been a long time...

but did you really want to hear my running commentary on world cup games a couple days late at a time? probably not. on the other hand, this other stuff is just as useless. but hey, it's at least something. i've been lazy in all regards, not just the blog. that's right, exactly like i said i wouldn't be. but i did it. again. can't be helped. what's to be said anyway? it's really hot. wow. how many times must this be repeated? the beer, however, has been good. made a visit to kraftbrau and was quite pleased. also stopped in at the hideout the other day. the esb tasted sooo goood. and a lot like caramel. tough call between the ipa and the esb. been lazy on the brewing too. not all my fault, but got a couple that gotta get in the bottle asap. i've actually been on a big cider kick. might look into brewing up that stuff as well. hopefully it doesn't take as long as the mead. gonna be waitin on that for a while now still. ah well. i heard bell's eccentric cafe has a cyser right now (mead made w/ apples) and i'd love to find a good excuse to head down there. what i really need to do is brew. finished this book on radical brewing by randy mosher, really good stuff. about 30x more types of beers than i had ever imagined. mostly ridiculous stuff produced by historic circumstance. fortunately, we don't HAVE to drink it, but hey, we could. if we felt like it.
went to chicago to see phil and friends last week. say what you will, but it's at least a step up from going to go see jerry garcia band today. that has to be the only band i know of named after someone who was, but is obviously no longer in it. anyway, it was a really cool show, was at the charter one pavillion on northerly island, which really is an island. just has a land bridge to it now. it's where the planetarium is, right near the shedd. has a small public beach, but most of the island is just flat brush stuff like i'm used to seeing in michigan. it was super cool just to walk around on an island feeling so secluded but being so close to all of chicago with some really cool perspective on the skyline. looking out on lake mich from there was neat too because a lot of the boats on the water were coming in or going into the huger marina between the island and the shore. some really ridiculous boats. one pirate one, one bigger than a performance hall with some unidentified flag on it. we suspected lizards. speaking of lizards: all dick devos ads, the motherfucker never blinks. check it out. be aware. lizards, dude.
also went to the taste of grand rapids recently. fortunately, it was not a project to try and decide if grand rapids had a taste, what would it be, and then they make you lick something that supposedly tastes like grand rapids as a whole does. rather, a representation of some pretty decent cuisine. i had a good time, but i had never realized how extensive awards ceremonies for barbeque competitions are. the awards were being handed out from the time i got there until the time i left, over an hour. and now, best briskit... xo asian cuisine had some good stuff, as did judy's dry saloon. i was surprised to see that they allowed nationwide chains to show up, but whatever. there weren't too many, but it just seems odd to promote an event as unique to a city and then allow places that are anywhere with enough population density to support a constant turnover in workstaff.
also discovered a new bob dylan song i really dig. that doesn't happen too often anymore. not because i've heard all of dylan's stuff (that is some accomplishment), but because i feel like i know most of the stuff from the time periodsthf his i've really enjoyed. the tune is bob dylan's 115th dream (not to be confused with his 49th beard). very silly stuff, sort of along the lines of stuck inside of mobile with the memphis blues again, but a slightly more coherent narrative. even stranger is that the song is on bringing it all back home, which i know i've heard, i just didnt recall this tune in particular. lot of good stuff on that album. anyway, i got a laugh out of it:
I was riding on the MayflowerWhen I thought I spied some landI yelled for Captain ArabI have yuh understandWho came running to the deckSaid, "Boys, forget the whaleLook on over yonderCut the enginesChange the sailHaul on the bowline"We sang that melodyLike all tough sailors doWhen they are far away at sea"I think I'll call it America"I said as we hit landI took a deep breathI fell down, I could not standCaptain Arab he startedWriting up some deedsHe said, "Let's set up a fortAnd start buying the place with beads"Just then this cop comes down the streetCrazy as a loonHe throw us all in jailFor carryin' harpoonsAh me I busted outDon't even ask me howI went to get some helpI walked by a Guernsey cowWho directed me downTo the Bowery slumsWhere people carried signs aroundSaying, "Ban the bums"I jumped right into lineSayin', "I hope that I'm not late"When I realized I hadn't eatenFor five days straightI went into a restaurantLookin' for the cookI told them I was the editorOf a famous etiquette bookThe waitress he was handsomeHe wore a powder blue capeI ordered some suzette, I said"Could you please make that crepe"Just then the whole kitchen explodedFrom boilin' fatFood was flying everywhereAnd I left without my hatNow, I didn't mean to be nosyBut I went into a bankTo get some bail for ArabAnd all the boys back in the tankThey asked me for some collateralAnd I pulled down my pantsThey threw me in the alleyWhen up comes this girl from FranceWho invited me to her houseI went, but she had a friendWho knocked me outAnd robbed my bootsAnd I was on the street againWell, I rapped upon a houseWith the U.S. flag upon displayI said, "Could you help me outI got some friends down the way"The man says, "Get out of hereI'll tear you limb from limb"I said, "You know they refused Jesus, too"He said, "You're not HimGet out of here before I break your bonesI ain't your pop"I decided to have him arrestedAnd I went looking for a copI ran right outsideAnd I hopped inside a cabI went out the other doorThis Englishman said, "Fab"As he saw me leap a hot dog standAnd a chariot that stoodParked across from a buildingAdvertising brotherhoodI ran right through the front doorLike a hobo sailor doesBut it was just a funeral parlorAnd the man asked me who I wasI repeated that my friendsWere all in jail, with a sighHe gave me his cardHe said, "Call me if they die"I shook his hand and said goodbyeRan out to the streetWhen a bowling ball came down the roadAnd knocked me off my feetA pay phone was ringingIt just about blew my mindWhen I picked it up and said helloThis foot came through the lineWell, by this time I was fed upAt tryin' to make a stabAt bringin' back any helpFor my friends and Captain ArabI decided to flip a coinLike either heads or tailsWould let me know if I should goBack to ship or back to jailSo I hocked my sailor suitAnd I got a coin to flipIt came up tailsIt rhymed with sailsSo I made it back to the shipWell, I got back and tookThe parkin' ticket off the mastI was ripping it to shredsWhen this coastguard boat went pastThey asked me my nameAnd I said, "Captain Kidd"They believed me butThey wanted to knowWhat exactly that I didI said for the Pope of ErukeI was employedThey let me go right awayThey were very paranoidWell, the last I heard of ArabHe was stuck on a whaleThat was married to the deputySheriff of the jailBut the funniest thing wasWhen I was leavin' the bayI saw three ships a-sailin'They were all heading my wayI asked the captain what his name wasAnd how come he didn't drive a truckHe said his name was ColumbusI just said, "Good luck."
good luck, indeead, mr. columbus. although i still personally want to know why he didn't drive a truck. could have saved us all an awful lot of trouble. for all the complaints though, i must admis simply it i have no personal worry about hezbollah harming me. the god damned press had a ridiculously dumbed down q and a about the current conflict in the middle east. looked like it was made up for fourth graders. and the problem was not only that it was overly simplistic, but some of the stuff they say is just plain unsupportable by raw data. add it to the long list. of course the press also printed a cartoon implying that bush is getting the last laugh on his axis of evil claim from a couple years back. right. i guess he really knew what he was talking about. boy were we way off when we made fun of him. i know i feel bad. also, can someone please explain to me what the hell is ironic at all about 'that shit' having to stop? not getting it. astounding grasp of literary devices from a man who rarely speaks in complete, much less coherent sentences. dear god: please damn it.
well, nothing earth shaking. i've got a bunch of lame material also saved somewhere on the computer. maybe i'll throw some of that up sometime. well i can't believe you checked back. thanks. joke's on you i guess. oh, also, i've noticed that i am seriously running low on shirts. i am currently accepting suggestions for all types of upper body wear. i eagerly await the advice of my public. indeed. go tigers.