Timing Is Everything

I should not start a 4-player game of Agricola at 11:00 P.M. It's too hard to get up for work the next morning. I actually took a short nap after work. I never do that.

BGG Site Down

[For 12/29]

It's a sad thing when the Web site you visit every day is down for several days. I understand there was a hardware failure, and it took a long time to restore everything from the backups. But BoardGameGeek.com is back online (as of this post), so all of us geeks can get our daily fix again.

Packers vs Lions

The Green Bay Packers handed the Detroit Lions an 0-16 record -- the first ever -- today by defeating them 31-21 in a meaningless (except maybe for draft position) game at Lambeau Field today.

Early to Rise

Someone got up relatively early this morning to go 3 hours west to the city on Old Man River -- even after a late night at the "Casino". Eager to see friends, I guess.

Hare & Tortoise

[For 12/26]

Though Hare & Tortoise has rules for 2 players, it really wasn't meant to be played that way. There are some quirks to the game that wouldn't show up if played with 3 or more. I hope I can play it with several others soon.

Cool New Games

Scripts and Scribes, Kingsburg, and Gemlok are three cool new (to me) games that I got to play today. Thank you very much, givers!

Christmas Eve

[For 12/24]

I received many very cool presents from my wife and children tonight...books, clothes, a game, and more. God bless you all.

Longer Days

[For 12/23]

After the first day of winter, the days start to get longer, but only because the sun sets later. For a few days, the sun actually rises later too! But it's not enough to offset the later sunset and make the days continue to get shorter.

I don't understand why that should be, but that's what it says on sunrisesunset.com and elsewhere.

Merry Christmas, Lovie

[For 12/22]

Well, Lovie, your goal for the Bears was to beat the Packers, and that you did as the Pack lost yet again by 4 points or less. Merry Christmas, Lovie.

Any Given Sunday

[For 12/21]

On any given Sunday that the Packers don't play, it's possible to complete 3 games of Agricola with 3 different numbers of players -- especially when the wind chill is -10 or lower.

Ticket Costs

[For 12/20]

To get 2 tickets to a show (online), you really end up paying for 3 after all the extra charges are added on. It's like they keep telling you, "Please, sir, I want some more."

Snow, Snow, and More Snow

[For 12/19]

I thought we had a lot of snow last year, but the piles are already higher now than when I took pictures of them in 2007 or early 2008. I knew I would be working from home today when I found a foot of snow piled up on the deck. I've never seen that much at one time on that deck.

Kwik Trip

[For 12/18]

The Kwik Trip at the intersection of Hwy 26 and I-94 is on the south side of the interstate.

Plush Meeple

I saw a blue, plush meeple "pillow" today.

Goose Is Cooked

[For 12/16]

A Christmas present I ordered probably won't arrive on time -- at least it's no longer guaranteed. Sadness.

1000+ New Species

I read an article today (It may still be here.) that told how scientists have discovered over 1000 new species of critters in the Mekong area over the past decade.

This is my favorite quote from the article: "Not all species were found hiding in remote jungles -- the Laotian rock rat, which the study said was thought to be extinct about 11 million years ago, was first encountered by scientists in a local food market in 2005, it said."

Not only does that border on the hilarious, but it also raises all kinds of questions about endangered species and what we're supposedly doing wrong relative to creation. Just think about it for a few minutes. The longer you think, the more questions you'll have.

Packers Out of the Playoffs

The Green Bay Packers didn't have much of a chance at making the playoffs before their game this week, but they sealed their fate by losing to the Jaguars -- by only 4 points (again). They lost way too many games by 4 points or less this year.

I still think they're better than the Vikings and the Bears though.

Cable TV Reboot

Sometimes the cable TV can set itself so that it looks like you have to pay extra to watch every channel -- even the "free" ones that you're already paying for. Just reboot.

T-shirt Slogan

[For 12/12]

A T-shirt reading, "I beat anorexia" is a funny thing when worn by a fat man.

No, I didn't say that anorexia is funny. No hate comments needed, thank-you-very-much.

Barter

[For 12/11]

It pays to barter (sometimes). Prices that look hard and fast might come down more easily than you think, if only you ask.

I can't say what the item is because the goose is getting fat.

Food, Glorious Food

[For 12/10]

If you can all get a lot of easy food when playing Agricola, it makes for a tighter, higher-scoring game.

Metro Piece

[For 12/9]

We lost a tile from the game Metro. I asked the publisher about it. They agreed to send a replacement. They are located in Germany! The piece cost 4 Euros to mail. Isn't that about $8.00? Hurrah for Queen Games, Germany!

Christmas Tree

Our Christmas tree has almost 600 lights adorning its branches this year. And the ornaments are themed: They all relate in some way to a (board) game.

Packers Only Chance

I think the Packers (after their loss today) can still get into the playoffs if they win their last 3 games and Minnesota loses their last 3 games, but that would be their only chance -- and a slim one at that.

Edit: The Bears also have to lose 2 of their last 3 games.

Musicmatch Jukebox

When you rip a single track (or more than one?) off a CD using Musicmatch Jukebox, it's nearly impossible to find it on your hard drive. Apparently the creators of Jukebox realized this because they even included a right-click popup menu item called "Show location on computer..."!

Hancock, the Movie

[For 12/5]

While painting, I was listening to bits and pieces of the Will Smith movie Hancock. It seemed to be a story (though I'm told there wasn't much of a plot) about how we might treat a superhero if we really had one in real life -- not just like Superman in the movies.

Rolling Hills

[For 12/4]

Glidden Rolling Hills satin finish paint does not cover a white wall with just one coat no matter how thick or thin you attempt to apply it. There's always some that shows through meaning a second coat will be needed.

More Shelves

[For 12/3]

Brought home more shelves from the "shop" today and put them out on the curb for the trash man (or anyone else) to take tomorrow.

That's still not all of the shelves. Oi. Wish we had a use for them.

Cool Jazz is Blue

[For 12/2]

Cool Jazz is a blue (not green!) paint color that can be easily cleaned up after dropping a brushful of it on a bathroom floor.

Olive Room

[For 12/1]

I can paint a bedroom all by myself in less than a day.

(Tomorrow, a bathroom.)

Spreading the Word

A new friend of the family attended our church this morning. I hope this is the start of several wonderful relationships.

Layoff

My (former?) brother-in-law got laid off a few weeks ago. Fortunately it sounds like he will be able to work for the outfit he previously worked at.

Australia, the Movie

Australia, the movie, is a decent flick that is either 2 or 3 movies rolled into one.

Bee Stings

[For 11/27]

My brother-in-law has become allergic to bee stings.

Piano Player

Mrs. H. can play piano. We'll have her play some pre-service at Christmastime, at least.

Sony XDR-FiHD Radio Tuner

[For 11/25]

If you're really into listening to the radio, the Sony XDR-F1HD AM/FM/HD Radio Tuner ($100 or less) is supposed to be the best thing since sliced bread.

Okay, so the comparison doesn't really work, but you get the idea.

No Oven Leak

[For 11/24]

So it wasn't exactly a leak, which is good. The oven needed a new lighter. Not good, but it could have been worse.

Oven Leak

Sometimes lately when we use the oven, we can smell gas -- or so I'm told. I first noticed it today when we tried to cook a pizza. It didn't get totally cooked even when left in for extra time. Since I thought that a gas smell wasn't a good thing to smell, we're having a repairman look at it tomorrow. Hopefully all will be well before Thanksgiving.

Free Wood

If you set unwanted wood on the curb and offer it for free, someone is bound to pick it up -- even if it's a huge shelving cabinet that takes several average people to lift.

Gathering #50

[For 11/21]

We had a new player attend JBGS Gathering #50. She came by personal invitation.

Under an Hour and a Half

Yes, there's a lot about Agricola here, but it takes a lot of my time lately. But that's changing. We can now fairly regularly play a 3-player game in under an hour and a half!

Shorewest Realty

The Shorewest Realty web site uses maps to show not only their own listings but also the listing of (what I think are) their competitors. Interesting.

Readership

I wasn't sure anyone I knew had found this blog. Now I know someone who has. Enjoy, padawan. (This one wasn't too exciting though, huh?)

Meh. No, Really. Meh.

The Collins English Dictionary folks elected to include meh as an official dictionary entry. It's defined as an expression of indifference or boredom, or an adjective meaning mediocre or boring.

The Bears Still Suck!

[For 11/16]

The Green Bay Packers clobbered the Chicago Bears today, 34-3. By record alone, the Packers, Bears, and Vikings are now in a 3-way tie for first in the NFC North.

Edit: I forgot to mention earlier that you could hear the Packers fans chanting the title above when the announcers stopped talking at one point during the game. Or maybe it was the Bears fans....

The Detroit Lions are 0-10, but we won't talk about them.

Agricola, not 4th Corner

[For 11/15]

Some time ago I mistakenly recorded a play of Agricola as a play of 4th Corner at BGG. So my latest play of Agricola was my 40th, not 39th.

Blackboards

Many (most?) traditional blackboards -- like the kind you find in most classrooms -- are made of painted steel.

Matt Cassel

[For 11/13]

Matt Cassel can score almost as many fantasy football points as Tom Brady. That's a good thing for my team.

PS3 and the Grid

The PlayStation 3 can be used as part of the mass, distributed computing project called Folding@home through its Life with PlayStation feature.

Inspiration

Berlioz and Mussorgsky continue to be sources of musical inspiration for the next generation of budding musicians -- even those who play ska.

42-42-29

We play the game of Agricola a lot. Still it's amazing how many times we end up with tied scores.

Alzheimer's

[For 11/9]

Sadly, I now know 2 relatives (by marriage) with Alzheimer's disease.

In a Football Cave

[For 11/8]

Some people live in a cave when it comes to NFL football...His name is Brett Favre, and he's white. This is not really trivia. (Sorry, you had to be there.)

Logon - Logoff

[For 11/7]

Tracking how much an employee works by monitoring when he logs on and off the computer system is not accurate, but I suppose it's about all that management has to go on.

NFL on Thursday

We don't get the Thursday NFL football game on TV because it's only on the NFL Network. That sucks, NFL Network!

Michael Crichton

Sci-fi author Michael Crichton died today at age 66.

Voting for President

We were third in line to vote shortly after 6:00 tonight. I had expected to wait a lot longer. I guess most people voted earlier.

Air Car

Some day you may have the opportunity to drive a car that runs on air. Not a hovercraft, but one in which air moves the pistons.

Kyle Orton Out

My "star" fantasy football quarterback, Kyle Orton, is out for at least a month with a high ankle sprain. Bad news for me, sorta, but probably good news for the Green Bay Packers, who fell to the Tennessee Titans today in overtime. The New England Patriot's Matt Cassell is my backup QB. Go, Pats!

I never thought I'd be saddened by the loss of a Chicago QB or be cheering for the Patriots.

Drummer Onboard

My son who wants to start a band next year will get to play with the drummer who's been with Emily's Fault all along. No alternate drummer will be needed.

Short Workday

[For 10/31]

The boss (manager) let us out of work early (almost an hour) today...just cuz.

For some reason a lot of people had taken the day off anyway. Nice weather? Halloween (on a Friday)? Who knows?

Changing Cell Phone Providers

Some cell phone providers won't let you cancel their service, if the plan isn't in your name, without first verifying that it's okay to do so with the person who's name is on the plan. Huh? Why do they care who drops off the plan? Whatever.

Mary and Bert

I know who's going to a Halloween party as Mary Poppins and Bert. Nice.

Happy Birthday, Mom

[For 10/28]

I called my mother to wish her a happy birthday. She seemed a little surprised that I called. Hm. Shame on me?

Vegimeeples

Not only are there animeeples (wooden sheep, pigs, and cows) for the game of Agricola, but there are now also vegimeeples (grain and vegetables) for the same.

Geek Table

We have a new "geek table" on wheels for carting our keyboard and other electronic gear to storage and back in the gym where our congregation worships. Thanks to the elder who constructed it himself!

Muscial Pursuits

My son (see previous post) made it officially known that he intends to take next year off from college and pursue a career (at least for a time) in music with a ska band he is putting together. God bless you and your band, son.

Dedication

[For 10/24]

My wife and I had the first performance of a song (composed by my son) publicly dedicated to us. Thanks again, son.

Scotch Rays

Under the right conditions (i.e., in a vacuum), peeling scotch tape produces x-rays.

Bass Line

[For 10/22]

I typed up the bass part for A Mighty Fortress but forgot to print it off. Sorry, dude. You played fine without it.

Winter Approacheth

I turned the furnace on last night. It was cold enough this morning for it to kick in before I left for work.

The iceman cometh.

Extra Room

There's a chance we may have a guest to fill our one of our guest rooms next (school) year.

Ad-Aware Deep Scan

It apparently takes Ad-Aware 2008 almost 7 hours to do a deep scan of my computer. I started one last night after midnight, and it hadn't finished when someone wanted to use the machine early this morning before 8:00.

The good thing is that nothing really awful was found on the hard drive.

Wasp Nest?

There appears to be a rather large wasp nest in the tree in our backyard. We just noticed it today and so far haven't actually seen any wasps. It does look very papery as a wasp's nest is supposed to and there appear to be one or two small openings -- about wasp size -- in the bottom of it.

And that's [name of game]!

[For 10/17]

I'm not the only one who says, "And that's [name of game]," after finishing a game I have just taught to someone.

Game Designer

I'm related to a game designer. We play-tested his first game tonight. It looks quite promising. Hopefully for info on it later.

More Land

Our congregation decided to purchase more land to build on today. 3.7 acres, for a total of 7 acres.

Good, Close Games

Good games are ones where you think the other guy is winning only to find in the end that either you won or you at least were a lot closer than you thought you'd be. Put Agricola and Puerto Rico in that category for starters.

Bees

Even at this time of the year, bees will keep coming to flowers that still have blossoms -- flowers that are pretty much not growing anymore, but must still be alive.

Eleven Seconds

[For 10/12]

It only takes 11 seconds to lose a football game. Just ask the Chicago Bears how it's done.

Extra Goods and/or Money

[For 10/11]

It pays to have extra good and/or money left over at the end of a game of Puerto Rico. It comes in handy when breaking a 3-way tie. Unfortunately, I wasn't the one who had the single extra coin needed for the win.

Quick 'Gric

[For 10/10]

It's possible to play a 2-player game of Agricola in less than an hour and a half.

Conquering San Juan

[For 10/9]

I think I understand how to play San Juan pretty well. Winning 3 games in a row has shown I'm fairly good...at least for now.

Details, Details

[For 10/8]

There are a lot of details to teach about when explaining how to edit and post a sermon online. It's about as difficult to teach as Agricola.

Reef Encounter

I learned how to play Reef Encounter today. I played a 2-player game with my elder son. We almost played a few things incorrectly, but I think we caught ourselves (okay, he caught me) in time so as not to cheat. We did discover several untried tactics after I reread the rules following my win. I think it would be even more fun to play with 3 or 4 players.

The E Deck

We hadn't been using all the cards in the E Deck when playing Agricola! Horrors!

Cedar Rapids - The Meeting

If you travel enough, it's possible (even likely) that you'll meet people you know in the most unexpected places...like at a church on 42nd Avenue in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Are all the churches in Cedar Rapids located on 42nd Avenue?

Wedding Dances

[For 10/4]

Wedding dances aren't all that interesting when only a few people want to dance. And that's okay, because I'm not one of those who's big into dancing. A little was good and enough.

Coloretto

[For 10/3]

The game called Coloretto is a simple card set collecting game that young children could easily play. I played pretty well my first time and won all 3 rounds of our 3-player game.

Speed San Juan

[For 10/2]

Playing what we have dubbed "Speed" San Juan is lots of fun. We decided to play until company arrived. Whoever was ahead at that time was the winner. Of course, being the winner probably helped increase the enjoyment, but still....

Brewers Lose

[For 10/1]

The Milwaukee Brewers lost the opener in their playoff series, 1-3.

Reef Encounter Colors

In the game of Reef Encounter, you have to stretch your imagination a little when it comes to matching colors. Pink is purple, and purple is pink. Red is almost orange, and white is almost the same as gray. It's a pretty game, but I just don't understand why publishers can't do better with the color schemes.

Packers in No Rush

Yesterday the Green Bay Packers had a net total of 28 rushing yards at the end of the first quarter. They had a net total of 28 rushing yards at the end of the game too. Methinks they'll work on that during practice this week.

The Hanging Gardens

The Hanging Gardens is a fun, new tile-collection game that reminds me just a little of Alhambra.

Son-in-law

[For 9/27]

I got a son-in-law today. Welcome to the family, T-Rex.

3 New Games

[For 9/26]

My niece and her husband presented me with 3 games -- Agricola, Reef Encounter, and The Hanging Gardens -- because I played organ for their wedding last month. Thank you, thank you, and thank you!

Bending Flowers

[For 9/25]

(Formerly) tall -- 4-5 foot -- flowers, that have bent over in the course of their normal growth during the summer, don't like to be quickly brought into their original upright position. They tend to snap off. Sadness.

Organ Piper Pizza

[For 9/24]

The Organ Piper is an interesting pizza place on south 108th. There's a big fancy organ with all the bells and whistles (probably literally) that even has a modern drum machine attached. When the organist isn't playing, other groups, like a Dixieland band, might perform. The pizza is good enough, but not as good as Pizza Hut or Godfathers.

Slingshot Pellets

Slingshot pellets make great ball bearings for rotating wedding cakes. Seriously.

Ixonia Ibex

The Ixonia Ibex are the early sole leaders in our fantasy football league at 3-0. The rest of us intend to make that lead short-lived.

Dallas in Green Bay

This is the first time the Dallas Cowboys have ever beat the Green Bay Packers in Green Bay. Doesn't seem right, but I guess most of the games have been played in Dallas.

New Mozart Music

The French just found a melody composed by Mozart that had previously not been known (in modern times). It's just a melody with no harmonies, but it's complete. I wonder what it sounds like. I'd like to compose some harmonies for it.

Agricola

[For 9/19]

The game of Agricola recently replaced Puerto Rico as the favorite on Board Game Geek. I got to play it for the first time and agree that it is a truly wonderful game. I won't rate it a 10 out of 10 yet though. I give it a very strong 9 after just the one play.

Hacked

Someone I know apparently had his computer hacked (remotely) and used as a proxy probably for no good. Said person then wiped out everything on the proxy computer using something free and readily available. Sigh. So sad. Sorry, dude. I feel your pain.

Uniform Color?

[For 9/17]

According to our Miller Park guide, the jersey color (blue or white) that the Milwaukee Brewers wear for home games is determined by the starting pitcher.

Online Secret

Someone I know has an online secret, but I can't tell you about it or it would cease to be a secret. Sorry, but that's what I learned today.

Stocks Fall

[For 9/15]

Following the demise of the Lehman investment company and some other big time changes in the investment world, the stock market dropped more than it had since the 9/11 disaster.

Sounds like a good time to buy!

Packers 2-0

[For 9/14]

The Green Bay Packers, under the direction of Aaron Rodgers, lead the NFC North after Week 2 with a record of 2-0. The Bears are 1-1, while both the Lions and the Vikings are 0-2.

Raven - Texans Postponed

Because of extensive damage at Reliant Stadium and the devastation in Houston and the surrounding areas caused by Hurricane Ike, the Houston Texans' home game against the Baltimore Ravens this weekend has been rescheduled for Sunday, Nov. 9 (1 p.m. ET) at Reliant Stadium.

Short notice made it logistically impossible to play this week at alternate sites. The change in dates also affects the Cincinnati Bengals' bye week schedule.

The regular-season schedule for the Houston Texans, Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals has been changed as a result of this weekend's postponement. The changes for these three teams are as follows:

The Houston Texans' bye has been changed from Week #8 to Week #2

The Texans' next two games will take place as scheduled on the road -- Sunday, Sept. 21 against the Tennessee Titans at LP Field and Sunday, Sept. 28 against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium.

The Baltimore Ravens' bye has been changed from Week #10 to Week #2

The Cincinnati Bengals' bye has been changed from Week #8 to Week #10

The Texans' home game against the Cincinnati Bengals originally scheduled for Week #10 has been rescheduled for Week #8

Slide 5 and Pizza

[For 9/12]

You can't get a complete game of Slide 5 in before the pizza arrives, but you can have fun trying and explaining to the waitress what you're doing.

Yard Waste

The city of Waukesha makes it difficult to get rid of large amounts of yard waste -- flowers, weeds, etc. You either pay them for the privilege of taking it from you, after hauling it to the disposal site yourself, or you try to make kindling of it, which doesn't work so well while the material is still wet. Grr.

Vivaldi Font

[For 9/10]

Vivaldi is a cool font that apparently comes standard in Word. I'm going to use it for the titles of most of my musical creations from now on. Sorry, too hard (if not impossible) to show it to you here. Check it out for yourself in Word.

Favre as a New England Patriot

If Brett Favre had waited until some team needed him when their quarterback got hurt, as Comissioner Goodell suggested, he more than likely would be a New England Patriot today. That would have been fun to see him and Randy Moss on the same team. Scary too.

7 or 8?

[For 9/8]

The number 7 is considered unlucky in China, but 8 is considered lucky, hence the Olympics in 2008 in Beijing.

Lions and Bears, no Tigers, Oh My!

Week 1 - The Lions lost, but the Bears beat the Colts! Oh my!

Used TV

The used TV that my uncle gave me works just fine. The only problem is that we really don't have a good place to put it right now. It has about a 30-inch screen and is the older tube type, not flat panel, LCD, etc.

Citadels

[For 9/5]

I learned how to play Citadels, a card game by Bruno Faidutti. It felt very similar to the game of San Juan and was just as much fun.

Markham Ice Shelf

Per an AP news item...

A chunk of ice shelf nearly the size of Manhattan has broken away from Ellesmere Island in Canada's northern Arctic, another dramatic indication of how warmer temperatures are changing the polar frontier, scientists said Wednesday.

Derek Mueller, an Arctic ice shelf specialist at Trent University in Ontario, told The Associated Press that the 4,500-year-old Markham Ice Shelf separated in early August and the 19-square-mile shelf is now adrift in the Arctic Ocean.

How do you get to be an Arctic ice shelf specialist?

Also from the same article...

Ellesmere Island was once entirely ringed by a single enormous ice shelf that broke up in the early 1900s. All that is left today are the four much smaller shelves that together cover little more than 299 square miles.

Think about that.

Why Work Sucks

[For 9/3]

The book Why Work Sucks and How to Fix It describes a method for getting work done in businesses that doesn't rely on the 40-hour work week. If you get your tasks done, the rest of your time is basically yours to do with as you please. Productivity supposedly goes way up using this methodology. I suppose that wouldn't work everywhere, but it would be great to try it.

Google Chrome

Google's new browser called Chrome was released (beta...isn't everything?) today and so far works as advertised. It's a plain Jane browser chrome-wise, as you might expect from an Internet company whose main page by default has almost nothing on it. I like the red-blue-yellow-green icon too. I wish it would have let me import my Firefox bookmarks though. It only gave MSIE as a choice.

Brake Lights

So I may be way behind on this compared to the rest of y'all, but...it's likely that your car's brake lights will light up when you press the brake pedal even if your car is turned off. I guess for some models you need to have the key in the ignition.

Alive and...

[For 8/31]

Most of my dad's brothers and sisters are still alive and trying to kick. We got to see them all this weekend in Appleton.

Universal Remote

News flash...Universal remotes (for TV, audio, DVD, etc.) really do work! We'd tried to get them to work before but never succeeded till now...thanks to my son.

HDMI and PIP

[For 8/29]

Even after getting a cable box that supports HDMI (cables), it's still hard to get PIP (picture-in-picture) to work because I can't get a signal from the YPbPr1 cable. It's like the HDMI overrides it. But there supposedly is a multistream card in the box which one would think would allow multiple streams of input. Hrmph!

Rodgers to Jennings

I didn't get to see it, but on the first offensive play against the Titans, the Packers scored a touchdown on a pass from Aaron Rodgers to Greg Jennings -- 68 yards.

I won't say, "Brett who?" just yet though. This was still preseason.

MSIE8 Beta 2

Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 was released today. It breaks some of the CSS on Living Word's site unless you set it back to MSIE7 emulation. I thought 8 was supposed to do that kind of stuff better than 7. Hm.

San Juan

Time for another new game -- San Juan. If you are already familiar with the game of Puerto Rico (currently #2 on the Geek second now to Agricola), then you can learn to play San Juan very easily. San Juan is the card game cousin of Puerto Rico. We found it very enjoyable and, as usual, will need several more plays to find some good winning strategies.

Kola Superdeep Borehole

[For 8/25]

The Russians dug a hole over 7 and a half miles down into the earth in the 1970s and 80s. They unexpectedly found water far under the surface. I'm not surprised they did.

"In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, on the seventeenth day of the second month—on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened."

Wedding in 2009

Another niece asked me to play (piano) for her wedding in 2009 today. I was honored to be asked and gladly agreed to do so.

Wedding #2

[For 8/23]

There was another wedding this weekend amongst the relatives. My oldest Miller niece got married in Milwaukee. I was privileged to be the organist.

Math Trade Trades II

[For 8/22]

I gave away my second copy of the game Hive today and received Travel Blokus, Vagabondo, and Squint.

Niece

[For 8/21]

My daughter became an aunt-to-be tonight, so to speak.

Usain Bolt, Olympic Runner

Usain Bolt is the fastest short distance runner known to modern man. He now hold the world record for the 100 meter and the 200 meter races -- even though he supposedly slowed down for the last 20 meters of the 100 to showboat.

Better Place

[For 8/19]

The future of cars and other ground transportation for the world can be found here: Better Place. Thank you Shai Agassi.

Mario Party

My three 20-somethings still enjoy playing Mario Party together. That's cool.

I still enjoy watching them play too.

Travel Time

[For 8/17]

If you don't stop for too long and the traffic isn't too heavy and there isn't road construction and you don't get stopped for speeding, it's possible to travel from the Woodbury, MN, to Waukesha, WI, in under 4.5 hours.

Ballpark Wedding

[For 8/16]

My brother-in-law got married at the minor league ballpark in the Twin Cities today. Unusual, but enjoyable, and very fitting for both of them. God bless their family.

Game Table

[For 8/15]

Tables in standard motel rooms aren't big enough to support many (most?) board games. I think there's a market for portable game tables for use on such ocassions.

Michael Phelps - #6

Michael Phelps now has 6 gold medals in the Beijing olympics. Don't you kinda feel sorry for Laszlo Cseh who keeps finishing 2nd behind Phelps?

Chippyrat Removal

[For 8/13]

I got rid of a second chippyrat using my "trap" today. Maybe the others will take the hint and stay away from the bird feeders.

Timbuktu, the Game

Timbuktu (aka Tombouctou) is a pretty neat brain-burner of a game. I initially rated it a 9 out of 10 which is quite high considering I currently only rate one game (El Grande) a 10.

Packers Preseason vs Bengals

The Green Bay Packers lost their first preseason game, but the first string under Aaron Rodgers went 10-0 against the Cincinnati Bengals in the first quarter.

Emily's Fault Web Site

[For 8/10]

Emily's Fault has a Web site.

Fantasy Football Draft

My first pick in the Wisnet War Zone Fantasy Football League Draft this year was running back Joseph Addai. My last pick was kicker Jason Hanson.

Wisconsin State Fair

[For 8/8]

After not having been to the Wisconsin State Fair since college (over 25 years ago), I found that it is now chiefly a place to eat and drink. You can eat and drink most anything you can think of, but that's it's main function. The animals, crafts, etc. are not the main attraction. There's a little good music to listen to as well.

Canon A550

Our new (used) Canon A550 downloads pictures to my hard drive with very little muss or fuss. Our previous digital camera (an Olympus), as you might expect, could do the same but took several more steps to complete the process.

Gary Sonnenberg

[For 8/6]

Someone at MLC mistook me for the Gary Sonnenberg who works there.

VLTESTI

VLTESTI is a PARM used with SYNCSORT when doing INCLUDES or OMITS on a file with variable-length records.

Yeah, I know, but that's today's lesson.

Ego? Not.

Some people actually believe that the devil is just your ego convincing you that there is a devil and that it's not really you yourself that's the whole problem. Some people are in for a big surprise one day.

She's a Gamer

[For 8/3]

My niece from California is a gamer just like the rest of us. She enjoyed the strategy games we taught her and even has that necessary touch of OCD that requires game bits to be lined up "just so" in their appointed spots on the game board.

Oh yeah, and by the way, speaking of games, Brett Favre is back with the Packers again.

Computer Slow? Check Your RAM

[For 8/2]

It seemed my computer had been running really slow lately. It wasn't spyware or anything like that because I'd taken care of that stuff recently using SpyBot, Ad-Aware, SUPERAntiSpyware, and Spyware Blaster. I had also cleaned unneeded files from my hard drive so I had plenty of space. Yet it still seemed that the hard drive was being accessed for almost every little task.

So I opened up the case and checked the RAM cards. Sure enough, one of them -- even though they're clamped in at both ends -- seemed a little loose when I pushed on it. When you only have 512K and just half of that is functional, everything is going to slow to a crawl. Now everything seems back to normal speeds.

Moral of the story: Check your physical banks of RAM from time to time. You may not be using all the memory you think you are.

Washing Machines

The GE Profile and the Maytag brand washing machines aren't currently as highly rated as the LG, but they're a strong second place and are probably cheaper.

Debit or Credit Card?

Sometimes, despite the word "debit" being clearly visible on the front of a plastic card, said card must be used as a credit card. Silly, but true.

Second Mortgage

To implement the second phase of the Missed Fortune plan, you need to scrape together enough money to be able to make payments on a second mortgage; that is, the mortgage (interest-only) on the second home. Supposedly you can do that because of the money you're saving from phase one and other tactics.

Qwirkle Bag

The bag that holds the tiles in the game of Qwirkle isn't made of the best material and will eventually need repairs. Thankfully, my wife knows how to mend such things.

Digital Camera

You can get a nice digital camera, like the PowerShot A550, for less than $100 (probably used).

Getting Out

My son is likely going to get out of the musical instrument repair business by the end of the year. There just isn't enough demand in this area.

Of Geckos and Parrots

[For 7/25]

This past Thursday, my son saw gecko in a box that arrived at his place of employment. It wasn't supposed to be sent there, and no one knows how it got into the box that it was shipped in. Strange.

That same day, he and some friends saw a lady with a trained (like a falcon) parrot on the 18th hole of a frisbee golf course. Interesting.

New House in West Allis

Our niece and nephew-in-law-to-be have a very nice old house in West Allis, a suburb of Milwaukee.

To Teach or Not

[For 7/24]

One of our "adopted daughters" has chosen not to become a teacher. That's a good decision if you're not really sure that's what you want and have always had something else in the back of your mind that you did really want to do instead. Actually this is true for anyone going to college, not just teachers.

King of El Grande?

The stats showing who has played (and logged) the most of each game at BoardGameGeek.com are back.

Currently...

Castle = 80 = 1st place by 60
Abbey = 62 = 1st place by 41
El Grande = 52 = 1st place by 19
Aquadukt = 22 = 1st place by 6
Carc City = 47 = 1st place by 2
Pillars = 53 = 3rd place
Alhambra = 86 = 5th place
Qwirkle = 29 = 8th place
Attika = 61 = 9th place

Nameburst = 32...others: 4, 3, 2, 2, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1
TP Music = 27...others: 5, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1
TP Disney = 11...others: 3, 1
TP Vol. 6 = 8 = 1st by 5

Nameburst Is King

It's no surprise really, but Nameburst is our family's favorite game, based on ratings that each of us awarded it. Tied for 2nd place are El Grande, Mystery of the Abbey, and Pillars of the Earth.

Family Rated

[For 7/21]

Nameburst is the game that we own that is most highly rated on average by everyone in our family. Pillars of the Earth and El Grande are tied for 2nd place, and Alhambra, Hacienda, and Ra are tied for 3rd.

Handel's Water Music

I don't know where my organ book of Handel's Water Music is. I could use it for a wedding coming up next month. Hmph!

Batman Begins

I enjoyed Batman Begins. My favorite part was the playing of the piano. (It had to be. I'm a musician.)

Playing Games in Summer

[For 7/18]

While we still like to play boardgames in summer, apparently most other people have other things to do. We had our lowest attendance at a game Gathering tonight. I'm not complaining, just noting that our usual crowd must have all been busy reading up on the Brett Favre saga instead.

Drum Sets

[For 7/17]

Drum sets, the electric kind, don't cost as much as I thought. A decent Yamaha brand set can be had for about $700, or so I'm told.

Music Sequencing Software

[For 7/16]

Music sequencing software, like SONAR 7 by Cakewalk, is difficult to setup the first time you use it.

Can't Stop!

Can't Stop! is a classic Sid Sackson press-your-luck game that my wife picked up for cheap at a local thrift store today. We've found that, not only is it hard to stop when it's your turn, but it's also hard to stop playing the game, period.

Academic Pricing

You can get academic pricing for all kinds of software if you're a student, teacher, or church musician (or something close to one of the above in some cases). The only difference is the pricing itself; the software is the same as for any other consumer.

WWZ Upgrade

The cost to upgrade the WWZ to a "deluxe" league won't cost as much as I expected.

Ioway

[For 7/12]

The natives of what is now Iowa were originally known as the Ioway people. I suppose the "y" just got dropped somewhere along the line, and we now pronounce the state "Iowah" instead of "Ioway".

US 151

[For 7/11]

Travelling US Highway 151 is a great way to get from Wisconsin to Iowa. You avoid the tolls in Illinois along the Interstate and get some scenic views instead. So, the next time you want to go from Milwaukee to Des Moines (or vice versa) take I-94, US 151, I-380, and I-80 (or the reverse order).

Zone Alarm and Microsoft

I wasn't the only one with a problem accessing the Internet after installing the latest Microsoft security update. Anyone with Zone Alarm set to "high" had the same predicament. Fortunately, Zone Alarm has been fixed with a new version that I installed today.

Display Cases, Part II

Those display cases I mentioned the other day...They're filling half of our garage now. I don't really mind, but it is good that some of them have already been sold.

Windows Update Cut Me Off from the World

A Windows security update I installed earlier today prevented me from accessing the Internet. I had to uninstall it to be able to write this here for you. I wish I had written down the number of the install. I might try it again sometime because I think there was a glitch during the installation.

Secret Friend

[For 7/7]

I got to see what D's "secret" friend, M, looks like.

Xe Queo

Xe Queo is a quick little game of bluffing that can be made on your own. I don't think I'd pay for an official copy even if I could find one. Sorry, Alex.

The Spiderwick Chronicles

The boy (Freddie Highmore) who starred in August Rush also played twins in The Spiderwick Chronicles. It was pretty well done. We had to look it up to be sure he was playing both parts.

Display Cases

[For 7/4]

There will soon be some store display cases in our garage. My son got them free from someone who no longer needed them. They are for sale.

Wall-E

Wall-E is an entertaining, very cute, and sometimes witty love story that drives its point home about going green -- before its too late -- with a sledge hammer.

Solar System Squashed

The solar system may be squashed; that is, its current shape doesn't seem to be a nice round shape as has been previously thought. The Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 space probes didn't get to the edge of the system the same distance from the sun.

House for Sale

A house next to the property that our church has purchased has now been offered at a reasonable price, so our church intends to purchase it as well. Thanks, God.

Wrong German Anthem

Apparently those running the show at the Euro 2008 soccer championship posted the wrong words for fans to sing. It seems they used the Naz-i version instead of the current version. They apologized today.

Germany vs Spain

Germany lost the Euro 2008 soccer (aka football) championship to Spain today by the score of 0-1.

Counting the Cost

[For 6/28]

Projects (like re-shingling a roof) always cost more than expected due to unexpected costs. (Duh.) And here's another bit of wisdom...You get what you pay for, so expect to replace things like rotten wood when re-shingling a roof, if the wood was cheap to start with.

Sto

[For 6/27]

A big line of storms that was passing through Wisconsin broke up just before it hit Waukesha. So we only got a few drops and our re-shingling project could continue without a pause. Yay!

New Roof

[For 6/26]

My brother-in-law will be coming down from New London tomorrow to start work on re-shingling our roof. My sister and their son will follow later to help with the project.

Nothin'

Nothin' (alternate title: Nuthin')is a pretty good song my son wrote (that is, finished) today. I get to play bass guitar and sing part of it ("Nothin', nothin'") this weekend (if it doesn't rain) at the Hollyn benefit concert.

Steve Deam

A teacher, Steve Deam, from whom I learned a lot of COBOL at UW-Milwaukee 10 years ago died last week. One of my fellow MICAP students told me about it today.

George Carlin

George Carlin died yesterday of heart failure at age 71. For some reason, I wonder if he's in heaven or not. Most Christians would probably guess he's not. But I still wonder....

Music Stands for the Hollyn Concert

The Heralds won't need to supply all the music stands needed for the concert for Hollyn. We own 2, but we need 5. The sound crew said they'll actually provide 6 for whoever needs them. Nice.

Yamaha Motif ES8 Buttons

The Yamaha Motif ES8 (and probably other similar instruments) has over 100 buttons, knobs, wheels, sliders, etc. That's more than the 88 piano keys actually used to get sounds out of the machine.

Bought Their First House

[For 6/20]

My niece and nephew-in-law-to-be have bought (are actually in the process of buying) their first house in metro Milwaukee.

Ice on Mars?

Scientists are pretty sure the Phoenix spacecraft that recently landed on Mars blew away some of the surface dirt to reveal some ice below. It will be interesting to see if they are right or not. It won't really change anything back here on Earth, but it's interesting enough anyway.

Firefox 3

Firefox 3 installs really quickly. If...er...when you install it, if it seems like some add-ons can't be updated, look for them manually like you probably did when you first added them. There's likely a totally new version, as opposed to an update, that will work with Firefox 3.

Financial Goals

[For 6/17]

We've had real live financial (i.e. retirement) goals for about a year now. Our financial guide tells us we're still on target -- even though the target can move a bit.

Google Docs vs MS Word

I can open a browser and get to a new Google doc faster than opening MS Word on my local machine...I think. I didn't time it, but it sure feels faster. It's much easier to share a Google doc too. And well it should be since that's one of the main purposes of using online docs.

Pager / Cell Phone Charge Life

My pager / cell phone will not last the entire weekend without being recharged. Best not to leave the charger at work on Fridays.

Deck Stain and Waterproofing

You don't need to apply a clear waterproofing solution to a backyard deck if the stain you're covering it with already accomplishes the same thing. One or the other is enough.

Trimming the Lawn

I cut the lawn this morning. I noticed I forgot to trim the edges after the previous cut.

[This post will probably receive the award for most trivial in this blog during 2008.]

Cedar Rapids

The city of Cedar Rapids is pretty much under water this week. I continue to be thankful that the worst we've had at our house is a drippy bathroom exhaust fan. Hardly compares, does it?

Yamaha Motif ES8

The Yamaha Motif ES8 is an excellent keyboard that I was able to purchase for our church at an excellent price. (No seller fraud involved this time.) I hope it arrives early next week so I can learn how to use it in time for the concert at the end of the month.

Shady Sellers on eBay

[For 6/10]

I was almost taken in by fraud on eBay. Some shady seller was offering a keyboard that was priced just right. Unfortunately he was also offering several other pieces of electronic gear at the same time and for the same price. This made him look suspicious. His "post-sales" emails weren't quite up to snuff either. I came out of the near-deal unscathed.

Cheap Parts for Saturn Cars

The ignition of some (i.e. our) Saturn car is apparently made so cheaply (i.e. poorly) that it needs to be replaced every year or so...just after the warranty runs out. I guess in a weird sort of way that makes sense, doesn't it?

Sound Check

The Heralds sound check for the Vibes on the West Side concert for Hollyn Peterson starts at 12:30 P.M. on June 28.

Lotsa Rain

We got 4 inches of rain this afternoon in the space of about 2 hours. And we got more after that. I'll know in the morning if our rain gauge could handle it all!

Colosseum

You might think the game of Colosseum is about throwing people to the lions, but it's really about buying and trading for resources to put on plays for an audience. It's fun.

Wellington Windows

The special of the month at Wellington Windows (of Wisconsin) for June is buy 8 windows and get a bay window free. We don't have 8 windows to replace. We would have, but we replaced one last year. We do want to replace some of the others this year, but I think we'll see what the July special of the month is first.

Pandora on Your Desktop

You can now get the Pandora streaming music service via your desktop instead of through a Web browser. There is still a window that has to be open, and it shows ads, but it supposedly takes up less memory this way.

Bo Diddley

Bo Diddley died yesterday at the age of 79. His real name was Otha Ellas Bates.

Two-Player Games

"Charlie" will play 2-player games more readily than "Tarquin". That's not a slur against "T", just a difference. I really like playing games with either and both of them. A lot.

Ant Hill

We have a decorative tile (about 1 foot square) in the back yard under the faucet coming from the house. In the past couple of days, ants have built a multi-entrance/exit hill all around the tile. I've seen large ant hills before, but never anything quite like this. It looks more like a miniature mountain range than a single hill.

Detour

[For 5/31]

There is currently a detour of Wisconsin state highway 45 between Oshkosh and Waupaca that reroutes you to highways 76 and 10 instead. Fortunately, the detour doesn't take much, if any, more time to get from Oshkosh to Waupaca.

Biophonies

It somehow doesn't seem quite right that Dr. Bernie Krause bemoans the loss of so much natural recording space in the world and at the same time sells those sounds on the Internet.

Cell Phone Voice Recognition

[For 5/29]

I'm pretty sure my home cell phone is more expensive than the one I got for business use at work this week, but the business phone sports voice recognition without the need for training. I had no idea that this technology had come so far. I don't use it anywhere else regularly. Pretty slick.

The Republic of Nepal

Nepal was a kingdom for over 200 years until today when the people voted to become a republic.

Awesome Auger?

Apparently not everyone is awed by the "Awesome Auger".

Infomercial Ratings

Pissed Consumer

I guess I'll pass too.

I'm Henry VIII I Am

The 2 choice (sequentially) of pre-programmed accompaniments on my keyboard is exactly what is used/needed for Herman's Hermits' rendition of I'm Henry VIII I Am.

Planting Seeds

[For 5/25]

You can work up a sweat simply planting (flower) seeds in a (flower) garden. You wouldn't think that just repeatedly bending down and walking around would be so much exercise that the perspiration would come, but it does for me in 70+ degree weather.

I did get everything planted in the front yard before the rains came. Yea!

Prince Caspian

We just saw the movie Prince Caspian. I had recently reread the C. S. Lewis book, so I remembered the original plot pretty well. Other than an extra needless battle and a mistimed horn blowing, the movie followed the book fairly well -- a lot better than some movies do. The movie even managed to fit in a few of the main messages that Lewis put into his book.

The book itself doesn't have much action and would have been a fairly boring movie, so I don't really fault the producers, etc. for spicing it up a bit.

After hearing the accent given the Telmarines, I kept waiting for Caspian to say, "My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."

Some Days Are Like That

Some days it's really hard to think of something I learned. That's a cop out, and I'll only use it once, but today is just one of those days. Oh well.

Brazilian Beetles and Computers

Who woulda thunk it? Some strange Brazilian beetle can do what computer scientists still can't, so they'll just copy the pattern from the beetle.

This is really awesome to me, but I'd disagree that luck (as mentioned in the linked story) had anything to do with it.

Somebody to Love

In the Queen song, Somebody to Love, Freddie Mercury composed some neat 4-on-3 and 2-on-3 rhythms. I had really noticed them until I saw it in print today.

Trombone Bore Size

Trombones do not all have the same size bore. They might only vary by a few hundredths of an inch, but one model is probably not the same as the next.

Flux

Flux is used when soldering metals. It makes it easier for the metals to join by removing oxidation.

Proofreading Needed?

The folks I proofread for at Two Pilots are getting much better at writing in English. Maybe they won't need my services forever.

Hawk Attack

We have several bird feeders in the backyard. Two of them are open box feeders. Sometimes critters such as chippyrats use them as well. I remember thinking not too long ago that such a feeding chippyrat would make a good target for predatory birds.

Today I learned from our next-door neighbor that such an attack happened this past Thursday. A hawk dove in for the kill on some little critter who was feeding on one of the boxes. We're not entirely sure if it was a chippyrat or a squirrel. The neighbors noticed a scared-to-death squirrel nearby. They didn't see a chippyrat. And they didn't see that the hawk had killed anything. It seemed the hawk was a little surprised at the instability of the swinging box feeder.

In any case, pretty cool. Wish I'd been there.

Waukesha to New Ulm

[For 5/16]

You can drive from Waukesha, Wisconsin, to New Ulm, Minnesota, in 6 hours -- almost to the minute -- with a minimum of necessary stops, if you take highways 94, 52, and 14. And that's done by exceeding the posted limit by no more than 5 mph. The reverse trip can be done in the same amount of time...unless you get stuck behind a tractor on 14.

Self-Sharpening Lawnmower Blades

It is impossible to find someone who will sharpen the lawnmower blades on a reel mower. You know, the "old" push mower that runs on muscle power instead of gas or electricity.

However, it turns out that a reel lawnmower's blades are pretty much self-sharpening. When properly adjusted, the blades hone themselves on the cutter bar of the mower itself. Valve-grinding compound can be applied to the mower to aid in the sharpening if the mower itself isn't doing the trick well enough anymore.

Reading the Whole Bible

It took me just a few days over 2 years to read the whole Bible -- Genesis through Revelation -- this last time.

Chippyrats and Doves

Chippyrats (aka chipmunks or ground squirrels) can scare away mourning doves from a bird feeder.

The chippyrat I saw was on the feeder before the dove arrived. The dove perched on an eave of the neighbor's house. It flew in towards the open box feeder, saw the chippyrat, and decided to flutter to the ground instead. Wimp.

I'm not sure if the chippyrat made an aggressive move towards the bird. I would have thought that the dove, being about twice the chippyrat's size would have at least challenged the little critter for a space on the feeder.

$4.00 per Gallon

Some gas station in Milwaukee started charging $4.00 per gallon for the first time today. The highest price I saw today was $3.95. If gas prices go much higher, I will soon be making less money than I did last year even after getting a raise.

New Apartment

My daughter found an apartment she likes in Des Moines this weekend. If the landlord is agreeable, she'll move in within the month.

AVG Over-Protection

The latest version (8) of the anti-virus program called AVG has a feature which can really slow down the loading of Web pages. It scans the links found on a page to see if they are a potential hazard or not. If a page has a lot of links, it loads significantly slower than usual -- at least the home page of BoardGameGeek.com with some ads enabled does.

Grandma's Wheelchair

[For 5/9]

Grandma Greve is strong enough again to wheel herself around a bit in a wheelchair. When we visited her today, I got to wheel her to the dining room. It's a very nice residence she's living in.

Paragon of Virtue

My daughter surprised her mother with tulips today. They were an early Mother's Day gift.

Arkadia Revisited

Arkadia is a lot more fun when you don't use the suggested setup for beginners.

Flower Bed

At the rate I'm going, it'll take almost two weeks of digging to finish the new flower (and tree) bed in the front yard. The bed is a large hexagon with a circular center for a tree. I've got the circle finished and one triangular "pie piece" too. Plus I have the outer edge of the hexagon and the walkways between the pie pieces dug up and covered with cedar mulch. Hopefully we'll get just enough rain to keep the ground soft for digging and yet dry enough so the earth separates easily from the sod.

Danzig - Gdansk

While playing the game Hansa for the first time, we decided to look up the names of the cities on the map in an atlas. The cities on the boardgame's map are, in some cases, older names of modern-day cities. For example, Danzig (which I new from my stamp collecting days) is the same as Gdansk, Poland. If I new that before, I had forgotten, so it counts as something I learned today.

Burma Cyclone

[For 5/4]

A huge cyclone (hurricane) hit Burma (Myanmar) killing thousands of people and destroying a huge amount of property and landscape. It's probably worse than hurricane Katrina was.

Vibes on the West Side

We got the Web site uploaded for Vibes on the West Side, a benefit concert for Hollyn Peterson, today.

Graphics uploaded to freewebs.com that are located just a couple of layers deep on the server have a tendency to be very flaky and not show up on the Web page from time to time. I can't figure out why that should be.

Late Night Lost Cities

J.B. likes the game of Lost Cities enough to start playing it at about 2:00 A.M. He lost though.

Rummage Sale

I sold some stuff, for lack of a better term, at our rummage/garage/yard sale today. Each of us sold a little something. It all adds up. Tomorrow we each hope to sell a little more stuff. It's not so much the cash income as the stuff outgo that matters.

I wonder if advertising on craigslist.com (Milwaukee) and brookfieldyardsales.com helps.

The Memristor

Scientists have created the memristor. It sounds like it's set to revolutionize computing, again. I wonder when I'll first own a gadget that uses one. Probably sooner that I think.

Road Construction

There are now 3 separate road construction sites on the path I normally take to work. They (and the traffic backed up on them) made my morning commute about 15 minutes longer than normal today. So on the way home, I took an alternate route that cut the time back down to 30-35 minutes. I'll probably have to go that way all summer. Hopefully everyone else won't decide to do the same.

Elkhorn

Someone in Elkhorn (Wisconsin) found the Jovial Board Gamers Society Web site and is interested in joining us to play boardgames. He even has some games he's developing that he might bring for us to playtest.

Hope Lutheran Church

Hope Lutheran Church worships in the Town of Summit Town Hall. The facility has a room that looks very much like the inside of a traditional church. We attended their worship service today because Rose Glen's gym, the place where we normally worship as members of Living Word, was being used for their annual chicken barbecue. The music at Hope is what most would call contemporary. The song accompanists played electric piano and electric violin. It's too bad they (apparently) don't have any guitarists to add to the mix. Those who played did well, but the songs chosen could have used a little more rhythmic vitality such as a guitar can provide.

NFL Draft 2008 - Day 1

The Green Bay Packers traded away their first round pick in the NFL Draft. They ended up with 3 second round picks:

1. Jordy Nelson - Wide receiver
2. Brian Brohm - Quarterback
3. Patrick Lee - Cornerback

Arkadia: The Game

I've written about a lot of games here already, but that's only because I (we) play a lot of good games. The latest of these is Arkadia. It's a beautiful game. Maybe not the most beautiful of all, but it does have a lot of nifty pieces all of which are useful (unlike the cathedral pieces in Pillars of the Earth).

GameTableOnline Points

I guess I actually won 19 GameTableOnline (GTO) points in the tournament last night -- not a Creepy Freaks (virtual?) figure. That's fine with me. It does take a lot of points to get something worth cashing them in for though.

Igel Ärgern

I won 4th place in an Igel Ärgern (Hedgehogs in a Hurry, loosely translated) tournament at GameTableOnline.com. My prize is a Creepy Freaks figure. I don't know if it has any value or if anyone would want it from me.

Guglielmo Marconi

Guglielmo Marconi, inventor of the radio, had a step-brother named Luigi. And if you rearrange some of the letters of his last name, you can spell Mario.

Verizon

While reading up on grant writing, I discovered that Verizon is the result of a merger between GTE and Bell Atlantic. I suppose lots of people already knew that, but that's something I learned today.

Bifocals

I got bifocals today. They're fine for reading, watching TV, and playing games. They are so-so for driving. They don't work that well while working in the yard. They don't work at all for computing. I'm not wearing them now; I'm wearing my older reading glasses instead. So I'll be toting two pair of glasses to work and back each day since I'm a programmer and sit in front of a monitor a lot at home too. Maybe I should check out those cheap reading glasses you can get at department stores so I wouldn't have to carry both pair back and forth.

Fast Haircuts

It really is possible to get a decent haircut in about 5 minutes. Most of the time a haircut takes at least 10, if not 15 or 20, minutes at the local Cost Cutters. However, today I was in and out in about 5 and the results are the same as, if not better than, usual. I was ready not to add a tip because the clippers blades felt a tad dull, but the speed made up for it all. I wonder if I were to tell them next time that I only had 5 minutes for a cut....

Illinois Earthquake

I woke up this morning (technically, yesterday morning) at either 4:37 or 4:32 A.M. I'm not sure because I didn't look at the clock close enough. Apparently there was an earthquake of about 5.4 magnitude in southern Illinois right about that time. It shook buildings in southern Wisconsin, but I didn't notice anything. Maybe that's because it hadn't actually traveled to our area while I was awake. Maybe it's because our bedroom is below ground level. Whatever the case, I missed the earthquake. I've always wondered what it would feel like to be in one. Maybe next time.

Ruby Tuesday Soda

Ruby Tuesday doesn't serve "yellow" soda; that is, Mountain Dew, Mello Yello, etc. At least, the restaurant in Milwaukee doesn't. You can get all manner of "brown" sodas - Coke, Diet Coke, cherry Coke (with a real, live cherry on top), etc.

Soda, by the way, is what you probably call pop, unless you're in Georgia, where you call it coke, or you're in North Carolina, where you call it drinks.

Gas Prices over $3.50

I can no longer find gas for under $3.50 per gallon. This is the first time this has happened in our area as far as I know. The last time gas prices were in this range, it never went over $3.49. Now the price is $3.59. If the price stays there for a year, my recent raise (and more) will be eaten up just driving to work, and I'll actually be making less than the previous year. (This does not take into consideration the economic stimulus payment that the federal government is giving us this year because that's not what it's purpose is supposed to be. Argue all you want on that.)

Math Trade Trades

I was able to trade away some games we don't play anymore for a couple that I think we'll like. I'll be getting Scotland Yard and Nexus Ops. I think my wife has played Scotland Yard at least once. None of us have ever played Nexus Ops, but it's fairly highly regarded at BoardGameGeek.com.

The Lost Has Been Found

I found the information needed to update the blog mentioned here yesterday. So the JBGS data is still intact and complete. Whew.

JBGS Blog

I forgot to update the blog I keep for our gaming group, the Jovial Board Gamers Society, for our 34th Gathering. Oh well, I don't think anyone really reads it much anyway.

Shorewood High School Choir

The Shorewood (Wisconsin) High School Choir is the best high school choir I have ever heard. They sang with the Milwaukee Choristers tonight in their diamond jubilee concert at Shorewood High School. Director Jason Clark is a master craftsman when it comes to training young voices such as these. If you ever have the opportunity, do not pass up a chance to hear a choir under his direction.

Bob Kames

Bob Kames died today. He popularized the modern version of the "Chicken Dance" often heard at wedding receptions. He was from Milwaukee.

Loyalty Islands Earthquake

There was a huge, 7.6 magnitude, earthquake in the Loyalty Islands today. The Loyalty Islands are part of New Caledonia in the southern Pacific off the east coast of Australia. About 22,000 people live there.

Using Worms Wisely

When playing If Wishes were Fishes, it can be very useful to manage your worms wisely. Not only can they be valuable to cash in for big bucks throughout the game, but they can even propel you into the lead at the end of the game when the bonus money is awarded for the angler with the most worms left in his bucket.

Free Yellow Pages Listing

You can list your business for free at YellowPages.com, whether it's a brass musical instrument repair shop or whatever. Yes, that was a shameless plug.

Pinnacle Mint Football Brass Coins

Sadly, not too many people are interested in Pinnacle Mint football brass coins from 1997 -- not even when the related sports card is offered with a given coin. There's only a little interest in Brett Favre and Barry Sanders. No one seems to care for Dan Marino, John Elway, Steve Young, Mark Brunell, Emmitt Smith, or a host of others.

Music DVD

My son who is part of Emily's Fault might make a DVD from the band's latest performance. They've already got some video up on YouTube.com.

Quiet Alarms

If I decide to take a quick nap before game night because I'm really tired, it's not enough to set my cell phone alarm and the microwave timer in order to wake me up when I want to leave for the evening. I need a person to do the honors.

Making Money in Puerto Rico

There is a great way to make money in Puerto Rico. You gather coffee and trade it in for cash using an office and a large market.

Oh, did I mention that this is in the game of Puerto Rico?

How Global Warming Is Measured

How is global warming (aka climate change) measured? What techniques and instruments are used? Where are the places on earth that are measured? Where does the data come from?

You might at first think a quick Google search would bring up at least a few, if not tons, of pages with the answer, or at least a partial answer. But go ahead...try it. I didn't dig for a long time, but I was disappointed in the results I got. I even tried ask.com too. Really, try it, and tell me what you found, or didn't find.

I still don't know the answer.

Hacienda for 3

In a 3-player game of Hacienda, it is possible for each of the participants to score 239, 238, and 235 points. I had the measly 235. sigh

Growing Safflower

The safflower is related to the sunflower. It's used for its oil and its food value and as birdseed.

I should be able to grow some of my own (for the birds) just like I have done with sunflowers.

Earth Hour

Did you know about Earth Hour before March 29, 2008? I didn't. Today is when I learned that it "was a remarkable global event" and that it "made a difference." Really? What difference?

Based on the countdown on the Earth Hour Web site, it looks like we're in for another one next year. Mark your calendars now!

Passerines

Passerines are birds that perch. I never even considered this a trait that some birds have and other don't until today. It was a Trivial Pursuit question. I guess if it's trivial that's why I hadn't thought about it before.

The Rondel

I learned how the rondel works in board games. In particular, Hamburgum. I'd read about it before but didn't really comprehend it until I actually had to use it. Pretty neat.

Relay for Life

My niece will be participating in the Relay for Life where she attends college. She, most of her family, and one of my sons have walked and run in similar events for the past several years.

Amazon.com

Amazon.com has 285 pages of board games. I know...I just finished looking at every one of them. I'll be getting a good-sized gift certificate to spend there soon, so I'm trying to figure out what would be good, thrifty games to buy.

Western Antarctica

Some people think there is a section of Antarctica, the area surrounding the south pole, that can be designated as "western Antarctica". Maybe they can describe on a map the section of the continent that they mean -- probably some portion in the western hemisphere -- but the concept of western or eastern (or northern or southern, for that matter) regions of Antarctica makes little...okay, no sense.

Brett Favre - The Tribute

The Sports Illustrated magazine that is a "Tribute" to Brett Favre is more like a 200+ page soft cover glossy book than a magazine. My son brought one home today from the grocery store. I've already read almost half of it and looked through all the pictures. I was a little surprised (but pleased) that not every single picture portrayed Brett. Some showed Reggie White leaping over defenders, Desmond Howard speeding past would-be tacklers, etc.

I should really pull out that tape of Super Bowl XXXI and watch the game again.

Switch Guitars

When there are two open channels on the mixer board, don't use just one for two guitars. This forces the guitarist to unplug the cable from the first guitar and plug it into the second. At that point, no one is sure if the mixer settings are acceptable for the second guitar even if all appeared to be good in rehearsal. Instead, use a second cable for the second guitar so the settings for each can be determined in rehearsal and will not need to be changed during performance. Unexpected things can happen if this two-channel/cable/guitar setup is not used.

Losing a Bit of Tooth

You can lose a bit of a tooth -- even one with a filling sorta holding it together -- while eating supper at a local restaurant and never even notice what happened until your mouth is empty.

Yes, I guess that means I swallowed the bit. Oh well.

No, it doesn't hurt.

Snowstorm

We got (at least) 15 inches of snow today. I shoveled 4 times before church. The rest will get thrown tomorrow.

Grant Writing

It's possible to apply for and obtain a grant that will, in turn, pay a person you then hire to write more grants for you.

I thought perpetual motion was impossible.

Rare Brett Favre Football Card

I won a fairly rare Brett Favre football card on eBay today. It's not extremely expensive, just out of the ordinary. It's not even listed in the major catalogs.

Arthur C. Clarke

Science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke died today in Sri Lanka at age 90. He wrote The Sentinel which is what 2001: A Space Odyssey was based upon. Personally I didn't care for the movie that much. I'm not even sure I ever saw the whole thing. I'm fairly certain I never read any of his writings either, but he's right up there with Asimov whose works I read a lot of and so Clarke gets the lime light here today.

Oil Change

If you are a "preferred" customer (and maybe if you only have an account there) at Firestone, an oil change costs $10.00 less than for Joe Driver off the street.

Loyalty pays.

A Visitor

Someone I know visited this blog today.

Too bad she won't learn much by reading this post.

Come again, C-N.

Wisconsin Over Michigan State

Wisconsin (the Badgers in Madison) beat Michigan State by the score of 65-63 in the Big Ten tournament today.

Engaged to Be Married

My daughter is officially engaged to be married! Hurrah! And huzzah! God's richest blessings to both of them. May they have an even better and even longer marriage than her mother and I are having.

September 27, 2008, is the date planned for the wedding.