I love this picture of me and Colleen on the beach south of Myrtle Beach

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

Last night Steph and I took the girls to meet my parents at a thing called Picnic Pops. It is a thing the Grand Rapids Symphony does. I grew up going to the symphony so I was interested in doing it in a relaxed atmosphere. We didn't have to dress up. You're allowed to talk and bring in food. Things that I was sure would make it much more fun. Unfortunately, if you bring in your own food you can also bring in your own alcohol. The orchestra played 4 songs before being joined by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, from here on out BBVD. During a pretty interesting song called "Remembering Gatsby", I hear from behind me loudly "I crack myself up. I'm going to get a Dove Bar, I'll be right back". No biggie really but still a little disturbing. When he gets back the first thing I hear is PFSST. A new Bud Light opens. Then I hear him singing "When the saints go marching in" with the orchestra. And then I hear him miss with a Dove bar and loudly proclaim, "I was aiming for her boob!" Sheesh. Later during BBVD one of the guys with him came down to dance in the dancing area right in front of us. His smiling face looked like a cartoon. His dance was jogging in place. What a fool. Now I'm an old, stuck up, maybe wishing for the old symphony days guy. Anyway here are some pictures.

The Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra; GRSO and BBVD

Colleen and Laura; Laura dancing to "Minnie the Moocher"

Aka Hi-de-hi-de-hi-de-hi by Cab Callaway

Rockstar thoughts

A couple of things that I thought while watching Rockstar last night.

1. Ty sang "Everybody Hurts" right but he missed the pain that Stipe puts into it. That song needs the pain.

2.MiG's (it kills me to type his name like that) new version of "Lola" was great. The ending could use some work though.

3. JD had me at the beginning of "We are the champions". He started off slow and low and had me ready to boo him, then they rocked and if he could have hit the notes it would have been great. I don't think he goes because in reality t.v. the guy who causes strife stays. Think he planted his sister as a distraction? Brilliant.

Sports updates

1. Looks like Larry Brown and the Knicks have a deal. Sounds like it will be announced Thursday. Looks like it'll be pretty close to 60 million. Sheesh.

2. The Pistons offered Darko to Atlanta for Al Harrington. HA.

3. The Sixers are talking with Andrew DeClercq. HA!

Heart Shaped Box

Mattman told me that I missed an important episode of Rockstar: INXS. He told me that he fell in love with Jordis after she sang "Heart Shaped Box". He then sent me a MP3 copy of her performance.

You're right Matt she rocked.

P73!!

I have found the new p73! I ordered it and it should be here Thursday.

Jul 25, 2005
7:15 PM
Left origin
SPOKANE, WA

7:00 PM
Package data transmitted to FedEx

1:25 PM
Picked up
SPOKANE, WA

I never thought it would be that hard to get a new one. And never thought a discontinued camera would be so expensive.

Hi Dan and Mattman

Hey guys. I don't know if you'll read this often or just once but thanks for stopping in. Leave a comment if you'd like. You don't have to have an account to do it. I'm still working on the appearance of things here so if you have advice about colors or anything let me know. I'm still learning how to do it but you can adjust everything on this page.

So some introductions. Dan this is Mattman. He was a good friend in college. He produces (is that the right word) sports talk shows. He is a big fan of fantasy football. Matt this is Dan. He's my brother-in-law and a good friend. He researches medicine for the U of M. He's a big fan of fantasy football and is currently leagueless.

Now that I've probably botched both of your jobs feel free to do whatever you want here.

Sarunas Jasikevicius

Most of the people who read blogs could care less about Sarunas Jasikevicius. But I'm pumped. He will sign with the Pacers. He has led his teams to the last three Euroleague championships. Winning all 3 and he lit up team USA in the Olympics. He'll be an excellent backup point guard and may even start soon.

Maybe he can help me get over the loss of Reggie.

I want to leave the Larry Brown thing alone but...

Here's another quote that I couldn't pass up.

"I really did have two fabulous years, and whatever happened afterward happened. I'm OK that way, it's just that you don't like to feel like you're a failure and you don't like your kids to hear you were 'let go,"' Brown said. "Moving kids across the country is tough, and I want to make sure we don't ever have to do that again."

Quotes

I've run across a couple of cool quotes recently. First is from Deitrich Bonhoeffer. "The exclusion of the weak and insignificant, the seemingly useless people from everyday Christian life in community may actually mean the exclusion of Christ; for in the poor sister or brother, Christ is knocking at the door."

The other is just funny. Booker T. Washington in his autobiography Up from Slavery. "I am not quite sure of the exact place or exact date of my birth, but at any rate I suspect I must have been born somewhere and at some time."

One more from Fredrick Douglas in a speech back in 1865. "It is said that we are ignorant; I admit it. But if we know enough to be hung, we know enough to vote. If the Negro knows enough to pay taxes to support the government, he knows enough to vote; taxation and representation should go together. If he knows enough to shoulder a musket and fight for the flag, fight for the government, he knows enough to vote. If he knows as much when he is sober as an Irishman knows when drunk, he knows enough to vote, on good American principles."

Books I've read recently

This week I got bored watching stupid reality shows and started reading again. Here's what I've read.

Last week I read Sick Puppy by Carl Hiaasen. It was a fun book. I wouldn't recommend it to my mom or anyone who goes to my church, but it was a fun book. It's about an extreme environmentalist who is as much mental as environmental.

Then on Tuesday I was hurting for a book so I read one of the Hardy boy books. I can't remember which one. I've been tempted to try and read them all again. I did that when I was younger. I finished it Wednesday.

Wednesday I started another Hardy boy book. I finished it Thursday.

Yesterday I bought a book and started it. It is Under the Overpass: A journey of faith on the streets of America by Mike Yankoski. Mike did something that I once thought about doing. He became homeless for 5 months. I never thought about doing it that long, but I guess you'd have to if you were going to get a true feel for being homeless. So far it's an easy book to read and it's interesting to read the things he's learning. Mike has a website. http://www.undertheoverpass.com/index_flash.aspx

Guilty Pleasure

I've been watching (and halfway enjoying) Rockstar: INXS. While I enjoy parts of it others confuse me.

Shouldn't they be singing INXS songs?

Can they really have a girl lead singer since their success to this point hinged on songs made for Michael to sing? How would concerts go? You know they have to play many of the old favorites.

Shouldn't they be singing while INXS is playing and not just a house band?

Right again

"I take umbrage with the Pistons, or sources, saying it's a buyout," Glass said Tuesday morning. "A buyout encompasses a mutual agreement, and that's not what is happening. Larry Brown is saying, 'I want to coach the Pistons,' and they want to pay him off for whatever reason."

He wants to be fired.

Larry Brown

You'll find that I get on subjects and obsess about them. Larry Brown is one of these. I feel he abandoned the Pacers when they were close to winning a championship. I feel like he's abandoned many teams. So now I'm going to give you a couple of Larry Brown quotes from this last year.

"I told the guy I'm going to coach in Detroit and this is going to be my last coaching job. My statement to him was I'm not coaching anywhere else, this is my last coaching job. My goal is to finish here and hang with my family."

"Even if they offer me the job at the end of this season, I am not going to go coach the Knicks."

Remember that quote. Brown met with Isiah in June. That quote was from January.


Talking about the Cavs job he said he "has never had a conversation with [Cavaliers owner] Dan Gilbert regarding any job opening. I've never talked to him. I don't know if I've ever met him."

Then later rationalizing his half truth. "I read your article and you said I denied speaking to anybody from the Cavaliers. I never said that at all. And anybody that heard me, I never said that once. I said I never spoke with Dan Gilbert. I never said anything else."

Here's the best thing that will come out of this whole mess. Larry Brown will equate this contract buyout with being fired. This guy has made such a reputation for himself that getting fired looks better than leaving on his own. He wants people to think that he was fired.

First prediction comes true!

I know it was an easy one but it's good to have the first one come true. Look for more in the future.

4 techs in 3 summer league games?!?!

Why do we need these headaches? The Pacers' second year center David Harrison has 4 techs in 3 games. Wait, 3 SUMMER league games!

The search for the p73

This last spring we vacationed at Myrtle Beach. We rented a beautiful oceanfront condo with 4 bedrooms and had a great time. Unfortunately, Steph dropped our digital camera. A Sony dsc-p73. Since then I've been searching for a cheap p73 to replace it. I finally found a deal with Office Max where they were selling them for $120. I called every Office Max I could find a number for and they were all sold out. Steph got a hold of one in Midland that still had a display model and they sold it while she was on the phone with them. When will I ever find the elusive p73?

Heritage Days

Our town has an annual festival called Heritage Days. Our church does a free fresh squeezed lemonade stand for it. This year a storm came through dumping tons of rain. We were under a tent but in a low spot and the water got ankle deep. Then the lightning started and some of our people could feel it in the water. Scary. Lightning struck about 200 yards from the tent and split a tree. I chose to close the stand early. Craziness.

First Sports Prediction

I do not believe that Larry Brown will coach the Pistons for the 2005-2006 season. In fact I don't think he'll be the coach after today.

Weaves Blog

My first attempt at a blog hopefully will be entertaining for me and whoever else might be bored enough to view it. It will include sports. I will make sports predictions and talk about sports events. I will also talk about current events and about my family. I hope you enjoy.