Jamie Burnside

Fiddle Faddle/ Odds and Ends. in Misc JoeUser Forums

Hey there friends! I hope that you're having a nice day, and that you're all ready for that much-anticipated weekend. According to the title, I intend to write about a few things that have been going on lately. Most of the time I write my weblog entries for public-consumption. I also use this as kind of a daybook that I will be able to look back on in the future. To the latter end I give you: Odds and Ends. (Written in a semi-Larry King style...) -Man is it ever cold h

Talkin' Sumo. in Sports & Leisure JoeUser Forums

Hi friends! I hope that your finding yourselves in warm temperatures. It is awfully cold and windy here in Minnesota. Since it is cold and I don't want to venture out these days, I have really been enjoying watching the New Year's sumo tournament on television when I come home from work. I really enjoy sumo. I would say that besides baseball, sumo is my favorite sport. One of the best things about sumo is that it is played in a series of six two-week tournaments throughout

American Idol 3 in Movies & TV & Books JoeUser Forums

Hi there. My wife and I finished watching the second audition show on American Idol about one hour ago. I am trying to think about who I remember from tonight's episode. I liked the girl with the red hair. She seemed pretty cool. I remember the Elvis guy. Liked him. I also remembered the girl with the dad. She'll be okay. She talks a little like Dolly Parton, and she'll look like Julia Damato as soon as she does what Paula said about dying her hair. I thought t

Reply to Our Happy Weekend. in Home & Family JoeUser Forums

Army girl was afully cute and could kind of sing, but I don't think she could cut it. I kind of think that she was trying too hard with the military angle. That was kind of played-out last year. She may have done herself better to go to the audition in civvies.

Our Happy Weekend. in Home & Family JoeUser Forums

Hi there friends! I hope that all of you had a fun and productive holiday weekend. I had a really happy time relaxing with friends and family. On Saturday and Sunday we enjoyed ourselves with the Mattson family at their cabin on Lake Mille Lacs. It was awfully cold outside, but we enjoyed visiting and playing a number of board games. We got in some Risk, UNO, and a game of Monopoly. Yay! Coming home on Sunday, we spend our Monday running errands and catching up on sumo mat

Talking about the weather. in Home & Family JoeUser Forums

Isn't it boring when people talk about the weather? Even if it is, let me tell you: it is awfully cold here in Minnesota! Today, we saw a temperature of -15F (-26C.) It is awfully cold outside! We haven't had many really cold days like this in recent years, so it gives us good memories of days past. Over the weekend, Kazuko, Kenny, and I visited a resort whee a friend's family owns a cabin. It was awfully nice. In tomorrow's entry, I will have some pictures of our happy ti

Margaritas in Misc JoeUser Forums

Hello there. I hope that all of you are psyched-out for the three-day weekend. I always appreciate them when they come around! As my headline suggests, I am enjoying my evening with a margarita in hand. I don't think that I have had one of those in over a year! I gave my wife a sip, and she echoed my sentiment when she said, "Nadskashii!" (Which in Japanese means: "reminiscent of times past.") Ususally I fancy drinking beer. Today, the mood struck me to get some tequila an

Reply to Steve Irwin Crocodile Man in Current Events JoeUser Forums

You've all seen that footage of Tiger Woods on the "Mike Douglas Show" when he was three years old. We can watch that footage now and appreciate that his golfing skills have been developed over a lifetime. Maybe Steve Irwin is trying to get footage of his baby son's lifelong development of showy-zookeeping. We'll see Steve "Peg Leg" Irwin Jr. some day on the Larry King Jr. show, reminiscing over a lifetime of crocodile-baiting hand-held vide

The last episode of "Friends." in Movies & TV & Books JoeUser Forums

Hello there. I hope that everyone has been having a happy week. I can't believe that Friday is almost here! Today as I was driving to work, I heard on the radio that the last episode of "Friends" will be in May. That was the first time in a long time that I have heard about that show. To be honest with you, I thought that the last episode was last year. (Not that I've checked, but there's probably been lots of "jumped the shark" internet chatter about "Friends," hasn't ther

The swans in Monticello in Pets & Nature JoeUser Forums

Hey there. It was seemingly a long day. As I was driving home from work, I thought about what I had done during the day. Thinking back to events in the morning, I said to myself: "Wow! I can't believe that happened this morning! It seems so long ago." But now I find myself at home, updating my weblog. Ready to unwind after another in a string of busy days leading to summer vacation. After this I will play with my barbells, watch sumo, play with my wife and son, and eat di

Strategic TV tuning and sitcom reruns in Movies & TV & Books JoeUser Forums

Recently I have been in the mood to watch situation comedies on television. It is surprising what good shows one can encounter if he or she is inclined to strategially channel-switch. If I play my cards right, I can watch 2 hours of "Seinfeld" (or 3 on a Wednesday!) an hour of "Cheers," and an episode each of "The Simpsons," and "Frasier." I am sure that I will get tired of watching those shows so often, but they are good for now. (I could watch more Cheers if Nick at Night didn't ge

Reply to Many Reasons Why I'm Attractive in Blogging JoeUser Forums

Rats! Jeremy stole my thunder. I've got nothing...

Trumpeter Swans in Pets & Nature JoeUser Forums

Hello there! After work today, I took a side-trip to a bank nearby my school to deposit some checks. Since I was on a different course, I decided to drive along the Mississippi River to get home. The drive takes a litter longer than the highway, but I enjoy the view. As I was driving and looking at the river, I thought to myself, "This is awfully pretty. I should bring my wife here some time." Just about the time I was thinking that, I saw a large flock of white t

Day 2 of the sumo tournament and some baby pictures. in Home & Family JoeUser Forums

Hi there. I hope that everyone had a good beginning of the work week. I survived my first day back. I was especially pleased today with some dialogue from some plays that I am acting and recording with the kids at school. Bringing a video camera into class seems motivating for the kids. (We're doing plays about an Indian legend about how the sky got to be so far up, and one about a giant who steals crops from a family in Chile.) After I got home, I enjoyed some nice shr

Reply to McDONALD'S BAD SERVICE in Consumer Issues JoeUser Forums

Hi. Thanks for referencing my article. I had forgotten about that. That still burns me up when I don't get a stir stick with my coffee. (That's really my only gripe. I actually get good service at McDonalds... at least better than at other fast-food restaurants.) GCJ, you asked me about my pictures on my site. I take them all with a JVC Digital Video Recorder 3000. The photographs that I put on my weblog are all screen captures of video. It takes five or ten minutes to get the

The New Year's Grand Sumo Tournament has started. in Sports & Leisure JoeUser Forums

Hey there friends. I hope that you've had a nice weekend. I really enjoyed spending time with my wife and my son. As usual it went too fast, and it is back to work tomorrow. This weekend saw the beginning of the New Year's Grand Sumo Tournament in Tokyo. Kazuko videotaped it last night, and I watched it tonight after dinner. The big question this time will be whether Tochiazuma can get the tournament victory with at least thirteen wins. If he does, he will become a grand champion.

There is a Presidential Election coming. in Politics JoeUser Forums

Recently I have been noticing that there has been a lot more coverage of the primaries and caucases that are coming up soon. We have seemingly entered the presidential campaign season. In 1992, I was very active in the election. I did lots of volunteering, and was involved in a lot of activist activities. It was really fun! Good parties, interesting conversations, friends, etc... What more could one want as an undergraduate? (It was also a good opportunity to get beer before I was

Good movies on television lately. in Movies & TV & Books JoeUser Forums

As I had written in my last blog entry, I watched the film: "Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels" on IFC. Tonight, BBC America is showing "The Meaning of Life." -Even though I have seen that movie about fifty times (maybe more,) I still am watching it on TV. (By the way, read my last entry if you're interested in comparing Tarantino's gangster movies to Guy Ritchie's gangster movies.) Having movies on is good. There isn't much else on, is there? Actually, it has been so lo

Reply to Late season clothes shopping. in Home & Family JoeUser Forums

Just as I expected... I don't think that I even need to re-watch the Tarantino films. Kill Bill had a lot of shock-value though, didn't it? I don't think that I had liked the movie as I was leaving the theater; but the longer I thought about it, the more I "appreciated" it.

Late season clothes shopping. in Home & Family JoeUser Forums

Hey there! Yesterday I had to make a quick trip to K-Mart to buy some diapers for baby Kentaro. He is growing quickly through the various diaper sizes. While I was at the store, I found a number of winter flannel shirts on sale that I really liked. There were a number of pretty nice shirts in the 10-15 dollar price range. I looked through the various items to pick one out for myself (I like wearing flannel shirts.) Sadly, since it is late in the season, the vast majority of

Reply to THIS ROCKS! in Home & Family JoeUser Forums

I see it now. Pretty fancy... Have a happy night.

Reply to Whooooooeeeeeeee ITS C O L D... in Pets & Nature JoeUser Forums

Hold on... The Pacific North West is indeed in the North-west. (I should read before posting.) I thought that Cincinnati was the "Gem city." OH! That's the queen city, isn't it?

Reply to Whooooooeeeeeeee ITS C O L D... in Pets & Nature JoeUser Forums

You must be east of Minnesota. I'm glad that it's moved out of here. Rest assured: It is a short one. Only three days or so.

Reply to THIS ROCKS! in Home & Family JoeUser Forums

Did he paint a little red "x" in a square? I'm not that impressed.

Getting other people's mail. in Home & Family JoeUser Forums

In Japan, it is a tradition to send New Year's greetings in the form of post cards. At the beginning of each year it isn't uncommon to receive a large stack of greetings from friends, relatives, and well-wishers. When my wife and I lived in Japan, we adhered to the tradition of sending and receiving these New Year's greetings. Since moving to the United States we still continue to send and receive these messages, although not in as great of volume as when we lived in Japan. Now my wif