cyclonejohn

2012-02-05T14:16:00.000-06:00

I am now tweeting. Come find me. @fidlerjohn

Relationshape

2011-05-05T20:29:00.003-05:00

I've always been a big The Daily Show fan. Not only that, but I think that Bill O'Reilly is an ass. Meaning, I could not be more excited for Jon Stewart going on The Factor to debate the appropriateness of Common being elected to a young poet gathering hosted by Michelle Obama at The White House. Surprise surprise, I completely disagree with the Republicans' fake outrage over some questionable lyrics for a couple of reasons: 1, He is one of the most tame, thoughtful rappers out there. 2, if he has said questionable things, so what? He's a poet/artist. They do that. 3, Fox News has friends (see: Nugent, Ted) that have said way more controversial things than Common did. To me this screams of racism. Common is black and sometimes angry. Therefore, he is not to be trusted and not to be invited to the White House where children could be present.

1. Allie and I are quickly coming up on our two year anniversary. With the relationship going well, I have naturally let myself get into relationshape. It's not a real word, but simply the way that men get when they get comfortable in the relationship. The treadmill? Yeah, that's for the single guys. Those twenty-pound dumbbells in the corner? Um... I could maybe lift those once now. Unfortunately, as I barely could put on my "summer" shirt for the first time, I quickly realized that maybe enjoying a diet of Chipotle for lunch followed by two hot dogs for dinner is not a healthy way to lead my life and. Sigh. And so diet season begins...

2. Currently listening to "Never going back again" by Fleetwood Mac

weird week

2011-05-04T20:36:00.002-05:00

It's been a weird week in the world. In a way, Sunday night was a day I never saw coming. I am, of course, referring to Bin Laden's death. As I was watching CNN, it was like I was watching a movie. Two dozen of our secret forces fly into a secret compound going after America's number one most wanted for ten years. Like any movie, there were set-backs when one of the helicopters started malfunctioning and had to make an emergency landing. However, the Americans prevailed, storming the compound, first to engage in a battle with Osama's "henchmen". After a victorious firefight, the American forces broke through, engaged in a firefight with him, and when he would not surrender, literally shot him through his eye socket. As I watched the TV I didn't know how to react. Do I respond, like a human, and feel bad about a death? No, I didn't really feel the need to feel sorry for Osama. However, I also thought it was mildly inappropriate to run into the streets chanting USA and celebrating like it was VE day. I suppose at the end of the night, primarily, I felt relief. Meaning, I hope this is the beginning of the end of the "War on Terror". Many, including me, thought with Obama's inauguration, that would be the beginning. Unfortunately I was incorrect. I hope that this is a wake-up to many Bin Laden wanna be's that Bin Laden's evil terrorism will only result in pain.

This morning Obama said he would not release photos of Bin Laden's death. I applaud that decision. Obama said, "It is important that very graphic photos of someone who was shot in the head are not floating around as an incitement of violence or as a propaganda tool. We don't trot this stuff out as trophies. The fact of the matter is, this is somebody who was deserving of the justice he received." Plus the conspiracy theory supporters will never be satisfied. They could simply claim photoshop, or maybe that it was not really Bin Laden that was killed. I think Obama did the right thing.

The world is safer today now than it was a week ago.

Side note. Obama's approval rating is 11 points higher today (57%) than it was this time a month ago.

The Ridiculist

2011-04-25T21:55:00.002-05:00

If you're like me, you have always thought one thing about public universities in Texas. They are too anti-straight people. Thank goodness that state house representative Wayne Christian, sponsored by the Young Conservatives of Christian, created a new law for any public universities in Texas that if they have funding for "alternative" centers that promote information and awareness for the LGBT community, they must now provide equal funding for a "traditional" center. This bill passed the Texas house by a 110-24 vote. Let's be clear about this. This is a slap in the face of the LGBT community by the Republican lawmakers in Texas. It is amazing to me that in 2011 we still have states in our union that are this bigoted. The goal is not to actually provide funding for a traditional center but limit any funding for the young LGBT community. Sigh.

1. Beer of the week: Samuel Adams Summer Wheat. Absolutely delicious and a bargain for $9.99 for 12.

2. I saw the movie Water for Elephants this weekend. I liked it. I give it a B. I have not actually seen Robert Pattinson act (I have not seen any of the Twilight movies) and it turns out the guy actually does have some real talent. Good story, good writing, and a solid movie. I wouldn't necessarily say you have to rush out today to see it but definitely rent it if you have a chance.

3. Please google Skyline Chili. That was my lunch today.

Lucky in Kentucky

2011-03-22T20:02:00.001-05:00

Refreshed. In the past 12 months of work I had only used one day of vacation. I think that is why I really enjoyed spending the past five days in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. For those who are not aware, Allie's parents moved a few weeks to a suburb 17 miles South of downtown Cincinnati in Northern Kentucky. We spent the long weekend there exploring the area and helping them move in. Here were some of the highlights:

A) I really liked exploring downtown Cincinnati. The Queen City reminded me a lot of Saint Paul. Not just in size, but it's lay-out is very similar. It was clean, the people were really nice, the city is well-organized and has a beautiful skyline. I do have a slight criticism though... We drove around downtown at 9:30pm on Friday night and it was really quiet. It's nightlife left a LOT to the imagination.

B) With Lexington and Louisville only been an hour and an hour and a half from Allie's parent's house, we headed to southern Kentucky to explore the area. I never thought I would enjoy the South so much! The drive was very pretty - horse farms everywhere, cool old houses, lots of historic sites, and only the occasional confederate flag. I also did not know that 95% of the world's bourbon is made in Kentucky. So... naturally we had to check out three different distilleries. Which, I might add, is a lot of fun. I don't even really care for whiskey but seeing how it's made is just plain cool.

C) Being a college basketball fanatic, it was cool being in Northern Kentucky when Xavier, University of Cincinnati, Kentucky University, and University of Louisville, are all in the tournament in the same time. Unfortunately I picked Pittsburgh to win it all. That should tell you how I am doing on my bracket!

10,000 spoons when all you need is fork

2011-03-10T20:57:00.002-06:00

I have been feeling like an old man recently. Not physically, but in my spirit. As I read the papers about Republican Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and his Republican controlled congress stripping away the rights of various unions to negotiate through collective bargaining, the passion that might have existed in me five or six years has disappeared. Despite Madison only being a two hour drive from Chicago, I am, in a way, surprised by how little I care about the plight of the union workers in Wisconsin. I suppose that this could be attributed for several reasons:

A) I feel many of the nation's unions are out of control... i.e. Teacher's Union, United Auto-Workers, and others.

B) The purpose of collective bargaining is a lot different than it was 50 or 60 years ago. Back then, let's say you were part of a local meatpacking union. You were most likely poor and undereducated. So you pooled your money, hired attorneys to conduct collective bargaining with the city or state on your behalf. Times are a lot different now. People are better educated. The need for collective bargaining is not as strong. This, is no doubt, because of the success of a strong union to protect its workers. It provided benefits, overtime pay, mandatory vacation days, sick days, and much more. The Unions worked. They made America a better place! But times have changed and possibly some of the unions do have too much power. Possibly some of the benefits, like lifetime health insurance or phenomenal pension plans, are absurd and outdated and need to be stripped.

This is not to say that I don't sympathize with the workers of Wisconsin who are getting benefits and pay cuts stripped away by a Governor who cares more about a 2012 or 2016 Presidential run than he does about his own people.

At this point, my opinion is that I don't have an opinion... yet. I can see both points and I am curious to see what happens. I will also say though that this is an area which I am particularly ignorant and if you have any interesting columns or articles that might sway my opinion either way, I am interested.

1. It is my day off so I decided to be completely unproductive. Allie and Lauren came over this afternoon after work and we took advantage of Nimit's Netflix to watch movies. I was unaware of the legendary 1986 children's film Labyrinth - starring David Bowie and a very young Jennifer Connelly. It is isn't bad... but certainly would have been more enjoyable if I were 11 or at least not completely sober. However, I am glad I saw it. However, after they left I decided to watch the movie Amadeus. I had only seen it one time 10-15 years ago. I forgot how awesome it is! The acting, the writing, and of course the music are all incredible. I have since spent the past 30 minutes learning that almost the whole movie was fiction. However, I have learned so many interesting facts about Mozart. For instance, did you know that the song Twinkle Twinkle Little Star is in fact a highly simplified version of his song, "Ah Vous Dirai-Je, maman"?

2. I recently finished The Associate by John Grisham. Grisham is kind of my go to author when I want to read something fun. It's not his best book but if you enjoy his novels, in particular The Firm, than The Associate will be a good fit. I liked it but it had an unsatisfying ending and lacked some of the wit of some of his earlier books like The Rainmaker.

The Bob Jones University: Utah branch

2011-03-03T17:53:00.003-06:00

Brigham Young is one of the finest academic institutions in the United States. Besides in the classroom, this historic Mormon university has had legendary football teams and currently a top five basketball team. However, the decision to suspend center Bob Davies for the remainder of the season for coming to the team and admitting that he had pre-marital sex with his girlfriend is absurd. Instead of welcoming him back with an open hand, they punched him with a closed fist. I have read before about BYU's "honor code". Besides no pre-marital sex, there is no alcohol, drugs (including caffeine) or my favorite... cursing. Not only is Davies kicked off the team, he might be suspended from school. Now you me, I'm a big 1st amendment/free speech/free market kind of guy and I believe that a private institution like Brigham Young University should be able to operate as they please. However, the kid made a mistake, owned up to it, and I feel that the punishment should be a slap on the wrist, not a suspension for the whole season. I might think it's silly if they did something like suspend him for 1/2 of a game, however, this punishment is beyond absurd and I think sheds an awful light on the University.

1. Regarding the opposite of BYU, I have secretly enjoyed watching Charlie Sheen's mind completely disintegrate before our eyes. Here are some of my favorites:

- "I am on a drug. The drug is called Charlie Sheen. It's not available. If you try it once, you will explode and your children will weep over your exploded body.

- "I mean, what's not love? Especially when you see how I party. It's epic. The run I was on made Sinatra, Jagger, Richards, all of them look like droopy-eyed, armless children.

- "I'm tired of pretending I'm not a total bitchin' rock star from Mars. People can't figure me out... they can't process me. I don't expect them to. You can't process them with a normal mind.

There are others but I think those three are my favorites.

2. I've been watching a lot of documentaries recently after Nimit got Netflix. Some of my favorites included this fantastic documentary about the horrendous, immoral dolphin killing in Japan in a movie called The Cove. I also enjoyed the documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop about graffiti legend Banksy and other street art legends. I was really excited to watch It Might Get Loud. But it was basically just watching Jimmy Page, The Edge, and Jack White sitting around talking and jamming a bit. The premise sounded really interested but it came across way too disorganized and I got bored.

3. Imagine my surprise when I pick Allie up from work and she and her co-worker are talking about the sex scandal at her alma mater, Northwestern University. To summarize the story, there is a popular class on campus (which Allie actually took) called Human Sexuality. The controversy, which I now bring up because I have the TV on and they are discussing the story on CBS's national news program, involved Professor John Bailey's decision to bring in guest "lecturers" to discuss the female orgasm. After the two guest speakers declared that a video on the female orgasm was not wholly accurate, they decided to have the female demonstrate live orgasm while he stimulated with her with a "variety of devices" in front of approximately 100 students. I don't actually know whether to be amused or be shocked that this Professor, apparently known for his controversy, thought this was a sage idea. Yes, I understand that the demonstration and class are completely voluntary. Everyone is an adult here. I get that. Apparently before the demonstration, Professor Bailey asked, "Is everyone ready for a live sex show?" However, I do think I agree with Northwestern's president who told the Associated Press that he was "troubled and disappointed" and felt that Professor Bailey represented "extremely poor judgment". I actually took Human Sexuality while I was at ISU and I thought the class was fascinating and certainly one of my more memorable classes. It opened my eyes on not just different sexualities but also about my relationships with different people. I like that the class is offered... I just think maybe Professor Bailey needed to have toned it down a bit. Demonstrating what a "sex saw" is in front of a bunch of college students is not education... it's porn.

158.723

2011-02-21T20:46:00.002-06:00

I'm a big 1st amendment guy. When I considered careers in law and journalism, it was to protect the 1st amendment. The right to free speech, free press, and the ability to practice religion of my choice is maybe the single reason that makes this country fantastic. However, I realize that this means I have to realize that even when things are created that I find morally disgusting, I have to at least try my best to look the other way. This brings me to the website, www.ashleymadison.com. I first heard about it when Fox banned its ad during the Superbowl. Tonight I decided to check out for myself what the commotion was about. Basically, it's a dating site with a distinct purpose - it's a place for married people to discreetly meet and cheat on their husbands or wives. I spent some time reading about the founder, Noel Biderman. Apparently he spent a long time working as an agent in Chicago. One of his responsibilities was to help find some of his clients, primarily professional basketball players, discreet one-night stands, affairs, mistresses, et cetera. Apparently, after reading somewhere that 30% of online daters are actually married but pretending to be single, he named the website after the two most popular names of the year, Ashley and Madison (year 2002). Nine years later it now has almost nine million members and generated almost 60 million in revenue!! I guess I'm fairly naive about how much cheating really goes on. I just think the fact that people are profitting on it is absolutely disgusting.

1. Have any of you been following the new drama on Fox, The Chicago Code? It's awesome! Really awesome!

2. Yesterday night, after an incredible dinner prepared by Allie and Brittany, we watched the Academy Award winning movie - Boys Don't Cry. It's certainly the type of movie that the academy loves. I can see why it was Hillary Swank's breakthrough role. However, I don't know if I actually enjoyed myself. It's so sad and there were some parts that were so revoltingly heartbreaking, after the movie was finished, I just left feeling depressed. I thought movies were supposed to be entertaining? Bottom line, if you are looking for a brilliant film with phenomnenal writing and acting, Boys Don't Cry is for you. If you are looking to be entertained, I would stress going in a different direction.

3. Hopefully everyone had a great weekend. Friday night was pretty relaxed. After a really long day at work, Allie and I had a great dinner at one of my new favorite restaurants, Taco Joint, had some margaritas and went to bed early. Saturday was full of shopping at the mall, making dinner, and watching The Pacific. Saturday night, some friends and I decided to go downtown. Now normally I don't really like going downtown. I feel it's over-priced, claustrophobic, and un-enjoyable. I was proven right at the first bar we went to Manor. The staff was so incredibly rude to my friends and I that eventually I suggested we go across the street to Kerryman. Kerryman was a fun, cool Irish Pub. We relaxed there before heading home at about Midnight. Sunday I worked.

4. I'm just happy the Carmelo Anthony trade is finally complete! I was so sick of reading about it. Everybody wins. New York now has two superstars in Carmelo and Amar'e Stoudamire, plus Chauncey Billups. Denver gets to rebuild with talented young players like Galinarri and Raymond Felton, plus three draft picks. I think it's good for both teams.

Glee(ked) out!

2011-02-17T13:52:00.003-06:00

It's no doubt that the show Glee is a huge hit. It's ratings are enormous but I had no idea how popular the show actually is. Last night while watching the show with Nimit and Ann, I just googled Glee to see what came up. The headline was that Glee, in only its second full season, has surpassed Elvis with the most songs ever on the Billboard Hot 100 list. Elvis had 108 songs and Glee has 113 (and growing). Obviously they are all cover songs, but when Glee's reign is done, it will just obliterate many music records. I just looked at iTunes. Five of the top ten downloads in America were recently performed on Glee. Plus everytime Glee performs an artist's song, it skyrockets up the charts. This just makes the Kings of Leon complete idiots for not wanting to "sell out" and let Glee cover their songs. Apparently they are uninterested in more people hearing their songs and making money.

1. I just read that this upcoming Fall, NBC is bringing back the show Wonder Woman. Her "weapon" is a rope... Well, I just don't see how this show could possibly be interesting. Who knows? Maybe it will be the next Alias.

2. I hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day. Mine was fantastic. Allie surprised me with the HBO mini-series Pacific, which I had wanted for months, and she made an awesome beef tenderloin dinner. I'm very lucky. Speaking of Valentine's Day, one of my favorite VD stories was about... White Castle. Stay with me here. I was vaguely aware, but mostly unfamiliar until I saw on ABC, what White Castle does for Valentine's. Basically they shut down for the whole morning while they completely revamp the Castle into a fancy restaurant. White tables cloths, roses, waiters, BYOB, et cetera. I think it's awesome and hilarious. Apparently this is a very popular tradition. The menu does not change.

Keepin' up with the Emmanuels

2011-02-08T20:53:00.002-06:00

Chicago is a big Rahm Emmanuel city. I get it. He's Obama's guy. He will be the next mayor of the 3rd biggest city in Chicago. However, I was doing a little reading on our next mayor and came away with the impression that he is arguably the least impressive of his siblings. I mean, he's only the former Chief of Staff to President of the United States. However, let me tell you about his siblings:

A) Ari Emmanuel - the basis for Ari Gold from Entourage. Ari Emmanuel is the uber super agent of the stars. He represents Martin Scorcese, Matt Damon, Conan, Mark Wahlberg among others. He is now the CEO of his own talent agency.

B) Ezekial Emmanuel - Has a M.D. and a Ph. D. from Harvard, and is current Bioethics chair with the U.S. Institute of Health. He is probably the leading proponent euthanasia in the United States. Well known author and world renown physician.

Wow!! That is quite the family. I would love to have Thanksgiving with the Emmanuels.

If you believe you can or you can't. You're probably right.

2011-02-07T19:17:00.002-06:00

Crazy weekend. Friday night was Nimit's birthday so we had to celebrate in smile. After a delicious dinner at Wildfire, a group of friends and I went to Max Bar in Lincoln Park and had a little bottle service - Grey Goose style. I've only had bottle service a few times in my life. I felt like a rock star. Saturday was much more chill. Nimit, for his birthday, got Netflix so I basically spent the day watching movies. Sunday was the Superbowl.

1. What were your thoughts on the Superbowl? I give the game a B+. It doesn't get more dramatic than a team getting the ball down six with 1:59 left on the clock. I didn't really care who won but I was surprised. For a sixth seed to win is nothing short of remarkable. The Packers had to win their last two games of the regular season (beating the Giants and Bears), then go to Philadelphia and beat the Eagles, go to Atlanta and beat the Falcons, go to Chicago and beat the Bears and then beat a really good Pittsburgh team in the Superbowl. It just proves that to win the Superbowl, all you really need is a decent defense, a great quarterback and a good coach. And, unfortunately for the Vikes and Bears, the whole team will be back next year and will likely not have half as many injuries.

2. The commercials were underwhelming. I did like the Ozzy Osbourne and Justin Bieber commercial but that's about it. I did like the movie previews for Thor, Captain America, and Cowboys vs. Aliens, too.

3. Speaking of TV, the hit of the week was Community's Dungeons and Dragons episode. I haven't laughed that hard in a while. However, what was that Glee episode? Besides the Whirlers singing Destiny's Child, I was very underwhelmed.

4. New beer of the week: The Bitter End from the Two Brothers brewery. It's a pale ale that I thought was fantastic.

5. Mick Jagger is performing at the Grammy's. Please, please tell me this means that the Rolling Stones will do one last tour. The 2011 tour list, so far, is pretty underwhelming. If the 'stones toured, I would be excited for months.

6. I've put on seven pounds since Thanksgiving and 12 since August! DAMNIT!!! That means it's diet time. Apparently eating pizza, potato chips, and beer is not going to work. I am not excited to diet again.

Death and Taxes

2011-01-18T19:18:00.003-06:00

Nobody really likes paying taxes. I get that. But, after living in Illinois, I really, really don't like paying taxes. We all pay three sets of taxes - Federal, city, and state taxes. Last week, the state of Illinois decided to raise income taxes by 67%! Sixty. Seven. Percent. WTF!! It comes out to an additional $500 a year in taxes for every $25,000 a year in income. This just really irritates me because the tax clearly affects the poor a lot worse than the wealthy. $500 a year to the guy making 25k a year is a lot bigger deal than 2k to the guy who makes 100k a year. Plus, the state of Illinois raised the corporate tax by about 30%. All that means is that several companies will leave the state to other states and there will be less local jobs, and the other places will raise the cost of products to off-set what they have to pay in state taxes. I just really feel that the state is becoming unbearably expensive. Keep in mind that last week, Chicago officially has the most expensive gas in the country according to the Sun-Times. More than Manhattan, more than San Francisco, more than Miami, nobody pays more for gas than Chicagoans.

1. Those who know me know that I love little hole in the wall restaurants. I think I have a new favorite. My co-worker took me to a little Korean chicken restaurant called Crisp on Broadway and Wellington. It was one of the best meals in my life. Total cost was $10. Unfortunately there goes my January diet...

2. Joe Lieberman announced he was retiring. Best news of the day. Lieberman is my least favorite "Democrat" of all-time. Good riddance!

3. You know what I haven't done in a while? Rip Republicans. Well, yesterday Alabama governor Robert Bentley gave this quote to the Birmingham News. "I was elected as a Republican candidate. But once I became governor, I became governor of all the people. I intend to live up to that. I intend to be color blind. Now I will have to say that, if we don't have the same daddy, we're not brothers and sisters. So anybody here today who has not accepted Jesus Christ as their savior, I'm telling you, you're not my brother and you're not my sister, and I want to be your brother." Wow! Don't hold back Governor Bentley. Tell us what you really think of the non-Christians. It's a different world in 'bama... very different.

Only you can break the spelll

2011-01-12T13:45:00.003-06:00

I apologize for the long delay. My laptop has been under construction. Note to all of you out there... never buy a Dell computer. I had terrible customer service. Although I could check emails at work, I have not really been able to go on facebook, blog, et cetera unless I was borrowing a friend's computer. Anyway, obviously a lot has happened since the last time I wrote. Hopefully everyone had a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year. I'm still kind of reviewing what I want my New Year's resolutions to be. I do think that the year 2010 was a big year for growth for me. Professionally, a year ago at this time I was working for a terrible company making sweat shop type wages. Although I would hardly say I am "rolling", I am certainly making enough to cover my expenses. Personally, life is great. Allie and I are doing fantastic and my relationship with my friends has continued to positively grow. Sure 2010 had ups and downs, but compared to 2009, it was a major, major improvement. I hope this time a year from now I can write the same thing.

Of course I have kept myself busy reading and watching movies. I don't want to go through all of them but I will highlight the best book I have read in the past two months and the best movie. About a month ago I finished Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia-Marquez. I really enjoyed the book. At times I found the novel a bit confusing, at the end of the day it is clear why the book is considered a modern day classic. Movie wise, the best movie I saw was The King's Speech. The writing was fantastic, the acting was great, and not only did I learn a lot, the movie kept me entertained the whole way through with its non-stop wit. I give the movie an A.

1. I hope everyone had a great weekend. After going out late with co-workers on Thursday night and a 6:00am walk-up call on Saturday morning, I stayed in and watched a movie on Friday night (side note: watched The Kids are All Right... C+). Saturday morning, I drove Allie to the South Side and hung out for five hours as she took the basic skills tests that all teachers have to take. Saturday night, a few friends and I all went to the Gold Coast for a little karaoke before getting a few hours of sleep and getting ready for work on Sunday. It was a whirlwind weekend but a good weekend.

2. Yes I get it, I'm a hypocrite. I am referring to Stanford junior quarterback Andrew Luck coming back to his senior year instead of leaving for the NFL. He would have been basically guaranteed the number one pick. Last year's top pick, Sam Bradford got a contract for six years, 68 million dollars. Of that, 50 million is absolutely guaranteed. What is Luck thinking? What if he has an injury? He could cost himself millions?! You can always go back to college. You can't always be a number one pick. The majority of people who leave for the NFL or NBA early I think are making a mistake. If you're a running back and you know the best you will be will be a 5th or 6th round pick, then come back to college. But if you're a top ten pick, then go, take the money, and laugh all the way to the bank. If you really miss taking classwork, then go back to college after you retire. At least this way you will be always be able to take care of your family.

3. Have you seen the preview for Cowboys Vs. Aliens? It looks awesome!

4. I'm ready for new tv episodes to start again. Don't judge me. Whenever I ask someone what are some of their favorite tv shows and they say, "Oh, I don't really watch tv." I reply, "Oh, so you're a liar."

Sports, sports, sports... is that all you care about?!

2010-11-27T16:30:00.003-06:00

It's not everyday I agree with the Yankees. I think the fact that MLB does not have a salary cap is a disgrace and one of the reasons why baseball's popularity in comparison to sports like basketball and in particular football continues to dwindle. However, I give Hank Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman credit for how they are dealing with Derek Jeter's outrageous demands. The Yankees have made Jeter a wealthy, wealthy man. He is currently coming off a ten year, $180 million dollar deal. This not too mention the endorsement opportunities that come along with playing in New York City and being a Yankee. (Good luck banging celebrities as the shortstop of the Pirates or Royals!) Despite being 36 and having numbers that have gradually gone down the past couple of years, the Yankees predictably made Jeter an insane off of three years, $45 million. This would give Jeter a little walking around money plus allow him to retire with his pride intact as a Yankee. However, being a greedy bastard, Jeter (through his management team) publicly reject the offer claiming he "deserves" a deal for six years at around $23 million a year. Yeah right! To give the Yankees credit, they have said enough is enough and he can go ahead and test the free agent market because they are not adjusting their offer. I hope Jeter and his ego can fit through the door when they realize no other team in the country is going to give him the type of offer and opportunity to play for a consistent winner like the Yankees can. Don't get used to me complimenting the Yanks. The compliments are few and far between.

1. Despite the Gophers being just terrible, I will always, always cheer for them extra loud when they are playing Iowa. Hawkeyes were exposed big-time today. I don't know how they beat Michigan State (and kept them out of the national championship game) because they are a very average 7-5 team.

2. I just don't understand Gene Chizik. He goes 5-19 at Iowa State and Auburn goes out and hires him to be their head coach. What does he do in his second year? Lead them to an undefeated record, recruit Cameron Netwon (the Heisman front runner), and now he will lead War Eagle - barring a major upset next - to the national championship game. He ended his second year at Iowa State with a record of 2-10... I just don't understand. I will give the Athletic Director of Auburn credit. The man has cajones and intelligence.

3. Currently listening to "Be Calm" by Fun.

An Indian Thanksgiving

2010-11-26T22:53:00.003-06:00

Sometimes in life, all you have to do is ask. After I spent yesterday whining about American music in 2010, I was handed an album to listen to by a co-worker. She and I had spent a while talking about our shared interests in music. We both like a style of music that doesn't really have a name (Jimmy Eat World, Weezer, Vampire Weekend, et cetera). It's not really rock... not pop... not alternative... hmm.... Pop-Rock? I don't know. I think more of bands like Panic at the Disco or Good Charlotte as pop-rock.

Anyway.

I digress.

I was handed a copy of a CD by the band - Fun - called Aim and Ignite. The lead singer is Nate Weuss of The Format "fame". WOW!!! I have not been this blown away by a new band since Vampire Weekend a year or two ago. Fun has the vocals of a Damien Rice with the Vampire Weekend band in the style of Queen. Weird? Kooky? Yeah. Awesome? Fuck yeah! It's awesome. Another thing I really like about Aim and Ignite is that it is an album. The first couple songs are a little out there but that is because the album is not a collection of ten singles like so many albums are in the 2010 iTunes world that have two or three good songs and the rest is a bunch of insipid garbage.

1. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I had a very unusual Thanksgiving. Every year growing up, my family and I would drive to Menomanie, WI on Thanksgiving Day to celebrate family at my Mom's Aunt's place. We would eat pumpkin pie, turkey, stuffing, watch football, and basically have the traditional American holiday feast. After recovering from our food coma, we would drive to Milwaukee to do the same thing with my Dad's side. This year was quite different with the move to Chicago and my Mom's Aunt basically retiring from Thanksgiving. I actually ended up having Thanksgiving with Nimit's family yesterday. His family was incredibly gracious and I feasted! After dinner, I met my family at a hotel in Wisconsin. We woke up the next day, caught a movie, did some shopping, and then had a dinner at my Dad's sister's house. It was a magnificent dinner (minus a few key cousins) and after dinner I drove home and I am back on my couch. Don't get me wrong. I had a nice break from work and enjoyed seeing my family. I guess I am just a guy who likes the tradition of Holidays and am sad to see some of my favorite traditions disappear.

2. My family and I saw the movie Morning Glory this afternoon. It's the comedy about a newsroom with Harrison Ford, Rachel McAdams, and Diane Keeton. It's not terrible but certainly not worth your time at a theater. I give it a C+. Wait until it comes out on DVD.

3. Currently listening to "I wanna be the one" by Fun.

C'mon American People... not again.

2010-11-25T00:17:00.002-06:00

The idea of the American Music Awards is an interesting concept. While awards like The Grammy's, Tony's, and Oscar's are all voted on by a mysterious "academy" the American Music Awards are determined by a poll of actual music buyers. The awards are based on sales, online voting, and airplay. Although I can't recall watching any episode in the past, I was a little intrigued to watch it this year. I ended up missing it but went online the next day to see who won.

Justin Bieber swept every category he was nominated in.

Justin fucking Bieber.

I have tried to listen to his music. I don't necessarily buy a lot of pop music but if it's catchy, I will at least hum along. I get it that I am an old man at 25, but I just don't understand how the American public could even nominate Justin Bieber for Artist of the Year and Male Entertainer of the Year. I mean, from everything I have read, Bieber seems to be a decent dude (he's 16... not a man). He treats his fans well and is active in various charities. But his songs are terrible! I don't know. I just don't get it. American pop music has never reached a lower point.

1. I'm watching Sportscenter. The Miami Heat are 8-7 this year. Really? One game above .500? I have to remind myself that it is very, very early in the NBA Season. The playoffs don't even start until mid-May!

2. Did anyone watch The Neon Trees on Conan tonight? Absolutely A+ performance of "Animal"!!! When I heard their songs on the radio I liked it but wrote it off as another pop-rock group that are a dime a dozen these days. But wow!! They absolutely rocked Conan tonight!! They look and sounded like The Strokes with a in your face homosexuality slant. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Just thought you should know, Shatner

2010-11-24T21:11:00.003-06:00

Oh yeah. I forgot how much I hate winter. I usually walk to work - about a two mile straight shot. As I was greeted by a non-stop onslaught of freezing rain and 35 mph wind, I once again questioned why I moved to Chicago. I can't whine too much, though. I had a pretty awesome weekend. First time I ever played beer pong in the morning. Not going to lie... I kind dug it and want to do it again. Something about waking up at 7:3o in the morning after and being greeted by a screwdriver and muffins really starts the weekend of nicely. For the context, a bunch of us were at Allie's to pre-game before the Northwestern vs. Illinois game at Wrigley Field. (Which in its own right, was pretty awesome.) Saturday night kind of rocked, too. I don't go downtown too often but it was Ann's birthday after all so I made the trek to a bar called Swirl. It was small but the people were awesome and they had live Spanish music and a Flamenco dancer. The highlight of the weekend definitely was Sunday night. I have to work and won't be going home for Thanksgiving. However, I celebrated Thanksgiving on Sunday night when Allie and her roommates made one of the most sophisticated and awesome dinners I have ever seen. There were about eight friends and after a whole day of cooking the end result was just perfect. I don't know if I have ever been that full!! It was just perfect.

1. I watched a lot of movies this weekend. First up was Sorority Row. It was exactly as I hoped for... an awesomely bad horror movie. But don't see it. It's terrible. I give it a D+. Seeing that horror movie did make me want to see the original Nightmare on Elm Street. I don't know why but I had this craving. I actually really, really liked it. It's not scary and has a young Johnny Depp. I give it a B+. Last but not least was Kick Ass. Um... It's kind of dumb but not a bad rental. I give it a B. I will give credit where credit is due. Nicolas Cage is one of the worst actors of our generation but he was awesome in Kick-Ass. For sure his best role since The Rock.

2. I have no idea what to ask for for Christmas? What's on your lists?

Cuckoo for Loco?

2010-11-16T22:38:00.002-06:00

Have you guys heard of this drink called Four Loko? It seems everyday in the paper there is a new article about some college banning it, or some politician that wants to ban it. I have never had it but - to be honest - all of the publicity just makes me really want to try it. From the little research I am done, it appears to be like a can of Red Bull but with about two to three times the amount of alcohol as can of beer.

So?

It's fine for me to go to a bar and order a jagerbomb or a red bull and vodka, but if some entrepreneur sells the two together, then that is just too outrageous for college kids to handle? Yes, I have read the articles that say caffeine can enhance the effects of alcohol. Yes, I have seen the recent University of Florida study that says that when people mix alcohol and caffeine, they are more likely to drive drunk. However, I just think that, like my views on marijuana, as long as the risks are made aware to the public, it is not in the best interest of the government to tell me what I can and can't imbibe.

1. Last night Nimit and I rented the movie, Get Him to the Greek. After really enjoying Forgetting Sarah Marshall, I was pretty excited about the sequel. Well. Um. It was okay. It has a lot of slapstick humor. It's not that it wasn't funny, but I actually felt myself getting dumber as I watched it. It was just bathroom joke after bathroom joke. It felt like the kind of movie I might have really enjoyed when I was 13. I give it a C+.

2. On Sunday night, Allie and I watched the movie, The Girl Who Played With Fire (the sequel to the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo). I liked the second book better than the first one but I liked the first movie more than this one. It's not bad... I give it a B+.

3. Huge congratulations to my buddy, Aaron Robbins for proposing to Lauren!! It is always wonderful to see two people I like so much end up together. After years of dating, they are finally getting hitched and packing up their bags and moving back to Minnesota. Aaron, you have spent seven years in Iowa. You did your part - time to head home. Stillwater misses you and so do I, Huggy Bear, so do I.

Conando

2010-11-10T22:08:00.002-06:00

I wanted to wait a couple of days of viewing before I write my opinion of the new Conan show on TBS. So far I give the show a B+. The good news is that the show most closely related to his Late Show at 11:30 Central, than the more conservative Tonight Show. I also like that he didn't make any giant production about being back on the air. He has basically treated the episodes as if he never left. The reason I don't give it a higher grade is that I am really tired of all the NBC, Jay Leno, basic cable, jokes. Sorry Conan, after being handed a check for... $30 to $40 million to not work by NBC, they don't deserve to still be made fun of. Let's move on.

1. Allie and I saw Toy Story 3. I enjoyed it. Maybe it was because I didn't see it on the Big Screen but I certainly would not consider it an Oscar front-runner. I would give it a B. It is worth renting, for sure.

2. I am back on the Glee bandwagon. Yesterday's episode was really good.

3. Is it weird that I actually have a strong interest in reading President Bush's new book? I mean, I spent years of my life being a politics junkie with Bush being enemy number one. But, I have been reading his interviews and although I strongly disagree with most of his philosophies, I am a little interested in hearing his side on the war, Katrina, et cetera.

4. No, thank you McRib. Thank you.

Remember remember...

2010-11-08T19:19:00.002-06:00

I don't often celebrate my roots, but being almost half English, I was excited to be invited by Allie (who is English) to go to a Guy Fawkes Party. For those who are unfamiliar, Guy Fawkes was a 16th century English mercenary who was hired by some Nobles to blow up Parliament. He was caught, drawn and quartered, and then burnt to death. This was on the 5th of November and the English celebrate by burning an effigy. I do not fully understand why the English celebrate this holiday, but regardless, I like it. What can go wrong with a bunch of friends burning things and drinking English beer? A bottle of Bass? Don't mind if I do. Saturday, after a typical college football viewing day of watching NU, ISU, and Minnesota lose and watching Iowa, and Michigan win, Allie and I had a nice dinner at Rockit. Ordering the pitcher of margaritas at Rockit was a great decision! Mmmm....

1. I finished the second Stieg Larson book, The Girl Who Played With Fire. I thought the first book was good. The second book was fantastic! I give it an A+.

2. Can I pull off wearing a white belt? They look so cool... but I have only seen them on models in magazines. I don't actually know anyone who owns one.

3. Nimit and I just rented the movie, Youth in Revolt. We both really liked it. Actually, I really, really liked it. I give it an A-. Find your nearest RedBox and rent it. It's a comedy that stars Michael Cera with great cameos from Ray Liota, Steve Buschemi, Justin Long, Zach Galifinakas, and more.

4. Currently listening to "Touch and Go" by Stacy Clark.

Electyle Dysfunction

2010-11-03T10:02:00.003-05:00

One reasons that President Obama did so well in 2008 was he and the Democratic Party did a marvelous job of inspiring the young, the poor, and others who rarely voted to cast a vote for the first time. In 2010, the American public basically said we are completely sick of politics and we are just going to stay home. Unfortunately, that fell perfectly into the Republican trap. It was clear in 2008 that the Republicans came up with a brilliant political strategy. They were going to be the party of "No!". They refused to play nice, refused to do anything to move the country forward. They unanimously said we will not let President Obama accomplish anything. Then, two years later when it was election time, they would produce ad after ad proclaiming that nothing happened and it was the Democrats' fault.

The strategy worked.

What happened is that Republicans still came out to vote in similar percentages as most elections. However, Democrats stayed home. The poor stayed home. The youth, in particular stayed home. I am watching CNN and they said statistically only 11% of Americans between 18-30 voted yesterday. 11 fucking percent. I would think a conservative estimate of 2008 would be that triple the amount of young people voted. But, when I think about it, that percentage is probably right. My roommates voted for Obama two years ago. Yesterday they stayed home. High School friends, college friends, co-workers, et cetera who went out and almost all voted for Obama in 2008 decided to stay at home. The Millennial generation basically said we don't give a shit. This was not an issue of the moderates or the centrists all going towards the Republicans. This was an issue of the Democrats not caring about the future of the country. That is shameful. It is shameful for so many of my friends who I volunteered with during the Bush Administration, who raised money with me to put Obama in the White House, just two years later, said we are so apathetic, that we don't care what happens to the country. Excuse me for still caring what happens to the United States. If you vote for Republicans because you feel they have the best plan to fix the country, I can run with that. Discussion and disagreement is what makes this country special. But to have 89% of the youth sit at home is just downright shameful.

1. By the way, it was not just the house and the senate that Republicans did well. They picked up a net 11 governor seats. Republicans also did really well in state races (state senators, state representatives, attorney generals, treasurers, et cetera.) Even in a liberal state like Minnesota, the Republicans will now control both chambers of the Minnesota congress, and the governor race is going to re-count.

2. Kim Kardashian is recording a pop album. Hopefully it is as awesome as Paris Hilton's "When Stars go Blind" album. (note sarcasm)

3. George W. Bush has a new book coming out and he is just starting his press tour. He was on the Today show today and Matt Lauer interviewed him and asked him what his worst moment was. He said it was when Kanye West said he does not like black people. Really, W. Really. Not the war? Not how you handled Katrina? I could go on.

failure to communicate

2010-11-02T09:59:00.003-05:00

Please go vote. Regardless of who you vote for, please don't just sit at home and watch the world change while you do nothing about it. Voting is free. You have to legally be allowed time off to vote. You have no excuse not to vote. I know that I have been a critic of the Democrats and Obama but that doesn't mean I am still not a progressive. The health care reform was imperfect but it was better than nothing. The stimulus package that was passed was not enough but it was enough to stop a complete depression. The bailout of the banking industry was a success. The bailout of the auto-industry was an incredible success - saving hundreds of thousands, possibly millions of jobs. Although unemployment has not gotten better, it has not gotten worse and I would have to think that in the next six years we will have made a full recovery. The bottom line is with the Democrats controlling congress, and Obama in the White House, the country is slowly cleaning itself up and getting back on course. We, as Americans, are not a patient people. We are frustrated with Obama that unemployment is still high. We are frustrated that Guantanamo Bay is still not closed. We are frustrated that our men and women in uniform are still dying in Iraq and Afghanistan. But as frustrated as I am with our current leadership, I feel nothing like the frustration I felt in 2002, 2004, and 2006 when the other party was in power. What the Democrats have done is have a failure to communicate. Your uncle who is a firefighter and your aunt who is a teacher. They might still have jobs because of the stimulus. The fact that you graduated college but still can be on your parents' health insurance until you are 26? That's the health care plan. Well, at this point all I/we can do is wait and see what happens.

1. Ames, Iowa high school graduate Harrison Barnes, and current UNC freshman, became the first ever true freshman to be named to the first team pre-season All-American team. He joins Duke's Kyle Singler, K-State's Jacob Pullen, BYU's Jimmer Fredette (Yes... Jimmer), and Kevin Garnett clone JaJuan Johnson of Purdue.

2. Does the term "cult classic" really mean that the majority of people hated it?

The eve of the takeover

2010-11-01T21:48:00.002-05:00

When all is said tomorrow, the good news is that I think the Democrats will still maintain control of the senate. The bad news, I see little chance of them controlling the House. A couple of races in the senate that really disappoint me are Russ Feingold (my favorite) in Wisconsin likely losing badly and Admiral Joe Sestak losing to crazy tea party guy Pat Toomey in Pennsylvania. Sestak is such a bad ass. I will not however be disappointed to see Democrat Alexi Giannalonous lose to Mark Kirk in Illinois. Giannalaonous is the type of guy who gives politicians a bad man. He just seems so slick. The thing is when the Tea Party started gaining momentum, I got all excited. I thought the Republicans were going to shoot themselves in the foot by nominating lunatics as their candidates. Unfortunately, for America, the Democrats are so unpopular, that crazies like Sharon Angle in Nevada, Rand Paul in Kentucky, Ken Buck in Colorado, and Marco Rubio in Florida will likely become senators. The problem is we already have way too many crazy, radical right-wingers in the senate! (See Jim DeMint in South Carolina, Tom Coburn in Oklahoma, okay let's be honest, every Republican senator in the deep south!)

1. The real winner after the 27 day experiment for Randy Moss? The Patriots. Once again, they prove that they are the smartest guys in the room.

2. Did everyone have a great Halloween? I had an awesome, awesome, awesome Halloween. I worked all weekend but Saturday night. Allie and I went as a goth couple. It was fun. I had never worn make-up or nail polish... so that was different. I can say that that will be the last time I ever wear eye-liner. I did not like having a colored pencil coming at my eye! And besides accidentally lighting myself on fire after a small Bacardi 151 incident, I had a really fun Halloween.

I'm not ready yet!

2010-10-28T16:18:00.003-05:00

Wait a second! I did not say it could get this cold this quick. Just last week I was comfortable walking around with a long sleeve t-shirt on and now I have my winter-coat and I am still cold out. For selfish reasons, I was hoping the cold would hold off until after Halloween. Oh well.

1. I saw the movie Greenberg. I was pretty excited to see this Ben Stiller indie film. I came away pretty disappointed. The movie was slow, poorly written, unfunny, and pointless. I give the movie a C.

2. Did anyone else watch President Obama on The Daily Show last night? I watched it with my roommates. I thought Obama was as charming as usual but it's too little too late. I think the Democrats will probably lose about eight seats in the senate and 55 seats in the house. Obama has no one to blame but himself. I was actually surprised by how fierce Jon Stewart went after Obama. He was upset, sardonic, and was not there to play nice or get laughs. He had legitimate concerns with Obama's health care stance, and lack of economic progress and went after him hard. Yes, Stewart is a progressive and a comedian, but when needed to be, the man can be a really solid interviewer. In a way Stewart, represents the reason why Democrats will do so poorly in the election. Often times, Obama's toughest critics today were his biggest supporters two years ago. Those same liberals who gave all their savings and all their free time to get him elected who are bitter that their agenda has not come as quickly as they hoped. Those same people are not volunteering like their Republican counterparts, they are not donating money, and in many parts, they are simply not voting. Yes, of course I am going to vote on Tuesday. I am an American and I believe it is part of my civil duty to vote. However, it's not like I can't understand why some of the most fervent Obama supporters two years ago, five days from now, are simply going to sit at home.

3. After a pretty awful year so far of Glee, they have regained my attention with the Rocky Horror Picture Show episode. The music was excellent. The story was interesting. It is the first episode this year I give an A. I have been pretty disappointed overall with this year's TV line-up. Nothing is as good as it was last year. I don't watch a ton of shows, but the ones I do watch (30 Rock, The Office, How I Met Your Mother, Community, Big Bang Theory, and Glee) none are as good as last year.

4. Fortunately, Conan comes back soon. Speaking of his return, if you do read Rolling Stone magazine like I do, let me know your thoughts on Conan's cover article. If not, find a copy and read it. Warning though, it's not funny. It more was Conan opening up a vain and going into his deep depression he has worked out of. Really good read.

5. I am getting over a several day battle with the stomach flu. Suck it up, pay the $30.00 and get the flu shot. I was planning on getting one but I figured flu season hadn't really started yet. Go to Walgreen's and get it taken care of. You really have no excuse not to get it taken care of.

The Social Network

2010-10-18T00:11:00.003-05:00

It's not often that I start my blog posts with a movie review, but then again, it is not every night that I come back from seeing The Social Network. I give the movie an A+. If anything, I am only upset because they left out so many cool things. The acting was brilliant. The writing and directing were spectacular. This movie had no special effects or amazing cameos. Nope. It was just an incredibly compelling story. It's not necessarily a movie that you need to see it in the theaters. However, if you have Facebook - which I know you all do - then I highly recommend the movie.

1. I had a really nice weekend. On Friday, my parents and sister flew in for an away football game at Purdue University. I always like seeing new stadiums and it is my goal to see (at least) one away football game a year. My family + Allie and I crashed near West Lafayette on Friday and woke up bright and early for the game. To be honest, Purdue didn't do a lot for me. The campus is nice enough. All of the buildings are brand new. Unfortunately, they were so new that the character was stripped of much of its original character; instead replaced by the same red-brick exterior building after building. Again, it's not like the campus was ugly (see University of Iowa), but it was all together forgettable. The football stadium itself was completely forgettable. We had terrible seats in a small stadium. We had no visible scoreboard. Plus, when I tried to get hot-dogs at halftime, they gave me the wrong change, were out of hot dogs, and ketchup. This was halftime... against Minnesota. However, the people were all very friendly and the weather was beautiful. I am glad I went. However, if you all are thinking of a fun road trip, I would pass on Purdue.

2. I have been listening to the Ben Folds song "The Luckiest" for ten years. I still love its beauty and simplicity.

Couple of thoughts...

2010-09-19T17:12:00.002-05:00

I went home for a couple of days. Always good to catch up with the family and some friends. While I was in town I went to the beautiful Orpheum Theater to see the musical, Wicked. In general I liked it. I read the book first but the book was wildly different than the musical. The book was dark and mature. The musical was clearly written for nine year old girls. This is not to say that the musical numbers are not catchy, the music isn't good, or I didn't have a good time. It is just basically a fluff play. Bottom line, if you have the chance, it is worth the money, but I don't need to see it again.

1. In the theater, my Mom, sister, and I saw the movie Easy A. I came away disappointed. After some outstanding reviews, Easy A is a clear homage to 1980's high school comedies - a la Breakfast Club, 16 Candles, et cetera. Starring Emma Stone, Thomas Haden Church, and Lisa Kudrow, Easy A is an obvious play on the Scarlet Letter (a novel which is frequently referenced). It's not that the movie is bad, it's just that the jokes were geared toward its audience of high school girls. If you liked Mean Girls, you will like Easy A. I give it a C+.

2. I did rent the movie Date Night. This is that movie that stars Tina Fey and Steve Carrell. I liked it and it was certainly worth the $1 I paid for it at Redbox. I give it a B.

3. The lead singer of Gnarles Barkley, Cee-lo, has a new single. It is called "Fuck You". It is so unbelievably catchy!! I have been singing it all day.

4. Awesome. Vikings are 0-2, Gophers 1-2, Cyclones, 1-2. Cool.

Concern in two months

2010-09-08T10:08:00.003-05:00

I find myself once again concerned politically for the way the country is going. I know the mid-term elections are still two months away. However, right now the polling suggests a complete blood bath for the Democrats in the senate in the house. If we look at the senate, if the election were today, the Democrats would have 50 and the Republicans would have 50 senators. The reason for this is prominent Democrats like Barbara Boxer in California, Blance Lincoln in Arkansas, Harry Reid in Nevada, Russ Feingold in Wisconsin are losing to their opponents. In Obama's seat in Illinois, Roland Burris will not seek re-election and his replacement, Alex Gianalous is losing to Mark Kirk. Plus, there are retiring senators in states like Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Colorado. In other open races, like Florida, the Democrat Kendrick Meeks is only getting 19% support. A lot of the "experts" compare this year to the mid-term elections two years after Clinton got elected in 1994. I respectfully disagree. That year the Republicans were led by strong leadership (Newt Gingrich among others) and had a clear plan on how they were going to "correct" America through their Contract for America. To give the GOP credit, they have been brilliant as usual in their campaigning. Instead of doing anything, they have done everything in their power to ensure that no bill or legislation gets passed. They have blocked, literally, eight out of every nine judges Obama has tried to appoint to various courts. They have become the party of no and it is working. With the economy in the toilet still, the Republicans have offered no plans to fix the economy. Instead they simply are telling America, "What we are doing now is not working, let's try something else." Unfortunately, Americans forget that going back to Bush style economics is what got us in this mess in the first place! It is quite clear that unless the economy makes a drastic turn-around, the Dems are in big trouble. The economy + the Afghanistan war death tolls rising + an unpopular stimulus + an unpopular health care plan = success for the Republicans.

Jim and Sarah's wedding

2010-09-07T21:04:00.003-05:00

It is a little sad to get back to reality. This weekend was one of the best of my life. Friday night, I woke up early and Allie and I drove to Minneapolis for Jim and Sarah's wedding. Friday was the bachelor party. After meeting up at a hotel room, we headed to dinner and then to watch the Twins beat the Texas Rangers at the new Twins ballpark, Target Field. Despite the weather being a little chilly, fun was had by all. What a gorgeous baseball stadium. After the game, we all went to this bar called The Refuge before ending the night at Brit's Pub - my Minneapolis favorite. I was up bright and early on Saturday to pick up Josh from the bus station. After chilling at Andrew's house with Josh, Anay's Allie, Anay, and Humanzee, I went home for some family time. Saturday afternoon was the rehearsal. The rehearsal went off without a hitch and I was ready for the wedding. Saturday night was the rehearsal dinner at Harry's. After an outstanding dinner and an open bar, I was exhausted and was asleep by about 11:00. Sunday was the day of the wedding. I woke up, had breakfast with Mike, had a brief church appearance, had lunch with my parents, and spent the rest of the afternoon preparing. For those who did not know, I was the officiant at Jim and Sarah's wedding. Meaning I served as the justice of the peace/judge/minister/et cetera. It was a huge honor and I am so glad I accepted. However, it also required a lot of preparation. Fortunately, when the time came for the wedding, I was nervous but I was ready. The whole ceremony was just perfect. The music was lovely, the outdoor wedding had beautiful weather, and Jim and Sarah were so happy. After the wedding we went to the reception at the restaurant Spill The Wine. I had so much fun!! The meal was great, the DJ was outstanding, and it was so much fun to dance and socialize with so many of my closet friends. I stayed the whole night and danced with everyone. I was sad to have to drive back yesterday and leave such a great weekend.

1. I have a recommendation for anyone who needs a hotel in Minneapolis. The wedding party stayed at Hotel Minneapolis. What an awesome, awesome hotel!

2. As much fun as the night was on Sunday, as the night concluded I was actually really sad. Jim and Sarah were two of the main reasons I wanted to move to Chicago. When I hugged them good-bye, it just kind of hit me that it would be the last time in months I would see them. I took for granted how nice it was to just take a forty minute train ride to their apartment. I wish them a lifetime of happiness in San Francisco but I am really sad to see them go. I hope this Spring I can scrape enough money to buy a plane ticket to go out and see them.

Love in an elevator

2010-08-24T15:07:00.002-05:00

Phew! I survived. 25 years old and I am still feeling great. I apologize for the long delay in blogging. I was out of town in Michigan for a while and have spent the rest of the time working long hours and enjoying the last few remaining bits of summer. Definitely the highlight of the past few weeks was two nights ago. For my birthday, Allie bought me tickets to go see Aerosmith. I was so stoked! Aerosmith is a band I had been wanting to see live for about ten years. I was nervous that Steven Tyler, considering he is 62, would not be able to hit some of his signature screams and high-notes. I was pleased when the Bad Boys from Beantown nailed every note, Joe Perry played every guitar riff perfectly, and Aerosmith rocked Tinley Park for almost three hours. They played all their hits - Sweet Emotion, Walk This Way, Dream On, I Don't Want to Miss a Thing, Cryin', Amazin, et cetera. It was non-stop screaming and air-guitar by yours truly. I looked like a huge dork; but I did not care.

1. My birthday has been quiet but nice. I got to sleep in and then I met Ann and Nimit at Nimit's work - the Chicago Board of Options and Exchange. I got a tour of the world's largest trading pit. I'm not even a huge finance but just seeing all the traders yelling and running around was really fascinating. After the tour, we had a nice lunch at Alonte, and here I am. After work, Allie is going to cook me dinner and make me a carrot cake. Not a bad birthday if I don't mind saying so myself.

2. Currently listening to "Dude looks like a lady" by Aerosmith.

2142 Asbury Avenue

2010-08-09T23:42:00.002-05:00

Today was kind of a difficult day for me. For the last time, I made the trek up to 2142 Asbury Avenue in Evanston, Illinois to help Jim and Sarah get ready for their move to San Francisco in 36 hours. This won't be the last time I will see them - we have baseball tickets for the Twins vs. White Sox on Tuesday night. However, this will be the last time I will be at their apartment. I have nothing but great memories at that apartment. The first time I stopped by their apartment was for an interview in March of 2009. I stayed the night and Sarah, Jim and I spent the whole night laughing and telling old stories. In hindsight, the lack of sleep may have led to me not getting the job. Oh well, I didn't really want to sell copier machines on the South Side anyway. In early May, when I decided I was going to move to Chicago, my friend Adam and I spent the Friday night with our U-Haul at their apartment before heading over to my new apartment in Lakeview on Saturday morning. In the past 15 or so months, that party has been home to some amazing parties, great home cooked Sarah Lee meals, and lots of time where Jim, Sarah, and other assorted friends and I would just gather to have a good time whether that be grilling or just upstairs with Allie after I picked her up from work and we were not ready to go home yet. As we were finishing packing today, I took a brief moment to just walk around and remember all the great times I had not only at this apartment but with Jim and Sarah, separately and together. Jim is a college roommate and one of my closest friends. Sarah is probably my closest female friend. I am incredibly excited for their move to San Francisco but also filled with sadness. Just little things like a BBQ here, or a house warming party there, will be fun but will be missing something without the two of them here. They know how happy I am for their move - possibly even a little jealous; and that it is only selfishness that wants to keep them here. Plus, who knows? Maybe someday we will be neighbors in California, Minnesota, or maybe even back in Illinois. Fortunately, their wedding is in a few weeks so I will look forward to seeing them soon.

treason

2010-08-07T16:37:00.002-05:00

When I first read that Michigan congressman Mike Rogers said that Private Bradley Manning should be charged with treason, I thought that was a bit extreme. But the more I think about it, the more I agree with the congressman. Manning was the soldier who released the 75,000 pages of classified documents to the website, Wikileaks. Which, went ahead, and released them. Now, only one person since 1952 has been charged with treason - the only charge more serious than murder in the United States. But Manning has the blood of many on his hands. Not only have the Taliban vowed revenge, and unfortunately carried out revenge, on many of the informants listed in the documents - in one case, ten teenage boys were hung outside their school, but now future informants will think twice about helping Americans now knowing that their secrecy is now in jeopardy. In addition, according to Newsweek, the Taliban recently sent out letters to people they suspected of helping the Americans because of their mention in the documents that they have five days to leave the country or they will be killed. This was an enormous set-back in the war.

1. I just finished reading the book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. I think I enjoyed it... maybe. Possibly that is just my own pretentiousness coming out. To be honest, I thought the prose was only okay, and I simply did not understand many of the Platonic references that were prevalent throughout. This is one of my problems when I read some of these "important", "philosophy" books. I tend to get frustrated by not fully understanding them.

2. Congratulations to Emmitt Smith and Jerry Rice - statistically the two greatest at their position. Smith is the all-time leader in carries, yards, and touchdowns. He was never flashy, but he was tough as nails and outstandingly consistent. Then there is Jerry Rice, often considered the best football player of all-time. Rice is the all-time leader in receptions, touchdowns, and yards. This might be the greatest NFL Hall of Fame class of all-time.

3. Working in Boystown, I spend a lot of time around the LGBT community. One observation I made in the past was that gays smoke... a lot! Well, apparently I was correct. According to a new study by the American Lung Association, gay men smoke two and a half times as much as heterosexual men and lesbians smoke twice as much as straight women. According to the study, tobacco companies are well aware of this as they are prominent sponsors in gay publications, clubs, and bar

Love in an elevator

2010-08-02T19:46:00.002-05:00

I have never really been a very big American Idol fan. I tend to like the first or so episodes for the humor, but then I get bored quickly. I am intrigued to see what the show will be like next year. With Kara Guardino being fired, Ellen DeGeneres quitting, and Simon Cowell moving on to other projects, I am a little intrigued to see what America's most popular show will be next year. Especially because joining Randy on the judges table could be some pretty big stars. Steven Tyler, lead singer of Aerosmith has said he was offered and will likely accept, and there is also talk of Justin Timberlake and P. Diddy. Can you imagine those guys on the stage? I would definitely give it a try.

1. Well, my Minnesota rube credibility went up today. A friend and fellow Gopher fan invited me to meet the head coach at the University of Minnesota and the athletic director at a bar with about 15 other people. I was in heaven. I had a lot of questions, and Coach Brewster and A.D. Maturi were complete gentleman. It really was a huge blast.

2. The sports news of the city is White Sox coach Ozzie Guillen's recent comments about race relations in baseball. To sum it up, he said that Asian players and treated better than Hispanic players due to racism. At first glance i thought this was typical Ozzie being Ozzie... running his mouth as usual. However, as I talked with co-worker, he agreed with Ozzie. His point was that all Asian (Japanese) players get their own translator (paid for by MLB). In addition, it is uncommon for a Japanese player to have to play any minor league ball - instead, jumping right to the show. At the same time, a Hispanic player will have to work his way up.

Happy Shark Week

2010-08-01T21:23:00.004-05:00

It's been a fun, crazy couple of days here. Last weekend was kind of a blur. I arrived to Minneapolis Friday night, went to bed early, saw my high school friend Alison get married at my church on Saturday, leave the reception at 8:00, drive through the night and end up back in Chicago at about 3:30 Sunday morning. After a couple hours of sleep, I was up for my shift of 9-5 at the health club. Sunday night was really, really cool. For the second year in a row, Allie's work did a boat cruise - free food and open bar, of course. We went up and down the Chicago river and ended the night anchored on Lake Michigan with the most spectacular view of the skyline I have ever seen. It really was cool. This past week has been pretty uneventful. A lot of time at work... a lot. This past weekend has been good, too. My friends Sarah and Jim spent their last weekend in Chicago. They move to San Francisco, soon. With a rare appearance from Tieds, we had a great dinner at Tilly's, and then a group of us hung out at Matilda for the evening on Friday in Lakeview. I worked Saturday and then Nimit and I met some friends in Evanston at Nevin's and had a really nice going away get together with Jim and Sarah. I am excited for their move but really sad to see them go. Tonight Nimit and I decided to rent Hot Tub Time Machine. Well. It is not the worse movie I have ever seen but it is not good. I would probably give it a C-. Really, really not a family friendly movie.

Learning to fly

2010-07-23T09:21:00.003-05:00

It's been a while and I have much to write about. Last Friday, I had some people over. Everything was going well until my co-worker brought over the Bacardi Gold. The night then became a blur of dancing, Aaliyah, and firecrackers. Saturday, Koo, Nim and I played some basketball, and had a great lunch at Epic Burger. On Saturday night I surprised Allie with tickets to one of her favorite bands, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Petty put on a really good show. And, thanks to Nimit's contacts, I got a free upgrade on our tickets to pretty good seats. On Sunday, Allie and I walked around the Chicago Botanic Gardens. I have driven by it a million times on the way home to Minneapolis but never seen it. For those who live in the Midwest, take the time to go see the Gardens. The landscaping is breathtakingly beautiful. I'm not even much into gardening or landscaping and I thought these gardens were awesome. Plus, it's free.

1. I really saw the movie Inception. I enjoyed it and would recommend it. I give it a B+. The special effects and fight scenes are reason enough to go see the movie. Plus I think that Leonardo DiCaprio is a top five actor. There are some amazing holes left in the script that bugged me but not enough to take away from the movie. I also think this is a movie that needs to be seen on the big screen.

2. I was reading in Escapistmagazine.com about what those nerds at MIT have been doing in their spare time. According to the article, this group has developed an algorithm on Facebook to determine if you are gay regardless of what you put down in your interested in section. Basically if you have a lot of gay friends and in your like section you like a lot of the same things that openly gay people like, then there is a good chance you are gay. Uh huh.

3. Speaking of Facebook, I was reading about some of the differences of Facebook in America vs. Facebook in other countries. One of the things that the U.K. Facebook has is a Panic Button. Basically if you are a target of cyber bullying, or some other verbal assault, you hit this Facebook Panic Button and immediately the police are notified of the exchange. I think this is a great idea and want it implemented in America. There have been too many stories of inappropriate activity that is beyond rude to criminal.

4. Congratulations Jerusalem for being the idiot city of the day. 30 year old Sabbar Kashur met a Jewish woman they had consensual sex. He lied and not only said he was single (he was married with two kids) but that he was a Jew (he is a Muslim). The woman went to the police and he was arrested and found guilty of by the Jerusalem District Court of "Rape by Deception". You mean that in other countries men have lied about who they are to have sex with a woman?!?! That would never happen here! Kashur was sentenced to 18 months in prison. But let's be honest here, this is not rape by deception - it is bigotry. I really wish these two countries would grow up.

financial regulation bill

2010-07-15T22:06:00.003-05:00

It is not everyday that I congratulate congress for a job well done. Today, I will congress credit where credit is due. It is beyond obvious that we needed a financial regulation bill. Well, today congress passed a regulation bill with several things that I like. Being the uber politics nerd, I decided to read the bill and choose which bits I found to be interesting:

A) From December to early March of this year, I worked for a credit card processing company. I know that the whole processing industry is a giant scam. Businesses have to pay somewhere between 0-6-7% on all their profits to the credit card companies and additional fees to the processing company. This hurts small businesses and big businesses. Most European countries charge about 0.2%. In America, sometimes up to 7% of a purchase is lost in fees. Although, congress hasn't put a number on it, insiders are estimating that they are going to cap the fees to 0.5%. Sorry Visa and Mastercard. In addition, now businesses will be offered a discount if customers pay with cash or check instead of plastic. This was not allowed before.

B) Basically a bank will not get to be "too big to fail" anymore. First if a bank defaults, they have to begin selling off their assets and begin repaying their debts. Two, and most importantly, executives will no longer let their company fail. If you are a senior executive, and your bank fails, the government will have the right to pay back your debts by going after your salary and bonuses from the past two years!! Third, those executives will be permanently banned from working in the financial sector.

C) Every American will be allowed to look at their credit score for free once a year through www.annualcreditreport.com.

D) I truly believe that only like ten people in the world know why oil is priced the way it is. It is not just simple side economics. Instead, it is a handful of elite derivatives traders that decide what prices will be. Well, in this new law, trading of natural resources will be much more transparent.

E) There will be a new sub-branch of the SEC (Securities Exchange Committee) called the Office of Financial Literacy. There whole goal will be to teach Americans more about things like Roth IRAs, 401ks, liens, fees, et cetera. The whole financial industry is WAY too confusing. Hopefully this group proves beneficial.

To be honest there was a lot more stuff that was either above my head, or I found completely uninteresting. Bottom line, there is going to be a lot more financial regulation. Hopefully there won't be any more of these Citibanks, AIG's, Bear Stearns, and other companies hurting our economy.

1. Did you read Rush Limbaugh's latest gem? On Tuesday, referring to the late George Steinbrenner, "That cracker made a lot of African-Americans millionaires... He fired a bunch of white guy managers left and right." I am not going to pretend to be outraged. My favorite part is the fake outrage by the NAACP, and the Al Sharpton's of the world. Oh, Rush... you never cease to entertain me.

2. Currently listening to "move your feet" by Junior Senior.

The Boss

2010-07-13T09:36:00.004-05:00

It is shame that on the eve of baseball's all-star game, the greatest owner in the history of sports, George Steinbrenner, passed on at the age of 80 following a massive heart attack. Since buying the team in 1973 for about $9 million, Steinbrenner has turned the Yankees into the model organization for all of sports. During Steinbrenner's tenure, the Yankees are now worth almost a billion dollars, they have their own TV network, and have won seven World Series championships. The Yankees are the ultimate team that fans love to hate. But fans didn't hate the Yankees and George Steinbrenner, they hated how jealous they were. It was easy to hate the Yankees while growing up in Minnesota when we had an owner who was actually wealthier than Steinbrenner but viewed the team more as a business than as a love. Steinbrenner loved the Yankees and loved winning. He would do whatever it was in his power to win a championship every single year. What fan would not love that in an owner? This is not to say he was not a little crazy. He was known to be incredibly demanding of his managers and players. He had 17 managers under his watch. He was suspended from baseball on numerous occasions for things like bribery and slander; and had several infamous feuds with baseball legends like Joe Torre and Daryll Strawberry. But at the end of the day he just wanted to win. That is all I want out of my owner. R.I.P.

Monday musings

2010-07-12T22:51:00.002-05:00

Once again, I apologize for the long delay in blog posts. I have had a very nice week. On Wednesday, Allie and I went to Six Flags. I had not been there in about ten years. I really love amusement parks; and it was fun to enjoy the nice weather, people watching, and of course the rides. My weekend was good. Allie had a party on Friday night, I worked all day Saturday, some friends and I went to a party at Ann's sister's apt on Saturday night, and on Sunday I worked, and then came back and watched a little Harry Potter. Yeah, I know what I am.

1. Mel Gibson is one of my all-time favorite actor/directors. Movies like We Were Soldiers, The Patriot, and Braveheart are some of the best movies ever made. However, there is no other way around it... Gibson is crazy. Have you guys been reading about some of the audio that his ex-girlfriend has of him? Forget the racist rants... Forget the DUI... Forget the anti-semitism... There is audio of Gibson physically hitting his girlfriend and yelling such things as, "I will bury you in my rose garden"... "You need a f*ckin bat to the side of the head"... You can read more examples, or youtube the audio, but I think you get the idea. There is one audio where he is literally breathless after screaming, and most likely beating up his girlfriend. Don't get me wrong, Gibson is almost a billionaire and will likely never see a minute in jail... but I hope I am wrong. Gibson needs to be locked up and get a lot of professional help.

2. The LeBron James "decision 2010" episode is a sad indictment on how much importance we pay to athletes in 2010 in the United States. Like a hypocrite, I had to tune into the NBA reality show last week to see where he would sign and then immediately text/call my friends with my thoughts. Yes, as a fan of the NBA, I am intrigued to see how the Heat will do next year. No, I do not think LeBron made the best decision. If I were him, I would have gone to Chicago. After that I would have gone to the Knicks. The Heat now have ten million to give to nine players. Their only hope is that a bunch of talented players take enormous pay-cuts. (Editor's note: It looks like Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller have taken huge pay cuts to sign with the Heat.) And will someone please tell Cavs owner Dan Gilbert to chill.

Slice of Americana

2010-07-06T23:46:00.003-05:00

This blog used to be a vehicle for me to vent to all of you about all that is going wrong with the world. In particular, all that is going wrong with me. It's hard to do that now. Life is pretty good. Actually, life is really good. I was kind of reminded of that this weekend.

On Friday afternoon, Allie, Brittany, and Jason Crystal and I loaded up my Toyota Scion and headed for Lake Leelanau, Michigan - a small town in Western Michigan. I had been there twice before and knew how much fun it was going to be. Once again, the trip lived up to my sky-high expectations. One thing I kept mentioning over and over again was how American the trip was - s'mores over the campfire, small town parade, roadtrips with classic rock over the stereo, reading on the hammock, fireworks, grilling burgers and hotdogs, and drinking local beer. The trip was an A+. Yes, I still love doing things like jet-skiing and speed boating; but that is not what I will miss when I think about that small Michigan town. Living in the big city, I had all but forgotten how beautiful the stars look in the middle of nowhere. I had forgotten how amazing it is to wake up and see the sun rise over a lake. Or, to see a sunset among the rolling hills of southwestern Michigan. It also made me appreciate Chicago, too. When we drove back, exhausted from an adventure filled weekend and a long car ride to see the fireworks from U.S. Cellular Field and the skyline from Lake Shore Drive, we all sat back and appreciated living in one of the most exciting cities in the world. Absolutely, this weekend was one that made me sit back and appreciate how amazing the world can be sometimes when you take a few days to forget about the pressures of work, cell phones, internet, TV, the news, and instead focus on friendship, family, and experiences.

1. Earlier last week when Allie invited me to go see a concert headlined by some band named Pinot (like the wine), I was hesitant. But, I like concerts and I like making Allie happy, I decided why not go. It's not like I had anything else to do on a Thursday night. I was extremely happy that I went! The guitarist is a friend from Allie's high school but the band formed in Los Angeles. They are kind of like a 2010 James Brown with incredible guitar, saxophone, and vocals. They are currently touring all over America from Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Minneapolis. I highly recommend you go to www.pinotfunk.com to find out when they are next coming to your city and checking them out. Really outstanding music.

2. Currently listening to "Somewhere over the rainbow" by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole.

Casual nudity on a Sunday morning

2010-06-28T09:22:00.002-05:00

Well. This was another basically perfect weekend. I started off Friday after work with a phone call from Allie that she had two tickets to classic rock group, Moody Blues, with two of our friends. Although I am almost always up for a free concert, in this case I was really excited because The Moody Blues were playing at Ravinia. Located just North of Chicago in Highland Park, Ravinia is one of America's most famous music venues. I had been wanting to see the venue ever since I moved here. Ravinia is an outdoor amphitheater with one main shell and then a large field with cute little trees and flowers. It's not the kind of place to see a Green Day or Dr. Dre, but a great place to bring a picnic, a bottle of wine, a blanket, and hang out with friends. Allie had been there before to see the Chicago Symphony Orchestra play John Williams' hits. Nimit said that several times in the summer, Ravinia will bring a large movie screen and play famous movies like Wizard of Oz or Indiana Jones but the orchestra will play all the music live. Allie and I ended the evening by a nice summer drive with the windows down followed by talking and enjoying the Chicago skyline from my roof.

After sleeping in on Saturday, Allie and I wandered over to the nearby Farmer's market, picked up some lunch, and then joined Nimit to watch the World Cup game. It was a tough loss but I still had fun watching them. Side note - my new favorite team is Ghana. Their coach is the coolest looking coach I have ever seen. He looks kind of like Albert Einstein dressed as a homeless man. On Saturday night I went out for pizza with some of my co-workers.

I worked Sunday morning but got off just in time for the Chicago Pride Parade. This was one of the craziest things I have experienced in my life. Imagine really hot weather, lots of alcohol, and tens of thousands of young people in a small four to six block radius. Complete, and utter, chaos. I saw lots of amazing costumes, lots of dancing, lots of drinking, and lots of music. Oh yeah, there was also more than a little nudity.

In a way I am unsure if the Parade is still as important as it was thirty years ago. It seems all the "normal" gays stay home and the "character" gays come out to play. While thirty years ago the point of the march was about gaining acceptance in the community, in 2010, the parade is primarily a drunk orgy. I was happy I got to experience it once but I don't know if I will go back next year. My favorite part of the parade was actually seeing the radical Christian protesters, heavily guarded by about two dozen police officers, in verbal sparring matches with many of the militant gay rights protesters. I absolutely support the rights of all Americans (gay, straight, or ?) but I strongly question if the way to gain more legal rights and acceptance in the mainstream is to wear a thong and write "slut" on your chest. Either way I understand that I can only look at the parade through the lens of a heterosexual male who has not had to deal with years of judgment about my lifestyle. I guess if once a year they want to throw all inhibitions out in the wind and party with their friends, who am I to judge.

On Sunday afternoon, after a long nap, Allie and I concluded the weekend by going sunglasses shopping (success), bowling (I struggled), and capped the evening by watching Vicky Christina Barcelona. A+ weekend.

Keepin' up with the Kennedy's

2010-06-23T09:26:00.003-05:00

Has there ever been a cooler family than the Kennedy's? Although tragic with the premature deaths of John, John Jr, and my favorite, Bobby Kennedy, I have always enjoyed reading about them. Stemming from a grandma and mother who enjoy reading biographies about America's first family, I grew up with an appreciation of the Kennedy's. Although I feel that JFK was arguably the most over-rated Democrat of all-time, the brilliance of Bobby, and the compassion of Ted Kennedy more than made up for John's misconceptions. I think one reason the family has been interesting to me is about just how cool they all seemed to me. This was confirmed when the FBI finally released their files on Ted Kennedy. According to the declassified files, the Kennedy's definitely had secret deals made with the mob and that there was an orgy at the Carlyle Hotel in Manhatten with the three Kennedy brothers, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr, Kennedy's brother in law Peter Lawford, his wife, and Marilyn Monroe. Can you imagine if something like that came out in 2010 about Obama?!?! I would highly recommend googling "FBI Ted Kennedy files". You will read all kinds of crazy stuff. The mafia/Kennedy relationship is particularly interesting.

1. Speaking of the mob, how messed up is Mexico?! In the latest Newsweek, there is a great article about how dangerous that country really is. Since 2006, over 20,000 people have died just in the drug wars alone. I guess the violence is ramping up as election season there is close and the various drug lords all have their candidates they want to be elected. Drugs are big business in Mexico - to the tune of $29 billion a year. I give President Calderon credit, he has done a lot in the unwinnable drug war. Committing troops and financial resources to battling the notorious Mexican mafia. I wish I were smart enough to know how to solve the issue.

2. I just finished reading the sequel to Freakonomics by Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt, called Superfreakonomics. If you enjoyed the first one, you will enjoy this one. I give the book a B+. It was a fun, light, nice summer read. It is certainly over-simplistic regarding ideas like global warming but also has fascinating insights into the progress of women's rights in India, prostitution in Chicago, and the dangers of drinking and walking.

3. My man crush on Justin Morneau is growing by the day.

4. Congratulations to the United States soccer team. I watched the whole game. Although it was incredibly frustrating, I am happy with the win.

The GO(B)P apology

2010-06-21T22:10:00.002-05:00

I had a really nice weekend. One of those summer weekends that I dreamed about in January. I did not work Friday but woke up early to watch the American World Cup game. I hate to admit it but I did find myself enjoying the game more than I thought I would. In the afternoon I went for a nice walk, picked up Allie had a little (okay a lot) of Buffalo Wild Wings and then saw a movie. I worked on Saturday but after work a bunch of us met up with Sarah Lee and her family in Evanston to celebrate her finishing graduate school. We played Frisbee on the beach, played some beach volleyball, bbq'd, and waded in Lake Michigan. It was a wonderful night. I worked all day Sunday. I got home and watched a little Harry Potter on HBO before Allie called and said she wanted to play catch. Never one to turn down outside athletics, we hung out outside for the rest of the night before grilling and making home made long island iced teas. What a wonderful weekend.

1. I have seen a lot of movies. I do not know if I have ever seen a more messed up move than Splice - which I saw Friday evening. I actually thought the writing was good for 95% of the movie. I did not care for how the director/writers ended the movie and I thought there were a couple scenes that were beyond graphic. In one scene, I felt a little physically sick; and could not look at the screen. I give the movie a B-. It's not a bad movie but please be warned that there are scenes of violence on animals, and extremely graphic, disgusting rape scenes.

2. I am a little bit flummoxed at the media/America's shock that Texas Republican congressman Joe Barton said basically that the federal government owes BP an apology. Sure, it was a stupid political move; but it was not a gaffe. Barton was candidly saying what he and many conservative congressmen truly believe - that the federal government needs to do more to help the big oil companies, not punish them. In fact many conservative commentators like Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh actually are openly agreeing with Barton. However, if I were the GOP leadership, I would at least try to save face and ask Barton to resign his post as chairman of the House Energy Committee. It's a bad message to send to the American public about energy.

Alpha (fe)male: part two

2010-06-18T16:19:00.002-05:00

Let me begin my post by saying that I am not opposed to marriage. But in the context of writing about the success of feminism in the 21st century, a civil union between a man and a woman quite simply does not have the same impact that it did in the past. Let's put aside the religion aspect of marriage, and just focus on the civil union from a woman's perspective. While a century ago, a marriage ensured a woman some level of financial security, legal and tax privileges, and probably helped their baby's daddies with their committment issues. However, what is in it for a woman to get married in 2010? As I have layed out, women are making more money than ever, living longer, and better educated than ever before. The role of "woman's work" is made easier year after year with things like the dishwasher, and washing machine. In addition, according to Newsweek, in two out of every three families, women either make the same or more than their husbands. However, almost every woman my age is still obsessed with marriage. More than ever, I am convinced that it is the idea of a wedding that is so attractive, not marriage. With the wedding industry being almost a 100 billion dollar a year industry, and every cable station wasting my time with shows like "Bridezilla" and "Say yes to the dress", the ideas of a wedding is more attractive than ever. A marriage is certainly not about commitment these days. 60% of married men and women will have sex with a different person than their spouse during their lifetime. Not kiss or "hook-up"... have sex with a different person. Perhaps it is the stigma of having a child out of wedlock that makes so many of us marriage obsessed. Well, last year 41% of births were out of wedlock. The stigma plays a factor, but it is not a huge factor. In terms of tax purposes, it is actually now beneficial to NOT be married. Needless to say, I am only presenting a cynical, borderline hypocritical point of view. I myself look forward to one day being married and there are countless studies to show that married people live longer, have less stress, and are happier. I just think when men marry they do for love, I think when women marry they do for love... and a big, fat, resplendent wedding that will make their friends envious.

Alpha (fe)male: part one

2010-06-16T08:51:00.003-05:00

Hanna Rosin, the brilliant columnist for Slate Magazine, has a really interesting piece on the end of male dominance in the United States. Without using misleading statistics, Rosin uses a variety of interesting points to affirm her view that women have surpassed men in several areas. Here were some interesting things I pulled out of the article:

A) Sons are preferred over daughters? Nope, according to research by biologist Ronald Ericson at fertility clinics, girls are requested more so than boys. Under the new drug, MicroSort, currently being reviewed by the FDA, 75% of their requests are for girls.

B) According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are now more female supervisors than male supervisors. 51.4% of managers in the United States are female.

C) According to the Department of Education, two out of every three bachelor's degrees being awarded in 2010 will be given to women. Six out of ten master's degrees will be earned by women.

D) Of the eight million people laid off last year, those who were let go were overwhelmingly male in overwhelmingly male dominated fields - finance, construction, et cetera.

There are many other gems, but I think you get it. This article was quite interesting me; as I re-read the article, I began to agree more and more with Ms. Rosin. She is not taking the Maureen Dowd tongue in cheek take of two years ago suggesting that there is no place for men, she is simply saying that the playing field is equal and in many cases, advantage women. This makes me wonder if archaic affirmative action and Title IX laws are really necessary. One point Rosin has is that women have decided it is okay to go into "macho" fields (engineering, banking, et cetera) with minimal negative feedback but men refuse to go into traditional female roles - nursing, teaching, secretarial, et cetera. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are now more females working in banking, insurance, and accounting than men. Nearly half of all American attorneys are female and a little over a third of doctors are women. However, half of all 2010 medical, MBA and law degrees will be awarded to women.

Vuvuzela

2010-06-14T10:25:00.003-05:00

Following an amazing weekend, it is always a little bittersweet to leave the Twin Cities and head back to Chicago. I arrived Friday afternoon, got a cup of coffee with Olivia, had a really nice dinner at Lord Fletcher's with my parents, before meeting a couple of friends at Brit's Pub late Friday night for a beverage. I was up bright and early for a great breakfast at the Original Pancake House and brilliant conversation with my good friend, Adam. Saturday afternoon, Mike, Andrew, and the Lindo sisters and I had a lot of fun, despite none of us coming close to breaking even, at Canterbury Downs - the local horse racing track. On Sunday, I drove Allie and I back to Chicago but not before making one key pit stop in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. I had never taken a tour of a brewery before and the Leinenkugel's Brewery is on the way from Minneapolis to Chicago. I was really impressed with how incredibly nice everyone was at the brewery. We each got three free samples, and a 45 minute free tour of the facilities. It was just long enough that my interest was kept up, but not too long that I ever felt bored. I have always been impressed with Leinenkugel's. Not just because I think their Sunset Wheat, Berry Weiss, and Honey Weiss, are good tasting beer. I have always admired their marketing ads. Instead of sexist ads, Leine's ads normally just feature regular people sitting around a camp fire, making smores, and having a lager. Instead of sophomoric guys acting like idiots, their ads feature a couple having a beer at a baseball game. It is a nice, welcome change.

1. A couple days ago I rented the movie Brothers - the drama featuring Jake Dylenhall, Tobey McGuire, and Natalie Portman. I give it a B-/C+. It's worth a $1.00 Red Box rental, but that's about it. The writing left a lot to the imagination (in a bad way), and Tobey McGuire's excellent performance was negated by a completely uninspiring acting job the usually reliable Natalie Portman. There was a lack of depth and character development that left me with a frustrating after-taste.

2. Speaking of beer, while at Canterbury, I tried a beer called Shock Top by Summit. If you like Blue Moon or Honey Weiss, you will really like this beer. I liked it.

3. I have figured out why I can't watch soccer games. No, I don't like watching games end in 0-0 or 1-1 ties. Yes, I think the incredible amount of faking injuries is pathetic. Yes, I do not fully understand all the rules or strategy to fully appreciate The Beautiful Game. Yes, of all the sports, there is nothing worse than the snobs that watch Soccer. You know soccer snobs. The pretentious pricks that feel they are more worldly and sophisticated than us regular rubes because they wear an Arsenal jersey, and play Fantasy Premier League. If you like soccer, that's fine, but don't pretend that you are above the rest of Americans for preferring other sports. However, the real reason I can't get into soccer... those damn Vuvuzelas. For those not yet affected by World Cup fever, the vuvuzelas are those incredibly annoying horns that fans blow for the whole game that make the arena sound like a swarm of angry hornets is constantly circling above your head. It makes the games completely unwatchable. If the team does well, I will go bandwagon and probably watch more games, but I assure you it will be on silent or with some music on in the background. Ban the vuvuzelas... now!

A win for the Windy City

2010-06-09T23:59:00.002-05:00

With the Twins winning the World Series when I was two and six respectively - and me not really counting those - I have never been present when a team I cheered for won a championship. Although hockey is not really a sport I follow, and the Blackhawks are not even in my top two favorite hockey teams, I have to admit being in Chicago while the 'hawks won the Cup has been a pretty cool experience. There are not too many times when I wish I still lived in Wrigleyville. This is one of those rare exceptions. About two hours after the conclusion, the local TV just showed a live camera feed from downtown Wrigleyville and it is absolutely crazy out of control. I worked until 9:00 so I only got to see the last ten minutes or regulation and then over-time. After they won, I did go check out what the Lincoln Park scene was like - and it was still fun. Lots of honking, drunk people literally dancing in the streets, and just a palpable exuberance was in the air. However, like I said, I can't imagine what Michigan Avenue, or Wrigleyville, or the area around the United Center was like... complete chaos, I can guess.

2010's Madonna

2010-06-08T21:19:00.002-05:00

I know I am not the first one to make the comparison but it is clear that Lady Gaga is the 2010 version of Madonna. From her crazy outfits, to her bizarre quotes, to her catchy, but often-times, racy songs, Lady Gaga is a slightly edgier Madonna. Of course 2010 is a different time than 1986. Those who follow pop culture have been eagerly awaiting today because it was the release of Gaga's uber-controversial video for her new single, Alejandro. Well. It is really racy. I have written often, including yesterday, about how irritated I get when celebrities try to shock me. Today might have been the exception to the rule. Youtube has banned the video but I found it on www.musicvideolife.com. It is almost nine minutes, but has simulated intercourse, nun dominatrix, and some really offensive jabs at Catholicism. The song itself is on the weak end. I am certainly not lining up to buy concert tickets, but I can also admit that songs like, "Eh, eh", "Pokerface", and "Papparazzi" have catchy moments. This song is less a dance club hit than some sort of bizarre social commentary. I don't think the radio will play it due to not only its pace, but there aren't a lot of nine minute songs played on the Top 40 radio stations.

1. The Afghanistan War has now officially passed the Vietnam War as the longest war in American history. With a major offensive for northern Afghanistan scheduled to begin in the next few weeks, there is no clear end in sight.

2. I did like reading that when Obama was asked by ABC News if he would fire the BP CEO Tony Hayward if he had the chance and he responded with, "Yes. There would be ass to kick." Nice.

Back in my day...

2010-06-07T22:36:00.002-05:00

Do you all remember when the MTV Movie Awards used to be relevant and funny? Between flipping around the NBA and NHL finals I decided to see how comedy newcomer Aziz Ansari would do as host. I was a little surprised at the choice of host. Considering Ansari's only break has come from a supporting role in a little watched NBC comedy (Parks and Recreation). However, I thought I would give him a chance.

He stunk.

When I say relevant, I might be incorrect. The show was still watched by 16 million people - the kind of young, impressionable people that make the audience very relevant to advertisers. It's possible that the sad reality for me is that I am just getting too old to appreciate it. I did not know who some of the presenters or performers were. I didn't get some of the jokes. I did not know the songs that were performed. I have never seen Twilight - which one half the awards. I guess I just felt old watching it.

One other thing... (in my best sarcastic voice) How incredible shocking was it all when Scarlett Johanssen kissed Sandra Bullock?!?! Really, guys? I mean I understand that some people's ultimate fantasy is the lesbian thing. That's fine. I'm not here to judge. But isn't the shock value completely gone? When Neve Campbell and Denise Richards had sex in Wild Things it was shocking. I was even decently shocked with the Spears/Madonna/Christina kiss in 2003. But now it has been done so many times that I am completely bored. I have blogged many times that any times a movie or tv show tries to "shock" me, I immediately discredit it as a lazy writing.

Anyway, the MTV awards show had some good moments. Snoop Dogg always brings it. Tom Cruise reprising his role as Les Grossman from Tropic Thunder was really good. Other than that, even some of my favorites like Will Ferrell let me down. Again, maybe I am just getting too old for MTV.

1. Really Elton John! You hypocritical sell-out! This weekend Rush Limbaugh got married and guess who performed at the reception? Elton John... for only $1 million. That would be the equivalent of Rush paying me $300-400. There is no way I would do it. I could not live with myself. I am extremely disappointed in you, Elton. I expected more than you to be a sell-out to the worst of mankind.

2. Nimit introduced me to this new show on History Channel (I think) called Pawn stars. The show is about a family that owns a Las Vegas pawn show. They have a bunch of crazy people come in with crazy stuff. I know the concept sounds lame but after two episodes I could see myself getting hooked.

Not to beat a dead horse...

2010-06-05T17:06:00.003-05:00

Not to beat a dead horse or anything, but I have more thoughts on the oil spill. First I want to give Obama credit where credit is due. I criticized his public response to the oil spill last week. However, in the past week, he has had several impressive press conferences that have helped satisfy. I know that Obama was doing all he could behind the scenes. My only gripe was I wanted him to show more heart. I wanted him to be on the ground with environmentalists, in the air with local law enforcement officials in a helicopter surveying the scene, and basically camp out in Alabama, Louisiana, and Florida. I think he has finally gotten the message and I appreciate it. I have however enjoyed the incredibly foolish comments by BP CEO Tony Hayward. First, he lied to the media and said only 1000-5000 barrels of oil a day were being linked. Actually, about 15,000 barrels a day are being leaked. While trying to downplay the spill, Hayward said, "The Gulf of Mexico is a very big ocean. The amount of oil and dispersant we are putting into it is tiny in relation to the total water volume." A few days later, still trying to downplay the situation Hayward said, "the environmental impact of this disaster is likely to be very, very modest." How about the story a few days ago in the paper about all the workers getting sick. Naturally, Hayward said, "food poisoning is clearly a big issue". I could go on... but I think you get it. Of course, one thing that is interesting is that conservatives are struggling to critize Obama. They can offer vague criticisms like, "We want a quicker response, " but for the most part, they have to bite their tongue. They know darn well that one of the reasons behind the magnitude of this spill is because of the incredible loosening of regulations under the Bush administration. You have fiscal conservatives who for years have been furious at the federal government for taking any action that might limit oil companies. Where are all the conservatives who wanted to get rid of the EPA and give oil companies any tool they needed to make more money? They are all silent.

feel the rhythm

2010-06-01T21:00:00.004-05:00

It is a typical morning before work and I am making breakfast while watching MSNBC. However, my egg white omelet has to wait. The report was about an increase in the percentage of teenage girls who are pregnant. One of the main reasons for the upswing in teenage pregnancies is that birth control is going vintage. Yes, that's right, the rhythm method is back in popularity. The last time the government did a major survey on the birth control methods by teenagers was 2002. At that time, about one in ten girls used the rhythm method as their form of birth control. In 2010, almost one in five sexually active girls uses the rhythm method. For those who are unaware, the rhythm method is where no pills or condoms are used. Instead, intercourse is timed so it only occurs when the girl is not "fertile". At least that is the theory. Here is the problem: That method is only 75% effective. Condoms and The Pill are 98 and 99% effective when used correctly. In case anyone is wondering, ten percent of all births last year were by a teenager.

1. Being a Twins fan, I almost never pay attention to the National League. However, it is about time I start paying attention to Colorado Rockies pitcher, Ubaldo Jimanez. Despite playing for a pretty average team, Jimanez this year is 10-1 with a 0.78 ERA. That is the 4th best Earned Run Average after 11 starts in the history of Major League Baseball. Needless to say, I will start paying attention.

2. Many times in my life I have seen a very attractive woman date a man who is, well, um, not quite in her league. However, you rarely see it the other way around where a beautiful man dates an unattractive woman. In the celebrity world, you have Fidler favorite Victoria's Secret model that married former beast, and former Minnesota Timberwolf Marko Jaric. You have Victoria's Secret model Marissa Miller marry some d-bag named Griffen. But the strangest difference is women's inexplicable draw to pretentious writer, Salman Rushdie. From Olivia Wilde, to Padme Lakshmi, to Scarlett Johanssen, Rushdie's list of former girlfriends is one of the greatest of all times.

Mars vs. Venus

2010-05-30T18:47:00.002-05:00

I have never been one to call myself an expert on women. My most recent confusion involves the movie Sex and the City 2. Despite awful reviews, I think every young woman I know has seen the movie. Most of them coming out of theater and telling me, "I really enjoyed it. It was fun. It was an escape." This "escape" is what puzzles me. There are lots of shows that bore me. SATC is in a different world... at times it infuriates me, insults me, and offends me. And yet, every woman I know loves it. Yes, I realize that I have nothing in common with four middle aged women and their struggles with maternity and sexuality. Or, that growing up in the Midwest, I don't have such a fine appreciation for Manhattan. Whatever the reason, I am just baffled at the joy my female friends get from this group. I guess I just shake my head and agree to disagree - a men are from mars, women are from venus kind of thing. After all, how many women do you know think watching Jackass or a Sylvester Stallone movie is their idea of a good time. The thing is, in general, with those kinds of movies, I would agree with the women. Jackass is incredibly stupid. And Stallone needed to retire after Rocky. I just hope that SATC popularity fades after this weekend's hype... quickly.

1. I am hardly considered hawkish when it comes to the military. I believe war is sometimes necessary, but has to be the last option possible. If there is one thing that bothered me the most about W. it was his incredible arrogance and hard-ass approach he took with other countries. Proudly bringing Machiavelli's famous quote "It is better to be feared than loved" to life. However, other country leaders did fear him and sometimes that benefited the United States. I think it is pretty safe that most of the world leaders like Obama but view him as a weak push-over. Little more than one year as president. Russia, Turkey, and Brazil openly trade with Iran - driving the Obama administration. China could care less that the United States needs their help in Pakistan and South Korea. The problem is I am being contradictory. I don't want America to revert back to arrogance, but I also don't like how important, rising countries are openly meeting and doing business with our adversaries. It's getting more and more troubling.

2. Now I know most of you are not following the Colombian presidential race like I am, but I am hoping that might change. Remember the name Antanas Mockus. He is leading in the polls to be the new president of Columbia. Why is that name important? Because Mockus is the kookiest candidate for a top thirty economy I have ever seen. It's not like Mockus does not have the credentials on paper. He studied philosophy and mathematics at some of the finest institutions in the world. He was the mayor of Bogota - Columbia's capital city. None of this seems that strange. However, he also was known to dress up as a superhero to inspire Bogotans to unleash their inner superheroes. He sent out a mini army of mimes to calm down unruly drivers. While working at at university, he once mooned student protesters. He's crazy but he is also brilliant. While mayor, crime was reduced, the welfare system was erected, and the environment has stronger protection. Needless to say, I will be cheering for him.

off-season chatter

2010-05-27T10:05:00.002-05:00

Most experts feel that this year's NBA free agent class is probably the best ever. Look at some of the names - Chris Bosh, Shaq, Kenyon Martin, Lebron James, Dirk Nowitski, Amar'e Stoudamire, Wade, Joe Johnson, Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming, Marcus Camby, Jermaine O'Neil, Michael Redd, Peja Stojakovich, Richard Jefferson, Tyson Chandler, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, et cetera. As a fan of the NBA, I am pretty geeked up to follow this off-season. Besides the NBA Draft coming up in four weeks, the league could look completely different. I was really intrigued when I saw that Joe Johnson, Wade, Bosh, and James are going to meet with each other soon to discuss free agency. I would LOVE to be a fly on the wall for their discussion. My guess is they are wondering how the Wolves will be able to fit the four of them into their twelve man rotation... Or not...

1. I overheard some "gentlemen" at the gym discussion what bars to hang out Friday night when all the girls come in following Sex and the City 2. Ah, Chicago...

2. According to government scientists, the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has now surpassed the Exxon Valdez spill of 1979 to become the biggest environmental disaster in American history. It has been 38 days and finally... finally... Obama has a scheduled trip, tomorrow, to survey the scene. Obama deserves criticism for this. Did he not learn anything from W. that it doesn't matter if you can't do anything; the people in the area want the leadership that the President should show. Yes I know you are busy, Mr. President, but this was a huge public relations victory that you let escape. I don't think Obama's approval rating has been hit due to the disaster, but he certainly has not gained any support either. It has been 38 days. He should have immediately been doing the PR rounds like meeting with local fisherman, on a helicopter surveying the scene, meeting with local politicians to develop a solution. This was a huge missed opportunity.

boo hoo, media elite

2010-05-26T12:51:00.002-05:00

I applaud the NFL for their decision to think outside the box a little bit and have the Superbowl outside in New York in 2014. What has amazed me is the crying by the media about what a "foolish gamble" this is. Boo hoo, media elite. You are the only people who think this is a bad idea. Do you think the game will not sell out? Do you think the players are afraid to play in the cold? Do you think people at home will not watch the game on TV if there is snow on the ground? No, the only losers are the media that covers the game. Who cares about them? I wish that the NFL would play more games in the North. If the city of Minneapolis does get their act together and spend the $800 million to get a new stadium, at least let the city get some of that money back by hosting a Superbowl. Minneapolis hosted the Superbowl in 1992. Somehow the media survived. Detroit hosted the Superbowl three years ago. Somehow the media survived. And yes, they will survive in East Rutherford in 2014.

1. I am extremely disappointed this afternoon. I was very excited to head back to Minneapolis in June to see U2 in concert. I am not the hugest fan; but I thought this is one of those bands that, as a fan of music, I should just see. However, Bono had to have emergency surgery on his spinal cord to potentially prevent paralysis. I wish him a full and quick recovery but I am certainly disappointed.

2. As happy as I was to read that Jemaine Clement of FOTC is going to play a bad guy in Men in Black III, I am at the same time equally puzzled why Hollywood felt America needed MIB to become a trilogy.

Dem Fightin Words!

2010-05-25T23:07:00.003-05:00

The media should be ashamed that they are not spending more time focusing on the incredibly scary situation going on in Asia between North and South Korea. Let's save the complete history for a different time, and instead focus on the past few months.

1. First off, the Korean War never ended. In 1953, both sides declared an armistice to stop major military operations. Neither side agreed on a peace treaty.

2. Earlier this year, North Korea frightens both South Korea, the United States, and the rest of the world when they do long range missle testing.

3. On March 26th, according to a team of non-partisan international experts, a South Korean battleship was torpedoed by a North Korean submarine - killing 46 South Korean sailors.

4. North Korea claims innocence and feels humiliated.

5. South Korea begins a psychological warfare campaign. They have also barred trade, blocked shipping routes, and they are blasting loud propaganda announcements into North Korea.

6. This is infuriating North Korea. Thus, they have kicked out all South Koreans from the North. Plus, they have said they will retaliate if any plane or ship crosses into North Korea territory.

7. Hillary Clinton arrives in South Korea to try to develop a peaceful solution with the South Korean government. However, at the same time the United States has 28,500 American troops in Seoul plus thousands of troops in Japan that have ramped up military exercises.

8. On Tuesday, Kim Jong Il orders his 1.2 million military members to immediately begin combat training.

9. The American stock market plummets today ended at its lowest point since February. Most financial experts blame the uncertainty in Asia as a major reason for today's collapse.

Am I forgetting anything? To me, in this situation, there is little that Clinton or the United States can do. This is an issue that countries like China, Japan, and India have to involve themselves with. A Korean War II would have devastating consequences for the whole region on many different levels. The United Nations has been very vocally opposed to North Korea's actions in the past year. However, let's not forget that the U.N. Secretary is Ban Ki-Moon... a South Korean. He has a bias and North Korea knows that. If China really wants to become a super power, then they need to get involved in issues likes this.

More common than ever

2010-05-24T09:16:00.003-05:00

I was stunned while flipping through an old Newsweek - an interesting article about the prevalence of abortions. This issue behind the morality of abortions has been discussed many times between my friends and I. I am not here to debate that during the post. However, we always discussed the issue in very broad terms. I suppose because I did not think I had any friends who had an abortion. It's possible I have not, but I doubt it. According to the Newsweek, article 40% of adult women from 1973 to 2005 had an abortion. Here is how they figure:

According to the Guttmacher Institute, a think tank that studies reproductive rights, from 1973 to 2005, there were 45 million legal abortions. The United States population in 2005 was 296 million people. Of those 296 million, 150 million of them were female. Of those 150 million, 24 million were children. That leaves 126 million. I rounded up and down to get even numbers. But my point, if you do the math, is almost 40% of women had an abortion from 73 to 05.

Again, this is not entirely accurate math, there were some children who had abortions and there were some women who had more than one abortion. But, let's say instead of 40%, a third of adult women had an abortion. That is still a number that surprised me. My point is that even though I might think I do not know a woman who has had an abortion, I am most likely just naive.

Then who is good enough to sip tea with you?

2010-05-23T19:18:00.005-05:00

There is a lot of talk about the house and senate being over-run by Republicans in the 2010 mid-term elections this November. I'm not saying they will not pick-up a seat or two, but when the elections are over, the Democrats will still remain in power in congress. Why? No, it is certainly not because of brilliant campaigning by the Democrats (although I thought Admiral Sestak's campaign in Pennsylvania to bring down Arlen Specter was very impressive). However, it is because the Republican party has turned so far to the right, that all centrist or moderate Republicans have been completely pushed out. From Charlie Crist in Florida, to Bennett in Utah, unless you are radically conservative, get out of the party. Ironically, this is the type of small tent campaigning that would have driven Reagan crazy. Let's look at some of the past few Republican presidents would have passed the test:

NIXON - Surely, this conservative would have passed muster with today's tea party. He slashed taxes, and vowed to hunt down commies. However, the Tea Party would call him a socialist. He, more than any other president, helped protect America's environment. He created the EPA, the Clean Air Act, and The Clean Water Act. Let's not forget that he also pushed hard for complete universal health care for every American. The hawks in the modern day GOP would have been furious at Nixon for abandoning the South Vietnamese and pulling the troops out of there. By the way... he was pro-choice. Yup, Rush would have hated him.

FORD - He created the Education for All Handicapped Children in 1975, thus, giving millions of tax dollars to aid families with those of the handicapped. What would Bill O'Reilly say about such "waste"? Ford was hardly pro-Israel. He repeatedly admonished them and expressed his disappointment with their hubris. By the way... he was pro-choice, too! And guess what? He was the first president to push for gay rights. Nope, the Religious Right would have hated him.

REAGAN - This man is revered as a deity in most conservative circles. However, I think if he were running today, the tea party would dislike many of his "socialist" views. Reagan shrank the federal government, right? Nope, he created 60,000 new positions. Reagan slashed taxes? Nope, four of his eight years he raised taxes. He needed to raise taxes to continue expanding programs he liked such as socialized medicare and social security. Reagan also was hardly an enemy of illegal immigration. He recognized the benefit illegals would have on our economy and loosened restrictions on immigration. He also passed many environmental and anti-smog pieces of legislation. In addition, Reagan pushed for tougher gun control laws. What about foreign affairs? Well, when Hezbollah murdered 250 Americans in Lebanon, did Reagan declare war? Nope, he retreated. He also was furious at Israel for a pre-emptive strike against Iraq? What would have thought of W's pre-emptive strike against Iraq? What about social views? He placed Sandra Day O'Connor to the supreme court - a moderate. He also got rid of California's proposition six - which discriminated against gays in education. Yes, Reagan was a conservative but he was hardly as conservative as the Sean Hannity's make him out to be. Just look at the incredible deficit he created.

H.W. BUSH - He raised taxes, and had a huge federal deficit. He actually blamed Reagan "voo-doo economics" for forcing him to raise the taxes he promised not to raise when he was campaigning against Dukakis. Bush Sr. actually would have made the tea-party fairly happy. He did increase environmental protection spending, unemployment insurance, and highway protection but besides that he was actually pretty conservative. He did make one colossal conservative mistake. His one appointment to the supreme court, David Souter, turned out to be one of the most liberal justices ever.

W. - He is probably the most conservative president in generations. The debt swelled under his watch, he grew medicare, was moderate on immigration, and supported a cap on green house emissions. Other than that, what can I write that hasn't already been written? Bush was a tea-party dream.

But the problem with the modern day Republican Party/Tea Party is that most American got fed up with Bush's America. They elected Obama as a change. I just don't see the United States reverting back to how we were, quite yet, under W. At least I sure hope I am right. We have a lot of time until November. So much can happen.

free pass

2010-05-18T21:41:00.003-05:00

Every year there are phrases that become so cliche that they lose all relevance. I think the trite term in 2010 is "sex addiction". From Tiger Woods, to Ben Roethlisberger, to Jesse James, to John Edwards, whenever a famous man acts like a buffoon, we quickly label them as sex addicts, shrug our shoulders, and give them a "boys will be boys" free pass. I am just tired of the attitude that permeates our media that men are nothing more than slaves to lust. One line that sticks out is Chris Rock's line in his stand-up act, "Men are only as faithful as their options." Bull shit. Cheating on someone who you swore to be faithful to in front of friends, family, and God is despicable. I am so tired of hearing these men are just sick with "sex addiction" and once they get treatment, they will be fine. Let's take Jesse James as one example. My prediction is once he gets out of sex rehab, he will then find Jesus, do the talkshow circuit with Larry King, and Oprah, and then we will all forgive him and move on. Did you hear after sex rehab Tiger Woods wants to rediscover his Buddhist upbringing? How convenient. I understand that everyone makes mistakes. I am just sick of cheaters being called sick people when really they are just pigs.

1. I have seen a few movies recently. I thought that Iron Man 2 was pretty good. I give it a B. I also saw Robin Hood. I thought RH could be on the level of a Gladiator, Braveheart, or The Patriot. I was disappointed. It's not terrible. I probably give it a C+.

2. Currently listening to "need you now" by Lady Antebellum

This too shall pass

2010-05-03T22:57:00.002-05:00

Well. I have certainly have had better weekends. After a lot of tension, some raised voices, two work shifts, Nimit, Ann, and I are finally moved into our new apartment. From multiple movers cancelling on us, to pouring rain, to lack of sleep, this was by far the worst moving experience of my life. We moved into Lincoln Park. I am excited about learning more about a new neighborhood. Other than that, I am just happy to move on and start a new fresh week.

1. As serious as politics is, I loved this story: In Florida, former Republican governor Charlie Crist, after trailing in polls to GOP challenger Marc Rubio, announced he is running for the senate as an Independent. Well, the Florida Republican party pissed. They are selling his portrait on eBay with this description:

A) Canvas is naturally sensitive to changes in temperature and humidity, just as Crist's political convictions are subject to fluctuations in poll numbers.

B) Depending on a variety of conditions, the stretch canvas may periodically lose and regain tautness, much like Charlie Crist periodically loosens or regains positions on a variety of issues.

C) Ornate gold frame mode made of manufactured wood, similar to that of the fabricated conservative values of the politician depicted within.

2. How does Rush Limbaugh get less intelligent as the days pass on? In case you weren't listening to his broadcast today, he said that the government needs to spend less time and money on the oil clean-up in the Gulf of Mexico. How about this gem? "The ocean will take care of this on its own if it was left alone and left out there. It's natural. It's as natural as the ocean water is." What is he talking about? An oil spill that is dumping out thousands and thousands of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico is... natural? I understand he hates the environment, but to say that the government should not spend resources cleaning it up is completely reckless. I am not even that surprised when I read comments like these. I just hope people wise up to this clown.

3. I did get a chance to watch Conan on 60 minutes last night. It is hard for me to feel bad for a guy who was given a check for $45 million to not work somewhere. However, he obviously put his heart and soul into the Tonight show and still has some real, and not unfair, bitterness towards NBC and Jay Leno.

Bieber Fever?

2010-04-28T09:38:00.002-05:00

I get pop music. I don't have to love every pop song, but I understand why they are here - to make us dance, smile, and have fun. The music is not deep, but is generally enjoyable. However, someone will have to explain to me the fascination with 16 year old Justin Bieber. I decided to finally listen to his music after I saw his album is number one on the charts. It's not that he is 16 and looks like he is 12. Another Justin (Timberlake) was 16 when he was in the studio recording the first N'Sync album 15 years ago. The difference is that at least most of the songs during the boy-band era were moderately fun. Justin Bieber's music is just terrible. Maybe I just don't understand how this little white kid from a wealthy Canadian suburb is doing all these collaborations with Ludacris, Usher, Sean Kingston, et cetera. I get that the music is not marketed towards people who are half my age and of a different gender. Bottom line, the music sucks and I sure hope this trend fades away quick.

1. Speaking of music, has anyone seen the new controversial video by M.I.A. for "Born Free". It is definitely not safe for work. With several graphic nudity scenes and brutal violence, the video was definitely eye-opening. The video lasts nine minutes. I guess I am just puzzled by what kind of political statement she is making. I would try to see it soon before youtube bans it.

2. I miss Minneapolis in the Spring.

For sale: One kidney

2010-04-22T22:33:00.002-05:00

Yesterday my friend Josh Koo had a kind of tongue in cheek one-liner about the tooth fairy teaching children about selling body parts. The line got me thinking about the actual sale of body parts - in particular kidneys. According to the National Kidney Institute (NKI), there are over 60,000 Americans currently waiting (dying) to get a new kidney. These people wait desperately for young Americans to perish and give away their organs. These patients are currently suffering and living only through a kidney dialysis machine. (These machines, by the way, according to the NKI, cost the government 18 billion dollars a year!) Most kidney patients would do, and pay absolutely anything for a functioning kidney. Do you all remember the story a few years ago when a woman put one of her two kidneys up for sale on eBay and the price reached six million dollars? This got me thinking... We live in a free-market, capitalistic society. I currently have two functioning kidneys. If I get very down on my luck, and I want to donate one of my kidneys to save another life and maybe pocket a pretty penny or two in the mean time, why should the government stop me. I can just hear the critics yelling, "It's cannibalism!", "It's gross.", "It is immoral." So? When did the government get to decide what is gross and immoral? That's my job. As for cannibalism, if my sister gets ill, I have a right to donate my kidney to her. Is that cannibalism? However, after a 1984 law introduced by your Albert Gore passed 396-6, giving my sister one of my kidneys is benevolent and giving my kidney to an ill neighbor is a felony. I have always said the number one role of government is to protect its people? Protect us from bad drinking water. Protect us from crime and terrorism. Et cetera. Who is the government protecting on this one? The Bible belt? The law is not going to be changed anytime soon. I just feel this is a time when I agree with social conservatives/libertarians that argue that sometimes our federal government becomes too activist. If you don't like gay marriage, don't have one. If you don't like sick kidney patients buying healthy kidneys from willing donors, then when you get sick, wait on the donor list. But don't judge me.

1. I love the story of the Missouri man who won one of the biggest Powerball jackpots ever at $258 million. He is from a tiny town in central Missouri, has little education, only has a few teeth left, and works at a gas station. He now is worth a quarter of a billion dollars.

2. I was not even paying attention and I just ate a whole tub of hummus this evening. I'm not even mad. Hummus is that good.

3. Speaking of food, did you see there will be a Food Network 2. The Food Network has described the new network as "grittier, edgier, and hipper." Huh?

4. Did anyone else read in the paper about 7/11 beer? Natural Light and Keystone Light could have a competitor in Ames, IA.

Mediocre people do exceptional things all the time

2010-04-19T23:37:00.002-05:00

I had a really pleasant surprise Saturday night. A few weeks ago Allie asked if I wanted to join her roommate and her to go see Ok Go live. The tickets were inexpensive, the venue (The Metro) is across the street from Wrigley Field, and I did really like Ok Go when I was in high school. To my pleasant surprise, they were spectacular live. It helped that we were only 15 feet from the stage. The guys were really witty, engaged the audience, and did a variety of creative things. For instance, they played one of their songs, What To Do, using only handbells for instruments. On another occasion, the band came into the audience to play a couple of songs. They also did a cover of the song Debaser by The Pixies that I actually thought was better than the original. And I love the song Debaser. The rest of the weekend was pretty chill. Went to a fun bar Sunday night called Matilda. Watched The Usual Suspects. Had some muffins with Jim and Sarah. Yeah, it was a really nice weekend.

1. Has anyone had a falafil before? If so, shame on you for not introducing me to this Middle Eastern fast food equivalent before. Not only is is decently healthy, vegetarian, but falafils are filling and really tasty. Of course I might have ruined my healthy eating day by trying more than one of the new Taco Bell tostado. Which, by the way, is also good. Speaking of fast food, despite highs in the mid-forties in Chicago, summer is approaching. You know what that means? Frequent trips to Dairy Queen. I was excited to read that they are now finally going to start offering mini-blizzards. Even the small size they currently offer is too much of a good thing. This is obviously the trend in fast food. McDonald's offers their snack wraps, Burger King follows by offering their Burger Shots. Quizno's has their Sammie and Dunkin Donut's has their munchkins.

2. This might surprise you, but I do not really know anything about moisturizers. As I get older, and I start to care more about my face, and aftershave, and all that good stuff, I find myself clueless as to what kind of moisturizer I should be using on my face. Does anyone have any good suggestions?

It's that time again

2010-04-15T09:09:00.003-05:00

You know what I have not done in a while? Remind myself why I am not a Republican. This week, two of the most popular, and actually two of my favorite, Republicans showed their true colors. While the Democrat party has shifted to be more centrist, and left-leaning TV stations like CNN have become centrist, the Republican Party and Fox News has answered by moving further and further to the right. On Monday in New Jersey, former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate Mike Huckabee was asked his thoughts on gay marriage. Instead of just saying he disagrees with the idea of gay marriage, he felt the need to say, "Well there are a lot of people who use drugs so let's accommodate those who want to use drugs. There are some people who believe in incest, so should we accommodate them? There are people who believe in polygamy? Should we accommodate them?" After a few minutes of research, I found out that this view is right in line with Huckabee's views on homosexuality. Earlier when asked about the idea of gay adoption, he said, "Children are not puppies." I don't even know what he is implying. Or in an interview several years ago about allowing gays in the military, he said, "We should not legitimize immorality. I feel homosexuality is an aberrant, unnatural, and sinful lifestyle". I can continue with other examples but I think you get it. Huckabee hates gay people. I also found out he feels we should round up all the people suffering from AIDS, or "carriers of the plague" as he liked to call the infected, and make them live in one area so after a generation, we will have killed off the disease.

Then we have this little gem from Senator McCain. While being interviewed about Iran, he said that diplomatic relations have failed with Iran. He then said, "We have a loaded gun pointed at Iran but we fail to pull the trigger." What is he saying? We should go to war with Iran? We should bomb them? Aren't we a little busy with Afghanistan, and Iran? What about the Taliban moving to Pakistan? Isn't that more of a concern? I am not entirely sure what McCain means, but I sure as heck hope he is not implying another war.

1. I went to my first ever Bulls game Tuesday night. Not only was it an awesome game, not only was Marissa Miller in attendance, not only did Derrick Rose have one of the sickest dunks I have ever seen, but Scottie Pippen was recently inducted into the basketball hall of fame and they did a really sweet honor for him at halftime.

2. Currently listening to Mi Dulce Nina by Kumbia Kings.

In defense of capitalism

2010-04-12T09:33:00.003-05:00

Last night Nimit and I rented Michael Moore's latest movie, Capitalism: A Love Story. We both thought it was complete garbage. Eight years ago, Moore was a man to be admired. His movie Bowling for Columbine was the most brilliant documentary I have ever seen. His book, Stupid White Men, was inspirational in getting me to shake off my political apathy and take an activist role in the 2000 and 2004 election. However, the last seven or so years, Moore has turned from someone I looked up to, into a buffoonish character. His movies Fahrenheit 9/11 and Sicko, both had interesting points that for the most part I agreed with. However, the tone was so sardonic, and far-fetched, that the movies made me uncomfortable. In a way, this is a sequel to his 1989 movie, Roger and Me, in which he said that General Motor's poor mismanagement will eventually lead to their downfall. He was right. His new movie though just goes through sob story over sob story about how the big bad banks came and foreclosed people's houses after they were laid off. Moore's tone is less witty, and more sardonically cantankerous. The movie was boring, factually questionable, and uninspiring. If I were Moore, I would go back to being an author and chill with the obnoxious documentaries.

1. I hope everyone had a nice weekend. I had a lovely, but cold weekend. Friday night I ended up working late and then I just went back and watched the Twins game on TV. Saturday night, Anay, Nimit and I went to a really fun party at Jim and Sarah's. Out of control... in a good way. Sunday, I actually save another movie that I really liked. I watched American Psycho with Christian Bale. It is dark, twisted, violent, but absolutely brilliant. I give it an A.

2. President Obama's approval rating has hit a new low - averaging around 45%. It just proves that although the economy is up huge in 2010, unless the unemployment numbers make a drastic turn, the Democrats will be in big trouble in the mid-term elections in November.

The Dukies

2010-04-06T10:17:00.002-05:00

Seeing Duke play Iowa State in Chicago a few months ago, it is of little surprise that the Blue Devils came away with the national basketball championship. While at the game, we noticed a couple of things: Without any true superstar, there is incredible balance on the team. No one player is more important than the other. Two, they almost never make a mistake. Duke almost never has a double dribble, travel, or other unforced error. Three, they make their free throws. They did not miss a free throw until the very end where they missed on purpose. Four, more than any other team they rely on fundamentals. They execute pick and rolls perfectly. They play exceptional team defense. This is not to take anything away from Butler. I actually doubt coach Josh Pastner will leave Butler after this year. He will get a huge contract extension and he will eventually be the next head coach at a UNC, UCLA, or maybe even Duke? Does Coach K have anything left to accomplish? The Nets are offering to triple his salary to be their next head coach. Despite what he says, he will definitely consider the offer.

1. I had an absolutely perfect weekend. I worked Friday and then drove to Minnesota with Allie and her roommate. Saturday during the day I watched some of the Twins game, made pie with my Grandma, watched some basketball with my Dad, and then met about a dozen friends at a various bars downtown. It was so much fun. Sunday was Easter church, Easter brunch, and then back to Chicago.

2. The Twins play at the White Sox this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Anyone have any interest in watching the game with me?

3. Currently listening to "Soul meets body" by Death Cab for Cutie.

the cost of a stamp

2010-04-01T11:46:00.003-05:00

From my resistance to technology upgrades, to the way I drive, to the way I talk, in a lot of ways I am old-fashioned. One way I am old fashioned is I appreciate the long lost art of the letter. This is why I was frustrated reading the latest Newsweek's article about the decline of the U.S. Post Office. Despite a variety of changes, and likely cutting Saturday delivery, the USPS is on pace to lose $23 billion in the next ten years. According to the writer of the article, Matthew Phillip, if the USPS goes under, it is because of years of poor management, and a union that is out of control. Why they are losing money is quite simple. Fewer companies, catalogs, and people are using mail - instead switching to the cheaper online delivery options. The Post Office has rewarded its customers by hiking up the cost of stamps to 44 cents (it was 32 cents when I was in high school) to now likely cutting Saturday delivery. The problem is that, according to the Newsweek article, this will likely only save them a billion dollars a year. What about the rest of the money. Here are the real problems: The average postal service delivery person makes a whopping $83,000 a year. Yes, you read that correct. Plus, don't forget the incredible pension and health benefits that federal government workers make. Oh by the way, 80% of the Postal Service's costs are labor related. There are also 34,000 branches around the country. That is more than every single Starbucks, McDonald's, and Walmart's... combined!! Unfortunately due to political and archaic contract reasons, it is almost impossible to close an office. The answer is simple. Postal workers need to take a 25% pay-cut, they need to have realistic retirement benefits, and at least 10% of the branches need to be closed. The Post Office does not need to go away. It just needs to be better managed.

1. There is a sitcom on TBS called My Boys. It is about a female sportswriter in Chicago. I have only seen a few episodes, but I think it is really funny. One episode came to mind last night while I was enjoying the 70 degree weather. The episode shows how the city changes and comes alive during the first real warm day of the year. Someone gets married, someone buys a house, and wackiness ensues. That was kind of what it was like yesterday. Living in Wrigleyville and working in Boystown, I could not believe how loud, and active, and fun the city was last night. Summer is coming. I'm excited.

2. Of all the good stuff to come out of the Health Care bill, I am most excited that the nation now has to follow New York City's law of requiring restaurant chains that have more than 20 restaurants to require calorie content on their menus. I think this has to start by 2014. In addition, every chain has to have available other nutrition information including fiber, carbohydrates, protein, and sodium. I love the idea. My whole point is there are times when I am going to eat unhealthy and I am fine with that. If I go into Applebee's and I want to eat unhealthy, I can order the bacon cheeseburger and fries for 1100 calories. That's okay; sometimes I crave a burger. But what if I go in there wanting to be healthy and I order the Oriental Chicken Salad? That salad actually has 1300 calories!! I just do not want to be tricked. I applaud President Obama, congress, and the National Restaurant Association for acknowledging that this is good for business and good for the health of the country.

3. Yikes! Did anyone read the new reports in the latest Esquire magazine about Tiger Woods? Paying for sex, paying a mistress $10 million to keep quiet, having sex in public places including a golf cart(???), gambling huge amounts of money with Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan, all the personal problems his father had, and more. Yeah, he definitely needs the Masters so people can get back to talking about his golf game, and not his infidelities.

4. Obama's approval rating is up seven points in the past month. Interesting.

Horchata

2010-03-30T08:30:00.002-05:00

As weak as the Democrats have been leading congress (confirmed by a 74% disapproval rating), the reason the Dems won't have as many congressional losses is because of the complete disorganization and carelessness of the Republican party. Needless to say I was very amused when I read about the latest Republican scandal about a bunch of Republican National Committee members spending donated money at a bondage themed sex club in California. The story was actually broke by the Republican blog, Red County. Naturally, they were outraged that their donated money was going toward clubs. According to Red County, this was part of the RNC's Young Eagle recruitment. My thing is I do not care what these guys did in their personal time. The real problem is that they decided they could expense it to the RNC and no one would care/notice. Needless to say, it has been a good two weeks for President Obama. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is inching closer and closer to 11,000. His health care reform bill has passed. And his opponents keep shooting themselves in the foot.

1. I have seen a few movies recently. On Saturday afternoon, Allie and I saw Alice in Wonderland. I had pretty low expectations. Some of my co-workers saw it and were disappointed. I actually really enjoyed it. Johnny Depp was beyond brilliant. I give the movie an A-. In honor of the Family Guy episode, I went to Blockbuster and rented Roadhouse. The Patrick Swayze action cult classic. It is so awesomely bad. There were parts that were just so ridiculous, it was actually really amusing and fun. If you are bored, check it out. I will give you an example. In one fight scene, a man's throat is ripped out! Then on the opposite side of the spectrum I saw The Philadelphia Story. Always considered in conversations for the top 50 greatest movies of all times. This 1940 comedy starring Katherine Hepburn, Jimmy Stewart, and Cary Grant was as brilliant as I expected. I give it an A-.

2. I absolutely love the new Vampire Weekend song "White Sky".

the crazy train

2010-03-27T14:32:00.004-05:00

I think I get a little bit of perverse pleasure everytime I read about the Tea Party's growing power. Today I was watching CNN and saw Sarah Palin give a speech to a caravan of 10,000 Glenn Beck clones. Some of my friends disagree with me, but I think the growing power of the Tea Party is only helping Democrats. One, the hardcore right wing is spending their money on the Tea Party and not on the GOP. Two, in a few states, the Tea Party is running their own candidates as an official party. Let's say they could get 1% of the vote. Think of how many elections in the house and senate come down to 1% of the vote. Two years ago the senate races in Georgia and Minnesota came down to way less than 1% of the vote. I also want independent moderates to view the Tea Party as the way conservatives think. I want them to associate Glenn Beck with the conservative movement. One of the states where the Tea Party is running a candidate is in Nevada. Democrat Harry Reid will be in a really tight re-election. This is only good news.

1. Yeah. I'm excited. It's not perfect, but the health care reform bill will ensure that 32 million Americans who are currently uninsured, have access to basic health care. I am disappointed that there will be no public option. But there is enough to the bill that makes me happy.

2. I have a new secret weakness in terms of fast food consumption. I have always loved Egg McMuffins at McDonald's. Needless to say I was pleasantly startled when I saw that Dunkin Donut's has created an Egg McMuffin - except instead of English muffins, they take the meat, egg, and cheese in between two Eggo waffles. Is it healthy? Am I proud of this new obsession? Absolutely not. So good.

Eye of the Tiger

2010-03-15T20:36:00.004-05:00

I was a little blown away when I read the latest Newsweek. Although I highly doubt you would see me chained to a forest in front of a bulldozer to protect a rare spotted owl, I am an animal lover. I was amazed when I read about the waning tiger population in Asia. In 1990, there were 100,000 tigers in the wild. Today there are only 3000. In other words, the population has dropped 97% in twenty years! The reasons have all been explained many times - too much poaching, loss of habitat, pollution, et cetera. The fact that greed and ignorance have caused so much destruction to this beautiful animal is absolutely disgusting.

1. It was a good weekend. The highlight was experiencing St. Patrick's Day in Chicago. Regrettably I slept in and missed the river getting dyed. I still enjoyed the people watching. Basically, people arrive to the city early in the morning and just continue to drink throughout the whole day. I walked around Wrigleyville at 5:45 at night and every single bar had a line.

2. Nimit and I watched the movie Precious last night. Wow! What an incredibly emotionally charged movie. I give it an A. I thought it was harsh, real, and beautifully written. The movie is very sad but is definitely worth renting.

3. I see that the guy who videotaped Erin Andrews received 30 months in jail. Is that a fair sentence? I guess. What is most disturbing is that I guess he videotaped 16 other female sports reporters/"tv personalities". On the one hand, how should he be punished? He doesn't deserve life in prison but he deserves more than just leaving jail after a year with good behavior. If I were a judge, I would do something like 30 months in jail plus 1000 hours of community service at some place like a women's shelter. He obviously has no respect for women. Maybe "volunteering" at a shelter would help.

So far so good

2010-03-09T19:55:00.002-06:00

Two days into my new job and so far so good. One of the weirdest things about starting my third job in the past year is the judging looks by those who view me as an obvious flake for constantly quitting jobs. Those who know me well know the reasons why I had to leave my previous stints of employment. Whether they be financial issues or sanity issues, to me, I always had more than legitimate reasons for needing to explore other job possibilities. My biggest fear is that potential future employers will view this gap in my resume as problem in my work ethic and/or commitment. Do you know how on the bottom of the front page of every section of USA Today there is a little survey "snapshot" section? Today's survey was to HR managers. It asked the simple question, "Do you find a one or more year gap in the resume to be a serious red flag?" 93% of those who responded said, "Yes". Naturally, this caught my attention. Don't get me wrong, after two days, I am very happy with my new line of work. However, what's to say my health club doesn't have lay-offs in the future and I have to resort to sending out more resumes? Do I leave it blank? Do I list that I work at three different places in the past year? Do I write extensively in my cover letter about the gap? Needless to say, it is often futile to play the future guessing game. For now, I will just hope I continue to enjoy my new job, make a livable salary, and find enough fulfillment that I do not need to send out more resumes for several years.

1. Yesterday Allie and I watched the movie Julia & Julie I was amazed at how much I enjoyed it. I give it a A-/B+. It is just amazing at how talented Meryl Streep. From Kramer vs. Kramer, Adaptation, Doubt, et cetera, Streep is the most talented actress in the United States. Julia & Julia is not a complex movie by any means, just a fun romantic comedy with several very witty moments.

2. Ladies and Gentlemen, victory is closer than I ever thought possible. Today on his show, Rush Limbaugh said, and I quote, "I'll just tell you this, if this passes, and it is five years from now and all that stuff gets implemented - I am leaving the country. I am going to Costa Rica." C'mon Congress!!!

3. Speaking of movies, I read on ESPN that Robert DeNiro has signed onto star in a new movie as Vince Lombardi. A few years ago I read this brilliant biography about Vince Lombardi called When Pride Still Mattered by David Maraniss, I wondered when there would be a movie about Lombardi's life. DeNiro will be perfect for the role.

4. Currently listening to "There goes my love" by The Blue Van.

Kitsch

2010-03-01T12:42:00.005-06:00

Today was a day I had been dreading. For the past few months I have been working as a sales representative at a credit card processing company. I had a terrific manager, wonderful co-workers and I hated to resign. Unfortunately, the pressure of 100% commission, in an economy that makes straight commission jobs difficult, I had to find a better position. On Saturday I accepted a position at a health club. My position will be to try to secure new members. Although this position is still heavy commission, it does have a base salary, plus I can walk to work, and enjoy free gym membership. All in all, I will be in a better situation.

I did have a very nice weekend. After a pretty stressful week,, Allie and I decided we wanted a night out. We met up with some friends in Evanston, and went to a nice steak restaurant named Pete Miller's. We are friends with a host, and he hooked us up with great seats. They are known for their live jazz; and they most definitely did not disappoint. After blowing my entertainment budget for the week, I decided that I would not spend any more money this weekend. I did end up going back to the Art Institute to see the rest of the exhibits. It is in my top three art museums I have ever seen. Their miniature room collection is amazing.

Since I last wrote, I have watched a lot of movies - some good, some bad. Here is the recap:

Law Abiding Citizen: The critics panned this movie, but I really liked it. It is pretty violent, but also really interesting. I give it a B+.

The Crazies: This movie came out on Friday. It is the same type of zombie movie as all the others. A virus hits a small community and makes them all turn into zombies. Although Jim, Sarah, and Allie all enjoyed it. I thought it was remarkably banal and lacked any creativity. It was more gross than anything else. I give it a D-.

Zombieland: I thought a good fix after watching a trite zombie movie, would be to watch a spoof of a zombie movie. I give this movie a B-/C+. It had its funny moments. Woody Harrelson was excellent. Bill Murray's cameo was hysterical. However, the movie was kind of ridiculous - not in a good way.

Ghost: This movie came out 20 year ago and is a classic. Starring a young Demi Moore, Whoopi Goldberg, and Patrick Swayze, I had heard that Ghost was really good but I had never seen it. It is definitely a chick-flick, and kind of cheesy but still a really well acted, well written movie. I give it an A-/B+.

Extract: I pretty much love anything that Jason Bateman does. Extract is no exception. With great performances by Kristen Wiig, and J.K. Simmons, I thought this movie was quite funny. At times it was slow, but all in all, it was worth the $1.00 rental charge at Redbox. I give it a B.

Surrogates: Not great but certainly not awful. This sci-fi film starring Bruce Willis was actually better than I expected. It is not going to win any awards, but is worth renting. I give it a C+/B-.

1. I had never heard of the "singer" Justin Bieber until this weekend. Unbelievably bad pop music. He is the worst thing to happen to pop music in years.

2. I am not sure if it is because I am a loyal Minnesotan, or if I just really enjoy the taste, but when it comes to coffee shops, I will always be a Caribou Coffee guy. Based primarily on nostalgia, some of my favorite memories in high school were of meeting friends for laughter and conversation while enjoying a chai tea, smoothie, turtle mocha, or hot chocolate at Caribou. Unfortunately, due to a lack of discretionary income by its customers, Caribou's business model has struggled the past three years. Needless to say, I am very excited and interested in the new Caribou. In the next year, Caribou is going to revamp their whole image from the folksy, cabin feel to a new chic, modern feel. Although this might turn off people like me, I can understand the marketing staff to try something new to see if it can bring business up.

Plant's Blood

2010-02-24T14:58:00.002-06:00

As most of you know, I am one of the reasons the diet and supplement industry is a multi-billion dollar industry in the United States. I am always interested in the newest trends in nutrition and diet. Acai will cure cancer? I'm in! Fish oil supplements will prevent heart attacks? I will buy two bottles! Ginseng and Ginkgo Biloba will keep my mind sharp? I feel myself smarter already. I know I am sucker for this kind of stuff. With Lent beginning last week, I decided to take the opportunity to really re-shape my life. With the cold and long nights of winter, my exercise and diet program have waned down to practically nothing. Lent gave me a good reason to restart my health. I decided to give up all junk food, and gradually reduce my intake of processed food - food that comes from a box, or a can. Instead I am trying to eat lots of raw fruit, vegetables, nuts, and lean meat and fish. After one week, I feel so much better. However, I have made one significant addition. I am now drinking a glass of wheatgrass everyday. Don't let the bright green hue scare you. The wheatgrass actually tastes amazing! I like to also mix it with my juice in the morning. Some of the benefits to wheatgrass are amazing: High in antioxidants, a natural remover of toxins, purify the liver, purify the kidneys, good for the skin, good for the hair, good for your teeth, good for digestion, healing wounds, and more. One of the primary reasons is it is full of chlorophyll - or the blood of a plant. Just one OUNCE of wheatgrass has as many nutrients as two pounds of vegetables. Between exercising more, eating better, and drinking wheatgrass, in one week I feel so much healthier and happier.

Every saint has a past; every sinner has a future

2010-02-22T21:05:00.004-06:00

What an amazing weekend. Friday night, four friends and I carpooled to the vacation hotspot that is Kenosha, Wisconsin. We visited with old friends, made new ones, and had a lovely evening. Saturday night, Allie and her roommate Brittany, and I decided to check out one of Chicago's more famous blues clubs - Blues Chicago. Although the music was the best live blues I have ever seen I will never go back. It is expensive, dirty, way too hot, way too crowded, way too loud, and just wasn't worth the hassle. I know I am sounding like a bit of diva, but if I am going to pay $15, I want to be at least a little comfortable. Sunday was about sleeping in, making dinner, and relaxing. I did watch the first two episodes of the show, Alias. I wish someone would have recommended I watch this show earlier. Jennifer Garner is terrific, the writing is cool, the story is interesting; and if you can get past the ubiquitous techno music, it is a great show. I am looking forward to seeing how the series goes.

1. Saturday afternoon I sucked it up, paid the big bucks, and saw a movie in the theaters. I saw Shutter Island. I really liked it. I give it an A-/B+. It is scary in the way Alfred Hitchcock movies are scary. I saw a poster for it that said it is psychologically tormenting. I think that is a good way to sum it up. Although the end is mildly predictable, it is still worth the price of admission.

2. If you are feeling spendy and you enjoy alcohol, I highly recommend you buy a bottle of Chambord. It is a pricey french liquor that has a sweet, raspberry flavor. You basically just add a little bit to a shot, or a martini, and it makes it much, much better.

Currently listening to "Hallelujah". Written by Leonard Cohen, but performed masterfully by Jeff Buckley.

wine and whines of the week

2010-02-15T09:31:00.004-06:00

Another weekend that has flown by too quickly. Happy Valentine's Day (plus one) to everyone. I had a very nice, relaxing weekend that was sprinkled with bits of excitement. Coming off a stressful week, it was nice to just relax Friday evening and watch the opening ceremonies for the Olympics. I thought Vancouver did a great job. Saturday, Allie's family was in town. We all walked around the Art Institute of Chicago. Free for the month of February, the Institute was packed. I think when you consider the weather was mild, free admission, and it was the day before Valentine's, I cannot be that surprised. I would like to go back when it is a little less congested. My favorite exhibit was the modern art wing. Although modern art can be confusing, and questionable at times, I tend to relate more to the artist. I can respect the aesthetic beauty while looking at Monet's Water Lillies, or any of Van Gogh's pieces, but I do not get the wow factor like when I look at the bold colors of contemporary artists like Igor Medvedev. Saturday evening was capped off with a little sangria and tapas at Cafe Babareeba. A restaurant which is quickly creeping into my top five all-time. Sunday was Valentine's Day. Allie and I decided to do something low-key. We first watch the Northwestern win an exciting overtime basketball game at Welsh-Ryan Arena, and then picked out a recipe, went to the grocery store, and made dinner together. Yes, the stuffed baked chicken with the mint pesto sauce was amazing.

1. The Art Institutes's most famous piece by far is American Gothic by the artist, Grant Wood. For those who are unfamiliar, it is the iconic picture of the American farmers with the man holding the pitchfork, and his wife looking somberly into the distance. AG is probably the most famous American art piece of all-time. I was pretty excited but when I got to the small piece, I was disappointed by its platitude. I guess I just don't get it. Possibly why I do not understand the brilliance of the Mona Lisa. If all it takes to paint an iconic portrait, is to paint a quizzical look on the Muse's face, why wouldn't every artist do it? I am certainly not an expert on art, I guess I just don't understand what separates brilliance from banality.

2. As usual, I did see one movie this weekend. I watched The Last Legion. Starring Ben Kingsley, Colin Firth, and Aishwarya Rai, I was expecting greatness. The movie came out about two years ago. I give it a C-. It is not awful. The problem is that is an action movie kind of about King Arthur and there are times where it is so silly and goofy, I could not even take the movie seriously. However, Allie and her sister loved it. What do I know?

3. I have been drinking some terrific wine recently. If you are fan of red wine, I highly recommend the Clayhouse Adobe Red ($12). A terrific American red wine blend. It is good for those who have limited wine experience because it is so easy to drink. Although it is primarily Zinfandel, the Adobe Red is actually a mixture of six different kinds of red wine.

4. For those white wine lovers, I highly recommend the Zolo Torrontes. Torrontes is the most popular white wine of Argentina, and Zolo makes the best. It is about $14 but worth every penny.

5. Okay, I first had the wine of the week, now it time for my whine of the week. Democrat Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana announced he is going to retire. CRAP! Indiana looks the part of a typical moderate Midwest state. It's not. It has traditionally been very conservative. This will be a very difficult seat for the Democrats to maintain. According to MSNBC, if the election were today, the Republicans would pick up eight senate seats. It could be nine with Bayh retiring.

nothing Left to lose

2010-02-11T11:43:00.003-06:00

I wish the Democrats were as politically smart as Republicans. Maybe then things like the Bush tax cuts would not have happened - one reason we are in such an economic quagmire. The Republicans have such a simple strategy for 2009/2010. Refuse to work with Democrats, and their President, on absolutely anything. It does not matter what the bill is... vote no. Use every loop hole possible to ensure that nothing is accomplished. The filibuster is one of the senate's ultimate loop hole. For those who are unaware of the term, basically, unless there is a super majority in the senate (more than sixty votes), a senator is allowed to speak for as long as they wish. That is called filibustering. The Republicans have become masters of the filibuster in 2010. In return because they have become such phenomenal obstructionists, they can then say during election season, "Look American people, you elected Democrats and they have accomplished absolutely nothing. You may have disagreed with our tactics with tax cuts, deregulation, war(s), Patriot Act, et cetera, but at least you knew we were trying!" And because the American public is so woefully ignorant, the strategy is working. The Democrats' approval rating among Independent likely voters is at 19%. Even I have become irritated with Obama and Congress' inability to accomplish anything. And because the Dems are such wusses, they demand bipartisanship and when they had 60 votes, they couldn't accomplish their goals. Can you imagine what the country would be like if under George W., the Republicans had 60 GOP senators? Yikes! Another problem for Dems is that they think for themselves. There are moderate Dems, liberal Dems, and Conservative Dems. Republicans vote yes together or no together. There is almost no split amongst their ranks. Obama and the Dems have one chance to salvage their political careers. They have to increase the economy, lower unemployment, and they have to do it now.

1. Apparently Hollywood feels the need to make another Mission Impossible movie. They plan on releasing if Memorial Day of 2010. Mark my words, that will be the biggest grossing weekend in movie history. Not only will MI: 6 come out, so will The Hangover 2, and Pirates of the Caribbean 4. Speaking of movies, I am pretty excited for the new Muppets movie. It is directed by James Bobin (director of FOTC) and written by HIMYM's Jason Segel. (What is it with that guy and puppets?)

2. When did John Mayer become such a d-bag? He is obviously talented on the guitar, and has some natural song-writing abilities. Although have you read some of his recent interviews? He is one arrogant prick. When he is not "tongue in cheek" using the n-word, or bragging about his sexual conquests over Jennifer Aniston, or Jessica Simpson, he is boasting about his sexual prowess. Possibly my favorite quote was when he was asked why he only dates white women. He responded that his genitals are "like a white supremacist". Maybe it's time to shut-up for a while, huh John?

19th Century Teleprompter

2010-02-09T11:37:00.003-06:00

I had a very enjoyable weekend. If I wasn't enjoying a beer at Rock Bottom or Nevin's, eating delicious Thai food at Butterfly, or watching the Superbowl (and the unfunny commercials), I was laughing at Sarah Palin's latest snafu. For those of you who are unaware, this past weekend was the big Tea Bagger, um, I mean Tea Party convention - where rubes from all over America gathered to discuss their sub rosa racism, and wild ignorance together, under the same roof. Who better to give the key-note speech than our favorite hockey mom, Sarah Palin. Apparently worried about being accused a hypocrite after knocking Obama's constant use of a teleprompter, Palin decided to use the old 19th century teleprompter... her hand. If you look for video, you can see she clearly wrote key words on her arm/hand to help her for her speech.

I absolutely love it!

In what should come to a surprise to no one, Fox News jumped to her defense. While Fox News' night-time programs, consisting of Glenn Beck, Bill O'Reilly, and Sean Hannity are so vitriolic and rude, I can't even watch it, Fox's morning show, Fox and Friends, is so embarrassingly sophomoric and simple, sometimes I like to start my morning with a good dose of the Fox buffoons. Take a look at what they said yesterday morning in Palin's defense:

Carlson: I think she did it on purpose. Because it is an exact opposite of reading off a teleprompter with a script written for you word for word in a sentence. Here, she's just taking crib notes on her hand. It makes her look like she can speak off the cuff. She just jotted down a few notes before she gave her long speech.

Kilmeade: But to sit there and look at, and do the interview and look down at her hand, I think that is, like you said Gretchen, folksy, absolutely down to earth, I can identify.

Come on Fox News!! How can you say that shit with a straight face?! They are saying it is endearing that Palin wrote down crib notes on her hand? AAAAGGGHHHHH!!!!

1. I was bored this weekend and decided to rent a movie. I don't know why, but I rented the movie Notorious - about the life of Notorious B.I.G. I hate to admit it, but I actually enjoyed it. It is kind of cool, and I forgot how much great music Biggie Smalls put out before he was killed. I give the movie a B.

2. Currently listening to "Party and Bullshit" by Notorious B.I.G.

Selling hope

2010-02-03T09:14:00.003-06:00

Yesterday I was asked an interesting question, "John, what comes to mind when you think of Republicans?" I thought this was a good, but challenging question. Maybe I will start by answering what I think of Democrats. I think the Democrat party has their hearts in the right place but are so unorganized, and weak, that I would not feel comfortable calling myself a Democrat. For what brief time I was inspired by Obama's rhetoric, I have since become so irritated by Congress' inability to accomplish anything, I hesitate to line myself up with any one party. Now, onto Republicans. On some issues I might be conservative or moderate on (affirmative action, immigration, et cetera), I would never call myself a Republican. Basically, I am libertarian on almost every issue. I do not think of Republicans as evil, or stupid. At times I feel the GOP is heartless; and at worst, I feel they are ignorantly crazy. A prime example is when I was on the liberal learning website, dailykos.com. They polled self-identified Republicans and asked the simple question - Do you feel Obama is a Socialist. 79% of Republicans either believe he is a Socialist or are not sure if he is. This is just ignorantly crazy. There is a difference between a liberal economic policy and a Socialist economic policy.

1. I had been meaning to check out the movie 500 Days of Summer for a while now. Yesterday, when I saw my friend, Andrew, said it was his favorite movie of 2009, I decided it would be worth the $5.00 at Blockbuster to go rent the movie. I was right. I give the movie an A. It was sweet, witty, flowed beautifully, and was just a very fun movie. I still think the movie "Up" was my favorite movie of 2009, but 500 Days of Summer is certainly in my top five.

2. Today is National Signing Day. The period in college football where athletes sign on the dotted line for what school they will be spending the next four years at. Some fans think following recruiting is a joke. I respectfully disagree. Sports are all about selling hope. Following recruiting is following the hope that the next wave of recruits are going to be the class that takes your team to the promised land.

John of all trades

2010-02-01T09:48:00.003-06:00

Today was a particularly enjoyable weekend. I welcomed a friend from high school, Olivia, for the weekend. Friday some friends and I ventured out to the trendy area of Chicago called Wicker Park. We had a great time at the bar, Northside, until I went out to O'Hare to pick-up Liv. After a little iHop, Olivia and I spent the afternoon doing some Chicago tourist things. It was a brutal cold, but she enjoyed all the shopping areas on Michigan Avenue. We also walked around Millennium Park, The Bean, and the rest of the loop. Saturday night we had a nice dinner at Angelina's, and then met friends at Lux downtown for Nimit's birthday. Liv had never been to Chicago before; and it was fun to show her around. I dropped her back off last night and wished her well.

1. One of the movies getting a lot of Oscar buzz is the Iraq War drama, The Hurt Locker. The stars are not any big names, but there are minor roles for Ralph Fiennes and Guy Pierce. Everyone I spoke with thought the movie was terrific. I actually give the movie only a C. Clearly the director tried very hard to make the film a piece of art. Over-acting and an abundance of superfluously sad moments will make the film an instant favorite with the Oscar voters. For example, super slow motion shots of bullet shells hitting the ground were examples of the director trying too hard for the film to be artsy. Not a terrible movie, just over-rated.

2. Taylor Swift won Album of the year? This is American music in 2010, huh? I will just keep rocking on to my classic rock thank you very much.

Would you like an Amstel Light with that Whopper?

2010-01-27T15:06:00.005-06:00

Okay Burger King, I'm listening. I woke up this morning, turned on Headline News so my girl Robin Meade can tell me what is going on with the world. Anyway, her "lead" story is that Burger King is going to start selling beer. They are going to try this out at one restaurant in Miami, and if it goes well, start adding it to most of their Burger King locations. I have not honestly been to a Burger King in a few years. However, I am intrigued at the idea and I will be monitoring how successful it will be.

1. Speaking of beer, there is a great Indiana brewery called Three Floyd's. They make a variety of delicious beer options. My favorite is Gumball Head. They sell it all over Chicago. One of the nice things about the Windy City is how it has introduced me to some great breweries. Goose Island's 312 is perfect if you are looking for a convenient, reasonably priced beer. And if you are feeling more adventurous, Point Beer from Steven's Point, Wisconsin is excellent. As well, I highly recommend anything from the Bell's Brewery in Michigan - in particular the Bell's Oberon. It is too bad I was not introduced to any of those in Minnesota or Iowa... well... maybe it is a good thing.

2. I was a little sad to see former Vice Presidential candidate, and North Carolina senator John Edwards divorce from his wife. I might agree with him on policy issues, but the man is a huge scumbag. He cheated on his wife, had a child with this mistress, tried to cover it up, and all of this is while his wife is slowly dying of incurable cancer.

3. It is not healthy for a 24 year old man to sit and day dream about current University of Kentucky freshman John Wall becoming a Timberwolf next year. It's not good; I'm working on it.

4. Currently listening to "Don't Bring Me Down" by Electric Light Orchestra (ELO)

Loserville USA: Population 5,220,993

2010-01-25T08:52:00.002-06:00

It is the nature of the Minnesota sports fan to be the eternal cynic. While in Chicago, the expectations are Superbowls and World Series titles, in the land of 10,000 false hopes and heartbreaks, the expectations are at a minimum. The Minnesota nice mentality is that we are just happy to be there. The Twins are often times just a Quadruple A team to the big spending teams; the Gophers never cease to stop disappointing me, and the Target Center (Wolves) and Excel Energy Center (Wild) are home to the world's longest rebuilding projects. When Zygi Wilf bought the Vikings three years ago, he said he did not care about the failures of the past, instead we are going to win, win big, and win now. Gone was the mediocrity of Mike Tice as head coach, gone was the cheap spending of Red McCombs, gone were the knuckleheads like Randy Moss, and Daunte. No longer would Orlando Smith's whizzinator grace us with his presence. No longer would Dwight Smith be caught humiliating the team in stairwells of Minneapolis hotels. Wilf said we are going to out-research the league and draft well. They have. The past three drafts have been brilliant with Percy Harvin, Adrian Peterson, Cedric Griffen, Phil Loadholt, Sidney Rice, et cetera. Wilf has also made a commitment to get the best free agents available. The Vikings have hit home-runs with Visanthe Shiancoe, Chester Taylor, Steve Hutchinson, Antoine Winfield, Favre, Bernard Berrian, Pat Williams, and Jared Allen. All of this was done with one goal in mind: Superbowl, February 7th, 2010. No more rebuilding; the time is now. Chester Taylor will be gone next year, Favre will most likely retire, but for sure will not be any better next year. Pat Williams will likely retire. Antoine Winfield's best days are behind him. How long can Kevin Williams avoid the Starcapts trial? In the NFL, unless you have a franchise quarterback, your window to win is very short. With only one major injury (EJ Henderson) the whole Vikings line-up from Week One, was ready to make history in the Superdome yesterday night.

What a game, what a shame.

First off, I think the Vikings coaches developed a brilliant game plan against New Orleans. The Saints deserved to be the #1 seed. Their offense was electric all year. Between Brees, Bush, Colston, and Meachem, the Saints had the most fun offense since the Greatest Show on Turf. However, defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier completely shut-down their run, and the secondary confused Brees for the whole game. Statisically, Brees had one of his worst games in years. The recipe for the Vikings loss was one part terrible special teams coverage, allowing two big returns, and five parts fumbalitis. The fact that the Vikings had five turnovers and were still in a position to win is nothing short of spectacular. However, Berrian's fumble at the ten yard line, Harvin's key fumble, Favre's botched hand-off to end the first half, and don't even get me started on Adrian Peterson treating the football like it was a wet fish. The Saints' strategy was quite simple: Blitz and hit Favre every time possible. Of course, this strategy ended up backfiring on the Saints as Favre just dinked and dunked down the field the whole game. The Saints' ultra aggressive blitz defense played perfectly into the Vikings West Coast offense. What the Saints did do was completely wear out the old gun-slinger. As the game wore on, Favre looked old... really old. Twice in the past three years, Favre has led his team to victory in the NFC Championship game only to throw a late, ill-timed interception. Unlike last time, where Favre just under threw the ball in an otherwise good play, Favre committed the cardinal sin of quarterbacking... never throw across your body while on the run. The fact that this will likely be Favre's last throw just underscores that while statistically Favre is the greatest quarterback to ever play, the best come through in the clutch. Would Joe Montana, Peyton Manning, or Steve Young done that? Maybe. But probably not. Chuck Nol, the legendary Steelers coach said once, "Before you win a game, you have to not lose it." As much as the Saints won the game, the Vikings lost it. Was there some bad luck? Sure. The over-time rules in the NFL are completely unfair. The call that it is okay if a player goes out of bounds and touches the ball if the clock expired? A loophole at best. But I don't blame this game on the officials, or bad-luck. As Thomas Jefferson said, "I'm a great believer in luck, and the harder I work, the more lucky I become." The Saints franchise, the city of New Orleans are a terrific team that deserves to be in the championship game. It was not good luck that got them to the Superbowl. They are a fun team, and it is going to be a great Superbowl.

When I woke up this morning, I felt a feeling I had not felt since the day after a certain election. A sense of, "What's the point?" I have to keep reminding myself that football is just a game. That what the Vikings do does not effect me personally. In a way, yesterday reminded me of all that is good and all that is bad with sports. The aestheticism of sports at the highest level, to me, could be compared to the greatest ballet or the most brilliant opera. But what I really love about sports is the companionship between friends and family. To know that literally millions of my fellow Minnesotans were huddled around their TV sets with the same goal in mind is mind-blowing. To share in the joy of victory or the agony of defeat with my friends and family is what makes sports fantastic and so painful. When the Vikings lose, not only am I in pain, but millions of my brothers in sport mourn with me. Some cynics might call the short-lived Favre era in the Purple and Gold as not worth the hassle. I completely disagree. Favre ignited the state of Minnesota. If the Vikings were to secure the funds to get a new stadium, they needed to have a good year in 2009. They instead had a great year. I can't predict what will happen to the Vikings in 2010. Too many question marks. It was fun while it lasted. And to you Minnesotans, at least we have the Timberwolves... oh wait...

Patriots for Liberty

2010-01-22T14:30:00.003-06:00

I am about to go into full political meltdown mode. It is only January and I already feel like am going to spontaneously combust. Yesterday the Supreme Court overturned a previous ruling and as of today, corporations, both domestic and international will be able to spend an unlimited money on individual candidates and issues in general. This will no doubt cause several enormously significant changes in the American political system. You know all those annoying political ads we are only starting to see? Just wait and see what happens now that corporations, both American and international, start sending their ads out. Let's say I am a senator and I vote against a law because it is bad for the environment. Maybe a particular logging, or oil company, or nuclear waste company will throw a few million to my opponent. Or they will just make the ads themselves. Plus, are we really comfortable knowing that international companies can make differences in American elections? Let's take those foreign oil businesses... I wonder what side of the aisle they will be campaigning for. They will be sneaky and use names like, "Sponsored by Patriots for Liberty" or some crap like that. Representative Alan Grayson (D) of Florida said this is the worst supreme court ruling since Dred Scott - a pro slavery ruling in the mid 19th century.

1. I watched One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Next last night. I saw it ten years ago. For those who have not seen the movie, it is awesome! I don't know if it will be as good as the new Tooth Fairy movie, but it is still worth renting.

2. Currently listening to "Something's Not Right With Me" by Cold War Kids

An unwritten "Not Welcome" sign

2010-01-21T16:35:00.005-06:00

One of the aspects of my new job that I like is I get to travel all over Chicagoland and learn more about the city. This past week I have spent my whole days on the South Side (79th and Halsted and 81st and MLK). Not just borderline... like ground zero of the South Side. It is unbelievably depressing to drive by and see window after window boarded up; to see graffiti laced churches and needles on the ground. One interesting aspect of Chicago I have touched on before is how Chicago must be the most segregated city in America. Jefferson Park is where the Poles live, Greektown is where the Greeks live, Devon is where the Indians live, et cetera. A white man certainly walking around in a suit... I certainly stuck out a bit. Today I decided that I was going to count all the people that drove by where I was working until I saw a non African-American. 501. It took 501 people before I saw someone who was not African-American. I think the segregation in this city is troubling at the very least. I don't know if anything can be done by the government; and I know the suburbs are much better. I hope I am not coming across as racist. That is not my intent at all. I am simply opining about observations I have been making.

1. As a huge fan of Conan O'Brien, obviously I am on his side with his falling out with NBC. However, after I read that he is getting a settlement for $44,000,000... it is hard for me to have any more sympathy for the guy. Not only will he get that money, he will likely get some huge contract with Fox, HBO, ABC or whoever else he signs with.

2. It looks like when all is said and done, Avatar will go down as history as the second highest grossing movie of all time - behind Titanic. However, when you look at the numbers after they are adjusted for inflation, the top five grossing movies would be:

A - Gone with the Wind
B - Star Wars IV
C - The Sound of Music
D - E.T.
E - The Ten Commandments

John Smash!!

2010-01-20T12:47:00.004-06:00

Okay, now I pissed. No, I am mother fucking pissed off!! Last night sucked. I have a cold, I lost an account at work, Iowa State lost one of their best players, and oh yeah... The Democrats lost their super majority in the house. Just two weeks ago, Democrat Martha Coakley had a lead of about ten points in the polls. Last night she lost to Republican Steve Brown 51-44%. I have read lots of articles this morning and there are a variety of viewpoints on how the Massachusetts, arguably the most liberal state in America (Obama won by 26 points), could elect a conservative. To me the bottom line seemed to be that Republicans are very very motivated. That, plus Independents can say they gave Democrats a chance and they did absolutely nothing with their power. It is not necessarily over for the Democrats in terms of getting health care passed. It just becomes harder now. To me the big issue becomes what happens in the 2010 mid-term elections in November. Will the Republicans slaughter the Democrats? It is pretty clear what the Republicans plan is to regain the presidency and congress. Do everything in their power to shoot down everything Obama and Congress passes - no matter if they like it or not. The strategy will then be to come back in 2010 and 2012 and convince the American public that Democrats when they are in power could accomplish nothing. Say what you will about Republicans, but when they were in power, they got a lot of their shit accomplished. The Bush tax cuts, No Child Left Behind Act, increase in military action (understatement), et cetera. And they did not even have a super majority!! My only hope is this is an enormous wake up call for Obama and congress to get back to work, be more forceful... take names, kick ass, basically, be more like Republicans!

1. Today at lunch I read the cover article on John Mayer in the new Rolling Stone. He is really talented but, wow, is he unlikeable. He is so conceited.

2. A little interesting trivia for you sports buffs: In the past two years, only Randy Moss and Larry Fitzgerald have more touchdown catches than Vikings tight end Visanthe Shiancoe.

#60

2010-01-19T16:13:00.002-06:00

I don't think people realize what a huge day this is for the future of the United States. After the passing of Massachusetts senator Ted Kennedy, the state is having a special election to replace him. All the polls show it is going to be a very close race between Republican Scott Brown and Democrat Martha Coakley. If Mr. Brown gets elected, he has promised he will do everything he can to filibuster the health care bill and he will be responsible for the Democrats only having 59 senators, and not the filibuster proof 60 senators they currently have. I have been extremely irritated at the lack of production the Democrats have had with a super majority in the senate. They have no major legislation under their belts. If the health care bill is not passed because the Dems could not regain their seat in one of the most liberal states in America, then I have a feeling the mid-term elections this November will be catastrophic for the Dems. Needless to say, I will be following this race very with great intrigue.

1. The show Jersey Shore... it is one of the worst shows ever created. It is not funny, not entertaining, and it is embarrassing as a country that three million of us tune in every week to see what those eight idiots do. After the huge buzz, I had to check out an episode. I was bored, I did not laugh, or even smile one time. It is like The Real World New Jersey but the cast members are less intelligent - considerably less intelligent. If I have to be on the one person and here one more person talk about Snookie or The Situation, I am going to explode.

2. Currently listening to "Good gone girl" by Mika.

Not too Favre away

2010-01-18T11:56:00.004-06:00

A lot of people, especially fans of Tennessee football, are furious at Lane Kiffen, for leaving UT after one season, where they went 7-6, for greener pastures at the University of Southern California. On the one hand, UT bailed him out after being publicly embarrassed by the Oakland Raiders. But let's be real, USC is tied with Texas, in my opinion, for the best job in all of football - pro or college. He will be able to get better recruits, have more publicity, be paid more, have better facilities, and oh by the way, I would much rather annually play Washington, Arizona State, and Oregon, than Florida, Georgia, LSU, Alabama, and the rest of the SEC. The real question is why on earth would USC hire Kiffen?! Keep in mind, that as a fellow Bloomington Jefferson High School graduate, I want to cheer for Kiffen. But, c'mon USC, this is the best you could do? Yes, I understand he was a successful offensive coordinator for the Trojans five years ago during they golden age. But you are USC. You could get anyone you want. You could tap the NFL and lure a Leslie Frazier or Jon Gruden. You could most likely lure young and up and coming football coaching talent like Will Muschamp or Jason Garret. Instead you went for an unproven carpetbagger. It just doesn't make any sense.

1. Some friends came over Friday night and we watched the movie Public Enemies. I liked it. I didn't love it but it was worth my time. I give it a B-. It's a little too drawn out, plus I wanted to learn more about Dillinger's past and how he morphed into the gangster he became. On the one hand, the director was asking the audience to sympathize with Dillinger, but why should we? He is a vicious murderer and thief. Give me a reason to feel for him? I tend to enjoy movies with the anti-hero as the lead. But I need to feel and relate to the character.

2. My favorite part of the Vikings win yesterday was probably the random shots of Prince in his luxury booth. I never would have guessed Prince to be a big Vikings fan. He looked so out of place.

3. While watching TV this morning before work, I could not help watch some highlights of Maria Kirilenko upsetting Maria Sharapova. That is like the most attractive tennis match I have ever seen! It is hard though whether that tops the clip Sportscenter showed of Brett Favre singing "Pants on the Ground".

4. Currently listening to "21 Guns" by Green Day.

Crazy is as crazy does

2010-01-12T13:12:00.003-06:00

It has been far too long since I have posted about my good friend, Reverend Pat Robertson. When he is not being anti-Semitic, or racist, he is mocking homosexuals. After the devastating earthquake hit Haiti a few weeks ago, guess who had to put his two cents in... The good reverend, of course. He started off his show, The 700 Club by saying, "You know, something happened a long time ago in Haiti. They got together and swore a pact with the devil. They said we will serve you if you free us from the French. True story. And so, the devil said, 'okay, it's a deal.' And they kicked the French out. But ever since they have been cursed by one thing or another." Pat, Pat, Pat. Obviously he is unaware that 80% of Haitians are Roman Catholic. Even more are Christian. I guess I should not be surprised. Rev. Robertson has a long history of such bonehead quotes - from blaming an Israeli Prime Minister's stroke on ceding land to Palestine, to saying God punished America on 9/11 for our loose morals. It's about time to retire, Pat. You turn 80 in two months. Save us all from your crazy rants.

1. People Magazine is claiming that Conan's last show will be on January 22nd. I think the damage is beyond repair. I actually feel bad for Jay Leno. He has taken a huge PR hit when the real blame should be placed squarely on the shoulders of NBC's executive team.

2. Currently listening to "Percussion Gun" by White Rabbits.

I needed money cause I had none

2010-01-11T10:26:00.002-06:00

As most of you know, I have always really enjoyed watching Conan O'Brien. My love really started in college when frequently my roommates and I after a long day of studying, um, working out, no, um, going to bible study... okay, after a long day of doing nothing, my roommates and I liked to end our evenings by watching Conan. I was very excited when three years ago it was announced that Jay Leno was retiring and Conan was replacing Mr. Leno. I always enjoyed the Tonight Show with Jay Leno - I even saw his stand-up act in Las Vegas. However, it was time for a change. I am very disappointed that only a few months NBC has decided to cancel Leno's show and will likely be moving him back into Conan's spot. Either Conan has to accept to move his time back to his original 11:30 time slot, or he will likely search for another network to share his antics with us. Either way, I am not happy with NBC and I hope a solution is worked out where everyone wins.

1. Nimit and I both saw Avatar yesterday. I enjoyed it. I would probably give the movie an A-/B+. Please if you go spend the extra $3.00 for the 3d glasses. In terms of special effects, it is the single coolest movie I have ever seen. The plot was a little fantastical and silly, but still fun. I did not really appreciate the banality of making the American military the evil bad guy once again. I thought that lacked creativity on James Cameron's part.

2. Last week I finished the book, In The Lake of The Woods by Tim O'Brien. It was the national best seller about ten years ago. I really liked it. It is a quick book of fiction about a Vietnam vet who lost his bid for senator and then his wife disappears. I definitely recommend it.

3. Currently listening to "Hey Ya" by Outcast. Album: Speaker Boxx/Love Below

So this is the new year

2010-01-10T12:16:00.003-06:00

Let me start out by apologizing for taking so long to post. I have been saving up items to write about and I promise to write again more often. It has been kind of crazy with being in Minnesota for Christmas, New Year's, and starting a new job two weeks ago. I have been working long hours and have not had much time just to sit back and relax. As I do at the beginning of every new year, I think it is important for me to reflect back on the year that was and think about what the new year will bring. 2009 was a bit of a roller coaster with me. There were some incredible highs - moving to Chicago, living with friends again, and beginning a new relationship. However, 2009 was also a year full of incredible regret and grief. The constant rejection in the job search led me to lose my confidence in myself. I often danced around between the feeling of sadness, hopelessness, and frustration at continually getting told I would not be offered a position. After a while I was just beaten down to nothing. My face looked older, my body more tired, and my mind was often less sharp than it used to be. It is not fair that I associate so much self worth with employment, but I do. Although I don't wake up everyday dreaming of selling data processing software, I am very grateful for the opportunity. With the turn of the calendar year, I really think 2010 is going to be a great year. I am making new friends, and I am really starting to enjoy Chicago. It has taken me a long while but I am finally starting to figure out this city, and how wonderful it is. Thanks for being patient with me. I will be better at writing.

1. One issue I have always disagreed with liberals on is affirmative action. I think it is backwards and actually promotes racism. One recent example of its failure is The Rooney Rule in the NFL. Created in 2003 in honor of former Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney's commitment to hiring African-American coaches, The Rooney Rule requires every team that has an opening for a head coaching position to interview at least one African-American candidate. I feel this just promotes racism. A perfect example is what is going on with Seattle. Everyone knows that the Seahawks are going to hire Pete Carrol, who is white, but they are being forced to interview African-Americans. This is insulting to parade these men in when they know they are not wanted. If we are progressive enough as a country to elect a non-white president, maybe we are progressive enough to trust that owners will hire the most talented coach, regardless of skin color.

2. This has been one of my favorite weekends in Chicago. Friday night, Allie and I made dinner, before joining some friends for a little champagne pong. I slept in Saturday, watched some basketball, and then met up with friends at McFadden's, and my new favorite bar in Chicago called English. Super classy, super fun, and not outrageous prices. What a wonderful night.

3. Currently listening to "Time to Pretend" by MGMT.

In one year, out the other

2009-12-28T17:07:00.003-06:00

First off, I apologize for the incredibly long delay in between posts. It has been a ridiculously crazy two weeks. Last Saturday I went back to Minnesota. The trip became a huge whirlwind. I was up early and up late trying to cram in as much time with friends and family as possible. I'm not upset, just a little exhausted. Needless to say, I had no time for sleep as I started yet another new job. I will go into the job in detail at a later day as I learn more about the company and the position.

1. I did get an opportunity to see a movie. My parents and I went out to go see Sherlock Holmes. We all enjoyed it. I thought it would be a light, comedic, mystery. I was incorrect. In the same fashion as Batman, Sherlock Holmes was a nefariously dark movie. I give it an A-/B+ and recommend it.

2. How was everyone's Christmas? I had a lovely time. Gift wise, the highlight was a GPS system for my car. Anyone who has driven with me knows how notoriously bad I am at directions. The lowlight... a snuggie from my sister. Oh yes... it is more hideous in person than on TV.

I have a feeling it is a lump of coal for me this year...

2009-12-14T17:03:00.003-06:00

Another whirlwind weekend has come and gone. Friday night, Anay, Ann, Nim and I got some pizza, watched the Cyclones beat the Hawkeyes in basketball, and then headed way out to Cary, Illinois to our friend Bill's house to say hi. Saturday night, was a night for parties. My friends Sarah and Jim had a party, and Allie had a party. Somehow, Anay and I squeezed both in. Sunday was a bit more chill. I just watched some football and then later Allie and I went bowling. It went by too quickly, but it was another fun weekend.

1. I would hardly be described as a fan of celebrity gossip... however, when I went over to cnn.com, and one of their headlines is Jessica Simpson confirming she is in a relationship with Smashing Pumpkins vocalist Billy Corgan... even I have to shake my head in amazement.

2. Today, I read this report that Tiger Woods will cost the sports economy almost a billion dollars in 2010 if he doesn't play. TV ratings, golf course attendance, merchandise, et cetera. TV ratings when Tiger plays in a tournament are 61% higher than when doesn't. In a way, these outlets like ESPN are biting the hand that feeds them.

3. Currently listening to "We've been had" by The Walkmen.

I've never been to heaven; but I've been to Oklahoma

2009-12-10T14:21:00.002-06:00

As a sports fan, I have always seemed to enjoy All-Star games; in particular, the NBA All-Star game. The biggest problem though is fans are allowed to control who starts. Not only is this blatant favoritism for bigger markets, but it allows for popular, but mediocre players (like Shaq) to start in place of better players at their position. Currently, in the Western Conference, the top voting guard is Kobe Bryant. The second is Tracy McGrady. Okay, I get Kobe, but McGrady is yet to play one game this year. Instead, he will start over a better, more deserving guard like a Tony Parker or a Brandon Roy

1. With Old Man Winter rearing his ugly head, I have watched a lot of movies. Some have been bad like Night at the Museum 2, and The Ugly Truth. I would give both movies D's. Some have been okay, like the food documentary, Food Inc. And some movies have been terrific. Anay and I just watched the drama, The Kingdom this afternoon. Starring Jamie Foxx, Jason Batemen, Jeremy Piven, and Jennifer Garner, the kingdom is about terrorism in Saudi Arabia. I give the movie a A-/B+. It was interesting, action packed, and just plain bad-ass.

2. Currently listening to "Around the bend" by Asteroid Galaxy Tour

Malice in Wonderland

2009-12-09T13:01:00.003-06:00

Yesterday I got an email from one of my friends who likes politics with highlights from the recent Esquire magazine interview with former attorney general, Alberto Gonzalez. Of all the failings, and shadiness, perhaps nothing is more duplicitous than the illegal firings of U.S. attorneys who were liberal; or who were not "loyal" enough to the Republican party. Here is my favorite quote from Gonzalez: "We should have abandoned the idea of removing the U.S. attorneys once the Democrats took the senate. Because at that point we could not really count on Republicans to cut off investigations or help us at all with investigations. We didn't see that at the Department of Justice. Nor did the White House see that. Karl didn't see that. If we could do something over again, that would be it."

To me, he is basically just saying he regrets being caught. Not only were these firings illegal, but it should have resulted in multiple impeachments. Instead, the only person who served any time in jail was former Vice President Cheney's chief of staff, Scooter Libby. Even now, the whole thing just makes me livid that the Bush administration got away with it. On the one hand, I can understand why President Obama did not push for criminal charges. The Republicans lost, it was time for a new change in America. On the other hand, they let the bad guys get away with it

1. Speaking of politics, when I was watching CNN, they asked if anybody has a chance to beat Obama in 2012. Although I feel that Huckabee could, the panel thinks it will be an unknown that will rise to fame and challenge Obama. In a way, following Obama's path to the presidency. One name that came up was moderate Republican senator from South Dakota, John Thune. He is eloquent, handsome, from the North, and could be a real asset to the future of the GOP.

2. Is it Festivus season already?

What is history but a fable that is agreed upon?

2009-12-07T13:10:00.003-06:00

One of my highest hopes for the Obama administration was his ability to restore the way other countries look at the United States. Hopefully, America's reputation slowly changes for the better. Too long have we been thrusted in the role as the crooked chief of police. While reading the recent Newsweek, there was a great article about how India has slowly been changing their outlook on America. According to the article, India's leadership in the past has not only not wanted to work with the United States, but has gone out of their way to work against America on issues like global warming, war, and economic turmoil. India's basic stance was that they did not have the money to do anything. How could they be expected to work on climate change when their people were starving? However, Prime Minister Singh has been working hard, and not quietly, to embrace the West. "The shift is occurring because India's government knows that with rising wealth and power comes greater responsibility," says Newsweek reporter, Jeremy Kahn. A couple of months ago, India voluntarily declared it would curtail future rises in carbon emissions - something prior prime ministers would not do without financial incentives from the West. Just this past week alone, the Indian government, when discussing a new climate treaty in Denmark said India would "be a dealmaker, not a deal breaker." How much of this is a result of Obama being elected president and how much of it is on Prime Minister Singh? Of course it is a mixture of both. The bottom line is that the second most populous country is making huge improvements in terms of economy and global warming. I could care less who gets the credit. And with Singh's party, the Congress Party, winning huge in the last Indian election, I see only great things for the future relationship of India and America.

1. Last night I rented the movie, Night at the Museum 2. I give like a C. It had its moments of funny, but mostly I just thought it was ridiculous.

2. This weekend was an absolute blast for me. Friday night, our friends from college, Anay's Allie, Aaron and Lauren came to visit. Friday, we went to a local bar, Wrightwood, and met about a dozen of our friends out for a little relaxing, dancing, and just in all out good time. Saturday afternoon we all went downtown to Daley Plaza to see the Chicago Christmas market, eat good food, see the giant tree, and show the Iowans downtown. Saturday night, my apartment had their first party. We welcomed 50 of our closest friends and acquaintances for an ugly sweater party. (Go to Facebook if you are unsure what that means.) It is hard not to be in a good mood when everyone at the party looked so hideous. It was just a really nice weekend.

3. I can't get that damn "party in the usa" song by Miley Cyrus out of my head. AAAAGGHH!!!!

Tiger trap

2009-12-03T16:42:00.003-06:00

Like anyone who has picked up a paper or turned on the TV in the past 48 hours, I am completely exhausted about the Tiger Woods drama. I continue to be amazed at the appetite America has on celebrity gossip. Because Woods is a sports star, this story has captivated the whole country. Yesterday I was in a sports bar with Nimit and Anay watching the basketball game, and every other table was talking about Woods cheating on his wife. I am kind of split. On the one hand, this is a matter between Tiger and his wife. It is nobody's business but theirs. On the other hand, WTF Tiger?! You are one of the ten most recognized people in the world. Are you so stupid that you think you wouldn't get caught. He left text messages, voicemails, and emails to one of the two women he is accused of cheating with. Did he really not think there was a chance some of that could be leaked? But more importantly, when you get married, that's it, you are with that woman for the rest of your life. If you can't commit to her, then don't get married. Stay single and be with all the women you want! When you get married, knock it off! It is just amazing how weak these men get when they get rich and famous.

Speaking of athletics, Men's Health magazine has their list of ten things you need if you are to be considered a Men's Health athlete:

1. Bench 1.5 times your body weight.
2. Run 1.5 miles in ten minutes.
3. Touch the rim
4. Leg press 2.25 times your body weight.
5. Swim 700 yards in 12 minutes.
6. Do 40 pushups without a break.
7. Have a waist to hip ratio of 0.81 inches or less.
8. Run 300 yards in one minute.
9. Touch your toes (standing and sitting).
10. Toss a basketball 75 feet while kneeling.

Apparently I have some work to do. I could do the swimming, touch my toes, and probably run 300 yards in one minute. After that are some question marks.

Road Thrill

2009-11-30T13:12:00.004-06:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. Mine was a whirlwind. I spent most of it in Wisconsin, with a very brief Minnesota appearance for one night. I certainly miss my family when I am in Chicago. I enjoy every moment when I am back in the 'sota.

1. People who have read my blog are well aware of my views on Lady Gaga. Although her songs are undeniably catchy, she just rubs me the wrong way in interviews. She is crazy. I do not believe it is all an act... I think she is flat out nuts. What I did not realize is that she actually is highly intelligent. She began at Julliard at 11. She attended NYU's performance school before dropping out to pursue her music career. I guess Gaga was some kind of piano prodigy. I am impressed.

2. Did anyone else watch Glee Wednesday night? I am hardly one to be accused of being overly-sensitive, but, the scene where the cast sang "Imagine" with the hearing impaired children was incredibly moving.

3. Good for you Rolling Stone magazine. I see you have 17 year old Taylor Lautner wearing a wet t-shirt, and seductively posing on your cover this week. I did not realize you were trying to be the next Tiger Beat.

Drove to Chicago. All things know. All things know.

2009-11-23T12:39:00.002-06:00

Well, that was one of my more whirlwind weekends. Friday night, was really fun. It was my roommate, Ann's, birthday. She celebrated it at this really cool, chic, nightclub downtown called Landmark. I don't care to discuss how much money was spent... but it was all worth it. Saturday while my friends were sleeping in until mid-day, I had to be at work at 9:00. I survived that enough to come home and watch my teams embarrass themselves. Moving on, Saturday night I went over to Allie's apartment. Her roommate has a birthday this weekend, and her girlfriend (yes, her roommate is gay), was throwing her a surprise party. I always love and have loved surprise parties; this was no exception. It also allowed me to get out of my comfort zone; being surrounded by so many people from an alternative lifestyle. I think I made some new friends and had a nice night. Although at 24, I think I am ready to retire from playing flippy cup, and drinking Busch Light. I was really excited for Sunday though. Nathan Lane, possibly the most talented living theater actor of our generation, has been in Chicago for a new show, The Addam's Family. It was a musical, quite strange, but still overall funny and enjoyable. Nathan Lane was of course brilliant. I also loved seeing the show in The Oriental Theater. Absurdly gaudy, but also resplendently beautiful, The Oriental Theater is a Chicago treasure.

1. Joe Mauer won the American League MVP award today. He received all but one first place vote? Who was the idiot that did not vote him for first? About this time last year I said the Twins desperately need to sign Mauer to an extension. How many tens of millions of dollars did that mistake cost the Twins.

2. In a recent Des Moines Register article, 68% of Iowa Republicans "like what they see" out of Sarah Palin. I would love nothing more than for Palin to win the Republican nomination. Obama would destroy her in 2012. Unfortunately ladies and gentlemen, we are not that far away from campaigning season again for the 2010 mid-term elections.

3. I have a question about stretching. I am not very flexible and really need to work on it. How long should I hold one stretch position to gradually become more lithe? I have heard anywhere from 30 seconds to 120 seconds is necessary. I don't like stretching but if I want to reach optimum health, it is something I need to reincorporate into my work-outs.

4. Currently listening to "Chicago" by Sufjan Stevens.

The daytime of the night.

2009-11-18T10:24:00.003-06:00

The fashion industry has made huge strides in the past twenty years to brand themselves differently. Instead of having just paper-thin models, the industry has embraced a wide spectrum of models - tall, short, thin, and more curvy. There is most certainly a direct correlation between the amazing amount of women that suffer from Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia. The industry has had a rough month though. First there was the Calvin Klein ad a month ago with one of the skinniest models I have ever seen that drew ire from the media. Then today I read in the paper that Kate Moss has outraged many by claiming on her website (taken directly from pro-anorexia websites), "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels". Miss Moss should be ashamed at herself. Considering she has battled eating disorders and drug addiction for the past fifteen years, one might expect more from her.

1. Do you remember some of the big protests after the elections in Iran a few months ago? Well, the Iranian government was not happy about this world wide embarrassment. They gathered up the ring leaders and they are now sentenced to death. They were charged with "corruption" and my favorite, "Acts against God".

2. I saw two movies in the past few days. One, the new Star Trek movie. I give it a solid B. It's entertaining, easy to follow, and I left pleased. Chicago also has this really cool idea of mixing a bar and a movie theater and calling it a "brew and view". Last night some friends and I saw The Hangover. I had seen it this past June and liked it. Although at times it was a little noisy in the theater - a consequence of us being in the back row right next to the bar - but it was still fun. The guys all enjoyed it. The women said it was "funny at parts but mainly just gross."

3.

Lorenzo Van Matterhorn

2009-11-17T09:39:00.007-06:00

I did want to give a quick shout-out to Chipotle. According to their website (yes, I was on the Chipotle website today) says that more than 60% of their beef is naturally raised. Their beef uses no growth hormones, antibiotics, and is fed a vegetarian diet. Call me a softie, but I am willing to pay a little more to a website if I know that the animal product they used was treated humanely and slaughtered humanely.

1. What on earth are you doing Newsweek?! I was a little surprised when I got my mail today and I saw Sarah Palin in a revealing running suit with the caption, "How do you solve a problem like Sarah?" Was that picture necessary? I get it that sex sells. I understand many men find Ms. Palin to be attractive. But you are Newsweek, not Rollingstone or Maxim. I expected better and I am disappointed. Her new book came out today. All this extra publicity will do is help her sell more books. This time I do agree with Palin's whining that it is blatant sexism? When Obama, McCain, Romney, and the other men were running for president, they had suits on for their cover articles. With Palin... you have her in short-shorts. Again, I expected more.

2. I see the Timberwolves have started out this year 1-9. Terrific.

I forgot to remember to forget.

2009-11-16T21:33:00.003-06:00

It was kind of a throw-back weekend; and I mean that in a good way. I know that next weekend is going to be pretty crazy; and I just wanted to chill this past weekend. Friday night some friends and came over after a nice Mexican dinner, relaxed, played some games, and just relaxed. Saturday, after doing some work, Allie and I decided that we would go bowling. Now, I have gone bowling many times. Never has beer been brought into the picture before. Take into account the beer, the cosmic lighting, and Neal Diamond's "Sweet Caroline", it was a really fun night. I didn't do a lot Sunday. After one last epic tennis match with Nimit, I watched two movies on TV. One was The Count of Monte Cristo. It came out about seven years ago and was excellent. After that was The Rock... a classic.

1. I have been reading my health publications and I have been reading a lot about the supplements Ginseng and Ginkgo Biloba. What do you think? I already take a variety of supplements - acai, flaxseed, multivitamin, calcium, fish oil... I am leery about taking anymore. But I want to be as healthy as possible too. Thoughts? I am certainly not a physician.

2. As the Thanksgiving season arrives, please remember the neediest amongst us. Today's cover USA TODAY article is about those hungry in America. According to the article, last year, 49 million Americans went hungry or were without a sufficient amount of food at some point last year. That is about one in seven Americans. That is the highest number of Americans who are hungry since 1995. It is also up 45% since 2007. In addition, two years ago 29.5 million Americans were on food stamps, this year it is 36 million. President Obama has promised to help fight the war on poverty by boosting food stamps, and providing more options for children's lunch programs. This is just another obvious sign that we need the economy to turn around as soon as possible.

The Ultimate Necessary Evil

2009-11-14T17:19:00.004-06:00

I was watching the news today about President Obama's recent trip to China. I have been interested in American/Chinese relations ever since reading the Ted Fishman book China, Inc. If anybody think America is the only super-power, they are sadly mistaken. It is about time that we had a President who recognizes it and sees the need to engage in dialogue with the Chinese government. Don't get me wrong, Chinese human rights policy, their policy on the government, Tibet, and on and on has me absolutely disgusted. But, for the benefit of America, we need to encourage Obama to continue conversations. China will be key in how the world deals with North Korea. Can Obama convince the Chinese to stop making deals with corrupt middle eastern governments. Can Obama stress the importance of dealing with global climate change. I hope this is the first of many trips Obama makes to China.

1. I finished the book Life of Pi by Yann Martel yesterday. I started the book with outrageous expectations. It is one of the favorites of many of my friends. I liked it but did not necessarily love it. The beginning of the book was fascinating, and the end was terrific. But for a short book, the meat of the book seemed a bit drawn out and I was bored. I would still recommend it though.

2. While perusing the Tribune today, I was actually pretty shocked to hear that Playboy is in big financial trouble. In its past ten years, it has lost $256 million. Because of this, the Chicago company is currently being sold. According to the article, the magazine itself is a necessary evil. They know that the magazine is bleeding money, but they need to keep it around because the Playboy logo, around the world, is a huge money maker. Right now Heffner owns 70% of the company.

It's Business... It's Business Time.

2009-11-12T09:15:00.003-06:00

I apologize for the long day since my last post. I have been busy working hard on the new job; and my blog has taken a back-seat. Well, I'm back. This past weekend was fun. Chicago is known for their legendary jazz clubs. Friday night some friends and I went to Chicago's most famous club - The Green Mill. Infamous for being one of Al Capone's favorite hang-out, anyone who is anyone in jazz has played at this intimate night club. Drinks were pricey, it was really crowded, but the music was good, the vibe was fun, and I am glad I checked it out. After that it was a new Tapas restaurant in the Andersonville neighborhood, some sangria, and a late night viewing of Die Hard. Saturday was casual. Always good to see the Hawkeyes lose. I had dinner with Allie Saturday night and then we checked out this new Lakeview bar, The Purple Haze. When we started out, the Haze was casual, but as the night progressed, to Allie's delight, it turned into a giant Northwestern football alumni hang-out. It seemed like every notable Northwestern football alum from the past five years was there. Naturally, Allie was in heaven as she was surrounded by tall, muscular, NU men. But, I could not complain. C.J. Bacher bought Allie and I a round of drinks (three times!) The Purple Haze gets the Fidler seal of approval.

1. I have not seen a movie in the theaters since Inglorious Bastards. It was time to change that; and last night I saw Wild Things. I really liked it. I give it an A-. It is not a happy, fun Disney movie. The movie does not end neatly tied with a bow. Instead, you are left with sadness and question marks. Entertainment Weekly magazine gave the movie a perfect review and said it is more an art piece than a movie. Bottom line, I enjoyed it and I would love to know your thoughts.

2. Bears fans need to chill out. They are 4-4. Monday morning's Sun-Times' headline was, "Is this rock bottom?" As I was driving to a meeting yesterday, I turned on the Chicago sport's radio station, and both hosts said Lovie should resign after the season... Relax guys. If they go 4-12, that's one thing. Did Pittsburgh fire Bill Cowher three years ago when they went 6-10? No. Lovie is a good coach who is working with a weak offensive line, terrible receiving corp, and an injury plagued defense. If anything, get mad at general management, not Lovie.

3. It has been too long since I have pointed out something ridiculous that a prominent Republican has uttered. Today, that streak ends. Governor Rick Perry of Texas says, "This is an administration hell-bent on taking Americans toward a socialist country. And we all don't need to be afraid to say that because that's what it is." He later goes on to say that Obama is "punishing" Texas. How you may ask? He accused the Obama administration of purposely dumping illegal immigrants into Texas. And this man, Governor Perry, has been elected to the third most populous state in the United States. This is your America ladies and gentlemen.

doofus

2009-11-04T16:04:00.002-06:00

Today I was watching the show "Mike and Mike in the morning" and they went through their top twenty list of things that make you a sports doofus. I don't remember them all, but here is what I remember and agree with:

A-Wearing your last name on a sports jersey.
B-Shooting an airball during a promotional event.
C-Proposing via Jumbotron
D-Wearing baseball pants to slow-pitch softball games
E-Getting a team or player related team tattoo

There were others but these were some that I liked. However, when I think of sports doofuses, it is hard for me to think of a bigger doofus than current Memphis Grizzly Antonie Walker. In his 12 years in the NBA, he has earned more than $110 million dollars. He has recently been in trouble for writing multiple bad checks, and he owes a Nevada casino tens of thousands of dollars. He is completely broke. Let's say when you take away taxes, agent fees, advisor fees, et cetera, he has $70 million dollars left. How can you possibly spend that amount of money? Well, after reading a few articles, it appears that it is because he is a complete chumbalone. At his peak with the Celtics, he was supporting up to forty people, and several people had access to his credit cards without his knowledge. He is only 33. Unbelievable.

1. My favorite new word might be "Chumbalone". Basically, a chumbalone is a slang word for an idiot. Pronounced Chum-Buh-Loan.

2. We are officially only 100 days away from the 2010 Olympics. Ready?

3. Final interview for a big job tomorrow. Very anxious.

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