Mark Hasty

@markhasty.bsky.social

739 Followers 960 Following

Writer of Pickin' on the Big Ten (2001-2024) and The Sweep (2025-). Does not stick to sports. Jeg vil gjerne ha en kopp kaffe. broomcornsweep.blogspot.com

A Big Boy statue, like would be seen outside a Big Boy restaurant.
A coonhound/basset mix sleeps on a bed
The Muppet Beaker, looking panicked like (a) he usually does and (b) he's coaching Iowa State's special teams
An Osborne 1 computer. Allegedly, it was portable.
A Duolingo screenshot showing the sentence, "Grandma, why is there a corpse in the freezer?"
The sign for Exit 50 on eastbound I-64 in Illinois. It specifies that this exit is for Nashville, Illinois, in case someone thinks Nashville, Tennessee is only 50 miles from St Louis.
A homemade Salisbury steak on top of a bed of rice inside a shallow bowl. There is an abundance of light brown gravy. It was delicious.
The Veggie Tales character Nebby K. Nezzer
A photo of a residential street in Jonesboro, Illinois. The sky is cloudless and the trees are fully leafed out.
A cheesesteak sandwich with peppers, onions, and provolone cheese, and a paper boat of French fries, all sitting on a yellow laminate table.
Pea-sized hail falls in Jonesboro, Illinois at 7:05 am on Monday, April 27, 2026.
A plate of beef enchiladas topped with pico de gallo, along with rice and refried beans.
Receipt for a donation to New American Pathways for $19.12, in honor of the last year Iowa State won a conference title in football.
A screenshot showing a $20.52 donation to New American Pathways.
A redbone/basset hound mix reclines on a blue leather couch. She is looking at the camera.
A black, red, and white female beagle lies in the shade on my deck. It's a beautiful evening and she is a beautiful dog.
A screen shot of the Atari 2600 version of Pac-Man, which was a perfectly fine version, provided you had never played or even seen Pac-Man before.
Green marble. This was ubiquitous in the very early 1990s, but nobody seems to remember that.
Dirk the Daring from Dragon's Lair crumbling into dust
Duane ... wait
The Muppet Sam the Eagle, scowling like Donald Trump.
Boom shack a lack in the modern beat stylee. We fe a wind it up.
A middle aged balding blonde man scowls at the camera.
A red heeler dog naps on a blue leather couch.
Former Iowa State football coach Jim Walden pleads on his knees with a referee.
I listened to one album this year.
The cover of "Basic English Revisited."
Rutgers at Illinois football game, Nov 1 2025. Technically I'm seated inside the stadium but from here the game is just a rumor.
A fire in a fire pit, shortly after sunset
A can of zero sugar Finnish Long Drink
Rotten Tomatoes page for the 2001 film Rat Race. Tomatometer gives it 44%, audience gives it 64%.
A red heeler dog lying on a dark blue leather couch.
David Byrne from Talking Heads' "Once in a Lifetime" music video
A red heeler dog looking at the camera in three-quarters view.
Photo of a balding, overweight blonde middle aged man's face. He is wearing a white T-shirt and sitting on a blue leather couch.
Two forlorn loaves of bread sitting on a white plastic folding table.
A basset hound/redbone coonhound mix dog sitting on a blue leather couch. The dog's head is in three-quarters profile. She looks thoughtful.
Pickin' has lost its platform again as Hawkeye Beacon ceases publication at the end of this month. I have decided to bring the column to an end rather than seeking a new platform. It was 23 good years. Thank you for reading. --mh
A coonhound/basset hound mix dog lies on a green bedspread, looking at the camera with pleading puppy dog eyes. Don't be fooled, she lacks for NOTHING.
A fully leafed out white oak tree in my backyard. An arborist has estimated this tree as being around 175 years old.
Looking towards sunset in a small town. The clouds are pink, the pavement is wet, and there are power lines everywhere.
A backlit sign reading "Kroger." The second R is not lit, making the sign read "Kroge" which is similar to DOGE. Despite the caption Elon Musk has not taken over Kroger, as the store was staffed and well-stocked. Elon Musk is an unfrosted Pop-Tart of a person.
Photo of a hand with a bandage wrapped around the tip of the ring finger.
A notification of a new release from Perez Prado called "Mambo & Tequila." It's probably not new since Prado died in 1989.
Interior of Mary Lou's Grill in Carbondale, IL. There is a counter with several seats. A paneled walk holds several coat hooks. The ceiling is hunter green in color. The floor is tiled in a checkerboard pattern. The overall effect is basic and cozy.
The Cache River at Heron Pond preserve in Johnson County, Illinois.
The cover of Saint Etienne's album "The Night." It shows an old, all-in-one computer on an equally old desk. Next to it is an even older HOT DRINKS machine which dispenses leaf tea, coffee, and soup. Behind both is a wall, the upper part of which is painted white and the lower part of which is painted in a muted light blue. The overall mood is one of times gone by and obsolescence.
The setting sun showing orange, pink, and purple on some clouds, as seen through some treetops. A birdhouse is visible in the lower left.
Six fifty pound sacks of potatoes on a wooden cart
An Osborne 1 computer. It's portable (allegedly).
A man wearing blue jeans and grey socks is laying on a couch. A medium sized mixed breed dog with short tan fur is resting his head on the man's leg.
A scraggly white pine in a living room. The tree is sparsely strung with white lights. Somewhere Charlie Brown is laughing, for once.
A middle aged white couple
A piece of pumpkin pie and a piece of apple pie side by side on a plate.
A plate with stuffing, ham balls, cranberry sauce, glazed carrots, a homemade dinner roll, macaroni and cheese, and mashed potatoes and gravy
Ted Knight in the 1980 movie "Caddyshack."
A red heeler dog laying on a red stained deck. A Japanese maple tree in the near background still has most of its leaves on it. It has recently rained.
View of a scenic sunset in Anna, Illinois. There are numerous cirrus clouds across the sky. Their predominant colors are orange, pink, and purple.
A large collection of donated items in the hallway of a food pantry.