Da Moon Rulez #1

Ch-ch-check it out - The moon is supposed to be crazy big tonight. A full moon is coinciding with point in its elliptical orbit that is closest to the Earth.

News?

Actual headline this morning:
"Cops: Suspected Illegals Plotted Kidnap of Texas Corn Dog Scion"

FOX news, always on the ball. This headline is good for a few reasons. First, its ridiculous - Corn Dog Scion? Is this the best story you've got this morning? Second, its all hearsay anyways. They aren't illegals, they're suspected illegals. And they didn't actually kidnap the C.D.S., they were only plotting to.

So for me, basically, this story could have read this: "Possible Illegal Immigrants Thought About Kidnapping Someone I Don't Give A Rat's Ass About."

In other news - I was trying to make up my own OnionNews-like headline this morning and this is what rolled off my tounge: "Area Man Has Second Thoughts About His Bologna Sandwich"

PA

ahahahahahahahahahahaha....

I saw the story they mention in this comic earlier, and thought to myself, "what the hell is Barack Obama doing with a Zune? I figured he was cooler and smarter than that." Now, I'm not sure what BO actually does listen to, but I figure that if I can trust him with nukes, I can trust him to make a smart choice in .mp3 players, too. Its still funny that somebody else felt let down that BO has a Zune, too. I suppose that's better press that we'd found out that he used a 'jailbroken' iPhone.

Cashes Rivers

Cashes and I recently played Scented Vinyl, a local recording session meets band interview meets playing your favorite songs on vinyl plus 5 songs performed live.  

 It was a really cool experience, and the host, Dan Bosman, is one of the coolest guys I know.  Good taste in music, motivated to do his best to influence and promote local music in an area with tons of great local talent... that no one seems to care about.  Nobody would to go to a local show that wasn't the Nadas.  That's started to change in the past 2 years, and Dan's had a pretty big hand in that.   Plus he's just an all-around nice guy.

Cashes' sister made a quick trip out for the show, and she recorded most of the show.  Here's links to the videos I played on:

Atoms

When It Rains

The Future comes to Des Moines...

later than the rest of the country.

3G, the high-speed network used by smart phones, has finally come to DSM. Its only on in the Downtown and West DSM areas so far, still getting steady on its feet, but its here! I still have a few dead spots in the building I work in due to its size and being construction type 6 (Fire-Resistive, don't see to many of those. They're usually just CS 4 / Masonry Non-Combustible, but that's another blog). We move next door to an even newer building next month, so I'm hoping I'll get better reception in there. Its the only place so far in the Metro that I don't get service in.

FRANK RIZZO!

There was a pretty funny story today in the news - a FL congresswoman hung up on Obama. Twice.

She'd heard radio stations 'punk-ing' high-profile people before and assumed this was another prank call. Afterwards, Obama's team had to find someone who knew her, call him, have him call her, she made her friend answer an inside joke to verify his identity, then had to call the Obama offices back saying, "if he still wants to talk to me, I swear I won't hang up on him again."

I just really like this guy. His response was basically 'well Ileana, at least you'll know I'll never forget you now. Plus Michelle loves to pinch my ego, so this will give her enough material for awhile. Anyways, about Cuba....'

This is how Wii do it.

This article is pretty interesting. I've noticed before that both Sony and Microsoft never ever mention Nintendo as being a competitor. This most recent press release by Microsoft gloating over the Xbox 360's performance this quarter is the most telling. M$ is claiming that the Wii isn't a direct competitor, and Sony's CEO says that its an "expensive niche game device." That its not a true 'game console.'
Well, here's why they don't want to be compared to the Wii. Its SCHOOLING both of them. The Wii has very nearly outsold both the 360 and the PS3 combined.
Ouch.

Guest Blogger: Pablo Eskimobar

Hey Everyone! I'm someone who gets to spend 8-4:30 everyday with Caboose at his desk - his faithful stress-penguin, Pablo Eskimobar. Work recently took us on a 4-day work trip. Its kept Caboose busy, but I've been documenting MY trip for his readers.

Here I am testing out my King-Suite bed. It was a little big, but hey, I'm not footing the bill....

Here I am using the free toiletries. I filled up the sink with cold water and filled it with complimentary ice cubes to make it feel like home. I also stole a few of the soaps. These sheets check out. Can't be too careful in a strange bed. Could be a sealion hiding out in one....

I shouldn't have mentioned sealions.... now I can't get to sleep.

Here I am actually in the Gainesville office. I just got done with a 2 hour long meeting, and as you can see, all the standard work items were there: free bagels and cream cheese, ergo chairs, phones, laptops, iteneraries, and enough hand sanitizer to swim in. I didn't stage this picture at all, just jumped in the frame. And that's all I had time to document! I'm sure Caboose will be caught up in a few days and return to blogging. Keep on chillin!

-Pablo

Safe-Haven revised

I was wondering when they'd get around to this. Nebraska's Safe Haven law was different from every other state in that they didn't include an age limit - they only used the word "child" leaving the door open for any parent to anonymously drop off any kid under the age of 18 with no strings attached. A law which had good intentions was being horribly abused, and I was waiting for Nebraska to change that wording. It took longer than expected, but they're finally going to adopt new verbiage to include only children less than 30 days old.

Its good that they finally addressed this, as Nebraska was becoming the punchline for the entire country. For example - Roscommon and I got sucked in to watching ER last night and one parent (jokingly) said to their 17-year old "Keep it up! I swear to God I'll drop you off in Omaha!" We both looked at each other and said ".....ouch."

America's non-violent revolution

History was made last night. The first African-American President. The first President born in Hawaii. The first time in years that I've been proud of my country. (yes, I said it. Worse - I meant it.) I've been ashamed of our foreign policy and our President for a long time, and was amazed that he was re-elected. There seemed to be so much ignorance and false knowledge, so little political and social awareness. We elected a blunt instrument to bash things for us. Ironically, like a political Britney Spears, Bush did exactly what everyone seemed to know he would, then we hated and berated him for it.
But this is the meaning behind the HOPE slogan of this campaign - that we don't have to see the worst in people, that we can rise above petty arguments and bigotry and FIX THIS SHITHOLE we've dug for ourselves. For EVERYBODY. The soft spoken older man (Democrat I think) who's always on the CNN panels said the main comment that sticks in my head. I paraphrase:
Think of the difference in the world's perception of us which just occurred. In the United Nations, we had Bush, a President that wouldn't even stay for other countries responses to his speeches. Someone who was a horrible public speaker and didn't seem to care. Think about the atmosphere in the UN chamber. Now imagine the atmosphere as the President of the United States walks in next year. A black man. An extremely intelligent man. A man who's lived in other countries than the United States. Someone who not only respects and understands our Constitution, he taught classes on it. Inclusive rather than exclusive. How drastic of a change is that?

Maya Angelou had a good interview this morning. Here's a snippet:
"I believe in the heart of every American there's the desire to belong to a great country. And look at it -- not just powerful, not just might, not just things, not consumer goods. I mean, look at our souls, look at our hearts. We have elected a black man to talk for us, to speak for us. We, blacks, whites, Asians, Spanish-speaking, Native Americans, we have done it. Fat, thin, pretty, plain, gay, straight. We have done it! My Lord -- I am an American, baby!"

Why this man?

"Because he's intelligent, Harry. I don't mean intellectually clever, I mean intelligent. I mean what used to be called 'mother wit.' He has common sense that is, I'm sorry to say, most uncommon. Because he knows that, together, we can be somebody. And he is inclusive, as opposed to exclusive. I know that he knows he is the president of every black person, every white person -- he's the president of the bigots, and he must remember that."

Is Barack Obama not the embodiment of the American Dream? A mixed race family, raised without a father, living in several different areas, getting a good education on student loans, then refusing 6-figure salaries to help with community organizing.

I'm still concerned about what the future holds for our country, but for the first time in a long time - I'm optimistic. I have Hope.