Hope Looms

If spare time permits, I'm going to convert this blog at long last to WordPress tomorrow or Monday. Comments will be re-enabled. Life will be good. Keep your fingers crossed......
Posted by Mitch on November 04, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

My Least Favorite Time Of The Year

I hate Halloween. I mean, when I was a kid and young enough for trick-or-treating, it was fine. And when my kids were between 2 and maybe 8-10 years old, it was kind of fun, in that "remember this forever"...
Posted by Mitch on October 31, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

I Don't Believe In Karma

But I do believe that what goes around comes around. Apropos nothing in particular....
Posted by Mitch on October 31, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Adios, Ragweed!

For yet another season, we met, mano a mano. You tried to get me. And yet again, I'm still here, and you're all gone:It was 25 degrees in downtown Minneapolis at 5 a.m., but there were no snowshowersTil next year,...
Posted by Mitch on October 12, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1) | TrackBack

The Plan Proceeds

If you've followed this blog for any time at all, you know that one of my life's ambitions is to leave a word, catchphrase or saying to the English language. I have two contenders:Whomever said "the pen is mightier than...
Posted by Mitch on September 08, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Coming Soon - Non-Lame Content!

It's been a crushing week. Starting a new gig, plus a new school year kicking off - so while like a lot of insecure mid-level bloggers I hardly dare take a Lileks or Sullivan-level "hiatus", let's just say we're having...
Posted by Mitch on September 06, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (4) | TrackBack

I Give Up

Either my Spam Blocker blocks all posts, or it blocks people from posting at all, or it blocks almost no spam. Curse you, Jay Allen!...
Posted by Mitch on September 05, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2) | TrackBack

A Change Is Gonna Come

Finally got WordPress installed. Now, to start what will no doubt be a laborious conversion and migration process......
Posted by Mitch on September 05, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (4) | TrackBack

Fair Chance of Rain

The NARN broadcast at the MN State Fair had its traditional wet sendoff. We always wind up with one rainy day at the Fair, and this was it. Usually the rainstorms at the fair are the warm, windy summer thunderstorms;...
Posted by Mitch on September 03, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Big Day

Starting new gig today. No details forthcoming - it's with a good-sized company in the north suburbs - but early indications are it's the kind of project I've been looking for for a while. So much to write about today...
Posted by Mitch on August 31, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (10) | TrackBack

A Thousand Things To Do

Oh, yeah - enjoying a "day off" between jobs. Took a new position (starting tomorrow) for what should amount to both a fair chunk more money and a much more interesting gig. Of course, I have to:Get the paperwork for...
Posted by Mitch on August 30, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2) | TrackBack

A Thousand Clenched Fists Haikus

Laptop still in shop. Home desktop? Bad motherboard. Posting will be light. (Kudos to Ryan, who stopped poop-blogging a sec to suggest haiku...)...
Posted by Mitch on August 30, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2) | TrackBack

A Thousand Spams

My spam-blocker was, ahem, blocking all comments earlier in the week. I disabled it... ...and have been inundated by spam. Given my ongoing problems getting WordPress to do anything but mock me mutely from out on my server, I'm getting...
Posted by Mitch on August 30, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Hoppin' Mad - For Music!

Via Chad, I see that Summit Brewing is brewing up some serious fun:This year we are celebrating our 20th year in business and beer takes center stage! On September 30th, Noon-10pm the brewery will move its headquarters to Harriet Island...
Posted by Mitch on August 28, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Seeing Light

Posting might be a little light; my laptop is back in the shop. Oh, the plans I have for my next tax refund......
Posted by Mitch on August 28, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (5) | TrackBack

Friday Funnies On My Mind

Swiftee announces the return of the Twin Cities' best blog cartoon, the classic Friday Funnies. Have I mentioned that I'm a "reformed Wellstonian"?...
Posted by Mitch on August 25, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (5) | TrackBack

Blogs I Read

Nobody need, of course, care what I read when I surf. But for those who do, here you go (and, by the way, I omit all the Northern Alliance blogs, all of which I read at least daily) - my...
Posted by Mitch on August 18, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (12) | TrackBack

Back to School

Lileks writes about this time of year: There’s always something about summer that increased the need to find a Special Friend, as though it would all be ruined if you passed the season without a humid interlude. But then you’d...
Posted by Mitch on August 16, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (6) | TrackBack

My Laptop's Back...

...and you're gonna be in trouble. Hey la, hey la, my laptop's back....
Posted by Mitch on August 15, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (4) | TrackBack

Dog Daze

Posting is a bit slow. The bad news: the laptop is in the shop again. For the fifth time in 16 months. The good news: There's a year of warranty left. The bad news: I'm sure I'll need it. The...
Posted by Mitch on August 09, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Happy Birthday!

My wife (at the time) went into labor at a promotional event for the station I was working at at the time. It was Monday night. The contractions started - and stayed about every 15-25 minutes apart for the next...
Posted by Mitch on August 08, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (10) | TrackBack

I Hate My Blog

No, not the concept, or the content, or the process of getting up at 5AM to write the stuff most every day. I love that part of my blog. No, it's the technical side. It's driving me nuts. Some of...
Posted by Mitch on August 07, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (15) | TrackBack

Dust

I'm off in North Dakota for the day. Posting will be light until, most likely, later tonight. I'm up here for some sort of thing involving the ashes of my grandparents; my mom's brother and sister and their spouses are...
Posted by Mitch on August 04, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (11) | TrackBack

To Whomever Said...

...that I look like CNBC's Jim Cramer... ...my daughter agrees. We were watching "Mad Money" the other night, and she said...well, that it was me. Too weird....
Posted by Mitch on August 02, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (12) | TrackBack

Things I Can Say Without Fear of Rational Contradiction

Keren Woodward was the hottest member of Bananarama.I measure eras on Saturday Night Live by the person anchoring Weekend Update; with one exception, the ups and downs in the show's overall quality have corresponded with the changes in the WU...
Posted by Mitch on July 31, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (31) | TrackBack

You Can't Say "Crap" On The Radio...

...and you can't write "Socialist" in my comment section... ...because "Cialis" is probably the most-used word in comment spam today. And I can't think of a way to filter "Cialis" that doesn't get "socialist" to boot. I really, really wanna...
Posted by Mitch on July 29, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (23) | TrackBack

Paint And Movement

Kevin at Eckernet is working on a fiendish plan:Ok, I hope to be putting together a Battle Royale of the Blogosphere on a field of combat. Yes, I'm trying to put together an Minnesota Blogosphere Paintball game. The particulars are...
Posted by Mitch on July 28, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (5) | TrackBack

Trebek: "The Weather"

Berg: "What is Mitch under?" Not feeling at all well today. Light posting until later....
Posted by Mitch on July 28, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Random Meme

From Tanya via Sheila....
Posted by Mitch on July 27, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Reader Mail

Periodically I like to go through some of the email I get from my readers (and occasional readers). Let's get started: To: Berg From: [Redacted] Re: Massive deception You contenue to lye to the peopel. The creticisem of the M-1...
Posted by Mitch on July 26, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (17) | TrackBack

Call for Alexandra Romanov

Sheila's going to go medieval on you. Well...late pre-renaissance on you, anyway....
Posted by Mitch on July 24, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (5) | TrackBack

It's a Good Thing I Like To Blog...

...because I hate all blogging tools. I started on Blogger, whose service hiccups have been legendary for years. But it was free, so I dared not complain. Then, I upgraded to Moveable Type 2.6x. And when I say "I" upgraded,...
Posted by Mitch on July 23, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (15) | TrackBack

Things Everyone Says I'm Supposed To Like, But I Just Don't

A by-no-means complete list:Spongebob Squarepants - It's clever. It's well written. It's jammed with sly references for the adults in the audience. It even makes me laugh, once in a while. But I hate it. Just hate it to death....
Posted by Mitch on July 20, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (49) | TrackBack

World War?

Are we in World War III, as Newt suggested?The former Speaker of the House and possible Republican candidate for president explained on NBC's "Meet the Press" what he described as the theaters of this war, North Korea's test missile, terrorist...
Posted by Mitch on July 17, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (9) | TrackBack

Let's Get One Thing Straight

While I disagree with the policies of Saint Paul Ward 4 Councilman Jay Benanav on every possible point... ...I do not "hate" him, or any other politician. Just so's we're clear on that....
Posted by Mitch on July 17, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (4) | TrackBack

Pitiable Victims

I caught the Indigo Girls on a repeat from MPR's morning show yesterday. I've been listening to them since their debut EP in 1986. I can take a few of their songs, leave a bunch of the rest - but...
Posted by Mitch on July 17, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (8) | TrackBack

Did Anyone Get The License Number On That Truck

Back from vacation. Feels like I got hit by a sack of cement. Maybe it's just the whole "coming down from two weeks off inside three weeks" bit, especially given that I'm not used to taking vacations - or even...
Posted by Mitch on July 07, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

So Off The Grid

Still on vacation. I did get to accomplish one major life goal last night. My whole life, I've wanted to just sit and shoot off a ton of bottle rockets. When I was a kid, Dad wasn't much into bottle...
Posted by Mitch on July 05, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (8) | TrackBack

Road Rules

On the road today. Will post more later, assuming I can find a connection somewhere......
Posted by Mitch on July 04, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Crushing of Dissent

I'm at my mom's place in Minot, North Dakota right now. She's a flaming Democrat. I'm obviously not. She said I could use her computer only if I converted. So I'm up pretty early, hoping to squeeze out a post...
Posted by Mitch on July 03, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (4) | TrackBack

What's Going On?

The NARN will be observing one of its two "best of" days tomorrow. We've been pretty good about taking two days completely off per year - Christmas weekend and the weekend of Independence Day. So too this year. Lots of...
Posted by Mitch on June 30, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2) | TrackBack

This Was The Week That Was

Last week I took a vacation. It was my first week off I've taken that didn't involve job hunting or house-painting since 1995. (Some of you may recall my week off during Christmas week of 2004. That truly did not...
Posted by Mitch on June 30, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Mama Said There'd Be Days Like This

I have so much stuff that's so close to being ready to publish; another "Twenty Years Ago", an update on the Blogswarm, another chapter in Patricianwatch, a slap at/partial exhonoration of some local leftybloggers... ...but I've been working on stuff...
Posted by Mitch on June 27, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Submitted With Comment

OK, I think I finally got the hang of fixing my comment section. And now that we got Zarquawi, I think the next bomb should go to whomever invented comment spam. Yeah. I can dig it....
Posted by Mitch on June 23, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (14) | TrackBack

Sweet Home Saint Paul

Back from Chicago, finally. It was fun, but it's great to be back. Thanks to Learned Foot for doing such a great job filling in. It was fun to read, in my rare moments of computer access. More later....
Posted by Mitch on June 22, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Chicago

I'm in Chicago right now, thoroughly enjoying being off the grid for a couple of days. I'm staying in a pre-WWI condo in Wrigleyville, or just off Lakeshore (just in case that's not really what they call Wrigleyville, so all...
Posted by Mitch on June 21, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

OK...

...now I really am offline. I found a little bit of online access this morning, but barring any surprises, this is pretty much it until Thursday. Enjoy!...
Posted by Mitch on June 19, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (4) | TrackBack

Submitted Without Comment

Not sure what's wrong with the comment section. I'll see if I can get it fixed....
Posted by Mitch on June 19, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

SITD Staff Chat: Not For Public Release

Welcome to Instant Chat SITDStaff: You there, Mitch? SITDStaff: Allo, Mitch? MBerg: Yo. What's up? SITDStaff: Got a minute? MBerg: About a minute. I'm getting ready to head out of town. 'zup? SITDStaff: Um, you booked "Learned Foot" as your...
Posted by Mitch on June 17, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Technical Difficulties

A longtime detractor wrote me last week. To paraphrase, he said "Hahahahahahahaha, you're traficc is down! You rediculous looser!" I had not checked it in quite some time - but sure enough, my Sitemeter stats are way off. I checked...
Posted by Mitch on June 16, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (16) | TrackBack

Zzzzzzzzzz

This has been the longest week. Perhaps it's in keeping with next week's plans. I'm taking a vacation next week. Now, this is kind of a big step for me. I spent most of the last four years in contracting...
Posted by Mitch on June 16, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (7) | TrackBack

The East Side of Life

I made it to Joe Hansen's wake last night. I missed all the radio guys - I saw most of KSTP-AM's staff had signed the guest book when I got there. I'd never met Joe's family, although there was a...
Posted by Mitch on May 26, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (11) | TrackBack

Please Stand By

I'd hoped to have my podcast up and running today - but things have been too busy at home at work. I'm shooting for next week. I'm also shooting to have it not stink....
Posted by Mitch on May 22, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Comments...

...are down again. Some sort of error in my MT-Blacklist spamblocker. Anyone know how to deal with this? And the first person who says "upgrade to MT3" gets a rhetorical wedgie. I know. Actually, I'm torn between MT3 and Wordpress....
Posted by Mitch on May 22, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (17) | TrackBack

SITD: Soon In All-New "Audio"!

I'll be kicking off a podcast pretty quick here. I'm not going to be recycling bits from the radio show (although pullquotes might pop up on occasion); it's going to be all-original stuff, one new 'cast a week. Target date...
Posted by Mitch on May 12, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (10) | TrackBack

No Comment

Not sure why my comments aren't working. Any MT2.x gurus left out there? (echo echo echo) Might be time to switch or upgrade...?...
Posted by Mitch on May 09, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (6) | TrackBack

Not Tops

Not feeling great today. Posting will be minimal to light until later....
Posted by Mitch on May 08, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Barb LeFevre

It was forty years ago this morning that Dad drove Mom to the hospital. I was happy enough; I got to have Grandma Bea stay with me! Dad went to work - as he did while Mom was in labor...
Posted by Mitch on May 04, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (8) | TrackBack

Frequently-Asked Questions

I thought it was time to share some of the reader emails I've been getting lately: Mitch, What ARE you, some kind of bullshit artist? -- Ernie Van Stronk, North Oaks Nope, Ernie. If I write it or say it,...
Posted by Mitch on April 27, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (27) | TrackBack

From the "Things I Could Have Used 25 Years Ago" List...

...the Geek Prom moves to Saint Paul. The prom - for geeks 21 and over - celebrates...er, geeks:If hearing, "Hey, four-eyes!" still gives you a twinge of dread, if you've ever worn floodwater pants with red socks, if you lettered...
Posted by Mitch on April 21, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Weather 9, Mitch 2

Home sick today. Posting will be light for now....
Posted by Mitch on April 18, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (23) | TrackBack

Wide Awake In America

I average around 5-6 hours of sleep per night. On the upside, that's better than the four hours I managed in college. On the other hand, "sleep deprivation" has become another one of those "health causes" that the well-meaning take...
Posted by Mitch on April 17, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (22) | TrackBack

Easter Dinner Buying Spree

Lasagna. Bruschette. Sauteed green beans. Cheesecake....
Posted by Mitch on April 15, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Evening, Day

Went to "Drinking Moderately" down the street at Flash's place last night. Now, it's called "Drinking Moderately", but one must note that Most people there drank pretty heavily (myself excluded), andThe conservatives were outnumbered pretty much the whole eveningBut it...
Posted by Mitch on April 15, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (8) | TrackBack

Not Really Tax Day

...but it doesn't matter. Uncharacteristically for me, I got my taxes done in February. I said "uncharacteristically". For many years, I was not just a proud last-minute filer - I occasionally didn't start my taxes until 9PM on the 15th....
Posted by Mitch on April 15, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1) | TrackBack

It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This

Laptop: Work. Desktop: Season 2 of 24. It works....
Posted by Mitch on April 14, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Just Like Heaven

Saturday night was one of the nights that remind me why I live in Minnesota, and in Saint Paul. After the show, I had a house full of kids over, hanging out with my son. They were busy having a...
Posted by Mitch on April 10, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (8) | TrackBack

It's a Crazy Day

Family-maintenance stuff going on. Light blogging until later....
Posted by Mitch on April 06, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Crazy Day

Off to the 66B GOP convention, to which I'm a delegate. It'll be a brief appearance, of course - gotta get out to White Bear Lake Superstore for today's show with Ed. C'mon out and buy a car!...
Posted by Mitch on April 01, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1) | TrackBack

It Was Twenty Years Ago Today, Part XXVII

It was moving day. I was leaving my first apartment and moving into a house I was going to share with a bunch of women I'd gone to college with, down by Lake Harriett. I took the day off from...
Posted by Mitch on April 01, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Jim Berg

Happy birthday to my little brother, Jim! Jim was born in those days when fathers, far from being in the delivery room, were purely optional in the hospital itself. About the time Jim was born, Dad and I were watching...
Posted by Mitch on March 27, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (7) | TrackBack

And The #1 Sign Morale In Your Office Is Shot...

Happy Saint Pat's Day. Sometime in the mid-late nineties I was working at a company that, even though it is long-defunct, shall remain nameless. A good friend of mine - let's call him O-Dog - and I met at this...
Posted by Mitch on March 17, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (7) | TrackBack

Meme Alert

If I had no politics, music, dating or radio to write about, I'd still have Sheila's memes. Of course, since she gets most of them from other people, I suppose she could stay the same... Anyway......
Posted by Mitch on March 14, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Pa Russkiy

My sentiments exactly! You should learn Russian You should learn Russian. You like to be able to speak to people wherever you travel if even just a little bit. You are smart enough to learn this language and have the...
Posted by Mitch on March 07, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (6) | TrackBack

Attention, Pod People

One of the questions we at the NARN get asked more than any other is "When are you guys going to start podcasting?" The answer (other than John Hinderaker's "Powerline Radio" podcasts, which are another thing altogether) has been a...
Posted by Mitch on March 05, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Reader Mail

I get a fair amount of comments on this site. Occasionally an interesting question pops up. Reader "Joshua" - a blogger, actually, although I don't really care to dig up the URL - is a classy guy. Seriously - a...
Posted by Mitch on March 01, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (25) | TrackBack

It Was Twenty Years Ago Today, Part XXVII

It was March 1, 1986, a Saturday night. The good news: It was payday. And after everything was taken care of, I had a couple of bucks to spare. And I figured I had a few things to celebrate. After...
Posted by Mitch on March 01, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1) | TrackBack

School Days

Via Red, here's another of those addictive memes. This time, it's High School....
Posted by Mitch on February 22, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (6) | TrackBack

Things Afoot

I'm sitting on, if not the biggest story in the history of this blog, at least the most involved one. And I can't publish a damn thing about it. Not yet. Maybe tomorrow, maybe a year from now. Not sure...
Posted by Mitch on February 16, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (33) | TrackBack

59 Factoids And One Unwarranted Conclusion (That Will Give Certain Commenters The Vapors)

As an odd little side note; I'll occasionally post little tidbits about my life and my past. Little, scarcely consequential things - I play ten musical instruments, I speak a couple of languages, I used to occasionally busk for beer...
Posted by Mitch on February 15, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (42) | TrackBack

Long Lost

Speaking of the SD63 Chili Dinner... ...it was about twenty years ago that I met the sister and brother in law of a college friend of mine (one of a couple of college friends with whom I'd eventually wind up...
Posted by Mitch on February 08, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (4) | TrackBack

Things I Hate From The Depths Of My Soul

There aren't many...:Viva La Bam - I can't even define exactly why I hate this show. How to choose: the casual nihilism? The glorification of loud, obnoxious moronism - not the joshing, exuberant, almost endearing cretinism of Jackass, but the...
Posted by Mitch on February 06, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3) | TrackBack

For What It' Worth

Today is the fourth anniversary of this blog. I'm always envious of bloggers like the Powerguys and Ed, who started off on a mission from posting number one; they can tell you exactly the day and time they had their...
Posted by Mitch on February 05, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (15) | TrackBack

Happy Birthday!

It was a rainy, foggy night 13 years ago. I'd just gotten home from one of my worst-ever 'tween-career jobs (skip tracer for a student loan servicer; $7 per hour). Things were rough; a company had just stiffed me for...
Posted by Mitch on February 04, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Defying Gravity

Sometimes my kids amaze me. Now, I'm not one of those parents who is in constant, indiscriminate awe of his children; I think part of loving them is helping realize that they aren't the most special people in the whole...
Posted by Mitch on January 30, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (4) | TrackBack

Whew

One of conservative talk radio's greatest hidden treasures is Dennis Prager's weekly "Happiness Hour" (which, come to think of it, should be either starting or finishing any minute here). There've been two such shows in the past year that have...
Posted by Mitch on January 27, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (12) | TrackBack

One Of Those Days

It's 6AM and I'm already ready for a nap. I'm hitting a bunch of deadlines at work. I'm in the midst of getting a stack of "Functional specifications" - highly-detailed descriptions of what my designs are supposed to do and...
Posted by Mitch on January 25, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (8) | TrackBack

Busy Morning

I've been running around all morning like a chicken with my head cut off... ...and sure enough, I've got a bunch of naked PETA protesters on my front sidewalk. More posting later....
Posted by Mitch on January 20, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (8) | TrackBack

Upside Of Obscurity

The Northern Alliance Radio Network does pretty well for a little local weekend show - but there's times I look at the big stars, the ones making the big money - people like Strom and the like - and yearn...
Posted by Mitch on January 19, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (8) | TrackBack

Things I've Always Wondered About

In that series of Allstate Insurance commercials currently on the TV, why does the actor (the name eludes me; he's like Morgan Freeman Lite, whoever he is) end every spot by saying:That's Allstate, Stan."Who is Stan? And why is Allstate...
Posted by Mitch on January 11, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (11) | TrackBack

Open Letter to CompUSA

On the one hand, thanks for leaving internet connectivity on your Apple (TM) Demos. On the other - try hiring some "service" that's less churlish, more competent. Thank youl...
Posted by Mitch on January 02, 2006 | Read Whole Post | Comments (11) | TrackBack

Simple Luxury

I'm enjoying perhaps one of life's simplest pleasures; a paid day off. Because Christmas fell on a Sunday, my company gave us today as a company holiday. So I'm sitting here basically without a lot to do... ...if you don't...
Posted by Mitch on December 26, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Overpowered By Cat

I found this bit in Broken Nails, a Saint Paul leftyblog that, I am pleased to say, doesn't suck. According to the PiPress' "City Hall Scoop" blog, my cat beat me. In last month's Saint Paul School Board election, the...
Posted by Mitch on December 22, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (5) | TrackBack

It's A Wonderful Life

Personal quirk: I always love Christmas. It's hard to do sometimes, but I make damn sure I always love it. There's an old Hungarian saying: "the best way to become wealthy is to appear as if you already are". That...
Posted by Mitch on December 22, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (13) | TrackBack

Leisure

As 2002 started - about a month after I started this blog - the dotcom I worked for began its slide to oblivion, eliminating a bunch of jobs in early March, including mine. For almost four years, every job I've...
Posted by Mitch on December 16, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (9) | TrackBack

Milestone?

"The New Lineup" was the 6,000th post on this blog. What really blows my mind is that my 5,000th post was last May 30th; I've done a thousand in six months. I need a life, don't I? Anyway, thanks for...
Posted by Mitch on December 14, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Five Weird Things

Sheila's got another meme (via Joan) that I have to try. How does it go? Just explain five weird things about yourself. I think I can find five:When I notice I've stepped on a crack in the sidewalk with one...
Posted by Mitch on December 12, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (9) | TrackBack

Last Call

Ugh. OK. I'm supposed to be somewhere tonight. Some event. If you're involved, you know who you are and where it is. Please email or comment. "Funny" comments will be deleted if I'm in a good mood, mutilated otherwise. And...
Posted by Mitch on December 08, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (6) | TrackBack

Thursday Night

Since I've been having computer problems again, I will need to go through this somewhat embarassing procedure one more time: I have an event at which I'm supposed to be tomorrow evening. I remember some of the basics - the...
Posted by Mitch on December 07, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (13) | TrackBack

The Limits Of Endurance

Back in the bad old days - 1988 to about 1992 - I worked as a nightclub DJ. I worked for a DJ service that jobbed me out to a lot of bars. Some wer fun; the old "George Is...
Posted by Mitch on December 06, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (73) | TrackBack

Crazy Day

Very busy today. Light to nonexistant posting until noon. Try to maintain....
Posted by Mitch on December 02, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (5) | TrackBack

My Personal Quagmire

Good weekend, all in all. Except for the blog:Laptop is in the shop again.My desktop computer was down until last night. Fortunately, I fixed it......in time to discover that my cable modem is hosed.Thank goodness for coffee shops with terminals....
Posted by Mitch on November 28, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Mitch Cooks Thanksgiving Dinner

Turkey, stuffing, corn casserole, rolls, pie. No lefse this year; I'll have to shoot for Christmas. Again, Happy Thanksgiving, all!...
Posted by Mitch on November 24, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Happy Thanksgiving

Three years ago, I wrote a Thanksgiving piece that really summed up what this holiday means for me, personally. To me, it's always felt like the beginning of the new year, especially in this 20 years that I've been living...
Posted by Mitch on November 24, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (8) | TrackBack

A Couple Dozen Theses

It worked for Martin Luther, it could work for me. Besides, on this very, very busy day, it beats actually looking for stuff to write about. Here goes:The volume with which one accuses another of being a "chickenhawk" is in...
Posted by Mitch on November 18, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (16) | TrackBack

Odd Request

I'm supposed to speak tomorrow at a local event. My laptop is back in the shop, along with all the information. If you're with the event, you have my details. Please email me just to make sure I have everything...
Posted by Mitch on November 17, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (8) | TrackBack

Awful Enormity

My alarm went off late, the laundry was messed up, and I have an all-day meeting today. Blogging will be light, unless I get a noon break of some sort. Tonight, of course, is the Michael Reagan event at the...
Posted by Mitch on November 17, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Revenge of the Nekulturny, Part II

Hi, "Human Resources" "professionals". Remember me? Because I remember you. You had your little three year run. Oh, yeah. Fifty, a hundred, five hundred resumes for every job. Desperate job-seekers willing to do damn near anything to land a gig....
Posted by Mitch on November 16, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (14) | TrackBack

Friggin' Weathermen

It was supposed to snow cats and dogs last night. Which would be fine; my company has a fairly spiffy work-from-home policy. But it didn't snow. It's merely raining, so it'd be bad form to work from home, especially because...
Posted by Mitch on November 15, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (21) | TrackBack

Discomblugulated

Blogging has been a bit light the last couple of days. My laptop is down again, plus the desktop has a kid-related issue. So blogging is more or less catch-as-catch can for the moment. I should have this fixed and...
Posted by Mitch on November 14, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Resistance Addict

A commenter in a thread yesterday about the election recapped a question that Brian "Saint Paul" Ward asked over the weekend - what's the big deal about living in the city? I get the question a lot from conservative and...
Posted by Mitch on November 09, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (60) | TrackBack

My Day At The Polls

It was short election for me. There were three people in my polling station (not counting the five election staffers) when I showed up at 8:30. I voted for Randy Kelly, naturally. In a just universe, populated by rational people,...
Posted by Mitch on November 08, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (17) | TrackBack

Urge To...Scream

I had a LONG post almost done just now, comparing the Francofada to the Petrograd Revolution of 1905. I got up to run to the bathroom. My son sat down at my laptop to squeeze in a quick game of...
Posted by Mitch on November 08, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (5) | TrackBack

The Eternal Cloudiness of the Caffeine-Free Mind

Got off the elevator in cubeland this morning. Made the turn down the hall. Walked past the usual office doors, with a mild feeling of unease. Something just wasn't right. The offices to my right and cubes to my left...
Posted by Mitch on November 04, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (14) | TrackBack

Groaaan

It's been a long week. Much stuff going on. Not much energy on the Mitch front in the morning, during my customary 5-6:30AM blogging time. I have another "Twenty Years Ago Today..." coming sometime today, along with a challenge from...
Posted by Mitch on November 04, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Another Pleasant Valley Sunday

Been feeling a tad under the weather, and way too busy. And what's better for that than another meme, via Red, Kathy and the Butchers? This time it's "The Average American"....
Posted by Mitch on November 01, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (6) | TrackBack

Things I Detest Almost Beyond Reason

Ed, Edd and Eddie - There have been many cartoons that have gone beyond "I don't get it", and swerved into actively pissing me off; Cat/Dog, Cow and Chicken, Tom Meets The Mayor, The Oblongs all irritate me to one...
Posted by Mitch on October 24, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (22) | TrackBack

Yet Again...

...I did not win the Powerball. Of course, I never buy tickets - but more about that in a bit. I've at least managed to avoid scenes like this:I'm one of those eleventh-hour buyers, I only buy when the pot...
Posted by Mitch on October 20, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (14) | TrackBack

W00t!

For the first time ever - thanks to a 10,000-visit Instalanche on Friday - my Ecosystem Traffic Average is on the brink of the top 200: Hey, it's fun. It won't last; my average will be back in the low...
Posted by Mitch on October 17, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (12) | TrackBack

Things I Have No Choice But To Believe Until Further Notice

The short list:OJ was framed. Nicole did it; it was a murder-suicide.In his 1984 classic "Sunglasses At Night", Corey Hart sings during the chorus "Don't trust the maaaan who don't waaaaanna shave no more....The moment the staff the the KQ...
Posted by Mitch on October 17, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (12) | TrackBack

Things I Can Neither Forgive Nor Forget

I'm a Christian, and I take seriously my Lord and Savior's command to forgive those who transgress against me. I really try hard. But there are times, places and events that make forgiveness (to say nothing of forgetting) very, very...
Posted by Mitch on October 13, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (19) | TrackBack

Threesies

Another meme via Red: Three Things I Do Not UnderstandThe enduring popularity of Will and Grace.Statistics. Why "System Of A Down" has sold a single CD.Three Things On My Desk (Work edition)Two empty liter bottles of water.A blessedly idle telephoneClutter.Three...
Posted by Mitch on October 12, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (8) | TrackBack

More Later

I must have needed the extra two hours of sleep. Blah. More later today....
Posted by Mitch on October 10, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Bleagh

Not feeling well today. Light posting until probably noonish....
Posted by Mitch on October 06, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Retail Rage

I was grabbing some stuff for dinner in my local Rainbow Foods last night. Now, it's rare that the music on the overhead Muzak doesn't bore or cringe me, much less irritate. But last night I got lucky (as it...
Posted by Mitch on September 27, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (7) | TrackBack

(Oh Tell Me Why) I Don't Like Mondays...

Blah. More posting later....
Posted by Mitch on September 26, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2) | TrackBack

In The Footsteps Of The King

I'm in Saint Cloud, posting from the Panera Bread store that King turned into a blogospheric legend. Mmmmm - spinach and artichoke souffle... I'm going to be appearing on Race To The Right, on KNSI (AM1450 in Saint Cloud, plus...
Posted by Mitch on September 25, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Late Start

I sorta slept in today. I didn't get up until sixish. More blogging a little later in the morning. By The Way - if you've been trying to leave comments and getting rejected (unless you're one of the two people...
Posted by Mitch on September 23, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (8) | TrackBack

New Pet Peeve

It used to be that most times someone tried to trump an argument by saying "You're in denial", that the unstated dependent clause was "...that I'm right, even though I haven't come close to convincing you". The new "Denial" is...
Posted by Mitch on September 22, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (12) | TrackBack

Riding The, Er, Storm Out

The kids and I spent about an hour in the basement last night, listening to 'CCO and...just chatting. It was actually kind of fun. We don't get a lot of time to just sit and talk, anymore. Being teenagers (12...
Posted by Mitch on September 22, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Rule Of Law

I was thinking as I wrote the "Berg's Second Law" post this morning that in the past 3.5 years of doing this blog I have actually contributed a few laws to the world's canon. I should make sure everyone is...
Posted by Mitch on September 21, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (17) | TrackBack

Happy Anniversary

Happy blog anniversary to first anniversary of Gary Gross' "Let Freedom Ring". Stop by and say congrats!...
Posted by Mitch on September 18, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Notify Hinderaker

I had no idea there was a blog devoted to professional sports cheerleaders - but I should have assumed it. Naturally, they kick my butts for traffic. Go figure......
Posted by Mitch on September 18, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Pow!

I have what is, for a second-amendment guy, kind of a shameful admission; I hadn't been on a shooting range in over a decade. Until yesterday. But I took a basic handgun skills test. Minimum passing score was 105 out...
Posted by Mitch on September 18, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (5) | TrackBack

Whack Upside The Head

I occurred to me as I sat in the midst of a mile-long traffic jam yesterday - I really haven't done a lot of commuting lately. I live in the Midway, halfway between the two downtowns. Which is great, except...
Posted by Mitch on September 16, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Espresso, Please

Posting's been a bit light this week. First week on a new gig is always a whack upside the head. I've gotten a tad spoiled; I've spent most of the last 20 months commuting either to downtown Minneapolis or, for...
Posted by Mitch on September 14, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Day Late, Dollar Short

I was reading Yucky Salad with Bones and I caught this bit here about an idea that languished until it was stolen:Way back in 1992, when Mike and I were newlyweds and living in our first apartment over by Lake...
Posted by Mitch on September 06, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Upside The Head

Saw my youngest off on the bus today. For seventh grade. My oldest, natch, was on the bus at 7:00 for ninth grade - at high school. I've had some time to absorb that one, now. This one's worse, though....
Posted by Mitch on September 06, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Legal Question

If someone associates you with "groping" on a public website, does that come anywhere near the legal definition of libel? Because I think someone inferring that you're a sexual harasser is pretty defamatory. I suspect I'm just close enough to...
Posted by Mitch on September 06, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (27) | TrackBack

Why They Call It Labor Day

Tons of housework today. Hopefully a job offer this week. Stay tuned. More posting - including, I hope, a wrapup of the MOB party - later today....
Posted by Mitch on September 05, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Call Me Duke

Via Doug at BoGold, the great Leading Man test. This one's a little more fun than most, actually...' John Wayne You scored 69% Tough, 14% Roguish, 9% Friendly, and 9% Charming! You, my friend, are a man's man, the original...
Posted by Mitch on August 28, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (6) | TrackBack

Bleagh, Part II

I mentioned turmoil yesterday. The programming staff at the company I work at is about six months behind on work - hence, there's not much need for analysis and design, since all design work will be obsolete by the time...
Posted by Mitch on August 26, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (7) | TrackBack

Bleagh

Immense personal turmoil today. More later....
Posted by Mitch on August 25, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (6) | TrackBack

Upcoming Events

Tomorrow, I'll post my interview with the most controversial figure in the Minnesota blogosphere, the Minnesota Democrat Exposer. This weekend, the NARN will be at the Minnesota State Fair both Saturday and Sunday. We have a very full agenda -...
Posted by Mitch on August 25, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (6) | TrackBack

Idiosyncratic

Red is running a meme on idiosyncrasies. The challenge - list five of your own. One of mine is that I can't pass these things up. But that one doesnt' count....
Posted by Mitch on August 18, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (17) | TrackBack

Noted in Passing

I was listening to an old "Best Of Don Vogel" CD lent to me by a reader. It's a bit of forensic audio done by KSTP-AM in the mid-nineties, to commemorate Don's passing and to raise money for a few...
Posted by Mitch on August 17, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (5) | TrackBack

Woux Houx

I had a great week, largely due to a Captainlanche and a lot of traffic related, I presume, to the Coleman "story". My week's traffic had a really nice spike this week, which put me in the top thousand on...
Posted by Mitch on August 14, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (7) | TrackBack

Desperate for Dirt

Chris Dykstra from the NewPats writes:, Mitch, ...thank you...for teaching me and my kids...What a Putz...Chris Dykstra [is].Well, no, but he pulled a similar bit of legerdemain with something I wrote (in the sense that I wrote the words, albeit...
Posted by Mitch on August 10, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (8) | TrackBack

Where Were These Guys When I Needed Them?

As noted earlier, one of my few diversions when I was working in bars was picking holes in the stories of the hordes of people who, at last call, claimed to be former SEALs, Green Berets, Deltas, Recon Marines, CIA...
Posted by Mitch on August 10, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (4) | TrackBack

Blogads: What If...?

You're thinking about buying a blogad. You're wondering - "What'll it take to get people from the content in the middle of the page over to my ad on the right?" I have an idea for you. Shot In The...
Posted by Mitch on August 07, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

I Don't Think So

I took another of those web quizzes - "Which Star Trek Character Are You?" Take the Star Trek Quiz I Don't. THINK...so. It seems...unlikely. VERY...unlikely....
Posted by Mitch on August 05, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (11) | TrackBack

Meat

Nobody likes a huge hamburger more than me. No, that's not true. Probably 2/3 of the population likes a huge hamburger more than I do. I have teetered on the brink of vegetarianism a few times - and have only...
Posted by Mitch on August 04, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (26) | TrackBack

Bar Tricks

Back when I worked in bars, I noticed a certain phenomenon: around last call, there was a phenomenal number of former SEALs, CIA operatives and undercover cops at the bar. Every schlub staggering around, hammered out of his gourd, would...
Posted by Mitch on August 02, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (23) | TrackBack

Amazing Rescue

I caught this in the paper this morning; a local blog commenter has been rescued after falling into a cave. A very strange cave:Blog Commenter Rescued From Eighties Time Warp Cave A man identified only as "PB", missing for the...
Posted by Mitch on August 01, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (9) | TrackBack

Where Are You Now, Charles Darwin?

Two incidents:Driving down I-94 yesterday. Behind me rode a small gaggle of Aryan-looking young men in overly-treated flat-top hairdos, riding crotch rocket motorcycles. One of the young Aryans reared up into a rolling wheelie for a sold eighth of a...
Posted by Mitch on August 01, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (5) | TrackBack

Foiled Again

Just when I was thinking about running down to one of my four neighborhood Caribou Coffee shops for a kielbasa dog, a beer and a Hustler - this comes along.Porn, pork and Pabst -- you're safe from them at Caribou...
Posted by Mitch on July 26, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (12) | TrackBack

You Know Who You Are

I'm in the stall in the men's room. There are eight stalls. Three or four are occupied. I'll belabor the details no further. You walk in. You close and lock your door. I am, of course, inured to most of...
Posted by Mitch on July 25, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (12) | TrackBack

Survey

RTG's latest survey. It's a big one....
Posted by Mitch on July 25, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (6) | TrackBack

My Son's Christmas Wish List...

...is now located in one convenient place....
Posted by Mitch on July 22, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (9) | TrackBack

Back When...

...my daughter was born, the DJ service I worked for gave me a night off. When my son was born, I was working as an office temp during an incredibly difficult stretch of my life. The morning after he was...
Posted by Mitch on July 22, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (8) | TrackBack

Truer Words Were Never Spoken

Words of deep wisdom from Elder:Stoned, paranoid, and stupid is no way to go through a day at work.Although sometimes it's the only way....
Posted by Mitch on July 22, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (11) | TrackBack

Not That I Care At All...

...but adding the hit counters to all my pages really buffed up my Ecosystem Traffic rating. I'm at #270 today, which is the first time I've been in the top 300 since probably mid-2002, when there were about 300 blogs...
Posted by Mitch on July 21, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Open Letter to My Office's Security Staff

The sign in the lobby where employees enter says:Visible ID must be worn at all timesSorry. I'll wear that dorky photo ID dog tag on a belt clip or lanyard when I start drinking from the toilet and fetching sticks....
Posted by Mitch on July 20, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (21) | TrackBack

Meme Alert

Via Sheila, here's the latest....
Posted by Mitch on July 19, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2) | TrackBack

That Reminds Me

Reading Red's karaoke experience, I just realized what an intense hole has been left in my life. I've been single (again) for almost six years now. And for five of those years, on Saturday nights when I had no kids...
Posted by Mitch on July 17, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (4) | TrackBack

Zzzzz

Incredibly tired today. Long evening. More later. More posting as the day goes on. I hope....
Posted by Mitch on July 15, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Prophetic?

I wrote this two years ago, during the summer of my discontent, the summer of '03, when I spent six months doing 40 hours a month of subsistence contracting (closely following four months of no work at all). And, at...
Posted by Mitch on July 14, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (4) | TrackBack

It's a Kick...

...knowing that somewhere in the world, there are 14 of my What Would Reagan Do bumper stickers floating around....
Posted by Mitch on July 14, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (4) | TrackBack

You Know Who You Are

You're one of those people who goes to the gym, walks in to the pool, picks a lane, jumps in, and... ...doesn't swim! You are one of those "water joggers". Or perhaps one of those people who grabs a paddleboard...
Posted by Mitch on July 14, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (18) | TrackBack

Good Angel, Bad Angel

On My Right Shoulder, the good angel, in the voice of Joe Carter at Evangelical Outpost, who writes about the fungible and often illusory rewards of blogging - things like traffic numbers and money and recognition in the square press...
Posted by Mitch on July 13, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

The Biggest Luxury

No kids tonight. No date, no engagements with friends, no pressing chores, no fires to put out. No show prep (it can wait til tomorrow), no plans. Some desire to see the Basilica Block Party - although for $30, I'd...
Posted by Mitch on July 08, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (4) | TrackBack

Proud To Be...

I guess I'm an American, by jinkie... You Are 78% AmericanYou're as American as red meat and shooting ranges. Tough and independent, you think big. You love everything about the US, wrong or right. And anyone who criticizes your home...
Posted by Mitch on July 08, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (14) | TrackBack

Happy Birthday, Dad!

It's my dad's birthday today....
Posted by Mitch on July 05, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (6) | TrackBack

Color Me Amazed

So the other day someone told me they'd seen one of my What Would Reagan Do? bumperstickers. Backstory: I set up my CafePress merchandise account over two years ago - and haven't checked into it since. As far as I'd...
Posted by Mitch on June 30, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (5) | TrackBack

Glories, Beads, Etc

Red and NormNorm did it. Certainly I must....
Posted by Mitch on June 28, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (5) | TrackBack

Gaaaaah

Too too much burning the candle at both ends. No, actually I just threw the candle into a campfire. It's that bad. More posting later today. Until then, check out my good friend The Head of Alfredo Garcia, over at...
Posted by Mitch on June 28, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Shrapnel of the Day

Crazy weekend. Home repairs await; gotta put up a porch railing. Not only have I never done this, but I think the bozo at Menard's gave me bum advice. We'll see soon enough. Word has it that Learned Foot is...
Posted by Mitch on June 26, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2) | TrackBack

A Many-Splenda'd Thing

About a year before I got married, I read William Dufty's Sugar Blues, a book about all the harm sugar does to the human body; when I finished the book, I gave up sugar (except for moderate amounts of ketchup...
Posted by Mitch on June 20, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (5) | TrackBack

Things People Are Always Asking Me

Thought I'd try and answer a few of them: How about that Tom Cruise/Katie Holmes thing? - Cruise; a fine actor. Holmes; never seen her in anything. Have no clue. Overall impression; whatever their individual pathologies, the fact that a...
Posted by Mitch on June 14, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (7) | TrackBack

Mitch-Do List

It's a typical Sunday in the Berg house. I have Anoka Flash's kids over - they spent the night, hanging out with my son. Busy day planned:Feed the kids brunch. Big pot of scrambled eggs and o'briens cooking up now...
Posted by Mitch on June 12, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Overpowered By Metaphor

I was sorting laundry a few minutes ago, when a random thought occurred to me: If someone's a railroad or transit traffic flow engineer, and their job (literally, when stripped of all metaphorical baggage) is to make trains run, and...
Posted by Mitch on June 10, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3) | TrackBack

What I Do

It's always interesting, trying to explain what I do for a living. Even to my employers; in the last eight years, my job titles have included:GUI DesignerUsability AnalystHuman Factors Engineer (no, I'm not an engineer - that was a subterfuge...
Posted by Mitch on June 08, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Whew

It was the second-shortest stretch out of work I've had so far - two days. I go back to work today. Thanks for the prayers and wishes. And to the one challenged little person who was gloating about my being...
Posted by Mitch on June 08, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Pet Peeves

I don't have many pet peeves. I'm pretty much a live and let live kind of guy. But there are a few things that always set my teeth on edge:Misusing "Apropos" - So many people think "apropos" is a synonym...
Posted by Mitch on June 07, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (12) | TrackBack

Things I Hate

Somewhere near the mid-top of the list, I have to add "Flavored Coffee". Nice to know at least one person feels the same. Coconut Iced Coffee:Ridiculously exaggerated taste analogy: It tastes like burnt flesh smeared with suntan lotion.She's onto something....
Posted by Mitch on June 07, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Speaking of Hitting The Beach...

...that's what I'm doing. My last contract gig tanked with very little warning last Friday, putting me (and a couple of other contractors) "on the beach". Today's my first day of job-hunting. Again. On the downside, after 2003 I'd hoped...
Posted by Mitch on June 06, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (4) | TrackBack

Nostalgia Via King

King Banaian at SCSU Scholars took a run at my last post - and raised me a topic:First and last songs I played with bands for money -- first was "Just What I Needed" by the Cars, and last was...
Posted by Mitch on June 05, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Music That Makes Me Nostalgic

Sheila started it! Some of this stuff I should have a few drinks before I admit it. It'd be an excuse... Moody Blues - I can't stand the whole sci-fi opera angle of so much of their music. But I...
Posted by Mitch on June 05, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (13) | TrackBack

RTG Strikes Again

Via Sheila, another of Right Thinking Girl's Friday Quizzes, for those who care. (For those who don't...move along. More later)....
Posted by Mitch on June 03, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Bleg End

My bleg for money to put toward a new laptop has been an astounding success. I thank everyone who contributed - a grand total of over $420. I'm going to replace the link with my regular tip-jar link again tonight...
Posted by Mitch on June 02, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (6) | TrackBack

Ground Rules

Just a few notes here, for those who need the reminder: This is my blog. I take comments, unlike many area blogs, and generally enjoy them. And I don't care how angry you are, or how vituperatively you disagree with...
Posted by Mitch on June 02, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (37) | TrackBack

Whoah

"Whuppin'" was the five thousandth post on this blog since February 5, 2002! Don't ask me to summarize them all......
Posted by Mitch on May 30, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (14) | TrackBack

Memorial Day

We're off to observe memorial day today. We may try to stop by my kids' grandfather's grave, in the northwest 'burbs. My ex father-in-law Al fought in World War II, as a gunner's mate on the USS Collette. I tell...
Posted by Mitch on May 30, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (7) | TrackBack

Late Start

Crazy morning here in the Berg household. The word for the day is "Clairvoyant"; more later. By the way, response to my bleg - blog begging - to defray the cost of a new used laptop has been great. I'm...
Posted by Mitch on May 25, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3) | TrackBack

The Freep

Via the MAWB, I see that my note to Frist is now a Free Republic thread. As it happens, this is the first time I've ever been to Free Republic; I have no, zero idea how my post got there......
Posted by Mitch on May 24, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (21) | TrackBack

The Bleg

My old laptop died. I'm not burying it yet - I'm going to hope for some miracle in technology or a lucky break on EBay will turn up something. But for now, I'm afraid the old laptop is toast. So...
Posted by Mitch on May 23, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (12) | TrackBack

Crack For The Chatty Soul

Via Red and Right Thinking Girl, the weekly survey. Oh, don't look at me that way. They're fun, in a wierd kind of way....
Posted by Mitch on May 21, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Frikkin' Giuliani!

Connect this dot. I attended last night's annual dinner at the Center of the American Experiment, as a guest of the always-gracious John Hinderaker. The guest of honor and keynote speaker was former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani. I sat...
Posted by Mitch on May 20, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (4) | TrackBack

Open Letter to the Target Store in Arden Hills, MN

My daughter, Bun, takes after me in a lot of ways. Of my two kids, she's probably the closest to me in terms of looks, attitude, overall gestalt... ...with one huge exception. She got her clothing-shopping chops from her Mom....
Posted by Mitch on May 15, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (15) | TrackBack

I Bet This Never Happens to Dartmouth Grads

I graduated from a little college in the middle of nowhere. I went there for good reasons, or so I thought at the time; the price was right (Mom worked there for a couple of years, which gave me a...
Posted by Mitch on May 09, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (4) | TrackBack

Survey

I can't resist these kinds of things, to my endless chagrin (via Red)...
Posted by Mitch on May 06, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2) | TrackBack

To Be In Pittsburgh

Long-time "Shot" reader Dave from Ohligarchy writes:The city of Pittsburgh will hold a "full-scale terrorism simulation" inside the park. Attendance is not only free, but those who show up to participate get a "goodie bag":So far, so good. Then, the...
Posted by Mitch on May 05, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1) | TrackBack

B-Day Stands for Barb Day

Happy Birthday to my little sister, Barb, out in Billings. She turns 29 for like the ninth or tenth time today. And I still wanna know where you stashed all the airplanes from my model of the USS Midway, dagnabbit!...
Posted by Mitch on May 04, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Whew

Well, I have a computer working at home again. Sort of. Computers are like this for me; every year or two, I have to do some major maintenance or repair on one computer or another, during which I become quite...
Posted by Mitch on May 03, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (4) | TrackBack

Blah

Both computers in the house are complete blotto. The laptop power supply won't take a charge from the AC adapter, and I think the desktop box's OS kernel is corrupted by all the viruses my kids let onto the system....
Posted by Mitch on May 01, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (4) | TrackBack

Blog Svedanya, Rodina!

My inner Euro is Russian: Your Inner European is Russian! Mysterious and exotic. You've got a great balance of danger and allure. Who's Your Inner European?...
Posted by Mitch on April 29, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (9) | TrackBack

The Sweet, Hoppy Taste of Victory

I attended Keegans' Trivia last night - and for the first time, managed to wrest the coveted trophy away from the Fraters. On behalf of my teammates - Laura and David Hemler, Sisyphus from Nihilist in Golf Pants, and myself...
Posted by Mitch on April 29, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (9) | TrackBack

Hmmmm

So Monday, I slave away for hours writing like ten posts. I get respectable traffic. Yesterday, I kvetch about my computers falling apart, and get about `10% more hits. Sigh. OK. I know what sells......
Posted by Mitch on April 28, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (8) | TrackBack

Insane Day

The NARN is filling in for Hugh Hewitt today - 5-8 Central, at a Salem Affiliate near you. Naturally, the power supply on my laptop is hosed. My desktop computer here at home - which as been the province of...
Posted by Mitch on April 27, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (4) | TrackBack

So Wierd

I registered Bun, my daughter and oldest child, for high school last night. I remember coming to the same building, Saint Paul Central, ten years ago, when her half-brother, my stepson, was checking out high schools. She was three at...
Posted by Mitch on April 20, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (10) | TrackBack

Up For Comment

I think I fixed my comments. It appears that I inadvertently saved an incredibly comprehensive blocking rule to my MT-Blacklist. Sure kept the spam out, I tells ya....
Posted by Mitch on April 08, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Another Thursday, Another Meme

Via Red, another one of those funky "Have You Ever" memes....
Posted by Mitch on April 07, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

This Was The Day That Was

Several projects wrapping up simultaneously. I was SO buried. And all of that on three hours' sleep. Blah. Tomorrow will be bigger......
Posted by Mitch on April 06, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Blaaaaaaaagh

Crazy day so far. More posting later in the day....
Posted by Mitch on April 06, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Say Cheese

One of my most enduring memories of 2003 - when I spent much of the year unemployed - was hitting the classifieds and job leads hard, bright and early every morning. Frequently, the TV would be tuned into the Disney...
Posted by Mitch on March 31, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Things I Hate But I'm Supposed To Like

I can sit and listen to fingernails scraping on chalkboards all day long. Presuming one can find a chalkboard anymore. But there are other things where I'm not so lucky....
Posted by Mitch on March 30, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (10) | TrackBack

I Got To Thinking

Which is always dangerous. Ten years ago, I bought my first decent computer - a Pentium 100 with 32MB of RAM and a 1GB hard drive. It cost $2,000, without the monitor. At about that time, I also bought my...
Posted by Mitch on March 28, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (6) | TrackBack

Operation Overload

There's just too much going on.Three projects singing right along at work, all coming to a head right about...now.Getting ready for EasterGot a show to do tomorrowI have a ton of material regarding the Family Court reform bills that are...
Posted by Mitch on March 25, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (4) | TrackBack

M-I-T-to the C ta the H, Keeping It Real fo ma Homies

Gizoogle is my favorite translator program, or at least the one I have the most fun using. A sample. But not only can you translate your own stuff - you can translate your friends, more friends (you may need to...
Posted by Mitch on March 25, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Must...Shut...Up...

I made it to Keegans last night for the trivia challenge. I teamed with Laura and David Hemler... ...and, as usual, came in second. It's uncanny. Every trivia challenge, I come in second, usually because I reverse one of my...
Posted by Mitch on March 25, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Preying On The Gullible

If I have a weakness, it's that I will take any opportunity I can to prey on the gullible. Now, keep in mind this is purely for entertainment purposes. I don't con people (occasional streeeeeetching of my resume earlier in...
Posted by Mitch on March 21, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (5) | TrackBack

Life is a Metaphor for Metaphor

Lileks is, of course, the best writer currently working in the Twin Cities. James is a few years older than me, but a tad newer to the Dad thing; Gnat is 4.5 years old, while mine are 13 and 12....
Posted by Mitch on March 21, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3) | TrackBack

School Daze

I had to try this one. It's from the Spinster via Jess. Thinking of myself back then is...hilarious. Or sad, depending on my mood....
Posted by Mitch on March 18, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (6) | TrackBack

Kiss Me. I'm Norwegian and Scottish

On the one hand, St. Patrick's Day in Saint Paul is a lot of fun. A very Irish city, half of Saint Paul takes the day off and wanders the streets, hammered out of its mind, all day today. Bagpipes...
Posted by Mitch on March 17, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (6) | TrackBack

I See Pink, Part II

My monitor is still showing all white pixels as a noisy, hot pink. The text on my blog editor is still grayish-black. Which means the contrast is not only very low (lower still because the pink bleeds heavily into the...
Posted by Mitch on March 15, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

TREBEK: "Chopped Baby Corn On Veggie Pizza"

BERG: "How do you know the company cafeteria is a bit overzealous about recycling the salad bar produce?"...
Posted by Mitch on March 07, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Spring In The Midway - Part II

There are many signs of the changing season here in the Midway. The first week of May, of course, marks the annual ten-day blooming of my little magnolia bush. The prettiest smell I know, all in all - but by...
Posted by Mitch on March 04, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

I See Pink

So over the weekend my laptop's monitor wigged out. Basically, every pixel displays normally, except every one that is supposed to be plain white. These all display in a hue of hot pink that I haven't seen since the early...
Posted by Mitch on February 28, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (18) | TrackBack

Speed

Chad the Elder from Fraters Libertas wants to be able to read more - or, to be fully accurate, to be able to read more in the limited time he has for reading:These days (actually for some time now) there...
Posted by Mitch on February 23, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (4) | TrackBack

I'd Like To Thank The Academy

An emailer tells me Nick Coleman named me his "Dingbat of the Week", or some such, on his "program" today. Did anyone get the details? Please leave a comment. And if you are a Coleman listener, welcome! We use big...
Posted by Mitch on February 22, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (15) | TrackBack

This Is A First...

There are some sayings that have passed into the canon of the English language as prime examples of absurd exaggeration. "My dog ate my homework" is one of them - an example of an excuse so far-fetched, so lame, so...
Posted by Mitch on February 18, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (6) | TrackBack

The Weekend

Huge weekend in Shot In The Dark land. For starters; tomorrow, the NARN will be at White Bear Lake Superstore. On top of the show, we have prizes, pizza from (I'm told) Green Mill (!), and that whole NARN thing...
Posted by Mitch on February 18, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2) | TrackBack

On The Brink

Feeling much better, today, now that ironically I have no national radio to do. Will blog more later today....
Posted by Mitch on February 11, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Three Years

Yesterday was "Shot In The Dark's" third birthday. I can't believe I missed it! If you'd told me three years ago that this site would be drawing 2,000 visits a day, would be in the top 400 in the Bear...
Posted by Mitch on February 06, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (5) | TrackBack

12 Years Ago Today

My "little guy", Sam, is 12 years old today. The day he was born, life was otherwise hitting bottom. I was getting the crap kicked out of me; I'd been trying to change careers for a year; I'd spent most...
Posted by Mitch on February 04, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (8) | TrackBack

Quote Of The Day

From an acquaintance of mine, from another email forum: Went into a coughing fit in court and had to come down to the press room for a lozenge...Eager as I am for any little green harbinger of spring, I'm not...
Posted by Mitch on January 25, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Well, That Was Wierd

For some reason, Moveable Type lost the last 2/3 of a post I've written - twice now. Could I have blown it, twice? Grrr....
Posted by Mitch on January 24, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Based on What?

A bunch of local leftyblogs have been sounding off on a number of issues - social security, history, gun control and so on. They raise lots of questions - the two big ones being "when will leftybloggers learn how to...
Posted by Mitch on January 21, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (12) | TrackBack

Things You Never Hear Mitch Berg Say

From today's Bleat:Last year you had a sale. I stocked up. I bought 15 bottles of liquid soap and placed them in the cabinet. The shampoo, being more dear, was purchased in a smaller quantity. I bought more as I...
Posted by Mitch on January 19, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

More on Reaganmas

I've gotten a few questions about the overall vision for the Reaganmas holiday. I'll try to clear up a few of them:It would, of course, be an ironic departure from the Reagan Legacy for Reaganmas to be a big, mandatory...
Posted by Mitch on January 18, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Nineteen Days...

...until Reaganmas. For those of you who've not been following, February 6 is the birthdate of Ronald Reagan. For the past three years or so, I've been observing Reaganmas both in my home - taking the kids out to eat...
Posted by Mitch on January 17, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (5) | TrackBack

Cold Fury

While Hugh Hewitt made a great case for boycotting Target during the holidays for their barring of the Salvation Army from their parking lots, I have a much, much better reason. I live in Minnesota. While Minnesota isn't as cold...
Posted by Mitch on January 15, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (15) | TrackBack

Dave's Not Here, Man

The doctor calls it "Viral Bronchitis", and says I've gotta ride it out. So while my kids both have minor colds with coughing and sore throats, I'm horribly short of breath and I have a hacking cough that occasionally gets...
Posted by Mitch on January 13, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Blah, Day Three

I'm feeling a little better. Last night I had the deep, hacking cough that had me thinking I had pneumonia for a while - but it's a lot better today. Daughter - uncharacteristically - is the difficult one. Gotta take...
Posted by Mitch on January 12, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

That High Pressure Hose, Again

For a second day, I feel like crap. Crap, in this case, that's been warmed over to the point that I can probably function at work, but still crap. The kids and I were all home yesterday; today, I think...
Posted by Mitch on January 11, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Blah

I have one of those colds or fevers where it feels like someone's running a high-pressure hose into my sinuses. More later. Maybe....
Posted by Mitch on January 10, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Spring Cleaning: Searching For Something

Periodically it's fun to see what search engine phrases bring people to "Shot In The Dark". And sometimes it's frightening....
Posted by Mitch on January 10, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Whew

It looks like Hosting Matter is up for now. Rumor has it Hosting Matters - my web host, as well as the host for Instapundit, Powerline, Captain Ed, Little Green Footballs, Michelle Malkin and a slew of other sites -...
Posted by Mitch on January 10, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Spring Cleaning

I do a pretty fair amount of writing. Most of what I write appears here on the blog. I also start a lot of posts that either:become outdated before I finish themlose my interestI just forget about in the crush...
Posted by Mitch on January 07, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Song I Sing To My Kids

I am the boss of you now, I am the boss of you now, I am the boss of you now, and I AM that big......
Posted by Mitch on January 06, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Whew

My hosting company, Hosting Matters, is usually impeccable. I highly recommend them. But there was some sort of oops this morning, which led to Shot In The Dark (as well as Captain Ed, also an HM client) going off the...
Posted by Mitch on January 05, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2) | TrackBack

So After All That Whining...

...about how underwhelming I find New Years Eve, I went and had a great time. I caved in to the kids' desire to go to, as Lileks calls it, "Chuck E. Farging Cheese". The kids played video games. I sat...
Posted by Mitch on January 01, 2005 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

My Least Favorite Time Of The Year

I've always hated New Years Eve. Compared to the great holidays of religious or personal significance, New Years Eve has always felt like a sordid, depressing, noxious diversion. Comparing Christmas, Easter or Thanksgiving to New Years Eve is like putting...
Posted by Mitch on December 31, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Predictions, 2005

As we saw yesterday, my non-election predictions were pretty dicey. Let's try it again....
Posted by Mitch on December 31, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (6) | TrackBack

Mitch's Predictions, 2003 Edition

It's almost the end of the year. Time to fess up on my predictions from this time last year....
Posted by Mitch on December 30, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Clarifying

Yesterday, I wrote a post in which I said:Further proof that the Western idiots who are heckling the election process are, indeed, on the terrorists' side.By which I really mean to say this: I don't think that most Western liberals...
Posted by Mitch on December 29, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Fresh?

This past week is, by a long shot, the longest break I've taken from blogging in the nearly three years I've been doing "Shot In The Dark". Wow. I can see why Sullivan takes those biennial months off....
Posted by Mitch on December 27, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Trying not to gloat

(Guest post by Steve Gigl) Greetings from another neighboring state, where it's quite cold -- I think it got to a balmy 0 degrees this afternoon. Unlike Mitch, I hate the extreme cold, so I console myself by noting that...
Posted by on December 24, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Greetings from the Deep Frreeze

Mitch here. I'm writing from my Dad's basement. In my underwear. Laura Billings was right! I'm in Jamestown, North Dakota right now, and crikey, it's cold out there. And dang, it feels good. As much as Minnesotans carp and cavil...
Posted by Mitch on December 24, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Guest Blogger

While my posting will be very light through at least Monday, the blog will hopefully not be completely fallow. Steve Gigl from Helloooooo, Chapter Two will be filling in as able. It should be a cool weekend all around!...
Posted by Mitch on December 22, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (13) | TrackBack

Into The Freeze

I'm off for a four-to-five-day trip to see my parents in North Dakota. Posting will be light, to say the least - you may not see much of me until Tuesday or so. "But Mitch, whenever you say that, you...
Posted by Mitch on December 22, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Cough Cough

I'm in the throes of a major pre-trip housecleaning now. Posting will be light until later today. It's truly been one of those weeks where I wish this was a group blog....
Posted by Mitch on December 21, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Speaking of Which...

...where in the Twi Cities does one get the "kick-ass Oaxacan tacos" referred to in the story below? Just because an article is trite, exudes bitterness and bad character, and relies on the crudest, most propagandistic stereotyping doesn't mean we...
Posted by Mitch on December 16, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (10) | TrackBack

Burning Cycles

My readers send me the best stuff. And, sometimes, the hardest stuff to do. I've spent the last hour working on fisking something so biliously awful, it couldn't have even gotten in the Strib. And fisking it is proving to...
Posted by Mitch on December 15, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (6) | TrackBack

Bumper Sticker of the Day

"What if the Hokey Pokey really is what it's all about?"...
Posted by Mitch on December 14, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Ugh

Taking son to doctor - and not feeling especially well myself. More posting later today....
Posted by Mitch on December 08, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Whew

I think I fixed the comment problem. Plus, thanks to Captain Ed, this blog (and several others in the NARN world) have MT Blacklist installed, which has made un-spamming this site a lot easier. I should also be able to...
Posted by Mitch on December 02, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3) | TrackBack

I Have No Idea

My comments section is acting up, rejecting pretty much everyone. I'll get to work on it....
Posted by Mitch on December 01, 2004 | TrackBack

Frequently Asked Questions

I get a lot of questions here at Shot In The Dark. I figured I should answer the most common ones....
Posted by Mitch on November 30, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (7) | TrackBack

New Years Day, 2004

Two years ago, I wrote a piece called New Years Day, about Thanksgiving. I said:Thanksgiving has seemed like the turning of the new year for me - the time when I reflect on the past year's agonies and flubs and...
Posted by Mitch on November 25, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2) | TrackBack

All I Want For Christmas, Part II

One of these years......
Posted by Mitch on November 24, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Retrospective: Too Much Work

Looking through my archives today, I saw this poem I wrote in this blog in December of 2002, explaining a drought in my blogging:Twere the days after Christmas, and all through the joint, Mitch was stuck in meetings; staring at...
Posted by Mitch on November 24, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Comparison

Mitch's vacations: Load the kids and a lot of crap into the car, drive to North Dakota or maybe Chicago once in a while. Red's vacations? Just read. [Audible sigh]...
Posted by Mitch on November 23, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1) | TrackBack

The Zone

My fingers flew without effort over the keyboard. Websites, then programs, even the operating system itself could barely keep up with me. I had been at the laptop for hours without a break, and in my mind's eye, watching myself...
Posted by Mitch on November 22, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Signs I'm Just A Tad Spoiled

Reading Patterico noting the drop in his traffic since the election, it reminded me of my never-ending mood swing when it comes to traffic to this site....
Posted by Mitch on November 21, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Craziest Day Possible

Lots going on. Will post more later. I've got a post rattling around my head about the whole Marine shooting thing that I'm going to try to tackle sooner than later......
Posted by Mitch on November 17, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Iron Curtain

I've been waging a month-long battle against spam, basically going through the blog and closing old threads, and deleting thousands of spam comments. I'm doing the job in dime lots - I figure if I delete a few hundred spams...
Posted by Mitch on November 15, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Another Instant List

Now that the election's over, I can start having some fun with blogging again. Not that covering the elections and saving democracy and beating the barbarians back from the gates (kid=love) wasn't a gas, but it's time to relax just...
Posted by Mitch on November 08, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (6) | TrackBack

Long Weekend Continues

More light posting today - new furnace, plus a Hewitt show later today (5-8 Central, AM1280). And that whole "long weekend" thing. It occurs to me that I take very little time off from much of anything; I haven't had...
Posted by Mitch on November 05, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Light Day

I've been posting at a pretty fair clip this last few months. I'm going to be doing something different from today through the weekend; posting less. This last few days has been a wringer; I was up all night election...
Posted by Mitch on November 04, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

100 Reasons I'm Voting For Bush, Not Kerry

In which I lay out my 100 reasons why I kept my vote with George W. Bush.

Posted by Mitch on November 01, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (16) | TrackBack

Statistically Speaking - Wow...

To say October was this blog's biggest month ever would be to beggar the word "biggest". I had 70% more visitors than my previous record, and they made 60% more total visits than ever before. I'm assuming this is a...
Posted by Mitch on November 01, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Must Be Gonna Be My Day

I have a terrible habit - I drive with the needle at or below empty waaaay too long. Too much to do to bother with putting gas in, doncha know. I was driving up Snelling Avenue this morning after dropping...
Posted by Mitch on October 29, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (6) | TrackBack

Grrr, Part II

$183 for the drain. Blah. Off to work....
Posted by Mitch on October 28, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Grrr.

Sewer backup. Gotta get it fixed. Getting estimates for a new furnace. THe tank on my old boiler, judging by the scrollwork on the castings, was from before WW1, maybe original equipment for the house (1891). It was originally a...
Posted by Mitch on October 28, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Statistically Speaking

This last few months have been amazing for this blog. In June, I had my first month where every weekday had over 1,000 visits. September was the first month where every day of the month had over 1,000 visitors to...
Posted by Mitch on October 20, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Swamped

Very buried today. More this afternoon/evening....
Posted by Mitch on October 12, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

After the Election

One of the most common questions I get these days is "what are you going to do after the election?" It's a great question. These are heady times to be a blogger. In fact, in many ways this season is...
Posted by Mitch on October 11, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (11) | TrackBack

Yaaay, Blogads!

I'm happy to say that, thanks to Blogads, this site is finally paying for itself; in fact, revenues from this month should cover the better part of half a year's hosting (which is really this blog's only expense at this...
Posted by Mitch on October 08, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (4) | TrackBack

Barnum Was Right?

I was digging through my traffic stats today. My traffic has slightly more than doubled since April, from 10,000 to 20,000 unique visitors. I'm flattered. Thanks to all of you....
Posted by Mitch on October 01, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Have You Ever

Another of Sheila's #@$#@@*( memes. Affirmatives in bold....
Posted by Mitch on September 28, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (8) | TrackBack

Continue Reading

Occasionally, I get a complaint about this blog. Some of the complaints revolve around the content. Que sera. Yesterday, I got the latest appearance of one I've gotten periodically since I switched this blog to Movable Type last spring: someone...
Posted by Mitch on September 27, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (4) | TrackBack

The Weekend

It's Sunday, the day I traditionally never blog. So here I am on post 4. A typical leftyblog would be yelling Hypocrite! Hypocrite! right about now. Go figure....
Posted by Mitch on September 26, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Times I Need a Digital Camera

I work on Shepard Road in Saint Paul, just across the street from Crosby Park, a big nature preserve and park on the banks of the Mississippi River. Yesterday, I was driving back from doing some errands when I saw...
Posted by Mitch on September 23, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (4) | TrackBack

Weekend at the Berg House

In no particular order:If we could pull a show out today, we can do it any time. We had, for the first time in seven months, literally nothing planned when we went into the station today. Zip. And yet by...
Posted by Mitch on September 18, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Best-Laid Plans

I had my traditional big 9/11 piece roughly 3/4 done. I had an involved fisking of Kos' rather pathetic defense of Dan Rather ready to go. I also had kids sleeping over, and a very long week to sleep off,...
Posted by Mitch on September 11, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Saturday!

We'll have John Fund, plus Michele Catalano and Lieutenant Citizen Smash, on the NARN show today. Tune in!...
Posted by Mitch on September 11, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Chips Off The Block

As part of my radio career, I spent about a year doing voice-over work. It was my full-time income for a while - which isn't to imply that I was a big voice-over guy so much as a reflection of...
Posted by Mitch on September 08, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Pulled Into Nazareth...

...feeling 'bout half past dead. Well, the half past dead part, anyway. Left work early today with a raging headache, hurting all over. I consulted one of those online diagnostics sites. Near as I can tell, I have Dengue Fever....
Posted by Mitch on September 02, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Nearly Perfect

It was a truly wonderful weekend. Friday night, my son had a bunch of his friends sleep over. Everyone had a good time. More importantly, they went to bed at a reasonable hour, which is kind of a new thing...
Posted by Mitch on August 29, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Grrrrrr

Comcast - my home internet ISP - screwed up my account terribly. Naturally, it was a day with huuuuuge doin's here at Shot and the Northern Alliance. Stay tuned....
Posted by Mitch on August 28, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Got a Clu

I'd like to welcome our new addition; Clu, a little Golden Retriever puppy that my daughter got for her birthday. Only nine weeks old, and she already knows more about military history than most Democrats....
Posted by Mitch on August 23, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (8) | TrackBack

Exerpts from "Tour of Doody - the Mitch Berg Story"

From Douglas Brinkley's upcoming work of history, "Tour of Doody - the Mitch Berg Story": Page 175:...one of the most difficult jobs Berg faced at that time of his life was choosing between the woman he loved, Marisa Tomei, and...
Posted by Mitch on August 20, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (5) | TrackBack

Triage

Setting: Mitch's house, 6AM. MITCH: So - do I finish these five other pieces? Or do I finish this #$@#% "Public Radio" piece? More later today....
Posted by Mitch on August 19, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Boldly Going...

...where Mitch has not gone before; a report. But first, some background; we finally landed Keegan's Irish Pub & Restaurant as a sponsor on the Northern Alliance Radio Network. This is huge news; it's my favorite Irish pub in a...
Posted by Mitch on August 15, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (4) | TrackBack

Envy

I've always been envious of people who can write this kind of thing at all, much less in one sitting. I've been trying for two years now to write something like this. It's like fishing, or remodeling my bathroom; no...
Posted by Mitch on August 15, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (5) | TrackBack

Oy.

It's been a very long day, and I'm not feeling at all well. More this weekend. Tune in tomorrow for Laurie Mylroie, Vox Day and so much more!...
Posted by Mitch on August 13, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Things I Miss

In no particular order:Playing in a band. Playing rock and roll on a stage in front of a bunch of comfortably bombed people is one of life's great underrated pleasures. My last gig was at the Turf Club in 1996;...
Posted by Mitch on August 12, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (15) | TrackBack

Things That Bore Me

My latest eruption in online spam is for a site pimping "Texas Holdem". It's some sort of poker game. Which reminds me - the current wave of Poker-mania is easily the most irritating fad since the heyday of Lounge Music,...
Posted by Mitch on August 10, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (7) | TrackBack

Sum Of All Fears, Tomboy Edition

It was 13 years ago yesterday that my comeuppance began. I have always been a very strong-willed, downright stubborn person. Once I settled on a position, any position, then blasting me out of it makes Iwo Jima look like a...
Posted by Mitch on August 09, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Hmmmmmm...

This morning, my 11 year old son woke me up at 6:30AM, carrying a plate of toaster waffles, scrambled eggs that he'd made himself, and a cup of yogurt. "I thought I'd make you breakfast in bed," he said. He...
Posted by Mitch on August 06, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Blow Out The Lights

I've never been accused of not being motivated. Focus? That's another thing....
Posted by Mitch on August 05, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (6) | TrackBack

Status Report

In case you were wondering:I'm working the little project that could (where "could"="could eat my brain"). Perhaps the most trying little project I've ever worked on.The lease on my car is up on Friday. My credit is a complete hash,...
Posted by Mitch on July 28, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (4) | TrackBack

Yow

So I heard at the Blogger party on Saturday that Odin Soli is novelizing Plain Layne. The typical novel is between 50,000 and 100,000 words. The 3.5 years of the Plain Layne blog generated 800,000 words. This made me curious,...
Posted by Mitch on July 26, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3) | TrackBack

I Credit The President

For most of my life, I've vaslty preferred all things lime to lemon. For years, it wasn't easy. Ever tried to find Limeade at the grocery store? It's much more expensive, if you can find it at all. It always...
Posted by Mitch on July 26, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (6) | TrackBack

Deep Frustration

My output has been light lately. Unlike my previous light spells, it's not from being burned out, or just having no ideas. I'm overflowing with ideas to write about - and my draft folder in MT shows it. It has...
Posted by Mitch on July 23, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

A Little Busy

Crazy day today. More later....
Posted by Mitch on July 22, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Stabbing John Knox's Corpse

I'm a Christian, and I worship with the Presbyterian Church. I do it for theological reasons that I stand by.

Unfortunately, the PCUSA's General Assembly has been hijacked by idiots. I address them in this open letter.

Posted by Mitch on July 22, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (19) | TrackBack

Finally

Finally, one of those personality quizzes I can sink my teeth into. Or can I?...
Posted by Mitch on July 09, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2) | TrackBack

The Trivial Pursuits

Barring any complications, the Minnehaha Allstars (myself, Anoka Flash, the Doctor and a surprise guest) will return to Keegan's for Thursday Night Trivia tonight. Peeps' scurillous claims aside, we made no claims last time we played (two weeks ago), and...
Posted by Mitch on July 08, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (6) | TrackBack

Happy Birthday

Bruce Berg is my father. It's his birthday today. I think every oldest son spends a good chunk of his life trying not to be his father. I know I spent a lot of time and energy in my teens...
Posted by Mitch on July 05, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Better Days

Last year, I spent four months completely unemployed, five more working little pick-up jobs at about 40 hours a month, and another working two little contract gigs that added up to probably 40 hours a week, before I finally landed...
Posted by Mitch on July 05, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (6) | TrackBack

Dude, Where's My Suit?

Off to get ready for an interview. More later today....
Posted by Mitch on July 02, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (4)

Yet Another Blown Opportunity

I actually had this idea first. Not that it's going on my resume or anything. (Via Geoff Brown)...
Posted by Mitch on July 01, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Well, Here Goes Again

I knew the cool view couldn't last. I have been working for a neat company - but one where the management acts like ferrets on crystal meth. The project I was on just got "restarted" today; they rolled everything back...
Posted by Mitch on June 29, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (7)

What Was Once Dull Khaki-Green...

...is now a gorgeous deep blue. I had a ton of help; among names known on the blogosphere, Thorley Winston from Tacitus, John LaPlante from Policy Guy, and supervisory help from Flash from Centrisity. We got about 3/4 of the...
Posted by Mitch on June 26, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2)

Painting

The forecast finally calls for a decent Saturday - so I'll be doing my long-awaited painting party tomorrow. Beer 'n pizza afterwards! Write me at "paint@shotinthedark.info" if you're interested!...
Posted by Mitch on June 25, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3)

Strange Hobbies Of Mine

One of my favorite things in the world is using my knowledge of trivia to convince people I'm...something. Psychic in some cases. I was reminded of this by a post on Red's blog this morning:He said, "So. Where do you...
Posted by Mitch on June 24, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2)

Someday, When I'm on Jeopardy

TREBEK: OK, we have Alanis in the lead with $12,000, Myron in third with no money, and Mitch a close second with $11,800. Final question; Alanis, you have the board. ALANIS: "I'll take "Instrumental" for a thousand, Alex... TREBEK: All...
Posted by Mitch on June 23, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3)

Bad Flashback

In re Morgan Spurlock's documentary "Supersize Me", the Professor says:And don't forget the McRib!I almost had. Thanks for nothing!...
Posted by Mitch on June 18, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Good News

I have a daughter who is 12 going on 17, and a son who's 11 going on six. They're about 18 months apart - not much different than the age gap between my own little sister and brother. I was...
Posted by Mitch on June 17, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Out of Town

I'm leaving town for a two-day business trip in about an hour. I'm thinking about bringing the laptop, on the off chance that my hotel has wi-fi or a usable cat5 connection, but just in case, posting might be pretty...
Posted by Mitch on June 15, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (5)

Conventioneering

I'll be at the GOP State Convention today, probably calling in to the NARN radio show later today. Won't be live-blogging the event - I don't think they have wi-fi or even cat5 at the XCel center. But I'll have,...
Posted by Mitch on June 12, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Painting Party Update

The long-awaiting painting party is...going to be longer-awaited. Tomorrow IS supposed to be a nice day. Yepper. Stuck between two days of monsoons. The wood'll be all wet, and any paint that is still tacky on Sunday will have, as...
Posted by Mitch on June 11, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Well, La Dee Friggin' Da.

My Northern Alliance colleague from Fraters, JB Doubtless, says:The Elder and I have been emailing a bit back and forth about all the usual suspects who have chimed in on Reagan's death and how so many of our (now) fellow-travelers...
Posted by Mitch on June 10, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (24)

Painting Party

After weeks of weather-related delays, it looks as if I might have a Saturday free that has decent weather. Next week - 6/12 - the extended forecast calls for sun. So the painting party - my attempt to at least...
Posted by Mitch on June 07, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Five O'Clock World

Slow blogging day today - lots going on. More later....
Posted by Mitch on June 04, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

It's Just a Close-To-Perfect Day

Memorial Day, we went to Clifford French park, rented a canoe, and spent a couple of hours paddling around Medicine Lake and the network of little bayous the connect it with the rest of the park....
Posted by Mitch on June 01, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3)

OK, Just One...

While Fraters were continuing their dominance of the Keegan's trivia contest on Thursday, I (along with Paul from Wogs Blog) won four out of five trivia rounds at Buffalo Wild Wings in Roseville. And the idea was broached last night...
Posted by Mitch on May 29, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2)

A Long Weekend

I'm not going to say I'm burned out. I'm not. This blog continues to open doors for me that I'd long since quit trying. I'm incredibly thankful for it. And every day provides more and more new stuff to write...
Posted by Mitch on May 28, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2)

My New Book

I want to write a book. Actually, it's just one of those tiny little books of aphorisms that sell at the bookstores for the same price as full-size books. The return on labor investment seems better than for regular publishing....
Posted by Mitch on May 27, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (9)

All I Can Say...

...is thank goodness today is Friday. The stress of this week has built up to an almost unbearable pitch. I swear, one more day of this and I would do something drastic and regrettable. If tomorrow weren't Saturday, I'd probably...
Posted by Mitch on May 26, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (4)

Something Must Be Working

This past week, this blog passed a milestone. It's the first time I've had over a thousand visitors a day from Monday through Friday. I've had huge visitor totals before, of course - my Keillor pieces, which drew my first...
Posted by Mitch on May 24, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Not Sure I Like This

I took the test... Which Family Guy character are you? I may demand a recount......
Posted by Mitch on May 24, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (7)

All Hope Is Not Lost

My daughter was watching TV in the next room. A Clay Aiken video came on. "Oh, G-d!", she exclaimed. I made a crashing thunder sound. "Don't blame me for him". It's two minutes, and she's still laughing....
Posted by Mitch on May 17, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (4)

Blargh

From Friday through yesterday I put in 28-odd hours, during which I came down with one of those existentially-terrifying cold/headache/cough combinations. So it should be another fairly lame day of blogging - it hurts to look at the monitor right...
Posted by Mitch on May 17, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Lonesome Day

15 hours of work today. More work tomorrow and Sunday, and the NARN show on top of it. Not the fun kind of work - where you're rolling on inspiration. No - just dotting and crossing. Mental Chinese water torture....
Posted by Mitch on May 14, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2)

Again...

...lightish posting today. Much going on. Stay tuned!...
Posted by Mitch on May 13, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The @#$@#% Weather

I've gotten an email or two about this, as well as a comment - I had originally intended to hold my painting party this weekend. The forecast, however, calls for lows in the forties. I'm told that the temperature needs...
Posted by Mitch on May 12, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Busy Day

Fairly light posting today - crushingly busy....
Posted by Mitch on May 12, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (4)

Surreal

You may have heard - we had a bit of a storm last night. The Fraters confirmed it, so you know it's a fact. The kids and I were driving......
Posted by Mitch on May 10, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

The Top-Secret Garden

Actually, it's not so much of a secret, mostly due to the blood-curdling shrieks of pain. Let me tell you about my day....
Posted by Mitch on May 09, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (4)

Shame

Two of my guiltiest blog reading pleasures - Sheila "Red" O'Malley and Michelle Catalano - have great meme, "Things I'm Not Ashamed to Admit, But Should Be". Michelle's even doing an open mic night on the subject at A Small...
Posted by Mitch on May 06, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (5)

Mitch Van Winkel

In so many areas of my life, I feel like Rip Van Winkel. It was bad enough starting in radio again, for the first time in twelve years; radio studios are all computerized these days; no turntables, reel to reel...
Posted by Mitch on May 06, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Frustration

When it comes to this blog, I have all sorts of days. Some days, the stuff practically writes itself. Other day - three weeks ago, for example - I have the most horrible blogger's block. Most days are somewhere in...
Posted by Mitch on April 29, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

This Greatest Evening...

...on God's Green Earth. I'll be at the Patriot Forum, along with fellow Northern Alliance members Captain Ed, The Elder and Saint Paul. Hope to see you there....
Posted by Mitch on April 28, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Hoity-Toity Literary Thread

Woo Hoo! A book thread!

Posted by Mitch on April 27, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (6)

Painting Party Update

As I mentioned a while ago, I'll be painting my house... ...but not this coming Saturday. The weather doesn't look like it'll be cooperating. I've put it back to May 15. More details soon....
Posted by Mitch on April 26, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2)

Definition Of Perfect

Too wet to do much yard work... ...yet dry enough to take the bagpipes to Como Park, find an isolated spot in the woods, and let 'er rip. These are the good days....
Posted by Mitch on April 25, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (5)

Accomplishment For The Week

For my entire life, one of my ambient goals has been to contribute a word to the English language. I'm gratified, then, to see the number of people that are referring to "Err America" as FrankenNet, at term that -...
Posted by Mitch on April 23, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

I Just Don't Get It...

I love New York. I apparently am New York. Take the quiz: "Which American City Are You?"New YorkYou're competative, you like to take it straight to the fight. You gotta have it all or die trying. Close......
Posted by Mitch on April 23, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3)

Who Knew?

Not me - in the case of the seven questions that cost Team Fraters a three-win streak at Keegans last night, in my first shot as a ringer at the weekly contest. May have to try that again sometime....
Posted by Mitch on April 23, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2)

Tomorrow's Show

In the not too distant future, tomorrow AD, on Northern Alliance Radio Saturdays, noon to three. We'll be talking with Nelson, Michael J., about all the thing that he's doing today, about all the do's, and all do nots. So...
Posted by Mitch on April 23, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2)

Everyone's First Boss

Last week, I posted a little piece on my history in radio. The response was interesting - Hugh Hewitt gave me a shout out, and I got a lot of great feedback in the comments section as well as some...
Posted by Mitch on April 22, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Yow

So I finally got around to converting this site to Movable Type - which was an interesting four-hour exercise in learning "Cascading Style Sheets" yesterday (If you don't know what they are, don't worry, you probably aren't geeky enough to...
Posted by Mitch on April 19, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

New Cube

Moving upstairs today. Good news - I'm in a window cube on the nineteenth floor, with a positively glorious view of North and Northeast Minneapolis. The view I had 'til Friday - from the tenth floor - was spectacular enough....
Posted by Mitch on April 19, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3)

Mark Your Calendars

Two weeks from today, May 1, I'm having a painting party at the Berg House. Pizza and beer will be provided. After the painting is done for the day, natch. Weather permitting, of course. Stay tuned for details....
Posted by Mitch on April 17, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (5)

Sigh

So all last week, I had to practically blast the kids out of bed, just barely in time to get to their bus stops. "I'm tiiiiiiiiiiiii-iiiiiiiiiiiiiii-iiiiiiiiiiiiired". So it's Saturday morning. Kids were up late watching a movie. Sound asleep. I...
Posted by Mitch on April 17, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Another Tricky Day

Felt really sick this morning - although, being a good free-marketeer, I went to work anyway. I have a magnum opus or two in my "Drafts" folder, which I'll finish and post tonight. Tune in, by the way, for tomorrow's...
Posted by Mitch on April 16, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Another Light Day

Another Light Day - Hosting Hewitt's show again tonight - 6-9 Eastern, 3-6 Pacific. Here's the list of stations - if you're nearby, tune in! May post later today....
Posted by Mitch on April 14, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Drive

The Drive - Northern Alliance colleagues King Banaian and James Lileks both talk about a subject near and dear to my heart; the drive from the Twin Cities to Fargo. Actually, that drive is only part of the story for...
Posted by Mitch on April 13, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Big Things

Big Things - This is going to be a huge week. The fill-in slots on the Hewitt show are, obviously, getting a lot of my attention this week. Tune in tomorrow and Wednesday at 5PM Central, and bring a friend....
Posted by Mitch on April 12, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Huge Day

Huge Day - With huge news, potentially. More later today....
Posted by Mitch on April 08, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Aaaaagh

Aaaaagh - I lent out my digital camera - just in time to miss having it at the moment I discovered a classic example of sublminal Cold War pro-communist messages in Minneapolis civic architecture. More when I get my camera...
Posted by Mitch on April 07, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Staggering

Staggering - I saw "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" Saturday night at the Grandview. This one snuck up on me. I won't try to give away the plot - because I doubt that I could. The movie is nearly...
Posted by Mitch on April 05, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Things I Really Love

Things I Really Love - A gratuitous but fun list.An early Sunday dinner at the Best Steak House on University Avenue. The BSH is a local chain of cheapo steak joints owned by the local Greek restaurant mafia. Not a...
Posted by Mitch on April 04, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Feel Like An Ant

Feel Like An Ant- I was walking to my car yesterday, down Fourth Street in downtown Minneapolis, eschewing the skyway to enjoy the brisk but lovely day. As I walked in front of the new Federal Courthouse, I felt the...
Posted by Mitch on April 03, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Well, That'll Help

Well, That'll Help - After my sudden switch of domains earlier this week, my traffic - which had hit an all-time average high of around 600 visitors every weekday - plunged. I was averaging 1-200 visitors a day (not counting...
Posted by Mitch on April 02, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

It's Gonna Be That Kinda Day

It's Gonna Be That Kinda Day - The good news: Wonkette is huge:So what if Wonkette.com actually launched a little more than two months ago? Saturday night, a throng of Washingtonians (and those who love them) converged at a belated...
Posted by Mitch on April 02, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Urrrrrge Toooo Kiiiiillllll - So

Urrrrrge Toooo Kiiiiillllll - So I have WiFi in the house - an 11b router I got for $10 after the rebate last winter. And it works great, everywhere in the house; the whole first floor gets amazing reception. My...
Posted by Mitch on April 02, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Blogger's Block

Blogger's Block - This server yakk came at a good time, actually. I was suffering a bit of writer's block. The three days off was actually just what the doctor ordered. And when I'm back on the air, suddenly, like...
Posted by Mitch on March 31, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

So Here We Are

So Here We Are - Long story, but here I am. New domain, new ISP. Now that I have everything moved, of course...I have nothing written! More later today....
Posted by Mitch on March 30, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (9)

Massive Server Problems - If

Massive Server Problems - If you're reading this...you're lucky. The site was interrupted for a long time yesterday, and continues to suffer intermittent outages. Usually Saturdays see a solid 300+ people visiting Shot In The Dark - yesterday was around...
Posted by Mitch on March 28, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (9)

I Had The Strangest Dream...

I Had The Strangest Dream... - ...last night. Impressed with the last hour of every week's "Northern Alliance Radio Network' program, a Chicago-area PBS station recruited the Fraters and myself to go up against "The McLaughlin Group". Then Al Franken...
Posted by Mitch on March 23, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

My Theory

My Theory - I love oratory. A really great piece of public speech can be a wonder to behold. Lileks talks about some of the speeches of note this past week:I heard four speeches this week – one by Carville...
Posted by Mitch on March 19, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2)

Day From Hell

Day From Hell - It's been one. More later....
Posted by Mitch on March 18, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Bienvenue A Des Moines

Bienvenue A Des Moines - Hi, all. I've been in Des Moines on business for the last couple of days. Naturally, today - on the last morning of my trip - I discover that my hotel has halfways decent free...
Posted by Mitch on March 18, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Out Of Town

Out Of Town - I'll be out until Thursday on business. Blogging will be light, unless my hotel room's data port actually works....
Posted by Mitch on March 16, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Woo Hoo!

Woo Hoo! - I finally got onto Taranto's Best of the Web! Eighteen years ago, during the democratic revolution that overthrew Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos, a certain haughty, French-looking Massachusetts Democrat, who by the way served in Vietnam, arrived on...
Posted by Mitch on March 04, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Obsessive Compulsion

Obsessive Compulsion - I really must learn to resist internet lists like this - in this case, from the unknown blogger Mary at Fresh Bed Goodness. But until I do: 1.Name as it appears on your birth certificate: Mitchell Paul...
Posted by Mitch on February 26, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Did I Jump Or Was I Pushed

Was it the ad featuring the grotesquely-misshapen rodent heads [it's a 1 meg Flash6 download] singing the gratingly-out-of-tune jingle? Or was it Fraters Libertas' team coverage of the story that did it? I don't know. But I did have a...
Posted by Mitch on February 18, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Gack -

Gack - Slept through alarm. Blah. More later....
Posted by Mitch on February 13, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Open Letter to the Anoka

Open Letter to the Anoka Flash - What was the variety of beer in that Rock Bottom Growler you were kind enough to give me the other night? Because I just had two glasses of it, and i think i...
Posted by Mitch on February 07, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Zzzzz

Too tired to blog. Must. Find. Coffee. More later....
Posted by Mitch on February 06, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Salvation

My son, Sam, newly 11 years old, is still the world's pickiest eater. Buffalo wings, hot dogs and pizza are about the only acceptable foods - and then only if the wings are ultra-hot and the pizza is pepperoni. I...
Posted by Mitch on February 06, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

It's The Mileage

There is officially a site for everything, as we see with "World66", a site that generates maps of where you've been. Here's where I've been world-wide. create your own visited country map or write about it on the open travel...
Posted by Mitch on February 05, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

12:25 AM...

...on February 4, 1993, a little, rashy, red bundle slid into my life and this world, with his forehead pushed down over his face, looking like a little pit bull (and like a pit bull puppy, we didn't see...
Posted by Mitch on February 04, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Noted In Passing

If she were alive, my grandmother would be 100 years old today. You may not have heard of my grandmother, Bea Berg. But if you're an upper-midwestern Lutheran - or been in the home of one for any length of...
Posted by Mitch on February 02, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

What the Super Bowl Means To Me

Mere weeks until pitchers report for spring training. I like pro football for purely social reasons; few things are more fun than gathering around the TV with a bunch of guys, beer, pizza and chips. And beer. But as far...
Posted by Mitch on February 01, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

You Know Who You Are

During the snowfall, with accidents dotting the traffic map and people slewing about the road like open auditions for "Bullitt II" were in effect all over town, you came sailing up behind me, going a good twenty miles per hour...
Posted by Mitch on January 28, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

On A Typical Morning...

...I wake up at five, dry my laundry from the previous night, take a shower, blog a bit, wake the kids, get them on the bus, put the finishing touches on my last-minute postings, drive to work. The cat...
Posted by Mitch on January 27, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Tear Down The...er...Never Mind

The kids and I went to the Ice Palace last night. It was cold, and a little windy, and utterly wonderful. Everyone should try it. However, I was prompted to check out the walls - the walls that, according to...
Posted by Mitch on January 24, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I'm exhausted today. Work is going to be a bear. Plenty to talk about - and I'll post more later today....
Posted by Mitch on January 16, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

My New Toy - Got

My New Toy - Got a spectalar deal on a set of Pettigrew bagpipes yesterday. I'm going to go wake the kids now. Be right back....
Posted by Mitch on January 16, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Manic Friday

Overslept a bit this morning. I don't have the ability to blog from work, and I'm not quite obsessed enough to bring my laptop to blog from a restaurant on the ground floor of my office building (which has...
Posted by Mitch on January 09, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Productivity

I work in a lean, mean, big office. Don't get me wrong - after the 2003 I had, I'm incredibly thankful about it. A big part of our current economic growth spurt is due to increasing productivity. This is a...
Posted by Mitch on January 07, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Wha in the Whaaa?

In February, this blog will be two years old. It's been a great run. In that time, I've gotten four emails asking me "what's with the name?" You'll be sorry you asked. In the late '80s, in response to the...
Posted by Mitch on January 06, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Deferred

Deferred - So I've lived in this house for ten years. It was something of a fixer upper when we moved in, and in ten years, I've done almost no fixing up. So this is Winter Of The Paintbrush in...
Posted by Mitch on January 04, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

First!

Went to Landmark Square with the kids for the street-level fireworks - a new one on me. I'll probably post some pictures tomorrow. Or today. Happy New Year!...
Posted by Mitch on January 01, 2004 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Happy New Year!

And may 2004 be much better than 2003 for all of us. I'd say "It could hardly be worse", but I know better than to tempt fate than that....
Posted by Mitch on December 31, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Predictions

Predictions - Everyone else is doing it, why not me? Here are my predictions for 2004:By this time next year, the link between Al Quaeda and Iraq will be documented.Most of the world will doubt that Bin Laden is alive...
Posted by Mitch on December 31, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

So Much Material

So little time. I have an immense backlog of stuff I'm trying to get written, here... ...and no time! Hopefully tonight. For now it's off to work....
Posted by Mitch on December 30, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Just...So...Wrong

Took the "Which Leader Are You?" test. I got: What Famous Leader Are You? I may never live this down. I was so shooting for Reagan......
Posted by Mitch on December 29, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Christmas Remembered

Lileks notes one of the more liberating observations you can make about Christmas:All Christmases refer back to the Christmases of your early childhood. That’s your baseline, your definition. Mine were warm and happy, which is a blessing and a curse...
Posted by Mitch on December 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

T'is the Season

Lileks has a compact, pictorial holiday bleat.. He noted the changing holiday scene: At the Mall on Tuesday it was almost the Holiday That Dare Not Speak Its Name; there were references to the season, and things festive. "Maybe...
Posted by Mitch on December 25, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Things I Love About Doing This Blog

Things I Love About - Last summer, I righted a colossal wrong, and published a website memorializing the Iron City Houserockers - the greatest band you never heard of, a hard-edged band from the early eighties from Pittsburgh that combined...
Posted by Mitch on December 20, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Blah - Feeling not at

Blah - Feeling not at all well today, and the posting will show it. More later. Hopefully....
Posted by Mitch on December 19, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Blah

Overslept, and have early conference at my son's school. More to follow later....
Posted by Mitch on December 18, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Yow

My traffic this morning is roughly double my normal rate - which is pretty heavy for a day that I haven't had an Instalanche. So - where are you all coming from? (Leave a comment, if you'd be so kind!...
Posted by Mitch on September 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Cleaning the Attic

I tried to look at an archived post from a 56KBpS dialup connection last night. It took about two minutes to load the page of archives for the selected month. Yow. I didn't know I was that prolific. At...
Posted by Mitch on September 19, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Off

Off - Getting ready for the big interview. Thanks for the prayers and best wishes (and those yet to be made). And if you have any friends in high places at a first person plural bank, please let me know......
Posted by Mitch on August 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Squashed

Still working on a big honkin' deliverable for a client that is paying me money for my boundless design savvy. Blogging will be light today. No, I mean it this time. My magnum opus about urban conservatism will probably be...
Posted by Mitch on August 13, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I remember when I got out of college and got my first fulltime job. I'd go to work, get home at 8, go to bed, up at 7, to work at 10, home at 8, go to bed...working fulltime...
Posted by Mitch on May 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Personal Life Update - We

Personal Life Update - We interrupt the Concealed Carry coverage for some just-plain-Mitch notes:Job Hunt update: The previous two weeks were great. This week has been absolutely blah. Hopefully it's the calm before the storm. I should hopefully start hearing...
Posted by Mitch on April 25, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

New Years Day

I moved from North Dakota to Minneapolis in October of 1985. It was a spur of the moment thing - in fact, it started with a drunken statement to a bunch of classmates at a college homecoming party two weeks...
Posted by Mitch on November 28, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Yeah!

I've been wanting to see this guy put up a website for years. I finally found it....
Posted by Mitch on November 26, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

See ya!

I'll be at the DFL convention tonight. I'll be working the Concealed Carry Now! booth (sort of like being in the JDL booth at a Michigan Militia rally). But I plan on telling all my DFL acquaintances that I'm registered...
Posted by Mitch on May 03, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

By The Way

I intend to keep this to a Monday through Friday schedule. A guy's gotta have a life. Well, theoretically....
Posted by Mitch on February 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Chuckle

I've been playing with this for years. It still makes me laugh. I should probably worry....
Posted by Mitch on February 07, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Ooops

My biography page includes (or included) a link to a small consulting company I used to run. I let the domain name for that company lapse last year - but never updated my bio site. An urgent email just...
Posted by Mitch on February 06, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)