"Something Different This Way Comes"

Something is coming to JonBaas.com tomorrow soon. Stay tuned.

UPDATE: - (Wednesday, 7:01 PM)
Correction... soon. Something is coming soon.

-Jon
posted by Jon at 11:21 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Talk to a Stranger"

Here's a fun activity: Go to Omegle and chat with a random stranger. I did, and I enjoyed a fascinatingly friendly conversation about mustard and yarn. Who I was talking with, I have no idea. But it was enjoyable. Oh, and don't worry, it's anonymous. Have fun!

-Jon
posted by Jon at 7:02 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Another Star Trek Movie"

It's official. There will be a 12th Star Trek movie, most likely released during the summer of 2011. The highly anticipated 11th film is yet to open, doing so in just over a month -- on May 8th.

"'Star Trek' sequel on track"

-Jon
posted by Jon at 5:22 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Weekend in Review"

Friday:
Went up north (by bus) to visit Kelli. Waited in Manitowoc (nearest Greyhound "station") until she finished her day of teaching and came to pick me up. Ate lunch at Arby's. Met up with Kelli at the local Starbucks (our Manitowoc meet-up place). Returned with her to small town Brillion. Hung out. Ordered pizza (a tasty special order chicken and ranch pizza, recently added to the menu of the local pizza place as a suggestion from Kelli and her friend!). Watched a few DVD episodes of "Friends". Stayed the night at the school principal's house -- in his guest bedroom.

Saturday:
Returned to Kelli's apartment. Spent the day lounging around with her. Watched "Twilight" for the first time. Liked it. Picked up dinner and ice cream from the Dairy Queen in town. Anticipated a heavy overnight snowfall. More lounging around. Spent the night at the Principal's house.

Sunday:
Returned to Kelli's apartment. Showered. Went with Kelli to the early service at church (8am). Stayed for the coffee hour; enjoyed a raspberry jelly-filled doughnut and apple juice while listing to one of Kelli's talkative (yet endearing) Kindergarten students chatter away. Stayed for Bible Class. Returned to Kelli's apartment. Changed. Lounged around. Watched "The Truman Show" (for the first time) on television. Comforted Kelli while she wasn't feeling well. Returned to Manitowoc. Caught my bus back down to Milwaukee. Got back to my apartment at around 7pm. Talked on the phone with Kelli. Went to bed shortly thereafter.

-Jon
posted by Jon at 10:48 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Visiting Kelli"

I'm visiting my fiancee for the weekend, so blogging will be on hold until I return. Stay warm, stay safe in the coming snow, and I'll see you on the flip side.

Your happily blogging friend,
-Jon
posted by Jon at 11:45 AM  I   I  0 comments

"An Interesting Aroma"

Earlier this afternoon, my roomate (Scott) decided to do some cleaning -- mopping the floors, scrubbing the tub, that sort of thing. When he was finished, he fried up a few hot dogs for a late lunch. Unfortunately, however, that has left my apartment smelling like a combination of ammonia and hot dogs. An unusual scent to say the least.

So... I think I'm going for a walk. I need some fresh air. :)

UPDATE: - (7:19 PM)
54F degrees. Not a bad evening for a walk!

-Jon
posted by Jon at 5:03 PM  I   I  0 comments

"T-Shirt Thursday: Sci-Fi T-Shirts"

In an effort to show off some of my popular (or new) t-shirts, artwork, and gift ideas exclusive to my online store, Jon Baas Designs, I've decided to feature a few of them here on my blog every Thursday. I call it, "T-Shirt Thursday". Feel free to comment, and enjoy!

Today's Featured Designs:
(click on each image to see available products)


More T-shirts & Gifts: .... Sci-Fi T-shirts .... Humorous T-shirts

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Your happily blogging friend,
-Jon
posted by Jon at 4:42 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Gandalf's Practicality"

Some humor for today: Here's another (perhaps more practical) way in which J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" could have ended. Enjoy! ... [video]

-Jon
posted by Jon at 11:06 AM  I   I  0 comments

"Monday in Review"

Got up at 8am. Did some work on the computer. Left around 10:30am to start painting another apartment. Worked indoors while it rained outdoors. Finished the entire apartment minus the bathroom (painting that tomorrow). Came home. Relaxed. Went to the grocery store with Scott. Had a very tasty pizza for dinner. Watching the championship game of the World Baseball Classic (Japan vs. South Korea -- a VERY dramatic matchup!). Going to bed when it's finished.

UPDATE: - (Tuesday, 12:42 AM)
Japan won, 5-3 in ten innings. This is their second WBC title, and they've won both world tournaments so far (2006 and 2009). There's some serious baseball talent in Japan.

-Jon
posted by Jon at 11:57 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Flight Attendant Rap"

I always love finding talent in unusual places. It makes me smile. So, naturally, when I came across Southwest Airlines flight attendant David Holmes, I wasn't disappointed. He has a unique way of announcing the pre-flight instructions... he puts them to a rap. ... [video]

-Jon
posted by Jon at 10:16 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Subway Art Gallery Opening"

Now THIS is clever: Those wacky folks from Improv Everywhere decided to stage an upscale art gallery opening -- on the 23rd Street subway platform in Manhattan. They had all the typical trappings: an open bar (serving cider), a coat check attendant, a cello player for ambiance, and, of course, well-dressed art patrons. But here's the fun part... the "art" on display, were the signs, graffiti, and objects already found in the subway! ... [video]

-Jon
posted by Jon at 9:43 PM  I   I  0 comments

"First Day of Spring"

Well, folks, it's finally here: today is the first day of Spring! Whoohooo! Now... let's just hope we don't get any 13-inch snowstorms tomorrow -- like we did last year. That wouldn't be good.

-Jon
posted by Jon at 11:49 AM  I   I  0 comments

"Thursday in Review"

Stayed up late last night; very productive. Woke up early this morning, couldn't get back to sleep. Got up instead. Worked for a bit. Had lunch. Felt tired (only slept for five hours); took a two hour nap. Awakened to the sound of half a dozen sirens going past my apartment. Got up. Discovered that a house had burned down three blocks away. Took a walk to investigate. Returned home; more work. My friend Rachel stopped by for dinner and a visit. Enjoyed her company, chatted for a bit, played Atari. Going to bed shortly.

-Jon
posted by Jon at 11:53 PM  I   I  0 comments

"T-Shirt Thursday: Military Pride T-Shirts"

In an effort to show off some of my popular (or new) t-shirts, artwork, and gift ideas exclusive to my online store, Jon Baas Designs, I've decided to feature a few of them here on my blog every Thursday. I call it, "T-Shirt Thursday". Feel free to comment, and enjoy!

Today's Featured Designs:
(click on each image to see available products)


More T-shirts & Gifts: .... Military Pride T-shirts .... Patriotic Hearts

Have a wonderful Friday everyone!

Your happily blogging friend,
-Jon
posted by Jon at 11:31 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Quote of the Day"

"Wherever you go, go with all your heart."
-- Confucius

-Jon
posted by Jon at 1:08 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Monday Sun"

It's a beautiful day today. Sunny, temperature 54F. I think I'll go for a walk. I have a few errands I want to take care of, and weather like this... very hard to resist!

-Jon
posted by Jon at 11:27 AM  I   I  0 comments

"Friday in Review"

Finished painting the apartment from last week (except the bathroom, that'll be another day). Treated to lunch at Cousin's Subs. Returned home; spent hours tracking down the viral cause of computer problems. Frustrated. Ran many spyware/virus scans; scowled at my computer, napped while it worked. No solution yet, but plenty of tactics to try. Planning to work on this some more, and then head to bed for the night.

-Jon
posted by Jon at 11:47 PM  I   I  0 comments

"The Sears Tower Renamed"

Hmm. Now this is interesting: The tallest building in the United States -- the Sears Tower (located in Chicago) -- will now be known as the Willis Tower. London-based Willis Group Holdings has become the newest tenant, and gained the naming rights as part of the deal.

The name change will take place later this year.

"Chicago's Sears Tower to get new tenant, new name"

-Jon
posted by Jon at 10:00 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Movie Friday: "World Builder"

Another Friday, another movie. This week my selection is titled, "World Builder".

This beautiful short film is about a man who uses holography to create a stunning environment for the woman he loves. As an artist, I enjoyed watching this for the creative aspect, both of the producers and the man in the film. But there's also a bit of romance that I can identify with. Here's hoping you find it as fascinating as I did. -- (click link to watch)

Enjoy, and have a wonderful weekend all!

-Jon
posted by Jon at 9:35 PM  I   I  0 comments

"No-Blogging Thursday"

Well folks, no blog posts today. I'm hard at work getting things done. Feel free to come back tomorrow, though, and I'll some fun items for you -- including a great Friday movie. Stay tuned.

-Jon
posted by Jon at 8:48 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Late Night & The Tonight Show"

I guess I'm a bit out of the loop when it comes to the late night talk shows. I used to love watching "Late Night With Conan O'Brien". I was a big fan of his unique brand of humor, his antics, his style of hosting. I knew he was assuming the reigns of "The Tonight Show" when Jay Leno retired, but I didn't realize he was being replaced by Jimmy Fallon (of SNL fame) on "Late Night".

I watched a few clips of Fallon's new "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon", and I wasn't all that impressed. He doesn't have the same comedic charm as Conan. Granted, he may grow into the role, but for now, I think my fandom stays with Conan.

At the moment, Conan is off the air as he and his family move from New York (where "Late Night" is produced), to California where the new "Tonight Show" will be filmed (in a new studio on the Universal Studios backlot). Jay Leno is still on the air, and will pass the baton to Conan on June 1. Jimmy Fallon has been host of "Late Night" since March 2nd.

-Jon
posted by Jon at 2:57 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Quote of the Day"

"There are four questions of value in life... What is sacred? Of what is the spirit made? What is worth living for, and what is worth dying for? The answer to each is the same. Only love."
-- Johnny Depp, (in "Don Juan deMarco")

-Jon
posted by Jon at 10:38 PM  I   I  0 comments

"A New Star Trek Trailer"

A new film trailer for the upcoming Star Trek movie has been released. It's epic, beautiful, and has my inner geek all giddy. Take a moment, and check it out: "Star Trek" trailer #3. Enjoy!

"Star Trek" hits theaters on May 8th.

-Jon
posted by Jon at 11:34 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Spring Forward"

Daylight-saving time. Don't forget to set your clocks forward tonight.

"Time to set clock ahead an hour at 2 a.m. Sunday"

-Jon
posted by Jon at 7:24 PM  I   I  0 comments

"World Baseball Classic, 2009"

The second World Baseball Classic began yesterday, with Japan beating China 4-0. Japan won the first WBC title three years ago. This year's final WBC championship game will be held on March 23 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

"Japan opens WBC title defense with win over China"

Official Site: WorldBaseballClassic.com

-Jon
posted by Jon at 9:40 AM  I   I  0 comments

"Thursday in Review"

Started painting my first apartment of the year. Work remains for another day. Enjoyed the wonderful, but unusual, 62F degree weather. Still have a raspy voice (the remains of my cold). Came home after painting, went to the grocery store. Returned with food. Talked with Kelli for a bit. Watching the romantic movie "27 Dresses" (my current NetFlix movie). Going to bed after.

-Jon
posted by Jon at 11:48 PM  I   I  0 comments

"T-Shirt Thursday: Fruit T-shirts"

In an effort to show off some of my popular (or new) t-shirts, artwork, and gift ideas exclusive to my online store, Jon Baas Designs, I've decided to feature a few of them here on my blog every Thursday. I call it, "T-Shirt Thursday". Feel free to comment, and enjoy!

Today's Featured Designs:
(click on each image to see available products)


More T-shirts & Gifts: .... Fruit T-shirts & Gifts .... Patriotic Hearts

Have a wonderful Friday everyone!

Your happily blogging friend,
-Jon
posted by Jon at 10:22 PM  I   I  0 comments

"A Coughy Wednesday"

Good news: My cold is on the way out. Whoohooo! The achy muscles of yesterday are gone, but the sniffles, a not-as-persistent cough, and a gravely voice remain. I got nine hours of sleep last night, and that must have helped immensely, because today has been full of energy and productivity. I've been able to get a lot done. And that I like.

The bad news, though, is that my Kelli up in Brillion is sick now. She's got a cold. Hacking cough, sore throat, runny nose. Not fun. Here's hoping she feels better soon too.

-Jon
posted by Jon at 10:52 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Milio's Sandwiches"

Mmmm. I love Milio's! Great sandwiches. Very tasty. There's one across the street from where I live, and this evening, I had a strong craving for something of the sub variety. Despite there being a Subway right next door, I walked across the street, grabbed my favorite, and that was dinner.

If you have one near you, give them a try sometime. You might be pleasantly surprised. Locations in: Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Nebraska.

-Jon
posted by Jon at 10:19 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Seventy Inches"

So far this winter, Milwaukee has received 70.5 inches of snow. This is, however, not reflective of my neighborhood (West Allis), which has received less. The average snowfall at this point in the season is 42.9 inches. Last year's total was 99.1 inches.

"Milwaukee tops 70 inches of snow for season"

-Jon
posted by Jon at 9:18 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Strawberry Halls"

Yay for strawberry flavored Halls mentho-lyptus cough drops! Much tastier than the cherry ones, and with less of an aftertaste. Cherry used to be preference, but when I was over at the drug store not too long ago, I decided to try something new. I think I'm going with strawberry from now on.

-Jon
posted by Jon at 8:46 PM  I   I  0 comments

"A Sneezy Tuesday"

Well, it's official. I have a cold. Sniffly nose, hoarse voice, achy muscles, annoying cough. I had things I wanted to do today, but sleep or sitting around is as close as I've gotten. I guess today will have to be a sick day. And tomorrow... I'll just hope I have more energy.

Cause of this cold? Probably a result of me standing out at frigid city bus stops on my way home from the Greyhound bus terminal on Sunday. An hour out in the cold; yeah, that sounds like the perfect recipe to me. ... [sigh]

Time for a nap. Time to beat this thing.

UPDATE: - (6:22 PM)
The nap helped. The symptoms are still here; I'm groggy and nursing a weak voice, but at least I'm not as tired as I was earlier this afternoon. I think I'll continue to take it easy for the rest of the day, drink lots of water, and rest up as best I can. Hopefully tomorrow will be a healthier day.

-Jon
posted by Jon at 2:02 PM  I   I  0 comments

"March Snow Sun"

A record 14.2 inches of snow fell in Milwaukee today. The city was taken by surprise, commuter traffic was at a standstill, airplanes were grounded, and thousands of residents were left cleaning up a thick blanket of white. But here in West Allis -- 6 miles inland from Lake Michigan -- we got none. No snow. No messy commute. Just sunny skies.

It's called Lake Effect Snow and it's extremely common here in SE Wisconsin.

"Lake Effect Snow Blitzes Milwaukee"

"Freakish snow hits south and east sides"

-Jon
posted by Jon at 10:44 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Three Days in Brillion"

I'm back in Milwaukee. My visit with Kelli up north was wonderful, even if shorter than I would have liked. I went up by bus (Greyhound) on Friday, stayed Saturday, and hopped the bus back down here earlier today. Short, but wonderful.

On Friday, I left Milwaukee around 11am, and arrived at the makeshift Manitowoc bus terminal (aka, a gas station) around 12:30pm. Since Kelli was still teaching over in Brillion (20 miles to the west), I had about 4 hours to kill before she was able to come pick me up. Thankfully the bus "terminal" was in a commercial area, so I had lunch and spent about two and a half hours in the nearby Arby's restaurant, and then walked over to the nearby Starbucks where I spent the remainder of my wait. I did get a lot of work, reading, and brainstorming done, though, so in the end, everything worked out pretty well.

After Kelli met up with me at Starbucks (our predetermined meeting place), we made our way to a local restaurant. Most of her faculty were meeting us there for dinner in celebration of our engagement. When one of them discovered that my birthday had been on the 18th, he informed the wait staff, they sang "Happy Birthday", and I found myself enjoying a slice of warm chocolate brownie with a candle in it. Very tasty. And, as I've been told, a rather blush-inducing moment too.

After dinner, Kelli, myself, and the three other teacher couples went to one of their houses, and played board games into the evening. Fun was had by all, and teasing was aplenty. By the time Kelli and I left, I had gained six new friends.

That evening, back at Kelli's place, the two of us hung out for a while until it was time to head off to bed. As a teacher, Kelli has a reputation to uphold, so I wasn't able to stay the night on her couch. However, the principal of her school (one of the faculty members at dinner) graciously invited me to sleep in his guest room. So, come bedtime, Kelli dropped me off at his house across town, and I drifted off to sleep in no time.

On Saturday, Kelli had a school meeting to attend, so after she picked me up from the principal's house, I was on my own at her apartment. Three hours later, she returned home, we hung out for the rest of the day, watched a movie, and by the evening I was on my way back to the principal's house (Kelli wasn't feeling well, so she let me drive -- she's very protective of her car).

After another restful night, I drove back to Kelli's place, got ready for church, and headed the few blocks over to Bible class and Sunday service. I met a few more wonderful people, explored a bit more of the school, and then returned home to Kelli's place. After brunch at one of the few restaurants in town ("Mom's" for those of you who live up there), Kelli and I returned to the Manitowoc bus "terminal". When the southbound bus pulled in, I bid a fond farewell (I hate leaving that girl), and an hour and a half later was back down here in Milwaukee.

Another two hours later -- thanks to city bus schedules and waiting at freezing bus stops -- I was home again, my second weekend in Brillion now a happy memory. Next Kelli/Jon weekend visit? As of yet, unplanned. Although, there is a weekend in Chicago (a Christmas gift from my brother), and a Jeff Dunham concert in Madison upcoming in the next few months. So, we shall see.

-Jon
posted by Jon at 10:47 PM  I   I  0 comments