Tuesday, October 31, 2006

The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod: Where To Turn When The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod Is Too Liberal For You

Michele Bachmann - the Jack Chick candidate.

Monday, October 30, 2006

Monday Night Beatdown

- Loved the ESPN MNF crew's relentless slurping of the Patriots franchise. I'm sure Purple fans will whine all about this tomorrow on sports radio. Respect is something that is earned, Viking fans.

- Speaking of Vikings fans, I'm also sure that some will try to pin this loss on the officials.

- The Purple's defense gave up 31 points at home and was unable to defend the pass. Yeah, Mike Tomlin's phone is sure to be ringing.

- A "huh" quote from Joe Theisman. Talking about next week's MNF game, Seattle vs. Oakland, he said: "It makes for a very good game because key players are out." Yeah, Joe, we love watching the second team!

- Thanks to the Purple's offensive line, for hanging Brooks Bollinger out to dry to get repeatedly sacked and hence giving Grand Forks a bad name nationwide.

- Tonight Troy Williamson (who some call "Edward Scissorhands" heh heh) reminded me of Jose Canseco.

Sunday, October 29, 2006

In Fantasy Football, We General Managers Celebrate Game Days When They Actually Happen, Not Three Days Early. Yes, We Are Geeks. Wanna Hear About My First-Place Team With Its 6-1 Record?

The Wikipedia entry on fantasy football.

The birth of fantasy football. It predates Rotisserie League baseball by almost twenty years and has been around for over forty years!

In a related note: I think I'm going to start doing fantasy golf when the next season starts.

Saturday, October 28, 2006

"Adult" Is The Key Word In That Last Sentence

Years ago, I was in Vic's Lounge in Moorhead with my best friends Joel and Scott. The date was December 30th, but the bar staff handed out party hats. They would be closed on New Year's Eve night, they informed us, and were hence celebrating on this night. So yep, we counted down to midnight and yelled and screamed and celebrated the new year 24 hours early. I think we may have even gotten a free glass of champagne.

Silly? Yes, but not as downright ridiculous as what is being celebrated this weekend. Yesterday on the radio I was informed that it's "Halloween Weekend." I was invited to a Halloween party tonight (I declined.) While out on my cigar-and-beer run earlier tonight I saw a few folks dressed up in costumes.

People: HALLOWEEEN IS OCTOBER 31ST. When you were a kid, did you go trick-or-treating three days early? No! So celebrate Halloween as an adult on the last day of October like you're supposed to or else don't celebrate at all.

Thursday, October 26, 2006

Take Lyndale Back To The Southside ...

I saw the Hold Steady at First Avenue Tuesday night in show that was the definition of Kickass. If it were not for (lack of) money concerns, I would have gone back Wednesday for their second show. If you love passionate guitar/keyboards/smart vocals rock 'n roll, you need to get their albums and see these guys live. Random stuff from last night's show:

- My recent inability to get out to shows has been documented elsewhere, but omigod I haven't been to First Ave in two years! That was a show by the Drive-By Truckers, who I was persuaded to see because of the writings of Mark from Cheek, Paul from Live Nude Weblog! and coincidentally, an email from Craig from the Hold Steady.

- Being out of the loop for so long brought me back to the days of the late eighties/early nineties, when I went to shows and didn't run into a damn person I knew. Of course, back then I didn't have my zine (through which I have met countless cool people and made many friends) and worked in some moronic corporate job - so who exactly was I going to run into? But I did run into Brad last night, which was sweet.

- I spoke briefly with Craig from the band after the show. Immediately, the talk turned to the beatdown that Maine put on North Dakota in hockey last weekend. All I can say is that championships aren't won in October, nor are seasons lost. I gave Craig props for Boston College's win (he's a BC alum) over UND in the semifinals last year. UND vs. BC has become an NCAA postseason rivalry: 1999 - BC beats favored UND in the quarterfinals; 2000 - UND knocks off ESPN-favorite BC in the finals; 2001 - BC defeats UND in the finals in OT; 2005 - underdog UND destroys BC in the quarterfinals as part of their "Boston Massacre," the previous night they had shut out Boston University - both games were played in the Boston area; 2006 - BC capitalizes on every UND mistake and beats them in the semifinals. My money's on the Sioux in the next UND vs. BC postseason meeting.

- I need to go to bars aside from the Country Bar because last night two cute girls talked to me, and all I was doing was standing around checking out a band.

- Almost as exciting as being approached by girls out of my league ... First Ave now has high-definition TVs placed around the bar so if you are short like me and have no desire to venture out on the main floor, you can see the band quite well. It can be very counter-intuitive though, as the awesome sound is coming from stage central and you're looking at a TV off to another direction. On another nice customer-service note, you can just be standing somewhere and a waitress will take your order. You don't have to be sitting at a table. Nice.

- Speaking of the Country Bar, I stopped by last night after the show for last call and one of the foxy bartenders asked where I'd been. I said at a rock show at First Avenue. But what she meant was "where have you been in general?" Girls flirting with me at a show and cutie bartenders missing me? WTF???

Sunday, October 22, 2006

Let's Give Brent Bobyk His Due

An article in the Grand Forks Herald about Tony Hkrack's visit to Grand Forks. Unfortunately, it prints the oft-repeated myth of the "Hrkac, Joyce, Johnson" line.

I attended most of the 86-87 home games and witnessed the evolution of the top line. Early in the season Hrkac, Joyce, and Johnson shared a line. Gino Gasparini broke this up early in the season and experimented with different right wingers for a few games. He eventually settled on Brent Bobyk, who was on the line for the bulk of the season. Steve Johnson was moved to the second line, which was a great move by Gino - offense from Johnson on the second line helped big-time in that championship season.

That was the greatest college hockey team I have ever seen.

Saturday, October 21, 2006

Crown 'Em?

Okay, it's only October. But the Maine Black Bears have defeated two traditional WCHA powers in their home states. Two weeks ago they beat the Gophers in the Xcel Arena. Earlier tonight they finished trouncing all over the Sioux for the second night in a row in Grand Forks, earning a sweep.

I can see UND coach Dave Hakstol melting down after tonight's game, shouting: "The Bears are who we thought they were! That's why we took the damn ice! Now, (hits microphone) if you wanna crown 'em, then crown their ass! But they are who we thought they were!"

Friday, October 20, 2006

Darkness Darkness

What a great time of the year! There is a nip in the air, all that accursed heat has finally gone away, and the sunlight is blissfully in a dwindling supply. I am completely serious here ... if you are a so-called victim of The Myth Known As Seasonal Affective Disorder and/or if you think Twin Cities winters are "brutal" then you are a fucking pussy!

To go along with my embrace of the dark and cold:

1) I'm reading Lords of Chaos: The Bloody Rise of the Satanic Metal Underground.

2) My friend Ben burned me a copy of a High on Fire album.

3) Metal is again sounding all the more glorious. Precious pop sucks big-time, I want to kick the collective asses of The Decemberists.

4) College hockey is ramping up.

5) I know a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy who scored me a Cuban cigar via The Great White North. Can't wait to sit outdoors with a hoodie on with a Summit India Pale Ale in hand while I smoke that Cuban.

I love autumn.

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

To Clarify, God Called Her To Run - But Didn't Neccessarily Call Her To Win

Poor MN sixth congressional district GOP candidate Michele Bachmann. Typer in her name in the search box at Youtube.com and you'll find all kinds of video of her espousing crazy thoughts and theories:

- She doesn't believe in global warming.

- She claims there is "a controversy among scientists whether evolution is a fact or not" and then also claims that "hundreds and hundreds" of scientists believe that God created the world in six days in creationism in intelligent design.

- She believes the US should not remove the "nuclear response" option when dealing with Iran.

- She claims that it is God's will that she run for Congress, that He made His calling clear. At this same event the pastor personally endorsed Bachmann, leading to a complaint being filed with the IRS because churches can't campaign for candidates. All of this led to Bachmann getting the bronze in Monday's edition of Keith Olbermann's "Worst Person in the World."

The good news for Bachmann is that she is a lock to pick up the Flat Earth Society's endorsement in the sixth district.

Update: I just realized that the pastor who endorses Bachmann sounds just like Foghorn Leghorn.

Friday, October 13, 2006

So Exactly How Much Talent Does It Take To Knock Off Holy Cross In A Big Game?

I was watching the Sioux play the Badgers on CSTV tonight (Sioux won in OT 3-2) and one of the announcers was commenting on the "heart and soul" that Sioux teams tend to carry. This reminded me of last season's WCHA Final Five, when a TV commentator was talking about how Sioux teams carry themselves like champions. Others have tossed around words like "character" when it comes to the Sioux hockey program.

I bring this up in contrast to some college hockey programs, where all you hear about is "their talent." Such programs have yet to top UND in the number of national and WCHA championships won; but I trust I can hear their fans tell me about their talent this season over and over again. Which brings to mind last season: I was told repeatedly that the Gophers had the best freshman class in the country. They flashed a stat on CSTV tonight - Freshman points last season: Minnesota = 114, North Dakota = 196. Hmmmm, maybe it is like Alan Fine says: character counts.

Monday, October 09, 2006

New Podcast Up

Show #10 is up and available for listening. It was a show I had some of the most fun doing.

Sunday, October 08, 2006

No Lectures on My Coffee Intake, Thank You

I had a physical last week and all the tests came out "pretty good" (so sez the Doc.) The one bone he had to pick with me was my booze intake. Supposedly, you are only supposed to have two drinks a day, maximum. And you can't carry them over, i.e. if you don't drink Monday or Tuesday that doesn't mean you are entitled to six drinks on Hump Day.

I truly wonder: Why the hell hasn't the booze lobby gotten to the AMA yet? (AMA = American Mormon Association?) Doctors will prescribe you any and every pill they can, but you pour some OTC depressants into your system and somehow that's verboten.

Anyway, here's my top ten (silent) responses to the doctor's Two-Drink Maximum Rule:

1) Two beers? Yeah, then you stop briefly to order the pizza.

2) I hope you're talking brands, not twelve-ouncers.

3) But what if I'm not sleepy enough after two?

4) I'm Finnish.

5) I'm a writer.

6) I'm a Finnish writer.

7) Then why is it called a two-drink minimum?

8) But after two, I always feel like four, five and maybe six if tomorrow doesn't look too imposing.

9) I don't throw good jarts until after at least two.

10) Wait - we're supposed to mean it when we say: "Let's have a couple of beers"?

(Thanks to Carin for #3.)

Saturday, October 07, 2006

College Hockey Has Started!

In honor of another college hockey season starting, here's linkage to audio of the Evil Empire's season crashing to a resounding thud of a finale last March.

Friday, October 06, 2006

Hey Punto: Pull Your Head Out - It Gets You There Slower!

Nothing has been more baffling in those three Twins games I've watched this year then to see Nick Punto slide head-first into first. From Charley Walters' column on Thursday:

Twins third baseman Nick Punto said he isn't sure his head-first dives as a base runner get him to first base sooner.

"It's just a habit," he said. "If I time it some day, I'll let you know."


First base is the only one you are allowed to overrun. As my buddy Bjerk points out - if sliding head first works so well why don't sprinters do the same thing at the finish line?

Monday, October 02, 2006

Rumor

Any truth to the rumor that once Mark Foley gets out of rehab he is considering joining the priesthood?