Friday, March 31, 2006

Toys for Tots

This is Devin, the 3-year-old Austin, MN, boy that crawled through the 7 to 9 inch discharge chute opening of a Toy Chest claw machine at a Godfather's Pizza in his hometown, he ended up on the other side of the glass surrounded by stuffed animals.

Rescuers had to pry the door open to get Devin out, though the boy was in no hurry to leave. "When we got it open, he didn't want to come out," Fire Chief Dan Wilson said Tuesday. "One of my firefighters had to reach inside and get him. He was happy in there."

You might ask yourself if this is an isolated incident and the answer would be no... Two years ago, a boy crawled inside a toy machine at a
Piggly Wiggly in Sheboygan, Wis., and was rescued with the help of a locksmith. Last year, a toddler climbed into a toy machine at a Wal-Mart in Elkhart, Ind. Workers used tools to free the boy.

As long as there is
WT and places for them to congregate this will continue to happen.

When Dodgeball Goes Bad

David M. Boudreaux, 27, was charged Wednesday with one count of third-degree assault. According to court documents, the incident happened in February at Crescent Lake Christian Academy.

Authorities said the teen missed Boudreaux with one throw but then knocked the youth minister's glasses off with the next.

The boy apologized, authorities said, but Boudreaux pushed him backward, and when the teen got up again, Boudreaux kicked him in the groin and left.

The teen suffered whiplash and post-concussion syndrome and had blood in his urine after being kicked, according to court records.

Thursday, March 30, 2006

A Toast!

What would you do if you won $1,000,000.00? If you’re this broad from the UP… Lock-up you ticket and head for the bar!!!

Ahhh.. The UP. It’s a simple life!!!!

Here's the Story..

Lori Howe of Negaunee had a pretty good day on Wednesday.

She scratched off a ticket during her lunch break and discovered that she had won a million dollars. After the winning ticket was confirmed, Howe locked up her ticket and headed to the Jasper Ridge Brewery to celebrate with friends.

The bad news? Howe figures that after Uncle Sam takes his bite, she'll get "only" about 400 thousand dollars.

She'll have to make do. Her only plans now are to pay her son's college tuition.

Dan, for the record; I’m from the UP, I like to drink, and this caught my fancy…

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Welcome to the Jungle

Rochester isn’t the safe town it once was… In the last 2 weeks we have had several violent crimes.. The links below are just crimes in the last couple of days....

Good thing Minnesota has the conceal and carry law..

Also, I need to borrow
Jon’s Gang Slang for Dummies book from his days on Division in GR.


Shots fired during traffic stop. 3 blocks from our house..

Gas station robberies. 3 blocks from our house..

Stabbing. 6 blocks from our house..

Prized Possessions

These are a couple of my dad’s favorite items in his room at St. Mary’s. Dear friends, Pete and Sarah, gave my dad these flowers and my mom found kwakers and gave him a home.

My dad is doing better and I would like to thank everyone for your kind words, understanding, cards, flowers… and prayers.

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Kilmer or Wilmer?

If you're like me, you are always mixing up Val Kilmer and Wilmer Valderrama. That's why BWEB created this game to help you tell them apart. So, try to guess: Kilmer or Wilmer?
  1. Is part Cherokee Indian? (Kilmer)
  2. Co-owns an Italian restaurant? (Wilmer)
  3. Was romantically linked to Sharon Stone? (Wilmer)
  4. Enjoys scuba diving? (Kilmer)
  5. Has been romantically linked to Paris Hilton? (Kilmer)
  6. Was born in Florida? (Wilmer)
  7. Was 4' 11" when he entered high school? (Kilmer)
  8. Considered launching his own line of jewelry? (Wilmar)

Dude, that's the life!!!!! Here's the scoop on Fez.....

Rapid Refund

Korlath, Teressa Lynne
Home: Saint Paul, MN
Age: 57
Height: 5-02
Weight: 125
Arrested: Frogtown
Date: 11/01/2005
Vehicle: On Foot

I guess Ho’s come in all varieties. Take Teressa for example, if you're looking for the old book keeper type, I’m sure you can strike a deal with her.. And maybe she could do your taxes…

Monday, March 27, 2006

I Love that Hasselhoff

That’s right I’m a life long David Hasselhoff fan, for me it started with his roll as Michael Knight on the hit show Knight Rider.

See a stud then… note the camel toe...

And a stud now...



Thank you
Rudi for the video

Canadian Clubbing

I guess people are still clubbing baby seals. Shows you what I know…

Sealers took to the thawing ice floes off the Atlantic Ocean on Saturday, the first day of Canada's contentious seal hunt, confronting animal rights activists who claim the annual cull is cruel.

Protesters dodged flying seal guts pitched at them by angry hunters on the first day of the spring leg of the world's largest seal slaughter. Reporters and activists tried to get as close as permitted to the hunt on the Gulf of St. Lawrence, but their presence infuriated sealers hunting for scarce animals on small, drifting ice pans.

At one point, a sealing vessel charged up to a small inflatable Zodiac boat carrying protesters, and a fisherman flung seal intestines at the observers. "They threw carcasses at our Zodiac and they came rushing at us in their boat and tried to capsize us in the wake," Rebecca Aldworth of the Humane Society told The Associated Press. "This is standard behavior out here; the sealers feel that they're completely above the law."

The fishermen in the isolated island communities of Quebec and Newfoundland say the hunt supplements their meager winter incomes, particularly since cod stocks have dwindled dramatically during the past decade. They resent animal-rights activists, who they say have little understanding of their centuries-old traditions.

The hunt brought $14.5 million in revenue last year, after some 325,000 seals were slaughtered. Fishermen sell their pelts, mostly for the fashion industry in Norway, Russia and China, as well as blubber for oil, earning about $60 per seal.

The federal government maintains Canada's seal population is healthy and abundant, with a population of nearly 6 million in the Arctic north and maritime provinces.

Regulations require the sealers to quickly kill the seals with a pick or bullet to the brain. The pups also must be over 2-3 weeks old and have shed their white downy fur before being killed.

Mark Small, president of the Northeast Coast Sealers Coop, has been sealing off Newfoundland for about 40 years. He said the activists do not understand how important the hunt is to family fishermen. "I think the Canadian public realizes these are coastal people who live off the sea and depend on the hunt to survive in small communities where the fish stocks are not there," Small told the AP in a telephone interview from St. Johns.

Animal rights activists claim the fishermen often skin the seals alive or leave some pups to die if they are not immediately knocked unconscious.

The Humane Society has had high-profile allies in celebrities like Paul McCartney and his wife, Heather Mills McCartney, who traveled to the Gulf of St. Lawrence two weeks ago to pose with the newborn pups.
In a video message from London, the McCartneys proposed that Canada could end the slaughter by offering a license buyback program to sealers.

The French film legend Brigitte Bardot came to Ottawa earlier this week. She said she was stunned that a developed nation would still let such a practice continue, three decades after she first came to Canada to frolic with some pups in an attempt to end the slaughter.

The unseasonably mild temperatures in the Gulf of St. Lawrence have made the ice thin and many of the harp seal pups appear to have drowned, prompting protesters to call for the quota of 325,000 kills to be lowered to compensate for the natural deaths.

John Grandy, a veteran animal-rights activist on board a plane chartered by the Humane Society to monitor the hunt and report any abuses, also said fewer pups were on the ice this year. "That tells us many have died, they fell through before they could swim," Grandy said.

Roger Simon, spokesman for the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans, disputed concerns about a high natural seal mortality this year. "There will always be some mortality and some drowning," Simon told The Canadian Press.

Aboriginal and Inuit hunters began the commercial kill in November in Canada's frozen Arctic waters; the spring leg will move off the coast of Newfoundland in April. The St. Lawrence hunt can last from three to 10 days, depending on hunting conditions.

Martin Dufour, a helicopter pilot from Quebec who was ferrying the Humane Society protesters out to the ice, said he was not opposed to the hunt, only the way in which the seals are killed. "I don't know why they use the picks," he said. "It's a savage way and the seals are too young."

The hunters prefer to use spiked clubs called hakapiks to crush the seals' skulls, rather than possibly damage the pelts with bullet holes.

Sunday, March 26, 2006

Not The Sizzler

Saturday night, Danielle, a good friend of ours came into town for dinner. We went to my favorite steakhouse, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse (you can't beat their meat). I had the “Cowboy” it’s a 22 oz. Ribeye with bone in, for added flavor. Ya ya, Kurt’s make your jokes.

The best thing is that we didn't go out for dinner until 10pm, you can do that in Rochester....

Saturday, March 25, 2006

Lunch and Exploring with Lynn

Today we had lunch in Chicago's Chinatown with Amy’s Aunt Lynn at a wonderful place called Moon Palace, it was excellent.

After lunch Lynn took us to Oak Park an old suburb west of Chicago that has a lot of Frank Lloyd Wright homes. The neighborhoods are amazing and $$$. This home was built 100 years ago, hard to believe.

Friday, March 24, 2006

O'lay!!


A Picture Share!, originally uploaded by Rich on the Road.

Sorry if you missed Joaquin at the Excalibur Night Club last night. He does have some moves. May be he learned them at the WFMC...

Amy had business in Chicago this week so I joined her for the weekend on Friday night. As you can see from the dance machine above we obviously had a good time.

Thursday, March 23, 2006

Smoke'n Butt


A picture is worth a 1000 words...

Texas Prepares for Party Guy

It looks like Texas is getting ready for Party Guy.

Here's the Poop:

Texas has begun sending undercover agents into bars to arrest drinkers for being drunk, a spokeswoman for the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission said on Wednesday.

The first sting operation was conducted recently in a Dallas suburb where agents infiltrated 36 bars and arrested 30 people for public intoxication, said the commission's Carolyn Beck.

Being in a bar does not exempt one from the state laws against public drunkenness, Beck said.
The goal, she said, was to detain drunks before they leave a bar and go do something dangerous like drive a car.


"We feel that the only way we're going to get at the drunk driving problem and the problem of people hurting each other while drunk is by crackdowns like this," she said.

"There are a lot of dangerous and stupid things people do when they're intoxicated, other than get behind the wheel of a car," Beck said. "People walk out into traffic and get run over, people jump off of balconies trying to reach a swimming pool and miss."

She said the sting operations would continue throughout the state.

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Blind Justice?

I’m guessing if this was a male teacher that looked like the Elephant Man and a 14-year-old female student that this would have had a different out come… Sad…

Debra LaFave, a Florida teacher, seen here leaving a Tampa court in 2005, who admitted having sex several times with her 14-year-old student was freed after prosecutors dropped sexual abuse charges to avoid calling the boy to the witness stand.

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Happy 30th Christine!!!!

Happy Birthday Christine!!! I didn’t realize Nick was so much taller than you.

Ummm Zaaa

Papa Murphy’s Take-N-Bake Pizza? Yes, you order it, kinda like at subway, and they make from scratch but don’t bake it. Then you take it home and bake. I thought it was the dumbest thing ever. That's until I tried one and they’re pretty darn good. Fat Rich would not have tried it....

Amy and I like the deLITE pizzas. Our favorite is the Veggie deLITE (150 calories per slice, 8 slices per pie). Um Um good.

deLITE Pizzas

Our Thin Crust deLITEs are made with our Exclusive Thin Crispy Crust, made fresh in our store daily. Each pizza has ½ the carbs and ½ the calories of the same pizzas made on our Original Crust, with all the flavor and quality you've come to expect from Papa Murphy's

Cheese deLITE – Herb Tomato Sauce and three 100% whole milk cheeses.
Pepperoni deLITE – Herb Tomato Sauce, Pepperoni and three 100% whole milk cheeses.


Meat deLITE – Three meats, Pepperoni, Italian Sausage, and Beef, Herb Tomato Sauce, and three 100% whole milk cheeses.

Veggie deLITE – Fresh Spinach, Sliced Fresh Mushrooms, and Fresh Diced Roma Tomatoes, three 100% whole milk Cheeses, and Creamy Garlic Sauce.

Hawaiian deLITE – Premium Imported Canadian Bacon, Dole Pineapple, three 100% whole milk cheeses and Herb Tomato Sauce.

Saturday, March 18, 2006

MSU HIzzo for ShIzzo

Now with State (Michigan State University) out of the tourney we can all now focus on the highly anticipated collegiate DODGEBALL SEASON.

I found this poking around
Monica’s blog an acquaintance of Jon’s (nobody claims Jon as a friend)…

1/2 Full or 1/2 Empty

The new slimmer Rich is a coffee drinker these days. I make it a little treat for myself. Since I have for gone on the bag of Oreo’s capped off by a ½ gallon of milk. Gee, why was I fat?

Anyway, I noticed when ordering coffee the coffee broad asks you if you want room for cream. I always decline, empty calories you know, but if you decline the coffee broad fills the cup to the tippy top. So, I started to say yes to the room for cream, but if you say yes t to the cream they always leave a ¼ of the cup empty.

I don’t get it…Have I missed a term or phrase that gives a black coffee drinker the correct amount of coffee?

So I have developed my own term.. I call it spill room..

Example:

Coffee Broad: Sir, would you like room for cream?

$E$: No thank you, but please give me a little spill room….

Coffee Broad: HEE HEE, that’s not only funny but a great expression. Not to mention you’re pretty hot. Would you consider fathering my children?

$E$: Thank you for the compliment, about my wit, charm and extremely good looks, but I’m married to a wonderful woman. Although, may be if you had a better job or where hotter I may have considered your proposition.

Friday, March 17, 2006

Bake'n the Buds

Staying with a green theme today…

A California drug operation manufactured marijuana-laced candy and soft drinks that were packaged to resemble popular products like Jolly Ranchers, Milky Way, and Pop Tarts. The pot ring, busted yesterday by Drug Enforcement Administration agents, was headquartered in Oakland and allegedly headed by Kenneth Affolter, 39, who was one of 12 alleged dealers nabbed. DEA raids at indoor pot-growing facilities turned up the marijuana-infused products, which carried labels such as Toka-Cola, Pot Tarts, Puff-A-Mint Pattie, Stoney Ranchers, Munchy Way, and Buddahfinger. A DEA spokesperson told TSG that the pot was baked into chocolate bars and hard candies and that the soda contained concentrated hash oil. A label on the ring's Nestle Crunch knockoff describes the item's ingredients as "milk chocolate with crisped rice dipped in hash oil rich chocolate." Some of the seized items can be seen in the evidence photos on the following pages. In a statement, DEA agent Javier Pena noted that Affolter's pot ring, which operated under the name Beyond Bomb, was "not only illegal, but potentially tragic," since "innocent children will somehow get their hands on these products and think they are just normal candy or soft drinks."

Click HERE for more....

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Saint Patrick's Day (March 17) is a Catholic feast day which celebrates Saint Patrick (386-493), the patron saint of Ireland. It is a national holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, the overseas territory of Montserrat and the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated worldwide by Irish people and increasingly by many of non-Irish descent. Like Christmas and Halloween (which originated as the eve of All Saint's Day) it is increasingly celebrated in a non-religious manner, the celebration themed around all things green and Irish; both Christians and non-Christians celebrate the secular version of the holiday by wearing green, imbibing Irish food and drink, and/or attending parades. The largest parade in the world is held in New York City. Parades also take place in Dublin and in most other Irish towns and villages. Other large parades include those in Savannah, Georgia, Manchester, Montreal, and Boston. Large parades also take place in other places throughout Europe and the Americas, as well as Australia and Asia.

As well as being a celebration of Irish culture, Saint Patrick's Day is a Christian festival celebrated in the Catholic Church, the Church of Ireland (among other churches in the Anglican Communion) and some other denominations. The day always falls in the season of Lent and sometimes during Holy Week. It is traditional for those observing a lenten fast to break it for the duration of Saint Patrick's Day.

In many parts of the U.S., Britain, and Australia, expatriate Irish, those of Irish descent, and ever-growing crowds of people with no Irish connections but who may proclaim themselves "Irish for a day" also celebrate St. Patrick's Day, usually by drinking alcoholic beverages (lager dyed green, Irish beer such as Murphys, Smithwicks, Harp or Guinness, or Irish whiskey, Irish Coffee or Baileys Irish Cream) and by wearing at least one article of green-colored clothing (which I am).

Ummm Beer

Stella Artois is a very good beer that Rudi recommended. In fact, I even drunk dialed Rudi after about 10 of these.

I also recommend this fine brew...

Thursday, March 16, 2006

Thank you

Dear family and friends. I know my blog is typically a source of entertainment and to let you know what exciting or lame things Amy and I are doing.

Recently my dad has become ill. He’s has been in the hospital here in Rochester since Monday and is currently being treated for an infection. Things are proceeding well. The doctors have identified the type of bacteria that is causing the infection and are now able to focus on getting him well again.

At this time we are not sure of the cause of the infection. The doctors can only speculate but as my dad gets stronger they will be able to be more aggressive in the investigation of the source.

I want to thank everyone for their prayers and positive comments. My dad is a pretty humble man and is very touched by all of your concern for him.

My mom has been very strong, as always, though this entire ordeal and has been there to support my dad 100%. She has done an incredible job of listening and communicating with the doctors to help. A lot of speculation gets thrown around but she taken it all in stride and continued to be positive. I’m very proud of her.

I will continue to update his progress as new information become available..

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Rah Rah!! or Ha Ha!!


This is the cheer squad from my high school days and I can only imagine the pride they must be feeling today for this years State Champs!!!

The 2006 Gladstone High School cheerleaders won the state championship here Saturday, leading a strong Upper Peninsula showing.

The Braves won Class B, with Kingsford finishing second at the Michigan Cheerleading Coaches Association tournament. Iron Mountain won Class C, with Norway third and Munising fifth.

"Everything was amazing," said Gladstone coach Kristi Nevala. "They could not have performed any better. They just nailed everything they put on the floor. They went down there to entertain the crowd and that is exactly what they did."

The Braves had 22 tumbling passes in their creative routine and 18 standing backhand springs, Nevala said.

"The stunt team was amazing. They could not put anything more on the mat. It was non-stop action (for three minutes) from beginning to end," she said. "The girls worked so hard. They poured their heart and soul into that event. They believed in each other and that is why they won."

Sunday, March 12, 2006

Welcome to Johnston City, IL

I know people are wondering why the slow down in the blogging. Well my parents have officially moved to my dad’s hometown, Johnston City, IL. It’s been a pretty eventful move, to say the least, but where get’n er done (that southern slang).

This is a picture of their new house. My mom said they already have mosquitoes

Oh ya, and that what’s going on with the McIntoshs’ in Illinois… That’s for you Kurt family…

Saturday, March 11, 2006

RR in Rochester

Ahhh, just woke up from a nap. I slept though about 30 “VH1’s I Love Toys”. Pretty cool show. It’s so nice to be home this weekend.

100 Greatest Toys #'s 20-1
1. Hula Hoop
2. Barbie
3. LEGO
4. G.I. Joe
5. Mr. Potato
6. Monopoly
7. Star Wars Figure
8. Yo-Yo
9. Slinky
10. Wiffle Ball & Bat
11. Play Doh
12. Radio Flyer
13. Snoopy Sno Cone Machine (Traci had one as a little girl)
14. Bike
15. Match Box/Hot Wheels
16. Etch-A-Sketch
17. Rock'em Sock'em
18. Scrabble
19. Easy Bake Oven
20. ATARI

Looking for a Friend?

This is Shasta and she was recently adopted from Paws and Claws Humane Society, here in Rochester. Amy and I, think the Paws and Claws shelter provides a great service to the community. If you interested in a pet or would like to help by donating your time or money, take a minute to check out their website. (The website can always be found in the Links, lower right hand side.)
  • Breed Lab: Mix
  • Sex: Unaltered Broad
  • Date of Birth: 12/17/05
  • Weight: (Growing puppy)
  • Shoulder Height: (Growing puppy)
  • Activity: Level High
  • Housetraining: Untrained Puppy
  • Leash Manners: Learning to walk on leash.
  • Grooming: Requirements Low
  • Dog Sociability: Yes
  • Adoption Fee: $150 + $35 spay deposit
  • Restrictions: Children in the home must be over six years of age.

Shasta was born at the shelter on one of the coldest nights of 2005, after her mom had been found wandering on her own only a week before. Shasta and her eight siblings have all grown into healthy, happy bundles of fluff.


Shasta is a very friendly, affectionate puppy! She is a real tail-wagger who loves everyone she meets. Typical of most Labrador puppies, Shasta has a very strong desire to explore her world with her mouth. She will need plenty of appropriate chew toys and positive guidance to help her learn what can and cannot go in her mouth. Shasta is working on pottytraining. As with most puppies, a consistent schedule and patience will help her learn. Paws and Claws strongly recommends puppy classes for all puppies and puppy owners to aid in continued socialization and help teach good manners from the start. Shasta is very smart and would love to attend classes with her new family!

Alex and Rudi both think shes cute..

Let the Whacking Begin

That’s right, the long awaited new season of the Sopranos starts on Sunday night 8 PM CST.

The cast had to fight its way though some
demons but they’re back….

Friday, March 10, 2006

10,000 Hits

Thanks to all of you, I had my 10,000 hit today since November..

Where's the Beef?


Bush shows India cattle where the beef is..

This is a real story. Click HERE to see more..

Thursday, March 09, 2006

Viva La SPAM

This evening I attended my monthly ISM (Institute for Supply Management) meeting at the world famous SPAM Museum. The museum is located in Austin, MN, birth place of Hormel Foods.

It was very informative and I learned some fascinating marketing and supply chain aspects of the lunch meat industry. Not to mention, I got some free SPAM. Did you know that a can of SPAM contains 1080 calories and 840 calories from fat!!!

Big Pimp'n

A rare $10,000 bill is getting a new home. The bill one of 15 large-denomination bills at a Chase Bank branch in Green Bay, WI was shipped to the bank's corporate archives in New York for safe keeping. The $10,000 bill bears the likeness of Salmon P. Chase, for whom the bank was named. Chase was a U.S. senator who served as treasury secretary under President Lincoln.

I think that they should bring back the big bills. Just think of the economy boom in the adult entertainment industry from rappers and professional athletes. Stuff 10 large in a G-String ain’t noth’n but a G-Thing....
And if you clicked on G-String the tattoo that you can see is referred to as a Tramp Stamp

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

Crispigna's Closes

Crispigna's Restaurant, 1213 Ludington St., Escanaba, officially closed for business Friday afternoon. A cornerstone in Escanaba's downtown, the restaurant would have reached its 34th anniversary in May.

"I never thought I'd end my career this way," said Joe Crispigna on Monday, original owner of Crispigna's. "It's just been declining and declining over the years." Fat Rich strikes again!!!!

Joe and his wife, Ann Marie, started the restaurant that bears his name and featured his homemade Italian entrees in 1972. They recently "retired" and during the last few years, were starting to cut back on the amount of time they spent at the restaurant, Joe said. But the business was staying in the family. Sons Andy and Tony were planning to follow in their parents' footsteps and take over responsibility for running the restaurant.

It came to a point, though, when the family had to take a step back and assess the situation. It was out of their hands, said Joe. The Crispignas discussed the restaurant's financial picture with their CPA and their attorney and decided to call it quits.

Too bad, Amy and I really liked this restaurant. Hopefully, they will reconsider…

Ya, ya, I know the Kurt’s don’t care…..

Friday, March 03, 2006

Farewell Tour to the UP

This weekend will be my last trip to the UP to visit my parents, not my last trip to the UP. They are moving south to Johnston City, IL. My dad grew up there and my parents have lots of friends and family that live in the area.

So, this trip is to collect anything that I’ve left behind and that I can’t live without. I bet Amy will be so happy with any treasures I might bring home.

Here's the bad news.. I won't be able to blog very well from Gladstone so you will have to look over some archives (re-runs).....

Thursday, March 02, 2006

Exception to the Rule


A wise man once told me to add the phrase "in bed" to the end of a fortune from a Fortune Cookie.

Well, maybe not this fortune..

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

Ancient Chinese Secret



Have you ever wondered how they fold those t-shirts so crisp at the store?

Scientific Myths Exposed

Q. Are dog's mouth is cleaner than a human's?

A. Despite a habit of licking things no human would dare, Fido's mouth is often touted as scientifically more sterile. Truth is, oral bacteria are so species-specific that one can't be considered cleaner than the other, just different. Great news for Rudi!!!!!

A big thank you to Dave for this site. If you would like info on more scientific myths click HERE.