Another Prime Arm Comes to Chicago

Apparently Chicagoland has become a prime landing spot for strong armed right handers from the west coast. First the big Jay Cutler deal and now a similar deal lands Jake Peavy on the White Sox DL. Dan Bernstein said it best this afternoon when he told callers to tell him how to feel. Deadline deals are supposed to renew hope of a division title and a run toward the world title. This transaction looks eerily similar to the Cutler deal as the rewards may take some time to present themselves.

Peavy isn't schedule to pitch until late August. First off, you can throw that crap out the window. He wasn't scheduled to pitch until late August for the Padres who are slightly above the Nationals on the MLB food chain. He hurt his ankle rounding the bases, which he won't do for at least another 3+ seasons. The question remains that if Peavy isn't available for three weeks, will it still matter? I say that the answer is yes. Minnesota only has 3 games left at home against the Sox and even after the latest disaster, the Twinkies find themselves looking up at the pale hose after tonight's loss. The Tigers really made a nice move getting Washburn in the midst of his best year since the early part of this decade. They'll likely continue to play inconsistent baseball much like the White Sox. After this homestand with the Yanks and Angels, the Sox follow with home/road duels with the Indians, Royals, Orioles, Mariners, and A's. During this stretch they have three off days. These off days are critical to allow the southsiders to avoid the dreaded imaginary fifth starter now that Colon is on the DL and Richard takes up residence in San Diego. While none of this really matters now that Victor Martinez is a member of the Red Sox, it should make for an exciting finish if Peavy can return to form before the end of the year.

Either way, my reaction to this deal nearly mirrors my Jay Cutler reaction. The benefits of this deal will be reaped down the road. When the Sox hit spring training in 2010, they'll do so with a rotation of Buehrle, Peavy, Danks, and Floyd. Good luck against that AL Central especially when the Twinks move into their new outdoor stadium. On a side note, I'd like to congratulate the Tigres for dropping a gimme tonight in Cleveland in extras. God love the AL Central.

Campus Crusade for Cutler

Fridays around here consist of Pete personal time. Any topic that will inspire coherent thoughts for a span of a blog. I'm taking suggestions or requests for topics of the wild card variety. If it exists, I've probably got an opinion on it. I'm going to cater to the majority of the initial week readers with a sports related topic today, especially with the start of training camp in roughly a half hour down in Kankakee County.

Let's begin this journey back in the offseason when news broke of the Jay Cutler trade. First of all I was shocked to see this regime make a momentus move such as this. After the initial shock wore off, I gave my first opinion to my fellow coworkers which I'll share with you now. The trade makes the Bears franchise better over the next 5 to 8 years. It was a brilliant move by Jerry Angelo basically deifying himself in the eyes of fans for bringing in the long lost QB. He also got rid of first round draft picks which typically cause fans to turn against him with his limited success. Combine this missing QB acquisition with giving Lovie his sidekick in Rod Marinelli while putting Lovie directly in charge of the defense, and you've got yourself a man who just put his head coach in line for anything that stops this team short of a long playoff run. Brilliant move for Angelo, and a welcome consideration for the fandom as they know who to assault on talk radio if things go wrong.

From there, we progressed through the offseason with an Orlando Pace move that could pay dividends or it could be disastrous. If Pace can't stay healthy, you will have already switch Chris Williams to an unnatrual position at right tackle. We also don't even know if Williams can play at an NFL level. If it works out, it should be an immediate upgrade for a beleagured offensive line. However, no help was added to the worst receiving corps in the league. Devin Hester is the closest thing to an NFL receiver and as a receiver he's a great return man. Forte and Greg Olson will need to be big parts of the receiving game to make this offense work. In addition to question marks on the offensive side, we're still looking at the 22nd ranked defense in the NFL. The secondary is brutal with no playmakers at safety, a hipless Tillman, and a bad Vasher. The linebackers should carry the team and make other players better. Urlacher does seemed prime for that big year in the second portion of his career. Briggs is a top 5 linebacker in the NFL as well. I do actually expect Marinelli to extract some life out of Tommie Harris, but if the DT play improves the DE play is likely to decline as Brown and Ogunleye age. Anderson has proven he can't play on run downs.

Overall, this Bears squad will likely be pretty similar to last season's collection. 9-7 would be a slight overachievement when you take off the Cutler-scented cologne and Blue/Orange shades. People need to realize that if this team doesn't make the playoffs, the Jay Cutler trade wasn't a failure. The value of this trade will be realized over a much larger window with a better offensive line and complementary players at the skill positions, but more importantly a retooled defense. At least QB is one less hurdle when the former Decatur Staleys return to drafting in the first round. With all that said, you should be excited for the start of training camp and optomistic that the Bears could make a run if things fall into place. If the Cardinals can make the Super Bowl, anything is possible. Just don't come here looking for answers when this squad as assembled today goes 8-8 and looks up at the Pack and Vikings in the NFC North.

Weekend Wonderment

I said that every Friday I would give you guidance on how to occupy your weekend, and I figure I shouldn't fail you on the first week. If you're bored on Saturday or Sunday, gas up the car, fill the cooler, and head down to Olivet Nazarene to catch some Bears training camp. It's a no risk proposition because everybody other than Peter Tom Willis looks good in half pads and shorts. It will add to your early NFL buzz. I understand that sports aren't for everyone especially women who are trying to extract some interaction out of their husbands before the NFL season starts. If you fall into that category, find yourself a local farmer's market on Saturday or Sunday, get yourself some fresh produce, and make a delicious meal from the best food money can buy. Talk to some of the farmers to understand their craft and learn what will be available soon in the growing season. Not only does it make for a wonderful start to the day, but it helps local farmers stay in business and might help our starving economy. If you can't find a local market, head into Chicago on Sunday for the Green Market and prepare to taste what real food is.

By the way, if the Bears article on the start of training camp doesn't spark some interest/comments, then I will lose all hope in you people.

Big Ten Network Kickoff Luncheon

What a special day Tuesday was for someone that was born and raised a Big Ten fan. I attended my first Big Ten Kickoff Luncheon in Chicago courtesy of my selection to the Big Ten Network Fan Council. We had our first of two meetings during a one year service term as the eyes and ears of public opinion for the network. While the 2+ hour meeting was insightful and productive including a visit from Mark Silverman, Big Ten Network Pres, the day was stolen by the sights and sounds of the event. The lobby was filled with local and national media members such as Pat Forde, Jeff Dickerson, Teddy Greenstein, and a host of Big Ten Network personalities. Robbie Gould was the marquee name at the Bears/Big Ten Alumni area along with the League Championship Trophy. The autograph session opened with players and coaches seated at team themed stations. Juice Williams and Regis Benn were the first stop on my tour and they definitely won the best dressed tandem with Juice in a pearl white suit. All of the players were very cordial and representative of the league. I was able to talk revenge with a few of the PSU players as they have their sights set on a rematch with Iowa. I then made it over to the Iowa table to remind AJ Edds that he should have been a Boiler because we knew he should never try tight end. I also congratulated Tony Moeaki as the only remaining member of that famed '04 signing class out of this great state. Meeting Pat Fitzgerald was one of the highlights of the day as he is a class act. I congratulated him on his recent induction into the college football hall of fame, then we debated the merits of bringing back the half jerseys. All the while Corey Wootten was blocking out our light at 6'8" and plenty of poundage to go with it. The Boiler table was pretty low traffic so I was able to talk with each of the player reps about getting the program back on track. Coach Hope was quite a riot as I had a few moments to chat with him and when I told him I am from Morris, he immediately mentioned that it's Dan Darlington territory. He said I'm alright with him after surviving some coaching from that tough SOB. The Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan State tables were pretty dull. Ohio State was inpenetrable from their caravan of fans, and I refused to partake in anything Indiana/Michigan. I came away with player signed posters from all those teams, random goodie bags including a Purdue car flag, Pat Fitzgerald NU mini helmet, and a Juice/Regis U of I mini helmet. As the coaches and players made their way to the photo session I began to wander as new arrivals trickled in like a Wayne Larrivee and respective school ADs, but off in the distance I saw quite a bit more interesting arrival. Quite possibly the greatest Purdue football player of all time and newly minted HOFer Rod Woodson. I was able to snap a photo, get a signed mini helmet, and talk for a brief moment with the legend about our alma mater and his upcoming ceremony. We had center cut seats for the entire 2.5 hour program and all the coaches did a great job at the mic. JoePa always pleases the crowd.

The luncheon came to a close and as we trickled out I made my way through the hotel in stride with two time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin. The meeting lasted for awhile after that, then we took a shuttle to the Big Ten Network Studios. The place is pretty unremarkable other than their single set for tapings. We got the full tour, even more free stuff like mugs and sweatshirts, then they offered up free food and beers downstairs. We had the opportunity to talk and hang out with the Big Ten Network studio hosts. For all my fellow Purdue grads, I finally let Mike Hall have it for calling us Purdon't on the air. Dave Revsine gave me a personal highlight by spending time to talk sports, college days, real estate, and everything in between for the better part of twenty minutes. He's certainly a big part of why the Big Ten Network is successful after his long run at ESPN. That my friends was a fantastic day. I recommend applying for the fan council next summer and attending the Big Ten Kickoff Luncheon whenever you get a chance. I'll put up a few good snapshots, but feel free to check out my facebook page for the full rundown.

Test Your Limits

I'm going to give an advice column a shot here on Thursdays. I'm no Dr. Phil or even Maury Povich for that matter, but hopefully I can add some spice to your day and keep motivation levels high. I would like implore any person reading this to test their personal limits. When was the last time that any of us did that? I'm talking about anything. If the best meal you've ever made your loved ones was warmed up pizza, then make some fresh dough, make a tomato sauce, add some fresh toppings, and make one yourself. If you haven't run since high school, then go out in your backyard and do a couple down-and-backs for old times sake. You might surprise yourself or you might pass out and be attacked by crows.

My inspiration for this column is myself right now. It's 1:30 in the morning on Thursday. I went to work at 8, took 1/2 hour for lunch, wrote a full narrative appraisal and reviewed three commercial appraisals until I left work at 7. I came home, spent some time with my lovely wife Danielle as she had made dinner for me, and then at 8:30 began to write a second appraisal. Our client needs his reports tomorrow morning, so I just completed that second appraisal at 1:30 this morning. I'm not telling you this to toot my own horn (well, not completely at least). I'm trying to prove my point that at 8AM this was a pretty daunting task and it was touch and go in the middle of the day, but I got the job done. I proved to myself that I can come through in the clutch and do what's necessary for the company.

More importantly, it gave me time to reminisce about writing that key paper for Sports Lit class in college or cramming operations management info before the final. It might be 5 years ago, but I can still pull the long day. Can you still do it? What is it for you? When is the last time you pushed yourself to the edge? Sure you like to fish, but when's the last time you beat the sun to the lake? You're not a bad golfer, but have you ever kept playing until you got that elusive birdie or sunk a putt over 10 feet? You like your job and it gets you paid, but have you tried to come up with something that makes a client happier or sells more product? You're having fun living it up while you're single, but when's the last time you walked confidently up to that stranger at the end of the bar and said drop your drink let's dance! There's a really brief saying that my wife and I came up with that really works for everyone: Be Your Own Advocate. If you can't get the best out of yourself, then why the hell should anyone wonder if you have more to give?

Ode to Nader

This section certainly isn't a political forum, but more of a play on our favorite consumer watchdog Ralph Nader. I'll be your personal watchdog for all sorts of random gizmos, gadgets, and the like. This first one is probably going to be pretty obvious due to recent events: car buying. I have to say that I really like car buying. It's like financial debate. You sit there and tell a guy your demands until he basically realizes that not only are you full of shit, but you don't even like his car. That's a glorious moment my friends. First off, cash for clunkers is a great deal, but please do the research before you show up to the dealership. Just because your seats smell like a combo of raccoon ass and patchouli doesn't mean you qualify. Just because your tires have less tread than your Starbury tennis shoes doesn't mean you qualify. (One more, chants the studio audience) Alright, and just because your car runs on swass, Virginia Slims, and bacon grease doesn't mean you qualify. Although the combo of those last 3 could get you your very own scooter, then who the hell needs a new car anyhow. We just got an 09 Toyota Highlander Limited. Yes I had to stick the limited in there. Next person that asks me how much it cost as they tackle their inner jealousy doesn't get to ride in it. It was also made in Portland, OR for all those folks who thinks I let the troops down by not buying another POS america mobile. Leave it to America to get rid of their only decent ride in the Pontiac brand. You can drive those things until the wheels fall off, but instead we get Chryslers that actually have wheels falling off. Toyota vehicles get better gas mileage than basically every competitor. Their designs are slick and you can get any feature you want. If you drive a lot and don't know what to do, run the miles per gallon stats on getting your typical ride versus a Prius. If the Prius is less that around $5,000 more than the alternative, then you're in the green my friends. If you feel compelled to support the car companies that we now own, I'd probably go with a Chevy because at least they have some guts and are fun while they last. Speaking of fun while it lasted, you were just served some early morning delirious Pete, old school Purdue style. Hope you enjoyed yourself. I officially have 3 and a half hours to grab some sleep before I'm up to drop off this report and catch the train for class.

Side Dish Shuffle

Wednesdays will be the food portion of the program. I love to cook and a lot of people ask me why. Well I love to eat. I used to be a lot pickier eater, but the key to trying new things is trusting the person preparing the food and utilizing fresh ingredients. If the ingredients aren't good to start with, no Julia Child, Emeril Lagasse, or Jeff Smith (Frugal Gourmet reference...anyone?) can make a great dish from them. The other key to branching out in food discovery is formatting dishes to fit your tastes. That is one of the things we'll try to tackle today.

I'm guessing that a fair bit of people struggle with putting together a full meal on a daily basis much like we do. There are a wide variety of meats to constantly interchange and also plenty of vegetables and fruits to throw on the side. The big stumper is that second side dish. We've all been patterned in this midwestern region to put together some sort of potato concoction. They're versatile, cheap, and tasty. The only problem is that unless your fitness goal is to become the stay-puff marshmallow man, you've got to switch it up. You're in luck today my friends.

Risotto will solve your problems. This dish is as versatile as the potato and just as tasty. All you need is some arborio rice (which you can find in any grocery store above a Casey's), butter, and broth. The directions for a simple risotto are directly on the back of the rice package, so I won't detail how the initial dish is created. A typical risotto also includes either onion/shallot/garlic and white wine. Those are really extras depending on what you add to your dish. Once you put together the gooey rice, the possibilities are endless.

My recipe for this week involves taking a seperate saute pan and creating a flavor combo in a creole style. Dice two strips of bacon, one small green pepper, one shallot (or some onion), and one rib of celery. On medium heat, slowly extract the fat from the bacon and crisp the meat. Once you have enough fat to use, toss in the shallot/onion and use your garlic press (a must have) to press in two cloves of garlic. Let this mix sweat for about two minutes, then add in the green pepper and celery. Give these ingredients another minute, then take 6 to 10 grape tomatoes cut in half and add them to the party. Now you can start to season your mixture with a teaspoon of chili powder, two teaspoons of paprika, salt and pepper to taste, and cayenne pepper to your desired heat level. Now add about 6 to 8 oz of tomato sauce, stir, then cover. You can do all this before you start your risotto rice. After a few minutes, the mixture should start to reduce and you can add whatever fresh herbs you have on hand like thyme, oregano, parsley, etc. Now you should taste the mixture as it reduces. You want the flavor to be very strong as it needs to flavor 1/2 a package of risotto rice. Once reduced into something similar to tomato paste, keep covered and remove from heat. When your rice is al dente, add the rice to the mixture in the pan, return to medium heat, and add one last bit of broth to stretch out the mixture. This will let the flavors extend throughout the dish and finish the rice to the proper texture. There is no need for any cheese in this dish as it has all the flavor and texture you need. If you're vegetarian, you could use vegetable broth and use butter instead of bacon. If you want to really amp up this jambalaya like concoction, chop in some spicy sausage. We served this dish with some grilled shrimp and scallops and it was excellent. I promise from here on out, I'll include pictures. This one was gone before the camera could come out.

That's your recipe of the week and food tip. Other variations that we enjoy include stirring in roasted red peppers, lemon juice, and lemon zest at the end of a risotto, substituting fresh mozzarella for the common parmesan and adding some fresh basil and prosciutto for a full meal in one pot, or utilizing red wine with beef broth to make a more wintery side dish for pot roast. The possibilities are endless. Once you give it a try, post some of your own variations and success stories. Have confidence and you'll produce good food. You can even laugh in the face of the Italians and use cheddar cheese instead of parmesan and toss in some pieces of ham or hot dog and do it up backwoods style. If it tastes good to you, that is all that counts. Quick FYI: throw away the Kraft parmesan that doesn't need to be refrigerated. A small hunk of parmesan is worthwhile and lasts over a month in the crisper.

Restaurant Recap

Every week I'll give you a restaurant pick from around all sorts of areas. As my first food post on the new blog, I would be remiss if I didn't use this space to pub Lou Malnati's. The one in downtown Naperville was the spot of my first date with my wife, and the pizza is the best money can buy in my opinion. The deep dish with the sausage patty uncut until you bring it home is the way to go. People love their house salad, and their baked mostaciolli is also a winner. If you're not a deep dish fan, the thin crust will suit your fancy. The cornmeal butter crust is heaven on earth and along with the chunky sauce put this pizza at the top of the Chicago food chain.

Busy day at the office today, but hopefully sometime in the near future I'll have some pictures loaded and be able to share the many stories from my adventures at the Big Ten Kickoff Luncheon yesterday in Chicago.

The True Meaning of a Song

Moving on down the topic list, I'll turn toward another passion of mine, which is music. I celebrate a wide variety of tunes that typically shift by mood and time. I still enjoy a well crafted hip hop collaboration, but haven't focused on the rap scene in many years. Classic rock is always fun especially when you're out getting blasted on a Saturday night, but sometimes you can't help but realize that the bass player of this tune might currently be wearing diapers. I even enjoy a decent pop song on a nice day if it gets stuck in my head. I know most people can't stand that type of music because they hear the songs too many times. I don't mean to throw you off your game champ, but if you've heard the song too many times maybe try switching the station. Just a thought. But overall, I would have to say that I'm a rock guy: alternative, mainstream, metal, piano, whatever the case may be.

Well enough about my music tastes, let us approach the topic of the day. The everlasting search for the true meaning of each and every song ever written. I know you're expecting either a spiritual journey through the time travels of songbirds or a really long list of songs with meanings following. I'm going to do you one better and reply with one simple thought. The true meaning of each and every song is defined by your personal connection with the lyrics, the music, and feeling invoked by the combination. Music is art. No different than a painting in a gallery or a photograph of a sunset. Sure the person who created that ditty had certain emotions at play and a general message to get across, but that doesn't mean that what the song means to you is wrong.

This brings me to my first question: what do these wannabe Matt Pinfields get for knowing what the artist's meaning of a song is? Does the portly bald fellow sneak into their bedroom at night to leave an unmarked 45 of Little Richard for spreading music knowledge? Why do these people need to trample over the enjoyment that someone gets from connecting with their music of choice? I just simply don't understand what is to gain from this practice. If someone out there thinks that Pearl Jam's Jeremy is a wonderful tune about student participation, then I say bring it to class and sing along with each of your kid's names..."Sally spoke in, claaaaasssss today." Hell maybe the little bastards will wake up out of their video game coma for three minutes instead of dozing to the dulcid tones of Raffi walking down to the bay to pick another damn watermelon.

The morale of the story is that you need to make your own personal connection with your music. It will not only enhance your listening experience, but make your musical journey a much more peaceful getaway. This will enable you to listen to any song, no matter what the intended message even if you might not agree with what the artist's message is. Freedom of expression, freedom of thought, and freedom from know-it-all douchebags. Don't worry Kurt Loder isn't lurking behind you. Yes I just included that sentence because I really wanted to throw in a Kurt Loder reference. Let's face it, he's had a pretty slow decade.

Digital Ditty

Every week during this portion of the program, I will be providing a tune that you need to go out and add to your music collection. Think of me as a better version of the Apple iTunes Genius aka one that filters out crap music. I'll do my best every week to bring you a song that isn't either #1 on the charts or constantly streaming across the radio airwaves. It might be new or it might be old, but it most certainly will be delightful. This week I implore you to search out "Enough for Now" by The Fray. I actually saw this piano rock band on the 4th of July up at Summerfest, and they're quite a talented foursome. The song has depth, passion, and some driving lyrics.

On a side note, I would like to encourage anyone reading this blog to help make it interactive. I'm hoping to build a mini-community where people with similar interests can debate some interesting topics and offer up some of their own picks on music, food, etc. So please comment whenever you feel moved to do so and pass along the link to friends, family, vagrants, and the like.

A Perfecto!

I know absolutely full well that the Mark Buehrle perfect game has been covered non-stop over the past four days as I enter into my initial sports post. It has been described by people that were at the game, press that interviewed the players, and paid writers that have been perfecting the craft for a lot longer than I've been alive. With that said, it is overwhelming likely that his perfect game will be the only White Sox perfect game that I have the pleasure of witnessing in my lifetime. There have been 17 in the entire modern era of baseball, and let me tell you that the modern era of baseball includes times when cars, radios, and phones were heresay.

The best part about this perfect game was probably the overwhelming joy in the voices of the men that covered the game. I used the Ed Farmer quote as my title for this post as I listened to the final inning with co-workers at the office. Nothing could top the sheer elation in the voice of Hawk Harrelson as he shouted into the mic after Alexei hit Konerko with the final out. I realize that you either love Hawk or you hate Hawk, but most of the people that hate Hawk just wish they had someone in their press box like him cheering for their team. I'll save the Hawk rant for another time and place, but the Buehrle no-hitter crossed city team lines. Cub fans couldn't help but enjoy what a display this lefty that tops out around 88-89 mph on the gun put on for a little over two hours. That is without a doubt my favorite part about Mark Buehrle. When he toes the rubber, I can tune in to watch a game that will finish before I have to go to bed. He gets to the mound and does the job like he has for 7+ seasons.

I heard on a radio show the day after the game that a person would have to buy season tickets to one team for 730 consecutive years to guarantee themselves a perfect game based on probability. That is mind boggling. My favorite statistic from the game was that Buehrle went through the 3rd rated hitting lineup in the major leagues to accomplish that feat. The untold story was that 5 of the 9 starters in the Tampa Bay lineup were on the all star team for the American League a week before the game. That is why I had to briefly give my kudos to the best White Sox pitcher of my lifetime and hope for many more victories to come.

On a side note, I was selected to be a member of the Big Ten Network fan council, so I'll be reporting for my first meeting on Tuesday at the Big Ten football Kickoff Luncheon in Chicago. If I get any health tips for Joe Paterno or beverage insight from Juice Williams, I'll be sure to pass them along.

Fantasy Reality Check

Each sports column will include a mini-post on fantasy sports. Currently, we're in the dog days of summer, but training camps are starting to open and football season is on the way. My first bit of advice is to have your fantasy football draft on Labor Day weekend. All the final cuts have been made and no one will face a late preseason injury. That's all for football at this point, but on to baseball. Colby Rasmus appears to be the odd man out in the Cardinals outfield now that Matt Holliday has been acquired. He'll likely see some platoon time with Ankiel. Rotisserie league players who are on pace to exceed their innings pitched should package a position player with a mid level starter for a slight upgrade. Use the empty roster spot on a rock solid middle reliever who will help in strikeouts along with ERA and WHIP. Head-to-head league players should know their team by now and make trades to solidify six categories. That is all it takes to win every week. Let your buddy have the regular season title, then bust him in the finals with your six category studs.

Introduction

Welcome family, friends, classmates, co-workers, facebook stalkers, people that just realized they clicked the wrong link, and anyone else seeking daily enlightenment. While you most certainly have come to the wrong place for that sort of thing, it is my personal goal to add a bit of spice to your everyday internet quest. Maybe someday this blog will find its way into that list of preset websites that you hit one after the other before you start the workday. Yes we all have those sites, those three to eight daily stops that start the day like a cold cup of decaf coffee. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you either A. work manual labor, B. have any decent website blocked on your office computer, C. don't get up in time to turn your computer on before you leave for work, or D. are in total denial of your internet fixation.

The purpose of this introduction post is to answer the two obvious questions: why am I doing this and just what in the hell do I have to talk about? Well I would have to say that I finally decided to give this a shot after a nudge from my lovely wife because somehow, someway people get these things purchased for real money. While I am a confident person, even I know how much of a longshot that is, so honestly I just enjoy writing and feel that spending 40-50 hours a week writing elongated commercial real estate appraisals is a bit confining. With this whole real estate and banking meltdown going on, they really frown on ascerbic wit and sarcastic humor.

So you still want to know what it is that I'll be talking about? Well then I would like to personally thank you for still reading this far down the page. Next beer is on me for your continued support. I plan on covering a wealth of topics throughout the work week. Monday will kickstart with my personal favorite topic of Sports, while Tuesday will cover Music, Wednesday leads us into Food, Thursday will be a general Advice on life piece, and Friday will finish off the week with a Wild Card topic. I'm so cutting edge with that wild card. Look at me the loose cannon. You never know when a great topic will need to be covered like unnecessary capitalization of words in the middle of a sentence. That Purdue Marketing class really paid off there, eh? There you have it folks. Hopefully we can have some fun. Feel free to share your thoughts on any of the topics of the day, and each day I'll be throwing in a parting shot free of charge like fantasy sports advice, IPod download selections, restaurant picks, and weekend ideas.