According to Netflix, the most popular movies checked out in Little Rock, Arkansas are Ratatouille, Superbad, Rush Hour 3, License to Wed, and Daddy Day Camp.

Are you serious?

Stephen,

FLEET FOXES, Ruiner of Worlds:

Apr 14 2008 8:00P
HI-DIVE w/ Blitzen Trapper Denver, Colorado

Find The Dodos where they are. They have a new album called Visiter. Stephen, they played in Denver on April 21 at Hi Dive. You should check that out.

BARNES, you've asked for it!

Let's go Peay!

STRANGE DEER! TACO MEAT!

2008 NCAA TOURNAMENT CONTEST

AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

The brackets have been released!!! Who's excited?

Ladies and gentlemen, try your luck and make your picks in Adam Argo's 2008 Men's NCAA Basketball Tournament Contest. Here's how to enter:

Download the file and read the instructions.

Make sure you save the file to your hard drive and not just open it within the browser. It will give you some popups that look like errors that say things like "Unable to find answer_key.xls blah blah blah," but disregard the message and click through.

Questions? Leave a comment. Can't wait to look at your picks.

2008 SEC Basketball Tournament CONTEST

Arkansas, America

UPDATE: 13 people have entered a bracket. There is still time. Get yours in before noon tomorrow. Here are the contestants. If you have entered, but don't see your name, let me know!

Argo, Fred
Bell, Austin
Bennett, Luke
Bushey, James
Compston, Stephen
Habiger, Todd
Jennings, Corey
Lee, Spencer
Miller, James
Neathery, Michael
Poole, Andrew
Scivally, Robyn
Waddell, Drew

Ladies and gentlemen,

The time has now come to play and enter the SEC tournament contest!

GRAND PRIZE: Instant Fame! Here's how to enter.

1. Download the file to your hard drive.

Make sure you save a copy of the file on your computer, and not just open it in the browser.

File name: sec_tournament.xls
File type: Microsoft Excel spreadsheet
File size: 28kb

2. Pick your selections.

Make sure you pick a winner of all 11 games, including the championship. The spreadsheet will only allow you to change the cells in red. The point system is displayed across the top of the sheet. All games on Thursday that you correctly pick the winner of will be worth 1 point, games on Friday are worth 2 points, games on Saturday are worth 3 points, and the championship game winner correctly picked is worth 4 points. There is also a bonus: if you pick both teams that will be in the championship game on Sunday, you get an extra 2 points. This makes a total of 24 possible points.

3. Save the file with your picks.

Please save the file as your name.

4. Email the file to Adam [adampargo@gmail.com] before 12:00 pm (noon) on Thursday, March 13 to enter!

Have fun. Tell your friends. Go hogs go!

PS - Here are my picks:

GAME 1
USC

GAME 2
VANDY

GAME 3
FLORIDA

GAME 4
OLE MISS

GAME 5
TENN

GAME 6
ARKANSAS

GAME 7
MSU

GAME 8
KENTUCKY

GAME 9
TENN

GAME 10
MSU

GAME 11
TENN

Unrelated to the above picture:

An elderly lady across that lives in an adjacent apartment is currently displaying an American flag in the window with white lights around it. In the middle of the flag is her sign for Obama '08. The opposite window holds the same. It's kind of cute to think about her putting the flag up and placing it just right. In and throughout the Breckenridge area, there are numerous stop signs that have the word "Bush" spray-painted in white letters beneath "STOP." I am urged to yell "Stop, Bush!" instead of "Stop Bush!" when I apply the brakes. I would like to tell you that I only do this when Meredith is in the car with me. But I do it all the time.

Unrelated to the above paragraph:

"No, you're settling Catan," Austin says.

Unrelated to the above quote:

Listen to Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel, a new album by Atlas Sound, in its entirety here. You can also check out Black Mountain or Bon Iver. Or you could see Black Mountain and Bon Iver in Little Rock on March 11. But don't expect to see or hear Atlas Sound there. Unless they are randomly in the crowd. But they probably won't be, since they're from Atlanta. And they're probably out supporting their own album.

Unrelated to the above bit:

Second Annual Little Rock Film Festival. Bill loves the art culture that Little Rock provides. And he would love to live in a white house again.

Unrelated to the film festival:

CPA Exam Part IV, "Regulation," starring Adam Argo and the 10 keys, starting Friday morning at 8:00 am. Admission: $250.00. Feel like cancelling or rescheduling? Too bad, you have to eat the money. Don't even think about it. Oh, and by the way, go ahead and work 60 hours this week, and every week for the next 2 months for that matter, and pass the exam too. All of that at once. Yeah. Doitch! Out! Ping! Zoing! Crack! Batman punching noises!

adam: so...hannah montana. i don't get it.
me: yeah, i don't either.
adam: does that mean we are old? because we don't get it?
me: ...

and then we were referred to as "young whippersnappers" this week.

i really like our pastor's daughter. she tells us about the maple juice from the maple tree, wants to make me earrings, and plays with the candle wax.

You gotta love this crazy guy with the basketball mask. With the eys cut out. He's always in the student section. Crazy.


\













"Patrick Beverly, ... probably the best motor in college basketball," the sports color analyst for Sport South said. What an animal. He is the leading rebounder for the Hogs. By "motor," it is meant that he runs like a motor. Never stopping. Just thought I needed to spell that out for you.

















Also, I love this picture. Pelphrey is making his plea to the ref. Right after this, he gets down on his knees. Beautiful. Passionate.




















I figured out how to take screen shots of the television. What a waste of time!

Hogs are now 12-1 at Walton. 6-2 in SEC play. Gunning for at least an SEC-West division title. Great 3 game homestand by Arkansas.

Tough week coming up. At Knoxville on Wednesday. At Starkville on Saturday.

Go Day-Lewis.











Go Little Manning Boy.













WIN!

Stop, collaborate, and listen

It's seems funny to sit here and type for the sole purpose of knowing someone will read it. I know in my heart that I would say something completely different if there were not an audience. [Right now I can hear my wife turning on Peter, Bjorn, and John and things clanking around on the bathroom counter top.] It seems like we all talk about and write about the things that excite us. I guess you could say that a lot of things excite me. But they're not all fun to read about.

It's 2008. I had a conversation with a co-worker about 2008. She works in "word processing" on 25, and she is basically the manager. For the most part, all official communication with clients, be it engagement letters, management letters, financial statements, auditor's reports, etc., have to go through word processing (WP). After WP goes through it, they sent it back with corrections, you approve the corrections, send it back to them, and they print a final copy. Then, if everything checks out, a partner (owner/boss/guy-that-says-jump-and-you-say-how-high) has to release the letter and it is sent out on some really, super nice paper. Well, I noticed that someone put the wrong year on a letter that had already been sent.

"Do you know where I can find this year's engagement letter?"

"Yeah, I already sent it to you. It's attached as a word document."

"Yeah, but it says January 12, 2007."

"Oh. ..."

"Yeah, it's no longer the year of 007. You know, James Bond. It's the year of 008, the wannabe James Bond."

"You know, I think there actually was a 008 in a movie."

"Yep, GoldenEye."

"It's scary that you know that."

As much as I would love to make a top 10 albums of the year list, or top 10 movies that I watched that were not necessarily released in 2007, or a top 10 busiest airports in 2007 that I visited, I am going to make a top 10 moments to look forward to in 2008 list.

There Will Be Blood opening at Market Street on January 25
NCAA Tournament at Alltel Arena
Getting my CPA license
Second wedding anniversary
Arkansas vs. Texas in Austin
Working 2300 chargeable hours to deliver unmatched client service in public accounting
Getting my CPA license
Buying a house
Designing a critically acclaimed board game that I will sell for $1,000,000
Voting for the United States President

If there had been room for an 11th, I would have said continuing with 23 years of not wearing or buying Old Spice. If you are one of those generational Old Spice guys, that's fine. I mean, I understand that you were given Old Spice by your father to start swabbing under your arms when you turned 11, and that your father's father wore Old Spice in Vietnam, but I just can't get into it. I immediately start asking people wear (or where, rather) they are hiding the dead animal. I mean, seriously, wear (gah! where, I'm sorry that I keep using the wrong word) are you hiding the tupperware-of-leftovers-turned-science-fair-project of a scent?

I wish you all a happy and prosperous year.

2008 Razorback Football Schedule (so far and unofficial)

08/30/08 Western Illinois (Fayetteville)
09/06/08 Louisiana-Monroe (Little Rock)
09/13/08 Texas (Austin)
09/20/08 Alabama (Fayetteville)
09/27/08 OPEN DATE
10/04/08 Florida (Fayetteville)
10/11/08 Auburn (Auburn)
10/18/08 Kentucky (Lexington)
10/25/08 Mississippi (Fayetteville)
11/01/08 Utah State (Fayetteville)
11/08/08 South Carolina (Columbia)
11/15/08 OPEN DATE
11/22/08 Mississippi State (Starkville)
11/28/08 Louisiana State (Little Rock)

It's fun to make fun of the Kansas coach, but they are 10-0 for the first time since Kansas started hanging up peach baskets and throwing leather balls through them. Yes, leather balls through peach baskets, Mr. Naismith. There is a certain sportswriter, Dennis Dodd for CBS Sportsline, that says "Right now, Kansas is the clear No. 1." He touts proudly the fact that there are 3 Big 12 teams in the BCS top 6. What a jerk. Do you even watch television on Saturdays? Can you open your eyes? But back to coaches eating players. That is funny.

The number 121 has three factors: 1, 121, and 11. Tony Hawk was on that crazy show about being fifth graders at answering questions. Questions that you haven't even thought of since the fifth grade. For example ... How many factors does the number 121 have? Or, directly from the mouth of an eight-year-old ... What continent is Estonia on? Who knew that the man that contributed "You might be a redneck" jokes to the world would one day host a show about being smarter than fifth graders. I love how he reasons with the adults in between questions. I love how they glance over at the fifth graders.

Speaking of fifth graders, do you know Stephen Compston? Well, he lives in Colorado. If you talked him during the world series you might have heard that he considered, perhaps, maybe, stopping his crazed love for the Boston Red Sox. Old Mr. Fenway would roll over in his grave. You may know them as the BoSox (as opposed to ChiSox), or just plain, the Sox. Depending on your age, you may know them as the The Old Towne Team or the pre-1908 "Boston Americans." Or, from the mouth of babes, the 2007 World Champions. To think that the "Curse of the Bambino" was lifted because of the pining of a young fan in Arkansas is now a joke to me. I publicly challenge Stephen's so-called "commitment," for I've a bone to pick.

Speaking of bones, I had some toothbones cut out of head a couple weeks back. Thanks for all of you (more like none of you) that brought me soup and ice cream. I ended up having a weekend, or Saturday-to-Monday, as British people said in films in the 40's, full of college football, David Fincher films, and CPA studying. I am slowing, but surely, healing thanks to my lovely, caring wife, a nucleus of caring, Bible-believing Christians, and a syringe (a simple hand-powered piston pump consisting of a plunger that can be pulled and pushed along inside a cylindrical tube, known as the barrel, which has a small hole at the end , so it can suck liquid in and then squirt it out by the same hole) for cleaing food out of the holes that remain in my head.

Speaking of hand-powered pistons, God told me in a dream that the 2007-2008 Detroit Pistons would win the NBA Finals, the whole sh-bang, shoot the moon, if you will. Now, this divine knowledge was planted in my toothbone-hole of a head for a reason. To win lots of money gambling on this knowledge. But now that I've told you, or, rather, I've typed it on a screen and you've read it on a screen (funny how that works), the odds of gambling my way into retirement are diminished. What a might God we serve. I type that on this screen in a sincere manner.

Speaking of manners, I wouldn't have any unless I left you with a list of movies that I've seen in the last month that I do highly recommend (listed in chronological order, because it is logical to list them this way, in chronological order that is, in case you were confused about which way I was propositioning to be logical - oh, thank goodness that is cleared up):

Kind Hearts and Coronets, dir. Hamer (1949)
Strangers on a Train, dir. Hitchcock(1951)
The Night of the Hunter, dir. Laughton (1955)
Zodiac, dir. Fincher (2007)
The Darjeeling Limited, dir. Anderson (2007)
Michael Clayton, dir. Gilroy (2007)

Thanks for reading. Well, you wouldn't be reading unless I was typing, and I wouldn't be typing unless I knew you were reading, and I wouldn't know you were really reading unless we talked about it later. And we wouldn't talk about it later unless we talked later. And there wouldn't be a later unless I stopped typing. But seriously, thank you for reading. I wish this whole thing made me, in some way, feel like I was better friends with you, but these keys are cold, and they don't talk. And you don't talk either.

"It is so difficult to make a neat job of killing people with whom one is not on friendly terms." - the actor Dennis Price, as Louis Mazzini, in Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949), voted the best British comedy in the history of the world by some crazy consumers of BBC media, a world news organization, of which representatives spent this current week in Springdale, AR doing a piece on Mexicans in the area. That's what they call news bits on BBC, "pieces." I think.

It's fall! I really like the cold and rainy weather that we have had the last couple of days.

This is funny and slightly disturbing at the same time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMnk7lh9M3o

We are watching the World Series. I am interested.
Adam is getting his wisdom teeth out tomorrow. I am making soup!

This update is probably not everything that you were hoping it to be. sorry. Actually, no one probably even reads this, so I guess everything is A- okay and I am not sorry.

happy halloween everyone. eat lots of candy.

Who can own a tree? Who can own a rock? Only the Great Spirit.

To better deliver my point, I will quote Sandra Bullock's character, Annie, in the 1997 film Speed 2: Cruise Control, "Who's ready to party on the big boat besides me?"

That is the feeling that Meredith and I have as we prepare to embark on our seven day journey through the Caribs. The Lesser Antilles won't know what hit 'em when they see Captain Argo, his wife, and their Argonaut sailors pillage their port authority, torches in hand.

They'll feed on the roe of sturgeon all night long, and after they're popped full of one too many hors d'oeuvres, they'll try their luck with some morning Bingo aboard the Queen of the Sea, the Carnival Conquest!

'Twas caviary to the general," the general public, that is.

the gift that keeps on giving

I went to Rick's Bakery today because I had found an old gift card that I received freshman year and I wanted a study break. I didn't know how much was on the card, but I though it was surely enough to have a muffin, donut, cookie, etc. For some reason or another, they couldn't figure out how much was left on my card. I told them that I had thought it was worth $5 when given to me, and I couldn't remember what I had bought on it. The manager man said "Let's just make it ten." He put $10 on the card, and gave it back to me. I bought a cake in a cup. And now I still have eight dollars left on the thing.
:D
I kind of want to go to bonnaroo. But, instead I think I will be trying to pass my boards.

*edit* I don't feel too good now after eating that entire cake in a cup. But I think it was still worth it- eating all of its' tasty goodness.

I am trying to grow dill, parsley, basil, cilantro, and jalapeno peppers. So far, they seem to be doing pretty well. I am amazed though, because I have no experience at all with growing things.
Our fish, Trexler and Charlie, are alive and well. I am so glad because they are our only pets. :)
I feel like we are almost responsible adults now! We are keeping our plants and fish alive and we are about to graduate and move.