The Bosque

The media starts poking fun at events in the same way I would...from KNX 1070, Los Angeles, in regards to the LA Octuplets:

...I'm ready for bed.

I don't know if it's our new environs or what, but I've been ready for bed every night this week around 10 or 11pm. Of course, on some nights, I've still stayed up late. *shrugs* That's how I roll.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed...

Or in the Roman alphabet, "Gotov je."

From the Chicago Tribune: The Illinois Senate voted to remove Gov. Rod Blagojevich from office Thursday, marking the first time in the state's long history of political corruption that a chief executive has been impeached and convicted.

The 59-0 vote followed several hours of public deliberation in which senator after senator stood up to blast Blagojevich, whose tenure lasted six years. And it came after a four-day impeachment trial on allegations that Blagojevich abused his power and sold his office for personal and political benefit.

The conviction on a sweeping article of impeachment means the governor was immediately removed from office. The Senate also unanimously voted to impose the "political death penalty" on Blagojevich, banning him from ever again holding office in Illinois.

I wonder if he qualifies for next year's Oscars...his performance earlier today was brilliant.

Now that he's got more free time, perhaps he can get himself some mental help...or some reality training.

In a little while, I'll go outside to clean off Cleo and head to work.

We got about 8 inches of snow here in the City, most of it coming last night. Yesterday was a mess on the streets, though Cleo actually handled it well. The streets by our house look like hell, but the main streets are probably pretty clear.

A 12-hour day ahead...oh joy...

When it's cold and snowy out and you're tired as fuck, you could probably use a little pick-me-up. So...enjoy!

A screen shot from MSNBC.com this morning...note the headline I highlighted in pink:



I'm not sure if MSNBC was trying to be funny or if it was totally unintentional. Either way, it's damn funny!

Well, we're all moved out and moved in to April's mom's house. All we have to do now is finish cleaning up the apartment and finish putting our room together.

I want to thank everyone that helped yesterday. It's a wonderful thing to have good relatives and friends that pitch in in a time of need.

I want to thank my wife for clearing out our room at her mom's and having it painted...that's one of the many reasons why I love you, kitty. :)

Right now, my hands and fingers are aching in a way that they haven't in many years. And I'm having a hard time keeping warm. So I'm going to take a couple of Percocet and head off to Slumberland.

Good night!

I used to be ashamed of it for a while, but nowadays, I will make no apologies...I love me some hair metal!

I didn't buy a lot of it when it was popular, but I enjoyed a lot of the music and watched a lot of the videos. My favorite bands from the genre were Poison and Mötley Crüe. And they're probably the two best survivors of the genre...they still put out albums that sell fairly well and draw big crowds to their shows.

So I was rocking out to Mötley Crüe's "Dr. Feelgood" the other day, and it got me thinking...Mick Mars (the band's guitarist) is so underrated. Everyone knows the other members of the band: vocalist Vince Neil, bassist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee. But Mick's always been quiet and not very flashy. His solos can be fairly mellow or frenetic, but they never seem over the top. The guy just plays guitar and plays it well. About the only real strike against him is that he looks pretty scary these days. ;)

I like flash as much as the next person, but I'll take solid playing over flash any day.

Well, here we are the day before the big move. The apartment is a mess, though almost everything is packed up and ready to go.

I'm going to miss this apartment terribly. But we stayed as long as we could...and we'll eventually find a better apartment or house.

Photos next week.

From the BBC: Two search requests on the internet website Google produce as much carbon dioxide as boiling a kettle, according to a Harvard University academic.

US physicist Alex Wissner-Gross has conducted research into the environmental impact of "googling".

Environmental physicists are worried about the environmental impact of information technology.

In a statement, Google said it took the issue "seriously", adding "the energy used per Google search is minimal".

A recent study estimated the global IT sector generated as much greenhouse gas as the world's airlines put together.

Mr Wissner-Gross's study found a typical Google search on a desktop computer produces about 7g (0.25oz) of carbon dioxide.

If you enter another request you obviously end up with double that amount, which is the roughly the equivalent of boiling an electric kettle for a cup of tea.

I believe that there is a global warming problem, and I believe that it is linked to carbon. But this sort of story makes me want to say something similar to "Fucking everything will give you cancer!"

With all the inauguration excitement, you might not have heard that Fiat and Chrysler are teaming up.

When I was a kid, I used to know a guy that had a Strada. And my friend Charlie used to have a 124 Sport Spider...I think that's what it was, anyway.

This could be Chrysler's salvation. Fiat's current lineup is sharp, and some of the cars could be brought to the States or be rebadged as Chryslers or Dodges...like the 500. Chrysler's car lineups right now are just...ick. The new Dodge Challenger is nice, the Chrysler 300 is sweet and Jeep's lineup looks good. But it's like Daimler either just let it go to hell or didn't know what the fuck they were doing.

On the other hand, it could wind up like the partnership between Renault and AMC, where in the end, the only thing that survived was Jeep. Though the Renault Fuego was kinda cool. And every now and then, I still see an Alliance or a Le Car.

My fellow citizens,

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our fore bearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land — a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America — they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted — for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act — not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. All this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions — who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them— that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account — to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day — because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control — and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on the ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart — not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expediency's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort — even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment — a moment that will define a generation — it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends — honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence— the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed — why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive ... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet."

America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.

--President Barack Obama

We have time for racism
We have time for criticism
Held bondage by our ism's
When will there be a time to love?

We make time to debate religion
Passing bills and building prisons
For building fortunes and passing judgments
When will there be a time to love?

At this point in history we have a choice to make
To either walk a path of love
Or be crippled by our hate

We have time to cause pollution
We have time to cause confusion
All wrapped up in our own illusions
When will there be a time to love?

We make time to conquer nations
Time for oil exploration
Hatred, violence and terrorism
When will there be a time to love?

At this moment in time
We have a choice to make
Father God is watching
While we cause Mother Earth so much pain
It's such a shame

Not enough money for
The young, the old and the poor
But for war there is always more
When will there be a time to love?

We make time for paying taxes
Or paying bills and buying status
But we will pay the consequences
If we don't make the time to love

Now's the time to pay attention
Yes now is the time to love
A time love
Love
A time to love
Please, please won't you tell me
When will there be a time to love?

Will there be a time to love?
When will there be
When will there be a time to love?
When will there be
When will there be a time to love?
When will there be
When will there be a time to love?

Please won't you tell me
When will there be a time to love?

--Stevie Wonder & India.Arie

From today's St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Strassenfest will be back this year. New time. New place.

The popular German festival will be held Sept. 18-20 in Chesterfield, Strassenfest board president Lou Mueller said today.

"When you started adding up all the pros and cons, Chesterfield outshined everybody," Mueller said.

After being held in downtown St. Louis since the mid-1990s, it took a vacation last year because of sparse attendance and steadily declining revenue. In 2007, Strassenfest lost about $57,000.

Chesterfield is about 20 miles west of the city...you folks in West County and St. Charles can have Strassenfest. Soulard's Oktoberfest is only a few weeks after Strassenfest, so we'll keep that for us City drunks.

I want to make sure I touch on this before it becomes old news.

How scary it must have been for those 155 people on the plane...how awesome it is that all of them survived...and how much of a pimp is Sully Sullenberger for landing that plane on one of the busiest waterways in the country?

And how crazy is it that fucking birds (apparently) brought down a 47-ton 38-foot long plane?!

This is the final CD listing before I try to sell them en masse later in the week. If interested in any, contact me ASAP and I'll send them out this week.

Thanks.

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

Pittsburgh 23, Baltimore 14.

I didn't watch the game, but it looked close most of the way. I didn't think the Ravens would be that good this year, so for them to get this far was a pleasant surprise.



I'm not too sad, though...I like the Steelers, and hope they destroy the Cardinals.

Arizona 32, Philadelphia 25.

This was a great game...the Eagles came back strong in the second half, but Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald were better today.

I'm happy for Kurt Warner...he will always be beloved in St. Louis. And I'm happy for the fans and players in Arizona...the team has generally been crappy since the Cardinals moved from St. Louis in 1988.

But fuck the Cardinals...Bill Bidwell is a shitty owner and he fucked this city. Even though we have the Rams and have won a Super Bowl, the Cardinals leaving this town still hurts.

So now it's time for the AFC Championship game, and I'm going to root for whoever wins that game...hopefully, it will be the Ravens.

The Eagles weren't supposed to be in the playoffs, but they made it...and made the most of it. Philly should be proud.

Early last month, I stated that the Bosque was going to go back to daily posts starting January 1st. This is now the 18th day of the year and the 25th Manifesto, with at least one posted every day.

I'm enjoying posting on a daily again. I've been coming up with some good material, and have been making sure to write (or text) down any ideas that come to mind. Of course, I still have to provide instructions to guest posters...one thing at a time.

You might have noticed that most of the Manifestos are posted at 12:01am Central Time...ah, the beauty of scheduling blogs in advance! As I type this, there are already Manifestos written up through Thursday. When I think of something I want to write about, I try to write the Manifesto right away so that I don't lose the idea. Or at the very least, I jot down the idea to write about it later. Makes things so much easier...and makes blogging more fun.

I have some remodeling plans up my sleeve here. I want to redo the layout of the blog along with adding my own Amazon store. And I want to post all the old Manifestos from the Bosque forum and The Cellar...which would take us back to late 2001. I wouldn't be able to bring over all the comments, but to have all the Manifestos in one spot would be pretty fucking sweet! That'll take some time, but I hope to have it all done in the next 6 months.

It's going to take until June 25, 2010 to pass the old streak. And a lot can happen in that time...look at what happened during the last streak (Nov. 2004-May 2006). But I'm gonna make it happen...we're gonna make it happen.

...I'll give you the second one.



BTW, I want mine in sage.

Seriously, could you see me walking around making deliveries wearing one of these? It would be so awesome!!!

...you see a letterman jacket with a graduation year on it that looks so foreign to you.

I was in the grocery store the other night, and I saw a young man that attends my alma mater, Bishop DuBourg High School in beautiful St. Louis Hills. He was wearing a letterman jacket with his graduation year on it...

10...2010...next spring. He's currently 16 or 17, which means he was born in 1991 or 1992.

I graduated in 1994, 4 months shy of my 19th birthday. He was 1 or 2 when I graduated from high school...

FUCK!!!

Last Wednesday morning, April and I were awoken at 7am by an automated call from "1st City Credit Union," informing us that our Visa credit card was stolen. The system advised me to press 1 to speak to a representative in the security department.

We don't have accounts with 1st City, and right away I figured it was either a wrong number or a scam. When I pressed 1 to speak to a representative, the system asked me to enter my credit card number. I know that some institutions ask you to enter your card number when you call them, but I've never heard of them asking you for your number when they call. So I'm thinking this was a big fat scam.

Of course, writing this Manifesto just made me remember that I need to contact them to let them know about the scam...I meant to do so last week, but forgot. Though we don't have accounts with 1st City, I used to deliver pizzas to them regularly when they were St. Anthony's Credit Union and based at our family's old parish. They're nice people...and I don't like to see nice people get screwed.

Phishing scams have been going on for a while now, but I suspect that scams in general are going to increase given the tough economic times. So be vigilant, peeps!

The 2009 inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame:

Performers
Jeff Beck
Little Anthony & the Imperials
Metallica
Run-D.M.C.
Bobby Womack

Early Influences
Wanda Jackson

Sidemen
Bill Black
DJ Fontana
Spooner Oldham

I can't argue with any of those folks, though there are a few that deserved the recognition yesterday...off the top of my head:

Kraftwerk
Depeche Mode
The Stooges
Judas Priest

I think their times are coming, though.

...but they make a mean hamburger!

I'm not a connoisseur per se, but I like a good hamburger, and can be incredibly picky about them. I don't eat a lot of beef...that's been my history since I moved out on my own 10 years ago. But in the past couple of years, I've been eating more hamburgers...from McDonald's to the more high-end. My favorite as of late is the double steakburger with cheese from Steak n' Shake.

While we were in Baltimore last summer, one of April's colleagues recommended Five Guys, which is a hamburger chain based in the DC area. I had heard of them while I lived in DC, but had never eaten there, as I believe all their locations were in Northern Virginia at the time.

Oh my God...their burgers are delicious! Two well-done patties with whatever condiments you want on a delicious bun. And their menu is pretty simple...not a lot beyond hamburgers and fries. I think they're a bit pricey and their fries are just OK, but the burgers are pretty damned good!

In recent years, they've started expanding beyond the DC area...and one just opened up here in St. Louis a few months ago. So Friday night, we made the short drive to West County and each had a bacon cheeseburger. We were not disappointed.

If you want a good burger, I strongly suggest heading over to your local Five Guys. The only location in St. Louis right now is at Town & Country Commons, but apparently they're opening 13 more stores in the area soon. And there are a ton of them in the Philadelphia area.

Go...get over there already!

...since I apparently work with juveniles at the pizza shop.

There are two main delivery guys at the shop: me and this other guy. We'll call him Dummy.

Dummy has worked full-time at the store for about a year now, though he also worked there back in the day. I work with him every day, as I work M-F all day and he's one of the short-shift guys that works with me. Dummy can be a decent guy...he's in his mid-40s with a few kids and a wife, likes good music and we've hung out at work social functions on a few occasions. But he's a thief. Specifically, he's a cherry-picker: he tries to take the better deliveries along with taking more deliveries than he should.

Anyway...we've been having problems with Dummy for the past 3 or 4 months now. I don't remember him being a cherry-picker during the first few months I was there. Whenever he gets called out for pulling shit, he tries to justify his runs, feigns ignorance, acts offended or a combination of the three.

So yesterday, it was just about my normal quitting time (4:30), and the manager-on-duty told me to take an order that was just about to come out of the oven. I told him that Dummy was about to pull up (he works a variety of shifts, including Monday nights)...I had just seen him down the alley from the store talking to someone. But the manager said to go ahead and take it anyway. No big deal...this boss and I are friends, and I could have easily insisted no. I didn't want to take it, but it was more money for me, so...

So Dummy walks in, and the daytime counter gal is bagging up the order. He grabs it, thinking that he is going to take it. I then advise him that I'm taking it, that the manager added it to my deliveries before cashing me out for the day. And since the order was paid for by a credit card, there was no way that I could have pawned it off to the other guy anyway. He seemed surprised and a bit mad that I was taking the order, especially since it was now 4:40. But I grabbed the rest of the order and headed over to the delivery.

I was almost certain that he would raise a stink about it after I left...and I suspected that the counter gal would chime in as well. Dummy is close with the counter gal...we'll call her Aunt Jemima. She's a middle-age woman who can be really nice at times, but can also be incredibly gruff...and she doesn't handle criticism well. And she wears a bandanna that makes her look like the woman that used to grace the pancake box back in the day. Her and I don't care for each other, and had a pretty nasty blowup about 3 weeks ago...she learned that I wasn't going to be a pushover, and I learned that she's relatively harmless. We've had an uneasy peace since. Sure enough...both of them bitched about the fact that I took the order after I left. The boss simply told them that he told me to take the order, and that they could suck it.

Of course, the two dipshits forgot about one thing: I am always scheduled until 5. I tend to leave at 4:30 because the afternoon help comes in at that time, and we're usually slow. But if I wanted to stay until 5, I sure the hell could. And since I was in before the other guy, I had every right to take that order, even if the boss hadn't told me to.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not perfect...I've done my share of stupid things at the shop. But I don't steal, and I try to lead by example. All of us that work there during the days are adults...and the two shitheads are over 40 years old.

Act your age, not your fucking shoe size! Our jobs aren't hard...everyone just chill the fuck out and have some fun. Lord willing, I won't be there much longer and/or these two are on their way out.

As you might have heard, the Obama administration wants to delay the switchover to digital television, which is scheduled to take place on February 17th.

Fuck that! It's been in the media now for what? Over a year? 2/17/2009...get a converter box, switch to cable or satellite or watch white noise. The coupons have been available forever now as well as the boxes. And if the Commerce Department is about to run out of coupon funds, well...fucking add some money over there! We're already giving out a shitload of money to everyone else anyway.

But if people aren't ready for the switchover on 2/17, that's their own damn fault...because unless you've been living in a cave, you should know about it already. Besides, it might do some people some good to lose their TV signal...go read a book or go play outside or something.

Y'all know that I don't get too amped about shit anymore, but this just kinda irritates me, because this DTV thing has been the 900-pound gorilla in the room for quite a while now.

Philadelphia 23, NY Giants 11.

Baltimore 13, Tennessee 10.

Arizona won too...but fuck them, because they broke our hearts here in St. Louis 20 years ago by moving to the desert.



GO EAGLES!!!



GO RAVENS!!!

From the Baltimore Sun: Baltimore Mayor Sheila A. Dixon was charged today with 12 counts of felony theft, perjury, fraud and misconduct in office, becoming the city's first sitting mayor to be criminally indicted.

The case stems in part from at least $15,348 in gifts Dixon allegedly received from her former boyfriend, prominent city developer Ronald H. Lipscomb, while she was City Council president. She also is accused of using as much as $3,400 in gift cards, some donated to her office for distribution to "needy families," to purchase Best Buy electronics and other items for herself and her staff.

And from the Chicago Tribune: In a historic vote, the Illinois House has impeached Gov. Rod Blagojevich, directing the Senate to put the state’s 40th chief executive on trial with the goal of removing him from office.

The vote by the House was 114-1 and marks the first time in the state's 190-year history that a governor has been impeached, despite Illinois' longstanding reputation for political corruption.

Both Dixon and Blago are Democrats.

It's frustrating to see shit like this from anyone. And we've heard a lot of talk about change and cleaning up politics recently. But let's be real here...to borrow a phrase from the immortal Rick James, power is a hell of a drug. I know I like power...and so do a lot of other people.

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's press conference yesterday afternoon, responding to the vote for his impeachment by the Illinois House of Representatives earlier in the day:

Hope it's a good one!

Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that April and I will most likely be moving in with her mom at the end of this month, barring a miracle.

Over the past year, April and I have tried to live simpler and spend less, with varying amounts of success. But since April left her job, we've really tried to buckle down and are actually getting better with it. Over the past few weekends, we've spent almost no money.

Last weekend, Monken wanted to get together, and I suggested a cheap double-date at Lemongrass. But he and his missus are pretty fucking broke, so he suggested coming over to their place to watch the Blues game. April wasn't feeling well, but I went out there.

We were joined by Monken's friends Don and Kristin...and they are trying to cobble their pennies together as well. And they too are talking of cheap gatherings at their place once they've finished working on it.

For New Year's, April and I went to my friend Brian's house, where we had chips and dip and alcohol and played Rock Band 2 all night...and had a great time.

On one hand, it sucks, because if you're like us, you're at the crib a lot and almost going stir crazy. But it saves a lot of money. We can chill at one spot and have cheap drinks, and not have to worry about spending a lot of money or dealing with smoky bars and village idiots. I think the key is being creative...and we're gonna really have to kick it up a notch once we move in with April's mom.

But I've spent a lot of my life living beyond my means (or my parents' means)...and I ain't going through the consequences of that again. I'll stick with creativity and semi-poverty, thank you.

I was listening to Dio-era Sabbath on the way out to Monken's the other night, and I just had to write this...

Some background: Ronnie James Dio is a heavy metal vocalist, best known for his work in Rainbow, Black Sabbath and his solo band, Dio. Dio spent two stints in Black Sabbath (1979-1982 and 1990-1992), and joined the band again for a Dio-era best of Sabbath album in late 2005. The chemistry apparently worked out well, and the band is now a "regular" band, using the name Heaven & Hell. The original lineup of Sabbath (with Ozzy Osbourne on vocals and Bill Ward on drums) is now considered the formal one, hence the new name for the Dio version.

Now that we got that out of the way...

I've always liked Dio's solo stuff, but had never heard any of his work with Sabbath until after I moved back to St. Louis. I wound up picking up "Heaven & Hell" and "Mob Rules" on the cheap and was so impressed. I love Sabbath with Ozzy, but Dio just adds a new dimension to the band...the vocals, the lyrics, the imagery, his presence...he just fucking rules! Then the Dio-era lineup got back together and put out the best-of CD and a live CD/DVD from their 2007 tour. Oh wow...they fucking rocked it out! And these guys aren't young pups anymore...fucking Dio is 66 years old and he still wails! Somehow, Monken and I started talking about Dio & Sabbath...and it's been a minor obsession for both of us ever since.

Heaven & Hell came to St. Louis in September 2007, and we were there. I believe we paid like $50 each for the tix, but were not disappointed in the least. We really didn't fit in with a lot of the people there and we didn't care. Most people were there for Alice Cooper...he was good, but we were all about Dio and Sabbath! If we had had the money this past summer, we so would have been in Chicago to see them on the same bill as Judas Priest, Motorhead and Testament. They're in the process of recording a new album...and if it's as good as the three tracks they recorded for the best-of CD, it's gonna kick ass!

There are several bands that I'd like to see before I die or they split up or die. Heaven & Hell has been crossed off that list. Now if Sabbath proper would tour again...

Hello peeps,

Barring a miracle where either April or I get jobs in the next week or someone drops $5000 into our laps to pay our rent for the next year, we have to leave our apartment by the end of the month.

What does this mean to you? Well, we could use some able-bodied peeps to help us put our stuff into our storage space. I can't do a lot of heavy lifting and the missus can't do it all by herself.

What's in it for you? Food and refreshments. After moving all the stuff, we will celebrate by going to a local dive bar or two for food and drinks...paid for by April and I, of course.

Saturday January 24th. If you could help, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Look at these fine shoes!



Who wouldn't want a great pair of alligators, or a nice pair of dress shoes?!



And they're priced to sell!!!



I found these on the recyclable rack behind our store Monday morning. I think I know who left them there, and I suspect they may be stolen. They look nice, though...too bad I don't wear a size 9.

From Rolling Stone magazine: Ron Asheton, the guitarist in the proto-punk band the Stooges, whose raw, animalistic playing laid the groundwork for the entire punk rock movement, was found dead in his Ann Arbor, Michigan home last night. He was 60. An autopsy is scheduled, but police don't suspect foul play or drug use. Alongside Iggy Pop, David Alexander and his brother Scott, Ron co-wrote such classics "I Wanna Be Your Dog," "No Fun" and "1969."

Asheton was awesome, and The Stooges rock...perhaps the most under-appreciated band in rock n' roll. Maybe they'll finally get into the Hall of Fame this year.

Rest in peace...

I don't enjoy reading the Riverfront Times (St. Louis's alternative weekly) like I used to. I don't know if it's the general state of the newspaper industry or the fact that the RFT has been owned by out-of-town folks since 1998, but it just seems to keep getting worse and worse.

But last Wednesday's edition was a good read, primarily because of the cover story: the 2008 Unreal News Challenge. It's a real quiz devoted to newsworthy stuff in St. Louis from '08, and whoever gets the most right and/or wins gets a gift from the RFT. The quiz is good...but the multiple-choice answers are the best. And you don't have to be from St. Louis to appreciate them. A few examples:

38. What did the Pine Lawn Police Department add to its vehicle fleet in 2008?

A. An armored car.
B. A donkey.
C. Golf carts.
D. A sentient 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am named "KITT."

50. Bel-Nor Police Chief Matthew Lauer resigned in October after he was accused of having taken ____ from Wizard of Oz munchkin Mickey Carroll?

A. Lollipops.
B. Donations, for personal use.
C. Judy Garland postage stamps.
D. Guff.

79. The Shawn Hornbeck Foundation was sanctioned in 2008 by the Better Business Bureau and the Missouri Secretary of State for failing to file proper paperwork and provide an accounting of its finances. How does the foundation raise awareness for missing children?

A. It places images of missing children on the foundation's race cars.
B. It sends Morse code alerts to ham-radio operators.
C. It employs a flock of carrier pigeons.
D. None of the above.

84. Why did knight reenactor Karl Kindt of Webster Groves petition city officials?

A. Because he wanted to dig a moat around his house.
B. He sought their blessing in his crusade against the infidels of Kirkwood.
C. Because he wanted to get out of jury duty.
D. He sought permission to keep a miniature horse in his back yard.

Enjoy!

As you might have read in the news, Israel and Hamas are going at each other in the Gaza Strip. Israel sent ground forces into Gaza Saturday after several days of air strikes.

Israel has to give the Palestinians their full freedom, but Hamas has to give up their "destroy Israel" campaign. While I don't like civilians getting killed, Hamas needs to quit lobbing rockets into southern Israel. I'm normally not a fan of Israeli's actions and reactions to the Palestinians, but this time, I think they're spot on.

I don't know if there will ever be a truly peaceful solution between Israel and Palestine. I think what needs to happen is a situation like the countries of the former Yugoslavia: an uneasy but lasting peace. The two sides have a claim to the land, they've both been there for 50 kabillion years and they're simply going to have to find a way to share it.

After the Phillies won the World Series in October, anything is possible in Philadelphia now.

Eagles 26, Vikings 14.



GO EAGLES!!!

The following news story is being reprinted in full due to the short lifespan of news stories on their respective websites

From yesterday's St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Outgoing state Sen. Maida Coleman was expected Friday to end months of speculation and officially add her name to the Democratic primary for mayor.

Instead, Coleman did an abrupt about-face, declaring she would not run — at least not as a Democrat — and calling the election a "farce" because of the last-minute addition of a candidate she asserted was put in the race to confuse voters.

Just before Coleman was expected to file Friday afternoon, another candidate — lawyer Denise Watson-Wesley Coleman — entered the Democratic primary for mayor of St. Louis.

When Maida Coleman arrived at election headquarters, she held an impromptu news conference suggesting that the other Coleman was inserted into the race to take away votes from her and benefit Mayor Francis Slay.

"Obviously, someone has determined that Maida Coleman is a real threat to Francis Slay," said Coleman, 54. "This woman, Denise Watson-Wesley Coleman — who's never run for public office before — happens to show up on the last day of filing."

The veteran legislator stopped short of accusing Slay of persuading Watson-Wesley Coleman to run but said she believed the race was rigged against her.

"I will not be a court jester in King Slay's court," Coleman said.

Slay's campaign adamantly denied contacting Watson-Wesley Coleman or encouraging her in any way to enter the race. Campaign manager Jeff Rainford called Maida Coleman's remarks "false and inflammatory."

"They are a red herring to explain her own inability to collect support, form a campaign committee and file for office," Rainford said in a statement. "Finding no support in the Democratic Party for her candidacy, Maida Coleman has stomped out the door yelling a few lies over her shoulder."

Until Friday, Maida Coleman had appeared firm on her decision to challenge Slay in the March 3 Democratic contest.

She reserved the rights to a "Maida for Mayor" website and sent out a press release New Year's Day indicating her intention to file.

However, Coleman has not formed a committee to raise money for the race, according to Missouri Ethics Commission records available Friday.

Coleman said she will pursue running as an independent, which would require submitting a petition with about 525 voter signatures.

If she qualifies as an independent, it will set up a scenario where she could face Slay — without another Coleman — in the April general election.

"We just elected a president that was about change, about hope, about something great and beautiful," Maida Coleman said. "And here we are in St. Louis, playing those same old stupid political games."

While she has never run for office before, Watson-Wesley Coleman, 62, does have a long political résumé. She worked briefly for the Board of Aldermen and, before that, was a legal adviser to former Comptroller Virvus Jones. She was also an aide to the late Jet Banks, an influential state senator from the city's 19th Ward.

Watson-Wesley Coleman said Friday that she entered the race on her own accord and insisted she was a genuine candidate.

"Absolutely — 1 billion percent," Watson-Wesley Coleman said Friday. "Only thing I can tell you emphatically is that no one has put me in the race."

Maida Coleman served in the state House and Senate, where she was minority floor leader. In 2006, Coleman abandoned a bid for state auditor after it was disclosed she had previously filed for bankruptcy.

She figured to be Slay's toughest Democratic competition, though, even before Friday's strange turn of events, the mayor was in a strong position as he seeks a third term.

Slay has raised more than $1 million and scored a bounty of early endorsements: Numerous unions and a majority of aldermen have already announced they are siding with the mayor.

As it stands now, he'll face Watson-Wesley Coleman and former Alderman Irene J. Smith in the Democratic primary. Historically, the primary winner has won the general election, scheduled this year for April 7.

No Republican filed to run mayor. But two people — Don De Vivo and Elston K. McCowan — have filed as Green Party candidates, meaning there also will be a Green Party primary March 3. One Libertarian contender, Robb Cunningham, also has filed to run in the general election.

Smith, who entered the race in November, gained notoriety in 2001 after she appeared to urinate in a trash can rather than cede the floor in a filibuster over redistricting. Smith was cited for public urination but was acquitted of the charges.

She is reviving her 2005 platform of easing racial divisions, though Smith will need to broaden her appeal if she is to improve on her performance in the last election. Slay won that race, which also featured Democrat Bill Haas, with 65 percent of the vote.

Half of the Board of Aldermen also is up for re-election this year. Crowded contests have emerged in the 23rd Ward — Slay's old seat — and the 25th, where neither incumbent is seeking re-election.

Comptroller Darlene Green, pursuing her fourth full term, is unopposed on the ballot.

Note the part I bolded towards the end of the article. I know Robb Cunningham...he was a driver at our shop for a couple of months. Nice enough guy, but he didn't know the area for shit...and he's out there. He ran against Lacy Clay for the 1st Congressional seat in November...and got his ass handed to him accordingly.

I've lived in 4 major cities and am familiar with a couple of others...and it never ceases to amaze me how fucked up politics is even at the local level.

For the record, I think Mayor Slay will win a 3rd term, though it will not be a trouncing. A lot of the black community is upset about the demotion of former Fire Chief Sherman George and the state takeover of the school system. Slay is a bit of a tool, but he's the best mayor this city has had in...30 years? Maybe more?

...you just need to know that I'm Pat, and I'm the muthaphuckin' manager of this bitch!!!

As of yesterday, I will no longer regularly maintain my MySpace account. I will still use it to keep up with bands and some folks that haven't created Facebook accounts, but I hope that people and bands will continue to migrate to Facebook.

I don't dislike MySpace per se. It's the first social network site I signed up at, and I've caught up with a lot of friends there. Without MySpace, I may have never known that Rhoda passed away...her friend Thomas found me on MySpace and told me the news. And I enjoyed doing surveys for a while, and reading what others had to say.

But I think it's more geared towards young peeps. And while I'm young at heart, I think I enjoy Facebook a lot more because I'm dealing with real people I know. You can be anonymous on Facebook, but it's more enjoyable to actually be you...and makes the site work better overall. Plus Facebook isn't cluttered, unless you add all the crazy apps out there...MySpace seems overloaded by design.

So if you prefer MySpace, it's all good...I'll still kinda be around. But I hope you'll join Facebook and just be you.

...simply try to be the best person he can be.

That's it. I've been sucking at resolutions in recent years past, so I'm keeping it simple this year.

The following news story is being reprinted in full due to the short lifespan of news stories on their respective websites

From today's St. Louis Post-Dispatch: The owner of a bar in Bella Villa faked his own kidnapping over personal and financial problems, authorities allege. The bar owner, James Dale Kitchell Jr., 37, and a friend alleged to have helped him carry out the scheme were charged Wednesday in the case.

Kitchell was reported missing about 7:40 p.m. Tuesday from the parking lot of his bar, Jumpin Jimmy's at 3971 Bayless Avenue.

Officers found Kitchell's abandoned car, cell phone and keys on the parking lot. They also found a "ransom type note," said St. Louis County police Officer Tracy Panus.

Investigators worked the case though the evening considering the possibility that he was kidnapped and was being held for ransom.

On Wednesday morning, St. Louis County police found Kitchell at a motel near the bar. In an interview with detectives, Kitchell told them he "just wanted to get away from here," Panus said. Police also say Kitchell had asked Steven Seymour, 46, to help him stage the kidnapping.

St. Louis County police arrested the two men and charged them with filing a false police report and tampering with physical evidence.

Kitchell "is safe, and it appears at this time that there was no kidnapping involved," Panus said. Police would not elaborate.

Kitchell, of the 3700 block of Spring Avenue in St. Louis, and Seymour, of the 2000 block of Kraft Street in St. Louis, could not be reached for comment.

Sadly, this does not surprise me. Tim actually called this one yesterday morning.