Bastien's Soup

Mark J

Iron Butterfly doing "Inna Gadda Da Vida" on the pledge drive special. Apparently these guys didn't realize how ugly they were 38 years ago, 'cuz they're trying to pretend that they still look the same. #DamnUglyAgingRockers

4 minutes ago - Comment - Like

Mark J

I just watched "Sons of Tucson" and liked it. However, I did expect to see Tad appear at any moment doing as a cameo as the requisite "techno-geeky" friend. #HasNoIdeaIfTucsonIsNearTad

24 minutes ago - Comment - Like

p.s. Since I like this program, Fox will undoubtedly cancel it after 3 or 4 episodes. - Mark J

p.p.s. Also, the main character looks suspiciously like Johnny W., but with a darker beard and hair. (This is not a negative.) - Mark J

Mark J

My daughter changed her FB status to "in a relationship." I specifically told her NO DATING UNTIL SHE'S 30!! *grumble grumble* (Just kidding, btw. I know the kid and he seems "pretty reasonable"... but I'm still keeping my sensors on alert. He is an 18 year old male, after all.)

2 hours ago - Comment - Like

Be thankful she didn't reference one of your friends or coworkers. - Cristo

*shudders*... Well, that's true. - Mark J

Mark J

I drove over to Stillwater, MN today to see how high the river is getting. They're prepping the waterfront on the St. Croix River in anticipation of the crest of flood waters within a couple of days. The first picture (though blurry on my cheap cellphone camera) shows the historic lift bridge just a few feet above the river.

2 hours ago - Comment - Like

The last photo shows a view of Stillwater from about 5 miles upstream, at a vantage point called the "Boom Site" where logging operations were established in the late 19th century. My cell camera didn't capture it as clearly as I'd hoped, but perhaps you can still get a bit of context. The St. Croix River is the boundary between Wisconsin and Minnesota (NOT the Mississippi, veers westward into Minnesota south of the Twin Cities, about 15 miles south of Stillwater.) - Mark J

Other images show the levee preparations, including sandbags, that are in place. The train is the historic Minnesota Zephyr that used to be in service along the St. Croix. It's now a restaurant situated on the waterfront (though it is still on tracks, and on special occasions can run a back and forth scenic trip of several miles.) My apologies for the quality of my cellphone camera... the pictures don't do the scenery justice. - Mark J

p.s. It's also truly sucky that Virgin Mobile stamps their logo on every image now. They just started doing so when the revamped their "My Pix" photo website. I'm thinking I may have to start emailing images to myself and bypass the My Pix site entirely. (I haven't verified whether that avoids the image stamp, tho'.) - Mark J

Mark J

I'm not here.

3 hours ago - Comment - Like

LB préfère le chocolat. liked this

(I may not be there, either.) - Mark J

You can't get there from here. - Greg Guitarbuster