the_bassman

I know the quality sucks due to the fact that the photo was taken early this morning but a new personal record for bass I've caught: a 13-lb. largemouth bass caught on a Texas rigged brown/chartreuse lizard lure in my boss's pond! Hail to the BassMan baby!!!

Confucius say, foolish man give wife gift of grand piano while wise man give wife gift of upright organ!

I would try to throw the biggest and best party I could. That way I can go down with a bang!

#1. My Iowa Hawkeyes came from behind, then kicked Indiana's ass 42-24 to stay UNDEFEATED at 9 and 0!!! (Best start and winning streak in University of Iowa history! Kirk Ferentz is definately the last coach I think I'd ever want to play chess with!)

#2. Made a profit despite a cold and rainy morning at the greater Gulf State Fair in Mobile, AL

#3. Got more toasted than an Eggo waffle

#4. Turned 28 and made an extra $20 wearing the carny "Birthday clip" (Carny tradition where you attach a dollar bill to your shirt via a stock hook and other carnies would often add their dollar bills to it, kind of made me feel like a fully clothed stripper)

The Bliss
The Iowa Hawkeyes are now 7 and 0!!! This makes them the UNDISPUTED 1st place team in the Big Ten now as Ohio State lost to Purdue yesterday while the Hawkeyes beat Wisconsin 20-10!

For the 5 and 2 Ohio State Buckeyes, I got 1 word for them now: OVERRATED!!!

The Hell
This year's Mississippi State Fair has looked like a welfare case compared to previous years and the weather here in Jackson has been so bad that instead of tearing down tonight, the fair added a day so we tear down tommorrow night instead! The only good thing from this is the crime rate at the fair too has plummeted!

Since I was a child, I have had apiphobia (fear of bees/wasps) which is kind of ironic since the one mascot outfit I've played more than any other was a bee (Buzz of the Burlington Bees). Nowasays, I can usually hold it in unless I'm near a swarm or hive, then I begin to get nervous or sometimes even freak out. Probably the ballsiest thing I've done this year involving bees or wasps was when my boss bought an old piece of shit Ford F-150 that had a hornet's nest in the passenger door. When I discovered it, I immediately closed the door, went to the Walgreens across the street from the fairgrounds, bought a can of Raid wasp and hornet killer, emptied the whole can on the nest, then once the hornets quit crawling out and dying, knocked the hornet's nest out of there!

A great pro wrestler, pro wrestling manager, and overall entertainer has left us today: WWE Hall of Famer Captain Lou Albano. May you rest in peace and today for you, I shall wear a rubber band somewhere on my body.

(Bugels taps)

They are never written but believe me, they are out there!

Rule #1: If a fight breaks out anywhere on the grounds, 90% or more of the marks (patrons) will be there within 15 seconds.

Rule #2: Never walk by a dunk tank unless you can take a joke. Anyone seen in front of the tank can and will get picked on by the clown.

Rule #3: If harness racing is on the grounds and you have a weak stomach, never walk by the stables!

The day before opening at the Kansas State Fair, I tripped on the asphalt with my laptop in my arms. The laptop still works but has since been acting as if it suffered 1 too many concussions. It now literally takes me OVER AN HOUR to load up anything requiring internet connection and most of the programs that don't require them lag just as long or cause a blue screen of death now. The computer tells me that it's a problem with the hard drive and I believe it's physical damage as opposed to errors, viruses, etc.

Note: I'm on a library computer right now posting this

Okay, yesterday we hauled everything from Elkhorn, WI here to Hutchinson, KS for the Kansas State Fair opening this Friday. After stopping at the Iowa 80 Truck Stop in Walcott, I now has a "dashboard mascot!" It's a very adorable plushie of a miniature schnauzer puppy! Also last weekend, I bought a miniature schnauzer T-shirt in Elkhorn. Something tells me the vendors in Elkhorn though are trying to cater to furries as I noticed 2 booths selling raccoon and fox tails as well as a booth selling what looked just like taxidermied animals, only smaller and fake fur. In fact 2 of these "replica taxidermy" animals were miniature schnauzers, but cost an arm and a leg! This schnauzer is feeling more and more welcome in Wisconsin now, but it's time to really make the donuts in Kansas! Also this week, time for a county/state fair law:

Rule #4 - If 2 or more booths sell it at the county fair, expect to find it at the state fair!

11:30am: Meet parents for annual lunch at Country Kitchen in Princeton, IL. This is my 1st time seeing them since leaving home in mid-January (and I won't see them again until early November)

6pm: attend pro wrestling show, have good conversations with several wrestlers including former WWE wrestler Rosie (still donning the super hero gimmick and put on a great Falls Count Anywhere match in that little barn!) Also got to meet RoH star Jimmy Jacobs. God I love those little indy shows. Some of my favorite chants and rants I shouted that night:

"You're not the man, you're the Doctor: Dr. Frankenfurter!"
"Get that Rocky Horror reject!"
"Rainbow Brite! Rainbow Brite!"
"Village People! *clap, clap, clap, clap* Village People!"
"Of the Village People, I guess the one on the mic's the village idiot!"
"Quit hammerin' down on those sheep!"
(When Mack Convoy got thrown into the sawdust for a 3rd time) "Welcome home redneck!"
"Beaver boy! Beaver boy!"
"So long Shaggy and Velma!"

Tweet on Twitter, chat on Skype, or run a show on UStream or BlogTV

Any time I'm in a sleeveless shirt, my Corona shirt, or my pink/purple/black/white cowboy shirt I feel sexy, oh so sexy!

Okay, this year the Illinois State Fair started with a strong weekend, but most of the weekdays sucked! I don't think it was anybody's fault though considering that the 1st Sunday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, the whole midway had to close for at least an hour due to tornado warnings and Wednesday it got so bad that we heard the tornado siren go off not once, but TWICE!!! It also rained part of the 2nd Thursday and Friday as well.

Time to cut to the chase:
The Good: For once, I worked a Blago-free Illinois State Fair and made profit!
The Bad: The weekday weather
The Ugly: Wednesday, which I officially titled "Wrath of God" day!
The Just Plain Cool: Discovering that the airbrush tattoo booth across the street from the one I worked was run by furries
The Even Cooler: Discovering that those furries were hippie furs! I may not be a hippie but I tend to love hippies!

1st off, happy brithdays to 2_gryphon amd naughtymewmew 

This week and next for the 3rd year in a row I will be working the Illinois State Fair in Springfield. The best part is that this year, the fair is 100% BLAGO-FREE!!!

BassCast 11 has arrived meaning I've now made more BassCasts this year than last year!
This one's called "White Chocolate" about the worst kind of people I ever have to encounter or deal with on the road

Fur Affinity Download

(Might add to the "Pond" tomorrow, but now I needs me sleep)

Music: "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)" by The Offspring

Got this one from jaxsonott and samiitiger 

1. Your ex is on the side of the road on fire. What do you do?
Get a bucket of water and drench the wench

2. Your best friend tells you she is pregnant. What is your reaction?
Congratulate her and pray that I'm not the daddy (which I'm most likely not anyway)

3. When was the last time you wanted to punch someone in their face?
When I floored my roomate with a haymaker to the temple

4. Congratulations! You just had a son. What's his name?
Daniel (After one of my family's best friends who died 2 years ago)

5. Congratulations! You just had a daughter. What's her name?
I'd leave it to the mother

6. What are you craving right now?
More players, I would say Arby's but I ate there an  hour ago.

7. What was the last thing you cried about?
Buck "Pa Kettle" Brown's death last year at the Illinois State Fair

8. When you buy something and your change is a penny. Do you keep it or tell them to keep the change?
Yes, or put it in a donation box or penny tray.

9. What color is your tissue box?
Don't normally need Kleenex

10. Do you have a ceiling fan in your room, and if so, is there dust on that fan?
A carny with a ceiling fan? Why?

11. What is the last voicemail you received about?
Telemarketer

12. Scariest thing you've experienced in the last year?
Seeing a fat redneck woman with a plumber's crack

13. What do you order when you go to Taco Bell?
3 soft tacos w/o lettuce and a Baja Blast

14. Have you ever had a garage sale?
Yep

15. What was the last alcoholic beverage you had?
Bud Light

16. Are you happy right now?
I'm not happy, it's just gas :P

17. Who came over last?
"Crash" (Carny friend)

18. Do you miss anybody right now?
I always miss my hometown of Burlington, IA

19. Dark or light jeans?
Dark

20. What was the last movie you watched at home?
Superman Returns

21. What is in your pocket?
Money, ID's, 2 lighters, and 4 packs of cigarettes

22. Who introduced you to your [significant other]?
Single right now

23. Where do you hurt?
Left ankle's a bit sore

24. What is your favorite aisle at Wal-Mart?
Beer

25. When is your birthday?
Oct. 31st, 1981

26. What are you going to do after this?
Get ready for work

27. What is your favorite dessert?
Angel Food Cake ala mode

28. Do you have the same name as one of your relatives?
Maybe 1 or 2

29. Is someone plotting your demise?
Don't Know

30. Has anyone ever mistaken you for a family member?
Not really, I'm the only known Sandell in the carnival business.

31. Does someone like you right now?
Yes

32. Do you know anyone in jail/prison?
A few

33. Do you like the color green?
Yes, especially the kind you can smoke :P

34. Do you think someone is thinking about you right now?
Yes.

(Click image for full view)

This one's called "Ya Fer Shere!" It's Jav A. Junkie the Coffee Cat giving a top 10 list of things he loves about Wisconsin!!!

You can get it
On my FurAffinity
or
In my Pond

Music: "Beer Barrel Polka" by Myron Floren and the Lawrence Welk Champagne Orchestra

BassCast #10: The PRA (People's Republic of America)

It's about time someone grew enough balls to say this!

You can hear it
On my FurAffinity
or
In the Pond

Enjoy your 4th of July weeked, and enjoy what little freedom we Americans still have!