Jim Stingl Doesn't Spend Time At the Mall

Otherwise, he wouldn't be high-horsing in the JS today about how all this fuss about Mayfair is over nothing.

Jim buddy, it doesn't matter what the call volume is to the Tosa police. That's just what gets reported. Everything else happens long before the cops get there and falls right under the wing of intimidation - perception isn't the issue my friend. You know not of what you speak.

And perception is important. Clearly. That's why plenty of wallets aren't going near the mall right now. That perception has nothing to do with what these people have heard in the news. The news has simply confirmed it.

Countdown To St. Pat's....

I can't wait!!!

And I have to get my shirt this year....

courtesy of flippinsweetgear.com

McMini's McAntics

Well, don't call it a mea culpa, but the Sentinel Journal has published a story with just a little more fingerpointing at McGee/Jackson. It's a little more than a pinkie like last time, but let the record note that:

"On Friday, according to Todd's attorney Alan Eisenberg, McGee gave out Todd's phone number on the air, which resulted in a series of harassing telephone calls, including death threats.

On the same program, McGee gave out the phone number of a producer at WISN radio, which had broadcast a parody song about McGee and the recall. According the station's Web site, that producer also received harassing telephone calls and has reported the matter to the Greenfield police."

Ya know, after a while, things called patterns develop. They're associated with behavior which means actions. Now don't get me wrong, no action will be taken against Mini but come on... he's become our equivalent of Hollywood's elite. How so? Their elite could commit a crime and not get the same punishment a normal person would get. See the parallel?

Doh!!!! Son of A!

Guys have it made

I mean, if they miss a hair appointment, no big deal. Anyone can pretty much cut a guy's hair.

A lady misses an appointment, it's 50 bucks to reschedule. And no, not just anyone will coiff the coif of Ms. Jones!

Sa-weet!

Awesome! One of my favorite bands is coming out with a new album. See this is a good example of how out of touch I am right now, I'm sure this has been in the works for a while.

Street Dogs is out of Boston, and is led by the former lead singer of Dropkick Murphys. To the average midwesterner who didn't listen to them on a regular basis - the only song that might be recognizable from his days with Dropkick is Barroom Hero.

They have a small media player link set in the mid upper left - give them a listen.

And fellas if you're reading this - c'mon, we're not too far from Chicago. Bring your suspenders and pancake hats!

The Oscars, Gross

Look Ma, I'm Blogging.....

I'm actually just leaving the TV on while I'm doing MRQ and of course the TV keeps interrupting my thoughts. Thoughts like these:


Al Gore - where was the cutoff music for the past 20 years? We could have used it a long time ago.

Cameron Diaz is not pretty. Period.

Most of these people are giant jackasses. Including Ben Affleck

Mark Wahlberg is no where near as talented - or hot - as his older, more accomplished brother Donnie. Besides, an overproduced remake of Good Vibrations can never, ever compare to "Step by Step"

It's amazing that the academy would highlight the stark contrast between the Golden Age of cinema and current day. I don't even think they knew they were doing it.

The two babes who presented the award for best costume were dressed heinously. Those dresses were illegal. They should have hired me.

more to come, I'm sure....

In case of the slim chance you'll win an Oscar, you might want to learn English. Or at least fake a clear enunciation.

Tom Cruise, you're useless. It doesn't matter that you're short - there are tons of hot, short guys. You however, are washed up, empty, and a waste of airtime and violate my span of attention. Now get off my lawn.

Ah, Gwinnie Paltrow. The graduate of the Karenna Gore Simpering Princess School of acting...

There is a director who looks remarkably like a showered, somewhat sane and respectable and of course NOT lice-infested Michael Moore. I know it's hard to imagine, folks. The visual helped.

Right now, it's 55 degrees in Death Valley.

As of 9:17, Pete Fanning has visited this site 13 14 times today.

I miss pizza.

Robert Downey Jr. hasn't put himself out of my misery yet. But he sure looks like he's on something...

How did Nicole Kidman make her neck disappear?

Cate Blanchette looks outstanding.

Not much can top an Irish accent.

Oh for the love of God. Not George Clooney.

Plus, Jennifer Hudson. I mean good for her. But how can you thank God, say God bless, and then say, "Oh My God"???

"In case you were wondering where Jerry Seinfeld has been..." No as a matter of fact, I KNOW where Jerry Seinfeld has been. He's been hiding from the fallout of defending a racist ranter.

Pardon me while I hit the mute button. There is no room in my life to be preached to by Al Gore.

Hooray! Gustavo Santoalalla! He is a genius!

As if I wasn't already out of steam... it's J. Lo.... and the dreamgirls

Melissa Etheridge is even more tiring. She has no idea what "inspiring" means. And no honey, we don't need another generation to "change the world". Y'all f'd it up the first time, so please, take your bald man and sit down....

Update: I agree with Jib. It IS insufferable. It's also a stark reminder of how important it is for us normal people to understand that our perceptions of reality are valid and real. And, it's a comical contrast.

Kate Winslet. Classic. Scarlett Johansen is a mockery of class compared to Kate.

WTF! Didn't this Philip Michael Thomas take a shower? Sober up?

Excellent - Helen Mirren. Next time leave your purse at your seat honey.

Now a word from our sponsor. Using an excellent, classic song by the Pogues.

Forrest Whittaker lost me... what was that.

Diane Keaton looks fantastic

The Departed wins. I have no idea if it would be worth the 9.50 to see. If it has Leonardo DiCrappio I'll pass.

Alright. No more feisty left in me, the cold has taken care of that. nite all.

Blogging lite

Blogging will continue to be light, there's a whole lot of blowin' and honkin going on.

Congratulations to Me.

I'm google's top hit for "Hillary Rotten Clinton, Her Thighness".

h/t to Mark Levin.

They're Lucky I'm Busy Right This Second

This is childish, the "call to call Keith" by the McWhatevertheyaretodays. Four little words for you. Not Four Letter Words necessarily, but four words:

Grow

The

F*&k

Up

As I Am With Everything Lately...as in LATE

Welcome back, little sister!

It's the Chronic WOOT! cles of Nar-ni-ah....

Death Valley In A Convertible

In the meantime.... enjoy a few words from my sponsor at my Flickr account!

On the road yet

especially, mentally.

I Remember When Doyle Was A Good Guy

...you know, during the campaign, when that mean old DOT wanted to raise registration rates and our hero Jim Doyle swooped in to save us. He stood between us and the evil entity and wagged his finger and neck and proudly proclaimed, "oh no you di'int." Remember those days?

The JS and Doyle (and I wonder who the heck else) doesn't, but I sure do.

Because he's back again acting like that whole charade never occurred. He's proposed the same hike himself, raising registration from $55 to $75. Now, it seems a little strange to me that he did this. It's almost as though he just conducted a political science psychology experiment on us. Or he saw the DOT trying to kick our asses and said "STOP! Allow me...."

Check out the story, because if you ate too much for dinner and are feeling the slightest bit guilty about it, the story and the irony of it will make you puke.

Then of course, there are gems like this from the text of his speech:

"This is not a budget for the big oil companies or the big tobacco companies. ... It is a budget for the middle-class and those trying to get there."

Trying to get where? How are they supposed to get anywhere when they're under the thumb of this tax-on-the-poor-and-middle-class bullshit. The point is to prevent anyone from getting anywhere. The direction this state is going will ensure that.

Hillary Rotten Clinton, Her Thighness

I just felt like sayin' it!

(and obnoxiously, I might add!)

Why Yes, I Am Up Past My Bedtime

And to top it off, I've been up since 2:30. Why? Well, why is the sky blue? Why is Theresa Estness the mayor of Tosa? Why does Nicole Devin insist on speaking as if she understands the job of the CEO?

No seriously it's likely that I have an ulcer so I've been up a long time. It was a long day, I had my review today, and I am looking forward to a restful exhale in the desert in about, oh, 72 hours.

But the good news in all of this. Anna Nicole Smith is still dead. We only had two inches of snow. We live in the freest, best country in the world. I am still lactose intolerant. Right now I stink. And MRQ is all ready for your perusal.

Another Music Post

Jesus and Mary Chain with Hope Sandoval of Mazzy Star.

I heart Hope. She has an incredible voice - and she's beautiful to boot. Good for her.

This is a great song - "Sometimes Always" - something about the way she sings the line "you went away, but now you're back" holds a little something for everyone.

What I love about Mazzy Star and Hope's independent work is the folk, Americana sound. This song, with the Jesus and Mary Chain sounds very much like the Velvet Underground, only not so darned depressing.

Guess what I'll be listening to very soon during my drive :)

Aren't You Glad You're You?

This is a fabulous, wonderful song. Best sung by Frank Sinatra when he performed with Tommy Dorsey.


Every time you're near a rose
Aren't you glad you've got a nose
And if the dawn is fresh with dew
Aren't you glad you're you

When a meadowlark appears
Aren't you glad you've got two ears
And if your heart is singin' too
Aren't you glad you're you

You can see a summer sky
Or touch a friendly hand
Or taste an apple pie
Pardon the grammar, but ain't life grand?

And when you wake up each morn,
Aren't you glad that you were born?
Think what you've got the whole day through,
Aren't you glad you're you?

I Have A Dream That Someday....

Barack Obama is a citizen of the United States. The freest country ever known to mankind. A country where you actually have the conditions to be whatever you want to be.

Yet he cannot cast his hat into the ring and run for president, without being judged not by the content of his character, but by the color of his skin. By persons with whom he shares 50% of his ancestry.

As If There Was Any Doubt In Your Mind That Mayfair Is A Cover Up

Look at this. I was reading TMJ4's story about Saturday night's "disturbance" at Mayfair. I get to the bottom of the story, and I read this from Mayfair's Nancy Conley:

"Conley said we were not allowed to interview mall customers for this story, so we talked with young people after the Bucks game where the idea drew mixed reactions."

What???

Where are the protectionists?

So I'm wondering about something. Wouldn't the "Wonder Spot" be eligible for some type of natural resource designation? Where's the DNR* on this one??? I mean, Menards' couldn't build because they were too close to whatever it was they were too close to....

For the record, I never got to see it.


*DNR = "The Real Terrorists" h/t to an unnamed relative!

That Was A Bad Idea

UPDATE: Ok, so, does anyone have a Sunglass Hut coupon???

So anyhow, I'm going to Death Valley this week. I stopped at the mall (early - you know, for "beat the gang bangers" deals) to look for a pair of splendiferous Aviators. C'mon - you're driving through the desert in a convertible with no hairspray in your hair and you're wearing fatigue green. You know you want a pair of those babies to make the most of the experience.

First pair I try on at Sunglass hut are a hit. I mean they're perfect. Gorgeous as a matter of fact. The nice lady helping me did a great job of picking out what would be right. She thought I should go with the amber, but I kind of want to be a purist and get the green. Cause you know, my eyes are green and all.

I could get them. I could also realize that $160 for a pair of sunglasses is NOT part of my trip budget. If it were, I'd probably spend it in other ways. I could go with the nonpolarized for $120. Still. Damn, why did I go do this again?

So I hit a few cheapy stores to see if the same shape was available in teen-budget form. Nooo. Not only were they not - but what was there was simply awful. Horrible to be exact. Hmm. Maybe the mailman will bring me a coupon or something. Which isn't going to happen but it's a nice thought.

What would you do - go with what you really want? Or try to sneak it in under your Flexible Spending Account card which after all, this IS eyecare....

Dennis York - Sniffle

Alright, Media. If you really want to cover something, why don't you point your noses over to the announcement that Dennis York is folding up shop and has revealed his identity? I mean, there is a lot to celebrate about the life of Dennis' blog - in stark contrast to the little to celebrate about Anna Nicole Smith's life. Fo Sho....

And for the record, I'm still not sure which one is Dennis.

Another Tool For Mayfair Mall

Patrick blogged about new limits on youths at Mayfair Mall after 9:00 p.m., which will be implemented in spring. You can read the whole story at Jsonline.

As Patrick notes - here is the lead-in:

"Mayfair Mall plans to implement a parental escort policy in the spring that is likely to limit the number of young people who congregate there, officials said Friday. Yet to be determined are the ages of the teens who will be affected and the hours it will be in effect."

I read the story and they want to implement it after 9:00 p.m. They're hoping it will bring people back to the mall. Note to administrators: I do most of my shopping in the afternoon or if its' in a safe place, after work. So why don't you try starting this at 5:00?????

Now for la piece de resistance of the story - especially because the brilliant Mayor Estness thought of it first:

"Wauwatosa Mayor Theresa Estness, who first proposed the policy as part of a Mayfair advisory board in 2003, called it "another tool" for addressing behavioral problems at the mall."

There's another tool involved here, I'll give you that much. Although I'd usually refer to a guy as a tool.....

It's Nature's Way

Anna Nicole has left the building, as they say. I wish I could say I'm shocked or surprised or the least bit sad, but I'm not.

There's a part of me that believes that you'll live as long as you want to, and how you want to, until you're done with life. And Anna did just what she wanted to do with her life. We'll hear a lot of things from people who will call her life tragic and how she could have turned things around, and could have made her life better and made more of herself. Nope, don't waste your time or energy or pity. This is who she was.

Do I wish more people could turn it around? Of course I do. But there is a limit to how much some people will or can be someone they're not. I might not like the way they conduct their lives, as a matter of fact I might think they're stupid or whatever, but we aren't all created the same. And by the same I mean intelligence, sense, self-awareness, you get the picture.

It's very ironic though, that Daniel went, and then she did. I wouldn't put it past Anna to have made the decision inside of her, that she didn't have a reason to go on without him. We've seen this many times - really - how many of you know of someone who lost someone significant in their lives (husband, wife, child, friend) and went soon after?

It's nature's way. I doubt she has many, if any, regrets.

Pact With Self

That fitness club membership - you know - the one I've had for seven years (and have mostly used) and have been paying for during the last 9 months and haven't used? Well, I've made a pact with myself, I'm going in. And no one can stop me. Not even the fridge that's standing in the doorway right now. Yes, the avocado green one that is currently tied shut. Nope. Going in.

It Helps To Think Before You Speak

I think it's the comment heard round the world. Well, at least among a few blogs in the blogosphere.... This by Eugene Kane:

"The head of the NAACP weighed in on the Great Bus Hate Crime after being asked for comment. Funny, but I don't remember which white organization was asked to comment about the Jude beating or when the black guy from Milwaukee was threatened while fishing."

So what should have struck you as odd about this, I mean, right away?

h/t Nick, Elliot, and Moi

There's No Shortage of Opportunity

As long as you're not expecting it to be handed to you.

Because the laws our government has, is, and will enact will ensure that we all will have to chase our tails to meet their standards, regulations, and guidelines. And where does this opportunity sit closest to you? Publicly held companies.

Unlike working for the government itself, you can be ensured that you will have to take the most of the opportunity because being accountable is not an option. Not as long as you have to meet their rules.

Don't believe me? Work in an SEC regulated environment. Try listening to Joe Biden. Or duct tape yourself to a post and listen to Hillary Clinton talk about confiscating profits. They mean business, as defined by their gravity-defying laws and perceptions of what money and business are all about. Oh yes, you'll be busy. Especially if you are self-inclined to succeed and take advantage of opportunity or otherwise be strategic and resourceful. If you're not, well, then these folks will sound pretty darned smart and on the ball as far as you're concerned. To the latter - there isn't much hope for you. Not unless you start thinking like a conservative or a libertarian, or otherwise as a producer - a self-sufficient being.

But there is good news for you nanny staters.

Your hero, the government, is producing an environment in business where you darned well better learn their rules and how things work because you won't have much choice. Well yes you do have a choice, your ass can be fired for not meeting government imposed standards. But if you take that route you're a quitter. You deserve to bitch and moan about your low paying or minimum wage job. Because even in an environment of strangulation you can find the angle where you can learn and unbeknownst, actually become resourceful in tough circumstances. If you're too lazy to work harder or smarter or take more risk, then you can just sit there and be stuck with yourself. (Just shut up so I can get my work done without listening to your drivel - some of us actually want to be productive by our own means.)

For as hard as I work at my job and in other areas of life to navigate this brave new world of government imposed strangulations, you will not hear me bitch about it. You will hear me say that I'm tired, you'll hear me say I need a vacation, but you'll never hear me say that I am not every waking moment grateful for the opportunities I have, am and will take advantage of. If you don't get the essence of any of this, read that former sentence until you do.

It's Monday - It's MRQ Time!

Thanks a mil to a certain future alderman for all the help this week.... been a darned busy one as usual, as you all know.

Who's Going to Win The Super Bowl????

ME!

h/t to Mom :)

I'm Just Going to Say The Colts

But by a pretty good margin, 10 or so.

And I think it's for sentimental reasons. Particularly one time in I think 1994 or so when they played the Steelers and were robbed of a touchdown within the last few minutes of the game.

And also, Jim Harbaugh. Totally not the current quarterback (all you men out there - I know that) but when I think of the Colts I think of Harbaugh and I just like the guy.

Last but not least, I went to college in Illinois and the Bears practiced right behind my college. I should pull for them out of proximity but I think that being a Packers fan and a Bears fan (even for one day) are mutually exclusive.

Unless they were playing a team I really hated like the Vikes. Then it would be go Bears. Not this time though. Go Colts!

On The Other Hand, I Can't Wait To Get Near More Global Warming

because....

I, Phel Jones, am taking my vacay in Death Valley. And I'm going to spend a night or so in Vegas to see how Brother Mav and his babymomma live!

And this is how a vacation ought to be when you are in dire need of decompression. Wide open spaces, beautiful and varied landscape, open road, a pair of tight aviator shades and a bandana... and a Kia Rio. I love my country.

Two weeks and counting....

UPDATE: I have offically upgraded to a convertible. Word!

Now, Hang On A Minute

"Global Warming Sees Polar Bears Stranded On Melting Ice"

Uhm, polar bears can swim. Ever heard of a polar bear jump????