The Patriots of Europe

Can ya take us out to Pappadeaux

2008-07-20T02:24:00.003-05:00

What had happen' was...

2008-07-03T23:38:00.003-05:00

Since my last post I've visited Chad and Justin in Philly, interviewed for a new position, attained said position, put my condo up for sale, and moved to Dallas....and thats what had happen'

Photos

2008-04-24T18:16:00.002-05:00

Sin Comments, for your viewing please...Apologies if the entire frame doesn't fit on your screen, I'm afraid its a limitation as the flash program is not re-sizable (afik).

Pardon the Delay

2008-04-23T19:27:00.004-05:00

As is custom when returning from vacation, my job is taking up most of my time. It seems like we always have an important visit right when i return from holiday, and this time is no exception. Our visitor will be gone tomorrow, but i also have to work this weekend, and then I'm on another plane to Philly next Wednesday to visit Chad & Justin. All this to say the the writing i had planned to do

Malas Aires

2008-04-20T16:18:00.002-05:00

I'm back from BA and extremely tired form a long day of traveling. Photos and commentary to come. While I can't exactly say I'm thrilled to be here and not there, at least i got away from this:

Take a Stress Pill and Think Things Over

2008-04-03T17:02:00.001-05:00

To Joe

2008-04-02T22:21:00.000-05:00

It simply wasn't meant to Wii

The Owls

2008-04-01T00:31:00.003-05:00

I cant really take any credit for "discovering' this band (or any other for that matter), but in case you haven't heard of them, may i present to you The Owls...They've been playin' round mpls for a few years now, but if you live far away maybe you dont know?

When I Think about You

2008-03-30T17:58:00.003-05:00

iTouch myself(happy birthday to me!)

White,

2008-03-25T23:27:00.006-05:00

a blank page or canvas, so many possibilities...

Bring out your Dead

2008-02-27T22:57:00.003-06:00

A recent text message: I am sad that u r dead..

NYTimes.com

2007-10-20T10:51:00.000-05:00

Sometimes Behaves so Strangely

2007-09-26T20:07:00.000-05:00

Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich produce Radio Lab, a program that is, at least to my thinking, the most consistently mind-blowing radio series ever created. They are between seasons right now, and are using the free podcast to expose listeners to some archived episodes. Of course, if you need to hear more than the weekly podcast, a number of old shows are available for download directly from

Shocking! That is just Shocking!

2007-09-16T23:50:00.001-05:00

ISU 15 - Iowa 13

Labor Day Weekend: A tour of the Upper Middle West (Part 3)

2007-09-09T18:45:00.000-05:00

Madison (Saturday, September 1)Friday night in Madison is a mess. I'm still sick, but feeling obligated to bar hop. Rick drives his car, a manual transmission, and proceeds to get too drunk to drive home. Rachel, the person with whom we are staying, gets completely messed up on whiskey shots. There's some drama about where I will take the passed-out-on-the-street Rick whilst Rachel continues

Labour Day Weekend: a tour of the Upper Middle West (Part 2)

2007-09-06T15:14:00.000-05:00

Cedar Rapids to Madison (Friday, August 31) Rick is notorious for sleeping in. Late. Much later than most people past the age of 25 could justify. On the drive to Cedar Rapids from Ames he had promised to sleep in typically late, even though we had plans to have lunch with his parents. I woke up at 8 AM this morning, and knew that there was no way Rick would be awake for several hours.

Labor Day Weekend: A tour of the Upper Middle West (Part 1)

2007-09-04T22:08:00.000-05:00

Eau Claire to Minneapolis (Thursday, August 30)This is one of the shortest and least interesting legs of my journey. It's a quick stop in the Warehouse district to pick up Rick & change cars, and then we're on our way to Ames, IA for the first Cyclone Football game of the Gene Chizik era! It is my first drive back into the cities since the California calamity, so I'm a little tense but relax a

Pop Culture in tiny, bite-sized portions

2007-08-22T14:33:00.000-05:00

I'm so happy the New Pornographers finally released their latest album, Challengers. Its not as all-out-rock-out as either Electric Six or Twin Cinema, but at least on the first listen though i think it has potential to end up in the regular rotation of favorites. I know some people probably think Dan Bejar's song are over the top and a little circus-y, but i always look forward to his

What does it all mean?

2007-08-20T18:18:00.000-05:00

An online subscription to the OED costs a mere $275 per year. You could luck out with the word of the day.From the good folks at Merriam-Webster:rhet·o·ric n. The art or study of using language effectively and persuasively. A treatise or book discussing this art. Skill in using language effectively and persuasively. A style of speaking or writing, especially the language of a particular subject:

I'm a BELIEVER

2007-08-16T21:50:00.000-05:00

But I only buy it for the pictures. Bravo is teasing us in the lead up to the next Season of Project Runway with Tim Gunn's Guide to Style. The first episode airs Thursday, Sept 6.I found the link to this article on Towleroad -- are we all just sims? The first page you're like "ok this is interesting but way out there" and then you click to the second page and you're all like "wow this is

Yes, I was in California

2007-08-14T22:46:00.000-05:00

And here's the proof.More proof here or here.

Wisc-istory

2007-08-13T18:19:00.000-05:00

For your reading enjoyment, from the trustworthy folks at wikipedia.Taliesen

Feel the Burn

2007-08-08T21:45:00.000-05:00

Even quitting smoking I'm nearly $3000 in the hole in just the first 7 months of the year. Thank you Quicken for showing me just how financially irresponsible i seem to be. I guess maybe i should put off buying this totally rad entry table/desk, or this bedding set, or this chair. Poor house, when will you ever be properly furnished?Also, things keep breaking. The first thing to go was the

Slippery Slope

2007-08-07T17:55:00.000-05:00

And Thusly, God created the YouTube in order that people might partake in it, and in order that whomever shall partake in it shall not be disheartened regarding his own abilities; but rather, he should take heed and knoweth that he is not, and willth never be, the most foolish of men in all the land (Psalms 3: 1-7).

Travellin' Man

2007-07-31T22:54:00.000-05:00

It's the eve of the big trip to California for Joe & Angie's wedding. Here's a few clips that are sure to put you(me) in a travellin' mood.

Blah blah blah and other economic musings

2007-07-29T23:40:00.000-05:00

Its been said by at least one economist/sociologist that if Americans ever grow tired of the myth of the American Dream -- the idea that everyman has a shot at overcoming the obstacles to class mobility and making it big time -- we would demand more equitable wages.I'm not John Edward's #1 promoter, but I do think he's right to say America has a poverty crisis on its hands. It might not be as

Original content is still Hard

2007-07-29T01:19:00.000-05:00

So here's a clip from YouTube:The Song is "Hello From Eau Claire" by Xiu Xiu. I'm not sure if they mean EC, WI or EC, MI but I'm rootin for the home team.

Drive_Starbucks

2007-07-25T22:55:00.000-05:00

Patriots of Europe returns from slumber (momentarily) to bring you an experimental documentary: "Drive_Starbucks."I hope you enjoy listening to this as much as I enjoyed putting it together...DRIVE_STARBUCKSWe now return to our regularly scheduled hiatus.-PoE

Finger, Map of U.S., Plant

2007-03-29T21:02:00.000-05:00

Tonight airs the second installment of the new "This American Life" television show (only on Showtime!). I watched the primere, and I gota say that I wasn't so into the story about the cloned bull. Mind you, I did laugh out loud at the bull's name: Second Chance. The 'best day ever' act was more my style. There was something so utterly cruel about it. It was perfect. And the way the band

BLOG Vacation

2007-02-27T23:13:00.000-06:00

Dear avid readers,I'm not saying the PoE is fading into extinction. It's just that I haven't felt like posting the past few weeks, and i don't see that changing for the near future. So consider the blog on indefinite hiatus while I go about trying to adjust to living in a small town. You know, like a vacation. -Dave

America's Dairyland

2007-02-08T19:34:00.000-06:00

Today I took yet another step in consummating my relationship with Wisconsin. I got my new plates and registration. I would've gotten my new license, but apparently you can't use your cable television bill as proof of residence. Sine I already paid and shredded my first month's utility bill, I have to wait until 30 days after I get the next one to go get my license. Aren't they pretty in a

In case you missed it

2007-02-05T20:09:00.000-06:00

Best halftime show ever. Look for the chick (dude?) in white near the beginning of part one. She almost wipes out, prancing from one side of the symbol/stage to the other. Also, super-size prince behind the white sheet -- totally rad! Enjoy:

The Glass? It's basically empty.

2007-01-30T21:57:00.000-06:00

Another weekend, another road trip back to the increasingly mecca-like twin cities. This pilgrimage has become a near certainty. If I have the weekend off, I'm driving to Minneapolis. Part of the plan this time was to see The Glass Menagerie at the NEW Guthrie theatre. This being the first production in the new building I've been remotely interested in seeing. The new complex has three

George Michael and Buster only Not

2007-01-24T00:00:00.000-06:00

I'm not encouraging comparisons here, but I find this funny. Also, look for Impossible is the Opposite of Possible on your next Wholphin dvd for more hilarity from Michal Cera (or maybe just watch it here)

Cat Power

2007-01-16T22:09:00.000-06:00

What kind of coffee is so rare that a measly 8oz cup will set you back $10? The answer is Kopi Luwak, a bean collected from the feces of the Indonesian, cat-like animal. Apparently, the Luwak has an appetite for the fruit from ripe coffee plants, and while the fleshy part of the fruit is digested, the bean finds its way completely through the system relatively unharmed. At which point it is

Gerrymandering

2007-01-12T18:25:00.000-06:00

This week The Corporation (italics for emphasis) reshuffled the regions and districts it uses to geographically divide the country. We've added an entire region, and something like 20 new districts. Previously, my store was in the Minneapolis district - hence I was moved here. After the re-structuring, my store is part of the *new* Madison district. I'm not even in the same region as the

Another one Bites the Dust

2007-01-10T22:25:00.000-06:00

The exodus continues:Rick, the same Rick who just bought a new condo in the warehouse district, is temporarily leaving the city of lakes for the sandy beaches of Honolulu. Sure its only a 6 month deal, but Rick's departure marks another significant loss of a person-with-whom-i-occasionally-to-oftentimes-hang-out.In the past 12 months, the following friends have left the Twin Cities.Colorado

I Won't Let it Control my Life

2007-01-07T22:34:00.000-06:00

Christmas, thats a wrap!

2006-12-27T17:12:00.000-06:00

Twas a tough Christmas season for our store this year. Things were looking good until the Thursday before, when it started to rain. The rain led to a sort of rural Midwestern paranoia regarding "black ice" which left the store empty. Friday the rain turned to snow, and although the final accumulation was less than 1", again the store lay dormant. I was hoping Saturday would make up for the

Free at Last

2006-12-14T18:04:00.000-06:00

It's my last night in the hotel. By 10:00 tomorrow morning I'll officially be one of those "homeowners" you've often heard about but never really met. Well, I'm here to tell you, dreams really do come true. You can afford a cheap-ass condo in the middle of nowhere. Look. If I can do it...I've just finished Partly Cloudy Patriot. I like Sarah Vowell, even though I get the impression from

The Surreal Life

2006-12-11T00:55:00.000-06:00

I had to open by myself this morning. The first time at the new store. I managed to successfully shut off the alarm without the cops showing up, but i did forget to disarm the cash room vault before I opened it. Well, at least now I know that the alarm sounds like.Tonight I went to see For Your Consideration at the London Road 6 cinema. One of the neat things about living in a small town is

Baby its Cold Outside!

2006-12-06T19:23:00.000-06:00

Icy cold early December day here. I've just looked and the current temperature in hong kong is a perfect 72 F. The closing date for the new home looms on the horizon, and as of today I'm still working out the logistics for what is going to be one very busy weekend. Since i get so few weekends off this time of year, I have to squeeze closing on the home, moving my stuff here, driving to Iowa for

Yes Virginia

2006-12-03T20:42:00.000-06:00

There is an Indian restaurant in the OC.I went there for dinner just now in honour of Ben and the Rocks trip. (I figure they're somewhere over Hawaii about now) My little piece of the far East is called Flavor of India, and it is attached to the Days Inn. Really its more of a conference room than a restaurant, and it took me the better part of two days of Internet research to verify its

You talk funny

2006-11-28T18:23:00.000-06:00

I've had my first run-in with a native outside of "the office." I went to a coffee shop downtown last night, just to get out of my suffocatingly small hotel room for an hour or two. Plus, I hadn't eaten dinner at the time, and I had read online that this place does a mean sandwich - although I'm not really sure how you could mess that sort of thing up. Then again, I don't cook, so how would I

They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery.

2006-11-26T18:02:00.000-06:00

You get the idea

A classic

2006-11-26T17:45:00.000-06:00

To fill the content void. I really thought moving out here would significantly increase my posts, but it turns out I'm still real boring. So this will have to do.

Turkey?

2006-11-25T00:37:00.000-06:00

A photo essay on Thanksgiving dinner:The BirdThe BeansThe MashThe StuffingThe BonesThe End

Potporri

2006-11-21T00:36:00.000-06:00

I have found a place to live! It's a condo. Email me for details. Yes, this is a shameless ploy to garner more email -- you realise that my nightly activities consist of checking my email to see who has sent me a message (no one), watching a few episodes of Law and Order, and falling asleep at 8:30 with the TV still on. And somehow I'm still tired when the alarm goes off at 6. Funny, that.I

Supermodel

2006-11-15T23:26:00.000-06:00

Perhaps it is true that nothing shown on television during the past two weeks has escaped my attention. I've watched Law and Order marathons until they start repeating the episodes. Tonight though, I saw something different. I'm not sure what to call it exactly, so I'll just explain it. I suppose it's best described as a contest of sorts. Contestants are asked to strike a pose. Then, as they

Closing In

2006-11-14T17:17:00.000-06:00

Another day of house hunting, and finally we have a candidate. I'm putting an offer in on a condo tomorrow, so I may have a permanent address in the near future. The place I like has 3 levels. There's two bedrooms and a full bath upstairs. The main floor has a living area, dining room, and kitchen, plus a half bath. Then downstairs there's a finished room and a laundry/storage area.The

Television is my Friend

2006-11-13T22:18:00.000-06:00

Bravo is showing one of my favorite episodes of Six Feet Under tonight. It's the episode in which Nate accidentally takes Ecstasy. The stray pill that David had hurriedly hidden in the family aspirin bottle during a previous episode. David has recently come out to his mother, and she arranges a family dinner. Nate takes the pill for his headache before the meal, and ends up high at the dinner

I Like to Watch Cute Football Players Play Football

2006-11-10T23:56:00.000-06:00

And score ridiculous goals.

STARBUSTS

2006-11-10T22:38:00.000-06:00

Living in Wisconsin is already entertaining. Today one of the supervisors was running to get coffee, so I asked her to get me some. "I'll take the lightest roast they've got," I said. So off she goes to get me a cup of java. She returns just a few moments later and explains, "They only had one roast, so they added some hot water for you."Yes, I asked for a light roast and I received a

The Trifecta

2006-11-08T17:54:00.000-06:00

A week or two before I found out I was moving to Wisconsin, my friend Lexi was in the cities paying a visit. She's been working for an online baby magazine in New York for the past few years. During her visit, she received a call from another magazine offering her a job. The catch was she'd have to move out of NYC, and into a much smaller community in Massachusetts. Of course, she accepted

It only takes 5 minutes

2006-11-05T22:54:00.000-06:00

of watching The Truth about Cats & Dogs to be reminded of what a genius that Janeane Garofalo is. Too bad about Air America.Went to see the motion picture version of Running with Scissors today. Gotta say this is one occasion where I may have enjoyed the film more than the book upon which it was based. Burroughs writing in Scissors always seemed exaggerated and just a little too over the top

Buy this House!

2006-11-02T21:05:00.000-06:00

I looked at more than 20 houses yesterday. Of the places I saw, there is one (1) I liked enough to consider making an offer.For anyone who maybe didn't know this already, buying a home is a pain in the ass. There's a whole different language spoken in the real estate world. Not to mention a slew of important considerations that were of little to no concern when looking for apartments. I've

Milking cows & making babies.

2006-10-31T22:17:00.000-06:00

My first two days in six words or less. (Yeah, I can still listen to 'As it Happens' in Wisconsin)Day 1: "Oh my god, I'm totally screwed."Day 2: "Hey, maybe this isn't so bad."I'm doing a marathon house-hunting day tomorrow. I'll be looking for a new place to call home from 8am until 5pm. I haven't made it outside of my hotel room except to go to work or get fast food. I have two

When the Patriots go Marching in

2006-10-18T18:43:00.000-05:00

Well it's officially official. The original Patriot of Europe is moving to an undisclosed location in Wisconsin to extend my dream-fulfilling career as a sales manager for America's Gift Headquarters!INCONCEIVABLE!Don't worry though, I'll still be able to post poorly thought out, poorly written, and poorly edited blog entries from my new home. In fact, there's a chance I'll be so bored the

The cats are dead?

2006-10-15T00:31:00.000-05:00

Read it while I'm slaving over hot dish. Also, cats in sinks from UK Tom., who also brings us this disturbing image.What's wrong with him?

Sesame Smoke

2006-10-13T20:51:00.000-05:00

There is a certain smoking lounge, in a certain mall, in a certain city, with a mural of Sesame Street characters on the wall. Elmo's on the bar stool in the corner. Grover is roller-skating along the sidewalk. Big Bird stands next to the stairs to his apartment. Oscar ad his trash can are on the opposite side of the steps. A bird is perched on the lightpost bearing said street's name.

Mission Accomplised

2006-10-10T16:22:00.000-05:00

Here's the last photos ever to be taken by my point-and-shoot. These pics survived, but the camera did not. It's ok Andy -- I won't not be your friend anymore.