I'm hoping that the title line to this post isn't somehow copyrighted by some nerd with a college basketball website or a b-rate sports website like cbs or fox. Sorry for the one week hiatus there sports fans, but sometimes work gets you down. Hopefully this will distract you from watching bad Monday night football, but not prevent you from catching as much of the 24 hours of hoops that you can. This is my projection of the NCAA tournament field in March. I'll go bracket by bracket starting with the #1 overall seed moving toward the #4 overall seed in each of the four fields. These projections are compliant with the NCAA specs, but I can't be held accountable for knowing all the regular season schedules and any repeat games with bad teams.
1 Kansas v 16 Prairie View A&M/Mt St Mary's
8 GA Tech v 9 Vandy
5 Louisville v 12 Old Dominion
4 Illinois v 13 Western Kentucky (Payback time)
6 Dayton v 11 Wake Forest
3 Cal v 14 Holy Cross
7 Michigan v 10 Seton Hall (Rumeal Robinson anyone?)
2 Kentucky v 15 Oakland (Kentucky is vastly overrated, but so is the SEC)
1 Purdue v 16 Morehead St (Not homerism, just a good team)
8 Clemson v 9 UCLA
5 Oklahoma St v 12 Utah St
4 Butler v 13 Portland
6 Ole Miss v 11 Kansas St
3 UNC v 14 Long Beach St (UNC is another overrated team with no guard play)
7 Tulsa v 10 South Carolina
2 UConn v 15 Radford
1 Michigan St v 16 Morgan St
8 Oregon v 9 Maryland (Oregon is my sleeper team this season)
5 Mississippi St v 12 Houston (I clearly did my rankings before Miss St lost their opener)
4 West Virginia v 13 Charleston
6 BYU v 11 Southern Illinois
3 Oklahoma v 14 Belmont (The Big 12 might unseat preseason favorite Big 10 for Conf of Year)
7 Georgetown v 10 Wisconsin
2 Duke v 15 Texas A&M - Corpus Christi
1 Villanova v 16 Weber St
8 Texas A&M v 9 Northern Iowa (Watch out for a Northern Iowa v Tenn game this weekend)
5 Minnesota v 12 LaSalle (I wish I could revise after the top recruit was booted from Minny)
4 Washington v 13 Buffalo
6 Ohio State v 11 Siena (Another payback game for the Big 10)
3 Tennessee v 14 Vermont
7 Boston College v 10 Cincinnati
2 Texas v 15 Cornell
That should pretty much do it for my preseason projections. Top teams left out of my brackets were Syracuse, UMass, St. John's, Notre Dame, Wichita St, Memphis, Iowa St, Mizzou, Wyoming, Gonzaga, Nevada, George Mason, VCU, and Niagara. Don't sleep on the Niagara Purple Eagles this year. The MAAC may get two bids.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Where do all the tickets go?
How many people end up asking themselves that question when a big show comes into town? Recently, I've found myself asking this question way too many times this week. First, I was looking for Big Ten Tournament tickets that were released in mid October only to find 300 level seats available. Something tells me they haven't filled the lower bowl in Conseco just yet. Next, I spent two hours yesterday being completely shut out for the Second City reunion performance and the Jeff Garlin show. Their website didn't even work during the first hour and a half. Well done guys, stick to comedy. I found out this morning that 10AM presale means sometime around 10AM when LiveNation gets their link to Ticketmaster figured out.
You want to know why more people don't go to more things in a down economy? Because all the good seats are taken. HDTV is way too good and there are way too many other entertainment options to be stuck with bad comedy, concert, or sports tickets. How do you solve this? You don't. Just keep refusing to pay scalpers and eventually they'll go under. Until then, I'm going to buy myself a general admin ticket to the local high school football playoff contest tonight. Well, unless the seats are bad.
Parlay Time
Well 8-5 was a much better showing for the second version of pick 'em. That's good enough to make some money at the window, so we'll keep trying this segment out. If I win again this weekend, maybe I'll actually have to start using real money and not just cyberspace.
Arizona +3
Cinci +3
Green Bay -10
Indy -9
Jax -6.5
Miami +10.5
Washington +11
Carolina +13.5
Seattle -11
San Diego +5
San Fran -4.5
Phily -3
Denver +3
That's the skinny this weekend. My lock of the weekend would have to be the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars -6.5 against the awful and getting worse KC Chiefs. I don't see a good moneyline upset outside of maybe San Diego or maybe Miami versus Belichick.
You want to know why more people don't go to more things in a down economy? Because all the good seats are taken. HDTV is way too good and there are way too many other entertainment options to be stuck with bad comedy, concert, or sports tickets. How do you solve this? You don't. Just keep refusing to pay scalpers and eventually they'll go under. Until then, I'm going to buy myself a general admin ticket to the local high school football playoff contest tonight. Well, unless the seats are bad.
Parlay Time
Well 8-5 was a much better showing for the second version of pick 'em. That's good enough to make some money at the window, so we'll keep trying this segment out. If I win again this weekend, maybe I'll actually have to start using real money and not just cyberspace.
Arizona +3
Cinci +3
Green Bay -10
Indy -9
Jax -6.5
Miami +10.5
Washington +11
Carolina +13.5
Seattle -11
San Diego +5
San Fran -4.5
Phily -3
Denver +3
That's the skinny this weekend. My lock of the weekend would have to be the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars -6.5 against the awful and getting worse KC Chiefs. I don't see a good moneyline upset outside of maybe San Diego or maybe Miami versus Belichick.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Shower Thoughts
So since my once a week second wind decided to hit me at 11:30 on Wednesday night, I figured why not get ahead of the game. Nothing helps late night blogging like some tunes. Tell that one to iTunes though. Never there for you in a pinch. Every single time I think, Hey I'd like to listen to some tunes to help my calm, BAM, time for another useless iTunes download update. I'm sure version 9.0.2 is groundbreaking. Thanks for your hardwork champ.
Anyhow, my advice for the week isn't advice so much as it is rambling. The advice would be to ramble more often. Utilize your stream of consciousness. No better time to do that than after a long shower. How many of us have had some excellent ideas in that shower to only throw them away by heading off to bed? Well I'm going to buck that trend and spew them onto the worldwideweb, so I can use them at a later date. Another bit of advice: don't force shower thoughts. If you're preoccupied and already thinking about something, you're not going to come up with any good ideas.
I got to thinking about the chili recipe, then I thought what if I just did the ground beef and pulled out a few other ingredients. I could add some Open Pit bbq sauce, ground mustard, brown sugar, and spice rub to make one hell of a hot dog topping. That right there is a new summer party idea. Get some jumbo roasties from the grand champions over at Ream's, make some "coney" sauce if you will, get some nice aged cheddar, then instead of raw onion, make some cracker breaded vidalia straws for a topping. That covers the hot dog entry, so what about the burger.
Why not put together a homemade burger bar. Do an all natural 80/20 ground beef burger with just kosher salt and cracked black pepper, a ground sirloin burger soaked with worchestershire sauce and garlic herb rub, and a lamb burger with mediterranean seasoning. Make some fire roasted cherry tomato topping with balsamic and thyme for the ketchup substitute, grilled buttered vidalia onions, multiple cheeses like gouda, havarti, and swiss, fresh dilled cucumbers, nice bibb lettuce, and red wine/shallot/garlic reduction/steak sauce. Take some feta and create a feta-laced tzatziki sauce for the lamb burger along with some pitted fresh olives and cured lemon confit. Now that's a burger bar with options that takes advantage of the garden freshness. I'd take some fire roasted sweet and spicy peppers too.
What about getting a little crazy and making a crabcake burger grilled on a plank? Serve than openfaced with a slice of lettuce on brioche and a spritz of lemon? That's living right there. How about the porktastic "burger." A split hunk of smoked sausage, topped with some fresh pulled pork slathered in bbq sauce, then topped with two perfect strips of applewood bacon. That is sandwich heaven.
That's what I came up with tonight in my shower. I wasn't hungry and it wasn't a long shower. My stream of consciousness just moves faster than spawning salmon. Something tells me that I might have a few more attendees to my next shindig next summer after posting this potential menu. Anybody else come up with anything good in the shower lately? I think this complete menu would be served on opening night of my future restaurant. A small place with about ten tables open five days per week serving a different menu every day. Call it Today's Special. Yes, I stole that from my favorite Nickelodeon cartoon when I was a wee lad. We're talking early 80s with this one. Place your future orders now.
Ode to Nader
This will be a pretty random endorsement, but not insignificant. I'm a proud eater of Terra Chips. Danielle loves the beets and sweets along with the mixed vegetables, but I would say try the new regional flavors. In particular, I go for the Chesapeake Bay and Beer seasoned kettle chips. Don't be afraid to kill a whole bag the first time around. You don't know what you're getting yourself into. A little bit of spice, a nice sweet finish, and beautiful beer flavor is what awaits you inside this perfect bag of goodness.
Don't worry now that I'm done, iTunes is updated. F'in sweet. Hey look, it's Carrie Underwood week. Yippee. So let me get this straight, they decide to make it Carrie Underwood week, yet fail to litter the entire site with pictures of Carrie Underwood. Shame on you iTunes, shame on you.
Anyhow, my advice for the week isn't advice so much as it is rambling. The advice would be to ramble more often. Utilize your stream of consciousness. No better time to do that than after a long shower. How many of us have had some excellent ideas in that shower to only throw them away by heading off to bed? Well I'm going to buck that trend and spew them onto the worldwideweb, so I can use them at a later date. Another bit of advice: don't force shower thoughts. If you're preoccupied and already thinking about something, you're not going to come up with any good ideas.
I got to thinking about the chili recipe, then I thought what if I just did the ground beef and pulled out a few other ingredients. I could add some Open Pit bbq sauce, ground mustard, brown sugar, and spice rub to make one hell of a hot dog topping. That right there is a new summer party idea. Get some jumbo roasties from the grand champions over at Ream's, make some "coney" sauce if you will, get some nice aged cheddar, then instead of raw onion, make some cracker breaded vidalia straws for a topping. That covers the hot dog entry, so what about the burger.
Why not put together a homemade burger bar. Do an all natural 80/20 ground beef burger with just kosher salt and cracked black pepper, a ground sirloin burger soaked with worchestershire sauce and garlic herb rub, and a lamb burger with mediterranean seasoning. Make some fire roasted cherry tomato topping with balsamic and thyme for the ketchup substitute, grilled buttered vidalia onions, multiple cheeses like gouda, havarti, and swiss, fresh dilled cucumbers, nice bibb lettuce, and red wine/shallot/garlic reduction/steak sauce. Take some feta and create a feta-laced tzatziki sauce for the lamb burger along with some pitted fresh olives and cured lemon confit. Now that's a burger bar with options that takes advantage of the garden freshness. I'd take some fire roasted sweet and spicy peppers too.
What about getting a little crazy and making a crabcake burger grilled on a plank? Serve than openfaced with a slice of lettuce on brioche and a spritz of lemon? That's living right there. How about the porktastic "burger." A split hunk of smoked sausage, topped with some fresh pulled pork slathered in bbq sauce, then topped with two perfect strips of applewood bacon. That is sandwich heaven.
That's what I came up with tonight in my shower. I wasn't hungry and it wasn't a long shower. My stream of consciousness just moves faster than spawning salmon. Something tells me that I might have a few more attendees to my next shindig next summer after posting this potential menu. Anybody else come up with anything good in the shower lately? I think this complete menu would be served on opening night of my future restaurant. A small place with about ten tables open five days per week serving a different menu every day. Call it Today's Special. Yes, I stole that from my favorite Nickelodeon cartoon when I was a wee lad. We're talking early 80s with this one. Place your future orders now.
Ode to Nader
This will be a pretty random endorsement, but not insignificant. I'm a proud eater of Terra Chips. Danielle loves the beets and sweets along with the mixed vegetables, but I would say try the new regional flavors. In particular, I go for the Chesapeake Bay and Beer seasoned kettle chips. Don't be afraid to kill a whole bag the first time around. You don't know what you're getting yourself into. A little bit of spice, a nice sweet finish, and beautiful beer flavor is what awaits you inside this perfect bag of goodness.
Don't worry now that I'm done, iTunes is updated. F'in sweet. Hey look, it's Carrie Underwood week. Yippee. So let me get this straight, they decide to make it Carrie Underwood week, yet fail to litter the entire site with pictures of Carrie Underwood. Shame on you iTunes, shame on you.
New Sunday Tradition
If you're looking for that go-to Sunday afternoon meal especially during football season and long winters, then I have exactly what you need. You need to partake in my red steak chili. I wish I could stop myself from eating it long enough to take a picture for you, but I failed on multiple occasions this week to do so. This is an American chili with no beans to be found. I typically eat this with some good sharp cheddar piled on top and a fresh bag of Fritos scoops. Let's get after it:
1 pound of ground round (basically a ground beef that is lean because you don't need the fat)
2 to 2.5 pounds of tri tip (you can substitute steak cuts like New York and Ribeye or mix in stew meat if need be), cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 yellow/sweet onions diced
3 strips of good bacon diced (applewood smoked is suggested)
3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1 poblano pepper diced
1 sweet pepper diced
3 chipotles with adobo sauce blended (I add a dash of water and whip it in the magic bullet)
2/3 C of chili powder (guajillo is good if you can find it)
1/3 C of paprika (you can add more paprika and less chili powder and vice versa to adjust temp)
1 T of cumin, thyme, and oregano each
8 cloves of pressed fresh garlic (garlic press is a must have kitchen utensil)
1 shallot diced
28 oz can of whole san marzano tomatoes (you know tomato quality is important here)
3-4 T of tomato paste
2 cans of beef broth
salt and pepper to taste
You want to start with a good dutch oven and melt a tablespoon of butter to slightly brown, then add the bacon. Once the bacon starts to brown, add the onions, shallot, and garlic. This combo should sweat down really well, then add the ground round. Brown the meat and season this mix with salt and pepper. Now add the poblano and sweet peppers to the mix and give a few minutes to sweat. While cooking each of these components you can add the other tablespoons of butter as needed if the mixture gets dry. Now add in the beef. It doesn't need to be browned up as it will stew for awhile to cook.
Mix the pot together at this point and add the chipotle blend, all dry spices, some more salt and pepper, the can of tomatoes with sauce, 3 T of paste, and at least one can of beef broth. Stir this mixture to see if you need the second can of broth. It is likely that you should need both. Bring the pot to a simmer and stir to combine. Use your wooden spoon or spatula to smash the whole tomatoes down. The pot will now simmer uncovered for at least 2.5 hours. Continue to monitor and stir every 30 to 45 minutes. With roughly 30 minutes left, check the consistency and add the last tablespoon of paste if additional thickening is necessary. Also, taste the chili for any additional seasoning. After 2.5 hours, check one of your meat cubes for tenderness. If the meat is done, then the chili is done. Feel free to keep any leftovers in the fridge and reheat in a sauce pan on the stove with some water to thin out. We like to use the leftovers with some cheese on top of a baked potato for another meal option a few days later. That's the whole secret to my red chili. No holding back, so have at it. You shouldn't need a restaurant option this week.
1 pound of ground round (basically a ground beef that is lean because you don't need the fat)
2 to 2.5 pounds of tri tip (you can substitute steak cuts like New York and Ribeye or mix in stew meat if need be), cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 yellow/sweet onions diced
3 strips of good bacon diced (applewood smoked is suggested)
3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1 poblano pepper diced
1 sweet pepper diced
3 chipotles with adobo sauce blended (I add a dash of water and whip it in the magic bullet)
2/3 C of chili powder (guajillo is good if you can find it)
1/3 C of paprika (you can add more paprika and less chili powder and vice versa to adjust temp)
1 T of cumin, thyme, and oregano each
8 cloves of pressed fresh garlic (garlic press is a must have kitchen utensil)
1 shallot diced
28 oz can of whole san marzano tomatoes (you know tomato quality is important here)
3-4 T of tomato paste
2 cans of beef broth
salt and pepper to taste
You want to start with a good dutch oven and melt a tablespoon of butter to slightly brown, then add the bacon. Once the bacon starts to brown, add the onions, shallot, and garlic. This combo should sweat down really well, then add the ground round. Brown the meat and season this mix with salt and pepper. Now add the poblano and sweet peppers to the mix and give a few minutes to sweat. While cooking each of these components you can add the other tablespoons of butter as needed if the mixture gets dry. Now add in the beef. It doesn't need to be browned up as it will stew for awhile to cook.
Mix the pot together at this point and add the chipotle blend, all dry spices, some more salt and pepper, the can of tomatoes with sauce, 3 T of paste, and at least one can of beef broth. Stir this mixture to see if you need the second can of broth. It is likely that you should need both. Bring the pot to a simmer and stir to combine. Use your wooden spoon or spatula to smash the whole tomatoes down. The pot will now simmer uncovered for at least 2.5 hours. Continue to monitor and stir every 30 to 45 minutes. With roughly 30 minutes left, check the consistency and add the last tablespoon of paste if additional thickening is necessary. Also, taste the chili for any additional seasoning. After 2.5 hours, check one of your meat cubes for tenderness. If the meat is done, then the chili is done. Feel free to keep any leftovers in the fridge and reheat in a sauce pan on the stove with some water to thin out. We like to use the leftovers with some cheese on top of a baked potato for another meal option a few days later. That's the whole secret to my red chili. No holding back, so have at it. You shouldn't need a restaurant option this week.
HD Music
Let me tell you that I have recently discovered the real reason for the HD upgrade. It is musical performances my friends. The sound and picture quality exceeds the sports upgrade that we all pined for. Palladia is basically the primary HD music channel, and check the schedule to find some gems like Soundstage and festival coverage. Don't sleep on PBS though with the new season of Austin City Limits currently airing. DMB, Ben Harper, and Kenny Chesney have been the well known acts up to this point with Pearl Jam and a few others yet to come.
The live performances only cover half of it though with plenty of on demand HD music programming available. Artists are now making HD music videos, and a wide variety can be viewed by simply using the on demand schedule. If you're looking for a nice mix, try recording a some of the HD music video blocks that play on Palladia overnight. Just think how many options would be available if MTV and VH-1 still played music since their HD channels are now more widely distributed.
Digital Ditty
I'm going off the beaten path with a pair of middle of the decade tunes that are pretty deep alternative radio cuts. College radio might be a better definition for these eclectic offerings, but I submit for your approval Wasted and Ready by Ben Kweller along with Too Much Too Soon by Llama. I have no idea if these musical entities are still performing or recording, but these two songs are fixtures on my iPod and always brighten my day.
The live performances only cover half of it though with plenty of on demand HD music programming available. Artists are now making HD music videos, and a wide variety can be viewed by simply using the on demand schedule. If you're looking for a nice mix, try recording a some of the HD music video blocks that play on Palladia overnight. Just think how many options would be available if MTV and VH-1 still played music since their HD channels are now more widely distributed.
Digital Ditty
I'm going off the beaten path with a pair of middle of the decade tunes that are pretty deep alternative radio cuts. College radio might be a better definition for these eclectic offerings, but I submit for your approval Wasted and Ready by Ben Kweller along with Too Much Too Soon by Llama. I have no idea if these musical entities are still performing or recording, but these two songs are fixtures on my iPod and always brighten my day.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Big Ten Buckets
Who else is ready for some college hoops action? Well the exhibition season is starting to tip off, and real buckets are a little over a week away. This will finally be the year that the Big Ten takes down the ACC in their annual challenge. It is like the Big Ten finally grew up enough to beat their older sibling. Numerous conference teams have stacked their preseason schedules with road tilts, tournaments, and home and home series with some major conference foes. The Big Ten has the opportunity to ascend to the top of the college hoops world, and I think they will seize the day.
The top of the conference begins with last year's national runner up, Michigan State. They have as much or more talent along the roster than anyone. Kalin Lucas is the cog in the engine and will take this team far throughout the season. I feel that the loss of Walton and Suton is understated for their leadership, toughness, and defense. Those losses could be filled by guys like Morgan and Roe, but that remains to be seen. The other front runner is Purdue which returns its top 6 scorers from the Sweet 16 team a year ago. This year marks the Boilers' best run at a league title since the late 90s with balance across the roster. Watch for JaJuan Johnson to beat out Evan Turner for conference player of the year.
The next tier is still an outstanding bunch of top 25 squads led by Illinois and their influx of backcourt talent. McCamey and Legion will certainly be pushed by the likes of Paul and Richardson this season. Davis and Tisdale will need to take control in the paint for this to be a special season. The Buckeyes are once again stocked with talent, but we're all watching for the basketball version of Ron Zook to do some coaching of that talent. This squad is overrated in my opinion and it starts with William Buford. Minnesota will come after a lot of teams this year with the constant pressure applied by Tubby. They brought in the two best recruits in the conference to help an already deep lineup from last season. Michigan also will compete for a Sweet 16 berth based on some three point shooters and the best 1-2 punch in the league in Harris and Sims.
Moving on down the line, Wisconsin is a gritty group led by Trevon Hughes. We'll see if Hughes is finally ready to deliver on all his potential. Northwestern will put on a full season of basketball in the north suburbs and look to gain their first ever entry into the big dance. Coble and Thompson lead a veteran squad, but the Naperville kid must replace the shooting from Moore. Penn State also falls in this next block, but Talor Battle just doesn't have enough help to make a serious run.
Indiana falls in their own tier as the Hoosiers have a whole new roster again with Rivers transferred in from Georgetown and a bounty of new recruits. These 3 and 4 star players will be the body of Tom Crean's work for the next three years. There will certainly be enough firepower to compete in conference play this year, but the wins are likely few and far between given the only relevant returnee is Verdell Jones.
Iowa rounds out the conference and I won't waste another second talking about a team that will not win a conference game.
Dear Mr. Fantasy
The fantasy football season is in full swing, and this week you need to start deciding if you're in buy or sell mode in your keeper leagues. It is time to start adding Cards, Saints, and Pats for the playoff run. The key is setting up your defenses for the next few weeks and the playoffs. Good defenses are not better than good matchups this year given the weakness of some teams. Some new guys I like now are Malcolm Floyd and Kevin Walter. These two should fill the voids left by Chambers and Daniels. Shonn Greene is not a decent play unless the matchup is spectacular. He's barely a breather for T. Jones, who should be a primetimer the rest of the way. I'd sell my way out of New York if I could in all leagues. They're both headed south. Matt Leinart is a guy to keep an eye on given the condition of the Cards O-line and the favorable matchups down the road. At some point, you've got to be able to get the ball downfield to Fitz. Speaking of downfield, I don't know how much impact Megatron makes the rest of the way. Detroit seems content with their single victory. No more Browns, Redskins, or Bucs on fantasy teams. Josh Freeman takes over in St. Pete this weekend, and it should be a disaster of epic proportions. Not just because of the old creamsicle jerseys either. He's the bastard child of JaMarcus Russell and Sherri Shepard. Hell he went to K-State. How'd that work out for Raheem Morris and Michael Bishop? Poorly, that's how, poorly.
The top of the conference begins with last year's national runner up, Michigan State. They have as much or more talent along the roster than anyone. Kalin Lucas is the cog in the engine and will take this team far throughout the season. I feel that the loss of Walton and Suton is understated for their leadership, toughness, and defense. Those losses could be filled by guys like Morgan and Roe, but that remains to be seen. The other front runner is Purdue which returns its top 6 scorers from the Sweet 16 team a year ago. This year marks the Boilers' best run at a league title since the late 90s with balance across the roster. Watch for JaJuan Johnson to beat out Evan Turner for conference player of the year.
The next tier is still an outstanding bunch of top 25 squads led by Illinois and their influx of backcourt talent. McCamey and Legion will certainly be pushed by the likes of Paul and Richardson this season. Davis and Tisdale will need to take control in the paint for this to be a special season. The Buckeyes are once again stocked with talent, but we're all watching for the basketball version of Ron Zook to do some coaching of that talent. This squad is overrated in my opinion and it starts with William Buford. Minnesota will come after a lot of teams this year with the constant pressure applied by Tubby. They brought in the two best recruits in the conference to help an already deep lineup from last season. Michigan also will compete for a Sweet 16 berth based on some three point shooters and the best 1-2 punch in the league in Harris and Sims.
Moving on down the line, Wisconsin is a gritty group led by Trevon Hughes. We'll see if Hughes is finally ready to deliver on all his potential. Northwestern will put on a full season of basketball in the north suburbs and look to gain their first ever entry into the big dance. Coble and Thompson lead a veteran squad, but the Naperville kid must replace the shooting from Moore. Penn State also falls in this next block, but Talor Battle just doesn't have enough help to make a serious run.
Indiana falls in their own tier as the Hoosiers have a whole new roster again with Rivers transferred in from Georgetown and a bounty of new recruits. These 3 and 4 star players will be the body of Tom Crean's work for the next three years. There will certainly be enough firepower to compete in conference play this year, but the wins are likely few and far between given the only relevant returnee is Verdell Jones.
Iowa rounds out the conference and I won't waste another second talking about a team that will not win a conference game.
Dear Mr. Fantasy
The fantasy football season is in full swing, and this week you need to start deciding if you're in buy or sell mode in your keeper leagues. It is time to start adding Cards, Saints, and Pats for the playoff run. The key is setting up your defenses for the next few weeks and the playoffs. Good defenses are not better than good matchups this year given the weakness of some teams. Some new guys I like now are Malcolm Floyd and Kevin Walter. These two should fill the voids left by Chambers and Daniels. Shonn Greene is not a decent play unless the matchup is spectacular. He's barely a breather for T. Jones, who should be a primetimer the rest of the way. I'd sell my way out of New York if I could in all leagues. They're both headed south. Matt Leinart is a guy to keep an eye on given the condition of the Cards O-line and the favorable matchups down the road. At some point, you've got to be able to get the ball downfield to Fitz. Speaking of downfield, I don't know how much impact Megatron makes the rest of the way. Detroit seems content with their single victory. No more Browns, Redskins, or Bucs on fantasy teams. Josh Freeman takes over in St. Pete this weekend, and it should be a disaster of epic proportions. Not just because of the old creamsicle jerseys either. He's the bastard child of JaMarcus Russell and Sherri Shepard. Hell he went to K-State. How'd that work out for Raheem Morris and Michael Bishop? Poorly, that's how, poorly.
Friday, October 30, 2009
When the WWF Didn't Refer to Pandas
What happened to the good old days of professional wrestling when all you wanted was a guy in face paint to jump off the top rope? We didn't need 10% clothed women, lots of swearing, sexual innuendos, and specialty matches. We also didn't have pay per views every stinking month. In the glory days, it was Royal Rumble, Wrestlemania, Summerslam, and Survivor Series. The reason we had four was because the royal rumble event was 30 guys in a ring until one was left and survivor series were teams of four battling each other until one team was fully eliminated. There are so many guys now that they have two leagues for two different shows. Are you kidding me? Maybe start cutting some of these mediocre "talent."
It is no mistake that the old school wrestlers are the ones with the biggest following. You could put a 60 year old Hulk Hogan out there tomorrow and outdraw Triple H or John Cena. I guarantee that I could get bigger numbers from a Macho Man v Ultimate Warrior reunion match than a Stone Cold and Goldberg duel. These days if there isn't something special like a bullrope, ladder, cage, or other weapon involved, no one cares. If you really want some good times, turn on ESPN Classic on a late weeknight for some AWA wrestling. Sure half the roster is dead today, but give me some Curt Hennig v Bruiser Brody anyday.
This topic is pretty random, but that is what Fridays are for. Blame this one on Always Sunny last night that not only pulled out a Rowdy Roddy Piper, but got I am a Real American stuck in my head all morning long. That was one catchy tune. I think the entrance music was the best part of the WWF back in the day. That and the action figures of course. Thank you eBay.
Parlay Time
I proved last weekend that I know nothing about picking college football upsets, but luckily I didn't share that with all of you. Off to a clearly mediocre start with a 7-6 record ATS last week, so we'll try to get a better profit margin this weekend.
Chicago -13
Baltimore -3
Buffalo +3.5
NYJ -3
Phily +1
SF +13
Seattle +10
St. Louis +4
San Diego -16.5
Green Bay -3
Tennessee -3
Carolina +11
Atlanta +10
The story this weekend will be taking the heavy underdogs and the points. These teams won't continue to win by huge margins. You start to lose your edge.
It is no mistake that the old school wrestlers are the ones with the biggest following. You could put a 60 year old Hulk Hogan out there tomorrow and outdraw Triple H or John Cena. I guarantee that I could get bigger numbers from a Macho Man v Ultimate Warrior reunion match than a Stone Cold and Goldberg duel. These days if there isn't something special like a bullrope, ladder, cage, or other weapon involved, no one cares. If you really want some good times, turn on ESPN Classic on a late weeknight for some AWA wrestling. Sure half the roster is dead today, but give me some Curt Hennig v Bruiser Brody anyday.
This topic is pretty random, but that is what Fridays are for. Blame this one on Always Sunny last night that not only pulled out a Rowdy Roddy Piper, but got I am a Real American stuck in my head all morning long. That was one catchy tune. I think the entrance music was the best part of the WWF back in the day. That and the action figures of course. Thank you eBay.
Parlay Time
I proved last weekend that I know nothing about picking college football upsets, but luckily I didn't share that with all of you. Off to a clearly mediocre start with a 7-6 record ATS last week, so we'll try to get a better profit margin this weekend.
Chicago -13
Baltimore -3
Buffalo +3.5
NYJ -3
Phily +1
SF +13
Seattle +10
St. Louis +4
San Diego -16.5
Green Bay -3
Tennessee -3
Carolina +11
Atlanta +10
The story this weekend will be taking the heavy underdogs and the points. These teams won't continue to win by huge margins. You start to lose your edge.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Happy Halloween!
With Halloween comes the deluge of copius amounts of candy, and I have no problem with that. Dessert is great, but sometimes candy is all you need. I'm a big fan of the underdog candies unlike Snickers, Milky Way, M&Ms, and Reese's. I'll take a sleeve of Rolos or a Special Dark bar. Dark chocolate is in my wheelhouse no matter how you use it. I even spotted a Reese's dark chocolate peanut butter cup for the first time recently, and I'm still waiting for a report back from my mom on that one.
Chocolates are good for me when kind of hungry and wanting something sweet. I generally go towards a Snickers Almond since it has unofficially become the replacement for my all-time favorite the Mars bar. Overall, I'm a fan of candies. I love Red Vines red licorice, Dots, Ju ju bees, and tootsie pops especially. I now have officially become old enough to miss my favorite candies growing up. Who else used to love going to the grocery store to hit the Pick-A-Mix bins from Brachs. Count me in for the nougats, Royals, and filled chocolates. Butterscotch discs and root beer barrels rounded out my bag.
I still remember going to the smoke shop, liquor store, or other small shops and picking out five to fifteen cent candies like jolly ranchers that came in a strip, circus peanuts, and Chuckles. I recently found my old friend Chuckles at a specialty candy store for a mere $1.25. Are you kidding me? Dude, it's five overgrown gum drops, and I don't even eat the licorice flavored one. No matter what your favorite Halloween candy is, I hope you enjoy it on Saturday without guilt for at least one day. My suggestion is to get yourself a bag of Child's Play and go to town on all Tootsie related products.
Restaurant Recap
I'm going to go region specific on this one to a budding chain in the far northwest suburban market known as Country Donuts. It's not a knockoff brand or some generic donut. These are serious homemade donuts that cater to the cake dough and fluffy dough donut lovers. I personally suggest the blueberry, cherry, or any of the classic glazed cake donut flavors.
Chocolates are good for me when kind of hungry and wanting something sweet. I generally go towards a Snickers Almond since it has unofficially become the replacement for my all-time favorite the Mars bar. Overall, I'm a fan of candies. I love Red Vines red licorice, Dots, Ju ju bees, and tootsie pops especially. I now have officially become old enough to miss my favorite candies growing up. Who else used to love going to the grocery store to hit the Pick-A-Mix bins from Brachs. Count me in for the nougats, Royals, and filled chocolates. Butterscotch discs and root beer barrels rounded out my bag.
I still remember going to the smoke shop, liquor store, or other small shops and picking out five to fifteen cent candies like jolly ranchers that came in a strip, circus peanuts, and Chuckles. I recently found my old friend Chuckles at a specialty candy store for a mere $1.25. Are you kidding me? Dude, it's five overgrown gum drops, and I don't even eat the licorice flavored one. No matter what your favorite Halloween candy is, I hope you enjoy it on Saturday without guilt for at least one day. My suggestion is to get yourself a bag of Child's Play and go to town on all Tootsie related products.
Restaurant Recap
I'm going to go region specific on this one to a budding chain in the far northwest suburban market known as Country Donuts. It's not a knockoff brand or some generic donut. These are serious homemade donuts that cater to the cake dough and fluffy dough donut lovers. I personally suggest the blueberry, cherry, or any of the classic glazed cake donut flavors.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Bands Reunited Part 1
I'm guessing that I'm one of a classroom-sized number of people that not only watched but still remember the show Bands Reunited on VH-1. Yes, VH-1 did stand for video hits one, and they did care about making musical related shows at one point in time. I didn't always have a rooting interest in seeing the band reunite, but it was fun to watch New Kids turn it down only to come back a few years later when more desperate. It was also entertaining to find out that even one person on earth gave a damn that Squeeze and Berlin both came back together for one off shows. Does anyone really need to hear Take My Breath Away again that bad?
Nonetheless, I'm pilfering this early 2000s idea for a monthly or so thought about bands that I'd like to see reunite. Maybe some of these are still possible, and others may require some fill-ins based on the pulses or lack thereof of some of the original members. I'm getting this kickstarted with Soundgarden. All the members are alive and only one of them actually has a job currently. Matt Cameron is currently on tour smacking sticks for Pearl Jam as a full fledged member at this point. After the Backspacer tour runs dry this year or next, it would be a nice time for these boys to hit the tour circuit again while they still have something left. If Alice can find a new singer, Weiland can get sober for twenty minutes, then Cornell and Thayil can pick separate rooms for a few last shows.
Why would they do it? They probably wouldn't unless they need money, but maybe they could decide that a new generation deserves to hear some stone cold rock and roll music. Not genre related, just rock and roll. All the heavier stuff from the early days like Rusty Cage and Fell on Black Days with some Jesus Christ Pose to the big time hits like Spoonman, Blackhole Sun, and Pretty Noose. I'd like them to blow up the outside world one last time. Come on Chris, prove you didn't really mean to go solo again, kill two great bands in the process, and team up with Timbaland. You're better than that.
Digital Ditty
I'll keep with the old school Seattle rockers for this Tuesday's twofer to deliver the new Alice in Chains track Check My Brain. It gets catchier every day, and I hear the new album is great. I'm still not yet on that bandwagon, but when I finally jump, you'll be sure to read about it. On a total random note, I'm going to also select the last recording from another nineties rock favorite of mine. I doubt you have it in your old school collection, so go ahead and add All in the Suit that You Wear from Stone Temple Pilots. It can be found on the greatest hits album Thank You. And as always I thank you for partaking in this week's music segment.
Nonetheless, I'm pilfering this early 2000s idea for a monthly or so thought about bands that I'd like to see reunite. Maybe some of these are still possible, and others may require some fill-ins based on the pulses or lack thereof of some of the original members. I'm getting this kickstarted with Soundgarden. All the members are alive and only one of them actually has a job currently. Matt Cameron is currently on tour smacking sticks for Pearl Jam as a full fledged member at this point. After the Backspacer tour runs dry this year or next, it would be a nice time for these boys to hit the tour circuit again while they still have something left. If Alice can find a new singer, Weiland can get sober for twenty minutes, then Cornell and Thayil can pick separate rooms for a few last shows.
Why would they do it? They probably wouldn't unless they need money, but maybe they could decide that a new generation deserves to hear some stone cold rock and roll music. Not genre related, just rock and roll. All the heavier stuff from the early days like Rusty Cage and Fell on Black Days with some Jesus Christ Pose to the big time hits like Spoonman, Blackhole Sun, and Pretty Noose. I'd like them to blow up the outside world one last time. Come on Chris, prove you didn't really mean to go solo again, kill two great bands in the process, and team up with Timbaland. You're better than that.
Digital Ditty
I'll keep with the old school Seattle rockers for this Tuesday's twofer to deliver the new Alice in Chains track Check My Brain. It gets catchier every day, and I hear the new album is great. I'm still not yet on that bandwagon, but when I finally jump, you'll be sure to read about it. On a total random note, I'm going to also select the last recording from another nineties rock favorite of mine. I doubt you have it in your old school collection, so go ahead and add All in the Suit that You Wear from Stone Temple Pilots. It can be found on the greatest hits album Thank You. And as always I thank you for partaking in this week's music segment.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Jam Session
NBA Jam or Space Jam? Either option certainly ensures unbridled mid nineties entertainment especially if you have the big heads code or you're a closet Quad City DJs fan. It also takes us back to a time when the NBA was mainstream and relevant. Let's face it, most people are more interested about what stupid shit Charles Barkley is going to say and what color suit Craig Sager is wearing during an NBA telecast. Quick quiz, which teams are Rick Carlisle, Flip Saunders, and Rick Adelmen currently coaching? Indiana, Minnesota, and Portland would be all wrong answers. I actually don't know the right ones, but I'm pretty sure they all have jobs. Hell George Karl and Mike Dunleavy do. Throw in Jerry Sloan still sticking it out in Salt Lake, and all we have to do is get Pat Riley out of the management box and locate Paul Westphal to have a Michael Jordan beat my ass in the Finals marathon.
How does the NBA not have a huge corporate deal with recycling? They do it better than a crew of naked hippies at Bonnaroo. While other sports long to produce the best version of their craft at the professional level, the NBA actually tries to make their version worse on purpose. Let's get rid of travelling, certain kinds of defense, and make everything a foul. You can keep that trash and I'll take a Big Ten game in the thirties. The kids can't shoot worth a damn, but they know how to play defense and run a motion offense. More than I can say for the halfwits who took 9 hours of pottery and child rearing to stay eligible for their only season on campus. How's that working out for you so far Greg Oden?
On the lighter side of the start of the NBA season, the young guard play throughout the league should continue to improve. We've got kids like Roy, Deron, and Gordon out west, and Rose, Rondo, and D.Wade in the east. You've got to enjoy watching the evolution of the swing man as Durant and Granger are the future of the game. I can't lie, I don't even remember who the #1 pick in the draft was let alone who the break out rookies will be. I just know that central Indiana got themselves another white boy. I also know that the Bulls took a couple of nondescript college guys who make the squad instantly more mediocre. LeBron can go big time with Jay-Z, just bring me D. Wade and Amare, and Rose will lead the Bull back to the promised land.
Dear Mr. Fantasy
Here's my lone fantasy basketball tip for the season, get Gerald Wallace. I love Gerald Wallace. He's a stat stuffer.
Time to start making trades in all your leagues with all your teams. It is just more fun that way. I would be looking at playoff schedules. You know who the bad defenses are, so try to exploit them. You should also start looking to get younger at the running back position as the season grows older. Possession receivers will also become a highly sought after commodity as the weather starts to get colder and dicier.
How does the NBA not have a huge corporate deal with recycling? They do it better than a crew of naked hippies at Bonnaroo. While other sports long to produce the best version of their craft at the professional level, the NBA actually tries to make their version worse on purpose. Let's get rid of travelling, certain kinds of defense, and make everything a foul. You can keep that trash and I'll take a Big Ten game in the thirties. The kids can't shoot worth a damn, but they know how to play defense and run a motion offense. More than I can say for the halfwits who took 9 hours of pottery and child rearing to stay eligible for their only season on campus. How's that working out for you so far Greg Oden?
On the lighter side of the start of the NBA season, the young guard play throughout the league should continue to improve. We've got kids like Roy, Deron, and Gordon out west, and Rose, Rondo, and D.Wade in the east. You've got to enjoy watching the evolution of the swing man as Durant and Granger are the future of the game. I can't lie, I don't even remember who the #1 pick in the draft was let alone who the break out rookies will be. I just know that central Indiana got themselves another white boy. I also know that the Bulls took a couple of nondescript college guys who make the squad instantly more mediocre. LeBron can go big time with Jay-Z, just bring me D. Wade and Amare, and Rose will lead the Bull back to the promised land.
Dear Mr. Fantasy
Here's my lone fantasy basketball tip for the season, get Gerald Wallace. I love Gerald Wallace. He's a stat stuffer.
Time to start making trades in all your leagues with all your teams. It is just more fun that way. I would be looking at playoff schedules. You know who the bad defenses are, so try to exploit them. You should also start looking to get younger at the running back position as the season grows older. Possession receivers will also become a highly sought after commodity as the weather starts to get colder and dicier.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Daily TV Schedule
So a few weeks ago we talked about the start of the fall television schedule, so now that I've had time to digest the new lineups and avoid the Jay Leno show like the swine flu, we'll tackle what to watch each night.
Monday- Start your primetime schedule with How I Met Your Mother on CBS, then head straight to ESPN for Monday Night Football. If your fantasy team has crushed your interest in football, you can catch up on the DVR or catch Big Bang Theory on CBS at 8:30 and Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives on the food network at 9.
Tuesday - Pickings are pretty slim on Tuesdays, and so are the women of 90210. I'm still hanging onto the guilty pleasure at 7PM on the CWBUPN whatever the hell channel 9 is. No matter how hot the blonde chick on Melrose Place is, I can't wrap my head around that crapfest. I typically choose an alternate form of entertainment for the rest of Tuesday. I would personally suggest DVRing the 30 for 30 special at 7 on ESPN, so you can watch that afterward. The Baltimore Colts band and USFL specials were both pretty top notch.
Wednesday- The schedule fills up a little more on Wednesdays with Modern Family on ABC at 8. That is hilarious and probably the best new addition to any fall lineup. Top Chef Vegas on Bravo and Ultimate Fighter 10 on Spike duel on my DVR during the 9 o'clock hour. I'm not an ultimate fighter junkie, I'm just waiting for former Purdue classmate Matt Mitrione to hit the octogon.
Thursday - Pretty much just DVR the entire NBC lineup on Thursdays. Community, Parks and Rec, and the Office are all great. I don't watch 30 Rock because I don't react well to shows that I'm told to watch by experts. That's just the way I am. I'm sick of Grey's Anatomy and can no longer feign interest in that garbage. Always Sunny in Philadelphia is better than it has ever been, so you definitely need to be clued into that at 9 on FX. Next week, The League starts on FX at 9:30, and I'm looking forward to that one.
Friday - I can't say that I spend a lot of time watching tv on Fridays, but I would suggest setting the DVR for Big Ten's Best at 8 on the Big Ten Network. It is a top ten list and only lasts a half hour, but it offers some great interviews about some classic childhood players and games.
Weekend Wonderment
It's going to be cold and rainy, so there aren't too many interesting things for me to suggest. Maybe you want to start your holiday shopping or find a good costume for a Halloween party. I'm going to provide an additional service or disaster in this time slot. I'm going to attempt to see how hard it is to pick each NFL game against the spread. I'll use the Friday USA Today lines, so away we go.
Houston -3
KC +4.5
Indy -13
NE -15
Minny +3.5
GB -7.5
Carolina -7.5
NYJ -7.5
Cinci -1
ATL +3
Miami +7
Zona +7.5
Phily -6.5
My lock of the week would be Indy -13 and my upset of the week is Miami on the moneyline.
Monday- Start your primetime schedule with How I Met Your Mother on CBS, then head straight to ESPN for Monday Night Football. If your fantasy team has crushed your interest in football, you can catch up on the DVR or catch Big Bang Theory on CBS at 8:30 and Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives on the food network at 9.
Tuesday - Pickings are pretty slim on Tuesdays, and so are the women of 90210. I'm still hanging onto the guilty pleasure at 7PM on the CWBUPN whatever the hell channel 9 is. No matter how hot the blonde chick on Melrose Place is, I can't wrap my head around that crapfest. I typically choose an alternate form of entertainment for the rest of Tuesday. I would personally suggest DVRing the 30 for 30 special at 7 on ESPN, so you can watch that afterward. The Baltimore Colts band and USFL specials were both pretty top notch.
Wednesday- The schedule fills up a little more on Wednesdays with Modern Family on ABC at 8. That is hilarious and probably the best new addition to any fall lineup. Top Chef Vegas on Bravo and Ultimate Fighter 10 on Spike duel on my DVR during the 9 o'clock hour. I'm not an ultimate fighter junkie, I'm just waiting for former Purdue classmate Matt Mitrione to hit the octogon.
Thursday - Pretty much just DVR the entire NBC lineup on Thursdays. Community, Parks and Rec, and the Office are all great. I don't watch 30 Rock because I don't react well to shows that I'm told to watch by experts. That's just the way I am. I'm sick of Grey's Anatomy and can no longer feign interest in that garbage. Always Sunny in Philadelphia is better than it has ever been, so you definitely need to be clued into that at 9 on FX. Next week, The League starts on FX at 9:30, and I'm looking forward to that one.
Friday - I can't say that I spend a lot of time watching tv on Fridays, but I would suggest setting the DVR for Big Ten's Best at 8 on the Big Ten Network. It is a top ten list and only lasts a half hour, but it offers some great interviews about some classic childhood players and games.
Weekend Wonderment
It's going to be cold and rainy, so there aren't too many interesting things for me to suggest. Maybe you want to start your holiday shopping or find a good costume for a Halloween party. I'm going to provide an additional service or disaster in this time slot. I'm going to attempt to see how hard it is to pick each NFL game against the spread. I'll use the Friday USA Today lines, so away we go.
Houston -3
KC +4.5
Indy -13
NE -15
Minny +3.5
GB -7.5
Carolina -7.5
NYJ -7.5
Cinci -1
ATL +3
Miami +7
Zona +7.5
Phily -6.5
My lock of the week would be Indy -13 and my upset of the week is Miami on the moneyline.
Bad Taste or Awesome?
Guess what, if you're asking that question, then the answer is always awesome. Let me provide the first example courtesy of champion blog Deadspin http://deadspin.com/5385651/there-goes-the-greatest-halloween-costume-that-ever-lived The answer is yes, that is the greatest costume of all time. The time and dedication that it took to put together that entire package and idea is truly outstanding.
I will admit that even I have limits in the realm of bad taste. If you dress up as Michael Jackson for Halloween this year, please don't tape/attach a doll to your crotch. We understand the issues that he had while he was alive, and I'm certainly last in line to throw a memorial for the creepy bastard but that's too far. How do you know the difference? People don't want to see it. Is your first reaction a smile or a slightly queesy feeling? That should give you an idea. Unless that initial sickness turns it to quick unadulterated laughter, you should probably err on the side of caution with your costumes, jokes, or ideas.
Ode to Nader
I'm going to go slightly off base and not endorse a single product, but rather a store with this one. Support your local Binny's in the Chicagoland area. What a superstore of goodness. They have an outstanding wine selection with many people there to help define your tastes. Bigaro is also back in stock my friends. They host numerous wine tastings, whiskey samples, and beer extravaganzas throughout the year at each and every location. They just bought out Sam's, so they are pretty much the monopoly here in Chicagoland at this point. They have a wide selection of imports, but their regional US brew selection is unmatched with Bell's, Three Floyd's, Southern Tier, O'Fallon, Dogfish Head, Sam Adams, Goose Island, and just about any other primary regional brewer you can think of. They also offer a great selection of cigars and some pretty high end food items. Give the pretzel bread a go for your next sandwich.
I will admit that even I have limits in the realm of bad taste. If you dress up as Michael Jackson for Halloween this year, please don't tape/attach a doll to your crotch. We understand the issues that he had while he was alive, and I'm certainly last in line to throw a memorial for the creepy bastard but that's too far. How do you know the difference? People don't want to see it. Is your first reaction a smile or a slightly queesy feeling? That should give you an idea. Unless that initial sickness turns it to quick unadulterated laughter, you should probably err on the side of caution with your costumes, jokes, or ideas.
Ode to Nader
I'm going to go slightly off base and not endorse a single product, but rather a store with this one. Support your local Binny's in the Chicagoland area. What a superstore of goodness. They have an outstanding wine selection with many people there to help define your tastes. Bigaro is also back in stock my friends. They host numerous wine tastings, whiskey samples, and beer extravaganzas throughout the year at each and every location. They just bought out Sam's, so they are pretty much the monopoly here in Chicagoland at this point. They have a wide selection of imports, but their regional US brew selection is unmatched with Bell's, Three Floyd's, Southern Tier, O'Fallon, Dogfish Head, Sam Adams, Goose Island, and just about any other primary regional brewer you can think of. They also offer a great selection of cigars and some pretty high end food items. Give the pretzel bread a go for your next sandwich.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Sausage That Eats Like a Meal
You know you're in trouble when you tell the butcher that the new sausage sounds good, then you ask what you should eat it with and he has no damn clue. You created it my friend, so you had to have something in mind. You could throw it on the grill, he says. Listen up asshole, it's 42 out with a strong chance of rain for the next five days, so maybe you can do a little better than that. Well he couldn't so we had to come up with our own plan. There are many great sausages out there like the Amylu line of chicken sausages and the various types of Aidell's packaged meats. I prefer to get the raw sausages at the butcher shop since they typically have the freshest seasoning and can take more flavor.
When you see a white wine and garlic turkey sausage, you can't help but be intrigued. Making that into the centerpiece of a meal is another story. We chose to go the typical pasta route, but wanted to switch up how things came together. Our theory was that if the flavor is in the sausage, it probably pairs well with the sausage.
Start by browning your sausage in a stainless steel pan with a little olive oil. Once browned on all sides, toss in a thinly sliced shallot and a few cloves of smashed garlic. Feel free to add more oil if necessary, but not too much. Sweat the aromatics with some salt and pepper for a minute or so, then throw in four full leaves of swiss chard or rainbow chard. Wash the chard, then slice into strips across the leaves and stems. Use both parts. The chard should wilt down after about two minutes, then you can put the chard and sausages on a plate. Throw some white wine into the pan to deglaze the remaining garlic and flavor bits. Let the wine reduce, then remove the heat, add a pat of butter to thicken, and toss in any type of pasta cooked al dente. Finish your plate with some parmesan and you've got yourself a nice meal.
Restaurant Recap
I think I've changed my Mexican food allegiance from Chipotle to Qdoba now that they've entered into the St. Charles market. They have a fajita ranchera burrito that is outstanding. Some lemony/tomato sauce that isn't spicy, but adds plenty of flavor is the key to this combination. The grilled vegetables are also on point. They also have a nice savory pesto made with poblanos that can be used as a sauce or a bold/spicy bbq sauce. These flavors make all the difference. Be careful with the salsas because they pack some serious heat. The green medium salsa puts some hot salsas to shame. I'm looking forward to trying the 3 cheese queso at some point despite its nuclear apperance. I would not recommend the guacamole that is really just mashed up avocado with a sprinkle of cilantro. I suggest you stop by for a visit when you see yourself by one of these fine establishments.
You Can Put it on the Billboard
I've come to terms with the fact that I'm not as young and hip as I once was especially when it comes to the music scene. I would have to venture a guess that many of you are in the same boat that I am. I don't spend long hours in my car listenening to the radio. I usually either go with my newest collections of cds or I'm on sports talk radio. I like to flip to Q101 or my latest favorite 89.1 but this is pretty infrequent. ITunes is nice with their 30 second snippests to preview their songs, but I always scan the billboard weekly lists to keep myself up to date.
Personally, I tend toward the modern rock and mainstream rock single lists for the latest artists or new material from old favorites. Once a month is really plenty of time to spend on this site because the charts don't change too often. I'll usually find one or two immediate downloads, then I'll let those previews of the other tunes marinate for a few days. If I still remember the song, then it is probably worth the 99 cents. I'm certain that you can apply this method to any form of music whether it be dance, country, or hip hop.
Digital Ditty
I'll throw out a few personal favorites that have joined my download list off the recent billboard charts. I would start with Jars by Chevelle. This here is probably the most relevant local Chicago band producing music at the moment. I'm hoping to catch a live show in the coming years at a local club. If you want something with a bit different sound, I suggest you try out Uprising by Muse. They deliver some serious power in a slightly odd way.
Personally, I tend toward the modern rock and mainstream rock single lists for the latest artists or new material from old favorites. Once a month is really plenty of time to spend on this site because the charts don't change too often. I'll usually find one or two immediate downloads, then I'll let those previews of the other tunes marinate for a few days. If I still remember the song, then it is probably worth the 99 cents. I'm certain that you can apply this method to any form of music whether it be dance, country, or hip hop.
Digital Ditty
I'll throw out a few personal favorites that have joined my download list off the recent billboard charts. I would start with Jars by Chevelle. This here is probably the most relevant local Chicago band producing music at the moment. I'm hoping to catch a live show in the coming years at a local club. If you want something with a bit different sound, I suggest you try out Uprising by Muse. They deliver some serious power in a slightly odd way.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Boiler Up!
The fans graced the field of Ross Ade Stadium for the first time since late November in the year 2000. It was also the first victory over a ranked opponent since Wake Forest of all teams in 2003. To say that Purdue needed that victory on Saturday would be a massive understatement, the entire campus needed something to go right on their football field for the first time in years. Ohio State is an especially ripe victim after some absolute heartbreakers over the past decade including the 4th down pass that propelled them to the national championship.
Danny Hope proved that he could be the man to bring this team back to the top of the Big Ten. He's got enough fire and guts to make the tough calls and live with the consequences. He's envigorated the recruiting and hired some capable assistants. I certainly respect and admire all of the guys that compete for my alma mater, but a good deal of the gentlemen currently on scholarship simply don't have the talent to contend at this level. Hope will find men who will, whether it is scanning the Midwest or offering every senior across the state of Florida. I certainly believe that he made some headway with any high school seniors in attendance this past weekend.
Joey Elliott has now earned the right to finish as the starter in every game for his senior year. He is the right man for the job and should lead the Boilers to at least two more victories if not a .500 record in Big Ten play. Ryan Kerrigan proved that he is one of the ten best defensive linemen in the country and was honored as such. Mike Neal, Brandon King, and Aaron Valentin all showed that they deserve a look at the next level when the combine rolls around. Keith Smith has admirably filled the void left behind after Dustin Keller graduated. He's fearless and takes the game to all of the defensive backs that get in his way. He'll be all conference by the end of the year and could put himself in great position to play on Sundays after next season. Hopefully some of the younger guys and the redshirt QB have learned some things from these older guys who have to fight and scrap for any success. It looks like the train is back on the tracks.
Dear Mr. Fantasy
Hopefully I've helped some of my readers with their issues this year because I certainly can't solve my own problems. I'm writing this column to avoid watching the inevitable on Monday night, which involves my team falling to 2-4. Bye week fillers are incredibly important. Do not take bye week maneuvers lightly because whenever you think you can't compete, there are guys out there who can bring you home a victory. You never know what your opponent's players will do or when he'll make a bad play.
Some guys to keep in mind this week are Sammie Stroughter of the Bucs. They love this kid in Tampa and I tried telling that to a friend before he went for 65 yards and a punt return TD this past weekend. Stick with guys that continue to perform at the tight end position. Shiancoe, Heath Miller, and even Greg Olson have proved to be far better plays than high talent guys like Finley or Keller. Stay away from quarterbacks on bad teams even if they throw a lot. What did it get Kerry Collins' owners this past weekend? The time has come for you to focus on younger backups at running back and wide receiver. The longer the season goes, the higher risk for injury. Always be aware of the upcoming schedule along with the playoff schedule. Pattern your trades to maximize these factors and always try to be a week ahead on roster moves if your bench can afford you that. Don't get married to bad bench players either. It will cost you an opportunity to get a valuable player.
Danny Hope proved that he could be the man to bring this team back to the top of the Big Ten. He's got enough fire and guts to make the tough calls and live with the consequences. He's envigorated the recruiting and hired some capable assistants. I certainly respect and admire all of the guys that compete for my alma mater, but a good deal of the gentlemen currently on scholarship simply don't have the talent to contend at this level. Hope will find men who will, whether it is scanning the Midwest or offering every senior across the state of Florida. I certainly believe that he made some headway with any high school seniors in attendance this past weekend.
Joey Elliott has now earned the right to finish as the starter in every game for his senior year. He is the right man for the job and should lead the Boilers to at least two more victories if not a .500 record in Big Ten play. Ryan Kerrigan proved that he is one of the ten best defensive linemen in the country and was honored as such. Mike Neal, Brandon King, and Aaron Valentin all showed that they deserve a look at the next level when the combine rolls around. Keith Smith has admirably filled the void left behind after Dustin Keller graduated. He's fearless and takes the game to all of the defensive backs that get in his way. He'll be all conference by the end of the year and could put himself in great position to play on Sundays after next season. Hopefully some of the younger guys and the redshirt QB have learned some things from these older guys who have to fight and scrap for any success. It looks like the train is back on the tracks.
Dear Mr. Fantasy
Hopefully I've helped some of my readers with their issues this year because I certainly can't solve my own problems. I'm writing this column to avoid watching the inevitable on Monday night, which involves my team falling to 2-4. Bye week fillers are incredibly important. Do not take bye week maneuvers lightly because whenever you think you can't compete, there are guys out there who can bring you home a victory. You never know what your opponent's players will do or when he'll make a bad play.
Some guys to keep in mind this week are Sammie Stroughter of the Bucs. They love this kid in Tampa and I tried telling that to a friend before he went for 65 yards and a punt return TD this past weekend. Stick with guys that continue to perform at the tight end position. Shiancoe, Heath Miller, and even Greg Olson have proved to be far better plays than high talent guys like Finley or Keller. Stay away from quarterbacks on bad teams even if they throw a lot. What did it get Kerry Collins' owners this past weekend? The time has come for you to focus on younger backups at running back and wide receiver. The longer the season goes, the higher risk for injury. Always be aware of the upcoming schedule along with the playoff schedule. Pattern your trades to maximize these factors and always try to be a week ahead on roster moves if your bench can afford you that. Don't get married to bad bench players either. It will cost you an opportunity to get a valuable player.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Hypocrisy
I'm not really sure what triggered the topic to write about today for random advice, but it is certainly the biggest of my pet peeves. In my world, outside of actual criminals or other unsightly behavior that physically/emotionally impacts the lives of others, the worst thing that a person can be is a hypocrit. This trumps being lazy, dumb, dirty, or greedy and all of the other seven dwarves of bad. Don't tell me what to do, when you don't do it yourself. I don't want to hear Dr. Phil tell me how to eat, and I certainly don't want parenting advice from Jon and/or Kate. One good media-related example over the past week would be the outspoken NFL players that say they would refuse to play for Rush Limbaugh due to his political stance, past comments, etc. So just to get all my ducks in a row, they're perfectly fine with taking money from families that run companies overseas, donate to South Africa, and do a host of other things that are truly unsightly actions. That's outstanding.
My favorite hypocrits are the overly excitable Christians that love to turn their nose up to anyone who doesn't do exactly what they do. So again, just so I get this straight, the way to heaven is to show up to church each Sunday, then spend the rest of the week trying to screw over anyone in your path, yell at your kid's teachers, and generally do no good. It's that other guy who doesn't make it to mass, but helped his neighbor build a deck then spent the nights last week helping coach his kid's soccer team who really doesn't know what being a Christian is all about.
Those are just a few examples of some of the types of behavior that I find outstandingly bad. Hopefully, you all feel the same way I do about these sorts of things and make sure you practice what you preach before you incite it onto others. Don't be like these asshats, make a difference, be a good person, and try not to judge others without first judging yourself.
Ode to Nader
If you like reading this blog or really just come here because you want to kill work time, then I have a product for you. Keep your eyes peeled this fall for the Black Friday ads, then run out to your local Best Buy, OfficeMax, or Office Depot and get yourself a Microsoft wireless keyboard and mouse. This glorious combo is ergonomically correct, requires no mousepad, and gives you the freedom you need at your desk or home office. I would recommend these to anyone, but I'll warn you; it doesn't work if you keep your keyboard/mouse in a drawer. You'll have no room for the sensor.
My favorite hypocrits are the overly excitable Christians that love to turn their nose up to anyone who doesn't do exactly what they do. So again, just so I get this straight, the way to heaven is to show up to church each Sunday, then spend the rest of the week trying to screw over anyone in your path, yell at your kid's teachers, and generally do no good. It's that other guy who doesn't make it to mass, but helped his neighbor build a deck then spent the nights last week helping coach his kid's soccer team who really doesn't know what being a Christian is all about.
Those are just a few examples of some of the types of behavior that I find outstandingly bad. Hopefully, you all feel the same way I do about these sorts of things and make sure you practice what you preach before you incite it onto others. Don't be like these asshats, make a difference, be a good person, and try not to judge others without first judging yourself.
Ode to Nader
If you like reading this blog or really just come here because you want to kill work time, then I have a product for you. Keep your eyes peeled this fall for the Black Friday ads, then run out to your local Best Buy, OfficeMax, or Office Depot and get yourself a Microsoft wireless keyboard and mouse. This glorious combo is ergonomically correct, requires no mousepad, and gives you the freedom you need at your desk or home office. I would recommend these to anyone, but I'll warn you; it doesn't work if you keep your keyboard/mouse in a drawer. You'll have no room for the sensor.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
One Pot Italian Classic
If nothing works better for you on a Sunday evening that a nice pot roast, then you need to upgrade yourself to the meal in a pot known as Osso Buco. It's a fancy Italian term for stewed veal shank. If you're morally opposed to utilizing veal, then feel free to try this same recipe with a lamb shank, turkey leg, or short ribs. Cooking times may vary if you change the meat. This meal is quickly become the favorite through colder weather in my household, and I guarantee that you'll be hooked once you try it. Keep in mind that this is not a cheap date, so the larger portion you make the more you can spread the wealth. The main price points in the recipe are the shanks themselves and the whole bottle of red wine required. You can also combo this recipe with a soup or stew later in the same week to utilize the remaining vegetables. I suggest serving up the gloriously meaty calf bone on a heaping pile of garlic mashed potatoes or a simple risotto. You can get crazy and make some soft polenta or even pappardelle.
The start of the recipe involves chopping one to two celery stalks and two peeled carrots into a regular dice. You'll also need to dice a whole yellow onion, mince or press four garlic cloves, and grab two bay leaves. The last bit of prep is to peel a lemon using a vegetable peeler. Try to remove as much rind with minimal pith as possible. If you struggle, just use the top of your peeler to scrape off the white stuff.
Now put your dutch oven on medium heat, add two to three counts of oil and two tablespoons of butter. While that comes to temperature, season your shanks liberally with salt and pepper, then apply a light dusting of flour to all sides. Note: your shanks should be left at room temp about 30 minutes prior to cooking and shake off as much flour as possible. Once the pot is ready, brown your shanks. This recipe can be done for four shanks or as few as one. You can usually brown two at a time in the pot. They need a light brown on all sides, then place them on a plate for the time being.
Once the meat is browned, you can dump in all the aromatics that you chopped in stage one at the same time including the rind and bay leaves. While these start to sweat, give them some salt, pepper, thyme, oregano, and such. These items will cook down for about five or so minutes, then you can place the shanks back in the pot and add an entire bottle of Cab Sav or whatever red wine you like/have. This step requires at least 20 minutes to reduce by half. The more reduced, the richer the flavor. Once reduced, you can add one can of low sodium beef broth and a 28 oz can of whole tomatoes. The whole tomatoes should be hand crushed prior to entering the pot. You can pour in all the sauce and juice from the can. Like you learned earlier this year, always try to use San Marzano tomatoes.
Stir up this concoction, add salt and pepper if necessary, then put the lid on and place the pot in a 375 degree oven for 90 minutes. After 90 minutes of alone time in the oven, remove the lid and cook for an additional 30 minutes in said oven. After those 30 minutes have elapsed, remove the pot from the oven, carefully place the shanks on a plate, then put the pot back on the stove at medium/medium high heat. As you're finishing up all the rest of the meal components, the meat will have time to rest and you can get just a bit more reduction on that sauce. There is no time limit and this step is not necessary if your sauce looks ready to go. Remove the two bay leaves and spoon that dark red goodness all over everything on your plate.
Restaurant Recap
I know I'm going off the beaten path with this one, but with the alma mater on my mind, I'm breaking out a suggestion from good old West Lafayette. Bruno's in the Levee is the place to be on gameday or just on any day. They have by far the best pizza within 60 miles of Purdue's campus, and as advertised on ESPN they have fried pizza dough balls coated in italian herbs and parmesan cheese. You have to appreciate all cultures of pizza and these guys use scissors to cut the pizza into strips. It is great stuff and worth a shot for any pizza fan.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Old Skool
If you're between the ages of 14 and 50 then you should probably check out VH-1 over the next few days and kick it old school with the Hip Hop Honors ceremony for 25 years of Def Jam. This special will bring you back or educate you on the past of a great era of hip hop artists gone by. I mean who knew DMX was not only still alive, but not in jail? This special reminded me that artists used to actually rhyme, create beats, and have meaningful lyrics. There is a reason that Yo! MTV Raps was created and Midwestern white suburbia used to dress in ridiculous clothes and get their sneakers stolen on the wrong part of town.
While no one wants to remember the days when you couldn't wear North Carolina colors or sport a new pair of Nikes, the rappers of the 80s and early 90s had a message that still rings true today. Maybe the current crop have it too good or didn't have the same level of life experience that these guys had, or maybe they need to get back to travelling in groups. Think about that for a minute. We used to have the Wu Tang Clan, Ruff Ryders, N.W.A., Bone Thugs & Harmony, Cash Money Millionaires, Murder Inc, D-12, and the list goes on. These all-star rap teams brought the best rhymes to a generation of listeners, but now what is left. Somebody please start another east-west rap feud. I must say that I fell on the west side of that one. I remember thinking to myself when I bought a Notorious BIG album that I was cavorting with the enemy. I also used to wonder what would happen if Dr. Dre and Chuck D ever actually got into a real fight. Clearly the world would have exploded.
Those were simpler times. When a young lad could turn on MTV and think that Terminator X was not a DJ, but an actual terminator sent to do the business that Arnold could not finish. Like he was sent here to take over the world in the name of large clock necklaces. Damn shame Flavor Flav had to go crazy and waste a good rap group. You have to give credit to these guys though. Rappers are like pro athletes. They entertain millions for like 10-15 years, then they disappear and spend money. You know things went horribly wrong for this genre when you see Ja Rule and Onyx perform and think about how good things used to be. Son, if you can't bring a rap stronger than Ja Rule, then you need to rethink what you're doing for a living. So it is time to put on your Pump sneakers, grab your shaggy Kangol hat, break out the gold chain with your high school number at the end of it, mount up your fellow regulators, and fight the power.
Digital Ditty
I was well known thoughout the southwest suburbs of Chicago in the late 90s and early part of this decade for completing the best rap mixes known to white people. I think the final album was my seventh compilation. There was a broad spectrum of talent and rhymes, but I'll try to limit you to a few powerful tracks. You definitely need Don't Believe the Hype by Public Enemy and my favorite rap track of all-time is still Dre Day by the Doctor himself. Those two should peak your interest to explore the glory days of the street chorus.
While no one wants to remember the days when you couldn't wear North Carolina colors or sport a new pair of Nikes, the rappers of the 80s and early 90s had a message that still rings true today. Maybe the current crop have it too good or didn't have the same level of life experience that these guys had, or maybe they need to get back to travelling in groups. Think about that for a minute. We used to have the Wu Tang Clan, Ruff Ryders, N.W.A., Bone Thugs & Harmony, Cash Money Millionaires, Murder Inc, D-12, and the list goes on. These all-star rap teams brought the best rhymes to a generation of listeners, but now what is left. Somebody please start another east-west rap feud. I must say that I fell on the west side of that one. I remember thinking to myself when I bought a Notorious BIG album that I was cavorting with the enemy. I also used to wonder what would happen if Dr. Dre and Chuck D ever actually got into a real fight. Clearly the world would have exploded.
Those were simpler times. When a young lad could turn on MTV and think that Terminator X was not a DJ, but an actual terminator sent to do the business that Arnold could not finish. Like he was sent here to take over the world in the name of large clock necklaces. Damn shame Flavor Flav had to go crazy and waste a good rap group. You have to give credit to these guys though. Rappers are like pro athletes. They entertain millions for like 10-15 years, then they disappear and spend money. You know things went horribly wrong for this genre when you see Ja Rule and Onyx perform and think about how good things used to be. Son, if you can't bring a rap stronger than Ja Rule, then you need to rethink what you're doing for a living. So it is time to put on your Pump sneakers, grab your shaggy Kangol hat, break out the gold chain with your high school number at the end of it, mount up your fellow regulators, and fight the power.
Digital Ditty
I was well known thoughout the southwest suburbs of Chicago in the late 90s and early part of this decade for completing the best rap mixes known to white people. I think the final album was my seventh compilation. There was a broad spectrum of talent and rhymes, but I'll try to limit you to a few powerful tracks. You definitely need Don't Believe the Hype by Public Enemy and my favorite rap track of all-time is still Dre Day by the Doctor himself. Those two should peak your interest to explore the glory days of the street chorus.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Bizarro World
Welcome to NFL Bizarro World where Miles Austin is the new Cowboy record holder for single game receiving and you can win an NFL game when your quarterback goes 2 for 17 for 23 yards and a pick. That pretty much sums up your NFL Sunday sports fans. If Steven Jackson wasn't so angry all the time, the Rams might just be fun bad. I do think that the Bucs have entered fun bad though as every week they do one particular thing well and everything else terrible. Hey Bucs congrats for shutting down Phily's running game, too bad you lost 33-14 after DMac threw for 350+ and 3 touchdowns.
Does it get any more bizarre than the Denver Broncos? I thought this team would be 3-13 with the Marshall escapades and Josh McDaniels being a douche rocket. Turns out Orton can play a little and apparently Larry Coyer knows a little bit about defense. While we're on the topic, I wouldn't be a fake Chicago journalist without tackling the Orton-Cutler debate. There really is no debate though. Both teams got what they wanted. Denver has a good young line that can protect a pocket passer. McDaniels needed a guy to stick to the gameplan, believe in his calls, and distribute the ball. Chicago needed a QB savior to run around, make plans, and make the offense look like an NFL squad. Jay Cutler on the Bears is like having the senior high school starting QB pick a bunch of kids off the frosh squad to play the JV team. Usually he can make enough plays on his own to make the guys look good, but if they aren't in the right spots they'll make him look real bad. The Broncos wouldn't be 5-0 with Cutler, and the Bears wouldn't be 3-1 with Orton. They are different players that do different things. Look at what Orton has done and respect the fact that he is an NFL QB, he has an NFL arm and IQ, and he needs time to process and distribute the ball to playmakers. Guess what Chicago radio analysts, Jay Cutler didn't make those receivers out there. They are just good. He certainly has made the rag tag group in Lake Forest look like NFL guys though.
Now on to less biting topics, do I hear a Who Dey off in the background? I didn't watch the Sunday night game for fear that Collinsworth was going to show up in his old jersey and start telling Ken Anderson stories. How about all the talent they have on offense? Carson Palmer has a rocket, and Caldwell and Henry will be playmakers before this year is out. If you want to figure out how to rebuild a defense, watch Rivers and Maualuga then draft a few USC linebackers. Don't fret Bear fans, this isn't the same Ced Ben that you cut last year. He finally decided to be an NFL player. He's hitting the holes hard because he trusts his linemen and he's not looking over his shoulder. Oh yeah, he isn't getting paid bank either.
I love one of the announcers this weekend that said Jared Allen is making a claim for NFL defensive player of the year. Really? Does that mean Peyton Manning is making a claim for NFL offensive player of the year too? How about MVP asshole? Go ask an opposing tackle or quarterback who would get their MVP vote. That said, Manning is flat out outstanding. Hey Wally Pipp, I mean Anthony Gonzalez, the team has moved on my friend. Go tell some stories about Big Ten championships with Art Schlister. Colts/Buckeye reference anyone?
On a parting note for this week's sports column, I would like someone to tell me how firing Dick Jauron or Jim Zorn would make either of those teams better tomorrow. Will that magically drop an NFL QB into one of their laps? It certainly won't tank the season hard enough to beat the Bucs, Rams, and Chiefs out for the first three picks in the draft. If you fire Jim Zorn will Clinton Portis' legs grow back? If you fire Dick Jauron will Trent Edwards learn to read a defense or Lee Evans learn how to run routes? Something tells me it will just further alienate your fan base and cause a few local blackouts.
Dear Mr. Fantasy
Well we saw signs of life from a few high picks like Roddy White, Eddie Royal, Michael Turner, and Donovan McNabb this weekend. If the Eagles give any job outside of janitor to Kevin Curtis when he becomes healthy, Andy Reid should be forced to observe Ramadan. Yes, that is a fasting joke. I wouldn't run out to sign Mike Crabtree even though he did just that finally. Jeremy Maclin certainly looks like a boom or bust play that could make a lot of teams better at this point. I still have no reason to believe that the Cardinals will ever figure out how to run the football. Just start giving Steve Slaton the ball on the goalline already. Congrats to 49ers defense owners after last weekend, how'd that work against Hotlanta? I think you might get another play or two out of Jamal Lewis during the bye week stretch. Speaking of teams that can't run, go get yourself a Seahawks receiver pronto. MohMass gave you exactly what you deserved if you thought a Brown receiver was going to help your team. Good luck and God bless if Romo is your QB the rest of the way. It took him 3.5 quarters to be relevant on Sunday against the Chiefs/Texans...AFL style. Bad news for some team owners, the blocking for Brady isn't going to get any better. Sell now while you still can. Another parting shot...after five weeks you should know if your team has enough talent to compete. If you're not sure yet, then you don't have enough talent to compete.
Does it get any more bizarre than the Denver Broncos? I thought this team would be 3-13 with the Marshall escapades and Josh McDaniels being a douche rocket. Turns out Orton can play a little and apparently Larry Coyer knows a little bit about defense. While we're on the topic, I wouldn't be a fake Chicago journalist without tackling the Orton-Cutler debate. There really is no debate though. Both teams got what they wanted. Denver has a good young line that can protect a pocket passer. McDaniels needed a guy to stick to the gameplan, believe in his calls, and distribute the ball. Chicago needed a QB savior to run around, make plans, and make the offense look like an NFL squad. Jay Cutler on the Bears is like having the senior high school starting QB pick a bunch of kids off the frosh squad to play the JV team. Usually he can make enough plays on his own to make the guys look good, but if they aren't in the right spots they'll make him look real bad. The Broncos wouldn't be 5-0 with Cutler, and the Bears wouldn't be 3-1 with Orton. They are different players that do different things. Look at what Orton has done and respect the fact that he is an NFL QB, he has an NFL arm and IQ, and he needs time to process and distribute the ball to playmakers. Guess what Chicago radio analysts, Jay Cutler didn't make those receivers out there. They are just good. He certainly has made the rag tag group in Lake Forest look like NFL guys though.
Now on to less biting topics, do I hear a Who Dey off in the background? I didn't watch the Sunday night game for fear that Collinsworth was going to show up in his old jersey and start telling Ken Anderson stories. How about all the talent they have on offense? Carson Palmer has a rocket, and Caldwell and Henry will be playmakers before this year is out. If you want to figure out how to rebuild a defense, watch Rivers and Maualuga then draft a few USC linebackers. Don't fret Bear fans, this isn't the same Ced Ben that you cut last year. He finally decided to be an NFL player. He's hitting the holes hard because he trusts his linemen and he's not looking over his shoulder. Oh yeah, he isn't getting paid bank either.
I love one of the announcers this weekend that said Jared Allen is making a claim for NFL defensive player of the year. Really? Does that mean Peyton Manning is making a claim for NFL offensive player of the year too? How about MVP asshole? Go ask an opposing tackle or quarterback who would get their MVP vote. That said, Manning is flat out outstanding. Hey Wally Pipp, I mean Anthony Gonzalez, the team has moved on my friend. Go tell some stories about Big Ten championships with Art Schlister. Colts/Buckeye reference anyone?
On a parting note for this week's sports column, I would like someone to tell me how firing Dick Jauron or Jim Zorn would make either of those teams better tomorrow. Will that magically drop an NFL QB into one of their laps? It certainly won't tank the season hard enough to beat the Bucs, Rams, and Chiefs out for the first three picks in the draft. If you fire Jim Zorn will Clinton Portis' legs grow back? If you fire Dick Jauron will Trent Edwards learn to read a defense or Lee Evans learn how to run routes? Something tells me it will just further alienate your fan base and cause a few local blackouts.
Dear Mr. Fantasy
Well we saw signs of life from a few high picks like Roddy White, Eddie Royal, Michael Turner, and Donovan McNabb this weekend. If the Eagles give any job outside of janitor to Kevin Curtis when he becomes healthy, Andy Reid should be forced to observe Ramadan. Yes, that is a fasting joke. I wouldn't run out to sign Mike Crabtree even though he did just that finally. Jeremy Maclin certainly looks like a boom or bust play that could make a lot of teams better at this point. I still have no reason to believe that the Cardinals will ever figure out how to run the football. Just start giving Steve Slaton the ball on the goalline already. Congrats to 49ers defense owners after last weekend, how'd that work against Hotlanta? I think you might get another play or two out of Jamal Lewis during the bye week stretch. Speaking of teams that can't run, go get yourself a Seahawks receiver pronto. MohMass gave you exactly what you deserved if you thought a Brown receiver was going to help your team. Good luck and God bless if Romo is your QB the rest of the way. It took him 3.5 quarters to be relevant on Sunday against the Chiefs/Texans...AFL style. Bad news for some team owners, the blocking for Brady isn't going to get any better. Sell now while you still can. Another parting shot...after five weeks you should know if your team has enough talent to compete. If you're not sure yet, then you don't have enough talent to compete.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Better Things to Do
It's time for us to rise up and take back Fridays. Who actually gets anything worthwhile accomplished on a Friday anyway? Two more hours per day for the first four days of the week and we're talking about permanent three day weekends. Something tells me that internet usage is vastly higher on Fridays as well. Sure every once in awhile we'll have to play catch up for screwing off earlier in the week, but even at that point doesn't most of it just get pushed into Monday.
Really this won't lead to much more free time, it basically frees up Friday for odd jobs and house chores that are also work. The beauty in this is that every weekend will actually have two free days for whatever you need to do. I know that this won't work for everyone since they'll just push an inordinate amount of kid's sporting events into this time frame, but it might save you an early Saturday morning.
There has to be more to gain economically from the added consumer interest from the extra weekend day than time lost. Face it, I'm typing this at work now and it won't affect my bottom line at month end or year end. We all just reach our breaking points by this time on Friday afternoons.
Weekend Wonderment
So you're coming to me for advice on what to do this weekend? Did you not just catch that I have such little going on inside my head at this point that I just blabbered about free Fridays for three paragraphs? OK, two and half paragraphs. Given the impending weather in the midwest and the time of year, I suggest that you take in a movie like Couples Retreat or the Invention of Lying. Not because I've seen them, but because I would like to. Outside of that, you're on your own this time around. Catch up on sleep for the week ahead.
Really this won't lead to much more free time, it basically frees up Friday for odd jobs and house chores that are also work. The beauty in this is that every weekend will actually have two free days for whatever you need to do. I know that this won't work for everyone since they'll just push an inordinate amount of kid's sporting events into this time frame, but it might save you an early Saturday morning.
There has to be more to gain economically from the added consumer interest from the extra weekend day than time lost. Face it, I'm typing this at work now and it won't affect my bottom line at month end or year end. We all just reach our breaking points by this time on Friday afternoons.
Weekend Wonderment
So you're coming to me for advice on what to do this weekend? Did you not just catch that I have such little going on inside my head at this point that I just blabbered about free Fridays for three paragraphs? OK, two and half paragraphs. Given the impending weather in the midwest and the time of year, I suggest that you take in a movie like Couples Retreat or the Invention of Lying. Not because I've seen them, but because I would like to. Outside of that, you're on your own this time around. Catch up on sleep for the week ahead.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
The Dinner Party
I'm going to stick with the combo days again this week since it is pretty busy in the office. Today I'll combine the food and advice columns for the dinner party concept. With many people feeling the effects of the economic downturn, what better way to enjoy a night out and a good meal with friends and family than hosting a dinner party. You can make any combination of foods to satisfy multiple pallettes and you can go fancy or comfortable with the attire. The two biggest keys to hosting a dinner party is food prep and entertainment. I always try to go overboard with both. It is better to have too many things that you can save for another time, instead of leaving people bored or hungry. You should start your food preparation a few days before by starting with shopping, then prep vegetables and marinate meats, and finally go things the day of. I know there are plenty of dishes that can be made ahead of time, but I fully endorse serving fresh made food for all parties.
What kind of food serves a crowd? Well we've certainly developed some mainstays, most of which I learned from my mother over the years. Mostaciolli is a huge crowd pleaser, and if you're lucky I'll pass along my aunt's recipe at some point. With that in mind, some sort of italian dish should be on the table because the pastas and breads associated with them help fill people's stomachs. You could also make a big batch of meatballs and italian sausage for sandwiches. Pulled pork is a personal favorite if you feel up to the challenge of the smoker. If not, there are plenty of solid recipes to be made in the oven. Chili is a great crowd pleaser depending on your guest list. I've had a past party where I went with a red steak chili and a mexican green pork chili. Baked goods are a big hit for the meal and in the dessert portion of the program. Homemade desserts are the only way to go. They're cheaper and taste worlds better. Even if you're just pulling out a box mix, that will do. Don't forget to have plenty of snacks like pistachios, chips and salsa, puppy chow, pretzels, and other personal favorites.
The other great part about parties at homes is that cooking for a crowd is much cheaper than cooking for just a few. You can utilize larger cuts of meat, buy bulk items, and all the costs are spread over a larger audience. So if you're starting to get bored as the weather grows colder, get a crew together and do some eating. What else do we do well in the Midwest? While you're at it, you might as well have some fun. Pull out some board games, play some poker, watch bad wedding videos, or sing karaoke, but do whatever you like to do and have a good time with it.
Restaurant Recap
I must give a recommendation here for a certain grocery store. It doesn't fall in line with the restaurant reviews, but they do have great food to take home and eat. The Fresh Market (not Caputo's Fresh Market, Springbrook Fresh Market, or all the other crapola) also known as TFM is an absolutely great place to shop. They only have the best quality ingredients, and they have everything you need for any recipe from San Marzano canned tomatoes to spices to artisan cheeses or random produce. Be careful in the produce section because while the price per lb. may look good, they have the largest fruits that I know of. The fish section is great with fresh shrimp, parmesan crusted tilapia, and pistachio grouper being some personal favorites. The meat section has anything you want. I will endorse the bacon, swiss burgers, veal shank, lamb tenderloins, chicken en croute, and all fresh sausages. They have numerous italian meats and antipasti as well as a full deli and bakery. They have a sandwich shop and plenty of wraps made fresh for lunch daily. Their homemade pizza is also very good. I have to say that I am partial to their rotisserie. It houses the best wings that I've had, great White Wine/Herb turkey breast, pulled pork, bbq pork tenderloin, petitie spiral ham, and a few other great meal options. I'm a frequent shopper at the Geneva store, but there are a few others in the area so make a special trip to complete the shopping list for that recipe you have never had the guts to try.
What kind of food serves a crowd? Well we've certainly developed some mainstays, most of which I learned from my mother over the years. Mostaciolli is a huge crowd pleaser, and if you're lucky I'll pass along my aunt's recipe at some point. With that in mind, some sort of italian dish should be on the table because the pastas and breads associated with them help fill people's stomachs. You could also make a big batch of meatballs and italian sausage for sandwiches. Pulled pork is a personal favorite if you feel up to the challenge of the smoker. If not, there are plenty of solid recipes to be made in the oven. Chili is a great crowd pleaser depending on your guest list. I've had a past party where I went with a red steak chili and a mexican green pork chili. Baked goods are a big hit for the meal and in the dessert portion of the program. Homemade desserts are the only way to go. They're cheaper and taste worlds better. Even if you're just pulling out a box mix, that will do. Don't forget to have plenty of snacks like pistachios, chips and salsa, puppy chow, pretzels, and other personal favorites.
The other great part about parties at homes is that cooking for a crowd is much cheaper than cooking for just a few. You can utilize larger cuts of meat, buy bulk items, and all the costs are spread over a larger audience. So if you're starting to get bored as the weather grows colder, get a crew together and do some eating. What else do we do well in the Midwest? While you're at it, you might as well have some fun. Pull out some board games, play some poker, watch bad wedding videos, or sing karaoke, but do whatever you like to do and have a good time with it.
Restaurant Recap
I must give a recommendation here for a certain grocery store. It doesn't fall in line with the restaurant reviews, but they do have great food to take home and eat. The Fresh Market (not Caputo's Fresh Market, Springbrook Fresh Market, or all the other crapola) also known as TFM is an absolutely great place to shop. They only have the best quality ingredients, and they have everything you need for any recipe from San Marzano canned tomatoes to spices to artisan cheeses or random produce. Be careful in the produce section because while the price per lb. may look good, they have the largest fruits that I know of. The fish section is great with fresh shrimp, parmesan crusted tilapia, and pistachio grouper being some personal favorites. The meat section has anything you want. I will endorse the bacon, swiss burgers, veal shank, lamb tenderloins, chicken en croute, and all fresh sausages. They have numerous italian meats and antipasti as well as a full deli and bakery. They have a sandwich shop and plenty of wraps made fresh for lunch daily. Their homemade pizza is also very good. I have to say that I am partial to their rotisserie. It houses the best wings that I've had, great White Wine/Herb turkey breast, pulled pork, bbq pork tenderloin, petitie spiral ham, and a few other great meal options. I'm a frequent shopper at the Geneva store, but there are a few others in the area so make a special trip to complete the shopping list for that recipe you have never had the guts to try.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Rock Band
I must say that as a new convert I would recommend the video game system Rock Band to anyone who is a music fan. Whether you want the full blown Beatles game or just want a nice mix of rock music, you will definitely have a good time with this. Almost everyone loves some form of music, and even if they can't figure out how to play an instrument, they can just go karaoke-style on the microphone. I would bet that anybody who plays five to ten rounds of any instrument on easy can get the hang of it. The easy level takes the guitar down to just three buttons at a pretty slow pace. The drums take a little more getting used to, but I would say they're the most fun once you get going. If you're really a beginner, choose the bass.
Each song is rated 1-5 on a scale of difficulty at each instrument as well, so you can really adapt the game to fit your needs. The key about the new Rock Band versions is the ability to download new songs that fit your tastes. They aren't cheap at $2 apiece, but you can basically make the game your own. If you're a classic rock maven, go ahead and scoop up The Who tracks or some classic Queen. Grunge fans are served by plenty of Pearl Jame and new Alice in Chains. There are lots of newer songs and plenty of alternative and metal tracks as well. There is even a country track pack to deliver something for everyone. I would have to say that one of the newer systems like PS3, XBox 360, or Wii is the way to go so you can utilize an internet connection. If you're searching for something to get you through the colder months or you just want an easy way to figure out what the real lyrics are to your favorite songs, then give this system a try.
Digital Ditty
I picked up another CD recently and it happens to be the double disc Incubus, Monuments and Melodies. I haven't made it to the second disc of deep cuts yet, but the first disc is basically a greatest hits album. It is an eclectic mix of rockers and ballads that make you appreciate at least one rock band from the past decade. I would have to give a vote to the new song Black Heart Inertia as a download specimen. If you're looking for another hit to add to your collection, I'd go with Dig. I haven't heard it quite as much as the tunes off Make Yourself and Morning View.
Each song is rated 1-5 on a scale of difficulty at each instrument as well, so you can really adapt the game to fit your needs. The key about the new Rock Band versions is the ability to download new songs that fit your tastes. They aren't cheap at $2 apiece, but you can basically make the game your own. If you're a classic rock maven, go ahead and scoop up The Who tracks or some classic Queen. Grunge fans are served by plenty of Pearl Jame and new Alice in Chains. There are lots of newer songs and plenty of alternative and metal tracks as well. There is even a country track pack to deliver something for everyone. I would have to say that one of the newer systems like PS3, XBox 360, or Wii is the way to go so you can utilize an internet connection. If you're searching for something to get you through the colder months or you just want an easy way to figure out what the real lyrics are to your favorite songs, then give this system a try.
Digital Ditty
I picked up another CD recently and it happens to be the double disc Incubus, Monuments and Melodies. I haven't made it to the second disc of deep cuts yet, but the first disc is basically a greatest hits album. It is an eclectic mix of rockers and ballads that make you appreciate at least one rock band from the past decade. I would have to give a vote to the new song Black Heart Inertia as a download specimen. If you're looking for another hit to add to your collection, I'd go with Dig. I haven't heard it quite as much as the tunes off Make Yourself and Morning View.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Hockey Night in America
Anybody else remember when hockey was relevant? When you could catch a Wednesday night broadcast on ESPN with Bill Clement and Gary Thorne sending it down to Panger in the midst of the action? Those Hockey Night in America telecasts really showcased the game. Since then, the league has had multiple work stoppages, continued to expand, moved franchises out of relevant cities, and lost most major marketing deals. Congrats to Gary Bettman as the worst manager of anything...ever. You know who loves hockey...Canadians. I've got a great plan for a pro hockey league. Take two or three teams from Canada and northern US and move them into areas where the sport will never be relevant. This guy stood by to watch Winnipeg, Hartford, and Quebec lose hockey teams, while Phoenix, Carolina, Florida, and flippin' Columbus OHIO added teams. You move a team out of Minnesota and put one into Atlanta? How does this guy not have a real men of genius commercial yet?
The worst idea though has to be starting the season on a Friday in the heart of football season. While many adults are out at high school football games or just a nice dinner, these guys are dropping the puck days before the NFL has started bye weeks and the NCAA has started conference play. To make matters worse, one of the original six teams who have a renaissance going on in their home city starts the year in Finland! This league just can't get out of its own way. Some of the rule changes over the past couple years have indeed helped the pace of the game. I do wish that half of the league knew how to throw a decent check though.
Either way, the 1/2 of the 3 and a half major sports in America is underway. I must say that local success has finally got me interested in the league to a smaller degree. Televising home games will do that for you. Next step, making team sweaters more affordable. Hockey sweaters are sweet, especially throwbacks, but not at nearly $100 each. Keep it. I expect the 'Hawks to take a slight step back or remain at the same level this season. The team was way ahead of schedule last year and most of the key members are still really young. They need experience, but mostly they need bulk. The team though needs a real goaltender. I don't see Huet beating the Red Wings come March or April or whenever the hell this marathon ends. Either way, you can't deny the excitement of playoff hockey. Shootouts are great during the regular season (except for Chicago fans), but there is something special about 4 overtime sessions.
Dear Mr. Fantasy
You should now be starting to figure out if your team can contend in its present form or not. I'm doubting that any impact players are left on your free agent lists, so it is time to play let's make a deal. I'm going to briefly touch on things/players that I would look to acquire and ones that I would steer clear of. I'm buying Drew Brees, 49ers D, 49ers running backs, anything on the Giants, Dallas Clark, Colts receivers, people named Manning, Jay Cutler, Steelers passing attack, Flacco, Ray Rice, Chargers passing game, Panthers runners, and running backs named Brown. I'm going nowhere near LT2, Broncos passing game, teams that still haven't won a game, old running backs, Matt Forte, Julius Jones, Steelers runners, Vikings wideouts, anything out of New England, and the entire Cowboys passing game. Now these lists certainly don't cover every team and every player, but it should give you a general idea of things that I've seen through the first quarter of the season. General rule: only offer trades that make some sort of sense to the other owner. Otherwise, either your deal will get shotdown with no counteroffer or the league will veto the proposition. Also, don't structure a trade based on bye weeks. There are no byes in the playoffs, and those are the only weeks that matter.
The worst idea though has to be starting the season on a Friday in the heart of football season. While many adults are out at high school football games or just a nice dinner, these guys are dropping the puck days before the NFL has started bye weeks and the NCAA has started conference play. To make matters worse, one of the original six teams who have a renaissance going on in their home city starts the year in Finland! This league just can't get out of its own way. Some of the rule changes over the past couple years have indeed helped the pace of the game. I do wish that half of the league knew how to throw a decent check though.
Either way, the 1/2 of the 3 and a half major sports in America is underway. I must say that local success has finally got me interested in the league to a smaller degree. Televising home games will do that for you. Next step, making team sweaters more affordable. Hockey sweaters are sweet, especially throwbacks, but not at nearly $100 each. Keep it. I expect the 'Hawks to take a slight step back or remain at the same level this season. The team was way ahead of schedule last year and most of the key members are still really young. They need experience, but mostly they need bulk. The team though needs a real goaltender. I don't see Huet beating the Red Wings come March or April or whenever the hell this marathon ends. Either way, you can't deny the excitement of playoff hockey. Shootouts are great during the regular season (except for Chicago fans), but there is something special about 4 overtime sessions.
Dear Mr. Fantasy
You should now be starting to figure out if your team can contend in its present form or not. I'm doubting that any impact players are left on your free agent lists, so it is time to play let's make a deal. I'm going to briefly touch on things/players that I would look to acquire and ones that I would steer clear of. I'm buying Drew Brees, 49ers D, 49ers running backs, anything on the Giants, Dallas Clark, Colts receivers, people named Manning, Jay Cutler, Steelers passing attack, Flacco, Ray Rice, Chargers passing game, Panthers runners, and running backs named Brown. I'm going nowhere near LT2, Broncos passing game, teams that still haven't won a game, old running backs, Matt Forte, Julius Jones, Steelers runners, Vikings wideouts, anything out of New England, and the entire Cowboys passing game. Now these lists certainly don't cover every team and every player, but it should give you a general idea of things that I've seen through the first quarter of the season. General rule: only offer trades that make some sort of sense to the other owner. Otherwise, either your deal will get shotdown with no counteroffer or the league will veto the proposition. Also, don't structure a trade based on bye weeks. There are no byes in the playoffs, and those are the only weeks that matter.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Oprah, Obamas, Olympics...Oh No!
Well fair citizens of greater Chicagoland and throughout the U.S., the IOC just gave us all a quick slap across the face. Not only are you not getting the Olympic games, but shame on you to think that we were really considering you. Most of us were considered fencesitters when it comes to the games. I don't know any hardcore Olympic fans, and most people I know either don't live within the city limits or won't live there seven years from now. Either way, civic pride starts to take over on a morning like this one as we all enjoy big celebrations. Today's event must be what it feels like to have John Calipari as your head coach. Hey congrats on the great season, but we're taking back all your victories due to multiple violations.
Now in the aftermath of the Olympic bid, we're all wondering what went wrong and what happened. I would imagine there are multiple reasons behind all of this. I bet that a large contingent of the Americas vote did likely side with Rio since there has been no Olympic event in that country. To a larger extent, I hope this vote serves as a giant wake up call to those in charge of the bid and the city of Chicago and maybe even the U.S. to a larger extent. The city infrastructure is abysmal, and I'm sure the IOC thought there would be a high percentage chance that many of the facilities would not be completed on time. If a city doesn't have enough money to pay the employees that are already on staff, I don't see where they come up with the dough to build major athletic venues.
Chicago already hosts teams in every major sport and most minor ones down to professional lacrosse and softball. What could we possibly do with more venues? Lord knows we could use a new ampitheater to replace that pile of garbage known as World Music Theatre in Tinley or whatever the hell it is known as these days. The true shame in losing the bid is that still to this day the largest sporting event (and I use that term loosely) that this city has hosted is Wrestlemania. That's brutal. No major professional events, no major collegiate events, and not event the state championships at the high school level. Sorry fitness friends but having the Solheim Cup in Sugar Grove doesn't count in my world.
My hope is that this shot across the bow to those in charge will help fortify the city itself. Use that money to serve multiple purposes. We still need to find a way to get skilled laborers back to work without crippling the city. More importantly, don't stop plowing the friggin streets. Maybe fix the potholes in the roads. There are plenty of things for this Olympic committee to work on now that their bid failed miserably. I will have to give a quick bit of kudos to them as two years ago I spent an hour in a full presentation, and they really did put on a hell of a show. It would have been magnificent to see them pull it off, but miserably all at the same time. Looks like Daley will have to actually come up with something in house to help this city and secure his legacy.
Weekend Wonderment
This weekend is not shaping up to be a great one in the Chicagoland area weatherwise. It may be lame, but doing a nice fall cleaning might be your best bet. Maybe rent some movies that you missed over the summer and put on some food in the crockpot or dutch oven. If the weather does break, it would be a good time to hit the links once again or take an extended bike ride. The good part about all this is that it comes with a pretty cheap price tag. Enjoy the weekend however you choose to utilize it.
Now in the aftermath of the Olympic bid, we're all wondering what went wrong and what happened. I would imagine there are multiple reasons behind all of this. I bet that a large contingent of the Americas vote did likely side with Rio since there has been no Olympic event in that country. To a larger extent, I hope this vote serves as a giant wake up call to those in charge of the bid and the city of Chicago and maybe even the U.S. to a larger extent. The city infrastructure is abysmal, and I'm sure the IOC thought there would be a high percentage chance that many of the facilities would not be completed on time. If a city doesn't have enough money to pay the employees that are already on staff, I don't see where they come up with the dough to build major athletic venues.
Chicago already hosts teams in every major sport and most minor ones down to professional lacrosse and softball. What could we possibly do with more venues? Lord knows we could use a new ampitheater to replace that pile of garbage known as World Music Theatre in Tinley or whatever the hell it is known as these days. The true shame in losing the bid is that still to this day the largest sporting event (and I use that term loosely) that this city has hosted is Wrestlemania. That's brutal. No major professional events, no major collegiate events, and not event the state championships at the high school level. Sorry fitness friends but having the Solheim Cup in Sugar Grove doesn't count in my world.
My hope is that this shot across the bow to those in charge will help fortify the city itself. Use that money to serve multiple purposes. We still need to find a way to get skilled laborers back to work without crippling the city. More importantly, don't stop plowing the friggin streets. Maybe fix the potholes in the roads. There are plenty of things for this Olympic committee to work on now that their bid failed miserably. I will have to give a quick bit of kudos to them as two years ago I spent an hour in a full presentation, and they really did put on a hell of a show. It would have been magnificent to see them pull it off, but miserably all at the same time. Looks like Daley will have to actually come up with something in house to help this city and secure his legacy.
Weekend Wonderment
This weekend is not shaping up to be a great one in the Chicagoland area weatherwise. It may be lame, but doing a nice fall cleaning might be your best bet. Maybe rent some movies that you missed over the summer and put on some food in the crockpot or dutch oven. If the weather does break, it would be a good time to hit the links once again or take an extended bike ride. The good part about all this is that it comes with a pretty cheap price tag. Enjoy the weekend however you choose to utilize it.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Wrap it in Bacon
So I know that plenty of people out there are scared to grill because they don't know when something is done or they are afraid to burn it. Well first off, if you're the type of person that takes food off the grill and cuts into it to see if it is done, then I would expect an angry barnyard animal to come storming through your house. It's already dead, you don't have to kill it again. You've officially just drained out all the juice and most of the taste. Enjoy your cardboard dinner. I do have an easy way to fix your apprehension though. Just wrap it in bacon. Are your pork chops too thick, wrap em in bacon. Don't know what to do with your chicken breasts, wrap those in bacon too. Steaks, scallops, or even sausages can all be wrapped in bacon. Not only does this add enormous flavor, but it keeps the juices sealed inside the meat.
I would suggest this practice primarily on lean cuts of meat when grilling. Sirloin and Filet Mignon steaks, chicken breasts, boneless pork chops, and seafood all will be greatly helped by bacon wrapping. Are you afraid of the calories? Just take the bacon off before you eat it. The same way you cut off the fat or remove the skin can apply to your bacon consumption. While grilling is a great technique, the weather is starting to change. Utilize your bacon wrapping methods in the oven. I love to roast pork or pork tenderloin with some Custom seasoning from Oswego and bacon. The only thing that makes pork better is more pork. The only other bacon roasting I've done would be across the breast of a whole chicken or similarly across a turkey breast. Don't forget to season all your meats, as the bacon won't do the whole job. Similarly as the seasons are changing, I promise to supply you all with a new recipe next week and hopefully stick to that plan in the weeks to come.
Restaurant Recap
If you're looking for another culinary adventure this weekend or in the coming weeks, get out into the countryside and explore Mona's restaurant in Toluca. http://www.bernardirestaurants.com/ This place has the best old school, down home food that I can find on a map. I first went here returning from a high school football playoff game my senior year. The team was coming back from Washington and the bus stopped off at this great place. They have the best tortellini and fried chicken that I can find. I suggest you go all-in and get the family dinner that includes both of those bad boys. You'll have leftovers and you'll be happy that you did. If any of you remember the Townhouse restaurant from back in the day in Morris, then you'll love this fried chicken. Lots of people love their salad dressing as well, and they sell it by the bottle. I'll even double down and give you a second tip if you're willing to make the trip. Stop off in Oglesby and you'll find an old fashioned root beer stand, where they make their own root beer. Have yourself a great float for dessert.
I would suggest this practice primarily on lean cuts of meat when grilling. Sirloin and Filet Mignon steaks, chicken breasts, boneless pork chops, and seafood all will be greatly helped by bacon wrapping. Are you afraid of the calories? Just take the bacon off before you eat it. The same way you cut off the fat or remove the skin can apply to your bacon consumption. While grilling is a great technique, the weather is starting to change. Utilize your bacon wrapping methods in the oven. I love to roast pork or pork tenderloin with some Custom seasoning from Oswego and bacon. The only thing that makes pork better is more pork. The only other bacon roasting I've done would be across the breast of a whole chicken or similarly across a turkey breast. Don't forget to season all your meats, as the bacon won't do the whole job. Similarly as the seasons are changing, I promise to supply you all with a new recipe next week and hopefully stick to that plan in the weeks to come.
Restaurant Recap
If you're looking for another culinary adventure this weekend or in the coming weeks, get out into the countryside and explore Mona's restaurant in Toluca. http://www.bernardirestaurants.com/ This place has the best old school, down home food that I can find on a map. I first went here returning from a high school football playoff game my senior year. The team was coming back from Washington and the bus stopped off at this great place. They have the best tortellini and fried chicken that I can find. I suggest you go all-in and get the family dinner that includes both of those bad boys. You'll have leftovers and you'll be happy that you did. If any of you remember the Townhouse restaurant from back in the day in Morris, then you'll love this fried chicken. Lots of people love their salad dressing as well, and they sell it by the bottle. I'll even double down and give you a second tip if you're willing to make the trip. Stop off in Oglesby and you'll find an old fashioned root beer stand, where they make their own root beer. Have yourself a great float for dessert.
Shaka Rock
Well I broke down, went old school, and actually just bought the new Jet CD. I didn't download it on iTunes, I didn't pick a few songs, I bought the whole album in an actual store. I have to say that thus far I'm pretty satisfied. I choose the word satisfied because it is just good straight forward rock. There isn't anything earth-shattering about their sound. They bring good energy and good lyrics to all of their songs.
Their third album opens up ready to go. K.I.A. is a great rock and roll tune with good musicianship and killer lyrics. Tracks 3 and 4 continue that vibe with She's a Genius and Black Hearts. She's a Genius is the main radio single and it totally delivers as a top twenty rock track for 2009. Black Hearts rocks just a little harder and probably appeals to a wider audience in the rock genre. I would have to say that my other favorite on this album is Seventeen. No it is not a remake of the Kip Winger track from years gone by. It has a totally different sound and pace, which is much appreciated. If you're like me and you've just collected Jet songs from their past two albums, the time is now to jump on board and get yourself a whole album.
Digital Ditty
If you like the classic rock sound with a modern rock flair, then I've got another band for you to give a spin. Apparently the Australia area is a good place to find hard rock because if you like AC/DC, then you'll enjoy the Aussies known as Airbourne. They are classic rock to the point that you almost think it is a cover band, then you realize you haven't heard these songs before. The big hits are Runnin' Wild and Too Much Too Young Too Fast. Put either of those puppies on and you'll be ready to take a dexatrim, jump on the exercise bike, then do marathon sweating to Richard Simmons, Denise Austin, and even Jane Fonda. Don't worry though, it is not bad fake 80s like The Darkness from a few years ago.
Their third album opens up ready to go. K.I.A. is a great rock and roll tune with good musicianship and killer lyrics. Tracks 3 and 4 continue that vibe with She's a Genius and Black Hearts. She's a Genius is the main radio single and it totally delivers as a top twenty rock track for 2009. Black Hearts rocks just a little harder and probably appeals to a wider audience in the rock genre. I would have to say that my other favorite on this album is Seventeen. No it is not a remake of the Kip Winger track from years gone by. It has a totally different sound and pace, which is much appreciated. If you're like me and you've just collected Jet songs from their past two albums, the time is now to jump on board and get yourself a whole album.
Digital Ditty
If you like the classic rock sound with a modern rock flair, then I've got another band for you to give a spin. Apparently the Australia area is a good place to find hard rock because if you like AC/DC, then you'll enjoy the Aussies known as Airbourne. They are classic rock to the point that you almost think it is a cover band, then you realize you haven't heard these songs before. The big hits are Runnin' Wild and Too Much Too Young Too Fast. Put either of those puppies on and you'll be ready to take a dexatrim, jump on the exercise bike, then do marathon sweating to Richard Simmons, Denise Austin, and even Jane Fonda. Don't worry though, it is not bad fake 80s like The Darkness from a few years ago.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Polar Opposites
The more television I watch, the more I hear about the parity in pro football. While maybe some people feel this way on an every game basis, this season has proved that the NFL has anything but parity. There are clearly the haves and the have nots, but the reason has nothing to do with dollars. It all consists of a string of bad decisions from the top to the bottom for a number of teams. If you think the Super Bowl run is going to be hotly contested this season, take a look at the race for the number one pick. Let's check the early candidates:
The St. Louis Rams actually fought hard in week 2 at Washington, but this team has nothing to build around. Steven Jackson is a solid runner, but he'll be an old man in running back years by the time they can actually compete. I think Spags can make that team believe in the locker room, but Marinelli was a motivator and he just went 0-16. This team has absolutely terrible line play on both sides of the ball despite spending top ten picks the past three years on their front line. Bulger should be retired, and this team is the leader in the clubhouse for being on the clock come January.
The Cleveland Browns get worse and worse every year. They actually fired a failed defensive coordinator from the Patriots regime to hire a failed defensive coordinator from the Patriots regime. My guess is that these unorginial bastards will shitcan Mangina by the end of the year and elevate Rob Ryan to the head job. Why you ask? Look what his bro is doing in NY. I told you these guys are unoriginal. They have no good QBs and that will kill a season.
The Tampa Bay Bucs chose a child to run a franchise. Their head coach is officially one graduating class ahead of me at 32 years old. He can't speak in public, so I can imagine that he doesn't do much better in the locker room. He wants to be friends with all his "boys" and fails to get across a winning message. He dealt away their best QB to go with three brothers in the backfield. Of course, these guys didn't need Derrick Brooks or Warrick Dunn around. This team has the worst defense in the NFL according my eye test over the first three weekends.
The Kansas City Chiefs apparently loved the Larry Fitzgerald performance in the Super Bowl because they were the only team that thought Todd Haley was a good hire. He pisses off everyone that he works with. I'm not a big fan of player's coaches, but you can't head into KC and piss off Dwayne Bowe. He's just about all you've got. Scott Pioli, congrats for making the Belichick legend grow even larger because clearly you weren't in charge of making any good decisions in Boston. How's that Cassel deal working out? He might be the third best QB on the roster with Croyle and Thigpen.
There are plenty of other bad teams, but these four are all winless. The Redskins, Lions, Raiders, and Jaguars aren't too far off the pace as far as I can tell. Let's not dwell on ineptitude for this entire post. There are a host of pretty darn good teams in the NFL right now, so I'll give you my weekly rundown of what I saw this weekend. I'll try to do this every Monday after I get to catch a fair bit of action.
The Ravens look great thanks to their offense. Flacco is throwing it all over, but the run game has been the key. Sure the D looked great against the Brownies, but that was their first solid effort. Congrats to the Lions, and I'm going to take a bit of credit along with my main man Michigan Neush for actually picking them to win this weekend. Anybody who saw the Redskins play the Rams the week prior could have used this pick in the eliminator challenge. Jim Zorn seems like a nice guy, but he has no chance. Daniel Snyder will win as many titles as Mark Cuban in the NBA. Is there anybody else that wants to see the Texans and Saints duel for about 6 hours and see who hits 200 points first? That said, Gary Kubiak is getting fired after the season because the Texans aren't making the playoffs. Note to the Bears: Lovie has looked pretty damn good calling defensive plays and the players respect him. Keep him around as the head man/DC and hire Kubiak to be the offensive head coach. You'll instantly be better and so will your offensive line because he'll cut all your lard asses. At least they can't call those guys gutless.
Don't count me as one of those guys who are going to praise the Patriots. They won a home game against a team with a young QB who certainly isn't going to go unbeaten. The Pats don't win their division, and they'll be lucky to be 10-6 and hope for a playoff spot. Brady doesn't have the protection or the weapons and the defense sucks out loud. In case anyone is looking for an update, no Michael Turner hasn't stopped eating. Either that of his jersey is hooked up to a vat of helium. He's got as much explosion as pop rocks. I will be shocked if the Packers challenge for the division title. They still look like they haven't woken up. Rodgers has no protection and Ryan Grant looks like an undrafted free agent. Oh where oh where has Samkon Gado gone? The Giants are real damn good and it is due to line play on both sides of the ball. Apparently Eli actually plays better when he bleeds money. J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets. I love the Rex Ryan philosophy and these guys are a joy to watch. Sanchez will not let this team lose if it gets a lead. He knows how to make accurate throws and good decisions with a lead, and Rex will not let his defense give that lead up. In two weeks, this defense adds its best pass rusher back from suspension. Just think if Vernon Gholston could actually play? The Titans season isn't over at 0-3. They've had a tough stretch, but have played well. I can't wait to see a half way decent team play the Phily defense. The most overrated 3-0 squad in the league resides near the Liberty Bell. Guess what TV guys, no one gives a shit about a former inmate who ran for 7 yards all damn day. Speaking of guys no one gives a shit about, I watched zero highlight shows due to the incessant Favre love that was certain to come with them. Speaking of highlight shows, pretty impressive that you need a degree to work in television...oh wait, tell that to Shannon Sharpe, Deion Sanders, Michael Irvin, Cris Carter, Keyshawn, etc. Can any of these guys read or write?
I liked the Saints better when Drew was throwing for a million yards a game. If the Bills start Marshawn Lynch after suspension, Jauron should just fire himself. How fun are the 49ers? They just kind of hang around score random points and don't make mistakes. Maybe there will be a Score remote if they make the playoffs and Terry and Dan can eat a truckload of crow for all their Singletary bashing. I'm pretty sure that I could find five mid-level college defensive linemen and two inside linebackers, run a 5-2, and stop the Bears running game 90% of the time. Their O-line can't block anybody, and Matt Forte is Shaun Alexander on his best day. Remember that guy did win an MVP, but when the blocking stopped, so did he. I can hear the Who Dey chants from Riverfront all the way in Chicagoland. Marvin Lewis found himself some linebackers. Carson Palmer has officially said Remember Me? The Steelers fall under the Titans category. They've generally played well and will be just fine. Sorry to all the northshore readers, Rashard Mendenhall has a one way ticket to Canada. I will personally guarantee that 3-0 Denver will not finish this season with a winning record. The Raiders make me sick that they've won an NFL game. That might tell you something about KC's talent level. They piss me off because they're ruining Darren McFadden for the rest of us. San Diego seems content to sleep walk through another regular season. Miami just lost their QB, but they probably just helped themselves start looking toward the future. They're old and bad, but not quite gay. Although on second thought, Landshark Stadium does qualify them as gay. Peyton Manning is awesome, and Kurt Warner is not. Maybe the Panthers need to be thrown into that bad team mix because of Delhomme. Talk about ruining good running back talent. That should just about cover the entire weekend.
Final note: the blog and hopefully all the readers send get well and best wishes to Stafon Johnson, a senior running back at USC. He underwent emergency surgery this afternoon after he lost the grip during a bench press and the bar fell on his throat. Hope for a full and speedy recovery for a terrible accident. I'm sure Pete Carroll has made a lot of money for that school over the past decade, and I hope they invest some of it in some Smith machines for those kids.
Dear Mr. Fantasy
This was certainly a weird week of action throughout the league. Hopefully you took a late round flier on Willis McGahee. All I can say is that I hope you either drafted some good recievers or picked up the scraps over the first few weeks. There is nothing left out there folks. If you want to take a flier on someone else's trash good luck to you. I can't endorse Eddie Royal, Terrell Owens, Donnie Avery, Antonio Bryant, or TJ Housh. There aren't any receivers currently struggling that look poised for a breakout. Wait this position out for another few weeks. Glen Coffee is a must add as he got 20+ carries once Gore left the game. Vernon Davis also showed signs of life and appears to be a real part of their passing attack. Mike Wallace and Tashard Choice are third options at WR and RB that could pay dividends down the road. Take a look at young legs in split shares to see if you can pry away some fantasy gold for the stretch run i.e. McCoy, Washington, Bradshaw, and possibly Felix Jones. If you're looking to deal for any receiver at this point, look at their team's philosophy and make sure they're throwing over 20 passes per game. Also, look for running backs on teams with good offensive lines. This could be the time to buy DWard or Cadillac as the Bucs just looked awful. Their center will return and they are committed to running the ball. Good luck in week four and remember to use the trading block feature.
The St. Louis Rams actually fought hard in week 2 at Washington, but this team has nothing to build around. Steven Jackson is a solid runner, but he'll be an old man in running back years by the time they can actually compete. I think Spags can make that team believe in the locker room, but Marinelli was a motivator and he just went 0-16. This team has absolutely terrible line play on both sides of the ball despite spending top ten picks the past three years on their front line. Bulger should be retired, and this team is the leader in the clubhouse for being on the clock come January.
The Cleveland Browns get worse and worse every year. They actually fired a failed defensive coordinator from the Patriots regime to hire a failed defensive coordinator from the Patriots regime. My guess is that these unorginial bastards will shitcan Mangina by the end of the year and elevate Rob Ryan to the head job. Why you ask? Look what his bro is doing in NY. I told you these guys are unoriginal. They have no good QBs and that will kill a season.
The Tampa Bay Bucs chose a child to run a franchise. Their head coach is officially one graduating class ahead of me at 32 years old. He can't speak in public, so I can imagine that he doesn't do much better in the locker room. He wants to be friends with all his "boys" and fails to get across a winning message. He dealt away their best QB to go with three brothers in the backfield. Of course, these guys didn't need Derrick Brooks or Warrick Dunn around. This team has the worst defense in the NFL according my eye test over the first three weekends.
The Kansas City Chiefs apparently loved the Larry Fitzgerald performance in the Super Bowl because they were the only team that thought Todd Haley was a good hire. He pisses off everyone that he works with. I'm not a big fan of player's coaches, but you can't head into KC and piss off Dwayne Bowe. He's just about all you've got. Scott Pioli, congrats for making the Belichick legend grow even larger because clearly you weren't in charge of making any good decisions in Boston. How's that Cassel deal working out? He might be the third best QB on the roster with Croyle and Thigpen.
There are plenty of other bad teams, but these four are all winless. The Redskins, Lions, Raiders, and Jaguars aren't too far off the pace as far as I can tell. Let's not dwell on ineptitude for this entire post. There are a host of pretty darn good teams in the NFL right now, so I'll give you my weekly rundown of what I saw this weekend. I'll try to do this every Monday after I get to catch a fair bit of action.
The Ravens look great thanks to their offense. Flacco is throwing it all over, but the run game has been the key. Sure the D looked great against the Brownies, but that was their first solid effort. Congrats to the Lions, and I'm going to take a bit of credit along with my main man Michigan Neush for actually picking them to win this weekend. Anybody who saw the Redskins play the Rams the week prior could have used this pick in the eliminator challenge. Jim Zorn seems like a nice guy, but he has no chance. Daniel Snyder will win as many titles as Mark Cuban in the NBA. Is there anybody else that wants to see the Texans and Saints duel for about 6 hours and see who hits 200 points first? That said, Gary Kubiak is getting fired after the season because the Texans aren't making the playoffs. Note to the Bears: Lovie has looked pretty damn good calling defensive plays and the players respect him. Keep him around as the head man/DC and hire Kubiak to be the offensive head coach. You'll instantly be better and so will your offensive line because he'll cut all your lard asses. At least they can't call those guys gutless.
Don't count me as one of those guys who are going to praise the Patriots. They won a home game against a team with a young QB who certainly isn't going to go unbeaten. The Pats don't win their division, and they'll be lucky to be 10-6 and hope for a playoff spot. Brady doesn't have the protection or the weapons and the defense sucks out loud. In case anyone is looking for an update, no Michael Turner hasn't stopped eating. Either that of his jersey is hooked up to a vat of helium. He's got as much explosion as pop rocks. I will be shocked if the Packers challenge for the division title. They still look like they haven't woken up. Rodgers has no protection and Ryan Grant looks like an undrafted free agent. Oh where oh where has Samkon Gado gone? The Giants are real damn good and it is due to line play on both sides of the ball. Apparently Eli actually plays better when he bleeds money. J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets. I love the Rex Ryan philosophy and these guys are a joy to watch. Sanchez will not let this team lose if it gets a lead. He knows how to make accurate throws and good decisions with a lead, and Rex will not let his defense give that lead up. In two weeks, this defense adds its best pass rusher back from suspension. Just think if Vernon Gholston could actually play? The Titans season isn't over at 0-3. They've had a tough stretch, but have played well. I can't wait to see a half way decent team play the Phily defense. The most overrated 3-0 squad in the league resides near the Liberty Bell. Guess what TV guys, no one gives a shit about a former inmate who ran for 7 yards all damn day. Speaking of guys no one gives a shit about, I watched zero highlight shows due to the incessant Favre love that was certain to come with them. Speaking of highlight shows, pretty impressive that you need a degree to work in television...oh wait, tell that to Shannon Sharpe, Deion Sanders, Michael Irvin, Cris Carter, Keyshawn, etc. Can any of these guys read or write?
I liked the Saints better when Drew was throwing for a million yards a game. If the Bills start Marshawn Lynch after suspension, Jauron should just fire himself. How fun are the 49ers? They just kind of hang around score random points and don't make mistakes. Maybe there will be a Score remote if they make the playoffs and Terry and Dan can eat a truckload of crow for all their Singletary bashing. I'm pretty sure that I could find five mid-level college defensive linemen and two inside linebackers, run a 5-2, and stop the Bears running game 90% of the time. Their O-line can't block anybody, and Matt Forte is Shaun Alexander on his best day. Remember that guy did win an MVP, but when the blocking stopped, so did he. I can hear the Who Dey chants from Riverfront all the way in Chicagoland. Marvin Lewis found himself some linebackers. Carson Palmer has officially said Remember Me? The Steelers fall under the Titans category. They've generally played well and will be just fine. Sorry to all the northshore readers, Rashard Mendenhall has a one way ticket to Canada. I will personally guarantee that 3-0 Denver will not finish this season with a winning record. The Raiders make me sick that they've won an NFL game. That might tell you something about KC's talent level. They piss me off because they're ruining Darren McFadden for the rest of us. San Diego seems content to sleep walk through another regular season. Miami just lost their QB, but they probably just helped themselves start looking toward the future. They're old and bad, but not quite gay. Although on second thought, Landshark Stadium does qualify them as gay. Peyton Manning is awesome, and Kurt Warner is not. Maybe the Panthers need to be thrown into that bad team mix because of Delhomme. Talk about ruining good running back talent. That should just about cover the entire weekend.
Final note: the blog and hopefully all the readers send get well and best wishes to Stafon Johnson, a senior running back at USC. He underwent emergency surgery this afternoon after he lost the grip during a bench press and the bar fell on his throat. Hope for a full and speedy recovery for a terrible accident. I'm sure Pete Carroll has made a lot of money for that school over the past decade, and I hope they invest some of it in some Smith machines for those kids.
Dear Mr. Fantasy
This was certainly a weird week of action throughout the league. Hopefully you took a late round flier on Willis McGahee. All I can say is that I hope you either drafted some good recievers or picked up the scraps over the first few weeks. There is nothing left out there folks. If you want to take a flier on someone else's trash good luck to you. I can't endorse Eddie Royal, Terrell Owens, Donnie Avery, Antonio Bryant, or TJ Housh. There aren't any receivers currently struggling that look poised for a breakout. Wait this position out for another few weeks. Glen Coffee is a must add as he got 20+ carries once Gore left the game. Vernon Davis also showed signs of life and appears to be a real part of their passing attack. Mike Wallace and Tashard Choice are third options at WR and RB that could pay dividends down the road. Take a look at young legs in split shares to see if you can pry away some fantasy gold for the stretch run i.e. McCoy, Washington, Bradshaw, and possibly Felix Jones. If you're looking to deal for any receiver at this point, look at their team's philosophy and make sure they're throwing over 20 passes per game. Also, look for running backs on teams with good offensive lines. This could be the time to buy DWard or Cadillac as the Bucs just looked awful. Their center will return and they are committed to running the ball. Good luck in week four and remember to use the trading block feature.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Get Back to the Call Letters
I'm going to combo the advice/random column this week because the advice doesn't really pertain to any of my readers, but I had to get it off my chest. Television needs to take a step back and read their call letters. If the name of your station is Music Television or Video Hits - 1, then every once in awhile in the hours while people are actually awake, it might be nice to actually see a music video. Showing a 30 second clip in between shows of a "new" artist who is now making their 3rd album (only this is their first relevant one) doesn't actually count. Sometimes I feel like the Travel Channel is actually a spinoff of the travel channel known as Places You Would Never Want to Go Channel. I'm glad I get to see it on tv because I don't travel with a camera crew, so I would get cut in most of those places. Don't even get me started on the news channels. First off, you don't need an all news channel because there isn't that much news. Call your local affiliates and tell them to free up half of their broadcast by condensing all the violent crimes in bad neighborhoods to a list for 30 seconds, stop interviewing people that can't read nor write, and pull out the random human interest crap. It isn't interesting. Now you've got plenty of time for the locals to deliver all of the actual news going on around the world.
Those are just a few easy cable examples of useless programming, but that isn't even the main reason why I'm writing this column. The advice that I would like to share pertains to comedy and variety shows currently on national broadcasting channels. If Letterman and Conan want to crack a few political jokes each night, we have come to expect it and is a welcome part of the monologue. We know what we're getting from Stewart and Colbert every night, which is the premise of their shows. Keep the political crapola out of Saturday Night Live for crying out loud. This show is just the easiest example, but there are plenty of similar shows that suffer from the same affliction. Hey, we know it is tough times. Your cast has been bad for a number of years and the writing is horrible. The answer is more stupid humor like the Target lady, digital shorts, and commercial spoofs. Once an episode or so is fine when a politician does something dumb or just is dumb (Sarah Palin anyone?), but I don't need 3 fake republican characters every show being painted as complete buffoons. If you're going to keep doing this, at least pull out Pelosi or Biden or another democratic dumbass to even the score. I'm sick and tired of everyone trying to push their agenda at every turn. Guess what asshole, if you really want universal healthcare that bad, google it, find which country suits you best, then move! No one is stopping you. Health care is just one example, but there are countless things that people tirelessly bitch about day after day. If it is that bad, then leave. You notice all those people immigrating into America because they don't like the lifestyle in their old countries? Why not give it a shot? Put your money where your mouth is.
I'm off on a slight tangent at this point, but basically when I tune in to be entertained that needs to be the focus. You can utilize entertainment in any form, but if it actually gets to the point that I notice how you're trying to sell an agenda: you're not entertaining anymore. It is probably worse with SNL because you know if they weren't reading off those cue cards, they likely wouldn't have a thought. Broadcast TV goes out to everyone's home, so it might not be wise to alienate all those 40-60 year olds that actually have jobs and money just to keep it real for your younger peeps. Completely random final side point: we know that these "kids" in the high school shows on tv are actually in their mid-twenties, but it probably isn't wise to continuously show these "kids" partying and drinking if you're trying to sell the point that they are 16 and in high school.
Weekend Wonderment
There really is only one thing to be doing this weekend: Grundy County Cornfest. Boy I sure have been beating the colon to death in the last two paragraphs. Speaking of beating your colon into submission, the Cornfest will certainly help you with that. Corn dogs and bratwurst at every turn, plenty of other fried delights, sugar waters, and of course alcohol will make the weekend all the more merry. Personal selections would be the fresh roasted corn, the pork poor boy, corn dogs, ribeyes at First Midwest, and porkburgers on Sunday at the Methodist church. There are bars basically lining every street downtown, so you can't miss that action. If you want to know what else there is to do, I've pretty much covered it with the eating and the drinking. There are other things, but not very many pertain to this demographic.
Those are just a few easy cable examples of useless programming, but that isn't even the main reason why I'm writing this column. The advice that I would like to share pertains to comedy and variety shows currently on national broadcasting channels. If Letterman and Conan want to crack a few political jokes each night, we have come to expect it and is a welcome part of the monologue. We know what we're getting from Stewart and Colbert every night, which is the premise of their shows. Keep the political crapola out of Saturday Night Live for crying out loud. This show is just the easiest example, but there are plenty of similar shows that suffer from the same affliction. Hey, we know it is tough times. Your cast has been bad for a number of years and the writing is horrible. The answer is more stupid humor like the Target lady, digital shorts, and commercial spoofs. Once an episode or so is fine when a politician does something dumb or just is dumb (Sarah Palin anyone?), but I don't need 3 fake republican characters every show being painted as complete buffoons. If you're going to keep doing this, at least pull out Pelosi or Biden or another democratic dumbass to even the score. I'm sick and tired of everyone trying to push their agenda at every turn. Guess what asshole, if you really want universal healthcare that bad, google it, find which country suits you best, then move! No one is stopping you. Health care is just one example, but there are countless things that people tirelessly bitch about day after day. If it is that bad, then leave. You notice all those people immigrating into America because they don't like the lifestyle in their old countries? Why not give it a shot? Put your money where your mouth is.
I'm off on a slight tangent at this point, but basically when I tune in to be entertained that needs to be the focus. You can utilize entertainment in any form, but if it actually gets to the point that I notice how you're trying to sell an agenda: you're not entertaining anymore. It is probably worse with SNL because you know if they weren't reading off those cue cards, they likely wouldn't have a thought. Broadcast TV goes out to everyone's home, so it might not be wise to alienate all those 40-60 year olds that actually have jobs and money just to keep it real for your younger peeps. Completely random final side point: we know that these "kids" in the high school shows on tv are actually in their mid-twenties, but it probably isn't wise to continuously show these "kids" partying and drinking if you're trying to sell the point that they are 16 and in high school.
Weekend Wonderment
There really is only one thing to be doing this weekend: Grundy County Cornfest. Boy I sure have been beating the colon to death in the last two paragraphs. Speaking of beating your colon into submission, the Cornfest will certainly help you with that. Corn dogs and bratwurst at every turn, plenty of other fried delights, sugar waters, and of course alcohol will make the weekend all the more merry. Personal selections would be the fresh roasted corn, the pork poor boy, corn dogs, ribeyes at First Midwest, and porkburgers on Sunday at the Methodist church. There are bars basically lining every street downtown, so you can't miss that action. If you want to know what else there is to do, I've pretty much covered it with the eating and the drinking. There are other things, but not very many pertain to this demographic.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
The Gift of Food
Everybody has to eat, and everyone that I know likes to eat well. Not all of them like to cook, and even if they do, might not do it all that often. All of us struggle at times to find that gift for a loved one, but have you ever thought of giving the gift of food? I only recently realized that this idea was right in front of me. I'm lucky enough to have people around me that enjoy my food, and I enjoy cooking for them. I don't always get to do this as much as I or they would like, so why not give them what they're really looking for. A new tie, no. James Taylor's Greatest Hits, definitely not. A swatch watch, now you're not even trying. They want to eat my friends.
Your first inclination is to make baked goods, which are a great treat, but I'm talking about something more substantial. I'm sure you've all heard of dinner by design or you've had a bad tv dinner, so why not replace those with home cooked meals. Break out the dutch oven and make a big batch of whatever you're good at. A pot of chili, pasta sauce, soup, pot roast, or even jambalaya all taste great day after day. They can all be placed in individual containers for the fridge or freezer and will last for a long time for that someone special. On the initial delivery you can even put together a full meal with a beverage of choice, maybe some good bread, and other necessities to fully enjoy the dish. I like to focus on meals that can be reheated on the stove or in the oven, so you can reclaim the taste of food that was actually cooked by a human at some point in lieu of the microwave. You could even pair the food gift with additional gifts like silverware, nice containers, or anything that fits the motif. So next time you're stuck in the gift giving rut, try putting the thought and effort back into the occassion with the gift of food. If you can't cook, snag some Lou Malnati's to go. You can't go wrong there.
Restaurant Recap
In honor of Cornfest week in Grundy County, I need to give some press to the best pizza restaurant in the suburban area, Maria's in Morris. They make homemade pizza that you just can't find in the "true" 'burbs. It is an actual hand tossed crust that isn't paper thin or monsterously thick. The ingredients are actual food not processed meat pellets and frozen vegetables. Surprisingly enough, they are one of the few places that you can get actual bacon on your pizza. Not canadian bacon and not a Baco's knockoff, true strips of the pork belly. If you want a culinary adventure in the extended suburban area, take a quick stop off I-80 at Route 47 and enjoy some truly great pizza. I fully endorse the sausage and bacon version. If you're not feeling pizza, I'd go for the chicken, ribs, or seafood platter complete with frog legs.
Your first inclination is to make baked goods, which are a great treat, but I'm talking about something more substantial. I'm sure you've all heard of dinner by design or you've had a bad tv dinner, so why not replace those with home cooked meals. Break out the dutch oven and make a big batch of whatever you're good at. A pot of chili, pasta sauce, soup, pot roast, or even jambalaya all taste great day after day. They can all be placed in individual containers for the fridge or freezer and will last for a long time for that someone special. On the initial delivery you can even put together a full meal with a beverage of choice, maybe some good bread, and other necessities to fully enjoy the dish. I like to focus on meals that can be reheated on the stove or in the oven, so you can reclaim the taste of food that was actually cooked by a human at some point in lieu of the microwave. You could even pair the food gift with additional gifts like silverware, nice containers, or anything that fits the motif. So next time you're stuck in the gift giving rut, try putting the thought and effort back into the occassion with the gift of food. If you can't cook, snag some Lou Malnati's to go. You can't go wrong there.
Restaurant Recap
In honor of Cornfest week in Grundy County, I need to give some press to the best pizza restaurant in the suburban area, Maria's in Morris. They make homemade pizza that you just can't find in the "true" 'burbs. It is an actual hand tossed crust that isn't paper thin or monsterously thick. The ingredients are actual food not processed meat pellets and frozen vegetables. Surprisingly enough, they are one of the few places that you can get actual bacon on your pizza. Not canadian bacon and not a Baco's knockoff, true strips of the pork belly. If you want a culinary adventure in the extended suburban area, take a quick stop off I-80 at Route 47 and enjoy some truly great pizza. I fully endorse the sausage and bacon version. If you're not feeling pizza, I'd go for the chicken, ribs, or seafood platter complete with frog legs.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Backspacer
If you've spent more than ten minutes reading this blog thus far, you had to have good money down on today's topic being the new Pearl Jam CD. The 9th studio album was released on Sunday via iTunes, Target, Ten Club website, and local independent record stores. Yes my friends, you can go ahead and pick yourself up a vinyl edition of the latest masterpiece. I'm certainly going to do my best to objectively capture the highs and lows of these new eleven tracks. I'm hoping to assist the casual fan in their decision whether or not to invest in Backspacer.
The first three tracks are a locomotive out of the gate. A solid punch in the mouth to follow up the inspired self titled album from 2006. Gonna See My Friend is a quick rocker with an easy listening hook. I don't think it is quite as strong as the next two tracks, but it serves as the perfect interlude to get you fully lubed up for some rock n roll. Got Some has certainly come a long way since that infamous debut on opening night of The Tonight Show w/ Conan. I'm personally drawn to this track since I've heard it live twice, but I think even the album version will rock your face off. It is a must listen even if you're just looking to add another single to your workout collection. The debut single of The Fixer is track 3 and it is a solid all around rock song. It appeals to consumers because of the easy hook and classic rock vibe. Johnny Guitar is filler. As a devout PJ fan, I'll listen to it and marginally enjoy it. It is quick, so feel free to give it a fair shake. It just doesn't deliver like the rest of the album. Just Breathe certainly isn't a remake of the Faith Hill classic. Fans who really love the slow PJ ballads like Wishlist, Oceans, or Nothingman will certainly appreciate the writing in this effort.
Halfway home now, have I worked you into a froth yet? Did you take a break from reading to start the iTunes download? I suggest the actual CD as there is some stellar artwork in there as well as the full lyrics. Amongst the Waves brings back the old school rocker. It's a little slower than classics like Alive and Jeremy, but comparable to Black. This will be a top of the rotation tune for years to come. Unthought Known is my personal pick to click. After three spins of the new album last Friday, I woke up Saturday morning with a song pacing through my head. I had to put the album on to figure out which song it was, and this is the one. It's just a solid, catchy rock song. Supersonic is Chet approved. His early leader in the clubhouse is a punk style, in-your-face rocker. It's fast, fun, and a good addition. Speed of Sound qualifies as filler for me as well. This tune was the first track to be introduced to the skip button. It just has no pace or real direction. Force of Nature has a really good open which draws you in. Overall, it is a pretty nondescript track, but we're not going to get another Ten or Vs. so we'll take it. The End is another great slower ballad. It might be short enough that you could actually hold your lighter up the entire tune without it flaming out.
That's your full album review of Backspacer. Certainly give all the songs a listen and form your own opinions. I'd love to hear anything that you have to say about Backspacer if you've given it a few spins. If you're still apprehensive, go to Rhapsody and use 11 of your free monthly plays without logging in to preview the whole album. I've got official bootlegs from each of the two Chicago shows coming in the mail this week, so if you post your review and want a live version of Got some, The Fixer, or Supersonic I'll be happy to email one your way.
Digital Ditty
I won't pass up this opportunity to piggyback the Pearl Jam post with even more suggestions to add to your personal collection of PJ. It would be worthless to suggest one of the new tracks here, so I'll go real deep and hit the Lost Dogs double disc. Most people our age forget about this album as it was released during the college years in the midst of one of the band's down times. I'll give you a pick off each disc for review. If you're looking for another rocker, you need to add the Ten album outtake Alone. For those of you who long for another rock ballad, you can't fail with Hold On. Don't worry, as far as I know PJ won't be in the area for a concert or releasing another album anytime soon, so we'll switch it up in the following weeks. More new CD reviews forthcoming.
The first three tracks are a locomotive out of the gate. A solid punch in the mouth to follow up the inspired self titled album from 2006. Gonna See My Friend is a quick rocker with an easy listening hook. I don't think it is quite as strong as the next two tracks, but it serves as the perfect interlude to get you fully lubed up for some rock n roll. Got Some has certainly come a long way since that infamous debut on opening night of The Tonight Show w/ Conan. I'm personally drawn to this track since I've heard it live twice, but I think even the album version will rock your face off. It is a must listen even if you're just looking to add another single to your workout collection. The debut single of The Fixer is track 3 and it is a solid all around rock song. It appeals to consumers because of the easy hook and classic rock vibe. Johnny Guitar is filler. As a devout PJ fan, I'll listen to it and marginally enjoy it. It is quick, so feel free to give it a fair shake. It just doesn't deliver like the rest of the album. Just Breathe certainly isn't a remake of the Faith Hill classic. Fans who really love the slow PJ ballads like Wishlist, Oceans, or Nothingman will certainly appreciate the writing in this effort.
Halfway home now, have I worked you into a froth yet? Did you take a break from reading to start the iTunes download? I suggest the actual CD as there is some stellar artwork in there as well as the full lyrics. Amongst the Waves brings back the old school rocker. It's a little slower than classics like Alive and Jeremy, but comparable to Black. This will be a top of the rotation tune for years to come. Unthought Known is my personal pick to click. After three spins of the new album last Friday, I woke up Saturday morning with a song pacing through my head. I had to put the album on to figure out which song it was, and this is the one. It's just a solid, catchy rock song. Supersonic is Chet approved. His early leader in the clubhouse is a punk style, in-your-face rocker. It's fast, fun, and a good addition. Speed of Sound qualifies as filler for me as well. This tune was the first track to be introduced to the skip button. It just has no pace or real direction. Force of Nature has a really good open which draws you in. Overall, it is a pretty nondescript track, but we're not going to get another Ten or Vs. so we'll take it. The End is another great slower ballad. It might be short enough that you could actually hold your lighter up the entire tune without it flaming out.
That's your full album review of Backspacer. Certainly give all the songs a listen and form your own opinions. I'd love to hear anything that you have to say about Backspacer if you've given it a few spins. If you're still apprehensive, go to Rhapsody and use 11 of your free monthly plays without logging in to preview the whole album. I've got official bootlegs from each of the two Chicago shows coming in the mail this week, so if you post your review and want a live version of Got some, The Fixer, or Supersonic I'll be happy to email one your way.
Digital Ditty
I won't pass up this opportunity to piggyback the Pearl Jam post with even more suggestions to add to your personal collection of PJ. It would be worthless to suggest one of the new tracks here, so I'll go real deep and hit the Lost Dogs double disc. Most people our age forget about this album as it was released during the college years in the midst of one of the band's down times. I'll give you a pick off each disc for review. If you're looking for another rocker, you need to add the Ten album outtake Alone. For those of you who long for another rock ballad, you can't fail with Hold On. Don't worry, as far as I know PJ won't be in the area for a concert or releasing another album anytime soon, so we'll switch it up in the following weeks. More new CD reviews forthcoming.
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