Peoria, for a minute

You never know the consequences of a few days off work until you return.

In my case, this meant what seemed like a ridiculous amount of catching up once I got back to Bemidji. It also meant putting several things on the back burner, this post included.

I was in Peoria two weeks back for a sad reason. But the best-of-it was made. Here's some photos.

Here's some really dumb stuff that Facebook informed me are things that exist

This is how you're supposed to do the Facebook. Thanks, Dan.

My Facebook newsfeed is an equal opportunity shitshow.

I rarely block anyone, and allow all of my Internet friends' thoughts/photos/inane life updates/political ramblings to appear in my feed.

I've compiled some of the terrible that has appeared in front of my eyes in the last 24 for you. Thank me with money or steak.

Your wedding sucks and you are not special

LIKE A HEART

I realize I'm not the first person to find an incredibly awful "our wedding" website thing with an equally terrible registry list, but that should not prevent me from a good, old-fashioned ranty rant.

I just find something mind-numbingly upsetting about two people who, in their "about us" section, write "we say we met in college..." then go on to describe how they actually met in college, followed by the fact that they've had "an amazing few years of vacations around the world, learning all about each other's good and bad habits and cheering on our Reds and Cubbies." Perhaps that money spent on globe-trotting could have been better used to buy all the shit they're asking guests to purchase so they have the perfect, Martha Stewart kitchen/bedroom/living room they've she's always wanted.

Basically, their request boils down to this:

Mpls.

It's always nice to be able to turn off the old phone/email receiver/Twitter/Facebook/everything else machine for a few days and disconnect. Even nicer, then, to spend time with a few thousand other insane people for a day at the world's largest shrine to consumerism.

Yes, the Mall of America is an incredible place - especially for children.

Photos and words from a night of being a dummy, plus the best Taliban reference you'll ever hear in a rap song

I spent a good portion of my Saturday scouring YouTube for Peoria rap videos. And by good portion I mean I've spent more time looking at Peoria rap videos than anyone in the world.

So, what that meant for my friends and co-workers Jack and John is that when we arrived home last night, many of those videos were still up on my computer. And they needed to be shared.

It should be noted, I also did real, actual serious word-making yesterday, lest you think it's all play and no work. I even managed to crank out some words today.

Without getting too far in, because I still intend to give the Peoria rap scene a proper write-up here, I will share with you one of my favorites. This was a big hit last night in the Glawe/Hageman household.

Timber

On my way back from Blackduck, where I made words and photos about an ice fishing derby, I came across a large timber yard.

The gate was closed so I wasn't able to get in and have a look around, but I was able to grab a couple shots from the road.

I couldn't help but think of Homer Simpson's file photo from the TV news in fictitious Springfield when I saw these stacks. My brain is a strange one.

Raze the Madison, Peoria, and sell off the last of your soul

Three simple words, "Save the Madison," have been uttered online and off in the past few weeks, but they might as well be replaced by three more:

"Sell our souls."

That’s what is at stake if the owners of the Madison Theater raze it to make way for a restaurant. And that’s what they’ve told the group who started the “Battle for the Madison” Facebook page, which was profiled on Feb. 8 by the Journal Star.

The Madison is more than a building; hell, it's more than most buildings in Peoria. Without going into the long and storied history of a structure that has seen dozens of mayors, hundreds of city councilmen and virtually millions of Peorians come and go, let me tell you what the Madison means to my generation.