Wednesday, June 30, 2004

The blogfather

Now this is a good blog.

Sorry for the infrequent posting. Been a busy week so far.

Saturday, June 26, 2004

Saw F-9/11 last night

I don't know that I have the energy to write a review. All I can do is beg you to go see it for yourself.

Be afraid...

...be very afraid.

Tuesday, June 22, 2004

Monday, June 21, 2004

Cough up the dough

If you listen to Chicago Public Radio and don't contribute, that's just sad. You can give just $5/month straight from your bank account, and in exchange, you get the membercard which gets you buy 1 get 1 free at tons of restaurants, museums and theatres in Chicago and the burbs. So pay up! I don't want another stupid pledge drive!! Use the link above to donate.

Dude

whoa.

Thursday, June 17, 2004

The burning question...

"When the zombies take over, how long till the electricity fails?"

Key quote:

Pentagon officials still insist Rumsfeld acted legally, but admit it all depends on how you interpret the law.

So it does all depend on what the definition of "is" is.

Wednesday, June 16, 2004

Helpful!

Ooo, look at all the beautiful colors!

Pirate!

Since tech posts are the only ones that seem to get any buzz around these parts, here you go.

A.Word.A.Day -- papuliferous

When things look unclear.

Monday, June 14, 2004

Bush to Pope: "Can ya help a brotha out?"

Josh Marshall, again: I guess on one level we can say we've come a long way since 1960 when John F. Kennedy had to foreswear that he'd follow the instructions of the Pope in his decisions of governance. Today we have a Protestant born-again who tries to enlist the Pope to intervene in an American election.

Don't think it's that bad? Read this excerpt from the National Catholic Reporter:

During his June 4 visit, Bush asked the Vatican to push the American Catholic bishops to be more aggressive politically on family and life issues, especially a constitutional amendment that would define marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

A Vatican official told NCR June 9 that in his meeting with Cardinal Angelo Sodano and other Vatican officials, Bush said, “Not all the American bishops are with me” on the cultural issues. The implication was that he hoped the Vatican would nudge them toward more explicit activism.

Other sources in the meeting said that while they could not recall the president’s exact words, he did pledge aggressive efforts on the cultural front, especially the battle against gay marriage, and asked for the Vatican’s help in encouraging the U.S. bishops to be more outspoken.

According to sources, Sodano did not respond to the request.

Sources say Bush made the remark after Sodano thanked him for his stand on the issues of family and life. They also said that while Bush was focusing primarily on the marriage question, he also had in mind other concerns such as abortion and stem cell research.

Bush supports a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage and has urged Congress to take swift action. Since polls show that in several battleground states in the fall election a majority of voters is opposed to gay marriage, some Bush analysts think an aggressive push on the issue will help the president’s prospects.


Current IRS law forbids non-profit organizations from doing political campaigning, or else risk losing their tax-exempt status. I think Catholics out there who are already worried about declining donations during the sex-abuse scandal should be doubly worried if it becomes apparent that church leadership is following orders from Washington.

Helpful hint

As a companion post to the last one, here is a helpful site that you can direct people to if they are having trouble finding the information they need on the internet.

Friday, June 11, 2004

Helpful - Great Googly Moogly

Here's a page that links to all sorts of Google tips. Did you know Google was a calculator?

More Gmail invites

They sent me 2 more. Please comment here if you want in.

Thursday, June 10, 2004

Moderately interesting...

...and not really that helpful. In fact, consider this a wasted post and open thread -- comment on whatever you like.

I mean seriously...

...is this the America that Ronnie had in mind?

This administration should be IN JAIL.

Bush/Zombie Reagan 2004

Now this is the team to beat.

The choice with hair loss:

Fight it, embrace it, or comb it over?

Wednesday, June 09, 2004

Role-playing

Actors, teachers, fantasy nerds -- they do it all the time, but apparently the Gitmo boys are taking it just a little too far.

Tuesday, June 08, 2004

Scorecard - Interesting?

Shot a 56 on 9 holes, not that bad, considering they were the first 56 swings of the year. Highlights:
Only needed 2 putts on each of the first 6 holes - the putter was golden
Put a bunker shot within 5 feet
Actually cleared the water and bogeyed a 140-yard par-3
Left the course with more golf balls than I started with.

SittingHitz paid the green fees, and did well in punishing the local trees for being in the way of his shots. :)
A nice lunch and nap followed, and now, the final pack.

Monday, June 07, 2004

How could I...

...not link to this movie trailer??

Kinda full week

Friday, we left work early, drove (through horrendous traffic) to South Bend, IN for a Saturday race. Cindy ran a marathon; I ran a 10-K. Race results are here.

The races started at 5:45(!) and 7:30 AM, so we made it back to Chicago at about 3:00, just in time to meet Cindy's dad, uncle and cousin at a bar on Southport for drinks and food. Then, amazingly, another cousin and his dad were across the street at an all-day Cubs' Skybox, then craps-poker-Belmont Stakes-keg bachelor party. So of course we had to go up there and check it out.

We watched the race, then hustled home, so we could go to 2 birthday parties and meet an old friend at yet another bar.

Sunday, Cindy and I went to the Cubs-Pirates game, then CRASHED. Woke up 2 hours later, then watched Roger and Me, which was pretty fantastic. Got it through Netflix, by the way.

Tonight, off to the long sold-out Cubs/Cardinals game, then for my birthday tomorrow, SittingHitz and I will be playing golf at the lake, then I'll be finishing packing for our Wednesday move.

Good times!

Thursday, June 03, 2004

I love Josh Marshall

Read it.

Having said all that, beside the possibility that the White House's favored Iraqi exile was an Iranian agent, that the spy chief just got canned, that the OSD is wired to polygraphs, and that the president has had to retain outside counsel in the investigation into which members of his staff burned one of the country's own spies, I'd say the place is being run like a pretty well-oiled machine.

-- Josh Marshall

New bookmark

Just the site the Quarter-life crisis sufferer needs when trying to figure out what the "next big thing" should be in his life -- this.

Update: Unfortunately, it costs money to join and use the service, but for brainstorming personal goals, it seems pretty neat.

Wednesday, June 02, 2004

Please vote

One of our friends is being featured on Metromix.com: Babes in beerland and we'd like to support her. Her name is Mary, and she is a member of the "High-Carb Honeys." Please vote for her. Thanks.

Just for you, Josh

More personality?

Does this blog need more personality? Maybe. Until then, you can always read glassdog instead.

Tuesday, June 01, 2004

FYI

1. My bro is OK, but he was in a car accident in LA on his birthday last week. He had some stitches on his chin and lower lip, but was fine enough to make it through his set at House of Blues last week. Check out the band here. Song clips, video, the works. Next gig is June 11 at Zen Sushi in Silverlake, CA.

2. Moving is exciting, but it really sucks.

3. I worry that my job is not imminently meaningful.

Chew on that.

Fun music bubbles

Importing 150 CD's into your computer over one weekend puts music on your brain, so here's a fun music link for the day. I don't get it yet, but it's pretty!

pop, soda, coke

We are a nation divided.