This is JJ. He’s on a corner in downtown Eau Claire because he just got out of the public defender’s office (Friday, 12/19), after being arrested for disorderly conduct at the Old Country Buffet up on Clairemont. Before the incident, he’d been “flying sign” on the Hastings Way off ramp. He admits to arguing and swearing a lot with the manager after he asked the cashier there for a lighter (he was originally intending to eat there). He believes that you can’t get arrested for just swearing because such a disorderly conduct law is in violation of the Constitution. He rattled off enough article numbers and Bill of Rights references to make me embarrassed for not knowing more about our own laws. He also said that the manager swore as much has he did, and should be treated equally.

He has to come back to town in a few weeks and go to court. I don’t know if he’s right abut the law and I don’t know exactly what happened at the Old Country Buffet, but JJ is a very earnest guy. He’s got really wintry blue eyes. And as you can tell by his sign, he’s got a kick-ass sense of humor.

My friend and I like to get overly excited about certain events. We talk about these events all week long, constantly making sure plans are still go.  We high five over these events, send unnecesary amounts of text messages over these events, even come up with our own signature catch phrases over these events. In the past, these events have been surprising exclusive to Volume One sanctioned activities, like Summer Concert Series, movie in the alley, and anytime Irie Sol is playing in town, but now we've found a brand new one, and we stumbled upon it all on our own. Our newest craze is eating at a little downtown restaurant called Pad Thai. Maybe everybody already knows all about this place, but I was the one to be told about it from my friend (which is usually the other way around since I've lived in Eau Claire slightly longer). I had my first tast of Thai there only a few months ago and fell in love with the enormous, and spicy, servings. To be honest, I'd always seen the place, but having never tasted Thai food I didn't expect to ever set foot inside. Now I am proud to have such a delicious restaurant so close to home.  And yes, the excitement is already building over eating there this Tuesday after a first round of final exams!

Up and down Water Street light poles right now you can find the hand-written handy work of a local writer signing his epic words with the name, "Hatman."  At least a few posts I saw had one or two sheets of serious writings taped on with clear packaging tape. "My brother has built a Berlin Wall across his mind" is the opening line of one, titled "Socialist Reality." Another titled "Under Circes Spell" speaks of communism, morality, God, technology, etc. Unfortunately, I'm sure it won't be too long before a city worker comes along and tears them all down. So I guess watch for a writerly-looking guy out there walking around with some paper, packaging tape, and a hat. 

The back corners of this town hold all sorts of cool finds. I was on a bike ride the other day and came across this interesting sight, a massive sculpture of a tundra swan made from junk removed from the Mississippi River in 2003. Set alongside some of the still vacant buildings on the southeast corner of Banbury Place, the sculpture, by local artist Stephen Bateman, is accompanied by a sign explaining the origins and purpose of the piece – to create awareness of river cleanups across the Midwest. I’ve also seen it around town in temporary locations, like at the Open Air Festival of the Arts in Phoenix Park, but it looks like at least for now it’s found a more permanent home, overlooking downtown’s Eau Claire River. Finding stuff like this makes for a great bike ride.

You can read about this on TV 13’s website. There’s wild hogs in Crawford County!

“According to court documents, investigators believe former Gays Mills elk farmer Robert Johnson trapped 31 wild pigs in Texas and released them near the Kickapoo River in 2002. They want $31,000 in forfeitures -- $1,000 for each pig -- and unspecified money for environmental damage the pigs caused.” -- TV13

They say one of “Johnson's acquaintances” said Johnson wanted to start a pig population so hunters could hunt them on his ranch, but they are ruining some local crops. Plus, isn’t it just totally illegal to bring animals like that into the area? Is the climate even the same as in Texas?