Tag Archives: featured

At The Movies

Third Monday Tuesday Movie Day: Out Of Context

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What's your favorite quote from a TV show, movie, etc., that you often say in your everyday life even though it's completely out of context and will usually be ignored or met with blank stares? Naturally, when I thought of this topic awhile ago I had several examples in mind, but of course they've all left me as I'm typing this.

I do remember that many of these come from the Simpsons for me. One I can think of is when someone is trying to explain something to me, the progression of "Wha?... Huh?... Juh?" I'm sure I'll remember more about three weeks from now.

Also, hey, what have you been watching?

The Nation Has An Appetite

The Nation Has An Appetite – On The Grill

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First, let me disappoint you: I've no recipes or photos or any such to share. There, now that that's out of the way...

I spent a lot of time last night cleaning my grill. I've got a 3 burner gas grill that's about 8 years old. I've used it an absolute ton, but for the past 2.5 years it was in storage. And, apparently, it was put into storage without my having done a deep clean first (we were moving, and, if I remember correctly, it was one of those "well, we've got room for it in this truck, so it's going now, even if you're not ready for it" situations). I usually do a good clean at the start of the summer and another sometime in the fall, but grills are... well, they're tough.

I mostly used soap, water, and lots of elbow grease. Paper towels, sponges, some steel-wool type of thing designed for grills, and cloths all got used. It looks a heck of a lot better, and I'm excited to take it out for a test run this weekend. I need to get a propane tank filled first, so there's a part of me that's still nervous it won't light up, after having been packed away for so long. Let's hope!

Anyway, I thought this was as good a time as any to broach the grilling topic. Summer is upon us... what do you have, what do you wish you had, how do you manipulate what you do have to make it do what you want (I'm thinking about Meat's post (it was Meat, right?) where he converted the old Weber... that was cool)? And what tools do you use? What do you use for cleaning? (I've heard horror stories of bristles coming off and puncturing internal body parts when accidentally consumed... I don't know about the truth of these, but that's the kind of thing that might give you pause) What do you avoid? What other tools do you use for cooking on the grill (I've got a grill tray that I adore, and every time I make anything else I try to throw a bunch of veggies on the tray. Always steps up the meal a notch or two.)?

And, of course, if you've got an recipes or recommendations for grilling... by all means, please do share.

WGOM Fitness

Phlegm hacking – exercise?

21 Comments

Back in Feb, I came down with a lung infection while in Minny.  A heavy dose of antibiotics cleared up the pneumonia, but it took a while to shake the nasal/coughing/sweats.  I thot I was in the clear, then two weeks ago it all started again.  The house doc at my company attacked it with an aggressive Prednisone regimen, which seems to have worked.

The violent coughing seemed to have caused a fractured rib, but that cleared up - must've been a muscle strain - and now there is much less pain.

Today I swam for the first time since 3/24, with no pain.

What are you Citizens doing besides shoveling snow?

WGOM Half-Baked Hall

Half-Baked Hall: 2015

13 Comments

Not surprisingly we have 3 new members of the Half-Baked Hall. Juan Marichal, Bob Gibson,  and Killer all sail in with 93% of the vote!

Sam McDowell falls off with 29%. Cy Young winner and former Twin Jim Perry falls off with 21%. Vada Pinson gets shut out.

Our 2015 ballot does not have any inner circle candidates. But this is the Half-Baked Hall. Who needs standards

Who ya got?

  • None of them! (54%, 7 Votes)
  • Mark Buehrle (38%, 5 Votes)
  • Torii Hunter (8%, 1 Votes)
  • Michael Cuddyer (0%, 0 Votes)
  • LaTroy Hawkins (0%, 0 Votes)
  • Tim Hudson (0%, 0 Votes)

Total Voters: 13

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First Monday Book Day

First Monday Book Day: Quitters Finish More

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I recently read a fascinating article by Austin Kleon called "How to Read More." This article is no mere list of tips--I was pleasantly surprised by just how insightful it is. Clearly, Mr. Kleon is a big reader.

I was particularly struck by the first tip, which is "Quit reading books you don't like." As a child, I was a compulsive finisher. If I began a book, I felt obligated to see it through to the end even if I wasn't enjoying it. Of course, I had a lot more free time to fill as a child than I do now...

Kleon says, "If you aren’t getting anything out of a book, put it down, and pick up another book. Every hour you spend inching through a boring book is an hour you could’ve spent plowing through a brilliant one. When it comes to books, quitters finish more."

It's true that I read faster when a book really grabs me and I suddenly find "extra" time to read it by using time when I'm usually doing something else. I still remember taking the peperoncino to the playground one summer afternoon so that he could play with trucks in the sand while I perched on the edge of the sandbox, unable to stop reading Sweetbitter.

Do you stop reading when a book isn't holding your attention? Do you have your own tips or tricks on finding time to read? Do tell!

Parentgood

Father Knows Best — Transitions

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My oldest son Francis used to be my oldest daughter Frances. Francis is 25 and lives and works in Chicago so being the parent of a trans kid is somewhat removed for me at this point but it still presents unique challenges and opportunities for learning.

One of the challenges is who do you tell and when? Even though by this point many people know Francis is now a man, not everyone does. I find that some people I have an easy time telling but some people who I have a fleeting relationship with will refer to Francis as a “she” and I find myself not correcting them. It’s really hit and miss for me and as I’ve kept this quiet on the WGOM for nearly 3 years myself, consider this Father Knows Best posting my “coming out” as a Trans Dad.

Of course having a trans kid brings other concerns as a parent. Let’s face it, not everyone is comfortable with trans people; discrimination and even violence is not uncommon. I bring it up to dates in case they are uncomfortable with it. It is a parent’s worst fear that bad things could happen to their child because of who that kid is and basically are powerless to do anything about it. Luckily nothing like this has happened to Francis (that I know of).

It is, however, pretty amazing how accepting people are. For people under 30, it’s not even an issue. My youngest refers to Francis as his brother like it’s been rolling off his tongue forever and the nieces and nephews didn’t even bat an eye. Others that I have told have been more fascinated with the process than questioning the intent. Which has been nice for me.

One thing that I have learned these past 3 years is that sexuality is definitely not M or F but is in fact on a continuum. Francis is the same person he’s always been with the same personality, sense of humor, needs and desires. In fact he exhibits some characteristics that I would consider “feminine.” But having said that, I don’t question at all his identifying as a male.

So we are all in a good place. Francis is a very happy, young person, striking out on his own in Chicago. He has a good job, been in a relationship for over 5 years, and has matured greatly these past few years, like many kids in their mid-20s do. The three of us are going backcountry hiking at Glacier National Park this coming July and I’m really looking forward to it.

Do I have any Father Knows Best advice? Probably not, each of us will have to experience the world our kids bring to us as they grow up. All I can say is your kids are their own person and it’s quite fascinating to watch them grow and experience the world on their own terms. It’s quite a ride, just make sure you have something to hold on to.

WGOM Half-Baked Hall

Half-Baked Hall: 1975

15 Comments

So 2014 was a dud of a year.  Jeter's name will be tucked away for a future consolation ballot as he pulled down 62% of the vote . Bobby Abreu, who will probably linger on the real ballot for ten years, gets unceremoniously dumped off ours with just three votes. Congrats to Jason Giambi and Cliff Lee for each nailing down a vote.  Poor Nick Punto was shut out.

Next up is 1975. I have a feeling one of these guys might be to your liking.

Who belongs in the Half-Baked Hall?

  • Bob Gibson (28%, 13 Votes)
  • Harmon Killebrew (28%, 13 Votes)
  • Juan Marichal (28%, 13 Votes)
  • Sam McDowell (9%, 4 Votes)
  • Jim Perry (7%, 3 Votes)
  • Vada Pinson (0%, 0 Votes)
  • None of them! (0%, 0 Votes)

Total Voters: 14

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First Monday Book Day

Reading To Children

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We've done this topic before, but it's come up recently, so it seemed workable.

What do you read to your kids? What are your goals in reading to your kids, and how does that inform your book selection? (My goal is calming my children down since they're often crazy, and so I read to them from the phone book. Not really, but I should. If only I owned a phone book... (wow the world has changed!)).

Anyway, books. We read them. Then talk about them. Let's do that here.