Key to Success?

Today in Detroit, Michigan. Jerome Bettis was given the key to the city by Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick (a strong Scot name) and the City Council at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center and declared this week "Jerome Bettis Week."

Bettis is the fourth person in Detroit's history to receive a key to the city. In fact, the last key was given out in 1980 to صدام حسين عبد المجيد التكريتي (Saddam Hussein)...

Detroit.... Cheers to all that escaped!!!!

Bizarre fact #4288:

Did you know...Mothers were originally named mama or mommy (in many languages) because they have mammary glands.

Jon, it looks like this guy may have a patent pending on the “mannary glands,”…

Reading this my blog you may have noticed from time to time that I refer to the acronym SaHD (Stay at Home Dad). I primarily do it to give my friend Jon a bunch of crap.

See, Jon’s wife Beth, and Amy where classmates at MSU CHM. So, Jon and I have joked back and forth about retiring and being SaHD’s when our wives get jobs.

Anyway, Beth and Jon had a beautiful baby girl last summer named Libby. So, since Amy and I haven’t been so bold and they have. I like to poke fun at Jon. You know me... Take this post referencing mannary glands for example. Oh ya, don’t forget the pictures and hyperlinks…

Enjoy!

A Crappy Website

Try this site.. www.crapmachine.com......

It's pretty funny, well to me... You might say it caught my fancy.

DR-HO'S®

Not an endorsement !!!!

I was watching golf on TV this weekend and woke-up to an infomercial for this "amazing device".. Wow, this Dr. Ho is a miracle worker.

Also, it caught my fancy that a guy named Ho has developed a massage device. Kind of like Thomas Crapper being synonymous with the toilet.

Dr. Michael Ho is a caring doctor specializing in the treatment of painful conditions. He has been practicing and teaching for more than 18 years. He is a Doctor of Chiropractic and Acupuncture. Dr. Ho has devoted his life in the study of natural medicine. He believes that the body has incredible healing powers and under the right conditions can potentially restore its functions.
He has seen thousands of patients with common painful conditions such as migraines, headaches, spinal related conditions, sports, work and accident related injuries.

Click DR-HO'S® for his website.

Something New in Rochester

Last night Amy and I went out with our friends, Nick and Christine, and tried a new restaurant in Rochester named Prescotts. It was terrific…

I recommend it to anyone that is looking for great food in a clean, crisp, social atmosphere. Excellent menu, wine, and wait staff. We enjoyed a slow paced, well attend, meal that allowed us to enjoy our company and our meal without interruption.

If you have the chance, please try it.. We don’t have many good local restaurants in Rochester and it would be great to see this one make it.

Also, I found out about Prescotts on www.rochester411.com. It’s seems to be a new Rochester information website with some cool interactive options.

Prescotts is located in the Crossroads Shopping Center
1201 South Broadway Rochester, MN 55904
View Map

Seating is first available, no reservations required.

Hours:
Monday - Thursday: 5:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Friday - Saturday: 4:30 - 10:00 p.m.
Closed Sunday
Phone: 507-536-7775 Fax: 507-536-9050

Bush League

I like our President (the original Party Guy) and I really get a kick out of some of the things he says. Just imagine if I where President and the things I might say….

I hope you enjoy the clip above and try the quiz below.

Homer J. Simpson vs. George W. Bush

Party Guy Don'ts

This week these stories caught my fancy. They clearly violated some basic “Party Guy” rules… See below in bold…Meet the Kackstetters. The father-son duo were involved in a rather bizarre traffic incident last weekend in Oregon. The boy, Adam in the safety glasses, was behind the wheel when a state trooper saw his black SUV going the wrong direction on Highway 97. After stopping the 1993 Geo, the lawman found the 26-year-old driver stinking of booze and "verbally combative." After sonny reluctantly got out of the car, Poppa-bear, Joel (pictured above left) jumped to his son's defense. The elder Kackstetter, 53, told the cop he "had an AK-47" and a bullet with the cop's name on it before beginning to flee. But it wasn't a gun the elder Kackstetter fired at Oregon State Police trooper Don Newcomb, but two weapons it's unlikely the officer ever thought he'd have to face down (you'll have to read the report to find out what they are). Both Kackstetters were eventually hauled in for booking, where feisty pops hurled another "pair" in troppers direction.

Oh ya, yell there name out load... Kackstetter!!!! That explains everything...

Rule Violations:

Never drink and drive anything with Geo in the name. Can you even consider a Geo Tracker as an SUV?

Don’t threaten the Police with a weapon if you don’t have one. By the way if you did have a weapon and popped a kap in the cop’rs ass, you will probably die while being taken into custody. If by some odd chance you survive that. I’m sure you will fry…

If you don’t have legs, don’t fight or struggle with the situation. Rather, play the sympathy card. Pops is obviously of the age to be a Vet. Play it baby.. I’m sure with the right story Pops could have even gotten sonny of with a warning, and maybe even a ride home.

Spitting on the Police will only get you beaten.. da..

Not to be out done...

Deputies say a 16-year-old, Kurt Cass of Bradenton, FL, has been arrested for beating his grandmother with a two-by-four for refusing to give him $100 for beer.

Investigators say Cass went into his 60-year-old grandmother's bedroom Thursday and asked her for $100 for beer. When she refused, he allegedly placed a razor blade on her throat and demanded she take him to the bank to get the money, deputies said.

Get the full story HERE.

Rule Violations:

$100 for beer? That a lot of money for beer junior. What’s a 64 of OE, $3. You could have easily stolen $10 or $20 out of grannies purse or you could have made that money on the street with that cute Gooines face.. dumb ass ..

Never beat your grandma!! What do you think will happen in jail when Bubba finds out you beat you granny? That’s right.. it’s not just for exits anymore…

Lead Pipe! What's with the PVC Pipe? Oooh, beat me with a wet noodle. (not a rule just an observation)

Beer is just empty calories and you could stand to lose a couple hundred pounds.

State of the Blog Address

The State of the Blog has been strong. However, this week numbers started falling, as you can see by the graph above. I’m very concerned with the way these numbers are trending.

What gives? What do you (the fans) want? I’ve freshened up the look, added more links, kwackers the pet duck at the bottom, count down clock, posting videos, word of the day, odd facts, posting from the road via my phone, and I post everyday!!!

We have to get control of this. Sure we had great numbers in the forth quarter of 05, despite the holidays.. Now we should be rock’n. On Thursday, we only had 45 page loads!!! 45!!! That’s Busch League!! And that was an awesome post day... The “She-inal”? That’s big time news.. I know you people.. and no one had anything better to do on Thursday than to check my blog..

I’ll be watching this next week and lets see some improvement..

xie xie

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

Snap!! Dan got me this pimp’n Hooter’s t-shirt from Shanghai.. I just got it!!

Thanks, it will take the place of the sweater-vest I normally wear.

Thank you (xie xie)!!

Winter X Games 10 Live Telecast Schedule

Winter X starts this weekend... Click HERE for more information..

Saturday, January 28

2 p.m.—3 p.m. ABC Snowboarder X Men's & Women's Finals
3 p.m.—4 p.m. ABC Snowboarder X Men's & Women's Finals
4 p.m.—5 p.m. ABC SnoCross Quarterfinals
5 p.m.—6 p.m. ABC Snowboard Slopestyle Men's Finals
9 p.m.—11 p.m. ESPN Snowboard SuperPipe Women's Finals; Moto X Best Trick Finals Part 1


Sunday, January 29

2 p.m.—3 p.m. ESPN Skier X Men's & Women's Finals
3 p.m.—4 p.m. ESPN SnoCross Semifinals
4 p.m.—5 p.m. ESPN Skiing Slopestyle Finals
9 p.m.—11 p.m. ESPN Snowboard SuperPipe Men's Prelims; Moto X Best Trick Finals Part 2


Monday, January 30

9 p.m.—11 p.m. ESPN Snowboard SuperPipe Men's Finals; SnoCross Last Chance Qualifiers


Tuesday, January 31

9 p.m.—11 p.m. ESPN Skiing SuperPipe Men's Finals; SnoCross Finals

East DEPEND®s on West

Currently my friend Dan is on a trip around Asia. He started in China and has been to all the sites.. Hooters, The Hooters Tree..


Well, I guess he must have brought some western culture with him in the form of DEPEND®, because how else could you explain this news from China?

Alongside food and fire crackers, Chinese are adding a new item to their lunar New Year shopping: Adult diapers. Sales have soared ahead of the holiday as travelers prepare for long trips home aboard trains so crowded that even the toilets are jammed with people, newspapers said Tuesday.


In Foshan, a southern industrial city with a large migrant population, supermarkets report diaper sales have risen 50 percent since the main travel season began on Jan. 14th.

The problem arises from the need to sell twice as many tickets as there are train seats to accommodate the crush of travelers. Those without seats must find some place, any place, to put themselves, including in overhead racks, between cars, and in the usually stinking toilets.

Chinese will this year make around 2 billion plane, train, ship and automobile journeys during the 40 days around the holiday, which this year falls on Jan. 29. Trains carry around 4 million people per day over the period.

The Places Wee Go

What an awesome idea! I wish I would have thought of it. Look though the list and see how many places you may have used the same urinal as this guy or even me. I have used this particular urinal at Michael’s Restaurant located in downtown Rochester, MN on more than one occasion.


Or this one at Saint Mary Hospital,
also in Rochester, MN..

Oh and the coveted She-inal at a Dairy Queen in Port Charlotte, FL. The 'She-inal' was designed by a Pensacola, FL woman named Kathie Jones. In the early 1990's she set out to design a urinal intended specifically for women, but this fixture never caught on for various reasons. While it's as not as versatile as a regular toilet, it still takes up the same amount of floor space. The funnel-like device that is is shared by everyone using the urinal also proved not to be a popular feature. Because of those reasons, not more than 700 'She-inals' were sold before Urinette, the company that manufactured it, sold the manufacturing rights.

Yep, I found someone that has more time on their hands than I do.

Perfect 10nis

How is it that womens tennis is not the most popular sport? There is definitly none hotter.

Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia walks off court past Maria Sharapova of Russia for a medical break during the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne.

Miss Minnesota from O-whata-towna

Do you know what Miss Minnesota, Karyn Stordaul, and I have in common? That’s right… Owatonna, MN (O-whata-towna)

Owatonna is the town that I’ve been working in since Amy and I moved to Minnesota. It’s a nice little town of 25-30 thousand residents. It's the home of Jostens, OTC (Owatonna Tool Company), Federated Insurance, Cybex, and even has Cabela's.. Not to mention the best Friday happy hour special, 2 fers…

Knowing me and the broads.. It should be no surprise that the current Miss Minnesota was born and bread in the very town I work in.

Back in the Saddle

A week ago, Alex developed an inner ear infection that affected his balance really bad, he looked drunk... He could barely walk or even stand. So, we called the Vet on Saturday and, as soon as they knew it was Alex, they got him in right away. Alex has had some health issues over the last 5 years and it’s been a bit of a windfall for the Vet ($$$$). But, the Cascade Animal Medical Center does a great job and the people are terrific. I highly recommend them.

Today is the first time in a week that Alex has felt good enough to climb on the couch. In fact, he climbed the stairs to “The ManRoom” without any help. So, big day at the McIntosh’s…

This Ad Should Win a Couple of Golden Globes

If more commercials where like this one from Nissan. I probably wouldn’t ff them on TiVo..

PDA @ Da Bar

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

Sorry, but I had to do it... These two where going at it...

This pic was taken and posted with my phone....

Couple Gets 9 Years for Giving Wendy's the Finger

If you haven't had Wendy's chili your missing out!! Especially, on a Taco Supremo Salad…

I just want to reassure everyone that the finger in the chili was a hoax!!! The couple who planted a human finger in a bowl of chili at a Wendy's fast food restaurant was sentenced in California on Wednesday to nine years in prison.

See the full story.. HERE

Rochester Krispy Krème Closes Today

Well, the ripple effect of me eating healthier is still making waves. Today the local (not low calorie) Krispy Krème will close after almost being open for two years.

I think it’s no kwinky-dink that this franchise was built 2 blocks from my home and I’m sure when they where doing demographic studies of Rochester neighborhoods I skewed those numbers.

Unfortunately for KK, I went on a diet as they broke ground for the store. Boy, Fat Rich really could have gotten his eat on with some of those tasty glazed treats.

Sorry Rochester, no one could have predicted the aftermath of lighter, heather Rich…

Mind Bloggling Questions

Here are a few things to think about that you probably have never thought about:

Can you cry under water?

How important does a person have to be before they are considered assassinated instead of just murdered?

Why do you have to “put your two cents in”… but it’s only a “penny for your thoughts”? Where’s that extra penny going to?

Once you’re in heaven do you get stuck wearing the clothes you were buried in for eternity?

Why does a round pizza comes in a square box?

What disease did cured ham actually have?

How is it that we put man on the moon before we figured out it would be a good idea to put wheels on luggage?

Why is it that people say they “slept like a baby” when babies wake up like every two hours?

If a deaf person has to go to court, is it still called a hearing?

Why are you IN a movie, but you are ON TV?

Why do people pay to go up tall buildings and then put money in binoculars to look at things on the ground?

Why do doctors leave the room while you change? They’re going to see you naked anyway…

Why is “bra” singular and “panties” plural?

Why do toasters always have a setting that burns the toast to a horrible crisp, which no decent human being would eat?

Can a hearse caring a corpse drive in the carpool lane?

If the professor on Gilligan’s Island can make a radio out of a coconut, why can’t he fix a hole in a boat?

Why do people point to their wrist when asking for the time, but don’t point to their crotch when they ask where the bathroom is?

Why does Goofy stand erect while Pluto remains on all fours? They’re both dogs.

If Wyle E. Coyote had enough money to buy all of the ACME crap, Why didn’t he just buy dinner?

If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetables oil is made from vegetables, what is baby oil made from?

If electricity comes from electrons, does morality comes from morons?

Do the Alphabet song and Twinkle. Twinkle Little Star have the same tune?

Why did you just try singing the two songs above?

Why do they call it an asteroid when it’s outside the hemisphere, but call it a hemorrhoid when it’s in you butt?

Did you ever notice that when you blow in a dog’s face, he gets mad at you, but when you take him for a car ride; he sticks his head out the window?

Do you ever wonder why you to www.richmcintosh.com in the first place?

And, Health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.

Thanks for the list Bob... (I think Bob has more time on his hands than I do...)

Term: Brokeback Buddies

You may remember Amy rope-a-doped me into going to the movie Brokeback Mountain. Well, she actually came up with a pretty funny term after the movie that I have been using quite a bit..

Brokeback Buddies: When you see two guys together and can’t tell what type of relationship they have. Too touchy-feely to be friends or family...

Charlene, did you see those guys in the Banana Republic sipping on Frappuccinos®? I wounder if there together and they don't look like brothers...

Cool Video Link

A friend of the blog has sent in a cool video link called www.wimp.com. Oh' ya it's PG-13.

Couple of Recommendations:
Ali G
Deaf Music
Chapelle on Jackson Jury

Enjoy..... Thanks Abdul for the link.

People I Would Like to Meet

I saw this on Dave’s Blog and I had to pirate it… This woman should really re-think her name. Especially, with people like me in the world.. I would love to be introduced to her…

Me…“Hey babe, what’s you name?”

Broad…“Sho-Ya Wang”

Me… “We just met, but OK.”

Broad... "#!%"

Hey, wait a minute. Dave’s brother Dan is currently in China. Maybe there is some type of connection? The first thing Dan did when he got to Shanghai.. Located the local Hooters.

Wild Night in St. Minnie

Amy and I, scored some sweet “free” tickets for the Wild game last night. Awesome seats, blue line 2nd row.

Unfortunately, the Wild didn’t make it much of a game and we sat on the Ottawa goal side for two periods. The Wild didn’t spend a lot time on offense… But we did get to see, 40 year old goal stud, Dominik Hasek play (well stand in goal)..

By-the-way... Lots of Candy-Coated Muffin Tops at the game...

Eminem and Ex-Wife Kim Mathers Remarry

Would the real Slim Shady please kiss the bride?

A month after telling a Detroit radio station he was back together with ex-wife Kim Mathers, Eminem remarried his high school sweetheart Saturday in an intimate ceremony at Meadow Brook Hall, a 110-room mansion located in Rochester, Michigan.

Family and close friends were in attendance, including members of D12, 50 Cent, Obie Trice and members of G-Unit. The rapper's hype man, D12 rapper Proof, served as best man.

Eminem and Kim arrived by limousine as news helicopters flew above and paparazzi flocked around them. New York DJ Lord Sear entertained at the reception as lobster tails and filet mignon were served. The couple will take their honeymoon later this year.

Eminem ended the couple's first marriage after two years in October 2001, and launched a legal fight for custody over their young daughter, Haylie Jade. Oh' and a little gun play..

Kim, who has been the unflattering subject of violent songs like "Kim" on The Marshall Mathers LP, in which Em rapped about killing his wife, attempted suicide in the couple's home in 2000 following a hometown concert by the rapper at the Palace of Auburn Hills and was arrested on drug charges in 2003. Ah, love. The rapper, 33, and his ex, 30, reconciled last year, before Em's announcement last month on WKQI-FM's "Mojo in the Morning".

Thanks for the heads up Mike... "That Mike really likes rap." -Dr. K.

Movie Review

I took one for the team last night. Our friends, Pete & Sara, wanted to go see the movie Brokeback Mountain (well Sara did). Yep, it's really about two gay cowboys…..
Apparently, the two Mennonite couples that where sitting next to me had not listened to the reviews and/or watched the trailer for the movie, so they where a little offended and left the movie about halfway through.

To be honest, it was a pretty good movie. Good story line, acting, and cinematography. I’m just not ready for man on man love in my westerns….. I’ll take Clint Eastwood peeling of 9 shots out of his 6 shooter for now…

It’s definitely a statement movie by Hollywood. Here’s Yahoo’s Review of the movie..

The Blog

Check it out! My blog is hot baby, hot...

Baby Tip #5

Baby Signing is very popular these days. Just be careful what signs you are teaching, directly of indirectly. Actually, my niece Hayley is very proficient at signing. Especially, the sign for more…

If you ask me, just hire a nanny that can speak so that you don’t need to learn how to sign..

Baby Sign involves using sign language to communicate with infants and toddlers. Children of an early age have a desire to communicate their needs and wishes, but lack the ability to do so clearly. This often leads to frustration and tantrums. In some cases children actually start to learn to speak, only to lose that ability once their larynx descends. Hand-eye coordination is easier than the coordination of speech, which requires coordinating the lips, tongue, breath, and vocal chords simultaneously. By using simple signs for common words such as "eat", "sleep", "more", "hug", "play", "cookie", "teddy bear", etc., infants can learn to express their needs before they are able to produce comprehensible speech.

Babies in Deaf families, immersed in a signing environment, use simple signs from as early as 6 weeks. It has been estimated that 90% of a baby's linguistic observations are observations of interactions between others, not interactions between self and others. It follows, then, that babies will strive towards the communication form they are immersed in, and use of sign among other family members is at least as important as use of sign to the baby, if early use of sign language is desired. Some parents feel that they don't have enough time to teach their baby sign language, but by using sign with each other in front of the baby, they will need to spend little time in actual instruction.

Use of Baby Sign is growing, but still not widespread. This is at least partially due to the fear that children who sign will not learn to speak properly later on. However, all available evidence suggests that hearing children who sign as infants go on to develop particularly rich spoken vocabularies, as well as a tendency to solve problems through communication rather than tantrums. They may also teach sign to younger siblings after they themselves have switched to speaking with their parents.

Baby Sign may be recommended by speech and occupational therapists for toddlers with developmental delays and speech difficulties due to physical disabilities other than hearing impairment. These children often have the mental ability necessary for language development, but are hampered by skeletal, muscular, or other limiting problems, such as hypotonia. Baby Sign allows them to communicate their needs despite their disabilities.

Parents who have some enthusiasm for sign language may already know the local adult signs for "eat", "sleep", "more", "play", but may find it more natural and productive to use simpler "baby" versions of these words. Some may gradually introduce adult signs as the infant grows. It is, however, common for parents to teach their babies non-simplified signs from adult sign language such as American Sign Language rather than specific Baby Sign.

Google Fight

Have you had the opportunity to challenge a friend or nemesis to a Google Fight? It’s pretty cool.

www.richmcintosh.com challenges www.jonkurt.com ready FIGHT!

Special thanks to Dave for the link..

Word of the Day

January 12: dinner whore

A girl who is exclusively after a free meal or an expensive gift. She actively seeks out dates with well-off men who will wine and dine her at upscale restaurants. She is usually physically attractive enough to make the man fall for her feminine wiles. She will rarely have sex with these men, until they spend a certain number of dollars on her. Nobody knows exactly what that number is, so the man keeps spending and spending, while the dinner whore keeps living it up.

As a mere graduate student living on a stipend, it is impossible to find a date in New York, as it is saturated with dinner whores.

This is a new addition to the blog and can be found on the right hand side of the page, below the weather and facts. It will submit a new word everyday. Some of you may be blocked from the site, most likely your employer isn't a fan of the site... The web page is Urban Dictionary and it's a slang dictionary.

Thanks Rudi, for the link....

ManRoom 2.0

Today, I took the afternoon of to do a little electrical work on the ManRoom. The ManRoom is the converted attic space of our home that I spend most of my time watching TiVo and Blog’n.. Well, as you can probably imagine I have a couple electronic appliances plugged in to the outlets of the ManRoom. Nothing “fancy” just your standard entry level guy stuff. Kind of like a college dorm room.

Anyway, on Sunday “Elvis’s Birthday” I was vacuuming the ManRoom, training for SaHD, when I heard a pop and the vacuum stopped working. I thought I had blown a breaker. So, I went to investigate. Nope, wasn’t the breaker? Well, come to find out I actually blow out an outlet and scorch some wires.. No problem.. That why I have tools.

I ran out to the local hardware store to get some supplies and started to work. It didn’t go very smoothly, mostly because when I started the project it was dark out and when you turn the power off it’s a little hard to see what you are doing w/o lights and just a flash light. You may wonder why I didn’t run a light in from another room? The breaker box wasn’t marked very well by the yo’cal that had written in the tag lines with crayon, so I tripped the main. Hey, I’m 566 days 2 hrs 49 min 42 sec from retirement (see bottom of blog for running ticker) and I really don’t need to be electrocuting my ass…

I didn’t finish Sunday and tried to finish up the last couple of nights and it just wasn’t working out. I really didn’t know what I was doing and learning by trial and error after error as I went along. That’s when I realized today. I could leave work early and finish the job during day light hours. Yep, that was the ticket. Light everywhere and time to work out the issues… Now, I’m blog’n and catch’n up on my TiVo.

The only casualty of the entire ordeal was today I had the power off during PTI and TiVo didn’t record it.

So anywoo, that’s what I did today in Rochester and I’m a McIntosh… Damn Kurt Brothers!!!

Get to Know Your Local Legends

This is the first installment of hopefully a successful series called “Get to Know Your Local Legends”. Today we focus on that man of mystery, Tom Overlie. He’s not only that pretty face sitting next to Betsy Singer on the 6 o’clock news, but much more. I would have never taken an interest in Tom if it wasn’t for Andy & Heidi, a couple new to Rochester. They had just taken a tour of Tom’s beautiful home. They raved about the décor and very liberal photography collection… and of course the CD..

Tom joined the KTTC News Center in May 2000 as co-anchor of the 6pm and 10pm weekday newscasts. Tom is the winner of 3 consecutive Emmy Awards for best newscast (Upper Midwest Chapter), has been named Best TV Newscaster for 3 years in a row (Rochester Magazine), and is the Southeast Business Journal's "One to Watch Under 40". Other news awards include those by the Minnesota Broadcaster's Association, Minnesota Associated Press, Northwest Broadcast News-Eric Sevareid Award, and the North Dakota Broadcasters Association. Through the years, news reports have taken him from the "backyard" to remote villages in the heart of Mexico.
Prior to joining KTTC, Tom worked for five years in North Dakota for Meyer Television News KMOT-TV, as an Anchor, Producer and Medical Reporter. Tom also worked for three years at KEYC-TV in Mankato, Minnesota.

His hobbies include writing books, home renovation (featured in Rochester Magazine, Rochester Post Bulletin, Friends of Mayowood Tour) and extensive travel. In fact, he enjoys exploring remote corners of the world, which has included three years as a student in Jos, Nigeria, West Africa. He's also a musician and recently completed a third original musical series for his nieces and nephews compiled in a project called "Guardian Angels".

Tom is also involved in the Rochester community hosting the Eagles Cancer Telethon each January, and he's been honored by the American Cancer Society, Alzheimer's Association, Minnesota Veterans, Boys and Girls Club of Rochester,the University of Minnesota-Rochester and other charitable organizations. Tom says he feels fortunate to be in a position to contribute to so many worthy causes. "I'm glad to be part of a news team that not only works hard to bring you the news each day, but works just as diligently to be a part of this community. It's an honor and commitment our news team takes very seriously."

Keep posted for more Local Legends.....

Dance Off

My friend Jon has these two photos on his blog. He posted them within two weeks of each other. Not only are these guys (Paul and Dan) amazing dancers..

Check out how much they did to change the background in such a short amount of time.. Lamps, Chairs, Clocks....

That’s Amazing…

Also, is it cold there? Dan's wearing a coat... Turn up the heat..

Stamps are 39 cents starting today…

Why would this matter? Jon? Well about 5 years ago stamps increased to 37 cents. My wife, Amy, is pretty sharp but not necessarily up on current events. That’s my department (slow and obvious).

So, anywhoo. We had just moved to Rochester and been invited to a big departmental BBQ. We had a great time and enjoyed ourselves, maybe too much, glug glug.. So my sweet Amy, did the appropriate thing and sent a Thank You card to the home of the family the hosted the BBQ.

Well, needless to say, I had not done my duty (in the slow and obvious department) and informed my lovely wife that stamps had increased. Later that week, the now director of the department, stopped Amy in the hallway to thank her for the card and to inform her that she owed his wife 3 cents for the postage due, that the mailman was nice enough to collect on delivery.

Have a nice day and don’t forget to buy your 2 cent stamps. I’m sure you will buy too many or not enough of and waste some of the old 37 cent’rs, but isn’t the point…..

Want the 411 on the 411

It may be possible to save the $1.00 fee your cellular provider charges for 411. How? Just dial 1-800-FREE411. BUT DON’T DIAL 1-800-411FREE (IT’S A PHONE SEX LINE!!!) But if you want too, it's pretty funny...

Claim: The phone number 1-800-FREE-411 offers free directory assistance service.

Status: True.

Origins: One of the many changes that has taken place in the telephone industry in the last few decades is that while phone companies once generally provided their local customers with free directory assistance (via the 411 phone number), in most cases telephone customers are now charged a fee (typically $1.00 or more) for each directory assistance call. Despite the charges, U.S. consumers continue to avail themselves of the 411 directory assistance service, placing about 6 billion such calls per year.

Now, however, an outfit called Jingle Networks is providing an alternative directory assistance service — and it's free. Users who call the toll-free number 1-800-FREE411 (or 1-800-373-3411) can navigate a nifty automated voice recognition system that asks for a location (city and state), type of listing (business, government, or residential), and name. Once the service has located an entry for the requested number, it reads the information aloud and offers the caller the option of connecting to the number by pressing a single number on his telephone keypad.

How can Free-411 afford to offer free directory assistance service? It works sort of like commercial radio or television — businesses pay to sponsor it in exchange for presenting their advertisements to customers. The funding of Free-411 is typically explained thusly:

The service is made possible by thousands of national and local businesses who sponsor this service with brief valuable audio advertisements that are played to callers who request businesses in their yellow pages category. This advertising model allows businesses to acquire new customers over the phone, cost effectively, with little or no risk. Meanwhile callers get free directory assistance, potentially saving each of them thousand of dollars per year.

The way it works in practice is that a caller who requests a business number is first presented with a short (about 12 seconds) audio advertisement for a sponsor who operates a competing business in that area; the caller is then given the option of being connected to either that competitor or the business he originally requested. If no sponsor operates a local competing business, then the caller hears no advertisement at all. (In the latter case, if the caller accepts the option to connect to the desired number, the business receiving the call hears a short message at the beginning advising them that the call was placed via Free-411, and a Free-411 salesman may follow up with them a few days later to solicit them as a potential advertiser.)

Snopes.com made three separate trial calls to 1-800-FREE411 asking for information on different local businesses, and in each case the voice recognition system smoothly processed all their spoken information and correctly identified the businesses of interest. In only one trial out of the three were they presented with an audio advertisement. Free-411 also offers directory assistance information via a free web site.

I tried it too, and it worked just fine... This would be just the ticket for Rudi and his New Year’s Resolution.

Top of the Muffin to Ya...

Forget wearing white after Labor Day - there's a new fashion violation in town. It's called a muffin top: that unsightly roll of flesh that spills over the waist of a pair of too-tight pants, like a muffin bursting out of the pan

Defined by www.pseudodictionary.com in May 2003.

muffin-top - 1. A person whose belly hangs over the top of their pants, like the way the top of a muffin hangs over the paper cup. 2. Excess belly fat that hangs over the pants.
e.g., 1. Good morning muffin-top! Would you like a donut for breakfast? 2. A: "Did you lose weight? I can't see your muffin-top anymore." B: "No, I just bought bigger jeans."

Christina Aguilera is a reformed muffin topper, often spotted onstage during her wild-child period in a pair of badly fitting pants accessorized with an ample tummy roll. Kelly Clarkson is also a repeat offender. "Especially when Kelly first won 'American Idol,' the muffin top was the one thing that was common in everything she wore - nothing fit right."

And it isn't just femme fatales that shop at the belly bakery; screen hunks can sometimes fall victim, too. Their condition? Stud-muffin top.

Of course, that muffin top tends to occur just after you've gained weight (that extra hamburger or two on the barbecue all summer can pile on the pounds). If you are a little heavier than usual, you have a choice. Either admit it to yourself, buy a larger size and look as good as ever, or deny it entirely, squeeze into the same old jeans and show the whole world your bakery special.

Here's how to avoid it.

Tip 1: Minimize, sister!
Spanx body shapers - like a tube, they can roll over any spot on your torso. Get 'em at www.spanx.com.

Tip 2: Get waist-ed
If you're still devoted to those hipsters, look for a wider waistband on the trouser, or wear a wide belt with them - it holds you in a little bit more.

Tip 3: Junk the hipster jeans
There's a return to a higher rise right now - a lot of the super, uber-cool people aren't wearing tight, low-rise jeans anymore.

Tip 4: Cover it up
Wear floaty summer dresses, since they always offer a muffin-top-free silhouette. Longer, Empire-waisted tops are also very trendy now. Made from soft, silky material, they hang gracefully instead of gathering tightly at the waist. You can still wear a midriff-baring baby doll; just remember to slip it on over a longer waisted tee, which then holds in any flab.

Sunny Day in Minnie

These lovely ladies represent three generations of an Aunt and her nieces, Amy & Tracy (sisters), Hayley (our niece), and Lynn (Amy & Tracy’s Aunt). Lynn came into Minnie from Chicago to visit for the weekend.

We went to the Walker Art Center “The WAC”. It was pretty cool and free today..

For dinner Amy and I kidnapped Lynn for Sushi at Fuji Ya… As always the food was excellent..

FREE Wi-Fi

Traveling a lot or just looking for free Wi-Fi? Try the Wi-Fi-FreeSpot™ Directory it’s a listing of Wi-Fi enabled locations that offer Free Wireless High Speed Internet Access. It has a lot of good restaurant, hotel, airport, and retail business location information. Another good reference is this blog, they seem to update it regularly.

Also, try Panera Bread they now offer Wi-Fi

high-speed wireless internet access

— free of charge — in bakery-cafes

across the country. If your computer

is Wi-Fi enabled, you can connect to the

Internet wirelessly while at your Panera.

There are currently 732 Wi-Fi enabled Panera

Bread bakery-cafes, from California to Virginia.

More are added every day. You can search for a

Wi-Fi enabled Panera in your area, browse

the state-by-statelocation list below, or look for

the Wi-Fi door stickers at participating

bakery-cafes. Not to mention the offer a healthy menu..

Pictures by Lauren

Our friend Erin’s daughter Lauren drew these pictures for Amy and me during our visit to Las Vegas.



This is a picture of Amy sleeping on the couch… Looks like she has a case of stink leg…



And this is a picture of Lauren farting on my leg… Lauren can fart at will. In fact she farted on me 4 times. I was very impressed.

Pimp's Up, Ho's Down

Pimp's and Ho's has been updated. I would like to add another place to meet people in Minne...

Also, a special thanks to a friend of the blog, Scott S.... Now you too can play at home.. Check it out HERE

Bouns... Pimp Quotes...

"During sex my girl always wants to talk to me. Just the other night she called me from a hotel." Goldie McJames (Detroit)

"It's been a rough day. I got up this morning, put on a pimp jacket and a button fell off. I picked up my ho stick and the handle came off. I'm afraid to go to the bathroom." Vanilla Snow (New Orleans)

"My ho was such an ugly kid...When she played in the sandbox the cat kept covering her up." Timberland Lamont Thomas (L.A.)

"I could tell that my hoes parents hated her. As a kid, her bath toys were a toaster and a radio." Papa Pimp (The Ho Village)

"My ho is so ugly...Her father carries around the picture of the kid who came with his wallet." Tony "Da' Fro" Norris (Pearl River)

"When my ho was born .... the doctor came out to the waiting room and said to the father, "I'm very sorry. We did everything we could......But she pulled through." Dr. Balls Newmont (Orlando)

"My ho is so ugly ... her mother had morning sickness - after she was born." "Guns" Gastelum (Colorado Springs)

"I remember the time my ho was kidnapped and they sent a piece of her finger to me. I said I wanted more proof." Silver Ice (L.A.)

"A rival pimp asked, "How can I get a kite in the air?" I told him to run off a cliff." Mayor Lamont Branford IV (Atlanta)

"One year they wanted my ho to be a poster girl... for birth control." Jackson Brown (New York)
"My uncle's dying wish was to have me sitting on his lap. He was in the electric chair." Phil McCrackin (Grayling)

"Yo momma went to a freak show and they let her in for nothing." Jesse "The Nose" Goose (Cali)

"One time I went to a hotel. I asked the bellhop to handle my bag. He felt up my ho!" Ron "The Iceman" Collins (Burke)

"For two hours... some guy followed one of my hoes around with a pooper scooper." Mervin Beasto (Lansing)

Hang'n Out on the Sidelines

Arkansas Razorback players Clarke Moore, Brett Goode and Casey Dick need to stop hanging out on the sidelines together! Although, I think that these guys may be responding to my ladies of FSU blog and thought they would send a message hoping for a little action… However, after you look at the bios another thought comes to mind....

But really this is not a fake photo.. Click on their names for the players bios..

The Truth about Cell Phones and the National Do Not Call Registry

If you’ve received an e-mail telling you that your cell phone is about to be assaulted by telemarketing calls as a result of a new cell phone number database, rest assured that this is not the case. Telemarketing to cell phone numbers has always been illegal in most cases and will continue to be so. In response to recent e-mail campaigns urging consumers to place their cell phone numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry, the Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communications Commission issue this advisory to give consumers the facts.

One e-mail making the rounds says:

“JUST A REMINDER...In a few weeks, cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sale calls. YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS... To prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone: 888/382-1222. It is the National DO NOT CALL list. It will only take a minute of your time. It blocks your number for five (5) years. PASS THIS ON TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS...”

Another version claims:

“The Federal Trade Commission has set up a "do not call" list. It is called a cell phone registry. To be included on the "do not call" list, you must call from the number you wish to register.”

Here’s what you need to know about the National Do Not Call Registry program:

• FCC regulations prohibit telemarketers from using automated dialers to call cell phone numbers. Automated dialers are standard in the industry, so most telemarketers are barred from calling consumers on their cell phones without their consent.
  
• The federal government does not maintain a national cell phone registry. Personal cell phone users have always been able to add their numbers to the National Do Not Call Registry — the same Registry consumers use to register their land lines — either online at www.donotcall.gov or by calling toll-free 1-888-382-1222 from the telephone number they wish to register. Registrations become effective within 31 days of signing up and are active for five years. There is no cut-off date or deadline for registrations.
  
• Business-to-business calls are not covered under the Registry.
  

For More Information

To learn more about the National Do Not Call Registry and the rules that enforce it, visit the FTC at www.ftc.gov or the FCC at www.fcc.gov. For more information about a planned “wireless 411” directory, visit http://www.qsent.com/wireless411/index.shtml.
The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish (bilingual counselors are available to take complaints), or to get free information on any of 150 consumer topics, call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357), or use the complaint form at www.ftc.gov. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

Some broads have even tried this with me........

Cheeseburger in Paradise®

Well we didn't make it to In-N-Out Burger, but we did make it to Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville for a Cheeseburger in Paradise®.

We also thought this would be a good chance to get a family portait...

Fatburger ®

Today, I had one of Las Vegas’s staple burgers at Fatburger. The original Fatburger, very tasty and well worth hoofing it up and down the Strip to burn of the extra calories..

Tomorrow before we leave for home. I may try the most highly regarded of western US burgers at In-N-Out Burger.

Viva, Holiday Lights

Pretty lights from Vegas. Whoe, Whoe, Whoe... Maybe if Caesars turned off a light or two of they could spot their guests a little Wi-Fi action.. So I could tell everyone how awesome the Resort is and encourage others to choose Caesars as their vacation destination in Las Vegas.....

You would think that a Resort like Caesars Palace would have Wi-Fi, but no... I have to pay $11.99 per 24 hours and plug into a Cat 5... That Wi-Fi technology has been reserved by 5 star motels like, AmericInn, Quality Inn, Motel 6 and other “black light” roadside favorites.

Happy New Year!!! 2006

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

Happy New Year!!!! Amy and I made it to beautiful Las Vegas earlier today for the big new year’s eve event. Our flight number was actually 777, but I don’t think it will make a difference with our mad skills as gamblers. ….

Anyway, as you can see Amy didn’t quite make it to 2006, "left coast time".. In her defense she was post call. As usual that wasn’t the case for me. I was well rested, since I was post day-off. Man, I have it tuff!! And par-for-the-course, nothing went smooth for Amy on the trip out…

So, Amy gets home from work and we get loaded up in the car and head for MSP in Minnie. We check-in, get on the plane and now we are Vegas bound. As usual, I pimp Amy and put her in the middle seat as I enjoy the roomy aisle set. Unfortunately, for Amy, she got stuck sitting next to this freak. It was awesome!! First the guy was a talker. He was in his late fifties and had brought a National Enquirer to “read” on the trip.. Then, I don’t know why, but this dude’s wife was sitting directly behind him and he insisted on talking to here too, without turning around. That was pleasant. Anyhoo, he quiteed down and feel a sleep. Well, you would think that was a good thing. Nope, not on lucky flight 777. When this guy would fall a sleep we would flail around, like he had Tourette's (minus the funny swearing)… Now the snack cart is making the rounds, remember when a bag of nuts where free? So the guy gets the $3 snack-pack and proceeds to tare into it like a dog ripping up the garbage… Well, my boy needs a Pepsi (empty calories) to wash it down with.. Remember I said the guy twitched when he feel asleep. Now that he’s all jacked-up on the snack-pack and Pepsi. He falls a sleep and has one of these episodes, he knocked over a full Pepsi right in Amy’s lap. He wakes up and is all sorry, and even yells at himself a little, freak… After that the guy got it under control. When we got to Vegas and we where deplaning the guy gave Amy some trick money for the dry cleaner.. odd

Well, sorry for the lack of posts.. I’ll get back on schedule in a couple of days, and I’m sure this won’t be the only photo from our trip……