With all the talk about beer summits, which guy is drinking which beer and the politics inbetween, my thoughts stay focused on beer.

I think the Constitution should have said we have the right to bear beer instead of arms.  I love the idea of a beer summit, in fact, I may have come up with the idea during my college days.  Then again, those memories are a little fuzzy, so I won’t officially lay claim to the idea.

That reminds me.  How can you win Jimmy Buffett tickets and sample the coldest beer in Madison?  Easy.

Stop on by the grand opening of Legends Sports Bar on Saturday from 4-6pm.  Say hello (to my little friend), and register to win a pair of tickets to see Buffett at Alpine Valley on August 29th.  Legends also boasts the coldest beer in Madison.  Its from thier new Draft Pro System.  Not sure how it works, but I’m heading over there today for some research.

See you there.

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     Took Sam up to Noah’s Ark in the Dells yesterday, kind of an early birthday thing (he turns 7 Saturday).  He’d never been to a waterpark and it’s been years since I have.  Hit the wavepool several times, took The Plunge twice, watched that Spongebob 4-D movie (big hit with the boy) and we rode lots of raft rides as well. 

     All told, we were there for almost four hours but, boy, did time fly.  I actually think we could have gone round and round for a few more hours!  I only resisted the deep-fried Twinkies because the line was so long…next time those Twinkies are MINE.

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OK, what if somebody offered to buy you a free airplane ticket?

Doesn’t sound bad.  But what if they bought you the ticket so you would leave?

That’s the offer that New York City is offering homeless families, saying its cheaper to buy them a ticket out of town instead paying for assisting them for a year.  New York says they would have to have a host family where ever they are going, so its not quite like they’re sending them to Timbuktu.  Not quite.

I understand there’s a lot of work to be done in the area, but doesn’t that sound a little harsh.  Sounds like “don’t let the plane door hit you on the way out.”

Whatever happened to send us your tired, weary masses?

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     Finally.  We’ve hounded Sam all summer long about two-wheel bike riding.  We’ve cojoled; we’ve threatened.  We’ve tried everything under the sun.  Yesterday, something snapped and he got it.  He really got it.  A friend suggested riding downhill, another said to try riding on grass first.  Those tips together led to one happy, bike-riding, almost-seven-year-old! 

     I don’t remember learning to ride my bike.  I do remember summers of riding with my friends, from house to house and place to place.  That’s why I wanted Sam to learn to ride so very badly…I know the kind of memories he’ll make in the coming years, on his bike with his friends.

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Here I am at the Duck Pond on Friday night. Pictured is My Brother, Jeff “The Dude” Dowd and myself (throwing up the bull horns).  He was pretty cool.  He signed my “Big Lebowski” DVD, and seemed quite glad to quote lines from it.

Seemed like a guy who has had adoring fans buy him drinks and give him high fives wherever he goes.  Not a bad life.

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Rated PG- 1h29 -

Think Mission: Impossible for kids, except that it’s boring, with hamsters as the stars.

G-Force is about a government team of specially trained spy guinea pigs (I know, not hamsters…but none of the characters are interesting enough for me to care enough to make the distinction.) Their branch gets shutdown, but it’s only after the rodents learn of a plot to take over the world, the three guinea pigs and a mole go rogue trying to prove their worth.

There are some Oscar winners (Nicholas Cage, Penelope Cruz) and other quality performers (John Favreau, Steve Buscemi) who voiced the animals, yet still the movie is bland and lacking depth.

The action is lacking, the dialogue is boring and human’s interactions with the CGI animals made me feel sad for the actors involved.

Bottom line is that kids MAY like this because producer Jerry Bruckheimer throws in those flashy effects you see while watching CSI. My guess is that most kids will get a chuckle or two, then forget about the film as soon as they walk out of the theater.

(Out of Four) Overall Rating:
Date Friendly:
Good Humor:
Artistic Value:
Drama
Kid Friendly:

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Making the rounds on the internet is this video of a wedding party in St. Paul.  The entire party dances down the aisle to the sounds of “Forever” by Chris Brown (I didn’t know the song either, don’t feel bad). 

The enthusiam is contagious…I can’t stop smiling!

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Yesterday we had an interview with Jeff Dowd. He’s the guy who inspired the character “The Dude” in the 1998 movie The Big Lebowski.

Its one of my favorite movies of all time, so no surprise I was quite excited to talk to him. He’s at tonight’s Mallards game (as will I be.)

Check out our fill 10 minute interview with him. (Does he have marbles in his mouth?)

Jeff Dowd Interview

Jeff “The Dude” Dowd is pictured below Jeff Daniels portraying The Dude in The Big Leboswki.

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We say goodbye to Gidget, the Taco Bell Chihuahua. That tiny little pup creeped into our hearts and minds after an endless barrage of commercials in the late 90’s that transformed into goofy t-shirt merchandise and mindless chatter amongst kids who have exchanged grammar for advertising jingles.

If you ask me, Gidget also led us into the whole idea that it OK to keep a purse dog and carry them around as a fashion statement.

Don’t worry Gidget, I don’t blame you. You were just a tool in the man’s game. Come to think about it, should Taco Bell really have associated dogs and food together? Sure we love dogs, but it makes me think of dog food?

I’m gonna get me more Kibbles and Bits…and Bits and Bits.

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     Yesterday the big local news story involved chickens, particularly Monona townies being able to keep a coop of five.  So maybe I had chickens on the brain (while not being totally bird-brained–haha) but I made the most awesome new chicken dish last night. 

     I call it “salsa chicken”.  Inspired by the salsa I pour over the chicken, along with some spices like hot chili powder and fresh cracked pepper, it’s a simple baked chicken recipe–oven at 375 degrees, bake for 25 minutes or so.  I  served it with rice baked in a bell pepper as the side.  Fresh and tasty, it’s also healthy!

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