And now a message from our sponsors.

Friends may come and go, but Nuvi has always been here (telling me to go there).

One of these is the current temperature. (Here's a hint: It's not eight hundred and twelve degrees outside. Not even in celsius)

Stop. Pay Toll.

Sliding on my bum in a winter wonderland

Color? Neh.

Building Settlements on the Moon

The Road Map to Peace goes through Iowa

I am cold in Iowa.

It flurried in Iowa

It snowed in New Jersey.

Thanksgiving Greetings

It's never good practice to send readers away from your site. But sometimes other sites do things yours can't. So please, head on over to the link below to see all the exciting people I've been meeting out here.

Curtis's Annual Thanksgiving Greeting

Michael Scott

Why post an entire episode of "The Office"? Because, thanks to Hulu.com . . . I can

Welcome to the West

You ain't a small town in Iowa if you don't have a Pizza Ranch. Therefore, Akron is a town. I've never been at one for dinner until now. Apparently they have a menu when there is no lunch buffet. Good to know if you're a hungry cowboy on the ranch.

Out of Place

A 4 point buck in full stride in urban Des Moines

You should have seen the cow

It's milk that tastes like a root beer float. I'd call it an Iowa treat, except It's from a Nebraskan organic farm.

Pointing the Camera Skywards

Pink sky in the morning, sailor's warning. Pink sky at night, take a photo for your blog.

When I first crossed the border in June, I noticed the sky seems to be bigger here in Iowa. Perhaps using DC as a point of reference is not a good comparison. But even months later, I still enjoy taking time midday to look upward.

? o'lantern

When you can't beat 'em, co-opt the holiday as your own. -- Yogi Berra

Danny Rose?

The fact that many Iowa restaurants feature Reuben sandwiches makes me question my prior notions about their ethnic origins. But my belief that this state could benefit from some more delis (like the one in the photo) still stands.

Home Cookin'

Whenever I miss New Jersey, I head over to the Hy-Vee and purchase a product from my home state. Because when I think of authentic New Jersey food, I think of . . . . banana crisps?

Once, Twice, Three Times a Colbert-y

I suspect Mr. Colbert was again doing some late night snooping on this site the other night. After seeing my appeal for DonorsChoose.org, he decided to invite Craig Newmark on his show. Newmark, of http://www.craigslist.com , is a strong supporter of DonorsChoose. The website got some serious mention during the interview.

Here's the funny interview . . .

There's Magic in These Signs

In Battle Creek, IA, all you have to do is put up a sign, and the item you desire appears behind it. All was well and good until somebody put up a "Future Site of a Future Site Sign" sign. The town has been in a constant state of sign removal ever since.

Cherokee Library

Every other website? Get your click on.

Tally it Up

Keep track of how well we're doing. See the post below to find out what we're doing.

The Challenge

As I previewed last week, today is Blog Action Day. What's neat is that there's no guarantee blogs can really deliver on a philanthropic/civic-minded project. There are many isolated examples of success, but nothing systemic. But this is an advantage. Free of the shackles of what's worked in the past, each blogger can try something different in the hopes of supporting this year's theme, the environment.

My method is to promote DonorsChoose.com. DonorsChoose let's lets teachers create proposals for projects that need funding. Potential donors visit the site, browse through potential projects, and can choose to fund all or part of a project.

DonorsChoose . . .

• Rewards teachers for creative ideas and articulate proposals.
• Provides a forum for donors who are searching for something out of the ordinary.
• Combines the ease of online money transfer with the spontaneity of donating to a good cause.

To align with this year's theme, I have selected one science-minded project from the hundreds on DonorsChoose. I hope you will consider donating to it. Perhaps, together, we can fully fund this project.

I selected this project because

• It helps a teacher in a district where 84% of the students, due to povery, are on a free lunch program. By comparison, my high school, High Point, is at about 5%.
• It helps a Los Angeles teacher who is in the Teach for America Corps. Teach for America is a noble effort to increase the number of highly-qualified teachers in classrooms and hopefully keep them there for good.
• The project is already partially funded. This is important to me because it emphasizes that if everybody chips in a little bit, even if they're complete strangers, great things can be accomplished.
  
• It aims to put some actual objects in the hands of science students. As a visual learner myself, I can appreciate this.
  
• The teacher's proposal uses the word "realia." Therefore, it helped me learn a new word.
  

If nothing else, I hope you look at the neat things going on over at DonorsChoose.com.

Now I know some of you are saying, "Curtis, if I give enough money to fully fund the project, then nobody else will have the opportunity to donate to it. Therefore, I probably shouldn't give any money at all." That's hogwash. Stop saying that.

The project is $332 $297 short of it's its goal. Please consider clicking below and reading about the project. Then, consider chipping in some funds. According to DonorsChoose, if it's fully funded, every donor receives not only a personal thankyou, but the teacher is given a disposable camera to take pictures of how your money is being spent. Please click below to look at the challenge I've created.

Help Public School Kids by Funding my Challenge at DonorsChoose

Hold the Schmaltz

It's not too late to buy a meal from Congregation Beth Shalom today. The best potato latkes this side of the Little Sioux. (keyboard not included)

Dinner in Carroll, Iowa. Not the flowers. But they were there too.

I AM America

Today I'm going to hit upon two common themes:

1) Rediscovering videos I made in college.

2) Stephen Colbert and I are secretly collaborating. Also, one of us has a time machine, thus explaining the time gap between our similar projects.

First, be amazed by last night's interview segment.




Then watch my take on it here, from late 2006.

Blogging for Change

Google is helping promote some really neat projects that combine blogging and philanthropy. These are two worlds that are bound to collide. Some say I actually predicted this with a presentation I gave in college. Others don't say that at all.

Either way, if there's some neat projects out there that need trying, like the one advertised above, I'm game.

Plus, Iowa is all about Clean Energy and being green. So there's plenty to write about. It's like a perfect storm of ideas. Not that I endorse global-warming-induced perfect storms.

Multi-State Zone

Here's yet another reason why you can't use road names to guess what state you're in.

Trivia:
If these two signs were all you had to deduce your location, what state would you say you were in?

Who said Vermont? That's incorrect. While Rutland and Burlington are cities in Vermont, everyone knows those hippies don't have road signs. They just let the homeowner pick a name that creates the most Zen with their hemp furniture.

The correct answer is Iowa. Trick question.

Confessions of a Wiffy

I guess my guilty conscience obligates me to refer you to this previous post, and then to the following report from the Colbert Report last night.

Curtis's Guide to Apartment Living: Episode 4

Part 2 of my 2 Part Series: Things I Haven't Done in a While

Activity: Clothes Shopping, alone

Last Known Occurrence: . . . Never?

Reason Behind Activity: A man can only wear his Mickey Mouse tie so many times before it goes from humorous, to kinda cute, to obnoxious.

Part 1 of my 2 Part Series: Things I Haven't Done in a While

Activity: Ate Meat at my Apartment

Last Known Occurrence: Never

Reason Behind Activity: The generosity of the (Name Deleted to Protect the Leftovers) Family.

Can You Tell I'm Stalling Until I Can Finish Another Video?

This year, I ended up Tivo'ing the Jerry Lewis Telethon to watch in increments over the past couple of weeks. The nearest location to here was the Chicago telethon hosted by the incomparable Bart Connor and the unpronounceable Nadia Comaneci. And after sifting through 17 hours of fund-raising and entertainment, I recommend . . .

1) The Duttons (if I'd known they were this good, I would have went to their performance in Rock Valley, Iowa)

2) John Cassidy - Comedy, Magic, and Really weird things with balloons.

3) Norm Crosby - Borscht Belt funnyman

Alas, once I deleted the Telethon from my DVR, I had 40% more space to use on the Fall TV Season.

Destination: Indianola, IA

It's been a while since I visited a new town. But coming up on Sunday, I will be introduced to Indianola, IA.

It's home to the National Balloon Classic, the National Balloon Museum, and Indianolans.

The back roads were tough today, showing remnants of an apparent earthquake on the right hand side of the road there. But I was up for the challenge.
(Note: For safety purposes, this was not a live-blogging moment. I came home, counted two arms, two legs, and all 9 toes before putting this one up)
















Make that 10 toes. I missed the small one who was still clinging to its neighbor out of fear.

L'Shana Tova

This Daily Show interview doesn't have much to do with my life in Iowa, except . . .

It's got a few high holiday mentions. And I myself am revved up for a new year. Some local families are making sure I am well fed both pre and post Yom Kippur fast.

It also shows off Comedy Central's very impressive embeddable video player.

Iowa Climate

Pretty drastic weather change today in Iowa. I even had to turn the dial from cool to heat in the car today.

It was 55 and dropping when I last checked.

I know it will only get worse, but it's really the symbolism of it all that has caused me to write about it here. I've experienced the hot of an Iowa summer. In a few months, I'll have the pleasure of at least the beginning of one its winters.

In preparation, I am watching Discovery Channel's Planet Earth, the episode about Ice Worlds.

Code Orange

The Fair was marred by a constant state of fear brought on by the presence of this sign.

Take Flight at the Fair

Remember the days when too much funnel cake meant you were so full you couldn't walk to the ice cream stand? Well not anymore! Now you can fly there.

Clay County Fair

The Clay County Fair has finally arrived.

Labor Day

Besides having Jimmy Hoffa buried under Giants Stadium, is Labor big in New Jersey?

I ask because I feel a strong Labor presence in Iowa. Several huge picnics are occurring today, for example. And I can't tell if I'm noticing it because either 1) It's strong in Iowa or 2) I'm now part of the workforce, so I'm bound to notice my comrades.

It's awfully confusing to see Jimmy Hoffa's son as head of the Teamsters. I would imagine quite a few youths trying to write a history essay based on a quick glance at a Wikipedia article might produce something like this:
"Jimmy Hoffa was head of the Teamsters. Then he mysteriously disappeared and nobody heard from him again. Then he became head of the Teamsters.

Finally, it's not too late to spend some quality time with Jerry Lewis over the MDA Telethon. Check your local listings. I fell asleep pretty early, but not before Gary Lewis and the Playboys made their annual appearance. Boy, they grow up so fast.

Ultimate

You think drinking alone is tough? Try playing Frisbee.

Ed's

Welcome to Ed's Restaurant in Kingsley, IA. Great prices.

For just $3.75, I managed both a burger and a small pop.

(note: in case I haven't covered this for the East Coast crowd, they have different terminology out here. Soda is often called pop.

Other examples . . .Elevators are called lifts. And Toyota is called Chevy)

A View from the Outside

This Should Have Come First

Frost

One bridge diverged in a crowded wood in this park. And I took the one less traveled by. Which, by its virtue of being the only bridge, meant the most traveled by also.

Laying Down the Law in Cherokee

The same does not apply to 23-year-old boys.

We All Need a Hobby

Even on the darkest days, we all need a reason to get out of bed. I'm not saying this is my only one, but I really want that free sandwich.

Google Maps

Google Maps now allows you to embed maps in your blog or e-mail.

This can be very useful to a new Iowan trying to describe his surroundings.

For example, this is where I live. And yes, it is this blurry in real life. Sure, it makes driving difficult, but it really reduces the handicap on people with poor eyesight.


View Larger Map

War of the Worlds

During last night's torrential rain, we were greeted by an apparant UFO.

Is This Physics?

This helicopter was giving rides at the Wall Lake, IA, Farm Festival.

The backwards 'C' in it's propeller is probably some sort of tribute to me.

Wall Lake Farm Festival

Finally a parade. Just like the good old days...of last month.

Re-gifting?

I have a pregnant cousin in Givat Zeev. I was thinking of sending this over as a "welcome to the world" gift for the new one. Would that be wrong?

Another Satisfied Vicenarian

It's the Thought That . . . Probably Shouldn't Be Said Out Loud

Thanks for the gift and card, Sioux City Office. FCC rules prevent me from revealing its contents, but I'll reveal that they are sentimental and heartfelt.

Target Demographic

The office reads the blog.

Blow Out the Candles on Your Pork Slab

The magic of a summer birthday is that you get the sympathy amassed by not being able to have a party in school (see: kindergarten through 3rd grade), and when you do get to have a party at home, it's usually a pool party. I'm not saying you can't try this pool tactic with a winter birthday, but don the speedo at your own risk.

It also means I've been home for my recent birthdays, (i.e. not at college) . . . until now. August 15, 2007 was spent out here in Iowa. And it was grand. For the humble fee of $12, I was treated to a dinner at the Cherokee Community Center. What made it real special was that it was potluck, as all dinners should be. That meant 400 different kinds of salads. (which was odd considering the attendance marker didn't break 100. Somebody must have made 300 extra salads)

And for dessert. Everyone's favorite. Pie.

The speaking slate for the evening was filled with some studs, once again reminding me that Iowa is the place to be in an election year. Mention the word potluck, and two Senators, an Ambassador, 2 Secretaries of Education, Grover Cleveland, and 7 of the 9 living ex-Presidents of the United States, show up. I don't know if my numbers are exactly right, but the point is, people turn out.

Speaking of Iowa politics, did you know Gopher from the Love Boat later became a member of the United States House of Representatives? In the spirit of transparency, I didn't learn that in Cherokee tonight. I've known it for a while and have been sitting on it, waiting for the right moment to insert it into a post.

I'll close with some words from the immortal (or at least still alive, eventuality of death unknown) Jim Gaffigan:
"Pie can’t compete with cake. Put candles in a cake, it’s a birthday cake. Put candles in a pie, and somebody’s drunk in the kitchen."

The One Good Thing About It

Might I recommend the Crowne Plaza for when your week is thrown a curveball by an airline

Things just got interesting here. The flight just got canceled and it's turned into an episode of The Amazing Race

My Ride Home

Halfway

Back in the right time zone, but still one more flight to go.

Heading Back

Welcoming Committee

New Jersey: I Got Yer Patriotism Right Here

Familiar Faces

Now in NJ