuck to the city, so best that they bring cab money or a sober friend...but we'll still take their money.

...because he's obviously confused...from MSNBC/Sporting News: Nineteen wins would be an astonishing achievement. The scoring records are impossible to ignore. But when putting the 2007 Patriots' excellence into a historical context, there remains a whole lot of room for interpretation and common sense. And to me, all those wins and all those points don't necessarily add up to best.

Are the 2007 Pats better than all four of the Steelers teams that won Super Bowls in the 1970s? I'm not convinced. Better than the '72 Dolphins, who won half their games with a backup quarterback? I don't see it.

Even if you consider the Spygate dealio, this version of the Pats is just a beast. Though if anyone can beat them, it's the Giants.

Tim's in charge today

Courtesy of http://www.stltoday.com:

While Hillary Clinton was courting votes, Rick Majerus was courting trouble.

First, he said he was "not going to go there."

Then, he did.

The Catholic basketball coach for the Catholic St. Louis University looked into the TV camera at the Clinton rally last weekend and said, "I'm pro-choice, personally."

That's when the Roman Catholic coach ran smack into the Roman Catholic archbishop.

On Tuesday, St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke said St. Louis University should discipline Majerus for comments he made at the rally. Burke also told the Post-Dispatch that he would deny Majerus holy Communion if the coach did not change his positions on abortion rights and embryonic stem cell research.

"I'm very much an advocate for stem cell research," Majerus told KMOV-TV at the Saturday rally at McCluer North High School.

Burke was in Washington on Tuesday with St. Louis Catholics at the 35th annual March for Life. The event protested the U.S. Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized most abortions before viability.

Referring to Majerus' statements, Burke said before the rally Tuesday that it was "not possible to be a Catholic and hold those positions."

The archbishop said Majerus should be disciplined but did not say how. At issue is the Catholic concept of scandal, a perennial concern of Burke's defined by the catechism of the Catholic church as "an attitude or behavior which leads another to do evil."

"I'm confident (SLU) will deal with the question of a public representative making declarations that are inconsistent with the Catholic faith," Burke said. "When you take a position in a Catholic university, you don't have to embrace everything the Catholic church teaches. But you can't make statements which call into question that identity and mission of the Catholic church."

Burke's comments got St. Louis University faculty and staff talking Tuesday.

"If SLU wants to have a policy of, 'you have to be Catholic and believe the Catholic way,' SLU wouldn't exist," said Laura Willingham, research assistant in SLU's School of Medicine. "Should (Majerus) have said it publicly? There's freedom of speech."

Harold Bush, an English professor who is president of the SLU Faculty Council, said it's unrealistic to think that people affiliated with the university don't have different viewpoints.

"It's in the nature of the university to allow for and encourage open debate on a wide variety of issues," he said.

The Rev. Lawrence Biondi, SLU's president, did not respond to interview requests. A spokesman for the university, Jeff Fowler, said Majerus was speaking for himself, not SLU, at the Clinton rally.

"Rick's comments were his own personal view," he said. "They were made at an event he did not attend as a university representative. It was his own personal visit to the rally."

Fowler did not say whether the university would discipline Majerus.

Majerus was out of his office Tuesday and did not have an immediate response to Burke's comments.

In 2004, Burke said he would deny holy Communion to Sen. John Kerry, then the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee who supported abortion rights. Last fall, the archbishop said he would deny Communion to Rudy Giuliani, a 2008 Republican presidential candidate and abortion rights supporter.

Last April, Burke resigned from the foundation board at the Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center after the rest of the foundation's board refused to replace Sheryl Crow as the musical headliner benefiting the hospital's Bob Costas Cancer Center. Crow is a supporter of embryonic stem cell research, which the Catholic church considers akin to abortion.

Majerus has politics in his blood. According to his 1999 book, "My Life on a Napkin," his father was secretary-treasurer of the United Auto Workers. On election night 1976, Jimmy Carter called the Majerus house and said, "I just wanted to thank your dad,'' according to Majerus' book. "I carried Wisconsin, and your father was a big help to me there, and in Illinois as well."

Speaking with the Post-Dispatch in May, Majerus called himself "a political animal." He said that when he worked as a commentator at ESPN, executives at the sports channel asked the coach not to campaign for candidates "as Rick Majerus of ESPN."

Burke has no direct control over SLU, and it is unclear what he will do if the university does not discipline Majerus.

SLU is nominally a Catholic institution, but last year the Missouri Supreme Court said, in a 6-1 decision, that SLU "is not controlled by a religious creed," which cleared the way for public funding of the university's new, $80 million arena.

In its Supreme Court brief, the school's lawyers said SLU "… is not now owned or controlled by the Society of Jesus."

The school reminded the court of its decision to sell St. Louis University Hospital to Tenet Healthcare in 1998 "despite the strong and well-publicized objections of the Archbishop of St. Louis."

The school's brief also pointed out that despite its Jesuit tradition, the university does not require employees or students "to aspire to Jesuit ideals, to be Catholic or to otherwise have any specific religious affiliation."

It said that of the 1,275 faculty-staff members at the university, fewer than 35 are Jesuit (less than 3 percent), and that fewer than half the students identify themselves as Catholic. All 28 Jesuit colleges and universities in the U.S. are governed by a board of trustees like SLU's, which is made up mostly of lay people and a handful of priests.

The Society of Jesus is an order of priests and brothers, founded in the 16th century by St. Ignatius Loyola. The order's General Superior, the Rev. Adolfo Nicolas, is headquartered in Rome, but both Burke and Nicolas answer only to Pope Benedict XVI.

Scholars say that while Nicolas and Benedict have authority over individual Jesuit priests at SLU, including Biondi, they have no authority over the institution.

While Burke has no authority over SLU itself, the school is within the borders of his archdiocese, and therefore, he claims responsibility for overseeing SLU's Catholic identity.

"The situation has to be disciplined," Burke said Tuesday of Majerus' comments. "You can't have a Catholic university with one of its prominent staff making declarations that are inimical to Catholic teaching."

Kavita Kumar of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.

ttownsend@post-dispatch.com | 314-340-8221

Judas, I'm sorry Archbishop Burke, with all do respect to your holiness, do us all a favor and GO FUCK YOURSELF!!! In 1492, Christopher Colombous discovered America. In 1776 (a couple years before you were born), we claimed ourselves as free people with freedom of speech and religion. Therefore, we are allowed to believe in what we want to believe in and support what we want to support. Thank you for once again making a point in which I have nothing to do with the catholic church.

I worked a double at our store in Affton today...normally this is my 11-2 day. They've been having driver issues lately, and it got me out of our main shop, so...

About 3:00, I had just gotten back from a delivery, and I wasn't comfortable with the tip I had received from the customer. They gave me a $10.47 tip on a $15.53 delivery. After talking to my boss about it, I decided to call the customer to make sure they didn't overpay me.

Customer: "Hello?"

Sycamore: "Hi there, this is Terry from (pizza shop name). I just delivered your pizza a few minutes ago."

Customer: "Yeah?"

Sycamore: "I'm just calling because I think you overpaid me. You gave me $26, but the total was only $15.59."

Customer: "I know."

Sycamore: *pause* Okay, I just wanted to make sure that you didn't overpay us.

Customer: "All right, talk to you later."

*shrugs* I have no problem taking money willingly from a customer.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of captivity.

But one hundred years later, we must face the tragic fact that the Negro is still not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize an appalling condition.

In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men would beguaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

It is obvious today that America has defaulted on th is promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check -- a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to open the doors of opportunity to all of God's children. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment and to underestimate the determination of the Negro. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.

We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny and their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.

And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.

Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.

I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slaveowners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

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

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day the state of Alabama, whose governor's lips are presently dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, will be transformed into a situation where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith with which I return to the South. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."

And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!

Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous peaks of California!

But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!

Let freedom ring from every hill and every molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

--Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., August 28, 1963, Washington, DC

Just before dark Friday afternoon, I was driving home from the credit union down this two-lane street near my house. As I'm driving along at 30mph, a squirrel darts into my lane, and it looks like his days might be numbered.

I feel a bump under the car, and as I look in my rear-view mirror, I see a fuzz ball bounce a few times and roll out of the lane.

I decided to go back and see if I killed him, so I turned around and headed back towards the location of the incident.

He was gone...no mark, no carcass anywhere in the area. What a tough little guy! And he probably had a fun story to tell his peeps.

Georgia Frontiere passed away yesterday, aged 80.

Mrs. Frontiere was the majority owner of the St. Louis (formerly Los Angeles) Rams from 1979 (when her then-husband, Carroll Rosenbloom, died) until her death. She was a St. Louis native, and moved the Rams here in early 1995.

She's probably still hated in Southern California, much like Bill Bidwell (the owner of the Arizona Cardinals) is here. But she's a savior to us, bringing football back to town 7 years after the football Cardinals left for Phoenix. And though we spent a large amount of money to bring Mrs. Frontiere home, it was well worth it.

Rest in peace.

...I'm left-handed.

I do everything left-handed, except for writing...it's always been that way. Well, I used to throw right-handed for baseball, then switched over to my left hand in 8th grade.

And of course, there's nothing wrong with being left-handed...especially in the music world. Paul McCartney is left-handed, as is Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath. Then there was Kurt Cobain, and the greatest guitarist ever...Hendrix.

But it makes borrowing and finding guitars a problem. I'm not going to borrow shit from friends only to have to re-string it twice. And while it's not difficult to find guitars that are left-handed, the quantity is vastly smaller.

Right now, I'd like to pick up a cheap bass and an amp. I've always wanted to play bass, and I think it would be easier to learn than a guitar. And I've always been a music fan, and don't think I'll get bored with it.

Maybe the tax man and pawn shops will be good to me next month.

My first paycheck from the shop...$19.19 after taxes (3 hours of work at $7 an hour):

...go with the Nomecam:

My employment situation is a unique one: technically, I am self-employed. When Tim and I work at the pizza shop, we do so as contract employees to the guys that own the shops. Of course, we don't technically have contracts...

Anyway...earlier today, the owners pull me aside and thank me for helping out on the phones. Whenever the counter girls are busy or overwhelmed, I answer the phones and take orders. At other various times, I cut pizzas, wash dishes, serve dine-in customers sodas and even help cook.

I don't get paid for any of that stuff, since I'm not an employee of the company...but I enjoy doing it, and don't mind helping out.

Our bosses are cheap...straight up cheap. They're not the worst bosses ever, but they're extremely tight with money. So imagine my surprise when they told me that they'll periodically drop a few hours of counter service into payroll for me--and that I'll get a check for it.

I was shocked...seriously. I mean, it's not much. We're talking like $10 or $20 a month...maybe. But the fact that they're doing it...wow.

Of course, I won't truly believe it until I see a check...which should be this Wednesday or next. We'll see...

The full text of the following story is being posted due to the short lifespan of stories on newspaper websites.

From yesterday's St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "To be a poet is a condition, not a profession," says Missouri's new poet laureate, Walter Bargen, quoting another poet, Robert Frost.

Missouri is a long way from New England, but it's not surprising that Bargen, Missouri's first poet laureate, would cite Frost. Bargen, too, is an independent, rural poet who loves walking in the woods, draws inspiration from nature and cherishes the solitary nature of writing poetry.

Bargen does not teach English literature or poetry writing, even though he has spent decades immersed in both. He holds degrees in English education and philosophy.

"Even though I read great literature, ultimately you have to teach yourself to write," Bargen said after Gov. Matt Blunt gave Bargen his laurel last week.

Bargen has lived in Missouri for most of his 59 years, published 11 books of poetry and was an early favorite for the position. Still, he was surprised when he got the honor Tuesday and shocked by the flurry of attention it generated, with phone calls from reporters all over the state.

Bargen was astonished to hear that a small-town radio station was reading on air one of his works, a war poem called "Zoonotic."

But, by week's end, Bargen seemed to be hitting his stride. On Friday morning, he read a humorous poem on St. Louis radio station KLOU (103.3 FM), about boys startled by a herd of cows. DJ Asher "Smash" Benrubi proclaimed him a "cool dude" and joked that it must be nice to lie around and write poems all day.

Bargen called back to correct him, suggesting that Benrubi become his patron so that Bargen could quit his day job at the Assessment Resource Center at the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Hundreds of years ago in England, poets laureate wrote to celebrate the monarch's military conquests. Today, a poet laureate is a political appointment but without the old-fashioned political demands. U.S. poets today are as likely to protest war as to celebrate it. It's up to the poets to put as much energy as they want into the job.

Bargen is expected to make at least six public appearances during each of the two years he will serve and compose a poem to be read at an event. His first public ceremony will be his official appointment in the Capitol Rotunda on Feb. 13, when the Missouri Arts Council hands out its annual arts awards.

He will give a reading this spring at the Schlafly Branch of the public library in the Central West End.

Most of his public appearances will be poetry readings, which he's done many times.

"The first goal of a poet should be to help people enjoy poetry," he says.

Another goal is to create a website that showcases the work of Missouri's many poets.

Only four of Bargen's 11 books are in print. Like those of most poets, the books were published in small runs by small presses. One of his publishers, Ben Furnish, managing editor of BkMk Press at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, is eager to make Bargen's books available. BkMk published "The Feast," a collection of Bargen's prose poems that won a William Rockhill Nelson Award from the Kansas City Star and the Writers Place.

Furnish believes Bargen can spark interest in poetry.

"He's a supremely fine choice," Furnish said. "A few years ago, we really felt like we were pushed to the margins. That the governor is appointing a serious poet is a good sign."

Bargen's work has been underappreciated by the general public, said Kevin Prufer, one of the directors of the Missouri Center for the Book, who recommended Bargen to Blunt. That may be partly because Bargen is not affiliated with a university.

But within literary circles, Bargen is "well-known and loved," Prufer said.

Prufer also is a poet, an English professor at the University of Central Missouri and an editor of the literary journal Pleiades.

Bargen began writing poetry when he was in high school in Belton, south of Kansas City. When he went to the University of Missouri in the 1960s, he majored in philosophy. During those turbulent times, he may have gone to a protest or two, but he has never been inclined to talk about his politics, in person or in his poetry, Bargen said.

"To some degree, my response was to retreat," he said.

He has taken only one creative writing course, in the mid-1980s, while studying for his master's degree in English education. He once was told by poet Sherod Santos that he was a "metaphorizing fool."

"I think my poems are imagistic," Bargen said. "I see things in a painterly way."

Indeed, Bargen's work is filled with reflections on myth, nature, flight and human follies. He also is obsessed with water; at least three of his books concentrate heavily on water images.

The solitary nature of writing poetry suits him, he said.

"In order to write, you can't have a roomful of people in there with you," he said.

Bargen lives with his wife, Bobette Rose, a veterinary assistant; two dogs; and an indeterminate number of cats in the house he began building in 1974 on 10 wooded acres in Ashland, a small town north of Jefferson City. The couple have two grown children, Cedar and Kale.

For years, Bargen worked in heavy construction, evolving from carpenter to millwright. Part of that job involved writing construction specifications, which had a lasting effect on his poetry style.

"It was a great training," Bargen said. "I had to pay attention to detail, avoid abstraction, avoid ambiguity."

Although he gave up carpentry as a profession, he has never stopped building things — or metaphors.

Like his house, his poetry keeps evolving.

"I'm a big reviser," he said. "I drive editors crazy."

But "writing is a process of discovery. I know I am writing well when I surprise myself."

So, if you could all support me in my quest to become Poet Laureate of the State of Missouri in 2010, that'd be great. :)

Tim's at the keyboard today

Courtesy of myfoxstl.com

One man was killed, and a 13 year old boy critically injured in two separate traffic related accidents Friday evening in the St. Louis area.

A 13 year old male skateboarder crossing the street at Lemay Ferry and Green Park Roads in South County was struck by a car. He's reported to be in critical condition at a local hospital

I know this family, their Aunt is a very close friend of mine. Please keep this family in your thoughts. It doesn't look good at the moment

Tim

Alright peeps, we all know that Mardi Gras is coming up. What you might not know is that it is coming up very soon. February 2nd is parade day...that's only 3 1/2 weeks away!!!

Anyhoo, Mrs. Sycamore and I were talking...we do that sometimes. We don't normally do anything for Mardi Gras...of course, this is only the 3rd one we've had together, and I've been back in St. Louis just under 3 years, but that's besides the point. I heard the ad for the Point Party Tent, and it sounds like a pretty decent deal to me:

--5 free drinks
--free food from 2-5p
--private johns
--right at 9th and Geyer
--come and go as you please
--$53

The Mrs. and I are probably going to partake in this, and a couple of peeps we've talked say they're down with it.

Are you?

If you wish to join Mrs. Sycamore and I on this festive day, please do! Let's us know if you'll be there!

Or...if you've done this party tent before and have any comments on it, pass those along too. Or if you know a better deal...by all means, tell me!

I've recently been feeling the itch to create music again.

For those not in the know, Sycamore was actually the name of a band I fronted in the early-to-mid 90s...I was the lead singer. We didn't really do a whole lot with it--practiced here and there, played one performance in a friend's basement and that was about it. The last time I did anything with the project was in the summer of 1995. Unfortunately, any recordings we did are long gone, though almost all the lyrics are posted in Café Sicómoro.

I've contemplated getting back into it over the years, but have never done anything, primarily because I can't afford any equipment and didn't know any musicians out east. Now I'm back home...and I still can't really afford any equipment, but I have a drum machine and a mic. And I have friends that are either in bands or own equipment. My cousin Eric is aware of my desire to get back into music and has offered his support.

I dunno...I'm not sure what exactly I want to do at this point. I have rock songs in my head, spoken word shit in my head...but no new lyrics at this point. But I know I want to do something musically.

That got me thinking about one of my notoriously bad traits: I always have lots of ideas, but never see many of them to fruition. I am a talented and highly-educated individual...I really need to put some of that shit to use!

The full text of the following story is being posted due to the short lifespan of stories on newspaper websites and because this story appears to be one that might be updated later.

From yesterday's St. Louis Post-Dispatch...note the bolded part:

Southwest Airlines re-shuffled its deck Wednesday and dealt St. Louis a good hand.

The second-biggest carrier at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport will add three daily flights here in May, including, for the first time, nonstop service to Denver.

It's part of a broader strategy by Southwest to focus on more profitable routes, beef up bigger hubs like Denver, and woo more business travelers. And it follows a similar announcement in November that saw two new non-stops between St. Louis and Philadelphia, set to begin in March.

"The new flights by Southwest Airlines show that St. Louis is a key growth market," said Lambert director Dick Hrabko. "We're excited that our partner airline continues to grow at Lambert, giving our community more travel options."

Southwest will add three daily flights to Denver and one each to Las Vegas and Tulsa, Okla. It will end one daily flight each to Chicago Midway and Kansas City.

Nationwide, Southwest is cutting a total of 17 flights, but it's building in St. Louis because it sees strong demand here, said spokeswoman Brandi King.

"There were some places we saw an opportunity for growth, and St. Louis to Denver was one of them," she said.

It's already a crowded route. American Airlines, United Airlines and Frontier Airlines now combine for nine daily flights between the two cities. With Southwest, it'll be 12.

"We're never afraid of a little competition," King said.

As of March 2007, Denver International Airport was the eighth-most-popular destination from St. Louis, averaging 403 passengers a day each way, according to data from the U.S. Transportation Department.

I miss Philly so much...hopefully we can make it out there this summer.

Put this one up there with "Hey, you got any pizza to give away?"

Recently, I've noticed a lot of people asking who it is when I knock on the door to make a delivery. And this usually strikes me as odd. After all, do you really have that many people coming to your house that you don't know who it might be?

And then they always sound angry..."Who is it?!"

"It's (our pizza shop), you lazy piece of shit! Answer the fucking door already!"

Oh, wait...that's how I want to answer...it usually goes like this.

The full text of the following story is being posted due to the short lifespan of stories on newspaper websites and because this story appears to be one that might be updated later.

From today's St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Two O'Fallon, Mo., 17-year-olds have been charged with misdemeanors for their role in lobbing a bag of feces into a Walgreens store, splattering a pregnant woman.

Justin T. Keiser, of the first block of Brookside Court, and Kyle G. Medley, of the 100 block of Stage Coach Landing, have been charged with third-degree assault and property damage.

Police said they were among a group of six teens who pulled up to a Walgreens at 920 North Main Street in O'Fallon on Dec. 7. Police said
Keiser drove the vehicle and decided they would throw a bag of feces into the store. Medley provided the feces, they said.

The bag struck a 37-year-old pregnant woman, who said she was coated with the bag's contents. Some of it got into her mouth. The woman,
Ivette Geusz, said she must continue to undergo tests for six months to make sure she and her baby did not catch any disease.

Geusz said she is hoping the courts will give the boys a strong punishment. "They saw me standing at the entrance, and they did it
anyway," she said. "It was very evil."

This is sick and disgusting and wrong...yet, very funny to me.

I dunno...Xmas didn't seem all that great overall this year. Not very many people put up decorations...we were only one of three houses on the block to have them:







April did a great job on the tree...she did most of the decorating:





This year we bought new stockings...I think you can figure out who's whose:



And we got a lot of cards, which is always nice:



People didn't seem as festive this year...not sure if it's the economy or if people get numb earlier or what. I saw Xmas decorations up just after Labor Day in some places. But even though I was under the weather a good chunk of the month, I still had a good time.

And with that, Xmas is over in Sycamoreland. Now it's time for Mardi Gras!

DISCLAIMER: No disrespect is meant against smokers in this Manifesto.

Last night, I went to see a few bands at The Bluebird, a local club here in town. I was specifically there to see my peeps in Stella Mora, but The Hibernauts and The Cold War Direction are also good bands. You can check out all 3 bands on the right side of the page.

The Bluebird essentially looks like a big basement, complete with a bar and couches and chairs. Or a rec room at a camp. The sound was alright, though not very good for Stella. The beer was overpriced, and even at $2, I'm not drinking PBR.

But the thing that annoyed me the most was the cigarette smoke. Smoking is still allowed in clubs in MO (though not in IL as of January 1st), and almost every club in town allows it. The only exceptions I can think of are Off Broadway (which is my favorite concert venue in town) and Erato (a wine bar near our house that we love, but that is incredibly expensive). I felt like shit when I left. My head hurt, my eyes were watering and I stank like a motherfucker. I was so glad to take a shower when I got home.

As a 2-pack a day smoker for 9 years (1995-2004), I sympathize with smokers. It's a horrible habit to break, and quite frankly, I loved smoking. But I'm glad I quit, because it is a nasty and disgusting habit. I was very much against the drive to ban smoking in Philadelphia 3 years ago...I believe it has been banned since. But I'm very much for banning it now in St. Louis.

I already know some of the comments that will come from this stance..."drinking and smoking go hand in hand"..."if you don't want to smoke, don't go to the place"..."the market will dictate whether people want non-smoking places"...and so on, and so on.

--Drinking and smoking do go in hand, but alcohol doesn't necessarily directly affect others.

--As much as I love the Leaf (which is all of 100 feet from my front door), I don't go there often because you can be in there for 20 minutes and smell like an ashtray. Based on how I've felt in bars recently, I will be more selective in the places I go for drinking and concerts.

--I want to convince people to start making more places smoke-free, particularly concert venues. And I'm sure that there are people out there that feel the same way as I do.

I dunno...sex, drugs and rock n' roll go hand-in-hand-in-orifice. Maybe I'm just showing my age, in spite of only being 32. I was probably one of the oldest people there last night. And I realize that my options and influence are limited.

But you gotta start somewhere, right?

In the mail this morning, I got my first credit card since being discharged from bankruptcy almost 3 years ago. It's through my credit union, and it only has a limit of $500. But I got it totally on my own (i.e. April is not on the card and did not co-sign for it) and I'm quite alright with the small limit.

In about an hour, I'm going to make the last payment on a $5000 loan I took out to help me move home and survive during mid-2005. I've paid it faithfully every month since June 2005...in fact, I'm paying it off 5 months early. Unfortunately, it's in my parents' name, but at least I have the satisfaction of knowing that I made every single payment on it.

I've now been making the payments on my car for 2 years straight, after my parents made the first 8 payments. Again, doesn't help me, but I know that I'm the one paying for it.

I also paid my student loan faithfully before, during and after bankruptcy. I start paying on that again in March after deferring it during grad school.

I learned my lessons the first time, and have no intention of fucking up my credit as badly as I did from 1999-2005.

Thank you, God. Amen.

Who gives a shit about the vote in Iowa...or New Hampshire?

I appreciate the fact that Iowa has historically been the first state involved in the primary season...I appreciate all the early states for that matter.

But seriously...Iowa and New Hampshire don't truly represent the country as a whole, IMO. They're states with smaller populations, predominantly white and rural. And based on what I heard yesterday...the turnout was pretty low--like 20% of all registered voters in Iowa. Why do the politicians--and the media--focus so much attention on them?

You want to see a real result? Do an early primary in Missouri...or Illinois...or Pennsylvania...or California. They have a good combination of rural and urban, black and white, rich and poor.

I'm excited that Obama won last night...but right now, it just doesn't mean shit. Let's see how he does on Super Tuesday in 5 1/2 weeks.

Tim posts a Manifesto about a situation near and dear to both of us.

The full text of the following story is being posted due to the short lifespan of stories on newspaper websites and because this story appears to be one that might be updated later.

Courtesy of STLToday.com:


The pizza delivery driver who fatally shot a robber last week could have faced discipline over the incident had he not resigned, a Domino's spokesman said Wednesday.

Although the driver was being praised by bloggers with comments such as "Score one for the good guys," many corporations, like Domino's, prohibit armed employees.

Employees sign an agreement in which they agree not to carry a weapon, Domino's corporate spokesman Tim McIntyre said, a policy designed to protect both the public and employees.

"We're driving down … streets. We're going to people's homes. We're also a workplace," he said. Advertisement

McIntyre added that police had told the company, "There are too many cases in which a person's own weapon has been used against them."

The manager of the University City franchise, which is independently owned, declined to speak to a reporter, and the driver could not be reached for comment. Authorities have not identified him.

Domino's trains employees to minimize their risk, both before and during a robbery, McIntyre said. Drivers are told to carry a cell phone and avoid wearing jewelry or carrying valuables or more than a small amount of cash — typically $20. They're also taught to keep driving if they have doubts about an address and call to verify that the address is legitimate or return to the store, he said.

If robbers approach, drivers are told to "turn over the pizza and empty your pockets."

"The best way to save yourself from harm is to get the situation over as quickly and efficiently as possible," he said. "That typically will result in us needing to replace a pizza but not having to deal with a tragedy."

Domino's also offers security training to other pizza companies to minimize everyone's risk by limiting the potential payoff to would-be delivery robbers.

McIntyre said he didn't know what the former delivery driver told his manager when he resigned. "That's probably an experience he didn't want to confront anymore," McIntyre said.

The driver shot Brian Smith, 19, of the 600 block of Ferguson Avenue in Ferguson, on Dec. 27. His alleged accomplice, Rodney Reese, 18, fled with the pizzas, soda and the driver's wallet, police said, and was later charged with first-degree robbery, two counts of armed criminal action and second-degree murder because he was allegedly involved in a fatal crime.

McIntyre said any punishment would not have been "because he (the driver) defended himself. It would be because he violated a policy that he agreed to follow."

"We completely expect to be criticized," he added.

rpatrick@post-dispatch.com | 314-621-5154


No pizza driver just carries $20. It just doesn't happen. We don't really have a weapon/robbery policy at our place. I was told by moron #2 the first day I worked there and said "Make drops often and hope you don't get robbed." I know some of our drivers carry weapons. One of our old drivers carried a gun, I carry a knife and a maglite. Our place does not make us wear uniforms or put goofey lights on our vehicles. They don't do that because all that is is an invite to get robbed. I fully support the delivery driver for his actions and I think the exec's from domino's are fuckign idiots. It's do what you have to do. I always said the first time will be the last time I get robbed. Saying is still the same

...with doctors.

In the 5 years I lived in Philadelphia, I had two doctors: my physician and my cardiologist. I saw the physician the entire time I lived in Philly, and the cardiologist the last year I lived there.

Since moving home, I have had four physicians and three (soon to be four) cardiologists.

What’s the problem here?

My first physician here was the one that treats my parents. She was alright, but seemed to like to throw meds at problems. She referred me to a cardiologist who was nice enough, but his assistant was such a bitch. So I quit going to both.

I then went back to the physician I had before I left St. Louis, who also happened to be April’s physician. That turned out to be a similar situation to my first doctor, plus when I lost my insurance, I was essentially shit out of luck. My physician in Philly worked with me when I had no insurance; my doctor here wouldn’t. I understand the business dynamics of being a physician these days (and know how much it sucks), but still. The cardiologist they referred me to was cool, though a bit quirky. Like with my physician, insurance ended my days there.

Then there was my time in the clinic system, for both my physician and my cardiologist. I got the best care I could in that system…and that’s about all I can really say about that. I have no ill will towards them, but now that I have insurance, I’m free of that system.

Which led to physician #4, who happens to be April’s current physician…she switched doctors when she got her current job in 2006. I went to her twice in the course of two weeks in December…first as an initial patient dealio, then a week later due to an infection in my arm. The infection was a result of two vaccines I got during the first visit…pneumovax and tetanus. Not sure what the fuck happened there…apparently the muscle in my arm didn’t like the vaccines. I still have a fucking knot in my arm from that shit. She also referred me to a cardiologist, who I go to see in 2 weeks.

At that first visit, the meds that control my BP (and my GAD) were slightly adjusted. In the past, slight adjustments have been almost tortuous…extreme fatigue, excessive shitting, lots of sleeping, etc. This adjustment was no exception…I was incredibly fatigued and was crapping a lot. By Christmas Day, I was vomiting and crapping to the point of blood. I didn’t think it warranted an ER visit, but I wanted to get some resolution before the next morning, so I called the doctors’ exchange at 1:15am on December 26th.

My doctor happened to be the one on call that night, and she called back within 10 minutes. I carefully explained what was going on and how the symptoms had gotten worse in the past 2 days. What happened next was rather shocking.

She seemed irritated that I had called her about the situation. She mentioned that there was nothing she could do about it at 1:15am. She also mentioned that I could go to the ER if I wanted to, but that she couldn’t do anything about my meds at that time and that I should make an appointment with the office during normal office hours. She seemed to glaze over my mentioning of the worsening of my symptoms.

Wow…I’ve never encountered such a disrespectful and unprofessional doctor. It’s not like I wanted to have a chat with her at 1:15am on Christmas night/the day after, but I was pretty sick at that point, and was really concerned about what the fuck was wrong with me and wasn’t sure if it was something that was an emergency.

At 8:30 that morning, her secretary called, advising me that my physician wanted me to come into the office that day. I informed her that I would not be coming in and that I was switching doctors…and that was the end of the conversation. I went back to my old doses of my meds, and have been feeling better, though I still don’t feel 100%.

So, I’m going to look for a general practitioner one more time…and if this next one turns out to be another shithead, I’m going with another tack. I know that I am at least partly responsible for the current state of my health…I must eat better and exercise. But I also want to feel better now while I’m losing the weight. And I want doctors that are going to respect me, while being partners in my quest for optimal health.

On one hand, I’m not very optimistic. Doctors are a dime a dozen, but so are patients. But I have to be optimistic…I want to be healthy and live a long and wonderful life. I know there’s a good doctor team out there somewhere…

I-64/US 40 is probably the second-most important highway in the St. Louis area, after I-270/I-255 (a 72-mile beltway around St. Louis). 64/40 runs 40 miles...from western St. Charles County, through west and central St. Louis County, then into the City, essentially cutting it in half. Downtown, it crosses the Mississippi River into Illinois along with I-55 north and I-70 east.

About an hour ago, a 5-mile stretch of 64/40 between I-270 and I-170 (a north-south innerbelt in the central part of the county) was closed, and will not reopen until later this year. On January 2, 2009, another 5-mile stretch between I-170 and Kingshighway (the busiest street in the City) will be closed until late 2009.

The reason for the closures is simple--the 10-mile section of 64/40 is ancient, and will be rebuilt to interstate standards. After careful consideration and studying, driver feedback, etc., the Missouri Department of Transportation decided that the best way to rebuild the stretch was by closing sections completely over the course of 2 years.

Work has actually been going on with the rebuilding pretty much since I moved back home 2 1/2 years ago: overpasses being rebuilt, adding lanes on the other interstates in the area, lots of reminders and encouragement to carpool or take public transit, etc.

The closure doesn't really affect me per se. I don't use 64/40 at all while working, and I'm cautious about where I'm looking for jobs. It will suck to try and get out to places like Trader Joe's and my sleep doctor in the western suburbs, but that's nothing. It will affect Tim though, since he drives an ambulance. Especially given that three hospitals are right at closure points: 2 on the 270 end, one on the 170 end.

For you folks in Philly, this is like closing the Schuylkill from King of Prussia to, say, the Blue Route. Think of the options you have in a situation like that: the Turnpike, Lancaster Ave., Germantown Pike. You know how much that would suck. And then, think about how you don't have to do that shit...but a lot of people do.

Bahahahahahaha!

Seriously...I know that this is going to suck, but 64/40 is a mess and needs to be fixed. Is the current plan the best way to do it? I dunno...I almost think it would be better to just shut down the entire 10-mile stretch and knock it all out in one year.

I think we'll handle it alright in the end. Other cities have had to deal with similar situations (The Big Dig, the I-35W bridge collapse) and have came out of it relatively fine. And hell...it took 35 years to build the Blue Route in Philly.

We'll know how much this is really going to suck on Monday...when everyone is back at work. Let the fireworks begin! :)

May this year be the best year of your life...even if 2007 was the best year of your life.

Happy new year!

Love,
Sycamore