While some southern Minnesota counties have literally hundreds of wind turbines dotting the corn and soybean-filled landscape, another south-central county has basically banned them. Nicollet County, just outside of Mankato, has just made it nearly impossible (h/t) to build the clean energy-generating windmills.
By requiring a one-half mile setback from any dwelling/residence, Nicollet County has effectively stifled any hopes of wind energy spurring a monetary infusion into the county and it's also crushed the hopes of Gustavus Adolphus whose college campus in the city of St. Peter wanted to erect a wind turbine both as a symbolic measure of their commitment to the environment and as a working model that a large business can make strides to be self-sustained.
Oh, sure, cities use the argument that wind turbines can be an eyesore and are unpleasant to see in a city's skyline. Well, in case most cities haven't noticed - especially in the suburbs - their skylines are defined by water towers and cell phone antennas. Those aren't exactly landmarks when every damn city looks like its neighbor. Maybe these head-up-their-ass elected officials need to look to the future instead of their oh-so-pristine skylines and think about the next generation because if every kilowatt continues to come from coal, the skies could be so dirty that you wouldn't be able to see your water towers and cell phone antennas.
MinnPics is also on board with the majestic coolness of wind turbines dotting Minnesota's farmscapes because they look awesome in photos.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Phlegm and energy drinks
It is unbelievable what interrupted sleep does to a guy. Granted, I wasn't awake for 90 minutes like my old lady was but even the 30 minutes in which I was awake and the 30 minutes early I had to wake up takes it toll.
It all started Saturday night. The baby was coughing alot. She even managed to turn it in to a game. With each cough, regardless of its intensity, she'd physically remove her pacifier and throw it. This was because it happened without her help one time that she coughed but I congratulated her on making a cough at least entertaining for herself. She eventually hacked up a puddle of phlegm. Thankfully we have hardwood floors in her bedroom.
But last night her coughing was a bit more consistent. Her tiny coughs shook her body. Her face turned red and she cried... alot. The only difference was that, before putting her to bed, she hadn't hacked up any phlegm. We took this as a good sign.
And it was a good sign until I was awakened at 3:55 AM by my old lady asking if I planned on doing anything. That is when she informed me that she had already been up for an hour and that the baby was sitting up in the corner of her crib crying and hacking. I slowly stumbled out of bed and picked up the little ball of rage and made my way down stairs to make her a bottle to at least soothe her somewhat.
Upon returning upstairs and her successfully hacking up a tiny pool of phlegm, I noticed something in her hair just above her ear. It was phlegm. Yes, the baby had managed, during her hacking, to launch some lung snot into her brown hair.
So, after all that, and her sleeping in our bed last night, here I am. Sleep deprived, unfocused and with a slight headache. I dread returning home after work because I know that my old lady will be crabby. And I know that plenty of other parents have much worse ordeals with their children but this is out of the ordinary. The baby is almost perfect. She always sleeps all night and is rarely a hand full. She's even rather drink from a galss like an adult.
But to get through the day, I have a 16 oz. can of Plasma Fusion Energy drink waiting in the refrigerator for me. It's from a company based just up the road (or down the road, or across town) in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. And it has real cane sugar in it. I'm thinking that it's worthy of its own review this week.
If I make it through the day, expect updated photographic goodness at MinnPics.
It all started Saturday night. The baby was coughing alot. She even managed to turn it in to a game. With each cough, regardless of its intensity, she'd physically remove her pacifier and throw it. This was because it happened without her help one time that she coughed but I congratulated her on making a cough at least entertaining for herself. She eventually hacked up a puddle of phlegm. Thankfully we have hardwood floors in her bedroom.
But last night her coughing was a bit more consistent. Her tiny coughs shook her body. Her face turned red and she cried... alot. The only difference was that, before putting her to bed, she hadn't hacked up any phlegm. We took this as a good sign.
And it was a good sign until I was awakened at 3:55 AM by my old lady asking if I planned on doing anything. That is when she informed me that she had already been up for an hour and that the baby was sitting up in the corner of her crib crying and hacking. I slowly stumbled out of bed and picked up the little ball of rage and made my way down stairs to make her a bottle to at least soothe her somewhat.
Upon returning upstairs and her successfully hacking up a tiny pool of phlegm, I noticed something in her hair just above her ear. It was phlegm. Yes, the baby had managed, during her hacking, to launch some lung snot into her brown hair.
So, after all that, and her sleeping in our bed last night, here I am. Sleep deprived, unfocused and with a slight headache. I dread returning home after work because I know that my old lady will be crabby. And I know that plenty of other parents have much worse ordeals with their children but this is out of the ordinary. The baby is almost perfect. She always sleeps all night and is rarely a hand full. She's even rather drink from a galss like an adult.
But to get through the day, I have a 16 oz. can of Plasma Fusion Energy drink waiting in the refrigerator for me. It's from a company based just up the road (or down the road, or across town) in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. And it has real cane sugar in it. I'm thinking that it's worthy of its own review this week.
If I make it through the day, expect updated photographic goodness at MinnPics.
Friday, September 25, 2009
A letter to myself in 1997
What would you write, in letter form, to yourself in the year you graduated high school? Would you tell yourself to totally change your course? Would you advise taking a year off from life and travel and explore the world? Would you tell yourself to chase more tail or to keep it in your pants? What the hell would I tell myself to do?
Dear 18 year-old me,
I know you're starting college this fall and that's a good thing. I also know that you're not going to get much in the way of a meaningful degree. Stay in college longer. There's no shame in sticking around for five or six years - it's a good time and the education and degree you get out of it will actually offset the tremendous amount of debt you'll incur. Oh, and you might want to expand your educational horizons a bit as well. I know you're set on being a graphic designer and websites which you see as cool but boring in their design will change drastically in the next twelve years.
It's fine that you want to get a degree in graphic design but have a fallback plan - learn as much as you can about websites - design, language, etc. because by 2007 you'll realize that shit's gonna hit the fan and your dream of making it really, really big in print graphic design will be just a dream.
Secondly, don't be apprehensive about leaving the area you already know. Move, travel, lighten the fuck up. That one friend who opened your mind to all of that cool music was a great first step. Be sure to keep in touch with her. That's one of those friendships you'll still have when you're fumbling with your dentures.
And that friend with cool tastes in music, she's going to be totally right about that girl, who in a year, will want to date you. Sure she's totally fun and wild but she's also crazy and not in a good way. Oh, she's also pregnant. You won't see that one coming.
Moving on now. Immerse yourself in something and dream big. No, bigger.
Finally, don't be a dumbass. I know you'll do some pretty stupid shit in your early twenties. Enjoy it but you're gonna come close to actually offing yourself because of your stupidity. Oh, sure, you'll laugh about it later but that's only because your friends were there to save your stupid ass from almost certain death or at least very, very painful injuries.
In the end, thing turn out alright. At 30 years old you own a house, you're married, you own a couple of Toyotas and a swingset you built. Oh, and you have a kid. She's pretty damn cute, too. Sure, you still want more but the things you want are only to further challenge yourself so that's a good thing. But that idea you have at thirty of eventually owning an apple orchard, I'll just tell 18 year-old me (you) to remember that the apple business is rather crowded and way too damn competitive to be worth the trouble.
Speaking of apples, MinnPics will probably have some orchard photos as fall kicks in to gear.
Dear 18 year-old me,
I know you're starting college this fall and that's a good thing. I also know that you're not going to get much in the way of a meaningful degree. Stay in college longer. There's no shame in sticking around for five or six years - it's a good time and the education and degree you get out of it will actually offset the tremendous amount of debt you'll incur. Oh, and you might want to expand your educational horizons a bit as well. I know you're set on being a graphic designer and websites which you see as cool but boring in their design will change drastically in the next twelve years.
It's fine that you want to get a degree in graphic design but have a fallback plan - learn as much as you can about websites - design, language, etc. because by 2007 you'll realize that shit's gonna hit the fan and your dream of making it really, really big in print graphic design will be just a dream.
Secondly, don't be apprehensive about leaving the area you already know. Move, travel, lighten the fuck up. That one friend who opened your mind to all of that cool music was a great first step. Be sure to keep in touch with her. That's one of those friendships you'll still have when you're fumbling with your dentures.
And that friend with cool tastes in music, she's going to be totally right about that girl, who in a year, will want to date you. Sure she's totally fun and wild but she's also crazy and not in a good way. Oh, she's also pregnant. You won't see that one coming.
Moving on now. Immerse yourself in something and dream big. No, bigger.
Finally, don't be a dumbass. I know you'll do some pretty stupid shit in your early twenties. Enjoy it but you're gonna come close to actually offing yourself because of your stupidity. Oh, sure, you'll laugh about it later but that's only because your friends were there to save your stupid ass from almost certain death or at least very, very painful injuries.
In the end, thing turn out alright. At 30 years old you own a house, you're married, you own a couple of Toyotas and a swingset you built. Oh, and you have a kid. She's pretty damn cute, too. Sure, you still want more but the things you want are only to further challenge yourself so that's a good thing. But that idea you have at thirty of eventually owning an apple orchard, I'll just tell 18 year-old me (you) to remember that the apple business is rather crowded and way too damn competitive to be worth the trouble.
Speaking of apples, MinnPics will probably have some orchard photos as fall kicks in to gear.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Cougars in the suburbs?
By now we all know that the suburban cougar is alive and well. The suburban cougar is pursued by young males everywhere. If I weren't married, I'd probably be pursuing a cougar for myself because she'd probably have a few tricks up her sleeve. But today I'm not talking about that suburban cougar that hangs out at bars and wears seductive clothing. Today I'm talking about real cougars in the giant feline form.
A local thoroughbred who was supposed to be a spokeshorse of sorts for other retired ponies was attacked by what many think to be a cougar on a farm in Prior Lake near a Shakopee elementary school. I've always had my doubts about the tales I've heard since moving here about cougars and coyotes roaming the valleys along the Minnesota River. My wife is particularly adamant about the existence of coyotes. She recounts memories of hearing them on the farm she grew up on just above the Minnesota River. Her brothers had seen coyotes in the woods near the farm and her dad had shot at them to scare them away on numerous occasions.
Again, I had my doubts. I never believe something until I've seen it with my own eyes. Then one night while driving in the Belle Plaine area along Highway 169 I actually saw a small dog-like animal standing on the shoulder of the road. I knew it wasn't a fox - I have seen plenty of those while growing up in far southern Minnesota. My wife immediately told me that it was a coyote.
And that is exactly what the Minnesota DNR thinks attacked My Friend Deke, the horse that was stabling in Prior Lake. If I lived in that immediate area or had kids who attended that particular elementary school, I'd be alreat but not concerned. After all, we are the ones who encroached on the area which these wild animals call home. Six years ago when I moved here, that particular area was still corn fields and woods. Now it is leveled and full of half-million dollar homes and strip malls. When humans and animals try to co-exist, it's usually the animals who end up losing the battle in the end but a cougar or a coyote attacking a farm animal should serve as a wake-up call that we are all pissing nature off.
If you like nature and want to embrace it, check out MinnPics which often times showcases fabulous photos of Minnesota's natural beauty.
A local thoroughbred who was supposed to be a spokeshorse of sorts for other retired ponies was attacked by what many think to be a cougar on a farm in Prior Lake near a Shakopee elementary school. I've always had my doubts about the tales I've heard since moving here about cougars and coyotes roaming the valleys along the Minnesota River. My wife is particularly adamant about the existence of coyotes. She recounts memories of hearing them on the farm she grew up on just above the Minnesota River. Her brothers had seen coyotes in the woods near the farm and her dad had shot at them to scare them away on numerous occasions.
Again, I had my doubts. I never believe something until I've seen it with my own eyes. Then one night while driving in the Belle Plaine area along Highway 169 I actually saw a small dog-like animal standing on the shoulder of the road. I knew it wasn't a fox - I have seen plenty of those while growing up in far southern Minnesota. My wife immediately told me that it was a coyote.
And that is exactly what the Minnesota DNR thinks attacked My Friend Deke, the horse that was stabling in Prior Lake. If I lived in that immediate area or had kids who attended that particular elementary school, I'd be alreat but not concerned. After all, we are the ones who encroached on the area which these wild animals call home. Six years ago when I moved here, that particular area was still corn fields and woods. Now it is leveled and full of half-million dollar homes and strip malls. When humans and animals try to co-exist, it's usually the animals who end up losing the battle in the end but a cougar or a coyote attacking a farm animal should serve as a wake-up call that we are all pissing nature off.
If you like nature and want to embrace it, check out MinnPics which often times showcases fabulous photos of Minnesota's natural beauty.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Contemplating pubic baldness
From a curious mind come bizarre questions. Most of my questions relate to pubic hair and baldness. It was only a matter of time until the two topics collided.
I'm no scientist but if general baldness can happen (of the cranium) who's to say that pubic baldness couldn't happen? Sure, some view pubic hair as nothing more than another hassle to maintain what with the constant trimming, washing, combing, perming and braiding so these people would likely view pubic balding as more of a blessing than a curse.
However, I see pubic balding among the general population as a potential profit center. Think of the millions of dollars made by the makers of Rogaine. The men buying these cans of foam are desperate to hold on to and re-grow their hair. It makes sense that vanity, as fair as hair goes, would continue to one's nether regions and extend below the belt. Pubic hair, in spite of the general view that presentation of it and the pubic region is best left behind closed doors, is nothing to be ashamed of.
Maybe we're to the point in our evolution that pubic baldness isn't actually baldness, it could just be the natural course of things to come. Maybe three generations from now all those places doing full Brazilian waxing will be out of business because nobody has any nether-regional hair left to be excruciatingly ripped out. It would really be a blessing for all of those strippers giving table dances at King of Diamonds in Inver Grove Heights but what aabout all of those unemployed waxing technicians? What about my grandiose plans for Pubic Rogaine?
What about visiting MinnPics to make yourself clean after reading an entire post about pubic hair?
I'm no scientist but if general baldness can happen (of the cranium) who's to say that pubic baldness couldn't happen? Sure, some view pubic hair as nothing more than another hassle to maintain what with the constant trimming, washing, combing, perming and braiding so these people would likely view pubic balding as more of a blessing than a curse.
However, I see pubic balding among the general population as a potential profit center. Think of the millions of dollars made by the makers of Rogaine. The men buying these cans of foam are desperate to hold on to and re-grow their hair. It makes sense that vanity, as fair as hair goes, would continue to one's nether regions and extend below the belt. Pubic hair, in spite of the general view that presentation of it and the pubic region is best left behind closed doors, is nothing to be ashamed of.
Maybe we're to the point in our evolution that pubic baldness isn't actually baldness, it could just be the natural course of things to come. Maybe three generations from now all those places doing full Brazilian waxing will be out of business because nobody has any nether-regional hair left to be excruciatingly ripped out. It would really be a blessing for all of those strippers giving table dances at King of Diamonds in Inver Grove Heights but what aabout all of those unemployed waxing technicians? What about my grandiose plans for Pubic Rogaine?
What about visiting MinnPics to make yourself clean after reading an entire post about pubic hair?
Friday, September 18, 2009
A boy, his balls and the pursuit of an apple
Sadly I don't remember what it's like to know what runs through the mind of a three year-old. But judging from the actions of nephew yesterday, shame or fear is something he does not know of.
It started just before noon when he asked to go out to the back yard to play. His mom obliged but forgot to ask her recently potty-trained son if he had to "go pee". (Apparently kids of that age need constant reminders about their need to pee) This proved to be her first mistake.
Apparently just minutes after he had entered the back yard, he opened the flood gates and pissed his pants. Embarrassing for someone my age but, again, par for the course with a three year-old boy.
Obviously piss-soaked pants are never fun to deal with so he took them off. While he was at it he also removed his underwear. This is where the no-shame factor enters the story. Now the three year-old boy was literally half naked and apparently running around the back yard which is encompassed by a chain link fence.
That is when he got hungry.
The neighbors have an apple tree which hangs conveniently over the fence and they're cool with sharing their apples. Not happy with one that had fallen on the ground, my three year-old nephew decided that he would instead scale the fence and pick his very own apple to eat - he knows what he wants and likes.
This is when the no-fear part of the story comes in.
Once the half-naked boy reached the top of the fence, he sat straddling it and found himself to be rather stuck. Around this time, or shortly after, his mom realized that her son had been gone for a while longer than usual. She decided to investigate and entered the back yard.
She immediately saw her naked little boy stuck atop the chain link fence with his twig and berries mildly stuck in the fence. Fearing for his sexual future and general health, his mom ran toward the fence and carefully removed her naked son.
The saddest part of the story is that, despite all his trying, he never got himself a fresh apple from that tree.
Full nudity hasn't been featured on MinnPics - yet - but feel free to check if it made the cut today.
It started just before noon when he asked to go out to the back yard to play. His mom obliged but forgot to ask her recently potty-trained son if he had to "go pee". (Apparently kids of that age need constant reminders about their need to pee) This proved to be her first mistake.
Apparently just minutes after he had entered the back yard, he opened the flood gates and pissed his pants. Embarrassing for someone my age but, again, par for the course with a three year-old boy.
Obviously piss-soaked pants are never fun to deal with so he took them off. While he was at it he also removed his underwear. This is where the no-shame factor enters the story. Now the three year-old boy was literally half naked and apparently running around the back yard which is encompassed by a chain link fence.
That is when he got hungry.
The neighbors have an apple tree which hangs conveniently over the fence and they're cool with sharing their apples. Not happy with one that had fallen on the ground, my three year-old nephew decided that he would instead scale the fence and pick his very own apple to eat - he knows what he wants and likes.
This is when the no-fear part of the story comes in.
Once the half-naked boy reached the top of the fence, he sat straddling it and found himself to be rather stuck. Around this time, or shortly after, his mom realized that her son had been gone for a while longer than usual. She decided to investigate and entered the back yard.
She immediately saw her naked little boy stuck atop the chain link fence with his twig and berries mildly stuck in the fence. Fearing for his sexual future and general health, his mom ran toward the fence and carefully removed her naked son.
The saddest part of the story is that, despite all his trying, he never got himself a fresh apple from that tree.
Full nudity hasn't been featured on MinnPics - yet - but feel free to check if it made the cut today.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
One celeb to stab me, one to cuddle
The quote of the day:
Getting sexily stabbed by Megan Fox every now and then in exchange for seeing her naked all the time seems like a good deal. She could dip the knife in cobra venom, lemon juice and syphilis, then jam it in my leg and wiggle it back and forth and I’d still probably cum in my pants.from h/t
I can honestly say that I've never once suggested to someone that they could stab me but there are those rare occasions when one's sexiness trump their bitchiness and craziness and Megan Fox, who stars in the Diablo Cody-written Jennifer's Body which opens tomorrow, is that rare exception.
Wow, the things I'd let her do. She's crazy sexy which is different from my classification of Zooey Deschanel who is cute and quirky sexy.
And now that pics of Zooey and Megan have you in a looking mood, check out the photos at MinnPics. Always nice eyecandy.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Online dating: last resort or new norm?
Let me preface this by saying that I've never used online dating nor am I currently considering using online dating - mainly because I'm married and I'm assuming that my old lady wouldn't exactly be cool with me re-entering the dating field. My sister-in-law, though, has taken the plunge in to the online dating universe.
She is a few years older than I am and she's never really had a problem finding guys to date. She has, however, had a problem getting them to stick around. She wants something long-term and they want to hit it and quit it. I've seen the TV ads for Match.com and the people they feature, actors or not, seem to have landed happy relationships that culminated in marriage. So is online dating considered to be the new norm or is it a last resort for the truly desperate?
People's lives are busier than ever and they spend their free time in ways far different than in the past. No longer do people head to an ice cream social to meet their neighbors. I don't exactly see sock hops where people in the early twenties meet and go to the local diner to share a malt.
Nope. Today, people who make up the dating population are a house parties, bars, clubs or wirking a second or third job. Their lives are total chaos and not too many people I know were ready to get hitched at 19 years old to their high school sweetheart or the girl next door. They were in college or busy getting stoned in the basement or garage. The last thing on their minds was finding "the one".
I have to ask if anyone you know who uses online dating is open about their experiences. Have they come right out and said that they met the person they are with via an online dating service? Or is there a stigma that equates "resorting" to online dating to being a recluse or loser who couldn't find a date if they lived forever? If you're single, would you go the online dating route or are you more inclined to roll the dice and see who you bump in to in the produce aisle?
MinnPics isn't going to help you find a date but the cool photos could find you some popular locations where singles may linger.
She is a few years older than I am and she's never really had a problem finding guys to date. She has, however, had a problem getting them to stick around. She wants something long-term and they want to hit it and quit it. I've seen the TV ads for Match.com and the people they feature, actors or not, seem to have landed happy relationships that culminated in marriage. So is online dating considered to be the new norm or is it a last resort for the truly desperate?
People's lives are busier than ever and they spend their free time in ways far different than in the past. No longer do people head to an ice cream social to meet their neighbors. I don't exactly see sock hops where people in the early twenties meet and go to the local diner to share a malt.
Nope. Today, people who make up the dating population are a house parties, bars, clubs or wirking a second or third job. Their lives are total chaos and not too many people I know were ready to get hitched at 19 years old to their high school sweetheart or the girl next door. They were in college or busy getting stoned in the basement or garage. The last thing on their minds was finding "the one".
I have to ask if anyone you know who uses online dating is open about their experiences. Have they come right out and said that they met the person they are with via an online dating service? Or is there a stigma that equates "resorting" to online dating to being a recluse or loser who couldn't find a date if they lived forever? If you're single, would you go the online dating route or are you more inclined to roll the dice and see who you bump in to in the produce aisle?
MinnPics isn't going to help you find a date but the cool photos could find you some popular locations where singles may linger.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Jay Leno to start sucking in primetime tonight
I should probably be writing this for my television blog but here I have no filter (and a far larger audience). That's the beauty of talking about tonight's debut of "The Jay Leno Show" tonight at 9 PM (central) on NBC. The biggest problem with Jay Leno is that his act on TV is bland. I'm surprised that his show at 10:35 PM drew enough audience to stay at number one for fifteen-plus years because I was unaware that senior citizens stayed up so late.
Leno's act is safe. There is no edge. Moving him to 9 PM (and gutting five hours of what could be original, scripted programming) could very well be the death of network television as we know it. Sadly, it all boils down to saving money. NBC has made countless mistakes in the programming area in teh past decade. They lost any grip they had on sports programming, never recovered from the ending of "Seinfeld" and failed to properly prepare when they knew that "Friends" and "E.R." couldn't last forever. They showed that their greatest weakness was being unable to change. They are stiff in their workings. NBC spent the past decade digging their own grave.
It even shows locally with NBC affiliate KARE-TV (Channel 11) sliding to number two in the 10 PM news ratings behind CBS affiliate WCCO-TV (channel 4). On the local front KARE seemed to follow suit by losing flashy anchorman Paul Magers to the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles (where he propelled the CBS affiliate there from fourth to first in local news ratings). That move was largely about money, too. Hell, they even lost their Paul Magers replacement, Frank Vascellero, to WCCO where some are saying that he's the eventual face of WCCO's news team.
But back to Jay Leno. While he is a sincere guy who truly cares about his staff, his act seems like it's been largely mailed in for the past few years. It almost seems like he saves his best stuff for his stand-up act as he tours the casino circuit while his former competitor, David Letterman, struck gold this summer by lurching ahead to number one in late night and continuing to be quirky with his monologue and behavior and actually asking guests questions rather than letting guests simply run thier lines and pimp their shit.
In the long run, if Leno succeeds it could be the end of scripted programming at 9 PM. It could be good in shaking up the rigid scheduling the networks have and free local affiliates to shift shows to where they work best with their local audiences. But it could be bad because a talk show is cheap. A talk show is a cop out in primetime and after Leno's show starts slipping in the ratings, expect the show to trim staff to keep costs down and with that quality and entertainment value will slide and the show's eventual downward spiral will begin and while I never hope for someone to fail, this sort of failure would be best for America's entertainment future.
So I've been away for well over a week but MinnPics will return in all its glory with all things Minnesota in photography! Check it out!
Leno's act is safe. There is no edge. Moving him to 9 PM (and gutting five hours of what could be original, scripted programming) could very well be the death of network television as we know it. Sadly, it all boils down to saving money. NBC has made countless mistakes in the programming area in teh past decade. They lost any grip they had on sports programming, never recovered from the ending of "Seinfeld" and failed to properly prepare when they knew that "Friends" and "E.R." couldn't last forever. They showed that their greatest weakness was being unable to change. They are stiff in their workings. NBC spent the past decade digging their own grave.
It even shows locally with NBC affiliate KARE-TV (Channel 11) sliding to number two in the 10 PM news ratings behind CBS affiliate WCCO-TV (channel 4). On the local front KARE seemed to follow suit by losing flashy anchorman Paul Magers to the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles (where he propelled the CBS affiliate there from fourth to first in local news ratings). That move was largely about money, too. Hell, they even lost their Paul Magers replacement, Frank Vascellero, to WCCO where some are saying that he's the eventual face of WCCO's news team.
But back to Jay Leno. While he is a sincere guy who truly cares about his staff, his act seems like it's been largely mailed in for the past few years. It almost seems like he saves his best stuff for his stand-up act as he tours the casino circuit while his former competitor, David Letterman, struck gold this summer by lurching ahead to number one in late night and continuing to be quirky with his monologue and behavior and actually asking guests questions rather than letting guests simply run thier lines and pimp their shit.
In the long run, if Leno succeeds it could be the end of scripted programming at 9 PM. It could be good in shaking up the rigid scheduling the networks have and free local affiliates to shift shows to where they work best with their local audiences. But it could be bad because a talk show is cheap. A talk show is a cop out in primetime and after Leno's show starts slipping in the ratings, expect the show to trim staff to keep costs down and with that quality and entertainment value will slide and the show's eventual downward spiral will begin and while I never hope for someone to fail, this sort of failure would be best for America's entertainment future.
So I've been away for well over a week but MinnPics will return in all its glory with all things Minnesota in photography! Check it out!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
The best thing I saw at the fair
Monday was our official "Let's attend the Minnesota State Fair day". In doing so, we walked a lot, saw all kinds of goats which the baby simply loved and saw plenty of people whom I am convinced only venture outside for the fair. There's plenty to do for free, as people pointed out in my last post, for those living on a strict budget. We checked out the fine arts building and the horticulture building where I saw some huge melons - and pumpkins.
I took a break on a bench with the baby. We splurged on a buy one, get one dinner special at the OES Diner and we sat for a few minutes to watch Dan Cole and his Noon-3 PM show at KFAN.
However, the real scenery, as it usually does, comes out later in the day. As my old lady waffled back and forth about what treat to buy, I stood patiently in front of the Sweet Martha's Cookies building (her eventual purchase was ac one of cookies). That's when I saw a relatively attractive young lady walk by. It was hard not to notice her as she was wearing a bright yellow semi-transparent t-shirt. Then I started chuckling. This young woman, you see, couldn't be troubled to find the correct size of t-shirt as she had enormous breasts.
Her breasts were easily the size of watermelons. I'll venture a guess and say that they were approximately EE cups (if that's even a size). Her t-shirt was probably a medium size and her bra - clearly visible through her thin, yellow t-shirt, was a C cup at best.
This pairing presented quite the visual. The too-small bra was forcing her jello-like EE breasts into two pairs of C-cup boobs. This young lady was rocking not just two breasts but four. Yes, in all of her thin yellow t-shirt glory, this well-endowed young lady (desperately in need of a bra fitting) was the proud owner of four breasts. If only I had my camera out at that precise moment.
I did have my camera at the ready for other Minnesota State Fair moments and MinnPics is just the place they're likely to pop up. Check MinnPics this week for something decidedly Minnesota... eventually.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
A revolution needed at Minnesota State Fair
I think I agreed last night to go to the Minnesota State Fair on Monday. Yes, I think I actually agreed to spend a precious Monday off, a holiday to boot, walking around a crowded, semi-paved temporary city in the middle of St. Paul. Not even a free thing. No, instead I'll have to pay eleven bucks for the privilege to walk around a bunch of crowded streets populated for only twelve days each year.
I've never understood the concept of paying to gain admission to a place where everything you want to do inside costs yet more money. What is free inside the Minnesota State Fairgrounds? There is some interesting entertainment. I know of a few free stages where you can watch bands. A few radio stations and TV stations are at the Minnesota State Fair. I, for one, always make it a point to stop during lunch time at the KFAN display because that's when Dan Cole The Common Man is on the air and despite the station being billed as a sports station - he doens't talk much sports and he's actually entertaining because he's so self-deprecating. He makes people think he's the joke but in reality the joke's on them.
I guess I could park my ass on the curb and watch the daily parade. Maybe I'll pick up another yard stick or check out some of the quarter-million-dollar farm equipment on the ever-shrinking machinery hill. But the real draw of the Minnesota State Fair is the food. Face it, you know the only reason you go to the fair is because it's an escape from your never-ending diet and the simple fact that everything is fried is just another excuse to let go for a day. But the cost of the food is harder to stomach than the gut full of greasy goodness you'll have at the end of the day.
I'm listening to the radio right now and the host is mocking his intern for having paid four bucks for a cup of root beer. That makes the all-you-can-drink milk for a buck a great deal (if you don't end up puking later). There is a place serving a relatively decent breakfast for three bucks but something like that is the exception. Oh sure, I complain plenty but I'll be waiting in a line of twenty sweaty fair-goers as I eye some six dollar cheese curds. I'll reluctantly pry open my wallet when, at the end of the day, my old lady looks longingly at me as she suggests getting a bucket of Sweet Martha's chocolate chip cookies - for just $14. I'll hold back even though I desperately want to tell her that $14 would make about sixty dozen chocolate chip cookies at home and they'd taste just the same.
Maybe it's time for a revolution in fair food prices. Hey, everyone deserves to make a living but do you really need to charge five bucks for a soda so you can send your kids to Harvard? I have a kid too (at 9 months she should get int eh gate at the fair for free, right?) but she's destined for Hennepin Tech only because I don't have a food booth at the Minnesota State Fair.
By now you should know the drill. Check out the latest in Minnesota happenings - via photos - at MinnPics!
I've never understood the concept of paying to gain admission to a place where everything you want to do inside costs yet more money. What is free inside the Minnesota State Fairgrounds? There is some interesting entertainment. I know of a few free stages where you can watch bands. A few radio stations and TV stations are at the Minnesota State Fair. I, for one, always make it a point to stop during lunch time at the KFAN display because that's when Dan Cole The Common Man is on the air and despite the station being billed as a sports station - he doens't talk much sports and he's actually entertaining because he's so self-deprecating. He makes people think he's the joke but in reality the joke's on them.
I guess I could park my ass on the curb and watch the daily parade. Maybe I'll pick up another yard stick or check out some of the quarter-million-dollar farm equipment on the ever-shrinking machinery hill. But the real draw of the Minnesota State Fair is the food. Face it, you know the only reason you go to the fair is because it's an escape from your never-ending diet and the simple fact that everything is fried is just another excuse to let go for a day. But the cost of the food is harder to stomach than the gut full of greasy goodness you'll have at the end of the day.
I'm listening to the radio right now and the host is mocking his intern for having paid four bucks for a cup of root beer. That makes the all-you-can-drink milk for a buck a great deal (if you don't end up puking later). There is a place serving a relatively decent breakfast for three bucks but something like that is the exception. Oh sure, I complain plenty but I'll be waiting in a line of twenty sweaty fair-goers as I eye some six dollar cheese curds. I'll reluctantly pry open my wallet when, at the end of the day, my old lady looks longingly at me as she suggests getting a bucket of Sweet Martha's chocolate chip cookies - for just $14. I'll hold back even though I desperately want to tell her that $14 would make about sixty dozen chocolate chip cookies at home and they'd taste just the same.
Maybe it's time for a revolution in fair food prices. Hey, everyone deserves to make a living but do you really need to charge five bucks for a soda so you can send your kids to Harvard? I have a kid too (at 9 months she should get int eh gate at the fair for free, right?) but she's destined for Hennepin Tech only because I don't have a food booth at the Minnesota State Fair.
By now you should know the drill. Check out the latest in Minnesota happenings - via photos - at MinnPics!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Her vagina is a clown car
I don't see the appeal of the genre of "reality" show that litters TLC. You know, the genre of enormous families who have their own TV show just because they have a huge family. The Duggar family, whose patriarch is appropriately named Jim Bob, are the face of this eerie new "reality" genre.
The family, who currently has 18 children, announced today that they are again expecting - bringing the tally to a whopping 19 children. That is quite the feat for a woman who is a mere 42 years old. It is also disturbing as hell. Hey, America is a free country and if you want to pop out enough kids to field two entire baseball teams, go for it. And if you want to finally profit from your freakishly large family, so be it.
My problem lies in how we, as Americans, gobble this shit up. How does something like this qualify as being worthy of a few minutes of time on NBC's Today Show? Are we so vapid and mindless that we are enthralled by this? Does it qualify as news? Who watches this show on TLC?
I've never met anyone in my admittedly small world who has ever watched this show (outside of myself). Is it a compelling program or is it just a camera crew following the circus-sized family and interviewing them in typical "reality" show fashion?
For the time being, MinnPics has taken a break from Minnesota and focuses instead on Los Angeles and the inferno that rages just outside the city. Photos of Minnesota return later today. Check it all out!
The family, who currently has 18 children, announced today that they are again expecting - bringing the tally to a whopping 19 children. That is quite the feat for a woman who is a mere 42 years old. It is also disturbing as hell. Hey, America is a free country and if you want to pop out enough kids to field two entire baseball teams, go for it. And if you want to finally profit from your freakishly large family, so be it.
My problem lies in how we, as Americans, gobble this shit up. How does something like this qualify as being worthy of a few minutes of time on NBC's Today Show? Are we so vapid and mindless that we are enthralled by this? Does it qualify as news? Who watches this show on TLC?
I've never met anyone in my admittedly small world who has ever watched this show (outside of myself). Is it a compelling program or is it just a camera crew following the circus-sized family and interviewing them in typical "reality" show fashion?
For the time being, MinnPics has taken a break from Minnesota and focuses instead on Los Angeles and the inferno that rages just outside the city. Photos of Minnesota return later today. Check it all out!
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