tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-215121852011-08-01T07:44:25.139-05:00'Minnesota is like Siberia with family restaurants.' Joel and Ethan CoenMinneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.comBlogger4801100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-8673841709748952642011-05-27T22:40:00.004-05:002011-05-28T00:13:17.113-05:00

Tonight I find myself mourning for a man I barely knew, but whose leadership and personal drive provided me with some of the best years of my adult life. This afternoon, Frank Wood, former owner and publisher of the Green Bay News-Chronicle died at the age of 82.To be clear, I only met Mr. Wood on a handful of occasions - a Christmas party one year, around the office a few times, nothing major

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-33699395479327743422011-02-27T19:38:00.005-06:002011-02-28T21:03:51.243-06:00

I have a new mission in life which has become a nearly all-consuming passion taking up all of my free time that is not dedicated to fatherhood, shoveling or napping. In a few short hours, I hope to complete 100% of Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption.Needless to say, my wife is thrilled.I don't usually complete games, mainly because I have so many more important and fulfilling things going on in my

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-72742390534849360852010-11-02T11:25:00.007-05:002010-11-02T12:30:38.553-05:00

Years and years ago when I worked for a weekly paper on the Southwest side of Chicago, I wrote a short editorial on the one-year anniversary of 9/11 that spoke of my trip to Washington, DC and how I was impressed by how little had changed in the past year.I wrote of sitting on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in the middle of the night with friends and how comforting that was in light of

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-48544946033642884412010-10-27T14:29:00.004-05:002010-10-27T16:04:52.362-05:00

Hopped up on the first episode of "When We Left Earth" I was pretty excited to see a story yesterday about missions to Mars. While most of these stories center on the costs, technological shortcomings or the existential question of exactly why we'd want to do that, this story had a different angle:What if we planned a mission to Mars, but didn't have to worry about the return trip?It's an

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-39416692025203446742010-07-27T16:10:00.005-05:002010-07-27T16:38:59.793-05:00

I got one of those "remember when" text messages the other night when Neal checked in to ask if I remembered an ill-fated late night bike ride to try and get a new Dave Matthews album in college. It's worth pointing out that we had no really solid idea of where the Best Buy was in Green Bay, my bike and fitness levels should have precluded me from trying this and it was the middle of the night

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-13545137984310092032010-02-23T10:40:00.005-06:002010-02-23T12:35:12.922-06:00

My son turns one tomorrow. In theory, he should be turning one some time in May, but his early arrival leaves us with a February birthday and that's something we've now accepted.We've also come to terms with the simple facts that not everyone we shared our NICU experience with had the same wonderful outcome and that premature births are going to continue to impact people as long as there are

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-58070688757121652162010-01-15T19:44:00.008-06:002010-01-15T21:25:49.052-06:00

It all started with such promise when my wife and I dipped our toes into the world of suburban public transit:Bus-train-bus. No driving, no parking headaches for a change.8:53 AM Dec 9th, 2009Then, those high hopes sunk a bit a day later:Two strikes, PACE! Way to suck again jackasses.6:40 PM Dec 10th, 2009And lately it's been downright hostile:Dear PACE transit - in case you forgot, you still

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-63621633940558173492010-01-06T20:17:00.004-06:002010-01-06T21:35:21.664-06:00

About a year ago, I posted an ad on Craigslist to hire a part-time staffer for office work on weekends and occasional hours during the work week. We were paying $10 an hour for this and in any given week, the staffer would be getting under 20 hours.In short, it was a pretty basic job, not paying a lot and primarily on weekends and I figured the hardest part would be finding someone who would both

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-13564556686582488822010-01-02T19:59:00.004-06:002010-01-02T20:55:53.977-06:00

The wash of end of the year "Best Of" lists was made much worse this week by the one-two punch of the year and decade ending. I even issued a minor plea via Facebook to call off the onslaught of lists that took up time and space on web sites struggling to get anything up in the week between Christmas and New Years.Sure, it's nothing new, but with the advent of embedded video, it seems like this

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-90043774391924381932009-11-10T10:22:00.003-06:002009-11-10T10:58:37.445-06:00

In the mix of finger pointing about irresponsible bloggers and posts that only fed page views because of shock value, I've noticed that mainsteam media outlets have been just as guilty.Case in point is a video clip from the front page of this morning's Chicago Tribune which takes you to the video of a woman falling in front of a train in Boston. The link simply says: "Raw video: Woman falls in

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-14122995017909177482009-10-29T20:02:00.004-05:002009-10-29T21:41:35.916-05:00

Wired put together a list of 10 Creepy Video games for Halloween and while I don't think I have played many of them, I did see a kickass new trailer for Bioshock 2.I'm not going to lie - while playing through the first one, I hit a point in the game where, late at night, something jumped out at me and I shrieked like a little kid. I may have peed on the couch a little, I can't really remember at

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-21151540365233031012009-09-28T12:52:00.003-05:002009-09-28T13:08:57.147-05:00

1.) Cubs traffic - there are hundreds of roads other than Lake Shore Drive, so why do you have to add 20 minutes to my commute?2.) Street parking - Especially if you own a larger vehicle. One of the plusses to our old neighborhood was plenty of street parking, unless it was a Friday or Saturday night.3.) Rush hour on the El - Once a month, I'd melt down after being packed into a noisy metal box

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-2304103077941105002009-09-18T21:40:00.005-05:002009-09-18T22:37:58.115-05:00

The months of waiting are over and my wife and I closed on our first home this afternoon. None of this (big picture wise) is possible without my wife, who thoroughly rehabbed my credit score (that's another story), spearheaded a house hunt while caring for a newborn and quarterbacked the network of agents, mortgage brokers and lawyers from start to finish.The story ends well, with us in a new

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-34484465207074856032009-08-17T16:27:00.008-05:002009-09-07T20:34:20.567-05:00

On the night my son was born as I waited anxiously for the nurses on duty to finish running a multitude of lines, I wandered about in the halls of the University of Chicago's Comer Children's Hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).Over the course of eight hours, I had gone from the mind-numbing boredom that comes from managing a tour company in Chicago in February to a new father, worried

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-60779548047934139742009-06-11T10:25:00.004-05:002009-06-11T11:56:11.731-05:00

Years ago, I was assigned a writing exercise that was designed to give the writer focus in an attempt to better approach daily life. We were tasked with writing our own obituaries, not to make us better writers, but to make us pause for a bit and try to outline an arc of our next 50 years.I've done this a few times since then - less lately, because my wife found a copy once when we were dating

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-55158957704271621422009-04-07T11:06:00.000-05:002009-04-07T12:18:44.058-05:00

In college a few years back, I had the privilege of taking afew courses taught by an exceptional writer who was also very talented as a teacher (an odd combination, to say the least). One of the more lasting comments she'd written on a short story of mine boiled down to a suggestion that the reader didn't need everything tied up in a neat little bow.Life is rarely black and white and I was trying

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-39472835380660862552009-03-24T18:30:00.005-05:002009-03-24T18:30:05.688-05:00

The reason for the sudden content drought here (aside from simple laziness) has been the birth of my son, who arrived a month ago today. While this event usually throws a wrench into the best laid plans, his birth has been particularly jarring as it was three months early.Needless to say, it's been a hectic four weeks.Through all of this, my wife and I (but mainly my wife) have received a crash

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-56171380555242938002009-02-22T20:36:00.004-06:002009-02-22T22:48:23.754-06:00

We're spending a lot of time in class this semester discussing the logic behind how we think. I'm pretty sure this is to better frame the concepts of adult education for us, but it's interesting nonetheless.With this comes discussions of Robert Kegan's orders of consciousness and how we see the world in relation to ourselves. In a gross oversimplification, can we see the forest or are we

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-36151034358194240312009-01-26T10:07:00.002-06:002009-01-26T10:08:39.700-06:00

I saw this option pop up on my TiVo a little while ago, but just assumed it was an early April Fool's joke.Apparently not.

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-77784369315581444692009-01-20T13:46:00.006-06:002009-01-20T14:43:11.923-06:00

I am on my lunch break right now, watching the Inaugural luncheon and getting ready for the parade to tie a big bow on the meat of the day's events. Sure there are plenty of parties to keep an eye on tonight, but as far as the big ticket items go, we're getting to the end of the road.From election night to today, I've been thinking a lot about the man I helped to elect and how all of this fits

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-89609340927826465422009-01-19T13:49:00.003-06:002009-01-19T14:08:18.489-06:00

Above is the reaction of Robert Kennedy, addressing a crowd of supporters on the evening the Rev. Martin Luther King was shot in Memphis. I heard a story about this a few weeks ago and the fact that Kennedy basically spoke off the top of his head and appealed to our better nature.He was already scheduled to speak in a rough neighborhood in Indianapolis when he received word that King had been

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-12903334106125363292009-01-07T12:38:00.004-06:002009-01-07T15:02:36.882-06:00

One of the best things parents do for their children from the day that they're born is to lie to them. Regardless of race, age, social status, region or religion, almost every child with a parent present is told the same thing, "You can be anything you want to be."We're all adults here, we know that sadly isn't the case. It's still one of the greatest things that a parent does for their child.We

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-60185524572529023332008-12-31T09:40:00.004-06:002008-12-31T13:45:49.485-06:00

In a quirk of modern timekeeping, we'll have a leap second this year - details here if you are stuck at work today and you're desperately looking for something to read - which obviously begs the question, "What can you actually do with one second?"In all honesty, I can't think of many things you can do with that extra second. I think it would be pretty fun if the Times Square countdown

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-12959779681166103152008-12-17T20:30:00.003-06:002008-12-17T21:57:55.635-06:00

So, there's not that much on Wednesday night TV these days.Sure, I could probably do 100 other things - that's counting the Netflix streaming directly to my TiVo and Xbox 360 - but most of those require more effort than flipping around cable TV.When left alone, I settle on Dog the Bounty Hunter and Parking Wars on A&E. For the record, my all-time favorite bounty hunters on TV were the

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-27514419089908800432008-11-30T12:39:00.004-06:002008-11-30T12:57:15.515-06:00

A few months ago, I had the dubious pleasure of attending the Red Bull Flugtag here in Chicago.That was about three different flavors of crazy, largely because of the armies of people who worship at the altar of Red Bull. Honestly, I had no idea these people existed.While I went to see people crash gigantic pinatas into the lake, others came because they love Red Bull more than the family dog.

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-44344053566488915122008-11-30T12:33:00.003-06:002008-11-30T12:38:12.111-06:00

Every few days, it dawns on me that I haven't posted in a long while. This is for your protection.With an expectant wife, I've been trying to reign in the desire to assign meaning to every little thing because we're bringing a little person into the world in May.Prices of peas rising because of fuel costs? Oh Lord, what kind of world are we bringing a child into?See a worldwide tragedy? Oh my,

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-74588878325112842352008-11-18T22:10:00.004-06:002008-11-18T23:02:36.469-06:00

I get it, Republicans. I've been there.There's no way the President-Elect was voted in fairly. There's no way this was the will of the people, much less a mandate.Get over it. It'll be much better for your blood pressure over the next calendar year.There is no liberal media conspiracy. There is no overwhelming order from some sinister place that determines what type of coverage is presented.

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-90248481512247686192008-11-09T12:10:00.004-06:002008-11-09T13:25:22.340-06:00

I have said from the beginning here that I would shy away from politics more often than not because a.) I'm just not informed enough to speak on it in any sort of responsible manner and b.) it precipitates nasty flame wars, even on quiet little blogs such as this. If you need any evidence of just how hot this year's campaign season got, I suggest grabbing a Facebook account and trashing either

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-33724420501872043602008-10-29T19:51:00.008-05:002008-10-29T21:38:04.129-05:00

I've spent a lot of time thinking about politics this year - well, a lot more than I used to - and trying to square away all of my own biases to make sure that I'm making a good decision next Tuesday.Unfortunately, politics in America has taken on too much of a sports flavor, with too many voters taking a "my team versus your team" stance on elections. While I can admire those who feel so

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-85558686911173414572008-10-29T19:24:00.003-05:002008-10-29T22:00:08.963-05:00

In what is becoming a big, big mess, the tickets to the Tuesday night Obama rally are gone and people are trying to find tickets by any means possible.In 2008, this of course means that people are hitting the Internet. The hitch is that you need a photo ID and so those blocks of two tickets are really a "one plus" situation.Buddy system, anyone?My favorite part of the Tribune's write up is the

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-37015138699495749592008-10-24T11:58:00.004-05:002008-10-24T12:06:14.754-05:00

I was driving home last night and hit a dead spot on my radio presets. Moving from the one button to the six, I had a string of commercials that prompted me to start hitting the seek button to find something to entertain me for a few minutes.One of the first hits was for Q101, Chicago's old standby for alternative music that was a fixture in high school. It hit me at that point that my radio

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-72087771118016999992008-10-10T17:39:00.004-05:002008-10-10T18:12:15.095-05:00

If anyone has purchased a next-gen gaming system in the past three years or so, they have discovered one overriding principle in the experience.The Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3 have higher inspirations than simply playing games or occasionally firing up a DVD when your stand alone player goes up in flames.They're jockeying to be the air traffic controller of your entire living room.Microsoft is

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-3452130581507084492008-10-06T20:56:00.004-05:002008-10-06T21:19:33.946-05:00

Coming back from the grocery store tonight I almost tripped over the eternal keg monument in our backyard. This is the keg that's been out back since Cinco de Mayo and now it has two new friends from the last annoyance our downstairs neighbors held a week and a half ago.The general rule in these situations is to think back and try to objectively determine if we were any better or worse when I was

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-430539605010583002008-09-24T19:25:00.003-05:002008-09-24T19:34:01.786-05:00

It's a weak explanation for the silence here, but things have taken on a life of their own at the tour company where I work. Despite my best attempts to alienate customers and never give more than 50 percent effort on any given day, I'm moving to a management role.I know, I was hoping for zero responsibility for the entire summer, too.Here, this should help to amuse you. Or you know, anger you.

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-69830613080650141422008-09-10T18:57:00.007-05:002008-09-10T20:48:33.649-05:00

There are a lot of unspoken contracts in our modern American society. Seriously, just think about how much you aren't required to think about.You go to any restaurant across the country and you fully expect to not only survive the experience, but to not get food poisoning or ingest any foreign objects like pennies. Likewise, when I buy a game from the store, I pretty much expect to go home, open

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-42065823607646576862008-09-05T19:56:00.004-05:002008-09-05T20:17:12.399-05:00

There are a few things I'm continually shocked by when we settle in to watch Kitchen Nightmares with celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey.First, is that when you set your TiVo, you get the Fox version - filmed in America for American audiences - and the BBC's original version and the differences are night and day. While Americans know the chef as a foulmouthed bully who has a thesaurus of scatological

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-2269982314997280522008-09-02T22:15:00.006-05:002008-09-03T09:03:11.169-05:00

As far as power hitters on our city tours go, the Soldier Field stop is pretty much the crown jewel of the South Loop. Regardless of the tour group (either locals or out of towners visiting our fair city) the conversation always goes the same way.Me: So, this is Soldier Field.Guest: So this is the home of the Bears? (Out of town) / Woo! Bears! (In town)Me: Yup.Guest: Why the hell does it look

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-80356012854335561532008-08-29T20:39:00.004-05:002008-08-29T21:20:08.803-05:00

One of these days people will get wise and realize that I post way too many links to Wired and that I'd be better served by killing this blog altogether and just linking to their web site and letting everyone cherrypick stories they find interesting.Just not today.I hit a confluence of stories today with things I'd read there and the buzz created by Barack Obama's speech about the need to start

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-21457272463077351742008-08-28T21:31:00.003-05:002008-08-28T21:40:54.542-05:00

Without any editorializing or clouding what you will take from this, these three events that share the same anniversary, August 28.1955 - About 2:30 a.m., Roy Bryant and his half brother J. W. Milam, kidnap Emmett Till from Moses Wright's home (in Money, Mississippi). They will later describe brutally beating him, taking him to the edge of the Tallahatchie River, shooting him in the head,

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-82608000201777824782008-08-25T16:48:00.004-05:002008-08-25T17:28:39.174-05:00

No more than 10 years ago, the professors at the college I attended were getting pretty nervous with the influx of Internet-related information as students increasingly used them for citation in papers and mock debates in the classroom.At the time, the Net wasn't the finely polished tech superpower it is now, it was a bit ragged and had more of a Wild West feel to it. I assume that the fears were

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-45605077456077491372008-08-19T08:31:00.004-05:002008-08-19T09:05:12.821-05:00

A little over five years ago, the two major dailies in Chicago got into a turf war for the eyes and minds of the twentysomethings in the city.The Tribune launched the Red Eye and the Sun-Times launched the Red Streak within weeks of each other, each screeching with shrill headline every morning. While some fresh content was added each day that was designed to appeal to the Lincoln Park crowd,

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-63270404603499768132008-08-14T22:15:00.004-05:002008-08-14T22:42:39.283-05:00

Gentle readers, learn from my mistakes.Not knowing what lines I cannot cross with a new bike on order and the insurance company cutting a check, I'll opt to focus on what I've learned about locks since yesterday. Suffice to say, never assume that your bike is bulletproof and know that mine was stolen in front of our shop, a doorman for the condos next door, a mailman and the knowing eyes of

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-993406682803315962008-08-13T20:31:00.003-05:002008-08-13T21:25:28.139-05:00

With all apologies to Tony, the title of this post was the easiest way to disassociate myself from the theft of my wonderful bicycle late this morning.At some point between 11:30 a.m. and noon, someone got next to my bike, cut or smashed the lock and took off with a very expensive, very awesome red bike. I've been rotating between anger and sadness since then.I honestly think if some poor soul

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-16133982075996230032008-07-30T22:44:00.005-05:002008-12-11T06:26:26.567-06:00

I try not to be too much of a class warrior if I can help it - it's too easy to get caught up chasing your tail and coming off as an envious chowderhead - but every now and again I just can't help myself.Tonight was the worst night I've had on a tour all season and it's safe to say that a few extra bucks in the pockets of the group in question had something to do with it. As I think I've

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-52383820622350767012008-07-20T21:33:00.004-05:002008-12-11T06:26:26.730-06:00

A few days after I turned 30, one of the guys at the shop asked what I thought of the whole thing.Off the top of my head, I jokingly offered that 30 was the birthday to feel bad about what you haven't done yet - I would save wrestling with my own mortality for my 40th. Still, I keep coming back to that point more often than I used to, and that has to mean something, right?Half the fun of stalking

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-52297113904225297052008-07-07T19:08:00.003-05:002008-12-11T06:26:27.057-06:00

In the fall of 1996, I was a college freshman in Green Bay, trying desperately to be cool and make friends.One of the first people I met who wasn't a roommate or one of the escaped mental patients who lived on my floor was gold-star commenter, NAD. We bonded over our lack of respect for biology lab reports and hippie music like Dave Matthews Band and Blues Traveler.It was a Blues Traveler/

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-92173818565941421532008-06-30T19:38:00.002-05:002008-06-30T19:41:22.307-05:00

This is a variation of a game I played with telemarketers when left on my own without adult supervision for a few weeks between moves from Chicago to Minneapolis.Only, in that case it was a faster game because it was a game of "What?" and not a game of "Yes!"Also, no one called me a moron. Jerk, yes. Moron, no.

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-92202071943123295652008-06-30T10:17:00.005-05:002008-12-11T06:26:27.167-06:00

One of the biggest surprises in returning to Chicago is the explosion of bicycle riders on the city's streets. I think we arrived at the perfect storm of high gas prices, the green movement and cheap, accessible public transportation, but for whatever reason there are significantly more bike riders in our neighborhood this summer.Normally, I avoid the lakefront bike path because it's just too

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-44122689657660547452008-06-29T18:29:00.006-05:002008-12-11T06:26:27.321-06:00

Our current backyard is best described as a series of cement slabs, paving stones and gravel that doesn't really lend itself to the kind of quiet relaxation that we've grown accustomed to. I'm not exaggerating when I say that we don't have a single square foot of green space - a minor oversight when we signed the lease.First, a quick history:When my wife and I first moved in together, we lived in

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-87304621118062752812008-06-24T10:51:00.005-05:002008-12-11T06:26:27.495-06:00

Heading home from work last night, I was thinking of the concept of tipping as a means of showing your gratitude.In addition to the arguments against it in Freaknomics - essentially, why would you tip at a restaurant that you rarely visit or, worse yet, at a restaurant out of town, where you will likely never visit again - I was thinking in the larger sense of the tour company I work at now.First

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-21436607731002709532008-06-17T22:21:00.004-05:002008-12-11T06:26:27.846-06:00

I watched And the Band Played On last night for what seems like the 50th time and was irate with the United States government, the Reagan Administration and the egos of men of science just as I had been since the first time I saw the movie.I had my heart broken by the stories that were woven together all over again and wanted desperately to know if the country's front line against the spread of

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-25218574974308573022008-06-10T08:15:00.006-05:002008-12-11T06:26:27.997-06:00

This morning marks the day that I turn 30 and as a trailer to last night's post, I offer these basics from three decades of accumulated knowledge:* If there's any question about whether or not food is still good, throw it out. It's the same choice you'd make if offered the chance to dodge a 24-hour stomach flu in exchange for buying a new pizza/sandwich/gallon of milk.* The preseason favorite is

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-12641900917936759062008-06-09T22:35:00.005-05:002008-12-11T06:26:28.129-06:00

In a few hours, I'll technically turn 30, which isn't so bad now that it has arrived. Not that I thought it would be awful, it's just a strange, if arbitrary, milestone.When all is said and done, I could easily run this into a marathon post, consuming hours of my time and ending up right back where I started. There has to be an easier, more entertaining way to handle this, not to mention the fact

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-68318656660714805832008-06-09T21:03:00.004-05:002008-12-11T06:26:28.424-06:00

Didn't anyone watch Supersize Me when it came out? Do we need a collective refresher course?After taking strides to make McDonald's, ahem, "healthier" in the form of milk or apple slices as substitutes for the usual sugary sodas and french fries, it looks like the Hamburglar has deemed it time to reinstitute his plan for world domination.According to a story found by the always outstanding

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-80786068427367215282008-06-01T19:44:00.006-05:002008-12-11T06:26:28.582-06:00

By and large, I am very skeptical when any major corporation wants to "give" me something or do something that appears in my best interest.Want to sign me up for a rewards program? Who will you be selling my e-mail address, phone number and home address to?Would I like to be a preferred customer and receive 15 cents off a can of soup? What kind of consumer profile are you attempting to create by

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-17733819521069620542008-05-28T22:01:00.002-05:002008-05-28T22:02:12.514-05:00

No matter how much time I feel like I'm wasting playing video games, I have miles to go before I equal this in terms of production and spectacle.Thank you, Interweb.See more funny videos at CollegeHumor

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-56247597218719182532008-05-24T20:47:00.005-05:002008-12-11T06:26:28.724-06:00

I had a family from New York on one of my tours this week and in between discussions on the wonders of water filtration and sketchy government dealings one of the kids started talking about Grand Theft Auto IV.It gave me something to think about from my childless ivory tower when the mom in the group said that she preferred being able to supervise her kids as they played video games at home

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-51604974217535241302008-05-21T20:15:00.006-05:002008-12-11T06:26:28.845-06:00

It's pretty difficult to ignore the rising gas prices this summer, regardless if you commute to work daily or just watch the prices at the grocery store climb as it becomes more expensive to ship any sort of product from Point A to Point B.Was it only a year ago that I was aghast at gas sold for $3 per gallon? Man, I miss the gold old days of 2007.When people are scouring the country for used Geo

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-91284527384568274782008-05-19T16:44:00.004-05:002008-12-11T06:26:28.977-06:00

I'll admit that I'm in the minority here in Chicago by owning my own vehicle and the fact that said vehicle is a truck.Of the five people in my apartment building, my wife and I own both cars. As younger folks in the city, the three people downstairs have no vehicles between them. I've tried to be as unapproachable as possible to ward off any conversations regarding borrowing my truck.Sure, I'd

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-38102950216169635272008-05-15T11:47:00.002-05:002008-05-15T11:57:31.873-05:00

Everyone thank NAD for finding this and putting it up as his away message for his Gmail account.

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-86738374106986358412008-05-11T21:53:00.004-05:002008-12-11T06:26:29.131-06:00

One of the lasting memories I have from a few months in Mr. Ferarra's high school Spanish class is his insistence that "man is the only animal with the ability to deceive himself."Despite hundreds of hours spent watching nature documentaries, two years of spent at the training school working with dogs and living with a handful of lower level primates in my freshman dorm, I have yet to disprove

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-58084601200155542392008-05-09T14:30:00.000-05:002008-12-11T06:26:29.284-06:00

In my life, I've learned there are things you share with the world and those that are best kept to yourself. This, of course, is beyond the usual categories of starting salaries and social diseases - though those are good places to start in the keeping your mouth shut business.Ernest Hemingway supposedly said that the surest way to defeat an unwritten novel is to start telling people that you're

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-12863732938235984722008-05-09T09:00:00.001-05:002008-12-11T06:26:29.387-06:00

A few months ago, I had to use some insurance money that was set aside for glasses or contacts and made an appointment at random when my usual eye doctor couldn't get me in before the deadline.The plan was simple, get in, get a basic eye exam and a set of glasses. Contacts would have to wait for the money to reset.Midway through the exam, the doctor was going over my chart and tried to put

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-13636635945976607992008-05-08T12:00:00.004-05:002008-12-11T06:26:29.547-06:00

The Martian Child - John Cusack does the whole confused / troubled normal guy better than anyone around. One question remains. Can he act without his sister in the same movie?Meet the Robinsons - Fun cartoon based on what looks like a cool kids book. The Tyrannosaurus who can't get the kid and starts whining is just as funny as it was on the trailers. Good stuff.Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - I

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-40159691769034114242008-05-05T21:19:00.007-05:002008-12-11T06:26:29.746-06:00

My Kid Could Paint That - Hit on this one already. It makes me even more frustrated with the whole modern art movement. Poor kid.Enchanted - I thought it'd be a little more brutal in making fun of the whole Disney/fairy tale genre. I was wrong. Still, you can't beat a cleaning, singing rat. Confessions of a Superhero - Really, really great documentary about the characters who pose for pictures

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-85217424464899163452008-05-05T12:56:00.006-05:002008-12-11T06:26:29.885-06:00

I've made the point here before that one of the major reasons I have an Xbox 360 and not a Wii is because of Microsoft's stable of games.As someone who grew up with video games, my tastes have changed and I respect the fact that Sony and Microsoft can respect that. Not to knock the Wii, but it makes games for families and younger gamers and that's where they've found the ground to kill the other

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-31625448636067197482008-04-23T14:25:00.005-05:002008-12-11T06:26:30.137-06:00

It was 12 years ago this spring when I was locking down where I wanted to go to college, combing through the acceptance and rejection letters and trying to figure out where I wanted to spend the next four years of my life.Glossy handouts filled with pictures of smiling students, (most looking like a Benneton ad to stress the college or university's commitment to diversity) triumphant

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-67082645169707905352008-04-21T15:07:00.002-05:002008-04-21T15:08:55.740-05:00

Found this on Wired's site today.He makes valid points about Dracula.

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-76212640511138681282008-04-20T20:09:00.006-05:002008-12-11T06:26:30.257-06:00

Appearing on the Chicago Tribune's web site tonight is word that another cyclist has been killed on the streets of Chicago.A man my age was killed at the end of February a few blocks from my house, struck by an SUV in the street. That one was strange for me because his memorial is something I pass weekly. And he's not the only one - just looking around for pictures of that memorial turned up a

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-31958853809970751212008-04-10T19:07:00.003-05:002008-12-11T06:26:30.426-06:00

When I used to volunteer at the Humane Society's training school, we used to have occasional problems on someone's first night where the dog just wouldn't pay attention.The funny thing was that people took that very personally, to the point that they were embarrassed that their dog - which was there for training - actually needed training. I imagine this is much like having a child that starts

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-30771805612830614492008-04-09T21:58:00.003-05:002008-12-11T06:26:30.725-06:00

I admit that I get a weird thrill from my daily perusal of Consumerist.com and I can't quite place why.Whether it's seeing that someone got royally screwed by a company I don't do business with or, worse yet, by one that I do, there's a nice feeling of relief that I dodged a bullet for that day.No matter what happens, I didn't get a massive bill from AT&T or I didn't get taken to the cleaners

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-76248243031570495942008-04-09T16:02:00.004-05:002008-12-11T06:26:30.837-06:00

I stumbled across a link in Wired - still the best magazine no one reads - for a graphic designer in New York who publishes a yearly recap of what he did during the past 365 days.Not just in a bite-sized family Christmas card kind of way either, this guy gets down to the basics from how many iTunes songs he listened to (and a geographical representation of where the top 50 artists on that list

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-70651890978555453922008-04-06T20:13:00.004-05:002008-12-11T06:26:31.026-06:00

There are certain things on which I have no authority to speak about, even in short bursts. While these include the pain of childbirth, the benefits of a vegan lifestyle and intelligent decisions one can make in college, the one that comes to mind tonight is the value of modern art.A few weeks ago, I visited the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art with a friend and she and I stumbled around making

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-80069425499898993662008-03-30T18:18:00.004-05:002008-12-11T06:26:31.325-06:00

As The Girl has pointed out twice now, people getting into their office's NCAA pools for the first time are scratching their heads and wondering just how hard it can be to pick the four top seeds and write their names in for the finals.It's official as of 6:15 p.m. that for the first time in tournament history, the top seeds will make the Final Four.I'm currently trying to get the person in our

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-7959571740707238592008-03-30T09:33:00.003-05:002008-12-11T06:26:31.516-06:00

Cars - It's sad that even kids movies can be deconstructed now. Next time, I'll have to remember to skip the special features. Fun movie, though.Hello Again Everybody: The Harry Caray Story - Great documentary on Harry Caray. A must-view for any baseball fan, even if it's for teams other than the Cubs. Oh, and Elvis loved Harry. Rocket Science - Great little movie about a boy with a

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-26835367499672585742008-03-28T10:13:00.006-05:002008-12-11T06:26:31.661-06:00

In the same week where people went nuts over a gas station accidentally offering gas at $2.50 a gallon, the Chicago Police Department let it slip that they were kicking around the idea of buying a bunch of SUVs for the rank and file to patrol in.Citing "rugged winters" Police Supt. Jody Weis suggested that with the department's squad cars needing replacement, SUVs might be the way to go. That's

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-62066424049856459762008-03-25T11:25:00.002-05:002008-03-25T11:28:06.717-05:00

I watch this and can't help but wonder, "Why the hell haven't they outlawed spectators at rally races?"There seems to be a disproportionate number of accidents involving rally cars and people unaware of the existence of the races they're involved in.

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-26357959054930484892008-03-25T06:02:00.003-05:002008-03-25T06:08:08.908-05:00

This post by Consumerist.com made me chuckle this morning, hearing that most people are planning to spend their prebate to pay off bills instead of dumping the money back into the economy.I've heard more than one friend threaten to take their found money and make a donation in that exact amount to the Democratic Party, but putting the money in savings or paying off credit card bills has also been

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-35353239321234391002008-03-20T21:30:00.003-05:002008-12-11T06:26:31.783-06:00

300 - I'd already seen this, but not in hi-def and it was much better on a screen that wasn't my laptop. I feel a bit cheated now that this is a pop culture story and not a cool old story I knew, but many people didn't. What fun is it being a nerd if you can't be smug about it?Keen Eddie: The Complete Series: Disc 3 (4-Disc Series)- Great series that only lasted one season, but the episodes seem

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-11226377006701747062008-03-18T12:13:00.006-05:002008-12-11T06:26:31.976-06:00

In an attempt to keep the copy flowing when I don't have the time or energy to do daily weekly posts, I'm going to try short movie reviews of what I'm getting through Netflix.Generally, I'll watch anything once, so I'll make sure to warn you of movies that you should never, ever rent - we're looking at you Cold Mountain.If this whole exercise sucks, I'll stop, honest.Hot Rod - Funnier than I

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-87124871065801133972008-03-18T11:19:00.005-05:002008-12-11T06:26:32.109-06:00

So long, Comcast - see you in hell, you unhelpful jackals.While I subscribe to the idea that in many cases the devil you know is better than the devil you don't, a quick search of Consumerist.com shows 8 hits for "RCN" and 381 for "Comcast" so I'm willing to take the risk.The kicker is that when we moved to Minnesota, we were happy to set up an account with anyone other than Comcast after the

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-53725039797598186442008-03-11T10:03:00.004-05:002008-12-11T06:26:32.263-06:00

Prompted by last night's off the cuff game review of the newest offering from the MLB catalogue and last month's Wired Magazine's piece on 37signals and their gospel of keeping things as simple as possible, I'm really seeing the benefit of keeping things at their most basic.As I was working on 2K8's learning curve last night, it struck me that the game would be all but impossible to pick up and

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-3602941772428674602008-03-04T09:06:00.005-06:002008-12-11T06:26:32.457-06:00

The reports are blazing across the Internet this morning - Brett Favre is retiring.Frank's first response was to ask if it was for real this time and unless we have another trigger-happy code monkey on our hands, this time it's legit. (He has since sent this gem: "Aaron Rodgers, Rex Grossman, Jon Kitna, Tavaris Jackson - one of these QBs is guaranteed to make the playoffs next season. Gotta love

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-65454515608346980232008-02-26T21:41:00.004-06:002008-12-11T06:26:32.715-06:00

So, Quarterlife is on right now and within the first four minutes, I was fairly certain that I had no desire to see the remaining 56.I know that it was four minutes in because my wife helpfully pointed this out as I voiced my displeasure with the show. She, however, is on board through the first episode. You see our dilemma.While we each have our "take one for the team" shows - for me, it's her

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-29788464726213729012008-02-21T10:02:00.003-06:002008-12-11T06:26:32.914-06:00

I followed a link from a local paper's web site this morning and was sorely disappointed by what I found.The Go Chicago Card is an offer for those visiting our fair city and allows them access to the big attractions - the Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum, both zoos, etc. - over three, five or seven days as they make their way around town.It's a great idea for tourists, but leaves city residents out

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-12652653832842532122008-02-20T20:01:00.005-06:002008-12-11T06:26:33.092-06:00

One of our guilty pleasures is watching television shows devoid of any redeeming qualities. Give us any of the wife-swapping, nanny-involving or humans versus animals tests of strength and we're so there.Tonight's Supernanny features Wendy Wilson and the episode is billed as a superstar's appearance. For everyone outside of her immediate family, Wilson was the utterly forgettable member of Wilson

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-21980897803175203862008-02-07T20:48:00.000-06:002008-12-11T06:26:33.549-06:00

Sean Connery spoke of the "Chicago Way" in The Untouchables, where he said, "They pull a knife, you pull a gun. He sends one of yours to the hospital, you send one of his to the morgue. That's the Chicago way!"While this is the type of stereotype that makes Olympic organizers cringe, it gives me a strange sense of pride when my mayor throws being politically correct out the window and just runs

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-86354842033481814622008-02-04T21:57:00.000-06:002008-12-11T06:26:33.826-06:00

Two quick points today to wrap up the Super Bowl postmortem. They both relate to how the New York win last night will impact my life in the short- and medium-term.First, the big reason I didn't go off the deep end two weeks ago when Green Bay fell apart at home and let the Giants escape with a field goal in overtime was because I assumed that the winner of the NFC game just won the "get your ass

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-53137340756118485442008-02-04T11:57:00.000-06:002008-12-11T06:26:33.961-06:00

If I was just a bit more motivated, I would have gotten this up sooner in the day, just so it didn't seem like I spent all morning scouring the Internet to build a case and then try and run with it.I'm just not that motivated.But, unlike Super Bowl victories, judging what the media will do next is really easy to predict. The blogosphere is as easy, if not more so.So, here's my version of the prop

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-653410053932844492008-02-01T11:55:00.000-06:002008-12-11T06:26:34.224-06:00

Having time on my hands, I started to dig out from the last day's worth of snow. I was feeling pretty good this morning, so I started in front of our apartment and kept going down to the alley to help out our neighbors.The snow is pretty light, so it's actually a good snowstorm to rack up the big accumulation numbers.Anyone who has lived in a cold climate knows that powder is better than packing

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-64226868399538269572008-01-28T19:34:00.000-06:002008-12-11T06:26:34.354-06:00

When the Heath Ledger media circus was just gaining some steam last week, early guesses were that he committed suicide because the crush of starpower was just too much for him.It's a shopworn storyline that the small town boy (or girl) works hard, gets discovered, is well-respected for doing what they do well and eventually can't take the 24-hour scrutiny that comes as a nasty side effect.As near

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-59330336124124984752008-01-23T09:16:00.000-06:002008-01-23T09:20:17.926-06:00

Funny, I don't remember anyone speculating that Jim Henson died of a drug overdose when his body gave out from pneumonia.Do I just not remember this because I was 12, or is the world a little more cynical now?I blame the Internet.

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-22346557011256307482008-01-22T21:39:00.000-06:002008-12-11T06:26:34.735-06:00

We watched God Grew Tired of Us tonight and it's one of those documentaries that you pick up for the novelty of it and it ends up grabbing you and making a real impact. This would be exactly the opposite of Reversal of Fortune which was essentially a homeless circus and left me feeling somewhat dirty after I saw it.The quick rundown on God Grew Tired of Us is that the filmmakers followed three

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-32474441430903842412008-01-22T17:19:00.000-06:002008-01-22T17:27:18.975-06:00

I'm not going to get into the postmortem on the Packers/Giants game... well, maybe not yet, it's just too soon.Instead, enjoy this - from WithLeather.com - and remember that someday football might be fun again. Until then, just take it one day at a time until you get the satisfaction of seeing the 1975 Dolphins forced to shut up and the 2007 Giants are shamed during the biggest television event

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-6000952299428889322008-01-18T21:14:00.000-06:002008-12-11T06:26:34.896-06:00

Let's start at the end and work our way back, shall we?Me: "Hi, honey. I'm just getting back to the hotel and you'll never guess what I ate for dinner."The Girl: "Um, I don't know... Country fried steak?"Me: "Keep the last two words."The Girl: "Chicken fried steak?"Me: "No, just the last two words."The Girl: "Fried steak?!?"Thank you, Notorious N.A.D. After spending time here, he was able to

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-39529926689331034132008-01-17T21:24:00.000-06:002008-12-11T06:26:34.919-06:00

Random thoughts from a day of travel, eventually ending with an evening in Bozeman, Montana:* I flew fake business class - so, what would that be? Money-laundering class? Vandelay class? - which meant travel in the two rows technically in business class, but without the tech-heavy armrests or the service enjoyed by the other passengers.I honestly never really knew what I was missing in terms of

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-24216626475165660482008-01-15T17:32:00.001-06:002008-01-15T17:45:28.351-06:00

When the Girl was studying in Ireland, I got a lot of mileage from making all sorts of cracks about her new hometown of Dublin.Drunk jokes were just too easy, so I went the way of Lucky Charms, Leprechaun Presidential elections and worshiping the Pope-tato.So, when it's time to take my lumps about being an idiot who was a product of the American educational system, I usually just suck it up and

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-19795999445208002722008-01-13T19:00:00.000-06:002008-12-11T06:26:35.247-06:00

What makes today outstanding? Two Mannings were playing football this afternoon, and the right one lost.I'm near the bottom rung of the ladder when it comes to the line of succession for the Peyton Manning fan club, but this means I possibly get to indulge myself when it comes to another offseason of reports that Peyton is sulking, Peyton is being snippy to his wife and Peyton is drowning his

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-46713550286945844582008-01-13T09:45:00.000-06:002008-12-11T06:26:35.259-06:00

For those in Chicago, here's your official heads up that both the Shedd Aquarium and the Museum of Science and Industry will be free in the immediate future.Gapers Block has the news on the Shedd, which will offer free admission through Jan. 18. Admission to the Wild Reef and the Oceanarium will cost you a few bucks more, but are totally worth it.After locking people out last week - I assume to

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21512185.post-80832146190117601282008-01-12T20:27:00.000-06:002008-12-11T06:26:35.411-06:00

I played two games of Madden.I cleaned up the living room a bit, including vacuuming up two dozen rogue pine needles from a tree that was hauled out last weekend.I walked the dog, ran to the mailbox on the corner and made lunch.I still had two hours to go before the Packer game kicked off. Damn, did that suck.With the games pushed back for the Saturday schedule - 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. for the

Minneapolis Red Soxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232923494409919354noreply@blogger.com1