This just proves that people will produce and sell anything. If there's one thing that I really want to help crack those pesky unbreakable nuts, it's a wickedly scary figure of Billary with her thighs doing the deed. The thought just repulses me, and frankly turns me off from actually enjoying the various members of the nut family. Can there be anything more wrong than to pop a walnut into your mouth that's been released from its prison shell by way of most evil woman on the planet? I am sickened! I must go now and cleanse my pallet with a brown sugar and cinnamon Pop-Tart. At least I can eat those without imagining Billary's thighs! Eewwww! Now, I need a shower... More later...

I Am On Ebay!

After years of buying coveted items of rarity and novelty on one of the most ingenious websites ever to be developed, I have finally added an item to SELL on Ebay! Yes, I have actually joined the millions who have made money off of selling assorted junk or treasure to those of us who look for anything and everything of amusement. I have won items ranging from baseball cards to CDs, to an Ipod! I have only had two odd experiences with Ebay sellers. One sent me a poster I had won, but sent in a flimsy tube. Somewhere between his house and mine, the tube was bent in half and my poster arrived damaged. Another was when I won a challenge coin commemorating Minot Air Force Base's 5th Bomb Wing (Yes, I am a geek that way I guess, but at least I admit it), and of course, when I received it, it was the wrong coin. I emailed the guy and he thought I was a jerk for explaining to him about the mix-up. I guess he didn't like being wrong. Anyway, it's always interesting using Ebay and awaiting to see if your items you won will one, actually show up, and two, will they arrive undamaged? Anyway, I just thought I would let you my blog reading friends, actually check out the item if you wish. It's nothing big. But, it's a start. I might sell of other CDs from my collection that I have no use for.

If you would like to check the item out, type in the Ebay item number in the search field on the Ebay homepage, and it takes you right to my item. Here is the info:
Chicago At Carnegie Hall
Ebay Item Number: 220225751704









Yay for me. I have a bidder!!! YES! This is very cool! Perhaps now, I can sell my Milli Vanilli collection without any shame....wait, just kidding. I really don't have one of those. But, I do have a pretty serious Pet Shop Boys collection...it's a long story as to why, but trust me, I could write a sappy love novella with the reasons why I have such a collection. (Sigh!) More later...

Joe Satriani plays "Crystal Planet"

This is an amazing song by one of the masters. I get goosebumps when I hear the ending as Satch is doing these multiple pull offs. Turn up and enjoy. More later...

Couple Random Things with Me Right Now:

Tomorrow morning, I am headed to Stoughton to actually take a hunter's safety course, something of which I should have done when I was say 12!!! But, a few years ago, I thought I was old enough to just walk in anywhere and get a license. It was explained to me that I had missed the age cut off by a few years, and actually had to take the course. So, anyway, I am actually fulfilling one of my goals for this year. Receiving this will allow me to hunt whatever. I have wanted to go hunting for a few years now, since my family has some incredible land in northern ND; land that my Dad has hunted and has successfully harvested many a fine deer. I also would like to take up bird hunting too. Now, I just need to amass some fine weaponry for the said hunts.

This week, I wrote a proposal to our church's endowment/memorial board asking that they share a bit of their good fortune so that I can go and buy some office furniture. Keep in mind, that I love having an office. That is definitely something that as a pastor, I appreciate, because I have had those jobs where having an office was impossible, well, say the cubical thing at Choice Hotels was the closest thing I had to an office, but that job was not at all enjoyable, even though it paid bills sort of. Right now, in my church office where the furniture will go, I have a large round table, seven industrial strength work chairs, and a huge blank space near my west wall. Imagine if you will, how a principal's office may look. Now you see it. My office is not all that inviting or comfortable if say someone needed to come in for a chat or counseling. I am embarrassed by having them sit at this monstrosity of a table and sit on these uncomfortable chairs. I want people to be comfortable, so that they can feel at ease. I believe a nice environment helps people calm down and it also helps brings down the defenses. At least that's been my experience. So, I am going out today to look for a couch, a matching chair, and an ottoman. The smaller things like say the end table, coffee table, area rug, and table lamp I will probably get at Ikea (cheap Swedish crap sometimes looks nice!).

Don't tell anyone but this year, I am not going to the Synod Assembly. Why you ask? Well, that first week in May, I am going to be with my friend Trav, sitting along the Missouri River confluence at the border between ND and MT. We will not just be fishing there, but paddlefishing there. I did this a few years ago with him and we had a blast even though we only went for one day. We are going for pretty much a whole week this time. I love the equipment - a 12 foot pole, a reel that is as big as my head, line that is 80 pound test, a five or six ounce sinker, and a hook that looks as if it could catch a small shark. Nasty stuff. But, you basically heave this rig out into the current, wait until the rig hits the river bottom, and then begin to reel in. The goal is to snag a fish since they are bottom feeders, and are not attracted to baits like regular fish. Large fish are common to snag there. I saw a 75 pounder caught, and that guy had an interesting time landing him, as his whole reel pretty much broke off the rod...still not sure how he did it. Anyway, this is of course, just an excuse to celebrate all things primal, setting up a tent that looks as if it came out of the civil war, massive bonfires, cases of Captain Morgan, flasks of Jameson, pounds of red meat waiting to be grilled and consumed, smoke a fine cigar or two, and all while we wear our jeans without belts. It's not camping without having the ability to show the crack even while doing the most menial of tasks!!! AND, this is all done while others have the same instinct at this massive campground we are at. YES! It's crazy, but definitely worth the time off to just go and fish for these weird fish, drink a few, and hang out with really good friends! AH, what a fine time to be a MAN!!! (cue chest beating sounds, followed by a beer being opened, followed by a fine belch!) More later...

Words Behind The Bush

Yesterday, I had to go to our local food emporium with the unsuspecting, very tough sounding name, "Bill's." I went to Bill's with the intention to buy some stir fry strips of steak, bananas, a bag of Reese's little peanut butter cups, a small loaf of French bread, butter, Fruit Loops, and milk. OK, so I got home, and put the paper grocery sack on the kitchen counter, and realized as my wife asked, "Did you get the laundry...." and she no more than got that far, that I grabbed my keys again, and frustratingly got into my steed again for the momentary, doofus trip to Bill's to buy a giganto tub of Tide (I love the the smell of Tide in the morning!). So, I buy that and some WD-40 (don't ask), obviously going to a different line so as not to freak out the nice check out guy in returning to him, letting him think that I am somewhat of a doofus for forgetting something. I begin to make my way around the parking lot, so I can exit, when I stop to let a car go past me. Now, where I am stopped, I am looking right at the front of Bill's, or at least the nice brick facade that covers the entire right side of it. As I look at that wall, I see something behind the winter bare shrubbery that catches my eye. In big, bold, black spraypaint were the words, "Fuck Racism." I just sat there in my steed unable to move, because well, for one, even though I have to somehow agree that racism is evil and wrong, I was appalled at the fact that there it was, two words that really don't seem to go together at all.

Ironic that as a country, we just commemorated the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. the other day whose ministry and call into life was to advocate for the removal of racism within the fabric of America. MLK did this through non-violence. I am sure that words of hate and intolerance were always thrown at he and those who believed his message, but nonetheless, his approach to end racism was built on the premise of resistant love. Seeing the combination of words that I did Sunday afternoon made me stop and think. Why use such a vulgar word that connotes power, demand, and indifference WITH a word that connotes marginalization, minority, and intolerance? Maybe some would see that the use of both words are one in the same. I tend to think that if you are going to vent your views on racism, why not try to use a more productive, pro-active approach to advertising your sentiment.

Would it not have been more in the vein of non-violent approach of MLK to phrase it like, "End Racism," "End Hate," or "Love Wins?" If I read any of those, I don't think I would be so offended as those phrases would call us to action. But to just say fuck it, does not do anything but offer some sort of defeatist attitude to the whole issue of racism. It's as if they are not interested in actually doing anything about it, but to just be angry about it. Being angry about anything is not fixing anything. Unless that anger is pro-actively seeking to address the issues and do something about them. I was telling someone this morning what I saw, and he casually mentioned that maybe that message to the store of Bill's itself...as if Bill's is a racist organization that does not hire people of color. Perhaps. Considering that every time I go in there, I see all white people - shoppers and employees alike, it make me wonder if that's the case. I don't know. You like to think that most businesses around you are not that narrow-minded and shrewd in their business practices. But, those places do exist unfortunately. To which I ask "can't we all just get along?" Maybe that's not really what people want, at least not those who negatively persist in countering racism with hatred and unassuming intolerance. Ironic don't you think? Racism as a system needs solutions as opposed to more problems. Tagging a grocery store does not add to any solution. More later...