Not sure what to get that co-worker that you're sure is a serial killer off-hours or perhaps a neighbor who you're convinced is into Santeria? Maybe you need a great gift idea for an ex who you're not really over? Getting ready to have the in-laws over and you want this to be the last visit?
May I present the Voodoo Display with 5 Knives by ViceVersa. So many situations that this would make the perfect gift.
Thanks, Dave!
Thursday, February 24, 2005
Another Great Poem
Got this poem in my daily email from bartleby.com (great website)! Since I'm a big fan of sarcasm, I really liked it.
"Sambo's Right to Be Kilt" by Edmund Clarence Stedman (and by Kilt, he's not talking about the Scottish clothing.)
"Sambo's Right to Be Kilt" by Edmund Clarence Stedman (and by Kilt, he's not talking about the Scottish clothing.)
Saturday, February 19, 2005
Our week with the Blackleys
The family said farewell to our friends the Blackleys, our guests from England, this morning at 5:30 AM. After they left, Claire and I went back to bed (Alan was at work), and as I'm falling asleep, I hear Claire in her room sobbing. I asked her what was wrong and she said, "I just miss Ruby. Its not the same without her." Those two are peas in a pod and had such a great time together. The scene as we left the ice skating show at the Office Depot Center on Friday night sort of summed up those two. They were about 20 yards ahead of me, Rupert and Oliver, skipping and jumping along together as they tried to step on only the white pavers. Oliver is such a well-spoken and interesting young man. He and Alan had some great conversations and, after one of them, Alan said, "I always respect children who can conduct a real conversation with an adult." We had a GREAT time with them this past week.
Started off last Sunday with a trip to Billie Swamp Safari--the tourism service of the Seminole Indian nation. Went to the middle of the Everglades, took an airboat ride, a swamp buggy ride and camped in a Chickee Hut. (Our Everglades Trip) I told Rupert that we did this first because it would make the accommodations at my house appear luxurious in contrast.
Tuesday was beach for the Blackleys (Deerfield Beach--Deerfield Beach Web Cam) and then a quiet dinner at the house. Wednesday was another trip to the beach for the Blackleys (Ft. Lauderdale Beach--Ft. Lauderdale Web Cam) and then dinner out at Bonefish Grill. We were joined by Monica for this one. Thursday, the Blackleys were back at Deerfield Beach and then my friends Allyn and Jasper brought over Shish-ka-bob for dinner. I took Friday off and we went to Delray Beach (Delray Web Cam) for a while in the morning, then we met Monica, Martha and David for lunch at the Blue Anchor (The Blue Anchor), took the kids across the street to the playground, went down to the girls soccer state semi-final match (our neighbor plays goalkeeper for the defending champions, American Heritage Delray) and we capped the day off by watching an ice skating show featuring a number of former Olympic medalists. Exhausting.
One afternoon, Ruby, Claire and Oliver were out in the street riding bikes and scooters. Rupert said it was a scene out of "The Wonder Years." That same day, they went around the neighborhood singing and performing tricks. Claire brought a "tip jar" and they collected $15. (I think some people gave them money just so they would go away.) Oliver's eyes lit up with excitement and pride whenever he relayed the amount of money they raised. Another afternoon, I came driving around the corner and saw quite the soccer match going on in the front yard. Claire's best friend, Erin, and Erin's brother and sister, Eric and Hailey, were playing boys against the girls with Claire, Ruby and Oliver. How cool is that?!?!?
I think it was Tuesday night that we broke out the potato cannon. (Here's plans for one like ours--Potato Cannon Plans . I would recommend mounting the igniter on the cannon. Loose igniter wires are somewhat shocking.) As the saying goes, it's not a party at the Koontzes until a potato goes 700 feet in the air. First launch by Al saw the potato fall on our neighbor's roof--the neighbors with the solar heater on their roof. EEEK. Ruby and Oliver loved the potato cannon and Rupert was the best at getting the potato to land in the canal. Must be that degree in rocket science that he's got.
It was a fantastic visit. Its nice when your professional relationships develop into personal friendships that are shared with the families. We're already looking forward to the next one. We miss the Blackleys!
Started off last Sunday with a trip to Billie Swamp Safari--the tourism service of the Seminole Indian nation. Went to the middle of the Everglades, took an airboat ride, a swamp buggy ride and camped in a Chickee Hut. (Our Everglades Trip) I told Rupert that we did this first because it would make the accommodations at my house appear luxurious in contrast.
Tuesday was beach for the Blackleys (Deerfield Beach--Deerfield Beach Web Cam) and then a quiet dinner at the house. Wednesday was another trip to the beach for the Blackleys (Ft. Lauderdale Beach--Ft. Lauderdale Web Cam) and then dinner out at Bonefish Grill. We were joined by Monica for this one. Thursday, the Blackleys were back at Deerfield Beach and then my friends Allyn and Jasper brought over Shish-ka-bob for dinner. I took Friday off and we went to Delray Beach (Delray Web Cam) for a while in the morning, then we met Monica, Martha and David for lunch at the Blue Anchor (The Blue Anchor), took the kids across the street to the playground, went down to the girls soccer state semi-final match (our neighbor plays goalkeeper for the defending champions, American Heritage Delray) and we capped the day off by watching an ice skating show featuring a number of former Olympic medalists. Exhausting.
One afternoon, Ruby, Claire and Oliver were out in the street riding bikes and scooters. Rupert said it was a scene out of "The Wonder Years." That same day, they went around the neighborhood singing and performing tricks. Claire brought a "tip jar" and they collected $15. (I think some people gave them money just so they would go away.) Oliver's eyes lit up with excitement and pride whenever he relayed the amount of money they raised. Another afternoon, I came driving around the corner and saw quite the soccer match going on in the front yard. Claire's best friend, Erin, and Erin's brother and sister, Eric and Hailey, were playing boys against the girls with Claire, Ruby and Oliver. How cool is that?!?!?
I think it was Tuesday night that we broke out the potato cannon. (Here's plans for one like ours--Potato Cannon Plans . I would recommend mounting the igniter on the cannon. Loose igniter wires are somewhat shocking.) As the saying goes, it's not a party at the Koontzes until a potato goes 700 feet in the air. First launch by Al saw the potato fall on our neighbor's roof--the neighbors with the solar heater on their roof. EEEK. Ruby and Oliver loved the potato cannon and Rupert was the best at getting the potato to land in the canal. Must be that degree in rocket science that he's got.
It was a fantastic visit. Its nice when your professional relationships develop into personal friendships that are shared with the families. We're already looking forward to the next one. We miss the Blackleys!
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
Props for my hometown
I saw a lot of media articles bashing Jacksonville as a hick, backwater town not worthy of hosting the Super Bowl. Leave it to a Brit to write the truth....
SUPER BOWL: Venue did not deserve criticism
I feel I have to put something in writing from a visiting journalist's standpoint to try to counterbalance many of the vicious and, frankly, ignorant comments being aired in various media about the venue for Super Bowl XXXIX.
Jacksonville did a great job in attracting the NFL here in the first place. While the city is a more small-scale venue than most, it certainly did not deserve the vitriol it has attracted from some quarters.
The bottom line is that the Super Bowl is not here for the benefit and entertainment of the visiting media; it is here for the fans, the local community and the country as a whole. It is charged with providing a fitting venue for the biggest annual sporting event in the world.
On those counts, there were plenty of positive signs, to the credit of the host committee, the thousands of volunteers and the city as a whole.Of course, Jacksonville is not a city of the scope of New Orleans, Los Angeles or Miami, but it is different from all of those, and diversity is always healthy.
There was plenty going on. It was easy to get around, events ran on time and the visiting fans in town sure looked as if they were having fun.
Of course, the weather could have been kinder, but for some writers to criticize purely on the basis of being cold or damp is puerile in the extreme.
Having been to seven previous Super Bowls, I can attest to the fact the media are extremely well catered to (to the point of being spoon-fed), and Jacksonville was certainly no different. It seems those who criticized were doing it purely because they lacked the imagination to find a real story; it is far easier to damn than to praise, in journalistic terms.
Finally, for those members of the media who slammed Jacksonville before we even got to the weekend: Come on, people, surely you can't be that small-minded? The Super Bowl is all about having a party; and if you can't recognize a genuine party when you see one, you are on the wrong planet, let alone in the wrong job.
From my perspective, there was enough here to suggest Jacksonville is not out of place in the Super Bowl rotation, and the city fully deserves its chance to contend again in the future.
SIMON VENESS, London Sun, London, England
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