Knowing how many of "my" kind of people play Tennis, I had an awesome idea.

I want to start a goth tennis league, called Vampires Serve in the Shade.

LOLZ

 

TO "PHISH" PEOPLE AT ALPINE VALLEY THIS WEEKENED (EAST TROY)

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Reply to: comm-mkrbh-1233300670@craigslist.org ^{[Errors when replying to ads?]}
Date: 2009-06-22, 1:31AM CDT

I HAVE LIVED OFF OF COUNTY HWY D NEAR ALPINE VALLEY FOR THE PAST 24 YEARS AND OFTEN FEEL THE RESIDUAL NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF THE CONCERTS. NEVER HAVE I HAD AN INCIDENT SUCH AS THE ONE THAT OCCURRED ON SATURDY NIGHT (JUN. 20) FOLLOWING A "PHISH" MUSICAL. OUR DOG WOKE US AT 1:30 AM MAKING A RUCKUS. WE HAVE A SMALL WARMING HOUSE NEAR THE EDGE OF THE HIGHWAY THAT I BUILT FOR OUR DAUGHTERS (NOW GROWN) TO WAIT FOR THE SCHOOLBUSES IN. THE LIGHT IN IT WAS ON AND SOMEONE WAS INSIDE. I PUT ON CLOTHES AND APPROACHED AND FOUND HIM DEFECATING ON THE FLOOR. HAD HAIR LOOKED LIKE A DOORMAT. EYES WERE BUGGY LIKE I REMEMBER ON MEN IN VIETNAM. I HAD A SHOTGUN AND TOLD HIM HE WAS GOING TO CLEAN UP THE DEFECATE. BUT I AM OLD (71 NOW) AND MADE A MISTAKE, RETURNING TO THE HOUSE TO GET A HOSE AND BUCKET. HE RAN IN THE DIRECTION OF THE INTERSTATE AND I DIDNOT FOLLOW. 

MY MESSAGE IS THIS: GET YOUR PEOPLE IN ORDER "PHISH". AND NEVER COME TO ALPINE VALLEY AGAIN. SHAME ON YOU. I AM POSTING ON CRAIGLIST BECAUSE I HAVE USED IT TO SELL TRUCK PARTS AND LAWN FURNTITURE AND DOUBT AN EDITOR'S LETTER IN THE JOURNAL/SENTINEL WILL REACH "PHISH" PEOPLE, WHO MY NEIGHBOR SAYS ARE MOSTLY FROM ILLINOIS OR EASTCOAST. I AM ALSO LOOKING FOR AN APOLOGY FROM THE MAN WHO COMMITTED THIS ACT. HE LEFT BEHIND A WHITE HAT WITH AN ALIEN ON IT. ALSO A GLASS THING. I AM GOING TO THROW THEM AWAY. 

• Location: EAST TROY
• it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

PostingID: 1233300670

 So at the barn dance last night, someone had an iPod touch that had a really cool app on it, but I didn't catch the name of it... it allowed him to subscribe to internet radio stations, and play them back later, even when he didn't have an internet connection.  We were listening to a really tight dj mixed dance set for hours by virtue of thius.  Anyone have a clue what it might have been?

 Damn.

You know why gun crime is a problem here?  Because the people that don't give a shit about breaking the law are not going to be stopped by gun laws.  It's time to do what 48 states have done and legalize controlled concealed carry, so that dumbshits will think twice before pulling a gat.  As it stands, they know they're the only ones out there armed.

Word.

 I'm 95% happy and 5% sad... I mean, life is going well and I have this awesome night where I'm sitting on my porch watching a beautiful sunset, blogging on my new awesome laptop, drinking fine beer and awaiting the most amazing woman ever who will come grace me with her presence and love tonight....

...but sitting on the porch isn't the same without Chad here.  I'm going to miss him this summer.  I never realized just how much he encapsulates the essence of summer for me down here on Gorham Street.  

I'll pour one for my absent homie.

 Awesome.

So it seems most every year on my birthday, I write some kind of post about how the last year has been, and what my predictions are for the year to come. Last year's post was somewhat somber.  Two of the most important people in my life had just walked out the door, and I was floundering.  If I'd known that less than a week after posting that, my father was also going to die... wow.  It was just a Bad Spring last year.

What can I say?  I just had the best year of my life.  

It started out sour, with the death.  But you know what?  In many ways, my father was the ultimate boogie-man.  And I never have to worry about getting one of his crazy drunk phone calls, or mood swings, or control-freak outbursts again.  The whole deal is settled.

And from there, it all went up-hill.  Here's a brief re-cap of the highlights:

-Gorham Street Productions BLEW UP last summer.  Busier than hell, and VERY successful.

-I went on THREE vacations.  Once up to Northern Minnesota, and twice to Colorado for skiing.  The first Colorado trip was an ultimate roadtrip across the West with two of my favorite people.

-I fell in love with my dream girl.  Beautiful, smart, fun, goofy, sexy, loyal, caring and adventurous.  I don't even come close to deserving her affection, but I strive every day to do my best to earn it.  All the bad, all the fights, all the turmoil I endured/caused throughout the years was me getting that bullshit out of my system so I'd be best prepared to love the right one.  

-I reconnected with so many valued friends... I'm fearful to name-check them, for there's so many that I could easily forget to name someone.  But people like Casey, Sarah, Peewee, Jo, James, Tim, Athena, David, Melissa... It's been amazing being in touch with these amazing friends, and so many more.

-I developed a bunch of new friendships with high-quality people who I was intimidated to get to know.  Due to ex-girlfriend drama, I thought I was persona non grata to a large number of people who accepted me with open arms and treated me like they'd known me for years.  I love you guys and you mean so much to me.

-I feel like I've done an excellent job of ridding myself of some habitual traits that were not serving me well.  There are improvements to be made, for sure, but I'm *on the motherfucker*.  

-After the previous year's roommate hell, I have the most kickass assortment of wonderful people living with me.  I love and respect them all, and will miss those that are moving on this next year.

Today, on my 29th birthday, my facebook and cell phone were INUNDATED by well-wishing friends.  To know that I'm blessed with so many amazing friends is a very powerful feeling.  I'm a flawed human who can only attempt to reflect back the love he receives from those in his life.  I endeavor to be better about that in this next year.  I care so much about all of you, and will try my best to show it.

This weekend will mark the 1 year anniversary of my father's death... I'm not really depressed about it, but certainly introspective. So I'm working a show up here in La Crosse on my birthday, and the local rock station (owned by Midwest Family Broadcasting) is sponsoring the show. So one of their jocks is here, and since I also work for Midwest, I introduce myself and show some fraternal respect. He says "Aren't you related to Bill Norman?" I say, yeah, I'm his son... Dude says "I was at the funeral, and was out on the Toys for Tots ride when your dad died. You going to the memorial ride June 6th?" I didn't know they were doing that! I'm honored at the respect their showing him, somewhat bothered that no one told me it was happening, and now scrambling to arrange logistics... I have a gig that day, and will have to either make it from Madison to La Crosse to Debuque, IA all in one day, or find someone to cover me for the gig. Also, I need to find a motorcycle to ride, since Dad killed mine a year and a half before he died.

It's a lot to think about.

The media is throwing around a lot of talk about the Republican party being dead in the water, now that Arlen Specter has switched posses. My thoughts?

Awesome.

I've voted Republican plenty of times, based on my support of the free market and strong defense. But laying in bed with evangelicals always gave me an itchy feeling in my scrotum, and I just didn't like it. Fact of the matter is that I'm a social liberal through and through... Legalize gay marriage (or better yet, abolish marriage as a legal institution altogether), provide for truly equal rights for all classes, get God out of our public institutions, and generally support a caring society.

There has never been a better time for the Libertarian party to get their shit together and step up to the plate. There's a power vacuum in D.C., evidenced by the vast sucking sound of the GOP flushing down the drain. There's a large number of people in the United States who believe in social liberalism in conjunction with capitalism and strict defense of our Constitutional rights, and the Libertarian party needs to get the message out that they're a mainstream group fighting for more than your right to smoke weed. (I could rant on and on about how they've fucked up by making marijuana their rallying cry, there's no way mainstream America is going to take them seriously when they choose getting stoned as their vanguard issue).

The Libertarian party needs to adopt the following issues, and fight for them vociferously:

-A Constitutional amendment prohibiting deficit spending more often than once every four years.
-Establishing reproductive rights on a legislative basis, removing the tenuous Constitutional rationale which threatens to evaporate on a judicial whim.
-Defense of true Capitalism as a functional method of social transaction.
-Reduction of entitlement programs, with capital based incentives for private institutions to support their communities.
-Broad capital based incentives for corporate and personal environmentalism, using carrots rather than sticks.
-Defense of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, especially as applied to gay marriage. Ideally, elimination of marriage as a legal institution.
-Rejection of earmarked spending in budget bills.
-Securing energy resources within our borders, including unprecedented tax breaks for solar/wind power in locations where such are feasible and fast-tracking private nuclear power endeavors.

The thing is, not everyone's going to agree with this agenda. We have multiple parties because one size does not fit all. But I believe a Libertarian party which promotes this agenda will encompass the beliefs and values of the new conservative coalition, the generation that's grown up largely without religious indoctrination or bigotry. Most people I know would stand behind a party which rallies around the personally independent and spirited nature of Americans. Even the most liberal of my friends would agree that the best solution to personal suffering is personal empowerment, and that government is most-often a very inefficient means towards the chosen end.

It's time for the Libertarian party to become the new voice of conservative America.

Is swine flu like HIV? I mean, somebody fucked a chimp and we got AIDS. Who screwed the pig?

Sad times! 3 of our roommates are moving on to new homes this next year (1 is getting married, the other two are buying a house!), so we have 3 rooms coming up available for the next year. For those who don't know, we have a full house on Gorham St, right across from James Madison Park up on top of the hill. 2 of the available rooms have views over the lake (great sunsets!), and 1 of the rooms has an amazing view of the Capitol. We have 2 kitchens, 2 bathrooms, 2 living rooms, fast internet, a good cable package, heat included, the most amazing porch, and an awesome location!

I believe rent for next year is going to be $427 a month, and with the utilities being split by as many people as there are, that usually runs around $45 a month. Let me know if you (or someone you know) is interested! Rooms become available on August 15th.

A Facebook conversation I recently had:

Bill:
I'm going to be in the neighborhood of Five Guys today (in theory), and would like to know what you would suggest getting, since you're such a fun and I don't want my cornhole sodomized with a barbed-wire-wrapped baseball bat.
-Mick

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It is best to take Five Guys very seriously, but luckily ordering there is quite simple.

The rules:

First off, they have Small burgers and Big burgers. The Small burgers are still sizable.

Next, you must decide whether to have cheese or bacon added. This will add slightly to the cost, but the bacon is well worth it.

Third, the rest of the condiments are free, and excellent. I like mushrooms, fried onions, lettuce, tomato, ketchup and extra mustard.

In theory, one could get a hot dog instead of a hamburger, but no one is history has ever done this.

The next choice has to do with fries. You can choose between cajun and regular. Get the cajun. While at the register, look to the wall on the left, and it will tell you which town in Idaho the potatoes came from. My favorite is when they're from "Rexburg, Idaho" but opinions vary.

You will be given a choice of sizing for fries. You might be tempted to spend $.50 more to get a large fry. By doing this, you will signal the employees that you are a completely worthless n00b, for the seasoned veteran knows that a small fry is a huge portion, and that for good measure they throw in another heaping scoop into the paper bag.

The only appropriate way to enjoy this feast is to sit at a table in their red and white checkered dining room, and bask in the glory of countless reviews posted to the walls. These tales will one day be collected together into a tome, much like the venerable Bible, to document the times that man walked among God, disguised as hamburger meat.

So let it be done.

 I love intersections.  I really love intersections with awesome names...

First, from Failblog: maps.google.com/maps

Next, right here in Madison, WI: maps.google.com/maps

 Today is more than Easter to me.  Easter actually bums me out a bit, because my father is dead, and I want nothing to do with my mother, so I'm like the only one not hanging with family today...

...No, today is more.  Today is independence day.  Today is exactly 1 year from when I truly cut the strings (or had the strings cut, whatever) and started living my own life.  There's no finer gift.  The last year has been amazing, and April 12th is a personal cause for reflection and celebration.

I had a great time out at the Inferno last night!  Chelsey and I had the opportunity to talk with a bunch of people for the first portion of the night, and switched over to dancing to some stompy beats for a few hours.  One of the many things I absolutely love about Chelsey is that we can go out and have a great time together, enjoying the same things.  I don't have to worry she'll be off bored while I'm dancing, or that she can't entertain herself, or whatever... It may sound like a little thing, but it's absolutely new to me.  I've also been spending a lot of time cultivating old friendships, and it was with considerable pleasure that I got to spend a good portion of the night hanging with my old highschool homie Peewee.  

I'm truly a lucky guy, and nights like last night remind me of it!

 Sleep was fitful and not fulfilling last night, so I reengaged in several rounds, terminating at 1:30pm.  I think I might be "ready" to face the day, but Oh My Goth, am I??  Perhaps a walk downtown would be soothing.

 Sometimes, you hear something unexpected, and it makes your head explode.