Helpful: Never Eat Alone

Read this book! Review to come Friday.

Never Eat Alone (and Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time)

Interesting: Paper Robots!

Paper Robot´s Paper Robots!

Tragic: The Story of Jonathan Schulze

Even if we could end the war, it wouldn't be enough.

Helpful: Dont Be That Guy

You hear me, Indigo Steve? Dont Be That Guy!

Helpful: iConcertCal

Did you resolve to see more live music this year? I did, and iConcertCal is going to help me. The iTunes plug-in scans your music library and automatically creates a calendar of upcoming concerts by those artists, in your city. Fantastic. Free program, for Mac OS X 10.3 or higher.

Interesting: Built Chicago

Built Chicago is a new website about Chicago architecture, planning and real estate. Not bad.

Interersting: Sundance for Free

In an encouraging trend for short films--and independent films in general--the Sundance Film Festival is streaming dozens of movies from the upcoming festival for free on their website. Sadly, you will not find my new favorite short film, Static.

From Very Short List.

Helpful: Amazon Wish List

Did you make a resolution to read more this year? Do yourself a favor and set up a Wish List on Amazon right now. That way, when you hear about cool books or movies that you might want to buy later or receive for your birthday, you'll remember what they are. Of course, if you have a blog, you can also post the wish list in the right sidebar and hope that people out there get the hint...ahem.

Interesting: Obama is in. Kinda.

Here we go.



A Message From Barack

Helpful: TXT 2 PIC

All of your sign generator needs, all in one place.

TXT 2 PIC

Helpful: A weight watcher's guide to booze

Apparently, pale ales and stouts have the most calories, and a four-ounce glass of red wine has only 70 calories. So let's do the math from the New Years Eve party - how many calories are in 14 bottles of wine and 2 bottles of bourbon?

Caloric Values of Alcoholic Beverages, Alcohol calories

Helpful: Relevancy and Cash

Cody's got a multi-part series on search engine optimization working over at Yahoo! Publisher Network. Using his advice, I hope to improve my blog income from the $3.14 I accrued in 2006. Wish me luck!

Bleak: Iraq

'The jihad now is against the Shias, not the Americans' | Iraq | Guardian Unlimited

Interesting: John Edwards

Being a Democrat in Illinois, I get a lot of questions about Barack Obama. I'm a big fan, and I'm excited to hear if he announces a run for president this week. That said, I am very encouraged by John Edwards and his campaign strategy. Edwards has often been criticized for a lack of leadership experience, so he has turned his presidential campaign into a nationwide community service organization. Rallies and marches just don't cut it anymore. Improving this country takes work, and the more hands helping, the better.

Interesting: Mexico

Mexico 2006
Originally uploaded by kuzmatt9.

Here are some pics from our trip to Mexico last month. Indigo Steve joined us, and is shown enjoying a popular Mexican treat, Bubu Lubu.

Not Helpful: CTA Construction

Budget twice the time to get home each night? This is gonna be great.

Helpful: Don't Fear

It's for the birds.

Interesting: Tag, I'm it

Cody says
I'm it, so here you go. Five things you don't know about Matt Kuzma:

1. I have performed karaoke in three countries, including "You Were Always on My Mind" during a high school trip to Switzerland and a recent performance of "Careless Whisper" in Mexico. What makes a great karaoke song? A groove, little to no instrumental solo, words like "la la" or "na na" that the crowd can sing along to. Please, no American Pie. Thanks.

2. I hate The Cure, but secretly like them.

3. I love running, but secretly hate it.

4. I need to buy new pants.

5. I miss my Aunt Linda.

Interesting: Helsinki Complaints Choir

From the new I+H favorite, Very Short List.

Not Helpful: Don't make a decision

From Talking Points Memo:

November 2006:
"President Bush said Monday that he has made no decisions about
altering the number of U.S. troops in Iraq, and he refused to discuss
the pros and cons that would accompany such a decision."

August 2005:
President Bush said Thursday no decision has been made on increasing or
decreasing U.S. troop levels in Iraq, saying that as "Iraqis stand up,
we will stand down" and that only conditions on the ground will dictate
when it is time for a reduction in U.S. forces.

April 2004:
"Gen. John P. Abizaid, the senior commander in the Middle East, has
asked for contingency plans for increasing the number of troops in
Iraq. No decision has been made to supplement the 134,000 troops now
there, and White House officials said it was unclear whether such a
move would help the situation."

November 2003:
"The President is going to do what is most effective in Iraq, and he
gets recommendations from his commanders on troop levels and what is
needed. No decisions have been made about future troops levels," said
National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice.

Helpful: Best pillow ever

I've had neck and arm problems for a long time, and one of the worst symptoms is sleep difficulty. Thanks to a cheesy infomercial featuring a guy who looks like a washed up old rocker, I found out about the Homedics Therapy Pillow, which has turned out to be amazing. Buy it.

Helpful: Google Bomb the Elections

It's worth a shot.

--AZ-Sen: Jon Kyl

--AZ-01: Rick Renzi

--AZ-05: J.D. Hayworth

--CA-04: John Doolittle

--CA-11: Richard Pombo

--CA-50: Brian Bilbray

--CO-04: Marilyn Musgrave

--CO-05: Doug Lamborn

--CO-07: Rick O'Donnell

--CT-04: Christopher Shays

--FL-13: Vernon Buchanan

--FL-16: Joe Negron

--FL-22: Clay Shaw

--ID-01: Bill Sali

--IL-06: Peter Roskam

--IL-10: Mark Kirk

--IL-14: Dennis Hastert

--IN-02: Chris Chocola

--IN-08: John Hostettler

--IA-01: Mike Whalen

--KS-02: Jim Ryun

--KY-03: Anne Northup

--KY-04: Geoff Davis

--MD-Sen: Michael Steele

--MN-01: Gil Gutknecht

--MN-06: Michele Bachmann

--MO-Sen: Jim Talent

--MT-Sen: Conrad Burns

--NV-03: Jon Porter

--NH-02: Charlie Bass

--NJ-07: Mike Ferguson

--NM-01: Heather Wilson

--NY-03: Peter King

--NY-20: John Sweeney

--NY-26: Tom Reynolds

--NY-29: Randy Kuhl

--NC-08: Robin Hayes

--NC-11: Charles Taylor

--OH-01: Steve Chabot

--OH-02: Jean Schmidt

--OH-15: Deborah Pryce

--OH-18: Joy Padgett

--PA-04: Melissa Hart

--PA-07: Curt Weldon

--PA-08: Mike Fitzpatrick

--PA-10: Don Sherwood

--RI-Sen: Lincoln Chafee

--TN-Sen: Bob Corker

--VA-Sen: George Allen

--VA-10: Frank Wolf

--WA-Sen: Mike McGavick

--WA-08: Dave Reichert

Interesting: Benson

Who knew sleeping was such hard work?

Interesting: A nightmare

No more Bell's in Chicago?

Helpful: Eight more things I learned

1) The ladies love Jeremy Piven.
2) Replacing a bike seat is expensive.
3) Replacing the numbers from a lost cell phone is impossible.
4) Guess what? No matter how powerful you are, your e-mail and IM's will NEVER be private.
5) Everything wrong with America can apparently be traced back to Bill Clinton's penis, which shall forever be referred to on this page as "The Clenis."
6) Trader Joe's is the best grocery store ever.
7) The HP 12-C calculator can figure out just about anything.
8) Want to hear something loud? Sit inside an 'L' car when it's hailing outside.