RSS feed

For those who asked for it, here it is. The RSS feed of the blog so you don't have to work anymore and you can just read the entries over and over and over again. I feel like I'm kind of sticking it to the man. feed://snotfist.blogspot.com/atom.xml Really Simple Syndication (RSS)

Right of Passage

Last week I did what most Americans do every one to two years in buying a new cell phone. It is very nice and has the bells and whistles I have been looking for in a phone for a long time. It even has the same beautiful Aluminum body that matches its Bluetooth buddy, the Powerbook. Just think the next time you call me, you will be ringing in with the Postal Service!

Avion Flu-x

It has seemed like it has been forever since my last entry but really it was just the other day. I suppose I should fill you in on all the goodness that the holidays brought my way. Starting Wednesday of last week I started to feel all achy, much like you would if you got ran over by a one ton truck and lived through it. I felt worse on Thursday but I could see the light at the end of the tunnel when Friday arrived. That light was nothing more that the devil waiting for my soul. We make the trip home on Friday and I crash like I had been for the two day before. Now I'm totally just a guest in my parents house now that I have moved out, so I don't even have a bed to sleep in. They have an inflatable mattress that makes it feel like you are laying in a bed of snow and you wake up every 5 to 10 minutes do to your body shivering. After praying for death in my dreams I woke up Saturday all ready to be done with crap only to find it had done nothing but gotten worse. The rents drag me to church with them that night and in the pew my fever came to the boiling point with me leaving church in a shirt I could ring out. What's more Christian than getting your fellow humans just as sick as you? Sunday the rest of the family went to the grandparents and I finally had my fever break at 3:30 in the after noon. All I have left is a nasty cough and tons of phlegm. YIPPY!

The Man's Mall

Here is a backlogged entry that just didn't make it in time, this is from Dec. 20th (this is also not my photograph): So Friday night we finished our Christmas shopping with a trip to the man's mall (Mills Fleet Farm). For those who really don't know what to expect when walking into this store just think the smell of new car tires, mixed with animal medicine, and a touch of grass fertilizer. For those who like to people watch this is the ultimate location for you. The mix of mullets on men, woman, and children will send a chill right down your spine. Each person sports their favorite snowmobile manufacture with their matching hat and jacket combo. While each do ride snowmobile, they don't cross brand lines and communicate with someone opting for a different brand sled. This reminds me of West Side Story though with the Sharks and the Jets yet most of these people wouldn't know the musical if you asked them about it. It also brings back nostalgic memories from my time spent in the hills of Penland, North Carolina and the local Wal-Mart there. The only difference was the snowmobiles were replaced with their favorite Nascar driver. Upon our departure from the store we went up and purchased a gift card and some windshield washer fluid and the first thing the girl asked us was "Is this for farm use?" Umm... -B.

Santa Claus

The local shopping mall imports their Santa for the holiday season. He looks pretty convincing with the full long white hair, long white beard and the large waste line to boot. Now I have heard that he comes all the way from Wisconsin and has he name legally changed to Santa Claus because he feels he really is the man that millions of children look up to. I have also heard he makes a pretty grand entrance when he comes in for the first time (something about large bells that he starts off soft and slowly gets louder to the brink where he yells out "ho, ho, ho, merry Christmas". This is all good and well for the holiday season but what does this man do when it comes time to pack away the red pants and drone some summer gear? This is what I started to think about and the only thing that I feel he could do is jump on his Harley, braid his hair and beard and head out to Stergis for a good time. I could see him signing his name across the chest of the biker ladies and taken body shots from the beer bellies of his favorite leather covered woman. Ho, ho, HO!

SE

For the past few days I have been stressing about some future topics of the blog. I have a few running through the text files that I have converted over to after reading the latest post in 43F (link is posted to the left). This method is pretty effective if you are using Quicksilver to append things to text files. It is fully described in his post so I will leave that subject and continue on with mine. After a trip home to the southeastern part of the state I found a Mecca of possible subjects. So the next few days worth of posts will be dedicated to them, and hopefully something exciting will happen to me in the time being. Thank you Tom for giving me this picture a few months ago.

A big full bowl of chocolate kisses

Okay today I introduce a little thing I would like to call "Know your Blogger". This part of the ongoing series is dedicated to my top 5 pet peeves in no particular order. 5) The crunching noise people make when drinking out of a plastic bottle. - Have people never discovered the principle of low pressure? I have a co-worker that does it every time she takes a drink and I just want to stand up and scream "STOP IT, let the air in." 4) "Says" - I'm not an english major (as most of you can tell from reading this) but I also know how terrible it sounds when someone speaks improper. "So I says to her, leave me alone. And so she says to me, I'm not messing around". Damnit people it is said! 3) Over use of windshield wipers - I know quite a few of you are from Minnesota (heck everyone could be, I don't know who reads this anymore) and you know how sloppy the roads get when the plows come around and half melt the ice, creating a wonderful layer of slush. Well when you are traveling behind someone and it throws some at your car you have a tendency to use your windshield wipers a lot. Most people turn them off after it is removed from their viewing area, but then you have those that leave them on. I'm almost crawling out of my skin trying to use mental telepathy to convince the driver to turn them off, ::turn them off now.....okay....next time.....isn't that noise bothering you?:: It isn't until 5 minutes of hearing them scrap (screech, rub, you pick the adjective) against the windshield that they finally realize that they aren't doing any work. UGH. 2) Email Forwards - These are never funny and no one ever wants to read them. I feel it is my role as an internet user to break the chain of forwards that come to me. No one is going to die because they didn't forward the email on, no Microsoft isn't going to give you money because your email address is on a list, and no I don't care about the 25 fun things to do with pencil erasers. This to me is as bad if not worse then spam. At least a spammer doesn't know who I am. 1) Woman who wear tennis shoes with dresses - Seriously, who didn't get the memo that this is a fashion no no? I swear I replied to all when I sent it off. This has never and will never become a fashion trend. I feel that the ladies that do this can't decide if they want to dress casual or dress up. One more thing that tops the cake with this one is ladies who wear black pantyhose, then white tube socks, and then top them off with a pair of sneakers (white of course). Do you honestly think they look in the mirror in the morning and think, "Man I look good today!"? Honorable Mention - People who talk just to hear their voices

Christmas shopping with a crank

'Tiss the season to get all your holiday shopping all taken care of and everyday we get closer to the holiday the closer it is until you start seeing punches thrown. Bisher and I were out picking up a gift for our mom today so we went to Target. We walk back to the department, look at the selection and decide which one we want. After we decided I picked it up off the shelf and started to head the aisle, out of the blue a lady yells at us. "Do you want an honest opinion about those....?". Not missing a beat Bisher cries out "No" and we continue to walk on. The whole time this lady is going off about how "...these are better because..." and we are walking towards the price scanner to check the price of this item. It wasn't until we got to the scanner that I finally realize what happened and I just broke down laughing. Sometimes it is great to have an honest person with you.

Bootable memories

Today the state of Minnesota got blasted with a snowstorm that left traffic at a halt and people slipping and sliding their way to work and about. The part of this that truly brings back memories for me is when a lady at work had boots on. These were the tall snow boots that helps keep you feet dry and the type that you force your children to wear in the winter on their walks to school. The part that really stood out to me though was the fact that she wore them all day long. It wasn't like she just wore them to work and then put a pair of tennis shoes on to wear at work and change them again when it was time to go but rather decided to wear them for the full 8.5 hours that she was there. This conjures up memories for me when I was a child and had to wear boots to school because my parents didn't want me to ruin my good tennis shoes in all the snow and water. So in the morning you would pack up your shoes and throw on your boots and walk out the door ready to enjoy the adventures that the day in store for you. But when you were in a hurry the first thing you would forget was your shoes so you would be stuck at school with these huge boots on and feeling like a complete dork while you tried to participate in gym and other physical activities all the while trying to drag these enormous boots along the floor in attempts to make yourself as mobile as possible. :Clump: :clump: :Clump: The other children would ostracize you and all the other poor little saps that forgot their shoes and had to thump and stomp their way down the hall. You were absolutely not going to win the game of dodge-ball with the boots on. I feel that to this day I still have a grudge towards snow boots because of these childhood experiences.

Dinner and a UPS Package

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Christmas Card

Since I won't be sending out Christmas cards along side my letter of non-acomplishments this year I thought I would throw an image up that I would consider using if I were to. Hell I will even try my attempt in writing the accompanying letter: Dear Friends, Isn't it funny how fast a year can cruise by? Just a blink of the eye and 2005 has concluded. Everything in the Beener household is average. I didn't take that trip to the Florida Keys and I didn't get stung by a jellyfish and beg some random stranger pee on me so the acid would neutralize the toxin. I didn't get third degree burns on my shoulders that requires me to wear long sleeves at all times because of my stage one melanoma. I didn't get married and didn't have any little devils fly out of my nonexistent wife. Without family I didn't get to pose for a family portrait with matching sweaters and reindeer horns on the kids. I didn't buy that English cottage home in the middle of suburbia and didn't get the neighbor boy to paint my picket fence white. I didn't go out and buy a large SUV to drive alone to and from work. I didn't start my own internet business selling cheap cell phones and male enhancement drugs nor did I start a porn site that would have landed me a $1,000,000 once I sold it off. I didn't become middle management in corporate America and I didn't even get my boss a holiday present. I didn't win the lottery that I didn't even play but I did win a week of office football picks. I didn't bowl a perfect game but my 96 average is looking pretty spectacular right now. I didn't go off and "find myself" nor did I lose myself any either. All in all '05 treated me just the same as it has every year Seasons Greetings, Beener

Another blog linkage

I have been linked in another blog. Yippy! How cool does life get? Okay I know the other blogger and it is a must read. So here is a bounce back link for him. (Shout out to Buddy) LINKY -b

Link Sunday

I think today is going to be a link day. I have already graced you with one good link. Here is the next. Maybe this will help me land a lady (even though I don't know a word of code). LINKAGE But as you can tell my HTML is outstanding. :sigh: -b

Screw Amazon Wish List

If any of you out there are looking for a christmas present for your favorite blogger. Follow the link! LINKAGE Take Care, Beener

Three months to learn

I don't know about most people but when winter comes around I try to find an activity to take my mind off the cold bitter weather we have day in and day out. In the past it was everything from building model cars and people, to video games, all the way to digital photography. Well anyone who has any senses realize that photography in the bitter cold isn't fun. I know I have a few projects that will be done in photoshop this year but I felt that I should broaden my culture a bit and learn something new. Well ever since I was a small child I wanted to learn how to play the piano. So that is my goal for the winter months. I got a cheap keyboard on Tuesday that connects directly to my computers so the sound go right through the machine and right into Garageband. From there I can be anything from a violin to a grand piano. Now I don't know how many of you have picked up on this since reading the blog but once I set myself up to doing something I become a little obsessed with it. So this is all I have doing every night since I got it. I'm honestly to the point where I need to set up a schedule of things to do at night just so I get away from it and do something else (my video games are screaming my name). -B

Stocking hat, scarf and thirty layers of clothing

I have figured out that living in Minnesota in the winter time has to be the worst possible situation for trying to find a lady friend. It almost feels like you are in a Islamic country where all you can see is their eyes. Under the down coat and thirty layers of clothes could hide the most perfect soul in the world but since not being able to see it, it really makes for hard luck. Another phenomena that I have noticed back in my college days and continuing on through the present day is that all good looking ladies disappear when winter comes. It seems like the transition from fall to winter drives them away much like the "snow birds". Such a sad thing. Come back ladies, come back. -b

Part of history

Today I had the day off and witnessed history on TV today, the 73rd perfect show on The Price is Right. Everyone is a winner!

Mac People are going to be getting a new treat tomorrow, from me

Those running 10.4 will have something available for them tomorrow. I will write about it when I wake up. Think Automator Good Night Beener

A new twist on the Golden Rule

Today was another moment from the "city" that I would like to soon forget. After work today I was stressing out because sometimes numbers just don't add up to zero. We were walking towards the car in the middle of a snow storm when a man in a wheelchair pulls up on the sidewalk crosswalk. He then proceeds to ask me to light a cigarette for him. I reach down to his wheelchair pocket and pull out a pack and a lighter. As I'm handing him his smoke he has the balls to say "Just stick in my mouth." I give him the ugh eyes and do so, light it and leave. What was I thinking? Seriously? Bisher sure had a laugh the next 5 blocks to the car. At least I didn't jump into a dumpster first thing in the morning like I did yesterday, but that is a different story all together.

Spice Up the Night with Employees Quitting

Tonight we ran to Taco Bell for some dinner and while we were there a girl just up and quit. That is the first time that I have seen this happen in person and it creates a lasting memory. Oh good times. Attached is a screen shot from my new theme park. Damn I love video games. Good Night All! -reneeb

20q

Okay a total waste of time here but I thought people could enjoy it a few times. LINKAGE Twenty questions....think of almost anything and it will guess it. Kind of scary the way AI works. Just go to the bottom and click "Play" button.

My very own cobbler

I feel like I'm living in old world England when I say that I have myself a cobbler but today I visited the cobbler down the road from me to get my favorite pair of shoes fixed. On Saturday they will be done and I will once again be happy. Whenever after Saturday Lord Beener.

Purple is a nasty color on anyone

I visited the MOA tonight looking for a copy of Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 for my computer at the Apple Store. Well lucky or unlucky me (depending on your view) the Vikings Cheerleaders were in the main rotunda getting ready to perform, talk, or just try to look pretty. As I was getting on the escalator to go down to the first floor of the mall, a man on his way up looks up and said to me "You're going to f***ing love it down there". Well I'm sorry to tell you that even though Minnesota may have the hottest females in the nation we certainly have the ugliest cheerleaders in the NFL. Okay after rereading this, it is kind of boring but I'm to lazy to erase it and start over. Enjoy Kittens. -b

MNF blues

Every week I tell myself that I refuse to watch the game that is on Monday Night Football, but yet every week it is the only thing that is on TV so I'm stuck watching it. Over the years John Madden has driven me more and more crazy with his complete lack of knowledge of the game so tonight I comprised a list of the top 5 stupid quotes from John Madden in the 3rd quarter of the Vikings/Packers game. 5. "He just has a good motor, his hands and his feet and he just keeps going towards the quarterback." 4. "You see right here is what he wanted so he ran behind there" 3. "Single coverage is one thing, double coverage is another thing, but three guys is forcing the ball." 2. "Brett Favre likes to know where his receivers are, where they are going to be." 1. "Do you think those turkeys know what is going to happen to them?" Each and everyone of these are very basic ideas and anyone who has watched more than one game in their lives will know this. But thanks John! -b

NASA a picture of the day

Hello Kittens and Kittens, How is everyone doing these days? This weekend was the big benefit that I have been stressing over for the past two months. There were a ton of people there and a lot of money was raised for a great cause. I talked to someone who was looking for some freelance work so I may have a job or two ahead of me yet. As for the photos, I got $70 for both the yellow and purple and the pink one brought in $65. All-in-all, a good night. Take care, Beener

Honey and Walnut cream cheese on top of a bagel

Is it really considered a party mix if I take all the songs off it that I don't want to hear?

Putting string in a super saturated sugar water will make rock candy. Yum.

Good Evening Kiddies, I feel I should really write something of substance tonight but I really don't feel disclosing to much information about my life these days. I know I know, I have become a bad blogger. But remember all you slackers out there that don't leave comments are bad too. Feedback is how this thing works. Okay I had a date today. I'm not going to get into it much but those who are close to me will find out about it soon enough. I went to the Gopher Hockey game last night and I'm still kind of hoarse from yelling to much. My voice is all squeaky and it sounds like puberty will hit any day now. Yippy! Man...what else do people want to know? For those who I have talked to about links here is another one. Digg.com Great tech news...subscribe to the RSS feed if your browser allows you too. Apple loves its customers and put the RSS feed reader built right into Safari. Thank you Apple. Alright children I'm going to jet. Bored, tired, and freaking out. -b. RANDOM IMAGE-A couple weeks ago helping the rents rake.

Random Blurb

I like chewing gum in the shower.

Vanilla Heath Bar Crunch

It is another fine fall day in Minnesota and I got the chance to enjoy the weather today as it is a national holiday. My day started off pretty typical with me laying in bed in my boxers and yelling at the contestants of the Price is Right for picking higher when logically the number was much lower. I would have won myself a new Ford Focus but since it is a Ford is it more of a hassle rather than a prize. 64 degrees and not a flake of snow on the ground, that is not a typical late fall day in Minnesota but since it was so nice we hit the disc golf course up in Roseville. Now there have only been two times since we started this little hobby that someone has come up and started chatting with us. You would hope it is some cool stoner just trying to make talk but it is always the dirty looking old guys and they have to tell you how good they really are. Sure you can tee off 200 feet but you can't since a putt to save you life. I just don't care anymore. I suck and have determined that I will not be quitting my job anytime soon to take up a career on the DGA. Now that I mentioned disc golf I will leave you with a video, sure this really isn't anyone playing disc golf but in the description it says they just finished playing it so I will include it. You must have speakers or headphones connected to truly enjoy it to the max. VIDEO

Another time killer

In my attempts to help you waste away your life on the internet I would like to contribute a link that is updated weekly (Saturday). Enjoy the hours wasted here! Post Secret Beener

A new link

After looking through the blog in the last couple of days, people can see that my life is pretty boring again. Sure there is a ton going on (print framing, photo retouching, supplies to buy) but really I haven't been in the mood to write about the deep matters that are affecting my life right now. Maybe if the all goes well I will have one huge post about it but until then I'm just going to leave you with a link. This site is called 43 Folders and it is about self improvement by better organization. I really don't know how often Merlin updates the site but it really is a work of art. LINKY EDIT: Threw a random photo in....later all....BEENER

Random Image Post

I feel it is time just for a random image post. These were shot last year sometime. I'm to damn lazy to look at the METAdata on them.

I'm to lazy to write

Hello all, Some stuff has happened to me since the last time I wrote. A lot of it I don't really want to talk about. Things are great for me right now though.....lets leave it at that. Okay, since I don't feel like writing anything tonight I thought I would throw a link up, I found it very interesting but MAJOR WARNING....THIS IS NOT FOR THE WEAK OF STOMACH.....YOU DO SEE TISSUES UNDER THE SKIN....... These two people found that rings were very trivial in their relationship so they bit each other's fingers off. COMPLETE STORY HERE

Halloween

Halloween Night Pizza and a movie. Saw was picked. Still shaking due to disturbance. Good night.

Tubby Aces the 18th Hole

VIDEO I can't just help but laugh at this video every time I see it. Ennnnnnnjoy

A kite string, a stick, a rubber band, a pack of matches, and a AK47.

In an attempt to relive a part of my childhood I decided to have a mini MacGyver marathon over the weekend. While it was an enjoyable show to watch as a child, in my older years it really brings up a lot of questions about the man that created a pipe bomb with his trusty Swiss Army knife and a bike. Something that you never really find out about MacGyver is who he really is. You could label him a government consultant, a contractor, or just a avid reader of tech books with the brain capacity of a dozen men but no matter what you say he gets the job done. One could just imagine how the skills portion of his Resumé read. "Used pen flares to blow up a jeep, Used chocolate bars to stop an acid leak in a top secret laboratory, or my favorite Rode a plain paper map down a sand hill while five men shot guns at me." Later that same map was used teamed up with gaffer tape to fix a hole in his hot air balloon. Team this show up with Night Rider, CHiPS, and a Party Pizza, and it describes every summer day of my childhood. Oh the memories. "The bag is not for what I take, it is for what I find along the way" - MacGyver

Driving South

Right now I'm heading down 52 on my way to the rents house for the weekend. On the radio is some German pop band singing about "Die Lollypop" (or those not fluent in German like me, "The Lollypop"). I suppose I should catch people up with the end of the week and the events that happened. Yesterday Wade joined us for a round of disc golf which he claims to be his "virgin" experience but based on his throws and his final scare in the round I would like raise the BS flag on that one. I think he beat us both by a good 4 or 5 strokes......ah....throws...ah....whatever they call it. This is to take nothing away from Wade, he played a great round and has strong wrists. I guess he must do some kind of exercises to help strengthen his wrists up. Yeah, that must be it. Today marked another feat (while small it still is a feat). Today a new song took over first place in my iTunes library most played playlist. After only being on the computer for just over two months, today Death Cab for Cutie stole the award from Dashboard Confessional who held on to the record for over 2 years. It was quite a stint that I thought no one would catch but today proves I'm always wrong. Just so you know. Death Cab for Cutie's Plans album gets my vote for 2005 Album of the Year. Since I'm at the rents house this weekend, I don't know when this will get posted, I guess when I find a Wi-Fi network or when I get back on Sunday. Everyone have (or hope you had) a great weekend, Beener

Rant

Nothing irks me more than not being able to find something. Since I moved into this apartment a few months ago I seem to be missing stuff here and there. During the move I really just kind of threw it all in the closet and hoped I wouldn't need it anytime soon. Well the time has come and now I need the stuff. I have spent the last hour and a half looking for ONE image that would be perfect for an instance that happened tonight when we were out getting some grub. I know the image number and exactly what it looks like yet still I can't find it to save my life, hence my irking. So that means I will have to skip that story and move to a less important but still equally unentertaining one. With the perfect weather that we have had the last couple of days, Bisher and I have got out to the disc course to shoot a couple rounds directly from work. When arrive around 4:30 and usually play through the nine hole course twice before messing around on hole one for a bit before heading home. Well today we had just finished our second round with neither of us shooting that well (we were trying a new technique for throwing and it was pretty hard to get used to) and we were heading to the first hole for our usual routine when three boys came up and asked if they could join our round. Well we had nothing better to do so we joined them in a round of 9 which proved to be very interesting. I like to think of them as Larry, Darrell, and Darrell from the Bob Newhart show (I hope that is the names and the proper show...if not, I'm sure someone will correct me) with one being the ring leader and the other two just there for the ride. Now Larry was a pretty good player but he also told you he was at every hole that we went to. The other two could throw the disc but nothing that was outstanding, heck I think I beat them, but it wasn't until the end when Larry asked for our phone number so we could play again where Bisher's quick thinking happened and we told him that we play there a lot and maybe we would see him some time. Oh one last rant before I wrap it up and go to bed. Why if you are pregnant, would you still smoke? I understand that is how social life cycles continue but come on. So no picture with this one, you can thank my unorganized photo collection for that.

Midweek playlist

Started the day with a little podcast action 43 Folders and ESPN Radio Then started the music The Alkaline Trio - Crimson Fiona Apple - When the Pawn... (Amazing) Guster - Keep it Together Hole - Live Through This The Weakerthans - Left and Leaving (Becoming one of my favorites) That gets you through an 8 hour day. Later, oh and don't worry I have plenty of things to post about just from TODAY.

Title that doesn't belong with post. Dunno

Some great events have happened around me in the past few days that I would love to write about but it seems that all the good stories have restrictions on them so it really limits what I should be saying about anything. Last night...peephole...cops...arrest. That is all I can really say about the situation. Sucks but that is how is it. Now for the official Wife Hunt 2005 update. Well nothing new in the official update but today was a giant step in the process. Today I got a very lovely email from Miss Eileen and she was a sweetheart like she always is. She said she is the queen of setups and I trust her enough so maybe there will someday be an update to this area of my life and actually make this blog fun to read. I feel that the subjects are starting to just kind of boring so I need to create some excitement in my life. Just think about how great a post would be about my first ever date? That is just going to be a circus event if there ever was one. Eek. Alright folks, image today is just a random image...only because I thought it needed an image.

It's alive....it's ALIVE!

Good New from Camp Beener tonight. A few weeks ago my Xbox died with a HD seize-up leaving me bummed that I have all these new games but nowhere to play them. So today I was digging around my room and plugged the old xbox in and BAM....the beast started right back up acting as though it never broke down in the first place. Now I can update my hockey rosters and start my season fresh again. Man is it good to have the weight-box back.

Vikings win???

After an upsetting win by the Minnesota Vikings today, my day started going downhill. First off that means that Mike Tice will be keeping his job for another week which is what exactly the Minnesota team needs to continue down the path of failure. Do you think that if we had a completely losing season some other city would gladly take the team from Minnesota? I'm going to keep my fingers crossed on that one. Today was also a sad day because in my round of disc golf as I lost my second disc to a water hole. The winds were pretty strong out of the north and I think that it just slipped in my numb hand (you know it was only like 40 degree out today) and went sailing straight for the pond. I'm just glad we are at the end of the season rather than the beginning or I would be spending a small fortune to replace the lost discs. I'm sure that everyone knows what kind of Apple freak I am by now and the last two weeks have paid off in terms of new products that are going to change everything for the company. First off the Video iPod was released. Sure video on a portable is cool and all but that isn't the part that driving me to buy one (and yes I will be getting one sooner or later, anyone want to start a fund up for me?) but the option to get a black iPod with 60 gigs of storage is amazing. On my visit to the Apple store in Rosedale Center on Friday I held and played with one of the new iPods and they are cool on the website but even cooler in person. The size is just amazing as well as the 20 hour battery life and bright new screen. This week Apple released one of the greatest programs that a photographer could ask for, Aperture. This is a pure RAW conversion program and it looks amazing without there being a flaw it in (hell Apple did make it so I doubt there is one). Everything in realtime and such at whenever a program is created by the same company as the hardware, you know you will have a great piece of software. They did also release new Powermacs (Quad processors in the top of the line) and new Powerbooks that were very disappointing to me. I feel I am among a large portion of the Apple family and is waiting to see what they can do when they throw the Intel chips in them. Wow, this is a lot for one post so I think I will cut it off here. This week could bring our first real heavy freeze which means we could be getting our Indian Summer by next weekend, just in time for me to go back home for the weekend. So Rochester Crew sign in and we can see each other next weekend. Later all, Beener

Updaters

It has been a few days since I have last posted so I thought I should catch things up. The prints and the frames have both been ordered and I believe they should both be here by the end of next week. Searching for photos on CDs labeled "Photos" proved to be much more of a challenge then I originally planned (hence the photo). You stick a disk in and it brings up certain month of photographs but when you don't know when you shot the photo that you are looking for it makes for a lot of putting in and pulling out of CD/DVDs. Yesterday after work Bisher and I went and visited the old stomping grounds of Roseville. For those who don't know me very well, I'm totally obsessed with Target. I feel that Target is the greatest store ever created and it would take a whole lot to make me change my mind. Well in January right before I moved home the Target in Roseville (store #1) was going to close and be torn down to make for a new Super Target. Well it has just finished and I made (he really didn't want to go into it) Bisher stop by so I could say I was there. It still smelled new and that really took away from the normal buttery popcorn and cheap clothes smells from all other Target stores. We also hit up Harmar and checked out the Disc Course up off of County C. Which brings me to today. The weather this morning was perfect, sunny and cool. We decided to try out the course up in Roseville and played 14 of the 18 holes. I in the process lost a disc to a nice green pond (I had just bought the disc on Friday) but I did find someone else's disc in the woods. At that point, we called it even and left. Still to come: Video iPods alongside Quad processor G5 Powermacs (¿Does life get any better?), Aperture, and Wife Hunt 2005

Feedback......good.....

First of all I would like to thank everyone for all the feedback I have received on the photos. Everyone is so kind and all of your votes and kind words have lead me to do three photos. The pink, the yellow, and the purple will all be entered into the benefit show coming up on November 19th. I was going to order the prints tonight but just as I was doing that, Bisher decided that he wanted to use the computer and logged me out. I never got a chance to get back to them tonight (I finally finished Season Four of Six Feet Under) so I will order them tomorrow after work. I'm very exciting to see the printed images (at least the purple one, I already have the a print of the yellow and pink one above my bed), and get this off for the show. It makes me very nervous though as I really don't know how others will respond to them. If it is anything like what I have heard through here, everything will be fine. Sitting here in bed at ten minutes to eleven and I just realized that I don't have a title or an image to throw with this thread. Sure have images shot, but they are for different rants and hub-bub. Something to look forward to in further posts: cubical life, the morning crew, and two disc golf matches set up for next week. Good night all, Beener Okay, I'm going to post this now without an image. Sorry all. In 5-----4-----3---2----1-----::poof::

Life is...good.

When I start a new post the first thing that I do is try to find a photograph that will help get the message across. Tonight I had a few to choose from and I thought that this photo showed the true feeling of how my Sunday really went. Yes, Bisher and I went to KFC for dinner tonight after getting some groceries. We have both discovered that we have evolved enough from our Neanderthal heritage and have found that it is much easier to eat chicken that is pulled off the bone for you rather than feeling like a staving dog digging through the trash for the bone. This was a discovery we made after we finished trying to eat chicken that was still 160 degrees hot (I swear this chicken was straight from the fryer). Next time we stick with the strips. The sad part about sitting in a dirty KFC (besides feeling the toe of your shoes start to curl due to the grease impacted into the floor) was a man in his early thirties with an employment pages in his hand and asking the cashier if they had any applications to fill out. At this moment I knew that things weren't that bad for me and it made me content to what I have.

Alright another double post day

Okay people, today is a very important day that each and everyone of you will be needed. No we aren't getting drafted for the war, and we aren't protesting the rights of animals. Today we are voted for what picture(s) are going to be used in the upcoming auction to help out Greg. So please if you do read this and take a look at the photo...please please leave a comment and tell me what one you like the best. Each photo is 18x12 and will be framed at 22x18 (except for the image of three which I don't know the size off hand (something like 33x13 or something around there)). I thank you all for looking at them and helping to pick the one that will be sent off to the printer this week.

Disc Golf Pro

Only one week into the sport, you are now reading text written by someone who is a pro, because only a pro would own 4 discs...right, Right, RIGHT? Today we played two different courses, one in Plymouth and the other in Burnsville. Both courses are very very challenging and I didn't shoot very well either due to my arm injury (as stated in an earlier post). At least now I have enough discs that someone can join me if they want. Any takers?

Fulfilling a request and catching up with some back logging

Per request from a reader of this blog I decided to post this picture so that all who were at the party can remember the crazy night of the "boys that wore the same exact shirt". By the time that this photo was taken, everyone was pretty relaxed and everything was funny.
By the time this picture was taken we were looking for crazy shit to do. Why not long exposure flashlight and sparkler photo fun? Because really, what is more fun that a bunch of drunk people with pyrotechnics?
For those who do not know about this night, it was Wade and Emily's house warming party and it was a blast. Where else can you find nice people to throw your brat burger on the floor, put it back on the grill and wait until you are a third done before telling you?

Start of Golden Gopher Hockey

The weather is cooling off, leaves are changing and falling off trees, and you see the stupid squirrels searching for the last acorns on the ground. This is also the start of the college hockey season. Friday I had planned to go to Wade's house to watch the game and get a pizza, but at 3:26 I get a phone call from my mom that they had gotten four tickets to the game. After making a few phone calls we had it all set up that it would be me, Wade, and the rents. The game was pretty good with us falling behind late in the third only to pull the goalie and score within the last minute of the game (while on the penalty kill). We lost in overtime 4-3 to Alaska Fairbanks. Before I left for the game, Bisher and I had planned to go play a round a disc golf. In a dumb move, on my part, I tried to send a huge tee shot off on the very first hole. I pulled some muscle in my right upper arm and I feel that I must place myself on the IR (injured reserve for you non-sportsminded people). This could take me off the tour and plague me for the rest of my disc golf career. Oh why, oh why did I try and launch my midrange disc over 150 feet for an easy birdie. DAMN ME!

Disc Golf

In another attempt to deceive boredom and get out of the apartment for a while, Chris and I have took up another new sport, Disc Golf. This sport is fairly cheap ($10 for the disc) which makes it a good thing to try out. So on Monday on our day off we went to the MOA and bought a disc a piece. We went looking for the course but not finding it late in the afternoon we decided to wait until another time.

Today was that other time. We went to the course in Eagan which after coming home and reading a tad about it seems to be a fairly short course with no holes going over 300 ft. You would think that would add an advantage to novice players like ourselves but we still couldn't shoot worth a crap. On my first round I shot a 40 (on a par 27) and the second time through I threw a 37 (hey at least I'm getting a little better). With those scores I got my butt kicked by Chris (who can't even throw it straight) but it killed two hours of our day and gave us a chance to enjoy the wonderful fall weather again. Will tomorrow bring the winding hills of Burnsville?

Last Day of the Weekend

First off I would like to thank Mr. Christopher Columbus for sailing the ocean blue and giving me a three day weekend. Without him I couldn't have finished my photo project that was started on Friday. As for the project itself I think it is coming to a close even though I don't know if the third image fits alongside the others and so once again I'm stuck thinking of what I'm going to do. The premise of this project was not so much the structures but more or less the structures and the environments that they interacted with. So in the smoke stack one (located out in some soybean fields) you can see a hint of a soybean on the right side of the left tower. In the bridge there is a flower in the sky. I first set the project to be on the small size (18x8) but after talking to the person that these photos are for I found out the space was 4' long. So the whole thing grew 250% overnight now sitting at 33 x 13. I must say it felt really good to work on photography again (most of you know that I haven't been doing much in terms of new stuff in the last few months). Maybe this will get the ball rolling towards some new projects. Once again a larger image of the above picture <----The website won't allow me to upload a 33x13 image. Go figure. Enjoy your workday this lovely Monday, I'm going to find me a lunch buffet to enjoy, Beener

Photo Shoot Day 2

After looking at the photos again this morning I realized that the central image was out of place so I went back out today and shot another 59 picture in two different locations. The thing about location photo shoots is that I hate them. I don't like spending hours in the car getting somewhere that you don't even know how to get to. I don't care for walking through fields of bugs to get a shot that you don't even know will work or not. But today I did just that. There was an area that was scouted for a little bit and I really thought it would make an interesting shot if I could find it. After arriving on site I see that their is no parking on the particular road so I found a field drive and park my car there. After walking to the site I hear a car stop and then speed up again and wonder who it was, all I could see was the back of the car and from what I could see it was a cop. Now I'm not looking to get into trouble and I really don't know what I would do if the cop confronted me during a shot (hell I don't even know if it is against the law besides trespassing (I have heard horror stories of some photographer getting a gun pulled on him at the U by a cop while photographing (HI PHIL))). I get my shots and find a different road at the same location and find that there is a second gate that I park my car at and start walking back a bit. I get my shots and just then I hear an air horn from a truck and it comes down the side road. I get to my car and see the truck drive by incredibly slow and both guys in it are decked out in full camo and stare me down. I knew at that moment that I needed to get out there. The second location was simple in terms of getting there and dealing with the objects around me. I wish every location was as easy at the bridge shot. Which brings me to why I posted this. the post yesterday with the three images is getting a face lift that should be posted tomorrow sometime. I hope it looks better and would love insight on what other think. Thanks my friends, Beener

New Project

Back in May or something a friend of mine was looking for some artwork to for his and his wife's new house. I have put it off and put it off (not on purpose) but today in the 49 degree heat I got the motivation to work on it. Last night I did one of the photos finishing it off today over a cup a coffee and a bagel at Panera, and today I shot the other two. These other two (the outdoor ones) were shot today and are in pretty raw form right now (they need a lot more work to them yet). I was hoping to get people's opinions and suggestions on this. I have heard that the middle picture doesn't belong but that is my favorite of the three. :Dunno: Here is a link to the full sized image Thanks, Beener

Books

In the last few years and even through college I have become an avid reader. Anything I can get my hands on I read, partly because you can never learn to much and the other reason is because it is enjoyable. My issue is that I can't just start one book and finish it before I start my next, I need to start two or three books and work my way through them all at once. Right now I'm smitten with three books that I'm half way through with another waiting in the wings. The first one is David Sedaris, a comic writer, who tells of his life growing up in North Carolina in the most entertaining way. The next (Devil in the White City) has been on the best seller list for weeks and has really two parts to it. The first is about the forming and the running of the World's Fair in Chicago in the late 1890's. The other part is about a serial killer who was living in Chicago at the time and took advantage of all the people in the city to be his victims. The final book is a biography of Steve Jobs (my hero, and CEO of Apple Computers and Pixar). The other one in the picture is Porno by Irvine Welsh (writer of Trainspotting), I haven't started it yet so I can't tell you about it. Anyone else have the problem with starting mulitple books at once?

First Day of BBQing

After owning a small portable grill for over a month today I put the beast together and tonight we are going to be grilling for the first time. The flavorful taste of animal muscle is going to be tempting my pallet as I grill out some wonderful hamburgers with selections of tasty cheesy toppings. There will be NO veggies joining the meat on the grill anytime. (PERIOD)

Foosball update for those fools who still are interested. Today I won my first game in 4 days. Not only did I win my first game but I won the three game series in two games to pull the championship for the first time ever on this table. Oh yeah, today I was going through iTunes Music Store looking for something new to jam to at work and I came across a picture of Fiona Apple posted. Now for being a man hating woman in the early '00s, she has developed into quite a looker. See for yourself. Or check out her website and click on the photos in the lower right. ::naughty::

Summer again?

Today is October 1st and anyone who's lived in Minnesota for longer than 2 years will know that with October you have two opinions. The first is there could be 3 inches of snow of the ground and people dressed in parkas and stocking hats. The other is perfect beautiful weather that allows you to get out and bask in the sun because in Minnesota you only get 3 perfect days of fall. Today was in the later of the categories so we got out of the apartment to take care of some errands that needed to be done. Tonight we have a birthday party for a fellow coworker so we went out and bought her a gift. We decided on getting her 10 boxes of candy like you would get at the movies (I guess she said if anyone wants suggestions on what to get her, "CANDY is great"). I took a little nap to prepare myself for the night ahead and was awakened by my brother asking me if I had any scotch tape to wrap the present. After searching my bedroom for some all I could come up with was some black electrical tape. I asked him if he wanted to use it and instead he already was cutting apart some packing tape to use to wrap it. I don't think that black electrical would have looked that bad but oh well. On a side note, my obsession with foosball has gotten worse. We went to a pool and game room store today (off of Lyndale and 62) and I got my first look at the Tornado tables. They are amazing and the game play on them is so quick. We were sooooooo close to buying one today but it looks like we are going to have to wait until tax refund time. I'm walking out the door now for the party, I hope the candy is a hit. Later all, Beener

Foosball Edit

After posting about getting better at foosball I have come to the conclusion that it is all a lie. I haven't won a game in two days now (but I have lost quite a few one goal games). Anyone want to lose to me? ::crossing fingers::

Foosball Table has arrived

After having this table on layaway for the past 10 months, my foosball table was finally delivered from Green Bay this week. After playing a few games, I can tell that I'm getting better but still not up to this caliber. Video of some foosball action (not me) Amazing video. Anyone is invited to come play as many games as they want over here. Beener

Artwork

A few people have emailed me asking me about my photographs and how I should include more in this. I really don't have anything new at this point but I will see about posting some old stuff up for people to view. Since Blogger doesn't allow for that large of a photo, email me (snotfist@gmail.com) about what image you want and I will post a larger image for you to download in some webspace I have. I have just found out today of a benefit for my uncle who was in a motor vehicle accident a few months ago to be held on November 19th. I thought I could create a photograph or two for the benefit to be used in what I think is a silent auction or something (hopefully it will draw a few more dollars than my work at Penland did). I'm thinking of a few ideas right now (yes Tom, something passe like landscapes, bridges, or barns) but I'm going to use this space to post images once I take them and hopefully people will tell me their takes on them before I send them off to print. I would greatly appreciate any feedback as I can get when the time comes. Thanks -Beener

Black Beauty is like new again...well kind of.

Last May my car (2004 Honda Civic aka Black Beauty) went through a good old Minnesota hail storm. I was at work and my car was on the other side of town (they bused us in due to lack of parking). I received a page at work and called the number to have my mom tell me that the north side of town saw golf ball size hail. I swear I turned green right then and there. Which brings me to this week, where my ding guy took my car and brought her back to normal. It was good to see her again all looking good until I looked at the hood of my car and saw that there was a small paint flaked chip taken out on it. This makes me sad in the sense that my car isn't perfect anymore. But then again isn't it the imperfections that things have which make them special to us? I wish I had a story to go with the chip but I guess I'm just glad to have my Black Beauty back. -Beener

Bum Rush, I think

My typical lunch revolves around me going outside and enjoying the weather and the feeling that I'm not stuck in four wall cubical all day long. I usually go down to a stone bus stop and enjoy the views and the sounds of the downtown experience. Today was slightly different than normal. After I finished my lunch, my brother and I (I eat with him everyday) were sitting there just waiting for the time to pass when around the corner comes this man. Now I'm going to try and explain him as best as possible so that you can truly get a feel for what was going through my mind. Starting from the top he had what I would want to call a Minnesota hat, everyone knows what it looks like, the kind with the big flaps hanging down on the side (refer to "Fargo" the movie if you have no clue). He had a two to three day beard going on, but it wasn't scruffy but rather very clean cut looking. He was wearing would call a windbreaker jumpsuit (pink in color non the less) and for shoes he had on some sort of hiking boots. The piece that topped the cake was the backpack like you would use when you climb a mountain. I don't know if he was a bum, a hitchhiker, or just a useless American like I suspect him to be. Anyways back to the story now. He comes up to me and looks at my lunch bag like there was something in there for him (sorry bud but the food is all gone). So he asked me "Have any spare change for some COFFEE?" I give him the ugh face and say nope and he looks at my brother who looks away and the man walks away. Now I feel beggers are bad enough when in terms of bus fare or money for food but when you beg for a non necessity (I can't think of the word right now), something I can't afford myself, I was irked. Who knows, maybe he just had a bad caffein headache? ::shoulder shrug:: -Beener With this post, I'm going live. EEEK

New Subject of the Blog

I have been thinking about this blog and what it really should be about for quite some time now. It could be about Apple or hockey or movies or any endless junk that I feel like writing about. But then I thought it could be about me, a 25 year old single guy that really doesn't do much. It could be about failing in the dating game (something I have never had to go through before), funny things that happen with me or around me (for some reason, weird shit is always around) and it could be about some photographs that I have taken (I think my thousands of dollars in student loans should go for something). I feel that once the ball get rolling, it will be easy to work on and should be pretty fun to do. I'm not expecting this to get very big and most likely it will be just me writing and then me reading my stuff all over again. So that is what the premise is going to be, at least for the moment; I hope; kind of like; yeah. So once again, welcome and write to me damnit. Beener