The SvoBLOG

super bowl sunday

2009-01-30T17:17:00.001-06:00

ringing in the new year

2009-01-06T23:20:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year Indeed!
Jayven rang in 2009 with a trip to the ER (only because the regular hospital was closed, and we knew his eyes couldn't wait another day to be treated)

This is what Conjuctavitis and a Middle Ear Infection will do to a 18 month old. (that's bannana in his mouth, and a cut he got from a trip to menards on his nose)

Jen asked me why I took this pic, and I told her it's because we have all sorts of cute pics of the boys, and when graduation comes around, we'll want some of these 'uglies' to show their friends.

spider-z

2009-01-06T23:18:00.000-06:00

Thanks Nonna!

Luke 2 performed by Z & J

2009-01-04T23:11:00.002-06:00

Zeb: "And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them;"

Jayven: "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord!!!"

Merry Christmas!

2009-01-01T23:12:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas from the Svoboda's!!!

Greatest Moment in...

2008-12-19T11:17:00.001-06:00

This has to be the greatest moment in Game Show HISTORY!!!
and Drew Carey treats it like it happens every show.

I can't stress to you enough how much I want to see Bob Barker back!!!

i'm just mad ...

2008-12-18T21:07:00.000-06:00

"and there's nothing you can do about it... not even these oversized gloves are going to make me smile"

Happy B-day to Z

2008-12-15T21:06:00.000-06:00

Zeb got this jersey for his birthday. He was PUMPED!
It makes packer fans everywhere WISH that number 4 was still in green and gold...
oh - didn't you hear? the Packers are eliminated from playoff contention with Aaron Rodgers as their QB.

splish splash

2008-12-14T21:05:00.000-06:00

Jay was takin a bath.

Lookin' Gooooooood

2008-12-11T21:29:00.000-06:00

Feedin' Ducks

2008-12-09T21:26:00.000-06:00

The boys had fun feeding the ducks in Lake City. Thanks Poppa and Nonna

baby svoblogger

2008-12-07T21:31:00.000-06:00

QUESTION: How cute was I as a baby????
ANSWER: really cute
QUESTION 2:what happened?

P U

2008-12-05T21:25:00.000-06:00

Sick Boys

2008-12-03T21:21:00.000-06:00

The boys were sick a while ago - you can really see it in their faces. So being the heroic dad that I am - I went out and bought them a movie they'd never seen before. They were glued to the TV. And I'm sure it made them feel alot better.

any ?'s about the DTV switchover?

2008-12-02T22:32:00.001-06:00

This video should clear everything up -

your welcome, just here to help!

Playin' in the Leaves

2008-12-01T21:23:00.002-06:00

Welcome back to the svoblog. After about 6 weeks off - we're back to blogging. Though most of the coming blog posts will be pics of the boys - it's good to know they're still growing.

We had to play in the leaves before it snowed. Good thing we did! We had a blast - even if we did get dried leaves up our noses.

Saying Goodbye

2008-10-12T20:11:00.003-05:00

It's a little weird to actually be typing this - I've known for a long time that I was going to be leaving Life 97.3, but I think I've been so focused on the excitement of my new job, that I haven't had much time to think about leaving. Starting next week I will be the new youth and young adult director at my church.

I will miss so many things about working at Life 97.3 - I'll miss hearing the stories of what God is doing in your lives, I'll miss being able to share my life each and every day, I'll miss the phone calls that remind me of how much God is using me, and how much of a blessing it has been to work here for the last 5 years - and so on and so on.

I did want to thank you for spending however much time you've spent with me over the last 5 years! I've had just about as much fun as one guy can have sitting in a room all by himself talking into a microphone, and singing along with the songs - hoping I remembered to turn the mic off! And I hope that the time we spent together was fun and uplifting to you as well. For Zeb's sake (and Jayven's too) - it's probably a good thing I'm not in front of a microphone each day, because I've said many times that if Zeb really understood just what I was sharing with so many people, he probably wouldn't be all that keen about me sharing it.

If I were to take a step back and look at the things that God has brought me through, I'd see a somewhat weird path to where I am right now, but I'd also be able to see all the little things that He's brought me thru that really show that this next step is exactly where He wants me to be. And when I focus on the fact that I know God has called me to leave Life 97.3 to go somehwere else - I'm not so much sad to be moving on, as I am excited to be walking the path He has for me.

THANKS! It's been a blast!

Please feel free to leave a comment, I'd love to hear how God has used Life 97.3 in your life.

wow - dolphins are cool!

2008-10-03T15:35:00.000-05:00

silly birds

2008-09-30T12:25:00.000-05:00

Too bad seagulls can't read, or understand graphics.

puppy luv

2008-09-23T12:24:00.000-05:00

What a cute puppy. And his fur makes a heart shape.
OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

don't do it

2008-09-19T12:42:00.000-05:00

fun pix

2008-09-16T12:23:00.000-05:00

I think they have mcdonald's everywhere

2 legs

2008-09-12T08:12:00.000-05:00

OK, this is weird - and it doesn't even look right. I don't know what to think - I almost can't look away.

asain carp

2008-09-05T11:55:00.003-05:00

For all my loyal readers, who have been checking the blog recently and wondering where I've been. I've got some sad news. I think my blogging days are numbered. I told my lovely wife the other day that I think I'm going to be done blogging - she was shocked, as I'm sure you are too. I think I'll still post pics of the kids, but my daily blogging days are coming to an end.
I hope you still check back with the blog every now and again, because I hope to update things once or twice a week.
I still have a number of funpix I need to post, and there are enough youtube videos to last many years.

So - onto the post.
The other night we were watching PBS and they were talking about asian carp, and how much they've infested certain rivers. They showed video of carp jumping out of the water, and I couldn't believe my eyes. This isn't the pbs stuff, but it gives you an idea.

fun at the pool

2008-08-28T12:39:00.000-05:00

We tried to squeeze a little more fun out of the summer this weekend with a trip to Grandma and Grandpa's pool. The boys loved it, and dad did too!

bonk

2008-08-27T12:29:00.002-05:00

Zeb tripped yesterday and bonked his lip at the Dr's office.

I took these pictures this morning and told him to show me "sad" - I think he did a good job, though I'm sure the pain is all gone, and it looks much better then it did last night already. he's a trooper!

ouch

2008-08-22T12:26:00.000-05:00

This is funny, and as a dad with two boys, I can relate.

the accent tops it all off - enjoy

desktop defender

2008-08-20T08:40:00.000-05:00

I would say that I am officially a desktop defender!

2611 pts
level 42
medium difficulty

Give it a try, but I must warn you - it is an addicting little game.

leave your top scores in the comments

For Dad

2008-08-19T08:19:00.000-05:00

wedding pics

2008-08-18T08:20:00.000-05:00

Zeb and I were in Troy's wedding about a month ago, and I know many faithful readers have been waiting patiently (or not so patiently) for the pics. Here they are!
Zeb loved being dressed up all fancy, and even shed a few tears when it was time to take his tux off - and as you can tell in the last picture, he thought he was pretty hot stuff getting his picture taken by so many people.

medal count

2008-08-15T14:15:00.003-05:00

As I've been watching the olympics, I've been shocked at the medal count. Because I guess I've been led to think that any athlete who shows up at the olympics with USA on their chest almost automatically gets a medal.

Mike Phelps will get 8 of them, how hard can they be to get right?

Well, surprisingly, the US isn't just walking away wiht all the medals, China is right behind them. THIS is a great way to keep track of the medals this olympics. But also past years, and it's interesting to see what countries did well in what years.

bless you

2008-08-15T13:27:00.000-05:00

I'm Back

2008-08-12T13:21:00.001-05:00

after a few weeks of non-blogging, I figure I better get back into things.
With the excitement of the olympics, I thought this video would be appropriate.

enjoy

nice kitty

2008-08-08T13:26:00.000-05:00

I'm guessing this cat has not been adopted yet.

time waster

2008-07-31T13:35:00.001-05:00

HERE IS a crazy game that is really stressful. And all you have to do is type words.

I got to #9 on the high score list with a score of 41380.

Leave your high score in the comments

biker-o-batics

2008-07-31T09:30:00.001-05:00

glumbert - Bikerobatics

pet diaries

2008-07-30T15:55:00.002-05:00

Excerpts from a Dog's Diary......
8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 pm - Lunch! My favorite thing!
1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm - Milk bones! My favorite thing!
7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!

Excerpts from a Cat's Daily Diary . .
Day 983 of my captivity.
My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects.

They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength.

The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.

Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a 'good little hunter' I am. Idiots.

There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of 'allergies.' I must learn what this means and how to use it to my advantage.

Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs.

I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released - and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded. The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicating with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in a elevated cell, so he is safe. For now................

the 'J' man

2008-07-25T12:09:00.000-05:00

blockbuster museum

2008-07-25T09:28:00.000-05:00

This is sarcasm, really funny sarcasm:

we love summer

2008-07-24T12:08:00.000-05:00

dinner helper

2008-07-23T12:03:00.000-05:00

Jayven was helping me eat dinner the other night. You can see it takes alot of concentration, but he REALLY enjoyed every bite I took!

It ended up being, one bite for dad, three bites for jay, one drink of water to wash it down for jay, repeat.

big ... small

2008-07-22T12:06:00.000-05:00

this is a picture of the world's largest and smallest horses (full grown that is - cause I'm guessing some babies are smaller then this little guy)
One is 6 ft tall, the other 17 inches.

fresh peas

2008-07-21T11:59:00.000-05:00

After months of watering and weeding the garden, we got our first taste of fresh grown peas! mmmmmmmm.

And Zeb says they taste as good as they look:
Meanwhile, my stupid cucumbers continue to grow at a snail's pace. At this rate, I think we'll get 2 cucumbers before the snowfall. ugh.

the rope swing

2008-07-19T13:47:00.000-05:00

Zeb & the Rope Swing from Svoblogger on Vimeo.

flamboyant cuttlefish

2008-07-18T11:47:00.001-05:00

staying underwater with this week's youtube friday. This is the flamboyant cuttlefish. Pretty amazing creature, and only about 5 inches long.

putt-putt

2008-07-16T08:36:00.000-05:00

BE AMAZED AT MY AMAZING MOUSE CLICKING PUTTING!!!
Your eyes do not decieve you, you are looking at the scorecard of someone 20 UNDER PAR

Do your best to beat me.

why?

2008-07-15T15:40:00.003-05:00

Why would anyone choose to run with bulls???
It just doesn't make sense to me.
It is a very popular thing to do, though, and you can see some pretty intense pictures of people doing it HERE

This picture is all the reason you need NOT to do this.

upside down funpix

2008-07-15T09:43:00.000-05:00

I don't recall exactly where I found this picture, but people walking into it probably rules out storm damage. Maybe it was built like this to illustrate a point. What that point would be, I don't know, it just is a funny picture.

jayven's 1st steps

2008-07-14T10:08:00.000-05:00

Jay's 1st Steps from Svoblogger on Vimeo.

unknown facts about octopus

2008-07-11T08:05:00.002-05:00

A special treat this Friday! A really interesting video, AND some weird science experiment including Octopuses.
First the video - I just couldn't believe this, it made me never want to encounter an octopus. EVER.
*UPDATE* Sorry - didn't know that other video wasn't working, this one has better commentary anyway

The Bonus:
Scientists are trying to figure out if octopuses use a specific limb to pick up objects or if they are octidextrous. I used to think just being ambidextrous was a good thing.

fisher-zeb

2008-07-10T09:02:00.000-05:00

Zeb caught his first (& second) fish over the weekend. Thanks in large part to Keith's help (it would be more accurate to say Keith caught two fish over the weekend, but Zeb was the one who pulled them up on the dock)
My son doesn't seem like much of a fisher-man though, cause he wasn't that interested in actually touching his catch.
He did say he wanted to eat the fish after he caught his first one.

ketchup slide???

2008-07-09T12:56:00.003-05:00

If you are going to be near Seymour, WI the beginning of August you might want to drop in on the Hamburger Festival.
See, the folks in Seymour claim that the hamburger was invented in the eastern Wisconsin town when, during the county fair, one of the restaurants started serving meatballs between slices of bread so fair-goers could enjoy the meatballs while still enjoying the fair.
It's August 9th this year, and if you go don't forget to bring a change of clothes to try the ketchup slide. (Yup, just what you'd expect; a slip'n'slide filled with ketchup)

cucumber trick

2008-07-08T10:36:00.001-05:00

After getting a tip on helping cucumbers grow faster (putting a ice cream pail over them), I'm checking in with their status. It's been about a week, and here is what they look like:

And here is last week at this time? I would say there is noticable growth. Now, is that normal growth in a week, or did the ice cream pails help? Only time will tell, I've got them covered again today.

fun pix

2008-07-08T08:44:00.000-05:00

I just don't think this trick is funny, or nice

and if you are really thinking today, you'd be wondering why I have this in the funpix post, when I said it isn't funny. hmmmmmmmmm...

the Wabbit

2008-07-07T09:23:00.000-05:00

'The Wabbit' from Svoblogger on Vimeo.

popping corn

2008-07-04T12:11:00.001-05:00

For those that are already skeptical of the health risks of cell phones, it may be best to avoid this week's youtube clip. If this is fake, the only way I could tell is the bad acting. If this really was the first time they saw this happen, I think the reaction would be different.

the acting in this clip is far more convincing

ready?

2008-07-04T09:04:00.000-05:00

Zeb has the binoculars, and is ready for the fireworks.
(we just haven't told him that they can only be seen at night, and that he'll be sleeping when they start)

confidence

2008-07-03T09:13:00.000-05:00

These kind of things are very interesting to me.

The question was posed: How much confidence do you, yourself, have in each one of these American institutions?

The results are very telling of our country, I think.

The most confidence is in: The Military
The least confidence is in: Congress

Print & TV News people should be concerned, only 24% have "a great deal" or "Quite a lot" of confidence in them.

big picture

2008-07-03T08:25:00.000-05:00

These pictures are pretty amazing. Gives you a whole different look at swimming.

go veggies go!

2008-07-02T12:30:00.005-05:00

I love having a vegetable garden! It's fun to see things grow. The last few days I've been noticing how tall my peas have grown. They are almost 3 feet tall now!

My excitement over the peas is lessened by the non-productivity of my cucumbers. Look at how sad my straight 8's are. So sad and small - yet I am hopeful they will soon get bigger.

This is what my cucumbers looked like LAST YEAR around this time. I think this year's batch has a long way to go.

*****UPDATE*****
I got a tip on making my cucumbers grow faster yesterday. Someone advised me to put an ice cream pail (upside down) over my cucumbers (as soon as they are planted) to create a 'greenhouse' effect, and make them grow faster. So - my cucumbers are covered - I'll let you know how they progress!

jay

2008-07-02T09:03:00.000-05:00

fun pix fish

2008-07-01T08:31:00.000-05:00

I don't even know what to think of this picture. Part of me hopes it's real 'cause that is one HUGE fish, but that makes me wonder what I'm swimming above and near. If it's fake, it's too bad, but a relief.

the BIG lake

2008-06-30T08:58:00.000-05:00

One of our favorite places to bring family and friends when they come visit is the big lake. We've got our own special place to go, and it's generally pretty quite, with lots of space to throw rocks.

picking clothes

2008-06-28T09:55:00.000-05:00

Some days Dad helps to get the boys dressed (see how nicely they match each other). I'm not sure Mom likes me picking out clothes.

update

2008-06-27T15:33:00.001-05:00

My garden is finally growing!!! For a while, I thought the only thing we'd have by August would be rhubarb. Not true, though I'd like the cucumbers in the back to sprout a little more, everything is starting to come in!

I love gardening!

weird

2008-06-27T09:35:00.000-05:00

Remember Bill Nye ...?
(you finished his name in your head didn't you???)
"THE SCIENCE GUY!!!"
Here's a fun little video from his show for this Friday's youtube video.

truckin'

2008-06-26T09:45:00.000-05:00

The boys were having some fun in Pappa's truck the other day. Jay was probably having the most fun, since he was driving. But Zeb is the big winner in having the truck around because he gets to ride along when him and dad have jobs to do. Zeb's always asking if we need to go to the dump or menards.

Eli's Got Talent

2008-06-25T15:58:00.003-05:00

Not only is this guy from Duluth, but he played one of my all-time favorite songs. AND - David Hasselhof thinks Eli reminds him of a young Billy Joel.
Well done Eli!

summertime fun

2008-06-24T13:48:00.002-05:00

WOW! My wife snapped some great pictures of Zeb in the sprinkler the other day. I'm actually a little jealous that she's the one who captured these moments, and not me. But they get to go on 'my' blog, so I guess it evens out. Great job on these pictures mom!

They had the sprinkler out last week, and ever since then, Zeb has asked every day if we can take the sprinkler out again - he loved it!

fun pix

2008-06-24T08:26:00.000-05:00

I'm really surprised that this guy doesn't need the Ove Glove to do this:

judge or parent

2008-06-23T12:09:00.003-05:00

This story has really gotten my feathers ruffled. It's a case of the courts* going too far.
Here's the story, a 12 year old girl has had some issues listening to her dad (normal). Her dad tells her that there are some websites he does not want her to visit (normal). She disobeys (normal), gets punished (normal), and doesn't like the punishment (normal).
This has happened countless times throughout history.
But then the story takes a strange turn: the girl decides that the punishment (not allowing her to go on a school camping trip) is too severe, and that she should take her dad to court. (what???!!!)
The state appoints her a lawyer, the judge (who clearly is not a parent herself) sympathizes with her situation and overturns the punishment. (WHAT????!!!!!????!!!!!)

As weird as that all is, what if the dad said the family couldn't afford to allow her to go on the camping trip??? What happens then? How far can the court invade?

*this whole situation happened in Canada (just thought it was important enough to note)

very brave

2008-06-20T13:48:00.002-05:00

Over Father's Day weekend something happened that was reported as being 'Very Brave'.

A man who used several different bent sticks to hit a ball to an area comprised of very short grass surrounding a hole in the ground was praised for his courage Monday after he used a somewhat smaller stick to gently roll the ball into the aforementioned hole in fewer attempts than his competitors.

u tube Friday

2008-06-20T08:32:00.000-05:00

Woah, this is a pretty amazing video. I think this elephant paints better then me.

leave Al alone

2008-06-19T14:31:00.002-05:00

Last year Al Gore was picked on for the non-eco-friendly home he lives in. He said he'd change things, but now they've discovered his house is even more un-friendly to the economy then it was a year ago.

The research found out that his home uses enough energy in a year to run 232 homes for a month.

Drew Johnson didn't have anything nice to say about Al: “A man’s commitment to his beliefs is best measured by what he does behind the closed doors of his own home, Al Gore is a hypocrite and a fraud when it comes to his commitment to the environment, judging by his home energy consumption.”

Slow down Drew. We don't know that for certain. I imagine Al Gore knows about these fancy websites that allow you to calculate your carbon footprint and then make a donation to "offset" all the bad you've done.

So he logs onto Carboncounter.org, calculates his footprint, and simply writes out a check to support projects that reduce carbon dioxide emissions!

And just like that! Problem solved. Like I said earlier, there's no need to get so upset.

If you are wondering (like I was) what Al's suggested donation to offset the carbon footprint of his house for one year, it's about $1200 (a small price to pay to live guilt free in your luxurious home).

woah, close call

2008-06-18T15:55:00.004-05:00

I couldn't beleive this happened in Duluth. A huge earth mover fell off the flatbed that was carrying it and almost landed right on I-35. I drive on that stretch of road EVERY day. Most days, multiple times.

Look at these pictures and notice
a) how close it was to falling right on the interstate
b) how far it fell, it must have made a HUGE noise.

Here is the story.

photo's from the DNT

the McDiet

2008-06-18T13:31:00.005-05:00

I need to preface this story with a quick aside about my own life.

ASIDE
When I was in college I spent a summer on the East Coast through Campus Crusade and spent that summer working at a McDonalds. The owner allowed his employees to eat whatever and whenever they wanted to from the store. I took advantage of that - and ended up losing weight through the summer.
(Here is where my wife would point out that the REAL reason I lost weight that summer is because I was incredibly active, and it was in spite of the food I ate)
We haven't come to agreement on this issue yet
END of ASIDE

Meet Chris Coleson.
These are before and after pictures of him and this is his story of losing nearly 100 lbs by eating McDonalds food. Turns out he just ate the 'healthy' stuff there (I put healthy in quotations so my wife doesn't get mad at me for refering to McDonalds food as healthy). He ate salads and wraps and apple dippers (sans the delicious caramel dipping sauce), and if he ate a cheeseburger it was without the bun. Now he stopping the McDiet to diet in a traditional way.
I thought this part of the story was really funny - I'm not sure why, it just made me chuckle (this is just before he started his diet):

He would eat straight from the refrigerator, sometimes consuming enough for a family meal in one evening. And sometimes, his wife said, she would make school lunches for their children and their father would scarf them down.

I guess you know you need a change in your eating habits when you are eating your children's school lunches straight out of the fridge. Good for him, though, to make a change and to lose the weight. Here's hoping he's not stealing anymore of his kid's lunches.

fun pix tues

2008-06-17T11:11:00.001-05:00

I don't know what to say ... this cat is HUGE! And most likely very lazy.

hmmmmm???

2008-06-16T14:30:00.003-05:00

I know it's not Friday, but I just couldn't resist posting this video today.
It's a classic example of a question that creates a curiosity inside of us that simply didn't exist before the question was asked, so if you don't want to be curious, stop reading now.

Here's the question: what happens when you go #2 in space?
Thankfully this video will quench your curiosity.

HT: Tim

climate change & gas price

2008-06-16T12:37:00.001-05:00

I was talking to a friend recently and the issue of climate change came up. I was just about to go into my speil about how the reason we have average temperature is because ... and I was cut off.

(here is my recollection of what happened)
Chris - (interupting) "I know"
Me - (shocked that he would interupt his good friend and mentor (mentor might be a stretch)) "you know what???"
Chris - (in a more humble tone, realizing he shocked his mentor (now I'm just speculating on how he was feeling)) "you make your views very obvious on your blog"
Me - (very humbled that he is such a loyal reader) "Thanks Chris for taking the time to read my blog. Do you think I talk about it too much?"
Chris - "no, you just make your views very clear - you are not a fan of Al Gore"
Me - "fair enough ... but you know the reason we have average temp..."
Chris - (walking away) "I'll be in the kitchen"

So, if you are a regular reader, you know where I stand. As much as I'm for cutting down climate change talk, I could only make it through about 1/3 of John Coleman's article cutting down Al Gore even more. I guess what I'm trying to say is - I could be worse.

Here's how John starts his argument:

You may want to give credit where credit is due to Al Gore and his global warming campaign the next time you fill your car with gasoline, because there is a direct connection between Global Warming and four dollar a gallon gas.

big jump

2008-06-13T09:34:00.000-05:00

WOW!

head first

2008-06-12T10:30:00.000-05:00

Jay loves going down slides - his own special way!

Jay Slide from Svoblogger on Vimeo.

gas prices

2008-06-11T10:31:00.002-05:00

This is neat.
It's a look at average gas prices by county across the U.S. (which is interesting in and of itself) (for many different reasons), but it also breaks down median income across the country and then the third graphic is percentage of income spent on gas.
Check it out.

Game 3 tonite

2008-06-10T11:43:00.003-05:00

Zeb and I are getting ready for game 3

Zeb Beat L.A. from Svoblogger on Vimeo.

fun pix 6

2008-06-10T09:48:00.001-05:00

WOAH!

Bill

2008-06-09T15:39:00.002-05:00

<---Meet Bill.
Yes, the beetle. His name is Bill (you know, Bill the Beetle) and he was found in a crate full of bannanna's that made a 2 week journey from Costa Rica to London.
To give you a perspective on his size click here to see a video (he's about the size of a hamster).

At this website they give some fun facts about elephant beetles (just in case you wanted to know more about Bill):

The Elephant Beetle can carry an astonishing 850 times its own weight - the equivalent of a 13st man lifting a 60-tonne Boeing 737 airliner.
Even when laden with 30 times its own weight the insect can move at its normal pace of half-an-inch per second.
Unlike a human brain, which handles all functions from a central source, the insects have separate nerve centres to control each leg, giving them the ability to carry heavy weights.
The system is so efficient that they use hardly any extra energy or oxygen to move heavy loads.

nba finals

2008-06-06T11:44:00.003-05:00

I loved the game last night! Ray Allen was hitting his shots, KG was KG (right down to missing shots and passing too much in the 4th quarter), Paul Pierce electrified the crowd, and then Kevin Garnett made up for all his missed shots with a power dunk on a missed shot!

But what wasn't nice about the game last night was this commercial: at first I thought it was a spoof, but was sad when I realized it was Larry and Magic ... now.

all mine!

2008-06-05T15:44:00.001-05:00

Sorry the blogging has been a little light lately. This struck me as funny, and made me question what areas are causing me to 'waste my life'

BEAT L.A.!!!

2008-06-05T13:49:00.001-05:00

BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.!

It's hard to know where I stand on the NBA Finals. I found this interesting, someone is getting paid to do this (simulate a video game occurance of a real NBA game) - but you know, what's the difference to my life if I watched a video game or a real game??? I don't know.

fun pix 5 - open wide

2008-06-03T15:56:00.001-05:00

I don't recall where I found this picture, but it is amusing to a parent of two toddlers learning to brush their teeth:

store wars

2008-05-30T09:05:00.000-05:00

It's another youtube Friday on the svoBLOG. Again, a little long on this video, but up until the last 30 seconds, I think it's worth it.

As soon as you see Yogurt (er.. yoda) you can stop the video (you'll kick yourself if you don't)

"search your peelings cuke"

zeb's concert

2008-05-28T09:39:00.003-05:00

This video is a long time coming, but I finally got it put together. This is Zeb's first concert: he played the B-I-B-L-E song from his Sunday School classes, and the Spiderman Song which he wrote and performed himself. Enjoy!

Zeb's Concert from Svoblogger on Vimeo.

bday 2 of 3

2008-05-27T10:03:00.002-05:00

Jay had another birthday celebration over the weekend, and this time he actually got to try his cupcake!
He was really only interested in the frosting, though.

fun pix 4

2008-05-27T09:55:00.000-05:00

Do Not Try This At Home:

crazy story

2008-05-23T08:29:00.000-05:00

It's another youtube Friday at the svoBLOG, and you might want to grab some popcorn, or a snack for this one (go ahead, it's Friday!).

Here's the story - Nov 1980 - Lake Peigneur Louisiana - a couple workers on an oil drill get the drill stuck some 1300 ft down, and while trying to free it, they here some popping noises and the platform they are on tilts to one side. They decide that's it's a good idea to get to shore (even though the lake is only 11 feet deep at it's deepest point) and it was a good idea:

fish therapy

2008-05-22T08:18:00.001-05:00

OK, this is gross.

It's called Fish Therapy and basically you sit in the hot spring water and it breaks down your skin to the point where the fish are able to eat it away.
Yuck.

I even have trouble typing that because it seems so gross.

Here's something to think about when looking at this picture - 'why are there so many fish surrounding this woman's feet while the other two have only a few fish near them???'

There are a lot of feet jokes to be made, but I won't.

CLICK HERE to see more pictures of the 'kissing fish'.

The above photo is from photobase.cn

look out!

2008-05-21T14:52:00.005-05:00

Those who know me best know that it is very difficult for me to look at pictures like this. I mean, I have trouble when they show surgery on TV shows, so it's not that surprising that my stomach almost couldn't handle that picture.

If you haven't click the link yet, here's the story behind the picture.

PROVO, Utah (AP) - A newspaper photographer got a little too close to the action at the state high school track championships — and was speared through the leg by a javelin. Ryan McGeeney of the Standard-Examiner was spared serious injury Saturday, and even managed to snap a photo of his speared leg while others tended to him. Striking just below the knee, the javelin tip went through the skin and emerged on the other side of his leg. "It wasn't real painful. ... I was very lucky in that it didn't hit any blood vessels, nerves, ligaments or tendons," McGeeney said, he received 13 stitches.

Then the article gets interesting including the quote of the article by coach Vance:

The javelin was thrown by Anthony Miles, a Provo High School student who said his "heart just stopped" when he saw what happened. Coach Richard Vance said "One of the first things that came to my mind was, 'Good thing we brought a second javelin,"'.

here is the full article.

kix

2008-05-21T06:15:00.001-05:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAYVEN. 1 TODAY!
Jayven is all over the place these days. Once he learned to crawl, the whole house turned into his playground. He often gets into stuff he probably shouldn't, and often spills stuff on the floor, like the other night when he spilled kix all over the floor...

and then stepped on them.

*** ----- UPDATE ----- ***

Jay got a Birthday muffin this morning, and for Zeb, once again being a big brother has it's benefits:

fun pix 3

2008-05-20T08:18:00.000-05:00

Fun Pix #3 is an idea for any husband looking to get out of housework.

only one

2008-05-19T15:21:00.000-05:00

Sorry - I couldn't help myself, this is funny.

misnomer

2008-05-19T08:05:00.000-05:00

One of the things we hear often as parents (and I think this is the testimony of many parents) is: "oh, what a sweet guy, I bet he doesn't ever cry" ...

FALSE!

Here is visual proof.