Driving with Rope

Man Soup

2011-11-23T10:52:00.006-06:00

I made some man soup last night that I'm actually kinda proud of. I planned to make a white turkey chili that is the best, but I didn't want to shop, so I made do with what I had. I think it's kinda healthy, too. Oh, and for good measure, you can throw a baked potato in the bowl and pour the soup over it. Here's what I had: 3 or 4 ribs celery sliced 2 or 3 medium onions chopped as much garlic

Street Photog - pics and tips

2011-04-29T15:09:00.000-05:00

I just fell upon this Yanidel Street Photography blog today. The photos are great. The tips are great. And even the short, concise writing is great. They also are selling a book called "Little Crimes of Paris" which will soon be on my coffee table.

Sweetwater Wayfarers

2011-04-20T13:01:00.011-05:00

The founder of American Apparel, the flaship store for hipsters, has declared the hipster dead. Along with that, LCD Soundsystem has called it quits, and the Wayfarer sunglass, it has been decided, is no longer cool. RUBISH. The hipster is a term that has described the underground 20-something counter culture group of ruffians since the 1940s, Wayfarers are a classic style that I still like (

What I think is cool this week:

2011-01-07T13:42:00.006-06:00

Get Up Kids - Shatter your lungs Can't you already tell it's Vampire Weekend plus some je ne sais quoi? Except that they've been around since before Vampire Weekend visited their first summer home. Music history fail on my part. Devlin - Let It Go (Joker Remix) You could punch Justin Timberlake in the teeth and force feed Timbaland a Four Loko, but I don't have the balls to do that, so I

Coach killers strike again

2010-11-22T15:09:00.001-06:00

Now I know the 10 commandments condemn murder. But how can a Vikings fan contain his or her elation today? The Packers, working in conjunction with their storied former flagship quarterback, Favre, successfully got Vikings coach Brad Childress fired today. That's right. I'm calling for an investigation into the conspiracy between Favre and the Packers to kill off coaches throughout the NFL. Yes,

Don’t mess with the Ustins

2010-11-16T22:38:00.005-06:00

My bestie, Dustin, and I… well there’s no two ways about it. We rhyme. As a matter of fact, that’s why we became friends. Just goes to show any reason can be reason enough. We lived together for a while back in the mid 2000s. Those were the glory days. Nerf gun battles. Three-player NCAA 05. A U of M beer fridge. There’s no doubt it was good, but there was one major hang up. We had a roommate

I opine, you opine, we all opine for nice design

2010-11-15T23:11:00.003-06:00

You can’t deny it. Art is cool. Well maybe you can. I guess that’s what they call an “opinion.” But I can’t deny it. Ok. I take it back. Some art is cool. Some fails to impress me. (See earlier statement re: opinion.) Ok. My high-impact blanket statement opening is losing steam here. Onward… The One Twelve Gallery (slash church) has an exhibit right now called Seamless featuring textile art from

Dinner's dirty little secret

2010-11-11T23:18:00.037-06:00

It was a crisis. I had no butter. And I had to figure out something quick. My mind was racing, slowed by the wine. How dumb could I be? I was at the grocery store moments before. I remembered three pounds of pork tenderloin, fresh sage, 100% pure maple syrup. Syrup! But no butter. Yes, olive oil is magic, but not that magic. Paula Deen has testified to this point in the court of law. But it was

Setting the tempo

2010-11-10T17:16:00.017-06:00

I've got rhythm. I've got music. I've got... whoa... that's where it stops for me, Gershwin.Well, maybe I don't even really have rhythm. Bear with me folks. This is going to be a bumpy ride.Right now I'm knee deep in exploring my new music software (Ableton Live, if you must know), getting a feel for my new guitar (Epihpone Casino, if you must know), and getting some ideas recorded for all the

What's your sentence?

2010-03-02T18:07:00.000-06:00

Ready, set, think! Well, watch this video (embedded below), then think.Daniel Pink, business and technology brainiac, recently spoke at TED. If you're not aware of TED, get on that. Anyways, Pink's articles have appeared in the New York Times, Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, and Wired, where he serves as a contributing editor. Translation: he's a flipping smart guy that people listen to. (

Taco Triumph

2010-02-28T22:04:00.003-06:00

Taqueria del Sol is no secret to Atlantans, but in case you haven't tried it, these are some seriously good tacos. Soft tortillas contain fresh, delicious ingredients made to order. The fish was so tasty it demands a repeat, the carnitas were good, but I'll try another option next time. We started with the salsa trio is also--a must. Yes, charging for chips and salsa is usually a

Two kid ninjas in the office

2010-02-03T19:09:00.001-06:00

TM: one time i fed my dog doritos in milkshe pukedand i had to clean it upme: HAHAHAHAHAAHATM: yeahthat was a brilliant ideastupid 6 year-old brainsme: no kidding.drawing on walls.TM: yeahme: one time I gave my carpet a haircut.wtf...I honestly thought it was a good idea.TM: obviouslyor else you wouldn't have done itme: when you get in trouble for stuff like that, you're so confused.you're like

Coke noses and pop can gestation

2010-01-21T18:26:00.007-06:00

In our office kitchen there just appeared a bountiful stash of Coke, Diet Coke, and Sprite. It's a soda drinker's paradise. I imagine coworkers sitting at their desks with a piles of full and empty cans, product dripping from their noses and mouths, a la Pacino in Scarface.Well Tony Montana, say hello to my little friends. They're free, unlike your product--all 90-some of them bound together with

New Years Devolutions

2010-01-04T17:45:00.000-06:00

Seeing that most New Years resolutions are abandoned quite quickly, I find it appropriate to include "buy a bunch of things I want" in mine.So here's what I'm salivating over.A new camera. I have ideas at the bursting point for which I need a decent camera. I bought a point and shoot about two or three years ago for $300. In the eighties, wouldn't that get you something that would last? This

Unmanned. Unnamed. Coincidence?

2009-12-18T18:34:00.006-06:00

This could just be the conspiracy theorist in me (inspired by The Mind's new show on TruTV--seriously, it's about conspiracy theories. And it's called Conspiracy Theory. Clever.), but a December Newsweek article about unmanned drones in Afghanistan ignited my critical thinking skills. And conjured images of Valerie Plame and Karl Rove (well, the name of Valerie Plame--a quick mental search

La Basurera

2009-06-23T16:11:00.002-05:00

This post was written during a mission trip to Coban, Guatemala. It was composed as an entry on www.mattblumphotography.com, but has not been posted yet. The other day, we stood on broken glass and crushed candy boxes, our eyes squinting through sunglasses from the bright sunlight. Our feet were of course protected by our tennis shoes, probably not our best, because of course we didn’t want to

Dream hurl

2009-04-03T15:49:00.002-05:00

Dave Matthews Band recently posted a video of some DMB fans getting the ultimate 2 a.m. studio tour in Louisianna. They were invited in to listen to one of the new tracks from their upcoming studio album while Dave and Carter Beuford hung out with them. They listened politely, bobbing their heads, but when the groove kicked in they started hollering and dancing like face-mauling chimpanzees. Go

Stay away from any girl that is currently occupied, including your best friend's

2009-01-08T14:32:00.006-06:00

Generally speaking, according to most man laws, bro codes, and all other pacts of manship, your friends' exes are off limits. Obviously from time to time there are exceptions, but this it's even more important to lay off if they are only sorta broken up or just broke up. Treat just-released-on-DVD My Best Friend's Girl like it is your best friends girl--off limits. The story is mediocre, the

2009-01-07T16:07:00.004-06:00

So I've got a cold. A lousy stinkin' cold. Or at least the beginnin's of one. After laying awake in bed last night with my throbbing throat denying my attempt at sleep, I got up to check what I purchased with my FlexSaver account money at the last minute in 2007. In the past I've smacked the beginnin's of a cold in the face with Zicam. I swear it works miracles. So I was happy to find Zicam

2008-09-29T23:01:00.002-05:00

I ordered pizza online yesterday. Click click click, ordered. Got an e-mail about delivery time and I waited. Didn't even bother using a computer, I clicked in using my blackberry's wifi connection. 40 minutes and $23 later, I was chomping on some (overpriced) large tomato, sausage, and onion Papa Johns. Literally no human interaction needed at all--well, not on my part--my girlfriend brought the

Time for a change

2008-08-06T21:03:00.003-05:00

Well now that it seems the Vikings won't be getting Favre. It looks like the internet crystal ball is revealing a trade with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But I can live with that. If Favre was traded within the NFC North, the Vikings would beat the packers 5 times this year, while only playing them twice. Brett Favre sets records, and that would be a pretty impressive one. As a result, not only

Importance: High

2008-07-31T16:23:00.002-05:00

I love having my iPod at work! The best tunes in the world from the present and past are piped directly into my ears while I attack some of the least engaging tasks I've ever completed. Another one pager? "Say it Ain't So-ooo-woah-oo-woah!" Intranet updates by COB?! "I think we better wait till tomorrow!" My presentation doesn't meet corporate standards!? "Who do you think I was?!" You need that

Life, Liberty and the Search of...

2008-07-30T22:46:00.003-05:00

I've found it. Well, my roomies found it and introduced me. I'd driven by it a couple times, and you know how it goes: "Oh, that looks like it might be good." Well for god's sake, stop next time! If I would have, I'd be the guy who "found" Liberty Frozen Custard.The place is a garage that's been retrofitted to be a throwback 1950s ice cream place - er, frozen custard place. The place has a slight

Favre martches down the field

2008-07-30T14:00:00.005-05:00

Brett Favre continues to prove he is no mere mortal. He's been beaten up, broken, and even been declared dead before (ok, well, retired), yet he has always prevailed.So is anyone really surprised to see him surge again for another bid for the Bowl? The guy's unstoppable. As a Vikings fan, I've hated the man. Laughed at him*, despised him, and even sent him hate mail. I hope he doesn't hold it

Bale's Curse

2008-07-29T22:57:00.005-05:00

Go rent Rescue Dawn. The film is a soild account of a US Fighter pilot's struggle to survive after being shot down on a top-secret mission over Laos. Dieter Dengler, played by Christian Bale, is a German whose dream it was to become an American pilot.The hot, sticky film is no Platoon. In fact, the green jungle, and uncomfortable realism is about all this and other Vietnam films have in common.

2008-07-25T21:20:00.003-05:00

I entered the League of Extraordinary Douchebags today. What possibly could bring this down-to-earth, considerate, wonderful human being of an author to the D-bag status, you ask? I dove full force into bluetooth headset ownership with my popped collar waving in the wind. I know. Bad, huh?Prior to purchasing the magical wireless D-bag accessory, I was perusing the options at the big blue box (

50% per load

2008-07-23T23:53:00.004-05:00

Ok. I'm an idiot. Flat out dumb. For the last couple weeks, my laundry detergent bottle has been sticky. Sure, not that shocking. But it wasn't just the front of the bottle. It was full-bottle stickiness that was getting on my nerves. Rather than live with rinsing and repeating every time I did laundry, I capped the bottle, and stuck it in the washer as it filled.Ok. Get off my case! I planned to

Mathematical equations

2008-04-29T12:24:00.002-05:00

Size of spoon (p)Size of noodles in noodle soup (n)* p < ntherefore* n-p is directly proportional to how much soup you have on your shirttherefore* the number of noodle soups there are in an office cafeteria is inversely proportional to the number of promotions there are at that office.

Top 10 reasons to live (stay) in Minnesota

2008-04-24T15:48:00.005-05:00

Lakes. Remember? Lots of 'em.We haven't had a professional sports championship since 1991. It's something to look forward to!If you grew up in MN, you might not know it, but you actually like how bad the winters are. People with abusive parents end up with abusive spouses. It's science. Think about it.You can't pull those effortless movie-chase-scene turns or donuts in your 4-cylinder Honda in

Not gonna write you a love song

2008-04-10T12:38:00.002-05:00

Listen, Minneapolis, i've had a great time. You've really helped me learn a lot about myself, you've shown me some great things, and I really love that twinkle in your eye when the sun rises from Dinkytown. But it's just not working for me. Sometimes, you're indifferent, a little harsh, and just downright cold. I mean, seriously, I spent all winter with you, and you would warm up to me some times

Judgement day

2008-03-13T17:56:00.006-05:00

This is going to suck.I walk into the Dakota County building at 8:30 a.m. About 50 others are already waiting. Some have tatoos, some wear suits, some have ripped jeans. Some are high school students wearing A&F. I put on a tie today. That's after waking up late, skipping breakfast, and taking a wrong turn. But now we're all waiting.Oh, this is going to suck.The courtroom starts out empty--then a

Keeping tabs

2008-03-11T12:16:00.001-05:00

I wish I came up with this business model.I know it's my fault. I didn't order tabs in time, so I got a ticket. This woke me up, and I ordered tabs. But then then I got another ticket, and another, and another. A cop even turned left on a red light, followed me through several twists and turns, and pulled me over across the street from my office's parking lot. I told the cop I had the tabs in the

Drinking the unknown

2008-03-05T14:41:00.006-06:00

The main thing that's wrong with this country is that our flag is made with the colors red, white, and blue. This is an attack on our children's education, as the three primary colors are red, yellow, and blue. Our children are growing up thinking white is one of the most important colors, when really, white is just the absence of color. Of course if they have a really, really old flag, they

Throwback

2008-02-29T20:47:00.004-06:00

I just spent some time looking at an old website of mine I made while I was in college. I'm going to forgo cleverly writing a throwback entry in the style of the "blog" I kept back then. It would be so boring it would instantly inject ADD into your veins. Speaking of which, can you catch ADD? I know I never had it. Well I don't think so. My roommate has it. He also has X-Box 360, a nearly-full

X-box hook ups

2008-02-25T12:48:00.005-06:00

Never have video games worked so smoothly for me. I was playing X-Box live this weekend. Sure my roomie (who owns the system) was there, but we prefer switching off playing Live fullscreen instead of two-player split screen (Half a screen? I need a full television of destruction all for myself!).Anyways, a lady friend of mine was hanging out with us while I was pwning those n00bs. When she got

Endorsing...

2008-02-06T21:07:00.000-06:00

Now that Super Tuesday has come and gone and everyone has had their say, I think it's finally time for this great blog to endorse a candidate. No more lollygagging, waffling, flip flopping or panel tamping. This is serious business.I think it's finally safe to pick a candidate that many other people agree with so I don't seem like I'm out of touch when that candidate loses early in the primary

Checkin it twice

2008-02-06T20:02:00.000-06:00

I have a seriously important decision ahead of me. My birthday is coming up and I need to decide what to do with it. Life or Death, really. I kind of feel like it's a similar feeling to the pre-New Year's Eve anxiety."Oh man, this party is gonna be great...well at least I expect it to be. I mean, it better be. It only happens once a year. No do-overs, so this party better be the best. Wait...

No, it's a cardigan--

2008-02-06T10:59:00.000-06:00

Subscribe now, and receive this fleece pullover.Driving with Rope now has an RSS feed (notice the big orange button to the right). Add the RSS feed to your reader and you'll receive a fleece pullover in the mail (if you ordered one online from LL Bean prior to subscribing to this feed).And now, to explain the title of this post, a joke:A blonde is driving 80 in a 55 mph zone. She zooms right

Burgers and Burgers

2008-02-02T11:30:00.000-06:00

So I ate at The Nook by Cretin the other day. It was a dissapointment--because I couldn't eat more burger after I finished mine. The Nook has probably the best burger in the city (definitely top five). Read my assessment on Minneapolis Metblogs.

Virtues on the slope

2008-01-31T18:42:00.000-06:00

I snowboarded for the first time ever this past weekend. I could bore you with the details (i.e. sweet jumps/jamming the slopes to the maxstreme/pwning noobs with my ride). But instead, with deep, profound wisdom I'll relate this experience to the virtue of fortitude.In the history of snowsports, Snowboarding is relatively new. I really don't feel out of the loop being a rookie. I mean, you can't

Corporate Communications

2008-01-27T20:00:00.000-06:00

You can't make this up. We had our National Conference at work recently. I'm responsible for some of the content at this conference, so I'm sitting behind the scenes. So as a complete surprise to me, at the end of our CEO's presentation, he makes a surprise announcement of recognition for our group's volunteer efforts. He calls our VP, his admin and a couple other people up on stage--including me

Cheesesteaks with Ben

2008-01-21T19:06:00.000-06:00

This past weekend I was in Philly, where it all started. The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, Philly Cheesesteaks. It was awesome in the most literal sense of the word: I was full of awe. Well at least with all the historical stuff. It was great seeing Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, and all the 2000+ year-old history. We saw where the Declaration was signed and saw a chair

advice

2007-12-05T11:39:00.000-06:00

Don't use the word "uber" any more.Also avoid "rad" except in truly radical situations where an abbreviation from the full form is required.

Guitar Villan

2007-12-05T09:51:00.000-06:00

Ok. Guitar Hero III. It's a bunch of crappy songs you've never heard, and a bunch of songs you've heard too much. Who wants to "perform" old Kiss songs in front of adoring digi-fans? I might rock out some of these sub-par songs to sell out to real fans, but click strumming along to a dumb song with an annoying singer whether or not you can mouth the words by memory does not appeal to me.But the

Cubicle Dining Ettiquette

2007-11-20T12:40:00.000-06:00

Right before Thanksgiving is a perfect time for a list about cubicle dining ettiquette. How often do you lunch in your cube rather than in the café or, gasp, outside of the building? There are obvisouly unwritten rules surrounding this practice, but as any successful corner office dweller will tell you, rules were made to be broken.The unlucky one next to the microwaveWhat we do: He always calls

Emoticons: Good or bad ;-)

2007-08-14T13:07:00.000-05:00

CSI'm not for or against emoticons - I just think that we as an English-as-first-language populace could do better. Check out these emoticons - awesome! Why don't we try to extend ourselves a little?http://whatjapanthinks.com/2006/08/14/japans-top-thirty-emoticons/;p).......But really, probably depends on the context.SM me: emoticons: good or bad? SM: DependsChatting with friends - sure!me: NO!

In Copenhagen

2007-03-26T09:02:00.000-05:00

I'll try and sum this up pretty quickly cause we're trying to get out to see more of the city before we have to fly to Barcelona tonight, where I don't think we'll have internet access.I flew in to Amsterdam in World Business Class again. Always great. The seats are so comfortable and it's so easy to get to sleep, so I got some good sleep, which probably helped me adjust to the new time zone.

Humpty Dumpty

2006-09-07T16:14:00.000-05:00

If I were a broken egg, I would not want king's horses trying to put me back together again. They would probably be real bad at that. Hooves, man. HOOVES. But I would feel pretty important if the King sent ALL his horses and ALL his men to try and put me back together again, even if they were extrememely poor at reconstructive egg surgery.

El Loro

2006-07-24T13:41:00.000-05:00

Honestly. I just had mexican lunch at a restaurant called El Loro. And I can't think. We call it the El Loro coma. And I seriously thought something weird just happened to the atmospheric pressurization around my head right now. Keep in touch. I should be able to blog again soon after this coma runs its course.

Devil's Advocate

2006-04-24T16:01:00.000-05:00

I was hanging out in the men's room today when a man walked in and told a work buddy of his that "someone just told me they were playing devil's advocate, all that really means is that they wanted to say something but not be responsible for it." While I pretty much have come to the conclusion that he doens't mean that he is playing "Devil's advocate" from the movie with Al Pacino and Keanu Reeves

Broken lunch break

2006-04-11T13:22:00.000-05:00

My lunch break, by Justin Roth-Part I-So I realized I left the large lunch I packed for myself at home in the refrigerator. So I took my lunch break going home to go get the lunch, rather than spend about $9 to purchase a comparable amount of food at the cafeteria here. So I get home open the fridge and pull out a nearly empty large ziplock baggie. All that's left is 2 yogurt cups and a protein

i debate

2006-04-02T21:49:00.000-05:00

Foriegn policy. The best movie of the season. What's the new black? The content changes, but there's always a debate surrounding these topics. Right now these topics are being discussed. Years down the road, people at large tables with expensive clothes on will still be talking about these topics. But right now there's a debate going on that is new to the social landscape. It is the debate of the

Hours in a day

2006-03-06T15:03:00.000-06:00

So the other day I picked up the first season of 24 with Keifer Sutherland (it was on sale for $20 at Target, ususally $45). I can't get enough of it. The action is fast, the story line is enticing and the acting is... well, it's acting. And the best part is, no commercials. No sweating it out for 7 days waiting for the next hour of the story.You gotta love 80s (early 90s?) superstar Keifer

Driving with Rope 2: Thinner Rope

2006-02-19T14:06:00.000-06:00

-You read the original.-You couldn't get enough.-Brought to you by the producer of Driving with Rope and Fit to Post comes the sequel to Driving with Rope, Driving with Rope 2: Thinner Rope.I picked up my Hyundai Tucson the other day after having the gas pedal replaced. Read the original if you don't know the story. But as I am driving back to my house, I start to turn the corner and I step on my

Introduction

2006-02-16T13:17:00.000-06:00

Two months after graduation, I am now, finally getting a small introdution to the "real world." In just today, I have sent out two resumes to employers with serious interest, I have appointments set up in the next week to meet with two groups considering me for a position, met with another last week and I have another with whom I will soon be setting up a meeting. Bottom line: I am crazy busy

e-dating, by j-Ro

2006-02-13T14:17:00.000-06:00

I am not in the dating world. Thank god. I have a significant other of over two years. And we have fun (I'm not trying to rub anything in... but nah na na na nah nah). I am happy for this because a coworker just told me of a harrowing experience she had this morning. At 5 a.m. (that's in the morning, when there is no sun).I know you just thought "holy shit" in your head. I suppose there are a lot