“The Lauerman family would like to thank all of our customers for their patronage! Wally, Mike and Kristen Lauerman,” the note concluded.

Hanson, for one, will miss the bar.

“There’s just a lot of character in it. I love the way it was built, with all the wood.

“The employees were awesome, too,” Hanson said. “It’s not like when you go into a real busy bar and they get your order and that’s it.

“The people, to me, felt like people,” Hanson said.

Founder Jim Lauerman opened the bar at 64 Broadway in 1982.

When he died in 2004, family members took over the business.

They included his daughter Greta, and two sons, Mike and Wally.

Jim Lauerman’s No. 2 Saloon, at 2410 Great Northern Drive in Fargo, closed in 2005 after 11 years of operation.

At the time, Greta Lauerman said the family was taking the step so it could concentrate on its downtown business.

On Monday, Greta Lauerman said she and her siblings respected the hard work their father and mother, Brenna, put into the bar, but they decided it was time to do something different.

“We needed to follow our own dreams,” she said.

Spider Johnke, owner of Spider & Co., was among the first to meet Jim Lauerman when Lauerman moved to Fargo from Long Beach, Calif.

Johnke said Lauerman, who had worked in oil fields and served in Vietnam, established a true neighborhood bar.

“The second time you came in, they knew what your drink was,” Johnke said.

The bar’s closing creates one more empty downtown storefront, leaving next-door-neighbor Broadway Subs something of an island.

Fargo Deputy City Auditor Sharon Plecity said Monday that the city has not been contacted regarding Lauerman’s liquor license.

Unless a new operator applies for the license, it will automatically terminate if:

• There is no sale of alcohol for a period of 30 consecutive business days.

• If alcohol is not sold on at least 15 of any 60 consecutive business days.

• If the business is not open for at least 180 hours over the course of 60 consecutive business days.

The city charges an initial fee of $25,000 for the Class I license Lauerman’s holds, Plecity said.

Readers can reach Forum reporter Dave Olson at (701) 241-5555.

Fantasy Football Hurts Me

I have found myself a broken man after only one week of fantasy football. Despite the fact that I had the first overall pick in our draft, I lost. Despite the fact that I selected one of the finest quarterbacks and receivers, I lost. Despite what I thought was a fairly good team that was projected to score nearly 125 points, I lost- big. Facing Beseler on the first game of the season, I managed to get absolutely murdered by scoring just barely over 60 points to Beseler's 149.75. It was crazy. I suddenly felt the need to withdraw from fantasy football! Maybe Tanya was right- fantasy football is stupid!

---

August 23, 2007
Christopher Hanson

Jazz Drummer Max Roach Passes Away

"You can’t write the same book twice. Though I’ve been in historic musical situations, I can’t go back and do that again. And though I run into artistic crises, they keep my life interesting..."

Max Roach
1924-2007

Michael Vick is an Idiot

I don't know if a whole lot more needs to be said about this since anyone with a brain can probably figure out that Michael Vick is an idiot. Once a respected leader and quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, he now faces a good portion of jail time and the probable end of his NFL career by being charged by federal authorities with felony charges of operating an interstate dog fighting venture (known as "Bad Newz Kennels") at his home in Virginia. Vick was accused of financing the operation, directly participating in dog fights and executions, and personally handling thousands of dollars in related gambling activities. What in the world made him think this was a good idea? The guy is rich and has came from nothing as a poor child to a wealthy and talented athlete. I'm totally confused more and more by celebrities who piss it all away. It makes me happy that I'm just a common man working to make a living and making ends meet.

What to Name the New Band?

What in the world will we name our new band? We want to do a punk/ska/rock band that features a three-horn front. The band will feature Eddie, Christopher, Russ, Josh, Tanya, and Jessy. Do you have any suggestions? So far, examples of names have included The Daggarfaces, The Crown of Horns, and Skaffirmative Action. Got a suggestion? Let us know. The group is getting ready to fire up rehearsals in September, and hopefully things will be in full-roll by November. We will rock again. It will be glorious, and you will most certainly take notice...

Insane Scoring...

In sports news, the Ravens scored only one field goal in their matchup against the Texans, who scored 30...oh wait, that wasn't football. It was actually the Texas Rangers putting the beating down on the Baltimore Orioles. (Besides, the Texans never score 30 points in a game, anyhow...) Every player in the Rangers lineup got at least two hits. Ever player in the Rangers lineup scored two runs with the exception of one player. The Orioles ERA rose from 4.40 to 4.63 in just nine innnings. No Oriole pitcher allowed less than 6 earned runs in the game. Now, that was something for the history books. Good work, Baltimore. You keep making your ball club look better. Well, maybe not that, but at least you keep people looking at your ball club.

---

November 18, 2006
Christopher Hanson

Democrats Take Back the House and Senate

The American people made a statement two weeks ago when election day came, and the Republicans took a beating as the Democrats took a commanding lead in the House, while gaining a slight majority in the Senate. It seemed that lowering support for how the war is being handled played the biggest part in the results, although the Republicans had a lot to worry about. After the elections, Defense Secretery Donald Rumsfeld voluntarily quit his post, and signs that others will be moved out soon were also seen. America will take on a new look over the next two years, though I wouldn't count on radical change, as Republicans are now scouring ever move any Democrat makes searching out errors that willl gain them more support in the next elections two years out.

The Colts are the Only Undefeated NFL Team

Despite key injuries to several defensive players and a couple of big offensive players, the Indianapolis Colts have managed to power themselves to a 9-0 record over half way through the season. Peyton Manning has done his work, throwing 18 touchdowns and running two in, while the defense has held its own, plugging holes in an injury-depleted group. The team has worked together and made good things happen. The Colts have managed the last three wins in tight scoring games, but will probably have no problem this week with the Houston Texans.

Beseler's Fantasy League

Over half way through the fantasy football season, Beseler's 'Little Deranged Green Men' league is in a somewhat tight lock in the standings. A three-way tie for first place (7-3) is in force heading into tomorrows action, and one team is sitting in 4th at 6-4. Two teams are back at 4-6, but could make moves to come back considering the strong competition of the league.

Standings as of Week 10

Rank	Team	W	L	GB	PCT	PTS
1	Ragin' Caucasians	7	3	-	.700	1268.00
2	Poop Chutes	7	3	-	.700	1100.00
3	Staphylococcus (Ryan)	7	3	-	.700	1077.00
4	Ents (Aaron)	6	4	1	.600	997.25
5	The Amazin' Asians (Christopher)	4	6	3	.400	1003.00
6	Boeser (Matt)	4	6	3	.400	897.50
7	Cumbubbles (Mikey)	3	7	4	.300	975.25
8	Fletch Lives (Eric)	2	8	5	.200	896.00

---

NDSU vs. SDSU for More than the Marker

The Bison take on the SDSU Jackrabbits tonight in search of something more than the Dakota Marker. More importantly, the herd are in search of the Conference Championship. At present, SDSU and NDSU are tied with perfect 3-0 conference records. This matchup means very much to the Bison, who have not won a conference championship since the mid-90's. If you're a Bison fan, get your ass out there and cheer them on. The Bison have had a hell of a fine football season, and are making a big name for themselves in Division I-AA football!

---

September 22, 2006
Christopher Hanson

Rodriguez Sentenced to Death

It only took the jury a day and a half to sentence Alfonso Rodriguez to death for his crimes. The family of Dru Sjodin will finally find some peace in knowing that Rodriguez has been found guilty and punished for his crimes. While North Dakota doesn't have the death penalty, the trial was a federal trial, allowing for the jury to punish by death. Given the outragous and cruel crimes that he committed, I see no other penalty that would be more proper. Nothing will ever bring Dru Sjodin back to her family, but perhaps this will bring some closure to what more than likely seemed like a nightmare that will not go away for some time.

South Park is Ten Years Old

Can you believe it? The creation of Matt Stone and Trey Parker has lasted ten years! After years of controversy, the show has survived it's harshest critics, and has provided us with silly situations and poked fun at pretty much all of the serious issues in the world. They have survived making fun of Scientology, Family Guy, and Mel Gibson. They have pushed the envelope on censorship. They've done it all, really. How long the show will last is uncertain, but for now, you can enjoy all of the vulgar storylines and the mocking of celebrities for at least another year.

Tony Stewart Misses the Chase

Tony Stewart came into the final race before the chase just 45 points ahead of Kasey Kahne. In the end, he left the track out of the chase altogether. While Kahne finished 3rd in the race, Stewart fell behind driving his backup car after crashing earlier in the weekend. He ended up finishing fifteen spots behind Kahne, costing him a chance to defend his Nextel Cup trophy. Stewart will battle again next year for the opportunity to come back to his usual self, but until then, he has the final eight races to prove that he hasn't lost his touch in NASCAR.

---

September 3, 2006
Christopher Hanson

NDSU Bison Football is Back

The NDSU Bison made a statement this past Thursday with a blowout win in their home and season opener at the Fargodome. The Bison hosted Concordia- St. Paul for their first game of the season. The Bison pretty much had control of the entire game with the exception of the first play of the game, the kickoff from Concordia to NDSU, where the returner fumbled the ball twice and lost it at the 4-yard line. The Bears attempted three times unsuccesfully to score, then managed a touchdown by the way of a faked field goal. But, that was about it for the Bears, as they were shut down the rest of the game- basically the last 58 minutes of the game. The final score ended up being 66-7, and hopefully we see the same kind of play the entire season.

The GSMB is also Back

Also back on the field was a signifiganly smaller Gold Star Band, or at least much smaller than bands I had been used to being a part of. It looked like there about 80-85 members, down quite a ways from the days of 125-135 that I was used to being a part of. The band looked fairly good in both pre-game and during halftime. I was disappointed to see the Armed Forces medley gone from pre-game, but was happy to see somewhat different drill incorperated. The part of the band that most disappointed me was how they sounded. There seemed to be little energy or accuracy in the stands in particular. It just seemed restless. I send my congratulations to Erin Ott, who looked good as the newest drum major in the group. Good work, it's good to see someone down there who really deserves the chance to be there.

Jazz Star and Educator Passes Away

A little over a week ago, Maynard Ferguson passed away from complications with his kidneys and liver. Ferguson is probably most well known for his powerful trumpet chops and and incredible range and endurance. In the music world, he was also quite well known for his passion for education. Maynard, who never graduated high school, was one of the biggest supporters of music and jazz education in the nation, and made a living taking his bands and performances to high schools and colleges all around the nation. Maynard will be missed by many, but his recordings will keep his spirit alive for quite some time.

Twins in the Hunt

As the end of the Major League season looms, the Minnesota Twins are hanging on for dear life as contenders for the AL Wild Card. Currently, they sit a half game out behind fellow division members, the Chicago White Sox. It's amazing to see the Twins playing as well as they are right now after a questionable start of the season back in April and May. However, Ron Gardenhire has gotten the team on track. The Twins have less than a month to make the final charge to the post-season. I think they stand a great chance to get in. Keep cheering for the Twins...

---

August 26, 2006
Aaron Beseler

Isaac Hayes' new job after leaving South Park

That's right, the great Shaft landed quite a winning role after leaving South Park for "spiritual" reasons. He has the distinct pleasure of playing the "Elegant Man" in the Sci-Fi Channel's made-for-TV movie, Anonymous Rex. The best thing about the movie? Daniel Baldwin plays a lead part. That's right, the Baldwin magic will be seen once more invading homes around the nation. The movie itself is about lizards the evolved from dinosaurs into human size, intelligent creatures who use holographic disguises to appear human and then kill those who find out they are lizards. Awesome!! It makes you wish that Canada actually would bomb the Baldwins like in South Park, huh?

Fantasy Football Season is upon us...

Yes, it's that wonderful time of year when Fantasy Football starts up again. This year, we went with a live draft, which seemed to be preferable to pretty much everyone involved. It gives you a lot more freedom to change your pick depending on others' first picks. I managed to snag Steve Smith again this year, along with Tom Brady, Donald Driver, Rod Smith, Corey Dillon, Jeremy Shockey, and LaMont Jordan rounding out the rest of my starting offense, as well as Carolina's defense. I don't see one team as being incredibly dominant, but we'll have to wait and see after the regular season begins. I sure hope my fantasy team does something good, 'cause I can pretty much guarantee the Vikings are going to crash and burn this year...again.

VS VS

The Next-Gen Video Game War is coming to the forefront...

The Nintendo Wii is getting ready to launch, and should hit the US with a price tag lower than $250. PS3 will launch on November 17th, with a price tag of either $499 or $599 depending on which option you choose. Xbox 360 is already on the market with options for $300 or $400 packages. The Nintendo system seems to be more more innovative in terms of system and controls, but I think they'll run into the same problems they always have, which is exclusivity of games and dominance in the software market. 360 seems to be doing pretty well currently, with a firm grip on the industry that I don't think is going to get shaken off by PS3 when it comes out. While the price tag may not hurt some types of fanatics, many others will be turned off of the new Sony system for a long time waiting for that thing to drop in price. The other factor that will probably hurt Sony in the long run is the Blu-ray technology. Sure, PS3 has Blu-ray built in, but quite frankly, it still has glitches. 360 is offering an HD-DVD add-on for those who are interested, which would still put the price of the higher-level 360 at the same price as the crappy PS3 package. Nintendo, meanwhile, will stay out of the DVD war, just like it always has. Personally I applaud Nintendo, love the 360, and I hope PS3 dies a slow, miserable death.

---

August 8, 2006
Christopher Hanson

Jessy Got a Job

Jessy got a job. What more can be said? Tim Smith called me today to let me know the news, and I was expecting frogs to start falling out of the sky. But, alas, it did not happen, and my theory that Jessy getting a job was a sign of the apocalypse was incorrect. Anyhow, I'm not sure what Jessy will be doing there, but if he's making the pitas, I would expect new items to going on the menu such as the gi-normous gyro or the plentiful pita. We'll see.

Dixie Chicks Cancel in Fargo

The Dixie Chicks cancelled a number of shows for the month of August after fairly poor ticket sales in the midwest. Shows were canned in Kansas City, St. Louis, and Fargo to name just a few. These states are fairly to heavily conservative states, and people falling under those aspects are generally not happy with the Dixie Chicks' stance on the war in Iraq.

Jass 2006 is in the Books

And, that's just that. The twelfth Jass Festival went down on Sunday, and it felt really good. The bands played really well, and despite the fact that we weren't able to have a vocal jazz group, we made the show go off well. The big band and the combo added a song or two for the show to make up for the time, and we made things happen. The big band was one of the best we've ever had. The saxes were great, the bones were making it happen, and the trumpets played incredibly well with the lead parts split around the band. Good stuff. Chris Gould wrote a pair of songs for the show, marking the first time we've had original tunes written especially for the show. Jessy did a fabulous job making the big band sound great. It seems as though everyone had a good time and felt good about the show. This is a great stepping stone to making Jass even bigger and better next year. The future holds much as far as I can see.

Landis Disgraces America

Look at that- another reason for the rest of the world to think America is a bunch of bad people. Floyd Landis won the Tour de France, then jolted the world with positive drug tests. Wonderful work. He failed two tests in a row, one which basically said that he had ten times the level of testosterone of a normal person. At any rate, Landis has not yet been stripped of his yellow jersey, but it seems inevitable that it will happen when the bosses of the sport meet to talk it over. Despite it all, Landis continues to claim his innocence, which is interesting to me in spite of the results of the tests. More to come on this issue...

---

July 1, 2006
Christopher Hanson

The SOL Band's Explination

I decided to do a little experiment just for kicks and giggles. One of the electric bass players that I respect and admire out here in Fargo, one Caleb Mott, recently was let go by a popular local rock band called the SOL Band. I decided to send an anonymous question to the band asking about Caleb's recent sudden departure from the band. One day after asking, I recieved an answer and reply to my question, which simply said, "Bands change, so it goes, we wish him the best, but he is off to other things. Thanks." I'm not so sure Caleb even knows why we was let go from the band. The answer from the band didn't really shed any light on why, either in my opinion. Shame on SOL for letting an outstanding musical asset.

Study: Drunk Drivers vs. Drivers on Cell Phones

A University of Utah study has found that people driving while talking on cell phones get into more accidents than people who are driving while legally intoxicated. No kidding. The study found that people who are driving while using cell phones don't pay attention to much of anything, to include important things such as the speed limit, following distances, and the flow of traffic. The study also pointed out that a lot of drunk drivers are actually really trying hard to drive legally, and actually do pay attention to the environment around them. Now, this is not to say that you shouldn't drive with cell phones, but driving drunk is fine by all standards as pointed out in this study. Just be careful in your car, pay attention, and drive carefully. But just food for thought- don't you wish you couldn't been part of that study? The study utilized driving simulators where either a subject was talked to on a cell phone by a researcher, or the subject got to sit around and drink for an hour or more, than tossed into the simulator. If that's what we call a study, sign me up, I'll participate, and I'll even pay for my own booze!

Jennifer was Home

Jennifer Schwind, Eddie's wife, made a trek home to Fargo for a few days from her training time at Ft. McCoy, Wisconsin, and we took the time to hang with her as much as we could. She returned home on Wednesday, and came out for a few drinks on Thursday night at Fort Noks. Along with Jennifer was Eddie, myself, Russ, Brad, and Mike. Jennifer leaves back for Ft. McCoy on Sunday, then will be heading to the Sunshine State of Florida where she will be stationed in the Tampa Bay area until her actual deployment overseas. We wish the best of luck to her, and I hope to see her before she heads off abroad.

---

June 27, 2006
Aaron Beseler

Miami wins its first NBA Championship

Miami came back from two games down to take the Championship in 6 games over the Dallas Mavericks. Way to go Miami. Not that Shaq needed another ring, but Wade definitely deserved it, just like he deserved the Finals MVP trophy. Should he be compared to Michael Jordan, though? I think there’s a legitimate argument for that, but on the other hand, everyone else who has been touted as the next Jordan has fallen short before getting too far into their careers. So is Wade just another early-riser who is going to stumble or will he keep going? On another note, I’m glad that Dirk Novitski was on the losing side of the Finals equation. Something about the guy really doesn’t agree with me. I laughed pretty hard when he kicked the basketball after losing a game that Dallas was up by 12 in (I think it was game 3 or 4, not sure). I guess he’ll have one more off-season to think about the fact that Dallas was a better team and still couldn’t hold it together long enough to win a championship.

Cell phones...more and more studies emerge...

Cell phones cause brain tumors, cancer, etc.. is not a new idea, it’s been floating around for years and years. One of the most recent studies has reinstated the possibility of physical harm due to cell phone usage, though. The electromagnetic frequencies that a dominant percentage of cell phones utilize end up exciting parts of the brain that could contribute and act as a catalyst for any other brain defects, including disease and tumors, and this study only had users use the phone for 45 minutes. Whether any definite conclusions will ever emerge out of the cell phone debate is anyone’s guess.

NASCAR has another driver thanks to video games

Hanson and Emma will both have one more person on the track trying to take down their respective favorite racers, and Brad Coleman says he’s there because of video games. Coleman raced go-karts when he was just getting into his teens, but never raced outside of a simulator before debuting in the Busch series of NASCAR. He played Sega Genesis, Playstation, Xbox, and computer racing games that have “honed” his racing skills, and helped him adapt to being a NASCAR driver. Now we’ll see if he can break into the Nextel cup with success as well. I guess the moral of this story is that your life might get better if you play more video games.

Harry Potter is coming to an end, maybe literally

J.K. Rowling is now the richest woman in England, thanks to Harry Potter, and now she’ll put wrap up the series that has made her so popular. Her books have caught the attention of millions of people and most of the people who continue to read have invested themselves into the characters, so Rowling’s latest proclamation will come to a shock to many, I’m sure. Apparently she is going to kill off at least 2 primary characters, and might even end up killing Harry off. That would put quite a spin on the final story, huh?

---

June 26, 2006
Christopher Hanson

Screw Taco Bell

No joke there, you should all join me in never eating at Taco Bell again, or at least not at the one on 19th Avenue North. Let me tell you why. On Friday, the 188th Army Band was invited to perform on The Early Show (CBS) during live feeds from the Fargo Air Museum. We were asked to be at the site at or around 5:30am. When myself and several of my fellow soldiers showed up to the museum, we found that there was no parking available at the museum, as a large crowd had shown for the event. Several of us parked at Taco Bell. While we noticed the no parking signs, we simply figured that (a)they would know there was a major event going on across the street and (b) we could be out of their parking lot before Taco Bell opened at 9:00am. Anyhow, we went and played and represented our Armed Forces, the Army, and the National Guard with our music, then left to head back to the Armory at 8:30am. As I rounded the corner to my car, I was greeted to the sight of a tow truck preparing to tow my vehicle away. One of my fellow soldier's car was also strung up. Two vehicles had already been towed from the parking lot. Upon talking with the tow truck driver, we were informed that Taco Bell management had called to have our vehicles towed. We spoke with an employee, who simply told us that if we had a problem, we had to speak with the coorperate offices. We tried to explain that we were doing public service work across the street, and we were given the same explination over and over again. I found it offensive and apaulling that the employees would not contact a manager to listen to our claims, and I was bothered by their attitudes toward us considering our situation. When all was said and done, the towing cost the four of us over $350.

I plan on sending out an editorial to the local newspapers on this matter. Many of my other fellow soldiers are doing the same. Word has come down that several people who witnessed what was happening from 19th Avenue called into NPR and spoke live on the air about what they were seeing. Please join me in taking our business elsewhere other than Taco Bell on 19th. Hopefully you can understand and appreciate all that I have just talked about.

Celebrations...

Over the last month or so...

Happy Birthday
Christopher Hanson
Zach Steele
Emily Bair
Tim Stine
Matt Tintes

Happy Anniversary
Jenn and Adam
Robin and Ryan

Congratulations on Weddings
Lea and Will

Patents Pending- Bigger and Better

Patents Pending is back and it's bigger and better. The band has added two new members to the lineup, and the sound is unbelievable. Craig Hillg comes to the band as the new bass player, replacing Christopher Hanson, who has moved to the trombone and vocal spot in the band, rounding out the horn section at four players. Josh Maynard has come to the band to replace Tim Stine, who will be leaving for graduate school in Cincinatti in August. The band played it's first gig in it's newest form in Detroit Lakes, and it went very well. With Gary Bitzer signed on as a booking agent, you can expect to see Patents Pending playing out in the local bars hopefully as soon as this coming fall. Keep posted at http://www.patentspendingband.com.

The US Soccer Team is Eliminated

Anyone surprised? I didn't think so. The US Soccer Team lost to the Czech Republic to start out the World Cup, pointing all signs in the direction of the normal disappointment soccer fans feel every time the US plays. Then, in a surprise, the Americans pulled off what could be considered an upset by tying Italy 1-1. However, the US couldn't ride the wave too much more, as they lost and were eliminated from the World Cup after a loss to Ghana. Yeah- Ghana. Better luck next time, soccer fans.

---

May 29, 2006
Aaron Beseler

The 90th Annual Indianapolis 500

The Indy 500 is over, and it was almost a photo finish, the race being decided by less than a second. It appeared that Marco Andretti was going to be able to break what people have referred to as “The Andretti Curse” but Hornish cut to the inside on the final stretch at the last moment to pull out the win. Marco’s father, Mike, finished in third place, and Danica Patrick turned in a respectable eighth place finish.

NBA Playoffs: Heat VS Pistons.....Suns VS Mavericks

After the third game of each conference’s final, the Heat and Mavs have managed to take the 2-1 advantage. Somehow Miami has managed to make the Pistons look inconsequential in their two wins, while Dallas has compensated for the NBA’s 2-time MVP, Steve Nash, averaging 21 points and just over 13 assists per game. As of right now, Miami is maintaining the home-court advantage they stole in the first game from Detroit, while Dallas took the advantage back. I reassert my opinion that the NBA playoffs are the best time to watch basketball, even if you, like me, don’t like to watch it during the regular season. Personally, I’m pulling for a Miami-Phoenix championship.

Ender's Game: The Movie

As of the end of March, the movie adaptation of Ender’s Game is still in the script-writing stage, and Card himself has signed with Warner Brothers to write the script. Apparently the writers who had previously been signed to adapt the novel to a screenplay were not working out to Card’s personal satisfaction. I’m really looking forward to (eventually) seeing the story adapted to the big screen. The movie will actually encompass the storylines that are in the novels Ender’s Game and Ender’s Shadow.

Playstation 3

Sony’s Playstation 3 is going to come out in two versions, similar to Xbox 360’s marketing strategy. The difference is that Sony is pricing their system at $499 and $599 respectively for the two options, one with a 20 GB hard drive, and the other with a 60 GB hard drive and HDMI card. There is a lot of speculation, and rightly so in my opinion, that Sony is going to have a tough time overtaking 360 as the dominant next-Gen system. The PS3 system will include a motion-sensitive wireless controller (if you tilt the controller, the character on screen reacts to it) and will be able to play BlueRay DVD’s. However, there may be a problem with the core system playing those DVD’s. So, the way I see it, you could pay at least $500 for the system, $60 for a game, and maybe $20 for a BlueRay DVD once they’re released, and things still might not work right. I have no doubt that the PS3 will be an impressive system for gameplay, especially in the graphics department, but I just don’t think they’ll dominate sales over 360 like PS2 did to the first Xbox.

---

May 18, 2006
Aaron Beseler

The Da Vinci Code: Gonna see it? Not if you're a good Catholic...

Religion once more rears its illogical head. Monsignor Angelo Amato has publicly stated that a boycott of the new movie adaptation of Dan Brown’s popular novel should be instigated. Why? He says it’s because the movie is full of “offenses, slander, and theological errors” and that if the novel had attacked the tenets of Islam or the topic of the Holocaust there would have been a “worldwide revolt.”

Bullsh*t. As is the case with a huge number of religious occurrences, the church is afraid of anything that challenges their stated beliefs. Any belief that can’t stand up to speculation and criticism usually reacts by throwing a temper tantrum, which is exactly what is happening now. Here’s a question for the church: If you are so secure in your beliefs concerning God, Jesus and the Holy Grail, then why do you get so unhinged by anyone who looks at different possibilities? Find a solid base for your beliefs and stick to it, or else your beliefs are worth less than the paper that they are published on. Oh, and in case you missed it: it's a flippin' novel...a work of fiction...but then again, when it really comes down to it, there are people who believe the bible is a work of fiction, so it depends what side of the fence you're on.

Time travel is possible...

...at least according to a University of Connecticut professor. The issue of time travel is being thrown out there more seriously again. Ronald Mallett has designed an experiment to potentially prove the possibility. He’s facing a lot of speculation, obviously, especially about the size of his experiment. Supposedly the size of his experiment lends criticism to the probability of actually measuring the results. I’m all for promoting the idea of time travel, so I hope he’s able to prove it. He also has a book coming out in November concerning his studies in that area.

Playoffs are definitely the most exciting games of the season...

Miami did seem to demolish the New Jersey Nets, but the other three semifinal match-ups seem to be the epitome of sports drama. The Detroit Pistons are now down 3-2 to the Cleveland Cavaliers after a tough 86-84 loss on Wednesday night. Of course, the Cavs were helped by the two technical fouls called on Detroit in the second half. So if the Cavs win the next game they'll face Miami in the Conference finals. On the other side of the league, the Spurs narrowly avoided the end of their season by winning their game against the Dallas Mavericks tonight 98-97, but are still down 2-3 in the series. The Phoenix Suns won a thrilling double-overtime game against the L.A. Clippers Tuesday night to go up 3-2 in their series as well, rounding out a trilogy of exciting 6th games coming up.

---

April 6, 2006
Aaron Beseler

We'll see how the Vikes can do now...

   gets            goes to    

Goodbye Nate Burleson. Good riddance. While Burleson is a middle-of-the-road quality second receiver, he proved without a doubt that he was not up to the task of being a number 1 go-to guy last year. So, Seattle, you’re welcome to him. I guess I should say hello to Steve Hutchinson as well then, although it’s unclear whether he’ll live up to a 49 million dollar contract or not. We’ll see. On the plus side, the Vikes now have a first round draft pick, 2 second round picks, and 2 third round picks in the upcoming draft, and since Mike Tice isn’t the one coaching the team anymore, they might actually draft someone worthwhile.

Daunte Culpepper is gone from Minnesota, and has now been cleared of any charge in the boat-sex-party scandal as well. Way to go Daunte (sarcasm here). It’s amazing how millions of dollars and a high-priced lawyer will get you exonerated from anything you’ve done wrong. On the up side, at least the legal system has proven that it obviously pays to be rich......

March Madness is Over!

    

Two champions have emerged in the NCAA March Madness tournaments. The Florida Gators completely dominated the Men’s National Championship and knocked off the UCLA Bruins 73-57 to take home their first championship title ever. I admit I don’t follow college basketball much until the brackets kick off, but I love to go for the underdog, so I was cheering for George Mason. Since they couldn’t make it past Florida, though, it’s good that the Gators won. In the Women’s brackets, the Maryland Terrapins managed to eek out a win over the Duke Blue Devils in overtime. Maryland, like Florida, is taking home its first title.

Jessica Alba is in Playboy....Fool You! I can't believe you fell for that!

Jessica Alba in an issue of Playboy?!?!! Nope, sorry guys, it was just a clever trick by Hugh Hefner, no doubt in order to fool people into buying the magazine. WHAT? Did I just say that? Like Playboy doesn’t sell enough magazines without using tricks? Oh well. Apparently Hugh offered Alba a personal apology and donation money to her favorite charity in recompense for using her on the cover of the magazine and she agreed not to sue him. My thoughts on this? I realize that Alba may have been "exploited" by this, but to be fair, when you’ve been recognized as the "sexiest star of the year," wouldn’t a publication of a bikini-clad picture be a promotion of that title? Oh, yeah, and you’re a Hollywood star who has appeared scantily-clad in numerous films and television shows…so this kind of exposure is new to you?

Tom Cruise is just an innocent victim...rrriiigghhhttt

       

In other news, in case you didn’t hear about this a few weeks ago, Tom Cruise has once more flexed his proverbial Hollywood muscle. South Park originally aired a Scientology episode in November of 2005, "revealing" the secrets of their beliefs and slamming Tom Cruise into the ground in an extremely humorous showing. Tom Cruise, of course, was extremely upset about anything that challenges his belief system, because God knows (pun intended) he has no sense of purpose or self outside of his shallow scientology-based life, so having Matt and Trey make fun of such a thing should rightly upset him. So, as a result of Cruise’s ire, that episode is no longer allowed to be re-aired on TV. Why, you ask? Well, it’s because Paramount is owned by the same company (Viacom) that owns South Park, and Paramount has made Mission: Impossible 3, starring, of course, Tom Cruise (and Philip Seymour Hoffman, but that’s another story…). So Cruise threatened (allegedly) to not promote M:I3 unless the episode was pulled and not re-aired. It’s interesting how beliefs that have no foot to stand on take great outrage when that is pointed out, isn’t it? Isaac Hayes also quit South Park after the Scientology episode, as he is also a member of that organization, so Matt and Trey sent him off in classic South Park fashion, turning him into Darth Chef. Ha!!!

---

November 7, 2005
Aaron Beseler

FM Opera puts on The Magic Flute

I attended the production of The Magic Flute this weekend and was pretty impressed by what I saw. It was performed in English, which made me a little hesitant prior to the performance. The cast was obviously well-rehearsed and seemed at ease with one another. I was most impressed by the Queen of the Night's Aria, performed by Risa Renae Harman. The set was designed well, with smooth transition between scenes. Also aiding in the transition between scenes and throughout, was the pit orchestra, directed by Bernard Rubenstein, who turned out a solid performance. The one flaw that troubled me throughout was the lack of authenticity concerning the "glockenspiel." There are many capable percussionists in the FM area, yet the pit orchestra performed the glockenspiel passages on an electric keyboard instead. Granted, this didn't take away from the performance of the on-stage artists. Overall, it was a very worthwhile production.

Junior Isn't Looking Any Better Than Lying Dad...

Pete Rose Jr. has admitted to distributing a steroid-like drug called GBL. He could face as much as 27 months in jail and a million dollar fine. It is part of a much larger investigation into the use and distribution of GBL in the minor leagues. It looks like Junior hasn't learned any sort of lesson from what his father did and went through. Tough luck.

T.O. is Done in the City of Brotherly Love...

Terrell Owens is a very talented, athletic football player. That's where the compliments stop. He is conceited, offensive, and ignorant. He has officially been suspended for three more games, after which he will be deactivated by the Eagles. He finally crossed the point-of-no-return when he publicly criticized his team once more after they didn't celebrate his 100th career touchdown with the exuberance that he apparently expected. He also demeaned Donovan McNabb by saying that the team could be so much better and T.O. himself would look better if they had a quarterback like Brett Favre there. Since Owens' season is effectively over, where is he going to go afterwards? What team is going to want someone who is, admittedly a good player, but poison to the team's morale? As a last note, Curtis Martin, the running back for the Jets, gained his 100th rushing touchdown of his career this last Sunday. What did he do? Took the ball, got off the field, and kept playing the game. Did he bitch and moan about the celebration he should have? No, he's a professional athlete that is there to play and because he loves the game, not just himself. That's classy. Owens is crap.

Marlon Brando: Screen Legend

Many people my age may only recognize Brando from his roles in the Godfather Trilogy, or perhaps from other movies such as The Score with Robert DeNiro. If that is the case, you have missed out on what are, arguably, some of the greatest screen performances of the 20th Century. I'm not going to delve deeply into Brando's history, but this is my small plug for you to take a look at his early performances. Beginning with A Streetcar Named Desire, he began a career that touched all actors and viewers. It is widely recognized that he is, perhaps, the best actor of his, or any, age, setting the bar for actors and actresses after him. Some of his Oscar-nominated roles were in Viva Zapata!, Julius Caesar, and On the Waterfront. The last is usually seen as the definitive performance of his career. The last movie I would like to throw out there was Apocalypse Now, in which Brando played Col. Kurtz. For those who have not had the privilege of viewing him in his prime, take some time and see a legend in the movies.

---

November 6, 2005
Christopher Hanson

UND Loses Two Weeks in a Row...

The UND Fighting Sioux managed to lose two straight, both in NCC matchups, to UNO and USD. They ended up being 9-2 overall, 4-2 in the NCC. USD and UND shared the conference crown. UND will still go to the playoffs, taking on Minnesota-Duluth in the first round in a week. At any rate, UND is on a losing roll right now, and we can only wait to see if Duluth can knock them off out of the playoffs for good this year. My only wish is that they could've come and played the Bison. I think we could have sent them home crying.

Another Harry Potter Movie...

And yet another Harry Potter movie will be in the theatres soon, this time Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The show opened up in London today, and is said to be the darkest installment of the series of movies that have been rolling through the theatres for some time now. The movie promises to feature more sizzling topics, to include teenaged love, danger, and the death of a character as well. For those who don't keep up with the seven-book series by J.K. Rowling, this should be an interesting driving film that will do just as well as the other movies that have already been released.

Alito Nominated...

Samuel Alito is receiving a hard push from the president as the debate approaches in Alito's confirmation hearings in January. Alito has the support of the conservative side in the senate. Democrats are very leary of this choice for the Supreme Court after Harriet Miers withdrew herself from the nomination process some weeks ago. She was more than certainly a better bet for confirmation than Alito despite what little people knew about her. Alito is a front-line conservative who has not been shy in his beliefs. He has served as a judge on many levels, all the way to his current job in the court of appeals in New Jersey. It will no doubt be a hard fight to the end, and it'll be really interesting to see how heated the debate will be considering that the Democrats have been a little fiesty as of late.

Schultz Not Allowed on AFR...

In a surprise move, the Pentagon chose to not allow the Ed Schultz Show to be broadcasted on Armed Forces Radio. While no official reason was given right away, it appeared that only days before the decision, Schultz had been rather critical of Allison Barber, a deputy assistant secretary for defense. Days later, it was Barber herself who announced that the show would not be aired to our troops overseas. Sounds fishy? What do you think?

West Wing Debates...

In a new twist for The West Wing, tonights show will feature a live mock presidential debate between ficticious cantidates, Arnold Vinick (R) and Matt Santos (D). The show has been on the air for some time, and it's a quality show about how things run in the White House and the Oval Office. The debate will be moderated by a real news person, in this case, Forrest Sawyer. The two will square off as a part of the season's presidential race. While the show has taken a backseat in the ratings to Commander in Chief, this could be a big boost for the show, which has been on the air for NBC for over eight years. Look forward to a very realistic debate, which despite it being scripted to a point, will be very on the spot and clearly set up as if it were truly happening, the true meaning of drama in my opinion.

---

October 20, 2005
Aaron Beseler

The IG Nobel Prize Awards...

The IG Novel Prize Awards were first established in 1991 with the purpose of recognizing scientific experiments or innovations that first make people laugh, and, second make people think. Some notable awards from the 2005 ceremony include: In the area of Medicine: Gregg A. Miller for inventing Neuticles - artificial replacement testicles for neutered dogs; In the area of Peace: Claire Rind & Peter Simmons for electronically monitoring brain cells in locusts while showing them clips from Star Wars; In the area of Economics: Gauri Nanda (from M.I.T.) for inventing an alarm clock that repeatedly runs away and hides; and In the area of Fluid Dynamics: Victor Benno Meyer-Rochow for calculating the pressure that builds up inside a penguin prior to defecation (see diagram above). To view more 2005 awards, or from past years, visit Winners of the Ig Novel Awards.

20+ Years of Trickery...

I realize that this is old news for many people, but I still found it an interesting tidbit to place on the site. Apparently, in New York City, there are approximately 3200 crosswalk buttons left at stoplights throughout the city. Unfortunately for the residents of the city, approximately 2500 of them do not work, and have not worked for over two decades. The city went and updated their software for the stoplights at various times in the past 40 years, but the update in question, that took place at the beginning of the '80's, left most of the crosswalk buttons without any hookup to the traffic system at all. It makes me laugh to think of the millions and millions of times those buttons have pushed with no effect, so when I saw this image I thought it was incredibly appropriate. It appears that there are concerned citizens who have tried to place a positive spin on this dilemna and turn it into an idea of "luck". Ha ha ha! Talk about a long-term joke. In the words of Dark Helmet, from Spaceballs, "Fool You!"

Parking on the streets near NDSU...

On the news the other evening, a man who apparently lives in North Fargo, near NDSU was complaining about the issue of college students parking on the streets near campus all the time. The city is also considering issuing a charge and permits for the streets surrounding the university. My quick thoughts on this matter are as follows. 1) Requiring individuals residing near campus to purchase parking permits for the streets eliminates a large benefit of living in a place of residence near campus, it being not necessary to purchase a parking permit for campus lots. 2) There are NEVER enough parking spaces OR permits to accomodate all of the students who already need to purchase parking permits for the lots on campus. 3) While charging money for these street permits, it is logical to assume that all the money for those permits would go directly towards paying the "ticket-nazi" individuals who would need to patrol those streets and ticket the cars without permits. And, finally, (and I can't stress this point heavily enough) 4) To anyone complaining about college students parking near your place of residence: YOU LIVE NEAR A COLLEGE CAMPUS THAT HAS BEEN IN PLACE FOR OVER 100 YEARS! You obviously moved into that location KNOWING there was a college campus in place. IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE NEIGHBORHOOD OR LOCATION YOU ARE LIVING IN, INCLUDING THE STREET PARKING AVAILABLE, THEN MOVE YOUR BITCHY ASS SOMEWHERE ELSE. Thank you.

---

October 15, 2005
Christopher Hanson

Another Supreme Court Nominee...

Just a little under two weeks ago, President George W. Bush nominated Harriet Miers to succeed retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court. It was a surprise to both the Democrats and the Republicans in Washington DC. Miers has served as Bush's cousel for some time, and while it was no surprise that he chose someone close to him and his business as the president, many were shocked by him nominating someone with no time on any bench in her career. Personally, I am actually fairly supportive of her at this time. I've heard a lot of good things about her work as a lawyer, and I feel somewhat the same way about her as I did about John Roberts, who I supported for the Chief Justice nomination which he was confirmed for. However, I do want to hear much more about Miers before I make an official opinion. Many conservatives and liberals all around are skeptical of this nomination at this point, and are demanding to know more about this someone unknown person. I think this will be an interesting event to watch out and see what happens.

Wie Goes Pro...

Michelle Wie made the announcement a few weeks ago that she was going pro. This was really no surprise to anyone as she has been playing very, very well for a sixteen year old. This weekend, she is having a pretty good time playing the LPGA Samsung Open. Through the second round, she was shooting a 9 under par, and was tied for second place on the scoreboards. Not bad for a teenager, I guess. As Wie went pro, she nabbed herself some pretty sweet deals in the endorsement world, and I'm sure that before she even stepped foot on the course to tee off on her first tournament, she was already worth several million dollars. Impressive. I think she's going to be one hell of a pro golfer over the next few years, and she will win tournaments, more than likely before she even becomes a legal adult.

The New Bond...

Who in the hell is this guy? That's the new James Bond in the next Bond movie, Casion Royale. Beyond that, I don't know a whole lot about him. I do know that he was in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, and I guess beyond that, I couldn't tell you anything else he's ever done. He's a big hit over in the UK and Europe from what I can read and see. So, is this a risk to cast him as Bond? Who else was in the running? Can this dude, or bloke, whatever, act? I'm curious. When I think of James Bond, I think of Sean Connery and Roger Moore, but not so much this Craig guy. Will it be good? Time will tell...

Tommy Lee Injured at a Crue Show...

Tommy Lee sustained some burns during a Motley Crue show in Wyoming. On a song late in the show, Lee was suspended by wire some thirty feet above the stage, and was swung between a number of drum sets that were placed up above the stage. Not sure how that worked, but nonetheless, the Crue was forced to shorten the show. Lee was cared for at a local hospital, and from what I understand, they didn't cancel any shows, including the Motley Crue concert that took place last night in Bismarck.

---

September 24, 2005
Christopher Hanson

The Bison Suffer a Loss...

The Bison lost their first game of the season today bringing them to 3-1 on the 2005 season. NDSU traveled to Montant State University and played a tough game outdoors in fairly cool weather and high altitudes. In the end, the Bison were unable to recover from a MSU drive that scored the go-ahead touchdown with under two minutes to go. The Bison made some frantic mistakes and things came down to the final handful of seconds, where they were unable to get back in the end zone or close enough for a field goal attempt. The game reeked of other losses on the road that we called heartbreakers to include last years loss on the road to SDSU in the final seconds. It was a tough game to watch (it was televised). On other topics, I did see and hear the band a handful of times, though I was disappointed to only hear the same three songs (Satisfaction three times, Tuba Charge twice, and Mueller Charge once). Video gave us a few seconds of the GSMB on the sidelines during halftime, but that was about it. Anyhow, it was a good game that the Bison should've won. All I can ask is, where was the defense? It's something to think about, Coach Bohl.

The Gophers Pull Out a Huge Win...

In other college football highlites, the Gophers pulled off a huge win over the #11 Purdue Boilermakers in double overtime. Minnesota came into the game unranked, but holding a 3-0 record after a trio of well played games. This was a very important game, not only since it was against a ranked team, but because Purdue is one of the members of the Big Ten like the Gophers. Look for Minnesota to perhaps crack the top 25 within the next two weeks playing the way that they did.

Hurricane Rita Hits...

Hurricane Rita hit the Gulf Coast, causing damage and power outages in Texas and Louisiana, while causing more flooding and levee breaches in the New Orleans area. Sustained winds of over 125 mph were reported, while over 15 inches of rain fell in some areas. This was not good news to the already overwhelmed New Orleans area, where less than half of the pumping stations are running at this point since Hurricane Katrina. The scary part of all of this is that forecasters are warning that more hurricanes and tropical storms could be developing over the next month, and many of them have the possibility of following the same path as Katrina and Rita. Think about those victims of these natural disasters, and if you can, do give to the Red Cross and help those folks out. There's a link on the front page of the site.

---

September 13, 2005
Aaron Beseler

Series Premieres Abound...

Sunday brought around the season premieres of many shows, kicking off the next few weeks of premieres that are sure to keep the multitudes busy. The Simpsons, going into their 17th year I believe, kicked off the year with a relatively entertaining show, including a group of manatees and guest-starring Alec Baldwin. Then, of course, Family Guy, one of my favorite shows or all time, premiered, much to the delight of the masses I'm sure. Stewie (my favorite character) was back in fine form, trying as ever to find a way to do away with Lois. Obviously, what has always appealed to me most about that show is the transparent disdain it has for every politically-correct idea as well as the idea that shows shouldn't take shots at touchy subjects. Seth Macfarlane and the rest of the Family Guy crew, I salute you.

NFL Season Kicks Off...

The NFL Season has officially completed its first week of games and there was a veritable smorgasboard of surprises. Naturally, there were the expected results, such as the Patriots holding off the Raiders in the opening-night Thursday game, or the Colts taking care of the Ravens despite their stifling defense. The surprises came in many forms, including the well-below-par performance of two of the premiere quarterbacks in the game today, Daunte Culpepper and Brett Favre. Neither threw a touchdown, and they combined for a total of 5 interceptions and 3 lost fumbles on Sunday. Hardly the performance that should be standard from two of the game's largest leadership icons. The surprises kept going in the form of Miami's domination of Denver (much to Hanson's chagrine I'm sure), the Giants defeat of Arizona, San Fran's successful attempt at holding off a late surge by St. Louis, the Lions stunning the Packers, and, of course, the travesty that was the Vikings-Bucs game. Out of every surprise and shock from this weekend, what may well be the worst of it all is that the Detroit Lions are in sole possession of first place in the NFC North!

---

August 30, 2005
Christopher Hanson

The Hurricane Hits...

Hurricane Katrina came onland on Monday and brought some of the worst storms ever seen down south in Louisiana and Mississippi. It ravaged New Orleans and Pascagoula and took down major tourist attractions, buildings, stadiums, and casinos. This is one of the worst deals that the south has ever seen, and it's going to cost them millions and millions of dollars. Many damns and levees broke, causing more damage, and the worst thing about it is that the storms aren't over yet. Rain and wind continue to be problems, as well as occasional tornados. This is going to be a rough deal for the citizens of those areas to deal with, and we most certainly hope that once a calm in the weather comes around, the people of that area will be able to clean up and move on.

Clarett Cut...

The Broncos penned another chapter in Maurice Clarett's life by informing him a couple days ago that he would be cut and released by the team later this week. Clarett was picked up in the fourth round of the draft, which came as a surprise to most of the entire NFL. After being a standout freshman with Ohio State, Clarett attempted to sue the NFL to let him into the draft early, and lost. He sat an entire year under suspension, then got his chance with the Broncos. However, due to a great set of backs in Denver (Mike Anderson, Tatum Bell, and Ron Dayne), he didn't make the cut. Who knows what's in Clarett's future now. He could get signed by another team, though I'm sure many are skeptical of what he can do for their team. We'll just sit back and watch in the coming days to see what happens to him and other players who are sure to be cut shortly...

Suge Knight Shot...

The saga continues in the rap world of shootings as Suge Knight was shot at a MTV VMA party hosted by Kanye West a few days ago. There have been no details or thoughts as to why it happened, and most witnesses are apparently keeping pretty quiet about what they saw, according to the police. One African-American journalist was quoted as saying, "The hip-hop community doesn't trust the police to confide info to them, and in turn the police have done little to make us feel like they give a damn about our safety." Not a good deal. Who knows if or when we'll find out the next chapter in that book.

Prairie Home Companion is Soon to be a Movie...

Those of you fond of the Sunday broadcasts of Prairie Home Companion on NPR can look forward to something completely different- a movie version of the radio show. Now, we'll be able to put some faces to the stories told on the show. It's currently in production under the careful eye of the host himself, Garrison Keillor. Look forward to seeing many of the usual characters from the show, most notably Guy Noir, the goofy detective who gets some of the strangest cases ever. I'm excited to see the movie when it comes out. Stars in the movie currently include Kevin Kline, Meryl Streep, Maya Rudolph, Woody Harrelson, Virginia Madsen and Tommy Lee Jones. It should be pretty neat...

---

August 24, 2005

Christopher Hanson

Think about Orv...

Orv Eidem, the longtime director of bands at North Dakota State University is currently recovering from a blood clot on his brain a few weeks ago. The doctors took action and took good care of him. However, while overlooking him, they found that he has some heart problems that will eventually require open-heart surgery. Orv is recovering now in the hospital, and is pretty weak according to his son. However, Steve jokingly made a joke that things could be worse- Orv could be playing trombone instead. Good one, Steve...

Who Will Audit at the Radisson?

Both Rena and myself put in our two-week notices at the Radisson on the same day, which probably shocked and scared the hell out of our current employers. However, things are pretty much screwed in management, and the replacements aren't making things better. We both figured this was a good time to get out of this properties crazy strangle-hold. Rena has found herself a better auditing gig in Moorhead, while I'm looking at going back to the Doublewood in search of better hours and better pay. As for the Radisson, it's hard to tell what they will do. Good dependable auditors are hard to find these days, and if I do say so myself, we were both.

Thomas Herrion Passes Away...

Thomas Herrion collapsed in the locker room following the San Francisco 49ers game against the Denver Broncos. He was immediately treated by team physicians and paramedics. He was then transported to St. Anthony’s Central Hospital in Denver. He passed away shortly thereafter. This is a colossal tragedy for the 49ers and the entire NFL. By all reports, Herrion was a very friendly man and a hard worker on and off the football field. All fans and players are mourning the loss of this respectable athlete and human being.

Death Penalty Sought...

Edward Duncan III, who resided in the Fargo area for some time, has been presented with the news that an Idaho prosecutor is pressing forth with his hopes to get the death penalty for the accused murderer. As time has passed by since his arrest, numerous allegations and charges have pointed to Duncan. However, in Idaho, he is charged with three counts of murder and three counts of kidnapping, and these charges alone are serious enough to possibly send him to his future fate of death.

Welcome Back...

Just a quick 'welcome back' to all of you who are returning from summer vacation from school. Hopefully you all had a good time at home or wherever you were, and we look forward to seeing you all around town and around campus and such. For those of you who are of age, don't forget that the bars are now open until 2:00 here in Fargo. Give Hanson and Beseler a call if you care to enjoy this new treat...

---

August 16, 2005

Christopher Hanson

Brecker Fighting for His Life...

Michael Brecker has been diagnosed with MDS (myelodysplastic syndrome). This is devestating news to the jazz world, as Brecker is one of the finest saxophone players in the world at this time. The disease requires that he have a bone marrow or blood stem cell transplant immediately. At this time, no match has been found, not even within his family. Join everyone in the jazz world is hoping that Michael is able to find a suitable donor very soon. For more information, go to Michael Brecker Online.

Christopher's Bad CD...

Yes, I will admit it- I do own the album you see right above, Baby, One More Time is indeed in my collection of CD's. Jessy Klimpel was snooping around in my CD collection the other day, saw it, and made it a point to make fun of me for owning it. You know what- I probably deserve that. I remember purchasing that album in 1998 or 1999, the same day I bought a Hanson CD (no kidding). In my defense, I bought the Spears album because I thought she was hot (just like millions of others in the world), and just for your information, I bought the Hanson album because they share my last name, and for no other reason whatsoever. Anyhow, I admit that I own it and I admit that I'm a loser. Are you happy, Jessy?

T.O. Needs to G.O.

Has anyone else grown tired or this ongoing saga, really? I know that I have. I think that crybaby should either shut up and play football or get out of the game completely. We don't need another self-proclaimed 'bad boy' in a major athletic sport. While I concede that T.O. is really good, he shouldn't be complaining about his contract. He's getting a lot of money to play 16 regular season games. Stop whining, and start being a team player, please, before Tim Smith and I go to Philly to enforce our beliefs!

---

August 8, 2005

Christopher Hanson

TV Loses a Great Newscaster...

Only four months after announcing his retirement from ABC, Peter Jennings passed away peacefully surrounded by his family in New York City. He had been battling lung cancer for some time. Jennings was considered one of the three great news anchors of this modern day (along with Tom Brokaw on NBC and Dan Rather on CBS).

Clemens in Red Hot...

Though I've never been the biggest fan of Roger Clemens, mainly because he played for my most hated team, the New York Yankees, this guy is absolutely red hot at the tender age of 43. His ERA at this particular moment is 1.38- 0.37 on the road. That's just insane these days for a starter. He's currently 11-4 with the Houston Astros, and I'm not going to be surprised if he ends up with an ERA lurking around 2.00 by the end of the year. It's just completely unheard of amoungst todays pitchers, but more notably, of pitchers his age. Unbelieveable!

Dale Jr. Pretty Much Done...

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. pretty much put a cap on his season by finishing 43rd at Indy on Sunday. He had a slim chance of making the chase for the championship up until his crash on lap 61. The lousy finish left him 16th in the points 191 points behind the number ten driver (Carl Edwards). There is still a chance for him to get in, but it would take an immense amount of work over the next handful of races. Junior blamed a lot of it on the car and not the wreck. It was an interesting criticism that might have his crew wondering what they can do to make things better the remainder of the year into the next season.

The Dukes of Hazard Opens...

The new Dukes of Hazard movie opened up this past weekend on top of the charts, pulling in over $30 million bucks on it's opening run. The movie has been highly touted in the entertainment world despite some really, really rough reviews from many raters around the world. I have to admit that I have an intrest in going to see the movie, probably mostly because of Jessica Simpson, but then again, how many millions of people do you think are thinking the same thing?

---

July 26, 2005

Christopher Hanson

Alex and Annika Berg...

Congratulations are in order for the newest married couple, Alex and Annika Berg. They were married in a small ceremony out on Annika's farm in Gary, Minnesota. A reception followed that was celebrated with some jazz from a jazz quintet. The next day, on Sunday, the couple hosted a reception and dance at the Expressway that evening. It's been crazy to have been involved with all these weddings so far, especially some of the marriages of people that I've grown to know so well. Al and Annika was a couple that I got to watch from the beggining to the present. It's pretty cool. It's the stuff that memories will be made of in about twenty years from now.

Ricky is Officially Back...

Ricky Williams is now officially back in the NFL after holding a press conference on Monday to address the press and his team for the first time since leaving out of no where last July. He practiced with the team, where apparently, everyone is basically welcoming him back. After a 4-12 season, I can see why they'd let the grudges go. Williams apologized quite a bit in a press conference, aiming those apologies at his teammates, coaches, and fans. He will sit out the first four games of the season serving a suspension for his violation of the substance abuse policy in which he violated in 2004, then will make his projected return on the 16th of October against Tampa Bay.

You Can Buy Jennifer Aniston Love Letters...

We've seen all sorts of junk sold on eBay over the last decade or so, and now, here we go again with some more high-priced stuff that people will actually spend a lot of money for. A California lawyer named Michael Baroni will be auctioning off love notes written on toilet paper and napkins of all things. The notes come from when the two were dating in high school when they were both 15 or 16. Baroni was asked why he was selling this stuff, and he told the press that it was for financial reasons. He really wants to make a lot of money, apparently- the reserve for the items is $100,000. Good luck, Mike.

The NHL is Back...

The NHL will return this fall after a lock-out that took away the entire 2004-2005 season. I'm sure Eddie Schwind and other hockey fans are incredibly excited about it. Who knows how much money was lost when the lock-out began. Anyhow, the draft lottery has already been set and teams are getting ready for the big return. I've never been a huge follower of hockey, but I am happy that the union and the management folks have put together an agreement. It's never good for any sport to have to go through the loss of a season, after all.

---

July 21, 2005

Christopher Hanson

Drew Rosenhaus is a Jerk...

Drew Rosenhaus is certainly making no friends in the upper management levels of the NFL. As he keeps signing on more and more athletes into his agency, more and more of those players are turning into complete whiners and cry babies. Impressive. Just today, he announced that if Javon Walker didn't get a HUGE raise, he would demand to be traded. Walker had a very good season this past year, and is set to make about $550,000 on the upcoming season. While that's not a huge amount, he is under contract for two more years. Rosenhaus was quoted as saying, "I can't let this player go out on the field and jeopardize his career for that kind of money." What he really should have said is, "He was under contract and expected to play well like any other other NFL player under contract, but is now getting greedy after fulfilling his obligations." Drew Rosenhaus is a jerk, which he's shown many times already (see any headline about T.O. and his demands) and I don't look forward to the trend he's establishing in the league.

Bruschi to Sit Out a Year...

Now, a headline about a player who loves to play, but will be able to do so this coming season. Tedy Bruschi has always been a very fine defensive back and contributed much to the Patriot's, most importantly, his example and inspirational motivation. However, only ten days after helping the Patriot's win a Super Bowl, he suffered a stroke. The guy is only 32 years old, for goodness sakes. It wa a sad story to hear about. He will sit out the 2005 season in an attempt to ensure that his health is good, and may make a return in 2006. I certainly hope to see him back then.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Get's the 'Adults Only' Rating...

Many of my friends enjoy Grand Theft Auto, the game in which you can shoot lots of people and steal lots of cars and drive them around like junkies strung out on crank and speed. However, the newest version of the game was slapped with an 'adults only' rating after it was discovered that you can now find some pretty graphic sexual content on the game, most notably the PC version. Some guy put out software that you can download to get the dirty stuff on the game, and it's got some people really angry. I'd be interested to see what the company, Rockstar Games, plans to do about it. More than likely, they will lose money on the game- both in current sales (due to the new rating) and in refunds from parents who will undoubtably take the game back due to the content.

Happy Birthday...

Jess Stevens got a year older (I think she's 22, now) yesterday. I joined her and some of her friends and my roommates to enjoy dinner yesterday evening. Hopefully Jess had a great day. Happy birthday, Jess Stevens.

Roberts Nominated for the Supreme Court...

John Roberts was the big pick by President Bush to take over for the retiring Sandra Day O'Connor. The pick came as a bit of surprise to me and many others, as the thought of Bush's ultra-conservative agenda was in many minds. Roberts is a conservative fellow, but not as hard-lined as of a person as I would have expected to be nominated. Roberts has an incredible resume for a gentleman and a lawer who is only 50 years old. It looks to me that Bush was going more for someone he knew could get confirmed. Roberts is obviously favored by Republicans, but more importantly to Bush, he is on the upside in the opinions of many moderate Democrats. I would choose Roberts over a complete hard-line conservative. I am optimistic of what he could do if appointed by October.

---

July 8, 2005

Aaron Beseler

Alias

Well, thanks to a Chase and Monica (two people I work with at Cash Wise Video), I am now hopelessly addicted to the TV series Alias. I'm just finishing up watching the third season, and at approximately 1000 minutes per season, that's quite a time commitment. It's a spy suspense drama starring Jennifer Garner. Without giving too many spoilers, I'll give a brief synopsis of the show. Jennifer Garner plays Sydney Bristow, a spy who begins working for an organization called SD-6, a group she believes is a black ops division of the CIA. After a traumatic killing, she finds out that SD-6 is actually a cell of a terrorist group called The Alliance. She then becomes a double agent for the CIA, attempting to bring down SD-6 and The Alliance overall. That is the preface of the first season, and from there it just gets better, but I won't ruin that for any of you who might want to watch.

Otherland

Otherland is a 4-book series that was written by Tad Williams, the author of my favorite fantasy trilogy, Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn. This sci-fi series is based around Otherland, a universe that was created as a means of helping the rich and powerful of the world to live forever in a virtual reality-esque environment, but one that is globally expansive, with different "worlds" that are created in accordance and design of those premiere members of a group known as The Grail Brotherhood. The primary method of transferring into Otherland is through an uplink onto the net, which then traps the user online, unable to log off, back to normal life. The series follows a large group of protagonists, including a teacher, a Bushman, an amnesiac, a 14-year old boy who loves to role play, and an old man kept as a near-hostage at a military base because of his knowledge and role he played in the development of Otherland. The story unfolds with many twists and turns throughout, but the fourth book will still change the assumptions you've made up to that point.

Dinosaurs in Alaska

When I was a little kid, I was obsessed with dinosaurs, as many young kids are I suppose. So even now it catches my eye occasionally when I read about dinosaur findings in the news. Apparently on June 27th, there was a footprint of a yet-undisclosed type of carnivore found in interior Alaska. According to the experts who have examined the footprint, they believe that the carnivore was 9 to 13 feet long, with a similar make-up as that of a T-Rex. The interesting part of finding the footprint, which was found in Denali National Park, was that it was found a large distance away from the coast of Alaska, which is where almost all of the dinosaur findings in the north have been. It is estimated that the fossilized footprint is approximately 70 million years old. When you think of that time range, it sometimes brings to mind the evolution vs. religion argument, but of course that is a topic for another time.

---

June 28, 2005

Christopher Hanson

Statler and Waldorf are the Best...

Statler: What would you do if you were a rich man?
Waldorf: I'd buy the network and cancel this show!

Statler: There's a lot to be said about this program.
Waldorf: Too bad you can't say it on a family show!

Statler: And there you go, there's nothing like good comedy.
Waldorf: Nothing like it on this show!

Statler: You know, this show really improves with age!
Waldorf: Why? Because the jokes get better?
Statler: No! Because my hearing gets worse!

Statler: Hmm, that last number was a real show-stopper
Waldorf: Too bad it didn't stop this show!

Statler: That was quite a program! I would have only changed one thing!
Waldorf: What's that?
Statler: The channel!

I love those guys.

The Supreme Court Rules on Ten Commandments...

The Supreme Court finally issued a ruling on the long-awaited Ten Commandment displays on government property, mainly courthouses. In a 5-4 ruling, the justices ruled that the displays should not be allowed in courthouses or on government property. However, the Biblical laws can be displayed in n historical context. It was an interesting ruling that narrowly passed with the aid of Sandra Day O'Connor, the moderate justice sitting on the Supreme Court. After months of no one knowing which was the ruling would go, the court released it's opinion on Monday. I'm sure the fight isn't over for either side, though, and we'll see what happens, as this is sure to be an issue for years and years to come.

What in the World is Scientology?

With all of this goofy publicity about Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise going on day after day, we're starting to hear more about how they both embrace the religious effects of Scientology. I've often wondered what in the world this thing called Scientology was, so I went out and did some reading up on it. The way I'm reading into it, it's a religion that teaches that everyone is their own spiritual being, and that the all of the answers to life can be found with each other's self. I'm not so sure this sounds like a religion to me, more like a self-help philosophy of sorts, but I guess I still haven't read enough to completely understand how they do things. If you're interested in knowing more about it, go to the official Scientology website and read for yourself.

---

June 24, 2005

Christopher Hanson

The Spurs Win Their Third...

The San Antonio Spurs won their third NBA title on Thursday night in a close game against the Detroit Pistons, sending the defending champions home as the losing party. The Spurs prevailed through a tough series that saw some low scoring games due to the hard-fighting defenses of both the Pistons and the Spurs. Tim Duncan turned things up in the third quarter, helping push the Spurs to victory. I imagine the city went crazy. I remember being in San Antonio when the Spurs won their first title, and that city went absolutly insane. "Go Spurs Go!" was the theme then, and was again this year. Congratulations to the Spurs on their third NBA title.

Sixteen Years of The Real World...

I can't believe that The Real World has been on the air for so long. The scary part of it all is that I remember the very first season of that show, and I loved it. Things have changed since then, and I don't think I've actually watched the show in at least ten years, but a couple of nights ago, I casually watched the first episode of the 16th season, and I was pulled in by the fact that the show was in Austin. The first episode was full of interesting twists and whatnot, most notably, Danny getting punched in the face in a fight, fracturing some important bones in his face. As for my favorite character as of the moment, I'm going to have to go with Lacey. She's not fake and she's probably the only person on the show who isn't on the show to show off, get drunk, and have a lot of sex in the hot tub (which is what The Real World has been all about for the past five or six years, after all). I'll probably keep watching the series now- I was intrigued, once again. Perhaps you, too, should start watching...

Speaking of TV Shows I Don't Normally Watch...

Keira Oscarson stopped by the other afternoon, and she proposed that perhaps I watch an hour of her favorite TV show with her- The Gilmore Girls. I had never seen the show before, so I decided to give it a shot despite Jessy making fun of me. I was expecting to be exposed to an awful chick-flick-like drama, but to my surprise, I actually liked the show (gasp). No kidding. I guess this is coming from someone who used to watch Dawson's Creek, though. Anyhow, I watched another episode this past afternoon. The show is witty and really funny, actually. I encourage others to watch. Ok, stop laughing at me, you jerks...

When Will Barry Come Back?

Will Barry Bonds ever get back to playing this year? Despite all of the pressure everyone put on him over the whole steroids deal, I actually think he's innocent of any wrongdoing, and I look forward to him getting back on the field. Bonds is only 11 homers away from tying Babe Ruth, and just 52 shy of tying Hank Aaron. I really do believe Bonds will break the record, and I'm just itching to see it. Reports say that Bonds will be back traveling with the team soon, and he may play this year, probably after the All Star break. I encourage him to see through all the crap he's been put through, and head on out when he's healthy and play the game that he truly loves.

---

June 18, 2005

Christopher Hanson

If You Have a Mastercard...

Do you have a Mastercard? Well, if you do, you may want to do some checking around. It was in the news today that a security breach occurred at a third-party processor of payment card transactions that affects over 40 million credit card accounts according to Mastercard International. While the breach was a very serious one, the only information that may have been stolen was the actual card numbers, and not any personal information such as addresses, Social Security numbers, or birth dates. However, I would imagine that simply having your account number stolen might be enough of a worry to check things out. So, if you have a Mastercard, make sure you watch your accounts closely, and if you see anything out of the ordinary, make a phone call immediately.

The Timberwolves are Making Some Changes...

The Minnesota Timberwolves hired a new head coach to replace Flip Saunders and Kevin McHale. Dwane Casey was hired after serving as an assistant coach for the Sonics for the past decade or so. He certainly seems to be a good coach who has some new visions for a team that didn't make the playoffs for the first time in several years. He told the press that the Wolves were not "broken", but rather that they "had a hiccup" last season. Let's hope that Casey can make things happen. The state of Minnesota has to be tired of "we were good, but not good enough to get to the big game(s)" when it comes to pro sports.

Former Tyco Bosses in Big Trouble...

Dennis Kozlowski and Mark Swartz both got what they deserved yesterday as a jury found both of them guilty of 22 counts, which included good stuff like grand larceny, conspiracy, and falsifying records. These two Emmy-award winners were in trouble for cooking the books, stealing bonus money without approval from the board of directors, and more. This was a stunning victory for the the prosecution, as well as for other cases similar to this one (i.e. Enron and friends).

---

June 14, 2005

Christopher Hanson

Coach's Loses it's License...

In an interesting local development, one of the favorites as far as party bars goes will be losing it's liquor license indefinately. Coach's will lose it's privilage to sell booze on July 1st, as the city council voted unanimously to take it away. Apparently, the bar has gotten in trouble over four times this year for allowing minors to drink in the bar. The big point that got the liquor license revoked was the owner, Jim Steen, who apparently got in the way of several police investigations into the allegations mentioned. Coach's has been the meeting place for the Gold Star Marching Band for the last four seasons. It's up in the air what Coach's will do after they lose the license, though one can assume they will be forced to shut down since most of their money is made on booze there. And, if this happens, where will the band hang out?

Danica McKellar- Not 'Winnie' Anymore...

Does anyone remember watching The Wonder Years? Well, most of you probably watched it after it went off the air or possibly on Nick at Nite, but I'm old enough to remember watching that show for quite some time. Anyhow, you probably remember Fred Savage playing the young Arnold, and you probably also remember his on and off relationship with school sweetheart, Winnie Cooper. The adorable Winnie was played by Danica Kellar. Many of us grew up watching those two kids grow up as well. Anyhow, Danica has slowly been moving back up into the ranks of acting, and was featured in Stuff magazine this month. Danica is now doing some new acting rolls on TV and in the movies, and you know what- she's hot. And, talented, too. Watch out for her...

Jacko is a Free Man...

Well, I don't know how he did it, but Michael Jackson got off completely free of any convictions during his many-months long trial. The jury found him innocent of all counts, and he was released back into the world without a slap on the hand for the crimes he was charged with. I'm sure he'll go back to Neverland and do whatever it is he does at Neverland. To be honest with you, I'm not surprised he got off so easy, but I do think he did something. We may never know what, though if he is actually guilty of those crimes, that's something he'll have to live with for the rest of his life. Honestly, this trial has probably cost him millions of dollars, and the chances of his music career ever really rebounding from all of this is quite small.

---

June 13, 2005

Aaron Beseler

Defending Champs Looking Shaky...

After a second-game beating by the San Antonio Spurs, the Pistons are down 2-0 and looking in need of a serious re-vamping. Their offensive efforts have been pretty fruitless, as their starters shot an unimpressive 21 of 54 combined field goals and the team shot 0 for 6 on 3-pointers. Even the Pistons' impressive rebounding couldn't make up for their lack of accuracy. They also only shot a total of 16 free throws as opposed to the Spurs' 34. Add up all of that and it's obvious why they are struggling against a Spurs team that has come out to play. Quite frankly, the Spurs look hungry for a championship while the Pistons are setting records for the largest loss margins by the defending champions. Hopefully they can pull it together for games 3 and 4 at least while they have the home court crowd backing them up.

The 78th Annual Scripps National Spelling Bee...

It's been a little while since the national spelling bee took place, but I just happened to read an article about this year's champion, Anurag Kashyap. I then looked up what his listing of words spelled in the competition were. Here's the list of those words: cabochon, priscilla, oligopsony, sphygmomanometer, prosciutto, rideau, pompier, terete, tristachyous, schefflera, ornithorhynchous, agio, agnolotti, peccavi, ceraunograph, exsiccosis, and hodiernal. How many do you think you would have gotten? And this was all by a 13-year old. After all those words, though, the thing that caught my attention so much was the final word that he spelled to win the competition, appoggiatura. For all of you music people, I'm guessing you see why it caught my eye.

Lucas Ties Everything Together While Shattering Box Office Records...

Well, while Lucas did connect the old and new trilogies, he also still left a few holes in the story. Of course, all things considered, the third installment of the newest trilogy exceeded the quality of Episodes I & II while also exceeding the box office takes for the opening weekend. Not only did they take the title for 4-day weekend, at $158.4 million, they also took the titles for midnight-showing, opening and single day, two-day, and three-day showings. The previous four-day record was held by Spider-Man 2 at $130.5 million. Currently Episode III has raked in over $332 million, domestically, and over $672 million worldwide. Not bad for a film that cost $113 million to produce.

---

June 9, 2005

Christopher Hanson

The Jury is Still Out...

The jury is still thinking and talking as of Wednesday. It's been four days now, and we're all patiently waiting the fate of the "King of Pop". Michael Jackson's fate is still in the air. It's certainly been interesting to watch the TV, though. I saw a deal on a late-night TV show showing us the prison Jackson would most likely go to if he was convicted. It was no Neverland, that's for sure. Anyhow, any thoughts about the verdict? Though I believe he's probably guilty as sin, I do think he's going to get off on most of those charges. I read somewhere that someone said, "the prosecution did a good job pushing forth their case, however, did it prove anything beyond a reasonable doubt?" I feel the same. We'll see, I expect a verdict in a week.

Will We Have a NHL Season?

The news came in yesterday that the two sides in the NHL lockout had agreed on a salary cap system, eliminating the blocking factor to the resumption of play next season. However, this news didn't mean that the lockout was over, it was simply a glimmer of hope. Nonetheless, it was good news for hockey fans all over the world. So, will the two sides be able to agree on some other factors to include free agency and arbitration and such? Let's hope so. I'm tired of these two sides fighting, and if there isn't a season in 2005-2006, Eddie Schwind is probably going to explode, and we don't want to see that, do we?

Next Wedding: Jennifer Braus...

Tomorrow at 6:30pm at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Bismarck, our favorite little saxophone player from the past, Jennifer Braus, will be getting married. No kidding, lots of us all dreamt of being that guy. However, she has found herself the right guy, his name being Adam. I'll be there to celebrate the wedding and perform some jazz at the reception out at the Country Club. Anyhow, this is wedding #3 for me this year, and I'm happy to be one of the many to witness the day. Congratulations to Jennifer and Adam.

---

June 6, 2005

Christopher Hanson

Albino Blacksheep is the Best...

If you're bored and you want to be entertained for hours and hours, and you're all to date on Hanson and Beseler Online, go check things out at Albino Blacksheep, a Flash site where you can watch hundreds of short Flash films that will disturb and entertain you. My personal favorites are Everybody Else Has Had More Sex Than Me and Weeee!

Sixteen Candles is 20 Years Old...

I can't believe that movie is twenty years old, I remember it so well. I still watch it on TNN whenever they show it just to keep the old memories alive. A portion of the cast reunited at the MTV Movie Awards. However, Emilio Estevez didn't show up. Judd Nelson was there, but when Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy and Anthony Michael Hall went up to accept an award that evening, Judd didn't tag along. No big deal, though, it was just cool to see some of the cast together again to celebrate a movie that could still teach a lot of young people today a lesson or two.

Why is this Happening?

On another sad note, Natalee Holloway, an 18-year old high school graduate from Alabama is still missing in Aruba after a weeks worth of searching the island. Two men have been arrested in connection with the case, though the charges have not been made public yet. Natalee was a straight-A student that had just graduated high school and was online to attend the University of Alabama. Her dream was to become a doctor. It saddens me so whenever I hear about these missing girls all over the nation and now the world. What is happening? Where are all of these monsters coming from? It's a sad, sad story that we're hearing much too often. What happened to humanity?

---

June 2, 2005

Christopher Hanson

Without T.O. the 49ers Can Still Get in Trouble...

Interesting news came out in San Francisco today when an anonymous person sent into The San Francisco Chronicle a copy of a video tape that was meant to prepare 49ers players for dealing with the media. In the fifteen video, it manages to feature all sorts of off-color humor to including racial jokes and nudity, as well as an interesting portrayal of what it would be like to be the mayor of San Francisco. The author of the video was team public relations director, Kirk Reynolds. During the video, he manages to make fun of Asians, gay unions, the mayor of San Francisco, and more. It's really impressive, and upon watching the video myself, I even found it really funny. The tapes intent was to actually educate the 49ers players on how to work with the media in town, and showed players what not to do in the public. Do you think it's funny or offensive? You be the judge. Click here to see portions of the training video. Keep in mind that this isn't really for kids, by the way...

Go, Spurs, Go...

The Spurs are going to the finals again. Though I don't follow a lot of basketball, I was happy to see that my old hometown's team is taking another trip to the finals. I remember being in San Antonio back in 1999 when they won it all, and that city was a madhouse. Anyhow, the Spurs beat the Phoenix Suns to advance on. When I was in high school and cared a little more about basketball, I was a big Suns fan. Anyhow, it's up in the air who they will play, will it be the Heat or the Pistons? Stay tuned, it'll be a great matchup either way. I'll be cheering for the Spurs, though. I still remember the big "Go, Spurs, Go!" chants down south. I sort of wish I was there now to hear it again.

The New .XXX Domain...

Apparently yesterday, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers approved a new deal that will allow porn sites to use a .XXX domain address. One could assume that in good time, the government will actually force porn sites and companies to use the .XXX domain so that web filters will work more efficiantly in safe guarding the web for children. I don't think it's a bad idea, either. Anyhow, I'm sure we'll hear more about this in the future. It seems like a good move to me.

Katie and Tom...Seriously?

Does anyone believe this is really happening? Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise are madly in love? Doesn't it seem a little ironic that they both have big movies coming out right now? Well, apparently according to Tom on the Oprah show, he's "batty" over Katie, while Katie said basically the same thing at the opening of the new Batman movie. I just can't believe it. Tom Cruise is, what, 95 years old? And Katie, she must have just entered 10th grade. Well, actually, Katie is 26 and Tom is 42, so I guess it's not that bad. Still, think about it- when Tom Cruise made one of his first big hit movies, Risky Business, which was released in 1983, Katie was 3 or 4 years old. Scary...

---

May 30, 2005

Christopher Hanson

Danica Patrick, the Hottest Thing in Racing...

I'm sure some of you have heard about all the hype as of late with one Danica Patrick, one of the up and coming race car drivers in the IRL series. Yesterday, she raced in the famed Indy 500, leading a handful of laps and finished fourth battling against some of the finest drivers in the world. Danica is quite a driver, true, but she's also incredibly attractive, and there are a lot of eyes on her these days. We should definately keep our eyes on her, she's going to be one of the most talented drivers in the series during the rest of this year and for years to come. Did I mention that she's hot, too? Maybe the other drivers won't mind so much as she passes everyone on the track this season...

Another Wedding has Come and Gone...

Many of us took the trip up to Duluth this weekend for the wedding of Robin Childs and Ryan Fried. The wedding took place in Proctor, Robin's hometown. The reception was in downtown Duluth in quite a beautiful building, the Greyson. The service was short but nice, and the reception was very enjoyable. I even got out there and danced a little bit here and there, which is unusual for most of you who know me. Duluth is a great city, and I always enjoy my time there. I certainly wish I could've hung out there for a few more days. Anyhow, Robin and Ryan were the second couple to get married on my list of weddings, leaving only eight more weddings to go. This was one of the few weddings this summer that I didn't have to do anything in, so that was kind of nice. Ryan and Robin will continue to live here in Fargo once back from their honeymoon, and I wish them the best in the future to come.

Speaking of Weddings to Come...

An e-mail from James Prindiville:

Hey everyone,

I'm proud to annouce that my brother (Matt Princiville) is going to be the first to be married off in our family! He proposed to his girlfriend, Lisa Richter, earlier today and I'm very excited to have her as part of the family! (...she did say yes!)

I am a proud brother, I taught him everything I know of course!

Little Prindy (or Prindipotty as Dano used to call him) will be getting married on a date to be announced. Congratulations to Matt and Lisa!

It's Memorial Day...

Memorial Day honors US soldiers who died fighting for their country. It is a day to remember all of those who paid the ultimate price defending something that means the world to all of us- freedom. Take a few minutes today to think about those in the past who have died defending the country that we so dearly love.

---

May 25, 2005

Christopher Hanson

I Love Paris? I Bet You Do...

Has anyone seen or heard about this thing? Apparently Carl's Jr., a burger chain out on the west side of the nation (basically the same thing as Hardee's, which is owned by the same people) released a commercial for it's new Six Dollar Spicy BBQ Burger. It features Paris Hilton washing a car and eating a burger. I guess there are actually parents all over the nation calling for this thing to be pulled off the air. The company has no plans to pull it, of course. I watched the commercial, and I guess it might be a little out there for the kids, but overall, I don't see how it's a whole lot worse than anything else on TV. Judge for yourself, go to Carl's Jr. and see what you think.

Ricky Williams Coming Back?

I remember back when I lived in Texas getting the chance to go and see Ricky Williams play college football when he was at UT. I watched in amazement as he moved with grace and speed through lines and beyond. He scored twice that day, and I was convinced that he was going to be one of the finest running backs in NFL history. Now, seven years later, the guy is retired. He retired at the start of the season last year to go into holistic medicine. Oh, and to smoke a bunch of dope, which he readilly admitted that he loved to do. Oh, and he had three failed NFL drug test to show for it. Anyhow, after basically abandoning the Miami Dolphins just as preseason was about to start in 2004, the guy is now being welcomed back to Miami by Nick Saban. He's trying everything he can to get Ricky back. Is Nick Saban nuts? Why does he want the villiage idiot back? He might be able to run and he might be able to move still, but do you really think he's going to want to stop smoking it up? I have my doubts. Anyhow, the guy flaked out on his team and failed numerous drug tests, what makes anyone think he's going to be any better now? Ricky Williams- what a damned joke.

John Bolton- Will He or Will He Not Be?

A vote on John Bolton will more than likely come within the next few days, and I don't think Democrats or Repoblicans are sure what's going to happen. Despite the GOP holding a 10-member advantage in the Senate, it's looking like the vote could come down to the wire. Bolton, who was nominated by President Bush to take over as the ambassador to the UN, has been subject to quite a bit of questions about his abrasive style and dislike of the UN. Now, as a vote nears, more and more Republicans are starting to show signs of voting no for his confirmation on Wednesday or Thursday. One of the big surprises in the bunch was the newest SD senator, John Thune. This certainly caught me by surprise knowing how loyal he is to the Republicans and especially those on the right-hand side of the road. The Republican no-voters are being led by George Voinovich of Ohio. It will be interesting to see what the results are. The president and some members of the GOP are convinced that they can get him passed through, but I wouldn't hold my breath. What I would be interested to see is what the president will do to his fellow Republicans who choose to not vote for his nominee. Now, that's an interesting question, because I can guarantee something will happen...

---

May 24, 2005

Christopher Hanson

Ralph's- It's History

Saturday night marked the end of and era when Ralph's closed up at 2:00am on May 21st. Ralph's officially sounded it's true last call and closed it's doors for good that Saturday night. It's been quite a run for that place, as Ralph's served as the areas place for the independant music scene. Who knows who will take over for them since both Ralph's and Kirby's closed up due to the City of Moorhead's "hostile takeover" of both places...

How Can This Be...

The man who kidnapped and murdered Dru Sjodin is trying to challenge the possibility of the death sentence in his federal trial which begins sometime next year. His attorney is attempting to deem the possibility of the death penalty illegal because the process to decide capital punishment cases is unconstitutional. A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that changes how criminal defendants are sentenced also applies to those facing the death penalty according to Richard Ney, Alfonso Rodriguez's attorney.

I don't know what you think, but as far as I'm concerned, this man deserves the death penalty for his crimes. He was sent away to prision for sexually assaulting victims before, and we let him out, and he did it again, but this time, he killed an innocent young lady who hadn't even began to live her life to it's fullest potential. I find it sick and wrong that someone who has already proven himself a monster and a menace to society could be offered the thought of even bypassing the possibility of the most servere penalties allowed by federal law. What is this world coming to?

Oral arguements are set for June 24th. I have faith in our justice system, and hopefully the judge does, too.

Another Jass in the Books...

The Eleventh Annual Jass Festival took place at Island Park on Sunday, and despite some windy conditions along with a few scary moments where it looked like it could rain, the show went on under mostly sunny skies. The combo kicked the show off with a wild ride through Monk's tune Epistrophy, followed by a couple of standard swing tunes. Doug Woolverton was the only non-local artist in the group on trumpet, having traveled from New York to perform in the Fargo festival. Jennifer Braus led a big band through three tunes to include one very unconventional song called Iron Chef, which left the crowd surprised by it's hard rock feel. They were brought back to traditional jazz quickly, though, with a fast tempo version of The Stars and Stripes Forever. Brent Alexenko led the vocal jazz group, which opened with Waltz for Debby featuring Annika Reynolds, and closed with Baby, You Can Drive My Car, an animated song featuring car sounds and drum beats. The show was closed down by Eddie Schwind and his big band, which performed two songs arranged by Eddie himself, along with the Maynard Ferguson band classic, Cruisin' for a Bluesin', featuring the saxophone section. She show was attended by about 250 people.

John Fred Runs a Marathon...

Actually, this is the second marathon he's run. John, doning the number 187 on his back (which is an inside joke for some of us from Minot) ran the 26.2 mile marathon in 4 hours 10 minutes and 32 seconds, finishing 321st overall. This is quite a feat for someone who has only been running long distances for a little under two years. John came from Sioux Falls to run the marathon. He's presently an attorney working for the South Dakota courts. Soon, John will move back to the east coast to rejoin his wife in Washington DC, where John will join a firm and begin working as an attorney. Anyhow, great jog, John, you're a much better man than I. I can't even run four miles anymore, let along 26.2...

---

May 11, 2005

Aaron Beseler

The NBA Playoffs

I'm not normally a big basketball fan, but there are a couple times when I do tune in to the games, NCAA March Madness and the NBA Playoffs. So I've been following the first-round action of the playoffs and after last night the brackets have finally all moved into the second round. Miami and Phoenix both moved on, clinching their first round series 4-0. Big surprise. The defending champs, Detroit only gave up one game to the 76ers, even with Iverson doing his best to try and carry his team like he did most of the year. The Spurs and Sonics also only gave up a single win to their opponents, the Nuggets and Kings respectively. The Wizards beat out the Bulls 4-2 in their series, but I give the Bulls plenty of credit for getting as far as they did, especially as we all know the magnitude of sucking that they had achieved for so many years. Then we come to the two match-ups that lasted 7 games, the Mavericks-Rockets and the Pacers-Celtics. The Mavs became only the third team to ever win a series after losing the first two home games as they embarrassed the Rockets with a 116-76 routing. I love sports! Without sports we wouldn't be able to have these specially-catered stats to throw out to make it seem more exciting! Anyway, moving on to the Pacers-Celtics, we also come to Reggie Miller, who announced his retirement at the completion of the Pacers season. Does that mean he's going away without a fight? Not at all. He averaged 15.6 ppg through the first six games of the series and played more minutes than every Pacer except O'Neal. They're going up against the Pistons in round two and already lost the first game, so Reggie will have to be at his best if they hope to come away with any wins against the defensive player of the year (Ben Wallace) and the defending champs. I wish them the best.

Montana and the Palms...

For all of you who happen to know Phil & Ginger Palm, I just received a couple pictures in an email from Phil. At one time he had been talking about building a new house this summer out in Montana, but instead it turns out that they are buying a house. I know Ginger's job is going great and Phil is working towards starting up in the piano tuning business. It'll be great to see them both when they come back for Greg & Megan's wedding at the beginning of August, especially since I haven't seen them since Christmas break.

Sunday evening cartoons!

This last Sunday marked the second new episode of Family Guy and I have to say that I haven't been disappointed by either of the new episodes. Simpsons has also had new episodes airing, so when you put the Simpsons and Family Guy back-to-back, you have a solid hour and a half of entertainment. I know there are those out there who find the shows offensive, especially Family Guy, but I personally find it incredibly funny. To the creators of both shows, I salute you!

---

May 9, 2005

Christopher Hanson

Purchasing Lunar Real Estate...

I'm not kidding, you can apparently actually buy lunar real estate. It's been happening for years, in fact. The story goes that Dennis Hope, a U.S. entrepreneur, asserts he secured legal ownership of the moon and most other bodies in the solar system. His ambitions began 20 years ago when he registered with the U.S. government a claim to the surface of Earth's moon and the eight other planets and their satellites. You can actually go online somewhere and buy up acres of 'land'. This guy has actually sold, get this- three hundred million acres on the moon. My question is, is the moon that big? People are also selling stars. I've heard about that quite a bit in the past. You can actually secure a patent and a copyright on the name of your star. Can you believe that people are buying this stuff?

Jass- The Countdown Begins...

The days are counting down to the start of Jass, and things are coming together nicely. The media hunt began this morning as I sent out press releases to several agencies in town. Rick Gion will begin his plan to gain attention tonight, and things will start to become public as of this week. I finally locked up all the player spots, and we have full groups to play the shows, now. The band look like they have good promise, and the directors are ready to make things happen. The music is out, and we're all getting ready, now. I hope to see lots and lots of you at the shows, both Saturday night for the dance and social and at the afternoon showcase with all the bands.

Graduation...

Congratulations to the cats who are finally getting the hell out of here! Erika Beseler and Robin Childs will graduate from NDSU, while Tim Stine and Ruth Meberg both wrap things up at MSUM. Erika is sticking around town and looking for some work while her soon-to-be husband goes back to school. Robin will stay in town as well doing work at Meritcare. Ruth is looking at either grad school or staying around to work in town. Tim will do whatever he needs to do depending on where Ruth goes. I'm sure there's more graduates I'm forgetting about, but to all of you who are graduating, good luck in the real world. It's a scary place- so scary, that Beseler never plans to try to tackle it...

---

May 4, 2005

Christopher Hanson

Cityscapes Voted Down...

I don't know if you got out there and voted today in the special election concerning the Cityscapes project, but to those of you who did and voted 'no' on this travesty of a project, you and I were winners this time around. The people decided in a 71%-29% vote that Cityscapes was not a good idea. The idea of tearing down a portion of historical Fargo to create a sports arena that would be run by the same losers who run the Fargodome was a bad one. How does anyone expect that thing to make any money at all, anyhow? Anyhow, I'm sure we'll hear more from the Cityscapes people again soon, and another vote has got to be coming. I can already hear the wheels turning.

Gold Star Band Election Results...

Speaking of elections, the Gold Star Band elected officers this week. Here were the results:

President- Mike Lehmann
Vice President- Wes Ford
Secretary- Lea Sims
Treasurer- Matt Boeser
Marching Band Member at Large- Will Shulstad

How About them Yankee's...

The Yankees suck. Haven't heard anyone say that in a while. Can anyone believe that the team that pays the most money for it's players and has often been considered the most packed team has a losing record after one month? Second to last in the AL East? Ouch. They have Randy Johnson, Kevin Brown, and Mike Mussina? Sheffield? Giambi? Jeter? Rodgiguez? Whatever. They're losing, and that's just that. I know that one month doesn't mean much when there are 162 games to play, but just by watching them play, I don't think they're going to finish over .500. And, you know what? I think they deserve it. They're 11-16. Even my team, the Tigers, are doing better at 12-13 (.480). The Tigers doing better than the Yankees? Right on!

A Marathon in Fargo...

There's going to be a marathon in Fargo, no kidding. It's been in the works for some time now, but the big day is nearly here. The thing takes place next weekend, and I'm interested to see how it all goes. My good friend John Fred and his wife are coming here to do the thing, John from Sioux Falls and Ann Marie from Durham, NC. Hopefully things warm up, anyhow. It looks like it's going to be just fine, but it's still mind-boggling to me that we'd have a marathon. Apparently 2,000 people are doing it. I'm not one of those people, and I doubt that Beseler is, either. (Ha ha) Anyhow, I hope to be on some corner somewhere drinking a beer cheering on John and Ann Marie as they pass.

---

April 14, 2005

Christopher Hanson

Last Days of Ralph's...

April will mark the final month of good times at Ralph's Corner Bar in Moorhead. I'm sure you've all followed the timeline of the City of Moorhead bumping heads with the owners and management of Ralph's. The bar will become the next musical victim of the city as they close their doors by force from the city, much like Kirby's was forced to do a year or so ago. The independent music scene in the area will suffer another blow, which is incredibly unforunate as the FM area is so limited as to venues in the first place. Anyhow, get out and visit Ralph's before the wrecking ball hits this historical building.

Major League Baseball is Back...

Major League Baseball is back again, just in case you happened to care. I've really distanced myself from the sport over the years despite my love for the game as a kid and a teenager. However, I do take notice when April comes around the the players hit the diamond once again. After just a little over a week of play, it appears that my favorite team, the Detroit Tigers, are tied for last in their division with a record of 3-5. However, there's lots of games left to be played, and I will check in with the standings from time to time. For all of you out there who are Twins fans, many "experts" are picking them to win their division, the AL, and possibly the Series. Keep your eyes open, it could happen...

The FM Symphony Presents Mahler Symphony 2...

For any of you who have never had the chance to hear Mahler's second symphony, your chance is coming up very soon. Next weekend, you can go and hear this marvelous work being performed by the FM Symphony Orchestra with a little help from the NDSU Concert Choir and the FM Chamber Chorale. The work is something else that no one should miss. I've had the chance to hear this work three times with three seperate orchestras, and I look forward to seeing it live once again. To me, it's one of the most moving pieces of all time, and you should all go and experience it as I have several times.

---

March 17, 2005

Christopher Hanson

Honoring Colden Through an Editorial...

Rick Gion gave a short tribute in The Fargo Forum to Colden, describing a little more how Colden cared for his friends. The obituary that ran a month ago was very good, but it didn't showcase how much his friends meant to him. Rick Gion had the following to say in his editorial.

Downtown Fargo lost a true companion on February 16, 2005, when Colden Naslund passed away at the young age of 26. As head waiter at Monte's Downtown, he was a well-known chap and a faithful employee. He took his work very seriously and went to great strides to make customers feel welcome. Colden had an affinity and education about the finer things. To his co-workers, he was known as one of the most knowledgeable servers in town.

While working at Monte's and the Radisson, he helped the local music scene in several ways. By using his influence, Colden would lobby his musician friends into getting gigs downtown. These folks were and are some of the best young artists in the area. Some names include Brooks West, Brenne Leigh, and Josh Harty. Also, there were jazz players like Chris Hanson, Tim Stine, and Ed Schwind. Often, you'd see one of them playing on Monte's veranda in the summer.

He was known as "Dean" to us, which is a parallel to the character Dean Moriarty in Jack Kerouac's "On the Road". This nickname fit him well as he was known to be sarcastic and sometimes brazen. Also, "Dean" liked to write, and was quite the napkin poet.

I knew Colden for over ten years. He was a one-of-a-kind soul and will be missed by his friends, family, and the downtown area which he had given so much to.

Shame, Shame, Shame...

I'm not one to write often about what one would call rumors, but I felt a little strongly about the rumor that one of my close friends made a serious comment that my website was worthless. This person apparently said something to the effect to his roommate, "Why do I look at this site? What's their point in doing this? It's worthless and has no point." Coming from this person, if this is true, I don't know where he gets off saying things like that. If anyone should know it, he should understand that the purpose of the site is to entertain, or perhaps provide a break in the day to just visit and read some happenings and events amoungst our friends. We post events that our friends are participating in, we cover things going on in our lives, and we try to be both fun and serious at times. It almost hurts a little to hear this coming from someone that I used to call such a close friend. If this person did in fact feel this way about the site, though, I find myself not terribly surprised, as he has distanced himeself from us over time, and these comments further reflect his intent to stay his distance. I find those behind-my-back statements hurtful and ignorant if they are in fact true.

---

March 1, 2005

Christopher Hanson

The NHL Season is a Goner...

All I can say is...what a bunch of whining cry babies! I will admit that I'm not the biggest hockey fan in the world, but when the lockout began to hold back the season, I knew hockey was doomed. Anyhow, I don't know why the players union and the league couldn't reach some sort of an agreement. I think salary caps are a good idea in sports, but these greedy players want more and more money. I think a good sports star is worth money, but as much as they want? This is why I don't watch baseball anymore. These guys are paid way, way, way too much money. Well, congratulations, union members, you've ruined another sport. Sad day, sad day...

Tour is Coming...

The much anticipated Gold Star Band tour is creeping up on us, and I tell you what, I'm getting real excited to return to Chicago. For quite a while, I thought we were hitting the town on St. Patrick's Day weekend, but after consulting a calendar, I see that we'll be a week early. That's alright, we'll still party it up in Chicago. You know, we'll do it- because we can. The tour program is really great, and I'm looking forward to playing that show a lot. It's tough technically for the winds and the percussion, and highly demanding on the chops for the brass, but to me, it's a pretty rewarding concert lineup. I think we're all going to have a good time on tour, and it's almost going to feel like my rookie year. Those senior members of the band back then are what me and Beseler should be now, so we'll do our best to fulfill that. Watch out, here we come...

What the Hell is Wrong with the FCH Sound Crew?

I think that Luther is a really cool guy- actually, he's a really funny guy who knows how to run his theatre. However, I'm not quite sure what's going on with his new staff of people running sound. They have no clue what the hell they're doing. During the combo concert last night, I tried to tell them that we needed things changed during the show. I waved my arms and pointed at speakers. When that didn't work, I had Brandon tell them through the house microphone. Nothing changed. Either those guys are deaf, dumb, stupid, or all of the above. I'm willing to go with the third answer. Anyhow, something needs to happen. This is the second show that I've had to deal with this imcompetance. The last time was as a member of the Jazz Arts Group Big Band, where those guys simply didn't know what was going on. Then, there was last night. When I started to play piano, I suddenly felt as though I was playing a show with Van Halen. The bass came blaring out of the monitor, and I figured it had just parted my hair. Anyhow, someone needs to fix whatever is going on back there. I intend on talking to Dr. Patnode and also Luther if I feel like it. And, to the guys running sound- watch out, you're on the top of "my list"...

One More Engagement...

Megan Simpson and Greg Sturdevant are the latest in a line of engagements in the past year. Congratulations to the newest soon-to-be-married couple. Both were percussionists in the Gold Star Concert and Marching Bands. I think Megan will graduate this year, while Greg has been out of college for a couple of years now. They're aiming for an August wedding, which will of course be another wedding in a rash of weddings right around that time. That's fine, though, I'm excited for most of the weddings this summer, this one included. Congratulations, Greg and Megan, and if you need a band to play, look no further than right here...

---

February 21, 2005

Christopher Hanson

Music on The Simpsons...

I just thought it would be notable to mention that on Sunday night during the second Simpsons episode, we heard some famous jazz classics that you wouldn't normally hear on the show. I was delighted to hear Boplicity first, a classic tune from Miles Davis, written by Cleo Henry. The song appears on one of Davis's most famous albums, Birth of the Cool. Later on in the episode, I heard Dave Bruebek's most famous tune, Take Five.

Solberg Gets a Cat...

Eric Solberg got a cat. In his words, "His name is Charlie and he's an absolute spaz." How nice. The cat is just like his owner.

Another Daytona 500 in the Books...

The NASCAR season got off to a roaring start with the running of the 47th Daytona 500. It was a great race despite the results of the race. I've never been a Jeff Gordon fan. As a matter of fact, I've made a living out of ripping down this particular race car driver. Nonetheless, Gordon did manage to pull out a victory- his third in this particular race. He held off final charges from Kurt Busch (who finished second) and my favorite driver, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. I did take some joy in the fact that Tony Stewart didn't win, and was amused a little bit when it appeared he was throwing a bit of a temper tantrum at the end of the race because he felt that Jimmie Johnson had screwed with him toward the end of the race. Anyhow, the season is off to a start now, and the drivers head out to California for the next race.

Godspell at Oak Grove Went Great...

Music teacher and musical director Paul Barta at Oak Grove did a very fine job preparing his students for the production and presentation of Godspell, which was performed at the high school last Thursday and Friday to very receptive crowds. In his directoral debut at the school, his cast of high school students showed their maturity and professionalism when it came to taking a musical such as Godspell and placing the emphasis on all of the major emotions portrayed in this wonderful musical. It's always been one of my favorites since my days of high school where I played in the pit- guitar, to be exact. This was the first musical in a number of years at the school, and it was a good one. Hopefully the school will not hesitate to do another musical in 2006. Also, a note of thanks goes out to my fellow pit band members- Kacie Hughes (drums), Jesse Braunagel (guitar), and Brent Alexenko (piano). They did a fabulous job backing up the cast.

---

February 15, 2005

Christopher Hanson

Passing of Another Jazz Legend...

I feel like I'm making these entries much too often these days. Jimmy Smith, a pioneer of jazz on the keyboards and the organ passed away last week at the age of 76. He put the Hammond B-3 organ on the jazz map and paved the way for a style of jazz that has become very popular during these modern days of music. His exploration into organ trios, which normally feature a drummer, a guitar player, and a Hammond organ (no bass player) is quickly becoming a setup that many modern jazz trios are using today, most notably a groovy band by the name of Soulive. Smith recorded and performed nearly to his death, having recorded his last album just last year. Jimmy Smith was one of the original Blue Note artists, and will be missed by not just keyboard players, but by jazz listeners everywhere.

Another Valentines Day...

Ok, so this picture might be just a little bit harsh. However, many of us, including myself, find ourselves not celebrating Valentines Day, which came and went without incident for the most part. I've never really been a huge fan of the holiday. I've had one Valentines Day in Fargo that I actually did anything for, but the rest of those February 14th's have been days of boycotting the holiday that was pretty much invented by Hallmark and candy shops across the nation. Anyhow, I guess it's another 364 days until the day comes around again, so I have maximum time to not think about it...

The Galaxie- One Step Closer...

This past weekend, the Galaxie took one step closer to being on the road once again. On Saturday, Al, Russ, Brett, and I worked on the car and got her running up to par. We discovered that the distributer was messed up and had to get a new one. By the grace of God, there was a brand new distributor for a 1968 Ford 390 at an auto parts store in Fargo. With that addition, the car started, ran well, and got it's first road test by Al. We took it on the open highway shortly after and drove it about five miles to Al's house. Now, the next few steps will include getting the exhaust set up, getting a true transmission link, and getting the choke to work correctly. After that, we should be all set and ready to roll. I have high hopes of having the car running safely sometime this week, but we'll see, these things take time. We've been working on the Galaxie for over four weeks now, which is much longer than I had expected, but it's been worth it. Once again, I want to publically thank Al Berg, Breg Fergueson, and Russ Pfaff for their hard work and dedication to the project. Without them, the car wouldn't be as close to being road worthy as it is right now.

---

February 8, 2005

Christopher Hanson

The NFL Season is Over...

The Patriots did it again, winning their third Super Bowl in four years, and honestly, I was yawning at the end despite the close game. I didn't actually watch the game, I listened to it on the radio while I worked on my car with Al Berg (which you can read about a little more in the next entry). I didn't really have anything at stake for this years Super Bowl after my Broncos exited early during the Wild Card week, but I did pull for the Eagles to bring it home, which of course, they did not. However, they can't complain about their season, it was a good one, and they have plenty to build on for the 2005 season. Beseler, too, had nothing at stake, but I guess the big game was a good reason to have people over for a little party, which is always good. I wish I could've been there, but the car work was much more important this time around since I'm starting to get tired of bumming rides and walking all over the place. Anyhow, congratulations to the Patriots on their big win (again), and I now anxiously await the new season, which is a handful of months away...

The Galaxie is Coming Back...

After three full weekend of work, we were finally able to start the Galaxie. To say that the work was all done was a lie, though, there's still much to do. We started the whole process by getting an engine and transmission. Al Berg was able to find one through his many sources, this time it being one of Annika's family members. We towed the Galaxie out of my backyard and sent it out south of town to a shop that Al was able to get for the duration of our newest project. On our first weekend on the job, we unhooked everything we could find in the car and pulled the engine out. It took two days, but we did get that done. Russ Pfaff joined in on the project at that time. The following weekend, we lifted the new engine and dropped it into the car, which was quite the adventure. Getting an engine out is easy, getting it in is, well, not so easy. Brett Fergueson, a mechanic from the church that I play at came out to help at that point. He helped get the engine in and anylize what we needed to do next. We spent some time getting things matched up and hooked together again, and began the long process of finding new parts and mixing and matching old parts from the other engine. A couple of trips to the parts store took place, and we ordered and purchased everything we could. This past weekend, we hooked up everything we had, and started her up. It was probably the loudest thing I've ever heard before, but it did run, and we were pretty happy. Now, we have a few projects left to do, and with a little luck, we could have it running and on the road by next week. Stay tuned, we'll be offering rides in "The Phat Ride" soon...

Patents Farewell in the Making...

Keep your eyes open for a few gigs coming up from the original members of Patents Pending. With the upcoming summer of some people getting married and/or leaving town, the topic has come to mind of putting together a couple of shows together to send off some of our originals. There are two shows in the works at this time, one as a sendoff for the summer for the students of the music department- possibly an outdoor dance or something of the sort. That show would be an all-ages show. The other gig would take us back to where we started, at the Empire on Broadway. The first gig would take place May sometime, probably just before finals. The second would be in early June. Keep your eyes open, all the guys are really excited to play an originals show again, as we all seem to miss it more now than we ever did before.

---

January 24, 2005

Christopher Hanson

Goodbye, Johnny...

The world lost one of the finest talk show hosts and entertainers of all time yesterday. Johnny Carson passed away due to complications of emphysema. He was 79 years old. One of the best memories I have concerning my Grandmother was the nights that she would babysit me and my sister. We were always allowed to stay up a little later at night on Fridays when she was watching us, and I always remembered watching the opening monologue of The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and his sidekick, Ed McMahon. Grandma would always laugh at his jokes. I was too young to understand a lot of them, but in my later years, I would watch clips of his show and laugh quite a bit. Anyhow, he was a star in the late night talkshow kingdom, and he will be missed by many.

"And so it has come to this. I am one of the lucky people in the world. I found something that I always wanted to do and I have enjoyed every single minute of it..."
Johnny Carson, 1925-2005

Ruth Meberg Graces the Cover of The High Plains Reader...

I was thrilled to grab my weekly copy of The High Plains Reader on Sunday morning and see a cover with people I knew well on the front. Featured on the front page was a huge spread of the band Guitarmageddon, which is headed up by my friend, Ruth Meberg. She's also my roommates fiance, coincidentaly. Anyhow, the article inside gives everyone an inside look at Ruth's many accomplishments, her busy life, and information about her very good and artsy-creative band. I was excited to read the article even though I pretty much knew about everything in it. It's great to have a paper around like the HPR which showcases much of the youthful generation around the Fargo-Moorhead area. It's even cooler when we get to take an inside look at people who are doing something for the world and society on a very high level. To Ruth, congratulations on gracing the cover of the HPR, and I look forward to everything you do until you leave us for graduate school. Take care of my roommate, he needs all the help he can get!

Read about Ruth in the HPR...

January 17, 2005

Christopher Hanson

Check Ms. Beck Out in The Forum...

Sarah Beck made the headlines yesterday in The Fargo Forum. No, it wasn't in police blotter or anything like that, she was featured in a story about her new job in Bismarck as a lobbyist for NDSU concerning student affairs and such. I've known Sarah for some time since she came to school here. She's a former member of the Gold Star Marching Band, and has become a political friend of mine whom I respect deeply even though we often stand on opposite sides of the political spectrum. She's a very smart individual, and if you have the chance, you should read the article, located at http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=80684§ion=News. If this link doesn't work, just go to The Fargo Forum Site and type 'Sarah Beck' into the search box, and you'll get the article right away.

---

January 14, 2005

Christopher Hanson

Goodbye to a Jazz Great...

Artie Shaw, one of the finest jazz clarinet players of all time, passed away on December 30th at the age of 94. He was well known both as a performer and a bandleader, and was one of the first white directors to hire African-American musicians, a turning point in the early big band era. He's also remembered for his composition and arranging skills, which ranged from hard swinging charts to orchestral compositions which won over fans both on the jazz and the classical side of music. Artie Shaw was one of the last greats from the swing era to pass, and musicians in the jazz world will mourn his death for some time to come...

Randy Moss Does it Again...

Randy Moss did it again, didn't he? He's been fined yet one more time for acting like a six-year old. $10,000 bucks, which isn't really anything big for Moss. He made that perfectly clear by cussing away at a reporter who asked him, "You write the check yet?" Maybe it won't be such a big deal that T.O. is out of the Eagles/Vikings game this weekend, afterall, Randy Moss will be there. He's got enough antics to take care of that game.

Another Farewell- Jerry Orbach...

In my opinion, one of the finest TV shows of all time has been Law and Order. I'm not talking about all of the spinoffs of the original, I've always loved the first edition of the show which has always been put together by Dick Wolf. One of my favorite characters on the show was Detective Lennie Briscoe, who was played by Jerry Orbach. The sharp talking no-nonsense cop was a character that lasted for over seven years on the show, and was one of the most familiar faces to grace the screen during the TV shows long tenure. Orbach died of cancer on December 29th. There will always be fine memories of Orbach as a talented actor on television, in the movies (most notably in Dirty Dancing), and on the stage during his career that spanned over fourty years.

---

January 10, 2005

Christopher Hanson

An Album to Maybe Buy...

I saw a record on the release list this week that caught my eye, not so much for the bands current popularity status, but rather for the where it was performed and what for. Soul Asylum, a popular late 80's and early 90's rock band from the Cities came to Grand Forks Air Force Base to perform a show for the flood-raveged Grand Forks Central and Red River High School's join prom. Their schools were hit hard by the flood, and they had no place to hold their annual prom dance. The show was recorded, and was released as a live album by Soul Asylum, and it hit the stores today. You might remember the band for their most popular hit song in the 90's, Runaway Train, which the band used to raise awareness for missing children in America. Anyhow, I intend on grabbing the album simply for the fact that they gave to North Dakota during a very tough 1997 spring, and also because I liked that band a lot back when I was young. The least I can do is give back to the band for what they gave to the state of North Dakota and the city of Grand Forks.

In the Entertainment Section...

I opened up the Entertainment Section of the newspaper this morning, and what do I see? I see an article about Vince Neil, the front man of Motley Crue. He apparently got married. What was really interesting about the news, to me anyhow, was that not only did he get married at a hotel in Las Vegas, he was married by MC Hammer. No kidding. MC Hammer can preside over weddings, now? Remember when he was a millionaire selling a lot of records? Funny what fourteen years can do to your "musical career". Anyhow, the wedding was small, but did have a short guest list of washed-up people to include Dennis Rodman and all the old members of Motley Crue.

Thumbs Down to Dilworth...

Though I don't often go into any types of politics on this section, I do have to express a great deal of disgust toward two members of the Dilworth City Council who's votes blocked the establishment of a chemical dependancy center in the town that they represent. Deb Borstad, who established an identical clinic in Barnsville, received a permit from planning commision to go ahead with plans to put another clinic in Dilworth. When she took the plan to the council, it was defeated by a tie vote of 2-2. Barry Steen, one of the commision members, was asked by Borstad if he was voting no because he was afraid of the chemical dependancy stereotype the clinic would bring to the town, and he flat out told her, "yes". Though the chemical dependancy issue is a dark and somewhat ugly problem to deal with, I can't fathom just how Steen would simply turn his back on the problem. It's something people in Dilworth should think about at the next set of elections when his seat is up for a vote.

My Broncos are Done, Beseler's Vikings are Alive...

With the fantasy season done, Beseler and I turned to the playoffs to see how well our respective favorite teams would do after the grueling regular season. After the weekend came and gone, Beseler was able to celebrate while my Denver Broncos closed their season with an ugly loss for a second year in a row to the Colts in the Wild Card game. Whereas my team failed to generate offense while the defense took a four-quarter lunch break, Beseler's Vikings somehow managed to play a consistent offensive game while their defense held back the explosive Packers offense. Therefor, I will silently wish the worst for the Vikings as they head into their next game against the injury-stricken Eagles...

---

January 2, 2005

Aaron Beseler

An Obsession? Maybe...

I'm not sure who the guy is that came up with Fantasy Football in the first place, but that guy is a genius. I know that both Hanson and I have had quite a bit to say about our fantasy league this year, which may have seemed like an obsession to some readers. In truth, it perhaps is, but it's also an incredibly great way to follow football and gives guys another way to feel like they're involved in what a lot of people feel is the greatest sport in America right now. Not to mention the competition aspect of it. I know in my case it has been a great ride, going from 1-7 to 9-7 and in position to possibly win the fantasy football championship as I go up against friedo this week. Hanson's had a good year in the points scheme, wracking up the most points in our league, yet still not being able to break into the championship bracket in the playoffs as he fell into 5th place. Basically, no matter where the six of us have ended up in the rankings though, I know that we've all had some competitiveness flare up throughout the season (well, ok, maybe not Joel) and it's been a great recreation to follow on Sundays. For anybody who's into football it's a great way to enjoy the season, and for those who aren't, maybe it's a way to get into it.

College Football...

Keeping along the football line for now, I've been watching a lot of college football lately, as there have been so many games on in the last week and a half. There have been a lot of amazing games, especially in the last couple days as the bigger teams in the nation have squared off in their bowl games. I got to watch the Rose Bowl today as Michigan took on Texas, and it turned out to be a really exciting game with Texas pulling out the win in the last seconds of the game. Other good games included the Boise St.-Louisville matchup where Louisville ended Boise State's 22-game win streak, what was the current longest winning streak in the nation. Minnesota managed to hold off Alabama in the Music City Bowl, after giving up a safety in the last minutes to try and pin Alabama deep into their own territory. The Capital One Bowl was another figurative nail-biter as LSU hoped to hold of Iowa during their last drive. They had a 25-24 lead on Iowa with 46 seconds left in the game. Iowa started driving, but was on their own 44 yard line with 14 seconds left. One massive 56-yard bomb later, the game was over and Iowa had come from behind for an exciting finish. Finally, the Utah Utes finished their season and remained undefeated as they stomped on the Pittsburgh Panthers in the Fiesta Bowl. Personally I would have liked to see the Utes take on Auburn in the Sugar Bowl, especially after seeing the Fiesta Bowl. Utah was clearly a powerhouse team this year, soundly trouncing many Bowl-callibre teams throughout the season. If the Utes play as well next year as they did this year I see no reason why they shouldn't be a National Championship level team. There are two more Bowl games left this season, the Sugar Bowl (Auburn-Virginia Tech) and the Orange Bowl (USC-Oklahoma for the National Championship), and then we'll see how next year's BCS goes, especially as the AP has yanked their rankings from consideration for next year's polls, but that's another conversation...

Asian Tsunami hits hard...

I'm sure you all have seen or heard news coverage of the tsunami that has devastated so many areas of Asia. There have currently been more than 140,000 reported deaths in at least 10 countries associated with the most powerful earthquake in more than 40 years. The earthquake hit deep in the Indian Ocean and registered at 9.0 on the Richter Scale, with the largest aftershock of the earthquake registering at 7.3. There have been many efforts made to help with donations and relief aid for the victims of the disaster, as well as many countries throughout the world sending personnel and supplies. Japan has been a huge factor in building up aid and has currently offered $500 million in grant aid for the disaster-regions in Asia.

---

December 29, 2004

Christopher Hanson

Football Loses Another Hero...

Reggie White passed away a couple of days ago at the age of 43, which was a shock to the entire football community and to all fans of the sport. White was considered one of the finest defensive players of all time, and played with heart whenever he was on the field. He played for the Eagles, the Packers, and and the Panthers in his 15-year long career, in which he came out of retirement three times to play again. He is survived by his wife and two children, and the last time I heard, he passed away from a respiratory ailment that he had fought with for some time. The NFL and it's fans will most certainly miss the great Reggie White.

The Power of Words...

I purchased another book today, called The Best American Essays- 2003, which includes fine essay works from various authors from around the nation. It is these entries and thoughts that inspire me to someday be a writter of such proportions. I could not dream of producing works like those, but as I do more writting, I continue to look within myself, inspired by these works. One of the essays in this new book that jumped right out at me and moved me nearly to tears was an essay by Cheryl Strayed, called The Love of My Life. It was a true description of love, pain, thought, and more expressed in words that painted an emotional picture of someone who had truly loved and hurt like no one I had ever known. Her words produced a visual in my mind that I could picture as if I had known that person all of my life. The essay is about a young woman who is newly married and has everything in her life until the day her mother dies from cancer. The essay describes the pain of being unable to let go her need to have her mother in her life, while describing how this unbearable aspect affects everything in her world. It was like nothing I had ever read, and I enjoyed it completely. I read it three times because I truly felt I had read a masterpiece- pictures of places and people that I had never seen, but felt like I had known for some time. The Love of My Life is by far one of the most moving things I've ever read, and I wish I could describe to you what it felt like to read this essay. (The link gives you only the first portion of her essay, though, please keep in mind...) I think the only way you could understand is if you read if for your yourself...

Will the Vikings Blow it Again?

The Vikings somehow managed to lose the game on Friday against the Green Bay Packers. I have to admit that normally, I wouldn't be surprised, but what in the world happened out there? Anyhow, because the Eagles lost, the Vikings need to win this coming weekend to get into the playoffs. It almost seemed like a gimmie last week when the sports cats were talking about the Vikings getting into the playoffs. Now, who knows? Remember Minnesota getting beat last year on week 17 by one of the worst teams in the league- Arizona? The Vikings come into a game with much on the line- they must win. They will be playing the Washington Redskins, who have a respectable defense, which will have it's hands full against Daunte and his crew. But, can the Minnesota defense step up and hold of a somewhat weak offense. I think they probably could hold them off, but then again, nothing is ever certain when it comes to the Minnesota Vikings...

---

December 22, 2004

Christopher Hanson

Funny Stuff on the Radio...

As I was driving home from work on Tuesday morning, I heard a really funny story in the news. I don't know if you would call this news or not, but I guess the main point is that it was really funny, and I almost crashed my car before I was laughing so hard (or was it because I barely have any brakes left, you be the judge...) Anyhow, the story was about a newly married couple that were flying home last week for the holidays. They got a little frisky once the long flight got in the air, and decided to attempt to join the "mile-high club". They went into the restroom and, well, cranked it up for lack of a better way of putting it. A flight attendant noticed that the bathroom had been occupied for about 15 minutes, and went to check on the situation. She could hear the couple going to town in there, so she opened the door and told them they needed to stop getting it on and get back to their seats. The embarassed couple got dressed and walked out of the bathroom as the entire population of the flight began giving the couple a wild round of applause. As the woman sat down in her seat, and old lady who was sitting next to her said, "You know, darling, it's not Christmas yet...but it looks like you got your stuffing already..." Priceless humor as far as I'm concerned, folks...

Person of the Year?

Has anyone looked at this weeks Time magazine? Each and every year, they do a "Person of the Year" right around this time. Well, guess who got the "honor" this time around? Yup- President George W. Bush. I'm not kidding. I almost fell out of my chair. The only thing I could utter for about ten minutes was, "How?" Now, I know that 55% of the nation voted for this dude, but there's 45% of the population who are ready to hide in caves for the next four years to sheild themselves from the next four years worth of crap that will be coming out of W's mouth. 55% is not an overwhelming number when you're dealing with the millions of people in the USA. Anyhow, Bush got person of the year? We should've given it to Saddam Hussein. It would've been about as accurate.

Beseler and His Joyous Comeback...

The end of the regular season is over for the Fantasy Football world, and in my world, things are a little grim, while Beseler is rejoicing. Actually, he has reason to do so. At one point during the season, he was in last place in our league. Today, he's sitting comfortably in 2nd place, while myself- the points leader of the league, I'm in second to last place. I can't believe it. While the other four teams will be battling for the championship in the next two weeks, I have to take a bye on week 16 and play for 5th place in the consolation round against Joel Thompson's team. Joel formed his team in August, and basically didn't attempt to better his team all season. This is my "competition". I can't wait. Anyhow, Beseler can also rejoice at the fact this his NFL football team, no matter how pathetic I think they are, will more than likely be going to the playoffs. The Vikings pulled a lucky one out on Sunday, and are looking good to make the playoffs, and possibly even win their division. My Denver Broncos, on the other hand, showed that they have no business even thinking about the playoffs (and don't worry, they've been eliminated from the chance) this year. They took one of the worst beatings of the year against the defenseless Kansas City Chiefs. I don't care if anyone makes fun of me, I'll join in when it comes to saying that Denver blew it this season.

Happy Belated Birthday...

Sara Egge turned the big two-one this past Friday night. Though I was there to see it happen, I realized that I had not made an announcement on the site. Turning old enough to hang out at the bar is a big deal to me since that's where I hang out with most of my friends anymore- at a bar. Anyhow, welcome to the club, my friend. You can see me on my nights off at Lauerman's. You'll know where that is in a few days...

---

December 16, 2004

Christopher Hanson

Have a Good Vacation...

Most of you are now done with finals, and a good handful of you have probably already departed for home. This is just an entry to wish you all a good holiday season and a relaxing vacation. I know that I'll enjoy a few days off myself back at home before heading into a long stretch of National Guard. I have seven days of Annual Training coming up, which should be exciting as ever. Anyhow, get refreshed, and come back ready to crank things up. For those of you in the music world, jazz festival is the first big event, followed by tour to Chicago, which should be quite a bit of fun. I'm most certainly looking forward to St. Patrick's Day, how about you?

Matt Rusten in the Fargo Forum

I was surprised to open up the Fargo Forum hot off the presses and see Matt Rusten in the opinion section. For those of you who don't know Rusten, he was a trumpet player and music major at NDSU. He was one of our finest trumpet soloists in jazz ensemble, and one of the most animated people in the performing groups. Anyhow, he wrote an opinion article in response to someone's oddly-written editorial about how one could associate Christians with the Taliban, which I have to agree with Matt- it's kind of a stretch. Anyhow, though I would be hard-pressed to say that I agree with everything Matt says, I will say that his opinion article is very well written and eloquantly stated, and whether I agree with any of it or not, it's a well educated piece that he should be proud of. Click here to read his opinion article.

Happy Birthday...

A belated happy birthday to Aaron Chapman, who apparently turned 21 last weekend. I wish I would've known about that, he deserves a shot from me. I did get him a beer at Lauerman's on Tuesday night, though, and I think that may have made up for it. I also made him eat a pickled egg, which I don't think say too well with him. For all those virgins in the world who haven't tried a pickled egg at Lauerman's, though, the first time can be a little rough. Anyhow, I seem to have strayed away from the topic that matters- happy 21st birthday, Chapman. Now, get your ass back in school- we need a bass bone player in concert band...

---

December 13, 2004

Christopher Hanson

The Pat Thiel Show...

I was quite impressed with Pat Thiel over the last week and half or so- so impressed that I thought I would mention him on the site a little bit. He volunteered to play a couple different concerts that he's not normally involved in (brass quintet and ensemble for Emily, who had dental work done, wind ensemble, where we needed a fourth bone player, and Madrigal Dinners, where my quintet was lacking a player one night). He did really good work in all three cases, and I was impressed that he stepped in and helped out while he was in the middle of a busy concert season himself. Then, this past Friday night, he also sang the National Anthem at a Bison basketball game. I listened to it on the radio, actually, and he did a really fine job. Pat Thiel, you're my hero for the week.

Cold, Cold, Cold...

It's getting really cold now, in addition to the snow that keeps falling on us. Yesterday, we got our first real taste of bitter cold conditions when the wind came up to between 20-40 mph. I was not impressed. The wind created a lot of icy roads, and my car hates that. In addition to that, it brought our wind chills into the negatives, which I also dislike quite a bit. Good news for today- the sun will shine. Bad news- it will only reach about 17 degrees. Winter is here, and we better all learn to love it...now.

Second Semester Jazz Band...

The much anticipated second semester jazz ensemble auditions have come and gone, and things are going to be changing quite a bit in some sections. The saxophones realigned with the departure of Eddie Schwind from the lead alto spot. The newest lead alto is now one Jessy Klimpel, who showed us during auditions that he had a good solid beefy sound, coupled with some surprising solo chops on the horn he doesn't play too often. I guess he better get used to it, now. Also, Matt Salzer made the move from bari to 2nd alto. Wittkop was the only person to stay on his own part, which is of course lead tenor. Emily Bair jumped from 2nd alto to 2nd tenor, while Steph Plante is returning once again to her familiar spot anchoring the saxes down on bari. Dan Johnson bid us farewell, and as anticipated, Scott Fisher took over the spot. In a surprise selection for the 2nd spot, Justin Gronfur reemerged on the jazz band scene after a year-long absense. Brandon, Tanya, and Jesse returned in succesive spots. The only other change was that Cullen Bachmeier was selected for his first term in the jazz ensemble, taking over the 4th trombone spot. I rythem section is pretty much the same with the exception of Cody, who chose not to re-audition for the ensemble.

---

December 10, 2004

Christopher Hanson

Passing of a Musical Ledgend...

I was greeted today with the sad news that another fine wind literature hero passed away this week. Frederick Fennell died on the 7th of December from natural causes, and will be missed by the band world. His innovative efforts in the wind and band world have propelled it's style and form of music to new levels over the past fifty years. His distinct conducting style and fire for all music will be missed by many. However, his contributions to the world of music will not be forgotten.

Who Would've Thought?

I find it sort of humerous that in the midst of all of this steroid contreversy, people in the sports world are acting like it was a surprise that Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi used drugs to pump themselves up. Look at these guys? They're hitting 3,256 home runs a year! They're huge. And then, how is it that the Major League Baseball Players Union is resisting more routine steroid testing during the season and off-season? This is pretty much another reason I don't follow baseball anymore. They're overpaid, and they're drugged up, and don't want to get caught doing it. America's pastime? I think I'll stick with football, friends...

Finals...

It's that time of the year again when everyone gets stressed out about finals. I certainly want to wish you all luck when it comes to those crazy final tests. I know a lot of people who only have one or two, then I also know people like Sara Egge who apparently have four-hundred final exams. Anyhow, no matter how many you may have, good luck, and keep looking forward to the upcoming vacation- it's not that far away anymore...

They Passed...

I'm happy to report that two of my favorite guitar players in town have passed their piano proficiancy tests, and will graduate either this winter or next spring. Ryan Sather completed the task, and will only have to get a 60% on his psychology test to get out of here. Tim Stine needs to pass one more jury on guitar and play one final recital before grabbing up his second music degree. I know both were stressing about the piano test, Tim in particular. But, both have apparently done their homework and taken care of business, and it'll be on to bigger and better things by the end of this school year for both of them...

---

December 3, 2004

Christopher Hanson

Finally...

And so the finally the day came when our beloved friend and my roommate, Tim, proposed to one Ruth. On Wednesday night, Tim finally put into play his unique and interesting way of proposing. He placed an engagement ring into a soft fabric bag and hid it under the low Eb hammer of a piano. From what I understand, he tried playing piano and the Eb wouldn't sound. Ruth looked inside the piano and found the bag. He then went down on one knee and did the deed. And, that's all she wrote- she said yes, and everyone is happy. I'm glad that he finally did it, the suspense was killing some of us, and it was great to finally get the confirmed news around midnight last night. To add to the fun of it all, Tim has asked me to be a part of the wedding party, which I look quite forward to. No official date for the wedding yet, but keep posted, I would assume it isn't too far off down the road...

Along the Same Lines...

Also, other good news came down the wire on Monday night earlier this week with the announcment via phone from my good friend Jenn Braus up in Grand Forks. It turns out that she, too, is now newly engaged to her boyfriend of some time, Adam. A wedding sometime in the next year and half is to be planned, and the girl that no one could get is finally...well, gotten. It's great news to hear about this, capping off her succesful turn into a music teacher following graduation from NDSU.

Ooops, KNDS...

Not sure if any of you were listening to 105.9 on your FM dial last night, but around 10:30 or so, they made a big error in playing a song by a local band that featured the biggest no-no word of them all- an f-bomb. It came during the High Plans Reader's radio show, High Plains Radio. They were featuring some music and interviews with local bands, and while they were interviewing a fellow, they had some "technical difficulties". During the interview, some music came playing over the air, which oddly enough I recognized as a tune by the local band Guitarmageddon, which had the line, "I don't a f*!& about you". The radio show host immedately got the music off, and did a pretty good job of playing the whole incident off. Anyhow, there was probably no harm, no foul, but it was amusing to hear it happen. Just by coincidence, I really like that song quite a bit, and I've heard it a handful of times live in Fargo and Moorhead.

There's Hope...

According to an article in the Fargo Forum today via the associated press, a poll shows that 25% of all women are waiting to get married. The average age that women are getting married or are planning to get married is 32-35 years of age. Of course, this was great news to Beseler and I- there's hope for us out there. The numbers speak for themselves...

---

November 29, 2004

Aaron Beseler

The Day After Thanksgiving...What the $(#)!!!

Ok, so I've never been a big shopping person, anyone who knows me knows that. However; if I have to go shopping, which I do a few different times a year, there are certain guidelines that I made for myself. I try to go to the store with certain items in mind or at least people that I need to find something for so as to minimize the time I need to spend there. I also try to go shopping at times that I believe most people would never be there, so obviously, I NEVER, EVER go shopping on the day after Thanksgiving. I don't understand the obsessiveness that people feel on that ominous day in the year. There are people who sit there, chomping at the bit, for stores to open their doors so they can go running in and grab the items they want before the other insane people can. I even heard that Kohl's had one of their doors damaged as a result of people shoving their way into the store upon opening. Are people really that desperate to get these "unbelievable deals" that they feel the need to push and shove others and even damage property in order to obtain that new sweater or pair of jeans? Apparently so. Now let's look at the deals that people rush to get. A Cyberhome DVD player for example that is a shoddy piece of equipment that won't read a DVD if it has the smallest smudge or scratch on it, but because you can get it for $10 it must be great, right? Now I'm not saying you can't get a good deal on some items during the "Day After" sales, but my personal take on it is that it would be better to pay an extra $20 for a gift on a nice slow day than to brave the tumultuous hordes that are out and about this last weekend. After all, 90% of the time when you go to find something on that day, it won't be there by the time you are anyway. So relax with friends and family, play some cards, eat too much leftover food, and avoid losing brain cells by staying in home, safely away from the chaos.

NDSU Basketball

Well, another season of NDSU basketball is upon us, so how will this first year in Division I go? Well, as far as the women have shown us, they're doing fine with their schedule as they remained undefeated this weekend and won the Texas A&M-Kingsville Turkey Day Shootout. They next take on Mesa State and Wingate this coming Friday and Saturday here in Fargo, so come out and watch them improve their record further. Now the men's team, on the other hand, looks to be just as big a disappointment as they have been nearly every year I've been here. They're currently 1-3 on the year, but they do have some simple games coming up this year, so if they can't win those we have some serious troubles ahead of us in DI Basketball.

Snow Football

In a slight relation to basketball season coming into full swing, we are also seeing the beginning of winter. As I was working Thanksgiving morning at the video store, it began to lightly snow, signifying that our nice, comfortable days will become fewer and fewer. Of course this means that things such as motorcycle riding are done, but it heralds the coming of one of the best things about winter, snow football. Snow football is a winter sport that I first took part in during my sophomore year of college, back in the days when friedo and Barry Pedersen threw great parties and we all played football after most pep band games. Of course, Barry would make you suffer for playing against him, but that was part of the fun as well. So hopefully we can resurrect this great recreation this year.

---

November 28, 2004

Christopher Hanson

105.9...Any Improvement in Sight?

I've given that station a chance, I really have. KNDS is a limited-range FM station that the FCC gave a special license to. I don't know if they have Mass Comm people running the station, but it most certainly doesn't seem like it. Have you listened to this station at all? When they first came on the air about two months ago, I wasn't impressed, but I was willing to chalk it up to the idea that the station was new and so were the people that were DJ'ing the station. However, whenever I tune in now days, I find that not much has changed. There are all sorts of miscues during the live programs, space between songs, and other problems that start with not being able to speak smoothly at all. There was even a time when whoever was DJ'ing had no idea how to start a song. So, instead, he tried to talk his way through the space of time that it would take to get someone in there who knew what they were doing. He stumbled and tripped all over the place, and if I was someone in charge of that station, I would've been kind of embarassed. On the upper side for them, however, they play some really good independent and local artists, which is fresh, and often makes up for their mistakes. Hopefully their errors and mistakes will begin to skim out in the near future, however. It takes away from what could be really quite the local radio station.

Concordia Ends Their Football Season...

Though I am a Bison fan until my dying days, I have to admit that I took much pleasure in seeing our other college, Concordia, having such a great season in Division III football. They pushed their way through an undefeated season, and worked their way through two stages of the national playoffs before finally losing a heart breaker to Occidental (California) College on Saturday. The game was pretty wild, where the teams scored a combined total of 82 points on well over 800 yards of offense. The Cobbers came back from a two touchdown deficit after the half to tie things up, and the score just ran itself from there. It was a dream-of-a-season for Concordia, and I think they should get a well-deserved pat on the back for a job well done during their great football season.

I Love You, Katie...

To Katie at Lauerman's, I've decided to pledge my love for you in public on Hanson and Beseler Online. Not only do you come to my regular table at Lauerman's and refill my beer with a smile, you are one of the prettiest barmaids I have ever seen. Please, please, please, you should marry me! For the love of God, please consider my plea...(this isn't pathetic, is it?)

Winter is Coming...

The first signs of winter are finally here. The temps have managed to stay below freezing for a couple of days, and the snow finally came and somewhat stayed, although it may go away for a few days later this week when the temps jump back up toward 40 or so. However, it will be short lived, and it's only a matter of time before the true signs of winter will come upon us, and it will stay with us for a few months. I guess I can handle that. A white Christmas is always nice. But, we were spoiled coming into November, and I wonder what kind of "gift" old man winter will have in store for us in a just a handful of weeks.

UND Fargo?

The new UND-Fargo Center is opening officially on Monday, which, to me, is just simply hogwash in it's finest sense. A UND campus here in Fargo? Wasn't it enough that UND has a medical center at the VA Hospital? I was willing to accept that, heck, as a veteran, I was even willing to go there and be treated every now and then. But, this new Fargo Center will feature 18 degree programs? I don't like the idea of UND having anything other than their medical school here in Fargo, but I guess there's not much I can really do about it, is there? My yellow and green blood runs too thick to be happy, but what can we do? I'm being pompous. So should the other 12,000 NDSU students around here...

---

November 22, 2004

Christopher Hanson

A Close to Another Marching Band Season...

With the end of the marching band concert on Sunday, we penned the final touches on the 2004 marching band season. I must admit that this was one of my favorites in some respects, while it was sort of different in other ways. This was my first time in front of the band as a drum major, and if I was to give myself a grade, I'd give it a B- or somewhere in there. I made some mistakes in front of the band that really made me feel kind of stupid, but also accomplished a lot with the quality of music and my writting of stand shorts and the Billy Joel show. I thought this years band was one of the finest playing groups I had ever been a part of. The sound was always big but not usually sloppy, and it was neat to be on the ladder to hear most of it. Attitudes seemed to stay in check most of the year, and there wasn't nearly as much drama as usual, although to say there was none would be a big fat lie. The rookie crop was really quite impressive this year, and I most certainly hope that most or all of them consider coming back next fall. Personally, I want to send thanks out to the section leaders, my fellow rookie DM Emily and the veteran DM Chris Neu who kept us in the loop on all matters while being a drum major. Thanks to Dr. Olfert for keeping things pretty much organized and on track, thanks for the officers for keeping the ball rolling smoothly for the most part, and thanks to the folks that worked on the student show with me (Beseler, Chris Neu, EO, Tanya, and Boeser). Thanks to the band for keeping the bar set high, and thanks to John Rogstad and Drucker/Aaron/Frank for the select parties. My biggest regret was not having the house this year after three outstanding seasons of hosting post-game festivities, but thanks for you guys for doing what you could to continue the social traditions. Anyhow, I don't know for certain whether I'll be back or not for another season, but this year made me want to do just that. We'll see what happens...

Steve Walker for President...

The Bison football season came to a close a couple of weeks ago with a huge victory over UC-Davis, which seemed like a good payback for how things went last year with that team. The Bison finished up 8-3, and got a huge pat on the back by being ranked in the national polls, debuting at #24 to close the season. That's not bad for their first season in the big time. Next year looks to be a more of a challenge with Montana apparently penned down to come out here to the Dome next fall. Anyhow, hats off to the team for playing well. A potent offense along with a tough defense showed that they could compete in Division I football. We bid farewell to Tony Staus, who did well during his time here at NDSU, but I look forward to Steve Walker taking over as starting QB next August. The redshirt freshman looked really, really good in his three games as a started at the end of the season, and if he was ever nervous on the field, he didn't show it from what I could see. He's a good player, and he's going to be a key part of the Bison offense over the next few years. I look forward to seeing more headlines on that kid during the 2005 season...

Issue 963...

The newest issue of Rolling Stone is fresh off the news stands, and this time around, they feature the Top 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. I was impressed with the listing, which gave top billing to Bob Dylan. It featured plenty of songs that I've enjoyed over time. I noted the tunes in there that Patents Pending had done in their tenure of covering tunes in Fargo, and was impressed by the numbers: I Will Survive (489), Kiss (461), The Twist (451), I Shot the Sheriff (443), Mustang Sally (434), Piano Man (421), Sweet Home Alabama (398), Ain't No Sunshine (280), Rocket Man (242), Moondance (226), Come Together (202), Knockin' on Heaven's Door (190), The Thrill is Gone (183), Brown Eyed Girl (109), I Got You (78), Superstition (74), and Hotel California (49). Of course, there were tunes we did in marching band, too: Desperado (494), White Rabbit (478), Mustang Sally (434), Everybody Needs Somebody to Love(429), Smoke on the Water (426), Piano Man (421), Gimme Some Lovin' (244), Eleanor Rigby (137), I Got You (78), Hotel California (49), and Respect (5).

Happy Thanksgiving...

The semester is winding down now, and you can always well once we get done with Thanksgiving. It's been a good run so far, and I'm sure everyone is looking forward to getting out of here for a few days with the holiday coming up. I'll be staying here in town to work, choosing to take Christmas off instead so that I can see my sister. Anyhow, enjoy your holiday, and get some rest since the next big event to be coming up on you will be final exams at the end of the semester...

---

November 4, 2004

Christopher Hanson

The Elections Have Come and Gone...

Well, another general election has come and gone, and I have to admit that I'm incredibly disappointed with the results of many of the races. I was happy to see that Dorgan and Pomeroy easily won their seats back easily over their Republican opponents, but that's about where my joy for the results of the elections ends. George W. Bush was a huge disappointment to me, right along with the gain in seats in both the house and senate for the Republicans. I was also dismayed to see that the Gay Marriage Amendment passing so easily and freely in all states it was proposed. This was probably one of the most unenjoyable elections I have ever been a part of since I became legal to vote ten years ago. But, that's how it works. We vote, and the people speak. I voted, and that gives me the right to complain away for the next four years, though!

A Big Bison Win...

I was glad to be in the Fargodome this past Saturday as the Bison made some big news by defeating the then 15th ranked Northwestern University (Louisiana) Demons. The Demons boasted one of the finest defenses in the Division I-AA football, and they showed it in the first half of the game, holding the Bison to only 52 yards and 7 points. But, in the second half, Coach Bohl's players came out with a new fire and lit things up, scoring unanswered the entire second half. The victory sparked some new flame into the Bison, which nearly made it's debut into the top 25 this week, only a handful of points behind the 25th spot. It was a big win for the fans during the Harvest Bowl, which was NDSU's final home game before the Bison head on the road to Weber State and UC-Davis to close the season. Two big wins to finish it out would almost guarantee the Bison a spot in the final top 25. Keep your fingers crossed, folks...

The Student Show, Take Two...

With little time to get things ready, the Gold Star Band did a fine job preparing for the final show of the season. The music was arranged by myself, and the drill was done up by Erin Ott, Tanya Matthies, Matt Boeser, Chris Neu, and Aaron Beseler. I learned a lot from my last marching band project last year, and managed to write a better arrangement that made more sense and was easier to march to than my previous attempt. The drill was skillfully and thoughtfully written, and I really enjoyed watching it on tape. A lot of credit needs to be given to those cats who created the show on the field. It takes time and thought to make those things happen, and I'm amazed each time I see students do that sort of thing. Of course, credit must overall be given to the members of the band for executing the drill and learning it quickly. So, Beseler and I salute the band for doing a fine job with the show and for working hard all season, we appreciate it as the old guys in the band who have seen how these things all work out.

---

October 24, 2004
Christopher Hanson

Another Tough One to Swallow...

I'm starting to get just a little tired of seeing the Bison hang on for dear life in a football game, then somehow blow it under pressure due to bad miscues and mistakes when their best play counts the most. Now, I know I'm not out there and I'm not on the field making these plays, so I can't speak smartly for how it feels to be under that pressure. However, the Bison football team has showed us during this year that they are indeed a very talented tem that has the skill and drive to win. Seeing Staus toss an interception to the left when he had a wide open Allen Burrell downfield was almost painful to see. It was almost as painful as watching the Bison botch a potential game-winning 20-year field goal attempt due to a bad snap with seconds left in the Northern Colorado game. It also looks a lot like the Bison going offsides on a South Dakota State 4th down situation that gave them an automatic first down that would end up being the same set of downs that gave them a win. Yeah, I covered all of our losses in one paragraph. Do you realize we've lost those three games by a combined eight points? It's tough. I love the Bison football team and I know they're great players, but we need them to play 60 minutes to concentrated good football. A win at the final home game this coming Saturday against a ranked opponent (this one being Northwestern) would be a great way to end the home season for the Bison and it's fans.

Fantasy Football...

Last weekend, I managed to win my second fantasy football game this season over Joel Thompson. My team, the Amazin' Asians, are now 2-4 on the season. Only one team is lagging behind mine, and that's Beseler's team, the Pschizos, who are at 1-5 so far. This week, I was hoping my team would do well. I'm playing the second ranked team in our league, the Radicals, who are 4-2 and piloted by Ryan Fried. As of the moment, it looks like we're about even after most of the games for the day have finished. However, I have several players playing on Monday night for Denver, so I can pray that they seal the deal for me. I'd love nothing more than to beat a good team and move up in the standings. As for Beseler, who knows? No matter who he puts in, he seems to have hard luck. We'll see how our teams do...

A Good Weekend...

The weekend was actually pretty fun overall. My good buddy John Fred came into town from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He's down there doing a clerkship with a federal judge, and decided to come up for the weekend. Also, just for the record, John just found out that he passed the Virginia bar, and is officially a lawyer, now. Anyhow, he came out and we enjoyed a couple of beers down at Lauerman's before retreaing back to the house. We just hung out there and visited with Ruth and Tim for a while. Saturday featured the football game, then a trip to Coaches and the Empire. The night ended with a small get together at my place. Today, he took off and went back to South Dakota after brunch. The weekend was pretty good overall, and now I prepare for yet another long week which will feature putting the Billy Joel show on the field, Dr. Mack's wedding, and the final home game of the season at the Dome. Things never slow down around here...

---

October 18, 2004
Christopher Hanson

The Get Lei'd Party...

I have to say that this years Get Lei'd Party was yet another success in my eyes. Though it was a new version of the old traditional post-homecoming party, I think the transition into a dance was a very good one. A handful of the original members of Patents Pending formed together to put on a show that I don't think I'll be forgetting for a while. It all took place at the south room of Billiards on Broadway, where about 120 past and present members of the Gold Star Band, along with a few friends and such, formed up and danced for over three hours. Most everyone showed up in the normal traditional garb- lots of Hawaiian shirts and swimwear, which was all good. The band played all of it's old favorites, along with a few other songs we hadn't done in the past. The room filled up, and things got hot, but the dancing never did subside. All in all, I had a great time playing for all of those cats, and I most certainly hope that they all had a good time, too. Another Get Lei'd Party in the books, another one for my memory...

The Bison Win at Home...

It was good to see the Bison come home to Fargo and take care of business North Dakota State-style with a win over Southern Utah. Though Southern Utah came to town with just a 2-3 record, one should not have overlooked their tough and talented football team. However, the Bison used an early surge of power to take the lead and never look book. S. Utah made a run at a comeback in the second half, but never recovered from their five turnovers, and the Bison recorded it's first victory in their new conference. The Bison improved to 5-2 going into a huge conference game this weekend against Cal-Poly, who are undefeated to this point in the season. They bring a tough defensive scheme against the potent NDSU offense. It's going to be quite a game.

105.9...

Has anyone been listening to the new NDSU radio station on 105.9? The station began operations early last week, and broadcasts a variety of music and talk radio, along with sports play-by-play. I've had a chance to listen to some of their stuff. A few observations- first of all, I'm not sure who's picking the music, but most of it reminds me of listening to mainstream radio when I was in high school. I've caught Blister in the Sun and Jeremy three times a piece since putting it on memory on my car stereo. Their morning talk show is pretty dry and uncreative with lots of "ummm's" all over the place. It's not smooth, funny, or interesting. I haven't heard any of the sports stuff yet, but if it's anything like their talk radio, it couldn't be very good. However, in their defense, this station is a new experiance for them, and they are students and the best way to learn how to do things is to jump in there and just get used to doing it. I look forward to hearing more Thunder Radio in about two months when everyone is actually ready to run a radio station there.

Homecoming is Finally Over...

It feels like every year, I end up doing more and more for the NDSU Homecoming week then the previous year. This past week, I managed to be a part of an evening pep rally put on by Campus Attractions, a Blue Key show, a luncheon for Team Makers, a Homecing "Hoedown" Dance, a parade, another pep rally, a football game, and a post-homecoming dance. Talk about a lot of stuff going on in six days. The CA pep rally was fun, though it was at a really inconveniant time for me- the guy who works at 11:00pm (the pep rally was at 8:00). The Blue Key show was alright except we didn't play until almost 7:50 and we had to wear uniforms, but it's always kind of a fun performance to do. The Homecoming "Hoedown" Dance was interesting, I guess. The band, which was comprised mostly of people who had never played country before, played pretty well. Sadly, we saw maybe 45 people at that 3-hour show. On the neat side, I think they all liked us for the most part, and we got the honor of having a very, very pretty young lady coming up to sing When You Say Nothing at All. Her name was Jackie. Also, it was cool to see Robin Child's mom there, even though it was from a distance and only for three minutes. I thought it was funny that she showed up to hear me sing Copperhead Road, which is about selling moonshine during prohibition, killing innocent people in Vietnam, and growing lots and lots of weed in the modern day. Thanks for stopping nonetheless. Cathy is cool. Anyhow, getting back on the subject again, the parade was really, really cold. I did get to ride on a trailor with Sara Dau, though. We kept each other warm while catching up and visiting, which was nice. The game was interesting with some injuries and such to key band members, but it happens. The Get Lei'd Dance was great, and of course, you probably already read about that in the entry above. At any rate, these things are fun, but it's so much to do, and it tires you out. However, I still look forward to next year's homecoming...

Jordan Knight is Coming to Fargo...

I was frozen with fear when I saw in the High Plains Reader that former NKOB (that's New Kids on the Block for those of you who weren't born yet when they released their painfully bad albums) member. Now, I remember seeing this guy 15 odd years ago on TV all of the time. I also remember seeing him and his repulsive band plastered on every young girl's t-shirt, too. I can somehow picture him now in an older state dancing around like he and his band used to do, and it scares me. He's playing at the new House of Rock at Playmakers, and I'm scared to death to if anyone actually goes to see him. Let's hope not.

---

October 11, 2004
Christopher Hanson

Another Heartbreaker on the Road...

Once again, we were dealt another hard knock on the road with the NDSU Bison football team. The Bison took a loss in Brookings against SDSU, and the band was there with them to the end. Though the Bison didn't play their best football that evening, the turning point of the game was an awful pass interference call against Scott Walter late in the fourth quarter. I don't know where the refs learned how to officiate a game, but it obviously wasn't apparent they knew what they were doing when the signaled an incomplete pass, and then tossed a flag. The call came on a wild lob pass by SDSU quarterback Brad Nelson into the end zone.

The Bison were dealt a difficult blow not only in the fact that this was the first game of the new rivalry for NDSU, but also in the fact that the loss pretty much wiped out any chance of them topping the newly formed Great West Football Conference. Many of us bled yellow and green with our beloved football team, and we look forward to a good game coming up back at home in the Dome this coming Saturday for Homecoming.

On the Road with the Gold Star Marching Band...

The road trip to SDSU was a pretty fun one as always despite the loss at the football game. I had the privilage of riding in bus #2 this year where I got to see and visit with a handful of the rookie members I had only seen from the ladder until now. I have to tell you, this is a pretty neat bunch of people in this years band. Most notably, I was entertained by short stints of humor and singing from first-year snare player Lora Slabodnik. I admit that I was probably in one of the most angry moods after departing Brookings after the big loss, and pulling a smile out of me might've almost been impossible at that point, but she was doing some silly singing thing, and it was the first thing to pull me out of my mood. I even offered to pay her to keep doing it. She politely declined. Ashley Kringle jumped in and played some carts with the old guys (me and Beseler). Also, I got a kick out of seeing some of our members paint up for the game. Veterans Dan Johnson, Matt Drucker, and Aaron Beseler hatched the idea, and pulled in 2nd year drum line member Jenny Grady and freshman baritone player Brian Lapham into the act. Mike Lehman was full of jokes, as were his counterparts Matt Larson and Brad Baltrusch, although their form of humor wasn't really my type (talk to people who were sitting in the rear of bus #2). My roomies for the trip were Beseler along with Brian Kirchoff and Matt Boeser. Beseler and I, along with Jenny Thompson kept those two entertained for half of the night. Whether they wanted that or not, I couldn't say. Megan Dickey and Madeline Steffenson stopped by for a little bit, and a traveling party featuring Drucker, Frank Clemens, Amanda Leingang, and others dropped in for a short visit as well. Overall, it was a good time despite the defeat, but band trips always seem to be fun, after all. It's a good bunch, what would I do without my band?

---

October 7, 2004
Christopher Hanson

The Bisonville Message Board...

A handful of us have been paying attention to this message board for a while, and I think it's worthwhile to point out it's existance to everyone in the band, especially the rookies. The particualar thread of the message board I'm speaking most strongly about is a thread that was started after the South Dakota State University marching band (The Pride) made a visit to NDSU in September of 2003. The first post was from a Bison fan who took some time to sing the praises of SDSU's marching band and knock on the Gold Star Marching Band for not being as loud or large as SDSU's band (SDSU carries well over 250 members). The statement that really heated things up was "I gotta say that you guys are a fine bunch (the SDSU fans and band). I can say I am proud to be your brother in the march up to better futures. But I have just one question- can we borrow your band? Ours sucks compared to the Pride."

Anyhow, this person got pretty defensive when replies started rolling in about his comments. For some reason, he just couldn't understand why 100 members of the Gold Star Band were a little miffed by the whole deal. Some GSMB members got into the debate (myself, Tanya Matthies, and Zach Steele to name just a few), as well as some SDSU fans and bandmembers. The thread has been posted on quite a bit over the last year, and is still being posted on this month (someone posted yesterday, as a matter of fact). Anyhow, be sure to check that message board out every now and then, I get e-mail notifications when someone writes on it. Just click on this link and read away. Register as a member and post if you like. I encourage you all to do so.

Pay Respect to the Man Who "Couldn't Get Any Respect"

One the funniest actors and comedians of all time passed away October 5th at the age of 82. He was best known as an actor in a large number of movies, most notably to myself, the Caddyshack flicks, which were all very funny. His jokes were always simple, but yet funny. By far, the one that always sticks with me is his famous, "When I was born, I was so ugly that the doctors slapped my mother..." It is a sad day for comedy with the passing of this talented and long-lasting comedian. For more on Rodney Dangerfield, go to his official website.

Anti-Semitic Graffiti

Shame on the people who have been committing vandalism on or near the NDSU campus. There have been three or more cases in the past week or so where either racist or Anti-Semitic messages have been left, either in the form of writting on the sidewalks or stickers on benches. In the past, other people have left posters or leaflets with racist writtings on them in school bathrooms, halls, and classrooms. One of the more scary moments in my time at NDSU was when one of these posters was left in my locker in the music building. Anyhow, these people need to be found and strung up somewhere. There's no place on the NDSU campus or anywhere else for that matter for these people and their hate.

---

October 4, 2004
Christopher Hanson

Another Bison Win...

I was delighted to listen to the Bison road game down in Louisiana as NDSU went down south into the heat and humidity and dealt Nicholls State a 24-14 loss. The Bison used good defense by Craig Dahl coupled with a modest offensive day lead by the running attack of Kyle Steffes. This Bison passing game was not at it's best, but as far as running the ball went, we had it made. Craig Dahl out of the strong safety spot was all over the field all day and lead NDSU's defense with 13 tackles. Bobby Babich even did something right for a change and halted a potential Nicholls State comeback by intercepting a pass on the Bison 2-yard line. All in all, the Bison outplayed the Colonels and left Louisiana with a 4-1 record going into the new rivalry game next weekend at SDSU. It should be a good game, and I imagine the Bison with their overpowering offensive attack and sharp defensive scheme will easily overpower the Jack's team, who will be coming off of a loss to Cal-Poly.

UND Loses...

Even better news to my ears on Saturday was the loss UND endured at St. Cloud State University. Though I have to admit that I'm sensitive to SCSU after they defeated the Bison last year at Selke Field, I have to give big thumbs up to them for outplaying the #2 ranked team in the DII. UND just couldn't handle those guys, and it showed in their loss. I'm still fuming over the fact that there is no UND-NDSU game this year, and I still can't find any reason that the game couldn't be put together. I guess the Sioux are a bunch of scared fools for discontinuing such a great tradition. Oh, well. Their loss. Literally.

A Grueling October...

The Gold Star Marching Band begins it's strong run through a tough October today with rehearsals for the Billy Joel show along with work on the Latin show. The band will go on the road to SDSU this coming weekend, then for the following three weeks, will play for the final three Bison home games at the Fargodome. I don't remember a time we had to play four weekends in a row since I joined the marching band, but I think these cats will survive just fine. The energy and spirit of this band is apparent to me, and hopefully it will carry us on through the rest of the season. I look forward to hearing my charts today, and I look even more forward to seeing the drill that the students write to the music. It's all hard work for everyone, but worth it when it all goes well.

Patents Pending- A Country Band?

Many of you have seen and heard Patents Pending play for a variety of events and shows over the last three years or so. The blend of rock, modern, jazz, and funk have been a highlight of several dances and get togethers over the years, and the 25+ people who have played with the group have enjoyed every minute of it. However, if you come out to see the band play on October 15th, you'll see a whole new side of what these guys can do. They'll be performing primarily that evening as a country band. Yeah, no kidding- a country band. Expect to hear some George Strait or some Garth Brooks. I'm no even joking. Of the guys slated to play the show, only two of us have had extensive time playing country. For the rest of them, they'll be basically making their virgin performances as country players. But, have no fear, these guys are good at what they do, and music is what they do. No matter what the style, these players can make it happen. So, if you want to come out and see the transformation, see them at the NDSU MU Live show in the Union on Friday, October 15th from 9:30-12:30. You can dance, you can listen, and you can even laugh at my cowboy boots.

---

September 28, 2004
Christopher Hanson

Rest in Peace, Good Sir...

For all of you who are 21 and have hung out with me at the bar before, one of my old favorite watering holes was the downtown bar Lauerman's. Many of my friends have met me there for a beer after a long day. I've taken lots of friends, such as Lindsey Wood and Robin Childs, to Lauerman's for their first beer in a bar. I've sat down and had serious conversations with many people there. I've argued politics there. And, of course, I've just went there to have a really good time on a night off. It's an old-fashioned old-time bar that serves only beer, and I love it that way. Anyhow, the owner of the bar, one Jim Lauerman, passed away a couple of days ago from a long fight with cancer. He had operated the locally-famous bar for over twenty years. Though I didn't know him well, I spoke with him and had a beer with him on several occasions, and his establishment has been a place for me to meet with many of my best friends. Thanks for giving us just the right atmosphere to enjoy ourselves, Jim.

Goodbye, Gadfly...

For those of you who have been reading The High Plains Reader for the past handful of years, you may have noted that on the 2nd page of this weeks Reader, we see Ed Raymond's final column, which he has titled The Gadfly for it's entire time of running. I am saddened to see that he is leaving the Reader behind, though I do understand his reasoning, and that's most certainly his decision and choice to do so. Anyhow, I will miss his work each time I pick up my new issue of the Reader from a local bar, as his political writting has often been somewhat of an inspiration to me, and though I can't say I always agree with him, I do respect his work, and I can say that he has opened my eyes and mind with his hard-hitting thoughts and commentary. Best of luck to Mr. Raymond as he takes his column to an alternative paper in Duluth, where some of those hard-headed right-wingers could use a little something to light the fire in their bellys just a little brighter.

The Newest Poll...

Well, the race is neck and neck, but Dano and I have been nearly tied for the past couple of days on my newest survey, the one asking you viewers who you think would most likely be married in the future first. Dano and I have exchanged the lead a couple of times, while Rob managed to get his first vote today. Beseler has been shut out to this point, but I think he'll start getting some votes soon. There's also the option of voting for the idea that we're all hopeless, and that his garnered quite a few votes as well, making us all feel just a little, well...I guess hopeless. Keep voting. Our futures depend on it...

For What It's Worth Questions...

I usually have one of those weeks during the year where people read one of my For What It's Worth sections, and they feel the need to ask me who or what inspired my works. Well, that time of year is now, and I give my usual answer to those questions- it may or may not have been inspired by someone you may or may not know. How's that for vague? At any rate, the idea is for people to read it and perhaps think about it for a little bit. I'm not trying to save the world and I have no mission to change anyone, no matter whether it was about someone I know or not. Read it, learn something if you want to, and go on with life. That's the idea.

Fantasy Football

My fantasy football team (which I named the Amazin' Asians) finally notched itself a win! Unbelievable! After making some moves over the last week, I put together an offense that could actually score me some damned points. After a rough 0-2 start, I was able to get my first win...over Beseler! Ha! He held a half-point lead on my going into Monday night's game, but to my credit, I had two offensive players who had yet to play on Monday, where as Beseler's team was finished scoring points. Victory is mine. And, Beseler continues winless.

Another One Bites the Dust...

Yet another engagement has taken place. All reports have been confirmed, and one Matt Larson has asked Joan Beckmen to be his wife, and she has apparently said yes to him. And so, we can add another to the list to the "soon to be married" bunch. No date that we know have has been set, but this is just yet another couple we must add to the "We Were Once/Are Still in the Gold Star Band and Are Going to be Married" catagory. Beseler and I are thrilled...and depressed at the same time. We cry with happiness...and then we cry with sadness at the same time! Just kidding, congratulations, Matt and Joan.

The Missing Site

Where did the TBS site go? I went there tonight, and got some strange error messages about how the script is messed up and such. Anyhow have any answers for that?

---

September 21, 2004
Christopher Hanson

The Tradition Returns...

After spending about three years of my fall semesters holding post-game get-togethers at my house for the marching band, someone took a shot at duplicating my old version and did a fine job. The Saturday get-together at Jon Rogstad's place was absolutely dynomite, and many people had a great time. Jon was in rare form that night, and everything seemed to go well. We had great turnout, and as usual, there were no huge incidents or problems to speak of. What I really liked about being there was the fact that I wasn't in charge and I could go ahead and have even more fun that I usually did in the past since I was usually supervising things. Though I don't know if this site will play host again, I sure hope that it does. Thanks to everyone who came out, and thanks to Jon for planning the show for us.

Welcome to the Internet World...

Aaron Beseler joins me in the world of web pages as he becomes my newest webmaster here on the site. We discussed a bunch of stuff, and I've decided to have him do a little work with me on here. It'll be new incentive for me to update the site more often now, as I have lagged in my devotion to keeping things up to date. Make sure you check back often, as we'll be coming up with some new ideas for the site. They'll be good, I hope.

An Update on Allison...

If you haven't been following the journeys of Allison Moorhead, everyone's favorite sex columnist to love (or hate), she has been halted in her efforts to write for The Spectrum, which depending on how you feel about her journalism, is either sad or not. However, she has been picked up by The High Plains Reader to begin doing the same work in there. I guess that might be a more appropriate place for her work, and I think it'll do just fine there. I always enjoy the Reader from week to week, and I think he audience will be more accepting there. As for Allison, she was featured in the latest Spectrum in an interview in which she seemed pretty much like any normal young adult, not the crazy perverted person she has been painted to be like over the past month. I wish her the best of luck in her new project, and I look forward to seeing it in the Reader.

Pictures by The Forum Look Great...

The Fargo Forum has done a really fine job covering the band this year with beautiful photographs from some of the football games as well as from the NDSU Downtown Campus Opening. They've also had a couple of editorials that got published, one of them taking a shot at the band, and then one supporting us.

Gold Star Band Needs a New Tune
The Forum
Published on Friday, September 3, 2004

I was a bit hesitant about the North Dakota State University move to Division I. However, over time I am becoming more enthused about it and accepting the move. I do, however, have this observation following the first D-I football game.

Can the Gold Star Marching Band please move its program along as well? I have been going to Bison football games for nearly 20 years and I think for nearly that long they have played The Battle Hymn of the Republic at every halftime performance. They do it well and it is a great song. But, do we need the same routine at every performance year after year after year?

Secondly, isn't there a voice music major in this Division I school that is capable and willing to sing the national anthem at football games? These events are student activities and should be student centered. Why have a faculty member sing the national anthem? He does a great job (would be better if the microphone worked, it didn't at all times last year either) but the focus should be on students, not faculty. How about giving some voice music majors a chance to showcase their talents?

Tradition is fine, but everything has to change at some point. The university is changing, the athletic department is changing and what about the marching band? Go Bison.

Arnold Carriere
Fargo

Gold Star Band Puts on a Fine Show
The Forum
Published on Thursday, September 9, 2004

I disagree with Arnold Carriere's comments about North Dakota State University's Gold Star Band and their performances at Bison football games (letter, Sept. 3). This is one of the finest college bands around.

It is a "curmudgeonly outlook" to fault the band for playing one of our country's favorite songs (Battle Hymn of the Republic). The Gold Star Band has a stellar tradition in this area and they choose music that people in our region truly love and appreciate. I think our people appreciate that fine tradition that the NDSU marching band represents. Not only do these students perform marvelously at halftimes, they also play throughout the game and lead snappy cheers for the Bison.

The Gold Star Band is to be commended for all they do, not criticized in such a petty way. I want to express a huge "thank you" to the members of the band and to their leaders for the hard work and fine performances.

For crying out loud, take a long break during halftime and let the rest of the crowd enjoy this NDSU "treasure," the Gold Star Band.

Kay Syvrud
Hawley, MN

---

September 1, 2004
Christopher Hanson

Allison Moorhead...

Have you guys been reading The Spectrum as of late? I'm sure you're familiar with Ms. Moorhead, too. He sex columns in the editorial section have been...well, interesting. I have to admit that not much embarasses me, but after reading her articles, especially the one that appeared in the most recent issue of The Spectrum, even I found myself blushing just a little bit. The "editorial" talked quite a lot about oral sex, which everyone has heard of, joked about, or...well, you get the idea. The opinion editor ran a column defending Ms. Moorhead's articles, and more visibly, the Fargo Forum ran a front page story about the reaction her column has been getting community-wide. Though the university can not actually censor the paper, the NDSU board of publication can discipline people if they feel it's necassay. Though I don't think the taboo subject matter should be erased out of the paper as a matter of free speech, I wonder if she realizes that a lot of people just aren't ready for that kind of writting. This is North Dakota, after all...

52-0

The Bison's sweet victory over Valpo on Saturday was the perfect way to usher in the new Division I football program no matter what some jive-ass Minot Daily News sports writer wants to say about it. The team looked good, and though Valpo didn't look it's very best ou there, you have to hand it to the Bison- they came to win, and they played well. The true test is this coming Saturday, though, with the Bison heading down to the University of Northern Colorado in a key division matchup against a team that's always tough to play. This will be the season opener for UNC, who had a scrimmage game while the Bison were beating up on the Crusaders this past Saturday. I look forward to seeing the game on FOX Sports North. Who wants to enjoy a cold beer on Saturday while watching the game?

The Newest Member of the NDSU Music Faculty

Tim Stine, my ever-loving roommate is the newest member of the NDSU Music Staff family. No kidding. He's now the guitar instructor at the school in which I go to. Make the Wolfman feel welcome.

Dancing Women...

I think the livliest and section at Saturday's football game was most definately the flute and piccolo players by a long shot. I love you ladies. I'd like to take you all out on a date sometime...

---